SMC Presents Five Concerts Plus Collaborative Theatrical Premiere In October

The Santa Monica College Music Department is pleased to present five concerts – plus the premiere of Locals Only! – in October. Performances will be held in The Broad Stage or The Edye at the SMC Performing Arts Center (Santa Monica Boulevard at 11th Street, Santa Monica), except the Locals Only! performances, which will be held in the Theatre Arts Main Stage (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).

The performances are:

• Thursday, Oct. 2 at 11:15 a.m. in The Edye: Joan Mills: Piano Concert. The former SMC Music Department Chair who built SMC’s current class piano program and was a key member of the Music Department faculty for 35 years returns to play the music of Schubert, Debussy, and Ginastera. (Free. Complimentary tickets are available at the SMC Music Office in Room 211 of the Performing Arts Center.)

• Friday-Sunday, Oct. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, and 18 at 8 p.m., with matinees Oct. 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 2 p.m. in the Main Stage/Theatre Arts Complex: Locals Only! Premiere of one-act musical telling the story of Buzz, a poor young surfer from Venice, CA, who falls in love with Ariel, a “Valley Girl” from a sheltered, privileged background. (Tickets $20/$17.) Production preview Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. (Preview tickets $10.)

• Sunday, Oct. 5 at 4 p.m. in The Broad Stage: SMC Symphony Orchestra/SMC Jazz Band. Directed by Keith Fiddmont and James Martin, the SMC Jazz Band and SMC Symphony are joined by Los Angeles pianist Bill Cunliffe to collaborate in a program of jazz and jazzy favorites featuring works by Gershwin, Bernstein, and William Grant Still. (Tickets are $10.)

• Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 11:15 a.m. in The Edye: SMC Violin and Piano Recital: “A Musical Tour of Eastern Europe.” Join SMC pianist Donald Fredrickson and violinist Laurette Carlson Boarman for a musical tour that includes works by Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Chopin, and others. (Free. Complimentary tickets are available at the SMC Music Office in Room 211 of the Performing Arts Center.)

• Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 & 9 p.m. in The Edye: Fall Jazz Concerts: Richie Gajate-Garcia. World-renowned percussionist Richie Gajate-Garcia leads a vibrant ensemble of Latin jazz masters and rising stars. (Tickets are $10.)

• Sunday, Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. in The Broad Stage: SMC Wind Ensemble. Conducted by Kevin McKeown, the ensemble features SMC students and musicians from the community performing an exciting mixture of both new and traditional music written specifically for wind instruments. (Tickets are $10.)

For tickets and information, please go to http://www.smc.edu/eventsinfo or call (310) 434-3005 or (310) 434-4323.