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Cellist Sunnat Ibgramov. (Photo courtesy of Cascade Symphony Orchestra)
Spotlight: Cascade Symphony Orchestra opens 2026 with ‘Beethoven’s Fifth’
Monday, Jan. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 4th Ave. N.
Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for those under 50, and $10 for youth ages 12 and younger.
Tickets may also be purchased by phone at 425-275-9595 or in person. The box office is open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with extended hours on performance nights.
The Cascade Symphony Orchestra (CSO) presents its first concert of 2026, performing music by Beethoven, Richard Wagner, Edouard Lalo and Leos Janacek with Beethoven’s Fifth.
CSO music director Michael Miropolsky says the concert’s namesake “is perhaps the most widely recognized piece of orchestral music ever written. The four-note motive that opens Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 has been likened to ‘fate knocking at the door,’ and the symphony concludes with one of the composer’s most exciting finales.”
The evening’s featured soloist is cellist Sunnat Ibragimov, a native of Uzbekistan and a Seattle Symphony member who previously served as principal cellist of the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra. Ibragimov joined the orchestra to perform Edouard Lalo’s cello concerto.
The concert opens with the overture to Richard Wagner’s opera Rienzi, followed by the Lalo concerto. After intermission, the orchestra’s string section performs the Adagio from Idyll for Strings by Czech composer Leos Janacek before Beethoven’s Fifth.
KING-FM radio personality Dave Beck presents a preconcert lecture at 6:30 p.m.
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Spotlight: Richard Taylor Jr. discusses ‘Leading and Leaning’
Thursday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m.
Edmonds Bookshop, 111 5th Ave. S.
Local Edmonds author, mental health expert, podcaster and musician Richard Taylor Jr. will discuss his recently released book, Leading and Leaning: How to Lead While Healing, during Art Walk Edmonds at Edmonds Bookshop.
Taylor will be joined in conversation by Elaine Helm, a communications consultant and former chair of the Edmonds Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Commission.
A longtime mental health advocate, Taylor is the founder of TaylorMade Empowerment and the author of seven self-published books, which have sold more than 40,000 copies. He hosts a global podcast and serves as vice president of the board of directors for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Eastside in Washington state.
Taylor is also the author of the popular local children’s book An Edmonds Kind of Christmas.
The event is free and open to the public. Taylor will sign copies of his book following the discussion.
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This Week in the Arts
There’s a new music store in town
Tuesday – Saturday, 11-7 p.m.
8416 Bowdoin Way, Edmonds (located in the Five Corners Plaza)
Locally owned and operated by lifelong Edmonds resident Tre Tolman-Snow, who grew up in the Five Corners neighborhood, TNT Music has a curated selection of new pressings and timeless records across rock, pop, jazz, country and soundtracks. The store’s modern vibe and friendly, knowledgeable staff encourage customers to browse, linger and discover music at their own pace, whether you’re building a first collection or adding to a seasoned stack.
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Teens (ages 13-18): Wednesdays. Jan. 7-28 at 6:30-8 p.m.
Adults (18+): Fridays, Jan. 9-30 at 6:30-8 p.m.
Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main St., Room 206
Levels: All levels
Cost: $80 (non-resident added fee is $12)
Looking to loosen up your drawing skills and have some fun? Join Andrew M. for a 90-minute, low-pressure session focused on sketching and creative exploration.
Students will begin with quick warm-ups, then move into guided prompts and a free sketch session, allowing time to refine their ideas. The session concludes with a short discussion of the works created.
Expect to work quickly, make multiple drafts and embrace “bad” drawings – the only way to make good ones.
Premium pencils and paper will be provided but feel free to bring your favorite sharpener or erasers.
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Book drive at Edmonds Bookshop
111 5th Ave. S., Edmonds
Jan. 9-15
Edmonds Bookshop invites the community to take part in a book drive supporting the Lift Every Voice Legacy’s 8th Annual Tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., – Inspiring a Beloved Community.
The event is held on Jan. 19 at the Edmonds Waterfront Center, and the bookshop aims to provide books to be given away to attendees during the event as gifts from the Edmonds community.
From Jan. 9-15, customers may purchase titles from a curated selection. Books related to this year’s theme, “Love Demands Justice,” will be highlighted for giving.
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Edmonds Heights K-12, 23200 100th Ave. W.
Run time: About two hours plus intermission
$13 tickets online; email questions to EHPAtickets@gmail.com
Performances:
Friday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m.
Directed by Dorothy Rosenthal Pierce, students in grades 9-12 from the Edmonds Heights Performing Arts (EHPA) program at Edmonds Heights K-12 present The Drowsy Chaperone, a witty meta-musical set in 1928.
When a man in a chair plays his favorite cast recording, the fictitious musical springs to life, unleashing chaos: Star-crossed lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate producer, an overzealous hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan and an inebriated chaperone.
Overflowing with madcap humor and theatrical cleverness, this production showcases the talent and energy of Edmonds Heights’ performers.
The Drowsy Chaperone is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are supplied by MTI.
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Paint with Confidence in Watercolor with Kim Caldwell
Wednesdays, Jan. 14 – Feb. 4, 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Cole Art Studio, 107 5th Ave. S., Edmonds (located in the lower level of Cole Gallery)
Level: All levels
Cost: $300
Gain confidence in watercolor with artist and instructor Kim Caldwell in this four-week class designed for beginners.
Caldwell will guide students step by step through the sometimes unpredictable world of watercolor, helping you build confidence in brushwork and color mixing while encouraging a joyful approach to painting.
Students will learn to handle the brush, master water-to-paint ratios and create rich darks, glowing lights and subtle grays. The class also explores how to simplify reference photos to decide what to keep and what to leave out in order to create paintings that express each student’s vision.
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Graphite Arts Center, 202 Main St., Edmonds
Wednesdays, Jan. 21 and 28, 6-8 p.m. (two evening sessions)
Level: All levels
Cost: $90
Ages: 18+
Explore the beauty of landscapes in this hands-on art class led by Mary Olsen, local artist and founder of Graphite Arts Center and Art Start Northwest. Over two sessions, students will learn to draw and paint landscapes using a variety of materials, from traditional watercolor and acrylics to pastels, inks and more.
Olsen will guide students through the creative process, demonstrating how to layer different media to create depth, texture and atmosphere. The first session focuses on drawing techniques and experimenting with materials, while the second session allows participants to complete a landscape in the medium of their choice. By the end, each student will have a finished piece and new techniques to continue exploring in future artwork.
Supplies are provided, but students are encouraged to bring any materials they wish to experiment with.
*If you would like your event included in future Art Beat listings, email Nahline Gouin at nahline.gouin@gmail.com.
Based in Edmonds, Nahline Gouin is a freelance writer, ceramicist and arts advocate with experience in art museums and performing arts centers. She continues to create with clay, homeschool her son and write as a creative practice.
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