Jere Flint to Lead the Atlanta Sympohny Youth Orchestra in Annual Spring Concert

Sunday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Concert To Celebrate Mr. Flint’s 30th Anniversary As Staff Conductor and Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra

ASYO To Partner With Share Your Soles In “Music For Your Soles” Shoe Drive

Conductor Jere Flint will lead the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra in works by Geoff Knorr, Walton,
Bottesini, and Bernstein for its Spring Concert, Sunday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m., in Atlanta Symphony Hall
at the Woodruff Arts Center. The concert will celebrate Mr. Flint’s 30th anniversary as Staff Conductor
and Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra.

In honor of Mr. Flint’s contributions to the community, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra will
partner with Share Your Soles, an organization that provides shoes to those in need around the world,
in a “Music For Your Soles” shoe drive. Arrangements have been made for concertgoers and members
of the public to bring gently worn shoes to bins located throughout the Woodruff Arts Center campus.
This event will provide aid for the people of Haiti.

About the Repertoire
GEOFF KNORR (b. 1985) Shadows of the Infinite
Geoff Knorr was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, on June 13, 1985. The first performance of
Shadows of the Infinite took place at Friedberg Hall of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore,
Maryland, on September 27, 2008, with Ruben Capriles conducting the Peabody Symphony
Orchestra… (more)
WALTON (1902- 1983) Viola Concerto
William Walton was born in Oldham, England, on March 29, 1902, and died in Ischia, Italy, on March 8,
1983. The first performance of the Viola Concerto took place at Queen’s Hall in London, England, on
October 3, 1929, with Paul Hindemith as soloist and the composer conducting the Henry Wood
Symphony Orchestra…

BOTTESINI (1821- 1889) Concerto No. 1
Giovanni Bottesini was born in Crema, Italy, on December 22, 1821, and died in Parma, Italy, on July 7,
1889. In addition to the solo double bass, the Concerto is scored for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two
bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, trombone timpani and strings…

BERNSTEIN (1918- 1990) Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on August 25, 1918, and died in New York
on October 14, 1990. The first performance of the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story took place
at Carnegie Hall in New York on February 13, 1961, with Lukas Foss conducting the New York
Philharmonic…

About the Artists
A frequent conductor of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts, Jere Flint leads the ASO's popular
Family Concerts and its Symphony Street concerts for youngsters. He also regularly conducts on the
Classic Chastain pops series at Chastain Park…

About the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra
The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra is an integral member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
family and a vigorous part of the cultural fabric of its community. The ASYO strives for national
preeminence among youth orchestras, while cultivating the artistic growth and excellence of our
members through enriching orchestral experiences and the mentoring of ASO musicians…

* * *

Single tickets for these performances are $12. All single tickets for the 2009–2010 are available online
at atlantasymphony.org or by calling (404) 733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the Woodruff
Arts Center Box Office located in the Woodruff Arts Center at 15th and Peachtree Streets. Box office
hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and
Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

* * *

ATLANTA SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA — SPRING CONCERT
Atlanta Symphony Hall, Memorial Arts Building, Woodruff Arts Center
Sunday, May 16, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
Jere Flint, conductor
Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra
GEOFF KNORR Shadows of the Infinite
WALTON Viola Concerto
BOTTESINI Concerto No. 1
BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

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Twist and Shout at Piedmont Park May 4th

Tuesday, May 4: Musicians, Music-Lovers and Non-Musicians Will Come Together To “Twist and Shout” at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park

Musicians, Non-Musicians, anyone who has ever wanted to learn how to play an instrument and NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants

National Wanna Play Music Week is designed to educate the public on the proven benefits of playing music and to encourage and inspire people of all ages to pick up any type of instrument and learn how to play

Flash Jam participants will be provided a variety of instruments to create an ensemble musical version of the classic, “Twist and Shout” in support of the belief that anyone can play music

On Tuesday, May 4 (Day 2 of National Wanna Play Music Week) NAMM will be hosting simultaneous Flash Jams in major cities across the country, including Los Angeles, New York City, Cleveland, Nashville, Seattle and Atlanta

Tuesday, May 4, 2010
12:00 p.m. ET
Piedmont Park
Entrance from 10th Street (next to Oak Hill)
Atlanta, GA 30357-0795

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Fayette: First Presbyterian Hosts Patriotic Concert

PTC First Presbyterian Hosts Patriotic Concert May 16 The public is invited to a special concert of patriotic music with Mark Hayes and the Peachtree City First Presbyterian Church Choir on May 16 at 11:15 am and 6:30 pm. Dove Award-winner Mark Hayes has a passion for arranging contemporary Christian and sacred music. Hayes has over 50 recordings and a personal catalog of over 500 published original works. Admission is free, however a ticket will be required. Tickets are available at concerts@firstpresptc.com or at the First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City located at 206 Willowbend Rd. Childcare will be provided for children ages 4 and younger. For more information, call 770-487-7757.

Sunday, May 9 – Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra And Magic Circle Mime Company Perform “Peter and the Wolf”

Conductor Jere Flint will lead the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and members of the Magic Circle Mime Company in a reenactment of Prokofiev’s beloved musical tale, “Peter and the Wolf.” Kids will be on the edge of their seats as three musicians and a conductor’s assistant outsmart a fearsome wolf that threatens the Orchestra and audience. The Orchestra will also perform Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture. Concertgoers will have the opportunity to interact with animals from Happy Tails Pet Therapy in the lobby of the Woodruff Arts Center before each performance.

Where: Atlanta Symphony Hall; Woodruff Arts Center; 1280 Peachtree Street, N.E.
When: Shows at 1:30 and 3:30PM
Who: Ages 4+
How: Purchase Tickets
Cost of event: $15-$20

For more info: CLICK HERE for more information and to purchase tickets online.
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The Oak Ridge Boys lead off Villages Summer Concert Series

As summer approaches, so do the much anticipated summer nights at The Villages Amphitheater in Fayetteville. This year’s lineup offers a wide variety of groups that should have something for just about every musical taste. Kicking off the season this Saturday (May 1st ) are country music legends, The Oak Ridge Boys, who will offer up 50 years of tradition on the stage as they perform an evening of their classic hits.

The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs of The Oak Ridge Boys have spawned dozens of Country hits and a Number One Pop smash, earned them Grammy, Dove, CMA, and ACM awards and garnered a host of other industry and fan accolades. Every time they step before an audience, the Oaks bring a stage show widely acknowledged as among the most exciting anywhere. And each remains as enthusiastic about the process as they have ever been.

“When I go on stage, I get the same feeling I had the first time I sang with The Oak Ridge Boys,” says lead singer Duane Allen. “This is the only job I've ever wanted to have.”

“Like everyone else in the group,” adds bass singer extraordinaire Richard Sterban, “I was a fan of the Oaks before I became a member. I’m still a fan of the group today. Being in The Oak Ridge Boys is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.”

The two, along with tenor Joe Bonsall and baritone William Lee Golden, comprise one of Country's truly legendary acts. Their string of hits includes the Pop chart-topper Elvira, as well as Bobbie Sue, Dream On, Thank God For Kids, American Made, I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes, Fancy Free, Gonna

Take A Lot Of River and many others. They recently covered a White Stripes song, receiving accolades from Rock reviewers. They've scored 12 gold, three platinum, and one double platinum album—plus one double platinum single— and had more than a dozen national Number One singles and over 30 Top Ten hits.

Amphitheater Director, Brian Wismer expects this to be a crowd favorite. “We have had so many calls from people who were especially excited about The Oak Ridge Boys coming back after a number of years. They certainly have a broad-based group of fans, here locally,” said Wismer.

Some tickets still remain and are available at the Train Depot and also via the website, www.villagesamphitheater.com.

Also appearing at the Villages this year are Johnny Rivers on June 12th, The Little River Band on July 10th, The Family Stone on July 31st and Grand Funk Railroad on August 28. The 2010 concert series is presented by Mercedes-Benz of South Atlanta.

The Villages Amphitheater is owned by the Downtown Development Authority and managed by the Main Street Tourism Association of Fayetteville.
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The Georgia Boy Choir Ends its Inaugural Season on a High Note

The Georgia Boy Choir is almost through its inaugural season and is enjoying a high level of success and recognition. This past Christmas, the Georgia Boy Choir entertained and inspired over 3,000 attendees in choral performances throughout the metro Atlanta area earning standing rounds of cheers and applause. In February, they hosted the Georgia Boy Choir Festival which drew well over 150 boys from all over the country to come together and spend the day learning to sing together, culminating with a concert featuring all of the boys and guests The American Boychoir from Princeton, NJ.

This month, they will be featured in Georgia State University’s production of the Opera Carmen, and on Saturday, May 1, 2010, at 7:30pm, the Georgia Boy Choir will present its Spring Concert at Briarlake Baptist Church on LaVista Road in Decatur. This production will feature all 5 levels of the choir and all 85 boys. It will be the last local performance before the choir begins touring for the summer and will feature an eclectic program of music from all over the world! Tickets to the performance are $20 for General Admission and $12 for seniors and students and can be purchased by visiting https://georgia-boy-choir.ticketleap.com.

On May 13, the choir will travel to Baltimore, Maryland to participate in the Baltimore Boychoir Festival and then on May 29 will embark on a 17 day tour of China where they will perform in Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Luodai, Kunming, and Shanghai. They will be appearing in a live Chinese television broadcast, and conducting a Master Class for Chinese conductors. They will have the opportunity to perform with several different Chinese Children’s Choirs and even get to stay a few nights in some Chinese homes. Along the way, they will get to climb on the Great Wall of China, visit the Forbidden City and the Beijing Children’s Palace, and see the ancient “Terra Cotta Army” that has been guarding the tomb of the First Emperor for thousands of years. They will even get to pay a visit to Mei Lan, Atlanta’s own baby Panda bear who was just recently shipped back to China.

The Georgia Boy Choir carries on a centuries old tradition of boys singing and developing the unchanged voice. The GBC aims to reach the highest level of musical excellence possible while developing leadership skills, teaching self discipline and instilling character traits. David R. White, well-known throughout the arts community in Atlanta, is the Conductor and Artistic Director of the Georgia Boy Choir. He developed a reputation for musical excellence as the Conductor and Artistic Director of the Atlanta Boy Choir. Prior to coming to Atlanta, he had spent over 10 years at the helm other well-known boy choirs, including the Boy Choir of the Carolinas and Florida’s Singing Sons and during his career has led choral performances in concert halls and cathedrals throughout the United States, as well as Greece, Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Russia, and the Ukraine. “My reward is seeing this musical talent develop to a point that it expands the world around these boys and enriches the lives of others,” says White. “After all these years, I am still moved by the world-class performances that these young boys deliver.”

For more information on auditions, performances and tours, please visit www.GeorgiaBoyChoir.org or call 404-402-4083.

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Guest Conductor Vasily Petrenko to Lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in All Tchaikovsky Program

APRIL 8 - 10, 2010

Concert To Feature Pianist Barry Douglas
Performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Guest Conductor Vasily Petrenko will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony and Piano Concerto No. 1, with guest pianist Barry Douglas. The concerts will be April 8 - 10, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Fanfare Pre-Concert Dinner Buffet

A great ASO tradition returns in the 2009-2010 season — Fanfare, the pre-concert buffet-style dining by Restaurant Associates, will be available to all concertgoers at all Delta Classical, SuperPops, and Coca-Cola Holiday concert-evening performances from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m…

Concert Preview Talks

Audiences have the opportunity to learn more about the music they’ll be hearing at concerts with free Concert Previews, hosted by ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer. Join Mr. Meltzer and his special guests, —composers, conductors, and musicians—for lively and informative discussions. All concert previews are located in Atlanta Symphony Hall and are free and open to all concert ticket-holders. (Speakers and locations are subject to change.)

About the Repertoire

TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Manfred Symphony

In the fall of 1868, the Russian critic Vladimir Stasov wrote to Berlioz. In his letter, Stasov included a scenario for a symphony based upon Lord Byron’s 1817 dramatic poem, Manfred (Byron’s Childe Harold had provided the inspiration for Berlioz’s Harold in Italy). But Berlioz, now in the final months of his life, declined the offer. Hector Berlioz died on March 8, 1869, at the age of 65. . .

TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Piano Concerto No. 1

Tchaikovsky composed his First Piano Concerto in the span of approximately seven weeks, completing it on January 2, 1875. Three days after putting the finishing touches on the work, Tchaikovsky played his new Concerto for Nikolai Rubinstein—head of the Moscow Conservatory, and a superb concert pianist Tchaikovsky, then a professor at the Conservatory, hoped that Rubinstein would agree to be the soloist in the Concerto’s premiere…

About the Artists

Vasily Petrenko was born in 1976 and started his music education at the St Petersburg Capella Boys Music School – the oldest music school in Russia. He then studied at the St Petersburg Conservatoire and has also participated in masterclasses with such major figures as Ilya Musin, Mariss Jansons, Yuri Temirkanov and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Between 1994 and 1997, Petrenko was Resident Conductor at the St Petersburg State Opera and Ballet Theatre in the Mussorgsky Memorial Theatre

Hailed as “a supremely talented and genuine artist,” Barry Douglas is one of the most versatile and brilliant pianists of today. Active as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, conductor and festival director, his artistry has been acclaimed by critics and audiences worldwide …

About the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, now in its 65th season, is considered one of America’s leading orchestras, known for the excellence of its live performances, presentations, renowned choruses, and its impressive list of Grammy® Award-winning recordings …

This concert is part of the Delta Classical Concert Series. Delta Air Lines is the Official Airline of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Single tickets for these performances are $20 to $75. All single for the 2009-2010 are now available online at atlantasymphony.org or by calling (404) 733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office located in the Woodruff Arts Center at 15th and Peachtree Streets. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 10am-8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 12pm-8pm.

VASILY PETRENKO MAKES HIS ASO DEBUT

Delta Classical Series
Atlanta Symphony Hall, Memorial Arts Building, Woodruff Arts Center
Thursday, April 8, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Friday, April 9, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 10, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Vasily Petrenko, conductor*
Barry Douglas, piano
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
TCHAIKOVSKY Manfred Symphony
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1
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BarlowGirl in Peachtree City for One Night Only

On the heels of their long anticipated tour, BarlowGirl is back in Peachtree City for one night only!

104.7 The Fish presents “The Love and War Tour starring BarlowGirl with special Guest Stellar Kart and Vota.” Monday March 22nd, at the Frederick Brown Jr., Amphitheater at 201 McIntosh Trail in Peachtree City. Doors open at 6pm, concert starts at 6:30pm. This will be their only Tour Date in the Atlanta area.

On their newest album titled “Love & War”, the sisters have crafted their most lyrically bold and musically adventurous album to date. From the effervescent pop of “Come Alive” to the achingly beautiful “Tears Fall,” the collection covers a diverse landscape sonically and emotionally. Six years into their musical ministry, the members of BarlowGirl remain as passionate as ever about serving God and sharing the love they feel for Him and for each other.

Tickets are on sale beginning March 1st! All seats are General Admission for $15 in Advance, and Door Prices have been reduced to $15. Tickets can be purchased at www.amphitheater.org or by visiting The Fred Box Office between 9am-5pm Monday through Friday. There are also a number of limited VIP Tickets that include a Meet and Greet, and Pictures with BarlowGirl for $30 each. VIP’s will get to enter the gates 1 hour before general admission at 5:15pm. These special VIP tickets will sell out fast.

For more information on this concert visit www.amphitheater.org or call 770 629-4342.

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An Evening of Jazz at The Rock Ranch Friday, April 2

Line up a babysitter, purchase your tickets, and join us for the inaugural "First Friday Date Night" at The Rock Ranch. Jazz vocalist Audrey Shakir has been mesmerizing audiences across the globe for more than 30 years and she'll bring her talents to The Rock Ranch in just a few weeks. Come and enjoy an evening of world class jazz music.

Shakir, who's singing is reminiscent of the great Ella Fitzgerald, will perform in concert with her impressive quartet. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on April 2 and doors will open at 7 p.m.

During her illustrious career, Shakir has performed with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Lionel Hampton, Pharoah Sanders and many more. Her performance venues are just as noteworthy as the artists the songbird has performed with. They include The Apollo Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Tavern on the Green, the Jazz and Blues Festival in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Festival de Fort-de-France in Martinique as well as the Atlanta Jazz Festival.

This date night experience will be held in "The Barn". "The Barn" is a brand new, climate-controlled facility at The Rock Ranch.

Reserved seating is available for only $16 per ticket or a table for 10 may be reserved for $150. A limited number of tables for two will also be available for $40 per table.

All seating will include a complimentary hors d'oeuvres buffet.

Another first for The Rock Ranch is your ability to purchase tickets and choose your seating online at www.TheRockRanch.com.

This event will likely sell out. So click here to buy your tickets now. For more information, call The Rock Ranch at 706-647-6374.

Clayton State Alumna Tami Petty to Debut at Lincoln Center

Soprano Tami Petty, a 1994 graduate of Clayton State University, will be making her solo debut at New York City’s Lincoln Center on Monday, Mar. 22.

Petty, who graduated from the then-Clayton State College with a B.M. in Music Performance, will be performing with Voices of Ascension in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennell at 8 p.m. at Alice Tully Hall’s Starr Theatre, 65th Street and Broadway in New York.

Petty is the recipient of The Elizabeth & Michel Sorel Charitable Organization’s inaugural Emerging Artist Award. The Sorel Charitable Organization, a non-profit foundation whose mission is to create opportunities for women in music, is sponsoring Petty’s performance at Lincoln Center.

Sorel’s Emerging Artist Award is designed to give gifted women professional exposure in the world’s major concert halls. The Organization will arrange annual appearances of the Emerging Artist with varying ensembles and artists, as well as cover the artist’s fee for each performance. The Sorel Organization’s Executive Director Judy Cope is overjoyed to launch this new program, and to honor Tami Petty as its first beneficiary.

“I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award,” says Cope. “Many young singers feel pressured to perform strenuous repertoire before their voices are ready. Ms. Petty has taken a difficult road by allowing her voice the necessary time to develop, and we are honored to be in a position to reward her sustained patience and dedication with performance opportunities that finally let her shine.”

For more information on Petty, go to her website; http://www.tamipetty.com/.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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The Atlanta Opera Closes its 30th Anniversary Season with a New Production of The Magic Flute

Star-Studded Cast Includes Metropolitan Opera Stars Nicole Cabell, Sean Panikkar and Kathleen Kim

The Atlanta Opera closes its 30th anniversary season with a new production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s last opera, The Magic Flute, which opens on Saturday, April 24, at 8 p.m. Other performances will be on Tuesday, April 27; Friday, April 30; and Sunday, May 2. The Magic Flute follows the story of Tamino, an Egyptian prince, in his journey to find Pamina, the Queen’s daughter, and rescue her from the sorcerer Sarastro. Armed with only a golden flute for protection, he must face trials of fire and water to prove his worth and win her heart in the end. Soprano Nicole Cabell, winner of the 2005 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, will sing the role of Pamina, and bel canto tenor Sean Panikkar will perform as the prince Tamino. Audience favorite Hugh Russell will return as Papageno after his success as Dandini in the Atlanta Opera’s production of Cinderella in 2008. Israeli bass Denis Sedov sings Sarastro, and Korean-American coloratura soprano Kathleen Kim will sing the notoriously difficult role of the Queen of the Night. Returning as conductor will be Arthur Fagen, who conducted Akhnaten and The Flying Dutchman during the 2008-2009 season. A new coproduction with Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music, the specially designed set by C. David Higgins utilizes light-up symbols on children’s toy blocks, puppets and imaginary animals to convey a world of fantasy appealing to adults and children. The set plays a major role in conveying the story to the audience with its raised curtain, allowing the audience to see every set change and experience the magic of each transformation. The opera will be sung in German with English supertitles. Spoken dialogue will be in English.

THE MAGIC FLUTE (DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE)

Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder

Sung in German with English Supertitles. Spoken dialogue in English.

New Production

Previous Atlanta Opera Performance: 2003

Approximate Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes with 1 intermission
Four Performances at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 8 pm

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 7:30 pm

Friday, April 30, 2010 at 8 pm

Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 3 pm


Creative Team

Conductor Arthur Fagen

Stage Director Tomer Zvulun

Set Designer C. David Higgins*

Costume Designer C. David Higgins*

Lighting Designer Marie Barrett*


Cast

Tamino Sean Panikkar*

Pamina Nicole Cabell*

Papageno Hugh Russell

Sarastro Denis Sedov*

Queen of the Night Kathleen Kim*

Speaker Jason Hardy

Papagena Rebecca Kier

Monostatos Adam Kirkpatrick

1st Lady Amy Little

2nd Lady Maria McDaniel

3rd Lady Pamela Dillard

Description

An enchanting journey of love and self-discovery, the prince Tamino and princess Pamina pass through several trials to find each other. Fantastic characters, an evil Queen (with some very high notes) and incredible music make The Magic Flute a family favorite.

New Production Concept

David Higgins’ design is a set, made of children’s toy blocks with fantastical light-up symbols on each piece. Additional elements seamlessly present the various locations of the opera: a colorful, enchanted garden suddenly appears; a huge snake chases the hero outside the ruins of a castle; three boys suspended by balloons appear from an opening in the wall; lightning bolts shatter the back wall and allow the Queen of the Night to magically appear. The set plays a key role in the story-telling of the opera: all scene changes take place with a raised curtain, allowing the audience to watch as the scenery magically transforms.

Inspired by the paintings of Maxfield Parrish, the world of The Magic Flute is one of innocent fairy tales and colorful children’s books. The production also includes extensive use of different puppets and imaginary animals: a giraffe and an oryx suddenly appear over the hedge; a cheetah, a porcupine and a bear dance to the tunes of the enchanted flute; flamingos and parrots are chased by Papageno (the bird catcher) and a huge red snake with fiery eyes envelops the set. The entire production is designed to create a vibrant world of surprise and fantasy that will instantly appeal to children and adults alike.

TICKET INFORMATION

Single Tickets

$25 -$125 plus tax, convenience and venue fees

Online -- Visit www.atlantaopera.org

By Phone -- Call 404-881-8885 or 1-800-35-OPERA

In-person – Visit the Bank of North Georgia Box Office at the Cobb Energy Centre (Mon-Fri, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; and one hour prior to a performance on day of show).

Season Tickets

Season tickets to The Atlanta Opera’s 2010-2011 season at the Cobb Energy Centre are now available. Ticket prices for a three-opera package including La bohème, Porgy and Bess, and Così fan tutte range from $75 to $459 plus handling.

Online -- Visit www.atlantaopera.org

By Phone -- Call 404-881-8885 or 1-800-35-OPERA

In-person – Visit The Atlanta Opera Center at 1575 Northside Drive NW, Building 300, Suite 350 (Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.).

OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN MORE

Opera 101

A class devoted to The Magic Flute will be held on Monday, April 19, 7:00-8:30 p.m. at The Atlanta Opera Center, 1575 Northside Drive. Led by long-time opera connoisseur and Honorary Board Member Carter Joseph, Opera 101 is a prep course for the upcoming production. Patrons are introduced to a history, background and story line of the opera. The composer, librettist, key characters, musical theme and selected arias are featured in an entertaining and interesting multi-media presentation. Opera 101 is educational and fun! Free but reservations are required – 404-881-8801.

Pre-Opera Talks

Free, fun and informative, Pre-Opera Talks occur one hour prior to each performance in the John A. Williams Theatre at the Cobb Energy Centre. Pre-Opera Talks help patrons gain better understanding of the upcoming production through a brief presentation about the setting, plot, characters, composer and music. Reservations are not required and seating is unreserved. Patrons must have a ticket for the specific performance that follows.

Opera Guide

Download a complete study guide for The Magic Flute at www.atlantaopera.org.

Synopsis

For a synopsis of The Magic Flute, please visit www.atlantaopera.org.

Evening at Emory -- Mozart’s Final Year and The Magic Flute

At the start of 1791 Mozart was out of favor and neglected, but by the end of the year he was back in a big way with more work than even he could handle. During this course, veteran opera instructor Carter Joseph will lead participants through the last year of the famous composer’s life. Mozart was astonishingly productive during this time, completing two operas, his final piano concerto, and famous Requiem Mass among other works. Tuition includes performance ticket to The Atlanta Opera’s new production of The Magic Flute.

Instructor: Carter Joseph, founder of “Opera 101”

Class Dates: Tuesday, April 6, 2010, 7-9 p.m.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010, 7-9 p.m.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 7-9 p.m.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Performance)

Fee: $160

For more information or to register, email evening@emory.edu or call 404-727-6000.

Master Class with Conductor Arthur Fagen

Conductor Arthur Fagen leads a master class on Monday, April 26 at 3:00 p.m. in the Florence Kopleff Recital Hall at Georgia State University, 10 Peachtree Center Avenue. Free. For more information, call 404-413-5901 or visit www.music.gsu.edu.

Atlanta Opera Sponsors

AT&T is the Atlanta Opera’s Season Sponsor. The Atlanta Opera is proud to recognize its other corporate partners: The Coca-Cola Company, the Official Beverage Sponsor of The Atlanta Opera and Opening Night Performance Sponsor and Zurich, the Official Insurance Sponsor of The Atlanta Opera. Generous production support also has been provided by Dr. and Mrs. James W. Bland, Bob and Cappa Woodward, the Sara Giles Moore Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Knobloch, Jr., Martha Thompson, the Atlanta Music Festival Association, Mrs. Harry Willson and Ms. Barbara D. Stewart.

About The Atlanta Opera

Founded in 1979, The Atlanta Opera is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary season. Led by Zurich General Director Dennis Hanthorn, The Atlanta Opera strives to expand the experience of its patrons with memorable and exciting opera performances reflecting the highest musical and theatrical standards, while supporting community and educational programs. The company also works to attract the finest international, national, and regional singers, conductors, stage directors and designers. Each season The Atlanta Opera presents four productions with four performances each at the Cobb Energy Centre.
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Spivey Hall Features Southern Crescent Symphony and Two Debuts this Weekend

Clayton State University’s world-famous Spivey Hall will welcome the Southern Crescent Symphony on Friday, Mar. 12 to start off a weekend of music on the Clayton State campus. Following the local performers on Saturday and Sunday will be Spivey Hall debuts by an Irish musical aggregation and Canadian bass-baritone Gerald Finley.

The Southern Crescent Symphony, Richard Bell and Carl Rieke conductors, will present a 7:30 p.m. program entitled, “The Symphony Orchestra - Some Assembly Required.” It’s a program for music lovers of all ages, demonstrating how the various musical families work together to create the sound of a symphony orchestra. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children.

On Saturday, Mar. 13, the Irish music quartet Patrick Street will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a little early by making their Spivey Hall debut at 8:15 p.m. Kevin Burke, Andy Irvine, Ged Foley and John Carty are four brilliant players collectively known as Patrick Street, renowned for playing Irish traditional music. Admission is $35.

Then, on Sunday, Mar. 14, at 3 p.m., bass-baritone Finley, accompanied by pianist Julius Drake, will make his Spivey Hall debut. Finley will also be giving a pre-concert talk at 2 p.m. Admission is $40.

For additional information and tickets, go to the Spivey Hall website; www.spiveyhall.org. A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

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Blipping

Do you ever hear a song on the radio and wish you could listen to another by the same artist? or does a song remind you of one you like but you can't quite remember what it's called?

Do you like to be in control of your music?

I've become addicted to www.blip.fm. (I'm softnblue). I know there are a number of similar sites out there, but this is the one I first hear about and I'm there for the duration.

If you like Twitter and Facebook, you're going to like blipping songs... You can do it from Twitter, too.

While I'm editing websites, working on the computer I listen to my favorite tunes, and I control what I play. If you love music, go check it out. And find me...

- jmd

Music Director Robert Spano to Lead the ASO and Women of the ASO Chorus in Mahler's Symphony No. 3

Concert To Feature Mezzo-Soprano Ruxandra Donose And The Gwinnett Young Singers

Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Women of the ASO Chorus in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, with mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose and the Gwinnett Young Singers. The concerts will be March 4 and 6, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Fanfare Pre-Concert Dinner Buffet

A great ASO tradition returns in the 2009-2010 season — Fanfare, the pre-concert buffet-style dining by Restaurant Associates, will be available to all concertgoers at all Delta Classical, SuperPops, and Coca-Cola Holiday concert-evening performances from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Concert Preview Talks

Audiences have the opportunity to learn more about the music they’ll be hearing at concerts with free Concert Previews, hosted by ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer. Join Mr. Meltzer and his special guests, composers, conductors, and musicians for lively and informative discussions. All concert previews are located in Atlanta Symphony Hall and are free and open to all concert ticket-holders. (Speakers and locations are subject to change.)

About the Repertoire

MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No.3 in D minor

Gustav Mahler was born in Kaliště, Bohemia, on July 7, 1860, and died in Vienna, Austria, on May 18, 1911. The first complete performance of the Symphony No. 3 took place in Krefeld, Germany, on June 9, 1902, with the composer conducting.

About the Artists
Music Director Robert Spano, now in his ninth season as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, is recognized internationally as one of the most imaginative conductors of his generation. Since 2001 he has invigorated and expanded the Orchestra’s repertoire while elevating the ensemble to new levels of international prominence and acclaim.

Romanian mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose has captured critical and popular acclaim in leading opera houses and concert halls. Der neue Merker described her voice as an “incredibly exciting, flowing mezzo-soprano, which has no breaks and a flawless timbre.” Her expressive vocalism, thoughtful musicianship, and elegant stage presence allow her to pursue an extensive operatic and orchestral repertoire.

Acclaimed for the beauty, precision and expressive qualities of their singing, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Choruses have been an important part of the Orchestra's programming since their founding by the late Robert Shaw. Both the ASO Chorus and Chamber Chorus are composed entirely of volunteers, who meet weekly for rehearsals and perform with the ASO several times each season.

Now entering its nineteenth season, the Gwinnett Young Singers are frequent guests of the ASO. Under the direction of Founder and Music Director Lynn Urda, and Associate Director Carol Wyatt, the Gwinnett Young Singers rapidly became a nationally recognized children’s chorus, best noted for its mastery of challenging repertoire and exceptionally high musical standards.

About the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, now in its 65th season, is considered one of America’s leading orchestras, known for the excellence of its live performances, presentations, renowned choruses, and its impressive list of Grammy® Award-winning recordings.

* * *

This concert is part of the Delta Classical Concert Series. Delta Air Lines is the Official Airline of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

* * *

Single tickets for these performances are $20 to $75. All single for the 2009-2010 are now availableonline at atlantasymphony.org or by calling (404) 733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office located in the Woodruff Arts Center at 15th and Peachtree Streets. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 10am-8pm, and Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 8pm.

* * *

ROBERT SPANO CONDUCTS MAHLER

Delta Classical Series
Atlanta Symphony Hall, Memorial Arts Building, Woodruff Arts Center
Thursday, March 4, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 6, 2010, 8:00 p.m.

Robert Spano, conductor
Ruxandra Donose, mezzo-soprano*
Gwinnett Young Singers
Women of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
MAHLER Symphony No. 3

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Zeller and Otaki to Present Free Valentine’s Day Concert at Spivey Hall

Clayton State University’s longest-running musical pairing (since 2002), Dr. Kurt-Alexander Zeller, director of Opera and Vocal Studies at Clayton State University, and Clayton State Director of Keyboard Studies Dr. Michiko Otaki, have a special treat for Valentine’s Day… a free faculty recital on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. in Spivey Hall.

“We have appeared all over the Southeast, been heard on WABE, and were invited to perform at the 2006 International Congress of Voice Teachers in Vancouver, British Columbia,” notes Zeller. “We present a new program in Spivey Hall almost every year, but when we drew Valentine’s Day as the date for our annual faculty recital, we knew that we would have to do something a little different this year.

“The program would have to be something not too heavy, so that there would be plenty of room for candlelit dinners and chocolate afterward, something frothy enough to be compatible with champagne, something that managed to be both nice and naughty — in short, something that would be appropriate for the patron saint of lovers. The songs all are love songs — but they have diverse viewpoints. Many are romantic or flirtatious, but even though it’s Valentine’s Day, a few look at the more ridiculous side of love and a couple even examine its dark side. “

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

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Music at the Morris Springs into Action in 2010

The Morris Museum announces its Spring Music at the Morris schedule, which includes performances by soprano Laquita Mitchell, cellist Christine Crookall and pianist Martin David Jones, and a Symphony Orchestra Augusta ensemble.

“Music at the Morris, our free, monthly music series, has been highly successful,” commented David Tucker, deputy director and curator of education at the Morris Museum of Art. “It allows us to bring to our community top quality local and regional musical artists who represent all musical genres, including jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, acoustic, and classical.”

Sunday, February 21, 2:00 p.m.
Laquita Mitchell. New York City native and Manhattan School of Music graduate Laquita Mitchell made her role debut as Bess in George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess at the San Francisco Opera in June of 2009. A Grand Prize Winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2004, Ms. Mitchell brings a program of her favorite pieces to our Morris stage.

Sunday, March 21, 2:00 p.m.
Christine Crookall and Martin David Jones. A history of music written for cello and piano is performed by Augusta State University music professors Christine Crookall, cello, and Martin David Jones, piano. Join us for a selection of favorites from the eighteenth through twenty-first centuries by composers including Bach, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, and more. Refreshments and conversation with the artists follow.

Sunday, April 18, 2:00 p.m.
Music of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Augusta State University music faculty and colleagues bring to the Morris stage the wonderful music of the nineteenth century’s romantic period and music of the twentieth century. Enjoyable just for the music, the concert is also aligned with the curriculum requirements of the university’s humanities courses.

Sunday, May 16, 2:00 p.m.
Demonstration and Discussion with Maestro Shizuo Kuwahara. A Symphony Orchestra Augusta ensemble performs a short magnum opus, and Maestro Kuwahara dissects and analyzes the work with the audience, determining why it is exemplary. Refreshments and conversation with the artists follow.

Music at the Morris is FREE to the public. Held in the museum’s auditorium, most performances are followed by refreshments and an opportunity for conversation with the artists. Seating is limited. For more information, please call 706-828-3867. Music at the Morris is sponsored in part by SunTrust Bank and Mr. and Mrs. Braye C. Boardman. Free Sundays at the Morris are sponsored in part by Elliott Davis, LLC, and Wachovia Bank.

The Morris Museum of Art was founded in 1985 and opened to the public in 1992. It is the oldest museum in the country that is devoted to the art and artists of the American South. The museum’s permanent collection holds approximately five thousand works of art that date from the late-eighteenth century to the present. The permanent collection galleries are currently being reinstalled and will reopen March 6, 2010. The Morris is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., and on Sunday, noon–5:00 p.m. For more information about the Morris Museum of Art, visit www.themorris.org or call 706-724-7501.
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Lee Brice Heads to Duluth, GA for a Knock Out Performance

Brice to Perform at Duluth, GA Wild Bills

Curb Records recording artist Lee Brice, one of Nashville’s top tunesmiths, is bringing his rugged and soulful performance to Duluth, GA March 12, 2010 to perform at Wild Bills (2075 Market St., Duluth, GA 30096). Fridays show will also feature Clay Walker, as the two performers have teamed up to rock the house! Ticket info can be found online at www.wildbillsatlanta.com.

“Having the chance to open for Clay Walker is an incredible honor,” says Lee. “His fans are loyal, supportive and welcoming. I’m excited to share my music with them!”

When Lee Brice first entered the country consciousness with the Top 30 hit “She Ain’t Right” in 2007, his voice carrying over FM radio waves like honey trickling through lines of melody etched in leather, his rugged sound and raw emotion spoke for a new generation of Nashville recording artists. As follow-up singles “Happy Endings,” “Upper Middle Class White Trash,” and current Top 40 hit “Love Like Crazy” have doggedly climbed the charts, Brice has continued to change the landscape of country with images inspired by the Carolina backcountry where he was raised—of a tightly packed car heading from Myrtle Beach into the sunset, of a trailer park full of Cadillacs, of 58 years of marriage lived in a 2-story house on Maple Street.

Not only has Brice established himself as one of the most promising new voices in country, he has proven himself as one of Nashville’s top tunesmiths, with cuts by Jason Aldean, Adam Gregory, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and Garth Brooks to his credit. “More Than A Memory,” the Garth Brooks smash that became the first song in Billboard chart history to debut at #1, seems more like a dream to Brice.

And, the dream continues to realize as Brice is currently putting the finishing touches on his forthcoming debut album Picture Of Me.

To learn more about Lee Brice, log on to: www.leebrice.com/.

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Coweta: Wadsworth Concert Brings Master Classes to Students

An exciting and educational facet of the March 6th Charles Wadsworth & Friends Concert is now set to continue. Two of the musicians performing in the concert will arrive earlier in order to conduct Master Classes for Coweta County high school vocal and piano students.

Soprano Courtenay Budd and pianist Steven Prutsman, both accomplished and world-class artists, will conduct the Master Classes at The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts on Friday, March 5th. The master classes are free-of-charge to the students and the costs are being totally underwritten by the Newnan Rotary Club and Cargill.

“A Master Class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also painting, drama, dance, or any of the arts. In a Master Class, a teacher’s general comments are replaced by the far more personal, intimate, informed, and individualized instructions and comments of a practiced professional in that talent or skill.”

Newnan High School’s Band Director John Erdogan has said of past master classes, “Student participation in Master Classes can hone students’ skills and challenge them. Encountering musicians who perform at this level can benefit students greatly by helping them develop basic techniques, reading literature, tone production... and just from the opportunity to be exposed to a developed talent who has succeeded artistically and professionally. Someone who actually does this professionally can certainly benefit students. Lots of things can come from these master classes.” Erdogan added, “"We are also so fortunate to have local citizens who not only appreciate Wadsworth and support his annual concert here, but also appreciate the musical arts enough to financially support a master class like this for our students.”

Dr. Lyn Schenbeck, Director, Centre Strings (high school) orchestra (also 6th-8th Strings, Smokey Road Middle school) commented, "This opportunity for our students and the Centre Strings ensemble to be a part of a master class can be a life-altering experience. Having the opportunity in past years to learn from someone like violinist Chee-Yun or cellist Edward Arron was very exciting; our students benefited in every way. A big thank you to Newnan Rotary and Cargill for making this happen.”

Tickets for the concert will be available, effective February 5 at Scott’s Book Store on the Courthouse Square, Morgans Jewelers at Ashley Park, The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts and Bank of Coweta at Thomas Crossroads and are budget priced at $20. for adults and $15. for students and (65+ seniors)
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17th Annual Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival

A great afternoon of music, food and friends!
Saturday, May 15 at 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Thomson, Georgia

Al Di Meola at the Variety Playhouse

Thursday, February 4, 8:00pm
Tickets: $27.50 advance / $30 day of show

Al Di Meola holds the most prestigious guitar awards (of any guitarist in the world) from the highest rated guitar poll in the world, Guitar Player Magazine. He has been known throughout the world for the past two and a half decades as one of the most prominent virtuosos in the contemporary instrumental jazz field. Di Meola's highly celebrated career has spanned a wide range of emotions into a unique style embodying the artists world inspired influences. "If you don't advance creatively," Al Di Meola once told Guitar Player's Jim Ferguson, "then all you have left is playing Vegas." From his stunning arrival on the scene as the fiery virtuoso in Chick Corea's jazz fusion group Return to Forever to his international acclaim as the member of an acoustic guitar trio, and from his solo career to his championing of the musical legacy of tango master Astor Piazzolla, Di Meola has held firm to this credo. Passionate, opinionated, and immensely gifted, he has covered more musical terrain in his 20-year plus career than many artists have in a lifetime.

via AtlantaJazz.info
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Georgia Tech Competition Cultivates Invention of New Musical Instruments

/PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Tech's second annual Guthman Musical Instrument Competition will conclude with a final public performance at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 27, 2010 in Atlanta. The competition, supported by the philanthropy of alumnus Richard Guthman, is the only one of its kind in showcasing artists, musicians and entrepreneurs with radical new ideas for music performance and technology.

An expert panel of judges will review entries based on musicality, design and engineering, for prizes of $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second place and $2,000 for third place.

Judges include:
-- Gil Weinberg, Director, Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology
-- Eliot Van Buskirk, Music Reporter for Wired.com
-- Johannes Goebel, Founding Director of Experimental Media and
Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
-- Tod Machover, Professor and Director of Hyperinstruments/Opera of the
Future Group at MIT Media Lab


The event will be held in the J. Allen Couch Building, 840 McMillan Street, on the Georgia Tech campus. Admission is free and doors open at noon for a panel discussion with the judges. Performances by the competition finalists will begin at 1 PM and prizes will be awarded at the end of the final performances.

Preliminary performances will be held on Friday, February 26, from 10 AM to 4 PM in both the J. Allen Couch Building and the West Architecture Building at 247 Fourth Street NW. Immediately following the preliminary performances, there will be an open house showcase of unique music-making projects, research, and experiences from faculty and students in the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology. The Open House will be in the J. Allen Couch Building and all are invited to attend.

Last year, 30 inventors from seven countries performed on Georgia Tech's campus in the Guthman Competition. "We were thrilled by the diversity and quality of the competitors. "It was absolutely inspiring to see such a range and diversity of ideas from commercial firms, academicians and creative young musicians," said Frank Clark, Chair of Georgia Tech's School of Music. "Thanks to the Guthmans, this competition will expose new paradigms of expression year after year."

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Resident Composer Michael Gordon Joins Georgia Tech’s Sonic Generator for a Free Concert at The Woodruff Arts Center

Monday, February 8, 2010 at 8 p.m. Rich Theatre, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street

The Woodruff Arts Center is excited to be partnering again with Georgia Tech’s chamber music ensemble-in-residence, Sonic Generator. This free performance features the music of resident composer Michael Gordon and promises to be a unique experience in live music, creativity, and technology. The event is part of Tech’s T. Gordon Little Lecture Series in the Imagination.
Sonic Generator explores the ways in which technology can transform how we create, perform and listen to music. The ensemble, comprised of some of the top classical musicians in Atlanta, works closely with Georgia Tech faculty in the GVU Center and the Center for Music Technology to present concerts that bring cutting-edge technologies to the world of contemporary classical music.

This program showcases composer Michael Gordon’s strikingly diverse music and his unique approaches to technology and to film. I Buried Paul (1996) draws inspiration from an unusual moment in the Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever, while Weather One (2005) compares the history of art to the unpredictability of the weather. The program also includes ac dc (1996) and a trio of selections from Gordon’s album Light is Calling (2004), which expertly mixes acoustic instruments and electronics with films by Bill Morrison.

This will be Sonic Generator’s third performance at the Woodruff Arts Center. They first played in the Rich Theatre to a full audience, performing musical pieces in unconventional ways against a backdrop of experimental films. Their second performance was a collaboration with critically acclaimed dance group gloATL for the world premiere, Crea. Crea blurred the lines between dance, visual art, and music, creating an unforgettable evening of innovation and invention.
Sonic Generator is also sponsored by the GVU Center at Georgia Tech and organized in collaboration with the Center for Music Technology and the School of Music in the College of Architecture.
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Eighth Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Inspires All Ages To “Shake Your Body Down To the Ground”

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Set against a colorful backdrop of dynamic performances by eight of the nation’s top Historically Black College and University [HBCU] marching bands, a reverent marching band tribute to the late music icon Michael Jackson, and all the hype of a live performance from hip-hop artist, Ludacris, the 2010 Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB) Invitational Showcase had a crowd of more than 55,000 “shaking their bodies down to the ground.”

In the end, the 2010 Honda Battle of the Bands concluded with the message of unity for humanity, evident in much of the “King of Pop’s” music and in several marching band dedications to the Haitian relief effort. The 1,800 student musicians and 55,000+ fans were inspired to reflect on the role they play in making the world a better place.

HBCU friends, fans, students and alumni traveled from all over the United States to enjoy the 2010 Honda Battle of the Bands, the lineup of which included:

Albany State University “Marching Rams” (Albany, Georgia)

Clark Atlanta University “Mighty Marching Panthers” (Atlanta, Georgia)

Florida A&M University “Marching 100” (Tallahassee, Florida)

North Carolina Central University “Marching Sound Machine” (Durham, North Carolina)

Prairie View A&M University “Marching Storm” (Prairie View, Texas)

Southern University “Human Jukebox Marching Band” (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Tuskegee University “Marching Crimson Pipers” (Tuskegee, Alabama)

Virginia State University “Trojan Explosion Marching Band” (Petersburg, Virginia)

The multi-faceted show was a virtual musical menagerie, blending the latest chart-topping R&B and Hip-Hop, pop, rock, funk and more. And, as a special treat, Atlanta-native and award-winning Hip-Hop artist and actor Ludacris was a featured special guest, performing his latest single “How Low”, from his highly-anticipated new album, Battle of the Sexes, before his hometown crowd.

Supporting HBCU Music Programs

The Honda Battle of the Bands program not only showcases the pageantry and showmanship of HBCU marching bands, but more significantly, stands as the only HBCU music scholarship program of its kind. The eight bands selected to participate in this year’s Invitational Showcase were each awarded $20,000 for their music scholarship programs, plus an additional $1,000 grant for their participation in the “Road to the Honda,” the program’s pre-qualifying event held in the fall.

THE FOX MUSIC EXPERIENCE RETURNS

At the Invitational Showcase event, the 2010 FOX MUSIC EXPERIENCE was awarded to Erica Dotson from Prairie View A&M University, the first female to receive the award. The FOX MUSIC EXPERIENCE is a unique summer music internship/immersion program exclusively for participants in the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase. The program, which launched in 2008, provides student-musicians with a first-hand, behind-the-scenes look at the worlds of music and entertainment. Dotson will have the opportunity to spend a few weeks in the summer working on the Twentieth Century Fox studio lot in Los Angeles, learning film and television music production from leaders in the industry.

Recruiting Future Generations

Returning for the fifth year in a row, the HBOB HBCU Recruitment Fair served as a valuable information source for 4,000 attendees. Conceived to go beyond simply exposing young people to the opportunities that historically black colleges and universities offer, the HBOB HBCU Recruitment Fair is unique in that it permits prospective college students to meet with marching band and admissions recruiters to discuss admissions requirements and scholarship opportunities. A total of 30 institutions exhibited at this year’s Fair.

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Spivey Hall to Host Metropolitan Opera Auditions

Local opera lovers will have a rare opportunity to hear aspiring young singers perform this coming Sunday, Jan. 31, in Clayton State University’s Spivey Hall.

The Metropolitan Opera will be holding its southeast national council auditions on Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. Admission is $35 for the chance to catch a rising star as singers from four states compete for the opportunity to sing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It’s an event no opera lover should miss.

For more information, go to www.metoperafamily.org.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Concert to Benefit Local Students Carnegie Hall Trip

McIntosh Symphonic Strings Orchestra Invited to NYC

A group of talented young local musicians have been offered the rare opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall this April. The only high school group in Georgia to receive this invitation and one of a handful from throughout the nation, The McIntosh Symphonic Strings from McIntosh High School in Peachtree City will perform in the Prelude Ensemble Showcase on April 19, 2010 in New York City.

The public is invited to hear these students play some of the music they will be performing in New York. The group is presenting a benefit concert with dessert and silent auction on Thursday, January 28 to raise funds for their trip. The evening will feature the music of Bach, Vivaldi, Albinoni, and an original composition of the conductor, Mr. James Hagberg.

“It is a great honor to be invited.” said Mr. Hagberg. “For those who participate, it will be an experience they will remember the rest of their lives. Carnegie Hall is one of the world’s greatest venues, and one of the most prestigious venues in the United States with a rich history of world class performers.”

Students must pay the festival expenses, including large musical equipment shipped to NYC. Each of these young musicians is working to raise funds individually and as a group by presenting this concert, having bake sales, having performance nights at local restaurants and businesses, and other such fundraisers to help offset the cost of this incredible opportunity.

Tickets are $10 and are available at the door. The concert will be from 7:00 -9:00 PM on Thursday, January 28 at Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, Hwy. 54 & Peachtree Parkway, in Peachtree City.

The orchestra is also searching for corporate sponsors and individual donations to help fund their trip. For more information and to order tickets please email carolynmackeil@bellsouth.net or call 770-487-6923.
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PTC First Presbyterian Presents Yancy in Concert January 23

What do High School Musical and Hannah Montana have in common? Kids love them! And kids love Yancy too! If you are ready for music that is relevant to kids and pre-teens, look no further than Peachtree City on Saturday, January 23.

Yancy has traveled all over the globe sharing her music. Her amazing gift to communicate to all ages is unequalled. Yancy’s Praise Party is full of high energy music and engaging visuals that kids and families are sure to love. They will enjoy singing and dancing along to the songs and even a time of worship. Yancy’s heart is to teach kids that we were created to worship God. This is one event your kids will not want to miss!

The First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City is pleased to present Yancy in concert for one night only. Tickets are $8 adult/$3 under 12 $5 Senior or Student. Childcare will be provided for ages 2 and younger. For more information or to order a ticket, call 770-487-7757 or contact concerts@firstpresptc.com.

First Presbyterian Church of PTC is located in the heart of Peachtree City at 206 Willow Bend Rd across from City Hall.

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The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Announces 18th Annual A King Celebration

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will perform the 18th annual musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, “A King Celebration” on Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. The performance, commemorating the life and work of the celebrated civil rights leader, will take place in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel of Morehouse College, the alma mater of Dr. King.

The program will feature the world-premiere of Wynton Marsalis’s Blues Symphony; Part I of Slavery Documents by Donald Sur; Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, and the traditional “We Shall Overcome.” The concert will be broadcast to nearly 250 radio stations across the country on American Public Media’s Performance Today, hosted by Fred Child, on Monday, January 18, 2010. For station information and broadcast times, please visit performancetoday.publicradio.org.

This concert is made possible through the generous support of Target, UPS, and AGCO. Marsha Sampson-Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Southern Company, chairs the 2010 Host Committee, which secures sponsorships and fundraising for the event.

A King Celebration raises funds for music scholarships at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, as well as Learning Community programs of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. For more information about purchasing host tickets or supporting A King Celebration, please contact 404.733.5069.

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Savannah Book Festival, in collaboration with Savannah Music Festival to Host Eudora Welty Tribute Concert February 6

Five-time Grammy Award-winner Mary Chapin Carpenter, along with fellow musicians Kate Campbell, Claire Holley and Caroline Herring, will perform a unique tribute to the late Pulitzer Prize-winning Southern writer Eudora Welty in a tribute concert on Saturday, February 6th, 2010 at 8pm. The concert is presented by the Savannah Book Festival in collaboration with the Savannah Music Festival.

This exciting addition to the Festival schedule will feature these four celebrated singer-songwriters performing their own songs chosen specifically for and inspired by the literary legacy of Mississippi, writer Eudora Welty, whose 100th birthday would have been April 13th, 2009. The concert, which debuted at the centennial celebration for Welty earlier this year has received rave reviews, and it is in perfect keeping with the Savannah Book Festival’s mission to
promote the written word, including the work of lyricists like Savannah’s own Johnny Mercer.

Taking place in historic Trinity Church on Telfair Square in downtown Savannah at 8 pm on Saturday, February 6th, 2010, the concert will be a ticketed fundraising event for the Festival. General admission tickets for $50 will go on sale in January and will be sold through the Savannah College of Art & Design’s SCAD Box Office.

The four singer-songwriters first presented this show on April 17, 2009, at the Eudora Welty Centennial Celebration in Jackson, Mississippi. Here’s what one critic said about the show, which also took place in a Methodist Church: There is something about a church that invites a visitation from the muse. The stage was bathed in the glow of blue Fresnels that enhanced the sense of mystery and romance. Throw in the incredible artistry of four women who have the dirt, sweetness, and sweat of the South in their bones, along with songwriting abilities that summon aching memories of the pain, triumph and anguish of the South, and the profound becomes
tangible -- the impossible, possible. Georgianne Nienaber, The Huffington Post The Savannah Book Festival is thrilled and honored to be working with the world-renowned Savannah Music
Festival to add this exciting concert to the 2010 Savannah calendar.

Songwriters have been a part of the Festival since its inception in 2008, and this literary tribute to one of America’s most treasured writers will offer festival goers a unique perspective on the Southern literary tradition.

The Savannah Book Festival, which will take place February 5-7, 2010 in and around Telfair Square, is an annual, free and open to the public celebration of the written word and its role in improving the human experience. Our mission is to promote reading, writing and civil conversation. For each of the past two years, the Festival has attracted dozens of popular and critically acclaimed authors and thousands of readers from all over America to Savannah’s Telfair Square, and the culturally significant buildings that surround it—Telfair Academy, Trinity
Church and Jepson Center for the Arts. Within these beautiful venues, the Festival’s authors and their readers experience the intimacy and hospitality for which Savannah is famous.

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Cajun Masters Coming to UWG in January

In the spirit of Ballet Memphis and Jon Faddis and The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, the third annual Live Art at the Townsend Center event will feature yet another unique entertainment opportunity, the Grammy-winning BeauSoleil, one of the country's foremost Cajun bands. The group will perform Saturday, Jan. 23, on the Townsend Center Mainstage with the traditional cast party to follow in the Dangle Theatre.

BeauSoleil began in 1975 in Lafayette, La. and has elevated Cajun music to domestic and international acclaim. Blending elements of zydeco, New Orleans jazz, Tex-Mex, country, blues and more, the band appears regularly on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" and has received 10 Grammy nominations. In 1998, they became the first Cajun band to win a Grammy in the traditional folk category.

The group recently celebrated its 29th release, Alligator Purse, which originated from a benefit concert assisting victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Community volunteers Michelle Morgan, Claire Cooley and Susan Fleck are co-chairing the event. According to Morgan, there are two main reasons to support the Live Art series, in addition to the obvious evening of outstanding entertainment.

"Last year, the Live Art committee was delighted to establish the P.J. Hovey Live Art Scholarship Fund for awards to the departments of art, music and theatre," Morgan said. "It is our intention to endow this fund as soon as possible."

The series was also established to provide at least one signature production annually at the Townsend Center, while raising funds to increase the premier programming each season.

"We strive for profitability and growth, and the executive committee for Live Art is pleased that the series has exhibited both during the first two seasons," said Morgan. "However, the philanthropic goal for this year's event is to take the fundraising component one step higher and raise at least $15,000 for increased quality programming at the Townsend Center and to endow the Live Arts Scholarship."

For more information on how to become involved in the Live Art event at any number of giving levels, contact Robert Jennings, director of the Townsend Center, at 678-839-4722 or rjenning@westga.edu.

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Contemporary Christian Recording Artist Melissa Pierre-Louis Releases Free Christmas e-Album, Launches Operation Touch Web Site for Free Downloads

/PRNewswire/ -- Looking for ways to celebrate the Christmas season without adding to your credit card bill? Tired of listening to six versions of "Winter Wonderland" on the radio? Contemporary Christian singer Melissa Pierre-Louis is offering free downloads of original Christmas songs on her newly launched Web site Operation Touch (www.operationtouch.org).

On Operation Touch, the 22-year-old recording artist performs three new songs: "Touch Someone," "Thank You Emmanuel," and "Sing We Noel." The songs and lyrics are available in English, as well as French and Kreyol, a tribute to Pierre-Louis' Haitian background.

"We live in difficult times in which a lot of people are struggling, but part of the beauty of Christmas is renewed hope," said Pierre-Louis. "'Touch Someone' encourages everyone - regardless of background - to reach out to others and share the gifts we each have to offer. Hopefully Operation Touch will inspire people to do just that."

The songs on Operation Touch were penned by Pierre-Louis' father, award-winning songwriter Marc-Arthur Pierre-Louis. Mr. Pierre-Louis emigrated from Haiti to the U.S. in 1981 to study mathematics and computer science at Florida Atlantic University and earned a master's degree from Southern Evangelical Seminary. His song "Bless the Memories" recently won the American Bible Society's Scripture Song Award at the Gospel Music Association's IMMERSE event.

"The joy and hope of the Christmas season shouldn't come with a price tag. I think music can reach people at such a basic level and connect them with that hope and feeling of renewal," adds Ms. Pierre-Louis. "We wanted to make that accessible to as many people as possible, whether they themselves need some inspiration, or they want to share the music with others."

Pierre-Louis' music can also be heard on radio stations in the US, Haiti and Canada.

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Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

This is wonderful, creative and fun:



Thanks to Bill Bibb, Seen Gallery Atlanta, for sharing!

"The Sound of Angels" Perfomance by the Georgia Singers at First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City December 6

Sunday, December 6
6:30 pm
First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City


The holiday concert performed by the Georgia Singers features sacred and secular opening sections followed by delightful seasonal selections and the singing of congregational carols.

The Georgia Singers is a new force in choral music for women's voices in Fayette County. This talented group of young women is quickly establishing its artistry as a unique community resource.

The talented Peachtree City singers are directed by Dr. Franklin Green, who is nationally known for his work with young women's voices and accompanied by Mr. Rick Massengale, Director of Music at First United Methodist Church in Fayetteville.

Free Admission
Ticket required
A free-will offering will be taken.
Childcare will be provided for ages 4 and younger.

For more information or to reserve a ticket, please call 770-487-7757 or email concerts@firstpresptc.com.

First Presbyterian Church
206 Willow Bend Rd
Peachtree City

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Atlanta Jazz Non-Profit, Orchestra Atlanta, Announces Name Change to Jazz Orchestra Atlanta

/PRNewswire/ -- Orchestra Atlanta, a 23-year-old, not-for-profit arts organization based in Atlanta, GA, today announces its official name change to "Jazz Orchestra Atlanta," reinforcing the organization's shift in commitment to the advancement of the best in jazz education and performance. The group continues to produce professional jazz performances by a resident repertory big band featuring high-caliber jazz musicians from Atlanta and the Southeast. Jazz Orchestra Atlanta also continues running its popular Summer Jazz Camps for metro Atlanta middle and high school students. The camp is held at Georgia State University, and in 2010 JOA will premier a Vocal Jazz Workshop featuring the internationally recognized vocal group The New York Voices, who will join JOA's big band in a special closing concert at the Rialto Theater.

"The decision to change the name officially was an easy one," says JOA Executive and Artistic Director, Dr. Brent Runnels. "Our focus really shifted over the past several years as audiences showed a great deal of enthusiasm for the jazz concerts we added to our programming. We recognized an important musical niche was not being filled in Atlanta, and our professional big band performances fill that nicely. We found we had already carved out a niche for advancing superior jazz education, so filing with the State to make the name change official was the logical next step to demonstrate our commitment to the new mission and vision for the organization. Our audience and everyone at JOA are very excited about it."

Jazz Orchestra Atlanta Strengthens Board of Directors and Fundraising Efforts

In addition, the Jazz Orchestra Atlanta recently added several new contributing members to their diverse Board of Directors. "Our board is a blend of professional men and women who represent a wonderful cross section of large and small Atlanta businesses, and local professional musicians," continued Runnels, "with common threads of enthusiasm for the art of jazz music, and the community stature we need to help us achieve our goals."

Recent additions to the board include Mark Williamson, a partner at Alston and Bird; Phil Williamson, a CPA and tax director of Mirant Corporation; Steve Brown, avid musician, pilot and project management consultant; Robert Scarr of Delta Airlines; Jerry McEver, musician , teacher and School Music Recruiting Specialist and Consultant; Greg Coile, a well-known Atlanta musician and teacher; and Joe Gransden, one of Atlanta's best known jazz musicians. "The addition of these members and their contributions further strengthen and diversify Jazz Orchestra Atlanta's board and proves the community commitment and interest in the art form of jazz and its ongoing proliferation in Metro Atlanta," said Mark Williamson, JOA Board Chair.

The JOA Board of Directors meets monthly to determine policy, programming, marketing, and resource development while encouraging awareness and interest in Jazz Orchestra Atlanta's programs.

The result of Jazz Orchestra Atlanta's work can be seen regularly at venues like Cafe 290 in Sandy Springs, where Joe Gransden and the JOA big band play shows twice monthly on the first and third Mondays, and in featured events at the Woodruff Arts Center and Spivey Hall, where Jazz Orchestra Atlanta will join with Joe Gransden to present a Big Band Christmas Show. More information is available at: www.orchestraatlanta.org

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Ring in the season with the annual GSU Gala Holiday Concert

The Georgia State University School of Music and the Rialto Center for the Arts present the 12th annual Gala Holiday Concert at 8 p.m. on Dec. 5 and 3 p.m. on Dec. 6. at the Rialto Center for the Arts.

This year's performances will feature traditional holiday favorites as well as music with an international twist, celebrating the Rialto and School of Music's international initiatives and involvement in the community.

More than 200 student and faculty musicians will perform as part of this university-wide celebration of the season, including members of the University Symphony Orchestra, Choruses and Jazz Band.

Conductors Michael Palmer, Gordon Vernick and Jeffery Wall will lead the ensembles and soloists in a musical assortment of works by Duke Ellington, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Janowski, Handel and Holst, as well as a world premiere by Georgia State faculty member Nickitas Demos of Fantasy on Kalanta for Saint Basil.

The performances will also feature special guest appearances by members of Atlanta's diverse cultural community. Members of the Cao Ying Dance School will perform the Chinese dance, Avalokitesvara, and students from the Charles Drew R. Charter School will perform Kakilambe, a dance of healing and harvest from Guinea, West Africa, performed to instruments of the djembe orchestra.

The School of Music has had a partnership with the Drew Charter School, located in the East Lake neighborhood of Atlanta, since 2006, thanks to a multi-year grant from the Cousins Foundation, Inc.

The program will conclude with Sim Shalom, a Hebrew song of peace, Handel's Hallelujah Chorus and an audience sing-along. Rounding out the festivities, the Georgia State University School of Art and Design will present an art exhibit in the Rialto Lobby, where a student brass quintet will play for audience members as they arrive.

Tickets range from $22-$48 and are available in person at the Rialto Center Box Office, by calling 404-413-9TIX or online at www.rialtocenter.org. Free parking is provided at the Equitable Building deck on Fairlie Street.

For more information, visit http://www.music.gsu.edu/articleview.aspx?id=148

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Chubby Checker to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of the Twist in Newnan , GA

Chubby Checker has chosen Historic Downtown Newnan as his Georgia location to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the legendary song “The Twist”. The Historic Alamo Theater will be the host of the legendary singer and his band the Wildcats on November 22, 2009 as a benefit concert for the Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta. This will be Checker’s only show in Georgia. Other shows in the south will be in Mississippi and Florida .

Checker’s manager, Tommy C. chose the location on a recent visit to Georgia. He was immediately impressed with the look and the history of the venue and felt that downtown Newnan had the right “feel” for the celebration. He approached the owner about getting the City of Newnan on board as well as the local charities. Amy Murphy, co-owner of the Alamo says, “I couldn’t have thought of a better charity than the local Boys and Girls Club. They make such an impact in our community. When I approached Main Street Newnan, they immediately agreed to help and the event took off from there! How exciting for the citizens of Newnan to be able to see Chubby Checker perform in the same place that many of them used to come to the movies in high school.” Murphy and her partners returned the Alamo movie theater to an entertainment venue from a gift store five years ago.

In June of 1959, Chubby recorded "The Twist". Bernie Lowe, president of Cameo Parkway records was not initially impressed with Chubby's recording and felt it may be a "B" side at best. However, Chubby felt "The Twist" was something special and worked hard promoting the record by undertaking non-stop rounds of TV dates, interviews and live performances. Fourteen months later, in the summer of 1960, "The Twist" was a hit.

"The Twist" was not only the #1 song but it introduced the concept of "dancing apart to the beat". Over the next few years, endless songs incorporating "The Twist" into its name sprang up such as "Peppermint Twist", "Twist and Shout" and "Twistin' the Night Away". In addition, each new song brought a new dance involving "dancing apart to the beat" such as "The Jerk", "The Hully Gully", "The Boogaloo" and "The Shake". At the forefront was Chubby with "The Fly", "The Pony" and "The Hucklebuck".

The next few years were prolific for Chubby as hit followed hit. In 1961, Chubby recorded "Pony Time" written by Don Covay and John Berry. It went to #1 and stayed on the charts for 16 weeks. In between recording and touring, Chubby took time to add feature films to his portfolio with the releases of "Don't Knock The Twist" and "Twist Around The Clock".

In the fall of 1961, record industry history was made when Checker's original hit record, "The Twist", re-entered the charts and by January of 1962, it was back in the #1 position. No other record before or since has accomplished that feat. Combining its 1960 run with its 1961/62 return, "The Twist" spent an amazing nine month total on the U. S. best seller charts.

Chubby Checker merchandise was everywhere, and included T-shirts, shoes, ties, dolls, raincoats, and chewing gum. His success continued for years with the release of one dance record after another, with "The Fly" and "Let's Twist Again", for which he won a Grammy for the "Best Rock Performance". More hit records followed. "Slow Twistin'", Dancin' Party", "Popeye the Hitchhiker" and "The Limbo Rock" all came along in 1962. 1963 saw Checker return to the hit parade with "Birdland" and "Twist It Up", after which he followed with "Loddy Lo" and a series of other novelty type tunes. Eventually, teens incorporated these movements to all songs that had a beat and called these movements "The Boogie", a permanent fixture in Rock and Roll.

Tickets will be $75, limited to 300 and will go on sale October 15th. They will be available at the Boys and Girls Club on Wesley Street , the Alamo , or Fabiano’s Pizza on West Court Square in downtown Newnan. Information is available by calling 770-683-2683.

The City of Newnan will be proclaiming November 23, 2009 “Chubby Checker Day”. The Adopt-A-Soldier Program will be holding an antique car show from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. the afternoon of November 22nd prior to the concert. The show will have a fifties and sixties theme and feature a twist contest and special prizes. For more information on the car show call 770-328-4763.
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All Together Now: The Beatles Return to Mono

Is the monobox set of Beatles recordings a marketing gimmick, or will listeners really hear something different?

From the White Album to Yellow Submarine modern releases of the Beatles present their music in stereo sound. But this Christmas, hard-core Beatles fans will eagerly unwrap "The Beatles in Mono," an 11-CD box set designed to be played through only one speaker.

These days, we usually hear mono sound coming out of tinny telephone receivers, but that's not how this album sounds, said Alex Case, a professor of sound recording technology at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. It will be more like unwrapping a newly-minted Beatles vinyl record and playing it for the first time.

During the 60s, the Beatles were not interested in stereo sound. They recorded each song on two tracks that were merged by their producer George Martin to be playable in monophonic sound, the standard of the day. Fans listened to the songs on mono record players and radio stations, which were almost all on the AM band at the time.

Some of these early albums were mixed for stereo sound, but this was an afterthought, hastily engineered for use on FM radio stations. During the 1980s, sound engineers created CD-quality sound in a lower-quality physical digital format, not a virtual digital format that most of today's music-lovers expect. Remastering technology was more primitive then, and could only create a slightly better sound than the stereo FM version.

Now this new box set digitizes the original analog tapes with mixing techniques designed to be more faithful to Martin's approach. Martin recorded the two main elements of each song -- the vocals and the instruments -- on separate tracks, so that one or the other could be emphasized in the music. Other sounds such as tambourines or clapping were recorded on both tracks, so that if, say, the drums were turned down, the other elements wouldn't be lost.

For the new albums, some corrections also had to be made because the master tapes have disintegrated over the years.

Another difference for U.S. listeners: these tunes are the original UK versions of the songs. Years ago, engineers remixing the songs for the U.S. added more reverb and echo, Case said. The new release goes back to the original UK versions, Martin's original mixes of the Fab Four.

By Martha Heil
Inside Science News Service
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