September & October 2025 Fanfare Magazine by Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Cristian Măcelaru Music Director

Megan Moore

LYRIC COLORATURA

MEZZO-SOPRANO

Francesco Barfoed PIANO

Sunday, October 12, 2025

“...rich, buttery mezzo tone, a genuinely beautiful voice.” —Observer

• Cincinnati native who has won numerous international competitions

• Performs internationally, singing major title roles with opera companies

• Has garnered attention in the repertoire of Rossini, Handel, and Mozart CINCINNATI DEBUT

Bridget Kibbey

HARP

Sunday, November 16, 2025

“...the Yo-Yo Ma of the harp.” —Vogue Magazine

• Findlay, Ohio native who received a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, among other awards

• Appears internationally as soloist with numerous orchestras and features as soloist in top halls

• Interprets the masters—Bach, Debussy, Ravel, Bartok CINCINNATI DEBUT

All recitals at 3 PM at Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm Street, OTR

Tickets: MemorialHallOTR.org or 513-977-8838

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4 Directors & Advisors

7 Welcome from Robert McGrath, President & CEO

9 Welcome

11 Cover Story: In the CSO, Cristian Măcelaru Has Found His Musical Soulmate

Music and Memory: The Powerful Connections

16 Spotlight: Music and Memory: The Powerful Connections Between Music, Experience and Emotion

SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2025

Inside the Orchestra: From the Cinema to the Concert Hall, Orchestral Music is Everywhere, for

18 Inside the Orchestra: From the Cinema to the Concert Hall, Orchestral Music is Everywhere, for Everyone

20 Orchestra Roster

21 Artistic Leadership: Cristian Măcelaru, John Morris Russell

22 Concerts in this Issue:

• SEP 6: The War & Treaty (Pops)

• SEP 12–14: Troupe Vertigo: Cirque España! (Pops)

• SEP 16: From Beethoven to Hindemith (Winstead Chamber Players)

• SEP 20 & 21: The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration (Pops)

• SEP 27 & 28: Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy (Pops)

• OCT 3 & 4: Cristian Măcelaru’s Debut (CSO)

• OCT 18 & 19: Dame Jane Conducts Mozart (CSO)

• OCT 21: Ingrid Michaelson (Pops)

• OCT 24 & 25: Barber & Shostakovich (CSO)

23 Spotlight: From the Shadows to the Spotlight: Honoring Black Trailblazers in Country Music History

33 Spotlight: How Video Games are Introducing New Audiences to Orchestral Music

35 Musician Q&A: “What’s Your Favorite Video Game Score?”

56 Financial Support

64 Administration

ON THE COVER: Cristian Măcelaru in Cincinnati’s Washington Park. (Credit: Claudia Hershner)

With its September concerts led by 14th Music Director Cristian Măcelaru, the CSO enters a new era of musicmaking. Learn what makes the CSO a “musical soulmate” for Măcelaru and how he views the Orchestra’s role in the community, pp. 11-15.

The roots of country music are “deeply African American,” notes researcher Joe Z. Johnson, who traces the genre’s ancestry from enslaved Caribbean people to early Black musicians like DeFord Bailey to artists such as Ray Charles and Linda Martell — “essential architects of the sound, spirit and evolution of country music.” Read more, pp. 23–25.

Behind the stunning graphics, gripping storylines and nuanced gameplay of today’s video games are, more often than not, epic orchestral soundtracks. Read about the intersection between video games and orchestral music, and find out which video game scores are favorites of CSO musicians, pp. 33–35. ON THE COVER: Cristian Măcelaru in Cincinnati’s Washington Park. (Credit: Claudia Hershner)

Contents cannot be reproduced in any manner, whole or in part, without written permission from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops.

A proud sponsor of the musical arts

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n BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Directors

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n BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMITTEES & TASK FORCES and MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS COUNCIL

We thank our many partners who serve on the following CSO Board of Directors committees and task forces, as well as the Multicultural Awareness Council (MAC), as we collectively work to realize our vision to be the most relevant orchestra in America.

CSO Board of Directors

Committees

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Learning

Nominating & Governance

Officers Nominating

CSO Board of Directors

Task Forces

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Non-Board Advisory Council

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You are welcome to take this copy of Fanfare Magazine home with you as a souvenir of your concert experience. Alternatively, please share it with a friend or leave it with an usher for recycling. Thank you!

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops acknowledge that Cincinnati Music Hall occupies land that has been the traditional land of the Myaamia (Miami), Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee), and Wahzhazhe Manzhan (Osage) peoples, who have continuously lived upon this land since time immemorial. We honor past, present and future Indigenous peoples.

INVEST ENGAGE INNOVATE LEAD

SEP-OCT 25

Program Spotlight: POETRY OUT LOUD

Investing state and federal dollars, the Ohio Arts Council funds and supports quality arts experiences for all Ohioans to strengthen communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

Learn more about our grant programs and resources, find your next arts experience, or connect: OAC.OHIO.GOV.

Ohio Poetry Out Loud State Champion Zeke Moses of Bexley High School (Franklin County) reciting a poem at the 2025 state finals. He represented Ohio at the national finals in Washington, D.C. Image credit: Terry Gilliam

From the President & CEO

Welcome to the 2025–26 Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops season! As the newly appointed President & CEO of the Orchestra, it is a privilege to lead an institution so committed to enriching our community through the transformative power of music.

For me, music has always been a guiding force. My journey began with piano lessons and bassoon in one of Texas’ renowned public school band programs. Those early experiences inspired me to regularly attend performances at the Houston Symphony Orchestra and perform in regional and state-wide youth orchestras — formative experiences that ignited my passion for orchestral music. But that was only the beginning. While pursuing my degree at the New England Conservatory of Music, I realized that my love for music surpassed my love for the instrument itself. I then embarked on a career in orchestra administration and have since devoted 28 years to serving communities across the country through music. More than a decade ago, I found my home here in Cincinnati, where I have been fortunate to work within a vibrant arts community that rivals any in the world. The passion I felt as a student musician continues to drive me today, as my colleagues and I work to bring extraordinary musical experiences to every corner of our City.

The history of the CSO is shaped by generations of brilliant Music Directors whose vision and leadership have guided us forward. This season, we are thrilled to begin a new chapter with Music Director Cristian Măcelaru, the 14th person to hold this esteemed position. Born in Romania, Cristi, as he prefers to be called, moved to America at 17 to attend the Interlochen Arts Academy and quickly emerged as a rising star in the orchestral world. At 19, he became the youngest concertmaster in the history of the Miami Symphony Orchestra, and, since then, he has led and conducted major orchestras across the globe, including the Orchestre National de France at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. We are delighted to welcome Cristi to Cincinnati. This season, he has curated a remarkable series of concerts that reflect both his artistry and commitment to connecting with diverse audiences. We look forward to the impact he will have on our community in the years to come.

Behind every great performance, of course, is a team of dedicated individuals working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly. Our stage crew, administrative staff and Board of Directors are all essential to our success. This season, we are especially proud to introduce our new Board Chair, Charla Weiss, whose leadership and insights are already proving invaluable. After a distinguished career at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she championed health equity and community partnerships, Charla brings a deep and genuine passion for access and inclusion — values that resonate with our belief that music should be for everyone. With her leadership, we remain committed to ensuring that the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is a place where all feel welcomed, represented and inspired.

Thank you for being a part of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra family. We are grateful for your support, and we look forward to sharing an unforgettable season of extraordinary music with you.

Warmly,

Robert McGrath

©Claudia Hershner

Welcome

WE BELIEVE MUSIC LIVES WITHIN US ALL

regardless of who we are or where we come from. We believe that music is a pathway to igniting our passions, discovering what moves us, deepening our curiosity and connecting us to our world and to each other.

Our mission is to seek and share inspiration, and we exist to serve our community. Our entire community. Reflecting our community and the world around at every level — on stage, behind-the-scenes, and in neighborhoods throughout the region — is essential to our present and future and makes us a strong ensemble and institution.

© Eric Johnson

FANFARE Magazi ne

WELCOME to the 2025 September and

October

issue of Fanfare Magazine

Along with the online version of Fanfare Magazine, the CSO has developed a digital platform to deliver concertspecific content.

The CSO begins a new era of music-making this season with 14th Music Director Cristian Măcelaru. On pp. 11–15, writer Hannah Edgar explores what makes the CSO a “musical soulmate” for Măcelaru and the role music can have in the broader community. Anne Arenstein picks up this thread of community in her Inside the Orchestra column, on p. 18. In the column, Arenstein notes that, while powerful orchestra moments can be heard almost anywhere, from movie theaters to the smart phones that live in our pockets, it is the concert hall where concertgoers can enjoy, together, the ultimate live music experience.

Music is everywhere, including in the globally popular video game industry. Behind the stunning graphics, gripping storylines and nuanced gameplay is, more often than not, an epic orchestral soundtrack. Mat Ombler explores the intersection between video games and orchestral music on p. 33, and Orchestra members tell us about their favorite video game scores on p. 35.

The roots of country music are “deeply African American” as researcher Joe Z. Johnson describes in his article on p. 23, and the powerhouse country, soul, gospel, blues husband and wife duo The War and Treaty (who open the Cincinnati Pops season) represent both the deep roots of country music and its evolving inclusiveness.

Facebook: @CincySymphony @CincinnatiPops

Instagram: @CincySymphony

YouTube: @CincySymphony

TikTok: @cincysymphony

The music of powerhouse vocalist Whitney Houston (Pops’ Whitney tribute concert details, p. 31), whose iconic performances are seared into the popular culture zeitgeist, will trigger memories for generations to come. Writer David Lyman explores the deep connection between music and memory on p. 16.

Please enjoy these stories that have been curated for you in Fanfare Magazine, but also know that the Fanfare Magazine experience is not limited to a print publication available only at Music Hall concerts. You can explore Fanfare Magazine at any time via our website at cincinnatisymphony.org/fanfare-magazine.

Along with the online version of Fanfare Magazine, the CSO has developed a digital platform to deliver concert-specific content to meet the CSO’s ongoing commitment to digital storytelling, innovation and accessibility. This digital platform offers early access to exclusive concert-specific content: full-length program notes, artist biographies, feature stories, up-to-the-minute information and much more! As a bonus, program notes and artist biographies for the entire season will be available on this digital platform in advance of the season-opening concerts, allowing you to engage with all the content before you arrive at Music Hall.

*By texting to this number, you may receive messages that pertain to the organization and its performances; msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP to help, STOP to cancel.

Unlike a print magazine, this digital platform is compatible with all smartphone accessibility features. The CSO’s digital platform is easily accessible — no app to download or subscription to manage. To explore our digital content, visit cincinnatisymphony.org/DigitalProgram, text the word PROGRAM to 513.845.3024* or scan the QR code at right with your mobile device.

The CSO hopes you find inspiration within these pages and within the music — past, present and future — that reverberates at Music Hall and in the community. Thank you for being with us!

In the CSO, Cristian Măcelaru Has Found His Musical Soulmate

by HANNAH EDGAR

Cristian Măcelaru in Washington Park.

Credit: Claudia Hershner

Earlier this year, Cristian Măcelaru got to do something he rarely gets to do at Music Hall: sit in the audience.

Yes, for a few programs, the future Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony attended concerts as a civilian. But, as with everything the CSO’s captainto-be does, his brain was going a mile a minute while sitting in the auditorium.

“I got to see the audience’s perspective and understand how I can better present the concerts I’m conducting. I got to listen to the orchestra, as well — it’s a very different perspective from the podium than it is from the audience,” he says.

But, of course, Măcelaru is a package deal. These subsequent visits to the city have allowed him, along with his wife, Cheryl, and children, Beniamin and Maria, chances to explore the city as well. On a recent afternoon off, the Măcelarus went to a Cincinnati Reds game together; another day, while he was working at Music Hall, his wife and children visited local museums. Măcelaru has even met with Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, further deepening his connection with the city.

“The city feels so much like 2025, like everyone is welcome,” Măcelaru says. “For me personally, I couldn’t live in a place that is stuck in time in one way or another. It’s not how I want my kids to experience life.”

Măcelaru and his family are, after all, global citizens. His children are multilingual, as is Cristi,

who speaks Romanian and English fluently, French conversationally, and German and Spanish intermediately. (He was inspired to pick up the last of those while living in Miami: People would walk up to him and just begin speaking Spanish. “I looked the part,” he acknowledges.) He connected with Fanfare Magazine from his flat in Paris, where he also directs his “other” orchestra, the Orchestre National de France.

But when the job opened up in Cincinnati, he told his team to do whatever they could to ensure he was in the running. Ever since attending the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan as a teenager, he’d sought an appointment at a major American orchestra. This dream was cemented after he naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2019.

“Everyone living outside the United States, at some point in their life, has looked at America as being the unachievable dream,” says Măcelaru, who came of age during the Romanian Revolution of 1989. “The country was formed based on principles that have less to do with your birthright and your geographical location, and has to do with embracing a similar concept and a similar set of values. That is where I feel like I belong.”

Tellingly, Măcelaru’s first concert as Music Director Designate, in February, told the tale of many Americas. It began with an excerpt from Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony (also featured in the “American Voices” program this season, Jan. 16

Cristian Măcelaru conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in February 2025. Credit: Mark Lyons

& 17), which uses the blues as a prism through which to view American history. With the help of violinist Randall Goosby, the CSO’s 2025 Multicultural Awareness Council Musical Innovator, the program continued through Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2 — a work less overtly narrative than Marsalis’ symphony, but which tinkers radically with the conventional concerto form. It ended with Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World, a work so thoroughly woven into the United States’ musical consciousness that it is often considered an “American” work, despite Dvořák’s relatively brief stint in the U.S.

To Măcelaru, those concerts reaffirmed that the CSO isn’t just any major American orchestra. Its precision, adventurous spirit and endless versatility had long bumped it to the very top of Măcelaru’s symphonic wish list. In addition to his time at the Orchestre National de France, he’d also led the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne until last season. When asked to characterize the CSO’s sound against that of other orchestras he’s directed, he compares it to “a Swiss clock.” All the musicians in the orchestra fit together intricately, playing the thorniest repertoire with an elegance and ease that belies any complexity. As a point of comparison, Măcelaru spoke to a colleague who had recently gone to hear “one of the most famous orchestras on the planet.” His friend reported that the concert — all contemporary music — had been lackluster. Perhaps, Măcelaru’s friend suggested, the orchestra didn’t play new music regularly enough to sound comfortable in that repertoire.

Măcelaru couldn’t imagine the CSO in the same situation.

“I would have a hard time putting something in front of the Cincinnati Symphony and thinking, ‘Oh, this is really difficult for them, because this is not what they do,’” Măcelaru says. “Because they do it all: symphonic music, opera, pops, ballet, films. And choral repertoire! It’s the orchestra with the biggest tradition of performing choral repertoire in the United States.”

A great orchestra doesn’t come from a vacuum. During our conversation, Măcelaru repeatedly stressed that Cincinnati’s avid arts community has built its orchestra brick by brick. The CSO’s greatness is not necessarily replicable in another city — not even a bigger one.

“When you look at a city, you see what its priorities are,” Măcelaru says. “My perception of Cincinnati, before I knew anything else about it, was that it prioritizes the arts.”

That zeal is a breath of fresh air in a landscape that has become ever more challenging for cultural institutions everywhere, from the governmentsupported model in Europe to the donor-supported model in the States. As the current music director of the Orchestre National de France and artistic director of the George Enescu Festival and Competition in Romania, Măcelaru has experienced both models firsthand.

“American musicians look at the European model like, ‘These guys are so lucky; they don’t have to fundraise.’ Now, many European musicians

Cristian Măcelaru in Cincinnati Music Hall. Credit: JP Leong

are envious of the American model, because, in some ways, it binds the orchestra more closely to the community. It becomes a necessary symbiotic relationship,” Măcelaru observes. “A donor is already deeply passionate about the music and the mission of the orchestra. Meanwhile, it’s highly likely the [European] politicians that hold the keys to the vault have had zero interaction with classical music.”

Another aspect that plays to the American model’s advantage? Most cities have just one major orchestra, meaning that institution’s identity becomes more tightly fused with the city’s. By contrast, Europe’s biggest metropolitan centers — like Paris — could support as many as five or six world-class orchestras.

“The American symphony orchestra concept has more to do with an institution that, through what they do, creates a community around them,” he says.

Măcelaru notes that one need look no further than the CSO’s history as a North Star. Though the vast gulf between English-speaking and German-speaking Cincinnatians may be hard for us to imagine today, the city was very much divided when the first May Festival took place in 1873. Music, of all things, helped bridge that cultural gap, embracing the musicians’ plurality while amplifying their similarities.

It goes without saying that today’s Cincinnati is far more multi-faceted than it was in the 1870s. But Măcelaru is steadfast in his belief that the same basic principle applies. As he told Fanfare Magazine earlier this year, one of the CSO’s biggest draws was the depth of its commitment to representing Cincinnati onstage and off. His inaugural season

Subscribe to the CSO’s YouTube channel and watch the three-part docuseries: Introducing Cristian Măcelaru.

@CincySymphony

builds on initiatives like MAC (now more than 30 years strong), the Classical Roots Community Choir, and the Brady Block Parties, which bring the CSO out of Music Hall to city neighborhoods.

All the while, Măcelaru strives to be cognizant of how that music is paired and presented. Which is why, say, living Black composer Carlos Simon’s Tales: A Folklore Symphony, appears alongside “Variations on a Shaker Melody” from Appalachian Spring, an Aaron Copland perennial (Nov. 29 & 30). Or why Abstractions by Anna Clyne appears alongside George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F on opening night — an English immigrant to this country paired alongside one of the U.S.’s most recognizable homegrown names (Oct. 3 & 4).

“One thing that I’ve observed, and that I appreciate in Cincinnati, is they have a much wider lens when it comes to cultural diversity,” he says. “Yes, we do present classical music, which, for better or worse, was something that was created and built in the European way.

“Now, America is very different from that. If we are to build a community, shouldn’t everyone have a stake in this community?” 

2025 MAC Musical Innovator Randall Goosby performs Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with Cristian Măcelaru and the CSO, February 2025. Credit: JP Leong

Music and Memory: The Powerful Connections Between Music, Experience and Emotion

by DAVID LYMAN

One of my earliest memories of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is sitting on a hillside in Winton Woods listening to a concert when I was 8 or 9 years old. The last piece on the program was Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

A minute into the second movement, I heard what I thought was the most heavenly sound I’d ever encountered. It was a long, languid French horn solo, a sweet and soaring melody swaddled in lush chords that seemed to float around it.

That was all it took. I was in. I took up the horn myself, though to be honest, I knew almost nothing about the instrument other than it looked pretty and was capable of making the most scrumptious music. Never mind that I was not a particularly good horn player. That memory of Tchaikovsky and the CSO and that hillside has never left me.

Music is like that. It has a way of wheedling its way into the depths of our minds only to come roaring out at the most unexpected — and most lovely — moments.

I’m sure you have pieces of music like that, too. Works that transport you back to very specific times and places. Perhaps it was the first time you heard Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” or Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” Possibly it was the first time you experienced the hypnotic music of Philip Glass, heard Pavarotti sing Puccini or felt the bittersweet love in the trio near the end of Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier

The 2014 documentary Alive Inside examines the connection between music and memory. In the

film’s opening moments, we meet an elderly man named Henry who lives in the memory-care unit of a nursing home. Dementia has isolated him from every aspect of the world around him.

Henry is lethargic and nearly nonverbal. But when a researcher puts headphones over his ears and begins playing the sort of gospel music that Henry enjoyed in his earlier years, his eyes open wide. Suddenly, he becomes animated, singing along with the music and chattering about episodes from his youth.

Somehow, that music gained access to Henry’s memories in ways that no amount of medication or therapy had been able to. Music provided Henry with a portal to memories of whom he used to be. For people with dementia, the narrator tells us, music “can be a backdoor into the mind.”

As the documentary progresses, we see similar scenes played out again and again. To the blank-eyed people lost inside a world they no longer recognize, music unleashes vivid reminders of the lives they used to lead. The music, whether it is Cab Calloway or Mozart or the Mighty Mouse theme song, is a lifeline, a link to something blessedly familiar.

Article author David Lyman (third from left, with a French horn) in 1962 during his 9th grade band practice at Walnut Hills High School. Photo provided by David Lyman

Perhaps music has reconnected these people with a piece of the souls they thought were lost forever.

Movie music seems to provide a particularly powerful connector.

For people of a certain age, it’s hard to hear Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice and not think of a beleaguered Mickey Mouse battling floods in Fantasia. Or to hear “Let it Go” and not envision Queen Elsa, arms outstretched, singing on the side of a snowy mountain peak.

Surely, this helps to explain why music holds such an enduring place in our lives.

Musical memories aren’t limited to moments of joy. Think of the screeching violins in the shower scene of Psycho Or the ominous rumblings of Tommy Johnson’s tuba announcing the approach of the shark in Jaws. One or two notes is all most of us need to recognize the movie. And the fear associated with it.

classical music ever written? The one that lifts you when you’re low, that fills you with pure joy.”

There was an almost immediate outpouring of responses. Notably, many of the responses talked not just about the music, but also about the memories the music evoked.

They wrote of first loves. Of childhood adventures. Or visits to the Royal Albert Hall. Or outdoor concerts in town squares. “This shall be played at my funeral,” a woman wrote about Morten Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mysterium.” Music elicited memories of weather, as well, from the gloomiest of midwinter days to “a burst of sunshine” that another listener heard in Howard Hanson’s Romantic Symphony. Who says there isn’t magic in music?

Experiencing the rush of emotions, though, it feels more akin to a miracle, an inexplicable stimulus that unleashes an overload of sensory responses.

Scientists tell us that these sorts of occurrences are the result of complex networks of neurons and sensors working in tandem. They are correct, of course. But when we experience those delicious jolts to our memories, calling them electro-chemical reactions feels too clinical, too limiting.

In May, Classic FM — a commercial classical music outlet in the U.K. — asked its listeners to weigh in on “What’s the most euphoric piece of

Experiencing the rush of emotions, though, it feels more akin to a miracle, an inexplicable stimulus that unleashes an overload of sensory responses. 

French horn players performing during the September 2024 Mahler Symphony No. 1 concert. Credit Mark Lyons

From the Cinema to the Concert Hall, Orchestral Music is Everywhere, for Everyone

by ANNE ARENSTEIN

So, this is your first symphony concert. Maybe you’re here because a friend dragged you, or you heard about the Orchestra’s exciting new Music Director, Cristi Măcelaru. Or maybe the idea of upwards of 70 musicians in black playing together seems kind of old school.

Whatever the reason, welcome! Here’s something that might surprise you: orchestras aren’t just for people who know every note by heart. In fact, orchestras are everywhere and have been for a long time.

They’re in our pockets, on our desks and in our living rooms — thanks to livestreams, digital concerts and a whole lot of creative hustle. And, well before that, they accompanied movies, TV shows, cartoons and the soundtracks in restaurants and elevators.

You’ve probably heard orchestral music way more often than you realize, in the sweeping strings in your favorite video game, the bold brass section in that car commercial, or a delicate piano and flute when you’re stuck on hold with customer service.

When it comes to movies, an orchestra plays a leading (if unseen) role in creating the most memorable earworms in cinematic history. Try to

imagine the opening “crawl” of the nine Star Wars installments, ET and Elliott soaring past the moon, Indiana Jones taking on the bad guys, the first sight of Jurassic Park or the heartbreaking sequences in Schindler’s List with anything less than an orchestra.

How would Elphaba defy gravity without soaring brass and strings? What would the first look at Middle Earth be without that lush accompaniment?

That’s the orchestra — powerful, emotional and incredibly versatile. You’ve heard it. You’ve felt it.

The orchestra amplifies the moment.

Think about when you fire up your gaming console. There’s an orchestra working its magic behind the scenes, making the hero’s triumph (or yours) even grander, or the tense moments harder. There’s no better proof than the Cincinnati Pops’ Final Fantasy concerts on September 26 and 27, devoted to music from the classic Japanese video game series.

Or, you’re watching TV or streaming a movie when an ad breaks in. You may have no interest in shelling out for that luxury car, but the lush musical accompaniment adds polish to the ad’s visual presentation and just might pique your curiosity.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra circa 1912 on stage with conductor Ernst Kunwald.

Even blockbuster pop songs borrow those epic orchestral sounds to give you chills or make you want to dance. Hip-hop artists from Jay-Z to Nas and Kendrick Lamar and producers like J Dilla incorporate orchestra samples and arrangements in their recordings. Rap and hip-hop artist Common has appeared twice with the Cincinnati Pops and Nas will debut in November.

Sometimes, the orchestra sneaks into your life so seamlessly that you don’t even notice it’s there — but it’s shaping the mood, telling a story or just making the everyday a little more cinematic.

By being in the hall today, however, you’re in for the ultimate experience. The sound is bigger, the energy is different, and you get to watch the magic happen up close — the conductor’s gestures, the graceful motions of the harp player, the percussionists darting between drums and chimes, the quiet focus before a big solo.

Just so you know, you’ll see different-sized groups on stage for these performances. There are many variations on the theme of an orchestra. It may be considerably smaller for some contemporary works or for Mozart’s pieces. The instrumental forces can range from only strings to a huge brass ensemble or a jaw-dropping array of percussion instruments. At each concert you’ll have the opportunity to hear the orchestra full out. No matter what the formation or size, it all adds up to a unique experience each time.

If you’ve heard that orchestral music is “old,” remember that all music was once new and had a first performance. The orchestra you hear today differs greatly from earlier ensembles, especially for 18th- and early 19th-century works. European orchestras were small, sometimes no more than a dozen players, and usually included a harpsichord. Unlike today, there was no conductor; the first violinist took responsibility for setting the tempo.

Concert venues were smaller, which had an impact on how music was heard. The bigger the hall, the greater the need for a larger orchestra.

Instruments changed, too, from subtle adjustments in shape, size and materials used to adding newer instruments like the saxophone, banjo, electric guitar and synthesizer.

The orchestra is always evolving but the themes an orchestra explores are eternal: love, loss, triumph, fear, wonder. CSO and Cincinnati Pops concerts regularly feature works by contemporary composers using the orchestra to address contemporary topics, blending classical techniques with modern influences like jazz, hip-hop and electronic music.

So, if you’re here tonight for the first time, don’t stress out about doing everything “right.” Just be open and let the music wash over you. It will speak without words, with sensations and stories your heart will recognize. The orchestra will meet you wherever you are.

You’re part of a much bigger audience now — one that stretches far beyond the walls of this hall. The orchestra is everywhere. It’s in every home, every city, every phone.

When the conductor lifts their baton and the first notes bloom into the air, know this: you’re not a stranger to orchestral music. You’ve been hearing it all along. Now, you’re finally seeing it in full.

Again, welcome. You’re in for something unforgettable. 

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra performing “Mandy Gonzalez: La Vida Broadway” in May 2025, John Morris Russell conducting. Credit: JP Leong

FIRST VIOLINS

Stefani Matsuo

Concertmaster

Anna Sinton Taft Chair

Felicity James

Associate Concertmaster

Tom & Dee Stegman Chair

Philip Marten

First Assistant Concertmaster

James M. Ewell Chair++

Eric Bates

Second Assistant Concertmaster

Serge Shababian Chair

Kathryn Woolley

Nicholas Tsimaras–

Peter G. Courlas Chair++

Anna Reider

Dianne & J. David Rosenberg Chair

Mauricio Aguiar§

Anne G. & Robert W. Dorsey Chair

Minyoung Baik‡

Jo Ann & Paul Ward Chair

James Braid

Marc Bohlke Chair given

by Katrin & Manfred Bohlke

Rebecca Kruger Fryxell

Clifford J. Goosmann & Andrea M. Wilson Chair

Elizabeth Furuta

Gerald Itzkoff

Jean Ten Have Chair

Joseph Ohkubo

Luo-Jia Wu

Jonathan Yi

SECOND VIOLINS

Gabriel Pegis

Principal

Al Levinson Chair

Yang Liu*

Harold B. & Betty Justice Chair

Scott Mozlin**

Henry Meyer Chair

Kun Dong

Charles Gausmann Chair++

Cheryl Benedict

Evin Blomberg§

Sheila and Christopher Cole Chair

Rose Brown

Rachel Charbel

Ida Ringling North Chair

Chika Kinderman

Charles Morey

Hyesun Park

Michael Rau

Stacey Woolley

Brenda & Ralph Taylor Chair++

VIOLAS

Christian Colberg

Principal

Louise D. & Louis Nippert Chair

Gabriel Napoli

Acting Associate Principal

Grace M. Allen Chair

Julian Wilkison**

Rebecca Barnes§

Christopher Fischer

Stephen Fryxell

Melinda & Irwin Simon Chair

Caterina Longhi

Denisse Rodriguez-Rivera

Dan Wang

Joanne Wojtowicz

CRISTIAN MĂCELARU, Music Director

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL, Cincinnati Pops Conductor

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

Matthias Pintscher, CSO Creative Partner

Damon Gupton, Pops Principal Guest Conductor

Louis Langrée, Music Director Laureate

Alex Amsel, Assistant Conductor

Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

Duo Shen, Assistant Conductor

Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

CELLOS

Ilya Finkelshteyn

Principal

Irene & John J. Emery Chair

Lachezar Kostov*

Ona Hixson Dater Chair

[OPEN]

Karl & Roberta Schlachter

Family Chair

Drew Dansby§

Daniel Kaler

Peter G. Courlas–

Nicholas Tsimaras Chair++

Nicholas Mariscal

Marvin Kolodzik & Linda S. Gallaher Chair for Cello

Hiro Matsuo

Laura Kimble McLellan Chair++

Alan Rafferty

Ruth F. Rosevear Chair

Tianlu (Jerry) Xu

BASSES

Owen Lee

Principal

Mary Alice Heekin Burke Chair++

Luis Celis*

Thomas Vanden Eynden Chair

Stephen Jones**

Trish & Rick Bryan Chair

Boris Astafiev§

Michael Martin

Gerald Torres

Rick Vizachero

HARP

Gillian Benet Sella

Principal

Cynthia & Frank Stewart Chair

FLUTES

Randolph Bowman

Principal

Charles Frederic Goss Chair

Henrik Heide*

Haley Bangs

Jane & David Ellis Chair

PICCOLO

Rebecca Pancner

Patricia Gross Linnemann Chair

OBOES

Dwight Parry

Principal

Josephine I. & David J. Joseph, Jr. Chair

[OPEN]*

Stephen P. McKean Chair

Emily Beare

ENGLISH HORN

Christopher Philpotts

Principal

Alberta & Dr. Maurice Marsh Chair++

CLARINETS

Christopher Pell

Principal

Emma Margaret & Irving D.

Goldman Chair

Joseph Morris*

Associate Principal and E-flat Clarinet

Robert E. & Fay Boeh Chair++

Ixi Chen

Vicky & Rick Reynolds Chair in honor of William A. Friedlander

BASS CLARINET

Ronald Aufmann

BASSOONS

Christopher Sales

Principal

Emalee Schavel Chair++

Martin Garcia*

Hugh Michie

CONTRABASSOON

Jennifer Monroe

HORNS

Elizabeth Freimuth‡

Principal

David Alexander†

Acting Principal

Mary M. & Charles F. Yeiser Chair

David Smith†

Acting Associate Principal

Ellen A. & Richard C. Berghamer

Chair

[OPEN]**

Sweeney Family Chair in memory of Donald C. Sweeney

Lisa Conway

Susanne & Philip O. Geier, Jr. Chair

Duane Dugger

Mary & Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Chair

Charles Bell

Donald & Margaret Robinson Chair

TRUMPETS

Anthony Limoncelli

Principal

Rawson Chair

[OPEN]

Jackie & Roy Sweeney

Family Chair

Alexander Pride†

Otto M. Budig Family

Foundation Chair++

Christopher Kiradjieff

David C. Reed, MD Chair

TROMBONES

Cristian Ganicenco

Principal

Dorothy & John Hermanies

Chair

Joseph Rodriguez**

Second/Assistant Principal Trombone

Sallie Robinson Wadsworth & Randolph L. Wadsworth Jr. Chair

BASS TROMBONE

Noah Roper

TUBA

Christopher Olka

Principal

Ashley & Barbara Ford Chair

TIMPANI

Patrick Schleker

Principal

Matthew & Peg Woodside Chair

Joseph Bricker*

Morleen & Jack Rouse Chair

PERCUSSION

David Fishlock

Principal

Susan S. & William A. Friedlander Chair

Michael Culligan*

Joseph Bricker

Morleen & Jack Rouse Chair

Marc Wolfley+

KEYBOARDS

Michael Chertock

James P. Thornton Chair

Julie Spangler+

James P. Thornton Chair

LIBRARIANS

Christina Eaton

Principal Librarian

Lois Klein Jolson Chair

Elizabeth Dunning

Associate Principal Librarian

Cara Benner

Assistant Librarian

STAGE MANAGERS

Brian P. Schott

Phillip T. Sheridan

Daniel Schultz

Mike Ingram

Andrew Sheridan

§ Begins the alphabetical listing of players who participate in a system of rotated seating within the string section.

* Associate Principal

** Assistant Principal

† One-year appointment

‡ Leave of absence + Cincinnati Pops rhythm section

++ CSO endowment only

AND ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP

CRISTIAN MĂCELARU

Music Director

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

Grammy-winning conductor Cristian Măcelaru is Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Orchestre National de France, Artistic Director of the George Enescu International Festival and Competition, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Interlochen Center for the Arts’ World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Music Director and Conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and Distinguished Visiting Artist at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. He also serves as Artistic Partner of the WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, where he was Chief Conductor from the 2019–20 through 2024–25 seasons.

Măcelaru’s 2025–26 guest engagements include debuts with the Münchner Philharmoniker and Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, as well as returns with Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Czech Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony.

Măcelaru’s previous seasons include European engagements with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie, Concertgebouworkest, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Wiener Symphoniker. In North America, he has led the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra. He is equally at home as a conductor of opera, with career highlights including productions of Don Giovanni with the Houston Grand Opera and Madama Butterfly with Opera Națională București.

In 2020, Măcelaru received a Grammy Award for conducting the Decca Classics recording of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and The Philadelphia Orchestra. His highly anticipated recording of George Enescu’s complete symphonic works with the Orchestre National de France was released in April 2024 on Deutsche Grammophon. September 2025 marks the release of Măcelaru’s and the Orchestre National de France’s Ravel Paris 2025 album on the naïve label, featuring the symphonic works of Maurice Ravel in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL

Cincinnati Pops Conductor

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

John Morris Russell’s (JMR) embrace of America’s unique voice and musical stories has transformed how orchestral performances connect and engage with audiences. As conductor of the Cincinnati Pops since 2011, the wide range and diversity of his work as a musical leader, collaborator and educator

continues to reinvigorate the musical scene throughout Cincinnati and across the continent. As Music Director of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina, JMR conducts the classical series as well as the prestigious Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

A Grammy-nominated artist, JMR has worked with leading performers from across a variety of musical genres, including Aretha Franklin, Emanuel Ax, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, Garrick Ohlsson, Rhiannon Giddens, Hilary Hahn, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Cynthia Erivo, Sutton Foster, George Takei, Steve Martin, Brian Wilson, Leslie Odom, Jr., Lea Salonga and Mandy Gonzalez.

For over two decades, JMR has led the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s wildly successful Classical Roots initiative honoring and celebrating Black musical excellence. Guest artists have included Marvin Winans, Alton White, George Shirley, Common and Hi-Tek.

JMR has contributed seven albums to the Cincinnati Pops discography, including 2023’s holiday album JOY!. In 2015, he created the “American Originals Project,” which has won both critical and popular acclaim and features two landmark recordings: American Originals (the music of Stephen Foster) and the Grammynominated American Originals 1918 (a tribute to the dawn of the jazz age). The 2020 “American Originals” concert King Records and the Cincinnati Sound with Late Show pianist Paul Shaffer honored legendary recording artists associated with the Queen City. In the 2024–25 season JMR took on the next installment of the project, offering a concert and recording celebrating the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, and presented a national PBS broadcast of Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey. JMR’s American Soundscapes video series with the Pops and Cincinnati’s CET public television station has surpassed one million views on YouTube since its launch in 2016.

For more information about Cristian Măcelaru and John Morris Russell, please visit cincinnatisymphony.org/about/artistic-leadership.

©Alex Johnson

©Mark Lyons

THE WAR AND TREATY | 2025–26 SEASON

SAT SEP 6, 7:30 PM Music Hall

THE WAR AND TREATY DAMON GUPTON conductor

Known for their explosive fusion of soul, country, gospel, folk, blues and rock, powerhouse husbandand-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter have taken the national music scene by storm.

Now, hot on the heels of their Grammy and CMA award nominations and their newest album, Plus One, The War and Treaty bring their soulful intensity and high-octane energy to Music Hall. They join forces with the Pops and conductor Damon Gupton for a one-of-a-kind symphonic experience that blends Nashville grit with the Cincinnati sound.

There will be one 20-minute intermission.

Please do not record the concert.

To view the Digital Program for exclusive content, such as full-length program notes and artist biographies, please text PROGRAM to 513.845.3024*, use your mobile device to scan the QR code or visit cincinnatisymphony.org/digitalprogram.

*By texting to this number, you may receive messages that pertain to the organization and its performances; msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP to help, STOP to cancel.

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is grateful to Pops Season Presenter PNC

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

Damon Gupton, Pops Principal Guest Conductor

Damon Gupton is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops. A native of Detroit, he served as American Conducting Fellow of the Houston Symphony and held the post of assistant conductor of the Kansas City Symphony. His conducting appearances include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Detroit Symphony, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Florida Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Princeton Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Chineke!, NHK Orchestra of Tokyo, Orquesta Filarmonica de UNAM, Charlottesville Symphony, Brass Band of Battle Creek, Brevard Music Center, and Sphinx Symphony as part of the 12th annual Sphinx Competition. He led the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra on two national tours with performances at Carnegie Hall, and he conducted the finals of the Seventh Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition and the 2021 Classic FM Live at Royal Albert Hall with Chineke!.

Gupton received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Michigan. He studied conducting with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin at the Aspen Music Festival and with Leonard Slatkin at the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C.

An accomplished actor, Gupton is a graduate of the Drama Division of The Juilliard School. He has had a number of roles in television and film, including in the Paramount+ series Happy Face and the film Lear Rex with Al Pacino, as well as on stage.

He is represented by Harden Curtis Kirsten Riley Agency (HCKR), SMS Talent and Brookside Artist Management.

FEATURE

From the Shadows to the Spotlight: Honoring Black Trailblazers in Country Music History

by JOE Z. JOHNSON, PhD candidate, Indiana University, Bloomington

Although country music is often marketed as the cultural property of white America, its roots are deeply African American. From early Black musicians like DeFord Bailey to genre-bending artists such as Ray Charles and Linda Martell, Black musicians have been essential architects of the sound, spirit and evolution of country music.

In the early 20th century, as record companies like RCA Victor ventured into the rural South, they encountered diverse musical traditions that confounded their racial expectations. The string band music of Appalachia, with the banjo at its center, was deeply intertwined with African American musical aesthetics. It is undeniable that the banjo is a Black instrument that was first constructed in the Caribbean by enslaved people. Its rhythmic drive and melodic fluidity permeated the American South and Appalachia, developing into early string band ensembles that often played in racially integrated settings.

However, the burgeoning recording industry sought to market this music within narrow racial and cultural boundaries. Record companies decided who would be marketed as white or Black, creating racial boundaries in music markets. “Hillbilly” became the sanitized label for white string band music, while “race records” categorized Black music, regardless of stylistic

DeFord Bailey with a harmonica, c. 1980. Courtesy of David C. Morton via the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

similarities. Hillbilly records would later be rebranded as “country and Western” and then, simply “country” as we know it today.

“Race records” were the precursor to records labeled as “blues,” “rhythm and blues” and later “R&B” (among other names). This marketing strategy flattened the complexity of string band music’s origins, even obscuring or changing musicians’ racial identities in order to fit the predetermined racial expectations. These divisions, driven by marketing, have profoundly shaped how country music and other genres have been remembered.

One of the most important early Black country artists was DeFord Bailey, a talented harmonica player, banjo player and guitarist. Nicknamed the “Harmonica Wizard,” Bailey captured a skillful, improvisational spirit central to music of the African diaspora. Born in Smith County, Tennessee, he was brought up playing harmonica at country barn dances. In 1925, WSM Radio in Nashville launched the radio program Barn Dance, which would later become Grand Ole Opry. Bailey was one of its earliest stars, regularly performing on the show and marketed as both Race Records and Hillbilly Records through the RCA Victor label. This dual categorization demonstrated how Bailey’s music blurred racial boundaries, even as the industry tried to reinforce them. His signature song, “Pan-American Blues,” used harmonica techniques to imitate trains, blending sound design with blues-inflected storytelling. Bailey’s popularity helped shape the emerging identity of country music, yet he was eventually fired from the Opry due to licensing disputes. This was a thinly veiled pretext masking the Opry’s desire to shape itself as a white cultural taste-making venue.

make a million dollars.” Phillips often took musical styles, arrangements and specific songs from Black artists and gave them to white artists like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, helping them achieve massive success. While Black musicians laid the foundation, they were frequently shut out of the financial rewards and recognition that white artists received for performing similar sounds.

Ray Charles’ genre-bending 1962 album, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, would demonstrate how Black musical aesthetics permeate throughout mainstream country. His proficiency in African American musical forms would seamlessly unravel the threads woven into some of country music’s biggest hits. Charles approached country songs with freedom and elasticity, rephrasing melodies, inserting rhythmic shifts and infusing the music with soul — a cultural vitality central to African diasporic traditions. In songs like “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” Charles altered timing, stretched phrases and added gospel-style exclamations. His improvisational style revealed how country music and rhythm and blues share common roots. Despite fears that crossing into white musical territory would harm his career, the album was a massive success across U.S. and U.K. charts, topping both pop and R&B lists. “I Can’t Stop Loving You” won Best R&B Recording at the 1963 Grammy Awards. Yet, notably, neither the album nor Charles received significant recognition from country music institutions until he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2021.

Sun Records was another taste-making country music venue, founded in Memphis, Tenn., in 1952 by Sam Phillips. Although Phillips built his career recording legendary Black blues artists like Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King and Ike Turner, he saw greater profit in white artists replicating Black music styles. Famously, he said, “If I could find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could

The first commercially successful Black woman in country music was Linda Martell. She brought a silken, countrypolitan voice to the genre, infusing her singing with the emotive force that stood in stark contrast to the often-restrained delivery that dominated mainstream white country music of her era. This style, shaped by the soulful expressiveness of a Black woman navigating a rapidly changing world, created an intimate connection between performer and audience. Yet, despite her undeniable talent and chart success, Martell faced a music industry that refused to acknowledge her creative acumen as a Black woman.

Joe Thompson (fiddle) and his cousin, Odell (banjo), tradition bearers of Black banjo and fiddle playing from Alamance County, NC. Photo courtesy of Peter B. Lowry and Kip Lornell

Contemporary artists like Rissi Palmer and the Black Opry community are reclaiming that legacy and advocating for Black musicians within country music today. Rissi Palmer, the first Black woman since 1988 to chart a country song, has been instrumental in spotlighting Black country artists past and present. Her radio show, Color Me Country, named in homage to Linda Martell’s 1970 album, celebrates Black voices in country music and shares stories that have long been overlooked. Palmer also founded the Color Me Country™ Artist Grant Fund, offering financial support to young Black artists navigating the industry.

Meanwhile, organizers like Holly G established the Black Opry, an initiative that collaborates with Palmer’s projects to build a database of Black country artists and create performance opportunities at various career stages. This laid crucial groundwork for Black country music’s recent resurgence in the public eye, paving the way for cultural moments like Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, an album that sparked

widespread conversations about the relationship between race and genre. That album’s success did not come out of nowhere. It was built on years of community organizing, artist advocacy and cultural reclamation with figures like Palmer and Holly G. In their voices, Black country music sings at its most potent — unapologetically emotional, deeply personal and transforming simple lyrics into profound statements of human experience.

From the shadows to the spotlight, the stories of country’s Black trailblazers reveal that country music is, at its core, an African American and African diasporic art form as much as it is an American one, visible through centuries of musical exchange. Artists like DeFord Bailey, Ray Charles, Linda Martell and many others were not exceptions but the rule: country music has always been shaped by Black artistry and innovation. To fully understand the genre and to honor its truth, we must recognize how African artists and aesthetics are the beating heart of country music’s past, present and future. 

The burgeoning “hillbilly” recording industry had a home in Cincinnati with King Records, which was founded in 1943 and initially specialized in hillbilly music. King Records advertised, “If it’s a King, It’s a Hillbilly — If it’s a Hillbilly, it’s a King.” Queen Records was the “race records” division. Read more about King Records: ohiomagazine.com/ohio-life/article/thelegacy-of-cincinnati-s-king-records

The Summit Experience

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Celebrating the brilliance that art brings to life.

PNC is proud to be the Pops Season Presenter and to support the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops. Thank you for mastering the art of making Greater Cincinnati a more brilliantly beautiful place.

CIRQUE ESPAÑA! | 2025–26 SEASON

FRI SEP 12, 7:30 PM | SAT SEP 13, 7:30 PM | SUN SEP 14, 2 PM

Music Hall

TROUPE VERTIGO

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL conductor*

Three Latin Dances

“Alborada” from Capriccio espagnole

Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil)

“Córdoba” from Chants d’Espagne

Cuban Overture

España

El Choclo

Jeff Tyzik

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Ary Barroso

Isaac Albéniz

George Gershwin

Emmanuel Chabrier

Jeff Tyzik

Carioca Vincent Youmans

“Lady of Spain”

Tolchard Evans

INTERMISSION

Spanish Dance No. 1 from La vida breve

Selections from Carmen Suites

Program subject to change

*A biography for John Morris Russell is on p. 21.

Manuel de Falla

Georges Bizet

*By texting to this number, you may receive messages that pertain to the organization and its performances; msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP to help, STOP to cancel.

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is grateful to Pops Season Presenter PNC.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert

Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

FROM BEETHOVEN TO HINDEMITH | 2025–26 SEASON

TUE SEP 16, 7:30 PM

Music Hall Ballroom

Paul Hindemith Oktett (1895–1963)

Breit — Mässig schnell

Varianten. Mässig bewegt

Langsam

Sehr lebhaft

Fuge und drei altmodische Tänze (Walzer, Polka und Galopp)

Charles Morey, violin

Gabriel Napoli, viola

Joanne Wojtowicz, viola

Nicholas Mariscal, cello

Luis Celis, contrabass

Erin Fung, clarinet

Christopher Sales, bassoon

David Alexander, horn

Moritz Moszkowski Suite for Two Violins and Piano, Op. 71 (1854–1925)

Allegro energico

Allegro moderato

Lento assai

Molto vivace

Stefani Matsuo, violin

Gabriel Pegis, violin

Michael Chertock, piano

INTERMISSION

Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6 (1770–1827)

Allegro con brio

Adagio, ma non troppo

Scherzo: Allegro. Trio

La Malinconia: Adagio — Allegretto quasi allegro — Adagio — Allegretto — Un poco adagio — Prestissimo

Elizabeth Furuta, violin

Rebecca Kruger Fryxell, violin

Dan Wang, viola

Tianlu (Jerry) Xu, cello

The Winstead Chamber Series is endowed by a generous gift from the estate of former CSO musician WILLIAM WINSTEAD. This performance is approximately 105 minutes long, including intermission.

YOU’RE INVITED to greet the musicians after the concert.

PROGRAM NOTES

Paul Hindemith: Oktett

 Composed: 1957–58

 Premiere: September 23, 1958, at the Berlin Festival, featuring members of the Berlin Philharmonic with Hindemith on one of the viola parts

 Duration: approx. 25 minutes

The opening movement begins with an astringent preludial paragraph whose stern countenance decoys the healthy bustle of the music that follows. The second movement is a set of variations on a theme of unpredictable meter first presented by the violin. The slow movement, the expressive and formal center of the Oktett, is in a simple ternary form. The outer sections are based on a long horn melody sung above a solemn string accompaniment, while the middle portion is a fugue based on a rhythmic figuration borrowed from the strings’ accompaniment figure. The return of the opening theme, now in the clarinet, rounds out the form of the movement. As was characteristic of the Classical symphony, the closing movements of this Oktett contain the work’s lightest spirits: a witty scherzo grown from a distinctive knocking motive, and a Fugue and Three Old-Fashioned Dances (Waltz, Polka, Galop), which are all based on the strongly profiled melody given in unison at the beginning.

Like so many of his instrumental pieces, the Oktett, Hindemith’s last chamber work, borrows and transforms the musical forms and styles of earlier eras. The instrumentation was based on that of Schubert’s Octet, though the second violin is here replaced by a second viola, quite possibly so that the composer could more easily include himself in performances of the work. The chief stylistic influences on the Oktett were Bachian counterpoint and the multi-movement Classical divertimento. The first movement, with its snapping-rhythm slow introduction and fugal main section, may also be intended to recall the old French overture form of Lully. The opening movement begins with an astringent preludial paragraph whose stern countenance decoys the healthy bustle of the music that follows. The second movement is a set of variations on a theme of unpredictable meter first presented by the violin. The slow movement, the expressive and formal center of the Oktett, is in a simple ternary form. The outer sections are based on a long horn melody sung above a solemn string accompaniment, while the middle portion is a fugue based on a rhythmic figuration borrowed from the strings’ accompaniment figure. The return of the opening theme, now in the clarinet, rounds out the form of the movement. As was characteristic of the Classical symphony, the closing movements of this Oktett contain the work’s lightest spirits: a witty scherzo grown from a distinctive knocking motive, and a Fugue and Three Old-Fashioned Dances (Waltz, Polka, Galop), which are all based on the strongly profiled melody given in unison at the beginning.

—Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Born: November 16, 1895, Hanau, Germany, near Frankfurt

Died: December 28, 1963, Frankfurt, Germany

Moritz

Moszkowski:

Moritz Moszkowski: Suite for Two Violins and Piano, Op. 71

 Composed: 1903

 Premiere: unknown

Suite for Two Violins and Piano, Op. 71

 Duration: approx. 20 minutes

Moritz Moszkowski was among Europe’s leading musicians during the late 19th century, a respected teacher, a noted piano virtuoso, a skilled conductor and a composer of talent and accomplishment. Moszkowski was born in Breslau of PolishJewish descent and trained in Dresden and Berlin. He made his debut in Berlin at age 19, and quickly became one of Germany’s leading pianists while establishing parallel careers as a teacher and composer.

An energetic main theme, whose motives are carved principally from falling scale steps, opens Moszkowski’s Suite for Two Violins and Piano. The formal second subject is marked by a series of quick, staccato chords from the piano, which the violins counter with fragments of the descending main theme. Further developmental discussion of these motives fills the center of the movement and leads directly to the recapitulation of the second theme, here extended. The main theme, elaborately decorated by the violins, returns as a brilliant coda. The second movement is gracious and lightly swaying, rather like a minuet. The Lento is lyrical and gently wistful. The virtuosic finale recalls the frenetic tarantella, the traditional Italian dance whose exertions were said to rid the body of the poison of the tarantula spider’s deadly bite.

—Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Born: August 23, 1854, Breslau, Prussia (now Warsaw, Poland)

Died: March 4, 1925, Moscow

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and its performances; msg & data rates

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Born: December 16, 1770, Bonn, Germany

Died: March 26, 1827, Vienna, Austria

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. in Op. 18, No. 6

 Composed: 1800

 Premiere: 1800 in Vienna

 Duration: approx. 24 minutes

The year he completed the six Op. 18 String Quartets was an important time in Beethoven’s development. He had achieved a success good enough to write to his old friend Franz Wegeler in Bonn, “My compositions bring me in a good deal, and may I say that I am offered more commissions than it is possible for me to carry out.” At the time of this gratifying recognition of his talents, however, the first signs of his fateful deafness appeared. The Op. 18 String Quartets stand on the brink of that great crisis.

The year he completed the six Op. 18 String Quartets was an Beethoven’s development. He had achieved a good enough his friend Franz Wegeler in Bonn, “My bring good say that I am offered more commissions than it is possible for to carry out.” At the time of this gratifying recognition of his however, the signs of his fateful deafness appeared. The Op. 18 String stand on crisis.

A vigorous, leaping melody in the first violin serves as the main theme of the opening movement. Long ribbons of scales provide the transition to the second theme, an amiable strain of limited range in dotted rhythms. The leaping main theme and the scalar transition motive are explored in the development. A long preparation that finally settles on a quiet, held chord ushers in the recapitulation.

A vigorous, leaping melody in the first violin serves as the main theme of the opening movement. Long ribbons of provide theme, an amiable strain of limited in dotted rhythms. leaping theme and the scalar transition motive are explored development. preparation that finally settles on a quiet, held chord ushers in the

The Adagio, built in a simple three-part form, begins with a suave theme presented by the violin above a sparse accompaniment in the lower strings; the center section is initiated by an attenuated line given in unison by the first violin and cello.

The Adagio, built in a begins with suave by the violin above a sparse accompaniment the lower the is initiated by an attenuated line given in unison by the first violin and cello.

The Scherzo is an elaborate, almost quirky, exploration of the ways in which triple-meter measures can be divided into unusual rhythms and ambiguous groupings through syncopations and cross accents; the tiny trio is occupied by a flippant melody for the violin.

The Scherzo is an almost quirky, exploration the triple-meter measures can be divided into rhythms and groupings syncopations and cross accents; the occupied flippant melody for the violin.

The finale begins with the extraordinary La Malinconia (“melancholy”) introduction. The main body of the movement, in rondo form, is fast and cheerful, though the pensive strains of the slow opening return before a furious dash to the end.

The finale begins with the extraordinary La Malinconia (“melancholy”) introduction. main body the movement, in though the pensive strains of the slow end.

RESTORED & PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Music Hall’s 1878 wooden double balcony doors have returned after months of meticulous restoration and preservation. Admire their renewed beauty from inside and outside. They stand majestically at 13 feet tall on the second ﬂoor “well,” opening onto the balcony below the Rose Window.

Read a Blog about the doors’ restoration & history @friendsofmusichall.org/blog

Become a Friend & Donate to preserve Music Hall @friendsofmusichall.org

—Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Richard

Friends of Music Hall (CM-Sep-Oct)

Overture

I’m Your Baby Tonight

THE VOICE OF WHITNEY | 2025–26 SEASON

SAT SEP 20, 7:30 PM | SUN SEP 21, 2 PM Music Hall

DANIEL WILEY conductor

L.A. Reid & Babyface

You Give Good Love La Forrest “La La” Cope

The Greatest Love of All

Michael Masser Tomorrow

I Know Him So Well

Higher Love

Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin

Benny Andersson, Tim Rice & Björn Ulvaeus

Steve Winwood & Will Jennings Count on Me

Step by Step/I Love the Lord

Babyface, Michael Houston & Whitney Houston

Annie Lennox & Richard Smallwood So Emotional

Where Do Broken Hearts Go

How Will I Know

The Star-Spangled Banner

All the Man That I Need

I’m Every Woman

1994 AMAs Medley

INTERMISSION

Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly

Frank Wildhorn & Chuck Jackson

George Merrill & Shannon Rubicam

John Stafford Smith

Michael Gore

Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson

I Loves You, Porgy • And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going • I Have Nothing

It’s Not Right but It’s Okay

Saving All My Love for You

I Will Always Love You

Various

Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Isaac Phillips & Toni Estes

Gerry Goffin & Michael Masser

Dolly Parton

Program subject to change

*By texting to this number, you may receive messages that pertain to the organization and its performances; msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP to help, STOP to cancel.

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is grateful to Pops Season Presenter PNC and Presenting Sponsor ArtsWave Flow.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust.

DISTANT WORLDS:

music from Final Fantasy | 2025–26 SEASON

SAT SEP 27, 7:30 PM | SUN SEP 28, 2 PM Music Hall

ARNIE ROTH conductor MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS Matthew Swanson, director

Final Fantasy Series: Prelude Nobuo Uematsu

Final Fantasy VIII: Liberi Fatali

Final Fantasy Victory Theme

Final Fantasy IV: Battle with The Four Fiends

Final Fantasy VII: Aerith’s Theme

Final Fantasy IX: Not Alone

Final Fantasy XIV: Songs of Salt and Suffering (Shadowbringers) Masayoshi Soken

Final Fantasy XIV: Triumph (Stormblood)

Final Fantasy XIV: The Final Day (Endwalker)

Final Fantasy Series: Chocobo Medley Nobuo Uematsu

INTERMISSION

Final Fantasy Series: Battle & Victory Theme Medley

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth: Cosmo Canyon — Sanctum of Planetology

Final X: Zanarkand

Final Fantasy XIII: Blinded by Light

Nobuo Uematsu

Final Fantasy XV: Valse di Fantastica Yoko Shimomura

Final Fantasy XVI: Away Masayoshi Soken

Final Fantasy XVI: Ascension

Final Fantasy XVI: Find the Flame

Final Fantasy Series: Main Theme Nobuo Uematsu

Program subject to change

MEMBERS OF THE MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS

Caitlin Ahmann-Miller

Avery Bargassé

Mark Barnes

Nathan Bettenhausen

David Bower

Doug Bruestle

Sage Bushstone

Renee Cifuentes

Rachel Curran

Bethany Dorsel

Edy Dreith

Douglas Easterling

Amanda Gast

Sally Harper

Mary Wynn Haupt

Carolyn Hill

Mark Hockenberry

Alexandra Kesman

Andrew Kneer

Hilary Landwehr

Julie Laskey

Jim Laskey

Emma Lawrence

Kevin Leahy

Matthew Leonard

Scott Lincoln

Robert Lomax

Alexx Lujan

Andrew Miller

Jim Racster

Brian Reilly

Larry Reiring

Christy Roediger

A.J. Seifert

Adam Shoaff

Nikki Tayidi

Max Trombley

Josh Wallace

Megan Weaver

Paul Wessendarp

Stephen West

Tricia Wilkens

(as of July 31, 2025)

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is grateful to Pops Season Presenter PNC.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy in concert.

How Video Games are Introducing New Audiences to Orchestral Music

by MAT OMBLER

A harmonious link between video games and orchestral music has always existed Although many people might dismiss early video game music, with its chiptune “beeps” and “boops,” these sounds were evidence of creativity beyond the technical limitations game music composers from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s faced, such as limited audio channels and low memory space. But fans of classical music who delve more deeply into the monophonic sounds and melodies from this era might be surprised by what they hear, especially since some of the earliest video game composers have roots in classical repertoire.

Koichi Sugiyama is best known by video game players for his work on the Dragon Quest games, the first of which debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. Prior to his work on Dragon Quest, the classically trained Japanese composer spent decades writing and orchestrating music for prestigious musicals, TV shows and animated movies. A year after Dragon Quest’s release on August 20, 1987, Sugiyama orchestrated an overture from the game, which was performed

by the Tokyo Strings Ensemble at a Family Classic Concert in Suntory Hall — the world’s first video game concert.

Since then, the relationship between video games and orchestral music has continued to grow in concert halls and in video games. Video game composers released orchestral versions of their game soundtracks on CD and vinyl for video game franchises such as Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana. As the video game industry shifted to CD-ROMs as its preferred software format, game composers could finally incorporate orchestral arrangements into their soundtracks.

It wasn’t until the mid 2000s, however, that video game concerts found a home in the West, arriving first with the 2003 annual Games Convention in Leipzig and, a year later, in the U.S. with Dear Friends — Music from Final Fantasy, Square Enix’s RPG (role-playing game) franchise that has sold more than 200 million units worldwide since the release of the first game in 1987. Not only does this make Final Fantasy one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, but it also makes its composer, Nobuo Uematsu, one of the mostheard musicians in the world, with many of his

peers referring to him as the “Beethoven of video game music.”

“Final Fantasy is a great example of a game where the music is as important as the gameplay itself,” says conductor and composer Arnie Roth. “That’s largely thanks to Nobuo Uematsu and his style of composition from very early on.”

Roth has been working with Uematsu since 2005, when he programmed the concert Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy as music director and conductor of the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra. Uematsu was in attendance and, after that concert, he invited Roth to conduct “four or five other” Dear Friends concerts that were part of the initial short tour.

According to Roth, these arrangements for those early Final Fantasy concerts were the template for the Distant Worlds tour — arrangements the Cincinnati Pops and May Festival Chorus will perform under Roth’s direction for the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy concerts September 27 and 28.

There are many reasons why Uematsu’s music resonates with so many players, and why thousands flock to concert halls to experience it. RPGs like Final Fantasy can take upwards of 50 hours to complete, so players hear these songs over and over again. Developer and publisher Square Enix has released more than 40 albums of music from the games, so players can listen to their favorite songs outside of the game, and many of Uematsu’s melodies have returned as new arrangements in remakes of games like Final Fantasy VII.

But according to Roth, it’s Uematsu’s approach to songwriting that makes the music in Final Fantasy so unforgettable.

“With Nobuo Uematsu, the most important aspect of his composition style is melody and structure,” he says. “This is very similar to the great classical composers, who are all about the architecture of the melody and structure — a beautiful melody that’s compelling. Many people can write a melody, but Nobuo has a crazy knack for melodies that live with you forever.”

Uematsu left Square Enix as an in-house composer to pursue a freelance career in music after the release of Final Fantasy IX. Although he’s continued to contribute music to the franchise ever since, later games have been scored by composers such as Masashi Hamauzu, Masayoshi Soken and Yoko Shimomura.

That said, it’s Uematsu’s early Final Fantasy music that serves as the key earworms for many fans. Grammy-winning pianist Jon Batiste played jazz arrangements of Final Fantasy VII with his band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. This year, singer and songwriter Pharrell Williams chose “One Winged Angel” from Final Fantasy VII to open his Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2025 Show. At Final Fantasy concerts, it’s not unusual to see tears during performances of songs like “Zanarkand” and “Aerith’s Theme” — for many players it may be the first time they have experienced a live orchestra concert.

“Every concert that we do, there’s always a percentage of classical music fans who are regular concertgoers. But it might be fairly small, like 5% or 10%,” Roth explains.

Uematsu’s writing style naturally lends itself to the orchestral arrangements that people hear in the most recent Final Fantasy games, many of which are evolutions of previous orchestral arrangements created by Shiro Hamaguchi for concerts such as Distant Worlds.

“If you go back and listen to the 8-bit stuff and compare that to Hamaguchi’s arrangements, you will find they’re very faithful,” Roth continues. “What he’s doing is creating linkage and orchestration, introductions and modulations, and ways to move [Uematsu’s music] into a full concert experience.”

It’s not unusual for video game music to outlive the games it was written for. While the Final Fantasy series is still going strong today, it’s testament to the quality of Uematsu’s writing that his music — some of which he wrote over 30 years ago is still being adapted and performed for modern audiences. Similarly, the music in Final Fantasy continues to evolve as composers such as Masashi Hamauzu, Yoko Shimomura and Masayoshi Soken put their stamp on the series, each adding their signature sound while finding creative new ways to interpret Uematsu’s mainstay melodies. 

Cosplayers at the 2023 Cincinnati Pops concert “Heroes: A Video Game Symphony.” Credit: Charlie Balcom

CSO Orchestra Members Answer ‘What’s Your Favorite Video Game Score?’

After a day of rehearsal, some of our orchestra members head home to swap their instruments for controllers. Behind the stories and carefully curated worlds is often a lush orchestral soundtrack that inspires. We asked our musicians about their favorite video game scores, and here are their responses:

Michael Culligan

Associate Principal Percussion

“So many great ones, but I especially love the music from Outer Wilds, Hollow Knight and Cuphead. Our toddler is obsessed with the Outer Wilds music and asks for it in the car literally every day. Cuphead has a great soundtrack that is all big band jazz and ragtime.”

Jerry Xu

Cello

“Battlefield Theme. There are many versions after its first release in 2002, but my favorite is the Battlefield 1 theme song because it’s well orchestrated and brings World War I back to life (game).”

Luis Celis

Associate Principal Bass

Thomas Vanden Eynden Chair

“Super Mario Galaxy for Wii is one of my favorites! Very cool and futuristic sounding, it features the

orchestra quite prominently. Some of my other favorites include Luigi’s Mansion for GameCube and Super Smash Bros.”

Owen Lee

Principal Bass

Mary Alice Heekin Burke Chair

“Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Wall to wall ripping songs!”

Jonathan Yi First Violin

“The Final Fantasy series. Every time I listen to the tracks from FF7, 10 or 16 I just feel like I’m in a ‘distant world.’ Real fans will get that!”

OTHERS mentioned Tetris, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and God of War: Ragnarök “because it’s symphonic and epic in scope.”

From left: Owen Lee, Michael Culligan, Jonathan Yi, Luis Celis and Jerry Xu.

Credit: JP Leong

A

New Era begins with Music Director

Cristian Măcelaru

Anna Clyne

CRISTIAN MĂCELARU’S DEBUT | 2025–26 SEASON

FRI OCT 3, 7:30 PM | SAT OCT 4, 7:30 PM Music Hall

Cristian Măcelaru conductor Hélène Grimaud piano

Abstractions (b. 1980)

Marble Moon

Auguries

Seascape River

Three

George Gershwin Concerto in F Major for Piano and Orchestra (1898–1937)

Allegro

Adagio — Andante con moto Allegro agitato

INTERMISSION

Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite, Op. 59 * (1864–1949)

Prelude (Act I)

Presentation of the Silver Rose (Act II) Baron Ochs’ Waltz (Act II) “Ist ein Traum” (Act III) Waltz (reprise)

*Movements of this piece are played attacca, meaning with little or no break between. These performances are approximately 120 minutes long, including intermission.

The CSO is grateful to CSO Season Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group. These concerts are endowed by Martha Anness, Priscilla Haffner & Sally Skidmore in loving memory of their mother, LaVaughn Scholl Garrison, a long-time patron of the Orchestra.

WGUC is the Media Partner for these concerts. This concert will air on 90.9 WGUC at a future date. Visit cincinnatisymphony.org/replay for the full details and broadcast schedule.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

with Cristian Măcelaru, Music Director

It’s telling that the first piece Cristian Măcelaru will conduct as music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will be one written by a living composer: Abstractions (2016) by the British-born, AmericanAnna Clyne. Clyne is one of the composers with whom Măcelaru has had the deepest working relationship, conducting her music everywhere from California to Cologne. He considers working with living composers one of the pillars of his career — a passion he traces back to studying composition from high school through college.

“I was a composition department’s dream student, because I was always willing to play in or conduct a new music recital,” Măcelaru says. “I don’t remember ever making a decision and saying, ‘Oh, I’m a new music expert.’ I’m just as interested in a brand-new composition as I am interested in doing a Brahms symphony.”

George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, which follows, is a personal favorite of Cristi’s, as well as an obvious nod to Măcelaru’s adopted homeland in the U.S. Through soloist Hélène Grimaud, it also nods to France, Măcelaru’s other home as the music director of the Orchestre National de France. (In a famous, if apocryphal story, Gershwin himself went to Paris hoping to study with Maurice Ravel. When Ravel learned how much money Gershwin had made the previous year, he said, “Perhaps it is I who should study with you!”) But Cristi also wanted to pair Clyne and Gershwin’s music because of a shared quality: In his view, both composers write music that sounds breezy but is, in truth, fiendishly difficult to execute.

Măcelaru has compared the pieces with trying to play a “perfect waltz” much easier said than done. The CSO will nonetheless try their best when they finish with Richard Strauss’ Suite from Der Rosenkavalier. One of the masterpieces of German-language opera, the score is crammed with resplendent waltzes and sweeping melodies. Though a purely orchestral suite, its lyricism and cultural specificity pays homage to the German immigrant community whose singing tradition helped establish the May Festival Chorus — and, in turn, Music Hall and the CSO. “Someone 140 years ago made a very, very bold decision to say, ‘We should build this incredible concert hall here. That will be the legacy of who we are,’” Măcelaru says. Plus, the CSO is an opera orchestra, as the pit orchestra for the summer Cincinnati Opera. He adds, “a necessity has become an asset.”

—Hannah Edgar

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Cristian Măcelaru, conductor

A complete biography for Music Director Cristian Măcelaru can be found on p. 21.

Hélène Grimaud, piano

Renaissance woman Hélène Grimaud’s multiple talents extend far beyond the instrument she plays with such poetic expression and technical control: She has established herself as a wildlife conservationist who founded the Wolf Conservation Center in New York State, a human rights activist and a writer, her deep dedication to her musical career reflected in and amplified by the scope and depth of her environmental, literary and artistic interests.

Hélène Grimaud was born in 1969 in Aix-en-Provence and began her piano studies at the local conservatory with Jacqueline Courtin before going on to work with Pierre Barbizet in Marseille. She was accepted into the Paris Conservatoire at just 13. Only a few years later, in 1987, she gave her well-received debut recital in Tokyo. That same year, renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim invited her to perform with the Orchestre de Paris, marking the launch of Grimaud’s musical career.

In addition to collaborating with the world’s leading orchestras, Hélène Grimaud delights her audiences with numerous recitals around the globe and performs chamber music at the highest level.

In the 2025–26 season, Grimaud brings her exceptional artistry to George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, performing this iconic work with prestigious orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, among others. She also embarks on a West Coast tour with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and gives solo recitals and chamber music performances worldwide.

Since 2002, Hélène Grimaud has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist. Her latest project, For Clara, focuses on her long relationship with the German Romantics, and on the ties that bound both Robert Schumann and his protégé Brahms to pianist-composer Clara Schumann.

Her prodigious contribution to the world of classical music was recognized by the French government, who appointed her “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.” helenegrimaud.com

PROGRAM NOTES

Anna Clyne: Abstractions

 Composed: 2016

 Premiere: May 7, 2016, at Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Md., Marin Alsop conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

 Instrumentation: 3 flutes (incl. piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, crotales, sandpaper blocks, sizzle cymbal, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, Tibetan singing bowls, vibraphone, whip, wind machine, harp, piano, strings

 CSO notable performances: These are the first CSO performances of this work.

 Duration: approx. 20 minutes

Described as a “composer of uncommon gifts and unusual methods” by The New York Times and as “fearless” by NPR, Grammy-nominated Anna Clyne is one of the most in-demand composers today, working with orchestras, choreographers, filmmakers and visual artists around the world.

In addition, Clyne seeks innovation through new technology, developing the Augmented Orchestra with sound designer Jody Elff; the technology expands the sound-world of the orchestra through computer-controlled processes.

Clyne is deeply committed to music education and to supporting and mentoring the next generation of composers. She has taught masterclasses and workshops throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Her music is published exclusively by Boosey & Hawkes: boosey.com/clyne.

Born: March 9, 1980, London, U.K.

©Mat Hennek

Born: September 26, 1898, Brooklyn, N.Y. Died: July 11, 1937, Los Angeles, Calif.

Clyne describes Abstractions as follows:

Abstractions is a suite of five movements inspired by five contrasting contemporary artworks from the Baltimore Museum of Art and from the private collection of Rheda Becker and Robert Meyerhoff, whom this music honors.

1. Marble Moon — inspired by Sara VanDerBeek’s Marble Moon (2015)

2. Auguries — inspired by Julie Mehretu’s Auguries (2010)

3. Seascape — inspired by Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Caribbean Sea, Jamaica (1980)

4. River — inspired by Ellsworth Kelly’s River II (2005)

5. Three — inspired by Brice Marden’s 3 (1987–88)

In drawing inspiration from these artworks, I have tried to capture the feelings or imagery that they evoke, the concept of the work, or the process adopted by the artists. Such examples are the filtered blues, and the contrast between light falling on the earthy stone and the mysterious moon, that characterize VanDerBeek’s Marble Moon; the long arching lines, compact energetic marks and dense shifting forms of a system on the verge of collapse in Mehretu’s Auguries; the serene horizon with rippled water in Sugimoto’s Seascape; the stark juxtaposition of the energetic black and white lines that enlarge Kelly’s brushstrokes in River II; and the lines, which, inspired by Asian calligraphy and the structure of seashells, appear to dance in Marden’s 3.

Some common threads between the artworks are their use of limited color palettes, references to nature and the capturing of time as a current that flows — distilling and preserving it so that we can contemplate it as the viewer. I was also attracted to the structures of these works; for example, River II and Auguries, which at first sight could be seen as random, and even chaotic, are in fact created within a sense of order — they feel both dynamic and structural.

George Gershwin: Concerto in F Major for Piano and Orchestra

 Composed: November 1925

 Premiere: December 3, 1925 at Carnegie Hall, New York City, Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Symphony with George Gershwin, piano

 Instrumentation: solo piano, 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, glockenspiel, snare drum, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, whip, wood block, xylophone, strings

 CSO notable performances: First: March 1927, Fritz Reiner, conductor; George Gershwin, piano. Most Recent: April 2018, Cristian Măcelaru conducting; Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano. CSO Recording: Gershwin: Concerto in F released in 1953, Thor Johnson conducting; Alec Templeton, piano. Notable: this work was performed as part of the 1966 World Tour, Max Rudolf conducting; Lorin Hollander, piano.

 Duration: approx. 31 minutes

In April 1925, Walter Damrosch — who admired the composer’s Rhapsody in Blue — commissioned a “New York Concerto” from Gershwin for the New York Symphony Society. The premiere of what became the Concerto in F occurred at Carnegie Hall on December 3, 1925, with the composer as soloist. As one critic relayed: “A crowd of almost Paderewskian proportions sloshed in out of the deluge to witness Mr. Gershwin’s nuptials with the symphonic Muse.” Gershwin regularly performed the Concerto as soloist, including in March 1927 with Fritz Reiner leading the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in its first performance of the piece.

All told, Gershwin wrote four works for solo piano and orchestra: Rhapsody in Blue and the Concerto in F led to the Second Rhapsody (1932) and “I Got Rhythm” Variations (1934). For Gershwin, this partly constituted a deeper exploration of “serious” music, including the early opera Blue Monday Blues (1922), and, later, An American in Paris (1928) and Porgy and Bess (1935) — all representative of Gershwin’s “hybrid” style.

The stylistic emulsion heard in these pieces was not only Gershwin’s concern, though we do hear it as his signature style. These pieces were born between the World Wars at a time when cultural stakeholders debated and battled over the

directions their societies were moving, anxious about the creep of mass culture into sacrosanct spaces or else the popularization of rarified domains. These debates forced Gershwin to defend his compositional abilities against critics who viewed him as only a song composer who lucked out with the Rhapsody

The concerto’s first movement opens in unusual fashion with solo timpani. The gesture may be best known from Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, but Gershwin rebuffs Beethoven’s reticent tenderness, instead sounding a clarion call in accented forte notes. After the opening salvo, the work ignites with the rhythm of James P. Johnson’s famous 1923 song “The Charleston.” The Concerto’s first distinctive theme soon enters, an arching five-tone melody in dotted rhythms played by solo bassoon that will frequently resurface. In contrast, the piano soloist’s first entry introduces the movement’s second theme, a halting melody with repeated offbeat notes that strives upward but just as often dips down. No theme is extensively developed, Gershwin instead opting for a fragmentary “tunes into themes” approach that also underpins the Rhapsody and An American in Paris. Gershwin then explores the orchestra’s colors, building a richly dark chamber ensemble led by English horn doubled by viola for a countermelody. These timbres foreshadow the movement’s interior cantabile section where Mahlerian tunefulness matches with adroit orchestral partitioning. Following the lyrical section, the piano re-energizes, summoning the movement’s final recapitulatory tapestry of thematic counterpoint and pianistic technique.

For many, the second movement is the Concerto’s jewel. Sounds of chamber music already established, Gershwin brings new degrees of transparency in this middle movement, which he once described as exhibiting Mozartian simplicity. The texture lends well to a blues-influenced style, a tradition typically involving smaller ensembles or a single self-accompanying singer. The movement features a solo trumpet traversing a noticeably wide range, crackling in its upper tessitura and swooning at the lower end, filled between with sinewy “blue” notes. The piano answers with plucky up-tempo music, itself complemented by a more rhythmic orchestral section that hints at the boom-chuck of the foxtrot rhythm. These disparate parts, recurring refrain (the trumpet blues melody) and contrasting episodes resonate within the movement’s traditional rondo form, modeling Gershwin’s self-conscious strategy of innovating within known forms.

The finale’s rhythmic, hammering opening motif initiates another rondo, signaling Gershwin’s further engagement with tradition. Critics have noted the striking resemblance between Gershwin’s refrain and the demonically fast repeated notes of Prokofiev’s Toccata, Op. 11, a lineage stretching back to J.S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Claude Debussy and others. The comparisons are hardly superficial: Gershwin studied, even parodied, these composers. The movement also brings audiences back to the first movement’s later portions, where the soloist must utilize their full technical abilities, and reprises familiar themes from both previous movements.

Nineteenth-century composers similarly worked within established forms to create musical unity, as did Gershwin’s contemporaries and successors, who likewise found this kind of formal logic appealing in the face of seemingly limitless aesthetic possibilities. The Concerto in F thus serves as an inflection point for Gershwin, but also signals a waypoint for addressing the 20th century’s tumults.

—Jacques Dupuis

*By

and its performances; msg & data rates

Born: June 11, 1864, Munich, Germany

Died: September 8, 1949, Bavaria

Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier Suite, Op. 59

 Composed: 1944–45

 Premiere (Suite): October 5, 1944, New York Philharmonic-Symphony, Artur Rodziński conducting

 Instrumentation: 3 flutes (incl. piccolo), 3 oboes (incl. English horn), 3 clarinets (incl. E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, 3 bassoons (incl. contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, glockenspiel, ratchet, snare drum, tambour de Basque, triangle, 2 harps, celeste, strings

 CSO notable performances: First: October 1944, Eugene Goossens conducting.

Most Recent: January 2022, François López-Ferrer conducting. CSO Recordings: Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier Suite released in 1995, Jesús López Cobos conducting; Strauss & Strauss released in 1968, Max Rudolf conducting; Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier Suite released in 1945, Eugene Goossens conducting.

 Duration: approx. 22 minutes

The triumph of Richard Strauss’ opera Der Rosenkavalier began at its premiere in Dresden on January 26, 1911, and quickly grew into an international success that continues to this day. It exhibits the mastery of Strauss’ compositional techniques and the seamless artistry of music and libretto created for each other.

At this point in his career, Strauss had honed his orchestral and operatic writing. He had composed all of his tone poems by the end of the 19th century, developing his rich and dramatic orchestral language. As the 20th century began, Strauss turned his attention to opera. His first opera, Guntram (1894), was poorly received, but the later operas proved more successful. Strauss’ second opera was Feuersnot (1901), followed by Salome (1905), which he based on Oscar Wilde’s 1891 play. In Salome, Strauss achieved in his music a level of passion and erotic romance that excited audiences. Elektra (1909) was a darker opera, a Greek tragedy set with 20th-century dissonance. Strauss used a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1874–1929), who adapted the story from his earlier play based on Greek mythology and the tragedy by Sophocles.

After Elektra, Strauss wanted to write a lighter opera with a simple story, and thus Der Rosenkavalier was conceived. Der Rosenkavalier marks the first full collaboration between Strauss and Hofmannsthal, as they created the story and music together.

The Der Rosenkavalier Suite captures the essence of the opera’s story through the highlights of Strauss’ orchestral music. It was arranged in 1944, most likely by Artur Rodziński, the conductor of the New York Philharmonic, who conducted the first performance of the Suite in New York on October 5 of the same year. Strauss agreed to the arrangement and production of the Suite, and it was published in 1945.

The Suite demonstrates the power of Strauss’ orchestral writing as it conveys the drama and emotion of Der Rosenkavalier without the words or staging of the opera. It begins with the Prelude, opening just as the opera does with the lush harmonies and passionate horns of the love affair between the Marschallin and Octavian. This intensity transitions to an oboe solo introducing the tender romance of the Presentation of the Rose from Act II. Overlapping melody lines in the oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet and horn replace the words sung by the young lovers when Octavian delivers the rose to Sophie and their love is kindled. One of the opera’s distinctive waltzes follows a brief pause and transition, characterizing Baron Ochs and his pursuit of Sophie. A solo violin carries the melody with light accompaniment before the full orchestra joins in the waltz. The music returns to the gentler romance of Octavian and Sophie in a wordless rendition of the opera’s famous Trio and ensuing Duet. Again, layered melodies in the violin and oboe, flute, clarinet and horn take the place of the opera’s words as the Marschallin makes her bittersweet decision to end her affair with Octavian, and Octavian and Sophie express the joy of their love allowed to flourish. The Suite concludes with another waltz, returning to the boisterous and lively energy that fuels the comedy of the opera.

—Dr. Rebecca Schreiber

DAME JANE CONDUCTS MOZART | 2025–26 SEASON

SAT OCT 18, 7:30 PM | SUN OCT 19, 2 PM

Music Hall

Dame Jane Glover conductor

Stefani Matsuo violin

Christian Colberg viola

Luke Kritzeck production designer

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Overture to Lucio Silla, K. 135 (1756–1791)

Molto allegro — Andante —Molto allegro

Sinfonia concertante in E-flat Major for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, K. 364

Allegro maestoso

Andante

Presto

INTERMISSION

Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551, Jupiter

Allegro vivace

Andante cantabile

Menuetto (Allegretto) — Trio

Molto allegro

These performances are approximately 95 minutes long.

The CSO is grateful to CSO Season Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group

The appearance of Stefani Matsuo & Christian Colberg is made possible by a generous gift from John & Molly Kerman

Pre-Concert Talks are made possible by an endowed gift from Melody Sawyer Richardson.

WGUC is the Media Partner for these concerts. This concert will air on 90.9 WGUC at a future date. Visit cincinnatisymphony.org/replay for the full details and broadcast schedule.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

OCT 5

Be inspired.

Gra nd Music for Winds & S t r ings

You’ll hear Spohr ’ s Nonet, a lively piece that brings together winds and strings in a rich, joyful soundscape; a charming Mozart quartet written to showcase the oboe; and a spirited trio by Dohnányi, f illed with Hungarian rhythms and Viennese flair

Schub e r t’s D iv ine Q uinte t

DEC 7/8

Experience a delightful duo by Mozart, the elegance and grace of Boccherini’s String Quintet (you might recognize its famous minuet f rom f ilms and TV), and Schubert’s String Quintet, a moving masterpiece known for its sublime beauty and emotional power

y namic D uos

AN 18

iolinist Bella Hristova and pianist Anna Polonsky perform a dynamic program that features the timeless beauty t of Bach, playful charm of Haydn, exuberant melodies of Grieg, and a world premiere by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

Ame r ica n S t or ies

FEB 1/2

Clarinetist Anthony McGill and the Pacif ica Quartet join together to perform a program that celebrates the rich tapestry of the American experience through the works of Richard Danielpour, James Lee III, Valerie Coleman, and Antonín Dvořák

D vořák’s Bohemia n Sp ir it

FEB 22/23

Experience piano quartets that feature the vibrant spirit of Dvořák, brilliance and wit of Beethoven, and the distinctive voice of neo-Romantic, American composer Richard Danielpour in a work that explores the cycles of life

Me ndelssohn’s E l eg y

MAR 15/ 16

As an all-star ensemble, the Rosamunde String Quartet brings both heart and brilliance to the stage You’ll hear Mendelssohn’s deeply emotional tribute to his sister, the lyrical beauty of Pulitzer Prize-winner George Walker, and Beethoven’s emerging voice

Be e th ove n’s Gh os t Tr io

MAY 3/4

CSO principals join pianist Benjamin Hochman to perform a trifecta of trios, including a tempestuous and triumphant masterpiece by Mendelssohn, a centerpiece by Beethoven known for its haunting beauty, and a animated gem by Haydn

n ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Dame Jane Glover, conductor

Dame Jane Glover, conductor Acclaimed British conductor Jane Glover, named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 New Year’s Honours, has been Music of the Baroque’s music director since 2002. In 2025, she was named principal guest conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony. From 2009 until 2016 she was Director of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music, where she is now the Felix Mendelssohn Visiting Professor.

Acclaimed British conductor Jane Glover, named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 New Year’s Honours, has been Music of the Baroque’s music director since 2002. In 2025, she was named principal guest conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony. From 2009 until 2016 she was Director of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music, where she is now the Felix Mendelssohn Visiting Professor.

Jane Glover has conducted many of the major symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras and period instrument groups in Britain, Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia. She has appeared frequently at the BBC Proms. In demand on the international opera stage, Jane Glover has appeared with numerous companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera–Covent Garden, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, the Berlin Staatsoper, Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, Opera National de Bordeaux, Opera Australia, Chicago Opera Theater, Opéra national du Rhin, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Luminato, Teatro Real Madrid, Royal Danish Opera, Teatro La Fenice and Detroit Opera.

A Mozart specialist, she has conducted all the Mozart operas all over the world regularly since she first performed them at Glyndebourne in the 1980s, and her core operatic repertoire also includes Monteverdi, Handel and Britten. This past season she returned to the Houston Grand Opera and Cincinnati Opera to conduct productions of Don Giovanni.

Future and recent-past concert engagements include her continuing seasons with Music of the Baroque in Chicago as well as engagements with The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra — both at Severance Hall — as well as the Blossom Music Festival, Orchestra of St. Luke’s (at Carnegie Hall), London Mozart Players, New York Philharmonic, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Camerata Salzburg, and symphony orchestras throughout North America.

Jane Glover’s discography includes a live recording of Jeptha with Music of the Baroque (Reference Records), a series of Mozart and Haydn symphonies with the London Mozart Players and various recordings with the London Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic, Trinity Wall Street and the BBC Singers. She is the author of the critically acclaimed books Mozart’s Women, Handel in London and Mozart in Italy. jane-glover.com

Stefani Matsuo, violin

Stefani Matsuo, who has emerged as one of today’s great talents, was appointed by Louis Langrée as Concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 2019.

As Concertmaster of the CSO, which also performs and records as the Cincinnati Pops, Matsuo led the orchestra under Langrée for the Grammy-nominated album Transatlantic. She also had the honor of premiering Missy Mazzoli’s Fanfare for the Unimpressed for solo violin as part of the CSO’s Fanfare Project. In 2019, Matsuo made her solo debut with the CSO performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4.

Prior to joining the CSO, Matsuo made her New York City debut in Alice Tully Hall performing the Britten Violin Concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra under the baton of Jeffrey Kahane. She made her solo recital debut at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. as the winner of the 2012 Washington International Competition. Matsuo was also the winner of the 2012 Juilliard Concerto Competition and a laureate of the 2011 Michael Hill International Competition.

A dedicated chamber musician, Matsuo has collaborated with many distinguished artists, such as Itzhak Perlman and Gil Shaham. In Cincinnati, she is a regular performer on the CSO Chamber Players Series and Linton Chamber Music Series and is a member of the Matsuo Duo with her husband, and CSO cellist, Hiro Matsuo. In

©John Batten Photography

©Roger Mastroianni

©John Batten Photography

©Roger Mastroianni

New York City, she performed regularly with the Jupiter Chamber Players and Salomé Chamber Orchestra. She also served as concertmaster of Symphony in C and as a member of the first violin section of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Matsuo currently serves on the violin faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and has been a faculty member of Aspen Music Festival and Brevard Music Center and a guest teacher at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, New World Symphony, Ball State University and National Taiwan Normal University.

She completed her master’s degree in Music at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Sylvia Rosenberg and earned a bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Paul Kantor. Matsuo is a native of North Carolina.

Christian Colberg, viola

Christian Colberg is currently the Principal Viola of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Prior to joining the CSO, he was the assistant principal viola of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Colberg is also Lecturer of Viola at the University of Michigan, an artist-faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival and School, a faculty member at the National Youth Orchestra USA and a Valade Fellow at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Colberg began his musical studies at age four in his native Puerto Rico. A recipient of numerous awards, including the Alpha Delta Kappa Foundation Fine Arts grant, Colberg was honored by the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico in 1985, and again by the Senate in 1994, for his achievements in the classical music field. He is a graduate of the Peabody Institute of Music, where his main teachers included Alexander Schneider, Saul Ovcharov, Charles Libov and Shirley Givens. Colberg has also been a member of the violin faculty of the Peabody Institute of Music and the viola faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

As an active chamber musician, Colberg has collaborated with artists such as Marvin Hamlisch, Gary Karr, Milton Katims, Augustin Hadelich, Samuel Sanders, Joseph Silverstein, Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson, and with organizations including the Sitka Summer Festival; Arizona Musicfest Festival; the Muir, Cypress and Ariel string quartets; and the Silk Road Festival in China.

In October 2018, Colberg premiered his own Viola Concerto with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, with subsequent performances in Puerto Rico, North Carolina and New York City. In June of 2018, Colberg’s The Rant — For Two Violas, was premiered at the International Viola Congress in Los Angeles. In 2022, his compositions for string quartet and percussion were released on an album titled Talking to Myself, on which he also played all the parts. His newest album for string quintets and percussion, titled Baylamoose, was released in 2024 and, again, he performs all the parts on the album. christiancolberg.com

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n PROGRAM NOTES

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Overture to Lucio Silla, K. 135

 Composed: late 1772

 Premiere: December 26, 1772, at the Teatro Regio Ducale in Milan, Italy

 Instrumentation: 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings

 CSO notable performances: First and Most Recent CSO: February 1960, Max Rudolf conducting. May Festival: 2016, James Conlon conducting.

 Duration: approx. 9 minutes

Sinfonia concertante in E-flat Major for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, K. 364

 Composed: summer or early autumn 1779

 Premiere: unknown

 Instrumentation: solo violin and viola, 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings

 CSO notable performances: First: March 1907, Frank Van der Stucken conducting, Alexander Petschnikoff and Lili Petschnikoff, soloists. Most Recent: November 2011, Robert Abbado conducting, Timothy Lees, violin; Christian Colberg, viola

 Duration: approx. 30 minutes

Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551, Jupiter

 Composed: July 25 (at earliest)–August 10, 1788

 Premiere: There is no evidence that this work was played during Mozart’s lifetime. Its first documented performance took place 28 years posthumously, on October 20, 1819, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

 Instrumentation: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings

 CSO notable performances: First: January 1897, Frank Van der Stucken conducting. Most Recent: March 2021, Louis Langrée conducting.

 Duration: approx. 31 minutes

In this concert we hear works from the early, middle and late phases of Mozart’s career. Mozart toured widely as a youngster, including three trips to Italy. He wrote the opera Lucio Silla for the last of these and, after a rocky premiere in Milan on December 26, 1771, it went for at least 26 performances, gaining enthusiastic applause. Although Lucio Silla is a dark-hued opera seria, its overture is a cheerful three-section piece, effectively a symphony — in fact, Mozart later adapted the piece into a Symphony in D Major.

The symphonie concertante (or sinfonia concertante, in Italian) was a concertolike genre in which multiple soloists stood in the spotlight. It was a particular passion of Parisian music-lovers, and Mozart would have heard a number of such pieces during the months he spent in Paris in 1778. He embarked on several of them around this time. Most he abandoned incomplete (or else their completed manuscripts were lost), but his Sinfonia concertante for Violin and Viola lives on as the most outstanding of all symphonies concertantes, an incontestable jewel among the works of his early maturity.

From Mozart’s late period (“late” for a composer who died at the age of 35), we hear his final symphony, No. 41, the last of three he composed in quick succession during the summer of 1788. Its emotional range is wide indeed, prefiguring the vast expressive canvases that would emerge in the symphonies of Beethoven. In this work’s finale, Mozart renders the listener slack-jawed through a breathtaking fugal display of quintuple invertible counterpoint, which in itself may be viewed as looking both backward, to the contrapuntal virtuosity we associate with Bach and Handel, and forward, to the dramatic power of fugue as demonstrated in many of the greatest compositions of Beethoven. This supernal achievement, which seems to have never been played during Mozart’s lifetime, is widely known as the Jupiter Symphony, the nickname bestowed on it by Johann Peter Salomon, remembered as the impresario who, in the 1790s, arranged the two London residencies of Mozart’s friend Franz Joseph Haydn.

—James M. Keller

James M. Keller, for 25 years the program annotator of the San Francisco Symphony and the New York Philharmonic, is the author of Chamber Music: A Listener’s Guide (Oxford University Press).

Born: January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria

Died: December 5, 1791, in Vienna, Austria

NOTABLE:

Mozart used the Latinized name Amadeus rarely and only in jest, preferring the Italian or French forms Amadè or Amadé.

INGRID MICHAELSON | 2025–26 SEASON

TUE OCT 21, 7:30 PM Music Hall

INGRID MICHAELSON vocalist CHRISTOPHER DRAGON conductor

Grammy- and Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson makes her highly anticipated debut with the Cincinnati Pops! Ingrid has become a defining force in the music industry, with chart-topping hits like “The Way I Am,” “Girls Chase Boys” and “You & I,” all certified gold and platinum. With her blend of introspective lyrics and timeless melodies, Ingrid brings a fresh, captivating mix of her iconic songs and new material for a mesmerizing fusion of pop and orchestral music.

Please do not record the concert.

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The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is grateful to Pops Season Presenter PNC.

Samuel Barber

BARBER & SHOSTAKOVICH | 2025–26 SEASON

FRI OCT 24, 11 AM | SAT OCT 25, 7:30 PM Music Hall

GIANCARLO GUERRERO conductor STELLA CHEN violin

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14 (1910–1981)

Allegro

Andante

Presto in moto perpetuo

INTERMISSION

Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 4 in C Major, Op. 43 (1906–1975)

Allegretto poco moderato — Presto

Moderato con moto

Largo — Allegro

These performances are approximately 120 minutes long, including intermission.

The CSO is grateful to CSO Season Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group.. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts

Pre-Concert Talks are made possible by an endowed gift from Melody Sawyer Richardson

WGUC is the Media Partner for these concerts. This concert will air on 90.9 WGUC at a future date. Visit cincinnatisymphony.org/replay for the full details and broadcast schedule.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor Grammy-winning conductor Giancarlo Guerrero is in his first season as artistic director and principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago. He also takes on the role of music director of Sarasota Orchestra in the 2025–26 season. Guerrero is currently Music Director Laureate with the Nashville Symphony, following 16 years as music director. During his tenure in Nashville, he championed the works of prominent American composers through commissions, recordings and world premieres. Under Guerrero’s direction, the Nashville Symphony released 21 commercial recordings, which have garnered 13 Grammy nominations and six Grammy Awards.

In recent seasons, Guerrero has led prominent North American orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and the San Francisco, Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas and Detroit symphony orchestras. Internationally, he has worked with orchestras in Bilbao, Frankfurt, London, Paris, São Paulo and Sydney.

Guerrero previously held posts as music director of the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, principal guest conductor of both The Cleveland Orchestra Miami Residency and the Gulbenkian Symphony in Lisbon, music director of the Eugene Symphony and associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Born in Nicaragua, Guerrero immigrated during his childhood to Costa Rica, where he joined the local youth symphony. He studied percussion and conducting at Baylor University and earned his master’s degree in conducting at Northwestern. Guerrero is particularly engaged with conducting training orchestras and has worked with the Curtis School of Music, Colburn School in Los Angeles, The Juilliard School, National Youth Orchestra (NYO2) and Yale Philharmonia. giancarlo-guerrero.com

Stella Chen, violin

American violinist Stella Chen first gained international recognition as the winner of the 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition. Her critically acclaimed debut album Stella x Schubert, released in 2023 on Apple Music’s Platoon label, earned her the Young Artist of the Year title at the Gramophone Awards.

Chen has performed across North America, Europe and Asia in concerto, recital and chamber music settings. She recently made debuts with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. She appears frequently with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, both in New York and on tour.

Highlights of Chen’s 2025–26 season include concerto debuts with the Vancouver, Cincinnati and Antwerp symphony orchestras, and an American tour with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, including a performance at Carnegie Hall. She appears in recital and chamber music performances at La Jolla Music Society and Chamber Music San Francisco, and she leads a residency at San Francisco Conservatory.

Chen is the inaugural recipient of the Robert Levin Award from Harvard University, where she was mentored and inspired by Robert Levin. Her teachers and mentors have included Donald Weilerstein, Itzhak Perlman, Miriam Fried, Li Lin and Catherine Cho. She received her doctorate from The Juilliard School, where she was recently appointed to the college division string faculty. She also serves as a visiting assistant professor at the Shenandoah Conservatory and is on the faculty of the Nume Festival and Academy in Cortona, Italy.

Chen performs on the “General Kyd” 1720 Stradivarius, generously on loan from Dr. Ryuji Ueno and Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative. stellachen.com

©Fay Fox

©Gulbenkian Orchestra

PROGRAM NOTES

Samuel Barber: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14

 Composed: 1939

 Premiere: February 7, 1941 by The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; Albert Spalding, violin

 Instrumentation: solo violin, 2 flutes (incl. piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, snare drum, piano, strings

 CSO notable performances: First: April 1978, Leonard Slatkin conducting; Jaime Laredo, violin. Most Recent: March 2019, Louis Langrée conducting; Augustin Hadelich, violin. Notable: As part of the 1995 Centennial Season European Tour, Jesús López Cobos conducting; Alyssa Park, violin and Pamela Frank, violin

 Duration: approx. 25 minutes

Samuel Barber’s success as one of America’s greatest composers was both early and lasting. Born and raised in a small town on the outskirts of Philadelphia, he received a sound appreciation of music as a boy from his mother, a talented pianist, and from his aunt, the noted Metropolitan Opera contralto Louise Homer. In 1924, at the tender age of 14, he entered the first class enrolled at the Curtis Institute and received instruction in piano, voice and composition, winning the Bearns Prize in composition in 1928. Three years later, he composed the sparkling Overture to The School for Scandal, which was premiered by Alexander Smallens and The Philadelphia Orchestra in August 1933, and secured for the young composer an immediate reputation. In 1935, Barber won both the Pulitzer Scholarship and the American Prix de Rome, enabling him to study in Europe. While abroad, he conducted, gave recitals (he had an excellent and well-trained baritone voice) and met some of the most important musicians of the day, including Toscanini, who became a champion of his works. The great Italian conductor premiered both the Essay for Orchestra and the Adagio for Strings during the 1938 season of the NBC Symphony, making Barber the first American composer whose works Toscanini conducted with that ensemble.

Born: March 9, 1910, West Chester, Penn. Died: January 23, 1981, New York City

Born: September 25, 1906, St. Petersburg, Russia

Died: August 9, 1975, Moscow

In his 1954 study of the composer, Nathan Broder wrote as follows of the genesis of the Violin Concerto:

In the summer of 1939, after a visit to England and Scotland, Barber settled down in the village of Sils-Maria in Switzerland to work on a violin concerto, which had been commissioned by a wealthy Philadelphia merchant. This progressed slowly and he set off for Paris, planning to complete the work there during the fall. But he had hardly arrived in Paris when all Americans were warned to leave. He sailed for home, and word reached the ship before they arrived in New York that German troops had invaded Poland.

The work was completed after Barber returned home and premiered in 1941. It has become one of the most frequently performed of all 20th-century concertos.

The change from the warm lyricism of the Violin Concerto’s first two movements to the aggressive rhythms and strong dissonances of the finale is indicative of the stylistic evolution Barber’s music underwent at the outbreak of World War II. The idiom of the works of the earlier years — Overture to The School for Scandal (1932), Essay for Orchestra (1937), Adagio for Strings (1938), those pieces that established his international reputation as a 20th-century romanticist — was soon to be broadened by the more modern but expressively richer musical language of the Second Symphony (1944), the Capricorn Concerto (1944) and the ballet for Martha Graham The Serpent Heart (1946), from which the orchestral suite Medea was derived.

The concerto’s opening movement, almost Brahmsian in its songfulness, is built on two lyrical themes. The first one, presented immediately by the soloist, is an extended, arching melody; the other, initiated by the clarinet, is rhythmically animated by the use of the “Scottish snap,” a short–long figure also familiar from jazz idioms. The two themes alternate throughout the remainder of the movement, which follows a broadly drawn, traditional concerto form. The expressive cantabile of the first movement carries into the lovely Adagio. The oboe intones a plangent melody as the main theme, from which the soloist spins a rhapsodic elaboration to serve as the movement’s central section. The return of the main theme is entrusted to the soloist. Moto perpetuo (“perpetual motion”) is how Barber marked the finale of this concerto, and the music more than lives up to its title. After an opening timpani flourish, the soloist introduces a fiery motive above a jabbing rhythmic accompaniment that returns, rondo-like, throughout the movement. A whirling coda of vertiginous speed and virtuosic brilliance brings this splendid concerto to a dazzling close.

—Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 in C Major, Op. 43

 Composed: 1934–36

 Premiere: December 30, 1961, Moscow. Kiril Kondrashin conducting the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra

 Instrumentation: 4 flutes, 2 piccolos, 4 oboes (incl. English horn), 4 clarinets, bass clarinet, E-flat clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, 2 timpani, bass drum, castanets, crash cymbals, glockenspiel, snare drum, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, wood block, xylophone, 2 harps, celeste, strings

 CSO notable performances: These are the first CSO performances of this work.

 Duration: approx. 60 minutes

By the age of 29, Shostakovich had long been an international celebrity, having been catapulted to fame by his First Symphony a full decade earlier. His Second and Third symphonies were short, propagandistic works, with final choruses that drove the political message home. His Fourth, conceived on an unprecedentedly large scale, was intended as his most important symphonic statement to date.

The one-hour, three-movement symphony resembles a monumental voyage with many unpredictable detours, where one can never be certain about what the next moment might bring. There are episodes in turn grotesque, tragic and playful; often the same melody is used to express opposite emotions, through changing orchestrations and dynamics.

The winding road concludes with an astonishing pair of codas. The first of these, glorious and triumphant, is the kind of ending a major symphony would require. Yet the grandiose conclusion is contradicted, if not entirely destroyed, by a subdued and eerie final passage where, over a relentlessly repeated low C note in the harps and contrabasses, a languid farewell melody unfolds.

Shostakovich clearly did not believe that new sounds, or a complex and tragic message, were incompatible with official expectations. Yet the powers-that-be thought otherwise. After Shostakovich was brutally attacked in Pravda, the official Communist daily, for his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, the composer was in acute danger of being deported to the Gulag. Under these circumstances, he had to think twice before releasing a symphony that would surely offend the authorities even more. He ended up withdrawing the work, which remained unheard for many years. Its public premiere did not take place until December 30, 1961, 25 years after it was completed, and eight years after Stalin’s death. The overwhelming success finally allowed Shostakovich to say openly how he felt about his work. The composer, who at that point had completed no fewer than 12 symphonies, declared, quite simply, that the Fourth was the very best thing he had ever written.

—Peter Laki

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Welcome to SEP–OCT Groups!

POPS Troupe Vertigo: SEP 12–14

John Harrison Friends & Family

Barrington of Oakley

Bayley at Green Township

Charles Faust Friends & Family

Maple Knoll Village

Seasons Retirement Community

POPS The Voice of Whitney: SEP 20 & 21

ArtsWave

Deborah Brooks Friends & Family

Berkeley Square

Seasons Retirement Community

POPS Final Fantasy: SEP 27 & 28

Kelly Fitzgerald Friends & Family

Troy Heizer Friends & Family

CSO Cristian Măcelaru’s Debut: OCT 3 & 4

Twin Lakes at Montgomery

Seasons Retirement Community

CSO Barber & Shostakovich: OCT 24 & 25

Barrington of Oakley

Christian Village

Maple Knoll Village

Otterbein Retirement Community

Twin Lakes at Montgomery

The Kenwood

Seasons Retirement Community

The Knolls of Oxford

ENJOY THE MUSIC, TOGETHER!

(as of July 25, 2025)

• Groups of 10+ save 20% on most concerts and seniors and students save even more!

• Curate your own event with a private reception, guided tour or meet and greet — the possibilities are endless.

Contact CSO Group Sales: 513.744.3252 or wmarshall@cincinnatisymphony.org cincinnatisymphony.org/groups

2025–26 Financial Support

 INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Local and national foundations, businesses, and government agencies are integral to the Orchestra’s vibrant performances, community engagement work, and education activities. We are proud to partner with the following funders.

ANNUAL SUPPORT

SEASON AND SERIES SPONSORS

PLATINUM BATON CIRCLE ($50,000+)

Anonymous ArtsWave

Ellen and Richard Berghamer Foundation

Charles H. Dater Foundation

The Fifth Third Foundation

Local Initiative for Excellence Foundation

H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation

Mellon Foundation

Dr. John & Louise Mulford Fund for the CSO National Endowment for the Arts

Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation

Ohio Arts Council

PNC Bank

Margaret McWilliams Rentschler Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Nina Browne Parker Trust

Robert H. Reakirt Foundation Equities

Harold C. Schott Foundation / Francie and Tom Hiltz, Trustees

The Unnewehr Foundation

Western & Southern Financial Group

GOLD BATON CIRCLE ($25,000–$49,999)

The Cincinnati Symphony Club

HORAN Wealth

Louis H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation Inc.

George and Margaret McLane Foundation

The Ladislas & Vilma Segoe Family Foundation

United Dairy Farmers & Homemade Brand Ice Cream

SILVER BATON CIRCLE ($15,000–$24,999)

ArtsWave Flow

Johnson Investment Counsel

Peter E. Landgren and Judith Schonbach Landgren

The Procter & Gamble Company

The Rendigs Foundation

Scott and Charla Weiss

Wodecroft Foundation

CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE ($10,000–$14,999)

Bartlett Wealth Management

Chemed Corporation

CVG Airport Authority

Crosset Family Fund

Kelly Dehan and Rick Staudigel

Graeter’s Ice Cream

Messer Construction Co.

The Daniel & Susan Pfau Foundation

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

YOT Full Circle Foundation

CONCERTMASTER’S CIRCLE ($5,000–$9,999)

Interact for Health

JRH Consultants

The Andrew Jergens Foundation

Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL

Richard and Carmen Kovarsky

Queen City (OH) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated

The Willard & Jean Mulford Charitable Fund

SORTA/Metro

Thompson Hine LLP

WOW Windowboxes

ARTIST’S CIRCLE ($2,500–$4,999)

Closing the Health Gap

Duke Energy

d.e. Foxx and Associates, Inc.

Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA

HUB International

Learning Links Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation

NAMI Urban Greater Cincinnati

Charles Scott Riley III Foundation

Southern Grace Eats

Visit Cincy

BUSINESS & FOUNDATION PARTNERS (up to $2,499)

African American Chamber of Commerce

Albert B. Cord Charitable Foundation

American Red Cross, Greater Cincinnati-Dayton Region

The Blue Book of Cincinnati

William G. and Mary Jane Helms Charitable Foundation

Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors

Journey Steel

Robert A. & Marian K. Kennedy Charitable Trust

The Kroger Co.

League of American Orchestras

Frances L. P. Ricketts Sullivan Memorial Fund

The Voice of Your Customer

Join this distinguished group! Contact Sean Baker at 513.744.3363 or sbaker@cincinnatisymphony.org to learn how you can become a supporter of the CSO and Pops. This list is updated quarterly.

 2026 ARTSWAVE PARTNERS

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops acknowledge the following partner companies, foundations and their employees who generously participate in the Annual ArtsWave Community Campaign at the $100,000+ level. Thank you!

$2 million+ P&G

$1 million to $1,999,999

Fifth Third Bank and Fifth Third Foundation

$500,000 to $999,999

GE Aerospace

$250,000 to 499,999

The Cincinnati Insurance Companies

The H.B., E.W. and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Trustee

Western & Southern Financial Group

$100,000–$249,999

altafiber

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati Reds

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP

The E.W. Scripps Company and Scripps Howard Foundation

The Enquirer | Cincinnati.com

Great American Insurance Group

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

The Kroger Co.

Messer Construction Co.

PNC

 PERMANENT ENDOWMENTS

Endowment gifts perpetuate your values and create a sustainable future for the Orchestra. We extend our deep gratitude to the donors who have provided permanent endowments in support of our programs that are important to them. For more information about endowment gifts, contact Kate Farinacci, Director of Special Campaigns & Legacy Giving, at 513.744.3202.

ENDOWED CHAIRS

Grace M. Allen Chair

Ellen A. & Richard C. Berghamer Chair

Robert E. & Fay Boeh Chair

The Marc Bohlke Chair given by Katrin & Manfred Bohlke

Trish & Rick Bryan Chair

Otto M. Budig Family Foundation Chair

Mary Alice Heekin Burke Chair

Michael L. Cioffi & Rachael Rowe— the Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones Chief Inclusion Officer

Sheila and Christopher Cole Chair

Peter G. Courlas–Nicholas Tsimaras Chair

Ona Hixson Dater Chair

The Anne G. & Robert W. Dorsey Chair+

Jane & David Ellis Chair

Irene & John J. Emery Chair

James M. Ewell Chair

Ashley & Barbara Ford Chair for Assistant Conductor

Ashley & Barbara Ford Chair for Principal Tuba

Susan S. & William A. Friedlander Chair+

Charles Gausmann Chair

Susanne & Philip O. Geier, Jr. Chair+

Emma Margaret & Irving D. Goldman Chair

Clifford J. Goosmann & Andrea M. Wilson Chair

Charles Frederic Goss Chair

Jean Ten Have Chair

Dorothy & John Hermanies Chair

Lois Klein Jolson Chair

Josephine I. & David J. Joseph, Jr. Chair

Harold B. & Betty Justice Chair

Marvin Kolodzik & Linda S. Gallaher Chair+

Al Levinson Chair

Patricia Gross Linnemann Chair+

Alberta & Dr. Maurice Marsh Chair

Stephen P. McKean Chair

Laura Kimble McLellan Chair

The Henry Meyer Chair

The Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chairs

Rawson Chair

David C. Reed, MD Chair

The Vicky & Rick Reynolds Chair in honor of William A. Friedlander+

Ida Ringling North Chair

Donald & Margaret Robinson Chair

Dianne & J. David Rosenberg Chair+

Ruth F. Rosevear Chair

The Morleen & Jack Rouse Chair+

Emalee Schavel Chair

Karl & Roberta Schlachter Family Chair

Serge Shababian Chair

Melinda & Irwin Simon Chair+

Tom & Dee Stegman Chair+

Mary & Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Chair+

Cynthia & Frank Stewart Chair

The Jackie & Roy Sweeney

Family Chair

The Sweeney Family Chair in memory of Donald C. Sweeney

Anna Sinton Taft Chair

Brenda & Ralph Taylor Chair

James P. Thornton Chair

Nicholas Tsimaras–Peter G. Courlas Chair

Thomas Vanden Eynden Chair

Sallie Robinson Wadsworth & Randolph L. Wadsworth Jr. Chair

Jo Ann & Paul Ward Chair

Matthew & Peg Woodside Chair

Mary M. & Charles F. Yeiser Chair

ENDOWED PERFORMANCES

& PROJECTS

Eleanora C. U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Rosemary and Frank Bloom Endowment Fund*+

Cincinnati Bell Foundation Inc.

Mr. & Mrs. Val Cook

Nancy & Steve Donovan*

Sue and Bill Friedlander Endowment Fund*+

Mrs. Charles Wm Anness*, Mrs. Frederick D. Haffner, Mrs. Gerald Skidmore and the La Vaughn Scholl Garrison Fund

Fred L. & Katherine H. Groll Fund for Musical Excellence

Fred L. & Katherine H. Groll Fund for Great Artists

Fred L. & Katherine H. Groll Trust Pianist Fund

The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation Endowment Fund

Anne Heldman Endowment Fund**

Mr. and Mrs. Lorrence T. Kellar+

Lawrence A. & Anne J. Leser*

Mr. & Mrs. Carl H. Lindner**

Janice W. & Gary R. Lubin Fund for Black Artists

PNC Financial Services Group

The Procter & Gamble Fund

Vicky & Rick Reynolds Fund for Diverse Artists+

Whitney Rowe and Phillip Long Fund for Emerging Artists

Melody Sawyer Richardson*

Rosemary and Mark Schlachter Endowment Fund*+

The Harold C. Schott Foundation, Francie and Tom Hiltz Endowment Fund+

Peggy Selonick Fund for Great Artists

Dee and Tom Stegman Endowment Fund*+

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Fund for Great Artists

U. S. Bank Foundation*

Sallie and Randolph Wadsworth Endowment Fund+

Educational Concerts

Rosemary & Frank Bloom *

Cincinnati Financial Corporation & The Cincinnati Insurance Companies

The Margaret Embshoff Educational Fund

Kate Foreman Young Peoples Fund

George & Anne Heldman+

Macy’s Foundation

Vicky & Rick Reynolds*+

William R. Schott Family**

Western-Southern Foundation, Inc.

Anonymous (3)+

 GIFT OF MUSIC: February 11–June 30, 2025

OTHER NAMED FUNDS

Ruth Meacham Bell Memorial Fund

Frank & Mary Bergstein Fund for Musical Excellence+

Jean K. Bloch Music Library Fund

Cora Dow Endowment Fund

Corbett Educational Endowment**

Belmon U. Duvall Fund

Ewell Fund for Riverbend Maintenance

Linda & Harry Fath Endowment Fund

Ford Foundation Fund

Natalie Wurlitzer & William Ernest Griess Cello Fund

William Hurford and Lesley Gilbertson Family Fund for Guest Pianists

The Mary Ellyn Hutton Fund for Excellence in Music Education

Josephine I. & David J. Joseph, Jr. Scholarship Fund

Richard & Jean Jubelirer & Family Fund*

Anne C. and Robert P. Judd Fund for Musical Access

The Kosarko Family Innovation Fund

Elma Margaret Lapp Trust

The Richard and Susan Lauf Fund

Jésus López-Cobos Fund for Excellence

Mellon Foundation Fund

Nina Browne Parker Trust

Dorothy Robb Perin & Harold F. Poe Trust

Rieveschl Fund

Thomas Schippers Fund

Martha, Max & Alfred M. Stern

Ticket Fund

Mr. & Mrs. John R. Strauss Student Ticket Fund

Anna Sinton & Charles P. Taft Fund

Lucien Wulsin Fund

Wurlitzer Season Ticket Fund

CSO Pooled Income Fund

CSO Musicians Emergency Fund

*Denotes support for Annual Music Program Fund

**Denotes support for the 2nd Century Campaign

+Denotes support for the Fund for Musical Excellence

The following people provided gifts to the Gift of Music Fund to celebrate an occasion, to mark a life of service to the Orchestra, or to commemorate a special date. Their contributions are added to the Orchestra’s endowment. For more information on how to contribute to this fund, please call 513.744.3271.

In honor of Rebecca Kruger Fryxell’s 40th Anniversary with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Ms. Esther Grubbs

In honor of Cristian Ganicenco

Carolyn Baker Miller

In honor of Eve Rabinoff and Eric Sanday

James Sares

In honor of John Morris Russell for his talk at the Current Events Group

James Friedman

In memory of Gordon A.

Christenson

Mrs. Susan Laffoon

Barbara Watts

In memory of Tom Cody

Joseph W. & Marilyn Hirschhorn

In memory of Robert Gerwin

Mrs. Florence Koetters

In memory of Ralph Roger

Meyer Jr.

Glen & Lynn Mayfield

In memory of Thomas Edward

Stegman

Mr. Richard Kline

Mrs. Florence Koetters

George & Sue Lewis

Calvin C. & Patricia G. Linnemann

James L. & Linda F. Miller

Patricia Myers & Alan Flaherty

Fred Orringer

J. David & Dianne M. Rosenberg

Harry & Ann H. Santen

Sebago Long Lake Music Festival, Inc.

Geraldine Warner

Mrs. Donna A. Welsch

Gary & Diane West

In memory of Mary Tanke

Joseph W. & Marilyn Hirschhorn

In memory of Elizabeth Vondenbrink

Jean Elsen

Dianne Glynn

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Kuechly

Ms. Merlanne Louney

Mark Motley

Beth Reichert

In memory of Lauren LeClaire

Wallace

John Jacobs

William Morrow

 HONOR ROLL OF CONTRIBUTORS

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops are grateful to the following individuals that support our efforts by making a gift to the Orchestra Fund. We extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one and pay tribute to them here. You can join our family of donors online at cincinnatisymphony.org/donate or by contacting the Philanthropy Department at 513.744.3271.

PLATINUM BATON CIRCLE

Gifts of $50,000 and above

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick E. Bryan, III §

Robert W. Dorsey §

Kathy Grote in loving memory of Robert Howes §

Healey Liddle Family Foundation, Mel & Bruce Healey

Harold C. Schott Foundation, Francie & Tom Hiltz

Florence Koetters

Jo Anne and Joe Orndorff

Vicky and Rick Reynolds

Irwin and Melinda Simon §

Dee Stegman §

Jackie and Roy Sweeney Family Fund*

Mr. Randolph L. Wadsworth Jr. §

Ginger Warner

Scott and Charla Weiss §

GOLD BATON CIRCLE

Gifts of $25,000–$49,999

Joe and Patricia Baker

Dr. and Mrs. John and Suzanne Bossert §

Robert and Debra Chavez

Sheila and Christopher C. Cole §

Stephen J. Daush

Dr. and Mrs. Carl G. Fischer

Ashley and Bobbie Ford §

George and Margaret McLane Foundation

Dr. Lesley Gilbertson and Dr. William Hurford §

Marvin P. Kolodzik and Linda S. Gallaher §

Calvin and Patricia Linnemann

Susan McPartlin & Michael Galbraith

Carolyn Baker Miller

Dianne and J. David Rosenberg

Moe and Jack Rouse §

Ann and Harry Santen §

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Ullman

Mrs. James W. Wilson, Jr. Anonymous

SILVER BATON CIRCLE

Gifts of $15,000–$24,999

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Brueshaber

Mr. Gregory D. Buckley and Ms. Susan Berry-Buckley

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Evans

The Garber Family

Tom and Jan Hardy §

Patti and Fred Heldman

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn §

Mrs. Andrea Kaplan

Mrs. Erich Kunzel

Peter E. Landgren and Judith Schonbach Landgren §

Will and Lee Lindner

Mark and Tia Luegering

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Maloney

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. McDonald

Joseph A. and Susan E. Pichler Fund*

Mark S. and Rosemary K. Schlachter §

Jacqueline Sifri

In memory of Mary and Joseph S. Stern, Jr

Carol B. Striker

Sarah Thorburn

DeeDee and Gary West §

Mr. and Mrs. James M. Zimmerman § Anonymous

CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE

Gifts of $10,000–$14,999

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Akers

Jan and Roger Ames

Michael L. Cioffi & Rachael Rowe §

Mrs. Thomas E. Davidson §

K.M. Davis

Dianne Dunkelman and Clever Crazes for Kids

Emory P. Zimmer Insurance Agency

Dr. G. Russell and Renee S. Frankel

Lynne Friedlander and Jay Crawford

John B. and Judith O. Hansen

Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Joffe

Ms. Barbara Johnson

Robert Johnson

John and Molly Kerman

Michael and Marilyn Kremzar §

John and Ramsey Lanni

Adele Lippert

Phillip Long

Alan Margulies and Gale Snoddy

Holly and Louis Mazzocca

In memory of Bettie Rehfeld

James and Margo Minutolo

Melody Sawyer Richardson §

Martha and Lee Schimberg

Mike and Digi Schueler

Mr. Lawrence Schumacher

Dr. Jean and Mrs. Anne Steichen

Ralph C. Taylor §

Nancy C. Wagner and Patricia M. Wagner §

Anonymous (2)

CONCERTMASTER’S

CIRCLE

Gifts of $5,000–$9,999

Heather Apple and Mary Kay Koehler

Thomas P. Atkins

Mrs. Thomas B. Avril

Kathleen and Michael Ball

Robert and Janet Banks

Michael P. Bergan and Tiffany Hanisch

Louis D. Bilionis and Ann Hubbard

Robert L. and Debbie Bogenschutz

Thomas A. Braun, III §

The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Ms. Melanie M. Chavez

Sally and Rick Coomes

George Deepe and Kris Orsborn

Bedouin and Randall Dennison

Dennis W. and Cathy Dern

Mrs. Diana T. Dwight

In Loving Memory of Diane Harrison Zent

David and Kari Ellis Fund*

Dr. and Mrs. Alberto Espay

Estate of E.J. and Jean Krabacher

Mr. and Mrs. James T. Fitzgerald

Marlena and Walter Frank

Dr. and Mrs. Harry F. Fry

L. Timothy Giglio

Thomas W. Gougeon

Jim and Jann Greenberg

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hamby

Ms. Delores Hargrove-Young

William and Jo Ann Harvey

Dr. James and Mrs. Susan Herman

John M. and Lynda Hoffman Jeep for their 50th anniversary

Barbara M. Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Keenan

Mrs. Barbara Kellar in honor of Mr. Lorrence T. Kellar

Holly King

Frank and Ann Kromer

Richard and Susan Lauf §

The Lewis and Marjorie Daniel Foundation

Mrs. Robert Lippert

Elizabeth and Brian Mannion

David L. Martin §

Mr. Jonathan Martin

Mandare Foundation

Barbara and Kim McCracken §

Robert and Heather McGrath

Linda and James Miller

Ms. Mary Lou Motl §

Mr. Arthur Norman and Mrs. Lisa Lennon Norman

The Patel-Curran Family

Poul D. and JoAnne Pedersen §

David and Jenny Powell

Drs. Marcia Kaplan and Michael Privitera

Ellen Rieveschl §

Elizabeth and Karl Ronn §

James and Mary Russell

Bill and Lisa Sampson

Dr. E. Don Nelson and Ms. Julia Sawyer-Nelson

Dr. and Mrs. Michael Scheffler

Sandra and David Seiwert

Brent & Valerie Sheppard

Rennie and David Siebenhar

Mr. Gerald Skidmore §

Michael and Donnalyn Smith

Brett Stover §

Mr. and Mrs. David R. Valz

Christopher and Nancy Virgulak

M. Elizabeth Warner

Donna A. Welsch §

Ms. Diana Willen §

Cathy S. Willis

Andrea K. Wiot

Wright Brothers, Inc.

Anonymous (3)

ARTIST’S CIRCLE

Gifts of $3,000–$4,999

Dr. Charles Abbottsmith

Mr. and Mrs. Gérard Baillely

Pamela & Jeffrey Bernstein

Ms. Marianna Bettman

Glenn and Donna Boutilier

Peter and Kate Brown

Dr. Ralph P. Brown

Chris and Tom Buchert

Daniel A. Burr

Janet and Bruce Byrnes

Andrea D. Costa, Esq. §

Peter G. Courlas §

Marjorie Craft

Jim and Elizabeth Dodd

Dr. and Mrs. Stewart B. Dunsker

Ann A. Ellison

Hardy and Barbara Eshbaugh

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Fencl

Mrs. Amy Forte

Yan Fridman

Linda P. Fulton §

Frank and Tara Gardner

Naomi T. Gerwin

Dr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Giannella

Lesha and Samuel Greengus

John and Elizabeth Grover

Mr. and Mrs. Byron Gustin

Dr. and Mrs. Jack Hahn

Mr. Fred Heyse

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hicks

Karlee L. Hilliard §

Ruth C. Holthaus

In Memory of Benjamin C. Hubbard §

Mr. and Mrs. Bradley G. Hughes

Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Hughes

Karolyn Johnsen

Ms. Sylvia Johnson

Dr. Richard and Lisa Kagan

Dr. Robert W. Keith and Ms. Kathleen Thornton

Don and Kathy King

Lynn Keniston Klahm

Marie and Sam Kocoshis

Carol Louise Kruse

Mr. Shannon Lawson

Richard and Nancy Layding

Merlanne Louney

Luke and Nita Lovell

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Marshall

Glen and Lynn Mayfield

The Allen-McCarren Trust

Becky Miars

Ms. Sue Miller

Mr. and Mrs. David E. Moccia §

George and Sarah Morrison III

Phyllis Myers and Danny Gray

Alice Perlman

Michael and Katherine Rademacher

Dr. and Mrs. Robert Reed

Sandra Rivers

James Rubenstein and Bernadette Unger

Carol J. Schroeder §

Rev. Dr. David V. Schwab

Mr. Rick Sherrer and Dr. Lisa D. Kelly

Sue and Glenn Showers §

Elizabeth C. B. Sittenfeld §

William A. and Jane Smith

Nancy Steman Dierckes §

Elizabeth A. Stone

Peggy and Steven Story

Mr. and Mrs. J. Dwight Thompson

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Tinklenberg

Neil Tollas and Janet Moore

Dr. Barbara R. Voelkel

Dr. and Mrs. Matthew and Diana Wallace

Mrs. Paul H. Ward §

Dr. and Mrs. Galen R. Warren

Jonathan and Janet Weaver

Jim and George Ann Wesner

Stephen and Amy Whitlatch

Jo Ann Wieghaus

In Memory of Bruce R. Smith

Ronna and James Willis

Steve and Katie Wolnitzek

Irene A. Zigoris

Anonymous (5)

SYMPHONY CIRCLE

Gifts of $1,500–$2,999

Jeff and Keiko Alexander §

Lisa Allgood

Mr. Nicholas Apanius

Judy Aronoff and Marshall Ruchman

Ms. Laura E. Atkinson

Dr. Diane S. Babcock §

Beth and Bob Baer

Mr. and Mrs. Carroll R. Baker

David and Elaine Billmire §

Neil Bortz

Ms. Jaqui Brumm

Rachelle Bruno and Stephen Bondurant

Dr. Leanne Budde

Barbie Wagner

Gay Bullock

Tom Carpenter and Lynne Lancaster

Dr. Alan Chambers

James Civille

Susan and Burton Closson

Carol C. Cole §

Mr. and Mrs. Philip K. Cone

Randy K. and Nancy R. Cooper

Joe and Marilyn Hirschhorn with CSO Music Director Cristian Măcelaru at the Conductor’s Circle Dinner. Credit: Claudia Hershner

Charles and Kimberly Curran §

Mark Dauner and Geraldine Wu

Robert B. Dick, Ph.D.

Tom and Leslie Ducey

David and Linda Dugan

Amy Dunlea and Lois Mannon

Mr. and Mrs. John G. Earls §

Barry and Judy Evans §

Dr. and Mrs. William J. Faulkner

Ms. Barbara A. Feldmann

Mr. Robert Ferrell

Philip Ficks

Anne and Alan Fleischer

Mrs. Charles Fleischmann

Richard Freshwater §

Carol S. Friel

Dudley Fulton

Anne E. Mulder and Rebecca M. Gibbs

Louis and Deborah Ginocchio

Mr. Mark W. Glogowski

Donn Goebel and Cathy McLeod

Dr. and Mrs. Glenn S. Gollobin

Drew Gores and George Warrington

Bill and Christy Griesser

Esther B. Grubbs §

Mary and Phil Hagner

Catherine K. Hart

Mrs. Jackie Havenstein

Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Heidenreich

Mrs. Betty H. Heldman §

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Isaacs §

Heidi Jark and Steve Kenat

Andrew MacAoidh & Linda Busken Jergens §

The Marvin Jester Family

Mr. and Mrs. Paul H. Johnson

Christopher and Felecia Kanney

Holly H. Keeler

Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Keown, Jr.

Bill and Penny Kincaid

In Memory of Jeff Knoop

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kovarsky

Pat and Randy Krumm §

Everett and Barbara Landen

Evelyn and Fred Lang

Charles and Jean Lauterbach

Mary Mc and Kevin Lawson

Mrs. Jean E. Lemon §

Dr. Carol P. Leslie

Andi Levenson Young and Scott Young

Mr. Peter F. Levin §

Mr. and Mrs. Lance A. Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. Clement H. Luken, Jr.

Mark Mandell-Brown, MD and Ann Hanson

Ross Charitable Trust

Mr. Gerron McKnight

John and Roberta Michelman

Mr. and Mrs. David A. Millett

Eileen W. and James R. Moon

Mrs. Sally A. More

Nan L. Oscherwitz

Sandy Pike §

Mark and Kim Pomeroy

Dr. Aik Khai Pung

In Memory of Daniel H. Reigle

Stephen and Betty Robinson

Laurie and Dan Roche

Marianne Rowe

Mr. & Mrs. Peter A. Schmid

Frederick R. Schneider

Stanley and Jane Shulman

Ms. Martha Slager

Susan and David Smith

Mark M. Smith

(In memory of Terri C. Smith)

Stephanie A. Smith

Stephen and Lyle Smith

Albert and Liza Smitherman

Bill and Lee Steenken §

Mrs. Donald C. Stouffer

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stradling, Jr.

Mr. Mark Stroud

Rich and Nancy Tereba

Susan and John Tew

In Memory of Mr. William T. Bahlman, Jr.

Michael L. Walton, Esq

Ted and Mary Ann Weiss

Mr. Donald White

Virginia Wilhelm

Rev. Anne Warrington Wilson

Judy Wilson

Carol and Don Wuebbling

Drs. Marissa S. Liang and Y. Jeffrey Yang

Anonymous (5)

CONCERTO CLUB

Gifts of $500–$1,499

Christine O. Adams

Dr. Mary Albers

In memory of Carol Allgood & Ester Sievers

Mr. Thomas Alloy & Dr. Evaline Alessandrini

Patricia A. Anderson

Paul and Dolores Anderson §

Dr. Victor and Dolores Angel

Nancy J. Apfel

Lynne & Keith Apple, Honoring our Family

Mr. David H. Axt and Ms. Susan L. Wilkinson

James Babb

Todd and Ann Bailey

Mrs. Gail Bain

Jack and Diane Baldwin

Peggy Barrett §

Glenda Bates

Michael and Amy Battoclette

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Bell

Drs. Carol and Leslie Benet

Fred Berger

Dr. Allen W. Bernard

Barbara and Milton Berner

Dr. David and Cheryl Bernstein

Glenda and Malcolm Bernstein

Aggie Nichols and Jeff Berry

Ms. Henryka Bialkowska-Nagy

Milt and Berdie Blersch

Randal and Peter Bloch

Margaret Blomer

Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Bloomer

Michael and Pamela Boehm

Ms. Sandra Bolek

Ron and Betty Bollinger

Clay and Emily Bond

Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Bove

David & Madonna Bowman

William & Mary Bramlage

Dr. Carol Brandon

David A. Brashear

Briggs Creative Services, LLC

Joan Broersma

Kathryn L. Brokaw

Harold and Gwen Brown

Jacklyn and Gary Bryson

Bob and Angela Buechner

Angie & Gary Butterbaugh

Jack and Marti Butz

John & Terri Byczkowski

Dorothy and Harold Byers §

Ms. Cindy Callicoat

Ms. Deborah Campbell §

Joseph P. Cardone

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Carothers

Stephen and Karen Carr

The Castellini Company

Mike and Shirley Chaney

Gordon Christenson

Dee and Frank Cianciolo Fund*

Mr. and Mrs. John Clapp

Bob and Tisha Clary

James Clasper and Cheryl Albrecht

Mr. Robert Cohen and Ms. Amy J. Katz

Fred W. Colucci

Marilyn Cones

Dr. Margaret Conradi

Janet Conway

Robin Cotton and Cindi Fitton

Dennis and Pat Coyne

Martha Crafts

Tim and Katie Crowley

Adrian and Takiyah Cunningham

Jacqueline Cutshall

Mr. and Mrs. Henry F. Dabek, Jr.

Gabriel A. and Princess J. Davis

Diane and Wayne Dawson

Loren and Polly DeFilippo

Stephen and Cynthia DeHoff

Ms. Rhonda Dickerscheid

Nancy and Steve Donovan

Douglas & Kathy Dougherty

Meredith and Chuck Downton

Judy Doyle in memory of James Johnson

Ms. Andrea Dubroff

Tom and Dale Due

Mrs. Shirley Duff

Mr. Corwin R. Dunn

Edgar J. and Elaine J. Mack Fund

Dale & Kathy Elifrits

Sally Eversole

Mr. Douglas Fagaly

Ms. Kate Farinacci

Ms. Jean Feinberg

Mrs. Michelle Finch

Ilya Finkelshteyn and Evin Blomberg

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Fischer

William and Carol Fisher

Mr. and Mrs. James Foreman

Janice and Dr. Tom Forte

Mr. and Ms. Bernard Foster

Dr. Charles E. Frank and Ms. Jan Goldstein

Harriet and Bill Freedman

Mr. and Mrs. John Freeman

Susan L. Fremont

Mr. Gregrick A. Frey

In Memory of Eugene and Cavell Frey

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Fricke

Mr. and Mrs. James Fryman

Marjorie Fryxell

Mark S. Gay

Drs. Michael and Janelle J. Gelfand

Kathleen Gibboney

Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. Gilb

Dr. Jerome Glinka and Ms. Kathleen Blieszner

Dr. and Mrs. Charles J. Glueck

Dan Goetz

Ms. Arlene Golembiewski

Anita J. and Thomas G. Grau

Robert and Cynthia Gray

Carl and Joyce Greber

Mary Grooms

Nina Gross

Janet C. Haartz and Kenneth V. Smith

Mary Elizabeth Huey and Daniel Hadley

Peter Hames

Ham and Ellie Hamilton

Walter and Karen Hand

Roberta Handwerger, in memory of Dr. Stuart Handwerger

Mr. and Mrs. William Hardie

James and Sally Harper

Dr. Donald and Laura Harrison

Mariana Belvedere and Samer Hasan

Dr. Deborah Hauger

Mr. John A. Headley

Janet Heiden

Angie Heiman

Mr. A. M. Heister

Howard D. and Mary W. Helms

Mrs. E. J. Hengelbrok, Jr.

Donald and Susan Henson

Mr. Jeff Herbert

Herman & Margaret Wasserman Music Fund*

Michelle and Don Hershey

Janet & Craig Higgins

Mr. and Mrs. William A. Hillebrand

Kyle and Robert Hodgkins

Susan and Jon Hoffheimer

Ms. Leslie M. Hoggatt

Tim and Connie Holmen

Richard and Marcia Holmes

Mr. Joe Hoskins

Ben Houck

Ms. Sandra L. Houck

Deanna and Henry Huber

Melissa Huber

Karen and David Huelsman

Mrs. Carol H. Huether

Dr. Edward & Sarah Hughes

Nada Christine Huron

Judith Imhoff

Caroline Isaacs

Ms. Idit Isaacsohn

Dr. Maralyn M. Itzkowitz

Mrs. Charles H. Jackson, Jr.

Marcia Jelus

Ruth and Frederick Joffe

Ms. Anna R. Johnson

Mrs. Marilyn P. Johnston

Mr. Andrew Jones

Elizabeth A. Jones

Scott and Patricia Joseph

Jay and Shirley Joyce

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Judd §

Rabbi Kenneth Kanter and Dr. Toni Kanter

Marilyn and Joseph Katz

Dr. James Kaya and Debra Grauel

Dr. and Mrs. Richard Kerstine

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Kitzmiller

Jack & Sharon Knapp

Paul and Carita Kollman

Carol and Scott Kosarko §

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Kraimer

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Kregor

Kathleen B. and Michael C. Krug Fund*

Mark & Elisabeth Kuhlman

Mrs. John H. Kuhn §

Pinky Laffoon

Patricia Lambeck §

Asher and Kelsey Lanier

Ms. Sally L. Larson

Janet R. Schultz

Mrs. Julie Laskey

Joe Law and Phil Wise

Mrs. James R. Leo

The Graeter’s Ice Cream team joins guest artists The Steel Wheels, Joshua Henry, Jennifer Cherest and Pops Conductor John Morris Russell for Red, White and Boom! at Riverbend Music Center.

Credit: CSO Staff

Warren and Pam Weber with Associate Conductors Samuel Lee and Daniel Wiley at the Conductor’s Circle Dinner.

Credit: Claudia Hershner

Bill and Linda Overholt

Phyllis Overmann

Mr. Stuart Owen

Anthony Paggett

Mr. Robert F. Palace

Ms. Beth A. Palm

Ms. Julia Palmer

Diana Pandey

Mr. Robert Park

Molly Parrott

T. Parsons

Subrat Pati

Reena Dhanda Patil

Mark & Donna Patterson

William Patton

Mr. Brian Pauley

Mr. Joseph A. Pauley

The Pavelka Family

Carol and Jim Pearce

Dr. and Mrs. Alter Peerless

John and Francie Pepper *

Don and Jan Perander

Helen and Henry Perkins

Ms. Susan Perry

Barbara Persons

In Memory of Richard Peterson

Christopher Philpotts and Pamela Schall

Ann and Marty Pinales

Mr. Jonathan Pischl

Diane M. Planicka

Ronald Plybon

David and Hollace Poissant

Ms. Beth Polanka

Dr. and Mrs. Martin Popp

Chef Bill Porter

Elaine B. Powers

Ms. Cynthia Prestigiacomo

Phil and Susan Price

Dr. Michael J. and Mrs. Maureen T. Prokopius

Ms. Joetta Prost

Angela Pruitt

Steve & Sharon Pyrak

Mr. James Quaintance II and Mrs. Catherine Hann

Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Rapien

Kevin Ray

Chris and Mary Ray

Ms. Marilyn B. Rayburn

Ms. Norma Rebholz

Lynne Williams Reckman

Jessica Reeves

Mr. Mark Rehrig

Mr. Brian T. Reilly

James and Jacquelyn Remley

Michael Rench

Ms. Patricia Ressler

Ms. Bonnie Rettig

Ron and Diana Reynolds

Helen Rhoad

Pamela Rice

Mr. Ronald Richards

Ms. Shirley Y. Riggs

Mr. and Mrs. J. Timothy Riker

Terry and Burr Robinson

Mr. Peter Robinson

John and Linda Rockaway

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel A. Rodner

Ms. Burton Roehr

Ms. Terrie Rogers

Letty J. Roosa

Nelson Rosario

Ms. Katlin Rose

Tina and Bruse Ross

Thad Ross

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Routh

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard G. Rowekamp

Kira & Josiah Rucker

Richard and Barb Ruddy

Mr. and Mrs. David Runyon

Ms. Laura Ruple

J. Gregory and Judith B. Rust

Patricia Ruthemeyer

Catherine B. Saelinger

Dr. and Mrs. Gregory L. Salzman

Nancy and Joe Sanchez, MD

Mrs. Joann Sanders

Lisa A. Sanger

Dr. Richard S. Sarason and Ms. Anne S. Arenstein

Elizabeth and Kazuya Sato

David and Judy Savage

Julie Savchenko

David and Lisa Schackmann

Ken Scheffel

Dr. Scott Schilling

Sally A. Schleker

David and Nancy Schlothauer

Mr. and Mrs. William C. Schmidter, III

Ronald & Ruth Schmiedeker

Dr. James and Chris Schneider

Jacqueline K. Schneider

Mr. Jeffrey Schoenberger

Michael Schoeny

Mr. Arthur and Donna Schuler

Marcia Schulte

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Schultheis

Cynthia A. Schultz

Christine Schumacher and Hal Hess

Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Schwab

Troy Schwable

Peter Schwaller

Carol Schweitzer

Mrs. Arlene K. Schwerin

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sciamanna

Ms. Misa A. Ito

Ms. Jane Sebree

Scott and Rachel Sedmak

Ms. Barbara Seiver

Steven L. Selss

David and Diane Senseman

Janice Seymour

Saira Shahani and Rick Warm

Ms. Kay Shaner

Mary Jo Shearer

Shepherd Chemical Company

Dr. Jack Shepherd

Dr. Rees and Jeanne Sheppard

James and Margaret Sherlock

Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Shotten

Mr. Eli E. Shupe, Jr.

Mr. Wayne Sibert

Ms. Kristi Siconolfi-Tolle

Brian and James Thompson Siebold

Lise and Kevin Sigward

Linda Grote

John and Janet Simpkinson

Stephanie Simpson

Mu Sinclaire & Sinclaire

Family Foundation

Robert & Linda Singer

Megan Sites

Mr. and Mrs. Peter K. Sloan

Mrs. Joanne Slovisky

Mr. William Slutz and Ms. Linda A. Rooman

Tracy Jo and David Small

Gary A. Smith

Jay and Michele Smith

Ms. Margaret Smith

Dr. Rayma Smith

Mr. Timothy L. Smith and Ms. Penny Poirier

Wanda J. Smith

William and Joan Smith

Drake Snarski

Mr. and Mrs. Stan Sorensen

Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Sorg

Nicole Soria and Randy Myers

Natalie Leonhard and Chris Soto

Ms. Patricia Spalding

Mr. C. Gregory Spangler

C. Gregory Spangler

Mr. and Mrs. Willis R. Sparks

Mrs. Carol E. Spencer

Sue and Andrew Speno

Paula Spitzmiller

Mr. Lee T. Spitznagel

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sprengard, Jr.

Ms. Lisa N. Spruance

St. John’s Reformed

Episcopal Church Fund*

Mr. and Mrs. Sterling Staggs, Jr.

Barbara and Paul Staley

Janet Stallmeyer

Elizabeth Rabkin

Joe and Linda Staneck

Kenneth F. Stang

Jerome and Josette Stanley

Barry and Sharlyn Stare §

Ms. Katherine Starks

Timothy Stearns

Jason M. Steffen

Julia Cole Stephen

Frank and Rose Stertz

Ms. Karen Stevens

Laurence G. Stillpass

Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Stoller

Sarah and Gunter Storjohann

Michael and Barbara Stough

Ms. Dolores Stover

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Samuel Strater

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sugerman

Dennis and Helen Sullivan

Mr. Duane Sulski

Theresa and Peter Suranyi

Callae and Tom Sutton

Jeff & Deby Sweren

Ms. Adna Swinford

William & Diana Taggart

Mr. and Mrs. William R. Talbot, Jr.

Mr. Steven Tamborski

Ginger Tannenbaum

Barbara Taylor

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander W. Teass

Karl and Marilyn Technow

Ms. Paige Tedesco

Kathy Teipen

Mary Anne Tenfelde

Ms. Jeanette M. Tepe

Jan Terbrueggen

Tom and Sue Terwilliger

Robert and Rosa Martha Thaler

Caren Theuring

Ms. Emily Thomas

Mr.and Mrs George Thomas

Chris & Jennifer Thompson

Miss Amanda Thopy

David and Christine Thornbury

Thomas Tobias

Samuel P. Todd III

Ms. Tricia Tomich

Torey and Tom Torre

Dr. Simon Tremblay

Paul and Diana Trenkamp

Ms. Valerie Trentman

Timothy Troendle

James and Susan Troutt

Ms. Monica Troy

Mr. and Mrs. Turner

Mr. Randy Ulses and Mr. Michael Smith

Ann Simonson and Elizabeth Valenti

Mr. Mariano Velez

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Verkamp

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Verney

Ms. Joni Vest

Mrs. Anne Marie Wagner

Robert Wagner

Mr. Nick Wagner

Ms. Priscilla S. Walford

Ms. Barbara Walkenhorst Derby

Cynthia and Garret Walker

Daniel T. Walker, Jr.

Roosevelt & Donna Walker

Susan Walker

Mr. and Ms. Lee Wallace

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Walpole

Dr. George and Norma Walter

Rabbi and Mrs. Gerry Walter

Mark Walton

Dr. and Mrs. Stanley C. Wang

Dr. David T. Ward

Ryan Ward

Dr. and Mrs. Jerry W. Warner

Frederick and Jo Anne Warren §

Mr. and Mrs. Norman S. Wasserman

Ms. Barbara G. Watts

James and Carol Waugh

Mark and Jennifer Weaver

Dr. and Mrs. Barry Webb

Mr. and Mrs. Terry N. Webb

Kathleen Webster

Ms. Alta Weinkam

Michael and Terry Welch

Thomas Wells

Mr. Mark Wert and Mr. Mark Johnson

Jeff & Arlene Werts

Anne and John Westenkirchner

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Westheimer

Ms. Joan Wham

Elizabeth White

Timothy and Nancy White

Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey A. Whitsett

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Whittenburg

Mrs. Constance C. Widmer

Ann Wierwille, M.D.

Mrs. Sarah Wilder

Larry R. Wiley

Robin Wiley

Charles A. Wilkinson §

Mr. and Mrs. George Wilkinson

Ms. Beverly P. Williams

Beverly G. Williams

Emma Williams

Marsha Williams

Mr. Lionel Williams

Steve and Nancy Wills

In Honor of Sue Willson

Ted and Barbara Wilson

James and Starla Wise

Colleen Witchger-Furey

Shea Witkowski

David and Barbara Witte

Mr. and Mrs. Erwin J. Wolber

Mr. Guy Wolf and Ms. Jane Misiewicz

Louise Wolf

David Wolfer

Gary and Marilyn P. Wooddell

John and Nancy Woodin

Mrs. Mark L. Woolsey

Susan and William Wortman

Ms. Christine Wright

Dr. and Mrs. Creighton B. Wright

Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Wubbolding

Betty A. Wuest

Daniel and Pam Wurtzler

Edith and Leo Yakutis

Mr. Alexander Yastrebenetsky

Jim & Debbie Young

Marilyn Young

Dr. Cynthia Yund

Meg Zeller and Alan Weinstein

Dr. Herbert Zeman

Rita Zener

Thomas and Joyce Zigler

Mary and Steve Ziller, Jr.

Stephen and Mila Zimmerman

David and Cynthia Zink

John and Jeanie Zoller

Daniel & Susmita Zuck

Anonymous (95)

List as of June 27, 2025

GIFTS IN-KIND

David and Carol Dunevant

Graeter’s Ice Cream

Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA

Southern Grace Eats

Carlos Zavala

List as of June 30, 2025

* Denotes a fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

§ Denotes members of The Thomas Schippers Legacy Society. Individuals who have made a planned gift to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops Orchestra are eligible for membership in the Society. For more information, please contact Kate Farinacci at 513.744.3202.

 THE THOMAS SCHIPPERS LEGACY SOCIETY

Mr. & Mrs. James R. Adams

Thomas Schippers was Music Director from 1970 to 1977. He left not only wonderful musical memories, but also a financial legacy with a personal bequest to the Orchestra. The Thomas Schippers Legacy Society recognizes those who contribute to the Orchestra with a planned gift. We thank these members for their foresight and generosity. For more information on leaving your own legacy, contact Kate Farinacci at 513.744.3202.

William L. Harmon

Mary J. Healy

Frank G. Heitker

Betty & John* Heldman

Karlee L. Hilliard

Michael H. Hirsch

Mr. & Mrs. James R. Adams

Jeff & Keiko Alexander

Mrs. Robert H. Allen

Dr. Toni Alterman

Paul R. Anderson

Carole J. Arend

Donald C. Auberger, Jr.

Dr. Diane Schwemlein Babcock

Henrietta Barlag*

Peggy Barrett*

Jane* & Ed Bavaria

David & Elaine Billmire

Walter Blair

Dr. John & Suzanne Bossert

Dr. Mollie H. Bowers-Hollon

Ronald Bozicevich

Thomas A. Braun, III

Joseph Brinkmeyer

Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Bryan, III

Harold & Dorothy Byers

Deborah Campbell & Eunice M. Wolf

Catharine W. Chapman

Michael L. Cioffi & Rachael Rowe

Mrs. Jackson L. Clagett III

Lois & Phil* Cohen

Leland M.* & Carol C. Cole

Sheila & Christopher Cole

Jack & Janice Cook

Mr. & Mrs. Charles Cordes

Ms. Andrea Costa

Peter G. Courlas & Nick Tsimaras*

Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Curran III

Amy & Scott Darrah, Meredith & Will Darrah, children

Caroline H. Davidson

Harrison R.T. Davis

Ms. Kelly M. Dehan

Amy & Trey Devey

Robert W. Dorsey

Jon & Susan Doucleff

Ms. Judith A. Doyle

Mr. & Mrs. John Earls

Mr. & Mrs. Barry C. Evans

Linda & Harry Fath

Alan Flaherty

Ashley & Barbara Ford

Guy & Marilyn Frederick

Rich Freshwater & Family

Mr. Nicholas L. Fry

Linda P. Fulton

H. Jane Gavin

Edward J. & Barbara C.* Givens

Kenneth A. Goode

Clifford J. Goosmann & Andrea M. Wilson

Mrs. Madeleine H. Gordon

J. Frederick & Cynthia Gossman

Kathy Grote

Esther B. Grubbs, Marci Bein, Mindi Hamby

William Hackman

Vincent C. Hand & Ann E. Hagerman

Tom & Jan Hardy

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn

Daniel J. Hoffheimer

Kenneth L. Holford

George R. Hood

Mr. & Mrs. Terence L. Horan

Mrs. Benjamin C. Hubbard

Susan & Tom Hughes

Dr. Lesley Gilbertson & Dr. William Hurford

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Isaacs

Julia M. F. B. Jackson

Michael & Kathleen Janson

Andrew MacAoidh Jergens

Jean C. Jett

Anne C. & Robert P. Judd

Margaret H. Jung

Mace C. Justice

Dr. & Mrs.* Steven Katkin

Rachel Kirley & Joseph Jaquette

Carolyn Koehl

Marvin Kolodzik & Linda Gallaher

Carol & Scott Kosarko

Marilyn & Michael Kremzar

Randolph & Patricia Krumm

Theresa M. Kuhn

Warren & Patricia Lambeck

Peter E. Landgren &

Mrs. Angela M. Reed

Melody Sawyer Richardson

Ellen Rieveschl

Elizabeth & Karl Ronn

Moe & Jack Rouse

Ann & Harry Santen

Rosemary & Mark Schlachter

Carol J. Schroeder

Mrs. William R. Seaman

Dr. Brian Sebastian

Mrs. Robert B. Shott

Sue & Glenn Showers

Irwin & Melinda Simon

Betsy & Paul* Sittenfeld

Sarah Garrison Skidmore*

Adrienne A. Smith

David & Sonja* Snyder

Marie Speziale

Mr. & Mrs. Christopher L. Sprenkle

Barry & Sharlyn Stare

Bill & Lee Steenken

Tom* & Dee Stegman

Barry Steinberg

Nancy M. Steman

John & Helen Stevenson

Mary & Bob Stewart

Brett Stover

Dr. Robert & Jill Strub

Patricia M. Strunk

Ralph & Brenda* Taylor

Conrad F. Thiede

Minda F. Thompson

Carrie & Peter Throm

Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Todd

Nydia Tranter

Dick & Jane Tuten

Thomas Vanden Eynden* & Judith Beiting

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Varley

Mr. & Mrs. James K. Votaw

Mr. & Mrs.* Randolph L. Wadsworth Jr.

Nancy C. Wagner

Patricia M. Wagner

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Ward

Jo Anne & Fred Warren

Mr. Scott Weiss & Dr. Charla Weiss

Donna A. Welsch

Anne M. Werner

Gary & Diane West

Charles A. Wilkinson

Ms. Diana Willen

Susan Stanton Windgassen

Mrs. Joan R. Wood

Alison & Jim Zimmerman

* Deceased

New Schippers members are in bold

Judith Schonbach Landgren

Peter E. Landgren & Judith Schonbach Landgren

Susan J. Lauf

Owen & Cici Lee

Steve Lee

Mrs. Jean E. Lemon

Mr. Peter F. Levin

Janice W.* & Gary R. Lubin

Mr.* & Mrs. Ronald Lyons

Margot Marples

David L. Martin

Allen* & Judy Martin

David Mason

Barbara & Kim McCracken

Laura Kimble McLellan

Dr. Stanley R. Milstein

Mrs. William K. Minor

Mr. & Mrs. D. E. Moccia

Mary Lou Motl

Kristin & Stephen Mullin

Christopher & Susan Muth

Patti Myers

Susan & Kenneth Newmark

Dr. & Mrs. Theodore Nicholas

Jane Oberschmidt

Marja-Liisa Ogden

Julie & Dick* Okenfuss

Dr. & Mrs. Richard E. Park, MD

Charlie & Tara Pease

Poul D. & JoAnne Pedersen

Sandy & Larry* Pike

Mrs. Harold F. Poe

Anne M. Pohl

Irene & Daniel Randolph

James W. Rauth

Barbara S. Reckseit

Administration

SHARED SERVICES & SUBSIDIARIES. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s business model is unique within the orchestral industry because it provides administrative services for other nonprofits and operates two subsidiary companies — Music & Event Management, Inc. and EVT Management LLC. With the consolidation of resources and expertise, sharing administrative services allows for all organizations within the model to thrive. Under this arrangement, the CSO produces hundreds of events in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton regions and employs hundreds of people annually.

With the consolidation of resources and expertise, sharing administrative services allows for all organizations within the model to thrive. Under this arrangement, the CSO produces hundreds of events in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton regions and employs hundreds of people annually.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

Robert McGrath President & CEO

Harold Brown

The Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones Chief Inclusion Officer

John Clapp

John Clapp Vice President of Orchestra & Production

Vice President of Orchestra & Production

Rich Freshwater Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Felecia Tchen Kanney Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Digital Media

Mary McFadden Lawson Chief Philanthropy Officer

Anthony Paggett Vice President of Artistic Planning

Anthony Paggett

Vice President of Artistic Planning

Kyle Wynk-Sivashankar Vice President of Human Resources

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Shannon Faith Executive Assistant to the President & CEO

ARTISTIC PLANNING

Theresa Lansberry

Manager of Artistic Planning & Artist Servicing

Theresa Lansberry Manager of Artistic Planning & Artist Servicing

Shuta Maeno Manager of Artistic Planning & Assistant to the Music Director

Jamie Ellen Ripperger Artist Liaison

Sam Strater Senior Advisor for Cincinnati Pops Planning

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Key Crooms Director of Community Engagement

Pamela Jayne Volunteer & Community Engagement Manager

Molly Rains

Community Engagement Events Manager

Molly Rains Community Engagement Events Manager

FINANCE, IT & DATA SERVICES

Julian Cann Accounting Clerk

Kathleen Curry

Data Entry Clerk

Kathleen Curry Data Entry Clerk

Elizabeth Engwall

Accounting Manager

Spencer Enright

Accounting Clerk

Spencer Enright Accounting Clerk

Matt Grady Accounting Manager

Sharon Grayton

Data Services Manager

Sharon Grayton Data Services Manager

Marijane Klug Staff Accountant

Shannon May Accounting Clerk

Kristina Pfeiffer Director of Finance

Judy Simpson Director of Finance

Tara Williams

Data Services Manager

Tara Williams Data Services Manager

HUMAN RESOURCES & PAYROLL

Megan Inderbitzin-Tsai Director of Payroll Services

Natalia Lerzundi

Human Resources Manager

Natalia Lerzundi Human Resources Manager

LEARNING

Hollie Greenwood Learning Department Coordinator

Kyle Lamb School Programs Manager

Jack Obermeyer Youth Orchestras Manager

Anja Ormiston

Learning Department Coordinator

Anja Ormiston Learning Department Coordinator

MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS & DIGITAL MEDIA

Charlie Balcom

Social Media Manager

Leon Barton

Website Manager

Leon Barton Website Manager

KC Commander Director of Digital Content & Innovation

Maria Cordes Video Editor

Jon Dellinger

Growth Marketing Manager

Drew Dolan Box Office Manager

Kaitlyn Driesen

Digital Media & Label Services Manager

Jensen Fitch Publicity Manager

Gabriela Godinez Feregrino Publications Manager

Daniel Lees

Assistant Box Office Manager

Michelle Lewandowski Director of Marketing

Tina Marshall Director of Ticketing & Audience Services

Wendy Marshall Group Sales Manager

Madelyn McArthur Audience Engagement Manager

Amber Ostaszewski Director of Audience Engagement

Devon Pine

Subscription Marketing Manager

Devon Pine Subscription Marketing Manager

Tyler Secor Director of Communications & Content Development

Alexis Shambley Audience Development Marketing Manager

Lee Snow

Digital Content Technology Manager

Patron Services

Representatives

Patron Services Representatives

Hannah Blanchette, Lead

Talor Marren, Lead

Lucas Maurer, Lead

Marian Mayen, Lead

Matthew Wallenhorst, Lead

Andy Demczuk

Craig Doolin

Abby Drieth

Mary Duplantier

Jacob Forte

Ebony Jackson

Monica Lange

Grace Mattina

Scott Molnar

Gregory Patterson

Kathleen Riemenschneider

PHILANTHROPY

Sean Baker Director of Institutional Giving

Ashley Coffey

Foundation & Grants Manager

Ashley Coffey Foundation & Grants Manager

Maddie Denning

Institutional Giving Coordinator

Kate Farinacci

Director of Special Campaigns & Legacy Giving

Catherine Hann

Assistant Director of Individual Giving

Catherine Hann Assistant Director of Individual Giving

Rachel Hellebusch

Corporate Giving Manager

Leslie Hoggatt-Minutolo

Director of Individual Giving & Donor Services

Leslie Hoggatt-Minutolo Director of Individual Giving & Donor Services

Quinton Jefferson Research & Grants Administrator

Ethan Mann

Ethan Mann Donor Engagement Coordinator

Donor Engagement Coordinator

D’Anté McNeal

Special Projects Coordinator

Jenna Montes

Individual Giving Manager

Emma Steward

Emma Steward Leadership Giving Manager

Leadership Giving Manager

PRODUCTION

Laura Bordner Adams Director of Operations

Alex Magg

Production Manager

Isabella Prater

Production Coordinator

Brenda Tullos

Brenda Tullos Director of Orchestra Personnel

Director of Orchestra Personnel

Rachel Vondra

Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager

September & October 2025 Fanfare Magazine

Bridget Kibbey

FANFARE Magazi ne

FANFARE Magazi ne

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2025

FANFARE Magazi ne

n BOARD OF DIRECTORS

n BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMITTEES & TASK FORCES and MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS COUNCIL

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

INVEST ENGAGE INNOVATE LEAD

From the President & CEO

Welcome

WE BELIEVE MUSIC LIVES WITHIN US ALL

FANFARE Magazi ne

WELCOME to the 2025 September and

issue of Fanfare Magazine

In the CSO, Cristian Măcelaru Has Found His Musical Soulmate

Music and Memory: The Powerful Connections Between Music, Experience and Emotion

From the Cinema to the Concert Hall, Orchestral Music is Everywhere, for Everyone

CRISTIAN MĂCELARU, Music Director

AND ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP

CRISTIAN MĂCELARU

FEATURE

From the Shadows to the Spotlight: Honoring Black Trailblazers in Country Music History

The Summit Experience

Celebrating the brilliance that art brings to life.

CIRQUE ESPAÑA! | 2025–26 SEASON

TROUPE VERTIGO

INTERMISSION

FROM BEETHOVEN TO HINDEMITH | 2025–26 SEASON

INTERMISSION

PROGRAM NOTES

PROGRAM NOTES

Moritz

Suite for Two Violins and Piano, Op. 71

RESTORED & PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Friends of Music Hall (CM-Sep-Oct)

THE VOICE OF WHITNEY | 2025–26 SEASON

INTERMISSION

DISTANT WORLDS:

INTERMISSION

MEMBERS OF THE MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS

How Video Games are Introducing New Audiences to Orchestral Music

CSO Orchestra Members Answer ‘What’s Your Favorite Video Game Score?’

New Era begins with Music Director

Cristian Măcelaru

CRISTIAN MĂCELARU’S DEBUT | 2025–26 SEASON

INTERMISSION

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

George Gershwin: Concerto in F Major for Piano and Orchestra

INTERMISSION

Be inspired.

Gra nd Music for Winds & S t r ings

Schub e r t’s D iv ine Q uinte t

Ame r ica n S t or ies

D vořák’s Bohemia n Sp ir it

Me ndelssohn’s E l eg y

Be e th ove n’s Gh os t Tr io

n ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

n ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

GIANCARLO GUERRERO conductor STELLA CHEN violin

INTERMISSION

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

PROGRAM NOTES

Welcome to SEP–OCT Groups!

ENJOY THE MUSIC, TOGETHER!

2025–26 Financial Support

 INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

ANNUAL SUPPORT

SEASON AND SERIES SPONSORS

 2026 ARTSWAVE PARTNERS

 PERMANENT ENDOWMENTS

ENDOWED CHAIRS

ENDOWED PERFORMANCES

 GIFT OF MUSIC: February 11–June 30, 2025

OTHER NAMED FUNDS

 HONOR ROLL OF CONTRIBUTORS

PLATINUM BATON CIRCLE