Monday, January 24, 2011

Striking Detroit Symphony Musicians in Concert

This series has been historic. I know of nothing quite like it, and to sustain it through a series of concerts over many months is impressive. Glad to see maestro Kiesler participated; I played under his baton many years ago. There has been strong support from the larger academic musical community, with perhaps the realization that if the Detroit Symphony falls, or other major professional cultural institutions, then eventually the fine arts departments in Michigan (and everywhere) will be whittled to the bone as well. We are too close to barbarism.

Musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), on strike since October 4, performed at another sold-out support concert Saturday in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe Woods. The concert featured DSO Concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisvert performing two Beethoven romances for violin, No. 1 in G Major and No. 2 in F major. It concluded with Camille Saint-SaĆ«ns’ Symphony No. 3 in C minor, the “Organ Symphony.”

Kenneth Kiesler, director of orchestras at the University of Michigan, conducted. The concert was broadcast live from Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church via a webcast to audiences across the US and globally.
---
DSO Musicians have announced five support concerts for February. The first will take place February 5 at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield Hills. Another concert is set for February 8 in Clinton Township featuring the L’Anse Creuse High School Choir. A February 16 concert in the Detroit suburb of Birmingham will feature Groves High School student Margaret Starr as violin soloist. A February 20 concert in Bloomfield Hills will feature renowned pianist James Tocco. On February 26 the DSO ensembles Cut Time Players and Cut Time Symphonia will perform in Royal Oak.(1)



1'DSO support concert broadcast live via webcast' - WSWS
2'Musicans Website'

No comments: