Copious Notes

Scott and guest soloist Evelyn Glennie head for the pre-concert chat in the President's Room in the Singletary Center for the Arts.

Photographer Matt Goins shot a lot more pictures of Scott Terrell preparing for his first masterclassics concert as the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director than we could get in Saturday’s paper. But here at le blog, where we have unlimited space (the webmaster may beg to differ), Matt is letting us share a few more photos from last week’s exhilirating season opener.

A phew more Phil photos also pheels like a phun way to celebrate Copious Notes’ 1,500th post. (I just toasted the occasion with a Carmilla at Coffea. Woo-hoo.)

Terrell leads the pre-show chat.

Terrell and Glennie take some questions.

Terrell straightens his tie.

Terrell goes over the score in his dressing room before taking the stage.

On the podium, in command of the orchestra.

More coverage:

• Loren Tice’s concert review.
• Coverage of opening night.
• Evelyn Glennie travels light.
• Terrell ready to go.

Lauren Tenney (left, front), Meredith Dunlevy (back, left), Megan Jacobs (right, front) and Ashley Wilcock (back, right) dance while cellist Peter Kucirko plays a sonata by J.S. Bach in a rehearsal of a new piece which will be performed as part of the company's season-opening concert, Sept. 18. Photo by Rich Copley | LexGo.com.

The Lexington Philharmonic and Lexington Ballet are teaming up to sell tickets to their season premieres for one price.

Scott Terrell. Photo by David Stephenson | LexGo.com.

Both the Ballet’s Sept. 17 and 18 Fabric of Dance performance and the Phil’s Sept. 25 MasterClassics concert are big debuts: the ballet unveiling its new professional performing company and the Phil’s new music director Scott Terrell opening his inaugural season with guest Evelyn Glennie, the most famous percussion soloist in the world.

The organizations are selling a combined ticket for $60. Individual tickets are $20-$35 for the ballet and $40-$100 for the Philharmonic. Call (859) 233-4226.

The Lexington Philharmonic’s new music director, Scott Terrell, is going to start his tenure with more marquee names on the season schedule than the orchestra has had in quite a while. In addition to Evelyn Glennie, probably the best-known classical solo percussionist in the world Sept. 25, the Phil will also present:

Ronan Tynan.

Irish tenor Ronan Tynan in a concert that will be part of the Alltech Fortnight Festival Oct. 10. Tynan came to fame as one of the Three Irish Tenors and has been a ubiquitous presence at New York Yankees games in the past decade singing the full version of God Bless America. Terrell says this concert will probably tell him a lot about possible directions in which to take a revived Philharmonic Pops season.

World-renowned violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg will join the orchestra for an April 17 concert benefitting UK HealthCare. Terrell says Sonnenberg will be playing Astor Piazolla’s take on The Four Seasons.

Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg. Photo by Grant Leighton.

The violinist added for the Feb. 12 Masterclassics concert is also a bit of a get: Arnaud Sussmann, who won a prestigious Avery Fisher career grant in April along with Alessio Bax, who is the pianist with the UBS Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, Aug. 26-30.

Also added to the full schedule, which will be released next week, are family concerts on Oct. 25 (a Youth Arts concert that will feature members of the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras playing with the Phil and other young artists) and Dec. 13, which will bring Paragon Music Theatre director Ryan Shirar back to the Philharmonic podium.

As season announcements go, this is about as spare as it gets, but that is because the Lexington Philharmonic still has to choose a music director.

Evelyn Glennie

According the orchestra’s season-ticket solicitation letter, the Phil’s 2009-10 season will open with percussion soloist Evelyn Glennie, the world’s only full-time percussion soloist. Glennie is noted for that and her circumstances: she is profoundly deaf. Glennie has been profiled on 60 Minutes and many other outlets, been the subject of a documentary film, released more than 25 recordings and been named “Dame Commander” in her native England.

Glennie’s last Lexington appearance was in October 2004, when she presented a percussion concerto by Bright Sheng with the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra at the Singletary Center. A program has not been announced for the Sept. 25 concert with the Lexington Philharmonic, which will open its first season under a new music director.

The Philharmonic’s search for a new music director comes to a close Friday night with an audition concert by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor Mei-Ann Chen. The Philharmonic’s search committee expects to name the new director sometime in the next several weeks.

Since the new conductor has not been named, the Phil has only released concert dates for the next season, noting Glennie as the season-opening soloist and the annual performance of Handel’s Messiah Dec. 11. The season includes seven concerts, down from the Philharmonic’s usual eight MasterClassics performances. The season-ticket solicitation letter says the orchestra will collaborate with UK Healthcare on an April 2010 concert.

Philharmonic executive director Peter Kucirko said the Philharmonic decided to go with a seven concert season so as to not schedule two concerts in April thereby, “competing with ourselves.” Kucirko said eliminating an April concert was not part of any cost-cutting measures, and he did not know the date or program for the UK Healthcare concert.

These are the Philharmonic’s dates:

• Sept. 25, with percussionist Evelyn Glennie
• Oct. 16
• Nov. 13
• Dec. 11: Handel’s Messiah, with the Lexington Singers
• Jan. 22
• Feb. 12
• March 5

The Philharmonic is currently renewing season tickets for current subscribers. They have until April 10 to renew. Visit the Phil’s website or call (859) 233-4226 for more information.