A community cultural resource since 1948, the Warren Concert Association is pleased to host five concerts for the 2016-2017 season.

The first of the five concerts will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Warren at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 8 when Matthew Ball, AKA The Boogie Woogie Kid, will perform. Matthew’s family-friendly program of piano favorites from the Swing Era with Boogie Woogie, Blues, Ragtime, and Swing will have you toe tapping in time to his performance. From Waltzing Matilda to The Entertainer, this concert will be a crowd-pleaser. A video favorite with more than 3.5 million YouTube views, Matthew is known as “Michigan’s Best.” Visit www.boogiewoogiekid.com for a preview of his concert content.

On Saturday, October 29, the concert will be at Struthers Library Theatre, also beginning at 7:30 p.m. This is a return engagement of the Duquesne Tamburitzans, whose last performance in Warren was in 2008. A celebration of cultural heritages and shared values, the music, song, and dance program reflects celebrations and remembrances of world cultures and rites of passage around the globe. Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the ethnic music and dance troupe, the “Jubilee” performance will feature new content and new costuming for an updated, sophisticated, and vibrant program.

This year’s holiday concert, again generously sponsored by Northwest Bank (formerly Northwest Savings Bank) will be at the Library Theatre on Saturday, December 3, at 7:30 p.m. and will feature the male A Cappella group, Ball in the House. In addition to holiday classics, some perfect for a sing along, they’ll also perform classic harmonies like the sounds of The Temptations and Boyz II Men and incorporate pop and neo-soul from popular artists Bruno Mars and Pharrel Williams. These veteran vocalists have performed with The Beach Boys, Gladys Knight, Kool and the Gang, Jessica Simpson, Smokey Robinson, and KC and the Sunshine Band.

After a winter break, avoiding winter weather issues and awaiting the return of northwest Pennsylvania snowbirds, the fourth concert of the season, featuring the Karkowska Sisters Duo, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 18 at the First Presbyterian Church The musical partnerships of sisters, of violin and piano, of American and international compositions make this performance special. Telling fantastic stories with their music and entertaining with repartee, Anna and Kasha tell their stories and the stories of the music they play.

The fifth and final concert of the season will be held at the Library Theatre at 7:30 p.m. and will feature the Hadar Noiberg Trio. Noiberg’s trio of flute, double bass, and drums is tight and full of groove and passion. A flutist and composer, Hadar brings together the warm, romantic sound and precision of European classical music, the controlled passion of American jazz, and the colorful depth of Middle Eastern sounds.

With melodies that are voice-like, rhythmic patterns from Blues and African music, and a looping system that layers her instrumentation, Hadar and her fellow musicians produce an orchestra of sounds. Expect a rich textural landscape from this trio of innovative and boundary-pushing professionals. If you’ve never experienced listening to live music that is taped and immediately played back as an accompaniment to the musicians on stage, this will be a can’t miss performance.

Season tickets are available for purchase now. Call (814) 723-6505 to request a subscription packet, visit VirgAnn’s or the Library Theatre business office to pick up a packet, or email warrenconcertassociation@gmail.com to request subscription materials. Subscriptions will also be sold from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the church prior to the October 8 concert at the First Presbyterian Church. In addition to individual memberships, Patron, Sponsor, and Benefactor levels of enhanced giving are available for individuals and businesses.