DSSO_NSM_24-25 Spring Vol 2_v3_Web by Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra

THE MAGAZINE OF THE DULUTH SUPERIOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Photos: Steven R. Mattson

Zenith City Photography

Photos: Steven R. Mattson

Zenith City Photography

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WELCOME LETTER

8 Music Director Dirk Meyer

8 Board of Directors

9 Executive Director J. David Arnott

12 Staff and Administration

MEET THE ORCHESTRA

14-15 Meet the Orchestra

MASTERWORKS 4: BRAHMS THREE

20-25 Masterworks 4 Program Notes

MASTERWORKS 5: LA MER

28-32 Masterworks 5 Program Notes

MASTERWORKS 6: LA VALSE

36-46 Masterworks 6 Program Notes

POPS 2: STAR WARS

50 Pops 2 Program Notes

WAYS TO SUPPORT THE DSSO

52 How to Donate

52-58 DSSO Contributors

DIRK MEYER

WELCOME TO THE SYMPHONY!

With the 2024/25 season the DSSO completes its three-year artistic initiative of bringing the voice of underrepresented composers to the stage of Symphony Hall. After featuring music by Black composers and female composers in the past two years, this season we turn our focus to American music, specifically contemporary American composers. With several regional premieres (and many more DSSO premieres), our season is packed with incredible music and unforgettable experiences.

Did you know that in 2024 we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Gershwin’s famous Rhapsody in Blue? We join in the celebration by bringing back acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Biegel, performing not just the Gershwin, but also the MN premiere of Peter Boyer’s new Rhapsody in Red, White and Blue, written specifically for this occasion. Another highlight awaits when the DSSO’s own principal second oboe, Darci Gamerl, performs the Midwest premiere of James Lee III’s new concerto for English Horn: Courageous Lights. Written especially for Darci, this work celebrates the work and life of three courageous women activists.

Amongst all those new works, of course we will not forget about the enduring classics and beloved favorites. Some of the highlights include works by Mozart and Mendelssohn, Sibelius’ mesmerizing Symphony No.3 alongside our celebration of Anton Bruckner’s 200th birthday (featuring his Te Deum), Chopin, Brahms, Ravel and Debussy’s unparalleled musical picture of the sea: La Mer. Finally, we feature music by two important American composers in our mini-festival with two Masterworks concerts at the DECC and a chamber music performance in between at the Depot, we will get to know the incredible works of Hollywood composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Baltimore-based composer Jonathan Leshnoff.

Our celebration of American music carries over into our pops where we bring back our annual Holiday concert tradition and wrap up the season with the one-and-only Star Wars: A New Hope, playing live on the big screen, with the DSSO performing the soundtrack live.

To paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi: May the DSSO be with you!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2024-2025

Mark Monson, Immediate Past President

Branden Robinson, President

Kay Biga, Treasurer

Mark Danielson, Secretary

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

J. David Arnott

John Berchild

Linda Boben

Rhonda Degelau

Beth Gilbert

Jeremy Hoglund

Olivia Huston

Tegan Johnson

Jill Kaiser

Steve Mattson

James McLeod

Dirk Meyer

Mark Monson

Emily Nygren

William Palmer

Kathleen Sanders

James Sebastian

Nairi Stack

Rajiv Vaidyanathan

Roberta Vose

Kat Werchouski

Tegan Johnson

HONORARY LIFE DIRECTORS

Christabel Grant

Elaine Killen

Dexter Larsen

Nancy Melander

James Zastrow

Dirk Meyer, Music Director Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra

DAVID ARNOTT

As I write this essay, it seems that I have been serving as Executive Director for just over 8 months. It’s been a steep learning curve and each day brings a new challenge. After playing in this orchestra since 2002, it’s absolutely amazing how much I didn’t know about this organization in terms of what it takes to make each and every concert a great experience for our audience and a worthy expenditure for our sponsors.

As the new calendar year begins, we still face challenges at the DSSO. Our financial position remains challenging, but we have found several new sources of support in terms of concert sponsors and musician chair sponsors. We have recently received several unexpected large gifts which have helped our situation immensely. Our goal is to end the 2024-2025 season with an empty Accounts Payable sheet. To meet this goal, we are developing a more realistic and achievable budget for the rest of this year as well as next year. Our intent is to continue providing music of the highest artistic quality.

The solutions to our challenges seem like simple economic realities. We continue to cut unnecessary spending on all

fronts. We are fine-tuning our advertising buys to target new constituencies and grow our audiences. We are good at reaching our current audience but it’s a new day—we must appeal to a new generation, to a wider audience, and thus sell more tickets.

We have reduced the full-time staff and are learning to accomplish what we need to with a team of highly-qualified part-time staff. Our part-time staff includes a grant writer, a graphic design and marketing person, a box office specialist, and a development person (who is also the librarian). I continue to serve as Director of Orchestra Operations in addition to Executive Director. I’m happy with the team I have assembled and look forward to working with all of them.

We are seeking ways to diversify our organization on all levels. You might notice our newly minted Land Acknowledgement statement which will debut this Spring. We have been inviting underserved communities to our concerts in the hope of retaining some of them as regular attendees. We are seeking a new generation of DSSO Board of Directors members.

We are collaborating with our peer organizations and pooling resources. Now that the DSSO, the MN Ballet, and LOON are all under one (really cool) roof, collaboration is a priority. Finding ways to work together and support each other is necessary, perhaps even crucial, for the survival of all three organizations. With a grant from The Depot Foundation, we are programming three chamber music concerts this Spring for our space in the St. Louis County Depot Auditorium. This new initiative will showcase three very different programs which we encourage all of you to attend (see The DSSO Presents page 13).

And finally, we are blessed to have a long-term relationship with a Music Director we all like and respect, and a stage full of highly qualified artists who make what we do possible.

If you are still reading this—wave to me. I’m up on stage playing my heart out. If you are able, we would love for you to sponsor a musician for a season. If you want to help another way— volunteer to house a musician for a concert week.

J. David Arnott, Executive Director Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra

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ADMINISTRATION

J. David Arnott, Executive Director

ARTISTIC STAFF

Dirk Meyer, The Charles A. & Carolyn M. Russell

Music Director

J. David Arnott, Director of Orchestra Operations

Kristin Sande, Librarian

Wyatt Millaway-Roodell, Production Coordinator

Kathleen Laasko, Stage Manager

CHORUS

Richard Carrick, Chorus Master generously sponsored by members of the DSSO Chorus & anonymous donors

Aine Miller, Chorus Administrator

Beth Sobczak, Rehearsal Accompanist

CONCERT BOX OFFICE

Jean Larson, Box Office Associate

Hannah Wohlers, Front of House Assistant

Cas Bordner, Front of House Assistant

YOUTH ORCHESTRAS

Melanie Sever, Administrative Director and Concert Orchestra Conductor

Kristin Sande, Youth Orchestras Administrative Assistant

Ronald Kari, Youth Orchestras Coordinator

Byron Klimek, Youth Symphony Conductor

Kevin Hoeschen, Sinfonia Conductor

Teresa Aho, Sinfonia Conductor

Marc Harroo, Sinfonia Coach

Amy Eichers, Sinfonia Coach

Jeremy Craycraft, Percussion Ensemble Director

NORTHERN SOUNDS

Thanks to Andrea Halligan and Arrowhead

Printing for the preparation of this edition of Northern Sounds

NORTHERN SOUNDS PROGRAM NOTES

Vincent Osborn, Program Notes Writer

Ronald Kari, Performance Historian, now in his 63nd Season with DSSO

Kristin Sande, Research Assistant

DULUTH SUPERIOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

506 W. Michigan St., Ste. 7, Duluth, MN 55802

TICKETS

218–623–3776 patronservices@dsso.com | www.dsso.com

MUSIC DIRECTORS

Dirk Meyer (2013 – present)

Markand Thakar (2001 – 2012)

Yong-yan Hu (1995 – 2000)

Taavo Virkhaus (1977-1994)

Joseph Hawthorne (1967-1977)

Hermann Herz (1950-1967)

Joseph Wagner (1947-1950)

Tauno Hannikainen (1942 – 1947)

Paul Lemay (1932 – 1942)

DSSO PRESENTS

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UNFORGETTABLE EVENINGS OF LIVE CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMED BY TALENTED MEMBERS OF THE DSSO.

LESHNOFF & KORNGOLD

February 12, 7:30PM

The Depot Theatre

The DSSO will present an evening of chamber music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Jonathan Leshnoff, featuring members of the Duluth Superior Symphony and baritone Andy Wilkowske. Music includes Korngold’s Piano Quintet, Leshnoff’s trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano, and art songs by both composers. General admission tickets are $10 and are available for purchase online at www.dsso.com

This program is made possible through a grant from The Depot Foundation.

FAÇADE; AN ENTERTAINMENT

March 15, 7:30PM

The Depot Theatre

The DSSO will present an extraordinary evening of chamber music and poetry by Sir William Walton and Dame Edith Sitwell. Members of the Duluth Superior Symphony will be joined by local legends, Vicky Fingalson and Calland Metts, in a performance of Façade; an Entertainment. This rarely-performed work features a chamber ensemble of diverse instruments and the recitation of poetry in rhythm—a sort of pre-rap if you will. A review of the premiere in 1923 stated: “The audience was at first inclined to treat the whole thing as an absurd joke, but there is always a surprisingly serious element in Miss Sitwell’s poetry and Mr. Walton’s music ... which soon induced the audience to listen with breathless attention.” Join us in breathless attention!

General admission tickets are $10 and are available for purchase online at www.dsso.com

This program is made possible through a grant from The Depot Foundation.

HIGHLAND STRING QUARTET

June 22, 3:00PM

The Depot Theatre

The DSSO will present an afternoon of chamber music by the Highland String Quartet featuring music by Sergei Prokofiev, Sheridan Seyfried, and Robert Schumann. Clarinetist Ted Schoen and pianist Alex Sandor will join them.

General admission tickets are $10 and are available for purchase online at www.dsso.com

This program is made possible through a grant from The Depot Foundation.

MEET THE ORCHESTRA

DIRK MEYER, THE CHARLES A. & CAROLYN M. RUSSELL MUSIC DIRECTOR

FIRST VIOLIN

Erin Aldridge, Concertmaster

Sponsor: Arend & Verna Sandbulte in support of the concertmaster chair through the Sandbulte Orchestra Leadership Fund

Angela Waterman-Hanson, Associate Concertmaster

Lian Ojakangas, Interim Assistant Concertmaster

SECOND VIOLIN

Laurie Bastian, Principal

VIOLA

Kevin Hoeschen, Principal

Sponsored by Kay Biga & Patrick Spott; Irina Haller

Ronald Kari, Assistant Principal

Sponsored by Stephen & Lauri Cushing; Ruth Ann Eaton

Clare Chopp

CELLO

Betsy Husby, Principal

DOUBLE BASS

Cassidy Morgan, Principal

Vincent Osborn, Assistant Principal

FLUTE

James DeVoll, Principal

Melanie Sever, Flute 2

OBOE

Michael Dayton, Principal

CLARINET

Jennifer Gerth, Principal (On Leave 24-25)

Sponsored by William “Buzz” & Saundra Palmer

Theodore Schoen, Acting Principal 24-25

BASSOON

Michael Roemhildt, Principal

SAXOPHONE

Gregory Kehl Moore, Principal

HORN

James Pospisil, Principal

TRUMPET

Earl Salemink, Principal Sponsored by Robert Wahman

Charles Leibfried, Trumpet 2

Sponsored by Jeff & Vickie Cadwell; Patricia & David Mast

Thomas Pfotenhauer, Trumpet 3

TROMBONE

Larry Zimmerman, Principal

Sponsored by Gale & Jeri Kerns; Roberta Vose

Christian Howard, Trombone 2

James Erickson, Bass Trombone

Sponsored by Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

TUBA

Steve Grove, Principal

Sponsored by Helena Jackson & Doug Dunham

TIMPANI

Fred Morgan, Principal

PERCUSSION

Colin O’ Day, Principal

HARP

Janell Kokkonen Lemire, Principal

KEYBOARD

Alexander Sandor, Principal

A LOST MELODY

In Memory of Jacob Nephew, a DSSO Youth Symphony Peer By Yupeng Chen

His bow took flight, His passion filled our space; Every Monday night, I saw joy on his face.

In summer quartet, His spirit soared; Whenever we met, His music poured.

What dreams he chased, What music he longed to play; Melody ended in a haste, Gifted peer, a world away.

Full of questions, but answers hide, A lost melody, yet echoes stay; Kind soul will never subside, We play forever along the way.

If desired, donations may be made to the DSSYO in memory of Jacob.

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MASTERWORKS 4

BRAHMS & KORNGOLD

CONCERT SPONSOR

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2025, 7 PM

DECC SYMPHONY HALL, ALLETE STAGE

DIRK MEYER, CONDUCTOR

JULIE ALBERS, CELLO

Cello Concerto in C major, Op. 37

Julie

Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90

Allegro con brio

Andante

Poco allegretto

Allegro – Un poco sostenuto

Theme and Variations, Op. 42 and Cello Concerto in C Major, Op. 37 by Erich Wolfgang Korngold are presented under license from European American Music Distributors Company and Schott Music.

Mariel for cello and orchestra by Osvaldo Golijov is presented under license from Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.

JULIE ALBERS

American cellist Julie Albers is recognized for her superlative artistry, her charismatic and radiant performing style, and her intense musicianship. She was born into a musical family in Longmont, Colorado and began violin studies at the age of two with her mother, switching to cello at four. She moved to Cleveland during her junior year of high school to pursue studies through the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Richard Aaron. Miss Albers soon was awarded the Grand Prize at the XIII International Competition for Young Musicians in Douai, France, and as a result toured France as soloist with Orchestre Symphonique de Douai.

Julie Albers made her major orchestral debut with the Cleveland Orchestra in 1998, and thereafter has performed in recital and with orchestras throughout North America, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2001, she won Second Prize in Munich’s Internationalen Musikwettbewerbes der ARD, and was also awarded the Wilhelm-Weichsler-Musikpreis der Stadt Osnabruch. While in Germany, she recorded solo and chamber music of Kodaly for the Bavarian Radio, performances that have been heard throughout Europe. In 2003, Miss Albers was named the

first Gold Medal Laureate of South Korea’s Gyeongnam International Music Competition, winning the $25,000 Grand Prize.

In North America, Miss Albers has performed with many important orchestras and ensembles. Recent performances have included exciting debuts on the San Francisco Performances series and with the Grant Park Music Festival where she performed Penderecki’s Concerto Grosso for 3 cellos with Mr. Penderecki conducting. Past seasons have included concerto appearances with the orchestras of Colorado, Indianapolis, San Diego, Seattle, Vancouver; St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Munchener Kammerorchester among others. During the 2014 -15 season, performances included appearances with the Winnipeg Symphony, Oklahoma Philharmonic, San Antonio Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Albany Symphony where she premiered a new concerto by Michael Torke. Upcoming performances include recitals with pianist Orion Weiss at the Schubert Club in St. Paul, MN and the Orange County Philharmonic Society in Costa Mesa, CA along with appearances with orchestras such as the Colorado Music Festival orchestra, the Ann Arbor Symphony, the Rochester and Rhode Island Philharmonics, amongst others.

In addition to solo performances, Miss Albers regularly participates in chamber music festivals around the world. 2009 marked the end of a three year residency with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. She is currently active with the Albers String Trio and the Cortona Trio. Teaching is also a very important part of Miss Albers’ musical life. She currently is Assistant Professor and holds the Mary Jean and Charles Yates Cello Chair at the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Miss Albers was named principal cellist of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in 2014 and began her position there in Fall 2015.

Miss Albers’ debut album with Orion Weiss includes works by Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Schumann, Massenet, and Piatiagorsky and is available on the Artek Label. Julie Albers performs on a N.F. Vuillaume cello made in 1872 and makes her home in Minneapolis with her husband, Bourbon, and their dog, Dozer.

Theme and Variations, Op. 42

ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD

BORN: May 29, 1897, in Brno, Moravia (now Czech Republic)

DIED: November 29, 1957, in Hollywood, California

WORK COMPOSED: 1953

WORLD PREMIERE: Undocumented

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight’s performance is the first by the DSSO.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, oboe (optional), two clarinets, bassoon (optional), two horns (optional), two trumpets, two trombones, timpani, percussion (cymbals, snare drum, glockenspiel), harp (optional), piano and strings.

DURATION : 7 minutes

Korngold’s Theme and Variations is the result of a commission he received in 1953 from the American School Orchestras Association. Originally written for string orchestra and harp, the piece showcases his melodic inventiveness, harmonic sophistication, and flair for orchestration.

The original charming and lilting theme is marked to be played “like an Irish folk tune.” Korngold’s genius lies in the way he imbues each phrase with emotional depth, weaving intricate counterpoints that elevate the theme’s inherent simplicity. It is a melody that feels timeless yet personal, echoing the heart-on-sleeve expressiveness of his earlier works while maintaining a disciplined classical elegance.

As the variations unfold, Korngold demonstrates his versatility and mastery of form. Each variation transforms the theme through changes in tempo, texture, and mood, showcasing his profound understanding of orchestration. Playful scherzos, wistful adagios, and dramatic climaxes alternate, creating a rich tapestry of sound that engages the listener. The harp plays a pivotal role in adding shimmering colors and delicate flourishes, enhancing the piece’s ethereal quality.

The final variation, a triumphal march, demonstrates a remarkable transformation of the theme heard at the beginning of the work. Movie buffs may find a similarity between this variation and the famous March of the Merry Men from Korngold’s Oscar-winning score to the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood. Korngold’s Theme and Variations remains a captivating work that highlights his dual legacy as a composer of both classical and film music.

ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD

OSVALDO NOÉ GOLIJOV

Mariel OSVALDO NOÉ GOLIJOV

BORN: December 5, 1960, in La Plata, Argentina

WORK COMPOSED: 1999

WORLD PREMIERE: 1999 at Merkin Hall, NY; Maya Beiser, cello and Steve Schick, marimba

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight’s performance is the first by the DSSO.

INSTRUMENTATION: Three flutes (3rd doubles alto flute), oboe and English horn, two clarinets (2nd doubles bass clarinet), two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (marimba, vibraphone, chimes, crotales, triangles, tam-tams), harp, celesta, strings and solo cello.

DURATION : 13 minutes

Golijov’s parents were Romanian Jewish immigrants to Argentina. Beyond being exposed to the traditional music (Jewish liturgical and traditional klezmer) of his parents’ culture and faith, growing up in Argentina exposed him to that country’s many styles, including the tango. Traveling abroad to Jerusalem in 1983 and then to Pennsylvania in 1986 to finish his PhD in composition, he absorbed the various musical styles he encountered in his studies. These influences of other people and their music had a great impact on the development of Golijov’s musical personality.

The musical language of Golijov is living and vibrant. The result of this is that he often revises his works, sometimes over many years, to come to a final version – that is if there is a final version. The original version of Mariel was composed originally for cellist Maya Beiser and marimbist Steve Schick only to be reworked into a full orchestra version so it would reach a larger audience. The inspiration for Mariel comes from a moment of personal tragedy for the composer. Mariel Stubrin, the wife of one of his closest friends, was killed in an automobile accident in southern Chile.

Golijov furnishes an introduction to this work: “I wrote Mariel in memory of a friend who died in a car accident in Patagonia, where the trees are very, very tall. The inspiration there was, of course, to write an elegy for her, but I imagined the moment when grief still hadn’t arrived, the moment of being stunned by what happened, and I imagined the light of the sunshine filtering through the very tall trees. So for the marimba I imagined the refraction of the light, and the cello is like the spirit of that friend elevating. It’s almost like a painting, the idea of creating that melody and that effect of light in such a way that it’s almost like one single moment of light reverberating, rather than time progressing – suspended and vibrating, rather than going from the past to the future.”

Cello Concerto in C major, Op. 37

ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD

BORN: May 29, 1897, in Brno, Moravia (now Czech Republic)

DIED: November 29, 1957, in Hollywood, California

WORK COMPOSED: 1946

WORLD PREMIERE: December 29, 1946, in Los Angeles; Eleanor Aller Slatkin with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight’s performance is the first by the DSSO.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes (2nd doubles piccolo), two oboes (2nd doubles English horn), two clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons (2nd doubles contrabassoon), two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, tam-tam, cymbals, suspended cymbal, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, marimba), harp, piano, celesta, strings and solo cello.

DURATION : 13 minutes

Korngold’s Cello Concerto is an ideal example of his music making the transition from the silver screen to the concert stage. In 1946 Korngold began work on what would be his last original film score, Deception, a movie set in New York, in the world of classical music. The movie starred Claude Rains as the egomaniacal composer Alexander Hollenius, Bette Davis as his pupil and mistress Christine Radcliffe, and Paul Henried as the cellist Karel Novák, her former lover just released from a concentration camp. Part of the musical score was a short

concert work for the film’s climax and the result was the Cello Concerto in C major. The original version was only six minutes long, but it was so successful that Korngold expanded it to its current form and had it published in 1950. Although it is a showpiece for the cello, at only thirteen minutes its brevity might explain why it isn’t performed often.

The very heart of Deception is Korngold’s music. Hollenius writes a cello concerto and has it premiered with the sole aim of taking revenge on his mistress who has just left him for Novák. The concerto itself is a character in the driving force of the plot. Throughout the film Christine’s expressions follow the movements of the music, whether preexisting works (Schubert, Haydn, Beethoven) or Korngold’s score.

When Christine and Karel are first reunited he knows nothing of her relationship with Hollenius. They marry, but Hollenius makes a dramatic entrance at their wedding reception. His jealousy is clearly evident to the point he squeezes a wine glass until it shatters. Hollenius presents Karel with a manuscript of his new cello concerto, which Karel agrees to perform at its premiere thinking this would be a great introduction to America for him. Christine realizes that another cellist in the orchestra is being tutored on the solo by Hollenius and she suspects that Hollenius will try to sabotage Karel’s career.

Hollenius breaks off a dress rehearsal blaming Karel’s temperamental behavior, but the friction between the two had been building from the beginning. Hollenius makes it clear that Karel will play the concerto and on the evening of the premiere, Christine visits Hollenius, who tells her that he will allow Karel the joy of a successful performance only to then destroy him by telling him about their love affair. Christine is distraught and shoots Hollenius, killing him. Another conductor takes the place of the absent Hollenius and the performance is a great success. While the wellwishers wait, Christine confesses everything to Karel and they leave the concert hall together. A lady comments to Christine as they are walking out, “you must be the happiest woman in the world,” which elicits a guarded smile from Christine.

The suspense and frenetic energy of the film is perfectly depicted in Korngold’s Cello Concerto. Eleanore Aller (19171995) is the cellist performing the concerto on the movie soundtrack and also performed its premiere with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1946. Aller became the principal cellist in the Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra in 1939; her father also played in the orchestra and her pianist brother Victor Aller later became the orchestra manager. She was the first woman to hold a principal chair in a Hollywood studio orchestra. That same year she met and married Felix Slatkin (1915-1963) and shortly after their marriage they founded the Hollywood String Quartet. After her husband died, in addition to her studio work, she played in orchestras for recordings with Frank Sinatra. The cello solo in the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind was specially written for her by John Williams. Her two sons are the conductor Leonard Slatkin and the cellist Frederick Zlotkin.

ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD

JOHANNES BRAHMS

Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90

JOHANNES BRAHMS

BORN: May 7, 1833, in Hamburg, Germany

DIED: April 3, 1897, in Vienna, Austria

WORK COMPOSED: 1883

WORLD PREMIERE: December 2, 1883, in Vienna; Vienna Philharmonic, Hans Richter conducting.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The DSSO has played this work seven times previously in: 1938, 1951, 1959, 1968, 1981, 1992, and on March 26, 2011.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

DURATION : 33 minutes

Brahms wrote his Third Symphony at the age of 50, during a period of profound self-assurance. By this time he had firmly established himself as a leading figure in the Romantic era. The composition came six years after his Second Symphony, a time during which Brahms had achieved widespread acclaim and was enjoying a fruitful phase of creativity. He completed the symphony during the summer of 1883 while vacationing in Wiesbaden, a location that seemed to inspire him with its serene landscapes and proximity to nature.

After composing his Symphony No. 2 Brahms wrote some of his greatest works, including the Violin Concerto, Tragic Overture, Academic Festival Overture and Piano Concerto

No. 2. Only seventeen years after completing his First Symphony, which took him over twenty years and a lot of soul-searching, he composed Symphony No. 3, one of the finest achievements in the symphonic repertoire.

Brahms developed a personal motto F-A-F, frei aber froh (free but happy), after befriending the Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim (1831-1907), who had already adopted his own personal motto F-A-E, frei aber einsam (free but lonely). Some argue that Brahms would not use this motto as a personal musical statement, but he often reminded his friends that “I speak through my music.” Nevertheless the opening of the Third Symphony uses the motto of F-A-F and then again substitutes the A with an A-flat. This motto persists, either boldly or disguised, throughout the first movement.

The premiere in Vienna was a huge success. Eduard Hanslick (1825-1904), a close friend of Brahms and among the leading critics of his time, pronounced the Third Symphony “a feast for the music lover and musician. Many music lovers will prefer the titanic force of the First Symphony, others, the untroubled charm of the Second, but the Third strikes me as being artistically the most nearly perfect. It is more compactly made, more transparent in detail, more plastic in the main themes.” Brahms’ Third Symphony is the shortest of his four symphonies. Hans Richter (1843-1916), who conducted the premiere, proclaimed it to be Brahms’ Eroica, in reference to Beethoven’s Third Symphony.

Brahms’ combination of opposing themes is one of the most striking aspects of the Third Symphony: the heroic and the lyrical, the personal and the universal, the disciplined and the emotional. He achieves this balance through meticulous attention to structure, counterpoint and orchestration. Where themes recur in multiple movements, he creates a sense of unity. The work itself bridges the gap between the Classical and Romantic eras. Its exploration of themes like freedom, happiness, and introspection resonates deeply, offering listeners an enduring journey through the depths of human emotion. As one of the crowning achievements of Brahms’ career, the Third Symphony continues to captivate audiences with its beauty, complexity, and profound humanity.

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CHOOSE EXCELLENCE CHOOSE HANFT

LA MER

SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2025, 7 PM

DECC SYMPHONY HALL, ALLETE STAGE

DIRK MEYER, CONDUCTOR

NATASHA PAREMSKI, PIANO

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11

Natasha Paremski, Piano

Allegro maestoso

Romanze – Larghetto

Rondo – Vivace

No. 4, Heichalos (2017)

“From dawn to noon on the sea” – très lent – animez peu à peu

“Play of the waves” – allegro (dans un rythme très souple) – animé

“Dialogue of the wind and the sea” – animé et tumultueux – cédez très légèrement

CONCERT SPONSOR

DULUTH GRILL FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS

Symphony No. 4 by Jonathan Leshnoff is presented under license from Theodore Presser Company.

NATASHA PAREMSKI

With her consistently striking and dynamic performances, pianist Natasha Paremski reveals astounding virtuosity and profound interpretations. She continues to generate excitement from all corners as she wins over audiences with her musical sensibility and a powerful, flawless technique.

Natasha is a regular return guest of many major orchestras, including Minnesota Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Grant Park Festival, Winnipeg Symphony, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with whom she has performed and toured frequently since 2008 in venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, and Cadogan Hall. She has performed with major orchestras in North America including Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Houston Symphony, NAC Orchestra in Ottawa, Nashville Symphony. She has toured extensively in Europe with such orchestras as Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Vienna’s Tonkünstler Orchester, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Orchestre de Bretagne, the Orchestre de Nancy, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Tonhalle Orchester in Zurich, Moscow Philharmonic, under the direction of conductors including Thomas Dausgaard, Peter Oundjian, Andres Orozco-Estrada, Jeffrey Kahane, James Gaffigan, JoAnn Falletta, Fabien Gabel, Rossen Milanov and Andrew Litton. In addition, she has toured with Gidon Kremer and the Kremerata Baltica in Latvia, Benelux, the United Kingdom and Austria as well as appearances with National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra in Taipei.

Natasha has given recitals at the Auditorium du Louvre in Paris, Wigmore Hall, Schloss Elmau, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, Verbier Festival, San Francisco Performances, Seattle’s Meany Hall, Kansas City’s Harriman Jewell Series, Santa Fe’s Lensic Theater, Ludwigshafen BASF Series, Teatro Colon in

Buenos Aires, Tokyo’s Musashino Performing Arts Center and on the Rising Stars Series of Gilmore and Ravinia Festivals.

A passionate chamber musician, Natasha is a regular recital partner of Grammy winning cellist Zuill Bailey, with whom she has recorded a number of CDs. Their Britten album on Telarc debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Chart, remaining there for a number of weeks, in addition to being featured on The New York Times Playlist. She has been a guest of many chamber music festivals such as Jeffrey Kahane’s Green Music Center ChamberFest, the Lockenhaus, Toronto, Sitka Summer Music, and Cape Cod Chamber Music festivals to name a few.

Natasha was awarded several prestigious prizes at a very young age, including the Gilmore Young Artists prize in 2006 at the age of eighteen, the Prix Montblanc in 2007, the Orpheum Stiftung Prize in Switzerland. In September 2010, she was awarded the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year. Her first recital album was released in 2011 to great acclaim, topping the Billboard Classical Charts, and was re-released on the Steinway & Sons label in September 2016 featuring Islamey recorded on Steinway’s revolutionary new Spirio technology. In 2012 she recorded Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Rhapsody with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Fabien Gabel on the orchestra’s label distributed by Naxos.

With a strong focus on new music, Natasha’s growing repertoire reflects an artistic maturity beyond her years. In the 2010-11 season, she played the world premiere of a sonata written for her by Gabriel Kahane, which was also included in her solo album.

Natasha continues to extend her performance activity and range beyond the traditional concert hall. In December 2008, she was the featured pianist in choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s Danses Concertantes at New York’s Joyce Theater. She was featured in a major two-part film for BBC Television on the life and work of Tchaikovsky, shot on location in St. Petersburg, performing excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto and other works. In the winter of 2007, Natasha participated along with Simon Keenlyside in the filming of Twin Spirits, a project starring Sting and Trudie Styler that explores the music and writing of Robert and Clara Schumann, which was released on DVD. She has performed in the project live several times with the co-creators in New York and the U.K., directed by John Caird, the original director/adaptor of the musical Les Misérables

Natasha began her piano studies at the age of four with Nina Malikova at Moscow’s Andreyev School of Music. She then studied at San Francisco Conservatory of Music before moving to New York to study with Pavlina Dokovska at Mannes College of Music, from which she graduated in 2007. Natasha made her professional debut at age nine with El Camino Youth Symphony in California. At the age of fifteen she debuted with Los Angeles Philharmonic and recorded two discs with Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.

Born in Moscow, Natasha moved to the United States at the age of eight, becoming a U.S. citizen shortly thereafter, and is now based in New York City where she is Artistic Director of the New York Piano Society, a non-profit organization that supports pianists whose professions lie outside of music.

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 FRYDERYK FRANCISZEK CHOPIN

BORN: March 1, 1810, in Żelazowa Wola, near Warsaw, Poland

DIED: October 17, 1849, in Paris, France

WORK COMPOSED: 1830

WORLD PREMIERE: October 11, 1830, in Warsaw; Chopin, soloist with National Theatre Orchestra, Carlo Evasio Soliva conducting

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight marks the Orchestra’s fifth performance of this work. Previous soloists were Josef Hofmann (in 1941), Sergei Edelmann (1982), Dan Wen-Wei (1999),and Vanessa Perez (on January 17, 2009).

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, trombone, timpani, strings and solo piano.

DURATION : 43 minutes

Chopin composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 when he was only twenty years old and he composed Piano Concerto No. 2 a year earlier at age nineteen! An interesting curiosity is that this second concerto was the first to be published and therefore received a lower designation and opus number. Chopin began composing it immediately after the March 17, 1830, premiere of Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 21. This E minor Concerto stands as one of the most remarkable works in the Romantic repertoire and showcases Chopin’s

prodigious skill as a pianist and composer.

This concerto emerged at a pivotal moment in his career. Poland was on the brink of revolution against Russian rule, and Chopin was poised to leave his homeland for what would become a lifelong exile. Piano Concerto No. 1 was not only his personal farewell to Poland but also a declaration of Chopin’s artistic identity. He dedicated it to Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785-1849), a pianist and composer whom he admired.

The premiere in Warsaw on October 11, 1830, and the French premiere in Paris at the Salle Pleyel seven weeks later were outstanding successes. The day after the Paris performance, François-Joseph Fétis wrote, “There is spirit in these melodies, there is fantasy in these passages, and everywhere there is originality” and “I find in M. Chopin’s inspirations the indication of a renewal of forms which may exercise in time much influence over this department of the art.” Over the years critics have differed in their opinions of the concerto. Some feel that the orchestral support is dry and uninteresting. Others have felt that the accompaniment is carefully and deliberately written to fit in with the sound of the piano. Robert Schumann reviewed Chopin’s concertos in 1836 for the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik writing that with these pieces, “Chopin introduces the spirit of Beethoven into the concerto hall.”

The beauty of Chopin’s melodies explains the immortality of his music; in them the composer exposes his soul to the world. The second movement, Romanze: Larghetto, is a delicate interlude in E major. While composing it, Chopin wrote to his friend Titus Woyciechowski (1808-1879) on May 15, 1830, “the Adagio of my new concerto is in E major. It is not meant to create a powerful effect; it is rather a Romance, calm and melancholy giving the impression of someone looking gently towards a spot which calls to mind a thousand happy memories. It is a kind of reverie in the moonlight on a beautiful spring evening… Here you doubtless observe my tendency to do wrong against my will. As something has involuntarily crept into my head through my eyes, I love to indulge it, even though it may be all wrong.” Some believe that the inspiration for the slow movement of his Second Piano Concerto may have been soprano Konstancja Gładkowska (1810-1889), whom Chopin had fallen in love with when they studied together at the Warsaw School of Music, and that she was once again on his mind while composing the First Piano Concerto. It is also possible that Chopin was referring to Woyciechowski himself as they may have also been lovers during that time.

Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 marked a turning point in the Romantic concerto tradition, emphasizing the expressive capabilities of the piano over the dramatic dialogue between soloist and orchestra seen in works by Beethoven and Mozart. This shift influenced later composers, including Liszt and Rachmaninoff. Through its rich melodies, virtuosic passages, and emotional depth, the concerto continues to captivate audiences and performers alike, serving as a testament to Chopin’s enduring legacy as a Romantic innovator and poet of the piano.

FRYDERYK FRANCISZEK CHOPIN

Symphony No. 4, Heichalos (2017) JONATHAN LESHNOFF

BORN: September 8, 1973, in New Brunswick, New Jersey

WORK COMPOSED: 2017, commissioned by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra

WORLD PREMIERE: March 22-24, 2018, Nashville; Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Giancarlo Guerrero conducting

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight’s performance is the first by the DSSO.

INSTRUMENTATION: Three flutes (3rd doubles piccolo), three oboes (3rd doubles English horn), three clarinets (3rd doubles bass clarinet), two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets and piccolo trumpet, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, snare drum, marimba, vibraphone, bongos, congas, splash cymbal, cymbals, tom-toms, woodblocks), harp, piano and strings.

DURATION : 22 minutes

Jonathan Leshnoff is renowned for his music’s striking harmonies, structural complexity, and powerful themes. His undergraduate studies were in anthropology and music at Johns Hopkins University and the Peabody Conservatory. He did his graduate studies in music at Peabody Conservatory and was awarded a Doctor of Music degree from the University of Maryland. He has been ranked among the most performed living composers in recent seasons with

performances by over 100 orchestras. He has received commissions from Carnegie Hall, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, and Pittsburgh, among others. Leshnoff is a Professor of Music at Towson University. The subtitle, Heichalos (usually spelled Heichalot in the Hebrew literature), provides the key to a spiritual dimension, which shapes the formal design of this Symphony No. 4. Heichalos is the Hebrew word for Palaces, relating to visions of ascents into heavenly palaces. The Heichalot literature is one of the oldest written mystical works. Leshnoff’s specific inspiration came from the Heichalot Rabbati (Greater Palaces), which describes Rabbi Ishmael’s ascent to heavenly palaces and the angelic praises of God that he heard there. According to the composer it is “one of a few texts that explicitly describes the way to attain a mystical encounter with the higher worlds. Through the means outlined in the text, the initiate meditates himself into ‘rooms’ (in Hebrew, heicalos) where he advances, room by room, to a communion with the Divine. The Rabbis who were qualified to teach and attempt this type of meditation have long ago ceased to walk the face of this Earth.” Leshnoff describes Symphony No. 4 as “a musical depiction of the initiate’s travels through these rooms.” There are two parts of roughly equal length to the symphony, but they should not be thought of as movements as they contrast so powerfully and have such distinctive characters.

Part One refers to the opening and a later chapter of the Heichalot text: “When one enters the [first] room, he knows everything that will happen in the terrestrial world...when he is on a higher level, he sees each person’s secret deeds...when he is on yet a higher level, he is separated from mankind; anyone who tries to harm him is rebuked by a Heavenly tribunal...and when he approaches the seventh room, the angelic Chayos glare at him each with their 512 eyes, each stare like a flash of lightning.” Part Two, which Leshnoff characterizes as “a love song between humanity and God,” is in severe contrast to the speed and darkness of Part One. The opening begins with the strings in slow, extended lines that are reminiscent of Barber’s Adagio for Strings or the Adagietto from Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Leshnoff has written brief thought-provoking questions, such as “who do you love” and “where are they now?,” into the beginning and end, respectively, of Part Two.

The composer explains that he has been exploring how to make “the transitions from music to enter into the spiritual realms.” To that effect the start of Part Two is a measure of notated rest with these questions held as long as the conductor feels. “I want the musicians to meditate on that phrase and to start thinking about who they love. Then, at the end, what has happened to them - are they dead or alive, part of your life?”

JONATHAN LESHNOFF

La Mer, L.109

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

BORN: August 22, 1862, in Saint-Germain-enLaye, Seine-et-Oise, on the north-west fringes of Paris, France

DIED: March 25, 1918, in Paris WORK COMPOSED: 1903-1905

WORLD PREMIERE: October 15, 1905, in Paris; Orchestra Lamoureux, Camille Chevillard conducting PERFORMANCE HISTORY: There have been six previous DSSO performances of this work. In 1951 and 1965 Hermann Herz conducted; in 1978 and1990 Taavo Virkhaus was on the podium; in 2003 and on October 13, 2012 Markand Thakar led the work.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets, three bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, two cornets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (glockenspiel, tam-tam, cymbals, triangle, bass drum), two harps and strings.

DURATION : 23 minutes

Debussy’s La Mer is one of the most evocative and innovative orchestral works of the early 20th century. Subtitled Trois esquisses symphoniques (Three Symphonic Sketches), this masterpiece captures the essence and moods of the sea, drawing listeners into a dynamic world of fluidity, light, and motion. Debussy’s father, a sailor, would tell his son beguiling stories of his life on the ocean. Debussy himself experienced just three ocean voyages, including a very rough crossing to England via

the English Channel. Nonetheless, he wrote to his publisher, Jacques Durand, “the sea is always endless and beautiful. It is really the thing in nature which best puts you in your place…The sea has been very good to me. She has shown me all her moods. You do not know perhaps that I was intended for the fine career of a sailor and only the chances of life led me away from it…I have an endless store of memories…Music is a free art, boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, and the sea.” We can infer from these notes that Debussy was a very complex individual; sensitive to all kinds of experiences, images and ideas. On the cover of the manuscript he placed the drawing titled The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), described as “possibly the most reproduced image in the history of all art.”

What little physical experience Debussy may have had with the sea was enhanced with his studying paintings that have the sea as a subject. His visits to London in 1902 and 1903 afforded him the opportunity to study in depth the paintings of Joseph Mallord William (J.M.W.) Turner (1775-1851), whose work he knew and admired. Turner is known for his expressive colors, imaginative landscapes and turbulent, often violent marine paintings. (In our modern age we can readily view hundreds of Turner’s paintings on the internet. The influence on Debussy’s La Mer becomes obvious when experiencing such paintings as Calais Pier (1803) and The Shipwreck (1805).)

La Mer consists of three movements, each vividly painting a different aspect of the sea:

1. From Dawn to Noon on the Sea begins with a sense of mysterious anticipation as the orchestra softly evokes the awakening of the sea at dawn.

2. Play of the Waves is lighter and more playful, capturing the capricious movement of waves.

3. Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea is the most dramatic, portraying the powerful interaction between the wind and the ocean.

The premiere in Paris was not successful for a number of reasons. First the score was difficult and players complained. In fact, as Debussy later told Stravinsky, the violinists had tied handkerchiefs to the tips of their bows in rehearsal as a sign of ridicule and protest. Even worse, the audience hissed but for an entirely different reason. Debussy unwisely appeared with the wife of a Parisian banker, Emma Bardac, who was not only the mistress of Gabriel Fauré but was carrying Debussy’s daughter (born two weeks later). They had met in the autumn of 1903 and in June 1904 Debussy left his wife (she attempted suicide a few months later) and moved into an apartment with Bardac, where they lived for the rest of his life. Neither she nor Debussy had bothered to obtain divorces and a number of his friends broke off relations with him. Debussy himself later conducted two performances in Paris (the first time he ever conducted an orchestra) on January 19 and 26, 1908, which were spectacularly successful.

La Mer broke new ground in orchestration and harmonic language. Debussy expanded the traditional tonal system, using modes, whole-tone scales, and unresolved dissonances to create a sense of fluidity and ambiguity. His approach to orchestration was equally revolutionary, treating the orchestra as a palette of colors to blend and layer rather than as distinct sections. More than a century after its creation, La Mer continues to enchant and inspire, a timeless reflection of the ever-changing ocean and the boundless creativity of one of history’s greatest composers. Program notes by Vincent Osborn © 2024

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

LIVE CONCERTS & LECTURES THIS SPRING

TUESDAY, FEB. 11, 7 P.M. TILL THERE WAS YOU MUSIC FACULTY RECITAL

THURSDAY, FEB. 13, 7:30 P.M. WAGING PEACE WITH DIANA OESTREICH

FRIDAY, FEB. 14, 3:40 P.M. IRREVOCABLE WHOLENESS: PAINTING INHERENT SACREDNESS WITH SARAH BROKKE

FRIDAY, FEB. 28, 3:40 P.M. THE JOY AND ART OF HANDBELL RINGING WITH DR. DEREK BROMME

SATURDAY, MAR. 1, 3 P.M. BLUE AND THE BLUES

ST. SCHOLASTICA CONCERT BAND

THURSDAY, MAR. 6, 4 P.M. BON VOYAGE! THE CSS ITALY TOUR CHOIR

SATURDAY, MAR. 22, 1 P.M. BRING THE SING YOURCLASSICAL MPR

TUESDAY, APR. 1, 7 P.M. ANGELA HEWITT PLAYS BACH MATINEE MUSICALE

FRIDAY, APR. 4, 3:40 P.M. GLOBAL GRASSROOTS WITH DR. KEVIN TABER

FRIDAY, APR. 25, 7:30 P.M. SONGS OF THE EARTH ST. SCHOLASTICA CHOIRS

VISIT GO.CSS.EDU/SHOWS FOR A CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND TICKETS.

Reif

Berlioz’

Humperdinck’s

LA VALSE

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2025, 7 PM

DECC SYMPHONY HALL, ALLETE STAGE

DIRK MEYER, CONDUCTOR

ERIN ALDRIDGE, VIOLIN

DSSO CHORUS

RICHARD CARRICK, CHORUS MASTER

La valse

Poème, Op. 25

Erin Aldridge, Violin

Tzigane

Erin Aldridge, Violin

Latin-American Dances for Orchestra Introduction: Jungle Jaunt The Mestizo Waltz

Nänie, Op. 82

DSSO Chorus

AGUILA

Choral Suite No. 1 from Time and Again Barelas

Ignacio’s Dream

The Rhythm of a City Ave Maria Sunrise

DSSO Chorus

Latin American Dances for Orchestra by Gabriela Lena Frank is presented under license from G. Schirmer Inc. and Associated Music Publishers, copyright owners.

Choral Suite No. 1 from Time and Again Barelas by Miguel del Aguila is presented under license from Subito Music Corporation.

ERIN ALDRIDGE

Multi-genre violinist Erin Aldridge is a highly sought-after performer and teacher who has won numerous awards as both soloist and chamber musician, and has been featured throughout Europe, South America, and the United States. Aldridge maintains an active performance schedule as a soloist and chamber musician, as well as non-classical genres with her band Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold and Superior Siren. She has been a soloist with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, the Long Prairie Chamber Orchestra, the Mesabi Symphony Orchestra, and the Itasca Symphony Orchestra. She has been a guest artist at the Indiana University Summer Music Festival, Arizona State University, DePaul University Contemporary Concert Series, Madeline Island Music Camp, Ashland Chamber Music Series, National String Workshop, “Live at the Chazen” Concert Series, and The Third Coast Chamber Collective. She has been broadcast on National Public Radio, the BBC, Minnesota Public Radio, and Wisconsin Public Radio, and featured on television in the Midwest region.

Outside of classical music, Aldridge can be seen performing a variety of genres including bluegrass, Americana, folk, funk, blues, electronic, and rock. Her principal band, bluegrass/Americana band Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold, has garnered local and regional acclaim for their virtuosic instrumentalism and genreblending original compositions. They have been featured at Blue Ox Festival in Eau Claire, Boats and Bluegrass Festival in Winona, River Falls Bluegrass Festival, The Great Northern Squashfest, GLAMA Festival, and they appear at venues around the Twin Ports and the Midwest. With Superior Siren, Aldridge made her debut at the iconic First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN opening for DeVotchKa, and played Blue Ox Festival. The first single she recorded with the Sirens, “Rattlesnake”, is garnering critical acclaim including being highlighted as a best new Minnesota song for August by Mpls. St. Paul Magazine. Aldridge is also the artistic advisor to the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra “Bridge Sessions”, a unique summer concert series dedicated to bringing together musicians of diverse genres to

create special performances. Aldridge has shared the stage with Pert Near Sandstone, Ryan Young (from Trampled by Turtles) Feed the Dog, Barefoot Bluegrass, Buffalo Galaxy, Saltydog, Wonderfunk, Superior Siren, Boss Momma and the Jebberhooch, Sarah Thomsen, and High & Rising. This past summer she was invited to be the “artist at large” for the inaugural Burnstone Music Festival in Sandstone, MN.

Aldridge has several recordings, including her recording of Eugene Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27, composer Justin Rubin’s Constellations for the MSR Classics label, and composer Ian Deterling’s Duet in F Minor, Op. 4 for Violin and Trombone. In addition, she has done recordings with acclaimed singer-songwriter Sara Thomsen as well as the Three Altos, Superior Siren, and Andy Hanson. Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold released their first liverecorded album “Live from the Heart: Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold at Sacred Heart Music Center” and they will be going into the studio in January 2025 to record their first studio album.

In the Twin Ports area, Aldridge has received recognition as a prominent artist. In the spring of 2005, she was named concertmaster of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. She was selected for the “20 under 40” award by the Duluth News Tribune in the fall of 2007, an honor given to 20 professionals who are successful in their chosen fields and role models in the community. In 2012 she received the Community Enrichment Award from the Duluth Depot Foundation Annual Artist Awards and was honored by the American Association of University Women as one of four “Created Here” artists in the DuluthSuperior area. Most recently, Aldridge received the 2023 Teaching Excellence Award (Individual) given by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents.

As a conductor, she has directed many ensembles around the state and has been the guest clinician for the UW-Milwaukee High School Honors Orchestra. Under her direction, the University of Wisconsin-Superior Chamber Orchestra has developed a reputation for innovative programming specializing in performance of both traditional and new compositions. The UW-Superior Chamber Strings has been featured multiple times in concert at the Wisconsin State Music Educators State Conference, and presented concert tours in Brazil, China, and Ghana.

Aldridge attended Indiana University where she received her bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance. She received her master’s degree and Performer’s Certificate in Chamber Music Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and was a member of the Leonard Sorkin Institute of Chamber Music under the direction of the Fine Arts Quartet. She continued her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance. Her primary teachers included Mimi Zweig, Josef Gingold, Nellie Shkolnikova, Rostaslav Dubinsky, Efim Boico, and Vartan Manoogian. Her conducting instructors included Margery Deutsch and David Becker.

Aldridge is currently the Professor of Violin and Viola at the University of Wisconsin-Superior where she is also serves as Director of Orchestra. She is the Concertmaster of both the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of the North Opera Orchestra.

The DSSO Chorus has a rich and storied history, dating all the way back to its establishment in 1959.

Made up of dedicated volunteers, this chorus has become an integral part of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra’s performances. They regularly join forces with the orchestra to present breathtaking choral-orchestral masterworks, operas, and pops concerts.

Over the years, the DSSO Chorus has had the privilege of performing a wide range of beloved choral compositions. They have tackled monumental works such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, famously known for its triumphant “Ode to Joy.” They have also taken on Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, a powerful and emotionally charged piece often referred to

In addition to these monumental works, the chorus has showcased their versatility by performing Orff’s Carmina Burana, a vibrant and rhythmic composition that captivates audiences with its energetic melodies. They have also brought to life Bizet’s Carmen, an operatic masterpiece filled with passion and drama. They’ve performed Michael Tippet’s A Child of Our Time, an oratorio in support of oppressed people everywhere. More recent performances include Brahms’ Requiem and Faure’s Requiem. And of course, no choral repertoire would be complete without Handel’s Messiah, a timeless and beloved oratorio that continues to inspire and uplift listeners.

The DSSO Chorus’s dedication and commitment to their craft have made them an essential component of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra’s performances. Their contributions have enriched the cultural landscape of the community, bringing the joy and power of choral music to audiences year after year.

MEET DSSO’S NEW CHORUS MASTER!

Richard Carrick is a conductor, clinician, singer, and educator. He is the Director of Choral Activities at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN, Director of Music at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, and a founding member and conductor of Borealis Chamber Artists. Richard holds a D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington where he studied with Geoffrey Boers and Giselle Wyers. Some professional highlights include singing with the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus under Helmuth Rilling and Matthew Halls, The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. When not teaching or conducting, Richard can be found on a trail somewhere in the woods, or baking with his wife and children.

Chorus Master generously sponsored by members of the DSSO Chorus and an anonymous donor.

MEET THE CHORUS

CHORUS MASTER Dr. Richard Carrick

REHEARSAL ACCOMPANIST Beth Sobczak

CHORUS ADMINISTRATOR Aine Miller

SOPRANOS

Sydney Adkins

Jenna Altonen*

Cathy Ameel

Laura Berdahl

Emilie Bowman

Terry Chialastri

Susan Dake

Nancy Dent

Maureen Gamradt

Anita Gille

Rose Heldt

Sara Henriksen

Raina Johnston

Jill Kaiser

Tasha Kapp

Michelle Kessler

Steph Love

Kelli Marlow

Rosanne Mellesmoen

Aine Miller

Alesha Murphy

Emily Nygren

Barbara Olson

Debra Schroeder

Susan Smart

Sara Stefancik

Beth Storaasli

Megan Taves

ALTOS

Andrea Asleson

Alison Aune

Mariana Beier

Audrey Beyer

Lea Carr

Kelly Crosby

Bonnie Lou Dunphy

Erin Durkee

Jill Geyer

Jane Gilley

Anneke Hoegan

Carol Hoeschen

Carrie Kelsey

Laura Kirwin

Lisa Larson

Debora Magee

Carolyn Mikel*

Lindsey Norlander

Jillian Odell

Stacy Olson

Sharon Sandvik

Ann Sanford

Linda Senta

Sandy Skrien

Tomina Starke

Anne Stephen

Kathy Stinnett

Charlotte Taylor

Shelby Trost

Gudrun Witrak

TENORS

Robert Asleson

Linda Backman

Torstein Baxter-Zink*

Anne Bier

Nathan Borka

Katherine Dean

Corbin Eddy

Tegan Johnson

Glen Krenelka

James Schulzetenberg

Tom Sjoberg

BASSES

Richard Carrick

Mark Danielson

Tim Delnay

Tom Diener

David Ellison

Nathaniel Fechtelkotter*

Riley Hinnenkamp

Christopher Kemnitz

Mark Knutson

Larry LeBlanc

Mike Lyons

Glenn McGill

Andrew Nast

Chris Nylander

Joe O’Connell

Dave Olson

Dennis Paulson

Luther Oson

Randy Schmidt

Kirby Wood

*Denotes Section Leader

COLLEGE OF SAINT SCHOLASTICA STUDENTS

Abby Munns

Annalise Kalm

Ava Sahr

Brandon Loosbrock

Brennan Muhich

Elia Lansing

Ella Goette

Ellie Norvitch

Emerald Melander

Emmie Hinnenkamp

Evelyn (Evy) Menden

Grace Kelsey

Henry Mattson

Isabella Smith

Izzy Roy

Jackson Hagen

Jake Bakke

James Thiel

Kirsten Papas

Logan Ogroske

Maddy Ploof

Maddy Stejskal

Madison Williams

Nathan Behrens

Peyton Ables Saylors

Sage Sorenson

Sophia Reeves

Teodora Petrovich

Vincent Lukasavitz

Zach Schaeffer

Ravel himself, however, denied that it is a reflection of postWorld War I Europe, saying, “While some discover an attempt at parody, indeed caricature, others categorically see a tragic allusion in it – the end of the Second Empire, the situation in Vienna after the war, etc... This dance may seem tragic, like any other emotion... pushed to the extreme. But one should only see in it what the music expresses: an ascending progression of sonority, to which the stage comes along to add light and movement.” In 1922 he also commented that “It doesn’t have anything to do with the present situation in Vienna, and it also doesn’t have any symbolic meaning in that regard. In the course of La Valse, I did not envision a dance of death or a struggle between life and death.” After Ravel’s death, Paul Landormy described the work in his tribute to the composer as “the most unexpected of the compositions of Ravel, revealing to us heretofore unexpected depths of Romanticism, power, vigor, and rapture in this musician whose expression is usually limited to the manifestations of an essentially classical genius.”

BORN: March 7, 1875, in Ciboure, Basses-Pyrénées, France

DIED: December 28, 1937, in Paris

WORK COMPOSED: 1919-1920

WORLD PREMIERE: December 12, 1920, in Paris; Lamoureux Orchestra of Paris, Camille Chevillard conducting

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight marks the DSSO’s ninth performance of this work. Previous performances were in 1948, 1953, 1957, 1963, 1969, 1983, 1998, and September 29, 2007.

INSTRUMENTATION: Three flutes (3rd doubles piccolo), three oboes (3rd doubles English horn), two clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, cymbals, snare drum, triangle, tambourine, tam-tam, glockenspiel, crotales, castanets, suspended cymbal), two harps and strings.

DURATION : 12 minutes

Ravel originally conceived of La Valse as a tribute to the Viennese waltz tradition epitomized by Johann Strauss II (1825-1899), but it evolved into a dark and profound portrait of an opulent world spiraling into chaos. Written shortly after the end of World War I, Ravel’s La Valse encapsulates the tensions of early 20th-century Europe as it grapples with the aftermath of the war and witnesses the collapse of a romanticized past.

The initial sketches for La Valse date from as early as 1906 and were tentatively titled by Ravel as Wien (Vienna), a celebration of the Viennese waltz. However, the societal upheavals that followed the First World War could very well have altered Ravel’s vision. During the war Ravel drove a truck and at times he was in mortal danger delivering munitions under heavy German bombardment. His health suffered greatly with insomnia, digestive problems, dysentery and frostbite. Also, his mother’s health was failing and when she died in January 1917, Ravel fell into “horrible despair.” Adding to that was the distress he felt at the suffering endured by the people of his country during the war. He specifically expressed these feelings in his Le tombeau de Couperin where he dedicated each movement to a friend he lost during the war. By the time Ravel completed La Valse in 1920, the world had irrevocably changed and the cheerful homage transformed into an exploration of decadence and destruction.

Ravel reworked his sketches into what became La Valse, which was commissioned by Serge Diaghilev (1872-1929) as a ballet. However, Diaghilev never produced the ballet; after he heard the two-piano reduction Diaghilev pronounced it a “masterpiece” but rejected it as “not a ballet. It’s a portrait of ballet.” This comment hurt Ravel and after La Valse became a popular concert work, the two men met in 1925 and Ravel refused to shake Diaghilev’s hand. Diaghilev challenged Ravel to a duel, but friends persuaded Diaghilev to recant and the two never met again.

Ravel described La Valse in a preface to the score: “Through whirling clouds, waltzing couples may be faintly distinguished. The clouds gradually scatter: one sees at letter A an immense hall peopled with a whirling crowd. The scene is gradually illuminated. The light of the chandeliers bursts forth at the fortissimo letter B. Set in an imperial court, about 1855.”

Regardless of Ravel’s own thoughts about its character, La Valse is a masterpiece. In our modern lens we envision it as a powerful, multifaceted work that explores themes of beauty, decay, and the inexorable march of history. Even today, more than a century after its creation, it remains as relevant and resonant as ever, a timeless reflection of the human condition.

La Valse MAURICE RAVEL

MAURICE RAVEL

Poème, Op. 25

ERNEST CHAUSSON

BORN: January, 20, 1855, in Paris, France

DIED: June 10, 1899, in Limay, Yvelines, France

WORK COMPOSED: 1896

WORLD PREMIERE: December 27, 1896, in Nancy, France; Eugène Ysaÿe with the Nancy Conservatoire Orchestra, Guy Ropartz conducting

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Soloists for the DSSO’s four previous performances were violinists John Creighton Murray (in 1949), Michael Rabin (1961), Aaron Rosand (November 13, 1976 conducted by DSSO Music Director candidate Taavo Virkhaus), and Kyoto Takezawa (November 8, 1991).

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, strings and solo violin.

DURATION : 16 minutes

Amédée-Ernest Chausson was born into an affluent bourgeois family. He was the sole surviving child of a building contractor who made his fortune assisting Baron Haussmann (1809-1891) in the renovation of Paris in the 1850s, which now defines modern central Paris. To appease his father, Chausson studied law and was appointed a barrister for the Court of Appeals, but he had basically no interest in that profession. He would meet celebrities such as artists Henri

Fantin-Latour (1836-1904) and Odilon Redon (1840-1916), and composer Vincent d’Indy (1851-1931) at the different salons in the city.

Chausson, at the age of 24, began attending the composition classes of Jules Massenet (1842-1912) at the Paris Conservatoire; Massenet regarded him as “an exceptional person and a true artist.” He also studied composition privately with César Franck (1822-1890). Chausson’s distinctive musical style forms a bridge between Franck’s lush Romanticism and the Impressionism of Debussy and Ravel. Chausson enjoyed visiting Bayreuth to hear Richard Wagner’s operas. His first trip in 1882 was with d’Indy to hear the premiere of Parsifal, and accompanying him on his second trip a year later was his new wife, Jeanne Escudier (1861-1936), with whom he had five children. He died in 1899 while staying at one of his country retreats, the Château de Moussets, in Limay, Yvelines. He was riding his bicycle downhill when he hit a brick wall and was killed instantly.

Chausson’s Poème is one of the most beloved works in the violin repertoire, celebrated for its lyrical beauty and emotional depth. Composed in 1896, the piece is a testament to his ability to merge the lush harmonies of French Romanticism with an intimate, introspective quality that resonates deeply with listeners. The work was inspired by a story from Ivan Turgenev’s (1818-1883) novella The Song of Triumphant Love, where the violin plays a central role in conveying intense passion and mystery. Chausson’s Poème, however, transcends the specific narrative to explore broader themes of longing, nostalgia, and transcendence.

Chausson dedicated Poème to Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931). In the autumn of 1896 Chausson and Ysaÿe, along with their wives, were vacationing on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. The Catalan painter Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931) hosted a party where Ysaÿe and Chausson’s wife on piano gave an impromptu sight-reading performance of Poème; townspeople who overheard it demanded its encore three times! Also present at the party were Enrique Granados (1867-1916) and possibly Isaac Albéniz (1850-1909). Although the premiere did not make much of an impact, Poème received sustained applause when Ysaÿe performed it in Paris on April 4, 1897.

One of the hallmarks of Poème is its masterful use of color and nuance. Chausson’s orchestration is rich yet transparent, allowing the violin to soar above or blend seamlessly with the ensemble. The work’s harmonic language, influenced by Wagner and French impressionism, creates an atmosphere of subtle complexity, enhancing its emotional impact. Poème stands as Chausson’s most famous composition, embodying his unique voice in a brief but profound musical career. Its blend of lyrical intensity, tonal beauty, and structural cohesion ensures its enduring place as a masterpiece of late Romantic violin repertoire.

ERNEST CHAUSSON

MAURICE RAVEL

Tzigane

MAURICE RAVEL

BORN: March 7, 1875, in Ciboure, Basses-Pyrénées, France

DIED: December 28, 1937, in Paris

WORK COMPOSED: 1924

WORLD PREMIERE: April 26, 1924, in London; Jelly D’Arányi and Henri Gil-Marchex, piano; Orchestra version premiere on October 19, 1924, in Amsterdam; Samuel Dushkin as soloist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Pierre Monteux conducting.

PERFOMANCE HISTORY: Tonight’s performance is the first by the DSSO on the Masterworks Series.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes (2nd doubles piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, trumpet, percussion (suspended cymbal, triangle, glockenspiel), harp, celesta, strings and solo violin.

DURATION : 10 minutes

Maurice Ravel’s Tzigane is a dazzling rhapsody that encapsulates the spirit of Gypsy music through a virtuosic display for violin. The piece serves as a testament to Ravel’s fascination with exoticism and his masterful ability to blend traditional folk elements with sophisticated classical techniques. Ravel spoke of it as “a virtuoso piece in the style of a Hungarian rhapsody” and it consists of “a string of successive variations juxtaposed without development.”

Hungarian violinist Jelly d’Arányi (1893-1966), to whom the work is dedicated, inspired Ravel with her improvisations on traditional Hungarian tunes. In 1922, Ravel attended a recital of his own music in a London apartment given by d’Arányi. After the concert was over, the violinist began playing a Gypsy melody and Ravel kept asking her for more and more. He later wrote to her, “You have inspired me to write a short piece of diabolical difficulty, conjuring up the Hungary of my dreams.” Tzigane was originally composed for violin and piano with optional luthéal (an attachment to the piano that could produce sounds like the Hungarian cimbalom - Philippe Graffin performs Tzigane as originally composed and can be found on YouTube). Ravel presented d’Arányi with the score two days before the premiere, which she performed in London on April 26, 1924. He wrote afterwards, “I don’t know what she did, but I liked it.” Months later Ravel orchestrated the piano part and the version for violin and orchestra was first performed in Amsterdam on October 19, 1924, with Samuel Dushkin as soloist. Jelly d’Arányi performed the Paris premiere on November 30, 1924, with the Concerts Colonne under the direction of Gabriel Pierné.

Although not directly channeling authentic Gypsy melodies, Ravel crafted a work that evokes the fiery passion and improvisatory freedom characteristic of Romani music. The title itself, derived from the French word for Gypsy, signals the vibrant cultural influence at the heart of the composition. Tzigane is a brilliant example of Ravel’s ability to transcend cultural boundaries and infuse his works with universal appeal.

Three Latin-American Dances

GABRIELA LENA FRANK

BORN: September 1972, in Berkeley, California

WORK COMPOSED: 2003; dedicated to Aaron Lin Lockhart (b. August 24, 2003) in keen anticipation of this hombrecito’s dance

WORLD PREMIERE: April 23, 2004, in Salt Lake City; Utah Symphony Orchestra, Keith Lockhart conducting PERFOMANCE HISTORY: Tonight’s performance is the first of any music by Gabriela Lena Frank by the DSSO.

INSTRUMENTATION: Three flutes (3rd doubles piccolo), two oboes and English horn, two clarinets and bass clarinet, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion (bass drum, cymbals, snare drum, tambourine, tam-tam, xylophone, chimes, woodblock, temple blocks, whip, bongos, congas, thunder sheet, castanets, claves, shekere, triangles, suspended cymbals, two marimbas, rainstick), harp, piano and strings.

DURATION : 20 minutes

Gabriela Lena Frank is included in the Washington Post’s list of the 35 most significant women composers in history (August 2017). Frank’s work often draws on her multicultural background, especially her mother’s Peruvian heritage. Her father is of Lithuanian-Jewish heritage and her mother is Peruvian, of Chinese descent (they met when her father was a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s). In many of her compositions she elicits the sounds of Latin American instruments such as Peruvian pan flute or charango guitar, although the works are typically scored for Western classical instruments and ensembles such as the symphony orchestra or string quartet. She has said, “I think the music can be seen as a by-product of my always trying to figure out how Latina I am and how gringa I am.”

Over her relatively short career, Frank has received numerous commissions from major performing arts organizations such as the Kronos Quartet, the Brentano Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project, Chanticleer, Carnegie Hall, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Cleveland and The Philadelphia Orchestras, and the San Francisco and Houston Symphony Orchestras. In 2017 she founded her own school, the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music for emerging composers to work with renowned performers. In 2020 Frank received the 25th Annual Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities for her work “weaving Latin American influences into classical constructs and breaking gender, disability and cultural barriers in classical music composition.” Gabriela Lena Frank is currently the Composer-in-Residence with The Philadelphia Orchestra.

We will be performing two parts from Frank’s Three Latin American Dances: Jungle Jaunt and The Mestizo Waltz. The composer provides the program notes for these movements.

Jungle Jaunt: This introductory scherzo opens in an unabashed tribute to the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein before turning to harmonies and rhythms derived from various pan-Amazonian dance forms. These jungle references are sped through (so as to be largely hidden) while echoing the energy of the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, who was long fascinated with indigenous Latin American cultures.

The Mestizo Waltz: This final movement is a lighthearted tribute to the “mestizo,” or mixed-race, music of the South American Pacific coast. In particular, it evokes the “romancers” tradition of popular songs and dances that mix influences from indigenous Indian cultures, African slave cultures, and western brass bands.

GABRIELA LENA FRANK

Nänie, Op. 82

JOHANNES BRAHMS

BORN: May 7, 1833, in Hamburg, Germany

DIED: April 3, 1897, in Vienna, Austria

WORK COMPOSED: 1881, in memory of his deceased friend Anselm Feuerbach

WORLD PREMIERE: December 6, 1881, in Zürich; Tonhalle Gesellschaft Chorus, Brahms conducting

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight’s performance is the first by the DSSO and DSSO Chorus.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, three trombones, timpani, two harps, strings and mixed chorus.

DURATION : 14 minutes

One of Brahms’ most rarely performed compositions is Nänie, a poignant and contemplative work, composed in 1881 as a heartfelt tribute to the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The piece, a setting of Friedrich Schiller’s (17591805) poem of the same name, exemplifies Brahms’ profound sensitivity to human emotions. It was composed in memory of the artist Anselm Feuerbach (1829-1880), with whom the composer had a troubled acquaintanceship (apparently the artist was too high-maintenance for Brahms to succeed in his attempts at becoming his friend). However, Brahms’ admiration for him is evident in the tender and solemn character of the work, which is not only a reflection of his personal grief, but also of the universal sorrow associated with loss.

The title Nänie comes from the Latin naenia, meaning a funeral song (named after the Roman funeral deity Nenia). Schiller’s text laments the transient nature of beauty, even when it is divine, and underscores the inexorable power of death. The first line of the poem, Auch das Schöne muß sterben! (Even beauty must die!), is an appropriate tribute to Feuerbach; Brahms respected Feuerbach’s artistic values and sensed that they had similar goals in their respective disciplines.

The inevitability of death is a constant and something which cannot be escaped. Schiller names three characters from mythology who, despite all their efforts, were unable to keep those they loved from death: Orpheus, unable to bring back Eurydice from Hades because of his inability to control his doubts; Venus, unable to save the wounded Adonis after his being attacked by a wild boar; and Thetis, who tried to make her son Achilles immortal by bathing him in the River Styx, but who left the heel by which she held him unprotected, allowing him to be killed by Paris at the gates of Troy.

Brahms composed Nänie during an era when secular choral music was flourishing among the public. Choral societies provided a major outlet for music lovers and the foundation of Brahms’ career was built with his conducting and composing choral music. It is ironic that choral music, which was a significant part of Brahms’ evolution as an artist, is now the most neglected part of his legacy. This rare gem is exceedingly beautiful and reflects the profound depth of Brahms’ emotions.

JOHANNES BRAHMS

Choral Suite No. 1 from Time and Again Barelas

MIGUEL DEL AGUILA

BORN: September 15, 1957, in Montevideo, Uruguay

WORK COMPOSED: 2005

WORLD PREMIERE: 2005, Albuquerque, New Mexico; New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Roger Melone conducting

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight’s performance is the first by the DSSO and DSSO Chorus.

INSTRUMENTATION: Three flutes (3rd doubles alto flute and piccolo), two oboes and English horn, two clarinets and bass clarinet, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, three percussionists (bass drum, cowbell, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, electric siren, glockenspiel, military drum w/snares, reco-reco, tamtam, triangle, wind chimes, wood block), piano, harp, strings and mixed chorus.

DURATION : 17 minutes

Three-time Grammy-nominated American composer Miguel del Aguila creates distinctive, innovative modern classical music highly influenced by his Latin American roots. A leading voice in 20th and 21st-Century music, he is a vital force in contemporary concert music, with 140 compositions that bring vibrant new diversity into the modern chamber and orchestral music repertoire. His rhythm-driven, dramatic works blend tradition and modernity with nostalgic nods to his South American heritage. Del Aguila’s third opera, Time and Again Barelas, was commissioned by the New Mexico Symphony (now New Mexico Philharmonic), the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Meet

the Composer and the City of Albuquerque in celebration of the 300th anniversary of its founding. Two choral suites have been extracted from the opera; Suite No. 1 will be performed at this concert.

The composer wrote about the opera: “Rather than writing an incidental work for the event, I was more interested in writing a dramatic work that would be of timeless and of universal interest. In summer of 2004, I finished a synopsis of the story: a love story that lasts 500 years with the neighborhood of Barelas as background.” Barelas was originally the site of an important river crossing on the main Spanish trade route through New Mexico known as El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. This 1,590-mile road between Mexico City and San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico was used from 1598 to 1882. The village of Barelas was formally established in 1662 and was absorbed into Albuquerque in the 1880s and is the oldest neighborhood in the city (it predates Old Town, which was established in 1706).

The opera, Time and Again Barelas, begins with the murder of Don Barelas by the soldier Don Ignacio. Ignacio and Barelas’ daughter Marcelina are the central characters of the story. Following a shaman’s curse, the two are fated to fall in love through the ages. As Don Ignacio lives in shame and remorse, Marcelina gradually becomes aware that he is the murderer of her father. The opera ends in hope and affirmation as Marcelina forgives Ignacio.

Choral Suite No. 1 contains four parts:

1. Ignacio’s Dream World War Two - An ocean apart, Marcelina and Ignacio think of each other. Ignacio prepares for yet another assault on German lines. Back in Barelas, Marcelina wonders when people will abandon violence and learn to forgive, love, and live together in peace.

2. The Rhythm of a City Building a City, 1650-1850 - The town of Barelas rises. Its hard working people build the town house by house. Slowly the wide open sky of the New Mexico desert is transformed into a modest city skyline. Marcelina presides over a happy and thriving community. Ignacio enters, pursuing an escaped slave, Marigold. The people of Barelas help Marigold escape.

3. Ave Maria - Marcelina’s friend River has just told her that the man she loves is the monster who killed her father. Marcelina recoils in horror as we are transported to Los Alamos/White Sands, 1945. Terrified, Marcelina and the people of Barelas watch the eerie cloud and silent fallout that ensues, as a heavenly chorus sings an Ave Maria begging for human forgiveness.

4. Sunrise: A Place out of Time - River has been mortally wounded and Ignacio has taken her to Marcelina’s house. River is amazed at Ignacio’s transformation and as she lies dying, she tells Marcelina that Ignacio has changed and deserves forgiveness. As River’s soul leaves her body she calls on the Shaman to lift the curse. As the curse is lifted, Marcelina forgives Ignacio and as they embrace, they see a vision of the future, Barelas 2206: the people of Barelas with the sunrise over a sky as bright as their future. Learning from the past everyone has come to love, forgive and erase spite from their hearts.

MIGUEL DEL AGUILA

Nänie, Op. 82

JOHANNES BRAHMS

GERMAN

Auch das Schöne muß sterben! Das Menschen und Götter bezwinget, Nicht die eherne Brust rührt es des stygischen Zeus.

Einmal nur erweichte die Liebe den Schattenbeherrscher, Und an der Schwelle noch, streng, rief er zurück sein Geschenk. Nicht stillt Aphrodite dem schönen Knaben die Wunde, Die in den zierlichen Leib grausam der Eber geritzt.

Nicht errettet den göttlichen Held die unsterbliche Mutter, Wann er, am skäischen Tor fallend, sein Schicksal erfüllt.

Aber sie steigt aus dem Meer mit allen Töchtern des Nereus, Und die Klage hebt an um den verherrlichten Sohn.

Siehe, da weinen die Götter, es weinen die Göttinnen alle, Daß das Schöne vergeht, daß das Vollkommene stirbt.

Auch ein Klaglied zu sein im Mund der Geliebten, ist herrlich, Denn das Gemeine geht klanglos zum Orkus hinab.

Choral Suite No. 1 from Time and Again Barelas

MIGUEL DEL AGUILA

I. Ignacio’s Dream

Marcelina. Hear me!

Marcelina, can you hear me?

Time and again, Marcelina, you’ll ask yourself:

“Was it a dream?

Was it a pebble that eddied and died?

A pebble you threw in a stream?”

Time and again, Marcelina . . . Ah!

The voice from the past,

The echo you learned to forget.

Time and again, Marcelina,

The embers will smolder and burn.

He will remember but you will forget.

Then, as he must, he will return.

II. The Rhythm of a City

Oh, can you feel it, the rhythm, the rhythm?

Oh, can you hear the rhythm beat?

Oh, can you hear the rhythm sing?

Oh, can you hear the rhythm beat?

The rhythm of the city.

ENGLISH

Even the beautiful must die. That which subdues mortals and gods Does not touch the unyielding heart of the Stygian Zeus.

Only once did love soften the ruler of the shades, And yet, at the threshold, sternly he recalled his gift.

Aphrodite does not soothe the wounds of the beautiful boy Whose delicate body the boar cruelly tore.

The immortal mother does not rescue the divine hero, When, at the Scaean gate, falling, he fulfills his destiny.

But she rises out of the sea with all the daughters of Nereus, And begins the lament for her glorified son.

Behold, the gods weep,

Because the beautiful perishes, the perfect dies.

Even to be a lament on the lips of a loved one is glorious, For the common ones go down to Orcus unsung.

Can you hear it coming?

Can you hear it humming?

Can you hear the rhythm?

The rhythm of a city.

When the rain becomes a river, And the mountains meet the sand, Bringing forth abundance, In a green and pleasant land.

When God creates a wilderness With paradise in mind, The hand of man since time began Is never far behind.

Can you hear it coming?

Can you hear it humming?

Can you hear the rhythm? The rhythm of a city.

When the wind across the mesas Is a sonnet to the Earth, When sunrise is a glimpse

Of Mother Nature giving birth, When the Earth is a perfection That heaven has divined, The hand of man since time began Is never far behind.

III. Ave Maria

Ave Maria, gratia plena. Ora pro nobis, peccatoribus. Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Maria . . .

(Hail Mary, full of grace. Pray for us sinners.

Now and at the hour of our death. Mary . . . )

IV. Sunrise

Watch the sun rise over Barelas!

See the future unfolding! A future as bright as this sun. Live forever, Barelas!

Brown, indigenous, wild, and proud!

Learn from the past, To love and forgive.

Erase all spite from your heart!

Rise and triumph!

Wake up from your dream: The spell is broken!

Wake up and rise like the sun! Let love guide your heart! Learn to forgive, to love!

PROUD SUPPORTERS OF

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ENJOY A SYMPHONY OF FLAVORS AT ANY OF THE

Duluth Grill

Family of Restaurants

SATURDAY, MAY 10TH SUNDAY, MAY 11TH

DSSO chorus master Richard Robbins is the director of choral activities at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where directs the University Singers and Chamber Singers, in addition to teaching an array of choral conducting and music courses. Robbins travels extensively as a clinician, adjudicator, and director for choral festivals and honor choirs across the country, with recent engagements in Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, and New York City. He has conducted and lectured internationally on multiple occasions at Warsaw’s Chopin Conservatory of Music, the John Paul II Liturgical Institute, and at Krakow’s Academy of Music. As a conductor, his performances have been featured on numerous nationally syndicated programs, including American Public Media’s Pipedreams. His extensive experience in preparing choral-orchestral performances includes leading choirs for the Houston Ballet and for over 50 performances with the Houston Symphony. He has prepared choruses for several major conductors, including Christoph Eschenbach, Ermanno

Florio, Hans Graf, Joan Glover, Bernard Labadie, Klaus Peter Flor, Michael Krajewski, Stephen Cleobury, Robert Franz, and Dirk Meyer

RICHARD ROBBINS

MUSICIAN

LEAVING A LEGACY

ARNOLD “LARRY” LUUKKONEN

Larry Luukkonen left a significant gift to the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra in 2023. He was a historian, author, outdoorsman and a lover of music. The money will be used to support a concert sponsorship in perpetuity.

Larry was survived by many good friends, including Allen Anway.

ADELAIDE CLINE

Miss Cline passed away in 2024. She left a generous gift to the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide and her sister Roberta attended concerts regularly. Her money will be used to maintain the high-quality standards of the orchestra.

FERN PACHEL

Fern worked with attorney Kay Biga to set up the Pachel Foundation approximately fifteen years ago. The DSSO has received many gifts since inception, including concert sponsorships. Fern also donated anonymously toward the acoustic shell project.

She was a good natured and generous person. She is pictured here on the right with Kay’s grandmother Myrtle Wicklund.

WAYS TO MAKE A GIFT

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DSSO CONTRIBUTORS

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING CORPORATE AND INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS WHO HAVE GIVEN IN SUPPORT OF THE DSSO JULY 1, 2023 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2024.

MAESTRO

($25,000 & up)

Margaret Ames Memorial Fund

The Estate of Adelaide M. Cline

The Depot Foundation

Jeremy & Carol Fryberger

Arnold “Larry” Luukkonen Irrevocable Trust

McKnight Foundation

Minnesota State Arts Board

Muriel Whiteside Charitable Trust

Pachel Foundation

PRINCIPAL

($10,000 to $24,999)

Anonymous

Aspirus St. Luke’s

Karl Diekman

Helena Jackson & Doug Dunham

Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation

Minnesota Power - An ALLETE Company

Wildey H. Mitchell Family Foundation

Dr. Mark & Grace Monson

North Shore Bank of Commerce

Nancy Odden & Doug Britton

William “Buzz” & Saundra Palmer

Charles A. & Carolyn M. Russell Family Foundation

Arend J. & Verna Sandbulte

Signature Wealth Management: Endersbe, Herron & Associates

GUEST ARTIST

($6,000 to $9,999)

Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

Dr. Beth Gilbert

Pamella & Richard Jacobson

Jill & Tom Kaiser

Branden Robinson

Jacquie & Jim Sebastian

Amanda Wirta

FULL CHAIR

($4,500 to $5,999)

Martha A. Aas

John & Kathleen Berchild

Linda & Mark Boben

Dr. & Mrs. Bernhard Boecker Foundation

Charitable Trust

Leonardo Alberto Contardo Trust

Thomas & Barbara Elliott

Darla Meier

Kathleen & James Sanders

Brad Schmugge

Nairi & William Stack

Shirley Tratechaud

HALF CHAIR

($2,500 to $4,499)

Dr. Vicki & Terry Anderson

Sandra Barkley

Robert T. & Barbara Bennett

Janice Biga

Lurene S. Buhrmann

Alison Clarke

Rhonda & John Degelau

Rondi C. Erickson

Walter & Kay Gower

Christabel Grant

Thomas & Joan Hedin

Sylvia Jamar

Gale & Jeri Kerns

Elaine B. Killen

Elisabeth C. Mason Revocable Trust

Thomas & Alice McCabe

Vern & May Nordling

Northern Mechanical/Plumbing Contractors Association

Tammy Ostrander & Tony Barrett

Karen Hanson Sande, Joshua & Nathan Sande

Timothy Sandor

Lane Fryberger Smith

Tobin Sobaski & Kari Koehler

Stack Bros. Mechanical Contractors

Carolyn Sundquist

Roberta Vose

Gudrun & Geoffrey Witrak

James & Mary Zastrow

QUARTER CHAIR

($1,200 to $2,499)

J. David Arnott & Tamara Bottge

Leonore & Robert Baeumler

Susan Bathory & Donald Lane

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Gary & Kathy Bubalo

Jeffrey & Vickie Cadwell

Stephen & Laurie Cushing

Rose & Lester Drewes

Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation

Ruth Ann Eaton

Roger & Elaine Engle

Mary Evans

Debra Grimsrud

Kay & Ronald Gustafson

Irina Haller

Jeremy Hoglund

Paul & Alice Holm

Richard D. Kivela

Robert Knighton

Paul & Carol Knuti

Tina Koecher

Diane Kolquist & James Seitz

Dr. James & Mary Krook

Lakeview Arts Fund

Patricia & David Mast

Nancy Melander

LaVonne Middleton

Heather Muster

Emily Nygren

John N. Nys

Vincent Osborn & Sharon Rigby-Osborn

Dr. Susan Relf

Mary Hunner Robinson

Dr. Andrew Thompson

Rajiv & Emily Vaidyanathan

Rolf T. & Elizabeth Bent Weberg

Cathleen & Kirby Wood

Geiger & David Yount

ACCELERANDO

($600 to $1,199)

Susanne & Johan Bakken

Benedictine Sisters of the St. Scholastica Monastery

Daniel & Marjorie Bergeland

Hon. David & Gloria Bouschor

Janeen Carey

John & Judith Dahl

Fr. Daniel Dahlberg

R. Craft & Eleanore Dryer

Paul Enenbach

Martha & Conrad Firling

Bruce Fuentes

Judith & Carlton Gustafson

Otto Johnson & September Mihaly

Ronald Kari

John & Sharon Kemp

Katherine & Robert Kuettel

Dennis Lamkin & Jon Niemi

James Lampi, Software Diversified Services

Dean & Kate McCall

David Mesner & Joyce Piper

Gerald & Mary Ann Ostroski

Ann Pellman

Becky Pruitt

Deborah Rausch & Dean Peterson

Gerald & Karen Ruona

Jim & Judy Stewart

Kathy Stinnett

Anita Swanson

Sharon L. Torrison

ADAGIO

($200 to $599)

John Alexander

William Alexander

John & Cathy Ameel

Richard & Yvonne Anderson

Allen Anway

Charles R. & Judyth Babst

Linda Backman

Diane & Harris Balko

Eileen Barratt

Anne Bier

Angie Bomier

Kathleen S. Bray

Maryjane Burdge

Bill & Renee Burns

Ronald Caple

John & Martha Church

Charles Corcoran

Timothy & Kathleen Cortes

Henry F. Coyle

Bonnie Crum

Jerry & Judy Curnow

Mary & Don Davidson

Malcolm Davy & Cindy Spillers

Katherine DeVinck

Linville Doan & Bernardo Perez

Michael & Carol Donahue

Jeanne & Daniel Doty

George & Patty Salo Downs

Michele Dressel

Ruth Frederick

Patricia Gannon

Tracey Gibbens & Kerry van

Dusen

Karen & Richard Gran

Linda Haagensen

Mary K. Hagen

Elizabeth Hall

Sherry & Edwin Hall

Lynne Harrington

Dan Hartel

Ellen Hedin

Rose & Dan Heldt

Lois & Robert Heller

Ann Hockman

Karen Hoeschen

Holden Insurance Agency

Wayne Holmberg

Mary Holm-Lund

Dr. Glen E. Holt

Sally Hunner

Kenneth G. Jackson

James Jarocki

Matthew Johnson

Tegan Johnson

John & Beth Kelly

Barbara Johnson Kim

Melissa King

Mark Knutson & Beth Storaasli

Kari Koehler

Glen Krenelka

Nancy & Doug Lane

Sharon Layon & Neil Nelson

Thomas & Cynthia Ledin

Charles & Jean Leibfried

Jonathan Lewis

Michael Lillo

Gary & Nancy Loberg

Paul & Nancy Lokken

John & Michelle Magdsick

Allen Makynen

Rachel & Gregory Mason

Chris Meehan

Mark & Nancy Melhus

Julie Michels

William Miner

Alison Moeri

Darren & Suki Mozenter

Charles & Susan Nelson

Judith A. Newman

Barbara Melde Olson

Orman, Nord, Spott & Hurd

Law Office

David J. Ouse

Mary Lu Perham

Kim Quinones

Kenneth & Sandra Rausch

Mary Pat Renaud

Scott Risdal & Zandra Zweibel

Kathleen Risku

David & Jo-Ann Rossetter

Nichole & Jeffrey Schaefer

Dr. Penny Schwarze

Judi Scott

Janis & Gautam Sengupta

Janet R. Sklaris

Marilyn Steele

Sandra & Craig Sterle

Thom & Cindy Storm

Timothy & Suzanne Stratton

Charles Sundquist & James

Sontag

John Sundstrom

Richard Swenson

Mary Tennis & Stacy Lavres

Ruth & Dale Thorpe

Christine E. Underdahl

Dr. Robert Wahman

Claudia & Harry Welty

TEMPO

(up to $199)

William & Barbara Abalan

Fiona Adams

John J. Agacki

Cigale Ahlquist

Patricia LeDoux Ahrens

Janet Akervik

Barbara Akre

Daphne Amundson

Ann Anderson

Jesse Anderson

Jody Anderson

Tim Anderson

Sylvia Angradi

Kathleen & James Antilla

Allan L. Apter & Brenda J. Ion

Beth Arnson

Patricia & Michael Bagley

Stacey Bailey

Joe Barnstorf

Carla Bayerl

Seth & Katie Benziger

Laura Berdahl

Laurie Berg

Vernon Berglund

James & Darcy Bester

David & Karen Bjorkman

Leslie Black

Samuel Black & Kathy Stinnett

Day Breitag

Sally J. Brown

Debra Buresh

Trilby Busch

Deborah Callies & Tom Bergin

Jean & Sharon Captain

Rev. Craig S. Carlson

Lea Carr

Greta Carroll

Cathy Casper

Tom & Nancy Young Caswell

Nancy S. Caswell

Charity Gift Certificates

Eun Joo Choi

Dennis O. Cochrane

Natalie Constance

Rodger & Penny Cragun

Tim & Joanne Itami Craig

Gwyn Curran

Thomas & Kathleen Dahlberg

Dean Danielson

Debbie Davis

Diana Deming

Kathleen DeSanto

Carol Diethelm

Connie & Bill Dinan

Franklin Doane-Arkulary

Charlene Domingo, Tat Chase, & Dodi Platt

Thomas Donahue

Patricia Dorn & Harley Hanson

Gary & Marcia Doty

Peggy & Steve Downing

Mary Dragich

Anna Dufford

Bonnie Lou Dunphy

Julie Eckman

Kari Embree

Donald Erickson

Paul Eskuche

John & Louise Ann Farrell

Anya Felts

Karen Finseth

Julie A. Ford

Geoffrey Gates

John D. Gibbs

Anita Gille

Jane Gilley

Deborah Good

Paul Goossens

Kathy Guitare

Mary & Joe Gummerson

Ann Gumpper

Diane Hagerty

Greg Hansen

Charles Hanson

Isaac Hanson

Ann W. Harrington

Clay Helberg

David & Mary Helf

Sara Henriksen

Laura Herrero

Linda Herron

Eve Hessler

Jill & Greg Hilliard

Barbara Hjort

Jill-Ann Hoag

Mary & Allen Hoberg

Lisa Hoch

Kevin & Carol Hoeschen

Sr. Kathleen Hofer

Joel Hoffman

Bobby & Sally Horstman

Gy Houle

Robert D. Howe

Bryan Howell

John Hsieh

Mary Jane Jacobus

Debra Jensen

Christine Winkler Johnson

Cody Johnson

Dennis & Susan Johnson

Marian & Donald Johnson

Murray & Diana Johnson

Rachel Johnson

Robert & Barbara Johnson

Marlene D. Johnston

Peter K. Jongewaard

Linda Jorgenson & Jack

Gunderson

Callia Karr

Jason Kearney

Meg Kearns

Karen & John Keenan

Georgia L. Keeney

Robert Kelley

Lynne King

Patricia & Mark Kolquist

Virginia Kovaleski

Diane Kruger

Pat Kruschke

Karl Kubiak

Nicholas Kyriazi

David & Barbara LaMaster

Sally & Nick Lansing

Sarah Lawrence & Calland Metts

Ruth Leathers

Paul & Marsha Lee

Joshua Lehigh

George & Lynn Lehman

Jonathan Leshnoff

Jennifer Lien & Cheong Soon Gan

Jan Lippitt

Bonnie & Bob Lloyd

Eric Long

Charlie Lydon

Scott Lykins

Michael Lyons

Judy MacGibbon

Debora Magee

Lisa & Gary Mandelin

Sharon & Toby Marcovich

Clinton Mattson

Thomas McCann

Cathy McCarty & Don Wallerstein

James & Cindy McLeod

Karen McManus

Messerli Kramer Law Firm

Patricia Mester

Carol & Vincent Michealson

Donald Mitchem

Pam Moore & Dr. Jon Stephenson

Tom & Julie Morgan

Penelope & Ron Morton

Bruce Munson

Janet & John Murphy

Kathryn Noble

Ann M. Novack

Richard & Ruth Nystrom

K.R. Olivera

Carolynn & David Olsen

Margaret Oman

Timothy Panula

Parker Artists Managers & Consultants

Al & Lynda Parrella

Dennis Paulson

Judith Pearson

Bryan Pena

P.E.O. International Sisterhood

Gregory Pesola

Louann Petersen-Noltner

Mary Kay Plank

Charles J. & Della Pleski

Luther & Angela Qson

Nancy & Roger Ralston

Mayur Rao

Brian & Suzanne Rauvola

Lance G. Reasor

Cory Renbarger

Rachel Ridenour

Lela Rikkola

Leonard Rouse

Lonnah Royale

Brian Ruggle

Deirdre Ryan

Nathan Sager

Archibald Salyards

IN HONOR

Diane Sauer

Sharon Scheidel

Carrie Scherer

Britta Schielke

Barbara Schlichting

Randy & Heather Schmidt

Theodore A. Schoen & Laurie

Van Brunt

Harley Schreck

Denise Schreifels

Dr. John Schrock & Mary Berube

Diane Scott

Ronald Scott

Edwyna Scouton

Buddy Scroggins

Judy Seliga-Punyko

David Setnicker

Melanie Sever

Laurie & Mark Severson

Dr. Thomas & Janice Shuey

Sheila & Fred Shusterich

Mark & Sandra Signorelli

Julia Sisler

Steven & Jane Skalisky

Jake Skoglund

Paige Slemmons

Edward Smith

Judy Smith

Phyllis & Vic Smith

Tina Solots

Gerald Soyring

Lawrence Spears

Roxanne Stahl

Connie Olson Stanley

Harlan & Anita Stech

Paul Stein

Ann-Marie Stojevich

Clifford & Lucia Storr

This list represents gifts being made in tribute to an individual, organization or occasion.

LAURIE BASTIAN

Thom & Cindy Storm

LINDA BOBEN

Mark Boben

ANGIE BOMIER

Paul Holm

KATHLEEN DALY

Deborah Good

THOMAS DONAHUE

Charles & Jean Leibfried

KEVIN HOESCHEN

Karen Hoeschen

MARY HUNNER ROBINSON

Sally Hunner

ANDRE & MARILYN LAMOUREA

Janis & Gautam Sengupta

Rebecca Strand

Emily & Luther Strayer

Lee Stuart

Sue Swendsen

Paul Takkunen

Linnea Swenson Tellekson

Adrienne Thureen

Tom Tjepkema

Steve & Kerry Tomhave

Lucas Trea

Ruth Ann & William Trembath

UMD College of Pharmacy

Paul & Marlene van

Puymbrouck

Shelly J. Vanneste

Michelle Vesel

Marina Vork

Jennifer & Steve Wabrowetz

John Wakefield

Jori & Chuck Walt

Sarah Warner

Rachel Warner

John Weaver

Kim Westerham

Peggy White

Trevor L. White

Cyrus White

Hope White

Judy Whitely

Laura Whitney

Heidi Wick

Jason Young

Lyle & Michelle Zappa

Mary Wagner Zbaracki

VINCENT OSBORN

Ruth & Dale Thorpe

BRANDEN ROBINSON

Sally Hunner

MELANIE SEVER

Malcolm Davy & Cindy Spillers

Our hearts go out to the families and friends of musicians or patrons who have passed. *This list represents those we have been made aware of through Memorial Gifts.

BILL ALEXANDER

Branden Robinson

DOROTHY ANWAY

Allen Anway

VICTORIA BENDA LUEPKE

Harlan & Anita Stech

DR. & MRS. BERNHARD BOECKER

Dr. & Mrs. Bernhard Boecker Foundation Charitable Trust

JANET MILLEA BYE

R. Craft & Eleanore Dryer

Lisa Hoch

Paul Lantieri

Mary K. Murphy & Murphy Family

Jennifer Naegele

Sheila Runquist

Roberta Vose

MARY DONAHUE

Thomas Donahue

Charles & Jean Leibfried

MARY BETH DUNDER BROWN

Janice Biga

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

AUDREY FISHER

Jean & Sharon Captain

JAMES GRANT

Fiona Adams

John & Kathleen Berchild

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Steve & Lauri Cushing

Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

Mary & Don Davidson

Connie & Bill Dinan

Gary & Marcia Doty

Mary Evans

Walter & Kay Gower

Greg & Rebecca Hansen

Thomas & Joan Hedin

Helena Jackson

Peter Jongewaard

George & Lynn Lehman

Tom & Julie Morgan

Penelope & Ron Morton

Rao Mayur

Deborah Rausch & Dean Peterson

Scott Risdal & Zandra Zweibel

Laurie & Mark Severson

Ann-Marie Stojevich

Emily & Luther Strayer

Roberta Vose

ALICE HOLM

Paul Holm

ROBERT G. HOWELL

Bryan Howell

JOHN HUSSEY

Tracey Gibbens & Kerry van Dusen

JACK JARNIS

Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

PATRICIA DIANE JOHNSON

Stacey Bailey

Tom Bergin & Deborah Callies

James & Darcy Bester

Debbie Davis

Charlene Domingo, Tat Chase, & Dodi Platt

Patricia Dorn & Harley Hanson

Kari Embree

Charles Hanson

Robert & Barbara Johnson

Marlene Johnston

Mesabi Symphony Orchestra

Edwyna Scouton

Roxanne Stahl

Paul & Marlene Van Puymbrouck

Sarah Warner

Peggy White

Judy Whitely

Heidi Wick

Amanda Wirta

KALERVO & ARLYNE KOKKONEN

Judith & Carlton Gustafson

DAVID KORTIER

Dr. Penny Schwarze

MARGE KUEHN

Kathleen & James Antilla

DEXTER LARSEN

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

James & Mary Zastrow

DARYL & ANNE LEIBFRIED

Thomas Donahue

THOMAS MCCABE

Julie Eckman

JOSEPH MEESE

Julie Demgen

William “Buzz” & Saundra Palmer

James & Jacquie Sebastian

Linda & Mark Boben

Anne & William Fleischman

Patricia Anderson

Serena Lamers McClellan & Robert McClellan

Robert Meese Jr. & Ann Small

GARY MEIER

Darla Meier

WALTER & ALTA MOE

Shirley Tratechaud

DON NIEMI

Sharon L. Torrison

KERSTIN PAPCKE (née MEYER)

Diane & Harris Balko

James & Mary Zastrow

DR. JAY PARKER

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

ANNETTE RADTKE

Gwyn Curran

DR. CLARENCE MALCOLM SCOTT

Janice Biga

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Sally J. Brown

Dennis O. Cochrane

Katherine DeVinck

Walter & Kay Gower

Barbara Hjort

Sylvia Jamar

Murray & Diana Johnson

Diane Kruger

Jan Lippitt

Sharon & Toby Marcovich

Janet & John Murphy

Richard & Ruth Nystrom

Ronald Scott

Marilyn Steele

JAMES E. SMITH

Ronald Kari

MARA SOLIE

William “Buzz” & Saundra Palmer

LORRAINE STOLEE

Dr. Glen E. Holt

James & Jacquie Sebastian

William “Buzz” & Saundra Palmer

Paula Fenstad

Dale & Joretta Nikula

Jeanette Nelson

North Shore Bank of Commerce

Roberta Vose

SAMUEL TRATECHAUD

Shirley Tratechaud

DAVID VOSE

Sharon L. Torrison

Roberta Vose

SHARON WAHMAN

Roberta Vose

Lane Fryberger Smith

ALBERTE WHITE

Trevor L. White

JANET R. YOUNG

William & Barbara Abalan

Tom & Nancy Young Caswell

Bonnie Crum

John & Louise Ann Farrell

Walter & Kay Gower

Diane Hagerty

Patricia & Mark Kolquist

K.R. Olivera

Kim Westerham

Lyle & Michelle Zappa

TAKE A BOW, SPONSORS

WE ARE PLEASED TO OFFER A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR THE 2024-2025 SEASON. THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR THE DSSO TO BRING WORLD-CLASS CONCERTS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO THE NORTHLAND. BRAVO!

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.