Stop. Look. Listen.

June brings mayflies, July brings cicadas and August brings the emergence of fresh new concert schedules. Here are two that recently arrived:

Starting Sept. 5, the Pennsylvania Academy of Music is rolling out an ambitious slate of concerts. “A Season of Masters and Maestros” includes five different series, including a series of performances of all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas by pianist Anne Koscielny, with pre-concert lectures by a variety of experts. The three concerts of the American Inspired Series will feature Veri & Jamanis playing Gershwin, the Newstead Trio’s world premier of a composition by Seymour Barab and a multi-media program on the life and music of Samuel Barber. The Twilight Concert Series will bring to town an impressive variety of musicians, including the Ensemble la Bernardinia, a baroque trio; violinist Ann Fontanella, playing early romantic music; the Guarneri String Quartet on its farewell tour, featuring Dvorak’s “American Quartet”; pianist Chetan Tierra; the Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass; guitarists Ernesto Tamayo, Eliot Fisk, Valerie Hartzell and Petar Jankovic performing classical, romantic and flamenco works; the Newstead Trio premiering a work by Adrienne Albert; and the Virtuosi String Quartet, a new group formed of alumni of some great chamber ensembles. Jazz at the Academy will feature the Mitchell-Ruff Duo, the Tord Gustavsen Trio and the Dave Leonhardt Trio. Finally, the Next Generation Chamber Music series will put the spotlight on the Academy’s own soloists and groups in the Choral Festival Concert (featuring the premier of “Circlesong” by British composer Bob Chilcott), the Student Concerto Concert and the All School Concert. Call the Academy at (717) 399-9733 or the box office at (717) 517-5216 for more information.

The Community Concerts offer a substantial bargain: six concerts for $60. This year’s lineup includes a re-creation of the World War II-era Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band (Sept. 25), the New York Theatre Ballet presenting its version of Prokofiev’s Cinderella, Pianafiddle (pianist Lynn Wright and violinist/fiddler Adam DeGraff), family piano virtuosos The 5 Browns, Quartetto Gelato and the Swingle Singers. Call Reifsnyder’s, (717) 392-7658, for ticket availability.

Opening Tuesday, Aug. 5 at State of the Art: works by Kim Stamm (a work from her series “Rusted and Retired” is shown at left), Marie Tapia, James Wolgemuth and Eileen Smithson-Anderson. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The gallery is located at 1945 State Street, East Petersburg.

Solar eclipse seen just before totality from the Siberian City of Novosibirsk, Aug. 1. (Associated Press photo)

Solar eclipse, as seen from Jiuquan, in China’s western Gansu province, Aug. 1. (Associated Press photo)

Watch it here!

August’s First Friday is crowded with interesting art shows. Here are just a few highlights:

Photography is the focus at Mulberry Art Studios, 21 N. Mulberry St.: Matthew Murray, “abandonedamerica.org: the collapsing world around us,” and Janelle Paules, “Between the Streets.” Reception hours: 5-8 p.m. Read more here.

A theme seems to be emerging. Photographer Tom Bejgrowicz explores abandoned Lancaster buildings in an exhibit at Building Character, 324 N. Queen St. Also showing works in “Salvage in the City” are metal artist Diane Levinson and origami artist Lou Ziegler. The reception, 6-9 p.m., will also feature outdoor vendors and live jazz by Faux Minx.

Barbara Dombach’s work uses older techniques to take a look at the present. She uses hand-prepared emulsions, pin-hole-produced negatives, and other historic photographic processes to produce her images, which will be on display in “Flaunting Imperfection” at DogStar Books, 529 W. Chestnut St. The reception will be 5:30-9 p.m. The Chestnut Hill Café (across the street from DogStar) will also be open.

CityFolk, 146 N. Prince St. will feature the works of Ohio-based artists Dan and Marlene Coble. In addition to their painted furniture, which brings together 19^th century techniques and a 21^st century sensibility, according to CityFolk’s Gaye B. Cox, the gallery will feature a show of Marlene Coble’s paintings.

The Infantree, 21 N. Prince St, will feature new works by Tim Hoover and live music from Yndi Halda, an instrumental-rock band from Canterbury, U.K. and Soporus from Philadelphia. (Think Sigur Ros, and other bands that aren’t afraid to be beautiful.) Cost is $7 at the door. Hours are 6-10 p.m.

The Arts Hotel Gallery, 300 Harrisburg Ave., will be showing “Chaotic Upheaval of the Still Life,” large paintings by Ruth Bernard that express “a world of excess, abuse, decadence and greed” in her characteristic rich colors and lively brushwork. Reception hours are 5-8 p.m.

It’s an uncommon opportunity, but it won’t be around long – the chance to be one of 700 extras in a Bollywood film being made in Philadelphia. 10-minute auditions will be held Wednesday, July 29, at ITS Models and Talent Management, 48 N. Christian St., Suite 200, above Characters Pub. Applicants should be college-age, must be available Aug. 8-14, and should bring two snapshots or headshots and résumé. More information is available by calling 509-3890 or by visiting www.itstalent.net.  Kabir Khan is directing the film, according to ITS co-owner Tara Graham. (More information — not a lot — on the director.) More Bollywood close to home.

 … and leave the vows to us! This bus was spotted at the corner of Lime and Chestnut Streets in Lancaster Saturday.

The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Fine Craft Fair’s summer edition, now going on in Wilmington, Delaware, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, has chosen a work by Lancaster artist Angela Shope — a pale green porcelain handbag — for its cover and posters for the event. The event starts today and runs through Sunday, July 27. The fair returns to Lancaster Nov. 8-9 at Manheim Township High School. A little closer to home: the Lititz Springs Outdoor Art Show, Saturday, July 26, in Lititz Springs Park, featuring over 200 artists and plenty of ducks. There’ll also be plenty of ducks at the annual Rubber Duckie Race at Lancaster County Park Sunday (details here). Over in Harrisburg, Market Square Concerts’ Summermusic 2008 series is focusing on Beethoven’s string quartets. The series, which started Wednesday, continues Saturday and Sunday. (Read what Dick Strawser has to say about the series here.) Saturday is also the last day to see “Passionate Vision: A Look at Collecting” at the Gallery dePaul and “The Home Front” at Living Light Gallery.

Roger Ebert writes about the end of the “Ebert and Roeper” television program.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will give the world premiere of a symphony based on the music of the Grateful Dead Aug. 1, composed by Lee Johnson. (Link to press release here.) Light shows, orchestral jam sessions …

Today (July 23) is the birthday of composer Franz Berwald. Here’s an exerpt from his Symphony No. 4.