From the music of medieval and Renaissance Europe, to American jazz, to the sounds of Japanese instruments, the 6th annual International Music Festival returns to the Alamo City from March 22 to 31. All performances are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.mbaw.org or call (210) 464-1534.

Musical Bridges Around the World continues its mission of uniting, educating and inspiring audiences through culturally diverse performing and visual arts programming with the start of the 21st season of the “Russell Hill Rogers Musical Evenings at San Fernando Cathedral” which begins Sunday, October 21.

In a new collection of paintings called “Luchadores,” Spanish artist Fabian Lainez juxtaposes life-sized black and white portraits of San Antonians with colorful paintings of luchador wrestling masks, making a powerful, visceral commentary. The portraits are of men and women restaurateurs, gardeners, contractors, and a former professional boxer. “Luchadores” opens with an artist reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 at the MBAW Gallery. 

Mayor Ron Nirenberg has appointed Suhail Arastu, director of advancement for Musical Bridges Around the World, to the Board of Directors of Sister Cities International. The mission of Sister Cities International is to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.

The Gurwitz, formally known as the San Antonio International Piano Competition, has been accepted as a member of the Geneva-based World Federation of International Music Competitions.

The solo exhibition, "Celebration of the Art of Calligraphy: Messages of Peace and Reassurance" features the rhythmic paintings of Salma Arastu. Her current body of work explores the continuous and lyrical line of Arabic calligraphy and Islamic patterns influenced by both her native culture and the universal teachings of the Quran. An artist reception is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at the MBAW Art Gallery. The exhibition continues through Aug. 20.

To celebrate the sacred spring, the “blue hole” that is the source of the San Antonio River, a local non profit partnered with a group of passionate professional artists to organize “Art of the Sacred Texas Springs,” a month-long exhibit at the Kelso Art Center on the University of Incarnate Word campus. The exhibit which runs from March 9 to April 8, 2018, was organized by Headwaters at Incarnate Word and features 38 artists and more than 60 pieces, including photography, sculpture and painting.

Musical Bridges Around the World will absorb the San Antonio International Piano Competition, which is held every four years. “We are excited about presenting the 2020 San Antonio International Piano Competition and each competition thereafter,” said Anya Grokhovski, MBAW artistic director and CEO.

The Alamo City will be treated to a melting pot of international music when Musical Bridges Around the World presents its fourth International Music Festival from Feb. 12-26 at the Tobin Center, Empire Theatre and Southwest School of Art.  The festival reaches more than 100,000 people annually. Performing artists from Indonesia, Cuba, Argentina, Spain, Armenia and Canada will be represented in eight concerts, including a special performance by Grammy-nominated, jazz player Joey Alexander on Feb. 18 at the Empire Theater.