Concerts to Feature Best Young Musicians

The Valley Cultural Center’s 1997 Concerts in the Park series is set to begin Sunday by showcasing some of the area’s best young musicians.

The first show in the free summer-long concert series features youths who have practiced with their high school bands, performed before festival judges and even brought home a few trophies for their work during the school year.

Normally a sparsely attended concert because of the lack of big name performers, organizers still hope to attract crowds by featuring bands from Granada Hills, North Hollywood, El Camino Real and Calabasas high schools, as well as the Cal State Northridge Youth Orchestra. Each group will play a mixture of classical and contemporary tunes.

The concert series, which will include entertainers Frank Sinatra Jr. and Jack Mack and the Heart Attack, is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Warner Ranch Park, at Califa Street and Topanga Boulevard. It runs Sundays through Aug. 31.

A children’s series will be offered at 4 p.m. June 15, July 6 and 27, and Aug. 31, followed by the featured performer of each evening at 5:30 p.m.

The series will showcase artists who perform at local clubs and coffeehouses, and follow them with featured acts on June 8 and 29, July 20, and Aug. 3, 10, and 17.

“We wanted to offer local talent that hasn’t made prime-time, yet has a loyal following locally,” said Marilyn Hankins, executive director of the series. “We thought we would tap into that.”

The concerts will include an international music festival June 22, and Jack Mack and the Heart Attack will perform June 29. The schedule includes a tribute to American composers on July 3; Riders in the Sky, with the music of the Old West, on July 20; and the Horace Heidt Jr. Big Band on July 27.

August will feature a diverse lineup of performers, including Frank Sinatra Jr. and His Orchestra, performing “Gershwin’s America,” on Aug. 10.