Media Archives: 2008-09 OVS Season

The Ohio Valley Symphony’s 2008-09 Season

The Ohio Valley Symphony is gearing up for another year of doing what it does best — bringing great music played by great artists to southeast Ohio. For its 19th subscription season, the OVS, under music director Ray Fowler, will carry listeners around the world with the help of tunes of a diverse lineup of classics. From composers in 19th-century Vienna to 20th-century America, the pieces evoke destinations as close as the barnyard and as far away as the islands of the South Pacific, the Caliphate of old Baghdad and Jazz Age Manhattan.

To help bring the program to life, Fowler and the OVS will welcome a parade of talented guest artists to the stage of the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre. It’s all part of the OVS philosophy of making orchestral music easy to love, according to the orchestra’s manager, Lora Lynn Snow. “We have the big masterpieces — like Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 — that everyone loves, but we have fun with our programs, too.”

Two of this year’s concerts are easy examples:
— Nov. 8’s “Halloween Spooktacular” has become something of a tradition, with orchestra members (including Fowler on the podium) trading their tails and bow ties for whimsical or ghoulish costumes giving the audience a chance to see the individual personalities of the musicians. The OVS offers up a full plate of musical tricks and treats, including The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (immortalized in Disney’s original “Fantasia”), the Witches Ride from “Hansel and Gretel” and selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera.

— The Broadway-inspired program slated for March 21, 2009, shows the cross-pollination between the concert hall and the Great White Way. Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances from “Prince Igor” leads seamlessly to
excerpts from Broadway’s Kismet. The show’s tunes are all taken from Borodin’s works, and the 19th-century Russian even shared a 1954 Tony Award for Best Musical. “These are songs that people know,” said Snow, “but they’re pulled from classical music.” The program also includes excerpts from West Side Story and from the classic shows of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Some equally well-known opera and operetta arias round out the night.

John and Nancy Williams Shuffle, who have collectively played more than 150 lead roles in their combined careers, sing the Broadway and light opera songs. John was a “critic’s pick” in Chicago for his starring role as the Poet in Kismet there. Nancy counts leads in Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, and Titanic among her favorites.

Another OVS tradition returns with the December 6 Christmas show, a kickoff to the local holiday season. As usual, Fowler has assembled a program that balances past and present with traditional carols, purely classical pieces with a Christmas theme, and upbeat popular songs of the season. To take the fullest advantage of the wide sonic range of a modern orchestra, Fowler turned to some of the nation’s greatest arrangers — including Hershy Kay, Carmen Dragon and Jeff Tyzik.

The season kicks off Oct. 4 with an all-American program. Titled “America the Beautiful,” it features Gershwin’s Concerto in F, one of
the first American pieces to secure its place in the concert hall. In a nod to the incredible variety of American songs — from hymns to jazz — the concert is rounded out by arrangements of favorites including Amazing Grace and the hits of Duke Ellington.

Pianist Richard Glazier performs the Gershwin concerto. Glazier “has Gershwin in his soul,” according to pianist and singer Michael Feinstein, himself an expert on American song. Glazier has the Midwest in his soul, too, having studied piano both at the Indiana University School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Beginning with the 1996 Gershwin centennial, Glazier has created and performed four (so far) one-man, multimedia programs dedicated to the American song, and particularly to the Gershwin brothers, George and Ira.

The OVS saves two of the biggest guns of classical music, Beethoven and Brahms, for the May 9 season finale. Beethoven’s exuberant and rustic Symphony No. 8 is paired with Brahms’ refined and passionate Concerto for Violin. Soloist for the Brahms is Michi Wiancko, whose classical prowess — she has appeared with both the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics — is but one facet of her wide-ranging musical talent. Her other interests include country fiddle, gypsy violin and jazz. Her band, Kono Michi (a string quartet, bass and drums) appears regularly in New York’s clubs.

Subscriptions for all five Ohio Valley Symphony concerts are on sale now. Prices range from $50 for students — “That’s about the same as five movie tickets these days,” Snow says — up to $275 for a family pass which includes 2 adults and as many children as they have. Adult season tickets are $100 and seniors are $90. For more information, call the Ariel-Dater box office at (740) 446-ARTS (2787) or visit the box office located at 428 Second Ave. in downtown Gallipolis OH. For more information, visit our website at: ohiovalleysymphony.org

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.

2008:

What is HomeTownStation.Net?

Do you remember that local radio station you grew up listening to? Big city or small town, most of us had a local station that we relied on for information and entertainment. If we didn’t get to listen to our favorite show or announcer, we felt like we missed out on something! Fast forward to the 21st century. and a new kind of “station” that offers both an audio and visual experience.

Ohio Valley Symphony Maestro Ray Fowler is the featured guest along with Ariel Founder and Ohio Valley Symphony Manager, Lora Lynn Snow on “The Chatterbox” with hostess “Dene” Wagner Pellegrinon. Dene, Ray and Lora chatted about the upcoming May 3 OVS concert and the 2008-09 subscription series. You can hear Ray speak about his process of choosing music and some information about Brahms and Schumann, the composers featured on the May 3 concert. Ray and Lora discuss the impact of music and music education in our lives.

To hear the program: www.hometownstation.net , click on “Listen to Dene”, click on “Archives” and select Chatterbox 04/25/08

HomeTownStation.Net is “on the air” 24/7, with fresh information and entertainment. The program is updated frequently as Dene interviews people all across the United States who are making a difference in their hometowns. The first show Dene and Lora did on January 22, 2008 was the highest rated show to date. Tune in at your convenience.

January 2008

THE OHIO VALLEY SYMPHONY FEATURED ON NEW INTERNET SHOW

What is HomeTownStation.Net?

Do you remember that local radio station you grew up listening to?

Big city or small town, most of us had a local station that we relied on for information and entertainment. If we didn’t get to listen to our favorite show or announcer, we felt like we missed out on something! Fast forward to the 21st century. and a new kind of “station” that offers both an audio and visual experience. HomeTownStation.Net is “on the air” 24/7, with fresh information and entertainment. The first of several features will be “The Chatterbox”, with hostess “Dene” Wagner Pellegrinon. The program is updated frequently as she interviews people all across the United States who are making a difference in their hometowns.

Ariel Founder and Ohio Valley Symphony Manager, Lora Lynn Snow, was the featured guest as Dene kicked off the second week of her new show. Lora and Dene chatted about the earliest days of the Ariel from the vision Lora had 21 years ago to create a symphony orchestra in our hometown of Gallipolis, Ohio to it’s current day status as a polished professional orchestra that calls The Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre “home.”

To hear the program: www.hometownstation.net , click on “Listen to Dene”, click on “Archives” and select show # 012208

April 22, 2006 Columbus Dispatch article about the Grand Re-Dedication of the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre. Columbus Dispatch Article.