Welcome to the Community School of the Arts

Arts Education for the Entire Community!

Community Concert Series

This musical series is designed to introduce the concert goer to a broad spectrum of musical genres and experiences.  Each concert will feature local, regional, national or international artists that bring unique concert experiences to the Grande Ronde valley.  You may purchase tickets for the entire series or for individual concerts.

Ticket Information Here

November 20, 2005     The Columbia Trio

The Columbia Trio, one of the few resident piano trios in the Inland Northwest, was formed in 1999 by Lisa Robertson (violin), Edward Dixon (cello), and Matt Cooper (piano).

Each of its members lives in a different city: Enterprise, Walla Walla, andLa Grande respectively. Since each town is situated by a different river, the trio was named for the river into which all three flow, symbolizing the unity of chamber music.

The trio has performed on the Camerata Musica series, the Grande Ronde Symphony chamber series, Walla Walla Symphony chamber series, as well as concerts in Pendleton, Enterprise, Whitman College, and Eastern Oregon University.  They have been featured performers at the state conventions of the Washington State Music Teachers Association and the Oregon Music Teachers Association. Their repertoire includes trios by Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, and Ellen Taafe Zwilich.

Edward Dixon is on the music faculty at Whitman College, and Lisa Robertson and Matt Cooper at Eastern Oregon University.

January 20, 2006     Straight To Kong

Straight to Kong was unofficially formed years ago when it's members Sam Vore and Todd Tschida began playing their guitars together in Sam's dorm room in order to entertain the girls next door.  It was then that they discovered the unique tight Harmony that makes them so great.  Songwriter Sam Vore uses his songs to bring their harmony to a whole new level. 

Sam and Todd both have backgrounds in music, theatre, and of course musical theatre.  Their bond as friends, their unique brand of humor and their talent for entertaining have been a strong drawing force for all of their loving fans.

Straight to Kong came by their unusual name one night while playing their regular gig at a local bar.  A young woman there had claimed that she knew a guy who could make them famous, this man was only known to them as Kong.  She said "call Kong he'll help you out". Sarcastically they said, "we must go Straight to Kong!"  The band members were so amused by this scenario that this motto is now the title of the group.

The unique acoustic pop sound of "Straight to Kong" draws a solid fan base and Kong may still take them straight to the top after all. 

March 7, 2006     Petar Janovic

Petar Jankovic is an artist who masterfully translates music into emotion.  He connects with audiences. And whether they have heard him play one time or one hundred times, they find themselves moved.

What is most appealing about Jankovic’s style is his genuine, expressive interpretation of any given composition.  More than a classical guitar player, he is a person with the gift of communicating honest emotions of the human experience.

His expressive performances and a technical mastery found only among the world’s top musicians make it easy to understand why Jankovic has received overwhelming international acclaim.  Since beginning his professional music career in 1985, he has delighted audiences at recitals and enlightened students in his master classes throughout Europe and the United States.  As a performer at major competitions around the globe, his universally evocative sound has won high regard with the world’s classical music community, and as a result, Jankovic has garnered numerous prestigious awards.