J. Mark McVey, October 6, 2007

J. Mark McVey

Ohio Valley Symphony bound for Broadway in season opener There’s nothing like autumn in New York, but there’s no need to wait in an airport line, drive for hours or negotiate cabs and subways. Let the Ohio Valley Symphony take you to the Great White Way for “Broadway and Beyond,” opening concert of the orchestra’s 18th season.

Broadway star Mark McVey joins the OVS — southeast Ohio’s only professional orchestra — at 8 p.m. Oct. 6 on the stage of the historic Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in downtown Gallipolis. The Huntington, W.Va., native joins the orchestra, under music director Ray Fowler, for a tribute to America’s own music. He will perform songs by some of the stage’s greatest composers, from Irving Berlin to Andrew Lloyd Webber and from Leonard Bernstein to Richard Rodgers. Audiences will leave the Ariel humming such classics as “All the Things You Are,” “Anything Goes,” “Music of the Night,” “One,” “Somethings Coming,” and “The Way We Were.”

Mark McVey made his Broadway debut as Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” — after having won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actor while on tour with the show. He has sung the stirring role nearly 3,000 times, and he was the first American to perform it in London’s West End. McVey has appeared in nationally-televised performances with the Boston Pops and the National Symphony, under Marvin Hamlisch, in a Christmas special for U.S. troops overseas.

McVey has released three CDs, “Broadway and Beyond,” “If You Really Knew Me,” his crossover into the adult contemporary world, and the inspirational “One Among Few.”

After the concert, come to the Dater Centre’s ballroom for a reception, featuring dancing accompanied by live music. Have two left feet? Dr. Joe Li offers a beginner lesson in ballroom dancing from 7-7:30 p.m. Admission to both is included with the price of an OVS concert ticket.

McVey will be offering a Masterclass 10-11 am the day of the concert on the Ariel stage. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for adults. McVey will be discussing vocal techniques, working in musicals, the business aspects of working on Broadway, etc.

The Morris & Dorothy Haskins Theatre of the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre is at 426 Second Ave. in Gallipolis, Ohio. Tickets for “Broadway and Beyond” cost $25 for adults and $23 for seniors and are available at www.ohiovalleysymphony.org or by calling the theatre’s box office at (740)446-ARTS (2787). The box office is open Tuesdays through Fridays 9 am to 4 pm and 90 minutes prior to the show.

Funding for the symphony is provided by The Ann Carson Dater Endowment.

The OVS is also supported by the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

Graceful Ghosts, November 3, 2007

The Ohio Valley Symphony, Nov. 3, 2007

Ghosties, goblins and witches are all part of the brew when The Ohio Valley Symphony presents “Graceful Ghosts” Saturday, November 3 at 8 pm. The Morris & Dorothy Haskins Theatre will host a variety of spectres as the costumed musicians take the stage at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre at 426 Second Ave. in Gallipolis, Ohio. Music Director, Ray Fowler, promises you an evening of hauntingly beautiful and ghoulishly familiar music that will stir your emotions and fire your imagination.

“Graceful Ghosts,” is a program of music that will send more shivers down your spine than a chilly November night. Venture onto Bald Mountain to sneak a peek at a witches’ sabbath in Modest Mussorgsky’s classic tone painting, so real that Walt Disney chose it for the original “Fantasia.” Alfred Hitchcock would smile at his TV theme song, Funeral March of a Marionette by Charles Gounod. The program also includes excerpts from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition in their spectacular orchestrations by Maurice Ravel. The percussion section is featured in the title selection, Graceful Ghosts.

At the end of the evening the 2007 Maestro for a Moment will be “unmasked” and escorted to the stage to conduct John Phillip Sousa’s Stars & Stripes Forever. Campaigning for the honor are William Beegle and Dr. Nicholas Economides. The annual event is a good natured competition to see who can raise the most funds to help support the orchestra throughout the year. Every dollar is a vote for your favorite and patrons are urged to vote early and vote often.

Funding for the symphony is also provided by Holzer Medical Center and The Ann Carson Dater Endowment as well as a grant from the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

OVS Pops Program Kicks off Holiday Season, November 25, 2007

The elves of the Ohio Valley Symphony are ready to deck the hall — in the historic Morris & Dorothy Haskins Theatre of The Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in downtown Gallipolis, Ohio — with the sounds of the holiday season. Join the orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Maestro Ray Fowler, at 8 p.m. Saturday, December 1, for a program of traditional and familiar Christmas songs.

The evening starts with a grand flourish as the brass section of the orchestra ring in the season with Hark, the Herald Angels Sing and Joy to the World. Antiphonal brass quartets will perform Canzon Septimi Toni by Gabrieli. Selections by Corelli and Bizet provide a classic touch as well as Respighi’s hauntingly beautiful Adoration of the Magi.

Seasonal favorites such as O Tannenbaum and The First Noel are offered up in arrangements by the well loved pops arranger Carmen Dragon. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is the evocative tune sung by Judy Garland in “Meet Me in St. Louis.” The brass are featured again inA Canadian Brass Christmas. The program is rounded out with Winter Wonderland and I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

For the child in all of us, the OVS will perform selections from the popular movie “The Polar Express.” No pops program would becomplete without the crack of a whip as the orchestra dashes out Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride.

The Ohio Valley Symphony’s “Christmas Show” is the perfect way to set your mood for the holiday season. Enjoy the ambiance of our Victorian opera house with the beautiful holiday decor tastefully designed and displayed by Michael Brown.

Funding for the symphony is provided by Holzer Clinic and The Ann Carson Dater Endowment as well as by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

The public is encouraged to attend rehearsals for free on Friday, Nov. 30, from 7-10 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 1-4 p.m. OVS Saturday dress rehearsals are an excellent way to introduce young children to symphonic music.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. concert are $22, $20 for seniors and $10 for students, and are available at the Ariel Dater Hall box office at 428 Second Ave. For more information call (740) 446-2787 (ARTS).

Lori Sims, March 29, 2008

Ohio Valley Symphony Pulls at the Heartstrings

Lori Sims, Piano

LORI SIMS, piano
Soloist for the Rachmaninov is Lori Sims, an internationally-known pianist who has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and China. Now the John T. Bernhard Professor of Music at Western Michigan University, Sims is a graduate of the Yale School of Music, where she was named most outstanding graduating student. Her 2000 debut at New York’s Alice Tully Hall earned a rave review from the New York Times.

As presidential hopefuls vie for support in both Russia and the United States this spring, concert-goers in both countries can agree on two perennial winners: Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky.

The Ohio Valley Symphony offers a program of masterpieces by the two musical giants that have tugged at the heartstrings of generations of
audiences. The March 29 performance of “The Romantics” is at 8:00 p.m. at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in downtown Gallipolis. OVS Music Director Ray Fowler conducts.

Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, known as the Pathètique, scales the depths and heights of human experience — painted in the elegant lilt of a waltz, a sparkling march, and a despondent finale. A parade of beautiful and beloved melodies mark what turned out to be Tchaikovsky’s final work.

By the time Sergei Rachmaninov moved to the United States to avoid the chaos following the 1917 Russian Revolution, he already was one of the world’s most famous composers and piano virtuosos. The Piano Concerto No. 2 was an immediate hit at the turn of the last century and cemented Rachmaninov’s reputation. It has remained an audience favorite, thanks to ravishing melodies and harmonies that have even inspired generations of U.S. popular performers from Frank Sinatra to Celine Dion.

FREE DANCE CLASS
Audience members will be treated to a reception immediately after the concert in the second floor banquet hall. There will be dancing to live music by Gene France in the second-floor ballroom. Don’t know how to dance? You can warm up your feet before the performance with a free dance class from 7-7:30 p.m led by Ballroom Dance Instructor Gerald Powell. Admission is with your OVS ticket.

TICKETS
Tickets to “The Romantics” are available through the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre at 426 Second Ave. in Gallipolis Ohio. Call (740) 446-ARTS (2787). Prices are $22, $20 for seniors and $10 for students.

OPEN REHEARSALS
The public is also encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Friday, March 28, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Open rehearsals are an excellent way for new audiences to grow comfortable with symphonic music.

SPONSORSHIP
Corporate sponsor for “The Romantics” is the Gallia County Medical Society. Funding for the Ohio Valley Symphony is provided by the Ann Carson Dater Endowment. Further support is provided by the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

Spring Finale, May 3, 2008

Ohio Valley Symphony Pulls at the Heartstrings

Lori Sims, Piano

LORI SIMS, piano
Soloist for the Rachmaninov is Lori Sims, an internationally-known pianist who has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and China. Now the John T. Bernhard Professor of Music at Western Michigan University, Sims is a graduate of the Yale School of Music, where she was named most outstanding graduating student. Her 2000 debut at New York’s Alice Tully Hall earned a rave review from the New York Times.

As presidential hopefuls vie for support in both Russia and the United States this spring, concert-goers in both countries can agree on two perennial winners: Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky.

The Ohio Valley Symphony offers a program of masterpieces by the two musical giants that have tugged at the heartstrings of generations of
audiences. The March 29 performance of “The Romantics” is at 8:00 p.m. at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in downtown Gallipolis. OVS Music Director Ray Fowler conducts.

Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, known as the Pathètique, scales the depths and heights of human experience — painted in the elegant lilt of a waltz, a sparkling march, and a despondent finale. A parade of beautiful and beloved melodies mark what turned out to be Tchaikovsky’s final work.

By the time Sergei Rachmaninov moved to the United States to avoid the chaos following the 1917 Russian Revolution, he already was one of the world’s most famous composers and piano virtuosos. The Piano Concerto No. 2 was an immediate hit at the turn of the last century and cemented Rachmaninov’s reputation. It has remained an audience favorite, thanks to ravishing melodies and harmonies that have even inspired generations of U.S. popular performers from Frank Sinatra to Celine Dion.

FREE DANCE CLASS
Audience members will be treated to a reception immediately after the concert in the second floor banquet hall. There will be dancing to live music by Gene France in the second-floor ballroom. Don’t know how to dance? You can warm up your feet before the performance with a free dance class from 7-7:30 p.m led by Ballroom Dance Instructor Gerald Powell. Admission is with your OVS ticket.

TICKETS
Tickets to “The Romantics” are available through the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre at 426 Second Ave. in Gallipolis Ohio. Call (740) 446-ARTS (2787). Prices are $22, $20 for seniors and $10 for students.

OPEN REHEARSALS
The public is also encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Friday, March 28, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Open rehearsals are an excellent way for new audiences to grow comfortable with symphonic music.

SPONSORSHIP
Corporate sponsor for “The Romantics” is the Gallia County Medical Society. Funding for the Ohio Valley Symphony is provided by the Ann Carson Dater Endowment. Further support is provided by the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

Press Release: 2007-08 OVS Season

OHIO VALLEY SYMPHONY

2007-08 SEASON

From Baroque to Broadway and from goblins to Christmas cheer, join the Ohio Valley Symphony for the 2007-08 subscription season. The 18th season of southeast Ohio’s only professional orchestra lights the stage of the historic Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in downtown Gallipolis for five programs — all under the direction of music director Ray Fowler — that will stir your emotions and fire your imagination. All concerts take place on Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. in the Morris & Dorothy Haskins Theatre of the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre at 426 Second Avenue in Gallipolis, Ohio.

You’ll hear young and exciting guest artists ranging from Broadway’s Mark McVey to award-winning Canadian-Korean ’cellist Soo Bae and pianist Lori Sims. They’ll bring to life beloved, familiar music by favorite composers from the 17th through the late 20th century.

Mark McVey joins the OVS on Oct. 6 for “Broadway and Beyond,” a season-opening tribute to America’s own music: Broadway. He and the orchestra will perform songs by some of the stage’s greatest composers in works from the Great White Way’s Golden Age and its current heyday.

From Irving Berlin to Andrew Lloyd Webber, from Leonard Bernstein to Richard Rodgers, audiences will leave the Ariel humming such classics as “All the Things You Are,” “Anything Goes,” “Music o the Night,” “One,” “Somethings Coming,” and “The Way We Were.”

Let your Halloween last — at least until Nov. 3, when the OVS offers a night of “Ghostly Hallows,” music that will send more shivers down your spine than a chilly November night. Venture onto Bald Mountain to sneak a peek at a witches’ sabbath in Modest Mussorgsky’s classic tone painting, so real that Walt Disney chose it for the original “Fantasia.” Alfred Hitchcock would smile at his TV theme song, “Funeral March of a Marionette” by Charles Gounod. The program also includes excerpts from Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” in their spectacular orchestrations by Maurice Ravel.

Then get an early start on happier holidays with “A Christmas Show” on Dec. 1. Brass music from the late 1600s by Giovanni Gabrieli and the “Farandole,” including the “March of the Kings,” by Georges Bizet start the program with a classic touch. Then, the OVS warms you up with a variety of favorite modern holiday carols and songs.

In Spring, it’s not just a young man’s thoughts that turn to romance. Join the OVS and pianist Lori Sims on March 29, 2008, for “The Romantics,” a program of titans of classical music. Triumph meets tragedy in two pillars of symphonic music as Sims solos in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and Fowler leads the orchestra through Tchaikovsky’s final masterpiece, the Symphony No. 6, “Pathetique.”

Soo Bae helps the OVS celebrate the end of the season May 3, 2008, performing Robert Schumann’s soulful Concerto for Cello and Orchestra. Fowler then brings the year to a sunny, rousing end with Johannes Brahms’ massive Symphony No. 2.

Season tickets are $100 and Senior Citizens are $90. Student tickets are $50 or the entire family can purchase a season ticket for $275. Select balcony tickets with limited leg room are available for $50. Call 740-446-ARTS (2787) for more information.

Quartetto Gelato, October 2, 2010

Poster featuring OVS logo and photo of Quaretto Gelato

Quartetto Gelato Ensemble

The mere name of this foursome suggests yummy desserts, and the Quartetto Gelato delivers! For over a decade, this dazzling ensemble has enchanted audiences worldwide with their exotic blend of musical virtuosity, artistic passion, and charismatic anecdotes. Classical in training…eclectic by design…this Canadian quartet has become a dominant force on the music scene.

A Grand Piano, Yuliya Gorenman

A Grand Piano
Yuliya Gorenman, piano

Award-winning Russian-born American pianist Yuliya Gorenman has rightfully been called a “pianist without fear.” Now firmly established in her performing career, Gorenman first achieved international acclaim as a prizewinner of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium in 1995. Since then she has been continually invited to perform solo, chamber, and orchestral concerts throughout the United States and in Europe, and, in the process, has earned consistent praise for her artistic fire, for her fluid and unpretentious technique, and for the lyrical honesty and generosity of her playing.

The Trumpets Shall Sound, March 10, 2012

“Like Father Like Son”

Vincent and Gabriel DiMartino, trumpet

Arrangements for trumpets and orchestra.

Vince and Gabriel DeMartino are respected trumpet performers and teachers equally at home with an orchestra, band, or jazz combo. Vince has performed and recorded with many major U.S. orchestras, and he has played lead with a who’s-who of jazz greats. Gabriel is carrying on the tradition, recording at Syracuse University, where he teaches, and performs with a variety of groups.

The Romantics, April 28, 2012

CHIN KIM, violin

Violinist Chin Kim began playing at age 5 and made his professional debut at 9. A top prize winner in the world’s major violin competitions, Kim has performed and recorded with orchestras around the world.

The Ohio Valley Symphony Presents “The Voices” – March 9th

You will be enchanted by this bass-baritone and soprano duet as they bring classical and broadway numbers to the Ariel Theatre stage along with the one and only Ohio Valley Symphony. Read more for Bio & Full Song List.

The Ohio Valley Symphony kicks off its 22nd season with a combination of hip style and traditional flair

by Thomas Consolo

For its 2011-12 series opener, southeast Ohio’s only professional orchestra welcomes Deborah Henson-Conant back to the
Ohio Valley for “Hip Harp,” a night with the world’s first electric harpist. Ray Fowler, the orchestra’s music director, leads the 8 p.m.
performance Oct. 8 in the Lillian & Paul Wedge Auditorium at the Point Pleasant Jr./Sr. High School in Pt. Pleasant WV.

The program’s sponsor is Ohio Valley Bank, a long-time OVS supporter. As a part of the bank’s “Year of Celebration”, OVB
will be giving away symphony tickets at their Main Office during the week of October 3rd-7th. Stop by their office to register for
free tickets and join them as they celebrate a very special anniversary.

It’s the fourth year the OVS has performed in Point Pleasant, including a concert that helped dedicate the facility’s completion.
“We can’t expect everyone to come to us,” said Lora Snow, the orchestra’s founder and executive director, “so we’re happy to go
to them to share our beautiful music.”

That organization has, over more than two decades, built a reputation for offering a lineup of world-class guest artists performing music
ranging from R&B to classical mainstays to holiday favorites. That variety is key both to the OVS’s mission and its two decades of
success, said Snow.

“Great music comes in all kinds of packages,” she said, “and we try to show people all the things an orchestra can do. It’s a lot more than
just symphonies.”

That will be clear at “Hip Harp.” Henson-Conant — a Grammy-nominated performer, composer and songwriter — has built a renegade
image on her evocative singing voice and the 36-string, custom-built electric harness harp she plays. Her programs fuse theater, stories
and virtuosic playing skill and cover genres from ballads to jazz to flamenco.

She’ll put on a different program on October 8.

It’s the first time a guest artist has appeared with the OVS twice in the same year. For Fowler, Henson-Conant was an obvious choice
for the honor.

“This is a person who will reach right into the heart and soul of the audience,” he said. “She’s just so natural on stage.”

Henson-Conant is a composer, performer, singer, songwriter, author, cartoonist, entertainer, comedienne — all rolled into one! She’s put
on a one-woman show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, opened for Ray Charles, toured with the Boston Pops and released
a dozen albums from Latin jazz to Celtic to blues.

She’s also revolutionized the harp — usually though of as a genteel instrument — with a custom-made, 36-string electric “harness harp.”
When she turns on the “fuzz box,” though, audiences know they’re in for a different kind of evening.

It’s more than showmanship, Fowler continued. “I was so impressed with how thoughtful she was about her choice of pieces,” he said.
“She wanted to choose just the right repertoire to reach our audience.”

Fowler hopes some people who saw Henson-Conant in July will want to experience her and the orchestra indoors. “There are people
who keep cracking the door of the Ariel open but not quite coming in. We knew that, when they heard Deborah on July 4, they’d want
to hear her again.”

Also on tap for the Saturday evening performance is the conclusion to the annual Maestro for a Moment fund-raising campaign. Find out
which of this year’s finalists earns a spot on the podium to conduct the OVS by raising the most for the orchestra. Mike Brown, Joe Li
and Darlene Ringhand are vying for the honor.

As part of the Ohio Valley Symphony’s mission to bring live, professional, orchestral music to the region and to instill a love of music —
especially in children, the public is encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and 1-4 p.m. Oct. 8 at
Wedge Auditorium. Open rehearsals are a great way for young and old alike to grow familiar with symphonic music, and they offer a
fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse at the preparation of an orchestral performance.

Single tickets to the Ohio Valley Symphony’s “Hip Harp” cost $22, $20 (senior) and $10 (student). Subscriptions to all five 2011-12
OVS concerts, including the always popular Christmas concert, are available for $100, $90 (senior) and $50 (student). Family
subscriptions for two adults and children are $275.

Single-ticket buyers who decide they want to lock in their seats will be able to buy pro-rated subscriptions for the four remaining
OVS performances at the Oct. 8 concert.

Tickets and more information are available at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre box office, 428 Second Ave.,
Gallipolis; by phone, (740) 446-2787 (ARTS); and through the website arieltheatre.org.

Funding for the Ohio Valley Symphony is provided in part by the Ann Carson Dater Endowment. Further support is provided by the
Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally
and economically.

The Grand Piano, November 5, 2011

Lori Sims, piano

Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2; Beethoven, Symphony No. 2.

Internationally known pianist Lori Simms has performed in recital, with chamber groups, and with orchestras in the United States, Europe, and China. The Colorado native is a Yale graduate who now teaches at Western Michigan University. She is the gold medal winner at the 1998 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition.

The Christmas Show!, December 3, 2011

Sponsored by Holzer Clinic

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The Christmas Show! 2013

The Ohio Valley Symphony

The Ohio Valley Symphony presents its most beloved holiday tradition, The Christmas Show! Order tickets early!

The Christmas Show, Brant Adams, composer

Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 8:00 pm

Originally from Gallipolis, Ohio, Brant Adams (b. 1955) holds a bachelor of music degree in piano performance from Capital University (Columbus, Ohio), a master of music degree in music theory from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a Ph.D in theory from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied composition with Donald Grantham. He taught at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and since 1987 at Oklahoma State University, where he has served as professor and coordinator of the music theory and composition areas, coordinator of music business, academic advisor, and since 2008, as Head of the Department of Music.

In 1992, Dr. Adams was awarded the Distinguished Composer of the Year Award by the Music Teachers National Association for his Masque and Bacchanalia for woodwind quintet and piano. In 1994, he wrote the incidental music for the off-Broadway play Exchange produced at the Soho Repertory Theatre in New York City. In 2000, he arranged and orchestrated Sing for the Cure, a compilation of choral compositions of ten composers from around the US commissioned by the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and which has been performed in dozens of cities across the country, including performances at Carnegie Hall.

His compositions, arrangements, and orchestrations have been performed and recorded around the world by orchestras and choral ensembles across Europe, Central and South America, the Middle and Far East, and across the United States. His choral compositions are published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing and Mark Foster Music (Shawnee Press). Since 2000, he has become widely known for his orchestrations and instrumental arrangements of sacred music that are published by the Lorenz Corporation, Shawnee Press, Hope Music, Alfred Music, and Southern Music. Performances of his music at regional and national meetings of professional music organizations include the Society of Composers, Inc., Music Teachers National Convention, American Choral Directors Association, College Band Directors National Association, and the National Flute Association.

Dr. Adams also works periodically in the recording/publishing industry as a producer, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor.

At OSU, Dr. Adams has received several awards including two Outstanding Faculty Member awards, the Friends of Music Distinguished Music Professor award, and the Wise-Diggs-Berry Award for Teaching Excellence.

Symphony Spooktacular, Brian Evans, actor

Saturday, November 1, 2014 at 8:00 pm

Brian Evans teaches voice and speech, stage combat and acting in the School of Dance, Film and Theater. He is an Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework and a Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors. As an actor, he has worked at venues including Human Race Theatre, the Colorado, Illinois and Oxford Shakespeare Festivals, South Coast Repertory, Porthouse Theatre and CATCO. Television credits include Chapelle’s Show and Judging Amy. He produced and directed award-winning theatre while working in Los Angeles, at theaters including the Raven Playhouse, Metropole Theatre Works and Elephant Stageworks. Directing credits include Romeo and Juliet at Monomoy Theatre, Henry IV, Part One at Oxford Shakespeare Festival, and Brecht’s Man Equals Man at OU. In the area, Brian often works with Available Light Theatre in Columbus and Brick Monkey Theater Ensemble. He received his M.F.A. in Acting from UC, Irvine. Brian is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association.

Suite Sounds of Jazz, Thomas Pandolfi, piano

Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 7:30 pm

The young American pianist THOMAS PANDOLFI is an exciting virtuoso who, with each passing season, is becoming more and more sought after by audiences worldwide, and showered with superlatives by critics for his passionate artistry and amazing technique. His orchestral appearances often feature not only the beloved masterpiece concerti by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Liszt, but also the equally brilliant ones by Paderewski, Rubinstein and Moszkowski. Additionally in the “Pops” genre, Thomas is considered a leading interpreter of the works of George Gershwin.

Thomas’ career has already included performances with such European orchestras as The George Enescu Philharmonic, The Cluj Philharmonic, The Oltenia Philharmonic (Craiova), The Moravian Philharmonic, The National Philharmonic of the Republic of Moldova, and The Aberystwyth Symphony in Wales, as well as the American symphony orchestras of Mississippi, Cedar Rapids, Asheville, Princeton, San Angelo, York, Fairfax, Northbrook, Great Falls, and Owensboro to name but a few. He has collaborated with such conductors as Dimitru Goia, Sabin Pautza, Emil Seigbert Maxim, Peter Schmelzer, Mihail Agafita, Grigori Moseico, David Russell Hulme, Murry Sidlin, Michael Luxner, Andreas Delfs, Christian Tiemeyer, Ron Spigelman, William Kushner, Nicholas Palmer, William Intrilligator, William Hudson, Kirk Muspratt, Kim Allen Kluge, Robert Hart Baker, Crafton Beck, Lawrence Rapchak, Gordon Johnson, Philip Bauman, Anthony Maiello and Vincent Zito.

Following a performance of MacDowell’s D Minor Piano Concerto with The George Enescu Philharmonic, The Bucharest Cultural Observer lauded Pandolfi’s “virtuosity, beautiful touch, sensitivity and broad scope…logical phrasing and expressive percussiveness…a soloist whom we would like to hear again.” Of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Asheville Symphony, The Asheville Citizen-Times remarked, “Pandolfi is a standout among today’s young pianists, demonstrating a great technician’s grace, finesse and polish…his virtuosity and strength might have had some believing that Liszt himself had taken over the keyboard.”

Equally popular as a recitalist, Pandolfi has appeared in concert halls nationwide. The Washington Post has described him as “an artist who is master of both the grand gesture and the sensual line. Pandolfi possesses first-rate technical skills, an unerring comma and of phrasing, a quicksilver touch and cunning legerdemain when it comes to pedaling…etched with calm and crystal clarity…outstanding.” New York Concert Review has characterized Pandolfi’s interpretations as containing “high level pianism and tasteful, diversified musical ideas…crystalline texture and deft coloration… charm and bracing elan.”

While the 2008-09 season marked Thomas’ debut recitals in Canada, Germany and China, the 2009-10 season highlighted his debut in London, as well as return engagements throughout Eastern Europe, and concerts both as recitalist and soloist with orchestras across the United States. Pandolfi released his 6th CD album during the 2010-11 season, and returned to China in August of 2011 for his second tour of that country. Additionally, he made his recital debut in Toronto during the 2011-12 season, as well as stepped in on 48 hour notice to perform the Rachmaninov Second Piano Concerto for The Alexandria Symphony’s closing concert of that season. During the last two seasons, he performed highly successful and acclaimed 15 state recital tours across the United States.

Audiences during 2014-15 will enjoy his artistry in an expanded 21 state recital tour to include the states of New York, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, Indiana, Connecticut, New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Florida, Washington, DC, Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, California, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and Kentucky. Thomas will also be making his debut with the Lafayette Symphony and Nicholas Palmer in The James Bond Concerto and Warsaw Concerto, and his debut with The McLean Orchestra in Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 under Miriam Burns on their Gala Opening Night. He will also return as guest soloist with both The Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and Ulysses James in Brahms’ First Piano Concerto, and The Owensboro Symphony under Nicholas Palmer in The James Bond Concerto and Warsaw Concerto. Following a violin concerto for Midori, and a saxophone concerto for Brandford Marsalis, film and concert composers Kim Allen Kluge and Kathryn Vassar Kluge are now composing a piano concerto for Thomas, who is most honored and very excited to be involved in this thrilling project.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Pandolfi earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as a scholarship student. He is the father of two beautiful children, and resides in Washington, DC.

Follow Thomas:
Facebook: @ThomasPandolfiPianist
Twitter: @TPandolfiPiano

As part of the Ohio Valley Symphony’s mission to bring live, professional, orchestral music to the region and to instill a love of music — especially in children, the public is encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7–10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, and 1–4 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Ariel. Open rehearsals are a great way to grow familiar with symphonic music, and they offer a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse at the preparation of an orchestral performance.

Single tickets to the Ohio Valley Symphony’s SUITE SOUNDS OF JAZZ cost $24, $22 (senior) and $12 (student). Tickets and more information are available at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre box office, 428 Second Ave., Gallipolis; by phone, (740) 446-2787 (ARTS); and through the Ariel website www.arieltheatre.org.

Silver Celebration, Jay Campbell, cello

Saturday, October 4, 2014 at 8:00 pm

Praised by The New York Times for his “electrifying performances” which “conveyed every nuance,” American cellist Jay Campbell is the First Prize Winner of the 2012 CAG Victor Elmaleh International Competition. This spellbinding artist combines eclectic musical interests and a diverse spectrum of repertoire, which has led to collaborations with musicians ranging from Elliott Carter and Pierre Boulez to David Lang and John Zorn to members of Radiohead and Einstürzende Neubauten.

Jay is actively involved with the music of our time, having premiered nearly one hundred works to date, including concerti by Chris Rogerson and Pulitzer Prize winning composer David Lang.

In 2013-14, Jay premieres a new recital piece written for him by John Zorn called occam’s razor, and for the 2015-16 season, a new cello concerto will be commissioned for Jay from American composer David Fulmer, which is entitled Genus and Species and co-commissioned by the Human Rights Foundation. Already, the cellist has had the privilege of working with leading new music groups including ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble), Ensemble InterContemporain, Da Capo Chamber Players and the Argento Ensemble. A further testament to his dedication to the music of our time comes from the ASCAP Foundation which honored Jay with the Lieber & Stoller Award.

As a chamber musician, Jay has worked with members of the Arditti, Takacs, Kronos and Afiara String Quartets. He has been invited to the Marlboro and Music@Menlo Festivals and enjoyed residencies at Vermont’s Yellow Barn Music Festival and at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Texas.

Born in Berkeley, CA, Jay Campbell is currently a student at The Juilliard School where he received his Bachelor of Music degree and is pursuing his Master of Music degree. He studies with celebrated cellist Fred Sherry.

OVS Gets Hip In Its 20’s

OVS Gets Hip In Its 20’s
By Thomas Consolo

Like most twenty-somethings, the Ohio Valley Symphony is offering a combination of hip style and traditional flair for its next season.

The 2011-12 series marks the OVS’s 22nd season as southeast Ohio’s only professional orchestra. The five programs cover repertoire ranging from R&B to classical mainstays to holiday favorites. They also feature a lineup of world-class guest artists, including the world’s first electric harpist and a father-son team of trumpet virtuosos.

That variety is key both to the OVS’s mission and its two decades of success, said Lora Lynn Snow, the orchestra’s founder and executive director. “Great music comes in all kinds of packages,” she said, “and we try to show people all the things an orchestra can do. It’s a lot more than just symphonies.”

That will be clear enough to the audience from the first program, dubbed “Hip Harp” for soloist Deborah Henson-Conant. The Grammy-nominated performer, composer and songwriter has built a renegade image on her evocative singing voice and the 36-string, custom-built electric harness harp she plays. Her programs fuse theater, stories and virtuosic playing skill and cover genres from ballads to jazz to flamenco.

For Ray Fowler, the OVS music director, Henson-Conant was an obvious choice. “This is a person who will reach right into the heart and soul of the audience,” he said. “She’s just so natural on stage.”

It’s more than showmanship, he continued. “I was so impressed with how thoughtful she was about her choice of pieces,” Fowler said. “She wanted to choose just the right repertoire to reach our audience.”

Henson-Conant’s performance opens the OVS season on Oct. 8 in Point Pleasant Junior/Senior High School’s Wedge Auditorium. It’s the third year the orchestra has performed in Point Pleasant, including a concert to help dedicate the facility’s completion. “We can’t expect everyone to come to us,” Snow said, “so we’re happy to go to them to let them know about this organization.”

The season’s other four performances will be at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre. The downtown Gallipolis landmark has been reborn thanks to a dedicated citizen-based restoration effort sparked by Snow. It was renamed to honor a gift by Meigs County native Ann Carson Dater, who wanted to ensure that the hall be a permanent home for the orchestra.

The season’s other bookend shows a different kind of virtuosity in violinist Chin Kim. “He’ll reach the audience in a different way,” Fowler said, “and the story will be through the sounds.”

Kim will play Max Bruch’s first violin concerto on April 28, 2012, as part of a program called “The Romantics.” The contrast between the two artists “is the extreme of the season,” Fowler said. It shows just how different music can be, all while touching people deeply.

“The Romantics” also features one of the best-loved orchestral masterpieces of the 19th century, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. It traces a hopeful journey against fate to a joyous finale.

November brings pianist Lori Sims back to the stage of the Ariel to perform the second concerto of Johannes Brahms. Sims is “one of the best-kept secrets of the piano world,” according to Fowler. “Her playing has such integrity and such heart. She’ll bring the audience through the piece.”

The Nov. 5 concert pairs the Brahms with the youthful Symphony No. 2 of Ludwig van Beethoven. For audiences who automatically equate Beethoven with forceful Romanticism, the second symphony is an eye opener full of wry humor and the kind of balance his teacher, Franz Joseph Haydn, would have approved.