carthage music department presents
Greg Berg & Friends A Retirement Celebration
Saturday, October 10, 2026 Reception 6:00 pm | Concert 7:30 pm A.F. Siebert Chapel / Grace Kolakowski Hall Kenosha, WI
program Trumpet Tune in D major brian schoettler, organ Psalm 95: "O Come, Let us Worship" "Strength" musici amici Marietta’s Lied from Die tote Stadt
kathy ripley, flute
David N. Johnson (1922–1987) Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) Gregory Berg (b. 1960) Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957)
Concerto in C for Two Trumpets Antonio Vivaldi I. Allegro ( 1678–1741) greg schroeder and matt maccari, trumpet Galop-Marche
Albert Lavignac (1846–1916) melissa cardamone, debbie maslowski, fumi nakayama, piano
"The Roadside Fire" from Songs of Travel
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) greg's basses and baritones
"Widmung" from Myrthen "Ah mes amis" from La fille du Regiment
greg's tenors
nick huff, voice
Robert Schumann (1810–1856) Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)
"Thus saith the Lord… But who May Abide" George Frederic Handel from Messiah (1685–1759) mike anderle, baritone "Addio, fiorito asil" from Madama Butterfly "Au fond du temple saint"
nick huff, voice
Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) Georges Bizet
program from The Pearl Fishers mike anderle and nick huff, voice "An die Musik" peg cleveland, voice
(1838–1875) Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
"Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer" "Ging heut Morgen über’s Feld" from Songs of the Wayfarer austin pancner, trombone "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
Gustav Mahler (1860–1911)
arr. Mark Paffrath
"Time"
Mark Paffrath
"And When I Rise" mark paffrath, folk singer and guitar
Wendy Tuck
"We live on Borrowed Time"
greg berg
Der Leiermann from Winterreise "Mercy and Love"
David Friedman Franz Schubert (1797–1828) Gregory Berg
trevor parker, voice
Audience Hymn "Now Thank We All our God" "Amazing Grace"
arr. Gregory Berg
The Lord Bless You and Keep You musici amici Fanfare brian schoettler, organ
John Rutter (b. 1945) John Cook (1918–1984)
program notes A WORD OF WELCOME AND EXPLANATION Many thanks for coming and sharing in what I hope will be a celebration not of me and my accomplishments, but rather a celebration of music itself and the joy of making music together with friends, colleagues, and family. I was truly flabbergasted and humbled when told that the celebration of my retirement would take the form of some sort of Greg Berg & Friends concert – if I was okay with that. Certainly, the prospect of planning a concert of such dimensions and complexity was a bit daunting, but I honestly and gratefully leapt at the chance to create a program in which I might be able to reconnect with some of the wonderful students I have been privileged to teach over the course of my thirty-five years at Carthage. It was also a chance to collaborate with treasured Carthage colleagues as well as with several gifted musicians in the Kenosha/Racine area whom I greatly admire. The single greatest frustration in all of this is that it was not possible to include even more colleagues and community members or showcase even more of the gifted alumni who have returned to Carthage for this occasion. In the end, you will be seeing and hearing what amounts to a small sampling of the many talented and open-hearted musicians who have been such an important part of my life. I want to offer my heartfelt appreciation and love to the many former students who are joining us tonight – some of whom have traveled a great distance to be hereand to all of the other gifted musicians who are sharing their talents so generously. Beyond that, I want to express my profound appreciation to the array of faculty colleagues with whom I have been privileged to teach; I have learned so much and grown so much as a musician and as a human because of them. I can say the same about the many extraordinary musicians out in the community with whom I have collaborated over the years. I can scarcely imagine how life could have been any richer. Finally, I want to offer a very special word of thanks to the woman I married the very same month (September 1991) that I began teaching here at Carthage. Kathy has lightened the burdens and enhanced the joys of my life ever since. I am beyond grateful. Gregory Berg
biographies Gregory Berg began teaching music at Carthage College as an adjunct instructor in 1991, and became a full-time member of the music faculty four years later. In addition to teaching private voice, he enjoyed two lengthy stints as director of the Lincoln Chamber Singers and two years as interim director of the Carthage Choir. He coordinated the school’s opera workshop program for many years, which included productions of Puccini’s Il Trittico, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, and Cosi fan Tutte, Offenbach’s Le pom d’api, John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, and pastiches such as Happy Birthday, Herr Handel and The Magnificence of Menotti. He also composed a half dozen original one-act operas for Carthage students, including Black September, Birds of a Feather: A Magic Flute Sequel, Courageous Rose: a story of student resisters to Hitler, Women and Children: a story of Titanic Survivors, and Trouble to Joy: a Sequel to Madama Butterfly. He was privileged to serve as piano accompanist for the Carthage Choir under four different conductors: John Windh, Weston Noble (guest conductor-in-residence), Eduardo Garcia-Novelli, and Maggie Burk. He currently accompanies the two treble voice ensembles conducted by his sister-in-law, Polly Amborn. Berg has had three choral works published by Hal Leonard, and his commissioned works include “One More Reason to Sing” for the 50th annual KUSDChoral Fest, “The Gift to Sing” for Luther College’s Nordic Choir, “Most Alive” for the dedication of the auditorium at Indian Trail High School, and “We who are Free” for the DeKalb Festival Singers under the direction of Carthage alum Paul Marchese. Berg first moved to the area in 1986 to become Fine Arts Director at WGTD FM 91.1, where he continues to host a daily interview program titled “The Morning Show.” He has served Holy Communion Lutheran Church in Racine as Minister of Music since 1988. He has appeared as a soloist over the years with the Kenosha Pops Concert Band, Racine Municipal Band, Kenosha Symphony Orchestra, Racine Symphony Orchestra, and the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin. He has been the music director for over forty productions at the Racine Theatre Guild over the past quarter century for shows ranging from Les miserables and Sweeney Todd to Gypsy, The Producers, and Mary Poppins. He has written the column “The Media Gallery” (formerly “The Listener’s Gallery”) for the Journal of Singing, the official publication of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, since 2001. Greg is a proud graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he double majored in Music and Religion. From there, he earned his MM in Opera Performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is married to Kathy Berg, a retired public school elementary music teacher and proud graduate of Carthage. Brian Schoettler (‘11) serves as Minister of Music & Organist at First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois, and is chair of the Organ Department at the Music Institute of Chicago and teaches music theory for their pre-college Academy. He also teaches organ at UW-Parkside. His graduate work includes a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music. He was a triple emphasis music major at Carthage College – in Organ Performance, Church Music, and Instrumental Music Education. Brian recently served as Dean of the North Shore chapter of the American Guild of Organists and has been a guest performer with the Chicago Symphony, the Elmhurst Symphony, the Grant Park Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony. For more information, visit: www.brianschoettler.com. Kathy Ripley is the band director at Tremper High School, where she conducts four concert bands and two jazz bands; she also teaches AP music theory. She is assistant conductor of the Kenosha Pops Concert Band, and regularly plays with both the Kenosha and Racine Symphony Orchestras. She has taught both here at Carthage and at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Her husband Jim is director of instrumental activities here at Carthage.
biographies Greg Schroeder (’12) graduated from Carthage with an instrumental music degree. He has over fifteen years experience as a public school band director, and is currently the middle school band director in the Salem School District. He is also a member of the Kenosha Pops Concert Band, which has performed several of Greg’s original compositions. He is the Bell Choir Director and Interim Choral Director at Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church in Racine. Matt Maccari (’12) also graduated from Carthage with an instrumental music degree, and has been the band director for Lance Middle School in Kenosha for the past 9 years. He has also served as co-director of the KUSD’s Rambler Recreation Band, in which more than 100 Kenosha middle school students participate. He is Co-Music Director of St. Paul the Apostle Parish and St. Louis Catholic Church in Racine (with Carthage’s own Rita Gentile) and also plays in the Kenosha Pops Concert Band. Austin Pancner (’13) has performed extensively as an award-winning bass trombonist with symphony orchestras in Cincinnati, Detroit, Atlanta and Indianapolis, and has made numerous presentations at colleges, universities and conservatories across the country. He is founder of The Functional Musician, an education and coaching platform that assists musicians in recovery from injury and other physical difficulties and issues in order for them to achieve their full potential as performers. As a physical trainer, Austin works with clients both virtually and in person in Cincinnati, OH where he leads the Bridge Training Program at Beyond Exercise, a post-rehab program that bridges physical therapy and performance training. For more information, visit www.thefunctionalmusician.com. Mike Anderle (’15) was a History and Music double major at Carthage. He was a member of both the Carthage Choir and Lincoln Chamber Singers, and sang major roles in The Marriage of Figaro, Gianni Schicchi, Il Tabarro, and Black September. He placed third in two Wisconsin NATS competitions. He has been the bass soloist for more than a decade with the Sing Along Messiah at First United Methodist Church in Kenosha. He lives with his wife Alicia (Petzoldt) Anderle in Poplar Bluff, MO where he teaches American Government and World History at Poplar Bluff High School. Nick Huff (’15) followed up four years as a music major at Carthage (vocal performance emphasis) with graduate work at Eastman School of Music, where he earned an MM in Vocal Performance. His busy career as a professional tenor has included exciting stints with such young artists programs as the Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera, the Merola Program of San Francisco Opera, and Ravinia’s Stearns Institute. Last year, he was heard in several engagements with WNO, including the “American Rhapsody” concert featuring Renee Fleming and Thomas Hampson, as Steve ‘Woz’ Wozniak in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, and as Rodolfo in La Boheme. Recent credits also include a performance with the Apollo Orchestra of Das Lied von der Erde by Gustav Mahler. For more information, visit www.nicholashuff.pw.
biographies Mark Paff rath is an award-winning pop-folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing professionally for fifty years. He has several different recordings to his credit, including I like it when everything is o.k., which includes his song “Time” that is being sung tonight. He performs as a solo artist and as lead vocalist of Waiting For Eddie, and has hosted a Wednesday Night Open Mic in Kenosha for over 28 years. He is also well-known in the area for his tireless work on various social justice issues. Trevor Parker (’07) graduated with a double major in English and Music at Carthage College, where he divided his time between singing in the Lincoln Chamber Singers, performing in staged productions of The Fantasticks and The Mikado, and playing quarterback on Carthage’s football team. He was tenor soloist for the first five Sing Along Messiah performances at First United Methodist Church in Kenosha. He teaches English and Humanities at Downers Grove High School in Downers Grove, Illinois. Greg also wants to gratefully acknowledge the participation in tonight’s concert of several of his current colleagues in the music department: Voice Teachers Peg Cleveland and Rita Gentile, and Pianists Deb Maslowski, Melissa Cardamone, and Fumi Nakayama. Their biographies outlining their many and varied accomplishments can be easily accessed at carthage.edu.
In memory of Tom Vignieri - '83
In memory of Nicholas Sluss-Rodionov - '05
musici amici These singers share a connection with tonight’s honoree because they studied private voice with him and/or sang under his direction in the Lincoln Chamber Singers or Carthage Choir. They are listed with the year of their graduation from Carthage (or the years they attended class here) as well as the city or town where they currently live.
sopranos Alicia (Petzoldt) Anderle, '15, Poplar Bluff, MO Jane (Thompson) Blau, '89-'91, DeForest, WI MeriKate Bock, '17, Racine, WI Elise Brevik, '22, Milwaukee, WI Kristina Caputo, '02, Crestwood, IL Erin Gaffaney, '06, Albertville, MN Rita (Torcaso) Gentile, '05-'07, Kenosha, WI Agnes (Wojnicki) Gray, '06, Kenosha, WI Sarah Jenkins, '21, Chicago, IL
Megan (Dieschbourg) Parker, '04, Oak Park, IL Jeanette Rantisi, '01, Kenosha, WI Isabelle (Esquivel) Reyes, '22, Island Lake, IL Tina (Perri) Sander, '02, Kenosha, WI Sarah (Gorke) Singh, '04, Caledonia, WI Melanie (Mills) Taylor, '01, Hendersonville, TN Becky Whitefoot, '01, Kenosha, WI Angie Yu, '18, Palatine, IL
altos Shauna (Olsen) Adler, '00, Minnetonka, MN Alissa Baylen, '03, Milwaukee, WI Jennifer (Cobb) Bentley, '07, Libertyville, IL Katie Biank-Nevinski, '04, Franklin, WI Anne (Thompson) Emerson, '95, DeForest, WI Tammy (McGann) Feingertz, '95, Apex, NC Michelle (Neutzmann) Gutierrez, '16, Gurnee, IL Katie (Nagao) Kelso, '00, Racine, WI Nikki (Phelps) Krenke, '99, Madison, WI
Madie Lambert, '20, Kenosha, WI Erin (Tetting) Middleton, '02, Pleasant Prairie, WI J.J Novak, '95, Spring Grove, IL Lydia Ochoa, '24, Chicago, IL Samantha Pardo, '23, Chicago, IL Erin (Kittleson) Scharnick, '99, Glendale, WI Beth (Teschner) Story, '03, Racine, WI Morgan Taylor, '21, Milwaukee, WI Renata (Sievert) Waack, '95, Watertown, WI
musici amici
tenors Jason Aaron, '01, Kenosha, WI Christian Aldridge, '16, Chicago, IL Brian Dean, '23, Racine, WI Max Dinan, '15, Kenosha, WI Gabe Fulk, '22, Mahomet, IL Christopher Glade, '23, Carol Stream, IL Nick Huff, '15, Iowa City, IA Andrew Johnson, '11, Winthrop Harbor, IL Nathan Koehlert, '25, Milwaukee, WI Paul Marchese, '99, DeKalb, IL Trevor McDonald, '21, Chicago, IL
Kyle Miskovic, '14, Kenosha, WI Trevor Parker, '07, Oak Park, IL Bennett Shebesta, '22, Germantown, WI Stephen Steinheiser, '18, Mundelein, IL David Stoffle, '25, Plainfield, IL Mike Stormin, '02, Bolingbrook, IL Nathan Takahashi, '21, Kenosha, WI Bryan Tamayo, '23, Chicago, IL Tim Wassenaar, '98, Delafield, WI Chris Wojciechowicz, '20, Milwaukee, WI
baritones and basses Mike Anderle, '15, Poplar Bluff, MO Nick Barootian, '02, Racine, WI Bryan Chung, '08, Racine, WI Riley Cook, '20, Chicago, IL Colin Eagan, '25, Aurora, CO Derek Galvicius, '00, McHenry, IL Anthony Gullo, '09, Flanagan, IL Alex Heiting, '19, Germantown, WI Bill Mains, '95, Morgan Hill, CA Justin Maurer, '06, Cedarburg, WI
Michael McDonnell, '07, Gurnee, IL Fletcher Paulsen, '15, Racine, WI Neil Scharnick, '99, Glendale, WI Caleb Sjogren, '02, Lombard, IL Karl Stefans, '17, North Judson, IN Matt Story, '04, Racine, WI Jim Waack, '94, Watertown, WI Tim Wagner, '21, Oak Creek, WI Zachary Wolf, '09, Lafayette, IN Ben Young, '24, Kenosha, WI
texts and translations Widmung
Widmung
Du meine Seele, du mein Herz, du meine You my soul, you my heart, you my rapture, Wonn, O du mein Schmerz. you my pain, Du meine Welt in der ich lebe, mein Himmel You my world in which I live, you my heaven to du darein ich schwebe. which I aspire, O du mein Grab in das hinab ich ewig meinen You my grave into which I give my grief. Kummer gab.Du bist die Ruh. Du bist der Frie- You are rest. You are peace. You are given to den. Du bist vom Himmel mir beschieden. me from heaven. Das du mich liebst macht mich mir wert. Your love for me gives me my worth. Dein Blick hat mich vor mir verklärt. Your eyes transfigure me in mine. Du hebst mich liebend über mich. You raise me lovingly over myself, Mein guter Geist. Mein bess‘res ich. My good spirit, my better self. Ah, mes amis! (from La fille du Régiment)
Ah, mes amis! (from La fille du Régiment)
Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête! Ah, my friends! What a day of celebration! Je vais marcher sous vos drapeaux. I am going to march under your flags. L’amour, qui m’a tourné la tête, désormais me Love, which has turned my head, from now rend un héros. makes me a hero. Ah ! quel bonheur, oui, mes amis. Ah, what joy, my friends! Oui, celle pour qui de respire, A mes vœux a Yes, she for whom I breathe has deigned to daigné sourire, smile upon my vows Et ce doux espoir de bonheur trouble ma raison And this sweet hope of happiness overwhelms et mon cœur ! my reason and my heart! Addio, fiorito asil (from Madama Butterfly)
Addio, fiorito asil (from Madama Butterfly)
Addio, fiorito asil di letizia e d’amor … Sempre il mite suo sembiante con strazio atroce vedrò. Addio, fiorito asil non reggo al tuo squallor … Fuggo, fuggo … son vil!
Farewell, flowery refuge of happiness and love. I shall always be tortured by the sight of her sweet face. Farewell, flower refuge. Your dreariness I cannot bear! I must go! I despise myself!
texts and translations Au fond du temple saint. (from The Pearl Fishers)
Au fond du temple saint. (from The Pearl Fishers)
Nadir: Au fond du temple saint paré de fleur Nadir : At the back of the holy temple, decoratet d’or, ed with flowers and gold, Zurga: Une femme apparaît! Je crois la voir Zurga: a woman appears! I think I see her still. encore! Nadir: The kneeling crowd looks at her, Nadir: La foule prosternée. La regarde, etonnée amazed, and murmurs under its breath et murmure tout bas "Voyez, c’est la déesse! “Look! It is the goddess who looms up in the Qui dans l’ombre se dresse et vers nous tend shadow and holds out her arms to us!” les bras!" Zurga: Her veil lifts! Oh vision! Oh dream! The Zurga: Son voile se soulève! Ô vision! Ô rêve! crowd is on its knees! La foule est à genoux! Both: Yes, it is she! It is the goddess, most Both: Oui, c’est elle! C’est la déesse plus char- charming and most beautiful! mante et plus belle! Yes, it is she! It is the goddess who descends Oui, c’est elle! C’est la déesse qui descend among us, and the crowd is on its knees! parmi nous! Nadir: But through the crowd she makes her Son voile se soulève et la foule est à genoux ! way. Nadir : Mais à travers la foule elle s’ouvre un Zurga: Her long veil already hides her face passage! from us! Zurga : Son long voile déjà nous cache son Nadir: My gaze, alas, seeks her in vain. visage! Both: She flees! Yes, it is she …… Nadir: Mon regard, hélas ! La cherche en vain ! Both: Elle fuit ! Elle fuit ! Oui, c’est elle …. An die Musik
An die Musik
Du holde Kunst, in wieviel grauen Stunden, Beloved art, in so many bleak hours, when I am wo mich des Lebens wilder Kreis umstrickt, engulfed in life’s tumult, hast du mein Herz zu warmer Lieb entzunden, You have kindled in my heart the warmth of hast mich in eine bessre Welt entrückt! love and borne me away to a better world. Oft hat ein Seufzer, deiner Harf entflossen, ein Often, a sigh escaping from your harp, a sweet süsser heiliger Akkord von dir. and holy chord, Den Himmel bessrer Zeiten mir erschlossen. Has revealed to me a heaven of happier times. Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir dafür! Beloved art, for this I thank you! Der Leiermann (from Winterreise)
Der Leiermann (from Winterreise)
Drüben hinter dem Dorfe steht ein Leiermann There beyond the village stands a hurdy-gurdy Und mit starren Fingern dreht er, was er kann. player. With numb fingers, he plays as best he Barfuss auf dem Eise Schwankt er hin und her can. Barefoot on the ice, he totters to and fro, und sein kleiner Teller bleibt ihm immer leer. and his little plate remains forever empty. Keiner mag ihn hören, Keiner sieht ihn an; No one wants to listen. No one looks at him, und die Hunde brummen um den alten and the dogs growl around the old man. Mann. Und er lässt es gehen alles, wie es will. And he lets everything go on as it will. He plays Dreht und seine Leier steht ihm nimmer still. and his hurdy-gurdy never stops. Wunderlicher Alter! Soll ich mit dir geh’n? Strange old man, shall I go with you? Willst zu meinen Liedern deine Leier dreh’n? Will you tune your hurdy-gurdy to my songs?
upcoming events Meet the Masters Tuesday, October 13 • 7:30 p.m. Campbell Student Union Auditorium The Theory of the Leisure Class October 23, 29-31 • 7:30 p.m. October 24-25 • 3:00 p.m. Wartburg Theatre (in the David A. Straz Center for the Natural and Social Sciences) *Tickets Required. Visit www.carthage.edu/tickets for ticket information. Student Recital: Elizabeth Whittier Saturday, October 24 • 4:00 p.m. H. F. Johnson Recital Hall Fall Choral Concert Saturday, October 24 • 7:30 p.m. A. F. Siebert Chapel / Grace Kolakowski Hall Student Recital: Hope Johnson Friday, October 30 • 7:30 p.m. H. F. Johnson Recital Hall Student Recital: Hayden Izumi Saturday, October 31 • 4:00 p.m. H. F. Johnson Recital Hall Student Recital: Lorelai Amborn Sunday, November 1 • 1:00 p.m. H. F. Johnson Recital Hall Student Recital: Layla Nemri Sunday, November 1 • 4:00 p.m. H. F. Johnson Recital Hall Performing Arts Series: Nicole Benoit Thursday, November 5 • 7:30 p.m. H. F. Johnson Recital Hall
Arts at Carthage acknowledges that the land on which our building stands is part of the traditional Potawatomi, Sioux, Peoria, Kickapoo, and Miami peoples past, present, and future. These homelands reside along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes. We honor with gratitude the land itself, and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. Many Indigenous peoples thrive in this place—alive and strong, and this calls us to commit to continuing to learn how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit as well.
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