Beyond Seasons

When: Sunday, May 6, 2007 at 4:00 PM and 6: 30 PM
Where: Sycamore High School Auditorium
What: A grand multimedia concert featuring a 130 member children's choir and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra
Admission: For information regarding tickets, contact 513 509 4670.

Composer: The Sound of Seasons is conceived and composed by visionary musician and composer Kanniks Kannikeswaran, who has several recordings and creations to his credit. His magnum opus 'Shanti - A Journey of Peace' made history by bringing together a diverse choir of 150 singers (Greater Cincinnati Indian community choir, the Martin Luther King Coalition choir, the St. John's Unitarian Church choir) in a grand multi-media concert at the Aronoff Center, in front of a packed house in March 2006. Kanniks is the founder and director of the Greater Cincinnati Indian Community choir and the Lehigh valley Indian community singers, who performed Shanti - A Journey of Peace at the Zoellner Arts Center in May 2006. Kanniks is an adjunct faculty at the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, where he teaches the theory and history of Indian Classical Music.

The Greater Cincinnati Indian Children's Choir: founded and directed by Kanniks Kannikeswaran, is the first of its kind in the country. Representing the Greater Cincinnati Indian community, speaking in over a dozen distinct languages, this diverse group of children also represent a range of school districts from around the Cincinnati area and they have gotten together for the first time through the Beyond Seasons project, where they have been experiencing the raagas of the seasons for the last few months.

The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra is one of the cultural cornerstones of the Greater Cincinnati area. Known for its unique collaborations and interactive approach to classical music, the CCO has built a reputation for interesting and accessible performances. Traditionally performing at historic Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine, the Chamber Orchestra has expanded its venues to include Corbett Auditorium and the Patricia Corbett Theater at CCM, Greaves Concert Hall at NKU and other venues around the community. Recognized on a national level, the Chamber Orchestra made its New York City debut in Town Hall in 1997, under the direction of renowned conductor Keith Lockhart, former CCO Music Director and current conductor of the Boston Pops. The Chamber Orchestra has released two recordings, mostly featuring new works by emerging and local composers. The Chamber Orchestra has received critical acclaim from the press and its audiences. A regular feature on Cincinnati's WGUC radio, the organization's performances and guest soloists continue to excite and engage Cincinnati area patrons.

The Cincinnati Childrens Choir is an educationally based choir program. Using the philosophies and techniques of Carl Orff, Zoltan Kodaly, Jacques Dalcroze, and Jerome Brunner, participants learn strong vocal technique, sight-reading, performance excellence, music history, and music theory. The learning environment is creative, explorative, and fun as the children form lasting relationships with children outside of their community and develop a lifelong involvement with music. CCCs Founder/Managing Artistic Director and Conductor is a much sought after conductor and voice clinician. She has prepared choirs for performance with the Cincinnati Symphony, the Cincinnati Pops, the Vocal Arts Ensemble, the Cincinnati May Festival, a Broadway Touring Company, international festivals and CCM choirs and orchestras. In addition to preparing the choir for three compact disc releases, Mrs. Lana has prepared them for a Telarc label recording with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Erich Kunzel.

Guest Conductor: Ray Wheeler, Assistant Professor of Music Education at the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati - is new to the Cincinnati community and has taught public school choral music at various levels in Arkansas. He has a wide ranging background as a guest conductor/clinician and adjudicator with regional, district and state honor choirs.