Columbus Symphony's American Roots Celebration to Continue with PORGY AND BESS, 2/20-21

In the second installment of the Columbus Symphony's American Roots Festival, guest bass-baritone Kevin Deas returns to perform some of George Gershwin's greatest music including extensive selections from his glorious opera Porgy and Bess, including "Summertime," "It Ain't Necessarily So," "Bess," and "You Is My Woman Now." Gershwin's brilliant and bluesy Piano Concerto and an orchestral suite by jazz legend Duke Ellington paying tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. completes the bill. Led by guest conductor John DeMain, the program will also feature guest pianist Xiayin Wang, soprano Jonita Lattimore, and the Columbus Symphony Chorus.

The Columbus Symphony presents Porgy and Bess at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.) on Friday, February 20, at 8pm and Saturday, February 21, at 8pm. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 228-8600 or (800) 745-3000. The CAPA Ticket Center will also be open two hours prior to each performance. Young people between the ages of 13-25 may purchase $5 All Access tickets while available. For more information, visit www.GoFor5.com.

WOSU's Christopher Purdy will hold a free, pre-concert lecture about the program for ticket holders one hour prior to each performance.

The 2014-15 Masterworks Series is made possible through the generous support of season sponsor Anne Melvin.

About guest conductor John DeMain

Music Director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra for more than 20 years, Grammy and Tony Award-winning conductor John DeMain is noted for his dynamic performances on concert and opera stages throughout the world. During his two decades in Madison, he has consistently raised the quality of the symphony by introducing the industry standard of blind auditions, overseeing the move into the world-class Overture Hall, expanding the subscription season to triple performances, and continuously expanding the repertoire to include ever more challenging and virtuosic works. DeMain also serves as Artistic Director for Madison Opera.

About guest bass-baritone Kevin Deas

Deas has gained international acclaim as one of America's leading bass-baritones. He is perhaps most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess, having performed it with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the symphonies of Atlanta, Baltimore, Calgary, Houston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Montreal, San Diego, San Francisco, Utah, and Vancouver, and at the Ravinia, Vail, and Saratoga festivals.

About guest pianist Xiayin Wang

Pianist Xiayin Wang, an artist of keen musicality and sweeping virtuosity, has brought audiences to their feet with her performances in the grand Romantic tradition. Having made numerous celebrated recordings and appearances throughout the world, from New York's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to music centers in South America, Europe, and Asia, her impressive music-making excites music lovers and critics alike. www.XiayinWangPiano.com

About guest soprano Jonita Lattimore

Jonita Lattimore, a lyric soprano of immense vocal range and expressive musicality, has garnered plaudits for her vivid portrayals of roles ranging from Micaëla to Jackie Onassis, as well as oratorio performances with major orchestras across the US and abroad.

About composer George Gershwin (1898-1937)

American composer and pianist George Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known. Initially a commercial failure, Porgy and Bess is now considered one of the most important American operas of the twentieth century. Composed in 1934, with a libretto written by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin from Heyward's novel Porgy and later play of the same title, Porgy and Bess was first performed in New York City on September 30, 1935, and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers-a daring artistic choice at the time.

About composer Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974)

Duke Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader of jazz orchestras. Though widely considered to have been a pivotal figure in the history of jazz, Ellington embraced the phrase "beyond category" as a "liberating principle" and referred to his music as "American music" rather than categorize it to a musical genre such as "jazz. Commissioned by the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Les trios rois noirs (The Three Black Kings) Three Black Kings" was written for jazz band and symphony orchestra. The first movement speaks to Balthazzar, King of the Maji; the second to King Soloman; and the third to Martin Luther King, Jr.