Concerts
All concerts are at 7:30 PM
in I. C. Norcom High School Auditorium
Click pics for video previews
I.C. Norcom High School
1801 London Boulevard
Portsmouth, VA 23704
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Bachelors of Broadway ~ Male Vocal Trio with Piano
Friday, September 27, 2024 ~ 7:30 p.m.
Take a trio of dashing men, add soaring melodies from stage and screen, and then refine the sound with contemporary three- part vocal harmony — you’ve got a ticket to BACHELORS OF BROADWAY: Gentlemen of the Theatre. This exciting three-man act features lush symphonic arrangements of songs from modern and classic musicals like WICKED, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, JERSEY BOYS, 42ND STREET, HAMILTON, MISS SAIGON, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, LES MISERABLES, and many more. Starring New York City’s top theatrical talent, BACHELORS OF BROADWAY offers a fresh take on audience favorites that have captivated millions worldwide.
This fresh new take on classic and contemporary songs from stage and screen marries the magic of Broadway with artful new musical settings: imagine “A Million Dreams” from THE GREATEST SHOWMAN as if it were performed by a classical crossover group… or audience favorite “Pure Imagination” with a soulful pop groove straight out of THE WIZ. Audiences love the familiar melodies from Rodgers and Hammerstein (THE KING AND I, CAROUSEL, SOUTH PACIFIC) joined together in an original orchestral medley, and the animated musical films that reinvigorated Broadway in recent years (ALADDIN, TARZAN, HERCULES) where they obtain their own beautiful medley as well.
Thrilling voices and exciting new arrangements of theatrical music both fresh and familiar come together in BACHELORS OF BROADWAY, generating standing ovations from audiences of all ages.
Friday, October 18, 2024 ~ 7:30 p.m.
When COVID-19 hit and concert venues closed their doors, the violinists Etienne Gara and YuEun Kim of the LA-based chamber orchestra Delirium Musicum took to the road in Boris, their 1971 VW bus, for what became a 6-month odyssey, performing for farm workers, winemakers, random passersby, and various animals. As MusiKaravan, their goal was to celebrate, and thank, the people who were “working hard to feed us physically and emotionally.”
MusiKaravan ~ Classical String Trio
Now, with the addition of a cellist, MusiKaravan is bringing its eclectic programming to concert stages nationwide and beyond. The artists share tales of their adventures on the road, including playing for an audience of ostriches! Short pieces from French chansons to audience favorites like Monti’s “Czardas,” from Brahms to Brazilian and Korean pop music, Charlie Chaplin, Vivaldi, and more, are selected during the concert together with the audience. A MusiKaravan concert can be imagined as a fun, impromptu musical picnic, perfect for all ages and backgrounds!
Etienne Gara, French-Hungarian violinist and Artistic Director of Delirium Musicum, has: recorded a solo album on a Stradivarius from 1714, performs internationally, and regularly joins the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. He was featured on Leonard Cohen’s last album. YuEun Kim, violinist, is an international competition winner and in-demand soloist and chamber musician, performs around the world and has a YouTube channel boasting over 6,000,000 views. Stella Cho, cellist, was raised in the UK, made her solo début at London’s Royal Albert Hall at the age of fifteen, and concertizes on three continents.
Virginia Handbell Consort ~ Advanced Community Handbell Group
Friday, December 6, 2024 ~ 7:30 PM
Formed in the fall of 1996, the Virginia Handbell Consort became the first community handbell ensemble in the Hampton Roads area. Their auditioned musicians perform on handbells, hand chimes, and a variety of other percussion instruments. Under the direction of Al Reese, the Virginia Handbell Consort displays a stunning demonstration in the art of English handbell ringing, an art that is beautiful to hear as well as fascinating to watch. Their concert repertoire is a mix of sacred, classic, contemporary, show tunes, and big band swing designed to showcase their unique instrument. Part of their mission is to demonstrate to audiences that while handbells are a part of the holiday season’s traditions, they are not limited to holiday performances. They are a year-round source of entertainment. Some notable performances include Kennedy Center’s Millennium
Stage, Handbell Musicians of America’s 50th Anniversary Showcase Concert, Ferguson Center’s Home for the Holidays, Fort Monroe Holiday Concert with the U.S. Army TRADOC (Training and Doctrine Command), Williamsburg’s First Night, and with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
*United States Air Force Rhythm In Blue ~ Jazz Ensemble
Friday, March 14, 2025 ~ 7:30 PM
The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band is proud to present Rhythm in Blue, the unit’s dynamic jazz ensemble. This stellar group presents exciting and uplifting music to inspire patriotism and tell the Air Force story. Made up of outstanding Air Force enlisted professional musicians, Rhythm in Blue takes great pride in preserving America’s uniquely original art form, recruiting a new generation of listeners, and representing all Airmen. From formal concerts in grand auditoriums to casual shows in the park, Rhythm in Blue is in constant demand traveling throughout the Eastern United States, performing for diverse audiences from Maine to South Carolina.
Good Shot Judy ~ “The Century of Swing” 8-Piece Swing Band
Friday, April 25, 2025 ~ 7:30 PM
It’s hard to nail an exact moment when Good Shot Judy came to life. It could have been when brothers Brett and Jeff Cahoon stepped away from the success that they’d achieved with their punk band Ten Years from Now and chose instead to see what they could do with the old-time jazz standards they’d admired for so long. The brothers Cahoon formed a small combo, and – wouldn’t you know it? – plenty of others felt the same groove.
Or maybe it was when an inside joke made a name for itself. Their mother, Judy Cahoon, is an avid golfer, and just as common as pars and birdies were three words of encouragement shouted by a supportive friend, who pumped a fist and hollered across the fairway every time she took a swing: “Good shot, Judy!” It became a funny family warble among the Cahoons – and as it turns out, a solid band name, too.
A Good Shot Judy show offers all those tunes you know just from growing up America – songs you can at least hum along to, if you don’t outright know most of the words. But the music itself is only part of the band’s allure; there’s something electric the execution, and it’s that vigor that carries the day as much as the pull of recognition.
So, yeah, there’s a history. And it’s a big one. Bigger than any one person, bigger than any one band, for that matter. But Good Shot Judy is as close as it comes to an intersection between an era’s defining sound and the pleasure of enjoying it the way was meant to be heard.
The high level of talent showcased by each member of Rhythm in Blue enables the group to perform with unparalleled excitement and versatility. With their extensive repertoire highlighting instrumental and vocal soloists, Rhythm in Blue makes lasting connections with audiences of all ages. Rhythm in Blue honors our American military veterans for their selfless sacrifice at every performance, and shares the message of excellence, courage and commitment displayed every day by the brave men and women of the United States Air Force, serving throughout the world.
James Pandolfi ~ American Pianist
Friday,May 30, 2025 ~ 7:30 PM
Thomas Pandolfi is one of the leading pianists of our time and hailed a “phenomenon.” He began his career early on while at The Juilliard School (BM & MM) where the young prodigy caught the influential ear of Vladimir Horowitz (who would become his mentor) and legendary composer, Morton Gould. Since then he has been an audience favorite, selling out some of the
world’s most prestigious stages.
DC Metro Arts calls him “exhilarating”, a rare mix of technical accuracy and cool confidence.” “His artistry and technique were simply astonishing” said the Metropolitan Arts Reviews. The Washington Post boasted “he is a master of both the grand gesture and the sensual line”. “His virtuosity and strength might have had some believing that Liszt, himself, had taken over the keyboard” said the Ashville Citizen-Times.
In addition to being one of the greatest interpreters of the Polish masters such as Chopin, Paderewski, and Godowsky, this versatile pianist has received accolades on everything from Bach to Gershwin, with Morton Gould saying, “It’s the finest performance of Gershwin I have heard since the composer himself.” His original and virtuosic transcriptions of popular works, such as West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera, are one-of-a-kind, jaw-dropping, and dramatic encores that keep audiences of all ages returning to his performances. Mr. Pandolfi is a Steinway Artist. His performances have been broadcast by TV stations across the U.S. as well as many others worldwide. During the summer of 2023, he recorded the world premier of Polo Piatti’s Bohemian Concerto for piano and orchestra with The National Symphony Orchestra of London conducted by John Andrews which was released in October. He will continue his worldwide touring schedule in his 2023-2024 season.