Arts Alive San Antonio

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 fantastic. They will perform works by Orlando Gibbons, Orlando di Lasso, Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn, Caroline Shaw, Marvin Hamlisch, Don McLean, Gershwin and more.

BBC Music Magazine says their “gorgeous sound, impeccable ensemble and intense responsiveness to text, harmony and melodic sound, are all of the highest quality; and hearing them sing is a joy.”
(Oct. 13, 3:15 p.m.; Trinity Baptist Church, 319 E. Mulberry Ave., 78212; tickets are $25; for more info visit https://www.sacms.org/)

Another promising concert is “Hummingbird & the Marigold” which will open Musical Bridges Around the World new season. The star of the evening is the Gurwitz 2024 Audience Favorite and Silver Medalist, Russian pianist, Tatiana Dorokhova, who will deliver “a spectacular solo piano program.” She will be joined by the Gabriela Jimenez Quintet from Mexico, in the performance of “El Colibri y la Cempasuchil,” a work inspired by the Aztec myth central to Dia de Los Muertos.

Dorokhova’s program will showcase her virtuosity with two difficult, dramatic works such as “Pictures at an Exhibition” and “Islamey,” a piece described by the New York Times as “the most difficult of all piano pieces.” (Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.; San Fernando Cathedral, 115 Main Plaza, 78205; more info at http://www.musicalbridges.org; free but tickets are required.; 210-464-1534)

An Evening with Three Women and the Truth: the three women – Jaimee Harris, Mary Gauthier and Carrie Rodriguez – are talented musicians and song-writers, who will perform on the Tobin’s stage in a few days. (Oct. 17 at 8 p.m.; Tobin Center, Alvarez Theater 100 Auditorium Circle; tickets are $39.50-$49.50; tickets@tobincenter.org)

The Interfaith Welcome Coalition is celebrating its 10^th anniversary with a concert featuring the South Texas Symphonic Orchestra directed by Ronnie Sanders, performing works by Copland, Bernstein, Gershwin, and more.  (Oct. 12, 1 – 4 p.m. at Laurel Heights United Methodist Church, 227 W. Woodlawn, 78212; A reception will follow; free but a response is needed at www.interfaithwelcomecoalition.org;
call 210-245-8150.)

The wonderful Mastersingers Chorus will present its own concert “Timeless Reflections” featuring music and songs that cross boundaries – Mexican folk songs will be performed along songs from Korea and South Africa. The concert will conclude with pop favorites from the Beatles, including “Hey Jude” and “Let it Be.” (Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.; Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower, 1715 N. Zarzamora, 78201; tickets are $10 – $30; www.samastersingers.org/concerts) Paul Jensen will be featured in “Rhapsody in Blue.”)

Patti Austin, the daughter of jazz trombonist, Gordon Austin and God-daughter of musical greats Jones and Dinah Washington, has 19 solo albums to her credit and has performed on both the Grammys and the Oscars. She will show her talents at the Carver Center this Saturday. (Oct. 12 at 8 p.m.; tickets are $42; 210-207-7211; https://thecarver.org)

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Briston Maroney, will be at Stable Hall on Monday., (Oct. 14; 8 p.m. – midnight; tickets are $27.50+; 307 Pearl Parkway, 78215; https://www.stablehall.com)

Visual Arts News: Well-known San Antonio artist, Danville Chadbourne, mostly known for his wood-based sculptures is having an exhibit at the Nicole Longnecker Gallery in Houston, titled “Physical Poetry: New Works in Wood,” a solo show.  According to the press release, the show features large and small-scale sculptures, suspended works and an extensive series of two-dimensional drawings on wood panels and reliefs. These works attest to the artist’s ongoing exploration of organic forms and gestures.
(Nicole Longnecker Gallery, 1440 Greengrass Drive in the Houston Heights; open by appointment Tuesday-Saturday, 12-4 p.m. Contact at 346-800-2780; 346-800-2780)

Closer to home, Sala Diaz has a new exhibit showcasing the works of Sarah Fox, Jonesy, and Megan Solis
titled “Are We Just Phantoms?” The exhibit explores horror as an examination of safety and vulnerability in the face of unstoppable forces, says the press release. “Through their installations, the artists investigate how horror manifests in both psychological and physical forms.” Sounds interesting!
(The exhibit will have a formal opening Oct. 25; Sala Diaz, 517 Stieren St., San Antonio 6-9 p.m.)

We also recently received press info about “Yanawana – the Wait/of Water,” described as “An Art & Sound solo exhibition by Pamela Martinez/Teletextile.  We can’t tell you more until we see it.
(opening Oct. 12, 6-9 p.m.; Mercury Project, 538 Roosevelt Ave., 78210. From what we gathered Martinez’ business is called Teletextile.)

As we mentioned several times to our readers, you can see great original art at the airport. The current artwork on view is by artist Nain Leon.

For poetry lovers and scholars: Polish-American poet, scholar and translator, Piotr Florczyk, who has lived in the U.S. since 1994, will discuss poetry translation at the session led by professor Steve Kellman;
(Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.; Business Building 2,06.04 on UTSA campus. To contact Florczyk you can write to:
www.pflorczykAThotmailDOTcom) He was recently nominated for the 2024 National translation Award in Poetry.

Youth Art Contest Open- The city of San Antonio’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission (MLK Commission) in collaboration with the Department of Arts & Culture, City Council District 2, and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Department, announced it has opened its 10^th annual Student Art Contest to encourage youth to create original artwork that is inspired by the 2025 theme of “We are the Dream… It takes All of Us.”  Deadline for entries is Monday, Oct.14 at 10 a.m. The selected artwork will be used on marketing materials to promote the 2025 March and Commemoration, which will take place on Jan. 20, 2025. Guidelines here: www.SA.gov/MLK.
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