After much consideration, and the complex issues of health and safety for the public, staff, and volunteers of our Lick Observatory community, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all of this year's Summer Series events. While we are certainly disappointed and recognize that you will be too, we are excited to shift our focus to new virtual programming. Going forward we will be sharing our science goals and discoveries with you in creative ways over the summer. Sign up to receive email communication about our virtual events programming by emailing social@ucolick.org.
August 22, 2020
8:00 p.m.
Performer: Fire and Grace
Astronomy Speaker: TBD
Concert Information
Fire and Grace
Fire & Grace is a unique collaboration between guitarist William Coulter and violinist Edwin Huizinga. These virtuoso performers explore the musical landscape of classical, folk and contemporary traditions from around the world. Fire & Grace's repertoire is vast, ranging from Bach to Vivaldi, tango to Celtic tunes, traditional Bulgarian to American fiddle tunes and waltzes, all played with a sense of discovery and commitment to the elements of passion and virtuosity - fire and grace - found in these diverse traditions.
Recent and upcoming performances include engagements at the Carmel Bach Festival (CA), St. Bonaventure University's Quick Center for the Arts (NY), Music in the Somerset Hills (NJ), Five Boroughs Music Festival (NY), Mozaic Festival (CA), University of British Columbia (BC), Riverside Fine Arts (NJ), Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, Caledon Chamber Concerts (ON), Electric Earth Concerts (NH), Monterey Museum of Art, and touring with Tomaseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas. Fire & Grace has also been featured on CBC Radio, performing a nationally broadcast concert of folk and baroque. In Spring 2017, Fire & Grace toured to New Zealand with appearances at the UPSURGE Festival, the Festival of Colour, and the New Zealand School of Music; their success led to a second tour of New Zealand, as well as appearances in Australia, in August 2019. Fire & Grace has also toured Ireland alongside County Kerry singer Éilis Kennedy, appearing at the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre and a variety of pubs and traditional settings. Fire & Grace's self-titled debut album combines melodies from Argentina, Bulgaria, and Western Europe with dance elements from baroque and folk musical traditions, and in May 2019 the duo teamed up with longtime collaborator Ashley Broder (mandolin) to release Fire & Grace & Ash's debut album, Partita Americana, whose title track features J.S. Bach's Partita No. 3 transcribed for the trio and interspersed with traditional American folk music.
Performing both baroque and modern repertoire, Canadian violinist Edwin Huizinga has appeared alongside Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Mike Marshall, and Stevie Wonder, and has been featured as a soloist with the San Bernardino Symphony, Trinity Alps Chamber Music Festival, and the Banff Summer Arts Festival. The 2019-20 season will bring a conducting and soloist debut with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra. Edwin is a founding member of the baroque ensemble ACRONYM which has released eight full-length albums of previously unknown and unrecorded baroque music. Edwin also performs worldwide with his folk and baroque duo Fire & Grace, and tours extensively with Tafelmusik. Edwin is part of the artistic leadership of Carmel Bach Festival, and serves as the Artistic Director for Sweetwater Music Festival and Big Sur Music Camp. An avid composer, Edwin was commissioned to write a piece for Canada's 150th anniversary. Edwin is a member of the Juno-nominated indie rock band The Wooden Sky, and is a founding member of the Classical Revolution - an organization dedicated to shaping the future of concerts and jam sessions in alternative locations around the world.
William Coulter is an internationally acclaimed, Grammy award-winning master of the steel-string guitar. Coulter has been Music Director for Tomaseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas since 1998, and has performed with the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, Apollo's Fire and many other ensembles. In March 2016 he debuted Celtic Journey, a full length pops concert with the Omaha Symphony featuring Irish singers, dancers, musicians and storyteller. Collaborations have been a mainstay of his career, including tours and recordings with Gourd Music artists Neal Hellman and Barry and Shelley Phillips; classical guitar virtuoso Benjamin Verdery, and Irish flute wizard Brian Finnegan. Tours have taken him around the states and to Ireland, Europe, Taiwan, New Zealand, and most recently to Chile. Coulter teaches classical guitar at UC Santa Cruz and at many summer camps and festivals. Coulter earned degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and UC Santa Cruz.
Lecture Information
Dr. TBD
Lecture Title Here
Speaker Info Here
Ticket Information
Update 2020 Apr 14: Due to the COVID-19 situation, the 2020 Summer Series has been cancelled. Tickets will not go on sale.
Tickets can be purchased at ucsctickets.com starting May 13th, 2020 at Noon.
Join Friends of Lick Observatory (FoLO) and Get Tickets Early
If you'd like to purchase tickets as early as noon on May 6th, 2020, join our Friends of Lick Observatory (FoLO) program by March 1st, 2020. As a thank you for supporting the observatory, you'll get special access to purchase tickets before they go on sale for the general public.
Ticket Packages
General Admission: $50
Ticket includes concert seating, astronomy lecture, view through the Great Refractor telescope, view through the Nickel Telescope and souvenir wine glass or mug.
Preferred Guest: $90
Ticket includes preferred concert seating, astronomy lecture, preferred viewing through the Great Refractor telescope, preferred viewing through the Nickel Telescope, souvenir wine glass or mug, 20% discount at the gift shop.
VIP: $199
Ticket includes private group tour of the Shane Telescope starting 2.5 hours before the concert, catered buffet dinner in our historic Dining Hall, front center concert seating, astronomy lecture, priority viewing through the 36-inch Great Refractor, priority viewing through the 40-inch Nickel Telescope, souvenir wine glass or mug and 20% Discount at our gift shop.
More Ticket Information
Due to the historic construction of the telescope domes and safety concerns, the 36-inch Great Refractor Telescope and the 40-inch Nickel Telescope are not wheelchair accessible at this time. Those who have difficulty navigating stairs may also find the telescopes inaccessible. Funds are being raised through the Friends of Lick Observatory to repair the elevating floor of the Lick 36-inch telescope to re-enable handicap access.
Tickets are non-refundable. Limit of four tickets per customer. Please be advised that unpredictable weather patterns may restrict telescope viewings, though lectures, concerts and other activities will still take place.
Please note: Due to safety regulations and the nature of the event, children must be at least 12 years of age for admission and accompanied by an adult.
Program Information
| 7:00 p.m. | Doors Open | Brief Telescope Visits |
| 8:00 p.m. | Concert, Main Hall | |
| 9:00 p.m. | Science Talk, Lecture Hall | Telescope Viewings |
| 10:00 p.m. | Science Talk (repeated), Lecture Hall | Telescope Viewings |
| 12:30 a.m. | Doors Close |
Driving to Lick Observatory
Please allow a one-hour drive from San Jose. The road is good, but windy. The event typically lasts between 4 and 6 hours; prepare to drive home late in the evening. There are no automative services or gas stations for 20 miles, so please plan ahead. See more information on driving directions and parking here.
Recommended Attire
Casual, comfortable clothing and walking shoes. A sweater or coat is recommended.
Safety
Please be careful when walking around in the dark outside; bringing a flashlight is recommended. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed at this event.
Telescopes
The large telescopes will be available for viewing as soon as the sky is dark. Telescopes will remain open until every guest has had an opportunity to see through both the 36-inch Great Refractor and the 40-inch Nickel Telescope.
In order to view through the telescopes, guests will receive a numbered pass at the door. Guests with the lowest telescope numbers are admitted to the telescopes first - so we recommend getting to the observatory early! Please note: Due to historic construction of the telescope domes, the 36-inch Refractor and the 40-inch Nickel Telescope are not wheelchair accessible at this time.
Volunteer amateur astronomers also set up ground telescopes in the back parking so guests can view additional cosmic objects.
Gift Shop
Lick Observatory souvenirs and astronomy merchandise will be available for purchase between 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. You can also visit our Gift Shop online 24/7.
Refreshments
Snacks and beverages will be available near the Nickel Telescope. Vending machines and fountain water are also available.
Assistance
We strive to make your visit as complete and meaningful as possible. Please let us know if you will need special assistance (for example, if you will have difficulty climbing stairs), so we can make the necessary arrangements.
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