by Jarrett Hoffman
IN THIS EDITION:
•Today: two shows at Ohio Light Opera, a Canton Symphony string quartet, and the Chamber Music Round at CIPC for Young Artists
•Announcements: honors and news at Oberlin, Kent State, and CIM
•Almanac: Arnold Schoenberg
HAPPENING TODAY:
Ohio Light Opera presents the opening matinee of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld at 2:00 and continues its run of Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore at 7:30 (tickets), the Canton Symphony sends a string quartet to The Wilderness Center for “Summer Serenades” at 6:30 (free), and CIPC for Young Artists continues with the Chamber Music Round at CIM’s Mixon Hall at 7:30 (tickets available for in-person and streaming).
More details in our Concert Listings.
MUSIC SCHOOL HONORS & NEWS:
At Oberlin Conservatory, faculty jazz saxophonist Gary Bartz has been named a 2024 Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts (read more here), third-year violist Solomon Leonard won first prize at the National Association of Negro Musicians 2023 Scholarship Competition for Strings, and 2015 graduate Jesse McCandless has been appointed principal clarinet of the Atlanta Symphony. (Pictured above, top row.)
At Kent State, Max Grafe of New Jersey has been selected as winner of the inaugural Roy Minoff Composition Competition (read here), and Jacob Schnitzer and Bret Peppo have been appointed Interim Director of Orchestras and Interim Director of Choral Activities, respectively — read more about them here. (Middle row.)
At CIM, 2023 graduate Muyan Yang (violin) has been awarded third prize at the 2023 Eugene Ysaye International Music Competition, voice student Caroline Friend won 2nd prize at the 2023 American Council for Polish Culture Marcella Kochańska Sembrich Vocal Competition, and faculty violinist Philip Setzer is the new artistic director at the Manchester Music Festival — read more here. (Bottom row.)
And applications are open for Community Merit Scholarship Auditions at The Music Settlement. Auditions will be held in-person at the University Circle campus or through video submissions. Materials must be received by Monday, July 24. More details here.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
Austrian-American composer Arnold Schoenberg died on this date in 1951 in Los Angeles. Leader of the Second Viennese School, Schoenberg is best known for his twelve-tone technique, which “democratizes” the chromatic scale, giving all twelve notes roughly equal importance. Many composers in successive generations have worked to continue his musical philosophies, while many others have reacted against them — the definition of deep, long-lasting influence.
The website of the Vienna-based Arnold Schoenberg Center is a fascinating place to delve into this seminal figure in music history, offering not only recordings of his music but also an extensive list of interviews, writings, digital versions of his paintings, and much more. Visit here.