Festival kicks off with Sandoval concert
Season opens with Latin jazz

The Ventura Music Festival will open its 13th season with a Latin jazz performance by Arturo Sandoval at 8 p.m. Sat., Feb. 17 at the Ventura High School auditorium, 2 N. Catalina St., Ventura. The concert is sponsored by the Meister Family Foundation.

Cheryl Heitmann, executive director of the Ventura Music Festival, said, "The magnetism Arturo Sandoval creates on stage is incredible. He is a powerful performer, and we are thrilled he has agreed to bring his talent to the 2007 Ventura Music Festival in our special crossover series." Sandoval has recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Dizzy Gillespie, Michel Legrand, Stan Getz, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Rod Stewart, Celine Dion, the Boston Pops, John Williams, Patti LaBelle, Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys.

He has received four Grammy awards, six Billboard awards and an Emmy award for musical contribution to a recent HBO special.

For tickets, call the Ventura Music Festival offices at (805) 648-3146.