Ohio University Symphony Orchestra to perform at OHIO Southern April 5

The power and precision of a full symphony orchestra will fill the Riffe Rotunda as the Ironton Council for the Arts concludes its 2024-25 subscription concert season with a special performance by the Ohio University Symphony Orchestra. The concert takes place Saturday, April 5, at 3 p.m. at Ohio University Southern and is open to the public.

Under the direction of Dr. José Rocha, the orchestra will perform a program featuring Jean Sibelius’ Karelia Overture, Alexander Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

Rocha, a dynamic conductor, cellist, and educator, has collaborated with legendary artists such as Ray Charles, Marvin Hamlisch, and the Indigo Girls, and has performed in major concert halls across Europe and Latin America. He currently serves as director of orchestral activities at Ohio University’s School of Music in the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts.

Presented through the efforts of the Ironton Council for the Arts, this concert reflects the Council’s ongoing collaboration with Ohio University Southern to bring outstanding arts programming to the local community. Admission is $15 for the general public and free for all students and children.

As the curtain closes on this year’s season, the Ironton Council for the Arts is already preparing for its 45th annual series in 2025-26. The new season will feature an eclectic mix of genres and performances, including a hammered dulcimer artist, jazz ensemble, classical and woodwind trios, a jug band, and an Appalachian indie folk group. Concerts will take place at Ohio University Southern and the First Presbyterian Church of Ironton, beginning in October.