Big Stone Gap, VA – Don’t miss the inaugural event of the Pro-Art Association’s 46th season, a performance from Joe Troop & Friends, on Wednesday, September 7th at 7:00 PM in Mountain Empire Community College’s Goodloe Center. The quartet builds community through a musical genre all its own: Latingrass. This performance is brought to you in conjunction with the W. Campbell Edmonds Concert Series. Tickets are $10 at the door, and all children and students are free to attend.
Joe Troop is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter from Winston-Salem, NC. In March 2020, amid the global pandemic, the folk singer suddenly found himself back in his home state, an ocean away from his adopted home of Buenos Aires and his Grammy-nominated band Che Apalache. So, he did what he knows best: hunkered down with his banjo and sang his heart out. After many months searching for a place to call home, Joe put down roots in Durham and a new quartet was born.
Omar Ruiz-Lopez is a classically trained violinist/violist born in Panama and raised in Puerto Rico. A longtime resident of Durham, he melds his Caribbean musical heritage and noteworthy virtuosity with the Appalachian string band tradition.
With a list of bonafides that includes performing alongside jazz and R&B luminaries like Branford Marsalis and Aretha Franklin, composer and percussionist Brevan Hampden has built a reputation as a technical master and sought-after collaborator.
Rounding out the quartet is Mexican American jazz bassist Ramon Garcia, hailing from Wilmington, NC. Ramon is finishing up his musical studies at UNC Greensboro’s legendary music school and demonstrates musical prowess well beyond his years.
Single-show tickets will be available at the door on the night of the performance. Season tickets are on sale now at proartva.org. Individual shows over the course of the season range in price up to $15, while a season ticket to more than 20 shows can be purchased for $40—less than $2 per show! Season tickets are valid for all performances of the 2022-2023 season and can be purchased online, in person at any show, or by calling (276) 376-4520.
Other highlights of Pro-Art’s 46th season include two performances from National Players (“Fences”, “Much Ado About Nothing”), Barter Theatre’s “Frosty”, Robin & Linda Williams, VMFA On the Road, dance programs from Richmond Ballet and Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, world-folk fusion ensemble Project Locrea, and so much more! You can view Pro-Art’s 2022-2023 schedule of events on their website at proartva.org.
Pro-Art partners with a variety of venues, therefore individuals with mobility issues are encouraged to call 276-376-4520 or email the Pro-Art office at pro-art@uvawise.edu to make arrangements for parking. For evolving conditions related to the global pandemic, inclement weather, or similar unforeseen circumstances, patrons are encouraged to check proartva.org for up-to-date information.
Pro-Art is supported in part by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Slemp Foundation, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, and Mountain Empire Community College. For more information about Pro-Art, please visit proartva.org, call the office at (276) 376-4520, or send an email to pro-art@uvawise.edu.
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