Asheville Symphony Program Book Fall 2022

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DANIEL M. CRUPI

Dear ASO friends and family,

If my experience in the arts has taught me anything – especially throughout the challenges of the last few years – it is that together, with creativity, vision, and hard work, we can accomplish the unthinkable. And, if I have learned anything about Asheville during my first year here, it is that this community proudly fosters an incredibly vibrant and resilient arts scene, and that it is eager to support more innovative work in this sector.

With that in mind, we have crafted an ambitious and exuberant 2022-2023 Asheville Symphony season for you, filled with exciting new initiatives and reimagined takes on the classics, as well as the triumphant return of the Asheville Amadeus Festival.

The 2022-2023 Masterworks Series returns to full force with seven extraordinary concert programs, featuring composers ranging from Ludwig van Beethoven and Antonin Dvořák to Fazil Say and Jessie Montgomery. Our New Year’s Eve concert tradition continues in style with the music of one of the world’s favorite film franchises – Bond, James Bond – and we also continue to present an intimate Piano Recital showcasing rising talent on the national scene.

Our new and regularly sold-out ALT ASO series is expanding, growing to a fourconcert series in yet more iconic Asheville venues, including Hi-Wire Brewing’s RAD beer garden, Highland Brewing, The Orange Peel, and Salvage Station’s outdoor stage on the banks of the French Broad River.

The Asheville Amadeus Festival also makes a long-awaited return, this year exploring every facet of American music – and featuring banjo superstar, Béla Fleck, as the festival headliner! In addition to performing his acclaimed The Imposter Concerto with the ASO at the Festival’s grand finale, Béla’s week-long residency in Asheville will include a diversity of partners and, of particular note, feature a Young People’s Concert with the ASYO for every 5th-grader across our city and county. Altogether, this year’s Festival will feature more than 50 events from dozens of organizations across Western North Carolina – stay tuned for more details!

Last but certainly not least, we open our entire season with the return of our Symphony in the Park concert in downtown’s Pack Square Park, where we endeavor to unite our community and uplift our entire region in a free, collaborative performance for an audience of thousands.

We have big plans for the Asheville Symphony. We all envision an inclusive and representative orchestra that radically engages its community, showcases a diversity of musical interests and perspectives, prioritizes the education of the next generation, and achieves the highest of artistic standards. With your help, we can make this vision a reality.

Thank you for your generous support for the Asheville Symphony – we look forward to seeing you this season!

Warm regards,

Daniel M. Crupi Executive Director

Executive Director

Board of Directors & Staff

OFFICERS

Michael Andry • President

Sue Luther • President Elect

Dr. Bolling Farmer • Past President

John W. Ellis • Secretary

Ed Towson • Treasurer

DIRECTORS

Jack Anderson

Michael Andry

Mr. Thomas C. Bolton

Sallie T. Broach

Dr. Nancy J. Cable

Dr. John Cuellar

George Dambach

John Donahoe

John W. Ellis

Lynne Eramo

Dr. Bolling Farmer

Betty Fox

Adarrell Gadsden

Bill Gettys*

Debbie Green

Fred Groce

Stan Ingber

Mary Kirby

Gerald Kitch

Pamela Lowe-Hoyte

Sue Luther

Elizabeth McCorvey

Carol McCollum*

Patrick O’Cain

Jeffrey Owen

Irene Stoll

James S. Thompson

Sandra Tompkins

Ed Towson*

Sarah Van Gunten

Olivia Zahler

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY STAFF

Jessica May Director of Development

Madeline Womack Development Manager

Sally J. Keeney

Sherry Blakely Controller

Hannah Williams Patron Services & Office Manager

YOUTH ORCHESTRA STAFF

Cynthia Roop General Manager

Alexandra Dee Symphony Conductor

Amanda Tant Chamber Conductor

Ashlee Booth Prelude Conductor

Brian Tinkel Percussion Director

Dilshad Posnock Woodwind Coach

Franklin Keel Strings Coach

828.254.7046 info@ashevillesymphony.org

27 Colllege Place Suite 100 Asheville, NC 28801

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ABOUT THE COVER

Jeremy Russell is a contemporary abstract expressionist based in Asheville, NC. “My work is more influenced by music than visual art. Specifically, classical and jazz. I embrace the very same intuitive spontaneity that musicians harness in the heat of improv. Of course, there is a foundation of observation and accuracy in the landscape paintings to which I honor the energy of the natural places where I meditate. Like the complex compositions of a composer, a strong painting evolves through a harmonious push and pull between a foundational constant and all the variables and vibrations that surround that base subject. Regarding my interest in painting, I reference the incredible symphony of all the parts experienced at a location — The movement of light, the flow of water, the sounds of life, the presence of the divine.”

Jason Posnock Advisor

“GREEN MORNING ON THE PIGEON RIVER” Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 48 in.

*Distinguished Directors

Daniel M. Crupi Executive Director

Orchestra Manager

Mary Ellen Dendy Marketing Strategy Consultant

Claire M. Allen Marketing Manager & Creative Director

Michael Di Trolio Principal Librarian

Paul Stroebel Stage Manager

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, MD.

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, MD.

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

DIRECTORS EMERITUS

George M. Bilbrey, Jr. M.D.*

J.K. MacKendree Day

Joyce R. Dorr, Ph.D.

Karl S. Quisenberry, Ph.D.*

John J. Sherman, Jr.

W. Herbert Smith, Jr.

Board President

MICHAEL ANDRY

Dear Asheville Symphony friends and family,

The Asheville Symphony has a wonderful year planned for you. We made it through the COVID reopening year and are now moving full steam ahead toward a bright future! While we continue to offer our traditional Masterworks series and our New Year’s Eve programming, this year also marks the expansion of our ALT ASO series and the return of the Asheville Amadeus Festival. We will also continue producing our annual gift to the community with our public Symphony in the Park concert, in Pack Square, as the season opener in late August.

This year should be especially fun, with the orchestra showcasing Beethoven to Brahms to Bach to Béla Fleck. We continue to embrace our entire community with concerts from Salvage Station to Highland and Hi-Wire Brewing. Your Asheville Symphony now reaches over 30,000 patrons and 6,000 youth in our community. We cherish our place in representing the great classical repertory as well as the new ideas and programs that are continuing to drive this organization forward.

None of this could be possible without the support of you, our customers. We would also like to thank our donors once again – none of this would be possible without you. Finally, thank you to our wonderful business sponsors; please join me thanking them by patronizing their businesses, and often!

From the entire Board and Staff, I thank you for being here – and now, please sit back and enjoy the show.

Michael Andry Board President

SETTING THE STAGE FOR BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES

A love of the arts and a sense of hospitality inspired George Vanderbilt’s masterpiece: Biltmore.

Share in that legacy today by joining our Annual Passholder family.

ASHEVILLE, NC

Praised by the Westdeutsche Zeitung for his “exceptional combination of passion, elegance and well-timed pacing”, Darko Butorac has established himself as a conductor in demand with orchestras both in Europe and the Americas. He currently serves as the Music Director of the Asheville Symphony and the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra.

Following his debut with the Belgrade Philharmonic in January 2011, Butorac was reengaged to conduct both the season finale and the opening concert of the 2012 season. Other notable guest conducting engagements include performances with

Music

DARKO BUTORAC

the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Neuss and the Georgische Kammerorchester Ingolstadt (Germany), the Rubinstein Philharmonic of Lodz (Poland), the Xiamen Symphony (China), the Tallinn Sinfonietta (Estonia), and the Slovenian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared at such prestigious venues 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. From 2009 to 2013, he served as the principal conductor of the Fidenza Opera Festival.

Distinguished collaborations include soprano Renee Fleming, pianists Garrick Ohlsson and Jon Kimura Parker, tenor Lawrence Brownlee, cellist Colin Carr, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and Oscarwinning actor J.K. Simmons among others. Highlights of the 2021-22 season include performances with pianists Aaron Diehl and Stewart Goodyear, violinists William Hagen and Blake Pouliot, cellist Jamal Aliyev, and a New Year’s Eve gala with vocalists Morgan James and Erica Gabriel.

Butorac helped his orchestras emerge from the pandemic by creating programs featuring over 75 short works for chamber orchestra formations, with a focus on presenting works by underperformed composers and minorities. The Tallahassee Symphony was one of the first orchestras in the United

States to move to a fully virtual format, by committing to webcasting live performances in April of 2020.

As the Grand Prix Laureate and Gold Medalist of the Fourth International Vakhtang Jordania Conducting Competition, Butorac was invited to conduct orchestras across four continents. He was also selected to participate at the Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview hosted by the League of American Orchestras and the Jacksonville Symphony.

Butorac served as the Music Director of the Missoula Symphony from 2007-2019, marking a period of tremendous artistic growth of the orchestra. He challenged the ensemble with a broader repertoire leading to greater engagement with the community and frequently sold-out performances.

Butorac is also in demand as a public speaker on leadership. His TEDx Montana talk on the “Language of Conducting” has over a 150K views on YouTube. He has appeared as a speaker on behalf of Brighthouse, a division of BCG, and was the headline speaker at the Birla Carbon International Leadership Summit in Bangkok in 2018.

He is an avid traveler, having visited almost seventy countries, and is passionate about discovering the world and bringing people together through the beauty of music.

VIOLIN

Jason Posnock • Concertmaster

Martha Gardner • Associate Concertmaster

Open Chair • Assistant Concertmaster

Kathryn B. Gardner • Principal Second Violin

Debra L. Anthony Associate Principal Second Violin

Marianna Brickle

Teresa M. Curran

Elizabeth Fee-Elliott

Lori G. Hammel

Rachael Kistler-Igo

Dorothy L. Knowles

Virginia Kowal

LuAda Malcom

John R. Malloy

Ruben Orengo

Mariya S. Potapova

Inez Hullinger Redman

Essena Setaro (loa)

*Paul E. Stroebel

VIOLA

Kara F. Poorbaugh • Principal

Emily Schaad • Associate Principal

Leigh Dixon (loa)

Martha L. Geissler

Gina Mashburn Heath

Jennifer Kozoroz

Karen Pommerich

Edward J. Smith

CELLO

Daniel Mumm • Principal

J. Franklin Keel • Associate Principal

Open Chair • Assistant Principal

Cherylonda F. Fitzgerald

Paul S. GhostHorse

Katie Hamilton

Patricia Koelling Johnston

BASS

*M. Lee Metcalfe • Co-Principal

Vance M. Reese • Co-Principal

Michael Di Trolio

Matthew P. Waid

Orchestra Personnel

FLUTE

Lissie J. Shanahan • Principal

Kellie Henry

PICCOLO

Dilshad B. Posnock

OBOE

Alicia Chapman • Principal

*Cara Mia Jenkins

ENGLISH HORN

Amanda J. LaBrecque

CLARINET

Harry H. “Chip” Hill • Principal

Karen Farah Hill

BASS CLARINET

Shannon Thompson

BASSOON

Michael J. Burns • Principal

Amber Ferenz Spuller (loa)

CONTRABASSOON

William L. Peebles

HORN

Jeffery B. Whaley • Principal

*Michael L. Brubaker

Anneka A. Zuehlke

Travis A. Bennett

TRUMPET

T. Mark Clodfelter • Principal

P. Bradley Ulrich (loa)

Christopher Underwood

TROMBONE

Open Chair • Principal

L. Rienette Davis

BASS TROMBONE

Jeremy Marks

TUBA

Bethany Wiese • Principal

TIMPANI

Todd D. Mueller • Principal

PERCUSSION

Caleb Breidenbaugh • Principal

Matthew Richmond

*Brian Tinkel

Michael Morel

HARP

Open Chair • Vetust Study Club Chair

KEYBOARD

Open Chair • Susanne Marcus Collins Chair

Supporting Our Musicians

INSTRUMENT ENDOWMENT

Your support of the Asheville Symphony Society’s endowment is the ticket to a secure, stable financial future for your Symphony. Consider endowing your favorite instrument in perpetuity! To learn more about endowment, please contact the ASO's Director of Development Jessica May at 828.318.8181 or jcmay@ashevillesymphony.org.

MUSICIAN RESILIENCY FUND

The ASO Musician Resiliency Fund ensures that the Asheville Symphony can continue to attract the best orchestral talent and compensate its musicians competitively within the region. Thank you to those who support this fund:

Richard Schaffer and Anastasia Bartlett

Michael and Catty Andry

Dr. Bolling Farmer

Jim and Mary Kirby

Hugh and Carol McCollum

Irene and Michael Stoll

Michael Di Trolio • Principal Librarian

Paul Stroebel • Stage Manager

* Orchestra Committee Member

Section string players are listed alphabetically.

(loa) = Leave of Absence

ALT ASO @ HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN

Darko Butorac, Conductor

We kick off the 2022-2023 season Opening Week at Hi-Wire Brewing’s third Asheville location: its new beer garden. Encircled by repurposed shipping containers, this indoor-outdoor taproom opened in 2021 in Asheville’s River Arts District. This performance features a hybrid New Orleans jazz band and Balkan brass band, creating a celebratory atmosphere for our season opener and featuring toe-tapping repertoire including Bourbon St. Parade, When the Saints Go Marching In, and more!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMER 13, 2022

7:00 P.M.

AMBER SPONSORS

Henry A. LaBrun

BOHEMIAN SPONSORS

Craig Allen & Julie Cowden

Many thanks to the Preservation Hall Foundation for providing transcriptions of the New Orleans brass band repertoire featured on this program

OFFICIAL AUTOMOTIVE COMPANY OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

SERIES PRESENTING SPONSOR

Kevin Pasarilla & Jennifer Marlowe

MASTERWORKS 1

Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Saturday, September 17, 2022, 8:00 p.m.

We open our 22-23 season with the spirit of virtuosity. Montgomery captures the energy of young virtuosos with Starburst, Mozart spotlights the dazzling range of the clarinet with the first concerto written for the instrument, and Brahms takes on his idol, Beethoven, with his hard-earned first symphony (often referred to as Beethoven’s Tenth).

Darko Butorac, Conductor

Anthony McGill, Clarinet OFFICIAL

SPONSORS

∙ Masterworks 1: McGill & Mozart

Starburst

Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981)

Jessie Montgomery composed Starburst in 2012 for the Sphinx Virtuosi, a chamber orchestra of 18 of the nation’s top Black and Latinx classical soloists, primarily alumni of the internationally renowned Sphinx Competition. (Sphinx crisscrosses the country inspiring aspiring young musicians of color.)

Montgomery writes about Starburst:

“This brief one-movement work for string orchestra is a play on imagery of rapidly changing musical colors. Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape. A common definition of a starburst: “the rapid formation of large numbers of new stars in a galaxy at a rate high enough to alter the structure of the galaxy significantly” lends itself almost literally to the nature of the performing ensemble who premieres the work, The Sphinx Virtuosi, and I wrote the pecs with their dynamic in mind.”

Montgomery is a violinist, composer and educator with a graduate degree in Composition and Multimedia from New York University. She is a member of the Catalyst Quartet, and is a collaborator touring with cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Among her many contributions to musical organizations in the New York area, she performs and composes for the Sphinx Organization. A review of her debut album, Strum, Music for Strings, sums up her eclectic musical style: “The album combines classical chamber music with elements of folk music, spirituals, improvisation, poetry and politics, crafting a unique and insightful new-music perspective on the cross-cultural intersections of American history.”

Clarinet Concerto in A major, K.622

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

This extraordinary Concerto is Mozart’s last completed instrumental piece. It has been without doubt the most popular work ever written for the clarinet, and few others have done the instrument more justice. Most of the larger compositions Mozart wrote in the last years of his life were commissions – attempts to raise badly needed cash. The Clarinet Concerto, however, was an exception: Mozart composed it, and the Clarinet Quintet, K. 581, for his friend, the celebrated virtuoso Anton Stadler. What began as a purely musical association between composer and performer became a deep friendship, cemented by their involvement with Vienna’s Freemasons. They shared one other trait: neither could hold on to money. Stadler used to borrow relentlessly – often from Mozart, of all people. Fortunately for us, the friendship withstood the strain.

At the time, the clarinet was a relative latecomer to Western music; while there is some evidence that both Antonio Vivaldi and George Frederick Handel employed the instrument occasionally, it did not come into regular use until the second half of the eighteenth century and was in continual evolution. While today’s young band students learn on an instrument in B-flat, thereby making it the default instrument, there are more varieties of clarinets – in shape, size and key, than in any other family of instruments.

Until his friendship with Stadler, Mozart had used the instrument sparingly, except in his Harmoniemusik – serenades and partitas for wind ensembles used for outdoor entertainment. But by the late 1780s, he included the instrument in his last three piano concerti, his final symphonies and all his major operas composed in Vienna.

Mozart wrote the concerto in its original form for an instrument of Stadler’s

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Jessie Montgomery Starburst

Music Sponsors

Amanda Durst & Jason McCoy

Carol & Hugh McCollum

Adarrell Gadsden & Marcie Ownbey

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Clarinet Concerto in A major, K.622

Anthony McGill, Clarinet

I. Allegro

II. Adagio

III. Rondo: Allegro

Music Sponsors

Susan Harrington Butts & Timothy Butts

Daniel & Caroline Crupi

Johannes Brahms

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op.68

I. Un poco sostenuto — Allegro

II. Andante sostenuto

III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso

IV. Adagio — Più andante — Allegro non troppo, ma con brio — Più allegro

Music Sponsors

John & Janet Long

Mountaine Mort Jonas in honor of Sally Keeney

This performance will be recorded for broadcast on Blue Ridge Public Radio on October 18, 2022 at 7:00pm and October 20, 2022 at 9:00am

invention, an extended range clarinet (sometimes called a ”basset clarinet”), extending one fourth lower than the standard instrument. The autograph manuscript, however, was lost and only an adaptation for the regular clarinet, made in 1802 by the original publishers, survived. Since the late 1940s clarinetists have made numerous attempts to reconstruct the original score for the “basset” clarinet, and instrument makers have attempted to recreate the instrument. An increasing number of performers are currently playing the concerto on these extended-range clarinets.

After the traditional orchestral exposition, the voice of the clarinet is seldom still. There is a masterful interplay between soloist and orchestra, as well as an astounding number of themes, most of them introduced by the soloist. The mood is changeable, at times cheerful, as in the opening theme, at others resigned or even sad; the tone rich and languid, by turns – all created by Mozart’s unusual choice of secondary themes in the minor mode, rather than the customary major.

The slow second movement is a simple ABA song form, one of Mozart’s most poignant, gentle and introspective utterances. The long, irregular phrases create a feeling of emotional tension.

The Rondo finale is in a different mood, harking back to the simplicity and charm of music from Mozart’s earlier days and reflecting the happy mood of the opera The Magic Flute which he was composing at the time. Of course, there are ample opportunities for the clarinet to show off, but in no way approaching the level of technical fireworks found a generation later in the concertos for clarinet by Carl Maria von Weber, which really put the instrument through its paces.

Stadler premiered the Concerto in Prague on October 16, 1791, less than two months before the composer’s death.

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op.68 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

“You don’t know what it is like always to hear that giant marching along behind me,” Brahms wrote to the conductor Hermann Levi, in reference to Beethoven. As a classically-oriented composer who revered Beethoven, Brahms found writing a symphony a daunting proposition. It took fame, respectability, middle age and numerous false starts before he finally finished his First Symphony at age 43, after at least 14 years’ gestation. An earlier attempt at a symphony, in 1854, ended up, after numerous transformations, as part of the D-minor Piano Concerto and the German Requiem.

Despite Brahms’s reputation and the positive anticipation of the public, the Symphony, premiered in 1876, was at first coolly received. The rigorous classical form baffled the public and critics, who expected something more romantic and innovative. Wagner, Liszt and programmatic music were all the rage, and most critics considered the classical form backward looking and reactionary. But it was not long before the Symphony’s riveting power was recognized, along with its own contribution to symphonic innovation.

If, indeed, the First Symphony cannot strictly be considered program music, it nevertheless unfolds with great drama – even, one might say, a musical plot. While the typical classical symphony gives the greatest weight to the first movement, ending with a faster rousing finale, often a dance, Mozart, in his last three symphonies, and Beethoven in the Third, Fifth and especially the Ninth Symphonies, recast the pattern. In these works, the finale provides the culmination to the entire symphony. When listening to Brahms’s First, one can easily imagine the composer’s reticence at treading in the great man’s shadow. Nevertheless, his combined sense for musical drama and structure prevailed as he launched what conductor Hans von Bülow called “The Tenth.”

The ominous pounding of the timpani under slow ascending and descending chromatic scales, fragmentary motives and the ambiguous tonality of the Introduction poses a musical question

– actually more of a demand – that remains unresolved until the final movement. It is one of the most spinechilling introductions in all of classical music. The following Allegro fleshes out motives from the Introduction into fullfledged themes, first by combining them contrapuntally, then developing them with an almost savage energy.

The middle two movements are a respite from the drive of the first. The second movement, a classic ABA form, although with a highly modified repeat, is reminiscent of Beethoven’s variations in the slow movement of the Ninth Symphony. The movement also contains allusions to thematic material from the first and hints at the main theme of the third movement to come.

The third movement, a modified scherzo, is more of an intermezzo that opens with a lilting clarinet theme, already foreshadowed in the preceding movement. The contrapuntal accompaniment to the repeat of the clarinet theme, after the Trio section, foreshadows the principal theme from the Finale.

Rumbling timpani now reassert the serious mood of the first movement, reminding the listener of unresolved issues. Suddenly, as if from behind a cloud, an alpenhorn calls out, answered by the flute, turning the turgid C minor into a resounding C major chorale melody. Brahms clearly modeled the effect on Beethoven’s Ninth.

The alpenhorn solo has its own little history. In 1868, eight years before the Symphony was premiered, Brahms had quarreled with his friend, and probably secret love, Clara Schumann, about whether she should cut back on her conertizing to spend more time at home with her eight children. That September, he sent her a mollifying postcard with the alpenhorn theme scrawled on it to the words, “High on the mountain, deep in the valley, I greet you a thousand-fold.”

Unlike Beethoven, whose choral Finale was a set of variations, Brahms’s chorale tune does battle with the music from the stormy introduction to emerge triumphant in an exultant coda.

Program notes by: Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn www.wordprosmusic.com

Anthony McGill, Clarinet

Clarinetist Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures. He serves as the principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, that orchestra’s first AfricanAmerican principal player. Hailed for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (The New York Times), as well as for his “exquisite combination of technical refinement and expressive radiance” (The Baltimore Sun), McGill also serves as an ardent advocate for helping music education reach underserved communities. McGill was honored to take part in the inauguration of President Obama, premiering a piece by John Williams alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero.

McGill appears regularly as a soloist with top orchestras around North America including the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, Baltimore Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Kansas City Symphony. As a chamber musician, McGill is a favorite collaborator of the Brentano, Daedalus, Guarneri, JACK, Miró, Pacifica, Shanghai, Takacs, and Tokyo Quartets, as well as Emanuel Ax, Inon Barnatan, Gloria Chien, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Midori, Mitsuko Uchida, and Lang Lang. He has led tours with Musicians from Marlboro and regularly performs for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Festival appearances include Tanglewood, Marlboro, Mainly Mozart, Music@Menlo, and the Santa Fe, Seattle, and Skaneateles Chamber Music Festivals.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute, McGill previously served as the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera. He serves on the faculty of the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, Bard College’s Conservatory of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music.

ALT ASO @ HIGHLAND

BREWING

Darko Butorac, Conductor

Nicole Zuraitis, Vocalist

For this ALT ASO concert, we go back to where the series began: Highland Brewing’s gorgeous Event Center. Featuring Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Nicole Zuraitis as soloist, this program will highlight the music of the 70s — but not just the 1970s! Prepare for a musical tour-de-force featuring music from the 1670s, 1770s, 1870s and 1970s — experience the music of Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky alongside the Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Carol King, Gloria Gaynor and Queen!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2022

7:00 P.M.

AMBER SPONSORS

Henry A. LaBrun

Kevin Pasarilla & Jennifer Marlowe

BOHEMIAN SPONSORS GOLDEN SPONSORS

Michael & Catty Andry

Craig Allen & Julie Cowden

Lynne & John Eramo

Phyllis Penley Patton

OFFICIAL AUTOMOTIVE COMPANY OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

SERIES PRESENTING SPONSOR

MASTERWORKS 2

Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Saturday, October 22, 2022, 8:00 p.m.

From Rimsky-Korsakov comes the lavish Scheherazade, a vibrant musical illustration of sandy dunes stretching across the horizon. Explore the vast, wandering Silk Road and central Asia with Say and Borodin. From De Falla, visit a moonlit oasis with his iconic work for piano and orchestra: Nights in the Gardens of Spain.

Darko Butorac, Conductor Adam Golka, Piano

PREMIUM

SPONSORS

OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

∙ Masterworks 2: Scheherazade

In the Steppes of Central Asia

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)

The illegitimate son of Prince Luka Ghedianov, partly of Armenian descent, Alexander Borodin was registered in accordance with common practices as the lawful son of one of the Prince’s serfs, Porfiry Borodin. Because of the Prince’s attachment to Alexander’s mother, he saw to it that the child received an education that no mere serf could ever expect. And when his father died, he arranged for his son’s freedom by making a suitable match for his mother. Trained as a chemist and a musician, Alexander spent a lifetime juggling his two passions. He made his living as professor of chemistry at the Medico-Surgical Academy in St. Petersburg and also as the first professor of physiological chemistry in the newly founded medical courses for women. Borodin was fluent enough in German, French, English and Italian to translate scientific books. He played the flute, cello and piano and when any time was left over, he composed, calling himself a “Sunday composer.”

Russia’s musical nationalism fitted well with the nineteenth century expansion of the Russian Empire into Central Asia and the dream of Russifying the “primitive” tribes of the area. The composers expressed their fascination by incorporating what they perceived to be the music of the native tribes into their own music. They developed a synthetic “musical orientalism,” the most famous version of which found its way into Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Borodin incorporated it as well, especially in his unfinished opera Prince Igor.

In 1880, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Czar Alexander II’s ascension to the Russian throne, the planned festivities included a production of historical tableaux, with original music by some of Russia’s most prominent composers. The project came to naught, with only Borodin’s contribution, In the Steppes of Central Asia remaining as a souvenir of the occasion.

The score is a tribute to the tsarist expansionist policy. It contains Borodin’s own detailed description of what is, by his own description, a “musical picture:”

“In the silence of the monotonous deserts of Central Asia are heard for the first time the strains of a peaceful Russian song. From the distance we hear the approach of horses and camels and the melancholy strains of an oriental melody. A caravan emerges out of the measureless steppe, escorted by Russian soldiers, and continues safely and fearlessly on its long way, protected by the formidable military strength of the conquerors. It slowly disappears, as the tranquil songs of the Russians and those of the Asiatic natives merge in harmony, echoes of which linger on as the caravan disappears in the distance.” This vision of Czar Alexander’s empire was decidedly more ideal than it was real.

Noches en los Jardins de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain)

Manuel de Falla (1876 -1946)

While composers of all periods of Western music have at times made use of popular or folk tunes in their music, the Spaniards seemed obsessed with the practice. The Italian import keyboard composer, Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1750), set the fashion for incorporating “street music” into his sonatas for the brilliant harpsichordist, Queen Maria Barbara. The practice continues to this day.

Born in Cadiz, Manuel de Falla received his first music lessons from his mother. He studied piano and composition in Madrid, where he became interested in Spanish music, especially Andalusian flamenco. But he realized early on that he was not good enough to make a career as pianist, and the symphonic institutions in Spain were too limited to make a living as a classical composer. In 1907, he left Spain in order to achieve international exposure for his music, settling in Paris where he came under the influence of Paul Dukas, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. His music, however, even during the height of the French influence, remained solidly

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Alexander Borodin

In the Steppes of Central Asia

Music Sponsors

Sam & Robin Harben

Marla Woeckener

Robin & Gordon Gaiser

Manuel de Falla

Noches en los Jardins de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain)

Adam Golka, Piano

Fazil Say

Music Sponsors

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Donald Gavin & Jayne Schnaars

Piano Concerto No. 2, “Silk Road”

I. White Dove / Black Clouds

II. Hindu Dances

III. Massacre

IV. Earth Ballad

Music Sponsors

Debbie Green

Michael & Catty Andry

INTERMISSION

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Scheherazade, Op.35

I. The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship

II. The Kalandar Prince

III. The Young Prince and The Young Princess

IV. Festival at Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Breaks against a Cliff Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman

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CONCERT SPONSOR

GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR

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This performance will be recorded for broadcast on Blue Ridge Public Radio on Nov. 15, 2022 at 7:00pm and Nov. 17, 2022 at 9:00am

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

Spanish in style. With the outbreak of World War I, he returned to his native country.

De Falla began Noches en los Jardins de España in 1909 in Paris as a set of three nocturnes for piano. But friends, and especially the pianist Ricardo Viñes, advised him to transform it into a work for piano and orchestra. Instead, the composer put the work aside and did not return to it until 1915, after his return to Spain. He described the work as “Symphonic impressions,” insisting that it was not a piano concerto, and that the piano was an integral part of the orchestral fabric.

Nights is a purely atmospheric work, at times almost hypnotic in its simple melodies and understated orchestration. The first movement En el Generalife, describes the famous Palace garden of the Generalife (from the Arabic Jannat al-’Arif - Architect’s Garden) on the Alhambra hill in Granada. It opens with what sounds like an accompaniment, but is actually the main theme that recalls Debussy. The theme has a Moorish flavor, first heard as if played on a guitar; the strings imitate the strumming sound, while the piano part is often a single line avoiding chords.

In the second movement, Danza lejana (Distant Dance), once again the themes are brief and simple, the rhythm and harmonies evoking the Flamenco style. The dance gradually increases in volume and tempo before receding again into the distance. The piano leads without interruption into the third movement, En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba (The gardens of the Sierra Cordoba mountains). In the middle, the piano takes the role of the singer of cante jondo, a vocal Flamenco style in which a florid melody in the high treble sings over a throbbing bass. The movement begins energetically but slows to a brooding conclusion.

Piano Concerto No. 2, “Silk Road”

Fazil Say (b. 1970)

Turkish pianist and composer Fazil Say wrote his first composition, a piano sonata, at age 14, while a student at the conservatory in Ankara. He is a freelance composer and pianist, who considers himself a citizen of the world. He got

into legal trouble in Turkey, being accused of blasphemy, for stating that he was an atheist and poking fun at the Islamist concept of paradise. As a result of the increasing religious intolerance in his country, he has left Turkey.

Influenced by Say’s studies of ancient Eastern folk music in the archives of the Berlin Museum of Ethnology, the Piano Concerto, composed in 1994, follows the route of the old Silk Road from Tibet to Turkey. The first movement, White Dove / Black Clouds, visits Tibet, with emphasis on the sound of the big temple bells gongs. In the second, Hindu Dances, you can hear an imitation of the sitar and the tabla accompanying a dance.

The title of the third movement, Massacre, which describes Mesopotamia, requires little explanation, having been written after the first gulf war. The fourth, Earth Ballad, uses a popular folk-song from Anatolia, the modern Turkey.

In an interview in 2011, Say stated that were he to compose the work again, he would have done so completely differently, this time incorporating traditional Asian instruments into the fabric of the music.

Scheherazade, Op.35

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

In the tradition of Russian national music, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov holds a place of honor. Musically self-taught, he originally trained as a naval officer, serving in that capacity from 1862 to 1873. Throughout his naval career he studied music on the side until 1871 when he won a faculty position at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in spite of the fact that he had little formal training. Until his death he taught and encouraged nearly every young Russian composer from Alexander Glazunov and Anton Arensky to Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokofiev.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s inspiration derived from the operas of Mikhail Glinka, whose music combined Russian melodies with the oriental modes of Russia’s vast Eastern provinces. Together with César Cui, Alexander Borodin, Mily Balakirev and Modest Mussorgsky, he formed the group called “The Mighty Five,” whose aim was to promote Russian national music. Ironically, Rimsky-Korsakov was by far the best-trained musician

among them. His use of instrumental color and masterly orchestration was so famous that any Russian composer with serious aspirations made the pilgrimage to his orchestration and composition classes, even occasional foreigners, like Ottorino Respighi who came from Italy. After the deaths of Borodin and Musorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov edited and completed their manuscripts –especially their operas – and had them published. Unfortunately, he had a habit of “correcting” everything that he considered over the top, from harmonic progressions to the order of scenes, often making the work hardly recognizable.

Rimsky-Korsakov composed Scheherazade, based on A Thousand Nights and One Nights (commonly called the Arabian Nights) in 1888, and it premiered in November of that year. It is among the most colorful works in the orchestral repertoire, glowing with brilliant orchestration and lush solos. The frame story of A Thousand Nights and One Nights tells of a Khalif who was in the habit of killing his wives after a single night of lovemaking. His latest bride, Scheherazade, avoids that fate by telling him suspenseful stories, concluding each evening with a cliffhanger. After years of such nightly entertainment, the Khalif finally decides to keep her.

The Suite comprises four tableaux, in which the yarn-spinning Scheherazade “speaks” through virtuoso passages for solo violin. Her theme ties the tableaux together and is occasionally incorporated into a story. None of the four tableaux, however, is a musical setting for any of Scheherazade’s tales; rather, they allude to the character types and incidents that make up the vast body of stories. The tone poem begins with the low brasses blasting out the theme representing the Khalif, followed by a passage that Rimsky snitched – although he modified it harmonically – from Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, denoting the world of fairytales.

The first tableau, “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship,” includes a combination of rhythms and changing dynamics that imitate the motion of the waves by means of two principal themes: one is a transformation of the Khalif’s theme while Scheherazade’s theme is transformed to fit the rocking of the waves.

“The Tale of the Kalendar Prince” changes the pace to reflect a number of loosely bound battle episodes, including a main theme introduced in an English horn solo, and virtuosic fanfare passages for solo trumpet.

The third tableau, “The Young Prince and the Young Princess,” is the most romantic. The violins introduce the first intimate theme, followed by an Oriental dance.

The final tableau is a passionate conversation between the Khalif and Scheherazade, as she readies herself for her last chance at survival. The tableau actually recalls a number of episodes from her repertory of stories; marked in the score are: “The Festival at Baghdad;” “The Sea” (reprise of the theme from the first tableau); “The ship founders on a rock topped by the bronze statue of a warrior;” and “Conclusion.” The music is fiery and exciting until the end, when Scheherazade’s stories come to a quiet and plaintive end as she awaits the fatal verdict of the Khalif, whose theme finally moderates to a gentle section solo for the cellos.

Program notes by: Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn

www.wordprosmusic.com

GUEST ARTIST

Adam Golka, Piano

Polish-American pianist Adam Golka (born 1987) first performed all of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas when he was 18 years-old, and in 2020-2021 Adam Golka performed the cycle of Beethoven’s 32 Sonatas at the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park (Florida) and at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue (NYC), in sociallydistanced and live-stream formats. Adam’s performances of each Sonata were complemented by 32 short films he created, known as 32@32 (available on YouTube), documenting his preparation for climbing the Everest of piano literature and featuring an amalgam of distinguished guests, from an astrophysicist to Alfred Brendel.

Adam Golka’s principal teachers have been José Feghali, with whom he studied at Texas Christian University, and Leon Fleisher, at the Peabody Conservatory. Since finishing his formal studies, Adam has continued to develop his artistry through many mentors including Alfred Brendel, Richard Goode, Murray Perahia, and Sir András Schiff, who invited Adam to give recitals at the Klavier-Festival Ruhr and Tonhalle Zürich, for the “Sir András Schiff Selects” concert series. Adam has also given solo recitals in Tokyo’s Musashino Hall, New York’s Alice Tully Hall (presented by the Musicians Emergency Fund), and Amsterdam’s Kleine Zaal in Het Concertgebouw.

As a concerto soloist, he has appeared with dozens of orchestras, including the BBC Scottish Symphony, NACO (Ottawa), Warsaw Philharmonic, NFM Leopoldinum, Shanghai Philharmonic, as well as the San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, New Jersey, and San Diego symphonies in the US, among many others. Adam gave his Carnegie Stern Auditorium début in 2010 with the New York Youth Symphony.

Chamber music is an integral part of Adam Golka’s life, and he has performed repeatedly at the Krzyżowa-Music “Music for Europe” festival, which has included tour performances at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Beethoven Bonn festivals, as well as Konzerthaus Berlin. He also performed at the Marlboro, Ravinia, Caramoor chamber music festivals in the US.

Adam’s professional life began when he was awarded the first prize and audience prize at the 2nd China Shanghai International Piano Competition. In 2009, he won the Max I. Allen Fellowship from American Pianists Association. As a pedagogue, he acted as Artist-in-Residence for six school years at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Adam has recorded works by Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms for Londonbased First Hand Records and he has premiered works composed for him by Richard Danielpour, Michael Brown, and Jarosław Gołębiowski.

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MASTERWORKS 3

Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Saturday, November 19, 2022, 8:00 p.m.

“The language of music is understood by everybody,” according to Rossini, “since it is understood with the heart.” We bring that notion to life with this program filled with operatic classics. A curated selection of operatic works (including beloved masterpieces by Italian masters Puccini and Verdi) explore the experiences and emotions that all of humankind shares through the combined power of the stage, voice, and orchestra.

Darko Butorac, Conductor

Ceclilia Violetta López, Soprano

Ben Gulley, Tenor

Jeff Mattsey, Baritone

∙ Masterworks 3: Night at the Opera

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Overture to Guillaume Tell (William Tell)

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Between 1810 and 1829 Gioachino Rossini wrote an astonishing 38 operas. Then, at age 37, he quit. For the rest of his long life he concentrated on his avocation as a gourmet cook and grew appropriately in bulk. He composed only sporadically and, except for church music, mostly small works he tossed off for the entertainment of his friends. He published over 150 musical miniatures in a collection that he called Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of old age).

Rossini’s final opera, Guillaume Tell, based on a play by Schiller, was written in 1829 for the Academie Royale de Musique with the intent to conquer the Paris opera scene. Rossini had aspired to a ten-year contract to produce operas in Paris, composed specifically for a French audience – as opposed to his previous productions that were merely translations of Italian operas written for Naples. Unfortunately, the revolution of 1830 overthrew France’s King Charles X, and Rossini was forced to cool his heels for six years. Guillaume Tell had already forced him to revamp his style considerably to conform to French taste and new composers were assuming the Parisian limelight while he was stalled. The opera, nearly 4 hours long, premiered in 1829, but Rossini immediately tinkered with it in rehearsal and subsequently shortened it. Since he had acquired considerable wealth from his Italian operas, the effort required to “keep up with the Jonses” may simply have not been worth it.

The Overture – the finale of which became the signature theme for The Lone Ranger, one of radio’s longest running shows – is different from any other Rossini wrote. It is programmatic, suggested by the alpine setting and the finale of the opera (although not using the same music): the alpine sunrise, for five solo celli, the storm, the clearing skies and the shepherd’s song of thanks for English horn – all with a strong, and probably non-coincidental, relationship to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony – the trumpet call to arms and the rush of the soldiers. Many later nineteenth century

opera composers adopted this type of overture, notably Verdi in Nabucco and La forza del destino and Wagner in The Flying Dutchman and Die Meistersinger.

“Anvil Chorus” from Il Trovatore, Act III.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Il Trovatore is based on El trobador, a Spanish melodrama by Antonio Garcia Gutierrez (1813-1844). The Count di Luna’s brother is believed to have perished in infancy at the hands of a Gypsy, whose daughter Azucena actually saved him and brought him up as her own son, Manrico. Now an adult, Manrico has distinguished himself as a warrior and troubadour and finds himself the Count’s rival for the love of Leonora, who loves Manrico. By the time it’s all over, Leonora has swallowed poison rather than submit to di Luna, who has executed Manrico, only to find out from Azucena that he has killed his own brother.

In the so-called “Anvil Chorus” from Act III, the Count’s soldiers prepare to besiege the castle where Manrico is harboring Leonora.

“Humming Chorus” from Madama Butterfly, Act II.

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

Madama Butterfly, a grim picture of the lethal clash of cultures between East and West, is based on an actual event. Pinkerton an officer in the US Navy during the 1880s, undertakes a sham wedding with a fifteen-year-old geisha, Cio Cio San – known as Butterfly – who takes the vows seriously. When he returns to the States, promising Butterfly he’ll come back, she waits for him faithfully with their child, whose existence Pinkerton is unaware of. Meanwhile, he has married an American woman and is posted back to Japan. Butterfly, expecting Pinkerton to return to her, is informed of the awful truth. Realizing all is lost, she gives up the baby to the new wife and commits suicide. During World War II, Madama Butterfly was the only opera banned from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House

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Gioachino Rossini

Overture to Guillaume Tell (William Tell)

Sponsored by Jessica & David May

Giuseppe Verdi

“Anvil Chorus” from Il Trovatore

Giacomo Puccini

“Humming Chorus” from Madama Butterfly

Giuseppe Verdi

“Povero Rigoletto” from Rigoletto

Giacomo Puccini

Finale of Act I. from La bohème

Giuseppe Verdi

“Va pensiero, sull’ali dorate” (Chorus of the Hebrews) from Nabucco

Sponsored by J. Howard and Honey Solomon

INTERMISSION

Giuseppe Verdi

“Gloria all’Egitto” from Aïda

Pietro Mascagni

Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana

Sponsored by Daniel & Caroline Crupi

Giuseppe Verdi

Prelude to Act III. from La traviata

Giuseppe Verdi

Act II., Scene 2 from La traviata

Sponsored by Michael & Catty Andry

CONCERT SPONSOR

David & Pamela Lane

GUEST ARTIST SPONSORS

Bob & Martha Pierce in memory of Dr. Elizabeth Pierce Litteral

Donald Gavin & Jayne Schnaars

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This performance will be recorded for broadcast on Blue Ridge Public Radio on Feb. 14, 2023 at 7:00pm and Feb. 16, 2023 at 9:00am

because of its negative portrayal of an American officer and the sympathetic portrayal of a Japanese woman.

The Humming Chorus in the end of Act II, accompanies Butterfly’s night-long silent vigil as she waits for Pinkerton’s return.

“Povero Rigoletto” from Rigoletto, Act II.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Verdi adapted Rigoletto from an already controversial play, Le Roi s’amuse (The King Enjoys Hinself) by the scion of French Romanticism Victor Hugo. The plot centered on Triboulet (a fictional character), the hunchbacked jester of France’s King François I (14941547), whose daughter is seduced and dishonored by the libertine monarch. Hugo’s play was banned in France after its first performance, but the cat was out of the bag. Verdi, who for years had been contemplating an opera on Shakespeare’s King Lear – another play about a severely compromised monarch, and his fool – had also been enthusiastic about Hugo’s play for years. In a letter to his librettist Francesco Piave, he wrote: “Le Roi s’amuse is the greatest subject and perhaps the greatest drama of modern times.” The censors did not agree.

Povero Rigoletto is from Act II. The courtiers taunt Rigoletto as he gradually realizes that his beloved daughter has been seduced by the Duke and he begs for her return.

Finale of Act I. from La bohème

Giacomo Puccini

(1858-1924)

La bohème opens on Christmas Eve in a Paris garret rented by four artists: Rudolfo is a poet, Marcello a painter, Schaunard a musician and Colline a philosopher. With only a few introductory measures, Puccini barges right into the little apartment, where Rudolfo and Marcello are freezing until Rudolfo finally tears up and burns his latest play as a contribution to the crisis. Schaunard and Colline enter with food and wine.

The friends decide to spend the rent money on a Christmas Eve splurge. Rudolfo, however, decides to stay home to work, when he is interrupted by his neighbor, Mimi, whose candle has gone

out on the stairs. She asks Rudolfo to light it for her but as she enters, she is seized by a fit of coughing that alarms him. She then realizes that she has dropped her key and the two of them crawl around in the dark looking for it, although Rudolfo has immediately spotted it and pocketed it. He manages to surreptitiously touch her hand. The chemistry works. They tell each other a little about themselves, fall in love and go out to meet the rest of the gang and celebrate.

“Va pensiero, sull’ali dorate” (Chorus of the Hebrews from Nabucco, Act III.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Verdi composed his first success, Nabucco, as he mourned the untimely death of his first wife and two young children, pouring his sense of longing and abandonment into the chorus of the exiled Israelites, “Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate.” (Fly, thought, on golden wings)

The opera enacts the story of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 C.E. by King Nebuchadnezzar (Nabucco) from the Book of Daniel –with significant non-biblical accretions –the King’s Divine punishment of madness and his repentance. The chorus, from Act III, is the homesick lament of the enslaved Hebrews hoping for a return to their homeland. This chorus not only became an instant sensation, but also became the “theme song” for the Risorgimento (the uprising for the unification of Italy).

by the French Egyptologist, Auguste Mariette. Upon the request of Ismail Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt, Mariette had entrusted du Locle to engage Verdi – and if he couldn’t get Verdi, then either Gounod or Wagner – to compose the work for the new Cairo Opera House. Aïda was finally premiered in Cairo on December 24, 1871.

Aïda involves a classic love triangle. Radames, leader of the Egyptian army, loves Aïda, a captured Ethiopian princess, now a slave of the Egyptian princess Amneris, who also loves Radames.

At the triumphal procession celebrating another victory over the Ethiopians, as the chorus sings “Gloria all’Egitto,” Aïda discovers her father Amonasro in disguise among the captives.

Subsequently, Amonasro urges Aïda to seduce Radames into deserting to the Ethiopians, but Amneris overhears the conspirators. At his trial before the priests of Isis, Radames refuses to defend himself and is condemned to be buried alive. While Amneris prays over his tomb, Radames discovers Aïda hidden in a corner, and the lovers consume the remaining oxygen in a final farewell duet.

Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana

Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945)

“Gloria

all’Egitto” from Aïda, Act II.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

By the time Verdi undertook the composition of Aïda, he was world famous, wealthy and able to dictate the terms of every aspect of a new opera. Between 1867 and 1870 Camille du Locle, the new director of the Opéra Comique in Paris, bombarded Verdi with proposals for a new opera. Verdi, who had his heart set on a comedy, rejected some out of hand and mused over the possibility of others until in 1870 du Locle forwarded to him a four-page scenario set in ancient Egypt.

Although there is still some debate over the ultimate source of the story, du Locle’s proposal was a translation of a scenario

“It was a pity I wrote Cavalleria first. I was crowned before I was king.” Thus did Pietro Mascagni evaluate his own musical career, citing his youthful success in 1890. The only one of his 15 subsequent operas, occasionally staged today, is L’amico Fritz, a gentle comedy, the absolute opposite of Cavalleria. Sadly, in his later years, Mascagni became a mouthpiece for Italy’s Fascist government. In 1929 he took over as conductor at La Scala in Milan when Arturo Toscanini resigned in protest over the Fascist regime.

Responding to an advertisement for a one-act opera competition promoted by a publisher, Mascagni composed his masterpiece in only a few weeks but did not consider it suitable, choosing to send in an act from an earlier opera instead. His wife, however, submitted the score of Cavalleria without his knowledge, and the rest is history. Cavalleria is an adaptation of the novella by the Sicilian writer Giovanni Verga the originator and most important representative of the verismo literary movement. Verismo,

or “realism,” portrayed the brutality of the social environment and characters of rural Sicily and Southern Italy.

The single act includes an adulterous love triangle, jealousy, betrayal and a duel to the death. The Intermezzo precedes the final scene, as the villagers emerge from the Easter Sunday service, just before the fatal duel.

Prelude to Act III. and Act II., Scene 2 from La traviata Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

In La Traviata Verdi completely broke with tradition. Based on La dame aux camélias by Alexandre Dumas, a French bestseller of the previous year that was immediately dramatized, La Traviata was the first tragic opera to treat a contemporary subject. Even more scandalizing was the fact that the heroine was a courtesan; and although Violetta Valéry travels only in the best Parisian circles, the word “traviata” literally means “fallen” or “debauched.” Verdi had also intended that the opera be staged in contemporary dress, an innovation that so disturbed his producer that the composer had to abandon that battle in order to win the war.

The mournful prelude to Act III sets the mood for the final act. Violetta has renounced her lover, Alfredo, for the sake of his family’s honor and his sister’s wedding. Unaware of her sacrifice, Alfredo has denounced her in public as a common prostitute. Violetta, whose health was always precarious, is now dying of consumption and a broken heart.

Act 2, scene 2 takes place at Flora’s ball, where there are also gaming tables, some of the guests dress as gypsies and matadors to perform a ballet for the rest of the company. Alfredo enters and asks Flora about Violetta, when Violetta appears on the baron’s arm, obviously distracted. Alfredo challenges Douphol to a card game, while Violetta laments her increasingly desperate situation. Alfredo returns from the gaming table, where he has wiped out Douphol, and throws his winnings at Violetta. In an emotional ensemble, Violetta pleads with Alfredo, the guests express their dismay at Alfredo’s behavior, and Germont appears to shepherd his son out of the melée.

Program notes by: Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn

www.wordprosmusic.com

Celebrated soprano, Cecilia Violetta López, has been named one of “Idaho’s Top 10 Most Influential Women of the Century” by USA Today and has been named one of opera’s “25 Rising Stars” by Opera News. The singing actress is constantly praised for her “alluring voice and incredible range” (Washington Post).

She has received accolades for her signature role of Violetta in La traviata, which she has performed countless times throughout North America. Critic, James Jorden, exclaimed “she is a Violetta fully-formed and, I think, ready for the great stages of the world.” She has now performed the role with Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Tampa, Opera Idaho, Ash Lawn Opera, The Northern Lights Music Festival, and more. Ms. López made her European début as Norina in Don Pasquale with Zomeropera in Belgium, for which Klassiek Centraal exclaimed: “She turns out to be the revelation of the show and wins over the audience with her funny rendition, irresistible charm, and [she is] natural in the different vocals.”

The American operatic tenor, Ben Gulley, is hailed as “an outstanding tenor (Opera News) ... startlingly-gifted (San Francisco Classical Voice).” Mr. Gulley’s career is burgeoning with lead and feature roles in opera, solo engagements, concert work, film work, nationwide touring, and prestigious appearances abroad. Mr. Gulley is the 2009 winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council District & Regional Competitions and a National Semi-Finalist. Other awards include the winner of the Hellam Young Artists’ Competition, Richard Tucker Foundation finalist, Florida Grand Opera competition finalist, Silver Medalist and People’s Choice Award from the Tulsa Rotary Club’s Competition, and more. His career has seen him perform across the globe within an array of musical forms and genres. From the stages of Carnegie Hall to The Corn Palace, from centerstage to behind the camera, Mr. Gulley is grateful to dedicate his life to expressing great music and telling stories for audiences everywhere.

American Baritone Jeff Mattsey is known worldwide for the roles that have defined his international career. He made his operatic stage debut at the age of 21 as Marcello opposite Luciano Pavarotti in the Opera Company of Philadelphia production of La Boheme. Since that time he has made appearances with such companies as the Metropolitan Opera, the San Diego Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Vancouver Opera, Opera di Genova, Deutsche Oper Berlin, New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and many more. A versatile actor, Mr Mattsey is at ease in both comic and dramatic works, from Figaro in the Barber and Marriage of Figaro to Sharpless in Butterfly or Papa Germont in La Traviata Of a recent performance, the San Diego Tribune says: “Baritone Jeff Mattsey was an extraordinary Marcello: extraordinary because he created a character so rich and textured with so little apparent effort – and sang the role with such an outpouring of warm, burnished sound…”

Cecelia Violetta López, Soprano

Ben Gulley, Tenor

Jeff Mattsey, Baritone

Interim Chorus Conductor KYLE RITTER

Kyle Ritter is Canon for Music at The Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina. At All Souls, he oversees a comprehensive choral program involving children and adults. The Cathedral Choir has toured regionally to both St. Philip’s Cathedral in Atlanta and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, and the St. Cecilia Youth Choir has toured to Atlanta, where they sang at Holy Innocents’ Church, and Charlotte at Christ Episcopal Church. Prior to his appointment at All Souls, Mr. Ritter was Minister of Music at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, a position he held from 1993-2002. He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organ and church music from Indiana University, where he was a student of Robert Rayfield and Marilyn Keiser. Kyle grew up in Evansville, Indiana, where he began piano lessons at age five with Jan Thornton-Irvine. He started organ lessons with Julian Irvine at ten years of age. He has held various positions of leadership in the American Guild

of Organists, including dean of both the Bloomington, Indiana and Western North Carolina Chapters and registrar for the District of Columbia chapter. For four years, he served the Guild as District Convener for the state of North Carolina. Mr. Ritter is Vice-President of the Association of Anglican Musicians, and has served also as a past regional officer, Placement Advisor, and on the editorial board for the AAM Journal. He was Adjunct Instructor in Liturgics at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, and taught in the Episcopal Dioceses of Washington and Virginia for the Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM). Mr. Ritter was for several years on the adjunct music faculty at Brevard College and as chair of the Liturgy and Music Commission of the Diocese of Western North Carolina. For five years, he served as Assistant Director/Accompanist for the Asheville Symphony Chorus. He is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda honorary music society.

Saturday, December 31, 2022, 8:00 p.m.

Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

It’s Bond, James Bond, and your Asheville Symphony! Ring in the New Year with powerhouse vocalists backed by your Symphony and dreams of martinis (shaken, not stirred), Aston Martins, custom watches from Q, and the beloved MI6 agent. With hits from Bond movie favorites like Goldfinger, Skyfall, and more, start the new year in style by unleashing your inner Bond (or Bond girl).

Darko Butorac, Conductor Mikki Sodergren, Soprano Jonathan Christopher, Baritone

James Bond Theme from Dr. No

Monty Norman, Terence Young

Sponsored by James S. Thompson

From Russia With Love

Marty Norman

Mikki Sodergren

Singing “beautifully and intelligently” (Jay Nordlinger, The New Criterion), Mikki Sodergren’s stylistic flexibility has afforded her an enriching and musically diverse career. Ms. Sodergren has developed new musicals for NYU Tisch, the BMI LehmenEngel Songwriting program, Disney Theatricals and the National Theatre of Great Britain, and has toured internationally with several ensembles, including the award-winning English Concert, the Grammy®-nominated Clarion Choir, and early music ensemble Meridionalis.

Ms. Sodergren often performs with symphonic orchestras on both classical engagements and pops programs. Ensembles include the Asheville, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Charleston, Hilton Head, and Johnstown Symphonies, the Savannah Philharmonic, the Washington Bach Consort, and others. Performing as the Mezzo-soprano soloist for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse and many pops programs, Mikki thrives on stylistic integrity and varied musical programming. Recording extensively, Ms. Sodergren’s work has received three Grammy® nominations, including a 2021 Grammy® award for performing on the recording of Dame Ethel Smyth’s The Prison. Sodergren will be featured as the Alto Soloist on the forthcoming recording by the Clarion Choir of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers

Recent performances include performing with the award-winning Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra under the direction of Met Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin for performances of Mahler’s

Resurrection Symphony, and Verdi’s Requiem, aired live on PBS and the World Trade Center Memorial, in memory of the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, and in celebration of the historic return of the Met after 18 months of closure. She has also been seen in the highly-lauded world premiere of Kamala Sankaram’s Looking At You, and can be heard on the original cast album, a Billboard chart topper for Classical charts in 2021. Sodergren made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2019 as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living, and has performed Aldonza/Dulcinea (Man of La Mancha), opposite TONY and EMMYnominated actor Ron Raines, as well as Eponine (Les Miserables) opposite Broadway legend, Craig Schulman.

Ms. Sodergren currently serves as Executive and Artistic Director of the only international, professional voice organization to dedicate themselves to the preservation, celebration and performance of all styles of classic American song: the American Traditions Vocal Collection. When all styles of American song are celebrated equally, all vocalists have the opportunity to shine.

Mikki resides in Savannah with her beloved cat, Djibouti.

Jonathan Christopher

Praised for his “hearty baritone” voice, Bermudian-Bostonian Jonathan Christopher is swiftly establishing himself as a premier versatile vocalist in New York City and

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Sponsored by Susan Harrington

Butts & Timothy Butts

007 Theme from From Russia With Love

John Barry

Diamonds Are Forever

John Barry, Don Black

Sponsored by Sue & George Luther

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

John Barry, Hal David

We Have All the Time in the World

John Barry, Hal David

Sponsored by Daniel & Caroline Crupi

Moonraker

John Barry

Goldeneye

Bono, The Edge

Nobody Does It Better

Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager

Sponsored by Michael & Catty Andry

Thunderball

John Barry

Casino Royale

David Arnold

Sponsored by Adarrell Gadsden & Marcie Ownbey

Writing’s On The Wall

Sam Smith, Damian Kulash, Jimmy Napes, Tim Nordwind

Sponsored by Jessica & David May

Nisi Dominus — Cum Dederit

Antonio Vivaldi

Sponsored by Samsel Architects

No Time To Die

Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell, arr. Zimmerman

Sponsored by Debbie Green

Soul Bossa Nova from Austin Powers

Quincy Jones

Sponsored by Mary Ellen Dendy & Aaron Dahlstrom

What the World Needs Now from Austin Powers

Hal David, Burt Bacharach

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Goldfinger

John Barry, Leslie Bricusse

Sponsored by Darko Butorac

Live and Let Die

Sir Paul McCartney, Hurby Azor, Lind McCartney

Sponsored by James S. Thompson

Skyfall

Thomas Newman

Sponsored by Billie & Larry Marzullo

around the world. In New York he has performed in critically acclaimed productions at Lincoln Center (Davóne Tines and Michael Schachter’s The Black Clown), Signature Theatre (Dave Malloy’s Octet), and Brooklyn Playhouse Theatre (David Chesky’s La Farranucci), and has been seen singing in the world renown cabarets of Joe’s Pub, The Duplex, and Don’t Tell Mama. Jonathan has been involved with two musicals set to open on Broadway in the coming seasons and has performed in musicals and operas throughout North America, Europe, and the Caribbean, including the role of Collins in the Aruban premiere of the musical Rent

In concert, Jonathan toured Italy with the gospel quartet Gospel 4; Germany with the opera band The Cast; his native Bermuda; and southeast Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean while onboard the luxury liner Seabourn Encore, performing alongside Broadway lyricist Sir Tim Rice.

Over the years Jonathan was seen dancing with Diana Ross, working out with Lady Gaga, and most triumphantly singing with Celine Dion on the Today Show! An

absolute career and personal highlight was hosting Bermuda’s first ever Pride in 2019 alongside his father, Bermudian Town Crier Ed Christopher. Along with his brother, fellow actor Nicholas Christopher, Jonathan received the prestigious 2020 of Bermuda Award. To top it all off, Jonathan is a member of the Hamilton National Tour, understudying Aaron Burr and George Washington and having played the Canadian premiere in Toronto.

With degrees in voice and opera from the University of Michigan and McGill University, Jonathan looks forward to continuing his eclectic and ever-evolving musical journey.

Central United Methodist Church

Tuesday, January 31, 2023, 7:00 p.m.

“The daring creativity and fierce passion Ozel channeled surpasses musicians twice or even three times his age.” American pianist Evren Ozel has won numerous honors and awards including scholarships from the U.S Chopin Foundation and Young Arts Foundation, first prize at the 2016 Boston Symphony Concerto Competition, and second prize as well as Mozart and Chopin special prizes at the 2018 Dublin International Piano Competition. Ozel presents an exquisite program exploring polyphony, the musical concept of multiple independent melodic lines occurring at the same time.

∙ Piano Recital with Evren Ozel

Evren Ozel, Piano

PREMIUM SEASON SPONSORS

Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op.42

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

After leaving Russia in 1917, economic necessity forced Sergey Rachmaninov to become primarily a pianist, with little time for composing. The Variations on a Theme of Corelli, written in 1931, was the only – and last – solo piano work he composed after that.

The theme, called La folia, is a chord sequence that can be traced back to Portugal and Spain of the late sixteenth century. Originally it was a wild Spanish dance – “folia” means insanity in Spanish. In the course of time and its migration to Italy, it became tamer and found its way into art music. Themes and variation have been around since the Middle Ages, and variations on the “folia” theme became fashionable as early as 1680; there are more than 150 sets of them, but the best-known is Arcangelo Corelli’s Violin Sonata op. 5, No. 12.

Rachmaninov’s work consists of the theme, 20 variations and a coda, with an intermezzo between variations 13 and 14. While technically very challenging, the variations are more subdued than Rachmaninov’s earlier piano works, and he realized their limited public appeal. In a letter to his friend, the composer Nicholai Medtner, he wrote:

“I’ve played the Variations about fifteen times, but of these fifteen performances only one was good. The others were sloppy. I can’t play my own compositions! And it’s so boring! Not once have I played these all in continuity. I was guided by the coughing of the audience. Whenever the coughing would increase, I would skip the next variation. Whenever there was no coughing, I would play them in proper order. In one concert, I don’t remember where - some small town - the coughing was so violent that I played only ten variations (out of 20). My best record was set in New York, where I played 18 variations.”

Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op.54 Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

In the days of the early Baroque, the term “scherzo” (joke) denoted a light-hearted vocal piece or a movement of a larger instrumental composition. Beethoven firmly established the form as a substitute for the traditional minuet and contrasting trio movement of the classical symphony and sonata, from which it derived its fundamental structure and repeat patterns.

By 1831, four years after Beethoven’s death, when Chopin composed the first of his Scherzos, the form was already firmly entrenched. Chopin was one of the first composers, however, to use the term for an independent instrumental composition. While retaining the basic structure of the traditional scherzo, gone are the remnants of its dance origins. Moreover, Chopin’s four Scherzos are anything but light or joking. Robert Schumann commented “How is ‘gravity’ to clothe itself, if ‘jest’ goes about in dark veils?”

Composed in 1842, the E major Scherzo is probably the most light-hearted of the four. Its publication in 1843 points out the dangers of hasty dedications. The German edition was dedicated to one of Chopin’s students, Mlle. Jeanne de Caraman. For reasons unknown, at the last minute Chopin decided to dedicate the Paris edition to Jeanne’s sister Clothilde, also one of his students. But the decision came too late, and the title page with Jeanne’s name was already printed. A clumsy attempt to alter the page was too embarrassing, and a new title page had to be printed for the new edition. The clumsily altered page of the first Paris edition is now a valuable collector’s item.

The uneven phrases and juxtaposition of chordal passages and light-textured filigree give this Scherzo a whimsical air. The trio, however, is in the minor mode with a contrasting, languorous moodiness.

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op.42

Sponsored by Hank Young

Frédéric Chopin

Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op.54

Sponsored by Richard Schaffer & Anastasia Bartlett

Béla Bartók

Out of Doors

With Drums and Pipes

Barcarole

The Night’s Music

The Chase

J.S. Bach

Das wohltemperierte Clavier, Book I

Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major, BWV852

Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV855

Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV864

Sponsored by Kitti Reynolds

György Ligeti

Etudes, Book I: No. 2

“Cordes à vide”

Ludwig van Beethoven

Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op.111

Sponsored by Sarah Van Gunten

CONCERT SPONSOR

David & Pamela Lane

SEASON MEDIA SPONSOR

SEASON RADIO SPONSOR

Out of Doors Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

In his 20s Béla Bartók was swept up in the nationalist movement and, together with his friend Zoltán Kodály, became one of the first true ethnomusicologists: In 1906 the team began collecting the peasant folk songs of

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Hungary and Romania, using that newfangled invention, the Edison wax cylinder. In later years Bartók extended his collecting to other East European and North African ethnic groups, the last one taking him to Anatolia (Turkey) in 1936. He edited and published many of the folk melodies he had recorded, others he incorporated into his own compositions.

The folk music Bartók collected strongly influenced his own musical style. He used as a resource authentic folk songs with their modal melodies, simple harmonies and complex rhythms. By the time he composed Out of Doors in 1926, he was concertizing throughout Europe, creating characteristic pieces for his own recitals.

Bartók’s regarded the piano primarily as a percussion instrument with limited expressive abilities. The pieces in Out of Doors focus on rhythmic cells and percussive tone clusters; each piece also contains melodies or melodic fragments based on ethnic modes. “With Drums and Pipes” is naturally the most percussive with a middle section consisting of two melodies in counterpoint. The underlying triplets in “Barcarole” are a variation of the traditional rocking rhythm associated with the title. The musette is a kind of small bagpipe found throughout France; the piece by this title, however, does not include the customary drone. Perhaps the most fascinating piece in the collection is “The Night’s Music,” which recreates the rural night sounds of crickets, owls and frogs. In its middle section, Bartók introduces a serpentine melody for which the night sounds serve as accompaniment. “The Chase” includes the ostinato rhythm of galloping horses, in places subtly altered to replicate the breaks in gait that often occur over uneven ground.

Preludes and Fugues from Das wohltemperierte Clavier, Book I

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

In 1722 Johann Sebastian Bach compiled a manuscript of 24 preludes and fugues, one pair in each of the major and minor keys, proceeding upward chromatically from C major to B minor. He titled it Das wohltemperierte Clavier (The WellTempered Clavier), and ever since a scholarly argument has been raging over the precise meaning of the title. In 1742 Bach added a second volume with

the same title, containing a further 24 preludes and fugues. The prelude/fugue combinations in both collections do not proceed in order of difficulty; instead, most of them are particularly suited to the fingerings and hand positions peculiar to a given key. Composed over nearly the entire span of Bach’s creative life, the 48 Preludes and Fugues have intrigued and inspired innumerable composers for over 250 years. Many of them have tried their hand at similar projects – although none nearly as extensive as Bach’s.

The musicological problem is with the ambiguous and difficult to translate term “wohltemperierte.” “Well-tempered” is the most popular translation, although “correctly-tempered” is probably more accurate. For a long time, it was assumed that Bach tried to popularize equal temperament as a system of keyboard tuning dividing the octave into 12 equally spaced semitones, thereby making it possible to play in any key with all the intervals sounding more or less in tune. Equal temperament eventually became the standard used today, but it was preceded by numerous other tuning systems that attempted to “fix” dissonant sounding intervals in the natural harmonic series, in which intervals within an octave were determined according to the simple mathematical ratios ostensibly discovered by the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras.

Lately, however, scholars have posited that Bach intended one of the modified tunings that made it possible to use all keys and transpose between them without going all the way toward equal temperament. Bach perhaps used the modified tuning suggested by theorist, organist and composer Andreas Werckmeister (1645-1706), probably the final step before absolute equal temperament.

The prelude is, by definition, a composition where the composer’s imagination is given free rein; a musical idea is examined and elaborated from various aspects, following no rigid principles of organization. The fugue, by contrast, is highly structured, its points of imitation the most strict polyphonic texture of traditional counterpoint. In coupling the two forms, Bach created compositions that challenged both his imagination as well as his erudition.

Etudes No. 2: Chords á vides György Ligeti (1923-2006)

The son of Hungarian parents from Transylvania, György Ligeti spent his youth in Cluj, Romania, where he attended the city’s conservatory and continued his musical studies in Budapest. In 1942, the Hungarian government – which was a German ally – sent young Jewish men to forced labor camps but, like Italy, did not participate in the Final Solution. When the Germans were retreating from defeat in the Soviet Union and the Hungarian government was suing for peace, the Nazis took over Hungary and deported the Hungarian Jews to the death camps, including the rest of Ligeti’s family. Ironically, some of the forced labor brigades, including the one where Ligeti was posted, managed to survive because they were doing essential work. Following the war Ligeti resumed his studies and in 1950 joined the faculty at the Franz Liszt Academy as a teacher of harmony. Until his escape from Hungary in 1956 after the Soviet invasion, most of his published compositions were arrangements of Rumanian and Hungarian folksongs; his more serious works remained unpublished in his native country because they did not fit into the political dogma.

Ligeti started composing his etudes in 1985 as a result of his feelings of inadequacy as a pianist. They are an expression of what he would have liked to play in public but felt inadequate. By the time he died, he had finished 18 etudes, published in three books.

According to the composer, the Etudes are supposed to give not only musical but also tactile pleasure. Ligeti related this sensual response to the experience of playing the polyphonic percussion music of sub-Saharan African cultures.

Etude No.2, Cordes à vide (open chords), is an exercise in delicacy of touch and simplicity of harmonic structure. The piece is constructed primarily of perfect fifths, beginning in a simple walking meter with no variation in rhythm and played as softly as possible. The second part embellishes the fifths, thereby picking up the level of difficulty. It ends with the four descending fifths of the tuning of a violin.

Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op.111 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Beethoven’s last five piano sonatas fall into what is generally agreed to be his “late” style. Together with the Ninth Symphony, the Missa Solemnis and the last five string quartets, they represent the composer’s most musically complex and emotionally intense creations. The last three sonatas in particular are also the most introspective, the composer’s dialogue with his instrument that he could only hear in his mind’s ear. The sonatas also represent the culmination of pianistic virtuosity. His final sonatas no longer took into consideration the abilities of even his most talented students, but were rather the ultimate in expression for himself alone.

The Sonata Op. 111 was completed during January of 1822 immediately after Op. 109 and Op. 110, so that the three works are often thought of as a group. Consisting of only two movements, the Sonata has continually raised speculation – and rumor – as to why. Even the composer’s publisher, Moritz Schlesinger, first assumed that an allegro finale must have been inadvertently left out of the package containing the autograph score. Like the

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Sonata Op. 109, this Sonata ends with a set of variations that leaves the listener emotionally exhausted with its intensity. There is simply nothing more left to say.

The Sonata opens with a Maestoso introduction followed seamlessly by a stormy Allegro. The initial jagged and harmonically unstable descent of a diminished seventh is paired with an equally jagged double dotted rhythm. Beethoven had originally planned it to be a fugue – an unprecedented form for an opening movement and in keeping with his artistic goal of bring the fugue to new heights of musical and emotional complexity. Traces of its fugal origins remain in the transition to the lyrical second theme. The corresponding sketchbook contains his copies of the opening passages from the Kyrie from Mozart’s Requiem and the finale from Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 20, No. 5, two models that utilize the same subject as “And with his stripes we are healed” from Messiah. Subsequently, he revised the movement in both structure and theme, converting it into a sonata form with slow a introduction. He retained the melodic contours of the fugue subject, however, for both introduction and Allegro.

The final movement is in sharp contrast, consisting of an Arietta, marked Adagio molto, semplice e cantabile, with five variations in C major. The simplicity of the theme allows Beethoven to retain it as a subtle melodic scaffold that in no way interferes with his expressive excursions. As is true of so many sets of variations, the number of notes per variation progressively increases. But this is no flashy bravura piece, largely because the dynamic markings calling for expressive crescendos and decrescendos, as well as delicate pianissimos in the variations with the smallest note values. The variations increase in length and are characterized by repeated rhythmical figures in the accompaniment and later with sparkling trills, the by now characteristic juxtaposition of extreme treble and bass pairings, and startling dissonances. Starting with variation four, the repeats of the strains are not exact but are further embellishments. As the movement progresses, the simple theme itself is taken up in different voices booming out above or below the glittering accompanying trills. The movement ends with a coda played pianissimo and ending in a whisper.

American pianist Evren Ozel began his musical studies at age 3 in his hometown of Minneapolis, MN. He has won numerous honors and awards including scholarships from the U.S Chopin Foundation and Young Arts Foundation, first prize at the 2016 Boston Symphony Concerto Competition, second prize at the 2016 Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition, and second prize as well as Mozart and Chopin special prizes at the 2018 Dublin International Piano Competition. Most recently, he received second prize and special prizes for Best Mazurka and Best Polonaise at the 2020 U.S. National Chopin Competition securing the honor of representing the U.S.A in the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland in October 2021, where he was a quarter-finalist.

Ozel has performed with orchestras such as the Cleveland Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, RTE National Symphony and Boston Pops among others. As a soloist

Program notes by: Joseph

& Elizabeth Kahn

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and as a chamber musician, Ozel has participated in several chamber music festivals including the the prestigious Marlboro Music Festival and Chamber Fest Cleveland. Other festival experiences include the International Mendelssohn Akademie Leipzig in 2018 as a Mendelssohn Fellow, taking masterclasses with Pavel Gililov and Matti Raekallio, and the Oxford Philomusica Piano Festival in 2015, where he had masterclasses with Ferenc Rados, Menahem Pressler, and Andras Schiff. He has also been selected to perform in masterclasses for Richard Goode, Paul Lewis, Mitsuko Uchida, Garrick Ohlssohn, Robert Levin, Hugh Wolff, Lang Lang and others.

Ozel is currently in the Master of Music program at New England Conservatory in Boston, MA where he has been studying with Wha Kyung Byun since 2014. He is represented by Concert Artists Guild, as one of the Ambassador Prize winners of their 2021 Victor Elmaleh Virtual Competition.

Evren Ozel, Piano

Blue Ridge Public Radio is honored to support the Asheville Symphony Orchestra.

bpr.org

BPR celebrates the arts and the role they play in enriching the quality of life in Western North Carolina.

Take part in the festival! Opportunities to support the fourth Asheville Amadeus festival include participating as a partner, becoming a member of the 1756 Society, and more. Interested? Reach out to info@ashevillesymphony.org for more details on the Asheville Amadeus Festival.

ASHEVILLE AMADEUS IS BACK

This extraordinary ten-day celebration of arts and culture is one of the many reasons why the Asheville Symphony is regarded as one of our country’s most creative and innovative orchestras. It is with tremendous enthusiasm that we bring you the fourth Asheville Amadeus Festival starting on May 11 through May 20, 2023, this year celebrating the many shades of Americana, from bluegrass, jazz, and classical to pop, rock and folk. More festival details are on the way... Keep an eye on your inboxes and mailboxes this winter.

This season, we welcome the world’s biggest name in bluegrass and traditional music to the Asheville Symphony stage as Festival Headliner: banjo legend, Béla Fleck. Performing his The Imposter concerto for banjo and orchestra with the ASO at our grand festival finale on May 20 and collaborating with the Asheville Chamber Music Series to perform his banjo quintet, Night Flight Over Water, Béla’s participation in this

year’s festival will make for a truly Appalachian musical experience. Music education will also be a centerpiece of Béla’s residency in Asheville, as he joins forces with Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra and the ASO in a performance for more than 4,000 5th graders in Buncombe County!

Opening this year’s Amadues Festival is multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi, a folk-infused, cinema-inspired artist known the world over for his cross-genre and multi-disciplinary approach to music making.

Kishi Bashi recently performed with the Seattle, Virginia, and Oregon Symphonies, and was featured in Ben Folds’ DECLASSIFIED series with the National Symphony Orchestra. Now, on May 13 as part of the festival’s opening weekend, he will join forces with the Asheville Symphony on its final ALT ASO concert of the year at Salvage Station on the banks of the French Broad River.

Symphonettes

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Food & Beverage Partners

Many of Asheville’s greatest local businesses are those that serve the best food and drinks! Your Asheville Symphony is proud to partner with some of Asheville’s best restaurants, breweries, bars, and more. They serve Symphony patrons all year long; now they are doing more by supporting the Symphony as advertisers and sponsors.

Visit our Food & Beverage Partners to support your Symphony, and send these partners our love when you visit their establishments!

Do you work at or own a local restaurant or bar and want to be on this list? Contact Director of Development Jessica May at (828) 318-8181 or jcmay@ ashevillesymphony.org

MUSIC SPONSORS LIST

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Season & Concert Sponsors

Drs. Joanne & Tom Parker

Season & Concert Sponsors are critical to the Asheville Symphony’s success each year. Sponsors support a variety of key Symphony offerings including events, ALT ASO performances, special projects, guest artists, multi-day festivals, concert series, donor events, and even an entire season.

Henry

David

Thank you so much to the individuals, foundations, and businesses who support the Asheville Symphony and recognize the importance of arts organizations in our community.

Olivia

With options ranging from $250 to more than $25,000, sponsorship is a great way to partner with your Asheville Symphony. Each sponsorship package includes benefits custom tailored to your needs or the needs of your business. If you would like to see your name or business on this list of philanthropic individuals and businesses, contact Director of Development Jessica May at (828) 318-8181 or jcmay@ ashevillesymphony.org.

OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

OFFICIAL AUTOMOTIVE COMPANY OF THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

A. LaBrun

& Pamela Lane

& Gary Zahler

in Memory of Katherine Armitage & Jack Jones

Rich & Diane Byers

Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority

Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation

Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Foundation

in Honor of Sally Keeney

Mountaine Mort Jonas Katie & Phil Osborn

Timothy Butts & Susan Harrington Butts

Kevin Pasarilla & Jennifer Marlowe

Craig Allen & Julie Cowden

Phyllis Penley Patton

Donald Gavin & Jayne Schnaars

Lynne & John Eramo

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

Asheville Symphony Supporters

The Asheville Symphony Board of Directors, staff and musicians want to extend our deepest appreciation to our patrons. We are delighted to present this exciting and innovative 2022-2023 season, with more 2023-2024 plans to come — all thanks to your support.

Your gifts cultivate the next generation of music lovers by supporting our Music in the Schools program, the Young People’s concert and our spectacular Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra!

Your gifts sustain our vibrant music community by allowing us to be one of the largest employers of performing artists in WNC; we are proud we are able to employ and retain the area’s most highly trained and talented musicians!

Your gifts strengthen the local economy by creating jobs and attracting home owners. The Asheville Symphony is a source of great community pride and your support ensures we continue our positive development trajectory!

To learn more about supporting the Asheville Symphony please contact Jessica May, Director of Development at (828) 318-8181 or jcmay@ashevilleysmphony.org.

January 1, 2022 - August 8, 2022*

ASO Supporters

SEASON UNDERWRITERS

($25,000+)

Asheville Symphony Guild

Blue Spiral 1

Flow Volkswagen Porsche Audi of Asheville

iHeart Media, Inc.

Kimpton Hotel Arras

Henry A. LaBrun

David and Pamela Lane

North Carolina Arts Council

Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker

COMPOSER CIRCLE

($10,000-$24,999)

Michael and Catty Andry Anonymous

Asheville Citizen Times

Asheville Symphony Symphonettes

Audrey Love Charitable Foundation

Mr. Thomas C. Bolton

Timothy Butts and Susan Harrington Butts

Diane and Rich Byers in memory of Katherine Armitage and Jack Jones

The Chaddick Foundation

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation

Explore Asheville

Lynne and John Eramo

Dr. Bolling Farmer

Bill and Nancy Gettys

Helle Creative

Highland Brewing Company

Hi-Wire Brewing

Keith Keener

Gerald and Nancy Kitch

Jim and Mary Kirby

Jill and Joe Lawrence

Barbra and Keith Love

William McKenna and Suzanne Landis

The Payne Fund

Bob and Martha Pierce in memory of Dr. Elizabeth Pierce Litteral

Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Foundation

Richard Schaffer and Anastasia Bartlett

James S. Thompson

Olivia and Gary Zahler

CONDUCTOR CIRCLE

($7,500 - $9,999)

Mary and Jack Anderson

Diana Bilbrey

Gene and Lee Casey

Hatchworks Coworking

Amy Loether

Carol and Hugh McCollum

Ed and Cindy Towson

ORCHESTRA CIRCLE

(5,000-$7,499)

Anonymous

Awaken Skin & Body

Gene and Lee Casey

Clover CBD Dispensary

George and Kathy Dambach

Gan Shan West

Debbie Green

Rhonda and Marcus Grimes

HomeTrust Bank

Kathryn Theodore Travel

Dr. and Mrs. Ralph C. Loomis

McGuire Wood & Bissette

Mountaine Mort Jonas in honor of Sally Keeney

Northwestern Mutual

Jennifer Marlowe and Kevin Pasarilla

Phil and Katie Osborn

Sarah Van Gunten

BENEFACTOR

($2,500 - $4,999)

Anonymous

Craig Allen and Julie Cowden

Brad and Diane Arnold

Meredith Balgley and Erik Bendix

The Blackbird Restaurant

Charles and Beverly Briedis

Margaret Butler

Randy and Martha Carson

Charles and Patricia Sloan Clogston

Crawley, Lee and Company, P.A.

Dr. John and Wendy Cuellar

John and Suzie Donahoe

D.R. Horton

Kathryn and Harry Durity

Nancy and Ron Edgerton

Donald Gavin and Jayne Schnaars

Richard and Yolanda Hall in memory of Rikki Hall

Bill and Kitty Hunt

Jon and Ann Kemske

Ann and Jerry McLellan

Russell and Ladene Newton

Jim Reeves

Morgan Stanley

Gary and BA Schenk

Bill Schulz and Odile Perrenoud

Maurice and Bonnie Stone

Van Winkle Law Firm

WNC Bridge NOW

Hank Young

IMPRESARIO

($1,000-$2,499)

Anonymous

Don and Nancy Ackermann Cole

Dr. and Mrs. Luther Barnhardt

Blue Ridge Public Radio

Lucy and Kirk Borland

Ed and Donna Broadwell

Tony McLean Brown in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Burton

Bill and Clarita Burton

Darko Butorac

Dr. Nancy J. Cable

Lois S. Carlson and Jerome Mrowca

Karen L. Cianciulli

Douglas and Louisa Combs

John and Jeanne Condren

Daniel and Caroline Crupi

Jurgen and Leslie Dierks

Marvin and Patricia Eargle

Richard and Bridget Eckerd

John and Marsha Ellis

Dr. Alan and Suzanne Escovitz

John and Suellyn Felker

Betty Fox

Adarrell Gadsden and Marcie Ownbey

Judy Galloway

in memory of Don Galloway

Neil and Cindy Garroway

Michael J. Grillot

Fred and Cindy Groce

Dr. and Mrs. Heinz K. Grohs

Sam and Robin Harben

Robin and Mark Hayes

Jill and Dwight Healy

Robert and Linda Hollis

Jennine Hough

Inez Hullinger Redman in memory of Jack Redman

Stan Ingber and Lauren Robbins

Anne Jarema and Cliff Albertson

Randall and Mary Johnson

Debbie Lee

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lerwick

John and Janet Long

Sue and George Luther

Dr. and Mrs. Carlo Mainardi

Anne McKenzie

Osada Construction LLC

Ralph Protsik and Susan Wolin

Kitti Reynolds

Sabrina and Isaac Rockoff

Martha G. Rowlett

David and Bettie Sousa

Irene and Michael Stoll

Margaret K. Storey

Gary and Jeanne Ann Stroebel

Ray and Patricia Strong

Jeff and Beth Sturkey in honor of Bill and Nancy Gettys

Thomas G. Tachovsky and Lynn G. Baird

The Asheville Symphony Chorus seeks to enrich and inspire our community through impactful performances of the masterworks of choral music. This year, the Asheville Symphony Chorus and the Asheville Symphony Orchestra will combine forces for Masterworks 3: Night at the Opera (see page 36). Additional performances will be announced in the spring. The Asheville Symphony Chorus is also pleased to welcome Kyle Ritter as Interim Conductor. Please scan the QR code to the right for more information or visit www.ashevillesymphonychorus.com. Follow and like the Asheville Symphony Chorus on Facebook and Instagram for details on upcoming events.

ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY SOCIETY AFFILIATE

Shirley Tenney and Paul Merriken

Jay and Carol Verneuil

Dr. and Mrs. Larry R. Versteegh

David and Dianne Worley

PATRON ($500-$999)

Anonymous

David and Sydney Atkinson

Peggy Baker and Margaret Small in memory of Louie Baker

Marion Boone

Buster and Karen Brown

Mr. and Mrs. William Brown

Gary and Patty Coleman

Virginia Craig

Sharron Davis

Mary Ellen Dendy and Aaron Dahlstrom

Lori Doerr

Drs. Louis Dwarshuis and Marilyn Kolton

William and Carol Falender

James and Linda Focareto

Robin and Gordon Gaiser

Peter and Jasmin Gentling

Clair Griffith and Geoffrey Mitchell in honor of Billie Marzullo

George and Elaine Goosmann

Anna Hayward

Fred and Heather Hudson

Pat and Doug Johnston

Gail Jolley

Elizabeth Justice

Jonas and Lauren Karlsson

Tom and Dian Leeper

Virginia and Drew Litzenberger

Diane and John Martin

Larry and Billie Marzullo

Jessica & David May

Lee and Merri McLean

Dwight and Shirley Oltman

Yvonne Smith

J. Howard and Honey Solomon

Donna and Randy Weast

Paul B. Williamson

Marla Woeckener

CONTRIBUTOR ($250-$499)

Anonymous

Mike and Lorna Anderberg

Charles and Stephanie Baer

Carole and Joel Cotter

Mack Day

William N. Dorfman, Ed.D.

Ron Goudreau and Martin Snyder

Al and Betsy Gumpert

Virginia W. Hayes

Dr. Earl Stephen Hunt and Mrs. Edeltraut Gilgan-Hunt

Bill Jacobs and Susan Posey

Marian and Thomas Jerdee

KeyBanc Capital Markets

Mary and Edward Kofron

Judy and Bill LaMée

Elfi LaPlante

Ferris L. Lyle

Chuck Lockwood and Patrick Ryan

Dr. Linda Lutz and Gary Ticknor

Henry and Elizabeth Mainwaring

Gail and Ron Manheimer

James H. McMillan and Carol H. Kaufman

Donna Robertson

James Storey and Janice Collins

Judy Watson

MEMBER ($100-$249)

Anonymous

Diana and Larry Armold

Mary Bachrach

Viiva Banzon & Robert Evans

Tom and Kay Beardsley

Treasure and Gary Beeson

Karen Boone

David and Ann Bottomy

Adlai and Karen Boyd

Rita Nilsen and Carl Brickman

Claude and Sallie Broach

Allan and Jean Brown

David G. and Lin Brown

Ellen Brown

Clinton Bugg and Jeff Nucey

Jim Cahill

Jane Caris

John Carpenter

Marshall Carter

Anne and Larry Clark

Bill and Meg Clontz

David and Cynthia Cobb

Celebrate a loved one with a gift to your Asheville Symphony

Tribute gifts are a unique and thoughtful way to celebrate something or someone special while supporting a non-profit organization with a tax-deductible donation. These types of donations can be made to celebrate or commemorate any kind of occasion. Common attributions include anniversaries, birthdays, or significant life milestones. Additionally, tribute gifts can be made in memory of a loved one or on their behalf.

When you make a tribute gift, you will receive an acknowledgment letter indicating the tax-deductible amount of your gift. In addition to your own letter, the honoree or their family members will also receive a notification of your gift if you choose.

For more information, please contact Director of Development Jessica May at 828.318.8181 or jcmay@ashevillesymphony.org.

Visit page 62 to view recent tribute gifts.

Bishop Charles and Karen Crutchfield

Richard and Elizabeth Draper

Kristen Dusenbery

Martin and Ivy Dyckman

Kim Eiring

Don and Joy Erbes

Edward and Amy Euler

David and Ellen Feingold

Stephen and Jackie Finstad

James and Linda Focareto

Judy Fore

Ellenor Frelick

Mary Goodkind

Jeanie Graham

Scott and Sally Gregg

Paula J. Grillot

Amanda Hall and Robert Zeid

John and Elizabeth Hamrick

Kathleen Holmes

Nancy Houha

Barbara and Bill Hume

Sue Humphries Gibson Household

Henley Hurt

Thorunn Ivey

David & Eleanor Johnson

Daisy Karasek

Bob and Donna Kaye

Margaret Kelso

Theodore and Nancy Kennedy

Jess and Phyllis Key

Elaine Kiser

Karen Lachow

Bryan and Colleen LaPlante

Eric and Mala Lapp

Jana and Chris Lechner

Walter Leginski

Dr. Ken and Mrs. Marjorie Loken

James Losse and Ellen Haack

Dr. John and Xandra Manley

William D. and Linda Mashburn

Judith Mayer

Dr. and Mrs. Ben McCarty

John and Jansen McCreary

Ryan and Kelly McLellan

Gayle Miller

Elwood and Margaret Miles

Martha and Thomas Mills

Elizabeth Minor

Reid, Alyson, Ellis, and Tess

McCollum in honor of Carol McCollum

Charlie and Delores Norris

Francis Nullet

William O’Connell

Jane Okuma, Chris and Mika Gordon in memory of Lindley Garner

John K. Orr

Jeffrey and Lisa Owen

Lori Oxford and Alberto Centeno-Pulido

John Paar

Donald and Brenta Poole

Dr. and Mrs. H. Leonard Porter

Susan and Mike Portland

Kathleen Quinlan and Marc Parham

George and Donna Renfro

Holly Renfro

Symphonettes

The Asheville Symphonettes is a high school girls’ service group that has been serving the Asheville area since 2011. Exposing high schoolers to live symphony concerts creates a lifelong love and appreciation of classical music, and Symphonettes experience this while forging lifelong friendships and bettering their community. This season, Symphonettes will participate in a Lock In fundraiser in the fall and pair up with the Symphony Guild in the spring at the well known “Pass The Hat” event with proceeds from both events going to benefit the Symphony. The Symphonettes also serve as ushers for Asheville Symphony concerts and serve the community in a multitude of ways.

For Symphonette membership or funding inquiries, please contact Gretchen Brown at gbgb123@gmail.com.

Don Roberts

Julene Reese Roberts

Barbara Robinson

Sherree Roller and David Janson

Evan and Susan Rosenberg

Frank Rutland

Sharon Sandel

Marcy and Michael Salemi

Clyde and Peggy Sawyers

Katherine and Robert Silvers

Gail and Nelson Sobe

Thomas Southwick

Mary Stuart

Bernard and Sue Stanek

Jan and Wayne Stanko

Eric Taylor

Janet Thatcher

Richard and Alyssa Weber

George Wilds and Steve Connell

Larry and Janie Wilson

FRIEND ($1-$99)

Erin Abernethy

Dr. Leanne Apfelbeck and Ms. Bonnie Snyder

Joe and Lynn Armour

Julian and Martha Biller

Elizabeth and Kemper Brown

Lana Burns

Nan Buschmann

Jackie Carden and Jane Dupont

Alexa and Rich Dann

Peter Wortham Hawes

Michael and Laura Hoskins

Drs. William and Sara Hoyt

Ralph and Sheryl Husby

Katherine and Jon Karraker

Philip and Kathleen Leftwich

Lynn Lederer and Leslie Long

Barbara Mayer

Stephanie Milani

Frederick W. Selph

Cathy Stryker

Susan Novak Wagner

Norman and Janet Weeks

Barbara Witt

Andrew and Virginia Woelflein

David and Dianne Worley

Rich Wyde and Angela Branch

* This list includes new donations and previously unrecorded donations from January 1, 2022 to August 8, 2022. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list, however, if you note an omission or an error please contact Director of Development Jessica May at (828) 318-8181 or jcmay@ashevillesymphony.org. Thank you!

Matching Gifts

Many companies offer a matching gift program for employee (and retiree!)

charitable donations – this can double or triple your gift! Check with your company’s human resources or payroll department to see whether it offers a matching gift program.

The Asheville Symphony extends appreciation to the following companies who have recently matched donor gifts to our programs:

AIG

Boeing Eaton Corporation

IBM Corporation

McMaster - Carr Supply Company

Prudential Financial Inc.

State Farm Companies Foundation

Steelcase Foundation

Shell Oil Company Foundation

To learn more please contact Jessica May, Director of Development at (828) 318-8181 or jcmay@ashevillesymphony.org

In memory of Louie Baker

Peggy Baker and Margaret Small

In memory of Jocelyn

Baumgarten

Gayle Miller

In memory of George Bilbrey

Diana Bilbrey

In honor of Mr. and Mrs.

Bill Burton

Tony McLean Brown

In memory of Don Galloway

Judy Galloway

In memory of Lindley C. Garner

Mary Bachrach

Rich Wyde and Angela Branch

Russell and Margaret Gerleve

Jane Okuma, Chris and Mika Gordon

In honor of Bill and Nancy Gettys

Jeff and Beth Sturkey

In honor of Albert Allen Gumpert

Joe and Lynn Armour

In honor of Ginny and Gary Hunt

Amy and Ryan Haldeman

In memory of our son, Rikki Hall

Richard and Yolanda Hall

In memory of Katherine Armitage and Jack Jones

Diane and Rich Byers

In honor of Sally Keeney

Mountaine Mort Jonas

In honor of Ralph and Mary Keil

Buster and Karen Brown

On behalf of Gerry and Nancy Kitch

Barbara and Bill Hume

In memory of Dr. Elizabeth

Pierce Litteral

Bob and Martha Pierce

In memory of Annette Luethold

Al and Betsy Gumpert

In honor of Billie Marzullo

Clair Griffith and Geoffrey Mitchell

In honor of Carol McCollum

Reid, Alyson, Ellis and Tess McCollum

In celebration of Chris McNabb

Salette Gressett

In memory of Ann Rennard

David and Cynthia Cobb

Gary and Patty Coleman

Mary Grace Rennard

Brett and Cathy Wingo

In honor of Cynthia Roop

Ruth Sieber Johnson

In memory of Karl and Shirley Quisenberry

Richard and Yolanda Hall

In memory of Jack Redman

Inez Hullinger Redman

The Asheville Symphony Guild proudly supports the Asheville Symphony and the part it plays in our community through volunteer support and fundraising. In the more than 50 years since it was founded, the Guild has raised over $1 million to support the Asheville Symphony Orchestra.

If you love music and want to form a deeper connection to other music-lovers and to the Asheville Symphony, we invite you to join the Guild today! For more information or to join the Guild, visit ashevillesymphonyguild.org or scan the QR code to the right.

Support your Symphony’s Annual Fund

Asheville’s passion for music helps shape the quality of our community and inspires our musicians and the guest artists who work with us. This passion culminates in the incredible live experience we offer people of all ages and backgrounds through our programs, inside and outside of the concert hall.

We are only able to achieve our mission because of the generous support of people like you who are passionate about music, education and their community. Ticket revenue covers less than half of the symphony’s operating cost.

Help us set the stage for the present and future of classical music by making a contribution to the Annual Fund.

Visit AshevilleSymphony.org or contact Director of Development Jessica May at 828.318.8181 to make a donation to this season’s Annual Fund today.

MUSICAL FEASTS: YOUR SOCIAL AGENDA AWAITS!

From garden parties to barbecues to elegant evenings — join the Guild and experience these fun Musical Feasts while supporting our Symphony!

Supporting your Symphony can bring you closer to the music and provide unique and exclusive benefits! Check out some highlights below, but visit www.AshevilleSymphony.org for the full list of donor benefits for Annual Fund supporters.

Free parking... even in Downtown Asheville! ($1,000+ to the Annual Fund)

Inclusion on event signage and promotional materials (sponsorship options start at $250)

VIP experiences including exclusive invitations to donor events with guest artists, musicians, and fellow music lovers (starting at $500+)

Unprecedented access to the Asheville Amadeus Festival plus the option to purchase festival tickets in advance (1756 Society membership starts at $1,756)

Curious about our full benefit offerings? Interested in customized benefits for you or your business? Contact Director of Development Jessica May at 828.318.8181 or jcmay@ashevillesymphony.org for more details.

GUILD-SUPPORTED MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The Guild introduces more than 7,000 elementary school children to classical music each year through the Music in the Schools program. The Guild also helps support our wonderful Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra.

GUILD GATHERINGS: SHARE THE LOVE!

From our Fall Potluck to the annual May Gathering, Guild members enjoy getting together to share their love of music and our wonderful Symphony.

Friends of the ASYO

Anonymous

Mike and Lorna Anderberg

Mary and Jack Anderson

Michael and Catty Andry

Charles and Stephanie Baer

Diana Bilbrey

Mr. Thomas C. Bolton

Bill and Clarita Burton

Tim and Susan Harrington Butts

Gene and Lee Casey

Sylvia Cassel

James and Patricia Cooley

Daniel and Caroline Crupi

Dr. John and Wendy Cuellar

Jerry and Diane Cunningham

Kamini and Jagdishbhai Desai

Erin and Tom Doyle

Amanda Durst

Kim Eiring

Nancy and Ron Edgerton

Lynne and John Eramo

Dr. Bolling Farmer

Polly S. Feitzinger

Stephen and Jackie Finstad

Betty Fox

Ellenor Frelick

Adarrell Gadsden and Marcie Ownbey

Robin and Gordon Gaiser

Bill and Nancy Gettys

Salette Gressett

Al and Betsy Gumpert

Kate Townsend and Michael Hawkins

Sue Holliday

Dr. Earl Stephen Hunt and Mrs. Edeltraut Gilgan-Hunt

Bill and Kitty Hunt

Ruth Sieber Johnson

Keith Keener

Margaret Kelso

Jon and Ann Kemske

Jim and Mary Kirby

David and Pamela Lane

Jill and Joe Lawrence

Debbie Lee

Doris and Ralph Loomis

Barbra and Keith Love

Sue and George Luther

Henry and Elizabeth Mainwaring

Jessica & David May

Carol & Hugh McCollum

Anne McKenzie

Dagi Murphy

Russell and Ladene Newton

Nicole Norian and Robert Dennis

Jeffrey and Lisa Owen

Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker

Morgan and Barbara Pearson

Kathleen Quinlan and Marc Parham

Sarah and R. Rah

Scholarships for ASYO Students

Kris-Kel for Kids Fund

Given by Jerry and Diane Cunningham

Philharmonia Scholarship

Given by Keith Keener

Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker

Scholarship Fund

Given by Drs. Joanne & Tom Parker

NOW Fund Scholarship

Through the WNC Bridge Foundation

Ann Rennard Memorial Scholarship

Given by the families of her loving siblings:

William Worthington and Carole Spears

James and Patricia Cooley

Janet and Robert Shaw

Sarah and R. Rah

Brett and Cathy Wingo

Carl A. Worthington, Sr.

Carl A. Worthington, Jr. & Deborah Worthington

John Worthington

Kurt Worthington and Jennifer Brodie

Donna Robertson

Cynthia Roop and Dr. Brian Tinkel

Mary Ropson and Mary Streckenbach

Janet and Robert Shaw

Irene and Michael Stoll

Kate Townsend and Michael Hawkins

Ed and Cindy Towson

Sarah Van Gunten

Ted and Karen Wallace Meigs

Larry and Janie Wilson

Brett and Cathy Wingo

Carl A. Worthington, Jr. and Deborah Worthington

Carl A. Worthington, Sr.

John Worthington

Kurt Worthington and Jennifer Brodie

William Worthington and Carole Spears

Olivia and Gary Zahler

At the ASYO, we believe that all students deserve access to incredible musical experiences regardless of their economic circumstances. These scholarships have been created to assist ASYO participants with tuition, ensuring that all students have equal access to the best musical training and resources that Asheville has to offer. Thank you to our generous donors!

The Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra program serves more than 150 student musicians throughout the greater Asheville area. The program consists of two string orchestras, one symphony orchestra, and one percussion ensemble. Students also have the opportunity to participate in string, woodwind, and brass small chamber ensembles. Throughout the year, students participate in masterclasses, retreats, workshops, and social events.

Each group of young musicians receives the highest quality of orchestra training from the region’s most respected professional conductors and musicians. ASYO members gain a strong sense of discipline, increased confidence, build lifelong friendships, and a deep appreciation for the arts.

WINTER CONCERT

December 5, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

• Asheville High School

SPRING CONCERT

April 24, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. • Asheville High School

ASHEVILLE AMADEUS FESTIVAL

May 19, 2023 • Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

The advanced Youth Orchestra will have the opportunity to perform during the Asheville Amadeus Festival with a side-by-side concert featuring professional Asheville Symphony musicians and festival headliner Béla Fleck.

For more information about the ASYO, including how to join and how to support, please visit www.ashevillesymphony.org/asyo

A special thank you to Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker for their generous support for 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 opportunities for students to engage in chamber music and our annual retreat.

Music Sponsors

Michael and Catty Andry

Diana Bilbrey in memory of George Bilbrey

Darko Butorac

Timothy Butts & Susan Harrington Butts

Dr. Nancy J. Cable

Gene and Lee Casey

Charles and Patricia Sloan Clogston

Carole and Joel Cotter

Daniel and Caroline Crupi

George and Kathy Dambach

Mary Ellen Dendy and Aaron Dahlstrom

John and Suzie Donahoe

Amanda Durst and Jason McCoy

Lynne and John Eramo

Dr. Alan and Suzanne Escovitz

Adarrell Gadsden and Marcie Ownbey

Robin and Gordon Gaiser

Donald Gavin and Jayne Schnaars

Debbie Green

Richard and Yolanda Hall in memory of our son, Rikki Hall

Sam and Robin Harben

Bill and Kitty Hunt

Gail Jolley

Jim and Mary Kirby

John and Janet Long

Barbra and Keith Love

Sue and George Luther

Jessica and David May

Larry and Billie Marzullo

Ann and Jerry McLellan

Carol and Hugh McCollum

Ralph Protsik and Susan Wolin

Kitti Reynolds

Samsel Architects

Richard Schaffer and Anastasia Bartlett

J. Howard and Honey Solomon

Barbara and Marty Stickle

Irene and Michael Stoll

James S. Thompson

Sarah Van Gunten

Marla Woeckener

Hank Young

We believe music matters. We believe it changes lives.

Here’s how we make music with your dollars:

$20,000

Covers the cost of presenting one Young People’s Concert for school children

$7,500

Pays the fees and travel for one guest soloist

$5,000

Allows for one workshop for the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra

$2,500

Covers the cost of renting and moving a concert grand Steinway into our venue for Piano Recitals

$1,300

Covers the purchase of music for a single Beethoven symphony

$1,000

Provides tuition scholarships for ten Youth Orchestra students

$750

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

$375

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

$170

Covers the cost of orchestra folders for ten Youth Orchestra students

Donations to the Symphony’s Annual Fund support all of these programs and more. To learn more please contact Jessica May, Director of Development (828) 318-8181

jcmay@ashevillesymphony.org

Legacy Society Members

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

Kathy Bellizio

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

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 Jeanne 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

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

Bill and Kitty Hunt

Bill Jacobs and Susan Posey

Pat and Doug Johnston

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

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 *

John Schuler*

Robert Sorton

Bonnie Stone

Norretta L. Taylor*

Edna Thompson*

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Towson

Albert and Lucia Ward*

Eleanor Weil Schulmon*

*Deceased

The Asheville Symphony Legacy Society recognizes people who have planned a gift to the Symphony in their will or estate plans. Speak to your financial advisor and contact Jessica May, Director of Development, to learn more about the Legacy Society: (828) 318-8181 or jcmay@ ashevillesymphony.org.

Tomorrow is listening. Will Isabella’s Asheville Symphony be the same vital part of the community as it is now?

Plan a gift today, so when tomorrow listens... she’ll hear you.

Northwestern Mutual Kevin Pasarilla

Wealth Management Advisor

4 Vanderbilt Park Dr, Ste 350 828-210-3806

kevinpasarilla.nm.com

Northwestern Mutual Jennifer Marlowe

Growth and Development Director 4 Vanderbilt Park Dr, Ste 350 727-744-0352

jennifermarlowe.nm.com

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