Carpenter Center Announces 2019-2020 Arts For Life Events

The Carpenter Performing Arts Center, located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach, has announced the 2019-2020 Arts for Life season. Arts for Life is the Carpenter Center's education initiative, providing concerts, classes, lectures, readings, workshops and more to the CSULB campus, Long Beach schools, and to the wider community. The new Arts for Life season includes the return of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Concert Series, the Bob Cole Conservatory Showcase Concert, and the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra. Additional free offerings to the public include Ensemble Mik Nawooj, Versa-Style Dance Company, a new lecture series, and a continuation of the popular Shakespeare Aloud series.

In collaboration with the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, the Carpenter Center will present a free, three-concert series featuring an extensive repertoire of classical music performed by Conservatory students. The first performance, on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, features Mozart's Don Giovanni Overture, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, as well as Ravel's Piano Concerto in G performed by student competition winner Noah Lovold. "This series is a wonderful opportunity for Conservatory students to perform in a professional setting," said the Carpenter Center's Executive Director Megan Kline Crockett. "It also provides our greater Long Beach community with an opportunity to experience terrific classical music performances-at no cost." The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Concert Series continues on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 with selections from Korngold, Schubert, and Stravinsky, and on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 with a program of Shostakovich and Schmidt. The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Showcase Concert returns on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 at 8 p.m. with outstanding solo performances showcasing the individual talents of leading classical and jazz students.

Symphonic Jazz Orchestra returns to the Carpenter Center on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019 at 3 p.m. The 68-member Symphonic Jazz Orchestra is the country's premier ensemble uniquely dedicated to bridging the world of jazz and classical music. Guest soloist Chris Brubeck, son of the late Dave Brubeck, performs a movement of his Trombone Concerto along with his father's classic "Blue Rondo a la Turk." Also on the program is the opening movement of Pat William's Pulitzer Prize-nominated "An American Concerto" and the world premiere of "Varying the Elgar Variations" by SJO music director Mitch Glickman.

The San Francisco Bay Area-based Ensemble Mik Nawooj performs a free public concert on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 at 7 p.m. This cutting-edge hip-hop orchestra injects classical compositional techniques into hip-hop favorites and original jams, executing them with MCs, a lyric soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, drums, and bass. The performance follows the ensemble's participation in the Carpenter Center's Classroom Connections program, introducing participating Long Beach-area fourth and fifth graders to genre-crossing techniques and multi-instrumental composition.

On Friday, March 20, 2020 at 7 p.m., Versa-Style Dance Company delivers a free public performance at the Carpenter Center following their engagement as part of Classroom Connections, widening Long Beach second through fourth grade students' appreciation of the possibilities found in dance. This highly energetic ensemble fuses dance styles that have cultural significance to local communities, including hip-hop, popping, locking, whacking, and boogaloo as well as Afro-Latin styles such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, and Afro-Cuban.

The Carpenter Center Free Lecture Series brings expert CSULB faculty members into the Carpenter Center to provide context for upcoming performances. The series begins on Friday, Sept. 20 with "Contemporary Dance Explained." CSULB Dance History professor Dr. Colleen Dunagan examines the differences and relevancy of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and A.I.M by Kyle Abraham to modern day culture. The series continues on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019 with "Sing it, Boys!" Dr. Elizabeth Lindau, professor of Musicology at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music will provide context for upcoming performances by OH WHAT A NIGHT! A Musical Tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Everly Brothers [REVISITED], and The Doo Wop Project. Additional lectures and dates can be found at carpenterarts.org/artsforlife.

The Carpenter Center continues the popular Arts for Life program Shakespeare Aloud, now in its fifth season. Presented in collaboration with the Los Altos Neighborhood Library, readings are held at the Los Altos library branch. Community members are invited to participate as readers or to enjoy as audience members as the group reads one of the Bard's plays out loud. Participants can choose a character to read and scripts are provided if participants do not have their own copy. The program continues in September with a reading of Macbeth. Additional dates and featured plays are listed at carpenterarts.org/shakespeare.

All Arts for Life programs are free and open to the public. Advanced reservations are highly recommended for all concerts. Reservations are available 60 days before each scheduled performance. A full list of events and programming can be found at CarpenterArts.org. For additional information, please contact the Arts Ticket Office at (562) 985-7000 or visit the box office on the CSULB campus at 6200 E. Atherton St. The box office hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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