Biographies continued....... Houston Youth Symphony................................. A champion of new music, Franz has conducted numerous world premieres and works by living composers. the Louisville Orchestra’s ASCAP award-winning new music concert series and co-hosted In a Different Key, a weekly contemporary music radio program. As a nationally recognized leader of arts education, Franz has forged partnerships with leading arts organizations and educational institutions; he maintains a continuing relationship with Radio Disney®. He has received the ASCAP Leonard Bernstein Award for Educational Programming twice and the BPO/ECMEA Music Educators Award for Excellence, created the Kentucky Educational Television’s Creating Music and Stories program, and participated in Children’s Center and Enrichment Center chamber music residencies that provide arts enrichment experiences for disabled persons. Franz received his masters degree in conducting and a bachelor’s in oboe performance from North Carolina School of the Arts. He has participated in conducting workshops in the Czech Republic, St. Petersburg (Russia) and Nashville, and was a participant in the 1997 National Conductor Preview (ASOL). Visit www. robertfranz.com.
Michael Webster, music director Violin I Carl Rogers, concertmaster Bradley Parrimore Teresa Lee Daniel Gibson Lilly Liu Lutong Serena Wang Laura Cásarez Colleen Chen Janet Yim Isabella Yap Thomas Sangjoon Yum Eric Kuo Zeming Wang Eva Littman
Wu
Violin II Dominique Hammons, principal Daniel Johnson Melissa Du Rebekah Kim Katrina M. Yap Nick Kim Felix Gamez Davis Kim Shu-Chi Chang Naomi Chao Dana Zhang Wilson G. Hui Beverly “Lilly” Fang Christina Mao Viola Ben Zannoni, principal Danielle Collado Bridget Kinneary John G. Grigsby III Jennifer Yang Nathan Huang
Adam Wu, violin
At 17, violinist Adam Wu already displays exceptional talent and promise. He has won top prizes in the Houston Symphony League Concerto Competition, resulting in tonight’s performance, the Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition, the Kingsville International Competition and the Houston Civic Symphony Competition. Wu has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras. In 2009-2010, he made professional debuts with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (Jaap Van Zweden), Xiamen Philharmonic (Xiaoying Zhen) and the Hu Nan Philharmonic. In addition to tonight’s debut, Wu makes his Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra debut this season. Born in Houston in 1993, Wu began learning violin from his violin-making father at age 4. He later studied with Henry Rubin and Fredell Lack in Houston, and Masao Kawasaki at The Juilliard School Pre-college. He is currently a student of prominent violinist, Emanuel Borok. 22 www.houstonsymphony.org
Jerry Lee May Lin Liew Yongjoo “Jennifer” Cho Cello Charles Seo, principal Andrew Shiau Simon Yu Trevor Rybicki Spencer Shen Brian Li Marissa Merritt Daniel Schultz Ray Fontenot Sarah Song Kieran Cassin Aitken Bass Jordan Addison, principal Ricky Lethridge Harrison Berwick Dustin Hoang James Douglass Kirk Adam Fernandez Joshua Riesenberg Flute Cesar Dominguez Sami Eudy*‡ Ashley Hunterº~ Millie Nishikawa Oboe Lindsay Laird Virginia T. McDowellº~ Michelle Nguyen*‡ Clarinet Leslie Collins Mike Gao Alex Perezº~ Jeremy Reynolds*‡
Bassoon Jordan Brokkenº~ Laetan Gaspard*‡ Lance Kelley Meridith Wright Horn Colin J. Lee Scott Leger*‡ Alyx Hendersonº~ Erica Long Hannah Wadley Trumpet Clay Casey Colleen Crossley Chris Stiles*‡ Paul Torrisiº~ Trombone Zachary Steeleº~ Conner M. Taylor*‡ Bass Trombone Andy Aronstam Tuba Brianna Compton*‡ Ben Malmerº~ Timpani Bradly Dombrosky~ Dino Georgeton* Massie Wingard‡ Winds, Brass And Percussion
Listed Alphabetically * Principal for movement I ‡ Principal for movement II º Principal for movement III ~ Principal for movement IV
Biographies continued from page 19................................. Current opera engagements include: the Countess in Nozze di Figaro and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Bavarian State Opera), Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lyric Opera of Chicago) and the title role in La Traviata (Vancouver Opera). She will also create the role of Cecilia in Bramwell Tovey’s new opera, The Inventor (Calgary Opera). Wall has recorded Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Pierre Boulez and the Staatskapelle Berlin, released by Deutsche Grammophon.
Wayne Brooks, viola
Wayne Brooks has served as principal violist of the Houston Symphony since 1985. Born in Los Angeles, Brooks joined the orchestra in 1977 as associate principal violist after graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music. In addition to solo appearances with the
Houston Symphony, he has appeared in chamber music performances with Joseph Silverstein, Lynn Harrell, Yefim Bronfman, Garrick Ohlsson and Christoph Eschenbach. He has participated in in the Houston Symphony’s INNOVA chamber music series; in performances with Da Camera of Houston, Greenbriar Consortium, Mukuru “Arts for AIDS” Series; and in chamber music festivals in Craftsbury, Vermont and Lake City, Colorado. As violist of the Houston Symphony Chamber Players, he served on the faculty of Japan’s Pacific Music Festival, toured Japan (1993-1995) and Europe (1994, 1997) and recorded works of Webern and Berg. He has appeared at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival (1996, 1997). Brooks served as an associate professor of viola at Rice University’s Shepherd Continued on page 24