Arts & Performance

The 42nd LEAF Festival is May 12 thru 15, and the theme is "World Fusion with Cuban Spice." Executive Director Jennifer Pickering and communications director Cortina Caldwell stopped by to talk with Dick Kowal about the festival and the other activities of LEAF.

  The Asheville Choral Society presents a program titled "The Music of the Living" Saturday evening at Central United Methodist Church. Artistic Director Melodie Galloway talked to Dick Kowal about the upcoming concert. 

The Blue Ridge Orchestra plays the final concerts of its season this weekend in Asheville, Saturday night at Biltmore United Methodist Church and Sunday afternoon at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville. On the program, Beethoven's Egmont Overture and the Double Concerto for violin and cello by Brahms. Soloists are violinist Kathryn Gardner and cellist Franklin Keel.  

Chuck Taft, conductor, dropped by to speak with Dick Kowal about the music.

  Dick Kowal talked today with members of the cast of "Brave New World: The Musical," receiving its world premiere at NC Stage. Robin Skye, Justin Matthew Sargent, and Charlie Flynn-McIver discussed the origins of the play and how it happens that the world premiere takes place at NC Stage.

  The Grammy winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth performs Thursday evening, April 28, in downtown Asheville's Masonic Temple in a concert presented by Free Range Asheville. They will also perform live in our studios that Thursday afternoon at 2.

Listen today at 1:06 when Dick Kowal talks with two members of Roomful of Teeth, founder Brad Wells and tenor Eric Dudley.

Pianist Elizabeth Child talked with Dick Kowal about her upcoming recital at the Asheville Art Museum. There's music by Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, and Tryon resident Rita Landrum. Elizabeth received her doctorate from The Juilliard School, but later left music. Later, she moved to Tryon and returned to her playing and teaching, "more herself."

This week Warren Wilson College is the catalyst for a community arts event 3/31-4/3).  Exhibitions, panel discussions,  and much more will examine the intersection of photography and craft at multiple venues, including the campus, downtown Asheville, and the River Arts District.  David Hurand spoke with Warren Wilson College Professor of Photography and Project Director Eric Baden about the first of its kind event, Photo+Craft.

In a Sunday afternoon concert, the Asheville Chamber Music Series will present the Doric String Quartet with pianist Jonathan Biss playing chamber music by Haydn, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Johannes Brahms.

Dick Kowal spoke with Mary Holmes, board member of the ACMS, about this weekend's concert.

Immediate Theatre Company and NC Stage Company present Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," opening Wednesday, April 6th

Dick Kowal spoke with producer Willie Repoley and Director Hans Meyer about this powerful and "entertaining" drama which opened on Broadway in 1962.

For nearly thirty years Asheville Citizen Times  reporter  Tony Kiss has stopped by WCQS to chat with David Hurand about some of what's happening in Western North Carolina.  This week's conversation marks the final broadcast of their quirky on-air partnership.  High on Tony's list this week  a new film starring Sally Field, Hello, My Name is Doris and Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice, starring Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

Tony reports there's lots of great music to consider.  High on his list, The Moody Blue.  The band will  visit Harrah's Cherokee Event Center Saturday (3/19) night. John Lodge, Justin Hayward, and Graeme Edge have been recording and performing since the early 1960s.  In 1967 the band released the LP Days of Future Time Passed.

  Three local choral groups, the Asheville Singers, The UNC-Asheville University Singers and the Reuter Center Singers, will present The Peacemakers, a choral and ensemble work by composer Karl Jenkins on Friday, March 18th at Lipinsky Auditorium. 

Dick Kowal spoke with Susan Richey, a member of the Asheville Singers, and Chuck Taft, conductor of the Reuter Center Singers.

The Asheville Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Conductor Daniel Meyer welcomes guest pianist Shen Lu Saturday night at 8 in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (3/12).  Tony Kiss says the ASO will perform selections from Romeo and Juliet composed by Hector Berlioz.  Tony is also excited about spring and the coming of St.

It may be a bit early, but the recent warm weather has gardeners in a sweat.  Agricultural Extension Agent Alison  Arnold speaks with David Hurand about getting started.

A live theater  company takes on the big screen.  Asheville Reel Comedy features nearly two and half hours of clips from 25 films with a local connection.  The idea is the work of  the Magnetic Theater. The screenings take place at Magnetic Theater in Asheville's River Arts District,  March 10-12.  Tony Kiss says it's a big weekend  for live music.  Asleep at the Wheel takes  the stage at Isis (3/5).

Tony Kiss drops in for a look at the arts and culture scene.  High on his list of things to do, the David Mamet play,  Glengarry Glen Ross with a twist.   This production features an all female cast.

The Knights, a critically acclaimed orchestral collective, will be featured on WCQS on February 22 and 23. WCQS Music Director Dick Kowal will interview members of the group Monday at 1 p.m. The ensemble will also be featured on The State of Things on Tuesday, February 23 at Noon.