Mozart & Debussy
your symphony experience
JONES HALL
Since the opening of Jones Hall in 1966, millions of arts patrons have enjoyed countless musical and stage performances at the venue. Dominating an entire city block, Jones Hall features a stunning travertine marble facade, 66-foot ceilings, and a brilliantly lit grand entrance. Jones Hall is a monument to the memory of Jesse Holman Jones, a towering figure in Houston during the first half of the 20 th century.
CONCERT DISRUPTION
We strive to provide the best possible auditory experience of our world-class orchestra. Noise from phones, candy wrappers, and talking is distracting to the performers on stage and those around you. Please help us make everyone’s concert enjoyable by silencing electronic devices now and remaining quiet during the performance.
FOOD & DRINK POLICY
The Encore Café and in-hall bars are open for Symphony performances, and food and drink will be permitted in bar areas. Food is not permitted inside the auditorium. Patrons may bring drinks into the auditorium for Bank of America POPS Series concerts and Symphony Specials. Drinks are not permitted inside the auditorium for Classical concerts.
LOST & FOUND
For lost and found inquiries, please contact Patron Experience Coordinator Lien Le during the performance. She also can be reached at lien.le@houstonsymphony.org. You may contact Houston First after the performances at 832.487.7050
ETIQUETTE
For Classical concerts, if a work has several movements it is traditional to hold applause until the end of the last movement. If you are unsure when a piece ends, check the program or wait for the conductor to face the audience. If you feel truly inspired, however, do not be afraid to applaud!
CHILDREN
Children ages six and up are welcome to all Classical, Bank of America POPS, and Symphony Special concerts. Children of all ages are welcome at PNC Family Series performances. Children must have a ticket for all ticketed events.
LATE SEATING
Each performance typically allows for late seating, which is scheduled in intervals and determined by the conductor. Our ushers and Patron Experience Coordinator will instruct you on when late seating is allowed.
TICKETS
Subscribers of five or more concerts may exchange their tickets at no cost. Tickets to Symphony Specials or single ticket purchases are ineligible for exchange or refund. If you are unable to make a performance, your ticket may be donated prior to the concert for a tax-donation receipt. Donations and exchanges may be made in person, over the phone, or online.
ESCANEE AQUÍ PARA VER TRADUCCIÓN AL ESPAÑOL
ORCHESTRA ROSTER
Juraj Valčuha
Music Director
Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair
FIRST VIOLIN
Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster
Max Levine Chair
Vacant, Associate Concertmaster
Ellen E. Kelley Chair
Boson Mo, Assistant Concertmaster
Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster
Fondren Foundation Chair
Marina Brubaker
Tong Yan
MiHee Chung
Sophia Silivos
Rodica Gonzalez
Ferenc Illenyi
Si-Yang Lao
Kurt Johnson*
Christopher Neal
Sergei Galperin
Timothy Peters+
Samuel Park+
SECOND VIOLIN
Vacant, Principal
Vacant, Associate Principal
Amy Semes
Annie Kuan-Yu Chen
Mihaela Frusina
Jing Zheng
Tianjie Lu
Anastasia Iglesias
Tina Zhang
Yankı Karataş
Hannah Duncan
Alexandros Sakarellos
Tianxu Liu+
James Gikas+
VIOLA
Joan DerHovsepian, Principal
Wei Jiang, Acting Associate Principal
Samuel Pedersen, Assistant Principal
Paul Aguilar
Sheldon Person
Fay Shapiro
Keoni Bolding
Jimmy Cunningham
Meredith Harris+
Suzanne LeFevre+
CELLO
Brinton Averil Smith, Principal
Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Chair
Christopher French, Associate Principal
Jane and Robert Cizik Chair
Anthony Kitai
Louis-Marie Fardet
Jeffrey Butler
Maki Kubota
Xiao Wong
Charles Seo
Jeremy Kreutz
COMMUNITY-EMBEDDED MUSICIAN
Lindsey Baggett, Violin
LIBRARIANS
Ali Verderber, Associate Librarian
Megan Fisher, Assistant Librarian
DOUBLE BASS
Robin Kesselman, Principal
Timothy Dilenschneider, Associate Principal
Steven Reineke, Principal POPS Conductor
Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Conductor Laureate
Anthony J. Maglione, Director, Houston Symphony Chorus
Gonzalo Farias, Associate Conductor
Andrew Pedersen, Assistant Principal
Eric Larson
Logan May
Burke Shaw
Donald Howey
Avery Weeks
FLUTE
Aralee Dorough, Principal
General Maurice Hirsch Chair
Matthew Roitstein, Associate Principal
Judy Dines
Kathryn Ladner
PICCOLO
Kathryn Ladner
OBOE
Jonathan Fischer, Principal
Lucy Binyon Stude Chair
Anne Leek, Associate Principal
Colin Gatwood
Adam Dinitz
ENGLISH HORN
Adam Dinitz
Barbara and Pat McCelvey Chair
CLARINET
Mark Nuccio, Principal
Bobbie Nau Chair
Vacant, Associate Principal
Christian Schubert
Alexander Potiomkin
Ben Freimuth+
E-FLAT CLARINET
Vacant
Ben Freimuth+
BASS CLARINET
Alexander Potiomkin
BASSOON
Rian Craypo, Principal
Isaac Schultz, Associate Principal
Elise Wagner
Adam Trussell
CONTRABASSOON
Adam Trussell
STAGE PERSONNEL
Stefan Stout, Stage Manager
José Rios, Assistant Stage Manager
Nicholas DiFonzo, Head Video Engineer
Justin Herriford, Head Audio Engineer
Connor Morrow, Head Stage Technician
Giancarlo Minotti, Audio Production Manager
HORN
William VerMeulen, Principal
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan
Endowed Chair
Robert Johnson, Associate Principal
Nathan Cloeter, Assistant Principal/Utility
Brian Thomas*
Brian Mangrum
Ian Mayton
Barbara J. Burger Chair
Spencer Bay+
TRUMPET
Mark Hughes, Principal
George P. and Cynthia Woods
Mitchell Chair
John Parker, Associate Principal
Robert Walp, Assistant Principal
Richard Harris
TROMBONE
Nick Platoff, Principal
Bradley White, Associate Principal
Phillip Freeman
BASS TROMBONE
Phillip Freeman
TUBA
Dave Kirk, Principal
TIMPANI
Leonardo Soto, Principal
Matthew Strauss, Associate Principal
PERCUSSION
Brian Del Signore, Principal
Mark Griffith
Matthew Strauss
HARP
Allegra Lilly, Principal
KEYBOARD
Vacant, Principal
LIBRARIAN
Luke Bryson, Principal
*on leave + contracted substitute
Mozart & Debussy
STATHIS KARAPANOS, flute (Debussy)
JOAN DERHOVSEPIAN, viola (Debussy)
ALLEGRA LILLY, harp (Debussy)
FERENC ILLENYI, violin (Mozart)
SHELDON PERSON, viola (Mozart)
LOUIS-MARIE FARDET, cello (Mozart)
0:15 DEBUSSY – Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp
I. Pastorale: Lento, dolce rubato
II. Interlude: Tempo di minuetto
III. Final: Allegro moderato ma risoluto
0:45 MOZART – Divertimento in E-flat major for string trio, K.563
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Menuetto
IV. Andante
V. Menuetto (Allegretto)
VI. Allegro
Program Notes
DEBUSSY
Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp
The outbreak of World War I in August 1914 was deeply troubling to Claude Debussy (1862–1918). As he wrote to his publisher, Durand, “my memories of 1870,” the year of the Franco-Prussian War, which Germany won, “prevent me from giving way to enthusiasm.” Such anxieties could not have helped Debussy’s frequent bouts of ill health, and for months he struggled to compose. This creative block finally lifted during the summer of 1915, which Debussy spent in Pourville, a scenic village on the Normandy coast whose chalk cliffs had been painted by Monet. Here, a string of masterpieces poured forth from his pen, including En blanc et noir, Douze Études, the Sonata for Cello and Piano, and the Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp. These latter two were the beginning of a projected series of six sonatas for various instruments, possibly inspired by an invitation to edit some sonatas by J.S. Bach. Sadly, he would only complete one additional sonata—for violin and piano—before his death from cancer in 1918.
Given the ongoing war with Germany and Debussy’s own lifelong project of cultivating a specifically French musical language, he was at pains to stress his Gallic sources of inspiration, namely the music of 17th- and 18th-century French composers François Couperin (1668–1733) and Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764). With its lightness, concision, and delicate play of sonorities, the work does share the spirit of that earlier era, although stylistically the music is completely Debussy. It features the shifting tempos and meters of his mature style, which give the music a floating quality. With exotically perfumed harmonies, the sonata is imbued with the subtlety and spontaneity that make Debussy’s music so delightful. Regarding its composition, he wrote, “All present-day life was far away, harmonious times unfolded, oblivious of the tumult so near, and it ended up so beautiful that I almost have to apologise for it.”
The work is divided into three movements. The first, titled “Pastorale,” opens with a slow, gentle idea for flute marked “mélancoliquement” (“melancholically”), which is answered by a “soft and penetrating” cry from a muted solo viola. The music gradually brightens in tone before coming to a pause. The viola then introduces a second section with a chirping idea marked “lively and cheerful.” This contrasting section
Program Notes
DEBUSSY
Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp
MOZART
Divertimento in E-flat major for string trio, K.563
ends with a continuation of the viola’s penetrating cry. The movement concludes with a varied reprise of the ideas from its first part, fading to a typically Debussian open ending.
The second movement, an “Interlude,” nods to Debussy’s 18th-century inspiration with the marking “Tempo di Minuetto.” The flute introduces the minuet theme, which is soon taken up by the viola. After some development, this music dies away, leading to a joyfully cascading second theme that begins with an exuberant harp glissando. This theme develops in dialogue with the opening minuet idea, fading again to an ambiguous ending.
The Finale opens with a dry, staccato figure in the harp and pizzicato viola, as if imitating some ancient Greek kithara. Above it, the flute and viola introduce the vigorous main idea developed throughout the movement. Just before the end, the motion pauses as the flute recalls the opening of the Pastorale. The sonata at last finds resolution as the whirling dance briefly resumes, bringing the work to an optimistic conclusion.
—Calvin Dotsey
The year 1788 was eventful for both Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) and Vienna. After the successful premiere of his opera Don Giovanni in Prague the year before, Mozart launched the Vienna premiere on May 7. In the background, Austria became embroiled in a pointless war with Turkey almost by mistake, a war which wrecked the Austrian economy as the emperor raised both taxes and inflation to pay for the misadventure. After an initial string of Austrian defeats, the empire’s further flung provinces began to rebel, and Prussia, Austria’s militaristic northern neighbor, began to eye the empire’s territory greedily. Understandably, Mozart’s aristocratic base of patronage was spooked. Many nobles left Vienna or tightened their purse strings, and Mozart found little interest in his concert subscription series, previous iterations of which had featured many of Mozart’s marvelous piano concertos. Perhaps hoping that symphonic works would pique their interest instead, Mozart composed his great final trio of symphonies over the summer. Shortly after, he completed his Divertimento K. 563 on September 27.
We do not know for certain why Mozart composed this divertimento, but it may have been written for his friend, Michael Puchberg. Puchberg was a businessman who frequently provided Mozart with friendly loans to cover expenses between gigs—Mozart’s career as a mostly freelance musician was subject to unpredictable cash flows. If Mozart did write this trio for him, then Puchberg’s leniency in asking for repayment was amply rewarded.
“Divertimento” is Italian for “entertainment,” and usually applies to works of a lighter character. Not so with this example, which many critics have praised as the finest work for this particular combination of instruments.
Program Notes
MOZART
Divertimento in E-flat major for string trio, K.563
Less common than the string quartet—the four instruments of which map neatly to the traditional soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices of a choir— the string trio requires a deft hand to create full textures, which Mozart creates with understated counterpoint. Another idiosyncrasy of the work is its “extra” inner movements; in contrast with a traditional symphony or string quartet, it has six instead of four. Perhaps this unconventional structure prompted Mozart to call the work a divertimento, some examples of which also contain additional movements.
In addition to the usual tuneful Mozartian themes, the finely crafted opening movement features intricate counterpoint and unexpected harmonies in its development. The second movement is a soulful adagio, and the third a playful minuet full of metrical games. Opening with an unassuming melody, each half of which is repeated, the fourth movement is a theme followed by four variations. Mozart doubly enriches the variations by altering the repeats within the theme, effectively giving two variations in one. The fifth movement, another minuet, opens with the violin and viola imitating hunting horns. This rustic atmosphere also pervades not one, but two ländler-like trios, giving the minuet an unusual ABACA structure. Mozart saves the best for last with the finale, which opens with a lilting melody. Alternating with contrasting episodes full of twists and turns, this beguiling tune is the main theme of Mozart’s characteristic interpretation of rondo form, which can be generalized as having an ABACBA structure. It brings this divertimento to a most diverting conclusion.
—Calvin Dotsey
Program Bios
Stathis Karapanos, flute (Debussy)
The search for inspiration is a never-ending and vital journey in a person’s life. In the case of the Greek artist Stathis Karapanos, he found this inspiration by playing the flute and conducting. His international career spans solo, orchestral, chamber, and increasingly, symphonic repertoire. He studied at the National Conservatory in Athens and the University of Music in Karlsruhe, which he completed with distinction in 2018.
He has performed as a member of youth and professional orchestras, such as the Staatstheater Karlsruhe, the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and others. His teachers and mentors included Mathieu Dufour, Vangelis Papathanassiou, and Peter Lukas Graf, as well as Prof. Philippe Bernold at the Conservatoire National Superieur in Paris. After his graduation, he was appointed principal flute of the Athens State Symphony Orchestra.
Since 2018, Karapanos has been invited to perform with renowned conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Gergiev, and Yutaka Sado; orchestras like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, and NHK Symphony Orchestra; and artists such as Gidon Kremer, Vilde Frang, Matthias Goerne, Nicolas Altstaedt, Daniel Hope, Chen Reiss, and Marisol Montalvo.
In May 2024, Karapanos released a critically praised album, Hindemith’s Complete Works for Flute on Ondine Records, followed by recordings of Michael Shapiro’s In the Light of the Sun with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been featured on international podcasts and media and is increasingly active in environmental and cross-cultural projects.
In 2025, he was named Flutist Artistic Liaison to Greenpeace, reflecting his commitment to musical ‘artivism’ and together they have released a series of videos on online platforms to help raise awareness of some of today’s most pressing environmental issues.
Karapanos has received several awards for his musical skills, such as the Bernstein Award of the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival (2020), the Lotto Prize of the Rheingau Festival (2019), and numerous prizes at international competitions.
He regularly performs on a wide range of flutes including alto, bass, contrabass, piccolo, pan-flute, recorder, conch shell, and ancient
Greek lyra—blending classical, contemporary, and traditional idioms into a distinctive artistic voice.
Joan DerHovsepian, viola (Debussy)
Joan DerHovsepian was appointed Principal Viola of the Houston Symphony after winning the international audition held in May 2023. She first joined the viola section of the Houston Symphony in 1999, hired by Christoph Eschenbach; won the audition for Associate Principal Viola in the fall of 2010 during the tenure of Hans Graf; and now is serving as Principal with Music Director Juraj Valčuha. Recent solo performances with the Houston Symphony include Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with Concertmaster Yoonshin Song in October 2022 and Bruch's Double Concerto with Principal Second Violin MuChen Hsieh in March 2022. Joan was formerly Principal Viola of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as guest principal viola with the Chicago and Cincinnati symphonies.
Program Bios
Joan is Artist Teacher of Viola at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, instructing students in viola orchestral repertoire and independent study. Students who have come through her course have gone on to win positions in the Cincinnati Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Houston Symphony, Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, National Arts Center Orchestra, National Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Pittsburgh Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Washington National Opera, among others. She is regular guest faculty for the New World Symphony and has given masterclasses in the study of orchestral excerpts for viola students of The Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory, and the University of Melbourne Conservatorium.
Recent festival and chamber music appearances include the Seattle Chamber Music Society, Mainly Mozart Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, Mimir Chamber Music Festival (Fort Worth, Texas, and Melbourne, Australia), Music in Context, Peninsula Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, and Lake Lure Chamber Music Festival.
She was the violist of the award winning Everest Quartet, top prize winners at the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Joan was the second prize recipient of the Primrose International Viola Competition.
She attended the Eastman School of Music studying with violist James Dunham, and the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg Germany, with violist Kim Kashkashian.
Allegra Lilly, harp (Debussy)
Allegra Lilly was appointed Principal Harp of the Houston Symphony in February 2023. She previously held the Principal Harp position with the St. Louis Symphony for 10 seasons. She has appeared as Guest Principal Harp with the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, and Charlotte Symphony, and has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, and All-Star Orchestra.
Since making her solo debut at the age of 12 with the Detroit Symphony, Lilly has performed as soloist with the Lexington Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, International Symphony, Camerata Notturna, and numerous ensembles in New York and her
home state of Michigan. During her tenure with the St. Louis Symphony, she appeared as soloist three times, performing Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane, Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp with flutist Mark Sparks, and Ginastera’s Harp Concerto. Her festival appearances have included Brevard Music Center, Grand Teton Music Festival, Arizona Musicfest, Tanglewood Music Center, Artosphere Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, National Repertory Orchestra, and Castleton Festival. Lilly is an active chamber musician and has performed as a featured guest artist with the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, Missouri Chamber Music Festival, Innsbrook Institute Music Festival, Missouri River Festival of the Arts, Argento New Music Project, and Carnegie Hall’s EnsembleConnect.
In addition to holding the harp faculty position at Brevard Music Center since 2017, Lilly has given masterclasses at many of the top conservatories and universities in the United States. She has also coached orchestral and chamber music for NYO-USA, NYO2, New World Symphony, Tanglewood Music Center, and the preparatory divisions of The Juilliard School and New England Conservatory.
Born in Detroit, Lilly began her study of the harp with Ruth Myers at age seven. She was also a competitive pianist as a child, winning numerous state and local awards before electing to focus exclusively on the harp in college. She went on to join the studio of
Program Bios
New York Philharmonic Principal Harpist Nancy Allen at The Juilliard School, where she earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees.
Ferenc Illenyi, violin (Mozart)
Ferenc Illenyi, violin, is a native of Hungary where his first teacher was his father, a violinist with the Hungarian State Opera. He made his debut in Budapest performing the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky violin concertos. He has performed recitals in Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States, and has recorded works by Paganini, Saint-Saëns, and Schubert for Hungarian radio and television.
Illenyi has a master’s degree in music from the Liszt Music Academy in Budapest and has done graduate work at the Banff Center in Alberta, Canada; the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana; Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music; and the University of Houston‚ Moores School of Music. Illenyi has been a member of the Houston Symphony since 1991.
Sheldon Person, viola (Mozart)
Praised by the Edmonton Journal for performing “with precision and grace,” and by NUVO Magazine for his “consistently rich tone [and] expressive, intense playing,” Sheldon Person is a violist in the Houston Symphony and enjoys an active career as a chamber musician, recitalist, and teacher.
He has toured with the Houston Symphony in seven countries on three continents and performed with them on their live recording of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck that received the 2017 Grammy Award. Person was previously a member of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra, and as soloist and guest principal with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Since 2016 and 2017 respectively, he has been a faculty artist at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and an artist at the Zenith Chamber Music Festival at Drake University. Person has appeared on the Houston Symphony
Chamber Music Series Inaugural 2019–20 Season, as well as at the Texas Music Festival, Musica Tra Amici, and Musiqa Houston. Radio broadcasts include appearances on Houston Public Radio and NPR. Person’s collaborations on new trios by Per Mårtensson and Karim Al-Zand were released on the Centaur Records label in 2017 and 2018. He has also given world and European premiere performances of Variations on a theme of Bartók, a work for viola and piano that was written for him by Al-Zand. Person has performed as a guest artist at Rice University, University of Houston, Indiana State University, and Michigan State University. He is the current President of Third Space Music, a non-profit partnership between musicians from the Houston Symphony and the Houston community that presents four chamber music concerts annually and contributes to Houston-area non-profit organizations.
As first prize winner of the Royal Overseas League’s Bernard Shore Viola Competition, Person performed recitals in London, including an appearance at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. While a member of the Artea String Quartet, Leverhulme Fellows at the Royal Academy of Music, Person performed chamber music throughout the U.K., including appearances at Wigmore Hall, the South Bank Centre, the Brighton Festival, Buckingham Palace, and live on BBC Radio 3. He was also the winner of the Wayne Crouse
Viola Prize at the Corpus Christi International Competition for Piano and Strings.
Program Bios
Person holds degrees and certificates from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), Indiana University, Rice University, and the University of Alberta. His principal teachers have included Atar Arad, David Takeno, and Karen Ritscher. As a fellow of the Aspen Music Festival and School, he served as the Assistant Principal Viola of both the Aspen Festival and Chamber Orchestras.
Person performs on a modern viola by Theodore Skreko that was awarded the silver medal for tone at the 2010 Violin Society of America Competition. He is a native of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. For more information, visit www.sheldonperson.com.
Louis-Marie Fardet cello (Mozart)
Louis-Marie Fardet was appointed cellist with the Houston Symphony in January 2015. Previously, he served as assistant principal cellist for the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet. Prior to moving to Houston, he was a tenured member of L’Opéra de Paris Orchestra for five years. Born in
Rochefort, the south-west coast of France, Fardet moved to Paris to pursue his cello studies at the prestigious Paris Conservatory and then came to Houston in 1999 to study with Paul Katz at Rice University.
Fardet has won top prizes at several international competitions, including the Antonio Janigro Cello Competition in Zagreb, Croatia, and the Ima Hogg Competition in Houston, and has participated in numerous international music festivals such as the Ravinia Festival, Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall, and Chamber Music Encounters in Jerusalem.
