KMFA Classical 89.5 to Host Open House Celebration

KMFA Classical 89.5 announces KMFA Day on Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 2:00pm - 6:00pm at KMFA's new home, 41 Navasota Street, Austin TX 78702. The entire event will be free and open to the public.

This Open House will be the first for KMFA in their new location celebrating the new building while welcoming the public to join for a day of on-site tours of the building, family-friendly activities, food & drink, and performances - both outside on the garden patio and inside the state-of-the-art Draylen Mason Music Studio.

Outdoor performances and activities will be open to all and guided tours of the building will be given every hour. Activities will take place throughout KMFA giving attendees an inside look at the new versatile space while enjoying performances in a new state-of-the-art studio or outside on the large terrace surrounded by the city.

Performances located in the Draylen Mason Music Studio have limited seating and will require an advanced RSVP which can be done online. Open seats will be released 10-minutes prior to scheduled performances in the Draylen Mason Studio and made available to anyone who does not have reservations. Reserve seats at kmfaday.planningpod.com.

With performances scheduled throughout the afternoon, highlights of the lineup include two NEW works. Convergence will premiere Brent Baldwin's "Peace is Every Step" featuring dancers, soprano soloist, chamber chorus, and electronics. This work is inspired by the teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh while simultaneously observing as war ravages Ukraine, Syria, and many other parts of our planet. The current activities of the past few weeks found Brent creating "a musical response: a sonic meditation on -- and plea for -- peace."

Additionally, Donald Grantham (Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Centennial Professor of Music, The Butler School of Music) will have the World Premiere of his new work Love Songs Sweet and Sour. Grantham's pieces will be performed by KMFA's dear friends' mezzo-soprano Liz Cass (of LOLA-Local Opera Local Artists and Armstrong Community Music School) and pianist Carla McElhaney. A set of five songs addressing various aspects of love through the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, E.E. Cummings, Dorothy Parker and others, Love Songs Sweet and Sour ranges in order, from enigmatic to regretful to sardonic to tender to inscrutable, offering a variety of perspectives on loving and being loved-or not.

The Armstrong Community School and Clavier-Werke School of Music will also be curating some family-friendly educational events throughout the afternoon.

More details on the compositions and upcoming performances will be announced at a later date. More information on KMFA Day can be found at kmfa.org/pages/3814-kmfa-day.

PRESS: Assets for KMFA can be found HERE.

To RSVP for this event as media, please email Nicole at nicole.shiro@motleycrewmedia.com with your needs.

ABOUT KMFA:

KMFA 89.5 is an independent public classical radio station in Austin, TX. Established in 1967, KMFA serves approximately 120,000 listeners each week and features locally produced shows like Classical Austin, Early Music Now, and From The Butler School, as well as nationally distributed programming from Public Radio International, American Public Media, and National Public Radio.

KMFA supports many regional arts organizations such as the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera, and Texas Performing Arts with on-air and online promotions, co-sponsorships, and interviews with KMFA hosts. Our Listen Local initiative broadcasts Austin's finest classical music performances, making classical music and cultural events available to all. With popular programs like the "Fall Into Music Instrument Drive" and radio camps for kids, KMFA encourages arts education and supports the Central Texas community.