Concert series returns to Petersburg Sycamore Rouge to host performances

From the Progress-Index

PETERSBURG — A five-piece tango band, a Celtic bluegrass quartet and a swinging jazz vocalist are among the acts that will help revive a local concert series that has been on hiatus for a few years.

“We didn’t ever disband,” said Ron Moring, president of the Southside Virginia Community Concert Association. “We have just regrouped and reformed to accommodate our new environment.”

The SVCCA has partnered with the Southside Virginia Council of the Arts, the Petersburg Jamestown 2007 Committee and Sycamore Rouge — a unique performing-arts venue in Old Towne — to bring back its once popular concerts.

The series kicks off at 8 p.m. Saturday with jazz singer Stephanie Nakasian on the Sycamore Rouge stage.

“Those who haven’t experienced this will be reinforced,” Moring said of the concert series.

The nonprofit SVCCA began bringing musicians to the community in the late 1970s. There were performers for all ages and musical tastes. As many as 1,400 people would pack the Petersburg High School auditorium to hear the diverse acts.

But in 2005, faced with a shrinking audience base and competition for sponsorship dollars, the association was forced to halt its concerts.

Two years later, though, things are different. The Petersburg arts scene has exploded, providing the perfect backdrop to bring the series back to a new audience.

“As fate would have it, the time was right with downtown blossoming,” Moring said.

Sycamore Rouge — which has a seating capacity of 100 to 200 people — will host the acts this time.

Christopher Shorr, the venue’s artistic director, said the partnership is ideal for all the organizations involved.

“This is a great opportunity for us to keep doing what we’re doing but with more resources,” he said.

“All organizations in this area have limited resources with the economy of our community. It’s essential for growth and progress to join forces so we have the resources to enable bigger projects.”

SVCCA board members hope the association will grow through corporate sponsorship and community support, according to Moring. They hope to attract audiences from across the region.

Future events could include performances by the Virginia Opera and the Latin Ballet of Virginia.

“We’ve opened up so many doors already,” Moring said.

• Julie Buchanan may be reached at 722-5155 or jbuchanan@progress-index.com.
Southside Virginia Community Concert Association schedule

• Stephanie Nakasian, jazz vocalist. Saturday. $12

• Celtibillies, mix of Appalachian and Celtic music. March 17. $12

• Dick Morgan, jazz pianist and Petersburg native. April 6 and 7. $25

* A special concert co-sponsored with Virginia State University

• QuinTango, tango music with violins, cello, bass and piano. May 19. $12.

All concerts are at 8 p.m. at Sycamore Rouge, 21 W. Old St., Petersburg. Call 957-5707 for tickets.

For more information on becoming a donor or benefactor of the SVCCA, call 712-0370 or e-mail concerts4u@verizon.net.