Muskegon, Michigan, September 19, 2019—West Michigan Symphony has been awarded a capital grant of $6,088 from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). The grant will help to fund structural improvements at WMS’s subsidiary venue, The Block, that will provide a better concert environment through abatement of street and other ambient […]
Read MoreMuskegon, Michigan, September 19, 2019—The Block has been awarded a grant of $15,000 from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). The grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of more than 500 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2020 funding. Organizations receiving a MCACA […]
Read MoreMuskegon, Michigan, March 18, 2019—Music from Mozart to Andrew Lloyd Webber will be featured by the 30-plus young musicians of Debut Strings, performing in concert at The Block in downtown Muskegon this Sunday afternoon. A program of West Michigan Symphony and The Block, Debut Strings is a student orchestra for beginning and intermediate level players. […]
Read MoreMuskegon, Michigan February 26, 2018 — Unapologetic genre-benders, the trio Harpeth Rising fuses folk, newgrass, rock and classical into a sound that is organically unique. Hallmarks of their music include expansive three-part harmonies, consummate musicianship and a deft yet soulful lyrical aspect. Featuring Maria Di Meglio on cello, Michelle Younger on banjo, and Jordana Greenberg […]
Read MoreMuskegon, MI, February 12, 2019 — Movies+Music, the Wednesday night series at The Block that premiered this winter, concludes at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 with Searching for Sugar Man. This documentary highlights the strange career of Detroit folksinger Sixto Rodriguez, whose low profile in the U.S. was in sharp contrast to his status in […]
Read MoreMuskegon, Michigan February 10, 2018 — Emmet Cohen is making waves in the New York City jazz scene and across the globe. The rising star piano phenom comes to West Michigan for a performance at The Block at 7:30pm Saturday, March 2. Joining him will be Russell Hall on bass and Kenny Phelps on drums. […]
Read MoreMuskegon, MI, January 5, 2019—Movies+Music is the name of the new Wednesday night series at The Block exploring the relationship between movies and music through screenings of acclaimed films. The series continues at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 13 with Once, a poignant “guy meets girl” story of a budding Dublin songwriter. “Join us at The […]
Read MoreMuskegon, Michigan, January 4, 2018 –Audiophile Audition hailed his “imagination and technical prowess.” Gramophone placed him “among the most remarkable young pianists.” The New Yorker declared him “the most elegant of today’s pianists.” Wherever he performs, Alessio Bax evokes superlative praise. The dashing Italian returns to Muskegon in early February—just days after his exciting Boston […]
Read MoreMuskegon, Michigan, December 17, 2018 – The Block is known for featuring the piano, in part due to the exquisite quality of its restored 1970 Steinway B grand. But an upcoming concert will pair two pianos—along with a large battery of percussion instruments—as Principal Percussionist Matthew Beck and several colleagues present Bela Bartók’s groundbreaking Sonata […]
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