The Troy Arts Council will kick off its Patrons Drive with a reception from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. on Monday at The Studio on East Walnut Street in downtown Troy.

Dr. William Denison, TAC president, said the Patrons’s Drive brings the community together for an evening of fellowship, entertainment and an opportunity to see, first hand, the TAC’s outstanding calendar of events for 2011-12 and to consider being a part of the arts as a patron.

“We have a great evening planned with entertainment by faculty members of the Troy University Music Department,” Denison said. “Tim Phillips will be on clarinet, Robby Gibson on guitar and John Jinright on piano.

“We will also have artwork by Pam Smith’s Charles Henderson High School art classes on exhibit. The entertainment and the art classes were recipients of TAC grants in 2010-11. We are proud to support the arts through our grant program each year.”

Denison said the community programs that the TAC has contracted for the 2011-12 season have something for every interest in the performing arts.

“The performance season gets underway on Sept. 26 with pianist Christopher O’Riley.

Although O’Riley is primarily a classical pianist, Denison said that his performance will include improvisations of Broadway and jazz music.

“On Oct. 17, the Hunt Family Fiddlers will entertain with fiddling and dancing and it’s a performance that everyone will enjoy,” Denison said. “Then, on Nov. 18, the TAC and Troy University will bring to the stage, ‘Les Arts Florrisant,’ an opera that is primarily a university student production.”

“Shelia Jackson and Company” has become a Pike County holiday tradition and Jackson and a host of other performers are back by popular demand on Dec. 9.

“Shelia’s Christmas extravaganza is always one of our most popular productions,” Denison said.

The 2012 performances will begin on Feb. 28, with the American Chamber Players who are extremely popular with NPR listeners and should be familiar to many in Pike County and the surrounding areas, Denison said.

“Bob Becker & Russell Hartenberger will be in Troy on March 22,” Denison said. “They are a world class percussionist group and will have a fun and exciting show. They will perform with the Troy University Percussion.”

The TAC will present Igudesman & Joo on April 12, a comedy team that spoofs classical music.

“Igudesman & Joo are outstanding classical musicians and their performance includes a lot of comedy,” Denison said. “They are very entertaining.”

The TAC sponsors the TroyFest in April and the Bill Hill art exhibition May at the Johnson Center for the Arts.

The TAC year of entertainment will conclude with the Southeastern Alabama Community Band Concert under the direction of Dr. Johnny Long on May 7.

All TAC productions are at the 7 p.m. at the Crosby Theater on the camps of Troy University. Tickets for each performance are $20 for adults and $5 for students, with the exception of the community band concert, which is free. Patrons are admitted with their season tickets, which began at $75.

Dension said that everyone who enjoys performance entertainment is encouraged to attend the TAC Kickoff reception on Sunday at The Studio.