The legendary avant garde modern jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton makes a rare visit to San Diego via a solo performance at UC San Diego. Recognized as one of the most important musicians, educators, and creative thinkers of the past 50 years, Anthony Braxton has been widely celebrated for his revolutionary work, drawing from sources as disparate as John Coltrane, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and 12th-century mystic Hildegard von Bingen.
Presented by Art of Elan and ArtPower at UC San Diego
Art of Elan and ArtPower’s first-ever collaboration brings the renowned JACK Quartet to San Diego for an evening of music titled “Modern Medieval,” at The Loft in UC San Diego, where connections of musicality and thought between European composers of the past and the voices of American music today are explored in this one-hour program that includes music by Caroline Shaw as well as Gabriella Smith.
Program
Austin Wulliman: Hoquetus David on Guillaume de Machaut (2024)
Caroline Shaw: Entre’acte (2011)
Ruth Crawford Seeger: String Quartet (1931)
Morton Feldman: Structures (1951)
Gabriella Smith: Carrot Revolution (2015)
Hailed by the New Yorker ”not simply for the quality of their music making, exalted as it is, but for the joy they take in the act of connection,” the acclaimed St. Lawrence returns to San Diego. In this performance the St Lawrence are joined by young phenomenon Steven Banks, a performer and composer revolutionizing the role of saxophone in chamber music.
Program
Mozart: Quartet for Oboe (arranged for saxophone) and strings in F Major, K 370 and Three Preludes and Fugues for String Trio, K. 404a
Britten: Phantasy Quartet for Oboe (arranged for saxophone) and Strings, Op. 2
Steven Banks: Reflections and Exaltations for soprano saxophone and string quartet (2024) World Premiere
Queen Nation is the undisputed #1 ranked Queen Tribute Act in the United States and currently reigns as the all-time performance champions and crowned the kings of the Queen tributes. Over the past two decades, Queen Nation has notched over 1,250 shows and attracted 2.5 million viewers worldwide.
Queen Nation is recognized as the most popular, accurate, and highest-grossing fully-costumed re-creation of a vintage Queen concert in the US. Comprising four musicians to reflect the original Queen lineup, the band performs in detailed 70s & 80s Queen-era costumes. All of this is presented in a live 90-minute concert experience, with note-for-note renditions of classic Queen songs.
Frontman Gregory Finsley’s voice and energy emulate Freddie Mercury, while playing piano live during all shows. Queen Nationpromises a seamless show without interruptions or cheesy props, focusing on delivering a pure vintage Queen show every time they take the stage.
Queen Nation’s straightforward creed highlights their commitment to authenticity for Queen fans worldwide.
2023 Tribute Artist of the Year Winner (Josie Awards at Grand Ole Opry) Legends in Concert CHER Tribute Artist Lisa McClowry’s stunning portrayal of the Goddess of Pop is the main attraction of this Broadway-style live stage show. Why? Because Lisa has every aspect of playing CHER down pat: the singing and speaking voice, the walk, the talk, the costumes, the makeup, the mannerisms. Nothing is overlooked. This theatrical extravaganza incorporates dynamic dialogue, humor, seriously fun audience participation, eight costume changes and video projections with amazing visuals and animations. Performed to a live band or tracks, the show is like having the real CHER strut her stuff on your stage.
The Academy Award winning Best Picture, Birdman, screened to a live soundtrack
“In his live scoring of Birdman, Sánchez injects a vitality that maps out the emotions of the film’s characters with precision.”—The Guardian (U.K.)
“One of the standout jazz drummers on the contemporary scene, a polyrhythmic ace attuned to the subtlest dynamic fluctuations.”—New York Times
After the success of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, which won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, drummer/composer Antonío Sánchez performed his dramatic Grammy Award-winning score live around the world. Sánchez’ original music was largely improvised, making each presentation unique. Celebrating the film’s 10th anniversary, he brings Birdman Live to the Epstein Family Amphitheater. One of the most sought-after drummers on the international jazz scene, Sánchez has recorded and performed with the likes of Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Michael Brecker and Charlie Haden. His 2022 album SHIFT features Trent Reznor, Dave Matthews, Meshell Ndegeocello and more. (Birdman: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, 2014, R, 119 min.)
Born in Mexico City, 4-time Grammy Award winner Antonío Sánchez began to play the drums at age five and performed professionally as a teen in Mexico’s Latin, jazz and rock scenes—when he wasn’t participating as a member on Mexico’s Junior National Gymnastics Team. He later pursued a degree in classical piano at the National Conservatory in Mexico and in 1993 enrolled in Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory, where he graduated magna cum laude in Jazz Studies.
Following nine albums and 18 years as one of the most cherished of Pat Metheny’s collaborators, Sánchez has also recorded and performed with Gary Burton, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden and Chick Corea. In 2014 Sánchez’s popularity soared when he scored Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman which ended up garnering four Academy Awards (including Best Picture).
Today, Sánchez is among the most sought-after jazz drummers in the world and has been Modern Drummer’s “Jazz Drummer of the Year” on multiple occasions. His new album SHIFT – Bad Hombre Vol. II, featuring Dave Mathews, Trent Reznor and a host of other guest artists, will be released on Warner Bros this August.
“What makes [Birdman] snap, crackle and pop — literally and figuratively — is Sánchez’s remarkably creative drumming.”—San Diego Union Tribune Read the full interview >
The Boarte Piano Trio was enthusiastically created by three of the most dedicated and outstanding Polish musicians of our time. The promisingly gifted pianist Konrad Skolarski, the breathtaking virtuoso Jarosław Nadrzycki , and the sensational cellist Karol Marianowski are all acclaimed artists in their country and abroad. They are laureates of many international music competitions, each with a long history of performances all over Europe, North and South America, as well as Asia.
The members of the Trio have won many prestigious international competitions, and have also received numerous awards for their previous recordings, including the Supersonic Award of the German magazine Pizzicato, five Diapasons d’Or of the French Magazine *Diapason and several nominations for the Fryderyk award. The three Boarte Trio musicians have also performed with leading orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the MDR Sinfonieorchester, and the Simón Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela.
All three artists are Graduate Students of the Hochschule für Musik Köln, the Boston Conservatory, the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, and the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, where they currently conduct pedagogical activities.
PROGRAM
Beethoven: Piano Trio in C minor, op. 1 no. 3
Pärt: Fratres (arr. for piano trio)
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in C minor, op. 66 no. 2
Get ready for an electrifying tribute to the iconic love story of Johnny Cash and June Carter! Starring Charles Evans Jr. as Johnny Cash and Caitie Grady as June Carter, “Because You’re Mine” brings to life the timeless hits that defined a generation.
From the legendary duets like “Jackson” and “Long Legged Guitar Pickin’ Man” to Johnny Cash’s chart-toppers such as “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Ring of Fire”, this celebration of the extraordinary legacy of these beloved artists will have you singing along and dancing in your seats.
Charles Evans Jr. channels the Man in Black himself, delivering the deep, resonant vocals that made Johnny Cash a legend and Caitie Grady’s vibrant energy and pitch-perfect renditions will transport you back to a time when June Carter dazzled audiences worldwide.
Red Baraat is a pioneering band from Brooklyn, New York. Conceived by dhol player Sunny Jain, the group has drawn worldwide praise for its singular sound, a merging of hard driving North Indian bhangra with elements of hip-hop, jazz and raw punk energy. Created with no less a purposeful agenda than manifesting joy and unity in all people, Red Baraat’s spirit is worn brightly on its sweaty and hard-worked sleeve.
Reemerging in 2021 with a renewed focus, energy and sound, Red Baraat headlined the Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center with master percussionist, Zakir Hussain, performed at the Dubai World Expo, and toured its 10th annual Red Baraat Festival of Colors.
Alfredo Rodríguez is a GRAMMY-nominated pianist, composer, arranger, and producer. After meeting Quincy Jones at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2006 and receiving an offer to work together, Alfredo emigrated to the US to pursue his dream of being an internationally acclaimed musician. Over the past decade, Alfredo has gone from a local Cuban artist to a globally recognized GRAMMY nominee with five critically acclaimed releases on tastemaker imprint Mack Avenue Records: Sounds of Space (2011), The Invasion Parade (2014), Tocororo (2016), The Little Dream (2018), and Duologue (2019) with percussionist Pedrito Martinez.
Beyond his accomplishments, Rodriguez’s ability to “play stories” on the keys allows him to connect with his listeners on a deeply personal level. His albums, including The Invasion Parade, Tocororo, and Duologue, reflect his memories of Cuba, his experiences as an immigrant, and his journey of self-discovery through music. He’s been featured by All Things Considered, Downbeat, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal among many others, and performed for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert.
Rodriguez continues to share his music along with his impactful message of perseverance and cross culturalization on an international tour, while sharing a variety of viral social media videos in which he plays well-known compositions in a Cuban timba style.