Music rules the week ahead, but – as usual – there is something for every taste. Take a look…
Thursday, Jan. 19
Art Academy of Cincinnati, “The Wild Sonnets: Volume V (401-500)” | 4 p.m. 1212 Jackson St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-562-6262. DETAILS: Marketing director by day, poet and playwright in his heart and mind, the Art Academy’s own Nicholas Korn shares some of his new creations in the AAC’s Pearlman Gallery. Nicholas has serious street cred: His play, “Delirium’s Daughters,” was produced Off-Broadway in 2015. An earlier play, “The Antic in Romantic” was a finalist for the 2006 Kaufman and Hart Prize for New American Comedy. Come hear what his fertile mind has come up with most recently.
Mercantile Library, “Met the End” | 6 p.m. 414 Walnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-621-0717. DETAILS: Full disclosure: author Holly Brians Ragusa is a friend and an OTR neighbor, and I have not yet read this book. But what’s clear from a distance is the courage it took to re-visit this family tragedy, one that helped uncover one of the most heinous serial killing sprees in history, right here in Cincinnati. (Donald Harvey). Ensemble Theatre’s D. Lynn Meyers leads the conversation as Holly discusses her memoir, in another creative evening curated by Amy Hunter and The Merc.
Friday, Jan. 20
ARTclectic Gallery, “The Ultimate Eclectic Art Exhibit” | 6-8 p.m. 6249 Stewart Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45227. 513-822-5200. DETAILS: This relatively new gallery inhabits a sweet spot on the East Side, just off I-71 on Stewart Ave. (for you car buffs, near the BMW Store) True to its name, this upcoming exhibit is a purposefully eclectic array of artwork created by Cincinnati artists encompassing representational and abstract wall art, window art, sculptures, and textiles: urban scenes, rustic landscapes, floral displays, seascapes, and still life to figurative portraits and abstractions. And ARTeclectic will host an event benefitting M&M on March 4. Mark your calendars.
CSO Chamber Players, “Brahms & Madern Marvels” | 7: 30 p.m. Wilks Studio, Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-381-3300. DETAILS: The resident stars of the CSO shine this evening in a string quartet by Brahms, plus chamber works by Krzysztof Penderecki (clarinet and strings) and John Harbison (wind quintet). Amazingly, a few seats remain, at least as of this writing. The remainder of the CSO weekend showcases young phenom Randall Goosby in the fiendishly difficult Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and the (seldom heard) Symphony No. 3 by Prokofiev, led by Louis Langrée. Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Weston Art Gallery, Triple Opening | 6-8 p.m. Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-977-4165. DETAILS: Weston openings are typically a happening, and this should be no exception, especially with new works by three local artists to unveil. The digital work of Joshua Penrose (“Shadow Works”) is framed by the disparate painting styles of Emil Robinson (Evidence”) and Katherine Colborn (“Sheltering in Smoke”). Exhibits remain on display through March 5.
Saturday, Jan. 21
Queen City Cabaret | 8 p.m. The Orbit Room, 1833 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. (Five Points) DETAILS: If you haven’t visited this charming, intimate room yet, this is a great way to do so. Singer Sarah Folsom and pianist Matthew Umphreys know their way around a show tune and bring a polish to the process. The Five Points intersection has come a long way, with Essen vegan eats next door and the revived Schwartz’s Point jazz club across the way. And the Findlay Market effect is spreading it wings in that direction. Take a look around while you’re there.
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, “Happy Feet” | 7:30 p.m. Greaves Concert Hall, NKU. 859-431-6216. DETAILS: Need some inspiration to put on your dancing shoes in the midst of winter? Look no further than this KSO showcase of “moving” music. From the wide open spaces of Copland‘s first ballet, “Billy the Kid,” to the tribal rhythyms of William Grant Still’s “Sahdji” – featuring the Young Professionals Choral Collective – and the saucy Spanish flavors of De Falla, this program, led by James R. Cassidy, is set to take you on quite the journey.
Vocal Arts Ensemble, “Path of Miracles” | 7:30 p.m. Christ Church Cathedral, 318 E. Fourth St., downtown. 513-381-3300. DETAILS: Haunting, otherworldly, mystical – these are just three words that come to mind listening to this magical four-part journey composed by British composer Joby Talbot in 2005. VAE Music Director Craig Hella Johnson knows this work inside out, having recorded it with his Austin-based choir, Conspirare, for Harmonia Mundi in 2015. No doubt several of those folks will be here for this concert. And Christ Church is the ideal venue for these lush, complex harmonies.
Sunday, Jan. 22
Cincinnati Museum Center “Dinosaurs of Antarctica” | 1301 Western Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45203. 513-287-7000. DETAILS: Just five more days of dinosaurs at the CMC, ending today. And while you’re there, check out Michael Scott‘s painting exhibit, which has been extended until Feb. 5.
Monday, Jan. 23
Krohn Conservatory, Ceramics in a Garden | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Eden Park, Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-421-4086. DETAILS: Three area sculptors will show more than 70 pieces of stoneware designed for outdoor display in the five plant houses, the lobby, and one nine-foot ceramic sculpture will stand outdoors at the Krohn entrance. The three artists represented are Cincinnatians Roy Cartwright and Lisa Merida-Paytes, with Robert Pulley from Columbus, Ind., all curated by Mary Heider, assistant dean emerita of UC. These ceramic sculptures are said to be unusally large in scale for the artform, and all pieces are available for purchase. Runs until June 18.
Memorial Hall, Jazz at The Memo | 7 p.m. 1225 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-977-8838. DETAILS: Top off your Monday with same great jazz by the Dayton-based Brian Cashwell Trio, featuring Chris Berg on bass and (one of my faves) John Taylor driving the drums.
Tuesday, Jan. 24
Christ Church Cathedral, Music Live@Lunch | 12:10 p.m. Christ Church Chapel, 318 E. 4th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-621-1817. DETAILS: Take your Tuesday lunch up a notch with a program of harpsichord music by Michael Delfin (del-FEEN), one of the most in-demand keyboardists in our region.
College-Conservatory of Music, Faculty Artist Series | 7:30 p.m. Werner Recital Hall, University of Cincinnati. 513-556-4183. DETAILS: Here’s a rare treat, a chance to hear the marvelous violinist and educator Kurt Sassmannshaus in recital. And the program is free. Double treat.