Events

Wit & Word is a literary event in the dead of New England winter, designed to warm post-holiday hearts sans shopping or screens. Featuring five area writers sharing sharp satire, candid confessions, and true stories that explore mysteries of middle age and realities of modern adulting, the night offers humor with heart, insight, and perhaps a little cringe. You’ll leave laughing, thoughtfully entertained, and hopefully, slightly more fortified to make it to spring. 

Are music and mathematics two sides of the same coin? Join us for a captivating evening that unlocks the hidden architecture behind some of the world’s most beautiful classical music. This isn’t just a concert; it’s a thrilling journey into the brilliant minds of Johann Sebastian Bach and Béla Bartók—composers who used mathematical patterns, symmetry, and structure to build music of enthralling texture and deep, timeless emotion.

Master the Foundation: The Science of Rhythm. Is rhythm the foundation of your musical voice? In this unique and essential Rhythmic Laboratory workshop, you will go beyond simple counting to truly feel the pulse that drives all music! Percussion instructor and renowned Jazz Jam leader Giuseppe Paradiso will guide you through an exciting, hands-on session focused on the essential rhythmic skill of subdivision. This dynamic workshop uses a powerful, physical approach, engaging your body as an instrument to help you deeply internalize and master complex timing.

Enjoy the best of classic, independent, and foreign films curated by The Concord Film Project at The Umbrella Arts Center, with pre-show dinner options. This February, join us for TORN CURTAIN (1966, dir. Alfred Hitchcock), a suspenseful Cold War spy thriller starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. This film is rated PG and runs 2 hours and 8 minutes. Optional pre-show dinners from Saltbox Kitchen are available.

The Concord Orchestra presents “Far, Far, Away” at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, and Sunday, Feb 1 at 2:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at 51 Walden. 

The orchestra, conducted by Music Director Zeke Fetrow, performs a program of W. A. Mozart’s Overture to Don Giovanni, Alexander Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia, and John Williams’ Star Wars Suite.  The winner of the young artist competition, Maggie Bai, joins the orchestra to perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor.

Preceding each concert, one of the young artist competition runners-up, both cellists, will present a pre-concert recital.  On Saturday, Gabriel Jojatu performs a recital at 7:15 p.m.  On Sunday, Philip Jeong performs a recital at 1:45 p.m.

Get Into the Groove! High-Energy Bucket Drumming Join us for a dynamic, hands-on workshop that proves you don’t need fancy equipment to make incredible music! With nothing more than buckets and drumsticks, participants of all skill levels can dive into an energizing and collaborative drumming session. In this exciting, rhythmic workshop, you will be guided by CCM faculty member Tsuyoshi Honjo through a series of exercises that build rhythmic mastery, helping you deepen your understanding of musical timing, pulse, and complex syncopation.

Join us for a joint opening reception celebrating The Umbrella's winter exhibitions, Ancient Light: Celestial Photography by Marsha Wilcox and Inspirational Jam: Paintings by Carl Ristaino. RSVP appreciated. Admission is free, and the galleries are open to all. Explore additional programming and learn more at TheUmbrellaArts.org/current-exhibition

Technique Toolkit: Hands-On Recording Session. Ready to capture your sound with professional clarity? Join CCM faculty member Daniel Fox for an intensive, hands-on session at the cutting-edge CCM 2 Media Lab. This small-group workshop is designed to move beyond basic concepts and give you practical, real-world guidance on achieving industry-standard results. In this session, you will learn the fundamental tools of the trade, industry best practices, and professional workflows for recording.

Enjoy scenes from the 1969 play The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail by playwrights R. E. Lee and J. Lawrence. Join Robbins House President Nikki Turpin and local Concord Historian Richard Smith for a presentation and conversation on Henry David Thoreau’s Essay “Resistance to Civil Government,” Black History in Massachusetts, and Civil Rights. Q and A to follow.

Unlock Your Musical Voice: Secrets of Composition. Ever wondered how your favorite pieces of music get written? Stop wondering and start creating! This introductory workshop is your chance to step directly into the composer’s seat. Through a dynamic, hands-on session, you will learn directly from composer and CCM piano faculty member Keith Kirchoff as he de-mystifies the creative process behind structuring melodies and developing musical ideas.