Thirteen for Twenty-Twelve

Posted: Dec 27, 2012 - 2:58:51 PM in: commentary_2012

Louis Langrée conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

The year 2012 was saturated with music in Cincinnati, especially choral music. The World Choir Games were held here (for the first time in the U.S.). The May Festival was in bloom, as usual, and Cincinnati Opera had a very good year. Adding its voice, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra welcomed its 13th music director, Louis Langree, with a gala concert featuring Beethoven's Ninth Symphony -- coincident with which, a lot of "Ode to Joy" was heard on city streets, and the CSO produced a video with everyone in town singing or playing along. Here are Music in Cincinnati's "baker's dozen," i.e. 13 best musical events for 2012.

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Operatic eloquence

Posted: Jul 28, 2012 - 12:53:52 PM in: commentary_2012

Evans Mirageas outside Music Hall in Cincinnati

Art matters and as "the confluence of theater, literature, ballet, visual art, costume design, instrumental music and singing," opera has a unique power to teach and inspire. No one has said it better that Cincinnati Opera artistic director Evans Mirageas.
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Reflecting on the World Choir Games

Posted: Jul 19, 2012 - 9:29:06 PM in: commentary_2012, reviews_2012

Closing Ceremony, 2012 World Choir Games, U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio (Peace Bell in foreground)

The 2012 World Choir Games, held in Cincinnati, Ohio July 4-14, ended with the ringing of the Peace Bell, a presentation by the 2014 World Choir Games host city, Riga, Latvia and a concert by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra led by Pops conductor John Morris Russell and guest conductor Gabor Hollerung. Guest artists were Broadway star Idina Menzel, gospel great Marvin Winans and cast members from Cincinnati Opera's upcoming "La Traviata." The event was a kind of coming of age for Cincinnati, which showed itself eminently capable of hosting thousands of visitors speaking dozens of languages in an international competition known as the Olympics of choral music. There was even a Champion from Cincinnati, the Choraliers of Fairfield, Ohio, winners in the Show Choir event.
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