The Lark Ascending with Bethlehem Kelly
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony continues its 71st season on November 16th with a marquee pairing of two wonderfully bright and joyful pieces — Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, and Schubert’s Fifth Symphony. On this episode of Unorchestrated, we’re excited to be joined by none other than our violin soloist tasked with taking on one of today’s most beloved pieces in the classical repertoire: The wonderfully talented Bethlehem Kelley!
info_outline
Gity Razaz' Methuselah: A Brilliant Use of Orchestral Color
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony continues its 71st season with Gustav Holst’s The Planets on October 19 at EJ Thomas Hall. The evening will also feature performances of Charles Ives’ The Unanswered Question, Franz Liszt’s Les Preludes, and Methuselah, a co-commissioned work by Gity Razaz. Gity is an Iranian-American composer whose music has been referred to as “ravishing and engulfing” by the New York Times, and, of an “uncompromising beauty” by BBC Music Magazine. In this episode, we sit down with Music Director Christopher Wilkins and Gity to discuss Methuselah, along with...
info_outline
Rachmaninoff's sweeping Piano Concerto 2
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony will open its new season with Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto on September 21 at EJ Thomas Hall. The evening will also feature a performance of George Chadwick’s Jubilee and Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3. In this episode, we sit down with Music Director Christopher Wilkins and guest pianist Gabriela Martinez to discuss one of the most celebrated works in the piano repertoire. The concerto is renowned for its sweeping melodies, emotional depth, and technical demands, showcasing the pianist's virtuosity. This work not only solidified Rachmaninoff’s reputation as a...
info_outline
Mozart's Great Mass
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony Orchestra and Akron Symphony Chorus will present Mozart’s Great Mass on May 11 at EJ Thomas Hall. The performance will include Lili Boulanger’s On a Spring Morning and Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin. Mozart’s Great Mass stands as a monumental testament to his genius and devout faith. The work embodies the grandeur of sacred music with its intricate choral writing, lush orchestration, and profound emotional depth. From delicate soprano solos to thunderous orchestral passages, the Mass captivates with its sublime beauty and spiritual fervor. In this episode,...
info_outline
Tchaikovsky and Bowden
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony will present Tchaikovsky and Bowden with guest soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden on April 6 at EJ Thomas Hall. The performance will include Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence, Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on “Greensleeves”, Jessie Montgomery’s Strum, Jennifer Higdon’s “Reel Time”, and Julia Perry’s Prelude for Strings. The highlight of the evening will be the Ohio premiere of Bohemian Queen, a trumpet concerto composed by Clarice Assad and featuring classical trumpeter Mary Elizabeth Bowden, who has been praised for her splendid, brilliant playing, and pure,...
info_outline
Bruckner's Fourth - Part 2
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony will present Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony, nicknamed Romantic, on March 2 at EJ Thomas Hall. Bruckner’s composition, his first to receive widespread acclaim, showcases the composer’s unique style and is filled with lyrical themes, expressive contrasts, splendid orchestration, glorious climaxes, and dramatic developments. In the second episode of this two-part series, Music Director Christopher Wilkins and Matthew Mauro, acting principal horn, take a deeper dive into Bruckner’s music. The Akron Symphony Orchestra will present Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony,...
info_outline
Bruckner's Fourth - Part 1
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony will present Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony, nicknamed Romantic, on March 2 at EJ Thomas Hall. Bruckner’s composition, his first to receive widespread acclaim, showcases the composer’s unique style and is filled with lyrical themes, expressive contrasts, splendid orchestration, glorious climaxes, and dramatic developments. In the first episode of a two-part series, Music Director Christopher Wilkins and Matthew Mauro, acting principal horn, discuss Matt’s career, and Matt shares some of his experiences with the audition process for an orchestra. The Akron Symphony...
info_outline
Gospel Meets Symphony 30th Anniversary Concert
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony and the Gospel Meets Symphony Choir will celebrate 30 years of music and fellowship during Gospel Meets Symphony on February 10 at EJ Thomas Hall. Led by Maestro Christopher Wilkins and Gospel Meets Symphony Choirmaster Jonathon Turner, the evening will highlight the community spirit that has made GMS one of Northeast Ohio’s most enduring musical traditions. In this episode, Christopher, Jonathon and Brenda Justice, coordinator of choral programs at the Akron Symphony, discuss what the program means to Akron, share some memories of past performances, and talk about...
info_outline
An Akron-fueled Collaboration
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony will open the second half of the season with a performance featuring Mozart’s 29th Symphony on January 13 at EJ Thomas Hall. The evening will also fully embrace Akron as the Orchestra performs Jake Gunnar Walsh & Jon Sonnenberg’s Conflagration - featuring EarthQuaker devices - and Mary Lou Williams’ jazz-infused Zodiac Suite, featuring longtime friend of the ASO and Akron’s own Theron Brown and his quartet. In this episode, Music Director Christopher Wilkins and Theron discuss the program, emphasizing the career and influence of composer Mary Lou Williams. Theron...
info_outline
Dvořák’s ecstatic Cello Concerto
Unorchestrated
The Akron Symphony will present Dvořák’s warm-hearted, ecstatic, and deeply lyrical Cello Concerto with guest soloist Khari Joyner on November 18 at EJ Thomas Hall. The performance will also include William Grant Still’s Festive Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6. Like the New World Symphony, the Cello Concerto is another work hailing from Dvořák’s American period and is therefore infused with the same sense of homesick longing that pervades the symphony. Khari Joyner has a following both nationally and abroad as a versatile concert cellist, chamber musician and...
info_outlineIn the final episode of our series on the Akron Symphony Chorus, we sit down with Chorus Director Chris Albanese and special guests Chuck Myricks Jr. and Jesse Ayers about There’s a Stirrin’ in the Water, which they co-composed in 2016.
The episode includes selections of There’s a Stirrin’ in the Water from the November 2016 performance by the Akron Symphony Orchestra and Akron Symphony Chorus, as well as a performance by the Akron Symphony Chorus in May 2021 from the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church in Akron.
As a pioneering participant in Akron’s Gospel Meets Symphony concerts, Chuck Myricks has had several of his compositions performed by the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the Tuscarawas Philharmonic. In 2000, he was commissioned by Akron’s First Night to write the new Millennium Theme Song for the city-wide celebration. His 2004 collaboration with the Ohio Ballet led to the premier of Transformation, a ballet featuring music composed by Chuck and performed by Divine Hope. He also has written a musical, The Miracle of Love, and an opera, Paul: A Musical Journey.
Jesse Ayers was the winner of the inaugural American Prize for Orchestral Composition in 2011, and winner of the first Opera Kansas Zepick Modern Opera Composition Competition in 2016. Recent honors include the 2020 Governor’s Award for Ohio’s Outstanding Individual Artist, the 2019 Ohio Music Teachers Association Composer of the Year Commission, two Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Excellence Awards, the 2011 Dayton Ballet “New Music for New Dance” award, a 2010 MacDowell Fellowship, and seven “Finalist” awards from the American Prize. His music has twice been selected to represent the United States at the prestigious World Music Days festival. Learn more at his website.