The Siskiyou Institute is proud to kick off it's 2008 Spring concert season with an event which will feature some of the finest young pianists in the Rogue Valley. All are students of Dr. Alexander Tutunov at Southern Oregon University. The evening will feature pianists, Kristen McCaffrey, Kimberley Levy, David Brown, Daniel Swayze, Kimberley Wood, Elizabeth Moss and Joseph Yungen. Music selections will feature the music of Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Ravel and Scriabin.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Chinese-American International Piano Institute which was founded by Dr. Tutunov. The Chinese-American International Piano Institute (CAIPI) is a project assembling outstanding young pianists from China, North America and other nations, with some of the most recognized, respected piano professors from the United States and China. This annual event takes place at the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China. 

Alexander Tutunov will present a master class open to piano students and teachers of all styles. He will be addressing a very broad spectrum of performance-related problems, including some tips on technical development without injuries, tone production on the piano, efficient practice, healthy habits and other topics of interest.

The Siskiyou Institute is extremely happy to be presenting the Grammy nominated group OREGON in 2 special concerts in Ashland. The first concert will take place on Monday, April 28 at the Mountain Avenue Theatre at Ashland High School. The second concert on Tuesday evening will be a rare opportunity to hear the individual members of Oregon performing in solo and duo formats in the intimate setting of the Old Siskiyou Barn. This special event will be a fundraiser for the Siskiyou Institute's Artists In The Schools program which benefits students and teachers of the Rogue Valley. 
Details for the Tuesday concert are below.

For over 35 years, Oregon has been personifying their own way of making music, which is a natural meeting point between diverse sounds and equally diverse cultures. The music by this American quartet is always one without boundaries, an adventurous fusion of jazz, chamber atmospheres, and folkloristic scents coming from various latitudes and longitudes. But Oregon's music is also one where composition and improvisation find the right balance, in the depth of a profound melodic breath that in the course of time has remained one of the principle characteristics that distinguishes the group.

Featuring Ralph Towner on guitar and piano, Paul McCandless on reeds and woodwinds, Glen Moore on bass and Mark Walker on drums and percussion, Oregon has set the standard for acoustic chamber music that straddles the lines between jazz, world music and classical. Building upon European classical disciplines and American jazz traditions - transcending them both, their sound is characterized by an optimistic, forward-thinking strength.

OREGON has inspired audiences in renowned concert halls including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Berlin Philharmonic Hall, and Vienna’s Mozartsaal; at international jazz clubs and major festivals such as Montreux, Pori, Berlin, Montreal, and Newport Jazz; and on tours throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, Eastern and Western Europe, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Algeria, and Australia.

For more information on Oregon, please visit their website at www.oregonband.com

The group will be teaching workshops for students of Southern Oregon University and Ashland High School and Middle School on Tuesday, April 29.

Tickets for the concert at Mountain Avenue Theatre will be available after April 1 at CD or Not CD in Ashland or can be reserved by calling 541-488-3869. Tickets will be $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

Please join us for a very special evening at the Old Siskiyou Barn with the members of the group Oregon. This evening will feature each member of this amazing quartet, performing in solo and duo formats. This will be a rare opportunity to see and hear these world class musicians performing up close in the intimate setting of the Old Siskiyou Barn. 

Seating is very limited so call early to make your reservations.

The Siskiyou Institute welcomes back Grammy nominated pianist, composer, educator and author Mark Levine. Mark will be joined by bassist John Witala. Author of the Piano Book and the Jazz Theory Book, Mark has performed and recorded with many jazz luminaries including,  Woody Shaw, Mongo Santamaria, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson,  Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader, Tito Puente, Milt Jackson, David Liebman, Blue Mitchell, Pete Escovedo, James Moody, Art Farmer, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Fortune, Eddie Harris,  Clark Terry, Charlie Rouse, Bobby Watson, Chet Baker, Mark Murphy, Art Pepper, Steve Turre, and Poncho Sanchez.

Open to all instruments and vocalists with an interest in developing their understanding of jazz theory and jazz improvisation.

The Siskiyou Institute is happy to present the Seattle based Gypsy Jazz group, Pearl Django at the Old Siskiyou Barn on May 20. Celebrating more than 13 years in existence Pearl Django continues to be one of America’s most respected and busiest Hot Club style groups. Their music reaches out across the divides of taste to a wide variety of audiences. The band's fervent followers include Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli fans, guitar enthusiasts (and guitarists!), lovers of string music, including bluegrass devotees, who relish nimble, clean, intricate picking, "world music" fans drawn to French and Gypsy accents, plus jazz buffs and aficionados of the new swing music. Transcending simple categorization, Pearl Django packs in enthusiastic audiences at dancehalls and nightclubs, at folk music festivals and jazz festivals alike.

For more information about the group visit www.pearldjango.com