The Jackson Symphony Orchestra spotlights the universal appeal of song and symphony. Led by Music Director, Stephen Osmond the orchestra will support a choice group of world-class singers including Emily Douglass, Kate Nadolny, Luke Bahr and Nicolas Davis in a program of stunning, sensuous and startling selections from the great repertory of timeless masterpieces. The 7:30 p.m. concert Saturday, March 19 is sponsored by the Alro Steel Foundation and Louis Glick Trust Victor Hugo once remarked that 'Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent'. But on March 19th at the Jackson College Potter Center those words will become song. And what songs!
When emotion becomes so heightened that mere speaking will not suffice, song takes flight. In Der Rosenkavalier, Richard Strauss exposes us to the eternal triangle of Mature Love, her young flame and his sudden infatuation with youth and beauty.
Puccini loved seeing a play in a language he did not understand. If he was moved, he knew it would work for an Opera! And we don’t need a PhD in music appreciation to fall in love with his sauciest creation, Musetta as she sings of love, freedom and romance while stringing her bewitched Sugar Daddy along for the ride!
Gustav Mahler is known for his powerful symphonies, but his contribution to the vocal literature is never more astounding than in Um Mitternacht (At Midnight.).He has scored this journey from the dark night of the soul to the triumph of divine power using only the woodwinds and brass. Indeed, they do blow us away!
Rodgers and Hammerstein gave us many beautiful love songs, rousing anthems, and some, like You'll Never Walk Alone, lyric masterworks that would not be out of place in a hymnal. The musical Carousel is a difficult work. But it isn't hard to give yourself over to the beauty of this stirring finale.
When you hear a symphony, overture, concerto or tone poem you often imagine what is the composer saying? Opera and musical theatre removes all doubt especially with easy to follow super titles translating and following the texts. In this feast of dramatic and sensuous music with four outstanding professional soloists the audience will be moved to extreme heights and depths of emotional expression.
And if redemption is what you want to hear, Gounod in the finale of his opera Faust delivers. Margarita dies and Faust assists her her lover (Faust) in trying to persuade her to go in a different direction.
Music also has tremendous power inspiring patriotic loyalty and, while not our national anthem, can you listen to God Bless America and not be grateful to be an American?
Also our final conductor in our search for a new Music Director, Matthew Aubin, will lead the orchestra in the very festive Polovetsian Dances from Borodin’s opera Prince Igor. He will also accompany Clyde Mckaney, our principal violist, in a movement from Bruch’s Hebraique Suite, an introspective look into the soul of a persecuted people.
A plethora of emotional, exciting music reaching into all corners of your being; plan now to attend.
Tickets are available for $32, $27 or $18 at www.JacksonSymphony.org or by calling the JSO Box Office at 517-782-3221. Special $5 student price available,
Bios and for the guest conductor and soloists follow and a photo of Matthew Aubin is attached:
A passionate advocate for American and contemporary music, Dr. Matthew Aubin has conducted and performed internationally from Benaroya Hall to Carnegie Hall to the Musikverein and many stops in between. In his role as Artistic Director for The Chelsea Symphony in New York City, he has worked to expand the symphony’s prestige and recognition. Dr. Aubin has played a principal role in the initiation and development of The Chelsea Symphony’s inaugural competition for emerging New York area composer’s. The Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony and music director of the All-Star Orchestra,
Gerard Schwarz, will adjudicate this year’s competition. Dr. Aubin has conducted TCS in their Lincoln Center Debut and conducted the New York City premiere of Mark O’Connor’s Americana Symphony at Symphony Space. During his time as Artistic Director, TCS has also featured many celebrities as narrators for their annual holiday concert. Additionally, Dr. Aubin serves as a consultant for the new Amazon Prime and Golden Globe award-winning television series Mozart in the Jungle created by Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman.
Dr. Aubin is the foremost scholar on the French composer Fernande Breilh-Decruck. He has earned multiple research grants to study her significant life and work. Dr. Aubin is a champion of the critical role of women in composition and is working to promote Decruck’s newly discovered lost music. Dr. Aubin has edited and created critical editions of her work, which are now in the process of publication. He has collaborated with several TCS musicians to organize performances of Decruck’s music in the United State and abroad. Dr. Aubin continues to be active as a freelance horn player, and regularly performs across the country. Before deciding to devote his time entirely to TCS, Dr. Aubin served on the faculties of Washington State University and The Hartt School.
Having recently performed the role of Jean Valjean in a production of “Les Misérables,” Luke Bahr returns to the opera stage in his Jackson Symphony Orchestra debut. Bahr received his Masters of Music at the University of Utah and his Bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University. Bahr has performed a wide variety of roles, from the lead tenor role in Rossini’s La Cenerentola to singing in an operetta based on the music of Franz Schubert called Blossom Time. Other repertoire include lead roles in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Carlisle Floyd’s Susanna, Monteverdi’s Il Coronazione di Poppea, and Verdi’s Falstaff. He has made appearances in Italy, France, as well as performance venues and opera companies in the United States.
American soprano Emily Douglass has captivated audiences in Europe and America with the power, clarity and seemingly effortless coloratura of her voice as well as the intensity and persuasiveness of her characterizations. . “…Ms. Douglass easily filled the vast hall with stylish and emotive coloratura singing” Birmingham News. “celestial, luminous singing” Knoxville News Sentinel “…powerful and winsome.” Dallas Morning News.
A graduate of The University of Michigan and The University of Tennessee, Ms. Douglass holds degrees in vocal performance, dance performance and music education. Notable operatic and oratorio appearances include Marie in Lyric Opera San Diego’s production of The Daughter of the Regiment, Rosina in Lyric
Opera San Diego’s production of The Barber of Seville, Gilda in Opera Birmingham’s and Asheville Lyric Opera’s production of Rigoletto, Frasquita in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s production of Carmen, Lucia in Knoxville Opera/UT Opera Theatre’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Tytania in UT Opera Theatre’s
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Suor Genovieffa in Knoxville Opera/UT Opera Theatre’s Suor Angelica, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring at Ohio University, First Lady in Hot Springs Music Festival’s The Magic Flute, soprano soloist for the Mozart Requiem at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas (also known as President George Bush’s church) and Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, the soprano soloist for the Poulenc Gloria with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and Asheville Symphony Orchestra and soprano soloist for the American Wind Symphony Orchestra’s 2001 season and a soloist with the International Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Douglass has also gained recognition through her participation in competitions. She was the grand prize and audience prize winner at the 2006 Meistersinger International Vocal Competition in Graz, Austria, the grand prize winner at Opera Birmingham’s 2003 Vocal Competition, the grand prize winner at the 2008 NATSAA Kentucky/Tennessee Region, a prize winner at the 2006 NATSAA National Finals, a prize winner at the 2006 Orpheus Voice Competition, a prize winner at the 2006 Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year, a prize winner at the 2004 Marguerite McCammon Vocal Competition with Fort Worth Opera, a semi-finalist for the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, and the Press Prize winner at the 2003 Meistersinger Competition in Graz, Austria.
Kate Nadolny, mezzo-soprano, has been recognized with an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She has had the honor of working with Opera Fayetteville, Des Moines Metro Opera and Seagle Music Colony. Past roles include Jo in Adamo's Little Women, Nancy in Britten's Albert Herring and Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. She received her Master's from the University of Michigan and her Bachelor's from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. She currently teaches in the Central Florida area.
Praised for his "knock-em-dead baritone” (Petoskey news), Nicholas Davis is making a name for himself in the world of classical music. In 2014, Mr. Davis became the first American to win first prize in the international Antonin Dvo?ák singing competition. The 2015-2016 season will see Mr. Davis’ international debut in concert with the national theatre Prague under the direction of Maestro Libor Pešek. He will also be seen in concert with the Karlovy Vary Orchestra, in recital at the American Center for Andrew H. Schapiro U.S. Ambassador to the Czech republic, as Marco in Gianni Schicchi with Chicago Opera Theater, in the Chicago premiere of Amy Beach’s “Cabildo” with the Chicago Opera Theater’s young artist program, in concert with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, the Oakland Choral Society, and returning to the Santa Fe opera as a 2nd year apprentice singing the roles of Diener Five in R. Strauss’ “Capriccio”, Gregorio in Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette”, and Jake Wallace in Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West”.
Past highlights have included performances of the Duruflé Requiem, Saint-Saëns' "Christmas Oratorio", Vaughan Williams’ "Five Mystical Songs", performances of Abimelech in “Samson et Dalila” with the Kentucky Symphony, the titular character in Mozart’s "le Nozze di Figaro" with Arbor Opera, and guest appearances at the Bay View Music Festival in both their opera and musical theatre productions (Ford in “Falstaff” and Jim in “Big River”).
Noted for his interpretation of song, Nicholas has been awarded both the dvorak interpretation prize in conjunction with first prize in the song category at the international Antonin Dvo?ák singing competition and the Kapralova Interpretation Prize and third place at the Czech and Slovak International Voice Competition.
He has also been awarded the Lola Fletcher award from the American Opera Society of Chicago. Nicholas can be heard on “Poets & Patriots” a 2 disc collection celebrating the 200 year history of the Star Spangled Banner produced by the Star Spangled Music Foundation.
Nicholas is an alumnus of the University of Kentucky, the University of Michigan, Brevard Music Center, Des Moines Metro Opera apprentice program, Chicago Opera Theater young artist program, and the Santa Fe Opera apprentice program.
NOTE: The Jackson Symphony Orchestra is a community resource providing performances of the classics and popular music, a community music school with private and group instruction and numerous educational programs for students of all ages. The organization owns a 30,000-square-foot facility in the heart of downtown Jackson, which not only serves as an administrative, rehearsal, and recital performance space for the orchestra but also is home to the JSO Community Music School, Jackson Youth Symphony, the Jackson Chorale and Children's Choir, the Michigan Shakespeare Festival and JSO Community String Ensemble
