Second City Touring Company, comedy
Saturday, September 8, 2007 / $25

General student tickets: $10
Brevard College student tickets: $5 

“A temple of satire” – Time Magazine

Funny, fast-paced and irreverent, the Second City Touring Company has been bringing laughter to packed houses all over North America for over 40 years. Dubbed “the Harvard of improvisational theater” by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the City’s acclaimed alumni include Tina Fey, Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert, Mike Myers, Amy Sedaris, Steve Carrell, Chris Farley, Dan Castellaneta, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Martin Short, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jeremy Piven, Halle Berry, Sean Hays and Rachel Dratch, to name a few.

Aside from stellar talent, Second City's other chief export is satirical comedy that is both hilarious and thought-provoking, smart and silly, sophisticated and wild. The troupe presents its latest show, “In Blog We Trust,” in which six actors augmented by a musical accompanist perform a two-act revue featuring sketch comedy, songs and daring improvisation, frequently using audience suggestions as a launching-pad.

Note: some material may contain adult themes.

Allen Toussaint, New Orleans R&B
Saturday, October 6, 2007 / $25

“The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame pianist, songwriter and producer is 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

As a songwriter, producer, arranger and performer, Allen Toussaint’s impact on the music of New Orleans – and, by association, the music of America – is simply without equal.

A talented pianist in the style of New Orleans hero Professor Longhair, Toussaint was just 20 when he began supervising the recording activities at the legendary Minit Studios, where he wrote, produced, arranged and often performed on a string of hits, such as “Java” (a huge hit for Al Hirt), “Whipped Cream” (a hit for Herb Alpert, as well as “The Dating Game” theme), “Working in a Coal Mine,” “Mother-in-Law,” “Yes We Can,” “Sneakin’ Sally Thru the Alley,” “Fortune Teller” and “Southern Nights.” As a producer, he worked his magic on Dr. John (“Right Place, Wrong Time”), Labelle (“Lady Marmalade”) and the Meters, while his horn arrangements illuminated songs by Paul Simon, Paul McCartney and The Band. Given all this behind-the-scenes work, his solo output was sparse (just 8 records between 1958 and 2000), but it was enough to get him elected into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, and more than enough for the New Orleans Times-Picayne to note “Allen Toussaint has exerted an unparalleled influence over the New Orleans music scene.”

But Hurricane Katrina destroyed his studio and decades worth of equipment, awards and memorabilia. Determined to revive the fortunes of his beloved city, Toussaint struck back musically, performing regularly and teaming with longtime admirer Elvis Costello to record The River in Reverse, which 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 / $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 dominated by bluehairs, nobody bothered to tell ECCO (East Coast Chamber Orchestra).  This amazing 15-piece group, comprised of young musicians from the top conservatories and orchestras in the country, offers up “a youthful vigor that creates a kind of heat that transports the music-making to a higher place” (Washington Post).  

Formed in 2001, the ensemble is a conductor-less chamber orchestra, based upon democratic principles, with a focus purely on music-making. ECCO combines the strength and power of an orchestral ensemble with the personal, intimate nature of chamber music. Their Town Hall debut in February of 2004 created a sensation as the group’s fresh interpretations of new and old works coupled with highly nuanced and joyous playing earned them standing ovations and an immediate re-engagement.  

At the Porter Center, ECCO offers Stravinsky’s Concerto in D for String Orchestra, Corelli’s Variations on Follia, John Adams’ Shaker Loops, and Respighi’s Ancient Airs. 

Edgar Meyer, Jerry Douglas & Sam Bush, bluegrass
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 / $35 

Talk about your bluegrass supergroups, well…this one’s hard to beat. Jerry Douglas, a 12-time Grammy winner, is "the dobro's matchless contemporary master" (New York Times). Sam Bush is “one of the finest and most innovative mandolin players in the world” (The Tennessean). And Edgar Meyer “is a bass virtuoso of extraordinary gifts” (San Francisco Chronicle).   

Put the three of them together and watch the fireworks. It’s not a stretch to say that each of these players is among the absolute best-in-the-world on their respective instruments, but they’re also astoundingly sympathetic players who thrive in a variety of settings.  

* Douglas 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. 

* Meyer 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. 

* Bush was the cofounder of the hugely influential New Grass Revival, which he led for 20 years, influencing a generation of followers. Now he leads his own group, a perennial concert favorite, while playing sideman for Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck, and collaborating with David Grisman and many others.  

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see three true virtuosos make music together.  

Hilary Hahn, violinist
Thursday, November 1, 2007 / $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.

“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 made 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. She was featured soloist on the Oscar-nominated soundtrack for the film The Village.  

The exquisite young Russian pianist Valentina Lisitsa accompanies Hahn for her Porter Center performance.  

Pat Metheny Trio, jazz
with Christian McBride & Antonio Sanchez
Sunday, November 4, 2007 / $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 numerousaccolades over the course of his career, 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 got his start at age 19 with vibraphonist Gary Burton, leaving three years later to start a solo career. Over the years, Metheny has won countless polls as “Best Jazz Guitarist,” as well as 16 sixteen Grammy Awards, spread out over a variety of different categories including Best Rock Instrumental, Best Contemporary Jazz Recording, Best Jazz Instrumental Solo and Best Instrumental Composition. The Pat Metheny Group won an unprecedented seven consecutive Grammys for seven consecutive albums.

Metheny 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 17, 2007 / $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 as featured soloist with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. He frequently concertizes with longtime duo partner Awadagin Pratty and currently serves as Artistic Director of the El Paso Pro-Musica and Professor of Cello at the University of Texas-El Paso 

Lionheart, choral
ednesday, November 28, 2007 / $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 ensembles in vocal chamber music, 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 – countertenor, two tenors, two baritones and bass – 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 a different a kind of 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).  

Peru Negro, world music
Friday, February 15, 2008 / $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.

Perú Negro's second US-released album, Jolgorio, received both a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional World Music Album as well as a Latin Grammy nomination.

The Miami Herald raves: “Perú Negro has thrilled audiences and critics in its home country and abroad with vibrant interpretations of Afro-Peruvian music and dances…colorful costumes, and traditional instruments, such as the percussive wooden box called cajón and the dried-out donkey jawbone with rattling teeth.”

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

Altan, celtic
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 / $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

No Irish traditional band in the last dozen years has had a wider impact on audiences and music lovers throughout the world than Altan. Named after a lake in northwest Donegal, Altan’s music ranges from the most sensitive and touching old Irish songs all the way to hard-hitting reels and jigs. As good as their records are, their reputation has been earned through incendiary live performances, thrilling audiences Donegal to Tokyo, Syndey to Seattle.

Founded in the mid-‘80s by the husband-wife team of flutist Frankie Kennedy and singer/fiddler Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Altan quickly earned a sizable cult following though its tireless touring and amazing live shows. 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
Thursday, March 20, 2008 / $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 and a magnetic personality, 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 / $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 been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings, drawing on influences from all quarters of classical, jazz, pop and world music to create something entirely new. At the Porter Center, the group will feature music from its latest release A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane, a remarkable exploration of the late jazz saxophonist’s work.

“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,” exclaimed the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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.

The group’s exciting live shows are things of legend, prompting the Nashville Scene to say, “At some other time, in some other venue, I may have heard a better live performance. But I doubt it.”

Anthony & Beard, organ & trumpet
Sunday, April 6, 2008 / $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.

Anthony is best-known for his work with the legendary Canadian Brass. One of America's most in-demand solo trumpet players, Anthony began his career at age 16 by becoming the second Grand Prize Winner of the Seventeen Magazine/General Motors Concerto Competition. That success was followed by engagements as 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.”

 Beard began his study as a prodigy, making his professional debut at age eleven.  He made his New York debut at Town Hall in 1976, and gained early experience as an accompanist for Metropolitan Opera singers. He has appeared as soloist with The Arkansas Symphony, The Memphis Symphony, The Denver Symphony and The Florida Philharmonic. He has also appeared on the great organ of The Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, and Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.

John Pizzarelli Quartet, jazz/standards
Thursday, April 24, 2008 / $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 has been playing guitar since age six, following 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. His latest bestselling CD, Dear Mr. Sinatra, is a collection of tunes associated with the great crooner.

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).

Manuel Barrueco & Cuarteto Latinoamericano, classical
Thursday, May 1, 2008 / $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.

Barrueco is quite routinely acknowledge as one of the finest classical guitarists alive. The Cuban-born guitarist (his family emigrated in 1967), Barrueco has performed as soloist, with orchestra, or in collaboration with such guitarists as Al Di Meola and Andy Summers. He has offered world-premieres of works by Arvo Part and Roberto Sierra and his commitment to the expansion of the guitar repertoire has led him to collaborations with composers such as Toru Takemitsu, Steven Stucky and Michael Daugherty. 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 known worldwide as the leading proponent of Latin American music for string quartet, and for its 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.” The ensemble has been nominated for a Grammy and a Latin Grammy, and has been praised for its “matchless tonal magnitude, tuneful fluency and concentrated teamwork” (Washington Post).

The program also includes music by Carlos Guastavino, Silvestre Revueltas, Agustin Barrrios, Roberto Sierra, and three pieces by the immortal Astor Piazzolla.