Category: Solo recital

Year in review: Great performances of 2018

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It’s always revealing to look back at the best things I saw – and heard — over the year. Cincinnati audiences heard memorable performances, musical rarities and world premieres. There were also some musical milestones, such as the Cincinnati May Festival’s first concert conducted by a woman. Here are a few of my personal favorites from 2018.

Jamie Barton red dress sm
The incomparable Jamie Barton

In January, a rare recital: Jamie Barton and pianist Kathleen Kelly launched their road tour in the Queen City with the recital that they performed in December at Carnegie Hall. The recital tour was part of a big season for the mezzo-soprano, who was honored with the 2017 Beverly Sills Artist Award by the Metropolitan Opera. Her program was a journey of discovery — with many unexpectedly delicious moments. That was partly because, in a rare occurrence on concert stages today, fully half of her program consisted of music by women: Elinor Remick Warren, Lili and Nadia Boulanger, Amy Beach and Libby Larsen.

Presented by the venerable, 105-year-old music club Matinée Musicale, the event was held at the beautifully-restored, circa-1908 Memorial Hall in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine historic district.  Its 550-seat theater was packed to the rafters.Read More »

Cincinnati Song Initiative wins ‘Stand for the Arts’ award

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Cincinnati Song Initiative participants around the piano (L-R): Alex Hurd, Ahyoung Jung, Samuel Martin, Ivy Walz, Kenneth Griffiths, Marie Marquis

America’s only arts network, Ovation TV, in partnership with Spectrum, has awarded Cincinnati Song Initiative a 2018 Stand for the Arts award. The award includes $10,000 in funding. Officials will hold a formal award presentation in Cincinnati on Oct. 8.

Cincinnati Song Initiative is a three-year-old concert series devoted to art song. The project, led by founding artistic director Samuel Martin, presents beautifully-sung, well-researched programs on themes such as American song, the French group, Les Six, and the art song of Spanish-speaking nations, “Alma de España,” which kicks off the third season on Sept. 22.Read More »

Rarely heard music by Baltic composers to soar in organ concert

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The historic Austin Pipe Organ at Covenant-First Presbyterian Church

Peggy Wolverton, organist of Covenant-First Presbyterian Church, 717 Elm Street, downtown, is performing a free organ concert featuring music of the Baltic States.

“Covenant-First is likely the only church in the U.S. where this music is heard!” she says. “We in the West have become quite familiar with choral and orchestral music of the Baltic States, but our exposure to music for the organ and other genre has been considerably less.”

She’ll be performing on the church’s historic, century-old Austin Pipe Organ. Built by the Austin Organ Co. of Hartford, Connecticut, it was considered one of the largest organs in this part of the country, with 51 stops and more than 3,100 pipes.

Her concert, 4 p.m. Sunday April 22, will survey the music of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. She says she became interested in that repertoire partly out of “self-defense,”  she says. Her husband, Dr. Vance Wolverton, a former professor of music at NKU, is a leading authority in the choral music of the Baltics. As he has edited and published choral scores, he’s been given many organ scores by the composers and conductors that he’s met along the way.Read More »

Clip and save: What to see this winter

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The incomparable Jamie Barton performs Jan. 26 at Memorial Hall

Baby it’s cold outside – but Winter is the season when the arts heat up. In the coming weeks, there are many tempting concerts and events to warm you up. So, bundle up, because there are a few that you won’t want to miss.

Jan. 11-12: Canticle. The Vocal Arts Ensemble reprises Kile Smith’s gorgeous “Canticle,” a setting of the biblical Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs), 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 and 12 in Memorial Hall. Tickets start at $25. 513-381-3300, vaecinci.org.

Jan. 12-13: Conlon returns. James Conlon, music director laureate of the Cincinnati May Festival, returns to conduct the CSO in Schubert’s Rosamunde Overture and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. Violinist Jennifer Frautschi is soloist in Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Music Hall. Tickets: 513-381-3300, cincinnatisymphony.org.

James Conlon at the 2016 May Festival
Photo provided

Jan. 19: Star soloist at Moveable Feast. CCM’s biggest fundraiser, this year on Friday, Jan. 19, will feature a performance by alumnus and star trumpeter Brian Newman, who will solo with the CCM Jazz Orchestra as the “opening course” in the CCM Village.  Read More »

Music of the season

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VAE
The Vocal Arts Ensemble

The holidays are upon us. You’ll find inspiring music in many of the region’s sacred spaces, as well as in the newly renovated Music Hall — now beautifully decorated for the holiday season. I’ve highlighted a few of my favorite concerts coming up this month, and discovered a few new ones, too.Read More »

Barry Douglas to kick off extensive tour in Cincinnati

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Irish pianist is in the midst of three “complete works” recording projects.

It’s been more than 30 years since Irish pianist Barry Douglas won the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition. And his playing is as fresh and inspired as ever.

Take his latest album of Brahms piano pieces, his sixth CD in a collection of Brahms complete piano solo works for Chandos. Every piece is played as if a discovery. Douglas’ concept is to present each album as a recital.  Consequently, this album is vastly entertaining, from the opening Rokoczy March to the irresistible set of Hungarian Dances.

Douglas’ luminous touch is ideal in three Brahms’ studies, the composer’s arrangements of music by Chopin, Weber and Bach. But the most unforgettable are the pieces from Op. 76, which are rich with expressive beauty.

He kicks off an ambitious, five-week concert tour on Sunday at the Xavier Piano Series. Douglas performs at 2:30 p.m. in Gallagher Center Theater, Xavier University.

The pianist spoke by phone from Lurgan, Ireland. He and his wife had just enjoyed a fall day at Newgrange, a prehistoric monument on the River Boyne, a small break before getting on the plane Friday to Cincinnati.

Question: How extensive is your upcoming tour?

Answer: I will be gone for five-and-a-half weeks. I haven’t done a tour like that for a long time. I try to keep them around three weeks. I’ll be in the U.S., Canada and then I finish in China before Christmas. It’s mostly solo recitals, and I’m also playing with the Vancouver Symphony in November.

I’m going to be in the country for Thanksgiving, so I’m looking forward to that. It will be my second Thanksgiving, with friends in Fort Worth.Read More »