Letter from the Executive Director

Welcome to Freedom For All!

Good evening, and thank you for being here with us tonight.

On behalf of everyone at the Columbus Cultural Orchestra, I’m so glad you’ve joined us to open Season 7. We’re honored to present Freedom For All, a concert celebrating generations of Black Americans who have defended this country, often while still fighting for the freedoms they were protecting. Tonight’s music honors their courage, their sacrifice, and their lasting legacy.

For those meeting us for the first time, the Columbus Cultural Orchestra is a collective of multi-generational musicians of diverse backgrounds. Our mission is to advance these artists by performing high-quality jazz, classical, and hip-hop music. Tonight, young players and seasoned musicians share the stage, and that is exactly what we hope to model: the stories of the past carried forward by the next generation. Concerts like this one let us honor history while giving our musicians the chance to shine.

None of this would be possible without our generous supporters. We are deeply grateful to Zoe Johnstone and the Columbus Foundation for their grant support of Season 7. Their belief in our work allows us to create meaningful musical experiences for our community, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

Thank you, too, for being part of this journey. We hope you’ll join us for the rest of Season 7, including our Winter Gala, Harmony & Heritage, on December 12. Be sure to follow us on social media to stay connected with everything coming next.

Enjoy the concert!

Megan Wetzel
Executive Director

The Orchestra:

Conducted by Sam Richardson

Violin I

Jennifer Schilling

Anna McCracken

Amiyah Mattox

Megan Wetzel

Nic Lacy

Violin II

Ani Dorohoff

Emerson Cole

Sarayu Gade

Addie Braxton

Robyn Jackson

Viola

Aaron Pearson

Aaron Evans

Chloe Moore

Cello

Savannah Freeman

Megan Pantchev

Siri Gade

Gregory Adams

Bass

Micah Whitley

Taylor Mattox

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Wanna Join the Classical Crossover Crew? 🎶

We’re not your average orchestra. At the Columbus Cultural Orchestra (CCO), we teach strings with a hip hop heartbeat, blending classical training with the music students actually love, like R&B, jazz, hip hop, and original tracks they help create.

This is music education remixed:

✅ Learn violin, viola, cello, or bass from top-tier instructors

✅ Build skills in improv, composition, and GarageBand production

✅ Perform music by Black composers and legendary artists

✅ Get paid for rehearsals, concerts, and gigs

✅ Be part of a team where every voice matters

Debut Strings is for beginners and intermediate beginners.

Columbus Cultural Orchestra is for intermediate and advanced players.

Whether your child dreams of performing, composing, or just wants a creative outlet, they’ll gain confidence, discipline, and community that lasts a lifetime.

JOIN

The Program

Star Spangled Banner

Francis Scott Key/Arr. Asa Simpson-Cole

Straighten Up & Fly Right

Nat King Cole/Arr. Asa Simpson-Cole

St. Louis Blues

WC Handy/Arr. Asa Simpson-Cole

Armed Forces Tribute

Arr. Andrew H. Dabczynski (ASCAP)

America The Beautiful

Music by Samuel A. Ward

Words by Katharine Lee Bates

Arr. Jeffrey E. Turner (ASCAP)

Adagio for Strings

Samuel Barber/Arr. Jamin Hoffman

Intermission

Rosa Parks

OUTKAST/Arr. Asa Simpson-Cole

Love’s In Need

Stevie Wonder/Arr. Asa Simpson-Cole

This is America

Childish Gambino/Arr. Asa Simpson-Cole

C James in Blue

Duke Ellington/Arr. Asa Simpson-Cole

Special Thank You

Ft. Hayes Performing Arts High School & Ryan Van Bibber

Luke Silva - Videography

Tim Perdu- Photographer

All Our Parent Volunteers!

Audience Evaluation

🎤 We wanna hear from YOU! Tell us what hit right or what we could level up.

Filling out our audience evaluation form helps us keep the shows fresh, turn up the quality, and most importantly, secure those grants so we can keep bringing this fire to the stage.

🎯 Your feedback = better concerts + more opportunities for our musicians.

Thank you for being part of the Classical Crossover Crew. 💛🖤

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