D S O I M PAC T C A M PA I G N | S U M M E R 2 0 2 2
sound STORIES OF DSO IMPACT
DSO IMPACT CAMPAIGN | SUMMER 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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What Community Sounds Like: The Anne Parsons Leadership Fund
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Meet Na’Zir McFadden, DSO’s new Assistant Conductor and Phillip and Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador
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What Joyous Sounds Like: The William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series
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Detroit Neighborhood Initiative: This Is Your Hometown Orchestra
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Detroit Harmony Update
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Editor & Writer - LaToya Cross Graphic Designer - Jay Holladay Photo Editor - Sarah Smarch
Welcome to the first issue of Sound Effect, an insider’s look at the people, place, and purpose that make up your Detroit Symphony Orchestra. With this publication, we seek to share compelling stories of DSO impact with you—our most dedicated supporters who believe wholeheartedly in the value our orchestra brings to our local, national, and global communities. Our stories will demonstrate all the incredible work that is possible thanks to your stewardship and generous support of the DSO Impact Campaign. This is what visionary sounds like.
DSO IMPACT CAMPAIGN | SUMMER 2022
WELCOME
In each issue, we invite you to discover more about the people, on stage and behind the scenes, who come together to present the concerts and programs that you love. In short, we want to ensure that you are plugged into everything that is happening in the DSO universe—whether that’s in our magnificent home of Orchestra Hall and the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, throughout Detroit and Southeast Michigan, or across the digital sphere. Our cover story for this inaugural issue introduces you to Na’Zir McFadden, a phenomenally gifted young conductor from Philadelphia who in April was named the DSO’s new Assistant Conductor and the new Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra. Uniting his artistic and educational duties, Na’Zir will also hold the title of Phillip and Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador, helping the DSO strengthen the bond between the orchestra and the communities we serve. As we close the 2021-22 season, we reflect on a year filled with joys and sorrows, bounded by artistic excellence, resilience, and innovation. With the passing of our dear friend Anne Parsons, we marshalled through a very difficult transition, and we did it together as a oneDSO family. Anne held an unwavering belief in the role of the DSO in our city, and together with many of you, she worked tirelessly to make that vision a reality. We are so pleased to announce the establishment of the Anne Parsons Leadership Fund in her honor, with extraordinary initial commitments of more than $15 million. We are filled with gratitude to the first supporters of this fund who have helped to ensure that Anne’s vision for our orchestra will live on for years to come. We are so proud of all that we have accomplished and look forward to many more milestones and achievements. We envision a bright, longstanding future for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra that is uplifting and unifying, and your ongoing partnership and support will help us reach even greater heights. We deeply appreciate your consideration and future involvement.
Mark Davidoff Board Chair
Erik Rönmark President & CEO
Jader Bignamini Music Director
Phillip Wm. Fisher Board Chair Emeritus DSO Impact Campaign Chair
DSO Impact Campaign:
Anne Parsons Leadership Fund:
$42,569,790(57% raised of the $75 million goal)
$15,025,000 (75% raised of the $20 million goal) 2
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The Anne Parsons Leadership Fund
WHAT
COMMUNITY SOUNDS LIKE: VISION AND INNOVATION
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nder Anne Parsons’ vision and mission-driven leadership, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra solidified its place as a crucial artistic innovator embedded in the cultural fabric of our city. Anne imagined a community-driven and inspirational orchestra energized to take the magic of musical connection beyond the concert hall and bring its rich melodies and universal themes to local audiences. With tenacity and through genuine relationship building, the DSO has strived to be visible and accessible throughout Metro Detroit and beyond, gaining substantial support from the community; and, together, our shared vision has become a flourishing actuality. Our emphasis on local engagement connects music lovers in Detroit and across the region, with opportunities to experience DSO musicians in chamber music programs, senior engagement concerts, music therapy partnerships, in-school appearances, and full orchestra performances through the DTE Community Concert Series, powered by DTE Energy Foundation, and the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series. We have remained committed to diversifying opportunities throughout the DSO campus with multidisciplinary arts offerings at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center and the Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube–our black-box theater style artistic hub. We’ve been active across the city with the Detroit Neighborhood Initiative, where we partner with neighborhood residents and organizations to co-create programs; and Detroit Harmony, a unique effort to put an instrument in the hands of every child. Your collaborative energy and visionary investment led to Anne and the DSO team developing a robust digital technology strategy that amplified our presence and accessibility on a global scale. This included the launch of Live from Orchestra Hall, an industry-leading series of free,
live HD webcasts that broadcast every Classical Series subscription concert. The success of these efforts increased engagement and expanded with Classroom Edition—an education-centered series that reaches students in Detroit schools and around the world. The beauty of family and really feeling as one connected community is proactively being there through triumphs and trials. Time and time again, you have shown up and rallied for the foundational mission of the DSO: to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences by sustaining a world class orchestra for our city and global community. We envision a longstanding future that is uplifting, unifying, and helps us navigate through difficult and unpredictable times with grace, power, and compassion. We know this is possible, because throughout our storied history from the 1880s to this very moment our resilience shines. Through our community and education efforts, it is our collective vision and continuous goal to be an inclusive, innovative, and culturally relevant community where all can experience the world through music and learn new things along the way. The DSO Impact Campaign deepens our dedication to community work in Detroit. We believe this is the time to secure the capital needed to carry out this commitment to the DSO and our community. Through the Anne Parsons Leadership Fund, and avid support from our DSO family and leadership contributors such as the Mort and Brigitte Harris Foundation, together we will perpetuate Anne’s spirit, resilience, and influence. This endowed fund will ensure that Anne’s vision for the DSO as a community-supported as well as a community-supporting institution, will continue in perpetuity.
“We can’t have artistic excellence without financial sustainability, and we can’t have financial sustainability without artistic excellence.”
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DSO IMPACT CAMPAIGN | SUMMER 2022 THE EDUCATIONAL CONCERT SERIES IS WEBCAST INTO CLASSROOMS REACHING THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS IN DETROIT AND AROUND THE WORLD.
HONOR AND PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF DSO PRESIDENT EMERITUS ANNE PARSONS
THE ANNE PARSONS LEADERSHIP FUND 3 SERVES AS A PROMISE TO: • highlight our institutional values of Excellence, Collaboration, Innovation, Diversity and Resilience.
MUSIC DIRECTOR JADER BIGNAMINI IN COLLABORATION WITH DETROIT OPERA AT MEADOW BROOK.
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• achieve Anne’s ultimate goal of raising endowment sufficient to ensure stability that transcends economic or political crises while advancing artistic excellence for future generations. • increase accessibility and connectivity to the DSO by: providing affordable or free opportunities in Orchestra Hall and throughout neighborhoods and communities in Southeast Michigan and offering state-of-the-art digital access in Detroit classrooms and around the globe.
A DSO PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE PERFORMS IN SOSNICK COURTYARD’S AFFORDABLE SUMMER SESSIONS CONCERTS.
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DSO IMPACT CAMPAIGN | SUMMER 2022
NA’ZIR MCFADDEN:
FROM PHILLY TO DETROIT MUSIC AND COMMUNITY ARE GUIDING LIGHTS
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s a kid, while the choir sang from behind the church pulpit, Na’Zir McFadden would sneak past the organ player, the pianist, and his uncle who played the drums to get a closer view of the conductor. “I always found myself in awe of what the conductor was doing. You can see the emotion,” he expresses. “I was always drawn to it. It’s a very different style of conducting.” Music had a soul-touching impact on the Philadelphia native from an early age. “The feeling,” he emphasizes, “directly affected me whether it be good, bad, happy. Music was pure enjoyment.” His fascination with the conductor’s ability to effectively emote and the way music made him feel showed up again as a self-described not-so-good student in the Philadelphia public school system–so much so, when the music teacher recruited 10 students to join the band, Na’Zir wasn’t selected. His fifth-grade teacher showed grace and saw being a part of a band as a method to teach discipline and focus. “She wrote a small note and told me to give it to the music teacher and ‘tell her I said to put you in the band.’” The gesture worked. Na’Zir started playing the clarinet and while doing so, intrigue toward conducting was becoming more present. His mom’s clothing hangers became homemade batons that he took to his music teacher in hopes for the opportunity to lead the band. “She never said ‘that’s not a baton.’ She let my imagination run wild to the point where she actually let me step in front of the band! I was just waving my hands, but she saw something in me at the time that I didn’t see in myself.” That encouragement fueled Na’Zir’s investment in music as he began a deep dive into his studies. He joined a variety of programs for young classical musicians across his hometown including the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Philadelphia Symphonia, and Temple University’s Music Prep. He later served as the inaugural Apprentice Conductor of the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra and accepted the invitation to conduct a recording project with Civic Orchestra of Chicago as part of their “Notes for Peace” program. Under the mentorship of Joseph Conyers, assistant principal bass of The Philadelphia Orchestra and founder of Project 440– a Philadelphia-based organization that prepares young musicians to use their musical gifts to >>
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Music always found a way to my soul and that always came first.
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- NA’ZIR MCFADDEN, DSO ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR; MUSIC DIRECTOR, DSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA; PHILLIP AND LAUREN FISHER COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR
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transform lives and communities, and a host of other role models, Na’Zir takes each step in his music career as a cultivating and transformative steppingstone. And the journey has not been without low notes. “I have emails dating back from 2015 that I sent to every professional ensemble in Philadelphia, New York, Jersey, and Baltimore saying I’m a young conductor, can I come watch a rehearsal; can I get some podium time? Every response said, ‘Sorry, we’re not able to do this’,” Na’Zir reflects. “My mentors instilled in me this drive and dedication to whatever I do, I have to do it well. So, I had to create my own opportunities and rely on friends and mentors to help with auditions, recordings, etc. They never let me fall behind and always said, ‘You have to set goals, but you also have to help others get there along with you.’ That is the way I approach anything that I do.” These experiences allude to the energetic approach Na’Zir is excited to bring to his new appointment with the DSO. At 21-years-old, the talented clarinetist and conductor was announced in April as Assistant Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra. At the time of his appointment, DSO Music Director Jader Bignamini praised Na’Zir’s musicality and professionalism. Bridging his two titles for the DSO and DSYO, Na’Zir will also serve as the Phillip and Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador, an endowed chair previously held by Michelle Merrill from 2016-2020. The role was designed to amplify the DSO’s presence throughout the local community, “not just to perform, but to donate their time, energy, and passion to make lives better,” says Phillip Wm. Fisher, DSO Board Chair Emeritus and DSO Impact Campaign Chair. From the front office—where Erik Rönmark as President and CEO holds the James B. and Ann V. Nicholson Chair, to numerous musicians onstage (e.g., Hannah Hammel, Principal Flute, Alan J. and Sue Kaufman and Family Chair), the endowed chair invests in people and is one of the most prestigious and personalized ways a donor can support the artistic excellence of the orchestra.
A VISION FOR IMPACT
The DSO is applauded for its top-notch musicianship across a multitude of genres. Come September, a taste of Na’Zir’s vision for programming and his ambassadorial role will be evident when he makes his DSO conducting debut at the annual DTE Foundation Community Concerts – a free, cornerstone series that celebrates the launch of a new DSO season each year. Ahead of his official start this fall, Na’Zir got a feel of the chemistry and rehearsal flow of the orchestra working alongside Jader as the DSO prepared for four performances of Beethoven’s monumental Ninth Symphony. The collaborative vibe created a level of communicative and artistic openness that inspired Na’Zir to want to adapt certain elements into his other new role as music director of the DSYO. “Mr. Bignamini knows how to articulate exactly what he wants and how to connect with the musicians. He knows all their names! He immediately connected with
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MOTOWN PHILLY
From a broad view, Detroit is seen as a city that can’t catch a break. However, that narrative only fuels the “Detroit Hustles Harder” mentality that links the people of this diversely quilted city. It’s known that to enter these grounds, you have to come with vision, character, and a certain grit —a
tough enough skin to make your own way, even when it feels like all roads are closed. Na’Zir is embracing his soon-to-be Detroit digs with an eagerness and awareness of all the city encompasses: the good, the challenging, and the brewing possibilities; To this end, he’s embracing his Philly roots. “I grew up and lived everywhere in Philly, so, experiencing various parts of the city, I got to see the struggling communities and the working communities,” he says. “So much of my city created the mentality that if we stand together and we stick together, we’ll be together. In a way, I feel like Detroit is the same. It’s just a different city name and location. Detroiters know that Detroit is capable of so much, and I’ve been blown away by how nice the city is, how respectful, open, and willing the people are to share about Detroit.” Another thing that’s for sure: Detroit is serious about its arts, culture, and music. Thinking back to his time spent with Jader and the DSO musicians, he recalls a moment when a broader mission came into focus. During his pre-concert talk, he referenced Beethoven wanting to premiere his Ninth Symphony in Berlin as opposed to Vienna because locals had become too enamored with Italian composers and that was a turnoff for the composer at the time. “I said it’s ironic that we have an Italian maestro conducting Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony when Beethoven wasn’t quite fond of Italian music. But I think there’s a bigger message, because it shows that just because we’re from a different place or have a different background, we can all come together to create something beautiful. That’s my mindset and how I live my life; and this is what I hope to inspire around the DSO, Detroit, and back home.” Every experience—beginning with that pivotal fifth grade class to landing a leadership role with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has proven the power in being resilient and ambitious. Na’Zir McFadden, a young, Black conductor from Philadelphia is living his dream, while showing a new generation of evolving minds what is possible.
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me, and I think it’s because he just has this willingness to share, learn, and explore different atmospheres. There’s an openness to change, and that’s something you don’t find too often in conductors,” he says. As music director of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra, Na’Zir envisions intensive composition and composer study as an avenue to encourage individual research and open class discussions about life and music—from the composer’s biography to the period of its creation —in this way each note is approached with knowledgeable intent. “I’m looking forward to being open and just exploring— looking at ways to bring music of composers with different lifestyles and backgrounds, because this is how we learn, how we share, and how we experience,” he says. “I would like to help the youth orchestra manifest how we will approach our concerts and really put our best foot forward to learn, share, and relate to the music as much as possible.” The value in being an active community member has been instilled in Na’Zir since childhood when his mother, Kim Mitchell-Williams, co-founded an outreach program that offered study sessions for young students; assisted adults to get back on their feet, coordinated street cleanups, and threw block parties and barbecues in the local park. This show of care inspired his view of using music as a throughline to bring communities together. “It’s about having this open communication, knowing what’s going on and focusing efforts into the city, sharing assorted styles of music but also performing music that identifies and is appreciated more within a specific community.”
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I am in a position with the opportunity to do more music; and where I can make a change through exposure, sharing, collaboration, and creating experiences!
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WILLIAM DAVIDSON NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT SERIES:
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he artistry of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra extends beyond the concert hall with an active mission to connect with communities across metro Detroit through musical experiences at intimate venues. For the past decade, the DSO’s William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series has been at the forefront of shifting the paradigm of how our orchestra can meet people where they live. Named in honor of philanthropist William Davidson whose vision and support served as the inspiration for the DSO to develop and grow the program, the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series brings opportunities for Metro Detroiters to experience the DSO close to home. The series often features up-and-coming guest conductors and instrumentalists, as well as DSO musicians as featured soloists.
KIMBERLY KALOYANIDES KENNEDY, DSO ACTING CONCERTMASTER
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After opening with audience favorite conductor, violinist, and countertenor Dmitry Sinkovsky, this season’s concerts included DSO debuts by conductors Yue Bao, Kerem Hasan, Jonathon Heyward, Ari Pelto, Elena Schwarz, and Kahchun Wong; cellists Pablo Ferrández, Zlatomir Fung, and Andrei Ioniţă; and pianist Michelle Cann, who dazzled in music by Florence Price. DSO Acting Concertmaster Kimberly Kaloyanides Kennedy performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto and Acting Principal Bassoon Michael Ke Ma was scheduled to close the season with music by Rossini. The DSO extends its gratitude to this year’s William Davidson Neighborhood Concert venues: Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, La-Z-Boy Center - Meyer Theater in Monroe, Seligman Performing Arts Center in Beverly Hills, The Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield, Kirk in the Hills and Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe, First United Methodist Church in Plymouth, and Stevenson High School in Livonia.
JOYOUS SOUNDS LIKE
Hear what patrons of the William Davidson Neighborhood Concerts have to say about the series
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“We have been subscribers to the neighborhood concerts from the time they began. We LOVE the accessibility to fantastic music and performances.”
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WHAT
“The DSO neighborhood series is a great way to get to know the DSO.” “The first time I saw the musicians on stage, there was an instant attraction to the proximity that you have with the musicians. You could actually see the facial expressions of the violinists and the cellists as they were performing. So, it was really a new kind of magical experience.” “Seen two of the four neighborhood concerts, and they were phenomenal! Looking forward to another one! Thank you, DSO, for reaching out in your community to touch our hearts.” “DSO concerts never disappoint. I just immerse myself and get everything I can out of them. The musicians are friendly, and I just love attending these. Keep them coming.” “Watching DSO perform at Shaarey Zedek (one of the world’s most beautiful synagogues) is truly a spiritual experience. What a joyous gift.”
PATRONS SPEAK TO DSO VIOLA SHANDA LOWERY-SACHS AT SELIGMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
DSO BOARD CHAIR MARK DAVIDOFF (RIGHT), CONSUL GENERAL OF ISRAEL TO THE MIDWEST YINAM COHEN AND HIS WIFE AYELET COHEN AT CONGREGATION SHAARAY ZEDEK WHERE WILLIAM DAVIDSON WAS A LIFE-LONG MEMBER.
William Davidson supported the Detroit Symphony Orchestra personally and through his businesses. He believed the orchestra served three vital roles: 1. Its music enriched the lives of residents in Southeast Michigan. 2. Its prestige helped attract other businesses to this region. 3. The universality of its art form made it an outstanding ambassador for Detroit in other parts of the world. 10
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Community + Connected
THE DETROIT SYMPHONY IS
YOUR HOMETOWN ORCHESTRA
CURATING UNIQUE MUSIC-BASED EXPERIENCES TAILORED FOR SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND AUDIENCES IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE DSO’S DETROIT NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE. “There’s so much light, so much joy, and so much growth happening in Detroit. I think the DSO is part of that growth by this Detroit Neighborhood Initiative–going out into these communities that might not have access or a chance to see an orchestra and saying we can bring the orchestra to you. We’re able to go into your neck of the woods, play something that you connect with and let you know that the Detroit Symphony is your orchestra.” - JONATHAN TAYLOR RUSH, DSO GUEST CONDUCTOR Being intentional about building relationships throughout the neighborhoods of Detroit through listening sessions and in-depth conversations breeds space for residents, community leaders, and organizations to be core participants in programming that the DSO curates. There are opportunities for exploration and learning–whether about specific compositions, composers, instruments, or hearing something familiar in a new way. These are the hoped-for outcomes of our Detroit Neighborhood Initiative, supported by General Motors Corporation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Each musical experience created through our community-influenced social innovation strategy packs on culture, fun, and education while reflecting the interests of Detroit residents and organizations. During the 2021-2022 season, we reunited with our friends at Greater Grace Temple in Northwest Detroit for a onenight only concert that weaved together pieces by African American composers who showed influence across spiritual, techno, jazz, and pop genres. We also brought the orchestra to Southwest Detroit for a concert at St. Hedwig Catholic Church that featured works by Latin American composers, sacred and popular favorites, and a dance performance by Ballet Folklorico Moyocoyani Izel.
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GUEST CONDUCTOR JONATHAN TAYLOR RUSH LEADS THE DSO AT GREATER GRACE TEMPLE.
BALLET FOLKLORIC MOYOCOYANI IZEL PERFORMS TRADITIONAL DANCE WITH THE DSO AT ST. HEDWIG CATHOLIC CHURCH IN SOUTHWEST DETROIT.
“Bilingual conductor; Bravo! Properly began in Spanish first with English after during all introductions. Fun audience participation! Outstanding Folklorico dancers and the Initiative is so critical for all children to have music access not just for the privileged.” - ST. HEDWIG CONCERT AUDIENCE MEMBER For many in Southwest Detroit, a community with a strong Hispanic/Latino population, attending a Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert was a first. In February, an audience of 300 residents and neighboring community members entered St. Hedwig Catholic Church for a multicultural music experience. DSO guest conductor, Enrico Lopez-Yañez, principal pops conductor with the Nashville Symphony, connected with the audience immediately as he made welcoming remarks first in Spanish then in English, which carried throughout the evening. He energetically narrated the night with stories that spoke to Latin culture and even those that related to his family roots in Aguascalientes, Mexico– specifically, Pelea de gallos, an unofficial state anthem that translates to a cockfight. “It is one of the songs that I most vividly remember being one of my early exposures to mariachi music as my father recorded it on one of his early mariachi albums,” Lopez-Yañez shares. “I remember sitting in the recording studio in Mexico when he recorded it and falling in love with this and many other songs from the genre.” For this piece, Lopez-Yañez offered the context of the song, which is from his homeland located on the West Coast of Mexico and neighbors the region where mariachi originated. Pelea de gallos is commonly performed at large festivals and to get the audience in a festive, engaging spirit, Lopez–Yañez told them the “very important part happens two times when the announcer of the fight says, ‘De Viva Aguascalientes,’ and everyone responds, ‘Viva!’” Lopez–Yañez, then yelled ‘De Viva Aguascalientes!’ and the audience roared “Viva!”
GUEST CONDUCTOR ENRICO LOPEZ-YAÑEZ LEADS THE DSO’S MULTICULTURAL MUSIC EXPERIENCE AT ST. HEDWIG CATHOLIC CHURCH.
In the aisle of the sanctuary young dancers from Ballet Folklorico Moyocoyani Izel joined the orchestra with a traditional dance performance. The young men wore a mix of red, white, and black costumes to represent roosters as they stepped and stomped around the young ladies, who swirled the aisles in embroidered purple and white dresses. “Each dance and costume are intimately connected to specific regions in Mexico and the clothing changes between different indigenous regions,” says Jaime Carrillo, director of Ballet Folklorico Moyocoyani Izel. “For our performance, the men represented roosters, which was reflected in the colors of their costumes but also the choreography - how they moved and interacted in the dance.” Carrillo expresses the importance of educating the public on the beauty and culture Mexico has to offer, “so they can feel it, taste it, even imagine what the weather is like,” he says. “It is important for immigrants to remember where they come from and understand their roots and history.” The versatility of music allows for a wondrous, collective experience where key moments stir your soul and ears are alerted by colorful melodies. This avenue of storytelling has a fascinating way of intriguing our senses and creating an atmosphere of belonging. Jonathan Taylor Rush, assistant conductor for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and a DSO guest conductor, programmed a spiritually inspired repertoire with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a concert at Greater Grace Temple on Detroit’s northwest side. Gospel music and the church were foundational elements on Rush’s path to becoming a conductor. The DSO’s decade-long partnership with Greater Grace made his conducting debut in Detroit a “significant, full-circle moment.” “For me, music and conducting is a spiritual experience,” he says. “It’s not, I move my arms and the musicians play. We feel each other’s energy and what I’m interpreting in my body translates to the orchestra and what they produce goes out into the audience, which is connecting us.” This synergy filled the sanctuary as Rush and the orchestra created a musical arc that displayed themes of grace, freedom, reflection, hope, and joy. The concert opened with Hailstork’s Three Spirituals and paid homage to Aretha Franklin with “Amazing Grace.” Audience
DSO IMPACT CAMPAIGN | SUMMER 2022
AROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT LEAVING DETROIT
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members were dancing in their seats and tapping their feet to the sounds of Jonathan Bailey Holland’s Motor City Remix, and an arrangement of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” by DSO cellist Jeremy Crosmer brought the audience to their feet with emotional applause. Voices Shouting Out was another piece that pulled at heart strings and evoked a wave of cheers when Rush shared that the piece’s composer was DSO’s 2019 Classical Roots African American Composer in Residence Nkeiru Okoye. The one-hour performance concluded with George Walker’s Lyric for Strings and James P. Johnson’s Victory Stride. “We went through this journey inside the music—the Spiritual to the music of the city; but also, a deep moment of reflection about the waves and patterns of life, then into this moment of just joy,” Rush describes. “We get this bright, major sounding theme and it moves. It’s like we’re all in this cloudy sky and the clouds are moving and now the sun is peeking through and it’s all good. We’re okay.”
The DSO at Greater Grace Temple was a space to show the broad chords of orchestral music. By presenting great works by current and notable Black composers from Okoye to Walker–the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music–the DSO is shifting preconceived notions that orchestral music gives voice only to Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart. “Anytime you want to be successful in engaging people, you have to give them buy-in, which the (Neighborhood Initiative) process created,” says Bishop Charles Ellis III. “One of the most important elements was presenting a young, Black conductor. It is so important for kids to see someone who looks like them on stage. The experience brought with it a freshness, and it was the most successful DSO presentation at Greater Grace yet.” The dynamic musical experiences and programmatic offerings presented through our Detroit Neighborhood Initiative are made possible by bold supporters like you. A strong endowment from our oneDSO family ensures the steady funding required to effectively serve our city and keep genuine connections going and growing.
The Detroit Neighborhood Initiative is one major part of our comprehensive
Detroit Strategy.
The work of Detroit Harmony, our collaborative plan to offer every child in Detroit an instrument and high-quality music education, was also present at Greater Grace Temple. Initiative partners Heartbeat Detroit, Sphinx, Living Arts, and the DSO Community and Learning Department engaged youth with activity stations where they were fitted for wind and percussion instruments, learned how to compose, and made their own instruments.
Since October 2021 Detroit Harmony has:
2100 donated instruments Fitted 250 students for instruments Gifted 8 partner organizations with instruments Received
Upgraded 13
2 college bound students at Detroit School of Arts with better instruments
Phillip Wm. Fisher, Chair David Assemany Joanne Danto Mark Davidoff Ric Huttenlocher Renato Jamett Alan J. Kaufman Sandy Morrison Erik Rönmark Ralph Skiano David Wu, MD DSO IMPACT CAMPAIGN ADVISORS: Chacona Baugh Penny and Harold Blumenstein Nancy Schlichting
Transformational Support The DSO is grateful to the donors who have made extraordinary endowment investments through the DSO Impact Campaign or multi-year, comprehensive gifts to support general operations, capital improvements, or special programs. FOUNDING FAMILIES Julie & Peter Cummings APLF The Davidson-Gerson Family and the William Davidson Foundation The Richard C. Devereaux Foundation Erb Family and the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation The Fisher Family and the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation Stanley & Judy Frankel and the Samuel & Jean Frankel Foundation Danialle & Peter Karmanos, Jr. Mort & Brigitte Harris Foundation APLF Linda Dresner & Ed Levy, Jr. APLF James B. & Ann V. Nicholson and PVS Chemicals, Inc. APLF Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Clyde & Helen Wu◊
VISIONARIES Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Alonzo APLF Penny & Harold Blumenstein APLF Mr. & Mrs. Phillip Wm. Fisher APLF, MM Alan J. & Sue Kaufman and Family MM Shari & Craig Morgan APLF, MM Mrs. Richard C. Van Dusen CHAMPIONS Mandell & Madeleine Berman Foundation APLF Mr. and Mrs. Raymond M. Cracchiolo Joanne Danto & Arnold Weingarden Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation DTE Energy Foundation Ford Motor Company Fund Mr. and Mrs. Morton E. Harris ◊ John S. & James L. Knight Foundation The Kresge Foundation Mrs. Bonnie Larson APLF The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Ms. Deborah Miesel Dr. William F. Pickard The Polk Family Bernard & Eleanor Robertson Stephen M. Ross Family of Clyde and Helen Wu APLF LEADERS Applebaum Family Philanthropy Charlotte Arkin Estate Mr. & Mrs. Lee Barthel Marvin & Betty Danto Family Foundation APLF Adel & Walter Dissett MM Herman & Sharon Frankel Ruth & Al◊ Glancy Mary Ann & Robert Gorlin APLF Ronald M. & Carol◊ Horwitz Richard H. & Carola Huttenlocher MM John C. Leyhan Estate Bud & Nancy Liebler Richard & Jane Manoogian Foundation David & Valerie McCammon Mr. & Mrs. Eugene A. Miller Pat & Hank◊ Nickol Jack & Aviva Robinson◊ Martie & Bob Sachs Mr. & Mrs.◊ Alan E. Schwartz Drs. Doris Tong & Teck Soo Paul & Terese Zlotof
BENEFACTORS
Mr.◊ & Mrs. Robert A. Allesee Mr. David Assemany & Mr. Jeffery Zook APLF MM W. Harold & Chacona W. Baugh APLF Robert & Lucinda Clement Lois & Avern Cohn MM Mary Rita Cuddohy Estate Margie Dunn & Mark Davidoff APLF, MM DSO Musicians MM Bette Dyer Estate Marjorie S. Fisher Fund MM Dr. Marjorie M. Fisher & Mr. Roy Furman Mr. & Mrs. Aaron Frankel MM Barbara Frankel & Ronald Michalak MM Victor◊ & Gale Girolami Fund The Glancy Foundation, Inc. APLF Herbert & Dorothy Graebner◊ Richard Sonenklar & Gregory Haynes MM Mr. & Mrs. David Jaffa Renato & Elizabeth Jamett MM Allan & Joy Nachman MM Ann & Norman◊ Katz Dr. Melvin A. Lester◊ Florine Mark Michigan Arts & Culture Council Dr. Glenda D. Price Ruth Rattner Mr. & Mrs.◊ Lloyd E. Reuss Mr. & Mrs. Fred Secrest◊ Jane & Larry Sherman Cindy McTee & Leonard Slatkin Marilyn Snodgrass Estate Mr. and Mrs. Arn Tellem APLF Nancy Schlichting & Pamela Theisen APLF Mr. James G. Vella MM Eva von Voss and Family MM
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DSO Impact Campaign Cabinet
Key: MM
DSO Musicians Fund for Artistic Excellence
APLF
Anne Parsons Leadership Fund
◊ Deceased
14
What Visionary
SOUNDS Like.
Welcome to the DSO Impact Campaign. With a goal of inspiring $75 million in new endowment, this campaign is fueled by transformative leadership and aims to impact the DSO and Detroit for generations. The story of the DSO has always been one of courageous decisions, big bets, and no compromises on what matters most: supremely gifted musicians performing music that connects to the heart and brings audiences to their feet. Generations of donors have made the DSO what it is today. What happens tomorrow will be whatever we can imagine – but it depends on forward-thinking investors like you who know the rewards of smart risk-taking. We will never hold back, because it’s not enough to be at the cutting edge. With you, the DSO will continually define the edge.
“We’re close to our goal of being financially sustainable in perpetuity. We need donors to get that last piece done. When we do that, we will be the only orchestra in the country with no liability. That means the power of every endowment dollar is geometrically changed, geometrically more powerful.” - Mark Davidoff, DSO Board Chair
TO JOIN US AND LEARN MORE about impacting your community through an investment with the DSO, please contact: ALEX KAPORDELIS Senior Director, Campaign (313) 576-5198 CASSIDY SCHMID Manager of Campaign Operations (313) 576-5115