09 Apr 2009

Youth Symphony Orchestra's Spring Concert

By Jared Johnson
The Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra concludes its 51st season with it's Spring Concert in Centennial Hall on Sunday, April 26, at 3 PM. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10, with Seniors entering for $6 and students for $3.

Highlighted on the program is music based on Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev (The Montagues and the Capulets from Romeo and Juliet), Tchaikovsky (Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy), and Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story Selections). Also on the schedule is the second movement of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, The Kalendar Prince.

Featured on this final concert of the season is cellist Bridget Pasker performing Dvorak's Concerto in B Minor for Violoncello and Orchestra. Pasker is a senior at Hempstead High School in Dubuque. She began studying cello at the age of 4. She currently studies with Hans Jensen at Northwestern University and performs with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Hempstead High School Orchestra.

Finally, at the end of the program this year's annual scholarships will be announced. Nearly 30 deserving Youth Orchestra members will be recognized through the distribution of over $15,000 in scholarships.
06 Apr 2009

Chamber Music Quad Cities Spring Concert

By Robert Bowlin

Chamber Music Quad Cities presents a Spring Concert on Saturday, April 18th at 7:30 PM at the Unitarian Church, 3707 Eastern Avenue, Davenport.

Works by Beethoven, Schumann and Mendelssohn will be performed.

The artistic director of Chamber Music Quad Cities is Moline Native David Bowlin, assistant professor of violin at the Oberlin College Conservatory. He will be joined by former Chamber Music Quad Cities co-artistic director Thomas Sauer, pianist, and cellist Colin Carr. Sauer is profesor of music at the Mannes College of Music of New York City. Carr has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras including those of Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

The Spring Concert is dedicated in memory of Chamber Music Quad Cities board of directors member John Kiley, in appreciation of his service to Chamber Music Quad Cities and the community.

Additional parking is available, courtesy of Valley Bank, in the bank parking lot just east of the Unitarian Church. The bank is located near the intersection of Kimberly Road and Spring Street in Davenport.

Tickets can be purchased at the door: $10 for adults and $5 for students. For further information please call 309-797-0516, or visit the website at
www.chambermusicqc.com

31 Mar 2009

6,000 students take field trip to Adler Theatre

By Jared Johnson
Davenport, IA - In an era when field trips are becoming increasingly rare, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's Symphony Day can still pull a crowd. On April 1, the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra will entertain and educate 6,000 area fourth and fifth grade students with its 26th annual Symphony Day. These narrated concerts at the Adler Theatre highlight the orchestra through short and varied works, while showing the students the inner workings of the orchestra on a giant overhead video projection. This year's program, "Music is a Magic Carpet Ride!" will include music from Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia, Gliere's The Red Poppy and music from Disney's animated feature Alladin. For many youths, this is the first time they have had the opportunity to attend a live symphony concert in a concert hall.

Press is welcome to attend any of the three scheduled performances: 9:15 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1 p.m. Buses begin arriving a half-hour before each performance, with children streaming through the lobby until the time of the performance. Symphony Day draws from 32 different school districts, 195 public, private and home-study classrooms, all coming from within a 45-mile radius of the Quad Cities.

Symphony Day is sponsored by the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, the Junior Board of Rock Island, the Rauch Foundation, Aquent Software Development Center, and Volunteers for Symphony.
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31 Mar 2009

Open Casting Call for "Splatter"

By Ann Wilkinson

On April 5, from 10 AM to 4 PM, Casting Director Ann Wilkinson hold an open audition for the feature film Splatter at the Marriott at 1200 Collins Road, NE in Cedar Rapids.  The open casting call takes place in conjunction with the events at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival (CRIFF).

Splatter will begin shooting in Iowa on May 1, 2009. Written and directed by Lonnie Schuyler and produced by Bruce Heppner-Elgin, this movie is a poignant, quirky comedy about relationships. It tells the story of a likable loser who finally realizes what makes life worthwhile and sets out to win back the love of his ex-wife and the respect of his son - in a paintball tournament.

Wilkinson is looking for Iowa talent to fill both principal and extra roles for the film. There is deferred pay for all principal and featured roles.

If you are interested in auditioning for Splatter and can't make the open call, you may send current pictures and resumes with contact numbers to:

PMS Casting
2018 Hwy G28, #122
Pella, IA 50219.

Splatter is the second collaborative effort between Schuyler, Heppner-Elgin and Director of Photography, Eric Freese.  The film is quite a departure from their last movie. The trio just wrapped filming on The Offering last month. Written, directed and produced by Heppner-Elgin, The Offering starred Schuyler as a chilling, cold-blooded killer.

For more information, go to www.pmscasting.com/casting.

For more details about CRIFF visit their web site http://www.crifm.org.

31 Mar 2009

Pianist Leon Bates performs Ravel and Ellington for Masterworks finale

By Jared Johnson
Davenport, IA-The final Masterworks concert of the 2008-09 season features Leon Bates performing music from Maurice Ravel and Duke Ellington. This sixth Masterworks concert will also feature Roman-themed music from Berlioz and Respighi. These concerts will be performed on April 4 and 5, and sponsored in memory of Stanley and Bernice Harris, by Mrs. Isador Katz. Saturday evening's concert will be at the Adler Theatre in Davenport at 8 p.m. and followed on Sunday afternoon at Centennial Hall in Rock Island at 2 p.m.

Before the concerts begin, the QCSO is inviting their audience to stop by the office at 327 Brady Street in Davenport for "Super Subscriber Saturday" from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, April 4. Those renewing their season tickets and those purchasing them for the first time are welcome to stop in, meet with the QCSO staff, chat with Music Director Mark Russell Smith about next year's repertoire, and enjoy coffee and donuts. One lucky subscriber will be randomly selected by a drawing at the morning's end to win a package of QCSO tickets that includes all of the non-Masterworks events and is valued at over $300.

On Thursday night, before each Masterworks concert, Quad Citians are regularly invited to go "inside the music" with conductor Mark Russell Smith at the Figge Art Museum. Inside the Music begins with wine and cheese at 5 p.m., followed by the presentation at 5:30. Expert and novice alike are sure to enjoy this casual musical conversation. Thanks to generous sponsorship from U.S. Bank, this event is free to the public.

Music Director Mark Russell Smith and pianist Leon Bates will also be available at Concert Conversations, hosted by Kai Swanson an hour before each of the weekend's concerts. At Concert Conversations, audience members will be given a quick tour of highlights of the program they are about to experience. This look into the background of the concert's repertoire, sponsored by Rich James of Wachovia Securities, is in its tenth year and has become an audience favorite.

The season culminates with pianist Leon Bates performing Ravel's Piano Concerto in G and an arrangement of Duke Ellington's music titled New World A-Comin'. Since winning the Philadelphia Orchestra Senior Auditions as a student over 20 years ago, Leon Bates has emerged as one of America's leading pianists. He has warranted critical and audience accolades in Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, Philadelphia's Academy of Music, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Masonic Hall in San Francisco. He appeared in Naples, Italy, in two recitals and took part in the filming of the "Music in the 20th Century" telecast on PBS. His sheer mastery of his instrument has led to performances with many major symphonies in the U.S. and abroad.

Tickets for these concerts start at $10 for Saturday night and $20 for Sunday afternoon and can be purchased in person at the QCSO Box Office, 327 Brady Street in Davenport, by phone at 800.982.2787 or online at www.QCSymphony.com.

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26 Mar 2009

2nd Annual Teen Film Festival at the Putnam

By M. McNeil
There is a red carpert event tonight at the Putnam Museum and IMAX Theatre.  Twelve locally produced movies, trailers, and outtakes will be shown and awards will be given to the movie makers.
Quad-city area public libraries have teamed up to present this evening of glamour and excitment beginning at 7:00 pm in the IMAX.  There is a 6:00 pm pre-party for the teens and their guests in the Putnam Museum exhibit hall...following by a walk down the red carpert, film viewing and then awards.
Two grand prizes of $100 will be given as well as a number of other "Oscars".  The contest began in February with a call for entry.  Teens could chose among three themes related to their favorite book--outtakes, book trailer or missing/unwritten scene.
For information contact Christie at 563-326-7893.
20 Mar 2009

"Ruminations on the Universal: A Poetic View"

By Narveen Virdi

Poet Laureate of the Quad Cities Dale Haake will read from his new poetry in the Lion In Winter program of  the Independent Scholars' Evening on Thursday March 26, 2009 at the  Independent Scholars' Evenings.  Readings begin at 7.00 pm,  doors open at 6.30 pm.  The event is free and open to the public. Held at The Moline Commercial Club, 513 16th St, 2nd floor, Moline.  Light refreshments will be served. Independent Scholars' Evenings are sponsored by The Institute for Cultural and Healing Traditions, Ltd. A 501(c) 3.

20 Mar 2009

Iowa Public Radio 90.9 FM returns to full power

By Scott Vezdos
Iowa Public Radio station 90.9 FM is back to full power after experiencing a major transmission line failure Saturday, February 7. Due to the extensive damage to 90.9 FM which serves eastern Iowa repeater stations receiving their signal from 90.9 FM, including 89.7 FM and 98.7 FM in Dubuque, 94.5 FM and 102.1 FM in the Quad Cities, and 88.9 FM and 101.7 FM serving Des Moines, were also affected. 90.9 FM returned to low power on February 17, restoring service to much of eastern Iowa and to repeaters in Dubuque and Des Moines.

The transmission line that extends the length of the 2,000 foot tower west of Walker failed about 1,000 feet above the ground, according to Wayne Jarvis, IPR director of network operations. Last summer, the original thirty year old transmission line was replaced and the February failure in the new line appeared to be due to design and manufacturing issues in the new line components. The manufacturer cooperated with IPR to correct this massive failure.

Before returning to normal power, all one hundred of the transmission line's seventeen foot sections had to be disassembled, replaced or cleaned and inspected. Most sections had to be cleaned on the ground and then reassembled on the tower. High winds, snow and freezing rain had limited work to one or two days a week delaying the return to full power.

A tower crew restored the signal to low power on February 17 through an auxiliary antenna, followed by periods off the air for transmission line repair. After line reassembly, nitrogen was run through the antenna to remove any moisture that had built up during the repair period. Then the entire line and antenna were electronically swept to detect any faults. The crew finished repair and final testing on Tuesday, March 17, returning 90.9 to full power.

Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. Iowa Public Radio includes the WOI Radio Group (Iowa State University, Ames), KUNI-KHKE (University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls), and KSUI-WSUI (University of Iowa, Iowa City).

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27 Feb 2009

A POWERFUL NOISE - Live - in 450 movie theatres nationwide.

By plowsharegourp.com
Please join us on Thursday, March 5 for an unprecedented ONE NIGHT event.

In honor of International Women's Day, CARE and the ONE Campaign will present A POWERFUL NOISE Live in 450 movie theatres nationwide. This one night event will begin with our acclaimed documentary, A Powerful Noise, which follows three women from different countries who overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to bring lasting solutions to their communities.

A POWERFUL NOICE Live will be shown at Cinema53 in Davenport. Visit (http://www.fathomevents.com/upcoming/locations.aspx?eventid=769&zip=52804&eventdate=3/5/2009) for more information.

Immediately after the film, a town hall discussion with Madeleine K. Albright, Natalie Portman, Nicholas Kristof, Christy Turlington Burns and Dr. Helene Gayle will be broadcast live to all theatres. The event begins at 7:30pmET/6:30pmCT/5:30pmMT/8pmPT (taped).

Purchase tickets, check out our resources, event planning guides and more by visiting (http://apowerfulnoise.org). Find a participating theatre near you and participate in our exciting new ticket challenge where you can earn free tickets to A POWERFUL NOISE Live!

29 Jan 2009

United Way's Youth Advisory accepting band applications for Battle of the Bands

By Administrator

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