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Porter Center Concert Schedule

You may click on the month below to go directly to that month's events.

September

Second City Touring Company, comedy
Saturday, September 8, 2007; 7:30 PM / $25
General student tickets: $10
Brevard College student tickets: $5

"A temple of satire" - Time Magazine

The Second City Touring Company has been offering its brand of satirical comedy - hilarious and thought-provoking, smart and silly, sophisticated and wild - to packed houses for over 40 years. Dubbed "the Harvard of improvisational theater" by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the City's acclaimed alumni include Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert, Mike Myers, Steve Carrell and Chris Farley, to name a few. The troupe's latest show, "In Blog We Trust," is a two-act revue of sketch comedy, songs and daring improvisation, often using audience suggestions as a launching-pad.
Note: some material may contain adult themes.

John Weaver, organ
Sunday, September 23, 2007; 3:00 PM / $20

"A performer whose technique, musicianship, stylistic acuity and taste make for interpretations of uncommon clarity, poise and good sense." - The New York Times

John Weaver, a giant in the organ world and long one of America's finest and most accomplished organists, is retiring from the concert stage and the Porter Center is proud to present him on his Farewell Tour. Weaver has served as head of the Organ Department at the Curtis Institute for 30-plus years, as well as Chair of the Organ Department at the Juilliard School, making him one of the most influential teachers in the country. Dubbed "International Performer of the Year" by the American Guild of Organists in 2005, Weaver has performed solo recitals in Boston's Symphony Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Chicago's Orchestra Hall and Cleveland's Severance Hall.

October

Allen Toussaint, New Orleans R&B
Saturday, October 6, 2007; 7:30 PM / $25

"The embodiment of New Orleans music, with a 50-year résumé that includes enough hands-on hits to warrant a 24-hour radio marathon." - Washington Post

A musical institution, Allen Toussaint's impact on the music of New Orleans is without equal. Toussaint's records - most of which he wrote, produced, arranged and played on, almost always for other singers - define post-1960 New Orleans. As a writer, he penned classics like "Working in a Coal Mine," "Whipped Cream" (a hit for Herb Alpert and "The Dating Game" theme), "Mother-in-Law" and "Southern Nights." As a producer, he's brought out the best in Dr. John (Right Place, Wrong Time), Labelle ("Lady Maralade," which he wrote) and The Meters. As an arranger, he's been sought out by Paul McCartney, Paul Simon and The Band. And though he's best-known for his behind-the-scenes efforts, Toussaint is a remarkable pianist, schooled by his hero Professor Longhair. Small wonder he was elected to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

But like so many others, Toussaint was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, losing his home and studio. Fighting back musically, Toussaint recorded The River in Reverse with longtime admirer Elvis Costello. It earned a 2006 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album. The Porter Center is proud to present this American musical legend in a rare live show with his quintet.

ECCO, classical
Wednesday, October 17, 2007; 7:30 PM / $25
The Dorothy Meyer Secosan Memorial Concert

"These youthful players are helping form classical music's future. Long may they ECCO." - Philadelphia Inquirer

If classical music is supposed to be a staid affair, nobody bothered to tell ECCO (the East Coast Chamber Orchestra). This amazing 15-piece group, comprised of young musicians from the top conservatories and orchestras in the country, offers "a youthful vigor that creates a kind of heat that transports the music-making to a higher place" (Washington Post). ECCO combines the strength and power of an orchestral ensemble with the personal, intimate nature of chamber music, presenting fresh interpretations of new and old works coupled with highly nuanced and joyous playing. At the Porter Center, ECCO's program includes Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings, Corelli's Variations on Follia and John Adams' Shaker Loops.

Edgar Meyer, Jerry Douglas & Sam Bush, bluegrass
Monday, October 22, 2007; 7:30 PM / $35

The true bluegrass supergroup features three players whose resumes speak for themselves:

Jerry Douglas, 12-time Grammy winner and "the dobro's matchless contemporary master" (New York Times) leads his own band, shines in Alison Krauss' Union Station, and has played on more than 1,000 albums, including efforts by Paul Simon, Garth Brooks and Ray Charles.
Sam Bush, "one of the finest and most innovative mandolin players in the world" (The Tennessean), co-founded the hugely influential New Grass Revival and now leads his own group, often playing sideman for Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck, among others.
Edgar Meyer, "a bass virtuoso of extraordinary gifts" (San Francisco Chronicle), has performed Bach's cello suites on double-bass in solo recital at Carnegie Hall, held the bottom for Yo-Yo Ma and Mark O'Connor for the huge hit "Appalachian Waltz" and played in a duo with Nickel Creek's Chris Thile, among numerous other assignments.

Put the three of them together and watch the fireworks go off. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see three true virtuosos make music together.

November

Hilary Hahn, violinist
Thursday, November 1, 2007; 7:30 PM / $40

"Technically immaculate, musically magisterial and in every moment communicative." - Los Angeles Times

At the age of 27, Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn is one of the most compelling artists on the international concert circuit. Renowned for her intellectual and emotional maturity, she was named "America's Best Young Classical Musician" by Time Magazine in 2001, and appears on a regular basis with the world's great orchestras in Europe, Asia and North America. The Seattle Times is not alone in dubbing her "astonishing, one of the most remarkable young talents of our time," raves the Seattle Times.

Hahn made her orchestral solo debut at age 11 with the Baltimore Symphony, and her Carnegie Hall debut at age 16 as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She has released seven CDs covering a wide range of material from Bach to Barber, all of them classical bestsellers. In addition, she has collaborated with artists well outside the classical realm, including alt-rockers And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Our Dead. .

The exquisite young Russian pianist Valentina Lisitsa accompanies Hahn.

Pat Metheny Trio
with Christian McBride & Antonio Sanchez, jazz
Sunday, November 4, 2007; 7:30 PM / $40

"The quintessential jazz artist, completely schooled in the vocabulary, with limitless chops and boundless melodic invention." - Boston Globe

The most influential jazz guitarist of the past 30 years, Pat Metheny has racked up numerous accolades, playing in a wide variety of styles with a number of collaborators, while always retaining "the most recognizable sound in post-bebop jazz guitar" (Time Magazine). Metheny has won countless polls as "Best Jazz Guitarist," as well as an amazing 16 Grammy Awards. He has brought his signature guitar sounds to a broad range of collaborations, performing with Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Roy Haynes, Steve Reich and Joshua Redman, as well as pop stars Joni Mitchell, Bruce Hornsby and David Bowie.

He'll be joined by the phenomenal bassist Christian McBride ("one of the premiere musicians of his generation," according to Downbeat) and drummer Antonio Sanchez.

Asheville Symphony Orchestra, classical
Sunday, November 18, 2007; 3:00PM / $25

"Meyer's charismatic conducting brought forth results that dazzled listeners quite beyond the fine work…of his three predecessors." - Asheville Citizen-Times

For the third consecutive season, conductor Daniel Meyer and the Asheville Symphony will fill the Porter Center with the lush sound of a full orchestra playing in a top-flight acoustic hall. Meyer will lead the ensemble through "American Impressions," which features the work of Antonin Dvorak (Concerto for Cello in B minor), George Gershwin (An American in Paris) and John Adams ("The Chairman Dances" from Nixon in China).

For the Dvorak piece, the ASO welcomes guest soloist Zuill Bailey on cello. Bailey has performed at the Kennedy Center, the 92nd Street Y, Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall, and frequently concertizes with longtime duo partner Awadagin Pratt.

Lionheart, choral
Wednesday, November 28, 2007; 7:30 PM / $25

"Exceptional . . . no laundry list will suffice in describing the glory of the music or the sensitivity of the singing." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

Lionheart is one of America's leading vocal chamber-music ensembles, acclaimed for its "smoothly blended and impeccably balanced sound" (New York Times). With a self-stated mission "to be the world's finest singing ensemble," the six singers of Lionheart are best known for their interpretation of medieval and Renaissance a cappella music, with Gregorian Chant as the keystone of its repertoire. The ensemble also collaborates with instrumental ensembles, dance companies and contemporary composers. At the Porter Center, the sextet presents the Christmas program, "Tydings Trew," which offers carols, chants and motets for the Christmas season as it was celebrated in the cloisters, palaces and streets of England in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The group's voices are "gorgeously blended, hauntingly beautiful…singing as sublime as the music; firmly projected but unforced, velvet-finished" (Kansas City Star).

February

Peru Negro, world music
Friday, February 15, 2008; 7:30 PM / $30

"Who knew a showcase of Afro-Peruvian cultural traditions could be so much unadulterated fun...sensual, fiery, festive." - Boston Globe

This internationally acclaimed troupe of singers and dancers offers up "earthy, soulful music and powerful, sensuous dancing" (New York Daily News) that is "celebratory and beautifully performed" (Billboard). Formed over 35 years ago to preserve Peru's African heritage, Perú Negro has performed all over the world and been appointed "Cultural Ambassadors of Peruvian Culture" by the Peruvian Government. "A nonstop carnival of rhythm" (Los Angeles Times), Perú Negro's high-energy show is made up of joyful dances interwoven with pulsating live music, recreating the folkloric history of their ancestors.

Don't miss this explosion of color, sound and movement on the Porter Center stage.

March

Altan, celtic
Wednesday, March 12, 2008; 7:30 PM / $25

"The finest traditional Irish combo working today, Altan seamlessly blend dazzling instrumental prowess and the gorgeously delicate vocals of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh." - Chicago Weekly

Named after a lake in northwest Donegal, Altan's music ranges from the sensitive, touching Irish ballads to hard-hitting reels and jigs. The group's reputation has been earned through incendiary live shows, thrilling audiences from Donegal to Tokyo, Sydney to Seattle. Founded in the mid-'80s by the husband-wife team of flutist Frankie Kennedy and singer/fiddler Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Altan earned a sizable cult from tireless touring and kinetic live performances. The group persevered after Kennedy's tragic death from cancer in the 1994, becoming the first traditional Irish band signed to a major record label. Throughout, there has been the unwavering commitment of the band to conveying the beauty of traditional music, particularly that of the Donegal fiddlers and singers.

And one thing has remained true over the years: "Under no circumstances should Altan be missed in concert" (Irish Echo).

Simon Trpceski, pianist
Friday, March 21, 2008; 7:30 PM / $25

"Here is a musician who looks set to dominate the pianistic
world for a long time to come." - The Times of London

A born performer with astonishing technical command, Simon Trpceski burst onto the international scene in 2001 with his rapturously received recital at London's Wigmore Hall when was just 22 years old. Since then, his concerts in recital or with the world's finest orchestras routinely draw rave reviews: "If it is becoming commonplace to have to search for superlatives in describing Simon Trpceski's performances," explains the Telegraph, "the reason lies in piano-playing of extraordinary prowess, personality and expressive perception."

At the Porter Center, the young Macedonian will perform Debussy's Children's Corner, Prokofiev's Tocatta, Op. 7 and Sonata No. 7, and a selection of short pieces by Rachmaninoff. Of his Prokofiev pieces on his debut recording, Gramophone wrote, "Everything is musically and ardently inflected and while Trpceski's virtuoso voltage is awe-inspiring, his unfailing musicianship is even more remarkable."

Turtle Island String Quartet, classical/jazz
Friday, March 28, 2008; 7:30 PM / $25

"A unified voice that truly breaks new ground - authentic and passionate -
a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today." - Yo-Yo Ma

Since its inception in 1985, the Turtle Island String Quartet has worked to create bold, new trends in chamber music for strings, drawing on influences in classical, jazz, pop and world music. At the Porter Center, the group features music from its latest release A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane, an amazing exploration of the late jazz saxophonist's work.

The group's exciting live shows are things of legend, prompting the St. Louis Post Dispatch to claim, saying "It must have been like this when Beethoven was taking Vienna by storm - the exhilaration of see the future of classical music unfold before your eyes and ears,".

This marks Turtle Island's second appearance at the Porter Center, and its first since it won a Grammy for its disc Four plus 4, the centerpiece of which, "Mara's Garden of False Delights," was co-commissioned by the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

April

Anthony & Beard, organ & trumpet
Sunday, April 6, 2008; 7:30 PM / $20

"Heavenly sounds...The two musicians gave one heck of a performance…the duo has great onstage chemistry." - The Memphis Commercial Appeal

Trumpet and organ - two tones that were made to go together, as trumpeter Ryan Anthony and organist Gary Beard will prove during their Porter Center recital.

One of America's most in-demand solo trumpet players, Anthony is best-known for his work with the legendary Canadian Brass. He has been a featured soloist at the Kennedy Center and with the Cleveland Orchestra and Detroit Symphony. "There must be other trumpeters in this world as fine as Ryan Anthony," offered Fanfare. "But you'd never think so while listening to him play."

A former progidy, Beard made his professional debut at 11 and his New York debut at Town Hall in 1976, and gained early experience as an accompanist for Metropolitan Opera singers and has appeared on the great organ of The Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, and Notre Dame Cathedral.

John Pizzarelli Quartet, jazz/standards
Thursday, April 24, 2008; 7:30 PM / $30

"We can say we're as lucky to listen to Pizzarelli as Nat Cole fans were in the years before he became a legend." - The Village Voice

John Pizzarelli has cultivated a winning international career by singing classic standards and late-night ballads, and by playing sublime and inventive guitar. Using greats like Nat "King" Cole and Frank Sinatra and the songs of writers like Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen as touchstones, Pizzarelli is among the prime revivalists of the great American songbook, bringing to his work the cool jazz flavor of his brilliant guitar playing.

"A master guitarist, connoisseur of songs, mimic and storyteller" (New York Times), Pizzarelli, follows in the tradition of his father, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Hanging out with his father, John was exposed to all the great jazz music of the era, from Erroll Garner and Les Paul to Django Reinhardt..Now, with his longtime group behind him, Pizzarelli is a top concert attraction with "extraordinary musical talents matched by a wry humor, a quick wit and an easygoing manner" (Los Angeles Times).

May

Manuel Barrueco & Cuarteto Latinoamericano, classical
Thursday, May 1, 2008; 7:30 PM / $25

"A major artist with remarkable musicianship and a world of technique… simply and consistently awesome." - Los Angeles Times

Master guitarist Manuel Barrueco is joined by the Mexican ensemble Cuarteto Latinoamericano for an adventurous evening of contemporary Hispanic-themed music, highlighted by the Michael Daughtery composition Bay of Pigs, commissioned by Barrueco and unveiled on this tour. The program also includes music by Carlos Guastavino, Silvestre Revueltas, Agustin Barrrios, Roberto Sierra, and three pieces by the immortal Astor Piazzolla.

Routinely acknowledged as one of the finest classical guitarists alive, the Cuban-born Barrueco has performed as soloist, with orchestra, or in collaboration with guitarists like Al Di Meola and Andy Summers. He has offered world-premieres of works by Arvo Part and Roberto Sierra and collaborated with composers such as Toru Takemitsu and Steven Stucky. In live performance, as the Baltimore Sun describes it, "Those hearing the master for the first time are left agog at his dexterity; those who have been there before eagerly await his newest accomplishments."

The Cuarteto is a leading proponent of Latin American music for string quartet, known for its creative, against-the-grain approach to repertoire. The Pittsburgh Press notes, "Not only do (they) play with a rapport that verges on the telepathic, but they investigate a repertoire of which most other groups evidently are ignorant."