Monday, July 16, 2018

What's coming up on Music Cincinnati?


Coming up this Sunday, July 22 at 8pm, 90.9 WGUC presents its Music Cincinnati series, this month spotlighting Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble. Just what exactly is the VAE and what can listeners expect to hear on this special from 90.9?

Since they were founded in 1979, the Vocal Arts Ensemble has sought to present passionate performances for diverse audiences. The chamber choir is currently led by Grammy Award-winning conductor Craig Hella Johnson, who is recognized as one of the nation’s leading choral conductors. Through a variety of innovative performances, the VAE seeks to increase the public’s appreciation of choral music. They often collaborate with other local ensembles in repertoire ranging from the classics to world premieres.

What can you expect to hear this Sunday? The Music Cincinnati broadcast will feature the VAE performing alongside the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and the Cincinnati Children’s Choir. The concert was recorded November 12, 2017 inside Memorial Hall in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine community. This concert celebrated the VAE making the newly-restored Memorial Hall their new home. Three works appear on the program – two classics and one world premiere written specifically for this concert. Craig Hella Johnson commissioned Dominick Di’Orio’s A World Aglow for the occasion. The piece takes its text from Amy Lowell’s The Congressional Library and revolves around themes of inclusivity and equality. Haven’t heard of Dominick Di’Orio? He is an award-winning young composer and conductor whose music is widely performed and recorded. At the age of 31, he became the youngest-ever tenured conducting professor at Indiana University.

What else is on the program? For those who love the classics, you’ll be happy to know that both J.S. Bach and Mozart appear on the program. Bach’s Ascension Oratorio rounds out the first half with Mozart’s Requiem following a brief intermission.

Like what you hear? This program is available on air, online at wguc.org, and through our free mobile app July 22nd at 8pm! If you aren’t available when it airs, you can also access WGUC’s Music Cincinnati series archived at http://www.wguc.org/schedule/musiccincinnati.html