Paco Pena at the Troy Music Hall

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Paco Female Dancer
Troy, NY — Hailed by the New York Times as “a virtuoso, capable of dazzling an audience beyond the frets of mortal man”, Paco Peña is considered one of the world’s great flamenco guitarists. Experience the power and passion of Southern Spain through song, flamenco dance and the music of three internationally celebrated guitarists at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Friday, January 27 at 8 P.M. This new presentation by the company, A Compás! is designed to transmit to the audience the compelling nature of a range of flamenco rhythms, from the almost “tribal,” trance-inducing quality of the “alboreá” to the razor-sharp complexity of the “bulería.” At the same time, the show aims to isolate each artist at some moment, to throw him or her onto the naked reality of a given rhythmic structure (or compás) and to immerse themselves deeply into the feeling of the rhythm. Flamenco rhythms are vital; the “compás” is like a primal pulse, like the rhythm of the earth… and everyone must feel it. For this performance, Paco Peña is joined by guitarists Paco Arriaga and Rafael Montilla, dancers Angel Muñoz and Ramón Martínez, singers David Palomar and Simón Román and percussionist Nacho Lopez. Born in Córdoba, Spain, Peña began learning guitar from his brother at the age of six and made his first professional appearance at age 12. His recitals of flamenco music have been capturing the public’s imagination ever since. As guitarist, composer, dramatist, producer and artistic mentor, he has transformed perceptions of this archetypal Spanish art form. Paco Peña has performed in such diverse venues as the intimate Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and the monumental Royal Albert Hall in London, New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. His music bridges diverse musical genres including classical, jazz, blues, country and Latin American. Since 1970, Paco Peña has handpicked his company of dancers, guitarists and singers. The Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company has taken flamenco into the realm of music-theatre with regular seasons in London and festival appearances in Edinburgh, Adelaide, Amsterdam, Athens, Israel, Istanbul, Singapore and Hong Kong. His most ambitious production to date is Musa Gitana, a piece on the life and work of the painter Julio Romero de Torres. Another landmark was Misa Flamenca, a 1991 setting of the Mass that juxtaposed Peña’s company with a classical choir, performed in London, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. Although Paco Pena is based in London, he still spends a significant part of the year in his native Andalucia. In 1997, he was named Official de la Cruz de la Orden del Merito Civil, an honor bestowed by King Juan Carlos of Spain. America’s Guitar magazine judged Paco Peña Best Flamenco Guitarist of the Year for five consecutive years. Of Paco Peña, the Adelaide Review, Australia stated: “…he is one of the concert scene’s true untouchables, a living exponent of the ancient art of flamenco…” Special ticket discounts to Paco Peña are available for HVCC Alumni & Employees. Call or visit the Music Hall Box Office. Ticket quantities are limited. Reserved seats for Paco Peña are $28, $25, and $15 and may be purchased by calling the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Box Office at (518) 273-0038 or online at www.troymusichall.org. The Music Hall Box Office opens 90 minutes prior to the performance. Otherwise, Box Office operations are handled at its business office at 30 Second Street, Monday through Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall’s full season schedule can be viewed at www.troymusichall.org. The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, named a National Historic Landmark in 1989, is in use over one hundred and fifty days a year. Since it opened its doors in 1875, the Hall has hosted performances by numerous world-renowned artists including Marion Anderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Peter Seeger, Ella Fitzgerald, Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Henri Vieuxtemps, Ignace Jan Paderewski, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Jose Iturbi, Vladimir Horowitz, Yehudi Menuhin, and Artur Rubenstein, among many others.
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Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
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