Update Chrome Browser
Fifteen Years of LiveArt: 2008 - 2024
LiveArt was created in the spring of 2007 to enrich the cultural relationship between the community and the University of West Georgia. To this end, LiveArt strives to offer exceptional and diverse artistic programming, outreach and arts education. Each of the last fifteen galas has been a considerable undertaking that was inspired and managed by a group of community volunteers. Here, we list the artists throughout those years that have provided lasting memories: 15 unique Seasons, 25 fabulous Artists!
LiveArt Galas
2008 Ballet Memphis
2009 Chicago Jazz Ensemble starring Jon Faddis
2010 Beausoleil
2011 Spanish Harlem Orchestra
2012 Club Swing starring Five by Design
2013 Irish Homecoming starring Cherish the Ladies
2014 Dress Casual starring Mandy Patinkin
2015 Manhattan Transfer
2016 Johnny Mercer: A Night in Savannah starring The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra
2017 Take 6 with Nnenna Freelon
2018 Meet Me in Paris starring The Hot Club of San Francisco
2019 1966: A Night at the Sands starring Matt Dusk
2020 A Night in Little Italy starring Joe Piscopo
2023 A Night in the Roaring Twenties starring Alex Mendham
2024 A Night in Old Havana starring Joachim Horsley and Via Havana
LiveArt Family Shows
2008 Seusical the Musical
2012 Peking Acrobats
2013 Cirque Zuma Zuma
2014 Houston Ballet II
2015 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
2016 Golden Dragron Acrobats
2017 Artrageous!
2018 Million Dollar Quartet
2019 The Corner of Broadway & Mainstreet starring Voctave
2020 Magic & Illusion starring Mike Super
LiveArt 2024 ~ January Gala: A Night in Old Havana
The LiveArt 2024 Gala on Friday, January 26th presented A Night in Old Havana starring Joachim Horsley and his Via Havana Ensemble with special guests Loly Moreno and The Jon Lehrer Dance Company. A Night in Old Havana is a fusion of great classical works and the songs, rhythms, and dance of the Caribbean Islands. This World Premier showcased the talents of 18 performers on stage. Pianist Joachim Horsley led the audience on a cultural journey accompanied by Murph Aucamp, Yonathan “Morocho” Gavidia, Luca Alamanno, Olivia Soler, Ana Paola Rincones, Michelle Skinner, and Loly Moreno.
A Night in Old Havana ~ Friday, January 26, 2024
A Night in Old Havana is a fusion of great classical works and the songs, rhythms, and dance of the Caribbean Islands. Pianist Joachim Horsley takes the audience on a unique journey accompanied by:
* Murph Aucamp on Drums, Yonathan “Morocho” Gavidia on Percussion
* Luca Alamanno on Bass, Olivia Soler on Tres (Cuban guitar)
* Ana Paola Rincones on Flute, Michelle Skinner on Violin
* Loly Moreno on vocals and New York’s Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
This world premier showcases the talents of 18 performers on stage.
Joachim Horsley
Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and arranger Joachim Horsley is an exceptional American pianist who uses his favorite instrument to break musical barriers. Having recently created numerous original scores for film and television, Horsley continues to orchestrate his own story: a tale where the great composers of classical music infused their works with Afro-Caribbean rhythms.
“It’s an alternate universe: one where Beethoven, Chopin and Mozart are channeling Havana more than Vienna,” says Horsley. “To me, this is a way to meet old friends in a fresh context, giving our audiences a new appreciation for the Classical and Caribbean cultures.”
Via Havana Ensemble
The idea for this project started in 2015, after studying music in Cuba with his good friend and mentor Aldo Mazza. Cuban rumba music, both in its sound and the way it’s created, made a lasting impression and inspired the first piece in this series. In 2016, Beethoven In Havana, an arrangement of Beethoven’s 7th symphony in a Cuban style, was a viral hit gaining international attention and leading to the 2019 album Via Havana. Many composers, musicians, and fans in the classical and Afro-Caribbean worlds share a mutual interest in the opposite sides of this genre divide. It’s Horsley’s hope that his merging of these two worlds encourages exploration.
Jon Lehrer Dance Company
Based in NYC since 2019, Jon Lehrer started his company in 2007 in Buffalo, NY and has received critical acclaim nationally and internationally. Under his artistic direction, the company showcases Jon’s unique choreography and embodies his definitive style. His extensive background in both the modern and jazz dance idioms fosters choreography that is organic, athletic, artistic, and often humorous, reflecting the human condition.
Join the festivities this season as we celebrate our fifteenth edition of LiveArt with a Gala that includes:
• VIP reception before the show from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Cast Party after the show from 9:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• Gold Circle seating located on the Orch Center. LiveArt contributions sustain programming and outreach in the TCPA Season and provide student scholarships in the Arts. Contact the Townsend Center for additional information about each giving level. Ask for Mary Parsons at 678-839-4722. Thank you for your support this season!