Paying Homage to the Glass City, August 9-11
Toledo, the City of Glass, stands on the ancestral ground of the Great Black Swamp. The town has been derided by John Denver and touches divinity as the second part of an iconic exclamation. To celebrate the many lenses through which we can view our city and, in TMA’s manager of programs and audience engagement, Scott Boberg’s words, to “celebrate these two longstanding art organizations,” Toledo’s wealth of musicians and composers, and “the impact this area has had on music across the country and around the world,” the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO), the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA), and ADJ•ective New Music Collective team up to dedicate their 5th annual summer music marathon series to the music and musicians of the 419. Solidifying the connection, Boberg and TSO’s artistic administrator Merwin Siu, chose 4 thematic lenses and 19 Toledo composers’ works, including Evan Chambers, Jennifer Higdon, Elainie Lillios, Paul Schoenfield and Alain Trudel.
I: Glass City — Friday, August 9
Friday, Aug. 9: 6-8 pm, GlasSalon
Free
The series begins on in the GlasSalon of the TMA’s iconic Glass Pavilion. The two-hour evening concert hearkens to Toledo’s history as a leading creator of glass. Boberg points out that it’s a perfect start, because the “GlasSalon is a beautiful space, but one that is also perfectly suited, acoustically, to chamber music.” The acoustic and electro-acoustic music on display will draw from the Glass City theme, focusing on bright, transparent, innovative pieces that mirror the city’s manufacturing heyday.
II: Black Swamp – Saturday, August 10
(Part One)
1-3 pm, GlasSalon
$10 for TMA members and TSO subscribers,
$12 for nonmembers, and $5 for students and active military.
(Part Two)
3:15–3:45 pm, Museum Grounds
Free
(Part Three)
4-5 pm, Wolfe Gallery
Free
Saturday afternoon returns to the GlasSalon to begin the second concert, intended to evoke a metaphorical day in the Black Swamp. The first part leverages GlasSalon’s window onto nature to present a multi-sensory exploration of naturally inspired music. As the concert progresses through to the museum’s grounds, the musical offerings reflect movement and change. At the end of the journey, in the Wolfe Gallery, pieces will be “darker,” says Boberg, inviting the audience to ruminate on the “the way we impact the Swamp, maybe not always positively.”
III: Saturday Night in Toledo, Ohio — Saturday, August 10
(Part One)
7:30-9:30 pm, Great Gallery
$10 for TMA members and TSO subscribers,
$12 for nonmembers, and $5 for students and active military.
(Part Two)
10-11:30 pm, Bellwether at Toledo Spirits
Free
4(19) Festival passholders receive priority seating for this performance.
Responding defiantly to John Denver’s direct challenge, the 4(19) festival continues long into Saturday night, beginning with a Great Gallery concert examining identity — both self-constructed or unwillingly received. The festival then makes its final Saturday stop for a late evening concert at Toledo Spirits’ Bellwether for a joyous evening paying homage to Toledo’s vibrant jazz history and nightlife. The bar will be open to the public during the concert, so space will likely be at a premium. Come early to ensure you get a good spot!
IV: Holy Toledo — Sunday, August 11
2–4 p.m., Throughout the Museum
Free
The festival concludes with a fitting coda paying tribute to Toledo’s rich sacred music history. It will be an experience Siu likens to a musical “guided tour,” gathering in Libbey Court and making their way through the museum. Along the way will be performances drawing from many faiths and styles. Much of the concert will take place in the Cloister, whose gorgeous architecture is perfectly suited to the music on display.
Friday, August 9 – Sunday, August 11. Festival Passes (admission to all three ticketed concerts and priority seating at Bellwether concert) $20 for TMA members and TSO subscribers, $24 for nonmembers, and $10 for students and active military. Toledo Museum of Art. 2445 Monroe St.,
419-255-8000. toledomuseum.org/visit/events/419-festival
