Kicking off the Performing Arts and Concert Series for the Spring Semester, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra will perform Monday night.
David Danzmayr has been compared to the Energizer Bunny.
Danzmayr is the music director of the award-winning ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, which will perform as part of the Performing Arts and Concert Series at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Monday night.
“He is really inspiring yet also challenges our musicians to take the orchestra to the next level,” Janet Chen, executive director of ProMusica, said.
The Columbus-based orchestra is in its 37th year and has been led by Danzmayr, originally from Salzburg, Austria, for three seasons.
“He brings incredible energy and a tremendous amount of enthusiasm,” Andrew Holzaepfel, senior associate director of the Campus Involvement Center, said.
The performance is scheduled to include not only classics by Ludwig van Beethoven and 18th century Italian composer Francesco Geminiani, but also a new work from famed cellist and composer Joshua Roman. Roman’s presence in the orchestra is a part of ProMusica’s third installment of its Composer/Performer Project, which Chen called “an effort to showcase composers of today as not only creators of work, but also soloists in their own right.”
Before working with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Roman spent two seasons as principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony, which he achieved in 2006 at the age of 22. Since then he has appeared as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Orchestra and more.
Roman’s new piece, a cello concerto entitled “Awakening,” will be performed live for only the third time at MemAud. The piece premiered Saturday in Chicago with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and was performed in Columbus with ProMusica on Sunday.
“Awakening”is an emotional piece for Roman, one that draws on a lifetime of personal experiences.
“It is a romance piece reflective of past relationships and embedded in beautiful music,” Chen said.
Both Roman and Danzmayr will be on campus Monday before the show, visiting with students in masterclasses and holding forums leading up to the performance.
Chamber orchestras are smaller-sized orchestras, which allows the ensemble to establish a greater sense of closeness to its audience.
“Being a smaller-sized orchestra gives it a certain level of intimacy,” Chen said. “One would experience all the energy of incredibly intense artistry performed in an intimate way.”
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The School of Music, Holzaepfel said, expressed interest in bringing ProMusica to campus.
“We try and work closely with our College of Fine Arts — to find something that fits their curriculum,” Holzaepfel said. “This was something that was strongly recommended from Elizabeth Braun, assistant dean (for academic budget planning and Athens Community Music School director) and Andy Trachsel, (director of bands) over in the School of Music.”
Some of the orchestra members, such as violinist Marjorie Bagley, are familiar to Ohio University. Bagley was formerly a professor of music performance in the School of Music.
“We’ve really enjoyed the relationship, friendship and partnership we have had with OU,” Chen said.
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