‘LOVE IS IN THE AIR’ at

Ozark Festival Orchestra concert

Ah, love, that great mover and shaker of all things.

The celebration of Valentine’s Day offers an ideal opportunity for musicians to celebrate through their own language as well. Composers, like Tchaikovsky, have been described as wearing emotions on their sleeve, gushing with feelings of all kinds. What better way to celebrate romance than through the voice of love, music itself?

That’s what the Ozark Festival Orchestra will do on Sunday, February 19. The third concert in the OFO’s 43rd season has the theme of “Love Is In The Air.” Music director Alexandra Kovatch has chosen some of her favorite romantic selections for the concert, a special event paired with the annual

Young Artists competition, bringing talented young people forward to play a solo concerto movement with the OFO musicians.

This will be Kovatch’s third outing with the local orchestra, having led concerts in October and December. By now she’s developed a feel for this ensemble and its music making skills.

“OFO really works together as a team and I think that has impressed me the most,” she said. “When I first started I had several members tell me ‘We’re like a family here,’ and that seems very true!”

Bringing out the “romantic” feeling in music is a bit different than playing a fugue or a repeating round without any particular emotion. Kovatch understands it takes a special approach.

“Much of the 19th century is known as the ‘Romantic Period’ in music,” she said. “You can hear this reflected in large orchestration, luscious melodies, and music that reflects on life, love, and death. Romantic music also includes music that reminds the listener of something sentimental, or can be a classic love song. For this upcoming concert, we’re doing a mix of all of the above.”

For this concert, Kovatch is taking a deep dive in romanticism. Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet” fantasy overture and Leonard Bernstein’s take on the Shakespeare play by way of

“West Side Story” dive straight into the deep end of the pool.

“‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘West Side Story,’ though they are composed in different centuries and have very different sounds, both are passionate, forbidden, and ultimately tragic love stories. They’re also absolute classics that audiences love to hear and musicians love to play,” Kovatch said.

“Of course ‘Salut D’Amour’ (Song of Love) fits into the program well and is composed by Englishman Edward Elgar. We are also playing his piece ‘Nimrod’ from ‘Enigma Variations.’ Though this doesn’t fit into the program as obviously as the others do, ‘Nimrod’ is one of the 19th-century style pieces that is hard to listen to without feeling some kind of deep emotion. In contrast, we will be playing ‘As Time Goes By,’ which is more light-hearted.”

And how do you bring out that romantic sentiment that moves the players? Kovatch has a strategy for that.

“I think being enthusiastic and having a clear musical idea in mind is the best thing a conductor can do to inspire musicians,” she said. “With this music, it’s very easy for me to do that, because I just love all of this repertoire!”

To keep the audience grounded, the Young Artists will tread on the solid foundation of the concert hall repertory. The players will include 16-yearold pianist Owen Cornell of Bolivar in the first movement of J.S. Bach’s Piano

Concerto No. 7, violinist 15-year-old Kate Caddy of Walnut Grove on the third movement of Vivaldi’s Violin

Concerto Op. 3 No. 6, and 11-yearold pianist Theo Jones of Rogersville on the Concerto Romantique by Catherine Rollin.

Leading kids in a performance offers its own challenges, for both the soloists and the conductor. Kovatch said it all boils down to making good music together.

“I think making sure the orchestra is well prepared and can really truly accompany the soloist well is the key. After all, a concerto is all about the soloist!” she added.

The concert will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 19, at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center.

Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, and free to students high school age and younger. The Young Artists program, an ideal opportunity for young people to see how they too can achieve with discipline and hard work, is underwritten by the Barry-Lawrence Area United Fund.

“I have been and am still excited about our entire season,” Kovatch said, “but this concert in particular was crafted with great attention and I think every single piece on this concert is worth attending for! Plus, our three soloists are just fantastic.”

The love of music and music making is what brings players in the Ozark Festival Orchestra together. The “Love Is In The Air” concert will be music to everyone’s ears. n