By Marylin Delk |
When Darke County Center for the Arts presents the Toledo Symphony Orchestra at Henry St. Clair Memorial Hall in Greenville on Saturday, May11, the auditorium will be filled with glorious sounds. The impressive program will include songs by Brahms, Khachaturian and Tchaikovsky in addition to works from Bizet’s Carmen and, to my great delight, Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt, featuring music so universally embraced that it has been recorded by rock and roll legends The Who among many others. And then, TSO’s finale will be selections from Leonard Bernstein’s iconic West Side Story, undoubtedly including the plaintive “Somewhere,” which will probably make me cry. The range of emotions engendered by this plethora of great music is almost as astounding as the music itself. And the wonder of it all can be found right here in our community, without the need to travel thirty miles or more for the privilege!
Since its formation in 1943, Toledo Symphony Orchestra has grown from a core group of twenty-two part-time musicians to an ensemble of sixty-nine professional musicians, as well as numerous extra players to meet repertoire demands. TSO annually reaches more than 260,000 individuals through their performances and educational programs, drawing audiences from 135 different postal zip codes to events held in schools, churches, community facilities, and performing arts centers throughout the region.
Emmy-nominated (and also a nominee for Canada’s Juno award) Alain Trudel is Music Director of the Toledo Symphony, and will be conducting the local performance. Trudel has conducted every major orchestra in Canada, as well as orchestras in the UK, the USA, Sweden, Brazil, Italy, Russia, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Latin America, and has collaborated with many renowned artists such as Yo-Yo Ma and Herbie Hancock. As one of the world’s most respected trombonists, Trudel was awarded the prestigious International Trombone Association Award for his outstanding contributions. He is also an accomplished composer.
Yet, despite the wonder of all that is in store at this impressive concert, many tickets remain available for the show! DCCA Artistic Director David Warner is extremely puzzled by this development, especially since he went to great lengths to convince TSO management to move their Greenville concert date away from their usual preferred time coinciding with Memorial Day weekend, a time when many local citizens are busy with other activities. Needless to say, the cost of bringing this large ensemble to our community is the most expensive expenditure of DCCA’s Artists Series, and although DCCA is a non-profit organization, losing money is an unsustainable practice for the arts presenter.
Toledo Symphony Orchestra, its musicians and conductor are excellent classically trained musicians. People sometimes perceive classical music as too high-brow–and probably boring (which can sometimes be true, but can also be the case with music ranging from country to rock-and-roll.) I can attest to the fact that TSO has been presenting concerts in our community for years, and although I enjoyed some shows more than others, I have never been bored. Not only does DCCA not present junk, DCCA does not do boring; David Warner and his cohorts see to that.
So I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy great music that for decades (West Side Story) and centuries (Peer Gynt, Carmen, and more) has entertained audiences of all ages around the world. Celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with a family outing to hear an outstanding ensemble perform songs that have withstood the test of time to reign supreme in the hearts of music lovers across the globe.
Contact DCCA to get your tickets for the concert by Toledo Symphony Orchestra now; tickets cost $40; students will be admitted at half price. DCCA can be reached at 937-547-0908 or www.DarkeCountyArts.org, or stop at DCCA’s office located within Greenville Public Library to purchase your tickets. DCCA office hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10 a.m till 4 p.m., and Thursdays and Fridays 10 a.m. til 2 p.m. Tickets will also be available at the box office prior to the performance which begins at 7 p.m.