St. Clair County Community College’s Visual and Performing Arts Department presents an annual Thursday at Noon Concert Series offering a variety of talent and musical styles. Performances are monthly during the fall and winter semesters in the college’s Fine Arts Theatre.

All concerts, except for the Holiday Special in December, are free to the public.

For more information: (810) 989-5709

To get details sent to you by email about upcoming events, fill out this form.

Sept. 15
Lexington Bach Festival String Quartet
Please join us for the spectacular 16th season opener, as the Thursday at Noon Concert Series welcomes the exclusive Lexington Bach Festival String Quartet to center stage at SC4. The Lexington Bach Festival has graciously partnered with "Thursday at Noon" to bring you the exciting and eclectic Lexington Bach Festival String Quartet. This chamber music ensemble includes a foursome consisting of two violins, viola and cello, presenting a musical richness with a variety of sound and elaborate textures. The timeless ability and range of this quartet possesses an ear to contrapuntal interest, motivic development, ongoing dramatic narrative, originality and contextual use of form. This quartet has established a local and national reputation for artistic excellence.

Oct. 20
The Boogie Woogie Kid!
Matthew Ball - pianist
Declared "one of Michigan’s premier blues and boogie woogie pianists," Matthew Ball offers performance and lecture in the piano-playing styles of early jazz masters such as Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and Otis Spann. Matthew's program features blues and boogie-woogie arrangements of classic American songs such as Swanee River, The Sheik of Araby, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Cow Cow Blues, Bumble Boogie and Pinetop's Boogie. Matthew brings a new vitality, vision and virtuosity to these uniquely American traditions.

Nov. 17
Open Your Heart
Lisa Agazzi - soloist
Angelina Pashmakova - pianist
Italian-American Lisa Agazzi's stunning and triumphant SC4 "Thursday at Noon" performances have led to an open return invitation. Having studied in Italy, Lisa will emphasize her specialty, a mix of Italian composers, such as Resphighi and Bellini, along with some American composers, such as Porter and Gershwin. Lisa also will be performing Manuel de Falla's Seven Spanish Folk Songs. As another highlight of the program, Lisa will be singing her signature song, the Habañera from Bizet's Carmen. Lisa has proven to be a joy and a delight to all SC4 audience members, so please join us for this enchanting and heartwarming concert.

Dec. 8
Holiday Special
Grand Rapids Guitar Quartet
Admission: $5
Advance tickets: (810) 989-5513 (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays)
The Grand Rapids Guitar Quartet is composed of four award-winning guitarists, Andrew Bergeron, David Martin, Brian Morris and Michael Stockdale, who currently make their homes in the west Michigan area. For the past several years, they have received an overwhelmingly positive response from audiences at sold-out performances at colleges, universities, art centers, chamber music series and community concert series. The quartet will present a program including a variety of transcriptions from Masterworks such as Bizet's Carmen Suite and music originally written for guitar quartet, along with entertaining, informative and often humorous explanations about the music. This concert is appropriate for all ages and will feature a medley filled with Yuletide favorites. Don't miss this festive concert.

Jan. 19
Pauline Martin, In Concert
Pauline Martin - pianist
Hailed as "dazzling" by the Washington Post, pianist Pauline Martin has been recognized internationally for her solo and chamber music recordings. Of her Grammy nominated CD Hobson's Choice (Koch International), Audio Adventure wrote, "Pauline Martin makes a meal of this one - her fast movements sparkle and the notes ripple off the keyboard with a life of their own." Old Acquaintances (Koch) earned a 2000 Chamber Music America - WQXR Record Award, and Imaginary Creatures has been released on the prestigious Naxos American Classics label. She has appeared with numerous North American orchestras including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Invited to return to the SC4 stage by special request, Pauline's program will feature the sublimely lyrical Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960 by Franz Schubert, as well as works by Ravel and Chopin. Delightful surprises are in store in this intimate program performed by this dynamic artist "In Concert."

Feb. 23
Life and Times of Rosa Parks
Rosie Chapman (Miz Rosie) - storyteller
After last season's sensational performance, Rosie Chapman (a.k.a. Miz Rosie), is brought back by popular demand to again thrill and captivate audiences of all ages with her stories. Audience participation makes her performances "edutaining" - educational and entertaining. Rosie has performed for schools, libraries, community groups, museums and workshops around the world. Life skills, folktales and fairy tales are just a few of the specialties she brings to the stage. Her one-woman shows of Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Madame C. J. Walker and Sojourner Truth are unforgettable. This season Miz Rosie will bring the incredible story of Rosa Parks to the SC4 audience.

March 29
An Dro
World Music Ensemble
SC4 celebrates St. Patrick's Day month with An Dro, a group of four highly skilled instrumentalists exploring traditional music from across the globe. An Dro takes you on an adventure that is both personal and universal. You'll hear traditional Irish melodies, medieval French songs, Breton dance tunes, Scandinavian refrains, Appalachian influences, Arabic rhythms and African grooves all performed with joy and freshness. The band's original works have a feel that is both ancient and modern with a dynamic range that takes you from crazy dance grooves to delicately orchestrated waltzes and airs to blazing improvisational assaults. Employing fiddle, bouzouki, hurdy gurdy, Celtic harp, guitar, mandolin, pennywhistle and a wild array of percussion instruments from across Africa and the Middle East, this concert is not to be missed.

April 12
The Royal Garden Trio
Jazz trio
The Royal Garden Trio is a vigorous musical hybrid, blending the Parisian café with the American nightclub, managing to be fresh and original without being exotic, a rarity anywhere and nearly unheard of in jazz. With the non-traditional instrumentation of guitar, cello and clarinet, the trio plays live hot jazz in the moment delighting audiences of all ages. Their original music is featured in the Detroit Institute of Arts "Let Yourself Go" television commercials. The trio will be performing such vintage jazz tunes as I'll See You In My Dreams and Sweet Georgia Brown. Don't miss this fun, happy and upbeat conclusion to this year's concert season.

April 19
Tapestry
SC4 student dance, music, theatre presentations