Triad Arts Weekend: February 8, 2013

The saxophone was invented by Adolph Sax in the mid-1800s and since then the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones have played huge roles in wind ensembles, military bands, and in jazz concert halls. The sax has also become the instrument of choice for dozens of contemporary composers including John Adams, Arvo Parte, and David Rakowski.

This Friday evening at 7:30pm The Red Clay Saxophone Quartet will be premiering David's newly commissioned and highly challenging work Compass as part of the Music for a Great Space performance series. The concert for sax quartet will be held in the Huggins Performance Center of Greensboro College and it'll also feature music by Chick Corea, and the late great Greensboro composer Russell Peck. There will be tango music and more.

One-half of The Red Clay Saxophone Quartet recently stopped by WFDD to talk about their instruments and their program titled Sax Appeal. Duke University and Greensboro Music Academy saxophone instructor and soloist Susan Fancher plays soprano saxophone in the group. She was joined by Associate Professor of Composition and Electronic Music at the University of NC at Greensboro baritone saxophonist Mark Engebretson.

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Yadkin County is the proud home of a new 10,000 square foot arts center which opened in 2010. In December of 2012 the center added the Willingham Theatre. The center and the theatre were dreams of Arts Council President John Willingham, and now that he's built it the artists will come. On February 9 at 7:30 it's Carolina Music Way's Old Timey Radio Show a high-energy musical revue featuring music of the north Piedmont: Appalachian, Moravian String Band, Afro American and more. Then on the 23rd it's the uptown jazz stylings of Miss Cle Thompson. The amazing Kruger Brothers make their Arts Center debut on March 8 and the season rolls on through July with film, theatre, bluegrass and more.

Putting together the Willingham Theatre's inaugural season is writer, producer, director extraordinaire and UNC School of the Arts Screenwriting Discipline Chair Ron Stacker Thompson. Susan Lyons and her husband Stephen have been co-directors of the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center since 2009. Ron and Susan spoke with David Ford about their season of music, dance, drama and film.

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Understanding Classical Music with Peter Kairoff at the Keyboard. On this week's all new installment Peter explores the music of George Frideric Handel.

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The Hispanic arts movement is bursting with excitement and creativity in the Triad. In 2010 a group of Latino professionals and artists in Greensboro formed Casa Azul to promote Latin American art and culture and to create a bridge between communities in Guilford County. On Saturday night, February 9 at 7:00pm Casa Azul of Greensboro will partner with the recently remodeled gallery and studios of 205 Collaborative at 205 Lyndon Street in downtown Greensboro for Noche de Arte y Tango.

It's a full evening of Argentinian art, music (with The Lorena Guillen Tango Duo), dancing and food and YOU are invited. Artworks by award-winning Argentinean painter Fernanda Piamonti will be on display and for sale with a portion of sales benefitting Casa Azul. She'll also be demonstrating her fascinating painting techniques throughout the evening using tar, and non- traditional paint brushes like spoons, rocks and cloth to create ethereal, impressionistic cityscapes, colorful portraits and more.

Board member Claudia Femenias is originally from Santiago, Chile and she's lived in the Triad since 1997. She teaches at High Point University. Casa Azul board member Mariana Pardy was born in Mexico City and has been working with the Hispanic community in the Triad since her arrival here 7 years ago. She's an artist herself and a Spanish interpreter for Wake Forest Health. David spoke with both Claudia and Mariana at the WFDD studios.