Staff report

The Ironton Council for the Arts’ 2024-25 subscription concert series features six outstanding vocal music, instrumental music, and theatre performances kicks off on Oct. 6
Some of the guest performers are based locally, while others have performed throughout the Midwest, up and down the East Coast, and internationally. The performances feature a variety of styles and genres ranging from ragtime to classical, and holiday favorites to folk and more.
The first concert features ragtime pianist Peter Bergin from Traverse City, Michigan, who will perform on Sunday, Oct. 6.
Bergin presents regularly at concert halls and community centers and festivals around the country, including the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival, West Coast Ragtime Festival and Zehnder’s Ragtime Festival, and is a Michigan Humanities Touring Artist. Bergin will be one of the showcase artists at the Midwest Arts Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana in September.
The Brass Roots Trio based in Flemington, New Jersey, will perform a Veterans Day-themed program on Sunday, Nov. 10.
They played to standing ovations and rave reviews in every corner of the U.S. and England since 2004. Their tours have included performances at Oxford University, St. James Piccadilly in London, the Chicago Brass Festival, and on Community Concert Series, Chamber Music Series and NPR. In 2009, the trio was honored to perform for President and Mrs. Obama at the White House.
Our Sunday, Dec. 8, annual Christmas concert features two popular, local, acapella vocal ensembles. The all-male Eastern Kentucky Harmonic Order from Ashland is an upgraded iteration of the popular Singing Kernels. The all-female River Magic Chorus/Sweet Adelines International from Huntington, West Virginia, has sung at parties, parades, patriotic gatherings, holiday entertainments, assisted living celebrations, and their beloved Singing Valentines for 45 years.
Both groups sing in a close, barbershop-style harmonic style.
Alla Boara, an Italian folk ensemble from Cleveland, will perform on Sunday, Feb. 9. They regularly perform throughout northeastern Ohio and the eastern U.S. They have received critical acclaim from NPR’s “Shuffle”, SWR2 in Germany, All About Jazz, Jazz Weekly, and Cleveland Magazine.
On Sunday, March 16, The Ashland Paramount Players will perform with their production to be announced in the near future. Their awards include the Kentucky Theatre Association Outstanding Production Award for “Rent,” “Cabaret,” Forever Plaid” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
Our concert season concludes on Sunday, April 6, with a performance by the Ohio University Symphony Orchestra
All performances are 3 p.m. Sundays in the Ohio University Southern Riffe Rotunda.
Season tickets are $50, individual concert tickets are $15 and may be purchased at each performance or by contacting Dr. Pat McCoy at 740-547-6446 or pmccoy73@hotmail.com.
All performances are free for students of all ages and children and the Riffe Rotunda is handicap accessible.