DEAR FRIENDS

 Like the great wines of the world, ProMusica’s principal players just keep getting better and better with age.  And, like the many varieties of wine each of our players offers a fresh and distinctive musical “flavor” in their respective performances. All of these truly wonderful musicians will be featured over the course of two different upcoming programs.  Our February subscription weekend features Virtuosic Varietals at both the Pontifical College Josephinum and The Southern Theatre.

Malcolm Arnold’s invigorating Concerto for Two Violins will be the opening work on both concerts. Arnold was one of the towering figures of the 20th century, with a remarkable catalogue of major concert works to his credit.  He died last September at the age of 85.  We pay tribute to him in these performances, which will feature our magnificent concertmaster, Yenn-Chwen, Er and our equally maginficent assistant concertmaster, Katie McLin.  

On Saturday evening we will follow this double concerto with another work featuring two very special musicians.  Oboist Donna Conaty will join trumpeter Tom Battenberg in a lively rendition of Telemann’s Tafelmusic.  This orchestral suite is very similar in style to those written by J.S. Bach, including an overture and a series of “airs”. Although some contemporary listeners do not feel that Telemann is quite on Bach's level, this amazingly productive musician was considered by many in his own day to be the Baroque era’s pre-eminent composer. He assembled some of his best work for the publication of this "dinner music" collection, Musique de Table. These challenging works certainly weren't intended solely as background music. They show off the soloists in exciting and colorful ways.

The same is true for Mozart’s glorious Sinfonia Concertante, which features not two, but four soloists – oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn.  Donna is going to be very busy! She will be joined by her esteemed wind colleagues Robert Spring, Jeffrey Lyman, and Charles Waddell in this performance.

On Sunday evening, at The Southern Theatre, following the Arnold concerto you will hear two new works. ProMusica will offer the world premiere performance of Columbus composer Richard Cioffari’s Odyssey for flute, string, and harp.  This gorgeous piece was the runner-up in our Ohio composition contest.  Flutist Katie DeJongh will be featured in the solo role.  Then, just prior to intermission, Mary Harris will take center stage in Keith Jarrett’s Bridge of Light for viola and orchestra.  Throughout his career Jarrett has embarked on parallel tracks as a jazz pianist and serious classical composer.  Bridge of Light is an absolutely beautiful lyric work for the infrequently featured viola.  Written in honor of Martin Luther King, ProMusica offers this performance as part of Black History Month.

Following intermission the string section of the orchestra will be featured in Edward Elgar’s heart-warming Serenade.  Concluding the program will be Alberto Ginastera’s astonishing Variaciones Concertante, a work that has found an enduring place in the orchestral repertory due to its brilliant orchestration and ingenious formal construction. The composer assigned each variation to a different instrument in the orchestra, providing for great contrast and diversity. The final variation is in the form of a rondo for orchestra, in the words of musicologist Peter Laki, “uniting the entire ensemble in a folk-like finale of lively orchestral colors and a high level of rhythmic intensity.”

The Columbus Dispatch once described ProMusica these two words: "Versatility and virtuosity." Those adjectives aptly describe how we have tried to design this month’s concert weekend. An orchestra is its players.  We are richly blessed with many extraordinary musicians, who not only blend magnificently as an ensemble but can come to the forefront as featured soloists.  We are proud to showcase them in these capacities this month. 

Share in the unique sounds of the many instruments and instrumentalists of ProMusica, whether in the St. Turibius Chapel at the Pontifical College Josephinum or The Southern Theatre. As always, we encourage you to invite your friends and family.  Many thanks!

Yours sincerely,

Timothy Russell
Music Director