CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS, ESCONDIDO ANNOUNCES STAR-STUDDED 20TH ANNIVERSARY 2014/2015 SEASON
July 1, 2014 (Escondido)–California Center for the Arts, Escondido (the Center) reaches a major milestone this year, celebrating its 20th Anniversary season with an exceptional line-up of acclaimed performers, including The Blind Boys of Alabama, Garrison Keillor, Merle Haggard, Pink Martini, Jake Shimabukuro, Harlem Gospel Choir, Whose Live Anyway, La Santa Cecilia, Kathleen Madigan, Pilobolus, Peking Acrobats, Jazzreach with Metta Quintet, Sirena Huang, Paul Galbraith, Mariachi Sol de Mexico, Lúnasa with Special Guest Karan Casey, Alberta Ballet, Jiayan Sun, Venice Baroque Orchestra, 2Cellos, Han Bin Yoon, and many more. Following a three-year hiatus from presenting internationally renowned talent, the Center returns this fall 2104 as a revitalized tour-de-force in the Southern California market. The Center’s forthcoming 2014/2015 season features premier performances exhibited through an eclectic lens engaging a widespread audience of concertgoers. The season debuts on Fri., Oct. 10, 2014 and continues until Sun., May 31, 2015, and events will take place in both the 1,523-seat Concert Hall and 404-seat Center Theater. Please see the 2014/2015 performance schedule below, and for additional information about the Center, please visit artcenter.org. Escondido Mayor Sam Abed comments on the forthcoming season, “As Escondido’s cultural icon, the Center draws audiences to our city, driving the economy and showcasing our investment in the arts.” The Center’s Executive Director Jerry VanLeeuwen adds, “Our new season will reestablish and advance the Center as an essential component of arts and entertainment in San Diego. Our vibrant lineup, along with our art museum and community events, provide so many opportunities for people to experience the power of performance. I wish it were October already.” Alongside other celebrated Escondido attractions and facilities such as the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Mayo Clinic, Stone Brewing Company and many others, the Center is thrilled to continue placing Escondido on the national map as a cultural mecca of the arts and invention. In addition to the diverse programming for their stages, the Center remains steadfast in their mission to provide standout educational and family-friendly offerings, captivating museum exhibitions, free community festivals and more. Below is a comprehensive performance schedule below for the Center’s 20th Anniversary season: Performing Arts 2014/2015 Season Lineup La Santa Cecilia *Friday, October 10, 2014 Center Theater @ 7:30pm La Santa Cecilia won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock Album and are known for their rousing performances that passionately combine Latin culture with rock and world music. Intimate Classic Series, Violin Sirena Huang *Sunday, October 19, 2014 Center Theater @ 3:00pm Master Class Studio One @ 11:00am Since her solo debut at age 9, Sirena Huang has played with some 40 orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as for heads of state and royalty. With the glide of her bow, the young prize-winning violinist channels centuries of history and tradition. Jake Shimabukuro *Friday, October 31, 2014 Concert Hall @ 7:30pm Declared by Rolling Stone as a “musical hero,” ukulele sensation Jake Shimabukuro has earned praise from rock icon Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam as well as comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. Pilobolus *Saturday, November 15, 2014 Concert Hall @ 7:30pm Master Class Concert Hall @ 10:00am A Guinness World Record holder and Grammy nominee, the globally renowned dance company Pilobolus has performed on the Oscars, Oprah, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, showcasing their signature flipping, swinging, flying, and lifting all the while challenging the way we think about dance. Intimate Classics Series, Guitar Paul Galbraith *Sunday, November 23, 2014 Center Theater @ 3:00pm Master Class Studio One @ 11:00am Internationally-renowned as a brilliant innovator of the classical guitar, Paul Galbraith masterfully expands the limits of his instrument. By exchanging the traditional guitar for the eight-string Brahms Guitar, which he helped develop, Galbraith found the ideal instrument with which to interpret the classical transcriptions from his personal repertoire. “A Merri-Achi Christmas” Mariachi Sol de Mexico *Friday, December 5, 2014 Concert Hall @ 7:30pm The platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated Mariachi Sol de Mexico presents a colorful celebration of Mexico’s Christmas traditions, embracing the romanticism of Mexico’s land, culture, and people. This show includes seasonal song and dance along with select Mariachi classics. Pink Martini *Sunday, December 7, 2014 Concert Hall @ 7:30pm Formed by pianist Thomas Lauderdale in 1994, Pink Martini is an American band with international flair and a penchant for the nostalgic. Known as the “little orchestra”, Pink Martini’s globally-inspired repertoire is wildly diverse, crossing genres of classical, Latin, jazz, and old-fashioned pop. Merle Haggard *Wednesday, December 10, 2014 Concert Hall @ 7:30pm A Country Music Hall of Famer, Grammy Award winner, and most recently Kennedy Center Honoree, Merle Haggard is a country music icon and living legend. Haggard and his songs retain the grit, heart, and honesty that first won him fans and the standing as “the poet of the common man.” Christmas with Lúnasa with Special Guest Karan Casey *Wednesday, December 17, 2014 Center Theater @ 7:30pm Lúnasa, an “Irish music dream team” as dubbed by Folk Roots magazine (UK), brings a Celtic Christmas celebration to the Center with Grammy-winning guest vocalist Karan Casey, who has been described as one of the most innovative and provocative voices in traditional and contemporary Irish music. Special Christmas Show Blind Boys of Alabama *Tuesday, December 23, 2014 Concert Hall @ 7:30pm The five-time Grammy Award-winning Blind Boys of Alabama mix gospel-tinged versions of seasonal favorites along with soulful classics in a joyous evening of stirring music. Peking Acrobats *Saturday, January 10, 2015 Concert Hall @ 7:30pm The Peking Acrobats are masters of agility and grace, defying gravity with awe-inspiring gymnastic displays of contortion, flexibility, and control. Accompanied by live musicians and high-tech special effects, the acrobats bring the excitement of a Chinese Carnival to the stage! Intimate Classics Series, Piano Keyboard Conversations®, Concerts with Commentary Jeffrey Siegel *Sunday, January 11, 2015 Center Theater @ 3:00pm According to the LA Times, “Jeffrey Siegel has everything: massive technique, musical sensitivity, character and the ability to communicate.” The brilliantly polished concert-with-commentary format includes