All Concerts $19: Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 Only!

Beginning Monday, November 29 through Wednesday, December 1 the Akron Symphony will sell tickets to all remaining 2010-2011 concerts for the incredibly low price of $19 each Read more

UPDATED: RAC 2010 Highlights!

The Beacon Journal/Ohio.com was on hand as the Akron Symphony debuted the first in a series of Random Acts of Culture on Saturday afternoon at Summit Mall. The performance of “Amazing Grace” was captured by reporters and can be seen here. Reporter John Higgins was on the scene to get reactions from those who witnessed the “surprise serenade.”

* Photos: Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal

UPDATED: Check out video highlights of all of the Akron Symphony’s Random Acts!

Holiday Pops This Friday!

Conductor Carl Topilow (Cleveland Pops) returns with his red clarinet to lead the Akron Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Read more

Porgy and Bess Update From The Maestro

Music Director Christopher Wilkins updates us on the status of Porgy and Bess:

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We have had two rounds of chorus auditions this fall. The chorus positions are now 95% filled. I am thrilled beyond words at the quality and enthusiasm of our chorus. Without a doubt, it will be one of the most distinuguished professional choruses ever assembled in the Akron area.

The lead roles of Porgy, Bess and Crown were offered at the outset to Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, and Lester Lynch. They are all considered the top artists in the world for this opera. Lester Lynch, as it turns out, is also a native of Northeast Ohio.

We have also heard about 20 people compete for the many remaining solo roles in Porgy and Bess. Several of these singers were invited subsequent to their successful audition for the chorus. The roles still available include Sportin’ Life, Serena, and Clara, among others. A second round of soloist auditions will be held this coming weekend. To this point, we’ve heard fine singers of all levels of experience at these auditions: well established professional singers, young artists just beginning their careers, and exceptional students from schools in the area, including several highly accomplished musicians from the University of Akron.

~ Christopher

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The Akron Symphony’s production of Porgy and Bess is sponsored by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and will hit the stage at The University of Akron’s E.J. Thomas Hall on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Tickets are available from $20-$40 by calling (330) 535-8131 or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Random Acts Of Culture

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded the Akron Symphony a $30,000 grant to to bring the Foundation’s “Random Acts of Culture series” to greater Akron.

According to a press release issued by the Knight Foundation on Tuesday, the program “brings classical artists out of the performance halls and into the streets and our everyday lives. Think Mozart at the Food Court. A tango in an airport terminal.”

The Random Acts of Culture (RAC) initiative includes 1,000 performances planned over the next three years across eight cities: Akron, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Macon, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Jose, California, and St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Knight Foundation has set up a website showcasing videos of the performances at www.RandomActsofCulture.org.

Beacon Journal reporter Rich Heldenfels recently spoke with Akron Symphony Executive Director Phil Walz about the status of the program in Akron:

”What we are in the process of doing is identifying spaces in the community where we can do them,” said Phil Walz, executive director of the Greater Akron Musical Association, which operates the symphony. ”And we have identified the entities, some of which are Greater Akron Musical Association entities — members of the orchestra, members of our gospel chorus — but also entities that are not under the [association] umbrella. . . .We’re in the process of setting that all up.”

The Akron Symphony’s plan is for 40 performances between Nov. 20 and Dec. 10 each lasting five to 10 minutes.

To read the full release issued by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, click here.

To read the entire Beacon Journal/Ohio.com article, click here.

Maria Sellner Chats With ClevelandClassical

Newly appointed Akron Symphony Chorus (ASC) Director Maria Sensi Sellner recently spoke with ClevelandClassical.com’s Daniel Hathaway about her former life as an engineer, her future plans for the ASC, and their role in this Saturday’s concert.

New chorus Master Maria Sensi Sellner came onboard in July and had little to do with the selections on the menu for the chorus this year, but she’s excited about preparing the Vaughan Williams. “It’s not your typical choral piece with orchestra, with all the different solo lines and punctuations by full chorus which are often very short, but have to have a significant impact. There’s also the density of the choral texture. Voices are divided into six parts each, women and men, and often move in contrary motion in waves of phrases that almost seem to go against each other. Making them effective is a challenge!”

Read the entire article here.