VCU news

By Leila Ugincius

The Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Music continues a summer tradition with the 23rd annual Guitar and Other Strings Series this July. 

All concerts will take place in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall in the Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. 

This year’s concert lineup: 

Jackie Frost, with the Jackie Frost Band and Wild Honey
Friday, July 10, 7:30 p.m. General admission: $15. 

The Jackie Frost Band brings together musicians from a wide range of influences, including folk/country, Delta and Chicago blues, classic rock and jazz. Jackie Frost, an established Richmond musician with roots in American folk and bluegrass, collaborates with multifaceted bassist Rusty Farmer, jazz and blues guitarist John Conley and drummer/percussionist Aaron Thompson.

The eclectic  influences of Wild Honey — country, pop, bluegrass and even a dash of Hawaiian — make this creative music group one to remember. Their repertoire includes favorites from Hank Williams, the Beatles and the Everly Brothers. 

 

 

 Celtic Explorations, with Maggie Sansone, hammered dulcimer; Andrea Hoag, fiddle; and Sharon Knowles, Celtic harp
Friday, July 17, 7:30 p.m. General admission: $15. 

Take a musical tour of the Celtic lands with Celtic Explorations. With many stops along the way, they will present a lively program on hammered dulcimer, fiddle and Celtic harp with jigs and reels from Ireland and Scotland and a sidestep to the Shetland Isles, Wales and Northumberland. The Washington Post calls Sansone’s music “a transporting experience for many listeners, especially those who are quick to fall under the spell of an ancient Celtic melody. Indeed, this magical history tour is an enchanting journey through time.” 

  

 

Quatro na Bossa, Brazilian bossa nova and samba 
Friday, July 24, 7:30 p.m. General admission: $15. 

Kevin Harding and Laura Ann Singh formed Quatro na Bossa in 2003. Drawing from Brazilian composers and performers, Quatro na Bossa's repertoire includes familiar classics, rare or forgotten pieces and some original material. Quatro na Bossa has performed for private functions, film and cultural festivals, clubs and restaurants. Singh fronts the band as vocalist with guitarist Harding, bassist Rusty Farmer and various drummers and percussionists. They perform regularly around central Virginia and play frequently at the Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at the Lincoln Center in New York. In 2008, they released “Summer Samba” on Venus Records. Quatro na Bossa's innovative arrangements and unique style result in music that is fresh and engaging while remaining authentically Brazilian. QNB offers infectious Brazilian popular and folkloric music to those who may never have heard it and to beat back saudades for those who have. 

 

The VCU Community Guitar Ensemble, a 25-member guitar orchestra with guest artists, directed by John Patykula
Sunday, July 26, 4 p.m. Free admission.

The VCU Community Guitar Ensemble consists of 30 talented classical guitarists from central Virginia. Established in 1986 by John Patykula, this ensemble has performed as part of the Richmond International Music Festival and Richmond’s Big Gig summer festival. It is the resident ensemble for VCU’s Guitar and Other Strings Series. The VCU Community Guitar Ensemble has been featured on local television and on WCVE-FM’s “An Hour with the Guitar.” 

 

For tickets and additional information, visit go.vcu.edu/julystringseries or call the VCU Department of Music Box Office at 804-828-6776. 

 

Featured image up top : Quatro na Bossa, photo by Christophile Konstas 

 

About VCU and the VCU Medical Center

Virginia Commonwealth University is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 31,000 students in 226 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Sixty-seven of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 13 schools and one college. MCV Hospitals and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University comprise VCU Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. For more, see www.vcu.edu.