Joseph Young, Music Director
REJOICE Season 2021/2022
Beethoven • López Bellido World Premiere JUN 12 • 4PM | Zellerbach Hall
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June 12, 2022
Berkeley Symphony 21/22 Season
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Message from the Music Director
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Board of Directors & Advisory Council
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Orchestra & Chorus
13 Season Sponsors 14 50th Anniversary Sponsors 15 Silent Auction 21 Ad Index: Support Businesses that Support Us 23 Today’s Program 25 Program Notes 35 Music Director Joseph Young 37 Composer & Guest Artist Bios 45 About Berkeley Symphony 47 Music in the Schools 51 $100K+ Lifetime Donors 52 Annual Membership Support 58 Contact Cover photo by Louis Bryant Photography Berkeley Symphony is a member of the League of American Orchestras and the Association of California Symphony Orchestras. No recordings of any part of today’s performance may be made without the written consent of the management of Berkeley Symphony. Program subject to change. June 12 2022
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SpEciAl hAnd-mAde chOcOlatES tO SurpriSE And inSpirE yOur tAStE budS
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June 12, 2022
photo by Louis Bryant Photography
Message from the Music Director
I
t brings me so much joy to return to the Zellerbach stage for the final symphonic concert of our historic 50th Anniversary season! This season, we have celebrated a variety of cultures and musical genres reminding us that music is a universal language that can be shared by people of different backgrounds and viewpoints. This season is a testament to the resilience of the Berkeley community whose support has made it possible for us to Return to Joy. We are so appreciative of our talented musicians as well as our loyal audiences, patrons, donors, and partners who have made this such a magical season.
Our final symphonic concert, REJOICE, is a musical journey that connects our past to the present and future of Berkeley Symphony. We are thrilled to introduce the World Premiere of Rise, a celebratory work written in honor of our 50th Anniversary season by Berkeley-based composer Jimmy López Bellido. The commission is made possible through the generous support of Kathleen G. Henschel & John W. Dewes and New Music USA. We close our season with Beethoven’s epic Ninth Symphony, considered one of the world’s great works of art and a clarion call for freedom and fraternity. Our performance features a reimagined libretto written by former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith that was commissioned by Carnegie Hall. The new text reconceives the Ninth as a contemporary exploration of, and meditation on, joy. Special guest artists include Shawnette Sulker, soprano, Gabrielle Beteag, mezzo-soprano, Edward Graves, tenor, and Nicholas Davis, bass-baritone. Our multi-generational chorus directed by Dr. Lynne Morrow consists of 100 diverse voices drawn from communities all over the Bay Area. It is with great pride that we conclude our 50th Anniversary celebration and look towards a vibrant future of innovative programming and adventurous music-making! —Joseph Young June 12 2022
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Berkeley Symphony Legacy Society Joining the Legacy Society is an investment in the future of Berkeley Symphony. Berkeley Symphony’s Legacy Society is a group of committed supporters who ensure the future of your Symphony. By joining the Legacy Society and including Berkeley Symphony in your estate planning, you reap the rewards of substantial tax benefits today and Berkeley Symphony receives invaluable financial stability in the future. Legacy Society members have the satisfaction of knowing that, through their gift, they are leaving a legacy that provides music for generations to come. Celebrate Berkeley Symphony’s 50th Anniversary. Pledge your legacy to keep the music playing for the next 50 years. Contact legacy@berkeleysymphony.org for more information or call (510) 841-2800
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Board of Directors & Advisory Council Executive Committee Paul Bennett, President Kathleen G. Henschel, Vice President for Development Kathleen Crandall, Vice President for Community Engagement John Dewes, Treasurer & Secretary Shariq Yosufzai, Past President Jim Tibbs, Executive Director René Mandel, Artistic Director
Board of Directors
Advisory Council (continued)
Susan Acquistapace Dianne Crosby Deborah Gould Brian James William Knuttel Janet Maestre Sandy McCoy Jan McCutcheon Emma Moon Thomas Z. Reicher Michel Taddei
Carolyn Doelling Karen Faircloth Sandra Floyd Jill Grossman Ellen L. Hahn Buzz & Lisa Hines Jennifer Howard & Anthony J. Cascardi Edith Jackson Kenneth A. Johnson & Nina Grove Todd Kerr Jeffrey S. Leiter Bennett Markel Bebe & Colin McRae Helen & John Meyer Deborah O’Grady & John Adams Becky & Michael O’Malley Ed Osborn & Marcia Muggli Kathy Canfield Shepard & John Shepard Jutta Singh James Taylor Alison Teeman & Michael Yovino-Young Paul Templeton & Darrell Louie Anne & Craig Van Dyke Yvette Vloeberghs
Advisory Council Lisa Taylor, Co-chair Jan McCutcheon, Co-chair Marilyn Collier, Chair Emerita Gertrude Allen Michele Benson Judith Bloom Norman Bookstein & Gillian Kuehner Joy Carlin Ron & Susan Choy Richard Collier Charli & John Danielsen
June 12 2022
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The Orchestra Violin I
Viola continued
Nigel Armstrong, Concertmaster
Keith Lawrence
Emanuela Nikiforova, Associate Concertmaster
Patrick Kroboth
Dagenais Smiley, Assistant Concertmaster
Rick Diamond
Stephanie Ng Peter Liepman
Candace Sanderson Lisa Zadek
Cello
Shawyon Malek-Salehi
Carol Rice, Principal
René Mandel Sara Chazin Sarah Elert Rebecca Wishnia Annie Li
Violin II
Sponsored by Paul & Laura Bennett
Michael Graham, Assistant Principal Kris Desby Dina Weinshelbaum David Wishnia Ken Johnson Margaret Moores
Philip Santos, Principal
Nicholas Carlin
Hui Lim, Assistant Principal
Bass
David Cheng Daniel Lewin Sergi Goldman-Hull Lylia Guion Matthew Oshida Ann Eastman Gayle Strang Charles Zhou
Viola
Michel Taddei, Principal Dave Horn, Assistant Principal Patrick Klobas Yuchen Liu Aaron Shaul
Flute Myungju Yeo, Principal Sarah Holzman Victoria Hauka
Tiantian Lan, Principal
Oboe
Clio Tilton, Assistant Principal
Adrienne Malley, Principal
Charith Premwardhana
Robin May
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Clarinet
Trumpet
Roman Fukshansky, Principal
Robert Giambruno, Principal
Bruce Foster
John Pearson
Bassoon
Trombone
David Granger, Principal
Thomas Hornig, Principal
Ravinder Sehgal
Contrabassoon Kristopher King
Horn Alicia Mastromonaco, Principal Nicky Roosevelt Craig Hansen Sarah Ference Alena Zidlicky
Sponsored by Kathleen G. Henschel & John W. Dewes
Craig Bryant
Bass Trombone Wayne Solomon
Timpani Kevin Neuhoff, Principal
Percussion Ward Spangler, Principal Victor Avdienko Divesh Karamchandani
The Chorus Oakland Symphony Chorus
Oakland Gay Men's Chorus
Dr. Lynne Morrow, Director
Dr. Ben Riggs, Director
Berkeley Community Chorus
Pacific Edge Voices
Ming Luke, Debra Golata, Costas Dafnis, Director
Ash Walker, Director
San Francisco Girls Chorus
Chorus
Valérie Sainte-Agathe, Dr. Anne K. Hege, Directors
Young Musicians Choral Orchestra James Meredith, Director
UC Berkeley University Chorus Wei Chang, Director
Soprano Susan Chan Phyllis Pennington-Kent Delia Zavala-Henry Zoe Reiniger Tia Pelz
UC Alumni Chorus
Rose Wang
Dr. Mark Sumner, Director
Noelle Blose
continues on page 10 June 12 2022
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Soprano continued
Somin Cheon
Curtis Lawler
Jiayu "Joyce" Chen
Emily Huang
Ronni Brega
Chithra Vedantam
Jean Cheng
Dana Meyer
Natasha Abrams
Angela Harris
Adrian van Kan
Sophia Li
Rachel Harris
Pamela Grove
Karen Rossi
Peggy Rock
Khris Sanchez
Mary-Jo Knight
Emily Brockman
Israel Rangel-Mejia
Annie Hallatt
Darby Gould
David Ahn
Jamelia Brown
Karna Roa
Chris Poston
Christabel Nunoo
Kathy Paxson
Thomas Kim
Amelia Berger
Janice Bradley
Julia Howe
Nikki Gage
Wilhelmina Naumann Ratto
Manon Johnson
Mackenzie Pederson
Virginia Dobbins
Elizabeth Rogers
Elisabeth Eliassen
Vibhuti Singh
LaNell Martin
Calista Stone
Beth Ann Turner
Shiva Swaminathan Strickland
Theo Alling
Anayah Tin
Natalie Falero
Venus Yu Miroslava Zagal
Janice Murota
Gloria Cebrian Aram Kim Iris Pradal Katherine Rogers
Alto Cynthia WebbBeckford
Ana Camila Vazquez Pearl Watson
Loni Williams
Bass Karl Malamud-Roam Ken Saltzstine Charles Crane John Klopotowski Philip Dempster Bruce Carlton Kai Moore Jim Ahrens Steven P Smith Seth Frost Jeffrey Bean Jr. Paul Farrell Tom Rothschild Max Nguyen Edward Nunoo Jim McMillan
Sylvia Parker
Tenor
Ilona Turner
Jerry Reynolds
Lawrence DiCostanzo
Eve Zhang
Barbara Miller
Kelvin Ellis
Signe Harnett
Nancy Lemon
John Scott
Donna Hendrix
Jim Stenson
Joseph Orr
Joanna Reed
Pierre Maffre
Avi Jacobson
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June 12 2022
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June 12, 2022
21/22 Season Sponsors
Berkeley Symphony extends its deep appreciation to the following companies and individuals whose generous support has made the 21/22 Season possible:
Susan & Jim Acquistapace David Burkhart Laura & Paul V. Bennett Kathleen G. Henschel & John W. Dewes Gordon Getty Robert Kroll & Rose Ray in memory of our son C. Stephen Ray Thomas W. Richardson & Edith Jackson S. Shariq Yosufzai & Brian James Anonymous Media Sponsor
Official Wine Sponsor
Presentation bouquets are graciously provided by Jutta’s Flowers, the official florist of Berkeley Symphony June 12 2022
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50th Anniversary Sponsors Event Sponsor
Aficionado Sponsors (continued)
Gordon Getty
Kathleen Crandall & Lori Gitter
Maestro Sponsors
Deborah L. Gould, MD & Laurence Blackwell
Susan & Jim Aquistapace Laura & Paul Bennet
Buzz & Lisa Hines
Impresario Sponsors Kathleen G. Henschel & John W. Dewes Lisa Taylor
Performer Sponsors Dianne Crosby & Scott Hamilton
S. Shariq Yosufzai & Brian James
Mark & Lynne Humphrey
Virtuoso Sponsors
Supporter Sponsors Judith L. Bloom Susan & Ronald Choy Marilyn & Richard Collier John Collins & David Nicolls Stuart & Sharon Gronningen Ellen Hahn
Robert Kroll & Rose Ray, in memory of our son C. Stephen Ray
Ms. Ann Fischer Hecht
Aficionado Sponsors
Jan McCutcheon
Janet Maestre Helen Marcus Pat & Merrill Shanks Jim Tibbs & Philip Anderson List as of May 26th
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June 12, 2022
Silent Auction Join us in celebrating our 50th Anniversary by participating in our virtual silent auction which continues until June 18th. Ensure that you are registered by texting CELEBRATEBSO50 to 76278 or scan the QR code below Bid via Smartphone: Tap the link in your welcome message— then view, browse, and bid on the items
Bid On: Conduct Your Orchestra! Take the Podium with Joseph Young Berkeley Symphony VIP Package Music@Menlo 20th Anniversary Festival Chanticleer Concert Package Sound Healing Experience with Ward Spangler Private Drum Lesson with Ward Spangler Signed Art Prints of Illustrations from Peter and the Wolf Donum Estate Open Art Exhibit Package International Fine Wines Package Landmark Wine Tasting & Chardonnay Package Reading Is Instrumental Library REALM Napa Cabernet Package
Restrictions: Berkeley Symphony has made every effort to include restrictions wherever applicable. Nevertheless, additional restrictions, deadlines, and redemption instructions may apply. Be sure to consult all materials included in your auction purchase for additional details. A Note on Deductions: For income tax purposes, your auction purchase is deductible as a charitable donation only to the extent that the paid exceeds the fair market value (FMV) of the goods or services received. Berkeley Symphony and auction donors have made a good faith estimate of the FMV of each auction item. Berkeley Symphony will mail a tax receipt promptly following the Gala for the amount of the auction purchase(s) that is tax deductible. Please consult your tax accountant about additional questions and/ or concerns. Berkeley Symphony is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (tax ID number: 23-7219508)
June 12 2022
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Silent Auction Packages Conduct Your Orchestra! Take the Podium with Joseph Young Have you dreamed of conducting a professional orchestra? Here’s your chance to conduct your Berkeley Symphony with Joseph Young, Music Director! Conduct onstage at Zellerbach Hall at a rehearsal for one of our Symphonic Series concerts. No music degree or experience needed: You’ll receive a conducting lesson and share lunch with Joseph to get all his tips and tricks for a command performance. Feel the electricity with the baton in your hand in front of the Symphony musicians for this “bucket list” experience!
Get the Berkeley Symphony VIP treatment! For the entire 2022-23 season, experience your Berkeley Symphony from great seats at Zellerbach Hall and the First Congregational Church of Berkeley. Includes a pair of tickets to each of Berkeley Symphony’s four Symphonic series performances in Berkeley with reserved Sproul garage parking for the concerts at Zellerbach Hall. You’ll also receive two tickets to each of the Symphony’s five Chamber series performances at the Piedmont Center for the Arts.
Tickets and Dinner for 4 for Music@Menlo’s 20th Anniversary Festival Explore Haydn Connections during Music@ Menlo’s 20th Anniversary summer festival from July 14th through August 6th, excluding July 28-31, 2022. Enjoy dinner for four with your hosts Berkeley Symphony Board members Kathleen G. Henschel and John W. Dewes, plus four VIP reserved seats at one of the summer 2022 events of your choice. 16
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photo by Lenny Gonzalez
Berkeley Symphony 22/23 Season VIP Package
Tickets and Dinner for 4 for a Bay Area Chanticleer Concert Enjoy one of Chanticleer’s concerts in the 22-23 season and a pre-concert dinner for four in Belvedere, Berkeley, or San Francisco. The package includes four concert tickets plus a pre-concert dinner for four with your hosts Berkeley Symphony Board member John W. Dewes, and Chanticleer and Berkeley Symphony Board member Kathleen G. Henschel.
Sound Healing Experience with Principal Percussionist Ward Spangler Join Berkeley Symphony Principal Percussionist Ward Spangler in his personal studio in the Oakland Hills for a Sound Healing experience. As Ward puts it, “Sound healing is an immersion into sound for relaxation, restoration, and journeying into the mind and the world around us, similar to listening deeply to any music. Sound and vibrations can transport and transform.” You will enjoy this 45-50 minute immersive experience with time available afterward to play with the instruments in Ward’s studio and ask questions.
Private Drum Lesson with Principal Percussionist Ward Spangler Experience a one-on-one private lesson with Berkeley Symphony Principal Percussionist Ward Spangler as you or a loved one explores what it takes to play the drums. Through private instruction, many of our musicians are able to impact the next generation of musicians! Your lesson will be catered to your skill level, whether you’re an experienced drummer, or have never held a drumstick: Ward will ensure that you leave the lesson having learned a new skill that will spark your musical inspiration. Date and time to be mutually agreed upon. June 12 2022
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Signed Art Prints of Illustrations from Peter and the Wolf On March 25th, 2022, we featured the work of three Bay Area illustrators and commissioned their work to accompany our performance of Peter and the Wolf. Each package includes two illustrations by each illustrator, which are signed and matted. Each print is 11x14.
Nidhi Chanani Illustrations
Sean Hipkin Signed Illustrations
Sendy Santamaria Illustrations
Donum Estate Tour and Wine Tasting for 4 The Donum Estate boasts one of the world’s largest accessible private sculpture collections, including works by internationally renowned artists Fernando Botero, Louise Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei, and Keith Harding. Your 90-minute “Discover Experience” starts with a welcoming glass of rosé, followed by a walking tour of Donum’s openair sculpture collection; its on-site, working farm; and the expansive lavender fields that blanket the land. You will enjoy a private tasting, showcasing seasonal wines with thoughtfully paired bites, curated with fresh ingredients from the Donum Estate Gardens. Your package also includes a bottle of Donum Estate’s 2019 pinot noir, Carneros East Slope, Donum: Gift of the Land, a limited-run collectors book celebrating the artwork and the artists that help make Donum magical; and a copy of The University of California/Sotheby Book of California Wine (from the library of Harry Weininger; autographed by Doris Muscatine). Donated by Lisa Taylor and Yvette Vloeberghs.
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International Fine Wines Package Magnum 2012 Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon—93 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (10/2014); 1985 Grahams Port—96 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate; Penfolds “Discover Australia” Gift Box.
Landmark Wine Tasting & Chardonnay Package Spend a delightful afternoon at Landmark Vineyards’ Kenwood Estate in Sonoma Valley. You’ll enjoy spectacular views of the Mayacama Mountains as you sip and savor six of Landmark’s most exclusive, single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Paired with the tasting flight is an artfully curated cheese plate that will elevate your palate and delight your senses. Prepare for your wine tasting by sampling a six-bottle suite of three of Landmark’s 2020 Chardonnays.
Reading Is Instrumental Library These delightful children’s books have all been featured in “Reading Is Instrumental,” an online musical storytime program produced by Berkeley Symphony and the Berkeley Public Library Foundation. Parents, grandparents, and children alike will enjoy following along as these books are brought to life by Bay Area celebrity readers, with music performed by Berkeley Symphony musicians. Episodes of Reading Is Instrumental can be viewed on Facebook.
REALM Napa Cabernet Package The highly-rated wines of Realm Cellars are equally highly sought after but devilishly tricky to procure—unless you have a good allocation on their mailing list. But you’re in luck! We’ve scored a trio of Realm wines, each with a rating of 95 or higher from Robert Parker: Moonracer (2017; 95), a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend, is “strong and powerful yet elegant, with refined tannins and plenty of depth.” The Bard (2018; 96+), a Cabernet Sauvignon–dominated blend, is “ a dense, weighty and concentrated wine that year in and year out showcases the very best Cabernet Sauvignon of Napa Valley.” The Tempest (2019; 95+), a Merlot-based blend, “is a roiling cauldron of lush, bright, red fruit —a wine that shows what Merlot can be in the right hands, from the right vineyard.” The labels themselves are works of art. Be bold and bid on these wines and find out what the buzz is all about. June 12 2022
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Ad Index: Support Businesses that Support Us FOR YOUR HOME
FOR YOUR CHILDREN
A1 Sun, Inc., Solar Installation. . . . . page 32
The College Preparatory School. . . . . . . . . .
The Cooperative Cleaning Company. . . . . .
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HDR Remodeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 50 Hometelligent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 20
Julia Morgan School for Girls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 12
McCutcheon Construction. . . . . . . . . page 11 FOR YOUR HEALTH FOR BUYING/SELLING YOUR HOME
Berkeley Optometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 22
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 30
FOR YOUR AESTHETICS
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Zac Brown Band at Oakland Arena. . . . . . .
Kim & Barbara Marienthal,
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Aurora Theatre Company. . . . . . . . . page 28
Yovino-Young Inc. Appraisals. . . . . . . . . . . .
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Margaretta K. Mitchell Photography. . . . . .
FOR YOUR FAMILY’S SECURITY
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FOR YOUR PALATE
Elegance Berkeley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 59
Chocolaterie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4
Frank Bliss, State Farm. . . . . . . . . . . page 24
Julia’s at Berkeley City Club. . . . . . . page 12
The Lee Accountancy Group. . . . . . . . . . . . .
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June 12 2022
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Today’s Program Joseph Young
Conductor
Dr. Lynne Morrow Chorus Director Jimmy López Bellido
Rise (World premiere made possible through the generous support of Kathleen G. Henschel & John W. Dewes and New Music USA)
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 featuring a Carnegie Hall–commissioned libretto written by former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso II. Molto vivace III. Adagio molto e cantabile IV. Finale Shawnette Sulker soprano Gabrielle Beteag
mezzo-soprano
Edward Graves
tenor
Nicholas Davis
bass-baritone
Today’s concert will be broadcast on KALW 91.7 FM on Sunday, June 26, 2022, at 6:00 p.m.
Today’s performance is made possible by the generous support of Kenneth Johnson & Nina Grove, Dianne Crosby & Scott Hamilton, Paul Templeton & Darrell Louie Berkeley Symphony sends a heartfelt thank you to Berkeley Lodge No. 270 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for making their Grand Hall available as a rehearsal space for our chorus and orchestra in preparation for this concert. Please switch off your cell phones, alarms, and other electronic devices during the concert. Thank you. June 12 2022
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Program Notes Jimmy López Bellido Born: October 21, 1978; resides in Berkeley, California
Rise Composed: 2020 First performance: This performance is the world premiere. Duration: c. 11 minutes Scored for 2 flutes and piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets , 2 bassoons and contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, three percussionists (snare drum, crash cymbals, tam-tam, glockenspiel, sand blocks, suspended cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, tomtoms, güiro, triangle; cabasa, bongos, ratchet, mark tree), and strings
T
o celebrate Berkeley Symphony’s 50th-anniversary season, local hero Jimmy López Bellido presents a new work he has created specifically for this remarkable community of musicians. In fact, Rise pays homage not only to the orchestra but to the progressive spirit of Berkeley itself as articulated by the namesake of the city and the university, Bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753), the Irish-born descendant of an English family. Berkeley’s brand of idealist philosophy had a powerful impact on the colonial independence movement culminating in the American Revolution. As López Bellido researched into the origins of Berkeley Symphony—which called itself the Berkeley Promenade
Orchestra when it began giving concerts in 1971—he was struck by the role George Berkeley had played in inspiring the name of the city and the university. Though known primarily as a philosopher (famous above all for his maxim “to be is to be perceived”), Berkeley published a poem in 1726 on the “destiny of America” that expressed his vision of founding an educational institution in the New World. The poem sprang to mind when Frederick Billings gazed out at the view towards the Golden Gate one day in 1866. He had been tasked with suggesting a name to his fellow trustees of the then-private College of California for the new campus that would become the University of California—as well as for the residential community that would spring up around it. “Many of the trustees were familiar with George Berkeley’s writings, and the name and poem resonated with them as they stood looking west to the Pacific,” according to the Berkeley Historical Society’s section “Why is Berkeley Called Berkeley?” So on May 24, 1866, they officially voted to name the new campus after the philosopher. The poem contrasts the “decay” and “pedantry” of timeworn Europe with the fresh hope represented by young America. López Bellido zeroes in on four verses that he found “particularly poignant”: “There shall be sung another golden age,/The rise of empire and of arts,/The good and great inspiring epic rage,/The wisest heads and noblest hearts.” He found the title for his new June 12 2022
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piece in the word “rise.” For the composer, its connotations are “in perfect alignment with the central and progressive role that both the city of Berkeley and the university have played in some of the most transformative moments in the history of this country.” Internationally renowned and one of today’s most sought-after composers, the 43-year-old López Bellido maintains strong ties to the Berkeley community and expresses gratitude for being “wholeheartedly embraced and welcomed.” He moved here in 2007 to earn his Ph.D. in music at UC-Berkeley, following studies at the Sibelius Academy in Finland and in his native Lima. George Berkeley’s vision of a new golden age, he says, has been realized in the University’s role as a center for knowledge and research. “But Berkeley has also historically been a very strong force for free thinking, for protests and for rising up against oppression or injustice. My title Rise alludes to this long tradition that continues to live on within the students and the city itself.” Following the state of frozen storage that live performance life was suddenly forced into by the pandemic, López Bellido has been enjoying a banner year with the world premieres of his Symphony No. 3 (Altered Landscape) and the piano concerto Ephemerae, as well as the release of the Houston Symphony’s recording of his 2019 Symphony No. 2 (Ad Astra) and the violin concerto Aurora. Across the Bay, the San Francisco Symphony recently gave its first performance of his music with its account of Perú Negro (2013). Amid all this high-profile activity, did the request to provide an “opening act” for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony have
an inhibiting effect? “Having the opportunity to celebrate Berkeley Symphony’s 50th anniversary was very inspiring to me,” replies the composer. “The piece actually flowed from all this enthusiasm I had inside me.” López Bellido had begun composing Rise early in 2020, and it became the first project he completed during the pandemic. What to listen for Rise presents a new contribution to the tradition of the concert overture, with an added celebratory tone in view of the anniversary commemoration. At the same time, López Bellido set out to write a piece that specifically acts as a prelude to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, setting the stage so that the famously mysterious, emerging-out-of-chaos opening of the latter would seem naturally to follow. Rise thus deploys essentially the same instrumental forces as Beethoven’s Ninth, without the solo voices and chorus (though the three percussionists preside over a wider array of instruments). Immediately seizing the attention with fanfare-like gestures and bold harmonies, Rise also showcases the composer’s expertise as an orchestrator as the music cycles through a variety of timbral closeups and combinations. A few moments foreshadow, without actual quoting, the spirit of the symphonic behemoth to come—one passage in particular excitingly anticipates the irrepressible power of the Ninth’s Scherzo. López Bellido describes the piece’s overall character as “high octane, relentless, festive, energetic,” adding that, even after the experience of the Beethoven freshly resounding, he hopes “some echoes of Rise will remain with the audience.” June 12 2022
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Ludwig Van Beethoven Born on December 16, 1770, in Bonn, at the time capital of the Electorate of Cologne; died on March 26, 1827, in Vienna
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 Composed: 1822-24 (drawing on sketches dating back to 1817, when the work was originally commissioned) First performance: May 7, 1824, in Vienna Duration: c. 65 minutes Scored for 2 flutes and piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons and contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, triangle, bass drum, cymbals, and strings, along with solo vocal quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) and four-part chorus (in the fourth movement only)
“O
friend, my heart has tired/Of such darkness./Now it vies for joy.” Prepare to encounter Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in a fresh light. With these lines, Tracy K. Smith, the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States and Pulitzer Prize winner (for her collection Life on Mars) begins her extraordinary reimagining of the Ode to Joy (An die Freude) by Friedrich Schiller (17591805). As part of the #GlobalOdeToJoy presented by Carnegie Hall in 2020, Smith was commissioned to create her contemporary response to the 18th-century German poem that Beethoven set to music in the final movement of his final symphony. There is good precedent as well:
Beethoven himself did not simply write music to Schiller’s words but excerpted and adapted the original, even adding verses of his own—much as Gustav Mahler would do in his Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”), in the parallel movement, with regard to the poem by Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock he similarly set to music. Schiller published the poem in 1785, on the eve of the French Revolution, and Beethoven had been living with it since he first came to know the Ode to Joy as a young man newly arrived in Vienna in the 1790s. Along with the idealism expressed by the Ode to Joy and its associated music, the Ninth Symphony makes eminent sense as a choice to celebrate an orchestral anniversary. It was this work in particular, along with the rest of Beethoven’s symphonies more generally, that spurred on the establishment of civic orchestras. The idea of self-standing orchestras— existing apart from the various theaterassociated ensembles—that offered regular concert seasons emerged sporadically in cities like Paris and London but did not become standard until after Beethoven’s death. The technical demands Beethoven makes of his orchestral and choral forces in the Ninth inspired new standards of rehearsal. It’s hard to fathom that for the world premiere of the Ninth itself—which took place on a Friday evening spring concert in Vienna, on May 7, 1824—there was time for only two full rehearsals. Throughout his career, Beethoven had to organize his own concerts to promote his music, gathering together ad hoc ensembles of freelancers from the various theater orchestras; naturally, he was also responsible for the marketing. June 12 2022
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Beethoven had returned to writing symphonies after a considerable hiatus. Following the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies (completed in 1812), he endured one of his most serious personal crises and became far less productive. The Ninth began as a commission in 1817 from the Philharmonic Society of London (established as recently as 1813). But Beethoven was unable to focus on the project until 1822 and did not complete the score until February 1824. The first movement alone ranks among the most overpowering musical expressions of tragedy—or even apocalypse, depending on your interpretation. And what to make of the Scherzo, with its primordial energy and strange rhythmic insistence (and, in its contrasting trio section, yet another kind of “joy”)? Where does the unearthly, transcendent beauty of the Adagio—a model Mahler would emulate in some of his most moving passages—fit into the bigger picture of a work whose destination is supposed to be a toast to “joy”?
And the power of the Ninth has inevitably been misused. Although the utopian message of universal embrace in opposition to the “divisions” of the conventional order has been an inspiration to bravery during turning points in world history, the Nazis twisted it and used the Ninth to celebrate Hitler’s birthday. Especially in the wake of the 20th century’s catastrophes and the insecurities of the 21st, the unfulfilled promise Beethoven voices does not lack for severe critics. In Thomas Mann’s novel Doktor Faustus, the protagonist-composer announces his desire to “revoke” the Ninth and its complicity with bad faith. As the scholar David Benjamin Levy has observed, “coming to terms with the work involves a kind of leap of faith.” What to listen for In this endlessly fascinating score, Beethoven even imagines a new way of beginning. Thematic shards coalesce until, with a mighty increase in power, they are hammered together to form the titanic main theme. Even the
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lyrical grace of the contrasting second theme (which foreshadows the “Joy” melody to come) gets swept away in a tempestuous surge of developing ideas. The suspenseful closing section ratchets up the tension even more through a thrillingly gradual crescendo. Beethoven for the first time positions his Scherzo as the second rather than third movement. Its energy mirrors the elemental character of the opening—this is music of colossal forces at play. With the Adagio, he embarks on a journey of deep, sustained—and, at times, ecstatic—contemplation. The movement unfolds as a set of double variations: that is, variations on two highly contrasting themes, in different keys and tempi, alternating one with the other. The finale begins with a terrifying chord that immediately takes us right back to the chaos out of which the Ninth sprang into being. But here, the chaos is violent and rupturing rather than mysterious. The orchestra reminisces on the ideas that have appeared so far. But with wordless insistence, the low strings reject each of these propositions as unsuitable.
The instruments show the way at first, presenting and developing the “Joy” theme in successive layerings. But the chord of terror reappears, as if all that has been achieved is hopeless. Suddenly, a solo baritone bursts on the scene with the urgent plea to keep to the theme of joy. For Tracy K. Smith, joy is “harder and bigger than happiness.” It is “something we have to seek, make space for, welcome.” Visionary as the Ninth Symphony is, Beethoven also pays homage to the wisdom of tradition. He joins his varied ideas together to create a larger unity through age-old techniques, and the rousing choral music of Handel’s oratorios clearly served as a model. In our present era of disillusion, Beethoven’s final symphony, premiered almost two centuries ago, feels as urgently necessary as ever. As Smith says: “It seems like a moment where the work of joy and the work of offering and humble reflection is vital to our survival as a species.”
Program notes ©2022 Thomas May
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Ode to Joy Reimagined Libretto When Beethoven incorporated Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy” into his Ninth Symphony, it was a radical call for equality, freedom, and brotherhood. In celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Carnegie Hall commissioned former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith to reimagine Schiller’s poem as a contemporary meditation on our community, politics, and spirit.
O friend, my heart has tired
Joy like water, milk of mothers.
Of such darkness.
Kind and wicked all deserve
Now it vies for joy.
Joy’s compassion freely given, Joy which can’t be sold or earned.
Joy, bright God-spark born of Ever
In the depths of blackest soil
Daughter of fresh paradise—
In the lightless atmosphere
Where you walked once now walk rancor,
In the atom and the ether, Animating all that is.
Greed, suspicion, anger, fright. Joy, the breeze off all that’s holy,
Let us feel it, let us heed it,
Pure with terror, wild as flame.
Let us seek its deepest kiss.
Make us brothers, Give us comfort,
Let us live our brief lives mining
Bid us past such fear and hate.
That which joy alone can give.
If you’ve loved another’s beauty
Battered planet, home of billions,
If you’ve craved the warmth of flesh,
Our long shadow stalks your face.
If your spirit is invested
All we’ve fractured, all we’ve stolen,
In another’s sense of worth,
All we’ve sought blind to your grace.
Lift your voice to touch my voice now,
Earth, forgive us, claim us, let us
Let our song bring joy to earth.
Live in humble thanks and joy.
Lift your voice to touch my voice now,
Let our hearts wake from our stupor,
Let our song bring joy to earth.
Let us praise you in one voice. —Tracy K. Smith
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Music Director Joseph Young photo by Louis Bryant Photography
New World Symphony Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, and the Orquesta Sinfonica y Coro de RTVE (Madrid), among others in the U.S. and Europe. In his most recent role Joseph served as the Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony where he conducted more than 50 concerts per season. Mr. Young also served as the Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, where he was the driving force behind the ensemble’s artistic growth. Previous appointments have included Resident Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony, and the League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow with Buffalo Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony.
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raised for his suavely adventurous programing, Joseph Young is increasingly recognized as “one of the most gifted conductors of his generation.” Joseph is Music Director of Berkeley Symphony, Artistic Director of Ensembles for the Peabody Conservatory, and Resident Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra–USA at Carnegie Hall. In recent years, he has made appearances with the Saint Louis Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Bamberger Symphoniker,
Joseph is a recipient of the 2015 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award for young conductors, an award he also won in 2008, and 2014. In 2013, Joseph was a Semi-finalist in the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition (Bamberg, Germany). In 2011, he was one out of six conductors featured in the League of American Orchestras’ prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview. Joseph completed graduate studies with Gustav Meier and Markand Thakar at the Peabody Conservatory in 2009, earning an artist’s diploma in conducting. He has been mentored by many world-renowned conductors including Jorma Panula, Robert Spano and Marin Alsop whom he continues to maintain a close relationship. June 12 2022
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Composer & Guest Artist Bios Photo by Franciel Braga
2010 Youth Olympic Games and Lima 2019 Pan American Games. His music has been featured in numerous festivals, including Tanglewood, Aspen, Grant Park, Darmstadt, Donaueschingen and the Nordic Music Days.
Jimmy López Bellido
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ward-winning composer Jimmy López Bellido (*1978) is considered “one of the most interesting young composers anywhere today” (Chicago Sun-Times), and an “expert in orchestration” (New York Times) with a distinct voice that is “adventurous and winning” (Denver Post). His works have been performed by leading orchestras around the world including the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and the National Symphony Orchestras of Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Spain, among others, and his music has been heard in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Kennedy Center, Vienna’s Musikverein, Concertgebouw, Konzerthaus Berlin, and during the Singapore
As part of the Renée Fleming initiative, the Lyric Opera of Chicago commissioned him a full-length opera based on the bestselling novel Bel Canto which premiered on December 7, 2015 to wide critical acclaim. Bel Canto became the bestselling opera of Lyric’s 2015-2016 season, and it went on to earn a nomination to the 2016 International Opera Awards. In 2017 it was broadcast all throughout the U.S. on PBS’ Great Performances. His work Fiesta! has been performed over a hundred times worldwide, ranging from New Zealand to Siberia, thus making it one of the most performed contemporary orchestral works. Dreamers, an oratorio which he wrote in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz, received its world premiere by Soprano Ana María Martínez, Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London in Berkeley, California in March of 2019. Mr. López completed a three-year tenure as the Houston Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence in the spring of 2020. He has been awarded numerous prizes, among them: a 2017 Hewlett50 Arts Commissions from the Hewlett Foundation, TUMI USA Award 2016, Musician of the Year 2015 by Opera Peru and “El Comercio”; Honorable Mention at the 2015 Barlow Prize Competition; June 12 2022
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Special Mention at the 2015 Casa de las Américas Composition Prize; 2014 Antara Prize in recognition for his outstanding career; 2013 Prince Prize from the Prince Charitable Trusts; First Prize at the 2012 and 2011 Nicola de Lorenzo Music Composition Contest; 2009 Georges Ladd Prix de Paris, Kranichsteiner Musikpreis at the 2008 Darmstadt International Summer Course for New Music; 2008 Morton Gould Young Composer Award from ASCAP; Honorable Mention at the 2005 Irino Composition Prize in Japan; First Prize at the ALEA III 2003 International Composition Competition; and Orchestra Prize at the 2002 CCA International Composition Competition in Taiwan. He is a member of Suomen Säveltäjät (Society of Finnish Composers), ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), Circomper (Circle of Composers of Peru) and the San Francisco Chapter of the Recording Academy (Grammy). Aurora & Ad Astra, a new album featuring his Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 2, was released on January 14, 2022 on Pentatone. Maestro Andrés Orozco-Estrada leads the Houston Symphony and soloist Leticia Moreno in these world-premiere recordings. He studied with Enrique Iturriaga from 1998-2000 at the National Conservatory of Music in Lima, and with VeliMatti Puumala and Eero Hämeenniemi from 2000-2007 at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, from where he obtained his Master of Music Degree. He completed his PhD in Music at the University of California-Berkeley in May of 2012 with Edmund Campion. He is published by Filarmonika and Birdsong.
Dr. Lynne Morrow
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ynne Morrow is the Music Director of the Oakland Symphony Chorus and the former Music Director of Pacific Edge Voices. At the Oakland Symphony, Lynne Morrow has expanded the scope of the Chorus to include contemporary, international, and neglected works, in addition to traditional choral repertoire. She conducts the Chorus’ workshop performances of major works and produces Summer Sing workshops. Dr. Morrow has taken the Oakland Symphony Chorus on their 2 international tours: in 2015 to Budapest/Vienna/Prague and in 2018 to Rome/Florence/Venice, Italy. Pacific Edge Voices, formerly the Pacific Mozart Ensemble, made its Carnegie Hall debut in November 2005, representing choral music for Meredith Monk’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. Dr. Morrow coached PME and sang several solos for the Berlin performances June 12 2022
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and recording of Bernstein’s “Mass” with Kent Nagano. Dr. Morrow’s work received a GRAMMY nomination in December 2005. She also directed the ensemble for two CDs of Dave Brubeck’s choral music. Dr. Morrow enjoys working with composers on new works. She commissioned Michael Roberts to compose “Mass for Freedom” for Oakland Symphony Chorus in 2019. The new Mass uses African American Spirituals which became Protest Songs in the Civil Rights Movement as the source material. Morrow plans to take the Chorus on its third tour, to Civil Rights locations in the United States, performing the “Mass for Freedom.” Dr. Lynne Morrow teaches at Sonoma State University, directing the Vocal and Opera/Music Theatre Programs since 2001. Each year, she presents a fully staged Opera or Music Theatre work. In addition, students perform in two Music Theatre Scenes Workshops and two Opera Scenes shows. Titles from the last few years include, “Sweeney Todd,” “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” and Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide.” This program seeks to broaden the formal and stylistic links between Opera and American Musical Theatre. Dr. Morrow presents workshops on African American Spirituals, including two workshops on cruises to Alaska. Morrow received The Heritage Keepers Award from the Friends of Negro Spirituals. She has also given lectures on Music for major Bay Area organizations including Cal Performances, Green Music Center, Stern Grove, Oakland Symphony, and Festival Opera. Dr. Morrow strives for a visceral 40
June 12, 2022
connection to music, presenting works from every corner of the musical arts in fresh ways, to reach the widest possible audiences.
Tracy K. Smith
T
racy K. Smith is a Pulitzer Prizewinning poet, memoirist, editor, translator and librettist. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017-19, during which time she spearheaded American Conversations: Celebrating Poetry in Rural Communities with the Library of Congress, launched the American Public Media podcast The Slowdown, and edited the anthology American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time. Smith is the author of the poetry collections Wade in the Water, which was awarded the 2018 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award; Life on Mars, which won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize; Duende, winner of the 2006 James Laughlin Award of the Academy of American Poets; and The Body’s Question, which received the 2003 Cave Canem Prize. Her memoir,
Ordinary Light, was a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award in nonfiction. She is the co-translator (with Changtai Bi) of My Name Will Grow Wide like a Tree: Selected Poems of Yi Lei, which was a finalist for the 2021 Griffin International Poetry Prize. Such Color: New and Selected Poems will be published in October 2021. Among her other honors are the Academy Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets, the Harvard Arts Medal, the Columbia Medal for Excellence, a Smithsonian Ingenuity Award and an Essence Literary Award. She is a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Shawnette Sulker
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hawnette Sulker has been described as a singer “. . . displaying a bright, superbly controlled soprano with perfectly placed coloratura.” On the operatic stage, Ms. Sulker has been a featured artist in three San Francisco Opera productions: Porgy and Bess, The Mother of Us All, and Louise. She was also a
part of the joint production of Dido and Aeneas between San Francisco Opera and the Crucible, singing the roles of Second Woman and Second Witch. A native of Guyana, the soprano has sung leading roles with other companies of note, including Hawaii Opera Theatre, Internationale Opera Producties, Opera Naples, Union Avenue Opera, Natchez Opera Festival, Pacific Opera Project, West Edge Opera, Festival Opera, Music in the Mountains, Mendocino Music Festival, and West Bay Opera, to name a few. Roles in Ms. Sulker’s repertoire include Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Die Königin der Nacht (Die Zauberflöte), Cunegonde (Candide), Olympia/Giulietta/Antonia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Oscar (Un ballo in maschera), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Musetta (La Bohème), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Zerlina and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Constanze (Abduction from the Seraglio), Frasquita and Micaëla (Carmen), Despina (Così fan tutte), Clara and Serena (Porgy and Bess), Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), Amore (Orfeo ed Euridice), Treemonisha (Treemonisha), Madame Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor), and Rosabella (The Most Happy Fella). Ms. Sulker created the role of Corina in the world-premiere of David Conte’s opera Firebird Motel. The original cast recording can be found on the Arsis label. She has also sung in the American premieres of the following operas: Adam Gorb’s Anya17 in the role of Mila, Tarik O’Regan’s Heart of Darkness in the role of River Woman, Fabrizio Carlone’s Bonjour M. Gauguin as La Voix Intérieure, and Zenobia Powell Perry’s June 12 2022
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Tawawa House as Fanny. Her film credits include a soundtrack performance for the movie Mimic and an on-camera operatic appearance in the feature film Jackson, directed by J.F. Lawton. In concert, Ms. Sulker has performed with American Bach Soloists, Eugene Symphony, Mark Morris Dance Group, Bear Valley Music Festival, Peninsula Symphony, Symphony Silicon Valley, Pacific Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Choral Society, Santa Clara Chorale, UC Davis Symphony Chorus & Orchestra, Masterworks Chorale, Avedis Chamber Music Series, and Redwood Symphony, to name a few. Highlights in her concert repertoire include Handel’s Messiah; the Bach cantatas Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Coffee Cantata, and Non sa che sia dolore; Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate, Grand Mass in C minor, Requiem and Missa Brevis in G; Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mass in B-flat major; Orff’s Carmina Burana; Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Virgine and Lamento della ninfa; Rutter’s Requiem; Schubert’s Mass in G; Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915; Bach’s Magnificat and Weihnachts-Oratorium; Fauré’s Requiem; Pergolesi’s Magnificat; and Mahler’s Symphonies No. 4 and No.8. The soprano made her European concert debut with the Jugendsinfonieorchester Leipzig singing all the female roles in a concert version of Porgy and Bess and the soprano solos in Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42. These performances were held in Leipzig’s Gewandhaus and Prague’s Smetana Hall. She also performed a solo recital at Amsterdam’s Red Door Studio. As a special guest of 42
June 12, 2022
the Ritz-Carlton in Osaka, Japan Ms. Sulker was invited back three times to perform a series of Christmas concerts. Ms. Sulker earned scholarships to attend Bennington College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance. The soprano was awarded scholarships to attend both the Contemporary Opera and Song Program at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada and the OperaWorks Summer Intensive Program in Los Angeles. The soprano was also a resident artist for the Natchez Music Festival in Mississippi. A winner of career scholarships from the East Bay Opera League Vocal Competition, Ms. Sulker has also been a regional finalist with the NATS Competition and a finalist and award winner with the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition.
Gabrielle Beteag
G
abrielle Beteag is a rising American mezzo-soprano praised for her “choice voice” (OperaWire) and “dramatically vivid” performances (Broadway World). A participant in the 2021 class
of the Merola Opera Program, she joins San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellowship Program in 2022. Beteag was a Studio Player at the Atlanta Opera during the 2020/21 season, where she performed Mercedes in the Big Tent production of The Threepenny Carmen. Her other role credits include Woman in a Hat/Duchess (The Ghosts of Versailles), Lady Billows (Albert Herring), Mme. De Croissy (Dialogues des Carmélites) and Secretary (The Consul). An accomplished competitive singer, Beteag was a Grand Finals Winner of the 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has received accolades from other competitions, including the Shreveport Opera Mary Jacobs Singer of the Year Competition (Runner Up, 2020), the Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition (Finalist, 2019) and the Kristin Lewis Vocal Scholarship Competition (Grand Prize Winner, 2018).
Edward Graves
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oted by Opera News for his “stunningly sweet tone,” tenor Edward
Graves joined San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Adler Fellowship Program in 2022. This season he covers the roles of Lensky in Eugene Onegin, Alfredo in La Traviata, and sings Gastone. Earlier engagements included the role of Policeman 2 in Blue at Michigan Opera Theatre and Monsieur Vogelsang on a digital version of The Impresario with Raylynmor Opera. Upcoming: the title role of Judas Maccabaeus with the Berkshire Choral International, and Beethoven Nine with Berkeley Symphony. As a 2021 participant in the Merola Opera Program, he was featured in a recital entitled What The Heart Desires and a filmed project entitled Back Home: Through The Stage Door. The year’s engagements included a role and house debut in a filmed version of Bastien and Bastienne with Raylynmor Opera, the world premiere of JFK Chorale with the Minot University Symphony, and his debut as Tamino in a new English translation of Black Flute with InSeries Opera. Edward returned to Michigan Opera Theatre for Blue, and then joined the casts of Porgy & Bess and Die Meistersinger at the Metropolitan Opera. Edward was a Studio Artist at Michigan Opera Theatre in 2019-20. He received his Performer Diploma and Master of Music in Voice Performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Towson University. June 12 2022
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Photo by Karli Cadel Photography
Nicholas Davis
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n recent seasons Nicholas Davis has performed with the Seattle Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Michigan Opera Theater, Glimmerglass Opera, Minnesota Opera and Opera Ithaca, in roles as varied as The Reverend in the world premiere of Blue, Minskman in Flight, Senator Potter in Fellow Travelers, and Fred McMullin in The Fix. More traditional repertoire includes roles such as Ford in Falstaff, Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos, Crown in Porgy and Bess
and the title role in Le nozze di Figaro. In the 2021/2022 season, Nick was the baritone lead in the much-acclaimed virtual opera, Death By Life produced by White Snake Projects, appeared with On Site Opera in the world premiere of What Lies Beneath and The Perfect Pig, and joined Shreveport opera as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, also reprising his roles in the Minnesota cast of All is Calm. In 2022-23 he makes several company and roles debuts: Annapolis Opera as Marcello in La Bohème, 2nd Soldier in Salome with Tulsa Opera Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro at Brevard, Edward Tulane with Minnesota Opera and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Knoxville Opera. In concert, Nicholas has been bass soloist with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, the Kentucky Symphony as Abimelech in Samson et Dalila, the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Street Symphony in Händel’s Messiah, National Theater of Prague Orchestra, and the Chicago Sinfonietta for Beethoven Nine, which he reprises this season with Berkeley Symphony.
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photo by Burgundy Visuals
About Berkeley Symphony
B
erkeley Symphony is unique among Bay Area and American orchestras for its commitment to innovation, community, and excellence. Founded in 1971 in the intellectual and artistic nexus of Berkeley, California, the Orchestra is committed to premiering and commissioning new music, sustained by the supportive musical environment of Berkeley, the East Bay, and the San Francisco Bay Area. From the outset, the people behind Berkeley Symphony’s culture and programming were attuned to the culturally diverse people and the heady creative climate of their home city. Thomas Rarick, a protégé of the great English maestro Sir Adrian Boult, founded the orchestra in 1971 as the Berkeley Promenade Orchestra. Reflecting the spirit of the times, musicians performed in street dress and at unusual locations such as the University Art Museum. When Kent Nagano became Music Director of the Orchestra in 1978, he charted a new course by offering innovative programming that included rarely performed 20th-century works and numerous premieres. The renamed Berkeley Symphony
Orchestra gained an international reputation for its adventurous programming and became known for premiering the music of international composers and showcasing young local talents. After an extensive search, Joana Carneiro was selected in January 2009 to be the Orchestra’s third Music Director in its 40-year history. Maestra Carneiro further enhanced Berkeley Symphony’s reputation for innovative programming before stepping down after a successful nine-season tenure. Berkeley Symphony ushered in a new era with the appointment of Joseph Young as the Orchestra’s fourth Music Director, following his highly successful and critically acclaimed debut appearance as guest conductor in January 2019. Joseph Young returns to the stage as Music Director for the historic 50th Anniversary season which celebrates the Orchestra’s rich history, showcases diverse programming from familiar, reimagined classics to the music of today, and looks toward an exciting future of artistic innovation. June 12 2022
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MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS LUNCHEON
Honoring Berkeley Public Library in recognition of their leadership in launching Reading Is Instrumental.
Friday, September 9, 2022, 11:30AM At the new Residence Inn by Marriott, Downtown Berkeley
Tickets and more information can be found at berkeleysymphony.org/tickets-events/2022-music-in-the-schools-luncheon
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Music in the Schools
F
ounded in 1993 and run in partnership with Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD), Berkeley Symphony’s Music in the Schools program provides a comprehensive, age-appropriate music curriculum to over 4,600 Berkeley public elementary students each year. Recognized by the League of American Orchestras as one of the country’s top music education programs, Music in the Schools (MITS) helps students fulfill the California Performing Arts Content Standards and provides new ways of approaching many other subjects in the core curriculum. MITS programming is under the leadership of Education Director Ming Luke and is 100% free of charge for students and their families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Berkeley Symphony partnered with the Berkeley Public Library to launch Reading Is Instrumental—a free online video series for children which combines storytelling with music. Reading Is Instrumental is coproduced with the Berkeley Public Library Foundation and has received over 32,000 views since it was launched.
THANK YOU
TO OUR 2021/2022 MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS INSTITUTIONAL SPONSORS & PARTNERS
BERNARD E. & ALBA WITKIN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
THE FAMILIAN LEVINSON FOUNDATION THE FRIENDSHIP FUND June 12 2022
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Donate today at berkeleysymphony.org or BY calling (510) 841-2800.
Your gifts created a glorious past and present. Now, Invest for the future. When the Berkeley Promenade Orchestra played its first concert in 1971, no one could have predicted the trajectory that would follow. Since these humble beginnings 50 years ago, Berkeley Symphony has touched countless lives with inspiring concerts full of adventurous programming and a passionate commitment to public school music education. As we look forward to Berkeley Symphony’s next 50 years, we are challenging ourselves to make symphonic music more accessible to the Berkeley community, and to create new opportunities for culturally diverse and women composers, musicians, and guest artists who would not otherwise be heard. Please join us in stewarding the future of Berkeley cultural life by making a donation. Your generous support will help set the stage for the next 50 years of live performances and educational programs that engage the intellect, spark curiosity, and delight the spirit.
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June 12, 2022
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50th Anniversary Season CHAMBER series Piedmont Center foR the Arts CHAMBER iI: BIBER | Shaw | Nabors | Ravel
Sunday, JUNE 26, 2022, 3pm Rescheduled from January 16 , 2022
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$100K+ Lifetime Donors Berkeley Symphony would like to acknowledge the generous support of the following patrons, foundations, companies, and government agencies that have made a meaningful and significant difference in our community over the past five decades. Thank you for creating a beautiful history, and laying the foundation for our thriving future. Anonymous (3) Susan & Jim Acquistapace Gertrude Allen Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Laura & Paul V. Bennett Berkeley Public Schools Fund Bernard E. and Alba Witkin Charitable Trust Bernard Osher Foundation California Arts Council Ronald & Susan Choy City of Berkeley Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation Margaret Dorfman Ann & Gordon Getty Ellen Hahn Kathleen G. Henschel & John W. Dewes Edith Jackson & Thomas W. Richardson Jr. The James Irvine Foundation John Gage Nina Grove & Kenneth Johnson William Knuttel Janet Maestre May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust Jan McCutcheon Helen & John Meyer Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc. Marcia Muggli & Ed Osborn National Endowment for the Arts New Music U.S.A. Rose Ray & Robert Kroll in honor of our son, C. Stephen Ray Tricia Swift Lisa Taylor U.S. Small Business Administration William & Flora Hewlett Foundation S. Shariq Yosufzai & Brian James June 12 2022
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Annual Membership Support Thank you to the following individuals for making the programs of Berkeley Symphony possible. A symphony is as strong as the community that supports it. Gifts received between May 1, 2021, and May 11, 2022.
SPONSOR CIRCLE GIFTS $100,000 and above
Gordon Getty $50,000 and above
Laura & Paul V. Bennett Kathleen G. Henschel & John W. Dewes Robert Kroll & Rose Ray in memory of our son C. Stephen Ray S. Shariq Yosufzai & Brian James $25,000 and above
Anonymous Susan & Jim Acquistapace David Burkhart Lisa Taylor $10,000 and above
Anonymous Susan & Ronald Choy Kathleen Crandall & Lori Gitter Margaret Dorfman Deborah L. Gould, MD & Laurence Blackwell Janet Maestre Edith Jackson & Thomas W. Richardson Jr. Harriet H. Simpson Paul Templeton & Darrell Louie Ama Torrance & David Davies $5,000 and above
Ms. Audrey Burkhart Dianne Crosby & Scott Hamilton Jefferson Han & Jennifer Banzaca Buzz & Lisa Hines Fred Jacobson & Mary Murtaugh 52
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Nina Grove & Ken Johnson Jan McCutcheon Pat & Merrill Shanks $2,500 and above
Anonymous Natasha Beery & Sandy McCoy John & Paula Gambs Ellen Hahn Mark & Lynne Humphrey Mr. & Mrs. Herrick Jackson William Knuttel Arthur & Martha Luehrmann Brad & Jenn McCullough Jack & Rhonda Morris Marcia Muggli & Ed Osborn Edward Vine & Ellen Singer-Vine Alison Teeman & Michael Yovino-Young $1,500 and above
Gertrude E. Allen Sallie & Edward Arens Michele Benson Judith L. Bloom Marilyn & Richard Collier Dean Francis World’s Peace Thomas & Mary Reicher Doug & Trish Nancy Shidler & Jack Anderson James Taylor Joseph Young
FRIENDS OF BERKELEY SYMPHONY GIFTS $750 and above
Anonymous (2) Janet Popesco Archibald Ms. Carol Christ San Francisco Opera Orchestra Mary & Stanley Friedman Gloria Fujimoto Daniel & Kate Funk Theresa Gabel & Timothy Zumwalt Steven E. Greenberg & Liz Varnhagen Jill Grossman Family Charitable Fund Russell Hyzen Gary & Lois Marcus Helen Marcus Jane & Bill Neilson Noel & Penny Nellis Marc A. Roth Jim Tibbs & Philip Anderson Scott Sparling Carolyn Spitz David & Pennie Warren Mrs. Elouise D Wilson $500 and above
$500 and above Stuart & Virginia Canin Richard & Christine Colton Mr. Bennie Cottone Dr. Charles M. Crane Mr. Joseph A Daly John & Charli Danielsen Carolyn Doelling Ann & Jack Eastman Bruce Fitch Peggy & Zach Griffin Stuart & Sharon Gronningen Gift Fish Lynne La Marca Heinrich Jim & Jenn Lewis & Family Patrick R. McCabe Robert Sinai & Susanna Schevill
$300 and above
Beth & Norman Edelstein Bennett Falk & Margaret Morel& Laura Frost Trish & Tony Hawthorne William & Judith Hein Valerie & Richard Herr Amy Kweskin Richard O. Leder Jane Mauldon David Petta Janet Sovin Marta Tobey & Roger Ramey Anne & Craig Van Dyke Dr. George & Bay Westlake Evie & Gordon Wozniak $120 and above
Anonymous Dr. Henry L. Abrons & Dr. Li-Hsia Wang Patricia & Ronald Adler Ms. Joan Balter Tom Bates & Loni Hancock Ms. Joanne G. Bernstein John Beviacqua Tammy Button Yvette Hollingsworth Clark John Collins & David Nicolls Mr. Peter Cook Chris Crook Beth Crovitz Jan Davis Dennis & Sandy De Domenico Paul Dresher & Philippa Kelly Ednah Beth Friedman Edward Gordon Sophie Hahn Nancy Hall & Mark Theodoropoulos Alan Harper & Carol Baird John C. Huneke Phil Kohlmetz Jeffrey S. Leiter James E. & Jayne A. Matthews Robert McKee & Melissa Gates June 12 2022
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In memory of Todd Itokazu Gertrude E. Allen
San Francisco Opera Orchestra Lisa Taylor Mr. Bennie Cottone Jim & Jenn Lewis & Family Kathleen G. Henschel & John W. Dewes Richard O. Leder Cyndi Creamer Allison Don Tom & Adrienne Duckworth Steve & Michele Engebretson David Granger William Holmes Joan & Peter Klatt Thalia Moore Pete Nowlen & David Martin Carol Rice Marta Tobey Susan & Roger Waller Dan McNeill Nora Pirquet & Raymond Froehlich Jeff & Joan Bendix Ms. Patrice Hamdelton Leonie Kramer Ilana Matfis Cheryl R. Wiener
In honor of Ellen Singer-Vine Anonymous
IN-KIND DONORS
FRIENDS OF BERKELEY SYMPHONY GIFTS $120 and above (continued)
Miles & Mary Ellen McKey Junichi & Sarah Miyazaki Emma Moon Geraldine & Gary Morrison James & Caren Quay Peggy Radel & Joel Myerson Flora Russ Margaret Seely Donald A. Riley & Carolyn Serrao Sylvia Sorell & Daniel Kane Bruce Stangeland Mr. Takato Umeda Vanessa Washington & Wayne Rowland
HONOR & MEMORIAL Gifts In memory of C. Stephen Ray Robert Kroll & Rose Ray In honor of Deborah Gould, MD Yvette Hollingsworth Clark
In honor of Janet Maestre Olivia Hurd In honor of Jim Tibbs’ Birthday Dave & Carol Moyer In honor of Joan Glasse The Richards Family Charitable Fund Deborah Shidler Principal Oboe Chair Fund Ms. Audrey Burkhart David Burkhart Doug & Trish Nancy Shidler & Jack Anderson Gertrude E. Allen Janet Popesco Archibald
Special thanks to these individuals and businesses whose generous donations of goods and services are crucial in helping Berkeley Symphony produce concerts and education programs while keeping expenses as low as possible.
Eric Asimov, Paul & Laura Bennett, Berkeley Times, Chanticleer, Chocolaterie, Cottage Grove Inn, Nidhi Chanani, Susan & Ronald Choy, Richard Collier, Donum Estate, Kathleen G. Henschel & John W. Dewes, Sean Hipkin, Landmark Winery, René Mandel, Music@Menlo, Penfolds, Peet’s Coffee, Piedmont Post, Henry Rogers, Sendy Santamaria, Scenic Made Bakery, Ward Spangler, Lisa Taylor, Yvette Vloeberghs, William Knuttel Winery, Joseph Young June 12 2022
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BRING IN THIS AD TO RECEIVE A
1O% DISCOUNT ON ANY PURCHASE OF GIFTS AND FLOWERS
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INSTITUTIONAL GIVING Berkeley Symphony is proud to recognize these corporations, foundations, community organizations, and government programs. These institutions are supporting our communities through their commitment to Berkeley Symphony and the arts. $100,000 and above
U.S. Small Business Administration $25,000 and above
Clarence E. Heller Foundation $10,000 and above
Bayer Corporation Bernard E & Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation Catalyst Fund (League of American Orchestras) City of Berkeley Fleishhacker Foundation The Grubb Co. National Endowment for the Arts Zellerbach Family Foundation $5,000 and above
Berkeley Bowl Marketplace Bernard Osher Foundation The Familian Levinson Foundation New Music U.S.A. Pacific Harmony Foundation $1,500 and above
Chevron The Friendship Fund $750 and above
Alameda County Arts Commission $120 and above
The Benevity Community Impact Fund
BERKELEY SYMPHONY LEGACY SOCIETY Legacy giving helps to ensure that Berkeley Symphony’s music and education programs will continue to delight and inspire for generations to come. We are deeply grateful to those who have made bequests to Berkeley Symphony as part of their estate planning. Legacies Pledged
Gertrude Allen Philip Anderson Joan Balter Norman Bookstein Kathleen Crandall & Lori Gitter Dianne Crosby John Dewes Kathleen Henschel Brian James Kenneth Johnson Jeffrey Leiter Janet Maestre Sandy McCoy Winton McKibben Tricia Swift Lisa Taylor Jim Tibbs S. Shariq Yosufzai Lisa Zadek Legacies Received
Margaret Stuart E. Graupner Susan Meadows Hone Rochelle D. Ridgway Harry Weininger
We thank all who contribute to Berkeley Symphony, including those giving up to $120 annually and those whose gifts have been received since press time. While every attempt has been made to assure accuracy in our list of supporters, omissions and misspellings may occur. Please call 510.841.2800 to report errors. We appreciate the opportunity to correct our records. June 12 2022
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Administration & Creative Staff Joseph Young, Music Director
Kathy Paxson, Finance Manager
Jim Tibbs, Executive Director Emeritus
Laili Gohartaj, Grant Writer
Kate Kammeyer, Executive Director
Franklyn D’Antonio, Orchestra Manager
René Mandel, Artistic Director
Quelani Penland, Librarian
Ming Luke, Education Director
PROGRAM
Isaac Bunch, Director of Operations
Andreas Jones, Design & Production
Tiffany Fajardo, Patron Services Manager
John McMullen, Advertising Sales
Shelley Mitchell, Marketing Associate
Krishna Copy Center, Printing
Contact
find us on
For tickets, call 510.841.2800, or email tickets@berkeleysymphony.org, or visit tickets.berkeleysymphony.org.
Thomas May, Program Notes
Berkeley Symphony 1942 University Avenue, Suite 104 Berkeley, CA 94704 510.841.2800 info@berkeleysymphony.org berkeleysymphony.org
Thank you to Gray Cathrall and the Piedmont Post for their continued support of our Berkeley Symphony & Friends Chamber Series
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