Kid talent
Durango Arts Center’s 21st annual Creativity Festivity: Origins is on display. It showcases the artwork of area students and celebrates the creative work they are making in our schools. The art will be displayed through May 10 at the center, 802 East Second Ave., www.durangoarts.org.
Blues on the inside
The San Juan Symphony’s concert next weekend will feature vocal soloist Rita Chiarelli, known as Canada’s “Queen of the Blues.” But Chiarelli does more than appear with symphonies. She uses music as a healing vehicle in prison. She made a documentary, “Music From the Big House,” that takes her to the birthplace of the blues – Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary, aka Angola Prison. It used to be the bloodiest prison in America. Chiarelli shares a bond of music with the prisoners, and together they use music and their voices to show the depths of humanity and their quest for forgiveness. The documentary will be shown for free at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave. Chiarelli will answer questions after the screening.
The coda for the series
Tonight will be the final concert in this season’s recital series at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango. It will feature the Four Corners Piano Quartet – Kay Newnam (violin), Danny DeSantis (viola), Bonnie Mangold (cello) and Marilyn Garst (piano). They will perform masterpieces of chamber music from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, which includes Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G Minor, K. 478, Bohuslav Martinu’s Piano Trio No. 2 in D Minor and Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. at the church, 419 San Juan Drive. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under and students with ID.
’Tis the season
Music in the Mountain’s conservatory artistic director, Matt Albert, will meet with the community this weekend to talk about the festival’s conservatory plans for this year and beyond. Albert said plans include high school and college-age string players getting together to make music, offer lessons and collaborate. Albert will be available from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the Music in the Mountains Festival office, 1063 Main Ave. For more information, call 385-6820.
