Spring at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music will arrive in a rush of sound, closing out April with four distinct programs that show off student artistry and the breadth of the classical repertoire.
Kicking things off will be the University Woodwind Quintet, under director Alex Rosales Garcia, on Thursday, April 23. It will offer a compact but expressive journey through the evolution of the form.
The program will begin with the Romantic lushness of August Klughardt’s “Wind Quintet, Op. 79,”and then move into the unmistakable American wit of Samuel Barber’s “Summer Music” before landing in the inward, spiritual realm of David Maslanka’s “Wind Quintet No. 3.”
Keyboard lovers will then get their moment with the collaborative showcase “Piano con Brio,” directed by Sam Grodin and Craig Richey, on Friday, April 24. This show is split neatly into two contrasting halves.
The first act leans into classical forms and familiar gestures — marches, waltzes and chamber staples — with works by Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Robert Schumann.
After intermission, things loosen a bit, from the playful modernism of György Ligeti to the impressionistic color of Claude Debussy.
Next up, on Wednesday, April 29, is the Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, which will take the stage at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center — on the Cal State Long Beach campus, 6200 E. Atherton St. — under guest conductor Pamornpan Komolpamorn for a program built on contrast and scale.
The evening will open with Mozart’s “Don Giovanni Overture,” then pivot sharply into the meditative, “holy minimalism” of Arvo Pärt’s “Tabula Rasa,” featuring violinists Igor Veligan and Moni Simeonov.
From there, it’s an ascent to greatness: Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 3,” also known as “Eroica,” will close the night. This is an expansive work — one that still feels heroic in 2026.
April will then wrap up at the conservatory on Thursday, April 30, with the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band, in a program pairing new and traditional works with stunning film music.
Faculty member Gabriel Sears will take the spotlight in Ricardo Mollá’s “Amaia” tuba concerto, while the rest of the evening will build toward the lush, nostalgic world of Joe Hisaishi.
His scores, heard in films like “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Princess Mononoke,” are sweeping yet intimate works of wonder.
In symphonic band arrangements, Hisaishi’s signature mix of tenderness, fantasy and fun is a fittingly joyful beginning to the end of the academic year.
All four concerts will start at 7:30 p.m. Information: web.csulb.edu/colleges/cota/music/events.
‘Star Wars takeover’
Roxanne’s Bar, 1115 E. Wardlow Road, will transform into a cantina straight out of your favorite space opera next month.
Billed as a “Star Wars Takeover” on Star Wars Day on May 4 — “May the fourth/force be with you” — the evening will blend movie screenings with a themed nightlife experience, inviting guests to drift between watching the saga unfold on screen and stepping into a galaxy of their own.
Films will play throughout the night, from 6 to 11:30 p.m., but the real draw will be the environment itself — a bar reimagined with immersive décor and glowing details.
The cocktail menu will lean into the fantasy as well, with drinks inspired by characters, planets and deep-cut references from across the Star Wars universe.
Costumes are encouraged (lightsabers, too), because the crowd is part of the spectacle.
Information: rox.bar.
‘Warsaw’ world premiere
Two seismic moments in history — World War II and Sept. 11 — will collide on stage this spring during the world premiere of “Warsaw” by Paul Webb at International City Theatre,330 E. Seaside Way.
The production, which will run from Wednesday, April 29, to May 17, is directed by caryn desai, and leans into intimacy and moral complexity, tracing the intersecting lives of four people drawn together around a woman fighting for her life.
Webb, perhaps best known for his work in film — including being tapped by Steven Spielberg to write the screenplay for “Selma” — brings a cinematic scope to a deeply human story.With a focus on memory, regret and the fragile possibility of forgiveness, the play asks, is it ever too late to redeem and be redeemed?
While the play will premiere next week, opening night will take place on May 1. The May 1 performance will double as a gala fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting the Community Partnership Education and College Scholarship Fund. The evening will also include a rare chance to hear directly from Webb, who will be in attendance from the United Kingdom to speak about the work.
A post-show talk-back with the cast is scheduled for May 10.
Ticket options range from preview pricing at $44 to standard performances, which are $56 for Thursday to Saturday shows and $59 on Sundays. There are also dinner packages available for those looking to make a full night of it.
Information: ictlongbeach.org.