Big Productions presents the Cascade Quartet

RONAN — Big Productions, a fundraising adventure of the Lake County Youth Home, is celebrating its 22nd Season with a new seven concert lineup. Four of the concerts will be held in the Ronan Performing Arts Center, and the other three will be at Polson High School Auditorium.

For the past 4 years, free admission for youth at the series concerts has been so successful that the Youth Home plans to continue to give back to the community by admitting anyone 18 and under for free. (11 and under must be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult.) Big Productions also plans to coordinate more than half dozen school concerts as the season unfolds. Look for a refrigerator poster in the Ronan Telephone Company statements this fall, but here is a quick peek at the 2009-10 series.

First, on Thursday, October 8, at 7:30 PM the Cascade Quartet from the Great Falls Symphony will test the acoustics of the new Ronan Performing Arts Center with a program that ranges from Aaron Copland to Mozart to Led Zeppelin. The Cascade Quartet plays everything from the great works of Beethoven to the bold sounds of today’s living composers. Having collaborated with many renowned artists including Yo-Yo Ma, the Ying Quartet, and Philip Aaberg, the Cascade Quartet brings the highest quality chamber music to audiences throughout Montana and the Northwest. They have been praised for their exciting, moving and creative performances as well as their artistry and warmth. This concert will include works by Robert Schumann, Beethoven, Mozart, and two dances by Juan Morel Campos, Puerto Rico’s equivalent to America’s Steven Foster. There will also be some surprises in this show co-sponsored by the Ronan Eye Clinic.

Two hours before the season opener on October 8, Big Productions will celebrate the kickoff of the ‘09-10 concert series with a reception at the Main Street Gallery in Ronan. The reception, called A Taste of Big Productions, will feature the Cascade Quartet. The public is invited to the pre-concert reception from 5:30 PM to 7 PM, and for a $5 admission will be treated to wine, hors d’ oeuvres and a few solo performances by the members of the Cascade Quartet. There will also be an opportunity to visit with the members of the Quartet. Big Productions Concert Sponsors and members of the Big Productions concert selection committee will also be in attendance. Reception attendees will be able to purchase concert tickets at the reception for the advance price of $12.

The season anchor this year is the multi-talented Scott Kirby who will bring his artwork and his musicianship for a two layered showcase of his great plains sketches and his ragtime piano. This show will be part of the 2010 Commemorative Centennial hosted by the Polson Flathead Historical Museum to take us back to the era of 1890-1920. With over a dozen albums to his credit, pianist/composer Scott Kirby specializes in distinctly American musical styles, which include Classic Ragtime, New Ragtime, Creole Music and Terra Verde. As a performer, he also provides historical context and musical insight as the show unfolds. No matter that it’s the concert stage, Kirby offers a musical experience which is both informative and intimate, educational yet highly personal.

This fall-winter-spring full of performances is Big Productions’ 22nd season in a nutshell - the largest rural concert series in Montana. It would not be possible without the dedicated local series sponsorship of Ronan Telephone Company, S & K Electronics, Don Aadsen Ford, Super 1 and Ronan Harvest Foods, and new as a series sponsor this year, Dr. Jim Willis at Big Sky Dental in Polson. The series is made possible in part by the Western States Arts Federation and the Montana Performing Arts Consortium Presenter Development Program, which is supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Montana Arts Council and a legislative grant from Montana’s Cultural Trust.

Single tickets for any show of the season are available for only $12 ($14 at the door) and multiple admission “flex” passes are discounted. For instance, an adult can attend all seven concerts this season for only $50. Remember, 18 and under are free for SERIES concerts, thanks to the Youth Home!

Tickets are available from Fiddle Sticks School of Music or Polson Physical Therapy on main street in Polson or from True Value Hardware in Ronan. Concertgoers can also get tickets by tracking down any of the following community members who make up the Big Productions Committee: Audrey Granley, Doug Ruhman, Debbie Ofstad, Margie Cantlon, Wayne Fuchs, Ruth Hodges, Lynn Kelly, Scott Harmon, Mike and Trish Rodrique, Margaret Winter Sydnor, Reg and Kay Wearley, Dennis Wolfe or Shannon Nunlist, or calling (800) 823-4386.