Season 63 Subscription Booklet

MUSIC MATTERS

With the launch of Season 63, we acknowledge the commitment to diversity and inclusion that Artistic Director José-Luis Novo has brought to our musical programming during his 20year tenure in Annapolis. His dedication to presenting composers, guest artists, and compositions that make us think, feel, and act is vital to creating connections with each other and throughout our community. It is also an opportunity to commemorate the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sixty years beyond this critical legislation that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, we can commemorate the progress made, look for opportunities to be and do better, and walk even more boldly in the future.

SOMETHING FOR Everyone

Season 63 will showcase an amazing range of repertoire that represents the past, present, and future of classical and popular music. Programming includes classical European orchestral music as well as contemporary composers whose music is imbued with the rhythms and sounds of cultures from Africa, Cuba, Latin America, and the United States. Our Masterworks Series will include lesser-known pieces by iconic composers, and music that will challenge our musicians and delight our audience. We are proud to present the world première of Roydon Tse’s cocommission with the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music. Pops and family programming will celebrate many genres of music from jazz, blues, and spirituals to the music of popular radio and film. The ASO would like to thank our sponsors and advertisers for their generous support, which makes these experiences possible.

I’m pleased to introduce the music of Season 63 to our subscribers and patrons. It includes music that will thrill, excite, and inspire you. A great concert can open doors to new and unexpected places. A great performance will make you stop to feel, to think, and to remember. That’s exactly what we will do this season as we contemplate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Many of the classical composers presented in Season 63 wrote music that foretold diversity, inclusion, and equity in terms of origin, education, social standing, and ethnicity. Theirs were some of the first steps taken to ensure that the world we live in now increasingly makes this grand diversity a possibility.

I invite you to embrace the classical and contemporary composers that join the ASO this season. There is a seat for everyone at our concerts. May you find in our music and artistry whatever it is that you seek.

JOSÉ-LUIS NOVO

Artistic Director & Conducter

CONTENTS

2024-2025 SEASON SCHEDULE, 4

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR, 7

2023-2024 BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 8

OUR STORY, 10

SEASON 63 GUEST MUSICIANS, 12

CLASSICAL, 15

MASTERWORKS CONCERTS, 16

ASO CO-COMMISSION, 19

SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES, 20

MASTERWORKS SERIES, 22

FLEXPASS, 23

SERIES @ STRATHMORE, 24

POPS CONCERTS, 29

POPS IN THE PARK, 30

HOLIDAY POPS, 31

FAMILY CONCERT, 32

ASO MUSICIANS 2024-2025, 34

DONOR BENEFITS, 36

FRIENDS OF THE ANNAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA , 38

ANNAPOLIS SYMPHONY ACADEMY, 39

THE ASO STAFF, 41

ASO IN THE COMMUNITY, 42

MASTERWORKS I PASAJES

Tania León, Mozart, Bruckner, Still with pianist Brian Ganz

Oct 4 & 5 | 7:30 pm

Maryland Hall

Oct 6 | 3:00 pm

Music Center at Strathmore

MASTERWORKS II CONNECTIONS

Adolphus Hailstork, Óscar Navarro, Shostakovich with hornist Alex Kovling

Nov 1 & 2 | 7:30 pm

Maryland Hall

Pops in the Park

This event is FREE and open to the public! Join us for an event the entire family will enjoy. Bring your own blanket, chairs, and a picnic!

Aug 31 | 11:30am at Downs Park

Sept 1 | 5:30pm at Quiet Waters Park rain date: Sept 2 | 5:30pm Quiet Waters Park

MASTERWORKS III PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

Coleridge-Taylor, Saint-Saëns, Mussorgsky with violinist Netanel Draiblate

Jan 31 & Feb 1 | 7:30 pm

Maryland Hall

Feb 2 | 3:00 pm

Music Center at Strathmore

MASTERWORKS IV SERENADE

Beethoven, Bernstein, Ginastera with violinist Noah BendixBalgley

Feb 28 & Mar 1 | 7:30 pm

Maryland Hall

Mar 2 | 3:00 pm

Music Center at Strathmore

MASTERWORKS V FIESTA

Roydon Tse (world première ASO Co-commission), Sonia Morales-Matos, Ravel with the Dalí Quartet

Apr 4 & 5 | 7:30 pm

Maryland Hall

Holiday Pops

Masterworks Series and Series @ Strathmore subscribers receive 20% off single tickets to the Maryland Hall performance!

Dec 13 | 7:30pm at Maryl and Hall

Dec 14 | 3:00pm at Severna Park High School

Family Concert

Each year, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra brings a favorite piece to life, such as Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals, and even John Williams’ music from the movie ET. Our concerts engage young listeners!

May 10 | 11:00am

Maryland Hall

ALEX KOVLING

NOAH BENDIX-BALGLEY

DALÍ QUARTET

NETANEL DRAIBLATE

BRIAN GANZ

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

We’re thankful to Artistic Director and Conductor José-Luis Novo for 20 years of service to the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. Under Maestro Novo’s baton we have broadened our musical experiences, explored important topics adjacent to art, music, culture, and social justice, and built on our mission to inspire, educate, and enrich lives near and far. Because of the Maestro’s leadership, the ASO has presented countless instances of extraordinary music with uncompromising artistic excellence.

During Maestro Novo’s tenure, we have hired musicians who are amongst the very best in the nation. With his help, better wages and contract terms were negotiated with the Musicians’ Association of Metropolitan Baltimore, Local No. 40-543, American Federation of Musicians. We’ve traveled across oceans to tour in foreign countries with Friends of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (FASO) at our side. And we’ve made music accessible to aspiring youth through Maestro Novo’s passionate work with the Annapolis Symphony Academy.

We’ve been privileged to hear top soloists like pianists Leon Fleisher, Peter Serkin, Pascal Rogé, Gabriela Montero, Awadagin Pratt, Jon Nakamatsu, Olga Kern, Stewart Goodyear, Orli Shaham, Fabio Bidini, Michael Roll, and Jeremy Denk; violinists Midori, James Ehnes, Anne Akiko Meyers, Vadim Gluzman, Noah BendixBalgley, Esther Yoo, and Leticia Moreno; violist Roberto Díaz; cellists Julian Schwarz, Lynn Harrell, and Steven Isserlis; clarinetist Anthony McGill; trumpeter Byron Stripling; harpist Charles Overton; flutist Marina Piccinini; guitarists Pepe Romero and Manuel Barrueco; singers Kishna Davis, Kenneth Overton, Denyce Graves, Janice Chandler-Eteme, Kelley O’Connor, Jessica Rivera, and Morgan State University Choir; and bandoneonist Daniel Binelli.

We are today’s ASO because you are our Maestro. Happy Anniversary!

THE ASO BOARD OF TRUSTEES

FRIENDS OF ANNAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ANNAPOLIS SYMPHONY ACADEMY FACULTY, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS

THE ASO STAFF

ASO DONORS, PATRONS, AND SUPPORTERS

JOSÉ-LUIS NOVO

THE PHILIP RICHEBOURG CHAIR

Spanish-born José-Luis Novo has instilled a new and vibrant artistic vision into the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra since his appointment as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Maryland-based symphony in 2005. Highlights of Novo’s tenure include numerous appearances at the Music Center at Strathmore with violinists James Ehnes, Anne Akiko Meyers, Leticia Moreno, and Chee-Yun, pianist Olga Kern, late cellist Lynn Harrell, guitarist Manuel Barrueco, pipa virtuoso Wu Man, and the Naval Academy Glee Club. Also remarkable are a 2012 return appearance at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center with mezzosoprano Denyce Graves, national broadcasts on NPR’s Performance Today, debut TV broadcasts on Washington’s WETA Metro PBS, the launching of the ASO’s award-winning streaming platform Symphony+, the creation of the Annapolis Symphony Academy, and the ASO’s first commercial CD commemorating the 300th anniversary of the signing of the City of Annapolis’ Royal Charter. In July of 2022, Maestro Novo and the ASO stunned audiences on both sides of the Atlantic in a debut international tour to Spain with guitar virtuoso Pepe Romero as guest soloist.

Maestro Novo’s continuous drive for artistic excellence, innovative thematic programming, and collaborations with some of today’s most respected guest artists keeps generating unprecedented artistic growth and enthusiastic reviews from publications such as The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun.

In addition to his directorship of the ASO, Maestro Novo held an impressive thirteen-year tenure as Music Director and Conductor of the Binghamton Philharmonic in New York state from 2003 to 2016. Prior to this, he served as Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under both late Music Director Emeritus Jesús López-Cobos and former Music Director Paavo Järvi, and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the late Erich Kunzel.

Recent and upcoming guest conducting engagements include debut appearances with the Rochester Philharmonic, the Grand Rapids, Hilton Head, Palm Beach, Alexandria, and South Bend Symphony Orchestras, and return appearances with the Baltimore Symphony, the Fresno Philharmonic, Symphoria, and a Kimmel Center debut in Philadelphia conducting the Curtis Institute Orchestra. After a successful debut

with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO) for the Thailand International Composition Festival in 2015, Maestro Novo has been invited back regularly to guest conduct the TPO on several occasions. Other guest conducting engagements have included appearances with the Symphony Silicon Valley; the Minnesota Orchestra; the Syracuse, Modesto, Windsor, Stamford, Tulsa, and Tallahassee Symphonies; the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra; the Cleveland and Abilene Philharmonics; and most of the major Spanish orchestras.

José-Luis Novo has also fostered a reputation as a keen educator of young musicians. He has held conducting positions with the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra, University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Miami University Symphony Orchestra, and National Repertory Orchestra, and has been on the conducting faculty at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina since 1999. In addition, he has conducted many noteworthy college and youth orchestras such as the Curtis Institute Orchestra, the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, and the Portuguesa State Youth Orchestra of the Venezuelan El Sistema. Under the auspices of the Annapolis Symphony Academy, he presided over the debut of its Orion Youth Orchestra, conducting the inaugural concert in June 2022.

Maestro Novo was featured in the League of American Orchestras Symphony magazine in “Podium Powers,” an article about emerging Hispanic conductors in the United States of America. He holds music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Yale University, and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, and is the recipient of a 2010 Annie Award in Performing Arts from the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, a 2008 American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Adventurous Programming Award, and a 2005 Broome County Arts Council Heart of the Arts Award.

The Artistic Director’s Chair is graciously underwritten by Elizabeth Richebourg Rea, daughter of Philip Richebourg, Annapolis Symphony Orchestra Co-Founder and First Board President (1967-1974).

2023-2024

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MARY MCKIEL, PHD

Immediate Past Chair

ROBERT ARIAS

GEORGIANNA CROSBY

WILLIAM DAVIS

GINGER FROM

SONJA GLADWIN

SHELLEY ROW, PE, CSP Chair

OFFICERS

KATHERINE EDWARDS, MD Vice Chair

ANN WHITCOMB Vice President-Finance

TRUSTEES

CHARLES GRUDZINSKAS

COLLOT GUERARD

MICHELLE HELLSTERN

DEB HOWE

GERALDINE “MIMI” LADD JONES

TRUSTEE EMERITUS

FLORENCE CALVERT

EX OFFICIO TRUSTEES

JOSÉ-LUIS NOVO

Artistic Director & Conductor

STEPHEN SOTACK Treasurer

MONIQUE LANGSTON, MD Secretary

JILL KIDWELL

JERRAY SLOCUM

ELIZABETH MAXWELL-SCHMIDT, MD

MARIE TREANOR

CHRISTINE “TINA” YOUNG

ANN TRAN FASO Board Representative

ORCHESTRA REPRESENTATIVE

ALEXANDRA MIKHLIN

Musicians’ Representative, Players Committee

THE ASO IS THE REGION’S LARGEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATION.

The ASO, undeterred by the pandemic, has followed a growth trajectory over the past few years. When many other arts organizations scaled back their performances, the ASO live-streamed concerts. We continued to pay staff and musicians. As the pandemic receded, we added performances, grew audiences, accomplished a successful international tour, and continued to strengthen the quality of the orchestra.

hospitals, and museums. The impact of the ASO on the community has never been greater. Last season more than 27,000 concert goers and listeners experienced the artistry of the ASO.

OUR PERFORMANCES IMPACT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE.

THE ASO IS AN ORCHESTRAL POWERHOUSE.

Under the baton of Artistic Director & Conductor José-Luis Novo, the quality and reputation of ASO has solidified our position as a leading regional orchestra. Our musicianship places the ASO among the top orchestras in our tier, enabling us to attract guest artists of the highest caliber. Maestro Novo’s bold programming has nurtured the considerable talents of the ASO musicians to reach ever higher levels of artistic excellence.

OUR AUDIENCE SPANS ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY AND THE REGION.

Continued growth and excellence in programming has allowed the ASO to expand its reach and attract new audiences. The ASO’s first international tour to Spain in 2022 exceeded expectations. Performances at our home in Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts are routinely sold out to capacity. Pops in the Parks Labor Day Concerts at Quiet Waters Park and Downs Park are free to concert-goers and attract thousands from across the county. In fact, more than 10,000 people enjoyed our free concerts last season, including many performed at community hubs like churches, schools,

As the number of ASO performances has grown, so have the number of venues in which we perform. The ASO performed 68 live concerts in Season 62. This year, the ASO will perform around the state, including at: Maryland Hall and the Music Center at Strathmore, Quiet Waters Park and Downs Park, area churches, Annapolis Area Christian School Kerr Center for the Performing Arts, BannekerDouglass-Tubman Museum, the Maryland State House, Severna Park High School, Chesapeake Arts Center, and downtown Annapolis’ Market Space.

We draw our audience from a wide geographical area including: Annapolis, Baltimore, Severna Park, Arnold, Parole, Crofton, Cape St. Claire, Millersville, Odenton, Davidsonville/Harwood, Edgewater, Glen Burnie, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia.

ASO PERFORMANCES GENERATE REVENUE ACROSS THE CITY AND COUNTY.

In the 2023 performance season, the ASO sold nearly 9,000 tickets with a value of approximately $350,000. According to a study by Americans for the Arts, each attendee spends $31.47 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, and lodging. In 2023, this would generate over $270,000 for adjacent local businesses. Concertgoers from outside the county spend an average of $48 per person.

2024-2025

This Season’s Award-winning Guest Artists

MASTERWORKS I

MASTERWORKS II

MASTERWORKS III

MASTERWORKS IV

MASTERWORKS V

Alex Kovling horn

Netanel Draiblate violin

Noah Bendix-Balgley violin

Brian Ganz piano

Dalí Quartet

The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra presents exceptional Masterworks from new and classical composers. We are thrilled to present a range of composers in our Season 63 programming. We hope you rediscover the works of classical composers, whose ideas and innovations transformed the cannon. We look forward to experiencing new and emerging composers alongside you. Their fresh perspective and unusual stories will open your hearts and minds to all the reasons that music matters.

ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK Three Spirituals

SONIA MORALES-MATOS Fiesta No. 2

ÓSCAR NAVARRO Connection

ROYDON TSE World Première (ASO Co-commission)

TANIA LEÓN Pasajes

LEONARD BERNSTEIN Serenade

“

If we close our eyes to all the different sights, sounds, and colors of our existence, including the many languages, places of origin, preferences, and ways of loving that make us human, our world suddenly becomes so much less interesting.

- José-Luis Novo

CLASSICAL

MOZART PIANO CONCERTO NO. 23 WITH BRIAN GANZ

Tania León Pasajes

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488, Brian Ganz, piano

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 3 in D minor: Movement II

William Grant Still Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American”

OCT 4 & 5

Maryland Hall OCT 6 Music Center at Strathmore

CONNECTION WITH ALEX KOVLING, HORN

Adolphus Hailstork Three Spirituals

Óscar Navarro Connection : Horn Concerto, Alex Kovling, horn

Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93

NOV 1 & 2

Maryland Hall

Pasajes

The word “pasaje” means passage, passageway, or ticket. Music, as in all art, is a powerful tool of expression that uniquely speaks to passages and journeys. Music reflects where we were, where we are, and where we need to go.

Pasajes reflects a developing musical journey from the Enlightenment to modern times, starting with Tania León’s groundbreaking Pasajes and following with Mozart, Bruckner, and William Grant Still’s “Afro-American” Symphony.

Tania León’s Pasajes recalls scenes from her childhood in Cuba, including reminiscences of Latin-American melodies, rhythms that reflect the pulse of Caribbean culture, and the dances of carnaval Pianist Brian Ganz brings Mozart’s vibrant and elegant Piano Concerto No. 23 to life. Mozart’s approach to composing, particularly in his operas, embraced the fundamental ideals of a changing civil society: diversity, inclusion, and equity. His progressive musical ideas at the time enabled, hundreds of years later, the advent and popularity of the many types of music presented in this performance.

Still’s “Afro-American” Symphony incorporates African-American musical idioms, including traditional jazz, blues, and spirituals.

Connections

The word connection is both compelling and powerful. It means “to bring together or into contact so that a real or notional link is established, to join together to provide access and communication, to create a link.”

Connections can join two things that might not seem compatible or comparable, but that tell a similar story. Adolphus Hailstork’s Three Spirituals may seem very different from Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10. However, both pieces reveal men with a shared dream to live free of oppression, fear, or discrimination. Despite differences in racial background, their music encapsulates stories of resilience against injustice and the collective aspiration for a more equitable future.

Hailstork’s Three Spirituals was composed in 2005 and is structured by three movements, each based on traditional spiritual songs: “Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” “Kum Ba Yah,” and “Oh Freedom”.

Navarro’s Connection stirs emotions like curiosity, anger, complicity, humor, and passion into a grand concerto that immerses the listener in the work through a fusion of styles and unique harmonic language. ASO Principal Horn Alex Kovling joins the ASO as soloist.

The most widely accepted interpretation of Shostakovich’s Symphony 10 is that it depicts the Stalin years in Russia, which were marked by widespread suffering and loss of life. The third movement is notable for a moderate dance-like nocturne

Pictures at an Exhibition

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was a much-respected Black composer in 19th-century England whose work brought diversity and brilliance to the orchestra. Overture to The Song of Hiawatha ’s main melody and connecting theme are derived from the spiritual, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”. Although the original Longfellow poem is now scrutinized for ethnic tropes, at the time Coleridge-Taylor was drawn to the outsider status of the characters and the epic bent of the written work. The Overture reflects society’s remarkable ability to view music and culture through a wider, more profound, and more sensitive lens.

ASO Concertmaster Netanel Draiblate brings his mastery of the violin to Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 , a piece often overlooked in the violin repertoire. Saint-Saëns dedicated the work to his friend and colleague, Pablo de Sarasate, one of the 19th century’s greatest violin virtuosos. This work honors and respects the Classical style’s traditions of form while embracing Romantic fireworks and drama. This concerto is an excellent example of Saint-Saëns’ reverence for the past while he remained a respected contemporary composer.

Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition describes Mussorgsky’s walk through a museum admiring different works of visual art painted by a friend. The music is programmatic, depicting the topics of the varied paintings, and ranges from baby chicks running amok to a menacing fairytale witch to the solemnity of catacombs. The importance of the piece lies in Mussorgsky’s musical depiction of people from various social and cultural groups at different stages of life, displaying a range of emotions. The final movement, “The Great Gate of Kyiv,” is considered one of Mussorgsky’s most significant works.

Serenade

Masterworks IV is a conversation about love, wisdom, art, and enlightenment. The musical exchange highlights vibrant and energetic textures and sounds, from Beethoven’s imitations of the metronome to a virtuosic violin solo performed by Noah BendixBalgley, and heavy percussion from Bernstein and Ginastera.

Beethoven wrote The Creatures of Prometheus as a ballet based on the myth of Prometheus bringing wisdom and art to humans, thus symbolizing the birth of a civilized society. The Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus is full of energy from beginning to end, unfolding in an exhilarating and vigorous musique parlante – music that speaks eloquently without words.

Bernstein’s Serenade for solo violin and orchestra describes a banquet attended by ancient philosophers. The music depicts a dinner conversation about love. Phaedrus opens the symposium with a lyrical oration praising Eros, the god of love, heard through the violin. Bernstein’s memoirs note that the fourth movement is the most moving speech. Serenade has become a staple of the violin repertoire. Noah Bendix-Balgley is the First Concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker and tours both as a chamber musician and as a soloist. His clear and heartfelt personal sound has reached and moved listeners worldwide.

Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony is generally light-hearted, with musical jokes running throughout. The composer changed the traditional minuet movements into scherzos, which became central to the symphonies of later composers. As with various other of Beethoven’s works, the symphony deviates from Classical tradition by making the last movement the weightiest of the four, instead of the first.

The Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera achieved much success in the late 1930s as he synthesized indigenous music of his homeland with techniques of the twentieth century. Estancia ’s four movements reference Argentine folklore through instrumentation and technique. A single day on a large ranch tells of a young couple’s longing, romance, and love, the exuberance of macho gauchos (cowboys), and the beauty of the pampas - vast grasslands.

SAINT-SAËNS VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 3 WITH NETANEL DRAIBLATE

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Overture to The Song of Hiawatha, Op. 30, No. 3

Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61, Netanel Draiblate, violin

Modest Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

JAN 31 & FEB 1

Maryland Hall

FEB 2 Music Center at Strathmore

BEETHOVEN, BERNSTEIN, AND BENDIXBALGLEY

Ludwig van Beethoven Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus , Op. 43

Leonard Bernstein Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium ), Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93

Alberto Ginastera Four Dances from Estancia, Op. 8a

FEB 28 & MAR 1

Maryland Hall

MAR 2 Music Center at Strathmore

RAVEL DAPHNIS ET CHLOÉ WORLD PREMIÈRE BY ROYDON TSE WITH DALÍ QUARTET

Roydon Tse World Première (ASO Cocommission), Dalí Quartet, string quartet

Sonia Morales-Matos Fiesta No. 2, Dalí Quartet, string quartet

Maurice Ravel Daphnis et Chloé , Suites No. 1 & 2

APR 4 & 5

Maryland Hall

Fiesta

The world première of Dr. Roydon Tse’s composition will be the third instance of a multi-year co-commissioning project, “Embracing 21st Century Voices,” with the ASO’s longtime collaborator, the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music (GFLCAM). Tse is an award-winning Chinese-Canadian composer and educator. The co-commission will be performed by the orchestra together with the Dalí Quartet, acclaimed for bringing Latin American string quartet repertoire to an equal standing alongside the Classical and Romantic canon. The Dalí Quartet is Chamber Music America’s 2024 Ensemble of the Year.

Fiesta No. 2 for string quartet, string orchestra, and percussion features a high-energy and festive sound that places popular dance rhythms of Latin America in a classical setting. The composer, Sonia Morales-Matos, invites the listener to hear sounds that are increasingly common to American music for film, commercials, and Broadway, and that invite the audience to a fiesta , a grand celebration of unity, peace, and hope.

Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé uses the orchestra and the different instruments to create sumptuous colors and moods. The 2nd Suite opens with one of the most famous sunrises in all of music. The story of pastoral lovers, Daphnis et Chloé tells the tale of shepherdess Chloé’s abduction by pirates. A distraught Daphnis falls into a deep sleep, during which he dreams that the god Pan will help him. Upon awakening, he finds his dream a reality – Chloé has returned.

The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and Gabriela Lena Frank

Creative Academy of Music (GLFCAM) are pleased to continue their multiyear co-commissioning partnership, “Embracing 21st Century Voices”. The partnership supports new symphonic works composed by alumni of GLFCAM core programs.

ASO Artistic Director and Conductor José-Luis Novo and GLFCAM founder Gabriela Frank have enjoyed a long and productive artistic relationship. Ms. Frank previously served as ASO’s Composer-in-Residence and wrote two orchestral works dedicated to the ASO, one of which was to celebrate the ASO’s 50th anniversary in 2012.

Novo and Frank formalized the multi-year “Embracing 21st Century Voices” partnership after the successful cocommission and premiere of Resonance | Rush | Ride by GLFCAM alum Jessica Hunt for ASO’s 60th anniversary in May 2022. The agreement stipulates a commitment to award a shared co-commission fee each year to a mutually agreed upon composer.

In addition to the award and prior to each premiere, GLFCAM composers receive an orchestral reading of their work in progress, feedback from Maestro Novo, and mentorship from Ms. Frank. The ASO will perform the premiere of each new work at a Masterworks concert during consecutive seasons, and the compositions are to be recorded for later release on the London-based Toccata label.

Composers Michael-Thomas Foumai and Nicky Sohn were selected as recipients of the initial two instances of the “Embracing 21st Century Voices” co-commissioning partnership. Mr. Foumai, a native of Hawaii, is the Director of Artistic Engagement and the first Composer-inResidence for the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra. The world première of his composition Living Pono, a work for harp and orchestra, occurred during our 22-23 Masterworks VI performances at Maryland Hall in Annapolis, Maryland

and the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland on May 5, 6 & 7, 2023. Harpist Charles Overton, a GLFCAM performer-mentor, was the guest soloist for Foumai’s premiere.

Nicky Sohn premiered her work, Symphony No. 1, at the 23-24 Masterworks V for audiences in Annapolis, Maryland at Maryland Hall and in Bethesda, Maryland at Music Center at Strathmore on April 12, 13 & 14, 2024. Ms. Sohn graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree, a Diploma of Piano Performance from the Mannes College of Music, and a Master of Music Diploma from The Juilliard School. After numerous performances and compositions of important works for orchestra, ballet, opera, and television, she is pursuing a fully-funded doctoral degree at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

Dr. Roydon Tse will premier his composition at Masterworks V in Season 63 at Maryland Hall in Annapolis, Maryland on April 4 & 5, 2025. Tse is an award-winning Chinese-Canadian composer and educator. The co-commission will be performed by the orchestra together with the Dalí Quartet, acclaimed for bringing Latin American string quartet repertoire to an equal standing alongside the Classical and Romantic canon. The Dalí Quartet is Chamber Music America's 2024 Ensemble of the Year.

Roydon Tse

PACKAGES SUBSCRIPTION

“Many of the classical composers presented in Season 63 wrote music that foretold diversity, inclusion, and equity in terms of origin, education, social standing, and ethnicity. Theirs were some of the first steps taken to ensure that the world we live in now increasingly makes this grand diversity a possibility.

- José-Luis Novo

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➤ Renew online through your account at annapolissymphony.org/renew

➤ Pick up your personalized paper invoice at Masterworks VI at Maryland Hall on May 10 or 11, 2024

➤ Request that we mail your invoice to you via an email to info@annapolissymphony.org!

ARE THREE EASY WAYS TO PURCHASE YOUR MASTERWORKS SERIES, FLEXPASS, OR

➤ Call the Box Office at 410-263-0907 1 Visit AnnapolisSymphony.org/subscribe, choose your

MASTERWORKS SERIES

5 CONCERTS AT MARYLAND HALL

The Season 63 Masterworks series is studded with amazing award–winning guest artists, contemporary & classic composers, exciting premières, and added programming. Subscribe now!

*Pricing does not include ticket processing fees.

FRIDAY DATES

CONCERT DATES

How to Renew:

RENEWING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS EASY! LOG IN TO YOUR ASO ACCOUNT AT ANNAPOLISSYMPHONY.ORG/RENEW, THEN FOLLOW THESE THREE EASY STEPS:

❶ Click your name in the upper right hand corner, choose “My Profile” and click the “Subscription Renewal” tab to see your pending renewals.

Click renew, select your delivery method, confirm your contact information and enter your payment information. Complete the order.

Enjoy all the benefits, like guaranteed pricing, your favorite seat, big discounts on other concerts, and much more!

Get locked in pricing and ticketed seats for our three performances at Strathmore, a beautiful venue with superior acoustics and added conveniences.

Grand Tier (Tier 2) Promenade (Tier 1) Orchestra (Floor Level)

CONCERT DATES

MASTERWORKS I SUN, OCT 6

MASTERWORKS III SUN, FEB 2

MASTERWORKS IV SUN, MAR 2

*Pricing does not include ticket processing fees.

How to Renew:

RENEWING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS EASY! LOG IN TO YOUR ASO ACCOUNT AT ANNAPOLISSYMPHONY.ORG/RENEW, THEN FOLLOW THESE THREE EASY STEPS:

Click your name in the upper right hand corner, choose “My Profile” and click the “Subscription Renewal” tab to see your pending renewals.

Click renew, select your delivery method, confirm your contact information and enter your payment information. Complete the order.

Enjoy all the benefits, like guaranteed pricing, your favorite seat, big discounts on other concerts, and much more!

@ MASTERWORKS I Pasajes

Tania León, Mozart, Bruckner, Still with pianist Brian Ganz SUN OCT 6 | 3:00 PM Music Center at Strathmore

MASTERWORKS III Pictures at an Exhibition

Coleridge-Taylor, Saint-Saëns, Mussorgsky with violinist Netanel Draiblate

SUN FEB 2 | 3:00 PM

Music Center at Strathmore

MASTERWORKS IV Serenade

Beethoven, Bernstein, Ginastera with violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley

SUN MAR 2 | 3:00 PM

Music Center at Strathmore 7 7

PURCHASE SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLINE 24/7 AT ANNAPOLISSYMPHONY.ORG/SUBSCRIBE

Elizabeth Richebourg Rea, in honoring the legacy of her father as co-founder and first board president of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, has created her own legacy with the ASO. Her continued support, beginning with the largest single gift in the history of the orchestra for the 50th Anniversary Season in 2011, has been noted as transformational in inspiring future donations of substantial amounts, in addition to gifts by pledge over multiple years. She has pioneered new levels of giving and today an expanded ASO continues to thrive to greater heights. Elizabeth is sponsor of The Music Director’s Chair in her father’s name and in addition is the founding member of the annual Philip Richebourg Encore Circle.

My father Philip Richebourg conducted his own orchestra every day of his life. He personified exactitude and precision in business; in service to his community and in leadership on numerous Boards. He was meticulous in his passions as pilot, musician, archivist. Dedicated to each task at hand my father approached all things in life as if resolute in achieving one goal, that of perfect harmony.

Elizabeth Richebourg Rea is a fine art photographer and curator. Rea’s art career began in the 1970s working for The Museum of Modern Art and Leo Castelli. Curator of numerous exhibitions of Joseph Cornell, she was also catalogue editor and research consultant for two Roy Lichtenstein Museum Retrospectives. Elizabeth is President of the Dungannon Foundation, sponsor of The Rea Award for the Short Story. She is active on the Peggy Guggenheim Advisory Board in Venice and is Honorary Trustee of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Elizabeth Rea lives in Connecticut.

Co-Founder and First Board President

Annapolis Symphony Orchestra

The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra is indebted to Philip Richebourg, Co-Founder and First Board President (1967-1974). Philip Richebourg’s stalwart support, organizational vision and strong leadership during its formative years helped solidify the orchestra financially and administratively, ensuring its longevity and signature as one of Maryland’s most distinguished performing arts organizations. Philip passionately supported the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra as it sought to enrich the lives of the community through classical music and educational programs. From the modest beginnings of a small community ensemble to the present acclaimed professional orchestra, Philip was at the helm every step of the way. Philip Richebourg’s commitment, dedication and passion for musical awareness leaves an indelible mark on the history of the ASO. The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra would not be what it is today without him.

Photo: Thomas MacDonald, The New York Times

Photo: Elizabeth Richebourg Lea

POPS “

The Civil Rights Act codifies the core humanitarian values that have made our society so much richer. Regardless of how people embrace diversity in their political views, without it, we wouldn’t have the art, music, or culture in our society as we know it now.

- José-Luis Novo

Pops in the Park

This event is FREE and open to the public! Join us for an event the entire family will enjoy. Bring your own blanket, chairs, and a picnic!

AUG 31 , 2024 Downs Park 8311 John Downs Loop, Pasadena, MD 11:30 am

SEPT 1 , 2024 Quiet Waters Park Stage 5:30 pm

SEPT 2, 2024 rain date Quiet Waters Park Stage 5:30 pm

HOLIDAY Pops

A delightful program of holiday music for all ages

DEC 13, 2024 Maryland Hall

DEC 14, 2024

* Severna Park High School

* Our Holiday Pops concert at Severna Park High School is an inaugural event. We will not have tickets available for subscribers or single ticket buyers until August 1, 2024.

Masterworks Series and Series @ Strathmore subscribers receive 20% off single tickets to our Holiday Pops performance at Maryland Hall only.

Three Easy Ways Subscribers

Can Purchase Holiday Pops at Maryland Hall Tickets before August 1, 2024:

❶ Check the Holiday Pops box on your paper renewal invoice

❷ Email info@AnnapolisSymphony.org

❸ Call the Box Office at 410-263-0907

After August 1, 2024 subscribers can sign into the online account and purchase Holiday Pops at Maryland Hall tickets. The 20% discount will be applied automatically if signed into the account.

Single tickets to these concerts will be open to the public August 1, 2024. Only subscribers can purchase tickets before August 1, 2024 for the Maryland Hall performance only.

Student, active duty and retired military, law enforcement, and first responder discounts are available. Please call our Box Office to inquire.

The Annual Family Concert is an important part of our community outreach efforts, as we seek to connect young listeners to the magic of music. Each year, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra brings a favorite piece to life, such as Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals, and even John Williams’ music from the movie ET. Our concerts engage young listeners with multi-media elements such as video, theater, dance, magic, or puppetry.

MAY 10, 2025

Maryland Hall

per person

Check the Family Concert box on your paper renewal invoice

VIOLIN I

Netanel Draiblate, Concertmaster

Nicholas Currie, Associate Concertmaster

Hanbing Jia, Assistant Concertmaster

Abby Armbruster

Yoon Young Bae

Susan Benac

Heather Haughn

Wan-Chun Hu

Rachael Stockton

William Wang

Qian Zhong

VIOLIN II

Christian Tremblay, Principal

Kristin Bakkegard, Associate Principal

Sally Stallings Amass

Megan Gray

Karin Kelleher

Alexandra Mikhlin

VIOLA

Sarah Hart, Principal

Derek Smith, Associate Principal

Daphne Benichou

Susan Taylor Dapkunas

Rachel Holaday

Kate Zahradnik

CELLO

Todd Thiel, Principal

Pei Lu, Associate Principal

Alison Bazala Kim

Nicole Boguslaw

Catherine Mikelson

MaryAnn Perkel

Daniel Shomper

April Studeny

BASS

Patrick Raynard, Principal

Benjamin Crofut, Associate Principal

Peter Cohn

Adriane Irving Broc Mertz

Brandon Smith

FLUTE

Kimberly Valerio, Principal

Genevieve Eichman

OBOE

Fatma Daglar, Principal

Rick Basehore

CLARINET

Robert DiLutis, Principal

Brian Eldridge

BASSOON

Asha Kline, Principal

Patricia Morgan

HORN

Alex Kovling, Principal

Shane Iler, Associate Principal

Kevin Grasel

Ho Hin Kwong

Anthony Valerio

TRUMPET

Christopher Sala, Principal

Christopher Buchanan

Andrew Fremder

TROMBONE

David Perkel, Principal

David Sciannella

Jay Heltzer

TUBA

Jake Fewx, Principal

TIMPANI

Curt Armbruster, Principal

Yoon Young Bae, Violin Sponsored by Drs. Ann Tran & Mark Davis

WHY SPONSOR AN ASO MUSICIAN?

Sponsors see first-hand the dedication, passion, and skill our musicians bring to each ASO performance. Your generosity demonstrates your support for their talent and dedication.

WHAT DOES SPONSORSHIP COST?

All sponsorships are 100% tax-deductible.

For an annual gift, sponsorship costs the following:

Section Musicians: $2,500

Associate Principal Musicians: $5,000

Principal Musicians: $7,500

Kimberly Valerio, Principal Flute Sponsored by Marguerite Pelissier & William Seale

benefits DONOR

FEATURED DONOR BENEFITS

All donors receive access to our e-newsletter and acknowledgement of your gift for tax purposes. The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Our tax ID (EIN) is 23-7001357.

PROGRAM RECOGNITION:

$100+

Be publicly acknowledged for your generosity in our Masterworks concert programs.

DRESS REHEARSAL: $500+

Receive invitations to Thursday night dress rehearsals before select Masterworks performances.

CRESCENDO CLUB: $1000+

Enjoy access to our post-concert donor lounge. Mingle with other supporters, Symphony musicians, and leadership.

MUSIC AT MIDMORNING:

$2,500+

Join us for an intimate performance with our guest artist on the Thursday morning before a Masterworks concert. Frequently held in donor’s homes, this exclusive invitation provides you a truly special way to engage with our performers.

MUSICIAN DINNER:

$2,500+

Sponsor a Musician to receive access to our exclusive annual dinner with the Symphony musicians.

LEGACY CIRCLE

Join our Legacy Circle and receive invitations to all of our donor events, regardless of your annual giving levels.

Congratulations to José-Luis Novo FOR 20 YEARS WITH THE ASO.

Friends of Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (FASO) looks forward to celebrating your anniversary throughout the season. We are eager to also support the staff, ASO musicians, and Annapolis Symphony Academy, as we have since 1964.

2024-2025 Board of Directors Officers/Executive Committee

Ann A. Tran, President

Marguerite Cole, Vice President Ways & Means

Paula Abernethy, Vice President Membership

Julie S. Grudzinskas, Treasurer

David Bush, Recording Secretary

Carol Richards, Corresponding Secretary Directors

John Andryszak

Adele Baron

Jim Cheevers

Betsy Chotin

Kathy Clatanoff

Renee Ehler

Robert Foye

Elizabeth Gordon-Bluntschli

Diane Green

Patrick Green

Anna E. Greenberg

Valerie Gutterson

Annual membership is $50 for singles and $75 per couple

Checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 1974, Annapolis, MD 21404 | 410-267-3646

Stephen Holt

Marilyn Lyons

Lynn Maichle

Mary McKiel

Rick Sullivan

ACADEMY

Our Academy is an agent for change that improves the lives of underserved students. Our Academy work is based on something profound: not on the achievement of goals but on the conviction that the work itself is good, true, and right.

The Annapolis Symphony Academy is a substantial investment in our future. Founded in 2018, the Annapolis Symphony Academy is one of the ASO’s major efforts to address equity, diversity, and inclusion in the classical music world, on and off the stage. The Academy changes lives by providing a high-level musical education to students of diverse cultural and economic backgrounds. Through our programs at the Marshall Hope Learning Center, The Salvation Army, Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, and Temple Beth Shalom, we know that the Academy is much more than a music program. It is a transformational education network.

fast FACTS

♬ The Academy accepts students from pre-K through 12th grade.

♬ Half of all students are on scholarships, and many receive refurbished, high-quality instruments through a partnership with the Elville Center for the Creative Arts.

♬ The Academy has grown from 26 students in 2018 to 102 students in 2024. Over half come from underrepresented communities.

♬ More than 50% of our students receive needbased scholarships.

♬ Orion Youth Orchestra for elite-level players was founded in 2021. It is the only youth orchestra in the region that allows for side-byside mentoring with professional musicians and that performs under the direction of the main orchestra’s Maestro.

THE ASO STAFF

ASA Founder, ASO Concertmaster

NDraiblate@AnnapolisSymphony.org 443-454-0609

Director of Education & Community Outreach, Grants Manager, ASA Co-Director

JNolan@AnnapolisSymphony.org 443-223-8445

Director of Business Operations

SJohansen@AnnapolisSymphony. org 410-267-3637

Director of Marketing & Communications

DLove@AnnapolisSymphony.org 410-267-3621

Director of Artistic Operations

MFogel@AnnapolisSymphony.org 410-267-3632

Orchestra Librarian

ORen@AnnapolisSymphony.org 410-267-3647

Operations Manager

DSciannella@AnnapolisSymphony. org 410-267-3648

Director of Development

LSilberman@AnnapolisSymphony.org 410-267-3645

Office & Data Manager

MMcatee@AnnapolisSymphony.org 410-267-3636

JULIE NOLAN

MAYA MCATEE

NETANEL DRAIBLATE

LAUREN SILBERMAN LAUREN SILBERMAN

OLIVIA REN

SARAH JOHANSEN

MIRIAM FOGEL

DAVID SCIANNELLA

DIANA LOVE

ASO IN THE COMMUNITY

The ASO does so much more than perform our classical and pops concerts on stage. We’re dedicated to bringing more music, to more people, in more places across our city and county. We perform free concerts, donate tickets, and provide need-based scholarships to Annapolis Symphony Academy students. Our Adopt-a-School Program supports local school teachers and culminates in a side-by-side program conducted by the Symphony. Other community outreach efforts include:

In Local Medical Facilities: The ASO brings music to the community and performs upwards of 20 concerts at hospitals honoring front-line workers, at behavioral health centers bringing music to those afflicted with addiction and mental health issues, and at assisted living centers bringing music to those who are no longer able to attend concerts in person. We are proud to partner with Luminis Health and Hospice of the Chesapeake.

At Events: The ASO routinely performs in the community such as at political and memorial events, the downtown Annapolis Christmas Tree lighting, and at important museum exhibits.

Through Education: Last year, more than 2,600 Maryland students discovered the joy of music through school visits and live concerts. One of every four kids who experience the ASO is from Title I schools. The ASO subsidizes transportation to attend our School Field Trip concerts, where many students experience orchestral music for the first time.

With Partnerships: The ASO enjoys long established partnerships with Bates & Brooklyn Middle Schools where ASO musicians provide coaching, mentoring, and support for the school’s education programs. The ASO collaborates with other local arts institutions, expanding our influence and economic impact, including United States Naval Academy Music Department, St. John’s College, Bowie State University, and Annapolis Opera. We also partner with non profits such as Salvation Army, Marshall Hope, and Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum.

If you would like to support our efforts in the community, please consider a donation. Contact Development@AnnapolisSymphony.org for more information or visit our website, AnnapolisSymphony.org/support.