News

Article by Nicholas Frank

The Classical Music Institute (CMI) has announced the formation of a new performance-focused subgroup that will serve as the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts’ resident orchestra. 

The Orchestra San Antonio (TOSA) is comprised of a core group of 60 CMI musicians. About 10 of those core members reside in San Antonio and regularly teach in CMI’s education programs, with the remainder traveling from around the U.S. and Latin America for performances.

TOSA will perform concerts during the upcoming CMI 210 Festival in June and will announce its

Article by Joshua Wright

100A Production will present Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley, a heartfelt and witty drama that brings to life the eccentricities and challenges of the MaGrath sisters. We spoke with the creative team about bringing the show to the Tobin Center.

The play is scheduled to run from March 7th to 10th, 2024, at the Carlos Alvarez Studio Theatre within the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts located at 100 Auditorium Circle, San Antonio, TX 78205.

The cast features Lee Drahl as Babe Botrelle, Victorya Ross as Meg MaGrath, Georgette María Messa as

Article by Darcy Ramirez

SAN ANTONIO — Ballet San Antonio is wrapping up their 2023-2024 season with the World Premiere of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

San Antonio’s professional ballet company is transforming William Shakespeare’s comedic play into a performance that fits everyone including the company’s dancers, the students at the ballet school, and the score.

The story revolves around two lovers, Hermia and Lisandro – whose love is called into question by their friends and families. The show is playful, chaotic and full of

YOSA stands for Youth Orchestras of San Antonio. Its most advanced ensemble is the YOSA Philharmonic which will present “American Rhapsodies,” described as “a symphonic event celebrating America’s diverse and culturally significant heritage.” The program includes Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” –
in collaboration with GRAMMY-winning pianist Michelle Cann – to honor the centennial of the composition’s premiere in 1924. The evening also includes the Texas premiere of Pulitzer Prize winning composer, Jennifer Higdon’s orchestral suite from her Civil War opera “Cold Mountain.” (Jan. 28 at 7

Attending a show at a venue like the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts can be a thrilling experience. From the moment a guest enters, they notice the sky-high, lofty lobby ceilings. Those lead to the expansive auditorium, where sound travels with ease from the front of the stage all the way to the rafters.

However, while that can be exciting for some guests, it can be downright overwhelming for others with autism, dementia, PTSD, and other similar conditions. Thankfully for these audience members, venues and touring shows are becoming more savvy.

Lots of singer-songwriters follow rules. Many seem to feel they’re required to be heart-on-sleeve romantics who hopelessly long to forge that connection. 

Joshua Radin, who performs Sunday, Jan. 16 at the Tobin Center’s Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater, is a notable exception. 

“I’ve had a terrible problem with letting people in my entire life,” confessed Radin, who’s touring behind his ninth and latest album, The Ghost And The Wall, which has drawn positive reviews for its gentle melodies and earnest introspection. 

Radin, who spoke to the Current via Zoom

Professional artists, musicians and performers will teach middle school art classes at San Antonio Independent School District’s Academy campuses this fall through partnerships with six local arts organizations.

By bringing in the part-time employees through the organizations, the schools can offer more art options on each campuses, Executive Director of Fine Arts Daniel Loudenback said.

Tony Scalzo of Fastball grew up a fan of hardcore punk rock but also loved classic British pop bands — two polarizing styles in his conservative Orange County, California. He wasn’t aware of a musical middle ground until he heard Squeeze — or U.K. Squeeze, as they initially were billed in the states — on A&M’s 1979 “No Wave” sampler of bands on the label.

“Their music was aggressive but also melodic,” Scalzo said. “It was just what I was looking for.”

When the offer came for Fastball to open several Squeeze theater dates, including Monday at the Tobin Center for the

Grammy Award-winning singer and guitarist Gary Clark Jr. wowed the Tobin Center crowd on Wednesday night with a stirring performance that blended rock, blues, soul and hip-hop. As per usual, the Austin musician's soulful and searing guitar work was front and center. Southern hip-hop duo Blackillac opened the show. 

No place in the world seemed holier Saturday than the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, where Houston psychedelic trio Khruangbin sermonized on the first of two sold-out nights at the venue. The band’s performance was an hour-and-a-half nomadic musical passage from the vintage influences of what was through the futuristic sounds of what might come to be. 

Khruangbin’s groovy and mind-expanding style incorporates an array of cultural influences ranging from East Asia and Iran to Latin America and India — and so far, and so forth.