The cultural highlights in our region this weekend include the return of a prodigal musician in a benefit for her alma mater; a performance by a living legend of Irish folk music; an all-Beethoven concert; a solo show at Berkshire Museum for a local artist made good; and an all-star literary conversation.
Acclaimed violinist MadalynParnas is among a host of alumni and faculty who will take part in a gala concert at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Pittsfield’s Berkshire Music School on Sunday at 4pm. The gala concert will be hosted by actor/director James Warwick, and will include headline performances by BMS alumni Deborah Rentz-Moore; Billy Keane; Kari Steinert; and Ben Talmi.
Works by Berkshire artist Joe Goodwin go on view in the Ellen Crane Memorial Room at Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield on Saturday and will remain on display through Sunday, June 19. An opening reception for Liminal Artifacts: Recent Paintings by Joe Goodwin will be held on Saturday, from 5 to 7pm.
Legendary Irish bagpiper Paddy Keenan, the “Jimi Hendrix of the uillean pipes,” performs in a cabaret setting at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown tonight at 7:30 pm. Keenan was a founding member of the groundbreaking Irish folk group the Bothy Band.
Pianist Peter Serkin joins The Orchestra Now, under the direction of Leon Botstein, in an all-Beethoven program in the Daniel Arts Center at Simon’s Rock College tonight at 7:30pm. The Bard College Chamber Singers and the Bard Festival Chorale will join The Orchestra Now for the Choral Fantasy. The orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
Humorist and quintessential New Yorker Fran Lebowitz will reflect on American life — from pet peeves to timely issues — in conversation with literary critic Daniel Mendelsohn, in the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College tonight at 8pm.
Chops and Sauerkraut and Two Gun Man headline a mini-festival of regional Americana and honky-tonk music at Club Helsinki Hudson on Saturday at 9pm. Chops and Sauerkraut are a hard-edged rockabilly, honky-tonk garage band. Two Gun Man is one of the region’s top Americana quartets.
Seth Rogovoy is editor of Berkishire Daily and the Rogovoy Report, available online at rogovoyreport.com