Calendar of Events
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.
Queer Music Exploration with Kayla Lynn – Students will explore guitar, bass, drums, singing and piano with a focus on learning music by artists from the LGBTQ+ community. Students will have the chance to interact with their peers and share their experiences through music
TFAC will follow CDC and Polk County COVID recommendations. Participants will have space to social distance and appropriate face masks are strongly recommended. The program will also be available via Zoom.
Description
Registrations are for ONE HOUSEHOLD.
All sessions will be held on the first Thursday of the month, at 4:30 pm. A link will be sent out the morning of the session if zoom is desired.
Schedule:
February 3:
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Exhibition. Paintings. Music
A survey of 19th century Nationalism in the Arts through the works of Russian composers, members of the Mighty Five. Despite mockery from mainstream critics and audiences, the group members continued their pursuit of finding their unique voices. Their involvement with artists in other fields led to frequent connections between visual art and music. Join us on an expedition to the past as Mr. Begelman explores and deconstructs the rise of great Russian music through the works of prolific geniuses. Featured composer Musorgsky
March 3:
Impressions and Passions
Step into one of Claude Monet’s gardens and delight in the Impressionist period when music sought to convey moods or capture feelings, using unusual ways of looking at ordinary things. Mimicking the visual artists of the time, the structure of a work of art became subordinate to its effect. In the years containing the first movie theater and the invention of color photography, the world was brimming with opportunities to fill life with audio and visual encounters. Discover how a relatively small and rogue, in the eyes of many traditionalists, group of painters started one of the most recognized styles in the world that translated into music and literature. Be impressed and join us! Featured composers Debussy and Ravel
April 7:
Musical brush
Can a composer be inspired by a painting? Can a painting be brought to life with music by giving the canvas a voice? Can you paint sound? Can a story be told with brush strokes or notes instead of words? In search of answers, come with us on a journey through times to witness how visual and musical artists inspired each other and produced some of the most creative works of art. Featured composers Liszt, Respighi.
Asheville band Rooster is Annie Myers and Erin Kinard and was formed in 2016 around a campfire, but the two had performed separately for many years prior. Since then, they have performed throughout Western North Carolina, creating new songs and arrangements of beloved Americana. They perform an energetic combination of folk country and classic Americana, driven by their powerful vocal harmony and soulful drum/guitar instrumentation. Rooster’s debut album ‘Bloodroot’ was recorded in Swannanoa in 2019, released in March of 2020 and made it on WNCW’s top 100 albums of that year. Their orchestrations are clean and uncluttered, but with a raw, gritty edge. They seem right at home in a coffee house, wine bar, brew pub, honky-tonk or at a backyard barbecue.
The ASHEVILLE 8 STRING COLLECTIVE is a jazz/funk/blues/fusion group that features Dan Clare on 8-string hybrid guitar. A variety of local professional musicians bring their talents to the group in WNC for larger ensemble gigs
COVID-19 POLICY UPDATE: The Grey Eagle and American Vinyl Co. requires all patrons attending performances to provide proof of vaccination or negative test within 48 hours prior to the event. Currently Buncombe Co. mandates that masks be worn indoors. THIS MEANS YOU NEED TO MASK UP. Patrons will need to provide physical or digital documentation of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test. Professional negative test results must be dated no more than 48 hours prior to the event. At-home testing will not be accepted.
– ALL AGES
– DOORS 6PM / SHOW 7PM
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
DeeOhGee
DeeOhGee is the new chapter in the story of a band of brothers who’ve now been through it! Emerging on a fresh platform to share their unique blend of great American music.
Formerly touring under the name “Blackfoot Gypsies”, they have dropped the old name but kept the same spirit. A spirit arising from a life dedicated to Rock-n-Roll. The group established a loyal fanbase across the US and Europe, while releasing a catalogue of music documenting their journey. After going through inevitable changes over the course of hundreds of shows and thousands of miles – it only felt right right to start a new book, with a sharper sense of who they are and what they’re doing.
DeeOhGee is now comprised of Matthew Paige, Zack Murphy, and Dylan Whitlow. Each member contributes songs and brings different musical expertise to the table. These 3 musicians cover a huge spectrum of instruments – everything from timpani to pianos and banjos to harmoniums. Every single note and voice you hear on their recordings, is them. No studio musicians. They are beyond dedicated to their craft and eagerly work toward giving the world their life’s work. Collecting vibrations from every walk of life in this world and turning them into a hummable tune, with a wink of humor. Now, after all these years of honing their craft, the music is a concentrated serum exported from their souls, for all to share and enjoy. DeeOhGee is a band of people, made of people, for the people.
Vocals, Guitar / Matthew Paige
Bass, Vocals / Dylan Whitlow
Drums, Vocals / Zack Murphy
Next to Normal
book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt
Next to Normal, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, Next to Normal was also chosen as “one of the year’s ten best shows” by critics around the country, including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and The New York Times.
Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. And yet their lives are anything but normal because the mother has been battling manic depression for 16 years. Next to Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.
***Advisory: This show has flashing light effects that could trigger people with epilepsy.
Trigger Warning: there is heavy focus on mental illness, electroshock therapy, and a suicide attempt in this show. Audiences are advised. Due to sexual situations and adult language, this show is not recommended for audiences under 16.
To attend a Brevard College Theatre performance in person, you must agree to follow COVID safety protocols of presenting identification and proof of vaccination at the Box Office. You must also wear a mask at all times inside the Paul Porter Center for the Performing Arts.
CAST
Diana: Talley Sugg
Gabe: Eli Hughes
Dan: Kristian Michels
Natalie: Naomi Firebaugh
Henry: Scott Douglas
Dr. Madden/ Dr. Fine: Jamie Glison
Co Directors: Abbey Toot & Andrea Boccanfuso
Music Director: Dan Toot
Music Accompanist: Richard Riccardi
Intimacy Coordinator: Abbey Toot
Scenic Design: Teila Vochatzer
Lighting Design: Andrea Boccanfuso
Costume, Hair & Makeup Design: Ida
Sound Design/ Sound Op (Mixing): Will Young
Sound Assistant: Gavin Martin
Production Stage Manager: Grace Dempsey
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Andrea Boccanfuso
Assistant Stage Manager: Rowe Davis
Technical Director: Logan Taylor
Props Supervisor/
Hair & Makeup Application Mgr: Emma Harris
Dressers: Oli Mason
Emma Harris
Sarah Hajkowski
Scenic Charge: Gabe Bernhard
Wardrobe Supervisor: Gwyn Jennings
Video Manager: Sarah Hajkowski
Master Electrician: Patrick Miller
Light Board Operator: Cassandra Dayton
Sound Assistant: Anna Ervin
Video Crew/ Run Crew: Bryan Barboza
House Manager: Seth Chepes & Oliver Morgan
Box Office Manager: Taylor Sparrow
Care Group Organizer: Oli Mason
Care Group Organizer: Sarah Hajkowski
Costume Construction Crew: Gabe, Will, Taylor, Grace
Heralded by The New Yorker as “thrilling” and “genuinely moving.”
From the producer of The Lion King and Aladdin, Frozen, the Tony®-nominated Best Musical, is now on tour across North America and the critics rave, “It’s simply magical!” (LA Daily News).
Frozen features the songs you know and love from the original Oscar®-winning film, plus an expanded score with a dozen new numbers by the film’s songwriters, Oscar winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez and EGOT winner Robert Lopez. Oscar winner Jennifer Lee (book), Tony and Olivier Award winner Michael Grandage (director), and Tony winner Rob Ashford (choreographer) round out the creative team that has won a cumulative 16 Tony Awards.
An unforgettable theatrical experience filled with sensational special effects, stunning sets and costumes, and powerhouse performances, Frozen is everything you want in a musical: It’s moving. It’s spectacular. And above all, it’s pure Broadway joy.
Subscribers who have received seat assignments may now purchase additional single tickets for the 2021-2022 Broadway season through their account or by calling the Peace Center Box Office Monday – Friday between 9:30 am – 5:30 pm.
*Seat locations are based on currently available inventory. Additional tickets for Hamilton performances are not included. Please stay tuned for more information on when they will become available for purchase.
Steve Kelly and the Cherry Cherry Band is considered the “Premier Neil Diamond Tribute!” Neil Diamond’s music is timeless and ageless. His classic songs evoke memories that every crowd will enjoy. Steve Kelly and the Cherry Cherry Band are an award winning tribute experience that has performed over 600 shows to sold out houses around the U.S and Canada. A seasoned performer, Steve Kelly’s shows are high energy and replicate the same live show Diamond performs himself. Steve’s infectious positivity, love of music, and dedication to the fans are evident from the warm greeting prior to the show, to the post show farewell. Don’t miss this uncanny performance as The Cherry Cherry Band deftly delivers all of Neil Diamond’s greatest hits.
The Mike Rhodes Fellowship is a collective, creative endeavor curated by drummer Mike Rhodes that features a different lineup of Asheville’s most talented musicians each performance. The search for spontaneous creativity within the chemistry of each group to find the place in the middle of the compass where north, south, east, and west become one and magic happens.
Featured musicians thus far have included Michael Barnes, Shane Pruitt, Aaron Woody Wood, Marcel Anton, Duane Simpson, Billy Cardine, Nicky Sanders, Phill Huber, Casey Cramer, Jay Sanders, Jake Wolf, Tony Black, Michael Hynes, Jake O’Connor, Eli Cramer, Zack Page, JW Powell, Ryan Burns, Brian Turner, Jamar Woods, Aaron Price, and Matt Smith.
The ‘What Are We Waiting For’ tour is coming to you on April 8, 2022! We’ll be bringing the Official Album Release Concert Experience to Asheville, with brand new music from our new album and an all new stage design to present to you an evening you won’t soon forget. And our good friend Dante Bowe of Bethel and Maverick City Music will also be joining us! Consider this your personal invitation.. grab your friends & loved ones and a ticket, and we’ll look forward to seeing you there.
Dates: July 11 – 16, 2022
Application: Available now through MyBMC
Cost: A $600 fee covers all housing, meals, classes, materials, and concert tickets. Spots are limited and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Please note: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for all students, faculty, and summer staff for the 2022 season. Please see our FAQ page for more information.
Program Summary
Brevard Music Center (BMC) presents The Brevard Project: Reimagining the Future of Orchestral Programming, a six-day intensive seminar and think-tank on orchestral programming intended for professionals and influencers in the orchestral field. Presented by Brevard Music Center in partnership with Bard College, the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the South Dakota Symphony, the University of Michigan School of Music, and Project Director Joseph Horowitz, The Brevard Project takes place July 11-16, 2022. The central goals of The Brevard Project are to re-evaluate the artistic mission of the American orchestra and to share the skills needed to curate a more comprehensive, more inclusive American orchestral repertoire.
Curriculum
The Brevard Project: Reimagining the Future of Orchestral Programing complements Brevard Music Center’s week-long “Dvořák’s Prophecy” festival from July 11-16 and is inspired by Joseph Horowitz’s acclaimed new book Dvořák’s Prophecy and the Vexed Fate of Black Classical Music. Part think-tank, part seminar, this inaugural Project gathering equips practitioners and scholars alike to begin to answer questions about the dense nexus of culture and race, of historical, political, and moral reckonings surrounding the story of American orchestral music. The central goals of this program are to re-evaluate the artistic mission of the American orchestra and to share the skills needed to curate a more comprehensive, more inclusive American orchestral repertoire. The Brevard Project is designed for conductors, artistic administrators, executive directors, community engagement specialists, conservatory students, and engaged orchestra Board members.
Moving forward requires a fresh and closer look at our musical past – and to the lagging formation of an American symphonic canon. A new narrative of American classical music will be proposed that explores timely and topical issues that impact present and future orchestral programming. Why did our repertoire remain so stubbornly Eurocentric? What can we learn from this history? What can be mined from the treasure trove of long-hidden indigenous and Black music that can help to pave the future?
Classroom sessions will be highly interactive, drawing upon first-hand accounts of humanities-infused approaches to programming and community engagement. Topics of exploration include creating a “new paradigm” for American orchestral repertoire, rethinking the concert experience, and redefining the role of the music director. Participants will be challenged to envision programming and organizational initiatives to promote symphonic events grounded in the American experience, past and present.
The Faculty
A remarkable faculty has been assembled for this groundbreaking exercise.
*virtual participant
Joseph Horowitz, Project Director
Leon Botstein, President, Bard College; Music Director, American Symphony; Founder, Bard Festival and The Orchestra Now
Lorenzo Candelaria, Dean, Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University
Mark Clague, Music Historian, University of Michigan
JoAnn Falletta*, Music Director, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Gibbs*, Music Historian, Bard Conservatory; Artistic Co-Director, Bard Festival
Delta David Gier, Music Director, South Dakota Symphony
Blake-Anthony Johnson, CEO, Chicago Sinfonietta
Keith Lockhart*, Artistic Director, Brevard Music Center
Douglas McLennan, Founder/Editor, ArtsJournal
Jason Posnock, Chief Artistic Officer, Brevard Music Center
Jesse Rosen, Former CEO, League of American Orchestras
Larry Tamburri, CEO, Newark School of the Arts (former CEO, Pittsburgh and New Jersey Symphonies)
The Performers
Lara Downes, Pianist, producer, arts advocate
Sidney Outlaw, Baritone/pedagogue, Ithaca College
George Shirley, Tenor/pedagogue, University of Michigan
Enrollment Information
Conductors, artistic administrators, executive directors, community engagement specialists, conservatory students, and Board members are all encouraged to apply for The Brevard Project.
Capacity is limited. A $600 fee covers all housing, meals, classes, materials, and concert tickets for the week. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply now through MyBMC.
Volunteer at
TFAC events this spring!Email Sharol at [email protected] or call 828-859-8322
T-F 10AM – 4PMUshers & Bartenders
needed for the following events.EVENTS
- April 16: Livingston Taylor concert on main stage
- April 21-24: Enchanted April community theater on stage
- April 28: Amphitheater concert (outdoors)
- May 8: Ranky Tanky concert on main stage
- May 5: Amphitheater concert (outdoors)
- May 12: Amphitheater concert (outdoors)
- May 19: Amphitheater concert (outdoors)
- May 26: Amphitheater concert (outdoors)
Next to Normal
book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt
Next to Normal, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, Next to Normal was also chosen as “one of the year’s ten best shows” by critics around the country, including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and The New York Times.
Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. And yet their lives are anything but normal because the mother has been battling manic depression for 16 years. Next to Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.
***Advisory: This show has flashing light effects that could trigger people with epilepsy.
Trigger Warning: there is heavy focus on mental illness, electroshock therapy, and a suicide attempt in this show. Audiences are advised. Due to sexual situations and adult language, this show is not recommended for audiences under 16.
To attend a Brevard College Theatre performance in person, you must agree to follow COVID safety protocols of presenting identification and proof of vaccination at the Box Office. You must also wear a mask at all times inside the Paul Porter Center for the Performing Arts.
CAST
Diana: Talley Sugg
Gabe: Eli Hughes
Dan: Kristian Michels
Natalie: Naomi Firebaugh
Henry: Scott Douglas
Dr. Madden/ Dr. Fine: Jamie Glison
Co Directors: Abbey Toot & Andrea Boccanfuso
Music Director: Dan Toot
Music Accompanist: Richard Riccardi
Intimacy Coordinator: Abbey Toot
Scenic Design: Teila Vochatzer
Lighting Design: Andrea Boccanfuso
Costume, Hair & Makeup Design: Ida
Sound Design/ Sound Op (Mixing): Will Young
Sound Assistant: Gavin Martin
Production Stage Manager: Grace Dempsey
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Andrea Boccanfuso
Assistant Stage Manager: Rowe Davis
Technical Director: Logan Taylor
Props Supervisor/
Hair & Makeup Application Mgr: Emma Harris
Dressers: Oli Mason
Emma Harris
Sarah Hajkowski
Scenic Charge: Gabe Bernhard
Wardrobe Supervisor: Gwyn Jennings
Video Manager: Sarah Hajkowski
Master Electrician: Patrick Miller
Light Board Operator: Cassandra Dayton
Sound Assistant: Anna Ervin
Video Crew/ Run Crew: Bryan Barboza
House Manager: Seth Chepes & Oliver Morgan
Box Office Manager: Taylor Sparrow
Care Group Organizer: Oli Mason
Care Group Organizer: Sarah Hajkowski
Costume Construction Crew: Gabe, Will, Taylor, Grace
“Feral blues guitar…non-stop gigging has sharpened his six-string to a razor’s edge…his eloquence dazzles…he achieves pyrotechnics that rival early Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.” –Rolling Stone
“One of modern blues’ greatest guitarists and performers.” –Vintage Guitar
“Rugged, burning and riveting…Tinsley Ellis is a powerful and commanding presence, both on guitar and as a gruff, full-throated vocalist. It’s hard to overstate the raw power of his music. It’s impossible not to enjoy the ride.” –Blues Music Magazine
“Powerful, spine-tingling guitar and gritty, soulful vocals…an inspired and passionate fusion of blues and Southern rock.” –Relix
World renowned Southern blues-rock guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis—like every other musician—was caught off guard when the pandemic shutdown hit in March 2020. Ellis was forced to cancel the tour promoting his just-released album, Ice Cream In Hell, only six weeks into the 60-date run. This would be the first time in 40 years he’d be off the road, and as he drove the 2400 miles home from Reno to Atlanta, he was already formulating his future plans. Ellis resolved to dedicate his pandemic-forced downtime to creating new songs and growing as a songwriter. To get back to his musical roots, he began composing on amps and guitars that he hadn’t used for decades. He explored obscure studio and live recordings from some of his greatest musical heroes, such as the Allman Brothers, Freddie King, Michael Bloomfield, B.B. King and beyond, and was inspired by his favorite artists all over again. Eighteen months later, Ellis had written an astonishing 200 new songs.
Explains Ellis, “There was a lot of time to experiment. In my downstairs studio I set up every guitar and amp that I owned, plus a Leslie cabinet, an old wooden Wurlitzer electric piano, an old Maestro Echoplex tape delay and 30 or 40 glass, steel and brass slides. Experimenting with different gear set ups inspired the songwriting. Plus, I was able to listen to more music than I had since the 1970s. My imagination was fired up!” As early as April 2020, he began regularly releasing his new material online, keeping his thousands of fans engaged and soaking up their comments and responses. He knew, thanks to the reactions of his fans to his new songs, that he needed to make a record and get back on the road as soon as possible. Ellis whittled his massive song list down to ten, enlisted his friend and co-producer, keyboard master Kevin McKendree, and headed for Franklin, Tennessee’s famous Rock House recording studio. The result is Ellis’ new Alligator album, Devil May Care, a record Ellis says, “is for the fans as much as for me.”
Devil May Care, Ellis’ 20th album, contains ten of his most dynamic original compositions, mixing muscular rock ‘n’ roll and hard blues into his own instantly recognizable sound. Highlights include the Southern rock-tinged opening trio of songs—One Less Reason, Right Down The Drain and Just Like Rain—to the slow-burning Don’t Bury Our Love to the Hendrix-y Step Up and 28 Days. The emotionally-charged guitar solos soar in full service to the songs, as if Ellis is living and breathing the sound rather than simply playing the notes. “The goal,” says Ellis, “was to make the guitar sing.” Tinsley Ellis has been immersed in music his whole life. Born in Atlanta 1957 and raised in southern Florida, he acquired his first guitar at age seven, inspired by seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. He took to guitar instantly, developing and sharpening his skills as he grew up. Like many kids his age, Ellis discovered the blues through the back door of British Invasion bands like The Yardbirds, The Animals, Cream and The Rolling Stones as well as Southern rockers like the Allman Brothers. One night in 1972, he and a friend were listening to Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield’s Super Session record when his friend’s older brother told them that, if they liked Super Session, they should go see B.B. King, who was in town that week. Tinsley saw that show from the very front row. As fate would have it, King broke a guitar string while playing, and after changing it without missing a beat, he handed the broken string to young Tinsley. And yes, he still has that string. Less than three years later, Ellis, already an accomplished teenaged musician, left Florida and moved to Atlanta. He soon joined a hard-driving local blues band, the Alley Cats. In 1981, along with veteran blues singer and harpist Chicago Bob Nelson, Tinsley formed The Heartfixers, a group that would become Atlanta’s top-drawing blues band. After cutting two Heartfixers albums for the Landslide label, Ellis was ready to step out on his own.
Georgia Blue, Tinsley’s first Alligator release, hit the unprepared public by surprise in 1988. The Chicago Tribune said, “Tinsley Ellis torches with molten fretwork. Ellis takes classic, Southern blues-rock workouts and jolts them to new life with a torrid ax barrage.” His next four releases—1989’s Fanning The Flames, 1992’s Trouble Time, 1994’s Storm Warning, and 1997’s Fire It Up—further grew his reputation as well as his audience. (His song A Quitter Never Wins, a highlight of Storm Warning, was recorded by Jonny Lang, selling almost two million copies.) Features and reviews ran in Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and in many other national and regional publications.
In the early 2000s, Ellis released albums on Capricorn Records and on Telarc, returning to Alligator in 2005 with Live–Highwayman, which captured the fifth-gear energy of his roof-raising live show. He followed it with two more incendiary studio releases, 2007’s Moment Of Truth and 2009’s Speak No Evil. He self-released four successful albums on his own Heartfixer label before coming back home to Alligator in 2018, releasing the fan favorite Winning Hand. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart and earned him Blues Music Award (BMA) nominations for Blues Rock Album Of The Year and Blues Rock Artist Of The Year. 2020’s Ice Cream In Hell further cemented Ellis’ reputation and put him on the cusp of even greater success before all touring was brought to a halt that March. Now, with Devil May Care and a new nationwide tour booked, Ellis is more than ready to get back on the road and make up for lost time.
Ellis has been a road warrior ever since his Alligator debut. He has captivated and amazed fans in all 50 United States, as well as in Canada, all across Europe, Australia and South America. He’s also earned the love and respect of many of his fellow musicians, including Warren Haynes, Oliver Wood, Jonny Lang, Buddy Guy, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Widespread Panic and more. Additionally, he’s shared stages with blues legends including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Leon Russell, Son Seals, Koko Taylor and Albert Collins. Mega-star guitarist Joe Bonamassa calls Ellis “a national treasure.” But no matter where or with whom he performs, Ellis always plays with grit, soul and unbridled passion.
According to AllMusic.com, “Ellis’ playing underscores the emotional depth in the lyrics. His meaty solos dig deep.” With Devil May Care, Ellis proves that true again, with ten jaw-dropping, career-topping performances. As he continues adding more dates to his already packed tour schedule, Ellis will bring his high-energy Southern blues-rock to fans all across the country. “It’s been a long 18 months,” he says, “and now folks are ready to have some fun.”
WORTHAM CENTER PRESENTS
Ian Sherwood
Armed with a guitar, a saxophone and a velvety voice, Ian Sherwood is a natural on stage, making each concert feel like an intimate experience. Dancing the line between folk and pop, the born storyteller and musical innovator “entertains as much with his wit and stories as his songs” (CBC Radio), and his magnetic energy and stage presence earn him new fans wherever he goes. Winner of a 2013 Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Singer of the Year, Ian captivates his audiences with a display of impressive guitar work, witty banter and sensational songwriting.
Heralded by The New Yorker as “thrilling” and “genuinely moving.”
From the producer of The Lion King and Aladdin, Frozen, the Tony®-nominated Best Musical, is now on tour across North America and the critics rave, “It’s simply magical!” (LA Daily News).
Frozen features the songs you know and love from the original Oscar®-winning film, plus an expanded score with a dozen new numbers by the film’s songwriters, Oscar winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez and EGOT winner Robert Lopez. Oscar winner Jennifer Lee (book), Tony and Olivier Award winner Michael Grandage (director), and Tony winner Rob Ashford (choreographer) round out the creative team that has won a cumulative 16 Tony Awards.
An unforgettable theatrical experience filled with sensational special effects, stunning sets and costumes, and powerhouse performances, Frozen is everything you want in a musical: It’s moving. It’s spectacular. And above all, it’s pure Broadway joy.
Subscribers who have received seat assignments may now purchase additional single tickets for the 2021-2022 Broadway season through their account or by calling the Peace Center Box Office Monday – Friday between 9:30 am – 5:30 pm.
*Seat locations are based on currently available inventory. Additional tickets for Hamilton performances are not included. Please stay tuned for more information on when they will become available for purchase.
Steve Kelly and the Cherry Cherry Band is considered the “Premier Neil Diamond Tribute!” Neil Diamond’s music is timeless and ageless. His classic songs evoke memories that every crowd will enjoy. Steve Kelly and the Cherry Cherry Band are an award winning tribute experience that has performed over 600 shows to sold out houses around the U.S and Canada. A seasoned performer, Steve Kelly’s shows are high energy and replicate the same live show Diamond performs himself. Steve’s infectious positivity, love of music, and dedication to the fans are evident from the warm greeting prior to the show, to the post show farewell. Don’t miss this uncanny performance as The Cherry Cherry Band deftly delivers all of Neil Diamond’s greatest hits.
Join us Friday April 8th for Govinda with Pathwey, ToneVizion, & Medisin. Visuals by Hexadecibal.
Full Visual Audio experience provided by Your Allure.
Powered by BASSBOSS
21+ / Doors 8PM / Show 9PM
Dates: July 11 – 16, 2022
Application: Available now through MyBMC
Cost: A $600 fee covers all housing, meals, classes, materials, and concert tickets. Spots are limited and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Please note: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for all students, faculty, and summer staff for the 2022 season. Please see our FAQ page for more information.
Program Summary
Brevard Music Center (BMC) presents The Brevard Project: Reimagining the Future of Orchestral Programming, a six-day intensive seminar and think-tank on orchestral programming intended for professionals and influencers in the orchestral field. Presented by Brevard Music Center in partnership with Bard College, the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the South Dakota Symphony, the University of Michigan School of Music, and Project Director Joseph Horowitz, The Brevard Project takes place July 11-16, 2022. The central goals of The Brevard Project are to re-evaluate the artistic mission of the American orchestra and to share the skills needed to curate a more comprehensive, more inclusive American orchestral repertoire.
Curriculum
The Brevard Project: Reimagining the Future of Orchestral Programing complements Brevard Music Center’s week-long “Dvořák’s Prophecy” festival from July 11-16 and is inspired by Joseph Horowitz’s acclaimed new book Dvořák’s Prophecy and the Vexed Fate of Black Classical Music. Part think-tank, part seminar, this inaugural Project gathering equips practitioners and scholars alike to begin to answer questions about the dense nexus of culture and race, of historical, political, and moral reckonings surrounding the story of American orchestral music. The central goals of this program are to re-evaluate the artistic mission of the American orchestra and to share the skills needed to curate a more comprehensive, more inclusive American orchestral repertoire. The Brevard Project is designed for conductors, artistic administrators, executive directors, community engagement specialists, conservatory students, and engaged orchestra Board members.
Moving forward requires a fresh and closer look at our musical past – and to the lagging formation of an American symphonic canon. A new narrative of American classical music will be proposed that explores timely and topical issues that impact present and future orchestral programming. Why did our repertoire remain so stubbornly Eurocentric? What can we learn from this history? What can be mined from the treasure trove of long-hidden indigenous and Black music that can help to pave the future?
Classroom sessions will be highly interactive, drawing upon first-hand accounts of humanities-infused approaches to programming and community engagement. Topics of exploration include creating a “new paradigm” for American orchestral repertoire, rethinking the concert experience, and redefining the role of the music director. Participants will be challenged to envision programming and organizational initiatives to promote symphonic events grounded in the American experience, past and present.
The Faculty
A remarkable faculty has been assembled for this groundbreaking exercise.
*virtual participant
Joseph Horowitz, Project Director
Leon Botstein, President, Bard College; Music Director, American Symphony; Founder, Bard Festival and The Orchestra Now
Lorenzo Candelaria, Dean, Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University
Mark Clague, Music Historian, University of Michigan
JoAnn Falletta*, Music Director, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Gibbs*, Music Historian, Bard Conservatory; Artistic Co-Director, Bard Festival
Delta David Gier, Music Director, South Dakota Symphony
Blake-Anthony Johnson, CEO, Chicago Sinfonietta
Keith Lockhart*, Artistic Director, Brevard Music Center
Douglas McLennan, Founder/Editor, ArtsJournal
Jason Posnock, Chief Artistic Officer, Brevard Music Center
Jesse Rosen, Former CEO, League of American Orchestras
Larry Tamburri, CEO, Newark School of the Arts (former CEO, Pittsburgh and New Jersey Symphonies)
The Performers
Lara Downes, Pianist, producer, arts advocate
Sidney Outlaw, Baritone/pedagogue, Ithaca College
George Shirley, Tenor/pedagogue, University of Michigan
Enrollment Information
Conductors, artistic administrators, executive directors, community engagement specialists, conservatory students, and Board members are all encouraged to apply for The Brevard Project.
Capacity is limited. A $600 fee covers all housing, meals, classes, materials, and concert tickets for the week. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply now through MyBMC.
Heralded by The New Yorker as “thrilling” and “genuinely moving.”
From the producer of The Lion King and Aladdin, Frozen, the Tony®-nominated Best Musical, is now on tour across North America and the critics rave, “It’s simply magical!” (LA Daily News).
Frozen features the songs you know and love from the original Oscar®-winning film, plus an expanded score with a dozen new numbers by the film’s songwriters, Oscar winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez and EGOT winner Robert Lopez. Oscar winner Jennifer Lee (book), Tony and Olivier Award winner Michael Grandage (director), and Tony winner Rob Ashford (choreographer) round out the creative team that has won a cumulative 16 Tony Awards.
An unforgettable theatrical experience filled with sensational special effects, stunning sets and costumes, and powerhouse performances, Frozen is everything you want in a musical: It’s moving. It’s spectacular. And above all, it’s pure Broadway joy.
Subscribers who have received seat assignments may now purchase additional single tickets for the 2021-2022 Broadway season through their account or by calling the Peace Center Box Office Monday – Friday between 9:30 am – 5:30 pm.
*Seat locations are based on currently available inventory. Additional tickets for Hamilton performances are not included. Please stay tuned for more information on when they will become available for purchase.
Steve Kelly and the Cherry Cherry Band is considered the “Premier Neil Diamond Tribute!” Neil Diamond’s music is timeless and ageless. His classic songs evoke memories that every crowd will enjoy. Steve Kelly and the Cherry Cherry Band are an award winning tribute experience that has performed over 600 shows to sold out houses around the U.S and Canada. A seasoned performer, Steve Kelly’s shows are high energy and replicate the same live show Diamond performs himself. Steve’s infectious positivity, love of music, and dedication to the fans are evident from the warm greeting prior to the show, to the post show farewell. Don’t miss this uncanny performance as The Cherry Cherry Band deftly delivers all of Neil Diamond’s greatest hits.
Almost born on the airplane from Columbus, OH to Philly, Paul Edelman has cultivated a passionate, loyal following with original, arresting and reverent music.
Edgy and misty, from a holler to a whisper, Edelman’s songs and performances have been making folks feel that they’ve truly discovered something special, and he’s earned universal respect from peers as well.
Veteran of some of the biggest Philadelphia tickets of the day – The Butcher Holler Boys, Naked Omaha, The Boxcars, and The Jangling Sparrows, Paul has shared bills with Scott Miller and Mic Harrison both of the V-Roys, Robert Earl Kean, James McMurtry, Drive-by Truckers, Neko Case, Big Sandy, Langhorne Slim, Patty Larkin, The Sadies, Cordero, The Bottle Rockets and Grayson Capps among many others.
Paul has worked with some of the industries greatest names, he has recorded with Jimmy Johnson (founder Muscle Shoals Studio), Nashville Session Staple drummer, Martin Parker (Ricky Scaggs, Allison Krauss, Patti Loveless) And Keyboardist Steve Fordham ( Mavis Staples).
Paul relocated to Asheville, NC in 2008 where he quickly grabbed winner of the 2009 Flat Rock Music Festival songwriter competition and has released five full length albums including his latest. TELECOASTER.
Next to Normal
book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt
Next to Normal, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, Next to Normal was also chosen as “one of the year’s ten best shows” by critics around the country, including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and The New York Times.
Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. And yet their lives are anything but normal because the mother has been battling manic depression for 16 years. Next to Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.
***Advisory: This show has flashing light effects that could trigger people with epilepsy.
Trigger Warning: there is heavy focus on mental illness, electroshock therapy, and a suicide attempt in this show. Audiences are advised. Due to sexual situations and adult language, this show is not recommended for audiences under 16.
To attend a Brevard College Theatre performance in person, you must agree to follow COVID safety protocols of presenting identification and proof of vaccination at the Box Office. You must also wear a mask at all times inside the Paul Porter Center for the Performing Arts.
CAST
Diana: Talley Sugg
Gabe: Eli Hughes
Dan: Kristian Michels
Natalie: Naomi Firebaugh
Henry: Scott Douglas
Dr. Madden/ Dr. Fine: Jamie Glison
Co Directors: Abbey Toot & Andrea Boccanfuso
Music Director: Dan Toot
Music Accompanist: Richard Riccardi
Intimacy Coordinator: Abbey Toot
Scenic Design: Teila Vochatzer
Lighting Design: Andrea Boccanfuso
Costume, Hair & Makeup Design: Ida
Sound Design/ Sound Op (Mixing): Will Young
Sound Assistant: Gavin Martin
Production Stage Manager: Grace Dempsey
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Andrea Boccanfuso
Assistant Stage Manager: Rowe Davis
Technical Director: Logan Taylor
Props Supervisor/
Hair & Makeup Application Mgr: Emma Harris
Dressers: Oli Mason
Emma Harris
Sarah Hajkowski
Scenic Charge: Gabe Bernhard
Wardrobe Supervisor: Gwyn Jennings
Video Manager: Sarah Hajkowski
Master Electrician: Patrick Miller
Light Board Operator: Cassandra Dayton
Sound Assistant: Anna Ervin
Video Crew/ Run Crew: Bryan Barboza
House Manager: Seth Chepes & Oliver Morgan
Box Office Manager: Taylor Sparrow
Care Group Organizer: Oli Mason
Care Group Organizer: Sarah Hajkowski
Costume Construction Crew: Gabe, Will, Taylor, Grace
Cosmic Charlie has taken the Grateful Dead experience to a new level with “Dark Side Of The Dead”.
Dark Side Of The Dead is a hybrid show featuring the music of both the Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd. The centerpiece of the show is a live performance of Pink Floyd’s legendary “Dark Side Of The Moon” album.
The album is performed start-to-finish, by the Cosmic Charlie “big band” that includes two drummers, 4 keyboards, backup singers & saxophone. Before and after the Dark Side album performance, Cosmic Charlie will offer up two heaping helpings of it’s signature high energy Grateful Dead.
Darko Butorac, conductor
Lisa Smirnova, piano
Dramatic works encircle one of Mozart’s most beloved works for piano: Brahms’ darkest overture composed in response to one of his liveliest and the mysterious Enigma Variations, said to be inspired by Elgar’s friends, family, and an unknown lost love. Embrace the drama, delve into the mystery, delight in the darkness.
Brahms Tragic Overture
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20
Elgar Enigma Variations
Neal Francis
On his new album In Plain Sight, Neal Francis offers up a body of work both strangely enchanted and painfully self-aware, unfolding in songs sparked from Greek myths and frenzied dreams and late-night drives in the depths of summer delirium. True to its charmed complexity, the singer/songwriter/pianist’s second full-length came to life over the course of a tumultuous year spent living in a possibly haunted church in Chicago. The result: a portrait of profound upheaval and weary resilience, presented in a kaleidoscopic sound that’s endlessly absorbing.
The follow-up to Francis’s 2019 debut Changes—a New Orleans-R&B-leaning effort that landed on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of KCRW, KEXP, and The Current, and saw him hailed as “the reincarnation of Allen Toussaint” by BBC Radio 6—In Plain Sight was written and recorded almost entirely at the church, a now-defunct congregation called St. Peter’s UCC. Despite not identifying as religious, Francis took a music-ministry job at the church in 2017 at the suggestion of a friend. After breaking up with his longtime girlfriend while on tour in fall 2019, he returned to his hometown and found himself with no place to stay, then headed to St. Peter’s and asked to move into the parsonage. “I thought I’d only stay a few months but it turned into over a year, and I knew I had to do something to take advantage of this miraculous gift of a situation,” he says.
Mixed by Grammy Award-winner Dave Fridmann (HAIM, Spoon, The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala), In Plain Sight finds Francis again joining forces with Changes producer and analog obsessive Sergio Rios (a guitarist/engineer known for his work with CeeLo Green and Alicia Keys). Like its predecessor, the album spotlights Francis’s refined yet free-spirited performance on piano, an instrument he took up at the age of four. “From a very early age, I was playing late into the night in a very stream-of-consciousness kind of way,” he says, naming everything from ragtime to gospel soul to The Who among his formative influences. With a prodigy-like gift for piano, Francis sat in with a dozen different blues acts in Chicago clubs as a teenager, and helmed a widely beloved instrumental funk band called The Heard before going solo. Along with earning lavish acclaim (including a glowing review from Bob Lefsetz, who declared: “THIS IS THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS!”), Changes led to such triumphs as performing live on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” sharing the stage with members of The Meters at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and touring with such acts as Lee Fields & The Expressions and Black Pumas.
Recorded entirely on tape with his bandmates Kellen Boersma (guitar), Mike Starr (bass), and Collin O’Brien (drums), In Plain Sight bears a lush and dreamlike quality, thanks in large part to Francis’s restless experimentation with a stash of analog synths lent by his friends in his early days at the church. “My sleep schedule flipped and I’d stay up all night working on songs in this very feverish way,” he says. “I just needed so badly to get completely lost in something.” In a move partly inspired by Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, In Plain Sight takes its title from a track Francis ended up scrapping from the album. “It’s a song about my breakup and the circumstances that led to me living in the church, where I’m owning up to all my problems within my relationships and my sobriety,” says Francis, whose first full-length chronicles his struggles with addiction. “It felt like the right title for this record, since so much of it is about coming to the understanding that I continue to suffer because of those problems. It’s about acknowledging that and putting it out in the open in order to mitigate the suffering and try to work on it, instead of trying to hide everything.”
The opulent opening track to In Plain Sight, “Alameda Apartments” makes for a majestic introduction to the album’s unveiling of Francis’s inner demons. “I started writing that song maybe six years ago, before I got sober,” he says. “I was going through another breakup and getting kicked out of my place, and I had a nightmare about moving into an art-deco apartment that was haunted, where the walls were all shifting around.” A prime showcase for Francis’s piano work, “Alameda Apartments” simulates that dream state in its untethered melodies, luminous grooves, and lyrics that drift from despair to detached curiosity (e.g., “It remains to be seen if the ghosts are all right”). “The craziest thing is that I’d never encountered the name ‘Alameda’ in any time in my life prior to that dream,” says Francis. “It’s bizarre that I even remembered it, especially since you don’t dream very often when you’re getting fucked up.”
On “Problems,” In Plain Sight eases into a brighter and breezier mood, with Francis mining inspiration from early-’70s Sly & the Family Stone and the glistening soft rock of Mirage-era Fleetwood Mac. But in a stark contrast to the track’s radiant synth and rapturous harmonies, “Problems” centers on Francis’s exacting introspection. “It’s about being half-in and half-out of a relationship, and how untenable that is,” he says. “I wrote it at a time when I really couldn’t maintain a relationship, because I had too many issues with myself that needed to be addressed.”
Graced with a smoldering slide-guitar solo from the legendary Derek Trucks, “Can’t Stop the Rain” arrives as the first unabashedly hopeful moment on In Plain Sight. “I wrote that with my buddy David Shaw, who came up with the refrain and this idea that even though life’s going to throw all this shit at you, there’s still so many things to be grateful for,” says Francis. Propelled by the track’s cascading piano lines and wildly soaring vocals, that refrain takes on an unlikely anthemic power as Francis shares a bit of gently expressed encouragement: “You can’t stop the rain/It’s always coming down/It’s always gonna fall/But you’re not gonna drown.”
On the guitar-heavy and glorious “Prometheus,” Francis nods to the Greek myth of the Titan god who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to the humans. As punishment, Prometheus spent eternity chained to a rock as an eagle visited each day to peck out his liver—which then grew back overnight, only to be eaten again the following day in a neverending cycle of torment. “That song came from the lowest ebb of quarantine, when Chicago was literally on fire,” Francis says. “It came to me while I was driving around all these abandoned streets in the middle of the night, and turned into a song about facing my problems with addiction and feeling like I’m chained to this set of compulsions.” Threaded with plainspoken confession (“It’s not in my nature to try to do better”), the track features a sprawling synth arrangement informed by the many hours Francis spent playing the St. Peter’s pipe organ. “I call that section of the song ‘The Pope,’” he says. “It’s this grand, powerful entry that’s sort of sinister, and then it just drops away.”
By the end of his surreal and sometimes eerie experience of living at the church—“I’m convinced that the stairway leading to the choir loft where I used to practice is haunted,” he notes—Francis had found his musicality undeniably elevated. “Because I was forced into this almost monastic existence and was alone so much of the time, I could play as often and as long as I wanted,” he says. “I ended up becoming such a better pianist, a better writer, a better reader of music.” Dedicated to a woman named Lil (the de facto leader of the St. Peter’s congregation), In Plain Sight ultimately reveals the possibility of redemption and transformation even as your world falls apart.
“When I started the process of writing these songs, I was so emotionally out-of-sorts and really kind of hopeless that I’d be able to come up with anything,” says Francis. “But then I sat down and started working, and embraced whatever inspiration came my way. Sometimes it felt like beating my head against a wall, but I tried to trust that it would lead somewhere. The whole thing was like a weird dream—this very strange time of terrible, wonderful isolation.”
Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats
High-Energy, Funk-ti-fied Rock n’ Roll band with a jam-band like in the moment spirit coupled with the fierceness of punk rock.
Asheville, NC based, Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats have been revered far wide for their engaging, interactive High-Energy, Funk-ti-fied Rock n’ Roll show. Couple the abilities and in the moment spirit of a jam-band with a punk rock fierceness and energy, and you’ll get a show that will have familiar songs but with a twist that offers a listener something only in that moment. Consistent studio recordings, year round touring from NY to FL and NC to ID, earnest songwriting and sharing bills with such greats as Sonny Landreth, Blind Boys of Alabama, Drivin N Cryin, Ghost Light, Eric Gales, Big Daddy Love and Bettye Lavette has made Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats one of the industry’s fastest growing Rock n Roll bands, and WNC’s best Rock band 4 years running. Rolling Stone’s Garret Woodward gave mention to the band in his coverage of Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam stating that the band is “starting to make a name for themselves on the national scene”. Find the band at all social media outlets, streaming services and at www.andrewscotchiemusic.com