Trace Adkins is not only a Grammy-nominated member of the Grand Ole Opry, but has gained fame as a TV personality, an actor and an author. With more than 10 million albums sold, this commanding performer has used his deep, distinctive voice to carve out a reputation that offers wild times, late nights and good ol’ country boy charm.
Trace Adkins, whose trademark baritone has powered countless hits and sold over 10 million albums, has blanketed the country charts with smash hits including “You’re Gonna Miss This,” “Ladies Love Country Boys,” “Songs About Me,” “Every Light In The House,” “Hillbilly Bone” (Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins), and “Just Fishin’,” to name a few.
He is also a spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project and the American Red Cross, for whom he raised over $1.5 million dollars as winner of NBC’s “All-Star Celebrity Apprentice.” In addition, Adkins has thus far performed 10 USO Tours for our troops overseas.
Nagata Shachu is a professional Japanese taiko drumming and music group taking the unmistakable sound of this ancient Asian art form to new heights. The group of highly skilled musicians is known for presenting mesmerizing and heart-pounding performances with its use of the traditional Japanese drum (taiko), bamboo flutes, gongs, woodblocks and the three-stringed shamisen.
Nagata Shachu, based in Toronto, Canada, has enthralled audiences with its performances of the Japanese drum (taiko) since its formation in 1998. The group has toured widely throughout Canada, the US, Italy and the Middle East, performing in major theatres, concert halls and festivals.
While rooted in the folk drumming traditions of Japan, the ensemble’s principal aim is to rejuvenate this ancient art form by producing innovative and exciting music that seeks to create a new voice for the taiko. Taking its name from founder Kiyoshi Nagata and the Japanese word ‘shachu’ meaning ‘group,’ Nagata Shachu has become renowned for its exacting, physically demanding and energetic performances on the taiko, as well as for its diverse repertoire. Their playing is the combination of unbounded spirit and passion with the highest levels of musicianship and discipline.
July 15, 2017 – 8:00pm
Ticket price(s):All Seats $37
Conductor Carlos Kalmar directs the World Youth Symphony Orchestra through a repertoire including such masterpieces as “Capriccio Italien” by Tchaikovsky, Prangcharoen’s “Phenomenon” and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216.
Carlos Kalmar is in his thirteenth season as music director of the Oregon Symphony. He is also chief conductor and artistic director of the Spanish Radio/Television Orchestra and Choir in Madrid, and artistic director and principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago.
In May, 2011 he made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall with the Oregon Symphony as part of the inaugural Spring for Music festival, and was hailed by critics in the New York Times, New Yorker magazine and Musical America. A regular guest conductor with major orchestras in America, Europe and Asia, Kalmar recently made his subscription series debuts with three of America’s most prestigious orchestras: those of Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. Past engagements have seen him on the podium with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra and the New World Symphony, as well as the orchestras of Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Milwaukee, Nashville, Seattle and St. Louis.
Violinist Simone Porter has been recognized as an emerging artist of impassioned energy, musical integrity, and vibrant sound. After performing last season with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the LA Times declared Ms. Porter “on the cusp of a major career.” Her performances have been described as “bold” (Seattle Times) and “virtuosic” (London Times), and at 19 years of age, Ms. Porter has already appeared with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Houston Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
July 16, 2017 – 8:00pm
Ticket price(s):All Seats $29
YouTube sensations turned professional musical act, the ten-man a cappella group Straight No Chaser provides performances of pure musical harmonies sprinkled with comedic lyrics. Clever and fresh, this talented group packs venues around the country and has made numerous TV appearances in their ten-year career.
In a time when so much music is digitally processed, it’s refreshing to hear these unretouched voices providing professional showmanship with a smile and a wink.
The a cappella group Straight No Chaser originated in 1996 at Indiana University. In 2007, a 1998 video of “The 12 Days of Christmas” went viral with over 8 million views and subsequently led to a five-album record deal with Atlantic Records in 2008. The YouTube video has been viewed over 20 million times.
Since its inception, the group has reassembled and reemerged as a phenomenon—with a massive fanbase, numerous national TV appearances, and proven success with two holiday releases, 2008’s “Holiday Spirits” and 2009’s “Christmas Cheers,” as well as their latest release, “With a Twist.” Straight No Chaser is the real deal—the captivating sound of ten unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music that is moving people in a fundamental sense… and with a sense of humor.
