He’s the man with the baton

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It's showtime

The Toledo Symphony is to perform a holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Ritz Theatre, exactly 80 years after the theater opened its doors Saturday, Dec. 20, 1928. Tiffin Mayor James Boroff is to proclaim next week as Ritz Theatre Week.

Tickets range from $15 to $40. To reserve tickets, contact The Ritz, 30 S. Washington St., Tiffin, online at www.ritztheatre.org or call (419) 448-8544.

For the fifth season, Chelsea Tipton, II is directing the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. Tipton has appeared as a guest conductor with major orchestras in the United States, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Tipton spoke about his musical background and about the program being presented Saturday at The Ritz. Born in Oklahoma and raised in Greensboro, N.C., Tipton said his parents were music educators who taught at colleges and high schools. He is a musician as well as a conductor.

"I play clarinet as my main instrument. That's what I majored in in college, and I still like to play," Tipton said.

Heidelberg violin instructor Iona Galu plays occasionally with the symphony, but not for Saturday's concert. Tipton said the majority of the full-time musicians audition for a seat and move to Toledo from other locations. The Ritz is familiar to him, having played in Tiffin in previous years.

"It's a wonderful space to play in. It's a good stage and good acoustics. It's easy to hear each other, so it makes it easy to play well together," the conductor said.

The orchestra books about 18 holiday concerts each year, but Tipton said each program is tailored to the community in which it is performed. He likes to engage the audience with music that appeals to them. In addition to familiar Christmas music, the program includes classical pieces that "capture the character of this time of year."

"We like to share a variety of music on Christmas concert that ranges from 'White Christmas' and 'Carol of the Bells' to 'Champagne Polka.' It is a little something for everyone," Tipton said. "We love coming to Tiffin to share our music with the community and we appreciate the people there letting us be a part of their Christmas season."

More information about the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and Chelsea Tipton II can be found online at www.toledosymphony.com.