Photo Gallery of our Past Events

  

Robinson Crusoe coming to Sisseton
 
Audiences of all ages will get a fresh look at the age-old tale of Robinson Crusoe on Friday, Apr. 18, 2008, as Missoula Children's Theatre and over 50 local students present “The Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” at 7:00 p.m. at the Old Sisseton Middle School Theatre. Tickets will be $5 for adults and $3 for students and pre-schoolers. All tickets will be available at the door. The Missoula Children's Theatre residency in Sisseton is sponsored by the Sisseton Arts Council and the Sisseton Public Schools, with support from the South Dakota Arts Council. 

 

 

 

 
   

Celtic duo Willson and McKee
to perform in Sisseton Apr. 20

 
The Sisseton Arts Council is pleased to announce that Willson & McKee, a nationally touring duo specializing in original as well as traditional Irish and Scottish acoustic music, will be performing on Sunday, Apr. 20, 2008, at the Nicollet Interpretive Center, three miles west of Sisseton, SD, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets (available at the door) will be $5.00.
The concert kicks off a week-long residency the artists will spend with elementary students in the Sisseton School District.
Willson & McKee call their music "Rocky Mountain Celtic." They say “that’s what Celtic becomes when it settles down comfortably in the west.” They are Americans doing what they do best –– interpreting their roots music in fresh and original ways. The combination of their Celtic heritage plus their Montana and Colorado roots gives them a uniquely original sound, unlike anything on the current soundscape. Original songs that have an ancient sound and traditional songs and tunes, rewriting them with their distinctive style.
The Sisseton Arts Council (www.sissetonartscouncil.org) is sponsoring the event with support from the South Dakota Arts Council. The South Dakota Arts Council support is provided with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism and State Development, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
   

 

 

 

 

QUADRE–THE VOICE OF FOUR HORNS PERFORMS AT THE NICOLLET INTERPRETIVE CENTER

(Sisseton, SD) QUADRE–The Voice of Four Horns, a California-based French horn quartet performs at the Nicollet Interpretive Center on Monday, May 5, 2008 at 7 pm.  Regarded as an ensemble that "zaps the myth that classical stuff's stuffy" (Birmingham News), the group presents original compositions from its latest recording, Citrus, by ensemble members Nathan Pawelek and Daniel Wood as well as music by Aaron Copland, J.S. Bach and “Tiger Rag” composer, Nick LaRocca.  Hear the horn roar and see why the International Horn Call remarks that their music features moments of “inspiration, sorrow, silliness, love, virtuosic display, but above all: just plain fun.”

Since 1998, QUADRE has toured throughout the United States and has been awarded nationally recognized music residencies from the San Francisco Symphony & Chamber Music America.  In its ten-year history, the ensemble has played more than 700 performances.  From the Mozart Festival in California to the Mobile Symphony in Alabama; from the Manhattan School of Music in New York to the Greater Grand Forks Symphony in North Dakota, its repertoire features classical works, the artists’ own original brass music and arrangements connected with the group’s wit, banter and humor.

With support from the Sisseton Arts Council, QUADRE will visit Sisseton High School and the Tiospa Zina Tribal School the day of the performance.  Artistic Director, Daniel Wood, is especially looking forward to collaborating with the drum class at the tribal school using his Swedish alphorn.  “Improvising with the students and creating a new sound that has never been heard before is a thrill,” he says, “that is incredible rewarding.”  Ensemble member, Nathan Pawelek, who performed with the South Dakota Symphony Woodwind Quintet and returns to Sisseton with QUADRE, is looking forward to the performance at the Nicolette Tower.  “With its dramatic views, it is a wonderful venue to share our music,” he says.  His Quartet #1, written while he was living in South Dakota and based on his experiences, will be performed. A portion of the piece is based on a composing project he did with the Sisseton High School band in 2002.

              

 

January 14, 2006
Dakota Men’s Ensemble
The Sisseton Arts Council sponsored a concert by the Dakota Men's Ensemble at the newly restored St. Peter's Catholic Church in Sisseton, on Jan. 14, 2006  The Dakota Men's Ensemble, which has members from the Brookings and Sioux Falls area, has been recognized as one of the top 100 choirs in the United States.
This concert was held at St. Peter’s so the community could see the newly restored church including the 18 new stained glass windows. It was also a thank you to everyone who has assisted St. Peter’s since the fire on Sept. 21, 2005, including the community, area firemen, St. Catherine’s Church, Grace Lutheran Church and area churches.
   
January 3, 2006
Willson and McKee


Willson & McKee, a nationally touring duo specializing in original as well as traditional Irish and Scottish acoustic music, performed on Sat., Feb. 3rd at the Nelson Community Center in Peever, SD. There was a concert during the first hour and an Adult Irish Ceili Dance Workshop followed intermission. Ceili dancing (pronounced Kay-lee) is the social dancing of Ireland.  This dance does not require a partner, since at a community dance in Ireland, you just "pair up" with who ever is there.

Willson & McKee call their music "Rocky Mountain Celtic""…… what Celtic becomes when it settles down comfortably in the west. They are Americans doing what they do best –– interpreting their roots music in fresh and original ways!! The combination of their Celtic heritage plus their Montana and Colorado roots gives them a uniquely original sound, unlike anything on the current soundscape. Original songs that have an ancient sound and traditional songs and tunes, rewriting them with their distinctive style.  www.jigheads.com 

   
April 13, 2007
Missoula Children’s Theatre


Performance of “Robin Hood”
Celebrating 25 years of MCT in Sisseton  www.mctinc.org

25th Anniversary of Children's Theatre in Sisseton ... The Missoula Children's Theatre and more than 50 local students will bring Robin Hood to the stage of the Sisseton Middle School on April 13, marking the 25th anniversary MCT shows in Sisseton. One of the first projects of the newly formed Sisseton Arts Council was to bring the Wizard of Oz to Sisseton in l983. It was so popular with students and the community that the arts council has been partnering with the Sisseton School District ever since to provide the week-long theatre residency for students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Through the years more than 1,500 local students have had the chance to shine on stage as they bring to life original versions of classic fairy tales. 

Join Robin Hood, Maid Marion, the Sheriff of Nottingham and a host of others on Friday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Sisseton Middle School for our  25th anniversary performance with a reception following. Tickets will be available at the door at $5 for adults $3 for children and students. For more information contact Karen Medhaug at 738-2345 or Kaye Crawford at 698-4781.
   


For more information about these
and other SAC arts events watch
local and area newspapers

 
April 15 –
Organ Dedication Concert at St. Peter's Catholic Church at 2:00 p.m. featuring John Thuringer, organist free concert sponsored by St. Peter's Catholic Church
April 17 –
Community Arts Network Regional Meeting – Watertown

11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. County Fair Banquet Hall

Hosts: Watertown Business Assn. & Glacial Lakes Tourism
April 18 –

Chautauqua Performer in Sisseton Schools sponsored by the Sisseton Arts Council and the South  Dakota Humanities Council 
 

--Willa Cather - high school students

--Laura Ingalls Wilder - elementary students

Betty Jean Steinshouer portrays Laura Ingalls Wilder in this photo

 

 
April (date yet to be determined)
Sisseton Middle School Oral Interp Showcase
May 1 – 

Sisseton Arts Council scholarship deadline for seniors at Sisseton High School and Tiospa Zina Tribal School
May 8 –
Living Legends community performance at Tiospa Zina Tribal School.  The performance is free and open to the public 7:00 p.m. starting time
   

The United States Air Force Heartland of America Band is proud to present NEW HORIZONS, a clarinet ensemble of the squadron’s finest clarinet players. They will perform in Sisseton on Monday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church located at 202 East Maple. The free concert is sponsored by the Sisseton Arts Council.

NEW HORIZONS takes audiences on a tour of some of the world’s most beautiful and exciting music. The group’s repertoire consists of classical, jazz and standard clarinet ensemble literature showcasing its musical diversity.

They also share stirring accounts of the bravery and self-sacrifice of our expeditionary Airmen serving around the globe. NEW HORIZONS represents more than 329,000 Air Force professionals around the world who diligently watch over the skies protecting and defending all those who cherish freedom.

 
 

 

 

Norwegian Artist to Present Organ and Jazz Piano Recital in Sisseton

Lars Gjerde, a young and ambitious Norwegian organist returns to Sisseton to perform a program of music for Lent at Grace Lutheran Church, on Thursday, March 13, at 7pm. In addition to performing in Sisseton, Mr. Gjerde will present his program in Minnesota, appearing in Cottonwood and at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

Lars Gjerde (27), a native of Aure, Norway, is a doctoral student in organ performance and church music at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he received his Master of Music degree in October 2007. A graduate of both the Edvard Grieg Academy of Music in Norway and of Augustana College of Liberal Arts in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Lars is returning to the Midwest this March to play a program of organ music and jazz piano improvisations appropriate for the liturgical season of Lent. Musical selections will include works by Bach, Buxtehude, Grigny, Mendelssohn, Vierne, and Widor, all giants in the tradition of organ music, as well as a recent work by the current French virtuoso Daniel Roth. Mr. Gjerde will be assisted by tenor Scott Perkins, also a graduate student at the Eastman School, in performances of the artists’ own jazz arrangements of well-known Lenten hymns.

Lars Gjerde has performed and participated in master classes in Norway, Sweden, Italy, and throughout the United States, appearing frequently in South Dakota. While a student at Augustana College, where he also served as Chapel Organist, Lars was the Second National Winner in the Music Teachers’ National Association Collegiate Organ Competition and received honorable mention in the famous Augustana/Reuters Organ Competition in Denver, Colorado. He had the pleasure of appearing three times at Grace Lutheran in Sisseton during his studies. Lars joined the Choirboys of Augustana College to release the CD “In the Bleak Midwinter” as a fund-raising effort for Lutheran World Relief in 2001, a successful project which received media attention throughout South Dakota.

 

Nationally Acclaimed Dancers to Work With Sisseton Students…

Students at Sisseton Public School and Tiospa Zina Tribal School  will be engaged in a dance collaboration with nationally known dancers March 25-28. Building on a South Dakota residency last year, Ohio-based Rhythm in Shoes is returning to the state to lead a dance residency with acclaimed South Dakota hoop dancers, Dallas Chief Eagle and Jasmine Pickner.

Rhythm in Shoes use tap, clogging and rhythm to draw their audiences into their energy-packed performances. The company’s dance style is based on Appalachian area and Celtic dance traditions with live accompaniment by company musicians. The company, which is based in Dayton, Ohio, has a 22 year history of performing and educational outreach.

Traditional Lakota hoop dancers, Dallas Chief Eagle and Jasmine Pickner, performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, this fall. Both travel the state extensively performing in schools and at community events.

The residency in Sisseton is based on shared teaching of both the Celtic sword dance and the Native American hoop dance. Students will learn both traditional dances through participation with the dancers. Included are conversations and discussions between the dancers about the commonalities, similarities and differences  in the two traditions.

The dancers will be at Tiospa Zina on March 25-26 and in the Sisseton Middle School and High School on March 27-28. An all school performance will open each residency. Parents and the general public are invited to attend either of the opening performances: Tiospa Zina on Tuesday, March 25, at 9:15 a.m. in the school gym; Sisseton Public School on Thursday, March 27, at 8:30 a.m. in Ben Reifel Auditorium.

The residency is being arranged by the Sisseton Arts Council with the help of the two participating schools. It is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions from General Mills Foundation, Land O’Lakes Foundation, and the South Dakota Arts Council . Funding for the residency also comes from the Dakota Indian Foundation and the South Dakota Humanities Council.

March 27-31, 2006

Missoula Children's Theatre: The Frog Prince
 

'THE ENTIRE  CAST'
   
     
Princess Peppy, Princess Proper, Princess Proper, Princess Prim, Swamp Frog, Prince Swamp Things Flamingos
     
Knights Venus Fly Traps Ducks