On the Town: Philharmonic news music to the ears By: Lillie-Beth Brinkman The Journal Record May 6, 2021
Lillie-Beth Brinkman
Talented musicians of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic will keep up their excellent work with a concert this weekend. They’ve also got a concert planned May 23 at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
In fact, the OKCPHIL recently announced shows for the new season, opening this fall.
So keep music in mind as you enjoy all the different ways this fantastic team, led by Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate, is enriching Oklahoma City’s cultural scene for all ages.
At 8 p.m. Saturday Mickelthwate will conduct “American Stories – ‘Tis a Gift,” featuring Valerie Watts on flute and Gaye LeBlanc-Germain on harp as they play works by composers Samuel Barber (“Adagio for Strings”); Jack Kilpatrick (“Concerto for Flute”); Hannah Lash (“Concerto for Harp”) and Aaron Copland (“Appalachian Spring”).
Oklahoman
Although he hasn t lived in Oklahoma long, Alexander Mickelthwate has become a super fan of one the state s composers.
For the second time in as many seasons, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic music director will conduct the orchestra Saturday in performing a work by the late Jack Frederick Kilpatrick (1915-1967), a prolific Stilwell native who infused the majority of his works with Cherokee folklore and traditions and whose entire body of work was lost for decades and then rediscovered by sheer happenstance. It s, first of all, that bizarre Oklahoma story that is not only an Oklahoma story, but a very American story of cultures organically growing together. It s absolutely the story of the melting pot, of his parents white parents from Texas moving to Cherokee country in the early 20th century, Mickelthwate said. He really grew up talking Cherokee, the Cherokee language, married a Cherokee wife, they lived the Cherokee lifestyle. He studied classical music, and
On the Town: O’Hara to headline OKC Philharmonic fundraiser By: Lillie-Beth Brinkman The Journal Record April 16, 2021
Lillie-Beth Brinkman
Oklahoma native and Broadway star Kelli O’Hara will headline the OKC Philharmonic’s virtual fundraiser on May 20, the organization announced recently.
Beginning at 7:30 p.m., “An Evening With Kelli O’Hara” will feature the Broadway star, along with Jan McDaniel on piano and the philharmonic musicians. Glenna and Dick Tanenbaum are the presenting sponsor. The evening also includes special appearances by Jane Jayroe Gamble, OKC Phil’s board president-elect and honorary chairman of the event, and Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate. The musical programming will feature many of O’Hara’s favorite Broadway tunes and other musical selections.
Oklahoman
As COVID-19 vaccines continue to be administered, concerts are starting to come back to Oklahoma after more than a year of relative silence due to the pandemic.
In Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Arena announced last week its first new addition to its concert calendar in months: Country music star Kane Brown will be bringing his Blessed and Free Tour to The Peake on Oct. 14 with special guests Jordan Davis and Restless Road. Tickets are on sale as of today through Ticketmaster.
The Peake is hosting the PBR Express Ranches Invitational this weekend with the arena at 45% capacity and masks required, and the venue announced today that the sports comedy group Dude Perfect has made a date in OKC on Oct. 1, with tickets on sale at 10 a.m. April 21 at http://bit.ly/DudeOKC.
Lauren Monteiro
Special to The Oklahoman
In a celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday, the OKC Philharmonic, led by Alexander Mickelthwate in March presented an exuberant program featuring works of the German master. While Beethoven’s music often evokes the image of a tortured genius, full of pathos and tragedy, the program, A Beethoven Birthday Celebration, featured three of his profoundly joyful, life-affirming works.
Opening strongly with the Creatures of Prometheus Overture, the orchestra sounded well-rehearsed and robust. Comfortably in his wheelhouse, Mickelthwate conjured a bold, revolutionary spirit, setting the tone beautifully for the evening.
In full disclosure, my husband Sergio Monteiro (first place winner of the Martha Argerich International Piano Competition, and Steinway Artist) was the featured piano soloist for Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat, so, while I was naturally enthralled by the performance, I may be biased in my coverage of this particular