Broadway! March 12, 2011

Margaret Carlson, Soprano

Often compared to Julie Andrews and Maureen McGovern, Margaret Carlson is an exciting new voice in the contemporary music. Her eclectic career has taken her from life “on the road” with the band, Summer, to ten years as a stay-at-home mom. Re-establishing her music career in 1986, Carlson’s second CD, This Christmas…my favorite things, received a Grammy nomination in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category.

BROADWAY
By Thomas Consolo

Melt away the last of winter’s chill in March with The Ohio Valley Symphony.

Southeast Ohio’s only professional orchestra welcomes singer Margaret Carlson to the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre for a heartwarming program of classic songs by a parade of America’s greatest songwriters. OVS music director Ray Fowler returns to conduct the program at 8 p.m. March 12.

Carlson, a Grammy nominee, has selected a line-up by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter and Stephen Sondheim — all backed by the lush support only a full orchestra can provide. Concert-goers can look forward to excerpts from favorite Broadway shows and films including “Anyone Can Whistle,” “My Fair Lady,” “The Sound of Music” and “The Wizard of Oz.”

Fowler counts these classic songs as important American music — and music that is slipping through the cultural cracks as schools and community companies move on to more contemporary shows. Carlson, he said, brings a freshness to these standards which will win the audience’s heart.

Carlson’s elegant musical style and onstage presence have been compared to Julie Andrews and Maureen McGovern. In her early years, Margaret toured the United States singing in resorts and clubs, and she was featured on numerous television and radio commercials.

In 1985 Carlson left the music business to focus on raising her two children. When she returned 10 years later, she recorded her first CD, “Once in a Blue Moon,” with pianist-arranger Frank Mantooth. Her second CD, “This Christmas … My Favorite Things,” was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category. Today, Carlson performs to beautifully orchestrated arrangements by Mantooth with orchestras all around the country. She can be heard at music festivals and as a performer and clinician at schools.

Showcasing America’s living legacy of song is 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 — through education and exposure to great music. As part of that commitment, the public is encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Friday, March 11, and 1-4 p.m. March 12 at the Ariel. Open rehearsals are an excellent way for young and old alike to grow comfortable with symphonic music, and they offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what goes into preparing an orchestral performance.

Single tickets to The Ohio Valley Symphony’s “Broadway!” are $22, $20 (senior) and $10 (students). Tickets and more information are available through the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre box office, (740) 446-2787 (ARTS), at 428 Second Ave., Gallipolis, and through the OVS Web site, www.ohiovalleysymphony.org. The concert is sponsored by the Gallia County Medical Society. Further funding for The Ohio Valley Symphony is provided by the Ann Carson Dater Endowment.

Mendelssohn, April 30, 2011

Ilya Kaler, violin

Described as a “magician, bewitching our ears,” Russian-born violinist Ilya Kaler is the only violinist to have won gold medals at the Tchaikovsky (1986), Sibelius (1985), and Paganini (1981) Competitions. Currently professor of violin at DePaul University School of Music (Chicago, IL), he performs on a 1785 “Sennhauser” Giuseppe Guarnerius del Gesu violin on loan from the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

Press Release:

By Thomas Consolo

Join The Ohio Valley Symphony on April 30 for the final concert of the 2010-11 season.

For the finale of its 21st season, the orchestra offers a portrait of composer Felix Mendelssohn. On the program, beginning at 8 p.m. at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in downtown Gallipolis, are excerpts from Mendelssohn’s incidental music to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and his beloved violin concerto.

Mendelssohn, who lived from 1809–47, was a child prodigy who went on to be one of the most cosmopolitan composers of his era. In his short life, he wrote symphonies, concertos, oratorios and chamber music famed for their elegance and beautiful melodies. As a performer, he was a pianist of renown, and as a conductor, he helped many young composers and led to a revival of the works of Bach.

He was still only 17 when he scored one of his first great hits, the sparkling overture to Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” He returned to that magical story in 1842 to write more music for a production of the play, which includes the “Wedding March” still used by couples the world over. The OVS, under music director Ray Fowler, performs a suite of the overture and three other movements.

The OVS welcomes violinist Ilya Kaler to the stage of the Ariel’s Morris and Dorothy Haskins Theatre as guest soloist in the concerto, one of the best-known and best-loved works for violin and orchestra. A classic since its debut in 1844, Mendelssohn’s violin concerto earned fame more recently as the piece Jack Benny never quite mastered. The piece features a brooding, romantic opening, a soulful slow movement, and a joyful, bubbly finale. Together, they give the soloist a chance to shine.

The Russian-born Kaler is the only violinist to have won gold medals at the Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Paganini violin competitions. He earned rave reviews for solo appearances with orchestras around the world, including in Leningrad, Moscow, Montreal, Berlin, Detroit, Baltimore, Seattle and Zurich. His recordings of the Paganini Caprices have been deemed by American Record Guide to be “in a class by themselves.” Kaler is a violin professor at DePaul University in Chicago. He performs on a Giuseppe Guarnerius del Gesu violin, made in 1735, on generous loan from the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

Showcasing the masterworks of orchestral music like Mendelssohn’s is 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 — through education and exposure to great music. As part of that commitment, the public is encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Friday, April 29, and 1-4 p.m. April 30 at the Ariel. Open rehearsals are an excellent way for young and old alike to grow comfortable with symphonic music, and they offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse at the preparation of an orchestral performance.

Beginning with April’s Mendelssohn program, concert-goers will have another unique opportunity to make a personal connection with the music, too. That’s when the OVS inaugurates its series of pre-concert talks in the newly-restored Ariel Chamber Theatre. Thomas Consolo, the orchestra’s assistant conductor and program annotator, hosts the casual get-together to help put a more personal face on the night’s music, as well as to answer questions about the program, the OVS or the orchestral experience in general. The talk begins at 7:15 p.m. April 30.

Single tickets to The Ohio Valley Symphony’s “Mendelssohn” cost $22, $20 (senior) and $10 (students). 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 OVS Web site, www.ohiovalleysymphony.org. Further funding for The Ohio Valley Symphony is provided by the Ann Carson Dater Endowment.

MOSTLY MENDELSSOHN!

October 2, 2021
at 7:30 p.m.
Concert will be at Wedge Auditorium at Pt. Pleasant WV Jr./Sr. High School.
Purchase Tickets Now

We re-open The Ohio Valley Symphony season as we celebrate the life of Ariel Board President Paul Simon when his longtime family friend, Elizabeth Pitcairn, joins The Ohio Valley Symphony in a program of Mostly Mendelssohn.

This season opens with Mendelssohn’s energizing and uplifting Symphony No. 4 and Elizabeth performs the much loved Concerto for Violin, Op. 64, under the baton of Maestro Scott Woodard.

Purchase your season subscription so you don’t miss a single note of this new season!

Sponsored by

Scott Woodard, conductor
Dr. Scott E. Woodard is the Music Director of the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra in Hamilton, Ohio, the Ashland Ballet Orchestra, and is the Founding Music Director and Conductor of the West Virginia State Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly known as the Charleston Chamber Orchestra). Woodard’s study and pursuit of conducting has taken him all over the world.

BIG BAND BLAST!

November 6, 2021
at 7:30 p.m.
Concert will be at Wedge Auditorium at Pt. Pleasant WV Jr./Sr. High School
Purchase Tickets Now

75 years ago at the end of World War II the music style of the Big Band era was flourishing and Cleveland Pops conductor Carl Topilow will lead the The Ohio Valley Symphony through a rousing romp of the stylings of Glenn Miller, Hoagie Carmichael, Irvin Berlin and other big band greats.

In this Veterans Day celebration, Carl will invoke the spirit of Benny Goodman when he picks up his clarinet and joins in the fun.
Veterans get a 10% ticket discount, order tickets online today!

Sponsored by

Carl Topilow, conductor and clarinetist
Carl Topilow is renowned worldwide for his versatility, whether he is holding a conductor’s baton or his trademark red clarinet. He is a multi-talented virtuoso who is equally at home in classical and popular music both as conductor and instrumentalist.

PERFECTLY PARISIAN!

March 26, 2022
at 7:30 p.m.
Purchase Tickets Now

Takes you on a musical visit to 19th century Paris when Phantom of the Opera star Geena Jeffries Mattox joins The Ohio Valley Symphony for some Perfectly Parisian music. Carline Waugh joins in the fun as well and both sopranos finish off the evening with some delicious duets.

Steven Huang, conductor
Maestro Steven Huang is thrilled to return to Southeastern Ohio to the podium of The Ohio Valley Symphony. He has conducted orchestras and operas across the country and throughout the world.

At the age of twenty-one Mr. Huang served as Music Director of the Bach Society Orchestra of Harvard University, where he received his undergraduate degree. While at Harvard, Mr. Huang also directed the Lowell House Opera (the oldest continuously running opera company in New England). Most recently, he successfully concluded a sixteen-year appointment as Associate Professor and Director of Orchestras at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where he brought the program to new achievements, including earning competitive accolades and awards from Ohio Music Educators Association and Columbus Roundtable Awards, through over 200 performances, including symphonic concerts, opera, musical theater, and Halloween pops.

THE CHRISTMAS SHOW! 2021

December 4, 2021
at 7:30 p.m.
Purchase Tickets Now

In this season of hope and renewal The Ohio Valley Symphony will warm your hearts with their annual Christmas Show under the baton of Steven Huang. Traditional carols along with newer holiday favorites will awaken your holiday spirit.

Gather family and friends and get your tickets early as it is always sold out!

And if you have ever had a secret desire to lift the baton and bring out beautiful music, you too could be a Maestro For A Moment at this annual symphony fundraiser. Contact us to be a part of this fun and wonderful event.

Sponsored by

Steven Huang, conductor
Maestro Steven Huang is thrilled to return to Southeastern Ohio to the podium of The Ohio Valley Symphony.  He has conducted orchestras and operas across the country and throughout the world.

Ohio Arts Council Governor’s Awards for the Arts Winner

ARTS ADMINISTRATION
Lora Snow, Executive Director
at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre,
Home of the Ohio Valley Symphony
Gallipolis

Lora Lynn Snow is the founder and executive director of the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in Gallipolis, home of the Ohio Valley Symphony. Lora, an oboist, was inspired in 1987 to form a professional orchestra in Gallia County and recognized the amazing acoustics in the long-neglected 1895 Ariel Opera House that had been abandoned for 25 years. Lora spearheaded the restoration and set about to organize the community toward the grand reopening of the historic Ariel in 1990 with a performance of the Ohio Valley Symphony. Mrs. Ann Carson Dater gifted the Ariel as a permanent home to the Ohio Valley Symphony (OVS) in 2005, which added an additional theatre, conference room, and banquet rooms. The OVS, now in its 30th season as the only professional orchestra in the Ohio River Valley, recently premiered Songs of Rural America on PBS nationwide with folk singer Michael Johnathon.

Having a holistic view of the arts, Lora also established a music education program, a double reed festival, a community theatre troupe, and OVS woodwind and dance programs at the Ariel. An active recitalist, clinician, and consultant with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance and education from the Ohio State University, Lora has taught at several universities and public schools covering kindergarten through graduate level inclusive. She is principal oboist for the Ohio Valley Symphony and OVS Woodwind Quintet, a member of the West Virginia Symphony, and a freelance musician.

Paul Robert Simón, In Memoriam

Paul Robert Simón
President, Ariel Board of Directors

From Executive Director
Lora Lynn Snow

Paul Simón, President of the Ariel Board of Directors, passed away February 25, 2021. He transformed the board bringing in members with a wide variety of professional skills and he led us ever upward as we completed the restoration of our 1895 opera house. He will be greatly missed.

Paul was a renaissance man. He ran his farm but once owned an antique shop. He was head of the Mason County Emergency Team that stepped in to work at a moment’s notice, and he collected art. While working on the Main Street Committee he found out a community’s ranking could be elevated with certain amenities so he started an art gallery in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Through his many contacts he was able to get the Pitcairn family to loan art work to The Gallery at 409 – and while he was at it, he also found a soloist in the same family, violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn, for The Ohio Valley Symphony.

A Virtual Ariel Merry Tubachristmas! 2020

Enjoy the low brass sounds of the Ariel’s Merry Tubachristmas! This annual event has brought together tuba and euphonium players from across Ohio and West Virginia, young and old, beginners and experts!

Ariel Academy Online Music Lessons

The Ariel Academy is designed to help you find a teacher to guide you through your musical journeys. Whether you need to find a piano teacher for your first grader or are a professional taking orchestral auditions, a college student needing help with music theory or an aspiring composer needing guidance, you can set up one or more lessons with one of The Ohio Valley Symphony’s musicians.

APPALACHIAN SPRING

POSTPONED
Date to be determined
at 7:30 p.m.

What’s better than one horn soloist? How about 4 of them! The entire horn section of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Erik Ralske, Hugo Valverde, Javier Gandara and Barbara Jöstlein Currie, is coming to the Ariel stage to perform the magnificent Schumann Konzertstück for 4 Horns on April 25th. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say you will be blown away! The OVS will also play one of my personal favorites, Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring.

Read More

THE ROMANTIC CELLO

Rescheduled from an earlier date
June 27, 2020
at 7:30 p.m.

All tickets for the March 21, 2020 concert will be honored.

Ilya Finkelshteyn, principal cellist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, will perform Dvorak’s lush Concerto for Cello on June 27th with Maestro Keitaro Harada on the podium. Also, to stir your soul on the Romantic Cello program, is Brahms’ much loved Symphony No. 2. Love is definitely in the air!

Conductor Keitaro Harada

Conductor Keitaro Harada continues to be recognized at the highest levels for his artistic abilities and passion for musical excellence. As a three-time recipient of The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award (2014, 2015, 2016), Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview (2013), the Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellowship at Tanglewood Music Festival, a student of Lorin Maazel at Castleton Festival and Fabio Luisi at Pacific Music Festival, Harada’s credentials are exemplary.

In his third season as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops, Harada regularly assists Music Director Louis Langrée and conducts the CSO, POPS, and World Piano Competition, and assists James Conlon and Juanjo Mena for the May Festival. Keitaro also holds the position of Associate Conductor of the Arizona Opera.

Postponed – RVHS Drama Club’s ARSENIC AND OLD LACE

Postponed – New Date To Be Determined
at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets previously purchased for this event will be honored on the new date.

Purchase your tickets online. Purchase Tickets Now

The River Valley High School Drama Department is incredibly excited to present Arsenic and Old Lace, the classic comedy featuring two sweet, old sisters who happen to spike the wine they serve with poison. With nearly 30 students involved in this production, this show is truly a group effort that incorporates the various high school disciplines and support from the community. Filled with slapstick comedy, murder, and even love, this is a show that you won’t want to miss. Drink up!

Doors open at 7pm each night, where tickets will also be available for purchase.

A SALUTE TO OUR VETERANS

November 9, 2019
at 7:30 p.m.

Last year’s Songs of Rural America pops concert, seen nationwide on television, let us know that you wanted pops added to our mix. Maestro Tim Berens and Broadway tenor Mike Eldred (Jean Val Jean in Les Miserables) have a terrific Salute to Our Veterans concert on November 9th just in time for Veterans Day!

The concert will feature 4 world premieres of music by Tim and Louise Berens. These premieres include new arrangements of the classics When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and Danny Boy, and a brand new composition entitled Messages from Mount Rushmore by Tim and Louise Berens.

Messages from Mount Rushmore was inspired by a 2008 visit to Mount Rushmore, when Tim wondered “What would they have to say to us today?” The piece contains wise, stirring, funny and inspirational quotes from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, accompanied by rousing music. Their messages offer guidance to navigating our modern, hectic world.

Tim Berens, conductor

Tim Berens’ multi-faceted career gives testament to his lifelong quest to learn, perform and write music. So far, his venture has led him through the worlds of classical guitar, jazz guitar, orchestral guitar, arranging, orchestration, composition, and conducting.

During his years as the guitarist for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Tim played guitar, banjo, mandolin and bouzouki on concerts, recordings, television programs, and tours. Beginning in the late 1990’s, Tim began arranging for the CPO, eventually becoming the orchestra’s principal arranger.

His arrangements are regularly performed in venues from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center to the Hollywood Bowl.

SUNDAY SOUNDS with Jonathan Hawkins

Sunday Sounds
“Musical and Folk Traditions Through the Ages”

Sunday, December 1, 2019
2:00 p.m.
Ariel Chamber Theatre

The historic Ariel Opera House presents Sunday Sounds with guitarist Jonathan Hawkins performing a unique blend of musical traditions of the Americas, Spain, Brazil, Malawi, and more. Join us for this free Sunday afternoon concert to be held in the 3rd floor Ariel Chamber Theatre. ADA accessible.

Jonathan Hawkins is a guitarist, singer-songwriter, composer/arranger, and producer.  He has toured internationally as a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist with Broadway productions, as a soloist under the stage name Little Lawnmowers, and as a member of bands ranging from Electronic/EDM to traditional/old-time and jazz.  Outside of performing, Jonathan stays busy arranging and composing for commission, theatrical productions, and studio albums.

If you are interested in keeping up with Jonathan, visit www.hawkinssounds.com, or check out his touring folk/roots/world music act, Little Lawnmowers (www.LittleLawnmowers.com)

Admission is free ~ donations accepted at the door.

THE CHRISTMAS SHOW! 2019

December 7, 2019
at 7:30 p.m.

Last year’s sold out Christmas Show! concert under the baton of Maestro Steven Huang made it clear that this is one of your favorites. Get your tickets early to this December 7th concert and make sure you don’t miss out! And if you have ever had a secret desire to lift the baton and bring out beautiful music, you too could be a Maestro For A Moment at this annual symphony fundraiser. Contact us to be a part of this fun and wonderful event.

Conductor Steven Huang

Maestro Steven Huang has conducted orchestras and operas across the country and throughout the world. At the age of twenty-one, he served as Music Director of the Bach Society Orchestra of Harvard University, where he received his undergraduate degree. While at Harvard, Mr. Huang also directed the Lowell House Opera (the oldest continuously running opera company in New England), in a critically acclaimed production of Kurt Weill’s The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.

Mr. Huang has worked with musicians around the world, including California, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, Ohio, Haiti, and Romania. He has held the position of Music Director of the University of Chicago Chamber Orchestra, the Central Illinois Youth Symphony, the Gilbert and Sullivan Players of Chicago, and the Bradley University Orchestra. In America, he has guest conducted professional ensembles such as the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Shore Symphony (IL), and the Four Seasons Symphony (CA).

Ariel’s Merry Tubachristmas! (2019)

Join the fun at the ARIEL’S MERRY TUBACHRISTMAS!
December 14, 2019
at 2 pm
FREE CONCERT!

MERRY TUBACHRISTMAS is celebrating its 46th Anniversary (1974-2019). Created by Harvey Phillips, MERRY TUBACHRISTMAS 2019 will be presented in over 250 cities throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. TUBACHRISTMAS ensembles may attract participants aged 8 to over 90 years! The warm, rich organ-like sound of tuba-euphonium choir has won the ears and hearts of every audience!
Come and Listen 100% FREE!
TUBACHRISTMAS is 100% FREE for audience members who just want to come into our hall and experience the event. No tickets are necessary. It’s sure to be loads of fun, and will get you in the Christmas Spirit! Always the second Saturday in December at 2 pm.

-OR-

Join in the Fun and PLAY ALONG!

Bring your Tuba, Baritone, Euphonium, or other big brass buddy and join in the fun at the Ariel Theatre! Participants pay  $10 to participate, and there are lots of souvenirs and books available! Register at the door, or save time and Pre-Register here!

Registration begins at 10:30am ~ Rehearsal begins at 11:00am

A DELIGHTFUL DIVA’S CHRISTMAS starring Geena Jeffries Mattox

Saturday
December 21, 2019
at 7:30 p.m.

Come on, Ring those bells and step into the holiday spirit with a Delightful Diva’s Christmas.  Take a sleigh ride down 42nd Street with some familiar show tunes, then pop into the Metropolitan Opera for a taste of Diva and finish up with several of your favorite Christmas delights.  No better way to sprinkle the season with true meaning and joyful glee.

Ms. Jeffries-Mattox recently relocated to the tri-state area after more than two decades of performing throughout the United States and Europe.  Credits include, featured Soprano Soloist – Carnegie Hall – Conducted by John Rutter; Featured Soprano Soloist – Colorado Symphony Orchestra; leading roles with Tulsa Opera, Opera Colorado, Chicago Light Opera; Featured Soprano soloist for ESPN’s ESPY Awards at Radio City Music Hall; Winner of Bel Canto Competition, San Francisco Opera Competition and Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Semi-Finalist.  Ms. Mattox made her Broadway Debut at the Majestic Theater as Carlotta in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s, The Phantom of the Opera.  She later originated the role of Carlotta in Las Vegas Phantom of the Opera, A Las Vegas Spectacular.  She is pleased to be sharing the stage with the magnificent piano virtuosity of Mark Parsons-Justice, the gorgeous tone and commanding styling of guitarist Jonathan Hawkins along with the beautiful clarity and innocence of vocalist, Emily Mattox.

Masterclass with Lindsey Goodman

THE FABULOUS FLUTE

October 26, 2019
at 7:30 p.m.

You asked for him and he’s back! Maestro Keitaro Harada returns to the podium twice this season on October 26th and March 21st. The Fabulous Flute with soloist Lindsey Goodman, OVS’s own piccolo and flutist, who performs an Ohio premiere of Nancy Galbraith’s Concert for Flute. Independent Streams for percussion and strings is another Ohio premiere – written by the OVS’s principal percussionist Roger Braun (a fitting piece as Lindsey’s husband is also a percussionist). Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 and de Fall’s much loved Three Cornered Hat round out the program.

Conductor Keitaro Harada

Conductor Keitaro Harada continues to be recognized at the highest levels for his artistic abilities and passion for musical excellence. As a three-time recipient of The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award (2014, 2015, 2016), Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview (2013), the Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellowship at Tanglewood Music Festival, a student of Lorin Maazel at Castleton Festival and Fabio Luisi at Pacific Music Festival, Harada’s credentials are exemplary.

In his third season as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops, Harada regularly assists Music Director Louis Langrée and conducts the CSO, POPS, and World Piano Competition, and assists James Conlon and Juanjo Mena for the May Festival. Keitaro also holds the position of Associate Conductor of the Arizona Opera.