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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO
Welcome back to Schermerhorn Symphony Center as we launch the 2025/26 season, our 79th year of sharing live orchestral music with Middle Tennessee.
As most of you no doubt know by now, this season marks my final year as President & CEO of the Nashville Symphony. As I reflect on nearly three decades with the Nashville Symphony, I’m grateful for the many milestones that have defined our shared journey. One of the most significant defining moments for our institution came in May 2010, just days after the flood waters crested in downtown Nashville and filled the not quite four-year-old Schermerhorn Symphony Center with 27 feet of water, causing $ 40 million worth of damage to the building.
That week, our city was battered but unvanquished. And in the spirit of resilience that defines our city and the Nashville Symphony, we kept the music playing. With the help of dedicated staff and volunteers, we quickly pivoted from the concerts planned that weekend and instead presented a free outdoor performance on the steps of the Metro Courthouse. I remember standing with our musicians, Mayor Dean, and Maestro Guerrero, and looking out at thousands of our neighbors, all gathered not just for a concert, but for a moment of healing. That night wasn’t just about recovery; it was about the unshakable bond between this orchestra and the community we serve. The front page of the Tennessean the next morning featured a nearly full-page picture of the concert, below the headline, “ Money, music & muscle: Nashville opens its heart.” This marked the turning point in the press coverage of the flood, and your orchestra was the emblem of that shift for the community.
Fifteen years later, that same spirit continues to guide everything we do.
We kick off our 2025/26 season with an electrifying lineup that reflects the breadth and vitality of today’s Nashville Symphony. From the powerhouse vocals of The Secret Sisters & Maggie Rose in our AMERICANAFEST special event, to GAMESYMPHONIC led by composer and conductor Eímear Noone, to the opening weekend’s performance of Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony with conductor David Robertson and featuring pianist Orli Shaham , there’s something for everyone this month. Rock N’ Roll Remastered with Frankie Moreno and Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience round out an energetic start to the season.
We are also honored to welcome back Leonard Slatkin as Music Advisor. A longtime friend of the Symphony and a guiding presence during some of our most pivotal years, Leonard returns to help shape the artistic path ahead during this time of transition.
Every concert this season is an invitation to step inside the sound and experience the artistry of our orchestra and guest musicians. Whether you’ve been with us since the days at TPAC or War Memorial or are just discovering the magic of live orchestral music, I hope you feel at home at Schermerhorn.
Thank you for being part of the Nashville Symphony family. Here’s to a remarkable season ahead!
Warmest regards,
Alan D. Valentine | President & CEO
SEPTEMBER 2025
The Nashville Symphony inspires and engages a diverse and growing community with extraordinary live orchestral music experiences.
615.687.6400
info@NashvilleSymphony.org NashvilleSymphony.org
Video cameras, recording devices, and flash photography are strictly prohibited in the concert hall or in any other space where a performance or rehearsal is taking place. Cameras with a detachable lens may only be used pending approval from the artist and the venue and will be subject to rules and restrictions. For more information, please contact the Nashville Symphony's Communications office PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO POLICY
2025/26 NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
LEONARD SLATKIN
Music Advisor
NATHAN ASPINALL Resident Conductor
FIRST VIOLIN*
Peter Otto, Concertmaster
Walter Buchanan Sharp Chair
Erin Hall, Acting Associate Concertmaster
Gerald C. Greer, Acting Assistant Concertmaster
Tianpei Ai
Isabel Bartles
Francesca Bass
Beverly Drukker
Dawn Gingrich
Anna Lisa Hoepfinger
John Maple
Kirsten Mitchell
Ashley Odom
SECOND VIOLIN*
Jung-Min Shin, Principal
Lucia Nowik, Acting Assistant Principal
Likai He
Daniel Kim
Charissa Leung
Louise Morrison
Laura Ross
Johna Smith
Jeremy Williams
VIOLA*
Daniel Reinker, Principal
Shu-Zheng Yang, Assistant Principal
Michelle Lackey Collins
The Drs. Mark & Nancy Peacock Chair
Christopher Farrell
Anthony Parce
Melinda Whitley
Clare Yang
GIANCARLO GUERRERO
Music Director Laureate
TUCKER BIDDLECOMBE
Chorus Director
CELLO*
Kevin Bate, Principal James Victor Miller Chair
Una Gong, Assistant Principal
Anthony LaMarchina, Principal Cello Emeritus
Stephen Drake
Bradley Mansell
Keith Nicholas
Lynn Marie Peithman
Xiao-Fan Zhang
BASS*
Joel Reist, Principal
Glen Wanner, Assistant Principal
Matthew Abramo
Evan Bish
Kevin Jablonski
Katherine Munagian
FLUTE
Érik Gratton, Principal Anne Potter Wilson Chair
Leslie Fagan, Assistant Principal
Gloria Yun, Norma Grobman Rogers Chair
PICCOLO
Gloria Yun, Norma Grobman Rogers Chair
OBOE
Titus Underwood, Principal ◊
Christopher Gaudi, Acting Principal +
Ellen Menking, Assistant Principal
Kate Bruns +
ENGLISH HORN
Kate Bruns+
CLARINET
Danny Goldman, Acting Principal +
Katherine Kohler, Assistant Principal
Daniel Lochrie
E-FLAT CLARINET
Katherine Kohler
BASS CLARINET
Daniel Lochrie
BASSOON
Julia Harguindey, Principal ◊
Asha Kline, Acting Principal +
Gil Perel, Acting Assistant Principal
Nicole Haywood
Vera Tenorio +
CONTRABASSOON
Nicole Haywood
Vera Tenorio +
HORN
Leslie Norton, Principal The Dr. Anne T. & Peter L. Neff Chair
Beth Beeson
Patrick Walle, Associate Principal/3rd Horn ◊
Radu V. Rusu, Acting Associate Principal/ 3rd Horn
Hunter Sholar
Anna Spina, Acting Assistant Principal/ Utility Horn +
TRUMPET
William Leathers, Principal
Patrick Kunkee, Co-Principal Alexander Blazek
TROMBONE
Paul Jenkins, Principal
Anthony Cosio-Marron, Assistant Principal
BASS TROMBONE
Chance Gompert
TUBA
Chandler Currier, Principal
TIMPANI
Joshua Hickman, Principal
PERCUSSION
Sam Bacco, Principal
Richard Graber, Assistant Principal
HARP
Licia Jaskunas, Principal
KEYBOARD
Robert Marler, Principal
LIBRARY
Renee Ann Pflughaupt, Principal Librarian
Amelia Van Howe, Librarian
ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL
Carrie Marcantonio, Interim Director of Orchestra Personnel
Sarah Figueroa, Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager
Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin is Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL), Conductor Laureate of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO), Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria (OFGC), and Artistic Consultant to the Las Vegas Philharmonic (LVP). He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting and is active as a composer, author, and educator.
The 2025/26 season includes engagements with the National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland), Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra, SLSO, USC Thornton Symphony, LVP, Taiwan Philharmonic, KBS Symphony Orchestra (Seoul), Gunma Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo), Nashville Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Warsaw Philharmonic, Franz Schubert Filharmonia (Barcelona), ONL, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica George Enescu (Bucharest), OFGC, and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.
Slatkin has received six GRAMMY® Awards and 35 nominations. Naxos recently reissued Vox audiophile editions of his SLSO recordings featuring the works of Gershwin, Rachmaninov, and Prokofiev. Other Naxos recordings include Slatkin Conducts Slatkin a compilation of pieces written by generations of his family—as well as works by Saint-Saëns, Ravel, Berlioz, Copland, Borzova, McTee, and Williams. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Slatkin also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has been awarded the Prix Charbonnier from the Federation of Alliances Françaises, Austria’s Decoration of Honor in Silver, and the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton. His debut book, Conducting Business (2012), for which he received the ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award, was followed by Leading Tones (2017) and
MUSIC ADVISOR
LEONARD SLATKIN
Classical Crossroads: The Path Forward for Music in the 21st Century (2021). His latest books are Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Twentieth Century (spring 2024) and Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Nineteenth Century (fall 2024), part of an ongoing series of essays that supplement the scorestudy process, published by Bloomsbury.
Slatkin has held posts as Music Director of the New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, SLSO, National Symphony Orchestra, DSO, and ONL, and he was Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He has served as Principal Guest Conductor of London’s Philharmonia and Royal Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Minnesota Orchestra.
He has conducted virtually all the leading orchestras in the world, including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Bayerischer Rundfunk (Munich), Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Amsterdam), Orchestre de Paris, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as all five London orchestras.
Slatkin’s opera conducting has taken him to the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, Vienna State Opera, Stuttgart Opera, and Opéra Bastille in Paris.
Born in Los Angeles to a distinguished musical family, he began his musical training on the violin and first studied conducting with his father, followed by Walter Susskind at Aspen and Jean Morel at Juilliard. He makes his home in St. Louis with his wife, composer Cindy McTee. For more information, visit leonardslatkin.com.
NATHAN ASPINALL, Resident Conductor
Australian Conductor
Nathan Aspinall has led orchestras across the globe and is widely admired for his thoughtful, nuanced interpretations and powerful performances. His collaborative approach to performing with fellow musicians has resulted in ongoing partnerships and deep relationships with the orchestras with whom he performs.
Nathan currently serves as Resident Conductor with the Nashville Symphony and this season will lead the orchestra in multiple programs including his fourth appearance on the classical subscription series with a program of Berlioz, Ligeti and the Britten Violin Concerto with Benjamin Beilman. In previous seasons Nathan has conducted acclaimed performances with the Nashville Symphony in dynamic repertoire including symphonies of Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Sibelius and last season led a special all Ravel program to mark the 150th anniversary of the composers birth.
Aspinall has performed around the world, leading the orchestras of Minnesota, Detroit, St Louis, Atlanta, Sydney and the MendelssohnOrchesterakademie of the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig. He has assisted many of today’s leading
conductors including Stéphane Denève, Jakub Hrůša, Nathalie Stutzmann, Thomas Søndergård, and Simone Young.
Nathan was a conducting fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center with the Boston Symphony Orchestra where he was mentored by Andris Nelsons, Thomas Adès and Giancarlo Guerrero. He is also a recipient of the Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize at the Aspen Music Festival.
A strong believer that music is for everyone, Nathan is passionate about orchestras reaching an ever-widening audience. At the Nashville Symphony, he spearheads education and community initiatives, the commissioning of new projects and curates community programing. Supporting future generations of musicians, Nathan is an advocate for music education and outreach and has led performances and masterclasses for conservatories, universities and youth orchestras around the country. Festival appearances include the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Oregon Bach Festival and the Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Seminar. He studied orchestral conducting with Hugh Wolff at New England Conservatory in Boston and music performance at the University of Queensland.
TUCKER BIDDLECOMBE
Appointed as Chorus Director of the Nashville Symphony in 2016 , Dr. Biddlecombe has raised the bar of excellence for Nashville’s premier choral ensemble through intense musical preparation, diverse programming, and communitybuilding. He also serves as Professor of Choral Studies and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, where he directs the Vanderbilt Sixteen and teaches courses in choral conducting and music education.
His work with the Nashville Symphony has included chorus preparation for many of the repertoire’s most revered masterworks. Notable performances have included two Mahler symphonies, Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3 “Kaddish”, and Requiems by Mozart and Verdi. He has prepared the chorus for two major
, Chorus Director
world-premiere recordings, John Harbison’s Requiem (rel. 2018, Naxos) as well as the upcoming release of Gabriela Lena-Frank’s Conquest Requiem and Antonio Estevez’s Cantata Criolla. He has conducted the chorus and orchestra in performances of Haydn’s Creation, Handel’s Messiah , Vivaldi’s Gloria , and the annual Voices of Spring concert.
Tucker is a veteran teacher and advocate for music education. He frequently conducts scholastic honor choirs throughout the United States, with international engagements in England, Scotland, China, and the Czech Republic. Dr. Biddlecombe is a graduate of SUNY Potsdam and Florida State University, where he completed studies in choral conducting and music education with Daniel Gordon and André Thomas, respectively. He resides in Nashville with his wife Mary Biddlecombe, director of the Blair Academy at Vanderbilt, and Artistic Director of Vanderbilt Youth Choirs.
THE SECRET SISTERS & MAGGIE ROSE
WITH THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY: AN AMERICANAFEST SPECIAL EVENT
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 AT 7:30 PM
THE SECRET SISTERS, MAGGIE ROSE & NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
NATHAN ASPINALL , conductor
The 25 TH annual AMERICANAFEST returns to Nashville September 9-13, 2025 , bringing together fans and industry professionals alike for a celebration of American roots music through nightly showcase performances, business panels, networking opportunities, and one-of-a-kind special events across Music City.
Scan the QR code to learn more about AMERICANAFEST
ABOUT THE SECRET SISTERS
Since their 2010 self-titled debut album, The Secret Sisters have brought their spellbinding harmonies to songs that untangle the thorniest aspects of life and love and womanhood. In the making of their new album,
ABOUT MAGGIE ROSE
Maggie’s latest album No One Gets Out Alive earned her a GRAMMY® nomination for Americana Album of the Year and was also named one of the 100 Best Albums of 2024 by Rolling Stone among other accolades. Rose is nominated for Emerging Act Of The Year by the Americana Music Association; their 24th Annual Awards ceremony will be held in Nashville on September 10. She also recently collaborated with the iconic Vince Gill for a cover of the Bonnie Raitt classic, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and just released her new single “Poison In My Well” featuring Grace Potter.
Mind, Man, Medicine, Alabama-bred siblings Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle found their songwriting transformed by a newfound sense of self-reliance and equanimity, threading their lyrics with hard-won insight into the complexities of motherhood, commitment, compassion, and self-preservation in an endlessly chaotic world. Centered on a kaleidoscopic sound that boldly blurs the edges of country-folk, the duo’s fifth full-length album ultimately confronts many of modern life’s harshest challenges while leading the listener toward a more open-hearted state of mind.
In addition to critics, Maggie has garnered praise from such luminaries as Phish’s Trey Anastasio, who called her “amazing,” and Dave Matthews, who said she’s “incredible.” Her high-profile TV appearances include performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, TODAY, and CBS Saturday Morning. A true road warrior, Maggie has shared the stage with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Kelly Clarkson, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dave Matthews Band, My Morning Jacket, Heart, Joan Jett, Eric Church, Gov’t Mule, The Mavericks, Melissa Etheridge, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, The Revivalists, and more. A fixture in Nashville, she has played the Grand Ole Opry more than 100 times. Recent festival appearances include the Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo, FloydFest, and a special show at AMERICANAFEST with the Nashville Symphony, as well as the upcoming Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, TN. Maggie also hosts her own podcast, Salute The Songbird.
GAMESYMPHONIC WITH EÍMEAR NOONE and the Nashville Symphony
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 AT 7:30 PM
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
EÍMEAR NOONE, conductor
CARLY SMITHSON, vocals
ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR
EÍMEAR NOONE
Award-winning video game music conductor and composer Eímear Noone takes us on a journey to magical worlds, post-apocalyptic wastelands, godly labyrinths, and the home of our favourite Disney characters, presented through the gift of gaming.
LA/Dublin-based Eímear is one of the world’s premier composers of games scores. She is responsible for some of the most enduring soundscapes on World of Warcraft and other best-selling video games. Through her music on World of Warcraft, Eímear’s music has reached more than 100 million people and continually inspired players to invent and build new worlds for nearly 15 years. Her composition portfolio of 30 film, television, and video game titles have received multiple industry accolades including the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Video Game Score.
Eímear conducts orchestras worldwide and has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and Danish National Symphony Orchestra, amongst others. She was chosen by Nintendo to conduct the first ever 3D filming of a game score and has recorded game scores for Sony Interactive. She has also toured as a conductor with The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, a
full four-movement symphony created from the themes from the iconic video game. Eímear was invited to conduct on the 25th Anniversary recording, which set industry records for soundtrack sales.
Eímear is constantly innovating new orchestral shows and concepts to expand the boundaries of her repertoire. Her unique two video game concerts Electric Arcade and Video Games in Concert regularly tour to massive success and sold-out shows including annual sold-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Beijing Stadium in front of 80,000 people in collaboration with Tencent.
Eimear conducts and presents in character with a specially designed costume in the style of a “warrior princess,” which has become her signature look on stage. With her easy-going charm and charisma, she engages with the fans and audiences by talking through the background of the compositions to help add another layer of context and entertainment, making it accessible to all. Her concerts attract a very broad audience demographic, from school children to 70+ to hardcore gamers to symphonic and orchestral audiences alike.
As an advocate for creative women in technology and music, Eímear is also in demand as a speaker and radio host, regularly invited to conferences and to present Classic FM’s gaming music show High Score. Notably, Eímear made history by becoming the first female conductor to perform at the 92 nd Academy Awards’ ceremony.
ABOUT THE SOLOIST
CARLY SMITHSON
Carly Smithson is a pop/ rock singer and actress, born Carly Hennessy, in Dublin, Ireland. Smithson began singing at the early age of four whilst listening to voices like Freddie Mercury, Aretha Franklin, and Barbra Streisand in her childhood home. At age five, Smithson appeared in her first movie , Fools of Fortune, alongside Julie Christy, Ian Glenn, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. In the 90s, Carly appeared in national product advertisements across Ireland and was featured as the face of Denny's Sausage. In 1992, she joined the cast of Les Misérables in Ireland and starred as Little Cosette at the Point Theatre. When Carly was 10 years old, she released her first album in the United Kingdom, titled Carly's Christmas Album under Warner Music. Shortly after, Carly appeared as Annie in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. A few years later, she and her father moved to the United States in order for her to pursue a career in music. Within the year, Carly was signed by the president of MCA Universal.
Carly released an album for MCA Records called Ultimate High in 2001. The album featured production by Danielle Brisebois and Greg Alexander
of The New Radicals, and Steve Dorff, with original songs written by Sheryl Crow. In 2003, Carly won the Meteor Award for Best Female Vocal in the Irish Meteor Music Awards. The same year, Carly also won Best Vocal Performance in the Buzz Music Awards.
Before performing during the sold-out American Idol LIVE! Tour in 2008, Smithson auditioned for the seventh season of American Idol, making it to Hollywood. She advanced with a unanimous vote after singing "I'm Every Woman." Smithson is the only foreign contestant to make the show's Top 6 placement. Smithson was eliminated on April 23, 2008. Her final song performance was "Superstar" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. The performance was considered by the judges to be the best of the night.
After Smithson completed the American Idols LIVE! Tour, which ran for 58 cities, she announced on June 18, 2009, that she was joining rock band We Are The Fallen, with Evanescence co-founder Ben Moody. The band went on to create the iTunes top 6 record, Tear The World Down. Its hit single, “Bury Me Alive,” was also featured in multiple TV shows, including The Vampire Diaries. In December 2011, Smithson began singing with Cirque du Soleil in Viva Elvis. She performed in the Las Vegas production for almost two years at the Aria Theatre.
NEW WORLD SYMPHONY
Opening Weekend with David Robertson
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 & 20 AT 7:30 PM
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 AT 2:00 PM
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
DAVID ROBERTSON, conductor
ORLI SHAHAM, piano
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune
(“Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun”)
DAVID ROBERTSON
Light forming: a piano concerto
"...la musique incertaine de leur voix..."
Anfore del cuore
Rounding to Joy
Orli Shaham, piano
INTERMISSION
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95
(“From the New World”)
Adagio - Allegro molto
Largo
Molto vivace
Allegro con fuoco
This concert will last approximately one hour, 33 minutes, including a 2 0-minute intermission.
PClaude Debussy
Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune
(“Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun”)
Composed: 1892-94
eople often compare Debussy’s music to Impressionist painting, with its soft edges and shimmering colors. But Debussy disliked that label. He felt a stronger kinship with the Symbolist poets—especially Stéphane Mallarmé, whose work aimed to evoke moods and the inexpressible inner world through suggestion, musicality, and dream-like imagery.
These qualities are vividly present in The Afternoon of a Faun (L’après-midi d’un faune) , an influential poem Mallarmé published in 1876. It imagines a faun from the world of classical mythology—half man, half goat—reflecting on his attempts to seduce passing nymphs in the heat of a dreamy afternoon. As he plays his pipes, the faun himself becomes a symbol of music’s seductive, illusory power—an idea that clearly resonated with Debussy, who sought to cast just such a spell in sound.
Between 1892 and 1894, Debussy composed Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, his breakthrough orchestral work. He originally planned a triptych of symphonic poems inspired by Mallarmé’s text—hence the title’s “Prelude to”—but completed only this standalone piece. Still, he retained the “Prelude” title to reflect its role as a musical prologue to the faun’s reverie.
The influential French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez—a major figure in modern music after the Second World War—regarded Faun as the true beginning of “modern music.” But rather than shock audiences with some bold modernist manifesto, the piece cast its spell with beauty and subtlety. When it premiered in Paris in 1894, it was not met with riots but with admiration.
When Vaslav Nijinsky made his debut as a choreographer with a ballet version for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1912, Faun did cause a stir with his stylized eroticism and overtly sexual gestures— reportedly to Debussy’s displeasure. Yet the production helped establish Faun as a touchstone of modernism across music, dance, and art.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
Debussy described the piece as “a succession of scenes through which pass the desires and dreams of the faun in the heat of the afternoon.” The famous
flute solo that opens the piece floats in like a sigh— representing the faun himself—as the music begins to blur the line between waking and dreaming.
Instead of a fixed storyline, Debussy invites us into the poem’s atmosphere. The music doesn’t build to a climax; it glides, glows, and slowly dissolves—like the last trace of a forgotten reverie. As the composer wrote, the faun eventually “succumbs to intoxicating sleep, in which he can finally realize his dreams of possession in universal Nature.”
Scored for 3 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 crotales (“antique cymbals”), 2 harps, and strings.
TDavid Robertson Light forming: a piano concerto
Composed: 2022; rev. 2023
he story behind Light forming begins not in a composer’s studio, but in a rehearsal room in St. Louis. That’s where internationally acclaimed conductor David Robertson first met pianist Orli Shaham in 1999, ahead of a performance of Chopin’s E minor Concerto. They went on to marry and have since collaborated on more than two dozen concertos. Composed during the pandemic and premiered in 2022, Light forming is both a musical gift and a tribute to their artistic partnership.
Robertson scores the work for a Mozart-sized orchestra (with a percussionist added to the mix). Yet within this classical frame, Light forming traverses a widely ranging sound world. “Exploring the overlapping and differing points of view between the orchestra and the pianist was my main starting point,” writes the composer.
The piece also draws inspiration from both literature and the phenomenon of language itself. Robertson cites Stéphane Mallarmé, noting how his poems “often flicker between the sound and sense of a phrase.” He additionally highlights a phrase from Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time that he has always cherished: “the uncertain music of their voices.”
These associations acquire musical shape in the opening movement, where an erratic repeated A on the piano gradually becomes intelligible—an image, Robertson explains, of how “the musical sensation of listening to a language one doesn’t speak … gradually gives way to a focus on meaning as we become
conversant in the language.”
The impulse behind the middle movement stems from a stay in Rome, where Robertson encountered a collection of ancient amphoras. Struck by how their twin handles require both hands for transporting, he translated the image into “two-fisted” piano chords that anchor the movement.
“It is still surprising, when you learn of what was going on in composers’ lives, to realize that some of their most joyous music was written in times of personal sadness,” observes Robertson. Light forming emerged against the darkness of the pandemic yet brought home what he describes as “perhaps the most miraculous gift that music can give us,” which comes to the fore in the final movement: “an exuberant, grateful dance around the light and love that Orli is constantly bringing to me ever since that first lucky meeting.”
ABOUT THE SOLOIST
ORLI SHAHAM, piano
A consummate musician recognized for her grace, subtlety and brilliance, Orli Shaham has established an impressive international reputation as one of today’s most gifted pianists. Hailed by critics on four continents, Shaham is admired for her interpretations of both standard and modern repertoire. The New York Times called her a “brilliant pianist,” The Chicago Tribune referred to her as “a first–rate Mozartean” in a performance with the Chicago Symphony, and London’s Guardian said 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 is Artistic Director of Pacific Symphony’s chamber series Café Ludwig in California since 2007 where she is host and a featured performer for each of the concerts. In spring 2026, Shaham and musicians from the Pacific Symphony release an album of world premiere recordings by Avner Dorman, Sarah Snider, Viet Cuong, Margaret
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
Light forming unfolds in three contrasting movements played without pause and lasting 21 minutes. It begins with an erratic, repeated A from the piano—a musical fragment that gradually becomes intelligible as the orchestra joins in. The slow middle movement builds from a heavy chordal motif, while the finale flows with vivid, dancing energy that evokes joy and renewal. Throughout, the interplay between piano and orchestra is rooted in shared language rather than confrontation.
In addition to solo piano, scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes (2nd doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, percussion, and strings.
Brouwer, and Reena Esmail, including works which were commissioned by Pacific Symphony.
Highlights in recent seasons include the world premiere of David Robertson’s Light forming with the Orlando Philharmonic and subsequent performances in Seattle and Nashville; Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? by John Adams with the Finnish Radio Symphony; Beethoven’s “Triple” Concerto with the Pacific and Madison symphonies; and festival appearances at Aspen, Tanglewood, Music@Menlo, Sun Valley, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, Chautauqua, and Bowdoin, Maine.
In 2024, Orli Shaham released the box set of her complete Mozart piano sonatas cycle, which was widely acclaimed. Her discography includes over a dozen titles on Deutsche Gramophone, Sony, Canary Classics, and other labels.
Orli Shaham is on the piano and chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School and is a Co-Host and Creative for the national radio program From the Top. She is also Artistic Director of the interactive children's concert series, Orli Shaham’s Bach Yard, which she founded in 2010, and is chair of the Board of Trustees of Kaufman Music Center.
Orli Shaham is a Steinway Artist.
WAntonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95
(“From the New World”)
Composed: 1893
hen Antonín Dvořák arrived in New York in 1892, he found himself at the center of an ambitious cultural experiment. The Czech composer had been invited by Jeanette Thurber, a visionary philanthropist and arts patron, to direct the newly founded National Conservatory of Music. Thurber used her influence to promote progressive ideals— most notably, the creation of a truly American music rooted in the nation’s own folk traditions rather than inherited European models.
Located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Thurber’s Conservatory was groundbreaking in its inclusiveness. She welcomed women, African Americans, and other underrepresented students, making the institution one of the most forward-looking in the country. Dvořák, who came from a Czech minority background within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, found her ideals compelling. Though already internationally celebrated, he saw his time in America as a chance to explore how national identity might be expressed through music.
One of his students, Harry Burleigh, an African American baritone and composer, introduced him to African American spirituals—songs Dvořák believed offered the foundation for a truly American musical voice. “The future music of this country,” he said in a widely quoted interview, would have to be founded on the melodies contained in African American spirituals. He was also fascinated by Native American music and viewed both traditions as rich, untapped sources.
These encounters soon shaped what would become his most famous work: the Symphony No. 9, which the composer dubbed “From the New World.” Composed in 1893 and premiered to great acclaim that December at the newly opened Carnegie Hall, the Symphony marked a powerful synthesis of Dvořák’s Bohemian style with musical ideas he encountered in America. Whether or not the New World Symphony is truly “American” has long been debated. Dvořák did not quote specific folk songs but wove his own themes with rhythmic vitality, pentatonic shapes, and lyrical expressiveness that reflected African American and Native American idioms. At the same time, the music bears the hallmarks of his Bohemian and European
roots: dance rhythms, melodic warmth, and structural cohesion.
Dvořák also drew inspiration from American literature. The slow second movement, with its famous English horn solo, was conceived as a sketch for a future opera or dramatic work based on The Song of Hiawatha, an epic poem by the then-immensely popular Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem romanticized Native American legends—particularly those of the Ojibwe (Chippewa) people—through the story of Hiawatha and his beloved Minnehaha.
The scherzo, too, may have been inspired by a scene describing a Native American dance, contributing to the music’s rhythmic vitality and cultural resonance.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
The symphony opens with quiet mystery before launching into a sweeping horn theme that returns throughout the work. The second movement’s English horn solo became the basis for the spiritual-like song “Goin’ Home.” The scherzo bursts with rhythmic drive, while the finale opens with a bold brass fanfare and gathers the symphony’s themes into a stirring close.
− Thomas May is the Nashville Symphony's program annotator.
ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR
DAVID ROBERTSON
David Robertson— conductor, artist, composer, thinker, American musical visionary—occupies the most prominent podiums in orchestral music, new music, and opera. He is a champion of contemporary composers and an ingenious and adventurous programmer. Robertson has served in numerous artistic leadership positions, such as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, a transformative 13-year tenure as Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, with the Orchestre National de Lyon, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and, as protégé of Pierre Boulez, the Ensemble InterContemporain. He appears with the world’s great orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and many major ensembles and festivals on five continents. Since his 1996 Metropolitan Opera debut, Robertson has conducted a breathtaking
range of Met projects, including the 2019/20 season opening premiere production of Porgy and Bess, for which he shared a GRAMMY® Award for Best Opera Recording in March 2021. In 2022, he conducted the Met Opera revival of the production, in addition to making his Rome Opera debut conducting Janáček’s Káťa Kabanová . Robertson is the Director of Conducting Studies, Distinguished Visiting Faculty of The Juilliard School, New York, and serves on the Tianjin Juilliard Advisory Council. In the 2024/25 season, he celebrates the Boulez Centennial with the New York Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, and Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra; and conducts the orchestras of Philadelphia, Cleveland, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Seoul, Berlin, Leipzig, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. He leads European tours of the Deutsches SymphonieOrchester Berlin and the Australian Youth Orchestra, and continues his three-year project as the inaugural Creative Partner of the Utah Symphony and Opera, where his guitar ensemble, Another Night on Earth, made its U.S. debut. Robertson is a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France, and is the recipient of numerous artistic awards.
ROCK N' ROLL REMASTERED
with Frankie Moreno and the Nashville Symphony
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 AT 7:30 PM
FRANKIE MORENO & NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
ENRICO LOPEZ-YAÑEZ, conductor
ABOUT FRANKIE MORENO
With 18 Top-Ten albums (9 No. 1’s), 142 Top-Ten singles (109 No. 1’s), an Emmy nomination, and being named Las Vegas “Headliner of the Year” five times, Frankie Moreno is consistently breaking records and wowing audiences from coast to coast with his own brand of genreblurring Rock n’ Roll.
Reaching millions of record sales worldwide, Frankie continues to write and release new music. In 2019, he made music history by becoming the only artist to have six albums debut at a Top-Ten spot on the Billboard Charts in a 12-month period.
As a child prodigy on the piano and a gifted multiinstrumentalist, Frankie was first introduced to American audiences at the age of 10 on CBS’s Star Search. His performance on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars brought him into America’s living rooms again performing his self-penned hit “Tangerine Honey.” He has continued to perform sold-out concerts including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Hollywood
Bowl, and Vegas residencies.
Frankie’s collaboration with world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell, At Home With Friends, reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard. The album included Sting, Josh Groban, Chris Botti, Kristin Chenoweth, and Regina Spektor. Frankie and Josh have since released Musical Gifts, which reached No. 8 on Billboard and featured Placido Domingo, Gloria Estefan, Allison Krauss, and Chick Corea.
Frankie toured the U.S. with Sugarland and Billy Currington. He joined multiplatinum artists Air Supply for their world tour as musical director, and wrote their radio single “Dance with Me,” reaching No. 7 on Billboard’s Top 40. He has performed his original works for his symphony concerts with the nation’s premier orchestras.
Frankie Moreno commands audiences around the world with his highly contagious music and playful stage antics. His songs are cleverly crafted, and his musicianship is virtuoso. Frankie is an all-around talent who puts his heart and soul into his music. He is unquestionably a unique artist.
ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR
ENRICO LOPEZ-YAÑEZ
Enrico Lopez-Yañez has quickly established himself as one of the nation’s leading conductors of popular music and become known for his unique style of audience engagement. Lopez-Yañez holds the titled positions of Principal Pops Conductor of the Detroit and Pacific Symphonies, Principal Conductor of Dallas Symphony Presents, and Principal Guest Conductor of Pops at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He previously served as Principal Pops Conductor of the Nashville Symphony for eight seasons.
As a trailblazer in the symphonic world, Lopez-Yañez has premiered dozens of orchestral collaborations with artists including Dolly Parton, Kelsey Ballerini, Portugal. The Man, The Mavericks, Tituss Burgess, and The War & Treaty. Lopez-Yañez has collaborated with a broad spectrum of artists including: Nas, Patti LaBelle, Itzhak Perlman, Kenny Loggins, Stewart Copeland, Toby Keith, Gladys Knight, Ben Folds, and more. As an active composer/arranger his works have been performed by orchestras across North America including the Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, National Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Toronto Symphony, among many others.
Lopez-Yañez was the recipient of the 2023 “Mexicanos Distinguidos” Award by the Mexican government, an award granted to Mexican citizens living abroad for outstanding career accomplishments in their field. As an advocate for Latin music, he has arranged and produced shows for Latin Fire, Mariachi Los Camperos, and The Three Mexican Tenors, and collaborated with artists including Aida Cuevas, Arturo Sandoval, and Lila Downs.
As Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Symphonica Productions, LLC, Lopez-Yañez curates and leads programs designed to cultivate new audiences. Symphonica’s productions have been performed by major orchestra across North America including the Baltimore Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Toronto Symphony, and many more.
As a producer, composer, and arranger, LopezYañez’s work can be heard on numerous albums including the UNESCO benefit album Action Moves People United and children’s music albums including The Spaceship that Fell in My Backyard, winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Hollywood Music and Media Awards, Family Choice Awards and Kokowanda Bay, winner of a Global Media Award as well as a Parents’ Choice Award where Lopez-Yañez was lauded for his “catchy arrangements” (Parents’ Choice Foundation).
TENNESSEE
BRING MUSIC TO LIFE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Every gift helps the Nashville Symphony open doors to music, creativity, and inspiration for young people across our community:
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Gives 10 students the joy of attending a Young People’s Concert – often their first orchestral experience.
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Presents a Chamber Music performance, giving audiences an unforgettable experience of live artistry.
When you give, you’re not just making a donation—you’re putting instruments in children’s hands, music in their ears, and possibility in their hearts. Together, we can inspire tomorrow’s music lovers, creators, and performers.
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MORGAN FREEMAN'S SYMPHONIC BLUES EXPERIENCE with the Nashville Symphony
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 AT 7:30 PM
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
MARTIN GELLNER , conductor
THE MORGAN FREEMAN SYMPHONIC BLUES TEAM:
MORGAN FREEMAN, Symphonic Blues ambassador, narrator & executive producer
ANTHONY ‘BIG A’ SHERROD, guitar & vocals
JACQUELINE ‘JAXX’ NASSAR , guitar & vocals
ADRIENNE ‘LADY ADRENA’ ERVIN, vocals
ADRIAN ‘REV SLIM’ FORREST, bass
MARK YACOVONE , keyboard
LEE WILLIAMS , percussion
ERIC MEIER , executive producer
HOWARD STOVALL , production manager & executive producer
NICK TALBOTT, producer
ALINA SCALORA , producer
MARTIN GELLNER, music director
TAMEAL EDWARDS, tour manager
DEVI REDDY, Park Avenue Artists - booking manager
JOE BRAUNER, Park Avenue Artists - booking manager
PROGRAM
Dark was the Night, Cold was the Ground (from Blind Willie Johnson’s Columbia Records recording, 1927)
Orch. Martin Gellner
Crossroads (from Robert Johnson’s Cross Road Blues EP, 1937)
Orch. David O’Rourke, Martin Gellner
You Gotta Move (from Mississippi Fred McDowell’s You Gotta Move, 1965)
Orch. Martin Gellner
Death Letter Blues (from Son House’s Father of Folk Blues, 1965)
Orch. Martin Gellner
Dust My Broom (from Elmore James’s Trumpet Records recording, 1951)
Orch. David O’Rourke, Martin Gellner
Thrill is Gone (from B.B. King’s Completely Well, 1969)
Orch. David O’Rourke, Martin Gellner
Cadillac Assembly Line (from Albert King’s Cadillac Assembly Line, 1976)
Orch. Martin Gellner
Born Under a Bad Sign (from Albert King’s Born Under A Bad Sign, 1967)
Orch. David O’Rourke, Martin Gellner
Hard Times (from Ray Charles’s The Genius Sings The Blues, 1954)
Orch. David O’Rourke, Martin Gellner
Somebody Knockin’ On My Door (from Eric Clapton's Slowhand at 70, 2015)
Orch. Martin Gellner
Travelling Riverside Blues (from Led Zeppellin’s Coda, 1982)
Orch. Martin Gellner
I’ll Take You There (from The Staple Singers’ Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, 1972)
Orch. Martin Gellner
Tried and Tried (from Anthony Big A Sherrod’s Right on Time, 2016)
Orch. David O’Rourke, Martin Gellner
Someday (from Anthony Big A Sherrod’s Right on Time, 2016)
Orch. David O’Rourke, Martin Gellner
I Lied To You (from Sinners original soundtrack, 2025)
Orch. Martin Gellner
Bring It On Home To Me (from Sam Cooke’s The Best of Sam Cooke, 1962)
Orch. Martin Gellner
A NOTE FROM MORGAN FREEMAN:
Hey y’all, welcome to our Symphonic Blues Experience, a unique combination of classic orchestral sounds blended with the emotion and authenticity of the Blues.
These two music genres couldn’t be more different. One was born in the gilded concert halls of Europe, the other in the sweltering fields of the American South. So when my partners and I set out to work on this project, we asked ourselves, “could these divergent sounds come together? Could these talented musicians from all walks of life strike a resonant chord and find just the right harmony?”
The answer, we believe, is a resounding yes.
Born from struggle and shaped in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the blues is more than a sound, it’s proof of survival. It’s the story of people who turned hardship into something powerful, who found beauty in their sorrow, and who sang out loud when the world tried to keep them quiet.
But the blues didn’t stay put. It didn’t just linger on the dusty roads or front porches of the Delta. It traveled up the river, across the country, and eventually around the world. With every stop, it left its mark, shaping jazz, rock & roll, R&B, and soul. The blues laid the foundation for so much of the music we know today, but somehow its roots are often forgotten, its storytellers left unsung.
This is their story: the sound of America’s past and present, the heartbeat of a culture that refused to be forgotten.
So please, sit back, relax and enjoy the Symphonic Blues Experience.
ABOUT MORGAN FREEMAN
Morgan Freeman, a proud son of the Mississippi Delta, is renowned not only as an Academy Award-winning actor and narrator of unforgettable gravitas, but also as a tireless champion of the music and culture that shaped his upbringing. Raised amid the soulful rhythms and storytelling traditions of the Delta, Freeman’s lifelong love for the blues runs as deep as his iconic voice. Beyond his legendary film career, he has dedicated himself
to preserving this musical heritage, most notably as co-founder of the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, a lively sanctuary for authentic Delta blues and a launchpad for local talent.
As co-producer of Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience, he brings his vision and unmistakable presence to the stage, blending cinematic flair with the heart of the blues. As Freeman likes to say, “If you want to understand the blues, you don’t just listen—you feel it. And if you’re lucky, you get to narrate it too.”
ABOUT THE ARTISTS & CONDUCTOR
ANTHONY “BIG A” SHERROD
guitar & vocals
Anthony “Big A” Sherrod is a multi-instrumentalist and international touring artist who personifies the living legacy of Delta Blues. A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, Sherrod’s journey
JACQUELINE ‘JAXX’ NASSAR
guitar & vocals
Jacqueline “Jaxx” Nassar is a powerhouse guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter hailing from Clarksdale, Mississippi—the very heart of the Delta Blues. A former standout of the
ADRIENNE ‘LADY ADRENA’ ERVIN vocals
Lady Adrena’s music is making waves across the U.S., France, and the U.K., blending life stories into powerful blues tunes. From 2015 to 2016, she lit up stages alongside legends like Anthony Hamilton, Betty Wright, The Bar-Kays, and Lakeside. In 2018, she took second place at the Vicksburg International Blues Challenge, which
ADRIAN ‘REV SLIM’ FORREST bass
Adrian Miles Forrest, better known as Rev Slim, was born and raised in Grenada, Mississippi, where he grew up surrounded by Gospel Quartet music. After graduating from Grenada High, Slim studied music education at Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi, where he sharpened his skills in arranging and recording.
began at just five years old when he picked up the bass under the guidance of his mentor, the legendary Mr. Johnnie Billington. As the godson of blues icon Big Jack Johnson and a proud graduate of the Delta Blues Museum’s educational program, Sherrod embodies a direct line to the greats who shaped the genre. His performances carry the soul of the Delta in every note, keeping the tradition alive while inspiring the next generation of blues artists.
Delta Blues Museum’s education program, Jaxx was personally awarded the inaugural Robert Johnson Award for Youth Excellence by Morgan Freeman. Over the years, she’s taken the stage alongside legends like B.B. King and Paul Simon, captivating audiences with her fierce musicianship and magnetic stage presence. Rooted in the Blues but unbound by genre, Jaxx brings a raw, soulful energy to every performance, channeling the spirit of the Delta with every note.
inspired her return to her gospel roots and a deeper dive into traditional blues. Her first blues single, “Good Girl Gone Bad,” was produced by Mr. Sipp, followed by the hit “Recipe for the Blues” with Sweet Success Records in 2021. That same year, she added the title “Lady” to her name, stepping boldly into the spotlight as a true blues artist. Her latest album, Better Days , recorded at Memphis’ iconic Royal Studios and produced by Boo Mitchell, reflects her mission to bring healing through music. You’ll hear the influence of greats like Koko Taylor and Aretha Franklin; soul and grit in perfect harmony.
Adrian’s career has taken him across genres, from hip-hop and gospel to Southern soul and traditional blues. He’s worked with big names like Ice T, Bootsy Collins, Kierra Sheard, Eminem, Willie Clayton, and more. In 2022, he earned GRAMMY ® recognition for his work with Sir the Baptist and Tennessee State University. That same project was honored on the House Floor in D.C. and added to the Congressional Book of Records. He’s also been recognized at home, earning honors from the City of Grenada and the Grenada Baptist District.
LEE WILLIAMS percussion
Lee Williams was born and raised in Clarksdale, Mississippi—right in the heart of a musical legacy. He got his start banging on buckets in the street at just eight years old, until his cousin, Anthony Sherrod, brought him into Mr. Johnny Billington’s School of Blues. Over the years, Lee’s played in bands like Razorblade & The Deep Cuts with Josh “Razorblade”
MARK YACOVONE keyboard
Mark Yacovone is a Mississippi-based keyboardist and recording artist best known for his soulful work on piano, organ, accordion and for a
MARTIN GELLNER
conductor
Martin Gellner is an acclaimed Austrian composer, conductor, and orchestrator whose work bridges classical precision with cinematic flair. Trained at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna,
Stewart, Dr. Mike and Big T, and The Family with Terry “Big T” Williams. He’s been a regular at Ground Zero Blues Club since day one, sharing the stage with blues legends like Charlie Musselwhite and Bob Margolin. These days, Lee gives back by teaching drums at the Delta Blues Museum’s Music Education Program and the Pinetop Perkins Foundation Workshop. He’s also been a core part of Heavy Suga’ & The SweeTones for the past 18 years, contributing to songwriting, arrangements, and vocals. You can also catch him playing with Big A & The Allstars… and with anyone else who needs a drummer.
brief cameo on the reality series Gene Simmons: Family Jewels. A longtime member of the Thacker Mountain Radio Hour house band, he’s shared stages and studios with artists like Mojo Nixon, Jody Williams, Joe Osborn, Buddy Cage, Maria Muldaur, and Jack Sonni of Dire Straits. Mark brings decades of groove, grit, and musical range to every performance.
Gellner has collaborated with renowned ensembles including the Vienna Philharmonic and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. A creative force behind largescale productions, he brings depth and dynamism to every score—most recently serving as arranger for Hans Zimmer Live. With Symphonic Blues, Gellner lends his mastery to reimagining Delta classics with sweeping orchestral power, creating a sound that’s both rooted and revelatory.
TO OUR CREATIVE COLLABORATORS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MAKE MORGAN FREEMAN’S SYMPHONIC BLUES EXPERIENCE A REALITY:
Martin Gellner – To our Music Director whose masterful blending of the Blues and the Symphony Orchestra make the most unlikely of musical combinations soar.
Boo Mitchell and Royal Studios – To our master of vibe, Boo and his legendary Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee make the sounds of our project come fully to life.
Stax Music Academy – To the joyous kids of the Stax after-school music program who bring a wide smile to our faces whenever they turn up the volume.
Danny Abraham – To a pastor, sartorial soothsayer and crooner extraordinaire, Danny’s love of life has made us love him even more.
Willy Bearden – To a great southern storyteller, whose words make us all just want to go home to the Delta.
Maude Schuyler Clay – To the camera whisperer, whose images bring the wonder of the Mississippi Delta into full focus.
Kelly Dachtler and Lumio Studio - To our cinematic virtuoso who perfectly captures the storytelling of the Symphonic Blues Experience.
Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale - Where it all began, the best blues club on the planet. All are welcome!
TO OUR SPONSORS WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO BRING TOURISM AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY TO THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA:
VISIT MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi, often hailed as the birthplace of America's music, offers visitors a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, from the legendary blues trails of Clarksdale to the vibrant coastal towns along the Gulf. Its deep-rooted musical traditions, historic landmarks, and warm Southern hospitality make it a compelling destination for travelers seeking authentic experiences. By partnering with Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience, Mississippi proudly showcases its profound influence on global music and reaffirms its commitment to preserving and celebrating its unique cultural legacy.
MEMPHIS TOURISM
Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience is proudly supported by Memphis Tourism, the official destination marketing organization for Memphis and Shelby County. Memphis Tourism helps amplify the city’s rich musical heritage—from the blues of Beale Street to the soul of Stax—by partnering with cultural experiences that celebrate its global influence. Their support ensures that the legacy of Memphis continues to inspire audiences across the country.
VISIT CLARKSDALE
Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience is honored to partner with Visit Clarksdale, the official tourism organization for Clarksdale, Mississippi—widely recognized as the "Home of the Blues." Clarksdale's rich musical heritage, vibrant cultural scene, and iconic landmarks like the Delta Blues Museum and the legendary Crossroads make it a pilgrimage site for blues enthusiasts worldwide. Visit Clarksdale plays a pivotal role in preserving and promoting this legacy, offering visitors an authentic glimpse into the birthplace of the blues.
CROSSROADS ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP
Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience is proud to partner with the Crossroads Economic Partnership, a driving force behind Clarksdale, Mississippi’s economic revitalization and cultural preservation. As the city’s leading economic development and chamber organization, the Crossroads Economic Partnership fosters innovation, supports local businesses, and promotes Clarksdale’s rich musical heritage on a global stage. Their commitment to nurturing creative industries and honoring the Delta’s legacy makes them an ideal partner in bringing this transformative musical experience to life.
Accelerando offers exceptional musical training at no cost to qualifying Middle Tennessee students who exhibit the talent, potential, and ambition to pursue serious music study at the collegiate level.
PROGRAM OFFERINGS
• Students grades 5–12 may apply
• Students must play a standard orchestral instrument ELIGIBILITY
• Weekly private lessons from a Nashville Symphony musician
• Complimentary tickets for Nashville Symphony Classical Series performances
• Summer music camp and festival funding for students
• Financial and logistical assistance for college admissions
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The Nashville Symphony is deeply grateful to the following individuals who contributed to the 2024/25 concert season and services to the community through their generous gifts to the Annual Fund and support for Special Events. Donors through July 28, 2025
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Mr. Timothy Pearcy and Ms. Glory Crampton
Paul & Gerda Resch
Ms. Kathy R. Robbins
Ms. Melanie Robinson
Carol & John T. Rochford
Mr. & Mrs. David L. Rollins
Rebecca Rouland
Ms. Mary Frances Rudy
Kenneth & Joan Sands
Dr. Norm Scarborough & Ms. Kimberly Hewell
Dr. & Mrs. Stephen Seale
The Shields Family Foundation
Mrs. Jay E. Shuman
Mr. & Mrs. Irvin Small
Mr. & Mrs. Brian S. Smallwood
Esther Smith
Ms. Maggie Smith
K.C. & Mary Smythe
Stephen Franklin Sparks
Clark Spoden & Norah Buikstra
W. Lee & Jane St. Clair
Dr. Steve A. Hyman & Mr. Mark Lee Taylor
Ms. Meril Temlock
Mr. & Mrs. David B. Thomas Sr.
Ms. Janice E. Ticich
Rick & Barbara. Turner
Tyler Walker
Mrs. Lisa W. Wheeler
Mrs. Barbara Bransford White
Ms. Memorie K. White
Mr. Milton White
Dean & Donna Whittle
Mrs. Gail Williams
Ira and Elaine Work
Shirley Zeitlin
Mr. Craig Zimberg & Ms. Tara Sawdon
GOLDEN BATON SOCIETY
Gifts of $3,000 - $4,999
Anonymous
Bill & Shelley Alexander
Dr. & Mrs. Gregg P. Allen
Jeremy & Rebecca Atack
Mrs. Sallie Ballantine Bailey
David Baldwin & Melissa K. Moss
J.E. & Doris Barlow
Ned Bates & Brigette Anschuetz
David & Holly Baulch
Mr. Lee A. Beaman
Lewis & Denise Bellardo
Mike & Kathy Benson
Dr. Eric & Elaine Berg
While we strive to recognize all our donors at the appropriate levels, mistakes can happen. If you believe an error has been made, please contact giving@nashvillesymphony.org.
Mrs. Jean Bills
Celia Applegate & David Blackbourn
Randolph & Elaine Blake
Dennis & Tammy Boehms
Mr.* & Mrs. Roger Borchers
Jamey Bowen & Norman Wells
Robert & Barbara Braswell
Dr. Robert J. Brewer
Jacqueline Brody
Mr. & Mrs. Scott Bryant
Branden Leslie Burkey
Sykes & Ann Cargile
David L. Carlton
Tom & Kathi Carr
Robin & Robert Carroll
Zane Cavender
David & Pam Chamberlin
Mr. Alex Chan & Ms. Jennie E. Stumpf
Erica & Doug Chappell
Ms. Carol J. Childress
Catherine Chitwood
Cynthia R. Cohen
Ed & Pat Cole
Teresa Corlew & Wes Allen
Roger & Barbara Cottrell
Paula Anne Covington
Kelly Crockett
Mr. M. Bradshaw Darnall III
Mr. & Mrs. William B. Davis
Beatrice deVegvar
Myrtianne P. Downs
Herbert & Kathleen Duer
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Dugas
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Eck
Megan & Steven Epstein
Sherie Edwards
Mrs. Ethel T. Fennell
Mr. Brian T. Fitzpatrick
Mr. & Mrs. Steven B. Franklin
Mrs. Karyn M. Frist
Dr. Ronald E. Galbraith & Mrs. Faith H. Galbraith
Carlene Hunt & Marshall Gaskins
Bruce Gill & James Turner
Mr. Norman B. Gillis
Mr. Amos R. Glass
Mr. Leonard C. Glass Sr.
Andrew & Alene Gnyp
Lisa & Douglas Gregg
Karen & Daniel Grossman
Cuong Ly & Gina Guo
Mrs. Robbie J. Hampton
Mr. & Mrs. John Burton Hayes
Judith & Richard Hays
Steve Hesson
Ms. Sylvia Hix
Ms. Elizabeth Hogan
Aurelia L. Holden
Mr. & Mrs. Donald J. Israel
Mr. & Mrs. Clay T. Jackson
Mr. & Mrs. John F. Jacques
Christopher Kamer
Patrick B. Kennedy & Jamie S. Amos
The Kirkland Foundation/Chris & Beth Kirkland
Ms. Diane Klaiber
Mr. & Mrs. David J. Klintworth
Mr. & Mrs. Michael A. Koban Jr.
Kimberly S. Kraft-McLemore
Dr. & Mrs. Mike LaDouceur
Bobbie Jean Lamar
Mr. Edward Lanquist
Martha & Larry Larkin
Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Lehman-Grimes
John & Mary Leinard
Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy R. Lemmon
Ted & Anne Lenz
Douglas & Mizuho Leonard
Alice & John Lindahl
Mr. George Luscombe II
David & Sarah Mansouri
Joelle Maynard
Mrs. Sharon L. McMahan
Dr. Mark & Mrs. Theresa Messenger
Ingrid Meszoely MD
Mr. & Mrs. S. Moharreri
Bill & Cindy Morelli
Mr. Wayne E. Morris
Dr. & Mrs. Kelvin A. Moses
Johnny Mutina & Earl Lamons
Michael & Patricia Nelson
Mr. & Mrs. Carl A. Neuhoff Jr.
Mrs. Gwen Noe
Dr. Agatha L. Nolen
Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Notestine
Ashley & Aaron Odom
Mr. & Mrs. Bond E. Oman
David & Pamela Palmer
Susan Holt & Mark Patterson
Lisa Peebles
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ross Pepper
Dr. and Mrs. Philip Perdue
Melinda C. Phillips
Robert & Laura Pittman
Carol Armes & Bob Pitz
Mr. Jason E. Poole
Mr. & Mrs. W. Edward Ramage
Neil & Ella Redkevitch
Mr. Allen Reynolds
Dr. William D. Richie
Mr. & Mrs. Don Ricketts
Jan Riven
Amy Robertson & Carl Marshall
Ms. Judith A. Robison
Anne Roos
Ms. Sara L. Rosson & Ms. Nancy Menke
Brady Rowe
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Ruth Sr.
Daniel Schafer & Melissa Rose
Mr. & Mrs. Todd Seifferth
Jennifer Shinall
Mrs. Martin E. Simmons
K.C. & Mary Smythe
Nan E. Speller & Dan Eisenstein
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas H. Stearns
Dr. Maura A. Stevenson
Barbara Newton & Kent Stewart
Robert & Virginia Stewart
Suzanne W. Storar
Dr. Eric & Mrs. Julie Sumner
Owen Thorne
Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Thursby
Martha J. Trammell
Mila & Bill Truan
Mr. Steve Turner*
John Vayda
Larry & Brenda Vickers
Veronica Votypka Mclean
Mr. & Mrs. John E. Waggener Jr.
Kris & G. G. Waggoner
Mike & Elaine Walker
Dr. & Mrs. Mark Wathen
Sam R. McColl & Christy A. Watkins
Talmage M. Watts & Debra Greenspan
Watts
Dr. Carroll Van West & Dr. Mary
Hoffschwelle
Mr. James L. White
Mr. Lanny Willis
Wiens & McFadden Household
Dr. Artmas L. Worthy
Mr. & Mrs. D. Randall Wright
Ms. Pamela J. Wright
Dr. & Mrs. Victor L. Zirilli
And deepest thanks to all our donors who made gifts of any size. We’re so appreciative of you and your support!
Support for the 2025/26 Season will be reflected in future editions of InConcert. It’s never too early to add your name to the list with a generous contribution to the Nashville Symphony Annual Fund. Your support makes this performance and many more possible. Visit nashvillesymphony.org/donate to give and see your name in lights soon.
BEYOND
THE STAGE
The Nashville Symphony is dedicated to sharing live orchestral music experiences with communities across Middle Tennessee — at Schermerhorn Symphony Center and beyond. Your support helps send our musicians into schools, community centers, and parks throughout the region.
EASY WAYS TO GIVE SCAN THE QR CODE TO DONATE NOW!
via phone: 615.687.6494
via mail: One Symphony Place Nashville, TN 37201
Online: NashvilleSymphony.org/Donate
* denotes donors who are deceased
HONORARY
In honor of Emzara & Emeil Al-Hashimi
In honor of Carole Batson
In honor of Phillip Cathey
In honor of Maestro Giancarlo Guerrero
In honor of Tod C. Koehler
In honor of Dr. Elizabeth Krogman
In honor of John Maple
MEMORIAL
In memory of Nathan & Marilyn Braustein
In memory of Marion Pickering Couch
In memory of Jeremy Dawkins
In memory of Betty Smith Dobson
In memory of Harold Donaldson
In memory of Henry Rodes Hart Sr.
In honor of Musicians
In honor of the Nashville Symphony Chorus
In honor of Victoria Pao
In honor of Suzanne Potter
In honor of Joel Reist
In honor of Scott Romine
In honor of Judi Sachs
In honor of Elizabeth Sandberg
In honor of Wilson & Delores Sharpe
In honor of Joseph Strausbaugh
In honor of Everly & Greg Suhayda
In honor of Sheri Switzer
In honor of Thomas L. Turk
In memory of James V. (Jim) Hunt, Sr.
In memory of Rodney Irvin
In memory off Michael Kilbane
In memory of Leah Koesten
In memory of Lt. Cmdr Alan A. Patterson
In memory of Steve Turner
In memory of Mary Gatwood Wallace
In memory of Shirley Marie Watts
In memory H. Martin Weingartner
In memory of Jennie Brown Wyatt
The Nashville Symphony extends its gratitude to our 2024/25 Board of Directors and Associate Board of Directors for their service and commitment.
2024/25 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Mary Cavarra Board Chair
Pamela Carter Immediate Past Board Chair
Teresa Sebastian Board Chair-Elec
Dr. Mark Peacock
Vice Chair
Hank Ingram Secretary
Jonathan McNabb
Treasurer
DIRECTORS
Steve Abelman Grace Awh
Dr. Andre Churchwell
Starling Davis Clark
Eric Cook
Yuri Cunza
Nick Deidiker
Robert Dennis Dr. Daniel Diermeier
Travis Dunn
Stephen Eaves
Anthony Giarratana
Catherine R. Grace
Gerald Greer*
Alan D. Valentine President & CEO + Indicates Young Leaders Intern * Denotes Non-Voting Member
Shaelan Williams Performance & Special Events Chair
Morgan Karr Spirits of Summer Co-Chair
Andrew Horowitz Spirits of Summer Co-Chair
Cynthia Matthews Louise Morrison*
Rhonda Mulroy
Phylanice Nashe
Victoria Pao
Jeremie Papin
Marielena Ramos
Jeanie Rittenberry
James Rooney
Laura Ross
Dr. Kenneth Sands
Antoine Savage Benjamin Scott
Johna Smith*
Michael Sposato
Karl Sprules
Christian Teather •*
David Thomas, Sr.
Mark Tillinger
James Todd
Jasmine Valentine+
Bill Wade
Peri Widener
Gail Williams
Betsy Wills
DIRECTORS
Virginia Adamson
Katie Atkins-Ritzen
Samantha Breske Magee
Alexander Chan
Max Davis
Jason Eskind
Amos Glass
Jasmine Greer
Gina Guo
Andrew Hard
Amy Harper Deems
Lizzie Hogan
Trent Janos
Mary Elizabeth Mazziotti
Alexandria Payton
Lindsay Stevenson
Owen Thorne
Trey Watson
CORPORATIONS & FOUNDATIONS
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
SPONSORS
Accurate Healthcare
Thank you to our corporate and foundation partners for their generous support of the 2024/25 season and our education and community engagement activities. Partners through July 28, 2025 .
Ann Hardeman and Combs L. Fort Foundation
Beam Smile Design
Brown Brothers Harriman
Burroughs Family Foundation
Carolyn Smith Foundation
Christenberry Anderson Loomis
Family Foundation
Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated
The Cockayne Fund Inc.
Corrections Corporation of America
Daniel A. Hatef M.D.
The Danner Foundation
DeLozier Plastic Surgery
Dillard's Corporation
Earl Swensson Associates, Inc. (ESa)
Ernest & Selma Rosenblum Fund
Ernst & Young
GOVERNMENT SPONSORS
Fifth Third Bank
Gilpin Facial Plastics
Goodin Lawncare
The Hendrix Foundation
The Heritage at Brentwood
Hewlett Packard
Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee
KraftCPAs PLLC
Laroche Family Foundation
Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
M. Stratton Foster Charitable Foundation
The Mall at Green Hills
Melkus Family Foundation
The Memorial Foundation
Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County
