“The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra has never just stuck with playing only the classics,” writes Bill Lynch in Wednesday’s (5/16) Gazette Mail (Charleston, W.V.). “Saturday night, the WVSO will bring three of Charleston’s best bands on stage with them at the Clay Center for … performances with and music by the Bob Thompson Unit, Qiet and The Company Stores. Composer, West Virginia Public Broadcasting classical music host and Company Stores bandmember Matt Jackfert was brought on to help produce the show. Jackfert said, ‘The symphony came to me last summer and said they had this idea: they wanted to work with three local bands.’ … The symphony had been kicking around the idea … since before the departure of WVSO marketing director Shiva Shafii in March of 2017. ‘It was Shiva’s idea,’ Jackfert said.… The symphony spent time researching local musicians and … reached out to their chosen three, signed them to contracts and then brought Jackfert. Jackfert has worked with the symphony before…. He’s proud of the collaboration and thinks it will showcase both the symphony and some of Charleston’s best bands. ‘I think it’s going to be a great show,’ he said.”
Posted May 18, 2018
