Arizona Public Media will begin airing Tucson Symphony Orchestra concerts from 2014 to the current season on Thursday, Jan. 11, the first time the concerts have been broadcast since the 2013-14 season.
KUAT-FM Classical 90.5’s James Reel will host the 13-week series at 3 p.m. Sundays and 9 p.m. Thursdays through the end of the orchestra’s 2017-18 season in early April.
“Anyone who attends a TSO performance has experienced moments of every kind: joy, wonder, surprise, empathy and exuberance,” TSO President and CEO Tom McKinney said in a written statement. “Now you have a chance to re-live those moments — or, hear what you missed.”
McKinney said the concerts were and are being recorded in “the highest resolution with some of the best equipment available.”
“The sound is as true as it can be without actually being in the Tucson Music Hall,” he said.
In a written release, Jack Gibson, KUAT parent Arizona Public Media director and general manager, said collaborating with community organizations helps “Arizona Public Media serve our audience, enrich our community, and support great performing arts organizations such as the TSO.”
The series opens with TSO Music Director José Luis Gomez’s debut last September performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Other highlights include Van Cliburn silver medalist Joyce Yang performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto, the Romero Guitar Quartet performing Italian and Spanish works and award-winning young artist Zhang Zuo, who opened this season in September with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Other highlights include TSO Concertmaster Lauren Roth performing violin concertos by Bruch, Corelli and Mozart; Holst’s “The Planets”; Gershwin’s “An American in Paris”; Ravel’s “Bolero”; Stravinsky’s “Firebird”; and Richard Strauss’ “An Alpine Symphony” that featured the TSO Chorus under the direction of Bruce Chamberlain.
In the 2013-14 season, KUAT broadcasted the orchestra’s Classic and Masterworks series concerts. This year’s broadcasts are sponsored by James and Louise Glasser.
