Category: Music

  • Russian Spectacular: Downey Symphony, April 8th, 2018

    Russian Spectacular: Downey Symphony, April 8th, 2018

    Come join the Downey Symphony Orchestra for a Russian Spectacular!

    Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff!

    Piano Sensation Kevin Fitz-Gerald

    Art Exhibit “Metallic Reflections”

    April 7, 2018
    8:00pm
    Downey Theatre

    Pre-Concert Lecture – 7:15pm

    Purchase Tickets

    Message from the Music Director

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    “Join us as we conclude our 59th season with some spectacular Russian flair:  Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.  You won’t want to miss the return of international piano sensation Kevin Fitz-Gerald as he dazzles you with his exquisite and vibrant playing.  As we do every year for our spring concert, the program will open with a piece conducted by our Baton Auction Winner.  This year’s lucky recipient is Josh Beall and he has chosen the impressive Slavonic Dance No. 1 in C major by Dvorak to kick-start this exciting evening.

    We hope you will come out and support us as we wrap up another successful season, and I look forward to seeing you at the concert!”

    ~Sharon Lavery

     

     

    Kevin Fitz-Gerald, pianist.

    Canadian pianist, Kevin Fitz-Gerald, enjoys a versatile performing career as recitalist, orchestra soloist and chamber musician. His performances have garnered international acclaim and he has been recognized for his “hypnotically powerful and precise” pianism and “dynamic and distinguished” interpretations. His concert tours and performances have taken place in major concert halls, universities and concert organizations throughout the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, Mexico, South America, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Notable venues include Carnegie Recital Hall (New York), The Mormon Tabernacle (Utah), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), National Arts Centre (Ottawa), Roy Thompson Hall (Toronto), Place des Arts (Montreal), Izumi Hall (Osaka), Suntori Hall (Tokyo), National Gallery (Kingston) and Town Hall (Melbourne). He has appeared with several Canadian and American orchestras including the Toronto Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Canadian Chamber Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Los Angeles Camerata, Utah Chamber Orchestra and more.

  • Downey Theatre Presents: Sara Evans Sunday, April 22

    Downey Theatre Presents: Sara Evans Sunday, April 22

    DOWNEY, Calif. (March 27, 2018) – Downey Theatre closes its 2017-2018 Season  SARA EVANS on Sunday, April 22, at 7:00pm. The evening will feature special guests TEMECULA ROAD performing the opening set.

    Academy of Country Music’s Top Female Vocalist

    SARA EVANS has had five #1 singles, sold millions of records, won the Academy of Country Music’s Top Female Vocalist Award, and claimed a Country Music Association trophy for her signature song, “Born To Fly.” It’s tough to imagine many accomplishments she hasn’t already checked off her bucket list.

    And yet, with the release of her eighth studio album WordsSARA EVANS demonstrates that she’s still willing to leap into the unknown, taking greater control of her career and calling the shots in a way that’s unusual in country music – particularly unusual for a woman in the genre.

     Tickets are available at:

    The Downey Theatre Box Office

    By phone at 408-866-2700,

    or online at DowneyTheatre.org.

    The Downey Theatre
    8435 Firestone Blvd.
    Downey CA 90241.

    Also Featuring

    TEMECULA ROAD

    Called by The Huffington Post one of the top new country artists to watch, and named after the town they grew up in, TEMECULA ROAD is comprised of sisters Emma and Maddie Salute, and longtime friend Dawson Anderson. They are known for their trademark harmonies and covers, which have earned praise from Carrie Underwood, Brett Eldredge, Dan + Shay, and RaeLynn.

    These days, it’s their original songs that are putting them on the map. Their first two singles “What If I Kissed You” and “Hoping” already have over 1MM streams on Spotify, and the trio just released their new single “Everything Without You.” On the touring side, TEMECULA ROAD has opened for Martina McBride, Josh Turner, Joe Nichols, Easton Corbin, Lee Brice, Sara Evans, Kenny Rogers, and Eli Young Band.

     

     

     

     

    Sara Evans’ album Words released on her own label: Born To Fly Records

    Words is the first project on Evans’ own label: Born To Fly Records, appropriately named after that CMA-winning signature song, which celebrated risk and adventure. Much is familiar about Words.Evans’ voice is warm and strong, the songs are authentic and memorable, and the actual words themselves resonate with the realities of everyday life.

    But the album was an eye-opening experience for Evans as a creative force. As the head of her own small, flexible company, she was able to take a streamlined approach to building it. Instead of subjecting the music to multiple departments, each with their own view of one part of her career, Evans approached it with an instinctual, gut-level focus on making a project that represents the current version of Sara Evans.

    “The only thing I had on my mind with this album was just Grammy-level songs and the coolest music that I can find,” she says. “I didn’t really go about it in any other way. I wasn’t catering to any part of the business. There was never a thought in my head of, ‘Will this work on country radio?’ So what has happened with the music is that it is still very much Sara Evans music. It’s just a little bit deeper than I’ve gone in the past.” For a woman who always tackled the music her own way, the new album is 100% her own.

    “Songs are a combination of words and melodies, and it’s the words that matter most to me,” she says. “When we go into these pitch meetings, people always ask, ‘What are you looking for? Are you OK with doing something that’s a little more pop?’ I always tell them, ‘Just play me great lyrics.’ That’s what I’m looking for.”

    Evans co-wrote three of the album’s 14 songs, instinctively picking material along the way that matches her world view. Thirteen additional females racked up writing credits on the project, including Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, Pistol Annies’ Ashley Monroe, The Isaacs’ Sonya Isaacs, Hillary Lindsey (“Blue Ain’t Your Color”), Caitlyn Smith (“Wasting All These Tears”), Heather Morgan (“Beat Of The Music”) and Liz Hengber (“For My Broken Heart”).

    “A Little Bit Stronger,” Evans’ pensive, heartbreak anthem that spent two weeks at #1 represents a look at the journey thus far, one that’s kept her firmly in the forefront of country music for a solid 20 years. Born and raised in Boonville, Missouri, Sara grew up listening – like much of her audience – to a mix of country, pop, and rock on the radio. She began singing with the family band when she was five and made her first attempts at recording as a teenager, committing to a creative path with her move to Nashville in 1991.

    SARA EVAN’s résumé now includes 14 Top 20 country hits, ranging from her reassuring first #1 – “No Place That Far,” featuring background vocals by Vince Gill – to the neo-traditional “Suds In The Bucket,” to the elegant, spiky pop feel of “Slow Me Down.”

    Evans wants to represent the full panorama of her artistic vision. By handpicking the team around her and making self-expression the priority of her work, she’s found songs that continue to connect her to the emotional core of her audience and that adhere to that Born To Fly embrace of risk and adventure.

    “I don’t use the word a lot, resilient, but I would say that’s the best way to define me as a person,” Evans says. “I feel so blessed, but at the same time, there’s blood, sweat, and tears in every single thing that I’ve gotten in this life. I have gone out and just really, really sold it, and I’m still doing that to this day.”

    Doing it her way. As a mom. As a record company entrepreneur. And, mostly, as a distinct artist still excited about her unique journey.

     

     

     

     

  • Recap: Live Love Art Winter 2018

    Recap: Live Love Art Winter 2018

    Downey Arts Coalition presented its first event of 2018, with a new series of events celebrating local art & culture: “Live Love Art,” on Sunday February 25th at The Epic Lounge.

    DAC President Pat Gil conceived of the events, four seasonal celebrations of artists doing great work in our city and nearby. In the winter edition, three artists were featured: Amelie Simmons, Erika Reynosa and Chris Param. Live music was provided by the El Dorado Collective and When Pigs Fly. The main event was the premiere screening of a new short film by writer/director Paul Tully, “Crossroads.” Tully was also able to introduce his father, Paul Tully Sr., who is promoting a new book of his dramatic life story in New York, “Born a Gangster.” After the screening, the cast and crew were invited to the stage to share their stories as well.

    Stay tuned for the next “Live Love Art” event coming this May, featuring a short film by Polaris Castillo, “El Luchador,” and more artists to be announced. Join our mailing list to stay informed.

  • Interfaith Multi-Cultural Songfest

    Interfaith Multi-Cultural Songfest

    Please join us at the  FREE  26th Annual

    Interfaith Multi-cultural 

    Songfest & Art Exhibit

    March 17, 2018

    Songfest:  7:00 – 8:30 PM

    Art Exhibit:  6:00 – 9:00 PM

    Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
    12425 Orizaba Ave., Downey

     

    Instructions for participation:

    All media welcome – oil, watercolor, charcoal, etc., sculptures.

    Family-friendly event, no nude, suggestive or explicit art allowed.

    Security for art will be provided, provide your own easels if possible.

    Contact Lois Buchanan at  l0lgramz1@yahoo.com by March 5, 2018

  • ‘Czech Please’ Downey Symphony Concert Oct 21

    ‘Czech Please’ Downey Symphony Concert Oct 21

    The Downey Symphonic Society is pleased to present “Czech Please!” the fall concert for the Downey Symphony Orchestra, on Saturday October 21, 2017.  The evening begins with the opening of a new Downey Arts Coalition group art show, “Music: The Art of Sound,” doors opening at 6:30PM. A Pre-concert lecture with Music Director Sharon Lavery is at 7:15PM, followed by the concert at 8PM.  A special reception for subscribers will follow the concert.

    The music includes the Slavonic Dances Suite by Antonin Dvorak, as well as his Romance for Violin and Orchestra, and Symphony No. 8 Opus 88 in G Major. Violinist Carolyn Osborn is the featured soloist.

    Tickets are available now at the Downey Theatre box office, 8435 Firestone Blvd, Downey CA 90241, 562-861-8211.

     

     

  • Downey Symphony Mi Hacienda Garden Party Sept 24

    Downey Symphony Mi Hacienda Garden Party Sept 24

    It’s not a time for a Siesta, but for a Gran Fiesta

    You Are Cordially Invited to

    Mi Hacienda Garden Party

    Benefitting the
    Downey Symphony Orchestra & Music in the Schools ProgramsCome Join Us for a Gran Fiesta celebrating the
    2017-2018 Concert SeasonSunday, September 24, 2017 3pm – 7pm (cocktail 3-4pm), $75 per personRio Hondo Event Center, 10627 Old River School Road, Downey, CA
      
    Say adios to summer, by spending your afternoon in a wonderful hacienda, full of rich colors, and flavors, while overlooking the beautiful Rio Hondo greens.

    Viva la tradicion! As always our biggest fundraiser of the year will not disappoint. While you sip on vino and/or champagne, and enjoy your delicious dinner, you will be entertained by a Mariachi, A Classical Guitarist, and other surprises. Have fun bidding on fabulosos live and silent auction items, such as dinner with Music Director Sharon Lavery and on–stage orchestra rehearsal, baskets of good wine, Downey theatre tickets, original art works, dinner gift cards, awesome gift baskets, and much, much more… Ay Caramba!

    Have fun and come dressed in bright festive colors celebrating the rich Latino culture.

    RSVP by Sept. 17th, 2017.   For further information, contact Pat Gil at patgil@www.downeyarts.org or text 562-879-3029.

  • 5th Annual Dia de Los Muertos Art Festival Oct 29

    5th Annual Dia de Los Muertos Art Festival Oct 29

    Art, Culture & Tradition

    The Annual Downey Dia de Los Muertos Art Festival is back for its 5th year on Sunday, Oct 29th, 2017, downtown Downey, in and around the Downey Theatre, 8435 Firestone Blvd. The event is free, and so is the parking.

    The festival opens at 11:00 am with introductions from the Mayor and City Council, and continues until 8:00 pm. During the opening, Tonatiuh Danza Azteca will perform a ceremonial Aztec dance, and the festivities commence.

    This event recognizes the cultural significance of Dia de Los Muertos–Day of the Dead-an annual Mexican and Central American custom rooted in both Aztec and Catholic world views, that goes back hundreds of years.  Dia de Los Muertos is when the spirits of the deceased return to earth, for one day, to hang out with the living.

    The Downey Dia de Los Muertos Art Festival is an ever expanding footprint packed with attractions that cover three stages with continuous film, music and ballet folklorico entertainment.  “Urban Art Alley” features “Found Art” (aka “Urban Art”), fine art, sculpture, altar displays, “make n’ take” arts and crafts, sugar-skull decorating, face painting and displays of both traditional altars and more unconventional “car altars.”

    The Downey Arts Coalition has partnered with the festival for each of the past five years, to bring a wide variety of fine art celebrating the Day of the Dead to the lobby of the Downey Theatre. Curated by Carolina Del Toro, artists are featured both from the local community as well as Southern California and beyond.

    The Downey Dia de Los Muertos Art Festival is generally recognized as one of the Southland’s most outstanding Dia de Los Muertos celebrations due, in part, to the indoor/outdoor setting and the quality and variety of entertainment, and also due to the overall presentation that includes color-coordinated booths and decorations, indoor restrooms,  and folklorico dances in the 738 seat theatre.

    The Downey Dia de Los Muertos Art Festival is produced by the City of Downey and the Downey Theatre.  Festival sponsors include La Amapola Market, AppleCare Medical Group, Avenue Press, Downey Federal Credit Union, Downey Nissan, Modelo, and Rose Hills Memorial Park.

  • Green Salon Short Film Festival Saturday August 26

    Green Salon Short Film Festival Saturday August 26

     

    Green Salon Film Fest

     

    The Green Salon Short Film Festival returns Saturday August 26 with new shorts by local filmmakers. The outdoor event begins at 7PM, films begin approximately at 8PM. Host Roy Anthony Shabla welcomes everyone to this free event at his Studio GalleRoy, 11210 Greenstone Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670.

  • Havana Nights Rooftop Concert August 31

    Havana Nights Rooftop Concert August 31

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    August 31, 7pm
    Rooftop Public Parking Structure
    2nd St. and New St., Downey
    La Charanga Cubana will feature at the as the performing artist for the Cuban-themed rooftop concert hosted by the City of Downey. There will be cuban vendors and food, arts and crafts, a beer and wine garden, and a DAC hosted art exhibition. Make sure to bring your own chair! The rooftop opens at 6:30p. Visit the City website for more information.

  • Downey Symphony presents Beethoven’s 5th – April 8

    Downey Symphony presents Beethoven’s 5th – April 8

     

    Saturday April 8th, 8 pm
    Downey Theater
    8435 Firestone Blvd., Downey

    SymphonicClassics_WEB

    The spring and final concert, “Symphonic Classics,” will feature a performance by Los Angeles cello player Benjamin Lash. The performance will include the most popular symphony in the classical music repertoire: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. The concert opens with another popular gem, The William Tell Overture, by Rossini, followed by Tchaikovsky’s charming and impressive, “Rococo Variations for Cello and Orchestra,” performed by Lash.

    Benjamin Lash, Cello

    ​Cellist Benjamin Lash was a top prizewinner in the Washington International Competition. Recent concerto performances include Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and Haydn’s C Major Cello Concerto with the Colburn Orchestra, and Dvorak’s Cello Concerto with the Brentwood Symphony Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Benjamin has participated in summer festivals including the Sarasota Music Festival, Taos, Aspen, Holland International Music Sessions, Fortissimo Fest in Bulgaria, and 2016 Franco-American Chamber Music Festival in Missillac, France.

    Benjamin began studying cello at the age of six. In his early teens, as a first place winner of multiple Chicago area competitions, he performed concertos by Saint-Saens, Shostakovich, Hindemith, and Haydn. Benjamin received his Bachelors of Music from the Colburn Conservatory of Music where he studied with Ronald Leonard. He completed a Master of Music degree at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in cello performance. He is a recipient of the USC Music Faculty Endowed Scholarship and studies with Ralph Kirshbaum.