Chamber Series #1

Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you well. I hope you were able to join us for the Opening Concert at Memorial Auditorium. What a glorious evening!

We have been waiting for about 2 years to present this upcoming concert to you! We originally had planned to perform this concert last year, but the Covid got in the way. It’s always so fun to feature one of our own composers. Ben Van Winkle is a Chattanooga composer and a cellist, and I am excited to present his Pure Music No. 1, which displays a his unique musical language and ambience.

Here is the conversation I had with Ben:

Eleanor Alberga’s Succubus Moon will feature an oboe and string quartet, which displays mysterious and beautiful oboe sonority with diverse color provided by the strings.

The final work on the program is Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring for 13 instruments, which was the original instrumentation. This work was originally written as a ballet, and it has wonderful characters, memorable melodies, distinct rhythms, and texture.

See you at Chattanooga State!

Best,

Kayoko

Opening Night

 Dear Friends,

CSO's 2021/22 Season is approaching, and I can feel the excitement!

It's been over 18 months since we have performed as a full orchestra. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished last season with "socially distanced" performances, but nothing beats a full orchestra with a hall full of audience.

The first concert will be a re-introduction of CSO to the community.

We open with Marquez's Danzon No. 2, which is a very fun and celebratory piece. This work features many musicians, including clarinet, trumpet, piccolo, piano, and violin. Here is my favorite YouTube video of this piece:

Then we move onto featuring different sections of the orchestra. Strings will be featured with Walker's Lyrics for Strings, which is reflective and beautiful. We would like to dedicate this piece to the victims of Covid-19.

Next, we will feature the brass section with Andrew Ardizzoia's settings of Ubi Caritas. 

Here is an interview I did with Andrew about this piece:

After the intermission, we will perform Faure Pavane, which features many woodwind instruments.

We will end the Opening Night with Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol. Much like Marquez's Danzon No. 2, this work will highlight many of my colleagues.

I hope you are able to join us. See you at the Memorial Auditorium!

Best,

Kayoko