Performers from the Past Include:

2006 Season | 2005 Season | 2004 Season | 2003 Season

Saturday, April 14th
Rachel Luxon, Soprano & The Arron Chamber Ensemble
with: Ron Arron, Viola
Edward Arron, Cello
Abe Appleman, Violin
Jeewon Park, Piano
Those who have heard the beauty and exceptional range of Rachel Luxon’s voice will not have forgotten her talent. Add to this the virtuosic instrumental sounds of the Arron Ensemble over a wide range of music, Rachmaninov, Richard Strauss, Vaughan Williams, Beethoven, Pleyel and Brahms, and you have a concert not to be missed - performed by a group of noted international artists.
Tickets $20.

Saturday, May 26th 8pm
“Under Milk Wood” a play for voices by Dylan Thomas
Performed by Sandisfield residents Dana Bledsoe and Ben Luxon.
Just before his death at age 39 in 1953, the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas completed his short life’s major work “Under Milk Wood”, a play for voices. The play conjures up the dreams and waking hours of the inhabitants of a small Welsh seaside village within the cycle of one day. The sheer richness of the language, the humor and unforgettable bevy of village characters and their antics make this a treat not to be missed. Tickets $10.

Saturday, June 2nd 8pm
Bottom of the Bucket
Monterey-based Bottom of the Bucket combines Traditional Irish, Old Time, New England and French Canadian music with their own eclectic, original sound. Coming from very different musical backgrounds, the band’s members, Eric Martin, Stephen Enoch, Daniel Garrigan-Byerly and, joined tonight by Bill Kopetchny, met while working at Gould Farm. They joined the fiddle, guitar, djembe and mandolin to create their unique and expanding repertoire. The addition of viola, banjo, bouzouki, penny whistle, feet and other hand percussions has given the group an interesting sound for both concerts and contra dances. To mention a few venues in the area, the band has taken the stage at Club Helsinki, The Lion’s Den, the Buhrmaster Barn Dance, the annual Dance Flurry, the Eighth Step Dance in Albany and countless living rooms and porches. For the past few years, they have kept dancers moving at the Lenox Contra Dance Series. Tickets $10.

Sunday, June 3rd 10:30am $5 admission
Sunday Forum on American History and Culture: FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC CHALLENGES
Bill Cohn, a Sandisfield resident and SAC Board Member, will speak about the impact of Cold War ideology and the consumer society on the condition of American democracy in the post World War II era

Sunday, June 10th 10:30am $5 admission
Sunday Forum on American History and Culture: POLITICAL DEMOCRACY IN DANGER: WATERGATE AND THE IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY  Val Coleman, also a Sandisfield resident and SAC Board Member, will discuss the political and human drama that resulted from the 1972 burglary of the Democratic headquarters in the Watergate and the consequences for democracy in America.

Saturday, June 16th 8pm
Sacred Singing: Our Baptist and Jewish Past Roberta Laws, soprano, and the First Baptist Church Choir of Pittsfield will commemorate the first 50 years of our history as a Baptist church with song.  Deborah Zecher, cantor and rabbi of Hevreh in Great Barrington, will be joined by the Hevreh Choir to perform Jewish sacred music to honour our history as a Jewish synagogue. This is a very special program to commemorate the history of our building. The Sandisfield Arts Center is very proud to have been awarded a Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservations Award. We have also been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. We hope you will join us for this musical celebration. Let the voices ring out in the old building and reverberate with memories of its diverse and colorful past.  Thanks to the Harold Grinspoon Foundation for partial support for this program. Special Ticket Price: $10 per person.

Sunday, June 17th 10:30am $5 admission
Sunday Forum on American History and Culture: DEMOCRACY DENIED: UPENDING THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT.  Audrey Manring, Editor of the Women’s Times and a Stockbridge resident, will talk about the derailment of the Equal Rights Amendment by the forces of “family preservation” and the meaning of that outcome for democracy and equality in America.

Sunday, June 24th 10:30am $5 admission
Sunday Forum on American History and Culture: DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA  At our concluding session we ask you, the audience, to present your thoughts and arguments about the current state of democracy in America. We welcome short presentations or extemporaneous comments from the floor. Bill, Val and Audrey will moderate and provide the framework for discussion.

Saturday, July 14th  8pm
Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams
Joziah Longo lead vocals,
guitar, harmonica
Sharkey McEwen lead guitar,
backing vocals, mandolin
Tinkerbell Lloyd accordion, cello, flute, piccolo, theremin
Tony Zuzulo “percussives”
This Sleepy Hollow, New York based band was founded there in 1998. The band’s music is a form of Folk Rock and is sometimes described as “punk classical hillbilly Floyd”. The band plays regularly at major folk music venues and coffeehouses in the Northeastern United States, often to sold out crowds. They also tour in other regions of the United States. In 2006 they played a number of major folk festivals, including Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in Hillsdale, NY, Forksville Folk Festival in Forksville, PA, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and the Moab Folk Festival in Moab, Utah. Tickets $20

Saturday, July 28th 8pm
John Sellew, Tom Ingersoll, Tony Manes
Traditional, Contemporary, Original Acousticlectic Folk’n Such
John Sellew, a native of Monterey, studied with Bill Crofut, and has been performing locally for more than twenty years. He has also composed and played music for many of his brother Sanjiban Sellew’s Konkapot Big Boys films, and was awarded best soundtrack at the Damah independent film festival. Tom Ingersoll was born and raised in the Berkshires, and brings a local flavor to his music, which can be heard on his numerous CD’s. Tom has played guitar, and a little bit of everything else, since age fourteen. Tony Manes has been singing and playing guitar and banjo in the area for nearly 20 years. He has performed at such venues as Café Lena, Old Songs Sampler, Northpointe Cultural Arts Center, the Lion’s Den in Stockbridge, the Spencertown Academy, as well as numerous festivals and gatherings. Tickets $10.

Saturday, August 4th 8pm
The Glengarry Bhoys
Miranda Mulholland vocals, fiddle
Ewan Brown highland pipes, shuttle pipes, electric pipes, whistles and vocals
Graham Smith double bass, electric bass
Graham Wright lead vocals, guitars, tin whistle
Gaye Stuart “Ziggy” Leroux vocals, drums, percussion, bodhran
Founded in 1998, this is a Celtic fusion band blending traditional Scottish and Irish music with modern Celtic and contemporary sounds. Initially called the Graham Wright Band, they changed their name to reflect their heritage and the place where they hail from: Glengarry County, Ontario, Canada.
Tickets $20.

Saturday, August 25th, 8pm
Triple Play Returns!
In a Performance to Benefit
The Bill Crofut Arts Fund for Children
Chris Brubeck - electric bass, bass trombone, piano & vocals
Joel Brown - folk and classical acoustic guitar and vocals
Peter “Madcat” Ruth - harmonica, guitar, jaw harp, percussion & vocals
Triple Play is the name given to three outstanding and versatile musicians, Peter “Madcat” Ruth, Joel Brown, and Chris Brubeck. Collectively they bring a rare level of joy, virtuosity, and American spirit to the folk, blues, jazz and classical music they perform. Paul deBarros, writer for the Seattle Times and Downbeat, reports: “Triple Play is what jazz always was and always should be about: good-time rhythm, unbridled joy and the sweet release but bittersweet aftertaste of the blues. If there’s a better old-time blues and jazz harmonica player out there than ‘Madcat’ Ruth, I’d sure love to know where he lives.” Tickets $25 (no complimentary passes accepted for this performance.)

Saturday, September 15 8pm
The Barrington Jazz Quartet
Billy Barkin, guitar
Chet Cahill, bass
Joe Gold, piano
Brian Burke, drums and tenor sax
The Barrington Jazz Quartet loves the straight-ahead jazz of the bebop era and beyond, the great American songbook from which many jazz standards have been derived, and the master musicians themselves who have captivated us with their uniqueness and creativity: Monk, Coltrane, Davis, Evans, Parker, Corea, to name just a few. Tickets $20.

Saturday, October 6th 8pm
Bacchiocchi-Brown Duo
Kristin Bacchiocchi-Stewart, Flute
Joel Brown, Classical guitar
Kristin Bacchiocchi-Stewart and Joel Brown have been performing together since 2001 when they premiered the Delfausse Concerto Grosso with the Lake Placid Sinfonietta. Over the past six years they have appeared in recital halls across the country dazzling audiences with their virtuosity and exceptional musical repertoire. The duo will perform works from Brazil, Argentina, Italy, and more. Audiences will remember previous autumn evenings listening captively to Joel Brown in the Arts Center Cafe. This is Kristin Bachiocchi-Stewart’s first appearance in our Cafe. Tickets $20.

Saturday, May 27th at 8pm – The Arron Chamber Ensemble Piano and String Trio
An accomplished array of international musicians, the Arron Chamber Ensemble contains an ensemble of artists whose dedication to the chamber music repertoire is unquestionable. From the stages of Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, the Arron Chamber Ensemble brings world-class music making to Sandisfield.
Members include violinist Abraham Appleman, cellist Edward Arron, violist Ronald Arron, pianist Jeewon Park and narrator Benjamin Luxon.
IN THE PERFORMANCE HALL 8 pm.

Saturday, June 3 – Maggie Holtzberg, Fiddle with Mitch Nelin on bouzouki. An evening of traditional dance tunes from Ireland, Shetland, and Scandinavia awaits those who hear this exciting duo of Maggie Holtzberg and Mitch Nelin. Ms. Holtzberg’s masterful technique on the fiddle is accompanied by the wealth of sounds produced by the ringing strings of Mr. Nelin’s long-neck bouzouki. Adventurous instrumentation and their experienced musicianship are sure to produce a rousing performance. 8pm in the CAFÉ.

Saturday, June 24 -
Triple Play – They’re back! -
Chris Brubeck, Joel Brown
& Peter “Madcat” Ruth
Annual Fundraiser to benefit
The Bill Crofut Art’s Fund for Children.
"Triple Play" is the name given to three outstanding and versatile musicians, Peter "Madcat" Ruth (on harmonica, guitar, jaw harp, percussion and vocals), Joel Brown (folk and classical acoustic guitar and vocals) and Chris Brubeck (electric bass, bass trombone, piano and vocals). They bring a rare level of joy, virtuosity, and American spirit to the folk, blues, jazz, funk and classical music they perform. IN THE PERFORMANCE HALL 8pm. Admission $25

Saturday, Aug. 19 - Patty Larkin, Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist --- Iowa-born singer-songwriter Patty Larkin has been at the confluence of generations and styles since a precociously early age. Her yearning guitar music has encompassed everything from modal folk to the broodingly atmospheric, from playful pop tunes to naked soul searching.
8pm IN THE PERFORMANCE HALL.
(Patty Larkin Photo Credit: Jana Leon)

Saturday, August 26th
"Valley Song" by Athol Fugard performed by Steve Stephenson's Rattler Productions Company. --- Steve Stephenson and his talented Rattler Productions Company return to The Sandisfield Arts Center for a second performance this season in "Valley Song", a young girl’s blossoming ambition is interlaced with an elderly playwright’s desire to reconnect with his humble origins in this post-apartheid tale of generational exchange. South African playwright Athol Fugard has spent decades decrying the injustices of his country’s racial injustice through his politically-charged works, and in the process has become one of the English-language’s most influential voices.
8pm IN THE PERFORMANCE HALL.

Sunday, August 27th at 3:30PM, Sandisfield resident, Charlene Peet will delight audience members with, "A Living Memoir in Music, Writing and Art".  This will be an afternoon of Ms. Peet reading some of her own writings and performing on the piano.  Ms. Peet, also an accomplished artist, will display her paintings in the gallery of the Arts Center. 3:30pm in the CAFÉ. Free.

Saturday, September 16 – Kitchen Ceile, Irish song and dance --- The trio of Kitchen Ceile, will be joined by dancers from The Kathleen Mulkerin School of Irish Dancing in New Haven, CT. They will perform a concert of lilting jigs, driving reels, as well as stately waltzes and slow airs. Featuring George Wilson on fiddle, banjo,and vocals; Dora Hast on tin whistle and recorders; and Stan Scott on guitar,mandolin, banjo, and vocals; this ensemble aims to serve up a healthy portion of spirited songs in an atmosphere of unpretentious good humor.
8pm IN THE PERFORMANCE HALL.

Saturday, September 23 - Joel Brown, Classical Guitarist returns to the Sandisfield Arts Center for another delightful evening. His eclectic career has taken him to England to record with the London Symphony, to Carnegie Hall with soprano Dawn Upshaw, and to recital performances with Frederika von Stade. He has appeared in such places as New York's Alice Tully Hall with the Chamber Music Society of The Lincoln Center, and the Tanglewood Festival, Known to Sandisfield audiences as a long time collaborator with Bill Crofut. 8pm in the CAFÉ.

Saturday, October 7th - Equal Voices, A 6-Member A Cappella Singing Group --- With roughly two centuries of collected vocal experience, the six-voice professional a cappella ensemble, Equal Voices, has been entertaining audiences of all musical persuasions. From performances of the classical repertoire with Anonymous 4 and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra to more jazz and pop oriented numbers with Bobby McFerrin and They Might Be Giants, the ensemble maintains a diverse repertoire all the while specializing in contemporary classical vocal. Vibrant attitudes and solid musicianship conspire for a rousing performance.
8pm IN THE PERFORMANCE HALL.

Saturday, May 28, 8pm A Concert of Bharata Natyam: An Evening of Classical South Indian Dance and Music with Lauren Paul, dance, Joseph Getter, flute, David Nelson, mridangam, and Balraj Balasubrahmaniyan, vocals. This classical dance form from the Southern part of India encompasses wonderfully complex rhythmic footwork, as well as an elaborate gesture language for storytelling. Journey to another world as you experience tales of the Indian Pantheon and moving love poems in this magical evening of dance and music.

Saturday, June 18, 8pm Klezmer! With Khevre Michael Winograd and Khevre are in the forefront of the new generation of Klezmer musicians. Klezmer is an irresistible, party-inducing mix of Greek, Eastern and Central European music performed at Jewish celebrations. Winograd is one of the young modernists leading what just might become a 21st century revival of this Old World music. Khevre means "friends" or "community," so come and make some exciting new musical friends at the Sandisfield Arts Center with these vital young musicians.

Saturday July 2, 8pm: "Driving Miss Daisy" Sunday, July 3, 4pm: "My Children, My Africa" Formed in 1993, Rattler Productions / A Mixed Co. has enjoyed a series of successes throughout the U. S. with acclaimed productions of Athol Fugard's plays, "My Children, My Africa", "Valley Song" and "Master Harold and the Boys". This repertory company, led by Actor/Producer Leonard Stephenson, also found audiences who delighted in Alred Uhry's lovable "Driving Miss Daisy" and Eugene O'Neill's "The Emperor Jones". Join them as they transform the Sandisfield Arts Center with two of their most popular presentations. Leonard Stephenson, producer, performed his first professional performance at the age of eight with Harry Belafonte and has continued his career to date. Stephenson's television credits include "Hill Street Blues," "St. Elsewhere," and "MacGyver."

Saturday, September 3, 8pm Garnet Rogers Garnet Rogers has established himself as "One of the major talents of our time". Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence and a voice to match. With his "smooth, dark baritone" (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. Don't miss this opportunity to hear this singular talent at the Sandisfield Arts Center

Saturday, September 24, 8pm Joel Brown, Classical Guitarist Guitarist Joel Brown's eclectic career has taken him to England to record with the London Symphony, to Carnegie Hall with soprano Dawn Upshaw, and to recital performances with Frederika von Stade. He has appeared at New York's Alice Tully Hall with the Chamber Music Society of The Lincoln Center, the Tanglewood Festival, the Chamber Music Festival at Saratoga, Music in the Mountains in British Columbia and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. He's best known to Sandisfield audiences as a long time collaborator with Bill Crofut and Chris Brubeck's band, Triple Play! .

Saturday, October 8, 8pm Frederick Moyer During over twenty years as a full-time concert pianist, Frederick Moyer has established a vital musical career that has taken him to forty-one countries and to such far-flung venues as Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Sydney Opera House, Windsor Castle, Carnegie Recital Hall, Tanglewood, and the Kennedy Center. He has appeared as piano soloist with world renowned orchestras including the Cleveland, Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras, the St. Louis, Dallas, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Houston, Boston, Singapore, Netherlands Radio, Latvian, Iceland and London Symphony Orchestras, the Buffalo, Hong Kong and Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestras, the National Symphony Orchestra of Brazil, and the major orchestras of Australia.

2004 SEASON

May 22nd at 8pm Rachel Luxon and Dean Robinson After two years Rachel Luxon returns to sing at the Sandisfield Arts Center, this time with her husband Dean Robinson, one of Britain's leading young bass-baritones. They will perform an evening of operatic music and American musicals, Kern, Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rogers etc. A "MUST" for all lovers of exceptional voices and great music.

Saturday, June 5th at 8pm Triple Play A Special Event to Benefit the Bill Crofut Children's Art Fund The walls of the Sandisfield Arts Center rang, swung and rocked the last time "Triple Play" came to Sandisfield. This astonishingly versatile and accomplished trio is made up by Chris Brubeck on electric bass, bass trombone, piano and vocals; Joel Brown on acoustic guitar and vocals; and Peter Madcat Ruth on harmonica, jaw harp, percussion and vocals. Their repertoire includes jazz, blues, folk and classical and creates a mood of infectious lightheartedness throughout the audience. After the last Sandisfield concert, everyone left beaming and shouting for more.

CHRISTINE LAVIN with opening performance by Jeffrey Folmer Singer/songwriter/guitarist/concert artist, Christine Lavin,will bring her special brand of music that touches the mind,heart and humor of audiences around the world. Here’s what the critics have to say: A garrulous comic observer of contemporary manners... - The New York Times Lavin is as captivating an artist in solo performance as there is. - Billboard Christine Lavin puts delightful melodies behind witty, perceptive observations about life.- The New York Daily News She has become the classic American troubadour. People find their lives in her songs. - Boston Globe Lavin knows how to keep her audience guessing, thinking and laughing at the same time. The Washington Post If we could get Christine Lavin and Loudon Wainwright III named as our national music laureates, we'd have most of the country's problems escribed, if not solved in no time. - People Magazine Singer/songwriter Jeffrey Folmer, who will be opening for Ms. Lavin, has performed across the country for as many as 40,000! He's opened for internationally-renowned artists, has been a finalist in national competitions, and his CD received top-ten listings. (He's also starred as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar!) Whether singing clear-voiced ballads or energy-driven songs, Jeffrey commands the stage with passion, vigor and humor.

Saturday, August 28th at 8pm Judith Davidoff and the New York Consort of Viols with Special Guest Ben Luxon When Judith Davidoff and the New York Consort of Viols return to the Sandisfield Arts Center, the reigns of Elizabeth I, James I, Charles I and Louis XIV will come alive as you hear: Shakespeare's words with the music he knew, played on instruments of his time; a description of a bladder stone removal with words and music by a member of the Sun King's musical establishment; a tirade against tobacco by King James followed by a song in its praise.

Saturday, October 2, 8pm Flexible Flyers Stringband Take off with Flexible Flyers Stringband specializing in a range of Americana roots music -- Irish fiddle tunes, Bob Wills era western swing and bluegrass -- played on twin fiddles, banjo, dobro, guitar, mandolin, upright string bass with harmonized vocals. Flexible Flyers Stringband captures the essence of these authentic styles of acoustic folk music, while keeping the music accessible to general audiences. Flexible Flyers Stringband has delighted audiences in concert venues, clubs and outdoor festivals. The members of the band are Chip Taylor Smith (fiddle, guitar, harmonica and vocals), Maggie Holtzberg (fiddle and vocals), Peter LaBau (banjo, dobro and vocals), Mitch Nelin (guitar, mandolin and vocals) and Brian Rost on string bass. More info can be seen at their web site, www.flexibleflyersband.com

2003 SEASON

Arts Center Grand Reopening Autumn 2003

Sunday, August 31st, 2pm Folk Rock with The Nields "invitingly melodic…insightful lyrics and gorgeous harmonies" - Boston Globe "Literate, witty pop folk for an audience ready to be charmed." - Time Out New York Nerissa & Katryna Nields, sisters who have been singing together since they were children, are seasoned performers who simply love to sing, alone and together. There is something at once thrilling and comforting about the way their voices dip together, merge, and then emerge, independent; two streams pouring into one another over a rocky fall, and dividing again to go their separate ways at the bottom.

Saturday, September 13th, 8 pm The Berkshire's Favorite Lady of Song: Vikki True! Berkshire County's own Vikki True has delighted audiences around the country from the National Collegiate Coffee House Circuit to Symphony Hall. Hearing her invokes shades of the jazz singers who have inspired her, but the style is uniquely hers! "A TRUE jazz experience, the kind that sends your body into sway, lips into a smile, and your spirit soaring into heaven. Vikki True is a force of nature, a one woman jazz explosion, who can scat intricate bop vocals, croon a gentle ballad, or shout a mean blues with the best of them." -- Berkshire Record.

Saturday, October 11th, 8pm Evening of A Cappella with Equal Voices "The most exciting new vocal group to appear in many years" - Dennis Keene, Director, Voices of Ascension. From Victoria to Vaughan Williams, from Bassi to the Beatles, Equal Voices is an innovative ensemble dedicated to aesthetic exploration of the vocal art. All have performed as classical soloists in tuxedos or gowns, but they've also enjoyed jamming and recording with the likes of Bobby McFerrin, They Might Be Giants, and the Lounge Lizards. Why the name? Because these six singers are equally gifted, and equal to any challenge.

Saturday, November 8th, 8 pm A Musical Journey Around the World with Imaginary Homeland "Cuban rhythms, bluesy fiddle, and African xylophones." - Village Voice These four musicians redefine new music and the modern ensemble as they balance counterpoint with improvisation, East with West, and soulful rhythm with elegant interplay. David Rogers's innovative compositions join African xylophone and talking drums with saxophone and the sounds of string music from Appalachia to the Sahara.