Albuquerque Concert Band Free Concert & Stories in the Night Sky: June 12

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The Albuquerque Concert Band has been entertaining Albuquerque for more than 40 years, and the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum does a pretty good job of entertaining us all too Put the two together and you’ve got a recipe for some pretty delicious evenings with the concert band PLUS Stories in the Night Sky in a series running on selected Wednesdays in summer 2013. And it’s all free!

This Wednesday June 12, 2013, the Albuquerque Balloon Museum hosts Stories in the Night Sky at 6 pm, followed by an Albuquerque Concert Band concert. Gates open at 5:30 pm.

Admission is free, and the Stories in the Sky segment features animal songs and stories from Susie Tallman and Friends.

The Stories in the Night Sky segment will run from 6 – 7 pm. The Albuquerque Concert Band concerts will run from 7 – 8 pm.

You’re also welcome to take a picnic to enjoy on the lawn. (Welcome? You couldn’t stop me!) If you don’t want to prepare food, the Conchitas Creations Gourmet Food Truck will be on site to serve up something yummy.  Of course, you can also go just for the concert or just for the stories.  It’s all free so what the heck?

These are the summer 2013 dates for Albuquerque Concert Band free concerts and Stories in the Night Sky featuring different guest performers each time. They’re all on Wednesdays at the Balloon Museum:

• June 12
• June 26
• July 10
• July 24
• August 7

The band usually plays a variety of music from big band classics to Scottish dances and rousing symphonic marches, and no doubt people will be having a dance, so don’t be shy to strut your stuff.

Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum is located at 9201 Balloon Museum NE.

–Tania

Rio Rancho Free Music Concerts

The Rio Rancho free music concerts series is in the swing for summer 2013, offering musical pleasure and any dancing you choose to do on Sunday evenings. They’ve some great acts on the schedule!

Rustle up a picnic and take blankets, lawn chairs or whatever other seating arrangement suits you (probably leave the La-Z-Boy at home) to the Rio Rancho free music concerts for summer 2013. They’re all on Sunday evenings through August 25 2013 and they all run from 6:30 -8 pm at the  Rotary Club Barbeque Pavilion in Haynes Park.

The kids can do their thang on the free fun jumps while you chill out listening to a nice mix of familiar and new performers. The Haynes Park music schedule at time of writing is:

• June 16: Twisted Mojo
• June 23: Point Blank
• June 30: Bosque Blues
• July 7: Saint Wolf
• July 14: Rio Rancho Community Jazz Band
• July 21: Rio Rancho Community Concert Band
• July 28: Interplay
• Aug. 4: The Hit Squad
• Aug. 11: The Otherside
• Aug. 18: Code 29
• Aug. 25: Rio Rancho Community Jazz Band

The Rio Rancho free music concerts are of course weather-permitting, at Haynes Park, 2006 Grande Boulevard, Rio Rancho, opposite Intel.

–Tania

Free Albuquerque Summerfest 2013

Albuquerque Summerfest 2013 offers great free outdoor concerts and family entertainment. This year’s series of Summerfest events kicks off this Saturday June 15 with performers including Big Bad Voodoo Daddy!

So you can save the future dates, the schedule for Albuquerque Summerfest 2013 is:

• June 15 – Northeast Heights Summerfest
• July 20 – Route 66 Summerfest in Nob Hill
• August 3 – Downtown Summerfest at Civic Plaza
• August 24 – Westside Summerfest

For the first event in the series, the Northeast Heights Summerfest is on Saturday June 15 from 5 pm to 10:30 pm. This is the first time the City has held Summerfest at this NE Heights location, on Wyoming Boulevard just north of Paseo del Norte.

They’ve got a great line-up of free live music – you provide the dancing!

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is the star act, celebrating their 20th anniversary! The contemporary swing revival band has played with orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They’ve performed on the TV shows Dancing with the Stars and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The Summerfest entertainment program on Saturday June 15 is:

• 5 pm:  Ryan Montano – songwriter and trumpeter (and model and actor! Don’t all swoon, ladies.)
• 6:15 pm:  Cowboys & Indian – classic rockabilly from the Albuquerque band
• 7:30 pm: The Quality Retreads – mixing it up with high energy Gaelic, Delta and Appalachian music
• 9 pm: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – Take your dancing shoes and prepare to party!

As well as the free live music and dancing, many stores will stay open late, and you can expect local food vendors and a beer garden with Albuquerque microbreweries, an arts and crafts market from local artisans, and activities for kids.

Parking will be available at the North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center (Carmel and Wyoming) and at La Cueva High School. Note that Wyoming Boulevard itself will be closed between Paseo del Norte and Carmel starting at 6 am on Saturday June 15.

And did we mention the Albuquerque Summerfest 2013 concerts and events are all FREE?

–Tania

New Mexico Chamber Music Festival Free Chamber Music Concerts

Two free chamber music concerts are coming up in Albuquerque this weekend, thanks to the New Mexico Chamber Music Festival.

I always love listening to live chamber music, especially when it’s free! So I was pleased to receive a press release from the City of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department telling me about these two free chamber music concerts on June 7 and June 8, 2013.

The concerts are the culmination of the New Mexico Chamber Music Festival, with performances by talented students who’ve been coached for the events by professionals. The students are from music schools across the U.S. including many international students.

The faculty of teachers is pretty impressive. Coaches include pianist Pamela Pyle, Associate Professor of Piano and Collaborative Piano at UNM; violinist Guillermo Figueroa, former Music Director of the New Mexico Symphony; cellist Alan Harris of the Aspen Music Festival and School, and L.P. How of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra who is also a member of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

The two free chamber music concerts take place:

• Friday, June 7  at 7:30 pm at Keller Hall, University of New Mexico Center of the Arts
• Saturday, June 8 at 2 pm at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History

Although there is no admission fee nor tickets required for the free chamber music concerts, they will accept any donations the audience cares to offer.

–Tania

Free County Line Summer Concerts

The free County Line music series of concerts 2013 are back, bringing us feel-good summer music PLUS a chance to feel good about helping others.

Giant Convenience Store Concerts at the County Line run every Thursday night from June 6 to August 8, 2013 at 7 – 9 pm. Just head over to The County Line restaurant to enjoy live country music (and of course some of their famous barbecue!) The concerts are free with a donation of a canned food item or cash donation for Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque.

The free County Line music concerts schedule is still firming up, but so far it’s confirmed that they are bringing  us these notable country music performers for this summer series:

• June 6:  Simon Balkey
• June 13: Bob Farrell & Brushfire
• July 11: Ryan McGarvey
• See the performers for the rest of the Albuquerque free concert season to August 18 as they are confirmed.

If you’re a music-lover aged under 21, then sorry, but these concerts are for age 21+ only, unless you’re accompanied by a parent.

The County Line Legendary Bar-B-Q restaurant is located in the far northeast heights. Check the
County Line restaurant map – it’s near the intersection of Tramway Blvd and Tramway Rd, at 9600 Tramway Blvd NE, Albuquerque.

–Tania

Albuquerque Philharmonic Free Spring Concert: May 19

Thanks to the Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra, we have the chance to hear wonderful classical music by accomplished musicians – not even on the cheap, but totally free!

Music-lovers can hear the Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra in a free concert at The National Hispanic Cultural Center this weekend, on Sunday May 19, 2013, at  2 pm.

The program is Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Michael Bowen performing as piano soloist,  followed by Anton Bruckner’s Symphony #8. I don’t know Bruckner’s 8th symphony, but Jane at the Albuquerque Philharmonic describes it as “monumental.” That’s good enough for me!

The conductor is David Felberg - he’s the assistant director of the UNM Symphony Orchestra, has also conducted the New Mexico Symphony, and he’s performed with just about every New Mexico orchestra worth mentioning.

While the concert is free to all, with no advance ticket required, they do of course accept donations

The free Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra concert takes place at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th Street SW.

–Tania

Albuquerque Concert Band Free Concert: April 7

If you’re looking forward to the free outdoor summer concert series by Albuquerque Concert Band, then we’ll keep you posted on those nearer the time. Meanwhile my lovelies, you’ll be pleased to hear they’ve got a free concert coming right up.

I certainly hope to make it to the next Albuquerque Concert Band free concert this Sunday April 7 at 3 pm.  The band usually plays a variety of music from big band classics to Scottish dances and rousing symphonic marches, and this concert will also feature saxophone soloist Matthew Koester, the 2013 winner of the Bruce Kroken Memorial Scholarship. Young Matthew is a student at Volcano Vista High School, and has played with the NMMEA All State Symphonic Band, Southwest Honor Band, and the NMJE All State Jazz Band I.
Way to go Matthew!

The concert will be held in the George Nason Performing Arts Center at Eldorado High School, 11300 Montgomery Boulevard NE, with the entrance on Juan Tabo just south of Montgomery.

Here are some free audio samples from the Albuquerque Concert Band recordings to get you in the mood. The Albuquerque Concert Band has been entertaining Albuquerque for more than 40 years, and I so love this band and the music they play!

–Tania

Albuquerque Philharmonic Free Concerts

Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra gives two free concerts including one at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. If you can’t make one performance, go to the other. They’ve got a Birds, Bugs and Flowers theme to welcome spring and an art element too!

The two free Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra concerts are on March 24 and March 25, 2013. Both classical concerts feature the same spring-like program including Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, Flower Clock for oboe and orchestra by Francaix, The Spider’s Feast by Roussel and Ravel’s Alborada del Gracioso.

Mary Anne D’Arcangelis is the oboe soloist and the concerts are conducted by David Felberg - he’s the assistant director of the UNM Symphony Orchestra and has also conducted the New Mexico Symphony and performed with just about every New Mexico orchestra worth mentioning.

They’re calling this an art and music collaborative, with student artwork from Albuquerque and Rio Rancho schools and the Albuquerque Academy projected during some of the musical pieces, and on display in the lobby in each concert.

The free Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra concerts take place:

• Sunday March 24 at 2 pm at the V. Sue Cleveland High Concert Hall, 4800 Laban Road NE, Rio Rancho.
• Monday March 25 at 7:30 pm at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th Street SW.

The V. Sue Cleveland Fine Arts Center and Concert Hall was named Best Cultural Project 2011 by ENR Southwest and it’s a very fine concert hall. And we all know how gorgeous the National Hispanic Cultural Center is as a venue.

Thank you very much to the Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra for giving us the chance to hear such wonderful classical music – not even on the cheap, but totally free.  Although they do of course accept donations

–Tania

Albuquerque Concert Band Free Concert: March 3

The Albuquerque Concert Band has been entertaining Albuquerque for more than 40 years, and I so love this band and the music they play!

If you’re missing their outdoor free summer concerts you’ll be glad to hear they’ve got a free concert coming right up.

The next Albuquerque Concert Band free concert is this Sunday March 3 at 3 pm.  The band usually plays a variety of music from big band classics to Scottish dances and rousing symphonic marches, and this concert will feature solo clarinetist Keith Lemmons.  Lemmons has performed internationally and he’s played with the New Mexico Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony and Opera Southwest Orchestra, as well as being a member of the Grammy nominated Santa Fe Pro Musica Orchestra.

The free concert will be held in the George Nason Performing Arts Center at Eldorado High School, 11300 Montgomery Boulevard NE, with the entrance on Juan Tabo just south of Montgomery.

–Tania

ChamberChops Free Concerts

ChamberCHOPS is the Chamber Music Cooperative of the Southwest and you can turn up to enjoy two free concerts this weekend!

I love listening to chamber music whether recorded or – even better – in a live performance. I’m especially atuned to any opportunity to hear it for free. (Yes, that would be a pun. Atuned. Look, I never promised you *good* puns. Just good deals.)

So I was pleased to spot these two ChamberCHOPS free concerts coming up on February 23 at 7:30 pm, and on February 24 at 2 pm. The program for both concerts features work by New Mexico composer Michael Mauldin, including Canyon Light: Four Scenes for woodwind quintet, A’ts’ina: Place of Writings on the Rock for string quartet, and two other pieces for brass quintet. The Hat Box Quartet by Philip Freihofner is also on the roster.

The concerts take place on:

• Saturday February 23, 2013, at 7:30 pm at John XXIII Catholic Community, 4831 Tramway Ridge Drive NE.

• Sunday February 24 at 2 pm at Central United Methodist Church, 201 University Boulevard NE, a block north of Central Avenue.

Admission is free, although they’ll gladly take donations.

–Tania

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