Podcasts about toledo symphony

Damon has had series regular roles in The Big Door Prize, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey starring Samuel L. Jackson (both for Apple TV), Black Lightning (CW), Criminal Minds (CBS), The Player (NBC), The Divide (AMC), Prime Suspect (NBC), Dick Wolf's Deadline (NBC), Strange Brew (FOX), and Finkleman (NBC), as well as guest star/recurring appearances on Happy Face (Paramount+), as well as Your Honor (Showtime), Super Pumped (Showtime), The Comey Rule (Showtime), Dirty, John (Bravo), Goliath (Amazon), Bates Motel (A&E),The Newsroom (HBO), Suits (USA), Empire (FOX), Rake (FOX), Law & Order (NBC), Law & Order Criminal Intent (NBC), Conviction (NBC), The Unusuals (ABC), Hack (CBS), Third Watch (NBC), and Drift (ABC). He appears in the upcoming Lear Rex, starring Al Pacino and The Drama, directed by Kristoffer Borgli, as well as Damien Chazelle's Academy Award-winning films Whiplash and LaLa Land, This is Forty, The Last Airbender, Helen at Risk, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Unfaithful, The Loretta Claiborne Story, and Nicki Micheaux's Summer of Violence. As a conductor, he was appointed the first-ever Principal Guest Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops. He served as American Conducting Fellow of the Houston Symphony and held the post of assistant conductor of the Kansas City Symphony. His conducting appearances include the Boston Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Detroit Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Florida Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Princeton Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, NHK Orchestra of Tokyo, Orquesta Filarmonica de UNAM, Charlottesville Symphony, Brass Band of Battle Creek, NYU Steinhardt Orchestra, Kinhaven Music School, Vermont Music Festival, Michigan Youth Arts Festival, Brevard Music Center, and Sphinx Symphony as part of the 12th annual Sphinx Competition. 

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY - JON HENDRICKS Jon Hendricks is not only one of the world's favorite jazz vocalists, but is widely considered to be the "Father of Vocalese", the greatest innovator of the art form. Vocalese is the art of setting lyrics to recorded jazz instrumental standards (such as the big band arrangements of Duke Ellington and Count Basie), then arranging voices to sing the parts of the instruments. Thus is created an entirely new form of the work, one that tells a lyrically interesting story while retaining the integrity of the music. Hendricks is the only person many jazz greats have allowed to lyricize their music, for no one writes hipper, wittier, or more touching words, while extracting from a tune the emotions intended by the composer, more sympathetically than Hendricks. For his work as a lyricist, jazz critic and historian Leonard Feather called him the "Poet Laureate of Jazz" while Time dubbed him the "James Joyce of Jive." Born in 1921 in Newark, Ohio, young Jon and his fourteen siblings were moved many times, following their father's assignments as an A.M.E. pastor, before settling permanently in Toledo. As a teen Jon's first interest was in the drums, but before long he was singing on the radio regularly with another Toledo native, the extraordinary pianist Art Tatum. After serving in the Army during WWII, Jon went home to attend University of Toledo as a Pre-law major, courtesy of the G.I. Bill. Just when he was about to enter the graduate law program, the G.I. benefits ran out, and he realized he'd have to chart a different course. Recalling that Charlie Parker had, at a stop in Toledo two years prior, encouraged him to come to New York and look him up, Hendricks moved there and began his singing career. In 1957 he teamed with Dave Lambert and Annie Ross to form the legendary vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross. With Jon as lyricist, the trio perfected the art of vocalese and took it around the world, earning them the designation of the "Number One Vocal Group in the World" for five years in a row from Melody Maker magazine. After six years the trio disbanded for solo careers, but not before leaving behind a catalog of legendary recordings, most of which have never gone out of print. Countless singers cite the work of LH&R as an influence, from the Manhattan Transfer to Al Jarreau to Bobby McFerrin. Pursuing a solo career, Hendricks moved his young family to London in 1968, partially so that his five children could receive a better education. While based in London he toured Europe and Africa, performed frequently on British television, and appeared in the British film Jazz is Our Religion and the French film Hommage a Cole Porter. His sold-out club dates drew fans such as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Five years later the Hendricks family settled in California, where Jon worked as the jazz critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and taught classes at California State University at Sonoma and the University of California at Berkeley. A piece he wrote specifically for the stage about the history of jazz, Evolution of the Blues, ran an unprecedented five years at the Broadway Theatre in San Francisco and another year in Los Angeles. His television documentary, Somewhere to Lay My Weary Head, received Emmy, Iris, and Peabody awards. Hendricks recorded several critically-acclaimed albums on his own, some with his wife Judith and daughters Michele and Aria contributing. He collaborated with old friends The Manhattan Transfer for their seminal 1985 album, Vocalese, which won seven Grammy Awards. He's served on the Kennedy Center Honors committee under Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Clinton. In 2000, Hendricks returned to his hometown to teach at the University of Toledo, where he was appointed Distinguished Professor of Jazz Studies and received an honorary Doctorate of the Performing Arts. He was recently selected to be the first American jazz artist to lecture at the Sorbonne in Paris, a university established in the year 1248. His fifteen voice group, the Jon Hendricks Vocalstra at the University of Toledo, performed to a standing ovation at the Sorbonne earlier this year. As if perfecting one original art form weren't enough, Hendricks now finds himself happily penning lyrics to some of the world's most beautiful classical pieces. The Vocalstra is currently preparing to give the world premiere of a vocalese version of Rimsky-Korsakov's lush "Scheherazade" with the Toledo Symphony in February 2003. Summer of 2003 will find Jon on tour with the "Four Brothers", a quartet consisting of Hendricks and three of the best-known male vocalists in jazz: Kurt Elling, Mark Murphy, and Kevin Mahogany. Next for Dr. Hendricks is lyricizing and arranging Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto, as well as work on two books, teaching, and continued touring with his Vocalstra. He also makes an appearance in the upcoming Al Pacino film, People I Know. http://www.harmonyware.com/JonHendricks/bio.html

Amy Chang, who grew up in Taiwan and came to the United States as a high school exchange student, began playing the cello when she was 10 years old. She honed her musical skills at the Taiwan Academy of Arts, Music Institute of Chicago, and Eastman School of Music. Throughout her highly accomplished career as a cellist, Amy has used the platform of music to move people's emotions and provide a sense of uplift. She believes that a fully expressive musician needs to be courageous and vulnerable in order to connect with listeners.  Host/Executive Producer; Brad Rieger, Audio Engineer/Production Coordinator; Kerry Schwable, Social Coordinator; Tim McCarthy, Graphic Designers: Stephen Shankster/Jeremy Thomas. Content made possible by Cooper-Smith Advertising LLC 2023

In this episode, Marisa interviews professional violinist, Diana Anderson. Diana talks about growing up in a musical household, attending the Cleveland Institute of Music, and performing with the Toledo Symphony. They discuss the audition process along with her memorable shows and favorite composers. With 23 years of teaching and 38 seasons with the Toledo Symphony, Diana continues to share her passion with students and audiences in the community.Follow Diana on Facebook at Diana Dyer AndersonCheck out the Toledo Symphony Website for Upcoming Showshttps://www.artstoledo.com/toledosymphony/

We welcome warmer weather with a preview of the Toledo Symphony's chamber program, Summer Music. In addition to seasonal selections from Samuel Barber and Wolfgang Mozart, we learn all about a world premiere on the program, called Mojave Sketches for brass quintet and percussion. The composer, Navdeep Singh Galen, plus one of the performers, TSO Principal Tuba David Saltzman, give valuable insight to the work, which was inspired by the seven magic mountains art installation in California's Mojave desert.

We celebrate the return of superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma to the Peristyle with a full house of Toledo Symphony personalities, including special guest Amy Chang (who is also a cellist). Hear stories and get to know Yo-Yo Ma through our conversation (and "Quiz"-versation), as he's not only a performing artist, but a driving force in the effort to use music to address global issues. Also, not to be forgotten is Johannes Brahms, whose final symphony pairs nicely with Yo-Yo Ma's rendition of the Elgar Cello Concerto on the program. Find out what these seemingly disparate works have in common with each other!

We delve into the wonderful wide world of Dimitri Shostakovich and his powerhouse Symphony No. 5 (which the TSO plays this weekend!). Also, we welcome the star of the show, Canadian pianist Jon Kimura Parker, who makes his Toledo Symphony debut with one of the most beloved concertos of its kind, the "Tchaik I" - a.k.a. Piotr Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto. And Did You Know? Jon Kimura Parker goes by the nickname "Jackie" when offstage. We'll explore some other well-known "Jackies" in our quiz of the day!

We celebrate Music in our Schools month with an overview of educational activities from the Toledo Symphony, and get to know the TSO's latest addition: Community Engagement Coordinator Ellie Lee. Joining in the discussion is the TSO's Vice President (complete with fanfare) of Education & Community Engagement, Rachel Schultz. So you think you're familiar with great educators in history? Find out in our quiz of the day!

Get to know mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelsen, who solos with the Toledo Symphony in songs by Alma Mahler. We hear Nina's story (that's pronounced NIGH-na by the way), and we learn about her activism and work in creating the Asian Opera Alliance, which advocates for greater representation of Asian voices both on the stage and behind the curtain. And later on, test your knowledge of women pioneers throughout history in our "Female Firsts" quiz!

Classical and Hip-Hop collide in this episode, which features special guest Jorge Casco, Executive Director of the Fly Dance Company. Fly Dance joins the Toledo Symphony for one performance only, combining the visceral energy of street dance with the most popular tunes from the classical repertoire. Jorge provides a behind-the-scenes look at how the Fly Dance Company does this, and how they pique the interest of young people in a whole new world that is at once familiar and yet unknown to them. And don't forget to join our panelists as they match wits in our quiz of the day, covering classical, hip-hop, and street dance!

As the excitement builds for superstar violinist Midori with the Toledo Symphony, we offer a one-on-one with TSO Music Director Alain Trudel who gives expert insight into the program, including the piece that Midori brings to the Peristyle: the beloved Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Listen in, learn all about the music on the concert — and even test your Midori I.Q. with our quiz of the day (spoiler: Alain wins!).

We take a look at the Toledo Symphony's all-French program, with special guest Mélisande McNabney, who solos in Francis Poulenc's harpsichord concerto at the Peristyle. Also joining us a bit later in the program is the Grammy award-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, who provides insight into the music on the concert, which she leads with the TSO. And don't forget our quiz of the day as we test our panelists' knowledge of French composer facts! Photo of Mélisande McNabney by Matthew Perrin Photography

We gear up for one of the most exciting family-friendly events of the season: Mary Poppins in Concert with the Toledo Symphony! Guest Conductor Daniel Meyer provides a glimpse behind the curtain of what it takes to bring this Disney film classic to life on the stage of the Stranahan Theater. We'll get to know Daniel inside and out, and of course, we'll test our Mary Poppins I.Q. with the quiz of the day. Tune in for a jolly 'oliday of a show!

We continue our 2023 festivities with a "getting-to-know-you episode" featuring two recent additions to the Toledo Symphony family: Emily McCready (Marketing Manager at Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts) and Georgi Dimitrov (Associate Principal Viola). Hear their stories, play some icebreaker games, and join us for a look both behind the curtain and in front of it from our special guests!

It's a full house as we celebrate the Toledo Ballet's 82nd annual Nutcracker! On the phone is the ballet's Artistic Director Eric Otto and in the studio are the Toledo Symphony's Music Director Alain Trudel - PLUS the TSO's Vanessa Gardner, Rachel Schultz and Natalie Frushour. Join us for a (mostly) made-up tag-team retelling of the Nutcracker story; insights into this newly choreographed, inclusive production, and of course, a Pop Up Plié Quiz!

We preview and celebrate the annual Toledo Symphony performance of G.F. Handel's Messiah at Rosary Cathedral, alongside our customary TSLAB nod to Thanksgiving. Special guest Mickey Emch (who sings in Messiah) joins us for an extended dinner party, with plenty of music, fun, and quizzes – including a healthy dose of Handel and a dollop of Turkey trivia!

We welcome concert pianist, conductor, professor, food and wine aficionado and all-around bon vivant Awadagin Pratt for a backstage discussion about his appearance with the Toledo Symphony. Awadagin brings a new work by Jessie Montgomery to the Peristyle, alongside two works that pay tribute to Music Director Alain Trudel and his five years at the helm of the TSO: Beethoven's iconic Fifth Symphony and Schubert's miraculous Symphony No. 8, the "Unfinished" Symphony.

We welcome the man, the legend, the conductor Carl Topilow to the show as he prepares to face the Toledo Symphony once more in a special program of favorites far and wide. We hear testimonials about Carl from his colleagues, and Carl recounts his work with the TSO and others over the years. Also, we talk up Carl's book, The Orchestral Conductor's Career Handbook, which provides a truly behind-the-scenes look at the responsibilities of the symphonic conductor. AND don't forget our quiz of the day - it's a clarinet quiz in honor of Carl's alter-ego as a virtuoso of that instrument (as we learn, Carl's clarinets come in many different colors!).

We welcome the man, the legend, the conductor Carl Topilow to the show as he prepares to face the Toledo Symphony once more in a special program of favorites far and wide. We hear testimonials about Carl from his colleagues, and Carl recounts his work with the TSO and others over the years. Also, we talk up Carl's book, The Orchestral Conductor's Career Handbook, which provides a truly behind-the-scenes look at the responsibilities of the symphonic conductor. AND don't forget our quiz of the day - it's a clarinet quiz in honor of Carl's alter-ego as a virtuoso of that instrument (as we learn, Carl's clarinets come in many different colors!).

Take a ride through the magical film scores of John Williams, as we take the Toledo Symphony's Music of John Williams concert as our point of departure. Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale... what famous TV show did JW write for? Tune in for our quiz of the day to find out!

Take a ride through the magical film scores of John Williams, as we take the Toledo Symphony's Music of John Williams concert as our point of departure. Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale... what famous TV show did JW write for? Tune in for our quiz of the day to find out!

It's the time of year that we reveal the upcoming 76th anniversary season of the Toledo Symphony! You won't want to miss this one: great music, fantastic performances, and some incredible guest artists!

We celebrate Halloween with a trip through the magical world of Harry Potter and two special guests: TSO graphic designer Tamie Spears and 13abc's Tony Geftos. Inspired by the Toledo Symphony presentation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone™ in Concert, we offer our own "Mad Libs" version of the plot, and shine the spotlight on Tony's own magical book, The Heart-Shaped Pox. Also, test your knowledge of local lore with our Haunted Toledo quiz!

We offer a heartfelt tribute to Richard P. (Dick) Anderson, who until his death at age 90 last year was an indefatigable champion of the arts (in addition to being a pillar of the business and agricultural worlds). As the Toledo Symphony prepares to memorialize the man with music, we reminisce on Dick's lifetime of giving back to the community – and his legacy which will be felt for many years to come.

The Canadian Brass are descending on the Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle with the Toledo Symphony. We mark the occasion with a tribute to one of the most popular classical groups of all time. Stick around and test your All-Canadian IQ with a collection of quizzes, one about Canadian slang, one about the Canadian Brass in particular, and two about Canada itself.

We welcome A.J. Lambert to the show! The daughter of Nancy Sinatra and the granddaughter of Frank Sinatra, A.J. is performing her famous grandpa's album Only the Lonely at the Peristyle with the Toledo Symphony (her first appearance with full orchestra, using the orchestrations by Nelson Riddle – which is a story in itself). Hear all about A.J.'s role as the "heir apparent" to the musical mantle of her family, and we test our Sinatra 101 with the quiz of the day!

We get a backstage glimpse at what it takes to make a piece of symphonic music in this episode. Every year, the Toledo Symphony does a series of readings of new works by young composers from Bowling Green State University, and two of them join us today: Corey Brodack and Connor Gibbs. We're also joined by the composer Christopher Dietz, who is also on faculty at BGSU and runs the readings program. Rounding out the panel are the TSO's Merwin Siu and Alain Trudel, who conducts the TSO in the readings. And as an added bonus, see if you can identify the Mad Composers in our quiz of the day!

We welcome special guest Megan Amos, principal horn of the Toledo Symphony. Megan is playing Johannes Brahms' horn trio in the TSO's chamber concert Brahms Trios. We not only launch into a detailed discussion of Brahms and his remarkable music, but we tip our collective hats to the great Bernadette Peters, who comes to the Peristyle this weekend.

We visit with the fantastic young cellist and musical entrepreneur Loa Cho, who, along with Dr. Jason Stumbo from University of Toledo, and the Toledo Symphony's Merwin Siu, tell us all about Loa's upcoming chamber music competition. Loa used her proceeds from the 2020 Toledo Symphony's Young Musician Award to create and fund the organization, which is found online at glasscitychambermusic.org. Also, WGTE's Spring fundraiser is underway – so in keeping with the theme, we present both an NPR and a PBS quiz!

May The Fourth Be With You! We celebrate Star Wars Day with trivia, quizzes, impressions, and much, much more – all inspired by the Toledo Symphony's live performance of John Williams' iconic score, accompanying The Empire Strikes Back on the big screen at the Stranahan Theater. Special guests include WGTE's Haley Taylor and 13abc's Tony Geftos (who – as you'll hear – not only does a killer Jar Jar Binks impression, but is also a master Elmo impersonator!).

All roads lead to Sergei Rachmaninoff in this concert from the Toledo Symphony that pairs his Symphony No. 2 with Canadian wunderkind André Mathieu's Piano Concerto No. 3 (starring guest pianist Jean-Philippe Sylvestre). Joining us for the hour is composer Evan Williams, whose a ghost wandering in a world grown alien receives its world premiere from the TSO. What does Evan have to do with Rachmaninoff, you may ask? Listen and find out!

We celebrate TSLAB's 150th episode with a walk through memory lane (featuring contributions from "Dr." Lea Salonga and "Quizmaster" Erin Moran Wiley). Also, guest panelist Michael Lang from Toledo Ballet shares the scoop on his latest creation with the Toledo Symphony, Dancing Fairy Tales. And speaking of fairy tales, can you "pin the tale on the moral"? Find out with our quiz of the day!

We talk with two major artists as they prepare a triumphant return to Toledo: pianist Jon Nakamatsu and TSO Music Director Alain Trudel. Nakamatsu, Gold Medalist of the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, talks about his several appearances with the TSO and what it's like to be returning to live performance after the 15-month hiatus imposed by the pandemic. We also roll out the red carpet for Trudel as he prepares to take up the baton once more with the Toledo Symphony, after a year's absence from the podium (physically, at least). Finally, taking our cue from Nakamatsu's Chopin performance with the TSO, we provide an immersive Frédéric Chopin experience with our quiz of the day!

The last time we had conductor/pianist William (Bill) Eddens on the program, the conversation covered everything from Daniel Barenboim and "play conducting" to craft beer and Mozart's piano concertos. Now Bill returns to perform on the podium with the Toledo Symphony with returning guest pianist Stewart Goodyear, and we're still talking about all those things and more (just swap Beethoven for Mozart!).

We welcome the TSO's new Marketing Director Vanessa Gardner to the fold, and put her through the paces as a TSLAB newbie. We hear Vanessa's "story" and how she came to work for the Toledo Symphony after spending time as a musician and arts administrator on the East coast and in Texas. We also get to know her (and her many nicknames) through a fun game of Twenty Questions (although we don't manage to get through all twenty!).

We welcome a special guest, 11 year old news reporter sensation Jaden Jefferson, who turns the tables on us by interviewing Toledo Symphony cellist Damon Coleman. We also examine young Jaden's rise to fame and test our knowledge of his many exploits in our "Jaden Reports" Quiz!

Taking our cue from the Toledo Symphony's upcoming Mozart in the Afternoon concert, we take on the mighty "Jupiter" Symphony of Mozart – which begs the question "What would Mozart have written had he lived longer?" Also, we settle on Music Director Alain Trudel's "walk-on music" theme song, and test our music triva knowledge with the classical nickname quiz!

Just in time for Star Wars Day and the Toledo Symphony's upcoming Star Wars: A New Hope In Concert at the Huntington Center, we celebrate all things Star Wars with a special extended version of the program. Special guest 13abc news personality Tony Geftos brings his considerable Star Wars knowledge (and sound effects) to the mix, as we cover everything from our first SW experiences to that time TSO President and CEO Zak Vassar almost ran over John Williams with his car. Also, test your own SW IQ with not one but TWO Star Wars quizzes!

Pianist Jon Nakamatsu joins us to talk about the common theme running through this weekend's Toledo Symphony concerts: the infamous Dies Irae (Judgment Day) chant melody, which has appeared in hundreds of works (Jon plays Liszt's Totentanz and Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini). Also on the concert, the psychedelic Fantastic Symphony (Symphonie Fantastique) of Hector Berlioz.

In this episode, we meet the three newest members of Toledo Symphony's "F Clef Posse": cellists Elizabeth Rice and Kellen Degnan, and principal bass Jack Henning. Get to know our TSO newbies with a fun game of "Never Have I Ever," symphony-style. Also, how well do you know your bass instruments? Find out in our F Clef Audio Quiz!

We take a deep dive into Leonard Bernstein's landmark musical West Side Story and the legendary film version it inspired in 1961. Are you a Jet or a Shark? Listen in to find out - also, the SymphonyLAB players present a re-Shakespearized version of Bernstein's classic. Inspired by the Toledo Symphony's West Side Story: Film with Live Orchestra event at the Stranahan Theatre.

The moment is finally here as we celebrate Alain Trudel's official debut as Music Director of the Toledo Symphony! How well do you know the TSO's new conductor? Listen in and find out!

This weekend sees the final installment in the Toledo Symphony's Festival of 88, which highlight the keys of Mozart's favored instrument by pairing one of his most popular concerti with a TSO premiere. Guest conductor/pianist William Eddins joins us for an entertaining rundown on Mozart, Craft (and Canadian) Beer, English Cars, Daniel Barenboim, Play Conducting, and much, much, much, much more!

Inspired by the Toledo Symphony's upcoming concert with chanteuse Storm Large (pictured) and vocal group Hudson Shad, we take on The Seven Deadly Sins. Master of Ceremonies (and Toledo native) Nicholas Adamski joins us by phone to talk about his ongoing project, The Poetry Brothel, and just what we can expect from this one-of-a-kind concert experience.

In advance of their appearance with the Toledo Symphony at the Stranahan, we take a deep dive into the music of legendary folk duo the Indigo Girls.

In this extended episode, we discuss new music: what it is, how it's made, and where it fits in with the symphonic literature. Also, composer Lowell Liebermann plays a round of our audio quiz "Find the Liebermann" and joins us for a discussion about his new cello concerto, which receives its world premiere with the Toledo Symphony this month.

The great pianist André Watts is returning to Toledo after a 15 year absence. Special guest Bob Bell (President Emeritus of the TSO) joins us to provide the backstory on Watts' longtime relationship with the Toledo Symphony, and we preview some of the other music on the program by Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn.

Toledo favorite and star pianist Frances Renzi joins us in the studio, along with the Toledo Symphony's new Music Director Alain Trudel, for a conversation about Mozart and his piano concertos (the TSO "Festival of 88" which runs throughout the season). Also, the Mozart Movie Quiz!

Inspired by the Toledo Symphony's concerts which pair Brahms and Beethoven (with conductor Giordano Bellincampi and pianist Stewart Goodyear), we envision a musical cage match between the two titanic composers. Also, violinist Merwin Siu and pianist Rachel Zeithamel perform Brahms' contribution to the F.A.E. sonata in our performance studio.

We welcome famed Toledo astrologer Janet Amid into the studio for an analysis of Gustav Holst's The Planets - which were the product of Holst's fascination with astrology, not astronomy. You can hear The Planets alongside Strauss' Thus Spake Zarathustra at the Toledo Symphony's Classic Concerts during the first weekend in February.