“WorkPlay is not where you would expect to find Alabama Symphony musicians, unless they’re sitting at a table listening and imbibing. But on Thursday, a small ensemble from ASO will be center stage at the Southside venue, sharing the spotlight with Birmingham-based DJ Coco and guest conductor Rossen Milanov,” writes Michael Huebner in Tuesday’s (5/6) Birmingham News (Alabama). The event is “designed to broaden ASO’s reach into the community, said Pierre Ruhe, director of artistic administration. ‘For several years, the orchestra has wanted to expand its offerings and go to where people go out to drink and hear music,’ Ruhe said. ‘We’re taking the concert to where they are.’ ” Huebner cites the ASO’s “adaptability to the new and unusual. It has three ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming … and has commissioned and premiered several works under its Sound Investment program…. Its Classical Edge series, of which this performance is a part, regularly presents modern music in a relaxed atmosphere.” Thursday’s program includes music by Heinrich Von Biber, Mason Bates, Philip Glass, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and Osvaldo Golijov. “Between each piece, DJ Coco will fill in the sonic gaps.… ‘Each piece has some attack to it,’ Ruhe said…. ‘We hope it fits in a club attitude.’ ”
Posted May 8, 2014
