LUNGS OF
THE CITY MARCH 26, 2022 AT 8:00PM EDT MULTICULTURAL ART CENTER CAMBRIDGE, MA BROADCAST LIVE ON YOUTUBE
LUNGS OF THE CITY MARCH 26, 2022 AT 8:00PM EDT MULTICULTURAL ART CENTER CAMBRIDGE, MA BROADCAST LIVE ON YOUTUBE
The Forest and the Architect (2022)
Christina Rusnak
Wei Zhao, flute; Wolcott Humphrey, clarinet; Anne Howarth, horn; Ryan Shannon, violin; Minjin Chung, cello
Inspired by Forest Park, Portland Piece of Mind (2022)
Ryan Suleiman
Wolcott Humphrey, clarinet; Anne Howarth, horn; Lu Yu, viola; Minjin Chung, cello
Inspired by Fairsted, Brookline, MA OLMSTED 200: Theme and Variations (2022)
Justin Ralls
Wei Zhao, flute; Wolcott Humphrey, clarinet; Ryan Shannon, violin; Minjin Chung, cello; Thomas Schmidt, percussion
Inspired by Cal Anderson Park, Seattle Beauty of the Fields (2022) I. asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed) II. asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Libby Meyer
Wei Zhao, flute; Lu Yu, viola; Minjin Chung, cello; Thomas Schmidt, percussion
Inspired by Belle Isle, Detroit INTERMISSION The Emerald Necklace (2022)
Oliver Caplan
Wei Zhao, flute; Wolcott Humphrey, clarinet; Anne Howarth, horn; Ryan Shannon, violin; Lu Yu, viola; Minjin Chung, cello
Inspired by the Emerald Necklace, Boston
Breath of the Meadow, Heart of the Woodland (2021)
Nell Shaw Cohen
Wei Zhao, flute; Wolcott Humphrey, clarinet; Anne Howarth, horn; Ryan Shannon, violin; Lu Yu, viola; Minjin Chung, cello; Thomas Schmidt, percussion
Inspired by Prospect Park & Central Park, New York Golden Hour Walk at Fort Tryon Park (2022) I. Heather Garden II. Billings Lawn III. Pine Lawn IV. A promenade V. The Palisades Overlook
Ayumi Okada
Wei Zhao, flute; Wolcott Humphrey, clarinet; Anne Howarth, horn; Ryan Shannon, violin; Lu Yu, viola; Minjin Chung, cello; Thomas Schmidt, percussion
Inspired by Fort Tryon Park, New York Olmsted Gardens (2022) I. Springdale II. Shadyside III. Virgilee IV. Deepdene
Michael-Thomas Foumai
Wei Zhao, flute; Wolcott Humphrey, clarinet; Anne Howarth, horn; Ryan Shannon, violin; Lu Yu, viola; Minjin Chung, cello; Thomas Schmidt, percussion
Inspired by Olmsted Linear Park, Atlanta
Part of Lungs of the City: Olmsted’s Parks in Music, a cross-regional concert series of World Premieres co-curated and co-commissioned by American Wild Ensemble, Juventas New Music Ensemble, Landscape Music, and Michigan Technological University Department of Visual and Performing Arts. This project is a Celebration Partner of Olmsted 200.
Generously supported by the Boston Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
In partnership with Olmsted 200 and Landscape Music.
ABOUT JUVENTAS Juventas’s 2021-22 season is generously sponsored by John A. Carey. Juventas New Music Ensemble is a contemporary chamber group with a special focus on emerging voices. Juventas shares classical music as a vibrant, living art form. We bring audiences music from a diverse array of composers that live in today’s world and respond to our time. Since its founding in 2005, Juventas has performed the music of over 300 living composers. The ensemble has earned a reputation as a curator with a keen eye for new talent. It opens doors for composers with top-notch professional performances that present their work in the best possible light. Recognition for the ensemble’s work includes the American Prize Ernst Bacon Award for Performance of American Music and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and Boston Foundation. Juventas is featured on albums by Innova Recordings, Parma Records and New Dynamic Records, and has held residencies at Boston Conservatory, Harvard University, Longy School of Music, Middlebury College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Juventas has a storied history of dynamic collaboration with artists in other media, including dancers, painters, scientists, poets, puppeteers and robotics engineers. A leader in the field, Juventas also facilitates the Boston New Music Festival, a week-long showcase of Boston’s contemporary music scene.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Carey President
Cashman Kerr Prince Treasurer
Alvin B. Carter III Carson Cooman Meghan Guidry Leslie Jacobson Kaye Rachel M. Rivkind Karen Ruymann Drew Wilkins Oliver Caplan ex officio
STAFF Oliver Caplan Artistic Director
Chris Petre-Baumer Director of Design
Joseph Sedarski
Marketing Coordinator
Saskia Den Boon
Communications Coordinator
Rozime Lindsey
Arts Administration Intern
Rachel Rivkind has generously sponsored Chris Petre-Baumer’s position for the 2021-22 Season.
FUTURA PRODUCTIONS
LIVESTREAM PRODUCERS
John Weston
Production Director & Audio Engineer
Daniel Schwartz
Director of Photography & Editor
Nick Papps
Camera Operator
Travis Karpak
Assistant Engineer & Video Playback Engineer
Jacob Steingart Assistant Engineer
FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Tonight’s concert celebrates the bicentennial of Frederick Law Olmsted (1822–1903), considered the father of American landscape architecture. Olmsted saw landscape design not just as a form of beauty, but a catalyst for civic ideals. In contrast to the prevailing European style—formal gardens designed for the wealthy to promenade—Olmsted strove to create parks in which people of all backgrounds and social circumstances would come together to find restorative peace among the hustle and bustle of the America’s burgeoning cities. His picturesque and pastoral designs drew influence from both woodland and farmland, and sought to blur the boundaries between the natural and built environment. The program features eight world premieres, each inspired by an Olmsted design. Juventas co-commissioned these works with Landscape Music, the American Wild Ensemble and the Michigan Technological University Department of Visual and Performing Arts. Additional performances are planned around the country in 2022. Beyond tonight’s concert, I hope this music inspires you to get outside this spring and explore Olmsted’s incredible contributions to Boston and our nation. Sincerely,
Oliver Caplan, Artistic Director Juventas New Music Ensemble
IN THE COMPOSERS’ OWN WORDS Christina Rusnak | The Forest and the Architect (2022) In 1901, leaders in Portland Oregon, gathered to envision their city’s future. Portland hired Frederick Law Olmsted’s sons to design the city’s parks. John Charles Olmsted arrived by train in Portland in April 1903. Strategic, visionary planning was at the heart of the 1904 Olmsted report. Today virtually everyone in the city can easily walk to spacious and engaging parks. As the vision’s cornerstone, Olmsted proposed that the densely wooded hills above northwest Portland be designated by the City as “a forest park.” The plans languished and Forest Park was plundered for over 40 years until advocates, and leaders committed to its completion in 1948. At 5,200 acres, it reigns as the largest urban forest in the United States and provides critical refuge for hundreds of native wildlife and plant species and acts as an important air and water filter. With more than 80 miles of trails, the park flanks the Tualatin Mountains, overlooking the city and the Willamette River providing invaluable access to nature, exercise, and educational opportunities. The Olmsteds’ contribution to this city is living, breathing and enduring. I traverse the trails of Forest Park often. I sought to convey the forest’s inherent and contrasting elements - the sounds of the tiniest members of the forest’s inhabitants; the majesty of its towering trees; John Olmsted’s voice within the pages of the 1904 plan; trepidation as “progress” undermined the vision; the rebirth of the plan, and the joy of experiencing the park today as envisioned over a century ago. Ryan Suleiman | Piece of Mind (2022) Andrew Wilkins has generously sponsored the world premiere of Piece of Mind. Frederick Law Olmsted is considered the “father of landscape architecture” in the United States. Though not exactly a household name, his impact on his country was profound and his aesthetic was visionary in the nineteenth century, designing the first urban parks, including Central Park, Emerald Necklace, Stanford University’s campus, and many more. Contrary to the European aesthetic, Olmsted was keen on “listening” to nature. Though a park is by definition human-made, his designs focused on local landscapes and allowed them to be themselves. In crowded, noisy, stressful city-environments, he believed we all deserved a place to stop and take in nature. Olmsted’s home and office, Fairsted (Brookline, MA), is where his firm operated,
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and this location – a park and creative studio – provides the inspiration for Piece of Mind, which was commissioned by Landscape Music, Juventas New Music Ensemble, the American Wild Ensemble and Michigan Technological University Department of Visual and Performing Arts. . The piece is about stillness, contemplation, the creative process, and above all, letting sounds and silences simply be themselves. Justin Ralls | OLMSTED 200: Theme and Variations (2022) OLMSTED 200: Theme and Variations was composed to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. The piece specifically commemorates the first Olmsted park in Seattle, Lincoln Park (later renamed Cal Anderson Park). Designed by the Olmsted firm (led by his son John C. Olmsted) between 1901 and 1904. The current urban park in Seattle’s Central District has changed over the years: like a palimpsest or theme and variations, each generation redefines the park for new needs and values. The piece is measured in years beginning with the year of Olmsted’s birth, 1822. The theme passes through time, variations, and history, marking moments both for Olmsted and the park. Quotes of tunes, such as the Battle Hymn of the Republic, heard in the park during the revivalist meetings in the early 20th Century appear in counterpoint with a Black Lives Matter chant. During the historic protests after the murder of George Floyd, the park became the epicenter of nightly clashes between protestors and police, as well as hub for mutual aid and organizing. The park remains a communal, democratic, yet also contested space, reflecting the tensions, needs, dreams, and stories of the people. The theme, symbolizing Olmsted’s ideal, is contrasted with busy arpeggios and metric changes which speed through the years eventually to open up into a formless future: a democratic musical space where the ensemble is free to create their own variations and ending, symbolic of how Olmsted’s vision is bound to remain, yet change in perpetual theme and variation. Libby Meyer | Beauty of the Fields (2022) “The park should, as far as possible, complement the town. Openness is the one thing you cannot get in buildings. Picturesqueness you can get. Let your buildings be as picturesque as your artists can make them. This is the beauty of a town. Consequently, the beauty of the park should be the other. It should be the beauty of the fields, the meadow, the prairie, of the green pastures and the still waters. What we want to gain is tranquility and rest to the mind.” Frederick Law Olmsted, Public Parks and Enlargement of Towns “The Key to all Improvements of Belle Isle must be found in the character of the
existing wood.” Frederick Law Olmsted, The Park for Detroit The project to turn Belle Isle, a long, narrow island of approximately 700 acres in the Detroit River into an urban park, became official in 1879. A relatively minimalist design, Olmsted’s carefully crafted plan sought to make Belle Isle a more pleasant place for residents of Detroit to enjoy the outdoors, while also preserving some of the island’s important natural features. Central to Olmsted’s plan was simplicity and indigenous nature. Native plantings and a simpler infrastructure were elements of his plan furthering his vision of the park as a place for “restful contemplation of its natural scenery”. From the beginning, Olmsted showed more investment in the park than many Detroiters. He waved his normal visitation fee for cities, agreeing to charge only expenses. To show their gratitude, Detroit’s Common Council subsequently denied his invoice for $70.25. When local officials challenged the feasibility of docking ferries on the western end of the island, Olmsted chartered a boat himself and landed it there. After completing his plan for the park and publishing it at his own expense, Olmsted, frustrated with the bureaucratic wrangling over the park, resigned from the project. Given that Olmsted left the project long before completion and much of his design was not realized at the time of construction, Olmsted’s true contribution has more to do with the values embedded in it, than it does with the design itself. An example of this today are the gardens designed by Piet Oudolf. Inspired by the energy of Detroit after receiving a “love letter from Detroit” from The Garden Club of Michigan, Oudolf designed this naturalistic public garden on Belle Isle. Both artistic and ecological by design, he chose perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees for their hardiness, durability, and ever-changing textures and colors for enjoyment in all four seasons. In time, one can hope that Olmsted’s true vision of Belle Isle as a place of serene beauty for the people of Detroit can be finally realized. Beauty of the Fields centers on two native plants that are in abundance on Belle Isle and plants that Olmsted certainly would have valued as adding to the beauty and serenity of the park. Each section focuses on a different flower; flowers that attract and nourish bees, butterflies, birds and other wildlife as well as nourishing the spirit of the visitors to the park. 1. asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed): floating, fragile, fragrant, orange Butterfly weed is a beautiful orange flower that is a particular favorite of monarchs who float majestically over them feeding on their nectar. 2. asclepias syriaca (common milkweed): buzzing, brilliant, busy, pink Mostly known for their importance to the survival of the disappearing monarch butterfly, anyone who has ever stood in a field of milkweed knows that the flowers
emit an intoxicating scent that attracts honey bees, many types of butterflies and hummingbirds. The sounds of buzzing, twittering and chirping of abundant life are magical. Oliver Caplan | The Emerald Necklace (2022) Carson Cooman has generously sponsored the world premiere of The Emerald Necklace. In 1880, Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned a ribbon of greenspaces winding through the city of Boston, Massachusetts and neighboring Brookline. The 7-mile linear route would ultimately connect the existing Boston Common and Public Garden to Franklin Park, with a series of new paths and parks, including The Fens, The Riverway and Jamaica Pond. The realized dream became known as the Emerald Necklace for its appearance on maps of Boston, like a string of green jewels. Today, the Emerald Necklace encompasses 1,100 acres of parkland, over half of the city’s park acreage. When I first moved to Boston in 2004, the Emerald Necklace captured my imagination. It seemed almost a contradiction, to be in the heart of the city, yet able to walk for miles through wooded groves and along winding riverways. In Olmsted’s parks, I found peace, refuge and inspiration for my composing. This piece is a love letter to a dear old friend, a remembrance of myriad moments in urban nature, from misty mornings to spring blooms. Nell Shaw Cohen | Breath of the Meadow, Heart of the Woodland (2021) Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted described urban parks as “the lungs of the city.” My music responds to Olmsted & Calvert Vaux’s expression of this metaphor through the iconic meadows and woodlands of New York City’s Prospect Park (1867) and Central Park (1858). A lyrical theme, accompanied by sustained chords held against the flow of undulating triplets, opens and closes the piece. This music evokes the parks’ meadows, where the human body and the body of the landscape are connected through shared “breath.” Stepping off a busy sidewalk into these wide open spaces, the sensation of my lungs filling with fresh air feels like the echo of a gentle breeze blowing through treetops and grasses. A middle section of syncopated rhythms and sinuous counterpoint recalls the parks’ winding woodland interiors, which reflect the “heart” of both visitor and landscape. These woodlands are spaces for contemplation and intimate conversation, where dense forest gives cover to an enigmatic network of footpaths.
Even as I cherish these two parks, I find their present-day terrain obfuscates a complex history. Seneca Village (1825-1857) was a vibrant Black community, which New York City’s government forcibly vacated in order to build Central Park. Both parks continue to occupy Lenapehoking: the unceded homeland of the Lenape. The concept of parks as “lungs” may have come from Olmsted’s work in public health during the Civil War. Yet this idea feels strikingly poignant in our own time of pandemic and climate crisis, and has given inspiration and impetus to my music. Ayumi Okada | Golden Hour Walk at Fort Tryon Park (2022) Christie Gibson and Michael Emmanuel have generously sponsored the world premiere of Golden Hour Walk at Fort Tryon Park. When I heard of the project “Lungs of the City: Olmsted’s Parks in Music,” I immediately thought of portraying Fort Tryon Park as the subject of my composition. Fort Tryon Park is located in Washington Heights by the Hudson River. I have been a resident of New York City since 2009, but it was not until 2017, when I moved to Washington Heights, that I truly began to enjoy living in the city. The view of the sunset over the river above all is one of the most magnificent sights I have ever seen. The immense beauty of the park designed by the Olmsted Brothers completely changed my perception of the busy city. Having daily access to the park gave me the comfort that I had been searching for for so long. I am grateful for this opportunity to show my gratitude toward the creators of this special park through my music. Depicted in the piece is one of the most memorable walks I have taken in the park: a walk during the golden hour on a day after the winter solstice. The specific sites and views of the park featured in the piece include Heather Garden, Billings Lawn, Pine Lawn, and the views of The Palisades and the Hudson River. Michael-Thomas Foumai | Olmsted Gardens (2022) Olmsted Gardens takes inspiration from the Olmsted Linear Park in Druid Hills Georgia. The area known as Druid Hills was developed by Atlantan Joel Hurt of the Kirkwood Land Company. In 1890 Hurt persuaded Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. to prepare a plan for a residential suburb. The work is in four movements, a kind of park tour of four of the seven park segments. Beginning with Springdale, pastoral music, featuring the flute, paints a scenic gateway to the Linear Park, where visitors encounter a green knoll and a mature stand of oaks.
Shadyside is named for the heavily wooded section on the southern side of the western end, the music bristles with woodland creatures, with gestures of shadowy and lively activity. Virgilee is named after Joel Hurt’s daughter; this park is her memorial. The landscape of this segment continues the pastoral scheme and the music reflects the memorial tones with a solemn horn in remembrance. Deepdene, the largest segment, forms the eastern end of the Linear Park. It is a wooded tract with a stream winding through its 22 acres. The final movement, a lively dance, celebrates the park in a winding stream of melodies and rhythm.
Scènes pastorales SARASA ENSEMBLE
Pastoral scenes ~ A pastoral journey with Biber, Hummel, Moscheles,
Satie & Schubert’s ebullient ‘Trout’ Quintet l
May 14, 2022 at 7:30pm, Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, Cambridge
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May 15, 2022 at 3.30pm, Follen Community Church, Lexington Proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test within 48 hours required. Masks required.
Tickets and Info: sarasamusic.org l admin@sarasamusic.org (978) 766-9408
COMPOSERS CHRISTINA RUSNAK Portland, OR Christina Rusnak passionately composes about place and the human experience. Ms. Rusnak has created many works for our national and cultural landscapes; her repertoire includes chamber, choral, orchestra, wind band, jazz, solo pieces, electro-acoustic works, and film. An advocate for New Music, she serves on the board of the International Alliance for Women in Music. Her works are available from Amazon, Naxos and Parma Recordings, with her scores available through her website. christinarusnak.com
RYAN SULEIMAN b. 1990 Boston, MA The music of Ryan Suleiman engages with daydreams and the natural world – in particular, the simultaneity of sublime beauty and dread of living in our times. His work has been performed throughout the United States at such festivals as SICPP (New England Conservatory), June in Buffalo (NY), NANOworks Opera Workshop (Atlanta), and Snap Shot (San Francisco). He completed his Ph.D. at University of California, Davis and is currently Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. ryansuleiman.com
JUSTIN RALLS b. 1987 Portland, OR Justin Ralls, internationally recognized and award winning composer, is inspired by the natural world: “a gifted melodist…a beautiful blend of natural and human-made music” (Artslandia), “impressive… showing a mastery of orchestral technique” (composer, John Adams), “definitely establishing his own voice” (SF Examiner). Ralls’ music engages ecologically and socially relevant themes in opera, orchestral, chamber, solo works, film music, and intercultural collaborations. He holds a Ph.D. in Music Composition, specializing in Nature, New Music, and Indigenous Thought. justinralls.com
LIBBY MEYER b. 1967 Houghton, MI Libby Meyer is a composer whose work reflects the natural rhythms and patterns of the world around her. Her music including chamber, orchestral, choral, wind symphony, film, dance and theater has been commissioned and performed throughout the United States. Libby has served as Composer-in-Residence at Isle Royale National Park and the Visby International Center for Composers (Sweden). She holds a DMA in Music Composition from Northwestern University and is a Senior Lecturer in Music Theory/Composition at Michigan Technological University. Recordings of Libby’s music can be found on Albany Records and at libbymeyermusic.com. libbymeyermusic.com
OLIVER CAPLAN b.1982 Medford, MA Award-winning American composer Oliver Caplan writes melodies that nourish our souls, offering a voice of hope in an uncertain world. Inspired by the resiliency of the human spirit and beauty of the natural world, his music celebrates stories of social justice, conservation and community. Mr. Caplan’s works have been performed in over 200 performances nationwide. He has been commissioned by the Atlanta Chamber Players, Bella Piano Trio, Bronx Arts Ensemble and New Hampshire Master Chorale, among others. Winner of a Special Citation for the American Prize in Orchestral Composition, additional recognitions include two Veridian Symphony Competition Wins and the Fifth House Ensemble Competition Grand Prize. Caplan’s 2017 album You Are Not Alone, was featured on Apple Music’s Classical A-list and streamed over 200,000 times. Additional recordings include his 2021 release Watershed, and tracks on Trio Siciliano’s Exploring Music (2018, U07 Records) and the Sinfonietta of Riverdale’s New World Serenade (2016, Albany Records). olivercaplan.com
NELL SHAW COHEN b. 1988 Brooklyn, NY Nell Shaw Cohen evokes landscapes, visual art, and the lives of mavericks in her lyrical works for concert, stage, and digital media. Commissions include Houston Grand Opera, Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Boston Choral Ensemble, Laura Strickling, and The Brass Project. Her operas have had workshops with Fort Worth Opera, The American Opera Project, New Dramatists, New York University, and University of New Mexico. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley. nellshawcohen.com
AYUMI OKADA b. 1983 New York, NY Ayumi Okada is a New York-based composer. Inspired by stories and natural landscapes, her music fuses traditional and modern sounds to create a unique compositional voice in the domains of concert and theatre. Her music has been performed by ensembles including Listen Closely, A.W. Duo, and Musica Verto Novo. Recent commissions include works for Lungs of the City and Abundant Silence. A native of Kyoto, Japan, she holds a degree from Mannes College of Music. ayumiokada.com
MICHAEL-THOMAS FOUMAI b.1987 Honolulu, HI Michael-Thomas Foumai is a composer of contemporary concert music, arranger, and educator whose work spans the avant-garde to the commercial. His concert music focuses on storytelling and the history, people, and culture of his Hawai’i home. Performances of his work include those given by Yannick Nézet-Séguin with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Lina Gonzalez-Granados with the National Symphony Orchestra, and Osmo Vänskä with the Minnesota Orchestra. michaelfoumai.com
MUSICIANS RYAN SHANNON
violin
Paula and Bill Caplan have generously sponsored Ryan Shannon for the 2021-22 concert season. Ryan Shannon began his musical journey in the mountains of Colorado at five years old when his father, an amateur pianist, gave him his first violin. Sensing his love of music, his parents made it possible for him to attend the Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Ryan continued his studies at the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Lucy Chapman and Nicholas Kitchen, graduating in 2014. As a student, Ryan had the life-changing opportunity to attend the Center for the Development of Arts Leaders program at From The Top. Through this year-long partnership with the Hope Lodge, a residence for cancer patients, He learned that music can bring together those who are struggling through difficult circumstances. In recent years he has worked to bring this love to as many people as possible. He does this as an educator, as a member of Palaver Strings, and as an explorer of new music with Juventas New Music Ensemble, whose vivacious energy creates a powerful connection between music and the hearts of those who listen.
LU YU viola Drew Wiklins has generously sponsored Lu Yu for the 2021-22 concert season. Born in China, Lu Yu began her musical studies at the age of six on violin. She started to play viola as her principal instrument at age twelve at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China. Her studies then took her to the Royal Academy of Music in London with a full scholarship where she learned under the tutelage of Matthew Souter for the Bachelor of Music degree. Ms. Yu then studied with Marcus Thompson at the New England Conservatory in Boston where she received her Master of Music degree. Among her numerous
awards, she was granted “The Young Musician of 2008” in Hong Kong. Her performance career has led to being the founding violist of the Loki String Quartet which is in residence at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Ms. Yu is also principal violist of the Boston Civic Symphony, performs with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, was recently co-principal viola of the Missouri Symphony and frequently performs with many of the ensembles around the Boston area.
MINJIN CHUNG cello Leslie Jacobson Kaye and Richard Kaye have generously sponsored Minjin Chung for the 2021-22 concert season. Minjin Chung is a cellist based in Boston who enjoys an active career as a freelance musician and is on the cello faculty of the Dedham School of Music. Praised by the Boston Music Intelligencer for her “beautiful sweeping melody played with grace” she has appeared in the top concert halls in the world such as Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, and the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. She is an avid performer of new music and has premiered countless new works throughout her years as a student and in her professional career. As an orchestral player, she has attended the Aspen Music Festival as a New Horizon Fellow and has performed with the Sinfonia da Camera, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the New World Symphony. As a soloist, she has received awards from the Richmond Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Virginia Lions Club Bland Music Competition, Virginia String Teachers Association Solo Competition, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Concerto Competition. Born in South Korea, Ms. Chung moved to the U.S. at the age of 5 and grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia where she began her musical studies. Upon falling madly in love with classical music at the age of 17, she graduated from high school a year early to focus on preparing for music school auditions. She was awarded a full tuition scholarship to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a student of Dmitry Kouzov and received her master’s degree at the New England Conservatory as a student of Natasha Brofsky. In her free time, she loves to paint, go to the beach, and take long walks with her dog, Jackie.
ANNE HOWARTH french horn Alex Ripley and Ted Steinemann have generously sponsored Anne Howarth for the 2021-22 concert season. Horn player Anne Howarth has a passion for small group collaborations and the opportunities they offer performers and audience members alike to forge personal connections with the music and with each other. She is deeply curious about the ways in which shared musical experiences can invite deeper dialogue and contemplation. Anne is a founding member and Outreach Director of the mixed-instrumentation chamber group Radius Ensemble and is a senior member of the wind quintet Vento Chiaro. A strong proponent of new music, Anne has commissioned works for chamber ensemble as an individual and with colleagues. As a freelance orchestral player in demand in the greater Boston area, Anne holds Principal Horn chairs with the Lexington Symphony and Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra and occasionally performs with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, among others. Curious about the intersection between live music and movement, Anne has collaborated with Monkeyhouse and dancer/choreographer Karen Krolak at First Night Boston, the Oberon, and Tufts University. Anne is a native of the Detroit area, holds undergraduate degrees in both Horn Performance and Environmental Studies from Oberlin Conservatory and Oberlin College respectively, and earned her Master of Music in Performance at New England Conservatory. Anne teaches horn and coaches chamber music at Tufts University and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI), maintains a private studio, and is on the on faculties of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, the Brookline Music School, and the Milton Afterschool Lesson Program.
THOMAS SCHMIDT percussion Jon Saxton and Barbara Fox have generously sponsored Thomas Schmidt for the 2021-22 concert season. One of Boston’s versatile free-lance percussionists, Thomas Schmidt has performed with The Boston Philharmonic, The Portland Symphony (Maine), Rhode Island Philharmonic, New Bedford Symphony, Placido Domingo, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Indian Hill Symphony, Lexington Symphony, Symphony New Hampshire, and The Brevard Music Centers Faculty Orchestra. A regular down in the pit orchestra, he has played for The 75th Anniversary Tour of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Opera Maine, The Boston Lyric Opera, various tours with the New England Opera, and the Da Capo Opera Company. Equally at home playing in a jazz big band or drum-set for a musical, Thomas has performed with the Boston Brass All Stars Big Band and has been the drum-set player for countless musicals in the New England area. He has performed with new music ensembles ALEA III and Dinosaur Annex as well as various choruses, such as Masterworks Chorale, Harvard-Radcliff Chorus, Back Bay Chorale, Boston Celia Society, Coro Allegro, Chorus ProMusica, The Brookline Chorus, and The Newburyport Chorale. Thomas is on the faculty at The Berklee College of Music where he teaches Orchestral Percussion, Marimba, Vibraphone, and Drum Set. Thomas is a student of Salvatore Rabbio, Pat Hollenbeck, Nancy Zeltsman, John Grimes, and Dr. Stuart Marrs. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion Performance from The University of Maine, and his Masters Degree in Percussion Performance from the Boston Conservatory. Thomas is a Zildjian endorsed artist.
WOLCOTT HUMPHREY clarinet Oliver Caplan & Chris Beagan have generously sponsored Wolcott Humphrey for the 2021-22 concert season. Clarinetist Wolcott Humphrey, originally from western New York, earned a B.M. in Clarinet Performance from Ithaca College in 2006, and went on to earn an M.M. and a Graduate Diploma in Clarinet Performance from the New England Conservatory in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Wolcott has studied clarinet with E. Michael Richards, Richard Faria, William Wrzesien, and Craig Nordstrom. Humphrey is passionate about new music, and has performed in contemporary chamber ensembles in Ithaca, Providence (Ensemble Parallax), and Boston (Juventas and Sound Icon) as well as at the Charles E. Gamper Festival of Contemporary Music. He was also in the premiere performance of White Snake Projects’ comic opera REV. 23 in Boston. Humphrey was the principal clarinetist of the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds, performing Martin Ellerby’s Clarinet Concerto with the group in 2011. While living in Providence, he was the principal clarinetist of Fall River Symphony, the co-principal clarinetist of the American Band, and a member of several woodwind chamber groups. Humphrey is the assistant principal clarinetist of the Met Winds, performing the Artie Shaw Clarinet Concerto with the group at the Association of Concert Bands convention in New Jersey and at the Festival of Bands in Boston. Humphrey performs with Brookline Symphony, and the chamber ensembles Some Assembly Required and the Kalliope Ensemble. Wolcott has been the core clarinetist of Juventas New Music Ensemble since 2012.
WEI ZHAO flute Guest Artist Chinese flutist Wei Zhao has a rich musical life. As a soloist, she has won two professional level China-wide competitions, and participated in the Prague Spring International Music Festival competition. As a chamber musician, she won many significant competitions with her woodwind quintet, and as principal flute in professional orchestras, she has played a wide repertoire. She has played with orchestras such as the National Ballet of Moscow, the China Film Philharmonic, the Peking Sinfonietta, the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, and the Juilliard Conservatory of Music Youth Orchestra, under the batons of luminaries such as Daniel Barenboim, Seiji Ozawa, Plácido Domingo, Lang Lang, Tan Dun, and others. In 2016, she performed with Edison Ruiz, the youngest bass player in the Berlin Philharmonic. In August of 2017, she founded the flute duo “Duo Zonda,” with a debut performance at the Charlotte New Music Festival, and since they have performed around the USA. Wei has been teaching flute for over 14 years. She is currently on the faculty of the Newton Chinese Language School since 2017, and for Discover Melody online courses. She has taught at the Kennedy Longfellow School in Cambridge, MA, and the Chinese Musicians Association, for which organization she has recorded instructional videos on the performance of important flute masterworks. She also taught at the British School of Beijing for 2 years, and at Beijing’s No. 2 High School for 5 years. Her students have gone to play in The John Philip Sousa Honors National Band, the New England Conservatory’s orchestras, and Baroque Ensemble, Massachusetts’ All-State orchestra, have gone to study to UMass Amherst, and have achieved high scores in the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In 2016, Wei Zhao earned her master’s degree in flute performance from the Longy School of Music at Bard College, with flute professor Marco Granados. She also has a flute master’s degree with a full scholarship from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, with flute professor Yongxin Wang. Currently, she is the principal flutist of the Lowell Chamber Orchestra - with which she recently performed as a soloist Mozart’s Concerto No.1 in G Major - and performs regularly with Alea III, the Arlington Philharmonic Orchestra, and Juventas Music Ensemble. She has performed at Berklee College of Music, Middlesex Community College, UMass Lowell, and others.
MAKE A DONATION Donate to Juventas and help us touch hearts around the world. Last year, with a budget of just $100,000, we reached 1500+ people in person and 30,000+ people online in 45 US States and 49 countries. This puts Juventas’s COVID-era impact on par with organizations hundreds and thousands of times larger than ours. Three easy ways to donate: •Venmo: @JuventasMusic •Credit Card: www.juventasmusic.org/donate-now •Check: Juventas New Music Ensemble, P.O. Box 230015, Boston, MA 02123. Juventas New Music Ensemble is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your fully tax-deductible contributions are essential for us to present new music.
ADVERTISE WITH JUVENTAS Advertise in Juventas’s 2021-22 concert season! Attract patrons from Greater Boston and beyond, while supporting arts in our community. Advertising supports the work of Juventas and creates good will by identifying your business as a patron of the arts! For more information, please contact Juventas Marketing Coordinator Joe Sedarski, joe.sedarski@juventasmusic.org
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MAKE A PLANNED GIFT Bequests and planned gifts are simple, mutually beneficial ways for you to support Juventas New Music Ensemble beyond your lifetime. You can create your own legacy and keep supporting emerging composers for years to come by leaving a bequest in your will, life insurance policy, retirement plan, or other assets in your estate plan to Juventas New Music Ensemble, while at the same time reaping tax benefits for yourself and your descendents. If you would like more information about making a bequest to Juventas New Music Ensemble or if you’ve already included us in your estate plans, please contact our Artistic Director Oliver Caplan at olivercaplan@juventasmusic.org. Juventas New Music Ensemble is a nonprofit corporation, organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with a principal business address of: Juventas New Music Ensemble P.O. Box 230015 Boston, MA 02123 Our tax identification number is 26-2583870.
SUPPORTERS We are deeply grateful to the following individuals who made donations to Juventas between February 1, 2021 and March 15, 2022. Juventas exists because of your support. Please visit www.juventasmusic.org/donate-now to learn about making a tax-deductible gift. $5,000 and Above Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture John A. Carey Jon Saxton and Barbara Fox Massachusetts Cultural Council U.S. Small Business Administration $2,000–$4,999 Jonathan Aibel and Julie Rohwein Medford Arts Council The Ripley-Steinemann Family Fund Andrew Wilkins $1,000–$1,999 Boylston Cultural Council Bill and Paula Luria Caplan Oliver Caplan and Chris Beagan Carson Cooman Mary Humphrey Leslie Jacobson Kaye and Richard Kaye Karen and Fred Ruymann $300–$999 Casey Elia Michael Emanuel and Christie Gibson Meghan Guidry Margaret Hastings May Marquebreuck Carol McCarthy and Chris Stribakos Rachel M. Rivkind Geoffrey Smith Theodor Weinberg and Eric Hyett $200–$299 Lawrence Banks Alexandra Bowers and James Liu Margie Coffin Brown
Eric Darling Lauren Downing and Roseanne Luvisi Jerry and Joanne Dreher Ann Ferentz Moriah Freeman Patricia Henry Ian Lai Honor McClellan Richard Pasquarelli Kathryn Ritcheske $100–$199 Charles Anderson Laura Basford Robert Beagan Minda Berbeco Lauren Bilello Lee Binnig Margaret Cain Andrew Caplan and Elise Viebeck Laurence Cohen and Susan Worst Alfreid Doig Isadel Eddy Maggie Edinger Lynn Eustis Keren Faling Michael Gandolfi Lorna Gibson Roy Gordon Donald Hess Maureen Hollis Beth Jacob Laurie Jacobs and Steven Levine Harold Lichtin Jim Kane and Sharon Williams Mari and Denys Kotskyy Douglass Lee Ann MacDonald Linda Markarian Reeva Meyer Christine Mortensen Susan Hall Mygatt Ian Reiss Lori K. Sanders
Gordon and Shannon Shannon Benjamin Smith & Sarah Boehm Catherine Smith Scott Smith Liza Stearns Tina Strunk Tina Summerlin Ben Sweetser Ann Teixeira Kristina Watts Howard Wine Beverly Woodward and Paul Monsky Murray Woolf $50–$99 Oscar Arce Monica Barton Kenneth Bigley Anne Bilder Saskia Den Boon Anne Watson Borne Lucy Chapman Rachel Ciprotti Charles Coe Deanne McCredie Coolidge Mary Chris DeBelina Doyle Shaun Eyring Anthony Ferello Geoffrey Frank Irene Hermann Joseph Hutcheson Catherine Hyson James and Amie Jones Leonard and Terry Kahn Victoria Korsos Kenneth Krause and Maura McEnaney Jane Parkin Kullmann Nancy Kurtz Ludmilla Leibman Steven Lewis Xiomara Lorenzo and Cara Herbitter Libby Meyer Donna Migdal Matthew Kusulas
Herbert Motley Divya Narayan Linda Ng Robert Page Cashman Kerr Prince and Bryan Burns Melanie Sanders Kyle Simpson J.M. Vrtilek Up to $49 Kay Alden Gail Barry Mary Barton Robert Bawn Julianna Braun Bruce Brolsma Elizabeth Bukey Julia Scott Carey and Richard Mitrano Minjin Chung Linda Ciesielski Theodora Colburn Brian Cron Sam D’Antonio Laura Davidson Jaclyn Dentino
Michelle Diaz Ellen Feingold David Feltner Mitch FitzDaniel Kendra Goodwin Nancy Goodwin Julianna Hall Andy Hanson-Dvoracek Amanda Harberg Kelley Hollis Anne Howarth Masashi Kato Helene Kisch Abigail Krawson Anna Leahy Joshua Levit Shayna Liu Massachusetts Rivers Alliance Carol McAdam Samantha Meeker Frank Meredith Carrie Miller Yayoi Narita Jason Newman Carolyn Oberting Jason Pavel & Marie Walcott Sarah Peck
Christopher Porter Ginny Remedi-Brown Ose Schwab Joe Sedarski Dennis Shafer David Sharps Francine Trester Marc Vilain Dalit Warshaw William Williams We are also extremely thankful to the dedicated volunteers who gave their time and talents to Juventas in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 concert seasons: Sherene Aram Meg Hastings Spencer Klein Mona McKindley Sheila Murphy Evan Perry Elaine Walsh Ella Weber
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2020-21 SEASON VIVALDI THE FOUR SEASONS Oct 8 + 10 Symphony Hall
BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 7 Jan 7 + 9 Symphony Hall
BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 6, PASTORAL Nov 5 + 7 Symphony Hall
HAYDN + MOZART Jan 28 + 30 Symphony Hall
HANDEL MESSIAH Nov 26 + 27 + 28 Symphony Hall Presented by Ann and Graham Gund
BACH CHRISTMAS Dec 3 (Limited Seating Available) at St. Cecilia Parish Dec 5 (Sold Out) at First Church, Cambridge
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BACH + VIVALDI GLORIA Apr 1 + 3 Symphony Hall HAYDN THE CREATION Apr 29 + May 1 Symphony Hall
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PLEASE JOIN US FOR
MUSIC
IN BLOOM JUNE 5 and 12 at 6:00 PM EDT TOWER HILL BOTANIC GARDEN BOYLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
A magical evening of music al fresco at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.