International performers head to Etherredge Center

On Friday, Sept. 18, USC Aiken's Etherredge Center will open its 23rd season of the Cultural Series with an evening of music that is part theater, part comedy and part performance art.

The Bobs, whose name is actually a dog-show acronym meaning "Best of Breed," break new ground in performance each time they tunnel out of the sanatorium. They have been described as "brilliant ... a marriage of Barenaked Ladies and Manhattan Transfer ... with a sorely needed sense of humor."

On Friday, Oct. 23, the East Coast Chamber Orchestra ensemble of the new generation whose fresh interpretations of new and old works coupled with highly nuanced and joyous playing will show us why they continually earn standing ovations.

Combining the strength, energy and power of an orchestral ensemble with the personal, intimate nature of chamber music, the ECCO brings a delightful glimpse into the future of classical music.

Comprised of 17 leading soloists and chamber musicians of the younger generation, ECCO boasts virtuosity, commitment and joyous music-making, reminding the audience of how vital music and live performance are to communities and cultures.

On Friday, Jan. 22, 2010, the consummate technicians who make the most difficult pieces seem easy will perform for Aiken citizens.

The Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1978 as an outgrowth of the need for the symphonic repertoire of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries to be broadcast throughout Russia for the benefit of its citizens.

The Moscow Festival Ballet brings to the stage the enchanting story of a small, picturesque village in 19th-century central Europe where Dr. Coppelius, a toy maker hopes to one day give real life to his mechanical dolls.

"Coppelia" will be performed on Friday, Feb. 19, 2010. The legendary principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, Sergei Radchenko, returns to the Etherredge Center on Friday, Feb. 19, 2010, with his Russian company of classically trained dancers.

On Saturday, April 24, 2010, The Guitar Orchestra of Barcelona takes the humble guitar out of its usual habitat and creates something magical as a result.

Twenty-five of Spain's most gifted guitarists, led by Director Sergi Vincente, perform the music of their rich tradition in a format that's uniquely new. Charming, passionate and heartwarming, all at the same time, these virtuosi play with mastery and humor.

Series tickets for this diverse genre of entertainment are on sale now at the Etherredge Center box office on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken. Seats are available. For more information, call 641-3305.