Arts Alive San Antonio

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 occasion, the UTSA Orchestra will be joined by organist Colin Campbell and, for the first time, by the student mariachi ensemble, Mariachi Los Paisanos. The concert is part of the National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. It will be conducted by Troy Peters, the music director of Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, known as YOSA. The entire program will be devoted to Mexican and South Texas composers, starting with Jose Pablo Moncayo‘s orchestral fantasy, “Huapango.” Other composers represented in the program are Ricardo Castro and Jose Elizondo, whose mariachi-inspired “Estampas Mexicanas,” is one Peters’ favorite compositions.

And there’s more. Following the orchestral fireworks, the audience gets to hear “a virtuosic display of brilliance” as organist Colin Campbell takes over. And that will be followed by traditional folk selections by the mariachi ensemble, for which Peters created new orchestrations.

And the finale: Rapsodia del Rio Grande, composed by Campbell for orchestra, mariachi and organ.

WOW! Looks like not-to-be-missed event! It is interesting to note that Campbell is a native of South Africa, and is currently an associate professor of music at Texas A&M University. (Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m.; UTSA Recital Hall; free; One UTSA Circle, 78249; 210-458-4350; for parking options visit https://www.utsa.edu/campusservices/parking/  The concert will be livestreamed via the School of Music’s Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/UTSASchoolofMusic/)

The San Antonio Philharmonic begins its second seasonFriday with Latin GRAMMY-nominated composer Juan Pablo Contreras’ work “Mariachitlan,” Also on the program is Symphonie Espagnole by Lalo, featuring visiting artist, violinist Chee-Yun, and Stravinsky’s beloved 1945 Suite from “The Firebird.”The concert will be conducted by Jeffrey Kahane. (Sept. 22 -23 at 7:30 p.m., First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough; tickets are $35-$75 at sales@saphil.org or by calling 210-201-6006)

Symphony VIVA, an orchestra affiliated with Alamo City Arts, will open its season with “Homeland,”
showcasing several musical celebrations of cultural identity in several European countries: Smetana’s beloved “Vltava,” named after the river that flows through a good part of his Czeck homeland, including through the city of Prague; English composer Edward Elgar’s “Sea Pictures,” and “Finlandia” by Finish composer Sibelius. That’s a nice pairing of composers’ patriotic compositions. (Sept. 24 at 4 p.m.; Travis Park Church, 230 E. Travis, 78205; tickets at https://ticketpeak.co/acpaa/events or at AlamoCityArts.org; $10-$20; for info call 210-369-8311)

Musical Bridges Around the World is also starting its new season by bringing back to town the pianist, Jiale Li, the gold medalist of the 2020 Gurwitz International Piano Competition, also a program of MBAW. The Chinese pianist will perform “Romantic virtuoso masterworks” by Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninoff.
(Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.; San Fernando Cathedral downtown, Main Plaza; free but registration required at
www.mbaw.org/sfc)

The annual Jazz’SAlive Festival is coming up soon. It has been moved to Hemisfair Park. (Sept. 29, 4-11 p.m.; free general admission. Our advice: find a place well away from the stage. The amplification tends to be excessive.

On Monday, Sept. 25^th The Beach Boys will be joined by actor and musician John Stamos for a tour stop at the Majestic Theater. Throughout several decades he has maintained a friendship with The Beach Boys, appearing in several of their videos, including in “Kokomo,” the group’s chart-topping hit single.
Led by Mike Love, The Beach Boys average 150 shows a year across the globe, and they hardly need introductions. They are “America’s Band.” (Sept. 25 at 7:30; Majestic Theater, 224 E. Houston; tickets are $54-$240; at www.majesticempire.com/events/the-beach-boys/)

The Brackenridge Park Conservancy is hosting its 12^th Annual Parktober Fest, celebrating San Antonio’s German heritage, with a free event at Koehler Pavilion along the banks of the San Antonio River at Brackenridge Park. The event honors the memory of Emma Koehler of the Pearl Brewery family, who donated 11 acres to the city. German music and beer will be part of the merriment.

There’s news on the visual arts front, as well. The San Antonio Museum of Art will soon open a new exhibit: AMERICAN MADE, Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection, which “offers a captivating journey through American art history.” The show features more than a hundred artworks created over 250 years: landscapes, Colonial-era portraits, still lifes, impressionist paintings, abstractions and bronze sculptures. The represented artists include Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, Robert Henri, Elizabeth Catlett and Lois Mailou Jones. We look forward to seeing this exhibit. (Opens Oct. 14, SAMA,
200 W. Jones Ave.; 210-978-8140; Https://www.samuseum.org)

The Briscoe Western Art Museum will be presenting a new exhibit, too: “Anouk Masson Krantz: “American Cowboys,” which will be on view from Sept. 29 to Jan. 22, 2024. Masson Krantz is a French photographer who developed an interest in contemporary American cowboys. Her exhibit – and book – focus on the enduring traditions around ranching and rodeo life from an outsider’s perspective. According to the press release, she embarked on a solo journey across the American West to find her subjects. (On view: Sept. 29 – Jan. 22, 2024; Briscoe Museum, 200 W. Market St., 210-299-4499,
www.briscoemuseum.org)

The Briscoe is also looking for art lovers who will be interested to serve as museum docents. It’s a volunteer position but it’s an ideal way to contribute to the community if you are an art and history fan. Training will be provided. See contact info above.

The McNay Museum has come up with a clever way to raise money for new acquisitions and enrich its Texas art collection. The new initiative is called “Collecting Texas” and the first place that the initiative is focusing on is El Paso. The museum has been interested in contemporary art for some time, and now holds video art, neon and other contemporary media, in addition to traditional paintings and sculptures. Each year, Collecting Texas will target a different Texas city. There will be a special event to raise money for purchases. Sponsors and guests will be invited to vote for their favorite work of art presented during a special reception. The piece that gets the most votes will be purchased. It’s pricey to get in but if you can afford it, it could be fun. (Oct. 3, 6-8 p.m.; Leeper Auditorium; $175-$5,000; McNay Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., 78209; 210-824-5368)

A new sculpture, “Devil Whirls” by Alice Aycock, graces the McNay’s green lawn. The artist will be there for her Artist Talk that will take the audience through the highlights of her 50-year career as one of America’s leading conceptual artists. An exhibit of her work is inside the museum.

Luminaria, the Contemporary Arts Festival has announced the artists who will be participating in the 2023 fest, which will be returning to Hemisfair grounds – where it started – and the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center. It is scheduled for October 21, 2023. This year’s festivities will host two live-music stages, five large-scale digital art projection areas, a full gallery of fine art at the Mexican Cultural Institute, and large art installations and sculptures. In addition, there will be a spoken-word stage at UNAM San Antonio. Other partners include the Magik Theater, the literary organization VOICES DE LA LUNA, the Mexican Consulate, the City’s Office of Global Engagement and the Gwanju Museum of Art.

Represented arts disciplines are: music, digital art, film, fine art, performance art, installations and sculptures. (More about the selected artists in a separate article.)

Poetry lovers are invited to bring mats and blankets to the Poetry Picnic Under the Stars, presented by the Bexar Collective. Coffee and tea, pastries and panini will be available, in addition to art and books. Poets will read their work. (Sept. 22, 5-10 p.m.; 1502 Buena Vista, 78207; for more info call 210-215-7933 or email valeriegarza@gmail.com)

San Antonio Book Festival will host Luis Alberto Urrea in Conversation with Yvette Benavides (Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.; the Alvarez Theater, Texas Public Radio; 321 W. Commerce St. The book “Good Night, Irene” by Urrea will be available for purchase.)