lso oct 2025 program proof, 9-18-25 file for qr code
Dear Symphony Patron,
We are excited to bring you the 57th Season of the Longview Symphony Orchestra! Your continued support ensures our ability to help grow the next generation of musicians and music-lovers, bring top-quality musicians to our area, and provide educational and family experiences that are sure to unite and enlighten.
On December 5, 2025 Santa Flavious will be coming to town along with your favorite carols and carolers for Home for the Holidays Concert. Fun for the entire family to celebrate the happiest time of the year! With the jolliest Longview Symphony Orchestra, the Greater Longview Children’s Choir, special guests and the big man himself it is the merriest way to kick off the holiday season!
One concert to rule them ALL! Embark on an unforgettable journey to Middle-Earth with the Longview Symphony Orchestra on April 18, 2026. For the first time ever, the LSO is proud to present Howard Shore's magnificent, threetime Academy Award-winning score for The l ord of the rings Symphony.
This is the biggest event in our history, bringing together our largest orchestra and chorus ever assembled. An expanded Longview Symphony Orchestra will be joined by a massive adult and children’s choir, all coming together to immerse you in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. One of our most popular events will be our Free mordor map challenge at the l ongview Arboretum on march 21, 2026.
On July 4, 2026 Longview Symphony will join with Gregg County and other East Texas cities for a celebration of America's Semiquincentennial (250th Anniversary) at Maude Cobb Convention Center! (FREE!) please consider becoming a supporter of our 2025-2026 concert Season. Your gift ensures another successful season for the Longview Symphony Orchestra! Wonderful benefits and privileges are extended for your sponsorship, including print and media exposure, complimentary event tickets, recognition in program and more! The power of music to unite and inspire us is boundless. With your help the l ongview Symphony will continue to grow, educate, and enrich. Thank you for your support of the l ongview Symphony!
Longview Symphony is a recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
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“Serving East Texas, Since 1949”
Supporting the Longview Symphony League since 1968!
When you support the LSL, you support Fine Art and Fine Entertainment, in Longview.
From its humble beginnings, the LSO has brought the “World, to Longview, with world class musicians… performing with professional East Texas musicians. This was only possible with generous donations of our local patrons.
Please consider, making a tax-deductible gift, to the Longview Symphony League.
AND a salute, to all the past and present LSL Board members, LSO musicians, conductors, patrons, contributors, and advertisers…. Cheers to the LSO, and the next 50 years!
Bach’s Lunch
These lunchtime recitals feature the music of Bach and other classical pieces while showcasing local musicians. There is no charge for these concerts. Many people bring their sack lunch to eat beforehand (a room is provided), and then attend the concert at 12:20.
Dining area opens at 11:30 AM.
Concerts begin at 12:20 PM and end by 1:00 PM.
Fri DAy, N Ove M ber 12, 2025
First Presbyterian Church of Longview
Fri DAy, J AN uA ry 16, 2026
First Presbyterian Church of Kilgore
Fri DAy, M A rC h 27 , 2026
First Lutheran Church of Longview
Fri DAy, A P ri L 24, 2026
First Methodist Church of Longview
Free Fri DAy C ONC ert
EVERY PIECE MATTERS
That’s our opinion anyway. And it’s the reason every investment and acquisition we make is one that not only expands our portfolio of o erings but ensures that we continue to provide the quality our customers and investors have come to expect. And only by prioritizing innovation and cutting-edge technology, do we continue to hold our market-leading positions across–providing di erentiated products and solutions that enhance lives every day, Because, when every piece matters, it matters how every piece is made. Find out more about everything Westlake has to o er at westlake.com
C ONC ert SPONSO re D i N PA rt by:
The Longview Symphony is supported in part by grants awarded through the City of Longview Cultural Activities Advisory Committee and the City Council funded by the hotel occupancy tax, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
t h AN k y O u t O O ur Sy MP h ON y S PONSO r S
MA e S trO
City of Longview
Crain Foundation
Longview Symphony Foundation
Texas Commission on the Arts
CLASS i CAL
Dan Sorey
Charlotte & John Wrather
Rosa May Griffin Foundation
C h AM ber
Estis Compression FLOWCO
Hollandsworth Foundation
Paula & Dr. Kim Howard
Eleanor & Dr. John Kirk
VeraBank
e NCO re
Jim Bartlett Fine Jewelry
Capital Wealth Group/Jon Cromer
Barbie & Jim Deborah
Forbes & Butler
Ginia & Gordon Northcutt
Johnson & Pace
Niki & Darren Groce
Priddy Design Build
Susan Kay Smith
Texas Bank and Trust
Westlake Chemical
t ribute S AND Me MO ri ALS
Address your tax-deductible contributions to the Longview Symphony. Undesignated contributions will be placed in the Crescendo Fund. Contributions to the Crescendo Fund may be made online at www.LongviewSymphony.org or mailed to the Longview Symphony, P.O. Box 1825, Longview, TX 75606. If you wish to make a memorial or estate donation, please designate to the Legacy Endowment or the Longview Symphony Foundation. Mail contributions to Longview Symphony, P.O. Box 1825, Longview, TX 75606. Would you like to support the Symphony?
Please see us at our table in the lobby during intermission.
Advanced Roofing
Mary & Bryan Benson
Bodacious BBQ
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Overture
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CrossFit Electrica
Diagnostic Clinic of Longview
Ellen & Dr. Jay Gordon
Gregg County Historical Museum
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Carol Blair & Robbie Lepire
Longview Eye Associates
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Karen & David Wright
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F u ND
Edible Art | Jan & Sam Forester
Lynette Goodson | Ellen & Dr. Jay Gordon | Karen & Brent Haas
Jeannie and Dr. Craig King | Christina & Matthew Nehrling
Karen & Ron Peters | Betsy & Dr. Joseph Pistone
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Julie & Wayne Young
COMM e MO r Ative CON tributi ONS
In memoriam of Logan Damewood by Nan Mitchell | In memoriam of Mary Taylor by Nan Mitchell | In memoriam of Pilar McLemore by Betsy & Dr. Joseph Pistone
In memoriam of Dorothy Sayre by Ruth & Bruce Hathaway | In memoriam of Joan Rathbun by LouAnne & Steve Rainey |In memoriam of Andrew McCumber, Grandson of Nancy Starr by Claire English | In memoriam of Gail Grisham by Claire English
In memoriam of Patricia & Raymond Curry by Nan Mitchell | In memoriam of Mary Murdoch by Nancy & Dr. James Sawyer and Nan Mitchell | In memoriam of Bill Rice by Claire English | In memorium of Dr. Tom Smith by Claire English
In memoriam of Dr. John Richard Lucas by Francye & Dan Phillips
In memoriam of Pilar McLemore by Jo Popma and James Smith
In memoriam of Randall Anderson by Niki and Darren Groce
In honor of Anna & Lee Sidney Allen from Susan Kay Smith
Chartered in 1976, the Longview Symphony Foundation is designated as a 501(c)(3) charitable trust by the Internal Revenue Service. Because of generous contributions from friends of the Longview Symphony and conservative investments of the Foundation’s assets by its Trustees, the trust has continued to grow, providing a solid underpinning for the Permanent Endowment Fund (PEF). A portion of the investment income of the trust is made available to the Longview Symphony League, Inc., in support of its ongoing music education and cultural programs.
There are many avenues to making a tax deductible transfer of assets into the PEF. Financial and legal advice is available
to assist in the consideration of the various gifting alternatives, such as cash bequests, estate planning, and bequests of appreciated assets.
The generosity of each gift is acknowledged with an individual listing in the concert program. At your request, this listing may be as an anonymous donor. Naming and recognition rights are available for gifts at various levels of participation.
Please contact the Longview Symphony at 903-236-9739 to arrange a meeting with a Foundation representative to discuss your participation in the growth of the PEF.
L ON gview Sy MP h ON y Le A gue
Hall of Fame
The Longview Symphony League recognizes extraordinary patrons and volunteers who have contributed of time, talent, and resources to help make it possible for Longview families to enjoy outstanding musical performances year after year. We invite you to share with us the privilege of honoring these remarkable individuals who make up the Longview Symphony Hall of Fame.
1999- Dr. Berdine Jones, Sara Richkie Whitehurst, Daisy M. Morris
2000- Wells Burton, Charles E. Watkins, Willis H. “Throck” Throckmorton
2001- Gerald G. Mullikin, M.D., W.E. “Gene” Lynn, Hazel Hickey
2002- Alyce Monsour
2004- Dr. & Mrs. B. Reid Clanton
2005- Bob Sweat, Logan & Eleanor Damewood
2006- Franklin Martin Jr., John & Anne Dean Turk
2007- Alvin O. Austin
2009- Alma Ruth & Dr. Morgan Willeford
2010- Richard E. (Dick) Miller
2011- Evalonia Barrett-Bolton
2012- Judy Anne Owens
2013- Ann & Isidor Saslav
2014- Dr. Charles & Paula Kaplan
2019- Maggie Ferrell and Dr. James Snowden
2022- Mary Taylor
2025- Randy Maines
bOA r D OF Dire C t O r S
Paul Roberts President
Dr. Kevin Richardson
Vice President of Perfornamce
Rocio Mendez
Vice President of Development
Mallory Chargois Treasurer
Samantha Bradley
Marlena Cooper
Jon Cromer
Barbie Deborah
Claire English
Lynette Goodson
Rance Hawthorne
Christa Howard
Jenn Eldridge Secretary
Charlotte Wrather Director-at-Large
Shelly Butler Past President
Niki Groce Executive-Director
Dr. Greg Grabowski, Conductor
Jennifer Jackson
Dr. John Kirk
Kenneth Kirkland
Alison Little
Justin McFaul
Patricia Newman
Terrye Nix
Ginia Northcutt
Dr. Joseph Pistone
Jamie Robinson
Javier Sauceda
Jerry (Wayne) Smith
Christina Stanger
Suzanne Brown Tuma
Dr. Tiffany Turner
Wray Wade
Jennifer Ware
L ON gview Sy MP h ON y PAS t Pre S i D e N t S
Dr. Landon A. Colquitt ......... 1968-1969
Herbert Boyland ................... 1969-1970
Bob Boyett ............................ 1970-1971
Ben Franklin Martin, Jr. ........ 1971-1973
Marvin R. Mikeska................ 1973-1975
Jack T. Buchanan ................... 1975-1976
Wells Burton ......................... 1976-1978
John Cary .............................. 1978-1979
Wesley Ray ............................ 1979-1980
William C. Keese .................. 1980-1982
Steve Adell............................. 1982-1983
W.E. Lynn ............................. 1983-1985
David Holland ...................... 1985-1987
Robert Sweat ......................... 1987-1989
Dr. Gerald G. Mullikin ......... 1989-1991
Gerald G. Mullikin ......... 1993-1995
Clyde N. Clubb .............. 1995-1997 Mrs. Frank (Millicent) Canter. 1997-1999 Dr. Morgan L. Willeford ....... 1999-2002 Richard E. (Dick) Miller ....... 2002-2004 Stanton Nash ........................ 2004-2005 Bryan Benson ........................ 2005-2008 Wayne Smith ......................... 2008-2010 Randy Maines ....................... 2010-2012
Dr. Weaver holds a Bachelor of Music from BYU and a Master of Music from TCU, specializing in vocal performance and pedagogy. She earned her Ph.D. in music history, with a secondary area in vocal performance from the University of Oregon in 2006. As the recipient of an International Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship, Dr. Weaver conducted her dissertation research in Bologna Italy, exploring compositional ethics of composers in Florence and in northern Italy during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. She continues to perform actively with early music and contemporary music ensembles.
wh A t i S O P e N i N g notes ?
Get the most out of Longview Symphony Orchestra concerts by attending Opening Notes. Each Opening Notes is an informal and informative discussion about the program and provide a behind-the scenes look at the art of musicmaking. Your concert ticket is your admission.
6:15PM
LeTourneau University Belcher Center, Allen Lobby (enter through left side door) presented by Dr. Jamie Weaver
L ON gview Sy MP h ON y hONO r rOLL
Cultural Arts Grant
The City of Longview
texas Commission on the Arts
Radio Sponsorship
Alpha Media group
Season Sponsors
ben Maines Air Conditioning
Crain Foundation
Forbes & butler
Johnson & Pace
randy Maine
Longview regional Medical Center
Longview Symphony Foundation
rosa May griffin Foundation
Dan Sorey
Spring hill State bank
SwePCO
texas bank & trust
verabank
westlake Chemical women’s health boutique
Guest Artist Sponsor
Nancy & Jud Murray
Official Hotel Sponsor hilton garden inn
Orchestra Rehearsal Facilities
hallsville iSD
Feature Articles
Longview News-Journal
Donation of Music Folders
tatum Music
Bach’s Lunch Hosts
trinity episcopal Church, Longview | First Presbyterian Church, Longview |
First Lutheran Church of Longview | First Presbyterian Church, kilgore
First united Methodist Church, Longview
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 7:00PM LeTourneau University Belcher Center
iN the Ste PPe S OF
Ce N tr AL A S i A Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)
CONC ertO FO r
v i OL i N & OrC he S tr A Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
iN ter M i SS i ON
Sy MPh ON y N O. 2 i N D MAJO r
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Adagio non troppo
III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi andantino)
IV. Allegro con spirito
COND u C tO r
Gregory Grabowski, acclaimed for his engaging, nuanced, and genuine performances, has served as the Director of Orchestral Activities at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) since 2019.
Maestro Grabowski has led orchestras including the Bakersfield Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and the Fairbanks Festival Orchestra. He served as interim director of the Flower Mound Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Conductor for the Lewisville Lake Symphony, and has appeared as guest conductor with groups such as the Richardson Symphony and the Dallas Asian-American Youth Orchestra. Grabowski completed his graduate degrees at the University of North Texas and Southern Methodist University, under primary conducting teachers David Itkin and Paul Phillips. He’s also been honored to study with many other distinguished conductors, including Don Schleicher, Nicolás Pasquet, Markand Thakar, Robert Franz, Paul Vermell, Samuel Jones, Harold Farberman, and Leon Botstein.
As Director of Orchestral Activities at SFA, in addition to conducting the SFA Symphony Orchestra (SFASO), Grabowski conducts SFA Opera productions, teaches conducting and music education courses, coordinates the Orchestral Studies area, and has a studio of graduate conducting students. Prior to his return to Texas, Dr. Grabowski served as Orchestra Director at Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, PA). Under his leadership, the Susquehanna University Orchestra increased in size and prestige and was featured in two national public television performances aired in 2017.
Dr. Grabowski has taught and advocated for music education at every level from elementary school to professional. He began his career in the public schools of Frisco, TX, where he was the Associate Director of Winds and Percussion at Roach Middle School for three years. During his time at SFA, Dr. Grabowski assisted in the creation of the String Project, a community program sanctioned by the National String Project Consortium, in which SFA string music education majors work with elementary schoolaged students throughout Nacogdoches, teaching beginner string instruments classes. He also has instituted yearly educational outreach concerts for local elementary schools, and is a sought-after clinician and guest conductor for all-region and honor orchestras.
Greg grew up in Edison, New Jersey, where he began his musical studies as a jazz saxophone player and woodwind specialist. He now lives in Nacogdoches, TX with his wife, mezzo soprano Dianna Grabowski, and two sons, Ben and Sam. Aside from music Greg enjoys spending time on his many hobbies, including woodworking, photography, home renovation, and devising fun adventures with his family.
Flute
Mu S i C i ANS
Jessica Ogilvie, principal
Sue Bugg
Oboe
Jenna Sehmann, principal
Ryan Estes
english horn
Kristin Perry
Clarinet
Timothy J. Wright, principal
Vanessa Davis
bassoon
Sarah Boyd, principal
Neva Abrisz
Contrabassoon
Kristoff Hairr
horn
Andrea Denis, principal
Manny Jasso, asst. princ.
Thomas Hundemer
Tammy Moorhead
Charles Gavin
trumpet
Jake Walburn, principal
Glenn Bessinger
trombone
Tom Mensch, principal
Danny Vinson
bass trombone
Heather Mensch
tuba J.D. Salas
timpani
Chandler Teague, principal
M u S i C i ANS
violin i
Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, concertmistress
Renee Ward
Alba Madrid-Walburn
Michele Gunn
Christopher Reed
Lily Tuttle
Paul Lundin
Jonah Raychev
James Nolet
Seonghee Lee
violin ii
Anna Larson, principal
Jamie Reason
Gary Bruns
Paula Aragundi
Corey Bowe
Shannon Roberts
Russell Lewis
Michelle Frederick
Maggie Taliaferro
Personnel Manager
Jessica Ogilvie
Librarian
Sue Bugg
viola
Shane Almendarez, principal
Ethan Cole
Sherry Wilkins
Brigette Kelling
Brandon Chandler
Adrian Jackson Cello
Evgeni Raychev, principal
Chanhee Lee
Caleb Moore
Pam Martin
Brett Andrews
John Velez
Katie Gutierrez
Double bass
Andrew Goins, principal
Daniel Chan
Deborah Scarlato
John Porter
Stage Manager
Ty Hood
vice President of Production/ Longview Symphony League
Dr. Kevin Richardson
PrO gr AM N Ote S i
Welcome to our concert featuring music by three composers considered some of history’s “great Romantics.” This means they belong to a time called the Romantic period, which Classical musicians designate as beginning in approximately 1800 and enduring until around 1900.
To help us understand what makes so many composers of this era great, let us explore the answers to a few questions. What is a Romantic? What is Romanticism? Does the word Romantic mean that all the music is about love? Here are a few brief answers. The Romantic period began as a reaction to the emphasis on rules of symmetry, order, balance, and form imposed by artists and musicians of the Classical period, such as Mozart and Haydn. By contrast, Romantic artists fostered ideas of individualism, artistic genius, and emphasized the expression of meaning and emotion as their ideals.
Because books and education had become readily available, Romantic composers allowed literature, history, philosophy, science, and studies of the past to influence their work and world views. Borodin, Brahms, and Mendelssohn were all avid readers and critical thinkers, for example. Greater opportunities for travel during the nineteenth century provided composers with new ideas about places that seemed exotic and fascinating to audiences, such as Borodin did in his The Steppes of Central Asia. Romantic composers such as Mendelssohn and Brahms pushed the boundaries of harmony, composition length, and orchestral size, building standards to which many musicians and audiences still adhere today. While many nineteenthcentury composers loved writing about love, to be a Romantic is more about understanding humanity and the world at large, and finding inspiration to express the passion of this understanding than it is about imagining individual romance.
In THE STEppES OF CEnTRAL ASIA, Alexander Borodin
Russian composer Alexander Borodin never planned to have a career as a musician. In fact, he did not begin his musical studies until the age of twentynine. As a leisure activity, he enrolled in piano and composition lessons with Mily Balakirev, the leader of a group of composers referred to as The Russian Five. prior to his musical training, the world knew Borodin as a physician and chemist, and he achieved several important discoveries in that field. He also founded and taught at a medical college for women. Yet, his scientific nature allowed him to open his mind to Balakirev’s revolutionary idea of creating a uniquely Russian style of music based on modern, nineteenth-century techniques rather than on the Classical western models lauded by conservatories, and Borodin joined this forward-thinking group of composers. His most famous musical compositions include the opera prince Igor, whose themes are familiar to us through their use in the American musical Kismet, and the symphonic poem In the Steppes of Central Asia which we will hear this
PrO gr AM N Ote S ii
evening. Borodin composed the symphonic poem in 1880 for performance in a concert celebrating the accomplishments of Tsar Alexander II, who had made great strides in the expansion of the Russian empire, including incursions into Central Asia. The work is dedicated to a composer of several symphonic poems who was admired by the Russian Five, Franz Liszt.
A symphonic poem is a one-movement work for orchestra that tells a story or describes a specific event or character. As listeners, we find this genre enjoyable because the composer explains the story and the event or character that each of the musical themes describes or represents. Borodin’s symphonic poem sonically depicts the progress of an Asian caravan as it is escorted peacefully across the desert landscape by Russian troops. It opens with a melody representing a stately Russian song. This melody is interrupted by a pizzicato theme in the strings representing the plodding hooves of camels and horses heard from a distance. Finally, the caravan itself appears, represented by a highly-ornamented, exotic melody in the English horn. Symbolically, the Russian and Asian melodies are woven together for a time as the caravan proceeds safely. In the end, however, only the Russian song is heard, symbolizing that country’s victory in Central Asia. While the concert honoring Alexander II never took place, In the Steppes of Central Asia remains a popular concert work due to its beautiful melodies and vivid imagery.
SYMpHOnY nO. 2, Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) has earned his place within the ranks of our greatest Romantic composers. Revered as an expert craftsman guided by timehonored harmonic practices, he also garnered admiration for infusing his music with the passion and spirit of the second half of the nineteenth century. In addition to his career as a composer, Brahms also was a performing pianist and a conductor. He began his career by writing music for his own instrument, the piano, and for chamber ensembles. Brahms chose not to compose symphonies until he felt he had reached a sense of maturity. However, like Schumann, Mendelssohn, and other composers of the Romantic era, he was intimidated by the spirit of the symphonic genius Beethoven looming large over his shoulder.
Due perhaps to this sense of self-doubt, his first symphony was twenty-one years in the making, with Brahms’ initial sketches for it dating from 1855. When it premiered in 1876, however, it was hailed as “Beethoven’s Tenth.” His astounding success seems to have provided Brahms with the courage to complete another for performance the following year. His second symphony was composed in 1877, when the composer was in his mid-forties. He composed it on a summer holiday by the sea in Austria, which may account for its cheerful mood. While Brahms’ first symphony was called Beethoven’s tenth, the second is often compared to
PrO gr AM N Ote S iii
Beethoven’s Symphony #6, the pastoral Symphony. All four movements are in major keys and several of the themes are lyrical. produced in the era before recordings were available and computers and synthesizers were household items, Romantic symphonies represented rare treasures for audiences and were prized as experiences that might be enjoyed only once in a lifetime. In the nineteenth century, the symphony was considered the most important compositional genre of its day, and audiences were accustomed to hearing new symphonies regularly and to listening for the fascinating instrumental colors and the interplay of musical themes and ideas they contained. Having no expectation of sound bites or commercial breaks, they could engage their attention in forty minutes of music without feeling many of the pressures that occupy our attention today. In order to capture some of the wonder experienced by a nineteenth-century symphony enthusiast, I suggest that twenty-first-century audiences try three things. First, listen for interesting sounds, such as those you like or those you have not heard before. Then look and notice which instruments create those sounds. It is okay to observe the orchestra. It is part of the live experience. next, pick one melody that you like and then follow it through the movement. Do not worry if you lose track of it for a while. notice whether or not it returns. If it does, notice whether or not it has changed, and think about how it is different. If it is the same, you have probably identified a return of a main theme. Congratulations! Finally, listen and watch for tempo. Is the movement slow or fast? Does it sound like you could dance to it or like you should absorb it? Can you tap its rhythm silently on your hand, or does a sense of tempo seem elusive? I hope that, when paired with reading the notes below, these activities will help you to increase your enjoyment of this fabulous masterpiece.
Brahms adheres to traditional, classical forms, and has cast the symphony in the standard four-movement form. The first movement is in a form that is common for symphonic first movements. It is called Sonata-Allegro form, which means the composer will present musical themes, change and develop those themes in surprising, beautiful and astounding ways, and then bring them back in slightly abbreviated versions. The fun for the audience is to hear and recognize these themes, notice how composers manipulate them, and then to remember them as they return. This movement begins with a lyrical theme in D Major. It sounds as though it could describe a walk in the country. The second theme, which returns often throughout the movement may sound familiar, as it bears resemblance to a lullaby by Brahms that we have all heard since childhood.
The second movement is the slowest and most complex. Brahms presents two themes within the opening bars and then reworks them for the duration of the
PrO gr AM N Ote S iv
movement. While they will change, they return at the end to remind us of their simple beauty. While the second movement is the most somber of the work, the third movement is the lightest. It begins with a graceful dance tune in the oboe accompanied by pizzicato strings. This lilting tune alternates with a more boisterous, jovial melody led by the strings, so that it seems as though the two dances are competing for our attention. The finale is a joyful celebration of what Brahms biographer Malcolm Macdonald referred to as “the blazing sunrise of the most athletic and ebulliently festive movement Brahms ever wrote.” The entire orchestra presents two themes that carry us with them as they speed to an explosive climax.
VIOLIn COnCERTO, Felix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn (1811-1846) belongs to our early generation of Romantic composers. Yet his story does not fit the usual profile of composers of this era. He did not come from a dysfunctional family or a broken home. He never lived hand-to-mouth or experienced social isolation. Instead, he grew up in a rarified atmosphere of love, education, artistic awareness, and wealth. His family supported his musical activities wholeheartedly and he benefitted from its close connections to artists, writers, musicians, and philosophers. He traveled extensively in his youth and allowed his experiences and impressions of new places to influence his works. Although we are most familiar with Mendelssohn as a composer, Mendelssohn managed several simultaneous musical careers, serving as a performer, conductor, teacher, and conservatory director.
The composer’s only concerto for violin and orchestra is one of the most virtuosic and popular works in the concerto repertory and is favored at competitions and festivals. Mendelssohn composed it for his long-time friend Ferdinand David, who was appointed concert master of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by the composer in 1838. Due to Mendelssohn’s hectic schedule, it took him six years to complete the concerto, which saw its premiere in 1845.
His personal relationship with David enabled him to collaborate closely with the performer on the concerto’s composition, and it is one of the first concertos to have been created in such meaningful collaboration between composer and performer. David advised Mendelssohn regarding techniques that would display the full capabilities of his instrument or that would maximize the beauty of the composer’s melodies.
A concerto is a work designed to showcase the skill and virtuosity of a solo performer as well as the power and expressive possibilities of the orchestra. Mendelssohn’s concerto accomplishes both, but in some exciting ways considered ground breaking in the mid nineteenth century. Although Mendelssohn casts the
PrO gr AM N Ote S v
concerto in the standard, three-movement form popular for nearly two hundred years, he indicates that the movements should be performed without the traditional pauses between them. While it will be possible for us to hear when each movement begins and ends, the orchestra will continue playing until the concerto concludes.
The opening movement is in E minor and is marked “Allegro molto appassionato” (Fast and with great passion). In a letter to his friend David in 1838, Mendelssohn claimed that the opening E minor theme “gives me no peace.” Its mood is indeed fiery and passionate, and the composer chose to present it in a novel way that captivated audience attention. Traditionally, the orchestra introduces the primary theme of the first movement before the soloist enters to repeat and embellish it. But Mendelssohn increases our sense of anticipation by asking the violin soloist to introduce the poignant initial theme almost immediately, relying on the orchestra to maintain the excitement through its later restatement.
In contrast to the breathless first theme, the second theme introduced by the woodwinds is tranquil and dreamy. Its languid melody in a major key seems to afford Mendelssohn and his listeners the peace so absent from the first theme, but not for long. A cadenza is a brief portion of a concerto in which the orchestra stops playing, allowing the soloist to display their strongest skills without any additional musical input. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, performers often improvised or wrote these cadenzas themselves in order to demonstrate their own particular talents. But in collaboration with David, Mendelssohn composed the entire cadenza himself, requesting the soloist to perform it as written. Before the final entrance of the first theme, our soloist performs this brilliant and virtuosic cadenza. The movement closes with a strong final statement of the E minor theme.
Mendelssohn was a gifted melodist and enjoyed writing in a genre called “Songs Without Words” These short pieces were generally composed for piano, but the emphasis on lyrical melodies makes singers wish these pieces had words, as they would be perfect for singing. The second movement of Mendelssohn’s concerto is just such a song. Marked “Andante” (at a walking pace,) it features a violin melody that floats serenely above its orchestral accompaniment. While it is more virtuosic than it sounds for our soloist, listeners have the sense of hearing a tender love song or lullaby. A brief transition recalls the familiar, restless, E minor theme from the first movement, but the third movement quickly dazzles us with a bright, playful theme that drives all earlier cares from our minds. Reminiscent of the music composed for the fairies in the composer’s A Midsummer night’s Dream, the theme sparkles and dances, whirling the movement to an energetic and joyful conclusion.
g ue S t Arti S t
Praised for her verve and sincerity, violinist Fiona Shea enjoys regularly performing as a soloist and chamber musician.
She has appeared as concerto soloist with numerous orchestras in Texas as well as with the Pacific Symphony, Aspen Chamber Symphony, and as part of Colburn’s 2024 Gala, conducted by Maestro James Conlon.
Most recently, Ms. Shea was awarded the Grand Prize in the 2025 Young Texas Artist Competition, third prize in the 2024 Ann & Charles Eisemann International Young Artists Competition, and was the recipient of the 2022 Dorothy DeLay Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Ms. Shea has enjoyed opportunities to study and perform chamber music at Rice, Colburn, and through various summer festivals including LyricaFest Boston, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Taos School of Music. This past year, she received a grant from Rice University’s Sviatoslav Richter Fund for Music Outreach in support of a project featuring new music written for violin and contrabassoon, with the aim of engaging young audiences through contemporary music.
Ms. Shea is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Music degree at Rice University, where she studies with Professor Kathleen Winkler. A graduate of the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, Ms. Shea received Bachelor and Master of Music degrees while studying with Professor Robert Lipsett.
Originally from Lubbock, TX, Ms. Shea began her studies with Texas Tech University Violin Professor Dr. John Gilbert. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.
S Pe C i AL t h AN k S
Annamarie Cowart
ArtsLongview
City of Longview
City of Longview Cultural
Activities Advisory Committee
Forbes & Butler
Jo Popma & James Smith
Kevin Richardson
Lads & Ladies of the Symphony
LeTourneau University Belcher Center Staff
Longview Symphony Foundation
Michael Cavazos
Patrick Hill
Paul Roberts
Shawn Hara
Ty Hood
Visit Longview
Official Hotel of the Longview Symphony
L ON gview Sy MP h ON y
Legacy Endowment
would you like to provide a lasting remembrance for a loved one who shared or continues to share your love of beautiful music?
The Longview Symphony Legacy Endowment was created to improve the quality of the performances and to support the growth and development of the orchestra. The interest earned supplements the current operating budget.
If you are interested in creating an enduring legacy for your beloved friend or family member, contact the Longview Symphony office, 903-236-9739.
Get Involved with the Longview Symphony Guild!
The mission of our Lads & Ladies g ui L d is to support the Longview Symphony Orchestra (LSO) by promoting its organization and events while fostering the art of music through community projects. We invite anyone who is interested to join us – no auditions or musical talent required! We share an enthusiasm and appreciation of the LSO’s contributions to our cultural and educational landscape.
He R e’s w H at we d o: s ocial e vents | a ssist with Fundraising e fforts | Community o utreach | volunteer s upport for Concerts | e ducational o utreach | Post-concert Receptions
Please contact Niki Groce at 903-736-9531 or email ngroce@longviewsymphony.org for more information.
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