Thousand Oaks celebrates 60th with concert truck shows featuring piano, bassoon

Thousand Oaks is celebrating its 60th anniversary as an incorporated city with outdoor performances starting Friday on The Concert Truck.

One side of the 16-foot-long truck will be opened to reveal a mobile stage complete with lighting and a sound system. That’s where pianist Susan Zhang, who cofounded The Concert Truck, and bassoonist Eleni Katz will perform classical music as part of the traveling venue's shows across the city.

Free outdoor concerts will take place at:

• 4 p.m. Friday at the Goebel Adult Community Center, 1385 E. Janss Road.
• 9 a.m. Saturday at Adelante Free Marketplace, 280 N. Conejo School Road.
• 10 a.m. Sunday at Five07, 2036 E. Avenida De Los Arboles, part of Oakbrook Plaza.
• 6:30 p.m. Monday at Newbury Park Library, 2331 Borchard Road.

Zhang and Katz will also perform on the truck for private concerts next week at Conejo and Madrona elementary schools and Westminster Free Clinic.

Each location has parking, but audiences should bring their own chairs, said Jonathan Serret, the Thousand Oaks cultural affairs director. He said he doesn’t know which selections Zhang and Katz will play, but noted music might vary from concert to concert.

The city invited The Concert Truck to bring performances to people who are unable to go to shows at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, Serret said.

“People can experience these concerts while visiting some of their favorite places around town,” he said.

Additionally, the outdoor concerts are an ideal way to introduce classical music to children who are unable to sit still for a long time in an auditorium, Serret said.

“This is a new endeavor for us,” he said. “We’re excited to see how it works.”

For more information, visit toaks.co/concertruck .

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks celebrates 60th with concert truck shows featuring piano, bassoon