Social Media

For the latest on the Omaha Symphony, check out our Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Omaha-Symphony/23980183489 - and Twitter -
https://twitter.com/#!/omahasymphony - accounts! That's where you will find recent articles, concert promotions, and ticket giveaways!

*NEW* Season Ticket Commercial

KVNO Summer Concert Broadcasts

Tune into Classical KVNO 90.7 this summer for exclusive Omaha Symphony 10/11 concert broadcasts! Sundays from 8-10 a.m. starting 6/26. The schedule's on the homepage.

This is what it's all about.

Here are pictures from our visit to Children's Hospital & Medical Center on Monday. We hosted an instrument petting zoo and homemade instrument-making station in the Atrium. Then, musicians Maria Harding and Amy Peterson-Stout strolled through the hospital's halls, performing beautiful music for the patients and their families. What a wonderful visit! Thank you, Children's Hospital & Medical Center.

Ernest Richardson debuts world premiere, dedicates work to Omaha Symphony

What: SPIRIT OF CREATIVITY Chamber Concert
When: Saturday, May 28 7 PM
Where: UNO Strauss Performing Arts Center (60th & Dodge)
Tickets: $30 General Admission
Click here to order tickets online!

Omaha, Neb – Omaha audiences typically see Omaha Symphony resident conductor Ernest Richardson on the podium, but next Saturday, concertgoers will hear a piece of music by Ernest Richardson—the composer—for the very first time. Experience the world premiere of his Three Scenes for Chamber Orchestra at Spirit of Creativity Saturday, May 28 at 7 p.m. at the UNO Strauss Performing Arts Center. The piece, dedicated to the Omaha Symphony in honor of its 90th Anniversary, is the crown jewel of a program full of creative pieces that break the mold.

“Performing Ernest’s extraordinary composition is the perfect conclusion to our 90th anniversary season. It is the ideal time to honor one of our own who has given so much to this community,” said Omaha Symphony music director Thomas Wilkins, who will conduct the concert.

About the composition, Richardson wrote: “I began thinking about the musicians that I work with at the Omaha Symphony and musical ideas came to me as I imagined their playing. The work is very much crafted for them, as I know them through their playing. My job as a composer is to make the connection between audience and performer, and it always brings me a smile.”

The final Chamber concert of the 2010/11 season also features works by Copland, Bartók, and Barber. Spirit of Creativity also highlights the talents of three Omaha Symphony musicians: Maria Harding, flute; Jason Sudduth, oboe; and Scott Quackenbush; trumpet.

Join the Omaha Symphony for this celebration of creativity—and its own conductor Ernest Richardson! For tickets, please call 402.342.3560 or click here!

Read All About It! "Mr. Johnson's Opus"

Don't miss this tremendous article by Sarah Wengert with The Reader--a feature on our new President and CEO, James M. Johnson.

Here's one of my favorite quotes from James:

“How people listen to music has changed radically in the last 10 years. No one says, ‘I only listen to X, Y or Z.’ We’re all listening to everything,” says Johnson. “I think that’s something orchestras can learn from, and respect that even the crowd that comes for your Mozart concert could possibly be listening to Lady Gaga in the car on the way home.”

Do you like FREE MUSIC??? Join us Memorial Day Weekend!

A FREE Omaha Symphony concert? Outdoors? Spirit-lifting music in a gorgeous lake locale? YES, PLEASE! Pack a picnic and don't miss it!

Um, sir... you sound/look a lot like....

Tony Kishman, an entertainer with an uncanny visual and vocal resemblance to Sir Paul, is featured on "The Music of Paul McCartney" on May 21 at the Holland Center. Watch this video for a preview...and join us for this symphonic salute!

Reasons To Order 2011/12 Season Tickets Today!

You'll save money! Season ticket are much cheaper than regular-priced single tickets. Depending on your series and seating, you can save up to 40%! PLUS, series subscribers get a 20% discount on additional tickets to concerts in their series when purchased after August 31, 2011. (Excludes the Family Series)
Easy exchanges. We know you're busy and that conflicts can pop up. Don't worry! We're flexible. Exchanges can be made in person, via mail, or by phone to our Box Office.
Personal Ticketing Services. Our friendly, knowledgeable Box Office staff is ready to help you with any questions or changes.
Advance Tickets for Special Concerts. When we offer Special Concerts, you can purchase your tickets at a discount before they're offered to the general public!
Subscriber Express Will-Call. Avoid long lines! Ask to have your will-call tickets left at the Omaha Symphony subscriber services window at the Holland Center box office, starting one hour before each concert.
Be generous, Be a Benefactor. If you can't make it to one of your season concerts, we can pass on your tickets as a gift to community members who couldn't attend without your generosity.

With perks like these, it's clear that season tickets are the smart choice for music lovers who also love to save.

BECOME A SEASON TICKET HOLDER TODAY: Click here!

A Preview of Simply Sinatra with Steve Lippia

The Omaha Symphony presents the music of Frank Sinatra May 13-15 at the Holland Performing Arts Center. Steve Lippia, hailed by Sinatra’s own music director as “the best young singer I’ve heard in 25 years,” will wow audiences with his smooth vocals and swingin’ stage presence. Concertgoers will experience a feel-good Sinatra hit parade, including “New York, New York,” “Come Fly With Me,” “My Way,” “That’s Life,” “All The Way,” and more!

Lippia has quickly established his place among the finest interpreters of standards and traditional pop music in the nation. He has performed with dozens of major symphony orchestras and headlined highly successful, extended engagements in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. He has even headlined at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club in New York City, backed by the Nelson Riddle and Woody Herman orchestras. TV appearances include Extra, FOX’s Good Day New York, CNN’s Showbiz Tonight, ABC, and the BBC.

JoAnn is thrilled... and we are, too!

JoAnn Falletta is in Omaha this weekend and she's pretty excited about it! Read all about it in the Omaha World-Herald preview HERE.

Omaha audiences will be swept away by the star power and musical beauty of Spring Enchantment, May 6 and 7 at the Holland Center. JoAnn Falletta will take the podium to conduct Elgar’s beloved Enigma Variations, as well as works by Prokofiev and Mendelssohn. Saint-Saëns’s romantic Cello Concerto No. 1 will feature rising star soloist Julian Schwarz.

Acclaimed by The New York Times as “one of the finest conductors of her generation,” JoAnn Falletta serves as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. With Falletta at the helm, the BPO has released 12 CDs on the Naxos label, garnering nine Grammy nominations and two Grammy Awards. She frequently guest conducts many of the world’s great symphony orchestras.

Join us! Click here for tickets.

Meet our New President & CEO!

The Omaha Symphony is thrilled to announce that James M. Johnson has accepted the position of president and CEO of the Omaha Symphony. Johnson comes to Nebraska from New York City, where he has served as CEO of The New York Pops for more than 10 years. He will officially start with the organization on June 1, 2011.

“I feel privileged to join this esteemed institution. I cannot imagine a better opportunity,” said Johnson. “The Omaha Symphony is fortunate to have one of the country's great musical leaders in Music Director Thomas Wilkins and a remarkable and creative resident conductor in Ernest Richardson. The incredibly gifted musicians of the orchestra are a great resource for the Omaha community, and I look forward to working with them to find more opportunities to share their gifts.”

Johnson brings more than 25 years of experience in arts management to the Omaha Symphony. In his most recent role with The New York Pops, he managed the artistic, human, and financial resources of the organization, a $2.5 million, 77-piece professional orchestra performing primarily at Carnegie Hall. He forged significant relationships with major corporate funders, civic and charitable organizations, and leading performing artists. Prior to The New York Pops, Johnson served for nearly seven years as director of operations for the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and as general manager of the Martha Graham Dance Company.

Johnson will move to Omaha later this month with his wife and two daughters. “My family and I are eager to move to Omaha. We look forward to joining a community that is so supportive of culture and education—two of the cornerstones of any great city.”

Local organist strikes a chord!

WHAT: Power & Pipes
WHEN: Saturday, April 30 7 PM
WHERE: UNO Strauss Performing Arts Center 6001 Dodge Street
TICKETS: $30 General Admission 402.342.3560 www.omahasymphony.org


Feel the power of live music at an Omaha Symphony Chamber concert sure to strike a chord in your soul! The orchestra presents Power & Pipes Saturday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the UNO Strauss Performing Arts Center, featuring organist Dr. Marie Rubis Bauer. The concert features a wind showcase by Schubert, a Mozart string serenade, and Rheinberger’s romantic Organ Concerto No. 2.

Bauer is the director of music and organist at the Cathedral of Saint Cecilia in Omaha. She is also the director of the School of Music in the Archdiocese of Omaha’s Saint Cecilia Institute and founding artistic director of Omaha’s Baroque and Bach Festivals. As an organist, Bauer has performed on significant modern and historic instruments throughout the United States and in Sweden, Germany, Swtizerland, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Bauer last performed with the Omaha Symphony in 2007.

On The Cover...

You must check out the April issue of Metro Magazine...with its amazingly awesome cover/cover story! Click here to flip through the online version.

Thanks, Metro, for recognizing our organization's community impact and always celebrating service in your publication!

Syncing music with movies requires concentration and precision

There is a fantastic, interesting article in today's OWH about the multimedia trend you're seeing in our programming and the challenges these concerts present behind the scenes. Learn how we get the original footage and live orchestra to sync up.
Read all about it--CLICK HERE!

The trend recently:
Last weekend, Blue Planet.
This weekend, Rodgers & Hammerstein: At the Movies.
Next season, "Psycho" and "The Wizard of Oz" with orchestra.

Rodgers & Hammerstein: At the Movies!

This is going to be a terrific show, packed with music you love and lots of charm. Great seats are still available! Get yours today: 402.345.0606 or www.omahasymphony.org.

NEW! 2011/12 Season Lineup...

The 2011/12 season is an exciting lineup of more than 50 diverse, live concert experiences. From country superstar LeAnn Rimes to classics by Brahms and Mozart, there’s something for every music lover to enjoy!

Check it out and order season tickets! Here are the key links you'll need:

Order season tickets online!
11/12 Season Preview Brochure PDF
11/12 Season Press Release
11/12 Season Omaha World-Herald Preview

Experience our newest series this Sunday!

This Sunday, don't miss PIANO QUARTET at 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church (70th and Cass). CLICK HERE for tickets. Featuring:

Schickele: Diversions
Muczynski: Fragments
Piston: Three Pieces
Leslie Fagan, flute - John Klinghammer, clarinet - Adam Trussell, bassoon

AND

Fauré: Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor
Christi Zuniga, piano - Dan Fletcher, violin - Amy Peterson-Stout, viola - Paul Ledwon, cello

The new Ensemble Series puts Omaha Symphony orchestra members in the spotlight, showcasing their talents through chamber repertoire. Taking music out of the concert hall and into the community, this series aims to connect the audience to individual musicians in a more close-knit, casual way. Small ensembles, exciting repertoire, and a more intimate performance space ensure a one-of-a-kind concert experience!

Celtic fiddle sensation & Riverdance rockstar EILEEN IVERS joins us on St. Patrick's Day!

Check out her amazing, authentic fiddling below! Great seats are still available. Call 402.342.3560 for tickets or click here to order online.

Become a fan on Facebook!

We love communicating with our "fans" on Facebook! We post all kinds of interesting and informative tidbits--from ticket discounts to concert preview videos. Get in the loop: join our 2050+ fans now by clicking here.

Thanks for your support--online and in the concert hall!

Love Ella? You'll LOVE this weekend's show!

Patti Austin sings The Ella Fitzgerald Songbook
March 11 8 PM
March 12 8 PM
March 13 2 PM
Click for tickets OR call 402.345.0606.
To read the OWH Preview Interview with Ms. Austin, click here... she's excited to come to Omaha and we're excited to have her! She's a tremendous talent and a friend of Maestro Wilkins.

90th Anniversary Recap

Read full coverage of our 90th Anniversary Celebration in the Omaha World-Herald, including Warren Buffett's surprise performance at our Gala!

It was a tremendous weekend and we are overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support. You are the reason we are here! Jeff Koterba's brilliant editorial cartoon really communicates this beautifully. Please see his wonderful, thoughtful work of art below!

St. Patrick's Day Treat! Celtic fiddling sensation Eileen Ivers

Thursday, March 17 | 8 PM | Holland Center

"The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin!" -The New York Times
"...the audience loved every minute." -The Los Angeles Times
"A sensation!" -Billboard Magazine

VIDEOS:
Listen to Eileen jamming out with her band!
Watch her fingers fly in a solo acoustic performance.
CBS Sunday Morning features Eileen Ivers...check it out!

For online ticketing, click here! You will LOVE this show.

Beethoven's Ninth. Hear it live March 4 & 6 at the Holland.

We recently came across a fascinating documentary called "Following the Ninth." It's a film that explores the meaning, mystery, and global impact of one of the world's greatest works of art, Beethoven's hymn to human connection, the glorious Ninth Symphony.

What is ultra-amazing is that Beethoven composed his masterpiece entirely deaf! What a gift to the world. Please join us on March 4 & 6 as we celebrate our 90th Anniversary in the Omaha area with this timeless "Ode to Joy." Click here to purchase tickets online.

90 Years - Join the Celebration!

Ninety years ago, the Omaha Symphony consisted of a small but mighty band of talented local players. No one could have dreamed of a home like the Holland Performing Arts Center. No one could have foreseen performing with the world’s best artists, the likes of Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma. However, with a passion for artistic excellence and the backing of a generous community, the Omaha Symphony has grown—in size, in artistry, and in impact.

The orchestra marks its 90th Anniversary March 4-6 with a weekend of exceptional music and tremendous gratitude for the community it serves. Two special concerts, featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, will be performed at the Holland Center Friday, March 4 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m., both conducted by Omaha Symphony Music Director Thomas Wilkins. A black-tie formal Gala event will be held on Saturday, March 5 at the Joslyn Art Museum. The entire weekend is presented by sponsors HDR, Inc. and the Silverstone Group.“We live in an age when orchestras across America are experiencing challenges that threaten their very existence. In Omaha, we thrive. It is a testament not only to who we were, but also who we continue to be, as a community of artists and lovers of great art,” said Maestro Thomas Wilkins.

Wilkins chose the music for the March 4 and 6 concerts to reflect the grandeur and passion behind the 90th anniversary. “Beethoven’s Ninth is the culmination of both the life and life’s work of one of the greatest composers of all time. In this music, there is the voice of a genius who has much to say and does so patiently, expansively, and poetically,” Wilkins said. Beethoven’s timeless masterpiece will be elevated by a host of beautiful voices—four talented guest soloists, the Omaha Symphonic Chorus, Nebraska Wesleyan University Chorus, and the University of Nebraska-Omaha Concert Choir and Chamber Choir. The program also includes Symphony No. 2 (“Romantic”) by composer Howard Hanson, a native Nebraskan. Tickets for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony are $20 to $75. Husch Blackwell is Friday’s concert sponsor.
HDR, Inc. and the Silverstone Group will present the Omaha Symphony’s 90th Anniversary Gala Saturday, March 5 at the Joslyn Art Museum. The event’s honorary co-chairs are Pat and Richard Bell and Anne and John Nelson. Gala attendees will experience an evening of timeless elegance and entertainment, including a concert by the orchestra and a special tribute to Richard Holland, a longtime friend of the Omaha Symphony, in honor of his 90th year. For more information or to purchase tickets to the Gala, please contact Heather Hoyt at 402.342.3836 x125 or hhoyt@omahasymphony.org.

Please join the Omaha Symphony as it celebrates 90 years—a proud history and bright future. “We intend to be innovative, while preserving the great musical history that has sustained us these many years. We intend to be artist-teachers, pursuing not only our own growth, but indeed that of those in our midst, as well. We intend to partner with other community entities, to create a quality of life that leaves no one behind,” said Wilkins.
For more on the Omaha Symphony’s history, please visit http://www.omahasymphony.org/history.asp.

SOLD OUT!

Three Dog Night is an official sell-out! Here's the preview with Danny Hutton in today's OWH Go! Section.

BSO Names Wilkins to lead Family & Youth Concerts

Congratulations to Maestro Wilkins!

Click here to read Boston Globe coverage of the announcement.

Cassidy on performing in Omaha: "I cannot wait"

Don't miss the huge David Cassidy/Omaha Symphony spread in today's Omaha World-Herald GO! section... it's fantastic with very Valentine visuals--pinks, reds, and lots of dreamy pics of this former teen heartthrob.

Here's a great quote:

“I cannot wait,” Cassidy said during a recent phone interview from his home in Florida. “This is a very special occasion for me and a really exciting one. I feel so enthusiastic about it. It's really, genuinely got my blood racing.”

The source of all that excitement is a series of concerts Cassidy will perform with the Omaha Symphony. The singer-actor takes the stage of the Holland Performing Arts Center for three concerts Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Read the whole article--click HERE. Thanks to reporter Niz Proskocil and the entire Omaha World-Herald team for such great (and fun!) coverage.

C'mon Get Happy this Valentine's Weekend!

Feel the love this Valentine's Weekend with David Cassidy and the Omaha Symphony!
Friday, Feb. 11 @ 8 PM
Saturday, Feb. 12 @ 8 PM
Sunday, Feb. 13 @ 2 PM
Call 402.342.3560 OR Click here for tickets.

FUN FACT-->We're entertaining some folks from across the pond this weekend: 17 from the UK, 5 from the Netherlands, and 1 from Switzerland. Nothing can keep those European fans from David Cassidy! Most of them are going to all 3 shows, too!

Community Pride Preview with Thomas Wilkins

Omaha Symphony Music Director Thomas Wilkins previews the 2010/11 Margre Durham Concerts for Youth experience, Community Pride: A Musical Look at Cooperation, Communication, and Conviction.

To register, or for more information, contact the Omaha Symphony Education department at 402.342.3836, x126.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Pick up a copy of this week's The Reader on news stands now! Obviously, the cover story is AMAZING! Seriously, though, the article is thorough, interesting, and personal, as it profiles one of Omaha's most fascinating (and talented) people. Click here to read it online.

More Amazing "Images of Nature" by Thomas D. Mangelsen

Learn more at www.mangelsen.com.

Thomas + Thomas = A Feast for Eyes & Ears!!

WHAT: Wild About Nature!
Sponsored by Children’s Hospital & Medical Center

WHEN: Sunday, January 16 at 2 PM

WHERE: Holland Performing Arts Center 1200 Douglas Street

TICKETS: Kids: $7 Adults: $9.75 402.342.3560 www.omahasymphony.org


Kids of all ages will love Wild About Nature!, a family concert that celebrates incredible wildlife and imaginative music. World-renowned photographer and Nebraska native Thomas D. Mangelsen’s beloved nature images are paired with kid-friendly classics to teach lessons of appreciation and conservation. Omaha Symphony Music Director Thomas Wilkins will take the podium, as Thomas D. Mangelsen’s stunning photography is projected on a big screen above the orchestra. Don’t miss this feast for the eyes and ears Sunday, January 16 at 2 p.m. at the Holland Performing Arts Center.

Thomas D. Mangelsen is recognized as one of the world’s premier nature photographers. His work has been published in National Geographic, Life, Audubon, National Wildlife, Smithsonian, Natural History, Newsweek, Wildlife Art, American Photo, and many other publications, as well as featured on TV programs from The Today Show and Good Morning America to CNN’s World News and ABC’s World News Tonight.

Immediately following the concert, Mangelsen will host an Artist Reception at the Mangelsen-Images of Nature Gallery in the Old Market. Meet Thomas D. Mangelsen as he shares his limited edition images that reflect the intimate beauty of our natural world. Mangelsen will share stories from his recent travels and will be available for signing throughout the event.

Parents are encouraged to bring their children early to enjoy pre-concert lobby activities that start at 1:15 p.m.: an instrument petting zoo and a homemade instrument workshop. Families can also visit the Omaha Children’s Museum before the show to create one-of-a-kind instruments. These hands-on workshops will take place Saturday, Jan. 8, Sunday, Jan. 9, and Saturday, Jan. 15 between 11 a.m. – Noon and 2 – 3 p.m. At the conclusion of Wild About Nature!, Maestro Wilkins will invite children to bring their creations on stage and conduct them as a homemade instrument band!

Wild About Nature is sponsored by Children’s Hospital and Medical Center. Special thanks to Thomas D. Mangelsen, David Mangelsen, and Mangelsen-Images of Nature Gallery, 1115 Harney Street, Omaha, 402.342-8460, mangelsen.com.

Get GROOVY with Ernest & the Omaha Symphony!

Congrats to 2011 Debs & Stags!

Images courtesy Omaha World-Herald.





From Omaha World-Herald coverage of the Omaha Symphony Guild Debutante Ball, by Karen Sundell:

"Monday evening (December 27) most certainly was a night to remember for 47 debutantes and 36 stags at the 45th annual Debutante Ball in the CoCo Key convention center's central ballroom.

The college freshmen made their social debut to more than 680 family members, friends and supporters of the Omaha Symphony. Families of the participants were honored for giving of their time and talent to the Omaha Symphony and other civic and community organizations."

READ the full article-CLICK HERE.

We are thankful for the support of the Omaha Symphony Guild!