100.5 The River » Music News

St. Cecilia Music Center Will be ArtPrize Music Hub Again for 2013

Andy Rent — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:12 +0000

St. Cecilia Music Center will continue its role as the music hub during ArtPrize 2013 and will once again award $10,000 in prize money specifically to musical entries. St. Cecilia Music Center will be presenting five $2,000 awards in the categories of pop/electronic, rock/blues, folk/country, jazz and classical. The winners will be chosen by [...]

West Michigan Symphony Season Finale Features Guest Pianist Alessio Bax

Andy Rent — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:22:41 +0000

West Michigan Symphony concludes it’s 2012 – 2013 season with an exciting concert May 31 and June 1 featuring guest pianist Alessio Bax. The weekend performance will feature Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture” Op. 96; Richard Strauss’ “Don Juan” Op. 20, a tone poem after Nikolaus Lenau, and, Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 38, [...]

Circle Theatre's "Hits of the 80′s" is May 13

Andy Rent — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:02:50 +0000

Circle Theatre produces an annual concert series that features many of the area’s best vocalists and musicians. Live music in an intimate setting that gives all audience members an up-close and personal experience unique only to Circle Theatre. Starting off the series this month is the nostalgic concert HITS OF THE 80’S, running May 13, [...]

Michael Bublè Sings In The NYC Subway

Tom Cook — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:33:58 +0000

This is a cool video I just ran across. Michael Bublé did an impromptu performance of “Who’s Lovin’ You” along with the group “Naturally 7″ in the subway stop at W. 67th Street in NYC. It’s off the new Bublè album “To Be Loved” which you can get now at the usual places. Enjoy!

Grand Rapids Jazz Fest sets Lineup

Andy Rent — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:28:53 +0000

It’s never too late to think about good Jazz. And, even thought it’s months away, some good Jazz will be here again during the GRandJazzFest, August 17 and 18, downtown at Rosa Parks Circle. Our news partner, WZZM TV13, announced that the free festival will be headlined by Chicago jazz guitar vocalist Nick Colionne. [...]

West Michigan Symphony and Broadway Team up

Andy Rent — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:00:39 +0000

If you like Broadway Musicals, you're going to love the next concert of The West Michigan Symphony. They'll welcome three of Broadway’s most talented divas to the stage on May 10 and 11 for a concert that will feature music from some of the most beloved Broadway shows, in the beautiful Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts in downtown Muskegon at 7:30 p.m.

Molly Ringwald Sings "The Breakfast Club"

Andy Rent — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:34:20 +0000

‘The Breakfast Club’ princess Claire Standish may be a snob, but she’s not without her talents. After all, she can sing!

Molly Ringwald, who, of course, played Claire in The Breakfast Club, has a new jazz album, and she tackles ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me),’ originally recorded by Simple Minds in 1985 for the cult-classic coming-of-age movie.

West Michigan Symphony April Concert to feature "Women as Muses"

Andy Rent — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:19:59 +0000

The next concert of the West Michigan Symphony will certainly be an exciting one. It will feature music inspired by women as special guests Teresa Cheung and Elena Urioste take the stage for Masterworks concerts on April 19 and 20. The “Women as Muses” performance will feature guest conductor Teresa Cheung: • George Tsontakis’ “Clair [...]

Two More Acts Announced For Frederik Meijer Gardens' Summer Concert Series

Wendy Reed — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:17:47 +0000

Last month, Frederik Meijer Gardens gave us a sneak peek of the acts that would be coming for their annual Summer Concert Series. The first round of acts announced included country act Montgomery Gentry, actor/musician Steve Martin, and the Steve Miller Band. This morning, the Gardens announced to more acts that will be gracing their stage this season.

St. Cecilia and Lincoln Center Finish First Season Thursday, Arpil 11

Andy Rent — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:00:34 +0000

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Series at St. Cecilia completes their 1st season at St. Cecilia Music Center on April 11, 2013. Artistic Director of the Series, Wu Han will perform on piano with five other acclaimed musicians for their performance featuring the works of Kodaly, Weber and Dvorak. The five other musicians from the CMS of Lincoln Center include Kristin Lee, violin; Sean Lee, violin; Paul Neubauer, viola; Nicholas Canellakis, cello; Jose Franch-Ballester, clarinet.

Circle Theater Celebrates 10 Years at Aquinas With Gala

Andy Rent — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:00:21 +0000

Summer theater in Grand Rapids has always be top-drawer as Circle Theater has been presenting plays and musicals for decades. Originally called Circle in the Park, since it was in the pavilion at John Ball Park, Circle moved to the Performing Arts Center at Aquinas College ten years ago. Ten years? Already? Yes, ten years [...]

For Stressed-out, Sleep-deprived and Cranky Parents of Young kids (video)

Andy Rent — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:00:58 +0000

Here is a classic video, and is something all parents can relate to...Sleep Deprivation! Oh, the horror of it all!

In Australia, the Sydney Symphony held a lyric contest to be put to the classic, Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff, and Matthew Hodge was the winner with his "Ode to Sleep Deprived Parents and Terrorizing Toddler."

St. Cecilia's "Fresh Folk Series" Continues This Thursday

Andy Rent — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:00:58 +0000

The Fresh Folk Series at St. Cecilia Music Center continues this Thursday, March 28, and will bring two great performance artists, Seth & May and FauxGrass to the stage. One of Michigan’s most popular folk and Americana music writers and musicians, Seth Bernard and May Erlewine, will land in Grand Rapids for the Fresh Folk [...]

Grand Rapids Symphony Teaming With Cirque for Spectacular April Concert

Andy Rent — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:24:04 +0000

Acrobatics, machines, circus and the Grand Rapids Symphony combine to present an inventive new cirque show, “Cirque Mechanics.” The production is the result of a yearlong collaboration between the Grand Rapids Symphony and the Cirque Mechanics franchise, and marks the concert hall debut of Cirque Mechanics’ massive mechanical apparatus, the Gantry Bike. Associate Conductor John [...]

Ladyfest Grand Rapids is This Weekend

Andy Rent — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 13:11:58 +0000

LadyfestGR is this weekend in Grand Rapids. Ladyfest is an annual celebration of women in our community. The 2nd annual LadyfestGR will take place at The Pyramid Scheme and surrounding community spaces all day today, Saturday, March 23. The event will include workshops, art and local/national performances! The first Ladyfest took place in Olympia, WA [...]

Opera Grand Rapids Collegiate Competition

Andy Rent — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:31:14 +0000

The annual Collegiate Vocal Competition of Opera Grand Rapids has been extremely competitive. A record number of students entered the Vocal Competition and only nine students though advanced to the Final Round Concert, slated for Sunday, April 14, at the Betty Van Andel Opera Center. The competition is divided into two Divisions as the annual [...]

West Michigan Symphony and International Piano Competition Winner in Concert

Andy Rent — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:00:52 +0000

Friday, and Saturday, March 15 and 16, should be a magical night with the West Michigan Symphony, as they will feature Naumberg International Piano Competition winner Awadagin Pratt at its Masterworks series concerts. Returning for its sixth year, the popular “Beethoven and Blue Jeans” performance will feature: • Randall Woolf’s “Shakedown,” with the composer in [...]

Gordon Lightfoot at DeVos Performance Hall in May

Andy Rent — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:24:10 +0000

It’s been 50 active years of hit song making and international album sales for singer-songwriter and musician Gordon Lightfoot Wait! Did I say 50 YEARS? I sure did. Where did all the time go? I don’t know, but Gordon Lightfoot seems to never want to sit back and “rest” on those 50 years. He just [...]

Adele Documentary in the Works?

Amy Sciarretto — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:11:11 +0000

If Beyonce can do it, why can’t her fellow belter Adele? And no, we’re not talking about being a celebrated singer or having her first child last year, either. We’re talking about being the subject of a cable TV documentary! After Bey’s widely viewed ‘Life Is But a Dream’ doc was one of the most-talked [...]

Spring Organ Concerts Begin at Public Museum in March

Andy Rent — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:25:52 +0000

If you have lived in Grand Rapids for awhile, then you might remember The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ at the Roaring 20s Pizza Parlor on 28th Street. What an exciting time everyone had when the organ would rise out of the floor for great concerts while we all munched on pizza, subs, and the like. That [...]