UK Symphony Orchestra, Oboist Dwight Parry to Perform Strauss, Mendelssohn, Berlioz

photos of UK Symphony Orchestra and oboist Dwight Parry
UK Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro John Nardolillo, will perform next with oboist Dwight Parry, principal oboist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 24, 2017) The critically acclaimed University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro John Nardolillo, will perform next with Dwight Parry, principal oboist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The concert featuring Parry will begin 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at the Singletary Center for the Arts.

The October concert will feature Parry accompanied by UK Symphony Orchestra on Richard Strauss’ Oboe Concerto in D Major. The orchestra will also perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Hector Berlioz’s “Symphonie fantastique.” 

Dwight Parry has been the principal oboist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra since his appointment in 2007. Previously, he held the same position with the San Diego Symphony and was a fellow with the New World Symphony. He has performed as guest principal oboist with several groups including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Los Angeles Opera and the Deutsche Symphonie of Berlin.

Originally from coastal Southern California, Parry found his passion for music studying piano, voice and jazz saxophone. It was not until late in high school that he began playing the oboe, taking lessons from Joel Timm, and truly found his calling. He received his master's degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music with John Mack and his bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California with Allan Vogel and David Weiss, who also taught him how to surf.

Parry performs and teaches internationally in concertos, recitals, masterclasses and chamber music. This season alone, he performed Jean Francaix's “Flower Clock,” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Oboe Concerto and Strauss' Oboe Concerto three times. His performances of Strauss' Oboe Concerto in February 2017 were his third subscription solo appearance with the Cincinnati Symphony.

An adjunct faculty member at both the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Northern Kentucky University, Parry also teaches privately and gives masterclasses at schools and festivals throughout the year.

Founded in 1918 and made up of undergraduate and graduate musicians from across the United States, Asia, South America and Europe, the UK Symphony Orchestra has long served as one of the university’s most prominent musical ensembles. This year they continue that tradition with performances of some of the greatest works in the orchestral repertoire, alongside contemporary works which push the boundaries of orchestral music. Concerts will feature music by the likes of Johannes Brahms and Igor Stravinsky, as well as a concert presented as part of the two-year global celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday. The orchestra will also continue its partnership with UK Opera Theatre, performing next in the program's spring production of ”Showboat.”

John Nardolillo has appeared with more than 30 of the country’s leading orchestras, including the Boston Pops, the National Symphony and principal orchestras of Seattle, San Francisco, Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, Milwaukee, Utah, Columbus, Indianapolis, Oregon, Fort Worth, Buffalo, Alabama, Louisville, Missouri, North Carolina, Toledo, Vermont, Columbus, Omaha and Hawaii. He also recently conducted concerts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia; and Carnegie Hall in New York. Nardolillo made his professional conducting debut in 1994 at the Sully Festival in France, and has since made conducting appearances in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and China. He has led major American orchestras in subscription series concerts, summer and pops concerts, education concerts and tours, and for television and radio broadcasts. In 2004, Nardolillo joined the faculty at the UK School of Music, where he is currently serving as the director of Orchestras.

Doors for the UK Symphony Orchestra concert with Dwight Parry open 7 p.m. with music beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for students, and free for UK students with a valid ID before the day of the performance (only in person at the Singletary Center ticket office). Tickets are available through the Singletary Center ticket office online at www.scfatickets.com, by phone 859-257-4929, or in person at the venue.

UK Symphony Orchestra is part of the UK School of Music at the UK College of Fine Arts. The school has garnered a national reputation for high-caliber education in opera, choral and instrumental music performance, as well as music education, composition, music therapy, and theory and music history.