When Mandy Harvey walked onto the stage at Opperman Music Hall, most of the elementary and middle school students clapped to welcome her. But some students raised their hands, spread their fingers and shook their hands back and forth — the American Sign Language symbol for applause. The musician, who is deaf, performed for about 50 […]
Do not ask choir master Vincent “Shimmy” Jiyane about famous folks the Soweto Gospel Choir has worked with because, well, he has the answers.
A group of Leon County students on Friday got to enjoy a talk and performance by a very inspirational performer. Mandy Harvey who is deaf, rose to fame following her performance on America’s Got Talent.
My violin is over 300 years old. Known as the Gibson ex Huberman, the revered instrument came into my life one fateful day during the summer of 2001, I was in London, getting ready to play a ‘Proms’ concert at the Royal Albert Hall and decided to stop by the famous violin shop J & […]
Director’s Column ON Director Michael Blachly My hopes are that you get to enjoy time with family and friends this holiday season. The ON team is enjoying some time off to get ready for the new year when we will be presenting 26 more performances for the 2018-19 Season. “Good things are yet to come!” […]
From the Director ON Director Michael Blachly Greetings! As we enter the festive Holiday Season, we have the opportunity to reflect on the things for which we are thankful. It is our hope that Opening Nights provides you the opportunity to share memorable experiences with family and friends at performances in our community. We know […]
As a graduate of the China Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and Young Concert Artist, Hanzhi Wang’s career has already taken her around the globe with performances in Europe, America and Asia. Opening Nights partnered with the FSU Center for Global Engagement to host Hanzhi Wang as part of the center’s Engage Your World Series: Intercultural Dialogue […]
Mimi Herman, a Kennedy Center Teaching Artist and the 2017 North Carolina Piedmont Laureate, spent a week in 4th and 5th grade classrooms at Apalachee Tapestry Magnet School of the Arts in the Fall of 2017 to teach students and teachers to fall in love with writing, especially their own. Fourth grade students in Ms. Laing’s […]
Glenis Redmond, an award-winning performance poet, praise poet, educator, and writer from North Carolina, focuses on providing teachers techniques to help improve student’s writing and speaking skills through poetry. During June 2017, teachers studied ways to involve students memorizing and performing their poems to further communicate the written word with appropriate voice projection, physical stance […]
From the Director Michael Blachly The performing arts bring a community together for a shared experience. The arts can also do so much more. They can provide an escape, entertainment, inspiration, education, and a way to help heal a community. Given the devastating impacts of Hurricane Michael on the Big Bend, “Opening Nights in Class” […]
