Although he's been doing it for years, Fowler says he never tires of unearthing musical surprises for the Christmas program. Among this year's gems, he said, are excerpts from "The Snowman" by Erich Korngold and the "Carol Symphony" by Victor Hely-Hutchinson. Korngold was an Austrian-born child prodigy who fled Europe's wars and became one the greatest film composers of Hollywood's golden age. Hely-Hutchinson was born in 1901 the son of Britain's Cape Colony in southern Africa but lived in Britain most of his life.
Hely-Hutchinson's symphony builds its four movements on famous traditional Christmas carols — the Coventry Carol, "The First Noel," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Here We Come A-Wassailing," and "O Come All Ye Faithful." Fowler described the symphony as both noble and joyous, with inspirations as wide-ranging as Bach and 19th-century Russian nationalists.
Fowler noted it makes a perfect companion for "Men of Goodwill," a short set of variations on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by fellow Briton Benjamin Britten. That more somber take on Christmas is also slated on the more traditional first half of the program. The second half celebrates the American popular holiday tradition, including takes on "The Christmas Song," "White Christmas," and "Sleigh Ride."
"The Christmas Show" reflects the OVS mission to make great orchestral music easy to love. The public is encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, and 1-4 p.m. Dec. 4. Open rehearsals are an excellent way for young and old alike to grow comfortable with symphonic music. They're also a great glimpse behind the scenes at what goes into preparing an orchestral performance.
Single tickets to the Ohio Valley Symphony's "Christmas Show" 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.
There's a second musical treat in store this year. Relive the joy of the OVS's 2009 holiday concert with “Christmas with the Ohio Valley Symphony,” broadcast over West Virginia Public Radio. Mona Seghatoleslami hosts the event, slated to air at
9 p.m. Dec. 21 and
2 p.m. Dec. 24. For those away from the Ohio Valley, the concert will even be streamed over WVPR's Web site,
http://wvpubcast.org/.
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AFTER 115 YEARS, DVORAK CONCERTO GETS REGIONAL DEBUT
By Thomas Consolo
It was a busy year in 1895: In New York City, Antonin Dvorak put the finishing touches on his cello concerto. In Gallipolis, ground was broken for the Ariel Opera House. Fast forward 115 years, and the two finally get to meet.
Dvorak's concerto, the biggest blockbuster of the solo cello repertoire, receives its regional premiere Nov. 6 as the centerpiece of an all-Dvorak program by the Ohio Valley Symphony. OVS music director Ray Fowler conducts the 8 p.m. performance at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in Gallipolis. Joseph Johnson takes on the challenge of the concerto as guest soloist.
The concert is the orchestra's "home opener," since restoration construction at the Ariel made it unavailable in October.
Dvorak is an audience favorite thanks to his seemingly bottomless supply of beautiful melodies. The United States has a special soft spot for his music thanks to the masterpieces -- like the "New World" symphony and the "American" string quartet -- he wrote during his three years here. The cello concerto was the last major work completed before Dvorak moved back to his native Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic), and it shows the composer at the height of his powers. It requires the same mastery of the cellists who play it.
Fowler loves Dvorak's music, too, but he said he didn't set out to build an all-Dvorak program. He said the rest of the evening -- movements from the Serenade for Strings and from the two sets of Slavonic Dances -- fell together naturally around the concerto and Johnson.
Finding Johnson, former principal cellist of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and now in his first season as principal of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, was a lucky accident for Fowler. The conductor said he heard of Johnson because he had worked with a violinist whose playing Fowler likes and respects. Of the cellist, he said, "His playing is so very, very solid."
A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Johnson earned his master’s degree from Northwestern University. In addition to his Toronto position, he is principal of the Sante Fe Opera orchestra. Johnson recently completed a special recording project called the Cello Collection. Published in three volumes, it presents cello literature appropriate for recitals featuring companion recordings by Johnson.
November's portrait of Dvorak reflects the OVS mission to bring great music played by great artists to southeast Ohio -- all while making orchestral music easy to love. The public is encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6. Open rehearsals are an excellent way for young and old alike to grow comfortable with symphonic music. They're also a great glimpse behind the scenes at what goes into preparing an orchestral performance.
Single tickets to the Ohio Valley Symphony's all-Dvorak night are $22, $20 (senior) and $10 (students) and are available through the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre box office, 428 Second Ave., Gallipolis, Ohio. Subscriptions to all four remaining 2010-11 OVS concerts also are still available. For more information, visit the OVS Web site, www.ohiovalleysymphony.org, or call (740) 446-2787 (ARTS).
Further funding for the Ohio Valley Symphony is provided by the Ann Carson Dater Endowment.
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Ohio Valley Symphony Season Opener Celebrates New Point Pleasant Auditorium
They may be in different states, but Gallipolis and
Point Pleasant are neighbors. So as Point Pleasant celebrates the new Lillian and Paul Wedge
Auditorium at the new Point Pleasant
Junior/Senior High School, the Ohio Valley Symphony -- based at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in downtown Gallipolis -- decided to congratulate their neighbors the way they know best, with music.
As part of a weekend of arts events that culminate with a dedication ceremony Oct. 4, the OVS will open its 19th season with an all-American program at Wedge Auditorium. Under the direction of
Music director Ray Fowler, the orchestra will carry listeners on a whirlwind tour of the United States -- all from the comfort of their seats in the new, state-of-the-art facility. Dubbed "America the Beautiful," the music will take you to destinations as close as the barnyard and as far away
as Jazz Age Manhattan.
Centerpiece of the program is
George Gershwin's Concerto in F, one of the first American pieces to secure its place in the world's concert halls. Its energetic rhythms, easy-going melodies and atmospheric orchestration capture the bustle of mid-20th century
New York City. Pianist Richard Glazier is soloist.
Richard Glazier piano
Glazier "has Gershwin in his soul," according to pianist and singer Michael Feinstein. 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 concert is rounded out by a nod to the incredible variety of
American song -- from church to jazz to patriotic. Look forward to arrangements of favorites including "Amazing Grace," "America the Beautiful," the hits of Duke Ellington -- even "The Star Spangled Banner."
Also at the auditorium will be a special art exhibit provided by Point Pleasant's own Gallery at 409. A reception follows the concert at the auditorium.
October's celebration of America's own music reflects the OVS mission to bring great music played by great artists -- all while making orchestral music easy to love. The public is also encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, and 1-4 p.m. Oct. 4. Open rehearsals are an excellent way to grow comfortable with symphonic music. Young children unable to sit through an entire concert can benefit from time spent at the open rehearsal.
Tickets to "America the Beautiful" are available through the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre at 426 Second Ave., Gallipolis. The box office is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets at Wedge Auditorium will be available beginning at 6:30 p.m. Oct 4. Prices are $22, $20 for seniors and $10 for students. Call (740) 446-ARTS (2787). Tickets are also available online at
www.ohiovalleysymphony.org.
Point Pleasant Junior/Senior High School is located just three miles north of the U.S. 35 bridge on W.Va. 62. There's plenty of free parking. Hosting the OVS reflects the interest of school, city, and Mason County officials to invest in and promote the arts and to expose students to culture.
Subscriptions to all five 2008-09 Ohio Valley Symphony concerts are also still available. Prices range from $50 for students up to $275 for family passes admitting two adults and as many children as they have in their families. Standard adult season tickets cost $100, seniors $90.
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.
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 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
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.
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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.
The Ohio Valley Symphony’s Spring Finale
Dry out from this spring's rains by basking in the warm glow of great music and the sound of a Stradivarius at the Ohio Valley Symphony's
season finale. Led by music director Ray Fowler, the OVS offers works by Brahms and Schumann at 8:00 p.m. May 3 at the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater
Performing Arts Centre in downtown Gallipolis. Both Brahms' Symphony No. 2 and Schumann's Cello Concerto have been audience favorites
since they premiered, thanks to their warmth and the parade of beautiful tunes that will leave concert-goers humming on their way home.
Schumann's concerto wasn't played until after his death, but it was an instant classic with itsmusical innovations and technical display for
the soloist. Brahms' second symphony is his most pastoral, starting with the gentle breezes of a summer afternoon and ending with a blazing
outburst of joy.
Soloist for the Schumann is Soo Bae, who began studying cello at age 6 in her native South Korea. She moved to Toronto two years later and eventually
enrolled in that city's Royal Conservatory of Music. She earned her bachelor's degree from Philadelphia's Curtis School and an artist diploma from the
Juilliard School in New York, where she now teaches as an assistant to Joel Krosnick.
Soo Bae in 2006 was awarded first prize in the Canada Council of the Arts Instrument Bank Competition, which earned her the three-year loan of a cello made in 1696 by
the legendary Stradivarius. She thrives on innovative collaborations, and she has performed with jazz clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera well as with Grammy-winning fiddler-
violinist-composer Mark O'Connor. In 2004, she founded -- and, with her fiance Jason Suh, continues to direct -- Angelos Mission Ensemble, a music academy for string
students which aims to educate and mold future Christian musician leaders.
Tickets to the 2007-08 OVS finale are available through the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre at 426 Second Ave. in Gallipolis Ohio. The box office is open
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 90 minutes prior to the concert. Call (740) 446-ARTS (2787). Prices are $22, $20 for seniors and $10 for students. Tickets are also
available online at www.ohiovalleysymphony.org.
The public is also encouraged to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Friday, May 2, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Open rehearsals are an excellent way for new audiences
to grow comfortable with symphonic music.
The May 3 corporate sponsor is Baker & Hostetler. 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.
Ohio Valley Symphony Pulls at the Heartstrings
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.
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.
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. The box office is open
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 90 minutes prior to the concert. 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.
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:
click on “Listen to Dene”
click on “Today’s Program” (if you are checking on January 22)
After Jan. 22: click on “Archives” and select show # 012208
November 25, 2007
OVS POPS PROGRAM KICKS OFF HOLIDAY SEASON
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 in
A 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 be
complete 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. Box office hours are Tuesday-Friday 9 am to 4 pm and 90 minutes prior to the show. For more information call (740) 446-2787
(ARTS).
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GRACEFUL GHOSTS
November 3, 2007
Link to Graceful Ghosts Pictures
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.
The Ariel-Dater box office is open Tuesdays through Fridays 9-4 and 90 minutes prior to shows. Tickets for Graceful Ghosts are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and
$10 for students. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ohiovalleysymphony.org. For more information, call 740-446-ARTS (2787).
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BROADWAY AND BEYOND
September 26, 2007
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.
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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.
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THE OHIO VALLEY SYMPHONY
The Ohio Valley Symphony, the only professional orchestra in the Ohio River Valley encompassing Gallipolis, Ohio and Point Pleasant, West Virginia, is the resident ensemble of the 1895 Ariel Dater Hall. In 2005, benefactor Ann Carson Dater purchased and donated the building to provide a permanent home for the symphony, the youth orchestra and the performing arts. Designed around the Ariel Theatre's magnificent acoustics, the OVS,
under the direction of Maestro Ray Fowler, performs a wide variety of music selected to satisfy every musical appetite.
In 2008 The OVS helped dedicate the new state of the art Lillian and Paul Wedge Auditorium located at the Point Pleasant Junior/Senior High School Complex.
OVS musicians hail from six states and play with a number of other prestigious orchestras such as the Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, West Virginia, Roanoke, Toledo and Pro Musica Symphonies. Some of the musicians are freelancers who play in more than one ensemble; many also teach at various institutions such as Ohio University, Marshall University, Ohio State University, Cincinnati Conservatory, West Virginia University, Shenandoah Conservatory and Capitol University.
World class soloists, such as pianist Cecile Licad, baritone Reginald Pindell, pianists Richard Syracuse and Brian Ganz, jazz artists Chris Vadala (of the Chuck Mangione band),
Roger Hines (Music Director for Ray Charles and Diane Schurr) and most recently, Broadway star Mark McVey, join the OVS in making its music.
Several OVS members live close enough to commute, while others come and stay for the two- or three-day period that takes the orchestra from the first rehearsal to the concert. Local residents provide housing for one or two musicians which gives them the opportunity to become acquainted and often results in a lasting friendship.
The OVS has the unusual policy of "open" rehearsals which means that anyone can walk in during a rehearsal and listen to the music-making as it unfolds...the only request is that visitors remain quiet during their visit. On concert weekends, full rehearsals are Friday from 7-10 p.m. and Saturday from 1-4 p.m. Open rehearsals benefit those whose schedules or circumstances preclude their attending the 8 p.m. Saturday concerts. Saturday afternoon rehearsals are an ideal opportunity for parents to bring children who may be too young to sit through an entire concert but who can benefit from hearing live, professional music. The OVS offers a five-concert subscription series with one or two concerts in the fall and two or three in the spring sandwiched around a Holiday Concert which is the first weekend in December.
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