Canton Symphony Orchestra marks first full season since COVID with final MasterWorks show

CANTON – The Canton Symphony Orchestra has been drawing back the fans and support it lost during and following the pandemic.

Based on revenue and attendance, the symphony is moving toward pre-COVID levels as it closes out its MasterWorks concert season at 7 p.m. Sunday with a performance featuring the works of Dvořák & Ravel and the Canton Symphony Chorus.

This marks the symphony's first full performance season since 2018-2019.

Even before Sunday's show, the symphony orchestra has surpassed its revenue goal of $280,500 with a total of $285,000. The organization also has raised $345,000 and is nearing its fundraising goal of $375,000 for the fiscal year which ends June 30.

Average attendance for MasterWorks concerts has been 754, up from last season's 605. Subscription renewals, the equivalent of season tickets, was at 80%, which bodes well for a nonprofit organization, said Nathan Maslyk, director of marketing and development for the symphony.

'The power of music'

The excitement and diversity of the symphony also has been on full display this season, with the ABBA pops show and a vibrant concert showcasing the Northeast Ohio-based alt rock, pop and jazz fusion band The Vindys. Both shows drew large and enthusiastic crowds.

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Acclaimed soloists and musicians also have been showcased while both iconic and modern classical compositions have been featured with an emphasis on diversity.

"Our 85th anniversary season has not only been a celebration of this organization but of the power of music in our community," said Rachel Hagemeier, president and CEO of the Canton Symphony Orchestra. "After years of empty stages, to finally have a full season and a hall full of patrons was a blessing beyond measure. We hope our community will be there with us to celebrate the end of this season and help us look towards our 86th."

Sunday's MasterWorks concert features Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's "Ballad for Orchestra, Op. 33," followed by Dvořák’s "Te Deum" before concluding with Ravel’s "Daphnis et Chloé."

'Really cool and exciting' 2023-2024 season to be announced on May 15

Gerhardt Zimmerann, music director and conductor of the symphony, noted that ever since 2019, orchestras and artists have been struggling due to the pandemic.

"The last few concerts of this season, you have experienced a Canton Symphony previous to the outbreak," he said in a prepared statement. "What a joy it is for me to report that WE ARE BACK."

Maslyk said the symphony will be riding this season's momentum when it announces on May 15 "a really cool and exciting (2023-2024) season."

Joining the symphony for Sunday's performance will be the Canton Symphony Chorus, as well as noted soprano soloist Gabrielle Haigh and accomplished baritone soloist Brian Keith Johnson.

Founded in 1983 and now under the direction of Chad Pittman, the Canton Symphony Chorus is a supplemental artistic program offered by the Canton Symphony featuring volunteer singers from Northeast Ohio.

Haigh, a Cleveland native, most recently performed with the San Francisco Ballet as a soprano soloist in multiple performances of Mendelssohn’s "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and in "Mozart Requiem" with the Akron Symphony Orchestra.

Johnson, who has taught music for more than 30 years in Akron Public Schools, has performed many roles in opera from Figaro in il barbiere di Siviglia to Ford in Falstaff, according to the Canton Symphony Orchestra.

Combining the symphony and chorus will be an enhanced musical experience, said Maslyk, the symphony's marketing director.

Around 120 musicians or vocalists will be on stage together, he noted.

"There's a reason why it's one of our favorite things to do as an organization," Maslyk said of performing with the chorus. "It's a very rich sound."

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com

On Twitter @ebalintREP

If you go

What: Canton Symphony Orchestra's final MasterWorks concert of the season with a performance featuring the works of Dvořák & Ravel and the Canton Symphony Chorus.

When: 7 p.m. Sunday

Where: Umstattd Hall, 2331 17th St. NW in Canton, at the Zimmermann Symphony Center

Tickets: Tickets are $10, $20, $30 and $50; children 17 and under are admitted free; and college students 18 and older with an ID are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased at https://cantonsymphony.org or by calling the box office at 330-452-2094; the box office also can be reached via email at boxoffice@cantonsymphony.org.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton Symphony rebounds from COVID with full season, MasterWorks show