CLASSICAL ROOTS: SPIRITUAL HEIGHTS: “High and Lifted Up”

Thursday, June 7, 7:30 p.m., Zion Baptist Church

Friday, June 8, 7:30 p.m., Allen Temple AME Church

Saturday, June 9, 7:30 p.m., Quinn Chapel AME Church

With
Combined Choirs of Allen Temple and Quinn Chapel AME Churches, Community Chorale of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ and Zion Baptist Church

Combined Children’s Choirs of Allen Temple and Quinn Chapel AME Churches, St. Peter’s United Church of Christ and Zion Baptist Church

Robert Gazaway, Music Director, Allen Temple
Cory Ferguson, Youth Chorus Director, Allen Temple
Everett Moore, Music Director, Quinn Chapel
Geneva Woode, Youth Chorus Director, Quinn Chapel
Sherrie Turner, Music Director, St. Peter’s United Church of Christ Community Chorale and Youth Chorus Director, Zion Baptist
Eric Oliver, Music Director, Zion Baptist

PROGRAM:
JOSEPH PACE II: High and Lifted Up
MOSES HOGAN: Hear My Prayer
LISA IRELAND: Thou, Oh Lord
HAYDN: Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7 in A Major
JOHNSON/PRICE: Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing

SPONSOR: Duke Energy

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SUPPORT: KPMG

Information:

CINCINNATI—The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Conductor Tito Muñoz present three Classical Roots: Spiritual Heights concerts in area churches in June. The free family community concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and the program, called “High and Lifted Up,” includes spirituals, gospel and classical favorites. The dates and locations are:

• June 7, Zion Baptist Church (630 Glenwood Avenue, Avondale)

• June 8, Allen Temple AME Church (7030 Reading Road, Bond Hill)

• June 9, Quinn Chapel AME Church (10998 Southland Boulevard, Forest Park)

Now in its seventh season, Classical Roots: Spiritual Heights celebrates the many contributions made by African Americans to orchestral music and seeks to link cultures through music. These concerts mark Tito Muñoz’s Classical Roots debut as well as the CSO debut of trumpet soloist Wayne J. du Maine. Also joining Mr. Muñoz and the CSO are a host of adult and children’s choirs from Allen Temple AME Church, Quinn Chapel AME Church, Zion Baptist Church and St. Peter’s United Church of Christ.

“I am very excited to lead the Classical Roots concerts this year,” said CSO Assistant Conductor Tito Muñoz. “Taking the CSO into the community so that even more people can see and hear what we do at Music Hall is a prominent part of our mission. I’m also glad that we have the support of our local churches and that we will include members of the community in our performances. The energy and enthusiasm of these choirs will inspire everybody.”

“This concert combines African-American spiritual energy with European classics,” said Geneva Woode, Youth Chorus Director at Quinn Chapel. “That juxtaposition sends a clear message that we should embrace the music and the people who study, appreciate and teach musical arts.”

Wayne J. du Maine, one of New York City’s most sought-after trumpet players, was one of Mr. Muñoz’s first mentors. He will perform Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat Major, which is one of the famous staples of the trumpet repertoire. The program also includes the uplifting Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven. The combined choirs will perform spiritual songs including “High and Lifted Up,” “Hear My Prayer,” “Thou, O Lord,” and “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” which has become a tradition at the CSO’s Classical Roots concerts.

This year’s uplifting and inspiring music program is the result of months of planning by the CSO Classical Roots Community Forum, involving pastors, music ministers, music educators, community leaders, and members of the CSO artistic, education and community engagement staff. The CSO would especially like to thank Forum members Rev., Dr. Mark Thompson, Sr. of Allen Temple A.M.E. Church, Rev., Dr. Elliott Cuff and Rev. Alfonza Jones of Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church, Rev., Dr. Frederick A. Wright, Sr., of Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church, Rev. Mendle E. Adams, of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, and Rev. James H. Cantrell, M. Div., of Zion Baptist Church for their leadership in presenting these CSO concerts to area communities. In addition to area pastors and music ministers, other Forum members are Michael Brown, Marcellene Winfrey, Kimberly Asberry, Iva Brown, Tina Macon, Hon. Jack Sherman, Jr. (Ret.), Ruth Phillips, Lillie Brown, Clinton Bean, Jacqueline E. Carr, Spencer Liles and Sandra Rivers.

The CSO values and is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in its orchestra and audience, its staff and trustees, its business partners and vendors, and to fostering diversity and inclusion in the community it serves.

The CSO thanks Duke Energy for its generous sponsorship of these concerts. The CSO’s Diversity and Inclusion Partner is KPMG. Classical Roots: Spiritual Heights is a presentation of Sound Discoveries: Music for the Community and is made possible by The Corbett Educational Endowment established by Mrs. Patricia Corbett and The Corbett Foundation.

Tito Muñoz

New York City native Tito Muñoz, 23, was appointed to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducting staff as an assistant conductor by CSO Music Director Paavo Järvi in May 2006. His duties include assisting Paavo Järvi and the conductors of the Cincinnati Pops and May Festival. In addition, he serves as associate conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra.

An alumnus of the National Conducting Institute, Mr. Muñoz made his professional conducting debut with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in May 2006. At the invitation of David Zinman, he made his Cleveland Orchestra debut at the Blossom Music Festival in August 2006. Mr. Muñoz made his Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra debut in February 2007 conducting the Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend concert, followed by his CSO subscription debut. Winner of the Aspen Music Festival’s 2005 Robert J. Harth Conductor Prize and 2006 Aspen Conducting Prize, he will return to Aspen this summer as assistant conductor of the festival.

Wayne J. du Maine

A native of St. Louis, Wayne J. du Maine currently performs with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Brooklyn and Long Island Philharmonics, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, New York City Opera, New York Big Brass, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and with contemporary music ensembles such as Speculum Musicae, Sospeso, and ST-X Xenakis. Mr. du Maine is a member of the Manhattan Brass He also performs several other brass quintets and is dedicated to performing and introducing live music to thousands of school children in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Mr. du Maine has performed at music festivals in Aspen, Spoleto, Tanglewood, and Marlboro, among others. He just completed a two-year run of Fiddler on the Roof, where he was associate conductor. He can be heard on recordings with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, numerous commercials, motion pictures and with Prince on his New Power Soul recording.