This page is an archive of the music department's past performances. For current and upcoming performances, please visit our Performing Arts page.
This page is an archive of the music department's past performances. For current and upcoming performances, please visit our Performing Arts page.
On March 10, VC Chamber Music (Ashley Walters, director) presents a varied program with selections from across the musical spectrum.
Ventura College Symphony & Chamber Orchestra
Ashley Walters, conductor
On March 9, Ashley Walters leads the VC Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra. Program includes Dvořák's String Quartet #12 ("American"); Márquez's Danzón No. 2; Ethel Smyth's Overture to The Wreckers; plus our Allegro Solo Competition making their debuts with the VC Symphony Orchestra. Dylan Gruber (flute) performs the third movement from Mozart's Flute Concerto in D-Major, and Jonathan Tellez (euphonium) performs Belén by Ricardo Mollá.
Presented as part of The Laurel Project (Faculty & Guest Artist Concert Series), renowned musicians Ani Aznavoorian (cello) and Robert Koenig (piano) present an intimate program of passionate, dazzling music from the chamber music repertoire. Canadian pianist Robert Koenig has performed throughout the world to great acclaim as a collaborative pianist and chamber musician. He has performed at many of the world's most important stages including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Louvre Museum, and in San Francisco, Vancouver, Tokyo, Taiwan, Hong Kong’, London, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Koenig is Head of Collaborative Piano at UCSB and he is the recently appointed Artistic Director of the Palm Springs International Piano Competition. Cellist Ani Aznavoorian has appeared as soloist with
orchestras around the world including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, and Boston Pops. Aznavoorian is the principal cellist of Camerata Pacifica and appears regularly at chamber music festivals globally. She has also served on the music faculty at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. She is the recipient of the Bunkamura Orchard Hall Award, was named Presidential Scholar in the Arts upon receiving a medal from President Bill Clinton, and was a top prize winner of the International Paulo Cello Competition. Ms. Aznavoorian has been Grammy nominated for her recordings for her label Cedille Records, and she proudly performs on a cello made by her father Peter Aznavoorian in Chicago.
After misbehaving, a frustrated mother sends her child to the attic. To the child’s surprise, the objects abandoned there come to life, and the animals that live in the eaves begin to speak! Colette’s timeless story and Ravel’s charming music are sure to delight audiences of all ages.
On December 10, VC Chamber Music (Ashley Walters, director) presents a varied program with selections from across the musical spectrum.
Ventura College Symphony & Chamber Orchestra
Ashley Walters, director
On December 9, Ashley Walters leads the Ventura College Symphony & Chamber Orchestra in a premiere performance featuring Anuj Bhutani's After the Freeze for strings and special guests Mayuri Vasan (voice) and Neelamjit Dhillon (tabla); Grieg's Holberg Suite, Samuel Barber's lush sweeping Adagio for Strings; and selections from Gustav Holst's The Planets.
Ventura College Jazz Band
"Holiday Jazz"
Fundi Legohn, director
On Friday, December 8th (7:30 pm) Fundi Legohn leads the Ventura College Jazz Band in a holiday program with music from Scotty Morris (Big Bad Voodo Daddys), Wayne Shorter, Jessie Sharps, Wes Montgomery and more. Special guest Ms. Maia lends her talents on harp, flute and voice. Don't miss this one-night only event!
Ventura College Theatre Arts
The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later
Shortly after the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, playwright Moises Kaufman’s (founder of the Tectonic Theater Project) led a team of theater-collective collaborators to create The Laramie Project. Together, they blended the more than 200 interviews they conducted with Laramie residents with re-enactments of parts of the trials of Shepard's killers. Ten years later, the team went back to Laramie to re-interview many of the people they'd met a decade ago — as well as talking to some new sources. They wanted to write an epilogue that addressed the continued debate over the reasons for Shepard death and to explore time's complicated effect on personal and collective memory and narrative.
FROSTIANA,
Music Celebrating the Changing Seasons
Ventura College Chorus & Singers
On November 17, Brent Wilson leads the VC Concert Choir and VC Singers in a special free program at the San Buenaventura Mission featuring Frostiana by Randall Thompson, with music set to poetry by Robert Frost. The program also features selections by Drew Corey, Amy Bernon, Eric Whitacre as well as arrangements of “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and “The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy.” Brent Wilson, conductor; Mark Holmstrom, piano.
Armen Guzelimian, piano
This November, The Laurel Project will feature noted pianist Armen Guzelimian in a program entitled "The Composer and the Performer, A Personal Narrative." Guzelimian is a celebrated soloist, collaborative artist, and chamber musician. He has received national and international critical acclaim for his appearances in many of the major concert halls in the U.S.A and Europe. He has appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has collaborated with such major artists as Kiri Te Kanawa, Thomas Hampson, Lucia Popp. He has performed with conductors including Neville Marriner and has had the privilege of working closely with the great composers Aram Khachaturian, Witold Lutoslawski, Thomas Pasatieri and others. As an educator, he has taught and coached at institutions including the USC School of Music, Music Academy of the West, the Merola Program at San Francisco Opera, Paris Opera, the Eastman School of Music, and the Aspen Music Festival and School. As a recording artist, Mr. Guzelimian's performances are represented on the EMI, Angel, Teldec, Nonesuch, Delos and Crystal labels.
On November 5, VC Chamber Music (Ashley Walters, director) presents a varied program with selections from across the musical spectrum.
On November 4, Ashley Walters leads the VC Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra in a program featuring Leoš Janáček's Idyll, Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, and Robert Schumann's “Rhenish” Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major.
Winner of four Tony Awards (including Best Musical), A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder is a British black comedy revolving around Monty Navarro, a poor relation of one of England’s wealthiest families, who learns he is eighth in line to the family fortune. Snobbish treatment from his relatives—and desperation to impress a woman — sets him on a murderous path to eliminate those who stand in the way of his inheritance.
Based on a novel by Roy Horniman, Gentleman’s Guide features music by Steven Lutvak, lyrics by Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman, and a book by Freedman.
Ventura College’s Brent Wilson conducts/directs; Costumes by Anais Libunao; Sets and lighting by Jamie Birkett.
The Laurel Project's second concert will feature the newly-formed Fortuna Wind Quintet. This ensemble is formed by VC faculty members Kimaree Gilad on oboe, Nick Akdag on bassoon, and Jon Titmus on horn, joined by guest artists Suzanne Duffy on flute and Sarra Hey on clarinet. Works by Fisher Tull, Amy Beach, William Grant Still, John Biggs, Irving Fine.
The Laurel Project starts its second season with a performance by the ZePure Trio. This ensemble is formed by VC faculty Ovanes Arakelyan on piano, joined by Chika Inoue on saxophone and Maksim Velichkin on cello. The program, called Fire Dance, features Manuel de Falla's "Danza ritual del Fuego" (Ritual Fire Dance) and other fiery selections.
On Sunday, July 23, the Schwab Academy Summer Orchestra (Ashley Walters, Conductor) accompanies the finalists of the 13th Annual Henry Schwab Violin & Viola Competition. Day 2 of 2
On Saturday, July 22, the Schwab Academy Summer Orchestra (Ashley Walters, Conductor) accompanies the finalists of the 13th Annual Henry Schwab Violin & Viola Competition. Day 1 of 2
On Friday, July 21, the Schwab Academy Chamber Music Program (Ashley Walters, director) presents its second concert of the 2023 season. One performance only!
On Saturday, July 15, the Schwab Academy Summer Orchestra (Ashley Walters, Director) presents its second concert of the 2023 season. One performance only!
On Friday, July 14, the Schwab Academy Chamber Music Program (Ashley Walters, director) presents its first concert of the 2023 season. One performance only!
On Saturday, July 8, the Schwab Academy Summer Orchestra (Ashley Walters, Director) presents its first concert of the 2023 season. One performance only!
Verdi: Nabucco Overture
Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Ravel: Boléro
“The Ventura College Orchestra gave a strong performance and clearly won over the audience. The sound of the big orchestra filled the hall; the performance was lively, loud and convincing. Cheering and an enthusiastic ovation from the audience followed. It is clear that Conductor Ashley Walters has brought the Ventura College Music program to a high level of accomplishment, building new cultural bridges in the process.”~ Review in Sequenza 21 (Paul Muller)
On Saturday May 13th, the Ventura College Jazz Band (Fundi Legohn, director) pays tribute to tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, whose influential career as a performer and composer spanned more than half a century, during which time he was the tenor saxophonist and in-house composer for Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Miles Davis Quintet. This concert will feature special guest artist tenor saxophonist Randal Fisher.
On Friday, May 12, Ventura College Chamber Music (Ashley Walters, Director) presents its talented chamber music students in organically-formed ensembles collaborating to perform highly varied repertoire spanning the classical era to present day. The program for this concert features music by composers including Clara Schumann, Henri Duparc, J.S. Bach and Sebastián Yradier. One performance only!
The Gold Coast Concert Chorus (Elizabeth Helms, director) joins the Ventura College Chorus and Singers (Brent Wilson, director) for two performances of Maurice Duruflé's sublime Requiem. One of the most beautiful choral pieces ever written, the Requiem pairs flowing Gregorian chant with the lush, sumptuous harmonic language of 20th-century France. Duruflé's intensely personal take on the requiem mass remains his largest and most performed work. The piece will be paired with Jocelyn Hagen's Renaissance-inspired contemporary favorite, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. Composed to honor da Vinci’s remarkable legacy on the 500th anniversary of his death in 2019, the work is set to text from his notebooks, which draw on themes of art, science, nature and technology.
On Monday, April 10, The Laurel Project presents the Primavera Guitar Quartet. From the Baroque to the 20th century, the Primavera Quartet presents guitar ensemble works exploring over 300 years of music from Europe and the Americas, including works by Georg Philipp Telemann, Igor Stravinsky, Paulo Bellinati, and Federico Moreno Torroba. This concert features music faculty from both Ventura & Oxnard Colleges, Northeastern University and Orange Coast College: Hugo Maia Nogueira, Randy Pile, Bob Ward, and Scott Wolf.
On Sunday, March 12, Ventura College Chamber Music (Ashley Walters, Director) presents “Sound in Motion.” Organically-formed ensembles collaborate to perform highly varied repertoire spanning the classical era to present day. The program for this concert features music by composers including Schubert, Telemann and Metallica. One performance only!
On March 11, the VC Symphony Orchestra and the VC Chamber Orchestra present "Music for Dancing." Led by Ashley Walters, this concert is centered around music inspired by or written for dancing. The program includes Borodin’s “Polovtsian Dances,” Mendelssohn’s “Midsummer Night's Dream,” Saint–Saëns’ “Dance of the Tumblers,” Bloch’s “Concerto Grosso No. 1,” Berteau’s “Sonata for two cellos and bass continuo” and Shostakovich’s “Piano Quintet in G Minor.” One performance only!
On Monday, March 6 Arnold Livingston Geis (tenor) and Catherine Miller (piano) present "Songs my Mother taught Me." This emotionally powerful program is a tribute to Geis’s mother, who was a successful opera singer who received her master’s in Psychology just before her untimely death due to breast cancer on September 11th, 2002. Geis's personal tragedy inspired this autobiographical program that explores the intersection of music, faith, forgiveness and healing.
Featuring music by Robert Schumann, Richard Strauss, W.A. Mozart, Franz Lehar, Antonin Dvořák, Ricky Ian Gordon & Missy Mazzoli.
Arnold Livingston Geis is a graduate of the Cafritz Young Artist Program, has been an Apprentice Artist with Chautauqua Opera, a Young Artist with Opera on the Avalon and Glimmerglass Opera, and an Apprentice Artist with Bel Canto at Caramoor. He received his Master of Music from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and his Bachelor of Music from Biola University.
Native Californian Catherine Miller is the Artistic Director of the Pasadena Vocal Competition, a member of the music staff for San Diego Opera and active as a vocal coach and recitalist with classical singers. Appearances in recital with renowned soprano Angel Blue have included iconic venues such as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Wigmore Hall and The Ravinia Festival. Catherine has worked extensively in the Los Angeles area with Los Angeles Opera, Opera Pacific, Opera Santa Barbara and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
The Addams Family is a comical feast that embraces all things macabre and celebrates the wackiness in every family. In Andrew Lippa's musical, the ghoulish bunch confronts middle–American values when Wednesday Addams falls in love. Her nice, young beau and his aggressively normal parents accept Gomez and Morticia's invitation to dinner, prompting mischief and misunderstandings that change both families forever.
On Sunday, December 11, Ventura College Chamber Music (Ashley Walters, Director) presents “Light Up the Season” This varied program, featuring notable works by a diverse slate of composers from across the musical spectrum, will be performed in the Helen Yunker Auditorium at VC’s Performing Arts Center. – One performance only!
On Saturday, December 10, The VC Chamber & Symphony Orchestras (Ashley Walters, Director) present “A Celebration of Hope.” The program honors Robert Lawson on his retirement, and the repertoire is a celebration of friendship and collaboration. One performance only!
“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way s/he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
– Maya Angelou
On Friday, December 9, the Ventura College Chorus & Singers will present a program combining music set to wise, witty texts by poet Maya Angelou with a selection of music to kick off the holiday season. Join conductor Brent Wilson and pianist Mark Holmstrom and our talented singers for this energetic and varied program.
The Laurel Project presents vocal ensemble,“Dal Segno.” Founder and conductor Brent Wilson leads the eight voice ensemble in Giovanni Palestrina’s foundational, exhilarating Missa Papae Marcelli. The program also features works by Caroline Shaw, including Partita, a piece hailed as “exhilarating, sensual and playful” by The New York Times which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 2013, making Shaw the youngest composer to ever receive this honor.
Led by Ashley Walters, the talented students from Ventura College's Chamber Music program present "Let Beauty Awake," an afternoon of music for Strings, Brass, Guitar and Percussion. Repertoire includes music by Mozart, Schubert, Schuman, Brahms, Handel, and Corelli.
Led by Ashley Walters, the VC Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra present "The Dawn of a New World." Repertoire includes Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 ("From the New World"), Borodin's String Sextet in d-minor, and Haydn's Quartet in B-flat Major ("Sunrise").
Opera’s best ghost story comes to Ventura College! Brent Wilson leads Benjamin Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw” in a production designed by Jamie Birkett for the VC Department of Performing Arts. The eerie story is adapted by Myfanwy Piper from Henry James’ novella.
Jazz is alive and well at VC! On May 14, the VC Jazz Band (Fundi Legohn, director) presents "Monk, Mingus, Miles and More: Celebrating Jazz Excellence." Students in the VC Jazz program will be joined by a few special musical guests to perform the music of master jazz icons including Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus & Miles Davis. This program will be performed in the Helen Yunker Auditorium at VC’s Performing Arts Center (masks recommended).
On Wednesday, May 11th, The Department of Performing Arts presents “A Feast for the Senses.” This open house begins at 4:30pm with a performance by VC Dance (Krenly Guzman, director) in the Yunker Auditorium. At 5pm, the party moves to the Outdoor Theatre with performances from VC Music ensembles including the VC Chorus & Singers (Brent Wilson, director), the VC Symphony & Chamber Orchestras and VC Chamber Music (Ashley Walters, director) and the VC Jazz Band (Fundi Legohn, director). Celebrate the end of the semester and the beginning of summer with an evening of performing arts performed by our talented students! This program will be performed live, following all Covid procedures, on the Performing Arts Center Lawn.
On May 10, the VC Chorus & Singers (Brent Wilson, conductor) present "Take Me to the World: A Celebration of Stephen Sondheim." The choirs will be joined by Mark Holmstrom on piano and guest soloists from the Voice program performing musical tributes to Stephen Sondheim (1939–2021), the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and lyricist who was credited with reinventing the American musical. The program includes songs from A Little Night Music, Evening Primrose, Passion, and Sweeney Todd. In addition, the choirs will perform pieces by Bartok, Arnesen, Gjeilo, and others. This program will be performed in the Helen Yunker Auditorium at VC’s Performing Arts Center (masks recommended).
On May 7, Ventura College Chamber Music (Ashley Walters, director) present “A Springtime Bouquet,” featuring VC students Marla Ascencion, Alex Curry, Crista Guerrero Donovan, Jay Lawton, Mary Peterson, and Yoav Vega. This varied program features notable works by Albinoni, Bach, Cowell, Debussy, Haydn, Telemann, and more! This program will be performed in the Helen Yunker Auditorium at VC’s Performing Arts Center.
On April 30, the Ventura College Chamber Orchestra and the Ventura College Symphony Orchestra (Ashley Walters, conductor) present “Melodies in Bloom.” This program features music by VC Professor Andrew Tholl and by Los Angeles composer Harold Budd, who was noted for his collaborations with art-pop artists like Brian Eno and Cocteau Twins and for the spaciousness and calm of his music. The program also features Dvořák's exuberant ”American" Quartet and Beethoven's revolutionary "Eroica" Symphony. This program will be performed live, following all Covid procedures, on the Performing Arts Center Lawn.
Hansel & Gretel comes to Ventura College April 22-23. Enter a magical forest where the trees are older than time, fairies lurk in the shadows, and a house of candy sits alone amidst the trees. Experience this cherished musical fairy tale with its beautiful, folk-music inspired themes, including the famous "Evening Prayer” in this colorful production of Engelbert Humperdinck's beloved opera. Filled with drama and wonder, Hansel & Gretel will delight and charm the whole family.
The Ventura College Chamber Orchestra and the Ventura College Symphony Orchestra (Ashley Walters, conductor) leap into springtime with “Music in the Air.” The program features the Chamber Orchestra performing Haydn’s String Quartet No. 2 “Quinten” and Shostakovich’s powerful String Quartet No. 8. Then, the VC Symphony Orchestra takes us to Italy, performing the Overture to Verdi’s opera “La forza del destino” (“The power of destiny”) and Mendelssohn “Italian” Symphony No. 4 in A Major.
The Department of Performing Arts presents A WINTER CELEBRATION. This two-day music festival runs December 11th and 12th and features the VC Chorus & Singers, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Chamber Music. This musical open house begins at 1pm and will run until about 4pm; come early to picnic –local food trucks will be offering up delicious bites starting at 12pm! Saturday and Sunday will have different programs; so come to one or enjoy both programs with our special weekend pass. Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season – while supporting local businesses – with a weekend of uplifting music performed by our talented students and a few special guests!
These performances will be live and in-person, following all Covid procedures, on the Performing Arts Center’s East Lawn. Bring your chairs and blankets, grab some food, and enjoy the music!
Saturday, December 11 at 1:00 PM
Saturday, December 12 at 1:00 PM
(Local food trucks starting at 12pm both days)
Performing Arts Center East Lawn. BYO Chairs/blankets. Face masks and social distancing required.
Ventura College presents Rupert Holmes’ musical THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, a hilarious whodunit murder mystery where the murderer is chosen nightly by audience vote. Based on Charles Dickens’ unfinished tale of obsessive love and betrayal, the story is presented as a show-within-a-show, as the Music Hall Royale - a delightfully loony Victorian theatre company - presents Dickens’ brooding mystery. Musical numbers include “Perfect Strangers,” “Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead,” “Off To The Races” and “Moonfall.”
General Admission - $15
Students/Seniors/Staff - $5
Ventura College presented its final Spring 2021 Music Ensembles Concert on Friday, May 14 at 7:30pm. Featured ensembles include the Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Music Program (Ashley Walters & Nick Akdag, directors), the VC Chorus & Singers (Brent Wilson, director), and the Jazz Band (Bevan Manson, director).
The funniest show on earth is coming to Ventura College! Monty Python’s Tony Award-winning SPAMALOT, the outrageous musical comedy lovingly adapted from the film classic “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” tells the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. Flying cows, killer rabbits, taunting Frenchmen and show-stopping musical numbers are just a few of the reasons you’ll be eating up SPAMALOT.
BOOK & LYRICS: Eric Idle
MUSIC: John Du Prez & Eric Idle
ADAPTATION: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
SPAMALOT is presented through special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide.
Ventura College presented its Spring 2021 Music Ensembles Concert on Wednesday, April 14 at 7:30pm as part of the Ventura College Diversity in Culture Festival. Featured ensembles included the Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Music Program (Ashley Walters, director), and from the VC Chorus & Singers (Brent Wilson, director).
An Opera by Du Yun
Angel's Bone is a bold operatic work that integrates vocal and instrumental elements by composer Du Yun and librettist Royce Vavrek in one act that follows the plight of two angels discovered on earth who are forced into spiritual and sexual slavery at the hands of a financially troubled couple.
Music by Du Yun
Libretto by Royce Vavrek
Brent Wilson – Director
Coleen Scott – Costume Design
Ashley Walters – Orchestra Director
Kacey Link – Voice Coach
Jamie Birkett – Lighting and Drone Operator
Brent Wilson – Video / Audio editing
CAST
Jadzia Winter – Mrs. X.E.
Reginald Whigham – Mr. X.E.
Hannah Luyet – Girl Angel
Seryozha La Porte – Boy Angel
Karra Kock – Purity
Gryphon Seveney – Customer X
Malia Mooney – TV Personality
Sarabeth Ingle – Fury
Featuring:
The Ventura College Singers
Brent Wilson, director
Mark Holmstrom, piano
Soprano
Olivia Bacon
Alexandra Calor
Karra Koch
Kyra Maal-King
Rebecca Lawson*
Jesstina Torres
Jadzia Winter
Alto
Eliya Frantz*
Karin McManus
Maya Mehrotra
Gryphon Seveney
Tenor
Seryozha La Porte
Anthony Rivera*
Daniel Smithson
Bass
Dylan Quayle
Neirin Winter
* Alumni Guest Artists
The Ventura College Chamber Orchestra
Ashley Walters, director
Violin
Sophia Haldorf
Laura Liang
Brandon Martinez
Viola
Christine Lafevre
Natalie Lafevre
Joseph Parcher
Cello
Rebeckah Guevara
Lily Marquez
Ashley Walters**
Bass
Donovan Rutledge
Flute
Olivia Bacon
Oboe
Kimaree Gilad**
Jade Gilbert-Newcamp
Clarinet
Jim Sullivan*
Trumpet
Crista Guerrero Donovan
Dan Rosenboom*
Tuba
Luke Storm*
Percussion
Jordan Curcuruto*
Guitar
Scott Wolf**
* Guest Performer
** Faculty Performer
Special Thanks
Jamie Birkett
The La Porte Family
Coleen Scott
Zakk Silveira
The Winter Family
This opera was produced with support by Helen Yunker
Norwegian Dance Op. 35, No. 2
By Edvard Grieg (1843 – 1907)
Performed and Arranged by:
Olivia Bacon, flute
Christian Arevalo, oboe
Emi Reisman, English horn
Symphony No. 1 in G minor ("Winter Daydreams")
Movement II: "Land of Mists" Adagio cantabile ma non tanto
By Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893)
Arranged by Joseph Parcher
Christian Arevalo, flute I/II
Christian Arevalo, oboe
Joseph Parcher, viola
José Espinosa, guitar
The Planets, Op. 32
Movement I: Mars: the Bringer of War
By Gustav Holst (1874 – 1934)
Adapted for percussion by Diego Lara
Percussion Ensemble Members:
Diego Lara
Logan Norton
Maritza Alejos
Additional Audio
Samuel Riggs
Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
From Elton John's The Lion King
Olivia Bacon, flute
Aseret Medina, French horn
JJ Cardenas, piano
Libertango
By Astor Piazzolla (1921 – 1992)
Arranged by Joe Poshek
José Espinoza, guitar I
Michael Purdy, guitar II
Justice Papuzza, guitar III
Johanna Gabbard, guitar IV
Ubi Caritas
By Michael John Trotta (b. 1978)
The Ventura College Chorus (Brent Wilson, director)
Mark Holmstrom, piano
Soprano: Deborah Delamore, Karra Koch,
Jesstina Torres, Alma Valenciano
Alto: Gwen Armstrong, Deanna Baxter,
Johanna Gabbard, Adalia Jimenez, Mayra Mehrotra
Tenor: Dylan Quade, Daniel Smithson
Bass: José Espinoza, Cameron Friend
By Lake Dunmore
By Lilac Atassi
The Ventura College Symphony Orchestra (Dr. Ashley Walters, director)
Violin:
Tarah Brown
Adrianna Hayes
Sophia Holdorf
Laura Liang
John Lyans
Brandon Martinez
Carlos Ozuna
Viola:
Isaac Kim
Jospeh Parcher
Yoav Vega
Cello:
Lily Marquez
Ashley Walters
Miriam Wu
Bass:
Donovan Rutledge
Horn:
Hayden Amendola
Trumpet:
Emilio Shuman
Low brass:
Luke Storm
Percussion:
Maritza Alejos
Diego Lara
Samuel Riggs
Sir Duke
By Stevie Wonder
Arranged by Paul Langford
The Ventura College Chorus (Brent Wilson, director)
Mark Holmstrom, piano
Soprano: Deborah Delamore, Karra Koch,
Jesstina Torres, Alma Valenciano
Alto: Gwen Armstrong, Deanna Baxter,
Johanna Gabbard, Adalia Jimenez, Mayra Mehrotra
Tenor: Dylan Quade, Daniel Smithson
Bass: José Espinoza, Cameron Friend
Glow
By Eric Whitacre
The Ventura College Singers (Brent Wilson, director)
Mark Holmstrom, piano
Soprano: Olivia Bacon, Alexandra Calor,
Karra Koch, Kyra Maal-King,
Jesstina Torres, Jadzia Winter
Alto: Karin McManus, Maya Mehrotra,
Gryphon Seveney
Tenor: Seryozha La Porte, Daniel Smithson
Bass: Dylan Quayle, Neirin Winter
German Dances, Euphrosina 19
By Erasmus Widman (1572 – 1634)
Arranged by Michael Purdy
Olivia Bacon, flute
JJ Cardenas, piano
Jay Lawton, flute
Michael Purdy, guitar
Dido’s Lament from Dido & Aeneas
By Henry Purcell
Arranged by Donovan Rutledge
Joseph Parcher, viola
Donovan Rutledge, bass
Richie Zaragoza, clarinet
Michael Purdy, guitar
Walking Tune
By Percy Grainger
Olivia Bacon, flute
Christian Arevalo, oboe
Anna Hayes, clarinet
Aseret Medina, horn
Nick Akdag, bassoon
A Town with an Ocean View
Theme from the film Kiki's Delivery Service
By Joe Hisaishi
Arranged by Isaac Kim
Viola:
Isaac Kim
Jospeh Parcher
Yoav Vega
Sonata Prima
Adagio & Andante
By Giovanni Buonaventura Viviani (c. 1638 – 1693)
Arranged by Michael Rondeau
VC Chamber Music (Dr. Ashley Walters, director)
Joseph Parcher, viola
Donovan Rutledge, bass
Jay Lawton, flute
Crista Guerrero Donovan, trumpet
JJ Cardenas, piano
Alex Curry, continuo
Traditional
Anna Hayes, clarinet
Nick Akdag*, bassoon
Justice Papuzza, guitar
“Requiem”
by Gabe Mangold
Justice Papuzza, guitar
Anna Hayes, clarinet
Piano Concerto No.23 In A Major, K 488
Movement II: Adagio
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Aseret Medina, french horn
Johanna Gabbard, guitar
Alex Curry, piano
“La Vie en rose”
by Louis “Louiguy” Guglielmi (1916 – 1991)
Arr. Crista Guerrero-Donovan
Crista Guerrero-Donovan, trumpet
Donovan Rutledge, bass
Nick Akdag*, bassoon
“C Jam Blues”
by Duke Ellington (1899 – 1974)
Performed by The Ventura College Jazz Band
Bevan Manson, director
Carlos Puga, bass
Matt Jordan*, drums
Karen Jo Peralta, flute
Jacob Hernandez, saxophone
Michael Purdy, guitar
Jose Espinoza, mix
“Finlandia”
by Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957)
Performed by The Ventura College Orchestra Violin Section
Sophia Holdorf, violin
John Lyans, violin
Tarah Brown Gilson, violin
“The Nutcracker”, Op. 71, TH 14
Act 1: No. 2: March
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893)
Hayden Amendola, horn
Emilio Shuman, trumpet
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Op. 21
Dance of the Clowns
by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)
Richie Zaragoza, clarinet
Gabriel Bacon, clarinet
Veronica Keigwin, editor
“Red Clay”
by Freddie Hubbard (1938 – 2008)
Performed by The Ventura College Jazz Band
Bevan Manson, director
Jose Espinoza, guitar
Crista Guerrero Donovan, horn
Carlos Puga, bass
Matt Jordan*, drums
Jose Espinoza, mix
Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano: III. Elegy
by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975)
Jay Lawton, flute
Crista Guerrero Donovan, trumpet
Alex Curry, piano
Overture to William Tell: Prelude
by Gioachino Rossini (1792 – 1868)
Arranged by Miriam Wu
Miriam Wu, cello I
Lily Marquez, cello II
Donovan Rutledge, bass
First Suite for Military Band, Op. 28, No. 1
Movement III: “March”
by Gustav Holst (1874 – 1934)
Transcribed for Four Violins
Laura Liang, violin I
Carlos Ozuna, violin II
Adrianna Hayes, violin III
Brandon Martinez, violin IV
Oboe Concerto in D minor, S D935
Movement II: Adagio
by Alessandro Marcello (1673 – 1747)
Performed by The Ventura College Chamber Ensemble
Christian Arevalo, oboe
Johanna Gabbard, guitar
Jose Espinoza, guitar
“Bumble Bee”
by The Real Group
Arr. Anders Edenroth
Performed by The Ventura College Singers
Brent Wilson, director
Mark Holmstrom, piano
Soprano: Alexandra Calor, Karra Koch, Kyra Maal-King, Jesstina Torres, Jadzia Winter
Alto: Olivia Bacon, Karin McManus
Tenor: Seryozha La Porte, Daniel Smithson, Neirin Winter
Bass: Dylan Quade
Click here to watch this program on YouTube.
"Weep You No More"
by Douglas E. Wagner (b. 1952)
Performed by The Ventura College Chorus
Brent Wilson, Director
Weep you no more, sad fountains;What need you flow so fast?Look how the snowy mountainsHeaven's sun doth gently waste.But my sun's heavenly eyesView not your weeping,That now lies sleepingSoftly, now softly liesSleeping.Sleep is a reconciling,A rest that peace begets:Doth not the sun rise smilingWhen fair at even he sets?Rest you then, rest, sad eyes,Melt not in weeping,While she lies sleepingSoftly, now softly liesSleeping.
Sarhanna and Kashala
by Wadada Leo Smith (b. 1941)
Performed by The Ventura College Chamber Orchestra
Ashley Walters, director
When you discover something, you can never lose it because it becomes a part of you." – Wadada Leo Smith
"A Nightingale Sings in Berkeley Square"
Arr. Kirby Shaw
The Ventura College Singers
Brent Wilson, conductor
That certain night, the night we met,
There was magic abroad in the air,
There were angels dining at the Ritz,
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.I may be right, I may be wrong,
But I'm perfectly willing to swear
That when you turned and smiled at me
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.The moon that lingered over London town,
Poor puzzled moon, he wore a frown.
How could he know we two were so in love?
The whole darn world seemed upside downThe streets of town were paved with stars;
It was such a romantic affair.
And, as we kissed and said 'goodnight',
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square
Click here to watch this program on YouTube.
Students from The Ventura College Opera and Musical Theatre program perform Gian Carlo Menotti's opera Labyrinth in an innovative virtual performance, streamed on Facebook in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This performance marks the opera's first performance since its original airing on NBC in 1963. This production was originally planned to be presented live in March 2020.