Ventura Music Festival announces season

Nuvi Mehta, artistic director for the Ventura Music Festival, announced the upcoming season for May 3 through 13, as well as a concert with Arturo Sandoval, a jazz master from Miami, on Feb. 17.

The season features a mix of world music, jazz and classical musicians. The headliner is twotime Grammy-winner vocalist Diane Schurr along with Guiseppe Albanese, Italian award-winning pianist, and the 2007 Festival Orchestra conducted by Mehta with soloist Corey Cerovsek.

Other performers include the Dorian Wind Quartet, local pianist Sean Chen, Quartetto Gelato, Pearl Django and guitarist Ana Vidovic.

The Rising STAR Concert will feature the young Escher String Quartet.

"This year's festival theme, Impressions, is one that will bring together all the aspects of French Impressionist arts and music," said Mehta.

Twelve "Festival Artworks," individual works of art created and donated by local artists, were recently unveiled. These pieces were inspired by the festival theme. The artwork will tour Ventura County until late March and then be auctioned off at a fundraiser for the Ventura Music Festival.

For more information about festival music or art, call (805) 983-3495, ext. 111.