Classical music has been unfortunately stereotyped as being stuffy and pretentious.
Drinking tea, pinkies up, blah blah blah. Through its 10-year-old Summermusik program, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra has introduced lively, sometimes surprising pieces that highlight overlooked or underrepresented composers, eras, or geographic regions. As we look towards the end of summer and gird ourselves for (or celebrate) back-to-school season, from July 30 through August 24,
Summermusik will unveil an eclectic array of classical music from Turkey, Europe, Asia, and Ireland, as well as both standards and unearthed gems from the Art Deco era.
Evan Gidley, the Chamber Orchestra’s executive director, noted that Summermusik’s goal is a balance of the familiar and the surprising.
“Our goal for Summermusik is a high-quality program that explores the music of other cultures,” said Gidley.
Summermusik performances entail three distinctive types of experiences. Mainstage performances incorporate the full Chamber Orchestra at the Corbett Theatre at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). Each program will feature a prelude talk given by featured performers to provide context for the evening’s entertainment. More informal Chamber Crawl performances will include intimate performances with small chamber ensembles and local brewers and mixologists serving libations, making the evenings conducive to a relaxed vibe. (A Little) Afternoon Musik will present Sunday-afternoon matinees that complement main stage performances with deeper dives into the musical programs.
Gidley noted that Summermusik strives to match the venues with the programs presented. For example, the “Speakeasy” program, a Chamber Crawl presentation on August 12 of Roaring Twenties-era jazz ensembles performing the music of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and other icons of that time, will take place the Redmoor in Mt. Lookout, which had been an authentic speakeasy a century ago.
A focal point of this year’s Summermusik is “Adventures on the Silk Road,” a main stage program which will occur on August 2, will musically trace Marco Polo’s famed 13
th-century journey with pieces from composers that range from Italy to China. The program will include a performance of a violin concerto written by Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali, and a performance by SoRIAH, a throat singer whose technique embodies the ancient vocalizing technique of the Central Asian steppes.
In a time when nationalism and isolationism are gaining traction with many citizens, Gidley notes the importance of performances that celebrate rich cultural diversity.
“It’s simply good business to introduce audiences to interesting, unfamiliar music,” he said. “Celebrating great art and different cultures is a win-win.”
Program notes from creative director Eckart Preu and violinist Manami White
Eckart Preu has served as the Chamber Orchestra’s creative director for several years. As a boy in his native East Germany, he sang in Dresden’s Dresdner Kreuzchor, a 700-year-old boys’ choir. Sensing he’d find greater opportunity in the U.S., he came to this country as a student in 1997 on a scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service. He eventually joined the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and ultimately journeyed cross-country before settling in Spokane, Wash., where he lives while frequently commuting to Cincinnati.
“I enjoy my time in Cincinnati on several levels,” he said. “It’s a very open-minded and collaborative artistic community, where organizations are very supportive of each other. And, of course, I love the Germanness of the city. I love Cincinnati’s architecture, the masonry, the churches.”
In crafting each year’s Summermusik programs, Preu said that a central goal is creating a narrative that transcends music and ventures into storytelling that frames the people and culture that birthed the featured pieces. He relished the opportunity to develop the Silk Road program that meshes compositions that ostensibly seem incompatible.
He’s also excited about the “Trailblazers” program on August 9, which will be performed by the Kronos Quartet, a legendary San Francisco-based string quartet. They will play “Starlings,” a composition authored by Jungyoon Wie as part of a co-commission of the Chamber Orchestra and the Next Festival of Emerging Artists.
Kronos Quartet will also perform a new piece by Matt Browne,
inaugural winner of the Kreitler Commission Competition, which was co-created by Cincinnati and Pittsburgh’s Chamber Orchestras, North Carolina’s Orchestra of the Triangle, and the Reno Chamber Orchestra.
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Photo by Phillip Groshong provided by Evan GidleyCreative director Eckart Preu conducting a performance. A native German, he enjoys Cincinnati’s collaborative artistic community as well as its German heritage.
Manami White, the Chamber Orchestra’s principal second violinist, began playing violin at the age of three in her native Seattle. She’s grown to love the violin’s versatility, evoking strong feelings with music from genres as far-flung as classical and country. She’s performed with the Chamber Orchestra for approximately 10 years and performs a management role within the company as well. She also performs with the Dayton Philharmonic, the Kentucky Symphony, and the Columbus Symphony.
“As both a player and a manager within the Chamber Orchestra, I enjoy the opportunity to bring people together within the organization and hear and understand different perspectives,” she said.
She appreciates Preu’s ability to select and present pieces that will foray into various cultural tastes and experiences, from intimate pieces with a handful of performers to resonant productions with dozens of musicians.
In addition to featured performances by the Kronos Quartet and violinist Rachel Barton Pine, she’s looking forward to Turkish pieces that incorporate the oud, a short-necked, fretless stringed instrument that’s common in Middle Eastern music but largely unfamiliar to American ears.
Here’s a rundown of the entire program:
“Journey to Türkiye,” July 30, 7:30 p.m., Rhinegeist Clubhouse. An evening of Turkish music features a woodwind quintet led by Susan Magg.
“Adventures on the Silk Road,” August 2, 6:45 p.m. prelude talk, 7:30 p.m. performance, Corbett Theatre, SCPA. The evening will feature music from Marco Polo’s Silk Road journey, featuring violinist Rachel Barton Pine and Tuvan throat singer SoRIAH.
“Vivaldi’s Venice,” August 3, 3 p.m., Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, Ky. Eighteenth-century Vivaldi compositions with violinist Rachel Barton Pine and a professional chorus as part of the “A Little Afternoon Musik” series.
“Let’s Dance!,” August 6, 7:30 p.m., The Grand Ballroom, Covington. Learn new dances under the tutelage of dance instructor Jeaunita Château Olówè with the accompaniment of music from a string quartet led by Sujean Kim.
“Trailblazers,” August 9, prelude talk 6:45p.m., performance 7:30, Corbett Theater, SCPA. Kronos Quartet performs with the entire Chamber Orchestra playing recently commissioned compositions.
“Visions of the Future,” August 10, 3 p.m., UC-CCM Corbett Auditorium. Kronos Quartet performs with a Summermusik string quartet and CCM students for this matinee program.
“Speakeasy,” August 12-13, 7:30 p.m., The Redmoor. Multi-instrumentalist Matt Tolentino and an ensemble performs Roaring Twenties-era jazz.
“Art Deco at 100,” August 16, 6:45 p.m. prelude talk, 7:30 p.m. performance, Corbett Theatre, SCPA. Terrence Wilson and the full Chamber Orchestra perform George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
“The Roaring Twenties,” August 17, 4 p.m., Cincinnati Museum Center Reakirt Auditorium. Pianist Terrence Wilson and a string quartet perform a program inspired by Art Deco and 1920s style.
“Summercéilí,” August 21-22, 7:30 p.m., Irish Heritage Center of Greater Cincinnati. Violinist Liz Knowles, various Irish musicians and dancers celebrate the music and culture of the Emerald Isle.
“The Soul of Ireland,” August 23, 4 p.m., Corbett Theatre, SCPA. Liz Knowles and the full Chamber Orchestra perform an array of Irish music.
Irish Music Workshop, August 24, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Irish Heritage Center of Greater Cincinnati. Presented by the Riley School of Irish Music, Irish Heritage Center, and Summermusik. Liz Knowles, Kieran O’Hare, and John Skelton lead a day of music-education workshops at the Irish Heritage Center of Cincinnati.
What: Summermusik, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra
Where: Eight different locations with 13 total performances plus a full-day workshop
Dates: July 30 - August 24, 2025
Time: Afternoon and evening
Tickets: Summermusik tickets
Summermusik is a supporter of Soapbox Cincinnati. Find out more about Summermusik and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra here.