7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 2015 
2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015
Taylor Performing Arts Center
Admission: contact Heartland Opera Theatre at 417-782-4953 for ticket prices
Heartland Opera Theatre heads to Spain to bring one of the most beloved operas of all time to the campus of Missouri Southern State University. Geroges Bizet’s Carmen is performed over 500 times in theatres all over the world each year, and with the amazing beauty of Bizet’s music and the dramatic intensity of the story it is an opera that should be at the top of every music and drama lovers list. International mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez commands the stage as Carmen, joined by an incredible cast of singers from all over the United States, including Dustin Peterson as Josè, Lacy Sauter as Micäela, and Bernardo Bermudez as the irresistible Escamillo. Filled with memorable music, every moment of the opera echoes the sounds of Seville at the turn of the 19th century. Zeffin Quinn Hollis return to Joplin as the production director; the opera will be conducted by the HOT Artistic Director, Nicholas Gilmore. Join a full orchestra, chorus, and incredible cast for an operatic experience that is not to be missed.
7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, 2015
Taylor Performing Arts Center
Admission: free
The Southern Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Jeffrey Macomber and featuring classical guitarist Robert Gruca, dedicates its November concert to the music of Spain. The program features Manuel de Falla’s Concert Suite from El Amor Brujo (“Love, the Magician”), Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra, and the Carmen Symphony, music by Georges Bizet arranged by José Serébrier.
Robert Gruca has toured the eastern United States and Europe with the Cleveland Orchestra. Possessing powerful musical interpretation and complete technical command over his instrument, he has earned several prizes in national guitar competitions. He regularly performs with flutist Linda White at the Cleveland Music School Settlement; their approach combines classical, Latin, popular, and improvised music. Gruca teaches at the Cleveland Music School Settlement and started the first Suzuki guitar program in northeast Ohio in 2013.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015 
Taylor Performing Arts Center
Admission: free
Poema de Andalucía is a 90-minute journey through the alluring cultures and traditions of the Andalusian provinces that form the cradle of flamenco. Despite their proximity, many stylistic differences exist between the regions, cities and neighborhoods of southern Spain. The varied traditions, festivals, and rituals of daily life make the Andalusian region a wellspring of cultural heritage, supporting the development of this rich genre of music, song and dance. Through the language of Flamenco, this special “Poem” pays tribute to the land and people of Andalusia.
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, the nation’s premiere Spanish and flamenco dance company, is known for the purity of its work and the unique way in which it enriches the art of flamenco. Flamenco Vivo actively encourages the creativity and innovation of young artists from both Spain and the U.S. while remaining faithful to its powerful traditions. True to its founding vision, the Company commissions new repertoire with original choreography and music and has premiered a series of dramatic, cutting-edge works including Poema de Andalucía.
Flamenco Vivo was founded in 1983 by Roberto Lorca and Carlota Santana. Since Mr. Lorca’s untimely death in 1987, the Company has continued to grow and flourish under Ms. Santana’s direction, performing at such venues as the Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, The New Victory Theater, Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art. In accordance with the Company’s commitment to excellence, Ms. Santana has been deemed “The Keeper of Flamenco” by Dancemagazine in recognition of her commitment to creating new works and developing young artists and choreographers. Most recently, Ms. Santana was honored by the Spanish government with La Cruz de la Orden al Merito Civil for “all the years of excellence and dedication to the flamenco art.”
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015
Corley Auditorium in Webster Hall
Admission: free
The MSSU Music Department presents a concert of Spanish vocal and brass music. Directed by Dr. Jordan Wilson and Freddie Green, this concert features solo and ensemble repertoire from various eras of Spanish history, including traditional songs in regional dialects of Spain which are rarely heard outside of their native land!
