Asheville Symphony Spring2026 Program Book

Asheville Symphony Program Book

Spring 2026 Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 1

2 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

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JOIN THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA The Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO) offers exceptional musical training for musicians ages 8-19 in Western North Carolina, providing students with comprehensive educational experiences and an inclusive environment where they can grow both as musicians and individuals.

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Interested in learning more?

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Learn more and check out upcoming audition information at AshevilleSymphony.org/ASYO, or email asyo@ashevillesymphony.org for questions.

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WHERE ART COMES ALIVE Exhibitions, live music, workshops, film screenings & more.

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CONTENT Letter from Executive Director

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KEEP IN TOUCH

About the Cover

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Asheville Symphony Office 27 College Place, Suite 100 Asheville, NC 28801

Asheville Symphony Staff

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Board of Directors

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Letter from Board President

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Past Presidents & Directors Emeriti

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828.254.7046 info@ashevillesymphony.org

Music Director

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Orchestra Personnel

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DONATE

Plan Your Visit

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Mail or Visit 27 College Place, Suite 100 Asheville, NC 28801

Asheville Symphony Guild

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Asheville Symphony Chorus

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Asheville Symphonettes

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Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra

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Online AshevilleSymphony.org/donate

Masterworks 4: Scottish · February 14, 2026

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ALT ASO @ Wortham Center for the Performing Arts · February 24, 2026

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THIS SPRING

2026 Artist Residency: A Celebration of Voice · March 16-23, 2026

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The Asheville Symphony’s Artist Residency returns in 2026 featuring international opera star Isabel Leonard.

Voice Recital with Isabel Leonard · March 17, 2026

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Masterworks 5: Nightingale · March 21, 2026

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Masterworks 6: Requiem · April 18, 2026

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This celebrated vocalist will lead a dynamic week of musical experiences as part of the 2026 Artist Residency. From starring in Masterworks 5: Nightingale to performing an intimate voice and piano recital, working with young musicians from the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra, and hosting community events throughout the Asheville area, Isabel Leonard will bring her extraordinary artistry to every corner of Asheville.

Visit page 50 for more details.

ALT ASO @ Highland Brewing · May 5, 2026

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Piano Recital with Awadagin Pratt · May 12, 2026

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Masterworks 7: Unbroken · May 16, 2026

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Andrew Bird with the Asheville Symphony · May 29, 2026

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Institutional Supporters

86

Donors

92

Legacy Society

103

Advertisers Index

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Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Phone 828.254.7046

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DANIEL M. CRUPI Executive Director

Welcome to the 2025-2026 Season Dear Friends, The Asheville Symphony exists to spark connection and inspiration — and it’s your enthusiasm and support that make it all possible.

This season marks several exciting milestones. We are proud to introduce Dr. Brian Allen as our new First Concertmaster and Jackie Tso as our first-ever Second Concertmaster: an expansion of artistic leadership that reflects the growing scope and ambition of our orchestra. We are also thrilled to present the second Asheville Symphony Artist Residency, featuring the incomparable operatic star, Isabel Leonard.

Other major highlights include appearances by Emanuel Ax, Ben Folds, and Awadagin Pratt, as well as a partnership with the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center for Masterworks 2: Convergence, a program that could only authentically take place here in Asheville.

Your Symphony is also experiencing strong growth in subscriptions and philanthropy, even as arts organizations around the country face challenges.

Thanks to your support, we are expanding our reach and deepening our artistic excellence, hosting acclaimed soloists on stage and impacting thousands of students across Western North Carolina.

The Asheville Symphony is about so much more than music.

It’s about creating moments of joy, reflection, and unity in a world that deeply needs them. It’s about community. Whether you’re here as a subscriber, a first-time guest, a donor, a volunteer, or a parent of a young musician — we are so glad to welcome you.

There are many ways to engage with your Symphony this season: attend a concert, join the Guild or Chorus, volunteer at events, or support our music education programs. However you choose to connect, know that you are part of something meaningful.

We can’t wait to share this extraordinary season with you.

Warmly,

Daniel M. Crupi Executive Director

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WITH EACH VISIT, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE INSPIRED.

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About the Cover Artist

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY STAFF EXECUTIVE OFFICE Daniel M. Crupi Executive Director Ines Lopes Assistant to the Executive Director DEVELOPMENT Dana Alward Development Manager Caitlin Duncan Development Associate EDUCATION Tyson Hamrick ASYO General Manager Mika Hood ASYO Programs & Operations Coordinator Rodney Workman ASYO Site Coordinator FINANCE Allie Lorette Controller

Hayden Wilson Hayden Wilson, a second-generation glass artist from the mountains of Western North Carolina, has been immersed in glass his entire life. After earning a BFA in sculpture from UNC-Asheville, he pursued glass professionally. He was a founding force behind the Asheville Glass Center, serving as Studio Manager and Director for nine years following its transition to the non-profit North Carolina Glass Center. Hayden has played a key role in supporting and growing the regional glass community. His work is featured nationally in galleries such as Habitat Gallery (MI) and Blue Spiral 1 (NC). In addition to creating custom glass and lighting for clients, he runs a private studio in Asheville, producing a range of work from utilitarian designs and decorative vessels, to one of a kind sculptures.

SELECTED IN COLLABORATION WITH

MARKETING & PATRON RELATIONS Alex Hill Director of Marketing & Patron Relations Claire M. Allen Art Director Melissa Starkweather Patron Relations & Communications Manager Michelle Troszak Patron Relations & Office Coordinator ORCHESTRA OPERATIONS Sally J. Keeney Orchestra Manager Michael Di Trolio Principal Librarian Paul Stroebel Stage Manager

KEEP IN TOUCH Asheville Symphony Office 27 College Place, Suite 100, Asheville, NC 28801 Monday - Friday ∙ 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

828.254.7046 info@ashevillesymphony.org

Asheville AshevilleSymphony Symphony∙ ∙AshevilleSymphony.org AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 13

Board of Directors OFFICERS

2025-26

Adarrell Gadsden • President

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Sue Luther • Immediate Past President Sallie Broach • Secretary G. Edward Towson, II ⁺ • Treasurer DIRECTORS Cliff Albertson Jack Anderson⁺⁺ Michael Andry Thomas C. Bolton⁺⁺ Sallie Broach Susan Harrington Butts Sean Comeaux Dr. John Cuellar George Dambach John W. Ellis Dr. Bolling Farmer Adarrell Gadsden Bill Gettys⁺⁺ Scott Gregg Fred Groce Keith Keener Mary Kirby Pam Lowe-Hoyte Sue Luther Carol McCollum⁺⁺ Kevin Pasarilla Patrick O’Cain Jeffrey Owen Odile Perrenoud Richard Schaffer Jayne Schnaars Kevin Schwab Rachel Sossoman James S. Thompson Ed Towson⁺⁺ Sarah Van Gunten David Worley Olivia Zahler

⁺ Distinguished Directors

ADARRELL GADSDEN Board President

As I begin my first year as President of the Asheville Symphony Board of Directors, I’m filled with a deep sense of gratitude and excitement for the work ahead. To help steward this beloved institution — one that has been a cornerstone of the arts in Asheville for more than 60 years — is both a great honor and a great responsibility.

This year, the Symphony steps into a season that is vibrant, imaginative, and truly reflective of the diverse, creative spirit of our city. Asheville is a city that thrives on creativity — and the Symphony is proud to be part of that energy.

From timeless masterworks to fresh and unexpected collaborations, this season is a celebration of both musical excellence and artistic exploration. We are committed to building experiences that inspire — and to ensuring those experiences are welcoming and accessible to all.

I am especially excited about the impact of our education programs, which reach thousands of young people across Western North Carolina each year.

Introducing young people to the wonder of live orchestral music is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. Investing in the next generation of musicians and music lovers ensures that the spirit of the Symphony will continue to thrive well into the future.

I’m incredibly grateful to our board, our dedicated staff, the talented musicians, our amazing volunteers, and, of course, the patrons who make this work possible.

Welcome to the Asheville Symphony’s 2025–2026 season. It is a privilege to share this journey with you as we continue to expand our reach, deepen our impact, and celebrate the transformative power of music together.

Adarrell Gadsden Board President

Asheville AshevilleSymphony Symphony∙ ∙AshevilleSymphony.org AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 15

DIRECTORS EMERITI George M. Bilbrey, Jr. M.D.* J.K. MacKendree Day Joyce R. Dorr, Ph.D. George F. Goosmann, III Gerald C. Kitch Karl S. Quisenberry, Ph.D.* John J. Sherman, Jr. W. Herbert Smith, Jr.

* Deceased

PAST PRESIDENTS 1962-1964: Gaylord Davis 1964-1966: Rudolf Gumpert 1966-1968: John W. Rutland 1968-1970: Robert K. Weiler 1970-1971: Robert Saenger 1971-1972: William C. Spencer, Jr. 1972-1975: John K. Knight 1975-1977: Lawrence D. Ford 1977-1979: Mortimer Ryon 1979-1982: James E. Dooley 1982-1984: J.K. MacKendree Day 1984-1985: George Saenger 1985-1987: Spencer Atwater, M.D. 1987-1989: George Goosmann, III 1989-1992: John J. Sherman, Jr. 1992-1994: G. Edward Towson, II 1994-1995: Stephen L. Barden, III 1995-1997: Joyce R. Dorr, Ph.D. 1997-1999: C. David Pheil 1999-2001: George M. Bilbrey, M.D. 2001-2003: W. Herbert Smith, Jr. 2003-2004: James P. Topp 2004-2006: Thomas C. Bolton 2006-2008: Carol McCollum 2008-2010: Jack Anderson 2010-2012: Carolyn L. Hubbard 2012-2014: William L. Gettys 2014-2017: Irene Stoll 2017-2019: Doris Phillips Loomis 2019-2021: Bolling Farmer 2021-2023: Michael Andry 2023-2025: Sue Luther

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DARKO BUTORAC

Music Director

Darko Butorac stands out as one of the most compelling conductors of his generation, praised for his “exceptional combination of passion, elegance, and well-timed pacing” (Westdeutsche Zeitung). He serves as the Music Director of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, where his innovative programming and dynamic leadership have captivated audiences.

Butorac has guest-conducted numerous prestigious orchestras across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Notable performances include the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Neuss and the Georgische Kammerorchester Ingolstadt (Germany), the Rubinstein Philharmonic of Lodz (Poland), the Xiamen Symphony (China), the Tallinn Sinfonietta (Estonia), the Belgrade Philharmonic, and the Slovenian Radio Symphony Orchestra. His passionate and precise interpretations have earned him widespread acclaim.

He has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Renée Fleming, Garrick Ohlsson, Olga Kern, Lawrence Brownlee, Jon Kimura Parker, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Anthony McGill, and Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons. He has appeared at prestigious venues such as the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Gran Teatro Nacional of Lima, Belgrade’s Kolarac Hall, the Teatro Magnani in Italy, and the Tartu, Aspen, and St. Olav summer music festivals.

In addition to his work in Asheville, Butorac served as the Music Director of the Tallahassee Symphony, where he was known for innovative programming and community engagement. He broadened the orchestra’s reach, introducing eclectic repertoires that attracted new audiences and fostered a deeper appreciation for orchestral music.

A cornerstone of Butorac’s career is his commitment to education and outreach. He has led masterclasses and workshops worldwide, sharing his expertise with the next generation of musicians. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he pioneered virtual formats to keep the orchestral experience alive for audiences and students alike.

As a Grand Prix Laureate of the Vakhtang Jordania International Conducting Competition, Butorac’s accolades reflect his exceptional talent and dedication to the art of conducting. His TEDx talk on leadership and the role of the conductor has garnered nearly 200,000 views, resonating with a wide audience and highlighting his ability to inspire both within and outside the concert hall.

Fluent in multiple languages and deeply rooted in a multicultural background, Butorac brings a unique perspective to his work, blending tradition with innovation. His vision for the future of orchestral music emphasizes inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic integrity, continually striving to break down barriers and bring the transformative power of music to all.

For more about Darko Butorac and his upcoming engagements, visit his official website, www.darkobutorac.com.

Asheville AshevilleSymphony Symphony∙ ∙AshevilleSymphony.org AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 19

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL Flute Violin Lissie J. Shanahan • Principal Brian Allen • First Concertmaster Kellie Henry Jackie Tso • Second Concertmaster Martha Gardner • Associate Concertmaster Piccolo ⁺Karen Pommerich • Assistant Concertmaster Dilshad B. Posnock Kathryn Gardner Triplett Oboe Principal Second Violin Alicia Chapman • Principal Debra L. Anthony Associate Principal Second Violin *Cara Mia Jenkins ⁺Pedro Oseias Maia English Horn Assistant Principal Second Violin Amanda J. LaBrecque Marianna Brickle Teresa M. Curran Clarinet Elizabeth Fee-Elliott Harry H. “Chip” Hill • Principal Lori G. Hammel Karen Farah Hill *Dorothy L. Knowles Bass Clarinet Virginia Kowal Shannon Thompson LuAda Malcom Bassoon Ruben Orengo Michael J. Burns • Principal Mariya S. Potapova Amber Ferenz Inez Hullinger Redman Paul E. Stroebel Contrabassoon William L. Peebles Viola Kara F. Poorbaugh • Principal Jenny Kozoroz • Associate Principal Kathryn Bracewell Hannah Dara Gina Mashburn Heath Edward J. Smith Daphne Waggener Cello Daniel Mumm • Principal J. Franklin Keel • Associate Principal Paul Maxwell • Assistant Principal Cherylonda F. Fitzgerald Paul S. GhostHorse Katie Hamilton Patricia Koelling Johnston E. Sojeong Park Bass *M. Lee Metcalfe • Co-Principal Vance M. Reese • Co-Principal Michael Di Trolio Matthew P. Waid

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Timpani Todd D. Mueller • Principal Percussion Open Chair • Principal Michael Morel Matthew Richmond *Brian Tinkel Harp Open Chair • Vetust Study Club Chair Keyboard Open Chair • Susanne Marcus Collins Chair

Horn Jeffery B. Whaley • Principal *Michael L. Brubaker Anneka A. Zuehlke Travis A. Bennett Trumpet T. Mark Clodfelter • Principal Christopher Underwood Open Chair Trombone Justin Croushore • Principal L. Rienette Davis Bass Trombone Jeremy Marks Tuba Bethany Wiese • Principal

Michael Di Trolio • Principal Librarian Paul Stroebel • Stage Manager * Orchestra Committee Member ⁺ One Year Appointment Section string players are listed alphabetically. (loa) = Leave of Absence

Thank you to our incredible musician hosts!

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The generosity and warmth of our musician hosts creates a welcoming home-away-fromhome for our traveling musicians. Thank you for being an integral part of the Asheville Symphony community!

Mary and Jack Anderson Diana Bilbrey Georgia Case Kathy and George Dambach Linda and Michael Gilpin Clair Griffith and Geoffrey Mitchell Suzanne and Steven Hageman Rita Hayes Mountaine Jonas Pam and David Lane Jill and Joe Lawrence Susan and David Leader Sue and George Luther Carol and Hugh McCollum Suzanne Neilson Katie and Phil Osborn Odile Perrenoud and Bill Schulz Jayne Schnaars and Donald Gavin Danielle Thout Jill Vargo and Tony Sciara Connie and Gary Wald Millie Whitney

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PLAN YOUR VISIT

LODGING PARTNERS

FOOD & BEVERAGE PARTNERS

OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

In the local hospitality scene and want to be on this list? Contact the Development team by email at development@ ashevillesymphony.org or by phone at 828.254.7046.

Asheville AshevilleSymphony Symphony∙ ∙AshevilleSymphony.org AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 27

WHAT SHOULD YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN INCLUDE

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Spring 2026 Program Book

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ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY The Asheville Symphony Society is the nonprofit organization at the core of everything we do — from world-class concerts to meaningful education and community programs.

Through the Society, the Asheville Symphony brings together musicians, educators, volunteers, and supporters who believe in the power of music to inspire and uplift.

In addition to the Asheville Symphony, the Asheville Symphony Society supports a family of affiliate organizations: the Asheville Symphony Guild, Asheville Symphony Chorus, Asheville Symphonettes, and the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra. It also champions music education through initiatives like Music in the Schools. Together, these programs enrich lives across Western North Carolina and help ensure that music remains a vital part of our community.

Visit AshevilleSymphony.org to learn more.

30 ∙ Asheville Symphony Society

The Asheville Symphony Guild is a volunteer organization that has been supporting the Asheville area by raising funds and sponsoring music education programs in local schools for more than 50 years.

What does the Guild do?

MUSICAL FEASTS From festive garden parties to elegant evenings with Asheville Symphony soloists, Musical Feasts are a chance to gather with friends, share great food, and support the Symphony you love while hearing from some of the greatest musicians playing today. Each event helps fund the Symphony’s inspiring programs.

GUILD GATHERINGS

SUPPORTS MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS The Guild helps bring classical music to thousands of elementary school children across Western North Carolina.

Through Music in the Schools, professional musicians visit local classrooms — planting seeds of creativity and joy for the next generation.

Make Friends. Make Music Matter.

The Guild unites music lovers who want to give back, stay connected, and enrich our community.

As a member, you’ll enjoy meaningful volunteer opportunities, vibrant social events, and the satisfaction of supporting music education for the next generation.

Whether it’s the Fall Potluck or the annual Spring Gathering, our members treasure the friendships, laughter, and shared passion for music that the Guild provides.

Join the Asheville Symphony Guild and be part of something joyful and lasting.

For more information and to join, visit AshevilleSymphonyGuild.org

Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 31

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY GUILD

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY CHORUS The Asheville Symphony Chorus is a volunteer vocal ensemble that has been performing in the Asheville area for 33 years.

Upcoming Events MASTERWORKS 6: REQUIEM April 18, 2026 First Baptist Church of Asheville The Chorus joins the Asheville Symphony for a performance of Mozart’s Requiem alongside four incredible soloists. Visit page 58 to learn more.

Join the Asheville Symphony Chorus and help bring the beauty of choral music to WNC. We rehearse once per week on Tuesday nights from 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. in downtown Asheville. We warm up. We practice hard. We have a lot of fun.

For more information on auditions, performances, and more visit: AshevilleSymphonyChorus.com.

Follow the Asheville Symphony Chorus on both Facebook and Instagram: @AshevilleSymphonyChorus.

32 ∙ Asheville Symphony Society

Inspiring the Next Generation Through Service and the Arts The Asheville Symphony Symphonettes fosters leadership, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for music. Since 2011, Symphonettes have supported the Asheville Symphony by welcoming concertgoers, distributing programs, and participating in meaningful service projects that strengthen our local music community.

Through hands-on experiences and regular engagement with the arts, students build strong communication skills, form lasting friendships, and develop a sense of pride and responsibility in giving back.

For membership and funding inquiries, please contact Karen Westmoreland at kkwestmoreland12@gmail.com.

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SYMPHONETTES Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 33

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY

The Asheville Symphony Symphonettes is a volunteer organization and high school girls’ service club.

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA

The Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO) is Western North Carolina’s premier orchestral training program, serving approximately 200 students ages 8 -19.

With two string orchestras, two full orchestras, a beginning strings class, percussion ensembles, a flute choir, and various chamber groups, the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra offers an ensemble for nearly every instrument and experience level.

Throughout the season, ASYO students participate in retreats, masterclasses, and workshops led by professional musicians, guest artists, and some of the top music educators in Western North Carolina. Through these experiences, students grow as individuals, develop ensemble skills, and gain life skills such as perseverance, hard work, planning, self-awareness, creativity, and self-evaluation — skills they can carry with them long after their time in the ASYO.

Visit AshevilleSymphony.org/ASYO to learn more about the Youth Orchestra including details about upcoming performances, audition information, and more.

34 ∙ Asheville Asheville Symphony Symphony Society Affiliates

Tyson Hamrick ASYO General Manager ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Mika Hood Operations & Program Coordinator Rodney Workman Site Coordinator Jason Posnock Advisor Cara Jenkins Advisor Cynthia Roop Advisor TEACHING STAFF Dr. Alexandra Dee Music Director, Youth Philharmonic & Concert Conductor Amanda Tant Sinfonia Conductor Ashlee Booth Divertimento Conductor Cady Robison Overture Class Conductor Dr. Brian Tinkel Percussion Director

Experience these talented young musicians at one of their performances this season.

ARTIST RESIDENCY CONCERT FEATURING ISABEL LEONARD March 23, 2026 Asheville High School Auditorium Featuring the Youth Philharmonic with GRAMMY-award winning vocalist Isabel Leonard as part of the 2026 Artist Residency. See page 50 for details.

SPRING CONCERT: “MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU” May 4, 2026 Asheville High School Auditorium Featuring the Overture, Divertimento, Sinfonia, Concert, Youth Philharmonic, Percussion Ensembles, and Flute Choir.

Concert dates and times are subject to change. For more information, please visit AshevilleSymphony.org. To learn more about the ASYO program and how to join, email jthamrick@ashevillesymphony.org or visit AshevilleSymphony.org/ASYO.

Dr. Sophia Anastasia Flute Choir Conductor Dilshad Posnock Woodwind Coach, Honors Chamber Ensemble Coach Franklin Keel Strings Coach, Honors Chamber Ensemble Coach Dr. Jason Slaughter Brass Coach, Honors Chamber Ensemble Coach

A special thank you to Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker for their generous support of the ASYO this season. Their financial support will positively enhance music education for hundreds of students across Western North Carolina by providing scholarships, access to instruments, and unique experiences.

Asheville Asheville Symphony Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 35

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY

Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra Faculty & Staff

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY

Friends of the ASYO $25,000+ Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker

Thomas Young Olivia and Gary Zahler

$15,000 – $24,999

$250 – $499

Keith Keener

Gary Clark Michael Cleveland Daniel and Caroline Crupi Martha Gettys, Beth Gettys Sturkey, and Jeff Sturkey Ronald and Gail Manheimer Angie Newsome Matthew and Sarah Volk Betty Walker

$10,000 – $14,999 Gerald and Nancy Kitch $5,000 – $9,999 Jerry and Diane Cunningham Sarah Van Gunten $2,500 – $4,999 Thomas C. Bolton Paul and Patty Gaumond Bill and Nancy Gettys Irene Dillingham Richards Family Foundation Henry A. LaBrun Russell and Ladene Newton Steven and Michele Warner Ralph Protsik and Susan Wolin $1,000 – $2,499 Michael and Catty Andry Diana Bilbrey Dr. John and Mrs. Wendy Cuellar Ann Hayes Bill and Kitty Hunt Jim and Mary Kirby Jill and Joe Lawrence Bill Schulz and Odile Perrenoud Penley Produce Vacation Homes Jayne Schnaars and Donald Gavin Gary and Jeanne Ann Stroebel Ed and Cindy Towson $500 – $999 Mary and Jack Anderson Beverly Briedis Karen Campbell Gary and Patty Coleman Jon and Ann Kemske Carol and Hugh McCollum Rich and Stacy Ridenour William and Martha Scarborough Troy Schmidt and Diane Song Carol and Terrence Tinkel

36 ∙ Asheville Asheville Symphony Symphony Society Affiliates

$100 – $249 Asheville Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota Charles Baker Drs. Elizabeth and Josh Bernstein Adlai and Karen Boyd Claude and Sallie Broach Rich and Diane Byers Nancy Casey Kim Eiring Cary and Koni Findlay Gayle Freeauf Ellenor Frelick Linda and Jeffrey Fromson Susan Jensen and Lew Gelfond Robert Graf Michael J. Grillot Betty Gumpert Kathryn and Peter Muhs Barbara Pettigrew Kathleen Quinlan and Marc Parham Vicki Richards Don Roberts Carol and Michael Rosenblum Susie and John Ruhl Nan Jackson and Heinz Sauer Wade and Mary Margaret Saunders J. Howard and Honey Solomon Irene and Michael Stoll Bonnie Wheeler Larry and Janie Wilson David and Dianne Worley

$1 – $99 Deborah Aiton Pauline Aridas Shannon Baggett Sherry Banner Kate Bashford John and Roberta Birken Elinor Bowman Hannah Boyd Howard Brodt Catherine Brown Melinda Brown Sheryl Brown Christine Calso Alexis Champion Marvin Cole Tracy Conte Dayton Costlow Gary Demyan Betty Duggan Polly S. Feitzinger Mercedes Field James and Linda Focareto Deborah Francis Robin and Gordon Gaiser Linda and Michael Gilpin Clementine Gregory Adam Griffith Michael Groothuis Dante and Cindy Gumucio Xinni Guo Teresa Hammack Charles Hardy Gretchen Hardy Tami Hindin Philip Hogue Tom and Libby Irwin Ginger and Dan Jones Arthur Kirby Julie Klement Renee Lampila Elizabeth and Greg Love Adam Matar Don McAdam Swig Mueller Dagi Murphy

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY

Judy Murren Travis Peck Donald and Brenta Poole Allison Quigley Carolyn Ramsey Robert Randall Gail Reagan and Jim Graham Ellen Robbins Liz Rollins David Russell Kevin Scanlon Brian and Caron Smith Jillian Smith Carole Sorrenti Charles and Sue St. Clair Barbara and Barry Stagg Beth Stickle Schoenheit Paul Stroebel Kenny Sudnik Alina Suprunchik Paige Taylor Margot Voorhees Virginia Waymouth Melanie Welty Paul B. Williamson Don Wright

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT

ASYO Side-by-Side with the Asheville Symphony at Cirque de la Symphonie Earlier this season, the Asheville Symphony Youth Philharmonic stepped onto Asheville’s largest stage for a truly unforgettable experience: a side-by-side performance with the Asheville Symphony as part of Cirque de la Symphonie at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.

Tuition covers less than half of the Youth Orchestra’s operational costs.

Your gift empowers students to participate in performances, retreats, masterclasses, special workshops, and touring performances regardless of their economic circumstances.

Visit AshevilleSymphony.org/friendsof-the-asyo to donate online today.

Fifty Youth Philharmonic musicians joined the professional orchestra under the baton of Music Director Darko Butorac, following joint rehearsals that prepared students for the demands of a professional-level production. Conducted by Butorac and guided throughout the season by ASYO Conductor Alexandra Dee, the students performed Strauss’ Unter Donner und Blitz Polka, Tchaikovsky’s exhilarating Trepak from The Nutcracker, selections from Marvin Hamlisch Tyzik’s Chanukah Suite, and a stirring rendition of “O Holy Night.”

Sharing the stage amid the visual spectacle of Cirque de la Symphonie, these young musicians rose to the moment with confidence and artistry. Experiences like this embody the Asheville Symphony’s commitment to music education — giving students meaningful opportunities to grow, perform, and take pride in their place within our region’s vibrant arts community.

Thank you for making this unforgettable performance possible.

Asheville Asheville Symphony Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 37

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FALL CONCERT October 19, 2025 Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church SPRING CONCERT April 12, 2026 First Congregational UCC, Asheville

Please visit www.ashevillepiano.org or scan QR code for tickets and info on becoming a member.

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In memory of Charles "Chick" McDowell sponsorships have been provided to recognize outstanding Music Performance, Education, and Community Support The Asheville Symphony, Western North Carolina's cultural gem, for ensuring a legacy of music appreciation in North Carolina through stellar symphonic performances, inclusive outreach programs, and the creation of the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra. Learn more: development@ashevillesymphony.org

The Asheville Chamber Music Series, for enthralling audiences for 74 years by presenting chamber ensembles of world renown unrivalled for cohesive and transcendent performance, and for showcasing young talent in the Rising Stars Concert Series.

Learn more: support@ashevillechambermusic.org

AmiciMusic, for exemplifying the conversational nature of chamber music through spirited pre-concert colloquia and programs featuring acclaimed soloists and ensembles for audiences in Asheville, Baltimore, and Savannah in select venues. Learn more: daniel@amicimusic.org

Crescendo, for its visionary in-school piano-instruction initiative within an expanding number of schools in McDowell County, North Carolina, for students in grades three to five, at no cost to parents. Students are provided keyboards, music theory and training by expert musicians, and opportunities to perform. Learn more: mcdowellarts@gmail.com

Masterworks Chorus of the Palm Beaches in Palm Beach, Florida, for bringing dynamic classical and inspirational choral music to Florida's audiences and to seasonal visitors from North Carolina and elsewhere, for 47 years. The Chorus' significant cultural presence has expanded to include mentorships and scholarships to students of voice and music. Learn more: masterworkschorus@gmail.com

Jo Edda Rosskamp McDowell is privileged to honor the memory of her husband, and his support of the performing arts.

Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 41

SCOTT ISH SWEENEY BRUCH MENDELSSOHN 42 ∙ Masterworks 4: Scottish

MASTERWORKS 4 First Baptist Church of Asheville February 14, 2026 2:00 p.m. + 8:00 p.m.

James Lowe Conductor Geneva Lewis Violin Three composers paint a vivid portrait of rugged Caledonia: Scottish composer Aileen Sweeney’s Glisk captures moments of fleeting light breaking through everpresent clouds, Bruch’s spirited fantasy for violin reshapes traditional folk melodies, and Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony brings the dramatic shorelines, ruined castles, and vibrant culture of Scotland to life.

Aileen Sweeney Glisk

Glisk by Aileen Sweeney (b. 1994) Approximately 4 minutes

A short light-filled work by the young Scottish composer Aileen Sweeney opens this program dedicated to the spirit of Scotland.

Sweeney’s music is rooted in the traditional folk music she grew up with playing the accordion and is often influenced by her interests in the fields of cosmology, nature and folklore alongside an admiration for many different genres of music. Her orchestral work Glisk is a vivid musical evocation of fleeting light, inspired by Scottish landscapes and language. Glisk takes its title from an old Scots word meaning a brief glimmer or flicker — often used to describe sunlight breaking through clouds or, in Shetland dialect, “a glimpse of the good.”

The work captures the sensation of light piercing through darkness, with shimmering orchestral gestures that evoke the unpredictability of Scottish weather. Rapid shifts in timbre and dynamics mirror the fleeting nature of a “glisk,” while moments of brightness dissolve quickly back into shadow. The piece balances delicacy with intensity, reflecting both the fragility and power of natural light. Sweeney’s love of folk music can be detected in figures that sound like the accompaniment to traditional dances such as the Scottish jig.

Critics have praised Sweeney’s remarkable sensitivity to orchestral sound, noting how familiar instruments are used to create fresh, unexpected sonorities. Commissioned by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Glisk is scored for a large symphony orchestra.

At just four minutes long, Glisk is concise yet impactful — a fleeting musical vision that embodies its title, offering listeners a brief but radiant glimpse of beauty.

Scottish Fantasy in E-flat major, Op. 46 by Max Bruch (1838-1920)

Approximately 30 minutes

This program continues with musical evocations of Scotland through the eyes and sensibilities of two German composers.

Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy is a lively and dazzling work for violin and orchestra, composed in 1880. This piece captures the spirit of Scotland through its rich melodies and vibrant rhythms. Bruch was inspired by the culture and folklore of Scotland, and he sought to infuse his work with the flavor of the rugged Scottish Highlands.

The Scottish Fantasy is structured in four movements: Prelude: Grave & I. Adagio cantabile – The opening movement begins with a lively introduction by the orchestra before the solo violin enters with a theme based on a traditional Scottish folk song. It’s marked by a sense of grandeur and mystery, with themes that alternately evoke a feeling of nostalgia and dramatic energy.

II. Allegro – The second movement is fast-paced and lively, featuring a vibrant folk dance-like rhythm. It brings back the energy of the opening, with playful exchanges between the soloist and the orchestra, creating a sense of celebration and joy.

Max Bruch Scottish Fantasy in E-flat major, Op. 46 Geneva Lewis, Violin Prelude: Grave & I. Adagio cantabile II. Allegro III. Andante sostenuto IV. Finale: Allegro guerriero INTERMISSION

Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 56, “Scottish” I. Andante con moto — Allegro un poco agitato II. Vivace non troppo III. Adagio IV. Allegro vivacissimo — Allegro maestoso assai

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Media partner Blue Ridge Public Radio will air a recording of this performance, featuring conversations with the Asheville Symphony, on BPR Classic and bpr.org on March 17, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. and March 19, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

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III. Andante sostenuto – This movement is more lyrical and (continued on next page)

Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 43

serene, drawing on the beauty of the violin’s tone. The violin weaves a gentle, melancholic melody that contrasts beautifully with the more spirited character of the first movement.

IV. Finale: Allegro guerriero – The finale is a rousing conclusion to the fantasy, drawing on more traditional Scottish folk melodies. It’s fast, exuberant, and filled with energetic passages for the violin, making it a virtuosic and thrilling conclusion to the work.

The Scottish Fantasy is known for its lush orchestration, virtuosic violin writing, and the way it paints a musical picture of Scotland through both direct and indirect references to folk music. It’s a piece that has remained popular in the violin repertoire, often performed by violinists who enjoy its combination of emotional depth and technical brilliance.

Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 56, MWV N 18, “Scottish” by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Approximately 40 minutes

This symphony began in 1829 with Felix Mendelssohn’s visit to Scotland.

The German composer was utterly captivated by the country’s rugged landscapes and historic ruins.

He was equally enchanted by the romantic aura of Scotland as represented in the novels of Sir Walter Scott, whom he visited during his trip. His letters reveal, however, that Mendelssohn was less impressed with the food and some Scottish people he met along the way!

It wasn’t until 1842, however, that Mendelssohn completed his Third Symphony, which bears the subtitle “Scottish.”

Though it took Mendelssohn more than a dozen years to write his Third Symphony, Mendelssohn began sketching ideas for the “Scottish” Symphony during his visit to the country, particularly after visiting the ruins of Holyrood Chapel in Edinburgh.

In a letter home, Mendelssohn wrote, “The chapel below is now roofless.

Grass and ivy thrive there and at the broken altar where Mary was crowned Queen of Scotland. Everything is ruined, decayed, and the clear heavens shine in. I think today I have found there the beginning of my ‘Scottish’ Symphony.” Thus, the initial ideas were forming in Mendelssohn’s mind 13 years before the symphony’s premiere.

The symphony is structured in four movements, though Mendelssohn intended them to be played without pause, creating a continuous narrative flow: I. Introduction and Allegro agitato – The opening begins with a solemn, brooding theme, evoking the misty ruins of Holyrood. This gradually builds into a turbulent Allegro, full of restless energy and dramatic contrasts.

The orchestration is relatively modest — two flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings — but Mendelssohn uses these forces with remarkable clarity. His textures are transparent, allowing themes to emerge with precision while still creating a rich, atmospheric sound world.

The “Scottish” Symphony demonstrates how landscapes and history could inspire Romantic composers to create music that was both programmatic and abstract. Unlike Beethoven’s explicitly titled Pastoral Symphony, Mendelssohn avoided overt narrative labels, instead weaving impressions into purely musical form.

The symphony’s premiere was a triumph in the composer’s tragically short life. He died five years later, in 1847, at the age of 38.

Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 remains one of Mendelssohn’s most admired orchestral works. It’s not just a tribute to Scotland but a masterwork of Romantic orchestral writing, balancing evocative imagery with structural discipline.

II. Scherzo assai vivace – Light and fleet-footed, this movement captures Mendelssohn’s characteristic brilliance. Its airy textures and dancing rhythms suggest Scottish folk influences, though without quoting actual tunes.

Mendelssohn’s journey, however, was transformative. The composer gave expression to Scotland’s natural grandeur and tragic history through music full of brooding themes, lyrical melodies and triumphant resolutions.

III. Adagio cantabile – A lyrical, contemplative movement, often interpreted as a musical reflection on Scotland’s romantic landscapes and tragic history. Its noble melodies provide emotional depth and contrast to the surrounding energy.

Mendelssohn wrote his Scotlandinspired Hebrides Overture in the year after his visit to the country.

IV. Allegro guerriero – Finale maestoso – The finale begins with martial vigor, almost like a

44 ∙ Masterworks 4: Scottish

battle scene, before resolving into a triumphant major-key conclusion. Mendelssohn transforms the opening movement’s somber material into a radiant, hymn-like coda for a glorious conclusion.

Program notes by Paul Hyde © 2025 Paul Hyde, a longtime arts journalist, is an English instructor at Tri-County Technical College in South Carolina. He writes regularly for the Greenville Journal, the S.C. Daily Gazette, EarRelevant, ArtsATL, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Readers may write to him at phyde@tctc.edu.

James Lowe, Guest Conductor

Geneva Lewis, Violin

American/New Zealand violinist Geneva Lewis has forged a reputation as a musician of consummate artistry whose performances speak from and to the heart and who has been lauded for the “remarkable mastery of her instrument” (CVNC) and hailed as “clearly one to watch” (Musical America).

James Lowe began his tenure as the 8th Music Director of the Spokane Symphony in the 2019/20 season. His work as a conductor has ranged over five continents including collaboration with orchestras in the UK and Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA. Passionately committed to the belief that classical music is for everyone, he balances his conducting schedule with his work to engage new audiences and a long-standing commitment to youth music.

His work as Artistic Director of the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra was featured in a four-part documentary shown in the UK on Channel 4. A recipient of the Bernard Haitink Fund for Young Talent, Lowe has held the position of Chief Conductor with the Prueßisches Kammerorchester, Germany and the Vaasa City Orchestra, Finland, the position of Associate Conductor with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Orchestras Advisor to the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland.

Educated at the University of Edinburgh, Lowe continued his development as Benjamin Zander Conducting Fellow with the Boston Philharmonic, and has studied with leading conductors in master classes, including Jorma Panula, Neeme Järvi, Bernard Haitink and Valery Gergiev. He worked as Assistant Conductor to Haitink in performances with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.

In addition to his conducting work James is active as an educator, teacher of conducting and is undertaking research exploring ways in which orchestras can meaningfully engage with a wider public.

Named a BBC New Generation Artist (2022-24), Geneva is also the recipient of a 2022 BorlettiBuitoni Trust Award and a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant. She was also Grand Prize winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Competition, the winner of the Kronberg Academy’s Prince of Hesse Prize (2021), Musical America’s New Artist of the Month (June 2021), a Performance Today Young Artist in Residence and a YCAT Concordia Artist.

In 2023, Geneva made her BBC Proms debut in the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Jaime Martin. Additional collaborations have included the BBC Symphony and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestras, the Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The 2025-26 season includes performances with Kremerata Baltica, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Filharmonia Czěstochowska, Utah Symphony, and Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco.

An advocate of community engagement and music education, Geneva was selected for the New England Conservatory’s Community Performances and Partnerships Program’s Ensemble Fellowship, through which her string quartet created interactive educational programs for audiences throughout Boston. The quartet was also chosen for the Virginia Arts Festival Residency, during which they performed and presented masterclasses in elementary, middle, and high schools.

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46 ∙ ALT ASO @ Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 7:00 P.M. Darko Butorac, Conductor Gustavo Feulien, Vocalist Experience ALT ASO like never before, as the Asheville Symphony’s genre-bending chamber orchestra explores the rich tradition of tango at Diana Wortham Theatre. Joined by professional tango dancers and Argentinean-American baritone Gustavo Feulien, this program journeys from the golden age of Argentine tango to the bold, contemporary voice of Piazzolla.

Across three sets, familiar favorites and lesser-known works will unfold through the music of Canaro, Di Sarli, Troilo, Pugliese, and Gotan Project. With expressive melodies and dynamic interplay between music and dance, this ALT ASO performance promises a night of passion, elegance, and musical storytelling.

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Craig Allen & Julie Cowden Paul & Patty Gaumond David & Dianne Worley BOHEMIAN SPONSORS

This performance is presented with additional support from Jill Vargo, MD and Tony Sciara, Ph.D. Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 47

C o m m u n i ty C ommitment C ovenant

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Experience Grammy, Tony, and Emmy-winning artists, global artistry, daring dance, and music legends.

Highlights include: PILOBOLUS Oct 10 & 11 A SWANNANOA SOLSTICE Dec 21 The Acting Company presents A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM • Jan 23 GREAT EXPECTATIONS • Jan 24 AILEY II THE NEXT GENERATION OF DANCE Feb 17 & 18 JANE LYNCH & KATE FLANNERY Mar 3 NICOLE ZURAITIS 2X Jazz Grammy-winner Mar 4 ALL THINGS EQUAL: THE LIFE & TRIALS OF RUTH BADER GINSBURG Sponsored by Roberts & Stevens, P.A.

Mar 26 & 27

BREABACH Apr 11 STEWART/OWEN DANCE + GUESTS May 1 & 2

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Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 49

A CELEBRATION OF VOICE WITH ISABEL LEONARD

Featuring three-time GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist Isabel Leonard, the Asheville Symphony’s Artist Residency returns March 16-23, 2026.

Asheville Symphony’s Artist Residency is a biennial initiative that celebrates the legacy and expressive power of one instrument — this time, the most personal of all: the human voice.

In 2026, we welcome acclaimed vocalist Isabel Leonard to Asheville for A Celebration of Voice, a weeklong residency that showcases the beauty, versatility, and storytelling power of vocal music. Known for her captivating stage presence and remarkable vocal range, Leonard has performed iconic roles at every major opera house in the world, including The Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, and Opéra National de Paris.

Through a diverse slate of performances, educational engagements, and community experiences, this residency invites audiences of all ages and backgrounds to explore the voice as an instrument — from classical arias to folk songs and contemporary works. Whether you’re a young singer, a seasoned opera lover, or someone simply curious about the magic of the human voice, this week is for you.

Visit AshevilleSymphony.org to learn more and get involved.

50 ∙ Artist Residency

ARTIST RESIDENCY EVENTS Residency Kickoff Celebration Monday, March 16, 2026 Voice Recital with Isabel Leonard Tuesday, March 17, 2026 Visit page 52 to learn more Artist Residency Benefit Wednesday, March 18, 2026 Guest Lecture on the Voice with Dr. Dean Southern Friday, March 20, 2026 Masterworks 5: Nightingale featuring Isabel Leonard Saturday, March 21, 2026 Visit page 54 to learn more Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra featuring Isabel Leonard Monday, March 23, 2026

Support the Artist Residency Asheville Symphony’s Artist Residency is made possible through the generous support of our community. If you’re inspired by this initiative and want to help bring more world-class artists to Asheville, consider joining the Artist Residency Circle or becoming a Residency sponsor.

Contact the Asheville Symphony’s Development team at development@ashevillesymphony.org or 828.820.2520 or for more information.

Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 51

52 ∙ Voice Recital with Isabel Leonard

Isabel Leonard, Voice Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist Isabel Leonard has established herself as one of the most in-demand performers, a star on the world’s leading stages and screens. Highlights of Ms. Leonard’s career include the title roles in Carmen, La Périchole, Cendrillon, and Marnie, as well as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Angelina in La Cenerentola, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Zerlina and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Charlotte in Werther, Costanza in Griselda, Musetta in La bohème, Maria in West Side Story, and Marguerite in a concert performance of Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust.

The 2025–2026 season sees Ms. Leonard’s return to The Metropolitan Opera for two prominent productions: the title role in Bizet’s Carmen, under the baton of Fabien Gabel, with a production by Carrie Cracknell; and the leading role of Frida in Gabriela Lena Frank’s El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego, in a new production by Deborah Colker making its company premiere, with performances conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. She will also return to Bayerische Staatsoper to sing her signature Angelina in Cenerentola, as well as singing the title role in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges with the San Diego Symphony.

This season also features Ms. Leonard as a Perspectives Artist at Carnegie Hall, where she will present a series of concerts and performances throughout the season highlighting her perspective as a performing artist. Performances include a recital with pianist John Arida, sing Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with The Met Orchestra, and participate in the prestigious 50th Anniversary of the Concert of the Century Gala.

First Baptist Church of Asheville March 17, 2026 7:00 p.m.

Isabel Leonard Voice John Arida Piano The incomparable Isabel Leonard will take the stage alongside pianist John Arida for a recital featuring selections by GarciaLorca, Montsalvatge, Bizet, traditional Spanish songs, and more. A classical icon, Isabel is the featured artist for the 2026 Artist Residency (visit page 50 to learn more); she has performed iconic leading roles in every major opera house in the world, including The Met Opera, La Scala, and Wiener Staatsoper. Program information to be announced Spring 2026.

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Visit page 54 to learn more about Isabel Leonard and her performance with the Asheville Symphony. Visit page 50 to learn more about the 2026 Artist Residency: A Celebration of Voice featuring Isabel Leonard.

John Arida, Piano Pianist and coach John Arida (MM ’13, collaborative piano) has cultivated relationships with some of classical music’s most esteemed performers both on and off the stage including Julia Bullock, Patrick Carfizzi, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Samantha Hankey, Christian Van Horn, Isabel Leonard, Golda Schultz, and Jack Swanson. Arida has appeared as a collaborative pianist across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico at notable venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Aspen Music Festival, and Tanglewood.

Beyond the concert stage, Arida has assisted conductors including Harry Bicket, Daniela Candilari, John DeMain, Christian Reif, Speranza Scappucci, and Emmanuel Villaume. Arida has been a member of the music staff of the Santa Fe, Washington National, Central City, and Virginia operas; the Lakes Area Music and Castleton festivals; and Juilliard. A strong supporter of grassroots festivals, Arida was the music director for the inaugural seasons of the Emberlight Festival in Ironwood, Michigan, and the Creede (Colorado) Musical Arts Collective.

Arida has recorded two albums with his frequent collaborator mezzosoprano Megan Marino. Their first album, The Traveled Road (Ravello Records), featured the music of Evan Mack. Their second, It’s You I Like (Lexicon Classics), contains songs that celebrate childhood.

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Arida has held fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival and Music Academy of the West. In addition to his studies at Juilliard, he earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from SUNY Purchase.

Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 53

STARRING ISABEL LEONARD

54 ∙ Masterworks 5: Nightingale

MASTERWORKS 5 First Baptist Church of Asheville March 21, 2026 2:00 p.m. + 8:00 p.m.

Isabel Leonard, Voice

Darko Butorac Conductor Isabel Leonard Voice Internationally acclaimed vocalist Isabel Leonard — winner of multiple GRAMMY Awards — brings her versatile artistry and raw star power to this flagship event of the 2026 Artist Residency (visit page 50 to learn more). She will showcase the many glittering facets of the human voice, bringing to life a curated selection of her signature roles and iconic works for voice: Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, highlights from West Side Story, plus works by Georges Bizet, Manuel de Falla, Gabriela Lena Frank, and more. Program information to be announced Spring 2026.

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OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

Media partner Blue Ridge Public Radio will air a recording of this performance, featuring conversations with the Asheville Symphony, on BPR Classic and bpr.org on April 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. and April 26, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist Isabel Leonard has established herself as one of the most in-demand performers, a star on the world’s leading stages and screens. Highlights of Ms. Leonard’s career include the title roles in Carmen, La Périchole, Cendrillon, and Marnie as well as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Angelina in La Cenerentola, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Zerlina and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Sesto in La clemenza di Tito, Charlotte in Werther, Blanche de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites, Costanza in Griselda, Musetta in La bohème, Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, Sesto in Giulio Cesare, Maria in West Side Story, and Marguerite in a concert performance of Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust.

The 2025–2026 season sees Ms. Leonard’s return to The Metropolitan Opera for two prominent productions: the title role in Bizet’s Carmen, under the baton of Fabien Gabel, with a production by Carrie Cracknell; and the leading role of Frida in Gabriela Lena Frank’s El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego, in a new production

by Deborah Colker making its company premiere, with performances conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

She will also return to Bayerische Staatsoper to sing her signature Angelina in the Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production of Cenerentola, as well as singing the title role in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges with the San Diego Symphony under Music Director Rafael Payare.

This season also features Ms. Leonard as a Perspectives Artist at Carnegie Hall, where she will present a series of concerts and performances throughout the season highlighting her perspective as a performing artist.

Performances include a recital in Stern Auditorium with pianist John Arida, sing Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with The Met Orchestra, led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and participate in the prestigious 50th Anniversary of the Concert of the Century Gala, also conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Her Perspectives series closes with a Spanish Song and Dance Recital with vocalist Ismael Fernández and dancer Sonia Olla.

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TCHAIKOVSKY MOZART MASTERWORKS 6 First Baptist Church of Asheville April 18, 2026 2:00 p.m. + 8:00 p.m.

Darko Butorac Conductor Jessica Beebe Soprano Lisa Marie Rogali Alto John Ramseyer Tenor Jonathan Woody Bass

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Two deeply personal masterpieces reveal glimpses of the soul: Mozart’s haunting self-eulogy pairs with Tchaikovsky’s luminous serenade, composed from “deep within” as both a tribute to Mozart, his greatest inspiration, and as a purely radiant expression of the heart.

Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Approximately 30 minutes

Remarkably, Tchaikovsky worked on his Serenade for Strings as he was composing his famed 1812 Overture. The difference between the two pieces is striking: the Serenade is elegant and heartfelt while the 1812 Overture explodes with cannon fire, dramatic power and triumphant spectacle.

Tchaikovsky himself loved the warmth, intimacy and artistry of his Serenade but deemed his 1812 Overture too raucous and impersonal.

The Serenade was inspired, in part, by Mozart, whom Tchaikovsky adored. That fact nicely links the piece to the latter half of this program.

Tchaikovsky composed the Serenade in 1880, during a period of personal turmoil. He had just returned to Russia from Paris, grieving the death of his father and struggling with depression and alcoholism.

Yet, in this state, he produced one of his most radiant works, channeling his emotions into music that is both deeply expressive and structurally refined.

The piece consists of four movements, each with its own character.

Lasting about 30 minutes, the Serenade is approximately the length of many of Mozart’s symphonies.

I. Piece in the form of a sonatina (Andante non troppo – Allegro moderato): Tchaikovsky deliberately modeled this opening on Mozart’s classical style. It begins with a noble, hymnlike introduction before moving into a more spirited section. This fusion of classical restraint and Romantic warmth sets the tone for the entire work.

II. Waltz (Moderato, tempo di valse): Perhaps the most famous movement, this graceful waltz exemplifies Tchaikovsky’s gift for dance music. It is elegant yet tinged with melancholy, a characteristic of the Russian composer’s style.

III. Élégie (Larghetto elegiaco): The third movement is deeply lyrical, unfolding with long, singing lines that evoke sorrow and tenderness. It reflects Tchaikovsky’s emotional struggles at the time, offering a moment of introspection.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 I. Pezzo in forma di Sonatina II. Walzer III. Élégie IV. Finale (Tema russo) INTERMISSION

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Requiem in D minor, K. 626 Jessica Beebe, Soprano Lisa Marie Rogali, Alto Jon Ramseyer, Tenor Jonathan Woody, Bass I. Introitus — Requiem II. Kyrie III. Sequenz Dies irae Tuba mirum Rex tremendae Recordare Confutatis Lacrimosa IV. Offertorium Domine Jesu Hostias V. Sanctus VI. Benedictus VII. Agnus Dei VIII. Communio

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IV. Finale (Tema russo – Andante – Allegro con spirito): The closing movement draws on Russian folk themes, beginning with a solemn chorale before bursting into spirited dance rhythms. This synthesis of national identity and classical form gives the work its triumphant conclusion.

The Serenade for Strings was premiered in St. Petersburg in 1881 and quickly became a favorite among audiences and performers.

Tchaikovsky himself considered it one of his best compositions,

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Media partner Blue Ridge Public Radio will air a recording of this performance, featuring conversations with the Asheville Symphony, on BPR Classic and bpr.org on May 12, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. and May 14, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

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written from “inner conviction,” a reflection of his true artistic voice.

What makes the Serenade enduring is its balance of classical clarity and Romantic emotion. It demonstrates Tchaikovsky’s mastery of string writing, with lush harmonies, soaring melodies, and intricate textures that showcase the expressive potential of the ensemble. At the same time, it reveals his vulnerability, turning personal grief into musical beauty.

Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings is both a homage to Mozart and a deeply personal statement. Its elegance, emotional depth, and national flavor secure its place as one of the greatest works for string orchestra.

Requiem in D minor, K. 626 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Approximately 48 minutes

Mozart’s Requiem is considered one of the masterworks of the choral-andorchestra literature, much loved for its haunting beauty and fiery drama.

With tremendous emotional depth, the work explores fundamentals of the human experience — grief, fear, hope and transcendence. The blend of spiritual solemnity with theatrical drama makes it timelessly powerful, resonating with audiences across cultures and eras.

The work is scored for chorus, orchestra and four soloists.

Considerable myth surrounds the creation of the Requiem, some of it promoted in a spirited 1984 biopic, Amadeus. Mozart was not poisoned by his older colleague Antonio Salieri, as the film suggests, nor did Salieri pose as a mysterious masked figure intent on stealing the Requiem.

In fact, Mozart was commissioned to write a Requiem Mass by the wealthy Count Franz von Walsegg in memory of the Count’s wife Anna, who had passed away at the age of 20 in February 1791. The arrangement was rather secretive, however, as the Count planned to present a public performance of the work as his own

60 ∙ Masterworks 6: Requiem

composition, giving Mozart no credit.

As Mozart worked away at the Requiem later that year amid the decline of his own physical and mental health, he became obsessed with the project, thinking he was writing the Requiem for his own funeral. That even prompted his wife Constanze to take the score away from the composer in October 1791.

Mozart returned to it in November of that year, however, and may have been working on it as late as December 3, two days before his death at the age of 35.

Mozart left the work unfinished, but it was completed by Mozart’s student, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, using Mozart’s sketches and deathbed guidance.

Süssmayr, though only 25 years old at the time, was probably the right choice to complete the work as he was in steady and close contact with Mozart, working with the composer on the piece in 1791. It is this version of the Requiem that has been mostoften performed through the decades, though sometimes with various alterations by later generations of scholars. Süssmayr perhaps does not get enough credit for his work, even though he wrote virtually entire sections of the Requiem, including the Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei and Communio.

one of the last sections Mozart composed. (Mozart completed the vocal parts and a considerable portion of the string parts in this section.) Throughout this extended sequence, Mozart alternates powerful assertions with poignant pleas.

Offertorium, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei: These movements continue the spiritual journey, with reverent, soaring melodies and rich harmonies.

These sections were mostly or entirely written by Süssmayr.

Communio (“Lux aeterna”): For the conclusion, Süssmayr seems to have had clear instructions from Mozart on his deathbed. He returns to Mozart’s themes, including the great fugue from the opening of the work, to create a sense of cyclical peace.

Mozart thus has the last word.

Though the Requiem was completed

by Süssmayr, its soul unmistakably bears Mozart’s mark. It stands not only as an artistic triumph but also as a poignant farewell from one of the great voices of Western civilization.

The Requiem is set as a traditional Roman Catholic Mass for the dead, composed of several sections: Introitus (“Requiem aeternam”): The piece opens with a somber and majestic theme, introducing the eternal rest motif.

The music is dark, prayerful and deeply poignant.

Kyrie: A powerful fugue, perhaps inspired by Handel, showcases Mozart’s command of contrapuntal writing. Mozart demands considerable vocal dexterity from his chorus.

Program notes by Paul Hyde © 2025

Sequenz: This extraordinarily dramatic section includes the famous Dies irae (Day of Wrath), filled with thunderous urgency and anguish, and the beautifully yearning Lacrimosa, reportedly

Paul Hyde, a longtime arts journalist, is an English instructor at Tri-County Technical College in South Carolina. He writes regularly for the Greenville Journal, the S.C. Daily Gazette, EarRelevant, ArtsATL, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Readers may write to him at phyde@tctc.edu.

Jessica Beebe, Soprano Lauded by Opera News as “evocative and ethereal,” “a honey-colored tone,” and “the most radiant solo singing,” soprano Jessica Beebe is steadily gaining international attention as an affecting interpreter of repertoire spanning over four centuries, ranging from Renaissance music to contemporary American opera.

In recent seasons, she has appeared as a guest soloist in concert with The New York City Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, The Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Hall, and more. In the realm of opera, Ms. Beebe has performed a variety of roles including Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Despina in Così fan tutte, and more.

Lisa Marie Rogali, Alto Award-winning mezzo-soprano Lisa Marie Rogali has been praised for her “warm, nuanced voice” and “spontaneity” on the stage. This season, she returns to Virginia Opera as Angelina in La Cenerentola and brings her Carmen to Toledo Opera and Gulfshore Opera. She joins Asheville Symphony for Mozart’s Requiem, Virginia Symphony Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah, and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for Broadway Through the Ages. In recent seasons, she debuted Carmen with Virginia Opera and Florentine Opera and sang Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia.

She made her Carnegie Hall debut in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and was named a Finalist in the Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition.

John Ramseyer, Tenor Praised for his “hypnotically lyrical” voice, New York City-based tenor John Ramseyer specializes in concert and chamber music, as well as opera. In May of 2023, he made his Carnegie Hall debut singing the tenor solos in Rachmaninoff’s AllNight Vigil with the Clarion Choir. Other recent highlights include Rachmaninoff’s The Bells with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, an international tour of Handel’s Solomon with The English Concert and the Clarion Choir, and the world premiere of Trevor Weston’s American Lamentation. He is a member of the Metropolitan Opera Extra Chorus and a Gentleman of the Choir at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, as part of the world-renowned Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys.

Jonathan Woody, Bass Cited by the Washington Post for singing “with resonance and clarity,” bassbaritone Jonathan Woody appears regularly with historically informed orchestras including Boston Early Music Festival, Apollo’s Fire, and Pacific MusicWorks. An accomplished chamber musician, he performs as a member of the GRAMMYnominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street, where he has earned praise from the New York Times for his “charismatic” solos. Woody’s compositional voice blends 17th and 18th-century inspiration with minimalism and socially conscious subject matter. Since 2020, he has received commissions from Apollo’s Fire, the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Chanticleer, and the Handel and Haydn Society.

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ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY CHORUS Did you know that Western North Carolina’s premier vocal ensemble lives right here in Asheville?

For over 30 years, the Asheville Symphony Chorus has partnered with the Asheville Symphony to bring to life great works from the world of opera, oratorio, and large-scale choral compositions — Carmina Burana, La Traviata, Vaughn Williams’ Sea Symphony, and last year, three sold-out performances of Handel’s Messiah.

In addition to its performances with the Asheville Symphony, the Chorus presents its own programs each year, celebrating choral music from across the centuries and the globe.

This year, join the Asheville Symphony Chorus, under the direction of Kyle Ritter, for one — or both! — of our enchanting choral performances.

Visit page 32 for more information on this season’s performances.

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For more information on performances, tickets, and auditions, visit AshevilleSymphonyChorus.com.

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64 ∙ ALT ASO @ Highland Brewing

TUESDAY, MAY 5, 7:00 P.M. Darko Butorac, Conductor Come experience the acoustic alchemy when classical composition meets classic hip-hop and R&B! You’ll hear a finely curated selection of hip-hop hits from the 80s, 90s and early aughts blended with your favorite throwback R&B hits with the Asheville Symphony, featuring Spaceman Jones, Check Your Head, Mook, and members of the Grammy winning band 23 Skidoo & the Secret Agency. This high energy, nostalgic evening will turn Highland Brewery into a star studded time machine!

Tickets will be available to the general public eight weeks before the performance.

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Ballades, Op. 10 by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Approximately 23 minutes

Johannes Brahms wrote his Ballades, Op. 10 in 1854 when he was just 21, but these piano works stand among his earliest mature works and reveal a young composer already in full command of lyricism, drama and structural imagination.

The Ballade form — associated with Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, and other composers — often refers to a piece both songful and dramatic, and inspired by literature. In the case of Brahms’ Ballades, the composer explicitly labeled it Nach der schottischen Ballade “Edward” (After the Scottish ballad “Edward”). Edward is a stark, haunting narrative told through a dialogue between a mother and her son, the latter of whom has killed his father.

The set consists of four piano pieces that explore contrasting emotional and musical landscapes while maintaining a cohesive atmosphere.

PIANO RECITAL with Awadagin Pratt First Baptist Church of Asheville May 12, 2026 7:00 p.m.

Acclaimed for his “forceful, imaginative, and precisely tinted” performances (The Washington Post), Awadagin Pratt’s compelling performances continue to draw critical acclaim.

This solo recital features Baroque and Romantic works by Brahms, Franck, and Couperin in an intimate setting.

68 ∙ Piano Recital with Awadagin Pratt

The First Ballade is the most explicitly programmatic. Its stark, archaic theme, reminiscent of old folk song, unfolds with a solemn weight that evokes the dark, violent storyline of Edward. Brahms’ use of open intervals and bare textures suggests a world of ancient myth, while the gentler middle section offers a fragile moment of reflection before the return of the grim opening.

The Second Ballade provides lyrical relief.

Marked Andante, it sings with the warmth and intimacy often associated with Brahms’ later pieces called intermezzi. Its flowing triplets and balanced phrases show the young composer’s gift for blending classical proportion with emotional immediacy.

With the Third Ballade, the mood turns turbulent again. Syncopated rhythms, urgent motives, and sudden contrasts create a restless character.

The Fourth Ballade closes the set in a spirit of gentle resignation. Its serene, chorale-like writing offers a calm epilogue, suggesting that the emotional journey has reached a state of reconciliation.

Taken together, the Ballades, Op. 10 form

Johannes Brahms Ballades, Op. 10 a compelling early masterpiece — four concise, deeply expressive studies that forecast the poetic intimacy and architectural mastery of Brahms’ later piano music.

Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21 by César Franck (1822-1890) Approximately 17 minutes

César Franck’s Prélude, Chorale and Fugue (1884) is one of the landmarks of 19th-Century piano literature. The work unfolds as a single, continuous dramatic arc in three interconnected sections, each with its own character yet bound together by recurring themes that evolve across the piece.

The Prélude begins in a mood of introspective melancholy. Its flowing arpeggios and searching harmonies create an atmosphere of spiritual yearning, characteristic of Franck’s organ-inspired harmonic language. This opening material introduces several thematic seeds that will later return in transformed guises.

The central Chorale is the emotional and structural heart of the work.

Built on a solemn, hymn-like theme, it evokes the gravity and dignity of liturgical music. Underneath its devotional surface, the harmonies are rich and chromatic, revealing inner tension that propels the music forward.

The Chorale serves both as a moment of repose and as preparation for the dramatic culmination to come.

The Fugue emerges organically from the Chorale’s closing gestures.

Its subject is assertive and tightly constructed, yet Franck infuses the counterpoint with Romantic warmth. As the fugue progresses, themes from the Prélude and Chorale reappear, merging in a triumphant synthesis. The final pages bring a sense of spiritual resolution, uniting passionate expression with architectural mastery — an enduring hallmark of Franck’s style.

I. Andante II. Andante III. Imtermezzo. Allegro.

IV. Andante con moto

César Franck Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21 François Couperin Selections from 16th Ordre Johannes Brahms The Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24 CONCERT SPONSOR

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Selections from 16th Ordre by François Couperin (1668-1733) With François Couperin’s 16th Ordre, tonight’s program of great piano works takes a step back in history from Romantic intensity to Baroque grace and elegance. The French composer Couperin used the term “ordre” simply to refer to a group or suite of pieces.

The 16th Ordre, dating from 1722, is a superb example of the composer’s ability to fuse elegance, subtle characterization, and expressive nuance within the French keyboard tradition. The suite consists of a collection of evocative character pieces, sometimes highly ornamental, whose titles hint at moods, personalities, or scenes familiar to Couperin’s day and time.

The ordre opens with Les Graces incomparables ou La Conti, often interpreted as a tribute to the Duchess de Bourbon-Condé. Its refined ornamentation and graceful melodic lines exemplify Couperin’s art of goût, the cultivated taste so prized in early 18th-Century France.

The following pieces continue this interplay of charm and imagination. La Pantomime, one of the most celebrated works in the set, conjures images of commedia dell’arte figures through lively rhythms, rhetorical gestures, and playful contrasts. Couperin’s ability to suggest theatrical motion without sacrificing musical coherence is especially evident here.

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Throughout the 16th Ordre, Couperin blends expressive harmonic turns with intricate ornamentation, creating music that is intimate, witty, and (continued on next page)

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richly textured. The final pieces bring the suite to a poised, contemplative close, reaffirming Couperin’s status as a master of refined keyboard poetry whose miniature forms conceal remarkable depth and sophistication.

The Variations and Fugue on a Theme

by Handel, Op. 24 by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Approximately 27 minutes

Johannes Brahms’ Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, written in 1861, is creative marvel. Brahms takes a simple, elegant melody by Baroque composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) and transforms it brilliantly through 25 variations followed by a dramatic fugue.

The piece is one of Brahms’ great achievements. It also stands as a supreme test of a piano virtuoso’s technique.

The main melody comes from Handel’s Keyboard Suite No. 1 in which Handel himself wrote a delightful series of variations on the main theme.

Handel’s theme, spare and gracefully proportioned, provides an ideal foundation for Brahms’ imagination.

Instead of ornamenting the melody in a purely Baroque manner, he treats each variation as an opportunity to explore new textures, characters, and technical challenges.

episode (Variation No. 2), then a trippingly playful Variation No. 3.

Suddenly, the pianist embarks upon a muscular declaration full of energy and rhythmic momentum (Variation No. 4). Then, by sharp contrast, a gem: Variation No. 5 is a nocturne, gentle, introspective and wistful.

The piece continues with two dozen more marvelously contrasting episodes.

Brahms alternates between delicate filigree, forceful chordal writing and passagework that demands both virtuosity and clarity. Yet the technical brilliance is always in service of musical meaning.

The concluding fugue crowns the work with grandeur. Though its contrapuntal rigor reflects Brahms’ study of Bach and earlier masters, the fugue is infused with Romantic warmth and expansive pianism.

Themes from the variations subtly echo within its structure, unifying the entire set.

In its fusion of historic awareness, structural ingenuity, and expressive depth, Brahms’ Handel Variations exemplify his ability to revitalize traditional forms with modern emotional resonance. The work remains a cornerstone of the piano repertoire, admired for its intellectual mastery and sheer musical invention.

Some variations retain the theme’s phrase structure and harmonic outline, while others radically reimagine it through rhythmic displacement, contrapuntal enrichment or expressive reinterpretation. The result is a kaleidoscopic succession of moods: playful, introspective, heroic, and tender.

The emotional variety of the piece is on display from the early measures.

The first theme an audience hears is Handel’s Baroque melody, simply stated without alternation. Next comes a spirited, jaunty Variation No. 1. After that is a more lyrical

70 ∙ Piano Recital with Awadagin Pratt

Program notes by Paul Hyde © 2025 Paul Hyde, a longtime arts journalist, is an English instructor at Tri-County Technical College in South Carolina. He writes regularly for the Greenville Journal, the S.C. Daily Gazette, EarRelevant, ArtsATL, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Readers may write to him at phyde@tctc.edu.

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UN BROKEN INGRAM MOZART SHOSTAKOVICH 72 ∙ Masterworks 7: Unbroken

MASTERWORKS 7 First Baptist Church of Asheville May 16, 2026 2:00 p.m. + 8:00 p.m.

Darko Butorac Conductor Awadagin Pratt Piano Our season finale opens with Rainn, a newly commissioned work by Karena Ingram, whose music is celebrated for its vivid textures. Mozart’s twelfth piano concerto follows, balancing sophistication with elegance. Finally, Shostakovich’s striking Tenth emerges from darkness into light; searing drama gives way to triumphant resolution as Shostakovich makes a powerful declaration of personal and artistic resilience.

Karena Ingram Rainn

Rainn by Karena Ingram Approximately 4 minutes

Karena Ingram’s Rainn, which premiered in 2025, is a striking exploration of nature, emotion and resilience. It has quickly become a centerpiece of contemporary symphonic repertoire.

Ingram, a Baltimore-based composer known for her imaginative use of color and texture, describes her music as deeply connected to natural imagery. Critics have praised her works as “stunning” and “beautiful musical depictions of nature.”

Rainn continues this tradition, evoking the fluidity and unpredictability of rainfall while also suggesting renewal and emotional transformation.

In interviews, Ingram explained that Rainn grew out of her fascination with how rain embodies both fragility and strength. It can be gentle and nourishing, yet also overwhelming and transformative.

The altered spelling of the title — Rainn rather than Rain — underscores its symbolic weight, turning the phenomenon into a presence or character rather than a mere description.

Rainn unfolds in sweeping gestures and delicate textures, capturing both the gentleness and the force of rainfall. Strings shimmer with transparency, winds add coloristic detail, and brass surges evoke the storm’s grandeur. The orchestration mirrors the dual nature of rain: nourishing yet overwhelming, fragile yet powerful.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414 Awadagin Pratt, Piano I. Allegro II. Andante III. Allegretto INTERMISSION

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The piece was commissioned through the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program, as part of a consortium model designed to give new works multiple performances across the country. It received its premiere by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra under Robert Moody on May 17–18, 2025, Beyond its sonic qualities, Rainn represents the growing visibility of women composers in major symphonic programming. By weaving natural imagery with emotional depth, Ingram offers a work that is both personal and universal, a meditation on resilience and renewal that resonates far beyond its premiere.

Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Approximately 25 minutes

Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12 (1782) is one of the first works the composer wrote after settling in Vienna, and it reflects his new independence as a performer-composer eager to impress both connoisseurs and a broader public. Though modest in scale compared with his later concertos, it displays remarkable poise, clarity, and expressive depth, revealing Mozart’s mature style already fully in bloom.

The first movement, Allegro, opens with a graceful orchestral introduction that sets a sunny, elegant tone. When the pianist enters, the melody is a meditation on the introductory material. The pianist engages in a conversational interplay with the orchestra, embodying Mozart’s ideal of dialogue rather than virtuoso dominance. The themes are memorable and cleanly drawn, enriched with delicate ornamentation and subtle harmonic turns.

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The second movement, Andante, is notable for its touching lyricism and quiet dignity. Mozart bases its main theme on a melody by Johann Christian Bach, his beloved mentor who had died shortly before the concerto was written. At the age of eight, Mozart had sat with Bach, improvising piano duets before King George III. (This would have been a dozen years before the American Revolution.)

Mozart’s gentle tribute lends the movement an air of affectionate melancholy that deepens its simplicity and warmth.

The finale, a lively Allegretto, brings the concerto to a spirited close. The form is that of a rondo, in which the main theme recurs from time to time with episodes in between. Light, witty, and rhythmically buoyant, the movement showcases Mozart’s gift for effortless charm and deft structural balance. Altogether, the Piano Concerto No. 12 stands as an intimate yet sophisticated work, prized for its elegance, transparency, and heartfelt expressiveness.

Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) Approximately 57 minutes

Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 is an extraordinary work of searing force and ferocity, one of the towering orchestral achievements of the 20th Century.

Composed in 1953 shortly after Stalin’s death, the symphony is often read as Shostakovich’s artistic reckoning with years of stark oppression under the Soviet regime.

While the composer never confirmed explicit political meaning, the symphony’s turbulent power, biting irony, and moments of profound introspection strongly suggest a deeply personal statement.

The first movement, Moderato, is a vast, brooding soundscape. At almost 30 minutes in length, this movement is longer than the entirety of many Mozart symphonies. Its slow, dark opening unfolds with a sense

74 ∙ Masterworks 7: Unbroken

of suppressed anguish, building gradually into passages of almost brutal intensity. Shostakovich’s orchestration is masterful: low strings and winds create a desolate atmosphere, while sudden climaxes erupt with overwhelming force. The movement’s scale and seriousness evoke the composer’s great wartime symphonies, but its inwardness and psychological depth are uniquely haunting. It concludes quietly in an atmosphere balanced between bleakness and serenity — a characteristically ambivalent way for Shostakovich to end a long movement.

The brief second movement, Allegro, is one of Shostakovich’s most ferocious scherzos. Its relentless rhythmic drive and explosive orchestral writing have often been interpreted as a musical portrait of Stalin himself — violent, brutal, and unyielding. Whether or not this reading is literal, the music’s sheer speed and force suggest an embodiment of tyranny or terror, contrasting with the expansive melancholy of the first movement.

With the third movement, Allegretto, the tone shifts to a more enigmatic and introspective world. Central to this movement is the musical motif D–E♭–C–B (in German notation D–S– C–H), representing Shostakovich’s own initials. This autobiographical signature appears throughout his later works, but here it is introduced with particular tenderness, interwoven with a graceful horn theme thought to symbolize a former student, Elmira Nazirova, with whom Shostakovich carried on a lifetime correspondence.

The movement becomes a kind of coded personal narrative, oscillating between self-assertion and vulnerability.

The finale begins in shadows, echoing the weight of the preceding movements, but gradually moves toward a brighter, more celebratory spirit. After a slow, ominous introduction, the main Allegro bursts forth with energy that is by turns playful, defiant, and exuberant.

The main theme is a gopak, a dance that is traditionally wild but here

it is frenetic, suggesting either a nightmare or hysteric joy — perhaps both. The listener may decide. The tension is briefly broken by a solo bassoon, playing a simplified version of the gopak tune. (As one music observer noted, this is the equivalent of the entry of the drunk in a Russian opera, suggesting the satiric response to tragedy: relentless drinking and dancing.) The DSCH motif returns brilliantly near the end, suggesting a hard-won sense of identity or liberation, the victory of art over oppression. The symphony concludes with a bold, affirmative gesture that feels both cathartic and ambiguous. If the symphony ultimately celebrates the end of Stalin oppression, Shostakovich communicates the message with ambivalence as a triumph marred by the horror of the past.

Taken as a whole, Symphony No. 10 is a deeply human work — one that confronts suffering, fear, and the struggle for selfhood under oppressive circumstances. Its blend of raw emotion, structural clarity, and symbolic richness has made it one of Shostakovich’s most performed and admired creations, a symphony that speaks with undiminished power to audiences today.

Program notes by Paul Hyde © 2025 Paul Hyde, a longtime arts journalist, is an English instructor at Tri-County Technical College in South Carolina. He writes regularly for the Greenville Journal, the S.C. Daily Gazette, EarRelevant, ArtsATL, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Readers may write to him at phyde@tctc.edu.

Awadagin Pratt, Piano

Through his career as a pianist, conductor, educator, and curator, Awadagin Pratt shines a light on voices of the past and present and paves the way for a new generation of inventive musical artists.

Since winning the Naumburg International Piano Competition in 1992 and receiving a 1994 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Pratt has received acclaim for delivering “forceful, imaginative, and precisely tinted” performances (The Washington Post) and been hailed as “one of the great and distinctive American pianists and conductors of our time” (WGBH). He has appeared at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at the invitation of the Clinton and Obama administrations and performed with the Boston and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, the New York Philharmonic, and many others. His 2023 recording, Stillpoint, explores the truth and beauty in T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets through new works by Tyshawn Sorey, Paola Prestini, Peteris Vasks, Jessie Montgomery, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Alvin Singleton, and Judd Greenstein.

He became principal conductor of the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra in the 2023/24 season and has conducted the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bang on a Can at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. In response to the murder of George Floyd, Pratt created Awadagin Pratt: Black in America, a multimedia musical experience that fuses music of Bach, Messiaen, and Liszt with film by Alrick Brown and narration chronicling his life through graphic accounts of numerous police stops and arrests he experienced for Driving While Black.

Pratt’s commitment to the next generation is evidenced by his work as founding director of the Next Generation Festival, the Art of the Piano Foundation, and the Nina Simone Piano Competition. He is professor of piano at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Discover the Power of the Arts We applaud the Asheville Symphony Orchestra for sharing one of life’s greatest treasures with our community.

“Where Words Fail, Music Speaks” – Hans Christian Andersen

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Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management Is Proud To Support Asheville Symphony The Andry-Harris Group at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management Michael Andry Family Wealth Director Senior Vice President Private Wealth Advisor 500 College Street Asheville, NC 28801 828-250-8744 michael.andry@morganstanleypwm.com advisor.morganstanley.com/the-andry-harris-group NC Insurance Lic. #15850592 NMLS #663185

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76 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

Your ad could be here next season!

See your ad in the next Asheville Symphony Program Book! Our program book consists of advertisements from sponsors, paid advertisers, and even donated ad space.

With over 25 performances during the season, we’ll distribute over 10,000 copies of the program book between September and May. Interested in seeing your ad in the next program book? Call 828.254.7046 or email info@ashevillesymphony.org for more details on how to advertise or sponsor!

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WITH THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY 78 ∙ Andrew Bird with the Asheville Symphony

Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville Thomas Wolfe Auditorium May 29, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.

Andrew Bird Violin & Voice With a distinctive sound that resists categorization, GRAMMY nominated violinist, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist, Andrew Bird, makes his debut with the Asheville Symphony. Balancing swelling sounds with jazz, folk, and pop melodies in an unforgettable display of unique virtuosity, Bird celebrates the 20th anniversary of his acclaimed record The Mysterious Production of Eggs. Featuring a top-to-bottom album performance with orchestral arrangements, Bird caps off the performance with a suite of fan-favorite tunes from his near 30-year repertoire.

PREMIUM SEASON SPONSORS

OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

Andrew Bird Since beginning his recording career in 1997, Andrew Bird has released 18 albums and performed extensively across the globe, headlining concerts at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and festivals worldwide.

Bird has been a featured TED Talks presenter, a New Yorker Festival guest, and an op-ed contributor for the New York Times.

He performed as the Whistling Caruso in Disney’s The Muppets and scored the FX Series Baskets. Shortly after receiving his 2020 GRAMMY nomination for Best Folk Album, Bird made his professional acting debut in the cast of FX’s Fargo.

In 2025, Bird celebrates the 20th anniversary of his acclaimed record The Mysterious Production of Eggs with a limited run of concerts, performing the record for the first time in its entirety alongside a full orchestra.

Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 79

80 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

may 29-31 the orange peel

a weekend unlike any other in asheville

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Supporting the Arts in Western North Carolina for Over 45 Years

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82 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

REDEFINE THE WEEKEND

Open Studios. Festivals.

Galleries. Artist Demos.

Concerts. Art Markets.

Performances. Museums.

Tours. Public Art Trails.

Let the weekend revitalize you. ArtsAVL, the hub for all things art in Buncombe County, offers itineraries and ideas to extend your visit beyond the usual eat-drink-stay into a vibrant, unforgettable experience.

Photos are courtesy of Asheville Mardi Gras, River Arts District Artists, LaZoom Comedy Bus Tour, NC Glass Center, and LEAF Global Arts.

Learn more at artsavl.org

Asheville Community Theatre | ashevilletheatre.org Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 83

Home Delivery EVERY WEEK

HOM E DEL IVE RY

Help Mountain Xpress Stay Strong SUBSCRIBE @ MountainX.com 828-251-1333 84 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

Move your business forward at our Center for Business Empowerment

We’re proud to support business owners in Western North Carolina with access to the powerful resources they need to launch, grow and succeed.

Here’s how we make music with your dollars: $50

Covers the music for one Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra Honors Strings Ensemble performance

$170

Covers the cost of orchestra folders for ten Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra students

$450

Pays for one Music in the Schools program (one quintet, one school, one hour)

$750

Allows us to offer one masterclass for emerging young musicians with an esteemed guest soloist

$1,300

Covers the cost of one Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra student’s participation throughout the school year, including tuition and other program expenses

$5,000

Allows for one workshop for the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra

$10,000

Pays the fees and travel for one guest soloist

$40,000

Covers the cost of presenting one Young People’s Concert for Asheville City’s and Buncombe County’s fifth graders

To learn more, visit bankofamerica.com/asheville

What would you like the power to do?®

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender. ©2024 Bank of America Corporation.

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INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTERS

The Asheville Symphony recognizes the following organizations whose generous commitment to the arts in WNC enables us to present top-quality concerts and music education programs in our 2025-2026 season:

PREMIUM SEASON SPONSORS

OFFICIAL AUTOMOTIVE COMPANY OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

$25,000+

This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

$15,000+

$10,000+

$5,000+

86 ∙ Asheville Symphony Spring 2026 Program Supporters Book

$3,000+

PARTNERSHIPS WITH IMPACT Every Asheville Symphony performance represents an opportunity for meaningful connection with a multigenerational audience of more than 45,000 individuals per year. When you partner with the Asheville Symphony, you support our mission to transform lives with the power of music while engaging with business leaders, community advocates, and local decisionmakers who recognize the organizations that invest in our community’s artistic ecosystem.

Corporate and business sponsorships provide vital support through a variety of dynamic funding opportunities that enable our artistic, community outreach, and music education programs.

Partnering with us will enable your company to: • • • •

Increase brand awareness Receive complimentary tickets and discounts Entertain clients and reward employees Enjoy access to Asheville Symphony artists, leadership, and guest performers • Market your company in creative ways

MEDIA SPONSORS

MEDIA PARTNER

Contact the Development team at 828.820.2520 or development@ashevillesymphony.org to learn more about how a partnership can achieve your organization’s goals while strengthening our community’s cultural fabric. We look forward to customizing a sponsorship package that maximizes your impact.

Asheville AshevilleSymphony Symphony∙ ∙AshevilleSymphony.org AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 87

88 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

Training physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals with a passion for excellence and a heart for service since 1974.

MAHEC Biltmore Campus

WWW.MAHEC.NET Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 89

LET’S COUNT THE REASONS WE’RE THE HOSPITAL WNC COUNTS ON.

1. We were ranked as the top hospital in North Carolina, alongside Duke University and Wake Med. 2. We were named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery.

3. We earned the highest STS rating for heart surgeries.

4. We lead with the largest robotic surgery program in the Carolinas.

5. More than 850 infants are cared for in our Level III NICU each year.

We’re running out of room…but you get the point.

Learn more reasons at MissionShowsUp.com.

90 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

Susan and John, dancers

Live the life you love.

Find out how at AboutActs.com/Symphony or call (888) 529-2962.

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ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS Thank you for supporting your Asheville Symphony.

Contributions to the Asheville Symphony support our artistic and educational programming — everything from the music performed on stage by our highly trained and talented musicians to the education programs our musicians implement when visiting local elementary schools. With ticket sales making up less than one third of our budget, the Asheville Symphony relies on the generosity of community members like you to provide the support we need to continue serving Western North Carolina.

You can choose how to direct your support: • • • • • •

Annual Fund Sponsorship Artist Residency Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra Music Education Initiatives Endowment

2025-2026 DONOR LIST

The following recognition encompasses contributions made from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.

$100,000+ John and Carol Jackson in honor of Doris Harwitz

$50,000 - $99,999 Asheville Symphony Guild Flow Volkswagen Porsche Audi of Asheville Bill and Nancy Gettys iHeart Media Kimpton Hotel Arras Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker JoAnne Setzer* Jill Vargo, MD and Tony Sciara, Ph.D

$25,000 - $49,999 North Carolina Arts Council Henry A. LaBrun Jo Edda Rosskamp Bonnie Stone

$15,000 - $24,999 Michael and Catty Andry Thomas C. Bolton Sean and Erika Comeaux Lynne and John Eramo Explore Asheville Givens Communities Hatchworks Coworking Keith Keener Jim and Mary Kirby David and Pamela Lane Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management: The Andry / Harris Team The Payne Fund 92 ∙ Asheville Asheville Symphony SymphonySupporters Supporters

$10,000 - $14,999 Craig Allen and Julie Cowden ArtsAVL Audrey Love Charitable Foundation Rich and Diane Byers Chaddick Foundation Jerry and Diane Cunningham George and Kathy Dambach Dr. Bolling Farmer Paul and Patty Gaumond Helle Creative Randall and Mary Johnson Gerald and Nancy Kitch Amy Loether William McKenna and Suzanne Landis Tony McLean Brown and Kelli Darlin Northwestern Mutual: Marlowe Pasarilla Wealth Management Group Phil and Katie Osborn Kevin Pasarilla and Jennifer Marlowe Penley Produce Vacation Homes Bob and Martha Pierce QC Kinetix Richard Schaffer and Anastasia Bartlett Bill Schulz and Odile Perrenoud Ed and Cindy Towson Walnut Cove Members Association Travis Worl & Richard Lindau David and Dianne Worley

$7,500 - $9,999 Mary and Jack Anderson Beverly Briedis Gary and Patty Coleman HomeTrust Bank Paul and Liz Hosier McGuire, Wood & Bissette Gary and Neesa Warlen

$5,000 - $7,499 Anonymous Stephen Anderson* and Janine Anderson-Bays

Awaken Skin & Body Bank of America Blue Spiral 1 Buncombe County Birch Carlson City of Asheville Clover CBD Dispensary Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Foundation John and Suellyn Felker First Bank Adarrell Gadsden and Marcie Ownbey Fred and Cindy Groce Richard Hall in memory of his wife Yolanda Highland Brewing Company Mountaine Jonas Kathryn Theodore Travel Advisors Jill and Joe Lawrence Dr. and Mrs. Ralph C. Loomis The Matt & Molly Team Mercy Urgent Care National Endowment for the Arts Russell and Ladene Newton Nova Kitchen and Bath Dr. Rachel E. Raab and Dr. Francois Archambault B.A. and Gary Schenk Thomas G. Tachovsky and Lynn G. Baird James S. Thompson Steven and Michele Warner

$2,500 - $4,999 Anonymous Clifford Albertson and Anne Jarema Diana and Henry Asher Meredith Balgley and Erik Bendix Diana Bilbrey Lucy and Kirk Borland Ed and Donna Broadwell Crawley, Lee & Company, PA Hunting and Mary Deutsch Jurgen and Leslie Dierks Nancy and Ron Edgerton Betty Fox Anne Gatling Linda and Michael Gilpin Clair Griffith and Geoffrey Mitchell Jon and Ann Kemske John and Janet Long Carolyn Marlowe

Billie Marzullo Robert Maxwell and Shelia Elingburg Carol and Hugh McCollum Roberta Moll Morgan Stanley Foundation Amy Neel Ann Perry Gail Reagan and Jim Graham Irene Dillingham Richards Family Foundation Susie and John Ruhl The Sabri Foundation Troy Schmidt and Diane Song Yvonne Smith J. Howard and Honey Solomon Irene and Michael Stoll Constance Wald Alan and Kathleen Young

$1,000 - $2,499 Anonymous Don and Nancy Ackermann Cole Brad and Diane Arnold David and Sydney Atkinson Ruth Barnhardt Bass Charitable Fund Mike Bauer and Rosaire Nottage Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Bayer William Bond and Johnny Ko Dr. Jane Bramham Claude and Sallie Broach Bill* and Clarita Burton Nan Buschmann Linda Bushar Timothy Butts and Susan Harrington Butts Amy Campbell Randy and Martha Carson Gene and Lee Casey John and Jeanne Condren Joel and Carole Hampton Cotter Daniel and Caroline Crupi Dr. John and Mrs. Wendy Cuellar Darilyn Dealy and Lee Pagel Vincent Devore Lori Doerr John and Suzie Donahoe Karen Dugas Patricia Eargle John and Marsha Ellis Dr. Alan and Suzanne Escovitz

Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 93

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

Ralph Protsik and Susan Wolin Jayne Schnaars and Donald Gavin Sarah Van Gunten Olivia and Gary Zahler

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

Susan Fisher Elaine and Michael Fulbright Neil and Cindy Garroway Joseph Gigliotti Clementine Gregory Stephen Griffith Michael J. Grillot Rhonda and Marcus Grimes Dr. and Mrs. Heinz K. Grohs Sam and Robin Harben Ann Hayes Virginia W. Hayes Dr. John Hazlehurst Jill and Dwight Healy Tom and Patricia Hearron Jennine Hough Fred and Heather Hudson Barbara and Bill Hume Bill and Kitty Hunt Stan Ingber and Laura Robbins Nan Jackson and Heinz Sauer Suzanne Jones Sandra Kinzie Bebe Landis Susan and David Leader Tom and Dian Leeper Nancy Lilly and Marie-Odile Froment James Losse and Ellen Haack Linda Lutz and Gary Ticknor Cynthia MacLeod Carol and Pedro Martinez Ann and Jerry McLellan James H. McMillan and Carol H. Kaufman Barbara Mueller Jeffrey and Lisa Owen Pam and Rex Prosser Michelle Rippon Robin T. Rutledge and Karen Keeler Rogers Wade and Mary Margaret Saunders Larry and Marilyn Shames Edward Sims Evelyn Spies Beth Stickle Schoenheit James Storey and Janice Collins Gary and Jeanne Ann Stroebel Cathy Stryker Jill Tourtellot Judith Van Horne and Stephen Hendricks Paul and Valorie Vliek Betty Walker

94 ∙ Asheville Symphony Supporters

$500 - $999 Anonymous Nanette Blandin Dr. Stephen D. and Mrs. Linda B. Brown Elizabeth Button Karen Campbell Jeannette and Robert Cannon Michael Cleveland and Maria-Grazia Nunzi Todd and Paula Clossin Virginia Craig Ellie Daniels Mary Ellen Dendy and Aaron Dahlstrom Judith Domer Daniel Dunn and Amy Gordon Kristen Dusenbery Drs. Louis Dwarshuis and Marilyn Kolton Bruce and Day Ann Emory Bill and Lynnell Goacher Scott and Sally Gregg Betty Gumpert Derek Hoffman Nancy Houha Tom and Libby Irwin Pat Johnston Elizabeth Justice Amy and John Kelso Pat & Bud Kofron Michael Kryzanek Rita Lenderman Virginia and Drew Litzenberger Chuck Lockwood and Patrick Ryan Henry and Elizabeth Mainwaring Gail and Ron Manheimer Diane and John Martin Anna and Michael Mazur The Patricia McCauley Charitable Gift Fund Ricky McGrath Anne McKenzie Barbara McWicker Leslie Newman John K. Orr Amy Plankenhorn Julene Reese Roberts Kitti Reynolds John and Pam Roeth Frank Rutland Kenneth and Elizabeth Schapira Ann H. Skoglund Robert Stone and Jan Hundhausen Carol and Terrence Tinkel

Christopher Underwood Dr. Larry R. Versteegh Matthew and Sarah Volk Kathleen Busby and Razz Waff Donna and Randy Weast Jeff and Susie Wellington George Wilds and Steve Connell Paul B. Williamson Hank Young Gregory and Marjorie Zack

$250 - $499 Anonymous Joshua Aaronson Brad and Roberta Allen Dr. Sophia Anastasia and Mr. Nicholas Tzavaras Karen Bain Joseph Beckham Elizabeth Boys David G. and Lin Brown Bob and Bonnie Busby Jane Caris Bill and Meg Clontz Gerald Davies Kim Eiring Francis Erckmann Polly S. Feitzinger Linda and Jeffrey Fromson Martha Gettys Mrs. Edeltraut Gilgan-Hunt George and Elaine Goosmann Tom Gurley Joseph and Debra Hanig Lorraine Harrison Peter Wortham Hawes Sara Y. Henley Terry Hess Joel Horwich Bill Jacobs and Susan Posey Marian and Thomas Jerdee Margaret Kelso Arthur Kirby Drs. Paul and Hannah Kirschenfeld Elfi LaPlante Pamela Lowe-Hoyte and Otho Hoyte Elwood Miles David Miller Martha and Thomas Mills Kathryn and Peter Muhs

Your gift to the Asheville Symphony’s Annual Fund makes a difference in our community.

A donation to your Symphony makes it possible for you to be a part of the magic that happens in our Masterworks series at First Baptist Church of Asheville and all across our region throughout the year. Ticket and subscription sales cover about 35% of our operating costs, and contributions to the annual fund make up the difference.

Powerful, world-class performances

Your donation, no matter the size, directly supports our mission and helps us reach even more people. To learn more about Annual Fund giving, contact the Development office at 828.820.2520 or development@ashevillesymphony.org.

Visit AshevilleSymphony.org/ Donate to make gift today.

Bringing the joy of music to WNC kids ages 8-19

Uniting our community through music

Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 95

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

SUPPORT YOUR ANNUAL FUND

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

Angie Newsome Vicki Richards Don Roberts David Russell Ilona and Michael Sena Barbara and Marty Stickle Margaret K. Storey Donald Talbert Andy and Betsy White Christy Winer Marlene and John Yokim Thomas Young

$100 - $249 Anonymous Michael Aldredge Pauline Aridas Asheville Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota Douglas Atchley and Lee Davis Bill and Sally Atkins Ann Batchelder and Henri Kieffer Tom and Kay Beardsley Marty and Barbara Beckerman William Berenson Adlai and Karen Boyd Rita Nilsen and Carl Brickman Barbara Brinson Allan and Jean Brown Clinton Bugg and Jeff Nucey Nathan and Anne Burkhardt Lynne Cannady John and Gail Carpenter Carol Carson Nancy Casey Gary Clark Allyson Conner Kaye Cox-Andrews Bishop Charles and Karen Crutchfield Mary Cunningham Alexa and Rich Dann Martin and Ivy Dyckman Linda Engwall Don and Joy Erbes Edward and Amy Euler Cary and Koni Findlay Stephen and Jackie Finstad Maralyn Flint Gayle Freeauf Alan J. Freedman 96 ∙ Asheville Symphony Supporters

Ellenor Frelick Mary Goodkind Robert Graf Michael Groothuis Carolyn Guthrie Amanda Hall and Robert Zeid Gail Harris and John Boneparth Mark Hornsby Margaret Hsiao Steve and Nancy Hurst Ralph and Sheryl Husby Thorunn Ivey John and Karla Jalocha Susan Jensen and Lew Gelfond James King Christopher Keene Bill Kilpatrick Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Koupal Karen Lachow Eric and Mala Lapp Tim Lawler Jody Lehman Walter Leginski Deborah Lewis Dr. Ken and Mrs. Marjorie Loken Kathryn Long and Axel Graumann Rev. Alexandra Lusak Shane and Sarah Lympany Suzanne and Jay Mahler Tonya Maxwell and Kim Stevens Jerry McAninch Geeta Jyothi McGahey Patricia Meckler Steven Meyerson Julie Modaff Robert Moench Allen and Joyce Moore Frank Moretz Gina and Dale Nelson Francis Nullet Christopher Okopny Eric and Lynn Ordnung Tom Oreck Betty J. Paine Nadine Perry Barbara Pettigrew Barbara Phelan Jack and Susan Pierce Donald and Brenta Poole Laurie Pulver Kathleen Quinlan and Marc Parham

Mary Racek Lynnell W. Reese Richard and Deborah Reynolds Sherree Roller and David Janson Evan and Susan Rosenberg Carol and Michael Rosenblum Stephanie Rosener Jeffrey and Bea Russell Bob Rymer Barbara Schrader Nancy Schuman Steven Scott Katina Scudder Stephen and Carol Sedgwick Ruth Sieber Johnson Angela Sherzer Frederick and Dorothy Smith Jane and Edward Smith Jerrold Smith Bill and Frances Smyth Robert and Karen Sutton John and Mary Tadey Janet Thatcher The Togar family Elise Van Audenhove Jean Veilleux Robert Weinberg Sue and Robert White Calvin and Susan Willis Larry and Janie Wilson Barbara Witt

$50 - $99 Margie Armour Shannon Baggett Elinor Bowman Diana Brewster Anna Broome Nancy Buchanan Dr. Sausan Campbell Marie Chamberlin Susan Delaloye Amy Dragon Deborah Francis Chowdhary Gondy Linda Hawkins John Hoskins Deborah Klopp Rosalind Koepke Jeremy and Susan Lerner

$15,000 - $24,999

2024-2025 DONOR LIST

Ingeborg Meeke* JoAnne Setzer*

Michael and Catty Andry ArtsAVL Tony McLean Brown and Kelli Darlin Explore Asheville Dr. Bolling Farmer Givens Communities Keith Keener Amy Loether Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management: The Andry / Harris Team Penley Produce Vacation Homes J. Howard and Honey Solomon Ed and Cindy Towson Sarah Van Gunten Travis Worl and Richard Lindau Olivia and Gary Zahler

$50,000 - $99,999

$10,000 - $14,999

Asheville Symphony Guild Dr. E. Brown Crosby Flow Volkswagen Porsche Audi of Asheville iHeart Media Kimpton Hotel Arras North Carolina Arts Council Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker

Craig Allen and Julie Cowden Audrey Love Charitable Foundation Rich and Diane Byers Chaddick Foundation Sean and Erika Comeaux George and Kathy Dambach John and Suellyn Felker Hatchworks Coworking Helle Creative Randall and Mary Johnson Dr. and Mrs. Ralph C. Loomis Barbra and Keith Love Bob and Martha Pierce QC Kinetix Jo Edda Rosskamp Richard Schaffer and Anastasia Bartlett Jayne Schnaars and Donald Gavin David and Dianne Worley

The following recognition encompasses contributions made from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, including support from the 2025 Asheville Amadeus Gala.

$100,000+

$25,000 - $49,999

*Denotes Deceased

Matching Gifts Many companies offer a matching gift program for employee (and retiree!) charitable donations — this can double or triple your gift! Thank you to the following companies who have recently matched donor gifts: AIG Bank of America Boeing Steelcase Foundation Shell Oil Company Foundation

Thomas C. Bolton Clover CBD Dispensary The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Lynne and John Eramo Bill and Nancy Gettys Jim and Mary Kirby Gerald and Nancy Kitch Henry A. LaBrun David and Pamela Lane Northwestern Mutual: Marlowe Pasarilla Wealth Management Group Kevin Pasarilla and Jennifer Marlowe The Payne Fund Bonnie Stone James S. Thompson

$7,500 - $9,999 Anonymous Mary and Jack Anderson Nancy and Ron Edgerton Carol and Hugh McCollum McGuire, Wood & Bissette Phil and Katie Osborn Ralph Protsik and Susan Wolin Bill Schulz and Odile Perrenoud Roberts & Stevens, P.A.

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ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

Kathleen Link Barbara Loeb Rebekah Lowe Ferris L. Lyle Carol Marin Dagi Murphy Joanne Neary Stephen V. Pascale Judith Polinko K. Ramaswamy Philip Ramsey Norman Ray Thomas Roman Colleen and Jimmy Sullivan James Tober Norman and Janet Weeks Melanie Welty Helen Whitlock

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

Thomas G. Tachovsky and Lynn G. Baird Gary and Neesa Warlen

$5,000 - $7,499 Anonymous Stephen Anderson* and Janine Anderson-Bays Brad and Diane Arnold Awaken Skin & Body Bank of America Ashley Sayre Bell Diana Bilbrey Blue Spiral 1 Buncombe County Birch Carlson City of Asheville Gary and Patty Coleman Dr. John and Mrs. Wendy Cuellar Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Foundation First Bank Adarrell Gadsden and Marcie Ownbey Highland Brewing Company HomeTrust Bank Kathryn Theodore Travel Advisors Jill and Joe Lawrence The Matt & Molly Team Kathryn and Peter Muhs Publix Super Market Charities B.A. and Gary Schenk Yvonne Smith Jill Vargo, MD and Tony Sciara, Ph.D

$2,500 - $4,999 Anonymous Clifford Albertson and Anne Jarema The Brookshire Garside Group of BAIRD Lucy and Kirk Borland Beverly Briedis Bill* and Clarita Burton Linda Bushar Timothy Butts and Susan Harrington Butts Gene and Lee Casey Jane Christiansen* Crawley, Lee & Company, PA Jerry and Diane Cunningham D.R. Horton John and Suzie Donahoe Robert Maxwell and Shelia Elingburg Peter and Jasmin Gentling 98 ∙ Asheville Symphony Supporters

Debbie Green Rhonda and Marcus Grimes Fred and Cindy Groce Richard Hall in memory of his wife Yolanda Paul and Liz Hosier Bill and Kitty Hunt Mountaine Jonas Jon and Ann Kemske Margarete W. Moon Endowment of the CFWNC Carolyn Marlowe Ann and Jerry McLellan Mercy Urgent Care Carol Marin, Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty Amy Neel Russell and Ladene Newton Ann Perry Jim Reeves The Sabri Foundation Troy Schmidt and Diane Song Irene and Michael Stoll Walnut Cove Members Association Alan and Kathleen Young Hank Young

$1,000 - $2,499 Anonymous Don and Nancy Ackermann Cole Mike* and Lorna Anderberg David and Sydney Atkinson Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Bayer William Bond and Johnny Ko Claude and Sallie Broach Ed and Donna Broadwell Buster and Karen Brown Amy Campbell Lynne Cannady Randy and Martha Carson Georgia Case Charles Clogston* John and Jeanne Condren Daniel and Caroline Crupi Darilyn Dealy and Lee Pagel Jurgen and Leslie Dierks Gregory Dray Karen Dugas Jan Duwelius Patricia Eargle

Richard and Bridget Eckerd Travis Elliot John and Marsha Ellis Dr. Alan and Suzanne Escovitz Susan Fisher Betty Fox Judy Galloway in memory of Don Galloway Neil and Cindy Garroway Anne Gatling Joseph Gigliotti Scott and Sally Gregg Clementine Gregory Clair Griffith and Geoffrey Mitchell Michael J. Grillot Dr. and Mrs. Heinz K. Grohs Sam and Robin Harben Dr. John Hazlehurst Jill and Dwight Healy Jennine Hough Fred and Heather Hudson Barbara and Bill Hume Stan Ingber and Laura Robbins Judy and John Johnston Gail Jolley* Suzanne Jones Susan and David Leader Rita Lenderman John and Janet Long Sue and George Luther Jan Manes Billie Marzullo Lois S. Carlson and Jerome Mrowca Barbara Mueller Lucille Mueller Nachos & Beer Jeffrey and Lisa Owen Dale and Barbara Phipps Robin T. Rutledge and Karen Keeler Rogers Wade and Mary Margaret Saunders Dianne and Charles Sawyer Mark and Rachel Sossoman Gary and Jeanne Ann Stroebel Cathy Stryker Kelly Thompson Jill Tourtellot Judith Van Horne and Stephen Hendricks Betty Walker Steven and Michele Warner Bonnie Wheeler Thomas Young Gregory and Marjorie Zack

$500 - $999

$250 - $499 Anonymous David and Ann Bottomy Elizabeth Boys Nancy Casey Michael Cleveland and Maria-Grazia Nunzi Kay Dambach Mary Ellen Dendy and Aaron Dahlstrom Daniel Durand Kim Eiring Francis Erckmann Polly S. Feitzinger Milton and Murphy Fletcher Lauren Flickinger Christine Glaser Tom Gurley Peter Wortham Hawes Nancy Houha John and Carol Jackson in honor of Doris Harwitz Bill Jacobs and Susan Posey Marian and Thomas Jerdee Ruth Sieber Johnson Jennifer Jones and Robert Steffen

Katherine and Jon Karraker Margaret Kelso Arthur Kirby Elfi LaPlante Karen Medeiros David Miller Martha and Thomas Mills John K. Orr Todd and Kaye Phillips Pam and Rex Prosser Donna and Edward Reigner Vicki Richards Barbara Robinson Carol and Michael Rosenblum Cristian Rubiano Richard Schaffer Sr. Nancy Schuman Ilona and Michael Sena Courtney Smith Barbara and Marty Stickle Robert Stone and Jan Hundhausen Agnes and Jeff Vandergrift Andy and Betsy White George Wilds and Steve Connell Larry and Janie Wilson Marlene and John Yokim

$100 - $249 Anonymous Joshua Aaronson Frances Alexander Pauline Aridas Dennis Ash and Sarah Lashlee Douglas Atchley and Lee Davis Bill and Sally Atkins Betsy G. Atkinson Don Bafford Shannon Baggett Paul Ballard Viva Banzon & Robert Evans Drs. Elizabeth and Josh Bernstein Richard Bogner James Bond Richard Brandsma Rita Nilsen and Carl Brickman Allan and Jean Brown David G. and Lin Brown Clinton Bugg and Jeff Nucey Lana Burns Bob and Bonnie Busby

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ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

Anonymous Brad and Roberta Allen Altura Architects Susan Arnold Mrs. Ruth Barnhardt Mike Bauer and Rosaire Nottage Tom and Kay Beardsley Dr. Stephen D. and Mrs. Linda B. Brown Nan Buschmann Bill and Meg Clontz Joel and Carole Hampton Cotter Virginia Craig Lynn Crystal Ellie Daniels Al and Jamye Davis Sharron Davis Lori Doerr Kristen Dusenbery Drs. Louis Dwarshuis and Marilyn Kolton Brad Edmonds Bruce and Day Ann Emory Carol Falender Cary and Koni Findlay Robin and Gordon Gaiser Mrs. Edeltraut Gilgan-Hunt George and Elaine Goosmann Betty Gumpert Virginia W. Hayes Tom and Patricia Hearron Tom and Libby Irwin Sean and Kelsey Kelley Amy and John Kelso Al and Margareta Koch Pat & Bud Kofron Michael Kryzanek Bebe Landis Tom and Dian Leeper Ned and Jane Lesesne Virginia and Drew Litzenberger Chuck Lockwood and Patrick Ryan James Losse and Ellen Haack Linda Lutz and Gary Ticknor Henry and Elizabeth Mainwaring Gail and Ron Manheimer Diane and John Martin Carol and Pedro Martinez Anna and Michael Mazur The Patricia McCauley Charitable Gift Fund Anne McKenzie

James H. McMillan and Carol H. Kaufman Shirley Oltman Julene Reese Roberts Irene Dillingham Richards Family Foundation Rich and Stacy Ridenour Susie and John Ruhl Brent and Lee Ann Russell David Russell Frank Rutland Patrick Ryan William and Martha Scarborough Kenneth and Elizabeth Schapira Larry and Marilyn Shames Shell Oil Company Foundation Ann H. Skoglund Steelcase Foundation James Storey and Janice Collins Carol and Terrence Tinkel Christopher Underwood Kathleen Busby and Razz Waff Donna and Randy Weast Jeff and Susie Wellington Paul B. Williamson

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

John and Gail Carpenter Carol Carson Charles Baker Gary Clark Marcia Clarkson Bishop Charles and Karen Crutchfield Elizabeth Culbreth Mary Cunningham Patti D’Angelo Alexa and Rich Dann Casey and Kathryn Daughton Alan Davis Mack Day William N. Dorfman, Ed.D. Amy Dragon Martin and Ivy Dyckman Julie Eckelbarger Linda Engwall Edward and Amy Euler Laura Evans Stephen and Jackie Finstad Ellenor Frelick Mary Goodkind Margery Greene Michael Groothuis Amanda Hall and Robert Zeid Caprice Hamlinkrout Dot and Wade Hampton Gail Harris and John Boneparth Richard Henderson Phil and Jolene Hocott Toby Hollenberg Joel Horwich Michael and Laura Hoskins Steve and Nancy Hurst Ralph and Sheryl Husby Lisa Huxley Christa Hyatt Thorunn Ivey John and Karla Jalocha Susan Jensen and Lew Gelfond Vinod and Manju Jindal Edward Joffe Gayle Petty-Johnson Walter and Anne Justice Christopher Keene Donald Kehrberg Jess and Phyllis Key Ann Batchelder and Henri Kieffer Karen Lachow Eric and Mala Lapp 100 ∙ Asheville Symphony Supporters

Lynn Lederer and Leslie Long Alan Lipsky and A.J. Rhodes Barbara Loeb Rev. Alexandra Lusak Shane and Sarah Lympany Suzanne and Jay Mahler Jerry McAninch Glenda H. McDaniel Amy McGuire and Brian Wallace Elwood Miles Mr. and Mrs. George Morosani Gina and Dale Nelson Thomas Norman Francis Nullet Grace Chappell and Patrick O’Cain Christopher Okopny Eric and Lynn Ordnung Lori Oxford and Alberto Centeno-Pulido Betty J. Paine Virginia Pett Cynthia Pierce Jack and Susan Pierce Donald and Brenta Poole Kathleen Quinlan and Marc Parham Mary Racek K. Ramaswamy Gail Reagan and Jim Graham Lynnell W. Reese Terry and Sarah Reincke Meredith Lenell Michelle Rippon Don Roberts John and Pam Roeth Sherree Roller and David Janson Liz Rollins Evan and Susan Rosenberg Dorothy Sagel Alexandria Sanford Bob Sarabia Wade Scheuritzel Barbara Schrader Frie and Liz Schulz Stephen and Carol Sedgwick Jane and Edward Smith Dave and Sue Snook Gail and Nelson Sobel Thomas and Christena Southwick Beth Stickle Schoenheit Kathy Stiles Paul Stroebel Kenny Sudnik

John and Mary Tadey Janet Thatcher Matthew and Sarah Volk Susan and Don Watson Norman and Janet Weeks Robert Weinberg Sue and Robert White Calvin and Susan Willis Christy Winer Barbara Witt

$50 - $99 Brandi Andrade Francois Archambault Mary Ault Anne Babcock Charles and Stephanie Baer Eric Bank Michael Bashaw Marty and Barbara Beckerman Diego Blanc Elizabeth and Kemper Brown Nancy Buchanan Elizabeth Button Marvin Cole Harriet Cone Tracy Conte Tala Dajani David Daniels Gerald Davies Katherine DeGroff Robert Delfoe Karen Doerr Erin and Tom Doyle Andrew and Jennifer Dukowicz Mignon Durham Diane Edwards Dale England Katherine Fisher James and Linda Focareto Deborah Francis Brandi Gilliland Lynn Gilliland Chowdhary Gondy Jessie Goodwin Susan Grabel Barb Graff Dante and Cindy Gumucio Carolyn Guthrie William Hasskamp

Your support in action in the 2024-2025 season: • Welcomed an estimated 10,000 guests at a free Symphony in the Park in Downtown Asheville • Served thousands of Asheville City and Buncombe County elementary students with music education programs • Provided nearly $15,000 in scholarships to young musicians in the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra • Distributed over 1,500 complimentary tickets to students, families, and seniors who otherwise might not have been able to attend Our partnerships with senior living communities, public libraries, and outreach initiatives ensure that music reaches every corner of our city. Whether on stage or in our communities, music brings us together — lifting our spirits, connecting generations, and strengthening the fabric of our community.

Sherry Heacock Dennis Hillier Kelley Hinsley Kathleen Holmes Mark Hornsby Stephanie James John Johnson Rebecca Jones Will and Jennifer Kaylor Julie Klement Ms. Judith Kramer Margaret Krusch Wendy Lapidus Walter Leginski Bruce Leonard Debra Liles Amy Little Thomas E. Lodge Kathryn Long and Axel Graumann John and Elaine Maimone Carol Marin Canter Martin Rose Mathis Barbara Mayer

Alan Morgan Swig Mueller Joanne Neary Leslie Newman Frederic Nguyen Marcy Onieal Jennifer Ostendorf Rebecca Pace Richard Paul Barbara Phelan Dr. Rachel E. Raab and Dr. Francois Archambault Philip Ramsey Amanda Ridenhour Billy Robinson Michael Robinson Thomas Roman Stephanie Rosener Christopher Rupp and Karine Rupp-Stanko Jonel Schuster Christina Sobin Harold Southern Barbara and Barry Stagg John R. Sterling

Jill Stevenson Thomas Stultz Margaret Watson Jennifer Westbrook Jackie Wintle Don Wright

*Denotes Deceased

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If you believe that an error or omission has occurred, please call 828.820.2520 or send an email to development@ ashevillesymphony.org

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ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

Thank you for being part of what brings the concert hall to life and builds memories for audiences for years to come.

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

Music Sponsorships Masterworks 4: Scottish

Aileen Sweeney Glisk Sponsored by Anne Jarema and Clifford Albertson Max Bruch Scottish Fantasy Sponsored by Dick Hall in Memory of son Rikki Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3, “Scottish” Sponsored by Dr. Alan and Suzanne Escovitz

Masterworks 6: Requiem

W.A. Mozart Requiem Sponsored by Beverly Briedis in Memory of Chuck Briedis

Piano Recital with Awadagin Pratt

Johannes Brahms Ballades Sponsored by Linda and Michael Gilpin César Franck Choral et Fugue, FWV 21 Sponsored by Penley Produce Vacation Homes - Kelli Darlin & Tony McLean Brown

Masterworks 7: Unbroken

Karena Ingram Rainn Sponsored by Joel and Carole Hampton Cotter in memory of Wade Hampton III W.A. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 12 Sponsored by Jim and Mary Kirby

Tribute Gifts In memory of Michael Anderberg Lorna Anderberg In memory of Chuck Briedis Beverly Briedis In memory of Tom Bushar Calvin and Susan Willis In honor of Darko Butorac Diana and Henry Asher In honor of Darko, Musicians, and Sally Keeney’s dedicated work Anonymous In memory of the late John B. Campbell Amy Campbell In Memory of Lindley Garner Mary Goodkind In honor of Bill and Nancy Gettys Bill and Kitty Hunt In honor of Bill and Nancy Gettys and in continuance of our family’s support of music education Martha Gettys Beth Gettys Sturkey Jeff Sturkey

102 ∙ Asheville Symphony Supporters

In memory of Albert Allen Gumpert Margie Armour Tom and Libby Irwin Robert and Karen Sutton Irene and Michael Stoll To honor the kind memory of Kent Gatling and in gratitude for his generous shared gift from his wife Anne Gatling Caprice Hamlinkrout In honor of Doris Harwitz John and Carol Jackson In memory of wife Yolanda Hall Richard Hall In memory of son Rikki Hall Richard Hall In memory of Carole’s brother, Wade G. Hampton, III Joel and Carole Hampton Cotter In memory of Gail Jolley Keith Keener Betty Walker In honor of Franklin Keel Beverly Briedis Ellie Daniels In honor of Kieth Keener Judith Domer

In honor of Jim and Mary Kirby Jane and Art Kirby In memory of Peter Landis Bebe Landis In memory of Manny Medeiros Karen Medeiros In memory of Charles “Chick” McDowell Jo Edda Rosskamp In memory of Ingeborg Meeke Irene and Michael Stoll In honor of Katie and Phil Osborn Barbara Schrader In honor of Phyllis Penley Patton Penley Produce Vacation Homes In memory of my husband, Jack Smith Yvonne Smith In honor of Mark and Rachel Sossoman Kathleen Link In honor of my Students Paul Stroebel In honor of Amanda Tant and Dr. Dee Angie Newsome In honor of Derin Togar The Togar Family In celebration of Chris Underwood Almy Underwood-Lema

The musicians of the Asheville Symphony Society, Inc., are the lifeblood of your Symphony: uniting our community, lifting hearts, and inspiring with the power of orchestral music. By making a Legacy Society pledge to the Endowment during your lifetime, you are demonstrating a commitment to the Asheville Symphony’s musicians today and our vibrant future.

For more information about joining the Legacy Society and supporting the Endowment (including naming opportunities), contact the Development office by emailing development@ashevillesymphony.org or calling 828.318.8176. If you have already included the Asheville Symphony in your estate plans, please let us know so that we may include you on this list and recognize your generosity.

Dorel Abbott* Don and Nancy Ackermann Cole Jack Jones and Katherine Armitage* Mr.* and Mrs. Stephen Barden III Dr.* and Mrs. Luther Barnhardt Mary and Leland Bartholomew* George* and Diana Bilbrey Marion Bleyler* Mr. and Mrs.* Thomas C. Bolton Joyce Bost Hogan* Mrs. Charles Butler* Ken and Alma Chatfield* Barbra and Beirne Chisolm* Jane Christiansen* Mr. and Mrs. Gary Coleman Nancy Crosby Dr. and Mrs. John Cuellar Robert DiDiego Lori Doerr Mr. and Mrs. David Dolan Drs. Joyce and Lawrence* Dorr Mrs. C.H. Elmslie Robert and Jeane* Etter Dr. Linda Sokalski Farrell Dr. Bolling Farmer Francis Fee Doris Kistler and Fred Wightman

William and Nancy Gettys Lindley Garner* and Mary Goodkind Mr. and Mrs. George Goosman Michael J. Grillot Paula J. Grillot Mr. and Mrs. Steven Hageman Dr. and Mrs. Matthew Hahner Eleanor Hall* Dick and Yolanda* Hall Virginia and Emmet* Hayes Anna and Anthony* Hayward Joel Horwich Carolyn L. Hubbard Bill and Kitty Hunt Bill Jacobs and Susan Posey Pat and Doug* Johnston Gail Jolley* Mountaine Jonas James Laird* Christine Longoria Dr. and Mrs. Carlo Mainardi Mabel Marlsbury* Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Mattson* Carol and Hugh McCollum Ann and Gerald McLellan Manuel* and Karen Medeiros Ingeborg and Kenneth Meeke*

Fred Meyer Russell and Ladene Newton Arch and Zeffie Nichols* Mr. and Mrs. David Pheil Mary L. Powell Education Fund in memory of Beatrice Wells Monte Richardson* Ernest Rosenau* Dr. and Mrs. Joel Rosenberg William* and Carole Roskind August Schmidt* Jill Vargo and Tony Sciara John Schuler* JoAnne Setzer* Robert Sorton Jan and Wayne Stanko Bonnie Stone Norretta L. Taylor* Edna Thompson* Mr. and Mrs. Ed Towson Sarah Van Gunten Albert and Lucia Ward* Eleanor Weil Schulmon*

*Denotes Deceased

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ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SUPPORTERS

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY LEGACY SOCIETY

I think that’s really what it’s all about: to leave something behind as you move on, of lasting value, which will bring joy and light into other people’s lives as it has yours.

SARAH VAN GUNTEN

Legacy Society Member & Board Member

104 ∙ Asheville Symphony Supporters

Like many people entering retirement and looking to relocate, Sarah Van Gunten avidly researched and spent extended time at several possible locations in different states. While considering Asheville as a potential location during a winter stay, she attended an Asheville Symphony performance at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. She struck up a conversation with the person sitting next to her.

Having spent her career living just outside of the bustling New York City metro, Van Gunten was immediately warmed by the friendliness and impressed with the orchestra’s artistic excellence.

“I loved that I could have a conversation with a stranger, unlike in metro New York City, where that’s uncommon,” Van Gunten said. “Here I was in this vast concert hall, having a very friendly conversation, and hearing the Asheville Symphony.”

By then, she found herself saying, “I think this is a place that I would retire to.”

New Beginnings & Meaningful Connections Van Gunten moved to Asheville on July 1, 2014, just a few months later, and one of the first things she did was buy a season ticket to the Symphony.

“I think the only way to make any place your home is to become involved,” Van Gunten said.

Over the past 11 years, she has become a devoted advocate and ambassador for the Asheville Symphony and an active citizen of Western North Carolina. She would not only join the Asheville Symphony Guild — a volunteer organization that raises funds to support the Symphony and is focused on music education for young people — but also become its president for several years.

The Guild’s president also serves on the Asheville Symphony Board of Directors, and the dual roles strengthened Van Gunten’s connection to the organization even further. During the summer of 2022, as the Symphony ramped up operations for its first post-pandemic season with a

minimal staff, Van Gunten and another Guild member volunteered in the Symphony office, helping to open mail, answer phones, and sell season tickets.

After her term as Guild president ended, she was asked to join the Symphony Board and has served as Chair of the Education Committee for the past three years. With her career background and love of music, Van Gunten finds herself well-suited for the position.

Changing Lives & Inspiring Greatness Van Gunten started taking piano lessons at 6 or 7 years old and continued through high school. Inspired by her father, who had a small record collection at their home, she developed an adoration for classical music. She also sang in her school, church, and community choirs — something she still does as a member of the Asheville Senior Chorus and other groups.

She firmly believes in the power of music to change lives and inspire greatness. As the Education Chair of the Symphony Board, she has been able to put that inspiration into action by working on the Music in the Schools and the Asheville Youth Symphony Orchestra programs. Realizing that not everyone grows up with a dad who shares his love of music, she says it’s a matter of introducing young people to everything in the world that might be of interest to them, that they might want to pursue, or enjoy throughout their lives.

She recalled, “After one of the [educational performances], one of the bus drivers said, ‘You probably just don’t understand that the kids on my bus have never heard anything like that before.

And they were still talking about it on the bus as he drove them home.’”

There are lessons to be learned through orchestral music, Van Gunten believes.

“Watching an ensemble allows kids to learn how to work together, how together you create something beautiful. So much goes into making music with a group of other people that goes far beyond the actual musicianship itself.”

Future Plans & Lasting Value As an educator, Van Gunten spent a lot of time thinking about the future — for others and herself — and she still does.

She says it’s never too early to start planning.

“I remember turning 40, and for the first time saying to myself, ‘You know what?

You’re not going to be here forever.’ So fast forward, to nearly another 40 years, and I’m asking myself, ‘What can I do to serve somebody else in the future?’”

For more than a decade, Van Gunten’s involvement with the Asheville Symphony and other organizations has helped make Asheville her home. Citing the Symphony’s progress she’s seen over the years, such as artistic advancement, creative innovation, outstanding leadership, and community engagement, her plans involve leaving a gift to the Asheville Symphony through her will.

She encourages anyone else in a similar situation to do the same, and asserts that joining the Asheville Symphony Legacy Society and making a planned gift doesn’t have to be complex.

“Usually, I think people designate an organization in their will, much like you designate a member of your family — because you love it, you’re passionate about it, you see its potential, you want to see it grow into the future and to begin to impact other people’s lives as it has impacted your own,” she said.

“I think that’s really what it’s all about: to leave something behind as you move on, of lasting value, which will bring joy and light into other people’s lives as it has yours.”

— Written by Nicole Ward Beckley

Are you interested in learning how you can support the Asheville Symphony with an impactful gift?

Let us help you find the right plan for orchestrating your legacy.

Contact the Asheville Symphony Development team by phone at 828254-7046 or email at development@ ashevillesymphony.org.

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After a fulfilling career as a public-school educator in New Jersey, Sarah Van Gunten, now retired and living in Asheville, continues to make a positive impact and will even after her lifetime.

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Manhattan Chamber Players with David Fung Bringing world-class chamber music to WNC for over 70 years ASHEVILLECHAMBERMUSIC.ORG

106 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

Sunday February 8 4:00 p.m.

Schumann, Brahms, Fauré

Martinů, Schubert, Smetana

Astralis Chamber Ensemble Friday May 8 7:30 p.m.

Bach, Vivaldi, Geminiani

Dear Friends of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, A deeply rooted pillar of Asheville’s creative community, the Asheville Symphony Orchestra has embodied a devotional

passion for music since 1960. From innovative collaborations to genre-defying performances, ASO’s ever-evolving programing

reflects the pulse of our city — each note captivating audiences and pushing beyond the boundaries of traditional concert experiences.

Explore Asheville is honored to support your mission and talent in

capturing the heart of the people of Western North Carolina and its guests. We are dedicated to shining our spotlight on the artists,

makers, and musicians who help shape our community's distinct story.

After all, we wouldn't be Asheville without artists like you.

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Engaging & Inviting Diverse Audiences

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Blue Ridge Public Radio is honored to support Asheville Symphony

BPR informs, inspires, and connects Western North Carolina with news, classical music and late-night jazz.

Learn more at bpr.org.

108 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

41st Annual Benefit Auction

August 21 & 22, 2026 • penland.org/auction

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ADVERTISER INDEX Advantage Direct

23

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14

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11

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11

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16

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71

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16

26

83

75

HomeTrust Bank

ArtsAVL

The Brookshire/Garside Group BAIRD

38

40

22

Asheville Area Piano Forum

Brunk Auctions

iHeart Radio

Asheville Art Museum

5

Center for Craft

38

Katherine Alexander Fine Jewelry

17

Asheville Chamber Music Series

Chorus Asheville

91

106

Clover CBD Dispensary

111

Kathryn Theodore Travel Advisors

Connect Beyond Festival

81

Asheville Citizen Times/ LocalIQ

82

Asheville Community Theatre 83

Crawley Lee & Company, P.A. 17

Asheville Dental

3

Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community

Asheville Symphony Chorus

62

Estate Jewelry AVL

39

Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra

4

Explore Asheville

107

Awaken Skin & Body

77

First Bank

29

Bank of America

85

Fisher Realty

81

Biltmore Estate

18

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71

Blue Mountain Pizza

5

Blue Ridge Public Radio

108

Blue Spiral 1

12

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2

Northwestern Mutual - Asheville

28

Parkway Playhouse

106

Penland School of Craft

109

Penley Produce Vacation Homes

BC

QC Kinetix

63

67

Ritual Wellness Institute

38

Kimpton Hotel Arras

56

Lazoom Tours

29

Jo Edda Rosskamp McDowell in memory of Charles “Chick” McDowell 41

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6

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109

106

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67

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8

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5

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16

Mission Health/HCA Healthcare

89

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South Slope Cheese Company 21 Spicer Greene Jewlers

10

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23

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106

90

Tryon Estates

91

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76

41

4

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Western Carolina University - Bardo Arts Center

89

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26

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80

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84

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5

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24

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89

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49

Flow Automotive Frugal Framer

48, 66

Gould Killian CPA Group, P.A. 17 Hatchworks Coworking

88

Northside Design Collective (formerly A+R Interior Design) 21

Your ad could be here!

See your ad in the next Asheville Symphony Program Book! Our program book consists of advertisements from sponsors, paid advertisers, and even donated ad space. With over 25 performances during the season, we’ll distribute over 10,000 copies of the program book between September and May. Interested in seeing your ad in the next program book? Call 828.254.7046 or email info@ashevillesymphony.org for more details on how to advertise or sponsor!

110 ∙ Spring 2026 Program Book

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Asheville Symphony ∙ AshevilleSymphony.org ∙ 111

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