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4A Daily News – Thursday, June 13, 2013 Pastimes & Arts entertainment Counductor's next season his last Kyle Wiley Pickett, conductor of the North State Symphony, has been appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Springfield Symphony in Missouri. Earlier this spring, he also accepted the position of Music Director and Conductor of the Topeka Symphony in Kansas. In both Springfield and Topeka, Pickett was selected from over 200 conductors from all over the world and was the top choice of both organizations. With these two new posts in the Midwest, Pickett has announced that the 2013-14 season will be his final year with the North State Symphony, as well as his final year with his other current orchestra, the Juneau Symphony in Alaska. The NSS season begins Sept. 21 and 22 with Pickett conducting the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and other works. Pickett will conduct all four main subscription concerts in 2013-14 with the North State Symphony, and a guest conductor will conduct the holiday concert in December. Pickett took the reins of the Redding Symphony in 1998 and the Chico Symphony in 2000. He then spearheaded the merger of the two symphonies to form the North State Symphony, a hybrid of professional musicians, music faculty, and top university students, jointly governed by boards of directors from community members in Redding and Chico as well as the administration of California State University, Chico's College of Humanities and Fine Arts. Pickett shepherded the growth of the North State Symphony since its inaugural concert in September, 2001, working to ensure financial stability and musical excellence in this growing regional orchestra. In its first year, the North State Symphony played 8 performances of 4 concert sets in 2 cities. By its 10th anniversary in 2011-12, the North State Symphony had grown to 23 performances of 10 concert sets in 6 cities. Pickett says this is a very bittersweet moment for him. "Building the North State Symphony Public art demo with Whiskeytown's artist Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and the Friends of Whiskeytown invite park visitors to a free art demo and talk with artist-in-residence Dan Crowe 10 a.m. to noon Friday June 14 at Brandy Creek Beach. Crowe will also display some of the art created during his stay at Whiskeytown. A recent graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, he has been working in the park since early June. Throughout the establishment of the national parks, artists have played a vital role in of the formation and preservation of the nation's natural wonders. Today, artists continue to broaden and deepen public awareness to these national treasures by translating the national park's mission into a visual medium to facilitate enjoyment and stewardship values to the public — many of whom, never have the opportunity to visit their national parks. For more information call the Visitor Center at (530) 246-1225, or visit www.nps.gov/whis. Chico World Music Festival Chico Performances has just announced that the 2013 Chico World Music Festival will be held Sept. 13-14 this year. This year's festival, which marks its 20th, will kick off on Friday evening with a ticketed performance by ukulele wizard Jake Shimabukuro in Laxson Auditorium. This performance will be followed on Saturday by a full schedule of free music performances by six bands on three stages, a Kids Stage featuring 7 performances, vendors, and kids' activities. In a change from previous years, there will be no festival on Sunday. Performers are typically booked for the festival in the summer. Check the Chico Performances web pages in August. Tickets to Shimabukurou's Friday concert can be purchased from the University Box Office as part of a series starting July 1, or individually starting Aug. 5. 2013-2014 Cascade season has been incredibly rewarding to me. We have been able to reach stunning artistic heights and accomplish more than I ever would have imagined when I first took on the Redding Symphony in 1998. We have seen our communities work alongside each other to keep orchestral music alive and thriving in the North State, while other orchestras all over the country faltered in the economic downturn of the last few years. "I am really proud of what we have done together here. As excited as I am for this next step in my career, I will be sad to leave the orchestra in a year. I will miss the musicians who trusted me, my board members who have had continual faith in me, and the communities, which have shown time and again that symphonic music belongs in Northern California. But for right now, I am also looking forward to my final season on concerts with NSS. From Tchaikovsky in September to Beethoven in May, they're going to be the best ever!" Eugene Nichols of Redding, the Chair of the North State Symphony Board of Directors said in response to the news: "The success of the NSS the past 12 years is largely due to Dr. Pickett. The orchestra loves him, our audience loves him, the NSS Board members love him. We expected his talent would eventually take him from us. It's sad for us but we are thrilled he has this new opportunity. And we'll anticipate the great concerts in 20132014 all the more, knowing that he will not be around forever." Dr. Joel Zimbelman, the outgoing Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at CSU, Chico, said: "Kyle Pickett's leadership as conductor of the North State Symphony over the last several years has been decisive in putting our program on a strong footing. He has at every turn been a friend to musicians and audience alike. He's an outstanding organizer, gifted educator, superb musician, inspiring conductor, trusted strategist, and able politician (but only in the good sense!). For these and so many more reasons I'm going to miss working with him. "Still, his greatest legacy is that he's left in place a solid organization that makes wonderful music in many North State communities, that can now step up the challenge of continuing what he's brought to fruition. I'm already thinking of ways to get him back here as a guest conductor in future years. But mostly I wish the Picketts Godspeed. I know exactly why his new symphony partners chose him over so many other superb candidates. And I hope that in 2014, he finds challenges, joys, and a community of belonging in the midwest, that is second only to Chico. The best of fortune to you Kyle!" Pickett will assist the North State Symphony as they begin the process of conducting a search for his replacement. The Cascade Theatre has finished booking more than 30 events for the next year and is now announcing the entire lineup for the 2013-14 Performance Series. Celebrating the theatre's 10th anniversary season, this year's star-studded roster is shaping up to be once again the best since the doors opened ten years ago. The season focuses on a diversity of musical style and performance types that are as varied as the people who live in our region. Whether it's country, blues, classical piano, musical theater, world music or dance, you are sure to find several events in this year's series that inspire. Tickets are available now to Cascade Theatre members for the rest of the 2013-14 Cascade Performance Series. Highlights include Boz Scaggs, Yamato: The Drummers of Japan, Ruthie Foster, beloved comedian Bill Cosby, the Cascade's production of The Wizard of Oz, Arlo Guthrie, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn and many more. Ticket sales for the general public will begin June 25. This year's complete season: June 13 Jerry Douglas June 23 Terry Riley & Gyan Riley June 28 Old Crow Medicine Show July 13 Blue Oyster Cult July 17 Pink Martini July 23 Billy Currington Aug 23 Cake Aug 28 Tower of Power Sept 5 Grits & Glamour: Pam Tillis & Lorrie Morgan Sept 18 Boz Scaggs Oct 4 Manhattan Short Film Festival Oct 16 Yamato : The Drummers of Japan Nov 2 Sound of Music Sing-a-long Nov 7 Diamond Rio Nov 8 Ruthie Foster Trio Novr 10 SF Opera: Lucrezia Borgia Nov 29-30 A Cascade Christmas Dec 1, 5-7 A Cascade Christmas Dec 20 A Celtic Christmas Jan 4 New Christy Mintrels Jan 5 SF Opera: Porgy & Bess Jan 26 Cirque Ziva Jan 28 Celtic Nights Feb 8 An Intimate Evening with Lonestar Feb 14 True Blues Feb 21 Bill Cosby Feb 22 Zuma Zuma Feb 25 A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald featuring Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Mar 1 Ailey II Mar 2 SF Opera: Boris Godunov Mar 13 Elvin Bishop/James Cotton/Paul Thorn Mar 15 A Touch of Classical Piano Mar 26 John Anderson & Tracy Lawrence Mar 28-30 The Wizard of Oz Musical Apr 3-6 The Wizard of Oz Musical Apr 14 Arlo Guthrie Mat 10 Defending the Caveman May 13 Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn May 18 SF Opera: Aida Information on becoming a Cascade Theatre member is available at www.cascadetheatre.org or at the Cascade Box Office at 243-8877. Pancake Breakfast Saturday, June 29th 7am-10am $ 00 8 Applebee's Restaurant 220 Antelope Blvd June 16 - 30, 2013 365 S. Main St., Red Bluff $2 Bowling Burgers & Beer +more specials! See website for details www.lariatbowl.com or call 527-2720 Providing year round family fun since 1958 Food From The Heart Funds for Food Drive A simple $18.00 donation provides 100 pounds of nutritious food, including fresh produce. Make your heartfelt tax deductable donation at participating businesses more info: Red Bluff Gold Exchange 528-8000 www.foodfromthehearttehamacounty.com