March 25, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

Joan Ellison has been praised for her “vocal prowess….[and] organic grasp of the classic songs” by Michael Feinstein, and “possess[ing] a crystalline voice that never stops” (Donald Rosenberg, The Plain Dealer). She has been performing Garland tunes with symphony orchestras and in theaters for several years, but the 2016 TheatreZone (Naples, Florida) production of The Boy From Oz marked the first time she had ever actually played Judy. In June 2016, she will make her NYC cabaret debut at Feinstein’s/54 Below in Get Happy! Judy Garland 1944-’54; other upcoming highlights include a Sinatra & Garland Extravaganza with the Bemus Bay Pops Orchestra (NY) and a big band holiday concert with the Canton Symphony. She made her Cleveland Pops Orchestra debut at Severance Hall in 2005 and has since sung more than 30 concerts with the Pops, Erie Philharmonic, Wheaton and Lakeside Symphonies, and others in repertoire ranging from The King & I to Wicked. Her critically-acclaimed album, “Retrophonic Gershwin” (2015), mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Robert Friedrich, is available on iTunes. In addition to touring with the retro-radio-style shows Love Finds Judy Garland and Gershwin On the Air, regional theatre credits include Julie in Carousel, Nellie in South Pacific, Lizzie in 110 in the Shade, Eliza in My Fair Lady (in-concert), and Claudia in Nine. An Oberlin Conservatory graduate, she teaches popular voice at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the CWRU/ Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program. www.joanellison.com

“Joan Ellison, on the other hand, is a ringer for Garland… — the voice, the mannerisms, the look. But this is more than an imitation. She conveys the authority of a superstar. The Boy from Oz was worth seeing just for her breathtaking performance.”

~Bill O’Neill, Collier Citizen (Florida), from a review of The Boy from Oz 

A native of Bidwell Ohio, Philip Keith Armstrong’s musical interest began as a young child singing the
National Anthem, a capella, at all the home football & basketball games at area high schools & colleges.  He was awarded two full-time Presidential Scholarships to Shenandoah College & Conservatory of Music in VA and Central State University in Wilberforce, OH. Mr. Armstrong earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Akron.  As a soloist he has traveled extensively in the U.S. as a member of the widely acclaimed Central State University Singers, recording with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Amen: A Gospel Celebration with Jennifer Holiday, Maureen McGovern, Lou Rawls, and Gershwin: Selections from Porgy and Bess featuring Cab Calloway.  Both records were nominated for Grammy awards.  
Since 1997 Philip has performed for various major events, concerts, and organizations throughout Oklahoma, where he lives, and regionally. He was a selected vocalist and chorus member with The Tulsa Opera for the 2011 season in the performance of The Barber of Seville. During the summer of 2011 he was a featured soloist with a dynamic group of Tenors from across North America called The Mighty Sound of SEVEN.
Phil and wife Monique reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma with their blended blessing of four beautiful children, Raven, Raielle, Philip II, and Charlton.

Join The Ohio Valley Symphony for the 27th Season featuring 5 exciting concerts in our home, Ariel-Dater Hall. Order subscriptions online or call the box office today at 740-446-ARTS!

Violinist David Kim was named Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999. Born in Carbondale, Illinois in 1963, he started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight, and later received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School.

Highlights of Mr. Kim’s 2015-16 season includes teaching/performance residencies at Oberlin College, Bob Jones University, and The Boston Conservatory of Music, continued appearances as concertmaster of the All-Star Orchestra on PBS stations across the USA and online at the Kahn Academy; recitals, speaking engagements, and appearances with orchestras across the United States; multiple solo performances with the The Philadelphia Orchestra including the Brahms Double Concerto, the Beethoven Triple Concerto, and a New Year’s Eve performance of the Meditation from Thais with Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting; and the launching of the first annual David Kim Orchestral Institute of Cairn University in Philadelphia where he is also a Professor of Violin Studies.

Mr. Kim appears as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra each season as well as with numerous orchestras around the world. He also appears internationally at festivals such as Brevard, MasterWorks (USA) and Pacific (Japan). Mr. Kim has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Eastern University in suburban Philadelphia, the University of Rhode Island, and Dickinson College.

His instruments are a J.B. Guadagnini from Milan, Italy ca. 1757 on loan from The Philadelphia Orchestra and a Michael Angelo Bergonzi from Cremona ca. 1754. Mr. Kim resides in a Philadelphia suburb with his wife Jane and daughters Natalie and Maggie. He is an avid runner, golfer, and outdoorsman.

Dwight Parry is just rounding out his first decade as the principal oboist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Previously, he held the same position with the San Diego Symphony and was a fellow with the New World Symphony. He has performed as guest principal oboist with groups including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Los Angeles Opera, and the Deutsche Symphonie of Berlin. Originally from coastal Southern California, he found his passion for music studying piano, voice, and jazz saxophone. It was not until late in high school, however, that he began playing the oboe and truly found his calling.  He studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music with John Mack and at the University of Southern California with Allan Vogel and David Weiss, a gentleman who also taught him to surf.

Mr. Parry is sought after for concertos, recitals, and chamber music around the country and abroad.  Past appearances have featured the works of Mozart, Goossens, Haydn, Bach, Strauss, Vivaldi, Albinoni, Barber, and Marcello.  He was recently the featured soloist in Mexico City for Vaughn-Williams’ wonderful concerto for oboe. In July 2016, he will be the soloist for the Strauss Oboe Concerto at the Shippensburg Music Festival.  Mr. Parry will again perform the Strauss Oboe Concerto in February 2017 for his third subscription solo appearance with his own orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony. Mr. Parry is an Adjunct Faculty member at both the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and at Northern Kentucky University.  He also teaches privately and gives masterclasses at schools and festivals throughout the year. 

December 3, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

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

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, Dec. 4, and 1–4 p.m. Dec. 5 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 THE CHRISTMAS SHOW! 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.