A maid’s song in Jacob Bancks’s new opera “Karkinos” has painfully relevant lyrics – “Slowly, slowly, what is your hurry? Little by little the bird builds a nest. Patience obtains all things. Sooner or later a seedling will climb. Wait, and all that has life will flourish in time.” Patience is certainly what we all need in the Covid era, as the premiere of “Karkinos” – a collaboration between the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and Living Proof Exhibit – again has been delayed, until February 2022. The opera, penned by Bancks (an Augustana associate professor of music), was first... Read More

What a difference an audience makes. Any performer – especially in this dizzying, chaotic age of Covid-19 – knows this. And when Mark Russell Smith, starting his 12th season as music director and conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, took to the Adler Theatre stage Oct. 3 for the first time in seven months – he knew it for sure. “It was moving, very powerful,” he said Thursday of leading a smaller, socially-distanced ensemble, as he wore a face mask. “Even before we played a note, the audience greeted us with a standing ovation. I came out like normal, the orchestra stood up... Read More

Because of increasing cases of Covid-19 in the area, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra is switching to all-digital concerts for the remainder of November and December. Orchestra executive director Brian Baxter said their coronavirus task force has been closely monitoring the local Covid epidemic and reviewing guidance from government authorities at the federal, state, and local levels. “We’ve been consulting with the Scott County Health Department since this whole thing began, to try to make sure we’re following best practices, doing the right thing – both for our own musicians and staff,... Read More

The past few weeks have been busy and unprecedented for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, thanks to Covid-19. Executive director Brian Baxter said Monday that the Quad City Bank & Trust Riverfront Pops Sept. 12 went extremely well, given that rain threatened that day, and they wrestled with a complex new seating arrangement in LeClaire Park. “It was an unbelievable undertaking,” he said. “It was a tremendous effort on the part of our staff and our volunteers. The amount of work it took to make the safety precautions a reality was a lot. On top of making sure it’s safe in the Covid pandemic... Read More

Saturday in the Arts is a comprehensive, in-depth look at a personality, issue, or trend in the Quad-Cities arts and entertainment scene, running every Saturday morning on your site for fun, free, local entertainment and features, QuadCities.com.   Hannah Holman has a dream and it’s tantalizingly close to coming true. The passionate principal cellist for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra – of which she’s been a member since 2001 – has spent years planning and forming the Quad City Music Academy, which is now a registered nonprofit organization with an accomplished local board of directors... Read More

As many orchestras nationwide have cancelled in-person concerts for the fall, the show must go on for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO). It’s proceeding with fall Masterworks concerts at Davenport’s Adler Theatre, which will undergo some major changes. Following recommendations from the Scott County Health Department, the QCSO has altered its October, November and December programs – to cut the ensemble size in half, to about 40 musicians; allow only 25 percent capacity in the Adler for both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon concerts; require masks and social distancing, and eliminate... Read More

Quad City Symphony Orchestra presents Signature Series: Fantasie this Friday Aug 7 from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., live from Allaert Auditorium at the Galvin Fine Arts Center (St. Ambrose University 518 Locust Street Davenport), both in-person and virtually. Join concertmaster Naha Greenholtz and pianist Marian Lee for an evening of Musical Fantasies! Experience the music live in-person or from the comfort of your own home via Livestream.  With a multiple high-definition camera setup, Livestream viewers will get an up-close view of these two masterful musicians at work, unlike anything they could experience... Read More

Join the Quad City Symphony Orchestra as they kick off the 2020-21 Season. Uncord the Season will take place on Wednesday Aug 5 from 5 – 8 p.m. at Wide River Winery in the Village of East Davenport (1128 Mound Street Davenport). Tickets are just $20 and include a light dinner and music from the QCSO Brass Quintet. They can be purchased online at https://qcso.org/event/uncork-the-season-2020/. Wine will be sold by the bottle and 50% of your purchase will be donated back to the QCSO! To ensure social distancing, the event is limited to 60 guests. Guests can attend in groups of up to 6 people with... Read More

QuadCities.com proudly presents FUN10, a list of the top 10 things to do in the Quad Cities this week, and every week! Every Sunday, we’ll drop a new FUN10, to give you a head start on your week and a heads up on what’s going on over the coming seven days. Check out FUN10 every Sunday for the details on ten awesome events happening around town. It’s a cool read, and a great way to get started planning your entertainment for the week. As the current health situation in our country continues to force the cancellation of so many regularly scheduled events in the Quad Cities, we are once again... Read More

Saturday In The Arts is a comprehensive weekly feature looking at a trend, personality, or major subject involving the Quad-Cities arts and entertainment scene.   When Davenport jazz pianist and singer Freddy Allen returned July 25 to perform at The Grape Life Wine Store & Lounge, it was the first time the former regular played there since Feb. 28. It was a bittersweet occasion for the 50-year-old full-time musician, who has seen his livelihood decimated due to the raging Covid-19 crisis. “It was emotional, it was hard,” Allen said recently. “I’ve been one of those people, during... Read More