Nevada Chamber Orchestra presents 'Our Fantastic Fathers'

NCO performs 6/20/2021 in honor of Father's Day.

The NCO performed masked during the pandemic.

The Nevada Chamber Orchestra (NCO) is proud to present "Our Fantastic Fathers" this Sunday, June 20th at 3 PM at the Summerlin Library Performing Arts Center in Las Vegas. This musical Dad's Day tribute is the second in a series honoring those who raised us following their May 9th "Our Mindful Mothers" concert.

Founded in 2016 by members of the former Nevada Chamber Symphony, the NCO performs under the leadership of Artistic Director Dr. Gregory Maldonado. Maestro Maldonado earned his doctorate degree from USC, a master's from CSULB, and a bachelor's from UCLA, and is Director of Orchestra at West Career and Technical Academy with the Clark County School District (CCSD).

Members of the NCO.

The Nevada Chamber Orchestra’s mission is "to nurture and develop the musical, social and educational knowledge of the communities and citizens of the state of Nevada and city of Las Vegas. The Nevada Chamber Orchestra is committed to building musical and diverse cultural awareness in Las Vegas and communities abroad." A chamber orchestra refers to an orchestra with a smaller ensemble (up to 50 musicians) than a fullscale symphony orchestra may often have up to 100 players.

Click on the image for tickets,

The NCO's 44-piece orchestra draws from a talented, experienced, and versatile pool of musicians, many of whom are established mentors throughout the Las Vegas valley both on professional stages and as educators. NCO repertoire covers a wide range of chamber music from Baroque to Modern, as well as holiday tunes, patriotic and pop songs, and traditional favorites. NCO break-out concerts focus on smaller chamber works, such as string quartets and piano trios.

The Nevada Chamber Orchestra offers post-concert meet-and-greets with the audience along with educational components included which foster a dialogue with the audience and create an approachable environment.

NCO collaborates with other local cultural organizations including Vegas City Opera and the Lan Tian Chinese Center. On June 25th and 26th, it will join in a new partnership with and The Asylum Theatre and the international out of the Wings Festival based in London. The NCO will perform in advance of the premiere of SCHERZO (Dialogue with a Statue); a play by Rafael Guizado translated by his granddaughter and local theatre artist, Gigi Guizado at the Winchester Dondero Cultural Center.

The Nevada Chamber Orchestra is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Donations can be made via the link found here.

VOTE! for Henderson Symphony Orchestra's 2021 Young Artists Competition

The voting deadline is February 26th, 2021!

Henderson Symphony Orchestra's Young Artists Competition

​A professional concert experience for emerging talents in Clark County, Nevada up to age 18 years old.

The 26th annual HSO Young Artists Competition has gone digital this year to observe social distancing guidelines and this is your chance to get involved by voting for our first-ever Audience Choice Award! HSO's Young Artists are empowered to develop their own unique, musical voice by playing the music of their choice instead of selecting from a pre-ordained list.

The competition is divided into two divisions: Junior (up to 14 years old) and Senior (up to 18 years old). In each division, the solo musicians, duets, and small ensembles may be selected in each of the three categories: Strings, Wind/Brass/Percussion ensembles, and Piano/Voice.

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Prizes

The HSO Jury will choose up to six winners, two in each category plus Honorable Mentions, if applicable. A People’s Choice prize will also be awarded based on the results of the Henderson Symphony Orchestra's online poll.

All prize performances will be live-streamed via the City of Henderson YouTube and Henderson Symphony Orchestra Facebook on March 12th, 2021

at 7:30 pm from Whitney Ranch in Henderson, NV.

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Don't miss the

WE ARE HERE

Master Series premiere on March 19th, 2021- LIVE from Whitney Ranch!

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HSO 2021 Young Artists Competition sponsors

Vegas City Opera Announces “Unconventional” 11th Season

Part-one of the Ring saga debuts December 12th, 2020.

Vegas City Opera (VCO) continues their mission to offer opera and classical music to the public “in fresh and exciting new ways”, dedicating their new season to the voices of the community.

In a press release, the Artistic Director for the alternative, immersive operatic company, Skip Galla Katipunan, shared that the company has “always been inspired by our community and invested in our artists”.

"This pandemic has led us all to dig deep into our creative wells, where we have crafted a grippingly innovative season like you've never seen before,” Katipunan said. “We will use every tool at our disposal to be there for you and for each other, as we find new and enriching ways to connect again through the arts."

After a successful summer of Wine Wednesday Facebook Live concerts with over 10,000 views, and hiring more than 25 local artists, VCO’s 11th season launches with a new approach to Richard Wagner’s The Ring Cycle - a German epic drama presented in four parts, also known as Der Ring des Nibelungen, or The Ring of the Nibelung.

This production is condensed into “the highlights of theme, story, and leitmotif, as the Gods, Heroes, Valkyries, and Rhinemaidens scour the Las Vegas Valley on their quest for possession of the ring.”

The Ring - Filming at the Fashion Show Mall

The new 3-hour long Ring saga will be unveiled as part of two online watch party events with the first installment of Das Rheingold & Die Walküre, December 12th, 2020 at 6:00pm, and Siegfried & Götterdämmerung, January 2nd, 2021 at 6:00pm.

Audience members purchased advanced, tiered tickets which allowed them varying degrees of involvement with the production including performers arriving on their doorstep to “Ring” the bell to film a section of the digital broadcast..

The ticket tier packages still available are as follows:

VALKYRIES: $40 per household. Includes invitation to BOTH digital performances with cast and crew. Official Vegas City Opera RING movie credit.

RHINEMAIDENS: $25 per household. Invitation to one digital performance with cast and crew.

A moment of The Ring on location at a community member’s pool.

Dennis Doubin.

Along with the new season, Vegas City Opera announced a new Music Director in their recent release - Grammy Award winning pianist and conductor, Maestro Dennis Doubin. A familiar face at companies like the San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Opera, and Opera San Jose, Maestro Doubin is also a Las Vegas local and supporter of the arts community.

“Vegas City Opera is just what this town needs to push the innovation and accessibility of classical arts, as well as shape our future operatic professionals,” Said Doubin. “Their dedication to local singers’ development and financial support has been their main focus through the pandemic.”

Three new concerts are also on offer in 2021 as part of the Voices of Women Concert Series, with Dr. Richard L. Hodges returns to direct the series. In February, The Women of the Black Panthers will premiere, followed by Women with Drive in March, and Harriet Tubman, Conductor of Freedom premiering later in June for Juneteenth (June 19th, 2021).

Dr. Richard L. Hodges.

“Dr. Hodges will create and adapt music and story-telling into new productions for the stage, as we proudly celebrate these women and especially women of color with an in-depth look at their influence and shaping of our nation and our very own state of Nevada.”

Tickets to this series will be free, and the productions will be presented at the Summerlin Library & Performing Arts Center, and West Las Vegas Library during their respective runs.

The first-ever operatic presentation to be shown at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts (COVID conditions permitting), Gaetano Donizetti’s The Daughters of the Regiment is prospectively scheduled for March 19th and 20th, 2021 as a ticketed in-person and live-stream event. L.A. Opera’s Dennis Doubin will conduct the 90-minute comedy where “you will be whisked away to gay Paris in this hilarious love story, complete with vocal fireworks and a vibrant new book, in English with enough French to make it fancy!”

This production features operatic legend and Vegas local, Luana Davol, as the Marquise of Berkenfield; Athena Mertes as her daughter; Ryan Glover, as Tonio the peasant-turned-officer; and Nathan Van Arsdale who plays Sulpice, leader of the regiment.

VCO’s final offering of the season is 2020: The Song Cycle, in May 2021. Their first collaborative composer presentation, the production includes selected original submissions from Nevada artists that touch on “the challenges and changes arising from the ashes of 2020.”

“From coronavirus and quarantine to the 2020 presidential election, with cancel culture and worldwide #BlackLivesMatter protests, this landmark year is just begging for the arts to come forward and give it a voice,” says the press release. “Vegas City Opera wants to be that voice, to uplift our community and hold up our very own local artists by pushing them and supporting them to develop and create this collaborative work.”

Those who wish to learn more about the production or view the submission guidelines can visit vegascityopera.org/2020-the-song-cycle.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, VCO relies on donations to cover their expenses and productions, and keep artists employed. The ensemble’s statement expressed that it “hopes to provide a nurturing environment in which performers can take chances and flourish in their craft, all the while sharing the excitement and vibrancy of contemporary opera with audiences of the Las Vegas Valley, tirelessly working toward a future where our communities embrace and seek out the opera arts.” You can help support them and the work they do in the community by becoming a donor.

You can also follow VCO on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, or check out their website to learn more and purchase tickets to their upcoming productions.

#EatMoreArt #CreateOurRecovery