Russell Renews at Cincinnati Pops
Topping the news going into the second week of March, is the renewal for five
years of John Morris Russell’s contract as conductor of the Cincinnati Pops
Orchestra. JMR, as he is affectionately known, will stay at the helm of the
orchestra through the 2018-2019 season, the Pops announced Friday.
The 2014-2015 Pops season, announced in February, will include vocalists Natalie Cole, Amy Grant and Brian Stokes Mitchell, trumpeter Doc Severinsen, the Midtown Men with guest conductor Steven Reineke and a semi-staged performance of “The Music Man.” The season will open Sept. 5-7 at Music Hall with Disney’s “Fantasia: Live in Concert.” The event will combine music from “Fantasia” with footage from the 1940 and 2000 films, projected during the performance. For information or to subscribe, visit www.cincinnatipops.org. Single tickets go on sale Aug. 8.
In other news:
The Cincinnati-based American Classical Music Hall of Fame has announced its 2013 inductees. They are: Aaron Jay Kernis (Composer), Weston Noble (Educator and Conductor), the American Guild of Organists (Organization), Andre Watts (Performer) and the Guarneri Quartet (Ensemble).
Founded in 1996, the American Classical Music Hall of Fame “seeks to build and sustain enthusiasm for classical music in America by celebrating diverse facets of classical music excellence.” Hall of Fame Inductees are selected through a process of nomination and voting by the organization's national artistic council, board of directors, inductee selection committee and professional organization advisory council. Members of this year’s selection committee were Steven Monder and Sandra Rivers (chairs), Trey Devey, Peter Landgren, Patty Beggs, Brian Shepard, Nina Perlove, Trish Bryan, David Klingshirn, Vance Wolverton, Bob Olson, and Earl Rivers.
Headlining this week’s Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concerts is flutist James Galway, who will perform Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 at 11 a.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday at Music Hall. Also on the program, to be led by CSO music director Louis Langrée, will be the Symphony No. 7 by Anton Bruckner. Tickets begin at $12 at (513) 381-3300, or visit www.cincinnatisymphony.org.
Coming up Sunday March 16 is the second concert of the brand new Cincinnati Bach Festival, presented by Collegium Musicum. The performance will take place at 3 p.m. in the chapel of Christ Church Cathedral, 318 E. Fourth St. downtown, and will be led by Collegium Musicum artistic director Christopher Eanes. Featured artist will be Dwight Parry, principal oboist of the CSO, who will perform the regional premiere of Peter Schickele's "After Hearing Bach." (This work by Schickele, otherwise known as P.D.Q. Bach, is not one of his satirical works, by the way.) Also on the program is Bach's Cantata No. 82, "Ich habe genug." Performing will be baritone Jonathan Cooper, violinist Timothy Lees, violist Christian Colberg and organist/harpsichordist Christopher Shephard. Tickets are $30, $20 for students and seniors (65 and over) at collegiumcincinnati.org/tickets/
The Bach Festival continues with concerts at 6 p.m.March 23 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 100 Miami Ave. in Terrace Park, and 3 p.m. March 30 at Christ Church Cathedral.
The March 23 event is part of the "Bach Vespers at St. Thomas" series, a worship service combining "elements of Anglican Evensong with the music of J.S. Bach, his musical contemporaries and heirs." Admission is free. Director Carlton Monroe leads the Cincinnati Bach Ensemble and St. Thomas Schola Cantorum in “Bach Vespers for Lent," to include "Liebster Jesu, mein verlangen," BWV 32, and "Ich bin vergnugt mit meinem Glücke,” BSV 84. Soprano soloist will be Kerri Caldwell, with bass Erik Hood.
Also on the program is the "Ciaconna" from Bach's Partita for Violin, No. 2, featuring violinist Manami
White, with choral interpolations. White will perform a prelude recital at 5:45 p.m. before the
service. For more information about "Bach Vespers at St. Thomas," see "For Love of Bach" on this site, http://www.musicincincinnati.com/site/news_2013/For_Love_of_Bach.html
The March 30 concert, final event the Bach Festival, will feature the Cantata, "Herzlich Lieb hab ich Dich o Herr" by Dietrich Buxtehude, Bach's Cantata No. 4, "Christ lag in Todes Banden" and Cantata No. 72, "Gott ist mein König." Eanes will conduct. Performing will be soprano Melissa Harvey, mezzo-soprano Audrey Walstrom, tenor Chris Albanese, baritone Jonathan Cooper, organist Stephan Casurella, violinist Manami White and cellist Tom Guth. Tickets are $30, $20 for students and seniors (65 and over) at collegiumcincinnati.org/tickets/
The World Piano Competition has a pair of notable events coming up early next week. On March 17, pianist Jin Uk Kim, silver medalist of the 2013 WPC, will perform a dinner recital at the Queen City Club downtown. The evening begins with a reception and cocktail hour at 6 p.m., followed by a 45-minute piano recital at 6:45 p.m.. Dinner is at 7:30 p.m.. The Queen City Club is located at 331 E. Fourth St. Tickets are $100. Call (513) 381-3300, or order online at www.cincinnatisymphony.org. For further information, call (513) 744-3501.
At 10 a.m. Monday, the WPC will present Jin Uk Kim in one of its Bach Beethoven Brahms Educational Outreach concerts in Jarson-Kaplan Theater at the Aronoff Center downtown. William White, assistant conductor of the CSO, will emcee. Geared for elementary age students, the BBB series offers performances by professional pianists in a concert hall setting. The artist performs pieces from the baroque, classical and romantic periods. The emcee discusses the lives of the composers, the evolution of the piano and contemporaneous historical events. Programs last about one hour. Admission is free, but reservations are necessary. Call (513) 744-3501.