Wow! Did you go to either of the concerts two weekends ago? Both of them were full houses. I went to both, and I must say they were brilliant! The A²SO can play Mozart like nobody’s business. I had opportunity to sit just a few feet away from Orion Weiss during the Saturday concert, and I could see his fingers for the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21. His cadenza at the end of the first movement, with its modulations and flying fingers brought an element of the modern to the piece. Later in the program, I found the Jupiter Symphony to be a revelation. The opening Overture to The Magic Flute captured all the innocent joy of the opera--catch selections from The Magic Flute next season, but get your Mozart tickets early, if this year’s Birthday Bash was any indication.
I brought my daughter to the Family Concert the next day, where I heard Babar and the premiere of Sweet Music in Harlem. There was an air of anticipation about Sweet Music, and it lived up to expectations. It was a happy, energetic piece that captured the spirit of the book. I loved it, and so did my girl.
Well, we’re more than half way through the season, and it has been a broad collection of music style and magnificence. In March, you have to check out our "Latin Fire" concert. It’s likely to be a popular one. Plus, if you have kids, the "Carnival of the Animals" concert is going to be the Big Top!
Glenn Bugala
Marketing Director
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
CALENDAR
- KinderConcerts, February 8th at 9:30 and 10:30 am at Ann Arbor District Library. Featuring A²SO's Flute Principal, Penny Fischer. Free!
- Hearts for the Arts, February 9th at Travis Pointe
- Latin Fire, March 8, 8 pm, Michigan Theater Buy Tickets
- Carnival of the Animals, March 9, 4 pm, Michigan Theater Buy Tickets
"Latin Fire" Is Exciting on a Number of Levels |
The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra continues its 2007-2008 season with Latin Fire on Saturday, March 8 in the Michigan Theater at 8 pm. The concert is
cosponsored by Bank of Ann Arbor and Kaydon.
This concert continues the A²SO’s season of local connections and collaborations- Peter Sparling Dance Company performs the world premiere of three original dances to De Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat Suite No. 2. The A²SO has also commissioned a piece by Jeff Myers called Liberation. Plus Grammy-winning guitarist David Russell joins the symphony for Rodrigo’s Concerto Aranjuez and Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto.
- Rimsky-Korsakov's popular Capriccio Espagnol kicks the concert off with a bang. This short work is actually a collection of five exciting Spanish dances that are brilliantly conceived and orchestrated.
- Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez captures "the fragrance of magnolias, the singing birds and the gushing of fountains."
- Vivaldi Concerto for Guitar in D major is one of Vivaldi’s most enjoyable and familiar works. From the slow opening movement to the last movement’s carefree jig, the piece has become an audience favorite.
- de Falla El Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) Suite 2 -The piece tells the story of the ill-fated attempts by the magistrate of a small Spanish town to seduce the pretty wife of the local miller. An ensuing comedy of errors and mistaken identity unfolds.
- The performance of Liberation will be the world premiere of this work based on the famous M.C. Escher graphic of the same name, alive with the use of paradox, illusion, motion and humanity.
All ticket holders are invited to join Maestro Lipsky and composer Myers at 7 pm for a discussion of the evening’s program.
Dance and guitar teachers and their students are eligible to receive a 50% discount on any $23-$45 ticket to Latin Fire by calling the A²SO office, 734/994-4801. Additional tickets for friends and family are available at regular prices. Students from Pioneer and Huron High Schools are invited to attend Latin Fire at no cost. Call 734/994-4801 to reserve tickets or show school ID at the door the day of the concert starting at 6 pm.
Discounts on tickets include $2 for senior citizens, $8 for children 12 and under and $4 for students with ID. Also available in advance are $27 Dead Composers Society tickets for young professionals ages 21-39. Half-price rush tickets are available to students with ID at the door the day of the concert starting at 6 pm.
There’s still time to get single tickets for this concert. Just link to our online ticketing system.
Is Dirty Harry just not washed? "You and Me": Is it a romantic movie or a movie musical? Just for fun, take this online quiz of Famous Movie Titles in Spanish.
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Young Pianists, Poets and Actors Featured in "Carnival of Animals" in March |
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J. Jesse Bennett
Stephanie Webb |
The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Dickinson Wright Family Series presents Carnival of the Animals on March 9, 2008 in the Michigan Theater at 4 pm. The concert is cosponsored by Borders and A. Michael and Remedios Montalbo Young. In this concert, Carnival of the Animals will feature two brilliant student pianists and award-winning original slam poetry from Ann Arbor’s Neutral Zone. Also featured on the concert will be young actors from Ann Arbor Civic’s Junior Theatre Troupe performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, and the world premiere of Stop, Drop and Listen by Elizabeth Kelly (a fun and whimsical piece commissioned by the A²SO through the Ray and Eleanor Cross Foundation). Elizabeth Kelly won a national competition to write music that encourages audience members to listen rather than make noise during a concert. The winners of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra’s piano competition, who will play the two pianos required for Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, are J. Jesse Bennett, 15, born in Yongsan, Seoul, South Korea, and Stephanie Webb, 16, who is a junior at Saline High School. Both teens already have fantastic credentials, with many of awards between them. Several family-friendly activities take place prior to the concert. These include:
The concert and family activities will be preceded by a workshop presented by Girl Scouts of Huron Valley Council for Brownie Girl Scouts from 12:30 to 2:30. Admission to the performance is $12 for adults and $5 for children. There’s still time to get single tickets for this concert. Just link to our online ticketing system. |
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Kinderconcert features A²SO’s Penny Fischer on the Flute |
Children’s imaginations take flight through music and movement!
On Feb 8 at 9:30 and 10:30 am in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Downtown Branch of the Ann Arbor Library, children 2-5 will have a chance to learn about the sweet sound of woodwind instruments from A²SO principal flute player, Penny Fischer and dance with Gari Stein to songs played by Fischer and pianist Kathryn Goodson. The movements help children enjoy music in an active way that encourages learning and creativity. This is a repeat of a similar performance at the Ypsilanti District Library on February 1st. Best of all, the events are FREE.
A former student of the legendary Jean-Pierre Rampal, Penny has performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Michigan Opera Theater, and she has been the Principal Flute with the A²SO since 1988. She has a BM from U-Iowa, an MM from U-M, and a DMA from U-Maryland.
Gari Stein is the founder and director of Music for Little Folks and a highly sought-after early childhood educator who has developed music and movement curriculum for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Kathryn Goodson is an internationally known pianist and accompanist.
This Kinderconcert is sponsored by the Ann Arbor District Library, the Ypsilanti District Library, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, TCF Bank, Tom & Claudia Larson, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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Hearts for the Arts is this weekend |
At the A²SO, we’re working hard to bring our premier fundraising event to ‘the stage’ this weekend! This black tie (optional) event will take place Saturday February 9th at Travis Pointe Country Club. 
It will feature a champagne reception, elegant dinner, live auction and a silent auction.
Participants may bid on everything from a round of golf and three nights at the Tubac Golf Resort in Arizona to an autographed copy of James Earl Jones' autobiography to dinner for eight in their home. Special treats include the back-by-popular-demand wine bin raffle, charming themed-baskets of goodies, unique trips and experiences, plus your chance to be the lucky bidder to conduct the A²SO on Sunday afternoon, March 9, 2008 at the Carnival of the Animals concert.
This event supports the A²SO’s education and outreach programs that reach over 46,000 area youngsters each year! This event has already taken most of its reservations but if you respond immediately, you can still be part of this event. Call the office at (734) 994-4801 for further information.
We are getting wonderful volunteer support for the event from the Ann Arbor Professional Volunteer Corps, but they have made a request for more members. To take part in their work, visit their website at http://www.a2pvc.org.
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Save the Date and Support the Arts in Michigan |
On Wednesday, March 19, supporters of your Ann Arbor Symphony and other Washtenaw area arts organizations will gather in Lansing to show support for arts in Michigan. This the second time we have taken part in this highly successful event, and we need the help of our patrons to speak about the importance of arts and culture to our State legislators. Save the date--more information will come in the next issue of the E-newsletter.
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The Ann Arbor Symphony Launches Its Blog |
Do you like blogs? Are you interested in getting the inside dirt on how a symphony puts on a show? Do you like reading and thinking about classical music? Well, the Ann Arbor Symphony has just launched its very first blog. In it, staff, musicians and volunteers may contribute and share.
The blog is at http://www.a2so.com/blog. Check it out!
If you would like to contribute, contact Glenn Bugala at glenn@a2so.com.
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Something for 20- and 30-somethings |
Are you 
21-39? Man, you missed a great event at Ashley’s and the Michigan Theatre on January 26th. We had a good crowd and a good time. On Symphony nights, we regularly meet other classical music lovers (and lots who don’t know that they are--yet!) for dinner and drinks at 6 pm somewhere in town, and then we go to the concert. The whole night costs 27 bucks.
The Dead Composers Society is sponsored by Honigman, with support from LaSalle Bank and the National Endowment for the Arts. The purpose of DCS is to get members to attend live symphonic music performances and create social connections for young arts enthusiasts on a budget.
Contact Glenn Bugala at glenn@a2so.com, or call the A²SO at 734/994-4801, or go to www.a2so.com for more information.
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