BravoPiano! 2024 Program Book

HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

PRESENTS

BRAVO

“PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS...”

February 29 – March 4, 2024

SPONSORED BY THE HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

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HILTON HEAD ISLAND GETS A STANDING OVATION

“PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS...”

February

Gavin English, President Steinway & Sons - Americas

Dear BravoPiano! Friends,

On behalf of Steinway & Sons, I extend sincere congratulations to the Hilton Head International Piano Competition’s BravoPiano! at the launch of its “PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS…” festival.

We are honored that Steinway is the official piano of this year’s exciting collaborative festival and proud to support the HHIPC in its noble goal of encouraging and supporting excellence in piano performance, both classical and jazz.

This year’s BravoPiano! festival features some of the most notable names on the Steinway Artist roster including Bill Charlap, Renee Rosnes, Orli Shaham, Drew Petersen, Aaron Diehl, and Angela Cheng. We are more than proud to see our iconic pianos in Hilton Head during the festival.

I sincerely hope that your experience at BravoPiano! is a memory you will cherish for years to come, and that your love of the piano and its repertoire will be further enhanced as a result of your attendance.

Best regards,

Gavin English President Steinway & Sons - Americas

We are delighted to present our 2024 BravoPiano! festival, “PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS...” Hilton Head International Piano Competition Director Steve Shaiman has put together a remarkable series of performances featuring many of the leading keyboardists today—all coming here to Hilton Head Island. The 14 artists are a compelling mix of former HHIPC competitors and judges, joined by several of the jazz world’s leading performers.

We hope you will take full advantage of this festival, attending as many programs as you can.

We are so grateful for the many businesses and individuals whose support makes BravoPiano! possible, and participation affordable for all. Thanks, also, to our media partners and others who help us in promoting this unique, world-class music festival. Please enjoy the music and all that our little slice of paradise offers!

Sincerely,

Alan Jordan President and CEO Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra

Alan Jordan, President and CEO

thefrenchguyphotography

Steve Shaiman, Director, HHIPC

Greetings, Friends!

And welcome to BravoPiano! 2024. This triennial festival was launched in 2018 with the idea of celebrating the HHIPC and its rich history by bringing back both alumni competitors and judges to perform here in Hilton Head.

Just as we did that inaugural year, we offer you five nights of world class music, and we also feature prominent jazz artists in our programming to showcase the very best in piano performance.

As I considered possible themes for this third edition of our festival, I was struck by the fact that most pianists live such solitary lives—spending countless hours practicing, travelling, and performing on their own. At the same time, the piano itself is one of the most collaborative instruments, appearing in almost any ensemble setting one could think of: from duos to bands to large orchestras. That dichotomy led me to the title “PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS…” to shine the spotlight on the piano’s collaborative capabilities, and to allow our guest artists to share the stage with colleagues (and in some cases, spouses!).

On page 13, I share some additional details about the various inspirations for these programs. But, for now, suffice it to say that I am EXTREMELY excited about all five performances and the fourteen immensely talented artists we have brought here to perform for us! Whether you are with us for just one night or all five of these concerts, I can promise you an inspiring and engaging musical experience at each performance.

With an undertaking as large as this, there are far too many people to thank by name, but for starters, I must express gratitude to my dear HHSO colleagues, and also to all of our great volunteers who keep everything running smoothly. Extra special thanks go to my amazing HHIPC committee, who are my essential support system to make sure the ship stays on course and full speed ahead. I am sincerely grateful to all the generous sponsors and underwriting donors who enabled us to engage such a stellar line-up of artists to bring here to perform for you, and finally, I must thank all our guest artists for sharing their musical gifts with us.

I am so glad you are here to enjoy BravoPiano!, and if you are a regular audience member of our HHIPC presentations, we are delighted to welcome you back. If, however, this is the first time you are hearing one of our concerts, I hope this is just the first of many encounters and that we see you again very soon.

Warmest regards,

Steve Shaiman Director, Hilton Head International Piano Competition

HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

thefrenchguyphotography

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29 - 7:30 PM

CLASSICAL PIANO PARTNERS — ON STAGE AND OFF!

Ran Dank and Soyeon Kate Lee, Piano Duo

Featuring works by Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring

St. Luke’s Anglican Church, HHI Tickets: $40, open seating

FRIDAY, MARCH 1 - 7:30 PM

JAZZ PIANO PARTNERS — ON STAGE AND OFF!

Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes, Piano Duo

Program to be announced from the stage

St. Luke’s Anglican Church, HHI Tickets: $40, open seating

SATURDAY, MARCH 2 - 7:30 PM

QUINTESSENTIAL QUINTETS

Angela Cheng, Piano, and the Verona Quartet

Featuring piano quintets from Schumann and Dvořák

St. Luke’s Anglican Church, HHI Tickets: $40, open seating

SUNDAY, MARCH 3 - 5:00 PM

JAZZ MEETS CLASSICAL

Aaron Diehl, Piano, and David Wong, Bass

Featuring 12 Preludes (Book I) by Sir Roland Hanna, Preludes & Fugues by J. S. Bach and Bud Powell

St. Luke’s Anglican Church, HHI Tickets: $40, open seating

MONDAY, MARCH 4 - 7:30 PM

RHAPSODY & FANTASY

Grand Finale featuring three concerti with the HHSO

John Morris Russell, Conductor

Drew Petersen

Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue

Wynona Yinuo Wang

Busoni Indian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 44

Orli Shaham

Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43

First Presbyterian Church, HHI Tickets: $75/$55/$25, reserved seating

INSPIRATIONS FOR BRAVOPIANO! 2024 “PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS…”

STEVE SHAIMAN, DIRECTOR

As mentioned in my welcome letter on page 10, the title of this year’s festival refers to the piano’s huge versatility, since it can be found in collaborative settings from two to two hundred or more musicians! Because the HHIPC is dedicated mostly to solo piano music during our competition years, I thought it would be fun for the festival to showcase ensembles of two or more people onstage at each of Bravo’s concerts.

I started with the finale, hoping to engage three great pianists to collaborate with our beloved HHSO and Maestro JMR on a single program. I quickly came up with the title Rhapsody & Fantasy, focusing on pieces which allow composers’ imaginations to run wild. Here is a definition of a musical rhapsody which rings true to me: “… a one-movement, episodic work, often featuring contrasting moods, colors, and tonalities, with a distinct air of spontaneity and improvisation. In these respects, the Rhapsody is related to the Fantasia or Fantasy.” Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue was an obvious choice, especially with the 100th anniversary of its premiere this year. Rachmaninoff’s thrilling ‘Paganini Rhapsody’ was a very close second, not only because of its popularity, but also because of the composer’s 150th birthday in 2023. To balance those Rhapsodies, we are thrilled to present a rarely heard masterpiece: the Indian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra by illustrious pianist/composer, Ferruccio Busoni, which is his fantastical treatment of Native American themes in three movements. Added to that, we are blessed to have incredible soloists Drew Petersen, Wynona Yinuo Wang, and Orli Shaham to partner with our orchestra for these concerti. I could not have imagined anything better!

Once the finale was set, I turned to the opening, and the idea came to me of a piano duo featuring artists who are also partners in life as well as on stage. Ran Dank and Soyeon Kate Lee were an obvious choice due to their strong HHIPC ties. That inspired me to mirror this idea the following evening with the premier power couple in jazz piano—Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes. It is our great fortune that these artists accepted our invitation to perform on our opening two nights, and we are thrilled to present Bill and Renee’s debut here in Hilton Head!

My next collaborative focus was Chamber Music—a particular passion of mine—and I wanted to share some of the greatest music of the genre with you. I can’t think of anyone better to perform these quintessential piano quintets of Dvořák and Schumann than our frequent guest performer and judge Angela Cheng, and her Oberlin faculty colleagues, the award-winning Verona Quartet, who are longtime friends and colleagues of mine!

And finally, for our special Sunday evening program, I was delighted to learn that the brilliant jazz pianist Aaron Diehl (nominated for a 2024 Grammy® award!) was touring with a special duo program with his bassist David Wong, featuring 24 Preludes of legendary jazz pianist, Sir Roland Hanna, combined with Fugues by J.S. Bach and jazz piano icon Bud Powell. This program is ‘crossover’ in the truest sense of the word--demonstrating the bonds between jazz and classical music and proving that great music defies genres! I am delighted to introduce Aaron to our audiences in Hilton Head, and I hope this is the first of many concerts here for him.

I hope you have enjoyed learning about the creative process that led us to this year’s festival theme and programs. More importantly, I hope you enjoy the music and the performances of these amazing artists right here in our own backyard!

CLASSICAL PARTNERS

Ran Dank is one of today’s most ardent advocates for contemporary music. In recent seasons, he has performed Kevin Puts’ piano concerto “Night,” the Tobias Picker concerto “Keys to the City,” Frederic Rzewski’s “The People United Will Never Be Defeated,” and William Bolcom’s Pulitzer-winning set of “Twelve New Etudes.” Alongside his wife, pianist Soyeon Kate Lee, the Dank Duo debuted the world premieres of Frederic Rzewski’s “Four Hands” and Alexander Goehr’s “Seven Impromptus.”

The recipient of numerous honors, Mr. Dank won a coveted place on the Young Concert Artists roster in 2009 and subsequently made his New York recital debut sponsored by YCA and the Jerome L. Greene Foundation at Merkin Hall. He was a laureate of the Cleveland International Competition, the Naumburg Piano Competition, and the Sydney International Piano Competition, and First Prize winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition (2008).

Ran’s recent performances include concerts with the Pasadena Symphony and Keitaro Harada in April 2022, the Westchester Philharmonic and Jayce Ogren in October 2022, the Monterey Symphony in February 2023, and Chautauqua in August 2023. He is returning to Pro Music San Miguel de Allende in March of 2024.

Ran and spouse Soyeon Kate Lee have created a concert series called "Music by the Glass," which is held in a New York SoHo art gallery. During performances, an audience of young professionals listens and mingles with fellow solo and chamber work artists while enjoying treats and wines by the glass.

Mr. Dank received his Bachelor of Music degree from Tel-Aviv University, his Master of Music and Artist Diploma degrees from The Juilliard School, and his Doctor of Music degree from the Graduate Center at CUNY. He serves as an Associate Professor of Piano at the Eastman School of Music and is on the faculty of the Bowdoin International Music Festival.

First Prize winner of the Naumburg International Piano Competition and the Concert Artist Guild International Competition, Korean-American pianist Soyeon Kate Lee has been lauded by the Washington Post for her “stunning command of the keyboard.”

Highlights of recent seasons include appearances at the National Gallery, Library of Congress, Gina Bachauer Concerts, Purdue Convocations, Music@Menlo, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on tour, San Francisco Performances, Camerata Pacifica tour, Chamber Music Chicago, and the Cleveland Art Museum. She was a member of Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society’s Bowers program and is a regular participant in numerous chamber music festivals including the Great Lakes, Santa Fe and Music Mountain Chamber Music Festivals. Ms. Lee has collaborated with conductors Carlos Miguel Prieto, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Jahja Ling, and Jorge Mester with the London, San Diego, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Naples symphony orchestras among others.

She has commissioned works by prominent composers and has given world premieres of works written by Frederic Rzewski, Marc-André Hamelin, Alexander Goehr, Gabriela Lena Frank, Texu Kim, and Huang Ruo.

Lisa Marie Mazzucco

"PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS..."

RAN DANK & SOYEON KATE LEE

As a Naxos recording artist, her discography spans a wide range of repertoire from two volumes of Scarlatti Sonatas, Liszt Opera Transcriptions, two volumes of Scriabin, and Clementi Sonatas. Ms. Lee’s recording of Re!nvented under the E1/Entertainment One label (formerly Koch Classics) garnered her a feature review in Gramophone Magazine and the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year Award.

A second prize and Mozart Prize winner of the 2003 Cleveland International Piano Competition and a laureate of the Santander International Piano Competition in Spain, Ms. Lee has worked extensively with Richard Goode, Robert McDonald, Ursula Oppens, and Jerome Lowenthal. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Ms. Lee was awarded the William Petschek Piano Debut Award at Lincoln Center and the Arthur Rubinstein Award and received her Doctor of Musical Arts from the Graduate Center, City University of New York.

In 2022, Ms. Lee joined the piano faculty at The Juilliard School, and serves on the piano faculty at the Bowdoin International Music Festival during the summers. She resides in New York with her husband, pianist Ran Dank, and their two children, Noah and Ella.

(1873-1943) (1882-1971)

SOYEON KATE LEE

Moments Musicaux, Op. 16

No. 1 in E minor

No. 4 in B-flat minor

RAN DANK

Suite in C Major for Two Pianos, Op. 17

Introduction (Alla marcia) Waltz (Presto)

Romance (Andantino)

Tarantella (Presto)

INTERMISSION

Igor Stravinsky The Rite of Spring (1912-13) (arranged for two pianos by the composer)

This program is sponsored by Mary and Mike Briggs

Sergei Rachmaninoff Prelude in D Major, Op. 23, No. 4 Prelude in B-flat Major, Op.23, No. 2

Lisa Marie Mazzucco

JAZZ PARTNERS

GRAMMY® award-winning pianist Bill Charlap has performed with many of the leading artists of our time including Phil Woods, Tony Bennett, Gerry Mulligan, Wynton Marsalis, Freddy Cole and Houston Person. Born in New York City, Charlap began playing the piano at age three. His father was Broadway composer Moose Charlap, whose credits include Peter Pan, and his mother is singer Sandy Stewart, who toured with Benny Goodman and was a regular on the Perry Como show. She earned a 1963 GRAMMY® nomination for her recording of “My Coloring Book." In 2005, Charlap and Stewart released the acclaimed CD Love Is Here To Stay (Blue Note Records). In 1997, Charlap formed his trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz. In 2000, he was signed to Blue Note Records and received two GRAMMY® Award nominations for Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein and The Bill Charlap Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard. He is known for his interpretations of American popular song. In 2016, Tony Bennett & Bill

This program is sponsored by Laura and Bret Jacobowitz and Barbara Harris Sorkin

Program to be Announced from the Stage.

"PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS..."

BILL CHARLAP & RENEE ROSNES

Charlap: The Silver Lining, The Songs of Jerome Kern, was awarded a GRAMMY® for Best Traditional Pop Album. Also in 2016, the Bill Charlap Trio released Notes from New York, their debut recording for the Impulse label. Alan Morrison's five-star review in DownBeat stated that the recording is "a masterclass in class." His newest recording, “Street of Dreams,” is a delightful mix of Great American Songbook favorites and songs by great jazz composers including Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck among others (Blue Note 2021).

In 2019, Charlap celebrated his 15th year as Artistic Director of New York City’s Jazz in July Festival at the 92Y. He has produced concerts for Jazz at Lincoln Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Chicago Symphony Center and the Hollywood Bowl. He is currently the Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.

Charlap is married to renowned jazz pianist and composer Renee Rosnes, and the two artists often collaborate in a duo piano setting. In 2010 they released Double Portrait (Blue Note).

Renee Rosnes’ distinguished career continues to reach new levels marked by new music, exciting collaborations, and ever-evolving musicianship. Upon moving to New York from Vancouver, Canada in 1985, she quickly established a reputation of the highest regard, touring and recording with such masters as Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, JJ Johnson, Buster Williams, and James Moody. She was the pianist for the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra and a founding member of the all-star ensemble, the SFJAZZ Collective, with whom she toured and recorded for six years.

In 1990, Renee released her debut album on Blue Note Records and went on to record 10 albums for the legendary company. In 2020, she returned to the label with ARTEMIS, a jazz supergroup including trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, saxophonist Nicole Glover, alto saxophonist/flutist Alexa Tarantino, bassist Noriko Ueda, and drummer Allison Miller with Rosnes serving as pianist and musical director. Their performance at the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival was so dynamic, Blue Note Records President, Don Was, signed the group to the label. Tour dates across Europe and North America followed, including performances at such iconic stages as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, SFJAZZ, Chicago Orchestra Hall, as well as the Detroit Jazz Festival, Saratoga Jazz Festival, and the Monterey Jazz Festival among others. ARTEMIS has been featured on the cover of DownBeat, in Vanity Fair, and on NPR’s Jazz Night in America.

Rosnes’ 2016 outing Written in the Rocks (Smoke Sessions Records) was named one of ten Best Jazz Albums of the Year by The Chicago Tribune, one of the Best Albums in all genres of music by The Nation and won a Canadian JUNO Award (her 5th). Her latest release, Kinds of Love (Smoke Sessions) was entirely composed during the pandemic and features saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Christian McBride, drummer Carl Allen, and the Brazilian percussionist Rogério Boccato.

The Montréal Jazz Festival presented Renee with the 2018 Oscar Peterson Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to jazz. She is also an 11-year member of NEA Jazz Master Ron Carter’s Foursight Quartet. The double album “Ron Carter: Live in Stockholm” (In’n’Out Records) was released in 2021.

Renee is married to renowned pianist Bill Charlap. In 2010 the couple released the acclaimed two-piano recording, Double Portrait (Blue Note). The Charlap/Rosnes duo was featured on four tracks of the 2015 GRAMMY® winning album: Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap: The Silver Lining, The Songs of Jerome Kern

QUINTESSENTIAL QUINTETS

Consistently praised for her brilliant technique, tonal beauty, and superb musicianship, Canadian pianist Angela Cheng is one of her country’s national treasures. In addition to regular guest appearances with virtually every orchestra in Canada, she has performed with the symphonies of St. Louis, Houston, Indianapolis, Colorado, Utah, San Diego, and Jacksonville, as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Buffalo, Louisiana, Rhode Island, London, Israel, and Minas Gerais in Brazil.

Recent performances include a debut with the Fort Worth Symphony, performing Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Paganini, under the baton of Robert Spano, and a return to the Vancouver Symphony, performing Ravel’s Concerto in G with Otto Tausk. Upcoming performances will include the Boulder Philharmonic, Newfoundland Symphony, Okanagan Symphony, Saskatoon Symphony, Saguenay Symphony, and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas.

Angela Cheng has performed recitals and concertos at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the 92nd Street Y and Wigmore Hall in London. She appears regularly on recital series throughout the United States and Canada and has collaborated with numerous chamber ensembles including the Takács, Colorado, Vogler and Verona quartets.

North American festival performances include Banff, Chautauqua, Colorado, Great Lakes Chamber Music, Vancouver, Toronto, and the Festival International de Lanaudière in Québec.

Ms. Cheng has made several recordings for the Canadian Broadcasting Company including discs of Mozart and Shostakovich concerti and a CD of four Spanish concerti with Hans Graf and the Calgary Philharmonic. In addition, an allChopin CD has been released by Universal Music Canada Angela Cheng has been Gold Medalist of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition, as well as the first Canadian to win the prestigious Montréal International Piano Competition. Other awards include the Canada Council’s coveted Career Development Grant and the Medal of Excellence for outstanding interpretations of Mozart from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.

A native of Hong Kong, Ms. Cheng studied extensively with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University and with Sascha Gorodnitzki at The Juilliard School. She is currently on the artist faculty of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she was honored with the 2011-12 Excellence in Teaching Award.

The Verona Quartet has appeared across four continents, captivating audiences at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, Jordan Hall, Wigmore Hall, and Melbourne Recital Hall, and has performed at festivals including La Jolla Summerfest, Chamber Music Northwest, Caramoor, the Texas Music Festival, Bravo! Vail, and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

In the 2023-24 season, the Verona Quartet will debut at numerous prestigious series across the US and Canada including Clarion Concerts, the Chicago Chamber Music Society, La Jolla Athenaeum, the Hawaii Chamber Music Society, Music Toronto, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival among others. A string quartet for the 21st century, the Verona Quartet champions the rich breadth of the string quartet repertoire from the time-honored canon through contemporary classics. Notable commissions and premieres include works by composers Julia Adolphe, Texu Kim and Sebastian Currier as well as Michael Gilbertson’s Pulitzer Prizenominated Quartet. In 2023, the Quartet celebrated several world premieres including a work for string quartet, yangqin (Chinese dulcimer) and dancer by Cheng Jin Koh, commissioned by The Smithsonian Institution in honor of the centennial of the Freer Gallery of Art.

Following critical acclaim for their debut album, Diffusion (2021), the Verona Quartet’s second album, SHATTER, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Traditional Classical Chart in July 2023. SHATTER showcases works written for the Quartet by American composers Julia Adolphe and Michael Gilbertson as well as Reena Esmail’s Ragamala, in collaboration with Hindustani vocalist Saili Oak.

ANGELA CHENG & THE VERONA QUARTET

The Quartet’s third album, comprised of Ligeti’s complete string quartets, was released in December 2023 (Dynamic Records) in celebration of the composer's centennial year.

In addition to promoting contemporary music, the Quartet strives for a dynamic, imaginative approach to collaboration and programming that champions cross-cultural and interdisciplinary enterprises. In upcoming seasons, the Quartet looks forward to collaborations with saxophonist Steven Banks, clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein, pianist Eric Lu, and pipa virtuoso Wu Man. Past projects include a liveperformance art installation with artist Ana Prvački, performances with dancers from Brooklyn’s Dance Heginbotham, artistic exchanges with traditional Emirati poets in the UAE, and a collaboration with GRAMMY® winning folk trio I’m With Her.

Continuing in the lineage of their esteemed mentors, the Cleveland, Juilliard and Pacifica Quartets, the Verona Quartet’s rapid rise to international prominence was fueled by top prize wins at the Wigmore Hall, Melbourne, M-Prize and Osaka International Chamber Music Competitions, as well as the 2015 Concert Artists Guild Competition. Since 2020, the Quartet has served on the faculty of the Oberlin College and Conservatory as String Quartet-in-Residence.

ANGELA CHENG, piano

VERONA QUARTET

Jonathan Ong, violin • Dorothy Ro, violin

Abigail Rojansky, viola • Jonathan Dormand, cello

Antonín Dvořák Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81

(1841-1904)

Allegro, ma non tanto

Dumka: Andante con moto

Scherzo (Furiant): Molto vivace - Poco tranquillo

Finale: Allegro

INTERMISSION

Robert Schumann Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44

(1810-1856)

Allegro brillante

In Modo d'una Marcia. Un poco largamente

Scherzo. Molto vivace — Trio I — Trio II

Allegro, ma non troppo

This program is sponsored by Dr. Karen and Stephen Ball, Mary and Chris Albright, and Joan and Bob Koenig

Courtesy of Schmidt Artists International Inc. Kampo Kikkas

JAZZ MEETS CLASSICAL

Pianist and composer Aaron Diehl mystifies listeners with his layered artistry. At once temporal and ethereal, his expression transforms the piano into an orchestral vessel in the spirit of beloved predecessors Ahmad Jamal, Erroll Garner, and Jelly Roll Morton. Following five critically-acclaimed leader albums on Mack Avenue Records — and live appearances at historic venues from Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Village Vanguard to the New York Philharmonic and the Philharmonie de Paris — the American Pianist Association’s 2011 Cole Porter fellow now focuses his attention on what it means to be present within himself. His forthcoming solo record promises an expansion of that exploration in a setting at once unbound and intimate.

Aaron conjures three-dimensional expansion of melody, counterpoint and movement through time. Rather than choose one sound or another, he invites listeners into the chambered whole of his artistry. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Aaron traveled to New York in 2003, following his success as a finalist in JALC’s Essentially Ellington competition and a subsequent European tour with Wynton Marsalis. His love affair with rub and tension prompted a years-long immersion in distinctive repertoire from Monk and Ravel to Gershwin and William Grant Still. Among other towering figures, Still in particular inspires Aaron’s ongoing curation of Black American composers in his own performance programming, unveiled this past fall at 92nd St. Y.

Aaron has enjoyed artistic associations with Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Buster Williams, Branford Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Philip Glass, and multi-GRAMMY® award-winning artist Cecile McLorin Salvant. He recently appeared with the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra as featured soloist.

In September 2023, Diehl released his GRAMMY® nominated recording of Mary Lou Williams’s Zodiac Suite with The Knights, a Brooklyn-based orchestral collective led by conductor Eric Jacobsen. As the first-ever studio recording of Willams’s Zodiac Suite, it has been touted as “a joyous, enchanting creation… a triumph” (The Guardian) with Diehl lauded as “a contemporary champion” (The New York Times) and “a perfect choice to preside over this landmark recording” (The Wall Street Journal). The album features Diehl’s trio (David Wong, bass, and drummer Aaron Kimmel) and guest artists saxophonist Nicole Glover, clarinetist Evan Christopher, trumpeter Brandon Lee, and soprano Mikaela Bennett. Zodiac Suite is Diehl’s fourth album for Mack Avenue records.

Aaron holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from The Juilliard School. A licensed pilot, when he’s not at the studio or on the road, he’s likely in the air.

Evelyn Freja

AARON DIEHL & DAVID WONG

Bassist David Wong was born and raised in New York City and is a graduate of the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts, where he developed his passion for music under the tutelage of tuba master Bob Stewart. He graduated from The Juilliard School in classical music in 2004 and has studied with Orin O’Brien (New York Philharmonic), Ron Carter, Ben Wolfe, and John Clayton.

From 2003 to 2004, as part of the Eric Reed Trio, Wong performed in Switzerland, Scotland, the Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles), the Algonquin Hotel (New York City), and with Jazz at Lincoln Center, as well as at many other venues worldwide. He is currently a member of Roy Haynes’ Fountain of Youth band, which has toured throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, as well as bassist with the Heath Brothers quartet, led by jazz legends Jimmy and Albert “Tootie” Heath. Wong can also be seen performing with the exciting new singer Sachal Vasandani and the amazing pianist Jeb Patton.

Wong has recorded with Benny Green, Dan Nimmer, Jeb Patton, and Albert “Tootie” Heath, and he is featured on a new release from Vasandani, “Eyes Wide Open.” He has performed with Clark Terry, Illinois Jacquet, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Walter Blanding, Marcus Printup, Leroy Jenkins, David Hazeltine, Jim Rotondi, Carla Cook, Paula West, and Mark Gould (Metropolitan Opera), to name just a few.

David is on faculty at Temple University, Purchase College, The New School, and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, CUNY.

Program to be Announced from the Stage to include:

Sir Roland Hanna 12 Preludes (Book I)

(1932-2002)

J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 860

Earl “Bud” Powell Tempus Fugue-It

(1685-1750) (1924-1966)

This program is sponsored by Liz and Todd Clist and Linda and Ray Moloney

ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST BELOVED & PROLIFIC SONGWRITERS

APR 24 – MAY 26

A HIT-FILLED RIDE THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE LEGENDARY SONGWRITER CAROLE KING

Before she was hit-maker Carole King — she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. From the charttopping hits she wrote for the biggest acts in music to her own life-changing, trailblazing success with Tapestry, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical takes you back to where it all began — and takes you on the ride of a lifetime.

Featuring over two dozen pop classics, including “You’ve Got a Friend,” “One Fine Day,” “Up on the Roof,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and “Natural Woman,” this crowdpleasing international phenomenon is filled with the songs you remember—and the story you’ll never forget.

Renée Fleming, Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene

Sunday, March 31 at 4 pm Lucas Theatre for the Arts

Emanuel Ax, Piano

Friday April 12 at 6 pm Trinity United Methodist Church

For tickets and more information, please visit savannahmusicfestival.org or call the Box Office at 912.525.5050

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL

John Morris Russell’s embrace of America’s unique voice and musical stories has transformed how orchestral performances can connect and engage with audiences everywhere. The wide-range and diversity of his work with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra as a conductor, collaborator, and educator invigorates the musical scene in Cincinnati and beyond. Mr. Russell is Music Director of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and Hilton Head International Piano Competition and serves as Principal Pops Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, following in the footsteps of Marvin Hamlisch and Doc Severinsen. He served as Music Director of Ontario’s Windsor Symphony Orchestra from 2001-2012.

A popular guest conductor, Mr. Russell has worked with the leading North American orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, New York Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, and the National Symphony. For over a decade, Mr. Russell has regularly led the National Orchestral Institute and Festival in College Park, Maryland, one of the nation’s premier training orchestras. Dedicated to sharing the American musical experience with the newest generation of players, he helped develop and conducted the Link Up educational concert series at Carnegie Hall and has cultivated dynamic educational programs with the symphony orchestras of Cincinnati, Windsor, and Hilton Head.

For over two decades, he has led the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s wildly successful Classical Roots initiative honoring and celebrating Black musical excellence, which has garnered record-breaking, in-person and online audiences.

Mr. Russell’s seven recordings with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra include 2023’s holiday album JOY!; the landmark recordings in the “American Originals project”: American Originals (the music of Stephen Foster); and the GRAMMY® nominated American Originals 1918 (a tribute to the dawn of the jazz age).

John Morris Russell earned degrees from the University of Southern California and Williams College and has studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, and the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Hancock, Maine.

John Mastroianni

BRAVO

"PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS..."

RHAPSODY & FANTASY

Monday, March 4, 2024 • 7:30pm

Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra

John Morris Russell, Conductor

GEORGE GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue

DREW PETERSEN

FERRUCCIO BUSONI Indian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 44

Fantasy

Canzona

Finale

WYNONA YINUO WANG

PROGRAM INTERMISSION

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43

ORLI SHAHAM

POST CONCERT RECEPTION

Please join us after the concert in The Gathering Space to mingle with the BravoPiano! artists, our HHSO musicians, and Maestro Russell.

Reception sponsored by the League of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and the HHSO Board of Directors.

DREW PETERSEN

Acclaimed young American pianist Drew Petersen is a sought-after soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. He has been praised for his commanding and poetic performances of repertoire ranging from Bach to Zaimont and is the recipient of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, 2017 American Pianists Award, and the Christel DeHaan Fellow of the American Pianists Association.

His 2021-2022 season included orchestras in Cincinnati, Santa Fe, Buffalo, Delaware, Columbus, and Indianapolis and recitals in San Francisco, Madison, and Sanibel, FL. Recent highlights have included debuts with the Sarasota, Houston, Phoenix, Pacific, Milwaukee, Fort Smith, Buffalo, Waco, and Allentown symphonies as well as his recital debut at the Kennedy Center. In solo recital Petersen has appeared at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, University of Indianapolis, Williams College Concert Series, Dame Myra Hess Concerts in Chicago, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Brevard Music Center’s Summer Festival, and Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. 2018 marked the release of his first solo recording of music by Barber, Carter, and other American composers on the Steinway & Sons label for which BBC Music Magazine acknowledged his presence as a rising star. A frequent radio contributor, Petersen has performed on McGraw-Hill Young Artists Showcase, From the Top, and Performance Today. Profiles include The New York Times, New York Magazine, and the documentary “just normal” by award-winning director Kim A. Snyder. A champion of chamber music, Petersen has appeared on French radio’s France Musique while a member of a Verbier Festival piano trio.

Drew Petersen’s firm belief in the importance of music in contemporary society led to collaborations with Young Audiences NY that presents performances in New York City’s public schools. His appearance in Andrew Solomon’s New York Times bestselling book, Far From the Tree, sparked a nation-wide conversation on raising extraordinary and different children who test the willpower and capabilities of their families and society. Petersen continually advocates for the necessity of classical music and other arts in society and was named a 2006 Davidson Fellow for his portfolio entitled Keeping Classical Music Alive.

Mr. Petersen won Second Prize in HHIPC’s inaugural Young Artist Competition in 2011. He was 17 years old.

Mr. Petersen's appearance is sponsored by Mary Ann and Tarrant Putnam.

Dario Acosta

ABOUT THE MUSIC

BY JONATHAN ACETO

RHAPSODY IN BLUE GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937)

Violist Paul Whiteman had been leading a popular dance band in San Francisco in the late 1910s when in 1920, the group moved to New York City and began recording for RCA Victor. The sophisticated arrangements of early jazz standards catapulted Whiteman and his orchestra to national fame. Using that fame to promote this new “concert hall” style of jazz, Whiteman approached George Gershwin to compose a concerto-like piece for a special concert titled “An Experiment in Modern Music.” A celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, the concert was to take place in Aeolian Hall on February 12, 1924. Gershwin, however, felt there was simply not enough time to write the piece and work out any potential problems, so he declined.

During an evening game of billiards on January 3rd, George’s brother Ira came dashing into the room with a copy of the New York Tribune and read an article which proudly stated that George Gershwin would be creating a jazz concerto for that concert! The next morning, after a long telephone conversation, Whiteman finally convinced George to write the piece, which he did while on a train ride to Boston for rehearsals of his new musical Sweet Little Devil. After finishing the work as a piece for two pianos, Gershwin passed it over to Ferde Grofé, Whiteman’s arranger, who completed the orchestrations a mere eight days before the February 12th premiere. It certainly helped that Gershwin was to be the piano soloist that evening, especially considering he had not yet written down much of the piano part! In the audience that night were such influential figures as Igor Stravinsky, John Philip Sousa, Leopold Stokowski, and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

It is no coincidence that Rhapsody in Blue found its way onto this 2024 finale of BravoPiano! considering this iconic piece is celebrating its 100th anniversary. As Gershwin once described, it is “a musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness.” Instantly a hit, the Rhapsody has become synonymous with New York City and was used with great effect in Woody Allen’s Manhattan. Even the first recording, made by Whiteman and Gershwin, was remarkably popular, selling over a million copies.

Tonight’s performance will feature Grofé’s 1942 arrangement for full symphony orchestra.

WYNONA YINUO WANG

Chinese pianist Wynona Yinuo Wang launched her career after winning First Prize at the 2018 Concert Artists Guild International Competition in New York City. An active performer in China, Europe, and the United States, recent North America performances include appearances with Orchestra NOW, DuPage Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, California North State Symphony Orchestra, and Meadows Symphony Orchestra in Dallas. She has performed in major concert venues including the Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Metropolitan Museum Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the Purdue Convocations, Kravis Center, California Performing Arts Center, Whitney Center, Conrad in La Jolla, and Dallas Winspear Opera House. Internationally, Wynona has been a featured soloist with the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine and the Romanian Mihail Jora Philharmonic Orchestra in Italy. She has also given numerous solo piano recitals in China, including cities such as Beijing, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Kunming, Ningbo, and Dalian, as well as in Spain (Madrid) and Indonesia (Jakarta).

In recent seasons, Wynona has been presented by the New York Philharmonic’s Artist Spotlight Series, the Shriver Hall Discovery Series, the Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, the Tippet Rise Art Center, the Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania, the Robbie Collomore Concert Series, and Music Mountain Chamber Music Season.

Born in Beijing, Wynona began playing piano at age 4, and went on to study at both the Music Elementary and Secondary schools at the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing. In 2016, she was awarded a full scholarship for study at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas and earned her Performer’s Diploma under the tutelage of the eminent pianist Alessio Bax in 2018. Wynona recently earned her bachelor’s degree at The Juilliard School with the Arthur Rubinstein Commencement Award, and she continues to pursue her master’s degree at Juilliard with Robert McDonald. In 2019, she was a recipient of the Charlotte White Career Grant awarded by Salon de Virtuosi.

Wynona is based in New York City and was a Medalist in the 2022 Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

Ms. Wang's appearance is sponsored by Peggi Moon and Bill Hutchinson.

Yangzi Huang

ABOUT THE MUSIC

BY JONATHAN ACETO

INDIAN FANTASY FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA, OP. 44 FERRUCCIO BUSONI (1866-1924)

Ferruccio Busoni was a prominent pianist, composer, and intellectual in Europe at the end of the nineteenth century. And yet, it was during one of his trips to the United States that Busoni became inspired by Native American philosophy and music which transformed his approach to composing. The occasion centered on Natalie Curtis, a young pianist who sought out Busoni for lessons while he was in New York City. In 1904, Ms. Curtis became aware of Native American music at the St. Louis World Exposition and moved to Arizona to live with the Hopi. She began an extensive study of indigenous music which culminated in a 572-page book complete with accurate transcriptions of 200 songs, a major landmark in the history of ethnomusicology. Busoni caught up with his former student in 1910 at a New York Philharmonic concert of his own music, where she gave him a copy of her book.

Thus began a new chapter in Busoni’s life, philosophy, and approach to music-making, as he embraced the holistic Native American view of life and art. Busoni found their idea of a oneness connecting art and nature to be inspiring, especially in light of the divisiveness he felt was permeating European society at the time. In 1913, Busoni set out to create a three-movement rhapsody for piano and orchestra that would incorporate many of the melodies in Curtis’ book. Interestingly, however, he found their simplicity, especially the regularity of rhythm and the overwhelming use of the pentatonic scale, a significant challenge when trying to develop them in a traditional Western-European manner. Busoni was thus forced to reconsider his concept of melody, which pushed him into new realms of harmony as well as polyphony. The first movement of the piece, Fantasy, flowed effortlessly, but the slower second movement, Canzona, was harder to compose, and Busoni jokingly wrote to a student, “I’ve had to scalp it four times!” Eventually, he finished all three sections and gave the premiere in March 1914, with the Berlin Philharmonic. The American premiere was in 1915 featuring Busoni, Stokowski, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, with Ms. Curtis in the audience, who was enraptured by Busoni’s treatment of the melodies she had transcribed.

ORLI SHAHAM

A consummate musician recognized for her grace, subtlety, and brilliance, Orli Shaham is hailed by critics on four continents. The New York Times called her a "brilliant pianist," The Chicago Tribune referred to her as “a first-rate Mozartean,” and London's Guardian said Ms. Shaham's playing at the Proms was “perfection."

Orli Shaham has performed with many of the major orchestras around the world, and has appeared in recital internationally, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. She has been Artistic Director of Pacific Symphony’s chamber series Café Ludwig in California since 2007, and Artistic Director of the interactive children's concert series, Orli Shaham’s Bach Yard, which she founded in 2010. A wildly popular series, Bach Yard is recognized by parents and the music community as a significant force in music education and entertainment for children age pre-K to early elementary. The concert programs provide hands-on activities with musical instruments, concepts that promote listening skills, and feature chamber music performed by professional musicians with Ms. Shaham as host and pianist.

Orli Shaham is also a Co-Host and Creative for the national radio program From the Top. She is on the piano and chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School and is chair of the board of trustees at Kaufman Music Center in New York.

Highlights of Ms. Shaham’s 2023-2024 concert season include performances with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, two chamber performances with musicians from Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA where she is artist-in-residence, and a German tour with the Brandenburg State Orchestra. In 2024, she releases Volumes 5 and 6 of Mozart’s sonatas, completing her cycle of piano sonatas (Canary Classics). Volumes 1-4 of the sonata cycle and a recording of Mozart’s Piano Concertos have received high critical acclaim.

Orli Shaham was recognized early for her exceptional talents. At age five, she received her first scholarship from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation to study with Luisa Yoffe at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem. At age seven, she traveled to New York with her family to begin studying at The Juilliard School. She won the Gilmore Young Artist Award and the Avery Fisher Career Grant, two prestigious prizes given to further the development of outstanding talent.

Orli Shaham is married to conductor David Robertson. They live in New York with their four children. She was a member of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition jury in 2019. She has been a Steinway Artist since 2003.

Ms. Shaham's appearance is sponsored by Joan and Charles Dattelbaum.

Kajaka Studios

ABOUT THE MUSIC

BY JONATHAN ACETO

RHAPSODY ON A THEME OF PAGANINI, OP. 43 SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)

Niccolò Paganini finished writing his 24 Caprices for Solo Violin in 1817, establishing one of the most difficult collections of violin music ever created. Little did he know the extraordinary impact those pieces would have on the classical world, as they have been transcribed and arranged for numerous instruments. The 24th caprice, itself a theme and variations, has been a source of inspiration for several composers over the years, as each has created his own set of variations based on Paganini’s tune. Among the more unique examples are: Classical Thump, a piece by jazz bassist Victor Wooten; Paganini in Metropolis, for clarinet and wind symphony by Frank Proto; and “Angels Cry,” a song by the Brazilian heavy metal band Angra. However, few would disagree that one of the most famous and successful examples is Rachmaninoff’s set of 24 variations that he wrote in Switzerland during the summer of 1934. The premiere was given by the composer in Baltimore on November 7 with Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. Rachmaninoff, who often experienced performance anxiety, was especially nervous about this premiere and, breaking his own rule against alcohol, drank a glass of crème de menthe before the concert. Apparently, it helped, and he began a new tradition of imbibing crème de menthe before every performance of the Rhapsody. Rachmaninoff, Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra also made the first recording of the Rhapsody on Christmas Eve of that year.

Although the Rhapsody is presented as one single movement, it is loosely divided into three sections, with the first section being variations one through ten, the second finishing with the 18th variation, and the third the remaining six variations. A unique feature of this piece is that it starts with the first variation and then proceeds to state the main theme, an idea Rachmaninoff may have taken from the last movement of Beethoven’s Eroica symphony. As the piece enters the sixth variation, the listener may be surprised to hear the ominous Dies Irae plainchant melody being pounded out on the piano, a musical quote Rachmaninoff loved to interject into many of his pieces. As the piece descends into chromatic murkiness during the 17th variation, the listener is quickly rewarded with the glorious 18th variation, one of Rachmaninoff’s most sublime melodies and one which supposedly was inspired by seeing Paganini’s melody upside down when the music dropped onto the floor. The pace picks up again for the last section as the piece rushes into the last variation and, with one final explosive statement of the Dies Irae, the pianist quietly tosses off the last four notes.

2024 FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

VIOLIN I

Micah Gangwer, Concertmaster

Aldine W. Schroeder Memorial Chair

VIOLIN II

Brian Allen, Principal

SECTION VIOLIN

Jean S. Wolff Chair

in memory of Alfred W. Wolff

Jonathan Aceto

Alex Boissonnault

Barbara Borg

Ann Cafferty

Jason Economides

Andrew Emmett

Thiago Formiga

Seth Gangwer

Rafe Goldman

Mario Incorvaia

Tomas Jakubek

David Katz

Angela Loizides

Corey Mike

Gerome Stewart

Marina Volynets

VIOLA

Lizhou Liu, Principal

Mary & Michael Briggs Chair

Vasily Gorkovoy

Sadie Nichols

Matthew Peebles

Jeffery Watson

Benjamin Weiss

CELLO

Daniel Mumm, Principal

Ellen & Charles Taylor Chair

Barbara Altman

Timothy O'Malley

Lee Richey

Cynthia Sulko

Mary Ann Watson

BASS

Maurice Belle, Principal

Ann & Michael Waters in memory of

Ruth A. & Robert C. Waters

Samuel Dugo

Joe Farley

Vadim Volynets

FLUTE

Lorraine Jones, Principal

Erna B. Graver Memorial Chair

Tacy Edwards

Regina Helcher-Yost - Piccolo

OBOE

Leah Bedard, Acting Principal

Patty & Dave Ekedahl Chair

Kelly Mozeik

Kelly Odell – English Horn

CLARINET

Charles Messersmith, Principal

Marge & Paul Coble Chair in memory of Don E. Coble

Russell Floyd, Co-Principal

Gretchen Roper – Bass Clarinet

SAXOPHONE

Stutz Wimmer

ORCHESTRA LIBRARIAN

Jason Economides

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Rafe Goldman

STAGE MANAGER/ EQUIPMENT CREW

Ross Gerhardstein

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN AUDIO, VIDEO & LIGHTING

Joseph Chappell

ARCHIVAL RECORDING

Bill Gwynne

PROGRAM NOTES

Jonathan Aceto

BASSOON

Katherine St. John, Principal

Doris & Willis Shay Chair

Sandra Nikolajevs

HORN

Stephanie Mason, Principal

Liz & Walt Schymik Chair in memory of Catherine B. Kaufman

Brandon Nichols

Debra Sherrill-Ward

Anne Holmi

TRUMPET

Paul Lott, Principal

Nancy & John Diamond Chair

Antonio Marti

Todd Jenkins

TROMBONE

Mark Spradley, Acting Principal

Lin & Robert Rada Chair

Colleen Crafton

Don Crafton

TUBA

Christopher Bluemel, Principal

Dr. William P. and Judy F. Thorpe Chair in honor of Richard Heyman, M.D.

TIMPANI

Ray McClain, Principal

Marianne and George Krall Chair

PERCUSSION

Stephen Primatic, Principal

Sandy & Fred Caswell Chair

Mathew Fallin

Ryan Leveille

HARP

Alisa Coffey, Acting Principal League of Hilton Head Orchestra Chair

PARTNERSHIP

At Gulfstream, our international business is based on local values. Funding educational initiatives and civic organizations, supporting hospitals and leading in sustainable business practices are just a few of the ways we give back to the communities we call home.

AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

First offered in 2003, the Ambassador Program will be a central part of BravoPiano! 2024. Artists who perform at the Festival and throughout the year will visit local schools on Hilton Head, in Bluffton, and in Beaufort to perform for hundreds of enraptured students. The sessions are arranged so that there is time to interact, relay information about the pieces and composers played, and for the artists to engage in conversation about their musical lives. Not only do these sessions assist schools in satisfying some state curricular requirements, but they can be quite entertaining since children often ask unexpected questions! A few years ago, the HHIPC added senior-living communities to this important outreach program.

The Ambassador Program is an opportunity for artists to perform and share the experience of mastering their craft in a relaxed setting with young people and, hopefully, to inspire some of these youngsters to study music. As for the students, it is the first time many will have heard classical music or even attended a live musical performance of any kind.

The Hilton Head International Piano Competition believes that these visits awaken musical excitement in the students of Beaufort County and encourage our young people to strive and excel at whatever endeavors they wish to accomplish.

These educational visits are made possible through a generous grant from Gulfstream Aerospace.

2024 Participating Schools

Confirmed at publication

Red Cedar Elementary • Bluffton Elementary

Coosa Elementary • Hilton Head Christian Academy

St. Gregory the Great Catholic School • MC Riley Elementary

River Ridge Academy • Hilton Head Elementary for Creative Arts

Hilton Head International Baccalaureate

Sea Pines Montessori • Savannah Arts Academy

TidePointe • The Cypress • The Seabrook

Zhonghua Wei

Simon Mulligan

Chaeyoung Park

BE

PART

OF THE HHIPC EXPERIENCE

The HHIPC strives to deliver extraordinary experiences for the young artists who grace our stage and for our dedicated audiences who have come to hear them for 27 years. It may look seamless but be assured there are a lot of moving parts! Staging the HHIPC takes planning, executional discipline, and a great deal of support. Are you wondering how you can be part of the HHIPC experience? There are many options in addition to a monetary donation, although that is always welcome. The 88 Key Society and Pay-for-a-Piper are always “open for business,” but there are many other ways you can get involved.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THE HHIPC

Marketers consider word-of-mouth among the most valuable forms of promotion. Even after 27 years, there are many locals who do not know that the HHIPC exists. Perhaps you belong to a group that would like someone from the HHIPC to come and speak. Or, simply offer to take a friend or new neighbor when you attend.

COME TO THE HHIPC RECITAL SERIES AT SOUNDWAVES

Each season we schedule several concerts which feature acclaimed pianists, including previous competitors and other artists. These intimate evenings are spread throughout the year and are a wonderful way to support the HHIPC.

ATTEND “MUSICAL FEAST”

HHIPC’s annual benefit — in conjunction with the HHSO — is a celebration of our longstanding commitment to excellence in promoting and nurturing talented young pianists. This engaging and entertaining evening features delights for both your ears and your palate, showcasing musicians from the HHSO plus at least one magnificent HHIPC alum!

BECOME A HOST

You could host a competitor during the competition, host a dinner for the judges, or if you have a piano, host a judge for practice time. Most of our hosts have done this multiple times, and always proclaim what a rewarding experience it is.

VOLUNTEER AT THE COMPETITION

In addition to being an usher, there are many other fun jobs such as greeting competitors as they arrive to perform, staffing the judges� room (coffee must be hot and candy dishes full!), selling tickets or merchandise in the lobby, and more.

JOIN THE HHIPC COMMITTEE

This leadership group of about a dozen piano enthusiasts meets monthly starting in September. There are a variety of positions available such as helping with the Ambassador Program, working with host families, organizing the “Musical Feast,” production, transportation and more. Newcomers are always welcome!

BECOME A SPONSOR/ADVERTISER

Every not-for-profit depends on sponsors who help defray costs and keep tickets reasonably priced. HHIPC sponsors include a variety of local businesses. Sponsors receive ads in both the HHSO and HHIPC program books. We also feature sponsors in our own advertising campaigns throughout the season. Sponsorships and advertising rates vary in price, with a level to fit most budgets.

BECOME AN IMPRESARIO

During our triennial BravoPiano! Festival and for a few special events each season, we endeavor to engage world-renowned pianists to come perform for us right here in our own backyard. As you might imagine, those established artists command significant fees which are beyond our regular budget, so we seek the support (generally $2,500 and up) of individuals to underwrite those fees and help us make these performances a reality.  We hope that you are interested in joining this special category of donors. Please see the list of our 2024 Impresarios on page 41.

COUNT ME IN TO SUPPORT THE HHIPC!

FUND-A-NEED – “MUSIC AMBASSADORS”

Your contribution will fund special educational outreach programs in area schools and community centers to foster music appreciation and encourage musical exploration and education. With the drastic cuts in funding for school music programs, it’s more important than ever that students are exposed to live music whenever possible. Your support not only benefits the students experiencing these performances, but also helps our competitors by providing them the opportunity to engage personally with young audiences.

$2,000 underwrites a solo recital at SoundWaves and includes in-school performances earlier in the day by the featured soloist

$1,000 underwrites a solo recital at a local community center

$500 sponsors a school’s music class to attend the HHIPC

$250 sponsors an in-school performance by an HHIPC competitor

$100 “Adopt–a–Piano” program helps maintain a school’s piano to performance-ready condition

$50 provides tickets to a student and escort to attend an HHSO concert

BECOME A MEMBER OF “THE 88 KEY SOCIETY” OR “PAY FOR A PIPER”

See page 40-41 for program benefits.

88 KEY SOCIETY

_____ Number of Keys ($500 per key) Preferred Key _____ _____ _____ _____

PAY FOR A PIPER

_____ Celebrate our Conductor ($1000)

_____ Vie for a Violin ($500)

_____ Value a Viola ($500)

_____ Choose a Cello ($500)

_____ Bank on a Bass ($500)

_____ Favor a Flute ($500)

_____ Clamor for a Clarinet ($500)

_____ Opt for an Oboe ($500)

VOLUNTEER OR HOST A COMPETITOR

_____ I want to volunteer.

_____ I would like to host a competitor.

_____ Back a Bassoon ($500)

_____ Highlight a Horn ($500)

_____ Target a Trumpet ($500)

_____ Treasure a Trombone ($500)

_____ Tout a Tuba ($500)

_____ Have a Harp ($500)

_____ Power the Percussion ($500)

_____ Tap into Timpani ($500)

Please consider joining the HHIPC family.

Email Director Steve Shaiman at sshaiman@hhso.org, and he’ll be happy to put you in tune with our organization!

Plus, daily lessons with USC piano faculty

Phillip Bush, Scott Price, Omar Roy and Nicholas Susi.

Competition First Prize: $5,000 and performance with SC Philharmonic; Second Prize $2,500; Third Prize $1,500

Phillip

Rachel Breen

Lisa Moore Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers

Inon Barnatan

"PLAYS

2024 DONORS

GIFT OF $10,000 AND ABOVE

Mary and Mike Briggs

Charles and Joan Dattelbaum

GIFT OF $5,000 TO $9,999

Bret and Laura Jacobowitz

Terry and Mary Ann Putnam

Barbara Harris Sorkin*

GIFT OF $2,500 TO $4,999

Chris and Mary Catherine Albright

Bob and Heather Cherichella

Todd and Liz Clist

Eileen and Jerry Durkin

Bill Hutchinson

Ray and Linda Moloney

Peggi Moon

Constance Silvester

GIFT OF $1,000 TO $2,499

Nancy and David Borghesi

Ted and Clair Craver

Ralph and Sandy Drayer

Peter and Cary Fleming

Mary Ann and John Goodrich

Frederick and Carol Hack

Michael and Susan Harter

Joe and Mona Huff

Mila Sheeline and Ryan Huff

Laura and Michael Kling

Robert and Joan Koenig

Marty Neumeister

William and Jane Murray

Janine Nelson

Mary Princing and Bill Clark

William and Judy Thorpe

Carol Tucker

Julie Williams

GIFT OF $500 TO $999

Peggy Ashworth

John Austin and Susan Hartmann Austin

Stephen and Dr. Karen Ball

Dede Bethke

Malcolm and Jillian Binks

Dom and Estie Bonanno

Michael and Ginger Caporal

William and Linda DeArment

David and Linda Dreisbach

Chuck and Linda Eberly

Karen and Buck Edwards

Jay and Patricia Elliot

Sally Evans

Barbara Fleisher

Debby Graves

Kathy Grote

Lynn Gustafson

Stephen Hasley and Sandy West

Dahlia and Arthur Handman

Karin and George Haupstein

Barbara Holmes

Alan and Karen Jordan

Myla Lerner and Larry Kramer

James and Clare Mackie

Laura Marks

Jane and Bill Murray

Walt Nelson

Mary Noonan

Terry and Kathy Orr

Ken Perkowski

John Priester

Tim and Mona Ridge

Stu and Nina Rodman

Charles and Frances Sampson

Van and Lauren Schwiebert

Ed and Elizabeth Simmons

Pat and Charles Sinatra

Hendrik and Mieke Smit

Lorene Thornbury

Marilyn Torrens

Donna Varner

Jerry and Connie Voight

Jim Way

Jim and Florence Willard

Lois Wilson

Barbara Wolf

Kathy and Bill Zurilla

GIFT OF $100 TO $499

Robert Ambrose

Bryan Blade

Judy Bluestone

Stewart and Judy Brown

Lynda Castle

Barry and Naomi Cohen

Pam and Peter Cooper

Lee Crooks

Donna DiMauro

Rick and Laurel Johnson

Patricia Kenworthy

Robert and Eloise Mason

Walter Pfaeffle

Paul Pinnow

Prudence and Burton Preston

Don

Flora and Janet Stallmeyer

Nancy Williams

As

of 1/31/2024

GIFT UP TO $99

Jonathan Aceto

Barbara Altman

Sherman and Carol Barker

Barbara Borg

Thomas Bresnick

Ann Cafferty

Jason Economides

Tacy Edwards

Greg Feltrup

Micah Gangwer

Scott Garrett

Rafe Goldman

Vasily Gorkovoy

Anne Holmi

Mario Incorvaia

Lorraine Jones

David Katz

Paul Lott

Lizhou Liu

Angela Loizides

Stephanie Mason

Ray McClain

Daniel Mumm

Sandra Nikolajevs

Kelly Odell

Timothy O’Malley

Matthew Peebles

Christina and John Phelps

Carl K. Polk

Rebecca Preslar

Gerome Stewart

Cynthia Sulko

Vadim and Marina Volynets

Jeff and Mary Ann Watson

Johnathan Wright

Pamela Zeck

* Gift includes $3,500 in memory of Sidney Palmer

This list is compiled as of January 31, 2024. Occasionally, omissions and mistakes occur. Please let us know if there is an error in your listing.

88 KEY SOCIETY

The 88 Key Society is limited to a maximum of 88 members, each of whom “owns” one or more specific keys on the “competition piano.” One becomes a member of this exclusive group with an annual donation of $500 per key. Members enjoy special recognition and benefits including:

• Their name on their key(s) of the 88 Key Society Keyboard displayed at all HHSO and HHIPC events throughout the concert season.

• Preferred seating for tickets purchased for HHIPC events.

• Listing in the HHIPC program book and on the HHIPC and HHSO websites.

• Invitations to exclusive events held throughout 2023-2024 including Movie Night, an evening featuring hors d’oeuvres, libations, and a film screening.

88 KEY SOCIETY • 2024 MEMBERS

Chris and Mary Catherine Albright

Peggy Ashworth

Stephen and Karen Ball

Dede Bethke

Malcolm and Jillian Binks

Dom and Estie Bonanno

Nancy and David Borghesi

Mary and Mike Briggs

Bob and Heather Cherichella

David and Romy Coquillette

Theodore and Clair Craver

Charlie and Joan Dattelbaum

William and Linda DeArment

Ralph and Sandy Drayer

David and Linda Dreisbach

Eileen and Jerry Durkin

Charles and Linda Eberly

Karen and Buck Edwards

Jay and Patricia Elliot

Sally Evans

Barbara Fleisher

Peter and Cary Fleming

Mary Ann and John Goodrich

Debby Graves

Kathy Grote

Lynn Gustafson

Frederick and Carol Hack

Michael and Susan Harter

Karin Haupstein

HHSO Musicians

Mona and Joe Huff

Mila Sheeline and Ryan Huff

Bill Hutchinson

Bret and Laura Jacobowitz

Laura and Michael Kling

Robert and Joan Koenig

Myla Lerner and Larry Kramer

James and Clare Mackie

Laura Marks

Peggi Moon

William and Jane Murray

Marty Neumeister

Mary Noonan

Mary Princing and Bill Clark

Terry and Mary Ann Putnam

Tim and Mona Ridge

Stu and Nina Rodman

Charles and Frances Sampson

Van and Lauren Schwiebert

Constance Silvester

Edward and Elizabeth Simmons

Pat and Charles Sinatra

Hendrik and Mieke Smit

Barbara Harris Sorkin

Lorene Thornbury

William and Judy Thorpe

Marilyn Torrens

Caroline Tucker

Donna Varner

Jerry and Connie Voight

Jim Way

Florence and Jim Willard

Julie Williams

Lois Wilson

Barbara Wolf

William and Kathleen Zurilla

PAY FOR A PIPER

"PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS..."

As of 1/31/2024

Our fabulous conductor and HHSO musicians are an “instrumental” part of the BravoPiano! Festival as they accompany the finale artists’ concerto performances. “Pay for a Piper” offers supporters the chance to salute their favorite instruments and instrumentalists – their contributions “pay for the pipers.” We proudly present 2024’s Piper Patrons.

Celebrate the Conductor

Constance Silvester

Vie for a Violin

Cary and Peter Fleming

Mary Ann and John Goodrich

Mona and Joe Huff

Mila Sheeline and Ryan Huff

Peggi Moon

Walt Nelson

Value a Viola

Heather and Bob Cherichella

Choose a Cello

Joan and Bob Koenig

Constance Silvester

Bank on a Bass

Heather and Bob Cherichella

Judy and William Thorpe

Favor a Flute

Joan and Charlie Dattelbaum

Linda and Ray Moloney

Barbara Harris Sorkin

Opt for an Oboe

Mona and Joe Huff

Ken Perkowski

Mary Princing and Bill Clark

Sandy West

Kathy and Bill Zurilla

Clamor for a Clarinet

Laura and Bret Jacobowitz

Mary Princing and Bill Clark

Book a Bassoon

Susan and Michael Harter

Highlight a Horn

Stephen Hasley

Barbara Holmes

Kathy and Terry Orr

Constance Silvester

Target a Trumpet

Karen and Buck Edwards

Dahlia and Arthur Handman

Treasure a Trombone

Susan Hartmann

Austin and John Austin

Bill Hutchinson

Tout a Tuba

Karen and Alan Jordan

Marty Neumeister

Tap Into Timpani

Sandy and Ralph Drayer

Power the Percussion

Ginger and Michael Caporal

Have a Harp

Carol and Frederick Hack

Julie Williams

SALUTE TO OUR IMPRESARIOS!

We are grateful to these generous donors whose gifts helped us underwrite BravoPiano! guest artist fees.

Mary and Chris Albright

Dr. Karen and Stephen Ball

Mary and Mike Briggs

Liz and Todd Clist

Joan and Charlie Dattelbaum

Bill Hutchinson

Laura and Bret Jacobowitz

Joan and Bob Koenig

Linda and Ray Moloney

Peggi Moon

Mary Ann and Tarrant Putnam

Barbara Harris Sorkin

SUSTAINING THE FESTIVAL

BUSINESS SPONSORS

PLATINUM LEVEL

Official Hotel Official Competition Piano

GOLD LEVEL

SILVER LEVEL

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH SPONSOR

FESTIVAL SPONSORS

GRANTORS

Town of Hilton Head • Howard Gilman Foundation

R. J. Samulski Innovation Foundation

BRAVO PIANO! COMMITTEE

Director — Steve Shaiman

Ambassadors — Laura Kling

Grants/Fundraising — Linda Dreisbach

Host Families — Barbara Holmes, Peggi Moon

Marketing/Social Media — Bob Koenig

Members-at-Large — Eileen Durkin, Barbara Sorkin

Merchandise Sales — Lynn Gustafson

Production — Jerry Durkin, Scott Camp

Program Book — Gayle Lang, Julie Williams

Transportation — Mike Caporal, Scott Camp

Volunteers — Mike and Kathy Emery, Bill and Kathy Zurilla

Musical Feast — Joan Dattelbaum, Eileen Durkin, Bob Koenig, Peggi Moon

Look for our volunteers throughout our venues. They are here to welcome and assist you. This dedicated group has been recruited and trained by Kathy and Mike Emery and Kathy and Bill Zurilla. A special thank you to all!

Sherman Barker

Jan Bender

Sue Blake

Beatrice Buxton

Dan Castro

Celeste Crago

Meredith DiMuzio

Eileen Durkin

Sue Dussinger

Kathy Emery

Michael Emery

Mary Ann Goodrich

Ann Harrison

Morgan Harrison

Sue Henderson

Timothy Henderson

Teresa Hicks

Jan Hunter

Bill Hutchinson

Patricia Killeen

Michael Kling

Ed Landis

Judy Landis

Suzy Makalous

Doris Malkowski

Peg McCann

Joy McNeill

Anne Moseley

Colin Moseley

Barbara Nichols

Andrea Pfaeffle

Joyce Prange

Louise Rose

Joan Savage

Barton Smith

Kristina Smith

Jan Stallmeyer

Marti Willits

Laureen Yingling

Bill Zurilla

Kathy Zurilla

BelfairWinesandSpirits.com

Hilton Head Chamber Music Institute

An educational program presented by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 2018, the HHCMI is an intensive training program focused on the art of small ensemble playing.

JUNE 12 – 22, 2024

Graduates of 8th through 12th grades may apply. Faculty from Vanderbilt School of Music, University of Michigan, Florida State University, Detroit Symphony Orchestra. TO BE HELD AT SoundWaves

7 Lagoon Road, Hilton Head Island, 29928

www.hhso/hhcmi

For more information, contact judy.chambermusic@gmail.com

Ben Ham Gallery

Jean-Marie Coté — thefrenchguyphotography

Joe Chappell — Connected HHI

Joan and Charlie Dattelbaum

Eileen and Jerry Durkin

First Presbyterian Church

Charles Grace — Designer, LOCAL Life Magazine

Carol Gyllenhoff — Ambrosia Catering

Bill Gwynne — Audio Engineer

Jeff and Jennifer Herrin — Owners, Kawai Piano Gallery

Hilton Head Dance Theater

Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra/SoundWaves

Mona Huff

Kent James

Joan and Bob Koenig

League of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra

Lean Ensemble Theater

Markel’s Card and Gift Shop

Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana

Rice Music House

Nina Rodman

Rollers Wine and Spirits

Thea Tjepkema and John Morris Russell

Charles Sampson

Savannah Hilton Head

International Airport

Savannah Music Festival

Sonesta Resort — Official Hotel

St. Luke’s Anglican Church

Steinway & Sons

thegreenery, inc.

MEMORIES BRAVOPIANO! 2018 & 2021

Chamber Music Charleston

Christian Sands Trio

Steven Lin

Fei–Fei and Friends

Cheng – Chow Trio

thefrenchguyphotography

SAVE THE DATES

“…a thoughtful, sensitive performer. Zhu balanced lyrical warmth and crisp clarity.”

− The New York Times

ZHU WANG IN RECITAL

Thursday, April 18, 2024, 7:30

PM SoundWaves

We are thrilled to welcome Zhu Wang back to the Lowcountry. We first met Zhu in 2011, when he won First Prize in the HHIPC’s inaugural Young Artists competition as the youngest competitor in the field (age 14). Now in his mid-twenties, he is enjoying a burgeoning career. In 2020 Zhu was awarded First Prize in the Young Concert Artists (YCA) Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. His resulting Carnegie Hall debut made The New York Times’ “Best of Classical Music 2021” list. Zhu received a Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School, an Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, and is pursuing his Master’s degree at Juilliard under the tutelage of Emanuel Ax and Robert McDonald. We are catching him between dates on an international tour with cellist Randall Goosby. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear this rising star of the piano world, whose program includes the music of Bach, Schubert, Chopin and Brahms’ Handel Variations.

Tickets are available at hhipc.org or by calling the HHSO office (843) 842-2055.

2O25

HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

March 10–17, 2025

The HHIPC proudly returns next year to showcase twenty of the world’s most exciting pianists ages 18-30. Venues to be announced.

Revitalizing Paradise

Embarking on an Exciting Renovation Journey!

Complement a perfect performance with a tasteful night out.

If you have yet to discover all that's new at our newly renovated hotel, come see us. With a new full-service Arum spa, indoor and al fresco dining, and relaxing accommodations, we're the all-new place to eat, meet and stay on the Island.

We are pleased to announce that the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island is the Official Hotel of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra for the 2023-2024 season. Please consider making your reservations at the Sonesta when friends and family are visiting Hilton Head.

Enjoy the charm and warmth of one of the finest hotels in Hilton Head Island. Nestled along the coast with stunning views and lush landscapes our award winning Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island is a premier destination for getaways, gatherings or business.

Walk along the beach, or stroll through our verdant, tropical gardens. Dine at one of our multiple restaurants, but not before wading into our zero-entry lagoon swimming pool. Pamper your body and senses with a trip to our Arum Spa. Or venture outside to find some of the best activities on the island at your disposal from golf, tennis and kayaking to shopping, bike riding and exploring the natural wonders of Hilton Head.

130 Shipyard Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 843.842.2400 | Sonesta.com/HiltonHeadlsland

Live music, on demand.

STEINWAY & SONS SPIRIO

The world’s finest high resolution player piano

Enjoy music played by great pianists, live in your own home spirio offers thousands of live selections, performed on a steinway grand piano by the world’s most renowned artists, and all available at the touch of a button.

Steinway & Sons is proud to support HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION’S BRAVOPIANO! FESTIVAL.

one steinway place, astoria, ny 11105 TEL. 1.800.steinway STEINWAY.COM