Get to know our Guest Artists
Ron Oppenheimer defies gravity. With grace and precision, he deftly climbs and descends a pole, suspended from above. His body creates one abstract form after another in a passionate performance made only more powerful by the music that accompanies his every move.
Oppenheimer is one of seven cirque – as in Cirque de Soleil – performers who will be joining the Battle Creek Symphony in a first-of-its-kind show that combines the music of the full orchestra with performance art. The Magic of Cirque and Symphony will debut Saturday at 7:30 on March 4 at the WK Kellogg Auditorium.
When Oppenheimer takes the stage, he will be realizing a career highlight, one he’s been dreaming of since he was a teen. “I’ve always wanted to perform with a symphony,” he shares. “It’s been at the top of my bucket list for a long time.”
Oppenheimer started circus training at age 8 and has been a professional cirque performer since 2019. His unique aerial pole act is a combination of several traditional disciplines, including acrobatics, the rope, flying pole, and the Chinese pole, which is a 40-foot pole anchored to the ground. “Aerial pole combined all those disciplines together and it felt like coming home in a way. It just clicked,” Oppenheimer adds.
During the performance of Magic of Cirque and Symphony, he will be performing on aerial straps as well. Oppenheimer almost always performs to classical music, but rarely is it live. “Symphonies are so powerful and collective. There’s so much energy behind it,” he said.
For the show, Battle Creek Symphony Conductor Anne Harrigan has chosen a selection of moody, jazzy contemporary classical interpretations of classic rock songs. The compositions may sound familiar, yet their arrangement should come as a surprise to the audience.
MP Letourneau and her partner Andrey Moraru have been choreographing and practicing their performances for Battle Creek audiences for the past several weeks. Like Oppenheimer, it is their first performance with an orchestra. Letourneau is a contortionist, and Moraru’s discipline is hand balancing. Each one will perform a solo act as well as a combined performance. Moraru described their duo act as a “grand fusion” of their two mediums.
While other circus performers center their performances around tricks, Letourneau and Moraru look to create a fluid, dance-like performance with tricks as exclamation points. Each performance is an exploration of their physical talents. “We utilize our solo experiences to create something new,” Letourneau states.
Performers also include Sierra Kathryn on silks, Liv Morrow on lyra and silks, and Alysha Shah on hoops. The audience can also expect Harrigan to take to the air as well for a performance on aerial silks. Harrigan has been pursuing this unique performance art for several years. “It’s highly addictive and very creative and fun. Wherever I travel I try to take a lesson,” shares.
It has been in her travels that she’s met many of the individuals who will be performing in the Magic of Cirque and Symphony show. “I’m looking forward to performing with some of the best artists in the country,” Harrigan adds.
Each performer has mastered their art form through pure experimentation, and each performance has been choreographed and created exclusively for the cirque and symphony show. The magic starts when the orchestra strikes its first note. “There’s something special about performing with live music,” Oppenheimer says. “You can connect so much more with the music and with the audience.”
The audience at The Magic of Cirque and Symphony can expect a highly sensory, mood-driven, and engaging experience, Harrigan says.
“It’s our gift to the audience,” Moraru said. “In the age of electronic media, we are honored that people take time out of their day to show up and see us perform in person. To have that exchange is a precious experience.”
The Magic of Cirque and Symphony will be held on Saturday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the WK Kellogg Auditorium.
Click here for more information on the concert.
Get to Know our Guest Artist
When 24-year-old Pianist Janice Carissa was younger, her instructors cautioned her not to “play faster than the music.” She took their advice to heart, as students do, but never really understood what they meant until recently. After studying music for almost two decades and learning countless pieces for performances and recitals around the world, she’s letting go and listening to her heart.
Get to Know our Guest Artists
Ron Oppenheimer defies gravity. With grace and precision, he deftly climbs and descends a pole, suspended from above. His body creates one abstract form after another in a passionate performance made only more powerful by the music that accompanies his every move.
Oppenheimer is one of seven cirque – as in Cirque de Soleil – performers who will be joining the Battle Creek Symphony in a first-of-its-kind show that combines the music of the full orchestra with performance art. The Magic of Cirque and Symphony will debut Saturday at 7:30 on March 4 at the WK Kellogg Auditorium.
Hold On, America, Hold On! Community Forum and Reactions
The Battle Creek Symphony is partnering with Kellogg Community College this month to present a free community forum event focused on a musical response to social unrest and the Black experience that was performed in Battle Creek last spring.
The “Hold On, America, Hold On!” forum, presented by the Battle Creek Symphony in conjunction with KCC’s Music Program and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12, in the auditorium of the College’s Davidson Visual and Performing Arts Center, on campus at 450 North Ave. in Battle Creek.
Hold On, America, Hold On!
The music community illuminates issues facing African Americans today and explores Black history. On the morning after the murder of George Floyd, Anne Harrigan, the artistic director of the Music Center and conductor of the Battle Creek Symphony, decided to go out for a coffee in her Grand Rapids neighborhood only to find one of her favorite coffee shops boarded up. She knew protests were sweeping across the city, but the stark reality of those wooden windows stunned her.
Music Speaks Through the Battle Creek Symphony
In operation since 1899, the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra (BCSO) represents the longest continuously performing orchestra in Michigan. With deep roots in Battle Creek and the surrounding area for the past 123 years, the BCSO has some of the highest quality symphonic traditions to be found.
Let’s take a look at the history of the BCSO, how it coped with the challenges of the past year, and what lies ahead for the 2021-2022 season.
Music and Mental Health
Music has the power to soothe, excite, calm and comfort us. Whether tied to a tender moment, the joy of playing an instrument, or the excitement of a concert—music often goes hand-in-hand with some of our most impactful memories. A group bonding experience or individually meditative moment spent with music can act as a bridge to better wellbeing, both physically and mentally.
Live, from Battle Creek!
Ever since the formation of The Music Center in 2000, we’ve been passionate about building community through music. The Music Center is a unique combination of music arts and programs created to enhance the lives of children and adults of all ages and talent levels. Although the past year and a half has been full of challenges, our mission remains the same. If anything, we’ve learned more about the incredible power of music to unite a community through unprecedented times.
We'd Love to hear from you!
Phone: 269.963.1911
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE (COVID-19)
The Music Center is currently open and resuming all activities. We take the safety of our students and staff very seriously and follow the CDC and State of Michigan safety guidelines. While we understand some may wish to adhere to their own interpretation of protocols, you will be required you to comply with safety postings in our building in order to participate in our classes and lessons.