Day: March 2, 2021

Movies by Moonlight in the Garden this Friday at the San Antonio Botanical Garden

Movies by Moonlight in the Garden will be this Friday March 6, 2021. Photo: San Antonio Botanical Garden

This Friday, March 5, Movies by Moonlight in the Garden continues with two family friendly movies on the lawn: The Lion King and Glory Road. Cozy up under the moonlight with family or friends for a special double feature at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Guests are encouraged to bring low riding lawn chairs and blankets. Drinks and food will be available for purchase. Guests are asked to follow all COVID-19 visitor guidelines during their visit at the Botanical Garden. (San Antonio Botanical Garden, 2021)

Fee: $20 adults ($18 member) and $15 child ($13.50 member). Tickets available online. The first movie will begin shortly after the sun sets around 6:45p.m. Movies are subject to change.

The Lion King (2019) (G) – After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.

Glory Road (PG) – In 1966, Texas Western coach Don Haskins led the first all-black starting line-up for a college basketball team to the NCAA national championship.

The San Antonio Botanical Garden was first imagined nearly eight decades ago by civic influences Mrs. R.R. Witt and Mrs. Joseph Murphy. Forty years of planning and partnerships finally blossomed on May 3, 1980 with the official opening of the Botanical Garden. Since that day, the formal gardens and collections of native Texas plants have evolved to make the Botanical Garden one of the most noteworthy botanical centers in the state, educating and inspiring visitors from around the world.

Brownsville Guitar Festival presented by Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts

On Sunday February 28, the Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts presented The Brownsville Guitar Festival Concert with Connie Sheu, Xavier Jara, and Matt Palmer live-streamed on Facebook. This was an excellent opportunity for the community to hear a variety of guitar performances by some of the best guitarists around.

This hour and a half concert consisted of three outstanding guitarists who each brought their best a-game and performed almost a half-hour each of inspiring music. Connie Sheu began her set with a few words about what music means to her and it would have been nice to hear some personal words from the other guitarists. They performed classical guitar selections from Vicente Asencio, Dilermando Reis, Sergei Rudnev, and other composers.

For a live-streamed concert, the quality of the sound and visuals was exceptional and the transition between performers went smoothly. Hopefully, the community appreciates the efforts of the BSPA to bring this level of performances to the masses. Congratulations to everyone involved and may there be more in the future, whether in person or live-streamed.

Performer profiles:
Connie Sheu studied U.S. History and Music at Columbia University and earned a Master of Music from the Juilliard School. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Southern California. She is a dynamic guitarist, devoted teacher, and ardent advocate of classical guitar.

Xavier Jara earned his master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in May 2020. He is the 1st prize winner of the 2016 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition. A native of Minnesota, he was a student of Alan Johnston at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis until 2011 when he moved to Paris, France to study with Judicaël Perroy.

Matt Palmer holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Arizona and has appeared as a soloist throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, Canada, South America, and the Caribbean. A recent recipient of the “Up and Coming Guitarist of the Year” award by Guitar International Magazine, Matt has been described by critics as “a young artist about to make a real dent in the world of classical guitar.” (Premier Guitar Magazine)

The Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts (BSPA), located in Brownsville, Texas, was founded in 1994, and its mission is to enhance quality-of-life in the community through cultural entertainment, striving to produce quality programming to a largely underserved community. Of special interest to the BSPA are performing arts that are mostly inaccessible to a large portion of the community. To the best of its ability, the BSPA generates performance opportunities, organizes competitions, endows scholarships, provides financial assistance, holds master classes and clinics, and supports similar activities with a clear educational value. BSPA helps those that pursue a career in music and dance education or other work in the performing arts field.