Friday, October 28, 2016

Rodrigo Garciarroyo, Mexican Tenor with the Piatigorsky Foundation

Since he was finalist in Carlo Morelli National Vocal Competition in 2007, tenor RODRIGO GARCIARROYO has been continuously performing throughout Mexico’s most important theatres. He has performed opera leading roles and sung several concerts at diverse venues and theatres in North America and Latin America. A robust, impassioned voice and captivating stage presence, as well as an innate, elegant musicality and exquisite acting skills have gained for him the audience’s love and applause everywhere he’s performed, and motivated critics to describe him as “charming. An experienced, secure and refined professional, combining a rich timbre and a smooth legato with secure and heroic high notes; simply first class singing” (J. Bills, ProOpera magazine), and “There has been a glut of stellar tenors coming out of Mexico lately, and Rodrigo Garciarroyo is the newest kid in the Pantheon.” (Larry Kellum, The Town Times,
Connecticut).

He has been awarded the Olga Forrai Foundation and the Martina Arroyo Foundation
scholarships to study in NYC; the International Vocal Arts Institute (IVAI) scholarship to study in Puerto Rico and Israel, and the Placido Domingo voice scholarship given by Sociedad Internacional de Valores de Arte Mexicano (SIVAM), Mexico’s most renowned young artist programme.  In 2009, Mr. Garciarroyo made his debut at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, New York singing the tenor solo part in Verdi’s Requiem, and in 2011 he sang Turiddu CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, under conductor Niksa Bareza for his Palacio de Bellas Artes leading role debut, in Mexico City.  In 2012 he founded the opera company Ópera Insolente and in 2013, he was named one of the top leaders of opera in Mexico by Lideres Mexicanos magazine. 

His repertoire includes the tenor leading roles in CARMEN, LA TRAVIATA, LA BOHEME, IL
TROVATORE, SAMSON & DALILA, TOSCA, IL TABARRO, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, MANON, ZAIDE, UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, DON GIOVANNI, and LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN; as well as in Mexican operas ANITA by Melesio Morales, and SALA DE ESPERA by Lorena Orozco. His concert repertoire includes songs, romanzas, chamber and symphonic repertoire including Beethoven’s 9TH SYMPHONY and Carl Orff’s CARMINA BURANA. He has collaborated with conductors such as Enrique Diemecke, Enrique Patrón de Rueda, Fernando Lozano, Juan Carlos Lomónaco, Carlos García Ruiz, Patrick Gardner and Willie Anthony Walters, among others.

Recently, Rodrigo Garciarroyo was awarded the Artistic Residence Scholarship in NYC from
Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes of the Ministry of Culture (FONCA) to undertake a new phase in his career to study the roles of Canio I PAGLIACCI and OTELLO.  Mr. Garciarroyo has studied with Arthur Levy, Joan Patenaude-Yarnell, Octavio Arévalo, Cesar Ulloa, Sherrill Milnes, Martina Arroyo, Joan Dornemann, Tito Capobianco, Rogelio Riojas-Nolasco, Lucy Arner, David Rosenmeyer, James Demster, Claude Corbeil, and Mario Alberto Hernández.

Garciarroyo will be performing at the Historic Ritz Theatre at the Schaefer Center on November 8th at 7pm. Tickets are $10. For more information, call the Main Street office.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Snapchat Geofilter Requisitioned

Press Release

Release: Immediate

Contact:  Christian Hamilton, 706.898.5777

Date: 10/25/16

RE: Main Street Toccoa Snapchat Geofilter


TOCCOA, GA, October 25, 2016 – Main Street Toccoa is happy to announce that they have been approved for a Snapchat Geofilter. Snapchat is a popular free phone application that allows people to take and edit photographs that are published through the application for 10 seconds at a time. 

Snapchat is a fun way to connect with friends and family. Geofilters are special filters for Snapchat that work within a certain area. The Main Street Toccoa Geofilter is designed around the bounds of Downtown Toccoa. Head Downtown and enjoy Snapchat. And don’t forget to add the City of Toccoa on Snapchat. Just search for “CityOfToccoa” and snap away!

The Main Street Office is happy to answer any questions regarding the Main Street Toccoa Snapchat Geofilter. Please contact Christian Hamilton at 706.898.5777 for inquiries.



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Fall Events


Release: Immediate/Costume Parade

Date: October 17, 2016

Contact: Sharon Crosby

Email: scrosby@cityoftoccoa.com

Downtown Fall Events

Fall is a busy time in downtown Toccoa. The Toccoa Main Street program will host the 26th annual children's Costume Parade, Monday, October 31, 2016. Children will begin lining up at 9:45 a.m. as the parade begins at 10:00 a.m.

There will be two lines for the parade this year. Both lines will start at the corner of Doyle St and Alexander St but will form two lines there. Those with homemade costumes, who would like to be judged, will be in one line. Those who would not like to be judged will form the outside line. Prizes will be awarded in various categories for ages 2 and below, 3, and 4 and above. For those wanting to be judges, parents or guardians will fill out a form with the child’s name, age, and contact information clearly marked to help the judges. Prizes will be awarded in several categories.

The parade route will go down Doyle Street through the center of the downtown. The children will assemble on West Doyle Street, in front of The Toccoa Record, and continue to form the line along the sidewalk at West Doyle Street. The children will walk down West Doyle and cross the street at Sage Street, and then continue down Doyle Street to Family Eye Care. They will then cross over to the other side and continue down the sidewalk to Sage Street. Merchants will meet the children along the way and give them goodies. The parade events should be over by approximately 11:30 a.m. Refreshments will be served at the corner of Sage St. and Doyle St. and the awards given out.

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The 40th annual Toccoa Harvest Festival will be held on October 29 – 30 in downtown Toccoa. Over 130 craft and food booths will be set up on Doyle Street from Alexander Street to Hill Street. The festival will be open from 10 am – 5 pm on Saturday and 10 am – 4 pm on Sunday.

The Currahee Artist Guild will have a sale and demonstration at the festival as well as a classic car show sponsored by the Stephens County Recreation Department on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

There will be two entertainment stages, one on Sage St and Tugalo St and one on Doyle St and Hill St. The Stephens County Recreational Center will provide entertainment at the Hill St stage on Saturday.

Several downtown streets will close Friday evening at 7:00 pm and will open after the event Sunday at 6:00 pm.




Monday, October 17, 2016

GCA Grant Award

Press Release

Release: Immediate

Contact:  Christian Hamilton, 706.898.5777

Date: 10/17/2016

RE: Main Street Toccoa Awarded GCA Grant


TOCCOA, GA, October 17, 2016 – Main Street Toccoa is excited to announce that it has been awarded a grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) for the purpose of programming at its Historic Ritz Theatre at the Schaefer Center.

This grant will be used to bring Lightwire Theater to the City of Toccoa on March 3rd and 4th of 2017. Lightwire Theater, featured prominently on America’s Got Talent, performs the exciting theatrical production in the dark, designing their characters around impressive light rigs. They will be performing the classic story, “The Ugly Duckling,” for attendees to enjoy. This production would not be possible without the assistance of the Georgia Council for the Arts.

Main Street Toccoa invites you to come out to this award-winning presentation by Lightwire Theater. The Main Street Office is happy to answer any questions regarding its booking of Lightwire Theater or acquisition of the GCA grant. Please contact Christian Hamilton at 706.898.5777 for inquiries.

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