Friday, February 7, 2025

TSO’s triptych of American triumph

Pink Martini is a band with a reputation for going where many pop bands won’t—all over the place. From Nina Simone to Count Basie and ‘50s lounge music, the neo-swing band blurs the boundaries between genres. On February 6 and 7, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra will join forces with Pink Martini members Thomas Lauderdale (founder and pianist) and Storm Large (vocals) of the internationally renowned band—a self-described “little orchestra”—with a dozen members fusing musical genres such as classical, latin, jazz and  pop. 

The performance will feature George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and other selected pieces from the composer’s  songbook, along with classic pop music. The Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO), under the direction of Stefan Sanderling, will bring audiences an unforgettable, three-part performance that tips its hat to the jazz legend. 

Sanderling, TSO’s Principal Conductor and a Pink Martini fan, invited Lauderdale to play with TSO.

“Intelligent programming is very important. It’s not just Pink Martini, it’s Pink Martini meets classics,” Sanderling said.

The concert will take place at TSO’s home, The Peristyle at the Toledo Museum of Art. In order to enhance the concert experience and bring more visibility to the audience, TSO recently added large HD screens to the stage. Through February, WGTE cameras will roll, capturing the stage action and projecting images onto the screens. According to Ashley Mirakian, director of marketing for TSO, this will add to the positive audience experience.

“[The screens are] concert enhancement. Our hope is to create a more immersive environment. This is something we’ve never done before,” Mirakian said. “We want audience feedback and we want to update the experience.”

In addition to the Pink Martini performance, TSO will perform Dave & Chris Brubecks’ Ansel Adams: America, a 22-minute, one-movement, Grammy-nominated piece that blends Ansel Adams’ iconic photographs of American landscapes with the Brubecks’ melodies. The event will bring some of the most heralded sounds and sights of the twentieth century together in a contemporary medium. 

8pm, Friday and Saturday, February 6 and 7. $36-38. Toledo Symphony Box Office, 419-246-8000, tickets.toledosymphony.org

Pink Martini is a band with a reputation for going where many pop bands won’t—all over the place. From Nina Simone to Count Basie and ‘50s lounge music, the neo-swing band blurs the boundaries between genres. On February 6 and 7, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra will join forces with Pink Martini members Thomas Lauderdale (founder and pianist) and Storm Large (vocals) of the internationally renowned band—a self-described “little orchestra”—with a dozen members fusing musical genres such as classical, latin, jazz and  pop. 

The performance will feature George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and other selected pieces from the composer’s  songbook, along with classic pop music. The Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO), under the direction of Stefan Sanderling, will bring audiences an unforgettable, three-part performance that tips its hat to the jazz legend. 

Sanderling, TSO’s Principal Conductor and a Pink Martini fan, invited Lauderdale to play with TSO.

“Intelligent programming is very important. It’s not just Pink Martini, it’s Pink Martini meets classics,” Sanderling said.

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The concert will take place at TSO’s home, The Peristyle at the Toledo Museum of Art. In order to enhance the concert experience and bring more visibility to the audience, TSO recently added large HD screens to the stage. Through February, WGTE cameras will roll, capturing the stage action and projecting images onto the screens. According to Ashley Mirakian, director of marketing for TSO, this will add to the positive audience experience.

“[The screens are] concert enhancement. Our hope is to create a more immersive environment. This is something we’ve never done before,” Mirakian said. “We want audience feedback and we want to update the experience.”

In addition to the Pink Martini performance, TSO will perform Dave & Chris Brubecks’ Ansel Adams: America, a 22-minute, one-movement, Grammy-nominated piece that blends Ansel Adams’ iconic photographs of American landscapes with the Brubecks’ melodies. The event will bring some of the most heralded sounds and sights of the twentieth century together in a contemporary medium. 

8pm, Friday and Saturday, February 6 and 7. $36-38. Toledo Symphony Box Office, 419-246-8000, tickets.toledosymphony.org

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