Latin Grammy Award nominee, Claudia Acuña, presents a two-part musical celebration to mark International Women’s Day. Broadcast live from Northampton’s Academy of Music Theatre, the production features a six-camera shoot to capture the intimacy of her performance and the majesty of this historic opera house. Audience members are invited to join via Zoom so they can “be seen” by the artists on a video wall in the orchestra pit.

Growing up in Chile, Claudia dreamed of performing in the iconic jazz clubs of New York City. She fell in love with this unfamiliar music while listening to international stations on her transistor radio. At age 20, she sold all of her possessions and immigrated to the US with no English and little more than her own ambitions. In a short period of time, she began appearing at jam sessions and gained recognition as one of the most intriguing and original vocalists on the scene. “She sings in the tradition of the great ones.” remarked Abbey Lincoln, “ Her sound is her own.”

Claudia will be joined by Pablo Vergara on piano, Carlos Henderson on bass, Juancho Herrera on guitar, and Rodrigo Recabarren on drums.

Join us in celebrating the vital contributions of women in the arts as part of the 2021 International Women Rising Festival. Broadcast live from the historic Academy of Music Theatre, this three-day event weaves together a tapestry of musical performances and conversations with distinguished artists and leaders in gender equity.

Two performances streamed live.

Tickets: https://thirdrow.live/events/claudia-acuna/

Spend the day with two of Spain's most revered singers, both divas in their own right and daughters of some of the greatest stars in the history of Grand Opera. The day begins with an Opera Gala featuring Montserrat Martí Caballé, daughter of soprano Montserrat Caballé and tenor Bernabé Martí, who takes us on a journey through the world of Opera and Spanish Zarzuela with a selection of some of the classical genre’s most fascinating solos and duets.

The evening turns to Bacchus in Love with an inebriating mix of good wines and music; duets and songs that speak to us of passion and joy, friendships and glamour, exaltation and inspiration. Together soprano Cecilia Lavilla Berganza, daughter of the grand opera diva Teresa Berganza, baritone Luis Santana and pianist Victor Carbajo exalt the goodness of “miracle juices” by interpreting an extensive repertoire of different composers and celebrating this exciting and passionate pairing.

Two Performances streamed live from Spain 3pm and 6pm ET.

Tickets: https://thirdrow.live/events/grand-opera-divas/

Born in Mexico City and currently based out of New York, Magos is best known for her eloquent vocal improvisation and her singular bold style, which embraces elements of contemporary jazz with Ibero-American melodies and rhythms singing in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. Regarded as one of the most active vocalists in the Latin American jazz scene, she is also a United Nation's spokesperson for UN Women UNITE, a program promoting the elimination of violence against women, and the UN's "He For She" campaigns to promote gender equality. Magos will be joined by an all-star ensemble with Luis Perdomo on piano, Sam Minaie on bass, and Alex Kautz on drums.

Two performances streamed live from the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA.

Tickets: https://thirdrow.live/events/magos-herrera/

This is a virtual event. A livestreaming link will be sent to ticketholders prior to the show. Please purchase tickets here.

The Academy of Music Theatre and New England Public Media celebrate the 6th Anniversary of Valley Voices Story Slam. Audience members have selected the top three stories from the five Valley Voices Story Slams held during this unprecedented season. We heard stories from New City Brewery in Easthampton, Hawks & Reed in Greenfield, storyteller’s dining rooms to zooming from the Academy stage. Now, we gather the best of the best to tell their stories from the Academy stage into your living room through zoom.

These top stories by local storytellers will be shared as a live stream event to compete for the top prize – Best of Valley Voices! Join us as we choose the winner of this competition based on the art of first person narrative storytelling. It puts emphasis on content and performance, encourages storytellers to focus on what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. It’s an exercise in crafting stories within a set time limit, without notes or props, and it’s entertainment.

Age recommendation: 15+