Albany Symphony Orchestra ends 2014-15 season early

ALBANY — The Albany Symphony Orchestra is ending its 2014-15 season early, postponing what had been expected to be its final concert of the subscription series until next spring, Music Director Claire Fox Hillard said Tuesday.

The concert, which was to have been the “Earth” portion of the symphony’s “Brave the Elements” series inspired by the four classic elements that include water, air and fire, was to have featured Native American flutist Joseph FireCrow, who has released eight albums and was a 2010 Grammy winner in the New Age category for his guest performance on David Darling’s “Prayer for Compassion.” He also has won seven Native America Music Awards, including best flute recording in 2013.

The concert was to have included a multi-media performance of Jim Cockey’s “The Gift of the Elk,” along with Grofe’s “Grand Canyon Suite” and Abel’s “Global Warming.”

Symphony officials had hoped to incorporate FireCrow’s visit as symphony guest performer with the April 10-12 Native American Festival at Chehaw.

“We absolutely want to do it with Chehaw and with the Indian festival they have at Chehaw,” Hillard said. “We really want to maximize his visit when he comes to Albany. We wanted more from him than what he thought we wanted.”

After consideration of FireCrow’s schedule and the schedule of events next week already set at Chehaw, Hillard said, “We just decided it was the better part of valor to wait and do it next year.”

Letters from the symphony’s new executive director, Mari Wright, who started in the position March 1, went out Friday to ticket-holders, Hillard said. Tickets purchased for the April 11 concert will be honored at the rescheduled show in April 2016, he said.

“We feel real fortunate to have her here,” Hillard said of Wright, who previously has worked in leadership positions with the Albany Water, Gas & Light Commission, the American Red Cross and the March of Dimes. Hillard, who conducts the Albany Symphony, said Wright is already working on the possible performance dates for the 2015-16 season. The symphony season normally starts in September or October.

Part of the issue is the symphony draws from all or part of the pool of musicians that other orchestras in the Georgia and Florida also utilize. In determining dates that have the fewest conflicts, ASO officials first have to develop a composite calendar of schedules, which then also has to be checked against the schedules of desired guest performers, such as Firecrow. The Albany Symphony also tries to schedule so that the Sunday afternoon Symphony @ the Museum series at the Albany Museum of Art is spaced out with the orchestra performances.

“We want to give the musicians as much work as possible,” Hillard said. “So we’re full steam ahead.”

He said the organization was planning to schedule four concerts for the coming season, including the rescheduled one. Hillard added that the “earth” theme for the April 2016 concert will be maintained, noting that in addition to the Chehaw festival, Earth Day is conducted in April.

Earth Day as a concept was originally observed in San Francisco on March 21, 1970, to coincide with the beginning of spring, but a separate observance founded by U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson, D-Wis., was conducted a month later. That latter date established by Nelson, who died in 2005, has continued to be observed, with more than 190 countries celebrating Earth Day annually on April 22.

“The school system makes a big deal out of Earth Day,” he said. “I think with the Dougherty County School System, Earth Day and Chehaw, we will be able to have a good partnership.”