The first program, performed at Cincinnati’s historic Music Hall September 30-October 1, 2011, featured Mr. Glass’ Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra. The CSO’s own Patrick Schleker, Principal Timpanist, and Richard Jensen, Associate Principal Timpanist, performed as soloists in the high-energy work. Also on the program, under the direction of conductor Julian Kuerti, is Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, commissioned by the CSO in 1942, as well as Rachmaninoff’s stirring tone poem, The Isle of the Dead, and Stravinsky’s epic The Firebird Suite (1919).

The second program to air was first performed at Music Hall January 27-28, 2012. International superstar pianist Lang Lang plays Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the CSO under the baton of Jun Märkl.

These pieces will air on APM at the end of May. Exact dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

These particular programs were chosen by APM and the CSO in order to demonstrate the remarkable partnerships the Orchestra has enjoyed with its Creative Directors during the search for a new Music Director. The CSO will engage three more Creative Directors in the 2012-2013 season: internationally revered conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (who also served as a Creative Director for the 2011-2012 season), acclaimed saxophonist Branford Marsalis, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon. On April 24, the CSO announced Louis Langrée as its next Music Director. Mr. Langrée’s tenure officially begins with the 2013 season.

“We wanted to create a mobile app that expanded beyond simple ticketing functions and allowed for a more interactive user experience,” said Chris Pinelo, Vice President of Communications for the CSO and Pops. “With the mobile app, our patrons will be able to RSVP to concerts and events via Facebook, spread the word about their favorite performances and repertoire, and engage with other fans – all from their mobile devices,” he said.

From the app’s home screen, users can then navigate to either the CSO or Pops portion of the site. A full list of upcoming concerts and events is available, each with links to purchase tickets or RSVP to the event via Facebook. Each concert has options to listen to audio previews of the repertoire or visit the websites of guest artists, as well as GPS navigation options to the venue.

The app’s “Discover” tab gives users the option to view recent events, featured videos previewing upcoming concerts, view in-depth information on the musicians and conductors and download music. The social media component of the app provides links to the Orchestra’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube feeds. A “Buy/Give” tab provides the option to view seating charts, purchase tickets or make a donation straight from the mobile device. Information including nearby dining options, seating charts, directions, parking and ticket exchanges is also available, making planning-on-the-go more convenient and efficient.

Several orchestras and arts organizations boast mobile apps, but the CSO opted to create a custom designed version to better suit the needs of its patrons and its unique role in the Cincinnati community. The Orchestra plans to create a version for tablets as well.

The annual CSO/CSYO side-by-side concert gives audience members and students the rare opportunity to see and hear their peers performing next to professional musicians and as soloists with one of the nation’s top orchestras in this annual highlight of the CSYO season. Little can be more inspiring than the spectacle of over 200 musicians on stage playing some of the world’s finest music together under the direction of such respected conductors as Mr. Russell and Mr. White.

The CSO thanks Coney Island for its generous sponsorship of this concert. The Artist Sponsor for this performance is the George Margaret McLane Foundation. The side-by-side concert has been endowed by the William R. Schott Family. These concerts are also supported by a gift in memory of Kate Magrish Foreman.

Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra

A vital part of Cincinnati’s musical culture since its beginning in 1964, the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO) is the city’s premier ensemble for talented high school orchestral musicians.

The orchestra was founded as the Cincinnati Youth Orchestra by Max Rudolf, who was Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at that time, and area music educators. The first conductor of the CSYO was Sigmund Effron, CSO concertmaster, who led the orchestra until 1970. Since that time, the musicians of the CSYO have had the opportunity to work with notable conductors including Paavo Järvi, John Morris Russell, Keith Lockhart and Jesús López-Cobos. Under the auspices of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the CSYO is dedicated to encouraging talented young musicians and provides outstanding instrumental students the opportunity to perform repertoire not always available to them in their school music program.

The student musicians not only make the CSYO an outstanding ensemble, but, because of the level of musicianship and discipline required for the CSYO, increase the strength of their respective school music programs. The strength, creativity, and dedication learned through the CSYO experience equips our students to excel at a variety of careers after they leave us. Upon graduation from high school, CSYO students not only become musicians and arts leaders; they become engineers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, scientists, and business leaders. Each season, the CSYO provides these experiences to approximately 95 student musicians representing more than 30 area schools in southwestern Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southeastern Indiana each season.

This season, the CSYO’s 48^th, marks the first for William White’s as CSYO Conductor and as Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Visit www.cincinnatisymphony.org/csyo for more information about the CSYO.

Jackie Tso, violin

Jackie Tso, 14 years old, is a sophomore at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. She began Suzuki violin studies at the age of four. She was a member of the Starling String Project at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music from 2005-2011. Currently, she is a student of Almita and Roland Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicageo in the Academy program. Her previous teachers include: Heidi Flanders, Kurt Sassmannshaus, Kun Dong, and Jan Sloman. She has attended The Great Wall Music Academy in Beijing, China, The National Arts Center Young Artist Program in Ottawa, Canada and the Meadowmount Music School for the past six summers. She has played in master classes for Pinchas Zukerman, Vadim Repin, Ida Kavafian, and Joel Smirnoff.

Jackie had her debut with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra when she was eight years old at its Young People’s Concert in 2005 and was invited to play again in 2009. She made her debut with the Santa Fe Concert Association Orchestra in 2009 and was invited to play with them again on their Christmas Eve concert, 2011. She has also played with the Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, the Seven Hills Sinfonietta, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and the Beijing Broadcast Symphony Orchestra. Jackie is currently the concertmaster of the CSYO which she joined in 2010 and is the 2011-2012 CSYO Concerto Competition first place winner.

Jackie won 2^nd place in the concerto competition of the Great Wall Music Academy in 2007 and was the winner of the Young Artist Competition of the Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra in 2009. She was the winner of the 2011 Overture Scholarship Awards competition and has also been invited to participate in the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition 2012 in Beijing, China. She was chosen as one of the “Most Interesting People” by Cincy Magazine in 2009 and, aside from violin, she loves to spend time with her dog Nelly and with her friends.

William C. White, conductor

CSO Assistant Conductor William C. White began his musical career in his hometown of Bethesda, Maryland, learning viola from a saxophone player in his elementary school music class.  He soon figured out enough of the notes on the keyboard to write some modest compositions and from then his path was set.

An unexpected chance allowed him to conduct his High School’s musicals and he nurtured his talent as a music director and conductor in Bethesda’s all-youth Wildwood Summer Theatre (WST).  At the age of 18, a performance of West Side Story at WST under his baton was professionally and critically acclaimed.

Mr. White attended the University of Chicago, studying theory, composition and orchestration under the tutelage of Easley Blackwood.  While there, he played viola in the Symphony Orchestra, sang in the Motet Choir and conducted numerous student concerts and theater productions.

He graduated in 2005 with honors for his senior thesis composition, Fantasy on “Les Folies d’Espagne”.  During summers off from the University of Chicago, William studied conducting at the Pierre Monteux School under Michael Jinbo, where he now serves as Conducting Associate.

After graduating college, he launched his musical career in Chicago, hustling for whatever gigs he could get.  In three years, he held music director posts with the Hyde Park Youth Symphony, University of Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Presbyterian Church of Barrington, Rockefeller Chapel, and Union Church of Hinsdale.

During this time, he composed a number of works for a variety of performers, the largest of which was his oratorio for choir, soloists, and orchestra, Thy King Cometh.  William produced his own recording of the oratorio during the summer of 2007, with a group of friends, collaborators and freelance musicians.

He then spent two years in Bloomington, IN, at Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music, studying conducting with David Effron and Arthur Fagen and earning his living as a music theory teacher and opera assistant conductor.  He frequently returned to Chicago as a pre-concert lecturer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and to play chamber music with old friends.

May of 2009 saw the first release of one of his compositions on a professional record label, Chicago’s Cedille Records.  The piece, an a cappella setting of the “Nunc dimittis”, was recorded by the Wm. Ferris Chorale under Paul French.

John Morris Russell, Pops Conductor

With the advent of the 2011-2012 season, John Morris Russell began his full-time tenure as Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops, one of Cincinnati’s most treasured assets and one of the world’s most respected pops orchestras.  Consistently winning international praise for his extraordinary music-making and visionary leadership, John Morris Russell also began his post as Principal Guest Conductor of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, in Hilton Head, South Carolina during the 2011-2012 season. During this season he also concludes his tenure as Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in Ontario, Canada.

With his position at the Pops, Mr. Russell leads performances at Cincinnati’s Music Hall and the Riverbend Music Center; additionally he conducts the orchestra in concerts throughout the Greater Cincinnati region as well as on tour—serving as a musical ambassador to help cultivate the reputation of the Cincinnati region as one of the world’s leading cultural centers.  No stranger to Cincinnati audiences, for many seasons John Morris Russell served as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.  He was recognized for his innovative programming and commitment to attracting new and diverse audiences to orchestral music, creating the Classical Roots: Spiritual Heights series, which brought the music of African-American composers and performers to thousands of listeners in area churches, and was also the co-creator of the Christmas spectacular, Home for the Holidays.

John Morris Russell is widely considered one of North America’s leaders in orchestral educational programming. From 1997 to 2009 he conducted the “LinkUP!” educational concert series at Carnegie Hall, the oldest and most celebrated series of its kind, created by Walter Damrosch in 1891 and made famous by Leonard Bernstein. The “Sound Discoveries” series Mr. Russell developed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra remains a leading model for educational concerts. In Windsor, his commitment to education was evidenced by his creation of concert series and projects that included Peanut Butter n’ Jam, Family Jamboree and One Community—One Symphony plus he spearheaded the creation of The Windsor-Essex Youth Choir and the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra.

• Appointment comes after comprehensive 27-month search
• Langrée begins his tenure as the CSO’s 13^th Music Director in the 2013-14 season

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) today named Louis Langrée as Music Director starting in the Orchestra’s 2013-14 season. Mr. Langrée, an acclaimed conductor who has led riveting performances on five continents, is entering his 10^th season as Music Director of the prestigious Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center in New York. In Cincinnati he will succeed Paavo Järvi, whose decade-long tenure concluded in May of 2011, and a long line of celebrated music directors who have led the CSO over the Orchestra’s 117-year history, beginning with Frank Van der Stucken in 1895.  Past music directors include Leopold Stokowski, Eugène Ysaÿe, Fritz Reiner, Max Rudolf, Thomas Schippers and Jesús López-Cobos.  Mr. Langrée will be the CSO’s thirteenth Music Director and the first to hail from France.

“It is a great honor to have been offered the position of Music Director of this prestigious orchestra,” said Mr. Langrée. “I am sure that our creative journey together will be very stimulating for all of us and am eager to share this deep and wonderful experience with the community in Cincinnati and beyond.”

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is one of America’s finest and most respected ensembles. The fifth oldest symphony orchestra in the United States and the oldest orchestra in Ohio, the internationally acclaimed CSO has sold millions of recordings around the world, toured extensively nationally and internationally, been featured in radio broadcasts reaching 2.3 million listeners this year alone, and plays a leading role in the cultural life of Greater Cincinnati.

“We are thrilled and honored to have Louis Langrée as our next Music Director and are confident he’ll take this already amazing orchestra to new heights,” said CSO President Trey Devey. “The CSO represents the musical cornerstone of Cincinnati and plays a critical role throughout the region. In Louis, we’re gaining a thoughtful and passionate musical leader who will engage our musicians, our audiences and the Cincinnati community.”

Mr. Langrée will serve as principal conductor, and also serve as the Orchestra’s artistic director, programming concerts, and overseeing musical personnel.  He will be a community arts leader and advocate. Mr. Langrée’s contract is for four years starting in the 2013-14 season, and the CSO is the only major North American orchestra with which he’ll serve as music director during that period. He will also have official duties as Music Director Designate starting immediately.

“Louis Langrée is a consummate musician and I’ve been especially impressed with the chemistry he has with our orchestra members,” said CSO Concertmaster and Music Director Search Committee Member Timothy Lees. “His ability to achieve exceptional performances was clear from his very first appearance with us.  He will fulfill the vital role of CSO Music Director by bringing exceptional leadership qualities, an energetic artistic vision and the ability to communicate that vision clearly. I enthusiastically look forward to working with him.”

Extensive search process completed in 27 months

This appointment comes after a far-reaching and comprehensive international search process that began in January of 2010. The Music Director Search Committee was chaired by CSO Board member and former General Manger of classical public radio station WGUC Ann Santen, and included musicians from the Orchestra, members of the CSO management team, CSO Board members, and members of the at-large community. Throughout the process, audience members and Orchestra musicians were surveyed regularly, and Ms. Santen moderated forums in the spring of 2010 with musicians, Board members, staff and audience members to gain input on the ideal candidate.

“Throughout the search process we heard from many stakeholders, and we used their input to identify the right person to lead the CSO,” said Ms. Santen. “We have an outstanding orchestra with musicians who can do anything a conductor asks them. From the first rehearsal it was clear that Louis Langrée knew how to ask it, and the players responded. In addition to being a superb musician and an elegant conductor, Louis has compelling programming ideas and a real passion for engaging the community. He is a perfect fit for Cincinnati and as the CSO’s Music Director he will be a tremendous addition to the community.”

Other members of the Music Director Search Committee were: CSO musicians Richard Jensen, Timothy Lees, Christopher Philpotts and Robert Sullivan; CSO Board members Trish Bryan, John Palmer, Randy Randolph, Karl Ronn, Melody Sawyer Richardson, Nancy Walker and Sheila Williams; community-at-large members William Friedlander and Sandra Rivers; management team members Naimah Bilal, Robert McGrath; and CSO President Trey Devey.

“It was an honor to be part of this process,” said CSO Board Chair Melody Sawyer Richardson. “We really owe a debt of gratitude to Ann Santen and my devoted fellow committee members for all of their hard work over the past 27 months. This was an extraordinary undertaking, and on behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to welcome and congratulate Music Director Designate Louis Langrée.”

Louis Langrée in Cincinnati

Mr. Langrée made his CSO debut in March of 2011 at Cincinnati’s Music Hall, conducting Brahms’ “Tragic Overture”, Schumann’s Cello Concerto and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. Cincinnati immediately fell in love with the conductor, with the Cincinnati Enquirer reviewer writing, “Langrée’s fastidious yet emotional direction explored the intricate details and the soaring phrases of this microcosm of Brahms’ orchestral writing style [“Tragic Overture”]. The ability to harness emotion and reason in elegant fashion is a rare but necessary quality for a world-class conductor. Langrée showed he is such an artist.”

“It was a terrific debut for Louis Langrée in March of 2011,” said CSO Principal Trumpet Robert Sullivan, who also served on the Search Committee. “We were relatively early in the search process, but immediately recognized his excellent rapport with the players of the Orchestra both on and off the podium, which produced some of the finest concerts of the season.”

Following that acclaimed first experience in Cincinnati, Mr. Langrée was invited back in August to conduct the CSO in a special performance featuring Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 at Corbett Auditorium, located at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Janelle Gelfand wrote, “Clearly, there was chemistry happening on the stage. The musicians responded to his direction with crisp playing, and wind soloists and horns played with character…. The finale was electric. Langrée pulled back in the sweeter moments, yet he kept the undercurrent of tension, always communicating the joy as well as the drama of Beethoven’s music.”

“I performed on the Jupiter Symphony and had the privilege of sitting in the audience for Beethoven’s Seventh,” said CSO Percussionist and Associate Principal Timpanist Richard Jensen, who also served on the Music Director Search Committee. “Some conductors look right past you as a musician in the orchestra and that’s not the case with Langrée. On the podium, he’s in the moment with you as a conductor and really connects with the players. From the audience side, he and the orchestra gave a very exciting performance with clarity and passion.”

Mr. Langrée will lead two CSO programs in the 2012-13 season as Music Director Designate. On November 9 and 10 he conducts a program with pianist Cédric Tiberghien featuring music by Franck, Messiaen and Saint-Saëns, and then on November 15, 17 and 18 he conducts Schoenberg’s A Survivor in Warsaw followed by Beethoven’s triumphant Symphony No. 9 and it’s “Ode to Joy” finale with the May Festival Chorus.

“Louis Langrée is a conductor and artistic leader with real depth,” said CSO Principal English Horn Christopher Philpotts, another member of the Music Director Search Committee. “We’re eager to join him on this creative journey exploring familiar classics and exciting new repertoire in the coming years.”

Making it possible

The Orchestra received critical support for the music director search from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. This support made it possible to scout the world’s finest conducting talent, bring exceptional conductors to Cincinnati and create opportunities to engage with these conductors both on and off the podium.

“We recognize how important the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is for our city and region, and how important a music director is to the CSO,” said Tim Maloney, President & CEO of The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. “This Orchestra is Cincinnati’s global cultural ambassador and a great source of pride for the community. We were proud to have supported this process and join with all of Cincinnati in congratulating and welcoming Louis Langrée.”

Mr. Langrée will be officially “launched” as CSO Music Director at the beginning of the 2013-14 season at historic Music Hall. Details will be announced at a later date.

During the search process, the CSO innovatively engaged five different Creative Directors to assist in the programming for both the current 2011-12 season and the 2012-13 season.

“We planned both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons without a Music Director, and I really must thank our Creative Directors Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Lang Lang, Philip Glass, Branford Marsalis and Jennifer Higdon for their valuable collaborations in programming these seasons,” said Mr. Devey. “I also want to thank the entire Cincinnati community for not only maintaining a great level of support through this search process, but actually attending more concerts. I know Louis Langrée is excited to be part of a community that treasures the arts.”

Louis Langrée, Music Director Designate

Named Music Director of the world-renowned Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra starting in the 2013-14 season, Louis Langrée is an internationally acclaimed conductor with a dynamic presence on the podium. This celebrated artistic leader also serves as Music Director of the prestigious Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center in New York, a position he has held since 2002, and as Chief Conductor of the Camerata Salzburg, an ensemble he’s led in Salzburg and on tour in Vienna, Budapest, Munich and Paris. He is known throughout the United States for his performances with the Metropolitan Opera and Mostly Mozart Festival featured regularly on PBS.

Mr. Langrée is currently rehearsing a new production of La Clemenza di Tito at the Vienna State Opera and will conduct the Vienna Philharmonic at a gala concert in May at the Burgtheater in Vienna attended by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Mr. Langrée is also conducting Eugene Onegin and Le Nozze di Figaro at the Vienna State Opera this season.

Earlier this season, Mr. Langrée conducted La Bohème and Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, with whom he has a regular relationship. His many orchestral engagements during the 2011-12 season have also included re-invitations to the symphony orchestras in Detroit, St Louis, Baltimore, and Sao Paulo, as well as the Deutsche Kammerphilhamonie and Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Highlights of next season include two concert programs with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as Music Director Designate in November, and Mr. Langrée will also debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Leipzig Gewandhaus and NHK Symphony in Tokyo. Re-invitations to guest conduct include the Orchestre de Paris, Budapest Festival and Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestras. He will conduct Dialogues des Carmélites at the Metropolitan Opera and Don Giovanni and Le Nozze di Figaro at the Vienna State Opera.

Mr. Langrée has worked with many other orchestras in North America, Europe and further afield, including the London Philharmonic, Hallé in Manchester, Dallas Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Santa Cecilia in Rome and Tokyo Philharmonic.  He also regularly conducts period instrument orchestras such as the Freiburger Barockorchester, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Le Concert d’Astrée. Festival appearances have included Wiener Festwochen, BBC Proms, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. He has held positions as Music Director of the Orchestre de Picardie (1993-98) and Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège (2001-06).

Mr. Langrée was Music Director of Opéra National de Lyon (1998-2000) and Glyndebourne Touring Opera (1998-2003). He has also conducted at La Scala, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra-Bastille and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dresden Staatsoper, Grand Théâtre in Geneva and the Netherlands Opera in Amsterdam.

A DVD of La Traviata recorded at the Aix-en-Provence Festival with the London Symphony Orchestra has recently been released by Virgin Classics and awarded a Diapason D’Or. Louis Langrée’s discography includes recordings for Virgin Classics, Universal and Naïve.  Many of these have won awards including Diapason d’Or, Gramophone and Midem Classical.  In 2006 he was appointed Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.

Mr. Langrée hails from France and lives in Paris.

For more information, please visit www.cincinnatisymphony.org/louis.

Mr. Langrée’s management agency is Askonas Holt,

http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/conductors/louis-langre.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is a dynamic ensemble of some of the world’s finest musicians. The fifth oldest symphony orchestra in the U.S. and the oldest orchestra in Ohio, the CSO has played a leading role in the cultural life of Greater Cincinnati and the Midwest since its founding in 1895.

Louis Langrée begins his tenure as CSO’s thirteenth Music Director in the 2013-14 season, succeeding Paavo Järvi, whose tenure concluded in 2011 after ten seasons. Over the Orchestra’s 117-year history, it has also been led by Leopold Stokowski, Eugène Ysaÿe, Fritz Reiner, Max Rudolf, Thomas Schippers and Jesús López-Cobos, among others.

During this most recent music director search, the Orchestra enlisted Creative Directors for the CSO’s three respective subscription series. For the 2011-12 season, the Creative Directors are conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, pianist Lang Lang and composer Philip Glass. For the 2012-13 season, they are Maestro Frühbeck de Burgos, saxophonist Branford Marsalis and composer Jennifer Higdon.

Over the years, the CSO has built a reputation as one the world’s foremost orchestras and a champion of new music. Cincinnati has been home to the American premieres of works by such composers as Debussy, Mahler, Ravel and Bartók, and the world premiere of many works including Aaron Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait. The Orchestra has also commissioned works that have since become mainstays of the classical repertoire including Copland’s iconic Fanfare for the Common Man. Most recently, the CSO commissioned Philip Glass’ Cello Concerto No. 2, Naqoyqatsi, which was premiered in March. A recording of the piece will be released in October on the Orange Mountain Music label.

The CSO was the first orchestra to be broadcast to a national radio audience in 1921 and the Orchestra continues to be featured on national radio broadcasts, reaching 2.3 million listeners this year alone. The CSO was the third orchestra to record in 1917 and that rich legacy continues. Ten million CSO and Cincinnati Pops recordings have been sold around the world since 1980, mostly on the Telarc label and including Grammy winners. The CSO also performs and records as the Cincinnati Pops, which was founded by the late Erich Kunzel and is now under direction of Conductor John Morris Russell. In January of 2010, the CSO launched its own record label, re-named Fanfare Cincinnati in 2011, which has released two CSO discs to date, American Portraits and Baltic Portraits. The third Fanfare Cincinnati disc, Home for the Holidays from the Cincinnati Pops, is scheduled for release later this year.

The CSO was the first American orchestra to make a world tour sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and continues to tour domestically and internationally, most recently to Europe in 2008 (Paris, Madrid, Vienna and Amsterdam) and to Japan in 2009, including two concerts at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall and the CSO’s first-ever nationally televised concert in Japan at NHK Hall. The CSO has performed at New York’s world-famous Carnegie Hall 47 times since its debut there in 1917, most recently in February 2010.

One of 18 North American orchestras performing year-round, the CSO presents classical and Cincinnati Pops subscription concerts, Young People’s Concerts, Lollipops Family Concerts, CSO Chamber Players performances, summer performances at Riverbend Music Center, and Concerts in the Park. The CSO is also the official orchestra for the Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet.

The CSO is committed to enhancing and expanding music education for the students of Greater Cincinnati and works to bring music education, in its many different forms, to as broad a public as possible. Education and outreach programs serve more than 60,000 individuals annually. Since 1999, the CSO has been reaching this goal through its innovative education and outreach program Sound Discoveries: Music for Life, Music for the Community, Music for a Career.

For more information, please visit www.cincinnatisymphony.org.

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Last year’s “Classical Roots: Lift Ev’ry Voice” concert completely sold out the 3,400-plus-seat hall. “Classical Roots” is a celebration of African-American music traditions, and this season focuses on the journey from African melody to the American spiritual and gospel traditions we are familiar with today. The concert includes elements from the classical repertoire, as well as traditional and contemporary African-American spiritual and gospel components.

Highlighting the program is a new Classical Contemporary Gospel arrangement for Solo, Chorus and Orchestra composed by the multi-Grammy Award winning Gospel Artist Pastor Marvin L. Winans, who will introduce the work from stage during the concert. The Orchestra and Chorus will also perform works by Quincy Jones such as, “God is Tryin’ to tell You Something,” the Reunion/Finale from The Color Purple, the main theme from Roots, and Soul Bossa Nova. The program also includes an arrangement of Handel’s world famous “Hallelujah” Chorus from Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, “Dry Your tears, Afrika” from Amistad by the incomparable John Williams as well as spirituals from H.T. Burleigh, Thomas A. Dorsey and Morton Gould.

Other talents include the performances of the Bi-Okoto Drum and Dance Theater and School of African American Cultures and the Triumph Dance Company of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Soprano Jacqueline Echols and bass James Walton are also slated to perform as soloists.

“When we created the ‘Classical Roots’ series a decade ago, I had no idea that it would blossom into the regional celebration of music and culture that it has become,” said Maestro Russell. “Our first concerts were nurtured by congregations in churches, big and small throughout our community, and now we proudly fill Music Hall with music of hope and joy performed with our own Orchestra. It is an honor to usher in the next decade of ‘Classical Roots’ concerts, and I am thrilled to be working with Rod Dixon to create programs that continue to uplift and inspire,” he said.

Under the leadership of CSO Board Chair Melody Sawyer Richardson and Board Director and Co-Chair for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Paul M. Booth, a Clergy Advisory Committee representing area Black churches is providing guidance and support with the planning of the concert. Several music leaders are preparing the Community Mass Choir, which boasted over 150 members last year: Eric Oliver, Zion Baptist Church; Geneva K. Woode, Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church; Brenda Screws, Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church; and Deborah Shipps, Church of the Resurrection.

“’Classical Roots’ has become a must-see signature, premier community event combining the talent of the CSO and the community chorus,” said Mr. Booth. It is a powerful, moving presentation of the rich culture, heritage and history of African-American experience through music,” he said.

“The Classical Roots Concert of 2011 had a memorable effect on our community,” said Ms. Woode. “Thanks to the dedication and commitment of the mass choir, its directors, guest artists, clergy and orchestra, I once again anticipate this dynamic, creative artistry to come together again in 2012,” she said.

Tickets for this concert are just $20 for adults, $8 for students and $50 for VIP. They can be purchased by visiting or calling the CSO Box Office at (513) 381-3300 or visiting www.cincinnatisymphony.org.

The CSO is grateful to Presenting Sponsor World Pac Paper. This sponsorship is in memory of Dr. J. Michael Harding. The Artist Sponsor for this program is Kroger, and the Choir Sponsor is Blank Rome, LLP. The Fellowship Reception Sponsor is Paul & Cynthia Booth, COBCO Enterprises LLC. The Patron Sponsor is Hightowers Petroleum Co. The Community Sponsors are Details2Decor and Queen City Chapter, The Links Incorporated.

Pastor Marvin Winans, composer

Back in the 1980s, The Winans – Marvin, Carvin, Michael and Ronald – were arguably the most successful contemporary quartet in gospel music. They earned five Grammy awards, hosted two TV specials, numerous Oprah Winfrey Show appearances and even a coveted performance slot on the Grammy awards. On top of that, there were several high-profile collaborations with Anita Baker, Michael McDonald, James Ingram, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Michael Jackson and even R. Kelly. Whenever people thought of gospel, they thought of the Winans.

From their debut album, Introducing the Winans in 1981 to their last CD Heart & Soul in 1995, The Winans revolutionized the way the world views gospel music. Their sound was fresh, smooth and urban-flavored. A dozen of their recordings hit the Billboard R&B charts including their #5 smash “It’s Time” and their Michael Jackson collaboration “Man in the Mirror” which was #1 for weeks. In the gospel world, The Winans scored hit after hit with their classics “Tomorrow”, “The Question Is”, “Bring Back the Days of Yea and Nay”, and “Ain’t No Need to Worthy” with Anita Baker. Now, the group’s charismatic lead vocalist and chief songwriter, Marvin Winans, is going solo for the first time with Alone But Not Alone – his first CD on his platinum-selling sister CeCe Winans’ PureSprings Gospel label.

Produced by Tommy Sims (Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins), the warm urban adult contemporary styled project features Winans’ classic vocal style and stellar cameos by Kim Burrell; newcomer DeShondra Rideout; Winans’ brother, Carvin; and his late brother, Ronald. “This is my first solo project, so I’m alone,” he confides as he explains the title. “This is the first CD since I lost my brother Ronald who was my best friend, so I’m alone. And then, there’s the not alone. The obvious is that God is always with us and that there are other people singing on the album with me. But, these are songs I’ve lived over the last 10, 12, 15 years. Some are even older than that. I told the EMI staff another name for this album would be songs nobody would sing but me [because other artists passed up the chance to record the songs].”

Winans is a quick thinker and when he’s making a serious – potentially provocative statement, he’ll quickly lighten it with a laugh to make the listener know it’s no big deal after all – or at least not in the present tense. He does this throughout his discussion of these poignantly personal songs. “I always write out of my own experience,” he explains. “I never tried to make up a song. I lived it. That’s why it’s so painful.”

Although, Winans channels his personal pain through these dozen songs; it’s his hope that the songs will be instructive as well as entertaining. “I wanted the story to be told,” he announces. “Because I know I’m not unique in my story.” He performed his radio single “Just Don’t Wanna Know” (which will be featured in the forthcoming Fox Faith Films motion picture “A Good Man is Hard to Find” starring Hill Harper and Deborah Cox) – a mellow rumination on God walking him through one of his biggest ordeals – at an EMI sales meeting. “A lady came up to me afterwards,” he recalls. “She said, `I want to thank you because that’s for me. I just came out of a 25 year old marriage.’ I looked up and said, `You got it!” I didn’t tell her anything specific and she figured it out. The song delivers.”

The whole set delivers situational, inspirational and faith-inspired messages in a style that builds on Winans’ legendary Winans material within an appealing setting that should step beyond Winans’ gospel base and prove attractive to smooth jazz and quiet storm radio formats as well.

His is a success story his parents could have never predicted when Winans and his twin, Carvin, became the fourth and third born respectively, of David & Delores Winans’ ten children. His parents, who met when they were both members of the Lemon Gospel Chorus in the 1950s, worked an assortment of full and part-time working-class gigs to keep food on the family table. In spite of their work schedule, they always found time to ground their family in the Bible. As his dad likes to say, “We didn’t send our kids to church. We took them to church with us.” Winans and his brothers Carvin, Michael and Ronald grew up singing in their great-grandfather’s Zion Congregational (COGIC) and formed the Testimonial Singers in 1970. They performed around the Detroit area and earned an opening slot for gospel godfather Andrae Crouch when he was appearing at the Fox Theater in Lansing, MI in 1979. He loved the brothers’ sound and got them signed to Light Records as The Winans and the rest is history.

Then, Winans felt the call to preach and founded Detroit’s Perfecting Church in 1989 and watched it grow from a handful of people to over 4,000 members today. As the demands of his church increased, Winans had to cut back on globetrotting with his brothers. Although, all members of the group took turns leading songs, Winans was the primary vocalist and without him, the group would not be the same. All of the brothers worked on their own individual projects. Ronald did a string of Family & Friends projects and formed a chicken and waffle restaurant with Gladys Knight. Carvin was a record executive for a while and Michael and his wife, Regina, formed a duo. The group has reunited at various points over the years for special occasions such as the 2002 Winans Family Tour that included Mom & Pop Winans, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Daniel, Angie & Debbie, and Winans Phase 2 – all popular acts in their own right.

This brings up the topic of Winans’ brother Ronald, who died in 2005 after a ten-year battle with heart disease. How often do you think about him? “Every day,” he says with a sigh. “Everyday… He was my big brother. When we were really little, he was my hero. If Ronald was a cub scout, I wanted to be a cub scout. Then, at the age of 12 that flipped and he became my oldest brother and my oldest son.”

It was often Winans who took his brother to his medical check-ups and kept an eye on him, even in the midst of shepherding his mega church. He continues, “It’s very possible to believe you can fly when you have a brother telling you that you have wings and that was Ronald. He was always the one to say, you can do it. If anyone can do it, you can do it because you are the one to do it.” Naturally, the question pops up. Will the surviving brothers ever record again as the Winans? “There’s always a possibility,” Winans says with resignation. “But Ronald was not replaceable – not even for nostalgic reasons. That’s that.”

Something else Winans and Ronald shared was cooking. It’s Winans’ only real hobby. “Ronald and I used to have these debates as to which one of us was the better cook in the family,” he laughs. “I don’t get to cook often but I can cook whatever you want. I cook real food. I can fry chicken, make ribs, steaks, cabbage, potato salad, and homemade rolls, soup. I do all of that!”

Alas, the only cooking of late for the man who officiated at the wedding of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, has been in the recording studio – about four years worth of musical recipes. “I’ve been taking my time to do it right,” he says. It turns out that his producer, Tommy Sims, a bassist who has produced a range of gospel artists and pop stars such as Michael McDonald, is a big Winans fan.

“I heard of him because he produced CeCe’s Everlasting Love project and that song was my favorite song on that album,” Winans says. “I guess because it was so Winanized. When I met [Tommy Sims], he said, `I’m a protégé of you.’ He told me that `Everlasting Love’ came right out of a song we did on the Live at Carnegie Hall [which he says will soon be reissued on CD for the first time] album called, `How Can You Live Without Christ?’. He said I took that song and made this song from that one… He hears and brings out what I hear.”

Because Sims has worked in pop music, he was able to maintain Winans’ trademark crossover style without compromising his gospel content. Throughout the collection, there are subtle sounds very reminiscent of Marvin Gaye’s “Makes Me Wanna Holler” and “What’s Going On?” period. Could it be on purpose? “He may be in there somewhere,” Winans laughs. “You may be able to find him in there.”

Since its been over a decade since the last Winans recording, inquiring minds want to know if Alone But Not Alone is just a one time CD or can we expect more music from Marvin Winans in the not-so-distant future? “Absolutely!” he declares. “This ain’t no one off. I’ve written too many songs.”

Rodrick Dixon, tenor

Rodrick Dixon possesses a tenor voice of extraordinary range and versatility that has earned him the respect and attention of leading conductors, orchestras, and opera companies throughout North America.

Notable recent engagements include appearances with Los Angeles Opera in the title role of Zemlinky’s Der Zwerg conducted by James Conlon. He earned critical acclaim and an invitation to return with Maestro Conlon to the Cincinnati May Festival as tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Carmina Burana, Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, and Rossini’s Stabat Mater, and with the Philadelphia Orchestra for more performances of Der Zwerg. He has also appeared at the Vail Music Festival as tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony conducted by Marin Alsop.

Recent notable appearances include a return to Los Angeles to debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the title role of Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen and directed by Peter Sellars and repeated the production at the Sydney Arts Festival in Australia. He also appeared as tenor soloist with the Atlanta Symphony conducted by Robert Spano and, this spring, returned to the Cincinnati May Festival at the invitation of James Conlon. This summer, he was the featured tenor soloist in Madison Opera’s “Opera in the Park.” This season includes a return to the Cincinnati May Festival for Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass and Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied and return to at the Ravinia Festival for The Bells.

Elsewhere on the operatic stage, Mr. Dixon has appeared with Los Angeles Opera as Walther von der Vogelweide in Tannhauser, Michigan Opera Theater as Tonio in La Fille Du Regiment, Todi Music Festival as Lenski in Eugene Onegin and as Tonio, Portland Opera in the title role of Les Contes d’Hoffmann; Opera Columbus for the world premiere of Vanqui (Prince); and the Virginia Opera as Sportin’ Life in Porgy & Bess.

As a part of “The Tenors: Cook, Dixon & Young,” he has appeared in concert with the Atlanta Symphony, Hollywood Bowl, Cincinnati Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Millennium Park; Elgin Symphony, Rackham Symphony Chorus and the Concordia Orchestra at Lincoln Center.

A gifted recitalist, Mr. Dixon earned rave reviews for his Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast honoring Roland Hayes on WFMT-FM/Chicago. He has also presented pre-concert recitals at the Cincinnati May Festival; completed a 30 city tour for Community Concerts and a duet concert “Following in the Footsteps” at Hampton University with Soprano Alfreda Burke, with whom he has also appeared in duet recitals for the Umbria Music Festival in Italy, Anchorage, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Tennessee, Detroit, Toronto, Dayton and Chicago. He participated as a guest soloist for the Cincinnati Symphony’s New Year’s Eve Celebration.

His extensive television credits include PBS specials: The US Air Force 60th Anniversary Gala (2007), Cook, Dixon & Young Volume One (2005), Washington Opera Gala at Constitution Hall (2003), The Mark Twain Awards Honoring Whoopi Goldberg at Kennedy Center (2002), My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs at City Center (2000). Other TV appearances include: The Tavis Smiley Show on PBS/NPR (2006), The Jerry Lewis Telethon (2002-2003), Marshall Fields’ Christmas Commercials (2002), TV One’s Christmas Specials (2006/07), WGN’s A Christmas Glory (2003 and 2006), The Tony Awards (1998), NBC’s Today Show, Good Morning America, The Rosie O’Donnell Show (2002) and The Wayne Brady Show.

Rodrick Dixon’s musical theater credits include the original cast of Ragtime on Broadway, Show Boat at the Auditorium Theatre, Pops Concerts at Grant Park Music Festival, The Chicagoland Pops Orchestra at the Rosemont Theater and the Cincinnati Pops with Eric Kunzel.

Mr. Dixon’s most recent recordings (Sony/BMG), PBS Great Performances Cook, Dixon & Young Volume One released in 2005, Follow That Star Christmas CD (2003), Liam Lawton’s Sacred Land (2006) and Rodrick Dixon Live in Concert (2008). In December of 2008 Mr. Dixon performed Christmas concerts of “Too Hot To Handel” at Detroit Opera House and at the Auditorium Theatre under the baton of Suzanne Acton as well as tour and continues to perform with “The Tenors-Cook, Dixon & Young.”

Jacqueline Echols, soprano

Soprano Jacqueline Echols, a Detroit native has appeared with the Cincinnati Opera as a young artist performing roles such as Countess Ceprano in Verdi’s Rigoletto and the First Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Jacqueline also appeared with the New York Harlem Productions featured in such roles as Clara and the lead role, Bess of the opera Porgy and Bess. She was also featured in a documentary, “Porgy and Me”, which was premiered in Germany theatres in January 2010. During her Masters degree studies at CCM, she was featured as The Female Chorus in Brittan’s The Rape of Lucretia and as the Countess in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro for CCM’s main stage opera production and CCM Spoleto, Italy summer program. She will be performing again with the Cincinnati Opera as Clara in their first production of Gerswhin’s Porgy and Bess during their 2012 season. Jacqueline is currently completing an Artist Diploma at CCM.

John Morris Russell, conductor

With the advent of the 2011-2012 season, John Morris Russell began his full-time tenure as Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops, one of Cincinnati’s most treasured assets and one of the world’s most respected pops orchestras. Consistently winning international praise for his extraordinary music-making and visionary leadership, this season John Morris Russell also begins his post as Principal Guest Conductor of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, in Hilton Head, South Carolina. He is also Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in Ontario, Canada.

With his position at the Pops, Mr. Russell leads performances at Cincinnati’s Music Hall and the Riverbend Music Center; additionally he conducts the orchestra in concerts throughout the Greater Cincinnati region as well as on tour—serving as a musical ambassador to help cultivate the reputation of the Cincinnati region as one of the world’s leading cultural centers. No stranger to Cincinnati audiences, for many seasons John Morris Russell served as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

He was recognized for his innovative programming and commitment to attracting new and diverse audiences to orchestral music, creating the Classical Roots: Spiritual Heights series, which brought the music of African-American composers and performers to thousands of listeners in area churches, and was also the co-creator of the Christmas spectacular, Home for the Holidays.

As a guest conductor, Mr. Russell has worked with many of North America’s most distinguished ensembles, leading Canadian orchestras that include Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, Kitchener-Waterloo and Orchestra London. In the US he has conducted the orchestras of Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Dallas, Louisville, Miami’s New World Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, Colorado Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, New York Pops, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Cleveland Orchestra at the Blossom Music Festival.  Abroad he conducted at the famed Musikverein in Vienna in a concert that featured the Harlem Boychoir, the Vienna Choir Boys and the actor Gregory Peck. The performance continues to be televised throughout Europe, Japan and in the USA on PBS.

2011-2012 marks Mr. Russell’s eleventh and final season as Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. While at Windsor he fostered a decade of unprecedented artistic growth and invigorated the musical life of the Windsor-Essex region. Under John Morris Russell’s baton, the WSO made seventeen national broadcasts on CBC Radio 2; the most recent broadcast recording of Aurora Borealis by Jordon Nobles, was selected to represent Canada in June, 2010 in the 57th annual International Rostrum of Composers in Lisbon, Portugal.

The WSO’s first nationally televised production was created with Mr. Russell for the CBC Television series Opening Night, and subsequently won the Gold Worldmedal for “Best Performance Program” at the New York Festivals Awards for Television and New Media, as well as a Gemini Award Nomination. In 2006 the Windsor Symphony Orchestra released Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf narrated by the internationally acclaimed actor, Colm Feore, and Last Minute Lulu, composed by WSO Composer-in-Residence, Brent Lee, with text by the Newbery Medal winning author, Christopher Paul Curtis. The recording won Mr. Russell and the WSO its first Juno nomination for Best Children’s Album in 2008. Mr. Russell helped nurture many new voices in Canadian music, conducting numerous Windsor premiers of important Canadian works and over 45 world premiers of commissioned compositions.

He created the WSO’s first multi-year composer-in-residence position, and was deeply involved in the production of the annual Windsor Canadian Music Festival, described by CBC producer David Jaeger as, “one of the most exciting and innovative developments to appear lately in the Canadian musical scene.” A two-time recipient of Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor’s Award for the Arts, as well as the Ontario Arts Council’s Vida Peene Award for Artistic Excellence, in 2010 Mr. Russell received the prestigious Herb Gray Harmony Award by the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County, in recognition of the WSO’s programming and outreach activities.

In October of 2010 he was honored as the first recipient of the Arts Leadership Award by the Windsor Endowment for the Arts, in recognition of the enormous contribution he has made to the region’s cultural life.  And in the spring of 2011 the University of Windsor awarded John Morris Russell an Honorary Doctor of Law degree.

John Morris Russell is widely considered one of North America’s leaders in orchestral educational programming. From 1997 to 2009 he conducted the “LinkUP!” educational concert series at Carnegie Hall, the oldest and most celebrated series of its kind, created by Walter Damrosch in 1891 and made famous by Leonard Bernstein.

The “Sound Discoveries” series Mr. Russell developed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra remains a leading model for educational concerts. In Windsor, his commitment to education was evidenced by his creation of concert series and projects that included Peanut Butter n’ Jam, Family Jamboree and One Community—One Symphony plus he spearheaded the creation of The Windsor-Essex Youth Choir and the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra.

John Morris Russell has also served as associate conductor of the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, director of the orchestral program at Vanderbilt University, and music director with the College Light Opera Company in Falmouth, Massachusetts. He received a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Williams College in Massachusetts. He has also studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, and the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Hancock, Maine.