Discover and Celebrate the Bliss of Classical Music in the Asheville and Western North Carolina Area

The Asheville Symphony
".... presents seven full orchestra concerts per year in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at the Asheville Civic Center. Each concert features a performance by a guest artist. The Symphony's programming reflects a desire to present both the "old favorites" as well as more recent works. In addition to the regular subscription series, the orchestra presents a Holiday Pops...."

Asheville Community Band
A season ticket is only $18!

Keowee Chamber Music
"... a professional ensemble and a non-profit organization, enlivens communities in Western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina with eclectic chamber music offerings in historic and unusual settings...."

Land of the Sky Symphonic Band
"... presents concert band music in the tradition of a community-style band. Our members include amateur and professional musicians of all ages and walks of life who live in Buncombe, Henderson and McDowell counties."

Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra
"... Hendersonville, as a small community, can be proud that it has its very own symphony orchestra. As a symphony orchestra, we not only perform a six-concert season, we also make a significant contribution to the community by providing performance opportunities, scholarships and musical enrichment and education programs for the young people of the area...." Orchestra Auditions "...Auditions for open or substitute positions in the orchestra are held annually, typically in mid-August. For information about auditions, or for substitute positions which may become available throughout the year..."

Click on each of the dozens of categories to the left to uncover what makes the Asheville area so vital, so intriguing and so, well, UTTERLY BLISSFUL!

From Rolf Potts' Vagabonding blog:

I've never been one of those uptight literary types who thinks that you have to have actually read a book in order to recommend it to others. So I feel no trepidation in suggesting Eric Weiner's new travelogue-slash-memoir The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World The premise of the book is simple but intriguing-- here is Amazon's description:

Part foreign affairs discourse, part humor, and part twisted self-help guide, The Geography of Bliss takes the reader from America to Iceland to India in search of happiness, or, in the crabby author's case, moments of "un-unhappiness." The book uses a beguiling mixture of travel, psychology, science and humor to investigate not what happiness is, but where it is. Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Singapore benefit psychologically by having their options limited by the government? Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy? With engaging wit and surprising insights, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions.

In the imaginary Netflix queue of books-that-I'm-planning-to-read, this one has just jumped to the top. By the way, why has no one started a Netflix for books? This question, and many more, I'll leave for another day.

Classical Radio Stations

WDAV 89.9 FM
"The Classical Music Station... The purpose of WDAV is to provide classical music and cultural arts programming of the highest quality and to promote the activities of local arts organizations and artists of all disciplines. The station is more than a music service. Significant air time and staff resources are devoted to creating "a community of the arts." This is accomplished by broadcasting locally recorded concerts and by promoting the events and activities of area arts organizations through on-air public service announcements, co-sponsorships, ticket-gives and occasional interview features...."

WETS FM 89.5 FM
Broadcasts from Eastern Tennessee State University and reaches Eastern Tennessee, Western North Carolina and Southeastern Virginia. "... focuses much of its broadcast day on classical music.... also emphasizes the culture of our southern Appalachian region.... Americana: a blend of traditional American styles that incorporates country, folk, blues, jazz, bluegrass, Celtic, rock, and other elements.... Doc Watson, Byron Berline, Ralph Stanley, John Cephas and Phil Wiggins, Jean Ritchie, and many more. Original and unique Americana programming is available on Roots and Branches and Studio One...."

WCQS FM (Asheville)
"...WCQS offers programming from National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Radio International (PRI) as well as locally-hosted music and talk programs: Fresh Air, All Things Considered, Jazz, Classical, A Prairie Home Companion, Country Roots, This American Life, BB, Morning Edition, Marketplace Money, Car Talk, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me...."

WFAE 90.7 FM
covers Charlotte, N.C., and the Central Piedmont. However its 100,000-watt signal enables it to reach 22 counties in North and South Carolina, including the Asheville area. Has sponsored a wide range of special events throughout the years, from elegant art exhibits to educational seminars. Includes a wide range of programs from NPR, the BBC and Public Radio International as well as local news and talk shows about issues that are important to the community.