Enjoy an Intimate Evening of Jazz, Soul, and Pop

Juno Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Kellylee Evans Performs at Horizon Stage on February 7

Canadian rising star Kellylee Evans is a chameleon-like performer, whose natural charm and improvisational vocal style have carried her on an adventurous journey through the jazz, soul, and pop genres. In the past decade she has released two indie solo albums of original songs, earned two Juno Award nominations, and won "Best Jazz Vocal Album" for Nina, her impassioned tribute to Nina Simone. Considered to be one of the most beautiful voices of her generation. Kellylee’s live performances include her new musical interpretations of songs by the likes of Eminem, John Legend, and Kanye West alongside classic jazz standards. Now, Edmonton and area fans have the opportunity to see her Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m.

A mother of three, Kellylee went straight from singing in the shower to performing live at the Kennedy Center and coming in 2nd place in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition in 2004. Inspiringly motivated, she threw herself into her dream of singing and has never looked back. Her unfettered determination enabled her to overcome being struck by lightning in 2013 at her home near Ottawa. The rare incident made national news, and though suffering much pain and unable to walk at first, Kellylee didn't cancel a single tour date.

Kellylee has been captivating audiences across Canada and has a growing legion of fans in France. She has performed around the world, opening for such stars as John Legend, Dianne Reeves, Derek Trucks, George Benson and Willy Nelson. She has appeared at the Vancouver and Edmonton Jazz Festivals and sung on television in Treehouse’s 4 Squared and CBC’s Ottawa’s Studio 14 Sessions. Dynamic, hip, and modern, Kellylee’s warm, soulful timbre will remind you of Amy Winehouse and Erykah Badu. Her arresting combinations of smooth jazz, up-beat pop, and soulful grooves feel simultaneously fresh and retro.

Enjoy an intimate evening with Kellylee Evans at Horizon Stage on February 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $35 for adults and $30 for students and seniors and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave) or by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting www.horizonstage.com and clicking on the ‘Tickets’ link.

This performance is proudly sponsored by Canadian Heritage, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, CKUA, Servus Credit Union, Travelodge Inn & Suites, and Ticketpro.

Spend a Deliciously Enlightening Morning with Pianist Sarah Hagen

Enjoy The Music of Brahms - Love in Every Bite at Horizon Stage on Friday, February 6

 Canadian pianist Sarah Hagen’s weekday morning recital in 2014 was such a lovely event that Horizon Stage is pleased to present her again. Sarah’s concerts are unlike any other classical music presentation. While enjoying a musical feast for the ears, and tasty treats for their tummies, her audience members also learn about the featured composer and gain insight into the pianist's perspective. Sarah promotes an informal ambiance, providing opportunities for listeners to ask questions, voice opinions, or just sit back and listen to the music. For something different on a winter morning, join Sarah Hagen at Horizon Stage on Friday, February 6 for The Music of Brahms - Love in Every Bite. Tea, coffee, and goodies will be served at 10 a.m. and the concert will start at 10:30.

Sarah will focus this year’s recital on the romantic story and music of nineteenth century German composer and pianist Johannes Brahms. Sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the "Three Bs", Brahms' popularity and influence in the classical world has been huge. Considered both a traditionalist and an innovator, many of his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire. But, as an uncompromising perfectionist, he also destroyed some of his works and left others unpublished.

A visionary and an idealist herself, Sarah’s performances are conceptually innovative. With expressive technique and an engaging personality, she is equally at home in front of a symphony orchestra or in an intimate concert lecture setting. Sarah is the Artistic Director for Pro’ject Sound, a performance project involving live piano with large-scale projected images. She has curated, hosted, and performed as part of numerous concert series in BC, sharing the stage with artists from around the world.  Highlights of her career include winning the 2013 Bradshaw & Buono International Competition, performing twice at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, and touring the prairies with cellist Rebecca Wenham. Sarah is motivated by the belief that music has the power to be a window into our souls-regardless of age or knowledge.

Enjoy tea, goodies, and a beautiful performance by Sarah Hagen, at Horizon Stage on Friday, February 6. For an even more Up Close and Personal concert experience, seating will be general admission and a limited number of seats will be available at tables on the stage, right next to Sarah and the grand piano. Tickets are just $25 and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave) or by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting www.horizonstage.com and clicking on the ‘Tickets’ link.

This performance is proudly sponsored by Canadian Heritage, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Travelodge Inn & Suites, and Ticketpro.

Polka Up A Storm with The Emeralds in Spruce Grove

Edmonton’s favourite show and dance band returns to Horizon Stage on Thursday, February 5

Back by popular demand, The Emeralds Show and Dance Band are looking forward to ‘polkaing up a storm’ with Spruce Grove and area polka and waltz lovers. As one of our province’s best-known and beloved bands, their music has been a staple at weddings, hall parties, and school dances for many years. The Emeralds last performance at Horizon Stage was in 2012 and they are pleased to be returning on Thursday, February 5 for a special 2 p.m. weekday matinee.

Since their formation in 1970, The Emeralds have recorded 29 albums - six went gold, two went platinum, and one went double platinum!  They have been nominated for four Junos, won an Alberta Achievement Award, and were inducted into the City of Edmonton's Cultural Hall of Fame in 1997. The Emeralds have toured the world, from New Zealand and Australia to Singapore, Hong Kong, London, Trinidad and across the United States - but they always enjoy performing for their home audiences the most. In fact they still perform regularly at local events for enthusiastic crowds.

Always fun and full of pep and energy, an Emeralds concert features favourites like “Blue Hawaii”, “Cotton Eyed Joe", “In The Mood”, “Amazing Grace”, “Clarinet Polka” and “Waltz Across Texas”.  But it’s their biggest hit, “The Bird Dance”, that was featured on a Hollywood movie sound track and gets the most recognition. From kindergarteners to seniors - fans of all ages love to shake their tail feathers when they hear that iconic “na na na na na na na na”.

The band’s five current members are Allan Broder (tenor saxophone and vocals), Wallis Petruk (tenor saxophone, violin, flute, clarinet, and vocals), Don Remeika (drums and vocals), Terry Kole (rhythm guitar, banjo, and vocals) and Reiner Piehl (keyboards, bass, and vocals). Together, these talented musicians will get your feet tapping, your hips swaying, and your whole body up and moving.

So be prepared to dance in your chair, or take a spin around the front of the stage (we encourage it), and spend a wonderful afternoon with The Emeralds Show and Dance Band at Horizon Stage on Thursday, February 5 at 2 p.m. Tickets are just $25 for all ages and discounts are available for groups of ten or more. Purchase tickets in-person at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, or online at www.horizonstage.com as soon as possible to avoid missing out!

This performance is proudly sponsored by Canadian Heritage, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Travelodge Inn & Suites, and Ticketpro. 

The Closest You Will Come to Seeing the Fab Four on Stage Together Again

Beatles Tribute Band, Day Tripper, Takes Fans on a Journey Through Their Hits and Highlights

Hey Beatles fans! Get ready to re-discover and re-live your favourite Beatles music and moments. Day Tripper: The Beatles Experience is a non-stop rock concert where four young musicians take on all the nuances, mannerisms, voices and accents, that define John, Paul, George and Ringo. This incredible tribute band delivers a spot-on experience with no pre-recorded background music or storytelling as filler. Fans will be blown away as they perform a full-on, high-energy show featuring the songs and costumes that define each period of the Beatles’ career. Enjoy the Beatles Up Close and Personal in five incredible acts at Horizon Stage on January 29 and 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Act 1 … Beatlemania: In 1964 four lads from Liverpool ignite the stage of the Ed Sullivan theatre. Their toe-tapping catchy hits, their casual wit, and their unforgettable charm win the hearts of teenagers all over the world.

Act 2 … Shea Stadium: By 1965, The Beatles are on top of the world. In the midst of the world tours, movie sets, dining with royalty, and recording studios, they are jet-setting across continents. In the studio, they push the creative limits of popular music into new-found territory. Lyrics take on deeper meanings, and the addition of heavy orchestration and studio effects became more and more common.

 Act 3 … Sgt. Pepper’s: By August 1966, frustrated with the hardships of touring and fuelled by experimentation, the Beatles decided to stop touring and focus their efforts in the studio. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band completely re-invents the concept of pop music. Free from the constraints of having to perform their music live, The Beatles are able to let their creativity soar and create sounds no one had ever heard.

Act 4 … Solo Acoustic: By 1968, their songwriting becomes less collaborative and more personal. Many of the songs written for the White Album were written while in India with an acoustic guitar. Paul starts showcasing his independence as a writer and performer through songs like ‘Blackbird’ and ‘Mother Nature’s Son’, George becomes every bit as credible a songwriter with classics like ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, and John becomes an unwavering political activist.

Act 5 … Abbey Road: Although Beatlemania is coming to an end and The Beatles are growing further apart, many regard this stage of their career as their best. The back-to-basics rock and roll attitude of ‘Let it Be’, and the refinement of ‘Abbey Road’ encompass everything they have learned over their remarkable careers.

 Day Tripper: The Beatles Experience is the closest you will ever come to seeing the fab four together again in their finest… and final hours. Tickets are just $40 for adults and $35 for students and seniors. The show on Friday, January 30 is close to selling out but there are great seats available for Thursday, January 29. Purchase your tickets in-person at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, or online at www.horizonstage.com.

This performance is proudly sponsored by Canadian Heritage, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Servus Credit Union, Travelodge Inn & Suites, and Ticketpro.

Wiggle and Giggle in Your Jammies at Horizon Stage's Munchkin Matinee

Mary Lambert’s Pajama Party Promises to Be a Fun-Filled Morning for Preschoolers and Toddlers

Horizon Stage is always on the look-out for unique and interesting artists to entertain our local youngsters. Last year we added a Munchkin Matinee performance especially for audience members in the 6-and-under age bracket and everyone who attended had so much fun! We are now pleased to present our second Munchkin Matinee concert - Mary Lambert’s Pajama Party - on Monday, January 26, 2015 at 10 a.m.

Parents and child care providers have always known instinctively what scientists have now proven: young children thrive on music. It’s one of the best vehicles for learning in early childhood development. Dancing and moving to music helps children develop body control, co-ordination, balance, and spatial awareness. And, shared laughter has physical, mental, and social benefits for people of all ages. So it’s never too early for kids to discover the joy of a live performance, especially if the show has been created specifically for them.

Juno Award Nominee, Mary Lambert, is a family singer/songwriter/performer, and outstanding Canadian artist in the children’s entertainment field.  Her two Juno nominations and ten awards from the United States (Parents’ Choice Award Winner, iParenting Award Winner, Preferred Choice Award Winner, and Dr. Toy’s Best Children’s Vacation Product Award Winner) are a remarkable testimony to her talent and artistry.  Mary’s wonderful voice and colourful performances are filled with infectious music, sheer energy, and lots of audience participation.

Since 1993, Mary has toured and performed over 3000 shows at schools, libraries, music festivals and family focused events throughout Canada.  Mary Lambert Productions has released 12 CDs, and two live concert DVDs. Mary’s highly interactive Pajama Party concert features dance breaks, finger-play, sing-along songs, and tons of fun! It includes play-time and story-time themed songs from her “Pajama Party” CD. Children, and their parents, are encouraged to bring a stuffed animal, or blanket, and wear their pajamas to this 50-minute long performance.

So hop out of bed, feed your kids breakfast, throw a coat over your jammies, and head to Horizon Stage to spend quality time with a theatre full of energetic young music fans.Tickets to Mary Lambert’s Pajama Party on January 26 are just $12 for adults, $6 for children and seniors, and babes-in-arms are free. Discounts are available for preschools, daycares, and kindergarten classes. Purchase your tickets in-person at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, or online at www.horizonstage.com.

Classical Music and Theater Combine in Tom Allen’s Debussy vs Ravel: The Judgment of Paris

Choose your side and may the best composer win!

As the thunderclouds of the Great War pile up and burst, musical revolutionary Claude Debussy and his one-time follower Maurice Ravel compete for the love of their proud, fickle, darling, Paris. The Judgment of Paris is a mix of cabaret, history, storytelling, timeless music by Debussy and Ravel, and original songs by its performers. It is new and old, heroic and tragic, history and fiction. Allow yourself to be swept away by the music and passion of another era at Horizon Stage on Friday, January 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Together with his musical friends, Tom Allen has put together an incredible concert that combines chamber music with storytelling. As the host of Shift on Radio 2, CBC listeners will be familiar with Tom’s voice and personality. His programs are filled with interesting facts about the selection, the composer, or about our times. Tom is the author of three non-fiction books, and a talented trombone player - a skill he also demonstrates during The Judgment of Paris.

Soprano Patricia O’Callaghan is a recording and performing artist with five solo CDs and several collaborations.  Her fifteen-year career has taken her across genres, continents, and a range of disciplines and passions. She has toured both on her own, and guest artist on other artists’ shows, throughout North America, Europe, and Australia. She has also worked in film, theatre, and television. Patricia last performed at Horizon Stage in 2008.

Bryce Kulak is an actor, singer, pianist, and composer from Edmonton who has been touring professionally since he was 11. He has recorded three albums and performed with symphony orchestras and in theatrical world premieres across Canada. Often compared to the great songwriters of the original cabaret era, he carries the torch of that compelling genre into the new century. 

Cellist Kevin Fox is a composer, arranger, and vocalist with three solo recordings of his own and countless credits as a supporting artist. He studied at McGill, has composed for Justin Bieber and Kathleen Edwards, recorded with Raine Maida and Celine Dion, and toured with Sarah Harmer, Chantal Kreviazuk, Steven Page, Tom Cochrane, and Olivia Newton-John. Kevin last performed at Horizon Stage in 2011.

Lori Gemmell is the Principal Harpist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. She also performs often with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Lori has released two recordings of solo harp music, two duo recordings, and recorded with Feist.

Judge the composers for yourself at Horizon Stage on Friday, January 23 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $40 for adults, and $35 for students and seniors. Purchase yours in-person at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, or online at www.horizonstage.com.

This performance is proudly sponsored by Canadian Heritage, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Servus Credit Union, CKUA, Travelodge Inn & Suites, and Ticketpro. 

Enjoy A Rollicking Rocky Mountain Celtic Kitchen Party

Traditional Irish and Newfie Music with an Exciting Modern Canadian Twist

 Cod Gone Wild is a modern Celtic/Roots/Rock band based out of the Okanagan Valley in beautiful British Columbia. The “Cods” are a group of veteran musicians from diverse musical backgrounds, whose modern Celtic sound is flush with driving rhythms and tight vocal harmonies. Their concerts are always brimming with warmth, positive energy, and good cheer - the perfect place to spend a cold January night. Don’t miss your chance to catch the “Cods” at Horizon Stage on Friday, January 16.

Cod Gone Wild was born when Newfoundlander and lead singer/guitarist Andrew Mercer moved to B.C. in 2009. He brought with him a passion for the traditional Irish/Newfoundland music he grew up with and a vision to create something uniquely Canadian. He recruited a group of Westerners with little Celtic background and ended up with a new and exciting spin on the Celtic sound.

The members of Cod Gone Wild are Andrew Mercer (guitar, vocals, harmonica, bodhran, and ugly stick), Chad ‘Rhino’ Carter (drums, percussion, harmonica, and vocals), Anjuli Otter (fiddle, percussion, and vocals), and Roy Kawano (bass, percussion, and guitar). Together, they pool their extensive backgrounds and training in a variety of genres including folk, rock, jazz, classical, and funk, to create their own, uniquely western Canadian, Celtic music.  

The band released their self-titled debut album in 2011, and it still receives regular airplay on the east coast, across Canada on CBC, and on Celtic radio stations around the world. In 2012 they toured extensively to promote their second album, ‘The Traveler’, were named ‘Best of the Okanagan’ by Okanagan Life Magazine, and recorded their first live DVD during the Vernon Winter Carnival Irish Pub Night.

Cod Gone Wild’s third album ’Battered & Fried’ was released in March 2014. It has more of a focus on modernizing the Celtic sound and contains more original music. Their “Battered & Fried Tour” this January will take them across Alberta, from Nojack to Forestburg, with multiple stops in between.

Party with the “Cods” at Horizon Stage on Friday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $35 for adults, and $30 for students and seniors. Purchase yours in-person at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, or online at www.horizonstage.com.

    

This performance is proudly sponsored by Canadian Heritage, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Servus Credit Union, CKUA, Travelodge Inn & Suites, and Ticketpro.