KBACH's Heart of the Arts

The Arizona Pops Orchestra presents its "Americana Homage" concert June 17th & 18th at the Tempe Center for the Arts. KBACH's Greg Kostraba recently talked with the orchestra's President & CEO John Doney about the concert, which includes George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue plus works by John Williams & Michael Kamen. Assistant Concertmaster Morganne McIntyre and guitarist Megan Marshall were also in the studio to perform two selections that will be on the program. Tickets are available from the Arizona Pops Orchestra website.

The Arizona Piano Institute (API) presents its 11th Summer Festival - a week of masterclasses, workshops, and lectures - May 31st through June 6th at Phoenix College. The founder of the API, Snezana Krstic, recently chatted with KBACH's Greg Kostraba about the festival, as well as the free opening concert, which features API faculty in recital at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, May 31st at 2pm.Learn more about the festival 

The Curtis Chamber Orchestra will perform music for strings by Barber and Beethoven at the Musical Instrument Museum, Saturday, May 23rd. The program will also include Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola with Erin Keefe and Roberto Diaz as soloists. Keefe recently talked with KBACH's Greg Kostraba about the concert, and her longtime association with the Curtis Institute of Music. Tickets for these concerts are available on the MIM website.

Guest conductor José Luis Gómez leads the Phoenix Symphony May 15-17 at Symphony Hall. KBACH's Greg Kostraba recently chatted with Maestro Gómez about his career as a conductor, and this season finale concert, which includes Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, "American Promise" by Karen LeFrak, and the Violin Concerto No. 2 by Prokofiev with Francesca Dego as soloist. Tickets for these concerts are available at the Phoenix Symphony website.

The MusicaNova Orchestra presents its “Calming Waters” concert Saturday, May 9th at 7pm at the Tempe Center for the Arts. The program features music from Finland and Ukraine to Peru and Singapore, including the World Premiere of the version for saxophone and orchestra of My Cross by Carter Pann. Music Director Warren Cohen and guest saxophonist Christopher Creviston spoke with KBACH's Greg Kostraba about the concert. Tickets for these concerts are available at tempecenterforthearts.com.

The Arizona Wind Symphony's final concert of the season is titled Festivities. It features the ensemble's principal flute Robert Heiligenberg in the Chaminade Concertino. The program contains a wide range of other music in celebration of the group's 25th anniversary. KBACH's Michael Keelan talked with conductor Jon Gomez about the May 7 program at Tempe Center for the Arts.For more details, visit: arizonawindsymphony.com/concerts

The Phoenix Children’s Chorus presents "We the People" and "Raise Your Voice," three concerts taking place May 2nd, 3rd & 9th at locations in Phoenix and Tempe. KBACH's Greg Kostraba chatted with the PCC's Artistic and Executive Director Troy Meeker about the programs, and the ensemble's upcoming tour of Boston. Concert Dates & Locations:“We the People” May 2 @ 3pm – Phoenix Bible Church“We the People” May 3 @ 3pm – Tempe Center for the Arts“Raise Your Voice” May 9 @ 4pm – Barry Goldwater High School in PhoenixTickets for these concerts are available at phoenixchildrenschorus.org/performances.

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Phoenix presents a ComposerFest featuring the music of Joseph Haydn on April 24th and 25th. The first concert features Urban Nocturnes, which will perform a selection of the composer’s chamber music. Two members of Urban Nocturnes, violinist Karen Sinclair and flutist & KBACH host Viviana Cumplido Wilson, joined KBACH's Greg Kostraba to talk about the program.More information about this free concert is available at the Music at Trinity website..

The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix presents its "American Roadtrip: Songs from Every Mile" concert from April 11th through the 26th at various locations throughout the Valley. The group’s Artistic Director, Brook Larson (right) and Michael DeRoche (left), who sings in the chorus, joined KBACH's Greg Kostraba (center) to talk about the program, which commemorates America's 250th Anniversary and the centennial of Route 66.Tickets and more information about the concerts are available at the ensemble's website.Concert Dates & LocationsApril 11 @ St. Matthew UMC | MesaApril 12 @ Pinnacle Presbyterian Church | ScottsdaleApril 19 @ Camelback Bible Church | Paradise ValleyApril 26 @ American Lutheran Church | Sun City

ASU Viola Professor Nancy Buck and friends will be performing on a concert called “Restless Passions,” Saturday, March 28 at Ravenscroft Hall in Scottsdale. KBACH's Greg Kostraba recently chatted with Buck about the concert, which includes piano quartets by Gabriel Faure & Mel Bonis and the Allegro Appassionato by Frank Bridge. Tickets and more information about the concert are available at the Ravenscroft website.

The Sylvan Trio (flute, cello, and piano, including two KBACH hosts) plays March 22 for the Oracle Piano Society. The program features multiple women composers from across the centuries and a trio by Martinů for this instrumentation, plus a signature work written for the trio by Rick Sowash. KBACH's Michael Keelan talked with flutist Suzanne Bona on Heart of the Arts.Details

The Phoenix Chamber Music Society presents the Catalyst Quartet in concert, Saturday, March 14th at Camelback Bible Church in Paradise Valley. The group's cellist and founding member Karlos Rodriguez talked with KBACH's Greg Kostraba about the quartet’s inception, their rich and varied career, how they decide upon their programs, and the upcoming concert inspired by their friendship with Paquito d'Rivera. Tickets for the performance are available at the Phoenix Chamber Music Society website.

Violinist Benjamin Baker is the founder and artistic director of the At World’s Edge Music (AWE) Festival in New Zealand. He and some of his AWE colleagues will perform music by Prokofiev as well as composers from Australia, New Zealand, England, and Wales at Tempe Center for the Arts on March 22 as part of the Hayden’s Ferry Chamber Music Series. KBACH's Greg Kostraba recently chatted with Baker about the festival and their upcoming performance in Tempe. Tickets for the performance are available at the Tempe Center for the Arts website.

The West Valley Symphony presents two concerts in March led by Daniel Wiley who began as music director this season. The March 1st concert includes music of Bridge, Bloch, Bruch, and Mendelssohn and features concertmaster and ASU graduate Luke Hill as soloist. Michael Keelan talked with Wiley on Heart of the Arts. Details available at the West Valley Symphony website.

As part of its 35th Anniversary season, Arizona MusicFest presents its annual Festival Orchestra Week, four performances that take place from February 22nd through March 1st at La Casa de Christo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale. Greg Kostraba recently spoke with the Festival Orchestra’s Music Director Robert Moody about the concerts, which will be performed by some of the finest orchestral musicians from across North America. Tickets for the performance are available at the Arizona Musicfest website.