News

LOCAL BRIEFS: HSO performs (and sells art); yoga's back; so is Flat Rock genealogy club

Three paintings by Laurie Yeates Adams — “The Conductor,” “Classical Guitar” and “The Violinist” — works will be on display and for sale outside the concert hall before, during and after Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra’s March 18 concert at BRCC.

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 7, 2023

HSO to perform ‘Friendship’ on March 18 with guest violinist

The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra will perform “Friendship,” a masterworks concert featuring special guest David Southorn, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Blue Ridge Conference Center at BRCC.

Southorn, concertmaster of the Delaware and New Haven symphonies and associate concertmaster of the New Jersey Symphony, will perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in e minor. The performance will also feature Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” a piece he wrote for closest friends in which he set each person to music. The concert is sponsored by Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Village.

Southorn received a bachelor of music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a master of music and artist diploma from Yale University and a professional studies certificate from the Manhattan School of Music.

In addition, Art on 7th Gallery is presenting for sale three unique one-of-a-kind oil paintings by local artist Laurie Yeates Adams during the symphony’s March concert. The three works include “The Conductor,” “Classical Guitar” and “The Violinist.” The works will be on display and for sale outside the concert hall before, during and after the performance. The gallery has graciously agreed to donate 50 percent of the proceeds from the sale of each piece to the HSO Youth Scholarship Fund.
Finally, on March 27 and 28 the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra will provide live symphonic performances for third and sixth grade students in the county. The concerts serve to enrich and enhance the classroom curriculum, getting students up close and personal with the musicians and the instruments of the orchestra, and teaching them about composers and music in an engaging and memorable way. In addition to serving students in Henderson County public schools, the performances are also open to third and sixth grade students attending county charter schools and private schools as well as home-school students.

For more information or to purchase concert tickets, visit hendersonvillesyphony.org, or call the HSO office at 828-697-5884. 

Free yoga returns to Park at Flat Rock

The Flat Rock Park Foundation announced the return of Pardee in the Park: Yoga, a series of free yoga classes, Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. Participants of all levels are welcome to attend and experience the many benefits of yoga in a beautiful outdoor setting.
All yoga classes are free thanks to an ongoing partnership of the Park Foundation, UNC Pardee Healthcare and YAM Hendersonville. Classes will be held from April 1 through October.

“We are thrilled to offer this amazing opportunity for community members to come together and connect with nature, while also improving their physical and mental well-being,” said Tracey Daniels, development and programming director for the park. “The park provides the perfect backdrop for a yoga session, and we encourage everyone to join us. Depending on the selected class, participants can either transition from their busy day to their evening or start a Saturday on a peaceful note.”

The classes are led by YAM’s experienced and certified yoga instructors who will guide participants through a series of poses and breathing exercises designed to improve flexibility, balance and relaxation. Participants are asked to bring their own mats.
“Yoga has been shown to have numerous physical and mental health benefits, and we believe continuing to offer these classes for free will make them accessible to everyone in the community,” Daniels said.

The classes are open to participants of all ages and skill levels. No prior yoga experience is necessary. Participants are asked to arrive at 5-10 minutes before the class starts to allow time for check-in and setup. The classes are typically held in the grassy areas behind the welcome center (just look for the colorful mats and other yoga participants). Weather updates are announced on the park’s Facebook page.

Flat Rock Genealogy Society resumes meetings

The Genealogy Society at Flat Rock announced last week that it is resuming regular meetings. Prior to Covid, the society met regularly to share information and knowledge of genealogy/family history research. Meetings are open to all, whether a beginner, professional or just curious. The first meeting of 2023 will be 1:30 p.m. Monday, March 13, at Flat Rock Village Hall. Other meetings are 10 a.m. April 10, 1:30 p.m. May 8, 10 a.m.  Sept. 11, 1:30 p.m. Oct. 9, and 10 a.m. Nov. 13. All meetings are held Flat Rock Village Hall. For more information, contact Nancy Benyon at snmma@aol.com.

New Works Series on March 25 features 'Bridgeport-1989'

Hendersonville Theatre resumes its New Works Series (formerly called Staged Reading Series) at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 25. Showcasing the work of area playwrights and performed by local actors, the New Works Series is a public reading of a new play in development. The New Works Series offers exciting script-in-hand readings of new plays by emerging local playwrights. The readings are followed by a talk-back with the playwright and actors to provide feedback to the playwright. A short discussion will follow each reading to provide feedback to the playwright about their script.
The reading will be held at Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S. Washington St. Hendersonville Theatre is committed to exploring and developing new work for American theater, supporting local playwrights with their creative process from concept to production.
“Bridgeport-1989” by Bret Murphy will be read on March 25. In the play, Anna Person is 23 and works at Shop-N-Save to support herself and her needy mother. Her life begins to change dramatically after she has a “near-death” experience.
Bret Murphy lives in Burnsville. Her play “In the Middle of Nowhere” is currently being produced at the Parkway Parkhouse in Burnsville. It was also produced at The Magnetic Theatre in Asheville in 2021 and developed at the Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, in 2020.

Playwrights who would like to submit work for consideration for the New Works Series may follow the submission guidelines posted at www.HVLtheatre.org/about-us and email questions to playsubmissions@HVLtheatre.org.

Admission is free; donations are welcome to support the theater. For tickets or more information call 828-692-1082 or visit HVLTheatre.org.