SPRING 2010 SCHEDULE -- Click on MORE INFORMATION for on-line ticket purchasing links

Part of the Dance Series

Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble

Tuesday, February 2 at 8 PM

Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble -- the first black classical ballet company -- has achieved unprecedented success, bringing innovative and bold new forms of artistic expression to audiences in New York City, across the country and around the world. Arthur Mitchell has for four decades personified the vision and ambition needed to shape a dance company from plies to curtain calls. With a style based upon 20th-century classicism, the Dance Theatre of Harlem is noted for graceful and vigorous performances of works by such choreographers as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Mitchell himself.

Part of the Classical Series

Leon Bates

Thursday, February 4 at 8 PM

Whether in recital or as a soloist with orchestra, his praises are enumerated in many different languages--but they are all in agreement on one point: Leon Bates is a major artist and one of America's best pianists!  He is invited to perform on the major concert stages around the world and audiences and critics find his musical spirit possesses the elements of greatness.

Bates has performed with many major U.S. symphonies including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony and the Boston Symphony among others. In Europe, he has performed with the Vienna Symphony, the Basel Symphony, the Radio-Orchestra of Dublin, the Strasbourg Symphony, Orchestra Sinfonica dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Malmo Symphony of Sweden and more.

Part of the Legends Series

Maureen McGovern
A Long and Winding Road

Saturday, February 6 at 8 PM

After a long absence, Maureen McGovern brings to Northridge an entertaining and introspective theatrical concert based on her recent album of the same name, in which she courts listeners with controlled displays of passion and emotion.  In a feast for baby-boomers, McGovern celebrates the era of Simon & Garfunkle, Lennon & McCartney and Joni Mitchell. Just as vintage wine improves with age, so McGovern - always possessed of one of the most technically proficient and lovely voices in cabaret - has matured with a new darker, mellower quality to her sound that resonates more beautifully than ever! 

In this intimate show, McGovern shares her personal perspective on her years growing up and into her talent. She weaves songs into a gentle study of her generation's hopes and dreams. These songs and stories take us back to a time many will remember dearly, and it will be a true pleasure to share this evening with her. Maureen McGovern has the kind of voice you never forget.

Part of the Theate/Spoken Word Series

Capitol Steps

Saturday, February 13 at 8 PM

You’ve watched "Saturday Night Live" and you tune in to Comedy Central every night for "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." But when it comes to satire, you haven't seen the real thing until you have been to the Capitol Steps.

The only group in America that attempts to be funnier than Congress, Capitol Steps is a troupe of current and former Congressional staffers who monitor events and personalities on Capitol Hill, in the Oval Office, and in other centers of power and prestige around the world --and take a humorous look at serious issues while providing a nationwide laugh for millions.

Part of the Jazz/Roots Series

Dave Binney Quartet

Saturday, February 27 at 8 PM

Acclaimed as a considerable and highly individual compositional talent, saxophonist David Binney is one of the most prolific young jazz musicians on the scene today. Winning praise from critics and colleagues alike, David was recently singled out by Jazz Times as one of a handful of "young players who have created an alternative jazz scene... all of whom are playing adventurous, original music."

Known for his performances with such prestigious groups as the big bands of Gil Evans and Maria Schneider, as well as with Jim Hall, Bobby Previte and the Cecil McBee quintet. David was also a co-founder of the hard-edged quintet "Lost Tribe" and the open-form collective quartet  "Lan Xang." With these groups and on his own, he has recorded a dozen albums.

Part of the Classical Series

Ying Quartet

Thursday, March 11 at 8 PM

The Ying Quartet occupies a position of unique prominence in the classical music world. They combine brilliantly communicative performances with a fearlessly imaginative view of chamber music in today’s world.

Now in their second decade as a quartet, the Yings have established themselves as an ensemble of the highest musical qualifications in their tours across the United States and abroad. Their performances regularly take place in many of the world’s most important concert halls, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House.

Part of the Jazz/Roots Series

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

Saturday, March 13 at 8 PM

Beyond his award-winning records, Ricky Skaggs continues to lead the charge in bringing renewed vitality to country music's most down-to-earth art form, and has become one of bluegrass' most talented and dynamic performers ... carrying this lively, distinctively American form of music to the hearts of audiences across the country.

Part of the Dance Series

Nai-Ni Chen Dance

Tuesday, March 18 at 8 PM

A blossom of color, energy and motion, "like endlessly proliferating forces of cosmic energy," says the New York Times.

The dances of Nai-Ni Chen fuse the dynamic freedom of American modern dance with the grace and splendor of Asian art. The Company's productions take the audience beyond cultural boundaries to where tradition meets innovation and freedom arises from discipline. Celebrating the diversity of ideas shaped by the immigrant experience, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company bridges the gap of understanding between East and West.

Part of the Jazz/Roots Series

Diane Schuur

Saturday, March 27 at 8 PM

Vocalist/pianist Diane Schuur is as eclectic as she is brilliant. A longtime disciple of Dinah Washington and other legendary jazz singers of the ‘40s and ‘50s, Schuur has built a stellar career by embracing not only the jazz of her parents’ generation, but also the pop music of her own youth during the late 1950s and ‘60s. In a recording career that spans nearly three decades – and includes two Grammy Awards and three Grammy nominations – Schuur’s music has explored nearly every corner of the 20th century American musical landscape.

Part of the Dance Series

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

Tuesday, April 13 at 8 PM

Heading into their second decade, the success of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet is cause for celebration! ASFB is a uniquely structured and multi-faceted organization, founded in 1990 by longtime Aspenite Bebe Schweppe. It not only is a nationally recognized dance company, a leader in the dance world in terms of repertoire, acquiring and commissioning work from top choreographers, but it is also one of the largest dance presenters in the country, welcoming the best in dance.

Part of the Theatre/Spoken Word Series

A Gershwin Celebration

Saturday, April 17 at 8 PM

Starring Raymond Saar, Diane Ketchie, Valerie Perri and Scott Harlan

From Tin Pan Alley to Broadway to the silver screen, George Gershwin did it all. His unique blend of jazz, blues and classical music made him one of the most innovative composers of all time. This show includes Gershwin's classic songs, dialogue rich with anecdotal insights into his life, as well as a thrilling rendition of Rhapsody In Blue. From the foot-tapping I Got Rhythm to the poignancy of Someone To Watch Over Me, no other composer has so perfectly captured the true spirit of America.  Join our stars for their third annual performance at the Plaza del Sol Performance Hall!

Part of the Legends Series

Christine Ebersole

Saturday, April 24 at 8 PM

Ms. Ebersole won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in "Grey Gardens". Previously, she was awarded the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama League awarded her both a citation and the Outstanding Performance of the Year! She’s featured in nonstop film and TV credits.  Her incredible singing range — from comic alto to lyric soprano — is simply flawless, and this evenings arrangements are a clever wink to sassy nightclub acts circa 1962. Run, do not walk, to this jewel of a performance!

Part of the Classical Series

eighth blackbird

Thursday, April 29 at 8 PM

Tim Munro, flutes | 
Michael J. Maccaferri, clarinets 
| Matt Albert, violin & viola 
| Nicholas Photinos, cello 
| Matthew Duvall, percussion | Lisa Kaplan, piano

Described by The New Yorker as “friendly, unpretentious, idealistic and highly skilled,” the Grammy Award-winning eighth blackbird promises its ever-increasing audiences provocative and engaging performances. It is widely lauded for its performing style – often playing from memory with virtuosic and theatrical flair – and its efforts to make new music accessible to wide audiences.

The eighth blackbird collective served as musical director at the Ojai Music Festival in 2009.  In 2008 the group’s recording of “strange imaginary animals” won the Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. eighth blackbird has built its reputation pursuing projects that push the boundaries of chamber music performance.

Part of the Dance Series

Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli de Veracruz

Friday, April 30 at 8 PM

Established in 1985, the Ballet Folklorico “Quetzalli” de Veracruz has delighted audiences from Europe to Indonesia. Now under direction of veteran dancer Hugo Betancourt, "Quetzalli" has grown to be one of the most popular folkloric companies touring out of Mexico.

The Ballet Folklorico "Quetzalli" is a group of young people who love the traditions of their people expressed through music, songs, and dances characteristic of different ethnic groups. Wherever they perform, these talented dancers, singers and musicians provide a spectacular and colorful expression of the authentic national folklore of Mexico through costumes, dance and music.

Part of the Theatre/Spoken Word Series

Love Letters

TBA