Music, Music, Music!!  The 21st season of First Arts Concerts is just that and then some fun surprises.  As you read about the artists you will see that each brings some of what you would expect in the genre they represent, but with a twist.

The season opens Friday, November 6th.

The Dukes of Dixieland have been entertaining audiences in New Orleans for decades. If we define 'Jazz' as the free improvisation on a melody, then "Dixieland Jazz" is that type of improvisation which we today associate with bands originally playing in America's 'Southland'.  The Dukes wear this heritage proudly and then blow traditional jazz and Dixieland into the 21st Century, weaving strands of pop, gospel, and country with authentic New Orleans sounds.

Corky Siegel Chamber Blues return to First Arts Concert series Jan 22, 2010.  To say they made a lasting impression on the audience when they were here in 2004 would be a gross understatement. The audience had fun because it was evident that the artists loved what they were doing and were having fun themselves. Chamber Blues is two forms working together. Blues and Classical.   Each form's personality is maintained. You can hear them working together. That's Chamber Blues. 

The first of two February concerts is Intersection on the13th.   Ranging from a Piazzolla tango to a Jobim bossa nova, from a West Side Story melody to a gossamer Mendelssohn scherzo, an evening spent with Intersection is an unforgettable one for any audience. “Diamond-hard brilliance, uncommonly poetic depths…breathtaking in precision, dexterity and unanimity of attack. Stunning.” —LOS ANGELES TIMES

February 26th  bringsAmerican pianist Thomas Pandolfi, an emerging  prodigious virtuoso who excels in reviving the core repertoire from the golden age of pianism. Of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Asheville Symphony, The Asheville Citizen-Times remarked, "Pandolfi is a standout among today's young pianists, demonstrating a great technician's grace, finesse and polish...his virtuosity and strength might have had some believing that Liszt himself had taken over the keyboard.

 Coming  to close the season on March 12th ,Proteus 7 brings  the sounds of winds, brass and percussion to The Artist Series’ fifth performance of the season. From Bach to Bacharach, Proteus 7 breathes new life into chamber music with their dynamic, creative and free-ranging approach to styles and repertoire. The first ensemble to mix this versatile, captivating combination of instruments, Proteus 7 is creating a new repertoire of original works and arrangements that highlight its unique strengths and abilities. Their programs and recordings are as diverse as their musical talents, balancing intricate works of Baroque masters in tandem with contemporary, classical and jazz counterparts.

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