Music Hall Revitalization Advances with Lease from the City

Posted: Dec 26, 2012 - 12:10:07 PM in: news_2012

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory (left) and Otto M. Budig, Jr.

Plans to "revitalize" (i.e. renovate) Cincinnati's 135-year-old Music Hall ground to a halt in June, 2012 when the City, which owns the building, declined to come to an agreement with the privately organized, non-profit Music Hall Revitalization Company (comprising tenants of the building and the Cincinnati Arts Association, which manages the property). In the spirit of the season, a lease agreement between the City and MHRC, along with a grant of $10 million from the City to apply toward the renovation, were announced December 19 at the Music Hall amid holiday lights and greenery.
- [Read more]

Bach Goes (Back) to Church with Vespers

Posted: Dec 10, 2012 - 10:59:09 PM in: reviews_2012, news_2012

Though performed at Easter and Christmas -- and sometimes in between in churches in and around Cincinnati -- Johann Sebastian Bach has had a lower profile than one might expect for such a musically rich city. Carlton Monroe, director of music at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Terrace Park, is out to change that. One way has been by initiating "Vespers at St. Thomas," a series of regular performances of Bach's cantatas in the context of services at the church. Heard December 9, 2012 during Evening Prayer at St. Thomas was the Cantata "Nun komm der Heiden Heiland," BWV 62, with Bach Choir and Bach Ensemble, led by founder/director Monroe.

- [Read more]

Colossus of the Baltic

Posted: Dec 1, 2012 - 6:16:36 AM in: news_2012

Neeme_conducting_encore_at_2011_J__rvifestival_in_P__rnu__Estonia__August__2011.jpg

Neeme Järvi (photo by Taavi Kull)

Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi spent his 75th birthday doing, what else? Working. The conductor whose web site reads "I love all the time, every day, from morning till evening, I love music," spent June 7, 2012 in Gothenburg, Sweden recording symphonies by Kurt Atterberg. Just that much more to add to his remarkable musical legacy.
- [Read more]

Cincinnati Welcomes Louis Langrée

Posted: Nov 3, 2012 - 1:14:40 PM in: news_2012

French conductor Louis Langrée makes his debut as music director-designate of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in two concerts at Music Hall in November, 2012. One of them, Nov. 15-18, to include Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Schoenberg's "A Survivor from Warsaw," has sparked a city-wide initiative called "One City, One Symphony." There have been broadcasts of different recordings of the Ninth Symphony on radio station WGUC-FM and community "listening parties" to discuss the iconic work since October. In conjunction with WCET-TV, the CSO has produced a video of Cincinnatians chiming in on the Symphony's "Ode to Joy," available for viewing on the CSO web site and YouTube. The initiative will culminate in a live transmission of the Nov. 17 concert to locations in the Cincinnati area. (first published in Express Cincinnati, November 2012)
- [Read more]

Constella Finale Features Thibaudet

Posted: Nov 1, 2012 - 3:31:28 PM in: news_2012

Jean-Yves Thibaudet

The 2012 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts rings the curtain down on another "stellar" season with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet November 6 in Memorial Hall in Cincinnati. Thibaudet will commemorate the 150th anniversary of Claude Debussy's birth with an all-Debussy program including Préludes, Deuxieme Livre, "Suite Bergamasque," "Estampes" and "L'Isle joyeuse."
- [Read more]

Nico Muhly Shines for Constella

Posted: Oct 31, 2012 - 7:37:53 PM in: news_2012

Nico Muhly

Composer Nico Muhly is no stranger to Cincinnati, having been a guest of "Music Now," the city's annual new music festival on several occasions. Most recently, in March, when his composition "The Planets" was "work-shopped" and performed on the final concert of the festival. Muhly was back in October as composer-in-residence for the Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts, with two concerts devoted to his music.
- [Read more]

Matinée Musicale Meets Arthur Murray, Kicks Off Centennial Season

Posted: Oct 19, 2012 - 2:05:39 PM in: calendar, news_2012

Cincinnati's distinguished recital series, Matinée Musicale, celebrates its 100th anniversary this season. To kick it off, members of the organization joined with Arthur Murray Dance Studios, also observing its centenary, in a special program Sept. 30 at Anderson Center in Anderson Township.
- [Read more]

New Jazz Series Debuts at Washington Platform

Posted: Oct 12, 2012 - 1:51:54 PM in: calendar, news_2012

Three Voices (l to r: Mike Sharfe, Rusty Burge, Kim Pensyl)

Cincinnati has a wealth of fine jazz musicians. To give them a "platform" to perform. bassist Michael Sharfe has established a brand new jazz series at Washington Platform restaurant at the corner of Court and Elm Streets downtown. A comfortable, intimate venue with easy proximity to Cincinnati's arts district in Over-the-Rhine (Music Hall, Memorial Hall and the School for Creative and Performing Arts) it offers fine jazz in a prime location.
- [Read more]

CONSTELLA !!

Posted: Oct 6, 2012 - 4:23:35 PM in: news_2012, calendar

Constella, Cincinnati's new city-wide arts extravaganza, opens Sept. 30 with clarinetist Anthony McGill and closes Nov. 6 with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Events, presented by Constella and 15 partner organizations, include chamber music, ballet, voice, drama, early music, world premieres, jazz and the as-yet unclassifiable, with internationally known guest artists, the best of the best in the Cincinnati area and affiliated visual artists and art presentations. Visit www.constellafestival.org to learn what's up during the month-long event, which aspires to bring international attention to the city.
- [Read more]

Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra "About the Town" This Season

Posted: Sep 26, 2012 - 1:39:09 PM in: news_2012

Mischa Santora

The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra led by music director Mischa Santora has a tasty season in store for 2012-2013. It's is a broad menu, with many Cincinnati servings, including a new saxophone concerto by Cincinnati composer Frank Proto in its world premiere, to be performed by jazz artist Rick van Matre, "Amahl and the Night Visitors" staged by Cincinnati's Madcap Puppet Theater and a "Your Choice" program with the finale to be selected by vote of the CCO audience. The CCO's annual collaboration with the Vocal Arts Ensemble will be conducted by VAE music director Donald Nally in his farewell concert before leaving to become director of choral organizations at Northwestern University.
- [Read more]

Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Turns 21

Posted: Sep 9, 2012 - 7:51:31 PM in: news_2012

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra enters its 21st season this year and far from exhausting the creativity that has set it apart from other orchestras in the area -- almost anywhere, in fact -- is still flowing. On tap for 2012-2013 are Mozart's "Vesperae Solennes De Confessore" in context, the Viennese comedy duo Igudesman and Joo, a classical-jazz melding (Bach to Brubeck), "Pirates of the Caribbean" on screen accompanied live by the KSO, and two ever-popular Russian composers, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky, in an outpouring of romantic music. KSO founder, music director and creative genius James R. Cassidy conducts.
- [Read more]

Dream Come True: Music Hall in the Park

Posted: Aug 4, 2012 - 2:02:06 PM in: news_2012, reviews_2012

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is famous for its free concerts in the parks. A crowning event in the series, "Music Hall in the Park," a concert in newly reopened Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine, attracted a crowd topping 6,000 August 3 to the Park's Civic Lawn on Elm St. opposite Music Hall. The rare event united the four performing arts tenants of Music Hall, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (parent of the Cincinnati Pops), Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Ballet and the Cincinnati May Festival Summer Chorus.
- [Read more]

Cincinnati Opera's CO2, A New Era

Posted: Jul 27, 2012 - 4:25:40 PM in: news_2012

Cincinnati Opera Campus: Music Hall in red, Washington Park in green, Memorial Hall to left of Music Hall, SCPA lower right

The Cincinnati Opera, which turns 100 in 2020, began at the Cincinnati Zoo. It moved indoors to Music Hall in 1972. In 2013, it will enter yet another era, with the addition of a smaller venue, an expand summer festival and new collaborations with arts and educational organizations in Greater Cincinnati. Call it CO2.
- [Read more]

Parading the World Choir Games in Cincinnati

Posted: Jul 11, 2012 - 1:39:35 PM in: news_2012

Hello, Philippines

The 7th World Choir Games are being held in Cincinnati, Ohio this year, for the first time in the United States (July 4-14). With 362 choirs and over 15,000 people visiting the city, what better way to celebrate than a parade? The heat wave that hung over the city at the beginning had departed as the Games held a "Celebration of Nations" parade July 10 on Fifth Street downtown. Grand marshals were Cincinnati mayor Mark Mallory and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bootsy Collins, a Cincinnati resident.
- [Read more]

Cincinnati Children's Choir Goes Gold

Posted: Jul 9, 2012 - 8:24:25 PM in: news_2012

Cincinnati Children's Choir directed by Robyn Lana

The Cincinnati Children's Choir directed by Robyn Lana won a gold medal in the Champions Competition of the 2012 World Choir Games July 7 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 70-voice choir, comprising children from grades 5-12, won in the category, Youth Choirs of Equal Voices. They were the top-scoring U.S. choir in this category and placed 5th in the world. The choir, which is ensemble-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, performed for members of the World Choir Council in a special performance July 9 in Corbett Auditorium at CCM.
- [Read more]