Cabaret, a Saturday Night Live band member and the second annual U-Nite soiree at the Crocker Art Museum are coming up during Sacramento State’s spring season of performances, exhibits and lectures. And that’s just a taste of what to expect between now and the end of May.
Tickets for all events are available through Sacramento State’s Ticket Office,www.csus.edu/sfsc/ticketoffice/, or (916) 278-4323. For media assistance, call Sacramento State’s Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.
U-Nite/Festival of the Arts
The main event of the spring is the annual Festival of the Arts, which again begins with U-Nite (short for “University Night Out”) at the Crocker Art Museum.
U-Nite will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 11, and feature artworks, dance, and music by Sacramento State faculty throughout the museum. The crowd is free to wander about, enjoying the special exhibits and performances while taking in the Crocker’s collections. Last year’s inaugural U-Nite drew a crowd of 1,800.
This season’s Festival of the Arts begins immediately afterward, on April 12, and consists of six days of theater, dance, music, design and fine art.
Music
New Millennium Series
This year’s installment of the noted series will help the music world say goodbye to one of the great string ensembles, the Tokyo String Quartet, and pay tribute to Professor Emeritus Deborah Pittman, the clarinetist who has been a shining light for the University’s Music Department and been a driving force in the city’s artistic scene.
First up is the Axiom Brass Quintet, winner of the 2008 International Chamber Brass and 2010 Fischoff Chamber Music competitions. This exciting young ensemble will perform works of Monteverdi, Bach and Astor Piazzolla. They’ll take the stage Wednesday, Jan. 30
Violinist Kim Kashkashian, with pianist Lydia Artymiw, will perform Sunday, March 17. Kashkashian has been praised by the San Francisco Chronicle and played with major orchestras in New York, Berlin, London and many other cities. Artymiw has been called “a compelling musical personality” by the New York Times. The two will perform Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella Suite” and more.
The annual Faculty and Friends Gala on Friday, April 12, will pay tribute to Pittman, who holds degrees in music performance from Brooklyn College Conservatory and played with the Sacramento Symphony from 1981 to 1990. The program includes works by Beethoven, Mahler and Steve Reich’s “New York Counterpoint,” a work for 11 clarinets. Sacramento’s Citywater ensemble will premiere a work written by Professor Stephen Blumberg.
The Tokyo String Quartet is making its last tour after 43 seasons. On Friday, April 19, it will perform Mozart, Schubert and “Farewell,” a new work written specifically for their final tour.
All performances are at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall. Tickets are $20 general, $10 for seniors and $5 for students for the Jan. 30 and April 12 concerts; $30, $20 and $10 for the March 17 performance;
