Podcasts about akron symphony

SynopsisWe all have our heroes and role models — people we admire and hope to emulate if we can. Composers, of course, are no different.On today's date in 1995, American composer William C. Banfield's Symphony No. 6 received its first public performance by the Akron Symphony, the same ensemble that recorded the new work for a Telarc compact disc release that same year. Banfield titled the work Four Songs for Five American Voices and explained it as follows:“As creators, innovators, performers and composers, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughan have made an incredible impact on my life and art. Their presence in American music and culture will never be forgotten, and the memory of them will always bring to [one's] mind a memorable melody, and to [one's] face, a smile."The symphony is made up of four instrumental movements: “If Bernstein Wrote It...,” “In an Ellington Mood,” “I'm Dizzy Over Miles” and “Someone Said Her Name Was Sarah.”That last movement, Banfield says, “was simply written to pay homage to the sweet and lyrical facility of singer Sarah Vaughan, who was ingenious in her vocal execution and style.”Music Played in Today's ProgramWilliam C. Banfield (b. 1961) Someone Said Her Name Was Sarah, from Symphony No. 6; Akron Symphony; Alan Balter, cond. Telarc 80409

Speaker: Christopher Wilkins became Music Director of the Akron Symphony in the fall of 2006. Since then the orchestra's programming has reflected his strong interest in community-oriented projects. He has developed partnerships with many artists and organizations based in Northeast Ohio, including the Akron Art Museum, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Firestone High School, Summit County Historical Society, YEPAW 365, GroundWorks Dance Theater, Neos Dance Theatre, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. For more event details and full speaker bio please visit bit.ly/3W3AaLM

Mary Kay Finn and Lisa Henderson, both from the Dance Institute at The University of Akron, join several cast members to talk about an upcoming performances of the classic holiday ballet - with an Akron twist! The Dance Institute partnered with Verb Ballets, the Akron Symphony and others for this unique performance that adds the local flare but maintains the classical elements that generations have enjoyed!

In this episode, we sit down with Music Director Christopher Wilkins to talk about our 2021-22 concert season, which continues our commitment to presenting a diverse musical experience to Northeast Ohio. With classics from Beethoven's Fifth to Handel's Water Music, jazz-influenced works by Duke Ellington and Aldemaro Romero, innovative works for Korean dancers and a collaboration with Akron-based EarthQuaker Devices, and a spotlight on composers who deserve greater recognition like Florence Price, Julia Perry and William Dawson, the upcoming season is filled  variety and vitality. The episode also includes a few samples of the music that we will perform during the season. The full concert schedule, along with information about subscriptions and single tickets, is available on the Akron Symphony's website.

In the second episode of our four-part series on the Akron Symphony Chorus, we sit down with Chorus Director Chris Albanese, Music Director Christopher Wilkins and special guest Betsy Burleigh to discuss Haydn's towering masterpiece, The Creation. The episode includes selections of The Creation by the Akron Symphony Orchestra and Akron Symphony Chorus, featuring guest artists Joyce Guyer, soprano, Karl Dent, tenor, and Timothy Jones, bass-baritone from April 2008; along with the Akron Symphony Chorus' recording from May 2021 in the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church in Akron. Betsy Burleigh is the Thomas R. Kasdorf Professor of Choral Conducting and chair of the Choral Conducting Department at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She served as director of the Akron Symphony Chorus from 1997 to 2002. She has also served as music director of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, been a guest conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Akron Symphony, Canton Symphony, and Handel Society of Dartmouth College, was chorus master for Cleveland Opera, assistant director of choruses for The Cleveland Orchestra, and director of Boston's Chorus pro Musica, the Providence Singers in Rhode Island, Canton Symphony Chorus, and the Mastersingers of Lexington, Mass. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)

Today on Orchestrating Change, our guest is Rick Robinson: a composer and double bassist who was a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for 22 years. Prior to joining the DSO, he played here in the Canton Symphony, as well as up the road with the Akron Symphony. He is the founder of Cut Time Productions, a publishing company dedicated to producing chamber arrangements of orchestral masterworks in an effort to make this music more accessible and available to wider audiences. An accomplished composer of original works as well, his Essay After Sibelius will be performed here in Canton next season. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FltAVoHFyBU During 22 years playing double bass in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), Rick Robinson began attempting the difficult task of resetting the context of classical music in broader communities. Robinson began, however, in a fourth-generation musical family of Highland Park (MI). Then he began to lead as a bass student at Interlochen Arts Academy, Cleveland Institute of Music, New England Conservatory and summer festivals at Aspen and Spoleto. He held principal positions with both Akron and Canton symphony orchestras 1982-85, the Portland (ME) orchestra, as well as the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra directed then by composer John Williams. Orchestrating Change is available wherever you get your podcasts. Go to www.cantonsymphony.org/orchestrating-change/ to sign-up for email reminders, view past episodes, and see the various channels where you can view our content. For more information about everything else we are offering at this time, please visit www.cantonsymphony.org.

In this episode, we are joined by co-host Ken Heinlein, principal tuba of the ASO, for a talk with composer David Biedenbender about his career, his influences and his music. The Akron Symphony will perform David's Kyrie (for Machaut and Pärt) as part of its Outside Voices Concert Series in the summer of 2021. David Biedenbender, a composer, conductor, performer, educator, and interdisciplinary collaborator. He has written music for the concert stage as well as for dance and multimedia collaborations, and his work is often influenced by his diverse musical experiences in rock and jazz bands as an electric bassist, in wind, jazz, and New Orleans-style brass bands as a euphonium, bass trombone, and tuba player, and by his study of Indian Carnatic music. His creative interests include working with everyone from classically trained musicians to improvisers, acoustic chamber music to large ensembles, and interactive electronic interfaces to live brain data. In addition to composing, David is a dedicated teacher and is currently an Associate Professor of Composition in the College of Music at Michigan State University. Learn more about David's work on his website, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

In this episode, we sit down with Matt Dudack, who has been a member of our percussion section since 2000, to talk about his career in music, the history (and his love) of the steel drum, the best drummers of all time, and more as part of our ASO Conversation series. Matt Dudack is a senior lecturer in music at The University of Akron School of Music Percussion Department and the Artistic Director of The University of Akron Steel Drum Band. He holds a bachelor's degree in music education from the Hartt School and a master's degree in percussion performance from The University of Akron.  Under his direction The University of Akron Steel Drum Band has received many accolades, including Grammy and Emmy award nominations, and has performed for such dignitaries as President Bill Clinton and (then candidate) Barack Obama.  Matt is co-founder of the Akros Percussion Collective, a chamber group which performs contemporary music internationally. He also leads Found Sounds, a group which performs in-school educational concerts for the Children's Concert Society of Summit County  and throughout Northeast Ohio. He is also on the faculties of the Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Akron and Canton Country Day School in Canton.  To learn more the Akron Symphony, including our Outdoor Voices Concert series, visit out website.

In this episode, we sit down with Music Director Christopher Wilkins to talk about the Akron Symphony Orchestra's return to the concert stage after 16 months with the Outside Voices Concert Series. The six-concert series will be presented free of charge throughout the Akron community this summer, and focus on the music of under-represented composers who are “outside” of the standard repertoire, along with numerous audience favorites. The full concert concert schedule, along with other information about the series, is available on the Akron Symphony's website.

In this episode, we sit down with John Gruber, our principal trombone player who has been a member of the Orchestra since 2018, to talk about his career in music, Mozart's use of the trombone in his compositions, the craft beer scene in Akron, the merits of Star Trek and more as part of our ASO Conversation series. In addition to the ASO, John also serves as principal trombonist with the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, as well as second trombone in the Lansing Symphony Orchestra.  John is an assistant professor of trombone at Oberlin College & Conservatory, and his teaching career has included posts at Ohio State University, Siena Heights University, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Civic Youth Ensembles, and the public school system in Barnesville, Ohio, where he served as band director. He is also a faculty member of the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. To hear a performance from John, check out Oberlin's YouTube channel for a faculty recital featuring John and Jeff Scott, associate professor of French horns. To learn more about all the ways that you can experience the Akron Symphony, visit our ASO at Home page. There you will find musical performances, musician interviews, podcast episodes, and a variety of educational resources.

In this episode, we sit down with Heidi Aufdenkamp Peck, a clarinet player with the Akron Symphony Orchestra since 1994, to talk about her career in music, her tenure with the ASO, what she has been working on during the past year, and more as part of our ASO Conversation series. Heidi Aufdenkamp Peck is a professional clarinet player in the Akron Symphony Orchestra and private lesson teacher.  Heidi earned her master's degree from the University of Michigan, where she studied with Fred Ormand. Her bachelor's degree is from The University of Akron, where she studied with David Bell. While attending Louisville High School, she studied with Dan Roberdeau. Other teachers include Mark Nuccio, Ron Samuels, and John Weigand. Heidi's performing groups have included a tour with Barry Manilow and the Youngstown Symphony in 2012, a soloist with the University of Pittsburgh Chamber Orchestra, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, and the woodwind quintet Cincopation. Learn more about Heidi at her website or on her YouTube channel. To learn more about all the ways that you can experience the Akron Symphony, visit our ASO at Home page. There you will find musical performances, musician interviews, podcast episodes, and a variety of educational resources.

In this episode, Akron Symphony bassist Brian Del Bianco talks about his experience recording with effects pedals from EarthQuaker Devices. Brian recorded Mieczyslaw Weinberg's Sonata for Unaccompanied Bass (movement 3), Mahler's Symphony No. 2 (movement 1), Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (movement 4) and Giovanni Bottesini's Variations on Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento (variation 2 excerpt) using the Night Wire, Spatial Delivery and Disaster Transport Senior pedals. You can see Brian's full video on EarthQuaker's YouTube page. The performance was recorded and mixed by Jeff France, and shot and edited by Chris Tran at EarthQuaker Studios in Akron. Learn more about EarthQuaker at their website. This is the third episode in our ASO Goes Electric series with EarthQuaker Devices. Previous episodes featured violinist Sam Petrey and and violinist Kimia Ghaderi. To learn more about all the ways that you can experience the Akron Symphony, visit the ASO at Home page on our website. There you will find musical performances, musician interviews, podcast episodes, and a variety of educational resources.

In this episode, we sit down with Pablo Sánchez-Pazos, a violinist with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, to talk about his career in music, his first season with the ASO, what he has been working on during the past year, and more as part of our ASO Conversation series. The episode concludes with Pablo's solo performance of Bach's Chaconne from Partita No. 2. Pablo Sánchez-Pazos is a violinist based in Cleveland. Born and raised in Montemorelos, México, Pablo began his studies at a young age as a student at the Conservatory of Music in Montemorelos, during which time he was a prize winner of the national Tomás Ruiz Ovalle competition in Zacatecas, México. As an avid chamber music player, Pablo enjoys playing chamber music with his quartet,  Antares, and has received instruction from members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center as well as members of the Takácks, Euclid and Latinoamericano string quartets. Pablo has received fellowships to attend the Aspen Music Festival and the Rocky Ridge Music Festival. Pablo is a graduate student at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studies under Stephen Rose, as well as having chamber music sessions with numerous coaches, including Ilya Kaler, Keith Robinson and Si-Yan Darren Li. To learn more about all the ways that you can experience the Akron Symphony, visit our ASO at Home page. There you will find musical performances, musician interviews, podcast episodes, and a variety of educational resources.

In this episode, Akron Symphony violinist Kimia Ghaderi talks about her experience recording with effects pedals from EarthQuaker Devices. Kimia recorded the Allegro from Bach's Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, Saman by Ólafur Arnalds, an excerpt of Blue Curve of the Earth by Tina Davidson, and an excerpt of the Andante from Bach's Sonata No. 2 in A Minor using using the Avalanche Run and Plumes pedals. You can see Kimia's full video on EarthQuaker's YouTube page. The performance was recorded and mixed by Jeff France, and shot and edited by Chris Tran at EarthQuaker Studios in Akron. Learn more about EarthQuaker at their website. This is the second episode in our ASO Goes Electric series with EarthQuaker Devices. The first episode featured violinist Sam Petrey and you may view his video here. To learn more about all the ways that you can experience the Akron Symphony, visit the ASO at Home page on our website. There you will find musical performances, musician interviews, podcast episodes, and a variety of educational resources.  

In this episode, Tom is joined by special co-host Jerry Miskell for an interview with author Stephen Johnson about his latest work, The Eighth: Mahler and the World in 1910, which was named one of the best books about classical music in 2020 by the BBC. In the book, Stephen recounts the far-reaching effect of Mahler's 8th Symphony on composers, conductors and writers of the time. Stephen re-assesses Mahler's thoughts in the context of the prevailing thought of his age, not only in relation to the artistic and intellectual movements of the time, but through consideration of political climate and historical background, and on into science, medicine, technology, mass entertainment, and even the development of modern PR. Stephen Johnson is an author, composer and broadcaster, and has been called “The authoritative British voice of classical music.” He has been a frequent broadcaster for BBC Radio 3, Radio 4 and World Service, and has written regularly for the Independent, the Guardian, BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone. (Learn more at Stephen's website.) Jerry Miskell is a viola player with the Akron Symphony Orchestra and chair of the music department at Mount Union University, where among his many duties he teaches an advanced class called Hearing Heaven: Death, Dying and Afterlife in the Music of Gustav Mahler. The 8th Symphony remains Jerry's favorite work by Mahler, although it remains just one of the two he has not performed professionally. To learn more about all the ways that you can experience the Akron Symphony, visit our ASO at Home page. There you will find musical performances, musician interviews, podcast episodes, and a variety of educational resources.

In the debut of Backstage at the hi hat, co-hosts Tom and Theron discuss the origins of the podcast name, talk about the historic jazz entertainment district in downtown Akron, and reflect on the life of legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea. In Akron, jazz legends like Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles would perform at the Palace Theater before heading to Howard Street, where fans waited at clubs such as the hi hat, the Green Turtle, and the Cosmopolitan. Backstage at the hi hat is a nod to that history and will look to capture the type of conversations that occurred at those historic clubs, The podcast will feature interviews with musicians, book authors and other newsmakers as we explore the rich and diverse genre of jazz music. Learn more about Theron Brown at his website. Learn more about the Akron Symphony at its website. Learn more about the life and music of Chick Corea at his website.

In this episode, Akron Symphony violinist Sam Petrey talks about his experience recording with effects pedals from EarthQuaker Devices. Sam recorded Bach's Allemande from D minor Partita No. 2 and  Novacek's Perpetuum Mobile using the Afterneath and the Palisades pedals. You can see Sam's full video on EarthQuaker's YouTube page. The performance was recorded and mixed by Jeff France, and shot and edited by Chris Tran at EarthQuaker Studios in Akron. Learn more about EarthQuaker at their website. To learn more about all the ways that you can experience the Akron Symphony, visit the ASO at Home page on our website. There you will find musical performances, musician interviews, podcast episodes, and a variety of educational resources.

Deep River: The Legacy of the Spirituals—a multi-episode series—debuts on the Akron Symphony's Unorchestrated podcast with Crossing to Freedom: The Spirituals Emerge.  Jonathon Turner, the ASO's Gospel Meets Symphony Choirmaster, and Brenda Justice, Coordinator of Choral Programs, join co-hosts Christopher and Tom to discuss the importance of the Negro Spiritual in American history, with a focus on the seminal contributions of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The episode opens with an excerpt from Elijah Rock, arranged by Moses Hogan, performed by the Gospel Meets Symphony Choir in 2019, and closes with a performance of Harry T. Burleigh's iconic arrangement of Deep River, performed by Jonathon Turner. 

In Episode 14 of Unorchestrated, Christopher and Tom conclude their conversation with Rita Dove, discussing her research into the life of George Bridgetower and the poetry she wrote about him. As in every episode, Rita reads from her book, Sonata Mulattica. We also welcome special guest, violinist Dr. Nicole Cherry, to discuss her Forge with George project, a commissioning project bringing long-overdue attention to historically significant Black artists. This is the final episode in our 14-part series, Sonata Mulattica with Rita Dove. The episode closes with Jubilee, composed in 1809 by George Bridgetower in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the reign of King George III, performed by six of the Akron Symphony's principal musicians. Rita Dove is a Pulitzer Prize winner, former U.S. Poet Laureate, and the only poet ever honored with both the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of Arts. An Akron native, she is currently Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. Dr. Nicole Cherry is 2nd violinist of the Marian Anderson String Quartet, and Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Performance materials of Jubilee were made available through the kindness and generosity of Dr. Nicole Cherry. For information on her Forge with George project, dedicated to restoring the legacy of great artists of color like George Bridgetower who have been dismissed from our history books, please visit: https://nicolecherryviolin.com/. George Bridgetower Photo © The British Museum

In Episode 13 of Unorchestrated, Christopher and Tom talk with poet Rita Dove about one of the most bizarre chapters in musical history, in an episode titled Haydn's Skull, with readings from her book, Sonata Mulattica. This is the 13th episode in our 14-part series, Sonata Mulattica with Rita Dove. The episode closes with “Chaos” from Haydn's The Creation, performed by the Akron Symphony on April 19, 2008. Rita Dove is a Pulitzer Prize winner, former U.S. Poet Laureate, and the only poet ever honored with both the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of Arts. An Akron native, she is currently Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia.

In Episode 11 of Unorchestrated, Christopher and Tom talk with poet Rita Dove about Billy Waters, a marginalized street musician of African descent who, despite all odds, rose to great prominence in 19th century London, with readings from her book, Sonata Mulattica. This is the 11th episode in our 14-part series, Sonata Mulattica with Rita Dove. The episode closes with an excerpt from Clint Needham's Sounds of Akron, which incorporates sounds sent in by scores of Akron residents, and a performance of Amazing Grace by Celeste Hicks, a member of the Gospel Meets Symphony Choir. The Akron Symphony's Sounds of Akron concert took place on April 16, 2016. Rita Dove is a Pulitzer Prize winner, former U.S. Poet Laureate, and the only poet honored with both the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of Arts. An Akron native, she is currently Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. (Photo courtesy of W.W. Norton & Company)

In Episode 10 of Unorchestrated, Christopher and Tom talk with poet Rita Dove about the rapid dissolution of the friendship between George Bridgetower and Beethoven—and likely explanations for the unraveling—with readings from her book, Sonata Mulattica. This is the 10th episode in our 14-part series, Sonata Mulattica with Rita Dove. The episode closes with the funeral march from Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 “Eroica,” performed by the Akron Symphony in April of 2019. Rita Dove is a Pulitzer Prize winner, former U.S. Poet Laureate, and the only poet honored with both the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of Arts. An Akron native, she is currently Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia.

We all have our heroes and role models–people we admire and hope to emulate if we can. Composers, of course, are no different. On today’s date in 1995, American composer William C. Banfield’s Symphony No. 6 received its first public performance by the Akron Symphony, the same ensemble who recorded the new work for a Telarc compact disc release that same year. Banfield titled his Symphony “Four Songs for Five American Voices,” and explained his title as follows: “As creators, innovators, performers, and composers, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sarah Vaughan have made an incredible impact on my life and art. Their presence in American music and culture will never be forgotten, and the memory of them will always bring to [one's] mind a memorable melody, and to [one's] face, a smile." “My Symphony is made up of four instrumental movements, titled ‘If Bernstein Wrote It...,” “In an Ellington Mood,” “I’m Dizzy Over Miles,” and “Someone said Her Name was Sarah.” That last movement, says Banfield, “was simply written to pay homage to the sweet and lyrical facility of singer Sarah Vaughan who was ingenious in her vocal execution and style.”

We all have our heroes and role models–people we admire and hope to emulate if we can. Composers, of course, are no different. On today’s date in 1995, American composer William C. Banfield’s Symphony No. 6 received its first public performance by the Akron Symphony, the same ensemble who recorded the new work for a Telarc compact disc release that same year. Banfield titled his Symphony “Four Songs for Five American Voices,” and explained his title as follows: “As creators, innovators, performers, and composers, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sarah Vaughan have made an incredible impact on my life and art. Their presence in American music and culture will never be forgotten, and the memory of them will always bring to [one's] mind a memorable melody, and to [one's] face, a smile." “My Symphony is made up of four instrumental movements, titled ‘If Bernstein Wrote It...,” “In an Ellington Mood,” “I’m Dizzy Over Miles,” and “Someone said Her Name was Sarah.” That last movement, says Banfield, “was simply written to pay homage to the sweet and lyrical facility of singer Sarah Vaughan who was ingenious in her vocal execution and style.”

In Episode 3 of Unorchestrated, co-hosts Christopher and Tom talk with poet Rita Dove about the prodigy years of violinist George Bridgetower from her book of poems, Sonata Mulattica. This is the third episode in our 14-part series, Sonata Mulattica with Rita Dove. The episode closes with a performance of Haydn's Duo for violin & viola in F major, performed by two members of the Akron Symphony, Pablo Sanchez-Pazos, violin, and Maia Hoffman, viola. Rita Dove is a Pulitzer Prize winner and former U.S. Poet Laureate, and the only poet honored with both the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of Arts. An Akron native, she is currently Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. (Photo of Rita Dove by Fred Viebahn)

On this episode we dish about our tales of musical travel. For our interview, we welcome James Ryon, Professor of Oboe at the University of North Texas. Jim asked that we include the following information to supplement his interview: "1. The professor I replaced at the University of South Florida, when I was initially hired, was Patricia Stenberg, who also played Principal Oboe with the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony. 2. The oboist who replaced me during my 2nd leave from USF was Nancy Warfield, not Nancy Warnick. 3. The woodwind quintet "Visions of the Absence" that Solaris commissioned from João Guilherme Ripper was based on the life of John the Baptist, not Joseph. 4. Upon my return from Venezuela, I spent a year at USF, not the University of Akron, replacing Nancy Warfield, while she was on leave. Following this year, I went to the University of Akron and the Akron Symphony for 19 years." This episode is brought to you by RDG Woodwinds Inc. (rdgwoodwinds.com), Ugly Duckling Oboes (uglyducklingoboes.com/), Chemical City Double Reeds (www.chemicalcityreeds.com/)and Oboe Chicago (www.oboechicago.com). Thank you to our amazing sponsors!

At only 16, Kofi Boakye has accomplished more than some do their whole lives. The pianist performed earlier this year on the EJ Thomas stage with the Akron Symphony, and he'll be headlining a concert at the Akron Civic Theatre Sept. 30. Kofi attends Akron Early College and is a dynamic public speaker with a keen sense of self. Ryan and Chris sit down with him to find out what motivates this talented young man and what his future may hold.

Let's discuss how the weekend went and maybe delve into what could possibly be next :-)!

4 Tuesdays in August = 4 RR shows! This is Show One and Michele Rundgren will be checking in for a little while and we'll be sure to get her feedback on TS2 among other things. Who knows what else we will come up with but expect some discussion of YR6BB4 of course :-). Announcements, music, callers, you know the drill :-). See ya in the chat room!