Things to do: Events

The following list of upcoming musical events was provided by Sabato "Tino" D'Agostino, head of band and orchestra at Arlington High School. Unless otherwise indicated, all events are free of charge and open to the public. 

January 2023 scheduled musical events

26 -  7 p.m. AHS Monthly Concert Series; participation by all AHS music groups is optional.

30 - 6-8 p.m. AEA event: Any string quartet at Punjab restaurant, Arlington Center.

February 2023

February break: European Concert Tour: Jazz Band/Honors Orchestra Optional, Italy

The Menotomy Grill & Tavern, which opened in 2013, brews live music Thursday nights.

The pandemic closed the place in March 2020, and dining returned that June. See who's scheduled to perform at 9 p.m. >>

Plenty of parking, and never a cover.

UPDATED Jan. 25: The Arlington Center for the Arts' winter session is in full swing, and it looks forward to the start of more classes and workshops in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, summer registration has opened to ACA members, and it opened to the general public Wednesday, Jan. 25. See the summer catalog >> 

Register here >>

The lineup includes many new subjects as well as a great selection of community favorites. Pursue a creative outlet this winter and find inspiration and connection through art-making.

Join ACA's winter 2023 semester of dynamic and creatively nourishing art classes and workshops, whether trying your hand at a new creative medium for the first time or looking to hone your artistic craft, ACA has something for everyone this winter, as all is uinderway. Check out a few of our winter 2023 course highlights: 

See all Regent events >>   

The Real School presents…

AE V: Five years of advanced ensembles

On Friday, you'll see a night full of chart-topping rock 'n roll hits and a whole lotta Led Zeppelin, with 40 songs from their studio albums on Saturday night.
Friday and Saturday, Jan. 27 and 28, at 7 p.m.

Learn more | Show Times

UPDATED Jan. 15: The winter art exhibition, "Look: Perspectives on Nature," is be on display in the gallery of the Old Schwamb Mill, 17 Mill Lane, from Dec. 3, through March 11.

An opening reception was held Saturday, Dec. 3, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Save the date for an artists' gallery talk, to take place at 2 p.m. Jan. 28, followed by a reception from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

For members only, so why not become a member?

The Arlington Historical Society has announced a new exhibition celebrating its 125^th anniversary as a collecting organization. The exhibition also celebrates the successful completion of a grant-funded collections-care project and the newly renovated museum space.

"A Few of Our Favorite Things," to be previewed to members only at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, asks volunteers, board members and friends to serve as cocurators. Each participant chose an item that has special meaning for them from our collection of over 18,000. They then researched and wrote a short caption describing the history of the artifact and their reason for choosing it.

True Story Theater, based in Arlington, presents issues to the public by involving the audience through "playback" -- by drawing stories from them and having actor present the stories that arise. 

The Arlington Philharmonic Orchestra plans to present its midwinter concert, "It's All About Papa," on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 630 Mass. Ave., Arlington.

Led by music director Orlando Cela, the orchestra will perform works written by or influenced by “Papa” Franz Joseph Haydn. These works include the U.S. premiere of the Overture to “Isacco” by Marianna Martines, Johannes Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn, and a special performance of Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2 in D, featuring the 2022 PSA Young Artist Competition Winner, cellist Elena Ariza.

Wright Locke Farm, just over the Arlington border in Winchester, near St. Eulalia, dates from the 17th century and is preserved to be a fun nonprofit to visit and get involved. 

Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, with Mark Harvey, first row center.

The celebration of the 50^th year of Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, led by Arlington's Mark Harvey, continues with the a spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at Church of the Covenant, Boston.

“Celebrating the Duke, Trane and Mary Lou” features music by Duke Ellington on his birthday and compositions by Harvey in honor of National Jazz Appreciation Month and International Jazz Day (April 30). 

Highlights include Ellington’s “Come Sunday” and “Chinoiserie” and wide-ranging works by Harvey:  “Soul on Soul” (for Mary Lou Williams), “The Seeker” (for John Coltrane) and the premiere of Harvey’s latest work, “Prayer for Ukraine.”