Collaboration with Springfield Symphony Orchestra to Celebrate “Welcome Home” Reopening Concert
Although the experience may be slightly different, live performances are returning to the Clark State Performing Arts Center (PAC) for the first time since March.
The PAC is thrilled to “Welcome Home” patrons of the arts with a collaborative performance by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) Friday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m.
The performance will feature:
- Claude Debussy/arr. Schoenberg Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
- Nino Rota Canzona for Chamber Orchestra
- Cindy McTee The Twittering Machine
- Richard Wagner Siegfried Idyll
- S.Bach/arr. Tim Berens Joy!
“It really is a collaborative effort with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra,” said Adele Adkins, executive director of the Performing Arts Center. “I thought it would be a great way to reopen the PAC and it is equally important for the local musicians who haven’t had the opportunity to perform for so long.”
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra musicians are excited to be able to play again.
“Even though it’s a smaller audience, it’s our audience,” said Lou Ross, executive director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. “We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. It may take months, but eventually it will grow again, and we will be able to have more people watch and have more musicians on stage. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the PAC and Clark State. It’s a great opportunity to help welcome our patrons back to the Kuss.”
Ross said the Springfield Symphony Orchestra was able to be a part of the grand opening of the PAC more than 25-years ago and they are happy to be a part of this reopening, too.
“We are very proud to be part of the ‘Grand Welcome Back,’” Ross said.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra music director Peter Stafford Wilson said he looks forward to this event with enormous excitement.
“It will be almost eight months to the day since the Springfield Symphony last performed together,” Wilson said. “We will be one of the first orchestras to return to indoor performance, and we have meticulously planned to protect our musicians and patrons. This pandemic has silenced live music in an unprecedented way, and that painful drought has left us all with an extreme hunger to perform for the public and collaborate musically with each other. We are indebted to Clark State and to the PAC for serving as the catalyst to create this remarkable reunion.”
Due to health and safety reopening guidelines from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s office, there is a limited number of tickets available for the live performance. In consideration of the limited tickets available, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra concert will also be live-streamed for free on Facebook Live.
“Although all required safety measures are in place, some patrons may not yet be comfortable attending a live concert,” said Adkins. “The live stream option will still allow them to experience the performance live and in the moment.”
The PAC will also welcome The Queen's Cartoonists Friday, October 23 at 7 p.m.
Utilizing the Golden Age of animation as their backdrop, The Queen’s Cartoonists prove that jazz and classical music can capture the likes of a 21st century audience. Synchronized cartoon projections go hand-in-hand with virtuosic and hilarious jokes and anecdotes involving the cartoons and their composers.
All PAC patrons – along with PAC staff – will be required to wear face coverings. In addition:
- No concessions will be available.
- Hand sanitizing stations are placed throughout the facility.
- Entrance times will be staggered.
- Washrooms will be sanitized after each use.
- Distance and directional markers are in-place on the floors.
Tickets for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra’s performance on Friday, October 16 go on sale Monday, September 21 at 9 a.m. through the Clark State box office by calling 937.328.3874.