Fian tends to create songs in linear structures that twist and convulse their way through multilayered lyrical narratives, varying time and key signatures, and musical styles. Fian deftly dodges the various generic manacles that get bandied about but if under duress, they might consent to repose beneath the wide umbrella of the term “progressive” without all the wizards and such.
Join us for this special double-bill:
Derek Gripper and Hiroya Tsukamoto - two brilliant guitarists on the Village Green as part of Orcas Center's Summer Concert Series
They say it takes nearly a decade for a wine to mature. The same could be said for The RT’s (formerly The Rad Trads). If you caught their brand of raucous, beer-soaked trad jazz and blues in the early days, you‘ll see the same ingredients (boisterous horns, impassioned vocals, and a driving groove) but a new flavor, and the kind of maturity and subtlety that only comes with time.
The Foghorn Stringband is the present day gold standard for real-deal hard-hitting genuine old-time American string band music, with eight albums, thousands of shows, over 15 years of touring under their belts, and an entirely new generation of roots musicians following their lead. American roots music is a diverse and never-ending well of inspiration, and Foghorn Stringband continually and obsessively draws from old-time, bluegrass, classic country, and Cajun music traditions in an ongoing quest to present a broad span of American historical music with an unparalleled youthful energy, joy, and virtuosity.
The August 2023 Festival is here, featuring a lineup of renowned musicians and composers. We heartily welcome back OICMF Artistic Advisor and pianist Jon Kimura Parker, the Miró Quartet, violinist Nikki Chooi, oboists Nathan Hughes and Alecia Lawyer, and cellists Bion Tsang and Oliver Aldort, and we are excited to get to know several Festival newcomers, including violinists Yura Lee, flutist Sandy Hughes, and accordionist Iwo Jedynecki!
The original rhythm section for Heart - one of classic rock’s most successful and revered bands - is still locked in and delivering those iconic songs as faithfully as possible, says bassist and co-founding member Steve Fossen (a member of Heart from 1969 to 1982), of his band Heart By Heart. Along with former Heart drummer Michael Derosier (1975-1982), vocalist Somar Macek, Lizzy Daymont on guitar, keyboards and vocals, and guitarist Chad Quist, Fossen says Heart By Heart is committed to playing the music with as much reverence and respect as possible.
The August 2023 Festival is here, featuring a lineup of renowned musicians and composers. We heartily welcome back OICMF Artistic Advisor and pianist Jon Kimura Parker, the Miró Quartet, violinist Nikki Chooi, oboists Nathan Hughes and Alecia Lawyer, and cellists Bion Tsang and Oliver Aldort, and we are excited to get to know several Festival newcomers, including violinists Yura Lee, flutist Sandy Hughes, and accordionist Iwo Jedynecki!
Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival Presents: The Children's Concert
Our youngest audience is invited to enjoy and be inspired by music performed by Festival artists!
Like the powerful mandolinist and composer at its helm, John Reischman and the Jaybirds fashion a stylish take on bluegrass that seamlessly blends original songs and instrumentals with Appalachian old-time music for a truly unique band sound. Now in their 20th year, with seven acclaimed albums and two Juno nominations, the Jaybirds are simultaneously innovative and unadorned, sophisticated and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned and 21st-century contemporary.
The August 2023 Festival is here, featuring a lineup of renowned musicians and composers. We heartily welcome back OICMF Artistic Advisor and pianist Jon Kimura Parker, the Miró Quartet, violinist Nikki Chooi, oboists Nathan Hughes and Alecia Lawyer, and cellists Bion Tsang and Oliver Aldort, and we are excited to get to know several Festival newcomers, including violinists Yura Lee, flutist Sandy Hughes, and accordionist Iwo Jedynecki!
The August 2023 Festival is here, featuring a lineup of renowned musicians and composers. We heartily welcome back OICMF Artistic Advisor and pianist Jon Kimura Parker, the Miró Quartet, violinist Nikki Chooi, oboists Nathan Hughes and Alecia Lawyer, and cellists Bion Tsang and Oliver Aldort, and we are excited to get to know several Festival newcomers, including violinists Yura Lee, flutist Sandy Hughes, and accordionist Iwo Jedynecki!
The August 2023 Festival is here, featuring a lineup of renowned musicians and composers. We heartily welcome back OICMF Artistic Advisor and pianist Jon Kimura Parker, the Miró Quartet, violinist Nikki Chooi, oboists Nathan Hughes and Alecia Lawyer, and cellists Bion Tsang and Oliver Aldort, and we are excited to get to know several Festival newcomers, including violinists Yura Lee, flutist Sandy Hughes, and accordionist Iwo Jedynecki!
Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival Presents: Open Rehearsal for Seniors
Orcas Center Main Stage
Friday, August 18, 1:00pm FREE (no tickets required)
From Iceland to Italy, and all over the U.S., San Francisco based band Dirty Cello brings the world a high energy and unique spin on blues, rock, and Americana. Led by vivacious cross-over cellist, Rebecca Roudman, Dirty Cello is cello like you’ve never heard before. From down home blues and rock with a wailing cello, to virtuosic stompin’ Americana, Dirty Cello is a band that gets your heart thumping and your toes tapping!
The Shook Twins have graced legendary stages such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre with Gregory Alan Isakov and Ani DiFranco in addition to sharing bills with The Lumineers, The Head and the Heart, Sarah Jarosz, The Wood Brothers, and many others. Not to mention, they’ve carved a home for themselves after playing Northwest String Summit and Oregon County Fair over ten times each as well as appearing at High Sierra Music Festival, Lightning In A Bottle, Bumbershoot, Hulaween, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Electric Forest, Summer Camp Music Festival, and beyond. During 2012, the band welcomed multi-instrumentalist and “everything dude” Niko Slice on guitar, mandolin, and bass. Rounding out the sound (and the family) further, keyboardist and bassist Aber Miller joined the fold in 2018. Additionally, they welcome a rotating quiver of dynamic drummers, namely Alex Radakovich, Darren Garvey, and Simon Lucas.
Taylor Made consists of seven of the northwest’s finest musicians. Performing all of James Taylor’s classic songs from his vast repertoire of twenty-two studio and live album releases from the 1970’s to the present. Faithfully recreating the magic of James’s classic hits like Fire And Rain, Handy Man, Carolina In My Mind, Country Road, Up On A Roof, Shower The People and many more.
Barron Ryan’s love for music has always been divided. The son of two musicians, he grew up in a house filled with the sounds of artists ranging from Mozart to Motown. So when it comes to his own work, he’s not content drawing on just one influence. He combines them all into a musical adventure that’s vintage yet fresh, historical yet hip, classic yet cool.
Join us for a FREE Show and Dance in the Orcas Center Madrona Room from Paula Russell and the Orcas Rascals!
Woman in the Woods Presents: Love Movement. This ensemble, led by tap dancer Michela Marino Lerman, is a hybrid of the highest levels of musicianship and hoofing. This group incorporates original music, spirituals, jazz, traditional and electronic tap boards, which will surely challenge your thoughts, uplift, and send you dancing all the way home.
Music fans know Chris Webster and Nina Gerber as two of the most skilled and artful musical talents. Webster's voice is uniquely compelling while Gerber's guitar is beautiful and powerful. Together they're magic. With originals, tasteful covers-soulful ballads, jazzy tunes and sweet folk, a great show.
The historic tradition of mariachi music has its roots of origin in cities such as Guadalajara and Mexico City. As the ever-evolving genre's influence spread, it reached Chicago and birthed the Mariachi Herenciade México. The energetic, virtuosic Latin GRAMMY-nominated group has issued chart-topping albums and performed across the North American continent.
Join us for a guaranteed good time as we watch and celebrate the talent of our island youth! Directed by Didier Gincig, this annual event is an opportunity to relax among friends and neighbors while enjoying acts of song, dancing, skits, and musicianship. Family acts are included in this event as well.
Polyrhythmics sound originated in Seattle’s underground deep funk scene combining impossibly tight grooves with bold brass and hypnotic percussion that showcased elements of R&B, progressive jazz, and Afrobeat which defined the instrumental group’s early era sound.
J2B2 (John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band) is an all-star bluegrass supergroup featuring four legendary, award-winning musicians – John Jorgenson on acoustic guitar, mandolin and vocals; Herb Pedersen on banjo, acoustic guitar and vocals; Mark Fain on bass; and Patrick Sauber on acoustic guitar and vocals – delivering bluegrass like no one has ever heard it before.
Orcas Choral Society is offering several performances of Handel’s Messiah. “George Frederic Handel was a showman, in this case setting the most sacred of texts,” said Bruce Langford, Choral Society Artistic Director. “It is our intent to honor both the excitement and profound nature of his most popular work.”
Before Tony Levin founded Stick Men and played bass for Peter Gabriel and King Crimson (with side gigs including recording with John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, Paul Simon, Dire Straits and many others), he racked up major jazz credentials, playing with Buddy Rich, Steps Ahead, Chuck Mangione, and others.
In this special performance, old friends, legendary brothers LEVIN (Tony and Pete), and LA BARBERA (Pat & Joe), have decided to join brotherly forces together and to go back to their roots - jazz!
Join us for an evening of old time stringband music and harmony duets with original songwriting. Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms and Golden Shoals.
Golden Shoals is a fiddle and guitar duo with a "rousing old-time-style music that’s fueled by acerbic modern-day wit” (-No Depression Magazine).
Formed in 2009, GRAMMY™-nominated Texas Guitar Quartet has been hailed as “Impeccable in every respect” by Classical Guitar Magazine. Throughout the United States, Central America, Spain, and China, audiences have embraced the quartet for their daring programs, dazzling virtuosity and joyful music making. Recent highlights include performances for the Encuentro Internacional de Guitarra 2016 (Nicaragua), Victoria Bach Festival, Guitar Foundation of America Convention, Festival Internacional del Noreste (Mexico), and Texas Music Festival.
TAKE3 lives at the intersection where pop, rock and classical fusion collide. Their unmistakable style and infectious joy in music making brings them to over 60 stops during the 22/23 season. Join them as they take Orcas Center's Main Stage with their “On the Road Again” tour!
Pamyua showcases Inuit culture though music and dance performance. The show is a platform to share indigenous knowledge and history. Their style derives from traditional melodies reinterpreted with contemporary vocalization and instrumentation. Often described as “Inuit Soul Music,” Pamyua has discovered their own genre.
Into the Woods follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.
Help fund Orcas Center's free outdoor Summer Concert Series!
Orcas Center's Summer Concert Series returns to the Village Green!
Give the gift of entertainment to our community and help fund this incredible program. This year features 11 FREE outdoor concerts on Eastsound's Village Green stage - with touring artists and local music makers, offering world class music from all kinds of genres at zero cost to you and your families.
From the sublime to the downright silly, Orcas Choral Society’s spring concert, Songs of Shadow and Light, features works of contemporary English composer John Rutter. The program begins with Rutter’s Requiem, a fervent arc of prayers for all humanity. The second half turns to sweetness, light, and all manner of fun, with spirituals, a jazz madrigal, songs that rejoice in the beauty of spring, and a new OCS ensemble of tenors and basses. Under the lively baton of Artistic Director Bruce Langford, Songs of Shadow and Light will leave your heart singing.
This concert showcases the growth of the public school string program on Orcas. From our 5th grade strings through our graduating seniors. Telemann to LeRoy Anderson to Robert Plant. Come and support our young string musicians!
Please join your friends and neighbors in the OI Community Band for its first formal concert since the pandemic!
Our music presents something for all tastes. Enjoy a concert of lively marches, touching beloved melodies and some tunes which will evoke memories of years past.
Seven-time Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer Paul Winter will perform at Orcas Center on Saturday, June 8th at 7 pm. A journey through Paul Winter’s world of “living music,” the concert will feature Winter’s soprano sax and the virtuosic piano playing of Henrique Eisenmann.
Luca Stricagnoli is a world-renowned guitarist known for his innovative fingerstyle techniques and genre-blending musical arrangements. Hailing from Italy, but now based in Nashville, Luca's mesmerizing performances have earned him a massive social media following and critical acclaim from fellow musicians and critics alike worldwide.
Dirty Cello - cello like you've never heard before! Combine the virtuosic wail of Jimi Hendrix, the soul of BB King, and the fire of Bill Monroe, and add a whole lot of cello, and you get the Dirty Cello band.
Roy Rogers is considered one of the world’s preeminent master Delta slide guitarists. With over 20 recordings to his credit, Rogers has garnered 8 Grammy nominations for producing, as a recording artist, and as a songwriter. His collaborations have garnered major media accolades globally for producing critically acclaimed Grammy nominated recordings for John Lee Hooker and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, as well as collaborations with Ray Manzarek (The Doors), Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Allan Toussaint & Sammy Hagar, among others.
As the first classical brass soloist to ever receive the Order of Canada, Jens Lindemann is hailed as one of the most celebrated artists in his instrument’s history and was recently named “International Brass Personality of the Year” (Brass Herald). Jens has played both jazz and classical in every major concert venue in the world: from the Philharmonics of New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Moscow and Tokyo to Carnegie Hall and even the Great Wall of China.
Adrian Xavier has been spreading his uplifting message music for two decades, performing at festivals, colleges and events of all kinds. Adrian Xavier has been a part of Seattle's thriving music scene his entire life, with over 50 performances with original members of RNR Hall Fame band Heart and a regular featured guest with Marmalade, Seattle's longest running funk collective. Reggae music has always been a part of his journey and his role in cultivating the scene has led to exposer and development for many artist from Jamaica to Hawaii, Prezident Brown, Rocker T., Ras Michael, Clinton Fearon and Marty Dread are among the many artists Adrian Xavier has supported, toured and collaborated with extensivley on events and in the studio.
Three Asian-American storytellers portray the lives of pioneering women who have impacted history. Roopa Mohan will re-create the life of Kasturba Gandhi. Bowen Lee will embody the pioneering woman mountain climber, first woman to climb Mt. Everest. Nancy Wang will enact the life of Quock Mui, a pioneering Chinese American from the Chinese fishing villages of the Monterey Bay area.
Orcas Center's Fantasy Island Masquerade Gala
Saturday, July 20th Starting at 5pm
Join us for a gala like no other!
UP UP UP Inc. is a touring crane truck circus ensemble!
Our goal is to do socially distant shows for outdoor gatherings, small farms, immigrant communities, dinner parties, nursing homes, women's shelters, etc. to bring joy and levity into the air!
The first thing you ‘ll notice about Alice Di Micele is her voice. With a five-octave range that is intense, sensual, rich and soulful, Di Micele has been known to turn a noisy bar silent within a few notes. Her warm presence and humor disarm and create a rare intimacy between audience and performer. Whether singing a jazzy-folk number, belting a sassy blues, crooning a hushed ballad, or rocking out on one of her trademark rhythmic earthy grooves, Alice is a vocalist that moves people. A kick-ass guitarist as well, whether playing solo or with a band “Force of Nature” her acoustic guitar conjures percussive poly-rhythms, bass lines, and melodies that perfectly frame her vocals.
Join local songwriters, Melody Funk, Carolyn Cruso, Madison West and Lisa Legros for this intimate musical experience. The In the Round format allows for artists to share their songs as well as the stories and inspiration behind writing them. Each artist is inspired by the piece that went before and can adjust their set list accordingly. Themes arise, running jokes emerge, harmonies are offered. It promises to be an evening of magic, lyrics and melody.
Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival Presents: The Children's Concert. Join us for The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant, and lots of other musical fun!
Dust off your boots and gather around for some true and original modern honky tonk music. An all-star cast of master musicians backs these two soul singers of country music, Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms. These two are known to roots music fans across the globe for their soulful harmonies, driving dance tunes, classic original songs, and commitment to the raw truth of rural American music.
Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival Presents: Open Rehearsal for Seniors
Orcas Center Main Stage
Friday, August 16, 1:00pm FREE (no tickets required)
New Primitives was founded in Minneapolis in 2003 by drummer, singer, songwriter Stanley Kipper. They are four-time Minnesota Music Award recipients and have played with Taj Mahal, Ziggy Marley, Mickey Hart, and the Neville Brothers, among others. New Primitives musicians come from a variety of strong musical backgrounds. Stan is on drums, Chico Perez on congas and percussion, Patrick Nelson on bass, Andrew Wozniak on lead guitar, “Lightnin” Joe Peterson on B3 and Brian “Snowman” Powers on saxophone. The music is Funky R& B/American Reggae with world music influences.
Duende Libre is an award-winning jazz ensamble which combines jazz virtuosity with roots rhythms from Cuba, Brazil, and West Africa into a “strikingly authentic blend.” Each having apprenticed with direct descendants and master musicians of these traditions, they consider themselves disciples of their teachers. The result: A euphoric new jazz that honors its historical roots, pushing open the boundaries of genre to invoke a powerful sonic freedom.
Edmar Castañeda nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category "Best Latin Jazz Album" with his album Family. In fall 2021, Castañeda's performance will be heard in Disney's latest film, Encanto (Release date: November 24, 2021), which features original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Castañeda acts on the soundtrack and serves as music consultant on Encanto; Hailing from Medellín, Colombia, singer-songwriter Andrea Tierra crafts an innovative fusion of popular Latin-American rhythms, seamlessly blending them with the poignant essence of her own poetry. Each performance becomes a stage for her lyrical creations. While her songs often carry progressive themes and political stances against global injustices, Andrea's contralto voice equally resonates in contemporary love ballads and new-age compositions.
The roots of the "NewNet" stretch back to the early 1990s in Austria when band leader, Oliver Groenewald, assembled a unique lineup consisting of two trumpets, a trombone, three saxophones, and a rhythm section to give life to his musical vision. Groenewald's intricate compositions and the band's ability to evoke the volume of a Big Band while maintaining the intimacy of a smaller ensemble quickly drew attention, including that of the legendary American jazz vocalist Mark Murphy.In 1992, Murphy commissioned Oliver to arrange and produce an album together. The fruit of their collaboration, "Very Early," was released in 1993 and received critical acclaim, earning the title of Vocal CD of the Year from the New Yorker Cadence magazine.
Martin Lund, one of the most diverse musicians in the universe, lives and breathes music in many different colors and cultures. He has played with some of the great blues artists of our time and worked in the studios of LA as a composer, arranger, and musician. He is well known for bringing great artists to this island and providing some of the best shows at Orcas Center.
Woman in the Woods Productions, presents: Ladies of Hip Hop!
Join us at 5pm for appetizers from The Kitchen (including vegan options) as well as Steve Alboucq and Oliver Groenewald Quintet in the Madrona Room. Performance starts at 7pm
7x CFMA winner/5x JUNO nominee mando-maestro Andrew Collins is joined by fellow Trio string-meisters Mike Mezzatesta and James McEleney to showcase a popular collision of folk, new acoustic roots, chambergrass and jazz, not to mention a dizzying number and energetic interplay of instruments on stage. This dynamic genre-hopping show is propelled even further by Andrew’s captivating lead vocals and James’ soaring harmonies.
Turtleback Brass and The Orcas Dance Collective unite with community artists to celebrate our successes while enduring life’s trying transitions. Finding balance and bounty through brass and dance is one way can come together and express thankfulness.
A concert of all ages for all ages!
Join us for a wondrous Holiday Concert!
Orcas Choral Society will be singing Benjamin Britten’s beloved Ceremony of Carols arranged for men’s and women’s voices, plus a wide array of well-known carols. Bruce Langford, Artistic Director, said “The mix gives us great harmonies. It is music that will stay with you long after the concert is done.”
Orcas Island High School Strings and Band will be performing some holiday favorites and some other non holiday pieces. Come and join us. Orcas Center 7:00 PM.
Get into the holiday spirit with the Alias Brass Company on Friday, December 13 at 7pm! "Holiday Gifts" combines holiday standards, interactive audience carols, and exciting arrangements, for an exciting evening of holiday entertainment at Orcas Center!
Your musical friends and neighbors in the Orcas Island Community Band would love to have you join us for a stirring holiday concert at Orcas Center. Under the direction of Karen Key Speck, the Community Band plays musical selections from the past which will stir up beautiful memories and new arrangements of Hannukah and Christmas tunes to welcome in the winter season. Admission by donation. Everyone is welcome.
At the heart of WOLFCHILD is Gabriel Wolfchild and his brother Elion TruthHeart.
Gabriel’s emotive lyricism, enchanting vocals, and unique guitar work quickly won over Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Christina Aguilera on NBC’s The Voice with his soulful rendition of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright”, culminating in a national tour.
Elion is a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist who effortlessly flows between drums and a variety of exotic string and woodwind accompaniment. He contributes to a rich vocal harmony that only brothers can create.
Join us on January 31st to witness the incredibly versatile guitarist Frank Vignola team up with rising jazz guitar star Pasquale Grasso to create an unique and intimate musical experience unlike any other!
Join us for an evening of comedy with Mike Wally Walter, Chris Kemper, and a surprise local! Hosted by Jamey Moriarty, and presented by Kraken Comedy.
Founded in 1970, Asleep at the Wheel has been part of the American roots music landscape for more than 50 years. Although the band got its start on a farm in Paw Paw, West Virginia, Asleep at the Wheel became a cornerstone of the Austin, Texas, scene upon its arrival in 1973. Inspired by Western swing and honky-tonk country, the band has accrued 10 Grammy Awards. In the fall, a career retrospective recorded with the current lineup -- and a few special guests -- will carry the band back onto the road, where they’ve remained a staple for five decades.
“I’ve always resonated deeply with Wes Anderson’s movies,” muses Isenberg. “There was something so familiar about the way he captured the ache of adolescence.”
So he set out to put his own spin on songs by artists like David Bowie, Nick Drake and the Velvet Underground but through the lexicon of jazz orchestration and improvisation.
“The most exciting vocal group in a generation,” Windborne’s captivating show draws on the singers’ deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the absolute uniqueness of their artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements, their harmonies are bold and anything but predictable.
Help fund Orcas Center's free outdoor Summer Concert Series!
Orcas Center's Summer Concert Series returns to the Village Green!
Give the gift of entertainment to our community and help fund this incredible program. This year features 18 FREE outdoor concerts on Eastsound's Village Green stage - with touring artists and local music makers, offering world class music from all kinds of genres at zero cost to you and your families.
This May, immerse yourself in music to transport your soul as Orcas Choral Society presents, “Glory, Grandeur & Gospel” for voices and brass.
Join us for a powerful, student-led performance that brings the Salish Sea to life through dance, poetry, music, and visual projection. Directed by Orcas Island High School senior Solianna Halabisky, this multimedia showcase is her senior community project—an artistic call to protect the ecosystems and remarkable wildlife of our region.
The performance features choreography by Tiffany Loney, dancers from the Orcas Dance Collective, original poetry by local students, and stunning underwater projections created by Jess Newly, Friends of the San Juans’ Community Science and Education Director.
Folk music festival in Eastsound on beautiful Orcas Island featuring The Litch Brothers Duo, Eli West, and Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms!
This concert showcases the growth of the public school string program on Orcas Island from 5th grade through graduating seniors. Come and support these talented young musicians!
With a performance history spanning more than 29 years and having released 15 CDs, Pearl Django endures as one of the most highly regarded Hot Club style groups working today. Although the band’s roots are firmly in the music made famous by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, its extensive repertoire includes traditional jazz classics and original compositions.
We Are Here is a one-hour documentary by Marc Levy that investigates the intention and process of a community whose aim is to move us to action through moving art. In We Are Here, we find out what makes a puppet come to life and we are challenged to reconsider our own place in the world.
The amount of musical talent on Orcas continues to astound - as this talented group offers musicians on instruments sometimes not even found in concert bands on the mainland! Join us for another great Community Band Concert!
Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival Presents: The Children's Concert. Join us for Symba and the Lobster, an interactive storytelling experience created and performed by violinist Nanki Chugh with oboist Anne Pinkerton and narrator Sophie Parker
Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival Presents: Open Rehearsal for Seniors
Orcas Center Main Stage
Friday, August 15, 1:00pm FREE (no tickets required)
Join us for an evening of free jazz on the Village Green starting at 5 PM! Duende Libre and Sabu help wrap up the Summer Concert Series and kick off the Orcas Island Jazz Festival!
Greta Matassa's 40 year career has been a whirlwind of exciting opportunities and experiences. Over the last 20 years she has become established as one of the greatest jazz singers of her time. Working with top jazz musicians in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. In 2016 She was featured with bassist John Clayton’s group in a centennial tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.
EntreMundos Quintet is an electrifying Seattle-based group that brings to the stage an uplifting and kinetic mix of deep Brazilian roots flavored with world rhythms––a deft blending of funk, jazz, and soul melding with the classic sounds of samba and bossa nova. EntreMundos means “between worlds” and the group’s mélange of seductive sounds embodies their name, stirring a personal and uncommon blend into a sound with universal appeal.
Martin Lund, one of the most diverse musicians in the universe, lives and breathes music in many different colors and cultures. He has played with some of the great blues artists of our time and worked in the studios of LA as a composer, arranger, and musician. He is well known for bringing great artists to this island and providing some of the best shows at Orcas Center.
The famed showdown of musical might has returned! The 2025 Battle of Bands makes a jump to the Orcas Center for an event that is bigger than ever. Featuring all local and regional music, on this fateful day bands will compete for trophies and glory, all while raising money for the Orcas Community Resource Center. With our intrepid hosts, we will learn what it means to be a band, the highs and lows of musicianship, and perhaps even the meaning of love!
Orcas Center is producing an all-kids musical theater show that will run in early spring. Auditions for “How to Eat like a Child” are on Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m. in the Madrona Room. Callbacks are Friday, Dec. 5 at 3:30 p.m. with a movement component.
Artistic Director Bruce Langford leads the choir in Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s delightful "Midnight Mass for Christmas," a cheerful setting written in 1694 and based on 10 French carols. They'll be joined by dancers from the Orcas Dance Collective, choreographed by Tiffany Loney. The second half features fun familiar secular carols in inventive arrangements.
Vexing Left won three of six awards at the 2025 Battle of the Bands presented by Orcas Center, including the coveted People's Choice Award and Best Shredder. Having only played four shows since its December 2024 debut, the trio is excited to record and create throughout an island winter, with more live joy to come in spring.
On Taylor's Swift's birthday, Orcas Center is hosting 13 Til Midnight, a Taylor Swift Tribute Band, on the main stage. Featuring top vocal talent and a studio-quality band, 13 Til Midnight takes you on a journey through Swift's greatest hits, deep cuts and fan favorites...
This concert showcases the growth of the public school string program on Orcas Island from 5th grade through graduating seniors. Come and support these talented young musicians!
The amount of musical talent on Orcas continues to astound - as this talented group offers musicians on instruments sometimes not even found in concert bands on the mainland! Join us for another great Community Band Concert!
Wolfchild is a Portland, Ore.-based Cinematic Folk Rock band with influences ranging from the immersive earthy sounds of Gregory Alan Isakov, Lord Huron, and The Paper Kites to the contemporary experimentation...
Experience the spellbinding artistry of Hiroya Tsukamoto, a master of fingerstyle guitar and evocative storytelling that transcends cultural boundaries.
Experience the spellbinding artistry of Hiroya Tsukamoto, a master of fingerstyle guitar and evocative storytelling that transcends cultural boundaries.
Victims of Love — A Tribute to the Eagles, is composed of five Seattle-area music veterans who formed a project to give anyone within earshot the opportunity to hear the Eagles songs they love played live. Victims of Love dedicates themselves to the perfect recreation of the Eagles’ 5-part harmonies and intrinsic instrumentation and guitar work from the Eagles best-selling albums. Come out and catch a Victims of Love show to enjoy all your favorite Eagles songs performed live!
Diego Salvetti is Italian and comes from a musical family. He started his musical studies at seven years old, studying with his father and started studying classical guitar with the Italian composer and guitarist Giovanni Podera.
At the age of 11, Diego won first prize at the 13th National Guitar Competition in Genova, Italy, “Pasquale Taraffo.”
Successively, Diego started studying with Maestro Giorgio Oltremari at the Bergamo Conservatory “G. Donizetti”. After 10 years in the conservatory, he graduated with top grades in classical guitar.
Stomp, clap, sing, and shout... Be a part of the show as "Queen Mother" pays tribute to Queen's music in the space where it belongs, live on stage. Hailing from Seattle, Queen Mother harnesses the Northwest’s best talent to bring these epic songs to life, including Under Pressure, We Are the Champions, Bohemian Rhapsody, and many more. With each show they make the whole room a stage, hoping to draw out your inner “Freddie.”
Pianist Marina Grozdanovic will be performing music composed in France from the Baroque to the Impressionist era, by composers Rameau, Couperin, Chopin, Debussy and Ravel at Orcas Center. Each piece will be accompanied by paintings or photographs on the big screen, which Grozdanovic personally chose to match the music.
IndivisibleMay 1 - 97:00pm Performances: May 1, 2, 7, 8, and 92:00pm Performance: May 3Tiered Ticket Pricing: $70, $40, $25, ($10 Student/Senior/Veteran)Directed by: Jake PerrineINDIVISIBLE is an original multimedia dance experience about divisions in our culture. Created and performed by the very best of Orcas Island and Orcas Dance Collective, and directed by Jake Perrine, […]
Orcas Center Presents: 2026 Spring Gala Saturday, May 9th Doors open at 5pm Madrona Room GET GALA TICKETS GET SHOW TICKETS Spring Gala: Indivisible Through Art Join us for a special evening of food, fun, and fundraising. Attendees will be treated to dinner from award-winning chef Avery Adams of Matia. Please join us to support […]
In An American Choral Tapestry, songs by American composers are drawn from many threads in our national saga.
From a Lummi invocation, to tapping down Broadway, to the quiet waters of Waldron Island, we celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary with music that will carry you through the centuries and across the continent in a heartwarming choral experience, featuring dance and instrumentalists.
Orcas Center Presents in the Black Box Theater: ANTIDOTE DANCE PARTY Saturday, May 23, 7 p.m. $10 at the door ANTIDOTE Our Black Box will be transformed into a goth nightclub for you to gloom the night away. The event is planned by Felix Holding and features a vampire-themed burlesque performance by Carmilla DeVour. Dressed […]
The second annual OrcasFest is right around the corner, May 28-31, and soon town will be buzzing with music in intimate venues all around Eastsound village. Festival organizers, Tashi Litch, Caleb Klauder, and Reeb Willms have a fantastic lineup in store. The festival kicks off with a square dance at Odd Fellows Hall Thursday evening, May 28. Daytime events start Friday afternoon at the Odd Fellows Hall and continue into the evening culminating with a cajun dance, as well as the Friday evening concert at Orcas Center featuring: Cathy Jordan, Kevin Burke, the Murphy Beds, and The Litch Brothers.