Six
graduating seniors from Gibraltar High School are showing their
gratitude to the community by performing a benefit concert for the
Scandia Village Capital Funds campaign. The concert will take place on
Wednesday, June 12, 7 p.m at Ephraim Moravian Church, 9970 Moravia
Street, Ephraim, WI.
Midsummer's
Music will host the first Door County concert in the 2013 chamber music
season featuring the world famous Pro Arte Quartet on Thursday, May 9.
The concert will be held at the Ephraim Moravian Church at 7:30 PM. Pro
Arte will delight the audience with a classic repertoire. Tickets are
priced at $25 for adults and $10 for students. Reservations are
recommended, as it is always a popular and often sold out event.
Pro Arte Quartet is the only quartet in the world to have reached
legendary longevity. The ensemble has been in continuous existence since
1911-1912, when its founding students at the Brussels Conservatory in
Belgium organized the group. Two of the current members of the quartet
are also regular members of Midsummer's Music, violinist David Perry and
violist Sally Chisholm. They are joined by violinist Suzanna Beia and
cellist Parry Karp. All hold positions at UW-Madison.
Door
Community Auditorium’s popular winter event series is well underway and
will continue this weekend with a mainstage Coffeehouse Concert by
acclaimed New York City singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston on Saturday
night, and a lecture about Chinese political trends on Saturday morning.
Lecture: Chinese Politics
On
Saturday, February 9, at 9 a.m., the DCA’s Distinguished Lecture Series
will offer a lecture entitled “Recent Trends in Chinese Politics,”
presented by Dr. Wayne Patterson, professor of history at St. Norbert
College.
“My
favorite part of dance class is dressing up for class. I love dressing
up!” says five year old Sydney Hatton, wearing a kitty cat costume with a
pink tutu. Sydney is a student of the Sturgeon Bay YMCA’s “All-Star
Dance School.”
With 105 students currently enrolled in the
program, the dance school is one of the largest programs at the Sturgeon
Bay Y, and is also a big part of the community.
The
Peninsula Music Festival’s February Fest will take place on two
consecutive Saturdays starting AFTER the Super Bowl. Mark your calendars
for Saturday, February 9 and Saturday, February 16 at 2:00 p.m.
The
concerts will be held at Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church on Highway
42 at the top of the Ellison Bay hill.
After
receiving rave reviews for her performance last year at Door Community
Auditorium, powerhouse vocalist Ruthie Foster will bring her
unmistakable brand of fiery blues back to DCA on Saturday, November 24,
at 7 p.m.
The Grammy-nominated Foster weaves the heat of Memphis soul,
the redemption of American gospel, and the groove of southern blues into
a rich musical tapestry that is all her own. The Boston Globe writes,
“When someone with real chops like Ruthie Foster steps up, attention
must be paid.”
On
Saturday, October 20, at 7 p.m., the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will
present a diverse, rousing program of classical music at Door Community
Auditorium. The MSO, which is widely revered as one of the finest
orchestras in the United States, will perform music from Beethoven,
Schumann, Brahms, and Wagner, tracing the profound influence of
Beethoven on the generation of composers that came after him.
Fresh off
of a New York Times-acclaimed performance at Carnegie Hall earlier this
year, the MSO will display the same passion and finesse at DCA that has
characterized their long tenure as an ensemble which, according to the
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, takes its audiences on “a stirring musical
journey.”
The
Village of Egg Harbor is proud to unveil the seventh piece of public art
to be installed within the Village in the past twelve months.
This
latest artistic creation, named “Sunset Melody” took over nine months
to complete. The piece was created by four Egg Harbor artists and graces
the west walls of the Peg Egan Performing Arts Center.
The collaborative project is the creative expression of Reneé Schwaller, Cynthia Board, Angela Lensch and Kathy Mand Beck.
Jeanne Kuhns has a new CD and a new art gallery in Egg Harbor.
An extraordinary talent exists in Door County among an
eclectic group of performers and artists. If you’ve never heard Jeanne Kuhns
sing, you owe it to yourself to experience that treat. She is about to release
her fourth CD, Beautifully Strange.
It describes the creative personality, she says. “Most who do creative
endeavors color outside of the lines, we are all ‘beautifully strange.’”Aside from a stunning vocal range and the accompanying
musical magic, the haunting lyrics of a whimsical poet knock on the doors of
personal memory.
On
Tuesday, July 24, at 7 pm, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will join
special guest Del McCoury live on the stage of Door Community
Auditorium. Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Del McCoury are each legends
in their own right, selling out their live performances across the U.S.
and beyond.
Together in concert, these musical icons create a seamless blend of
soul-lifting traditional harmonies, bringing together the high, lonesome
sound of the Appalachians and the hot, lively jazz of New Orleans.
Among
the young talent of Door County, singer-songwriter Anya Kopischke
played this past weekend in the Steel Bridge Songfest in a night
celebrating young musicians.
According
to the organization’s website, Steel Bridge was formulated from a
grassroots group called the S.O.B.'s (Save Our Bridge) about 11 years
ago. It was organized to save the Michigan Street Bridge, which was
planned to be destroyed. The S.O.B.’s transformed into the Citizens for
Our Bridge a non-profit group and developed a long-term plan to raise
funding for repairs and restoration of the bridge.
Door Community Auditorium is pleased to announce
a 2012 season brimming with diversity and quality. Between May and December,
more than 80 performances and events will take place at DCA including national
music legends, favorite local performers, first-rate classical concerts,
fun-loving musical theater, a reading by a former U.S. poet laureate and music
that runs the gamut from New Orleans jazz to Delta blues to Nova Scotia step
dance to classic American rock.
The Peg Egan Performing Arts Center is thrilled to announce
a crowd-pleasing line-up of nationally acclaimed artists for its 2012 Summer
Sunset Concert Series.
Performing on the center’s breathtaking stage will be Willy
Porter, Women with Spirit- featuring Julie Gold (Grammy winner of the song
“From A Distance, along with national touring aritsts, Karen Savoca, Dorothy
Scott & Sue Demel, also this summer you will enjoy the music of Cavern Beat, Dane Hicks and the Hot
Licks, Second City Improv All Stars, Dailey & Vincent, The Persuasions, and
Steppin In It.
Mezzo
soprano Cynthia Stiehl will present a benefit concert for the Door
County Maritime Museum as part of the Third Avenue Playhouse’s Tuesdays
at TAP Series on April 24 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the downtown
Sturgeon Bay theater. The
concert is titled “I Get a Kick Out of Cole,” a tribute by Stiehl to
the famous American composer Cole Porter. It’s a program Stiehl
initially produced for a concert she gave at the Birch Creek Music
Performance Center along with pianist Judith Jackson, who will again
accompany Stiehl for the TAP performance.
Charlie Cheney of Fremont, Michigan feels right at home in
Door County. He came into the local music scene in June, 2006 at the
Steel Bridge Songfest. He wrote and performed a song about Palmer
Johnson’s, just down the street from the Holiday Music Motel.
Speaking of PJ’s, Charlie remarked “This Sturgeon Bay company is the
true representation of what manufacturing we have left in the United
States.” At that time, boat building at the firm was at a standstill,
and this workingman’s song hits a chord with the locals as he sings of a
“hole in the road” and a “hole in my heart”. At this writing, the
company’s fortunes have improved and some boats are now under
construction.
Kory Murphy at the Holiday Music Motel in Sturgeon Bay.
A
fairly new face on the Door County music scene is that of the very
talented Kory Murphy. You may have seen and heard him play at the
Holiday Music Motel or at "Untitled" Used & Rare Books, Maps and
Ephemera. Rolling into town last fall, Kory, companion Brittany, and the
music-lovin' cat Skyy, stayed the winter, and Kory hosted WRiTERS'
NiGHT.
Caleb Navarro emerges on the Door County music scene.
When Caleb Navarro picked up his
sister’s guitar in eighth grade, he surely did not know where it would take
him. Now a sophomore at Sturgeon Bay High School, Navarro is writing his own
music, posting videos of original music and cover songs on his own YouTube
channel, and performing at talent shows and open microphones around the county.
Sharon Grutzmacher of the PMF and teacher Lauren Bremer pose with the musicians after class.
Students
in Mrs. Lauren Bremer's English classes at Gibraltar High School know
that British novelist Jane Austen was an avid amateur pianist and
started her day at the piano. "She played piano perhaps an hour a day,
early in the morning," explained Stephen Alltop, pianist with the
Peninsula Music Festival.
Alltop, from
Evanston, Illinois, was joined by vocalist and violinist Josefien
Stoppelenburg, who now lives in this country but hails from the
Netherlands. The pair were in town for February Fest, The Peninsula
Music Festival's annual chamber music series. The
February Fest is made possible thanks to sponsorships from Doug
Peterson and Joan E. Mills, Gen Follingstad, and the Peninsula Music
Festival Sustaining Committee.
The
Peninsula Music Festival is now accepting applications for its college
scholarship. This three year, $1,000.00 per year, scholarship is to be
awarded to a graduating senior who desires to further his or her
education in music. The recipient must be an outstanding music student,
who has demonstrated his or her ability as a performer and has shown a
sustained interest in music-related activities. Also, the student must
major or minor in music while attending college.
To apply, a
student must write an essay outlining his or her qualifications,
including accomplishments in music, future plans, academic achievements,
high school transcripts, and any other information he or she feels is
appropriate for this music scholarship.
On
Friday, February 17, associate conductor Stephen Alltop and
soprano/violinist Josefien Stoppelenburg will present a program entitled
"The Music of Jane Austen" as part of the Peninsula Music Festival’s
annual February Fest. The 7:00 p.m. concert will take place at the
Ephraim Moravian Church. This will be a program of romance, humor and
beautiful music celebrating the 200th anniversary of the printing of
Sense and Sensibility, featuring composers loved by Jane Austen
complimented by Stephen Alltop's historical narrative. Jane Austen
played the piano every day and this concert will highlight the music she
loved and the music she played. The program includes the music of
Beethoven, Schubert, Clementi, Handel and much more. There will be a
reception immediately following the concert.
The
Door Community Auditorium goes “down under” next weekend with a
screening of the Australian-centered film Rabbit-Proof Fence, as well as
concert and lecture by Brian Pertl, didgeridoo expert from Lawrence
University.
Didgeridoo Concert and Lecture
On Friday, February 17, at 7 p.m.,
the DCA’s Fireside Lobby will come alive with the distinct sounds of
aboriginal Australian instrument the didgeridoo, presented by Brian
Pertl of Lawrence University, as part of DCA’s Coffeehouse Concert
Series.
Third
Avenue Playhouse is launching a new series called Tuesdays at TAP.
Every Tuesday there will be a concert at TAP to benefit a local
nonprofit. This series starts on February 14th and the featured
nonprofit is United Way of Door County.
The concert starts at 7:30 pm. The artist is Hans Christian. Hans
Christian’s unmistakable cello playing moves the listener with a
haunting beauty, and his use of various ethnic string instruments
expresses a universal musical language that transcends boundaries,
cultures, and generations. This concert is a kick-off toappearances around the world.
On
Saturday, February 11, at 7 p.m., six Door County teens will compete
for the title of 2012 Door County Idol. This highly anticipated annual
event serves as both a vibrant community gathering and as a celebration
of Door County’s abundant homegrown talent.
From dozens of auditioning students, Door County Idol screeners have
chosen six finalists for this year’s competition.
Door
Community Auditorium’s popular winter event series is well underway and
will continue this weekend with an intimate fireside concert on
Saturday evening by popular local singer-songwriter Seth Raddatz, as
well as a free movie showing on Friday night and a lecture about the
U.S. educational system on Saturday morning.
Seth Raddatz will
play in the DCA fireside lobby at 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 28. Door
County audiences may recognize Seth Raddatz as the son of veteran local
folksinger Mark Raddatz, but after writing and performing in Door County
for several years, Seth has developed his own reputation and following
on the peninsula.
The
Peninsula Music Festival will present its annual chamber music series,
February Fest, on Saturday, February 11 and Friday, February 17. The
chamber music series was started to feature PMF orchestra musicians
during the off season to highlight the depth of the talent in the
Festival Orchestra as well as make concerts available to the local
community during a quieter time on the Peninsula. The February Fest is
made possible thanks to sponsorships from Doug Peterson and Joan E.
Mills, Gen Follingstad, and the Peninsula Music Festival Sustaining
Committee.
On
January 20 and 21, Door Community Auditorium will provide the second
installment of its 2012 lecture, concert, and movie screening series.
After a Friday evening showing of the hit film Super 8, DCA will present
a Saturday morning lecture about academic biblical interpretation and a
Saturday evening concert by well-known local folksinger Katie Dahl.
Katie Dahl will play
as part of DCA’s Coffehouse Concert series at 7 p.m. on Saturday,
January 21, having played to a sellout crowd at the DCA in 2010. Known
for the easy humor of her live performances, the depth and power of her
alto voice, and the poignant candor of her original music, Dahl has
gained a strong reputation in Door County from her solo shows as well as
her work with American Folklore Theatre and Door Shakespeare. She tours nationally on a regular basis and has shared the stage with such respected songwriters as Julie Gold and Dar Williams.
When
it comes to finding a fun and supportive place for impromptu
performances of the latest song, poem, or comedy sketch you've either
just written or had laying in a drawer for thirty years, all roads lead
to Sturgeon Bay. And we're not talking just locals. WRiTERS' NiGHT at
the Holiday Music Motel in downtown Sturgeon Bay is an open mic
opportunity for songwriters, poets, playwrights, storytellers, authors,
comedians, and
so forth. Visitors from all over the country and even the world have
stopped in to participate or just hang out.
The
gathering happens almost every Thursday evening of the year from 7:00 -
9:00 pm in the cozy lobby of this musician-owned lodging establishment,
a charming retro motel reminiscent of the 1950s; in fact, it was a
landmark place to stay in the area back in that day, and has been
totally restored to that look and feel as a friendly "Mom & Pop"
type place.
At
the final concert of the Peninsula Music Festival’s August 2011 season,
Music Director and Conductor Victor Yampolsky announced the new
concertmaster of the Festival Orchestra. Igor Yuzefovich will take over
the duties effective with the 60th Anniversary Season in August of 2012.
The Festival held auditions for the chair over a two-year period of
time seeing five different candidates. Each violinist led the orchestra
for one week of the August season and was also a featured soloist.
On
January 13 and 14, Door Community Auditorium will begin the new year
with a bang, by kicking off its 2012 lecture, concert, and movie
screening series. After a Friday evening showing of Brad Pitt’s hit
movie Moneyball, DCA will present a Saturday morning lecture about the
Supreme Court and a Saturday evening concert by popular local bluegrass
band Highland Road.
Highland Road will kick off DCA’s Coffeehouse Concert series at 7 p.m.
on Saturday, January 14. Highland Road are familiar favorites in the DCA
Coffeehouse series, having played to sold-out houses in both 2009 and
2010.
This winter, the Door Community Auditorium presents a series of events
sure to stimulate the mind, the heart and the funny bone. Comprised of
coffeehouse concerts, free lectures, complimentary film screenings, and the
perennially popular Door County Idol, the Auditorium’s diverse winter lineup brings
a great depth of musical, intellectual, and cultural enrichment to Fish Creek
and Door County. On the Mainstage The winter season consists of three mainstage presentations.On December 30, Wagner-Guthrie
Entertainment presents crooner Steve March Tormé (son of the legendary Mel
Tormé).Steve March Tormé is known
for wowing audiences with his delivery of jazz standards, Broadway favorites,
and original songs. On February 4, DCA partners with Peninsula Players and Fish
Creek Winter Fest to present Baby Wants Candy, an entirely improvised and
hysterical 60-minute musical. And, on February 11, teens from across the Door Peninsula
compete for the title of 2012 Door County Idol.
Open auditions for Door County youths ages 15-19 will take place the week of November 14 at Door County high schools.
Gibraltar HS - Monday, November 14 from 4:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m. Sevastopol HS - Tuesday, November 15 from 4:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m. Sturgeon Bay HS - Wednesday, November 16 from 4:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m. Southern Door HS - Thursday, November 17 from 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
A
little slice of New York City comes to Fish Creek on October 27 and 28,
when two of the hottest bands from Brooklyn’s thriving roots music
scene play at the Door Community Auditorium.
Thursday, October 27, from 3-5 p.m., Howard Fishman and The Hot Holy
Mess will host a free Songwriting and Improvisational Workshop for high
school music students. Students are instructed to bring instruments and
open minds. Workshop participants will also receive one complimentary
ticket to Fishman and The Hot Holy Mess’ Main Stage performance the
following evening, Friday, October 28.
Legendary
Jazz Artist Rick DellaRatta will be in Sturgeon Bay to donate his time
and talents to raise funds for Door County Renaissance Development
Group. The benefit concert will take place at the Oasis Center of the
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 1756 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay, on
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 6:00 PM. Advance ticket prices are $25
and at the door $35. Thanks
to Door County business sponsors: Door County Realty, Welcome Home
Realty, W.E. Construction, Village Green Lodge, Peninsula Vision Care,
Peninsula Jeweler, Spa Verde, and Sandra Stetler - LMT; a limited
number of FREE VIP tickets are available.
One
of the most popular fundraising events of the Peninsula Music Festival
is "Help Program the Season". For the second year in a row, Conductor
Victor Yampolsky has given the Festival audience a chance to pick the
overture that will open the season. The 2011 season opened with Verdi's
Overture to Nabucco. Now it is time for Festival friends to cast their
vote for the overture that will open the 60th season in August 2012.
On
September 18, American guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke will take the stage
at the Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek. Famous for his unique
blend of guitar-based jazz, blues, and folk, and for his unparalleled
instrumental sophistication, Kottke will deliver a one-of-a-kind concert
that should not be missed.
Leo
Kottke is a self-styled guitarist with an unconventional picking style
who has continued to innovate and experiment throughout his long and
illustrious career.
Eric Lewis and Friends are set to perform at the Fishstock Concert Series on Sunday, September 4 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $15.00.
Door
County's favorite bluegrass performer returns to Fishstock for the final
show of the season! Eric Lewis is a multi-instrumentalist who performs
and records with some of the top Memphis artists.
Chris Irwin and Friends return to the Woodwalk Concert series this Friday, August 26th. Irwin
describes his music as country/bluegrass and indie, as he brings his
original tunes and favorite folk style tunes to the his show.
Known
for his years as an actor and singer at American Folklore Theater
presentations and for concerts with Lewis and Burroughs, he brings his
music home to Door County every summer.
Friday August 12th Robin Bienemann CD Release Concert
Robin
Bienemann brings his wickedly funny original songs to the Woodwalk
stage. His new CD , "Songs About Work", is brilliantly funny,
intellectual, and raw crazy outrageous. This hilarious and touching new
batch of songs is inspired by stories of people working for a living.
Work is a common thread of experience that ties us all together. We might like, or not like it, but we all do it.
Updated constantly ... What's going on in Door County
Welcome to DoorCountyTravelersJournal.com!
If you are looking for interesting places to visit and things to do, you're in the right place. This online magazine features articles that help you get the most out of your vacation in Wisconsin's magical Door Peninsula. Get useful visitor information and be sure to check out our Kids Edition to find places that children like to go. The opinions and recommendations herein are solely those of our contributing writers. Event information subject to change without notice.
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