First goal of 1,000 piano concerto series subscribers topped, showing strong community support; First free community concert at Ginghamsburg Church draws over 400 from region
This past Sunday’s (March 5, 3pm) free concert by the DPO Principal Quartet at Ginghamsburg Church marked the official start of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s NCR Miracle of Mozart Festival, the far-reaching music festival that includes both free and paid events performed in a variety of settings and by an impressive array of musical talent. The concert was attended by a wide variety of families and couples. An appreciative crowd of 437 people attended.
At this early stage, the Festival is off to a strong start as subscription sales pour in for the April/May Mozart Piano Concerto Series of four concerts that feature the Orchestra and two guest soloists, Janina Fialkowska and Jon Nakamatsu. The series will take place at the Schuster Center on April 27 & 29 and May 11 & 13. This part of the Mozart Festival is a series that features four of Mozart’s piano concertos in addition to other related works. The series is designed to illustrate the great composer’s development from child to mature artist.
Subscriptions have been on sale since late 2005. Single tickets went on sale February 15th through Ticket Center Stage and the Orchestra’s website daytonphilharmonic.com. Sales have been brisk, with 1,068 subscriptions and 225 single tickets sold for a total of 4,497 concert seats to date. The series is nearly half way to sold out with almost 2 remaining months until the first concert.
Music fans are urged “…to reserve their seats soon, as this subscription series is proving to be quite popular. It is a gratifying re-affirmation of the Dayton region’s love of the arts,” David Bukvic, DPO Director of Marketing and Public Relations, states. “Support like this tells us that we have hit upon a good mix of repertoire, guest artists, price, and seasonality for a special festival.” The piano series is bringing in many people (25% of total sales to date) who are not currently subscribers.
Subscribers to the Mozart Piano Concerto Series may add tickets to a movie screening at Neon Movies of a documentary film entitled In Search of Mozart. Subscribers may purchase subscriptions and movie tickets at (937) 228-3630. Those interested in the movie only can purchase tickets directly from Neon Movies now. The screenings will take place on March 27 – April 1. These screenings are an Ohio exclusive run.
The NCR Miracle of Mozart Festival presents concerts featuring a wide array of performances, styles, and experiences, including symphonies, opera works, sacred works, piano concertos, string quartets, various ensemble groups, and solo recitals. “We believe it to be one of, if not the, largest observances of Mozart’s 250th birthday in the Midwest,” Bukvic points out.
The first part of the festival consists of community concerts that are free to the public and known, collectively, as Amadeus Unbound. Paid events in March, April and May include the new documentary film at Neon Movies; the four previously mentioned Mozart piano concertos featuring guest artists-in residence Janina Fialkowska and Jon Nakamatsu; internationally known artists, such as Emanuel Ax, at regularly scheduled DPO Classical concerts at the Schuster Center with pre-concert speakers and events, such as the Dayton Mandolin Orchestra and a special gala birthday party prior to the second piano concerto concert sponsored by the Dayton Philharmonic Volunteer Association; the Dayton Opera hosting some of the region’s finest emerging vocal talent for the May gala concert; and there is even a new commission by composer Robert Rodríguez, an Agnus Dei movement, to complete Mozart’s unfinished Mass in C minor.
The NCR Miracle of Mozart Festival is presented by NCR Corporation and co-sponsored by the DP&L Foundation with additional support from the National Endowment of the Arts and a grant from the Hampden W. and Erma R. Catterton Fund of the Dayton Foundation. Festival Media Partners are Times Community Newspapers of Greater Dayton and WDPR/WDPG.
Piano Concerto subscription prices are $98 for A-level seats, $58 for B-level seats, and $18 for C-level seats. Individual tickets for the In Search of Mozart film at Neon Movies $6 per ticket for concerto series subscribers; regular price of the movie to the public is $8 for both adults and children.
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra is the largest and oldest performing arts organization in Ohio’s Miami Valley community. Its performances are made possible in part by Montgomery County and Culture Works, the single largest source of community funds for the arts and culture in the area. Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra also receives partial funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency created to foster and encourage the development of the arts and to preserve Ohio’s cultural heritage. Funding from the Ohio Arts Council is an investment of state tax dollars that promotes economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohio residents.