Wheeling Symphony Orchestra

The Nutcracker in Wheeling on 12/16/11

bobwheel — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:01:46 +0000

Come see The Nutcracker full ballet performed with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, conducted by André Raphel. Two performances will be held: Friday, Dec. 16 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m., both at Wheeling’s Capitol Theatre.

Christopher Bandy, choreographer

Plus: Sugar Plum Social for children @ noon Dec. 17 at the Capitol Theatre Ballroom, and a pre-concert party with activities for children. Cost for the
social is $10. Call 304.232.6191 for your social reservation, as availability will be limited.

Sponsored by Chesapeake Energy and the Lynne and Ben Exley IV Charitable Trust Inc.

Media sponsor for these performances is WTOV9.

The Sugar Plum Social is sponsored by Spillman Thomas & Battle Pllc.

Music Under The Stars

bobwheel — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:44:22 +0000

The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and André Raphel, Conductor, will present a free concert, open to the public on Sunday, Sept. 4, at the Anne Kuchinka Amphitheatre in Wheeling’s Oglebay Park. The WSO also will perform Monday, Sept. 5 at the Hazel Ruby McQuain Riverfront, Morgantown, at 7 p.m.

Featuring guest vocalist Margaret Carlson, the concerts begins at 7:30 p.m. Early attendees to the Wheeling concert will be treated to Janet Sparks’ Suzuki violin students, at 6 p.m.

Fireworks following the concert!

Come Along For WSO’s Free July Concert Tour

bobwheel — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:17:19 +0000

Follow the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra’s July Tour: Free Concerts to Celebrate America!

The symphony will perform four free concerts:

→ At 7:30 p.m. on July 1 at the Weir High School soccer field in Weirton;

→ At 7:30 p.m. on July 2 at Nutter Fort in Clarksburg;

→ At 3 p.m. on July 3 at Canaan Valley State Park;

→ And at 7:30 p.m. on July 4 at Heritage Port Amphitheatre in Wheeling.

All concerts will feature internationally renowned vocalist and stage performer David Gaschen. André Raphel will conduct.

Sponsors for the Wheeling concert include: City of Wheeling, Ohio County Commission, Riesbeck’s Food Markets, Project BEST, and The Music Performance
Trust Fund of the U.S. Recording Industries Local 142. WTRF-TV is the media sponsor.

Announcing Our 2011-2012 Season

bobwheel — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:14:47 +0000


“Celebrating the Past, Orchestrating the Future”

The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and Music Director André Raphel announced their 2011-2012 Season featuring the music of towering composers such as Brahms, exciting co-commissioned works, the thrill of cirque, and the cool swinging sounds of jazz and blues.

The season announcement was held Tuesday at a reception for subscribers, donors, community leaders and the press at the Capitol Theatre Ballroom.

Appropriately titled “Celebrating the Past, Orchestrating the Future,” the season highlights important musical friendships between composers Dvorak and Brahms, and a world premiere by composer Richard Danielpour. The Danielpour work is a co-commission with the Manhattan School of Music in New York and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. The season also focuses on unique collaborations with artists, welcoming back Pops favorites Five By Design with legendary alto saxophonist Richie Cole and the breath-taking acrobats of Cirque de la Symphonie.

Masterworks performances include the young, up-and-coming violinist Caitlin Tully and pianist Jeffrey Biegel performing Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Shadows, a global co-commissioned work for piano & orchestra.

“The 2011-2012 Season celebrates music of the past with traditional favorites and new music of our time,” said Mr. Raphel. “It’s a season that features exciting works by Copland and Ravel and a season in which we commemorate an important milestone in American history, the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.”

The WSO 2011-2012 Season includes:

Masterworks I: Carnival at the Capitol
Friday, September 23, 2011 @ 8 p.m.
André Raphel, conductor
Caitlin Tully, violin

Dvorak: Carnival Overture
Chausson: Poeme, op.25
Ravel: Tzigane
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

Acclaimed violinist and rising star Caitlin Tully will perform Chausson’s mysterious and nostalgic Poeme and Ravel’s gypsy-inspired Tzigane. Tully made her debut with the Vancouver Symphony at the age of 10, displaying a musical maturity and inspiration far beyond her years. Upon hearing her, Yehudi Menuhin said she “plays with more integrity than any young violinist I have ever heard.” Since then, Tully has collaborated with conductors including Kent Nagano, Hans Graf, Pinchas Steinberg, Peter Oundjian, Bramwell Tovey, Peter Bay, Jeffrey Kahane, Daniel Hege, Murry Sidlin and Benjamin Zander. She has appeared with, among many others, the Pittsburgh Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, Toronto Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, Louisville Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, and at the Britt Festivals.

Pops I: Cool and Swingin’
Friday, October 14, 2011 @ 8 p.m.
André Raphel, conductor
Richie Cole, saxophone
Five By Design, vocals

This concert will be cool and swingin’ with vocalese jazz from Five By Design and featuring sax master Richie Cole. Set in the format of a radio broadcast, this concert will feature music from the American Song Book and sax master Cole’s amazing music career, spanning 40 years from his days touring with legends Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton.

Masterworks II: 11.11.11 – An American Salute
Friday, November 11, 2011 @ 8 p.m.
André Raphel, conductor
Randall Scarlata, baritone
Elisa Kohanski, cello

Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Danielpour: Come Up From The Fields Father, World Premiere
Copland: Symphony No. 3

This Veteran’s Day performance will be a grand salute to those who have served our country featuring Copland’s monumental Symphony No. 3, which includes the popular “Fanfare for the Common Man.” This program also includes the world premiere of Richard Danielpour’s Civil War-inspired “Come Up From The Fields Father”. The work based on poetry by Walt Whitman features critically acclaimed baritone Randall Scarlata; and Elisa Kohanski, principal cellist of the Wheeling Symphony and the Pittsburgh Ballet Orchestra.

Pops II: Cirque de la Symphonie
Friday, Feb. 10, 2012
André Raphel, conductor
Cirque de la Symphonie

Cirque de la Symphonie brings the magic of cirque to the concert hall. First performing with the WSO in the 2008-2009 Season, Cirque de la Symphonie is returning this season by popular demand. This thrilling adaptation of cirque performances on a stage shared with the symphony showcases many of the best artists in the world, bedazzling audiences with aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers, and strongmen. These are among the most accomplished veterans of exceptional cirque programs throughout the world. The artists are the best in the business, and they include world record holders, gold-medal winners of international competitions, and some of the most original talent seen anywhere. Each artist’s performance is choreographed to the music that will be performed.

Masterworks III: Piano Forte with Biegel and Zwilich
Friday, March 9, 2012 @ 8 p.m.
André Raphel, conductor
Jeffrey Biegel, piano

Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Shadows (co-commissioned work for piano & orchestra)
Schubert: Symphony No. 9 (The Great C Major)

The WSO goes global with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Shadows. The orchestra joins other orchestras from all over the world for this co-commissioned work that reflects the migration of the human spirit. Renowned for his electrifying technique and mesmerizing touch, pianist Jeffrey Biegel was able neither to hear nor speak, until corrected by surgery at the age of 3. The ‘reverse Beethoven’ phenomenon can explain Biegel’s life in music, having heard only vibrations in his formative years.

Pops III: Blues in G Minor
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 8 p.m.
Shakura S’Aida, vocalist

Canadian vocalist and entertainer Shakura S’Aida was a hit at the Heritage Music Blues Fest in Wheeling in 2010. S’Aida brings cross-over potential to the WSO, appealing to blues enthusiasts and symphony-goers alike in a blues orientated program with orchestrations.

Masterworks IV: Sohn Shines
Friday, May 11, 2012 @ 8 p.m.
André Raphel, conductor
Livia Sohn, violin

Berlioz: Overture to Benvenuto Cellini
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 (Classical Symphony)
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2

Audiences will be thrilled by Tchaikovsky’s magnificent melodies as performed by the orchestra and violin sensation Livia Sohn. Sohn performs widely on the international stage as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and festival guest in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand.

The orchestra also will present several special event concerts, including Tchaikovsky’s holiday favorite The Nutcracker on December 16 and 17, 2011, the July 4th free concert at Heritage Port, the free Music Under the Stars concert at Oglebay Park, and Young People’s Concerts in Spring 2012.

All regular season concerts will be held at the historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Wheeling. Subscriptions are available in the choice of any three, four or all seven concerts.

Wheeling Symphony concerts are presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.

For more information on the Wheeling Symphony’s 2011-2012 Season or to become a season subscriber, call 304.232.6191 or 800.395.9241.

Masterworks IV: Sohn Shines in Wheeling on 05/11/12

bobwheel — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:37:25 +0000

Audiences will be thrilled by Tchaikovsky’s magnificent melodies as performed by the orchestra and violin sensation, Livia Sohn. From France and Russia with Love!

Berlioz: Overture to Benvenuto Cellini

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major – Ms. Sohn

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 (Classical Symphony)

Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2

Pops III: Blues in G Minor in Wheeling on 04/20/12

bobwheel — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:38:22 +0000

Canadian vocalist and actress Shakura S’Aida was a hit at the Heritage Music Blues Fest in Wheeling in 2010. S’Aida will serve as the cross-over artist the WSO has been searching for, appealing to blue enthusiasts and symphony-goers alike performing a blues orientated program with orchestration.

Masterworks III: Piano Forte with Biegel and Zwilich on 03/09/12

bobwheel — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:37:10 +0000

The WSO goes global with Pulitzer Prize composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Shadows. Your orchestra joins other orchestras from all over the world for this co-commissioned work that reflects the migration of the human spirit.

Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Shadows (Co-commissioned work for piano & orchestra) – Mr. Biegel

Schubert: Symphony No. 9 (The Great C Major)

This concert and the co-commission are sponsored by Paul T. Tucker.

WTOV9 is the Masterworks Media Sponsor.

Pops II: Cirque de la Symphonie in Wheeling on 02/10/12

bobwheel — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:36:20 +0000

Get your tickets before we sell out! The magic of cirque in the music hall! Back by popular demand – the incredible acrobats of Cirque de la Symphonie perform to the sounds of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra!

Masterworks II: 11.11.11 – An American Salute on Veteran’s Day

bobwheel — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:33:54 +0000

A grand salute on this Veteran’s Day performance to those who have served. The World Premiere of Richard Danielpour’s Come Up From The Fields Father, (featuring renowned baritone Randall Scarlata and principal WSO cellist Elisa Kohanski) and the joyous Fanfare for the Common Man from Copland’s Symphony No. 3. An American salute to America’s finest!

Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

Danielpour: Come Up From The Fields Father, World Premiere – Mr. Scarlata and Ms. Kohanski

Copland: Symphony No. 3

Sponsored by: Elizabeth Stifel Kline Foundation

WTOV9

This is a Wheeling Symphony College Concert Series performance presented by Wheeling Jesuit University

Come Up From the Fields Father

By Walt Whitman

Come up from the fields, father, here’s a letter from our Pete,
And come to the front door, mother, here’s
a letter from thy dear son.

Lo, ’tis autumn,
Lo, where the trees, deeper green, yellower and redder,
Cool and sweeten Ohio’s villages with leaves
     fluttering in the moderate wind,
Where apples ripe in the orchards hang and
     grapes on the trellis’d vines,
(Smell you the smell of the grapes on the vines?
Smell you the buckwheat where the bees were lately buzzing?)
Above all, lo, the sky so calm, so transparent
     after the rain, and with wondrous clouds,
Below too, all calm, all vital and beautiful,
     and the farm prospers well.

Down in the fields all prospers well,
But now from the fields come, father, come
     at the daughter’s call,
And come to the entry, mother, to the front door come right away.
Fast as she can she hurries, something ominous,
     her steps trembling,
She does not tarry to smooth her hair nor
     adjust her cap.

Open the envelope quickly,
0 this is not our son’s writing, yet his name
     is sign’d,
0 a strange hand writes for our dear son,
     0 stricken mother’s soul!
All swims before her eyes, flashes with black,
     she catches the main words only,
Sentences broken, gunshot wound in the breast,
     cavalry skirmish, taken to hospital,
At present low, but will soon be better.

Ah, now the single figure to me,
Amid all teeming and wealthy Ohio with all
its cities and farms,
Sickly white in the face and dull in the head,
very faint,
By the jamb of a door leans.

Grieve not so, dear mother (the just-grown
     daughter speaks through her sobs,
The little sisters huddle around speechless and
     dismay’d),
See, dearest mother, the letter says Pete will
     soon be better.

Alas, poor boy, he will never be better (nor maybe
needs to be better, that brave and simple soul),
While they stand at home at the door he is
dead already,
The only son is dead.

But the mother needs to be better,
She with thin form presently drest in black,
By day her meals untouch’d, then at night
     fitfully sleeping, often waking,
In the midnight waking, weeping, longing with
     one deep longing,
0 that she might withdraw unnoticed, silent
     from life escape and withdraw,
To follow, to seek, to be with her dear dead
     son.

Pops I: Cool and Swingin’ on 10/14/11

bobwheel — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:32:37 +0000

Vocalese jazz with Five By Design featuring sax master Richie Cole! Set in the format of a radio broadcast, this concert will include music from the American Song Book and Cole’s amazing music career, spanning 40 years from his days touring with legends Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton.

Wheeling Symphony Orchestra

The Nutcracker in Wheeling on 12/16/11

The Details:

Music Under The Stars

Come Along For WSO’s Free July Concert Tour

Announcing Our 2011-2012 Season

“Celebrating the Past, Orchestrating the Future”

Masterworks IV: Sohn Shines in Wheeling on 05/11/12

The Details:

Pops III: Blues in G Minor in Wheeling on 04/20/12

The Details:

Masterworks III: Piano Forte with Biegel and Zwilich on 03/09/12

The Details:

Pops II: Cirque de la Symphonie in Wheeling on 02/10/12

The Details:

Masterworks II: 11.11.11 – An American Salute on Veteran’s Day

The Details:

Pops I: Cool and Swingin’ on 10/14/11

The Details: