Opera Talk

Asheville Lyric Opera (ALO) brings great stories and music to Asheville's premiere theatrical stage, the Diana Wortham

On  Friday, February 21,  3 pm, the series continues with "The Voice," a discussion on how the human voice operates.  

On Friday, March 21, 3pm,  ALO provides a Special Class featuring a lecture with guest artists from their spring opera, Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Free and open to the public! All lectures are held in the Manheimer Room in the Reuter Center.

For more information about ALO, including information about how to purchase tickets for performances, click here. 

New Special Interest Group (SIG)

Wine Tasting Two  

Interested in learning more about wine?  Do you want to share your knowledge?  Are you interested in learning about food and wine pairings? Join us! Building on the success of the current wine tasting SIG, a new wine tasting SIG is forming. 

Our organizational meeting is scheduled for

Chamber Music Concert     Asheville Chamber Music Series  presents  

Melinda Stuart on 

"The Presidents' Sweethearts" 

Friday, Feb. 14, 11:30 am, 

Manheimer Room   

On February 14, plan to attend to hear about "The Presidents' Sweethearts" from OLLI member and College for Seniors instructor Melinda Stuart.  With the exception of a handful of bachelors or widowers, few men have gone through the presidency alone. Most have had a wife to share the responsibility of leading the nation, performing social protocols, and acting as world ambassador. Unelected and unpaid, first ladies have brought varying talents, backgrounds, and desires to an unscripted job at America's First House; some have loved it, others couldn't wait to leave.  This Valentine's Day we'll take a fond look at some love stories covering the 214 years that presidents and their sweethearts have called the White House home.   

During 35 years as a museum historian and educator, Melinda Stuart worked with the Smithsonian Institution, the White House, and other museums.  In 1980 she organized an exhibit on White House history and art visited by First Lady Rosalynn Carter. At OLLI, Melinda teaches about museums, first ladies, and women's history.

Fab Friday lectures are free and open to the public. 

Deanna Witkowski, noted jazz pianist, will perform  a concert in Biltmore Forest to benefit the UNC Asheville Music Department's  scholarship program.   

Witkowski's playing is not limited to one style; she moves with ease from Brazilian to Afro-pop to jazz to classical.  Her dynamic playing will appeal to all music lovers, and the intimate setting of a home will make for a very special evening.   

There will be a reception after the program to meet the artist and representatives from the UNC Asheville music department.   February 18, 2014, 7pm.  Tickets: $42.80.  Click here for more information 

World Affairs Council (WAC)

A specialist in environmental law as it relates to land use and natural resources, Dr. Knisley has a PhD in philosophy from University of Colorado and a master of environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School. She is a professor of environmental studies at Warren Wilson College and the inaugural occupant of a newly created position in policy and law.  Her career in higher education has included service as a department chair at Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire, and as a senior vice president at Unity College in Maine.