Brevard College Unveils Highlights of 2009-2010 Artist Series at the Porter Center for Performing Arts;Upcoming Season to Focus on “Rediscovery”

Rediscovering the musical threads of tradition and diversity that have been the hallmarks of its first decade, Brevard College’s upcoming Artist Series will include a chart-topping Celtic band, a Medieval vocal quartet and a mini series showcasing tomorrow’s rising stars, among others.


The 2009-2010 season at Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts is about “rediscovery,” explains Technical Director Rick Nelson.


“Planning our 12th year entailed doing some soul-searching,” says Nelson. “We visited what worked for the series – and what had not – and decided that in order to continue to bring excitement to our audience, we needed to ‘rediscover’ our commitment as a Performing Arts Center. This season, we hope our patrons will discover an amazing artist just emerging on the national scene or rediscover an old friend or a brand new favorite.”


Performers for this season’s Artist Series range from the traditional toe-tapping Celtic tunes of Gaelic Storm on October 8 to the return of award-winning virtuosic vocals of Anonymous 4 on April 10, 2010. One of the finest boy choirs in the world, the Atlanta Boy Choir, will perform on November 21 as part of this season’s Discovery Series. This new series is designed to promote young and upcoming artists and encourage youth to pursue careers in music.


A complete listing of the 2009-2010 Artist Series/Discovery Series performances will be unveiled this summer during the Porter Center’s annual Season Preview Party for prior and new season subscribers.


Inaugurated in 1998, the Porter Center for Performing Arts on the campus of Brevard College in Brevard, NC has earned a reputation as one of the finest performance halls in the South. Named for North Carolina businessman and Brevard College Life Trustee Paul Porter, the Porter Center hosts the Artist Series at Brevard College – which has brought in some of the world’s most talented musicians in a dizzying array of styles – all performing in a pristine acoustical setting.


The Porter Center’s Scott Concert Hall has seating for 700, terrific acoustics and unobstructed sight lines. The large stage can house a full symphony, yet it can be intimate enough for a solo guitar recital.


The Porter Center is also a performance and academic space for Brevard College students from the Music Department and Theatre Department, a campus meeting space, and a performance venue for some of the groups that populate Transylvania County’s amazingly rich cultural scene – the Brevard Philharmonic, Brevard Community Band, Transylvania Choral Society and more.


The Porter Center's visual centerpiece is the glorious $1.2-million Kirkpatrick-Coleman Pipe Organ, a world-class instrument designed by master organ-builder Daniel Jaeckel, featuring three manual divisions, 69 ranks and 3,539 pipes.


For more information about the 2009-2010 Porter Center series or the Season Preview Party, contact the Porter Center box office at 828-884-8330.


The Porter Center can be found online at http://www.theportercenter.org/.