APM Annual Report 2020-2021 by albanypromusica

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Capturing the human spirit, in times of crisis

ALBANY PRO MUSICA

A Note from the Maestro Every two months, I submit a report to Albany Pro Musica’s Board of Directors, discussing the work APM has done since our last board meeting, and what we have ahead of us – upcoming concerts, plans for fundraisers and educational programs, and the like. In May 2020, I wrote a very different missive to our board, a letter that I titled “Albany Pro Musica in Times of Crisis.” At that moment, the pandemic was raging at full-force and our world was reeling: not only from this devastating new virus, but also from the racial injustice, environmental threats, political discord, and social unrest that threatened to tear apart the very fabric of our community, perhaps beyond repair. We had cancelled half our season, including our gala, and had no idea when, or even if, we’d be able to sing together again. The initial shock of those drastic, essential measures had worn off and I had had some time to reflect on how the broader context of the pandemic could shape APM’s future. I posed existential questions to myself and to our board: What does APM mean to our community, performers, and audiences? What makes us relevant and even indispensable in times of crisis? What will people miss if we dramatically change our offerings? What will they miss if we cease to exist? As we collectively considered these questions, the answers emerged with clarity and simplicity: Albany Pro Musica is in the business of bringing beauty to the soul. And if ever there was a need for music to comfort, heal, and inspire, it was during these dark times. We could not give up or go silent. And so we got to work. What followed throughout the 2020-2021 season was nothing short of extraordinary. APM pivoted its performance model to a virtual one. We shifted our business model to offer our programs for free to all. We learned how to be video editors, producers, and script writers. We created four digital concerts, two fundraisers, and our high school festival, all of which delighted and inspired our audiences and donors. I am so proud of the hard work, creativity, and commitment of each member of the APM family – from singers and artistic partners, to staff and volunteers, to the Board of Directors and Council of Advisors, to our generous donors – we could not have survived this season without each of you. For centuries, poets and philosophers have pondered, with various turns of phrase, how “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” The COVID-19 shutdowns reminded us that this is true of many things we had perhaps taken for granted before last year: holiday celebrations with family, the warm embrace of a friend, dinner at a romantic restaurant, travelling to destinations both new and familiar. The loss of live music was mourned acutely by each member of the APM family, and I know you share my anticipation and excitement as we finally return to live performances next month. Eighteen months apart has made our hearts fonder than ever. As I reflect on our 2020-2021 season, I am filled with profound gratitude for the dedication, love, and support of our APM community, as well as hope and optimism for the new chapter ahead of us. We enter the new season on solid footing, with new skills and lessons learned, with new audiences who fell in love with APM this year through our virtual programs. What a joy it will be to welcome them – and you – into the concert hall to hear Albany Pro Musica in person once again. My heart is full at the thought. With deep appreciation,

José Daniel Flores-Caraballo Opalka Family Artistic Director

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Reflections from our Board Message from our Outgoing President What an extraordinary year it has been. Not only have we all, each one of us, been challenged in unexpected ways but have endured a time of painful separations and losses. At the end of this trying time, we have good reason to celebrate our shared emergence into the light of a new day. Thank you for continuing to support Albany Pro Musica this past year. Because of your help, we successfully celebrated Albany Pro Musica’s 40th anniversary by offering a virtual season to a region hungry for the beauty and solace of music. Maestro José Daniel rose to the challenge and produced three entirely new concerts – all of them video productions – and in partnership with WMHT aired them on public television. And APM’s magnificent chorus stepped up, learning to perform distantly from one another, in front of cameras and lip syncing to marry the visuals with their singing. With the help of WMHT-FM, the Radio Pro Musica hour was born – a weekly program highlighting José Daniel’s presentation of pieces from our archives, with Rex Smith hosting. The radio and television broadcasts took APM’s concerts us to a regional audience, and we even heard from viewers from distant places. Thank you, José Daniel for this extraordinary gift of a season that surpassed all expectations. We now move forward with anticipation and hope, facing the coming year with a solid foundation and the good will of the community. At APM we are so grateful and aware that we could not have accomplished the challenges of the season without you. We reached out and asked for your help, and you responded most generously. Thank you so much for your extraordinary and unwavering support. You have the gratitude of all of us at Albany Pro Musica. In gratitude,

Special Thanks to our 40th Anniversary Marquee Underwriters

Raona Roy President, Board of Directors (2017-2021)

Isabel Bader Sherley Hannay Christine and George R. Hearst III Ellen Jabbur Chet and Karen Opalka

Message from our Incoming President It’s my great honor to have been invited to help Albany Pro Musica launch its fifth decade of live performance in New York’s Capital Region as the group’s new board president. Since I have sung with the group since 2000, I know how important a supportive network is to the realization of our musicians’ artistic dreams. We recognize that a thriving musical scene has no mere spectators — that it takes an appreciative audience, energetic champions, and dedicated artists to make music come alive. APM met the challenge of the pandemic with a season full of surprises, including new and outstanding virtual performances and experiences that taught us a lot about how we might reach broader audiences in years to come. Of course, we hope we will never again have a season without a chance for live, in-person concerts. But the 40th season brought growth that we now carry into our 41st year, a season that promises extraordinary opportunities for musicians and audiences alike. Maestro Flores-Caraballo has plans for musical performances that will delight and inspire us all. I welcome the opportunity to join in building upon the lessons of our first 40 years, to assure that the magic of Albany Pro Musica — which reveals over and over again the power of music to elevate the human spirit — will continue for a long time to come. We of Albany Pro Musica are grateful to be a vital part of a robust Capital Region artistic scene. Fine music is not just an appreciated feature of a community, but rather a manifestation of community. So through Albany Pro Musica, we are truly making community together. Thank you for joining in that endeavor.

Rex Smith President, Board of Directors (incoming)

ALBANY PRO MUSICA

We started our season with a celebration of the beauty and resilience of our region. “A Capital Region Renaissance” was a concert of lively and lush English love madrigals from the Renaissance period, performed by multiple small ensembles drawn from the Concert Chorus, and set in some of the region’s most iconic and beautiful locations, including outside the New York State Capitol, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Schenectady’s historic Stockade District, the grounds of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Lake George, Indian Ladder Farm, and Hudson Crossing Park. This concert featured the world premiere of a neo-Renaissance composition from our honorary composer-in-residence, Steve Murray. It also included commentary about the role of the arts in the Capital Region’s local renaissance, featuring Opalka Family Artistic Director José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, regional philanthropists Chet and Karen Opalka, University at Albany President Havidán Rodriguez, and community leader and businessman Marcus Pryor.

WATCH NOW NOW IS THE MONTH OF MAYING ALL CREATURES NOW AH, DEAR HEART AS VESTA WAS COME AWAY, SWEET LOVE

albanypromusica.org/renaissance

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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We can’t say enough how much we enjoyed the outstanding, spectacular and original video’d concert … The hills ring loud and clear with the shared support — from conductor to singers to composers — for your beloved art form.

ALBANY PRO MUSICA

WATCH NOW Each year, “The Many Moods of Christmas” concert is a favorite holiday tradition for families across the Capital Region. This season, Albany Pro Musica created a virtual concert that featured favorites from APM’s recent holiday concerts, including the unforgettable voice of renowned tenor Rafael Davila, as well as the 2019 premiere performance of Steve Murray’s Christmas at Sea. It was accompanied by a behind-the-scenes conversation with Davila and APM’s Opalka Family Artistic Director, José Daniel Flores-Caraballo.

RITCH RATSCH FILIBOM GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE

Support for The Best of the Many Moods of Christmas came from

albanypromusica.org/manymoods

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Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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Just what was needed to raise holiday spirits.

Bravo for a really nice holiday concert in these challenging times!

ALBANY PRO MUSICA

Albany Pro Musica invited the Musicians of Ma’alwyck to partner with us for our third concert of the season, with a program of traditional Celtic and American music. This concert featured choral and instrumental arrangements of beloved folk music from both sides of the Atlantic, paired with exquisite imagery from the British Isles and the United States.

WATCH NOW

To complement this transatlantic program, we convened a dynamic discussion with local experts about the artistic and economic legacy, in the Capital Region and beyond, of immigrants from Ireland and across the British Isles. Rex Smith moderated a lively conversation with former state assembly member and Albany historian Jack McEneny, Dr. Elizabeth Stack, executive director of the Irish American Heritage Museum, and cultural and linguistic anthropologist Jennifer Crowley of the University at Albany.

HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING?

albanypromusica.org/celticdreams

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WAYFARIN’ STRANGER SIMPLE GIFTS

Support for Celtic Dreams came from

Gwen Krause

Thank you for the very enjoyable program ... It provided all of us with the spirit of music that has been absent for much too long.

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Just watched the Ireland concert. If I never get to see or hear another concert, it’s okay because I just saw the concert of a lifetime… The music, the music, the music and the scenery, the scenery, the scenery fit so beautifully together. The whole thing couldn’t have been better, and of course being performed at the Troy Music Hall … marvelous, simply marvelous. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

Amazing music, and lovely images of Celtic lands. This does my heart good, thank you.

ALBANY PRO MUSICA

WATCH NOW

As our nation slowly emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, Albany Pro LUX AURUMQUE Musica took viewers on an emotional journey from fear, conflict, and death to joy, peace, love, and redemption. This final concert of the virtual season featured two world premiere performances, Bradley Ellingboe’s WHEN DEATH CAME FOR US The Old Oak Tree and Steve Murray’s When Death Came for Us, along with works by Morten Lauridsen, Arvo Pärt, Eric Whitacre, Jake Runestad, THE OLD OAK TREE and Gabriel Fauré. From Despair…Light! also included appearances by celebrated guest artists Philip Lima, baritone, and Elizabeth Pitcairn, playing the legendary Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius violin, with special LET MY LOVE BE HEARD contributions by the New York State Writers Institute. This concert was a co-production with WMHT Educational Telecommunications. WMHT Support for From Despair…LIGHT! came from created a special web portal for the project that includes the concert video as well as four audio playlists from the performance and other Al DeSalvo and Susan Thompson The Howard and Bush Foundation curated content from WMHT and PBS. albanypromusica.org/despair-light

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John Nigro Ed Swyer Michael and Margery Whiteman Edelgard Wulfert

Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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Thank you for spreading comfort and light.

What superb musicianship and quality of sound first to last. Bravo, bravissimo! The programming was truly inspired and inspiring. What a gift to your audiences and listeners far and near.

ALBANY PRO MUSICA

This season marked Albany Pro Musica’s 21st year hosting the High School Choral Festival. This year’s festival was entirely virtual and featured a multisession, online curriculum that included rehearsal guidance, sectionals, and music appreciation. Students submitted individual recordings of “Hate Has No World,” a new commissioned composition by APM Composer-in-Residence Dr. Bradley Ellingboe, which we combined into a “virtual choir” performance. The final festival event included the premiere of that work as well as a dynamic discussion with Ellingboe and APM director José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, moderated by APM’s education director, Brendan Hoffman. The festival was free of charge and open to all high-school students in New York State.

WATCH NOW HATE HAS NO WORLD

This season, APM partnered with Classical WMHT-FM to launch Radio Pro Musica: Voices Capturing the Human Spirit, a new radio program that aired each Sunday evening. Albany Pro Musica’s Opalka Family Artistic Director, Dr. José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, with Rex Smith, presented choral music and expert commentary, highlighting performances by APM and other choral ensembles from around the country.

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

2020-2021 BY THE NUMBERS 4

World premieres

Guest artists and speakers

Virtual concerts

Virtual fundraisers

Educational and audience engagement videos

Hours of rehearsal and recording

infinite*

Hours of video and audio editing

18,265 76,039+ 6,796

Online video views People reached on social media Facebook reactions

345

Donors

115

New donors

3,483* * Numbers are approximate

Reminders to unmute during Zoom meetings

ALBANY PRO MUSICA

SPECIAL EVENTS

Albany Pro Musica hosted two special events – virtually! – to celebrate and bookend our 40th anniversary season. Since we were not able to gather in the historic Jan Wemp Barn this year, APM created an innovative and fun online concert to kick off the virtual season. The 2020 Music in the Barn showcased audience favorites from previous concerts as well as commentary from José Daniel Flores-Caraballo and several avid supporters of APM. Members of the Honorary Committee, co-chaired by James Gaughan, Keith Lee, Wayne Senitta, and Daniel Washington, received a special delivery of wine, sparkling water, charcuterie, and an all-new “Best of the Barn” desserts cookbook – a collection of delectable recipes from APM’s singers and board members, and a nod to the beloved tradition of homemade desserts at the Wemp Barn event.

We closed our season with a virtual UnGala. Held immediately before the final concert of the season, this special event featured a virtual preview of the upcoming 2021-2022 concert season, commentary from José Daniel Flores-Caraballo and this year’s composer-in-residence, Bradley Ellingboe, and the presentation of the 2021 Dr. Karen R. Hitchcock Award to long-time APM supporters, singers, and board members, Michael and Margery Whiteman. Members of the Honorary Committee, co-chaired by Rex and Marion Roach Smith, received a personal delivery of wine, tea, APM tumblers, and signature chocolates that brought “Music to Your Mouth” – taking supporters on a delicious journey through next season’s concerts with bonbons custom-made for APM by the master chocolatier at Troy-based Primo Botanica.

WATCH NOW

MUSIC IN THE BARN 2020

UNGALA 2021

Be sure to save the dates for our 2021-2022 fundraisers!

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Our 40th anniversary season would not have been possible without the generous support of our donors! Marquee Season Underwriters Isabel Bader Sherley Hannay Christine and George R. Hearst III Ellen Jabbur Chet and Karen Opalka Additional season support provided by

William Tuthill and Gregory Anderson

Circle of Friends GOLD MAESTRO CIRCLE ($50,000 and above) Christine and George R. Hearst III Chet and Karen Opalka SILVER MAESTRO CIRCLE ($25,000-$49,999) Isabel Bader Sherley Hannay Ellen Jabbur PATRON ($5,000-$9,999) Gregory Anderson and William Tuthill Ellen and Daniel Hogarty BENEFACTOR ($2,500-$4,999) Al DeSalvo and Susan Thompson Gwen Krause Keith Lee and James Gaughan John Nigro John and Raona Roy Wayne A. Senitta, Jr. and Daniel Washington Edward Swyer Michael and Margery Whiteman Michael and Linda Wolff Edelgard Wulfert

SPONSOR ($1,000-$2,499) Jeanette Altarriba Anonymous Wendy Barcomb and John Sheridan Michael Boots Bonnie and Paul Bruno Charlotte and Charles Buchanan Mitchell and Susan Cohen Dr. Gladys I. Cruz Robert and Minda Dwyer Joseph and Linda Farrell Jill Harbeck K. Drew Hartzell, Jr. Colin Helie and Julie Weston E. Stewart and Kimberly Sanger Jones H. Graham and Amber Jones Steven and Vivian Lobel Barbara Manning Doug and Diane Petersen Havidan and Rosy Rodriguez Harriet B. Seeley David G. Tieman Norman and Nancy Tellier David and Nancy Wagner Hannelore Wilfert and Karl Moschner Marcia White

Listing reflects gifts made between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021

AFFILIATE ($500-$999) Gregory and Judith Aidala Anonymous Heather Baird Rebecca Baron Marie and Johan Bosman Carol F. Bullard Judith Ciccio Heather Diddel Tony Esposito Meg Gallien and William F. Hammond, Jr. Jonathan and Tonya Burandt Hansen Anna Kuwabara and Craig Edwards Michael and Susan Moyle Lynch Edward and Nancy McEwan Thomas McGuire Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Musto Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Older Edwin and Carol Osterhout Elizabeth Osthimer and Robert Konigsberg Bob and Loretta Parsons Sharon Roy Alice Schrade Katherine Sheehan Jan and Stan Smith Rex and Marion Roach Smith Lawrence and Audrie Sturman Miriam Trementozzi and James Ayers Russ and Carolyn Wilks Stephen J.C. Williams Lisa J. Wloch Susan Craig Zeltmann

ALBANY PRO MUSICA

FRIEND ($100-$499) Robert and Patricia Altman Jennifer Amstutz Suzanne Anderson Gayle Anderson and Sidney Fleisher Anonymous Elizabeth A. Arden Judith Arnold Marius Beceanu Elmer Bertsch Wendy Blair Kjersti Board Carol and Bill Bott Jeanne Bourque Ann and Dave Brandon Neil D. Breslin Pieter and Stacey Bridge Beckie and Scott Briggs Gayle Burgess Deborah E. Byers Findlay and Marcia Cockrell Michael Coleman Marie K. Cox Dawn and Dick Dana John Defilippo Marilyn Desmond Joyce Diwan Valerie Donovan David and JoAnn Duquette Dr. and Mrs. Eames Dorothy L. Ellinwood Stephani Emery Frederick E. Faught Thomas Feist Stephanie and Peter Flinker Jose Daniel Flores-Caraballo Francine Frank Lisa Frazzetta Lawrence F. Gambino Eugene and Barbara Garber Barbara Gillmeister Gary and Sandy Gnirrep Gary David Gold Paul Jay Green Jeff Gross Lorraine and Dennis Guyon Ted and Kathy Hahn Dianne B. Hansen Katharine Harris Leif and Claudia Hartmark Barbara Higbee John and Susan Hill

Marcia Hopple Donna Hughes Linda Hunt Elihu Jerabek Hon. John T. McDonald III Thomas Johnson Hugh Johnson Eric and Priscilla Johnson Thomas Johnston Paula Jordan Hilke Kayser Joseph Keegan Peter F. Keyoskey David A. Klaus Maureen Frances Leary Daniel Leinung Deirdre Leland Heather and Edward Lessard Charles Liddle, III David Loy Robert and Nancy Lynk Stephen and Mary Madarsz Jean Frances Malone Bob and Carleen Marino Ralph and Jacqueline Marino Janet Marler Kimberly A. Marshall Susan Linda Martin Mike and Suzanne Mason Bob Massa Daniel McCoy Robert McNamara John Mesch David and Barbara Metz Hedy Migden Richard J. Miller, Jr. Anthony and Joan Mitola Judy B. Moore Jim Murdock Thomas Murphy Stephen Murray David Musser Judith Ann Mysliborski William and Elizabeth Nathan Hugh Nevin Vaughn Nevin Sigrin and Jonathan Newell Raymond Newkirk J. Peter and Barbara Notch Sara Oberst Marion and Daniel Onufrak Richard and Judith Palmer Carl M. Penney

Nancy Petersen and Ed Kautz Peter and Susan Pezzolla Chris and Carol Pfister William Picotte David Pollitzer Elizabeth M Racicot Margaret Randall Marsha Ras Cheryl Reeves Brad Reilly Dottie Reynolds Gail Richardson Richard and Jill Rifkin Ingrid Peters Robinson Lisa Romano Martha Rozett Ellen Sax William Schollenberger Sandra L. Schujman Robert and Gail Schwartz Peggy and Jack Seppi Ronnye B. Shamam Laura Shea Cynthia Shultz Barbara Simoneau Gary and Kathie Smith Donald Stauffer Hildegard Steinmann Robyn Steve Margaret A Stevens Emily and David Sturman Marlayna Sullivan Michele Susko Christine B. Szczepanek Roger Tippy Paul D. Tonko Ann Vehlies Lyle Van Vranken Dawn Stuart Weinraub Michael and Harriet Dearden Welther Barbara W. Wiley Carol Willsey Brian K Wilson Stephen Wilson Mary Withington Dan and Carol Wojcik Susan Standfast Wright Michael Wright Peter and Lynn Young Francesca Zambello and Faith Gay Barbara Zautner Mark and Lynn Zielinski

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Corporate Circle GOLD CIRCLE ($10,000-$14,999) New York State Council on the Arts IBM Corporation SILVER CIRCLE ($5,000-$9,999) Albany Medical Center BRONZE CIRCLE ($2,500-$4,999) CDPHP

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CORPORATE SUPPORTERS (up to $2,499) Amazon Smile Amidon & Petersen Financials Bernard F. Conners Foundation General Electric Foundation Golub Foundation Preferred Mutual Insurance Company Romeo Toyota The University at Albany Foundation Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Whiteman Osterman and Hanna

Albany Pro Musica is grateful for the support of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Thank you for the beautiful music this year!

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE SINGERS, STAFF, AND BOARD OF ALBANY PRO MUSICA

We invite you to renew your support of Albany Pro Musica as we enter our 2021-2022 season and resume live performances! To learn more and to make a gift, please visit albanypromusica.org/donate.

ALBANY PRO MUSICA

Leave a Legacy with Albany Pro Musica’s Lux Aeterna Society Albany Pro Musica has a legacy in the Capital Region and beyond, as a choral group whose music truly captures the human spirit. Our Lux Aeterna Society allows donors to keep the “eternal light” of your own legacy alive through Albany Pro Musica, by including APM in your estate plans. The Lux Aeterna Society recognizes individuals and their families who have remembered APM in their estate plans through a planned gift. A planned gift to Albany Pro Musica can offer tax advantages, and allows you to designate a contribution – large or small – that will support the music you love, for years to come.

FORMS OF PLANNED GIVING There are numerous ways to include charitable giving in your estate plans. The easiest and most common is through a bequest in your will. To learn more about how to include Albany Pro Musica in your estate plans, please complete and return the form below, or contact us for a confidential consultation. This publication is intended to provide general gift planning information. Albany Pro Musica is not qualified to provide specific legal, tax, or investment advice, and this publication should not be looked to or relied upon as a source for such advice. Consult with your own legal and financial advisors before making any gift.

Please consider joining

ALBANY PRO MUSICA’S LUX AETERNA SOCIETY Full name Address City, State, ZIP Email address Phone number I have included Albany Pro Musica in my estate plans Please provide any details you’d like to share:

I would like more information on how to include Albany Pro Musica in my estate plans

Please return this completed form to: Emily Sturman, Deputy Executive Director Albany Pro Musica 30 2nd St., Troy, NY 12180 / emily@albanypromusica.org Thank you for your commitment to Albany Pro Musica!

2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT

2021-2022 SEASON

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The collective brilliance and effort behind APM’s virtual season was evident throughout… It seems as though each successive production was greater than the previous one. All this was accomplished in the face of great obstacles and numerous challenges. This season of troubles, trials, and triumphs have raised the bar for Albany Pro Musica, and we have a new standard to bear. — Steve Murray, Honorary Composer in Residence