WELCOME TO OUR 21ST SEASON Camerata San Antonio presents chamber music of the highest caliber to our many and diverse classical music-loving audiences. We are equally committed to providing educational experiences for San Antonio’s students.
CONNECT WITH US @ CAMERATASA @ CAMERATA_SAN_ANTONIO
SCAN TO JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST
@ CAMERATASANANTONIO
CONTENTS STA R- C RO S S E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 L AS M U SAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 M U S I C I A N S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 2023-2 0 2 4 B OA R D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 CO N C E RT V E N U E S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 2023-2 0 2 4 D O N O R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 S P EC I A L T H A N KS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
2
COMMON SENSE TA K E S C E N T E R S TA G E H E R E .
We’ve been giving sensible, prudent advice since 1868. And we’ll never stop working to make you a big fan of everything we do.
See how at frostbank.com/expectmore or call us at (800) 51-FROST.
MEMBER FDIC
STAR-CROSSED Claude Debussy’s music for star-crossed Pelléas and Mélisande, plus works by Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms are featured on this piano trio concert. Matthew Zerweck, violin Ken Freudigman, cello Viktor Valkov, piano
PROGRAM Pelléas et Mélisande
Claude Debussy/arr. Hubert Mouton (1862-1918) / (1872-1954)
Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 17
Clara Schumann
Allegro moderato Scherzo, tempo di Menuetto Andante Allegretto — INTERMISSION —
(1819-1896)
Piano Trio in B Major, Op. 8
Johannes Brahms
Allegro con brio Scherzo: Allegro molto Adagio Finale: Allegro
(1833-1897)
C O N C E R T D AT E S JANUARY 12, 2024 Friday at 4:00pm Kerrville First Presbyterian Church
JANUARY 13, 2024 Saturday at 3:00pm Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit (NW SA)
JANUARY 14, 2024 Sunday at 2:00pm Christ Episcopal Church 2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
4
STA R- C RO S S E D CLAUDE DEBUSSY: PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE, ARRANGED FOR PIANO TRIO Claude Debussy (1862-1918) composed only one full-length opera: Pelléas et Mélisande (in 5 acts, adapted from a play by Maurice Maeterlinck). He had begun working on it in 1893, and it premiered in 1902. Some aspects of it were traditional, but some were new or adapted from recent operatic developments, notably Richard Wagner’s “music dramas,” Tristan und Isolde (1865) and Parsifal (1882). Wagner had assigned new responsibilities to the orchestra, particularly a web of short passages he called “leading motives.” In essence, the orchestra, in parallel with the singers, revealed the emotional (or psychological) aspects of the drama. Debussy made his own personal adaptation of Wagner’s approach to the orchestra. In Pelléas, as in Tristan, the characters sing the words, but the emotional content comes from the orchestra. That is the key to Mouton’s “arrangement” of orchestral excerpts drawn from Debussy’s opera. He splices together a panoply of orchestral excerpts, arranged for violin, cello, and piano, which encapsulates much of the opera’s (subliminal) emotional content. In addition, Mouton’s Pelléas gives the concert venue a beautiful selection of infrequently heard music by Debussy. Rather than telling the story outright, Mouton’s arrangement makes allusions to the opera by quoting orchestral passages. He links together several different (and often contrasting) segments from the opera’s orchestral flow. In essence, we are hearing something like a synopsis of the opera’s emotional content. We should enjoy Mouton’s arrangement as a “tone poem,” loosely modeled on the Pelléas story.
CLARA SCHUMANN: PIANO TRIO IN G MINOR, OP. 17 One of the most celebrated pianists of the 1800s was Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896). Women concert soloists were somewhat rare during her early lifetime, but she won her fame by her dazzling yet heartfelt performances. Her father Friedrich Wieck had been her teacher, not only for the piano but also in the rudiments of composition, which she worked at joyfully from an early age. During the 1830s, a lodger at the Wieck household (and also a piano student of Friedrich) was Robert Schumann. Clara and Robert fell in love and wished to marry. Despite Friedrich’s opposition, they were married in 1840. The Schumanns had eight children, but Clara continued to perform, teach, and compose as much as her time allowed.
5
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
P RO G R A M N OT E S Robert found employment at first in Leipzig, then in Dresden, and finally in Dusseldorf. Robert suffered from what is now believed to have been ManicDepressive Disorder. In 1854, he attempted suicide and was placed in a sanatorium until his death in 1856. From that period until near the end of her life, Clara Schumann worked unceasingly to support her children. Orchestral performances took first consideration, including concertos (notably her own piano concerto) and recitals — both solo and ensemble. Clara composed regularly until her husband’s death and sporadically thereafter. The G-minor Piano Trio was composed over the summer of 1846, and premiered the following January in Vienna. The opening Allegro moderato shows us how clearly Clara’s sense of balance between instruments is never upset, although in many passages the piano dominates. The character of themes is likewise in balance, where the dramatic first theme group gives way to more lyrical themes without losing forward momentum. The central development section raises the emotional stakes, yet transformations of the themes remain, keeping them clearly in focus. Balance also comes into play when themes are brought back in their original form toward the end. Giving the second movement the title Scherzo may be a mere formality, since the marking Tempo di Menuetto more clearly defines the movement’s contents. Here we have music in the style of “parlor” pieces (with Clara as the gracious hostess). The central “Trio” section becomes more adventurous, with several accent shifts and varied phrase lengths. The movement’s first section then reprises. The Andante movement that follows reminds us of the friendship between the Schumanns and Felix Mendelssohn. For it begins truly like a “Song Without Words.” Its main theme is “sung” first by the piano, then by the violin joined in the theme’s center by the cello. Without warning, the strings come to the fore, pitted against the piano in a dramatic encounter. Finally subsiding, the music returns to the main theme, now clothed in drama. This is resolved by alternations between strings and piano, all playing phrases from the original “song” theme. Earlier dramatic moments are now revived as the music drives toward a recap of the “song,” now reprised by the cello with elaborated accompaniment by violin and piano. The full trio brings the movement to a close in clear, resonating harmonies. The work’s Allegretto finale begins with a theme containing subtle folksong elements. Playful musical ideas are now shared among the ensemble. Then, a big 2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
6
STA R- C RO S S E D surprise: a FUGATO (quasi-fugue) unfolds among the trio, but only temporarily. A rugged turn to fragmentary folksong ideas prefaces a final return of the fugato theme. After a rapid transition, the movement’s opening theme returns, punctuated here and there by fragments of the fugato. A faster tempo finally signals that the end is in sight. Then a momentary slowing gives the music added strength to drive to its triumphal ending.
JOHANNES BRAHMS: PIANO TRIO IN B MAJOR, OP. 8 The Piano Trio in B Major was the first published chamber work by Johannes Brahms (1833- 1897), but it was doubtless not his first trio, and certainly not the first chamber work he composed. There is evidence that Brahms destroyed some 20 string quartets before allowing one (Op. 51) to be published in 1873. Two or more piano trios may have preceded Opus 8, and it is possible that a Trio in A Major, which came to light in 1938, was an early work that Brahms meant to destroy. Brahms completed the B Major Piano Trio early in 1854, and its first version was published the same year. Clara Schumann found the work beautiful but did not especially care for the first movement. She felt the entire work was repetitious, and the first movement was particularly long. This movement contained no fewer than five themes, which did not contrast well with one another. After a normal development section there was a second development — a fugato — imbedded in the recapitulation. In 1888, Brahms’s publisher Simrock wrote to the composer asking if he would care to make some revisions in his early works for the purpose of publishing second editions. Brahms replied enthusiastically, “I shall certainly revise, and in such a manner that you will be justified in announcing it on the title page.” Thus in 1890, Simrock published a new version of the Opus 8 Piano Trio. Brahms had completely overhauled the first movement, making it more concise by deleting the fugato and replacing several subordinate themes with one incisive one. The Adagio and Finale were treated similarly. A superfluous Allegro section in the slow movement was removed, and the overabundance of material in the final Allegro was trimmed to improve its formal integrity. Only the Scherzo escaped major surgery, for Brahms revised only its coda. In this version, we hear the Piano Trio in B Major today, revised by a mature hand but missing none of the youthful exuberance of its original creation. Notes by Dr. Michael Fink 2023
7
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
LAS MUSAS Works of exquisite beauty and mystery by Errollyn Wallen, Joaquin Turína, and Gabriel Fauré for soprano and chamber ensemble. Sarah Davis, lyric soprano Laura Scalzo & Matthew Zerweck, violins Emily Freudigman, viola Ken Freudigman, cello Kristin Roach, piano
PHOTO CREDIT: SAILKO / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
11
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
PROGRAM Are You Worried About the Rising Costs of Funerals?
Errollyn Wallen
(Five Simple Songs)
(b.1958)
Beehive (Song of the Priest, the Pall-bearer and the Hanging Man) Mary White Christine Guru End of My Days Las Musas de Andalucía, Op. 93
Joaquín Turina
Clío Euterpe Talía Polimnia Melpómene Erato Urania Terpsíchore Calíope
(1882-1949)
— INTERMISSION — La Bonne Chanson
Gabriel Fauré
Une Sainte en son auréole Puisque l’aube grandit La lune blanche luit dans le bois J’allais par des chemins perfides J’ai presque peur, en vérité Avant que tu ne t’en ailles Donc, ce sera par un clair jour d’été N’est-ce pas? L’hiver a cessé
(1845-1924)
C O N C E R T D AT E S FEBRUARY 9, 2024 Friday at 4:00pm Kerrville First Presbyterian Church
FEBRUARY 11, 2024 Sunday at 2:00pm Christ Episcopal Church
2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
12
L AS M U SAS WALLEN: ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THE RISING COST OF FUNERALS? (FIVE SIMPLE SONGS) Born in Belize, Errollyn Wallen (1958- ) moved to London, England, with her parents and siblings at the age of two. When her parents moved to New York, the children were raised by an aunt and uncle living in England. Growing up, she took lessons in dance, and her uncle sparked her interest in music through piano lessons. Following graduation from boarding school, Wallen spent about two years (1976-78) training at the Dance Theater of Harlem (New York), but then returned to England, now thoroughly dedicated to music composition and performance. Studying in London at Goldsmiths and then at King’s College London, she earned a Master’s Degree from Kings College, Cambridge in 1983. Wallen now lives and composes in a lighthouse on the coast of Scotland. In her career as a composer, Wallen has received numerous commissions and honors. A few top honors were Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2007 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2020. She is one of the top 20 most performed living composers of classical music in the world. A very versatile and productive composer, Wallen has written nine chamber operas and a variety of other vocal music, a large and varied repertoire of chamber music, and numerous orchestral works, notably her most recent: Concerto Grosso, premiered in 2022 by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, John Butt, conducting. Philip Headlam conducted the premiere recording of Are You Worried . . . on Avie Records. For that CD he also wrote the following insightful description of this song cycle: Errollyn Wallen’s poems for this work (1994) display a wide range of characters and relationships. Beehive is couched in the biblical language of the sinners and the saved, set in a powerful gospel rhythm with swinging melodic embellishments. Mary is a character of youthful innocence (with a sly reference to the nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb) who succumbs to an alluring and calling voice, the nature of which is ambiguous in its sincerity. The impressionistic White Christine is suffused with suppression, emotional constraint and suffocation. The persuasive narrator of Guru promises to reveal the secret of life and happiness to all supplicants; she offers a seductive alternative to the loveliness and banality of ordinary life
13
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
P RO G R A M N OT E S and, again, leaves the answer strangely ambiguous. End of My Days is a farewell to life offered as an exultation of the soul. Without regret, sadness, or the reassurance of an after-life, the narrator reaches for the peak of emotional fulfillment in leaving life.
TURINA: LAS MUSAS DE ANDALUCÍA, OP. 93 Joaquín Turina (1882-1949) was born in Seville. His early studies were there and in Madrid. Following his predecessors, Isaac Albèniz and Manuel de Falla, Turina moved to Paris in 1905, where he studied with d’Indy. He became a friend of Debussy and Ravel. While in France, Turina, Albéniz, and Falla resolved to become nationalist composers writing in a Spanish style. After the outbreak of WWI in 1914, Turina returned to Madrid. His early career there included conducting for the Ballets Russes and at the Teatro Real. In the early months of 1929, Turina visited Havana, Cuba, where he gave a series of lectures at the Hispanic Institute of Culture. Two years later he was made Professor of Composition at the Madrid Conservatory. During the 1920s and ’30s, Turina frequently spent time in Catalonia and Barcelona, where he absorbed the Catalán culture and composed music that paid tribute to it. Turina was most prolific in the field of chamber music, which led to performances at the piano with the likes of Pablo Casals. Several of his chamber works are based on some model or idea. Las Musas de Andalucia is an example. Combining the idea of the nine Ancient Greek Muses with musical idioms from his native Andalucia, Turina was able to create a work containing a panoply of musical colors, musical effects, and unique forms. Las Musas de Andalucia was composed for one soprano voice, piano, and string quartet. Each movement was composed for a different instrumental combination or solo. This variety of musical colors and textures produces varied effects. The nine movements are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Clío Euterpe Talía Polimnia Melpómene Erato Urania Terpsícore Calíope
2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
14
L AS M U SAS FAURE: LA BONNE CHANSON Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) came from a family of minor aristocrats and educators in the South of France. As a child, he showed musical talent early, and his parents sent him to study in Paris. Initially, he studied church music. However, in 1861, he began to study the piano with Camille Saint-Saëns. This very popular composer introduced young Gabriel to the music of contemporary composers, which made a deep impression on him and his compositional style. Throughout his early professional life, Fauré’s main source of income was as a church organist. At the same time, his recognition as a composer grew steadily, and in 1896 he was appointed professor at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1905 he became its Director. However, his fame arrived late, and in concert life, he is still underrated. Historians consider him the greatest French composer between Berlioz and Debussy and one of the greatest song composers in history. Proof of that claim can be found in his famous song cycle, La Bonne Chanson, (“The Good Song”). For this work, Fauré chose poems by Paul Verlaine, who had in mind his wife, to whom he was deeply devoted. Fauré composed most of La Bonne Chanson during the summers of 1892 and 1893, times when he was having a serious romantic affair with his vacation neighbor, singer Emma Bardac (later, Claude Debussy’s second wife). She would sing songs for the composer as he finished them. The song cycle was finally completed in February 1894. When published, La Bonne Chanson’s dedication was (naturally) to Emma Bardac. Biographer Jean-Michel Nectoux has commented: “Fauré’s passion for Emma Bardac not only disrupted the even, bourgeois tenor of his life but, unusually for him, had the effect of completely reorienting his compositional activity. . . . He cast off from the moorings of what was reasonable, what “sounded well,” and at a stroke achieved the sovereign liberty that marks the great creative artist.” Notes by Dr. Michael Fink 2023
15
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
THE MU
SARAH DAVIS, LYRIC SOPRANO Hailed by the New York Times as “a voice with considerable warmth,” lyricsoprano Sarah Davis has been recognized as a gifted performer both on the recital and operatic stage. She has premiered works by American composers: John Harbison, Barbara White, Eliza Brown, Eric Nathan, and Elliott Carter at Tanglewood Music Center, SongFest, Radio France, and Network for New Music. In the month prior to the pandemic taking hold, Ms. Davis performed a glorious Liederabend at Schwartzsche Villa in Berlin, Germany, singing Canteloube, Rachmaninov, Sibelius and Berg’s Sieben Frühe Lieder with pianist Chris Cartner. Notable concert & operatic roles credits include: Verdi Requiem, Mahler Symphony No. 2, Brahms Requiem, Beethoven Missa Solemnis and Ninth Symphony, Mimi in La Boheme, Antonia, Fiordiligi, Pamina, Cendrillon, Susannah (Floyd), Anne Trulove, as well as Krystyna Zyvulska from Heggie’s Another Sunrise. Sarah holds degrees from Trinity University and the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. She currently resides in Comfort, Texas.
17
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
SICIANS
EMILY FREUDIGMAN, VIOLA Emily Freudigman is Co-Founder of Camerata San Antonio. Emily holds degrees in viola performance from Southern Methodist University, the Peabody Conservatory, and the University of Michigan and has been a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and the Aspen Music Festival and School. She has studied chamber music with members of the Juilliard, Muir, Concord and Tokyo String Quartets, and she has performed with the Grand Rapids, Maryland, Fort Worth and Boston Symphony Orchestras. Emily was the Assistant Principal Viola of the San Antonio Symphony from 2002 to 2019. She maintains an active viola studio in San Antonio – her students perform in the Texas All-State orchestras, attend prestigious summer music camps, including the Eastern and Killington Music Festivals and Interlochen Center for the Arts and have gone on to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Peabody Conservatory of Music.
2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
18
KENNETH FREUDIGMAN, CELLO Kenneth Freudigman is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Camerata San Antonio. Ken was Principal Cello of the San Antonio Symphony from 2004 to 2022 and continues in the role with the new San Antonio Philharmonic. A highlyrespected cello pedagogue, Ken also serves as Conductor of YOSA’s Symphony and Concertino Orchestras. Mr. Freudigman began playing the violin at age six and found his true love, the cello, at the age of nine. After six years of study, he was accepted to attend the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts. Upon graduating with honors in music performance, he went on to receive a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music. He began his orchestral and chamber music career while at Eastman, winning a position with the Rochester Philharmonic and was also a founding member of the Esterhazy Chamber Ensemble. In 1992, Mr. Freudigman joined the New World Symphony, an advanced training orchestra for recent graduates of music schools, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He has also performed with the Atlanta, Utah, Grand Rapids, Charleston, and Virginia Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Sarasota Opera and the Mexico City Philharmonic. Mr. Freudigman was also a founding member of the American Sinfonietta. His orchestra and chamber music engagements have taken him to the major concert halls of Europe, the Middle East, and throughout South and North America. Mr. Freudigman has performed chamber music with members of the Amadeus and Cleveland Quartets and with the pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. He has been a featured soloist with the World Youth and New World Symphony Orchestras, the San Antonio Symphony and the Mexico City Philharmonic, where he was engaged to perform Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto. Mr. Freudigman can be heard in recordings on the Argo and Summit record labels, featured with Renee Fleming and the New World Symphony Orchestra performing Bachianas Brasileiras by Heitor Villa-Lobos on BMG Classics, and on Camerata San Antonio’s Grammy-nominated premiere CD, Salon Buenos Aires: Music of Miguel Del Aguila. 19
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
KRISTIN ROACH, PIANO Kristin Roach is a Grammy-nominated pianist and opera conductor with 37 new operas and 24 world premieres under her baton. She is committed to the ongoing evolution of opera in the 21st century by leading newly composed works, championing underrepresented artists and creators, and training the next generation of performers. Upcoming conducting engagements include the world premiere of Alice: An Operatic Wonderland by Amy Scurria at Red River Lyric Opera. Recently conducting engagements include Thumbprint for Chautauqua Opera Company, Two Remain for Lyric Opera Orange County, and Tosca for Texas Concert Opera Collective. Ms. Roach serves as Assistant Professor of Music at Lawrence University, where she is opera conductor and vocal coach. Previous positions include Founding Music Director of Alamo City Opera, where she conducted seventeen productions including many South Texas premieres, and Music Director of Spotlight on Opera. Ms. Roach has prepared productions for the San Francisco Opera, San Diego Opera, Tulsa Opera, Utah Opera, Opera San Antonio and many others.
2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
20
LAURA SCALZO, VIOLIN Originally from Long Island, New York, Laura Scalzo’s love of the violin was sparked by the great violinist, Itzhak Perlman, when she heard him play on “Sesame Street.” She began lessons at the age of 4 and has been playing ever since. She holds degrees from Temple University (BA) and the University of Delaware (MM). Her primary teachers have included William dePasquale, Xiang Gao, and Ellen dePasquale. Ms. Scalzo joined the first violin section of the San Antonio Symphony in 2011. Ms. Scalzo is also the Assistant Concertmaster of the Mid-Texas Symphony. Before moving to San Antonio, she was a tenured member of the Delaware and Allentown Symphonies. As a passionate chamber music lover, Ms. Scalzo has performed with various ensembles in San Antonio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. She is currently a member of the Mid-Texas Chamber Players. In addition to performing, Ms. Scalzo is an enthusiastic teacher and has maintained a private studio of all levels since 2000. At the University of Delaware, she was Xiang Gao’s teaching assistant and taught the undergraduate non-music majors. She was a professor of violin at Texas Lutheran University from 2013-2015. Ms. Scalzo has many interests outside of music. In 2020 she launched a blog, www.rootsinthecitytx.com, where she shares her adventures in vegetable and native plant gardening. She is an avid animal lover and amateur chef. She can often be found at home in the kitchen cooking for family and friends, or when not working, attempting to entertain the cats.
21
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
VIKTOR VALKOV, PIANO Winner of the 2012 New Orleans International Piano Competition, Viktor Valkov has been hailed as a “lion of the keyboard” and “sensational” (Wiesbadener Kurier). A winner of Astral’s 2015 National Auditions, he recently gave a critically acclaimed recital in London’s Wigmore Hall, and appeared as soloist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Valkov has appeared frequently as a recitalist in the U.S., China, Japan, England, Norway, Germany, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, and Macedonia.He debuted with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, and performed Dimitar Nenov’s Grande Piano Concerto with New Symphony Orchestra under Rossen Milanov, becoming the fifth pianist to perform the concerto, and the only one to do so in its entirety. Mr. Valkov has made a number of recordings for the Bulgarian National Radio archive and has recorded for Bulgarian National Television and Macedonian Radio and Television. Mr. Valkov’s concerts reflect a vast interest in chamber music as well as lesserknown piano repertoire. He frequently performs with Bulgarian cellist Lachezar Kostov. Both deeply interested in broadening the repertoire for cello/piano duo, they often include such composers as Kabalevsky, Roslavetz, Schnittke, and Saint-Saëns in their programs. In 2009, the Kostov-Valkov Duo gave its Carnegie Hall debut in Zankel Hall, and in 2011 won the Liszt-Garisson International Competition, where they were also awarded the Liszt Prize and special prizes in the collaborative artists category. As a soloist, some of Mr. Valkov’s recent projects include Beethoven’s Hammerklavier sonata and Busoni’s Fantasia Contrappuntistica. He has presented a program highlighting composers of the 1600’s, including Froberger, Couperin, Frescobaldi, and Buxtehude, and selections from The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. His first solo CD was a Naxos release of the complete piano music of Dimitar Nenov. Viktor Valkov is an Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Utah. 2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
22
MATTHEW ZERWECK, VIOLIN Matthew Zerweck (matthewzerweck.com) began his music studies at age 5, after watching Itzhak Perlman perform on the children’s television show, “Sesame Street.” After studying with several esteemed artist teachers, he entered the Eastman School of Music. He earned degrees from the Eastman School of Music (BM, MM), where he served as teaching assistant to the world renowned violinist and teacher, Charles Castleman. Formerly the Assistant Concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony (20082012), Matthew teaches violin full time in San Antonio. His students have played as soloists with the San Antonio Symphony, San Antonio Sinfonietta, and Starlight Symphony Orchestra. His students occasionally pursue music degrees at competitive colleges and conservatories. An active performer, Matthew leads the San Antonio Sinfonietta as concertmaster and soloist. He’s also performed major concertos with the UIW Orchestra and Youth Orchestras of San Antonio. In 2015, he recorded the lead violin parts for “Upon the Awful Tree,” an independent film with an original score by Matt Dunne. In his free time, Matthew enjoys spending time with his wife, Nancy, his son, Charlie, and four cats.
23
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
Season 29
Key Moments 2023–2024 Oct 23. 2023
Quartet for the End of Time w/ Ani & Marta Aznavoorian cello & piano Cahuzac • Ravel Messiaen
Jan 22. 2024
German Music of the Last Three Centuries w/ John Novacek piano Schroeder • Brahms Mozart • Jenner
Season Concerts MONDAYS @ 7:30 pm
Mar 4. 2024 Celebrating March 8th, Internat’l Women’s Day w/ Janice Carissa piano Bonis • Tailleferre Boulanger • Schumann Price
info & tickets :
olmosensemble.com
location :
Shepherd King Lutheran Church 303 W. Ramsey Rd, San Antonio
May 6. 2024 Season Finale
Olmos Ensemble and Jon Nakamatsu w/ Jon Nakamatsu piano Haydn • Brahms Beethoven • Blumer
“World Class Symphonic Music for the Texas Hill Country” Oct 5
Celebrate 100 years of passion and pomp! Brahms–Elgar–Lalo–Grantham World Premiere for Schreiner Centennial
Dec 7
Musical moods of the holiday season! Strauss–Tchaikovsky–Sing-Along Carols
Jan 6
Scenes, scents, and sounds of a night at the movies! Mancine–Elfman–Williams–Movie Hits!
Feb 29
Leap forward in musical jubilation! Verdi–Schumann–V. Williams–Spirituals
Apr 25
A celebration of musical fellowship! Elgar–Pachelbel–Tchaikovsky
Cailloux Theater
910 Main • Kerrville TX All Performances 7:00 pm • Reception 6:00 pm For Tickets: CaillouxPerformingArts.com • (830) 896-9393 For Information: SymphonyOfTheHills.org • (830) 792-7469
SALES
RENTALS
LESSONS
Introducing the Texas Violin Shop: Your Go-To Family-Owned Business in San Antonio. Come and experience our workshop, where we prioritize providing each customer with a positive and unique experience. From your very first student instrument to upgrading to a professional model, we've got you covered. Our selection of products is handpicked to meet our rigorous standards and cater to every budget. At our company, we value community involvement and take pride in supporting local events and organizations that promote the arts. We strongly believe in the power of music to bring people together and are thrilled to be an active participant in San Antonio's thriving music scene.
Meet Samantha - a talented luthier and the owner of the only violin shop in San Antonio that creates handmade instruments in house.
www.texasviolinshop.com
(210)900-7609
info@texasviolinshop.com
10119 Trappers Ridge Converse Texas 78109
(Appointment Only) Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 7:00pm Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm
REPAIRS
2023-2024 BOARD JENNIFER GARCIA-HETTINGER PRESIDENT
KAY LORRAINE JOHNSON VICE PRESIDENT
JULIE KENFIELD TREASURER
LISA FUENTES SECRETARY
JENNY FISH SARA HAMILTON
CONCERT VENUES FRIDAYS KERRVILLE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 800 Jefferson St Kerrville, TX 78028
SATURDAYS EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 11093 Bandera Rd San Antonio, TX 78250
SUNDAYS CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 510 Belknap Pl San Antonio, TX 78212
2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
28
THANK YOU TO OUR
2023-2024 DONORS CAMERATA CIRCLE Kenneth Bloom & Sheila Swartzman Charitable Trust In memory of Kenneth Bloom Dr. & Mrs. Thomas R. Hamilton Sponsors of violinist Matthew Zerweck
CHAMBER CIRCLE Didi & Alan Weinblatt Sponsors of pianist Viktor Valkov
PATRONS CIRCLE
ADVOCATES CIRCLE
Dr. Donald K. Burda Mary Anne & Tony Crosby Linda & Edgar Duncan Barbara C. Kyse Carl & Ann Leafstedt Jeremy & Grace Phoa San Antonio Symphony League Janna Spurlock
Junell Holmer Frederica & Martin Kushner Phillips Family Charitable Fund J. Scott Rose Texas Violin Shop Dr. Ana M. Valadez
BENEFACTORS CIRCLE ANONYMOUS Allegra Marketing Print Mail Kay Lorraine Johnson & Scott Baird George Brin & Colleen Walter Brin Julie Kenfield & Guy Clumpner Liz Davenport Forrest Family Charitable Fund Richard E. & Antonia K. Goldsmith Phyllis Kline Joe & Toni Murgo Sara Ann Pomerantz Wayne & Barbara Shore Stephenson Family Gift Fund Mary Ellen & Tim Summerlin 29
CAM ERATA SAN AN TO N I O
SUBSCRIBERS CIRCLE ANONYMOUS (2) Helga Anderson Charles Bender COL Frank Bertagnolli, (Ret) Diane Burchers Alan Cutler Bernice Davis Mike Davis In honor of Toni Murgo Freda Flax Paul Giolma Delicia Herrera Suzanne Kasanoff Eunsu Lee LuAnn Lockerbie Hannah Margolis
Mimi McMillen Lynne Noriskin Daniel Rosenthal Kathy & Robert Rothen Kim Smith Brik Stratton Connie & Bruce Story Carol Talpey Irma Taute Gustavo Valadez Ortiz Gary & Jeanette Vaughan Tammy Widener
FRIENDS CIRCLE ANONYMOUS (4) Yanie Betts Terence Brown Marisa Bushman Jacqueline Claunch Laurel Donoho Carol Duganne Jenny Fish Erwin Flores Aaron & Ami Freudigman Karen Freudigman Ken & Emily Freudigman Carol Frohlich Lisa Fuentes Kevin & Jennifer Garcia-Hettinger Anya Grokhovski
Paul Gronquist Margaret Hager William Heffner Linda Humphrey Helen Gail Jarrett Martha S. Jones Julie Post & Andrew Kania Kathleen Kemp Mary Ann Kocurek Mark Landson Marguerite McCormick Anne Mullen Smith Eugene Oehler Marilyn Respondek Jose Rivas Mo & Brigitte Saidi David Saussy Cynthia J. Schwarz Thor Sigurdson Laurance Smith Brittany Socher Ann Springer John Thompson Mary Jane Verette Jane Warsaw Robert Weidman Gillian Wiggins Morgan Williams Alice Witterman John Woodworth
To donate, please visit our website or send a check payable to Camerata San Antonio to: 11618 Raindrop Dr, San Antonio TX 78216
Due to our printing schedule, gifts received after Dec 18, 2023, will be recognized in Mar/Apr programs. Up-to-date donor listings may be found online at www.cameratasa.org/support.
Donations to Camerata San Antonio are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Federal Tax ID #56-2382185 2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
30
SPECIAL THANKS The Camerata Compadres Our Wonderful Volunteer Corps
Kerrville First Presbyterian Church Rev. Jasiel Hernandez Garcia
BlackStone Studio Barbara Holland
Seth Lafler
Bob Catlin
Sabrina Adrian
Christ Episcopal Church The Rev. Dr. Patrick Gahan
Worship Committee
RECTOR
Josh Benninger DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Jennifer Holloway ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
CEC Friends of Music Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit Rev. Jason T. Roberts
SENIOR PASTOR DIRECTOR OF CHORAL MUSIC ORGANIST
Murgophonic Jason Murgo Traveling Blender Sandy Weatherford Texas Public Radio KPAC/KSTX Barry Brake Nathan Cone
RECTOR
Amanda LaHue CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR
Gary Mabry MUSIC MINISTER
2023 -2 02 4 S E AS O N
32
Primocello Ceramics Cellist By Day, Potter By Night Camerata San Antonio Artistic Director Kenneth Freudigman found clay in February of 2019 and has become obsessed with forms and glazes! When he’s not performing, teaching, conducting, biking, or running, you can find him making a mess in his ceramics studio!!
• WEBSITE: PrimocelloCeramics com • INSTAGRAM: @primocello_ceramics • FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/PrimocelloCeramics
Trailblazing life-changing therapies and treatments.
As the largest academic research institution in South Texas, we use the power of discovery, innovation and passion to transform the health of our community. See how we translate what we learn in our labs into hope for those we serve at EverythingItTakes.org.
SALES
RENTALS
REPAIR
RESTORATION
Terra Nova
San Antonio 6983 Blanco Rd San Antonio, TX 78216 Ph: 210-349-4700 Fax: 210-349-4725
Terra Nova
Austin 7795 Burnet Rd Austin, TX 78757 Ph: 512-640-4072 Fax: 512-879-6853
www.TerraNovaViolins.com