Tag: Cincinnati Pops

Pops releases new album, Harlem Renaissance

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An image from the live show of this program last March in Music Hall. Photo by Mark Lyons, provided by the CSO/Pops

The Cincinnati Pops announced the release of its newest recording led by Cincinnati Pops Conductor John Morris Russell, Harlem Renaissance, an homage to one of America’s most important artistic movements and the breadth of jazz styles it has nurtured.

The album features piano virtuoso Marcus Roberts in his own arrangement of James P. Johnson’s 1927 piano rhapsody, Yamekraw, based on the music and vibrant culture of Savannah, Georgia’s historically Black neighborhood in the roaring 1920s. In the hands of Marcus Roberts, Yamekraw exists as a living dialogue between Johnson’s original composition and the musical styles that have evolved since.

Harlem Renaissance features the jazz tone poem, Harlem, by Duke Ellington, an evocative soundscape of Manhattan’s legendary neighborhood. The album also includes the first commercial recording of Carlos Simon’s 2024 composition, Hellfighters’ Blues, inspired by World War I bandleader James Reese Europe’s 1919 recording of W.C. Handy’s Memphis Blues.

The album was recorded at Cincinnati Music Hall on March 21–23, 2025. Recording Producer is the Grammy Award winning Elaine Martone, Sonarc Music.

“Harlem Renaissance honors extraordinary Black composers and their kindred spirits — painters, poets, authors, sculptors and dancers — who together defined the ethos of 20th century American culture. We present these works not as museum-pieces but part of a continuum of style that continues to evolve a century later,” Russell said in a release.

“The album captures the nuance, power and virtuosity of the Cincinnati Pops, the thrilling and breathtaking improvisations of the Modern Jazz Generation and the sheer brilliance of Marcus Roberts and his trio. It was an absolute joy to perform these concerts live, and a delight to now share it with the world.”

Songs by Kurt Weill and Langston Hughes, Moisés Simons and Cab Calloway round out the album.

Here’s a link to my review for the Business Courier of that memorable Pops concert.

Seven-time Grammy award-winning recording producer and recent inductee into the Resonator Hall of Fame Elaine Martone continues her longstanding relationship with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops as producer for Harlem Renaissance.

Martone has collaborated with the Orchestra on more than 70 albums (Telarc and Fanfare Cincinnati labels), more than any other orchestra in her oeuvre.

Harlem Renaissance extends the Pops’ prolific recording legacy, which includes more than 100 commercial recordings that have sold millions of copies worldwide. Harlem Renaissance is the eighth Pops album led by Russell.

The album credits include Marcus Roberts piano; Marcus Roberts Trio with Marcus Roberts, piano; Jason Marsalis, drums; Marty Jaffe, upright bass; and the Modern Jazz Generation, led by Marcus Roberts Marty Jaffe, upright bass; Jason Marsalis, drums; Joe Goldberg, tenor saxophone & clarinet (Yamekraw); Tissa Khosla, baritone saxophone; Boyce Griffith, alto saxophone; Tim Blackmon, trumpet; Jianni Lazaga, trumpet; Etienne Charles, trumpet; Rashaan Salaam, trombone; and Mykal Kilgore and Tatiana Mayfield, vocalists.

Listeners can hear select tracks on the album beginning streaming on February 13 with Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady, February 20 with Ellington’s The Mooche and February 27 with W.C. Handy St. Louis Blues. The entire Harlem
Renaissance album will be available on all streaming platforms beginning March 13.

Harlem Renaissance is generously supported by gifts from Kelly Dehan & Rick Staudigel, Kathy Grote, Joan Wilson, Joe & Patricia Baker and an anonymous donor.

Rick Steves, Cincinnati Pops show to premiere April 3 on CET

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Rick Steves hosted the Cincinnati Pops, and even picked up the baton once/photos by JP Leong

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra anounced this week that Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey, co-produced by local public television station CET and based on Rick Steves’ performance with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra last September, is scheduled to premiere Thursday, April 3, at 8 pm on CET, ThinkTV16 and the PBS App.

The concert will also be distributed nationally by American Public Television (APT) starting on April 1.

The original show was performed and filmed in Music Hall in Sept. 2024. Here’s my review, free to read on bizjournals.com.

“Hosting this event — combining three of my loves: travel, history and music as a tour guide on stage with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and maestro John Morris Russell — has been one of the creative highlights of my career. It’s a one-hour celebration of live classical music like none other,” said the popular public television host and guidebook author.

Grammy Awards local ties

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The Grammy Awards were announced today, and there are a few familiar names this year. The biggest news: Elaine Martone has won Producer of the Year, Classical for a host of recordings, including: Joy! (John Morris Russell & Cincinnati Pops). It is her sixth Grammy Award in her stunning career. Congratulations to Elaine, who produces the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops recordings. She is truly world-class. (Martone is married to Robert Woods, founder of Telarc Records, which was famous for the 100 or so Pops albums they recorded during the Erich Kunzel years … )

The other supporting works on her list are:

• Bartók: String Quartet No.3; Suite From ‘The Miraculous Mandarin’ (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra)
• The Book of Spells (Merian Ensemble)
• Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra)
• Divine Mischief (Julian Bliss, J. Eric Wilson & Baylor University Wind Ensemble)
• Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra)
• Schubert: The Complete Impromptus (Gerardo Teissonnière)
• Stranger at Home (Shachar Israel)
• Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra).

Here are some other classical music awards, which also have a few Cincinnati connections:Read More »

Rick Steves reveals cancer diagnosis; still set to live film Pops show in Music Hall

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Travel writer Rick Steves visiting the Sognefjord in Norway.

The world’s most famous travel writer Rick Steves has just announced on social media that he received a diagnosis of prostate cancer. He sounds upbeat in his message, saying it hasn’t spread and he will likely have surgery in late September.

“I have great trust in my doctor and in Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. And I have lots more to be thankful for…including the support of friends and loved ones and a strong faith that I’m in good hands,” Steves wrote on X.

The Cincinnati Symphony and Pops spokesperson Felecia Tchen Kanney confirms they are moving forward with plans for the concerts, Sept. 13-15, as well as the live filming and recording of the shows that will be made available to PBS stations across the country.

Wishing Rick all the best!

Here are the Pops concert details, with filming in collaboration with CET.

The Cincinnati Pops and CET, Cincinnati’s public television station,  are partnering for the live filming and recording of the Pops’ September 13-15 program, Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey.

John Morris Russell leads the Pops  program, which will feature on-stage narration by popular public television host and best-selling guidebook author Rick Steves. The music will include composers Edvard Grieg, Camille Saint-Saëns, Bedřich Smetana, Johann Strauss Jr., Giuseppe Verdi and others. Steves will host the program and share personal stories of his extensive travels across the continent as well as insights into European history.

All three performances, including occasional shots of Music Hall audiences, will be filmed and made available for PBS stations across the country.

For tickets and more information, visit cincinnatisymphony.org.

Jazz harpist to perform at CCM

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Park Stickney, jazz harpist/ Photo provided

Did you ever consider that the harp could be a jazz instrument? The world’s premiere jazz harpist, Park Stickney, is performing at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Feb. 28, in Werner Recital Hall at CCM.

Stickney lives in Switzerland and is on a six-state tour of the United States. He will be performing with local saxophonist James Bunte and bassist Teddy Mechley. The concert is free and no reservations are needed.

While in town, Stickney is spending time with students at CCM, SCPA and Walnut Hills High School.

“The concert will be a mix of my own compositions and jazz standards,” said Stickney. “I’m especially excited about revisiting my own pieces through this instrumentation. I often play them solo, but playing them in trio allows me to hear them completely differently, adds another dimension — and this in addition to the excitement of playing with Cincinnati jazz artists.”

The harpist divides his time between a farm in Switzerland, and Brooklyn, New York. Besides his concerts, he presents master classes and workshops at music festivals worldwide. His performance venues are as diverse as a performance at a mine in South Tyrol, at a New York Mcdonald’s, the White House and on the QE2 ocean liner.

He currently teaches at the Royal Academy of Music, London, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Lyon, France, and the Milan Conservatory. Stickney graduated from the Juilliard School, and later completed a Ph.D. exploring extreme harp pedaling at the Trinity Laban Conservatory, London.
Stickney is a former Juilliard classmate of Gillian Benet Sella, principal harpist of the CSO, who organized the concert. It is co-sponsored by the local chapter of the American Harp Society, CCM Power and the School for Creative and Performing Arts through the Mayerson Foundation.

Bunte is professor of saxophone and Division Head of Performance Studies at CCM. He’s also a regular saxophonist with the Cincinnati Symphony, and has recorded eight discs with the Cincinnati Symphony and the Cincinnati Pops orchestras. Bunte is an experienced saxophonist, having performed with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Manhattan Transfer, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and many more.

Mechley plays both stand-up and electric bass at numerous Cincinnati jazz clubs. He’s currently pursuing a degree in jazz bass at CCM.
 
For more information, visit ccm.uc.edu/onstage.html, call the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183

Audra McDonald concert with Pops rescheduled

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This just in:

AUDRA MCDONALD WITH THE CINCINNATI POPS ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8 RESCHEDULED TO

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2024

Due to illness, Audra McDonald is unable to perform with the Cincinnati Pops on Sunday, October 8, as previously scheduled. All tickets will be automatically transferred to the new concert date: Sunday, February 4, 2024, 7:30pm at Music Hall. For alternative ticket options, we request that ticket holders contact the CSO Box Office at 513.381.3300 beginning Monday, October 9 at 10am for assistance.

Pops cancels tonight’s show due to snow and ice

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Damon Gupton conducts the Pops this weekend.

This just in: Due to circumstances caused by the inclement weather, the Cincinnati Pops has cancelled its Friday, February 4, 7:30pm performance of the Music of John Williams. This performance in Music Hall will not be rescheduled.

The Saturday, February 5, 7:30 pm performance and the Sunday, February 6, 2 pm performance will proceed as scheduled.

The free livestream of the concert, originally scheduled for Saturday night, will now take place on Sunday, February 6 at 2 pm EST. Please visit the Cincinnati Pops Facebook Page and CSOvideo YouTube channel to view.

Ticket information

All ticketholders for the Friday performance of the concert have the option to exchange into another CSO or Pops performance this season. (Exchange fees will be waived; additional charges may apply based on concert choice). Ticketholders may donate the value of their tickets and receive a tax acknowledgement. Ticketholders also have the option of returning their tickets for a gift certificate, account credit or full refund.

Please use this form, contact the box office at 513.381.3300 or email hello@cincinnatisymphony.org to select a ticket option by Wednesday, February 9.

CSO and Pops increase seating for in-person shows

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Socially distant seating at a concert earlier this year by the Cincinnati Pops

Up to 500 seats are now available for all in-person CSO and Pops performances at Music Hall. In accordance with the expanded capacity for indoor events ordered by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, the orchestra has added availability for all in-person events this spring.

All performances will still be limited capacity with socially distanced seating and mask requirements throughout Music Hall. Read more about health and safety protocols.

In-person concerts at Music Hall continue this weekend with two different programs of Mozart with soloists Conrad Tao (Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major) and violinist Melissa White in Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3, in G Major, “Strasburg,” MAR 12-14 in Music Hall.

A CSO concert viewed from the balcony earlier this year.

From personal experience, I have felt very safe with all of the protocols that are in place. Concerts are about 70 to 80 minutes in length with no intermission.

I’ve been told that some concerts have added performances due to demand. Now that more people are getting vaccinated, I’m very optimistic that the demand will increase.

Don’t forget, I’m reviewing concerts again. You’ll find them on the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Arts Front (it’s free to read). Last week’s performance of Mahler’s “The Song of the Earth” was unforgettable. Click here to read about it.

Tickets: 513-381-3300, cincinnatisymphony.org

CCM’s Moveable Feast is virtual this year

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Students of CCM’s Musical Theatre Class of 2022 and alumni guest artists Noah J. Ricketts, John Riddle, Nikki René Daniels, Leslie Kritzer and Stephanie Jae Park. (Screen grab provided by CCM)

If you’ve ever attended a Moveable Feast, the imaginative fundraising event at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, you’ve probably never forgotten it. The idea is to stroll from theater to theater, classroom to classroom, and sample the amazing talent of students in every discipline — from ballet to jazz to scenic design and media arts. You do this while also sampling “dinner by the bite” in wonderful food stations throughout the building.

This year, with Covid, Moveable Feast is re-imagined as a virtual event on Jan. 22. Although there won’t be the thrill of rushing down hallways with dozens of other people to make it in time to a see some Broadway hits before you dash away to catch ballet students in a scene from “Swan Lake” — the event will be able to involve viewers around the country.

It’s presented by CCM Power, a volunteer group of friends, advocates and alumni. The event provides essential support for student scholarships, projects and travel opportunities.  This year, COVID-19 cancelled paid work that students rely on and drastically changed students’ family financial circumstances. Scholarship and emergency funds are needed now more than ever.

CCM has produced major stars of stage and screen — from Broadway and Carnegie Hall to Hollywood. Alumni guest artists for the show will include stars of Hamilton, Frozen, Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Netflix’s Dead to Me and much more.

Edward Nelson Highlight Screen – This image features CCM alumnus Edward Nelson performing “Someone to Watch Over Me” for CCM’s virtual Moveable Feast. He is Accompanied by San Francisco Opera guest artist Ronny Michael Greenberg, piano. (Screen grab provided by CCM)

Opera alumnus Edward Nelson (BM, ’11; MM, ‘13) wanted to participate because, he says, “At every step further into my career, I have found myself drawing on my experiences and education from CCM. When the opportunity arose this year to give back to the institution that has given me so much, I jumped on board without hesitation.”Read More »

Three Halloween shows — from virtual to in-person

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KSO musicians

J.R. Cassidy, music director of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, wins the prize for most creativity during Covid in finding an indoor venue big enough for a live orchestra concert with social distancing.

The KSO will be opening its 29th season on Halloween night in an industrial warehouse in Hebron, KY.

“Keeping musicians employed and playing during the Covid crisis requires following safety guidelines that are nearly impossible to enact within traditional auditorium settings,” says Cassidy, in his release.

A warehouse is the concert hall this weekend for the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra

So the resourceful conductor looked for an unconventional space. Verst Group Logistics generously offered the Symphony the use of its Hebron warehouse. It has the square footage of a football field and 40-foot high ceilings to address adequate distancing and circulation concerns.

But that’s not all. An orchestra needs rehearsals. The City of Bellevue helped out for a single rehearsal at the former Joe’s Crab Shak.

The program, “Strings Noir,” is a Halloween mix of string classics that should provide a good scare for musicians and audience alike, Cassidy says. The music includes Ottorino Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No.3; Arnold Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht (1943 revised); Bernard Hermann’s Suite from Pyscho; and Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge.Read More »