By Amy Hillard
May 8 promises to be a day of musical celebration and recognition for ProMusica as the group wraps up its 30th Anniversary Gala in Downtown Columbus.
ProMusica's special event features renowned American fiddler Mark O’Connor and the Korean Ahn Trio at the historic Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St., at 8:30 p.m.
“This is such a rewarding event for us because it is the culminating event of our season. We work hard all year long and we want to reflect and celebrate that effort,” says Janet Chen, executive director for ProMusica.
O’Connor crosses over jazz, folk and classical genres. The 47-year-old fiddler has recorded solo albums for Warner Bros., Sony and Rounder.
While in Columbus, O’Connor and the Ahn Trio will present the world premier performance of O’Connor’s March of the Gypsy Fiddler, which he wrote exclusively for the ProMusica celebration. The artists will also perform Harmony for Violin and String Orchestra and Beethoven’s Finale from Triple Concerto.
Other guests celebrating ProMusica’s 30th anniversary include cello player Gary Hoffman, pianists Yuja Wang and Donald Berman and violinist Paul Neubauer.
“This is a great opportunity for friends and audiences to see ProMusica. The unique artists performing at our Galas are not part of the typical concert scene and this is a great chance to see them as well as our own orchestra,” Chen says.
The Gala itself has been held for the past nine years and features crossover artists encompassing a wide range of genres including classical and folk. Past artists have included folk singer Nancy Griffith and jazz violinist Regina Carter.
“All of the musicians performing at the Gala are truly fantastic. We want to get as many community members as we can to be part of the creating art process, especially with O’Connor’s premier performance of The Gypsy Fiddler,” Chen adds.
ProMusica’s annual Gala is also the biggest fundraiser of the year for the organization. All funds raised from this event goes toward ProMusica's educational activities and artistic programs.
Individual tickets for the concert event range from $30 to $80. For more information, visit www.promusicacolumbus.org.