Unprecedented concert remembers Pat Corbett, "Queen of the Queen City"

Thousands poured into Music Hall on Saturday morning for an unprecedented performance by Cincinnati's performing arts groups to remember arts patron Patricia Corbett, who died Jan. 28 at age 99.

It was a heartfelt tribute, a free concert that brought out families with small children as well as most of Cincinnati's cultural movers and shakers -- art museum heads, conductors, musicians, CCM faculty members, NKU's Provost, patrons of the arts and many more. As you walked up to Music Hall on this brilliant but cold Saturday morning, Bach's "Air on a G String" was piped outside, from a not-yet-released recording made by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops.

Cincinnati's Mayor Mark Mallory (whom I did not see, but the crowd was big) proclaimed it as Patricia A. Corbett Day.

With the 3,400-seat hall about three-quarters filled and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra seated onstage, Paavo Jarvi strode out without speaking and opened with a beautiful and somber performance of "Fratres" by Arvo Part. We learned from host Naomi Lewin of WGUC that this was the choice of Mrs. Corbett's son, Tom Corbett, who died earlier this month. He chose his mother's favorite pieces for the performance.

Mrs. Corbett's grandson, Evan Corbett, noted that his father was also a loyal arts patron, on the board of the Corbett Foundation as well as the Dallas Symphony, where he lived. "His final accomplishment was to plan this celebration," Evan said. He thanked all of the organizers and participants -- all volunteers -- down to the stage hands, noting that his grandmother was proud to be a member of the Stage Hands Union.

He also recognized those in the audience from NuTone "where this wonderful ride began."

"They pioneered an enlightened philanthropy that focused on the balance sheet as well as the art," he said about his grandparents, Patricia and J. Ralph Corbett. "We must tend our legacy as a city with performing arts as grand as any in the world. We must come out and support those performing arts."

Metropolitan Opera legend Julius Rudel, who is a former music director of the May Festival and Cincinnati Opera maestro, spoke movingly about his friendship with the Corbetts.

He particularly mentioned Boito's "Mephistofele," mounted by Cincinnati Opera in 1972 with Rudel conducting. "Supporting that relatively unknown opera was an act of faith," he said. "Pat always seemed to be right there when you needed her the most. She was the very model of a modern benefactor. ... This city can be proud to have a visionary patron like Pat. She was one of the true queens of the Queen City."

Rudel conducted the orchestra in opera selections: "Sempre Libera" from La Traviata, featuring Jane Jennings, a Cincinnati Opera soprano, and "Nessun dorma" from "Turandot," with tenor Mark Panuccio.

Panuccio unleashed a virile, Italianate tenor, becoming overcome with emotion for the final notes, when he turned to face Mrs. Corbett's spotlighted empty box.

An energetic group from CCM's musical theater division came back early from spring break, to sing "We are the Light" and "What I Did for Love." Cincinnati Ballet's Carmon DeLeone conducted excerpts from his own score to "Peter Pan," and the May Festival Chorus took the spotlight in "Glory to God" from Handel's "Messiah."

Jarvi also led the Adagietto from Mahler's Symphony No. 5 -- Mahler was one of Mrs. Corbett's favorite composers.

The whole group came out for "Make Our Garden Grow" from Leonard Bernstein's "Candide," with Jarvi conducting.

From beginning to end, it was professional and beautifully performed. It's hard to imagine the arts in Cincinnati without Patricia Corbett. Hers will be very big shoes to fill.

P.S. I have to think that Pat would have enjoyed the hot pink lighting behind the orchestra

Photo of SCPA String Quartet beneath portraits of Patricia and J. Ralph Corbett