In addition to the four programs of the 2016-2017 concert season the Tryon Concert Association will bring two short Friday evening events to the Tryon Fine Arts Center. These one-hour concerts will be a happy way to start the weekend.

On Friday, Nov. 18, composer and educator Jason De Cristofaro will perform on the marimba and vibraphone accompanied by his ensemble of flute and piano. As the winner of the 2011 Yamaha/Percussive Arts Society Terry Gibbs Scholarship, an international scholarship competition for jazz vibraphonists, Mr. DeCristofaro has been invited to perform at numerous jazz festivals, conferences and universities throughout the Southeast. He holds a Master of Music Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences from UNC Asheville. He is currently working towards his doctorate in Music Education at Boston University.

The Petrie Winds will present the second TGIF concert on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. This wind quintet is made up of professors at the McDaniel Petrie School of Music at Converse College: Christopher Vaneman (flute), Kelly McElrath Vaneman (oboe), Karen Hill (clarinet), Anneka Zuehlke (horn) and Frank Watson (bassoon). They will perform a refreshing and varied program.

A wine and beer bar will precede these two end-of-the-week concerts starting at 5:30 p.m. The performances from 6-7 p.m. will leave time to attend your favorite restaurant or other activities for the evening.

TGIF tickets will be sold separately from the full season and can be purchased online or at the box office at TFAC. Visit tryonconcerts.org for more information.

-Submitted by Joella Utley