By Debbie Hall
In Las Vegas, a city renowned for its creativity, this spring marks a special milestone-the 20th Anniversary Gala of The Composers Showcase, celebrating two decades of original music and community support. The gala concert celebrating this milestone will be held at The Smith Center on April 29.
For two-and-a-half hours, the audience will enjoy two full-length performances showcasing all-original music, performed by two of the region’s most talented composers and performers, as well as some very special guest artists from across the United States traveling in for this event. At the same time, co-founder, producer, and host Keith Thompson will guide the audience through an incredible retrospective of The Composers Showcase of Las Vegas, with the assistance of a 25-piece orchestra, creating a truly unforgettable experience for everyone present at this showcase gala.
The lineup for the anniversary gala reads like a who’s who of musical talent. Featured performers include Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning Crystal Lewis, Grammy-nominated entertainer Clint Holmes, acclaimed pianist Philip Fortenberry, and celebrated vocalist Elisa Fiorillo. Audiences will also enjoy performances from Vita Corimbi Drew, singer-songwriter Chadwick Johnson, musical comedian Dennis Blair, and Broadway veteran Mike Eldred. Additional highlights include Emmy-nominated, Billboard chart-topping performer Frankie Moreno, KA music director and composer Richard Oberacker, and California Music Hall of Famer Michael Peterson.
Since its founding, The Composers Showcase has supported over 2,000 songwriters and composers, inspiring the community to nurture emerging talent and take pride in their local arts scene.
“Producing the showcase in Las Vegas made it inevitable that we would have high-profile writers and artists getting involved. But that has never been our focus. Sharing the work of seasoned writers and performers does help to raise the bar on the quality level, but many of our greatest moments over the twenty years of showcases have been offered by people no one had heard of,” said Thompson.
The Composers Showcase, a Nevada-based charitable organization, fosters an inclusive environment that encourages community members to support local artists and feel connected to the vibrant Vegas arts scene.
“The next generation’s biggest challenge will be harnessing the power of AI, and keeping ownership of our creative processes in a world when all the work is suddenly done for us. The next generation of young writers will understand it, while those of us who struggle to adapt to technological advancements will struggle the most. But everything is already different. Writers register success by the way they can monetize their creativity. In much the same way that tracks and sampled sounds replaced acoustic instruments and live bands so many years ago. Yet we adapted. AI is completely revolutionizing composing, arranging, and the writing process in general. Hopefully, we will find the way to harness that technology and not let it destroy the creative hearts and minds of true artists,” said Thompson.
The anniversary gala will also have a meaningful mission: a portion of the proceeds will be donated to aspiring composers and the TCS Entertainment Community Relief Fund, which will assist performing artists still dealing with the current economic climate. To date, the TCS Entertainment Community Relief Fund has provided more than $350,000 in total donations to support over 600 entertainers/musicians/creatives throughout Las Vegas.
The Composers Showcase of Las Vegas marks a major milestone this spring, celebrating 20 years of live original music with a special anniversary gala at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. The event takes place inside Reynolds Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. Tickets are available through The Smith Center box office or by clicking here. For additional details, visit The Smith Center and The Composers Showcase.
