2004-2005 Events

Ron McFarland and Georgia Tiffany  -- April 7, 2005

Since 1970, Ron has taught 17th-century poetry and prose, modern poetry, contemporary Northwest writers, Hemingway seminars, and creative writing at the University of Idaho. Ron and his wife, Georgia Tiffany, will be reading selected poems and welcoming us to into his hamlet of Moscow, Idaho.

Some of the selected readings will be: "Keeper of the Swan," "Learning about the World," "My Personality Deficit Disorder," "Waiting for the Slow Train," "War Poem," "Beethoven in the Snow," "Chopin in the Rain," and "Why I Love Baseball."

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble -- January 8, 2005

Artistic Director Laurie Eisenhower founded her company, the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, in 1991 in metropolitan Detroit. Considered Michigan's premier contemporary dance company, EDE has achieved significant critical acclaim as well as enthusiastic audience support. The company tours nationally and internationally with 6-8 dancers and presents a local 4-5 concert subscription season each year. In 1995, EDE opened the doors to its school, the EDE Center for Dance, to serve as a base for the company's educational outreach programs. The school has since grown to include satellite programs at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, the Jewish Community Center, and the Detroit Skating Club.

Kevin Mahogany -- October 5, 2004

With his gift for bebop, ballads and bluesy jazz, Kevin Mahogany's talents emerged long before he was old enough to spell "record deal."

"When I was a kid, music was as important as English and math in our household," says Kansas-City-born Kevin Mahogany. "In fact, piano lessons were a grade school staple for the whole family."

Ever industrious, Kevin formed his own jazz choir while at Baker University. Graduating in 1981, he returned to his roots in Kansas City and created the group "Mahogany and The Apollos." Their crowd-pleasing R&B and crossover jazz style caught on fast, attracting a following throughout the '80s. All the while, Kevin continued to develop his own style, closely following artists like Lambert, Ross, Jon Hendricks and Eddie Jefferson.

Today, with six CDs under his belt, Kevin has proved he is the quintessential jazz vocalist. Newsweek describes him as "the standout jazz vocalist of his generation." New Yorker writer Whitney Balliet writes, "There is little Mahogany cannot do." And, says the LA times, "Mahogany is one of the first truly gifted male vocalists to emerge in years."  View the program from Kevin's performance.

Kerry Leung -- March 29, 2004

Chinese musician Kerry Leung presents Moon Festival.  Kerry began his musical instrument studies at the age of twelve in China.  Concentrating on the bamboo flute, he made his first solo performance with the folk orchestra at the age of 15 in Guangzhou, China.  He has been actively involved with performing music and the promotion of Chinese music to the west since 1981. Kerry’s musical instrument talents include: bamboo flute, pipa, erhu, ruan, and liuqin.  Kerry will perform several pieces using the Pipa (Chinese grand lute), Erhu (Chinese fiddle), Shaio (end blown flute), Zhong Ruan (Chinese guitar), Gao Hu (Chinese fiddle), Liu Qin (Chinese mandolin), and the Bamboo Flute.

Cleveland Opera -- February 17, 2004

The Cleveland Opera On Tour presents Carmen and Friends in three acts: "Die Fledermaus" by Johann Strauss, "La Boheme" by Giacomo Puccini, and "Carmen" by Georges Bizet.