Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Friday, April 5, 2024
Registration Open: Summer Camps at the Wortham Center
Apr 5 all-day
Diana Wortham Theatre

Imaginative kids can createexplore, and play in Summer Camps at the Wortham Center! With high-energy, low-pressure programs for rising 1st-5th grade campers, week-long camps expand minds, build life skills, and create meaningful friendships through the arts.

Register now online or by calling the Box Office at 828-257-4530. Space is limited.

A limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships are available upon application through Arts for All Kids. Families who qualify for free or reduced lunch are welcome to apply.

Questions? Email Director of Education Anna Kimmell at [email protected].

2024 Creative Arts Summer Camps

CREATIVE ARTS CAMP
Rising 1st-2nd Grades
JUNE 24-28, 2024
 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

Little kids with BIG imaginations can dance, sing, act, create, and collaborate in this high-energy, low-pressure arts camp! With engaging activities rooted in creative play, kids will have so much fun expressing themselves through the arts, they won’t even notice they’re also building confidence, improving physical and emotional awareness, honing listening and focus skills, and learning to work within a group. At the end of the week, campers will celebrate what they’ve learned in an informal sharing for friends and family.

$185 in February ($205 after March 1)

PERFORMING ARTS CAMP
Rising 1st-2nd Grades

JULY 15-19, 2024 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

In this week-long, half-day summer arts camp, students will have fun exploring the fundamentals of acting, music, and movement. Through engaging activities rooted in creative play, kids will make friends, explore the performing arts, discover new tools for expression, and share what they’ve learned in a short performance presented at the end of the week for friends and family.

$185 in February ($205 after March 1)


CREATIVE ARTS CAMP
Rising 3rd-5th Grades

JULY 8-12, 2024 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Kids will have fun exercising their imaginations in this week-long camp exploring the creative arts! With daily activities in acting, dance, music, design, technical theatre, and more, this high-energy, low-pressure camp builds life skills, confidence, and friendships through the arts. Kids will leave feeling empowered to take creative risks on stage and off.

$290 in February ($310 after March 1)


PERFORMING ARTS CAMPS
Rising 3rd-5th Grades

JULY 22-26, 2024 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m.  

Kids can connect with other creative thinkers as they write, develop, and perform in their own original show! With an emphasis on self-expression, collaboration, and the creative process, kids will have fun exploring daily activities in acting, movement, creative writing, and improvisation in a low-pressure, supportive environment. At the end of the week, young artists will share their newfound skills in an informal performance for family and friends. No prior performing arts experience is necessary, only an open mind.

$290 in February ($310 after March 1)

Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred
Apr 5 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sigal Music Museum
Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.

 

Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.

 

Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.

And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!

Acoustic Jam Session
Apr 5 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Sideways Farm & Brewery

Plan to collaborate with other musicians at Sideways Farm & Brewery in Etowah. Bring your instruments and voices and enjoy making music and networking with other artists, while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Food truck is on site and beverages available for purchase from Sideways (small
batch craft beers, hard jun, ciders, wine, and non alcoholic drinks). Family, fans, friends, and leashed dogs are all welcome!
During winter months enjoy playing under the covered, sheltered, heated porch! And during the summer months enjoy
collaborating in the fields, on the stage, or under the patio

Patio: Shed bugs
Apr 5 @ 5:30 pm
The Grey Eagle
ALL AGES
LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE

SHED BUGS

Conceived in a shed outside of Asheville, NC, the Shed Bugs are comprised of drummer/ producer Charles Graham, bassist/ lyricist Andrew Stevens, and guitarist/ songwriter Morgan Bevis.

The Shed Bugs have their roots in the Covid pandemic through the isolated jammings of college friends Morgan and Andrew, who sought to form a band together. The project was shelved until longtime friend Charles signed on as a drummer in 2022, solidifying the power trio. Staying true to their jam band roots, the Shed Bugs treat each show as a fresh canvas in the ever-expanding gallery of live music, striving for sonic exploration and always searching for something new.

Written, rehearsed, and recorded in the shed the band took their name from, their debut album Midnight Moth sees the trio unifying their separate songwriting strengths in a genre-bending project that is uniquely theirs.

The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds Present

PATIO: SHED BUGS

All Ages
 Doors: 4:30pm // Show: 5:30pm
 $12 / Day Of : $12
Casting Crowns: The 20th Anniversary Tour
Apr 5 @ 7:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

Multi-platinum selling Grammy winners Casting Crowns will take their powerful live performances on the road this fall with The Casting Crowns 20th Anniversary Tour: A Live Symphony Experience. Featuring hit songs from the band’s current chart-topping Healer album (“Scars In Heaven,” “Crazy People”), concert goers will also experience a night of worship like no other celebrating an incredible 20-year repertoire of songs like “Only Jesus,” “Nobody,” “Praise You In This Storm,” “East To West” and many more.

For the first time ever, Casting Crowns has been joined by a live symphony on this special anniversary tour. With more than 12 million albums sold and multiple Grammy, Dove and American Music Awards to their name, Casting Crowns might be best known for their fan-favorite live concert events – and The Casting Crowns 20th Anniversary Tour promises to be no different.

VIP Package – $199

VIP package includes:

  • One reserved seat ticket
  • Pre-show access to the VIP LOUNGE with complimentary beverages & snacks.
  • Band Drop in appearance to VIP lounge
  • Exclusive premium gift
  • Souvenir Laminate
  • Early entry/ Early access to merch shopping
  • Merch Discount

*Please be advised that by purchasing a VIP package, you agree to the Peace Center sharing your name and contact information with the third-party executing said VIP package for fulfillment. 

Sail On: The Beach Boys Tribute
Apr 5 @ 7:30 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

Let’s Go Surfin’ Now…you get it! At over 80 shows a year, Sail On is the most booked Beach Boys Tribute band in the world! Sail On plays all of the Beach Boys’ classic hits, plus some treasures from the band’s brilliant extended catalog, recreating the soundtrack to an Endless Summer completely live and in rich detail. If you are looking for an authentic Beach Boys concert experience, you won’t find one better than Sail On! It’s all Good Vibrations!

SLAUGHTER BEACH, DOG (SOLO) with Erin Rae
Apr 5 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLYSLAUGHER BEACH, DOG (SOLO)

Hey, I just got off the phone with Jake Ewald. He says hello. I called him to tell him I’ve been digging the new Slaughter Beach Dog album he’d sent me. I’d been playing it around the house a lot, and had a question about it. He picked up on the first ring and told me that it’s called Crying Laughing Waving Smiling and that it’s going to come out on September 22nd on Lame-O Records. That wasn’t really my question, but I guess it’s good to know.

I actually called to ask him if his van really got stolen. He mentions it in one of my favorite songs on the record, called “Engine”. I’ve been a fan of Slaughter Beach Dog for a little while now, and I know that Jake can tell a fantastic story, though I also know a great storyteller can stretch the truth. But Jake said his van really did get stolen in 2020, right at the top of the pandemic.  It’s also true that just a little while later he moved from Philadelphia, where he’d been living for a decade, to a house in the Poconos. Once there, he found he had less distraction and a calmer mind. He started going for walks and listening to music. He found some new appreciation for the “old guys”, as he said on the phone- Neil Young, Randy Newman, Tom Waits, those types. Personally, I’d call them the “classic guys”, but I’m a bit older so I’m probably somewhat defensive about age.

Anyways, to me it seems like some of this might have led to an old school approach to making a record. In July 2022, the whole Slaughter Beach, Dog band (Jake, Zach, Ian, Adam, Logan) gathered at their long time studio The Metal Shop back in Philly with a bunch of songs Jake had written over the past two years. Jake would show them a new song, singing and playing an acoustic guitar, and then the band would all play what they were hearing for the song. Classic, human, and not overthought.

They’d talked before entering the studio about this approach: emphasising the instinctual, not being afraid, listening to each other. The band caught fire. They captured fifteen songs in the first five days. The priority throughout was serving the song. I’ve been listening for days now. I can tell you these songs got served. There’s beautiful space in everything. It’s patient and aware.

A few months back I watched Slaughter Beach Dog play a sold out club in Brooklyn. The band was awesome, and the audience sang every damn one of the words to their songs back to them. It was impressive. But I know it’s not effortless, and Jake Ewald has been persistent. Starting with Modern Baseball, he’s led two different bands over countless tours of this country. He’s gathered fans around the world. He’s dedicated his life to rock and roll. He told me that sounds dramatic. Probably, but it’s also true.

So as much as it speaks to our own modern age, my favorite part of this record is its timelessness. Before I got off the phone with Jake, I told him that this sounds like a record we’ll listen to in ten years, twenty years, beyond. It should get more and more people into Slaughter Beach Dog and the already deep catalog of music they’ve built. Next time I see the band, there will be even more people singing every word of every song. I’ll be in the back of the room, raising a toast to my pal Jake, congratulating him on the success of this fantastic record.  I just hope he’ll still take my calls. – Craig Finn

ERIN RAE

Saturday, April 6, 2024
Adult Classes at the Wortham Center
Apr 6 all-day
Diana Wortham Theatre

Classes at the Wortham

Prioritize your health and wellness with a revolving series of ongoing classes for lifelong learners in yoga, dance, theatre, and more.

Classes are held in the Henry LaBrun Studio at the Wortham Center at 18 Biltmore Ave. Please access the front courtyard from the breezeway by White Duck Taco. Signs will then direct you to the studio door to the left. Parking information can be found here.

2024 Classes

Gentle Yoga - Open Level
Open Level Contemporary with Stewart/Owen Dance. Wednesdays, January 10–April 24, 8:15–9:30 a.m.
Intermediate Contemporary with Stewart/Owen Dance. Wednesdays, January 10–April 24, 6–7:30 p.m.
Brevard Music Center’s 2024 Summer Festival Subscriptions
Apr 6 all-day
online

2024 Subscription Packages

One of America’s premier music festivals, Brevard Music Center’s 2024 summer lineup features a diverse offering of symphony, opera, chamber, jazz, bluegrass, and Broadway performances. The season will be highlighted by Legendary Artist Wynton Marsalis, who will appear with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in three extraordinary concerts in late June. Additional festival highlights include classical masterpieces Prokofiev 5Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in FStrauss’s Ein Heldenleben, and world premiere concertos by two of today’s top composers; Janiec Opera Company productions of The Threepenny OperaFlightLa Bohème, and An Evening of Jerome Kern and Friends; a family-friendly film with live orchestra presentation of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™ in Concertand BMC Presents lighter concert fare featuring Bryan SuttonDavid SanbornAoife O’Donovan, and Béla Fleck.

Led by Artistic Director Keith Lockhart, Brevard’s hallmark is the powerful sense of community that re-emerges every June as faculty and students work together to present over 100 performances and events to more than 40,000 enthusiastic fans from across the country. Primary BMC performance venues include the 1800-seat, open-air Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and the 400-seat Parker Concert Hall.

Package List

  • Golden Ticket (Thursday)

    Description: Receive one ticket to all performances included in the Symphony Series, Opera Lovers Series (Thursday), and the Parker Concert Hall Summer Series. Also includes Opening Night and Season Finale.

    Save 25% on single ticket prices.

    BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.

  • Golden Ticket (Saturday)

    Description: Receive one ticket to all performances included in the Symphony Series, Opera Lovers Series (Saturday), and the Parker Concert Hall Summer Series. Also includes Opening Night and Season Finale.

    Save 25% on single ticket prices.

    BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.

  • Symphony Series

    Description: Receive all sixteen (16) symphony events at Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium.

    Save 20% on single ticket prices.

    BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.

  • Compose Your Own

    Description: Purchase at least eight (8) eligible* events from our summer season.

    Save 15% on single ticket prices.

    *Opening Night, Season Finale, BMC Presents, and Legendary Artists Series are not eligible for inclusion.

  • Opera Lovers (Thursday)

    Description: Receive one (1) ticket to each of the following Thursday night events: FlightLa BohèmeThe Threepenny Opera, and An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends.

    Save 10% on single ticket prices.

    Please note that seating assignments for An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends are on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Opera Lovers (Saturday)

    Description: Receive one (1) ticket to each of the following Saturday afternoon events: FlightLa BohèmeThe Threepenny Opera. Includes one (1) ticket to the following Thursday evening event: An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends.

    Save 10% on single ticket prices.

    Please note that seating assignments for An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends are on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Parker Concert Hall Summer Series

    Description: Receive all twelve (12) Parker Concert Hall Summer Series events.

    Save 15% on single ticket prices.

    BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.

  • Flex

    Description: Purchase at least three (3) eligible* events, and receive a 5% discount off single ticket prices.

    Flex tickets cannot be purchased during the subscription renewal/purchase phase and will be available during the donor presale to qualifying purchasers.

    *Opening Night, Season Finale, BMC Presents, Legendary Artist Series are ineligible for this discount package.

    This discount will activate automatically once you add the required number of eligible events to your cart.
Registration Open: Summer Camps at the Wortham Center
Apr 6 all-day
Diana Wortham Theatre

Imaginative kids can createexplore, and play in Summer Camps at the Wortham Center! With high-energy, low-pressure programs for rising 1st-5th grade campers, week-long camps expand minds, build life skills, and create meaningful friendships through the arts.

Register now online or by calling the Box Office at 828-257-4530. Space is limited.

A limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships are available upon application through Arts for All Kids. Families who qualify for free or reduced lunch are welcome to apply.

Questions? Email Director of Education Anna Kimmell at [email protected].

2024 Creative Arts Summer Camps

CREATIVE ARTS CAMP
Rising 1st-2nd Grades
JUNE 24-28, 2024
 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

Little kids with BIG imaginations can dance, sing, act, create, and collaborate in this high-energy, low-pressure arts camp! With engaging activities rooted in creative play, kids will have so much fun expressing themselves through the arts, they won’t even notice they’re also building confidence, improving physical and emotional awareness, honing listening and focus skills, and learning to work within a group. At the end of the week, campers will celebrate what they’ve learned in an informal sharing for friends and family.

$185 in February ($205 after March 1)

PERFORMING ARTS CAMP
Rising 1st-2nd Grades

JULY 15-19, 2024 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

In this week-long, half-day summer arts camp, students will have fun exploring the fundamentals of acting, music, and movement. Through engaging activities rooted in creative play, kids will make friends, explore the performing arts, discover new tools for expression, and share what they’ve learned in a short performance presented at the end of the week for friends and family.

$185 in February ($205 after March 1)


CREATIVE ARTS CAMP
Rising 3rd-5th Grades

JULY 8-12, 2024 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Kids will have fun exercising their imaginations in this week-long camp exploring the creative arts! With daily activities in acting, dance, music, design, technical theatre, and more, this high-energy, low-pressure camp builds life skills, confidence, and friendships through the arts. Kids will leave feeling empowered to take creative risks on stage and off.

$290 in February ($310 after March 1)


PERFORMING ARTS CAMPS
Rising 3rd-5th Grades

JULY 22-26, 2024 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m.  

Kids can connect with other creative thinkers as they write, develop, and perform in their own original show! With an emphasis on self-expression, collaboration, and the creative process, kids will have fun exploring daily activities in acting, movement, creative writing, and improvisation in a low-pressure, supportive environment. At the end of the week, young artists will share their newfound skills in an informal performance for family and friends. No prior performing arts experience is necessary, only an open mind.

$290 in February ($310 after March 1)

Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred
Apr 6 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sigal Music Museum
Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.

 

Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.

 

Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.

And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!

Yala Cultural Tour
Apr 6 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

Visit LEAF Global Arts every Saturday for an in-house cultural exchange with Adama Dembele. Experience the Ivory Coast with our Culture Keeper from the House of Djembe.

Yala Cultural Tour + Drum Workshop
Apr 6 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts
Visit LEAF Global Arts every Saturday for an in-house cultural exchange with Adama Dembele. Experience the Ivory Coast with our Culture Keeper from the House of Djembe.
Stay for an all-ages Drum Workshop, no experience necessary.
Sail On: The Beach Boys Tribute
Apr 6 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

Let’s Go Surfin’ Now…you get it! At over 80 shows a year, Sail On is the most booked Beach Boys Tribute band in the world! Sail On plays all of the Beach Boys’ classic hits, plus some treasures from the band’s brilliant extended catalog, recreating the soundtrack to an Endless Summer completely live and in rich detail. If you are looking for an authentic Beach Boys concert experience, you won’t find one better than Sail On! It’s all Good Vibrations!

Live Music: Champagne Charlie
Apr 6 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Legends Plaza Stage

 

Live on the Legends Plaza Stage: Champagne Charlie, an acoustic duo from Western North Carolina performing jazz, blues, and country classics in a unique style they call Acoustic Swing. The band features Phil Ruff on vocals and rhythm guitar and Devin McEnnerney on lead guitar.

There is no ticket needed for this FREE performance. Grab dinner on the grounds and enjoy!

Rockin’ on the Rock – Buddy K Big Band
Apr 6 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Jump Off Rock

Enjoy live music at the picturesque Jump Off Rock, which overlooks the French
Broad River valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond. Musical offerings ranging from jazz to country, rockabilly, pop, rock and
blues.

PATIO: THE DISCS
Apr 6 @ 5:30 pm
The Grey Eagle
ALL AGES
LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE

THE DISCS

Conceived years before their debut album was finally released in October 2020, The Discs officially formed in summer of 2021in Asheville, NC.  The power trio is Allan Day (guitar, vocals), Mike Comparetto (bass, vocals), and Greg Radz (drums, vocals).  All members are veterans of their respective music scenes.
The Discs fuse the best elements of power pop and late 70’s new wave with the urgency and socially-conscious themes of early punk for a concise, compelling live experience.  Having released their second collection “Bitter, Sweeter” in June 2023, the band is currently configuring brand new material to their set – more angular and melodic in their musical evolution – for a 2024 full-length release, and will be premiering some of these exciting new songs at this special performance.
Gabba Fools – Sopranos PArty
Apr 6 @ 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
DSSOLVR

Ayyyyy, you’re not gonna believe this! Get ready for Gabba Fools, A Sopranos themed party! Call your therapist, because this April 6th at 6pm, we ain’t even jokin’. Bada Bing!

A night of track suits, gold chains, and slick back hair, where we toast the 25th year anniversary of everyone’s favorite family rom-com, The Sopranos. With all due respect, you’re a fool if you miss this!

It’s gonna be a real banger, capeesh? Come decked out as your favorite character. Get ready to bust a move to the beats of Dj Bridal Parti Bucardi and sip on some all new secret Vaperil Fools surprise brews!(If you’ve read this far, it’ll make sense later, I promise) Maybe even get into some “funny business” with our jello “mug” shots and “Some Pulp” Creamsicle Hard Slushies.

Gabba Fools at DSSOLVR, when you’re here, you’re family.

Appalachian Elégie
Apr 6 @ 7:30 pm
Gunter Theatre

When you hear Gabriel Fauré’s haunting Élégie as performed by Principal Cello Seth Russell, you will feel something. We don’t presume to tell you what, but sensitive artistry is required, and Seth has it in spades.  The last movement from the Pelléas et Mélisande suite was played at the composer’s own funeral is beautiful enough to make the rest of us cry too.

Speaking of feelings, your patriotism will surge as you hear the sweeping sounds of Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring.  How could one person so perfectly encapsulate what America sounds like? The richness and pain and expansiveness and playfulness you hear in this piece composed for chamber orchestra in 1944 is Copland’s calling card. Fiddler Mark O’Connor and Bassist Edgar Meyer collaborated to create Appalachia Waltz in 1993 as a poignant expression of longing for home.

This concert experience might remind you of what it feels like to be on the top of a mountain watching the sunrise.

Pre-Show Talk

Join Jessica Satava, Greenville Symphony Orchestra’s Executive Director, for a pre-show talk in the Peace Concert Hall 1 hour before the Saturday and Sunday GSO performances.

Appalachian Elégie
Apr 6 @ 7:30 pm
Gunter Theatre

Thomas Joiner, conductor
Seth Russell, cello
Gabriel Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande suite for orchestra
Fauré: Elégie
Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring
Mark O’Connor: Appalachia Waltz

When you hear Gabriel Fauré’s haunting Élégie as performed by Principal Cello Seth Russell, you will feel something. We don’t presume to tell you what, but sensitive artistry is required, and Seth has it in spades. The last movement from the Pelléas et Mélisande suite was played at the composer’s own funeral is beautiful enough to make the rest of us cry too.
Speaking of feelings, your patriotism will surge as you hear the sweeping sounds of Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring. How could one person so perfectly encapsulate what America sounds like? The richness and pain and expansiveness and playfulness you hear in this piece composed for chamber orchestra in 1944 is Copland’s calling card. Fiddler Mark O’Connor and Bassist Edgar Meyer collaborated to create Appalachia Waltz in 1993 as a poignant expression of longing for home.
This concert experience might remind you of what it feels like to be on the top of a mountain watching the sunrise.

Thomas Joiner, Conductor

Thomas Joiner has appeared as a conductor, violinist, chamber player, and teacher throughout the United States and eleven foreign countries. As Professor Emeritus of Violin and Orchestral Activities at Furman University, he conducted the Furman Symphony Orchestra in orchestral, operatic, and oratorio performances. As Music Director of the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra for 21 years, Joiner’s creative programming led to growth, community support, sold-out performances, and annual curriculum-based concerts for 3rd and 6th graders.
As a guest conductor, Joiner led the Orquestra da Camera Theatre Sao Pedro during two residencies in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the Greenville Symphony Chamber Orchestra, the Asheville Lyric Opera, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Masterworks Music Festival, and All-State Orchestras in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
As an orchestral violinist Joiner has shared the stage with conductors Robert Shaw, Jorge Mester, John Nelson, and Keith Lockhart and soloists Renee Fleming, Frederica von Stade, Peter Serkin, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham and Joshua Bell. As an Artistic Ambassador for the United States Information Agency, he presented seventeen violin recitals with pianist Douglas Weeks during a five-week tour of western Africa and the Middle East. During a sabbatical Joiner studied in Paris with eminent maestro John Nelson. He has twice served as visiting professor at the Academia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy.
For many years Joiner held the Dr. & Mrs. William J. Pendergrast, Sr. Artist Chair at the Brevard Music Festival where he served on the conducting staff and as a concertmaster of the Festival Orchestra. He was honored with his wife, violist Anna Barbrey Joiner, with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Previous positions include Professor of Violin and Orchestral Activities at the University of Georgia School of Music, Associate Principal Second Violin of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, first violinist with the Louisville Orchestra, SC president of the American String Teachers Association, and a national board member of the Conductors Guild.
Joiner earned the DMA in Violin Performance from Florida State University, the MM in Church Music and Musicology from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the BM in Violin Performance from Furman University. He is a native of Rock Hill, SC where he was drum major of the Rock Hill High School Bearcat Band!

Guest Artist: Seth Russell, Cellist

Dr. Seth Russell performs internationally as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral player. Audiences have praised his technical wizardry, adventurous programming, and inspiring musicianship. He has performed solo and chamber music recitals in venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, Eastman’s Kodak Hall, and Taipei’s Elite Performance Hall. In 2017 and 2019 he was awarded a top prize in the New York International Artists Competition. He is currently in his second season as Principal Cellist of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina.
Seth is passionate about creating new ways to connect with audiences. He recently formed the Parrish Cello Trio with cellists Jamie Clark and Kenny Lee in Spring of 2022. In October 2022 the trio had their inaugural residency in Greenville, SC. The trio led a masterclass with local students and performed a featured concert of diverse genres and arrangements at the Fine Arts Center. In 2014, Seth formed the Oceanus Quartet with colleagues in Boston, which received a New England Conservatory Entrepreneurial grant for a tour of Taiwan in May-June, 2015. The quartet performed and coached students at universities, schools, and concert halls throughout Taiwan. Seth was also a founding member of Phoenix, an innovative chamber orchestra in Boston that creates unique concert experiences through programming, venue, and audience engagement. Now in its ninth season, Phoenix has won the Improper Bostonian’s “Boston’s Best Classical Ensemble,” and was reviewed by the Boston Globe as “eminently worthy of your attention.”
Dedicated to pedagogy and music education, Seth has worked with students of diverse levels and backgrounds. In 2015-16 he served as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Cello and cellist of the Ceruti Quartet at University of Memphis in Tennessee. His private students have been accepted into the “Rising Stars” Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the University of North Dakota, and Oberlin Conservatory. He has served on the faculty of several summer music festivals, including the Longhorn Music Camp, Furman Orchestra Camp, and MasterWorks Festival.
Seth holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with David Ying. He received a Master’s degree in Cello Performance from New England Conservatory where he studied with Paul Katz. He studied with Bion Tsang at the University of Texas at Austin where he received his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in 2019. His Doctorate research document, “House Concerts: Classical Music at the Heart of Community,” highlights the crucial role of house concerts in the history of classical music as well as the modern music scene. Seth has also studied with Lluis Claret, Gary Hoffman, Ralph Kirshbaum, and Pieter Wispelwey, and worked with the Ying, Borromeo, Brentano, Shanghai, and Miro Quartets. Seth and his wife Chelsea are natives of Greenville, SC.

Brevard Philharmonic presents Saturday Night Pops
Apr 6 @ 7:30 pm
Brevard College Porter Center

Memorable and moving moments from some of our favorite
movies of all time, including Harry Potter, Star Wars, E. T., Somewhere in Time, and many more.

Sail On: The Beach Boys Tribute
Apr 6 @ 7:30 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

Let’s Go Surfin’ Now…you get it! At over 80 shows a year, Sail On is the most booked Beach Boys Tribute band in the world! Sail On plays all of the Beach Boys’ classic hits, plus some treasures from the band’s brilliant extended catalog, recreating the soundtrack to an Endless Summer completely live and in rich detail. If you are looking for an authentic Beach Boys concert experience, you won’t find one better than Sail On! It’s all Good Vibrations!

Sound Healing Concert in the Salt Cave
Apr 6 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Salt Cave

 

Join us for a beautiful Sound Healing Concert inside the majestic Cave of Salt with performances by our friend from Skinny Beats Drum Shop and Gallery-Billy Zanski. Come enjoy the sounds of singing crystal bowls, unique African instruments, and various drums.

The music will vibrate throughout the walls of the Salt Cave, reaching and healing the deepest parts of your soul.

$60 per person

In consideration of all our guests, please refrain from smoking or heavy perfume use at least two hours prior to your session beginning.

THE EMO NIGHT TOUR
Apr 6 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

The Emo Night Tour is coming to Asheville! The greatest tribute night to the music that was never just a phase… (including this event, which has been raging all across the country since 2015 and is only getting BIGGER AND BETTER)! The Emo Night Tour DJ’s will be spinning all the angst your teenage dirtbag heart desires all night long and will make you feel like you’re at Warped Tour ‘08 minus all the dust and melting in the sun! So just imagine going to a show and hearing Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, My Chemical Romance and many more, all only playing their best songs…all night long in a dance club atmosphere. These shows will be selling out and fast, so make sure to Tell All Your Friends and Sugar, Come Down!

LOWDOWN BRASS BAND with Big Fur
Apr 6 @ 9:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

ALL AGES
STANDING ROOM ONLY

THE LOWDOWN BRASS BAND

The LowDown Brass Band is a uniquely strong representation of Chicago Music culture. Providing a modern take on soul, funk, hip hop, and jazz, this multifaceted all-horn band boasts freedom through the art of their craft, whilst gaining critical acclaim from The Gazette, Fame Magazine, The Chicago Reader and more.

LowDown kick started 2023 with the release of the sun-drenched soul and jazz-infused single Call Me. It was followed by the summer release of Take Me Away, which is a club inspired dance floor lover’s track.

This next single So Long mellows the atmosphere and is a classic hip hop heartbreaker. So Long uses 808, horns, and the story telling of MC Billa Camp and singer Shane Jonas. Let’s take a pause on the dance floor and reflect on the long winter ahead. There is warmth in the flow.

LowDown maintains a constant performing and touring schedule, blessing every venue with their unique blend across multiple genres, and showcasing their ability to amplify the energy of any room with their positive and infectious spirit.

LowDown Brass Band has built a highly-impressive discography, accumulating over 1.1 million streams across Spotify alone with notable performances at Cotai Jazz Fest, The Montreal Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Folk Fest, SummerCamp, Vancouver Jazz Fest, Folk Alliance, Green River Fest, Chicago Jazz Fest, Aspen Jazz Fest, Mile of Music, Alaska’s infamous Salmon Fest, and opening runs with Galactic, Rebirth Brass, Bon Jovi, and others.

LowDown’s next record will be released in February 2024 and is titled Citizens of the World. LowDown is repped by the Fata Booking Agency (USA and International), Paquin Booking (Canada), and Liberty Music PR (UK). Their music has been featured on Hulu’s Cruel Summer and is also on the Nintendo Switch’s Dec 2023 release Super Crazy Rhythm Castle.

So long adaptation.

BIG FUR
BIG FUR is a slick, versatile animal of a band that pounces between genres and sounds through elaborate compositions and intense improvisation. The band cultivates an original sound that takes southern rock, country, and bluegrass to its highest dynamic peaks, and most electrifying, psychedelic edges.

Sunday, April 7, 2024
Adult Classes at the Wortham Center
Apr 7 all-day
Diana Wortham Theatre

Classes at the Wortham

Prioritize your health and wellness with a revolving series of ongoing classes for lifelong learners in yoga, dance, theatre, and more.

Classes are held in the Henry LaBrun Studio at the Wortham Center at 18 Biltmore Ave. Please access the front courtyard from the breezeway by White Duck Taco. Signs will then direct you to the studio door to the left. Parking information can be found here.

2024 Classes

Gentle Yoga - Open Level
Open Level Contemporary with Stewart/Owen Dance. Wednesdays, January 10–April 24, 8:15–9:30 a.m.
Intermediate Contemporary with Stewart/Owen Dance. Wednesdays, January 10–April 24, 6–7:30 p.m.
Asheville Performing Arts Academy Summer Musical Theatre Camps: Registration Open
Apr 7 all-day
Asheville Performing Arts Academy

We’re offering TWO grade levels this summer for our workshops:

  • Younger Ages (Rising 1st – 3rd Grade)
  • Older Ages (Rising 4th – 10th Grade)

Camps run Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm

Finding Nemo Workshop

June 17-21, 2024

July 8-12, 2024

July 29- Aug 2, 2024

Moana Workshop

June 24-28, 2024

July 15-19, 2024

August 5-9, 2024

Pirate Palooza Workshop

July 1-5, 2024

The Little Mermaid Workshop

July 22-26, 2024

Our Musical Theatre Workshop camps center around favorite stage musicals, where students will learn musical numbers and perform a shortened production at the end of each week. Campers will not only perform in many dance numbers and scenes but will work on the technical aspects that all productions need, like sets, props, and costumes.

Brevard Music Center’s 2024 Summer Festival Subscriptions
Apr 7 all-day
online

2024 Subscription Packages

One of America’s premier music festivals, Brevard Music Center’s 2024 summer lineup features a diverse offering of symphony, opera, chamber, jazz, bluegrass, and Broadway performances. The season will be highlighted by Legendary Artist Wynton Marsalis, who will appear with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in three extraordinary concerts in late June. Additional festival highlights include classical masterpieces Prokofiev 5Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in FStrauss’s Ein Heldenleben, and world premiere concertos by two of today’s top composers; Janiec Opera Company productions of The Threepenny OperaFlightLa Bohème, and An Evening of Jerome Kern and Friends; a family-friendly film with live orchestra presentation of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™ in Concertand BMC Presents lighter concert fare featuring Bryan SuttonDavid SanbornAoife O’Donovan, and Béla Fleck.

Led by Artistic Director Keith Lockhart, Brevard’s hallmark is the powerful sense of community that re-emerges every June as faculty and students work together to present over 100 performances and events to more than 40,000 enthusiastic fans from across the country. Primary BMC performance venues include the 1800-seat, open-air Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and the 400-seat Parker Concert Hall.

Package List

  • Golden Ticket (Thursday)

    Description: Receive one ticket to all performances included in the Symphony Series, Opera Lovers Series (Thursday), and the Parker Concert Hall Summer Series. Also includes Opening Night and Season Finale.

    Save 25% on single ticket prices.

    BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.

  • Golden Ticket (Saturday)

    Description: Receive one ticket to all performances included in the Symphony Series, Opera Lovers Series (Saturday), and the Parker Concert Hall Summer Series. Also includes Opening Night and Season Finale.

    Save 25% on single ticket prices.

    BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.

  • Symphony Series

    Description: Receive all sixteen (16) symphony events at Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium.

    Save 20% on single ticket prices.

    BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.

  • Compose Your Own

    Description: Purchase at least eight (8) eligible* events from our summer season.

    Save 15% on single ticket prices.

    *Opening Night, Season Finale, BMC Presents, and Legendary Artists Series are not eligible for inclusion.

  • Opera Lovers (Thursday)

    Description: Receive one (1) ticket to each of the following Thursday night events: FlightLa BohèmeThe Threepenny Opera, and An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends.

    Save 10% on single ticket prices.

    Please note that seating assignments for An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends are on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Opera Lovers (Saturday)

    Description: Receive one (1) ticket to each of the following Saturday afternoon events: FlightLa BohèmeThe Threepenny Opera. Includes one (1) ticket to the following Thursday evening event: An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends.

    Save 10% on single ticket prices.

    Please note that seating assignments for An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends are on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Parker Concert Hall Summer Series

    Description: Receive all twelve (12) Parker Concert Hall Summer Series events.

    Save 15% on single ticket prices.

    BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.

  • Flex

    Description: Purchase at least three (3) eligible* events, and receive a 5% discount off single ticket prices.

    Flex tickets cannot be purchased during the subscription renewal/purchase phase and will be available during the donor presale to qualifying purchasers.

    *Opening Night, Season Finale, BMC Presents, Legendary Artist Series are ineligible for this discount package.

    This discount will activate automatically once you add the required number of eligible events to your cart.
Registration Open: Summer Camps at the Wortham Center
Apr 7 all-day
Diana Wortham Theatre

Imaginative kids can createexplore, and play in Summer Camps at the Wortham Center! With high-energy, low-pressure programs for rising 1st-5th grade campers, week-long camps expand minds, build life skills, and create meaningful friendships through the arts.

Register now online or by calling the Box Office at 828-257-4530. Space is limited.

A limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships are available upon application through Arts for All Kids. Families who qualify for free or reduced lunch are welcome to apply.

Questions? Email Director of Education Anna Kimmell at [email protected].

2024 Creative Arts Summer Camps

CREATIVE ARTS CAMP
Rising 1st-2nd Grades
JUNE 24-28, 2024
 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

Little kids with BIG imaginations can dance, sing, act, create, and collaborate in this high-energy, low-pressure arts camp! With engaging activities rooted in creative play, kids will have so much fun expressing themselves through the arts, they won’t even notice they’re also building confidence, improving physical and emotional awareness, honing listening and focus skills, and learning to work within a group. At the end of the week, campers will celebrate what they’ve learned in an informal sharing for friends and family.

$185 in February ($205 after March 1)

PERFORMING ARTS CAMP
Rising 1st-2nd Grades

JULY 15-19, 2024 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

In this week-long, half-day summer arts camp, students will have fun exploring the fundamentals of acting, music, and movement. Through engaging activities rooted in creative play, kids will make friends, explore the performing arts, discover new tools for expression, and share what they’ve learned in a short performance presented at the end of the week for friends and family.

$185 in February ($205 after March 1)


CREATIVE ARTS CAMP
Rising 3rd-5th Grades

JULY 8-12, 2024 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Kids will have fun exercising their imaginations in this week-long camp exploring the creative arts! With daily activities in acting, dance, music, design, technical theatre, and more, this high-energy, low-pressure camp builds life skills, confidence, and friendships through the arts. Kids will leave feeling empowered to take creative risks on stage and off.

$290 in February ($310 after March 1)


PERFORMING ARTS CAMPS
Rising 3rd-5th Grades

JULY 22-26, 2024 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m.  

Kids can connect with other creative thinkers as they write, develop, and perform in their own original show! With an emphasis on self-expression, collaboration, and the creative process, kids will have fun exploring daily activities in acting, movement, creative writing, and improvisation in a low-pressure, supportive environment. At the end of the week, young artists will share their newfound skills in an informal performance for family and friends. No prior performing arts experience is necessary, only an open mind.

$290 in February ($310 after March 1)

Jack’s Bluegrass Brunch
Apr 7 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

Jack’s Bluegrass Brunch kicks off every Sunday at 12 noon — with lively bluegrass tunes courtesy of The Jack of the Wood Bluegrass Brunch Boys from 1-3pm. Sip a Bloody Mary or Mimosa or a warm Irish coffee. Tasty brunch specials alongside our regular menu and 18 taps of rotating craft brews! Sláinte, y’all!