Prelude Magazine Fall 2025

Calgary Philharmonic

Fall 2025 / Volume 50 No. 1

Lang Lang Extraordinary Pianist Makes Calgary Debut

MASTERPIECE Captivating the greatest composers and pianists for over 170 years.

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Prelude FALL 2025 / VOLUME 50 NO. 1

ZOLTAN VARADI EDITOR OMAR JEHA ART DIRECTOR JANET BWITITI EDITORIAL ADVISOR

Welcome back everyone!

CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Chorney-Booth Jun-long Lee Charlotte Lilley Stephania Romaniuk David Sussman

on the cover: Lang Lang by Olaf Heine Cover story on page 30

Firstly, a huge THANK YOU. With 41 sold-out concerts last season, you helped us smash the previous record of 28 sold out shows in 2012/2013, and you're already helping us to achieve another blockbusting season this year — our 70th anniversary!

Drumroll, please... We're very excited to share that world-renowned conductor Karen Kamensek will be joining us this season in a newly created artistic leadership role: Principal Guest Conductor. Karen will lead the Orchestra at a few concerts each season and advise us behind the scenes. You may have experienced her fantastic performances here in 2022 and 2024; we were driven to build on this powerful bond with her. Karen conducts a program with works by Dvořák, Smetana, Strauss, and Beethoven — with Gil Shaham — on 12 and 13 September. Please join us in welcoming her to this role. (Learn more about Karen from her biography on page 11.)

Meanwhile the search for our next Music Director is underway. It may take several seasons, and we will enjoy seeing many different folks on the podium this season and beyond. Do let us know if you find a guest conductor particularly exciting, we'd love to hear from you.

As always there is something for everyone this fall, including piano superstar Lang Lang making his Calgary debut, The Princess Bride film live with the Orchestra for Thanksgiving, and our first Baroque at Bella concert. We also look forward to the return of two fan favourite conductors: Steve Hackman, who leads the Orchestra for the spooktacular Skull + Bones on Halloween, and Anthony Parnther, who does double-duty with the Orchestra in Orbit Education Concert as well as a performance of beautiful music by Samuel Barber. We'll take a trip into the deep, dark wood with the children's classic The Gruffalo, and the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus will be back in full force for Symphonic Seas led by Yue Bao. We're eager to perform in seven venues across the city this season, starting at the Big Four at Stampede for the innovative SYNTHONY EDM concert. If you've always wanted to dance the night away to the Orchestra, now's your chance!

205 8 Avenue SE, Calgary AB T2G 0K9 Box Office: 403.571.0849

We hear from many of you that your times with the Calgary Phil are memorable and unique. Watching the crowds at our concerts reminds me of Louis Armstrong's classic song What a Wonderful World — "I see friends shaking hands, saying 'how do you do?'— they're really saying, 'I love you'."

For advertising inquires, please email Zoltan Varadi at zvaradi@calgaryphil.com Prelude is published three times a year by the Calgary Philharmonic Society. Copyright 2025

by Calgary Philharmonic Society. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written consent of the publisher. calgaryphil.com

Marc Stevens President + CEO Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

Concerts

24

16 20 22 26 28 34 38 40 42 46 50 52 54 58

SYNTHONY: EDM Meets Orchestra Phil in the Park Gil Shaham plays Beethoven The Music of Sting + The Police The Gruffalo An Evening with Lang Lang Beethoven's Fifth Symphony The Princess Bride in Concert Symphonic Seas Steve Hackman's Skull + Bones Baroque at Bella with Mathieu Lussier Nothing Compares: The Music of Prince Slavonic Dances Best of Barber: Adagio + More

Features 30

14 18 24 30 45 48 56 69

A Sland Dunk Prelude: A Retrospective Tapestry Opera: Stepping Up to the Podium Lang Lang: 21st Century Classical Superstar 21 Questions with Emily Melendes, Principal Harp Anthony Parnther: Triple Threat The Confluence of Tradition + Technology Before the Concert Begins

More 52

10 12 37 61

Orchestra Chorus Patron Programs Supporters

We acknowledge that we come together and create music on land known by the Blackfoot name Moh-kíns-tsis, which we also call Calgary. This land is on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), the Stoney Nakoda (Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations), and the Tsuut'ina First Nations, as well as the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Districts 5 and 6. We honour this land and all those who share it in a spirit of peace, friendship, and respect.

FALL 2025 | 5

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A PILLAR OF CALGARY'S VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY SINCE 1955.

For seven decades, the Calgary Philharmonic has been bringing communities together through the power of music. A pillar of the Calgary arts scene and one of Canada's most celebrated live music ensembles, the Calgary Phil presents more than 60 concerts a season across a wide range of programming — epic classics, thrilling collaborations, rockin' pops, family fun, and much more. The Calgary Phil also engages thousands of children each season through innovative and accessible Education and Outreach initiatives.

In addition to 66 full-time orchestra musicians, the Calgary Phil is one of two major symphony orchestras in Canada that has its own chorus of over 140 volunteer singers. In a typical season, the Calgary Phil welcomes over 100,000 visitors, connecting audiences to live music experiences and serving the city of Calgary by fostering creativity and belonging.

Learn more about the Orchestra and Chorus at calgaryphil.com.

FALL 2025 | 7

FAQs Where will I park? What if I clap at the wrong moment?

Can I wear Crocs? Taking in a performance at the Calgary Phil is meant to be a joyful — not stressful — experience. So don't worry, we've got you covered with these handy answers to a few of our most frequently asked questions (and, yes, you can wear Crocs).

What do I wear to the Orchestra?

You'll see everything from designer gowns to business casual to jeans 'n tees at Calgary Phil performances. We have no formal dress code and just want you to feel happy, comfortable, and relaxed!

What is your mobile phone policy?

While we hope everyone has the chance to experience live music without distractions, we realize that there are times when you don't want to miss an important message. If you need to leave your device on, please turn the brightness down, the sound off, and be considerate of other audience members.

Where can I find parking?

There are several parking lots in the area, but we suggest you leave yourself plenty of time to find a spot — they fill up fast! Underground parking is available at Werklund Centre (formerly Arts Commons) and the nearby Civic Plaza and TELUS Convention Centre parkades. If you take the CTrain, the stations are located one block from Werklund Centre.

Bike racks can also be found on Stephen Avenue in front of the Jack Singer Concert Hall.

Are drinks allowed in the concert hall?

Aside from the occasional concert, drinks are permitted! You're invited to arrive a little early, mingle with your fellow music fans, and enjoy a beverage in the lobby before the show begins. You can also pre-order a round for pick up from the bar at intermission.

Can I take photos in the concert hall?

For most concerts, you can take a quick photo, but don't use flash — it can interfere with the musicians' performance. Don't forget to tag us in your favourite moments! You can find @calgaryphil on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Bluesky, and LinkedIn. When do I clap?

Traditionally in classical music culture, audiences hold their applause until the end of an entire piece (there can be multiple movements with short breaks between them in one piece). This is intended to respect the performers' focus and the flow of the music. You'll know when the piece is finished because the conductor typically puts their arms down completely and turns to the audience. But, if you do happen to clap before the piece is finished, that's okay! The musicians will be happy to know you're enjoying the performance.

What happens if I'm late?

Sometimes even the best laid plans go sideways. Ushers do their best to seat latecomers at appropriate breaks in the performance, but in some cases this may not be possible until the completion of an entire work. We don't want you to miss anything, so you can listen to the music and watch the screens in the lobby.

For more useful tips, visit calgaryphil.com/FAQ

How long is a concert?

While the length varies, most evening performances are about two-hours long including intermission (shorter concerts may forgo the break). Symphony Sundays for Kids concerts are usually one hour long with no intermission.

FALL 2025 | 9

Orchestra PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR

Violas

Juliane Gallant*

PRINCIPAL

Karen Kamensek

Laurent Grillet-Kim**

RESIDENT CONDUCTOR + ARTISTIC ADVISOR, POPS

Marcin Swoboda ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Cris Derksen

Alexander Beggs Jeremy Bauman Peter Blake Michael Bursey Alisa Klebanov Jesse Morrison

ARTISTIC ADVISOR

Roberto Minczuk

MUSIC DIRECTOR LAUREATE

Hans Graf

MUSIC DIRECTOR LAUREATE

English Horn David Sussman*

Clarinets

Laurie Blanchet ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Bassoons

Mario Bernardi

Antoine St-Onge

Cenek Vrba

Michael Hope

PRINCIPAL

CONDUCTOR LAUREATE

Cellos

CONCERTMASTER EMERITUS

Arnold Choi* PRINCIPAL

Josué Valdepeñas

First Violins

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Diana Cohen*

Clare Bradford Kathleen de Caen* Thomas Megee David Morrissey* Robyn Neidhold Daniel Poceta

CONCERTMASTER

John Lowry*

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

Donovan Seidle

ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Eric Auerbach Jeongah Choi Edmund Chung Danielle Greene Olga Kotova* Genevieve Micheletti Maria van der Sloot* Hojean Yoo

Jonathan Yeoh

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Matthew Heller Trish Bereti-Reid Patrick Staples

Second Violins Lorna Tsai* PRINCIPAL

Stephanie Soltice-Johnson* ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Erin Burkholder Jeremy Gabbert Hyewon Grillet-Kim* Craig Hutchenreuther* Minnie Min Kyung Kwon* Theresa Dumbrique Adriana Lebedovich* Steven J. Lubiarz Elisa Milner Roberta Yee

* ENDOWED CHAIR (PAGE 68)

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Peter Clark

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Maxwell Stein

Trumpets

Adam Zinatelli* PRINCIPAL

Miranda Cairns

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL

James Scott

Gwen Klassen

Kristofer Leslie

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Bass Trombone David Reid PRINCIPAL

Oboes

Tuba

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL

* LEAVE OF ABSENCE

10 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

PRINCIPAL

Harp

Emily Melendes PRINCIPAL

Jennifer Frank-Umana

PRINCIPAL

David Sussman

Chris Sies*

PRINCIPAL

Sara Hahn-Scinocco*

Gwen Klassen*

Percussion

Nikolette LaBonte

Trombones

Piccolo

PRINCIPAL

Horns

Flutes

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Alexander Cohen

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Basses

Timpani

Tom McCaslin

REPERTOIRE OFTEN REQUIRES EXTRA MUSICIANS: Lidia Haeju Lee, Violin Christine Chen, Violin Dean O'Brien, Viola Ronelle Schaufele, Viola Patricia Higgins, Viola Janet Kuschak, Cello Sheila Garrett, Bass Daniel Nava, Bass Sarah MacDonald, Flute Emily Phernambucq, Flute Katrina Kwantes-Oliveira, Oboe Lief Mosbaugh, Oboe Aura Pon, Oboe Stan Climie, Clarinet Ilana Dahl, Clarinet Natalia Peric, Clarinet John Feldberg, Bassoon Heather Wootton, Horn Laurie Matiation, Horn Richard Scholz, Trumpet Gareth Jones, Trumpet Nikki McCaslin, Trombone Mark Harding, Trombone Greg Burns, Trombone Tyler Cairns, Bass Trombone Sean Buckley, Percussion Graeme Tofflemiere, Percussion Rolf Bertsch, Piano Darren Young, Guitar Kodi Hutchinson, E. Bass Tyler Hornby, Drums Gerry Hebert, Saxophone Jeremy Brown, Saxophone Richard Harding, Saxophone

© HARDERLEE PHOTOGRAPHY

© YOSSI ZWECKER

KAREN KAMENSEK PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR Grammy Award-winning conductor Karen Kamensek's expansive artistry coupled with her deep commitment for championing composers of the 20th and 21st centuries is reflected in her work in both the opera house and on the concert stage.

Frequently in demand as a guest conductor with many of today's most prominent opera companies, Karen's recent opera highlights include her performances at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in Giacomo Puccini's Tosca; the English National Opera in Philip Glass' Akhnaten and Satyagraha; the Welsh National Opera in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking and Leonard Bernstein's Candide; the Metropolitan Opera in Glass' Akhnaten, Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto, and Jake Heggie's Moby Dick; the Houston Grand Opera in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème, and the San Francisco Opera in Poul Ruders' The Handmaid's Tale, among others. Karen's recent symphonic work has brought her to the podia of such orchestras as the London Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Oslo Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Orquestra Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, and the Orchestre Chambre de Paris, among others. Karen served as the Music Director of the Staatsoper Hannover from 2011 to 2016. She has also served as 1st Kapellmeister at the Volksoper Wien (2000–2002), Music Director of the Theater Freiburg (2003–2006), and Associate Music Director at the Staatsoper Hamburg (2008–2011). Karen joins the Calgary Philharmonic this season in the role of Principal Guest Conductor.

JULIANE GALLANT RESIDENT CONDUCTOR + ARTISTIC ADVISOR, POPS New Brunswick-born Juliane Gallant is the Resident Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Pops of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Following a decade working in the UK, her relocation to Canada has led her to appear as guest conductor with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, PEI Symphony Orchestra, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, Kingston Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony New Brunswick. In 2025/2026, she will be returning to Ottawa and New Brunswick and will make her début with the Regina Symphony Orchestra and Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. Initially a collaborative pianist, répétiteur, and vocal coach, Juliane began her conducting career in opera. She has led productions of Carmen, La bohème, Tosca, Eugene Onegin, La Traviata, Don Giovanni, and numerous others, in Canada, the United States, and the UK. In 2021, she made her Royal Opera House conducting début in Mami Wata in collaboration with Pegasus Opera. In symphonic Pops, she has performed a wide array of genres, from musical theatre and film scores to the music of Tina Turner and Nirvana. She has collaborated with a variety of artists, such as Chantal Kreviazuk, Kiesza, Serena Ryder, and Brett Kissel. Juliane is a graduate of the National Opera Studio, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique de Montréal, the University of Ottawa and the Université de Moncton. She is an alumna of Tapestry Opera's Women in Musical Leadership Fellowship.

CRIS DERKSEN ARTISTIC ADVISOR JUNO-nominated Cris Derksen is an Internationally respected Indigenous cellist and composer. Originally from Treaty 8 in Northern Alberta, she comes from NorthTall Cree Reserve on her father's side and Mennonite homesteaders on her mother's. Cris' composition strength lies in their diversity for all artistic fields including dance, theatre, film, television, animation, fashion, podcasts, symphonic, chamber, choral, and installations. She performs as soloistcomposer for symphonies and chamber orchestras across Canada and has been commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony, and Orchestre Metropolitan. Cris was the composer for the Canadian Pavilion for the World Expo in Dubai in 2022 and in Osaka, Japan 2025. They are the founder of the Banff Indigenous Classical Residency at the Banff Centre, and Artistic Advisor for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Her work on the Podcast Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's by Connie Walker and Gimlet media won both a Pulitzer and Peabody. Recent achievements include: her Carnegie Hall Debut with a new symphonic piece, Controlled Burn, with Orchestra Metropolitan conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; a collaboration with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra of a new ballet, Tel Wild Man of the woods; and scoring a National Geographic documentary. Cris is always up for the challenge of bringing an Indigenous perspective to all aspects of sonic storytelling.

FALL 2025 | 11

Chorus Mark Bartel*

CHORUS DIRECTOR

Evan Mounce

ASSISTANT CHORUS DIRECTOR

Sopranos

Heather Allen Karine Baumgardner Ellen Borak Michelle Bozynski SECTION REPRESENTATIVE

Tricia Bray Carolyn Byers Christina Candra Tanya Chow Twylla Jayne Conn Laura A Davis Ina Dobrinski Barb Dolter Larissa Donnelly Anne Marie Espiritu Diane Fenton Sue Galcher Sim Galloway Nairilys Garcia Sogamozo Carolyn Hatt Robyn Hauck Rachelle Henkel Dale Hensley Linda Janzen Amy Jensen Amethyst Klintberg Shelby Lake Melody Littel Allison Marquette Chantelle Nelson Helen Nesbitt Kathleen Pierson Gillian Posey Colleen Potter Brier Reid Lisa Schalk Lisa Sears-Walsh Joan Simmins Barbara Soles Becky Standing Crystal Jing Wen Tan Carol Topley Tamara Vardomskaya Norma Webb Chelsea Woodard SECTION PRINCIPAL

Betsy Woolner

Altos

Margaret Anderson Jessica Baedke Kayla Bazzana-Adams Susan Bell Barbara Boland Elizabeth Bowers Rhea Buckingham Michelle Cariou Kelsey Chambers Indrani Chatterjee SECTION REPRESENTATIVE

Breanne Coady Bernie Constantin Joanne Cosentino Yvonne Courtney Ruth A. Cross Shirley Cumming Sharon Fehr Rebecca Frederick Kiana Gardner Sabine Gilch Hilary Gordon Jo Griffin Alexandra Guebert Karen Hanlon Kay Harrison Pat Heitman Julie Heyland Helen Isaac Aigerim Kaliyeva Cynthia Klaassen Heather Klassen Marlene L Krickhan Catherine Lasuita Carol Latter Betty Liu

CALGARY PHIL YOUTH CHORISTER

Shawna MacGillivary Emma MacKay Barbara Mathies Julia Millen SECTION PRINCIPAL

Patty Mino Lucinda Neufeld Britt Odegard Mara Osis Anastasiya Petruk Andrea Radford Anne Rodger Liv Sawyer Patti Vaillant Corné van Nierop Julia Vanden Heuvel Alexandra Wang Emma Woo Karen Yackel

* ENDOWED CHAIR (PAGE 68) 12 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Tenors

Tim Ahrenholz Dean Allatt Neil Bazzana-Adams Tim Bell SECTION REPRESENTATIVE

Keevin Berg Stephen Burke Rob Burns Gabriel Castro Christopher Chiemejonam Tristram Chivers Fergus Crawford Philip Dano Pat Favaro Lorna Gilfedder Richard Harding Katt Hryciw CHORUS ADMINISTRATOR

James Hume Jungsoo Kim Diana M Klaassen Joycelyn Kristoff Caroline Lambert Juan Manuel López Brian Mol Darrell Morden Abraham Ortega Alexander Pacunayen Michael Pierson Jason Ragan SECTION PRINCIPAL

Peter Rilstone Vitalii Semion Dennis Voth Joel Wabo

Basses

Archibald Adams Aaron Bartholomew SECTION PRINCIPAL

Pearson Berko Cam Bischoff Glenn Bontje Maxime Chambers-Dumont Ian Charter Hymns Chu Mauro Cimolai Chad Conrad Lloyd Crosby David Daly Kevin Di Filippo Arthur Dick Carel du Toit Mark Dumbrique SECTION REPRESENTATIVE

John Ghitan Allan Huber Adam Kennedy Drew Kotchan Darcy Krahn David Kroeger Mark Louie David Mark Keith Odegard Kori Patrick Dave Pattison Dana Salter David Schey Albi Sole Rainier Trinidad Vinu Varghese Richard Wanner Jim Weisert Peter Wong Keith Wyenberg

DISCOVER World-Class Chamber Music MASTERS SERIES

MARK BARTEL CHORUS DIRECTOR Mark Bartel is in demand as a versatile conductor and music educator. He is known for his musical, educational, and community collaborations and has established a reputation as a successful builder of choirs and choral programs. Mark is a passionate advocate of the impact of music on the lives of choristers, audiences, and communities. He has conducted university choirs for over 25 years and has extensive experience leading a wide range of community choirs in both the United States and Canada. After a 16-year tenure in the US, he returned to Canada in 2019 to join the faculty at Calgary's Ambrose University as Associate Professor of Music. Since arriving in Calgary, he has also served as Director of the Spiritus Chamber Choir. In addition to his interest in choral-orchestral works and choral music of the baroque era, he brings expertise as a singer and vocal pedagogue to his work with choirs.

His current research focuses on how choirs around the world engage in active peacebuilding through the choral experience. Originally from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Mark is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg and Canadian Mennonite University. He holds Master of Music and Master of Sacred Music degrees from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Photo: Tafelmusik, by Dahlia Katz

Pacifica Quartet Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra Busch Trio Mandelring Quartet Manhattan Chamber Players HORIZON SERIES

2025/26 Concert Season Welcome to our 49th season of presenting the world's best chamber ensembles to Calgary audiences! email : info@calgarypromusica.ca web : calgarypromusica.ca

social : @calgarypromusica

Dreamers' Circus Young Concert Artists On Tour Formosa Quartet Artists subject to change –

SUBSCRIPTIONS & INDIVIDUAL TICKETS On sale NOW at calgarypromusica.ca

FALL 2025 | 13

left to right: sland team members Jordan Plamondon, Erica Leong, Frank Fowler, Katie Juergens, and Jessica Power

A Sland Dunk Web Developer's Relationship with the Calgary Phil Results in a Transformed Digital Landscape for Performing Arts Organizations

By Stephania Romaniuk Photo Dennis Envoldsen

I

n 2018, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra embarked on a bold rebranding initiative that included a comprehensive overhaul of its digital presence. To bring this vision to life, the Calgary Phil tasked Frank Fowler, founder of Sland Studios — a boutique web design and development agency based in Calgary — with leading a new website build.

Although only seven years old at the time, Sland had already developed a strong reputation for website planning, design, and development, and a particular talent for highly technical coding and software integrations.

The ask was straightforward: support the rebranding and colloquial re-naming of the Orchestra from "the CPO" to "the Calgary Phil" by rebuilding the website and seamlessly integrating a new ticketing and client management software known as Spektrix.

The website re-design had to provide a singular user experience and to visually match the new branding, as if one designer had completed every element of the organization's materials, from the season brochure to the website's ticketing platform.

Fowler's team investigated which web tools they might leverage for this type of integration, but none existed. "There were no pre-existing plug-ins or web components that would achieve the Calgary Phil's ask of a full, seamless site integration," Fowler says. "So, we decided to figure it out on our own."

Sland knew that rebuilding the website and building these connections between software platforms would take several months. They worked steadily, their team connecting daily with the Calgary Phil to discuss concerns and progress.

Throughout the project, Fowler's lead web developer ran into significant challenges: accommodating project specifications alongside various requests for customizations. A pattern began to emerge and a new dynamic plug-in was created with a focus on scalability and unlimited customizations. The result was the launch of a new website in 2020 that reflected the updated brand, was fully integrated with ticketing and client management software, and resonated the values of the organization.

"The Calgary Phil was one of our biggest clients to date, and completing the project on time, to spec, and on budget was a big win," shares Fowler.

"As a music and theatre kid growing up, it was a dream come true to work with a major North American performing arts institution."

Fowler was raised in Rossland, BC — where the studio name "Sland" comes from. He took piano lessons growing up and participated in drama courses and local theatre productions in high school and university. As part of their work together, Sland began offering inkind donations to the Calgary Phil. "We provided our not-for-profit rate," Fowler describes, "and then a further credit in exchange for concert tickets for our friends, family, and clients."

Their in-kind sponsorship, a full circle moment for Fowler, has continued to this day.

Shortly after the website launched, Sland received a call from Spektrix on behalf of Performing Arts Houston who were looking for a similar website integration service. Fowler realized his Wordpress-based Spektrix plug-in, newly dubbed Maestro Press, could be the solution to a broader challenge within the industry. Since then, Sland has grown into a North American Spektrix Integration Specialist, recently hiring additional web developers and team members to support their expanding work demands. Clients include major performance venues (Performing Arts Houston, the Wilson Center in North Carolina) off-Broadway theatres in New York City (Theatre For A New Audience, The New Group) and traditional performance institutions like Pacific Conservatory Theatre, Honens, and the Calgary Phil. "We want to continue to niche in the performing arts industry within North America by building robust solutions to support more organizations who are ready to scale," Fowler states.

In many ways, the composer and web developer are similar: both labour outside of broader public awareness to bring to life an experience that once lived only in their imaginations. "It's all of us using our areas of specialty — or that music in our head — to hear the solution to a problem.

What is obvious to me from a business development perspective, and what is obvious to my account managers and designers and web developers is different, but it's the unique experience of each of us that's allowed for new ideas to happen.

I guess my role in that has been saying, 'Let's go for it. Let's build that.' But it's the team's inner experience which has been guiding all of this, which I love to be a part of."

A good website must build trust and sustain growth. Whether it's a seamless checkout flow, multi-instance event support, or dynamic filtering by concert series, every feature can enhance or detract from the customer experience, which nowadays starts online. "Music and the arts bring the same value to society as any other profession or trade, and they should be given the same tools to help them become financially sustainable," Fowler shares. "Discovering what makes an organization unique and bringing them in front of more people — helping make this vision a reality is our passion."

FALL 2025 | 15

5 September 7:30PM Big Four Roadhouse

SYNTHONY: EDM Meets Orchestra

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Your Calgary Phil brings its grand sound to the Big Four for the Canadian premiere of SYNTHONY. This groundbreaking live experience fuses the biggest electronic dance anthems with a full orchestra and live vocalists. SYNTHONY transforms the dance floor into a high-energy symphonic journey, blending the power of orchestral music with EDM for an unforgettable show!

Program to be announced from stage CONCERT INCLUDES A 20-MINUTE INTERMISSION PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 16 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS IN THE JACK SINGER CONCERT HALL

Thursday, November 6, 2025

MORGAN FREEMAN’S SYMPHONIC BLUES EXPERIENCE FEATURING CALGARY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

WILD EYE: A LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHS WITH BEVERLY AND DERECK JOUBERT

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

AN EVENING WITH LOUISE PENNY

SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR: PEACE

AN EVENING WITH YOTAM OTTOLENGHI

HOSTED BY WORDFEST’S SHELLEY YOUNGBLUT

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

PUBLIC SECTOR SUPPORT

MEDIA SPONSORS

werklundcentre.ca/specials

Sunday, October 26, 2025

LEA SALONGA: STAGE, SCREEN & EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

SPARKING NEW POSSIBILITIES WITH A NEW NAME Arts Commons is now Werklund Centre

FALL 2025 | 17

Prelude: A RETROSPECTIVE In September 1975, the Calgary Phil introduced a brand-new publication called... Prelude! Though the look and content of the publication has continually evolved over the decades, for the past 50 years Prelude has dutifully served as both a concert program and a fun read offering deeper insight into the world of the Orchestra. In celebration of this publishing milestone, we invite you to hop in the wayback machine with us for a guided tour of Prelude through the ages.

Unlike the magazine you hold in your hands today, Prelude used to come at a cost. Issue No. 1 demanded 50 cents, and by the late 80s the price was $2.00. Happily, the publication has been free to concertgoers — and those who come across it at select locations around town — since the 1990s.

18 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

2017 VOLUME NO. 44 It's aways a thrill for audiences — and the Calgary Phil — when Yo-Yo Ma comes to town.

Rune Bergmann, then in his first season as Calgary Philharmonic Music Director, conducted the 2017 concert featuring the legendary cellist. When Yo-Yo Ma returned last season, it served as a bookend of sorts for Bergmann, who again conducted in one of his final concerts with the Calgary Phil.

1975 VOLUME NO. 1 Our very first covers featured artwork from the collection of Canadiana House Ltd, then a sponsor.

Stories in issue No. 1 included "Musicians Musings," a news update from The Women's League of the Calgary Philharmonic, and a piece about the Calgary Phil's School Concert Program, which had launched in 1973.

1988 VOLUME NO. 10 As the spirit of the Winter Olympics swept the city, we got in on the action with a series of sporty covers by Calgary-based cartoonist and illustrator Steve Attoe.

1995 VOLUME NO. 20 The Calgary Phil turned 40 in fine fashion with the artistic leadership of Music Director Hans Graf (who returns for this season's finale, A Midsummer Night's Dream.)

1985 VOLUME NO. 8 A new home for the Orchestra! Volume 8 celebrated the opening of the Jack Singer Concert Hall — purpose-built for the Calgary Philharmonic and our audiences.

2009 VOLUME NO. 33 Following the Orchestra's 50th anniversary, the word "live" started to appear on every Prelude cover and eventually became part of the name: PreludeLive. We returned to just 'Prelude' in 2022.

The Planets! Philip Glass! The Music of Led Zeppelin! A packed program — and Prelude — as the decade drew to a close.

1994 VOLUME NO. 19

2002 VOLUME NO. 26 2022 VOLUME NO. 47

Hometown hero Jann Arden brought some warmth to winter through two performances with the Calgary Phil in late February 2002.

Prelude returned with fresh new look following a twoseason absence due to the pandemic. For this volume of issues, Calgary's HarderLee Photography turned their lens on community members and partners, including this feature on Pink Flamingo, a Black-led advocacy organization who collaborated with the Calgary Phil on the I Rise concert and mural project.

2011 VOLUME NO. 36

2006 VOLUME NO. 30 The Calgary Phil took the show on the road for a spring Beethoven in the Badlands concert in Drumheller.

FALL 2025 | 19

7 September 2PM Prince's Island Park

Phil in the Park

Resident Conductor Endowed Chair Supporter: Mary Rozsa de Coquet Concert Supporter: The City of Calgary Juliane Gallant, conductor (biography on page 11) Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Louise Farrenc

Overture No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 23

7'

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Valse from Swan Lake, Op. 20a

7'

Igor Stravinsky

Firebird Suite (1919)

21'

INTERMISSION

20'

Felix Mendelssohn

Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61

5'

Antonín Dvořák

Slavonic Dances, Op. 72 No. 1 in B Major: Molto vivace No. 2 in E Minor: Allegretto grazioso

11'

Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 No. 8 in G Minor: Presto

5'

John Williams arr. Calvin Custer

Highlights from Jurassic Park

12'

Frederick Loewe arr. John Whitney

Selections from My Fair Lady

6'

PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 20 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

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FALL 2025 | 21

12 + 13 September 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

Vltava (The Moldau) from Má vlast Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884)

Gil Shaham plays Beethoven

Walks along the Vltava (the Moldau in German) were a comfort and inspiration for Bedřich Smetana. The great river, the longest in the Czech Republic, passes through Prague and would become the subject of his symphonic poem Vltava from the cycle Má vlast (translated as "My Fatherland" or "My Country"). Flutes and clarinets eddy and whirl as the tone poem opens, carrying the listener into the swirl of strings that comprise the famous main theme. Shortly after beginning its composition, Smetana began to lose his hearing. He was completely deaf by October 1874, but continued to compose, completing the cycle in 1879. Vltava is the most popular of the six tone poems that comprise Má vlast and one of the most widely performed symphonic poems of all time.

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Concert Sponsor: United Active Living Guest Artist Supporter: The Naomi + John Lacey Virtuoso Program Karen Kamensek, conductor (biography on page 11) Gil Shaham, violin Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Bedrich Smetana

Vltava (The Moldau) from Má vlast I. Allegro ma non troppo II. Larghetto III. Menuetto. Allegro molto IV. Allegro vivace

12'

Ludwig van Beethoven

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 I. Allegro ma non troppo II. Larghetto III. Rondo: Allegro

42'

INTERMISSION

20'

Richard Strauss

Four Symphonic Interludes from Intermezzo, Op. 72 I. Travel Fever and Waltz Scene II. Dreaming by the Fireplace III. At the Card-Table IV. Happy Ending

Antonín Dvořák

Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 No. 1 in C Major: Presto

4'

Slavonic Dances, Op. 72 No. 5 in B-flat Minor: Poco adagio – Vivace No. 8 in A-flat Major: Grazioso e lento

10'

Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 No. 8 in G Minor: Presto

3'

PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 22 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

23'

In August 1806, Ludwig van Beethoven retreated to Lichnowsky Castle in Grätz, Silesia (now in the Czech Republic) at the invitation of his patron, Prince Lichnowsky.

There, he plunged into a feverish creative spree, working on numerous future masterpieces including the Razumovsky string quartets, Piano Concerto No. 4, and Violin Concerto in D Major. According to a servant, he hid in his room for days on end, refusing to see visitors or, alternately, scuttled around the castle grounds for hours regardless of inclement weather.

A rumour tells of Beethoven refusing to play for a group of French officers visiting the castle. Vienna, where Beethoven was based, had been occupied in 1805 by the forces of Napoleon (of whom Beethoven said, "It's a pity I don't understand the art of war as well as I do the art of music. I would conquer him!"). After a massive tantrum and a subsequent argument with his patron, he fled the castle, walking to the nearest village and taking a cart back to Vienna — damaging a number of manuscripts in the rain. The Violin Concerto was written for violinist Franz Clement, a former child prodigy of whom Beethoven was tremendously fond (when Clement was only 14, Beethoven wrote: "Nature and art vie with each other in making you a great artist"). It is said that Beethoven finished it only two days before the concerto's first performance on 23 December 1806, which forced Clement

Four Symphonic Interludes from Intermezzo, Op. 72 TRV 246 Richard Strauss (1864–1949) Richard Strauss decided to write the libretto for his two-act comic opera Intermezzo after several writers turned down the job. The subject matter was a little too personal: its barely disguised main characters, Robert and Christine Storch, were based on Strauss and his wife Pauline. Pauline de Ahna Strauss, an operatic soprano and the daughter of a general, believed she had married below her station. She considered her husband's music vulgar and unoriginal; their relationship was stormy, though Strauss would draw equal inspiration and ire from his wife. The opera was based on a reallife incident from his precarious domestic life. As the story goes, a letter meant for the conductor Josef Stransky (nicknamed "Straussky") arrived accidentally at the Strauss household. Pauline opened it and was scandalized to find it addressed to "Darling Love," followed by a request for tickets to an upcoming concert; the letter was signed by an unknown woman. Disaster ensued; divorce loomed; Strauss was only able to remedy the situation after much drama and the intervention of a close friend. Intermezzo was first performed on 4 November 1924 — the day that Strauss stepped down as principal conductor at Vienna State Opera. He extracted four of the symphonic interludes — which enjoyed more success than the opera itself — and published them as a suite.

Slavonic Dances Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) See page 58 for program note PROGRAM NOTES © JUN-LONG LEE (2025)

PHOTOS © CHRIS LEE

to sight-read the finale; furthermore, a Viennese legend suggests that Clement himself wrote its famous hunting theme.

Though it was not well-received at the time, Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major has gone on to become one of the most beloved and recognizable violin concertos, remarkable for the stately beauty of its first two movements and the majestic triumph of the third.

GIL SHAHAM VIOLIN Gil Shaham is one of the foremost violinists of our time; his flawless technique combined with his inimitable warmth and generosity of spirit has solidified his renown as an American master. He is sought after throughout the world for concerto appearances with leading orchestras and conductors, and he regularly gives recitals and appears with ensembles on the world's great concert stages and at the most prestigious festivals.

Highlights of recent years include a recording and performances of J.S. Bach's complete sonatas and partitas for solo violin and recitals with his long-time duo partner, pianist Akira Eguchi. He regularly appears with the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco Symphonies, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and in multi-year residencies with the Orchestras of Montréal, Stuttgart, and Singapore. Gil has more than two dozen concertos and solo CDs to his name, earning multiple Grammys, a Grand Prix du Disque, Diapason d'Or, and Gramophone Editor's Choice.

Many of these recordings appear on Canary Classics, the label he founded in 2004. His 2016 recording, 1930s Violin Concertos Vol. 2, as well as his 2021 recording of Beethoven and Brahms Concertos with The Knights were nominated for Grammy Awards. Gil was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1990, and in 2008 he received the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. In 2012, he was named Instrumentalist of the Year by Musical America. He plays the 1699 'Countess Polignac' Stradivarius and performs on an Antonio Stradivari violin, Cremona c1719, with the assistance of Rare Violins in Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.

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FALL 2025 | 23

Stepping Up to the Podium Tapestry Opera's Women in Musical Leadership Program Offers a Foothold for Emerging Women and Non-binary Conductors

By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth Photo HarderLee Photography

Now in her third season as the Calgary Phil's Resident Conductor — a position generously supported by Mary Rozsa de Coquet — Juliane Gallant participated in the inaugural cohort of the Women in Musical Leadership program.

W

hile the world of orchestral music has certainly become increasingly inclusive over the decades with a wider diversity of people in performance and administrative roles, getting up to the conductor's podium can still be a steep climb for women and non-binary musicians.

Women conductors often fall prey to an experience paradox of sorts: organizations wishing to put established female or non-binary conductors in front of their orchestras often can't find suitable candidates because not enough women have been given equal chances to gain the necessary experience.

As with any kind of long-standing professional barrier, it's the kind of vicious cycle that can't be broken until someone intentionally decides to act as a disruptor.

Fortunately, a forward-thinking opera company in Ontario is working to shake up gender equality in Canadian orchestral music by giving underrepresented conductors a leg up. Toronto's Tapestry Opera has created an initiative to help address Canada's deficit of women and non-binary conductors. The Women in Musical Leadership (WML) is a three-year program that helps promising conductors to develop their skills, make contacts, and gain the experience necessary to help land jobs with musical organizations across the country and around the world.

WML alum Naomi Woo led the Calgary Phil during last season's The Lark Ascending concert. She is Music Director of NYO Canada, Artistic Partner with the Orchestre Métropolitain, and Assistant Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Tapestry's General and Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori and Executive Director Jaime Martino had long been discussing their desire to work with more women conductors and realized it was up to them to take action.

"After so many years of conversation, Michael and Jamie decided to fix this problem to make sure there are conductors who are women or nonbinary people who have the experience companies need to be able to trust them, hire them, and give them the experience they need," says Camille Rogers, WML's project manager.

WML works to give its conductors both training and experience with two participants invited each year to begin the three-year program.

Tapestry has partnered with over 20 different organizations throughout Canada, which offer the conductors professional placements — with travel and accommodation costs covered — beginning with assistant conducting work, with the opportunity to take on more responsibilities as they progress. WML's administration matches participants with orchestras and opera companies both big and small, performing a range of repertoires to help them explore which work best suits their talents. They are also matched with opportunities that align with their individualized interests and backgrounds while also receiving support in the form of career coaching and leadership workshops.

The idea is to give each conductor all the real-world training, mentorship, and experience that a budding male conductor may organically receive during the early part of his career. Of course, the timeline is condensed, and the travel may be more frequent, but the participants prove themselves by putting in three years of intense work.

Jennifer Tung, who performed with the Calgary Phil in the 2022/2023 Season through the WML program, is the Artistic Director of Toronto City Opera and Assistant Conductor of the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra.

While the program certainly benefits its participants in a tangible way, there's a larger goal of benefitting musical organizations across Canada by widening the field of prospective musical leaders. Rogers notes that while there's not something consistently different about the way women and non-binary conductors approach their work, expanding the diversity of musical leadership in Canada should naturally lead to innovative approaches and more engagement with audiences.

"Our job is not to make them all into the same conductor, but to help them bring their unique conducting approach and leadership style to the highest level," Rogers says. "They have such different approaches, not just in the physical gestures of how they conduct, but also how they're interpreting the music and how they're engaging with the orchestra."

Audiences at the Calgary Philharmonic have already seen the results of the WML program through Gallant's work.

Originally from New Brunswick, Gallant first found herself working in Calgary when WML secured her a conducting placement for a Calgary Phil Symphony Sundays for Kids concert during the 2022/2023 season. She was hired on as Resident Conductor the next year and has been embraced by Calgary audiences ever since.

Additionally, participants from each subsequent WML cohort have performed with the Calgary Phil, and this season sees Monica Chen, part of the third cohort, return to lead the Orchestra through a performance of The Gruffalo as part of the Symphony Sundays for Kids series.

Also in September, Eve Legault, the latest conductor to join the program, is set to conduct The Music of Sting + The Police.

"The conductor basically has a full-time job, similar to what a resident conductor would have if they were employed at one orchestra, except the work they're doing is spread across Canada," Rogers says.

"They're doing a lot of assisting, some observing, and taking on some conducting as well, depending on what is available at our different partner organizations."

Rogers says Tapestry considered the first five years of the program as a pilot of sorts but the success of conductors like Gallant have provided ample evidence their efforts are working as intended.

Going forward the program will reduce the number of new recruits to one per year so there will be three conductors working within WML any given time, but otherwise, Rogers expects the initiative will go on indefinitely.

Since launching in 2020, WML has brought six conductors into the program including Calgary Philharmonic Resident Conductor Juliane Gallant, who took part in WML's inaugural cohort.

"We hope the whole industry is becoming more welcoming to everyone, not just to women," they say. "The ideal would be you wouldn't even think twice when you see a woman on the podium."

FALL 2025 | 25

19 + 20 September 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

The Music of Sting + The Police

EVE LEGAULT CONDUCTOR

Concert Supporters: Dominique + Réal Doucet Eve Legault, conductor Ian Jutsun, vocals David Blamires, vocals Jeans 'n Classics, band Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Rock out with your Calgary Phil as the Orchestra performs with Jeans 'n Classics in a fabulous show combining the best of Sting and The Police!

Performing songs from the list below: An Englishman In New York / Be Still My Beating Heart / Canary In A Coal Mine / De Do, Do Do, De Da Da Da / Desert Rose / Don't Stand So Close To Me / Every Breath You Take / Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic / Fields Of Gold / Fortress Around Your Heart / If You Love Somebody Set Them Free / King Of Pain / Message In A Bottle / Spirits In The Material World / Synchronicity II / Tea In The Sahara / Walkin' On The Moon / Wrapped Around Your Finger CONCERT INCLUDES A 20-MINUTE INTERMISSION PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 26 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Originally from Gatineau, Québec, conductor Eve Legault is known for her expressive and dynamic presence on the podium. Through Tapestry Opera's Women in Musical Leadership (WML) program, she worked twice as an Assistant Conductor at the Manitoba Opera. She was a guest conductor and the first Assistant Conductor with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Previously, Eve became the first woman to conduct her hometown orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Gatineau.

She was a guest conductor and subsequently the Principal Conductor of the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra from 2023–2025. Between 2020 and 2022, she received 16 individual contracts at the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa as a guest Assistant Conductor to Alexander Shelley, John Storgårds, Dalia Stasevska, and Xian Zhang.

Eve holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where she was bestowed the Helen Cohn Award.

Eve was awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship. She also received four grants from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to participate in conducting masterclasses in Europe (Kenneth Kiesler and the Berlin Sinfonietta, Tomáš Netopil and the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra). During a masterclass in Finland with Sasha Mäkilä and the Helsinki Metropolitan Orchestra, she was selected by the musicians as the 'Orchestra's Favorite Conductor.'

EVE LEGAULT APPEARS WITH THE CALGARY PHIL AS A MEMBER OF TAPESTRY OPERA'S WOMEN IN MUSICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

IAN JUTSUN VOCALS

DAVID BLAMIRES VOCALS

JEANS 'N CLASSICS BAND

Ian Jutsun is one of Canada's most respected voices. He is a singer/ songwriter, but he is also an actor and comedian. Ian began his singing career at the age of 13 in Montréal, where he fronted several bands.

In 1992, he moved to Toronto and began songwriting, recording, and playing with many respected and talented musicians from Canada and the U.S. He is an accomplished and consummate artist with an extensive music career, live and in studio, and as an actor in theatre, film, and television. After years of touring as a comic with four live original comedy CD releases under his belt, it's no wonder his bandmates know him as much as a funny man as a singer. His awards include: Winner–CHIN Radio singing contest, Winner–Canadian FACTOR Songwriting, and Nominee– Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards (Best Male Vocalist). Ian was a featured singer and principal actor in the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Bombay Dreams, working directly with Grammy and Oscar-winner A.R. Rahman, who composed a feature song for Ian called The Lament. Currently, Ian continues to add to his 14-plus years as a private vocal instructor and coach. In 2016, he released a new project called TNP-The Night Porters with his original jazz/pop ensemble (available on iTunes and Google play) and is currently writing and recording a follow-up CD. He is a member of The Platters starring Norris Vines, and tours across North America as the lead singer in acclaimed group Brass Transit, performing the musical legacy of the band Chicago. He is very pleased to find time in his tour schedule for Jeans 'n Classics.

David Blamires was born in Yorkshire, England but grew up in London, Ontario. David got his start in music as a very busy session vocalist in Toronto, singing on thousands of jingles, album recordings, and soundtracks. As a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1986–1997, he appeared on three Grammy Award-winning albums and performed for multitudes of fans all over the world. During this time, he also recorded and released his own self-titled contemporary jazz album, The David Blamires Group, in the U.S. and Canada. In 1997, David and his family moved from Toronto to Chicago, where he began working as a staff composer for a very successful music and audio production company. David writes and records music for TV and radio commercials for clients such as American Airlines, Coors, Proctor & Gamble, McDonald's, Kraft, and many more. David performs regularly around the Chicago area, both as a solo artist and as a guest vocalist with Tributosaurus, a phenomenally successful tribute/cover band. David is the father of an AAA hockeyplaying daughter and is consequently never home and always broke.

Peter Brennan's Jeans 'n Classics has been a transformative force in orchestral music for over 30 years. By blending world-class rock musicians with symphonies, the ensemble has revolutionized the orchestral experience, helping orchestras reach a wider and more diverse audience. Jeans 'n Classics' innovative approach has engaged listeners across generations, breathing new life into symphonic performances. At its core, Jeans 'n Classics is a collective of accomplished musicians who are deeply connected to both the rock and orchestral worlds. Their goal is to nurture and expand symphonic audiences, bringing in new fans while maintaining rich traditions. The band's dynamic arrangements bring a fresh perspective to classic rock and pop albums, offering reinterpretations that remain familiar yet distinctive, setting each performance apart.

With 1,000 original orchestrations, Jeans 'n Classics has curated an impressive portfolio of 45 captivating productions, collaborating with over 100 orchestras across North America.

Their orchestrations have received global acclaim for their lush, rockinfused arrangements that emphasize the orchestra's rich tones while celebrating the energy of iconic rock songs. Jeans 'n Classics musicians are known for their exceptional professionalism and artistic finesse.

Whether in rehearsal or on stage, their skillful performances consistently deliver unforgettable live experiences.

As the group continues to shape the landscape of symphonic rock, its legacy of innovation and passion remains integral to the success and evolution of orchestral performances today.

FALL 2025 | 27

21 September Instrument Discovery Zoo: 2PM Concert: 3PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

Do you have a young music fan on your hands?

The Gruffalo

Symphony Sundays for Kids concerts are about one hour with no intermission and feature orchestral favourites every child should know. © JULIA DONALDSON & AXEL SCHEFFLER, 1999 MACMILLAN CHILDREN'S BOOKS

Monica Chen, conductor Katelyn Morishita, narrator Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Take a trip into the deep, dark wood with the Orchestra! Based on the beloved books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child tell the tales of a clever little mouse and his encounters with a fearsome monster.

Guaranteed to be a fun-filled afternoon of music and laughter for all ages!

Felix Mendelssohn

Excerpt from A Midsummer Night's Dream: Overture, Op. 21

4'

Maurice Ravel

Mother Goose Suite 4. Conversations of Beauty and the Beast

4'

Edvard Grieg

Suite No. 1 from Peer Gynt, Op. 46 In the Hall of the Mountain King

3'

Philip Mackenzie

The Gruffalo

12'

The Gruffalo's Child

10'

THIS CONCERT HAS NO INTERMISSION PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 28 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Arrive early for the Instrument Discovery Zoo in the Jack Singer lobby, where kids can visit different stations hosted by Orchestra musicians. Each station features an instrument or musical activity for children to try!

This fun, hands-on experience is the perfect way to indulge your child's curiosity and excitement about visiting the Orchestra.

The Instrument Discovery Zoo starts at 2PM and the performance starts at 3PM.

Proud Supporter of Music in our Community MONICA CHEN CONDUCTOR

KATELYN MORISHITA NARRATOR

An emerging Canadian conductor, Monica Chen is the RBC Assistant Conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra as well as Music Director of the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra and Sistema Winnipeg program. She is also a regular guest conductor working with orchestras and opera companies across the country.

Recent and upcoming conducting engagements include working with Calgary Philharmonic, Victoria Symphony, Kamloops Symphony, Manitoba Underground Opera, Saskatoon Symphony, and Regina Symphony. Recent opera productions include conducting Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel.

This last season, she made her ballet debut with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, conducting 13 shows of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker on tour in Victoria and Winnipeg. She was selected to be a conducting fellow in the inaugural year of Orchestre Métropolitain's Conducting Academy and has worked with Yannick NézetSéguin for three seasons. She is currently a conducting fellow with Tapestry Opera's Year 3 Cohort.

She has had the honour to work with acclaimed conductors such as Neil Varon, Thomas Rösner, and the late Bramwell Tovey. Monica completed two master's degrees, one in Orchestral Conducting from UBC studying with Dr. Jonathan Girard and the other in violin performance from Indiana University studying with Mimi Zweig.

Katelyn is honoured to be sharing stories with you alongside the Calgary Philharmonic. Katelyn is an actor, singer, and director who has been lucky to work across Canada.

She also serves as the Southern Alberta Equity Councillor and gets to create with Handsome Alice Theatre as the Artistic Associate. Select acting credits include: A Streetcar Named Desire, Steel Magnolias, Billy Elliot, Forgiveness (Theatre Calgary), Beautiful Man (Downstage, Verb, Handsome Alice Theatre), Naughty but Nice (Forte Theatre), Mizushobai: the water trade (Tableau D'Hote), The Sound of Music (Rosebud Theatre).

Select directing credits include: Anastasia the Musical, Hadestown the Musical T.E (Yukon Arts Centre/YTYP), The DaVinci Code (Assistant Director, Vertigo Theatre), Gimme 10 Minutes (GTM), 9 to 5: The Musical (Assistant Director, Citadel Theatre), Scattered the Musical (SideNote Theatre), The Shift (Assistant Director, OneAct), Junior Claus the Musical (Assistant Director, StoryBook Theatre). Big thank yous to her favourites who bring joy into her life and give never ending support (special thanks to Miss Kiyoko).

Now with 4 locations in Calgary

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MONICA CHEN APPEARS WITH THE CALGARY PHIL AS A MEMBER OF TAPESTRY OPERA'S WOMEN IN MUSICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FALL 2025 | 29

Lang Lang: 21 CENTURY CLASSICAL SUPERSTAR ST

By Zoltan Varadi Photos Olaf Heine

H

e has forged musical bonds with renowned conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Christoph Eschenbach, and Gustavo Dudamel and performed with leading orchestras around the globe. He's also traded licks with Metallica at the Grammys, cameoed on Mozart in the Jungle, and served as a judge on the British TV competition, The Piano.

He's comfortable performing for popes, presidents, and leaders from around the world. He's equally at ease introducing children to the magic of piano.

In late 2024, he dazzled with Camille SaintSaëns' Second Piano Concerto at the grand reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Earlier that same year, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His name, of course, is Lang Lang, and perhaps more than any other performer he embodies what it means to be a 21st century classical superstar — one foot firmly planted in the canon, the other in the realm of popular culture.

Even on the concert stage, Lang Lang defies conventions — he's vocal about loathing tuxedos and tails, opting instead for custom-created stage wear.

Then there are his performances, famous for their physicality, drama, and emotion. Experiencing Lang Lang in concert is fun, not fussy, which explains his wide appeal (in China, he has routinely performed in stadiums and been given the kind of reception usually reserved for pop stars.)

None of which is to say that any of this suggests flash over feeling. Quite the contrary: Lang Lang inhabits every note he plays.

"For me, transformation is quite an important part of performance. I'm always trying to move my heart somewhere and take the audience with me," said Lang Lang in an interview with PBS Newshour earlier this year. "When we play piano, every note needs to have real life, real emotions... what is behind the note? What's the meaning behind the bars? Rather than just play everything right. What is the whole story and background behind this piece. What is the precise technique behind all those virtuosic passages?"

Born in 1982 in Shenyang, an industrial centre in northeastern China, Lang Lang was immersed in the world of music

and musicians from the start. His father played the erhu — a bowed instrument sometimes referred to as the 'Chinese violin' — in a traditional Chinese orchestra.

Lang Lang spent his earliest years living with his family in close quarters with the other musicians in his father's ensemble.

"It was definitely not Vienna, but in the compound where I lived, everyone was practicing Mozart or playing The Shepherd's Flute," Lang Lang said in an interview with the ThinkChina website (thinkchina.sg) this past January.

"Before the age of five, I didn't realize some people in the world didn't play the piano."

The piano certainly became the centre of his world, though. He began lessons at age three, ultimately taking on an exhaustive practice schedule that consumed much of his day-to-day life.

While there was some respite from his studies in the form of normal childhood diversions, even these experiences had a tendency of circling back to the piano.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE FALL 2025 | 31

In a 2014 interview with CNBC, Lang Lang recalled how the background music in his favourite television cartoons — The Monkey King, Transformers, and Tom and Jerry — served as a source of inspiration and gateway to the classical canon.

"In Tom and Jerry, there's an episode... where they are playing Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2," he told CNBC. "Unfortunately, I didn't know who Liszt was at that time... but that certainly influenced me a lot."

Lang Lang's journey from being a pintsized cartoon aficionado to inhabiting the uppermost echelons of classical musicians wasn't always the smoothest ride. Chock full of drama, his timeline suggests he came by his sense of theatricality the hard way.

Lang Lang's father eventually moved him to Beijing to further his musical education, where he was initially paired with a piano teacher to whom he referred as "Professor Angry" — presumably behind her back.

At the age of nine, this teacher told Lang Lang that he had no future in piano and cut him loose from his lessons "Professor Angry didn't like me and she always gave me a hard time," he told The Guardian in 2011. "One afternoon she said that I had no talent, that I shouldn't play the piano and I should go home.

She basically fired me before I could even get into the conservatory!"

He nearly gave up, but several months later, after he was coaxed into playing Mozart by his schoolmates, Lang Lang felt the fire rekindled and resumed studies under another teacher. Before he even reached his teens, he was on the receiving end of prestigious awards in China and Germany, and at age 13 he won First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Japan.

He then headed to the U.S. to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

At 17, he got his break, substituting for the late André Watts as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. As a result of that performance, Lang Lang was dubbed an "overnight sensation," and a global phenomenon was born.

Highlights and accolades since then are too numerous to mention in full, but Lang Lang has received multiple honourary doctorates, the highest prize awarded by awarded by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, and 32 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

the highest civilian honours awarded by Germany (Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) and France (Medal of the Order of Arts and Letters).

A longtime advocate of music education, he established the Lang Lang International Music Foundation in 2013 for the purpose of "inspiring and cultivating the next generation of music lovers and performers."

In a 2021 interview with Classic FM about why music education needs to be prioritized just as much as the traditional core subjects taught in schools, Lang Lang revealed as much about his own personal investment in music as he did about his sense of its vitality and significance in education.

"I think music gives us a great connection to our better feelings," he said. "In a way, it opens our third eye. In music, everyone is someone bigger and larger in life."

ON CALGARY'S LOVE FOR PIANO

Through music, I want children to see a different dimension of life.

I want to show them how music can help them achieve their dreams.

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT

Featured programs:

We strive to change the way music education is perceived in the public school system.

Keys of Inspiration® is a music intervention program, focusing on selected schools nationwide with limited resources.

Discover more at:

langlangfoundation.org/programs

180’000 keys of inspiration®

The Young Scholars™ program is a music education initiative that identifies and supports talented young pianists. Every two years, Lang Lang personally selects a new class from global applicants, offering mentorship, tutelage, and unique performance opportunities.

students impacted worldwide

FALL 2025 | 33

27 September 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

Vortex Cantabilis Maria-Eduarda Mendes Martins (b. 1990)

An Evening with Lang Lang

Vortex Cantabilis is a contemporary rendition of a song composed by Alfonso X around 1250 A.D. The song (named Des hoge mais quér' éu trobar) is part of a collection of 420 poems called Canticles of St. Mary. This orchestral piece consists of a vortex, in which the same melody (Alfonso X's chant) circulates the entire spectrum of the orchestra in slightly different layers. By the end of the piece, all the layers are added and played at the same time, resulting in unexpected chords and harmonies.

Presenting Sponsor: Nicola Wealth

Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 (Emperor) Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Ramón Tebar, conductor Lang Lang, piano Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Maria-Eduarda Mendes Martins

Vortex Cantabilis

Ludwig van Beethoven

8'

Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 (Emperor) I. Allegro II. Adagio un poco mosso III. Rondo: Allegro INTERMISSION

20'

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

44'

Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36 TH 27 I. Andante sostenuto II. Andantino in modo di canzona III. Scherzo: Pizzicato ostinato IV. Finale: Allegro con fuoco

LANG LANG IS MANAGED BY COLUMBIA ARTISTS MUSIC LLC. GENERAL MANAGER: JEAN-JACQUES CESBRON LANG LANG IS AN EXCLUSIVE RECORDING ARTIST OF UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP AND DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON camimusic.com langlangofficial.com langlangfoundation.org PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 34 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

38'

Ludwig van Beethoven composed Piano Concerto No. 5 from 1808 to 1809, against the backdrop of Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to the zenith of his power. Beethoven had admired the so-called "Little Corporal" for his early devotion to the humanitarian ideals of the French Revolution. Once Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France in 1804, Beethoven's attitude changed instantly to scorn. In May 1809, French troops besieged and captured Vienna. While Beethoven was composing this concerto, their regular artillery bombardments were chipping away at the last shreds of his hearing. He fled to his brother's house and covered his ears with pillows to reduce the noise. Rather than reflecting his distress, this regal, expansive concerto is proud and defiant.

Perhaps he intended it as a hopeful forecast of Bonaparte's ultimate defeat, or a manifesto praising the virtues of the common man over those of a dictator.

Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36 TH 27 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky finished his Symphony No. 4 following several of the toughest weeks of his life. Compelled to mask his homosexuality by social pressures prevalent in 19th century Russia, he had forced himself to marry Antonina Miliukova, a former student.

"From today I seriously intend to enter into lawful matrimony with anyone at all," he told his brother Modest in 1876.

By 1877 he was married, distraught, and crippled by writer's block, trapped in a loveless relationship.

PROGRAM NOTES © MARIA-EDUARDA MENDES MARTINS, DON ANDERSON (2020), JUN-LONG LEE (2025)

PHOTOS © OLAF HEINE

The couple lived together for several weeks before Tchaikovsky fled abroad, leaving the marriage unconsummated and undissolved — he would remain separated but still legally married to Miliukova until the day of his death. If his flight from his sham marriage signaled a renewal of energies that allowed Tchaikovsky to finish the Symphony No. 4 (and a number of other key works like the opera Eugene Onegin), his encounter with another woman might have been its initial spark. Shortly before he began its composition, he had struck up a correspondence with Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck that would span 14 years, though the two never met in person. This newfound patroness — von Meck was a wealthy widow and was passionately obsessed with his music — not only sent him 500 rubles each month but offered Tchaikovsky friendship and much-needed acceptance. Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 is dedicated to his patroness; the composer viewed her as an equal partner in its fate, referring to the work as "our symphony" or "your symphony" in his progress reports. And 'Fate' would remain a nickname for the symphony in certain circles, inspired no doubt by the program guide that Tchaikovsky wrote at her behest, where he described the opening fanfare as "Fate, the decisive force which prevents our hopes of happiness from being realized..."

Like Bartók, Tchaikovsky adored traditional folk music. He incorporates the folk song In the Field There Stands a Birch Tree into the fourth movement, plaiting it into the lively textures and the returning 'fate' motif that carries the symphony to its close in a stunning clash of cymbals.

RAMÓN TEBAR CONDUCTOR

LANG LANG PIANO

Spanish conductor Ramón Tebar is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of Opera Naples and Artistic Director of Spain's Arantzazu Festival. He was previously Music Director of the Orquesta de Valencia, Artistic Director of the Florida Grand Opera, and Principal Guest Conductor of Valencia's Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia. In recent seasons, Ramón has conducted concerts with the Cincinnati Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Aarhus Symphony, Norrlandsoperans Syfoniorkester, Würth Philharmoniker, Szczecin Philharmonic, and Basque National Orchestra, among others. Some of Ramón's previous guest appearances in the opera pit include engagements at the Vienna State Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Hamburg State Opera, the Cincinnati Opera, the Royal Swedish Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Gothenburg Opera, among many others. He has conducted the Spanish National Orchestra several times and further guested with many of Spain's other orchestras including the Barcelona Symphony, Madrid's RTVE Orchestra, and Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana to name just a few. Beyond Spain, Ramón has guest conducted such orchestras as the Philharmonia in London, Prague Philharmonia, Malaysian Philharmonic, Armenian Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Symphony, and San Antonio Symphony, among many others.

Ramón's work can also be heard on recordings with Joseph Calleja and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana on the DECCA label, and with Gregory Kunde and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Navarra on Universal.

Lang Lang is a leading figure in classical music today — as a pianist, educator, and philanthropist, he has become one of the world's most influential and committed ambassadors for the arts in the 21st century. Heralded by the New York Times as "the hottest artist on the classical music planet", Lang Lang plays sold-out concerts all over the world. He has formed ongoing collaborations with conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Barenboim, and Christoph Eschenbach and performs with all the world's top orchestras.

Lang Lang is known for thinking outside the box and frequently steps into different musical worlds. His performances at the Grammy Awards with Metallica, Pharrell Williams, and jazz legend Herbie Hancock were watched by millions of viewers.

Lang Lang's boundless drive to attract new audiences to classical music has brought him tremendous recognition: he was presented with the 2010 Crystal Award in Davos and was picked as one of the 250 Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum. He is also the recipient of honourary doctorates from the Royal College of Music, the Manhattan School of Music and New York University. In December 2011, he was honoured with the highest prize awarded by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China and received the highest civilian honours in Germany (Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) and France (Medal of the Order of Arts and Letters).

FALL 2025 | 35

Where Passion Meets Performance

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3 + 4 October Friday: 7:30PM Saturday: 2:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K.550 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony

Concert Supporters: Valerie + Allen Swanson Julian Kuerti, conductor Nikolette LaBonte, horn Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550 I. Molto allegro II. Andante III. Menuetto: Allegretto IV. Allegro assai

35'

Kurt Atterberg

Horn Concerto I. Allegro pathetico II. Adagio III. Allegro molto

23'

Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 I. Allegro con brio II. Andante con moto III. Allegro IV. Allegro

31'

THIS CONCERT HAS NO INTERMISSION PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 38 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Sturm und Drang (German for "Storm and Stress") was a pre-Romantic movement prevalent in Germany and Austria in the late 18th century. Characterizing nature, emotional ferment, and the individual pitted against the world, it expressed itself in the writings of authors like Johann Wolfgang Goethe and the compositions of Franz Joseph Haydn and Johann Christian Bach. It is perhaps from these latter two that this mode of expression trickled down to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who channels it in his Symphony No. 40. He finished it in the summer of 1788, the same summer that yielded Symphonies No. 39 and 41. It is one of only two symphonies that he wrote in a minor key; G minor is said to be the key that Mozart used to express tragedy and sorrow — not unlike C minor for Ludwig van Beethoven, who, incidentally, copied out 29 bars from Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in the sketchbook for his famous Fifth.

By 1788, Mozart's income had dwindled to the lowest in that decade; reduced audience interest, fewer commissions, and the onset of the Austro-Turkish war contributed to him earning less than half of what he had in better years. Around this time, he began to borrow widely and pawn his belongings. That same year his daughter Theresia died in infancy (four of Mozart's six children suffered this fate). Perhaps these circumstances are reflected in Symphony No. 40, though its somber tonalities are intertwined with lyrical passages and moments of exaltation. The second movement shifts to a major key, a respite from the surrounding darkness — before plunging the listener into the tensions of the third movement and finale.

Horn Concerto Kurt Atterberg (1887–1974) Kurt Atterberg was a Swedish composer, conductor, and engineer. Among his many activities, he also held the position of Principal Clerk at the National Patent Office until well past the age of mandatory retirement — while managing to compose around 60 works, including nine symphonies. Atterberg began to learn the cello at 15 after hearing Beethoven's String Quartet No. 8. He would go on to play in the Stockholm Concert Society and publish his first work, Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 was written between 1804 to 1808. This was an immensely prolific period for the German composer which saw the birth of several of his most famous works.

Despite these creative triumphs, his poor health and tumultuous personal life were a cause of great suffering. Beethoven had begun losing his hearing in his 20s; he was almost completely deaf by his 40s. Modern analysis of his hair shows shocking amounts of lead, arsenic, and mercury — levels higher than experts have ever seen in hair samples; it is hypothesized that these were the cause of the panoply of ailments that tortured him. In his romantic life, Beethoven was suffering from an unrequited passion for Countess Josephine Deym, whom he met in 1799. She had been recently widowed and was the mother of four. She could not marry a commoner without losing guardianship of her children, so was obliged (or inclined) to reject him.

By 1808, Josephine had instructed her servants to bar Beethoven from entering her home; he would need to put thoughts of her aside, at least for the time being.

It was around this time that Beethoven enjoyed some respite from his headaches; he threw himself headlong into finishing his Fifth Symphony — and shortly after, his Sixth. The famous four-note motif — that of "Fate knocking at the door" — is recognizable to even the casual music listener, and the rhythm reappears in all four movements as a unifying theme.

PROGRAM NOTES © JUN-LONG LEE (2025)

© DARIO ACOSTA

in 1908; he then studied composition at the Stockholm Conservatory while simultaneously earning his degree in engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology. The Horn Concerto was composed in 1926. It is a kaleidoscopic work that fuses together elements from Romanticism, Nordic colours, and 20th century compositional trends while illustrating the regal power of the horn.

The solo parts were written for virtuoso Axel Malm, who performed it widely after its premiere.

JULIAN KUERTI CONDUCTOR

NIKOLETTE LABONTE HORN

Canadian conductor Julian Kuerti has led major symphony orchestras and appeared in renowned opera houses and concert halls on five continents, and he enjoys close working relationships with many of the leading soloists and singers of today. He is Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a position he has held since 2018. He has enjoyed a strong relationship with the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru, where he was appointed Principal Guest Conductor in 2019. In addition to his appearances in Singapore, Julian's Asian and Australasian performances include tours with the Sydney Symphony, the Malaysian Philharmonic, and a five-concert tour with the New Zealand Symphony. He was described as the "Epitome of cool graciousness" by the New Zealand Herald for his interpretation of Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. In Europe, Julian's guest engagements have brought him to the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, and Stavanger Symphony of Norway. In North America, Julian has appeared with all the major Canadian orchestras, and in the United States with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the symphonies of Houston, Dallas, Cincinnati, Seattle, New Jersey, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Utah and the St. Paul and Los Angeles chamber orchestras. He has enjoyed collaborations with soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Leif Ove Andsnes, Leon Fleisher, Itzhak Perlman, Stephen Hough, Lynn Harrell, and Peter Serkin.

Previous posts include Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montreal and Principal Director of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Concepción in Chile.

Nikolette LaBonte is the Principal Horn of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and is an accomplished orchestral player having had the opportunity to perform with orchestras across North America including guest principal engagements with the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Tucson Symphony, and an extended engagement with the Baltimore Symphony as Visiting Guest Principal Horn. Nikolette is an award-winning soloist and was a participant in the prestigious ARD International Competition in 2021, the only American horn player invited. Also active as an educator, Nikolette was the Instructor of Natural Horn at the Eastman School of Music, serves on the faculties of the Eastman Horn Institute, PRISMA, and Carnegie Hall's NYO-USA, and has been a guest lecturer at institutions including Oberlin Conservatory, SUNY Potsdam, and the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from South Florida, Nikolette received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of W. Peter Kurau. Outside the concert hall, Nikolette serves as the Assistant Artistic Director of the Kendall Betts Horn Camp, is on The Horn Call Editorial Board, and has presented performances and lectures at the International Horn Symposium and the International Women's Brass Conference. Away from the horn, she enjoys hiking, bicycling, and scuba diving, although she must reserve the latter for her visits to more tropical destinations.

FALL 2025 | 39

10 + 11 October Friday: 7:30PM Saturday: 2:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

The Princess Bride in Concert

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Give the gift of music.

Resident Conductor Endowed Chair Supporter: Mary Rozsa de Coquet Juliane Gallant, conductor (biography on page 11) Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, true love, miracles... experience one of the most beloved films of all time as never before with the power of the Calgary Phil performing the entire musical score live-to-picture!

Mark Knopfler

The Princess Bride

© THE PRINCESS BRIDE LIMITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CONCERT INCLUDES A 20-MINUTE INTERMISSION PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 40 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

118'

calgaryphil.com/shop

N EW E X H I BITI O N O N N OW Timeless: 100 years of Oscar Peterson honours the late jazz great on what would have been his 100th birthday and celebrates his extraordinary life, music, and legacy.

S UPP O RT E D BY T H E RAD O M S K I FO U NDATIO N.

S T U D I O B E L L , H O M E O F T H E N AT I O N A L M U S I C C E N T R E

8 5 0 4 S T R E E T S E C A LG A RY

S T U D I O B E L L .C A

FALL 2025 | 41

17 + 18 October 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

Une barque sur l'océan Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)

Symphonic Seas

In 1905, after multiple failed attempts at winning the prestigious Prix de Rome, Maurice Ravel received a life-changing invitation. The 30-year-old composer, caught up in the public scandal that followed his fifth attempt — known as the "affaire Ravel" — retreated on a sevenweek yacht cruise hosted by his friends Alfred and Misia Edwards. This would be Ravel's first trip abroad and would open up the most productive decade of his career. It was during this time that he completed Miroirs, a suite for solo piano in five movements, each dedicated to one of the 'Apaches,' a group of young artistic innovators of which Ravel was a core member; Une barque sur l'océan is the third movement and is dedicated to the painter Paul Sordes. Shimmering arpeggios call to mind the ripple of waves and the sound of water lapping against a boat; one imagines the composer lying in his bunk and weaving together these transparent melodies as the yacht rocked on the currents, perhaps dreaming of a special someone (Ravel would interestingly adapt the monogram emblazoned on the flag of the yacht, ME—Misia Edwards—to MR, which he would use to mark his letterheads and scores for the rest of his life). Miroirs was first performed in 1906 by Ricardo Viñes (another of the 'Apaches'); Une barque sur l'océan was orchestrated by the composer himself shortly after.

Chorus Supporter: The Borak Forte Program Yue Bao, conductor Karina Gauvin, soprano Russell Braun, baritone Calgary Philharmonic Chorus Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op. 33a Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)

Maurice Ravel

Une barque sur l'océan

7'

Benjamin Britten

Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op. 33a I. Dawn: Lento e tranquillo II. Sunday Morning: Allegro spiritoso III. Moonlight: Andante comodo e rubato IV. Storm: Presto con fuoco

16'

INTERMISSION

20'

Ralph Vaughan Williams

63'

Symphony No. 1 (A Sea Symphony) I. A Song for All Seas, All Ships II. On the Beach at Night Alone III. Scherzo: The Waves IV. The Explorers

PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 42 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

In the early days of World War II, Benjamin Britten and his partner Peter Pears fled from England to the U.S. (stopping first in Canada) and settled in New York. Both pacifists, they knew that refusal to enlist could result in professional repercussions or even imprisonment. The pair would end up living in the famous house at 7 Middagh Street, where they would share a roof with the likes of W. H. Auden and Carson McCullers. It was here that Britten discovered The Borough, a long narrative poem by George Crabbe, which details the joys and hardships of several inhabitants of a seaside village in England; one inhabitant would captivate Britten's attention and inspire the composition of the famous opera of the same name, Peter Grimes.

For a $1000 commission Britten started composing an operatic masterpiece that

follows the tragic plight of a fisherman whose apprentices die one after another, turning the village's inhabitants against him. Britten wrote six interludes to accompany the scene changes, taking the listener through place and time: from night to day; from courtroom, to pub, to desolate shore. He later published Op. 33a as an independent suite comprised of four of these interludes: "Dawn," "Sunday Morning," "Moonlight," and "Storm." Britten conducted the premiere of the suite in 1945 in Cheltenham, England.

Symphony No. 1 (A Sea Symphony) Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) In December of 1907, a 35-year-old Ralph Vaughan Williams checked into the oddly named Hôtel de l'Univers et du Portugal in Paris. After studying with Max Bruch in Berlin and being refused as a student

by Edward Elgar, he was ready to add a little texture into a style he felt needed some 'French polish.' The rooms were not entirely comfortable, the hotel was small, but they allowed him to visit his new teacher Maurice Ravel four or five times a week for lessons. Ravel was known to be an exacting teacher — he accepted few students — but the experience was transformative for the young Englishman: the French maître taught him to, in Vaughan Williams' own words, "orchestrate in points of colour rather than in lines" (not to mention how to dine — and visit a brothel — à la française). Three months later, back in England, Vaughan Williams would continue to chip away at A Sea Symphony, which he had started in 1903, finishing it in 1909. This first symphony (he would go on to compose nine) was inspired by the poems of Walt Whitman, whose work the composer discovered on recommendation by a friend, the philosopher Bertrand Russell.

The symphony's text comprises stunning verses from several poems of Whitman's Leaves of Grass, abridged and woven into a rich tapestry for soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra. Some see Ravel's influence in the finale ("The Explorers") — though the Frenchman would later deny his influence on his pupil, who since his apprenticeship had transformed into a friend: Ravel visited him in 1909, where the French gourmand was treated to steak and kidney pudding (he liked it). Vaughan Williams conducted A Sea Symphony for its debut performance on his 38th birthday on 12 October 1910.

PROGRAM NOTES © JUN-LONG LEE (2025)

YUE BAO CONDUCTOR

KARINA GAUVIN SOPRANO

In recent seasons, Yue Bao has led some of the most esteemed orchestras in North America, including the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She has also conducted the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Internationally, she made her debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra alongside cellist Jan Vogler and has worked with the Orchestra of St. Luke's featuring pianist Hélène Grimaud. This season, Yue returns to conduct the Munich Symphony Orchestra and makes her debut with the Nuremberg Symphoniker, the Santa Rosa Symphony, and the Oviedo Filarmonía. She has collaborated with leading soloists such as Pablo Ferrández, Vadim Gluzman, Bomsori, Ying Li, Hera Hyesang Park, Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, Chad Hoopes, and Stella Chen. A former Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Yue was also the David Effron Conducting Fellow at the Chautauqua Music Festival, where she returned as a guest conductor in 2022.

She earned her Post-Baccalaureate Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music as the Rita E. Hauser Conducting Fellow under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and holds dual Bachelor's degrees in orchestral conducting and opera accompanying from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, as well as a Master's in orchestral conducting from the Mannes School of Music.

She previously served as the Ting Tsung and Wei Fung Chao Foundation Assistant Conductor at the Houston Symphony. This concert marks her return to the Calgary Philharmonic.

Recognized for her work in the baroque repertoire, Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin sings Gustav Mahler, Benjamin Britten, and the music of the late 20th and 21st centuries with equal success.

She has received prestigious distinctions, including the title of Soloist of the Year awarded by the Communauté internationale des radios publiques de langue française, First Prize in the CBC Radio competition for young performers, and the Virginia Parker Prize and Maggie Teyte Memorial Prize in London. Karina has sung with the world's greatest symphony orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and San Francisco Symphony. She has performed under the direction of Charles Dutoit, Bernard Labadie, Kent Nagano, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Sir Roger Norrington, Masaaki Suzuki, and Michael Tilson Thomas. Karina has an extensive discography — over 30 titles — and has won numerous awards, including a Chamber Music America Award and several Opus Prizes.

FALL 2025 | 43

© JOHANNES IFKOVITS

Pattison Outdoor is a proud sponsor of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

RUSSELL BRAUN BARITONE Renowned for his exquisite and precise tone and the expressiveness of his characterizations, baritone Russell Braun rightfully claims his place on the leading concert, opera, and recital stages around the world. His intelligent and thoughtful portrayals of Chou En-lai, Billy Budd, Prince Andrei, Figaro, Papageno, Count Almaviva, Don Giovanni, Pelléas, Eugene Onegin, and The Traveller have captivated audiences and critics alike. Highlights of the 2025/2026 season include Russell's return to Teatro alla Scala, where he makes his role debut as Gunther in David McVicar's new production of Wagner's Götterdämmerung, and Frère Léon in Messiaen's Saint François d'Assise at the Salzburg Festival. On the concert stage, Russell will return to the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Orchestra for Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem and returns to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for Vaughan Williams's A Sea Symphony. His discography features the Grammynominated Das Lied von der Erde (Dorian), JUNO winners Mozart: Arie e duetti (CBC Records) and Apollo e Daphne (Dorian), and JUNO nominee Winterreise (CBC Records).

His most recent release is Dietch Le vaisseau fantôme with Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble (Naïve). DVDs include the Salzburg Festival's Roméo et Juliette and the Mark Morris dance adaptation of Dido and Aeneas, his much-lauded portrayal of Chou En-lai in Nixon in China (Nonesuch) and Capriccio (Decca) at the Metropolitan Opera and Alexina Louie's comic opera Burnt Toast.

For media inquiries contact Adam Seely aseely@pattisonoutdoor.com • 403-770-5719

Tom proves competition is better when shared with friends

What will you

share?

Come experience the best of older adult living

Visit UnitedActiveLiving.com

44 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

21 Questions

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset only because I'm not a morning person.

Museum or park?

Depends on if it's raining or not!

City or countryside?

I miss one whenever I'm in the other, but I lean more towards the countryside.

with Principal Harp Emily Melendes

Formal or casual?

Sometimes it's fun to be fancy, but I'd hate to do it every day.

J

oining the Orchestra in September 2024, just in time for the start of the previous season, Principal Harpist Emily Melendes came to the Calgary Phil by way of the U.S. Raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Emily's musical education began with the piano at age six, followed by the harp two years later.

She has performed with leading orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony, and the Kansas City Symphony, and has graced the stage at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center on multiple occasions.

As she gears up for her second season with the Calgary Phil, Emily took the time to answer a few pressing questions.

Favourite composer?

My traditional choice is Ravel, because he writes so beautifully for the harp. But my favourite living composer is John Williams!

Wireless earbuds or over-the-ear headphones?

I'm not the kind of person who can wear wireless earbuds without dropping one or both down a sewer grate. Headphones always!

Podcasts or audiobooks?

I definitely listen to more podcasts, but audiobooks are wonderful for road trips.

Favourite thing about Calgary/Alberta?

I love so many things about this city and province, but I think at the top of my list are the beautiful parks, the snowy winters, and all the art and sculptures that are sprinkled around the city.

Favourite thing about Waukesha/Wisconsin?

Wisconsin has the most beautiful, huge shade trees and old oak forests.

It also has the best American football team, the Green Bay Packers.

Currently reading?

Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence,

by Karen Armstrong.

Currently watching?

I'm catching up on the latest White Lotus season.

Cooking or takeout?

Takeout! Although I do attempt to cook most of the time.

Roller-skates or ice-skates?

Ice-skates! I used to figure skate (very badly) in middle school.

Road trip or flight?

Road trip.

Introvert or extrovert?

Unquestionably introvert.

Sweet or salty?

Both! Salted chocolate? Perfection.

Paper or digital notes?

I prefer paper notes if I need to actually remember what I'm writing down.

Brewers or Packers?

Packers, hands down!

Cake or pie?

Pie.

Dogs or cats?

Dogs. I have a black Labrador named Pansy.

Skydiving or bungee jumping?

Neither. You won't catch me tempting fate with heights!

FALL 2025 | 45

31 October

Steve Hackman's Skull + Bones

7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

STEVE HACKMAN CONDUCTOR

Steve Hackman, conductor Malia Civetz, vocals Jecorey Arthur, rapper Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Gustav Holst

Mars from The Planets Remix

8'

Leonard Bernstein arr. Peress

Mambo Overture from West Side Story

3'

Camille Saint-Saëns

Danse Macabre Remix

7'

Richard Wagner / Adele

Siegfried Idyll X Rolling in the Deep

8'

Modest Mussorgsky

Baba Yaga Remix

6'

Igor Stravinsky

Firebird Remix/Response: Infernal Jam

5'

INTERMISSION

20'

Radiohead arr. Steve Hackman

Creep

5'

Steve Hackman

Wolf

5'

Paul Dukas

The Sorcerer's Apprentice Remix

9'

Dmitri Shostakovich / Muse

Finale from Symphony No. 5 X Uprising

9'

PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 46 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

A musical polymath and creative visionary, Steve Hackman is a daring voice intent on redefining art music in the 21st century. Trained classically and equally adept in popular styles, his breadth of musical fluency and technique is uncanny — he is at once a composer, conductor, producer, DJ, arranger, songwriter, singer, and pianist. He uses these wideranging abilities to create original music of incisive modernism yet rooted in elevated classicism. Steve's groundbreaking orchestral fusions, such as Brahms X Radiohead, The Resurrection Mixtape (Mahler X Notorious BIG X Tupac Shakur) and Beethoven X Beyoncé, are introducing the symphony orchestra to its future audience. He has conducted these works to sellout houses across North America, collaborating with the orchestras of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas, Baltimore, Seattle, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Colorado, Phoenix, Nashville, Oregon, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Detroit, Columbus and the Boston Pops. Steve has teamed up with some of the biggest pop superstars of today to add a signature virtuosic and classical dimension to their work, including Charlie Puth, Steve Lacy, Doja Cat, and Andrew Bird. His arrangements have been heard on the Grammys, Emmys, and Oscars. He trained at the Curtis Institute of Music and the University of Illinois and holds degrees in Orchestral Conducting and Piano Performance.

He recently taught his first course at the Juilliard School entitled, "Fusion, Re-imagination and Revelation." Steve's first film score will be released by Netflix in November 2025. Stay tuned for more music being released in the next few months. Engage with Steve on Instagram at @stevehackmanmusic.

Explore instrumental, orchestral, chamber, and choral music with CKUA.

MALIA CIVETZ VOCALS

JECOREY ARTHUR RAPPER

Malia Civetz has performed across the US and Europe in Steve Hackman's symphonic mashups for the past 10 years. You can see her in Beethoven X Coldplay, Beethoven X Beyoncé, Tchaikovsky X Drake, Skull + Bones, and Bartók X Bjork. Malia, an LA-based recording artist and Warner Chappell published songwriter, has been in the industry since graduating from the USC's Thornton School of Music's Popular Music Program.

Post-college, she linked up with powerhouse songwriters Ross Golan and JKash, signing to their newly created Friends With Pens.

She initially made waves with the independent single Champagne Clouds. Ryan Seacrest debuted the track on his radio show on KIIS FM and the song quickly surpassed 20M streams and made Taylor Swift's' 'Favorite Songs' playlists on both Apple Music and Spotify. She then signed a record deal with Warner Records and made her major label debut with her first EP, The Flip, featuring her hit single Broke Boy, followed by another EP, Heels in Hand. Surpassing 200M total streams as a songwriter and artist, Malia is independently taking charge of her next era of music and is back in the studio working on her next project as well as writing with other artists. Her musical accomplishments span over two decades with early highlights including performing as a 'Star of Tomorrow' at the Apollo Theater in New York at age 13, having the privilege to sing for President Obama at age 16, and performing in Barry Manilow's show at the Paris Las Vegas at 17. @maliafromvegas

Jecorey Arthur is a multi-disciplinary musician from the West End of Louisville, KY, fusing socially conscious hip hop, classical minimalism, and free jazz. His recording and composition work spans theatre, film, television, radio, podcasts, and studio albums. He has performed internationally as a percussionist and vocalist — from Switzerland's Jungfrau Erzählfestival to Tennessee's Big Ears Festival, Louisville's Forecastle Festival, New York's 92nd Street Y, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He has soloed with professional orchestras in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Calgary, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas, Dayton, Destin, Indianapolis, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, and St. Petersburg. Jecorey was the first hip hop artist featured in Steve Hackman's orchestral fusions — The Resurrection Mixtape (Mahler X Notorious B.I.G. X 2Pac), Tchaikovsky X Drake, Skull + Bones, and Firebird: Remix | Response — and the first to perform with Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra. With them, he premiered original works including Peak, Oz, Resurrection, and Mo(u)rning for Marimba, Rap, and Orchestra, alongside works like the folk opera The Way Forth, and starred as Muhammad Ali in the rap opera The Greatest.

He is Director of Percussion Studies at Simmons College of Kentucky, an endorsed artist with Salyers Percussion, and on the artist roster for the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), where his work reflects IMAN's values: Spiritually Rooted, Spatially Relevant, and Socially Conscious.

Arthur is also a proud union member of AFT (KY120 United), AFM (Local 11-637), and UMAW. @jecoreyarthur

Listen Now OR Listen Later ondemand.ckua.com

Rogers Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink is a proud supporter of Calgary Phil's Education and Outreach programs

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48 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Triple Threat Reflecting his varied career, Anthony Parnther leads the Calgary Phil through three very different performances

By Charlotte Lilley Photo Dario Acosta

A

nthony Parnther's career is as diverse as it is prolific. To get a sense of his scope, one needs to look no further than his upcoming performances with the Calgary Phil this season. These include Education concerts (Orchestra in Orbit on 19 and 20 November) a Classics concert (Best of Barber: Adagio + More on 21 November), and Movie concerts (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi on 15 and 16 May 2026).

While Parnther has made significant contributions in the classical music space as the Music Director of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, and through collaborations with ensembles across North America and around the world, he's also known for what he calls his "day job" in Hollywood. As a conductor of film scoring sessions, his credits include titles like the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer and Grammy-winning Encanto, and he has contributed to many more as a bassoonist.

Across this varied career, it's the medium of orchestral music that Parnther prioritizes. "I'm much more concerned about the orchestra being the centre of attention and not necessarily the genre, because I think the orchestra itself is genre-less," he explains. "There's no other circumstance where you could have 80, 90, or more players on stage, making the combination of sounds that only an orchestra is capable of making."

As he prepares for his Education concert with the Calgary Phil, Parnther sees value not just in exposing young audiences to classical music (although he notes that "anything where younger people have the

opportunity to witness creativity and cooperation is super important, especially in today's times"), but also in allowing them to see the large-scale, collaborative effort that orchestral music-making entails.

"I think that an orchestra is an interesting parallel to a great functioning society," Parnther explains. "They're getting to witness a large group of people come together and work on something together that's greater than the individual."

While Orchestra in Orbit is geared towards younger audiences, Parnther sees education as key to every concert he conducts. "I basically have two rules for any concert that I put on: one, that they're fun, and two, that people learn something," he shares. "I think that if you fail on one of those two accords, then you're not doing your job."

It's an approach which Parnther will bring to Best of Barber, a concert featuring repertoire which he describes as "works of extraordinary beauty."

"I think that the Barber Violin Concerto and the Barber Symphony are those unique works where both [audience and orchestra] are equally curious and delighted by what they're hearing or experiencing."

When he returns to Calgary in May for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert, Parnther will bring a unique perspective on the work: not only has he conducted scoring sessions for more recent Star Wars installments like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, he also claims "a little bit of a bragging right"

for performing as a bassoonist and contrabassoonist on the scores for Star Wars episodes 7, 8, and 9, under the baton of John Williams himself.

Film music, for Parnther, offers an entry point to the world of orchestral music.

"Film music is what captured my attention about the orchestra before anything else did. I kept noticing that my ear kept drifting off to what was being played as opposed to the dialogue," he shares.

"It was the music of John Williams, really, that led me to the music of [Gustav] Mahler, and [Anton] Bruckner, and [Richard] Strauss, and things along those lines. I have often thought sometimes film music can be an interesting gateway to the orchestra. Oftentimes, people who come and see one of these films live in action will come back and out of curiosity see a concert without a movie playing," he says.

Preparing for a live-to-film concert comes with its own unique challenges: "it is quite a technical feat to watch an orchestra play through a 22-minute action sequence, because that is as difficult and technically taxing as playing through a Mahler Symphony in a certain sense," he says.

"It's kind of an Olympian event to get through one of these things."

Parnther — like John Williams — also conducts without the click tracks commonly used in both scoring sessions and live-to-film performances. Instead, he uses streamers — visual cues which keep the orchestra in time with the film while allowing more flexibility in phrasing. The approach adds interest for audience and musicians alike.

There's something about having the regulated click in your ear where it turns off a little of the spontaneity in the playing," he says. "So, it's trying to keep the music-making process interesting for the musicians, and then if they're feeling challenged and engaged then that translates into the performance in little, little, tiny ways that I think are very important."

As he looks ahead to his concerts in Calgary, Parnther remains invested in showcasing the diversity and range of orchestral repertoire.

"I like not being relegated to any one particular type of program," he shares.

"Getting to come to Calgary is an opportunity for me to show the different dimensions of things that I have a passion for, which are education, film music, and anything where the orchestra is centred."

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6 November 7:30PM Bella Concert Hall

Overture from Amadis des Gaules, W. G39 Johann Christian Bach (1735–1782)

Baroque at Bella with Mathieu Lussier

Johann Christian Bach's opera Amadis des Gaules was first performed in Paris in 1779 with Queen Marie Antoinette and her court in attendance. Its sorcerers, demons, and spirits didn't make a big impression on the Parisian audience, who were then caught up in the Gluck and Piccinni controversy, a rivalry between two opera composers — Christoph Willibald Gluck, who called for reform and a rejection of traditional Italian operatic genres, and Niccolò Piccinni, a champion of the latter; being a 'Gluckist' or 'Piccinnist' was the question of the day. Bach's opera was not in the style of either — it didn't cater to the trends present in Paris at the time, despite its libretto being in French — but rather distinctly his own: that same style that had earned him success elsewhere and the deep respect of his most famous pupil, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Bassoon Concerto in E-Flat Major, W. C82 Johann Christian Bach

Mathieu Lussier, conductor + bassoon Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Johann Christian Bach

Overture from Amadis des Gaules, W. G39

8'

Bassoon Concerto in E-Flat Major, W. C82 I. Allegro spirituoso II. Largo ma non tanto III. Tempo di Minuetto più tosto Allegro

17'

Sophie Gail

Overture from La Sérénade

6'

Franz Joseph Haydn

Symphony No. 98 in B-Flat Major I. Adagio – Allegro II. Adagio III. Menuet: Allegro IV. Presto

28'

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The youngest of Johann Sebastian Bach's eleven sons, Johann Christian Bach spent his childhood steeped in music (three of his brothers were also composers).

He would leave his native Leipzig to study in Italy, working in Milan as an organist, eventually settling in London as the music-master of Queen Charlotte (a compatriot). It was in England that he established himself as the London (or English) Bach — of whom, upon his death, Mozart remarked: "What a loss for the world of music!" Bach wrote two concertos for bassoon. The Bassoon Concerto in E-Flat Major has not been precisely dated, though some place its composition in the 1770s. The standard fast-slow-fast form sees a regal bassoon shepherding the listener through its three movements, gliding over a blanket of strings. Despite his many successes, Johann Christian Bach's financial affairs near the end of his life were precarious.

Upon word of his death on New Year's Day 1782 in London, creditors burst into the room, scrambling for payment.

Bach would receive his deserved respects from Queen Charlotte, who paid for his funeral and provided his widow with a lifelong pension.

Overture from La Sérénade Sophie Gail (1775–1819)

Symphony No. 98 in B-Flat Major Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) When his patron Nikolaus I, Prince Esterházy died in 1790, Franz Joseph Haydn decided to make a change of scenery. He had served as Kapellmeister in the Esterházy court since 1761. Nikolaus' successor, Anton, disbanded most of the musical staff fostered by previous Esterházy princes, leaving Haydn with a reduced income, a titular position, and not much to do. However, when he received an invitation from Johann Peter Salomon to be the resident composer for a new opera house in London, he still required a little convincing. His friend Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart attempted to dissuade him, arguing that Haydn knew too few languages; Haydn replied, "My language is understood all over the world." In the end, Haydn accepted as there weren't any appealing offers in his native Austria at the time. In London Haydn would go on to write 12 symphonies over the span of two visits; Symphony No. 98 was completed in 1792 during the first. It is speculated that Haydn wrote the second movement as a requiem for Mozart, whose death in 1791 devastated the older composer (he was 24 years Mozart's senior). A tribute can be seen in the form of quotations from Mozart's Coronation Mass and Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter).

PROGRAM NOTES © JUN-LONG LEE (2025)

© MATTHEW PERRIN

The French singer and composer Sophie Gail grew up in Paris as the ancien régime was dying out and giving way to the French Revolution. The new, more democratic values would allow women to seriously embark on creative pursuits — something that cannot be said about the times that followed under Napoleon. Gail is known for her romances (songs) and opéras comiques (a French opera genre involving spoken dialogue and musical numbers); La Sérénade was a popular example of the latter. She collaborated on it with pianist and composer Sophie Gay, who wrote the libretto based on the 1694 comedy by JeanFrançois Regnard. The one-act opera was well-received and ran for 66 performances.

Despite its success and the aforementioned increase in freedom of creative expression for women, critical reception often focused on the composers' appearance, calling them Sophie "the ugly" and "the beautiful" or Sophie "de la musique" and "de la parole."

MATHIEU LUSSIER CONDUCTOR + BASSOON A versatile musician with a commanding grasp of early repertoire, Mathieu Lussier is in demand as a guest conductor in Canada and abroad. Currently serving as the Artistic Director of the Arion Baroque Orchestra, he has brought new creative ideas to the growing organization. In 2014, Mathieu was awarded Canada Art Council's JeanMarie Beaudet Award in Orchestra Conducting. He has served as Conductor-in-Residence with Les Violons du Roy and Artistic Director of Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival. As a soloist, Mathieu has promoted the modern and baroque bassoon as solo instruments for two decades. He has performed with Arion Baroque Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, and Apollo's Fire.

He devotes time to chamber music as a member of Ensemble Pentaèdre de Montréal. Mathieu is also a composer, with a catalogue of over 40 titles heard in the concert halls of North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. In 2009, his composition Bassango, in its version for bassoon and string orchestra, won the third prize in the Contemporary Classical Song category at the Just Plain Folks Awards of Nashville, Tennessee.

He has received commissions from artists such as Nadina Mackie Jackson, Guy Few, Lise Beauchamp, and George Zukerman as well as from the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, Oshawa-Durham Symphony Orchestra, and Les Idées Heureuses. Mathieu's music has been recorded on numerous occasions and is broadcast worldwide. Dos Tropicos, a wind quintet, has been performed over 100 times.

Canadian Natural is proud to partner with the

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

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8 November 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

Nothing Compares: The Music of Prince

about the music No. 1

Little Red Corvette was the first Prince song to race into the U.S. Top 10, reaching number six in the charts. A vehicle belonging to Lisa Coleman – the keyboardist in Prince's backing band, The Revolution — served as inspiration for the track, although it was neither red nor a Corvette, but rather a pink Mercury Montclair.

No. 2

Believe it or not, Purple Rain was originally penned as a country-style duet with Stevie Nicks, though she ultimately declined the collaboration. Following some chord changes by The Revolution's Wendy Melvoin, the song took on a new shape, becoming a defining anthem of the 80s.

No. 3

The arrival of When Doves Cry, the lead single from Purple Rain, marked Prince's ascent to superstardom. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for five weeks and ultimately became the best-selling single of 1984.

No. 4 Resident Conductor Endowed Chair Supporter: Mary Rozsa de Coquet Juliane Gallant, conductor (biography on page 11) Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Prince fans, rejoice — this one's for you! Celebrate the unparalleled talent and impact of the legendary artist as his timeless music is taken to the next level by your Calgary Phil.

Performing songs from the list below: Little Red Corvette / 1999 / Cream / Diamonds and Pearls / How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? / I Feel for You / I Would Die 4 U / Let's Go! / Manic Monday / Nothing Compares 2 U / Purple Rain / Sign o' the Times / Soft and Wet / Take Me With U / The Beautiful Ones / The Time Medley (Jungle Love / The Bird) / When Doves Cry CONCERT INCLUDES A 20-MINUTE INTERMISSION PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 52 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Following up on the worldwide phenomenon that was Purple Rain may have seemed a daunting task, but Prince rose to the occasion with Raspberry Beret, the lead single off his 1985 album, Around the World in a Day. Another huge hit, the song leaned into Prince's love of psychedelic pop and featured such flourishes as a string section and Middle Eastern finger cymbals.

No. 5

Though forever remembered by Sinead O'Connor's beautiful rendition, Nothing Compares to U is 100% a Prince song.

Hardly an anomaly, several artists struck gold with Prince-penned tracks, including The Bangles (Manic Monday), Sheena Easton (Sugar Walls), and The Time (Jungle Love).

Creative Calgary:

Championing the Arts in Our City's Future Creative Calgary is a non-partisan coalition of artists, arts organizations, cultural workers, and engaged citizens working together to build a stronger, more vibrant Calgary through the arts. Since its founding in 2017, during elections and budgeting, the group has played a key role in reminding Calgarians and decision-makers alike that creativity isn't just a cultural asset, it's an economic driver and a core part of a livable, thriving city. Investment in the arts also strengthens mental health, builds social cohesion, and enhances quality of life in every quadrant of the city.

Calgary's arts sector contributes over $1 billion annually to the local economy, supports thousands of jobs, attracts millions of visitors, and plays a vital role in talent attraction and retention — especially among young professionals and creative entrepreneurs. In 2024, over 5.36 million people participated in arts events produced by municipally-funded arts organizations in Calgary — over 3 times the population of the city itself.

With the 2025 municipal election taking place on October 20, Creative Calgary is

encouraging all Calgarians to show their support for the arts. One key initiative is a survey sent to every candidate running for City Council. Their responses — on topics ranging from arts funding to the role of creativity in community development — are published on the Creative Calgary website.

Voters can see who responded, what they had to say, and where each candidate stands on supporting the arts.

Calgarians will also find on the site an interactive map of where arts supporters live in the city (spoiler: there is not one ward without a significant number of arts lovers!), information about the upcoming mayoral debate on October 8, 8 a space to share their favourite arts stories, and resources to help advocate for the arts.

By participating in civic conversations and voting with creativity in mind, we can ensure that Calgary continues to grow as a city that values imagination, innovation, and community.

Because when the arts thrive, Calgary thrives.

To learn more, visit CreativeCalgary.org

Find out where candidates stand on issues that matter to you!

CALGARY MAYORAL DEBATE October 8 2025 | 6:30–8PM Jack Singer Concert Hall, Werklund Centre (formerly Arts Commons) presented by

Supported By

English Dances: Set Two, Op. 33 Malcolm Arnold (1921–2006)

14 + 15 November

Slavonic Dances

7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

Malcolm Arnold composed the first set of English Dances in 1950 at the request of his publisher, who was looking for repertoire in the vein of Antonín Dvořák's Slavonic Dances. Being well-received, Arnold, then a still up-and-coming composer, was commissioned to write a second set the following year. This piece debuted in 1952 with a performance by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Both sets are inspired by, but not based upon, English folk tunes.

Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)

Concert Supporters: Heather + Peter Marreck Rumon Gamba, conductor Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Malcolm Arnold

English Dances: Set Two, Op. 33 No. 1: Allegro non troppo No. 2: Con brio No. 3: Grazioso No. 4: Giubiloso

8'

Antonín Dvořák

Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 No. 1 in C Major: Presto No. 2 in E Minor: Allegretto scherzando No. 3 in A-Flat Major: Poco allegro No. 4 in F Major: Tempo di menuetto No. 5 in A Major: Allegro vivace No. 6 in D Major: Allegretto scherzando No. 7 in C Minor: Allegro assai No. 8 in G Minor: Presto

23'

INTERMISSION

20'

Carl Nielsen

44'

Symphony No. 5, Op. 50 I. Tempo giusto – Adagio II. Allegro – Andante

PROGRAM AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 54 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Prior to the success of his Slavonic Dances, Antonín Dvořák was relatively unknown outside of Prague. In 1874 he would have a chance to change that: the newly created Austrian State Stipendium — a prize organized by the Ministry of Education for poor but talented young artists — was accepting submissions.

The Czech composer bombarded the committee with 15 compositions, with excellent results: he won the stipend and would do so two more times in the following years. A report from the minister describes him as "33 years old, music teacher, completely without means... who has never yet been able to acquire a piano of his own." But financial support was not the only boon gained from these victories: Dvořák would enter upon a lasting friendship with one of the great German composers of the time, Johannes Brahms, who was a member of the judging committee — a friendship that lasted from 1877 to Brahms' death. It was Brahms who recommended Dvořák's 1877 submission, the Moravian Duets, to his publisher, who then commissioned Dvořák to write the Slavonic Dances. Unsure of where to begin, the Czech composer modeled them on Brahms' Hungarian Dances; he greatly admired the older composer, addressing him effusively as "Master" and "Your Nobleness" in their correspondence. The enthusiastic reception of the Moravian Duets and Slavonic Dances brought Dvořák international fame; performances were organized in France, England, and the United States. Western listeners found the national character of his music "bizarre and fantastic" and "semi-barbaric," but this only contributed to its charm and appeal.

Dvořák wrote eight dances (Op. 46) in 1878 for piano 4-hands — the publisher soon

Symphony No. 5, Op. 50 Carl Nielsen (1865–1931) Carl Nielsen composed his Symphony No. 5 during a period of personal and professional crisis. In 1914, the Danish composer resigned from his post at the Royal Theatre, where he had worked since 1905. In 1916, he began separation proceedings from his wife, the sculptress Anne Marie Brodersen — their busy careers and a series of infidelities had strained their relationship — formalizing it in 1919.

Meanwhile, World War I was storming through Europe and beyond, though the Scandinavian countries remained neutral observers. While Nielsen was reticent about the war's influence on his music, many see the Fifth Symphony as a reflection — or exorcism — of the violent years that scarred the first quarter of the 20th century. Dark, moody, often turbulent, it moves gradually towards the light, towards the victory of Life over Evil. It is — like Beethoven's Fifth, which Nielsen deeply admired — a symphony of contrast and struggle; a struggle mirrored in the difficulty of its composition, which took its toll on his health and wellbeing.

He began it in 1920 — breaking off to fulfill a commission, the cantata Springtime on Funen — and finished it in his offhours (he was working as a conductor), often pushing himself from 10 o'clock in the morning until the early hours of the next day. He finished it nine days before its premiere in 1922, rushing through rehearsals — the orchestra struggled through the performance — before conducting it himself in Copenhagen.

A later performance in Sweden witnessed a scandal: a quarter of the audience fled in confusion at the onset of the drum in the first movement. The struggle paid off, however, bringing victory to the composer: the Symphony No. 5 is an astonishing testament to modernism, and one of his most frequently performed works. Nielsen reconciled with his wife Anne Marie on 15 January 1922, the day he finished it.

PROGRAM NOTES © JUN-LONG LEE (2025)

Ent_HNW_NRG_Col_Bleed_NoMask_CMYK

© KATI LEINONEN

requested that he orchestrate them — and a second set of eight (Op. 72) in 1886. Though each studies a traditional Slavic folk dance (including the dumka, mazurka, kolo, furiant, and others) Dvořák refrains from quoting folk songs directly (as Brahms did in his Hungarian Dances), instead using their rhythms and their fantastic energy to structure his own original melodies.

RUMON GAMBA CONDUCTOR British conductor Rumon Gamba is Chief Conductor of the Oulu Sinfonia, a post he has held since January 2022. Previous positions included Principal Conductor and Music Director of NorrlandsOperan, Chief Conductor of the Aalborg Symfoniorkester, and Chief Conductor and Music Director of Iceland Symphony Orchestra. He regularly leads the BBC orchestras and has appeared at the BBC Proms on a number of occasions.

A champion of new music, Rumon has conducted several high profile premieres including the world premieres of Nico Muhly's Two Boys at English National Opera, Brett Dean's Viola Concerto with the composer and BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the Australian premiere of the original version of Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 5 with Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Highlights of Rumon's recent and future seasons include BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Helsingborg Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Goteborgs Symfoniker, Kristiansand Symfoniorkester, Warsaw Philharmonic, Romanian Radio Orchestra, Lahti Symphony, WDR Funkhausorchester, Munich Radio, Joensuu City Orchestra and Filarmonica Banatal. Rumon has conducted a number of operatic titles, including Rigoletto at Scottish Opera, Carmen, La bohème, Otello and Candide. In celebration of Umeå's status as European Capital of Culture, he conducted NorrlandsOperan in an epic outdoor production of Elektra with La Fura dels Baus, which was critically acclaimed. In 2026 he will conduct a new commission for Oulu Theatre in celebration of Oulu's European Year of Culture.

Helping creative ideas flourish in the arts

RBC® is powering the ideas of the arts community, where aspiration and skill development help artists thrive on centre stage.

Ideas for People and Planet™

rbc.com/our-impact ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. 129506 (02/2025)

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THE CONFLUENCE OF

Tradition and Technology

By Jun-long Lee Photo Raeanne Schachter

W

hether dashing through Paganini as a soloist, making rapid adjustments to a piece for a theatre production, or orchestrating the music for a video game speedrun, Calgary Philharmonic Assistant Concertmaster Donovan Seidle has learned to work (and play) fast.

Equally comfortable behind his violin as he is in front of his digital audio workstation, the violinist-composer has always nourished a fascination with the meeting place between music and technology.

"I'm doing experiments all the time and figuring out how to bring that into my orchestra world," says Seidle.

It all started when a five-year-old Seidle saw an orchestra on TV. "I loved the camera closeups on the violin sections," he reminisces. "I started to really identify with wanting to be that sound."

It wasn't long before he got a hold of his first violin, beginning a lifelong passion that would take him from early beginnings with The Calgary Fiddlers to composing and performing for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

It wasn't always easy for Seidle to juggle his many interests. At the University of Calgary, he struggled to balance a double degree in computer science and music.

"It was just impossible to manage both degrees at the same time. So, I put my entire focus on music, and even then I split it between composition and

performance," says Seidle. "I've always had a tough time narrowing in my focus because I'm so interested in a lot of things."

But that curiosity has blossomed into a rich career spanning performance and composition for film, theatre, video games, VR and AR, and other interactive mediums.

In 2010, Seidle landed the job as Associate Music Director for the Vancouver Winter Olympics, working alongside long-time mentor and collaborator Dave Pierce. Not only did he have the opportunity to conduct one of the rehearsals in the stadium itself and perform as a violinist in the orchestra, but some of his original compositions made it into the ceremonies.

"That was such an eye-opener... all of these cylinders firing at once," Seidle says, "these different aspects of my creating and performing life, [found their] confluence during the Olympics."

He would go on to work with Pierce at Expo 2020 in Dubai, putting together the music for one of the evenings celebrating UAE National Day. "We were collaborating with local artists and putting it altogether into a gorgeous soundscape, honouring all their traditions," Seidle explains, adding, "and also bringing our own voice to it."

Back on home turf, Seidle has held his seat as Assistant Concertmaster with the Calgary Philharmonic since 2003.

His highlights: the opportunities he's had to play as a soloist, tackling works by Paganini and William Jordan, whose Violin Concerto was written for him personally (Jordan was one of Seidle's composition professors during his undergrad).

He's also flexed his compositional and arranging talents at the Calgary Phil, putting together orchestral arrangements for artists such as dance-pop star Kiesza, and delivered several symphonic commissions.

Outside of his orchestral duties, you won't catch Seidle slacking off at home; he has a studio of students and runs his own music production company.

An avid gamer himself, he's fascinated by the possibilities and the challenging decisions one needs to make when composing for video games.

"You have to account for different weather, different times of day; how does the music serve to enhance that experience of a rainstorm, a snowstorm, midnight, the northern lights, or something like that" he says. "When you write [for video games] you have to think about layers."

After a long day of rehearsing, performing, teaching, and composing you might find Donovan at the gym, socializing with friends, or just relaxing with his headphones on: "Sometimes I'll have a little too much music in my life, so I'll listen in my free time to comedy podcasts... The Greatest Generation is a real favourite of mine. I'm a Star Trek nerd!"

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21 November

Starburst Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981)

Best of Barber: Adagio + More

7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

This brief one-movement work, originally for string orchestra and arranged and expanded for orchestra by Jannina Norpoth, 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."

Adagio for Strings Samuel Barber (1910–1981)

Anthony Parnther, conductor Amaryn Olmeda, violin Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Jessie Montgomery arr. Jannina Norpoth

Starburst

Samuel Barber

Adagio for Strings

8'

Missy Mazzoli

Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)

9'

Samuel Barber

Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9 Allegro ma non troppo – Allegro molto – Andante tranquillo – Con moto (Passacaille)

21'

Violin Concerto, Op. 14 I. Allegro II. Andante III. Presto in moto perpetuo

25'

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4'

Samuel Barber's most popular work, Adagio for Strings, comes from the second movement of his String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 11. The quartet was written while spending the summer of 1936 in Austria with his partner, the composer Gian Carlo Menotti. Barber completed the arrangement for the orchestral version the same year, and submitted it in 1938 to famed conductor Arturo Toscanini, who sent it back without comment. Toscanini would conduct the premiere of Adagio for Strings in November of the same year, and Barber — 28 years-old and just starting his career — would capture the hearts of millions of American listeners tuning in to the radio broadcast. As the story goes, Toscanini returned the score because he had memorized it and did not need to look at it again until shortly before the performance. In 2004, BBC Radio 4 ran a poll for the "saddest music in the world." Adagio for Strings came in first. It has been a go-to for funerals, including those of Albert Einstein and President John F. Kennedy, and for memorial tributes for victims of 9/11 and COVID-19. But the piece is not only mourning and melancholy; its structure slowly builds and releases tension, peaking at a moment of hope before gently lowering the listener back into the soft folds of its opening theme.

Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) Missy Mazzoli (b. 1980) Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) is music in the shape of a solar system, a collection of rococo loops that twist around each other within a larger orbit. The word sinfonia refers to baroque works for chamber orchestra but also to the old Italian term

Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9 Samuel Barber The years 1935–1937 were prolific and transformative for Samuel Barber. Several fellowships and two Pulitzer scholarships (not to be confused with the two Pulitzer Prizes he would later receive) allowed him to study and travel throughout Europe and compose some of his most well-known pieces. One of these was Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, finished 24 February 1936 in an Alpine village in France named Roquebrune. It was, in Barber's words, a "synthetic treatment of the four-movement classical symphony," compressing the standard form into a single movement without pauses. He modeled it after Sibelius' Symphony No. 7 (also in one movement); charts have even been found in Barber's sketches exploring Sibelius' themes and their development.

Accompanying him throughout his European stay was his collaborator and partner Gian Carlo Menotti. The two had met at the Curtis Institute of Music in their student days and remained constant companions in the years that followed.

A 1929 sea voyage sees the two young men sharing a cabin, reading aloud in the other's mother tongue (English for Barber, Italian for Menotti), and practicing their French. They parted ways romantically after living together for several decades in Capricorn, a mansion purchased using funds from one of Barber's sponsors, which they sold in the early 1970s. Menotti would be at Barber's deathbed when he succumbed to cancer in 1981. Barber revised Symphony No. 1 from 1942–1943 — the first version had already premiered in Rome in 1936 — while serving in the United States Army; he could only find time to work on it at night Violin Concerto, Op. 14 Samuel Barber Samuel Barber found his love for music early. A child prodigy, he composed his first work Sadness at the age of seven.

He was convinced that music was his destiny; a letter from the nine-year-old Barber to his mother refutes his parents' desire for him to play football and reveals his "worrying secret": "I was meant to be a composer, and will be I'm sure." At the Curtis Institute of Music, Barber would rub shoulders with many other such prodigies, including violinist Iso Briselli.

Briselli's adopted father, Samuel Fels, would later commission Barber to write a piece for his ward, and the Violin Concerto was born. With half of the $1000 commission, Barber installed himself in Switzerland to begin, though was forced to finish the concerto in the United States at the outset of World War II. The first two movements were declared "not brilliant enough" and not worthy of Briselli's "technical powers." The third movement proved also unsatisfactory: as Barber told it, it was too hard for Briselli; as Briselli later told it, it was "too lightweight." Either way, Fels wanted his money back — money that had already been spent in Europe.

The matter was settled when Herbert Baumel, a Curtis student, was called in to test it out; he played it without problems, and the commission was saved. Violin Concerto is one of Barber's most played pieces. Briselli would not be on the violin for its debut performance.

PROGRAM NOTES © JESSIE MONTGOMERY, MISSY MAZZOLI, JUN-LONG LEE (2025)

© DARIO ACOSTA

for a hurdy-gurdy, a medieval stringed instrument with constant, wheezing drones that are cranked out under melodies played on an attached keyboard. It's a piece that churns and roils, that inches close to the listener only to leap away at breakneck speed, in the process transforming the ensemble turns into a makeshift hurdygurdy, flung recklessly into space.

ANTHONY PARNTHER CONDUCTOR "A conductor for the future" with "a flourishing career" (New York Times), Anthony Parnther is Music Director of California's San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra and conductor of the Gateways Festival Orchestra, which he led at its Chicago and Carnegie Hall debuts. He has also conducted major artists, who range from Joshua Bell and Jessye Norman to Rihanna and John Legend, as well as eminent ensembles including the Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and Sydney Symphony. Upcoming highlights include his Chicago Symphony debut and a revival of Anthony Davis' Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, The Central Park Five, at Detroit Opera.

Dedicated to amplifying traditionally underrepresented voices, Parnther has reconstructed and performed orchestral works by Margaret Bonds, Duke Ellington, Zenobia Powell Perry, Florence Price, William Grant Still, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; conducted Los Angeles Opera's world premiere production of Tamar-kali's oratorio We Hold These Truths; and premiered and recorded works by Jon Batiste, Kris Bowers, Adolphus Hailstork, Marian Harrison, George Walker, Errollyn Wallen, and many more. As one of today's foremost film conductors, he helms recording sessions for many of the world's top international feature films and television series.

Recent projects include Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Encanto, Nope, Tenet, and the Grammy-winning Oppenheimer soundtrack.

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© MARCO BORGGREVE

AMARYN OLMEDA VIOLIN Winner of First Prize and the Audience Choice Award at the 24th Annual Sphinx Competition, violinist Amaryn Olmeda is a rising star sought after for her bold and expressive performances as a soloist and collaborator. Violinist.com says of Amaryn, "…her commanding stage presence, infallible technique, and interpretive ability already rival that of international concert stage veterans." Highlights of 2025/2026 include debut performances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Modesto Symphony, Williamsburg Symphony, and Shreveport Symphony, as well as return appearances with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Stockton Symphony, and Auburn Symphony.

Amaryn made her Lincoln Center solo debut in the 2024 Summer for the City Series. Later that season, she returned for her solo debut at David Geffen Hall on the New York Philharmonic's Kravis Nightcap Series.

She made her Carnegie Hall solo debut on the Sphinx Virtuosi tour at the age of 14, garnering rave reviews.

Recent highlights include debuts with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Omaha Symphony, and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra at their New Year's Concert Series, earning her a nomination for the San Francisco Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Amaryn studies at the New England Conservatory of Music with Miriam Fried. She previously studied with Ian Swensen at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Amaryn performs on a violin made by J.B. Vuillaume in 1864.

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Ways to Grow your Calgary Phil Thanks to your dedication and enthusiasm, the Calgary Phil continues to connect our communities and celebrate the transformative power of orchestral music. Your generosity is at the heart of the Calgary Phil as we ensure your financial support is more impactful than ever. Individual and corporate support make up 20% of our revenue and have helped sustain the Orchestra for 70 years. There is a wide range of opportunities and initiatives where your investment makes a significant philanthropic impact.

Support the Endowment

The Calgary Philharmonic Foundation is the largest annual supporter of your Calgary Phil, exceeding all levels of government support, and ensures the permanence of the Orchestra and that future generations have access to the power of orchestral music.

Bring world-class artists to our stage

The Naomi + John Lacey Virtuoso program has been bringing world-class artists to perform with your Calgary Phil since 2008, enhancing musical presentations for both audiences and musicians. Many Virtuoso artists also perform at donor recitals or teach masterclasses to aspiring young musicians in our communities.

Support the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus

Calgary Phil is one of two major symphony orchestras in Canada that has its own chorus of over 140 volunteer singers. Elevating the art of choral music by supporting and nurturing the development of the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus is done through The Borak Forte Program founded by Ellen and Allen Borak. It provides the singers with the opportunity to grow in their performance of choral music and promotes the enjoyment of choral singing in our communities.

Support the creation of New Works

Irene and Walt DeBoni created this program to support the commissioning of new Canadian works necessary for the continued development and vitality of orchestral music. Thanks to this program, the Orchestra premieres a range of enticing and trailblazing new works.

Support Emerging Artists

The MacLachlan/Ridge Emerging Artist Program helps provide outstanding young Canadian musicians an opportunity to advance their careers by performing with the Orchestra to develop Canada's next generation of artists.

Greatest Needs

By supporting the Calgary Phil's Greatest Needs, you are helping to support the overall operations of the Orchestra. For those donors who want to recognize someone special in memoriam, the Joyce and Dick Matthews Philanthropic Program was created in the memory of these dedicated and generous supporters of Calgary Phil for more than 50 years.

To support one of these programs, visit calgaryphil.com/support

Sponsors + Supporters GOVERNMENT

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Donors + Volunteers Leadership Giving The Calgary Philharmonic expresses its deep gratitude to the passionate and dedicated supporters whose significant lifetime giving to the Calgary Philharmonic Society and Calgary Philharmonic Foundation helps us achieve our vision.

$10,000,000 and above Calgary Philharmonic Foundation Department of Canadian Heritage Joyce + Dick Matthews $1,000,000–$9,999,999 Alberta Foundation for the Arts Calgary Arts Development Authority Canada Council for the Arts Irene + Walt DeBoni Ethelene + John Gareau Government of Canada Dr. John Lacey Morningside Music Bridge Foundation Drs. Ted + Lola Rozsa Estate of Mario James Stella Taylor Family Foundation One Anonymous Donor $500,000–$999,999 Estate of Marjory Barber Irene + William Bell Marg + Paul Boëda Cenovus Energy Inc. CNOOC (formerly Nexen) Government of Alberta Carol + Frank Gray Honens Calgary Philharmonic Society Fund at Calgary Foundation Mary Rozsa de Coquet Prairies Economic Development Canada Robbin Shandel One Anonymous Donor $250,000–$499,999 Said Arrata Leslie + David Bissett Ellen + Allen Borak Heather + Ian Bourne Andrea Brussa Calgary Foundation Calgary Herald Mrs. Norma Carroll Corus Entertainment Judith + Terry Dalgleish Heather Edwards 64 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Enbridge Pipelines Inc. Encana Corporation Jan + Larry Fichtner Liz + Tony Fricke Lois + Richard Haskayne Judith Kilbourne KPMG LLP Estate of Murray Lipsey Letha MacLachlan, K.C. Nickle Family Foundation Palmer Family Foundation Repsol Oil & Gas Canada Inc Gerard Rostoker Rozsa Foundation Muriel Stewart Sunesis Consulting Inc. TC Energy TD Canada TELUS Corporation Deborah Yedlin + Martin Molyneaux Two Anonymous Donors $100,000–$249,999 Air Canada ARC Resources Ltd. Jeff Arsenych Jenny Belzberg Beverly + Gerald Berkhold BP Petroleum Canada Life Canadian Natural Elaine + Jeremy Clark Tibor Fekete Estate of Geraldine Fish glasswaters foundation Jacky + Geoff Granville Jan + Brian Grier Estate of Winnifred Griffith Elizabeth + Wayne Henuset Imperial Oil Limited Jeanette King Estate of Evelyn Christine Kings HD Klebanoff Memorial Fund Kool 101.5 Ann Lewis-Luppino + Anthony Luppino Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust Macquarie Group Foundation Allan Markin Masters Gallery Ltd. Estate of Mary McIntosh Meludia SAS Janice + James Morton Jean + John Partridge Anne Marie Peterson Legacy Fund Rogers Charity Classic Rabinovitz Family Fund RBC Seagram Company Ltd. Clarice Siebens

Margaret Southern Carla + Klaus Springer Josie + Trent Stangl Ms. Mary Ann Steen Dori Wood + James Doleman Shirley Zielsdorf Three Anonymous donors

Endowed Chairs Ted + Lola Rozsa Endowed Chair Music Director Mary Rozsa de Coquet Endowed Chair Resident Conductor: Juliane Gallant Ellen + Allen Borak Endowed Chair Chorus Director: Mark Bartel John + Ethelene Gareau Endowed Chair Concertmaster: Diana Cohen Peter + Jeanne Lougheed Endowed Chair Associate Concertmaster: John Lowry Hotchkiss Endowed Chair First Violin Section Member H.D. Klebanoff Endowed Chair First Violin Section Member: Olga Kotova Gerard Rostoker in Memory of Pamela Bacchus Endowed Chair First Violin Section Member: Maria van der Sloot Esther Violet Hall (née Young) Endowed Chair Principal Second Violin: Lorna Tsai Debbie Lynne Hall (daughter of Esther Violet Hall) Endowed Chair Assistant Principal Second Violin: Stephanie Soltice-Johnson Dennis Sharp + Hélène Côté-Sharp Endowed Chair Second Violin Section Member: Craig Hutchenreuther Dalgleish Endowed Chair 66 Second Violin Section Member: Minnie Min Kyung Kwon Eckhardt-Gramatté Foundation Endowed Chair Principal Viola: Laurent Grillet-Kim

Naomi Lacey Endowed Chair in Honour of Philip Hansen Principal Cello: Arnold Choi John + Jean Partridge Endowed Chair Cello Section Member: David Morrissey Deborah Yedlin + Martin Molyneaux Endowed Chair Cello Section Member: Kathleen de Caen Margaret + Paul Boëda in Memory of Jennifer Boëda-Dahl Endowed Chair Principal Flute: Sara Hahn-Scinocco Bill + Irene Bell Endowed Chair Piccolo: Gwen Klassen Janet Poyen Family Foundation Endowed Chair English Horn: David Sussman Judith + William Kilbourne Named Chair in Recognition of the Kilbournes' long-term support Assistant Principal Horn Frank + Carol Gray Endowed Chair in Memory of Vincent Cichowicz Principal Trumpet: Adam Zinatelli Frank + Carol Gray Endowed Chair in Recognition of Tim Rawlings' 42 years of service to Calgary Phil Principal Percussion: Chris Sies Joyce + Dick Matthews Endowed Chair Piano

2024/2025 Donors The Calgary Philharmonic expresses its deep gratitude to the following supporters who made generous gifts to the Calgary Philharmonic Society and the Calgary Philharmonic Foundation between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025. For a complete listing, visit calgaryphil.com/support * 10 years or more of lifetime giving * 20 years or more of lifetime giving * Gifts to the Calgary Philharmonic Foundation Gifts of $500,000 and above Alberta Foundation for the Arts Canada Council for the Arts* Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation* Government Of Canada** Prairies Economic Development Canada

Gifts of $250,000–$499,999 Department of Canadian Heritage* Taylor Family Foundation* Janet Poyen Family Foundation** Gifts of $100,000–$249,999 Honens Calgary Philharmonic Society Fund* Gifts of $50,000–$99,999 Government of Alberta Jan + Brian Grier* Mary Rozsa de Coquet** Mawer Investment Management Ltd. Erin Thrall + Peter Johnson** One Anonymous Donor Gifts of $25,000–$49,999 Ellen + Allen Borak** Terry Dalgleish* Liz + Tony Fricke** Jacky + Geoff Granville* Dr. John Lacey** Letha MacLachlan, K.C.** O'Donoghue Family Fund Palmer Family Foundation* Anne Marie Peterson Legacy Fund* Sue + Mac Van Wielingen RBC* Two Anonymous Donors Gifts of $10,000–$24,999 Michelle Bailey + John Whelan Bailie Family Foundation Jenny Belzberg** Beverly Berkhold* Belinda + Tom Boleantu** Brookfield Properties Burns Memorial Fund Calgary Arts Development Authority Calgary Foundation* Ann Calvert* Canadian Natural* Alan D. Castle Endowment for the Arts Chayka Family Foundation** Monica Cheng + Ujay Kim Gertrude Cohos** Irene + Walt DeBoni** Deloitte Dominique + Réal Doucet Carol Gray** Ryan Green Angela + Samuel Hayes** Juli Hegg + Bill Hogg* James A. Hughes** Judith Kilbourne** Jeanette King** Janet + Rick Matthews** The Fidelio Foundation Nickle Family Foundation* Lisa Poole Rabinovitz Family Community Fund ** Rogers Charity Classic Rozsa Foundation* Ruchi + Chris Ryley**

Margaret Southern** Valerie + Allen Swanson* TD Canada* United Active Living Valentine Volvo + Volvo Royal Oak Dori Wood + James Doleman** One Anonymous Donor Gifts of $5,000–$9,999 Andal Family Fund* AWS InCommunities Calgary Fund Heather + Ian Bourne* James and Patricia Burns Flow Through Fund Stephen Chetner* Joanne Cox + Chris Haygarov Rosemarie + Michael D'Avella* Walter + Ute Dilger** Calgary Finlandia Cultural Association Shirley Foster** Emily Grier + Chris Chiasson Gloria Wong + Arthur Hibbard* Mary Anne Katzenberg Drs. Marilyn Mooibroek + David Lau* Tricia Leadbeater Bernice + Jim Love Chris MacKimmie* Jane McCaig + Richard Waller Vickie + Russell McKinnon* Elizabeth + Ross Middleton Tae Nosal + John Reid** Michelle O'Reilly Foundation Jean + John Partridge** Maureen Payne** Sonia + Bob Reynolds* Sheelagh Mercer + Henry Schultz Clarice Siebens* Marie + Nathan Smith Claire + Marc Stevens Susan Swan Swedish Society of Calgary The Welty Family Foundation* Susan + Mark Wittrup Bing Wu* One Anonymous Donor Gifts of $2,500–$4,999 Dinesh + Rajendra Agrawal* Irene M. Bakker** Marian + Paul Beer** Brad Boychuk* Andrea Brussa* Eleanor + Dick Byers* Lori Caltagirone* Ah-Ling Cheng Mathilde + Emmanuel Coisne Rae + Phillip Cram*** Lori Cutler + Nick Kuzyk* Rao Darsi** Joel Douglas + Kate Fischer* Lisa Evren E. Ann Falk** Tibor Fekete* Government of Canada FALL 2025 | 65

Pamela Grigg Charitable Fund at Calgary Foundation Corinne Grigoriu* Anne Hobbs Julie + Harold Jacques* Val + Craig Johnstone Madeleine King + Bob Taylor** Karen Neary-Langill + Robert Langill Jennifer + Oscar Larios Linda Le Geyt Lennox Family Foundation Heather + Peter Marreck* Sharon Martens Rosemary Moore Shelagh + Faiz Nadir* Leanne + Dean Newhouse Benno Nigg* Tim Onyett* Kelly Pitaoulis + Zack Laurent* Wood Pittman Fund Mark Raffan Ruth + Garry Ramsden-Wood Robbin Shandel Joan + Geoffrey Simmins* Erica McBeth + Darwin Smith* The Smith Vanstokkom Foundation John Thompson** T. Gai Ward* Catherine + Bruce Williams** Christine Woolner* Janet Yuchem* Four Anonymous Donors Gifts of $1,000–$2,499 Kristin + Vaclav Albrecht Karen Ashbee + Dr. Paul Salo* Barb Atniknov + Albert Rosengarten* Roy, Hazel and Nancy Austin Fund Andrew Azmudeh* John Bonnycastle Sheryl + Bob Bowhay Meredith + Pat Cashion Glen & Nancy Charitable Gift Fund Georgina Clark Catherine Glaser-Climie + Stan Climie* Margaret Cole Linda + Jack Crawford* Ruth A. Cross Fern Cyr* David Daly* Daniel A. Downie Shouli Fayt Family Foundation Jan + Larry Fichtner** Philippa FitzGerald-Finch** Joan + Donald Greenfield* Larisa Golovatskaya + Perry Jasson Emily Halliday + Geoff Krause Glen & Nancy Charitable Gift Fund Don and Janet Hatch Family Ian Hawkins* Lisa Higham + Alan Covington* Katt Hryciw Horton Family Endowment Fund Linda + Gordon Hoy 66 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Helen Isaac Fund* Arlene & Glen Johnston Fund Rhonda Kerr Jennifer + Martin King Dr. Alice de Koning + Dr. Yrjo Koskinen Paul Lee Diane + David Macdonald* Lisa Mackay + Chris Petrik Simone Macrae* Pat + John Martin Mary Jo Leslie Endowment Fund Laurie Matiation H. Matsune* Elizabeth & Gene Maurice Fund* Ann McCaig** Liz McFetridge Jean + Rod McKay ** Andrea McManus Elizaveta Mironova + William Zho Sheila Mong Louise Moore Patricia Moore** Janice + James Morton** One Big JAM Sarah Palmer + Tom Plunkett Patricia Peabody Wendy + Rod Schultz Dr. Tony Settari** Greg Shannon Alfred Sorensen* Michele Stanners Mira Starczyk** Betty J. Stein** The Donald Terry Swystun Charitable Fund Nadine Tratch + Tyler Cumberford Randy Upright Ingrid Vicas Philippa White Rena Willson** Anne + Terry Wilson* Reg Worsley* Helen Young + Don Smith* Patricia + Frederick Young* Mae Yuchem Anne + Frank Zinatelli* Eleven Anonymous Donors Gifts of $500–$999 Gwen + Ian Anderson* Mary Bewick Barry Bortnick Callow & Associates Management Consultants Inc. John Burton Eileen Butler* Cheryl Cohen** Kelly Colberg Nan + Ian Douglas Chris Dowdeswell Audrey + John Fry* Kore Grier Carol Hanna* Robin Harwig Cindy Humphrey

Carolyn Hyndman Almas Kassam Judith Phair + Roland King James Kusie* Blair Lipkind Marg + Herb Longworth Dave + Donna Lougheed Alla Magid Rolf Martin Melanie + Todd McBride Jim McClimans Dennis McDermott Jim Merchant* Danuta + Francois Montandon* Cliff's Notes Fund Jackie + Fritz Painsi Maureen Jenkins + James S. Pender Phyllis Peters** Rajiv Ramchandra Emma Rokosh Karen Rostad John Salopek Kelly + James Scott* Lila Smith Nancy Stapley Agatha Starczyk + Mike Miller** Shannon Stevenson* Margaret + Donald Stinton* Jody Sutherland + Marco Baldasaro Cathy + Frank Van Humbeck Alex Wan Dixie + Tony Webb Peggy Wedderburn + Richard Oppenheim Archie Wells Agnes + Ray Woods Lee Woytki Maria Wu Campbell-Stone United Church Thirteen Anonymous Donors Gifts made in honour of Gordon + Irene Grier Dr Bob Johnston Dr. John Lacey Peter Lougheed Letha MacLachlan Elizabeth Middleton Patsy Lou Pantazopoulos Kristýna + Jeff Rempel Ken Sawka Family Jason Stasiuk Gifts made in memory of Brian G. Arcand Susan Fulmer Susan Kathleen Hanley Olga Kolar Alf + Kay Longworth Larry Peterson Muriel Roggensack Heili Puhm Strawbridge Stacey Christina Worsley Bonnie Zwack

Legacy Gifts: Ellen Borak Elaine + Jeremy Clark Carol Gray Angela + Samuel Hayes Jean + John Partridge Ryan Stasynec Valerie + Allen Swanson Ten Anonymous Donors

Board of Directors Samuel Hayes BOARD CHAIR

Corinne Grigoriu

OUTGOING BOARD CHAIR

Tracy Seaman

GOVERNANCE CHAIR HUMAN RESOURCES SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIR

Monica Cheng

FINANCE + AUDIT COMMITTEE CHAIR

Rebecca Finley-Schidlowsky BOARD SECRETARY

James Kusie

Volunteers These Volunteers contributed their precious time in the 2024/2025 season — we celebrate them and their ongoing dedication.

Mariah Atkinson Catalina Barboza Partow Bayzaee Andrea Becker Larry Becker Frances Bradley Courtney Cathcart Peggy Chan Carole Clement Steve Clement Carol Dann Clint Docken Julie Docken James Doney Graham Edwards Prasad Ganesan David Grant Gloria Hare Robin Harwig Cindra Kennedy Shane Kidd Wendy Kunsman Elizabeth Lietz Vi Llewellyn Shawna MacGillivary Erin MacLean-Berko Moira MacPherson Marina Milovanova Minh Nguyen Jolanta Pawlikowska Colleen Potter Dave Stephens Roy Stuart Nick Tang Cindy Wang Joseph Wang Gayna Wong

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT COUNCIL CHAIR

Michelle Bailey Kim Berjian Glenn Bontje Erin Burkholder Jocelyn Colquhoun Fern Cyr Almas Kassam Geoff Krause Dr. John Lacey Paul Lee Jane McCaig Elizabeth Middleton Casey Smith Maria Wu Calgary Philharmonic Foundation The Honourable Lois E. Mitchell

HONOURARY PATRON OF THE CALGARY PHIL FOUNDATION

David Daly PRESIDENT

Joel Douglas VICE PRESIDENT

Elaine Clark TREASURER

Alex Wan

ASSISTANT TREASURER

Ana Cherniak-Kennedy SECRETARY

Jim Hughes Letha MacLachlan Byron Neiles Ellen Parker Monica Cheng

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THE NAOMI + JOHN LACEY

VIRTUOSO PROGRAM Your Calgary Phil is thrilled to welcome these guest artists to perform with the Orchestra in the 2025/2026 season thanks to the generous support of The Naomi + John Lacey Virtuoso Program

Gil Shaham

Camille Delaforge

Stewart Goodyear

Anna Pompeeva

Krisztina Szabó

Michael Schade

Daniel Okulitch

Timothy Chooi

Steven Isserlis

To support the Naomi + John Lacey Virtuoso Program, visit calgaryphil.com/virtuoso

Before the Concert Begins

By David Sussman

For the past 32 years, Calgary Philharmonic Assistant Principal Oboe David Sussman has been dutifully dishing out unique insights about the orchestral experience in the pages of Prelude. In recognition of this special 50th anniversary edition, we're reprinting David's very first column in the magazine, originally published in the Fall 1993 issue.

W

hen I was a teenager and had just started regularly attending concerts, the warming up of the orchestra was an integral part of my concert-going experience. The house was opened, and I gave my ticket to the ticket taker and climbed more stairs than I cared to in order to reach my student seat.

Already, some musicians were on stage warming up, mostly wind players. One was repeating a short quick pattern of notes.

"Hmm," I thought. "A nasty passage that someone is still polishing."

I heard a solo from a Tchaikovsky symphony.

"That's not on tonight!"

I checked the program — next week's program that someone is working on?

Why is the bassoonist practicing that piece by Stravinsky? Does he have an audition coming up? There's that trumpet player with his warm-up tune — it's always the same every week!

The same musicians were always the first out on stage; the same ones were always the last to come out. I got to hear and know the particular sound quality of individual players this way.

I watched the players adjust their seating positions so that they were just the right distance from their colleagues, so that their sight lines were clear to their section leaders and so their peripheral vision would catch the conductor. Some seemed to purposely create an obstructed view!

Large gaps between players were telling.

Were those two not on speaking terms?

Did someone need a lot of personal space or were they perhaps farsighted?

As more players came out, the individual playing blurred into more of a cacophonous mess. But my ear was subliminally being attuned to the keys and tonalities of the evening's program.

I was subtly being exposed to snippets of melodies and rhythms that I would hear in the course of the concert and find strangely familiar. It was because I had heard them during the orchestral warm-up.

I saw a few players huddled together tuning some chords to make sure their blend was perfect (or at least reasonable).

One or two players seemed to be peering out at the audience. Once it was dark, we would become faceless and invisible to those on stage. This was their only chance to see us as individuals.

As the start time neared, the sounds on stage seemed to peak in a frenzy of tone — musicians playing what they wanted, when they wanted. Once the program began, the players would have to play exactly what was printed at precisely the right moment, not when they felt like it. It was nice to hear them let loose before that. The audience was filling up and making a lot of sound too — everyone getting in their two cents' worth and getting all ( or, at least, some) of their coughs and sneezes out of their systems.

One player seemed to play with such abandon and pleasure, oblivious to anyone else. I imagined it was a rare reprieve from family demands — some glorious time to one's self, to express one's self.

The harp player seemed to take forever to tune her dozens of strings. The reed players seemed to be making countless adjustments to their reeds — scraping a bit, clipping, holding the reeds up to the light, checking the response, comparing reeds, and deciding on a pecking order (best to worst!).

Players were cleaning out wind instruments, rotating horns to remove condensation. Trombonists were misting slides with spray bottles for ease of motion.

String players were rubbing rosin on their bows to provide good contact with the strings. Percussionists were setting up their array of instruments to be able to move from one to the other quickly.

I took this time to read the program notes so I would know what to expect in the concert — what the pieces to be played were, who the soloist was, how many movements in each piece.

I also made sure I scouted out some better seats to move to after the first piece.

The house lights began to dim and the stage lights brightened. A hush spread throughout the hall, both in the audience and on stage — incredible, spine-tingling silence. After all that sound, it was the perfect backdrop for the glorious music to come.

I was ready for the concert to begin.

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