Freedom Subject of "One City One Symphony"
Freedom was the theme of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's annual "One City, One Symphony" project Nov. 13 at Music Hall. "One City, One Symphony is a community-wide series of listening parties and events leading up to a performance by the CSO, On the program this year were Short Works Based on the Poetry of Dr. Maya Angelou, Beethoven's "Leonore" Overture No. 2 and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 ("from the New World").
Bychkov, Chamayou Shine at CSO
Russian master Semyon Bychkov and young French pianist Bertrand Chamayou brought an exceptional program of Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Oct. 17 at Music Hall in Cincinnati. Featured were Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 3 ("Polish"), Burleske in D Minor for Piano and Orchestra by Richard Strauss and the tone poem "Francesca da Rimini.
"Opera Fusion: New Works" to Continue
"Opera Fusion: New Works," the groundbreaking collaboration between Cincinnati Opera and the opera department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music designed to nurture new American opera will continue thanks to the renewal of a $300,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Since its beginning in 2011, the initiative has presented six new operas in workshop and will continue this fall with "Shalimar the Clown" with music by Jack Perla and libretto by Rajiv Joseph. A free public reading of excerpts from the work will take place at the newly renovated Transept in Over-the-Rhine.
CSO's "One City, One Symphony" Returns
"One City, One Symphony," a Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra project inaugurated in November, 2012, returns to Music Hall in Cincinnati Nov. 13 and 14 at Music Hall. Inaugurated in 2012 to welcome Louis Langrée, then CSO music director
designate, “One City, One Symphony” comprises a series of events leading up to
the concert itself. They include
listening parties, distribution of materials and broadcasts by WGUC 90.9 FM of
recordings of works to be heard on the concert. For the first time, a poetry contest will be part of the
project.
Cincinnati Symphony Utilizes Visuals to Begin Three-Year "Pelleas" Trilogy
There was a huge orchestra on the stage of Music Hall for
Saturday night’s performance (October 3) of Schoenberg’s “Pelleas und Melisande” by the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, led by music director Louis Langrée.
A huge brass section (eight horns, four trumpets and five trombones) plus full strings and winds added up to 102 players.
There was another instrument, too, projection, used to cast images onto plastic curtains hanging above the Music Hall stage.
Guest artist for the concert was violinist Karen Gomyo in a brilliant performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto.
CSO "Stories in Concert" Begins with Berlioz
If you remember Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s concerts
on television during the 1950s and 60s, you have some idea of Cincinnati
Symphony Orchestra music director Louis Langrée’s new “Stories in Concert”
series. The series was inaugurated with Hector Berlioz' "Symphonie fantastique" Sept. 27 at Music Hall.
Bachtoberfest: Third Annual Cincinnati Bach Festival
The third annual Cincinnati Bach Festival, dubbed Bachtoberfest, moves from spring to fall this year, with concerts in multiple venues throughout Greater Cincinnati Oct. 4-31..
Cincinnati Symphony Opener Features Three B's
The
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra opened its 2015-2016 season with a fantastic – no
less – performance of Hector Berlioz’ “Symphonie fantastique” at Music Hall.
It was the finest in this listener’s memory and testimony to the high level the orchestra has reached under music director Louis Langrée.
Pops Screens the Movies
Selections from the American Film Institute's list of 25 Greatest Film Scores was like going to the movies at the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra's opening concert of the season, led by conductor John Morris Russell Sept. 20 at Music Hall. Heard were classics like "Gone With the Wind" (Max Steiner) and "Ben Hur" (Miklos Rosza) as well as the younger generation of composers, like John Barry ("Out of Africa") and Ennio Morricone ("Gabriel's Oboe" from "The Mission"). Number one on the list was John Williams' "Star Wars."
Chamber Orchestra Announces Music Director Finalists
The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra has announced finalists for the post of music director, to take effect in the fall of 2016. They are Donato Cabrera, Sarah Ioannides, Kelly Kuo, Daniel Meyer and Eckart Preu.