A new year with the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra
The Butler Philharmonic (commonly known as the Butler Phil) is one of Ohio’s oldest, ongoing arts organizations comprised of the Butler Phil Orchestra, the Butler Phil Chorus, the Butler Phil Youth Orchestra and the Butler Phil Guild. Based in Hamilton, Ohio, on the banks of the Great Miami River, the Butler Phil Orchestra provides the county with performances featuring international guest artists, the finest musical talent in the region, and renowned conductors.
Local love
The Butler Phil has continued to expand and develop as a community-based arts organization for more than 70 seasons. The 75-member professional Butler Phil Orchestra performs four to five concerts at different venues throughout Butler County, in addition to frequent collaborative projects with the Fitton Center and Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park. If you visited Pyramid Hill during the last two holiday seasons to drive through the holiday lights display, you listened to a festive soundtrack provided by the Butler Phil Orchestra.
Dr. Scott Woodard, who joined the Butler Phil as Music Director and Butler Phil Orchestra Conductor in May 2020, understands the important role he plays in the organization’s upward momentum throughout Butler County.
“This is such an amazing time to board the train here in this place. The Butler Phil Orchestra is a cultural icon with a long history of enlightening and elevating the citizens of Butler County. I am truly honored to be afforded the privilege of writing my chapter in its history.”
As a resident of Huntington, West Virginia, a town of about 40,000 on the banks of the Ohio River, Scott recognizes and appreciates the benefits of a town that is fully aware of the importance of culture.
“Hamilton speaks to me in much the same way Huntington did, and still does,” Scott explained. “Butler County appreciates the impact and importance of good music and education through the arts, not just with the Butler Phil Orchestra, but with the Fitton Center, Pyramid Hill, the Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre, the Ballet. You name it, and Hamilton is leading the charge to restore the arts.”
In spite of logistical obstacles and extreme challenges posed by the pandemic over the last year-and-a-half, Scott and the Butler Phil Orchestra have been able to continue performing by leveraging social media platforms to share their concerts when in-person events weren’t feasible.
“Our 2020-2021 season, like most orchestras, consisted of recording concerts and making them available for our patrons on YouTube,” Scott said. “I wanted, more than anything, for our patrons to see that the Butler Phil Orchestra was alive and well, regardless of the situation in which we found ourselves.”
National and international notoriety
It’s not only the Butler Phil Orchestra’s local footprint that’s expanding.
In early spring 2021, a TvHAMILTON broadcast of a live all-strings Butler Phil Orchestra concert from the Fitton Center made its way to viewers across the globe on YouTube. Amidst the likes and comments posted by viewers, an invitation was extended to Scott from Alberto Cappiello, the general manager and French hornist for the Rimini Chamber Orchestra in Rimini, Italy.
Alberto was so impressed by the virtual performance that he asked Scott to travel to Italy in March 2022 and perform with them for their spring concert. In return for Scott’s time and talents, Alberto will visit the United States later this year to perform with the Butler Phil Orchestra as part of an artistic “cultural exchange.”
Looking ahead
Scott and the Butler Phil Orchestra are beyond ready to return to full live performance schedule.
“The 2021-2022 season has brought us back to live performance, making ‘great music in your own backyard’ once again, and we are thrilled!”
“Our season will wrap up in May, as we present a tribute to the former music director, Paul John Stanbery. Maestro Stanbery left a lasting legacy on the Hamilton area. I daresay, none of us would be here today if not for Paul’s dedication to the arts in Butler County. Sadly, Paul lost his courageous battle with cancer recently. This concert is our way of thanking him. Our Butler Phil Chorus, created by Maestro Stanbery, will join us again for this performance.”