Music directors and orchestras often stick together about as long as coaches last with professional football teams. But on Saturday, the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra launches its 20th season under the baton of Thomas Joiner. This is the story of a marriage that works.

Different Strokes is an Asheville theater company with a mission to "change the world one play at a time." Still, Stephanie Hickling- Beckman , the founding director of Different Strokes, couldn't have known the company's production of " Best of Enemies " would come on the vapors of the racially charged events of Charlottesville, Virginia. The play recounts the struggles of school integration in Durham 40 years ago and the remarkable relationship between two school board members -- Ann Atwater,

It's a bittersweet day here at Blue Ridge Public Radio. Thirty one years ago this month, music director Dick Kowal hit the airwaves. Today, he hosted his last show. While it's impossible to capture all of the amazing accomplishments of his talented career, we do have some highlights, and a few good stories. BPR's Helen Chickering reports. (Dick Kowal on the air) “It’s about 6 minutes after 9, good morning.” If you live in Western North Carolina, chances are, you know this voice. (Dick Kowal on

The Blue Ridge Orchestra plays two concerts this weekend, Saturday and Sunday at 3pm at the Blue Ridge Parkway's Folk Arts Center. Cantus Terrae is an Earth Day celebration featuring two works with ties to the natural world, Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring and Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, " Pastoral ." Conductor Dr. Milton Crotts spoke with Dick Kowal about the concerts.

The Asheville Chamber Music Series presents the final concert of its 2016-2017 season Friday evening. The Weiss-Kaplan-Stumpf piano trio performs at 8 at Asheville's Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Mary Holmes spoke with Dick Kowal about the music and the musicians.

The Carolina Concert Choir will perform "Only Mozart," featuring the composer's Requiem and Ave Verum Corpus , Saturday, April 8th at 3 at BoThomas Auditorium on the Blue Ridge Community College campus. Professor Lawrence Doebler, artistic director and conductor, talked with Dick Kowal about the program.

Pan Harmonia completes its seventeenth season of unique chamber music concerts with three programs over the next few weeks. Monday evening, April 10th, Sing To Me of the Night , a program titled after the work by Dana Wilson, takes place at Haen Gallery on Biltmore Ave. in Asheville Two free season finale concerts will be held at Harry's on the Hill in Asheville on May 4 and at St. James Episcopal Church in Black Mountain on Friday, May 5. Artistic Director Kate Steinbeck and Project Manager

The banners are up in Hendersonville as the First Annual Artscape Banner Project presents its first exhibit of art by Henderson County artists on the streets of downtown. Conny Knight and Mary Jo Padgett talked with Dick Kowal about the reveal of this year-long project.

Asheville Community Theatre and Drama UNC-A will co-produce the swashbuckling prequel to Peter Pan , Peter and the Starcatcher , opening Thursday evening at the Carol Belk Theatre on the UNC-Asheville campus. Cast members Chloe Zeitounian and Alex Daly spoke with Dick Kowal about the 2012 Broadway show.

The Asheville Symphony performs the finale to this week's Asheville Amadeus Festival in a Sunday afternoon concert at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The featured soloist is violinist Midori , who will perform Mendelssohn's e minor Violin Concerto. Also on the program, Mozart's Symphony No. 35, Stravinsky's " Dumbarton Oaks " concerto, and Faure's Pavanne featuring the Asheville Symphony Chamber Chorus. Daniel Meyer, ASO music director and conductor, spoke with Dick Kowal about the program.