Events /
Saturday, April 1

KMFA Day 2023

By KMFA 89.5, Staff Submission.

About

KMFA CLASSICAL PRESENTS

KMFA DAY 2023

PRESENTED BY LOEWY LAW FIRM

Saturday, April 1 from 2pm-6pm | KMFA

KMFA Day - Celebrating Classical Music in Austin Since 1967!

We welcome you to join us on Saturday, April 1, 2023, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM for a free community event featuring musical performances, building tours, family activities, and opportunities to meet our on-air broadcasters and visit with community arts partners.

Here is what to look forward to:

2:00 PM

  • Welcome remarks from KMFA's new CEO George Preston
  • Austin Mayor Kirk Watson "KMFA Day" Proclamation
  • Dedication of Alas VIII, a welded steel sculpture by artist Betty Gold given to KMFA by Mary Nell Frucella
  • Performance by Westwood High School Warrior Band

2:45-3:15 PM: Austin Saxophone Ensemble*

3:30-4:00 PM: One Ounce Opera*

4:15-5:00 PM Density512 and Red Night Fall Productions - Ballet Workshop Performance of MoonFall (Performance 1)*

5:30-6:00PM: Density512 and Red Night Fall Productions - Ballet Workshop Performance of MoonFall (Performance 2)*

Additional Activities:

  • Performance by Akins High School Mariachi Band
  • Instrument Petting Zoo by Blackerby Violin Shop
  • Origami for kids (Inspired by Betty Gold Sculpture)
  • Arts Partner Marketplace

Plus, meet your favorite KMFA personalities, get a tour of the building, and more!

*Space is limited and admittance to performances will be on a first-come first-served basis. 

Snacks and sips by Friends and Allies Brewing, Wine by BOXT, and Topo Chico.

Special thanks to our presenting partner:

Thanks to our supporting and in-kind sponsors:

      

    

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About Betty Gold. Alas VIII:

Artist Betty Gold grew up in Austin and in Waco, and for decades operated from a studio in Venice Beach, California; she recently relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico. For many of those years, she did the welding herself, then recruited an assistant, and now leaves the fabrication of the big, heavy pieces to others, concentrating on the production of maquettes that allow potential patrons to envision a large sculpture and order it to be made. Many of these sculptures were made with steel provided by a stell mill owner-patron who specified that one work a year be given to an institution of higher education. 

Alas VIII belongs to a series of works in the 1990s inspired by the imagery of "wings." Gold always described these upright forms with a lateral sweep of one of her long, expressive hands to convey gracful movement through the air. In austin, motorists can see Alas IV from this series; it once stood along the circular drive at Luguna Gloria and then was installed in 2017 in the Perry Art Park on Balcones Drive. As in other works in the series, angular elements complicate the sculpture's volume and suggest opening wings. 

Written by Karen Pope, Art Historian and longtime KMFA member

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About Austin Saxophone Ensemble:

The Austin Saxophone Ensemble (ASE) was conceived in the Spring of 2013, when a dozen colleagues gathered to read through music and discuss the formation of a standing ensemble. The group consists of professional musicians in the greater Austin area as performers, band directors, teachers, and composers.

Its sound is orchestral, experimental, lush, violent, delicate, expansive, precise, aggressive, sensitive, and everything in between. Their ears and hearts are open to all great music – whether it is the timeless classical warhorses of Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky or inventive and thrilling music written by some of Austin’s greatest living composers. Guests will hear soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass saxophones creating an infinite palette of colors and making its mark on the sonic landscape of Austin and the world of music.

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About One Ounce Opera:

Founded in 2012, One Ounce Opera is dedicated to reimagining opera in enexpected spaces - whether that is a favorite neighborhood watering hole or a creative space it transforms. One Ounce loves to uncover and produce exciting, diverse, recently-written works and share them at its annual Fresh Squeezed Ounce of Opera - the only micro-opera showcase in Texas (returning in Spring 2024). 

They will perform Non Motus, Marc Hoffeditz and Ilana Fogelson's short opera about four people stuck in the same situation - never-ending traffic. Is this an endless loop? Will they ever finally get to their exit? Where exactly are they headed, and why? Put yourself in the backseat as each woman decides their next move. 

Photo by Steve Rogers: From the regional premiere of Non Motus in Feb 2020. Cast in order of: Carmen Johnson, Cristina Flores, Allyssa Kemp, Elise Leung Kotara.

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About MoonFall by Density512 and Red NightFall Productions:

Density512 and Red NightFall Productions will present a workshop performance of the new ballet MoonFall, with choreography by Dorothy O'Shea Overbey and music by composer Sam Lipman. The chamber orchestra and dance soloists will perform a 35-minute preview of the ballet about a faraway forgotten land of mythological cataclysm and redemption, where the vengeful Sun, forsaken Moon, and human lovers play. 

In an adaptation of the ancient Greek myth of Selene and Endymion, MoonFall tells the story of a Moon who falls in love with a mortal human and a jealous Sun who retailiates by ravaging the earth with his hot anger. Created for lovers of both classical and contemporary music and dance, MoonFall explores themes of climate change, desire, and our relationship with the cosmos. 

Sam Lipman, story and music.

Sam Lipman is a passionate advocate for the transformation of tradition. Part classical scholar, part innovator, Lipman has composed for multiple genres and stages across the world. His award-winning productions for theater, film and the concert stage marry artistic discipline with story-telling fluency that appeals to all. Lipman’s work has shortlisted for an Oscar, won the Austin Critics Table award, and been performed in Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center and Sydney Recital Center. He teaches his innovative philosophy as a Professor of Composition at UT Austin.

Dorothy O’Shea Overbey, Concept & Choreography 

Dorothy O’Shea Overbey is a classically trained dancer and choreographer who performs and produces work internationally.  Originally from Austin, Overbey grew up training and performing with Ballet Austin and studying piano with Dr. Amanda Vick Lethco at UT.  After dancing with numerous ballet and contemporary dance companies and training at Atlantic Theatre School in New York, Overbey retuned to Austin and joined the faculty of UT Austin in the Department of Theatre and Dance. 

In 2017 Overbey founded Red Nightfall Productions, which creates films and immersive performances that celebrate the creation of beauty as an act of liberation.  She is also an owner of First Street Studio, a dance studio and performance venue in East Austin that supports hundreds of Austin artists by providing affordable creative space. 

Density512 is a chamber orchestra and collective of brave and open musicians who tell stories through imaginatively curated experiences, amplify the voices of groundbreaking and emerging artists, and cultivate interdisciplinary collaborations. 

Red Nightfall Productions creates films and immersive performances that celebrate the creation of beauty as an act of liberation.  Red Nightfall tells stories of transformation and evolution through dance, music, and visual art, sharing our collective experience of empowerment and growth.

Event Details

  • Date: Saturday, April 1
  • Time: 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Ticket Information

  • Cost: FREE

Presenter Details

  • Name: KMFA Classical

    • KMFA 89.5 is an independent public classical radio station in Austin, TX. Established in 1967, KMFA serves approximately 120,000 listeners each week and features locally produced shows like Classical Austin, Early Music Now, and From The Butler School, as well as nationally distributed programming from Public Radio International, American Public Media, and National Public Radio.

    KMFA supports many regional arts organizations such as the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera, and Texas Performing Arts with on-air and online promotions, co-sponsorships, and interviews with KMFA hosts. Our Listen Local initiative broadcasts Austin’s finest classical music performances, making classical music and cultural events available to all. With popular programs like the “Fall Into Music Instrument Drive” and radio camps for kids, KMFA encourages arts education and supports the Central Texas community.