Newton is back in the swing of artsy things this week! Check out an Open Mic Night, BC’s fabulous Arts Fest, a rescheduled Russian Cultural celebration, a Finnish guitarist and his quartet, and a most excellent Capella Clausura performance! (Plus there are a couple sneak peeks at the bottom!)

 

 

WEDNESDAY

Open Mic Night
West Suburban YMCA*
at L’Aroma Cafe
Wednesday, April 24 at 5pm | FREE

The West Suburban YMCA is hosting an Open Mic Night at L’Aroma Café in West Newton. The event is open to all ages. Sign ups begin at 5pm.

 

THURSDAY

fileBC Arts Fest
Boston College Arts Council*
Thursday, April 25 – Saturday, April 27 | FREE with some admission costs for specific events

Bring the whole family, bring your friends, or just take time for yourself to enjoy the arts and cultural programs at BC! BC’s campus is buzzing with activity – try your hand at ceramics, take in concerts, listen to faculty readings, enjoy a little theater, and much, much more! (They even let alum in to perform! I’ll be there Friday afternoon to play Carnival of the Animals!)

Click to view each day’s schedule: Thursday | Friday | Saturday

 

FRIDAY

2nd Annual From Russia with Art and Culture Festival
Newton Community Pride
at the Newton Cultural Center
Friday, April 26 – Sunday, April 28, times vary | FREE

From the opening of the festival on Friday, April 26 until the closing on Sunday, April 28, there will be an excellent exhibition of art by Russian and Russian American artists such as; Anatoly Dverin, Boris Karafelov, Ekaterina Khromin, Georgy Lapchinsky, Misha Lenn, Irina Makoveeva, Stanislav Nikireyev, Zachar Shapiro, Yelena Sirota, Alexander Vetrov, Vladimir Volosov, Rimma Zaika-Veksler, Jan Zaremba, Alexander Zavarin and Sergei Danilin. Click here for performance details!

 

SUNDAY

Olli Hirvonen and his Quartet
Scandinavian Cultural Center*
Sunday, April 28 at 4pm | $5

Olli Hirvonen is a Finnish jazz guitarist based in New York City. He is the most accomplished Finnish guitarist of his generation, having been named Artist of the Year of the Pori International Jazz Festival 2011. Hirvonen has been performing worldwide with his own ensembles since 2008. These performances include numerous clubs in New York, such as Cornelia St. Cafe and Somethin’ Jazz Club, and festivals in Finland and abroad, including the main stage of Pori Jazz, the most famous jazz festival of Finland, The Kennedy Center’s Nordic Cool Festival, Sounds NEW Contemporary Music festival in UK and Tudengijazz in Estonia. Click here for a video!

 

Six by Four: Six Works by Four Great Composers
Cappella Clausura*
at Parish of the Messiah
Sunday, April 28 at 8pm | $15-$25

Six by Four: Six Works by Four Great Composers: Martines, Hensel, Clarke and Woll, a concert of rarely heard choral music, all written by women over the centuries. The program will include Dixit Dominus, Cantata for Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra by Marianna von Martines; Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s Hiob (Job), Cantata for Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra, and Lobegesang “Meine Seele ist Stille” (Lauds “My Soul is Silent”), a Cantata for Soprano, Alto, Mixed Chorus and Orchestra; Rebecca Clarke’s a cappella songs Come, Oh Come, My Life’s Delight & My Spirit Like a Charmed Bark Doth Float; and Deutsches Proprium vom Gründonnerstag (German Propers from Holy Thursday), an a cappella work by Erna Woll. In spare contrast to the full sound of the ensembles, three intermezzi by German composers Adam Falckenhagen (1697-1754) and David Kellner (1670-1748) will be played by lute maestra, Catherine Liddell.

 

SNEAK PEEKS!

An Evening of Music with the Arneis Quartet
Carriage House Violins*
Saturday, May 4 at 7:30pm | $20
All proceeds are being donated to the One Fund Boston

Performing the works of Haydn, Schulhoff, and Beethoven:
String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76 No. 5 – Franz Joseph Haydn
5 Stücke für Streichquartett – Erwin Schulhoff
String Quartet in F major, Op. 135 – Ludwig van Beethoven

 

 

 

An Evening with Dar Williams
featuring New Philharmonia Orchestra*
Saturday, June 15 at 8pm | $35-$50

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Dar Williams is adding the New Phil to her band! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear a favorite American songstress make her debut performance with symphony orchestra. Dar will be performing her own songs with orchestral arrangements. Tickets on sale now! Click here for more information!

 

*Newton Cultural Alliance Member

As always, the Newton Culture Fix is just a sampling of the arts and culture events taking place in our community. If there is another arts and culture event you would like listed, please kindly include it in the comments or contact me.