Shenandoah Conservatory Announces its 2011-12 Season
The Performing Arts Live (PAL) series, the conservatory’s signature professional artist series, kicks off with jazz saxophonist Ravi Coltrane on Sunday, Sept. 18.
Shenandoah Conservatory Performances 2011-12 season features numerous performances of classical music, jazz, world music, theatre and dance, the season runs between September and April. Highlights of the season include several critically acclaimed productions and guest artists as well as family programming and a fully staged opera with an impressive set originally designed for the Wolf Trap Opera Company. “One of the most exciting aspects of this rich and ambitious season is the start of a new chapter in the conservatory's commitment to opera,” said Conservatory Dean Michael Stepniak. “We will present two fully staged opera productions under the artistic direction of two exceptional creative directors from the professional opera world.”
The Performing Arts Live (PAL) series, the conservatory’s signature professional artist series, kicks off with jazz saxophonist Ravi Coltrane on Sunday, Sept. 18. Son of jazz legend John Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane has established himself as a respected saxophonist, bandleader, composer, producer and founder of the independent record company RKM Music.
Tafelmusik, Canada’s award-winning orchestra on period instruments, will present a program of Baroque standards on Wednesday, Nov. 16. The program will include music by J.S. Bach, Lully, J.S. Fasch and Vivaldi. On Saturday, Feb. 11, Shenandoah’s Distinguished Artist-in-Residence John O’Conor will perform the famous “Piano Concerto” by Edward Grieg with the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jan Wagner.
The Grammy Award-winning South African vocal ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be at Shenandoah to perform on Feb. 14. The ensemble has recorded with numerous pop icons, including Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban and Ben Harper. They also have provided soundtrack material for numerous television programs, commercials and films.
The PAL series concludes with a performance by the Ailey II Dance Company, featuring the country’s top emerging dance talent, under the auspices of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
In addition to performances, some PAL artists will lead community outreach activities such as workshops and masterclasses, which will be free to the community and SU students through Community Performs Live. For more information about Community Performs Live, visit www.ConservatoryPerforms.org/communityperformslive
For more about the 2011-12 season, visit www.conservatoryperforms.org, and continue to read SUN-e as details about the World of the Piano series, theatre productions, dance and musical performances will be published this week.