By Alex Johnson
The Community Stage
Classical Revolution ICT is closing out its summer season at Sandhills Brewing with Beethoven & Beer on Aug. 25.
I started this opinion piece gig after presenting at the final Talk20 at the start of this year, telling the tale of Classical Revolution ICT and how it came to Hutchinson. Looking back through my opinion pieces thus far, I see I haven’t yet devoted a full piece to the whole reason I’m here. As Beethoven & Beer gets ready to take a break after our Aug. 25 event, this is a great time to give you the spiel, especially if you didn’t catch the Talk20.
But first, a shameless plug. Make sure you put Beethoven & Beer at Sandhills Brewing on Aug. 25, 7 to 8:30 p.m., on your calendar. We’ll have a brass quintet, Meredith Hopkins on violin/fiddle, and I will be performing a duet with soprano Hannah Cutter.
Our duet is an unusual combination, but I found a work for voice and bassoon last year and have been thrusting it at every soprano I’ve met since. I finally found a taker—because it’s a doozy, musically and emotionally. Called “I Never Saw Another Butterfly,” this mini-opera (don’t worry, it’s the usual 30-minute timeframe), sets several poems written by children during the Holocaust to music. It is haunting, powerful, emotionally involved, and while maybe not an earworm, it should be a memorable musical experience.
But if that doesn’t convince you, a brass quintet can always be depended on for a good time.
But back to Classical Revolution ICT and how it came to be:
While in grad school at Florida State, I discovered Classical Revolution at a brewery called Ology. Monday nights, eight o’clock. The taproom filled with music students listening to other students—and sometimes professors—play classical music over beer.
Classical Revolution made Mondays exciting. It was casual. People talked while people played, often with casual banter on either side of the stage. It felt like musicians blowing off steam and sharing something they loved with people who really understood what went into it.
So when I started thinking about bringing Classical Revolution to Wichita after moving back in 2022, I knew the goal wasn’t virtuosity or perfection. It was energy. Casual connection. A space where classical music felt human, not intimidating.
We had a slow start at R Coffee House, then transitioned to Tor Brewing in 2023, which has become our monthly home base. We branded the brewery series as Bach & Brews so people would have a better idea of what to expect: classical music, beer, relaxed atmosphere.
Every event follows the same model: three sets, about thirty minutes each. Musicians introduce themselves, talk to the audience, and invite interaction. They pick their own rep—anything from Baroque to contemporary classical, including new compositions by local composers. Plus, this is a paid gig for our musicians, since day one in the coffee shop.
We grew from an audience of 10 to an average of 63 every month.
I moved to Hutch in 2023 and kept up the monthly Wichita events. Classical Revolution ICT became a nonprofit in 2024, and we continued to hone our events into the model we have today.
In 2025, I started to think it was time to establish events in Hutchinson. At their heart, Classical Revolution ICT events are built around music, conversation, and community. And Sandhills Brewing has the shared values and artsy vibes that make it the perfect fit.
After floating the idea with Harley’s Saturday Cycles regulars, my fellow YP members, coworkers, and Sandhills Brewing, it was clear it was time to get the ball rolling with Beethoven & Beer. Since we started in July 2025, we’ve had an average attendance of 95. Great job, Hutchinson.
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to bring my art to Hutch and offer an opportunity for other artists to shine as soloists or chamber musicians on a regular basis. My favorite moments at Classical Revolution ICT events are the “aha” moments, like, “I didn’t know a harp could do that,” “You’re a sommelier, economic developer, flutist, singer, and a mom?,” and the conversation and collaboration that starts while standing around a barrel, listening to a newly minted polka band, for example.
We hope to see you on Aug. 25 (Classical Revolution ICT’s four-year anniversary) at Sandhills Brewing for Beethoven & Beer.
Alex is the founder of Classical Revolution ICT. She can be reached at alex@classicalrevolutionict.com.