Wild about the Järvis
Poster of Paavo Järvi in front of CSOEncore bus departing Cincinnati for Detroit, July, 2005 (Mary Ellyn Hutton at left)
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The Cincinnati Symphony music director, son of Detroit Symphony music director emeritus Neeme Järvi, accompanied a delegation from CSOEncore, the CSO's young adults avid support group.
At least his poster did.
Järvi's giant-sized image - remember those "Bravo Paavo" billboards a couple of seasons ago? - rode on the bus with the Jarvi fans, which had been organized to travel to Detroit to hear him conduct the final concert of "Järvi Fest," the DSO's three-week celebration of Neeme Järvi's 15-year tenure with the orchestra.
Paavo himself actually was in Japan, where he was treated for a hand injury (he has fully recovered and is about to embark on a tour of Europe and North America with his German chamber orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie).
Although he had to cancel the tribute to his father, the show went on - with the father conducting in the son's place (ironically, the last performance was on Father's Day).
Members of CSOEncore and their guests, CSO assistant conductor Eric Dudley, public relations manager Fran Blasing, assistant manager for audience development Debra Bell and Cincinnati Symphony Association vice president for audience and development Tim Giglio, made the trip for the event. The 26 participants, ages 25-80, including three enthusiastic retirees, pronounced the trip a resounding success.
So much so, that the group is planning a trip to Chicago next spring when Järvi guest conducts the Chicago Symphony.
Meanwhile, CSOEncore and seven other young-adult groups from Cincinnati arts organizations will get together at Sunday's CSO concert at Rivberbend.
Taking part in the collaborative event for the third year in a row will be members of Cincinnati Art Museum's One World Wednesdays, Cincinnati Opera Center Stage, Club Taft, the Contemporary Arts Center, Playhouse in the Park, Young Friends of CCM and Enjoy the Arts/Start. The evening begins with a cocktail party at 6 p.m. with appetizers, cash bar and prizes, followed by the concert at 7:30. All-inclusive prices are $15.75-$31. For information on the concert or CSOEncore, call (513) 744-3590.
Detroit was the first road trip for CSOEncore, organized three years ago by Giglio.
The Järvi family fans met at Music Hall and boarded a bus for the four-hour trip to Detroit - enough time, said Encore member Bryan Folz, to "really meet people." The whole Detroit experience, a first for him, "was great," he said.
The group stayed at Detroit's Renaissance Center for two-day trip, which included a tour of the Detroit Art Institute, lunch at the Detroit Beer Company, a pre-concert dinner and an "afterglow" party attended by Neeme Järvi. Their hosts were members of the DSO's young adult group, Overtures.
They were taken on a tour of the DSO's new $60 million Max M. Fisher Music Center and a mini-drive of the vicinity around Orchestra Hall, Detroit's lovingly restored 2,064-seat concert hall adjoining "The Max." Behind The Max is the new Detroit School for the Arts (a project similar to the Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center planned for Over-the-Rhine), due to open in the fall.
Seeing the renewal in progress around Orchestra Hall, a blighted area not unlike Over-the-Rhine, was inspiring, said artist and Encore member Linda Edwards. "I liked seeing all that they are doing in that city. There are some ideas for what we should be doing in our city."
For Encore member Phil Kidwell, 45, the trip amounted to a sentimental journey, his first visit to his childhood home since 1968. He took a cab to the spot, and made "a quick little tour" of the parsonage and church his father founded in 1955.
Encore members Mary Kay Koehler, 25, and Kevin McManus, 28, were struck by the intimacy and beauty of Orchestra Hall. "I haven't been to the symphony in a lot of other places, but Music Hall is so large," McManus said. "I think Detroit would be a normal setting. Music Hall with 3,000 seats is just a huge arena. They did great renovating and it was just a very warm atmosphere, with all the wood, very decorative."
Although initially disappointed by Paavo's cancellation, the group was unanimous in its impression of his father and the opportunity to hear him conduct (Neeve Järvi becomes music director of the New Jersey Symphony this fall).
"With Paavo's father conducting, you were able to tie in the two and see the styles of both of them and see where Paavo came from," said Greg Reedy, 34,
The charm extended off the podium, with Järvi dropping in on the CSOEncore party at The Max after the concert.
Members of the Cincinnati Symphony volunteer support group CSOEncore with Neeme Järvi (back row, center), July, 2005
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Neeme Järvi signing programs for members of CSOEncore in Detroit, July, 2005
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The whole exchange idea is key to Giglio, who works with Bell to keep CSOEncore running.
"To see their hall and to meet our cohorts in another city and see what they're doing. We do a lot of collaborative events in Cincinnati with other young professionals organizations, but of course there is no other young professionals symphony organization."
ABOUT CSOEncore.
- CSO young adults support group.
- Founded 2001.
- Age range 20s to 40s (no limits).
- Average age 28.
- E-mail list of over 800 (51.8 percent women)
- Employers include Procter and Gamble, General Electric, U.S, Bank, Western-Southern Life, Kroger, University of C75 percent single
- Cincinnati.
- Events approximately once a month, usually keyed to a CSO concert.
- Meetings second Tuesday of the month.
- Bi-weekly e-mail newsletter.
- Opening event for 2005-06 - "Dressed to the Nines" pre-concert dinner (Beethoven's Ninth).
- Web site www.csoencore.org.
- Information: (513) 744-3556
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