Experienced aerialists twirl above the stage as the Phoenix Symphony plays a variety of classical and pop music, including “Flight of the Bumblebee,” “The Planets” and tunes from The Beatles.

Ballet Arizona celebrates the influence of famed choreographer George Balanchine by performing his works “Serenade,” “Monumentum pro Gesualdo,” “Movements for Piano and Orchestra,” and “The Four Temperaments.” The Phoenix Symphony accompanies them.

Valedictorians:

The valedictorians for Tempe's Corona del Sol are:

Mesquite High School will graduate 446 students this year. Students have been awarded just over $6 million in scholarships.

Gilbert's Highland High School will graduate 715 students in its Class of 2013. The students have earned $10 million in scholarships.

Trumpeter/bandleader Doc Severinsen can still hit the notes, and it's not something he ever takes for granted. He always warms up.

Early in the sleek sci-fi thriller "Oblivion," Tom Cruise, as a flyboy repairman living a removed, Jetsons-like existence above an invaded and deserted Earth, intones his home sickness.

The Phoenix Symphony gives a concert for kids, performing selections from “The Lion King,” “Carnival of the Animals,” and “Flight of the Bumble Bee,” among others. Arrive an hour early and participate in face painting, a zoo craft and the “instrument petting zoo.” Attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favorite animal or bring their favorite stuffed animal.

Riveting, intelligent and a masterclass in acting, “Beyond the Hills” is likely to be the best film you’ll see this spring or maybe even this year.

One perk of living in the East Valley is our vibrant music and art scene. We regularly enjoy national and international performers, but we are also blessed with talented local musicians and artists. You can experience that for yourself Saturday at the Mesa Arts Center, where the Symphony of the Southwest and the Youth Symphony of the Southwest perform Ravel’s famous arrangement of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” along with other works by Brahms and Strauss.

The Tony and Grammy award-winning actress and singer will not perform Friday, March 29 as planned. Her performance has been rescheduled to Saturday, December 21.

The Symphony of the Southwest is partnering with Mesa Unified School District to present "Beauty in Sight and Sound," a special multimedia extravaganza. The symphony will play side-by-side with the Youth Symphony of the Southwest in a program that features artwork by Mesa district high school students.

Patti Austin Sings Ella and the Duke: Accompanied by the Phoenix Symphony, the world-reknown jazz musician sings the music of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald including favorites like “Cottontail,” “I Got It Bad” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing.”

‘Il Trovatore’ - Verdi’s opera set in medieval Spain tells the entangled love story of Leonora and Manrico, whose love is vehemently opposed by Count di Luna.

As a token of gratitude for his work as maestro of the Phoenix Symphony for the past eight years, the board of directors of the Phoenix Symphony is naming Michael Christie music director laureate.

In a room at the School of Ballet Arizona, this phrase is tacked onto a bulletin board and followed faithfully: “There are three ways to build a costume — good, fast and cheap. Of these three options, only two of the three are possible at a time.”

Hailing from British Columbia, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra comes to the Valley for a special performance of the work “Totem,” composed by their artist-in-residence Edward Top.

The Phoenix Symphony and Rex Allen Jr. honor Arizona’s western legacy and artists like “Arizona Cowboy” Rex Allen with theme music from “Bonanza” and “High Noon” as well as Aaron Copland’s suite from “Billy the Kid,” among others.

Sometimes we all need to step back and see the big picture. You can do that Jan. 10 and 12 at Phoenix Symphony’s performances of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” augmented by big screen images and videos from NASA, the Hubble Telescope and Mars Rover.

‘The Nutcracker’ - Start a family tradition by attending Ib Andersen’s production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, complete with dancing snowflakes, devious mice and a magical prince.

A total of 32 Phoenix nonprofit arts and culture organizations received $525,346 in grant funding in the 2012-13 fiscal year from the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.