Rhapsody in Blue featured in OVOC Spring Concert with guest pianist, Kathryn Castrodale

OMAK - When Okanogan Valley Orchestra Director, Matt Brown, decided to tackle the monumental Gershwin classic, Rhapsody in Blue, for the Spring Concert, he immediately contacted Chelan’s Kathryn Castrodale to invite her to perform the piece with the OVOC orchestra.  His dream of presenting this stirring composition will come true on March 24 at the Omak Performing Arts Center.  Several Lake Chelan musical luminaries participate in this concert. Both music directors, Matt Brown and Jonathan McBride, live in Chelan and both have developed highly effective music programs for the schools they teach for.
The concert takes place at 3 p.m. March 24, at the OPAC, 20 S. Cedar, Omak. Tickets can be purchased at the door: General Admission $12, Seniors $10, Youth (13-18) $8, children 12 and under free.
Rhapsody in Blue is considered George Gershwin’s most groundbreaking composition. It was written in only a few days at the request of 1924’s “King of Jazz”, Paul Whiteman, who promoted it as a jazz concerto. What Gershwin produced was not a “jazz concerto” but a rhapsodic work for “piano and jazz band” incorporating elements of European symphonic music and American jazz. Gershwin scored a triumphant success with the work which today is hailed as a landmark in American music. In 1931, Gershwin told his biographer Isaac Goldberg “I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness.” In the many essays written to analyze the piece it has been said that Gershwin’s own intentions were to correct the belief that jazz had to be played strictly in time so that one could dance to it. His influence in this regard altered American music. The clearest influence of jazz in Rhapsody is the use of blue notes, and the exploration of their half-step relationship plays a key role.  Gershwin incorporated several different piano styles into the work. He utilized the techniques of stride piano, novelty piano, comic piano, and the song-plugger piano style.
Kathryn Castrodale first performed Rhapsody in Blue at the age of 15 as a piano student and she has been in love with it ever since.  Kathryn is a well-known teacher and performer in Chelan.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Willamette University and Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oregon.  Kathryn is a member of the trio, Classic Pizzazz, and enjoys arranging music for the group.    She is the pianist in the Wenatchee Valley Symphony and has a vast knowledge and experience with major compositions written for piano. She has been pianist with a number of jazz groups and has led dozens of pit orchestras for Broadway musicals in Chelan and Omak. She is a founder of Chelan’s Bach Fest and has participated in that week-long music festival every year, performing in concerti with the orchestra, solos and chamber music at noon concerts, accompanied the choir and is the pianist in the orchestra. Kathryn was invited by Elma Curry to perform at the first concert OVOC presented in the new Performing Arts Center in 1990. She first performed Rhapsody with the OVOC orchestra under the direction of Gary Dahl during the ‘90’s, was invited back for a second performance of the piece by Terry Hunt in the 2000’s and is thrilled to return for this performance with Matt Brown, a musician she admires and enjoys working with very much.
Also, from Chelan, Bob Soost will participate as guest oboist, playing the signature melody line most associated with the piece. Bob heads the elementary music program for Chelan Schools and is a well-known performer in the valley.  Chelan Valley residents Kerry Travers and Rowan Evig also join the orchestra in the violin section.
In addition to Rhapsody in Blue, the OVOC orchestra will perform two movements from Mussorsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and combine efforts with the chorus on another Gershwin standard, Porgy and Bess, a Medley. The Chorus under the direction of Jonathan McBride presents a variety of colorful, spring inspired songs including “O My Luve’s Like a Red, Red Rose”, “Over the Rainbow” and “Blue Moon”.