Celebrating Our 13th Year!
The Hart Community Performing Arts Series will begin its 13th season in October and will once again bring fine artists from across the country to Oceana County. The series of seven concerts is a community project of the Hart Public Schools and is supported by its many sponsors and patrons. That support has allowed the Hart Community Performing Arts Series to become one of the most successful series in Michigan and has allowed thousands of area students to experience live performances of classical music, jazz, dance, and vocal music.
The 2011/2012 Series
October 14th: The Series will open with a performance by Dave Bennett and his Sextet. Bennett is a Michigan native and clarinet prodigy who has amazed audiences across the country with his musical virtuosity and authentic recreation of the sound of the great Benny Goodman. Now, Bennett brings his sextet of talented performers to Hart to present his newest show, "Clarinet Kings of Swing". Bennett will play his versions of the greatest clarinet performances of the swing era, first performed by greats such as Pete Fountain, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Jimmy Dorsey, Acker Bilk, and, of course, Benny Goodman. He is joined by some of the finest musicians in the country for this high energy, highly entertaining evening.
November 11th: Rich & Brandon Ridenour will perform on November 11th. Pianist Rich Ridenour has built a formidable career performing concerts of great piano favorites ranging from classical masterworks to American ragtime, jazz and rock & roll. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Rich received a Bachelor's degree in music from the University of Michigan ,and a Master's degree from the Juilliard School of Music. As the youngest member in the over 40-year history of the prestigious Canadian Brass, Brandon Ridenour has acquired an international reputation for the ease of his virtuosity and the shimmering quality of his playing. His absolute command of his instrument and singing lyricism matched with brilliant tone, precise intonation and rhythmic precision make his performances memorable. These two master musicians blend their talents for a rich and varied presentation.
December 9th: Mardra Thomas & Friends will bring to the stage The Billie Holiday Project. Mardra Thomas has traveled the country painting a musical and historical picture of the life and legacy of Holiday. Mardra's voice is well suited to showcase Holiday's sculptured phrasing that stamped a signature style on jazz singing. Billie worked with some of the best musicians of her time; keeping with that tradition, Mardra performs with pianist/arranger Reggie Thomas and a host of talented musicians from across the country.
January 13th: "Highly energetic," "musically exciting," and "a performance filled with fun" are just a few of the comments heard from audience members after an evening with the Metropolis Quartet. Deb Stevenson (oboe/English horn), Thomas Yang (violin), Doyle Armbmst (viola), and Steven Houser (cello) met in 1994 as freelance musicians in Chicago. Whether performing baroque masterpieces or contemporary works, the versatile musicians of Metropolis continue to redefine chamber music for a new age.
February 3rd: The Petar Jankovic Ensemble will present and exciting and varied program. After many years of touring almost exclusively as a solo classical guitarist, Petar Jankovic entered the world of chamber music in 2008 with an innovative idea. A leading guitarist of his generation, Jankovic has revolutionized what is already considered to be a striking guitar repertoire by forming a traditional string quartet led by guitar! The guitar's Spanish and Latin American performing practices, blended with the string quarter's classical European music tradition infuse the performance with ma inventive vigor and inspirational outlook.
April 20th: The Solaire Quartet was formed in 2008 and its members represent a wide range of musical backgrounds. Each member is not only an active performing musician, but also a dedicated teacher. Members of Solaire Quartet have performed across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia as soloists and with orchestras including the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Flint Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Thessaloniki State Orchestra (Greece), Bruno Madera Orchestra (Italy), Tokyo Sinfonia Orchestra, and many others. This virtuosic saxophone ensemble presents a diverse spectrum of repertoire with a mission of bringing a culturally rich program to a wide variety of audiences.
May 18th: Carl Cafagna & the Big Band Machine bring the golden age of the great bands vividly to life for audiences of all ages in all places. With 13 instrumentalists and the sultry vocalist Ashaki, the 'Big Band Machine' has garnered rave reviews across Michigan. Hear the great tunes from the great bands in this exciting finale to our 13th season.
All performances
are held at the Hart Middle School Auditorium and begin at
7:30 PM with doors opening at 6:45 PM for season ticket holders. Season tickets
are $40.00 and individual tickets at the door are $10.00. Last year’s sales of season tickets reached the capacity of the auditorium and it is possible that we could reach the point where ticket sales may be limited. We encourage you to consider purchasing season tickets as soon as possible.
For more information visit www.hart.k12.mi.us/auditorium or call the Tom Kirk, the auditorium manager, at 231.873.6270.
