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Mon Valley Academy for the Arts to host free concert

By Rachel Basinger for The 2 min read

The Mon Valley Academy for the Arts is all about showcasing the local talent in the area.

This Sunday they will be hosting their third free concert of the summer at the gazebo in Monongahela’s Chess Park, featuring headliner Andy Gregg Band (classic country) and new local country star Kylie Santoro-Horrell and her Toros band.

“Andy Gregg is a great young performer and Kylie (Santoro-Horrell) is on our advisory board and had appeared in may numerous events,” said Mark Smith, president of the MVAA board of directors.

“We always try to make sure that we pair up a professional band with a student band,” he added. “The goal here is to promote live music with local musicians. People don’t realize how much talent we have in this local area.”

The MVAA began their free concerts in the park last year as a way to showcase their Twin Coaches program.

“We leased the park and had a concert as a way to try and preserve the big band tradition,” Smith said.

With over 500 people attending, Smith said they decided to continue with the concerts because of the first concert’s success.

The event, which is open to the public, is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. rain or shine, and along with the two music acts there will be 5 food vendors.

The EQT Foundation is helping to fund the concerts along with the MVAA and its Twin Coaches Orchestra Project. The concert series will continue until September.

“Our goal is to preserve the musical history of the Twin Coaches and the Mon Valley, while bringing the music back to life by sharing it with participants and audiences of all ages,” Smith said.

“We cannot begin to say how thankful we are for EQT’s support of this phase of our programs,” he added. “Without their generosity and support, we could not bring this quality of programming to the Mon Valley and continue our mission of enriching live through the arts.”

For more information about MVAA and TCOP, visit their website at monvalleyacademyforthearts.org.

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