The Oklahoma City Philharmonic and Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate. Photo by Shevaun Williams.
In Wednesday’s (9/27) 405 Magazine (Oklahoma City, OK), Jake Durham writes, “As part of Oklahoma’s flourishing cultural landscape, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic enriches the city through its orchestral melodies. In 2018, Alexander Mickelthwate became its second music director, bringing fresh energy to the orchestra’s artistic legacy…. ‘This season is about humanity, and we (started) Sept. 9 with our Tchaikovsky program,’ Mickelthwate said. ‘The evening (began) with an emotional and romantic violin concerto featuring Anastasiya Petryshak, a violin soloist from Ukraine. The second half (featured) Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, which many people think is his most personal, intimate, and emotional work.’ Creating a program that will resonate with OKC listeners takes time and preparation, and the music director and a committee discuss and evaluate potential concert lineups well in advance. ‘The philosophy is to go into the community and create projects rooted in Oklahoma and the 21st century,’ Mickelthwate said…. ‘As music director, I have to be very sensitive to what others say and recommend. I try to have a variety of small and large works, contemporary and classical, and combine them with traditional works around modern themes and ideas.’ ”
