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The Anchorage band Big Chimney Barn Dance performs in the main ballroom of Centennial Hall on Sunday night near the end of the 49th Annual Alaska Folk Festival. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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49th annual Alaska Folk Festival ends with promise of an ‘epic’ 50th

Weeklong event remains free after nearly a half-century “which is unheard of,” board president says.

The Gustavus band Tramwreck performs on the main stage in the ballroom at Centennial Hall during the opening night of the 49th annual Alaska Folk Festival on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)

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49th annual Alaska Folk Festival celebrates a homecoming on opening night

Weeklong event will feature about 130 acts performing music, dances and workshops.

Laurie Lewis, a California bluegrass musician who has been performing for nearly four decades, is the featured guest artist at the 49th annual Alaska Folk Festival that starts Monday. (Photo courtesy of Laurie Lewis)

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49th annual Alaska Folk Festival returns to its familiar roots at Centennial Hall

More than 130 acts scheduled to perform during week of concerts, dances and workshops.

Cerys Hudson, winner of the Juneau Symphony’s Youth Solo Competition, rehearses for this weekend’s performance with the ensemble at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)

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Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Frankenstein join on stage for Juneau Symphony’s spring concert

Youth solo winner Cerys Hudson featured on cello concerto notable for its splicing of parts.

Mike Bucy, Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School’s band teacher, conducts an ensemble of Taku Winds and DHMS band students during a rehearsal for a concert Saturday at Thunder Mountain High School. (Photo courtesy of Juneau Community Bands)

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Sundown showdown of the mild and Wild West featured in concert Saturday at TMHS

Performance by Taku Winds and local students promises brawls, cattle drives and classical concerto.

Vox Borealis performs during the 2022 Holiday Cheer concert at Thunder Mountain High School. (Photo by Cameron Byrnes / Juneau Symphony)

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Juneau Symphony mixing things up for fourth annual Holiday Cheer Concert

Familiar trio of groups will feature new players, songs and on-stage collaborations this weekend.

“The Phantom of the Opera” is screened with a live musical soundtrack at the Gold Town Theater in April. Three of the musicians are scheduled to perform Sunday during two screenings of the 1928 silent film “The Wind.” (Courtesy of Gold Town Theater)

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This weekend’s lineup at the Gold Town Theater really blows

Xmas Bazaar Xtravaganza nearly sold out already, but seeing “The Wind” to live music a breeze.

Choir members rehearse Tuesday night for a Bach holiday concert at Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Quartet of Bach compositions joins lineup of local large-ensemble performances this season

Concerts this weekend part of resurging “wealth of riches” by choruses and orchestras, director says.

Members of the chorus rehearse a portion of Handel’s “Messiah” on Wednesday evening at Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church. “Part I” and the “Hallelujah Chorus” of the oratorio are scheduled to be performed at the church at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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This performance of Handel’s “Messiah” is blowin’ in the wind

Re-orchestration that replaces string instruments with wind instruments scheduled this weekend.

Riley Woodford performs during the Gold Street Music Concert Series in 2020. He will return to perform solo and emcee the first show of this year’s series at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Church of the Holy Trinity. (Photo courtesy of Gold Street Music)

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Variety of musicians look to shine at Gold Street Music Concert Series

Five sets by local performers young and old scheduled for first show Saturday.

Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File Kyle Farley-Robinson, left, Jon Hays, center, and Dr. Alexander Tutunov play “Romance And Waltz For Six Hands Piano” by Sergei Rachmaninoff during the Juneau Piano Series featuring Dr. Tutunov at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019.

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Making a Liszt, playing it twice as opener for JAHC piano concert series

Works by Hungarian composer featured in solo performance by series’ artistic director.

Muskeg Collective members Erin Heist, Annie Bartholomew, Taylor Vidic and Josh Fortenbery, plus special guest Andrew Heist, perform at The Golden Saloon in McCarthy in early August. The group will be featured at the Cowboy Ball on Saturday at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. (Photo by Cam Jimmo)

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Cowboy up for an Alaska-style country music hoedown

Local musicians with eclectic styles come together as Muskeg Collective at Cowboy Ball on Saturday.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids rappers Yung Trybez and Young D sing to the crowd during a performance as part of the final night of the Áak’w Rock music festival at Centennial Hall Saturday evening. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Photos: Áak’w Rock wraps up

The three-day Indigenous music festival is scheduled to return in 2025.

Photos by Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire Salissa Thole sings a pop song while a couple dances in the background during a “Neighborhood Cabaret” show at the Glory Hall on Thursday evening. The shows being performed at various location in Juneau are the first of three productions during this year’s Alaska Theater Festival.

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Sound shelter from the storm

Cabaret show at the Glory Hall an appreciative exchange between musicians, staff and audience.

Michael Ruppert inspects percussion instrumentation that’s part of the setup for the 1928 Kimball Theatre Pipe Organ in the State Office Building. Ruppert, co-owner of Rose City Organ Builders in Oregon, spent two days this with with fellow co-owner Christopher Nordwall tuning and restoring the organ to playable condition. The instrument has not been played since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but local officials and musicians are hoping to schedule a lunchtime concert during the next couple of weeks. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Clearing the old pipes in the Kimball organ at the State Office Building

Tuners revive 1928 organ that’s been idle for three years; lunchtime concerts may resume next week

Christopher Koch, music director of the Juneau Symphony, conducts a rehearsal of the theme from the 1989 “Batman” movie in the auditorium at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé in preparation for two concerts this weekend at the school featuring familiar soundtrack compositions from films with “showdown” plot lines. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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A final ‘Showdown’ for Juneau Symphony’s 60th season

Songs from epic confrontation films and an original by Taylor Vidic scheduled this weekend at JDHS.

Witty Youngman performs a set Saturday evening at Crystal Saloon during the Amplify Alaska Fundraising Festival on behalf of the Áak’w Rock Indigenous Music Festival scheduled in September. The event featuring five mini-concerts raised more than $5,000. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Stocking up for Aak’w Rock

Livestreamed multi-artist gig raises more than $5K for Indigenous music festival

Students in the Juneau Alaska Music Matters program perform earlier this month. Local youths in the tuition-free music program are scheduled to participate their first-ever Juneau Jazz Classics concert next week, appearing with the multi-genre string trio Simply Three at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Juneau Alaska Music Matters)

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Less schooling, more students at fall fest

Jazz & Classics fall fest features fewer school visits, but more music including new student concert

Andy Koch enjoys a solo before leaping off the stage to join the dancing crowd while still playing his guitar. (Courtesy photo / Bereniz Blackwell)

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Old friends reunite for packed house blues performance at Crystal Saloon

Blues night special.

Kristine Paulick and Bill Paulick rehearse in a music classroom in Dzantik'i Heeni Middle School ahead of an upcoming Juneau Community Bands Horns a Plenty concert set for Sunday at Thunder Mountain High School. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

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Pardon their French horns: Live music returns with Horns A-Plenty concert

Unless you were in New York City two years ago, you haven’t heard this played live before.