Timeless Treasures 2024-2025 season
President’s Message
I am delighted to welcome you to the opening of our 2024-2025 Nittany Valley Symphony (NVS) concert season. As we immerse ourselves in the symphonic world, let us remember the profound impact that music can have on our lives. It has the power to uplift our spirits, to provide solace in times of sorrow, and to inspire us to reach new heights of creativity and expression. I encourage you to open your hearts and minds to the music you will experience throughout the season. Let the music speak to you in a language beyond words, touching a place deep within your soul.
I also am pleased to announce that Gabriel Herrera has joined NVS as our new executive director. He replaces Roberta Strebel, who had been in that role for the past 17 years. We are grateful for all that Roberta has done for NVS during her long tenure with us, and wish her all the best in her retirement from the position. Many of you have come to know Roberta through your connections to NVS. If you see her at our concerts this season, I encourage you to thank her for all she has done.
You can learn more about Gabriel and why we are so excited to be working with him by going to https://bit.ly/NVS_Herrera_ED online.
I extend my deepest gratitude to our orchestra musicians, music director and conductor Timothy Farrand, and all who have worked and volunteered tirelessly behind the scenes to bring this season to life. Their dedication and talent are the foundation upon which we build our musical journey, and I am forever grateful for their contributions.
Thank you as well to our audience members, long time sponsors, and generous supporters of all ages for allowing us to enjoy our 56th year here in Central, PA. Sit back, relax, and may our music fill your hearts with joy and inspiration.
Lisa A. Schroeder President, Board of Directors Nittany Valley Symphony
Message from the Maestro
Welcome to the 2024-2025 Nittany Valley Symphony season! I am thrilled to present a diverse series of concerts featuring popular favorites and little-known gems. This season promises to be rich in drama, beauty, and passion, with each program exploring a unique aspect of our symphonic repertoire.
We begin with an exploration of the European countryside, featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, known as the “Pastorale.” Beethoven once expressed his deep affection for nature, saying, “How happy I am to be able to wander among bushes and herbs, under trees and over rocks; no man can love the country as I love it. Woods, trees, and rocks send back the echoes that man desires.” This beloved work captures the beauty of nature and its influence on the human spirit. This program also includes a rare performance of Josef Suk’s Praga, a symphonic poem that celebrates the city of Prague through the heroic figure of Jan Žižka, a warrior from the Hussite Revolution who has become an enduring symbol of Czech freedom and independence. We open the season with Franz Doppler’s Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy, a melodious and passionate work featuring our principal flutist, Cathy Herrera.
This Fall, we commemorate the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner’s birth with a performance of his monumental Symphony No. 6. Bruckner, one of the greatest symphonic composers of the 19th century and a composer particularly close to my heart, has not been featured on an NVS program in recent memory, making this performance even more special. This symphony showcases the full range of the orchestra, from intimate melodies to powerful climaxes. Having been one of the premier organists in Austria, Bruckner orchestrates in blocks of sound similar to how one registers an organ creating a unique aural landscape with cathedrallike architecture. This symphony also contains one of the most profound slow movements in the orchestral repertoire. Opening this concert, soloist Melody Quah will perform Clara Schumann’s enigmatic Piano Concerto. Though Bruckner and Schumann lived during the same period in Europe, their styles are markedly
different, creating an exciting contrast.
This Winter, we return to the Bellefonte Victorian Christmas with a program designed to bring light and joy to your holiday season.
I am particularly excited to present the world premiere of Christopher Hoh’s Christmas Divertimento No. 1 in addition to a series of pieces featuring our orchestra members. This season also marks the return of the Ann Keller Young Soloist Concerto Competition. We will showcase this year’s winner on our annual Family Program which opens with a story-filled journey through Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and concludes with the ever-popular Peter and the Wolf by Serge Prokofiev.
We end our season with two masterpieces of the Romantic era: Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Jim Lyon returns as soloist in this tour de force Concerto, a performance not to be missed! Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, filled with themes of fate, drama, and personal transformation, will captivate with its passionate climaxes and exquisite second movement solo featuring our Principal Horn, Kathryn Beck. Although Brahms and Tchaikovsky were sometimes at odds and often engaged in competition with one another, their contrasting styles create a dynamic pairing to round off our season.
I look forward to seeing you in the concert hall!
Music Director and Conductor Timothy Farrand
Pastorale
Sunday, September 8, 2024, 3 p.m.
Bellefonte Area High School
We begin with an exploration of the European countryside, featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, known as the “Pastorale.” This beloved work captures the beauty of nature and its influence on the human spirit. This program also includes a rare performance of Josef Suk’s Praga, a symphonic poem that celebrates the city of Prague through the heroic figure of Jan Žižka, a warrior from the Hussite Revolution who has become an enduring symbol of Czech freedom and independence. We open with Franz Doppler’s Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy, a melodious and passionate work featuring our principal flutist, Cathy Herrera.
Doppler: Fantaisie Pastorale Hongroise
Cathy Herrera, soloist
Suk: Praga
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 “Pastorale”
Bruckner at 200
Sunday, October 6, 2024, 3 p.m.
Bellefonte Area High School
We commemorate the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner’s birth with a performance of his monumental Symphony No. 6. This symphony showcases the full range of the orchestra, from intimate melodies to powerful climaxes. This symphony also contains one of the most profound slow movements in the orchestral repertoire. Opening this concert, soloist Melody Quah will perform Clara Schumann’s enigmatic Piano Concerto. The styles of Bruckner and Schumann are markedly different, creating an exciting contrast.
Schumann, Clara: Piano Concerto
Melody Quah, soloist
Bruckner: Symphony No. 6
Victorian Holiday
Friday, December 13, 2024
Part of the Bellefonte Victorian Christmas celebration
Saturday, December 14, 2024, 1 p.m.
Church of the Good Shepherd
The program strives to fill our audience with holiday cheer as they get into the spirit of the season. We will perform a variety of classical works alongside traditional carols and songs of the season, and we will premiere Christopher Hoh’s Christmas Divertimento.
Concert venues
Bellefonte Area High School
830 East Bishop Street, Bellefonte
Bellefonte Victorian Christmas
The time and venue will be announced closer to the celebration.
Church of the Good Shepherd
867 Gray’s Woods Blvd., Port Matilda
Ticket information
Tickets to Nittany Valley Symphony concerts are $25 for adults and $5 for students, and may be purchased in advance by going to our website at https://www.nvs.org/tickets or using the camera app on your smartphone to scan this QR code:
Tickets also may be purchased at the door on the day of the concert. For season subscription information, please see page 11.
Family Concert
Peter and the Wolf
Date and Time To Be Determined
Our annual Family Program opens with a story-filled journey through Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and concludes with the everpopular Peter and the Wolf by Serge Prokofiev. This concert is designed for the whole family and will last approximately one hour.
Ravel: Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose): Suite Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition Winner
Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf
Timeless Treasures
Friday, April 25, 2025 7:30 p.m.
Bellefonte Area High School
We end our season with two masterpieces of the Romantic era: Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Jim Lyon returns as soloist in this tour de force Concerto, a performance not to be missed! Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, filled with themes of fate, drama, and personal transformation, will captivate with its passionate climaxes and exquisite second movement solo featuring our Principal Horn, Kathryn Beck.
Brahms: Violin Concerto
Jim Lyon, soloist
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
About the Nittany Valley Symphony
The Nittany Valley Symphony is a community orchestra that has been performing in Centre County since 1967. Our mission is to inspire and enrich our diverse community through live concerts of the highest caliber symphonic music performed by professional and amateur musicians.
As a community symphony, our musicians come from all walks of life. While our “day jobs” may include everything from real estate agents to professors to small business owners to artists, we all share a love of creating beautiful music.
The symphony was organized in 1967 by Ann Keller of State College, Pennsylvania, to perform at the first Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. It has performed every year since then, with the exception of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, which were canceled due to the COVID pandemic.
After a short, two-concert season in 2022-23, symphony members are excited to be able to program a full season this year.
Principals
Strings
Violin 1 - Joanne Zagst Feldman
Violin 2 - Sally Williams-Minnich
Viola - Matt Kumjian
Woodwinds
Flute - Cathy Herrera
Oboe - Barry Kroeker
Clarinet - Brandy Davis
Bassoon - Trina Gallup
Brass
French Horn - Kathryn Beck
Trumpet - Herb McKinstry
Trombone - Bob LaBarca
Percussion
Timpani - Kyle Haust
Program design by Annemarie Mountz.
Support the Symphony
The Nittany Valley Symphony is a nonprofit symphonic orchestra receiving partial funding from private foundations, businesses, individual donors, and grants. Special thanks goes to the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts) and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. Please consider joining our family of supporters to keep programming high and ticket prices low.
Donation Levels
Maestro’s Circle: $4,000 or more
Includes up to four complimentary season tickets
Orchestra Partner: $1,000-$3,999
Includes up to four complimentary season tickets
Honorary Conductor: $750-$999
Includes up to three complimentary season tickets
Benefactor: $500-$749
Includes up to two complimentary season tickets
Associate: $200-$499
Includes one complimentary season ticket
Patron: $100-$199
Includes recognition in all concert programs
To support the Symphony, please contact the NVS office by phone at (814) 231-8224, fill out and mail the form on the facing page, go to https://www.nvs.org/donate on the web, or use the camera app on your smartphone to scan this QR code:
Subscription Form
Season Tickets
Value Comparison: Single Adult tickets at the door are $25.
# 4-Concert Series (Adult) @ $90.00 ............................. = $
# 4-Concert Series (Student) @ $20.00 .......................... = $
Special Event: Family Concert # Adult Tickets @ $10.00 ............................................. = $ # Student Tickets @ $5.00 ........................................... = $
Contributions to NVS
Maestro’s Circle ($4,000 or more)
Orchestra Partner ($1,000-$3,999)
Honorary Conductor ($750-$999)
Benefactor ($500-$749)
Associate ($200-$499)
Patron ($100-$199)
Contribution total ................................................... = $ Do not send me complimentary tickets. I want to take my full tax deduction
