No longer on sale

CSO PROOF: SINGULIS ET SIMUL

WED JAN 29, 2020 | 7:30 pm | On the stage at Music Hall

No longer on sale

Baroque music meets vogue ballroom culture.

Artists

Frédéric Nauczyciel, director
Keitaro Harada, conductor
Michael Unger, harpsichord
Abdu Ali, voice
Lex Nycole, production assistant

Sylvain Cartigny, music consultant
Kinera Revlon, Jason Tompkins, Lisa Revlon, Down to Mars Vintage, costumes
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Contemporary Arts Center, co-producer
Studio House of HMU (Paris/Baltimore/Cincinnati): Diva Ivy Balenciaga, Dale Blackheart, Blaise Cardon Mienville, Frédéric Nauczyciel, Kory Blacksjuan Revlon, Marquis Revlon, Vinii Revlon, Riya West, Ian Forsgren, Holy Price, Savannah "Think$Avy" Sexton, Dayshawn Benton, Apria Celine, Brandyn Majur Lambert, Jayy Rogers, Jaylah Dorn
The Dancing Belles

Venue

On the stage at Music Hall

Ticket Prices

$35

Concert Duration

About 85 minutes, with one interval

What's Interesting

"The vogue ballroom culture is defined by its celebration of femininity in the African American transgender community, with roots dating back to the Harlem Renaissance. It resonates with the Baroque period. I create a path to explore juxtapositions between Baroque music and urban ballroom culture of vogue, and the street culture of marching bands. I will combine the CSO and performance artists from Paris, Baltimore and Cincinnati—to ultimately transform the concert form, and the stage into an area of accidental proximity." —Frédéric Nauczyciel

The title of this program translates loosely as "Be one's self, together."
Artists and audience share the same space—the stage at Music Hall.
Elements of dance by Studio House of HMU highlight the music.
Shorter, intermission-less performance with post-concert talk-back.
Newcomers are welcome here. Bring in your drink and settle in.

Schedule:
6:30 pm - CSO Proof Lounge
7:30 pm - Artist Introduction & Performance
9:00 pm - Talk Back

This production includes mature content and is recommended for ages 12+.

What People Are Saying

“I wasn’t in Cincinnati. I wasn’t at Music Hall. I was in every major, worldly theater.”

—Medium

“It’s obvious that the CSO has spared little to create a memorable evening and a successful launch of its new series.”

—The Contemporary Ensemble

CSO Proof Artist Series Sponsor

CSO Proof Series Sponsor

CSO Proof Presenting Sponsor

CSO Proof Presenting Sponsor

Additional Support

CSO Proof is supported in part by a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

CSO Proof FAQ

: Artists and audience share the same space on the stage of Music Hall in shorter, casual performances featuring elements of theater, lighting, and dance.
: This performance runs approximately 85 minutes with one short interval.
: We hope that with each CSO Proof experience you are inspired by the fresh viewpoints of our musicians, guest artists and curators. Expect to expand your musical horizons and perceptions of how orchestral music can be experienced.
: Each CSO Proof uses the spaces in Music Hall in different ways, however, the stage is a focal point of each performance. Seating is general admission, we recommend arriving early for best seating selection. Enter through the Box Office doors at the south end of Music Hall at 1241 Elm Street. Doors open one hour prior to the performance, unless otherwise noted.
: Yes, drinks will be available for purchase in the CSO Proof Lounge throughout the performance. Feel free to arrive early to enjoy a specialty cocktail, or grab a drink following the performance to enjoy during the talk-back.
: The CSO Proof perfomance of Singulis et Simul is recommended for age 12 and up as some content may not be appropriate for young listeners. Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket in order to enter the hall. For more information and concert recommendations, please call our box office at 513.381.3300.
: Dress up, dress down, come as you are, just know that some performances may require you to get up, move around, and maybe even groove. Don’t worry, this won’t be one of those improv performances where the artists hand you the microphone and call on you to sing. How you choose to participate is up to you.
: For some programs we may publish the composers in advance of the concert; however, all programs and other content will be available on the CSO Proof website following the concert.
: Check our parking page for parking and ride-sharing info.
: During the performance: Phones on and silent.

Non-flash photography is encouraged during moments of applause. Tag your photos @CincySymphony and #CSOProof.

Out of respect for the performers, audio and video recording is not allowed.

Please be mindful that the use of smartphones and other devices during concerts can be distracting to others.
: We have few, if any. Bring your drinks in. Dress as you wish. Applaud when you’re moved.
: Accessible seating options are available for all performances. Please call the CSO Box Office at 513.381.3300 to request accessible seating. An accessible entrance and drop-off lane is located at the CSO Box Office entrance at 1241 Elm Street.
: When you purchase admission to a CSO Proof performance you will not have traditional tickets. Instead, keep an eye out for an email that will share any important details about the performance, including where to arrive. For Singulis et Simul, please arrive at the Box Office where you will check in with one of our guest service representatives.

Dive Deeper

Get to know curator Frédéric Nauczyciel

Artist Frédéric Nauczyciel works primarily with photography, video, and performance. Nauczyciel’s recent productions explore the underground culture of voguing within transgender black communities, examining concepts of sexuality and power dynamics.

Explore His Work

Portraits of Baltimore’s Voguers

Learn how curator Frédéric Nauczyciel first met the art of vogueing. “Nauczyciel stayed five months in [Baltimore], intrigued by the themes of race, gender, and performance that are embedded in ballroom culture. ‘They invent themselves. They decide who they want to be. They can twist very easily from masculine to feminine, from nice to mean,’ he said. ‘I think it’s very brave, very courageous.’”

A group of vogue performers dances for a film

Studio House of HMU

In collaboration with the CAC and the CSO, Nauczyciel expands on his film-performance series House of HMU to devise an immersive experience that invites the audience into vogue ballroom culture.

Get a Taste

Get to know vocalist Abdu Ali

Abdu Ali is an American avant-garde electronic musician and writer; their music is an idiosyncratic blend of punk, jazz, Baltimore club music, and rap. Unapologetically black, gay, with sociopolitically queer, Abdu Ali’s work is bold, raw, and most importantly life-affirming.

Hear Abdu Ali

Paris is Burning

“A chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.”

Watch It On Netflix

Your Ballroom Glossary

From twisters to chops to tea, ballroom events have their own glossary of unique terms.

Brush Up Your Vocab

Underground Ball Culture

Ball culture has a rich and fascinating history dating back to the 1920s. If you’re curious about vogue culture and the ways it illuminates themes of race, gender, and sexual orientation, this primer is a great place to start.

Tell Me More

CSO Proof is Exactly That. Proof.

“Looking around me last night, as the stage lights dropped to velvety black, with one bright white pillar illuminating [the pianist], I wasn’t in Cincinnati. I wasn’t at Music Hall. I was in every major, worldly theater. I was in Europe, I was in NYC. In that moment, as the audience dropped to hushed, taut attention, I saw the proof of just how far we’ve come.”

Read a Reaction to Our First Proof Concert