TOP TALENT ON TAP FOR CUYAMACA COLLEGE’S SPRING CONCERT SERIES

East County News Service

February 10, 2016 (Rancho San Diego) – The 2016 Cuyamaca College Spring Concert Series gets under way Feb. 21 with a San Diego Early Music Society performance kicking off a season of productions covering styles ranging from Baroque and mariachi to jazz and rock ‘n’ roll.

“The concert series is a wonderful opportunity for students and surrounding community to be exposed to a variety of musical styles in one of East County’s nicer performing arts theatres,” said Taylor Smith, chair of the Cuyamaca College Performing Arts Department.

Some of the performances are timed so students in Cuyamaca College music courses can hear live presentations of what they’re learning in class. Others are presented by the Early San Diego Music Society. The final event, the Coyote Music Festival, comprises homegrown live music from a number of local bands and is presented by students in the Music Industry Studies program.

All but the Coyote Music Festival take place at the Cuyamaca College Performing Arts Theatre.

Following is a list of scheduled performances. Admission to all concerts is $8, or $5 for students and seniors, unless otherwise noted.

·         Sunday, Feb. 21, 3 p.m. Lina Tur Bonet on the violin and Kenneth Weiss on the harpsichord explore the underplayed music of Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, one of the few front-rank female composers of the French Baroque, in this San Diego Early Music Society performance. Cost is $10.

·         Thursday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. Composer Dominic Schaner (Heresy of the Free Spirit) exhibits his mastery of the lute in this Cuyamaca College performance.

·         Friday, Feb. 26, 7:30. p.m. Paving the Way, a celebration of black history, includes musical performances, theatre, dance, politics and more. Directed by Robert J. Chambers.

• Tuesday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. Kembang Sunda, an Indonesian Gamelan ensemble that has performed throughout Southern California. Gamelan ensembles developed in the ancient courts of Java and Bali, and primarily consist of tuned bronze percussive instruments. Directed by Amy Hacker, a Cuyamaca College music instructor, Kembang Sunda has been performing throughout the region since 2007.

• Wednesday, March 16, 7:30 p.m. Students experienced in studying performance of standard and contemporary choral ensemble works take the stage as the Cuyamaca College Choir directed by Dr. Anne-Marie Dicce.

• Sunday, April 3, 3 p.m. Journey with us to Venice for an evening of recorder music by Vivaldi, Corelli, Marcello and other Baroque masters as interpreted by virtuosos Dorothee Oberlinger, Florian Birsak and Marco Testori in this San Diego Early Music Society production. Cost is $10.

• Wednesday, April 13, 7:30 p.m. Mariachi Real de San Diego. Founded in 1978, this band has established itself as a mariachi leader and has performed in movies, television and commercials, in addition to the Super Bowl, World Series and Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

• Thursday, April 28, 7:30 p.m. The Danny Green Trio, a critically acclaimed, traditional and modern jazz group whose debut CD won the 2009 San Diego Music Award for Best Jazz Album. Led by pianist and composer Danny Green, who has been called one of the most prolific and talented jazz pianists in the region today, the trio also includes Grossmont College music instructor and jazz bassist extraordinaire Justin Grinnell and the versatile Julien Cantelm on drums.

• Friday, April 29, 7:30 p.m. The Cuyamaca College Rock, Pop and Soul Ensemble takes the stage under the direction of Cuyamaca College Performing Arts Department Chair Taylor Smith. The Rock, Pop and Soul Ensemble will be performing The Beatles’ classic album, Abbey Road.

• Friday, May 6, 7:30 p.m. The Cuyamaca College Choir, directed by Dr. Anne-Marie Dicce, performs standard and contemporary choral ensemble works.

• Saturday, May 7, noon The annual Coyote Music Festival returns to Cuyamaca College on the Grand Lawn. Now in its eighth year, the entirely student-run festival provides the community with a free afternoon of live music. The festival also culminates a semester worth of work for students studying music, technology, recording, and business. Cuyamaca College Grand Lawn. Free.

Cuyamaca College is located at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in Rancho San Diego, 92019.