Southwest Colorado Concerts kick off on Oct. 7 with a “Rhapsodic and Exotic” presentation of Hungarian arabesques and flashy Russian dances from the San Juan Symphony.
The series then celebrates the holiday season with the Mancos Valley Chorus, heralds the rebirth of spring with the fresh and dramatic 7th Ave, and leans into long summer nights with a colorful Bandstand Boogie with The Diamonds.
In between, the six-part concert series promises to keep you humming along through the seasons with the Sounds of the Cortez Farmers Market and a surfside mix of rock, western and classical guitar from the California Guitar Trio.
All the concerts will be at the Montezuma High School’s Ralph E. Vavak Auditorium at 7 p.m. Prices are $55 adult season ticket for five concerts. Single concert tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students, and may be purchased at the door.
For more information, visit swcoloradoconcerts.org or contact Julie Ayers on 970-882-1284 or Eric Wilson on 970-739-8508.
San Juan SymphonyOct. 7 at 3 p.m.
The San Juan Symphony will perform a “Rhapsodic and Exotic” program featuring Hungarian arabesques, flashy Russian dances and the Second Symphony of Jean Sibelius, conducted by music director Thomas Heuser.
For Weber’s charismatic Rondo Ongarese, the symphony will spotlight Denise Reig Turner, principal bassoonist with the San Juan Symphony, Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, the Albuquerque Festival Ballet and New Mexico Performing Arts Society in Santa Fe and the second bassoon with the New Mexico Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestra. She also was principal bassoonist and a frequent soloist with the former Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque.
Turner teaches bassoon and coaches chamber music at the University of New Mexico, where she performs with the New Mexico Winds, the artists-in-residence woodwind quintet. She has performed orchestral, opera and chamber music in Europe, Mexico and the Southwest and has taught master classes at numerous U.S. colleges and at the Donizetti conservatory in Italy.
Mancos Valley ChorusDec. 4 at 7 p.m.
The Mancos Valley Chorus, a 32-member community chorus established in 1998 in Mancos, is led by director Kriss Larsen and accompanied on piano by Lee Bartley. Known most for its classic holiday concerts in Cortez and Mancos in the first week of December. Larsen holds a bachelor’s degree in music in vocal performance from New England Conservatory in Boston and a master’s in vocal performance from the University of Maryland. She has performed in a song and dance duo on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, performed and produced two one-woman cabaret shows in New York City and sings standards from the 1930s and ’40s.
Last year, the chorus’ theme was “Ding Dong! Merrily On High,” a program that included unexpected versions of familiar holiday favorites as well as more contemporary songs. The group opened with a vocal and bell ensemble and went on to perform more twists on holiday favorites using a few props. The performance was free, as are the chorus’ regularly scheduled holiday performances. The chorus is currently touting its holiday presentation “In December.”
“The main thing is our commitment to the community in bringing joy through the sound of music,” according the chorus’ website. “It is kind of our motto.”
Sounds of the Cortez Farmers MarketJan. 26 at 2 p.m.
In January, warm up to the Sounds of the Cortez Farmer’s Market with an earthy lineup that entertains summer shoppers in Cortez – Last Nickel, Donny Johnson, The Lindells, and Ranger Rick and the Swamp Things.
Last Nickel, from Dolores, has been playing regionally for seven years. Its 2017 album “Sod and Stubble” paints timeless pictures of people and places, the “mess and majesty.” The band says you are just as likely to find them on a local stage as you are to find them searching out inspiration on a river or mountain near you.The husband-and-wife team of The Lindells have been performing their own roots-pop, folk-rock music since high school in the 1960s and ’70s, when they developed a comic-country, folk rock from the hills of California. Chris and Kim Lindell entwine their earthy yet ethereal vocals and harmonies over guitarwork and playful backbeat rhythms. The guitar-bass interplay sweetly highlights their long-creative partnership.Ranger Rick and the Swamp Things, a local group of four musicians, use a variety of acoustic instruments to excite the musical passion of anyone who has ever “tapped a toe.” You will surely have a favorite as they cover songs from the movies, the road, the Old West and the swamps of Louisiana.Donny Johnson, a longtime favorite in the Four Corners area known by fans as a troubadour, hails from Lubbock, Texas, and promises music from the likes of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard.
7th Ave, Mixed Vocal QuartetMarch 28 at 7 p.m.
7th Ave was founded in 2016 by Chris Rupp, the founder of Home Free. Combining elements of pop, swing, rockabilly and country, 7th Ave uproots standard definitions through arrangements and performances.
Members of 7th Ave include Chris Rupp, from Mankato, Minnesota, where he was surrounded by music with his mom, a professional musician. After graduating from Mankato State University, he spent 10 years teaching and building Home Free into the sensation it is today after its 2013 victory on “The Sing-off” television show. He has collaborated with Kenny Rogers and The Oak Ridge Boys and has released a solo album.
Triston Rupp comes from the same Rupp family. Her degree from Mankato State is in musical theater, and she pursues singing, acting and dancing in Los Angeles. She has been seen on “Criminal Minds,” “Shark Tank” and the film “About Last Night,” with Kevin Hart.
Adam Bastien, from Michigan, began singing at age 12. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has traveled as a singer on cruise ships and has sung with a cappella vocal groups including The Alleycats, Blue Jupiter and Home Free.
The fourth member of the quartet is yet to be decided.
California Guitar TrioApril 12 at 7 p.m.
Bert Lams, Hideyo Moriya and Paul Richards establish a personal connection with audiences through dazzling musicianship and interplay, stories and humor that make concertgoers feel like they’re part of the music.
The California Guitar Trio has made a major global impact in its 25-year history, having served as the soundtrack of Olympics coverage, and programs on CNN, CBS, NBC and ESPN. They have fans in high places too: NASA used their music to wake the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor.
California Guitar Trio’s lineup is the sum of its parts: A Utah native now living in Los Angeles, Richards immersed himself in rock, blues, jazz and folk during his early days and while attending the University of Utah’s jazz guitar program. Lams, originally from Belgium, graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, specializing in classical guitar. Tokyo-born Moriya began his guitar journey with surf music and British rock, before relocating to Boston to study at Berklee.
The trio performed with the Montreal Guitar Trio, playing several concerts in the Midwest in 2014.
About 1,800 gigs later, the trio continues to evolve and communicate a musical world view.
Band Stage Boogie, featuring the DiamondsMay 8 at 7 p.m.
The fabulous foursome of 1950s and ’60s popularity, gained by the hit tune “Lil Darlin,” is a Canadian vocal quartet that rose to prominence with 16 Billboard hit records back in the day. It has continued to perform through the years with gradual changes in personnel, currently including lead vocalist Jerry Siggins, baritone Gary Owens, tenor Sean Sooter and bass Jeff Dolan.
The Diamond’s biggest hit, besides “Lil Darlin,” was “The Stroll.” They won first place on Arthur Godfrey’s “Talent Scouts” and were awarded the chance to be guest artist for a week on Godfrey’s daily radio show, leading to a recording contract with Coral Records. TV performances included shows with Steve Allen, Perry Como, Vic Damone, Tony Bennett and “American Bandstand.”
The Diamonds were most noted for interpreting and introducing rhythm and blues vocal music to the wider pop music audience. With their 16 hit records, their Doo-Wop Hall of Fame, their Vocal Group Hall of Fame, their 20 million records sold and their soundtrack “American Graffiti,” The Diamonds are the perfect entertainment choice for audiences, ranging from a formal setting to an outdoor stage at a festival. They combine vocal harmony and musical talents to provide an unforgettable, first-class entertainment.
