Encore Atlanta July 2009 ASO Verizon

July 25, 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

Beethoven Blockbusters Saturday, July 25, 2009, 8 pm Hugh wolff, Conductor Juho Pohjonen, Piano

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

L eonore Overture No. III, Opus 72b (1806)

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Opus 37 (1803) I. Allegro con brio II. Largo III. Rondo; Allegro Juho Pohjonen, Piano

INTERMISSION Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Opus 92 (1812) I. Poco sostenuto; Vivace II. Allegretto III. Presto; Assai meno presto IV. Allegro con brio

Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Performing Arts Publication

Notes on the program

by Ken Meltzer

Ludwig van Beethoven

was baptized in Bonn, Germany, on December 17, 1770,

and died in Vienna, Austria, on March 26, 1827.

Leonore Overture No. III, Opus 72b (1806) The first performance of the Leonore Overture No. III took place in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien on March 29, 1806, as part of the premiere of the revised version of Fidelio. Approximate performance time is fourteen minutes.

B

eethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, occupied a special place in the composer’s heart. In his Will, Beethoven said of his beloved work: “before all others I hold it worthy of being possessed and used for the science of art.”

The creation of Fidelio (called Leonore by the composer) was hardly an easy process. Toward the end of his life, Beethoven confessed to his friend, Anton Schindler: “Of all my children, (Fidelio) is the one that caused me the worst birth-pangs, the one that brought me the most sorrow, and for that reason, it is the most dear to me.” Beethoven composed at least three versions of Fidelio. The Leonore Overture No. III premiered as part of a revised version of the opera, first performed on March 29, 1806.

Beethoven’s Fidelio is based upon a work created during the French Revolution by lawyer and writer Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. It was a story that greatly appealed to Beethoven, a fierce advocate of democratic ideals.

Fidelio takes place in 18th-century Spain. The evil governor Don Pizarro has imprisoned the nobleman Don Florestan for daring to speak out against the corrupt regime. In an attempt to rescue her husband, Florestan’s wife, Leonore, disguises herself as the young man, Fidelio. This allows Leonore to gain employment at the jail where her husband is imprisoned.

When Don Pizarro learns that the benevolent minister, Don Fernando, is coming to inspect the prison, he vows to kill Florestan, thereby concealing evidence of his wrongdoing. Leonore discovers her husband in a dungeon. She places herself in front of Florestan, and holds Pizarro at bay with her pistol. The sound of trumpets heralds Don Fernando’s arrival. Fernando soon learns of Pizarro’s misdeeds and orders him imprisoned. Florestan and all the political prisoners are freed, and Leonore is hailed as their savior.

The Leonore Overture No. 3 begins with an extended slow introduction (Adagio), featuring a portion of Florestan’s prison aria, “In des Lebens Frühlingstagen ist das Glück von mir gefloh’n” (“In the spring days of life happiness has flown from me”). The principal Allegro section features the introduction and development of the Overture’s central themes. At the climax of the development section, Beethoven provides one of his most dramatic effects. An off-stage trumpet twice sounds, heralding the approach of the minister, Don Fernando. A recapitulation of the principal themes leads to a series of quiet ascending figures by the strings, masterfully building the suspense almost to the breaking point. The tension is released by the breathless rush of activity in an overwhelming Presto coda, featuring blazing versions of the opening theme and a transformation of Florestan’s lament.

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Opus 37 (1803) The first performance of the Third Piano Concerto took place in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien on April 5, 1803, with the composer as soloist. Approximate performance time is thirty-six minutes.

I

t was as a pianist that the young Ludwig van Beethoven first ascended to prominence in Viennese musical circles.

Audiences accustomed to the elegant and refined brilliance of such virtuosos as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) were stunned by the elemental force of Beethoven’s attacks upon the delicate fortepianos of the day. Composer Anton Reicha recalled an incident in which he served as page-turner for Beethoven during a performance of Mozart concerto: He asked me to turn pages for him. But I was mostly occupied in wrenching the strings of the pianoforte which snapped, while the hammers stuck among the broken strings. Beethoven insisted on finishing the concerto, and back and forth I leaped, jerking out a string, disentangling a hammer, turning a page, and I worked harder than Beethoven.

Of course, Beethoven’s keyboard performances consisted of far more than displays of brute strength. Pianist and composer Carl Czerny recalled that audience members were reduced to tears by the sheer eloquence of Beethoven’s powers of improvisation, “for apart from the beauty and originality of his ideas, and his ingenious manner of expressing them, there was something magical about his playing.”

Beethoven was the soloist in the world premiere of his Third Piano Concerto. The concert, which took place at the Vienna Theater an der Wien on April 5, 1803, also included a performance of Beethoven’s First Symphony, as well as the world premieres of his Second Symphony and the oratorio, Christ on the Mount of Olives. The concert was far from a total success, the result of limited rehearsal

10 Encore Atlanta

time, particularly for a program featuring such a generous amount of new material. Over time, of course, the Third Concerto has become one of the mainstays of the piano and orchestra repertoire.

There is no question that Beethoven intended the Third Piano Concerto to display his unique talents as a concert pianist. The stormy opening movement (Allegro con brio) looks forward to another work in the key of C minor, the immortal Fifth Symphony (1808). The second-movement Largo evokes first-hand accounts describing Beethoven’s ability to move audiences to tears through the sheer beauty of his playing. The finale (Rondo: Allegro), on the other hand, reveals a lighter, even more humorous side of Beethoven that is too often overlooked.

Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Opus 92 (1812) The first performance of the Seventh Symphony took place in the Hall of the University of Vienna on December 8, 1813, with the composer conducting. Approximate performance time is thirty-two minutes.

B

eethoven completed his Seventh Symphony in 1812. The work received its premiere on December 8, 1813, at the grand Hall of the University of Vienna, part of a concert presented for the benefit of wounded Austrian and Bavarian soldiers.

Beethoven himself served as conductor.

Because of Beethoven’s participation in the concert and its philanthropic mission, several of Vienna’s eminent musicians agreed to play in the orchestra. The concert proved to be one of the great public triumphs of the composer’s career. The audience insisted upon an encore of the Seventh Symphony’s Allegretto. By popular demand, the entire concert was repeated four days later, raising another considerable sum for the wounded soldiers.

Still, Beethoven’s reliance upon the briefest of rhythmic motifs — often presented with relentless, and even frightening energy — inspired some negative reactions. Musician Friedrich Wieck, father of Robert Schumann’s wife, Clara Wieck Schumann, attended the first rehearsal of the Beethoven Seventh. Wieck recalled that the general consensus among musicians and laymen alike was that Beethoven must have composed the Symphony, particularly its outer movements, in a “drunken state.” German composer Carl Maria von Weber, after hearing the Symphony for the first time, reportedly stated that Beethoven was now “quite ripe for the madhouse.”

On the other hand, the great German opera composer Richard Wagner, in one of the most famous appraisals of a Beethoven Symphony, lauded the finale as the “apotheosis of the dance.” Almost two centuries after the premiere, Beethoven’s Seventh continues to amaze audiences with its dramatic fire. It remains one of the most powerful symphonic creations.

The first movement of the Seventh opens with the most ambitious slow introduction of any Beethoven Symphony (Poco sostenuto).

At the conclusion of the introduction, the flute ushers in the first movement’s principal quick-tempo section (Vivace) with a sprightly dance, based upon a rhythm that forms the nucleus for the remainder of the movement. The second movement (Allegretto) opens and closes with a foreboding chord, framing a solemn march. The third movement is a robust Scherzo (Presto; Assai meno presto), featuring a central Trio that begins in more tranquil fashion, but soon proceeds to its own grand statement. The Finale (Allegro con brio) moves at a breathless pace from start to finish. It is not until the terse closing measures that the whirlwind of activity slams to a stunning halt.

Beethoven and the Heiligenstadt Testament

by Matthew Boyle

T

o many, Ludwig van Beethoven is somehow removed from being a mere composer. Instead his name conjures images of an archetypal artistic genius who struggled against the devastating blow of deafness to succeed in creating pieces of music that continue to captivate audiences two centuries after they were written. The exact year Beethoven recognized his hearing loss is unknown, though it probably began sometime in the late 1790s. He undoubtedly experienced severe depression, and even contemplated suicide. In October of 1802, Beethoven wrote a letter addressed to his brothers, but never delivered, known as the Heiligenstadt Testament.

In this poignant letter, Beethoven describes how his hearing loss tormented him: “what a humiliation for me when someone standing next to me heard a flute in the distance and I heard nothing, or someone standing next to me heard a shepherd singing and again I heard nothing.” More importantly, in the Heiligenstadt Testament, Beethoven rejected suicide and with his “fiery, active temperament,” vowed to live for the sake of his art as he felt it would be “impossible to leave the world until [he] had brought forth all that [he] felt was within [him].”

Following this re-dedication to composing, Beethoven’s musical style changed significantly. His works acquired a revolutionary and heroic tone, in which older genres were frequently challenged and reinvented. In fact, most of the Beethoven compositions performed in concert halls today — including those on tonight’s program — were written in the years following the Heiligenstadt Testament.

Matthew Boyle, an intern with the ASO this summer, is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia.

This fall, Matthew will begin studies for a Masters of Music Theory at Indiana University.

Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 11

Hugh Wolff, conductor

H

ugh Wolff is among the leading conductors of his generation. He has appeared with all the major North American orchestras. He is in demand in Europe, where he has worked with such orchestras as the London Symphony, the Philharmonia, the City of Birmingham Symphony, the Orchestre National de France, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Munich Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic and the Bavarian and Berlin Radio Orchestras. He is a regular guest conductor with orchestras in Japan, Scandinavia and Australia and a frequent conductor at summer music festivals including Aspen, Tanglewood and Ravinia.

Hugh Wolff

A conductor whose interests span baroque performance practice to the championing of new works, Wolff began his professional career in 1979 as Associate Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra under Mstislav Rostropovich later going on to become Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (1986-1993) and Music Director of Chicago’s Grant Park Music Festival (1994-1997).

Wolff has an extensive discography on the Teldec label, with works ranging from Haydn to Stravinsky with the St Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra. His recordings for Decca include a disc of works by Aaron Jay Kernis with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (Argo label), and a disc with Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He has also recorded the Barber and Meyer Violin Concertos with Hilary Hahn for Sony Classical, which along with the disc of Antheil Symphonies 1 & 6, won a 2001 Cannes Classical Award.

Born in Paris in 1953 to American parents, Wolff spent his early years in London and Washington D.C. After graduating from Harvard, Wolff returned on a fellowship to Paris, where he studied conducting with Charles Bruck and composition with Olivier Messiaen. He then continued his studies in Baltimore with Leon Fleisher. Wolff and his wife, Judith Kogan, have three sons and live in Boston.

Juho Pohjonen, piano

“I

f we needed proof that exciting new talent is in the pipeline, there was the marvellous American debut of Juho Pohjonen at [Carnegie’s] Weill Recital Hall. Mr Pohjonen, offered a formidable mixed program, topped by thrilling accounts of two fiendishly difficult works by a fellow Finn, Esa Pekka Salonen.” — New York Times One of the brightest young instrumental talents to emerge from Finland today, Juho Pohjonen has attracted great attention as one of the Nordic country’s most intriguing and talented pianists. Widely praised for his interpretations of music from Bach to Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mr. Pohjonen’s New York debut recital at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in 2004 was selected as one of the most memorable concert events heard in New York during that year by Anthony Tommasini, senior music critic of The New York Times.

Juho Pohjonen

Juho Pohjonen has won numerous prizes in both Finnish and international competitions, including: First Prize at the 2004 Nordic Piano Competition in Nyborg, Denmark; First Prize at the International Young Artists 2000 Concerto Competition in Stockholm; the Prokofiev Prize at the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition 2003; and was a prize winner at Helsinki International Maj Lind Piano Competition 2002.

Mr. Pohjonen has given recitals in Dresden, Hamburg, Helsinki, London (Wigmore Hall), New York (Carnegie Hall), San Francisco, Vancouver, Warsaw, and at the Lucerne Piano, Savonlinna and Bergen Festivals. He has performed with orchestras including the Danish National; Malmö; Finnish Radio Symphony; Helsinki Philharmonic; Lahti Symphony, with whom he toured Japan; Bournemouth Symphony; Scottish Chamber; and Philharmonia Orchestras. Season highlights include two Mozart recitals in Helsinki, which form part of a complete cycle of all the Mozart Piano Sonatas spanning over three seasons; debut recitals in Alicante and at the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival; and his debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Lionel Bringuier, performing Salonen’s Piano Concerto; and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Hugh Wolff, with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 3. He has been selected as one of 14 musicians to join the “CMS Two Residency Program for Outstanding Young Artists” at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, participating in every area of CMS activity from 2009 – 2012.

Mr. Pohjonen’s studies began in 1989, when he entered the Junior Academy of the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki. He has studied with Meri Louhos and Hui-Ying Liu at the Sibelius Academy, where he completed his Master’s Degree in 2008. In addition, he has participated in several master classes of world-class pianists such as András Schiff, Leon Fleisher, Jacob Lateiner and Barry Douglas.

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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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite impressive when dozens of accomplished musicians orchestrate their talents.

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14 Encore Atlanta

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 The Frances 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-Pacific Chair

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 Glover Chair

LIBRARY Rebecca Beavers Principal

Susan Welty

Steven Sherrill

Thomas Witte Richard Deane

John Wildermuth

Associate Principal

Assistant

The UPS Community 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 Bank Chair 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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