Tag: Artistic Planning

Johns Creek Symphony Visits Vietnam

Posted on October 20, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (10/15) Viet Nam News (Hanoi, Vietnam), an unsigned article states, “A concert entitled ‘Kết Nối Giai Điệu Việt – Mỹ’ (Connecting Vietnamese-American Melodies) will bring a vibrant cultural exchange and inspire young people to connect with music on October 16 in Hà Nội. … The program will … create a colorful musical space where classical international sounds merge with the distinctive Vietnamese soul. Notably, 71 musicians from the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta, Georgia, will present a meaningful and unique artistic program featuring masterpieces such as Overture to ‘Candide,’ ‘The Blue Danube,’ ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ and Fanfare for the Common Man, alongside classic film soundtracks … The orchestra will also perform Vietnamese works such as ‘Pizzicato Việt Nam’ and ‘Hướng Về Hà Nội’ (Towards Hà Nội). … American pianist Maxim Lando … will join the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra to deliver classical pieces in a musical space infused with the spirit of international exchange. Under the baton of … Austin Chanu … Vietnamese divo Tùng Dương and clarinetist Trần Khánh Quang will perform alongside Dương Đức Hải, winner of the Child Singer Contest and National Green Ambassador 2025, and ‘The Voice’ season 26 participant Mikaela Ayira…. The concert is held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam–US diplomatic relations.”

Lima Symphony Opens Season with a New Look at the Grand Canyon and Chelsea Komschlies’s “Mycelialore”

Posted on October 9, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (9/7) LimaOhio.com, Jacob Espinosa writes, “Another season is set to start for the Lima Symphony Orchestra and it will be yet another evening of new ideas. ‘Symphonic Landscapes’ will feature two guest artists for a multimedia show blending the orchestra with images of the Grand Canyon and the world of mushrooms … on Saturday, Oct. 11 … LSO Executive Director Elizabeth Brown-Ellis said, ‘Stephen Lias, who is also a composer, has created a visual projection that will accompany Ferde Grofé’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” which is going to be a really spectacular display to bring the music to life. Stephen is the artist-in-residence for many national parks….’ The show will also feature a commissioned piece by composer Chelsea Komschlies called ‘Mycelialore,’ which will pair the world of fungi with the fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien.” Mycelialore was commissioned by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program, an initiative of the League of American Orchestras in partnership with the American Composers Orchestra. “ ‘It’s such an honor and it’s really exciting for us to be able to bring these works of young, living composers to life,’ Brown-Ellis said. ‘It’s also so exciting for us to be part of a commission.’ ”

Violinist and Artistic Director Cho-Liang Lin on What Film Music Brings to Orchestra Concert Halls

Posted on October 7, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Friday’s (10/3) ContactMusic.com, an unsigned article states, “When Cho-Liang Lin performed Tan Dun’s Hero Violin Concerto in Qingdao, China, with film projections of Jet Li and Donnie Yen battling behind him, he demonstrated a philosophy that has guided his programming for decades: film music belongs in concert halls alongside Brahms and Beethoven, not relegated to separate ‘pops’ concerts. Film composers create orchestral masterworks that deserve serious consideration … These composers write for identical orchestras using identical instrumentation and harmonic language as concert repertoire. During his 18-year tenure as Music Director of La Jolla SummerFest, Lin commissioned and premiered 54 new works, integrating film composers like Lalo Schifrin alongside Mozart and Schubert instead of segregating them into separate concerts…. Lin places film-derived works within mixed programs instead of dedicating entire concerts to film music…. Pops performances, heavily featuring film music, generate 15-20% of orchestral ticket revenue annually, according to League of American Orchestras data…. Contemporary classical composition increasingly draws from film music innovations, with orchestral works now routinely incorporating electronic elements, world music influences, and extended techniques.” The article refers to multiple U.S. and international orchestras that perform film music.

Bellingham Symphony Hits the Half-Century Mark

Posted on October 6, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Saturday’s (10/4) Cascadia Daily News (Bellingham, Washington), Cocoa Laney writes, “In 1976, five locals gathered to play music in honor of the United States’ 200th anniversary—and accidentally founded an orchestra. ‘They’re like, “Let’s keep doing this. It’s fun,” ’ recounted Gail Ridenour, executive director of the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra…. What began as the Whatcom Bicentennial Orchestra is now the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra (BSO), which kickstarts its ‘golden’ season on Oct. 5. Over the past half-century, the orchestra has amassed a library of more than 500 works, and performances are regularly attended by a minimum of 1,000 eager audience members…. The orchestra also draws in guest soloists from across the world, and its Harmony from Discord series—which Ridenour said features ‘music that transcends oppression’—even caught the attention of famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma. He’ll join BSO for a sold-out performance on April 26, 2026…. Ridenour said planning each program is akin to solving ‘the best puzzle.’ As for how her team juggles seven shows, 80-plus musicians, 100 subs, a roster of soloists and an ever-growing mountain of sheet music? Every performance is one of a kind—and every musician, staff member and volunteer plays a role.”

Springfield Symphony’s 2025-26 Season

Posted on October 2, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Sunday’s (9/28) Springfield News-Sun (Ohio), Brett Turner writes, “Springfield Symphony Orchestra conductor and music director Peter Stafford Wilson will show his versatility in the upcoming 2025-2026 season. He’s scheduled programs with themes with everything from Mozart to Bugs Bunny, spinning a beloved opera in a new direction and incorporating visuals … Season theme ‘Beyond the Score: Where Music Comes Alive’ will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 … Saturday’s concert … will feature Quinn Mason’s ‘Talk of the Town’ and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1, with guest performer Sara Davis Buechner…. Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’ Suite … will be accompanied by animated visuals by Spork Fine Art … The new year will bring a chance to explore new artists, including Dwight Parry, who will perform oboe … on Jan. 24. Francaix’s ‘Flower Clock’ and Clementi’s Grand Symphony No. 4 will be performed. Violinist Nijoma Grevious will be the guest artist … on March 14 … The program will include Poulenc’s ‘Les Biches,’ Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 and Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony … Mozart’s final masterpiece, Requiem … will give the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Chorale the chance to combine with the musicians on April 18…. ‘Carmen Reimagined’ on May 16 will [feature] Troupe Vertigo’s cirque aerialists, dancers and musicians.”

Monterey Symphony’s 2025-26 Season: Classics Plus World Premieres Plus Frank Zappa

Posted on October 1, 2025 by - News Briefs

In the Fall issue of Carmel Magazine (California), Michael Chatfield writes, “Since its inception, the Monterey Symphony has enjoyed a steady and loyal audience…. ‘We sold out every concert in the 2024/2025 season,’ says Symphony President and CEO Nicola Shangrow Reilly. The Symphony was established in 1946 … Then as now, the organization presents varied programs of orchestral music—both classical and contemporary … The Monterey Symphony will celebrate its 80th anniversary over the 2025/2026 season under the guidance of Music Director Jayce Ogren…. The season kicks off September 16 and 17 with” works by Offenbach and Gershwin. “Concerts celebrating the music of Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Bruckner, Schubert and Haydn, among others, are also on the [season] schedule. Opening the full Symphony schedule October 18 is ‘Saxophone Concerto + Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2’ followed by the world premiere of ‘Anemology’ by Grammy-winning composer Steven Mackey … In April … Monterey Symphony’s Composer in Residence John Wineglass will premier his new concerto ‘Democracy’ with master clarinetist Mariam Adam. Frank Zappa … created the symphonic work ‘Dog Breath Variations,’ based on one of his compositions with the Mothers of Invention. The evening rounds out with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3.”

Review: “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience” with the Florida Orchestra

Posted on October 1, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Friday’s (9/26) Tampa Bay Times (Florida), Gabrielle Calise writes, “Morgan Freeman came to town Thursday night to turn the Mahaffey Theater into a juke joint. His juke joint, to be specific: Clarksdale, Mississippi’s own Ground Zero Blues Club. During the local tour stop of ‘Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience,’ the Florida Orchestra teamed up with seven wickedly talented blues musicians from Ground Zero, which Freeman opened back in 2001. Though the lush, swelling harmonies from the orchestra provided a cinematic layer to the performance, it was hard at times to focus on anything but Freeman’s crew of Mississippi musicians as they wailed, shredded and grooved along….  The actor would reappear onstage throughout the night in a series of pre-taped videos, narrating the origin and evolution of the blues across five chapters. Archival footage rolled in the background, from workers toiling in cotton fields to late-night dance parties across time. Mississippi singer and harmonica player Keith Johnson unleashed a soulful slide guitar performance as Freeman’s voiceover explained the blues’ role as ‘heartache and hope tied together.’… As the band and orchestra moseyed through covers of B.B. King, Sam Cooke and Robert Johnson, the crowd swayed in their chairs, singing and clapping along.”

Harrisburg Symphony’s 2025-26 Season

Posted on September 30, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Monday’s (9/29) The Burg (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), Lori M. Myers writes, “The stars are … aligned for the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-26 season, led by Music Director Stuart Malina. [Executive Director Matthew] Herren admits he’s excited about every one of the concerts being performed at The Forum, HSO’s home for 96 years…. There is something for all musical tastes in the Masterworks Series of shows. On Nov. 8 and 9, audiences will take a 100-year orchestral odyssey, from Benjamin Britten’s ‘Four Sea Interludes’ to Richard Strauss’ ‘Death and Transfiguration,’ then Stacy Garrop’s ‘Becoming Medusa,’ until the final stop with Igor Stravinsky’s ‘The Firebird.’ On Jan. 10 and 11, HSO will present Zoltan Kodaly’s ‘Dances of Galanta,’ Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto and Beethoven’s Symphony #6 … The Feb. 14 and 15 concert … opens with Mozart’s Symphony #35, ‘Haffner,’ and concludes with Louise Farrenc’s Symphony #3. The presentation also includes a new work for four players and numerous instruments … by Viet Cuong entitled ‘Re(new)al.’ On March 14 and 15, Anna Clyne’s ‘Masquerade’ will be performed, along with the rarely heard Symphony #2 composed by Kurt Weill just before his escape to France during World War II.” The article describes the entirety of the orchestra’s season, which also includes pops, film, and young people’s concerts.

Philadelphia Orchestra Nears $330 Million Campaign Goal

Posted on September 26, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (9/25) Philadelphia Inquirer, Peter Dobrin writes, “The city’s flagship arts group has notched a major milestone in a remarkable turnaround: Quietly over the last several years, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts has raised $305 million toward a $330 million goal, with almost another year to go in the campaign … When the season opens Thursday night in Marian Anderson Hall with pianist Yuja Wang in Ravel, the orchestra will be backed by a new sense of momentum. For one thing, audiences have returned. Attendance has exceeded its pre-pandemic levels, rising from 47% of seats filled by paying patrons in the pandemic-stricken 2021-22 season to 75% in 2024-25. Perhaps just as encouraging, younger audiences … are turning out. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of orchestra listeners 59 and under has increased by 78%. That’s no accident. The orchestra has changed its programming mix to be, essentially, all things to all people…. At the same time, the orchestra continues the Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, and Brahms, as well as works dealing with social justice and climate change. The proceeds of the $330 million campaign are … ‘providing and will continue to provide incredible stability,’ said [President and CEO] Ryan Fleur.”

Judge Cites First Amendment to Halt NEA from Denying Grants Based on “Gender Ideology”

Posted on September 25, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Friday’s (9/19) Reuters, Nate Raymond reports, “A federal judge on Friday blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from disfavoring arts organizations deemed to be promoting ‘gender ideology’ when deciding which ones should receive grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. U.S. District Judge William Smith in Providence, Rhode Island, ruled that a policy the NEA adopted to implement an executive order Trump signed was unlawful and violated the free speech protections of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. Smith, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, said the policy improperly restricts artists’ speech because it ‘assigns negative weight to the expression of certain ideas on the issue of gender identity.’ Vera Eidelman, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union representing the four arts and theater organizations that sued over the policy, in a statement called the ruling ‘an important victory for freedom of speech and artistic freedom.’ The NEA and White House did not respond to requests for comment…. The plaintiffs said the NEA’s policy would force them to self-censor to obtain funding and alter the scope of artistic projects that involve transgender characters or LGBTQ actors. After the lawsuit was filed, the NEA rescinded its initial policy and on April 30 re-implemented Trump’s order through a new one under which the NEA’s chair would assess grant applications ‘for artistic excellence and merit, including whether the proposed project promotes gender ideology’ … In Friday’s ruling, Smith said [the NEA’s] latest effort constituted an unconstitutional viewpoint-based restriction on private speech.”