Letter from the Department
Welcome to this concert presentation by the Music Program in the Department of Performing Arts. We are delighted to have the wonderful support of great families and friends. A very special welcome goes out to our visitors from the community who may not have any affiliation to our students, and simply come to hear spectacular musical performances by these talented student musicians. We hope everyone in our audience is pleased with the musical selections; and proud of the achievement of the students involved.
The students you will hear at this performance are not music majors. They do this for their love of music and dedicate their time and energy to cultivating their passion for this art form. They are as dedicated to their studies and career pursuits as they are to this intrinsic passion they have within them. The program is fortunate to have a bounty of students with this yearning. We would not exist without them!
The Music Program and Department of Performing Arts is dedicated to providing robust opportunities in the performing arts while students are at Drexel. Our goal is to provide a positive and supportive environment for our students. It is our hope that students and audiences alike feel they are represented in the selections being performed. The human connection is most important to us all.
Thank you for attending this performance. Being here is the greatest show of support for the students, the Music Program, and the Department of Performing Arts. Thanks to the dedicated leadership of the faculty ensemble directors and staff, we are pleased to present you with the following program.
Sincerely,
Luke Abruzzo, Music Program Director Miriam Giguere, PhD, Department Head, Performing Arts
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the members of DUSO for their work, their dedication, and their collective and individual pursuit of excellence.
Sincere thanks to
Dr. Miriam Giguere (Performing Arts Department Head),
Luke Abruzzo (Music Program Director),
Lauren Tracy (Performing Arts Ensemble Associate),
Ellie Ebby (Performing Arts Department Coordinative Administrator),
Hannah Burke (Performing Arts Department Administrator), and Elisha Robinson (Performing Arts Department Graduate Assistant) for their valuable support and guidance.
About the Ensemble
The Drexel University Symphony Orchestra comprises undergraduate and graduate students from all colleges within the University. Majors represented include, but are not limited to, engineering, nursing, fashion design, music industry, physics, architecture, and TV production. Admission is by audition, and Performing Arts Scholarships are available to qualified undergraduate students. Interested in auditioning for DUSO? Please contact Luke Abruzzo, Music Program Director.
About the Concert
The "Mlada Suite" is an orchestral suite drawn from RimskyKorsakov's opera-ballet, "Mlada". It was re-styled as a symphonic poem by the composer. Rimsky-Korsakov connects beautifully to our second work (Stravinsky's Symphony No. 1 in E-flat) as he was Stravinsky's primary teacher, mentor, and father figure. Our program concludes with a final dance-oriented thematic work by Mexican composer Arturo Marquèz, Danzon No. 2.
Program
The Drexel University Symphony Orchestra
Taia Harlos - Interim Director
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) -
Mlada Suite
I. Introduction
II. Redowa: A Bohemian Dance
III. Lithuanian Dance
IV. Indian Dance
V. Cortège
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) - Symphony No. 1 in
E-flat, Op. 1
I. Allegro moderato
II. Scherzo
IV. Finale
Arturo Márquez (b. 1950) - Danzón No. 2
Ensemble Members
Violin I
Hailey Mak ˄
Daniel Oh ˄
Leeia Stroh ˄
Sofia Arastu
Donovan Dolan +
Tifanny Lin
Ana Namur
Anna Lu +
Yewon Hong
Violin II
Jeremy Ashley, Principal
Billy Drgon
Katherine Yarrish
Cina Ha
Samantha Waldman +
Viola
Frances Ebner, Principal
Gia Angelo *
Sophia Roscoe
Emma Kallenberg
Adam Brotnitsky *
Cello
Gwendolyn Tom, Principal +
Raina Brooks +
Kari Hunte
Caleb Kang
Esther Lee
Nathanael Goellner
Carter Milhollen
Ava Scholl + Bass
Jerome Kim, Principal
Andre Charpentier +
Sloane Moore*
Flute
Dane Gentles, Principal
Emma Cintron
Designations
Rotating Concertmaster
*Guest Artist + Senior # Alumnus
Ensemble Members
Oboe
Abigail Holmberg, Principal
Steve Liu
Nicole Lam + (English horn)
Clarinet
Devin Casas, Principal
Samuel Schreiber *
Greg Vogler *
Bassoon
Rebecca Krown *
Xavion Patterson*
French Horn
Harley Givler *
Ian Vlaholic *
Dana Reckard *
Arlet Tabares Martin *
Trumpet
Ethan King, Principal
Theo Adams #
Jacob Flaschen *
Trombone
Oliver Jakacki, Principal
Jeremy Cohen *
Dalton Hooper * Tuba
Sam Turley *
Percussion/ Timpani
Loretta St. Andre +
Ezra Smith-Pohl
Alexis Reichardt
Jason Adams Piano
Blaze Fogle
Designations
Rotating Concertma
*Guest Artist + Senior # Alumnus
Taia Harlos
DUSO Conductor and Music Director
Taia Harlos holds Bachelor’s and Maste degrees in Music from the Oberlin Conservatory, where she studied violin with Greg Fulkerson, viola with Jeffrey Irvine, and conducting with Robert Spa & Bridget-Michaele Reischl. An accomplished conductor, educator, and musician, she previously served as Hea of the Music Department and Director o Orchestras at Germantown Friends Sch and as Artistic Director and Conductor the Musicopia String Orchestras. She currently serves as the Director of Performing Arts at AIM Academy, overseeing the music program and directing theatre productions. Her conducting emphasizes expressive phrasing, collaborative artistry, and a deep engagement with both classical and contemporary repertoire.
As a violinist, violist, and pianist, Ms. Harlos has performed with the Philadelphia Opera Company, Delaware Symphony, Philly Pops, and the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, among others, and has collaborated with artists including Joshua Bell, Natalie Cole, Robert Daltry, and Lindsey Stirling. Festival appearances include the Spoleto Festival Orchestra and the Orvieto Festival of Strings. She credits her passion for classical and modern repertoire to her work with Norman Carol, Lius Biava, David Arben, and Joseph Fortuna.
An active conductor, soloist, and chamber musician in the United States, South America, and Europe, Ms. Harlos is dedicated to cultivating musical excellence and joyful music-making in performers of all ages.
Program Notes
“Mlada Suite” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Composed in 1890 from his opera-ballet Mlada, this suite reveals Rimsky-Korsakov at his most colorful and imaginative. Each movement offers a distinct scene, rich with dance rhythms, folklore, and brilliant orchestration. The suite opens in a shadowed, mythic world. Dark strings and solemn brass establish an atmosphere of legend and ritual, unfolding with a sense of grandeur that sets the stage for what follows. The redowa (2nd movement), a lively Czech dance in triple meter, brings elegance and lift. Graceful turns in the strings and buoyant rhythms create a courtly yet spirited character, full of rhythmic charm.
In the Lithuanian Dance, the folk character takes center stage. Earthy rhythms and bright orchestral colors evoke rustic celebration, with crisp accents and energetic exchanges between sections giving the movement vibrant momentum. The 4th movement (Indian Dance) reflects the 19th-century fascination with exoticism. Delicate percussion, sinuous melodies, and shimmering textures create an atmosphere meant to suggest distant lands through orchestral color rather than authenticity. The suite concludes with a grand ceremonial procession (Cortège). Bold brass, sweeping strings, and stately rhythms build toward a triumphant and radiant finish, bringing the suite to a brilliant close.
“Symphont
Program Notes
No. 1 in E-flat” by Igor Stravinsky
Composed between 1905 and 1907 as a graduation work for the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, Stravinsky’s First Symphony reveals the young composer standing at the crossroads of tradition and emerging individuality. Written before the revolutionary ballets that would make him famous, the symphony reflects the influence of his teacher Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in its luminous orchestration and richly colored textures.
The first movement unfolds in expansive Romantic style, with sweeping melodies and dramatic contrasts. The Scherzo that follows is light-footed and energetic, its rhythmic vitality hinting at the sharp brilliance that would later define Stravinsky’s mature voice. In the finale, bold themes and confident gestures bring the symphony to a vigorous and assured close. Though rooted in lateRomantic tradition, Symphony No. 1 in E-flat reveals flashes of rhythmic drive and orchestral clarity that foreshadow the distinctive voice Stravinsky would soon unleash on the musical world.
Program Notes
"Danzon No. 2" by Arturo Marquéz
Composed in 1994, Danzón No. 2 is Arturo Márquez’s vibrant tribute to the danzón, a dance tradition that traveled from Cuba to Mexico and took on a distinct cultural life of its own. Inspired by the elegant danzón halls of Veracruz and Mexico City, Márquez transforms a social dance into a work of symphonic color and irresistible rhythm. The piece opens with a sultry clarinet line, unfolding with poise and understated charm. Gradually, layers of rhythm enter, strings sway, brass punctuate, and the orchestra begins to breathe as a single dancing body. Márquez masterfully balances refinement and exuberance: intimate moments of hush give way to bold, fiery climaxes.
Throughout the work, shifting tempos and dynamic contrasts mirror the character of the dance itself, graceful and flirtatious one moment, exuberant and explosive the next. The final section builds with mounting intensity, driving toward a thrilling, rhythm-charged conclusion that leaves both orchestra and audience exhilarated. Danzón No. 2 has become one of the most frequently performed contemporary orchestral works, celebrated for its rhythmic vitality, vivid orchestration, and joyful affirmation of Latin American musical identity.
Drexel offers four different music minors:
Music: requires 26 credits, including work in Music Theory, History, private lessons, ensemble performance, and 9 credits of music electives.
Music Theory and Composition: aimed at people who are writing their own music or who would like to begin doing so. You will take courses in Music Theory, Arranging, Composition, and Digital Composition, and end with a portfolio of several completed pieces.
Music Performance: requires two years of private lesson studies with our artist faculty culminating in a recital. The Music Program will provide support for the recital venue and accompanist.
Jazz & African-American Music: includes course work in Jazz History, African-American Music, Jazz Theory, private study in Jazz performance, and ensemble work in several ensembles devoted to jazz.
Support Great Performance
Dance, Music, and Theatre are a vital, central part of the Drexel academia and student life. Donations support performing arts ensembles and programs, as well as the operation of our performing arts venues, including the Mandell Theater and URBN Annex Black Box Theater.
Drexel University Department of Performing Arts Staff
Department Head
Dr. Miriam Giguere
Program Directors Luke Abruzzo
Music
Nick Anselmo Theatre
Jennifer Morley Dance
Administrative Staff
Ellie Ebby Administrative Coordinator
Hannah Burke Department Administrator
Caroline Leipf
Mandell Theater Managing Director
Elisha Robinson
Performing Arts Graduate Assistant
Liv Shoup
Audience Services Coordinator
Lauren Tracy
Ensemble Production Associate
Production Staff
Paul Jerue
Theatre Production Manager/Black Box Theater Technical Director
Asaki Kuruma
Costume Shop Manager
Chris Totora
Mandell Theater Technical Director
Upcoming Performing Arts Events
THEATRE WINTER SHOWCASE
March 14, 2026 | 5:00 PM | URBN Annex Black Box Theater
March 14, 2026 | 8:30 PM | URBN Annex Black Box Theater
GOSPEL CHOIR WINTER CONCERT
March 14, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Mandell Theater
ALL-COLLEGE CHOIR & CHAMBER BRASS & WINDS
March 14, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Main Auditorium
UNIVERSITY CHORUS & CHAMBER SINGERS WINTER CONCERT
March 15, 2026 | 3:00 PM | Great Court
LITTLE WOMEN,
THE MUSICAL
May 8, 2026 | 8:00 PM | URBN Annex Black Box Theater
May 9, 2026 | 8:00 PM | URBN Annex Black Box Theater
May 10, 2026 | 2:00 PM | URBN Annex Black Box Theater
May 14, 2026 | 8:00 PM | URBN Annex Black Box Theater
May 15, 2026 | 8:00 PM | URBN Annex Black Box Theater
May 16, 2026 | 8:00 PM | URBN Annex Black Box Theater
FRESHDANCE SPRING PERFORMANCE
May 20, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Mandell Theater
May 21, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Mandell Theater
Learn more about our upcoming events: drexel edu/performingarts
