notesontheprogram
by Noel Morris Program Annotator
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
In addition to the solo violin, this concerto is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.
“Iwent one evening to my future wife and told her frankly that I could not love her, but that I would be a devoted and grateful friend.” Thus, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky got engaged. At the time, he believed his bride, Antonina Milyukova, could make his life “peaceful and happy.” She didn’t.
First ASO Performance: January 25, 1948
Robert Harrison, violin Henry Sopkin, conductor
Most Recent ASO Performances: October 21–24, 2021 Juanjo Mena, conductor Midori, violin
Just six months before, he had been in love with Josef Kotek, a violin student at the Moscow Conservatory. “My only need,” wrote Tchaikovsky, “is for him to know that I love him endlessly.”
Although there has been enormous speculation about Tchaikovsky’s motives for marrying, the only thing we know for sure is that it was not for love. While Antonina claimed to have loved him from afar, they barely knew each other. They married on July 18, 1877, before a handful of witnesses that included his (likely) former lover Josef Kotek. By August 8, Tchaikovsky desperately needed to get away from her.
“I leave in an hour’s time,” he wrote. “A few days longer, and I swear I should have gone mad.” And he wasn’t exaggerating. In less than three weeks he had descended into a deep depression and found himself utterly unable to work. After spending the rest of the summer with his sister, he returned to his bride for just two weeks in the fall before deciding the marriage was unworkable. At the same time, he developed an intense bond with another woman.
Kotek had been working for a wealthy, rather reclusive widow named Nadezhda von Meck. She shared Kotek’s interest in Tchaikovsky’s music. Before long, she and the composer became pen pals. Taking special care never to meet face-to-face, the two of them developed a deeply personal and gratifying friendship. She became his muse and benefactress (and a great source of letters for future music historians).
In 1878, still reeling from his failed marriage, Tchaikovsky took an extended trip with his brother to Europe. Gradually, he started writing music again and his mood brightened. In Clarens, Switzerland, they enjoyed the use of von Meck’s villa and called on Kotek to join them
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there. Perched on the shores of Lake Geneva, Kotek and Tchaikovsky shared musical evenings together. It was a reading of Eduard Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, with Kotek on violin and Tchaikovsky at the piano, that lit the fire for a new violin concerto. Sketching the piece in just eleven days, Tchaikovsky worked through the solo passages with the help of Kotek and dedicated the concerto to the famous Hungarian violinist Leopold Auer.
This proved to be a major disappointment for the composer; Auer took one look at the piece and refused to play it. Two years passed before the Russian violinist Adolph Brodsky took up the concerto in Vienna and gave its world premiere, which prompted a scathing review from the famous music critic Eduard Hanslick.
“Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto gives us for the first time the hideous notion that there can be music that stinks to the ear,” he wrote. And the fragile Tchaikovsky hung on every word of it, committing the entire thing to memory.
As the years went by, it seems that Auer grew to regret his early judgment of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Stumbling over various explanations, he claimed he had thought the piece needed work or that he had doubted its intrinsic worth before saying in 1912: “The concerto has made its way in the world. And that is the most important thing.”
Indeed. Today, Auer is best remembered, not for his playing, but for the violinists he taught, including Nathan Milstein, Efram Zimbalist, Mischa Ehlman and Jascha Heifetz—all major artists who helped propel the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto into a concert-hall favorite.
Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93
First ASO performances: November 29–December 1, 1979 Hiroyuki Iwaki, conductor
Most recent ASO performances: January 12–14, 2017 Donald Runnicles, conductor
Symphony No. 10 is scored for piccolo, two flutes (one doubling piccolo), three oboes (one doubling English horn), three clarinets (one doubling E-flat clarinet), three bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon), four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.
It’s difficult to talk about Shostakovich without acknowledging the trauma he suffered under the thumb of Joseph Stalin. In January of 1936, his hit opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District was running in three separate productions in Moscow alone when Stalin walked out mid-performance. Official censure followed, and Shostakovich was labeled an enemy of the people. Overnight, his music was canceled. People crossed the street to avoid speaking to him, and his income dropped percent. Known to history as the Great Purge or the Great Terror (1936–1938), this was a time when scientists, educators, entertainers, politicians, landowners and members of the Red Army vanished in the night. The meaning of the composer’s rebuke was unambiguous—he had a brush with death.
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The Tenth Symphony came along 17 years after the 1936 ordeal. In the intervening years, the composer clawed his way back into good standing with the apparatchiks. He avoided offering anything that outwardly violated Party dictates (today’s musicians detect great irony that suggests veiled dissent in his works). To be safe, he stowed his riskier compositions in a drawer.
Through the duration of World War II, Stalin was too distracted by Hitler’s army to wage war on his people. (For 900 days, German soldiers laid siege to Leningrad.)
At war’s end, Soviet authorities expected Shostakovich to write an epic symphony to mark their victory, something to glorify Stalin and Soviet life. Instead, he produced a lean, puckish piece that caused much head-scratching among the war-weary Soviets.
It took a while for his critics to act, but in 1948, the Committee of Artistic Affairs banned a number of Shostakovich’s works, including the Ninth Symphony, and summoned him to make a public apology for having written music deemed “anti-people.”
Shostakovich lost his job at the Moscow Conservatory and again began a process of “rehabilitation,” writing music that would satisfy the authorities. For the next five years, he declined to issue another symphony until Joseph Stalin died in March of 1953.
Like many things about the Shostakovich biography (he lived in a time when truth and lies got people killed), there are conflicting accounts about the composition of the Tenth Symphony. His friend and confidante Tatyana Nikolayeva insisted that he began the piece in 1951. Shostakovich said he wrote the piece (or the bulk of it) in the summer and fall of 1953.
“I wrote it right after Stalin’s death, and no one has yet guessed what the Symphony is about,” said the composer (purportedly). “It’s about Stalin and the Stalin years.” That quote comes from the Shostakovich memoir titled Testimony, published in 1979 by Solomon Volkov. It must be said, the legitimacy of this document has been hotly debated, with people close to the composer arguing on both sides. But for many musicians, it’s difficult to separate the composer’s life experience from the fabric of the Tenth Symphony. The piece contains (at least) two musical monograms: the first is based on the German spelling of his name, Schostakovich, to spell D-S-C-H (“S” is the German name for E flat; “H” is the German name for B natural.) The second is based on the name of a favorite student, Elmira Nazirova. For this, he combined musical notes with solfège to spell E-La-Mi-Re-A. This theme sounds as a horn call in the third movement.
Shostakovich continues to use his monogram, D-S-C-H, until the very end of the symphony when the low brass blares these notes. It sounds brazen and defiant. Could this be the composer’s rebuke of Joseph Stalin? Possibly. It’s nice to think that it is.
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ELIM CHAN, CONDUCTOR
One of the most sought-after of the young conductors, Elim Chan became the first female winner of Donatella Flick Conducting Competition and has been appointed Chief Conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra from the season 2019/20. In addition, she also holds the position as Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra since 2018/19.
The 2021/22 season saw an appearance at the Edinburgh International Festival followed by debuts with the Sinfonieorchester Basel as well as Boston and St. Louis Symphony orchestras, European Union Youth Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien. Further to that, Elim Chan will return to orchestras with whom she is closely connected, amongst them Philharmonia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gürzenich Orchester Cologne.
Elim Chan became Assistant Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra in 2015/16 and was appointed to the Dudamel Fellowship program with the Los Angeles Philharmonic the following season.
HILARY HAHN, VIOLIN
Three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn melds expressive musicality and technical expertise with a diverse repertoire guided by artistic curiosity.
Hahn is a prolific recording artist whose 21 feature albums on Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, and Sony have all opened in the top ten of the Billboard charts. Three of Hahn’s albums—her 2003 Brahms and Stravinsky concerto disc, a 2008 pairing of the Schoenberg and Sibelius concerti, and her 2013 recording of "In 27 Pieces: the Hilary Hahn Encores"—have been awarded Grammys. Jennifer Higdon’s Violin Concerto, written for Hahn and which she recorded along with the Tchaikovsky concerto, went on to win the Pulitzer Prize.
As Virtual Artist-in-Residence with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Hahn performed three programs this season, including the world premiere of her newly composed cadenza to Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5. Hahn has also taken time this season to perform the Dvořák Violin Concerto, appearing with both the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.
In March 2021, Deutsche Grammophon released Hahn’s 21st album, "Paris", recorded with Mikko Franck and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
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DANA VAN LEEUWEN
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RAHI REZVANI
Concerts of Thursday, December 8, 2022, 8:00pm Saturday, December 10, 2022, 3:00pm
NATHALIE STUTZMANN, conductor Sunday, December 11, 2022, 3:00pm
JERRY HOU, conductor
GEORGES BIZET (1838–1875) Prelude to Act I from Carmen (1875) 4 MINS
GEORGES BIZET (1838–1875) Symphony No. 1 in C Major (1855) 27 MINS I. Allegro vivo II. Adagio III. Allegro vivace IV. Allegro vivace
INTERMISSION 20 MINS
Thursday’s concert is dedicated to PATTY & DOUG REID in honor of their extraordinary support of the 2021/22 Annual Fund.
Sunday’s concert is dedicated to CONNIE & MERRELL CALHOUN in honor of their extraordinary support of the 2021/22 Annual Fund.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Suite No. 1 The Nutcracker, Op. 71a (1892) 24 MINS I. Ouverture miniature (Miniature Overture) II. Danses caractéristiques a. Marche (March) b. Danse de la Fée-Dragée (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) c. Danse russe: Trépak (Russian Dance) d. Danse arabe (Arabian Dance) e. Danse chinoise (Chinese Dance) f. Danse des mirlitons (Dance of the Reed Flutes) III. Valse de fleurs (Waltz of the Flowers)
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.
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Prelude to Act I from Carmen
This prelude is scored for piccolo, flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion and strings.
Symphony No. 1 in C Major
Symphony No. 1 is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two clarinets, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.
You might say that Providence smiled upon the French composer George Bizet. He was a child prodigy and wrote what might be the world’s most famous opera— but you would have to place an asterisk beside all this because he died without ever having tasted his success.
by Noel Morris Program Annotator
First ASO performance: February 4, 1965 Henry Sopkin, conductor
Most recent ASO performances: May 14–18, 1998 Yoel Levi, conductor
First ASO performance: March 27, 1949 Henry Sopkin, conductor
Most recent ASO performances: September 22–24, 1994 Yoel Levi, conductor
In 1873, there were several rival opera companies in Paris. Bizet received a commission to write a show for Opéra-Comique, which specialized in productions that combined singing with spoken dialogue. For the story, he chose Prosper Mérimée’s Carmen, about a miscreant nobleman and soldier who deserts his unit to run off with a Romani woman. Mérimée paints an explosive portrait, combining classism with a deadly cocktail of seduction and male aggression. Bizet’s choice outraged at least one company executive, M. Leuven.
“It was Bizet who, in 1873, had the idea of extracting an opera libretto from the admirable novella of Mérimée,” wrote colibrettist Ludovic Halévy. “I went to see Leuven, and he actually interrupted me after the first sentence. ‘Carmen! Mérimée’s Carmen! Isn’t she killed by her lover? And these bandits, gypsies, and girls working in a cigar factory! At the Opéra-Comique! The family theater, the theater of wedding parties … You’ll frighten our audience away. That’s impossible.’ I insisted and explained to Mr. Leuven that ours was a Carmen, to be sure, but a toned-down, softened Carmen, and that we had actually introduced some characters perfectly in keeping with the style of the opéra-comique, especially a young girl of great chastity and innocence. There were indeed gypsies, but of the humorous variety (they really weren’t)…. Mr. Leuven acquiesced but after a prolonged struggle. And when I left his office, he said: ‘Please try not to let her die. Death at the Opéra-Comique. That’s never happened before, do you hear, never. Don’t let her die, I implore you, my dear child.’”
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WIKIMEDIA
There is nothing chaste or “toned down” about Bizet’s Carmen. As the production took shape, M. Leuven tendered his resignation. The chorus, which was accustomed to standing and singing in place, objected to having to smoke cigarettes and behave “in character” like a slovenly throng. But the two principals who sang the roles of Carmen and Don José got behind the opera and threatened to quit if the company didn’t produce it without changes.
Carmen opened on March 3, 1875. Some of the giants in French music were in attendance, including the composer›s boyhood friend Camille Saint-Saëns, his former teacher Charles Gounod, Jules Massenet, and Léo Delibes. As it happened, many of the things that alarmed M. Leuven also shocked the public and the press; Carmen flopped at the Opéra-Comique. Three months later, Bizet suffered a heart attack and died.
Later that year, productions of Carmen began to pop up across Europe until it eventually made its way back to Paris. By then, the opera was a triumph. Today, the average American can spot its irresistible melodies in everything from Super Bowl ads to the Muppets, Family Guy, The Bad News Bears, Gilligan's Island, the Marx Brothers, Disney/Pixar’s film Up; Carmen: A Hip Hopera with Beyoncé singing and more.
Early Life
Both of Bizet’s parents were musicians. Young Georges was so precocious the Paris Conservatoire bent the rules to admit him before his tenth birthday. Soon, he landed in the classroom of the prominent composer Charles Gounod who hired him to make piano arrangements of his works. Through this association, Bizet honed his skills while Gounod profited from selling sheet music of his most popular works.
Bizet had just celebrated his seventeenth birthday when he sat down to write his Symphony in C. At the time, he had been working on a piano arrangement of Gounod’s First Symphony in D. In a month’s time, Bizet completed his first symphony. The piece owes a great debt to that of Gounod; however, young Bizet’s melodies already hint at Carmen, The Pearl Fishers, and L’Arlesienne. At nineteen, Bizet won the prestigious Prix de Rome competition and enjoyed an extended stay at an academy in Rome.
By all accounts, Bizet was a terrific pianist and was exceptionally good at reading orchestral scores on sight. In all likelihood, he could have had a brilliant piano career, but this didn’t interest him. He was
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a composer at heart and suffered many years of frustration, not quite hitting his stride. (His life’s work is a graveyard of abandoned opera projects).
For years after his death, Bizet’s youthful compositions languished. It took a person with 1930s sensibilities—one who knew the massive footprint of Carmen—to recognize the value of a long-lost Bizet score. The French musicologist Jean Chantavoine had been rifling through the archives of the Paris Conservatory when he discovered the Symphony in C. He shared it with Bizet biographer Douglas Charles Parker who passed it along to conductor Felix Weingartner. With Weingartner on the podium, the Symphony received its world premiere in 1935, drawing comparisons to the early works of Felix Mendelssohn (another great prodigy).
Meanwhile, the modernist giant Igor Stravinsky recommended Bizet’s score to Georges Balanchine, founder of the New York City Ballet. Choreographing the piece in just two weeks, Balanchine debuted the ballet Symphony in C in 1946. It remains a staple of the New York City Ballet.
Suite No. 1 The Nutcracker, Op. 71a
This suite is scored for three flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, two cornets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celeste and strings.
First ASO performance: December 22, 1946
Henry Sopkin, conductor
Most recent ASO performance: December 19–20, 1957
Begrudgingly. That’s how Tchaikovsky began the creation of one of the best-loved scores of all time. The job came to him as a twofer: he could write the one-act opera Iolanta if he’d close the evening with a ballet.
Arthur Fiedler, conductor
It was a legendary collaboration: Choreographer Marius Petipa supplied very specific instructions (“The sentry fires. One or two bars. The dolls are in a tumult. 2 bars of fright.”), and Tchaikovsky filled the page with his timeless melodies. Based on The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann, this was to be their third collaboration, starting with Swan Lake in 1877, followed by Sleeping Beauty in 1890. So successful was Sleeping Beauty plans for The Nutcracker began immediately.
By many accounts, Tchaikovsky overcommitted himself in the early months of 1891. But Petipa’s scenario exacerbated his anxiety. E.T.A. Hoffmann was a well-known writer. His Nutcracker is a darkly nuanced, decidedly adult story. Petipa chose to ignore this
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famous narrative in favor of a more child-friendly, French version by Alexandre Dumas, père. In Petipa’s version, all the substance of the drama erupts and resolves before the end of the first act. A child's fantasy occupies the second act, far away from the tension and conflict which seemed (to Tchaikovsky) so essential to storytelling. “These images do not gladden, do not excite inspiration,” complained Tchaikovsky, “but frighten, horrify, and pursue me, waking and sleeping, mocking me with the thought that I shall not cope with them.” Of course, he did, but not before he suffered some more.
A new concert hall, financed by Andrew Carnegie, was under construction in Midtown Manhattan. Positioning the new facility as a cultural touchstone, developers asked Tchaikovsky to headline the grand opening. He accepted with the knowledge that he would have to keep writing throughout his trip in order to meet his deadlines. En route, Tchaikovsky conducted concerts in Berlin and Paris. Days before setting sail to America, his brother Modest came to deliver some bad news. Finding the composer anxious and homesick, Modest opted to withhold the information. As luck would have it, Tchaikovsky picked up a newspaper and learned about it anyway—their sister had died.
“Even more than yesterday and the day before,” he wrote, “I feel absolutely incapable of depicting [The Nutcracker's fairy tale kingdom].” The distraught composer sailed to New York and received an extension on his deadline.
“It turns out that in America I am far better known than in Europe,” he wrote. “Here I’m an important bird!” His hosts made every effort to entertain him, taking him to Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Niagara Falls. While on the trip, Tchaikovsky suffered from persistent homesickness and performer's anxiety but admitted: “If I were younger, I would probably derive great pleasure from staying in this interesting, youthful country.” He did return from his sojourn ready to write.
It was a chance encounter that would yield one of Tchaikovsky’s greatest inspirations. He wrote to his publisher in June of 1891: “I have discovered a new instrument in Paris.... You can only buy it from the inventor, Mustel.... Have it sent direct to Petersburg, but no one there must know about it. I am afraid Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov might hear of it and make use of the new effect before I can.” Mustel’s invention had been unveiled only five years before, but
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it was about to become a cultural icon. Petipa had indicated to Tchaikovsky that he wanted Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy to sound like “drops of water shooting out of fountains.” Tchaikovsky found that sound in Mustel’s celesta. He premiered the suite to The Nutcracker in March of 1892. The complete ballet and the opera, Iolanta, followed in December of that year.
Legacy
It's worth considering The Nutcracker’s impact on the art form for which it was written. For a number of ballet companies, revenues from their annual Nutcracker production exceed those of all other productions combined. But more elemental than that, The Nutcracker is the Everest for ballet dancers. As wee little children, they begin a journey, rising through the ranks of its enormous cast. Starting, perhaps, as mini mice, they progress over the years from toy soldiers to roles such as the Mouse King. The most talented become Spanish dancers, Arabian dancers, Russian dancers, the Mirlitons, the Dew Drop Fairy (Waltz of the Flowers), the prince, and the role on which careers are made: the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Critics of The Nutcracker have complained that Petipa’s scenario lacks a real story, while fans wallow in its magic. It is, after all, a story told from a child's point of view, a perspective very close to the late children's author Maurice Sendak, who created a Nutcracker production for Pacific Northwest Ballet. In it, he went back to the original story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. “It had bite and muscle,” he told to National Public Radio in 1984, “the way the Grimm fairy tales do.” What surprised him was how readily the Tchaikovsky score aligned with the Hoffmann version of the tale. “His music, bristling with implied action, has a subtext alive with wild child cries and belly noises,” wrote Sendak. “It is rare and genuine and does justice to the private world of children. One can, after all, count on the instincts of a genius.”
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NATHALIE STUTZMANN, CONDUCTOR
See biography on page 7
JERRY
HOU, CONDUCTOR
Recognized for his dynamic presence, insightful interpretations, versatility and commanding technique, Taiwanese-American conductor Jerry Hou joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as ASO Associate Conductor and Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra in September 2020.
He has conducted the Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Teatro Colon, Rochester Philharmonic and San Antonio Symphony, among others.
In the summer of 2018, Hou lead to much acclaim the opening concerts of the Grand Teton Music Festival, in a program of Copland, Aaron Jay Kernis, and Rachmaninoff’s First Piano Concerto with renowned soloist Daniil Trifonov. Known for his flexibility in many styles and genres, he has conducted a wide range of repertoire from classical to contemporary. Last spring, Hou led performances of a new collaboration between composer Steve Reich and artist Gerhart Richter to commemorate the opening of New York City’s new performing arts space and center for artistic invention, The Shed. A leading interpreter and conductor of contemporary music, he has collaborated with internationally acclaimed composers such as Steve Reich, John Adams, Steve Stucky, John Harbison, George Lewis, Bernard Rands, Gyorgy Kurtag, Helmut Lachenmann, Unsuk Chin, Brett Dean, Mark Anthony-Turnage and Peter Eötvös. In addition, he worked closely with the next generation of leading composers including Kate Soper, Anna Clyne and Andrew Norman. Hou has conducted leading contemporary music ensembles Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Signal, Remix Ensemble, Musiqa and Alarm Will Sound. He is on the faculty of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas.
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Concerts of Thursday, December 15, 2022 8:00pm Friday, December 16, 2022 8:00pm Sunday, December 18, 2022 3:00pm and 7:00pm
NORMAN MACKENZIE, conductor
TIMOTHY MILLER, tenor ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHORUS SPIVEY HALL CHILDREN'S CHOIR DR. MARTHA SHAW, Director
PART ONE—PROPHECY AND ADVENT
“O Come, Emmanuel” (arr. Alice Parker) “Comfort Ye, My People” from Messiah (George Frideric Handel) Timothy Miller, tenor
“And the Glory of the Lord” from Messiah (George Frideric Handel)
Praeludium, Sostenuto ma non troppo from Missa Solemnis (Ludwig van Beethoven)
“Heavenly Light” (Alexander Kopylov)
“The First Nowell”* (arr. David Willcocks)*
PART TWO—THE STABLE
“Hodie Christus natus est” from A Ceremony of Carols (Benjamin Britten) Elisabeth Remy-Johnson, harp “Wolcum Yole!” from A Ceremony of Carols (Britten) “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” (Michael Praetorius)
“There Is a Rose in Flower” (Johannes Brahms/Erich Leinsdorf)
The Coca-Cola Holiday Concert series is presented by
Holiday concerts are made possible through an endowment from the Livingston Foundation, in memory of Leslie Livingston Kellar. 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.
“Ave Maria” (Franz Schubert) Timothy Miller, tenor “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day” (arr. John Rutter) Elisabeth Remy-Johnson, harp
“So Blest a Sight” (arr. Parker) Arietha Lockhart and Amanda Hoffman, sopranos “Cantique de Noël” (Adam) Timothy Miller, tenor
“Go Where I Send Thee” (arr. Caldwell/Ivory) Peter Marshall, piano
“Away in a Manger” (arr. Parker)
“March of the Kings” (arr. Robert Shaw/Parker)
“Farandole” from L’Arlésienne (George Bizet, arr. Robert Shaw/Parker)
“Bogoroditse Devo” (Virgin Mother of God)
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from Vespers (Sergei Rachmaninov)
“Hallelujah!” from Messiah (Handel)
PART THREE—AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE
“March” from Nutcracker (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky) Peter Marshall, celeste
“Russian Dance” from Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky) David Coucheron, violin
“The Boar’s Head” (arr. Shaw/Parker)
“I Saw 3 Ships” and “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly” from Suite No. 4 The Many Moods of Christmas (arr. Robert Russell Bennett)
PART FOUR—ADORATION
“Sweet Little Jesus Boy” (Spiritual) Timothy Miller, tenor “El Cant des Ocells” (“The Song of the Birds”) (arr. Pablo Casals)
Daniel Laufer, cello “Coventry Carol” (arr. Shaw)
“The Shepherds’ Farewell to the Holy Family” from L’Enfance du Christ (Hector Berlioz) “Adeste, fideles”* (arr. Parker)*
THIS CONCERT IS PERFORMED WITHOUT INTERMISSION.
*The audience is invited to join the choruses in singing these familiar carols. Words are included on the following pages.
Translations of the Vocal Selections, and Sing-Along Carols
The audience is invited to join in singing the familiar carols marked with * “The First Nowell”*
The first Nowell the angels did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep, On a cold winter’s night that was so deep. Nowell, Nowell, born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star, Shining in the east, beyond them far; And to the earth it gave great light, And so it continued both day and night. Nowell, Nowell, born is the King of Israel!
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Then let us all with one accord Sing praises to our heav’nly Lord, That hath made heav’n and earth of naught, And with His blood mankind hath bought. Nowell, Nowell, born is the King of Israel!
“Hodie Christus natus est” from A Ceremony of Carols Today Christ is born. Today the Savior appears. Today on earth angels are singing, archangels rejoicing. Today they proudly proclaim, saying: Glory to God in the highest. Alleluia!
“Wolcom Yole!” from A Ceremony of Carols Welcome, Welcome, Welcome be thou heavenly King. Welcome, Yule! Welcome, born in one morning Welcome for whom we shall sing! Welcome be ye, Stephen and John; Welcome, Innocents every one; Welcome Thomas, martyred one; Welcome be ye, good New Year; Welcome Twelfth Day, both in fear; Welcome, Saints both loved and dear. Welcome, Yule, welcome!
Candlemas, Queen of bliss, Welcome both to more and less. Welcome be ye that are here. Welcome, Yule!
Welcome all and make good cheer. Welcome all another year. Welcome, Yule, welcome!
“March
of the Kings”
This morning I met the procession Of three great kings who were on a journey, This morning I met the procession Of three great kings on the highway. All laden with gold there followed behind Great warriors who guarded the treasure. All laden with gold there followed behind Great warriors with their shields.
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“Bogoroditse Devo” from All-Night Vigil
Rejoice, O Virgin, God-bearer! Mary full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, for Thou hast borne the Savior of our souls.
*“Adeste, Fideles”*
1. Audience (Translation is verse 4)
Adeste, fideles, laeti triumphantes; venite, venite in Bethlehem; natum videte, regem angelorum. Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus, Dominum!
2. Sung by the Choruses, Translation: God of gods, Light of lights, Carried in a maiden’s womb. True God: begotten, not made. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
3. Sung by the Choruses, Translation: “Hallelujah!” now sings the angelic chorus; The heavenly host now sings, “Glory to the highest!” O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
4. Audience:
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant; O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold Him, born the king of angels: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
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ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHORUS
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, founded in 1970 by former Music Director, Robert Shaw, is an all-volunteer, auditioned ensemble that performs on a regular basis with the Orchestra and is featured on many of its recordings. Led by Director of Choruses, Norman Mackenzie, the chorus is known for its precision and expressive singing quality. Its recordings have garnered 14 Grammy® Awards (nine for Best Choral Performance; four for Best Classical Recording and one for Best Opera Recording).
The Chorus performs large symphonic choral works, under the direction of Co-Artistic Advisors Maestro Robert Spano and Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles, and Music Director Designate Nathalie Stutzmann. In addition, the Chorus has been involved in the creation and shaping of numerous world-premiere commissioned works.
NORMAN MACKENZIE, DIRECTOR OF CHORUSES
Norman Mackenzie’s abilities as musical collaborator, conductor and concert organist have brought him international recognition. As Director of Chorus for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) since 2000, he was chosen to help carry forward the creative vision of legendary founding conductor Robert Shaw. During his tenure, the Chorus has made numerous tours and garnered several Grammy® awards, including Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance.
At the ASO, he prepares the Choruses for all concerts and recordings, works closely with Nathalie Stutzmann on the commissioning and realization of new choral-orchestral works and conducts holiday concerts. In his 14-year association with Mr. Shaw, he was keyboardist for the ASO, 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 prepared the ASO Chorus for its acclaimed 2003 debut and successive 2008 and 2009 performances in Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic, in Britten’s War Requiem, Berlioz’s Grande Messe des Morts and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, respectively, conducted by ASO Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles.
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JD SCOTT
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHORUS
Norman Mackenzie director of choruses The Frannie & Bill Graves Chair
SOPRANO 1
Ellen Abney
Liz Dean*
Laura Foster Michelle Griffin* Erin Jones*
Arietha Lockhart** Mindy Margolis* Joneen Padgett* Rachel Paul Susan Ray Samaria Rodriguez Emily Salmond Lydia Sharp
Susie Shepardson Stacey Tanner Chelsea Toledo
Brianne Turgeon** Deanna Walton Erika Wuerzner Michelle Yancich
SOPRANO 2
Debbie Ashton Sloan Atwood* Jessica Barber Tierney Breedlove Barbara Brown Maggie Carpenter Martha Craft Gina Deaton Erika Elliott Mary Goodwin Amanda Hoffman Melissa Mack
Heidi Padovano
Lindsay Patten Murray Tramaine Quarterman
Marianna Schuck
Paula Snelling** Emily Tallant
Cheryl Thrash** Donna Weeks**
ALTO 1
Jeffrey Baxter choral administrator The Florence Kopleff Chair
June Abbott** Pamela Amy-Cupp Deborah Boland** Emily Campbell Donna Carter-Wood** Patricia DinkinsMatthews* Angel Dotson-Hall Katherine Fisher Beth Freeman* Unita Harris Beverly Hueter* Janet Johnson** Susan Jones Kathleen KellyGeorge* Virginia Little* Staria Lovelady* Alina Luke Frances McDowellBeadle** Sara McKlin Linda Morgan** Katherine Murray** Natalie Pierce Noelle Ross Laura Emiko Soltis Camilla Springfield** Rachel Stewart** Nancy York*
ALTO 2 Nancy Adams* Angelica BlackmanKeim Elizabeth Borland Emily Boyer Marcia Chandler* Carol Comstock Meaghan Curry Alyssa Harris Joia Johnson
Sally Kann Nicole Khoury* Lynda Martin Lalla McGee Sun Min Sharon Simons* Cheryl Vanture Kiki Wilson** Diane Woodard**
TENOR 1 Jeffrey Baxter** Christian Bigliani LaRue Bowman John Brandt** Daniel Cameron* Daniel Compton Joseph Cortes Clifford Edge** Steven Farrow** Leif Gilbert-Hansen* James Jarrell* Christopher Patton* Stephen Reed # Jeremiah Robinson Mark Warden*
TENOR 2 Steve Brailsford Charles Cottingham # Phillip Crumbly* Steven Dykes Sean Fletcher John Harr Keith Jeffords** David Kinrade Michael Parker Timothy Parrott Marshall Peterson* Matthew Sellers Thomas Slusher Scott Stephens**
BASS 1
Dock Anderson Russell Cason** Jeremy Christensen Joshua Clark Trey Clegg* Rick Cobb Michael Cranford Thomas Elston Jon Gunnemann** Jason Hamlet Noah Horton Nick Jones # Frank Kingsley Alp Koksal Jackson McCarthy John Newsome Hal Richards Peter Shirts John Terry
BASS 2 Philip Barreca Marcel Benoit Jacob Blevins John Carter Joel Craft** Thomas Hanrahan David Hansen** Tamir Mickens Joel Rose John Ruff* Jonathan Smith* George Sustman David Webster** Gregory Whitmire** Keith Wyatt*
* 20+ years of service ** 30+ years of service # Charter member (1970)
Peter Marshall accompanist
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TIMOTHY MILLER, TENOR
native of Augusta, GA, tenor Timothy Miller is an active performer with both national and international credits. Operatic roles include, Street in Davis’ X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, Parpignol in Puccini’s La Boheme, Comrade Alexander Ossipon in Curtis Bryant’s The Secret Agent (World Premiere).
Mr. Miller performed the role of Crab Man in critically acclaimed performances of Porgy and Bess at the OpéraComique in Paris and on tour in Luxembourg, Granada, and Normandy. Concert repertoire includes tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mozart’s Requiem, Verdi’s Requiem, Adolphus Hailstork’s I will lift up mine eyes
Widely recognized for his stirring renditions of “God Bless America” during the seventh inning stretch of Atlanta Braves home games, he has extended his exposure well beyond the concert stage. Mr. Miller is also an Assistant Professor of Voice and Music at Morehouse College and serves on the board of the Meridian Herald.
DR. MARTHA SHAW, DIRECTOR
Dr. Martha Shaw, founding director of the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program and Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Reinhardt University, has taught students at every level from kindergarten through college, and has been honored with teaching awards at four schools.
Under her direction, the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir and Spivey Hall Tour Choir have been featured in performances for state, regional, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, the national conference of the Orff-Schulwerk Association, and the 2010 national conference of Chorus America. Because of the artistry and mature vocal sound exhibited by her choirs, she has received numerous invitations as a clinician and guest conductor throughout the United States and abroad. Her choirs have been featured in nationally-syndicated public-radio broadcasts of Performance Today and From The Top, as well as in WABE FM broadcasts of Atlanta Music Scene.
For 13 years, Dr. Shaw taught at Shorter University. She also taught at the University of South Carolina, where she earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting with Larry Wyatt. Prior to her collegiate teaching, she was a music specialist for Atlanta’s Fulton County
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for 15 years. Studying with Donald Neuen, she earned a Master of Science in Music Education from the University of Tennessee. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Shorter College.
SPIVEY HALL CHILDREN’S CHOIR
Located on the campus of Clayton State University and dedicated to excellence, the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program offers professional-level instruction in vocal technique, music theory, sight singing, ear training, and presentation as well as exposure to a variety of choral styles. Involvement also enhances young people’s lives, helping them to develop self-reliance, personal integrity, responsibility, compassion, teamwork, and confidence in their abilities.
The formation of the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program is another successful endeavor by the Walter and Emilie Spivey Foundation, the Spivey Hall Education Committee, and Clayton State University to provide supplementary music education programs to metroAtlanta youth from 17 different counties.
SPIVEY HALL CHILDREN'S CHORUS
Ellen Ashby Rex Ashby Ruth Ashby Serena Avery Isabella Bagwell Madison Bartlett Margaret Black Elise Byrd Michael Carocci Khamoyne Carter Kara Cauble
Titus Cauble Aailee Chapman Catherine Corriere Connor Corriere Grace Cox Kameron Cox
Karina Davis Ashley Dixon Messiah Draggs Karyn Hancock Shaniya Henderson Alexandria Henderson Loren Hyde Mia Just-Buddy Katlynn Kearse Hyehyeon Kim Avery Kolm Jordan Lang Katherine Lewis-John Abigail Marchman Spencer Markham James Markham Madeleine Markham
Cadence McMichen Lorraine Melville Jae Melville Jeriah MoorerAlexander Khair Muhammad Christiana O’Rork Keira Passmore Elizabeth Pulliam Grace Pulliam Zoe Purcaro Violet Riggle Inara Russell Armani Sanders Elizabeth Sekar Lilian Shepherd Catherine Siguenza
Anna Leigh Smith Abigail Snelson Preston Snow Edward Stark Thomas Stark Christa Nicole Stephenson Perry Sullivan Landyn Thedford Jimaya Thompson Sherida Valencia Mercedes Watson Madison Wellons Morgan Wellons Lydia Wells Abigail Wheeler
Dr. Martha Shaw director
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Concert of Thursday, December 22, 2021 8:00pm
NORMAN MACKENZIE, conductor
JESSICA RIVERA, soprano KELLEY O’CONNOR, mezzo-soprano
MILES MYKKANEN, tenor LAWSON ANDERSON, bass-baritone ASO CHAMBER CHORUS
ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678–1741) Gloria in D Major, RV 589 31 MINS
1. Gloria in excelsis Deo
2. Et in terra pax hominibus (Chorus)
3. Laudamus te (Soprano duet)
4. Gratias agimus tibi (Chorus)
5. Propter magnam gloriam tuam (Chorus)
6. Domine Deus, Rex caelestis (Soprano)
7. Domine fili unigenite (Chorus)
8. Domine Deus, agnus Dei (Alto and Chorus)
9. Qui tollis peccata mundi (Chorus) 10. Qui sedes ad dextram patris (Alto) 11. Quoniam tu solus sanctus (Chorus) 12. Cum sancto spiritu (Chorus)
INTERMISSION 20 MINS
Part the First (Christmas Portion) and Hallelujah from Messiah, HWV 56 (1741) 58 MINS
1. Overture
2. Recit: Comfort ye, my people (Tenor)
Performances of this concert were made possible by a grant from the BARNEY M. FRANKLIN & HUGH W. BURKE CHARITABLE FUND.
The Coca-Cola Holiday Concert series is presented by
Holiday concerts are made possible through an endowment from the Livingston Foundation, in memory of Leslie Livingston Kellar.
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.
3. Air: Ev’ry valley shall be exalted (Tenor)
4. Chorus: And the glory of the Lord
5. Recit: Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts (Bass)
6. Air: But who may abide the day of His coming? (Alto)
7. Chorus: And He shall purify
8. Recit: Behold! A virgin shall conceive (Alto)
9. Air and Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (Alto)
10. Recit: For behold, darkness shall cover the earth (Bass)
11. Air: The people that walked in darkness (Bass)
12. Chorus: For unto us a Child is born
13. Pastoral Symphony
14a. Recit: There were shepherds abiding in the field (Soprano)
14b. Recit: And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them (Soprano)
15. Recit: And the angel said unto them (Soprano)
16. Recit: And suddenly there was with the angel (Soprano)
17. Chorus: Glory to God in the highest
18. Air: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion (Soprano)
19. Recit: Then shall the eyes of the blind be open’d (Alto)
20. Air: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd (Alto, Soprano)
21. Chorus: His yoke is easy and His burthen is light
44. Chorus: Hallelujah
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46 | dec22
Gloria in D Major, RV 589
Gloria in excelsis (Chorus)
Gloria in excelsis Deo, Glory be to God on high, Et in terra pax (Chorus)
Et in terra pax and on earth peace hominibus bonae voluntatis. to men of good will.
Laudamus te (Sopranos I and II)
Laudamus te, benedicimus te, We praise You, we bless You, adoramus te, glorificamus te. we adore You, we glorify You.
Gratias agimus tibi (Chorus)
Gratias agimus tibi We give thanks to You
Propter magnam gloriam tuam (Chorus)
propter magnam gloriam tuam. for Your great glory.
Domine Deus (Soprano Solo)
Domine Deus, Rex celestis, Lord God, heavenly King, Deus Pater omnipotens. Father almighty.
Domine Fili unigenite (Chorus)
Domine Fili unigenite, Lord the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christe. Jesus Christ.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei (Alto Solo and Chorus)
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Lord God, Lamb of God, Filius Patris, Son of the Father, qui tollis peccata mundi, who takes away the sins of the world, miserere nobis. have mercy upon us.
Qui tollis (Chorus)
Qui tollis peccata mundi, You who take away the sins of the world, suscipe deprecationem nostram. receive our prayer.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris (Alto solo)
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, You who sit at the right hand of the Father, miserere nobis. have mercy upon us.
Quoniam tu solus sanctus (Chorus)
Quoniam tu solus sanctus, For You alone are the Holy One, tu solus Dominus, You alone art the Lord, tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe, You, Jesus Christ, are the Most High, Cum Sancto Spiritu (Chorus)
Cum Sancto Spiritu, with the Holy Ghost, in gloria Dei Patris. in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Amen.
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Messiah
Music by GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759) Texts selected from Holy Scripture by Charles Jennens (1700-1773)
PART I Sinfonia
TENOR
Comfort ye my people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low: the crooked straight and the rough places plain.
[Isaiah 40:1-4]
CHORUS
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
[Isaiah 40:5]
BASS
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Yet once a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of nations shall come.
The Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant,
whom ye delight in, behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. [Haggai 2:6-7; Malachi 3:1]
BASS
But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire. [Malachi 3:2]
CHORUS
And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
[Malachi 3:3]
ALTO
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us.
[Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23]
ALTO AND CHORUS
O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah: Behold your God! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
[Isaiah 40:9; 60:1]
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BASS
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
[Isaiah 60:2-3]
BASS
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
[Isaiah 9:2 (Matthew 3:16)]
CHORUS
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
[Isaiah 9:6]
Pastoral Symphony
SOPRANO
There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them: Fear not, for behold, I bring
you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying: [Luke 2:8-11,13]
CHORUS
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men. [Luke 2:14]
SOPRANO
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.
[Zechariah 9:9-10]
ALTO
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.
[Isaiah 35:5-6]
ALTO AND SOPRANO
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Come unto Him, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden,
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and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for he is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
[Isaiah 40:11; Matthew 11:28-29]
CHORUS
His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.
[Matthew 11:30]
CHORUS Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. [Revelation 19:6; 11:15; 19:16]
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JESSICA RIVERA, SOPRANO
Grammy® Award-winning soprano Jessica Rivera has enjoyed unique artistic collaborations with many of today’s most celebrated composers, including John Adams, Osvaldo Golijov, Gabriela Lena Frank, Jonathan Leshnoff, Nico Muhly, and Paola Prestini. She has worked with such esteemed conductors as Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Robert Spano, Markus Stenz, Bernard Haitink, and Michael Tilson Thomas.
Rivera treasures her decade-long collaboration with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and was recent ly featured as soprano soloist in Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem and Jonathan Leshnoff’s Zohar with the ASO and Chorus at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, she joined Spano for Christopher Theofanidis’s Creation/Creator in Atlanta and at the Kennedy Center’s 2017 SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras.
Recent orchestral highlights include Mozart’s Requiem with the Louisville Orchestra conducted by Teddy Abrams, Handel’s Messiah with the Nashville Symphony and Giancarlo Guerrero, and Beetho ven’s Ninth Symphony with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra con ducted by Thomas Søndergård.
As a recording artist, Rivera’s extensive discography includes releas es on the Deutsche Grammophon, Nonesuch, Naxos, Telarc, Urtext, VIA Records, Opus Arte, CSO Resound, and ASO Media labels. Her third release for Urtext, an Homage to Victoria de los Angeles, is due for release in 2020.
KELLEY O'CONNOR, MEZZO-SOPRANO
rammy® Award-winning mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor is one of the most compelling performers of her generation. She is internationally acclaimed equally in the pillars of the classical music canon — from Beethoven and Mahler to Brahms and Ravel — as she is in new works of modern masters — from Adams and Dessner to Lieberson and Talbot.
In the 2022-23 season Kelley O’Connor is Alto Soloist in performances of Mahler’s Second Symphony with Gi ancarlo Guerrero and the Nashville Symphony and with Louis Langrée and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She joins Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic to open the renovated David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in a gala performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and makes a debut with
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ASHLEY LUTHMAN
| encore 52
BEN DASHWOOD
the Taiwan Philharmonic in Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette led by Jun Märkl. With Sir Donald Runnicles, Kelley O’Connor gives the world premiere of a new work by the Syrian-American composer, Kareem Roustom, and sings the title role in a concert performance of Hansel und Gretel at the Grand Teton Music Festival.
In the 2020-21 season Kelley O’Connor was engaged for perfor mances with the symphonies of Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Saint Louis, San Diego, as well as with the Philadelphia Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, and with the San Francisco Symphony for Michael Tilson Thomas’ final con certs as Music Director.
MILES MYKKANEN, TENOR
Miles Mykkanen’s 2022-23 season features three prominent role debuts: he sings Steuermann in Der fliegende Holländer return engagement with the Canadian Opera Company; the title role of Albert Herring in his debut at Chicago Opera Theater; and his first Fenton in Falstaff for a company debut at the Staatsoper Hamburg. Concert engagements of the season are anchored in Handel’s Messiah with performances at University Musical Society, Ann Arbor and with the Atlanta and New Jersey symphonies.
Last season the Finnish-American tenor appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in no less than three productions: Boris Go dunov conducted by Sebastian Weigle, Die Meistersinger von Nürn berg led by Sir Antonio Pappano, and Ariadne auf Naxos Janowski. He joined David Danzmayr and the Oregon Symphony for Messiah and presented a Lieder recital program of Beethoven and Schubert under the auspices of the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Mykkanen is a 2019 Sara Tucker Study Grant winner, youngARTS Gold winner and the recipient of prizes from the Sullivan Foundation, Toulmin Foundation, Novick Career Advancement Grant, and Juilliard’s Joseph W. Polisi Award. Miles Mykkanen is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy and earned his Artist Diploma in Opera Studies, along with his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Cynthia Hoffmann and is the founder and artistic director of the Emberlight Festival
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FAY FOX
LAWSON ANDERSON, BASS-BARITONE
Aformer management consultant with an MBA from Columbia Business School, Lawson Anderson has made waves in the opera world, coming off his Top Prize finish at the 2018 George London Foundation Competition; First Prize award from the Gerda Lissner Foundation’s 2017 International Vocal Competition; 2017 Opera Index Top Prize Arthur E. Walters Memorial Award; representing the USA as a Finalist of the 2017 Hans Gabor Belvedere finals in Moscow and the 2018 Viñas Contest in Barcelona; Grand Finalist of the 2017 Anita Cerquetti Voice Competition; 2017 Grant Winner from the Giulio Gari Foundation; Grant recipient of the Olga Forrai Foundation for Dramatic Voices, and 2017 Eastern Region Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
In 2019, Anderson joined the principal roster of the Semperoper Dresden, taking on the roles of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), Gug lielmo (Cosi fan Tutte), Schaunard (La bohème), Angelotti (Tosca), Marcel (Les Huguenots), Sprecher (Die Zauberflöte), Barone Doup hol (La Traviata), and more.
Recent highlights also include a lauded interpretation of Nick Bot tom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Nevill Holt; his de but as Méphistophélès in Gounod’s Faust and Colline in La Boheme; and on the concert stage as bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah and Verdi’s Requiem. Anderson has also been heard at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City as Rocco in Fidelio; in debut at Carnegie Hall singing Wotan from Das Rheingold; and in recital at the Nation al Opera Center interpreting Schubert’s Die Winterreise. Lawson is the student of Valentin Peytchinov.
NORMAN MACKENZIE see bio on page 42
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| encore 54
FAY FOX
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHAMBER CHORUS
Acclaimed for the beauty, precision and expressive qualities of its singing, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus has been an important part of the orchestra's programming since its founding by the late Robert Shaw. The Chamber Chorus, which debuted on December 14, 1967, is composed of 40-60 volunteers selected by audition from the ranks of the ASO Chorus, who meet for extra rehearsals and perform with the ASO each season. The Chamber Chorus performs music of the Baroque and Classical eras, as well as works by modern masters such as Golijov, Tavener, Pärt, Paulus, Theofanidis and Britten. Highlights of the ASO Chamber Chorus’s history include a residency with the ASO and Robert Spano for California’s Ojai Festival, participation with the ASO in recordings of masterworks by Bach, Golijov, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Vivaldi and a 2005 a cappella recording that features the Vaughan Williams Mass under Norman Mackenzie. Their Carnegie Hall appearances include performances of the B-Minor Mass, the Matthew and John Passions of Bach, the Rachmaninoff Vespers, Stravinsky’s Nightingale and the Mozart/ Levin Requiem.
SOPRANO
Tierney Breedlove
Khadijah Davis Michelle Griffin* Amanda Hoffman Arietha Lockhart** Mindy Margolis* Joneen Padgett* Mary Martha Penner
Marianna Schuck Lydia Sharp
Anne-Marie Spalinger*
Brianne Turgeon** Erika Wuerzner
Wanda Yang Temko**
ALTO
Ana Baida
Angelica BlackmanKeim Donna Carter-Wood** Marcia Chandler* Katherine Fisher Alyssa Harris
Unita Harris Kathleen KellyGeorge* Virginia Little* Katherine MacKenzie Katherine Murray* Kathleen Poe Ross Laura Rappold*
TENOR
Jeffrey Baxter** Christian Bigliani David Blalock** Matthew Borkowski Daniel Compton Phillip Crumbly* Leif Gilbert-Hansen* John Harr Michael Parker
Timothy Parrott Christopher Patton* Jeremiah Robinson Brent Runnels Mark Warden*
BASS
Dock Anderson Philip Barreca Marcel Benoit Russell Cason** Trey Clegg* Michael Cranford Michael Devine Timothy Gunter* Jameson Linville Peter MacKenzie Jackson McCarthy Jason Maynard John Newsome Edgie Wallace*
*20+ years of service **30+ years of service
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Norman Mackenzie director of choruses The Frannie & Bill Graves Chair
Jeffrey Baxter choral administrator The Florence Kopleff Chair
Peter Marshall accompanist
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHAMBER CHORUS
ASO | SUPPORT (cont.)
$7,500+
Jack & Helga Beam∞
Karen & Rod Bunn
Patricia & William Buss∞ Lisa & Russ Butner Mark Coan & Family Sally W. Hawkins
Grace Ihrig*
Ann & Brian Kimsey Jason & Michelle Kroh
Dr. Fulton D. Lewis III & S. Neal Rhoney
Mr. Robert M. Lewis, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Mills IV Mr. Bert Mobley Hala & Steve Moddelmog Caroline & Phil Moïse
Judge Jane Morrison∞ Gretchen Nagy & Allan Sandlin
Margaret H. Petersen Ms. Felicia Rives Hamilton & Mason Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Edward W. Stroetz, Jr. Stephen & Sonia Swartz Drs. Jonne & Paul Walter Mrs. Frank L. Wilson, Jr. Mr. David J. Worley & Ms. Bernadette Drankoski
$5,000+
A Friend of the Symphony Dr. Marshall & Stephanie Abes
Mrs. Kay Adams* & Mr. Ralph Paulk Judy & Dick Allison
Dr. Evelyn R. Babey
Lisa & Joe Bankoff
Juanita & Gregory Baranco
Asad Bashey
Mr. Herschel V. Beazley
Meredith Bell
Bennett Thrasher LLP
Natalie & Matthew Bernstein
Rita & Herschel Bloom Jane & Gregory Blount
Dr. & Mrs. Jerome B. Blumenthal
Mrs. Sidney W. Boozer Mrs. Cristina Briboneria Margo Brinton & Eldon Park
Jacqueline A. & Joseph E. Brown, Jr. Mrs. Judith D. Bullock CBH International, Inc John Champion & Penelope Malone
Ms. Tena Clark & Ms. Michelle LeClair
Dr. & Mrs. Richard W. Compans Carol Comstock & Jim Davis
Ralph & Rita Connell William & Patricia Cook Janet & John Costello Mr. & Mrs. Paul H. Dimmick Dorsey Alston Realtors
Xavier Duralde & Mary Barrett Mr. & Mrs. John Dyer Paulette Eastman & Becky Pryor Anderson∞ Diana Einterz
Dieter Elsner & Othene Munson
Robert S. Elster Foundation Ellen & Howard Feinsand Bruce W. & Avery C. Flower David L. Forbes Mary* & Charles Ginden Mr. & Mrs. Richard Goodsell∞
Melanie & Tucker Green William Randolph Hearst Foundations
Mr. Justin Im & Dr. Nakyoung Nam Mr. & Mrs. Baxter Jones Paul* & Rosthema Kastin
Ms. Carrie L. Kirk Mr. Charles R. Kowal Mrs. Heidi LaMarca Dr. & Mrs. Scott I. Lampert
Peg & Jim Lowman Ms. Eunice Luke Dr. & Mrs. Ellis L. Malone Elvira & Jay Mannelly Mr. Robert S. Mathews Mary Ruth McDonald The Fred & Sue McGehee Family Charitable Fund Ed & Linda McGinn° Ms. Erica McVicker Berthe & Shapour Mobasser Ms. Sue L. Morgan∞
Gary R. Noble, MD Ms. Bethani Oppenheimer Ms. Eliza Quigley
Mr. & Mrs. Joel F. Reeves Margaret & Bob Reiser Cammie & John Rice Vicki & Joe Riedel Betsy & Lee Robinson Mrs. Nita Robinson Ms. Frances A. Root Mr. Joseph A. Roseborough John T. Ruff Katherine Scott Suzanne Shull Gerald & Nancy Silverboard Baker & Debby Smith Ms. Cynthia Smith Dr. K. Douglas Smith Tom & Ani Steele
In memory of Elizabeth B. Stephens by Powell, Preston & Sally∞ Richard M. Stormont & Sally C. Jobe Ms. Kimberly Strong Dr. Nossi Taheri & Ms. Hope Vaziri Dede & Bob Thompson Carolyn C. Thorsen∞ Mr. & Mrs. Peter Toren Trapp Family Burton Trimble Chilton & Morgan* Varner Mr. & Mrs. Benny Varzi Amy & Robert Vassey
Ms. Juliana T. Vincenzino Mr. Robert Walt & Mr. Daniel J. Hess Alan & Marcia Watt Ruthie Watts Dr. Nanette K. Wenger Suzanne B. Wilner Camille W. Yow
$3,500+
Mr. John Blatz
Carol Brantley & David Webster
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis M. Chorba Jean & Jerry Cooper
The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. Phil & Lisa Hartley Martha Reaves Head
Deborah & William Liss° Martha & Reynolds McClatchey
Judy Zaban-Miller & Lester Miller
Donald S. Orr & Marcia K. Knight
Mr. & Mrs. Edmund F. Pearce, Jr.°
In Memory of Dr. Frank S. Pittman III Dr. & Mrs. John P. Pooler Ms. Kathy Powell S.A. Robinson
Dr. & Mrs. Rein Saral Donna Schwartz Ms. Martha Solano
Angela Spivey Beth & Edward Sugarman
Mrs. Dale L. Thompson
Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Welch David & Martha West
Mr. & Mrs. M. Beattie Wood
$2,000+
A Friend of the Symphony (3) 2492 Fund
Dr. & Mrs. Joel M. Adler, D.D.S.
| encore 58
aso.org | @AtlantaSymphony | facebook.com/AtlantaSymphony
Kent & Diane Alexander Mr. & Mrs. Ivan Allen IV Mr. & Mrs. Walker Anderson
The Hisham & Nawal Araim Family Foundation Anthony Barbagallo & Kristen Fowks
Mr. Jay & Dr. Martin Beard-Coles Susan & Jack Bertram Shirley Blaine Leon & Joy Borchers
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew J. Bower° Martha S. Brewer
Harriet Evans Brock Dr. Aubrey Bush & Dr. Carol Bush Ms. Elizabeth W. Camp Mr. & Mrs. Walter K. Canipe Mrs. Betty Case
Julie & Jerry Chautin Mr. James Cobb Susan S. Cofer Liz & Charlie Cohn° Malcolm & Ann Cole Mr. & Mrs. R. Barksdale Collins°
Ned Cone & Nadeen Green Mrs. Nancy Cooke Mary Carole Cooney & Henry R. Bauer, Jr. R. Carter & Marjorie A. Crittenden Foundation
Dr. & Mrs. F. Thomas Daly, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. John C. Dancu Mary & Mahlon Delong
Mr. & Mrs. Graham Dorian Gregory & Debra Durden
Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge Erica Endicott & Chris Heisel
Dr. & Mrs. Carl D. Fackler
Mr. Ramsey Fahs° Mr. & Mrs. Paul G. Farnham Ken Felts & A. Richard Bunn
Mr. & Mrs. William A. Flinn
Dr. Karen A. Foster Ms. Elizabeth C. French Gaby Family Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Sebastien Galtier
Raj & Jyoti Gandhi Family Foundation
Marty & John Gillin° Sandra & John Glover Mrs. Janet D. Goldstein Mary C. Gramling
Richard & Debbie Griffiths Mr. & Mrs. George Gunderson
Linda & Hank Harris Mr. & Mrs. Steve Hauser Mr. & Mrs. John Hellriegel Ms. Elizabeth Hendrick Mr. Kenneth & Ms. Colleen Hey Sarah & Harvey Hill, Jr.° Laurie House Hopkins & John D. Hopkins James & Bridget Horgan Mrs. Sally Horntvedt Ms. & Mr. Carli Huband Dona & Bill Humphreys Barbara M. Hund Mary & Wayne James Nancy & John Janet Ms. Rebecca Jarvis Mrs. Gail Johnson Mr. W. F. & Dr. Janice Johnston Cecile M. Jones Mr. & Mrs. David T. Jones Lana M. Jordan
William L. & Sally S. Jorden
Teresa M. Joyce, Ph.D Mr. & Ms. Josh Kamin Mr. & Mrs. Todd E. Kessler Wolfgang* & Mariana Laufer Mr. & Mrs. Theodore J. Lavallee, Sr. Lillian Balentine Law Mr. & Mrs. Chris Le Grace & Josh Lembeck Mr. & Mrs. Ari Levine° Elizabeth J. Levine Mr. & Mrs. J. David Lifsey Dr. & Mrs. David H. Mason In Memory of Pam McAllister Mr. & Mrs. James McClatchey Birgit & David McQueen Dr. & Mrs. John D. Merlino Anna & Hays Mershon Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Mimms, Jr. Laura & Craig Mullins Janice & Tom Munsterman∞ Michael & Carol Murphy Melanie & Allan Nelkin Dr. & Mrs. John Nelson
The Piedmont National Family Foundation John H. Rains Mrs. Susan H. Reinach
Sharon & David Schachter° Mrs. Dianna A. Scherer Drs. Bess Schoen & Andrew Muir
Nick & Annie Shreiber Helga Hazelrig Siegel Diana Silverman
Jeanne & Jim Simpson Mr. Matthew Sitler
The Alex & Betty Smith Donor-Advised Endowment Fund
Anne-Marie Sparrow
Dr. & Mrs. Gerald M. Stapleton Candace Steele
James & Shari Steinberg
Dr. & Mrs. John P. Straetmans Kay R Summers
Ms. Linda F. Terry Ms. Lara C. Tumeh° Dr. Brenda G. Turner Wayne & Lee Harper Vason
Vogel Family Foundation Ron & Susan Whitaker Russell F. Winch & Mark B. Elberfeld Mrs. Lynne M. Winship Ms. Sonia Witkowski Zaban Foundation, Inc. Herbert* & Grace Zwerner
Linda Matthews chair
Kristi Allpere
Helga Beam
Bill Buss
Pat Buss
Kristen Fowks
Deedee Hamburger Judy Hellriegel
Nancy Janet
Belinda Massafra
Sally Parsonson June Scott
Milt Shlapak
Sheila Tschinkel
Jonne Walter Marcia Watt
°We are grateful to these donors for taking the extra time to acquire matching
their employers.
gifts from
*Deceased
Patron Partnership and Appassionato Leadership Committee We give special thanks to this dedicated group of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra donor-volunteers for their commitment to each year’s annual support initiatives: encoreatlanta.com | 59
HENRY SOPKIN CIRCLE
Named for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s founding Music Director, the HENRY SOPKIN CIRCLE celebrates cherished individuals and families who have made a planned gift to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. These special donors preserve the Orchestra’s foundation and ensure success for future generations.
A Friend of the Symphony (22)
Madeline* & Howell E. Adams, Jr.
Mr.* & Mrs.* John E. Aderhold
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Aldo
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Antinori
Dr. & Mrs. William Bauer
Helga Beam
Mr. Charles D. Belcher *
Neil H. Berman Susan & Jack Bertram
Mr.* & Mrs.* Karl A. Bevins
The Estate of Donald S. & Joyce Bickers
Ms. Page Bishop*
Mr.* & Mrs. Sol Blaine John Blatz
Rita & Herschel Bloom
The Estate of Mrs. Gilbert H. Boggs, Jr. W. Moses Bond
Mr.* & Mrs. Robert C. Boozer
Elinor A. Breman* James C. Buggs*
Mr. & Mrs.* Richard H. Burgin
Hugh W. Burke*
Mr. & Mrs. William Buss
Wilber W. Caldwell
Mr. & Mrs. C. Merrell Calhoun
Cynthia & Donald Carson Mrs. Jane Celler*
Lenore Cicchese*
Margie & Pierce Cline
Dr. & Mrs. Grady S. Clinkscales, Jr.
Robert Boston Colgin
Mrs. Mary Frances Evans Comstock*
Miriam* & John A.* Conant Dr. John W. Cooledge
Mr. & Mrs. William R. Cummickel Bob* & Verdery* Cunningham
Mr. Richard H. Delay & Dr. Francine D. Dykes
John R. Donnell Dixon W. Driggs*
Pamela Johnson Drummond Mrs. Kathryn E. Duggleby Catherine Warren Dukehart* Ms. Diane Durgin Arnold & Sylvia Eaves
Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge Geoffrey G. Eichholz*
Elizabeth Etoll
Mr. Doyle Faler Brien P. Faucett
Dr. Emile T. Fisher* Moniqua N Fladger
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce W. Flower
A. D. Frazier, Jr. Nola Frink*
Betty & Drew* Fuller Sally & Carl Gable William & Carolyn Gaik Dr. John W. Gamwell*
Mr.* & Mrs.* L.L. Gellerstedt, Jr. Ruth Gershon & Sandy Cohn Micheline & Bob Gerson Max Gilstrap
Mr. & Mrs. John T. Glover Mrs. David Goldwasser Robert Hall Gunn, Jr. Fund Billie & Sig Guthman
Betty G.* & Joseph* F. Haas
James & Virginia Hale
Ms. Alice Ann Hamilton Dr. Charles H. Hamilton* Sally & Paul* Hawkins John* & Martha Head Ms. Jeannie Hearn*
Barbara & John Henigbaum
Jill* & Jennings* Hertz Mr. Albert L. Hibbard Richard E. Hodges
Mr.* & Mrs. Charles K. Holmes, Jr.
Mr.* & Mrs.* Fred A. Hoyt, Jr. Jim* & Barbara Hund
Clayton F. Jackson Mary B. James
Mr. Calvert Johnson & Mr. Kenneth Dutter
deForest F. Jurkiewicz* Herb* & Hazel Karp Anne Morgan & Jim Kelley
Bob Kinsey
James W.* & Mary Ellen* Kitchell
Paul Kniepkamp, Jr. Vivian & Peter de Kok
Miss Florence Kopleff* Mr. Robert Lamy James H. Landon Ouida Hayes Lanier Lucy Russell Lee* & Gary Lee, Jr. Ione & John Lee Mr. Larry M. LeMaster Mr.* & Mrs.* William C. Lester Liz & Jay* Levine
Robert M. Lewis, Jr. Carroll & Ruth Liller Ms. Joanne Lincoln* Jane Little* Mrs. J. Erskine Love, Jr.* Nell Galt & Will D. Magruder K Maier
John W. Markham* Mrs. Ann B. Martin Linda & John Matthews Mr. Michael A. McDowell, Jr. Dr. Michael S. McGarry Richard & Shirley McGinnis John & Clodagh Miller Ms. Vera Milner
Mrs. Gene Morse* Ms. Janice Murphy*
Mr. & Mrs. Bertil D. Nordin Mrs. Amy W. Norman* Galen Oelkers
Roger B. Orloff
Barbara D. Orloff
Dr. Bernard* & Sandra Palay Sally & Pete Parsonson James L. Paulk
Ralph & Kay* Paulk
Dan R. Payne Bill Perkins
Mrs. Lela May Perry*
Mr.* & Mrs. Rezin E. Pidgeon, Jr. Janet M. Pierce*
Reverend Neal P. Ponder, Jr. William L.* & Lucia Fairlie*
Pulgram
Ms. Judy L. Reed*
Carl J. Reith*
Mr. Philip A. Rhodes
Vicki J. & Joe A. Riedel
Helen & John Rieser
Dr. Shirley E. Rivers*
David F. & Maxine A.* Rock
Glen Rogerson*
Tiffany & Richard Rosetti
Mr.* & Mrs.* Martin H. Sauser
Bob & Mary Martha Scarr
Mr. Paul S. Scharff & Ms. Polly G. Fraser
Dr. Barbara S. Schlefman
Bill & Rachel Schultz
Mrs. Joan C. Schweitzer June & John Scott Edward G. Scruggs*
Dr. & Mrs. George P. Sessions Mr. W. G. Shaefer, Jr. Charles H. Siegel*
Mr. & Mrs. H. Hamilton Smith Mrs. Lessie B. Smithgall*
Ms. Margo Sommers
Elliott Sopkin
Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel
Mr. Daniel D. Stanley Gail & Loren Starr
Peter James Stelling* Ms. Barbara Stewart Beth & Edward Sugarman
C. Mack* & Mary Rose* Taylor
Isabel Thomson*
Jennings Thompson IV Margaret* & Randolph* Thrower Kenneth & Kathleen Tice
Mr. H. Burton Trimble, Jr. Mr. Steven R. Tunnell
Mr. & Mrs. John B. Uttenhove Mary E. Van Valkenburgh
Mrs. Anise C. Wallace
Mr. Robert Wardle, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John B. White, Jr. Adair & Dick White
Mr. Hubert H. Whitlow, Jr.* Sue & Neil* Williams
Mrs. Frank L. Wilson, Jr. Mrs. Elin M. Winn
Ms. Joni Winston
George & Camille Wright
Mr.* & Mrs.* Charles R. Yates
aso.org | @AtlantaSymphony | facebook.com/AtlantaSymphony 60
*Deceased
EXECUTIVE
Jennifer Barlament executive director
Alvinetta Cooksey executive & finance assistant Elise Kolle executive assistant to senior management
ARTISTIC
Gaetan Le Divelec vice president, artistic planning
Jeffrey Baxter choral administrator Bob Scarr archivist & special proJects coordinator
RaSheed Lemon aso artist liaison
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Sarah Grant director of education Ryan Walks talent development program manager Elena Gagon coordinator of education & community engagement
OPERATIONS
Sameed Afghani vice president & general manager
Elizabeth Graiser manager of operations & asyo Victoria Moore director of orchestra personnel
Paul Barrett senior production stage manager
Richard Carvlin stage manager
Holly Matthews, assistant principal librarian
Hannah Davis, assistant librarian MARKETING
& COMMUNICATIONS
Ashley Mirakian vice president, marketing & communications
Delle Beganie content & production manager
Leah Branstetter director of digital content Adam Fenton director of multimedia technology Will Strawn associate director of marketing, live Caitlin Buckers marketing manager, live Lisa Eng multimedia creative manager, live Mia Jones-Walker marketing manager
Rob Phipps director of creative services Bob Scarr archivist & research coordinator
Madisyn Willis marketing manager
SALES & REVENUE MANAGEMENT
Russell Wheeler vice president, sales & revenue management
Nancy James front of house supervisor Erin Jones director of sales
Jesse Pace senior manager of ticketing & patron experience
Dennis Quinlan data analyst
Robin Smith patron services & season ticket associate
Jake Van Valkenburg sales coordinator
Milo McGehee guest services coordinator
Anna Caldwell guest services associate
ATLANTA SYMPHONY HALL LIVE
Nicole Panunti vice president, atlanta symphony hall live Christine Lawrence associate director of guest services
Michael Tamucci associate director of performance management, atlanta symphony hall live
Dan Nesspor ticketing manager, atlanta symphony hall live
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Susan Ambo chief financial officer & vice president, business operations
Kimberly Hielsberg vice president of finance Brandi Hoyos director of diversity, equity & inclusion
April Satterfield controller
Brandi Reed staff accountant
DEVELOPMENT
Grace Sipusic vice president of development
Cheri Snyder senior director of development
William Keene
director of annual giving James Paulk senior annual giving officer
Renee Contreras associate director, development communications
Julia Filson director of corporate relations
Dana Parness manager of individual giving and prospect research
Catherine MacGregor assistant manager of donor engagement
Robert Cushing development associate, maJor gifts
Sarah Wilson development operations associate
Sharveace Cameron senior development associate
| STAFF encoreatlanta.com | 61
ASO
| encore 62 ASO | CORPORATE & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
This program is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.
Major support is provided by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
