Centrum: Washington's home for arts and education.

Ticket Update: Oct 23 Chamber Music Concert

PLEASE BE ADVISED:

Tickets for the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival's Sunday, October 23 performance are available online until 11:59 PM, on Saturday, October 22.

After 11:59 PM on Saturday, tickets will ONLY be available in person at the Wheeler Theater box office, one-hour prior to performance.

The performance begins at 2 PM on Sunday, October 23.  Tickets will be available on Sunday beginning at 1 PM at the Wheeler Theater, Fort Worden State Park.

The concert features members of the Rossetti String Quartet, including Henry Gronnier on violin, Thomas Diener on viola, and Eric Gaenslen on violoncello, joined by Lucinda Carver on piano.  Gronnier performed the works of Schumann, Brahms, Schubert and Mozart with Lucinda Carver and soprano Camille King in June at the Wheeler Theater, as part of the festival preview performance for the 2011-2012 Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival.  

The Rossetti String Quartet was co-founded in 1996 by Gronnier and Diener, and named after 19th century pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, whose artistic ideals about the use of color, poetry, and naturalism are embodied in the Quartet’s musicianship.  Recent appearances include a tour in the Netherlands with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall during its inaugural season, and the University Musical Society at the University of Michigan.

 

Chamber Music at Centrum: Sunday, October 23

The Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival’s Joseph F. Wheeler Celebration Series, presented by Centrum, opens on Sunday, October 23 at 2 p.m. with a performance in Wheeler Theater featuring members of the Rossetti String Quartet, joined by festival artistic director Lucinda Carver on piano.  The program includes Haydn’s “Gypsy” Trio in G Major, Fauré’s Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano, and the Brahms Op. 25 Piano Quartet in G Minor.  Individual seats are available now, as well as subscription tickets to all three concerts in the series, which include preferred same seat selection and a 20% savings over individual tickets.  Concertgoers are invited to meet the performers at a reception at Fort Worden’s USO building, immediately following the performance.

The Sunday, October 23 performance features members of the Rossetti String Quartet, including Henry Gronnier on violin, Thomas Diener on viola, and Eric Gaenslen on violoncello, joined by Lucinda Carver on piano.  Gronnier performed the works of Schumann, Brahms, Schubert and Mozart with Lucinda Carver and soprano Camille King in June at the Wheeler Theater, as part of the festival preview performance for the 2011-2012 Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival.  

The Rossetti String Quartet was co-founded in 1996 by Gronnier and Diener, and named after 19th century pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, whose artistic ideals about the use of color, poetry, and naturalism are embodied in the Quartet’s musicianship.  Recent appearances include a tour in the Netherlands with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall during its inaugural season, and the University Musical Society at the University of Michigan.

The Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival’s Joseph F. Wheeler Series honors the late Joseph F. Wheeler, Founding Director of Centrum, and continues the tradition of chamber music in the shoulder season that was established by Wheeler and Centrum Board member Leah Hammer. 

The October 23 performance is dedicated to the late Frank Dameron, longtime Centrum supporter, who passed away in December, 2010.  "Frank was the epitome of graciousness and charm and will be missed by his many neighbors and friends here in Port Townsend and the region," said Centrum Executive Director John MacElwee.  “Frank loved chamber music, and this is a concert he would have enjoyed.”

Tickets are available now at the Centrum website at www.centrum.org, or by phone at 800.746.1982 between the hours of 9 AM and 4 PM, PST, Monday through Saturday, or between the hours of 6 AM and noon on Sunday (a processing fee applies). 

 

View The 2011 Centrum Gala Catalog

We are excited to announce the release of the Auction Catalog for the 2011 Centrum Gala Dinner and Auction.

If you are registered to attend, you will receive your copy in the mail soon.

If you simply can't wait, or are unable to attend and still want to help support Centrum, you can bid on items without even attending. To "bid by proxy" simply download or view the Catalog online, and then and then fill out and return a proxy form - we'll make sure that your bid is placed by Gala staff the night of the big event. 

Of course, if you are inspired to Shine in person - we still have space available for the special event on Saturday, October 15. To attend, call Susan at 360.385.3102, ext 113. 

Highlights of the evening include:

• Bidding on silent and live auction items (a full list of auction items is below)
• Over 200 creative experiences and treasured items
• Fine wines, local ciders, and appetizers prepared by local guest chefs
• Four courses of seasonal local cuisine prepared by chef extraordinaire Dusty Cope of Bon Appetit.

Plus special guest Suzy Thompson, Artistic Director for Centrum’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, joined by 2010 scholarship recipients Josie Sokoloff-Toneyand Scotty Leach of the Retrospectacles!

The Gala is an annual highlight on the Peninsula - we hope you can join us for a fun and festive evening in support of  Centrum's programs.

Big Band in Concert - Saturday, October 8

 
(pictured: John Clayton directs the Big Band, photo by Kay Harper)

Big Band returns to Centrum in October when the Wheeler Theater plays host to John Clayton and the October workshop participant Big Band on Saturday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m.  The concert is the culmination of a three-day intensive workshop, where seasoned players from across the Northwest descend on Fort Worden State Park to study under the tutelage of John Clayton, and develop their skill and experience in Big Band performance. The band will perform original compositions by John Clayton, as well as his arrangements of classic big band charts by Basie, Ellington and others, in the intimate setting of the 280-seat Wheeler Theater.

In addition to the Saturday concert, John Clayton will be leading a FREE master class on Friday night, October 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wheeler Theater.  He’ll be leading the workshop participant big band in demonstrating big band styles and techniques, and discussing his creative process behind composing and arranging for a big band.  The event is open to the public at no charge.

Tickets to the public performance on October 8 at 7:30 PM in the Wheeler Theater are $10, and are available now through the Centrum website at www.centrum.org, or by phone at 800.746.1982 (a processing fee applies).   Tickets are also available at the venue box office, one hour prior to performance. 

Shine! - The 2011 Centrum Gala

 
(photo: Stina Hultan performs during the 2010 Centrum Gala)

Make plans now to attend, Shine! - The 2011 Centrum Gala Dinner and Auction, taking place on Saturday evening, October 15 at the Fort Worden Commons at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington.

The annual gala fundraiser supports scholarships for deserving students, and helps support Centrum’s mission of changing lives through extraordinary artistic and cultural experiences.

Highlights of the evening include:

• A live auction with auctioneer Kevin Benedict, featuring more than 200 unique experiences and treasured items.  Click HERE for a complete list oif auction items.
• Fine wines, local ciders, and appetizers prepared by local guest chefs from the Castle Key and Ichikawa Japanese Cuisine.
• Four courses of seasonal local cuisine prepared by chef extraordinaire Dusty Cope of Bon Appétit.
• A live performance during the silent auction featuring a high energy blend of Irish, zydeco and gypsy music with violinist Peter Evasick and keyboardist George Radebaugh.

PLUS: Special Guest Suzy Thompson, Artistic Director for Centrum’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, joined by 2010 scholarship recipients Josie Sokoloff-Toney and Scotty Leach of the Retrospectacles!

Tickets to the event are $125, or $1,000 to purchase a table for eight.  To request an invitation, donate an auction item, or host a table contact Mary Hilts at Centrum by phone: 360.385.3102 ext. 116, or email: mary@centrum.org.

 

The Art of the Book - Coming to Centrum in November

For the first time in several years, Centrum is offering a workshop, open to all ages, with a focus on visual art. The Art of the Book  examines three distinct ways to approach handmade books.

Rachel Fish, a book artist from Portland, OR, is well-versed in traditional styles of bookmaking. Join Rachel and learn to make three of the most basic bindings for handmade books, as well as Japanese stab binding, long stick binding, leporello and accordion books. The team of Lauren Atkinson and Anne Marie Grgich (Whidbey Island, WA and Portland OR) takes you in another direction-using old books and completely transforming them with paint, wax, wire and more. Darwin Nordin (Seattle, WA) helps you to create and sequence a series of creative ideas into a form best suited to the work. He will have you exploring creative content with collage, paint, print and more to create unique artists books. Special guest Jean Tarascio (Port Townsend, WA) treats the book as sculpture in a hands-on presentation/workshop on Saturday evening.

This four-day workshop takes place over the long Veterans Day weekend, beginning Friday, November 11, and continuing with morning and afternoon studio sessions, and special evening programs.  In addition, a field trip to Port Townsend’s own Watermark Bindery is part of the schedule.

For this program both day students and residential students are welcome. Housing is in one of Fort Worden’s dormitories. Supervision is provided for students 13-18. Younger students may come with an adult.

The Art of the Book is designed to be a creative learning experience for ALL-AGES – that means adults may come on their own and either stay in the dorm for the workshop, or be a non-residential participant.

Educators who come to the Art of The Book will receive professional development clock hours for this program, which is scheduled to coincide with teacher release time.

Register for the Art of the Book TODAY!  For more information, visit the home of Young Artist programming at Centrum, or call Martha Worthley at 360.385.3102, ext. 120.

Chamber Music at Centrum - Tickets Available Now

 
(pictured: Shirley Hunt, appearing April 22, 2012, as part of the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival)

Make plans now to attend the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival, Joseph F. Wheeler Celebration Series.  Led by Artistic Director Lucinda Carver, the series features virtuoso performers in concert at the intimate Wheeler Theater, on the campus of Fort Worden State Park. 

Individual tickets to the series are available now at the Centrum website, or by calling 800.746.1982.  Subscription seats are also available, and feature preferred same seat selection for all three concerts in the series, in addition to a 20% savings over individual tickets.

The series begins on Sunday, October 23 at 2:00 PM with a performance featuring members of the Rossetti String Quartet, including Henry Gronnier on violin, Thomas Diener on viola, and Eric Gaenslen on violoncello, joined by Lucinda Carver on piano. The series continues with the long-awaited return of the Cypress String Quartet on Sunday, February 19, and concludes with an all Baroque program on Sunday, April 22 featuring four virtuoso period-instrument players including Shirley Hunt, soprano Phoebe Jevtovic Alexander, and violinist Ingrid Matthews, Music Director of the Seattle Baroque Orchestra.

For more information, visit the home of Chamber Music at Centrum.

Big Band at Centrum in October

Big Band returns to Centrum in October as John Clayton, Artistic Director for Jazz Port Townsend, leads a workshop designed to challenge experienced players looking to develop their technique and artistry in this enduring American art form. 

Limited spots are still available for the workshop, and applications are currently being accepted.  If you’re a seasoned player looking for an intensive big band experience with one of the nation’s preeminent bandleaders, contact Centrum today to secure your spot for this popular annual workshop.

John Clayton (pictured leading the Centrum Faculty All-Star Big Band from 2010 - photo by Kay Harper) is one of today’s leading voices in big band performance and composition. As co-leader and director of the renowned Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, John’s skills as a composer, arranger and conductor all combine to elicit a sound from the band that ranges from swinging and bluesy to smoking hot. John will direct the band and work with the rhythm section in sectionals, as well as participating in the improvisation sessions.

"Using the model that has been established by the classic, historic big bands," says Clayton, "the band will be comprised of soloists whose voices are honed to collectively produce a unique sound.

Tickets are now available to the public performance on Saturday, October 8 at 7:30 PM in the Wheeler Theater.  The concert features workshop participants, directed by John Clayton. Tickets are available now through the Centrum website at www.centrum.org, or by phone at 800.746.1982.

For more information, visit the home of Jazz at Centrum at http://www.centrum.org/jazz/. 

 

Autumn Fiction Workshop: Available in English or Spanish

This October, Centrum presents separate fiction workshops offered in both English and Spanish.  

Novelist Kathleen Alcalá (in English) and novelist Maria Victoria (in Spanish) will offer workshops and discussions to help emerging or established writers explore literary fiction through the development of compelling storylines in either Spanish or English.  Registrants may choose to participate in either workshop, and will have an opportunity to create new work and explore form and technique during the intensive weekend.

Evenings will include optional social events, and feature faculty and participants from both workshops.

Registration for both workshops is now open.  For more information, or to register, please visit the home of Writing at Centrum on the web, or call 360.385.3102, ext. 131.

Kathleen Alcalá is the author of four works of fiction - "Mrs. Vargas and the Dead Naturalist,”  "Spirits of the Ordinary,” "The Flower in the Skull,” and "Treasures in Heaven," and a collection of essays. Her work is the recipient of a Governor’s Writers Award, the Washington State Book Award, a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, and a Western States Book Award, among others. Two of her stories are included in the recent Norton Anthology of Latino Literature.

Maria de Lourdes Victoria, originally from Veracruz, Mexico, has won international acclaim for her work, and has been published in Spain, Argentina, Mexico and the United States. Her first novel, “I leave the Sea” (Ediciones B, 2005) was honored at the Latino Book Fair in Washington, DC, as Butterfly Award finalist and the best historical novel in Spanish. Her second novel, “Beyond Justice,” placed third in the Premio Planeta 2010, in Barcelona, ​​Spain; and her short stories have been published in prestigious international literary journals such as Nimrod and Quercus Review. Victoria is currently writing her third novel, “The Daughters of the Clouds,” as well as a children's series entitled, "Abuela Siempre se mete en Problemas.”

Joseph F. Wheeler Celebration Series - Subscription Tickets Available Now

Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival - Joseph F. Wheeler Celebration Series

Lucinda Carver, Artistic Director

 
^{(photo: Cypress String Quartet)}

Subscription Tickets

Subscriptions to the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival’s Joseph F. Wheeler Celebration Series, presented by Centrum, are available now and include preferred same seat selection for all three concerts in the series, in addition to a 20% savings over individual tickets.  The festival is led by Artistic Director Lucinda Carver, and features intimate Sunday afternoon performances, beginning at 2 PM at the Joseph F. Wheeler Theater in Fort Worden State Park.  The series honors the late Joseph F. Wheeler, Founding Director of Centrum, and continues the tradition of chamber music in the “shoulder season” that was established by the Port Townsend Chamber Music Society, led by Wheeler and Centrum Board Member Leah Hammer.

The three-concert subscriptions range from $60 to $75, and are available now at the Centrum website, or by phone at 800.746.1982 between the hours of 9 AM and 4 PM, Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Saturday, or between the hours of 6 AM and noon on Sunday (a $4 internet/phone order fee applies).  Tickets to individual performances in the series go on sale on September 1.

The series begins on Sunday, October 23 with a performance featuring members of the Rossetti String Quartet, including Henry Gronnier on violin, Thomas Diener on viola, and Eric Gaenslen on violoncello, joined by Lucinda Carver (pictured) on piano. The series continues with the long-awaited return of the Cypress String Quartet on Sunday, February 19, and concludes with an all –Baroque program on Sunday, April 22 featuring four virtuoso period-instrument players including violinist Ingrid Matthews, Music Director of the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, in addition to soprano Phoebe Jevtovic Alexander.

For more information, visit the Chamber Music Festival page.