HARVIN COLUMN: Music and art play well together this week

It's a week with several selections that will delight music lovers, and one has a special treat for the audience.

Chamber Music Charleston will play American music in a bistro atmosphere at Memminger Auditorium starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

At 7:30 p.m., the musicians will take the stage to perform some well-known songs that are arranged for string quartet, such as Dave Brubeck's “Blue Rondo a la Turk” and Arthur Foote's “Nocturne” and “Scherzo” for flute and strings.

The cool thing that director Sandra Nikolajevs has been doing is teaching fifth-grade students at Orange Grove Elementary School about the relationship between visual art and music. The musicians have performed for the students, and Nikolajevs showed them artwork that was inspired by music.

For the Saturday performance, artwork created by the students will be coordinated with the music in a multimedia presentation.

Pretty cool for everyone involved. Artists and musicians often have found a muse in the other's art form.

The concert continues with the world premiere of Trevor Weston's “Messages for Chamber Ensemble.” This work is inspired by the painting “Seeking” by Jonathan Green, the nationally recognized artist whose work celebrates Gullah culture.

“Seeking” recalls the Gullah rite of passage into the church and adulthood that requires teens to go into the woods to find their spiritual being. The youths then return to the elders to be examined and, if accepted, baptized into the church.

The program concludes with guest soprano soloist D'Jaris Whipper Lewis joining musicians of CMC for a selection of songs by George Gershwin, including songs from “Porgy and Bess.”

Tickets are $25 for general theater seating and $5 for students. Bistro table seating has sold out. To purchase tickets, visit www.chamber musiccharleston.org or call 763-4941.

CSO

This year's Charleston Symphony Orchestra certainly has been busy, and this week is no exception. Another mix of art and music will occur with Part Two of the City Gallery's three-concert series at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The view is magnificent, and you can watch the boats on the water as you listen to the music while the sun sets. The venue is perfect for a small concert.

Tickets are $25. The gallery is at 34 Prioleau St. To buy tickets, visit www.charleston symphony.org or call 723-7528.

Illustrating heritage

There will be an exhibit of about 45 works of art from the Center for Birds of Prey 4-6 p.m. Thursday at Lincoln High School in McClellanville.

It will include an 8-by-5-foot sculpture called “Going the Distance for the Arts,” which reflects students' connections to the arts.

There will be a reading by student poet Jasmine Middleton. The culinary arts students will prepare the reception and the school's steel drum band will perform.

It sounds like another great night of mixing artistic cultures.

The work will be in the gallery through May 18.

Visit www.mcclellanville artscouncil.com or call 887-3157.

Reach Stephanie Harvin at sharvin@postandcourier.com or 937-5557.