Dear Friends:

What might warm you up amidst the wintry chill of central Ohio in February? I can think of a couple of options – Cello Passion and/or a sonic excursion to Italy. Enjoy both as ProMusica brings you ‘cellist Alisa Weilerstein, a rising star in the classical music world, and Mendelssohn’s thrilling Symphony No. 4 (“Italian”).

If you want to hear Mendelssohn you will have to attend the Sunday evening concert at The Southern Theatre. You will be able to hear Alisa both Sunday evening as well as on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Pontifical College Josephinum. She will play the glorious Haydn D major Cello concerto both evenings. On Saturday she will pair this classical masterpiece with Johann Sebastian Bach’s astonishing Suite No. 5 for unaccompanied cello. We all know what an amazing listening experience solo Bach is when played magnificently in the reverently reverberant St. Turibius Chapel.

On Sunday evening Alisa will pair the Haydn concerto with Peter Tchaikovsky’s electrifying Pezzo Capricioso, breathtaking for both its poignant beauty as well as exhilarating show of virtuosity.

Both concerts open with Gustav Holst’s delightful St. Paul Suite, one of the greatest examples of the long and revered English string orchestra tradition. The Saturday evening program includes American composer David Noon’s brilliantly conceived “re-composition” of works by the German organ master Dieterich Buxtehude. Noon’s Adagio and Allegro pays tribute to the music of an earlier time, while reminding us that we hear these strains of the German Baroque through 21st century ears.

We continue to try and assemble a grand variety of music for your listening pleasure, combined in new and unusual ways while taking full advantage of ProMusica’s celebrated performance venues.

You might actually want to attend both programs in February, as it is the one month each year that we actually augment our repertoire with additional works. Aside from the orchestra’s offerings you may wish to hear all that Alisa Weilerstein has to share.

Alisa is clearly one of the most exciting young musicians performing on the international stage. Check out her website http://www.alisaweilerstein.com/ .

In thinking about the web, I would encourage all of you to go the ProMusica website after each concert ( www.promusicacolumbus.og ) and rate the program that you have
just attended. You do so by clicking on “My ProMusica” in the upper left hand corner. Your feedback is always helpful as we try to be responsive to the input of our loyal audience . . . . . YOU!

You are the reason we make music! In a world filled with challenges, the place of culture seems unfortunately to have taken a back seat for many people. The role of music in our lives is just as important today as it has ever been, probably even more important. Together we need to keep “spreading the word.” Be an advocate for beauty! The best way to build our audiences is for each of us to invite friends to these exciting concerts. As simplistic as it sounds, if each ProMusica audience member were to invite but one new friend to our next concert we would have twice as many people in attendance.

Become a ProMusica Ambassador. Call the office and speak with Joe, our ticketing and box office assistant, at 614/464-0066 to see how you can take advantage of the Ambassador Program. We have learned that once people come to ProMusica they seem to keep coming back. The national research regarding classical music seems to indicate that there are many people predisposed to wanting to attend an orchestra concert, but (for whatever reason) are simply waiting for someone to invite them. Be that person. Be an initiator. There are plenty of responders just waiting to be called.

And, we are waiting to play for more and more and friends just like you.

Invite a group to share your upcoming Cello Passion and sonic Italian adventure. My colleagues in the orchestra and I look forward to sharing in these journeys with you. See you soon.

Cheers,

Timothy Russell
Music Director