Violin virtuosos: Early in the year, we will receive visits from two of the hottest violinists on the planet: Joshua Bell in recital with pianist Jeremy Denk on Jan. 26 at the Norton Center for the Arts in Danville; and Gil Shaham performing with the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, on Feb. 14 at the Singletary Center for the Arts. Either one of the guys coming to town would be a big deal. To get both violin virtuosos less than a month from each other is huge.
(Joshua Bell: 8 p.m., $30-$60, (859) 236-4692, www.nortoncenterforthearts.com. Gil Shaham: 7:30 p.m., $25-$32, (859) 257-4929, www.singletarytickets.com.)
Silas House's new play: In 2005, the Kentucky author made his debut as a playwright with The Hurting Part, a play with the familiarity of characters close to our homes, sketched with great drama and wonderful language. In April, Actors Guild of Lexington is scheduled to present House's second stage effort, and it will be interesting to see whether a new Kentucky playwright is indeed emerging. (Details TBA. (859) 233-7330. www.actorsguildoflexington.org.)
TBA's first season: In April, we will learn who is going to take the baton for the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra and lead the orchestra into the future. After 37 years of George Zack on the podium and two years of a search for a music director, it will be fascinating to see how this person settles in, what he or she will program, and what sort of public face he or she will bring to the Philharmonic. (www.lexphil.org.)
River of Time: In 1999, University of Kentucky music composition professor Joseph Baber wrote An American Requiem, a powerful choral and orchestral work that seemed a bit like putting Ken Burns' The Civil War into a classical composition. River of Time, an opera set to be premiered by UK Opera Theatre in the fall, will mine the same period, telling the tale of Abraham Lincoln's childhood in Kentucky and the impact of his presidency. (Details TBA. www.uky.edu/FineArts/Music/opera.)
The economy: Do I look ahead to this with anticipation or dread? It all depends on whether the country's financial status continues to deteriorate or starts to turn around. Either way, it will dictate what arts groups do in 2009-10, and a severe financial downturn could irrevocably alter the arts landscape in Central Kentucky and across the nation.
