Articles par Kristina Powers

“Off with their heads!” I vividly recall being terrorized as a preschooler hearing Walt Disney’s sadistic, loud-mouthed Queen of Hearts thunder these signature lines. I have since learned that decapitation as capital punishment is not exclusive to the fictional Queen of Hearts of Lewis Carroll and Walt Disney, but rather grim historical reality.

“Hate breeds hate.” I cannot possibly count all the times that I have heard this alarmingly true statement during my entire lifetime be it from my parents, mentors, or other individuals that I have encoutered. Indeed, this statement has proven too true countless times throughout the history of mankind, becoming a perennial favorite theme for artistic works ranging from novels to plays.

Since the summer of 2009, I have had the privilege to study voice under Dr. Robert Holst, assistant professor of music at Lewis University. Dr. Holst is also director of the Downers Grove Choral Society, a highly-regarded community chorus in my area.

Everybody’s favorite bad girl in the world of opera is back again for a spectacular romp of delights, mischief, seduction, and tragic culmination in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2010 revival of its 1999 production of Bizet’s Carmen.

Baroque nobility dancing the minuet, Polynesian natives performing ritual dances, a crowd of American teens dancing the electric slide at a prom .... what do all of these groups have in common? They are all dancing! Indeed, since the beginnings of recorded history, dance has served as an important cultural expression throughout the world.

Widely acclaimed professional community orchestra New Philharmonic opened its 34th Season with an outstanding, family-friendly concert featuring both overture classics and everyone's favorite musical fairy tale, Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf.