MacDill Happenings

This Friday at noon come to a free performance at the Sarasota Opera House. Apprentice artists will perform “Sarasota Opera Souvenir.” This concert will feature singers performing operatic excerpts with full orchestra accompaniment. The Apprentice Artists Program consists of 24 professional singers who are beginning their opera careers. During their stay in Sarasota, they work with the music staff and the stage directors in one-on-one coaching: musical, dramatic and language. Apprentice Artists are part of the chorus, play small roles as well as cover roles in all the main stage productions, and perform at numerous outreach events in Bradenton, Venice and Sarasota. The concert will include selections from: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Beeethoven’s Fidelio, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, Lehar’s The Merry Widow, Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, Verdi’s Rigoletto, Puccini’s La rondine, and more. The Sarasota Opera House in downtown Sarasota has just completed a multi-million dollar renovation and restoration. The project is restored the historic 1926 theater to its original glory, while creating a venue for opera for the 21st century. Decorative details have been restored, seating has been replaced, and the orchestra pit enlarged to allow for an expansion of the repertoire. Backstage systems have been updated and public areas and amenities expanded and enhanced. The Sarasota Opera is in its 50th season.

Come out and listen to the fantastic sounds of the US Air Force Reserve Band on Monday!  They will be in concert at the Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg.  The concert starts at 7:30pm. The Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve consists of forty-five full time professional musicians who are assigned to perform in at least three ensembles. The band travels in excess of 100,000 miles per year performing over 500 concerts extensively throughout their primary geographic area of Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. but has also performed in many overseas locations to include Russia, Italy, Turkey, Portugal, Antigua, Panama, Germany, Australia, and the Caribbean. Be prepared to listen to a repertoire that includes classical overtures, Sousa marches, Broadway show tunes and popular music favorites. Sub units of the Concert Band include Full Spectrum, which performs contemporary and traditional Big Band selections; the Pipe Band which performs in authentic Scottish attire; and the Brass and Woodwind Quintets which feature a variety of chamber music literature.

On 20 January, the Minaret New Music Concert will present new music by the faculty of the University of Tampa.   New acoustic and electronic music by Tampa composers including UT faculty David Clark Isele, Bradford Blackburn, Haig Mardirosian (dean of the College of Arts and Letters) and featured visiting guest composer Zack Browning (UIUC). Performers include UT faculty Hein Jung and Grigorios Zamparas along with guest Corey Holt Merenda and Kim McCormick. The free concert will take place at Reeves Theater on the University campus from 4pm to 5pm. The University of Tampa is a medium size private university with about 5,600 students on 100 acres on a prime Tampa location on the western bank of the Hillsborough River. The University offers more than 100 areas of study and pre-professional programs through a strong core curriculum rooted in the liberal arts. An Evening College presents degree programs to adults who want to study part-time at night. Graduate programs are offered for Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Education, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Science in Marketing, Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Technology and Innovation Management and Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Innovation. The MBA program is one of the largest in Florida and is one of the elite private schools in the Southeast to have AACSB accreditation. So stop by and learn how to grow and take care of your plants and check out the University of Tampa at the same time.

On 23 January, the Surf’s Edge Club on MacDill AFB is hosting the 2nd Annual Soul Food & Jazz night. Listen to the Jazz and Soul sounds of Laveita Savage & All Stars from 8pm to midnight. Boomers Bar & Grill be open for cocktails at 5pm. Dinner is from 6pm to 8pm and is an all you can eat buffet. There will be a salad bar, fried chicken, ribs, blackened fish, macaroni salad, collard greens, black eyed peas, okra & tomatoes, candied sweet potatoes, cornbread, hot rolls with butter, chocolate cake, and pecan pie with sweet tea and coffee. Cost is $10 for AF Club members. Non-members will pay $15 per person. Tickets are on sale now and reservations are suggested. Tickets can be purchased by calling 828-4756.

For a calming break from the holiday shopping season, tryout the Florida Pro Musica’s annual Gregorian chant performance, which has turned into a popular holiday event at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in downtown Tampa at 509 N Florida Ave. The cross street is Twiggs. The performance is starts at 4pm. The Sacred Heart Catholic Church, an atmospheric domed space in downtown Tampa that seats about 600, was filled to overflowing for last year’s concert. Concerts over the first ten years have included some wonderful highlights, from large-scale works like Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah to intimate offerings such as the complete Masses by William Byrd, baroque trio sonatas, madrigals in costume, and a whole spectrum of choral and instrumental programs. Florida Pro Musica was founded in 1998 by Larry Kent and environmental attorney George F. Gramling III. The creation of FPM was, in large part, due to the need for a professional music ensemble performing varied and diverse repertoire from the Middle Ages to the 20th century and beyond. FPM’s first concert was in May 1999, and since that time, the group has performed pieces for the smallest ensembles (instrumental and vocal solos, duets, trios) to large works such as Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. Historical periods covered include Gregorian Chant from the 10th century, Renaissance and Baroque choral and instrumental masterworks (Palestrina, Byrd, Bach, Handel), the Classical period (Haydn and Mozart), the Romantics (Brahms, Mendelssohn, Bruckner), and the 20th and 21st centuries (Messiaen, Britten, Russo). Cost is $10 and includes a Wine and cheese reception after the performance.

The University of South Florida Symphony Orchestra and Band will present performances on 22 November at the Palladium Theatre in St. Petersburg. The USF Symphony Orchestra will play a variety of music from the orchestral repertoire from 4pm to 6pm. Tetrology - Tiro Scotto Concerto for Trumpet - Henri Tomasi, featuring USF’s 2009 Concerto Competition Winner Stephen Denison Symphony No. 6 in B minor, “”Pathétique”", Op. 74 - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The USF Symphony Band will preform from 8pm to 9:30pm. The symphony band is a large band that contains primarily music majors on brass, woodwind and percussion instruments. The music performed will consists of band masterworks, new compositions and other diverse selections. The University of South Florida is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of 39 community-engaged, four-year public universities as designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. USF was awarded more than $360 million in research contracts and grants in fiscal year 2007/2008. The university offers 219 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. The university has a $1.8 billion annual budget, an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion, and serves more than 46,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and Lakeland. USF music graduates may be found in leading graduate schools, professional ensembles and prominent teaching and administrative positions throughout the state and nation.

Tops in Blue will providing a free concert tonight at the Florida Amphiteatre. The show starts at 7pm with the gates opening at 6:30pm. This show is open to the public and parking will be free! This world-renown production, Tops In Blue, is an all-active duty US Air Force special unit made up of talented amateur performers selected for their entertainment abilities. Each year, thousands compete in base talent contests and the most talented move on to higher levels of competition. The result is an elite group composed of 35 of the most talented vocalists, musicians, and dancers anywhere. Known as the Air Forces’ Expeditionary Entertainers; the group’s main mission is to perform for military personnel and their families throughout the world. The enormous popularity of the group has also made them America’s goodwill ambassadors around the globe. They put on great show that will be entertaining for the entire family. To date, TOPS IN BLUE has traveled over four million miles to military bases throughout the world, performed at six World Fairs, over 100 state fairs and festivals, and performed at countless air shows, military balls and special events.

This Wednesday from 6pm-9pm, the Hyde Park Live Music Series continues at Old Hyde Park Village in south Tampa. This Wednesday the 80’s cover band Rubix Cubed will be playing to benefit the Child Abuse Council. This is a must see night for all music lovers! Rubix Cubed rocks with songs from the Go-Go’s, The Cure, Madonna, Simple Minds and other mega-hits of the ‘80s. The audience is transported through a multi-sensory recap of all that is “The ’80s”, complete with music videos, commercials, and film clips. Rubix Cubed gets the crowd dancing and singing along as they relive the totally tubular life of the ’80s. Located in south Tampa, Hyde Park Village has great mix of boutiques, stores and unique restaurants that can pique anyone’s interest. South Tampa is the area generally defined as the part of Tampa that is south of Kennedy Blvd. MacDill AFB is located at the southern end of South Tampa. There is plenty of free parking available in Hyde Park Village with several parking garages available!

The Clearwater Jazz Festival continues this weekend at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater from 10am to 5pm each day. This is a free event! Now in its 30th year, the Clearwater Jazz Holiday is a world-class gathering of the some of the greatest talents and greatest fans of jazz. The event takes full advantage of its home in Clearwater offering music and art against the backdrop of warm breezes, brilliant sunsets and one of the world’s greatest beaches, on the Gulf of Mexico. The 2nd Annual Clearwater Jazz ‘N Art Walk will also be taking place on the 500 & 600 block of Cleveland St. from Ft. Harrison to East Avenue. Fine art of different mediums will be on display and for sale to the general public. The Clearwater Jazz ‘N Art Walk will also feature the Kids Educationl Zone, located in Station Square, showcasing some of the bay areas youth works and talents. Children will be able to browse through the kids’ art and experience hands-on activities created just for children. Each day enjoy the “Nick Pool Show” from 12pm-1pm along with other kids entertainment from 10am-11am and 2pm-3pm. The GTE Federal Credit Union main stage will be located at Garden Avenue with fantastic entertainment featuring local and regional talent. Performers on Saturday include The Hy Notes from 11am - 12pm, The Alan Darcy Experience from 1pm - 2pm and Level 10 from 3pm - 4pm. On Sunday listen to The Ruth Eckerd Hall Jazz Lab Band from 11am - 12pm, Suite Caroline from 1pm - 2pm and The Bus Stop Band with Chello from 3pm - 4pm. Of course, there will be plenty of food and beverages to choose from if you get hungry or thirsty.

The Florida Orchestra will be performing its free Pops in the Park concert on 16  October.  The concert will be at River Tower Park in the Sulpher Springs neighborhood of Tampa with a 7pm start time. River Tower Park is 12.52 acres and is adjacent to the Hillsborough River. Take the W. Waters Av exit off of I-275 and go south on N. Florida Ave to get to the park.  Bring your chairs, blankets and a picnic and enjoy the concert!  Don’t forget to bring bug spray in case the bugs come out, but no alcohol is allowed.  The Florida Orchestra is recognized as Tampa Bay’s leading performing arts institution, one of the leading professional symphony orchestras in Florida, and one of the best orchestras in America.The orchestra performs more than 100 concerts annually in the tri-city area of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg. Concert series include Masterworks, Raymond James Pops, Coffee Concerts, Pops in the Park Concerts, and youth concerts. The orchestra has a wide variety of programs to make music accessible to the Tampa Bay community. The Heartstrings program allows underserved residents, including at-risk students, seniors, people with disabilities, and those facing financial challenges, to attend Masterworks and Pops concerts free of charge. There are Free Youth Concerts which target fourth and fifth graders and are presented during the school day at one of the major concert halls in the area. Each year over 30,000 students attend one of the orchestra’s youth concerts. A national string program for African-American and Latino musicians, Sphinx TFO Partnership offers an annual national competition, as well as training programs and professional development opportunities. The Florida Orchestra Young Artists Competition recognizes extraordinary young talent in the greater Tampa Bay area. The competition is open to students up to the age of 22, with senior (16-22) and junior (15 and younger) divisions. Musicians in the Schools offers orchestra musicians the opportunity to support high school orchestra and band programs in Pinellas and Hillsborough County schools by working as sectional coaches, providing private instruction or conducting rehearsals. Students, teachers and education staff members may purchase individual $10 tickets with a valid school I.D. to most Florida Orchestra concerts. The Instrument Petting Zoo is a project of The Florida Orchestra Tampa Guild and features a collection of musical instruments that children can touch, blow, pluck, and strike. Students from middle school through college can attend open dress rehearsals to witness how the conductor and musicians prepare that week’s program. Side By Side Concerts provide young musicians an opportunity to rehearse and publicly perform with the orchestra’s professional musicians.