From the conductor:
Last year we were able to approach a semblance of normalcy in our concert offerings, starting with the Children’s Concert in September. Having a live audience again was thrilling for both listeners and performers! As I’m sure you are all aware, we still have reason for concern. Thus, as we noted last year, be warned that things may change in the interest of safety for both the orchestra members and you, our patrons. Please be sure to check the Symphony website for the most current information regarding our concerts.
Thank you!
The Season
The Symphony is launching its fifty-eighth consecutive season. Our Children’s Concert will again be held at Ariel-Foundation Park as our first public (and free!) presentation. We thank the Ariel-Foundation board of directors for inviting us again to close their summer series, and also the Gund Gallery Associates for providing art activities to accompany the event.
The fall concert venue will be hosted by the Mount Vernon Nazarene University. The centerpiece of this concert will be the appearance of violinist Ariane Sletner in a performance of Beethoven’s monumental Violin Concerto in D Major. The program will also feature a work specifically dedicated to the Symphony by Julia Schwartz, daughter of the Symphony’s founder Paul Schwartz, entitled Lingua Franca (literally “Frankish tongue,” a term that labels a language that is commonly understood between persons who do not share a native tongue). The orchestra members will at various times recite a poem by Heinrich Heine, first in German, and then in English! This concert will also feature a pre-concert talk from noted author and critic Mark Sebastian Jordan.
The winter concert’s repertoire will largely be determined via the winners of the annual Young Musicians Competition that highlights the talents of our local high school and college-aged students.
For our spring concert, the Symphony is pleased to share the stage with the Kenyon Community Choir in a performance of Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem.
CHILDREN’S CONCERT
Sunday, September 24, 2023 - 3:00 p.m.
Schnormeier Event Center, Ariel-Foundation Park, Mount Vernon, Ohio.
A potpourri of music designed for listeners of all ages! Expect to hear some familiar pieces as well as those designed to spark the imagination!
FREE ADMISSION!
FALL CONCERT
Saturday, October 28, 2023 - 7:30 p.m.
R. R. Hodges Chapel Auditorium, Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, Ohio
In case you have last year's free ticket, the concert is this Saturday, October 28th. Updated tickets with the current calendar, will be distributed at the door the night of the concert on the 28th
Details will follow.
Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 61
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Ariane Sletner, violin
Lingua Franca
Julia Schwartz (b. 1963)
October
Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)
To complement an evening out, enjoy a sumptuous pre-concert dinner on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Join us for an encore of beautifully orchestrated cuisine at our Fabulous Fall Feast.
WINTER CONCERT:
Saturday, February 10, 2024 - 7:30 p.m.
Rosse Hall, Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
Overture to Nabucco
Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901
Selections TBA:
Winners of the
Young Musicians Competition
Finlandia
Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)
SPRING CONCERT:
Sunday, April 28, 2024 - 7:30 p.m.
Rosse Hall, Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
Ein deutsches Requiem, op. 45
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
with the Kenyon Community Choir
❧ In celebration of Dr. Benjamin Locke’s 40th year as conductor of the Knox County Symphony, we invite you to a Spring fundraiser. Plan on joining us at Gund Gallery on the campus of Kenyon College for a festive evening of music, art and food in honor of our distinguished conductor. This event will be co-sponsored by Gund Gallery.
The new parking garage is open for easy access to Rosse Hall.
Click here for video directions