Arts Alive San Antonio

NEWS ROUNDUP, 4/10/ 2025

According to the press release from the San Antonio Philharmonic, this weekend’s concerts mark the beginning of a long -cherished dream of musical director, Jeffrey Kahane – to place the music of Johann Sebastian Bach at the heart of the modern symphony orchestra’s repertoire, alongside Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler.  The release further points out that despite Bach’s huge output, his music has often remained on the margins of contemporary orchestral programming. So, SA Phil is trying to correct that. In addition, the upcoming concerts will take place in iconic Westside institutions such as the Little Flower Basilica and Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU).

Three concerts are coming up this weekend: April 11: Easter Oratorio, performed with the SA Chamber Choir and the Children Chorus of San Antonio at the Little Flower Basilica; April 12 also Easter Oratorio with the same groups, and other works at OLLU, and on April 13: Goldberg Variations performed solo by the music director and pianist Jeffrey Kahane at OLLU’s Sacred Heart Chapel. (Get tickets at https://sanantoniophilharmonic.thandertix.com)

The Heart of Texas Concert Band will perform the music of Philip Sparke, renowned composer of wind music. Possible program pieces include: “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair” by Claude Debussy (arranged by Sparke); Four Norfolk Dances; “The Year of the Dragon,” Sleepers Awake” by J.S. Bach (arranged by Sparke) and other numbers. (April 13 starting at 3 p.m.; Highlands High School Auditorium, 3118 Elgin Ave., San Antonio 78210; no tickets required but a suggested donation of $10 is expected. For more visit www.HTxCB.org)
The AGARITA Chamber Players will present an Agarita Loft Concert titled “Beethoven’s Departure” featuring the full quartet. This program highlights the composer’s shift from classical craftsman to Romantic hero and pioneer during his pivotal middle period. Concertgoers can stay after the concert to see the gallery show: “Cultural Threads” curated by Jon Hinojosa. (April 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the AGARITA LOFT, 724 S. Alamo St. # 2 (second floor, accessible by stairs only), 78205.; tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com)

The Tuesday Musical Club Choir, under the direction of Cheryl Crews, will feature great pieces by the great masters: Palestrina, Vivaldi, Mozart, Haydn, Mendelssohn, and more. Former directors, Jerome Malek and Elinor Duff provided some arrangements of these classic favorites.
(April 15 at 1:30 p.m.; free; Tuesday Musical Club Clubhouse, 3755 St. Mary’s St., 78212; more at http://satmc.org)

First Fine Arts presents a Lenten Concert Series, featuring harpist Rachel Ferris, formerly the principal harpist of the San Antonio Symphony. She has performed with Camerata San Antonio and the Olmos Ensemble, where she is executive director. (April 15 at 12, noon, First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough Ave., 78215; free; for info call 210-226-o363 or go to info@fbcsa.org)

The King William Association Cultural Arts Committee will present the Brackenridge H.S. Mighty Eagle Jazz Band Concert in the Park. (April 13 at 5:30 p.m.; at Beautify San Antonio Park, 801-899 S. main Ave, 78204; free)

And here’s something for laughs, courtesy of Musical Bridges Around the World:
Duo Baldo, an Italian-based comedy group. This song clip is from a Nov. 2024 concert as part of MBAW’s Musical evenings at San Fernando Cathedral. https://www..duobaldo.com

April is also Poetry Month and there are many events scheduled.

Creating in Resistance is a program featuring current San Antonio poet Laureate Eddie Vega, the 2023 Texas State Poet Laurate Irene Lara Silva, and Saul Hernandez, a National Endowment of the Arts fellow. The event is billed as a celebration of the publication of “Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology.”  The event is presented by Mexican American Studies at SAC.
(April 15 at 12:15-1:30 p.m.; free; Nursing Allied Health Complex, room 218, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., 78212.)

The 10^th Annual Pen to Paper event celebrates National Poetry Month and is hosted by the Ozuna Library, the home of the San Antonio Poetry Archive at Palo Alto College. The archive is committed to preserving the records of local poets and poetry organizations in all formats, including books, manuscripts, photos and other media. The 10^th anniversary celebration, with special guest Laurie Ann Guerrero, will be followed by Open Mic; free and open to the public.
(April 10, at 6:30 p.m.; Ozuna Library at Palo Alto College, 1400 W. Villaret Blvd, 78224; free) Apparently, this year’s poetry celebration features more than 40 events, according to the Arts and Culture department.

An Open Mic Poetry reading is scheduled at the San Antonio Public Library for April 15, at 6 p.m.; Central Library, 600 Soledad, 78205; 210-207-2500.

Another literary event is the 13th Annual San Antonio Book Festival. This family-friendly event draws people to downtown for a day of author presentations, panel discussions, book sales, signings, activities for kids and teens, and food trucks. The fest will feature 100 notable local, regional and national authors, including nationally known writers such as Nate DiMeo, Stephen Graham Jones, Erin Entrada Kelly, Nita Prose, Cristina Rivera Garza, and others. The free event draws 20,000 to 25,000 festivalgoers per day. It’s a unique opportunity for San Antonians to engage with diverse authors. (April 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Central Library and UTSA Southwest Campus downtown; Website: https://sabookfestival.org/schedule/)
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