Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Nov. 2014 Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

70th

ANNIVERSARY SEASON

“ODE TO JOY” BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY NO. 9 NOV 13/15, 2014

Robert Spano

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onductor, pianist, composer and pedagogue Robert Spano is known for his unique communicative abilities. Beginning his 14th season as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, this imaginative conductor has quietly been responsible for nurturing the careers of numerous classically-trained composers and conductors. As Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School, he oversees the programming of more than 300 events and educational programs for 630 students, including Aspen’s American Academy of Conducting.

The Atlanta School of Composers reflects Spano’s commitment to American contemporary music. He has led ASO performances at Carnegie Hall (2014-2015 marks Spano’s ninth consecutive season as a guest of that prestigious venue), Lincoln Center, and the Ravinia, Ojai and Savannah Music Festivals. Guest engagements include the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, San Francisco, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia symphony orchestras, as well as Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, BBC Symphony and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He has conducted for Covent Garden, Welsh National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera and the 2005 and 2009 Seattle Opera productions of Wagner’s Ring cycles.

Following Britten’s War Requiem in Carnegie Hall and Verdi’s Aida in Atlanta, Spano conducted the world premiere of Steven Stucky’s The Classical Style in Ojai and will reprise the opera at Carnegie Hall in December. In addition to his hands-on leadership and eight Festival concerts at The Aspen Music Festival and School, Spano’s Hölderlin Songs premiere in August with soprano Susanna Phillips.

Recordings for Telarc, Deutsche Grammophon and ASO Media, have received six Grammy™ Awards with an allVaughan Williams disc released in September. Spano is on faculty at Oberlin Conservatory and has received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory University and Oberlin. Maestro Spano was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2012 and is proud to live in Atlanta.

Derek Blanks

Maestro Spano conducts three world premieres with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and joins both the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Symphony. Guest conducting in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong is woven with Spano’s passion for education with the Curtis Institute of Music’s Orchestra on tour, and the New England Conservatory Philharmonic.

AtlantaSymphonyOrchestra

ROBERT SPANO

Robert Spano Music Director The Robert Reid Topping Chair * Donald Runnicles Principal Guest Conductor The Neil and Sue Williams Chair *

DONALD RUNNICLES

Michael Krajewski Principal Pops Conductor Joseph Young Assistant Conductor; Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra The Zeist Foundation Chair*

MICHAEL KRAJEWSKI Norman

Mackenzie Director of Choruses The Frannie and Bill Graves Chair

JOSEPH YOUNG

NORMAN MACKENZIE

FIRST VIOLIN

SECOND VIOLIN

David Coucheron Concertmaster The Mr. and Mrs. Howard R. Peevy Chair* The Mabel Dorn Reeder Honorary Chair* Associate Concertmaster TBD The Charles McKenzie Taylor Chair* Justin Bruns Assistant Concertmaster Jun-Ching Lin Assistant Concertmaster Carolyn Toll Hancock John Meisner Christopher Pulgram** Carol Ramirez Juan Ramirez Olga Shpitko Denise Berginson Smith Kenn Wagner Lisa Wiedman Yancich

Principal - TBD The Atlanta Symphony Associates Chair* Sou-Chun Su Associate Principal The Frances Cheney Boggs Chair* Jay Christy Assistant Principal Sharon Berenson David Braitberg Noriko Konno Clift David Dillard Eleanor Kosek Ruth Ann Little Thomas O’Donnell** Ronda Respess Frank Walton

SECTION VIOLIN ‡

Judith Cox Raymond Leung Sanford Salzinger

VIOLA

Reid Harris Principal The Edus H. and Harriet H. Warren Chair* Paul Murphy Associate Principal The Mary and Lawrence Gellerstedt Chair * Catherine Lynn Assistant Principal Marian Kent Yang-Yoon Kim Yiyin Li Lachlan McBane Jessica Oudin

CELLO

Christopher Rex Principal The Miriam and John Conant Chair* Daniel Laufer Associate Principal The Livingston Foundation Chair* Karen Freer Assistant Principal Dona Vellek Assistant Principal Emeritus Joel Dallow Jennifer Humphreys** Larry LeMaster Brad Ritchie Paul Warner BASS

Principal - TBD The Marcia and John Donnell Chair Gloria Jones Associate Principal Jane Little Assistant Principal Emeritus Michael Kenady Michael Kurth Joseph McFadden Douglas Sommer FLUTE

Christina Smith Principal The Jill Hertz Chair* Robert Cronin Associate Principal

C. Todd Skitch Carl David Hall PICCOLO

Carl David Hall

CONTRABASSOON

Juan de Gomar HORN

Brice Andrus Principal Elizabeth Koch Susan Welty Tiscione Associate Principal Principal Thomas Witte The George M. and Richard Deane** Corrie Hoyt Jaclyn Rainey • Brown Chair* Bruce Kenney Yvonne Powers Peterson TRUMPET Associate Principal Stuart Stephenson Samuel Nemec Principal Emily Brebach The Madeline and OBOE

ENGLISH HORN

Emily Brebach CLARINET

Laura Ardan Principal The Robert Shaw Chair* Ted Gurch Associate Principal William Rappaport Alcides Rodriguez** E-FLAT CLARINET

Ted Gurch BASS CLARINET

Alcides Rodriguez** BASSOON

Keith Buncke Principal Elizabeth Burkhardt Associate Principal Laura Najarian Juan de Gomar

Howell Adams Chair* Michael Tiscione Acting Associate Principal/Second Michael Myers TROMBONE

Colin Williams** Principal Nathan Zgonc Acting Principal Brian Hecht BASS TROMBONE

Brian Hecht

PERCUSSION

Thomas Sherwood Principal The Julie and Arthur Montgomery Chair* William Wilder Assistant Principal The William A. Schwartz Chair* Charles Settle HARP

Elisabeth Remy Johnson Principal The Delta Air Lines Chair KEYBOARD

The Hugh and Jessie Hodgson Memorial Chair* Peter Marshall † Beverly Gilbert † Sharon Berenson LIBRARY

Rebecca Beavers Principal Nicole Jordan Assistant Principal Librarian

TUBA

Michael Moore Principal TIMPANI

Mark Yancich Principal The Walter H. Bunzl Chair* William Wilder Assistant Principal

‡ rotate between sections * Chair named in perpetuity ** Leave of absence † Regularly engaged musician • New this season Players in string sections are listed alphabetically

ASO | 11.13/15 | concert at a glance AtlantaSymphonyOrchestra

ASO | 11.13/15 | program

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Classical Series is presented by Delta Air Lines.

Delta is proud to celebrate over 70 years as Atlanta’s hometown airline. Delta’s community spirit worldwide continues to be a cornerstone of our organization. As a force for global good, our mission is to continuously create value through an inclusive culture by leveraging partnerships and serving communities where we live and work. It includes not only valuing individual differences of race, religion, gender, nationality and lifestyle, but also managing and valuing the diversity of work teams, intracompany teams and business partnerships.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus is presented by

The use of cameras or recording devices during the concert is strictly prohibited. Please be kind to those around you and silence your mobile phone and other hand-held devices.

Robert Spano, Music Director Donald Runnicles, Principal Guest Conductor

Delta Classical Series Concert Concerts of Thursday, November 13, at 8:00pm, Saturday, November 15, at 7:30pm.

Robert Spano, Conductor David Coucheron, violin Twyla Robinson, soprano Nancy Maultsby, mezzo-soprano Joseph Kaiser, tenor Stephen Powell, baritone Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus

Norman Mackenzie, Director of Choruses

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1775-1791) Concerto No. 5 for Violin and Orchestra in A Major, K. 219 (“Turkish”) (1775) 31 MIN I. Allegro aperto II. Adagio III. Rondo. Tempo di Menuetto David Coucheron, violin INTERMISSION LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Opus 125, “Choral” (1824) 68 MIN I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso II. Molto vivace; Presto; Molto vivace III. Adagio molto e cantabile IV. Presto Twyla Robinson, soprano Nancy Maultsby, mezzo-soprano Joseph Kaiser, tenor Stephen Powell, baritone Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus English Surtitles by Ken Meltzer

Concerto No. 5 for Violin and Orchestra in A Major, K. 219 (“Turkish”) (1775) WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART was born in Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756, and died in Vienna, Austria, on December 5, 1791. In addition to the solo violin, the Concerto No. 5 is scored for two oboes, two horns and strings.

First ASO Classical Subscription Performances: March 4, 5, 6 and 7, 1976, Miriam Fried, Violin, Otto Werner-Mueller, Conductor.

Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: Vilde Frang, Violin, January 31 and February 2, 2013, Gilbert Varga, Conductor.

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n addition to his prowess as a keyboard artist, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a highly accomplished violinist. During his early tours of Europe, Mozart astonished audiences with his command of both instruments. Mozart’s father, Leopold, himself a fine violinist, once admonished his son: “(y)ou don’t realize yourself how well you play the violin when you are on your mettle and perform with confidence, spirit and fire.”

In 1772, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg appointed the 16-year-old Wolfgang as conductor and concertmaster of the Salzburg Court Orchestra. During the year 1775, Mozart, then 19, authored his five Violin Concertos. It is not entirely certain whether Mozart originally composed these Concertos specifically for his own use, or for the Italian violinist, Antonio Brunetti, a prominent Salzburg Court musician. We do know that Mozart played his Violin Concertos at public concerts. Without question, the Concertos were intended to display the technical fluency and pure, singing tone that were hallmarks of Mozart’s impressive violin performances.

Mozart completed his Fifth and final Concerto for Violin and Orchestra on December 20, 1775. It is considered the richest and most innovative of Mozart’s Violin Concertos, a testament to his rapid development as a composer. The brilliance of this work makes one regret all the more that, although Mozart lived another sixteen years, the Fifth Violin Concerto proved to be his last.

The Concerto is in three movements. The first (Allegro aperto), while in traditional sonata form, offers many inventive touches that vary the basic structure. The opening, ascending motif, introduced by the first violins, turns out not to be the main theme, but merely its accompaniment! The soloist enters with a reflective Adagio episode before launching into an Allegro presentation of the various themes. The brief development journeys into the minor, but the recapitulation and solo cadenza recapture the high spirits with which the movement began.

The slow second movement (Adagio), in A—B—A form, is based upon the extended, graceful melody introduced by the first violins and then repeated, to sighing accompaniment, by the soloist. The melancholy, central “B” section provides contrast prior to the reprise of the Adagio’s opening portion, the soloist’s cadenza, and the ensemble’s final bars. The Rondo finale (Rondeau.

Tempo di Menuetto) begins with the soloist’s presentation of the principal theme, cast in the form of an elegant minuet. The theme returns throughout, alternating with spirited, contrasting episodes. Most striking is a lengthy Allegro set in duple meter that makes use of the “Turkish” effects popular in Mozart’s day. The Rondo concludes with a return to the principal minuet theme, and the simplest but most striking of effects; a series of five ascending notes.

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KEN MELTZER, ASO Program Annotator | Ken’s In-depth program notes, detailed musical analysis, and listening samples can be found online: aso.org/encore. To contact Ken, please email Ken.Meltzer@woodruffcenter.org.

ASO | 11.13/15 | concert at a glance

ASO | 11.13/15 | program

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Opus 125, “Choral” (1824) LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN was baptized in Bonn, Germany, on December 17, 1770, and died in Vienna, Austria, on March 26, 1827. The first performance of the Ninth Symphony took place at the Kärnthnerthor Theater in Vienna on May 7, 1824, with Ignaz Umlauf conducting.

The Ninth Symphony is scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, mixed chorus, piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle and strings.

First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: October 19, 1967, Choral Guild of Atlanta, Robert Shaw, Conductor.

Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances (retuschen Gustav Mahler): September 22, 23 and 25, 2011, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Robert Spano, Conductor.

ASO Recording: (Telarc CD-80603), Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Donald Runnicles, Conductor

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eethoven’s Ninth and final Symphony (“Choral”) represents, on a number of levels, a summit of the immortal composer’s artistic life. The Ninth is by far the most epic of Beethoven’s Symphonies, both in terms of length and performing forces.

The revolutionary introduction of vocal soloists and chorus in the finale was a bold masterstroke that forever expanded the potential of symphonic expression.

The text of the Symphony’s finale, based upon the 1785 Ode “To Joy” by the great German writer, Friedrich Schiller (17591805), held a lifelong attraction for the composer. Likewise, Beethoven’s melodic

setting of Schiller’s Ode in the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth was the product of an extended genesis. A version of the melody first appears in a song Beethoven composed in the mid-1790s, entitled “Gegenliebe” (“Mutual Love”), based upon a poem by Gottfried August Bürger. An even more startling premonition of the Ninth Symphony may be found in Beethoven’s 1808 Fantasia in C minor for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra, Opus 80. And the sublime writing for the vocal soloists and chorus in the final scene of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio (1805, rev. 1806, 1814), looks forward to the finale of the Ninth.

Beethoven composed the Ninth Symphony during a period between the spring of 1823 and January 1824. As late as the summer of 1823, Beethoven considered ending his Symphony in traditional fashion with a purely instrumental fourth movement.

Even after Beethoven made the final decision to employ Schiller’s text, the question remained of how to effect the appropriate transition to this new and daring path.

And then one day (according to the composer’s friend and biographer, Anton Schindler) Beethoven exclaimed: “I’ve got it, I’ve got it.” Beethoven had sketched the following words: “Let us sing the song of the immortal Schiller.” This text was to be performed by the basses of the chorus, with the soprano then presenting Schiller’s Ode. Beethoven ultimately modified the above text to read: “O friends, no more of these sounds! Let us sing songs that are more cheerful and full of joy!” Both these lines, and the beginning of Schiller’s Ode, are given to the solo bass vocalist.

The premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony took place at the Vienna Kärnthnerthor Theater on May 7, 1824. By this stage of Beethoven’s life, the composer’s

At the conclusion of the performance, the audience erupted with a spirited ovation.

Karoline Unger was the contralto soloist at the premiere of the Beethoven Ninth.

More than four decades later, she met with the British music writer, Sir George Grove.

During that meeting, Unger described what happened at the May 7, 1824 concert: The master, though placed in the midst of this confluence of music, heard nothing of it at all and was not even sensible of the applause of the audience at the end of his great work, but continued standing with his back to the audience, and beating the time, till Fräulein Unger, who had sung the contralto part, turned him, or induced him to turn round and face the people, who were still clapping their hands, and giving way to the greatest demonstrations of pleasure. His turning round, and the sudden conviction thereby forced upon everybody that he had not done so before, because he could not hear what was going on, acted like an electric shock on all present, and a volcanic explosion of sympathy and admiration followed, which was repeated again and again, and seemed as if it would never end.

The Ninth Symphony is in four movements.

The first (Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso) opens with the furtive introduction of a two-note descending motif (pairs of descending notes provide the thematic nucleus for much of the Ninth Symphony),

soon thundered fortissimo by the orchestra. The winds also hint at the immortal Ode “To Joy” theme with a dolce ascending and descending theme. The movement proceeds to a fierce resolution, capped by a final statement of the opening theme.

The scherzo (Molto vivace; Presto; Molto vivace) appears as the Symphony’s second (rather than the traditional third) movement. Once again, a descending two-note motif, introduced the outset, provides the thematic nucleus. In the central trio, the winds introduce a flowing theme that is another precursor to the Ode “To Joy” melody. The beautiful slow movement (Adagio molto e cantabile) is based upon two themes, both derived from the descending two-note motif. In the finale (Presto) the principal themes from the first three movements return, only to be rejected in turn by the orchestra. Finally, the orchestra sings the immortal Ode “To Joy” melody. The bass heralds the entrance of the vocal soloists and chorus. A series of variations on the melody culminates in the orchestra’s Prestissimo race to the finish.

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hearing had deteriorated to such an extent that conducting the performance was out of the question. Instead, Ignaz Umlauf led the premiere. But all the while, Beethoven was at Umlauf’s side, attempting to direct the tempos for the various movements.

ASO | 11.13/15 | guests In the 2014-15 season, Ms. Robinson’s avid Coucheron joined the Atlanta concert engagements include Messiah with Symphony Orchestra as Concertmaster the Jacksonville Symphony and a concert of Strauss lieder with the Indianapolis in September 2010.

Symphony. On the operatic stage, she will Mr. Coucheron has performed as a soloist perform the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Bergen with New Orleans Opera and will create Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Symphony the role of Becky in the world premiere of Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra Ricky Ian Gordon’s “Morning Star” with and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.

Cincinnati Opera.

He has played solo recitals at the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Carnegie Hall, In high demand for concert performances, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Ms. Robinson regularly performs with Olympic Winter Games, and in Beograd, top orchestras in the United States and Chile, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Serbia, Europe. In the past season alone, she Singapore, and Shanghai. His recordings made appearances with the BBC Scottish include “David and Julie” and “Debut.” His Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic awards include first prize at the Concorso Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra Internazionale di Musica Competition and and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra.

Princess Astrid Competition and third prize As an opera singer, Ms. Robinson has at the Manchester International Violin won particular acclaim for her portrayal Competition. He serves of Mozart heroines. She has sung Donna as Artistic Director for Anna in Don Giovanni for New York City the Kon Tiki Chamber Opera and Florida Grand Opera, and, Music Festival.

Originally from during the 2006– Oslo, Norway, Mr. 2007 season, sang Coucheron began Donna Elvira for San Opera, playing violin at age Francisco which was later three and currently broadcast in movie plays a 1725 Stradivarius. He graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music, The theaters throughout Juilliard School, and The Guildhall School. the United States.

DAVID COUCHERON, Concertmaster

TWYLA ROBINSON, Soprano

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wyla Robinson’s incisive musicianship, ravishing vocal beauty and dramatic delivery have taken her to the leading concert halls and opera stages of Europe and North America. She has been heard in performance with the London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Berlin Staatskapelle, The Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic, among others.

Her recordings include Brahms’ Requiem with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Pierre Boulez and the Berlin Staatskappelle, Schubert’s Fierrabras with Franz WelserMöst on DVD with EMI, and Strauss’ Elektra and Daphne with Semyon Bychkov and the West German Radio Orchestra on the Decca label.

KRISTIN HOEBERMANN

DEREK BLANKS

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No. 2 with the Singapore Symphony on BIS merican mezzo-soprano Nancy and Wagner opera excerpts on Naxos.

Maultsby is in demand by opera Nancy Maultsby, a North Carolina companies and orchestras throughout native, is a graduate of Westminster Choir the world. Her unique vocal timbre and College, where she studied with Lindsey insightful musicianship allow her to pursue Christiansen and was a graduate student at a repertoire extending from the operas of Indiana University School of Music, where Monteverdi and Handel to recent works by she studied with Margaret Harshaw. She is an alumna of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s John Adams.

Throughout her career, Nancy Maultsby has Center for American Artists. Among enjoyed frequent engagements with many numerous other awards, she is the winner leading conductors. Her collaborations of the Marian Anderson Award and the include performances under Zubin Mehta, Martin E. Segal Award. She is on voice Alan Gilbert, Gerard Schwarz, faculty at Baldwin Wallace University in Robert Spano, Berea, Ohio.

NANCY MAULTSBY, Mezzo-Soprano

JOSEPH KAISER, Tenor

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oseph Kaiser is recognized by audiences for his beauty of tone, intelligence of programming and innate sense of style and elegance. He is internationally acclaimed as one of the most gifted artists of his generation and enjoys success in opera, oratorio and concert throughout North America and Europe.

The 2014-15 season includes a debut at Opernhaus Zürich as Michel in a new production of Martinů’s Juliette. Mr. Kaiser returns to the Bayerische Staatsoper as Matteo in a new production of Arabella opposite Anja Harteros conducted by In addition to a recording of Philippe Jordan and joins Opéra de Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Antonio Pappano Montréal as Nikolaus on Forlane, Odyseus and Telarc’s recording Sprink in Silent Night of Mozart’s Requiem, Ms. Maultsby can conducted by Michael be also heard recordings with the Boston Christie. On the concert Baroque. She is featured on box sets stage, he performs honoring Christoph von Dohnányi and the Mendelssohn’s Die Cleveland Orchestra and Kurt Masur at erste Walpurgisnacht the New York Philharmonic. Her recent with the Orchestra recordings include the Lamentation of St. Luke’s led by from Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 with Principal Conductor Pablo Heras-Casado Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony at Carnegie Hall, Mozart’s Requiem with for Telarc, Richard Yardumian’s Symphony the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted

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Leonard Slatkin and the late Robert Shaw, just to name a few. Her regular collaborations with America’s leading orchestras include concerts with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony and many others. She has sung at every major U.S. Festival including Ravinia, Tanglewood, Saratoga, Aspen, Grant Park and the Cincinnati May Festival.

DARIO ACOSTA

DARIO ACOSTA

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by Music Director Jaap Van Zweden and offers a joint recital at New York City’s Pace University with soprano Julia Bullock and pianist Steven Blier.

In season 2014-15, Stephen Powell returns to Virginia Opera to sing the title role in Sweeney Todd and to Cincinnati Opera as Count di Luna in Il trovatore. He reprises Carmina Burana with Cleveland OrConcert highlights include performances chestra and sings Ein Fremder/Francesco in of Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Schillings’ Mona Lisa with American SymStrings with André Previn and the Gewandphony Orchestra. hausorchester, Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Vanished under the auspices of Chi- Stephen Powell’s concert career has seen him cago Opera Theater, Bruckner’s Te Deum perform as soloist in Carmina Burana, Meswith Daniel Barenboim and the Orchestra siah, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Misand Chorus of Teatro alla Scala and Bruck- sa Solemnis, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, ner’s Mass No. 3 in F-minor conducted by Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Elgar’s Dream of Artistic Director Marek Janowski with the Gerontius, Verdi’s Requiem, Brahms’ Ein Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, among Deutsches Requiem and countless other leading roles. others.

His concert schedule has included performances of the Berlioz Requiem under Marek Janowski as well as with Donald Runnicles both with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Berliner Philharmoniker, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with Roberto Abbado and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

STEPHEN POWELL, Baritone

CHRISTIAN POLLARD

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Mr. Powell has sung under the distinguished batons of such noted conductors as Andrew Litton, Charles Dutoit, Leonard Slatkin, Edo de Waart and Grant Llewellyn, just to name a few. He created the role of Felipe Nuñez in the world premiere of The Conquistador with San Diego Opera and performed and recorded Bach’s Magnificat with Boston Baroque.

As a recitalist, Stephen Powell has appeared with New York Festival of Song and performed at Weill Recital Hall singing Lee Hoiby’s song cycle, I Was There: Five Poems of Walt Whitman, with the composer accompanying. He performs frequently with his wife, soprano Barbara Shirvis, offering three recital programs they created together: “Hearts Afire: Love Songs through the Ages,” “Bellissimo Broadway!” and “American Celebration,” as well as master classes at universities across the U.S. Mr. Powell is an alumnus of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Center for American Artists.

he dynamic American baritone Stephen Powell brings his “rich, lyric baritone, commanding presence and thoughtful musicianship” (Wall Street Journal) to a wide range of music, from Monteverdi and Handel through Verdi and Puccini to Sondheim and John Adams. Opera magazine has hailed him, writing “the big news was Stephen Powell’s gorgeouslysung Onegin: rock solid, with creamy legato from top to bottom ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHORUS and dynamics smoothly he Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chotapered but never exagrus (ASOC) was founded in 1970 by gerated.” former ASO Music Director Robert Shaw.

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Comprising 200 auditioned voices, the NORMAN MACKENZIE, Director of Choruses Chorus is an all-volunteer organization that s Director of Choruses for the Atlanta performs on a regular basis with the ASO Symphony Orchestra since 2000 and and is featured on many of the Orchestra’s holder of its endowed Frannie and Bill recordings.

Graves Chair, Norman Mackenzie was Led by ASO Director of Choruses Norman chosen to help carry forward the creative Mackenzie, the Chorus is known for its vision of legendary founding conductor precision and expressive singing quality. Robert Shaw to a new generation of Their recordings with the ASO have won music lovers. At the ASO, he prepares the multiple GRAMMY® Awards, including Choruses for all concerts and recordings, Best Choral Performance, Best Classical works closely with Robert Spano on the Recording,and Best Opera Recording. commissioning and realization of new Those include Vaughan Williams’ A Sea choral-orchestral work, and conducts holiday concerts annually. Mr. Mackenzie Symphony and the Berlioz Requiem.

The ASOC performs large choral-symphonic also serves as Organist and Director of works with the full Orchestra under the Music and Fine Arts for Atlanta’s Trinity batons of Music Director Robert Spano Presbyterian Church and pursues an active and Principal Guest Conductor Donald recital and guest conducting schedule.

Runnicles. In addition, the Chorus has been involved in the creation and shaping of numerous world-premiere commissioned choral works.

The Chorus made its debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1976 with a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. In addition, the Chorus performed in Washington, D.C., for President-elect Jimmy Carter’s Inaugural Concert in 1977. The chorus has traveled to Germany three times to be a special guest of the Berlin Philharmonic in December 2003 for performances of Britten’s War Requiem, in May 2008 for the Berlioz Requiem and in December 2009 for a week of Brahms Requiem performances — all with ASO Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles.

Within the Chorus, there is an auditioned group of 60 musicians called the ASO Chamber Chorus. The Chamber Chorus, which formed before the larger Chorus in 1967, performs music of the Baroque and Classical eras, as well as works by modern masters.

Mr. Mackenzie has been hailed by The New York Times as Robert Shaw’s “designated successor.” In his 14-year association with Mr. Shaw, he was keyboardist for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Principal Accompanist for the ASO Choruses, and ultimately assistant choral conductor. In addition, he was musical assistant and accompanist for the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers, the Robert Shaw Institute Summer Choral Festivals in France and the United States, and the famed Shaw/Carnegie Hall Choral Workshops. He was choral clinician for the first three workshops after Mr. Shaw’s passing and partnered with Robert Spano for the 2011 Carnegie Hall Workshop featuring the Berlioz Requiem.

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ASO | 11.13/15 | guests Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus

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Norman Mackenzie, Director of Choruses The Frannie and Bill Graves Chair SOPRANO 1 JoAnn Alexander Ariel Barnes Rachel Bloemer Sakinah Davis Liz Dean Laura Foster Meg Granum Michelle Griffin Victoria Kolterman Arietha Lockhart ** Alexis Lundy Mindy Margolis Patricia Nealon * Joneen Padgett Lisa Rader * Olivia Rutkowski Catherine Steen Lykins Stacey Tanner Brianne Turgeon * Emily White Kara Mia Wray Wanda Yang Temko * Natalie York Eaker SOPRANO 2 Sloan Atwood * Jessica Barber Barbara Brown Kelly Campobasso Ellen Chase Martha Craft Ellen Dukes ** Katherine Folds Mary Goodwin Kathleen Kelly-George Eda Mathews ** Rachel O’Dell Vickie Orme Lindsay Patten Chantae Pittman Donna Ross Sydney Smith-Rikard Paula Snelling * Anne-Marie Spalinger * Tommie Storer Emily Tallant Cheryl Thrash ** Donna Weeks * Katie Woolf

Jeffrey Baxter, Choral Administrator The Florence Kopleff Chair

ALTO 1 Deborah Boland ** Rachel Bowman Meagan Bradford Donna Carter-Wood * Laurie Cronin Patricia DinkinsMatthews * Pamela Drummond * Catherine Elliott Beth Freeman Pamela Griffin * Julia Heard Noelle Hooge Beverly Hueter Janet Johnson * Virginia Little * Staria Lovelady Paige Mathis * Holly McCarren * Frances McDowell ** Linda Morgan ** Katherine Murray * Ashley Perry Meesook Sonu Rachel Stewart ** Diana Strommen Nancy York ALTO 2 Nancy Adams * Michelle Austin Ana Baida Stephanie Bizardi Marcia Chandler Meaghan Curry Sally Kann Nicole Khoury * Katherine MacKenzie Lynda Martin Brenda Pruitt * Laura Rappold Andrea Schmidt Sharon Simons Alexandra Tanico Cheryl Vanture Sarah Ward June Webb Kiki Wilson ** Diane Woodard **

TENOR 1 Jeffrey Baxter ** David Blalock ** John Brandt * Jack Caldwell * Daniel Cameron * Joseph Cortes Clifford Edge ** Steven Farrow ** Wayne Gammon Leif Gilbert-Hansen James Jarrell Keith Langston Jeffrey LeCraw Ariel Merivil Clinton Miller Christopher Patton John Perry Stephen Reed # Nathan Schreer TENOR 2 Mark Barnes Curtis Bisges Justin Cornelius Charles Cottingham # Phillip Crumbly * Jeffrey Daniel Joseph Few * Hamilton Fong Keith Jeffords * Steven Johnstone * David Lamb Jonathan Marvel Michael Parker Marshall Peterson * Brent Runnels Clifton Russell Wesley Stoner Caleb Waters Robert Wilkinson Mark Zekoff BASS 1 Michael Arens * Richard Brock * Russell Cason * Trey Clegg Steven Darst * Leroy Fetters

Peter Marshall, Accompanist Jon Gunnemann * James Honn Nick Jones # Jameson Linville Peter MacKenzie Joshua Martin Jason Maynard John Newsome Andrew Riechel Mark Russell Kendric Smith # Owen Talley Ike Van Meter Aaron Villalobos Edward Watkins ** BASS 2 Philip Barreca Charles Boone Brian Brown * Joseph Champion John Cooledge # Rick Copeland * Joel Craft ** Paul Fletcher Andrew Gee * Timothy Gunter * Marcus Hill Eric Litsey ** Evan Mauk Eckhart Richter * John Ruff * Jonathan Smith Timothy Solomon ** Benjamin Temko Seth Whitecotton Gregory Whitmire * Keith Wyatt *

* 20+ years of service ** 30+ years of service # Charter member (1970)

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B R AT I O N C O NT IN UE S

Symphony No. DUBUSSEY: Première Rhapsodie RICHARD PRIOR: Symphony No. 3

ROBERT SPANO LAURA ARDAN, conductor clarinet

NOV 20/22/23

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BEETHOVEN

5

JACK EVERLY, GEORGE TAKEI, KRISTIN PLUMLEY, POPS! conductor soprano

narrator

NOV 28/29

Make it a group!

Woodruff Arts Center Box Office 404.733.5000 404.733.4848

Presented by:

Supported by:

Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

aso.org