Maryland Community Newspapers Online
Smooth operators
Singers will perform scenes from some of Bel Cantanti Opera's greatest hits of the past and provide a glimpse into the future in the company's fifth anniversary gala concert, "The Past & The Future," at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday on Olney Theatre Center's Historic Mainstage, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road. Tickets are $35, $25 for students, $30 each for groups of 10 or more. Call 301-438-8682 or log on to www.belcantanti.com.
Strathmore presents Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet featuring Béla Fleck at 8 p.m. Friday in the Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. The group — including Washburn on clawhammer banjo, Ben Sollee on cello, Casey Driessen on fiddle and virtuoso Fleck on banjo — performs traditional American and Chinese folk music. Tickets range from $25 to $55. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.
Young at heart
They're No. 1
The BSO at Strathmore, led by conductor Marin Alsop, and mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor (pictured) will perform Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1, "Jeremiah" and Mahler's Symphony No. 1, "Titan," at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. As a protégée of Bernstein, Alsop recognizes her mentor's role in popularizing his Austrian predecessor Mahler by leading the first symphonies of both composer-conductors. Tickets range from $25 to $84. Call 877-BS0-1444 or visit www.BSOmusic.org.
Musical Arts International opens a new concert season with "Viva la France" at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Latvian Lutheran Church, 400 Hurley Ave., Rockville. On the program is wind and piano music by Taffanel, Gubaidulina, Mouquet and Pierne as well as Beethoven's Trio in G major. The players are National Symphony Orchestra's Assistant Principal Flutist Aaron Goldman (pictured), bassoonist Lobo Rantana and pianist Li-Ly Chang. Tickets are $19, $14 for students and seniors. Call 301-933-3715 or visit www.geocities.com/musicalartsintl.
