SOPAA hosts ‘Classical Guitar’s Reigning Diva’

PORTSMOUTH — On Tuesday, April 23 at 7 p.m., the Southern Ohio Performing Arts Association will welcome Sharon Isbin, a musician who the Atlanta Journal called “the Monet of the classical guitar” to the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts Main Stage.

Known throughout the musical world, Isbin has been a student of many teachers including Andres Segovia. She received degrees from Yale University and the Yale School of Music and is the founder of the guitar department at the Juilliard School. In 2001 she became the first classical guitarist to win a Grammy in almost 30 years.

She has sold out performances throughout the world, including New York’s Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, as well as London, Amsterdam, Vienna, Madrid and more.

At regular price, tickets are $34 for lower tier and $32 for upper tier with discounts for seniors and students.

Tickets may be purchased at the McKinley Box Office in the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts at Shawnee State University from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, online at www.ticketmaster.com or any Ticketmaster Outlet, or by calling (740) 351-3600.

The concert is part of the Charles Varney Classic Series and is sponsored by Scioto Foundation. For more information, visit www.sopaa.org.

 

Harmonica club set for special ‘college’

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Harmonica Club of Huntington, W.Va. will host HarmoniCollege2 on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20. This is the second year for this event dedicated to teaching and playing harmonica. All types of harmonica playing will be taught. Anyone interested in learning more about the harmonica is invited.

It all begins Friday night at 6 p.m. at the Hollyberry Inn at Heritage Farm, 3300 Harvey Road, Huntington, WV. There will be food and jamming on the harmonica. The jamming will take a brief break at 9 p.m. for a 30-minute duet performance by Marvin and Mark Monroe.

On Saturday morning, breakfast starts at 8 a.m. Participants get to choose one of two 45-minute classes at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., and 11 a.m. Lunch is served at noon. Afternoon classes are at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Dinner is at 5 p.m. The evening ends with a group jam session at the fire pit.

The cost for the event is $50. This covers both days, food and lessons. For more information, go to The Harmonica Club web site at www.hhcwv.com or www.theharmonicaclub.com , and click on the HarmoniCollege link, or email directly to jrumbaug@live.marshall.edu or look on Facebook for The Huntington Harmonica Club.