VALENTINE’S ROMANCE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021 | 8PM
Filmed and recorded live from Meymandi Concert Hall Woolner Stage Raleigh
The North Carolina Symphony, in grateful acknowledgment of its generous grant-in-aid, performs under the auspices of the State of North Carolina, the Honorable Roy Cooper, Governor.
The North Carolina Symphony gratefully acknowledges financial support from Wake County, the City of Raleigh, and the Town of Cary.
Thank you to the North Carolina Symphony Society Board of Trustees, the North Carolina Symphony Foundation Board, the North Carolina Symphony Chapter Boards, and the many individuals, businesses, foundations, and community partners who support the North Carolina Symphony through contributions each season. Our performances this season, along with our extensive music education program and community service across the state, are made possible by your support. View North Carolina Symphony board members here and a list of our supporters here.
THE MUSIC Will PLAY ON!
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VALENTINE’S ROMANCE Saturday, February 13, 2021 | 8pm
Filmed and recorded live from Meymandi Concert Hall Woolner Stage
Raleigh Wesley Schulz, conductor Peng Li, cello Joseph Peters, host
Zequinha de Abreu / Tico-tico no Fubá Arr. Bob Lipton
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Andante Cantabile from String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11 Peng Li, cello Antonín Dvořák Two Waltzes, Op. 54 I. Waltz No. 1: Moderato
Giacomo Puccini / Arr. Lucas Drew
Crisantemi (“Chrysanthemums”), SC 65
Antonín Dvořák Two Waltzes, Op. 54 II. Waltz No. 4: Allegro vivace
Claude Debussy / Arr. Charles Miller
lair de Lune (“Light of the Moon”) C from Suite bergamasque
Georges Bizet/ Selections from Carmen Suite Rodion Shchedrin I. Introduction II. Dance V. Carmen’s Entrance and Habañera VII. Second Intermezzo VIII. Bolero IX. Torero
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Thank you to the members of the Lamar Stringfield Society who support the future of your North Carolina Symphony with estate gifts and endowed funds. Their generosity will help the orchestra share the power of music for generations to come.
Want to make music part of your legacy? To learn more about including the Symphony in your estate plans, contact Rebecca Watkins, Director of Major Gifts & Planning Giving, rwatkins@ncsymphony.org or 919.789.5497
Please consider making a gift to the Annual Fund.
Your gift will count toward the 2020/21 State Challenge Grant, multiplying your generosity even more!
Click here to make a gift online or call 919.733.2750 or toll free 877.627.6724. We are re-imagining donor benefits for this unique time, including opportunities to meet our musicians and go behind the scenes virtually. Click here to learn more.
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SUPPORT STATEWIDE SERVICE THROUGH MUSIC
With creativity and innovation, your North Carolina Symphony remains committed to serving our state with inspiring music and meaningful music education programs.
ABOUT THE MUSIC
Tico-tico no Fubá ZEQUINHA DE ABREU • Written more than 100 years ago, Tico-tico no Fubá is from the Brazilian genre of song known as the choro.
• Even though choro means “to cry” or “to lament,” the music is frequently upbeat, energetic, and exciting! • One Brazilian singer is quoted as saying, “Choro is classical music played with bare feet and calluses on the hands.”
Andante Cantabile from String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11 PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY • Andante Cantabile is the second movement of Tchaikovsky’s first string quartet; he arranged the movement for solo cello and orchestra in 1888, 17 years after he composed the quartet.
• The main melody derives from a folk tune Tchaikovsky heard a carpenter singing while visiting his sister in the Ukraine. • The great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy was so moved upon hearing Andante Cantabile in a string quartet performance that he gave each musician an autographed copy of one of his books.
Two Waltzes, Op. 54 ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK • Short dance pieces were in vogue in the 19th century and famous composers like Dvořák were asked to write them for balls and other social events.
Clair de Lune (“Light of the Moon”) from Suite bergamasque CLAUDE DEBUSSY • Clair de Lune is Debussy’s most recognizable piece of music—and one of the most recognizable works in all of classical music—having been used extensively in film, TV, and marketing ads.
• It is taken from a piano suite that Debussy began writing in 1890 when he was 28 years old; the suite was not published until 1905, after he had gained some popularity. • Debussy was fascinated with French Renaissance and Baroque music, and was likely inspired by the Sarabande dance form when composing Clair de Lune.
Carmen Suite GEORGES BIZET/RODION SHCHEDRIN • Shchedrin composed this work at the request of his wife, Maya Plisetskaya, for a one-act ballet production she created using George Bizet’s opera Carmen as the storyline.
• Shchedrin’s creation uses Bizet’s melodies but is infused with his own unique brand of humor and soundscape. • The work is written for strings and percussion—in fact, more than two-dozen percussion instruments altogether! • One selection in this suite, Bolero, is not found in Carmen, but rather is from another Bizet opera, L’Arlesienne. (In that opera, it is known as the “Farandole.”)
• These two waltzes were originally the first and fourth in a set of eight waltzes for solo piano, commissioned for an anniversary ball; Dvořák’s publisher suggested that he also create a version for strings, which became more popular than the original piano work. • Waltz No. 1 has a gentle, lyrical lilt; in contrast, Waltz No. 2 is lively and reminiscent of Czech folk music.
Crisantemi (“Chrysanthemums”), SC 65 GIACOMO PUCCINI • The chrysanthemum, a flower, carries different meanings in different parts of the world. In Italy, Puccini’s home country, mums often signify mourning and heroism.
• Puccini wrote “Chrysanthemums” in just one night, in remembrance of his friend, Prince Amadeo di Savoia, Duca d’Aosta and King of Spain. • Like the opera music Puccini is best known for, “Chrysanthemums” is filled with tension and frequently employs changes in tempo to convey high emotion. NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY • 5
ABOUT THE ARTISTS Wesley Schulz, Associate Conductor The Lucy Moore Ruffin Chair Wesley Schulz was appointed North Carolina Symphony Associate Conductor in the 2017/18 season and is also the Music Director of the Auburn Symphony Orchestra. Previously, he served as Music Director of the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra and Seattle Festival Orchestra, as Director of Orchestras at the University of Puget Sound, and as a Conducting Fellow at the Seattle Symphony. Recent conducting engagements include the Austin Symphony Orchestra, The Venice Symphony, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, and the Juneau Symphony. Wesley graduated magna cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in percussion performance and music education from Ball State University and doctoral and master’s degrees in orchestral conducting from the University of Texas at Austin. When not on the podium, he can be seen hitting the pavement in preparation for his next marathon. Peng Li, cello Anonymously Endowed Peng Li joined the North Carolina Symphony as Assistant Principal Cello in the 2008/09 season. He was a member of the San Antonio Symphony, as well as a substitute musician for the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, and Houston
Ballet. In the summers of 2005 and 2006, he attended the Tanglewood Music Center and was Principal Cello for the 2006 premiere of Elliot Carter’s opera What Next? He has also performed with the National Repertory Orchestra and Spoleto USA. A native of Houston, Peng received a master’s degree in music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, under the tutelage of Norman Fischer and Brinton Averil Smith. Prior to attending Rice, he graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a bachelor’s degree. His principal teachers were Peter Stumpf and Michael Reynolds. As a chamber musician, he has also been coached by members of the Cleveland, Muir, Concord, and Borromeo String Quartets. Joseph Peters, host Joseph Peters has been North Carolina Symphony Associate Principal Oboe and English Horn since 2018, and previously held Principal Oboe chairs with the Minnesota Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. To his role as host for this season’s streaming concerts, Joseph brings a great love for teaching and communication. Please find bios for orchestra personnel performing on this evening’s concert linked on the following page.
JOIN THE SYMPHONY—VIRTUALLY! SPONSORED BY
Submit your recording of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” by Monday, March 1. All ages, instruments, and skill levels welcome! Click here for music and details.
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ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL Grant Llewellyn, Music Director Laureate The Maxine and Benjamin Swalin Chair
Janet Gayer Hall
Wesley Schulz, Associate Conductor The Lucy Moore Ruffin Chair
Anton Shelepov
VIOLIN I Brian Reagin, Concertmaster The Annabelle Lundy Fetterman Chair Dovid Friedlander, Associate Concertmaster** The Assad Meymandi and Family Chair Karen Strittmatter Galvin, Associate Concertmaster* To Be Filled, Assistant Concertmaster The Anne Heartt Gregory Chair
Oskar Ozolinch
Jeanine Wynton VIOLA Samuel Gold, Principal The Florence Spinks and Charles Jacob Cate and Alma Yondorf and Sylvan Hirschberg Chair Kurt Tseng, Associate Principal The Betty Ellen Madry Chair To Be Filled, Assistant Principal Petra Berényi
DOUBLE BASS Leonid Finkelshteyn, Principal The Martha and Peyton Woodson Chair Robert K. Anderson, Associate Principal The Dr. and Mrs. Preston H. Gada Chair Craig Brown The Mark W. McClure Foundation Chair Erik Dyke The Harllee H. and Pauline G. Jobe Chair Bruce Ridge The John C. and Margaret P. Parker Chair FLUTE Anne Whaley Laney, Principal The Mr. and Mrs. George M. Stephens Chair
Robert Anemone**
Paul Malcolm
Emily Rist Glover The Jessie Wyatt Ethridge Chair
Christine Martin
Mary E. Boone, Assistant Principal The Dr. and Mrs. Shaler Stidham, Jr. Chair
Amy Mason The J. Sidney Kirk Chair
Elizabeth Anderton Lunsford The Jack and Sing Boddie Chair
Paul Goldsberry The Richard and Joy Cook Chair So Yun Kim The Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. Chair Marilyn Kouba The Phyllis (“Pat”) Conrad Wells Chair Eric McCracken The James C. Byrd and Family Chair Maria Meyer The Tom and Mary Mac Bradshaw Chair Eileen Wynne The Harvey At-Large Chair Erin Zehngut The J. Felix Arnold Chair VIOLIN II Jacqueline Saed Wolborsky, Principal The Nancy Finch Wallace Chair
Sandra Schwarcz The Samuel H. and Anne Latham Johnson Viola Chair CELLO Bonnie Thron, Principal The Herman and Marga Roberg Chair Elizabeth Beilman, Associate Principal The Sarah Carlyle Herbert Dorroh Chair Peng Li, Assistant Principal Anonymously Endowed Yewon Ahn Anonymously Endowed Sunrise Kim The William Charles Rankin Chair David Meyer The Nell Hirschberg Chair
PICCOLO Elizabeth Anderton Lunsford The Jean Dunn Williams Chair OBOE Melanie Wilsden, Principal The Hardison and Stoltze Chair Joseph Peters, Associate Principal The Lizette T. Dunham Chair Sandra Posch The Clarence and Alice Aycock Poe Chair ENGLISH HORN Joseph Peters The Bruce and Margaret King Chair
To Be Filled, Associate Principal The Blanche Martin Shaw Chair
Lisa Howard Shaughnessy The Sara Wilson Hodgkins Chair
CLARINET Samuel Almaguer, Principal The Mr. and Mrs. J. Christopher Walker, II Chair
David Kilbride, Assistant Principal
Nathaniel Yaffe The Secretary of Cultural Resources Betty Ray McCain Chair
To Be Filled, Assistant Principal The Kathryn Powell and Green Flavie Cooper Chair
Qi Cao
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ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL BASSOON Aaron Apaza, Principal The Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald S. Hudson Chair Wenmin Zhang, Assistant Principal The Beethoven Chair FRENCH HORN Rebekah Daley, Principal The Mary T. McCurdy Chair Kimberly Van Pelt, Associate Principal The James Marion Poyner Chair Christopher Caudill The Roger Colson and Bobbi Lyon Hackett Chair Rachel Niketopoulos The Paul R. Villard and Gabriel Wolf Chair To Be Filled The Mary Susan Kirk Fulghum Chair TRUMPET Paul Randall, Principal The George Smedes Poyner Chair To Be Filled, Associate Principal The Henry and Martha Zaytoun and Family Chair Don Eagle Anonymously Endowed
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TROMBONE John Ilika, Principal The Thomas Warwick Steed, Jr. Family Chair Jonathan Randazzo, Assistant Principal The Frances Armour Bryant Chair BASS TROMBONE Matthew Neff Anonymously Endowed TUBA Seth Horner, Principal The Governor and Mrs. James G. Martin, Jr. Chair HARP Anita Burroughs-Price Vonda Darr TIMPANI Colin Hartnett, Principal The Patricia R., Steven T. and George F. Hackney III Chair PERCUSSION Richard Motylinski, Principal The Margery and Earl Johnson, Jr. Chair Rajesh Prasad, Assistant Principal The Abram and Frances Pascher Kanof Chair
SHARE YOUR SYMPHONY EXPERIENCE
ORGAN To Be Filled The Albert and Susan Jenkins and Family Organ Chair LIBRARY Stephanie Wilson, Principal The Mary Colvert and Banks C. Talley Chair *Acting position **Leave of absence Named musician chairs are made possible through very meaningful gifts to the Symphony’s endowment. As such, these donor families are also members of the Lamar Stringfield Society. Learn more. All string players rotate stands on a periodic basis in each section with the exception of titled players: Principals, Associate Principals, and Assistant Principals. The North Carolina Symphony is a member of the League of American Orchestras and the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians. The North Carolina Master Chorale is the Resident Chorus of the North Carolina Symphony. The North Carolina Symphony Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generous gift of the Lupot violin from Arnold and Zena Lerman.
Show us how you’re spending Symphony night! Are you hosting a “watch party” with the family? Enjoying dinner with a friend beforehand? Mixing a special cocktail to accompany the music? Snuggled up with a pet as you listen?
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CORPORATE SUPPORT 2020/21 SEASON The North Carolina Symphony is grateful for the generous support of the many corporations across the state that have partnered with us to sustain and advance the mission of the orchestra. With their help, the music WILL play on.
SUSTAINERS
BENEFACTORS
PARTNERS
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