Trading cards

Susan Kent is planning a get together for people to get started making and trading Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) on Wednesday, October 15.

The recently elected new board of directors for 2009 for the Culinary Arts Society of Ajijic are (L-R) Past president Judy Whitford, Director at Large Evelyn Cronin, Secretary Mary Martin, President Patrick Winn, Treasurer Harry Bublin and Vice President Mary Ann Waite.

After the first meeting, those who are interested in continuing the group will get together and share and swap on the first Thursday of each month at Kent’s house. Contact Kent at (376) 766-2405 to confirm.

MAS tickets

With seven upcoming concerts now set for the 2008-2009 season, the Music Appreciation Society (MAS) is putting its season tickets on sale Monday, October 13 to Friday, October 31, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Lake Chapala Society Tickets, Etc. booth.

The Symphony Orchestra of San Luis Potosi will perform on November 18. Conductor Miramontes will again present a grand program of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and Bach’s Concerto for two violins and oboe in C minor, Opus 1060.

It’s Three Tenors and a Soprano presenting opera arias on December 2. The program with these accomplished singers will include popular opera standards from “Carmen,” “La Boheme,” “Tosca” and more.

Duo Petrof, with pianists Vlada Vassilieva and Anatoly Zatin, who were highly acclaimed after their last appearance at Lakeside, will be here with a brand new program on January 13. The program features French, Czech and Russian music for two pianos and was premiered this past summer in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Medina-Gracian Guitar Duo will play Latin American music for two guitars including a work by the great Argentine Tango composer Astor Piazolla and a new arrangement of Bizet’s “Carmen Suite” on February 3.

Internationally renowned pianists Boris Zarankin and Inna Perkis, will offer four-hand piano arrangements of Mozart symphonies, Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture” and arias from Mozart, Handel and Massenet sung by their daughter Ilana on February 17.

The New Pacific Trio, in residence at the University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music, with cellist Nina Flyer, violinist Ann Miller and pianist Sonia Leong, will present a program including Schubert’s popular “Piano Trio in E Flat” on March 17.

The A Capella Youth Choir from Guadalajara will sing selections by Latin American composers on April 7.

Prices for season tickets are 1,500, 1,200 or 1,000 pesos. The season ticket provides the holder with a reserved seat, no parking problems, no long drive to Guadalajara and an opportunity to visit with friends before the curtain over a glass of wine.

MAS will accept U.S. dollar and peso checks made out to the Music Appreciation Society, A.C. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. at Auditorio de la Ribera del Lago in La Floresta of Ajijic.

Los Cantantes

Los Cantantes del Lago will present “Canciones y Arias: solos and duos” on Sunday, October 26, 4 p.m. at Centro Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo 10 in Ajijic.

Baritone Emmanuel Medeles Medina, the son of local composer and musician Victor Medeles, founder of Centro Regional de Estudios Musicales and the director of Golden Strings, will sing favorite songs and opera arias, solo and in duet with soprano Marian Wellman, from the United States. They will be accompanied on the piano by Los Cantantes director Timothy G. Ruff Welch. Ensamble Ajijic, a string quartet with violinists Diego Rojas and Rafael Contreras, violist Manuel Olivares and cellist Areli Medeles Medina will also accompany, as well as Los Cantantes members Eddie Brown, Ted Dresie, Jan Feise and Keith Scott.

Tickets to the performance are 150 pesos each and will be on sale at the Lake Chapala Society, 16 de Septiembre #16-A, Monday through Saturday, October 14 to October 25, 10 a.m. to noon.

The proceeds from the concert will benefit Los Cantantes el Lago’s Mexican Concert Tour 2009.

Wind Consort concert

The Guadalajara Wind Consort quintet, formed from four principal players from the woodwind section of the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO) and the principal chair of the orchestra’s brass section, will be in concert Sunday, October 12, 4 p.m. at Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church in Riberas del Pilar.

Tickets are 250 pesos for members and 280 pesos for non-members, on sale at the Tickets, Etc. booth at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) through Saturday, October 11, 10 a.m. to noon, and at the door. There will be a cash bar.

Kid song

A new course in song and chorus geared for children and young people is being held on Tuesdays, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Gonzalez Gallo Cultural Center, Avenida Gonzalez Gallo 1500 in Chapala. The cost is 100 pesos per month. Further information is available at the Center or by phone at (376) 765-7424.

Trio

A musical concert by the Arpa de Chapala group, featuring harpist Javier Raygoza Manguia, guitarist Jose de Jesus Medeles Romero and bassist Angel Gustavo Medeles Romero is set for Tuesday, October 21, 7 p.m. at the Gonzalez Gallo Cultural Center in Chapala. Free.

Butterflies

A theatrical presentation of “The Dance of the Butterflies” by Fritzia Terranza Rodriguez, that is said to be appropriate and of interest to people of all ages will be staged Saturday, October 25, 7 p.m. at the Gonzalez Gallo Cultural Center in Chapala. Admission is free.

CASA

Members of the Culinary Arts Society of Ajijic (CASA) met last week to compete with Mexican main dishes and desserts.The Mexican Main Course category saw Chris Bublin take first place for her shrimp enchiladas verdes. Bill Parrish took second place for his Mexican haystacks. Chuck Balnis with his chicken quesadillas and Wayne Palfrey with his chicken breasts with Poblano chiles and cream tied for third.

Pam Parrish won first place in the dessert category for her Tex-Mex “Watchacmacallit” and second place went to Mary Martin for her Chocolate Intensity with Raspberry Sauce. Ken Caldwell and Joan Ray tied for third place for their scrumptious desserts.

The People’s Choice Award went to Mary Martin and Chris Bublin. While the judges were tasting each dish, Guadalajara Reporter correspondent Dale Hoyt Palfrey made an interesting and informative presentation on many of the staples of the Mexican diet, from tiny Mexican apples and cactus fruit to huitlacoche corn fungus.

For more information on joining CASA for the coming year, call CASA president Judy Whitford at 765-3823.

Roosters

Don’t forget to check out the first exhibition of the season at Ken Gosh’s El Gallo Gallery at Guadalupe Victoria 30 in Ajijic.

Audition reminder

The Lakeside Little Theatre (LLT) is holding auditions for the musical “Kiss Me Kate,” adapted from Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew.” Director Betty Lloyd Robinson, musical directors Dick and Eleanor Stromberg and choreographer Alexis Hoff will audition actors, signers and dancers on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18. Please note: you must first register at 9:30 a.m. to hold space for your audition and auditions will begin at 10 a.m. sharp on the LLT patio.

Directors are looking for ten women and 11 men. Performance dates are February 28 through March 10. For more information contact Robinson at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Music bus

Local residents will have the opportunity to travel by bus to Guadalajara to three fall concerts planned by the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO) through VIVA la Musica!

The first is Verdi’s “La Traviata” in concert on Thursday, October 30; the second is for a Puccini Gala on Friday, November 7; and the third is for “Pagliacci” and “Cavalleria Rusticana” on November 28.

The round-trip bus ticket and music events cost 250 pesos for VIVA members and 300 pesos for non-members. As usual the bus will stop for no-host fine dining on the way to the concert.

If there are not at least 25 bus seats filled within two weeks of the concert, the trip must be cancelled. Contact Marshall Krantz at 766-2834 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Cervantino

There are still a few seats left for the six-day VIVA la Musica! bus trip to Guanajuato for the Cervantino Festival there and visiting Queretero and Leon, leaving Saturday, October 18 and returning Friday, October 24. Call Rosemary Keeling at 766-1801 to reserve.

Hot, hot, hot

The Cuban ten-member band, Los Halcones, will interpret a combination of Cuban and mariachi music, with dancer Anita de Cuba strutting her stuff to the beat, Thursday, October 16, beginning at 8 p.m. at San Telmo Restaurant, Carretera Oriente 49 in Ajijic. Choreographer Juan Rosa is the artistic director. Call (376) 766-4752 for reservations.