Out & About

Wheeling Symphony Orchestra Ready for Big Opening Night

Concert Features Famed Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Beatbox Concerto, More

WHEELING -- Opening night for the 2022-23 concert season for the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra will kick off in grand fashion on Thursday night, Sept. 29. at the Capitol Theatre.

Celebrating "American Stories" this season, the Opening Night Gala Concert will feature world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and a special project commissioned by the WSO and Music Director John Devlin for the occasion.

"This exciting collaboration with Washington D.C.-based Hip Hop artist Christylez Bacon and American composer Evan Meier was conceived nearly two years ago," Devlin said. "I worked with Christylez during my time in Washington D.C. in many different capacities, and I knew that I wanted to design a project with the WSO that would feature all of his diverse creative talents and unique ability to engage audiences of all types."

The resulting piece, "Migrations in Rhythm: A Concerto for Beatbox and Rhyme," examines the way that the United States has served as a point of musical intersection for different cultures, the maestro said.

"Collaboratively, Christylez and I chose another D.C.-based artist, Evan Meier, to write this work that explores the interaction of many different influences as they led to the creation of funk and fo-go," Devlin said. "Styles from West Africa, Coastal Georgia, Ireland, New Orleans, Latin America and Brazil all played a part in the creation of these uniquely American genres of music. Christylez will rap, beat box, play the spoons and even improvise a freestyle verse in real time as part of the cadenza of this incredible new work."

Yo-Yo Ma will perform John Williams' cello concerto, which Williams composed specifically for the world renowned cellist. Williams, who celebrated his 90th birthday this year, is Ma's longtime friend and collaborator.

The pair recently released an album this past spring called "A Gathering of Friends," which features this concerto.

Show time is 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29.

For tickets or for additional information about Thursday night's concert, the Opening Night Gala and after party, this season's shows an more, visit wheelingsymphony.com or call 304-232-6191.