The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra’s (CCO) 10th annual Summermusik festival will be held from July 31-Aug. 24. This year’s concert series celebrates CCO’s 50th anniversary.
“We have a lot to be thankful for,” Eckart Preu, the current CCO music director, said in a press release. “Standing on the shoulders of many phenomenal musicians, music directors, staff and board members, artistic and community partners and many generous supporters, we have been a beacon of innovation, community-mindedness and musical excellence.”
Summermusik offers three different returning concert experiences, including full chamber orchestra performances, Sunday matinee concerts and “Chamber Crawls,” held at unique, intimate and non-traditional venues around town.
Opening the season is Notes in Neon (July 31, American Sign Museum), a neon-themed performance featuring curated sounds from violinist David Goist to kick off the Chamber Crawl series. Goist will lead CCO’s string quartet through selections reminiscent of the “humming” old neon signs exhibited at the museum.
Let the Trumpets Sound (Aug. 3, SCPA Corbett Theater) highlights the brass world across musical genres. This mainstage program includes award-winning principal trumpet Ashley Hall-Tighe with the world-renowned Canadian Brass ensemble.
Brass Across Borders (Aug. 4, Crestview Presbyterian Church) is the first in this year’s “A Little Afternoon Musik” series. The world-famous Canadian Brass returns to the stage, teaming up with the Cincinnati Brass Band for this event’s grand finale.
Tropical Tunes (Aug. 6, Pirates Cove Tropical Bar & Grill) spotlights principal oboe Jessica Smithorn as curator of the night’s performances. This Caribbean-themed event features music by Latin American composers such as Zequinha de Abreu, Astor Piazzolla, Júlio Medaglia and more.
Shakespeare in Love (Aug. 10, SCPA Corbett Theater) is a performance of Emmy-winning composer John Henry Kreitler’s final oeuvre, “Symphony No. 2 ‘The Voices of God,’” composed before his death in January 2024. The program also features reading from William Shakespeare by members of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
Concertmaster Celeste Golden Andrews guides CCO’s mixed ensemble through Musical Poetry (Aug. 11, Westwood First Presbyterian Church) This matinee concert presents sounds inspired by literature, including works from composers like Claude Debussy and Ralph Vaughan Williams to name a few.
Locomotive Breath (Aug. 14, The Redmoor) pays tribute to the rock band Jethro Tull. Principal guitar Roger Klug and principal flute Annie Darlin Gordon lead this ensemble performance of Jethro Tull classics, featuring “Living in the Past,” “Aqualung,” “Locomotive Breath” and more.
Many Colors of India (Aug. 17, SCPA Corbett Theater) is part of CCO’s first-ever collaboration with members of Greater Cincinnati’s Indian community. This mainstage concert partners with composer Kanniks Kannikeswaran, Hindustani vocalist Vidita Kanniksand and the Greater Cincinnati Indian Community Choir.
Continuing Summermusik’s Indian music deep-dive is Bach Meets Bollywood. (Aug. 18, Cincinnati Hills Christian Lindner Theatre) This afternoon performance explores the motifs between Bach and Beethoven with that of Indian ragas, highlighting works from Mumbai’s Hindi cinema (or “Bollywood”) selected by Kanniks Kannikeswaran and Vidita Kanniksand.
Preu will facilitate “Commentary & Film Screening of Lion” (Aug. 20, Esquire Theatre) through discussion and analysis of this 2016, Oscar-nominated biographical drama. Starring Dev Patel and Rooney Mara, this film dives into topics of Indian culture, adoption, family and belonging.
Leading up to Summermusik’s final performance of the season is Great American Songbook Revue. (Aug. 21, 828 The Turn) With jazz vocalist Mandy Gaines and principal violin Manami White, this crawl concert spotlights show tunes and popular songs from 20th-century American jazz.
Happy Birthday! (Aug. 24, SCPA Corbett Theater) This orchestra – spearheaded by Preu – includes chorus conductor Daniel Parsley; soprano Kala Maxym; mezzo-soprano Lauren McAllister; tenor Jason Francisco; bass-baritone Musa Ngqungwana; the Summermusik Chorus and a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (the work’s 200th Anniversary) to close the festival.
CCO’s Summermusik concert series takes place from July 31-Aug. 24 at a variety of locations throughout the Cincinnati area. Subscriptions go on sale April 1, while single tickets go on sale May 1. For more information and tickets, visit summermusik.org.
This article appears in Mar 20 – Apr 2, 2024.
