JC Symphony Orchestra opens season on Sept. 9

By Staff Reports

The Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Robert J. Seebacher, will open its 2012-13 season with its annual free outdoor concert on Sept. 9 at Winged Deer Park.

This year’s season celebrates Orchestral Journeys. “In our 43rd season, the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra will take our audience on many musical journeys,” said Seebacher. “From the Tales of the Arabian Knights in ‘Scheherazade,’ to Beethoven’s picturesque ‘Pastorale’ Symphony, to Strauss’s magnificent representation of the journey of Life itself, this season’s guest artists and your JCSO are sure to fill your heart with thrilling and beautiful music!”

This year’s free outdoor pops concert features marches, movie music, show tunes and your Pops favorites. The Sept. 9 concert starts at 6 p.m. at Winged Deer Park on Boone Lake.

Opening Night for the subscription series, Oct. 13, features Russian Legends Mikhail Glinka and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The symphony will perform Glinka’s Overture to “Russlan and Ludmilla,” and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade,” Op. 35. All concerts in the subscription series will be held in the wonderfully refurbished Mary B. Martin Auditorium at Seeger Chapel, Milligan College, at 7:30 p.m.

The second concert in the series, scheduled for Nov. 10, features soprano Angelique Clay, operatic and oratorio soloist on the faculty of University of Kentucky. Clay is also member of the American Spiritual Ensemble, a select group of 16-22 singers who perform American Spirituals while seeking to preserve that genre’s legacy. Selections for the evening include Richard Strauss’s Sunrise from “Also Sprach Zarathustra” and Four Last Songs, and Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished.”

Dec. 8 is the date for the symphony’s annual holiday concert. “Mirth, Merriment, and Mithril” brings the Celtic ensemble, Mithril, to share the stage at Seeger Hall. One of the most sought after Celtic/World music groups, Mithril has a unique progressive style that has its roots in Celtic music, but moves beyond that, mixing such influences as American folk, classical and Middle Eastern melodies into their full tapestry of sound. Celebrate the Season with holiday favorites and the excitement of Mithril.

Violinist Bella Hristova joins the symphony on Feb. 16, 2013, for a mostly Beethoven evening. Described as having a “commanding stage presence” by the publication for the string music world, the Strad, the Bulgarian violinist made her debut in 2009 in New York City, after winning the First Prize at the 2008-09 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. Since then, she has toured in Europe, Mexico, and the U.S. This concert will feature Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio, Symphony No. 6., “Pastorale,” and Violin Concerto in D major.

The season series finale on March 9, “Prokoviev, Paris, and the Piano,” will feature pianist Caroline Oltmanns performing Camille Saint-Saens’s Piano Concerto No. 4. Oltmanns, an International Steinway Artist, has been praised in the press for her “impeccable technique and expressivity.” She has toured internationally appearing with orchestras, and frequently performs and premieres works by contemporary composers. Also on the program is Serge Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5.

The fifth in a series of special concerts offered by James Martin in memory of his wife, the Mary B. Martin Memorial Concert, will be held April 6 at the Mary B. Martin Auditorium of Seeger Hall at Milligan College. The concert series has become highly anticipated and very popular. This year’s guest artist and ticket prices will be announced soon.

Season tickets are now available online at www.jcsymphony.com or by calling the symphony office at 926-8742. Tickets for the entire season range from $70 to $120. Individual concert tickets are also available for $30 for adults, $25 for seniors (65+), and $10 for students. The Mary B. Martin Memorial Concert is not part of the subscription season and tickets must be purchased separately. The symphony accepts Master Card, Visa and Discover. Concerts are partially funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.