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Musical majesty in Philharmonic season

Orchestra explores new ways to attract and entertain audiences.

Published online on Friday, Sep. 25, 2009

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Picture this: a shrewd and gung-ho Fresno Philharmonic.

As it kicks off its 2009-10 season, the orchestra is seeking new ways to connect with audiences. The Philharmonic is calling on such popular names as Sinatra and The 5 Browns to increase its base -- and is bringing in big guns like Itzhak Perlman to satisfy the folks wanting to attend a "big event."

Even as it tries to please its traditional constituency with the tried-and-true formula of notable (if not necessarily pop-idol famous) guest artists playing well-known pieces in the classical canon, the orchestra is branching out with a pops series.

So far, the effort to lure new audiences is paying off. As of mid-September, the orchestra had gained more than 550 new subscribers compared to about 70 at this time last year. Much of the gain, says executive director Don Reinhold, was a result of having attracted more than 2,000 new households to concerts last season with a lineup that included a Bugs Bunny film program, the Beatles and the Sons of the San Joaquin -- as well as the more traditional realm of Bruckner, Mozart and Sarah Chang. The growth is equally divided between the Masterworks and Pops series, each with about 140 new subscribers.

"I guess in this economy the words 'cautious optimism' are appropriate," Reinhold says.

The Philharmonic's opening concert this weekend is a good example of the orchestra's attempt to broaden its base. The centerpiece of the program is "Ansel Adams: America," a commissioned piece written for the orchestras in Fresno, Stockton and Sacramento by none other than jazz icon Dave Brubeck and his son, Chris. Here's the twist: The music was specifically written to accompany approximately 100 original Ansel Adams photographs -- including many of his iconic Yosemite scenes -- that will be projected over the orchestra.

"It's a little like a film score," says Theodore Kuchar, the Philharmonic's music director. He calls the integration of the photographs and music "a fascinating" idea. "And there's no question that Dave Brubeck is one of the icons of 20th century music."

Dave Brubeck was named last week as a recipient of the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors, along with Bruce Springsteen, Mel Brooks, Grace Bumbry and Robert De Niro.

Reinhold describes the Ansel Adams piece as very listenable and an eclectic blend of styles. "It's not a jazz piece per se, but the colorful and enriched harmonies have a lot in common with jazz, and one can hear the French influence of Darius Milhaud, who was one of Dave Brubeck's important teachers at Mills College."

Accompanying the Brubecks' piece on the program is an orchestral classic also inspired by visual imagery: Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," arranged by Ravel. Though the Mussorgsky piece won't be as literal as the Brubeck composition -- it won't feature the actual paintings by Viktor Hartmann that inspired Mussorgsky -- it's still an interesting way to balance the program.

Rounding out the program will be guest soloist Shannon Lee, a 17-year-old Canadian-born violinist who made her orchestral debut at age 12 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She'll perform Glazunov's Violin Concerto.

Kuchar notes that during the first part of his tenure early in the decade, the Fresno Philharmonic shied away from pops concerts.

No more, he says.

There's a market for pops. The same goes for top-drawing concepts or names.

"We have a very committed audience that follows the traditional symphonic presentations that we have," Kuchar says. "But it's quite clear there's a very different crowd of people who will come for Itzhak Perlman or Josh Groban.

"I feel absolutely sure that programming has to be handled like a business. You don't do things in business that lose money for you. You've got to know how to present your product."