Fanfare Cincinnati Podcast

Everyone’s story – everyone’s journey is unique. For most of us, merely setting our sights on achieving a goal is not enough and we look to others for guidance and support along the way. On this episode, we hear about Ian Saunders’ extraordinary journey as a musician, and we visit with CSO Principal Bass Owen Lee for the first time on the podcast. This episode is most definitely “All About that Bass.”

This episode features conversations with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Music Director Louis Langrée and percussionists Richard Jensen and Michael Culligan about the exciting new critical edition of Gershwin’s An American in Paris – taxi horns and all – and realizing the full sonic power of Varèse’s massive Amériques.

A supportive community is key to having a vibrant arts scene and a top-tier orchestra in Cincinnati. To understand the magnitude of this support, consider that in the past decade alone, ArtsWave, Cincinnati’s united arts fund, has contributed over $35 million dollars to support the CSO. Simply put, the Orchestra’s impact would be significantly diminished without this funding support. On this episode, we talk to Alecia Kintner from ArtsWave and Cincinnati Pops Conductor John Morris Russell.

With the announcement of the CSO’s 125th Anniversary season comes the launch of new initiatives both on and off the stage that seek to build on the Orchestra’s legacy. This coming season reflects not only the Orchestra’s artistry, but also a commitment to propelling the art form forward, fulfilling the CSO’s mission to seek and share inspiration, and advancing a vision to engage broader audiences and our wider community. From introducing an exciting new concert format, to experimenting with innovative performance elements to the commissioning of new American works, the 19-20 season affirms the CSO’s core value to be a place of experimentation. On this episode, we discuss the 125th anniversary season with CSO President Jonathan Martin and we also hear from Music Director Louis Langrée.

The CSO attracts talented musicians from around the world to become part of the community in Cincinnati. A major reason we launched this podcast was for listeners to get to know these musicians and on this episode, we talk with Associate Concertmaster Stefani Matsuo and Assistant Concertmaster Philip Marten. We’ll learn how they came to be musicians and find out about their respective roles in the Orchestra, particularly important in a season where the CSO is searching for a new concertmaster.

Composer Jonathan Bailey Holland’s connection to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra dates back to the world premiere of Halcyon Sun in 2004. The relationship has continued through the years, and for the 2018-19 season, he is the CSO’s Composer-in-Residence. On this episode of our podcast, we talk to Jonathan Bailey Holland about his most recent commission for the CSO, which had its world premiere in November. We also talk to Education Programs Manager Becky Spiewak and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music composition student Mabel Lecrone about the work Jonathan is doing in Cincinnati as part of his residency.

We said from the very beginning that this podcast provides an opportunity for listeners to explore the world of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Pops, and the region's vibrant arts scene through conversations with performers, conductors and the people behind the scenes who make the music possible. On today's episode, we hear from two CSO musicians - Principal Clarinet Chris Pell, who recently joined the CSO, and Principal Trumpet Bob Sullivan, who re-joined the CSO after some years spent teaching at Northwestern University. We'll talk about how they came to be musicians, how they came to Cincinnati, and about their critically important roles within the Orchestra.

CSO President Jonathan Martin told the Business Courier in September that orchestras must be focused on relevance and value to succeed in the 21st century. In this episode of our podcast, we talk to Jonathan Martin, CSO Director of Audience Engagement Amber Ostaszewski and two curators for the Orchestra’s Friday Orange series about relevance, value and discovering ways to attract and engage audiences.

The year 1918 marked the end of the First World War and a cultural awakening in America. This episode focuses on the Cincinnati Pops’ highly-anticipated new album, American Originals: 1918, captured live at Music Hall and featuring popular music of that era. Pops Conductor John Morris Russell, Keyboardist Julie Spangler and Administrator Sam Strater dive into uniquely American sounds and talk about the collaborations with Rhiannon Giddens, Pokey LaFarge and Steep Canyon Rangers.

As the media landscape has gone through major changes in the past decade, so has local arts coverage. This episodes explores how that landscape affects arts organizations and journalists alike. Guests are longtime Cincinnati music critic and reporter Janelle Gelfand and journalist and anchor Kathrine Nero.

A novel from over 400 years old – considered by many to be the first modern novel – has inspired centuries of music. This episode explores the world of Don Quixote with CSO Principal Viola Christian Colberg, who performs his own concerto inspired by the classic novel with the CSO in October, and Music Director Louis Langrée who built a concert program around interpretations of this classic story.

Stravinsky’s iconic Rite of Spring started a revolution and changed the musical language. It is regarded by many to be the greatest composition of the 20th century and in this episode of our podcast, we discuss Stravinsky’s masterpiece with CSO Music Director Louis Langrée. Of course Rite of Spring opens with a famous solo bassoon line and we’ll also meet the CSO’s new Principal Bassoon, Chris Sales.

The 2018-19 Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra season is upon us. In this episode, we talk season highlights with the CSO’s new Director of Artistic Administration and Planning Nate Bachhuber and also find out what Music Director Louis Langrée was up to over the summer.

Star Wars is an iconic film that changed the cultural landscape with an equally iconic film score by John Williams. In advance of the Cincinnati Pops performances in September, this episode examines the cultural impact of Star Wars with Assistant Principal Trumpet Chris Kiradjeff, Pops Director of Artistic Administration Sam Strater and Conductor John Morris Russell.

The second of a two-part episode explores the highly competitive world of orchestra auditions. Paul Pietrowski, Director of Orchestra Personnel, offers insights into the audition process and learn about Principal Violist Christian Colberg’s journey.