2011 – 2012 Season
The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats®
Tuesday, October 4 2011 - 7:30PM
For over 25 years, the amazing performances of The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats® have been the perfect high-energy attraction for hundreds of Universities and performing arts centers. Under the artistic direction of International Asia, Inc. and produced by IAI Presentations who also produce The Peking Acrobats® and JIGU! Thunder Drums of China®, this company flawlessly interprets the precision and grace of an art form honed by centuries of training and disciplines of Chinese acrobatics.
Their multi-faceted and multi-cultural production features dazzling acrobatic displays, formidable feats of daring and balance, explosive energy, brilliant costumes, with a touch of Chinese comedy. These daring maneuvers and death-defying acrobatic acts will have your audiences clamoring for more!
Some of The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats' numerous TV appearances include the Family Channel's "Home & Family Show," hosted by Christina Ferrari, KTLA's "Good Morning LA," and New York One News. They have also appeared on CNN, where they were interviewed by Christiane Amanpour, as well as Calgary's "Big Breakfast" morning show on the A-Channel in Canada. They have met many celebrities and dignitaries over the years, including President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Roslyn. The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats received the Performing Arts Campus Entertainment Award by the National Association for Campus Activities and were nominated for the Reader's Choice Award - Best Live Novelty Act by Campus Activities Today Magazine. The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats also had the honor of performing at the USA Olympic Swim Team's Golden Goggles Gala and reprised their performances for that organization at the recent USA Swim Team's Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.
"The evening is a splash of color, motion, and sound I couldn't believe that two hours could pass that quickly, or be that much fun." _Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts
"Excellent booking support, and high quality publicity materials. A first-rate act that left the audience amazed. Book this act if you haven't already!" _SUNY/Potsdam
"The performance was wonderful...a definite must see!" _Texas A&M/Kingsville
Edgar Cruz: Guitarist Extraordinaire
Sunday, November 6, 2011 - 3:00PM
Each year Edgar Cruz performs more than 200 concerts and has played throughout America, Europe and South America. He has been a headliner at the prestigious Chet Atkins Guitar Festival in Nashville since 1995 and is a strong icon at major festivals in Oklahoma. Those who have witnessed Cruz’s performance immediately become entranced at the precision, speed and complexity with which his fingers strike the strings of his guitar to create a symphony of sound unusual to just one instrument.
Cruz offers an incredible live repertoire of the greatest hits of the guitar, such as “Malagueña,” “Classical Gas,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “In the Mood,” “Dueling Banjos,” “Hotel California,” a classical medley, Latin favorites, originals and medleys on the fly. Audience interaction, participation, clapping, singing, dancing, snapping, “olés” and “yee-haws” are all encouraged. Seventeen CDs and two DVDs are currently available. They cover moods from Latin, classical, international, rock, jazz, mariachi, romantic, Christmas and originals. Future works include a live video.
Edgar has been named the Oklahoma’s Top Performing Artist and/or Acoustic Guitarist for more than 10 years by the Oklahoma Gazette. He has received numerous civic acknowledgments for his contributions to various charitable events. He also performs a wide variety of bookings including concerts, festivals, weddings, receptions, banquets, schools, churches, conventions, fiestas, memorials or any special occasion. Edgar holds a bachelor’s of music degree in guitar performance from Oklahoma City University.
His YouTube video of “Bohemian Rhapsody” has more than 10,000,000 hits worldwide.
Discography:
Original TBA (2010)
Pieces of Edgar (2007)
Guitarras de Baile (with Ruben Romero) (2006)
Sweet Georgia Blue (with David B. Hooten) (2005)
Guitarras de Fuego (with Ruben Romero) (2004)
Guitarras de Amor (with Ruben Romero) (2003)
The Cruz Trio in Concert (2003)
The Essence of Mexico (with The Cruz Trio) (2003)
Opening Night 2 (2002)
Timeless (with David B. Hooten) (2000)
Spanish Blood (2000, remastered in 2005)
Reminiscence (1998)
The A.R.T. of Edgar Cruz (1996)
Opening Night (1995)
Those Were the Days (1992)
Classical Demands (1990)
Throw Another Tape on the Fire (1989)
DVD:
“Arranging for Solo Guitar: The Queen Titles,” Edgar Cruz, Video Progressions. Accolade Award (2005)
“Gallery: Spanish Blood – The Guitar Music of Edgar Cruz,” OETA Emmy Award Winning Documentary (2005)
Hector Olivera
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 7:30PM
Since entering the Buenos Aires Conservatory as a child prodigy at age six, Maestro Hector Olivera has become one of the most sought after and revered international concert organists of the present time.
‘The Times Reporter’, describes an evening with Mr. Olivera as:
“An event, a happening, a joyful celebration of the sheer power and pressure that a true virtuoso like Hector Olivera can unleash in a concert hall.”
Born in Buenos Aires, Mr. Olivera began playing the pipe organ when he was three. At age five he played for the legendary Eva Perón; at twelve he entered the University of Buenos Aires and by eighteen had performed for heads of state and celebrities throughout Latin America. When offered a scholarship at the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York, he moved to the United States. Three years later, Mr. Olivera’s outstanding professional concert career was launched when he won the AGO's National Improvisation Contest.
Mr. Olivera has performed solo concerts throughout the USA, Europe, Asia, Australia, Central and Latin America and as guest soloist with prominent symphony orchestras worldwide.
Whether in a prestigious venue like Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, Constitution Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, or in conjunction with a celebrated event like the Olympic games or the Classical Newport Music Festival, the most sophisticated and demanding organ aficionados claim that Maestro Hector Olivera is ‘one of the greatest organists in the world today.’
works as a concert pianist in the Germany cultural city of Weimar, home to Goethe, Schiller, Bach & Liszt. Chamber music is his passion, which he applies to any keyed instrument. He is far and away the youngest member of the Indigo Ensemble, but he does have permission to come on tour.
Though recently founded, the members of the Indigo Ensemble have been collaborating with one another throughout Germany for many years. Peter and Johannes have been playing together regularly for the past 19 years. Peter has known and played with Seth before their German residencies. In 2008 Rafael was introduced to the group. What started as sporadic musical encounters evolved into an eager exploration of world chamber music with four committed friends who share one huge common denominator: to make intimate, fun, exciting music without borders, always searching and reaching to connect with each other and the audience.
The Indigo Ensemble
Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 7:30PM
from Berlin, Germany, is a chamber music quartet with a non-traditional instrumentation consisting of violin, guitar, bass & piano. The girth of their repertoire encompasses four continents and three centuries. The aural possibilities of the group are enhanced by the fact that all the musicians play multiple instruments. Their first USA tour took place in October 2010.
Guitarist Seth Josel has become one of the leading instrumental pioneers of his generation. He has concertized throughout Europe as well as the US, Canada, Israel and Japan, and he has been a guest performer with leading orchestras and ensembles, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Southwest German Radio Orchestra, the South German Radio Choir, the DSO Berlin and the Schönberg/ASKO Ensemble of Amsterdam. In recent seasons he has been guesting regularly with KNM Berlin, Ensemble SurPlus of Freiburg as well as with the Basel Sinfonietta. He is a member of the Amsterdam-based electric guitar quartet, Catch.
Johannes Neupert, from the former East Germany, is a virtuoso violinist with the added capacity of being at home within a broad spectrum of musical styles. From Schubert to Swing to Sting, Joe is an idiomatic Wunderkind (even though he’s over 30!)
Double bassist, Peter Nelson, who is originally from South Carolina, has lived in Germany for the last 24 years. As of last year he has lived longer in Germany than in the United States. [How old is Mr. Nelson now?] In addition to being principal bassist of the Thuringian Philharmonic, Peter is an active chamber musician and teacher. He also loves to jam on electric bass in multiple styles in the clubs of Leipzig. For Live on Stage, he has performed and moderated hundreds of concerts throughout the US with his group, the Thüringer Salonquintett.
Pianist extraordinaire, Rafael de Torres, is originally from Granada, Spain. He now lives and works as a concert pianist in the Germany cultural city of Weimar, home to Goethe, Schiller, Bach & Liszt. Chamber music is his passion, which he applies to any keyed instrument. He is far and away the youngest member of the Indigo Ensemble, but he does have permission to come on tour.
Though recently founded, the members of the Indigo Ensemble have been collaborating with one another throughout Germany for many years. Peter and Johannes have been playing together regularly for the past 19 years. Peter has known and played with Seth before their German residencies. In 2008 Rafael was introduced to the group. What started as sporadic musical encounters evolved into an eager exploration of world chamber music with four committed friends who share one huge common denominator: to make intimate, fun, exciting music without borders, always searching and reaching to connect with each other and the audience.
Chris Burton Jácome Flamenco Guitarist
Sunday, April 15, 2012 - 3:00PM
Chris Burton Jácome began playing guitar in 1986. While living in Sevilla, Spain, Chris studied flamenco guitar with some of the greatest flamenco performers of this era. Since Chris’ return from Spain, he has played to many sold-out performances throughout the US and Canada leaving his audiences captivated and spellbound.
Chris’ music can be heard scoring the Emmy Award Winning PBS television special: “Flamenco” (broadcast in Arizona by KAET-TV Channel 8: Mike Sauceda, producer) and on the popular TV shows “Kyle xy” and “Greek”. Most recently two of Chris’ original songs appeared in the film “Amreeka” which was a jury selection for the Sundance Film Festival and won the Fipresci Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. Chris’ flamenco version of the Christmas Classic, “Joy to the World”, was included in Coldwater Creek Catalogue’s 2004 Christmas CD. Chris can also be heard as the featured soloist in the movie soundtrack of “9/tenths”.
Chris’ music has received critical acclaim from the beginning of his career. From Chris’ debut CD, Motivación, the title track “Motivación” finished in the Top 10 in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest World Music Category. Out of 25,000 entries! Since his first CD’s debut Chris has written and recorded two other original flamenco albums: “Pa’lante” & “Flamenco” and has started out 2010 with the release of his 4th original album entitled “LEVANTO”. Chris’ new album features the music, lyrics and even the footwork created for the flamenco spectacular by CALO FLAMENCO, Ballet de Martín Gaxiola. LEVANTO will have you yelling, “Olé!” long after you’ve finished listening to it. “LEVANTO is fabulous flamenco that can stand alongside any created in Spain or by those inspired beyond its borders." -- World Music Central.
