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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The program will begin with the Romantic lushness of August Klughardt\u2019s \u201cWind Quintet, Op. 79,\u201dand then move into the unmistakable American wit of Samuel Barber\u2019s \u201cSummer Music\u201d before landing in the inward, spiritual realm of David Maslanka\u2019s \u201cWind Quintet No. 3.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keyboard lovers will then get their moment with the collaborative showcase \u201cPiano con Brio,\u201d directed by Sam Grodin and Craig Richey, on Friday, April 24. This show is split neatly into two contrasting halves.<\/p>\n
The first act leans into classical forms and familiar gestures \u2014 marches, waltzes and chamber staples \u2014 with works by Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Robert Schumann.<\/p>\n
After intermission, things loosen a bit, from the playful modernism of Gy\u00f6rgy Ligeti to the impressionistic color of Claude Debussy.<\/p>\n
Next up, on Wednesday, April 29, is the Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, which will take the stage at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center \u2014 on the Cal State Long Beach campus, 6200 E. Atherton St. \u2014 under guest conductor Pamornpan Komolpamorn for a program built on contrast and scale.<\/p>\n
The evening will open with Mozart\u2019s \u201cDon Giovanni Overture,\u201d then pivot sharply into the meditative, \u201choly minimalism\u201d of Arvo P\u00e4rt\u2019s \u201cTabula Rasa,\u201d featuring violinists Igor Veligan and Moni Simeonov.<\/p>\n
From there, it\u2019s an ascent to greatness: Ludwig van Beethoven\u2019s \u201cSymphony No. 3,\u201d also known as \u201cEroica,\u201d will close the night. This is an expansive work \u2014 one that still feels heroic in 2026.<\/p>\n
April will then wrap up at the conservatory\u00a0on Thursday, April 30, with the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band, in a program pairing new and traditional works with stunning film music.<\/p>\n
Faculty member Gabriel Sears will take the spotlight in Ricardo Moll\u00e1\u2019s \u201cAmaia\u201d tuba concerto, while the rest of the evening will build toward the lush, nostalgic world of Joe Hisaishi.<\/p>\n
His scores, heard in films like \u201cSpirited Away,\u201d \u201cMy Neighbor Totoro,\u201d \u201cHowl\u2019s Moving Castle\u201d and \u201cPrincess Mononoke,\u201d are sweeping yet intimate works of wonder.<\/p>\n
In symphonic band arrangements, Hisaishi\u2019s signature mix of tenderness, fantasy and fun is a fittingly joyful beginning to the end of the academic year.<\/p>\n
All four concerts will start at 7:30 p.m. Information: web.csulb.edu\/colleges\/cota\/music\/events<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Star Wars takeover\u2019<\/p>\n Roxanne\u2019s Bar, 1115 E. Wardlow Road, will transform into a cantina straight out of your favorite space opera next month.<\/p>\n Billed as a \u201cStar Wars Takeover\u201d on Star Wars Day on May 4 \u2014 \u201cMay the fourth\/force be with you\u201d \u2014 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.<\/p>\n Films will play throughout the night, from 6 to 11:30 p.m., but the real draw will be the environment itself \u2014 a bar reimagined with immersive d\u00e9cor and glowing details.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Costumes are encouraged (lightsabers, too), because the crowd is part of the spectacle.<\/p>\n