Schedule:

Thursday, July 25, 2024

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Olivas Adobe Historical Park

Mike Cleveland - Vocals, Fiddle

Josh Richards - Vocals, Guitar

Nathan Livers - Vocals, Mandolin

Jasiah Shrode - Vocals, Banjo

Chris Douglas - Vocals, Bass

From an early age, Michael Cleveland heard old-time and bluegrass music at local jams and festivals near his hometown of Henryville, Indiana. His grandparents hosted regular bluegrass gatherings at the American Legion, and at age four, he began playing the fiddle. He attended the Kentucky School for the Blind in Louisville, where he learned the Suzuki method of violin. While he practiced the violin at school, he played fiddle at home. Cleveland began playing professionally after he graduated from high school, first with Jeff White, later with Dale Ann Bradley and Rhonda Vincent. However, Cleveland had always dreamed of leading his own band and in 2006, he formed Flamekeeper, seven-time recipients of the IBMA's "Instrumenstal Group of the Year" award, including Josh Richards, Nathan Livers, Jasiah Shrode, and Chris Douglas. In addition to touring with his band, Cleveland has performed with a legendary list of bluegrass greats: Bela Fleck, Tommy Emmanuel, Billy Strings, Vince Gill, and more. Widely considered the bluegrass fiddler of his generation, Cleveland has been recognized 12 times as the IBMA's Fiddle Player of the Year and in 2018 was inducted into the National Fiddlers Hall of Fame. His recording Fiddler's Dream was nominated in 2018 for a GRAMMY for Best Bluegrass Album, and in 2019, he won a GRAMMY for his album Tall Fiddler. The same year, Cleveland's amazing life of adversity and achievement was featured in the documentary film Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story. And in 2022, he was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship.

Friday, July 26, 2024

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO)

Ventura College Performing Arts Center

Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concertos No. 2-5

Among the greatest achievements of the Baroque era, Bach's Brandenburg Concertos employ varied instrumentation that highlights the virtuosity of each musician. How did these familiar 300-year-old tunes become favorites in the classical music canon? Los Angeles Times writer Mark Swed puts it best, "The concertos don't have anything to do with anything, other than being a demonstration of Bach's amazing ingenuity and his inordinate ability to delight."

Musicians:
Margaret Batjer, Leader
Josefina Vergara, Violin
Sarah Thornblade, Violin
Meredith Crawford, Viola
Jonathan Moerschel, Viola
Nicolas Valencia, Viola
Andrew Shulman, Cello
Armen Ksajikian, Cello
David Grossman, Bass
Ben Smolen, Flute
Sandy Hughes, Flute
Claire Brazeau, Oboe
David Washburn, Piccolo Trumpet
Patricia Mabee, Harpsichord

Specific repertoire:
Concerto No. 2 in F major
Concerto No. 3 in G major
Concerto No. 4 in G major
Concerto No. 5 in D major

Saturday, July 27, 2024

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Caleb Teicher & Conrad Tao: Counterpoint II

Ventura College Performing Arts Center

"One is a tap prodigy. The other, a piano virtuoso. Together they create magic on stage."

Since founding Caleb Teicher & Company (CT&Co) in 2015, Caleb Teicher's work has expanded to engagements and commissions across the US and abroad. Teicher is known for choreographic collaborations with diverse musical talents: creating full collaborations with world-champion beatboxer Chris Celiz and composer/pianist Conrad Tao; performing as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center; recording percussion and vocals for television with Ben Folds; and choreographing Regina Spektor's residency on Broadway.

Conrad Tao has appeared worldwide as a pianist and composer and has been dubbed "the kind of musician who is shaping the future of classical music" by New York Magazine, and an artist of "probing intellect and open-hearted vision" by The New York Times.Tao has performed as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Boston Symphony. As a composer, his work has been performed by orchestras throughout the world. he was the recipient of a New York Dance and Performance "Bessie" Award, for Outstanding Sound Design / Music Composition, for his work on More Forever, in collaboration with dancer and choreographer Caleb Teicher. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and was named a Gilmore Young Artist—an honor awarded every two years highlighting the most promising American pianists of the new generation.

Sunday, July 28, 2024

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Bach, Baroque, and Brunch

Ventura College Performing Arts Center

Matinee Event with Optional Brunch
11:30 Brunch, 1:30 Event

Widely considered one of the finest speakers on classical music, Ventura Music Festival Artistic Director Nuvi Mehta has a gift for capturing minds and hearts. "His old-fashioned Hollywood charisma extends to an eloquent and theatrical way of speaking that is almost entirely lost today." (L.A. Times). Combining education and drama in his concerts, Mehta is creating new generations of classical music lovers. As Director of Special Projects for the San Diego Symphony, Mehta launched Classical Edge, a series of multi-media concert lectures, introducing 'the stories behind the notes'. Conducting appearances have taken Mehta across the United States, to Europe and to Mexico. He has appeared as violin soloist with the San Diego Symphony, the New World Symphony, the Marquette Symphony, the Ann Arbor Symphony, the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and the Fine Arts Chamber Orchestra of Mexico City.

In pursuit of his mission to make classical music a relevant and powerful force in society, Greg Anderson has developed a multi-faceted career as a pianist, composer, and filmmaker. Today Greg is an internationally renowned concert pianist with live tours reaching four continents and 24 countries, 30+ million music video views, daily radio plays, and over a thousand performances of his compositions every year. His intuitively creative approach and ability to connect with the next generation have attracted the attention of such media outlets as PBS, MTV, the BBC, and the Today Show. He is profiled in Nick Romeo's Driven, David Cutler's The Savvy Musician, and Adrian Daub's Four-Handed Monsters, and he has been featured on NPR's Performance Today, All Things Considered, and A Prairie Home Companion, as well as Pianist, Gramophone, and Listen magazines.  Greg received his Doctorate and Master of Musical Arts degrees from Yale University and his master's and bachelor's degrees from The Juilliard School, where one of his performances was handpicked to appear on the Sounds of Juilliard CD celebrating the school's centenary. Greg is a Steinway artist.

Friday, August 2, 2024

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Perla Batalla

Ventura College Performing Arts Center

Singer-songwriter Perla Batalla earns critical acclaim for her distinctive voice, emotional honesty & culture-merging compositions.  She was born in L.A. to a family immersed in music. Her dad, a Mexican mariachi and D.J. and an Argentine mom who ran the family record shop, "Discoteca Batalla" where Perla was exposed to an education of non-stop music that cut across genre & language.

After singing with and recording with numerous groups, including Leonard Cohen, Perla launched her solo career with Cohen's encouragement. Since then she has recorded 7 albums, been featured in film and TV, staged 2 one-woman shows and performed in some of the most prestigious venues around the world.

Her original Frida Kahlo musical was chosen by the Ojai Playwrights Festival & subsequently produced at the San Diego Repertory Theater to critical praise. Perla's personal homage to her mentor, Cohen continues to play to sold-out audiences throughout Europe and N. America.

The L.A. times writes; "Batalla is comfortable in both English & Spanish, proud of her Mestiza heritage, musically adventurous and above all, a born storyteller with a rambunctious sense of humor."

Batalla's mission of exposing youth to the beauty of music & Spanish language is ongoing in her outreach throughout some of the poorest communities in the U.S. She has been honored with two U.N. awards: the Earth Charter Award for extraordinary devotion to social and economic justice and The Environmental Peacebuilding Award, advancing social justice through music. Perla is also the recipient of New Mexico's Premio Fronterizo Award for healing work in the world.

Saturday, August 3, 2024

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Jason Vieaux & Julien Labro

Ventura College Performing Arts Center

Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, "among the elite of today's classical guitarists" (Gramophone), is described by NPR as "perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation". In appearances from New York's Lincoln Center to Amsterdam's Concertgebouw and the Seoul Arts Center, Jason Vieaux has cemented his reputation as an artist of brilliance and uncompromised mastery. Cited for his "eloquent and vibrant performances" on disc (Gramophone Magazine) he is hailed as "virtuosic, flamboyant, dashing and, sometimes ineffably lyrical" (New York Times) on stage.

Heralded as "the next accordion star," Julien Labro has established himself as the foremost accordion and bandoneón player in both the classical and jazz genres. Deemed to be "a triple threat: brilliant technician, poetic melodist and cunning arranger," his artistry, virtuosity, and creativity as a musician, composer and arranger have earned him international acclaim and continue to astonish audiences worldwide.

Sunday, August 4, 2024

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Anderson & Roe

Ventura College Performing Arts Center

Known for their adrenalized performances, original compositions, and notorious music videos, GREG ANDERSON and ELIZABETH JOY ROE are revolutionizing the piano duo experience for the 21st century. Described as "the most dynamic duo of this generation" (San Francisco Classical Voice), "rock stars of the classical music world" (Miami Herald), and "the very model of complete 21st-century musicians" (The Washington Post), the Anderson & Roe Piano Duo aims to make classical music a relevant and powerful force around the world. Their five critically acclaimed albums have spent dozens of weeks at the top of the Billboard Classical Charts, while their Emmy-nominated, self-produced music videos have been viewed by millions on YouTube and at international film festivals.

2022 marks the 20th anniversary of Anderson & Roe's debut. Since forming their dynamic musical partnership as students at The Juilliard School, Anderson & Roe have toured extensively worldwide as recitalists and orchestral soloists; appeared on NPR, MTV, PBS, and the BBC; presented at numerous international leader symposiums; and served as hosts of "From the Top" and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. A live performance by Anderson & Roe was handpicked to appear on the Sounds of Juilliard CD celebrating the school's centenary.

Date: July 25-August 4, 2024

Location:
Olivas Adobe, 4200 Olivas Park Dr, Ventura, CA 9300
Ventura College Performing Arts Center, 4700 Loma Vista Road, Ventura, CA 93003

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