The CSO presents HAPPY HOUR with Joel Smirnoff and Caroline Hong Thursday, February 12, 6:30 pm Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.) This free concert will be led by guest conductor Joel Sminoff and feature guest pianist Caroline Hong in a 90-minute program which includes Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, Bernstein’s Three Dances from Fancy Free, Gershwin’s Lullaby for String Orchestra, and Gould’s Interplay (American Concertette). WOSU’s Christopher Purdy will host, adding commentary on each of the works and interviewing the conductor throughout the evening. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Concert begins at 6:30 pm. Admission is free. Cash bar. Free appetizers. Concert will last approximately 90 minutes. No intermission.
The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, education excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The CSO also appreciates the support of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, supporting the city’s artists and arts organizations since 1973, and the Kenneth L. Coe and Jack Barrow, Arthur G. Wilmer, and Sayre Charitable funds of The Columbus Foundation, assisting donors and others in strengthening our community for the benefit of all its citizens.
About guest conductor Joel Smirnoff
Conductor, violinist, and eminent pedagogue, Joel Smirnoff was named president of the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2008, where he holds the Mary Elizabeth Callahan President’s Chair. Encouraged by Seiji Ozawa to “take up the baton,” Smirnoff has developed into a highly acclaimed conductor with an impressive and wide-ranging repertoire. He is consistently cited for his high energy and special attention to the stylistic demands of each work.
About guest pianist Caroline Hong
Hailed for her “expressive and powerful playing,” “formidable technique,” and “keen sense of lyricism and the classical style” (Columbus and Richmond Times Dispatch), pianist Caroline Hong continues to flourish in her career as an internationally active soloist, chamber musician, artist-teacher, guest-lecturer, and adjudicator. Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award-winning composer John Corigliano referred to her as “one of the greatest pianists I have ever heard” after a performance of his Etude Fantasy (1976).
About the Columbus Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1951, the Columbus Symphony is the longest-running, professional symphony in central Ohio. Through an array of innovative artistic, educational, and community outreach programming, the Columbus Symphony is reaching an expanding, more diverse audience each year. This season, the Columbus Symphony will share classical music with more than 175,000 people in central Ohio through concerts, radio broadcasts, and special programming. For more information, visit www.columbussymphony.com