Maricopa Music Circle. Photo by C. Ehrbright

Maricopa ARTS Council (MAC) will present a first-time-ever Performing Arts Gala as MAC’s celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month, and the next special event in its three-season expo, “Got ARTS, Maricopa?” [quote_box_right]If You Go
What: Performing Arts Gala
When: Oct. 22, 7-9:30 p.m.
Where: Maricopa High School Performing Arts Center, 45012 W. Honeycutt Ave.
Who: Desert Sun Performing Arts, Maricopa Music Circle, Maricopa Chorus
How much: Free[/quote_box_right]

The gala features Maricopa’s own talents in orchestral music, choral music and dance and takes place Oct. 22 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Maricopa High School Performing Arts Center main auditorium. It is also a culminating event in the city’s Stagecoach Days, open to the public and presented with free admission.

Three of the city’s premier arts organizations have star turns in the gala: Desert Sun Performing Arts dance academy, Maricopa Music Circle chamber orchestra and Maricopa Chorus.

The gala spotlights each ensemble, with partnership works also woven into this special program.

• DSPA was founded 10 years ago by choreographer and teacher Ceylan Gentilella. Its winter-time Sugar Plum Tea events featuring the Nutcracker ballet have become a Maricopa tradition. Gala-DSPA--4-vignettes--(2)

• Maricopa Music Circle began seven years ago as a small ensemble and has grown into a 16-piece chamber orchestra that plays without a conductor. Its three founders, violinist Genevieve Ehrbright, cellist Mary Mullarky and composer-pianist Judith Zaimont, still perform with the group.

Gala-MaricopaChorus• Maricopa Chorus began in 2013 with founder-director John Janzen’s dream of a live Maricopa performance of the Hallelujah Chorus with choir and orchestra.

Highlights from the gala include MMC’s medley of themes from John Williams’ stirring scores for the Star Wars films, a rousing rendition of the Toreador Song from Bizet’s opera Carmen by MC, and DSPA’s spirited Hungarian Dance.


This article appears in the October issue of InMaricopa.