Christopher Zimmerman, music director and conductor
Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 8pm
Center for the Arts at George Mason University
Christopher Zimmerman, music director and conductor
Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 8pm
Center for the Arts at George Mason University
MALEK JANDALI (1972-)
Selected Movements from Symphony No. 6 , “The Desert Rose”
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK
(1841–1904)
II.“Praise”
Selections from Slavonic Dances, Op. 72
V.“Ardah”
No. 1 Odzemek. Molto Vivace
VII.“Fete”
No. 2 Dumka. Allegretto grazioso
MALEK JANDALI
No. 7 Kolo. Allegro vivace
Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCE)
EDWARD ELGAR (1857–1934)
Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
I.Andantino misterioso
II.Nocturne
Sergey Antonov, cello
III.Allegro moderato
Anthony McGill, clarinet
Intermission
—Intermission—
MODEST MUSSORGSKY (1839–1881) /ORCH. RAVEL
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Pictures at an Exhibition
Symphony No.3 in E flat major “Eroica”, op.55
I.Allegro con brio
II.Marcia funebre—adagio assai
III.Scherzo—allegro vivace
IV.Finale—allegro molto
The FSO’s 2024/25 Season is made possible with generous support from
Partnering to Enhance Learning Through Music for Over 40 Years
ARTS INTEGRATION SHOWCASE
Arts Integration inspires students through concert repertoire to support Math, Science, English, History, and Social Studies, as well Music and Art. We are delighted to showcase artwork created by students from Woodburn School for the Fine and Communicative Arts and Westlawn Elementary inspired by tonight’s program.
WOODBURN ELEMENTARY, Jonathan Kettler, Art Teacher
Fifth Grade students created a mixed media piece using pen, drawing chalk, oil pastel, and watercolor paint, inspired by the theme of unity found in cultural celebrations, such as circle dances (influenced by Dvořák’s 3 Slavonic Dances, particularly the “Kolo” in Opus 72.) Students explored unity, regardless of cultural differences, celebrating uniqueness and diversity. Third Grade students created artwork exploring circular forms. Some students also wrote poetry inspired by the theme of unity in Dvořák’s music. The Fourth Grade created a “Wire Sculpture Orchestra” to represent the musicians in the FSO.
WESTLAWN ELEMENTARY, Sean Stuebner & Brett Terrell, Art Teachers
Fourth and Fifth Grade students studied the music of “Juba” by African American composer, Florence Price for FSO Link Up and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” on this evening’s program. They then created representational abstract works around a piece of music that they have a connection to, using the work of DC artist Alma Thomas as a basis, the first fine art graduate from Howard University and a DCPS art teacher for 35 years. Students found their favorite rhythm in the music to inspire their artwork, sketching and creating monotype prints over their sketches.
MEET THE ARTIST
SERGEY ANTONOV, cello
ANTHONY MCGILL
Cellist Sergey Antonov enjoys a versatile career as a soloist and chamber musician. Critics throughout the world have hailed him as “destined for cello superstardom” (The Washington Post) and “combining formidable technique and an incredibly warm, penetrating and vibrant tone to a romantic musical sensibility to create music— making of a highest caliber” (Budapest Sun). After a Newport Festival concert in RI, a critic wrote “... a performance with soaring phrases and a tone to die for.” Sergey’s performance of the Elgar concerto drew the critic of the Moscow’s Daily Telegraph to write: “[he] is a musician who has his own inner space, where he submerges himself from the very first sound…who turns each phrase, every deeply felt sound into an event of his own inner monologue. The theme of this monologue is existential suffering; a change of intricately noted emotions, directly related to the unexplainable condition known as Spiritual Life.” A Canadian critic wrote: “Antonov conveyed ...a world of expression from plaintive hope to existential pathos.” Another recent reviewer wrote, “No virtuosic challenge is more than his equal.”
Hailed for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (New York Times), clarinetist Anthony McGill enjoys a dynamic international solo and chamber music career and is principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic — the first African-American principal player in the organization’s history. He is the recipient of the 2020 Avery Fisher Prize, one of classical music’s most significant awards.
McGill appears as a soloist with top orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. He performed alongside Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Gabriela Montero at the inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece by John Williams. As a chamber musician, McGill is a collaborator of the Brentano, Daedalus, Guarneri, JACK, Miró, Pacifica, Shanghai, Takács, and Tokyo Quartets, and performs with leading artists including Emanuel Ax, Inon Barnatan, Gloria Chien, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Midori, Mitsuko Uchida, and Lang Lang.
After winning the gold medal in the 2007 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russia, Sergey has been touring extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and North and South America performing in halls ranging from the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory to Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
He serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School and is the Artistic Director for Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program. He holds the William R. and Hyunah Yu Brody Distinguished Chair at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Born into a family of cellists, Sergey started playing cello at the age of five with his mother, Maria Zhuravleva, as his teacher. She received the national 2014 Teacher of the Year Award of Russia. He studied at the Central Music School and graduated from the Moscow Conservatory where studied under the renowned professor Natalia Shakhovskaya. He holds an artist diploma from Longy School of Music in Boston where he worked with Grammy-nominated cellist Terry King. While a student at the Moscow Conservatory, Sergey was under the tutelage of M. Rostropovich.
In 2020, McGill’s #TakeTwoKnees campaign protesting the death of George Floyd and historic racial injustice went viral. In 2023, he partnered with Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative to organize a classical music industry convening at EJI’s Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, in which leaders and artists in classical music examined America’s history of racial inequality and how this legacy continues to impact their work. He is a Backun Artist and performs exclusively on Backun Clarinets.
Learn more at www.anthonymcgill.com
Sergey has appeared on Russian National Television in performances with the Moscow Philharmonic in their Stars of the 21st Century series, and in live concerts on Boston’s NPR radio station WGBH. His performances were also broadcast by NHK Japan.
He lives in New York with his wife Nika and son Noah.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN, Music Director
Named Music Director of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) in 2009, Christopher Zimmerman celebrates his 15th season with the FSO. Former Washington Post classical music critic, Anne Midgette, wrote: “the Bernstein was a note-perfect end to a very refreshing evening that spoke well for the programming vision of Zimmerman.” Former Washington Post reporter, Stephen Brookes, commented: “Zimmerman has been injecting adrenalin into this determined ensemble… (and has) made the Fairfax players a serious force to be reckoned with.”
Christopher Zimmerman graduated from Yale with a B.A. in Music and received his Master’s from the University of Michigan. He also studied with Seiji Ozawa and Gunther Schuller at Tanglewood, and at the Pierre Monteux School in Maine with Charles Bruck. Zimmerman served as an apprentice to Andrew Davis and the Toronto Symphony and in Prague, as assistant conductor to Vaclav Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.
Zimmerman’s debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was followed by engagements with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
Prior to his appointment to the FSO, Christopher Zimmerman was Music Director of the Symphony of Southeast Texas, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra and the City of London Chamber Orchestra. His career has also embraced teaching and working with student orchestras and conductors; in 1993 he joined the conducting faculty at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati where he was Music Director of their concert orchestra, and in 1999 he was appointed as Fuller Professor of Orchestral Studies at the Hartt School as well as Music Director of the Hartt Symphony.
A champion of contemporary music and commissioning new work, during his leadership with the FSO, Zimmerman has commissioned seven new works and presented 22 premieres. This season, the FSO presents the U.S. premiere piano concerto by composer Elena Kats-Chernin with pianist, Lisa Moore, the Regional premiere of “She Dreams of Flying” by composer Quinn Mason, the Virginia premiere of Clarice Assad’s concerto for Guitar and Cello “Anahata,” and the commission and East Coast premiere by Jonathan Leshnoff “Concertante for Two Violins and Orchestra.” In 2023-24, Zimmerman conducted the World Premiere Clarinet Concerto by Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali with clarinetist, Anthony McGuill, the Regional premiere of Anna Clyne’s “Dance” with cellist Inbal Segev, and the co-commission and Virginia premiere of “Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue” with pianist Jeffrey Biegel in honor of the 150th Anniversary of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” In 2023, Zimmerman and the FSO presented the U.S. premiere of “Bruromano,” a concerto for guitar, double bass, and string orchestra by Czech composer Sylvie Bodorova featuring renowned guitarist, Jason Vieaux. In 2022, the FSO presented the regional premiere of composer Robert Carl’s “White Heron” and composer Jonathan Leshnoff’s Symphony No. 4 “Heichalos.” The FSO brought “Dances of the Yogurt Maker” by Turkish composer, Erberk Eryilmaz to Virginia for the first time in 2019, along with the 2018 Virginia premiere of Philip Glass’ “Piano Concerto No. 3,” with pianist Simone Dinnerstein, who commissioned the work and for whom it was written. In 2017, the Fairfax Symphony in celebration of its 60th season commissioned “Resolutions” by composer Mark Camphouse in honor of the 275th Anniversary of Fairfax County. In 2016, the FSO presented the regional premiere of Martin Bresnick’s “The Way it Goes.”
Zimmerman has also established four artistic collaborations while leading the FSO—its annual co-presentation with George Mason University’s Center for the Arts featuring renowned artists including acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming, and pianists Jeremy Denk and Simone Dinnerstein, the annual production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with the Fairfax Ballet, and a collaboration with Bown-McCauley Dance Company.
Christopher Zimmerman was recognized as the winner of the American Conducting Prize in 2011, an award given for nationwide performances by orchestral conductors, choral conductors, and a host of other categories. Such recognition of his abilities has been born out in appointments to the Music Directorship of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony (2013-) and Artistic Directorship of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (2014-2017).
PROGRAM NOTES
MALEK JANDALI
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK
Selections from Slavonic Dances, Op. 72
Symphony No. 6 “The Desert Rose”
No. 1 Molto Vivace
No. 2 Dumka. Allegretto grazioso
Composer: born December 25, 1972, Waldbröl, West Germany
No. 7 Kolo. Allegro vivace
The desert rose, with its intricate crystalline petal clusters, forms over millennia through the interaction of minerals, sand, and water in regions such as Qatar—a land of desert and sea. This “architectural” wonder of nature inspired the design of Jean Nouvel’s masterpiece, the National Museum of Qatar, a stunning structure of interlocking discs that tells the story of Qatar from the natural history of its origins through its cultural developments to the cutting-edge technologies of today.
Composer: born September 8, 1841, Nelahozeves, near Kralupy in Bohemia; died May 1, 1904, Prague
Work composed: Dvořák began working on Op. 72 on June 4, 1886, and completed a version for piano duet on July 7. At the insistence of publisher Fritz Simrock, Dvořák orchestrated them, completing the orchestra version on January 5, 1887.
World premiere: Dvořák conducted three of the Slavonic Dances on January 6, 1887—just 24 hours after he finished orchestrating them—at the Czech National Theatre in Prague.
Springing from the idea that architecture is frozen music, Malek Jandali’s Symphony No. 6 takes its inspiration from both “desert roses,” transforming them into a consummate orchestral work that preserves and extends the rich heritage of the region. The Desert Rose Symphony depicts their complexity and contrasts in form and scale, juxtaposing the traditional and the modern—rapid progress intertwined with the arid golden sand dunes and the abundance of the sea. The nine-movement symphony also takes inspiration from the nine-point serrated line in the flag of Qatar indicating the ninth member of the “Reconciled Emirates” of the Persian Gulf in the wake of concluding the Qatari-British treaty in 1916. The white color reflects the internationally recognized symbol of peace. This work is commissioned by Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums.
Music publisher Friedrich August Simrock, known as Fritz, had a keen sense of what music his customers would buy. When Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian Dances became a bestseller for Simrock in 1869, the publisher realized regional and ethnic music was a sure moneymaker. Sets of dances for piano were also especially popular, since people could play them at home.
Antonín Dvořák first came to Simrock’s attention via Brahms, who had introduced the two men by correspondence. In his letter to Simrock, written in December 1877, Brahms mentioned Dvořák’s talent and versatility, and took particular note of “a volume of duets for two sopranos with pianoforte, which seem to me all too pretty, and practical for publication.” Later in that same letter, Brahms wrote, “The value of the duets will be obvious to you, and they might become a ‘good commodity’ … please know … that I don’t make recommendations hastily.”
In 1878, Simrock shrewdly gambled on the young and then largely unknown Bohemian composer when he published Dvořák’s Moravian Duets, which sold well. To capitalize on Dvořák’s popularity, Simrock asked the Czech composer for something similar, and Dvořák quickly complied with his first set of Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, for piano. Later that year, at Simrock’s urging, Dvořák created a version for orchestra. Both versions of Op. 46 sold extremely well, and made Dvořák into an international composer-celebrity.
Like its inspirations, Symphony No. 6 harbors an elaborate interlocking structure. Bookmarked in A-flat major, in which key the first and last movements end, the Symphony comprises three interlaced musical forms—a symphonic suite and two symphonies. One is a Qatari symphonic suite based on traditional folk music and dances using the principal of contrast: Movements II, III, V and VII. Second is a traditional “old-fashioned” symphony of four Movements I, IV, VI and IX. The third combines the first two “symphonies” with Movement VIII, which brings about the grandiose conclusion of the Desert Rose Symphony.
Some years later, when Simrock asked Dvořák for another set of Slavonic Dances, the composer demurred. “You will forgive me but I simply have not the slightest inclination now to think of such light music,” he wrote on January 1, 1886. “I must tell you that it will not be by any means so simple a matter with the Slavonic Dances as it was the first time. To do the same thing twice is devilishly difficult. As long as I am not in the right mood for it, I cannot do anything. It’s something that cannot be forced.”
The Desert Rose Symphony amazes on so many levels, just like its models. Driving rhythmic ostinatos contrast with poetic beauty, old interlocks with new, Qatari folk with Western classical, natural with manmade. Through it all runs the voice of hope for peace and unity.
Simrock seems to have taken what author Madeleine L’Engle once described as the “you’ve done it in pink, dear; now do it in blue” approach; that is, assuming that Dvořák could simply replicate the Slavonic Dances without much effort. More to the point, by 1886, Dvořák was far more interested in large musical formats, particularly symphonies, and he wanted Simrock to publish and promote them as enthusiastically as the Slavonic Dances. Simrock, however, was less interested in Dvořák’s other music, since it did not sell nearly as well. By making Simrock wait a full eight years for a second set of Slavonic Dances, Dvořák leveraged the publisher’s interest to convince Simrock to publish his other orchestral music. Dvořák also demanded—and got—a substantially higher fee for Op. 72.
The symphony was recorded by the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, led by Marin Alsop at the ORF-Funkhaus Wien, on May 15, 2021, just days after its completion. This collaboration between Alsop and Jandali stemmed from Alsop’s commissioning of The Silent Ocean for her contemporary festival in Baltimore after being impressed by the composer’s Syrian Symphony. Says Alsop, “I don’t know of another composer who so successfully weaves in the Arabic, particularly the folk elements... and by bringing that into the symphonic
As Simrock hoped, Dvořák’s second set of Slavonic Dances proved as popular and lucrative as the first. They feature a broad cross-section of Slavic dance rhythms from different countries, set to Dvořák’s original folk-inspired melodies. No. 1, a Slovak dance known as an odzemek, features a gentle central episode bracketed by lively interludes. No. 2 is a dumka, a waltz-like dance originating in Ukraine, with a wistful primary theme that lends a gentle hint of melancholy to an otherwise high-spirited collection of dances. No. 7, a Serbian circle dance called a kolo, features a rousing tempo and infectious energy.
EDWARD ELGAR Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 85
Composer: born June 2, 1857, Broadheath, near Worcester, England; died February 23, 1934, Worcester
Work composed: 1919. Dedicated to Sir Sidney and Lady Frances Colvin.
World premiere: Elgar led the London Symphony with cellist Felix Salmond on October 27, 1919, at Queen’s Hall in London.
Hailed by critics and audiences as Edward Elgar’s “final masterpiece,” the Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 is a haunting work, very different in mood and style from Elgar’s previous music. Written as a response to the devastation and loss of World War I, Op. 85 is also Elgar’s last original work completed before death of his wife, Lady Alice Elgar. The youthful, brilliant pomp, along with the optimistic, idealistic quality of Elgar’s earlier music is replaced here by profound expressions of maturity and grief. With the benefit of hindsight we can also hear this concerto as an elegy for Alice, who died five months after its completion.
The memorable opening theme of the first movement had its genesis in pain: Elgar wrote it on March 23, 1919, while recovering from a tonsillectomy at home. He continued working on the rest of the concerto in July and finished it in August 1919. The concerto fared poorly at its premiere two months later, due to lack of adequate rehearsal time. But in subsequent performances, the Cello Concerto quickly became a core part of the cello repertoire, and critics likened it to Dvořák’s iconic Cello Concerto in B minor. This comparison pleased Elgar, who had performed under Dvořák’s baton when the Czech composer conducted local orchestras in Worcester and Birmingham in the late 1880s.
Beginning with its opening notes, Elgar defies convention by having the soloist open the Adagio – moderato alone. The cellist plays four dark rich chords that establish the key of E minor, followed by a brief passage. The violas enter with the lilting, poignant main theme, later taken up by the cellos, which Elgar indicated was to played nobilmente (nobly). This first theme is complimented by a second for woodwinds, which continues the lyrical melancholy. The cellist’s opening four chords are played pizzicato (plucked) at beginning of the Scherzo, which takes off into the relative major key of G. This lighter companion to the first movement showcases the full range of the cello’s technical capacities, with dazzling runs of repeated sixteenth notes juxtaposed with strong legato phrases. The orchestral accompaniment in this movement is sparse in places, and the restrained orchestration keeps the solo part from getting buried in the full orchestral texture.
In the Adagio, Elgar maintains this quasi-chamber orchestration by eliminating the brasses. The solo cello weaves yet another expressive, reflective melody over supporting strings and a few woodwinds throughout this slow and relatively short movement.
The final Allegro reprises the opening E minor tonality and alternates solo cello passages with orchestral replies in rondo style. Both soloist and orchestra reiterate the initial four chords in a triumphal conclusion.
MODEST MUSSORGSKY/orch. RAVEL
Pictures at an Exhibition
Composer: born March 21, 1839, Karevo, Pskov district; died March 28, 1881, St. Petersburg
Work composed: June 2 – June 22, 1874. Maurice Ravel orchestrated it in the summer of 1922.
World premiere: Serge Koussevitzky led the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the first performance of Ravel’s version on October 22, 1922, in Paris.
Modest Mussorgsky’s most popular composition owes its reputation to its orchestrator, Maurice Ravel. Before Ravel arranged this obscure piano suite for orchestra in 1922, it was virtually unknown.
Pictures at an Exhibition is Mussorgsky’s musical portrayal of a memorial exhibit of artwork by Victor Hartmann, an artist, designer, architect, and close friend. In the spring of 1874, Russian critic Vladimir Stasov organized an exhibition of Hartmann’s work in St. Petersburg, which Mussorgsky attended. By June 22, Mussorgsky transformed ten of Hartmann’s works into music as a further tribute to his friend. Mussorgsky also inserted his own presence into Pictures through the music of the Promenade, which recurs periodically throughout.
The Promenade’s irregular rhythm captures Mussorgsky, a man of considerable size, ambling through the exhibit, sometimes pausing before a particular picture that caught his interest. It leads directly to the first picture, Gnomus (Gnome), Hartmann’s design for a nutcracker. Unlike the princely Nutcracker from Tchaikovsky’s ballet, Hartmann’s nutcracker is a macabre, wizened creature. The return of the Promenade, in shortened form, brings us to Il vecchio castello (The Old Castle), which Stasov says depicts a troubadour singing and strumming a guitar in front of a medieval castle. Ravel’s mournful saxophone sounds the troubadour’s song. The Promenade returns with the majestic brasses and winds of the opening, but stops abruptly in front of the next picture, Tuileries (Dispute d’enfants après jeux) (Tuileries-Dispute between children at play). Here in the famous Tuileries Gardens in Paris, children attended by nannies sing out the universal childhood taunt, “Nyah-nyah.”
Bydlo (Cattle) portrays plodding oxen drawing a heavy cart. A brief Promenade leads us to the oddly named Balet nevylupivshikhsya ptentsov (Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks). Hartmann’s costume designs for a ballet called Trilby inspired this whimsical music, in which child dancers wear egg costumes with their legs sticking out. In “Samuel” Goldenberg und “Schmuÿle,” Mussorgsky combined two of Hartmann’s pictures of Jews in the Sandomierz ghetto of Poland. Samuel Goldenberg is a rich, self-important man (represented by strings’ measured phrases), while Schmuÿle, (characterized by insistent bleatings of a muted trumpet) is portrayed as a whining, cowering beggar. However, Mussorgsky’s title suggests the two men are actually the same person (Samuel is the Germanized form of the Yiddish Schmuÿle); this music is understood as a problematic anti-Semitic stereotype. In Limoges le marchè (La grande nouvelle) (The Market: The Big News), market-women share the latest gossip. Abruptly we are plunged into the Catacombae (Sepulcrum romanum) (Catacombs: Roman sepulcher). This watercolor shows Hartmann and several others inspecting the Parisian catacombs by lantern light, which illuminates a cage full of skulls. Mussorgsky wrote of this piece, “The creative genius of Hartmann leads me to the skulls and invokes them; the skulls begin to glow.” Con mortuis in lingua morta (With the Dead in a Dead Language) follows, a mournful, eerie reworking of the Promenade. The ominous music of The Hut on Fowls’ Legs depicts the witch Baba Yaga of Russian folklore, whose house stood on chicken’s feet. In the final movement, Ravel and Mussorgsky capture the grandeur of The Great Gate of Kiev, Hartmann’s design for the reconstruction of the ancient stone gates of Kiev. Although the actual gates were never built, The Great Gate of Kiev remains a permanent musical tribute to the city and its epic history.
Born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Edwin pursued his musical studies at Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala, the University of Costa Rica, and Escuela de Música Vida y Movimiento, Ollin Yoliztli in Mexico City. He is currently working toward an Artist Diploma at the Catholic University of America under the guidance of Professor Oleg Rylatko. His orchestral experience spans multiple countries, including Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, and the United States. Notably, he has served as Principal Second Violin with Orquesta Juvenil Universitaria Eduardo Mata (OJUEM), concertmaster of Orquesta Filarmónica Mexiquense (OFM), and concertmaster of the Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra.
ASA DAWSON, double bass
A second-year FSO Fellow, Asa is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland School of Music’s undergraduate program, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in Double Bass Performance while studying under Anthony Manzo. Asa has also studied under Paul DeNola, a member of the National Symphony’s powerful Double Bass section. The summer festivals Asa Dawson has participated in include the National Symphony’s Summer Music Institute, Eastern Music Festival, and National Orchestral Institute + Festival.
RIZWAN JAGANI, viola
An American violist of Indian and Pakistani heritage, Jagani was Runner-Up in the 2024 Catholic University Concerto Competition. He has appeared with Apollo Orchestra, Northern Neck Orchestra and is currently the Principal Violist of the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. Jagani has an affinity to contemporary viola repertoire and is known for reimagining the idea of what the viola can do by combining his formal training in Western Classical performance with other musical genres. He has collaborated with musical theatre artists from shows including Hamilton and The Lion King and performed with Grammy Award winners Burna Boy and Dwight Yoakam.
CAROLINA PEDROZA, violin
A third-year FSO Fellow, Carolina began studying violin in her hometown Villavicencio, Colombia and is studying for her DMA at Catholic University of America. She has worked in music education programs in Colombia, Venezuela, and the US, and served as Teaching Assistant at Duquesne University and Penn State University. She was a permanent member of the Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas (Venezuela) and has been concertmaster of the Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra, Penn State Philharmonic, and Colour of Music Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. She has participated in festivals including FEMUSC (Brazil), A Tempo (Colombia), Sewanee Summer Music Festival (TN), and Colour of Music Festival (SC and CA).
This program is made possible in part with support from
2024–2025 PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT
2023-2024 PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT
The Fairfax Symphony gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the following contributions received within the past twelve months as of May 1, 2024. Thank you for dedicating these vital gifts to the music and education programs we work so passionately to create and share with our community.
The Fairfax Symphony gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the following contributions received within the past twelve months as of March 1, 2025.
Thank you for dedicating these vital gifts to the music and education programs we work so passionately to create and share with our community.
GOVERNMENT ARTSFAIRFAX
GOVERNMENT
ARTSFAIRFAX
City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts
City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts
County of Fairfax
County of Fairfax
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
Virginia Commission for the Arts
Virginia Commission for the Arts
Stephen and Mary Preston
Laura and Ervin Walter
Pepe Figueroa, In Memory of the Figueroa Quintet
Donald and Ruth Drees
Robert W. Henry
Frank and Lynn Gayer
Mr. Kurt P. Jaeger
Eric and Joyce Hanson
GOLD
Eric Moore
Valarie Ney
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Kaye
Robert W. Henry
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Kerr
Mr. Kurt P. Jaeger
FOUNDATIONS AND CHARITABLE FUNDS
FOUNDATIONS AND CHARITABLE FUNDS
Anonymous
Anonymous
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
Charles Delmar Foundation
Charles Delmar Foundation
Nelson J. & Katherine Friant-Post Foundation
Community Foundation of Northern Virginia
Richard & Caroline T.
Gwathemy Memorial Trust
Nelson J. & Katherine Friant-Post Foundation
Richard & Caroline T.
Mary & Daniel Loughran Foundation
Gwathemy Memorial Trust
TD BANK Foundation
The Rea Charitable Trust
Mary & Daniel Loughran Foundation
TD BANK Foundation
CORPORATIONS
The Rea Charitable Trust
Hilton Fairfax
CORPORATIONS
Goodwin Living
John Marshall Bank
McKeever Services
Hilton Fairfax
The Mather
Dominion Energy
Goodwin Living McKeever Services
NOVEC
The Mather
Dominion Energy
Priority One Services, Inc.
NOVEC
SYMPHONY SOCIETY CONCERTO CLUB
Priority One Services, Inc.
Transurban
PLATINUM
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Brownell
CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE
PLATINUM
Pepe Figueroa
Mr. and Mrs. David Black
Joyce L. Hanson
Dr. Mark Head
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Brownell
Martin Poretsky
Martin Poretsky
The Timothy Evan Owens Memorial Chair
Anje Kim
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Kaye
Dr. and Mrs. Per Kullstam
Steve and Debbie Cohen
Stephen and Mary Preston
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Kerr
David and Lenka Lundsten
GOLD
Mr. Sean Foohey
John Lockhart
Anje Kim
John and Jeanette Mason
Dr. and Mrs. Per Kullstam
Mr. and Mrs. Matt Mattice
Eric Moore
The Timothy Evan Owens Memorial Chair
John and Jeanette Mason
Joetta Miller
Dr. Steve and Debbie Cohen
Mr. Sean Foohey
In memory of Richard Benedict
John Lockhart
Sherman & Etta Mae Thomas Sherman
Mr. and Mrs. Matt Mattice
Judith Nitsche
Joetta Miller
Dr. and Mrs. Eugene Overton
Linda Vitello
Judith Nitsche
Michael Wendt
Dr. and Mrs. Eugene Overton
Sally and Rucj Uffelman
In memory of Richard Benedict Sherman and Etta Mae Thomas
David and Deborah Winston, In Memory of May Winston
Sandra Lee Stoddard
Linda Vitello
SILVER
Sherman Sally and Rucj Uffelman
Anonymous
SILVER
Ms. Esther Beaumont
Nina and David Breen
Anonymous (2)
Ms. Esther Beaumont
Janine and Curt Buser
Nina and David Breen
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Caress
Janine and Curt Buser
Daniel and Carol Graifer
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Caress
Mr. and Mrs. C. David Hartmann
Frank and Carolyn Gayer
Daniel and Carol Graifer
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn A. Hemer
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn A. Hemer
Robert and Maryanne Jones
Ms. Joetta Miller
Robert and Maryanne Jones
David & Lenka Lundsten
Mr. William A. Nerenberg
Ms. Joetta Miller
David and Bridget Ralston
Mr. William A. Nerenberg
James and Miriam Ross
David and Bridget Ralston
Mr. and Mrs. David Seida
James and Miriam Ross
RHAPSODY CIRCLE
Mr. and Mrs. David Seida
Anonymous
William Bell
RHAPSODY CIRCLE
Bill and Dorothy Brandel
Anonymous
Dr. Karen Detweiler
William Bell
Donald and Ruth Drees
James and Jane Bangarra
Eric and Joyce Hanson
Mr. and Mrs. James
Bongarra, Jr.
Mrs. and Mrs. C. David Hartmann
Bill and Dorothy Brandel
Dr. Karen Detweiler
SONATA CIRCLE
Michael Wendt
Mr. and Mrs. James Bongarra, Jr.
David and Deborah
Ms. Pamela Charin
Winston, In Memory of May Winston
Christopher Forsberg
Anthony and Lucy Griffin
SONATA CIRCLE
Christopher Gohrband
Ms. Pamela Charin
Gareth and Tân Habel
Christopher Forsberg
Spencer Howell
Anthony and Lucy Griffin
Mr. and Mrs. Keith Highfill
Christopher Gohrband
Mr. and Mrs. Wade Hinkle
Gareth and Tân Habel
Mr. and Mrs. David J. Lynch
Mr. & Mrs. Eric Hanson
Kolleen Martin
Spencer Howell
Helen Noyes
Mr. and Mrs. Keith Highfill
Mr. Justice Percell
Mr. and Mrs. Wade Hinkle
Ms. C. Carole Richard
Kathleen Schultz
Mr. and Mrs. David J. Lynch
Helen Noyes
Mary Jane Spiro
Mr. Justice Percell
Sandra Lee Stoddard
Ms. C. Carole Richard
Mr. Michael W. Stoltz
Deborah Roudebush
Dr. Jack and Mrs. Jane Underhill
Mary Jane Spiro
Timothy N. Wade
Mr. Michael W. Stoltz
Roy and Margaret Wagner
Mr. William Walderman
Dr. Jack and Mrs. Jane Underhill
Timothy N. Wade
Roy and Margaret Wagner
Mr. William Walderman
SERENADE CIRCLE
Dr. Charles Allen
Ms. Gay B. Baker
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Baker
Sarah Barnett
Mr. and Mrs. James Bland
Donald Bieniewicz
Ms. Patricia Boots
Beverly and Terry Boschert
Kathryn and Tony Bovill
Patricia G. Brady
Judith and Peter Braham, In Memory of Rolland Roup
Bill and Dorothy Brandel
Louis and Monika Brenner
David W. Briggs and John F. Benton
Mr. Eric Brissman
Mr. Robert Brown
Judith Buchino
Mary L. Burns
Marvin Burge
Mr. W. Carlson
Cedric Chang
Ms.Tzu-yi Chen
Mr. and Mrs. Brian H. Chollar
Douglas Cobb
Ms. Helen M. Conlon
Robert Creekmore
Ms. Sandy Cromp
Mr. and Mrs. David Cross
Isabelle Cummings
Karin and Michael Custy
Ms. Barbara d’Andrade
In honor of Ms. Sarah
Daniel Ms. Alice DeKany
Catherine Dettmer
Dr. and Mrs. John S. Dillon
Judy Donnelly
Marilyn Dorn
Jean Mitchell Duggan
Colleen Dutson
Karen Eaton
Peggy and Arye Ephrath
Jean Esswein
Brian and Mary Ewell
Mr. John A. Farris
Ms. Jenifer Fisch
Wilford Forbush
Ken and Helen Fussell
Ms. Dorien Garman
Jennifer Gitner Allen
S. Greenspan
Mr. and Mrs. Hardy
Hargreaves
Frederic Harwood
In memory of R. Dennis McArver
Joan Lisante Hood and James Hood
Mr. and Mrs.Ted Hudson
Mr. and Mrs. Fredrick G. Hutchison
Geraldine Inge
Mr. Edward Jarett
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Jehn
Theda and Huascar Jessen, In Memory of Rolland Roup
Christine Jordan
Nelson Joyner
Benjamin Justesen
Ms. Carol Kearns
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Kieffer
Bill and Priscilla Kirby
Frank and Susan Kohn
Greta Kreuz
Charles Kuehn
Dr. and Mrs. Frederick Kuhl
James Langmesser
Dara and William Laughlin
Anne Loughlin
Mr. and Mrs. David J. Lynch
Catherine Lyon and Stuart Kantor
Susan Manus
Barrie March
Alison Marr
Mr. Scott Marschall
In Memory of Joseph G. Marshall, M.D.
Mr. and Mrs.Timothy J. McCarthy
Joel Meyerson
Mr. Robert L. Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth P. Mittelholtz
Virginia and Marion Moser
Jean Murphy
Anthony Nassar
Peggy Newhall
Diane Nolin
Col. and Mrs. Tommy T.
Osborne
Anne and Jim Painter
Frank and Norizan Paterra
Catherine Pauls
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Petrie
Mitzi and Dan Rak
Mr. Richard L. Renfield
Jane Rosenthal
Deborah Roudebush
Karla Roup, In Memory of Rolland Roup
Stephen Sanborn
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Schaub
Catherine Schifferli
Gayle Schlenker
Ms. Roslyn Schmidt
Mr. and Mrs. Karl W. Schornagel
Michael Schwartz
Ms. Doris Seaton
Neil and Beverly Seiden
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Seraphin
Mr. and Mrs. James Simpson
Sydney Smith
Nigel Smyth
Dorothy Staebler
John and Pamela Stark
Kristina Stewart
Agnes D. Stoertz
Mr. John Strong
Frederick and Marjorie Stuhrke
Mr. and Mrs. David Sukites
Reede and Jane Taylor
William Tompkins
Alton P. and Alice W. Tripp
Ms. Barbara Tuset
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Twedt
Jane Underhill
Ms. Shelley Vance
Janet Vanderveer
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Vandivere
Roy and Margaret Wagner
Andrew and Myrna Wahlquist
Ms. Diane Wakely-Park
Robert and Charlene Ward
Mr. and Mrs. Egon Weck
Mr. and Mrs. Larry N. Wellman
Harry and Sandra Wilbur
Ms. Jane Woods
Mr. Emile L. Zimmermann
IN-KIND
Fairfax City Self Storage
FAIRFAX SYMPHONY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jose “Pepe” Figueroa, Chairman
Priority One Services
Thomas Murphy, General Counsel
Jackson Lewis P.C.
David Black
Holland & Knight LLP
Thomas Brownell, Secretary Holland & Knight LLP
Eric Moore
The Catholic University of America
Valarie Ney
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Leland Schwartz
Author and Publisher
FSO ARTISTIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Christopher Zimmerman, Music Director
Jonathan Kerr, Executive Director
Lisa LaCamera, Chief Operating Officer
Susan Petroff, Director of Development
John Murton, Assistant Conductor and Fellowship Program Coordinator
Celeste Duplaa, Link Up Program Manager
Suzy Dawson, Accountant
Cynthia Crumb, Personnel Manager
Wendi Hatton, Librarian
Timothy Wade, Stage Manager
Olivia Hinebaugh, Artistic Programming and Production Coordinator
FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Christopher Zimmerman | Music Director
VIOLIN 1
David Salness, Concertmaster
The Doris F. Dakin Chair
Allison Bailey, Associate Concertmaster
Cristina Constantinescu, Assistant Concertmaster
Glen Kuenzi
Mia Lee
Miriam Koby
Natalie Jankowski Trainer
Sharon Like
Liya Ma
Shu-Ting Yao
Greta Radovani
Sonia Garcia Lee
VIOLIN 2
Sarah Berger, Principal
The Timothy Evan Owens Memorial Chair
Melanie Kuperstein, Associate Principal
The Sue Bower
Memorial Chair
Andrew Juola, Assistant Principal
Rachel Zimmerman
Cindy Crumb
Edwin Barreno Castillo, FSO Fellow
Jessica Mun
Elena Smirnova
Susan Manus
Makiko Taguchi
Chloe Kim
Milena Aradski
VIOLA
Adelya Shagidullina, Principal
Amelia Eckloff
Nicholas Bobbs
Raggie Cover
Patti Reid
Helen Fall
Rizwan Jagani, FSO Fellow
CELLO
Natalia Vilchis, Principal
Brent Davis
Ryan Donohue
Kathy Thompson
Anne Rupert
Mea Cook
Chiara Pappalardo
Carlos Figueroa
David Agia
Katie McCarthy
DOUBLE BASS
Aaron Clay, Principal
Kyle Augustine, Associate Principal
Erik Cohen
Mark Stephenson
Paul Hunt
Jim Donahue
FLUTE
Larry Ink, Principal
Cherri Hall
Sharon Lee
PICCOLO
Sharon Lee
Cherri Hall
OBOE
Emily Snyder, Principal
Trevor Mowry
Meredeth Rouse
CLARINET
Barbara Haney
ALTO SAXOPHONE
Adrienne Welker
BASSOON
Dean Woods, Principal
Sandy Johnson
CONTRABASSOON
Jeff Ward
FRENCH HORN
Nat Willson, Principal, The Keith and Barbara
Moore Family Chair
Eric Moore
Greta Richard
Tom Wheeler
Neil Chidester
TRUMPET
Chris Larios, Principal
Christian Ferrari
Neil Brown
TROMBONE
David Sisk, Principal
Todd Stubbs
BASS TROMBONE
Kaz Kruszewski
EUPHONIUM
Bryce Edwards
TUBA
Joseph Guimaraes
TIMPANI
Jonathan Milke, Principal
PERCUSSION
Alex Garde, Principal
Mike Gatti
Joseph Connell
Aubrey Adams
HARP
Madeline Jarzembak, Principal
PIANO
Sophia Kim Cook, Principal
Visit Hilton Fairfax!
Enjoy a quiet stay and lush locale in Fairfax. Just off I-66 in the tree-lined Fair Lakes and a short walk from retail and dining. Centrally located near George Mason University’s Center for the Arts, offering plenty to do in Fairfax and the option to explore DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland… just minutes away!
