The Blue Earth Valley Concert Association has announced its 2023-24 concert series, which includes five world-class artists and groups performing a wide range of music genres. Divas 3, top left, will start the season off with hits from history’s greatest divas on Friday, Sept. 8.

The goal of the Blue Earth Valley Concert Association (BEVCA) is simple: to bring quality music, and other artistic experiences, to arts enthusiasts in the Blue Earth area.

“By choosing performers of many different aspects of the artistic world, we hope to meet the needs and interests of the people in our area,” the organization explains on its website. “By exposing our members to these artistic and musical forms we aim to broaden the understanding and cultural experiences of our members.” 

Beyond that, BEVCA aims to bring those experiences to its members at an affordable price.

Any individual who purchases a membership ticket for the season’s concert series automatically becomes a BEVCA member. This season, BEVCA members can gain access to a full slate of quality arts entertainment by paying a season membership fee of $50.

Students may also become BEVCA members for a reduced fee of $10. Family memberships for parents and their school-age children are available for $110.

BEVCA does not offer tickets for individual concerts. However, prospective members may purchase a season membership at any point during the 2023-24 BEVCA season.

Locals with a BEVCA season membership will be treated to five fantastic shows this fall and spring.

The season kicks off on Friday, Sept. 8 with Divas 3. The powerhouse trio of female vocalists brings hits from history’s greatest divas to life in a vibrant show which spans four decades – from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Less than a month later, the season will shift gears with a performance by a very different trio of performers on Sunday, Oct. 1.

The Folk Legacy Trio are also vocalists – and guitarists – but they are most at home singing beloved folk anthems. Their repertoire includes hits from The Limeliters, Kingston Trio, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, The Weavers, The Brothers 4, and Peter, Paul & Mary.

The season will turn from folk to jazz in November with a performance by the Holland Coots Jazz Quintet on Tuesday, Nov. 21. The traditional jazz quintet comprises five of the hottest jazz players from across the country.

In true jazz fashion, the group’s five members are wonderful soloists who are also marvelous team players – able to embody styles ranging from lyrical to hot, from bluesy, to rampaging, to sentimental.

BEVCA will ring in the new year with a nod to the past on Sunday, Feb. 11. Its fourth scheduled program of the season, Kiss Me Once: Stories From the Homefront, immortalizes the brave men and women of ‘The Greatest Generation’ in a celebration of the songs which inspired them to greatness.

Performer Kathy Kaefer draws a deeply personal narrative from her own interviews with veterans about their wartime experiences and their lives as young women and men on the Homefront. The stories come alive through Kathy’s insightful storytelling and some of the greatest songs ever written.

BEVCA’s season finale will take to the stage on Friday, April 5, offering the best of Broadway, pop and classical music to the Blue Earth area. Performers Branden James and James Clark, along with special guest Effie Passero, blend piano, cello and vocals to bring their repertoire to life.

Branden James, a tenor, was a contestant on the eighth season of America’s Got Talent, while guest Effie Passero was featured on season 16 of American Idol. James Clark, meanwhile, is an Australian-born cellist and pianist.

All five BEVCA performances will be held at the Blue Earth Area High School’s Performing Arts Center, at 1125 N. Grove Street in Blue Earth.

A BEVCA membership form is available at the organization’s website, at www.concertassociation.net/blueearthmn.

BEVCA’s efforts are made possible in part due to a grant provided by the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature.

“Purchasing a BEVCA Concert Series season ticket will provide you with access to five amazing concerts featuring world class artists performing a wide range of music genres. A purchased ticket also helps you support the arts, close to home, at a reasonable cost,” BEVCA president Gail Otteson concludes.