Showtime

Jamie Parsell
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD July 18, 2008 08:31 am

— In an effort to encourage the arts, the Blue Mountain Performing Arts will once again debut a season of music and entertainment with the 2008-2009 concert series. Founded in 1935 — as part of the national Community Concert Association organization — the Blue Mountain Performing Arts is known for providing the area with a diverse mixture of entertainment. From symphony concerts to Chinese acrobats, the organization strives to provide area residents with opportunities to experience the arts, according to BMPA President Bryant Moxley.
“BMPA is also committed to providing significant artistic opportunities for the youth of the area. Many of our performers also conduct workshops, master classes and performances at area schools ...,” Moxley said.
This year’s lineup will consist of four scheduled concerts, with a special to-be-announced presentation by Camerata Virtuosi New York. An annual performance, the chamber ensemble partners with Southwest Virginia Community College’s Festival of Arts.
The first scheduled concert will be held on Oct. 22 and will feature Pavlo, a composer, guitarist and singer. With a style described as Mediterranean, Pavlo mixes the sounds of Greek Bouzouki, Flamenco and Latin. He is currently working on a PBS special. Pavlo, along with his band, will perform at 7:30 p.m., at Harman Chapel on the campus of Bluefield College.
On Nov. 22, a tribute to Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee by Amanda Carr and Everett Longstreth will take the stage at Bluefield High School. Both jazz musicians, the two focus on music from the big band era during the early 1940s.
Longstreth, a former faculty member at Berklee School of Music, is both a player and an arranger of musical settings. His resume including Broadway shows, supper clubs and live performances with show business greats Steve Allen, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Helen Forest, Liza Minelli, Mitzi Gaynor, Tony Orlando, the Ink Spots and James Brown.
The daughter of two musicians, Carr owns and operates a successful recording studio in Braintree, Mass., along with composer/director, Bob Pascarella. She released “Tender Trap” in the fall of 2004.
In addition to TV and radio commercials, Carr has composed and performed award-winning music for two PBS major network documentaries, including “The Story of Golf,” narrated by Jim McKay. The documentary earned a National Emmy Nomination and aired as a CBS Network special during the 2000 and 2001 Masters Tournament. A frequent radio talk show guest, she scored original music for “Red Sox Home Run Heroes” and the millennium award-winning hit, “Boston Red Sox, 100 Years of Baseball History.” Carr has sung the National Anthem at Boston’s historical Fenway Park.
After a break for the holidays, Marcoliva, a violin duo, will perform on Feb. 22 at Harman Chapel. The concert will offer listeners a variety of music including selections from Baroque to ethic sources. Violinists Marc Ramirez and Olivia Hajioff have performed in many of the world’s cultural centers, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Moscow, London, Tokyo and Mexico City. They have performed chamber music at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, and with chamber music notables including Leon Fleisher, Awadagin Pratt and Edgar Meyer.
The duo is part of the faculty at Shenandoah University, Las Vegas Summer Music Festival and Dartington International Summer Festival. They are also apart of the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center and the Touring Artists for the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
And, finally, spring will offer more than warm weather and flowers. The Swingle Singers will take the stage on April 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Bluefield High School. Created more than four decades ago, the Swingle Singers became famous in 1963, with the album “Jazz Sebastian Bach.” Since then, the current lineup of the eight-voice a capella spelling?? group continues to perform around the world. While still keeping with traditional music, the Swingle Singers create different sounds using influences from the Beatles and Bach.
Moxley, an assistant professor at Bluefield College, expects that many will be familiar with the Swingle Singers, a group with a long history of performances.
“The concert that is a tribute to Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee will also be very popular. The big band music is just so much fun and people of all ages enjoy these classic songs from years gone by,” Moxley said.
As the new president for BMPA, Moxley hopes to increase community awareness and support of the area with entertainment like big band tributes.
“I’m a fairly new resident of Bluefield (five years) and I believe this is a wonderful and beautiful place to live and work. I want to help our community to recognize the important role the arts play in making Bluefield such a special place ...,” Moxley said.
He believes that a community rich in the arts is healthy and vibrant. A community — one that shares experiences together — can better understand each other. Also, the arts provide a boost in the economy by showcasing entertainment options for retirees and tourists in Bluefield and the surrounding areas.
“Very few communities our size can proudly boast of a vibrant arts culture that includes Blue Mountain Performing Arts, the new Mathena Center, the Summit Players, CART and the many cultural opportunities provided by Bluefield College, Bluefield State, Southwest Community College and Concord University,” Moxley said.
A BMPA’s membership drive for the 2008-2009 concert series is currently underway. Adults, students and families can take part in the concert series by purchasing a membership. The ticket price also includes entrance to any of the Beckley Concert Association presentations during the same year. A schedule of the Beckley Concert Association’s events will be announced at a later date.
Tickets will be also available at the door, but only a membership will guarantee a discounted price. For more information about membership or about any of the upcoming concerts, call Moxley at (276) 326-4248.