Encore Atlanta July 2009 ASO Verizon

July 11, 2009

In tune with great music.

Much like a musician spends countless hours perfecting and refining their music, we continually strive to refine our performance. With the latest technology and devices, plus features like V CAST Music and Video, Mobile TV, messaging and more, Verizon Wireless has the perfect arrangement for you.

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Dear Music Lovers,

Welcome

to the second season of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park!

Last summer we explored fresh possibilities of bringing classical music to our new summer home. Together, with your tremendous support, we cultivated new traditions that enriched our musical experiences. We were overjoyed by the warm welcome we received from the greater North Fulton Community, and by the overwhelming response we continue to have about the gorgeous surroundings and acoustics at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Thank you for making our 2008 opening summer an extraordinary experience for us all.

This season, in response to your feedback, we are delighted to bring you more of the effervescent musical experiences and traditions we have grown to love. You will continue to hear what ASO musicians and guest artists have to say about each eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concert at our Top of the Lawn conversations; text message your questions to guest artists to see and hear the answers during live on-site broadcasts projected on large screens throughout the summer; and join in the fun of themed evenings by dining on specially prepared food and beverages at each concert. Your enthusiasm for our movie-themed fare at Turner Classic Movie Night, world-cuisine offered at our classical concerts, and our gourmet picnic baskets, has encouraged endless creative possibilities for this summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s themed menus!

This year, we carry on the traditions we have created together to make every night a unique, magical experience.

We are delighted to share Atlanta Symphony Orchestra events with you. Enjoy!

Yours in music,

Allison Vulgamore President and Chief Executive Officer Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Encore Atlanta

Robert Spano Music Director

The arts nourish our hearts and imaginations.

For that reason and many more, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to support the arts in Atlanta.

Encore Park for the Arts The Legacy Founders Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Robert W. Woodruff Foundation

City of Alpharetta

Fulton County The Estate of Margaret and Board of John A. Conant Bob Reiser Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Atlanta Symphony Orchestra League 2009-2010 Board of Directors Officers Ben F. Johnson, III Chair Vice Chairs Clayton F. Jackson Finance Chair/ Treasurer Jeff Mango Penny McPhee Chilton Davis Varner Allison Vulgamore * Kathleen (Suzy) Wasserman * ASA President Joni Winston Secretary

Directors Pinney L. Allen Joseph R. Bankoff * Jan Bennett Jason A. Bernstein Paul Blackney C. Merrell Calhoun Donald P. Carson Philip Cave Ann W. Cramer Christopher Crommett Cari K. Dawson Carla Fackler Gary P. Fayard Dr. Robert Franklin Paul Garcia Willem-Jan O. Hattink

Jim Henry Edward S. Heys, Jr. Tycho Howle Tad Hutcheson Mrs. Roya Irvani Clayton F. Jackson Ben F. Johnson, III Marsha Sampson Johnson Mark Kistulinec Mike Lang Donna Lee Lucy Lee Meghan H. Magruder Jeff Mango Darrell J. Mays JoAnn McClinton

Penny McPhee Giorgio Medici Charles Moseley Galen Oelkers Victoria Palefsky Leslie Z. Petter Patricia Reid Margaret Conant Reiser Martin Richenhagen John D. Rogers Dennis Sadlowski William Schultz Tom Sherwood John Sibley Hamilton Smith Thurmond Smithgall

Gail R. Starr Mary Rose Taylor Liz Troy Ray Uttenhove Chilton Davis Varner Allison Vulgamore * Rick Walker Mark Wasserman Kathleen (Suzy) Wasserman * John B. White, Jr. Richard S. (Dick) White, Jr. Joni Winston Patrice Wright-Lewis Camille Yow

John S. Hunsinger Aaron J. Johnson Herb Karp Jim Kelley George Lanier Patricia Leake Mrs. William C. Lester

Mrs. J. Erskine Love Carolyn C. McClatchey John W. McIntyre Bertil D. Nordin Dell P. Rearden Joyce Schwob Mrs. Charles A. Smithgall, Jr.

W. Rhett Tanner G. Kimbrough Taylor Michael W. Trapp Edus Warren Adair R. White Neil Williams

Azira G. Hill

Dr. James M. Hund

Arthur L. Montgomery

* ex officio

Board of counselors Howell E. Adams, Jr. Mrs. John Aderhold Robert M. Balentine Elinor Breman Dr. John W. Cooledge Bradley Currey, Jr. John Donnell

Jere Drummond Arnoldo Fiedotin Ruth Gershon Charles Ginden John T. Glover Frances B. Graves Dona Humphreys

Life Directors Mrs. Drew Fuller

Mary D. Gellerstedt

Encore Park for the Arts 2009-2010 Board of Directors Joseph R. Bankoff Chair Paul Hogle Secretary Stephen P. Merz Treasurer

Encore Atlanta

Brandon Beach Barrie Davenport Donald F. Fox Alex Gross

Penn Hodge Dona Humphreys Clay Jackson Bruce Kenney Lucy Lee

Mayor Arthur Letchas Mike Nixon Fulton County Commissioner Lynne Riley

Clay Schell Mike Troy Allison Vulgamore

’

Robert Spano, conductor

M

usic Director Robert Spano, currently in his eighth season as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, is recognized internationally as one of the most imaginative conductors today. Last season, Mr. Spano conducted and recorded the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Puccini’s La Bohème, the first American recording of the opera since 1956. It was released by Telarc in conjunction with the semi-staged performance he led at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, the Orchestra’s new state-of-the-art 12,000-seat venue in Alpharetta, Ga., where he conducted all of the orchestral concerts in the inaugural season.

Since 2001, Mr. Spano has invigorated and expanded the Orchestra’s repertoire while elevating the ensemble to new levels of international prominence and acclaim. The Orchestra and audiences together explore a creative programming mix, recordings and visual enhancements, such as Theater of a Concert, the Orchestra’s continuing exploration of different formats, settings, and enhancements for the musical performance experience (such as the first concert-staged performances of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic in November 2008). The Atlanta School of Composers reflects Mr. Spano and the Orchestra’s commitment to nurturing and championing music through multi-year partnerships defining a new generation of American composers, including Osvaldo Golijov, Jennifer Higdon, Christopher Theofanidis, and Michael Gandolfi. Since the beginning of his tenure, Mr. Spano and the ASO have performed nearly 100 contemporary works (composed since 1950), including seven ASO-commissioned world premieres, two additional world premieres and one U.S. premiere.

Mr. Spano continues to expand the discography of the Atlanta Symphony to include the music of Atlanta School of Composers Christopher Theofanidis, Jennifer Higdon and Michael Gandolfi, as well as John Adams, David Del Tredici, Sibelius’s Kullervo, Brahms’s Requiem, a recently released live recording of La Bohème and the Grammy® Award-winning recordings of Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony and Berlioz’s Requiem. Mr. Spano and the ASO also have recently recorded two discs of the music by Atlanta School of Composers Osvaldo Golijov for Deutsche Grammophon: one including Three Songs and Oceana, and the other including the chamber opera Ainadamar, which was awarded two Grammys. In 2008, Robert Spano was named Musical America’s Conductor of the Year.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

T

he Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, currently in its 64th season, is one of America’s leading orchestras, known for the excellence of its live performances, presentations, renowned choruses and its impressive list of Grammy Awardwinning recordings. With the opening of the 12,000-seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park (vzwamp. com) in May 2008, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra became the first U.S. orchestra to annually perform and present in its concert hall and in two amphitheaters. In Summer 2008, the Orchestra celebrated 35 years at the legendary Chastain Park Amphitheater, the award-winning 6,500-seat venue in Atlanta, during the ASO’s annual Delta Classic Chastain concert series (classicchastain.com).

The leading cultural organization in the Southeast, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra serves as the cornerstone for artistic development and music education in the region. Under the Creative Partnership of Music Director Robert Spano, Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles, and President and CEO Allison Vulgamore since September 2001, the Orchestra and audiences together explore a creative programming mix, recordings, and visual enhancements, such as the ASO Theater of a Concert, the Orchestra’s continuing exploration of different formats, settings, and enhancements for the musical performance experience. Another example is the Atlanta School of Composers, which reflects Mr. Spano and the Orchestra’s commitment to nurturing and championing music through multi-year partnerships defining a new generation of American composers.

During its 31-year history with Telarc, the Orchestra has recorded more than 100 albums, and its recordings have won 26 Grammy Awards in categories including Best Classical Album, Best Orchestral Performance, Best Choral Performance and Best Opera Performance. The ASO Chorus has earned nine Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance, most recently for the Berlioz Requiem in 2005.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs more than 200 concerts each year to a combined audience of more than a half million in a full schedule of performances which also feature educational and community concerts. A recognized leader and supporter of contemporary American music, the Orchestra recently received the 2007 award for Strongest Commitment to New American Music from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Encore Atlanta

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park

Star Wars and More

Saturday, July 11, 2009, 8 pm Mei-Ann Chen, Conductor

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) Sunrise, from Also sprach Zarathustra, Opus 30 (1896)

Background image is of the popluar open star cluster known as Pleiades, or Seven Sisters. Photo Credit:NASA, ESA and AURA/Caltech

John Williams (b. 1932):

Star Wars: Suite for Orchestra (1997) I. Main Title; Maestoso II. Princess Leia’s Theme; Andante III. The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme); Ala Marcia IV. Yoda’s Theme; Andantino Semplice V. Throne Room and End Title; Maestoso INTERMISSION

Gustav Holst (1874-1934):

The Planets, Suite for Large Orchestra (1916) I. Mars, the Bringer of War; Allegro II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace; Adagio III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger; Vivace IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity; Allegro giocoso V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age; Adagio VI. Uranus, the Magician; Allegro VII. Neptune, the Mystic; Andante

Tonight’s performance is a visual program produced for this work by Hatch Productions, a company that creates visual effects to accompany live, symphonic performances. In creating the film for The Planets, Hatch Productions has supplemented this work with an astronomical dimension to Holst’s journey. High resolution images rendered from mission photographs as well as animation sequences — which in some cases were fed into a super-computer to render images of the actual landscapes of the respective planets as viewed from varying altitudes and speeds —were supplied in cooperation with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from its unmanned space flights.

Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication

Notes on the program

by Ken Meltzer

Richard Strauss

was born in Munich, Germany, on June 11, 1864, and died in GarmischPartenkirchen, Germany, on September 8, 1949. The first performance of Also sprach Zarathustra took place in Frankfurt, Germany, on November 27, 1896, with the composer conducting the Museums-Orchester of Frankfurt-amMain. Approximate performance time of Sunrise is two minutes.

Sunrise, from Also sprach Zarathustra, Opus 30 (1896)

R

ichard Strauss’s tone poem, Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra) was inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s epic philosophic poem of the same name (1883-5). The protagonist in Nietzsche’s Zarathustra is based upon the ancient Persian prophet, also known as Zoroaster. In Thus Spake Zarathustra, the prophet leaves the solitude of his mountain refuge to share his wisdom with mankind.

Strauss was first drawn to Nietzsche’s masterwork during the composer’s preparations for his opera Guntrum (1894). He began composition of the score on February 4, 1896, and completed the work on August 24 of that year. The composer led the Museums0rchester of Frankfurt-am-Main in the November 27, 1896 premiere.

This concert features the opening Sunrise from Also sprach Zarathustra, one of the most famous and spectacular moments in concert music (in program notes for the work’s premiere, Strauss described this section as follows: “Man feels the power of God”).

I. Sunrise — Over string bass tremolos, reinforced by the contrabassoon, organ and bass drum, the trumpets play a three-note ascending theme. The orchestra responds with fanfares and thunderous timpani attacks. This episode is twice repeated, proceeding to the glorious final statement.

John Williams

was born in New York City on February 8, 1932.

Approximate performance time is twenty-five minutes.

Star Wars: Suite for Orchestra (1997)

G

eorge Lucas’s Star Wars films are among the most successful in the history of cinema. The riveting portrayals of adventures “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” are the product of a remarkable collaboration of writing, acting, directing and production talent. No doubt one of the great reasons for the immense popularity of the Star Wars movies is the music written by the American composer and conductor, John Williams. The Williams Star Wars soundtracks, with their soaring melodies and brilliant orchestration, are among the finest achievements in American cinema, worthy of the tradition of such composers as Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Franz Waxman, and Bernard Herrmann.

As in the case of film scores written by John Williams’s great predecessors, excerpts from the Star Wars films have enjoyed immense popularity in the concert hall as well. This concert presents an orchestral Suite John Williams fashioned from his music for the first three Star Wars releases: Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). In a preface to the score, the composer offers the following comments: During 1997 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of George Lucas’ classic film Star Wars. All of us concerned with this phenomenal movie have been gratified to see an entire new generation of very young film-goers enjoy the Star Wars trilogy and relate so strongly to its story, characters, and music.

Also, I am personally delighted to have this new edition of the score available to orchestras and the public. It includes the “Imperial March” and “Yoda’s Theme,” both of which have not been available until this present printing.

I have always felt privileged to have had the opportunity to compose music for these landmark films, and the ongoing interest in the films and their music has continued to be one of my greatest joys.

— John Williams

10 Encore Atlanta

Gustav Holst was born in Cheltenham, England, on September 21, 1874, and died in London, England, on May 25, 1934. The first performance of The Planets took place at Queen’s Hall in London on September 29, 1918, with Sir Adrian Boult conducting the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. Approximate performance time is fifty-one minutes.

The Planets, Suite for Large Orchestra (1916) ASO Recording: Yoel Levi, Condutor (Telarc CD-80291)

G

ustav Holst once remarked, “As a rule I only study things that suggest music to me.” And it was Holst’s lifelong interest in astrology that provided the inspiration for his most popular orchestral work, The Planets.

The Planets occupied Holst from the spring of 1914 to the winter of 1916. For the most part, Holst composed in a specially constructed soundproof room at the St. Paul’s Girls’ School, where he taught. During the course of his work on The Planets, Holst read a booklet

by Alan Leo (What is a Horoscope?) that provided suggestions for the characteristics of the various planets.

Holst characterized his orchestral work as “a series of mood pictures” in which the movements — each representing a planet of the solar system — “acted as foils to one another.” The various movements were not arranged in accordance with the order of the planets in the solar system, but rather, in such a manner as to achieve optimal musical contrast and effect.

Although Holst completed The Planets toward the close of 1916, the onset of the First World War precluded a concert performance of the work. In the summer of 1918, Holst prepared to depart England to aid the war effort. As a special farewell gift, Henry Balfour Gardiner arranged for a private concert premiere of The Planets at Queen’s Hall in London on September 29, 1918. Holst chose the young Adrian Boult — later Sir Adrian — to conduct the first performance, which proved to be a great success.

The first public performance of The Planets took place on February 27, 1919, again with Boult conducting at Queen’s Hall (although Venus and Neptune were not played on that occasion). The Planets soon received numerous performances in England, Europe, and throughout the world. Along with Sir Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, The Planets, a thrilling sonic adventure, remains one of the most popular large-scale British orchestral works.

Musical Analysis I. Mars, the Bringer of War; Allegro While many believed that Holst created the opening movement as a memorial to the horrors of World War I, the composer insisted that “I had the whole of Mars fixed in my mind before” the August 4, 1914 Declaration. The movement begins softly, but ominously, with an incessant rhythm introduced by the timpani and col legno (“with the wood”; i.e., the string instruments play with the wood, rather than the horsehair portion of the bows) strings, and interjections by woodwind and brass. The music proceeds to a furious climax. Several brief episodes follow, all maintaining a relentless momentum to the shattering final bars.

II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace; Adagio Venus offers blissful contrast to the violent opening movement. The solo horn’s ascending phrase is answered by a descending woodwind figure. A solo violin introduces the central Andante episode. A varied reprise of the opening Adagio concludes Venus.

III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger; Vivace The third movement is a scherzo that exhibits a charm and grace reminiscent of Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings and Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A 6/8 figure is deftly transferred from instrument to instrument. A middle section features lovely solo appearances by the violin, oboe, flute, and celeste. The return of the opening section (with a nod to its predecessor) concludes Mercury.

IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity; Allegro giocoso Jupiter is the movement that most clearly reflects Holst’s affinity for British folk music. It opens with a flurry of activity in the violins and a bold orchestral statement. Several melodies follow, the most notable being an eloquent, andante maestoso theme, introduced by the strings and horns. This melody was later used as the basis for a patriotic hymn, “I Vow to Thee, My Country.” The bustle of the opening returns for the jubilant finish.

V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age; Adagio The hypnotic opening features the flutes, bass flute, and harps. Over the repeated tread of pizzicato cellos and basses, the trombones introduce a somber march. The music builds to a powerful climax, featuring the repeated tolling of the bells. A reprise of the opening finally yields to a serene conclusion.

Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 11

VI. Uranus, the Magician; Allegro The trumpets and trombones, followed by the tubas and timpani, intone a four-note motif that will return throughout the movement.

The bassoons then offer a puckish staccato figure, soon taken by the remainder of the orchestra. A solo bassoon and pizzicato cellos introduce a new theme, followed by a broader melody in the horns and strings. A prominent recapitulation of the four-note motif leads to a martial passage. A ffff climax is followed by an eerie postlude.

VII. Neptune, the Mystic; Andante The composer directs that in the finale, “(t)he Orchestra is to play sempre pp throughout.” Various repeating figures, couched in orchestration of the utmost delicacy, masterfully evoke a sense of timelessness.

Mei-ann Chen, conductor

T

he first woman to win the Malko International Conductors Competition (2005), Mei-Ann Chen has established herself as a versatile, highly communicative and inspirational young artist. Currently Assistant Conductor of Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, she was awarded the 2007 Taki Concordia Fellowship; as a result of that award, she appeared jointly with Marin Alsop and Stefan Sanderling in highly acclaimed subscription concerts with the Baltimore Symphony, Colorado Symphony and Florida Orchestra. Past and upcoming engagements include all principal Danish orchestras, Symphonies of Alabama, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago Sinfonietta, Florida, Fort Worth, Grand Teton Music Festival, Honolulu, Huntsville, Kalamazoo, Lexington Philharmonic, Manhattan School of Music, Memphis, National at Kennedy Center, Norrlands Opera in Sweden, Norwegian Radio (Oslo), Oregon, Princeton, Seattle, Taiwan National, Trondheim in Norway, Toronto in Canada, and Wintergreen Summer Music Festival.

Before coming to Atlanta, Mei-Ann served as Assistant Conductor of the Oregon Symphony from 2003 to 2005 and in 2002, Ms. Chen was unanimously selected as Music Director of the Portland Youth Philharmonic in Oregon, the oldest of its kind and the model for many of the youth orchestras in the United States. During her five-year tenure with the orchestra, she led its sold-out debut in Carnegie Hall, received an ASCAP award for innovative programming, established new partnerships with Oregon Symphony and Chamber Music Northwest, and developed new and unique musicianship programs for the orchestra’s members. She was honored with a Sunburst Award from Young Audiences for her contribution to music education.

Mei-Ann Chen

Born in Taiwan, Mei-Ann Chen has lived in the United States since 1989. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the University of Michigan, where she was a student of Kenneth Kiesler. Prior to that, she was the first recipient in New England Conservatory’s history to receive double master’s degrees simultaneously in violin and conducting. As a violinist, she has performed in Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood Music Festival numerous times.

Chen came to Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as a member of the American Conducting Fellows Program, a national conductor-training program developed and managed by the American Symphony Orchestra League to support the musical and leadership development of exceptionally talented conductors in the early stages of their professional careers. Aiming to improve the qualifications of American conductors to assume leadership roles as music directors of American orchestras, the program is funded by major grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Program Notes ©2009, Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta, Georgia

The use of cameras or recording devices during the concert is strictly prohibited.

Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta is the preferred hotel of the ASO. Trucks provided by Ryder Truck Rental, Inc. Promotional support provided by WSB-AM and Atlanta Journal-Constitution

12 Encore Atlanta

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ATLANTA

AM PH ITHEATRE

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ROBERT SPANO, MUSIC DIRECTOR

At Encore Park

DONALD RUNNICLES, PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR

UPCOMING CONCERT CALENDAR AUGUST 1, 8:30PM

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN

AT THE MOVIES TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES NIGHT RICHARD KAUFMAN, conductor

JULY 25, 8PM

BEETHOVEN BLOCKBUSTERS

ROBERT OSBORNE, host

AUGUST 15, 8PM

RISING STARS ILYICH RIVAS, conductor

HUGH WOLFF, conductor

ELENA URIOSTE, violin

JUHO POHJONEN, piano

VERDI:“Vespri” overture MENDELSSOHN:Violin Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY:Symphony No. 4

BEETHOVEN:“Leonore” Overture No. 3 BEETHOVEN:Piano Concerto No. 3 BEETHOVEN:Symphony No. 7

ON SALE HERE!

Box Office • atlantasymphony.org • 800.745.3000 Also available at all TICKETMASTER outlets including PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS. PLEASE NOTE: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park offers a fine assortment of beverages and food items. Picnic baskets, bottles, cans and coolers are not allowed in the park. All ticket PRICES INCLUDE PARKING, venue fee and sales tax. Convenience charges apply on all transactions.

14 Encore Atlanta

MAKE IT A GROUP! 404.733.4848

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Robert Spano, Music Director The Robert Reid Topping Chair *

Donald Runnicles, Principal Guest Conductor The Neil and Sue Williams Chair *

Jere Flint, Staff Conductor; Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra The Zeist Foundation Chair *

Norman Mackenzie, Director of Choruses The Frannie and Bill Graves Chair

Mei-Ann Chen, Assistant Conductor, League of american orchestras Conducting Fellow FIRST VIOLIN William Pu Associate/Acting Concertmaster

The Charles McKenzie Taylor Chair *

Justin Bruns

Assistant Concertmaster The Mary and Cherry Emerson Chair

Jun-Ching Lin

Assistant Concertmaster

Carolyn Toll Hancock

The AGL Resources Chair

Martha Reaves Head John Meisner Alice Anderson Oglesby Lorentz Ottzen Christopher Pulgram Carol Ramirez Juan Ramirez Olga Shpitko Denise Berginson Smith Kenn Wagner Lisa Wiedman Yancich SECOND VIOLIN David Arenz Principal The Atlanta Symphony Associates Chair *

Sou-Chun Su

Associate Principal TheFrances Cheney Boggs Chair *

Jay Christy

Assistant Principal

Eleanor Arenz Sharon Berenson David Braitberg Noriko Konno Clift Judith Cox David Dillard Raymond Leung Ruth Ann Little Thomas O’Donnell Ronda Respess Sanford Salzinger Frank Walton

VIOLA Reid Harris

Principal The Edus H. and Harriet H. Warren Chair *

Paul Murphy

Associate Principal The Mary and Lawrence Gellerstedt Chair *

Wesley Collins Robert Jones Marian Kent Yang-Yoon Kim• Catherine Lynn Lachlan McBane Heidi Nitchie Ardath Weck CELLO Christopher Rex

Principal The Miriam and John Conant Chair *

Daniel Laufer

Associate Principal The Livingston Foundation Chair

Karen Freer

Assistant Principal

Dona Vellek Klein

Assistant Principal Emeritus

Joel Dallow Jere Flint Larry LeMaster Brad Ritchie Davin Rubicz• Paul Warner BASS Ralph Jones

TROMBONE Colin Williams

OBOE Elizabeth Koch

Stephen Wilson

Principal The George M. and Corrie Hoyt Brown Chair *

Principal The First Union Chair Associate Principal The Patsy and Jere Drummond Chair

Yvonne Powers Peterson

Bill Thomas George Curran

Deborah Workman Patrick McFarland

BASS TROMBONE George Curran

ENGLISH HORN Patrick McFarland

TUBA Michael Moore

Associate Principal

CLARINET Laura Ardan

Principal The Robert Shaw Chair *

Principal The Georgia-PacificChair

TIMPANI Mark Yancich

Ted Gurch

Principal The Walter H. Bunzl Chair *

William Rappaport

William Wilder

Associate Principal The Lucent Technologies Chair

Alcides Rodriguez E-FLAT CLARINET Ted Gurch BASS CLARINET Alcides Rodriguez BASSOON Carl Nitchie

Principal The Walter L. “Buz” Carr, III Chair

Elizabeth Burkhardt Associate Principal

Laura Najarian

Assistant Principal

PERCUSSION Thomas Sherwood Principal The Julie and Arthur Montgomery Chair *

William Wilder Assistant Principal Charles Settle** HARP Elisabeth Remy Johnson Principal The Delta Air Lines Chair

KEYBOARD

Principal The Marcia and John Donnell Chair *

The Pricewaterhouse ­Coopers Chair

Juan de Gomar

Gloria Jones

The Hugh and Jessie Hodgson Memorial Chair *

CONTRABASSOON Juan de Gomar

Peter Marshall † Beverly Gilbert † Sharon Berenson

Associate Principal

Jane Little

Assistant Principal Emeritus

Joseph Conyers• Michael Kenady Michael Kurth Douglas Sommer Thomas Thoreson FLUTE Christina Smith

Principal The Jill Hertz Chair *

Robert Cronin

Associate Principal

Paul Brittan

The Georgia Power Foundation Chair

Carl David Hall

16 Encore Atlanta

PICCOLO Carl David Hall

HORN Brice Andrus

Principal The Sandra and John GloverChair

LIBRARY Rebecca Beavers Principal

Susan Welty

Steven Sherrill

Thomas Witte Richard Deane

John Wildermuth

Associate Principal

Assistant

The UPSCommunity Service Chair

Bruce Kenney TRUMPET Thomas Hooten

Principal The Madeline and Howell Adams Chair* * Chair named in perpetuity • New this season Kevin Lyons **Leave of absence Associate Principal † Regularly engaged musician Joseph Walthall The SunTrust BankChair Players in string sections are listed alphabetically.

Michael Tiscione

Meet the Musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

H

ere’s a handy Who’s Who of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra players, so you can say hello the next time you spot one out and about at the amphitheatre. As Associate Principal Cellist Daniel Laufer says, “I enjoy getting to know our patrons.”

18 Encore Atlanta

20 Encore Atlanta

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Atlanta’s Arts Community

“ A Dream Come True”

The ASO’s inaugural season at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre provided a rush of excitement for new audiences throughout North Fulton County

By Karl Schnittke

L

ate on the evening of May 10, 2008, well after the grand opening concert had ended and the audience, musicians and most of the staff had headed home, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Music Director Robert Spano proclaimed loudly to the remaining handful of colleagues and friends that “Tonight was one of the greatest nights of my life.”

The ASO’s new summer home at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta was in fact one of the greatest nights in the Orchestra’s 64-year history. Mr. Spano led an unforgettable performance, featuring Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, the finale of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and the Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture, with a cast of hundreds including the Orchestra’s Chorus, Youth Orchestra, and two marching bands from Alpharetta and Milton high schools.

26 Encore Atlanta

Table seating for patrons was a popular feature and will be available for all ASO concerts this season.

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Claude Monet (French, 1840â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1926), Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond (detail), ca. 1920, oil on canvas, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund. Š The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA/Art Resource, NY.

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“We knew we had a lot of friends in North Fulton,” confided ASO President and Chief Executive Officer Allison Vulgamore.

“And it was tremendously gratifying to see the turnout, not just for the grand opening, but all summer long.”

Fulton County Commissioner Lynne Riley vividly remembers the inaugural concert. “It was a magnificent experience, vibrating with enthusiasm for the phenomenal musical performance,” she said. “The audience was treated to an evening of sensory stimulation — wonderful sights, sounds, aromas, flavors, and applause were all part of the event.”

Emphasizing the ASO’s impact on the region, Brandon Beach, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, said, “The inaugural season was a true celebration for all of North Fulton. Fine arts and culture are important to our families and business community, and the new venue is an exciting place for those interests to converge.”

WSB-AM Radio’s Scott Slade chatted with concertgoers and conveyed text-messages to artists.

seen an ASO concert. “Reaching such a large number of new audience members is deeply encouraging for our future,” said Ms. Vulgamore.

The new venue was hit with its neighbors, particularly the location. “It’s great to have such a venue on this side of town, and my family enjoys hearing the ASO in an outdoor setting,” enthused Frank Chu of Alpharetta. For Sharon Morgan it meant she could enjoy the Orchestra more than ever. “I simply would not attend ASO concerts as often if I had to go downtown,” she admitted, adding, “The amphitheater being right here changes everything.”

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Woodruff Arts Center New traditions flourished during the inaugural season, sparked and the North Fulton community had come together to creby the venue’s open spaces and rolling landscape. ASO Insider ate a landmark summer, exploring and ultimately achieving and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer seamlessly moved his novel methods to stretch the boundaries of the classical music popular concert previews to the “Top of the Lawn,” where experience. Over the course of the summer more than 40,000 he and ASO musicians held court before a rapt audience. people came to hear the Orchestra Intermissions became lively quesperform, with 34 precent coming from tion-and-answer forums. Patrons a wide stretch of counties across North text-messaged questions for the artGeorgia, as well as bordering states. In ists, who responded to as many as addition, an audience survey revealed time permitted on the big screens that fully one-third had never before overlooking the stage.

– Robert Spano

“

Tonight was one of the

”

greatest nights of my life

28 Encore Atlanta

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ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer’s “Top of the Lawn” pre-concert previews, with ASO musicians and audience Q & A sessions, return this season.

“

The inaugural season

Quality food was a major new tradition.

Attending an ASO performance became Concertgoers could order from a variety an experience unlike any other. “The of food and beverage choices, including music is great, and hearing it in a beaupicnic baskets, laden with freshly made tiful setting is really a huge bonus,” – Brandon Beach appetizers, entrees, and desserts precommented Lee Waring of Vinings.

President and CEO, Greater North pared by the venue’s on-site caterer. A Added Duluth’s Rob Perryman, “You Fulton Chamber of Commerce special basket, themed to each evening’s can’t beat the atmosphere and music programming, also was available offering under the stars.” Jody Lovell, visittreats such as Wild Rice Kiev Salad and Russian Tea Cakes to ing from Highlands, N.C., found the venue “lovely, and the seating is perfect … you’re so close to the performance.” accompany works by Rachmaninov and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Virginia-Highland’s Becky Shaw summed it up in one The venue’s operational amenities, from the proximity of word: “Fabulous!” concession stands and parking to ample signage and an invit-

”

was a true celebration

ing VIP Club, pleased Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre General Manager Trevor Ralph, who came to the ASO from Northern California. But there is always room for improvement.

“In our business if you stand still you fall behind,” he explained. “We know there is more work to be done. We have used an extensive survey program to measure our performance and to push ourselves to higher levels of guest satisfaction.

We are proud to know that we have one of the best buildings and many of the best people in our business right here in North Georgia.”

30 Encore Atlanta

The Symphony Hall faithful, eager to see their hometown orchestra at its new summer residence, had an easy-does-it drive from Buckhead, Midtown, and points east, west, north and south. “I can’t believe how fast we got there!” said Clay Jackson of Ansley Park in downtown Atlanta. “We were pleasantly surprised, and realized the drive back wouldn’t be a problem.”

The dawning of the Verizon era was particularly gratifying to Alpharetta’s honorable mayor, Arthur Letchas, a staunch supporter of a new park for his constituents from day one.

“It was a dream come true after many years of hard work,” he said. “Every time I attended an event it seemed as if everyone there appreciated having such an incredible venue in Alpharetta.”

Mei-Ann Chen

Assistant Conductor

“

”

You can’t beat the atmosphere and music under the stars

– Duluth patron

Robert Spano

Music Director

Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 31

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Please go only to your pre-assigned lot. All lots are accessed via different roadways.

32 Encore Atlanta

Covered Seating

First Aid Station

ATM

issued ADA identification (tag, hang tag or decal) will allow you access to these areas.

Lawn Chair Rental

Concessions

Presented by North Fulton VENUERegional Hospital

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