Classical with a Twist - Champions for Change
2024-10-06 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
The Classical with a Twist series kicks off the 2024-25 season with a relevant and inspiring concert – Champions for Change. Featuring music honoring musical giant and staunch advocate of human rights, cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. This stirring concert will include music performed by Artist-in-Residence- Allison Eldredge, cello; with Max Levinson, piano; and Andres Guerra, guitar. Champions for Change includes music from Prokofiev (Sonata for Cello and Piano in C major, op. 119) who was said to have placed an epigraph on the first page which quoted Maxim Gorky: “Mankind—that has a proud sound.” The Sonata was written in the shadow of Stalinist Soviet Union for Rostropovich and pianist Max Richter. Other works by champion changemakers include Chopin, and film composers Maurice Jarre (Dr. Zhivago) and John Williams (Memoirs of a Geisha).

Sheffield Chamber Players presents Open Arms, Open Hearts
2024-10-04 19:00 - 21:00
Sheffield Chamber Players open Season 11 with two works—written almost 200 years apart and on different continents— that tap the deepest corners of your soul while lifting you out of the everyday and into the sublime. Shelley Washington’s 2019 String Quartet Middleground overlays rhythmic grooves with sweeping melodies passing between the four voices. Schubert’s transcendent cello quintet shares some compositional DNA with the Washington, particularly an incredible emotional sincerity, and the ability to lift the listener onto beautiful waves as though being carried through the twists and turns of life. Schubert wrote this work in the late summer and early fall of 1828, and it reflects the freedom and joy of summer, alongside autumnal melancholy that perhaps hints at Schubert’s all too short life coming to an end. ~ Sasha Callahan
Tickets Are Available Here

Cherry Street Music Presents Oded Tzúr
2024-09-30 19:00 - 20:30
Monday, September 30 at 7:00 pm
New York saxophonist Oded Tzúr performs for one night only at The Allen Center. Tzúr is known for giving his instrument a whole new voice — one that is described by The Guardian as a “unique tenor sax whisper.” Get your tickets for an intimate performance with music from Oded Tzúr’s newly released album, My Prophet. Tickets are $25, available here.

Visual Art Exhibit: Bruce Hugh Wilson, Photographs
2024-09-26 18:30 - 20:00
Visual Art Exhibit: Bruce Hugh Wilson, Photographs
Please join us for a very special event in honor of the photographer and friend, Bruce Huge Wilson. His photography work will be on display in our gallery from Sept 26- Oct 25th. There will be an opening Reception on Thursday, September 26th at 6:30 pm.
More Info

2024 Fall Village Concert Series
2024-09-22 15:00 - 16:00
Newton Community Pride is pleased to announce our 2024 Fall Village Concert Series in Newtonville, Waban, and West Newton! The concerts will take place on three Sundays in September: September 8th, 15th, and 22nd.
All performances are free and accessible to all

ALEXANDER XHOJA TRIO
Alexander Xhoja is a recent Newton South High School graduate and currently attends Berklee College of Music. Alexander is a talented Jazz pianist and received a “Most Valuable Player” award by the Massachusetts Association of Jazz Education in 2023. He has won many state and regional awards for his musicianship and plans to continue developing his craft while studying at Berklee. Joining him for this concert are bassist Lucy Southan and drummer, Harshit Upadhyaya Register here

Artist Talk with Lou Jones
2024-09-17 19:00 - 20:30
Artist Talk with Lou Jones
Tuesday, September 17, 7:00 pm
The Allen Center is pleased to host an artist talk with Lou Jones, the photographer behind the exquisite exhibition hanging in The Allen Center’s ground-floor gallery space. The PanAFRICA Project aims to create a contemporary visual portrait of modern Africa, using photography and advanced technologies to establish a repository of images for all 54 countries. This collection avoids preconceived Western notions of conflict, pestilence, and poverty, instead documenting Africa’s highlights and inner workings as the most progressive continent of the 21st century. Attend this opportunity to hear directly from the artist about his work.

Blue Heron presents The Blue Heron Songbook
2024-09-15 15:00 - 17:00
SPECIAL BENEFIT EVENT · THE BLUE HERON SONGBOOK
Sunday, September 15 at 3 pm
at the historic Allen Center in West Newton, MA
Featuring Blue Heron singers Cody Bowers, Paul Guttry, Corey Dalton Hart, David McFerrin, Jason McStoots, Sonja Tengblad, and Sumner Thompson with Brian Moll, piano, and Scott Metcalfe, harp and fiddle.
Celebrate the start of the season and support Blue Heron’s mission at this special event!
The Blue Heron Songbook is an afternoon of early music and contemporary songs performed side by side on an intimate, festive program featuring the incredible broad talent of our Blue Heron singers. Come hear their favorite works from 15th-century Burgundy to Broadway and beyond while enjoying wine and refreshments alongside fellow fans and friends at the historic Allen Center in West Newton. All proceeds benefit Blue Heron’s 2024-25 season of innovative historically informed performances and community outreach efforts.
Capacity is limited—reserve your spot today! Order individual tickets now or sponsor a singer or concert for the season ahead and come as our guests! Your support at any level makes a difference and helps us make more music.

Lunchtime Pop-Ups
2024-08-28 11:30 - 14:30
Next Wednesday falls right amid the dreaded end-of-summer week when camps are over and Newton’s public schools aren’t yet open. If you’re a Newton parent with kids at home, you may just want to head to the Allen Center on August 28. Enjoy an al fresco lunch on the patio and live music while kids are kept busy with scavenger hunts, art activities, and gymnastics.
Don’t have kids at home? The patio is still a perfect end-of-summer destination. New West Newton restaurant Ninebark is delivering lunch, artisanal ice cream from Ravenous, and pop-up shopping at Fulfilled Goods. The patio will be open from 11:30-2:30, rain or shine, with lunch arriving at noon.

Lunchtime Pop-Ups
2024-08-21 11:30 - 14:30
Lunchtime Pop-Ups Are Back!
Wednesday, August 21st and 28th, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm

August 21 will feature Newton’s women-owned businesses, with lunch offered by two new entries on Newton’s food scene — Hungry Ninja (popular Vegan Sushi Salad Bowls) and NaisLee Catering (crowd-pleasing summery lunch menu). Pop-up shops of local women-owned businesses will offer bouquets of field-grown flowers, home accents, gifts, and women’s clothing.
August 28 will focus on families during the week between summer camps and school. It will feature a Kid Krawl scavenger hunt, Kidcasso craft station, and My Gym fitness activities — and lunch available from the new restaurant, Ninebark.Use this link to review lunch menus and order in advance, to help restaurants gauge and meet demand.

The Aston Magna Music Festival
2024-08-01 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-25 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-18 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-11 19:00 - 20:30
Aston Magna’s 51st summer festival is coming to The Allen Center on Thursday nights, featuring four varied programs, two of them planned and led by guest curators. Check their website for additional information regarding programming for each date.

The Black Feathers at The Allen Center
2024-06-20 19:30 - 21:30
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Indie/Americana/Folk Rock duo @theblackfeathersmusic will perform at The Allen Center on Thursday, June 20th! Tickets are available now!

Cherry Street Music presents Forever Free
2024-06-19 18:00 - 19:30, 2024-06-19 14:00 - 15:30
Forever Free
Celebrate the historic occasion of Juneteenth at The Allen Center as we come together to honor freedom and equality. Immerse yourself in a day filled with arts and culture with live performances by award-winning vocalist Donna McElroy & Cherry Street Music Artistic Director Allison Eldredge accompanied by a live rhythm section. Enjoy the music of traditional spirituals, Black American songwriters, Duke Ellington & Stevie Wonder. With a gallery exhibition by Lou Jones entitled “panAFRICAproject.” Mark your calendars for an immersive and memorable experience!

Sheffield Chamber Players presents "Event Horizon"
2024-06-15 15:00 - 17:00
Sheffield Chamber Players will present an intimate public performance on Saturday, June 15th at 3pm at The Allen Center. This concert will close out their 10th season. Event Horizon will feature Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté’s rustic and catchy Tegere Tulon, Valentyn Silvestrov’s mesmerizing String Quartet No.1, and Dvořák’s monumental “American” String Quintet. Tickets are available here.

NCA presents The Strawberry Festival
2024-06-08 18:30 - 21:30
Save the date!
NCA’s annual Strawberry Festival returns in June! As a lover of programming and good-time gathering at The Allen Center you’re invited! This NCA fun-filled social event of the year, rich with camaraderie, live performances, fine food & drink, a chance to support the NCA, and most importantly, mouth-watering strawberries is not to be missed!
Check out The Strawberry Festival website for more information.

Pro Arte presents Julia Cash and Friends
2024-05-19 15:00 - 17:00
Pro Arte’s concertmaster, Julia Cash is joined by their two new violinists Yeolim Nam and Jeff Pearson as well as member Liana Zaretsky. Featuring violin-centric chamber music by Vivaldi, Bacewicz, and Smetana’s “From my Life” Quartet. It will be a stunning afternoon of great chamber music. Don’t miss it!

Musicians:
Julia Cash, violin
Yeolim Nam, violin
Jeff Person, violin
Liana Zaretsky, violin

Musical Program
Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for 4 violins
Grażyna Bacewicz Concerto for 4 violins, B. 60
Bedřich Smetana Quartet No. 1 “From my Life”, JB 1:105

Linda Plaut Festival of the Arts at The Allen Center
2024-05-18 18:00 - 21:00
The 9th Annual Linda Plaut Newton Festival of the Arts is back. The Festival will be a three-day event with The Allen Center hosting the 2nd day on May 18th. The Festival held from May 17-19th will have tons music styles with something for everyone to enjoy! All festival performances are free, accessible and open to all.

May 18th
The Allen Center for the Arts, 35 Webster St, West Newton
4:00 p.m. Amanda Shea & Grey Held – Spoken Word
5:00 p.m. Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra
6:30 p.m. Hankus Netsky & Eden MacAdam-Somer – Klezmer
7:30 p.m. Dominique Eade & George Russell Jr. – Duke Ellington Tribute

Weekly Winter Farmer's Market
2024-04-30 12:00 - 14:00, 2024-04-16 12:00 - 14:00, 2024-04-02 12:00 - 14:00, 2024-03-19 12:00 - 14:00
Winter Farmers Market
The Good Food Farm will be again hosting an organic food market at The Allen Center. The Winter Market’s new hours are Tuesdays, 12:00- 2:00 pm, weather permitting. Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables such as beets, carrots, kohlrabi, potatoes, red and green cabbage, turnips, microgreens, apples, and multiple types of squash. There will also be(e) honey, pickled beets, pickled carrots, applesauce, pasture-raised eggs, and organic popcorn! Click here to learn more about The Good Food Farm’s organic practices and weekly offerings.

Newton Baroque presents Harmonic Joys for Musical Friends
2024-04-22 08:00 - 17:00
Harmonic Joys for Musical Friends
Friday, May 3, 7:30 pm
Newton Baroque performs arias presumed to be surviving remnants from the many German-language operas Erlebach composed at the court in Thuringen. Sadly all of the operas were destroyed in a fire. These gems leave us wondering what we could have enjoyed. The concert at The Allen Center will also feature two of Erlebach’s sonatas for violin and viola da gamba.

Book Talk: Abelardo Morell
2024-04-18 18:30 - 20:00
Abelardo Morell will speak about his new book, an examination of the photographs he created over the past twenty-five years.
Suggested Donation: $20

Cherry Street Music presents Beethoven and the Beatles, Part 2
2024-04-14 15:00 - 17:00
Cherry Street Music will present Beethoven and the Beatles, Part 2 on Sunday, April 14, at The Allen Center (35 Webster Street, West Newton). Tickets and information are available at newtonculture.org. The program, curated by Cherry Street’s Artistic Director, and renowned cellist Allison Yoshie Eldredge, is part of Cherry Street’s Classics with a Twist series.
Beethoven and the Beatles, Part 2 follows December’s Part 1 concert exploring connections between one of the most revered figures in classical music and the band that changed popular music forever.

Newton Baroque presents Concerts Royaux: Chamber Music at the Court of the young Louis XV
2024-04-12 08:00 - 17:00
Concerts Royaux: Chamber Music at the Court of the young Louis XV
Featuring the noble Concerts Royaux by François Couperin and other chamber music written for performance at the Versailles court by Joseph Bodin de Boismotier.
Julia Glenn – Violin, Alison Gangler – Oboe, Mary Oleskiewicz – flute, Laura Jeppesen – Viola da gamba, Sarah Freiberg Ellison – cello, Andrus Madsen – Harpsichord

Cultural Districts Topic Meeting
2024-03-25 07:00 - 20:30
On Monday, March 25th from 7:00-8:30 pm, The League of Women Voters Newton will be holding a Cultural Districts Topic Meeting to learn about the effort undertaken by Newton Community Pride, the Newton Cultural Alliance, the New Art Center, and the Charles River Regional Chamber to make the part of Washington Street which connects West Newton and Newtonville and adjoining streets a designated Cultural District by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, under the Cultural Districts program. Join us at The Allen Center to learn about this proposal, what it involves, and what a Cultural District designation would mean for Newton. For more information about the meeting visit The League of Women Voters site here.

Pro Arte presents Winds
2024-03-10 15:00 - 17:00
PRO ARTE WINDS
March 10, 2024
3:00PM
Allen Center for Arts and Culture
35 Webster Street, West Newton, MA, USA
Musical Program
Valerie Coleman Tzigane
Carl Nielsen Kvintet, op. 43
Rick Sowash Three American Perennials
TICKETS
The third installment of the Salon Series features the oustanding Pro Arte Wind Quintet. Comprised of the Principal members of Pro Arte’s wind section, each player is a soloist in their own right, bringing outstanding artistry to every performance. Don’t miss this brilliant concert celebrating the music of Coleman, Nielsen, and Sowash.
The Salon Series is the perfect way to get to know Pro Arte players better. If you haven’t been to one of these fun concerts, they are our version of chamber music concerts, presented in a less formal manner and featuring plenty of opportunity to interact with the musicians and to learn more about the music.
Musicians:
Ann Bobo, flute
Nancy Dimock, oboe
Ian Greitzer, clarinet
Ron Haroutunian, bassoon
Robert Marlatt, horn
