From the Beaufort County Arts Council

 

The Beaufort County Arts Council will present “Strings & Stories,” an innovative kaleidoscope of music and theatre at the Turnage Theater on tonight at 7 p.m. The concert is being presented in association with the Piatigorsky Foundation.

According to BCAC Executive Director Joey Toler, the show is presented as a kick-off to the weekend.

“The early curtain time, and the fact that the show is just an hour long, will allow the audience to enjoy a bit of culture before continuing on with their Friday night plans and the rest of their weekend,” said Toler. The show will also serve as a mini-fundraiser for BCAC, with a suggested $5 donation at the door.

Commissioned in 1995 by the Education Department at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., “Strings & Stories” offers a great variety of styles and sounds ranging from classical short stories, insightful letters and prose by Leonard Bernstein and Beethoven to the music of Bach, Paganini and Fritz Kreisler.

Violinist Linda Rosenthal performs throughout North America, Europe and Asia in recitals, as a soloist with orchestra and as a chamber musician. She is the founder and artistic director of the annual nationally acclaimed Juneau Jazz & Classics music festival in Juneau, Alaska, where she makes her home, as well as being the artistic director of the Lake Placid Chamber Music Seminar. Rosenthal has commissioned and premiered over a dozen works in the past decade, including pieces for solo violin, violin and narrator, and a concerto for violin and jazz big band. She has recorded five solo CDs and plays on a circa-1772 violin made by J.B. Guadagnini in Turin, Italy.

Actor Bill Blush, a native of Los Angeles, has performed “Strings & Stories” with Linda Rosenthal throughout the U.S. for over 10 years. He has long been involved in all aspects of the theater, with emphasis on acting, writing and directing. As an actor, Bill has played just about everything from classic characters to more original roles including “The Kitchen Sink.” His works as a playwright which have had successful Southern California engagements are “This Above All, About What?,” “Darn You Kenny!,” “Ziggy’s Right” and most recently “A Bad Idea.” Blush’s love for humor has inspired him to develop and direct several improvisational theater troupes and to venture into the arena of stand-up comedy where he has performed at The Laugh Factory, The Improv and The Comedy Store in Hollywood.

For over 23 years, The Piatigorsky Foundation’s commitment to artistic excellence and public outreach has fascinated many avid concert goers as well as curious first-timers. It is this combination of complimentary access, flamboyant performances and human warmth that makes Piatigorsky Foundation concerts so appealing to diverse audiences. Last year, the Foundation presented a tour of North Carolina consisting of 10 concerts that reached over 1,050 people in High Point, Durham, Charlotte and Wilmington. This year, the Piatigorsky Foundation aims to reach hundreds of people across North Carolina to increase awareness and appreciation of classical music in communities throughout the state.

“BCAC has presented Piatigorsky Foundation performers for a number of years, mainly through our affiliation with Beaufort County Schools,” Toler said. “We are fortunate to carry on this partnership in our new home at the Turnage to bring this type of quality programming to a broader audience and make it affordable. That’s a big part of our mission.”

Doors will open at 6 p.m. for seating and there are no reserved seats for this performance. For more information on upcoming programs, visit BCAC at www.beaufortcountyartscouncil.org.