Celebrating the Arts of Chinese America

Milestones tend to sneak up on us while we’re doing other things. Suddenly, the “Musics Alive!” series is celebrating its 10th anniversary, a validation of a good and worthy idea.

What began as an offshoot of the Ventura Symphony, as a chamber music event celebrating the convergence of world music and contemporary classical fare, has become an important West Coast new music event.

The series has continued boldly in the New West Symphony era, hosting such noted living composers as Lou Harrison and Tania Leon. This year’s theme is summed up under the title “A Celebration of Chinese American Cinema, Music and Dance 25 Years After the Cultural Revolution,” and the special guest is respected Chinese American composer Bright Sheng.

On Saturday night at Mission San Buenaventura’s Serra Center, we’ll hear music of Sheng and the West Coast premiere of “Crouching Tiger Concerto” by Tan Dun, with a companion film created by director Ang Lee.

Sunday’s “Chamber Gala!” (exclamation points are a series logo by now) at Ventura City Hall includes Sheng scores and others, with both the composer and the always impressive Gloria Cheng at piano.

“Musics Alive!” Friday through Sunday. “Dynasties and Beyond: Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company,” Newbury Park High School Performing Arts Center, 456 N. Reino Road, Friday, 7:30 p.m.; $20, $10 children. “Crouching Tiger,” San Buenaventura Mission, 211 E. Main St., Ventura, Saturday, 8 p.m.; $25. “The Lions Roar: Free Family Concert,” Pacific View Mall, 3301 E. Main St., Ventura, Sunday, 1 p.m. “Chamber Gala!,” Ventura City Hall, 501 Poli St., Sunday, 5 p.m.; $20. (800) 639-9378. www.newwestsymphony.org.

On the Choral Beat: This weekend the Ventura County Master Chorale will perform Bach’s towering St. John Passion with the Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra.

The chance to hear this music with a period instrument orchestra is a rarity. “The Evangelist” will be played by Stephen Kronauer, who performed this and other Baroque roles in Germany.

Ventura County Master Chorale, with Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Ojai, 8 p.m. Also Sunday at St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo, 5 p.m. $20, $18. (805) 653-7282.

American Beauties: Channel Islands Ballet hits the stage of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza’s Scherr Forum this weekend for a set of dance works under the title “American Journey.” Included on the program are “Apollo,” choreographed by George Balanchine, “Gershwin Preludes,” choreographed by the company’s director, Yves de Bouteiller, and based on the great American composer’s piano preludes.

Channel Islands Ballet, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza’s Scherr Forum, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Saturday at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. $22-$12. (805) 384-8558.

Star-Struck Plaza: When Van Cliburn hit town recently, the musical highs were one thing, but there was that added air of a special event. Legends are like that, especially with one as concurrently down-to-earth and elusive as Cliburn, who only performs a few times a year and hasn’t been in Southern California since 1994.

The musical turf was familiar to him, since he first caught the world’s ear and became an American hero with his award-winning performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1958. But still, Cliburn, with his perennially boyish charm and oversized-yet-nimble hands, attended the score’s dynamic highs and lows with freshness and passion. He’s still a cool dynamo and delivered an evening to remember.