Classical Concert Reviews Cinci

To say the memories @cincysymphony and @louislangree have made together in his eleven years as music director are innumerable might be an understatement. Reading the Scrapbook of Memorues which is part of this weekend’s season finale for 2023-24 has given me a deeper appreciation of how much audiences in Cincinnati and worldwide have come to know and love his artistry with the CSO in that time.
From the first notes of Langrée’s opening concerts in 2013, with the Lumenocity festival, Eighth Blackbird and Maya Angelou narrating Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, it was clear that a special bond was about to form between him and the city of Cincinnati. Premiering 65 new works (even in the.midst of the Covid pandemic), hiring 37 new musicians for the CSO and being nominated for two Grammies during his time here are tremendous accomplishments on their own. But it is important to understand how much Maestro Langrée loved the joy, freedom and creativity that came with making music with this orchestra.
Standout moments include working with some of classical music’s most renowned solo artists, including Lang Lang, Renee Fleming, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Isabel Leonard Yo Yo Ma and Evgeny Kissin. Cycles of Beethoven’s symphonies, the marathon Beethoven Akademie performance in 2020 and other similar projects have been extraordinarily successful. Making music in the midst of Covid restrictions through livestream concerts have brought hope to untold millions of people.
The biggest takeaway from all of these experiences is that Langrée’s passion and boundless energy for music have truly been a sight to behold over the last decade, and his enthusiasm for encouraging newer generations of audience members to come and appreciate live music has also been extraordinary.
I wish @louislangree nothing but continued success in all of his future endeavors and look forward to what I hope will be many more return appearances as conductor laureate in the coming years.