Two weeks after I arrived in Columbus twenty-five years ago, I was directed toward Mershon Auditorium for a concert given by the orchestra and chorus of the School of Music at The Ohio State University.
It was an all-Brahms program, the Violin Concerto, the Alto Rhapsody (a great favorite of mine and the reason I attended the concert) and the Symphony no. 2.
I don't need a good reason to listen to Brahms. When I saw that Robert Shaw was conducting the entire program, I realized these people don't mess around. The OSU Men's Glee Club beautifully intoned the Alto Rhapsody, with the Orchestra and Eileen Davis, who was to become a dear friend. I could live here, I thought. They have music here.
Ohio State still has music. In fact this humble writer (!) went on to become an alumnus of the School of Music. By that time Eileen Davis had retired and Robert Shaw was dead, but I found wonderful music making all the same.
You can hear music all over the OSU campus. You can hear Concerts at Ohio State, Sunday afternoons at 1 on Classical 101. We just began our sixth season. With the help of OSU School of Music Director Rick Blatti, professor of flute Katherine Borst Jones and recording guru Mark Rubenstein, Classical 101 is able to bring you eight weeks of concerts recorded over the past twelve months.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL_cFABuO98
Everyone gets a turn. Orchestra, Wind Band, Wind Symphony, Choruses, Glee Clubs, chamber music, faulty recitals, and guests artists. We'll hear composers dear to specific genres, plus Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, Ravel, Brahms and other composers dear to all. The OSU Jazz Ensembles swing, the choruses sing, Dr. Drake says hello, the trumpets blare and Christopher says hi and tries to stay out of the way.
Pleas join us for Concerts at Ohio State, Sundays at 1 pm on Classical 101!
