JUNE 28-JULY 26, 2025 BOONE, NC
APP SUMMER ‘25 and Celebrating
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MAKERS OF EUROPEAN-INFLUENCED DOWN COMFORTERS, PILLOWS, AND FEATHERBEDS. dewoolfsonLinens com 9452 NC Hwy. 105 S BETWEEN BOONE & BANNER ELK 828.963.4144
RANKY TANKY WITH MS. LISA FISCHER
Generous support from our sponsors enables us to present diverse artistic programming and sustain a level of excellence we have enjoyed since 1984. We wish to thank the corporate and media sponsors that proudly support An Appalachian Summer!
We are delighted to have you join us for this extraordinary 41st season of creativity, inspiration, and community connection.
Whether you’re here to experience captivating performances, explore stunning visual art, immerse yourself in films touching on family life, or engage with artists through our ARTtalk series, An Appalachian Summer is designed to spark joy and ignite imaginations.
This event is a testament to the dedication and artistry of our talented performers and creators, who share their work to uplift and unite us all. None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our patrons, volunteers, and staff, who work throughout the year to bring this annual celebration to life.
So, embrace the vibrancy, connect with fellow enthusiasts, and let yourself be inspired. We are grateful to have you as part of this journey.
With Gratitude,
Elizabeth Auer Executive Director
The Advisory Council provides important leadership for An Appalachian Summer by offering overall guidance, fundraising assistance, programming ideas and long-term direction for the series. Advisory Council members are representative of the festival audience and community — providing valuable feedback to the staff, and serving as advocates and community ambassadors for the university and App Summer.
Carol Berns
Chair
Joe Logan
Vice Chair
Ira Abrams
Carol Blumberg
Steven Brooks
Penn Broyhill
Sue Chase Jeannine
Underdown Collins
Lynn Eisenberg
Ben Henderson
Jenny Miller
Peter Petschauer
Christine Petti
Traci D. Royster
Linda Russell
Nancy Schaffel
Sandi Finci Solomon
Liz Neisler Sumner
Nancy Tafeen
Wright Tilley
Ex-Officio Members:
Elizabeth Auer
Executive Director, Office of Arts
Engagement & Cultural Resources
Dr. James Douthit
Dean, Hayes School of Music; Acting Dean, College of Fine and Applied Arts
Melinda Friddell
Director of Development, Office of Arts Engagement & Cultural Resources
Will Sears Vice Chancellor for University Advancement
Dr. Neva J. Specht
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
WE ARE an annual arts series presenting a diverse and dynamic variety of music, dance, theatre, film, and visual arts programming. App Summer forges a unique national identity through artistic excellence, innovative programming, educational opportunities, and by bringing the most accomplished and respected creative and performing artists from around the world to the Appalachian State University campus and community. App Summer supports the overall university mission, enhances the cultural life of the community through affordable access to its programs, serves as an important gateway onto the campus, and promotes the economic development of our region.
The origins of An Appalachian Summer date to the early 1980s, with an interest to further expand and strengthen the university’s summer programs and broader role within the region. By developing a quality arts and cultural program, a stronger partnership with the local community would result, and the campus could begin to attract visitors from outside the immediate community.
Chancellor John Thomas and Vice Chancellor Bob Snead led this effort. At the same time, summer residents Arnold and Muriel Rosen were addressing the need for diverse cultural activities from a different angle. Arnold, a board member of the Chopin Foundation, was involved with the Miami chapter in the staging of competitions and concerts that featured foundation-sponsored musicians. He and Robert Chumbley, the foundation’s director in Florida, began to discuss the formation of a North Carolina chapter, and made arrangements for a group of musicians to come to Boone for a series of recitals. The concept for the event began to emerge, and by 1984, the idea had come to fruition with the staging of a series of cultural activities that also included a residency by the North Carolina Symphony, in conjunction with Cannon Music Camp.
Initially, the series complemented its name in the truest sense, with events scheduled from May through August. By the summer of 1985, “An Appalachian Summer” began to establish itself as a permanent fixture on the High Country’s summer scene. In addition to the vision they provided, the Rosens generously responded to the university’s request for the first major financial contribution to the program. Support from Paul and Faye Broyhill, the Broyhill Family Foundation, Robert G. and
Mariam Cannon Hayes, the Cannon Foundation, Martin and Doris Rosen, Satie Hunt Broyhill, James and Louise Broyhill, Robert and Allene Broyhill Heilman, Willard and Bettie Gortner, Eileen Lackey Sharpe, and Bernard and Shirley Spector was also critical during this period.
The Chopin Foundation musicians became established as the Appalachian Chamber Ensemble in 1985, and with a generous gift from the Broyhill family, the group was renamed the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble. Also featured during these early years were performances by the North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Cannon Music Camp concerts, the Acting Company directed by John Houseman, and the Smithsonian Lecture Series. Renowned sculptor Richard Hunt played a key role in the development of the visual arts component of the festival, which was initiated with the support and sponsorship of Martin and Doris Rosen.
As the desire to present the finest in the performing and visual arts evolved, so did the need to concentrate these events into a shorter time period. The series eventually dropped its summer-long time frame in favor of a more condensed schedule. In 1989, management of the event was transferred from the Appalachian State University Foundation office to the newly established Office of Cultural Affairs. The artistic leadership of Chumbley, and later Gil Morgenstern, played a key role in developing App Summer’s artistic identity and establishing standards of artistic excellence. In the years to follow, the series made major strides in expanding the scope of its artistic programming, strengthening and diversifying its audience base, and building a strong and loyal base of private supporters and corporate sponsors who continue to sustain App Summer and invest in its growth and development. Throughout its 41-year history, the series has maintained its commitment to the values upon which it was founded: artistic excellence, innovation, and audience-building, leading to national prominence. With recognition in The New York Times, Southern Living, US Airways Magazine and on regional National Public Radio stations, as well as designation as one of the “Top 20 Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society, An Appalachian Summer is no longer the “best kept secret” in the High Country.
CHARTER MEMBERS
The Broyhill Family Foundation: J. Edgar & Satie H.
Broyhill James T. & Louise R. Broyhill Paul H. & Faye A. Broyhill
Willard A. & Bettie B. Gortner
Robert E. & Allene B. Heilman
Robert G. & Mariam Cannon Hayes
Armfield & Rachel Rivers Coffey Berge H. & Meliné A. Markarian
Budd & Nanette Mayer
Arnold P. & Muriel S. Rosen
Martin L. & Doris B. Rosen
Robert & Minnie Snead
J. Bernard & Shirley S. Spector
Robert L. & Lillian A. Turchin
2002 MEMBERS
John E. & Faye B. Cooper
Buddy & Charlotte Halpert
Florence R. Hecht
D. Grady Moretz Jr. & Reba Smith Moretz
Peter & Joni Webb Petschauer
2013 MEMBERS
Connie Adams
Bonnie & Jamie Schaefer
2015 MEMBERS
Frank & Kay Borkowski
Doug & Teresa
Johnson Ralph & Venda Lerch
Ralph Glaser, Jr. & John A. Pfeifer
Neil & Nancy Schaffel
Mark & Nancy Tafeen
2019 MEMBERS
Explore Boone (Wright Tilley)
Wendy & Mike Brenner
Sue & Steve Chase
Creekside Electronics (Lane Robinson)
Susan & Harvey Durham
Lynn & Barry Eisenberg
Adrienne Finkel
Barbara & Larry Freiman
Mary & Nick Friedman
Goodnight Brothers (Jim Goodnight And Bill Goodnight)
Susie Greene
Ralph Grier
Sandy & Marc Kadyk
Helen & Roger Michelson
Nanci Tolbert Nance & Larry Nance
Peabody’s Wine & Beer Merchants (Jeff Collins)
Edie Peiser
Tina & Gary Silverstein
SkyBest Communications (Edward Hinson & Karen Powell)
Sandi Finci Solomon
Letty & Keith Stoneman
Cyn D Weaver
Helene & Stephen Weicholz
2024 MEMBERS
Bill Barbour
Bettie & John Bond
Lainey & Steven Brooks
Natalie & Penn Broyhill
Broyhill Chamber Ensemble
Barbara Watkins Daye
Jana Duke
Chuck & Anna Eyler
Ellen Harrell
Mary Underwood & Ben Henderson
Anne C. & Dr. Myron Liptzin
Jenny & Wayne Miller
Carmen Patella
Christine Petti
Susan Pettyjohn
Denise Ringler
Pam Walker
On July 22, 2000, the university created a Founders Society to recognize the supporters whose generosity and hard work helped build An Appalachian Summer. The program owes its success in large part to these extraordinary individuals.
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This past year, An Appalachian Summer lost special members of its family, whose leadership, support, and generosity nurtured the growth and development of the summer series. The memory of these beloved friends lives on in our hearts.
Dr. Francis Borkowksi
Dr. Francis Thomas Borkowski, former chancellor of Appalachian State University (1993-2003), died Jan. 19, 2025 at age 88. During his tenure, An Appalachian Summer grew to become a significant part of the cultural landscape and helped establish the area as a cultural tourism destination. As a professional clarinet and accordion player, as well as a music teacher and conductor, Borkowski loved and generously supported the arts, including the expansion of the App State public art program and the Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. During his time as chancellor, sculptures of Daniel Boone and App State mascot Yosef were erected. Following his chancellorship, he remained a tenured faculty member in the Hayes School of Music.
Dr. Thomas L. Rokoske
Dr. Thomas L. Rokoske, former Professor Emeritus, Physics, of Appalachian State University from 1993 to 2003, passed away on March 9, 2025 at age 86. He taught 37 courses in physics and astronomy and was instrumental in founding App State’s Dark Sky Observatory in 1981, as well as helping to found the graduate program in applied physics. Dr. Rokoske was also a steady supporter of An Appalachian Summer since its inception. Recalls former Director of Booking Sali Gill-Johnson: “Tom and I shared many an Appalachian Summer outdoor concert together, with him in the role of our official weather spotter/rain gauge operator (even built his own model) for our rain insurance policy. His memory is a blessing.”
Barbara (Sellers) Woodrow
Barbara (Sellers) Woodrow, a loyal volunteer with An Appalachian Summer for more than 15 years, passed away on September 11, 2024 at age 84. Barbara’s passion was caring for others, evidenced by her role as a CNA with Home Health of Appalachian District Health Department, where she delighted in the patients and families she served. After retirement, she worked part time at Appalachian Brian Estates for another 26 years, volunteered with NC Baptist Men and Women’s Disaster Relief Region 7 Unit, and dedicated her skillset several times in NYC after 9/11.
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Isabella Brumfield
SUPERVISORS
Bill Barbour
Anindita Das
Jennifer Dotson
Susan Hazlewood
Diana Latendresse
Jackie McInturff
Carmen Patella
Pam Walker
VOLUNTEERS
Ben Alexander-Eitzman
Judy Alexander-Eitzman
Barbara Barghothi
Kyndy Boyle
Judy Carlson
Deb Chalfant
Kerry Clark
Carl Cordini
Ruth Daggett
Rosa Dargan-Powers
Sandy Davis
Barbara Daye
Ann Dillon
Candace Hall
Tuney Henson
Barbara Hunsucker
Robin Hunt
Aviva Kahn
Dale Kirkley
Anita Laymon
Beth Lyons
Amber Mellon
Ray Moretz
Sally Orr
Sandra Perry
Teri Reddick
Kim Reese
Linda Rigell
Traci Royster
Mary Rupp
Sharon Shew
Deanne Smith
Ineke Thomas
Carol Thompson
Nanci Tolbert Nance
Mary Whisenant
Jim Zellner
Joyce Zellner
On the 100th anniverssary of her birth, we honor and remember Lillian Turchin.
As we remember Lillian Grace Athey Turchin on the 100th anniversary of her birth, we recognize the impact she had on the visual arts at Appalachian State and An Appalachian Summer. With the love of her life, Bob, Lillian was a passionate supporter and benefactor. When Lillian was in your corner, you found an intensely curious and engaged champion. Lillian was quiet, until she wasn’t. When the moment arose to share a needed word of advice or to voice her support, she was thoughtful and generous. Dedicated to supporting education, the arts and community, like her art-making life, Lillian’s generosity was deeply personal and avoided the spotlight. Lillian inspired a love and appreciation of the arts in Bob and their family. Her lifelong love of painting, and her appreciation for all the arts, motivated her support of An Appalachian Summer and the creation of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. For more than two decades, the facility the Turchins helped build has brought world-class local, regional, national, and international exhibitions and programs to Appalachian and the High Country. Lillian and Bob’s support of App Summer ensured that our campus was home to an annual summer celebration of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and film programming. Thanks to their generosity, the number of people who have had meaningful experiences with the arts is incredible and continues to grow. On this anniversary, it is fitting to recognize Lillian’s significant and powerful legacy of ensuring the arts are accessible to our campus and beyond.
Visit TCVA.org to learn about events throughout the year.
“HOME” (pictured at right)
LILLIAN TURCHIN
ACRYLIC AND OIL ON MASONITE
G.2008.7 1983
47 ¾ IN. X 35 ½ IN.
A GIFT FROM ROBERT AND LILLIAN TURCHIN, 2004 COURTESY OF THE TURCHIN CENTER FOR THE VISUAL ARTS PERMANENT COLLECTION
Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources
Dr. Heather Norris Chancellor
Dr. Neva J. Specht Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Elizabeth Auer Executive Director of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources
Mary Lois Bolka Business Services
Isabella Brumfield Box Office and Volunteer Coordinator
Christy Chenausky Director of Arts Education and Outreach
Madison Clark Assistant Director of Marketing
Melinda Friddell Director of Development
Scott Haynes Director of Operations
Lacy Holder Leadership Annual Gifts Officer
Annie Jones Office Administrator
Laura Pritchett Kaufman Director of Booking & Artist Relations
Conor McKenzie Technical Director
Maura McKenzie Director of Audience Services
Chris Pope Lead Technician
Molly Wells Assistant Artist Relations & Hospitality Manager
Allison West Director of Marketing
Mandy Bass Contract Preparator
Mary Lois Bolka Business Services
Shauna Caldwell Associate Curator for Academic Engagement
Christy Chenausky Director of Arts Education and Outreach
Emmi Farrell Collections Manager
Hank Foreman Director of Development
Melinda Friddell Director of Development
Lacy Holder Leadership Annual Gifts Officer
Annie Jones Office Administrator
Rachel Merritt Visitor Services Coordinator
Lindsay Miller Director of External & Public Relations
Allie-Grace Poupore Curatorial Assistant
Mary Anne Redding Senior Curator
Kelsey Merreck Wagner Contract Preparator
Harper Crowder Digital Marketing, 2025
Lanie Edelson English, 2025
Rian Hughes Graphic Communication Managaement, 2026
Lauren Huneycutt Theatre Arts, 2026
Emma Shepherd Music Education, 2025
Jessie Barsky Electronic Media/Broadcasting, 2025
Avery Edwards Theatre Design/Technology, 2027
Tyler D. McCarty Music Industry Studies, 2026
Abbey McGraw Music Industry Studies, 2026
Ethan Rapier Electronic Media/Broadcasting and Filmmaking, 2026
Shelby Rochez Music Industry Studies, 2026
Darcy Sluder Music Industry Studies, 2026
Chris Taura Electronic Media/Broadcasting, 2025
Meredith Mobley Philosophy, 2025
Anne Culler Art Education
Sara Diaz Anthropology, 2026
Jake Reid Social Work, 2025
Jillian Seversky Art Education, 2025
Rose Tallent
Apparel Design & Merchandising, 2025
Hammad Chaudry Art History, 2025
Gracelyn Donahue Exercise Science, 2027
Allison Golowski Art Education
Gabrielle Griffin Art History, 2025
Grace Guevarra Studio Art
Sarah Heller Art Education, 2026
Chloe Holliday Studio Art, 2027
Melissa Jeffris Psychology
Beatrix Johnson Professional Writing, 2026
James Moser History, Applied & Public, 2026
Bailey Pierce Hospitality & Tourism Management
Maura Polzer Art & Visual Culture
Gaby Rodriguez Commuications & Advertising, 2025
Morgan Brookshire Studio Art - B.F.A., 2025
Most
Top 3 in the South eight years in a row
U.S. News & World Report
Top Research University
R2 Research Designation
Carnegie Classication
The Wall Street Journal
Since An Appalachian Summer’s inception in 1984, many individuals, corporations and foundations have made significant contributions to the creation and growth of the program. This list recognizes their cumulative commitments.
$1,000,000 AND ABOVE
Blue Ridge Electric
Membership Corporation
The Broyhill Family Foundation
Arnold & Muriel Rosen / Rosen-Schaffel Endowment for Classical Music Programming
Barbara & Lawrence Freiman
Neil & Nancy Schaffel
Bonnie & Jamie Schaefer
The Martin & Doris
Rosen Giving Fund / Debbie Rosen Davidson & David Rosen
Charles & Nancy Rosenblatt Foundation
$500,000 - $999,999
Mr. Paul H. Broyhill
The Cannon Foundation, Inc.
John, Faye, and Lisa Cooper / Mast General Store
Mariam Cannon Hayes
Nanette & Budd Mayer
Christine Petti
Martin & Doris Rosen
SkyBest Communications, Inc.
$250,000 - $499,999
Appalachian Home Care / Ellen Harrell
Ford Motor Company
J.C. Goodnight
William S. Goodnight
Goodnight Brothers Produce, Inc.
Venda & Ralph Lerch
Northern Trust Company
Robert & Lillian Turchin
Mrs. Nan Van Every
Helene & Stephen Weicholz
Mr. & Mrs. Ken Wilcox
$100,000 - $249,999
Wendy & Mike Brenner
Lainey & Steven Brooks
The Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.
Explore Boone
Adrienne Finkel
Mr. & Mrs. Willard A. Gortner
Anthony & Deborah di Santi
Sandy & Marc Kadyk
Joan & Bernie Keele
Harold
Libby & Wanda Rayle-Libby
Mr. & Mrs. Roger Michelson
National Endowment for the Arts
North Carolina Arts Council
Peabody’s Wine & Beer Merchants
Joni & Peter Petschauer
R.Y. & Eileen L. Sharpe Foundation
Tina & Gary Silverstein
J. Bernard & Shirley Spector
Mrs. Allene Broyhill Stevens
Keith & Letty Stoneman
Mark & Nancy Tafeen
$50,000 - $99,999
Michael & Judy Adler
Allen Wealth Management, LLC
Appalachian Hospitality Management
Barbara & George Ball
Hanes & Lida Boren / Footsloggers Outdoor & Travel Outfitters
Boone Ford-Lincoln
Sen. & Mrs. James T. Broyhill
Mr. & Mrs. Keith Cloyed
Armfield & Rachel Coffey
Susan & Harvey Durham
Lynn & Barry Eisenberg
A.J. Fletcher Foundation
The Friedman Family: Ingrid, Mary & Nick
Susie Greene
Ralph S. Grier
Dr. & Mrs. Brent Hall
Mr. & Mrs. Sol Halpert
Dieter & Karyn Herterich
Dr. & Mrs. Berge Markarian
Anne C. & Myron B. Liptzin
Bob & Minnie Snead
Kent & Shelley Tarbutton / Chetola Resort
Mr. J. Wallace Wrightson
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Yergey
$25,000 - $49,999
Appalachian Ski Mountain / The Moretz Family
Drs. William & Sally Atkins
Joan & Albert Benbasat
Frank & Kay Borkowski
Natalie & Penn Broyhill
Kathleen Price Bryan Family Fund
Catsman Foundation
Sue & Steve Chase
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Courshon
Creekside Electronics / Lane & Joan Robinson
Byrdie & Ed Denison
Dewoolfson Down Products
Chuck & Anna Eyler / Highstreet Insurance Partners
Merle & Louis Feinberg
Mr. Jim Furman – Wendy’s of Boone
Dr. & Mrs. Lowell Furman
Mr. & Mrs. Robert F. Gilley
Ralph Glaser, Jr. & John A. Pfeifer
Sonya Rabin Greenfield
The Bruce J. Heim Foundation
Holiday Inn Express
Billy & Ray Howell
Mr. & Mrs. Harry F. Jacobs
Ethel & George Kennedy Family Foundation
Anonymous
Laurelmor - A Ginn Company Resort
Edgar & Nan Lawton
Lexington Furniture Industries
Morris & Katia Lioz
Linville Ridge Country Club
Mr. & Mrs. James T. Lynagh
Hospitality Mints, Inc.
Karen P. Minges
Daniel & Harlene Mitchum
Rosanne & Ken Peacock
Edith S. Peiser
Betty & Jesse Pike
Perfection Equipment Company
Drs. Raymond & Judith Pulley
John & Joy Safer
Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Singer
Sandi Finci Solomon
T.G. Solomon
Marshall Stein & Denise Grohs
David & Ginny Stevens
Ms. Helen Taulman
Park Terrell / Nationwide Insurance Agency
Mr. & Mrs. Dolph von Arx
Cindy Wallace & Allen Moseley
Wells Fargo Bank
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Whalen
$10,000 - $24,999
Brenda & Ira Abrams
Sheldon E. Anderson
Art Cellar Gallery / The McKay Family
Homer & Margie Barrett
William & Linda Blanton
Blue Ridge Mountain Club
Kathryne & Howard Brafman
Jack Branch
Peter & Susan Brockway
Charter Communications, Inc.
Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, Inc.
Helen Clabough Foundation
Alan & Sally Cone
Courtyard by Marriott
Crestwood Resort & Spa
Dr. Pamelia S. Cromer
Deer Valley Racquet Club
Dianne Davant Interiors
Foundation of Jewish Philanthropies
Suzanne Lasky Gerard & Bill Liebman
The Alfred B. & Josette L.
Glover Family Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Julian Good
Molle Grad
Mr. & Mrs. Harold Granoff
Robert Grier
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald G. Hester
Kenneth Hubbard
Rebecca & Jerry Hutchins
Michael & Sara Mayhew
Larry & Nanci Tolbert Nance
The Nesor Foundation
Panoramic Hospitality
Linda Larson and Bill Pelto
Joseph P. Logan
Allen Moseley & Cindy Wallace
Old World Galleries
Janet Pepin & Francie Field
Edmund F. Perls
PNC Bank
Anonymous
Ron Redmon & Tom Normand
Fred & Priscilla Robinette
Sally & Russell Robinson
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Ross, Jr.
Gerard & Judith Rothschild
Sazingg Jewelers
Steven Weischoff & Marla Schaefer
The Sesame Foundation
The Shane Family Foundation
Kim Shepherd
Gus & Frances Stavros
Tarheel Capital
Charles Gordon Travis
Tweetsie Railroad
Mary Underwood & Ben Henderson
United Technologies Corp.
US Airways
Mr. & Mrs. Alberto Vadia
Mr. Edward Vincz
Betty E. Yount
Jeffrey & Cher Zavik
Sam Tallman & Mike Zuravel
An Appalachian Summer deeply appreciates the support of its contributors. This list reflects contributions and pledges made solely to An Appalachian Summer’s Annual Appeal from October 1, 2024 through May 12, 2025.
$100,000 & ABOVE
Christine Petti
Bonnie & Jamie Schaefer
Neil & Nancy Schaffel
$25,000 - $99,999
Lainey & Steven Brooks
Catsman Foundation
$10,000 - $24,999
Anonymous
Anonymous
App State Campus Store
Appalachian Home Care / Ellen Harrell
Art Cellar Gallery / The McKay Family
Broyhill Family Foundation, Inc.
Explore Boone
Goodnight Brothers
Ralph S. Grier
Highstreet Insurance Partners / Chuck & Anna Eyler
Anne C. and Myron B. Liptzin
Mast General Store / John, Faye, & Lisa Cooper
SkyBest Communications, Inc.
Circle S Foundation / Keith & Letty Stoneman
Nancy Tafeen
(in memory of Mark Tafeen)
Helene & Stephen Weicholz
$6,000 - $9,999
Lynn & Barry Eisenberg
Peter & Joni Webb Petschauer
(in honor of Nancy Tafeen)
Creekside Electronics / Lane & Joan Robinson
Peabody’s Wine & Beer Merchant / Jeff Collins
$3,000 - $5,999
Albert & Joan Benbasat
Carol Berns & Ted Silver
Carol & Morty Blumberg
Frank & Kay Borkowski
Kathryne & Howard Brafman
Wendy & Mike Brenner
Peter & Susan Brockway
Natalie & Penn Broyhill
Sue & Steve Chase
Courtyard by Marriott
Barbara Watkins Daye
Adrienne Finkel
Merle & Louis Feinberg
Barbara F. Freiman
(in memory of Larry Freiman)
Suzanne Lasky Gerard & Bill Liebman
Grandview Catering & Events
Graystone Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection
Susie Greene & Jim West
(in memory of Dr. Francis Borkowski and Dr. Kenneth Peacock)
Richard & Vicki Hammer
Hampton Inn & Suites
Holiday Inn Express
Sandy & Marc Kadyk
Joseph P. Logan
Michael & Sarah Matthews
Barbara & Mark Moskowitz
The Rev. Dr. Oxford & Mrs. Courtney
Premier Sotheby’s International Realty
The Rosemyr Corporation
R. Y. & Eileen L. Sharpe Foundation
Marla Schaefer & Steven Weishoff
Sandi Finci Solomon
$1,200 - $2,999
Jonathan & Marisue Beloff
Susan & Harvey Durham
(in honor of Minnie & Bob Snead, and in memory of Muriel & Arnold Rosen)
The Bruce J. Heim Foundation
Jeff Paul Lindsay
Jenny & Wayne Miller
Bill Pelto & Linda Larson
Christine & G. Mark Shalloway
Julie & Gary Simon
Alex Sink
Dolph & Liz Sumner
Dottie & Charlie Sykes
Tracy & Wright Tilley
$600 - $1,199
Brenda & Ira Abrams
Diane & Joe Bastian
James & Dianne Goldenberg
Molle Grad
(in honor of Denise Ringler)
Marilyn Green
Kristina Groover & Marian Peters
(in memory of Dr. Rosemary Horowitz)
Megan Hayes & Michael Kitchell
(in honor of Kaaren & Lowell Hayes)
Mary & Nick Friedman
Larry & Nanci Tolbert Nance
Annette Paden
Susan Pettyjohn
(in memory of Bruce Pettyjohn & Ken Peacock)
Susan & Barry Podolsky
Traci D. Royster
Gloria & Rick Singer
Julie & Tom Trueman
Sam Tallman & Mike Zuravel
Mary Underwood & Ben Henderson
Claudia Van Essen
Todd Wright
$300 - $599
Elizabeth Auer & John James
Hanes & Lida Boren
Jacqueline & Robert Brauser
(in honor of Bonnie & Jamie Schaefer)
Craig & Rose Bridgeman
John & Bettie Bond
Lorraine Childers
Nancy Clark & Howard Miller
Alan & Nancy Cress
Gigi & William Egge
Melinda Friddell & Shawn Vestey
Anna Gaugert & Thomas Martin
Dan Gaugert & Terry Harper
(in honor of Anna Gaugert)
Mac & Doris Leitner
Richard & Pat Lord
Tim & Nancy Lorenzen
(in memory of Keith & Leota Cloyed)
Carol Quintero & Laurie Weiner
Denise Ringler
Edward & Barbara Rosasco
Dr. Morris & Margery Segall
Rebecca Shankland
Eleni & Steven Sonenreich
Shari Steinberg
Barbara & Fred Webb
$1 -$299
Barbara P. Aycock
Michael & Joan Bell
Christy & Brad Chenausky
Jeannine Underdown Collins
Dyan & George Cutter
Sali Gill-Johnson & John Johnson
Jeff Handler
Steve J. Hageman & Elizabeth Miller
Laura Pritchett Kaufman
Jane Lonon
Gregg & Bonnie Marland
Tamara Michael
Nancy & Roger Morehouse
Doug & Susan Morton
Elizabeth W. Plaster
Tish & Tom Rokoske
Mary Rupp
(in memory of Richard “Dick” Rupp)
Patrick K. Setzer
Marilyn Seward
Jim & Sandy Sheatsley
Thomas & Amy Shober
Joanie & Robert Shirley
Helen Sirett & Ken Hendrix
Charles & Leighann Swanson
Tanya Shook Wilder
Carol & Hank Thompson
Allison West & Rick Suyao
Artistic excellence, accessibility, and audience engagement make An Appalachian Summer unique. Because the series is committed to affordable ticket prices, revenues from ticket sales cover only about 43% of its annual costs. Private support must fill the gap in order to ensure a continued commitment to both quality programming and affordable ticket pricing.
Our rewards are measured in impact. Because of your generosity, we remain committed to…
• Affordable ticket prices and free events, ensuring arts access for all.
• Seeing the arts grow and flourish while building the next generation of arts lovers.
• Programming that emphasizes education and enrichment as well as entertainment.
• Artistic excellence that celebrates both established and emerging artists.
• Events that foster conversation, bridge communities, and strengthen social ties.
• Attend events and share the power of the arts with friends and family.
• Become a supporter and enjoy benefits that include priority purchasing, parking privileges, and special events.
• Consider making an outright gift or a planned gift. Gifts may be targeted to specific programming and designated in honor of the donor or in recognition of friends or family.
CELEBRATE YOUR LOVE OF THE ARTS WITH A LASTING TRIBUTE
With a gift of $3,000, you can place your name, the name of a loved one, or your business on a seat in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. An elegantly engraved brass plaque with your chosen inscription will be prominently displayed on the back of the seat(s) you select.
This fully tax-deductible gift is considered a charitable donation and includes lifetime early ticket buying privileges. Donors also receive the first right of refusal for tickets to their named seats for events presented through the Appalachian Arts series and An Appalachian Summer.
SEAT NAMING IS A MEANINGFUL WAY TO:
• Celebrate your connection to the arts at App State and the Schaefer Center
• Give a unique and lasting gift
• Honor a loved one
• Commemorate a special occasion
• Celebrate the arrival of a child or grandchild FOR
Maura McKenzie Director of Audience Services
FINE ARTS & GREAT FOOD
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10% OFF for App Summer patrons: Rate Code IXNM9 IN BOONE: Coyote Kitchen
The Local Lost Province Brewing Co. Pepper’s Restaurant IN BLOWING ROCK: Timberlake’s Restaurant
An Appalachian Summer and its hotel and restaurant sponsors make a trip to the High Country unique, relaxing and affordable! Visit appsummer.org/visit
Presented during the academic year (SeptemberApril), this series supports the teaching mission of the university by presenting a diverse array of music, dance, theatre, and multi-disciplinary arts events designed to enrich the cultural, educational, and economic landscape of the campus and surrounding region. By creating memorable performance experiences, App Arts promotes the power of live events, provides a “window on the world” through the artistry and culture of national and international artists, and makes artistic excellence accessible to all.
Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts • 733 Rivers St., Boone | TheSchaeferCenter.org
Appalachian State University’s arts education and outreach program strives to broaden and deepen arts experiences for young audiences, while ensuring access to the arts for all, building future audiences, and inspiring a love of learning through the arts.
Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts • 733 Rivers St., Boone | TheSchaeferCenter.org/applause
Located in the heart of downtown Boone at the crossroads between campus and community, the center’s exhibitions feature a blend of contemporary and historically important artwork by local, regional, national, and internationally renowned artists across six galleries. With its multifaceted education and outreach programs, the center is a dynamic, vibrant presence in the Appalachian community, creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the power and excitement of the visual arts. Admission is free.
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts • 425 W. King St., Boone | TCVA.org
DEPT. OF ART | art.appstate.edu
DEPT. OF THEATRE & DANCE | theatreanddance.appstate.edu
HAYES SCHOOL OF MUSIC | music.appstate.edu
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
FACULTY RECITAL I
Thursday, June 26 | 7:00-8:30pm
KALEIDOSCOPE CONCERT (Honors Quartet/ Quintet Groups, Chamber Singers, String Orchestra, Wind Ensemble)
Saturday, June 28 | 7:00-9:00pm
FACULTY RECITAL II
Tuesday, July 1 | 7:00-8:30pm
HONORS RECITAL I (Honors Chamber Groups and other small ensembles)
Friday, July 4 | 7:00-8:30pm
HONORS RECITAL II
Sunday, July 6 | 2:00-3:30pm
PIANO AND GUITAR STUDIO RECITAL
Sunday, July 6 | 7:00-8:30pm
FINALE CONCERT I: PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE, TREBLE CHOIR, AND STRING ORCHESTRA
Thursday, July 10 | 7:00-9:00pm
FINALE CONCERT II: JAZZ BAND AND WIND ENSEMBLE
Friday, July 11 | 7:00-9:00pm
FINALE CONCERT III: CHAMBER SINGERS AND CONCERT CHOIR
Saturday, July 12 | 10:00-11:30am
FINALE CONCERT IV: SYMPHONIC BAND
Saturday, July 12 | 12:00-1:00pm
FINALE CONCERT V: SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Saturday, July 12 | 1:00-2:30pm
CANNON MUSIC CAMP
813 RIVERS STREET, ROSEN CONCERT HALL
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY, BOONE, NC
Schedule subject to change; visit cannon.appstate.edu for updates.
SATURDAY, JUNE 28
7:30 PM
On his 11th studio album, Transmissions, singersongwriter Lee continues to expand his sonic range while sharpening his closely observed lyrics that squarely address death, aging, and love. The force behind such acclaimed albums as Mission Bell and Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song, and his eponymous gold-selling 2005 debut, Lee has been known for his association with a long list of collaborators and touring partners, from Paul Simon to Zac Brown Band.
For the new project, he craved a return to an old-school style of recording, working with his longtime band in a studio in rural Marlboro, NY that was built by drummer Lee Falco and his dad out of reclaimed wood from an old church. Playing for long hours, in close quarters, they were able to capture the album’s 12 songs in less than a week.
“I really wanted us to be all in the room, making music
I wanted to find a way to have miniature moments that could represent those experiences. If you listen to the end of ‘Night Light’ or ‘Built to Fall,’ there are moments that express those ideas of collaboration and orchestration.”
“As a producer, I had to have a clean and clear vision of what I wanted before I went in,” he says. “Especially now that I’ve done 10 albums. I’m not lighting a bunch of candles and trying to conjure the spirit — it’s either there or it isn’t. And it was there from day one. We were playing the song ‘Beautiful Day,’ and I thought, ‘Okay, here’s a song I have a demo for, but I don’t have a full version in mind. I’ve never played it with anyone, I’ve never shown it to anybody, and it’s a bit of a weird, herky-jerky tune.’ And the bass and drums kicked ass, the guitar playing is really cool — so yeah, I felt it from note one. I was never in doubt.”
The last few years have been wildly productive for
The Campus Store offers a wide selection of Mountaineer gear and gifts — perfect for fans, alumni and friends of App State. Every purchase supports student scholarships, so you can shop with purpose.
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SUNDAY, JUNE 29 10:00 AM (COMPETITION) | 3:00 PM (RECITAL)
This year’s competition, now in its 14th year, accepted entries by undergraduate and graduate collegiate musicians from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida. Three finalists were selected this past spring via a blind adjudication process by esteemed musicians and collegiate educators. In this final live round of the competition, a panel of distinguished judges will select a First, Second, and Third Place winner for cash prizes. Audience members will also select an Audience Choice winner. The winner of this morning’s competition will perform a 60-minute solo recital this afternoon featuring the full works of which they competed.
FIRST PLACE: $2,500 & RECITAL
SECOND PLACE: $2,000
THIRD PLACE: $1,500
AUDIENCE CHOICE: $1,000
ERIC HOANG (piano, UNCSA), a NC-born pianist and conductor, has appeared on NPR’s WUSF Classics FM 89.7 Live Radio in Tampa, FL, for his interpretations of Schubert and was featured on The Art of Piano, a PBS Premier Stage documentary for his interpretations of Mozart and insight on life as a pianist. He currently holds a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the mentorship of Dmitri Vorobiev. Hoang has been invited into the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland for the 2025-2026 year. An avid chamber musician, Hoang has performed alongside notable artists such as Robert Demaine, principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and internationally acclaimed award-winning violist Jordan Bak. Hoang was the youngest person ever awarded a piano faculty position at the UNCSA Community Music School. He has mentored students who have gone on to the Curtis Institute, Yale School of Music, and Eastman.
ZHANWEIYI LIU (piano, UNCG) is a DMA student in piano performance at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She developed an interest in music at age 4, and at age 11, learned piano performance in
the affiliated middle school of Sichuan Conservatory of Music in China. She participated in the 2019 Chopin International Piano Competition in ASIA, Asian Division, receiving Honorable Mentation, and in the 2019 Liszt International Piano Competition, Chinese Division, she received First Prize. In 2021, she received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at Sichuan Conservatory of Music. In 2022, she came to the U.S to begin her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at Oklahoma State University and to work for the Greenwood School of Music’s Preparatory Academy in Springfield, Mo. In 2023, she took First Place in the OMTA Piano Competition, Piano C, and earned Honorable Mention in the MTNA Piano Competition, Young Artist Piano.
YUE ZHANG (mezzo-soprano, UNCG) is a first-year Doctor of Musical Arts student in Voice Performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she also earned her master’s degree in 2024. She has worked with distinguished artists in international masterclasses including Craig Rutenberg, Bruno de Simone, Edith Bers, and Elizabeth Bishop. Her operatic credits in-clude Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Rosina (Il trionfo dell’onore), Third Lady (The Magic Flute), and Mother Jeanne (Dialogues of the Carmelites). A recipient of numerous honors, she won Second Prize at the 2024 Young Artist International Singing Competition and a Gold Medal at the 2021 German Philharmonic Music Competition. She currently serves as Alto Leader at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro.
DIANE BIRR (professor of piano) has been a faculty member since 1993 at Ithaca College School of Music, where she teaches courses and lessons in collaborative piano, private piano, and class piano, as well as coaches both vocal and instrumental chamber music. Dr. Birr has performed with numerous vocalists and instrumentalists in recitals and master classes throughout the United States, and in Australia, Canada, France, Scotland, Austria, and
Norway. She has also served as an official collaborative pianist for multiple conferences and competitions, including the Music Teachers National Association’s (MTNA) national competitions, the International Double Reed Society Conference, the International Horn Society and the International Trombone Association’s conferences, and the inaugural International Brass Conference. Dr. Birr received collaborative piano training with Brooks Smith and Gwendolyn Koldofsky at the University of Southern California (USC) and completed her doctorate in Accompanying and Chamber Music at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Jean Barr.
PETER KAIROFF is Professor
Emeritus at Wake Forest, having taught in the Department of Music for 36 years. A native of Los Angeles, he studied at the University of Southern California and in Florence, Italy as a Fulbright scholar. He has performed as pianist throughout the world to great acclaim, and has published seven CD albums on the Albany Records and Centaur labels. A Stein-way Artist, he was also recently inducted into the Steinway and Sons Hall of Fame, for outstanding contributions to the field of piano performance and pedagogy.
MARGARET UNDERWOOD is the Director of the School of Music and Director of Bands at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. Her influence extends nationwide, with her ensembles performing at state and international conferences, including College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Regional and National Conferences, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) International Conference, U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, College Music Society National Conference, and the International Society for the Research and Promotion of Wind Music (IGEB) International Conference. She has been a champion of new music, commissioning works by notable composers such as Jennifer Higdon, Julia Wolfe, James Stephenson, and Hilary Purrington. Furthermore, her ensembles have premiered pieces by Paul Osterfield, Jennifer Merkowitz, and Andrew Hannan. Dr. Underwood’s academic and teaching career includes previous faculty appointments at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania and Otterbein University in Ohio, as well as teaching middle and high school bands in New York. She holds degrees from the State University of New York at Fredonia, The Ohio State University, and the University of Minnesota.
Zhanweiyi Liu, piano
Chaconne in G major
Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op. 22
I. So rasch wie möglich (As quickly as possible)
II. Andantino
III. Scherzo
IV. Rondo
Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
Trois études de concert
George Frederic Handel
Robert Schumann
Ludwig van Beethoven
Franz Liszt Étude No. 2, La leggierezza
Prelude Book 1, No. 1, Danseuses de Delphes
Prelude Book 2, No. 12, Feux d’artifice
Selections from Preludes, Book 1
Claude Debussy
brief pause ~
Eric Hoang, piano
Claude Debussy IX. Le serenade interrompue/The Interrupted Serenade
V. Les collines d’Anacapri/The Hills of Anacapri
Four Ballades
No.1 in G minor, Op.23
No.2 in F Major, Op.38
No.3 in A-flat Major, Op.47
No.4 in F minor, Op.52
brief intermission ~
Yue Zhang, mezzo soprano Rebecca Oden Pugh, piano accompaniment
Svegliatevi nel core from Giulio Cesare (1724)
Gesänge Op.43 und Op.47
Sonntag
Die Mainacht
Von ewiger Liebe
Amorosi miei giorni
Voi che sapete from Le nozze di Figaro (1786)
By the sea
Come away, death
Love’s Philosophy
Frederic Chopin
G.F. Händel
Johannes Brahms
Stefano Donaudy
W.A. Mozart
Roger Quilter
A Chloris Reynaldo Hahn
Si mes vers avaient des ailes
Fetes galantes
Seguidilla from Carmen (1875) Georges Bizet
“Dwell at the Head of the Yangtze River”
Zhu Qing
“Phoenix Hairpin” Yi Zhou
“By the Water’s Edge” Jiaqing Lin
TUESDAY, JULY 1
7:30 PM
TICKETS $10
SCHAEFER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
HELENE & STEPHEN WEICHOLZ GLOBAL FILM SERIES
In English/Japanese/Icelandic with English subtitles Iceland, United Kingdom, Japan / Rated R / Directed by Baltasar Kormákur / 2024 / Drama, Romance / 121 minutes
A romantic and thrilling story that spans several decades and continents, Touch follows one man’s emotional journey to find his first love, who disappeared 50 years ago, before his time runs out.
Dale M. Pollock, a writer, film producer, filmmaker and author, has served as head film critic for Daily Variety, chief entertainment correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the (then) North Carolina School of the Arts, and Professor of Cinema Studies at NCSA, among other illustrious roles. He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in the early 1980s, wrote Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, and his first work of fiction, Chopped: A Novel, is available in print, e-book, and audiobook. Pollock continues to teach Continuing Education classes at UNCSA, along with programming the Weicholz Global Film Series as part of An Appalachian Summer.
“The theme for this summer is family, in its many forms and permutations. This year’s program of international films focuses on the fragility of family relationships when they are tested from within or from outside pressures, and how they remain resilient.” —film curator Dale Pollock
Immediately following the film, join Dale Pollock and fellow audience members for a Q&A.
Intimate, behind-the-scenes discussions with visual and performing artists appearing on the App Summer series. All events are FREE.
THURSDAY, JULY 3 | 5PM | TURCHIN CENTER LECTURE HALL
Introducing Kelsey Merreck Wagner’s 2024 artist residency at the Jim Thompson Farm in the Pak Thong Chai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Wagner (pictured) will discuss a selection of the exhibiting artists in Threading: Contemporary Art of Thailand, on view at the Turchin Center July 3-December 6.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9 | 1PM | TURCHIN CENTER LECTURE HALL
Cellist, composer and curator Joshua Roman will discuss “Mindful Meditation,” a conversation born from a larger project, Immunity, which delves into his experiences with long Covid, the physical and mental work required for his return to the stage, and how he can help others move beyond their own limitations. Joshua Roman performs with Tessa Lark and Edgar Meyer July 9 at the Schaefer Center (see page 54).
FRIDAY, JULY 18 | 2PM | TURCHIN CENTER LECTURE HALL
Since 1982, celebrated contemporary dance company Alonzo King LINES Ballet has collaborated with composers, musicians, and visual artists from around the world, drawing on deeply rooted cultural traditions and changing the way people look at ballet. In this intimate chat, members of the company discuss the juxtaposition of art, dance and movement. The company performs July 19 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center (see page 80).
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 | 1PM | TURCHIN CENTER LECTURE HALL
A conversation with the Juilliard-trained piano ensemble on touring and life as musicians. The 5 Browns’ music — and the siblings’ child advocacy work — are the subject of the award-winning documentary film The 5 Browns: Digging Through the Darkness, which was chosen as a “Critic’s Pick” by The New York Times The ensemble performs July 23 at at the Schaefer Center (see page 94).
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THURSDAY, JULY 3
5:00 -8:00 PM
Engage with visiting artists and fellow arts advocates, enjoy live music with Trevor McKenzie and Friends while sipping on refreshments, and discover the exciting exhibitions showcased across six galleries by local, regional, national, and international artists.
Sofie
JUNE 6-NOVEMBER 1 | MAYER GALLERY
MAY 2-OCTOBER 4 | GALLERY A & PETTI / PEISER GALLERY
The non-profit organization Center shares with TCVA a commitment to change the world through the power of the visual arts. One of Center’s most significant contributions is its annual award and grant program, which has supported thousands of artists over the years. Webs of Significance features many of the 2024 awardwinning photographers from across the country.
Photographer Elizabeth Stone thinks deeply about community connections and how people gather in meaningful ways. Sharing in the participatory multi-generational stories of I Remember is an opportunity to connect with extended communities that are both specific and anonymous. The installation includes identifiable individuals; at the same time, we see ourselves as part of a collective whole.
JUNE 6-DECEMBER 13 | BICKERS GALLERY
The Turchin Center partners with photographer/filmmaker/ musician/folklorist John Cohen’s extended family and gallerist L. Parker Stephenson to bring to campus an exhibition of Cohen’s Appalachian photographs of many of the region’s traditional musicians. Cohen coined the term “High Lonesome Sound” to describe old-time American mountain music.
JULY 3-DECEMBER 6 | HODGES AND COMMUNITY GALLERIES
Central to the mission of TCVA is a commitment to showcasing international artists. The Turchin Center is pleased to present its seventh international series, Threading: Contemporary Art from Thailand, which showcases the art of 21 artists living and working in Bangkok and Saen Suk, Chon Buri, Thailand in collaboration with the university’s Office of International Programs.
THURSDAY, JULY 3 7:30 PM
Faculty from the Hayes School of Music and talented young musicians from the 57th season of Cannon Music Camp kick off the lead-up to the United States Semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. The concert features familiar tunes performed by dynamic soloists, spirited chamber groups, talented keyboardists, singers and bands, culminating in an exciting full-orchestra finale. With music that connects generations and celebrates the heart of our communities, this family-friendly concert promises to entertain, educate, and inspire.
Kellie Motter, voice
Catherine Garner, organ
Faculty Saxophone Quartet
Ben Bradburn, soprano
Adam Kallestad, alto
Jimie Maley, tenor
Scott Kallestad, baritone
Faculty Piano Duo
James Douthit
Catherine Garner
Cannon Music Camp Chamber Singers
Sam Wanamaker, conductor
Islei Hammer, collaborative pianist
Faculty Brass Quintet
Jimmy Stokes, trumpet
Brent Bingham, trumpet
Dakota Corbliss, horn
Joe Brown, trombone
Nick Hathaway, tuba
Faculty Jazz Combo
Todd Wright, alto saxophone
Scott Kallestad, tenor saxophone
James Stokes, trumpet
Joseph Brown, trombone
Tyler Dellaperute, piano
Adam Booker, bass
Brady Spitz, drums
Audience Sing-Along
Catherine Garner, organ
Cannon Music Camp Wind Ensemble
John Stanley Ross, conductor
Cannon Music Camp Symphony Orchestra
Alexandra Dee, conductor
Kellie Motter, voice
“The Star Spangled Banner”
(National Anthem of the United States of America)
John Stafford Smith, Music (1750-1836)
Francis Scott Key, Lyrics (1779-1843)
Variations on “America” (1891)
Charles Ives (1874-1954)
Arrangement by Erick Miranda
Three Preludes (1926)
George Gershwin (1898-1937)
Arranged by Gregory Stone
Storm Comin’ (2011)
Music by the Wailin’ Jennys (founded 2002)
Armed Forces Medley
Arrangement by Jari A. Villanueva (b. 1955)
“When the Saints Go Marching In”
James Milton Black (1856-1938)
Arrangement by Marty Paich
“God Bless America” (1918)
Irving Berlin (1888-1989)
“The Stars and Stripes Forever” (1896) (National March of the United States of America)
John Phillip Sousa (1854-1932)
“America the Beautiful” (1910)
Samuel A. Ward, Music (1848-1903)
Arrangement by Paul Scott
Katharine Lee Bates, Lyrics (1859-1929)
Easter Bunny
April 5 & 6
Day Out With Thomas™
June 6-9 & 12-15
Fireworks Extravaganza
Tuesday, July 4
Park open until 9 pm, Fireworks at 9:30 pm
K-9s in Flight Frisbee® Dogs
July 19- 21 & 24-27
Shows at 11 am, 1 pm & 3 pm; Saturday evening show at 7 pm
Riders In The Sky
August 16 & 17
Performances at Noon & 3 pm
Railroad Heritage Weekend
August 23 & 24
Ghost Train®
September 19 - November 1
Every Friday & Saturday evening Park opens at 7:30 pm
Tweetsie Christmas®
November 28 - December 30
Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday Plus December 22-23 & 29-30 Park opens at 5 pm
Park dates and hours vary by season. Visit tweetsie.com for more information.
september 16, 2025
EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON
A basketball legend and businessman spanning multiple industries and generations, he aims to help companies expand and foster a positive impact domestically and globally.
LJVM Coliseum
november 6, 2025
MITT ROMNEY
A statesman, businessman and former governor, senator and presidential nominee, he will offer in-depth insights into leadership, policy and America’s most pressing challenges.
Wait Chapel
february 26, 2026
LT. GEN. H. R. MCMASTER
A bestselling author, he served as National Security Advisor and retired as a lieutenant general from the United States Army after 34 years of service.
Wait Chapel
april 15, 2026
CYNTHIA ERIVO
Three-time Academy Award nominee and star of “Wicked,” she captivates audiences while serving as a fearless voice for women and people of color and setting new standards for diversity across the arts.
LJVM Coliseum
SUNDAY, JULY 6 7:30 PM
ambassadors for their local culture and community, helping to faithfully preserve the traditions originated by African Americans in the coastal South during slavery that are kept alive through the present day.
In 2023, Ranky Tanky took home the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album, celebrating their second Grammy win in a four-year span. Celebrating the music of their West African-rooted Gullah community, Ranky Tanky were honored in 2023 for their first-ever live album — Live at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — which was captured during their debut at the iconic festival. Ranky Tanky previously took home Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2020 for their studio album Good Time, marking the first-ever Grammy Award win for an album of Gullah music. The five-piece have now won Best Regional Roots Album for two consecutive releases and become the most awarded group in the history of the category.
“Live performance is at the heart of what we do as Ranky Tanky, and to be recognized for our inaugural set on the historic New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival stage is a high honor,” the band said during their acceptance speech. “Once again, it is an honor to be able to stand on the shoulders of our Gullah Ancestry and continue to bring this music and message to the world!”
The 2023 Grammy win is just the latest accolade in a long line of “firsts” that Ranky Tanky has achieved for the
of the Gullah community. The fivepiece also reached #1 on each of the Billboard, Amazon and iTunes jazz charts, brought their songs and stories to national television on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the TODAY show and PBS Newshour — and even performed during President Joe Biden’s 2020 inauguration festivities.
“There are some artists that bring a certain magic to their live performances that engage you in a way that is far beyond just listening to a record. Lisa Fischer is definitely one of these artists. Her voice alone demands your full and undivided attention. You can see it in the faces of the packed-out audiences, as every eye in the venue is transfixed by her incredible, yet effortlesslooking performance. The range of her voice is quite frankly unbelievable. Add to that the control, the power, the delicateness, and the crystalline clarity, and you truly have a one-in-a-million performer on your hands. Whilst you might come across a singer with some of these attributes, to find one who has all of them in abundance is something unique and special.” – Kirstine Walton / Loud Hailer Magazine
TUESDAY, JULY 8
7:30 PM
TICKETS $10
SCHAEFER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
HELENE & STEPHEN WEICHOLZ GLOBAL FILM SERIES
In Arabic with English subtitles Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt / Not rated / Directed by Mira Shaib / 2024 / Comedy, Drama / 90 minutes
Arzé, a single mother, takes her teenage son on a journey across sectarian Beirut in search of their stolen scooter, their only source of livelihood.
Dale M. Pollock, a writer, film producer, filmmaker and author, has served as head film critic for Daily Variety, chief entertainment correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the (then) North Carolina School of the Arts, and Professor of Cinema Studies at NCSA, among other illustrious roles. He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in the early 1980s, wrote Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, and his first work of fiction, Chopped: A Novel, is available in print, e-book, and audiobook. Pollock continues to teach Continuing Education classes at UNCSA, along with programming the Weicholz Global Film Series as part of An Appalachian Summer.
“The theme for this summer is family, in its many forms and permutations. This year’s program of international films focuses on the fragility of family relationships when they are tested from within or from outside pressures, and how they remain resilient.” —film curator Dale Pollock
Immediately following the film, join Dale Pollock and fellow audience members for a Q&A.
SPRING GROUP EXHIBITION
Sculpting Silence – Exploring Abstract Realms May 24 - July 15
MID-SUMMER GROUP EXHIBITION
Nature’s Palette: Landscapes Across Mediums July 26 - September 15
AUTUMN GROUP EXHIBITION
Synchronization – Shared Artistic Pathways October 11 - November 15 WINTER & SMA WORkS EXHIBITION November 28 - April 30
Featured artists exhibitions - tba For inFormation on 2025 Workshops please call 828-963-4288 opening receptions on saturday may 24, July 26 & oct. 11, 2 - 5:00 p.m. holiday open house: nov. 28 & 29, 10-5
For 70 amazing years, you—the people of North Carolina—have been by our side. You’ve inspired us and cheered us on since our first telecast back in 1955. Together, we’ve welcomed Mister Rogers to our neighborhood, gotten our hands dirty with This Old House and gone on countless trips with NC Weekend. We’ve mastered the art of French cooking with Julia, found our roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. and rummaged through every yard sale looking for the next big Antiques Roadshow discovery.
Because of you, PBS North Carolina has expanded beyond broadcast television to educate, inform, entertain and inspire all North Carolinians—at home, in the classroom or on the go. Your support has made all of this possible, and for that we’re forever grateful.
So here’s to you for 70 wonderful years! And stay tuned as the best is yet to come.
With gratitude, Your friends at PBS North Carolina
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9
Sonata for Viola de Gamba in G Major, BWV 1027
Adagio
Allegro ma non tanto Andante
Allegro moderato
Trio 1986
Johann Sebastian Bach
Meyer
New Trio (2024)
Meyer
Trio 1988
Meyer
Commissioning support provided by:
Aspen Music Festival and School, Robert Spano, Music Director
Big Ears Festival
Cal Performances
Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University
The Lied Center of Kansas – University of Kansas
Edgar Meyer on the Lark/Roman/Meyer program:
“In 1986-1988, I wrote a series of three string trips that I premiered with Daniel Phillips and Carter Brey at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. These were the first longer pieces that I had conceived as such, and they set the tone for my next four decades. Only one was partially recorded. After meeting Tessa and Joshua a few years ago, I realized that they were perfect for helping me document this personal milestone. I have now set out to write a new trio for us to “complete the thought.”
TESSA LARK (violinist, composer, arranger, commissioner, Stradgrasser) is one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, consistently praised by critics and audiences for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, and musical elegance. In 2020 she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category, and she is also a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky. Highlights of Lark’s 2023-24 season include the world premiere of Carlos Izcaray’s Violin Concerto and performances of Michael Torke’s violin concerto, SKY – both pieces written for her – as well as her European orchestral debut with the Stuttgart Philharmonic. She also performs with the Virginia Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, England’s City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and others; and gives duo concerts with double bassist Michael Thurber and jazz guitarist Frank Vignola.
Lark’s newest album, The Stradgrass Sessions, was released this past spring. Her debut commercial recording was the Grammy-nominated SKY, and her discography also includes Fantasy; Invention, recorded with Michael Thurber; and a live recording of Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. In addition to her performance schedule, Lark champions young aspiring artists and supports the next generation of musicians through her work as cohost/creative of NPR’s From the Top.
Lark plays a ca. 1600 G.P. Maggini violin on loan from an anonymous donor through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.
JOSHUA ROMAN (cello) is a cello soloist and composer, hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (New York Times), as well as his “extraordinary technical and musical gifts” and “blend of precision and almost improvisatory freedom… that goes straight to the heart” (San Francisco Chronicle). His genrebending programs and wide-ranging collaborations have grown out of an “enthusiasm for musical evolution that is as contagious as his love for the classics” (Seattle Times).
Committed to bringing classical music to new audiences, Roman has collaborated with world-class artists across genres and disciplines, including Edgar Meyer, DJ Spooky, Tony winner/MacArthur Genius Bill T. Jones, Grammy Award-winning East African vocalist Somi, and Tony Award-nominated actor Anna Deavere Smith. His concert of the complete Bach Solo Cello Suites after the
2016 U.S. Presidential election had nearly a million live viewers, and his solo performance with the YouTube Symphony at Carnegie Hall was viewed by 33 million people across nearly 200 countries, with Yo-Yo Ma introducing him as “one of the great exemplars of the ideal 21st century musician.”
As a soloist with an “exceptionally high quality of performances” (LA Times), Roman has performed with leading orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Toronto Symphony, BBC Scottish, and Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra. As a composer, he has been commissioned by Music Academy of the West, Illinois Philharmonic, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and Roman has also premiered new works composed for him by Mason Bates, Reena Esmail, Timo Andres, Gabriela Lena Frank, Aaron Jay Kernis, Lisa Bielawa, and others.
EDGAR MEYER (double bass)
Hailed by The New Yorker as “...the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively unchronicled history of his instrument,” Edgar Meyer is the only bassist to be awarded both the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize and MacArthur Grant, solidifying his unparalleled talent in his field. In 2024, he was honored with his sixth and seventh Grammy® Awards for As We Speak, the second acclaimed studio album released with long-time friend and collaborators Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Rakesh Chaurasia.
2024 also saw the release of But Who’s Gonna Play the Melody?, a duo album featuring fellow bassist Christian McBride, as well as a complete recording of Meyer’s three concertos for bass and orchestra with The Knights, conducted by Eric Jacobsen and produced by Chris Thile. The concerto project includes his Concertino for Bass and 14 Strings, recorded in 2023 with the Scottish Ensemble led by Jonathan Morton, who commissioned and toured the piece with Meyer in 2022.
In addition to his performing and recording career, Meyer is a celebrated composer. Most recently, he was one of five composers commissioned by American violinist Joshua Bell and the New York Philharmonic for his project The Elements, which had its world premiere in 2023.
This season, Meyer will tour the US with violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Joshua Roman. The newly formed trio will perform newly commissioned work alongside his string trios composed in 1980. Mr. Meyer is the subject of an ongoing documentary filmed and produced by Tessa Lark, Andrew Adair, and Michael Thurber.
FRIDAY, JULY 11
Lisa Loeb and Joan Osborne, two unmistakable voices of the ’90s, team up for a special evening marking the 30th anniversaries of their breakthrough albums — Loeb’s Tails and Osborne’s Relish. Revisit the songs that shaped a generation, alongside new music and career-spanning fan favorites. Both Tails and Relish were landmark albums that transcended genres, blending folk, pop, and rock with deeply personal storytelling. Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You)” and Osborne’s “One of Us” became defining anthems of the era, and their impact continues to resonate with longtime fans and new audiences alike.
“This is the most personal record I’ve ever made,” multiGrammy-nominated singer-songwriter Joan Osborne says about her ravishing new studio album, Nobody Owns You “These songs come from my feelings about people in my family, about people who I care about, and just what to do with this time that we have on the earth. They come from a raw emotional place. And I’m asking myself that question: What am I here for?“ The result is a masterful collection of 12 contemplative songs offering hope and solace, while exploring Osborne’s own unique journey from small-town Kentucky to around the world.
The genesis of the album opener, “I Should’ve Danced More,” was an appraisal, explains Osborne, whose multiplatinum debut, Relish, was released in 1995. “I turned 60 [in 2022] and was thinking about my life –what’s behind me and what’s ahead, and that line popped into my head. It’s that feeling of ‘what would you tell your younger self.’”
Emotion abounds on Nobody Owns You. Mother-daughter love is the theme of Osborne’s exquisite “The Smallest Trees,” with the sounds of birds coexisting beautifully with Greg Wieczorek’s glockenspiel, Petruzzelli’s Omnichord, Rice’s Mellotron, and Cashdollar’s lap steel. The catchy “Child of God” was inspired by one of her mother’s sayings, with Osborne’s witty wordplay influenced by countless hours listening to Dylan songs. Jill Sobule joins Osborne, Russell, and Yamagata on the singalong chorus. The potent title track, “Nobody Owns You,” was intended as a message to her own daughter. “There’s still this narrative in our culture that young girls and women are supposed to be ‘perfect,’ and that leaves them open to being manipulated by people who do not have their best interest at heart,” says Osborne. “I thought, ‘I can put this in a song,’ and when she’s ready to hear it, it will be there waiting for her. If all you get from this record is reading that title, you will have gotten something – just that message.”
With a legacy spanning nearly 20 studio albums and EPs, multiple entrepreneurial ventures, and her own weekday
SiriusXM radio show, “Stay with Lisa Loeb” on ’90s on 9, Grammy™ Award-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb continues to solidify her status as one of the industry’s most creative and revered artists. Best known for her platinum hit “Stay (I Missed You)” from the 1994 film Reality Bites, Lisa was the first independent artist to have a #1 single on the charts without a recording contract.
Since then, she has released multiple hit singles and gold-certified albums. Recently, Lisa released her acclaimed album, A Simple Trick to Happiness, and cocreated the musical Together Apart with 100 other Brown alums, to benefit The Actors Fund. Her latest album, a collaboration with The Hollow Trees, That’s What It’s All About, is a tribute to timeless songs. Lisa’s recent television appearances include Fuller House, That ’90s Show, and the Hallmark TV movie Hanukkah on Rye. Other highlights include creating an original New York Times crossword puzzle for its 75th anniversary, joining Daryl Hall on his show Live from Daryl’s House, and going on tour with Lyle Lovett for In Conversation and Song. Beyond music, Lisa’s impact extends through her children’s albums, eyewear line, acting, voiceover work, and philanthropy.
Original Bagel Shop Since 1988 ing Breakfast & Lunch All Day Espresso Coffee Bar 14 Varieties of Freshly-Baked Bagels Vegetarian & Gluten-Free Options Available Featuring Deli Sandwiches, Fresh Salads, Homemade Flavored Cream Cheeses, Omelettes, Pancakes, & Burgers
Mon-Fri 7am-2pm, Weekends 7am-3pm
SATURDAY, JULY 12 10:00 AM
FREE SCHAEFER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (participants will gather outdoors at the reception tent adjacent to the Schaefer Center)
Competition and Exhibition is made possible by the
support
The nationally recognized Martin and Doris Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition has showcased contemporary American sculpture in outdoor settings across the university campus for the last 39 years. Join juror Joseph Bigley as he leads the outdoor tour of the 10 sculptures he selected as finalists for this year’s competition. The walking tour will culminate with an awards reception and complimentary boxed lunch in the tent adjacent to the Schaefer Center; the rain backup is the Schaefer Center lobby.
Joseph Bigley, a native of North Carolina, holds a Master of Fine Arts from Alfred University in Sculptural Dimensional Studies and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Appalachian State University. His work has been exhibited across the U.S. and internationally in China, the Netherlands, Spain, Montevideo, Uruguay, and Berlin. A mixed media sculptor and educator, Bigley worked as Assistant Professor of Art, Sculpture at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, for five years. He is currently a full-time lecturer of Art at Appalachian State University and is a founder and the executive director of the Western North Carolina Sculpture Center and Park in Lenoir, NC.
Self-guided tours of the 2025 sculptures can be taken daily through May 10, 2026.
Discover Turchin with Bloomberg Connects, a free mobile app (pictured, right) that brings you closer to our collections through engaging audio, video, and curator-led content. Download it from the App Store or Google Play to explore our exhibits at your own pace, anytime, anywhere.
23rd Annual Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium
July 10-16, 2025
Public Lectures Include: for more information about the Center and the Symposium use QR code or visit
• “Forgetting Is Dangerous: Spiritual Resistance in Latvia,” with Laurie Schaefer
• “Civil Society Between Darkness and Light: Danish Resistance and Rescue (1940-1946)” with Tom White
• “On Antisemitism in America,” with Mark Weitzman holocaust.appstate.edu/symposiums/2025-symposium
• “My friendship with rescuer Jan Karski” with Michael Berenbaum
• “Children’s Books on the Holocaust” with Kathy Kacer
• “Artificial Intelligence and Holocaust Distortion,” with Alison Vick
“Heather Headley is among the top singers with a vocal that absolutely astounds with its intensity... This woman is one of the great entertainers of the day, on record and on stage.” – Billboard Magazine
Tony and Grammy Award winner Heather Headley considers her multi-faceted career a blessing. She was born and spent most of her childhood on the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad. The family moved to the United States in the early ’90s where Heather’s love for the arts continued.
In 1997, Heather won the role of Nala in the original Broadway cast of the Elton John and Tim Rice’s hit Tonywinning musical The Lion King. While still in The Lion King, Heather was asked to audition for the title role in the writing duo’s next Broadway venture together, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida. Her portrayal of the Nubian princess, Aida, won her the praise of critics and the prestigious Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. In addition to other awards, she also received the coveted Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. That year she was listed as one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and Essence magazine’s 30 Women to Watch. In 2012, Heather made a triumphant return to the stage, starring in The Bodyguard in London’s West End, where she gained the critics praise and a new fan base overseas.
Heather continued her musical success on the pop charts with her 2002 debut album on RCA Records, This Is Who I Am, which featured productions by several top-flight producers. Two songs, “He Is” and the album track “I Wish I Wasn’t,” both emerged as Top 5 R&B and Dance chart hits. Heather earned numerous accolades for This Is Who I Am, including Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Heather returned in January 2006 with In My Mind, her long-awaited second solo album. The opening title tune single became Heather’s first #1 hit, topping the Dance and R&B charts.
In 2009, Heather released Audience of One, for which she won the Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. In 2012, she released Only One in the World, an album that featured songs that Heather wrote as well as some of her favorite songs that she covered. To the of delight of both audiences and critics, Heather made her return to Broadway in 2016, starring in the Tony Award-winning The Color Purple in the role of Shug Avery. In 2018, Heather had a recurring role on Chicago Med playing the formidable Gwen Garrett. Heather can currently be seen as a series regular on the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias.
(music director, conductor) works across all genres of music — singer, pianist, arranger and orchestrator — in stage, film, and television. He is music director/conductor for Tony and Grammy Award-winning Heather Headley, with successful concerts with the Philadelphia Pops Orchestra, Boston Pops 4th of July Spectacular, The Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall. Ron was the conductor for the L.A. premiere of Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring John Larroquette, the associate Conductor for Dancing in the Dark starring Scott Bakula, and the assistant Conductor for the 1st National Tour of the Tony Award-winning musical Hairspray National Tours: Ain’t Too Proud, Book of Mormon, Legally Blonde, Wicked, A Chorus Line, Jersey Boys, Avenue Q, Movin’ Out, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Regional Theater: Jesus Christ Superstar, Something Rotten, Les Misérables, Pippin, A Chorus Line, Chicago, Into the Woods, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sophisticated Ladies, Once on This Island, Man of La Mancha. Ron is a seven-time Arizoni Award nominee and winner for Best Musical Direction for Chicago and Into the Woods.
Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) is the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, based in Hickory. For 60 years, WPS has enriched and engaged the communities of western North Carolina through high-quality symphonic music with creative, relevant performances, and educational opportunities for all ages. Each season, the Symphony presents an inspiring classical Masterworks series, a fun and entertaining Foothills Pops series, a variety of small music ensembles in the Crossroads series, family-friendly Discovery Family Concerts, plus education and community engagement programs in the Catawba Valley, all under the artistic direction of Maestro Matthew Troy. Experience the power of live music in concert with WPS.
Western Piedmont Symphony is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. WPS is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras.
Western Piedmont Symphony 234 Third Ave. NE | Hickory, NC | 28601 | wpsymphony.org
Matthew Troy, Music Director
Kelly Swindell, Executive Director
Avery Bumgarner, Operations and Education Manager
Dona Chevrette, Accounts Manager
Helena Hoyle, Patron Experience Coordinator
David Allen, Personnel Manager
RJ Wohlman, Orchestra Librarian
Angela Allen, Debut Strings Conductor
Emily Bumgarner, Youth Symphony Conductor
VIOLIN I
Dan Skidmore, Concertmaster
RJ Wohlman
Angela Allen
Charley Shafer
Erica Cooper
Emmeline MacMillan
Wilson Pace
Bryan Hall
VIOLIN II
Nathan Southwick
Luke Benton
Molly Barrett
Mary Ellen Watson
Gracie Zielinski
Shelby Rochez
VIOLA
Logan Strawn
Maria Kindt
David Phillips
Eric Koontz
SOPRANO and ALTO
Jodi Burns
Kristin Schwecke
Regan Bisch
Katie Muhlenkamp
Muffy Underwood
Karon Klick
J. Alexandra Johnson
Daniel Lail
Alexis DePaola
Jim Lestock
FLUTE
Laura Stevens
OBOE
Anna Morris
CLARINET
David Allen
HORN
Timothy Papenbrock
Melanie Watson
WESTERN PIEDMONT SYMPHONY SINGERS
TENOR
Logan Webber
Jack Sargeant
Jeffrey Mags
TRUMPET
Luke Boudreault
Mark Hibshman
TROMBONE
Dave Newcomb
Joe Brown
HARP
Helen Rifas
GUITAR
Matt Sickels
BASS
Adam Booker
DRUMS
Brady Spitz
PIANO
Ashley Clasen
BARITONE
Christian Blackburn
Jason McKinney
TUESDAY, JULY 15
7:30 PM
TICKETS $10
SCHAEFER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
In Thai with English subtitles Thailand / Rated PG / Directed by Pat Boonnitipat / 2024 / Comedy, Drama, Family / 125 minutes
An aimless 20-year-old begins to care for his terminally ill grandmother with hopes of earning her affection — and, ultimately, her inheritance.
Dale M. Pollock, a writer, film producer, filmmaker and author, has served as head film critic for Daily Variety, chief entertainment correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the (then) North Carolina School of the Arts, and Professor of Cinema Studies at NCSA, among other illustrious roles. He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in the early 1980s, wrote Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, and his first work of fiction, Chopped: A Novel, is available in print, e-book, and audiobook. Pollock continues to teach Continuing Education classes at UNCSA, along with programming the Weicholz Global Film Series as part of An Appalachian Summer.
“The theme for this summer is family, in its many forms and permutations. This year’s program of international films focuses on the fragility of family relationships when they are tested from within or from outside pressures, and how they remain resilient.” —film curator Dale Pollock
Immediately following the film, join Dale Pollock and fellow audience members for a Q&A.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16 7:30 PM
Peabo Bryson has established a career as one of the premier male vocalists in contemporary music of the last half century. Possessing a beautifully rich, almost operatic voice, this two-time Grammy Award winner has survived and prospered despite the passage of time and changes in popular musical trends. With 20 albums to his credit, Bryson has enjoyed an unprecedented, across-the-board level of international success, and has the distinction of being the first artist in music history to have separate records topping four different charts.
Born April 13, 1951, in Greenville, SC, Bryson spent much of his childhood on his grandfather’s farm in Maudlin, SC. Bryson’s family not only instilled in him his work ethic, but a love for music as well. “My mother was a serious music lover. Whenever there was somebody great in town, she’d drag us along to catch their act. I have seen most of the greats of that period — Sam Cooke, Little Richard, and even Billie Holiday. Sam Cooke was a great influence on me. His voice had a pure quality — straight from the heart.”
“I think the sensitivity in my songs stems from my early childhood. I was raised by women — my grandmother, until she died, and my mother. My grandmother was a woman who lived and loved with incredible passion.”
Bryson began singing at age 14 as a star of the traveling revue Al Freeman & The Upsetters. Two years later, in 1968, he left home to tour the now-famous Southern “chitlin’ circuit” with another local band, Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display, gaining the experience that would help prepare him for a solid career as a recording artist and entertainer. In 1976, he released his debut LP, Peabo, a project that featured Peabo composing nearly all of its songs, a young Luther Vandross among the background vocalists, and Black film star Tamara “Cleopatra Jones” Dobson on the back jacket.
Bryson moved to Capitol Records in 1978, where his album Reaching for the Sky went gold and the title track was a #6 R&B hit. With his LP Crosswinds (gold, 1978), he penetrated the hearts of soul fans everywhere with the title tracks “Feel the Fire” and “I’m So into You,” which spent two weeks as the nation’s #2 R&B hit. He was paired with Natalie Cole for the 1979 project “We’re the Best of Friends” and a year later with Roberta Flack for the double-LP Live & More. A second album with Flack titled Born to Love was a gold seller that featured the smash “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” (Top 5 R&B and #16 Pop). That led him to sign a deal with Elektra Records for four albums, the second of which, Take No Prisoners, featured
the crossover smash “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again” (Top 10 Pop and Top 10 R&B).
“With youthful good looks and a relaxed, almost conversational vocal style,” wrote Mike Kirkeby of Rolling Stone, “Bryson is unabashedly a romantic balladeer, wooing female listeners much as R&B idols did in the fifties, but in a reverent, subtle way.”
With each move in his career, applause for Bryson became louder. New York Times music critic Jon Pareles called Bryson the “Pavarotti of soul singers.” His duets with Natalie Cole — “What You Won’t Do for Love” — and Roberta Flack — “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” — had earned Bryson the tag “King of Balladeers.” With “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again,” which landed in the #10 spot on the pop charts, he scored another crossover hit and solidified his mainstream audience. Both “Tonight” and “If” went to #1 on the adult contemporary charts. A return to Capitol in 1989 for the album All My Love earned him his first R&B #1 single with a remake of the late Al Wilson’s “Show & Tell” (a song he proudly keeps the torch lit for in all of his shows). He hit the R&B chart-top a second time with the smash single “Can You Stop the Rain,” which won Bryson a 1991 Grammy nomination for best R&B vocal performance by a male, as did “Lost in the Night” in 1992.
But it was two songs for Disney animated films that earned Bryson his two Grammys. The first was 1991’s “Beauty and the Beast,” with international pop singer Celine Dion, which was a #1 pop hit. The next year, Bryson struck gold again receiving another Grammy for “A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme)” from Aladdin, which he performed with Regina Belle. Both “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World” won Oscars for Best Song. Since these milestones, he has been even more sought after as a guest vocalist and duet partner, resulting in his collaborations with Tony Award winner Lea Salonga on “We Kiss in the Shadows” (#1 on the Classical Crossover chart from a new recording of The King and I score), Melissa Manchester’s “Lovers After All,” and Kenny G’s “By the Time this Night Is Over,” which enjoyed a three-month run on the Hot 100 in 1993. In June of 1993, Bryson sold out seven consecutive shows at Radio City Music Hall.
For Missing You — his 20th album — Bryson continues to do what he does best on 11 tracks that showcase the broad palette of his skills. The title song, “Missing You,” was recorded as a tribute to his mother Marie and sister Agnes, both of whom had passed away, and for his sonin-law, who served in Iraq. Elsewhere, smoothies such as “Heavenly,” “Don’t Give Your Heart” and “My Last Goodbye” reveal that he is in a class of his own.
WHKY is proud to support App State in bringing the High Country’s annual Appalachian Summer, a celebration of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and film to life!
Thank you for joining us in making this season unforgettable. Because when art thrives, we all do.
SATURDAY, JULY 19
7:30 PM
DEEP RIVER
TICKETS $10-$45
SCHAEFER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Alonzo King, Choreographer, Artistic Director & Co-Founder
Robert Rosenwasser, Executive Director, Creative Director & Co-Founder
Choreography: Alonzo King
Original Music: Jason Moran, Lisa Fischer
Music: Pharoah Sanders, Maurice Ravel, James Weldon Johnson
Vocals: Lisa Fischer
Lighting Design: Jim French
Costume and Set Design: Robert Rosenwasser
Sound Design: Philip Perkins
Maël Amatoul • Babatunji • Adji Cissoko • Theo Duff-Grant • Lorris Eichinger
Shuaib Elhassan • Joshua Francique • Mikal Gilbert • Ilaria Guerra
Anna Joy • Marusya Madubuko • Tatum Quiñónez • Amanda Smith
General Manager: Brandi Williams
Production Manager: Seah Johnson
Rehearsal/Stage Manager: Byron Roman
Technical Director: Adam Cook
Rehearsal Director: Meredith Webster
Costume Construction: Joan Raymond, Shannon Maxham
World Premiere May 13, 2022
Choreography: Alonzo King
Vocalist: Lisa Fischer • Pianist: Jason Moran
Original Music: Lisa Fischer, Jason Moran
Composers & Lyricist*: Maurice Ravel, Pharoah Sanders, Kamalakanta Bhattacharya, James Weldon Johnson, J. Rosamond Johnson*
Lighting Design: Jim French • Costumes: Robert Rosenwasser • Sound Design: Philip Perkins
Dancers: Maël Amatoul, Babatunji, Adji Cissoko, Theo Duff-Grant, Lorris Eichinger
Shuaib Elhassan, Joshua Francique, Mikal Gilbert, Ilaria Guerra, Anna Joy, Marusya Madubuko, Tatum Quiñónez, Amanda Smith
KADDISCH
Composer: Maurice Ravel Company
TRANSITION
Composers: Lisa Fischer, Jason Moran
Adji Cissoko & Shuaib Elhassan
Composer: Jason Moran
Ilaria Guerra, Theo Duff-Grant, Joshua Francique
Composer: Kamalakanta Bhattacharya
Translated into English by Paramahansa Yogananda
Adji Cissoko
CHIME ARIA
Composer: Lisa Fischer
Ilaria Guerra, Tatum Quiñónez, Shuaib Elhassan, Joshua Francique,
Mikal Gilbert, Marusya Madubuko, Maël Amatoul, Amanda Smith
FOLLOW THE LIGHT
Composer: Jason Moran, Lyricist: Lisa Fischer
Theo Duff-Grant & Company
RIVERS OF MEMORY
Composers: Pharoah Sanders, Jim McKee, Wieslaw Pogorzelski
Adji Cissoko & Shuaib Elhassan Company
FANFARE
Composers: Pharoah Sanders
Amanda Smith & Marusya Madubuko
LAUGHING PAS
Composer: Jason Moran
Marusya Madubuko & Joshua Francique
RHYTHM CHANT
Composer: Jason Moran Company
LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING
Composers: James Weldon Johnson & J. Rosamond Johnson Babatunji
DEEP RIVER
Traditional African American Spiritual Company
EPILOGUE PAS
Composer: Jason Moran
Adji Cissoko & Shuaib Elhassan
INSPIRATION FOR DEEP RIVER
Over the first two years of the pandemic, Alonzo King and the artists of LINES worked in confined bubbles at their studios, in outside grassy areas of Golden Gate Park, on a farm in the isolated desert of Wickenburg Arizona, and in other locales in order to build work and not be halted or harmed by the pandemic. Deep River is the result of three years of working in designated time periods in unusual settings.
Along with the compositions of Jason Moran, and the remarkable voice of Lisa Fischer, the use of spiritual music from the Black and Jewish traditions was selected to address the power of inspiration during difficulty and hope and determination against seemingly impossible odds. Deep River is the call to be fanatically positive regardless of circumstance. To bloom the lotus in the muck. And to look at one another as a family of souls. It points to the imbalance of the intellect without a heart, and the necessity to feel for others as we do for ourselves. It is a love letter to a world writhing in pain. The majority of the company is predominantly on stage, sewn through solos and pas de deux.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet would like to thank the following funders for their invaluable support:
SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR
NEW WORKS SPONSOR
ADDITIONAL MAJOR SUPPORT
United States representation by: Selby Artists Management, Margaret Selby, Director mselby@selbyartistsmgmt.com 262 West 38th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY 10018
European representation by: Delta Danse, Thierry DuClos, Director td@deltadanse.com 102 Rue Pasteur, 16600 Magnac sur Touvre, FR
ALONZO KING LINES Ballet • 26 Seventh Street, San Francisco, California • Tel. 415.863.3040 • linesballet.org • facebook • instagram • twitter
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Korri Jackson, Chair
Carolyn Press Chatham, Secretary
Augustin de Kerversau
Christopher Dydyk
Kimberly Hughes
Alonzo King, Artistic Director & Co-Founder
Micki Klearman
Patricia Lawton
Sandra Lloyd
Lisa Pinckney
Bouchra Rachid
Robert Rosenwasser, Creative Director & Co-Founder
Harry Schoening
Diana Smith
Pasha Thornton
Aaron Walton
Benjy Weinberger, Treasurer
Al Wong
Breanna Zwart
STAFF
Leadership Team
Alonzo King, Choreographer, Artistic Director & CoFounder
Robert Rosenwasser, Creative Director & Co-Founder
Ruth Nott, Managing Director
Development
Lavanya Ganganna, Database Administrator
Sheri Kuehl, Institutional Giving Manager
Marketing
Philip Mayard, Marketing Director
Erin McKay, Editor/Writer & Content Manager
Mona Baroudi, Public Relations Consultant
Katie Roy, Graphic Designer
Finance and Human Resources
Masami Kondo, Director of Finance
Anne Calais, Director of Human Resources
Rebecca Anaya, Payroll Administrator
Education
Marina Hotchkiss, BFA Program Director
Maddie Sager, BFA Program Coordinator
Karah M. Abiog, Training and Summer Program Director
Linda Lam, Summer Program Operations Manager
Timmorie Freeman, Training Program Coordinator
Tara Bucknor, Training Program Coordinator
Marquis L. Engle, Community Programs Manager
Jamie Wright, Studio Operations Manager
Elizabeth Wiehe, Dance Center Coordinator
Chezka Sino, Dance Center Coordinator
Information Technology
Matthew Trevino, vCIO Consultant
Company Staff
Brandi Williams, General Manager
Seah Johnson, Production Director
Byron Roman, Rehearsal/Stage Manager
Philip Perkins, Sound Designer
Meredith Webster, Julia Erickson, & Jenny Sandler, Rehearsal Directors
Syam Waymon, Assistant to Alonzo King
Booking
Margaret Selby, Director, Selby Artists Management mselby@selbyartistsmgmt.com 262 West 38th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY 10018
Thierry DuClos, Director, Delta Danse td@deltadanse.com 102 Rue Pasteur, 16600 Magnac sur Touvre, FR
Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the artistic vision of acclaimed choreographer Alonzo King. Collaborating with extraordinary composers, musicians, writers, and visual artists from around the world, King draws on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential. He has been heralded as a visionary and thought leader on topics that reach far beyond dance, receiving numerous accolades including a San Francisco Arts Medallion, an induction into the California Hall of Fame, and a 2020 Dance Magazine Award. The company brings new works of illuminating beauty to Bay Area audiences in bi-annual home seasons. LINES Ballet’s national and international tours allow the company to share its vision of transformative, revelatory dance through performances worldwide.
LINES Ballet is dedicated to training the next generation
of artists through its pre-professional Summer Program, Training Program, and Bachelor of Fine Arts Program with Dominican University of California. LINES also makes dance accessible to Bay Area adults and youth through world-class, affordable classes open to the community and free in-school education programs.
“The term LINES alludes to all that is visible in the phenomenal world. There is nothing that is made or formed without a line. Straight and Circle encompass all that we see. Whatever can be seen is formed by a line. In mathematics, it is a straight or curved continuous extent of length without breadth. Lines are in our fingerprints, the shapes of our bodies, constellations, geometry. It implies genealogical connection, progeny, and spoken word. It marks the starting point and finish. It addresses direction, communication, and design. A line of thought. A boundary or eternity. A melodic line. The equator. From vibration or dot to dot it is the visible organization of what we see.” — Alonzo King
Executive Bios
ALONZO KING (Choreographer, Artistic Director & CoFounder) has been called a visionary choreographer, who is altering the way we look and think about movement. King calls his works ‘thought structures’, created by the manipulation of energies that exist in matter through laws, which govern the shapes and movement directions of everything that exists. Named as a choreographer with “astonishing originality” by the New York Times, Alonzo King LINES Ballet has been guided by his unique artistic vision since 1982.
King has works in the repertories of the world’s leading ballet and modern companies and has collaborated with distinguished visual artists, musicians and composers across the globe. His work has been recognized for its impact on the cultural fabric of the company’s home in San Francisco, as well as internationally by the dance world’s most prestigious institutions.
Named a Master of Choreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, King is the recipient of the NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award, the US Artist Award in Dance, NY Bessie Award, and the National Dance Project’s Residency and Touring Awards. In 2015 he received the Doris Duke Artist Award in recognition of his ongoing contributions to the advancement of contemporary dance. Joining historic icons in the field, King was named one of America’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition. He is a former San Francisco commissioner, and a writer and lecturer on humanity and art. Inducted into the California Hall of Fame, King holds an honorary Doctorate from Dominican University, California Institute of the Arts, and The Juilliard School.
ROBERT ROSENWASSER (Executive Director, Creative Director & Co-Founder) shapes the aesthetic and artistic direction of each project at the Company, including conceptual design and production. In addition to his work with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, he has designed for American Ballet Theater, Ballet de Monte Carlo, Ballet Bejart, the Royal Swedish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey American, Dance Theater of Harlem, Ballet Rambert, Joffrey Ballet, and Frankfurt Ballet. Working with Kelsey St. Press, Mr. Rosenwasser has collaborated with artists and poets Richard Tuttle, Kiki Smith, Cecilia Vicuna, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, and Barbara Guest. This work can be found at the New York Museum of Modern Art in the Department of Books and Illustrated Prints, at the Whitney Museum, and at the Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library. Mr. Rosenwasser grew up in New York and attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Cooper Union, and California Institute of the Arts.
LISA FISCHER After four decades of featured background singing with icons like Luther Vandross, The Rolling Stones, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, and Nine Inch Nails, Ms. Lisa Fischer set out to take centerstage with her own humble, heartfelt song. The 2013 Best Documentary Oscar winning film Twenty Feet from Stardom altered the course of Lisa’s musical journey, telling her story, with clips of her legendary duets with Sting or with Mick Jagger on “Gimme Shelter,” left audiences eager to see and hear more, so Lisa took the chance to set out on her own reinventing classic songs with her co-conspirators JC Maillard and Grand Baton. Their organic fusion of Caribbean psychedelic soul and jazzy progressive rock ignited Lisa’s flexibility and freedom of expression, awakening her lifelong desire to make music that heals but still rocks the house.
While Lisa’s range is legendary, her greatest gift is the ability to connect, to reach the hearts of her listeners. Raised in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, she emerged from New York’s fervent studio scene in the early 1980s, sang for two decades with legendary vocalist Luther Vandross, and released “So Intense,” earning her first Best R&B Performance Grammy with “How Can I Ease the Pain.” She joined the Rolling Stones for their 1989 Steel Wheels tour, and continued to grace their stage for the next 26 years. Lisa’s passion for constant growth and experimentation with different styles invited recent collaborations with jazz pianist Taylor Eigsti, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Michael McDonald, Eric Krasno, Talib Kweli, Billy Childs and YoYo Ma, the BBC Proms / Jules Buckley and the Metropole Orkest, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Anna Deavere Smith’s Notes from the Field for HBO, and especially her full evening program The Classic Lisa Fischer with Grand Baton and Seattle Symphony,
Cincinnati Symphony and the National Philharmonic. With spiritual truth-telling as her compass and loving kindness as her guide, Ms. Lisa Fischer continues her creative journey; destination unknown.
JASON MORAN Jazz pianist, composer, and performance artist Jason Moran is deeply invested in reassessing and complicating the relationship between music and language; his work is geared towards challenging the status quo while respecting the accomplishments of his predecessors. Moran graduated from Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Jaki Byard. He was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2010 and is the Artistic Director for Jazz at The Kennedy Center. Currently, Moran teaches at the New England Conservatory. Moran has recorded and performed with masters of the form, including Charles Lloyd, Bill Frisell, and the late Sam Rivers, and his work with his trio The Bandwagon (with drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Tarus Mateen), which resulted in a profound discography for Blue Note Records. He also has collaborated with such major figures as Adrian Piper, Joan Jonas, Glenn Ligon, Stan Douglas, Adam Pendleton, Lorna Simpson, and Kara Walker; commissioning institutions of Moran’s work include the Walker Art Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Dia Art Foundation, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Harlem Stage, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Dancer Bios
MAËL AMATOUL is native to the French Riviera. He embarked on a journey at the PNSD Rosella Hightower in Cannes, where he trained in ballet and contemporary. Amatoul has worked on pieces by choreographers including Jean Christophe Maillot, Christophe Garcia, Hervé Koubi, and Francesco Curci. In 2022, he was awarded a Scholarship of Excellence in Art and Culture from the Côte d’Azur University. After seven years spent in Cannes, Amatoul decided to open his dance experience to new techniques, so he joined The Ailey School. There, he had the opportunity to learn and perform works by Alvin Ailey and renowned choreographers such as Ray Mercer, Branndi Lewis, Renee Robinson, and Clifton Brown. After attending the LINES’ Summer Intensive in June 2023, Amatoul joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet as a company dancer.
BABATUNJI was born in Portland, Oregon, but raised on the Big Island of Hawaii. He received his formal dance training from Center Stage Dance Studio and the University of Hawaii in Hilo before moving to San Francisco to train at the LINES Ballet Training Program on a full scholarship. Babatunji has performed works by diverse choreographers such as Sidra Bell, Amanda Miller, Gregory Dawson, and Maurya Kerr. He has performed overseas in Japan and China and danced with Philein/ZiRu productions, Maurya Kerr’s tinypistol, and Dawson|Wallace Dance
Project. Babatunji joined LINES Ballet in 2013 and danced with the company for six years. Currently, he is a dancer with Post:Ballet and SFDanceworks in San Francisco. He rejoined LINES Ballet in 2021.
ADJI CISSOKO was born and grew up in Munich, Germany, where she trained at the Ballet Academy Munich and graduated with a diploma in dance. Cissoko attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in New York City on full scholarship, before joining the National Ballet of Canada in 2010. In 2012, she was awarded the Patron Award of Merit by the Patrons’ Council Committee of The National Ballet of Canada. Cissoko joined LINES Ballet in 2014. Since then she’s originated many central roles and guested for galas worldwide. Cissoko has given multiple masterclasses and taught classes around the world as part of the company’s outreach program. In 2020, she became certified in health/life coaching and ABT’s National Training Curriculum. Cissoko choreographed her first piece “AZIZ” for Ballet X in 2021. She is also a 2022 recipient of the Toulmin fellowship.
THEO DUFF-GRANT was born in Vancouver, Canada. He studied at Goh Ballet Academy for 10 years before completing his training at the Dutch National Ballet Academy. In 2015, he joined the Dutch National Ballet. In 2017, he moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia to join the Mikhailovsky Theatre. In 2022, he joined LINES Ballet.
LORRIS EICHINGER started training in Grenoble at the National Conservatory and continued at the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Danse de Marseille. After training at The School of American Ballet in New York from 2010 to 2013, Eichinger joined the Professional Division Program of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. He then moved back to France to dance with the Jeune Ballet de Lyon. Eichinger danced with De Dutch Don’t Dance in the Netherlands in 2015 and then moved to Israel to join Kamea Dance Company in 2016. He joined LINES Ballet in 2019.
SHUAIB ELHASSAN, from Manhattan’s Lower East Side, began his formal dance training at The Ailey School under the co-direction of Tracy Inman and Melanie Person on a full scholarship. Elhassan has also trained at intensives such as Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Elhassan was a member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet during their 2012- 2013 season. Additionally, Elhassan has performed with Life Dance Company, Zest Collective, Dance Iquail, and the Von Howard Project. Elhassan joined LINES Ballet in 2014.
JOSHUA FRANCIQUE was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He began his dance training with
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater back in 2015. Joshua continued his training at the Northern Illinois University BFA dance program and, soon after at The Ailey School on a full scholarship. Francique has performed works by Nicole Clark-Springer, Gary Abbott, and Kevin Iega Jeff, to name a few. In 2020, Francique attended the LINES Ballet | Training Program for a year. Joshua joined LINES Ballet in 2022.
MIKAL GILBERT was raised in Virginia Beach Va, Mikal Gilbert’s love for dance began at the age of 19 while studying music performance at the University of the Arts. It was there his passion grew upon encouragement from several dance faculty members. He then went on to formally train at Norfolk Academy under the tutelage of Elbert Watson, where he studied ballet and modern. In 2017, Gilbert was an inaugural member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program. In 2018, he continued his studies at The Ailey School as a full scholarship recipient. Mikal has attended intensives and workshops at Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions, and BalletX. Mikal is a “Dancer of Philadelphia” and has been a member of Koresh Dance Company (2019-2022), Dance Iquail (2022), and Philadanco (2022–2024), where he performed works by Bernard Gaddis, Milton Myers, Christopher Rudd, and Tommie Wheed. Mikal joined LINES Ballet in 2024.
ILARIA GUERRA was born in Torino, Italy. At the age of five, she moved to Palos Verdes Estates, California, where she trained in classical ballet at Lauridsen Ballet Center, performing with their pre-professional company, South Bay Ballet. Ilaria graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet | BFA Program at Dominican University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Arts Management in 2013. She joined dawsondancesf under the direction of Gregory Dawson in 2013. In 2016, Ilaria received an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Ensemble Performance. Ilaria joined LINES Ballet in 2018 and has had the chance to tour all over the US, Canada, and Europe with the company. In 2022, Ilaria earned her Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University.
ANNA JOY was born and raised in Rochester, NY where she began her training at Draper Center for Dance Education. She travelled to Trujillo, Peru to perform in the Festival Internacional De Ballet Trujillo, as well as attending competitions throughout the U.S. She spent summers at American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, The Royal Ballet School, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. In 2019, Anna competed in Dance Prix De New York where she was offered a full scholarship by Cynthia Harvey to the Upper School at American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy
Onassis School. She moved to New York, NY to attend the school where she also participated in projects including performing in New York Fashion Week. She graduated in 2023 and joined the Washington Ballet School as a Trainee from 2023-2024. Anna joined LINES Ballet in 2025.
MARUSYA MADUBUKO, originally from New York, NY, began her pre-professional training at age 15 with Premiere Division Ballet under the tutelage of Nadege Hottier. In 2019, Madubuko competed at the Royal Grand Prix in Italy, winning second place for her contemporary and classical solo. She has trained with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, the Royal Ballet School, and at San Francisco Ballet School, where she had the opportunity to dance repertoire including Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker and Cinderella, as well as George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2021, she participated in BalletUnleashed’s first creative project “Switchback,” working with choreographer Cathy Marston to create a solo. Madubuko joined LINES Ballet in 2021.
QUIÑÓNEZ began her training at Master Ballet Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. She then continued her training at Ballet West Academy and the BWA trainee program. She spent her summers at Ballet Arizona, Ballet Austin, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet West, and Oregon Ballet Theatre. Quiñónez then joined Oregon
Ballet Theatre’s second company, OBT2, in 2019. She has performed works by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Willam Christensen, Gerald Arpino, Christopher Stowell, James Canfield, and LeeWei Chao. Quiñónez joined LINES Ballet in 2021.
AMANDA SMITH grew up in Orange County, CA and trained at California Dance Academy, Pointe of Grace & Anaheim Ballet. In 2008, she was crowned Miss Dance Drill Team California and USA. She moved to New York to study at SUNY Purchase where she received her BFA in 2012. There she studied abroad and performed at the Dance New York International Dance Festival in Madrid, Spain. After graduating, she joined Charlotte Ballet and worked with Patricia McBride. In 2015, she moved back to NY and later began working with New York Theatre Ballet. She taught and participated in outside projects including The Black Iris Project, Kymera Dance and featured in a national campaign for GAP. She joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2017 and was featured on the cover of April’s issue of Dance Magazine 2019. While there Amanda did many roles in ballets such as Allegro Brilliante and Blake Works IV. She’s also guested for Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. Amanda has taught, guested all over and worked with many people such as Arthur Mitchell, Carmen De Lavalade, and William Forsythe.
TUESDAY, JULY 22
7:30 PM
TICKETS $10 SCHAEFER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
HELENE & STEPHEN WEICHOLZ GLOBAL FILM SERIES
In Swedish with English subtitles Sweden / Not rated / Directed by Felip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson / 2024 / Documentary / 95 minutes
Filip and his friend Fredrik embark on a touching road trip with Filip’s depressed father, Lars, from Sweden to France. As Lars grapples with age, Filip’s desperate mission to reignite his father’s spirit unfolds in a heartwarming and transformative journey, where they discover the true meaning of joy and time.” The Last Journey took Sweden by storm and became the biggest grossing documentary in the history of Swedish cinema (shattering the previous record from 1979).
Dale M. Pollock, a writer, film producer, filmmaker and author, has served as head film critic for Daily Variety, chief entertainment correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the (then) North Carolina School of the Arts, and Professor of Cinema Studies at NCSA, among other illustrious roles. He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in the early 1980s, wrote Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, and his first work of fiction, Chopped: A Novel, is available in print, e-book, and audiobook. Pollock continues to teach Continuing Education classes at UNCSA, along with programming the Weicholz Global Film Series as part of An Appalachian Summer.
“The theme for this summer is family, in its many forms and permutations. This year’s program of international films focuses on the fragility of family relationships when they are tested from within or from outside pressures, and how they remain resilient.” —film curator Dale Pollock
Immediately following the film, join Dale Pollock and fellow audience members for a Q&A.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 7:30 PM
The Planets Gustav Holst / Greg Anderson
Mars, the Bringer of War
Neptune, the Mystic Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity
The 5 Browns
Mad Rush Philip Glass
Melody Brown
Blackbird The Beatles / The 5 Browns
The 5 Browns
Variations on a Theme of Witold Lutoslawski Paganini for Two Pianos
Deondra and Desirae Brown
Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Molto allegro
The 5 Browns
The 5 Browns
~ Intermission ~
Over the Rainbow: Harold Arlen / Greg Anderson
Fantasy for Five Pianos
The 5 Browns (based on themes from The Wizard of Oz)
Dreaming, Op. 15, No. 3
Amy Beach
Stephen Beus
The Edge of the World Nico Muhly
I. Reykjavik
IV. The Night Sky
The 5 Browns
Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Johann Sebastian Bach / Ferruccio Busoni
Gregory Brown
Danse Macabre Camille Saint-Saëns / Greg Anderson
The 5 Browns
The taking of flash photographs and the use of recording devices is prohibited. Please turn off all cell phones.
The 5 Browns – Desirae Brown, Deondra Brown, Stephen Beus, Gregory Brown, and Melody Brown — all attended The Juilliard School in New York, where they were joined by the Browns’ youngest brother, Ryan (now retired from the stage). The quintet enjoyed its first wave of critical attention in February of 2002, when People magazine dubbed them the “Fab Five” and they were featured on Oprah and 60 Minutes. The 5 Browns have released eight albums that have collectively spent over 30 weeks at #1 on Billboard Magazine’s Classical Album Chart. The New York Post has proclaimed: “[F]ive pianos and 50 fingers add up to the biggest classical music sensation in years.”
The quintet has garnered extensive coverage from media outlets ranging from The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and The View, to CNN, Fox and Friends, Public Radio’s Performance Today, and The New York Times.
The 5 Browns have performed in hundreds of the world’s great concert halls, including Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium (New York), the National Center for the Performing Arts (Beijing), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), Laeiszhalle (Hamburg), Orchestra Hall (Chicago), Zaryadye Concert Hall (Moscow), and the National Concert Hall (Taipei). Individually and collectively, they have soloed with the National Symphony Orchestra; the Chicago, Philadelphia, Vancouver, New Jersey, Dallas, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras; and various other orchestras throughout the US and internationally.
The 5 Browns’ music — and the siblings’ child advocacy work — are the subject of the award-winning documentary film The 5 Browns: Digging Through the Darkness, which was chosen as a “Critic’s Pick” by The New York Times.
A highlight for the quintet was a commissioned fivepiano concerto written by famed composer Nico Mühly. Under the direction of Maestro James Conlon, the concerto premiered at the Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
The 5 Browns are thrilled to welcome one of their generation’s most electric pianists as a permanent member. Gold medalist at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and frequent soloist in concert halls around the world (including Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall), Stephen Beus has performed with The 5 Browns during four previous seasons. The Copenhagen Post labeled Beus as “Spectacular…it was like he placed the orchestra in the middle of a gigantic centrifuge and pushed start.” He brings impeccable technique, effortless musicality, and an unquenchable joy for music in every performance.
The 5 Browns are exclusive Steinway Artists.
SATURDAY, JULY 26 7:30
“Pink Martini is a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure … If the United Nations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we’d be that band.” —Thomas Lauderdale, bandleader, pianist
Featuring a dozen musicians, with songs in 25 languages, Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages on six continents. After making its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony in 1998, the band has gone on to play with more than 50 orchestras around the world, including multiple engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, the San Francisco Symphony, and the BBC Concert Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London. Pink Martini has released 11 studio albums on its own independent label, Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog), selling over three million albums worldwide.
In 1994 in his hometown of Portland, OR, Thomas Lauderdale was working in local politics when he saw the need for more engaging and inspiring music at political fundraisers. Drawing inspiration from music from all over the world — crossing genres of classical, jazz, and old-fashioned pop — and hoping to appeal to conservatives and liberals alike, he founded the “little orchestra” Pink Martini in 1994 to provide more beautiful and inclusive musical soundtracks for causes
such as civil rights, affordable housing, the environment, libraries, public broadcasting, education and parks. One year later, Lauderdale called China Forbes, a Harvard classmate who was living in New York City, and asked her to join Pink Martini. Their first songwriting collaboration was “Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler),” which became an overnight sensation in France, was nominated for Song of the Year at France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards, and is still the band’s most iconic and recognizable song. In May of 2025, Pink Martini released the EP Bella Ciao, their first new music since 2020, featuring the powerful vocals of both lead singers, China Forbes and Storm Large.
China Forbes was born and raised in Cambridge, MA, and graduated cum laude from Harvard, majoring in Visual Arts and English, with a minor in Theater. After graduation, and before being lured west to sing with Pink Martini by Harvard friend and classmate Thomas Lauderdale, she lived and performed off Broadway, in New York regional theatre, and as a singer/songwriter in NYC clubs. China became the lead singer for Pink Martini in 1995 and has co-written many of the band’s most beloved songs with Lauderdale, including “Sympathique,” “Lemonade Song,” and “Let’s Be Friends.” Her original song “Northern Line” plays over the end credits of sister Maya Forbes’ directorial debut film, Infinitely Polar Bear. In May 2024, China released The Road, her first solo album in 15 years, which features all original songs, including
“Full Circle” and “Rise,” a deeply hopeful and personal song highlighting mental health challenges and suicide prevention. She is the recipient of the 2022 Ella Fitzgerald Award at the Montreal International Jazz Festival (previous winners include Diana Ross, Etta James, and Liza Minelli).
Active in Oregon politics since college, Thomas Lauderdale founded Pink Martini in 1994 to play political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, the environment, affordable housing, and public broadcasting. In addition to his work with Pink Martini, he has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the Oregon Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the Portland Youth Philharmonic, Chamber Music Northwest, and several collaborations with Oregon Ballet Theatre. Most recently, Thomas completed a decades-in-the-making album, Thomas Lauderdale Meets the Pilgrims. He is back in the studio working on a collaboration with the iconic Iranian singer Googoosh. Thomas currently serves on the boards of the Oregon Symphony, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the Oregon Historical Society, Confluence Project with Maya Lin and, the Derek Rieth Foundation. He lives in Portland with his partner, pianist Hunter Noack.
Born and raised in Jalisco, Mexico, but based in Portland,
OR, for the past 25 years, Edna Vazquez is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose powerful voice and musical talent transcend the boundaries of language to engage and uplift audiences. After releasing her album Sola Soy, Edna Vazquez began performing at nationwide venues, including the Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. She has performed with Latin Grammy Award winner Flor de Toloache and Natalia Lafourcade. Vazquez received the Most Influential Latina Award in 2019 and has toured regularly with Pink Martini as a featured guest vocalist. Pink Martini’s album with Edna Vazquez, Bésame Mucho, was released in October 2019. Te Esperaba, a solo album of original compositions and traditional Mexican folk music, was released on Pink Martini’s boutique record label, Heinz Records, in June 2025.
Jimmie Herrod is an artist and performer based in Portland, OR. He holds a Bachelors of Music degree in music composition and performance from Cornish, and a Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from Portland State University. In 2018, Jimmie recorded “Exodus,” his first single with Pink Martini. In 2019, he released an EP with Pink Martini, Tomorrow, and in spring of 2021, he auditioned for the hit NBC show America’s Got Talent, where he quickly became both a judge and fan favorite, winning a coveted Golden Ticket for his incredible vocal performance of “Tomorrow.”
Grandview Ballroom is a stunning, 8,800square foot venue featuring floor-toceiling windows that overlooks the Appalachian Mountains and Kidd Brewe r Stadium This unique space offers inhouse catering and flexible room configurations, making it ideal for a variety of events from weddings and private parties to large conferences and intimate meetings
Grandview Catering features chef-driven menus crafted with high quality ingredients and a commitment to sustainable practices. We proudly serve the Appalachian State community and surrounding areas
North End Zone Facility 135 Jack Branch Drive Boone, NC
www.grandview.appstate.edu grandview@appstate.edu 828-262-8314