Roanoke Symphony Counters National Audience Trends

For Immediate Release

 Roanoke, Virginia — The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, David Stewart Wiley, music director, is enjoying increases in sales and attendance recently despite reports of dwindling audience sizes nationally. The new information, released in full today by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), combined with an earlier report conducted by the League of American Orchestras (LAO), outlines declines in participation rates for orchestras, other performing arts, cinema, as well as live sporting events and other activities during the period of 2002 to 2008. According to previous national studies, classical music audience sizes grew over 20 years, from 21.8 million in 1982, up to 24.6 million in 2002. In the past 6 years, the size dropped down to 21.3 million. For the RSO, the past few years have yielded an upturn in sales, with its sights already set on study recommendations – thinking creatively about its role in a culture of changing expectations.

 During the past few years, the RSO has anticipated and focused on practices that show promise in countering these trends. Exploring ticket pricing, venues, programming, touring, education, new media and social networking services, are all part of the RSO’s strategic plan. The RSO’s progress indicators now include an astounding 316% increase in subscribers between 2004 and 2008 for it’s Picnic at the Pops Series, presenting renowned pops artists and symphony orchestra in concert together, and a 37% increase in the number of Symphony-to-the-Max subscribers [all subscription concerts] during the same period. The RSO has further broadened its programming to provide more “entry points” for diverse audiences to find and enjoy quality performances of classical music – at the heart of its mission. This includes new and unique programs in collaboration with rock musicians and visual performers, as well as corporate leadership training events created and led by music director David Stewart Wiley.

Today’s NEA study, Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, along with the LAO’s Audience Demographic Research Review also reveal some encouraging news to the RSO and orchestras across the country. There is a high level of interest in classical music online and through electronic media, pointing to the enduring strength and vitality of symphony orchestras. The RSO recently launched the web page it calls “RSO 2.0″ – a reference to “Web 2.0″ interactive and networking technology – to promote its use of such services. A link to the page can be found at the RSO’s web site at www.rso.com. Last fall, the RSO introduced an online audio podcast series called Inside the Music in which maestro Wiley explores the classical repertoire from the RSO’s Masterworks Series of concerts. With these online services and features, the RSO feels it is on the right track with a hot trail to follow, especially in continuing to develop new relationships with younger listeners. The reports also indicate a significant increase in the percentage of people playing classical music, supporting an increasing sense of the importance in the art and education of classical music. For more information about the NEA study, visit www.nea.gov.

Final program of 2009

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with David Stewart Wiley conductor present their final concert of 2009 on Friday, December 11th at 7 p.m. at the Salem Civic Center. Part of the Picnic at the Pops Series, Friday evening’s Holiday Pops Spectacular is a collaboration of over 250 musicians from the RSO and Chorus, Salem Choral Society, Mill Mountain (handbell) Ringers, Roanoke College Children’s Choir, and tenor soloist George Dyer. A great event for the whole family, tickets for the concert start at $20 each with discount tickets available for groups and children 12 and under. Information is available from the RSO box office at (540) 343-9127 and online at www.rso.com, as well as the Salem Civic Center box office.

Touring performances

Special versions of the Holiday Pops program will be presented in 3 neighboring communities. The New River Valley Friends of the RSO will present Holiday Pops on December 12th at the Covington Center at Radford University – information at rso.com/nrv. The Piedmont Arts Association will present Holiday Pops on December 13th at Martinsville High School – information at piedmontarts.org. The Alleghany Arts Council will present Holiday Pops at Covington High School on December 14th – information at alleghanyarts4all.com. These touring performances involve the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra with David Stewart Wiley, conductor, and tenor soloist George Dyer.

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra celebrates its mission to enrich lives, to educate, and to entertain diverse audiences in western Virginia with the highest quality instrumental and choral music.

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Date: 10 December, 2009

Contact: Rodney Overstreet,

Marketing Director, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra

540.343.6221 ext.227 or rodney.overstreet@rso.com

RSO’s ‘Messiah’ a feast of detail and grandeur

by Seth Williamson

The following review appears in the December 7, 2009 edition of The Roanoke Times

When they arrived for Sunday’s performance of “Messiah” by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Shaftman Performance Hall concertgoers may have wondered why most of the orchestra was late.

As the downbeat neared, it became obvious that music director and conductor David Stewart Wiley had decided to go with a much smaller complement of players than is heard in most professional performances of Handel’s great oratorio. Onstage before a nearly sold-out house was a string quintet, plus two flutes, two trumpets, a bassoon, a harpsichord and a timpani.  Could such a small chamber ensemble match the voices of the 70-odd symphony chorus members, which included members of the Liberty University Chamber   Singers?

They did better than I thought they could. In fact, even though this performance of Parts I and III was not authentically scaled to pass muster from early-performance experts, it rose at moments to unmistakable grandeur.  It didn’t hurt to have a full set of good vocal soloists. Soprano Adelaide Muir Trombetta, alto Tara Bouknight, tenor John Hugo (who is the RSO’s chorus master) and bass Wayne Kompelien (who directs the Liberty University Chamber Singers) were evenly matched and sang beautifully together.

   Trombetta and Bouknight were better than good. Trombetta, who was stunning in a red gown, had a sweet purity of tone and a cleanness and accuracy to her vocal ornamentation that was a delight to hear. Bouknight, who lives in Franklin County, did a richly detailed and gorgeous job every time she opened her mouth, especially with the lovely “He Shall Feed His Flock.”   Hugo and Kompelien were not as distinctive but turned in satisfactory performances.  

The big star in any performance of “Messiah” is and should be the chorus. The RSO’s chorus and Kompelien’s Liberty University singers did not disappoint.  They displayed a light touch with contrapuntal sections such as “For Unto Us a Child is Born.” Even better, their choral diction was close to perfect and easily understandable to the back of the hall. Hugo and Kompelien deserve congratulations for training such a fine group of singers.

Wiley’s tempos for the choruses were mostly lively. His light touch with the choruses made it easier to believe there was a full orchestra out front.  In fact, the final “Amen” of the final chorus “Worthy is the Lamb” was among the most noble and gravely beautiful performances in recent memory from these players and singers.

After that dramatic fi nale, the Shaftman Hall crowd responded with shouts of bravo and a standing ovation.

Seth Williamson produces “Morning Classics” and “Back Roads & Blue Highways” on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.