Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Future With Conductor Gregory Wolynec and the Gateway Chamber Orchestra Through Wine and Music

Gateway Chamber Orchestra, founded in Clarksville in 2008 has been featured on a GRAMMY Award-winning recording, expanded their performance season to serve multiple communities throughout Tennessee, and been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts for audience engagement with their critically acclaimed Family Concert Series.
 
Conductor Gregory Wolynec is a wine connoisseur and has provided his thoughts on food and wine that would pair well with the musical stylings of the 2017-18 Season: Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Future.
 
“I lived in Europe as I was finishing my graduate conducting studies and had the chance to live in Prague and study at the Conservatory there as a Fulbright recipient. The “Fulbrighters” were a pretty close group that did a lot of traveling, concert and opera-going and dining (both out and cooking for each other). A group of us have travelled to a number of wine regions on vacation together since. Some bottles that I still have (and keep waiting for just the right occasion to open).
 
Gregory wanted to pair the music from this season with a wine that would fit the mood of the performances. For example, here he explains about a highly sought after wine that would pair well with any of the performances for the 2017-18 season: 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva by Frescobaldi – “This bottle had been highly praised in a prominent magazine but I had had the 1995 a year earlier and I knew it would be great. I can still remember finally finding this bottle in a small store in the wine mecca of Montalcino after enquiring at numerous stores (and being chastised for owners for only wanting that bottle). As a student I could only afford the one bottle, but when do you open the only one you have?!”
 
2000 Tommaso Bussola Amarone TB – After having visited many of the famous wine regions (Tuscany, Burgundy, Piedmont) our group ventured off the regular map to the Veneto in the hills outside of Verona. While every town was marked “City of Wine” almost none of the infrastructure that wine tourism needs could be found. At a spectacular lunch, our waiter brought us a bottle of Bussola Valpolicella TB from this producer that we had never encountered. It was unbelievable, much better than any valpolicella any of us had ever had. We had to convince the family to let us come for a tasting at their still being constructed new winery outside of the town of Negrar. After the tasting, Tommaso loaded our purchases on a palette that a crane hoisted what seemed like hundreds of feet in the air before swinging over to, and dropping them down by, our cars. Tommaso proudly bellowed “vino volante” (flying wine) while his wife nervously watched and kept uttering that we already bought it, we now owned it. Bottles like these can only be found at auction today, though both producers are widely available in the US. Both the entry level chianti from Frescobaldi and valpolicella from Bussola are great pairings with Pizza Margherita!”
 
You can find more information about the Gateway Chamber Orchestra here, and about Gregory Wolynec here.

The series presented at the historic Franklin Theatre:

Classically Modern Presented by the Williamson Herald Monday, September 18 – 7:30 p.m.

Joseph Haydn – Symphony No. 95 in C-minor

Timo Andres – Paraphrase on Themes of Brian Eno

Igor Stravinsky – Pulcinella with Diana McVey, Wesley Morgan and Jeffrey Williams

The new season launches with the familiar voice of a Haydn symphony written for his time in London. Young American composer Timo Andres provides a soothing glimpse at an eclectic artist. A trio of talented and emerging singers joins the orchestra for Stravinsky’s neoclassical masterpiece.   

Brilliant Colors Monday, November 13 – 7:30 p.m.

Franz Schreker – Chamber Symphony

Ottorino Respighi – Trittico Botticelliano

Aaron Copland – Three Latin American Sketches

The GCO is delighted to revisit Schreker’s mesmerizing masterpiece for small orchestra, which they recorded on a Chamber Symphonies disc and was released on Summit Records. Respighi’s colorful language paints a new take on Boticelli masterpieces. Copland’s raucous but rarely heard sketches will have everyone dancing on the way to the door.  

Historic Pairing  Monday, January 22 – 7:30 p.m.

Clint Needham – Urban Sprawl

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade for Winds in C-minor

Richard Strauss – Le bourgeois gentilhomme

Clint Needham’s high energy Urban Sprawl sets the stage for a memorable anniversary. The GCO tackles Strauss’ daunting score nine years to the week since we first paired Mozart and Strauss in our inaugural installment of wind serenades.

Landmark Celebration Monday, April 30 – 7:30 p.m.

Felix Mendelssohn – Overture to Paulus

Aaron Jay Kernis – Musica Celestis

Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 3 in C

Mendelssohn’s noble overture to Paulus sets the stage for an evening of uplifting music. Kernis’ spacious and enchanting celestial music soothes the soul. The triumphant third symphony of Sibelius brings an adventurous season to a close.

FRANKLIN SUBSCRIPTION PRICING Masterworks Concert Series (Four concerts)

Adults: $80 | $100 | $130

Students/Military: $50 | $65 | $100

Ticketing handled by the Franklin Theatre

Address: 419 Main St, Franklin, TN

Telephone: (615) 538-2076

Website: http://www.franklintheatre.com Contact: boxoffice@franklintheatre.com

Box Office hours:  Sunday & Monday, Noon – 5:00 PM Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

 

The series presented at the George and Sharon Mabry Concert Hall on Austin Peay State University’s campus

Classically Modern Presented by the Williamson Herald Sunday, September 17 – 4:00 p.m.

Joseph Haydn – Symphony No. 95 in C-minor

Timo Andres – Paraphrase on Themes of Brian Eno

Igor Stravinsky – Pulcinella with Diana McVey, Wesley Morgan and Jeffrey Williams

The new season launches with the familiar voice of a Haydn symphony written for his time in London. Young American composer Timo Andres provides a soothing glimpse at an eclectic artist. A trio of talented and emerging singers joins the orchestra for Stravinsky’s neoclassical masterpiece.   

Brilliant colors Sunday, November 12 – 4:00 p.m.

Franz Schreker – Chamber Symphony

Ottorino Respighi – Trittico Botticelliano

Aaron Copland – Three Latin American Sketches

The GCO is delighted to revisit Schreker’s mesmerizing masterpiece for small orchestra, which they recorded on a Chamber Symphonies disc and was released on Summit Records. Respighi’s colorful language paints a new take on Boticelli masterpieces. Copland’s raucous but rarely heard sketches will have everyone dancing on the way to the door.  

Historic pairing  Sunday, January 21 – 4:00 p.m.

Clint Needham – Urban Sprawl

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade for Winds in C-minor

Richard Strauss – Le bourgeois gentilhomme

Clint Needham’s high energy Urban Sprawl sets the stage for a memorable anniversary. The GCO tackles Strauss’ daunting score nine years to the week since we first paired Mozart and Strauss in our inaugural installment of wind serenades.

Landmark Celebration Sunday, April 29 – 4:00 p.m.

Felix Mendelssohn – Overture to Paulus

Aaron Jay Kernis – Musica Celestis

Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 3 in C

Mendelssohn’s noble overture to Paulus sets the stage for an evening of uplifting music. Kernis’ spacious and enchanting celestial music soothes the soul. The triumphant third symphony of Sibelius brings an adventurous season to a close.

CLARKSVILLE SUBSCRIPTION PRICING Masterworks Concert Series (Four concerts)

Adults: $80 | $100 | $130

Students/Military: $50 | $65 | $100

About The Gateway Chamber Orchestra: Conducted by Gregory Wolynec, the GCO was formed in 2008 and is recognized as one of the leading new American ensembles. Comprised of professional musicians from Middle Tennessee and beyond, the GCO specializes in presenting traditional masterworks, overlooked treasures, and contemporary American compositions. The GCO’s recordings have received critical acclaim in publications such as the American Record Guide and Fanfare Magazine. Engaging 5,000 Middle Tennessee students annually with classical music through free performances, innovative educational outreach, and interactive Children’s Concerts, the GCO is committed to building new audiences for tomorrow. Funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Tennessee Arts Commission. Visit gatewaychamberorchestra.com to learn more.

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