A menagerie of world-class musical talent, genres and sounds will headline the Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts’ 34th season.
The jazz ensemble Hot Club of San Francisco will open the season, Oct. 24 at Bethel College’s Fine Arts Center. In the Hot Club tradition of Django Reinhardt, the group’s “Cinema Viviant” program features vintage silent films accompanied by live gypsy swing. “Cinema Viviant” is a celebration of the imagination and innovation of early filmmakers Ladislaw Starewicz, who pioneered stop-action animation, and Charley Bowers, who combined animation with live action in the 1920s.
HBPA will celebrate the holidays with Cherish the Ladies, a long-running, Grammy-nominated, Irish American group, Dec. 3, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. The ensemble will present the “A Celtic Christmas” program with enthusiasm, humor and traditional Irish music and step dancing.
Minguet Quartet will showcase music’s classical side when they headline the series with guest pianist Andreas Klein Feb. 1, 2016, at Hesston Mennonite Church. The string quartet and piano ensemble will feature composers like Bach, Mendelssohn and more.
The famous men’s a cappella chorus Chanticleer will return to the HBPA series after five years Feb. 23, 2016, at Bethel College’s Memorial Hall. The Grammy Award-winning ensemble is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its blend of male voices ranging from soprano to bass.
Rounding out the season will be London-based The Swingles, April 3, at Hesston Mennonite Church. The vocal ensemble, whose members have changed over the years, push the boundaries of vocal music, and whose innovation has resulted in five Grammy wins.
HBPA season tickets are available from $75 to $85 for adults. Single tickets can also be purchased for individual performances. Discounts are available for students and senior citizens.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call 620-327-8158 or online.
