RSO announces its 2022-2023 season; Yocum hosting dual exhibition [Spotlight]

Aug. 28—The Reading Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2022-2023 season, starting Sept. 24 with a gala preceding the season-opening concert at the Santander Performing Arts Center in downtown Reading.

This will be the RSO's 110th season, and it will once again feature internationally acclaimed guest artists, including pianists Jon Kimura Parker and Terrence Wilson; cellist Zlatomir Fung; gold medalist of the Tchaikovsky International Cello Competition, violinist Keila Wakao; first prize Junior winner of the Menuhin International Violin Competition, percussion soloist Lisa Pegher; and bandoneon performer JP Jofre.

The season will include many of the most popular orchestral works, including Tchaikovosky's Pinao Concerto No. 1, Beethoven Symphony No. 7, Brahms Symphony No. 4, Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Holst's The Planets.

"We are proud to welcome a live audience to the Santander Performing Arts Center for the 2022-2023 season," said David Gross, RSO executive director. "Led by conductor Andrew Constantine, the musicians at RSO and the internationally acclaimed guests artists we have hand-selected are sure to provide a superb season of music for our guests."

The ever-popular New Year's Eve concert will feature the Arrival, the No. 1 ABBA tribute band in the world. The spring pops concert, scheduled for April 29, will feature two of Broadway's top performers, Lisa Vroman and Doug LaBrecque, in "Classic Broadway."

The opening night gala on Sept. 24 will begin at 4:30 p.m. with cocktails followed by dinner at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. The event will celebrate three of Berks County's most influential arts leaders, Thomas and Louise Souders, and Penelope Proserpi. Tickets include transportation to and from the opening concert, and champagne and dessert following the concert.

Here is the full season lineup:

—Sept. 24: Tchaikovsky — Piano Concerto No. 1

—Nov. 5: Holst — The Planets

—Dec. 31: Pops concert — The Music of ABBA

—Jan. 21: Vivaldi — The Four Seasons

—March 4: Brahms — Symphony No. 4

—April 1: A London Symphony

—April 29: Pops concert — Classic Broadway

—May 20: Three Cornered Hat

For tickets and more information, visit www.readingsymphony.org or call 610-373-7557.

Art

The Yocum Institute for Arts Education, West Lawn, will present "A Dual Exhibition of Works by Dolya Goutman & Scott M. Davidson" in its Holleran Gallery starting Sept. 9 and running through Oct. 22. An opening reception will be held Sept. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Goutman was born in the Caucasus by the Black Sea in Tsarist, Russia, in 1915 and died in Bryn Mawr in 2001. A prolific painter, Goutman's paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, Russia and Asia and are part of museum collections around the world.

Like the peripatetic refugee always on the move, Goutman never sat still artistically. His artistic temprament was too restless, inquisitive and self-critical to paint the same painting over and over again. Throughout his life, Goutman spent hours re-examining the works of his favorite painters, discovering very different ways of communicating essentially the same subject matter: the human figure, landscapes and, later in life, abstractions.

In the 1930s, the human figure was depicted with pencil and paper with a graceful literalness. In the '40s and '50s, the human figure's features became distorted, the mood one of conflict and tension, the surface, heavily pigmented oil. In the 1960s, the figure was depicted with household enamel paint dripped onto particle board or canvas.

In the early 1970s, Goutman's paintings were characterized by flat acrylic surfaces and a greatly simplified visual vocabulary. In the late 1970s, Goutman returned to brush and oils, and painting portraits. In the 1980s and '90s, he continued to use largely acrylics, but in a less decorative manner.

The 1990s saw variations and syntheses of what had come before and challenging discoveries of new artistic territory.

All of these styles had in common a clean and colorful palette, a fearless brushstroke that spoke both of precision and energy, and, perhaps foremost, a generosity of spirit. Goutman's belief in the legitimacy and dignity of his subject matter, and the visual intelligence of his audience, finds expression in every single one of his paintings.

Davidson is an artist and university teacher who lives in Birdsboro. His artistic expressions consist of wood turnings, oil paintings, sketches and playing classical piano.

When not in his home studio, he can be found serving Alvernia University as a faculty member in the Department of Humanities.

As a teacher who is moored academically in various scholarly concerns within the disciplines of theology and philosophy, he brings to his art several key principles. First, guided by a fascination with transcendental aesthetics, he attempts to use proportion to engage others with a sense of original beauty. Second, and as important, he aspires to use various forms, textures and colors to elicit pleasure and tranquility among those who encounter his art.

Holleran Gallery is open free of charge 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, see yocuminstitute.org.

----Walk In Art Center, Schuylkill Haven, will cut the ribbon on its new Art Education Center on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Festivities will continue until 6 p.m. with entertainment for kids and adults.

"The new Art Education Center is huge!" says Jacquie Engel, the WIAC's executive director. "There is now lots of space for our growing pottery and clay department and enough room to hold two different classes at once."

The AEC's main entrance is on the first floor of the building that houses the Walk In Art Center and Evans Delivery Company, at the corner of Parkway and West Columbia streets. However, those going to the AEC should now enter via the "tunnel" entrance on the West Market Street side of the building.

"We are hoping to turn the WIAC's inner parking lot into a magical art-filled space over the next year or so," Engel said.

The ribbon cutting ceremony is at 3 p.m. The Chamber of Commerce asks that people register for the ceremony via schuylkillchamber.com. T-102 will be on hand outside for music and live cut-ins from 3 to 5 p.m., along with balloon artist Andrew Weaver. There will be free art activities for children under the big tents outside, as well.

Inside, vocalist Rich Mextorf will entertain while people enjoy complimentary refreshments and check out live pottery, weaving and art demonstrations.

Music

The Reading Pops Big Band will present a free "Night of Jazz" concert in the Green Valley Chateau Tent on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The era of the dance bands will be revisited with such tunes as "In the Mood," "Begin the Beguine," "Skylark," "Moonglow" and "New York, New York." A cash bar and light refreshments will be available.

This concert is sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund as administered by the American Federation of Musicians, Local 135-211.