Lima’s 5th Collaboration Heads West
We always look forward to our next collaboration with Maestro Crafton Beck and the Lima Symphony Orchestra in Ohio. Having worked with the orchestra five times now, they’re almost like family, and Crafton, who also conducts the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, is on point with delivering an unparalleled blending of music and imagery for his audiences. This October, for our fifth LSO collaboration, we’re working on an imaginative program put together by Crafton for their 2015–16 season opener.
The two photochoreography pieces on the program present two variations on the American West. On the program is a compilation of music by Bach, Fauré, Diamond and Elgar. The music along with Canyonlands imagery will create an immersive journey through seven ruggedly beautiful national parks in the desert southwest—place like Arches, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon.
For the second piece, the symphony will liven things up with a performance of Copland’s Rodeo suite and our Rodeo! multimedia piece. The imagery gets up close with the action, festivities, and people at small town rodeos in both Utah and Arizona. Buckaroo Holiday and Hoe-Down make for an energetic and fun concert that audiences really respond to. During Copland’s quieter Corral Nocturne and Saturday Night Waltz movements, the images gently drift through the vast open expanses and contemporary ranch life of the American West, presenting the backdrop for the culture and practices of the American ranch life.
Update: The day before the classics concert the symphony presented Rodeo suite with imagery to over 3,000 schoolchildren at two free educational concerts. As you can imagine, the kids really enjoyed experiencing the action of the rodeo, and their excitement was often wonderfully audible!
Throughout our collaboration in Lima, we shared several meals with musicians, Crafton and the orchestra staff. As always, it was a warm experience with new and old friends, and we’ll look forward to coming back for #6!
