ARTS Pick: Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia

Celebrate 40 years with the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia at its inaugural season performances. Kate Tamarkin directs the masters of classical music through a specially commissioned piece entitled “Fanfare for a Ruby Celebration,” composed by Randol Alan Bass, and Emmanuel Sejourne’s “Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra,” featuring intrepid percussionist I-Jen Fang. […]

The discontent of photographer Philip de Jong

Visual artist Philip de Jong won’t content himself with creating beautiful work. In fact, he avoids contentment altogether. “At some point as a trained photographer your job is to make anything look good,” he said. “If people describe my work as pretty, I feel insulted on some level because all it means is that I […]

The Gasman archives pay homage to artistic passion

“What inspires you?” For those with an interest in visual art, the question could elicit a response of Diane Arbus, Stan Brakhage, or Jean-Michel Basquiat. However, for many UVA alumni, the answer might very well be the University’s legendary art professor, Lydia Gasman. This month, an exhibit at Les Yeux du Monde gallery entitled “Picasso, […]

ARTS Pick: Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase

Eight master artisans flex their talents at the 11th annual Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase. Chow down on comfort food classics like Brunswick stew and fried apple pies as you groove to the sounds of Flory Jagoda’s Sephardic Jewish ballads, Buddy Pendleton’s bluegrass fiddle, or Cheryl Maroney’s traditional gospel music. Quilters, beekeepers, chair makers, and more […]

ARTS Pick: Shovels & Rope

With little more than an acoustic guitar and a junkyard drum kit, husband and wife team Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent beat out skillfully harmonized country-punk anthems as Shovels & Rope. With roots in Charleston and all eyes on the road, the two take a minimalist approach to romantic, vintage melodies. Their new release […]

Cville Sabroso’s Latin celebration

Fanny Smedile is not a professional dancer. But at last year’s Cville Sabroso, she put on a colorful dancing dress and found herself transformed. “When I wore the costume, I felt my folklore,” she said. “When I listened to the music, it took me back to my country. In that moment, I felt it in […]

ARTS Pick: Darrin Bradbury

Boasting gritty, authentic vocals and a solid backbone to his melodies, Darrin Bradbury returns to town, acoustic guitar in tow, to open for singer-songwriter Carl Anderson. His homespun storytelling reflects his new Nashville address as he bobs and weaves through rustic tales of love and protest punctuated by a dark sense of humor. August’s Motel […]

Greensky Bluegrass looks to break barriers with modern approach

The contentious divide between traditional bluegrass and progressive bluegrass is manufactured, according to Anders Beck, dobro virtuoso for the dogged newgrass outfit Greensky Bluegrass. “I feel like that argument is more perpetuated by people that just want to talk about it than people who really feel that way,” Beck told C-VILLE Weekly. “It’s almost like […]