Tag Archives: Kentucky Symphony Orchestra

Dr. Divertimento
(unplugged party music)
7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 28, 2023
Greaves Concert Hall, NKU

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra opens its 32nd season October 28th with Dr. Divertimento, and over 200 years of unplugged party music. The divertimento — a light-hearted musical form, which often included dance tunes — was normally performed by smaller groups of musicians in the 18th c. to accompany indoor and outdoor banquets and social events. Composers of the 20th century brought these party beats to ballet and orchestral music.

Saturday’s program opens with Mozart’s Divertimento in D for oboe, horns and strings followed by Bartok’s intriguing Divertimento for strings. Following intermission, Stravinsky’s homage to Tchaikovsky brings the whole orchestra on stage for the Divertimento from The Fairy’s Kiss, before closing with Bernstein’s rambunctious Divertimento, written for the Boston Symphony.

While not quite the zaniness of Spike Jones, Tom Leher, Ray Stevens, or Weird Al Yankovic, we’re sure Dr. Demento (whose college thesis compared operas of Berg and Debussy) would approve of the KSO’s whimsical pairings and program title. It’s the KSO and Dr. Divertimento — 7:30 p.m., Saturday, October 28 at Greaves Concert Hall on the campus of NKU. Let’s party! For additional info and tickets — kyso.org or (859) 431-6216.

More on the KSO:
Since 1992, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of founder James R. Cassidy, has forged its unique brand of cultural entertainment via thematic programming,
while offering fresh presentations of classics, premieres and forays into jazz, film, dance, semi-staged operas and musicals, long before they were common place with orchestras today. Serving as a farm team to major and regional orchestras across the nation, the KSO offers professional musicians and audiences opportunities to perform and hear great and varied music. Subscription series concerts are the only ticketed performances, as the KSO’s six Summer concerts and its education outreach programs are completely free to attendees. In its fourth decade of serving the tristate, the KSO continues to make symphonic music and the concert experience attractive, accessible and affordable for all.

TV Guide
(TV Themes & Toons of the 1950s-Today)

7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 2, 2023 (Devou Park) Covington, KY
7:30 p.m. Sunday, September 3, 2023 (Tower Park) Ft. Thomas, KY
7:00 p.m. September 4, 2023 (Woodside Arboretum) Middletown, OH

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra closes its 2023 Summer Park Series with nostalgic television themes and cartoons. Since the 1950s television shows and cartoons have captivated every generation and remain a source of reminiscences and fond memories today.

The first half brings back the sounds of the black and white sit-coms (Bewitched, The Addams Family, I Dream of Jeannie) along with sci-fi (Time Tunnel, Lost in Space) drama (Mission Impossible, Dynasty, LA Law), variety (Benny Hill) and sports (NBC NFL Football) and much more.

After intermission the KSO remembers Saturday morning cartoons from The Animaniacs to Casper, Rocky and Bullwinkle to The Jetsons. Then as the sun disappears, the projector winds up for full-length cartoon features (Bugs Bunny, Pink Panther and Tom & Jerry) accompanied live by the KSO.

Almost none of these TV themes and cartoons would have been possible to present without the incredible talents of KSO arrangers Terry LaBolt and Scot Woolley. Their efforts have allowed the KSO to produce unique programming for decades.

Join the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra with the themes of your favorite shows and toons from yesteryear 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 2, in Devou Park (Covington); 7:30 p.m. Sunday, September 3, at Tower Park (Fort Thomas); and 7 p.m. Monday (Labor Day), September 4 at Woodside Cemetery & Arboretum (Middletown, OH). Bring blankets, picnics or lawn chairs. Saturday’s TANK park & ride shuttle from Covington Catholic departs on the half hour starting at 6 p.m. (1$ each way). Concessions are available in Devou Park. Food trucks will be on-site in Tower Park.

Bring blankets, picnics or lawn chairs. For more information, registration (for weather updates) and directions, visit the KSO at http://www.kyso.org or call (859) 431-6216. The concert and parking are free, though a $5 (per person) donation to the KSO is suggested.

TV Guide
(TV Themes & Toons of the 1950s-today)

The Wide Receiver (NBC NFL Football) – John Williams

Black & White 60’s TV Olio – Terry LaBolt

• Three Stooges, Bewitched, Dick Van Dyke
• I Love Lucy, The Addams Family, Leave it to Beaver
• My Three Sons, I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters

Yakety Sax (Benny Hill) – Boots Randolph / LaBolt

Johnny Williams TV Themes – John Williams / LaBolt

• Land of Giants, Time Tunnel, Lost in Space

Mission Impossible Theme – Lalo Schifrin / LaBolt

TV Spectacular – James Curnow

• NBC News, Growing Pains, Night Court,
  L.A. Law, MASH, Dynasty

Theme from The Simpsons – Danny Elfman

Intermission

Theme from the Animaniacs – Richard Stone / J. Bernstein

“Cartooneage” – Terry LaBolt

• Bugs Bunny Show, Merry Melodies, Popeye,
• Casper, Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Jetsons

“Pink, Plank Plunk” – Ludwig Van Beethoven / Scot Woolley

“Baton Bunny” – Franz von Suppe / Woolley

“Tom & Jerry at the Hollywood Bowl” – J. Strauss, Jr. / Scott Bradley

Coming Next at the KSO:
Dr. Divertimento
7:30 October 28, 2023 Greaves Concert Hall, NKU
(Unplugged party music by Mozart, Bartok, Stravinsky & Bernstein)

Swing Revival meets Electro Swing
(Millennial vs Gen Z Swing)
7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, 2023
Newport Car Barn
1102 Brighton St. Newport, KY

Hey, Hep Cats & Hip Hoppers, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra closes its 31st season with a battle of generations —1990s vs 2020s The event center at the Newport Car Barn is the venue for the region’s (likely the nation’s) first Neo/Electro Swing mixer— 7:30 p.m., May 13th.

Swing Revival or Neo-Swing was a musical phenomenon of the 1990s as west coast bands rooted in the Swing era of the 1930-40s began seasoning their sound with rock-a-billy, boogie woogie, jump blues and ska. Groups like Royal Crown Revue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy even made on-screen cameos in the films like The Mask (1994) and Swingers (1996), and brought this high energy swing into the mainstream and dance clubs across the nation. Brian Setzer covered Louis Prima’s original “Jump Jive and Wail,” which became a swing dance commercial for The Gap’s khakis line (1998).

The KSO launched its original 10-pc subsidiary group the Devou-Doo Daddies in 2015 to cover tunes by the groups above and others. Remaining relevant and current in all music means continually investigating the new music scenes world-wide. Electro Swing combines vintage and neo-swing influences with hip-hop, drum’n’ bass, and electronic dance music. Its popularity today is huge in Europe with arists like Caro Emerald, DJ Parov Stelar, Swingrowers, Atom Smith, Cut Capers and others, bringing (a feet don’t fail me now) swing to yet another generation. Whether you are a Millennial or Gen Z-er you won’t be sitting or standing still as the KSO throws down your swing music live and in person (See the full playlist and band roster attached).

The Newport Car Barn is an 1890s block-long building with a high ceiling in southwest Newport, and is evolving into a unique historic event center. The former trolley and bus depot features bars, and patron drop off on Brighton Street.

Don your retro look, grab your dance partner (or simply hang and finger wag) with the KSO’s Devou-Doo Daddies at the Newport Car Barn — 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13. Tickets are $35. The KSO continues to live stream its concerts for at home access for the price of a single ticket. For tickets and info go to kyso.org, or call (859) 431-6216.

Swing Revival meets Electro Swing
(Millennial vs Gen Z Swing)
7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, 2023
Newport Car Barn
1102 Brighton St. Newport, KY

Song | As performed by
Go Daddy-O* | Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (BBVD)
Bad Girls† | Atom Smith
Zoot Suit Riot* | Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
Get Down and Boogie† | Deladap
The Curly Shuffle• | Back in the Saddle Band
Healing Dance† | Swingrowers ft Davide Shorty
Bedbugs* | Squirrel Nut Zippers (SNZ)
Hey Pachuco | Royal Crown Revue
Say What?• | Cut Capers
Mambo Swing* | BBVD

The Jitters• | BBVD
What Chu Got?• | PiSk w/ Caro Emerald
You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3* | BBVD
Ghost of Stephen Foster* | SNZ
Jump Jive and Wail* | Brian Setzer
Champagne† | Swing’it
Tango Del Fuego† | Parov Stelar w/ Georgia Gibbs
I Wanna Be Like You* | BBVD
Get Movin’• | Cut Capers
So Long, Farewell* | BBVD

Arrangements adapted by Scott Woolley*, Terry LaBolt† and Tim Olt•

The KSO’s Devou-Doo Daddies
Troy Hitch – vocal
Emily Jordan – vocal
Dwayne Irvin – tenor sax, Cl
Phil Hilger – bari sax, Fl
Hank Mautner – trumpet
Dominic Marino – trombone
Ben Tweedt – keys
Brian Deyo – guitar
Mike Sharfe – bass
Jim Leslie – drums
Brian Malone – percussion
Manami White – violin
Laurynn Smith – back up-voca

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra journeys back 200 years to hang with prolific Classical composers who died or retired in their 30s. KSO musicians have requested Franz Schubert’s 9th Symphony (“The Great”) for decades, so the orchestra’s music director called upon a long standing cereal advertising campaign to tie Rossini, Mozart and Schubert selections together with — “They’re Grrreat!”

Gioachino Rossini wrote 39 operas between 1806 and 1829 then simply retired at the age of 37 (he died at 76). For each of his opera overtures, for which Rossini is most noted (William Tell, Barber of Seville, etc), he often waited until the day before each opera’s premiere before sitting down to write it, leaving copyists (there were no copy machines) and impressarios (producers) frantic. The Overture to Tancredi underscores this anticipation with its ever quickening tempo to the end.

The KSO’s very first concert in 1992 featured pianist Michael Chertok. Michael, now a renowned pianist and conductor, performs internationally, heads the piano faculty at CCM and leads the Blue Ash Symphony. Over three decades, the KSO has featured Mr. Chertock playing Rachmaninoff, MacDowell, Liszt and Gershwin. He returns to perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s spritely Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major K. 488.

Franz Schubert, like Mozart, produced an incredibly large catalog of music for a composer who only lived to age 31. His Symphony No. 9 (The Great) was his last completed symphony, though its unusual length (50-60”) and difficulty, prevented it from being publicly performed until ten years following his death. Schubert’s Ninth was composed a year after he attended the premiere of Beethoven’s immortal 9th Symphony. In the finale to his Symphony, Schubert pays homage to his older Viennese colleague, by slipping in a brief quotation of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”

“When orchestras perform the classics, they are sharing a spiritually-inspired gift from which subsequent composers and musicians took their cue and dared to continue to push musical boundaries. It is why we still revere, study and perform the works of these pillars of Western music.” — KSO Music Director, James Cassidy.

Join the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, and Michael Chertock for “They’re Grrreat” — 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 25, at Greaves Concert Hall, on the campus of NKU in Highland Heights, KY. Tickets are $35-$19 with children 50% off. For those who are out of the area, or who must stay home, the KSO live streams each concert (with multiple cameras) for your ‘at home access’ for the price of a single “A” ticket. Tickets are available online at kyso.org or by phone at (859) 431-6216.

For additional information, visit the KSO at www.kyso.org or call (859) 431-6216.

“They’re Grrreat!”
(Classical — Period.)

7:30 P.M. Saturday, March 25, 2023
Greaves Concert Hall
Highland Heights, Kentucky

James Cassidy, conductor
Michael Chertock, piano

Program

Overture to Tancredi – Gioachino Rossini

Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K.488
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Allegro
     Adagio
     Allegro assai

Michael Chertock
I N T E R M I S S I O N

Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944, The Great – Franz Schubert
Andante; allegro ma non troppo
     Andante con moto
     Scherzo. Allegro vivace
     Finale. Allegro vivace

Michael Chertock
Pianist Michael Chertock has performed as a concerto soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras, includ- ing the Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops; the Dallas, De- troit, Montreal and Toronto symphonies, and the State Symphony Orchestra of Moscow. In Europe and the U.K. he has performed with the Irish National Symphony, National Youth Orchestra of Britain, and orchestras in Portugal and Germany. He has recorded solo albums of film music on the Telarc label and
appears on more than 40 different record- ings on multiple labels.

Michael is the conductor of the Blue Ash-Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and he frequently composes and arranges music for that orchestra’s concerts. He has also conducted the Cincinnati Symphony, the Columbus Symphony; the State Symphony Orchestra of Moscow, and the Moscow Conservatory Orchestra.

Michael has served for over 30 years as principal keyboardist with the Cincinnati Symphony. Formerly a faculty member at Miami University of Ohio, Michael is the chair of the piano department at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. He recently recorded a series of podcasts called The Personal Beethoven.

Michael lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Maaike, and three children