Festival City Symphony-Season Finale

Monte Perkins, Conductor presents

“SEASON FINALE” with violin soloist, FRANK ALMOND

April 17, 2011 3:00 PM Pabst Theater 144 E. Wells Festival City Symphony 1

PROGR A M Overture to the Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43...........................Ludwig van Beethoven Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, No. 1, G Minor, Op 26.....................................Max Bruch

I. Prelude: Allegro moderato.

II. Adagio.

III. Finale: Allegro energico.

Frank Almond, violin Intermission Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op 90, the “Italian”..................................... Felix Mendelssohn

I. Allegro vivace.

II. Andante con moto.

III. Con moto moderato.

IV. Saltarello: Presto.

FCS SPECIAL GUESTS SUPER READERS---children who have earned free tickets for themselves and their families by participating in Milwaukee Public Library’s SUPER READERS program.

PAJAMA JAMBOREE FANS---families who attend our children’s “pops” concerts and earn an opportunity to ‘sample’ one of our “Symphony Sundays” programs.

CMA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Young music students who have won a scholarship award from Civic Music Association also receive complimentary tickets for themselves and their families to an FCS “Symphony Sundays” program.

METROPOLITAN OPERA AUDITION participants win complimentary tickets to a “Symphony Sundays” program of their choice.

***Festival City Symphony is a member organization of Association of Wisconsin Symphony Orchestras, the Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee, VISIT Milwaukee, an affiliate member of UPAF, and a program partner at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. FCS made the Business Journal’s “Book of Lists” 2002 – 2007 and 2010*** 2 Festival City Symphony

T H A N K S TO O U R S P O N S O R S Festival City Symphony would like to take this opportunity to thank its sponsors, without whom these programs would not take place.

Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Franklyn and Barbara Esenberg Fund

United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) for operational expenses CAMPAC – recipient of “Matching Grant” funds for operational expenses

Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, through in-kind contribution

“Let’s Meet the Composer” Wednesday, May 11, 2011 7:00 PM with special guest Sigmund Snopek III FREE ADMISSION Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Bradley Pavilion (Use the 123 E. State St. entrance)

All composers are not dead! Meet Milwaukee composer/performer Sigmund Snopek III and see how musical ideas are formed and expanded to become the music you will hear us play. Dress is casual for these one-hour children’s classical ‘pops’ concerts, with pajamas welcome for the very young. Most seating is on the floor up close to the orchestra; conventional seating is also available.

Photo by indevoxstudios.com

414-963-9067

festivalcitysymphony.org

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C O N D U C TO R ’ S N O T E S – “ S E A S O N F I N A L E ” Good afternoon and welcome to the “Season Finale” concert by Festival City Symphony. Today we’ll perform an overture, a concerto, and a symphony, each an acknowledged exemplar of its form.

In 1800 ballet was very popular in Vienna. Therefore, a commission offered to a then little known orchestral composer named Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) presented great possibilities. “The Creatures of Prometheus” was based on the Greek fable of the Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind, leading them from ignorance to enlightenment. First performed on March 20, 1801, the ballet was performed fourteen times in 1801 and nine more times in 1802, a solid, if not spectacular, success. For it, Beethoven wrote seventeen numbers of which the Overture has remained a fixture in concert halls. It is the first of Beethoven’s overtures and is reminiscent of those by Mozart and Gluck. A slow introduction depicting “the solemn appearance of Prometheus” is followed by an allegro section depicting “human creatures led to joy”.

Virtually all of the fame enjoyed today by Max Bruch (1838 – 1920) rests on the work we will play for you today. In 1866 Bruch was known mostly for his choral works (greatly admired and performed at the end of the nineteenth century) and teaching. He had begun writing the “Violin Concerto in g minor” in 1857 as his first concerto and first large orchestral work. Following the Concerto’s initial premiere on April 24, 1866, Bruch completely revised it with the help of the famed violinist Joseph Joachim. An informal and private second premiere by Joachim with Bruch conducting was held in October of 1867, and the official “premiere” was given on January 7, 1868, again by Joachim. The Concerto became so popular that Bruch criticized violinists who played only this piece to the exclusion of his eight other violin works. Virtuosity, melodic beauty and sentiment place this piece in the rarified company of violin concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. We are extremely fortunate to have today as soloist Frank Almond, internationally acclaimed violinist and Concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

We will close our concert today with the “Symphony No. 4” called the “Italian Symphony” of Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847). In October of 1830, Mendelssohn embarked on a ten month tour of Italy, visiting Venice, Rome, Florence, Bologna, Naples, Genoa and Milan. While traveling, he worked simultaneously on his “Scottish” symphony and on the “Italian”. Though he completed the “Italian” first, we know it as No. 4 and the “Scottish” as No. 3 as he was dissatisfied with it and withheld it from publication during his lifetime. Apparently he intended to revise it, but never did. Revision hardly seems necessary to us, as this symphony has been described by many critics as a “perfect work”, especially citing the last movement, “Saltarello”. Mendelssohn conducted the premiere on May 13, 1833, with the London Philharmonic.

We hope you enjoy today’s concert and invite you to join us next season when we will again play some old favorites and introduce you to some works that may become your new friends.

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ABOUT OUR SOLOIST Violinist Frank Almond holds the Charles and Marie Caestaker Concertmaster chair at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He returned to the MSO after holding positions as Concertmaster of the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Valery Gergiev, and Guest Concertmaster of the London Philharmonic with Kurt Masur, and continues an active schedule of solo and chamber music performances in the US and abroad. In recent seasons he has appeared as a guest concertmaster of the Seattle Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, and the Dallas Symphony.

He has been a member of the New York chamber group An die Musik since 1997, and is also the Artistic Director of Frankly Music, his acclaimed chamber music series.

A past prizewinner of both the Paganini Competition in Genoa and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, he has recorded extensively and has appeared numerous times on NPR’s Performance Today. He is also regularly featured as a soloist on the MSO’s nationally syndicated radio broadcasts.

His recordings with An die Musik were twice nominated for Grammys, and his 2007 CD on the AVIE label with pianist William Wolfram was named a “Best of 2007” by the American Record Guide. His recording Portraits and Elegies with pianist Brian Zeger was released in 2010 to much acclaim on the Innova label.

A CD of selected works of Samuel Barber was released in 2010 in cooperation with the Hal Leonard Corporation. In 2008 he began writing the popular online column nondivisi.

Mr. Almond holds two degrees from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Dorothy Delay. Other important teachers included Michael Tseitlin, Felix Galimir, and Joseph Silverstein. In the Fall 2010 he began teaching at Northwestern University, and continues to give master classes at major schools and conservatories throughout the United States.

He plays on a violin crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1715, the “ex-Lipinski”.

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MEET FESTIVAL CIT Y SYMPHON Y MUSICIAN – PA MEL A SIM MONS Pamela Simmons has played violin with Festival City Symphony for 23 years.

Birthplace: Milwaukee, WI Education: UW-Milwaukee with Gerald Fischbach and Ralph Evans What I enjoy most about playing the violin: When I play and I am part of the whole, it is like sitting in a boat and riding the waves. I love that part.

It’s like a relationship; I give to it and it gives to me.

What I find most challenging about playing the violin: I so like it when I feel comfortable while I’m playing. It’s a challenge to make that happen every time.

Other instruments I play: None Other musical involvements: I perform regularly with the Skylight Opera Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, and Gathering on the Green. I enjoy the variety of freelancing very much and play with groups that come through town whenever possible. I also enjoy coaching and judging at MYSO. I teach privately with a studio of approximately 20 students and enjoy helping kids learn how to improve.

Non-musical activities: Mother of two little lovelies - Reading, walking, jewelry making, cooking Music I play on my iPOD, CD player: Opera, violin stuff (Gil Shaham and Anne Sophie Mutter), big band, jazz, Sting, Ella Fitzgerald, John Mayer, James Taylor…

Favorite musical memory: Any Puccini opera or Prokofiev ballet…and it was fun when I played at Disney.

Advice to young musicians: If you love it, always make it a part of your life in some way. Trust that you will always improve as you work in a steady, incremental way. Your growth will reveal itself to you over time…it’s like investing.

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MEET FESTIVAL CIT Y SYMPHON Y MUSICIAN – BOB KOSZEWSKI Bob Koszewski has played timpani with Festival City Symphony for 21 years.

Birthplace: Milwaukee, WI Education: BA from UW-Milwaukee studied with Pavel Burda and Dean Borghesani What I enjoy most about playing the timpani: I enjoy the sound of the instrument. I also like the rolls it plays in the orchestra, from an extension of the brass and lower strings to a subtle or powerful addition of color to the orchestra.

What I like least about playing the timpani: Moving them Other instruments I play: Percussion and drum set Other musical involvements: I’ve played with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, and the Kettle Moraine Symphony.

Non-musical activities: Family man, pet owner, biker (10 speed) Music I play on my iPOD, CD player: I usually only play music to prepare for the next performance.

Favorite musical memory: Playing Mahler’s First Symphony with Festival City Symphony. The fourth movement uses two timpanists. What a great wall of sound.

Advice to young musicians: Get all the experience you can and find a good teacher.

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F E S T I VA L C I T Y S Y M P H O N Y Conductor/Artistic Director................................................................................Monte Perkins Executive Director................................................................................................... Linda E. Jones Education Director...................................................................................................Jayne Perkins Artist and Development Coordinator................................................ Lesley Conger-Hatch Librarian.......................................................................................................................... Carol Wittig Assistant Librarian....................................................................................................... Mary Stryck Board of Directors Franklyn Esenberg, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Theodore Zimmer, Secretary/Treasurer JoAnn Norris, Charlane O’Rourke, Robert Stack

PERSONNEL FIRST VIOLIN Robin Petzold Concertmaster Pamela Simmons Ass’t Concertmaster Catherine Bush Marvin Suson Tatiana Migliaccio Kris Hurlebaus Sharon Slattery Mary Stryck Erin Dupree Jakubowski Al Bartosik Carol Christensen SECOND VIOLIN Ellen Scott Principal Juanita Groff Ruth Bryskier Laurie Asch Melissa Mann Cheryl Ann Fuchs Eva Szoke Hilary Mercer Tassia Hughes

VIOLA Christine Treter Principal Olga Tuzhilkov Lynne Fields Jenna Dick Julie Roubik Sarah Christie Dudley C. Palmer

OBOE Bonnie Cohen Principal Suzanne Swenson

CELLO Tom Smith Principal Ingrid Tihtcheva Elizabeth Bender Beth Alvarez Martha Kriefall Carol Wittig Chris Saunders

BASSOON Lori Babinec Principal Steve Whitney

BASS Charles Grosz Principal Kathryn Jursik Barry Clark Michael Gudbaur Steven Rindt FLUTE Lesley Conger-Hatch Principal Heidi Knudsen

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CLARINET Franklyn Esenberg Principal Linda E. Jones

HORN Wes Hatch Principal Nancy Cline Anne Maliborski Kristi Crago TRUMPET Gerry Keene Principal Joe Burzinski TIMPANI Robert Koszewski