Posted September 11, 2023
Opening the 23-24 Rockin’ Orchestra Series
“If you decide to do one wild-and-crazy thing in 2023, make it Tchaikovsky X. Drake. You’ll be amazed!”
–Neal Gittleman, Artistic Director and Conductor, Dayton Philharmonic
DAYTON, OH (Sept. 11, 2023) – Dayton Performing Arts Alliance’s Dayton Philharmonic kicks off the 23-24 Rockin’ Orchestra Series with the mind-blowing, genre-bending, and critically acclaimed Steve Hackman’s Tchaikovsky X. Drake, Sept. 23 at 7:30pm at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Center for the Performing Arts. Grammy-winner Drake’s melodies weave throughout Tchaikovsky’s epic Fifth Symphony, seamlessly blending 19th-century symphony with 21st-century hip-hop, pushing musical bounds and new sounds. Arrive early and enjoy a free pre-show party with live entertainment with DJ JRK hosted by Dayton Metro Library. Tickets for Tchaikovsky X. Drake are on sale now. Call 937-228-3630, purchase online at daytonperformingarts.org/tickets, or stop by the Schuster Center Box Office in downtown Dayton.
“I see lots of promotional material from guest artists and artist managers, hoping to convince us to book one (or more) of their shows,” said Neal Gittleman, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Dayton Philharmonic. “It’s rare that something knocks my socks off and makes me say, ‘Oh YES!’ Well, the promotional material for the Tchaikovsky X Drake show made me say, ‘Oh, HELL yes!’ The idea sounded wild: the orchestra plays Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony while singers, a rapper, and a DJ perform songs by Drake simultaneously? But it works, and it’s amazing.”
Composer, conductor, producer, DJ, arranger, songwriter, singer, and pianist Steve Hackman’s innovative fusions blur the links between high and pop art. As Conductor and Curator of the Baltimore Symphony’s BSO Fusion Series and Conductor and Creative Director of the Indianapolis Symphony’s Uncharted Series, he has created one of the country’s most successful millennial-focused concert experiences.
According to Adam Sacks from ClassicalMusicDaily.com. Hackman has developed “…almost an entirely new musical form and genre, which tears down the wall that separates not only audiences, but how we even think of pop versus concert music.”
In Tchaikovsky X. Drake, the Dayton Philharmonic is joined by three singers, one rapper, a drummer, and a bassist as 22 songs of Drake such as “God’s Plan,” “One Dance,” “Controlla,” “Nice For What,” “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” “In My Feelings,” “Take Care,” and “Find Your Love” weave almost seamlessly throughout Tchaikovsky’s epic Symphony No. 5, creating a sound that rotates between a romantic and contemporary hip-hop/classical fusion.
Other uniquely blended works by Hackman include Brahms and Radiohead, Bartòk and Björk, and Beethoven and Coldplay.
Pre-Show Party
Start the evening at a pre-show party at 6pm in the Wintergarden inside the Schuster Center. Dayton Metro Library hosts a free party with live entertainment with DJ JRK, delicious appetizers, and a cash bar before the show. No ticket is required.
Tickets for Tchaikovsky X. Drake are on sale now. Call 937-228-3630, purchase online at daytonperformingarts.org/tickets, or stop by the Schuster Center Box Office in downtown Dayton.
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance’s 23-24 Rockin’ Orchestra Series continues with Jeans ‘n Classics: Music of Queen (Oct. 7, 2023); Arrive From Sweden: The Music of ABBA (April 27, 2024); Windbourne’s Music of Whitney Houston (May 18, 2024); and The Music of Green Day (June 1, 2024). All Rockin’ Orchestra performances begin at the Schuster Center at 7:30pm.
To purchase single tickets or a subscription to the 23-24 Rockin’ Orchestra Series or any of DPAA’s Opera, Ballet, or Philharmonic performances, visit daytonperformingarts.org.