Arts Alive San Antonio

By Jasmina Wellinghoff, Editor A Conversation with TAMARA ADIRA Flamenco artist and company leader By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Years ago, Tamara Adira walked into a night club in New Orleans and discovered flamenco- dance and music. It was love at first site.  She threw herself into the study of this Spanish art, and eventually founded a performing company — Arte …

The highly anticipated music event of the season is “Beethoven 9” that the San Antonio Philharmonic will perform this weekend at the Majestic Theater. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the iconic work, which has elated audiences across generations and cultures. This symphony is also the first to feature human voices as instrumental components. The work culminates in the …

Reviewed by Steven G. Kellman             At age 11, Doireann Ní Ghríofa was smitten with “Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire,” an Irish dirge that Oxford Professor Peter Levi pronounced the “greatest poem written in these islands in the whole eighteenth century.” At 34, Ní Ghríofa sets out to translate the work into English and reconstruct the dramatic life of its author, …

NEWS ROUNDUP, Nov. 7, 2024 As is usual at this time of the year, concerts and music events are bountiful. Camerata San Antonio will present its third program of the 24/25 season, “Tresors Musicaux,” (Musical Treasures), which will put French chamber music in the spotlight. The musicians: Laura Scalzo (violin), Emily Freudigman (viola), Kenneth Freudigman (cello), and pianist Viktor Valkov, …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor One of San Antonio’s best and most versatile actresses, Anna Gangai, is portraying former fire-brand governor of Texas, Ann Richards, in a one-woman-play at the San Pedro Playhouse Classic Theater. Many readers will remember Richard’s flamboyant persona, her tenacity and resilience as only the second female governor of the Lone Star State. We spoke with Gangai …

NEWS ROUNDUP, Nov. 1, 2024 The best part of this season is the abundance of great music in our halls great and small. Upcoming events range from symphonic music and choral events to theatrical humor combined with dazzling operatic singing. The Mid-Texas Symphony will present Jean Sibelius’ Second Symphony that moves “from darkness to triumph, symbolically conveying Finland’s fight for …

JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Many of our readers know that the San Antonio Philharmonic hasn’t had a performing home since it was created following the demise of the former San Antonio Symphony. The First Baptist Church downtown graciously stepped in to host the majority of the concerts. But a big change is coming up. Led by executive director, Roberto Trevino, San …

“Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – The Last Encores” features Valli himself and the Four Seasons in a show at the Tobin Center. They are apparently still going strong despite advanced age. Valli’s career with the Four Seasons, and his solo career, have produced countless hit singles. Among his hits are “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Can’t …

“CREATION LAKE” by Rachel KushnerReviewed by Steven G Kellman After a federal agent bungles an undercover mission to entrap two animal rights advocates in criminal acts, a journalist asks: “What kind of person would manipulate and frame young people with utopian hopes and principles?             That person narrates Creation Lake, Rachel Kushner’s seductive fifth novel. A 34-year-old American who calls …

NEWS ROUNDUP, Oct. 17, 2024 High caliber ballet performances are not frequent events in San Antonio, so ballet lovers can look forward to the up-coming performance of Ballet San Antonio’s “Don Quixote,” this weekend.The ballet is an adapted version inspired by Miguel Cervantes’ famous 17th century tale that follows the protagonist on a heroic quest to vanquish his enemies and …

More good music coming our way! The San Antonio Chamber Music Society kicks off its new season with a concert by the 2023 Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble – VOCES8. Touring globally, this beloved vocal octet “consistently thrills audiences” with a repertoire ranging from Renaissance music to folk songs, jazz, pop and original compositions.” We can, indeed, confirm that this octet sounds …

Music, music, everywhere! Camerata San Antonio will present its second program of the new season, “Longing,” which will showcase a selection of piano trios. The beautifully curated program explores the theme of longing through works of Mel Bonis, Schubert, Weinberg and Brahms. The trio of performers includes violinist Matthew Zerweck, cellist Kenneth Freudigman and pianist Viktor Valkov. They will play …

BY PHIL HOUSEAL, Contributor A dozen miles northeast of Boerne lies a subterranean setting so beautiful, the founders couldn’t come up with a name it deserved. Welcome to the wonderful world of Cave Without A Name. Yes, that is the name it was given in a contest held shortly after its accidental discovery in 1935 by three children (more on …

As is usual in the fall, arts organization get into high gear. Let’s start with music! The San Antonio Philharmonic will perform Classics II concert, conducted by music director Jeffrey Kahane, and featuring Nicholas Namoradze on the piano. The concert begins with Sarah Kirkland Snider’s evocative “Forward into Light,” a meditation on perseverance, bravery and alliance inspired by  American women …

Reviewed by Steven G. Kellman             “Entering any bookstore is a sensory experience,” writes Evan Friss, and he shares that experience in the opening pages of The Bookshop, where he invites the reader to enter Three Lives & Company, an independent emporium in Greenwich Village. Three Lives does not sell puzzles, greeting cards, gift wrap, or coffee, and it does …

The Gudalupe Cultural Arts Center is opening its new season by celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Rio Bravo” which premiered in July 1994. This writer was the dance critic for the daily newspaper back then and remembers the beautiful show. The dance company danced to the music of Mariachi Azteca de America. Colors and rhythms and great dancers captivated the …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor What motivated you to form the SOLI Quartet, and who were the original members?SOLI was born out of a desire to make music together with friends and to commission new works from emerging composers of our time. SOLI’s unique instrumentation of clarinet, violin, cello and piano, combined brought about new colors and sounds for the composers …

The Fall season is getting lively as music groups launch their seasons. Camerata San Antonio is opening with QUARTETS, a concert of, well, quartets by Beethoven, Haydn and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, an African-American composer who wrote a great deal of music inspired by jazz. The Camerata ensemble is trying to include more women composers and black composers who were often overlooked …

By STEVEN G. KELLMAN In this town, tacos are a bargain, which is why Eddie Vega proclaims himself “The Taco Poet.” He celebrates poetry as a popular, accessible art. Inaugurated last April as San Antonio’s seventh poet laureate, he embraces the opportunity his new position provides him to be out and about spreading the gospel of his literary art. When …

Let’s start with the Visual Arts this time. One exhibit that should not be missed is “Sacred Art of Altars: One People Many Paths, currently at the San Antonio Art League and Museum. The exhibit features small, artist-made shrines. Each piece has an identical shape and size (12” wide x 14” tall niche) but each “altar” is decorated by an …

Let’s start with the Visual Arts this time. One exhibit that should not be missed is “Sacred Art of Altars: One People Many Paths, currently at the San Antonio Art League and Museum. The exhibit features small, artist-made shrines. Each piece has an identical shape and size (12” wide x 14” tall niche) but each “altar” is decorated by an …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When cellist Ken Freudigman was nine years old, his mother took him to a concert in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that featured the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. As his mother tells the story, once the virtuosic Slava started playing, her squirmy little boy became transfixed by the player and the sound of the cello, and sat …

Let’s start with the Visual Arts this time. You probably remember the horrible human trafficking tragedy that happened on June 27, 2022, when 53 migrants suffocated in a closed tractor- trailer on the south side. The driver just left them there.  In a sincere effort to honor the memory of these 53 migrants, Bexar County Commissioner, Rebeca Clay-Flores commissioned local …

Reviewed by Steven G Kellman Water is the origin of all things, according to the ancient philosopher Thales of Miletus. And water keeps the story flowing throughout Elif Shafak’s 13th novel – her 9th in English – the author’s third language, after Turkish and Spanish. There Are Rivers in the Sky is a tale of two rivers – the Tigris …

August is relatively quiet month, especially for classical/art music but there are exceptions. One chamber music group, The Olmos Ensemble, has a Summer Concert Series which started Aug. 4. The next concert on Aug. 11, will be focused on Baroque music, highlighting the works of Bach and Vivaldi. No specific works are listed. (Aug 18, 3-5 p.m., Shepherd King Lutheran …

By Jasmina Wellinghoff, Editor San Antonio is often listed as one of the top travel destinations in the U.S., and even in the world. In fact, tourism and conventions have become the city’s second largest industry, attracting millions of visitors and contributing $3 billion annually to the city’s economy. One big attraction is the city’s historic heritage that is still …

Flutists from across the U.S. and the world have gathered in San Antonio for the National Flute Association’s 52nd Annual Convention. The flutists will bring hundreds of flute recitals, workshops, masterclasses and more to downtown San Antonio Aug. 1-4. The big event is Gala di Concerti on Saturday night, an All-flute-Concerto concert, which will be performed with the San Antonio …

 By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Tell us about the genesis of this book?I started writing the poems for this book right after I published my first collection, “If I Go Missing,”back in 2014. I thought this book would be a sort of sequel to the first, but it turned out it wasn’t.In “The Book of Wounded Sparrows,” I wrote everything I …

Mid-summer is a pretty quiet time in the performing arts. But there’s still some live music in town. And there’s a film festival. Let’s start with the music! Record-setting, 10-times CMA Musician of the Year, Mac McAnally, is a renowned songwriter, singer and instrumentalist who has written dozens of hits for other artists, several of which peaked at #1. His …

Prominent arts organization, URBAN-15 is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of Antonio’s community events commemorating the arts and history of the dynamic non-profit led by two San outstanding artists – George and Catherine Cisneros. The organization first attracted attention of the broader public with its Carnaval de San Anto, which performed in parades and city events.  It has …

Reviewed by Steven G. Kellman With the publication of his plangent first novel, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears (2007), Dinaw Mengestu became the most prominent author of the Ethiopian diaspora. The story of an amiable immigrant who attempts to remake his life running a grocery store in Washington, D.C., it is redolent of the desolation of dislocation.             Unlike …

Summer is the time for festivals, and, in fact, we have a couple of festivals going on at present. The Cactus Pear Music Festival, named this season “Spur of the Moment” is in full swing. The name is both a nod to the San Antonio Spurs and a reference to performing live music, which always includes a component of spontaneity …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor You are involved with so many projects, including other chamber music festivals. Why did you agree to lead this one in San Antonio? It’s a fair question! The founder of Cactus Pear, Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, is a good friend of mine, and I helped with the starting of Cactus Pear back in the day. This is our …

Now that the 4th of July festivities are mostly behind us, let’s take a look at the arts scene for this weekend and beyond. “Melodies in Motion” is a flute, clarinet and piano recital, featuringGregory Obregon (flute); Stephen Moore (clarinet) and Wayne Ching (piano). The concert promises to be Now a “summer celebration of solos and sonatas for those three …

The San Antonio Philharmonic will start the day with a special concert to celebrate the 248th anniversary of American independence. It will take place at 1314 Guadalupe Street, where the orchestra’s offices are located, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. No word about what they will be playing but patriotic music would be a logical choice. Listeners are invited to …

San Antonio has its fair share of music festivals but the one coming up in October is different.Called RISE MUSIC FESTIVAL and sponsored by the RISE Movement, this fest combines good music with a Christian message. The fest is guided by artistic director, Jarrell Flowers who says his parents have always been “followers of Jesus.” He grew up in that …

San Antonio has numerous outdoor art installations and now there’s one more; actually two, strictly speaking, but the two are connected. El Papaloto and El Trompo were just installed the other day at the intersection of Frio and Commerce streets downtown. The Department of Arts and Culture described them as “monumental emblems of childhood play.” The kite (Papalote) features a …

By Steven G. Kellman “It’s not a good time for Hebrew.” The final words of the title novella in The Hebrew Teacher echo its opening line: “It wasn’t a very good time for Hebrew.” Ilana, an Israeli who has been teaching Hebrew at a midwestern American university for almost forty-five years, faces dwindling enrollments and the fact that the Zionist …

Did you know that June 21 is the Make Music Day, here, in San Antonio, and apparently world-wide.The day is dedicated to the celebration of music on the summer solstice “that’s performed by everyone and enjoyed by everyone.” The city of San Antonio Arts and Culture Department brought it to our city.Apparently, it all started in France with “La Fete …

by JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Steven Kellman joined the faculty of the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1976. He is currently a professor of comparative literature there, specializing in fiction and criticism. In 2023, he was named Jack & Laura Richmond Endowed Faculty Fellow in American literature. He was also a Fullbright Senior Lecturer at Tbilisi State University in …

The CMI-OSA Festival continues through this weekend. The concert, Anna and her Sisters, which features guest artists and artist faculty, will be performed Friday, June 14 @7:30 p.m. This festival has both a performing and teaching component, hence the references to “teaching artists” and “guest artists” and “artist faculty.” The three groups are the most experienced musicians. (June 14 at …

Music is alive and well in San Antonio right now, thanks in part to the Classical Music Institute’s CMI 210 Festival that’s co-sponsored by Opera San Antonio. A plurality of events is taking place all over the city. This fest is different from many traditionally presented festivals because it combines educational activities for music students, ages 8-18, with public performances.  …

Fortunately, there’s one more pair of concerts to look forward to before the San Antonio Philharmonic closes shop for the summer. The orchestra’s Classics 10 concert will be conducted by Colombian conductor, Lina Gonzalez-Granados, and will feature violinist Randall Goosby as the soloist. The program opens with: “Jeder Baum spricht” (“Every Tree speaks”) by Iranian-Canadian composer Iman Habibi, followed by …

by JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Jennifer Seighman remembers always being around choirs and choral music in school or in church throughout her growing up years. “So, I kept going at it since elementary school,” she said recently during an interview. “I think there’s something unique about your voice, and the singing becomes exceptionally powerful when many voices join together to create …

As summer is approaching, the classical music-performing groups wind down their seasons. No Philharmonic concerts, few chamber music ones. Most musicians leave town to take part in summer festivals around the U.S. and beyond. But music will not disappear. In fact, there are multiple choices. Let’s begin with Proyecto Pax Music Showcase and Preview Film Screening featuring local Xicano Musicians. …

Reviewed By Steven G. Kellman Vladimir Nabokov was not fond of biographers. He called them “psychoplagiarists” and even sued, unsuccessfully, to prevent one from publishing a book about him. There are now several biographies of Nabokov, including Brian Boyd’s two-volume cradle-to-grave account, in addition to Véra, Stacy Schiff’s Pulitzer Prize-winning study of the author’s wife. But biographers are handicapped by …

NEWS ROUNDUP, May 16, 2024 The Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival in San Antonio is the first and longest-running Conjunto Festival in the nation, and is internationally recognized as the most influential event for this popular South Texas musical tradition. You can experience the fun, the music and dance during the next three days of festivities in Rosedale Park. You’ll have …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor We are writing this on a stormy, rainy day, but in just a couple of days, there will be lots of musical sunshine in town, when the Tejano Conjunto Festival returns to San Antonio, starting Wednesday. The San Antonio-based fest, is the oldest such festival in the US and has become a model for other similar …

The San Antonio Philharmonic will present a pair of great concerts this weekend, featuring the music of Johannes Brahms and Antonin Dvorak. On the program are three works by Brahms- “Tragic Overture,”“Nanie” and “Song of Destiny.” Dvorak’s eloquent Cello Concerto will conclude the evening. The concerts will be conducted by Canadian conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni and will feature cellist Sterling Elliot.Following …

by JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When and why did you come to San Antonio?My very first show in San Antonio was “The Barber of Seville” in the spring of 2018. In the early years, our founder, Mel Weingart, was looking to establish a relationship with one or more well-known opera companies to help him produce opera in San Antonio. One of …

Camerata San Antonio is closing its season with a “tour de force” duo recital featuring violinist Matthew Zerveck and pianist Viktor Valkov. Program: Cui: Violin Sonata, Op.84; Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6, Op.30, No.1; and Shostakovich’s Violin Sonata, Op.134. Both are distinguished musicians. Valkov is the winner of the 2012 New Orleans International Piano Competition, and appears frequently as a …

There are many interesting art exhibitions around San Antonio, but the annual juried exhibit at the San Antonio Art League and Museum is unique in a number of ways. First, it’s an entirely Texas-based art show. Each year, Texas artists are invited to submit work for the show and a juror is hired to select the winners who receive monetary …

Guiseppe Verdi is one of the best-known composers of all time, and certainly the most prolific and admired opera composer. So, it was nice to hear that the UTSA Lyric Theatre will be presenting the VERDI PROJECT, as the final production of its 2023-24 season. The show is a new collaboration effort between the school’s theatre, orchestra and choral groups, …

The gallery is in Blanco and the artist is from France but, somehow, they connected and the result is a new exhibit, “Kaleidoscope of Recent Works” that just opened at the Echo Gallery, which specializes in mid-century antiques, but intends to have more art exhibits, as well. The press release says that artist, Denise Canat, was born in Gaudaloupe, French …

The San Antonio Philharmonic will be presenting its Classics 8 concert, featuring Vadim Gluzman as both director and violinist. Gluzman is internationally recognized as one of the best performing artists of today. The concert will open with Russian composer Alfred Schnittke’s multi-movement work in the style of Baroque music. Other works are Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 – known as the …

Lots of good music coming up! Opera San Antonio is presenting the super popular operetta, The Pirates of Penzance, “a swashbuckling tale of Frederick, a young man who’s reached the end of his pirate apprenticeship. When he falls in love with Mabel, his former shipmates throw a wrench into his plans, setting off a series of hilarious events pitting Frederick …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor How do you define the Chanticleer Ensemble?Chanticleer is one of only two full-time, professional vocal ensembles in the United States. We were founded by a San Antonio native, Louis Botto, in 1978. We started as an early music ensemble, singing music from the Renaissance with countertenor, tenor, baritone and bass voices. However, the ensemble quickly expanded …

Professor of piano at Trinity University, Soloist and member of the SOLI Chamber Music Ensemble By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Tell us about your early history with the piano.I began my studies with my mom, Marilyn, when I was around 5. She and my dad, Wesley, were in one of the first classes of doctoral piano performance majors at the University …

The First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio has a musical gift for San Antonians: Haydn’s “Creation”Oratorio performed by the Sanctuary Choir, Orchestra and soloists. It’s the epic musical oratorio retelling of the Genesis creation story by the great composer. (April 5 at 7 p.m.; First Presbyterian Church, 404 North Alamo St., 78205; 210-271-2730, www.fpcsanantonio.org; free) Another grand choir – The …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Gilbert and Sullivan’s popular operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance,” has been around for more that 100 years, but it continues to be produced in English-speaking countries on a more or less regular basis.So, it isn’t exactly a surprise that Opera San Antonio – OSA – has put this tried-and-true show on its Spring 2024 schedule. The …

Easter Eggs-travaganza Celebration will take place downtown at the base of the Tower of the Americas in Hemisfair Park. Children will meet the Easter Bunny and Tori, the Tower. Activities include egg-dyeing, face-painting, a petting zoo and live music, food and more. The Egg Hunts start at 12, noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (Sunday, March 31, 11 a.m.- 5 …

We’ll start by introducing you to the Annual San Antonio Folklife and Dance Festival presented by Heritage Festivals of San Antonio. This is the event that’s taken the place of the former Texas Folklife Festival organized by the Institute of Texan Cultures around the iconic building in Hemisfair Park. “If you miss the Texas Folklife Festival, which delighted visitors for …

By PHIL HOUSEAL, Contributing Writer As I settled into my seat, I automatically, noted the subtle cues of an impending musical experience: the murmurs of seatmates, the scraping of chairs, the shuffling of music stands upfront, the clearing of throats and the tuning of reeds and strings. It all sounded familiar and comforting. Then all sound ceased as the conductor …

Let’s start with theater this week. Companies are getting more active and the range of stage offerings is exciting.The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Arts/Teatro Salon will present “La Carpa de Frontera,” written and performed by CARPA San Diego, a touring Mexicano vaudeville show from San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. Now marking its tenth anniversary, the show will include San Antonio …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Ten years! Let’s start with that!It’s gone very quickly, very quickly! I came to San Antonio in 2013 and we had only a year-and-a half at that point to get the building built and the business built. There was nothing. So, we worked on it and  got it done. We opened in September 2014. What’s happened …

v NEWS ROUNDUP, 3/7/2024 Big news from UTSA: The Southwest Guitar Symposium, San Antonio’s Classical Guitar Festival, returns to UTSA this month. It’s a three-day event that showcases the versatility of the classical guitar and allows musicians, guitar makers and music lovers to network. The event includes performances and masterclasses led by internationally respected guitar players as well as solo …

NEWS ROUNDUP, 2/29/2024 March is Contemporary Art Month in San Antonio. It provides a month-long platform for the artists and March galleries in the city to share the best they have to offer. The annual CAM Kick-off will take place at the Contemporary at Blue Star in the Blue Star Complex, Friday March 1. For the occasion, the Contemporary will …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF Editor Let’s start with work related issues. A few months ago, the Public Theater sent an SOS email to its patrons and to the community, asking for immediate help because it was in danger of having to close for good. How did you recover from that crisis?We just jumped in head first. We knew we had to …

Let’s begin with ballet news! San Antonio has only one professional ballet company, and this company has only a couple of productions a year. Premiering this weekend is a brand-new production, inspired by Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream.”  The company sent emails saying “Hey San Antonio!Demetrius, Oberon, Puck, and others can’t wait to meet you!” The production was choreographed by …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Most San Antonians know that our city has the San Antonio Philharmonic, the successor orchestra to the San Antonio Symphony, which closed several years ago. But we also have another symphony orchestra – The South Texas Symphonic Orchestra, or STXSO for short. And there’s no better time to introduce it to you than this week. The …

This weekend you have the opportunity to enjoy a very special treat. The Austin Baroque Orchestra is back in action after several years. The period-instrument ensemble focuses on the Iberian world: Latin America. Spain and Portugal; also, France and Italy. They have done a lot of research about music predating the 1755 devastating earthquake that practically destroyed Portugal’s capital of …

By Jasmina Wellinghoff, Editor After several years, we decided to revisit Ruby City, the red museum that Linda Pace built. Some of our readers will remember that Pace – an artist and art collector – hired a prominent British architect, David Adjaye, to design the unusual building – all sharp lines and angles – on Camp Street, near the San …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor EKPHRASTIC POETRY CONTEST is PART of the 2024 POETRY MONTH By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Poet and artist Linda Simone has been writing poems since she was in 4th grade, and at some point, she got interested in composing ekphrastic poems. Today she’s one of the coordinators of the Ekphrastic Poetry Contest, which is part of National …

Let’s see what’s going on our stages! The always popular Magik Theater whose programming is oriented toward young audiences, is opening a new show with an amusing title: “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.” It’s a musical based on Mo Willems’ bestselling books. When the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers late, the wily …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Piano music lovers – and they are legions – must have felt like they were in heaven the past couple of weeks while the Gurwitz International Piano Competition took over several music venues in town. Presented by the non-profit Musical Bridges Around the World, the competition attracted 76 young pianists from around the world, of which …

The San Antonio Philharmonic is playing at the Majestic Theater this weekend while the “Harty Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” film plays on the screen. You are invited to “watch the wand choose the wizard, a troll run amok, and magic mirrors in high-definition, while a live orchestra performs John Willaims’ famous score. The score is the best part of …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Many kids and adults know the story of BABAR, The Little Elephant, but the Heart of Texas Concert Band, will present its version Sunday, performed by a narrator and an 80-member band. Still not well known in San Antonio, the HTxCB was founded in 2009 by conductor Mark Rogers and his wife Sudie and has since …

The GURWITZ International Piano Competition is back for another round of piano fireworks, events and festivities.  Seventy-six young pianists from around the world applied, and 12 were chosen to take part in the 2024 Gurwitz IPC, organized by the local music organization, Musical Bridges Around the World. The goal of the competition is to discover the next generation of top …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor How do you define yourself as an artist? What is your medium and what are your interests?I am an artist who likes to engage the community with public art. I have had several solo exhibitions in museums and my work is also in private art collections, but I most like to engage the public by creating …

The San Antonio Philharmonic is back in action! It will continue its season this weekend with a program featuring the music of Gustav Mahler and Heitor Villa-Lobos. The orchestra will be conducted by Brazilian conductor Marcelo Lehninger and feature GRAMMY-nominated soprano Laura Strickling who will join the orchestra in Villa-Lobos’ “Bachianas Brazileiras No. 5. That should be a roof-raising experience! …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Please define the role and goals of the San Antonio Conservation Society.The purpose for which the San Antonio Conservation Society was formed was to preserve and to encourage the preservation of historic buildings, objects, places and customs relating to the history of Texas, its natural beauty and all that is distinctive to our state. And, to …

Aren’t you glad the holidays are over and we can return to normal life? So, let’s see what’s happening in the arts in the coming days. Music from St. Mark’s will present Arts Lyrica Houston this coming Sunday. The ensemble’s program is titled “Fugal Games” featuring Baroque works by G.P. Telemann, and excerpts from Bach’s “Art of the Fugue,” as …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When we interviewed actor/director and all-round thespian, Jimmy Moore, back in 2021, he said he couldn’t be happier to be back in San Antonio after years of pursuing theater opportunities elsewhere.He was thrilled to be invited to helm the Classic Theater of San Antonio as its new artistic director.“I Have been wanting to get back to …

Here we are, in the new year! The arts scene is still a bit slow as everyone is recovering from the“holiday-ing.” But there are events to look forward to. If you are missing symphonic music, you only have to drive to Kerrville to enjoy “Pops and Popcorn: A Night at the Movies,” a concert of film music performed by the …

Signed: ARTS ALIVE SAN ANTONIO You can always contact AASA by emailing to editor@artsalivesa.com

This will be another early NEWS ROUNDUP as we focus on the holidays and family-oriented celebrations. There are a few musical events to enjoy, such as the annual Doc Watkins: Charlie Brown Christmas at the Tobin Center. Watkins is a jazz master both as pianist and singer, who created and co-hosts the weekly radio program “Live at Jazz, TX” which …

Music and celebration are in the air. We want to start with a sacred music concert that will be performed in a beautiful sacred space: the Chapel of the Incarnate Word. Though the name of the place makes you think of a picturesque and intimate little church, this Chapel is a glorious sanctuary with great acoustics that will help the …

Musical Bridges Around the World – MBAW – is offering a concert actually titled “Holiday Gifts,” featuring Belgian husband-and-wife musicians, Nikolaas Kende, piano,and Jolente de Maeyer, violin. They will be joined by American star tenor, Eric Taylor.  Kende and De Maeyer “have a wealth of international awards under their belt,” says the press release, and have performed throughout Europe and …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor What is GAGA, you may ask. It’s an art organization focusing pm women artists from S. Texas, which helps its members through exhibitions, promotion and education. The acronym stands for Gentileschi Aegis Gallery Association, a name inspired by the first well-known female artist back in the 17th century. That lady’s name was Artemisia Gentileschi. She was …

This week we start with an early NEWS ROUNDUP. Here goes! The 29th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza begins this coming Thursday. The popular week-long festival will include three national competitions, a concert, a Serenata en el Rio, and dozens of performances. More than a thousand young mariachi musicians will be in San Antonio for the event. According to the press release, …

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NEWS ROUNDUP, November 16, 203 Let’s start with “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the powerful musical that composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist, Tum Rice created back in 1971. It was a huge success, as were all of Lloyd Webber’s musicals. Difficult to believe in retrospect, is that the creative pair had a hard time finding a producer willing to produce it. …

BY PHIL HOUSEAL, Contributor Art sequestered is not art appreciated. That realization led a team of Schreiner University staff members to create a special art and artifact exhibit “100 Years of Schreiner University Treasures,” now running from November 4 to December 16, 2023, at the Museum of Western Art (MOWA) in Kerrville. The seeds for this unique collaboration between university …

NEWS ROUNDUP, Nov. 19, 2023 A big event for the San Antonio thespian community is taking place this Sunday: The 32nd ATAC Globe Awards. ATAC stands for Alamo Theater Arts Council, which was founded in 1990 as a nonprofit, all volunteer organization, to produce the award show, which recognizes and celebrates the work of San Antonio’s theater artists and stimulates …

INTERVIEW EXPRESS BYRD BONNER, Lawyer, Actor and President of the Alamo Theater Arts Council*                                           By JASMINA WELLIGHOFF, Editor. How does it feel to be celebrating the 32nd ATAC GLOBE AWARDS?I am thrilled that we are now celebrating 32 years. In the wake of the pandemic, and now, in post-pandemic time, we have fewer theater companies in San Antonio; the …

You have all heard about the spectacular acrobatic show called Cirque du Soleil, right? Here’s the good news: it’s come back to San Antonio. This version is called Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR, and it will be here until Dec. 3. According to the press kit, “the troupe bands together to invent a whimsical one-of-a-kind universe.” Music, dancers, acrobats, jugglers, trapeze …

This is the season of music. There are concerts for every taste and preference. Musical Bridges Around the World (MBAW) is bringing to town a lively and highly praised group that promotes itself as a “Klezmer rock band.” It will present ”Mostly Kosher,” at the San Fernando Cathedral on Sunday. Based in Los Angeles, the band reconstructs Judaic and American …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor After teaching art, design, photography and watercolor painting at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi After for more than 30 years, Babra Riley decided to retire, relocate and follow her own muse. Working from a studio in the Hill Country, Riley focuses on digital media, alternative processes and mixed media.  Her photographs and paintings have been included in …

Performing artists/groups include The Magik Theatre, URBAN-15, Ballet Folklorico Sol de San Antonio, and musicians such as Los Texmaniacs featuring Flaco Jimenez, Mariachi Las Coronelas, Buttercup, and Patricia Vonne & The Infidels. Where to park? There is a parking garage at Hemisfair, but it may fill quickly. (Oct. 21, 6 p.m. to midnight; free access) Now let’s look at everything …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Back in 1901 a lady named Anna Hertzberg, who was a graduate of the New York Conservatory of Music, found herself in San Antonio, then a frontier town with hardly any arts and cultural institutions. So, in the best American tradition, she decided to do something about it. She found a few kindred souls – all …

It looks like everyone is super excited about the annular solar eclipse coming our way Saturday. And we will tell you about a few places where to watch it. But first – arts news! Professional dance is not very strong in San Antonio but, thanks to sheer coincidence, there are several strong shows to choose from this weekend. Ballet San …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor A good number of classical fairy tales have inspired ballet choreographers to create stage versions of the beloved, old stories, including the tales of Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Following that tradition, American Choreographer Bruce Wells created a number of ballets inspired by fairy tales, including a ballet inspired by the story of “Beauty and …

Let’s start with the opera! There are so few opera productions in San Antonio, that the few that we have are precious. Opera San Antonio (OSA) has produced a new version of the old opera “Hansel and Gretel” composed in 1892 by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck. As the title implies, it was based on the even older and familiar fairy …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The old fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel will come alive on stage as never before, in a production of Opera San Antonio that will also include all the other Tobin Center’s resident companies.  OSA artistic director, E. Loren Meeker, is the stage director of the massive show. “We are constantly looking for new ways to …

Let’s start with some good news from the Public Theater. Just a few weeks ago they sent an alarming announcement about the lack of funds and appealed to the public to make contributions to save the company. They also cancelled the rest of the fall season. Clearly, the situation has improved and the company- which has joined forces with the …

By BERIT MASON A long line of concertgoers stood outside of The ESPEE entertainment complex on a sultry September night recently – exactly what the new owners hoped to see. Wearing gold chains and outfits straight out of the 1990s, they were there to see “I love the 90s” concert at San Antonio’s newest outdoor entertainment venue. Director of Marketing …

Again, lots of good music coming our way this weekend and beyond. Let’s begin with a special concert at UTSA: RAPSODIA MEXICANA: A Celebration of Mexican Music and the Confluence of South Texan Cultures. The press release says that this upcoming performance on September 27 “looks to be one of the most unique in (the music) program’s history. For the …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Some familiar faces will return to San Antonio during the 2023-24 season but there will be several San Antonio premieres as well. What the music audiences will be hearing includes classical piano, klezmer, rock, operatic singing, folkloric traditions of Hungarian Gypsies, and more. So how do they put the season together we asked Suhail Arastu, Advancement …

Misic, music, everywhere! To celebrate Diez y Seis de Septiembre, The San Antonio Philharmonic will present a special concert featuring several artists from other art disciplines. Legendary flamenco dancer, Teresa Champion, will perform with her daughters, Elsa Champion and Annette Champion Flores, and actor Jesse Borrego will act as emcee of the event. The concert will take place at Lanier …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When young Corina Davis saw the touring production of “Cats” at the Majestic Theater years ago, she immediately knew what her career should be. “The minute they started, I knew that I wanted to be one of those people on stage,” said the now very grown-up Davis. “It was immediate: that’s what I need to be …

As usual, by mid-September, the summer lull is definitely gone. So much is going on with more coming up! Let’s start with the World Heritage Festival, established to honor and celebrate our unique and beautiful Spanish Missions, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The festival overlaps with the Organization of World Heritage Cities Solidarity Day that occurs annually on Sept. 8. …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Al Rendon may not have become a photographer if it wasn’t for his mom who liked to take pictures of family gatherings and special occasions. “She was always taking pictures,” he recalled a few days ago as we sat in an office at the Witte Museum to talk about his retrospective exhibit which was just being …

Classical/art music will soon fill the performance halls, starting with this weekend.Two chamber ensembles – Camerata San Antonio and AGARITA are opening their respective seasons, both with promising programming and great performers. Camerata is launching its fall season with “19th Century Echoes,” which centers on the musically rich period between World War I and World War II. The three- concert …

BY PHIL HOUSEAL, Contributing Writer One Wednesday every month, “Pearl” and I have a date where we program robots, design circuits, study bugs, and build structures. Pearl is my 8-year-old granddaughter, and our One dates are to the Science Mill in Johnson City for Home School Days. Pearl’s fascination began when she was 5, and I took her to experience …

As the end of the summer is approaching, the arts scene is getting livelier. So, let’s get right into it. SAY SI, the arts education program for middle and high school youth, will have its annual fundraising auction event: Small Scale – Big Impact. The auction features a wide range of art works by both well-established artists and the rising …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Freed from pandemic considerations and restrictions, The Carver Community Cultural Center has just announced a high-caliber season, sizzling with music, dance and talent to energize and delight San Antonians. From jazz and African dancing to soul, gospel, R&B and rock, plus charismatic vocalists and multiple-award winning instrumentalists, it’s a season-long festival of famed artists and entertainers. …

First, we want to let you know about an initiative of the Public Theater of San Antonio, aimed to help the company survive and continue producing great plays and musicals. The email we received was titled “SAVE THE PLAYHOUSE CAMPAIGN,” and we assume that some of our readers received it too. The fundraising effort hopes to bring in $500,000 “to …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When I walked into the Bihl Haus Arts gallery, recently, I found myself surrounded by a hundred-plus small-scale paintings, depicting a huge range of themes. “Every one of them has a story,” remarked Mycah Lee Arellano, the current executive director of Bihl Haus, who took the helm of the institution about eight months ago. I was …

The festival season seems to be over while the regular fall season has not yet started, but there’s still lots going on. In fact, a mini fest of art (classical) music is coming up, thanks to the Olmos Ensemble, which is ready todeliver its Summer Concert Series, consisting of three Sunday concerts. These will feature the ensemble plus guest artists, …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Lucia LaVilla-Havelin has been a working artist for more than 50 years, using the traditional techniques of “women’s work” to create original art that addresses contemporary subject matters. Her work has been exhibited in dozens of exhibits in Texas and the U.S. On Aug. 12, her first solo museum exhibition will open at the Brownsville Museum …

Fans of the talented Stephen Sondheim, who has made a huge impact on the American theater scene with such musicals as “Into the Woods,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “A Little Night Music,” will be pleased to hear about the new show at  The Public Theater of San Antonio – Sondheim’s musical titled “Merrily …

by Jasmina Wellinghoff, Editor Founded as an ensemble in 2018, the AGARITA Chamber Players has become an active and very visible chamber music group, popping up in concert halls, in the parks and other public spaces, and in schools around the city. Their 2023-24 season promises more of that, plus appearances by illustrious guest artists, and concert themes that include …

Summer is a time for festivals and there two coming up. The fun and lively, Balcones Heights Jazz Fest returns to the Wonderland of the Americas Mall’s outdoor amphitheater this Friday, for one night only. It’s the 30th anniversary for the popular fest, organized by the City of Balcones Heights, which is also marking a milestone – the 75th anniversary …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor We have come to know the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts as an arts-presenting organization but are some new developments over there that have the San Antonio theater community excited and there curious. Long time theater artist and currently director of Resident Company and Community Engagement at the Tobin, Rick Frederick, has new ideas about …

We have to start with theater news again because there are new significant developments in the San Antonio thespian world. The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, which is known primarily as a presenter of a wide variety of visiting shows, has made the decision to start producing its own stage productions. That’s potentially a game changer. They call the …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor San Antonio’s premier chamber music group, Camerata San Antonio, has announced its 2023-24 season which will start on Sept. 1, just when everyone is refocusing on city life after summer travels and school vacations.  As usual, each program will be performed at three different locations to give people living throughout San Antonio and the surrounding area …

Let’s start with the new kid-on-the-block, Teatro Audaz. It’s not brand new but still largely unknown among theatergoers. Its mission is to “explore the varied experiences and cultures of Latinx people through producing and showcasing the creative talents of our artists.” The company is currently presenting an original play by Hilary Bettis, titled The Ghosts of Lote Bravo.  Readers may …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor By definition, film festivals present the new cinematic works but the 44th CineFestival will start with an old movie, 30 years old, to be exact. The film is “Blood in, Blood Out,” from 1993, a seminal work of the Chicano film cannon, directed by Taylor Hackford. The story was based on actual life experiences of the …

Summers and arts Festivals go together, and San Antonio has its fair share of them. In fact, we mentioned a couple of music festivals last week. But we also have two film festivals and one of them is opening in a few days. The 44th Cinefestival San Antonio, which is dedicated to Latinx films, will be presenting 114 films, including …

As we noted before, the symphonic orchestra and various chamber groups have all closed shop for the summer, but there will be lots of good music in the upcoming weeks thanks to two music festivals this month: The Cactus Pear Music Festival of chamber music, that’s been going on for years, and a brand- new series of concerts presented by …

By Arts Alive San Antonio Team “We are excited to name Roberto Trevino as our first executive director,” said the orchestra’s board chair – and player – Brian Petkovich. “His passion, dedication and wealth of knowledge about the arts, the orchestra and the city, make him the right person to build on our success.” The San Antonio Philharmonic is not …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor San Antonio music lovers probably know Daniel Anastasio as the pianist and artistic director of the chamber music quartet Agarita, which recently turned the galleries of the San Antonio Museum of art San into temporary concert halls, playing music of different periods and styles. But he is involved in other musical pursuits, including an upcoming festival …

Summer means a quieter time for many arts organizations, but there’s still plenty to explore and enjoy. So, let’s start with visual arts.  Many San Antonians are not even aware of the Ruby City Museum that features works from the vast Linda Pace Foundation. Pace was also the founder of Artpace, a space that’s more familiar to locals since it’s …

By BERIT MASON, Contributing Writer 517 Stieren St. is the address of a charming and modest house south of downtown San Antonio, tucked inside of an old and gentrifying neighborhood. Right off of S. St. Mary’s, the white, one-story frame dwelling is nicely shaded, decorated with flowering plants and strings of lights. But in 1995, this simple home was transformed …

NEWS ROUNDUP, June 15, 2023 Juneteenth celebrates June 19th 1865, the day that Texas slaves learned about the Emancipation Proclamation that freed all enslaved people. A number of commemorative events in honor of that historic event will take place in San Antonio in the next few days, including both solemn and fun happenings. Since we are an arts publication, we’ll …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor First, could you explain the “Chispas” in your name?The reason I came up with the name “Chispas” – and my studio is named Ay Chispas – is related to what was happening at the time when I was starting as an artist. My friends would come to my studio to hang out and drink beer but …

The San Antonio Philharmonic may have wrapped up its season but others have stepped in to provide classical & art music, even sooner than we expected. In fact, The Classical Music Institute (CMI) will be presenting a festival – CMI 210 Festival – this summer, starting with a concert this weekend. On the program are works by Galina Grigorieva, Peteris …

By PHIL HOUSEAL, Contributing Writer When music fans attend “Lomax on Lomax” at the Kerrville Folk Festival on June 7, they will learn the secrets of a 500-year-old musical mystery–the real story of Froggy Went A Courtin’. That is more propitious than it might sound. Because presenter John Lomax III is carrying on the musical legacy of the Lomax family …

NEWS ROUNDUP, June 1, 2023 As is traditional, the end of spring also brings the end of the live concert season for most music organizations, including, of course, the San Antonio Philharmonic. The summer is not exactly a musical desert, however, with the Cactus Pear Chamber Music Fest coming up in July, and possibly another Mozart Festival later in the …

A SHORT HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY – and Poems We all know that on Veterans Day we remember and honor those who died while serving in the U.S.  Armed forces. But do we know how the tradition started?  Quick! What’s the correct answer? Here’s a hint: The first Memorial Day was observed in 1868. Now you know, right? It was …

As summer approaches, performing arts organizations are wrapping up their 2022-23 seasons, and so is the San Antonio Philharmonic. For the final concert of its inaugural season, the orchestra has something special for music lovers, promising to end “with a bang.” And for this special occasion, SA Phil has brought to town conductor Akiko Fujimoto who once served as associate …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Traditional artists painted landscapes, still-lives, religious themes and portraits of mythological and real heroes.  San Antonio contemporary painter, Mary Helwick paints heroes, too, but her heroes are working men who work in essential but risky jobs like construction. As a construction manager for the City of San Antonio, Helwick knows and interacts with these men, and …

By PHIL HOUSEAL, Contributing Writer When Chad Matthews, then a Los Angeles-based actor, writer, and producer, decided to start an independent film festival back in 2010, why did he choose Fredericksburg, a tiny Texas town far from the hills of Hollywood? “Fredericksburg is kind of like my second home,” he said in an interview at the time. “As I was …

The big event this weekend is the Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival, the oldest and longest-running conjunto fest in the country.  Organized by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, this year’s event “Is shaping up to be an incredible Tejano Conjunto Festival a great line-up and more enthusiasm than ever from conjunto fans,” according the GCAC executive director, Cristina Balli. Most of …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Not long ago, many music lovers feared that San Antonio would be left without a symphonic orchestra after the dissolution of the former San Antonio Symphony. But that did not happen. The musicians of the defunct Symphony didn’t let it happen. They marshaled their talents as both musicians and organizers, and re-created a symphonic orchestra, which …

The San Antonio Philharmonic will present a great concert this weekend! One of the classical repertoire’s most famous and admired symphonies – Beethoven’s Symphony No.3, “Eroica” will be the centerpiece, conducted by Noam Aviel, the former San Antonio Symphony associate conductor. Since leaving San Antonio, Aviel has gained recognition on the international scene with engagements in Iceland, Israel, and with …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The moment you step into Susan Toomey Frost’s house, you notice colorful tile pieces, from practical tables to two-dimensional sculptures and exquisite smaller artwork on the shelves. This lady loves tiles, and she’s been collecting them for a few decades. “I think it’s been part of my life-long interest in old things,” she explains as she …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Shakespeare wrote “Measure by Measure” in 1604 but the Classic Theater of San Antonio is bringing the story into the 21st century. “Measure for Measure” has always been a favorite play of mine,” said Artistic Executive director Jimmy Moore, “and I chose it for this time of the season because I felt it was a really …

NEWS ROUNDUP, May 4, 2023 Lots of good music coming up! Musical Bridges Around the World (MBAW) is closing its season with a very promising concert, Expedition, featuring two Russian artists, cellist Boris Andrianov and classical guitarist Dimitri Illarianov. The two will combine classical music with folk tunes in a program that will include music by Albeniz, Vivaldi, Piazzolla and …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor How does it feel to be the winner of SAALM’s 2023 Juried Exhibition?It was wonderful. I was really surprised. I remember telling my husband that it was nice to be included in the show. Usually, the museum will send you an invitation to the opening if you are one of the winners but I had not …

Fiesta is not an art-event but there are art components – music, dance and a few exhibits. So, let’s get to that. Here’s what’s coming up:Annual Fiesta Exhibit: A World of Inspiration, at the Witte Museum. It’s a show of Order of the Alamo Fiesta Gowns from the museum’s collection, plus some gowns that are temporarily loaned to the Witte. …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor You may remember the lively press coverage from last year about a woman who bought a sculpture at a Goodwill store in Austin only to find out subsequently that her find was a sculpture  that dates back to Roman time. The lucky shopper and art collector, Laura Young, found the bust under a table in the …

Although Fiesta is about to take over the city, this is still National Poetry Month and time to attend a few poetry readings. San Antonio happens to have a significant number of good poets, and – unlike what you might have heard – a great deal of contemporary poetry is not at all intimidating. Just go enjoy it. A good …

This is a story about Carol Coffee Reposa our editor, Jasmina Wellinghoff, wrote in 2016. We are reprinting it to honor Carol, one of San Antonio’s and Texas’ most talented poets and prominent member of the San Antonio literary community, who died last week.                                                                                    Published in San Antonio Woman magazine March 2016 A MUSICAL AND RESPLENDENT VOICE By JASMINA …

Let’s start with literary news. April is not only National Poetry Month but in San Antonio it is also Book Festival month. But, while NPM lasts a month with events taking place all across the city, the San Antonio Book Festival is packed into a single day. The festivities take over the Central Library premises and the former Southwest School …

Life in the Time of COVID-19, Part 9 June 15, 2020Poetry We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring to you a poem by Carol Coffee Reposa, the 2018 Texas Poet Laureate and one of our favorite poets. And we are pairing it with the painting, “Mountain Monastery in Montenegro” by our editor Jasmina Wellinghoff. We also want to …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The San Antonio Arts League and Museum has been an art force in San Antonio for some 100 years, longer than any other local visual arts institution in the city. So, it’s not surprising that its 2023 Annual Juried Artists Exhibition is the 93rd such show presented by the organization. Artists from all over Texas submitted …

Though Easter is the most significant Christian holiday, there are few arts events to honor and celebrate it. One we found is the concert by the Sonoro Ensemble, a 24-voice mixed group drawn from the members of the San Antonio Choral Society. Conducted by music director and organist, Jennifer Seighman, the choir will perform the rarely performed “St. John Passion” …

Let’s start with theater news! Several openings are scheduled on San Antonio stages in the next few days. The Public Theater of San Antonio is opening “The Pajama Game,” a musical created a while back, in 1954. The original creative team included directors Jerome Robbins and George Abbott – who was also one of the writers – and choreographer Bob …

By STEPHANIE SCHWARTZ, contributor Esmeralda Hernandez tells the story of how four generations of women pass on dreams and knowledge. Her film, “Dream Carriers,” is set on the West Side, where Hernandez spent much of her youth. “It’s a short love letter and poem style film, dedicated to San Antonio,” she says. Hernandez ties her story of change and transition …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor As we told you last week, the On & Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tours will continue this upcoming weekend: Saturday, April 1 and Sunday April 2. Most, but not all studios, will reopen again from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For other information, consult the article from last Monday. To get a map of studios, homes …

Let’s start with a dance & music event that’s bound to be fun and educational, too: The San Antonio Folklife and Dance Festival.  Virtually every culture in the world has a folk music and dance tradition, and a good number of those traditions will be part of the fest, which started as the International Folk Dance Festival years ago.  We …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor San Antonio College English professor, Mono Riojas Aguilar, wrote the play, “Chato’s Bridge” ten years ago and had a successful one-night show at the McAllister Auditorium. This play is now receiving a new production at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center this weekend. “It started as a short story,” recalled Aguilar during a recent interview. “Most of …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor ON & Off Fred Studio Tour is Coming up Bihl Haus Arts is in a neighborhood where many artists live and work, and that is probably what inspired founder and former director Kellen McIntyre to start the On & Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour fifteen years ago.  It’s an opportunity for the public to visit the …

There’s a lot going on the visual art scene right now. We are happy to report that Artpace has just opened one of the strongest exhibits we have seen in a while. It is actually three separate exhibits by the Spring 2023 International Artist-in-Residence participants: – Yuliya Lanina based in Austin; Reynier Levya Novo, from Cuba but living in Houston, …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor It all started with the babies! As a working photographer, specializing in portraits, Susan Riley met a lot of mothers who brought their young kids to be photographed. But she went a little further by embellishing the photos with a little hand-coloring of the cheeks and lips. “Then I discovered that if I made them into …

About a year ago, we told you about the Caritas Concerts, founded by Mary Ann Winden in 2021. A long-time San Antonio organist, choir director, and “friend of the Chapel of the Incarnate Word,” Winden wanted to highlight the power of organ and choral music, both artistically and spiritually. What’s more, the chapel happens to have a Schoenstein organ, produced …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor March is Women’s History Month and the McNay Art Museum has appropriately decided to honor women artists with an exhibit whose title says a great deal: Womanish, Audacious, Courageous, Willful Art, featuring 80 artists. Drawn entirely from the museum’s own collection, the exhibit will undoubtedly come as a surprise to many viewers. So, enjoy the surprise! …

Ballet San Antonio is closing its season with a new production of “dizzyingly beautiful” Alice in Wonderland. You are familiar with the old tale but rendered through ballet, it’s bound to be beautiful, though, hopefully, not “dizzyingly.” The new BSA version is a collaboration between choreographer Brian Enos and visual artist Luis Grane, whose surrealistic projections, costumes and set design …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The first thing that Angie Hernandez wanted to tell us about the Overtime Theater was that it’s an all-volunteer organization, including the governing board and all performers. “We are 100% volunteer,” she said, “including me.” And she is the theater’s new artistic director. “The Overtime has gone through several leadership changes in recent years, she explained. …

THE GUADALUPE CENTER UNVEILS WINNING POSTER, LINE-UP for FESTIVAL Winning the poster contest for the Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival is no small accomplishment. This year’s winner is Elisa de Hoyos, a musician and artist of conjunto-themed paintings who lives in Weslaco, Texas. Her winning entry will be used for all promotion and marketing for the 41st fest, which will take …

By Phil Houseal, Contributor        There are few towns the size of Fredericksburg that embrace art as deeply as this Hill Country destination does. On the first Friday of every month, up to a dozen art venues throw open their doors to welcome the public with wine, cheese and works of art.. from fine art to folk art.        “People …

The San Antonio Museum of Art is opening the exhibit, Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompei, that has been in the works for several years. The brainchild of Interim Chief Curator, Jessica Powers, the show had to be postponed like so many other projects due to COVID-19 restrictions.  Though most of us think of ancient …

by JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Italian pianist, Leonardo Colafelicereturns to Texas to perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, with the Kerrville-based Symphony of the Hills, conducted by Eugene Dowdy. Colafelice is regularly invited to play with orchestras throughout Italy and throughout the world. In 2020, He won the bronze medal and the Audience’s Favorite Prize at the Gurwitz International Piano …

Lots of good music coming up! The San Antonio Philharmonic is going to play one of our favorite symphonies: Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony, this Friday and Saturday. Why it was named “Jupiter” is not entirely clear, but the music is glorious and exuberant, the kind of music you surrender to. Also on the program is contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery’s “Divided,” specifically …

                      HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY Valentine’s is the day to celebrate Love, and a little humor makes it even more fun. So, ARTS ALIVE SAN ANTONIO decided to help with the humor part! Here are a few things we found that you might find amusing. “Without Valentine’s Day, February would be, well, January.” — Jim Gaffigan “By all means marry. If …

Theatergoers will have good choices this weekend and beyond. The Classic Theater of San Antonio is opening “Fences,” a powerful drama written by August Wilson, the playwright who lived the life that his characters often struggle through. He’s been referred to as “Theater’s poet of Black America” and two of his plays, including “Fences” won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor  Astor Piazzolla was, and continues to be, the king of tango music, but few people know that he also composed a tango opera titled “Maria de Buenos Aires,” which has recently become the darling of opera houses, looking for original and “different” material. A tango opera sounds almost too good to be true. Opera San Antonio …

Musical Bridges Around the World is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a four-day UNITYFest, with jazz and classical music concerts taking place Feb. 2-5 at several locations around town. Founded by Russian-born pianist, Anya Grokhovski in 1998, the organization’s first concert took place in the founder’s home and later expanded to house concerts in the homes of supporters …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Theater is a normally a hybrid of spoken word and action, but a growing interest in “physical theater” greatly emphasizes the physical action at the expense of the traditional scripted dialogue. If you would like to experience a physical theater show, you’ll have an opportunity to do so when a new work, “We Sail On In …

We are fortunate to have a lot of good music here in San Antonio. This weekend, The San Antonio Philharmonic will perform an homage to the life and work of civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, inaugurating its 2023 pop series, and featuring music of a number of famed composers of past and present. Conducted by Charles Floyd, the program …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor On Sunday, Jan. 15, I attended a spirited short concert featuring two remarkable artists, violinist Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio and pianist Jeffrey Sykes. They played beautifully together but musical harmony is not the only connection between these two. One of them, Sant’Ambrogio, was the founder of the summer chamber music showcase, the Cactus Pear Music Festival, and the …

The live theater scene is getting livelier.  The latest addition is the San Antonio Broadway Theater founded by a San Antonian, Lauren Cosio Kotkowski, who has returned home after years in New York, determined to bring Broadway-level productions to her hometown. We’ll save the story of how and why she returned for another occasion, but it so happened that during …

By Phil Houseal, Contributing Writer          After a two-decade-long love affair with the harp, Emily Jumes Oskins is tuning up for her first formal concert in front of her hometown audience. She will be performing for the Fredericksburg Music Club on Feb.19.         “It will be fun,” said Oskins who will be joined by her brother Collin, a voice student …

The holiday lull is definitely over, and arts organization/presenters are back in full swing! The San Antonio Philharmonic is starting 2023 with a concert conducted by the Phoenix Symphony music director, Tito Munoz, which will also feature violinist Randall Goosby performing Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, a treasure of the classical repertoire. Also on the program is Beethoven’s Symphony No.4. and Buxtehude’s …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Tell me how and why the Miscast Theater Company was formed?We had a group of friends that met about seven years ago just doing shows around San Antonio, and we talked about how, if we had a theater company, we would do things differently, including more color-conscious casting and casting people who don’t get many opportunities. …

The arts scene is getting livelier this weekend! Leading the excitement is the new exhibit, Texas Dimensional- Fine Art in Three Dimensions at the San Antonio Art League and Museum, which officially opens Sunday, Jan. 8. Curated by the husband-and-wife duo, Andre and Virginia Bally, the show includes works by Texas artists – including quite a few San Antonians – …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The San Antonio Art League and Museum – SAALM – is inaugurating the new year with an interesting exhibit of 3-D art, featuring the work of 38 Texas artists, including a number of San Antonians. Titled “Texas Dimensional- Fine Art in Three Dimensions,” the show was curated by the husband-and-wife team, Andre and Virginia Bally, who …

We are still in holiday mood and there are few arts events opening this weekend. Fortunately, there are exhibits that continue into January, and this relatively quiet period would be a good time to visit museums. At the San Antonio Museum of Art, you can still see the remarkable exhibit, Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malincheuntil Jan. 8. …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Lucy Hassmann was only four years old when her parents took her to see “The Nutcracker,” performed by the Moscow International Ballet, at the Majestic Theater. At intermission, Mom and Dad wanted to leave but their young daughter protested. The dancing captivated her. “I stood up throughout the first act, and they could not get me …

ARTS ALIVE SAN ANTONIO https://artsalivesa.com

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Before accepting the new position, McLendon was the director and chief curator at the Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia. He will assume his leadership duties at the McNay on Feb. 13, 2023. In the press release, McNay’s search committee co-chair, Darryl Byrd, expressed confidence in the choice. “Matthew stood out from numerous, …

By BERIT MASON and JASMINA WELLINGHOFF Anyone who’s plunked a brush into a pot of paint, pushed it about freely on a fresh, white canvas, knows the relaxed feeling or intense focus that comes with making art. One escapes the real world for fantasy. Art can be a career, a profession, self- expression and it can be therapy. In fact, …

The festive holiday mood is everywhere, which also means great music, often performed in beautiful churches with excellent acoustics. We told you about many of those last week but there’s a new crop of events taking place in the coming days. The most original concert must be the new choral version of “A Christmas Carol” to be performed by the …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor ‘Tis the season for caroling and for productions of “A Christmas Carol, and, in fact, at least two San Antonio theaters staged their different versions of the classic tale, including a Broadway-style musical. But here comes a novel take. The upcoming performance by the San Antonio Choral Society is billed as a “modern-day dramatization” of Charles …

Compiled by DON MATHIS From luminarias to the Riverwalk lights, San Antonio loves to light up the nights. Here is an abecedarium from Arts Alive San Antonio of the best in local holiday lights. Alamo Nights feature twinkling lights in the live oak and pecan trees on the Alamo grounds as well as larger-than-life decorated figures of the heroic defenders. …

‘Tis the season for “The Nutcracker,” so you have plenty of choices. Last week we told you about Ballet San Antonio’s production, which continues this weekend. Now under the artistic direction of the former internationally acclaimed ballerina, Sofiane Sylve, BSA is the only professional ballet company in San Antonio. This version of the iconic ballet was commissioned by the company …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Would you like to spend Christmas with C.S. Lewis? If you know who he is, you’ll probably say “YES,” a very affirmative “YES.” Well, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts is giving you an opportunity to do just that by bringing to town the play, “Christmas with C.S. Lewis” by writer and actor David Payne. …

BY PHIL HOUSEAL, Contributing Writer “I love that I can see a dog show on Saturday and a ballet on Sunday.” That single statement sums up the value that a world-class entertainment venue brings to a smaller city. The city is Kerrville, the venue is the Kathleen C. Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts, and the quote is from …

The holidays and “The Nutcracker” are inseparable in our “Nutcracker Nation.” The latter is actually the title of a book by Jennifer Fisher, who traces the path of this Russian ballet based on a German story, as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean and ultimately conquered North America. At this time of the year, a version of “The Nutcracker” is performed …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Is this musical, which ran in New York City annually for quite some time, the first musical version of the old tale?No. I know there was a 1970s’ version with Albert Finney, which was a film. I am not sure if there was a stage adaptation as well. But this version, that we are doing now, …

Thanksgiving weekend is for family gatherings and relaxation, so many arts organizations skip the holiday weekend altogether. Even Ballet San Antonio that used to present its annual “Nutcracker” right after Thanksgiving, has moved its shows into December this year. Hardly any concerts are scheduled for this Friday, Saturday or Sunday. But San Antonio theaters have risen to the occasion. In …

By BERIT MASON, Contributing Writer On a night of deadly snowstorms on the American east coast, San Antonio art lovers braved rainy temperatures in the low 40s to see the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival. Touted as a “magical night of art,” Luminaria has found its niche in our culture.                         A simple map explained the many works, from stand-up …

UNDUP, 11/17/2022 There’s always lots of good music in San Antonio, ranging from classical to mariachi. And this weekend is a good opportunity to hear both. Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan will conclude the 28th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza Friday at the Lila Cockrell Theater. The concert is the final event of the Extravaganza weekend, which also includes vocal and original songwriting competitions …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Until a few months ago, most San Antonians had never heard of La Malinche, but that changed recently thanks to the San Antonio Museum of Art’s current exhibit, Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malinche, which focuses on a girl born on the Yucatan Peninsula in the Aztec Empire, centuries ago. This girl, first known …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When did you see your first Luminaria?Oh! I don’t remember what year it was but it was one of the early ones, when they closed off Alamo Street all the way to La Villita. I was living in Los Angeles at the time but I went to the festival with friends from high school. San Antonio …

San Antonio art lovers and collectors always look forward to the Contemporary at Blue Star’s annual Red Dot Show and Art Sale, a major fundraiser for the oldest contemporary art organization in town, featuring the work of nearly 100 San Antonio artists. The event raises funds for the organization’s exhibitions, education programs and outreach initiatives. The proceeds from Red Dot …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor How do you define Fiber Arts?It is art that’s made from some form of fibrous material. It could be yarn, it could be fabric, it could be wire, hand-made paper; it can even be small sticks of wood. It’s a very broad field in many ways. Are we talking about practical things like clothing and ornamentation …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Love, jealousy and betrayal are timeless themes in life and in art. In one form or another, they frequently pop up in opera, usually “wrapped” in beautiful music and grand arias. This is certainly the case with Ruggero Leoncavallo’s 1892 opera “Pagliacci” – “The Clowns” – that Opera San Antonio chose as its season opener. It …

Opera San Antonio (OSA) is opening its season with “Pagliacci” a short opera by Italian composer Ruggero Leoncavallo, which may be the perfect introduction to classical opera for people who are not familiar with opera. The story is engaging, the arias (songs) are powerful, and the staging promises to be first class. The opera is about a traveling theater company …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Your company will be presenting two flamenco shows this week, “Mercuria” on Thursday and “Yo Quiero Ser Humana” on Friday. Tell us about “Mercuria.”The title, “Mercuria” is kind of a play on words. It’s a name of a woman, or of all the women performing in this piece. It’s not a character’s name per se, it’s …

There are so many Day-of-the-Dead events that we probably overlooked a few. Here’s one: The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is celebrating the holiday of remembrance with a free dance production, La Vida de Los Muertos, at Plaza Guadalupe, and a month-long altar exhibition, starting on Nov. 2 The dance show brings to life various characters who explain the significance of …

The Day of the Dead and All Souls Day are not the same thing but both are devoted to the remembrance of the departed, though in different ways. In San Antonio, the various commemorations and celebrations, stretch over several days, blending into one festive period. We like fiestas here! Several events are planned downtown. This weekend, a major fest will …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Back in high school in Portsmouth, Ohio, Jonathan Burton was a guitar player who at one point was asked to join a production of the school’s musical as a singer. He performed well enough and so, he was asked again the following year. Soon after, he started taking voice lessons, and, once in college, he abandoned …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor “Galactic Mayan Gods” is San Antonio Artist Andy Villarreal’s Current Exhibit at Bihl Haus Arts.One line review: Colorful, imaginative, engaging, and fun. Tell us about the inspiration behind these fabulous paintings?I’ve been working on this series for about 20 years though pieces in this exhibition are recent, from this past year. My work deals with the …

v Good news from the music world! Two of San Antonio performing organizations that used to partner for multiple occasions in the past, are going to do it again.  The two are the San Antonio Mastersingers and the San Antonio Philharmonic, a new entity created by the musicians of the former San Antonio Symphony. They are old friends, and we …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor More than five centuries ago, a girl was born on the Yucatan peninsula in the Aztec Empire and she was  named Malinalli. Today, so many years and centuries later, she is still an object of fascination and interpretation, both in Mexico and in Mexican-American communities in the U.S. So much so, in fact, that at least …

By BERIT MASON, Contributor “AI” stands for artificial intelligence.            As our world is digitized and computerized, AI software is being applied to medicine, education, shipping and art. Yes, art.                    The leading AI software on the market are Midjourney, DALL-E and DALL-E 2.         With them, artists can photograph their work, scan it into the computer and then it gets to …

Ballet San Antonio is launching its 2022-23 season this weekend with a brand-new version of the ballet “Cinderella” which is, of course, based on the familiar old story. The first balletic version was staged in Russia back in the 1940s, danced to the original score by the prolific composer Sergei Prokofiev. BSA will use the same score but its new …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Just about the whole world knows the story of Cinderella, the sweet girl who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, but who goes on to win the heart of the realm’s royal prince, and lives happily for ever after. Russian composer, Sergei Prokofiev, created the score for the “Cinderella” ballet back in 1944, and the …

By DON MATHIS The party starts Friday, Oct. 14 with a lighting ceremony at 6:00 p.m. at the San Pedro Creek Culture Park in downtown San Antonio, which runs along the creek from 600 Santa Rosa Street to 200 César E Chávez Blvd. URBAN-15 kicks off this free event with the interactive light, sound, and kinetic artwork, “Stream,” by Brooklyn …

Let’s start with literary news, for a change! The Book Reading Marathon is an interesting experiment organized by Jim LaVilla-Havelin, a prominent leader and teacher in the literary community in San Antonio, who enlisted to help of the Peace Center at the Northwest Vista College to make his idea a reality. Together they are enlisting readers for the chain reading …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Nearly every culture in the world has a folkloric dance tradition, meaning dances that emerged historically from the people of a region or country. And Mexico has an especially rich dance tradition that a number of dance companies in the U.S. nurture and excel in. Such is the case with the Guadalupe Dance Company, a resident …

Plenty of news on all fronts! The Briscoe Western Art Museum is about to open a new exhibit that focuses on the photography of Thomas D. Mangelsen, one of the most important wildlife photographers of our time. According to the press release, the show “includes a stunning scale of images,” including his best-known works, such as “Catch of the Day,” …

By BERIT MASON The artist glances at the model, to draw the line of her leg just right. Classical music plays softly in the background while busts of stern philosophers and great artists from the past aloft on shelves, look down. It looks like a scene from the Arts Students League in New York. But this relaxed, quiet atmosphere welcomes …

WHENBy James R. Adair When will we decide we love our childrenmore than we love our guns? When will we decide to feed the hungryinstead of watching them die? When will we decide to house the homeless instead of arresting them? When will we decide to treat the sickinstead of forcing them into bankruptcy? When will we decide to educate …

Arts organizations are starting their 2022-23 seasons, so a lot is going on all fronts! San Antonio’s premier presenter of international artists, Musical Bridges Around the World, is launching its concert series this Sunday with “It Ain’t Necessarily So” featuring Duo Baldo, consisting of pianist/actor Aldo Gentileschi and violinist Brad Repp. The two combine their virtuosic performances with theatrical humor …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editot There was a time when artist Sylvia Benitez expressed her creativity by constructing all sorts of experimental, site-specific – and often ephemeral – installations that won praise, awards and grants. That was when she lived on the East Coast, trying to follow the contemporary art trends. Today, Benitez lives near Seguin in a peaceful, pastoral enclave …

LAMENT for ROBB ELEMENTARY, IMay 24, 2022 By JUAN PEREZ How could I ever find the words to sayto keep a place I love from such sorrowto just do something instead of nothingto being present that day to stop him How could I ever find the words to saythat I would gladly give my life for yoursjust to see you …

Hispanic Heritage Month officially starts today and there are many events planned for this and upcoming weeks to celebrate the Hispanic heritage in San Antonio, including several arts events.  The festivities commemorate Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1810 and the Mexican-American culture. It all starts with the El Gritto Ceremony and Cultural Program co-hosted by the Mexican Consul in San …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Just a couple of weeks after they announced the creation of the new entity called the San Antonio Philharmonic, the musicians of the now defunct San Antonio Symphony are ready to start the new season, “Forward Together,” in their new home, the First Baptist Church of San Antonio, which is a stone throw away from their …

UVALDE, UNITE FOR WHAT’s RIGHTBy NANCY FIERSTIEN Could there possibly be an American townwith as deeply furrowed a brow?I have no real close ties to Uvalde,but I feel close to its townspeople now. They have 21 reasons and then someto be stricken, in shock, in deep pain.One sick soul with a gunshattered their horizon and obscured the sun But not …

In honor of Hispanic History Month, several San Antonio theaters are presenting shows with Hispanic themes and characters.The Public Theater of San Antonio, housed in the historic San Pedro Playhouse, is opening “American Mariachi,” by Jose Cruz Gonzalez, a musical that focuses on an all-female mariachi band and the power of determination, music and familial love. Lots of mariachi music …

ANYWAY By RUDI HARST Holding your smartphone in handfeeling the pull of all the voices demanding to be heard.all the choices that need to be made A few moments later a news bulletin flashes:another teenage shooter on a rampagewith a lethal gun Not far from where you sitin stunned disbelief.Good grief! Not Again! Nineteen young students dead,their tender bodiesFilled with …

In the coming days, San Antonio will celebrate the World Heritage Festival that honors and commemorates UNESCO’s designation of the historic Spanish Missions as a World Heritage Site. All cities in the world that are also blessed with this coveted designation are urged by the global Organization of World Heritage Cities, to protect and promote their respective sites. The first …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When I walked into the San Antonio Art League and Museum Monday, I was met with a lively, rather chaotic scene. More than a dozen people were busy installing a new exhibit throughout the downstairs and upstairs galleries. It was an artsy chaos as artists and various helpers mounted works on the walls and positioned them …

UVALDE, TX By JANIE ALONSO My body feels like my wings have been pulled off, slowly.My iridescent purple appendages of creativity and lightness are lying on the ground. I feel defeated, broken, my hopeful spirit on the verge of extinction. My mind is with the children whose lives have been evaporated in the hot Texas sun. My soul cries out …

We must start with the news from the former musicians of the San Antonio Symphony. You’ll recall, they formed their own nonprofit, MOSAS Performance Fund, and performed several successful spring concerts at the First Baptist Church of San Antonio. Then, many left to pursue summer engagements. Well, they are back, and they have good news. To begin with, they have …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor This is the time of the year when arts organizations announce their upcoming seasons, and the Public Theater of San Antonio has a promising one. It’s also the first full season selected by new executive artistic director, Claudia de Vasco, who relocated from California to take the helm of the Public in September 2021. At the …

UVALDE By SARA BROWNE PARSONS We don’t want to hear it but can’t look away.We’re too close to this gut-wrenching loss.We refuse to accept what is,and want to pretend it’s not. We believe we’re better.We know we’re not.Arm anybody, arm everybodywe hand out assault weapons all around. We hate this incidentbut we embrace “the cause.”We elect them again and again,these …

The classical music scene is rather quiet at this time of the year, but the Olmos Ensemble tries to fill the void. It starts its season with three August concerts, the second of which will take place Sunday at their performing home, The Laurel Heights United Methodist Church. Dubbed “Treasures of the Baroque,” the program includes the big stars of …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor While Musical Bridges Around the World is primarily known as a music organization that brings international musicians to San Antonio, it also has an art gallery that has attracted attention in its own right. Launched in 2013 with an exhibit of artist Rex Hausmann’s work, it has been going strong ever since, though the pandemic imposed …

IT HAPPENED By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF It happened in the land of South TexasIn the quaint town of Uvalde                    19 children died in one day                    in one hour, in one minute                    in one classroom Spelling and multiplications on their minds,Mowed down by an AR-15 Death came fast and angry911 did not call them backThey fell under the desksTasted the blood of …

The symphony may be gone but San Antonio is blessed with a number of classical music nonprofits that keep music alive throughout the year and even in the summer months. One organization that has contributed a great deal to the music scene here is Musical Bridges Around the World (MBAW), which is celebrating its 25th anniversary and announcing its upcoming …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Though we haven’t been hearing much from the Classic Theater lately, the staff and the new producing Artistic Director, J. Robert “Jimmy” Moore, have been busy. Since the Classic vacated its former premises in the Woodlawn Theater Building when the pandemic discouraged gatherings in tight spaces, the first thing on the agenda was to find a …

La Citadelle By Suzanne Morris (Its gray walls, now patched with orange lichen, are as thick as 16 feet and as high as 147 feet.  More than 160 cannons point threateningly from its openings and ledges…*) As our nation absorbs the shock ofthe latest school shooting In Uvalde, Texas, legislators have conceded thatany new laws to ensure the safety of …

Festivals, festivals, everywhere! Right now, the San Antonio Film Festival is in full swing at the Radius Center, downtown. And it’s a pretty big thing! Its mission statement says, in part, that the fest’s goal is “to serve as an accessible and inclusive platform for artists in the category of cinema and provide cinematic culture to a diverse audience. The …

Clarinetist, Former SAS MEMBER and Musician with the MOSAS PERFORMANCE FUND By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor How long have you been with the now defunct San Antonio Symphony?Twenty-two years, since 2000. The Symphony has had a number of serious crises before and after 2000, why was the crisis of 2022 the one that led to the permanent closing of SAS?I don’t …

ElementaryBy Chivas Sandage (for Angeli Gomez) Hearing the supersonic crackof each bullet rip through the building,she rescued her two boysafter she didn’t see a single officer insideafter she ran to her sons’ classroomsafter she sprinted to the schoolafter the police chased herafter she climbed a chain link fenceafter she started runningafter she convinced officers to uncuff her   after she was …

The two music festivals we told you about in the last two NEWS ROUNDUPs are resuming this weekend. The Mozart Festival will present its second concert on Sunday, featuring the Artisan Quartet performing works by Mozart, Hugo Wolf, and Tchaikovsky. When we asked festival founder and conductor, Terence Frazor, about the inclusion of Tchaikovsky in a festival devoted to Mozart’s …

By JANIS TURK, Contributing Writer EXPERIENCE THE ORIGINAL IMMERSIVE VAN GOGH EXHIBITION IN SAN ANTONIO Last week, beaten down by the relentless afternoon summer heat, I simply stepped into a cool starry night. Yes, I quite literally, entered Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” painting as part of the origonal Immersive Van Gogh Exhibition, a multi-media art event on view …

Uvalde: Not What Our Forefathers Intended By Lita Marie Bonciolini Unfathomable,inconceivable.unimaginable. Words that completely fail to conveythe horrific actions of a twisted personagainst innocents. No ordinary citizen stands a chance againsta weapon that shoots 60 rounds per minute,A security guard, armed with a revolver,could not have prevailed.How many had already died before the police arrived?How many more while they loiteredin hallways, …

Summer is clearly the favorite season for festivals. Following the conclusion of the Cactus Pear Music Festival, here comes another classical music fest, The Mozart Festival Texas, that will present three concerts on three consecutive Sundays. It opens this Sunday at the Bennack Concert Hall on the campus of the University of the Incarnate Word. Created by conductor and music …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy and a musical genius. He started composing at the age of seven and wrote several “baby concertos” before he was nine.  But at 19, he wrote his 9th piano concerto. “That one is amazing, a masterpiece,” said Terrence Frazor, a University of the Incarnate Word professor and the founder …

Aftermath, Uvalde By Sarah Colby The first thing she sees when she stumblesthrough the back door is the refrigerator,the one everyone in the family pitched in to buywhen they learned she was expecting her first baby.Eleven years later it’s still running, plastered with pictures—cousins, friends, Nana and Popi’s 50th anniversary, tubing the Nuecesfor spring break—and a red and pink construction …

Things are looking up for the San Antonio thespian community and all of us theater fans! The immediate big news is that the Woodlawn Theater Company will be soon leaving its premises at the historic Woodlawn Theater in the Deco District to relocate a few miles north to the Wonderland of the Americas Mall where it will take over the …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The Public Theater of San Antonio has weathered some tough times recently due to COVID cases among cast and crew of “She Loves Me,” the show slated to run from roughly mid-June to mid-July. Sadly, the production ended up having just a few performances near the end of its expected run. But things are looking up. …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The popular Balcones Height Jazz Festival will once again take place at the Wonderland of the Americas Amphitheater with two nights of smooth jazz music played outdoors around the central lagoon. The first concert will take place this weekend, on July 15, and the second is scheduled for July 29. After a couple of years of …

I Don’t Want to Think About ItJames Brandenburg Gunshots in the distanceThen near, close to homeBullets explode, blowing them apartOur children are dyingOur children are dyingUnrecognizable except for their DNAAll the king’s menAll the king’s horsesCouldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again Fragile children once brokenCan’t be restoredCan’t be put back together again.The egg is shatteredHow many morehave to fall?  Beauty …

The two festivals we announced here last week are in full swing right now. The CineFestival, which focuses on Hispanic/Latino filmmakers opened yesterday and continues through July 10. Altogether, 85 films will be screened, including 12 feature films and 73 short ones, both documentaries and fiction stories. All screenings take place at the Guadalupe Theater. Some screenings are free, most …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Launched 43 years ago, CineFestival returns this year to the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center with in-person screenings and an emphasis on San Antonio and Texas filmmakers. The screenings start today. The fest also has a new director, Eugenio Del Bosque, who was officially hired to lead the film showcase three years ago but due to the …

May 24, 2022By Lisha Adela Garcia Police officer revives choking babyBritney Griner receiving correspondence while unlawfully detained in RussiaDr. Gupta explains what memories are made ofInmate steals little girl’s bike in escape attempt23 pounds of cocaine found hidden in wheelchairBathrooms used to be squeaky clean-What happened?Celebrating the creator of the PRIDE FlagOne thousand sahuaros replanted in Bush Fire burn scarJada …

Intellectually, I know America is no better than any other country; emotionally, I know she is better than any other country.” Sinclair Lewis And for laughs:

Two fun and promising festivals are starting in a few days: The Cactus Pear Music Festival and the Cinefestival San Antonio, the former devoted to chamber music, and the latter to original Latinx films. Both start on July 6. This year will be CPMF’s 26th summer season, and the final one for founder and long-time artistic director – and former …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor If you are like most Americans, you are at least somewhat familiar with movie and comic-book characters such as Ironman, Batman, Spiderman, Dart Vader, Wonder Woman, and others like them. Invariably, these characters are brave “defenders of truth, justice and the American Way. They are better versions of ordinary Americans,” as it says in the text …

Hollow: A Spent Shell SpeaksBu Marla Dial Moore I wasn’t meant for you,            my little one.Had I the power, I’d have            stopped in my tracks,     flown backknowing I was once like you,            pulsing with potential                        to build bridges,                                    stitch wounds,                        grace paintings.Both of us untempered, easily shaped,our purpose unknown but unfolding.I came cheap —but you were dear. I …

The official dissolution of the San Antonio Symphony has concluded nearly a year of unsuccessful would-be negotiations between the SAS management and the musicians, and brought the 82-year history of the organization to a sad end. “By unanimous vote, the Board has initiated the requisite steps to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy,” said the official SAS statement. “The assets of …

BY JASMINA WELLIGHOFF, Editor When I interviewed Rosemary Catacalos some years ago when she was the executive director of Gemini Ink, one thing repeatedly came up in the conversation: her concern for the community. In that article I wrote: “Whether she is talking about personal memories or the goals of the literary center she’s led for the past four years, …

BethlehemBy Jonathan Fletcher When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi,he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehemand its vicinity who were two years old and under,in accordance with the time from the Magi.                                                        The Gospel of Matthew 2:16 (NIV) I’m tired of your thoughts and prayers, the massacresof innocents. …

We told you last week about the interesting music festival, Forbidden & Forgotten produced by the Classical Music Institute. The name refers to works by composers who were either ignored (mostly We women) or composed music that the people in power did not approve of. The concert series continues this weekend with Forbidden Exiles, featuring the music of Paul Hindemith, …

BRIAN PETKOVICH, Musician, Member of the San Antonio Symphony and Founder of MOSAS Performance Fund By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Tell us how you chose the bassoon as your instrument?I started in the band program at my school. I was kind of recruited to play the bassoon because I was tall in 7th grade. Then one thing led to another, and …

UVALDE: The Day AfterBy Aiham Kamakhly This morning, the sky is blackas though the clouds have voted to block the sun.I walk heavily, hiding between myself and my mind.I, a stranger who finds joy in the eyes of Texas students,lost it this morning when a childlooked at me and smiled.How many times should adults on this earthapologize for the feigned …

Just as the Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony (MOSAS) wrapped up their short “season” at the First Baptist Church of San Antonio, the Classical Music Institute San Antonio is starting its series of concerts presented under the title, “Forbidden & Forgotten.”  That title refers to composers whose works have been either ignored or have provoked governmental authorities. The opening …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor We are all familiar with the term “modern art” but defining it and its beginning is a bit of a challenge. “That’s a tough question. Different people define it in different ways,” said Lyle Williams, the McNay Art Museum’s Curator of Prints & Drawings, and Curator of Modern Art. “Some people say modern art began with …

Like the rest of us, poets were deeply affected by the loss of young lives in the Uvalde school massacre. Here are a few of their voices. I AM NOT ASHAMED OF CRYING AT WORK WHENI HEAR ABOUT ANOTHER SCHOOL SHOOTING By E.D. Watson i am ashamed of not crying every time it happens.by it i mean some guy with …

San Antonio thespians have been talking about creating a festival in honor of the late Sterling Houston, for at least three or four years but this spring it will become a reality. Houston was a playwright, director, producer and all-round theater artist, who died in 2006. During his long career, he wrote more than 30 plays and four short novels. …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The Witte Museum is always alive with interesting new exhibits but the current show featuring the work of James Ferdinand McCan stands out because of its history. More than a century ago, this Irish immigrant arrived in Texas and fell in love with Texas landscapes, native flora and fauna, and the whole Texas experience. He proceeded …

The horror and tragedy that took place in Uvalde on Tuesday when 19 school children and two teachers were killed by yet another disgruntled and armed young man, have had a huge impact on all of us in Texas. Some artists and art organizations have already voiced their support for the devasted families in Uvalde. We received this morning the …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Back in 1957, when a group of nine black high schoolers tried to integrate the Little Rock, AR, Central High School, they were met with animosity, including pressure from the state governor to deny them access. The situation became so tense that President Eisenhower decided to place Arkansas National Guard under federal command. This historic event …

NEWS ROUNDUP, May 19, 2022 – Addendum Today, May 20, the Public Theater of San Antonio, informed us that the musical, She Loves Me, will not be opening tonight due to COVID-19 cases among the cast and staff. New dates will be announced later. This is a reminder that the coronavirus is still a threat to all of us. We …

Let’s start with theater news this time! The Public Theater of San Antonio is opening a new production of the classic musical, She Loves Me, a charming tale of two co-workers in a perfume shop, “in a European City,” who long for love. The two – Let’s sales clerk, Amalia, and the manager Georg – often squabble at work but …

The Tejano Conjunto Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, as the first and longest-running conjunto fest in the U.S.“…Forty years is an incredible testament to the community’s love for conjunto music.” said Cristina Balli, executive director of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. Indeed. All the best- known artists will perform, including the six-time Grammy Award winner, Flaco Jimenez with …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Congratulations on the new show. Does it have a title?No, we sort of debated about the title, but I decided I didn’t want to focus on anything that would be thematic. That’s because when I do that (choose a theme) it often leads people to places I don’t want them to go. So, I think the …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor From start to finish, Opera San Antonio’s production of Verdi’s operatic masterpiece, Rigolleto, was a work of art in every way. Every part of it – scenery, chorus, orchestra, soloists, direction and lighting – contributed to telling the story and letting Verdi’s music do what it’s been doing for the past 170 years – engage, delight …

Opera San Antonio has emerged from the pandemic faze to stage a grand-opera production of Rigoletto, one of the masterpieces of the entire operatic repertoire. It’s a bold and expensive undertaking and we would like to urge readers to support it by attending one of the performances: tonight, Thursday, May 5 or Saturday, May 7. Thanks to the efforts of …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor As with all folktales, the origin of the story of Aladdin and his magical lamp cannot be precisely determined. But this character and his vicissitudes became a part of the famous story collection, One Thousand and One Nights, after the Frenchman, Antoine Galland, heard the tale from a Syrian storyteller named Hanna Diyad. The story appeared …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor What better way to inaugurate spring and a return to normal life than by staging one of greatest operatic masterpieces in history – Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto. And that’s exactly what Opera San Antonio has chosen to do. The beloved opera will be staged with a 52-member orchestra in the pit, a 21-member chorus and prominent, nationally …

The poems we are publishing today were not part of the Ekphrastic Poetry Contest. They are a new addition to the ekphrastic poetry project 2022. They were written by three San Antonio poet laureates and the project coordinator Jim LaVilla-Havelin. Enjoy! Carretta WheelBy Octavio Quintanilla (Inspired by Carretta Wheel from a Tejano Freighter, at the Witte Museum I see our …

First, let’s wrap up National Poetry Month San Antonio. Bihl Haus Arts presents Poetry by Veterans April 30 and May 1 at Deco Pizzeria. San Antonio is home to many veterans and some of them are poets who have had the opportunity to refine their skills through Bihl Haus Arts programs. (April 30 at 12-4 p.m.; May 1 at 12-4 …

ARTS ALIVE SAN ANTONIO’s readers will remember our poetry series Life in the Time Of COVID-19 that started with one poem we loved and felt it needed to be published. Over a year, the series grew into an eloquent poetic testimonial of the pandemic time and experience, that became quite popular with our readers. The book features many well-known poets, …

The poems we are publishing today were inspired by Carretta Wheel from a Tejano Freighter at the Witte Museum. ADULT WINNERS Abuelo’s First JobBy Diane Gonzales Bertrand Along that dusty Mexico trail,we ate the burro to stay alive.Papa and Rogelio pushed the carrettaas Sergio and Rosalinda crossedthe leather harness between thempulling like two skinny ponies.Catching rain in empty horns,we shared …

Music, poetry and visual arts dominate the arts calendar this weekend and in the coming week The San Antonio Chamber Music Society will be presenting its final concert of the season featuring The Parker String Quartet. The Grammy-Award-winning ensemble, that has been praised for its “luminous sound,” and “dynamic interpretations,” will play music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Leoš Janaček, Győrgy …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Serbian-born artist Maya Sokovic has known Musical Bridges Around the World founder, Anya Grokhovski, for several years because her husband, Zlatan Redzic, often performs for MBAW concerts. But when Sokovic had a solo exhibit at the Brick at Blue Star in 2020, Grokhovski was surprised to discover her talent. “Why didn’t you tell me that you …

EKPHRASTIC POETRY CONTEST WINNERS – Part 4 The poems published today were inspired by “Landscape of four Seasons” by Unkoku Togan, at the San Antonio Museum of Art. ADULT WINNERS Haiku for Landscape of Four SeasonsBy Veronica Morrison We are waiting outthe unrelenting greynessof a somber year. After Unkoku Togan’s “Landscape of Four Seasons”By Mark Heinlein High above the village …

Fiesta is behind us but National Poetry Month continues and the music scene promises some goodies. For all of you who have been missing the San Antonio Symphony concerts, there’s good news. Though the strike continues and negotiations with management are still apparently ongoing, the musicians have also lined up several concerts that they will perform under the auspices of …

By JANIS TURK, Contributing Writer It’s a bright bluebonnet-filled spring Saturday in the Texas Hill Country, when I stop outside San Marcos Texas to visit Tim de Jung and watch him at work in his Wimberley Glass Works glass-blowing studio. When I arrive, Jung, a fun-loving Canadian-turned-Texan, known for his blown-glass art, says he’s going to be busy for a …

The poems we are publishing today were inspired by the Ruby City installation: “Hub, 3rd Floor, Union Wharf, 23 Wenlock Road, London N1 7ST, UK” by Do Ho Suh ADULT WINNERS Pop-Pop’s HallwayBy Robert J. Cavazos A purple haze outline formsthree access points to memory.Sans the RAM of lived experience,what’s sculpted crumples like fabric. Memory only has some steel to …

Fiesta is still with us and it brings us some good music this weekend. But let’s start with the promisingMusical Bridges Around the World’s Sunday concert “Happy Birthday Schubert.” Poor Schubert lived only for 31 years but he sure left a huge musical legacy, including 600 songs. The San Antonio Cathedral concert will mark the composers 225 birthday in a …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Austrian composer, Franz Schubert died young, at the age of 31, but his music lives on to this day, including his many beautiful songs, that vocalists and audiences have cherished for nearly two centuries. And San Antonians will have the opportunity to hear some of them this coming Sunday – as well as Schubert’s chamber music …

As promised last week, we are publishing today Part 2 of the Ekphrastic Poetry Contest organized in honor of National Poetry Month. The poems included here were inspired by a sculpture on the grounds of the McNay Art Museum, a striking piece of art made out of shoes. Yes, you read that correctly, though you may not spot the actual …

This weekend is going to be a mightily busy one! First, there’s Fiesta, which, although not an arts event/festival has arts-related components. Our favorite is Fiesta Arts Fair at the Southwest School of Arts. It’s a juried art show featuring the work of 110 artists from across the U.S. A range of art styles are always represented, including paintings, prints, …

By SUSAN YERKES, Contributing Writer Fiesta San Antonio starts this week. Are you ready? Get out your sunscreen and your flip-flops, and a big summer hat – preferably with lots of bling attached. Get ready to party like it’s… well… like it’s 2019 –the last year we had a full Fiesta. “We’re back!” declared Retired Army Colonel Jon Fristoe, the …

As part of National Poetry Months, a group of San Antonio poets joined forces for the second year in a row to organize an ekphrastic poetry contest for both youth and adults. For those who are not familiar with the term, “ekphrastic poetry” is poetry inspired by other works of art, in this case visual arts works, selected for the …

Two significant exhibits have just opened in town: the 92nd Juried Artists Exhibition at the San Antonio Arts League and Museum, and “Mars Needs More Women” at the Centro Cultural Aztlan. Like every year, SAALM issued an open call to artists to submit works for the Artists Juried Exhibition, but this year the museum broadened its reach by inviting artists …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor San Antonio is home to people of many cultures and backgrounds and some of those folks will come together this weekend to dance, learn from each other and have fun at the 64th San Antonio Folk Dance Festival – and the entire community is invited to join them. After having to cancel the 2020 fest due …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Houston native, Emily Ballew Neff, still remembers her first visit to San Antonio about 30 years ago. On that occasion she visited the exhibition Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries, presented by the San Antonio Museum of Art. “That exhibition was such a knockout, and it was a very important experience for me,” said Neff in a …

We are all witnessing the tragic war in central Europe, so it’s not surprising that San Antonio artists and arts organization want to express their concern and support for the suffering people of Ukraine. A large group of well-known San Antonio poets will gather Saturday afternoon in Main Plaza, to read poems “in solidarity with Ukraine.” Organized by Natalia Trevino …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Tamara Adira was 29 when she happened to see a flamenco performance at the Red Room Club in New Orleans. It was love at first site. She knew right away that she wanted to learn more about this thunderous dance. And she did. Adira is today a leading flamenco dancer/choreographer and producer in San Antonio, and …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Back in 2014, the Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony, known as MOSAS, created an independent nonprofit that stayed dormant for a number of years. But it has now been revived to help MOSAS to return to music making. Named MOSAS Performance Fund, the organization is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to present professional symphony …

As you know, the performing arts have been hit hard by the pandemic, but the good news is that things are slowly but surely returning to a normal. The latest proof of this welcome development is a new announcement from the Public Theater of San Antonio about resuming the previously promoted season. Only one show, “A Bronx Tale – The …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor If you haven’t yet visited Ruby City, here’s a good reason to go: the new exhibit featuring the work of Venezzuelan-born artist, Arturo Herrera, who now lives in Berlin. Though the show is housed in the Studio Gallery in Chris Park, a short distance from the main museum, you can do it all in a couple …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor It’s been more than 142 years since Henrik Ibsen wrote his famous play, “A Doll’s House,” which ended with his protagonist, Nora, leaving her husband, Torvald, and slamming the door shut on their life together. Since that first dramatic exit, Ibsen’s play has been a staple of Euro-American theater, always praised as an early thespian manifesto …

The dance scene has been kind of low-key in recent months but dance will grace at least two San Antonio stages this weekend. Ballet San Antonio is presenting its season finale, “Don Quixote” at the Tobin Center, and the innovative, young company Ballet Neplanta is presenting its new work “Valentina” at the Carver Community Cultural Center. The ballet “Don Quixote” …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The story of “Don Quixote” has been around since the 1600s when Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes wrote it in 1605. It first became a staged baller in Moscow and then, in a modified version, in St. Petersburg in 1871, danced to a musical score by Ludwig Minkus. And it continues to grace theater stages across …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor If you are a poet who loves the visual arts, you may be interested in entering the second annual Ekphrastic Poetry Contest, a city-wide “grass-roots” project coordinated by San Antonio poetry champions Jim LaVilla-Havelin and Linda Simone in honor of National Poetry Minth, which is in April.  Though the term “ekphrastic” is still unknown to a …

Lots of wonderful music is coming our way in the next few days. To begin with, The San Antonio Chamber Choir, will present Threshold as part of the CARITAS Series founded earlier this year by Mary Ann Winden, with the support of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word Congregation. The program will feature two new works: “tse go la” by …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Writer Rachelle Neuman likes to play Mahjong with her friends, so it’s not surprising that the game she loves has also inspired her new play, “One Crack-Two Bam” that will premiere this weekend at the Cellar Theater of the San Padro Playhouse. Actually, it’s not quite accurate to refer to her play as “new.”  “This play …

There’s a bit of good news from the Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony (MOSAS). They will soon have an opportunity to play together but not under the auspices of the San Antonio Symphony. Scheduled for March 3 & 4, the concerts will take place at the First Baptist Church of San Antonio, which has a Fine Arts Series program. …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Music can be understood by all, and so can dance and even the visual arts, but poetry is a language art. If you don’t understand the language that a poem is written in, the poem cannot speak to you. Or maybe it can? A unique poetry-and-performance evening that will take place at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts …

By SUSAN YERKES, Contributing Writer While taking a walk along San Antonio’s famous River Walk, you may be startled by a wild, rocky grotto on the Museum Reach of the promenade. It’s a magic place, with a trickling waterfall and a huge spirit face looming in the rock. Rest on a handsome wooden bench in the shade and wonder what …

You would think that arts organization would have lots of special events planned for Valentine’s Day weekend but that is not the case. Valentine’s “special events” are all about dining-and-wining, and, maybe some cheek-to-cheek dancing. One promising concert, Il Divo, smartly scheduled for Valentine’s Day at the Tobin Center, had to be postponed due to “a scheduling conflict.” So, if …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor For arts-minded San Antonians, the names Kellen McIntyre and Bihl Haus Arts are so firmly interlinked that it’s hard to imagine one without the other. But they will be unlinked in a mere couple of months. As hard as it is to believe, McIntyre and her husband, Eric Lane, will be leaving San Antonio in May, …

By JANIS TURK, Contributing Writer “I see color everywhere,” says painter, designer, and Master Colourist Sam Ehrlich of Keepers Interiors of Seguin, “I experience color in everything: sounds, tastes, smells, sights. All color has meaning, and all meaning has color.” Standing in his art studio at the back of Keepers, the home décor store Ehrlich and his wife Amber own …

There is exciting news on the music front! One of the world’s best classical guitarists, Sharon Isbin, is coming to the Alamo City to perform Sunday at the San Antonio Chamber Music Society concert at Temple Bethel. A multiple GRAMMY winner, Isbin was also named the 2020 Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the Year, the first guitarist to be so …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The Agarita Chamber Players are known for their collaborations with other artists who add another dimension to their concerts.  Dancers, poets, storytellers, lighting artists and even a chef have partnered with them over the years. For their upcoming concert on Saturday, the adventurous quartet has paired up with glass artist Gini Garcia whose amazing blown glass …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When Jade Esteban Estrada assumed the role of artistic director at the Overtime Theater just three weeks ago, he started his new job by asking a crucial question: Who is the Overtime Theater? “We can’t do everything here, so we needed to define what we wanted to accomplish,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “We need …

The Blue Star Contemporary has installed two new spring exhibits: Threads Bare in the center’s main gallery, and the Black Art Library in the Art Learning Lab. The first is described as“an exhibition investigating intersections of art and fashion through textiles and related materials as medium or subject, to generate a more expansive understanding of how fashion and adornment play …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor After being closed for an extended period of time due to COVID, the city-operated Centro de Artes in Market Square has just reopened with a large and unique exhibit that exclusively features immigrant artists and some who are first generation American-born. This was made possible thanks to the New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart called the organ the king of instruments and Mary Ann Winden certainly agrees. She loved the organ so much, in fact, that she became an organist. Among her many music related jobs in San Antonio, she spent 28 years as the choral and organ director at Christ Lutheran Church, and also worked for …

It may be cold outside but the arts scene is definitely heating up. To begin with, we want to tell you about a unique dance company, The Hiplet Ballerinas, that will have a single performance at the Carver Community Cultural Center this Saturday. Based in Chicago, the company was founded by now- artistic director, Homer Hans Bryant who wanted to …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Donald Mason arrived in San Antonio to take the job of executive director of the Classical Music Institute just before the pandemic. “I got to witness just one concert before we had to cancel the rest of the season,” said the Midland, TX, native who spent most of his professional life in Lexington, KY. “That was …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor They were cancelled twice due to COVID, but this weekend the renowned Chicago dance company The Hiplet Ballerinas, is expected to grace the stage in a live performance at the Carver Community Cultural Center. Founded by dancer/teacher/choreographer, Homer Hans Bryant, a former Dance Theater of Harlem star, the company has garnered national and international attention for …

NEWS ROUNDUP, Jan. 13, 2022 Even though DreamWeek has been a part of San Antonio life for ten years, many San Antonians have never heard of it, and if they did hear about it, are not sure what it is. So, let’s try to explain. Founded by Nigerian-born Shokare “Sho” Nakpodia, DreamWeek – which often lasts more than a week …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Have you heard that Einstein was wrong about a whole lot of things?Yes, that Einstein! The most famous scientist in modern history. If you haven’t, you ought to see the new play at the Overtime Theater that tells you all about it. Titled “Einstein’s Wrong About Everything,” it is the brainchild of San Antonio playwright Joseph …

Now that the holidays are behind us, things are starting to return to normal even though there are new COVID-related concerns due to the newest version of the virus. Some events have already been canceled and others have been delayed. For instance, Musical Bridges Around the World has postponed two events scheduled for Jan. 8 & 16, while the Woodlawn …

JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Here in San Antonio, we know you as an excellent photographer of the performing arts, and I know you are also photographing other subjects. How did you get interested in photography as a profession?I was born and raised in Iceland, and my father was the camera man for the Icelandic TV. Growing up, cameras were always around. …

This week is vacation time for many people. The common email response is the automatic reply telling you that the intended recipient will be back in the office Jan. 3. Consequently, few arts events are scheduled. But there’s always some news and we have gathered a sampling for you here. At the Tobin Center, you can ring in the new …

As you may expect, not that much is going on this week/weekend as people are focusing on celebrating the holidays in private, with their nearest and dearest. But a few things are coming up, and, please remember that most San Antonio museums will be open the day after Christmas, and later in the week. It’s a great time to take …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The Red Dot Exhibit is the main annual fundraiser for Blue Star Contemporary, the first contemporary art institution founded in San Antonio by contemporary artists themselves, back in 1987. The event changed format this year, from a one-night-only to an extended period lasting a couple of months that gives art lovers and collectors more time to …

The celebratory mood continues this week, with sacred music, folk dancing, pop and operatic singing, and so much more. The San Antonio Choral Society continues to celebrate the season with the Candlelight Christmas Concert this Sunday at the Laurel Heights United Methodist Church.  The singers will once again be accompanied by the 8-piece Sonido Barroco ensemble of musicians who play …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The San Antonio International Airport has joined the national trend of welcoming art and artists in its terminals, garages and outdoor spaces.  There’s art just about everywhere; you just have to look. The program is a project of the City of San Antonio Aviation Department. Some of the art is permanently on display, such as the …

Music, dance., merriment, and the holiday spirit are overtaking the city! In the spirit of the season, the San Antonio Choral Society is teaming up with Sonido Barroco instrumental ensemblethis Sunday to present Advent Vespers at St. John’s Lutheran Church at 6 p.m. The service will focus on “the mystery of the Incarnation as told through scripture and sacred songs.” …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Jimmy Moore could not be happier to be back in San Antonio. A native son, whose family still lives here, he has returned to lead the Classic Theatre of San Antonio as the new artistic/executive director. “I have been wanting to get back to San Antonio pretty much from the day that I left,” said Moore …

BY SUSAN YERKES, Contributing Writer v Garrett T. Capps loves San Antonio, and he’s telling the world with music. The title song of his recently released fourth album, I Like Austin, But I Love San Antone, makes the point.  He loves his hometown’s laidback vibe, Capps says. He loves the Tex—Mex soul, Fiesta, the city’s rich musical heritage, the welcoming …

News Roundup is back in its usual spot! And so is the holiday season which looks more and more like what we were used to before COVID. This Friday, you’ll here again the sounds of music from the outdoor amphitheater at the Wonderland of the Americas Mall. The Balcones Heights Jazz Festival that used to take place in the summer, …

Since last week’s NEWS ROUNDUP was dislodged from its regular spot due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we are offering this abbreviated version, covering upcoming arts events and developments. Let’s begin with the laughs! Funny guy, Jaston Williams – he of the “Greater Tuna” fame – will bring the new version of his solo show, “Blood and Holly” to the Tobin …

                     Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. William Faulkner Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. Voltaire I feel a very unusual sensation – if it is not indigestion, I think it must be …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The movies that helped create the cowboy legend seldom showed black men as cowboys. And yet, they were there in substantial numbers working along their white counterparts. Their story and contribution are now told in the exhibit Black Cowboys: An American Story, currently on view at the Witte Museum. It’s a small but well documented and …

Theater stages are alive with music, dance and even new plays! That’s great news and we can’t wait to tell you about it. The Public Theater of San Antonio is opening its original, made-in-San-Antonio holiday show called Season’s Greetings from San Antonio, a musical revue of holiday songs performed by the fictional Dotz a Capella male quartet during their televised …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Last year was hard for everyone and that included the students and faculty at UTSA. Classes were put on hold, meeting cancelled, and individuals found themselves isolated and uncertain about the course of their studies. To help students and themselves, a group of faculty members launched a new project to create connections between people and help …

by JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When the Public Theater of San Antonio announced its 2021-22 season, the December slot was reserved for “Forever Plaid – Plaid Tidings,” a popular holiday concoction of close harmonies and smooth moves, to be performed by a quartet of men who have been asked to return to earth from their lives in heaven “because they were …

The biggie this weekend is the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival, which will once again light up the November darkness with light displays, music, dance, poetry, theater and art installations. The fest will officially open at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and continue all the way to midnight. It is a bit unclear how many artists will be participating, as numbers cited range …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor She grew up with flamenco-artists parents, studied and performed flamenco dance herself, and designed flamenco costumes. Now, San Antonio designer Lisa Perello, would like to dress all her customers in flamenco-inspired fashions. She will be showing her new creations Thursday at the Farbrictopia Warehouse, which is next door to her shop/studio on W. Laurel St., downtown. …

Lots of new exhibits are opening or have just opened across the city.  The McNay Art Museum isfeaturing 100 works by the California artist Wayne Thiebaud who is 100 years old. The career-spanning exhibit shows a wide range of artistic interests and subject matter, that also reflect the art trends of a century. Not to be missed! (To learn more …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor You don’t hear that much about it, but San Antonio does have a pretty lively flamenco community of both dancers and musicians, who are joining forces this weekend to present the 12th annual WeFlamenco Festival at multiple locations across the city. It’s a “grass roots” effort spearheaded by Carmens de la Calle Café and several other …

by JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When the Crocker Museum of Art in Sacramento decided to organize a tour of Wayne Thiebaud’s art to honor the artist who had just turned 100 years old, it reached to possible venues around the country, including the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio. They didn’t have to ask twice. “On our part, there was a …

The end of October brings cooler weather and the first fall festivities, some of which have little to do with the arts and others that include an arts component.  We will try to focus on the latter. URBAN-15’s Carnaval de los Muertos, is all about music and dance and spectacle, with lights embedded in dancers’ costumes, and drummers keeping everyone …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor How did you discover belly dancing?My oldest sister Barbara who lived in Hawaii for a while when our father was in the Air Force learned how to do the hula while she was there. As a child, I was taking dance classes – ballet, jazz and tap – at Dorothy Keck Dance Studio here in San …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor By now, it’s public knowledge that the San Antonio Symphony is going through another financial crisis that stopped the music-making, and placed the non-profit’s board and its musicians on opposite sides of a dispute over contracts and the future of the orchestra. Citing lack of funds, the Symphony Society, the nonprofit board that governs the symphony, …

Have you missed the ballet? We have. So, we are overjoyed that Ballet San Antonio will once again brighten the Tobin Center’s main stage this weekend, live and in-person, with its season opener, A Night at the Castle. That’s a clever title for a medley of dances from the greatest ballets of the classical repertoire such as Swan Lake and …

A couple of weeks ago we told you about the unique exhibit and sale called One People, Many Paths: The Sacred Art of Altars, organized by the equally unique Celebration Circle, an inclusive multi-faith community. Here’s how they define themselves: “We honor the sacred in ourselves, each other and All of Creation.” Once a year, the good folks of Celebration …

Music, music everywhere! Where to begin? Two outstanding chamber music ensembles are having concerts next week. SOLI Chamber Ensemble, which performs music by 20th and 21st-century composers, is presenting its second concert of the season, “Fractals,” described as “an exploration of infinite color, shape and voice, as composers weave new sounds and combinations into the ever-evolving kaleidoscope of music.” Scheduled …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Luminaria, the nighttime, outdoor, contemporary arts festival is returning to the Hemisfair Park this fall, live and with new energy, ready to razzle-dazzle San Antonians with lights, dance, music, visual installations, poetry, theater and more. Some 45 Texas artists and groups, representing about 150 individual artists have signed up to participate. “Through the pandemic, the arts …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor A few months ago, Gemini Ink decided to honor San Antonio poet and playwright Gregg Barrios at its annual Inkstravaganza event, a major fundraiser for the writing arts organization, which always honors local literary personalities. “We have a very vibrant literary community in San Antonio, so Inkstravaganza celebrates that, but it also celebrates one leading literary …

The fun community event known as Chalk It Up takes place this Saturday, Oct. 9 on the grounds and in parking lots of ten public libraries across the city. Organized by Artpace, the 18th annual event will once again have artists – and sometimes their teams -design murals at each library location reflecting the 2021 theme: The Spirit of San …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Rising-star opera singer, Craig Verm, says he enjoys portraying the bad guys. This week, Opera San Antonio will give him a great opportunity to do just that since he’s portraying the title role in OSA’s production of Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni at the Tobin Center for the Performing arts.  Better known as Don Juan, the title …

Five years ago, the folks at the Patrick Heath Public Library in Boerne decided to give local writers and writers published by small presses “a day to show their books” on library grounds. From that modest beginning, a new book festival has emerged, with the support of the library and the entire community. The 2021 version, named, Boerne Book & …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor During its 24th season, Musical Bridges Around the World will, once again, showcase talented musicians and vocalists from around the world, and the concerts will, once again, take place live and in-person at the beautiful San Fernando Cathedral downtown, like – you know! – before the pandemic. “I am very excited about it,” said MBAW founder …

The arts scene is definitely getting livelier! This weekend another well-known chamber music group, Camerata San Antonio, will launch its 2021-22 season with in-person concerts at three area locations. “We are so excited to perform for you and enjoy chamber music TOGETHER this year,” said Camerata’s season announcement. Co-founder and artistic director of the group, Ken Freudigman, explained that in …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor While many performing arts organizations closed their doors in 2020, a few found new ways to stay active and survive – and even prosper – despite the pandemic. One of those was the SOLI Chamber Ensemble, which opted to perform concerts live, outdoors, at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. This is something that the quartet intends …

Everybody likes to laugh and this weekend San Antonians will have a chance to indulge in lots of laughter during the second annual HA Festival -The Art of Comedy, taking place in our city Sept. 17-19.The fest will showcase more than 20 shows and some 40 Hispanic comedians, with events spread over several venues. It is a new and improved …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony have recently reached out to the press to spread the word about a new crisis facing our home symphonic orchestra. According to their release and conversations we had with musician representatives, the board and management of the nonprofit organization intend to cut 30 musician positions from the present 72, …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Not too many contemporary artists depict ordinary family scenes but Raul Rene Gonzalez does. And he paints them realistically, in vivid colors, using a range of media and tools, on canvas, wood panels or chunks of concrete. The images are engaging, dynamic, genuine and heartwarming. Collectively, they represent an ode to family and his experience as …

Good News: The Public Theater of San Antonio, the company that resides at the San Pedro Playhouse, is launching its new season with a live, in-person, musical, like in the “good old days” before the pandemic. The show has a somewhat awkward title – tick, tick… BOOM! – and a cast of only three actors, but it sounds like the …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor You may not think of the Carver Community Cultural Center as an exhibition space but it has, in fact, showcased a range of visual artists over the years in it spacious lobby and an adjacent room. The pandemic interrupted that tradition but the venerable cultural center is now regaining momentum as a presenter of both the …

September is FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA Month in San Antonio and this year many galleries and presenters decided to have physical 3-D exhibitions, which will be open for weeks, the way things were always done before the pandemic upended our ways of living and experiencing art. But the fest continues to have a strong online presence as well. The online part features …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The annual Fotoseptiembre festival was mostly an online affair last year but the 2021 version, which officially opens on Sept. 1, will have quite a few exhibits at brick-and-mortar venues in San Antonio, the Hill Country and San Marcos, in addition to a robust online presence. “We were surprised by how many people wanted to have …

by JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor This is the time of year when performing arts organizations traditionally announce their upcoming seasons, and the Carver Community Cultural Center has done just that, with a lineup brimming with talent, star-power and diversity of genres. There will be 12 mainstage productions, and at least four Little Carver Intimate Series shows.  As of today, all are …

By SUSAN YERKES, Contributing Writer This summer, a drab concrete passage off Broadway sprouted bright plumage and emerged as a happening hotspot. Thanks to Centro San Antonio’s Art Everywhere program, Peacock Alley became a perfect example of the transformative power of art. The artist known as Scotch! created a lively pastiche of color on the walls with his mural “Fly …

The seventh Texas Biennial, officially opens on Sept. 1, featuring 51 contemporary artists in five venues, four of which are in San Antonio. They include Ruby City, The McNay, Artpace and the San Antonio Museum of Art. Named “A New Landscape, A Possible Horizon,” the huge project is presented by Big Medium and was organized by co-curators and artistic directors …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Back in June 2020, when Paula Owen called her colleague Taylor Eighmy, she just wanted to confer with him about potential partnerships that they could develop over time. Their respective organizations had already benefitted from mutual collaborations in the past, so it seemed like the natural thing to do. Owen is the long-time president of the …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor After a longish search, the board of the Public Theater of San Antonio has selected Los Angeles-based Claudia de Vasco to serve as its new artistic/executive director. A native of Houston, she has a long resume that includes acting, directing, production, and leadership positions. “The search committee felt that she has the skills and qualities that …

Most classical music groups are on vacation or performing elsewhere, but the Agarita Chamber Players are here and starting their new season Tuesday at the San Antonio Museum of art. Artistic director and pianist, Daniel Anastasio, chose the musical program in response to the current SAMA exhibit of American Impressionists. The exhibit is gorgeous and the music sounds very promising, …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The Agarita Chamber Players are known for their collaborations with other artists, from fellow musicians to dancers, poets, photographers, visual artists, and… a glass blower. Yes, you read that right. The “glass blower” the group will be collaborating with is a very special one, Gini Garcia, of Garcia Art Glass, who creates the most original, whimsical, …

Let’s start with theater news. Live, in-person performances are back but they may not last long. With new virus variants threatening again our collective health, venues may start closing again. It’s such an unpredictable time! We already told you about the premiere of “Carmen from Mexico,” an original new work written and performed by actress/playwright Anna De Luna. As far …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor While most of us were shocked and horrified by the events of 9/11, we have moved on with the hope that nothing similar could possibly happen again. But for Lebanese-American poet and theater artist, Andrea Assaf, 9/11 was the beginning of a new journey of exploring the impact of that tragedy as a Lebanese-American and as …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor How much do you really know about your parents and grandparents?Yes, you know them as parents and grandparents but their lives are bigger than those roles, and we often forget to ask questions about their childhood, their struggles, challenges and the important moments of their lives. Actress/playwright Anna De Luna decided not to make that common …

The big event this weekend is the San Antonio Film Festival which will take place Aug. 5-8 at the Radius Center downtown. Since last year’s fest had to go online because of COVID-19, this year’s celebration is extra special for all, organizers, filmmakers and audiences. “It’s very fulfilling to be back in-person to celebrate the 27th anniversary of SAFILM,” said …

by JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor What are the priorities of the Arts & Culture Department right now?My priority is equity, in the sense that we want to make sure that art is accessible to everyone but we also want to make sure that San Antonio artists are equitably represented in the art that we promote. We are also working right now …

Lots going on at Artpace this month! In addition to the three exhibits by the recently departed summer artists-in-residence (read feature story from July   ), the art center just opened another, very different show, “Slowed and Throwed”: Records of the City Through Mutated Lenses,”  an art show inspired by a unique DJ and his music. The DJ in question is …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The summer artists-in-residence have left but the work they created during their two months at Artpace, is now on exhibit at the downtown art center. This summer’s trio included Bogota-born, Paris resident, Ivan Argote, Los Angeles-based Nao Bustamante and San Antonio artist Michel Menchaca. The first exhibit you are likely to see is Argote’s clever, amusing …

BY SUZI CASTELLAW with JASMINA WELLINGHOFF As the winds begin to blow with the promise of a cool shower, I am waiting to meet with Nicolas Valdez under the beautiful Jesse Trevino three-dimensional mosaic of a Mexican votive candle that adorns the Guadalupe Theater on South Brazos.  Valdez is a conjunto musician and playwright who recently premiered his play “Conjunto …

Did you know that there’s a National Day of the Cowboy? Neither did we but, yes, there’s one and this year it falls on July 24. Not every state has officially adopted a special day to remember and celebrate the cowboy legacy but Texas has, and the Briscoe Museum, here in San Antonio, is ready to celebrate. And you are …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Millions of Americans have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 but there’s still some distance to go to get to that herd immunity level that would help us return to normal life. Here in San Antonio, 1,028,077 people or 61.9 % are fully vaccinated, according to Metro Health data. If the individuals who have received only one …

Years ago, Tamara Adira walked into a night club in New Orleans and discovered flamenco- dance and music. It was love at first site.  She threw herself into the study of this Spanish art, and eventually founded a performing company — Arte y Pasion – to keep the flame of flamenco burning in San Antonio. Thus, it was not a …