The summer dry spell has nearly lifted, and it is time we in central Louisiana get excited about all the great music coming this fall! Here are some highlights of the events our local music organizations will be presenting…
Saturday, October 3, none other than Fred Child will be here in Alexandria! Perhaps the most exciting event this fall, “Live in Alexandria! Fred Child, Host of Performance Today” will feature performances by local musicians and discussion with Fred Child, host of Performance Today, America’s most popular classical music radio program. Thanks to Red River Radio and the Arts Council of Central Louisiana, Fred Child is on his way here. Live performances will be given by classical guitarist John De Chiaro, a brass quintet assembled by Maestro Joshua Zona of the Rapides Symphony Orchestra, and a special appearance by pianist Asiya Korepanova—the 2012 Gold Medalist in Shreveport’s Wideman International Piano Competition. Tickets are available now! And, purchasers of Patron Level tickets will even have the chance to meet Fred Child at an exclusive patron party before the show.
The Rapides Symphony Orchestra begins its 49th Season on September 26 with their annual Pops on the River. This year’s Pops is back at the Alexandria Amphitheater on the Red, and features jazz pianist Ronnie Kole alongside our local symphony orchestra. A living legend of New Orleans jazz, Kole’s repertoire includes standards by Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter plus a host of original compositions and arrangements. Pops on the River will only be the start to another great season presented by the Rapides Symphony Orchestra!
If you’re looking for great classical music in a more intimate setting, the Arts Council of Central Louisiana invites you to its Second Season of Abendmusik Alexandria. Abendmusik features many of the same talented musicians who play with the RSO, but one, two, or three musicians at a time. Concerts are in a casual jazz club setting with food and drinks served. Abendmusik strives to introduce audiences to music they might not have heard before, but that they are sure to love. New this season, Abendmusik will feature music by four Louisiana composers actively composing around our state today. Two composers live in Natchitoches, another is based in Shreveport, and the other one happens to be me! Definitely come in November to hear the world premiere of my Suite for Solo Guitar, Op. 21. The excitement, however, begins next month on September 3 with “Meeting of the Minds,” featuring RSO concertmaster Lin He, cellist Paul Christopher, and pianist Elena Bogaczová for music by Mozart, Dvorák, and Natchitoches composer Al Benner.
It’s also an LIPC year! For the past ten years, the Louisiana International Piano Competition has brought world-class pianists from across the globe to central Louisiana. This October, LIPC is back for its Sixth Biennial Competition! An amazing 57 pianists have already applied to compete! A week filled with solo recitals will be followed by the exciting Final Round where the top three pianists will play full concerti alongside the Rapides Symphony Orchestra.
Otherwise, the Red River Chorale is gearing up for their season too! If you would like to sing with them this year, auditions are August 24. The Alexandria Museum of Art will also have their annual fundraiser Live Blues, Craft Brews, and Fiery BBQs on August 22. If you like blues, this is the event for you, featuring a live performance by Shreveport bluesman Buddy Flett!
There’s plenty to do in Alexandria this fall and these are just a few highlights! So, stay tuned to MusicCentral for more info about these and other upcoming events!
JSH 15.08.05
About Jackson. Jackson Harmeyer is a music scholar and composer. He is a graduate of the Louisiana Scholars’ College—Louisiana’s designated honors college—where he completed an undergraduate thesis entitled “Learning from the Past: The Influence of Johann Sebastian Bach upon the Soviet Composers.” He has followed classical music around the world, attending the BachFest Leipzig in Germany, Colorado’s Aspen Music Festival, and many concerts across Louisiana and Texas. Resident in Alexandria, Jackson works with the Arts Council of Central Louisiana as Series Director of the Abendmusik Alexandria chamber music series. He also writes the program notes for the Rapides Symphony Orchestra. As his day job, Jackson serves as Operations Manager of TicketCentral.
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