PERFORMANCES
July 13-18, 2008
Check back regularly for updates on the 2008 Tennessee Arts Academy performance schedule.


Sunday Evening- July 13, 2008
Sympatico, Chamber Percussion Ensemble

Sympatico gets the opening night TAA festivities off to a rousing start with a concert highlighting some of the best works for chamber percussion written over the past 30 years.  The program ranges from ragtime to contemporary, electronic to world music. Sympatico is Scott Herring (University of  South Carolina), Kris Keeton (Virginia Commonwealth University), Joe Krygier (The Ohio State University), Chris Norton (Belmont University) and Susan Powell (The Ohio State University). These innovative artists are composers, arrangers, performers and educators with impressive solo careers. They will gather from around the county and join forces for this special Arts Academy presentation.


Monday - July 13, 2008, 11:30 AM
Nashville Ballet, Carnival of the Animals

This enchanting performance is collaboration between Belmont University and Nashville Ballet. Camille Saint-Saens' original composition, written in 1886, is a collection of vignettes meant to characterize different animals. In several movements, Saint-Saens cleverly quotes opera and ballet themes popular in the nineteenth century.  With an original narration by Brian Hull presented by Sara Youngblood-Ochoa, Kris Elsberry and Robert Marler perform the duo piano parts. The dance is performed by Nashville Ballet Company 2, Nashville Ballet's pre-professional company.  Founded in 1981 as a civic dance company, the Nashville Ballet became Middle Tennessee's only professional ballet company in 1986. Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical pieces and contemporary works by noted choreographers which are performed worldwide. Through performances and education and outreach programs, Nashville Ballet reaches more than 40,000 adults and children annually.


Wednesday – July 16, 2008, 11:30 AM
All Shook Up!

Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley, All Shook Up takes us on a hip-swiveling, lip-curling musical fantasy that'll have you jumpin' out of your blue suede shoes. Presented by the highly acclaimed Roxy Regional Theatre from Clarksville, Tennessee, the performance will feature excerpts from the production. The show, written by 2007 Tennessee Arts Academy Distinguished Service Award winner Joe DiPietro, features performances by Bryan Davis and Maria Maloney. The producing organization, the Roxy Regional Theatre, opened on Nov. 3, 1983 in Clarksville, Tennessee and quickly became the cornerstone of downtown re-development. Founded by Tom Thayer and John McDonald, the theatre has produced over 400 mainstage shows in its 25 year history. All Shook Up will play July 11th through August 23rd at the Roxy (931.645.7699/ www.roxyregionaltheatre.org).


Wednesday Evening- July 16, 2008
Joseph and Elizabeth Mahowald, An Evening On Broadway

Share the wonderment of “An Evening On Broadway” with Joseph and Elizabeth Mahowald. Joe recently appeared in Boublil & Schonberg’s The Pirate Queen on Broadway.  He starred on Broadway in the title roles of Jekyll and Hyde, Javert and Enjolras in Les Miserable and he originated the role of Aaron James in Mike Reid’s opera, Different Fields commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera Guild. Elizabeth was born in Nashville, TN and has performed in theatres all over the country in roles such as Nellie in South Pacific, Laurie in Oklahoma!, Sister Mary Leo in Nunsense, Doris in Same Time Next Year, Corie in Barefoot in the Park and Chelsea in On Golden Pond, for which she won Nashville’s “First Night” award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play.


Thursday- July 17, 2008, 11:30 AM
Bella-Musiqa, A Mediterranean Music Duo

Bella-Musiqa entertains audiences using a variety of Mediterranean musical styles ranging from North African, Middle Eastern and Turkish to Spanish Andalusian, flamenco, and classical guitar. Bella-Musiqa was co-founded in summer 2006 by two MTSU faculty: Dr. David Pruett, an ethnomusicologist who has specialized in Middle Eastern music for over seventeen years, and Roger Hudson, an accomplished classical guitarist and oud player with two albums to his name on the Tikal Records label. Bella-Musiqa performs regularly throughout Middle Tennessee, including guest appearances on Live from Studio C on Nashville Public Radio, annual concerts for the Tennessee Guitar Festival and the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society, frequent performances at Middle Tennessee State University, and weekly shows at local Nashville restaurants.