An editorial in Thursday’s (4/17) Blade (Ohio) lauds the Toledo Symphony Orchestra for a performance at a local multipurpose arena: “The Toledo Symphony Orchestra’s musicians and staff deserve a thunderous round of applause for the orchestra’s breathtaking recent performance at Huntington Center. The April 6 event attracted 3,000 concertgoers who heard more than 1,000 singers from 30 choirs accompany the symphony. Declared ‘Toledo Symphony Day’ by Mayor D. Michael Collins, the 70th anniversary celebration removed stuffy stereotypes and showed that classical music can and should be enjoyed by everyone. …Watching the performers on large screens created an intimacy that symphony patrons often don’t experience. Transforming a hockey arena and popular-music venue into a top-notch concert hall was a risky enterprise. It took courage and perseverance to pull off. ‘Overall, we consider it a huge success,’ TSO president Kathy Carroll told The Blade’s editorial page. ‘For a very small staff like we have at the symphony, we were able to pull off something new—an arena performance—and engage so many people from around the region. …’ The TSO should be applauded for exploring modern frontiers—digital streaming, social-media interaction, and a new venue—to bring music to the masses. … Bravo.”
Posted April 18, 2014
