The Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation will once again host the local “Jewel City Flute Choir” for their Spring concert in the Lanterman gardens on Saturday, May 20, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. The flute choir performs under the direction of new director, Darrin Thaves, a local conductor and musician who has an extensive background in music.

Thaves serves as an Instructor of Flute at California State University, Long Beach and principal flute with the Northwest Sinfonietta. He is an honors graduate of the University of Puget Sound with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a 1999 Deans List Graduate of Cal State Long Beach with a Master’s in Flute Performance.

As the founder and conductor of the Pacific Flute Ensemble, he has led four featured recital performances at National Flute Association conventions, as well as sixteen seasons of concerts in Long Beach and numerous other annual public performances. The PFE has commissioned six original works for flute choir that were premiered over the last three years. Mr. Thaves conducted the National High School Flute Choir at the 2016 NFA Convention in San Diego, CA and began conducting the Jewel City Flute Choir in March 2017.

This year, the Choir plans to perform a number of pieces, mostly very light music. For example, some of the pieces being performed include West Side Story by Bernstein, Fireworks by Dorff, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Dukas, and Simple Gifts by Rombardo. The works performed have a light and airy feel, looking towards summer.

The process for selecting the music for this concert involved identifying pieces that were inspired by Spring and Summer. These include narrative Folk songs and many other pieces the audience will recognize. “A lot of it will be relatable music, kind of like a pop’s concert, said Thaves.”
Admission to the concert is free with a suggested donation of $5 per person.

The Lanterman House is located at 4420 Encinas Drive in the city of La Cañada Flintridge. For more information about the concert, please visit lantermanfoundation.org.