Hello again,
If you have been to one or two performances, or if you are new to the KSO, or even if you have been an avid fan for many years, I would like to introduce you to our Music Director and Executive Director, James R. Cassidy.
J.R. brings experience as an educator, arts administrator, and conductor to the KSO. Under his 16-year leadership, we have grown 37-fold in budget, launched summer and education programs, and expanded the orchestra’s musical offerings and outreach by launching several subsidiary groups including the KSO Chorale, the Boogie Band, Newport Ragtime Band and Flood Wall Jazz Quintet. These groups allow the KSO to perform in locations that may not be able to accommodate a full orchestra. Also, they add a measure of diversity to the music we offer to our audiences. This past weekend, the Newport Ragtime Band put on an authentic performance called "Black Bottom Stomp," at Devou Park The show featured original ragtime, blues, stride, dixieland and early jazz. The band performed numbers by Scott Joplin, W.C. Handy, Artie Matthews, "Jelly Roll" Morton, and many more renowned ragtime musicians. In the next 6 weeks, the Boogie Band will have two performances that pay tribute to the horn bands of the 1970s. J.R.'s development of the KSO's four subsidiaries and his ability to conduct them has proven to be an invaluable asset to our organization.
A Florida native, Cassidy has been music director of the Florida Ballet Theatre and the Tampa Chamber Symphony. He has guest conducted for the Florida and St. Petersburg opera, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Cincinnati Philharmonia Orchestra and the Cincinnati Opera. Cassidy holds degrees from the Hyperlink to University of South Florida and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Who We Are
Welcome everyone,
My name is Michelle, a marketing intern for the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. I have been working here for most of this summer, and will continue here until mid-September. During my time here, I have come to have a much better understanding and appreciation for the symphony. Although an immediate reaction to the word "symphony" may be "boring," "long," or, "stuffy," to many people, it is quite the opposite in reality! The KSO is working very hard to change this state of mind.
As the symphony becomes a less popular form of entertainment, the KSO has taken a different approach to its performances. We want to make symphonic music entertaining and relevant to a new audience, while maintaining the highest quality of music possible. We invest much our time and money in music research and talented, dedicated musicians. And thus, we are able to provide a unique repertoire of music for our audience, which is not only fun and engaging, but authentic and true to form. Our past performances have included many types of entertainment, from silent films, dancers, comedians, zoo animals, to rock and complete operas and musicals, country bands, and even aerobic classes!
The symphony is a long-standing form of musical entertainment that can portray a multitude of genres of music, classical being just one of those genres. Throughout the years, our conductor, J.R. Cassidy, has formed the KSO Boogie Band, the Newport Ragtime Band, Flood Wall Jazz Quartet, and the KSO Chorale. We want to share our love for not only classical music, but also original big band, ragtime, and jazz. Lastly, we have an education program, where a group of musicians go to selected schools and perform concerts and clinics for students.
As you can see, we work hard to bring the symphony to life and share it with everyone we can. I will continue to keep you informed of our upcoming performances and any news on the horizon. Stay tuned for updates!
My name is Michelle, a marketing intern for the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. I have been working here for most of this summer, and will continue here until mid-September. During my time here, I have come to have a much better understanding and appreciation for the symphony. Although an immediate reaction to the word "symphony" may be "boring," "long," or, "stuffy," to many people, it is quite the opposite in reality! The KSO is working very hard to change this state of mind.
As the symphony becomes a less popular form of entertainment, the KSO has taken a different approach to its performances. We want to make symphonic music entertaining and relevant to a new audience, while maintaining the highest quality of music possible. We invest much our time and money in music research and talented, dedicated musicians. And thus, we are able to provide a unique repertoire of music for our audience, which is not only fun and engaging, but authentic and true to form. Our past performances have included many types of entertainment, from silent films, dancers, comedians, zoo animals, to rock and complete operas and musicals, country bands, and even aerobic classes!
The symphony is a long-standing form of musical entertainment that can portray a multitude of genres of music, classical being just one of those genres. Throughout the years, our conductor, J.R. Cassidy, has formed the KSO Boogie Band, the Newport Ragtime Band, Flood Wall Jazz Quartet, and the KSO Chorale. We want to share our love for not only classical music, but also original big band, ragtime, and jazz. Lastly, we have an education program, where a group of musicians go to selected schools and perform concerts and clinics for students.
As you can see, we work hard to bring the symphony to life and share it with everyone we can. I will continue to keep you informed of our upcoming performances and any news on the horizon. Stay tuned for updates!
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