Co-presented with Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna
Monday, November 24, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Soka Performing Arts Center
at Soka University of America
PROGRAM
DUMONT
Salve, Regina (Hail, Holy Queen)
SHAIMAN (arr. Roger Emerson)
Hail, Holy Queen (from the 1992 movie Sister Act)
PERGOLESI
Fac ut ardeat cor meum (Ignite my heart with love)
PERGOLESI
Quando corpus morietur (When the body will die)
MOZART
Laudate Dominum (Praise the Lord)
HASSLER
Cantate Domino (Sing to the Lord)
BRUCKNER (arr. Jimmy Chiang)
Virga Jesse floruit (The rod of Jesse has flowered) WAB 52
NAGEL (arr. Jimmy Chiang)
Schöne Nacht
FOSTER, SAGER, TESTA, and RENIS
The Prayer (from the movie Quest for Camelot)
BEETHOVEN, WARREN (arr. Roger Emerson)
Joyful, Joyful (Ode to Joy) (from the movie Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit)
INTERMISSION
PROGRAM
BRITTEN
Four Pieces from A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28 Balulalow As Dew in Aprille This Little Babe Solo to be announced from the stage
OFFENBACH
Barcarole - Belle nuit, o nuit d’amour (Beautiful night, night of love) (from the opera The Tales of Hoffmann)
BRAHMS
Wiegenlied (Lullaby) Op. 49/4
FRANK
(arr. Gerald Wirth)
O Tannenbaum (Oh Christmas Tree)
DEUTSCHER
I Heard the Bells of Christmas Day
LEONTOVICH
Shchedryk (New Year’s Carol, 1916)
REINDINGER
(arr. Gerald Wirth)
Es wird scho glei dumpa
DAVIS (arr. Uwe Theimer)
Carol of the Drum (The Little Drummer Boy)
YON Gesu Bambino
MENDELSSOHN (arr. Gerald Wirth)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Major, K.211
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
Born January 27, 1756, Salzburg
Died December 5, 1791, Vienna
Everyone agrees that Mozart’s piano concertos represent one of the summits of his achievement. Composed across the entire span of his creative life, those 27 concertos redefined the form, making the soloist and orchestra protagonists in a virtually symphonic argument, and along the way they offer some of Mozart’s most expressive and dramatic music. If Mozart was one of Europe’s greatest pianists, he was also one of its finest violinists, and that makes the fact that he wrote only five violin concertos all the more mysterious. Mozart was very young when he composed his violin concertos: he wrote all five while still in his teens (they were composed between his Fifth and Sixth Piano Concertos) and then never returned to the form. His great Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola of 1779 suggests how extraordinary a mature violin concerto from him might have been, but Mozart clearly had no interest in writing another violin concerto. Some have suggested that he so identified the violin with his father that once he rejected his father’s controlling influence and moved to Vienna, he also rejected his father’s instrument.
Mozart wrote his First Violin Concerto in 1773, then composed the remaining four across 1775, when he was 19. The Mozart family was in the employment of
Archbishop Colloredo in Salzburg, and so the young composer’s primary duty in these years was to write church music, but he also wrote extensively for friends in Salzburg, composing serenades, symphonies, and other instrumental music. No one knows the occasion for which Mozart wrote his violin concertos. He had been named Konzertmeister at the Salzburg court in 1772, so he may have written them for himself, he may have written them for friends in Salzburg, and he may have written them for the Italian violinist Antonio Brunetti, who would replace him as Konzertmeister in 1776.
Mozart completed his Violin Concerto No. 2 on June 14, 1775. By coincidence, on that exact same day in Philadelphia the Second Continental Congress named George Washington commander of the Continental Army—the world was about to change, though there could be little inkling of that in Salzburg in 1775. Mozart’s final three violin concertos have become part of the repertory and are heard fairly regularly, but the first two remain less familiar. Some have felt that Mozart used the Italian baroque violin concerto as the model for his Second Violin Concerto: the solo and orchestral parts are not so tightly integrated as in the later concertos, the solo part is unusually florid and decorative, and there are six separate opportunities for cadenzas in this concerto—one in the first movement, two in the second, and three in the third.
This agreeable music may be
described briefly. The Allegro moderato opens with a brief but vigorous orchestral introduction, full of syncopations and dotted rhythms. The soloist enters with the orchestra’s opening gesture, but quickly the solo violin introduces themes and passagework all its own, and that division will characterize the entire movement. Mozart offers his soloist a cadenza just before the orchestra’s spirited conclusion. The lyric Andante finds soloist and orchestra trading material smoothly; not only are there two cadenzas in this movement, but at other moments Mozart inserts fermatas into the flow of the music, effectively bringing it to brief pauses. The finale is a rondo whose subdued opening quickly gives way to some very energetic writing for the soloist. The three opportunities for cadenzas in this movement mean that the soloist can shape this movement much as he or she wants—Mozart would have assumed a certain compositional skill from his soloist. The concerto concludes with a quick reprise of the rondo theme.
Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Opus 92
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Born December 16, 1770, Bonn
Died March 26, 1827, Vienna
Beethoven turned 40 in December 1810. Forty can be a difficult age for anyone, but for Beethoven things were going very well. True, his hearing had deteriorated to the point where he was virtually deaf, but he was still riding that white-hot explosion of creativity
that has become known, for better or worse, as his “Heroic Style.” Over the decade-long span of that style (1803-1813) Beethoven essentially re-imagined music and its possibilities. The works that crystalized the Heroic Style—the Eroica and the Fifth Symphony unleashed a level of violence and darkness previously unknown in music, forces that Beethoven’s biographer Maynard Solomon has described as “hostile energy,” and then triumphed over them. In these violent symphonies, music became not a matter of polite discourse but of conflict, struggle, and resolution.
In the fall of 1811, Beethoven began a new symphony—it would be his Seventh—and it would differ sharply from those two famous predecessors. Gone is the sense of cataclysmic struggle and hard-won victory that had driven those earlier symphonies. There are no battles fought and won in the Seventh Symphony—instead, this music is infused from its first instant with a mood of pure celebration. Such a spirit has inevitably produced a number of interpretations as to what this symphony is “about”: Berlioz heard a peasants’ dance in it, Wagner called it “the apotheosis of the dance,” and more recently Maynard Solomon has suggested that the Seventh is the musical representation of a festival, a brief moment of pure spiritual liberation.
But it may be safest to leave the issue of “meaning” aside and instead listen to the Seventh simply as music. There had never been music like this before, nor has there
been since—Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony contains more energy than any other piece of music ever written. Much has been made (correctly) of Beethoven’s ability to transform small bits of theme into massive symphonic structures, but in the Seventh he begins not so much with theme as with rhythm: he builds the entire symphony from what are almost scraps of rhythm, tiny figures that seem unpromising, even uninteresting, in themselves. Gradually he unleashes the energy locked up in these small figures and from them builds one of the mightiest symphonies ever written.
The first movement opens with a slow introduction so long that it almost becomes a separate movement of its own. Tremendous chords punctuate the slow beginning, which gives way to a poised duet for oboes. The real effect of this long Poco sostenuto, however, is to coil the energy that will be unleashed in the true first movement, and Beethoven conveys this rhythmically: the meter of the introduction is a rocksolid (even square) 4/4, but the main body of the movement, marked Vivace, transforms this into a lightfooted 6/8. This Vivace begins in what seems a most unpromising manner, however, as woodwinds toot out a simple dotted 6/8 rhythm and the solo flute announces the first theme, a graceful melody on this same rhythm. Beethoven builds the entire first movement from this simple dotted rhythm, which saturates virtually every measure. As theme, as accompaniment, as motor rhythm, it is always present,
hammering into our consciousness. At the climax, horns sail majestically to the close as the orchestra thunders out that rhythm one final time.
The second movement, in A minor, is one of Beethoven’s most famous slow movements, but the debate continues as to whether it really is a slow movement. Beethoven could not decide whether to mark it Andante (a walking tempo) or Allegretto (a moderately fast pace). He finally decided on Allegretto, though the actual pulse is somewhere between those two. This movement too is built on a short rhythmic pattern, in this case the first five notes: long-short-shortlong-long—and this pattern repeats here almost as obsessively as the pattern of the first movement. The opening sounds like a series of static chords—the theme itself occurs quietly inside those chords—and Beethoven simply repeats this theme, varying it as it proceeds. The central episode in A major moves gracefully along smoothly-flowing triplets before a little fugato on the opening rhythms builds to a great climax. Beethoven winds the movement down on the woodwinds’ almost skeletal reprise of the fundamental rhythm.
The Scherzo explodes to life on a theme full of grace notes, powerful accents, flying staccatos, and timpani explosions. This alternates with a trio section for winds reportedly based on an old pilgrims’ hymn, though no one, it seems, has been able to identify that exact hymn. Beethoven offers a second
repeat of the trio, then seems about to offer a third before five powerful chords cut the movement off abruptly.
These chords set the stage for the Allegro con brio, again built on the near-obsessive treatment of a short rhythmic pattern, in this case the movement’s opening four-note fanfare. This four-note pattern punctuates the entire movement: it shapes the beginning of the main theme, and its stinging accents thrust the music forward continuously as this movement almost boils over with energy. The ending is remarkable: above growling cellos and basses (which rock along on a two-note ostinato for 28 measures), the opening theme drives to a climax that Beethoven marks fff, a dynamic marking he almost never used. This conclusion is virtually Bacchanalian in its wild power—no matter how many times one has heard it, the ending of the Seventh Symphony remains one of the most exciting moments in all of music.
The first performance of the Seventh Symphony took place in the Great Hall of the University in Vienna on December 8, 1813. Though nearly deaf at this point, Beethoven led the performance, and the orchestra was able to compensate for his failings, so that the premiere was a huge success. On that occasion—and at three subsequent performances over the next few months—the audience demanded that the second movement be repeated.
The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the most famous choirs in the world, and one of its oldest, boys have been singing at Vienna’s Imperial Chapel at least since 1296. Two hundred years later, on July 7, 1498, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. established a Court Chapel in Vienna. He gave specific instructions that there were to be boys among the singers, thus laying the foundation for the Vienna Boys Choir. Like their modern successors, the Early modern boys spent much time on the road, following their imperial employer to sing at the Holy Roman Empire’s parliamentary meetings, imperial coronations, weddings, state processions, and feasts.
Over the centuries, the Viennese court attracted musical geniuses like Heinrich Isaac, Johann Joseph Fux, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Composers Joseph Haydn, Michael Haydn, and Franz Schubert sang as boys with the choir; Anton Bruckner gave them singing and piano lessons.
Today, the former imperial ensemble has grown into an entire campus; the modern Vienna Boys Choir is a private, non-profit organization which funds itself chiefly through income generated from concerts and touring, as well as donations and sponsorship deals. The Vienna Boys Choir maintains a primary school and a grammar school whose syllabuses focus on choral music and singing. 330 boys and girls between
the ages of six and nineteen attend the schools on campus. All students have individual voice lessons, and all sing in one of the choirs. In addition to the four famous boys’ choirs, there is a female counterpart— the Vienna Girls Choir (Wiener Chormädchen) for girls aged 10 to 14, as well as the Chorus Primus, a mixed children’s chorus comprised of all boys and girls enrolled in the 4th grade of the choir’s primary school, and the Chorus Juventus, the mixed youth choir of the Senior High School. The Vienna Boys Choir’s education, listed by UNESCO as cultural heritage, is open to all, regardless of origin, gender, nationality, or religion.
There are currently 90 active boy choristers, divided into four boys’ choirs, which all perform as “Vienna Boys Choir”; Brucknerchor (Choirmaster Manolo Cagnin), Haydnchor (Choirmaster Jimmy Chiang), Mozartchor (Choirmaster Manuel Huber), and Schubertchor (Choirmaster Oliver Stech). The four choirs share concerts, tours, sound recordings and filming equally. Between them, they perform almost 300 concerts per year, with almost half a million people attending. Since 1924, the choirs have completed more than 1000 tours in 100 different countries, clocking up a staggering 29,000 concerts.
On Sundays, the choirs take turns singing mass in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel, joining forces with members of the Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra and the men’s chorus of the Vienna State Opera. They frequently participate in large-scale symphonic concerts, performing under conductors like Joana Mallwitz, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, Simone Young, Franz Welser-Möst. Other highlights in the choirs’ calendars are appearances at the Salzburg Festival and at the New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic.
The Vienna Boys Choir cooperates with several other charities, such as UNICEF, “Licht ins Dunkel” (Light into Darkness, an Austrian charity), and die moewe Child protection agency. Together with Caritas and the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Choir founded “superar”, an outreach program offering children access to free music education. In addition, the Vienna Boys Choir runs Chorus amabilis, a choir for adult singing enthusiasts, aimed particularly at pensioners.
In 2023, the Choir celebrated its 525th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Deutsche Grammophon released a live album of the anniversary concert in Vienna’s Musikverein, Decca Classics released a box set of 21 CDs featuring the Choir’s landmark recordings, and academic publishing house Böhlau released a book on the Choir’s rich history. In 2024, the Vienna Boys Choir and the Vienna Girls Choir jointly received the European Culture Award.
Erasmus Baumgartner was
appointed Artistic Director of the Vienna Boys Choir in the fall of 2023.
Managed by Opus 3
.JIMMY CHIANG CONDUCTOR
Hong Kong–born conductor Jimmy Chiang began his musical career at age 13 with his first public appearance as a concert pianist. Raised in a musical family, he started piano lessons at four and later studied cello, conducting, and composition. He received the Fellows Diploma from Trinity College of Music in London at age 16, earned his Bachelor of Music at Baylor University, and completed his studies with the Magister Artium at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
Chiang’s conducting career was launched in 2007 when he won the prestigious Lovro von Matacic International Competition for Young Conductors in Zagreb. A versatile and well-rounded musician, he is equally at home in the orchestra pit and on the concert stage, known for his wide-ranging repertoire spanning opera, symphonic, choral, chamber, and solo piano works.
He has served as Principal Conductor of the Hong Kong Pan Asia Symphony, Kapellmeister at Theater Freiburg (Germany), and Assistant Music Director of Wagner’s Ring cycle at Theater Lübeck. Guest conducting highlights include appearances with the Komische Oper Berlin, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Zagreb Philharmonic, and Hong Kong Philharmonic, as well as perform ances at the Eutin Opera Festival (Germany), FACYL (Spain), Macau International Music Festival, and Rohm Music Festival
(Japan), where he worked with Maestro Seiji Ozawa in 2004.
Since 2013, Chiang has been Choirmaster of the Vienna Boys Choir, leading the ensemble on extensive tours across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He has conducted in renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall and Opera City in Tokyo, Seoul Arts Center, Lotte Concert Hall, and the Vienna Musikverein. His collaborations include work with the Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna
Pacific Symphony plays Haydn & Mendelssohn with Carl St.Clair cond., feat. Vitaly Starikov, piano
SUNDAY, APR. 26, 2026 | 3PM
HAYDN Symphony No. 88 in G Major
MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25
After years of unforgettable performances and passionate artistry, Carl St.Clair takes the podium to lead a program that promises brilliance, beauty, and a touch of legacy.
Concessions
A wide variety of wine, beer, soft drinks and freshly prepared snacks will be available before the concert and during intermission.
Artist Drink Pick
Margarita
We asked the artists for their favorite drink pick to feature at concessions! Margarita was selected and will be available for purchase before the performance and during intermission.
Click here for menu and to order
Pre-order your concessions and skip the line during intermission!
Our mission is to Engage, Educate, and Elevate the Human Spirit
Soka Performing Arts Center is dedicated to elevating the human spirit through transcendent live experiences. Discover the unmatched beauty of our acoustics. Expand your understanding and appreciation of music through our programs that illuminate new perspectives. Build community and forge deep connections through the shared experience of live performance. We invite you to become a part of our Soka Performing Arts Center family and to Listen. Feel. Transform.
Soka Performing Arts Center is located on the beautiful hilltop campus of Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo. Our facility includes the 1,042seat Concert Hall featuring world-class acoustics designed by master acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, designer of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, among many others. We also have an intimate 350-seat Black Box Theatre that allows for multiple seating configurations including club seating with bistro tables.
More than 800 performances have taken place since the center’s dedication on May 27, 2011. The 2025-26 season marks our fifteenth season presenting first-class programming in our world-class concert hall. We are continuing to expand our programming and outreach with the addition of a Children’s Concert Series and the only Great Pianists Series on the West Coast. From classical and jazz to world and contemporary music, the Soka Performing Arts Center has become a prized space for artists and audiences alike.
We are proud to be the home of the Pacific Symphony Chamber Orchestra. Our Sundays @ Soka Series with Pacific Symphony continues to be one of our most popular series year after year. Our presentations with other Orange County arts organizations have enabled us to reach further into our community to offer arts education and programming. Our partnership with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County includes our Philharmonic Society Series, which brings superlative artists to our stage. We also partner with Philharmonic Society for our Outreach Program, bringing over 7,000 school children to Soka Performing Arts Center to experience live performances with outstanding musicians.
With its world-class acoustics and first-class performances, Soka Performing Arts Center is quickly becoming one of the cultural jewels of Orange County.
OUR SUPPORTERS
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE ($75,000+)
Dr. Kenneth & Sandra Tokita
Sam* & Lyndie Ersan
CONCERTMASTER ($10,000+)
Ms. Emi Maeda
STAGE CHAMPION ($5000+)
Yoshitomo & Takemi Daido
STAGE BENEFACTOR ($1000+)
Anonymous
OC Chinese Cultural Club
John and Sue Prange
Terumi Saito
Jochen Schumacher
Alex & Sandy Scott
Scott A Shuping
Anson and Marilyn Wong
PLATINUM CLEF ($500+)
Anonymous
Jeffrey Hendrix
Edward D. Jones
Jane A. Lynch
GOLD CLEF ($200+)
Judy Kaufman
Lorraine Leiser
Naomi Uchiyama
SILVER CLEF ($100+)
Renée Bodie
Sam Chang
Masako Inage
Debrah Jiang
Chiharu Nagai
Paul Porto
Thomas Prigorac
Jonia Suri
Joseph Whittaker
BRONZE CLEF ($25+)
Raquel Bruno
Kenneth Hanawa
Ryosuke Iga
Jeannette Pease
Joyce M Wrice
Taro Yamanashi
* Deceased
List current as of 09/26/2024
The Soka Performing Arts Center deeply appreciates the support of its sponsors and donors, and makes every effort to ensure accurate and appropriate recognition. Contact Renée Bodie, General Manager at (949) 480-4821 to make us aware of any error or omission in the foregoing list.
DONATE TO SOKA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Your support helps ensure Soka Performing Arts Center fulfills its purpose: to engage, educate, and elevate the human spirit. Your gift supports the programming of world-class performances, provides transformative educational outreach experiences, and opens the opportunity to build engagement with our community by sharing the joy of live music.
Our subscription and renewal program provides you with even more flexibility in our season packages*. With our enhanced program, you now have the power to curate your very own unique experience.
• 15% Discount for a 3 performance package
• 18% Discount for a 4 performance package
• 20% Discount for a 5+ performance package
*full details online at soka.edu/pac
OUR PARTNERS
• Blueport Jazz
• Philharmonic Society of Orange County
• Pacific Symphony
• Parnassus Society
SOKA PAC MANAGEMENT TEAM
Renée Bodie
General Manager & Artistic Director
John Morgan
Box Office Manager
Antoinette Rossman
House Manager/Assistant to the General Manager
Steve Baker
Production Manager
Jarmil Maupin
Internal Events Manager
Ian Smith
Technical Services Manager
Katie Ohrn
Lighting Supervisor
Piano Tuners
Kathy Smith Lead Tuner
Ron Elliott
David Stoneman
David Vanderlip
Website soka.edu/pac
Soka Performing Arts Center resides on the beautiful campus of Soka University of America. We thank the SUA Board of Trustees and the SUA Leadership Council for all of their support.
SUA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Stephen S. Dunham, JD | CHAIR
Vice President and General Counsel Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University | Baltimore, Maryland
Tariq Hasan, PhD | VICE CHAIR
Chief Executive Officer, SGI-USA | New York, New York
Andrea Bartoli, PhD
President, Sant’Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue | New York, New York
Matilda Buck
Benefactor | Los Angeles, California
Lawrence E. Carter, Sr, PhD, DD, DH, DRS
Dean, Professor of Religion, College Archivist and Curator, Morehouse College | Atlanta, Georgia
Andy Firoved
CEO, HOTB Software | Irvine, California
Jason Goulah, PhD
Professor of Bilingual-Bicultural Education and Director, Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education, Director of Programs in Bilingual-Bicultural Education, World Language Education, and Value-Creating Education for Global Citizenship, College of Education, DePaul University | Chicago, Illinois
Clothilde V. Hewlett, JD
Commissioner of Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, State of California | San Francisco, California
Karen Lewis, PhD
Sondheimer Professor of International Finance and Co-Director, Weiss Center for International Financial Research, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Luis Nieves
Founder, Chairman Emeritus AUL Corp, Benefactor | Napa, California
Isabel Nuñez, PhD, MPhil, JD
Professor of Educational Studies, Dean of School of Education, Purdue University Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne, Indiana
Gene Marie O’Connell, RN, MS
Health Care Consultant, Associate Clinical Professor, University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing | Corte Madera, California
Adin Strauss
General Director, Soka Gakkai International-USA | Santa Monica, California
Yoshiki Tanigawa
Benefactor, Soka Gakkai | Tokyo, Japan
Gregg S. Wolpert
Co-president, The Stahl Organization | New York, New York
Edward M. Feasel, PhD
President, Soka University of America (ex-officio member) | Aliso Viejo, California
Edward M. Feasel, PhD
President
Chief Academic Officer
Professor of Economics
Archibald E. Asawa
Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Investment Officer
Katherine M. King, PHR
Executive Vice President of University
Community
Chief Human Resources Officer
Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator for Faculty, Staff and Others
Michael Weiner, PhD
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of East Asian History & International Studies
Bryan E. Penprase, PhD
Vice President for Sponsored Research and External Academic Relations Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Tomoko Takahashi, PhD, EdD, LHD
Vice President for Institutional Research and Assessment
Dean of the Graduate School Professor of Linguistics and Education
David Welch, JD Vice President University Counsel
M. Robert Hamersley, PhD Dean of Faculty Professor of Environmental Biogeochemistry
Hyon J. Moon, EdD Dean of Students
Title IX and Section 504 Deputy Coordinator for Students
Michelle Hobby-Mears, MBA
Associate Dean of Students Director of Student Activities
Andrew Woolsey, EdD Dean of Enrollment Services
Martin Beck, MA
Executive Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications
The Philharmonic Society of Orange County gratefully acknowledges the following donors for their generous support of the Fund for Music during the past twelve months. These contributions make up the difference between the income generated from ticket sales and the actual cost of bringing the world’s finest orchestras, soloists and chamber ensembles to Orange County and inspiring 100,000 K-12 students each year with quality music programs. Gifts range from $70 to more than $100,000, and each member of the Philharmonic Society plays a valuable role in furthering the mission of this organization.
YOUTH MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAM SPONSORS
Bluebird Legacy Inc.
Chapman University
The Committees of the Philharmonic Society
The Crean Foundation
The Davisson Family Fund for Youth Music Education
The William Gillespie Foundation
Hearst Foundation
Thomas J. Madracki Memorial Endowment
Orange County Community Foundation
Pacific Life Foundation
U.S. Bank
Anonymous
SERIES SPONSORS
Donna L. Kendall Foundation
Dr. and Mrs. Howard Jelinek/Jelinek Family Trust, Eclectic Orange Series
Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation
FOUNDER'S SOCIETY ($100,000+)
The Committees of the Philharmonic Society
Donna L. Kendall and the Donna L. Kendall Foundation
Dr. Howard Jelinek/Jelinek Family Trust
Nadler Survivors Trust
Philharmonic Foundation
Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation
Elizabeth Segerstrom
Maria Manetti Shrem
Jane Fujishige Yada
Bluebird Legacy, Inc.
The Crean Foundation
MAESTRO'S SOCIETY ($50,000+)
Colburn Foundation
Douglas Burch Classical Programs Fund
Margaret M. Gates
Elaine and Carl Neuss
Mr. and Mrs. William F. Podlich
Gail and Robert Sebring
The Segerstrom Foundation
Ms. Dea Stanuszek
CHAIRMAN’S SOCIETY ($25,000+)
Mr. John D. Flemming and Mr. Mark Powell
Valerie and Hans Imhof
Carolyn and Bill Klein
Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons
Lauren and Richard Packard
Robert E. and Marjorie R. Rawlins
Barbara Roberts
Shanbrom Family Foundation
Doctor Bob and Mao Shillman
Douglas and Deirdre Smith
Steven M. Sorenson MD and J. Eric Shay
U.S. Bank
Mr. Stephen Amendt
Charles and Ling Zhang
LIFETIME GIVING
We proudly recognize the following donors whose enduring support over the years has sustained and advanced the Philharmonic Society's mission and enriched the cultural fabric of Orange County for generations to come.
$4M+
Elizabeth Segerstrom and Henry Segerstrom*
The Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation
$3M+
Mr. Howard J. Jelinek and Mrs. Judith Jelinek*
Ms. Donna L. Kendall
The Donna L. Kendall Foundation
Mr. William Roberts* and Mrs. Barbara Roberts
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Smith
$2M+
A. Gary Anderson Family Foundation
Anonymous
Mr. William J. Gillespie*
The William Gillespie Foundation
$1M+
Anonymous
Mr. And Mrs. John C. Crean* Crean Foundation
Mrs. R.E. Rawlins*
Mrs. Michelle Rohé
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
The Segerstrom Foundation
$700K+ Colburn Foundation
Disneyland
Mr. Lawrence Gates* and Mrs. Margaret M. Gates
Mr. and Mrs. Milton S. Grier Jr.*
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Kohl
The Orange County Register Philharmonic Foundation of Orange County
Shanbrom Family Foundation South Coast Plaza
$500K+
The Committees of the Philharmonic Society
Mr. Sam Ersan* and Mrs. Lyndie Ersan
Ms. Carol Frobish*
Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation
Mr. Edward Halvajian* and Mrs. Joan Halvajian
Mr. Jerry Harrington* and Mrs. Maralou B. Harrington
Mr. and Mrs. William F. Podlich
Ms. Dea M. Stanuszek
*Deceased
PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY DONORS
PRESIDENT’S SOCIETY
John Chimo Arnold
Peter Bordas
Mr. James J. Brophy
Suzanne and David Chonette
City of Laguna Beach
Marjorie and Roger Davisson
The Dirk Family
($10,000+)
Karen and Don Evarts
Hung Fan and Michael
Feldman
Mrs. Jean Felder
Mrs. Joanne C. Fernbach
Frome Family Foundation
Ms. Joan Halvajian
PLATINUM BATON ($6,000+)
France and Dr. Richard D.
Campbell
Lauren and Cor Claus
GOLDEN BATON ($3,000+)
John W. Benecke and Lee Marino
Barbara and Robert Boies
Mr. James Carter
Diana and Robert Clemmer
Susan and Kevin Daly
Patricia K. Duffie Living Trust
Mr. Gilbert Gluck and Mrs. Catherine A. Bradley
SILVER BATON ($1,200+)
Abbott Laboratories
Dr. and Mrs. Donald R. Abrahm
Janet Aengst
Charlotte W. and Richard D.
Alexander
C. David Anderson
Nancy Arnold
Eileen and Yoshi Asahi
David and Frances Nitta Barnes
Dr. Lori Bassman and Mr. Harley C. Bassman
Tod and Craig Beckett-Frank
Dr. and Mrs. Berislav Bosnjak
Ms. Michelle Brenner
Mrs. Diana Casey
Carol and Eugene Choi
Mr. and Mrs. Stewart A. Clark
Mr. and Ms. Don Colucci
Mr. and Mrs. Gustave S. Chabre
CONCERTO ($600+)
Anonymous
Brien Amspoker and Ellen Breitman
Mary Chelius
Mr. Randall K. Chun
Peter Conlon and Deborah Shaw
Eve and Timothy Donovan
Stanley W. Ekstrom Foundation
Resa Evans
Walter C. Fidler
Mr. Dan Fleet
Mr. and Mrs. Karl Forsstrom
Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. Donald French
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Fuerbringer
Alta Bahia Philharmonic Committee
Charlene Bauer
Carol and Walter Boice
Ms. Lynne Bloomberg
Robert Braun
Mr. Scott Brinkerhoff
Gail Brooks
Evelyn Brownstone
Mr. and Mrs. Tyke Camaras
Luisa Cano
Beverly and Dave Carmichael
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Chamberlain Jr.
Richard Goodman
Elizabeth Henry and Bruce Ibbetson
Jane and Joe Hanauer
Ellen Pickler Harris and Ron Harris
Jeffrey 2011 Charitable Lead
Annuity Trust
Ms. Elizabeth Jones
Kari Kerr
Vicki and Richard Lee
Ms. Barbara McMurray
Dr. Harvey Eisenberg
Deborah and Cody Engle
Nancy and Anthony Ferruzzo
Dr. and Mrs. Sidney A. Field
Petrina Friede
Dr. Anna Gonosova
Ildiko R. Good
Michael Gordon
Katherine and Carl Greenwood
Barbara Hamkalo
Mr. Chuck Hong
Julia and John Houten
Barbara Howland
Judith and Kevin Ivey
Mengchau Jang
Ms. Jena Jensen
Anne Johnson, in memory of Tom
Dr. Nancy L. Kidder
LaDonna T. Kienitz, Esq.
Cheryl Garland
Mark and Brenda Gow
Pamela Hoffman
Grace Holdaway
Mrs. Songhee Jin
Kay Becknell Jones
Maki Kaijo
Professor and Mrs. John Koshak
Gary and Jan Lawrence
Katsuhiko and Meiko Maeshige
Caren Mason
Kelly and Susan McClellan, in memoriam Judith Jelinek
Mr. H.W. McKee and Ms. Robin L. Huffman
Dr. and Mrs. Shigeru Chino
Gordon Cowan
Stephanie Dencik, in memory of Susie Gallagher
Veronica and Gerald DeVries
Mrs. Frayda Eilbert
Mitch Farber-Netbilling
Jeanie Gibson
Marvin Goecks, Jr.
Dr. Alan L. Goldin
Mark V. Gurvich
Sandra and Jerome Harlan
Howard and Carol Hay
Marlene Hewitt
Milli Hill
David and Michelle Horowitz
Gary and Betsy Jenkins
Cheryl Hill Oakes
Mr. Patrick Paddon
Kay Poggi
Christopher Quilter
Ms. Mirella Reznic
Gerrit and Amy Cole
Foundation
Pamela and Alexander Munro
Dot and Rick Nelson
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Nielsen
Carole Innes-Owens
Kent and Yumi Livesay
Sandra Price
Marcia Kay and Ron Radelet
Karen and Phil Ridout
Ms. Harriet Roop
Mr. and Mrs. David Seigle
Eunsuk Kim
Elliott Kornhauser and Joe Baker
Cathy and David Krinsky
Hank and Bonnie Landsberg
Dr. Sean Liang
Barbara and Greg MacGillivray
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Malcolm
Mrs. Linda Lipman
Mandelbaum
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Marshall
Karen McCulley
Mrs. Sharon McNalley
Dr. Vahe Meghrouni
Danny and Kristy Melita
Patricia Morgan
Elizabeth Morse
Ann Niedringhaus
Mr. Keith Polakoff
Susan Qaqundah
Michael and Meili Pinto
Rana Porter
Mr. and Mrs. John Prange
Lucinda Prewitt
Boris and Dorothy Ralphs
Deborah and Tom Rapport
Karyn Rashoff
Les Redpath
Christopher Reed and Pat O’Brien
Mr. and Ms. Peter T. Ridley
Carol Schwab
Myrna and Leonard Simon
Mr. Scott Theodorson and Ms. Sandy Koh Theodorson
Mitchell and Donna Thiessen
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Horgan
K.A. Hummel
Ms. and Mr. Julie Huniu
Luke Hung
Seth Johnson
Elizabeth M. and Donald P.
Johnson
Sumie and Alfred Jossi
Kenneth and Janis Kaplan
Eva Khwaja
Dr. and Mrs. William P. Klein
Nancy and Ned Kriz
Kim and Ken Kummerow
Dr. and Mrs. Craig Leonard
Samueli Foundation
Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting
Ellen and Vasily I. Semeniuta
Diane and Michael Stephens
Ms. Barbara Tanner
Gayle Widyolar
Edward and Anna Yeung
Carol and Roger Nilsen
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Reynolds
Diane and Igal Silber
Ms. Linda Silverman and Mr. Ercil Brown
Dr. Emmanuel Sharef and Emilia Yin
Mr. and Mrs. Long Shung Shih
Dr. and Mrs. Henry Sobel
Marian Sansone
Deborah and Robert Schlesinger
Eva and Fred Schneider
John Jacob Shaak
Dr. William and Mrs. Marta Sokol
Eric W. Bell and Susanne L. Spangler
Vina Spiehler
Walter and Masami Stahr
Ann Stephens
Alexander Stimpson
Dr. and Mrs. Fritz C. Westerhout
Dr. Rebecca Yamarik
Dr. Andrew Yen and Ms. Grace Chen
Mike Tompkins and Lynn Weiser
Edith Tonkon
Dr. and Mrs. Harvey S. Triebwasser
Ms. Carole Uhlaner and Mr. D Brownstone
Edith and Thomas Van Huss
Western Allied Corporation
Ms. Sally Westrom
MacGillivray Freeman Films
Dr. Lani Martin
Dr. Deirdre McTeggart
William Nottingham
Kevin and Nella
Webster-O’Grady
Angela and David Pak
Mr. Richard Parslow
Perry Family Fund
Sidney and Nancy Petersen
John Pettit
Mr. Dennis Poey
Dr. and Mrs. William G.
Preston M.D.
SONATA ($300+)
SONATA ($300+)
Coralie Prince
Ms. Gail C. Romansky
Deborah and Frank Rugani
Suzanne Sandmeyer and Wes Hatfield
Kathleen Sangster
Paul Schmidhauser and Cindy Hughes
Ms. Barbara Sentell
Patricia Smoot
Diane Stovall
Dr. Mark Wohlgemuth
Ms. Cynthia Wolcott
Chava Wortrich
Mr. Leonard Wyss
Ivy Yan
Bob and Ellie Yates
HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS
Frieda Belinfante in memoriam
Jane K. Grier in memoriam
List current as of 9/29/2025
John M. Rau
The Philharmonic Society deeply appreciates the support of its sponsors and donors, and makes every effort to ensure accurate and appropriate recognition. Contact the Development Department at (949) 553-2422, ext. 233, to make us aware of any error or omission in the foregoing list.
ESTERHAZY PATRONS
The Philharmonic Society is proud to recognize our dedicated patrons who have made a multi-year Esterhazy Patron pledge. We are grateful for their support, which has been largely responsible for enabling us to present the world’s most acclaimed symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists.
Mr. James Alexiou
Mr. and Mrs. Darrel Anderson
A. Gary Anderson Family Foundation
Mr. Gary N. Babick
Ms. Tricia Babick
Mrs. Linda Beimfohr
Mr. and Mrs. John Carson
Cheng Family Foundation
Mrs. William P. Conlin
Marjorie and Roger Davisson
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Delman
The Dirk Family
Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Duma
Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Emery
Catherine Emmi
Lyndie Ersan
LEGACY CIRCLE MEMBERS
Mr.. James Alexiou and Mrs.
Elaine Alexiou*
Dr. and Mrs. Julio Aljure
Diane* and John Chimo Arnold
Estate of Edra E. Brophy*
Mr. James J. Brophy
Mr. Douglas T. Burch, Jr.*
Mr. William P. Conlin* and Mrs. Laila Conlin
Pamela Courtial*
Gregory Pierre Cox
Richard Cullen and Robert Finnerty
Mr. Ben Dolson*
Camille and Eric Durand Trust*
Karen and Don Evarts
Erika E. Faust*
James and Judy Freimuth
Ms. Carol Frobish*
LEAVE A LEGACY
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Freedland
Margaret M. Gates—In memory of family
Mr. Milton S. Grier, Jr.
Maralou Harrington
Dr. Howard J. Jelinek
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Chapin
Johnson
Dr. Siret Jurison
Donna L. Kendall Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Venelin Khristov
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Kirwan
Milena Kitic
Capt. Steve Lutz and Shala Shashani Lutz
Professor Robert and Dr. Adeline Yen Mah
The William Gillespie Foundation*
Mr. and Mrs.* Milton S. Grier, Jr.
Mr. Edward Halvajian*
Ms. Joan Halvajian
Ms. Marie Hiebsch*
Mildred and James* Hill
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hull*
Mr. Leonard Jaffe
Judith* and Howard Jelinek
Dr. Burton L. Karson*
Donna L. Kendall
Hank and Bonnie Landsberg
Mrs. Carla Liggett
Dr. William Lycette
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Michel
Mr. and Mrs. Bart Morrow
Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Nadler*
Eva Cebulski Olivier
Mrs. Frank M. Posch*
Mrs. Sharon McNalley
Dr. Vahe Meghrouni
Elaine and Carl Neuss
Mr. Thomas Nielsen
Milan Panic
Helen Reinsch
Barbara Roberts
Mrs. Michelle Rohé
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Salyer
Elizabeth Segerstrom
Douglas and Deirdre Smith
Mrs. Elaine Weinberg
Mr. and Mrs. George Wentworth Anonymous
Marcia Kay Radelet
Marjorie Rawlins*
Mrs. Ladislaw Reday*
Elaine M. Redfield*
Mr. Richard M. Reinsch*
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Salyer
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sebring
John Jacob Shaak
Mr. H. Russell Smith*
Al Spector and Tatjana Soli
Ms. Dea Stanuszek
Diane and Michael Stephens
Vas Nunes Family Trust*
Betty M. Williams*
Anonymous
*Deceased
Bold type indicates gifts of $50,000 or more.
Please call the Philharmonic Society Development Department if you have included either the Philharmonic Society or the separate Philharmonic Foundation in your will or trust so that we may honor you as a member of the Legacy Circle. For more information, call (949) 553-2422, ext. 233, or visit www.PhilharmonicSociety.org/Support and click on Planned Giving.
PHILHARMONIC FORWARD CAMPAIGN
The Philharmonic Society’s Philharmonic Forward campaign is the first of its kind in the organization’s history. It will grow the Society’s endowment—providing greater opportunities for the presentation of the world’s leading orchestras and other musical performances while expanding our educational and community outreach— and also establish a current needs fund for organizational sustainability and flexibility.
We are proud to recognize those who are helping secure the Society’s future with a gift to the Philharmonic Forward Campaign. We are grateful for their support, which will help fuel the Society’s growth and provide a legacy of incomparable music and superb music education programs in perpetuity.
Co-Chairs
Donna L. Kendall and Douglas H. Smith
$1,000,000+
Mr. James J. Brophy
Donna L. Kendall and the Donna L. Kendall Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sebring
Anonymous
$500,000+
Richard Cullen and Robert Finnerty
James and Judy Freimuth
$250,000+
The Davisson Family Fund for Youth Music Education
Margaret M. Gates—In memory of family
Mr. and Mrs.* Milton S. Grier, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Smith
$50,000+
Mr. Douglas T. Burch, Jr.*
Dr. Richard D. and France Campbell
Erika E. Faust*
Mrs. Joanne C. Fernbach
Joan Halvajian
Elaine and Carl Neuss
Marcia Kay Radelet
Mr. and Mrs. Philip E. Ridout
Ms. Dea Stanuszek
Dr. Daniel and Jeule Stein
$25,000+
Douglas Burch Classical Programs Fund
Mr. William P. Conlin* and Mrs. Laila Conlin
Mr. and Mrs. Donald French
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Fuerbringer
Mr. and Mrs. Noel Hamilton
Dr. and Mrs. Chase* Roh
$100,000+
Pete and Sabra* Bordas
David and Suzanne Chonette
Karen and Don Evarts
Milli and Jim* Hill
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Nielsen
Richard* and Deborah Polonsky
Diane and Michael Stephens
Anonymous
Up to $24,999
Eleanor* and Jim Anderson
John W. Benecke
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Burra
Ana and Ron Dufault
Hung Fan and Michael Feldman
First American Trust
Kimberly Dwan Bernatz
Mr. John D. Flemming and Mr. Mark Powell
Duke Funderburke
Carolyn and John Garrett
Karin Easter Gurwell
Maralou and Jerry M.* Harrington
Mrs. Alice E. Hood
Huntington Harbour
Philharmonic CommitteeMarina Windjammer Group
Kevin and Judith Ivey
Ms. Lula Belle Jenkins
Doris and Jim Kollias
Mrs. Elizabeth C. Kramer
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lewis
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Madracki
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Mastrangelo
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Michel
Charles Mosmann
Carl Neisser*
Joan Rehnborg
Dr. and Mrs. Henry Sobel
Dr. and Mrs. Julio Taleisnik
Marti and Walter Unger
Gayle Widyolar, M.D.
Sandi Wright-Cordes
U.S. Bank
Anonymous
*Deceased
ABOUT THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY OF ORANGE COUNTY
Founded in 1954 as Orange County’s first music organization, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents national and international performances of the highest quality and provides dynamic and innovative music education programs for individuals of all ages to enhance the lives of Orange County audiences through music.
Since its inception, the Philharmonic Society has evolved and grown with the county’s changing landscape, presenting artists and orchestras who set the standard for artistic achievement from Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma, and Renée Fleming to the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and many others. In addition, the Philharmonic Society celebrates multi-disciplinary performances under its Eclectic Orange brand and embraces music from a wide range of countries with its World Music performances.
The Philharmonic Society’s nationally recognized Youth Music Education Programs, offered free of charge, engage more than 100,000 students annually through curriculum-based music education programs that aim to inspire, expand imaginations, and encourage learning at all levels. These programs are made possible by The Committees of the Philharmonic Society comprised of 500 volunteer members who provide more than 90,000 hours of in-kind service each year. As a key youth program, the exceptional Orange County Youth Symphony and String Ensemble provide top-tier training to the area’s most talented young musicians through multi-level ensemble instruction, leadership training, touring opportunities, challenging professional repertoire, and performances in world-class venues.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
OFFICERS
Elaine Neuss, Chair/CEO *
John Flemming, Deputy Board Chair *
Donna L. Kendall, Vice Chair *
Stephen Amendt, Secretary/Treasurer *
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kathy Barrett, President, The Committees *
Lauren Claus, Past President, The Committees
Kathy Cobb-Woll, President-Elect, The Committees
Hung Fan, Laguna Beach Music Festival Chair
Jean Felder, Artistic & Marketing Chair
Margaret Gates, Development Chair *
Benny Ishii, Orange County Youth Symphony Chair
Kari Kerr, Nominating & Governance Chair
Marlene Nielsen, Board of Governors
Mirella Reznic
June Shillman
Douglas Smith, Member at Large *
IN MEMORIAM
Sabra Bordas
Douglas T. Burch, Jr.
Jane Grier
PRESIDENT AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Tommy Phillips
*Executive Committee
ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Emily Sly, Artistic Operations Manager
Hana Kurihara, Concert Production Coordinator
Kathy Smith, Piano Technician
DEVELOPMENT
Kimberley Monday, Vice President of Development
Halim Kim, Senior Director of Development
Zach Edwards, Board Liaison and Development Coordinator
EDUCATION
Katherine Yang, Vice President of Education and Community Engagement
Courtney McKinnon, Associate Director of Volunteer and Education Services
Jennifer Niedringhaus, Senior Manager of Education and Community Engagement
Chloe Hopper, Education Associate and OCYS Coordinator
Penny Arroyo, Huntington Harbour Office Manager and Finance Coordinator
Hitesh Benny, Education and Community Engagement Intern
FINANCE
Roan Alombro, Vice President of Finance
Fay Hu, Finance and HR Associate
MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Jean Hsu, COO / Vice President of Communications
Marie Songco-Torres, Senior Marketing and PR Manager
PATRON SERVICES
Jonathan Mariott, Director of Patron Services
Angelica Nicolas, Marketing and Patron Services Manager
Randy Polevoi, Musical Concierge
ORANGE COUNTY YOUTH SYMPHONY AND STRING ENSEMBLE
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director and OCYS Conductor
Lucy Lu, OCYSE Conductor and OCYS Strings Coach
Danielle Culhane, Operations and Personnel Manager
