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.