by Rosemary Ponnekanti for OLY ARTS Improvisation isn’t usually a thing for classical orchestras, so this year’s season for the Olympia Chamber Orchestra shows just how nimble that ensemble can be. After last year’s conductor search ended in disappointment, the orchestra is once again trying out two candidates, with some of the season’s music — …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia is starting its 2017–2018 season with exciting, notable changes. Some, like the addition of alumni soloists to SOGO’s fall concert, hint at the organization’s evolving role in Olympia’s arts community. Others, like the announcement that this season will be conductor and music director John …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS After 18 years as music director of Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia, John Welsh will retire at the end of this season. Welsh, who has been music director of the group since it was founded, conducts SOGO’s Conservatory Orchestra for musicians in high school and occasionally college. “These young …
by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS Native Olympian Nathan Rødahl will conduct the Olympia Chamber Orchestra’s fall concert, where Arriaga’s Symphony in D, Janacek’s Suite for Strings, Korngold’s Shneeman (The Snowman), Debussy’s Petite Suite and Bizet’s Symphony in C come together in an unconventional performance. Each of the five composers share something in common with …
by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS It’s another night of rockin’ recollection. On October 28, the Capitol Theater will host the 14th-annual Night of the Living Tribute Bands to support live-music programming at the historical theater. The show brings in a new mix of performers that revive the sounds, looks and antics of famous bands …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Emerald City Music has recently started its second season. Just about everything about ECM’s shows strays from the highfalutin norm of the classical set. They feature more relaxed environments and more contemporary compositions, thereby aiding in bringing a new audience to classical music. One of their upcoming shows is …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS After 24 years filled with performances of all kinds — from original plays to a concert by Modest Mouse — The Midnight Sun is slated to close at the end of this month. Theater Artists Olympia, the troupe that has operated the black-box theater for the past three years, …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS A touch of French cabaret comes to Olympia in the form of Piaf! The Show at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Produced by Directo Productions in Nice, France, Piaf! has entertained the world with more than 300 performances in 30-plus countries. It was conceived and directed by …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS This season, Masterworks Choral Ensemble will travel to the frontier, celebrate the sometimes-overlooked talents of female composers and visit some of Broadway’s most colorful characters. And the ensemble’s taking a creative approach to concert themes: The Broadway concert focuses on heroes and villains, while the concert composed by women …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS What happens when you mix a well-established fiddler with the best next-generation, traditional-music players you can find? You get Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, a brand-new bluegrass and roots band with a fresh perspective on old-time music. Comprising banjoist Allison de Groot, fiddler Bruce Molsky and guitarist and vocalist Stash Wyslouch, …