Desert Star Weekly 'Friday' April 21, 2023 issue!

Your adjudicated newspaper for Riverside County

desert STAR

‘Get Ready for Stagecoach’

By

Desert Star Staff Stagecoach Country

Festival 2023 is just around the corner and will take over Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, from April 28 to April 30. The three-day event will have something for everyone, featuring an all-star lineup of artists.

Superstars Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, and Chris Stapleton are among the headliners for the 2023 festival, but there is much more to enjoy. Jon Pardi, Old Dominion, Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Gabby Barrett, Parker McCollum, Tyler Childers, ZZ Top, BRELAND, Turnpike

Troubadours, Bryan Adams, Elle King, Morgan Wade, and more will also perform at the music festival this year.

Guy Fieri’s Stagecoach Smokehouse returns for its fourth year at the event and will feature new chefs, pit bosses, and BBQ vendors. In addition, the guy will highlight

regional favorites nationwide while his Pitmasters showcase their styles this year.

The Honky Tonk Dance Hall makes a return, too, and is curated by DJ, producer, and songwriter Diplo, who will curate his DJ sets for the nightclub. Lastly, High-Class Hillbilly owner and singer

Nikki Lane will return to the YeeHaw tent with her exclusive Stage Stop Marketplace and Horseshoe Stage to highlight alt-country burgeoning artists. The festival has a wide range of

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Robert Koenig is Artistic Directory for PS International Piano Competition

By Desert Star Staff Palm Springs, CA: “I am so pleased to welcome Robert Koenig as Artistic Director of the Palm Springs International Piano Competition,” (PSipc) says Board of Directors, President Joe Giarrusso. “A classical concert pianist, keyboard professor, chamber music performer, and recording artist, Koenig brings a broad range of talents and skills to the Board. The Board is thrilled to have his expertise and passion as ready resources as we expand our outreach to the local community and enhance our International Piano Competitions. He has a great vision and is the perfect person to take on this artistic mantle and lead

us for the next decade.” Longtime Board member and 2022 Competition Producer Dr. Joan RuBane describes Koenig as “one of the most accomplished, experienced, and talented people we could have as an artistic director. He will take our Competition to new heights.”

Currently residing in Santa Barbara, Koenig plans to relocate to the greater Palm Springs area in the next few months. “I am thrilled to join the Palm Springs International Piano Competition as the new Artistic Director. I am honored to be part of an organization that cares so deeply about the future of classical music and music education for our youth and the entire community. I am excited

to present a wide array of diverse musical offerings during the 2023-24 season. I look forward to being a part of the vibrant community in the Coachella Valley as PSIPC plans for our next competition cycle in 2025.”

Born in Canada, Koenig fell in love with the piano very early. After high school graduation, he was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where only the top talent and those paying no tuition get born. Everyone is on a full scholarship.

After touring for several years, Koenig was invited to be a staff pianist at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, where he remained for nearly a decade.

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activities, so knowing where to go and what to do

This Earth Day: A Chance to Reconnect with Mother Nature

little invested,” Castaños encouraged. “Getting to know the members of your community helps build support for more attention to these coveted landscapes that we want to ensure they’re protected.”

This weekend, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco have large-scale festivals. In addition, communities up and down the state are organizing local trash cleanup opportunities. For example, the state parks website has a page dedicated to volunteer work, and the Sierra Club website lists local Earth Day events.

so we’re better protected from the next wildfire.

“We need to recover from centuries of fire suppression, the fuel buildup,” Castaños explained. “Coupled with climate change, we’re seeing each year more and more severe highintensity wildfires that we need to address, working with Native tribes.”

Closer to home, you can celebrate Earth Day by going to the Cal Recycle website to learn ways your family can create less trash, cut down on food waste, and recycle.

By Desert Star Staff

Earth Day is this Saturday, April 22, a chance to get out into the great outdoors and maybe even volunteer your time in

service of Mother Nature.

All national parks are free on Saturday as Earth Day kicks off National Park Week.

Anthony Castaños, land

stewardship manager for the Save the Redwoods League, encouraged everyone to explore their local parks. “Getting connected with your parks, feeling a

Castaños noted that Save the Redwoods does its part by buying land to save it from development, then sending in crews to thin out the dead wood

Disclosure: The Save the Redwoods League contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Endangered Species and Wildlife, Environment, and Public Lands/Wilderness.

Robert Koenig is Artistic Directory for PS International Piano Competition

Subsequently, he joined the University of California Santa Barbara, where he has been a Professor of Collaborative Piano for 17 years. In addition, summers find him on the faculty of the renowned Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Michigan.

Koenig has concertized at such significant venues as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Louvre in Paris, and the Royal

Festival Hall in London. In addition, he has performed with Sarah Chang, Augustin Hadelich, Zuill Bailey, the Miro, and St. Lawrence String Quartets, at the Coachella Valley International Classical Concerts and numerous music festivals, including Banff, Seattle, Ravinia, Monterrey, El Paso, and Mostly Mozart. Has also appeared on television’s Good Morning America and CBS’s Good Morning. His recordings can be found on Decca, Naxos, and Eroica, to name a few.

The Palm Springs

International Piano Competition (formerly The Waring) is a local philanthropic organization that has presented thousands of hours of free, live classical piano music to the general public, local schools, and senior centers. Begun on the College of the Desert campus over 30 years ago, PSipc continues to fill the gap left by years of funding cuts in the arts at Coachella Valley schools. Its international piano competition, held every two years, offers young virtuoso pianists the chance to

‘Get Ready for Stagecoach’

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when you arrive is essential. You can find water refill stations, a Half Pint Hootenanny, Toyota Music Den, YeeHaw, and more throughout the venue. Various restaurants will be on-site, offering a range of dishes and treats. There is also an extensive bar area with a wide selection

of beer and cocktails.

Guests can enjoy various types of beer, cocktails, and drinks, including fresh squeezed lemonade, root beer floats, tea, coffee, kombucha, and other non-alcoholic options. Guests can also try various specialty foods, including barbecue and sweet treats.

Camping is an option for those attending the festival and is available on-site and

offsite. The festival partners with local hotels to offer travel packages that include hotel stays, transportation, and admission tickets.

What can I bring?

The temperature can get hot during the day, so bringing light T-shirts and shorts is a good idea. A hat is also a must, as it helps keep the sun out of your eyes.

compete for monetary prizes and concert performance opportunities. In addition, these young artists often return to the Valley to share their love of music with gratis performances at local schools.

With the recent move of PSipc to Palm Springs, programming has expanded to include firsttime public performances at the Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs and at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. PSipc’s mission is “to discover, support, and inspire promising young

What to Wear: The festival is known for its casual, comfortable, and laid-back atmosphere, so it is essential to wear clothes that are appropriate for the atmosphere. Consider wearing a cowboy hat, a checked flannel shirt, and ripped jeans.

You can also pack a hoodie or jacket to keep you warm during the colder parts of the festival, and sunglasses are recommended to help protect

classical pianists through public competitions, offering a monetary prize and significant performance and career opportunities, while providing local community educational outreach and engagement. In addition, PSipc showcases and highlights wide and diverse cultural musical offerings that serve the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley communities and beyond.”

Stay tuned for more exciting announcements from new Artistic Director Robert Koenig. www.psipc.org

your face from the sun. You can also pack a pair of comfortable shoes for walking or dancing.

Food Vendors: Aside from the numerous food trucks and vendors on-site, you can purchase items at the merchandise booth. The merchandise vendors will have a wide range of items for sale, including apparel, jewelry, and other accessories.

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