February 2010 Commentary

Thom Mariner
Co-publisher, Express Cincinnati & EXP/arts
Those who are making the decisions regarding the future of Music Hall have apparently made one key decision: to re-configure the current structure and not build a new, smaller, supplementary venue. While this decision appears to be well considered from the viewpoints of these tenant organizations, it seems [...]

January 2010

Thom Mariner
Co-publisher, Express Cincinnati & EXP/arts
Unbelievable as it may seem, December’s performances of Handel’s Messiah represented the first time this most famous of all oratorios has ever been programmed as part of a Cincinnati Symphony subscription season. And even though each May Festival closes with the Hallelujah Chorus as the de rigueur encore, the [...]

December 2009

Thom Mariner
Co-publisher, Express Cincinnati & EXP/arts
Last Monday night, in a vacant semi-basement space downtown, a performance was about to begin. One of the organizers of the event stepped forward a few minutes past the appointed time. He asked the audience for its patience – there were 75 people still standing outside in the cold [...]

October 2009

Thom Mariner
Co-publisher, Express Cincinnati & EXP/arts
It appears that decisions are pending regarding the future of Music Hall and how the building may or may not be altered to suit the needs and requirements of its tenants. This topic has been on-again/off-again for years, but seems to have been revived this year, either in spite [...]

September 2009

Thom Mariner
Co-publisher, Express Cincinnati & EXP/arts

First, it’s important for you to know that I am a professional musician. I love and have performed all kinds of music…well, at least most kinds! The impetus for this column comes from the fact that I long for the thrill of hearing a new piece of art music [...]

July/August 2009

Thom Mariner
Co-publisher, Express Cincinnati & EXP/arts

As most of you know, we live in the Land o’ Brands here in Cincinnati. The refinement of the concept of brand integrity by Procter & Gamble is among the most important building blocks of our Cincinnati commercial infrastructure.
While I have been working as a singer in Cincinnati for [...]

April 2009

Margy Waller
Vice President, Arts & Culture Partnership, Fine Arts Fund
We live in a vibrant, thriving place. We should be both grateful and also actively promoting more progress via a streetcar that will support our arts and change the way we feel about the place we live and work.
As a recent returnee to this [...]

March 2009

Thom Mariner
Co-publisher, Express Cincinnati & EXP/arts
First, a disclaimer: I am a sports fan. I was active in sports through high school and still follow them closely today. I am also a professional musician and am passionate about the arts. I have friends who are crazy about sports and other friends who love the [...]

February 2009

Thom Mariner
Co-publisher, Express Cincinnati & EXP/arts
In October, we announced our intent to add promotion and coverage of the arts to Express Cincinnati. There are several reasons why this is extremely important – to Express as an enterprise, to us personally, and to the Cincinnati community as a whole.
When Beth and I purchased Express this [...]