Arts Alive San Antonio

Lots of good music is in the works for the weekend and beyond.

Musical Bridges Around the World (MBAW) will be presenting its annual International Music Festival again this spring but it will be a virtual fest, taking place on a single day, April 21, from 12, noon, to 4:45 p.m. The event will feature performances by a range of artists who represent different world cultures, plus live panel discussions with both artists and arts leader.

Performers include:  the Barynya music and dance troupe (Russian folklore); San Antonio violinist Mark Cheikhet, who was born and educated in Russia; pianist Valery Grokhovski, also a Russian; pianist Jiale Li, the Gurwitz 2020 gold medalist; the duo of Nikolaas Kende (piano) & Jolente De Maeyer (violinist), both from Belgium; Syrian-born visual artist Kevork Mourad, presently a New York City resident; Syrian-born clarinetist Kinan Azmeh; Argentinian bandoneon player JP Jofre; Armenian soprano Mane Galoyan and Oliver Rajamani, an Indian, Austin-based, guitarist and percussionist who has developed his own musical style from gypsy, flamenco, and other influences.

Sounds enticing! And it’s all free!

 In addition, two panel discussions are planned: “Artists – Survival & Revival” and “Arts Leadership in a Pandemic Era + Resilience and Vision for the Future.” Moderators and panelists include MBAW’s Suhail Arastu; Sunil Iyengar from the National Endowment for the Arts; Dr. Francisco Cigarroa, chairman of the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees; Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor and music director emeritus of the San Antonio Symphony; soprano Mane Galoyan, and other prominent artists and leaders.

And there’s another kind of panel discussion, “Stories with Superwomen,” which, somewhat incongruously, will be focused on homeschooling, maintaining careers “and some semblance of sanity” while sheltering in place, and “what it has taught us about our world.”

The festivities will close with a Japanese-themed Kids to Concert program titled “Journey to Japan.”

To watch and participate go to www.mbaw.org/imf  or MBAW’s YouTube channel.

The San Antonio Symphony will deliver its annual Fiesta Pops concerts this weekend at the Tobin Center, Friday-Saturday, with YOSA artistic director Troy Peters conducting. The program is packed with sizzling, dynamic numbers such as Manuel de Falla’s “Ritual Fire Dance” from “El Amor Brujo”; “Danzon No. 4 by Arturo Marquez, and “Fiesta Tropicale” arranged by Victor Lopez. (8 p.m. both nights; tickets at tickets@tobincenter.org or boxoffice@sasymphony.org. You can also watch the digital version of the concert. Find out more at www.sasymphony.org/pops-series/)

The Children’s Chorus of San Antonio will present its own concert this Sunday at 3 p.m., also at the Tobin Center. The “Chorus” actually consists of several singing ensembles that will be joined by local musicians and dancers for this special occasion showcasing Latin American music. (April 18, 3 p.m.; tickets@tobincenter.org; for info call 210-826-3447 or visit https://childrenschorussa.org/)

More music is coming up at the Carver Community Cultural Center as well. San Antonio musician/singer J-Darius has a solo show April 17, at 8 p.m. Originally planned for the intimate setting of the Little Carver, the show has been moved to the large Jo Long Theater to allow for social distancing. J-Darius’ style is described as “influenced and inspired by jazz, neo-soul, R&B and gospel.” He recently released his debut album “Let Go.” (Tickets through Ticketmaster; call the Carver box office at 210-207-2234 for information.)

National Poetry Month is still in full swing all-around San Antonio. Saturday, April 17, is National Haiku Day and people are encouraged to compose their own haiku poems and send them “to everyone you know!” It’s a spinoff from Slam the Town, a ritual of sending poems to friends and colleagues on April 1, the first day of National Poetry Month. But there will be a reading by San Antonio haiku poets at the San Antonio Botanical Garden Saturday, and visiting families will be encouraged to try to write their own brief poems in that Japanese style.

On Sunday, Bihl Haus Arts is hosting an inter-generational poetry reading involving the Young Women’s Leadership Academy’s Young Poets Society and the older poets, so called “Golden Writers” led by Jim LaVilla-Havelin. Also joining that crowd will be Memoir Writers, led by Bonnie Lyons. (2 p.m. Sunday, April 18, via Zoom; free but respond in advance. Tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-womens-leadership-academy-annual-inter-generational-reading-tickets-146979380283.

And we want to remind you that Mega Corazon readings continue every Monday in April, streamed free by URBAN-15 on its website. Next weekend: Words for Birds, a huge poetry event featuring more than 20 poets, https://act.audubon.org/a/words-birds. More about that next week.

On the visual art front, there’s always so much news. As you might have read this past Tuesday on this site, another flaming-red sculpture by the famed Mexican sculptor Sebastian was installed in San Antonio, this time at the airport. Named “Star of Texas” it celebrates San Antonio as a Lone Star State’s very special city. It’s an attention-grabber for sure that will brighten travelers’ journeys.

AnArte Gallery & Studio has partnered with Estancia Del Norte Hotel to present rotating exhibits at Estancia, starting with Kathy Sosa@Estancia, opening Friday, April 16. Sosa is best known for her Trees of Life painting series, painted in vivid colors and drawing upon Mexican folk art traditions. In its own gallery, AnArte is preparing to open an exhibit of Steven Daluz’s figurative works that deal with transitions between states of being. www.anartegallery09.com

The Southwest School of Art is coming back to life. Though exhibits are still on hold, SSA has announced a long list of summer community classes for all ages, offering choices in every medium and genre, from drawing to metalsmithing. To register for the class of your choice go to https://www.swschool.org/summer-art-studios.

The Mexican Cultural Institute has reopened with an exhibit of works by two remarkable San Antonio artists, Fernando Andrade and Ernesto Ybanez. It has also recently unveiled a stunning mural by Mexican artist Manuel Felguerez, that was hidden behind a false wall for ten years. You can see it Tuesday-Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by making an appointment by calling 210-227-0123 or by emailing to icmapoyotitular01@sre.gob.mx.

And back to poetry: The San Antonio River Authority is urging writers to take a walk in San Pedro Creek Culture Park and submit a poem or a short story about that experience. The writings will be collected in a chapbook. If you want to see the 2019 chapbook, pick one up at SARA, 100 E. Guenter. Deadline for submission is April 17. Send submissions to nmarshall@sariverauthority.org. For information on the Sculpture Park visit www.sculpturepark.com.