MVAA announces summer concert series
Courtesy of The Mon Valley Academy for the Arts
The Wally Gingers Orchestra will be at Chess Park in Monongahela June 5.
Courtesy of The Mon Valley Academy for the Arts
Strumburgh Band is scheduled to appear at Chess Park in Monongahela on July 3.
Courtesy of The Mon Valley Academy for the Arts
Pittsburgh Big Band Legends will perform at Chess Park in Monongahela on Aug. 7.
Billy Price kicks off this year’s Mon Valley Academy for the Arts Summer Concert Series, which is sponsored by EQT Foundation.
Price is scheduled to perform April 24 at the Brownsville Sons of Italy.
“(The EQT Foundation) offered us a $20,000 grant this year to support the arts,” said Mark Smith, MVAA president. “We have nine events that support both student musicians and professional musicians in the area. (This series) probably supports 75 musicians in the area.”
The EQT/MVAA 2022 Summer Concert Series has three shows scheduled for the Chess Park Gazebo in Monongahela – the Wally Gingers Orchestra (June 5), Strumburgh Band (July 3) and Pittsburgh Big Band Legends (Aug. 7).
Four shows are planned for the Cast Iron Amphitheater in Brownsville – Blended Reality Band (June 12), Refuge Band (July 10), Classics Band (Aug. 7) and a concert to be determined on Sept. 18.
Admission at the shows at Chess Park and the Cast Iron Amphitheater is free.
Rounding out the series will be the annual MVAA Academy Showcase with the Twin Coaches Junior Stage Band at a site to be determined.
The Twin Coaches Junior Stage Band is comprised of students from a number of area school districts.
“It’s a little bit of everything,” Smith said of the series. “We go from big bands to kid bands to classic rock bands to some jazz bands. It’s all genres.”
There also will be musical acts participating at the farmer’s market at the gazebo at Chess Park from 4-6 p.m. every Friday from June 10 through Sept. 16.
“The interest in the arts is just exploding,” Smith said. “Our concert schedule, plus our private lessons for student musicians are filling up every day. Every day we get new calls. It’s very encouraging.”
Smith added that that interest is growing to the point where MVAA is considering expanding its facilities.
“We have private music studios and we have our corporate office,” Smith said. “We need a performance center.”
For more information, call 724-565-1687 or check the MVAA’s Facebook page or email info@monvalleyacademyforthearts.org.