[music]
PREVIEW
It’s the perfect weather to go see a live performance and warm up a little, instead of staying at home and watching another episode on Netflix. And if you’re looking for Valentine’s Day date night plans — or Friday night plans in general — there’s an option for that too. Few things say romance like a night at the orchestra! BY DANA CASADEI
FONTANA CHAMBER ARTS 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 200, Kalamazoo fontanachamberarts.org, (269) 382-7774
TAKÁCS QUARTET Feb. 21, $30+
GRAND RAPIDS SYMPHONY 300 Ottawa NW, Grand Rapids grsymphony.org, (616) 454-9451, ext. 4
SCHUBERT’S “GREAT” Feb. 14-15, $18+ Austrian composer Franz Schubert, may have only lived to be in his early 30s, but his pieces left quite the mark on the world, including the beloved piece that will be performed at this February show: Symphony No. 9, known as the “Great.” Schubert wasn’t able to hear his own piece performed as he passed before it would premiere, but Grand Rapids audiences will be lucky enough to hear it in full. The evening also includes a new concerto by Andrew Norman with acclaimed Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan, and Brahms’ Tragic Overture. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE Feb. 21-22, $46+ CELEBRATION OF SOUL Feb. 29, $150 SYMPHONY WITH SOUL FEATURING TERENCE BLANCHARD Feb. 29, $18+ The 19th annual Symphony with Soul will feature special guest Terence Blanchard on trumpet as well as his group, The E- Collective, vocalist Quiana Lynell, and the GRS Community Chorus. The Grammy Award-winning jazz musician has collaborated with Academy Award winner Spike Lee on multiple projects. This performance will feature those musical collaborations as well as scores and songs from other Spike Lee films, such as Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman and Miracle at St. Anna’s.
HOPE COLLEGE GREAT PERFORMANCE SERIES Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts 221 Columbia Ave., Holland hope.edu/arts/great-performance-series, (616) 395-7222
LOS ANGELES THEATRE WORKS IN “SEVEN” Feb. 22, $23
KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 100, Kalamazoo kalamazoosymphony.com, (269) 349-7759
CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS Feb. 2, $5 Done through a combination of storytelling, music, drumming, and dance, this winter performance aims to be an evening to celebrate the community and family while honoring world traditions. The symphony will be performing Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals,” a comical musical suite of 14 movements. This special collaboration includes the Westhuizen Piano Duo, Rootead Enrichment Center and Djembe Yaru. If you get there early enough, feel free to participate in the instrument petting zoo! This is an ideal performance to bring the kiddos to.
Houston — who is among the six Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees for the class of 2020 — will be performed by Belinda Davids, a legend in her own right. The South African singer reportedly beat out 15,000 other hopefuls to take on the role. The beautiful tribute to the icon includes Davids, a live band, backing vocalists, and choreographed dancers, plus stateof-the-art sound, lighting, vision and theatrical effects. Houston had so many epic hits, best of luck not dancing to at least one. Sidenote: This performance is not associated with the estate of Whitney Houston.
THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS Feb. 6, $30+ The Grammy Award-winning quintet — Andy Falco, guitar; Chris Pandolfi, banjo; Andy Hall, dobro; Jeremy Garrett, fiddle; and Travis Book, double bass — is bringing their All-American bluegrass and rock sound to Grand Rapids. Their unique style mixes those genres with jazz, funk, country, old-time, and more. Their ninth and most recent album, Rise Sun, came out last spring to high acclaim.
PIANO BATTLE Feb. 7, $35+ There are two pianos and two pianists, Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis, who will hopefully still like each other by the end of this battle. Kern and Cibis go head-to-head with a variety of classical pieces performed over several rounds, each featuring a certain musical style — think Chopin vs. Liszt, or Debussy vs. Schubert. This battle will have an actual winner, selected by the audience. So, if nothing else, go to give your opinion on things; everyone loves to do that. I wonder if there’s a trophy.
RAUL MIDÓN Feb. 27, $40+
ST. CECILIA MUSIC CENTER 24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, scmc-online.org, (616) 459-2224
CHRIS THILE Feb. 25, $55
VINTAGE PARLOR ORCHESTRA vpogr.com
LISTENING ROOM AT STUDIO PARK Feb. 9, $15 The VPO will host a night of classical music while featuring local musicians, including all of the night’s soloists. The evening’s program includes Folias Duo, which consists of flutist Carmen Maret and guitarist Andrew Bergeron; The West Michigan New Music Collective, a group specializing in living composers; and the VPO, who will perform six pieces.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FREE COMMUNITY CONCERT Feb. 4, Free VALENTINE’S MUSIC: SOUNDS OF LOVE Feb. 14, $24+ We were destined to get a little sappy this month, considering Valentine’s Day is upon us. This performance is going to make you feel the mushy and lovey feels. The greatest romantic standards — from jazz to Broadway to opera to film — will be played, including “My Funny Valentine,” three pieces from Puccini’s La Bohème, and selections from West Side Story and Carousel. The evening will feature soprano Antonina Chehovska and tenor Cooper Nolan. CLASSICS UNCORKED: WINTER FRIDAY Feb. 21, $45 CLASSICS UNCORKED: WINTER SATURDAY Feb. 22, $45
MILLER AUDITORIUM 2200 Auditorium Dr., Kalamazoo millerauditorium.com, (269) 387-2300
THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL: A TRIBUTE TO WHITNEY HOUSTON Feb. 5, $28+ The songs of the legendary Whitney REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2020 |
19A