From Maestro Stephen Osmond

I hope you enjoyed our last program! Rich Ridenour, in addition to being a very fine pianist, certainly has a gift for connecting with an audience. Many people from within the orchestra and audience have expressed their enthusiasm for the program and we will surely invite him to return.


This concert is quite another story: Romanticism - a rich expression of love, tragedy, triumph, defeat. Not at all disguised, out there for everyone to share. The Brahms Piano Concerto #2 is one of, if not the most challenging concerti in the repertoire for any pianist. It is also the most involved for the orchestra. In most concerti the orchestra provides an accompaniment for the soloist, occasionally having a bit of its own and shares a conversation now and then. This work is a dialogue; a constant exchange of ideas and emotions. It is more of a symphony than a concerto, the orchestra being an equal partner. And the Tchaikovsky, like Beethoven and Mozart, plays itself. No question as to the intent of the composer, it right there in the notes. Dr. Brown goes into much more detail in his notes and Backstage Glimpses, I just wanted to share a few of my own thoughts.

Coming up in December our Holiday Pops, a great opportunity to celebrate the season with the Jackson Chorale and Youth Choir. And the Nutcracker, not with dancers but a surprise element. I've probably conducted the Nutcracker more than any other major work, probably 20 times in performance, it is one of my very favorites. This time we are doing our own custom suite featuring some of the music in the traditional suite but other grand music, like the battle scene and tree ascension. You won't want to miss it!