Message from the Premier
Congratulations to the esteemed Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO) on the launch of their 2024-2025 season. The NSO remains a cornerstone of Newfoundland and Labrador’s cultural arts scene, captivating with diverse programming that embraces pop culture, broadening appeal across generations. In 2023-24, the NSO engaged communities by offering in-school and virtual programs for students and free online concerts for seniors, enriching lives through music. As they begin this new season, the NSO honours maestro Marc David for his remarkable 30-year career, shaping the orchestra’s legacy and leaving a lasting impact on Newfoundland and Labrador’s cultural landscape. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador proudly supports the NSO, recognizing its pivotal role in enriching our province’s arts and culture sector.
Message from the Mayor
On behalf of the City of St. John’s, I extend warm greetings to the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra as you embark on your 2024/2025 season with the inspiring theme of “Resonance.” This season holds special significance as you celebrate the remarkable 30-year career of Maestro Marc David. His dedication, passion, and leadership have left a lasting mark on the NSO, resonating deeply with audiences in our city and beyond. The arts play a crucial role in enriching our lives, fostering creativity, and bringing people together. The NSO’s commitment to delivering exceptional musical experiences reflects the vibrant cultural landscape we’re fortunate to have in St. John’s. Your performances not only entertain but also inspire and uplift, creating lasting moments. As we celebrate this milestone season, my sincere gratitude goes to the musicians, staff, volunteers, and supporters of the NSO. Your tireless efforts ensure the symphony thrives and resonates with audiences of all ages. I’m confident that this season will be filled with memorable performances that leave a lasting impact. Congratulations to Maestro Marc David on his illustrious career, and best wishes to the NSO for a successful and resonant 2024/2025 season.
Joan Marie J. Aylward, O.N.L., B.N., R.N. Lieutenant Governor of NL
Danny Breen Mayor of St. John’s
Message from the Lieutenant Governor
As Honorary Patron, it is my pleasure to extend best wishes to the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra for the 2024/2025 season. Once again, the NSO will delight audiences with a season full of performances for many different musical tastes. This year’s theme is “Resonance”. Indeed, the NSO resonates throughout our province and contributes much to our rich artistic culture. Now with 84 members, the NSO has come a long way since its inception as a fledgling ensemble in 1962. This season also marks the final one for Principal Conductor Maestro Marc David. For 30 years the Orchestra has been guided by his steady hand. We join with you in celebrating his contributions, and his leadership with the NSO. Thank you Maestro Marc David for all the joy you have brought for audiences over your years with the NSO. I hope you will enjoy each performance this year. To the musicians, staff, crew, and all who play a part within the NSO, I wish you the best for your season, which I am confident will resonate with pride for audiences throughout the province. We are so proud of you, and we celebrate your continued success as you begin your new season in the Year of the Arts. Bravo!
Hon. Dr. Andrew Furey Premier
RECITAL 4: ATLANTIC STRING QUARTET
Sunday, May 25, 2025 • D.F. Cook Recital Hall, MUN School of Music Presented by IdeaFactory
PROGRAMME
Presentation of Jules Léger Prize to Alice Ping Yee Ho (Michèle Stanley, Canada Council)
P. Glass
Alice Ping Yee Ho Threnody of the Skies
I. Fractured Horizon
II. Echos in Time
III. Trees of Hope
F. Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 2 in a minor, op. 13
I. Adagio - Allegro vivace
II. Adagio non lento
III. Intermezzo: Allegretto con moto - Allegro di molto
IV. Presto - Adagio non lento
We acknowledge the province of Newfoundland and Labrador as the traditional territory of diverse Indigenous groups, and we acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and cultures of the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Innu, and Inuit of this province. We strive for respectful relationships with all the peoples of this province as we search for collective healing and true reconciliation and honour this beautiful land together.
ATLANTIC STRING QUARTET
The award winning Atlantic String Quartet is composed of the principal string players of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. The current members of the quartet are Heather Kao and Nancy Case-Oates – violins, Kate Read – viola, and Nathan Cook – cello. Hailing from Newfoundland, the UK and the US, they bring rich and diverse experience to their performances. In 2020, the ASQ won the MusicNL Classical Artist of the Year award for its debut CD, produced by Mark Fewer, of the Ravel and Bliss String Quartets.
In addition to leading their sections in the ever-blossoming NSO, the quartet presents its own recital series, programming a diverse selection of both standard and lesser-known repertoire. The group regularly performs works by Canadian composers including Dinuk Wijeratne, Andrew Staniland, Jocelyn Morlock, and Kellie Marie Murphy, and is committed to showcasing works by women and members of other underrepresented groups. The ASQ is an integral part of the creative life of the St. John’s community and is known for its versatility and ability to work with music and musicians from multiple styles and genres. They have shared the stage with renowned classical musicians like Charles Richard-Hamelin, Angela Cheng, Ofra Harnoy, Shauna Rolston, Mark Fewer, and acclaimed Inuk classical vocalist and composer Deantha Edmunds. Equally comfortable with non-classical genres, the ASQ has performed with artists and groups such as Cory Tetford, Duane Andrews, The Once, Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, Mary Barry, and Ron Hynes. They also recently joined forces with fabulous jazz musicians Bill Brennan and Juno award-winner Florian Hoefner to perform Chick Corea’s “Lyric Suite” for sextet.
As well as in and around St. John’s, the quartet regularly performs throughout the province. Corner Brook, Woody Point, Bonavista’s Garrick Theatre, Cupid’s Theatre, and Eastport have all hosted recent performances by the ASQ, and the group appears regularly at the Cape St Mary’s concert series. Members of the quartet teach at Memorial University of Newfoundland as well as run their own teaching studios. They coach and conduct young ensembles, and regularly adjudicate at festivals.
COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT
Alice Ping Yee Ho (composer, ThrenodyoftheSkies) is a distinguished Chinese Canadian composer acclaimed for her versatile and innovative body of work. Renowned for her eclectic style, she seamlessly blends genres such as opera, orchestral, chamber music, dance, and theatre. Her compositions, celebrated for their originality, emotional depth, and cross-cultural influences, have garnered numerous awards and accolades.
Ho’s honors include the 2024 Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music, the 2022 Symphony Nova Scotia Maria Anna Mozart Award, and the 2022 Barlow Endowment Commissioning Award. She is also the recipient of the 2019 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize and the 2013 Dora Mavor Moore Award for “Outstanding Original Opera” for The Lesson of Da Ji. Additional accolades include the Boston Metro Opera International Composition Competition, the Prince Edward Island Symphony Composers Competition, the 2014 Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Friendship Orchestral Composition Competition, the Louis Applebaum Composers Award, the K.M. Hunter Artist Award, and the Luxembourg Sinfonietta International Composition Prize.
Her music has been performed internationally by esteemed ensembles and orchestras, including the Finnish Lapland Chamber Orchestra, China National Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic, Taiwan National Symphony, Luxembourg Sinfonietta, Estonia’s Ellerhein Girls’ Choir, and Polish Radio Choir. In Canada, her works have been showcased by leading groups such as the Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Nova Scotia, and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphonies, Esprit Orchestra, Art Choral Canada, and New Music Concerts. She has collaborated with renowned soloists and ensembles, including the Penderecki String Quartet, TorQ Percussion Quartet, Duo Concertante, violist Rivka Golani, pianists Christina Petrowska Quilico, Philip Chiu, and Katherine Dowling, percussionists Sumire Yoshihara, Evelyn Glennie, and Beverley Johnston, and flutists Robert Aitken, Patrick Gallois, and Susan Hoeppner.
A two-time JUNO Award nominee, Ho has released 10 solo albums that reflect her artistic range. Highlights include Ming for percussion, Glistening Pianos for two pianos, and The Lesson of Da Ji, featuring her Dora Award-winning opera. Other recordings include Mysterious Boot for flute, cello, and piano; The Monkiest King, showcasing her children’s opera with the Canadian Children’s Opera Company; Venom of Love, a recording of her electronic ballet music; A Woman’s Voice for female voices and piano; and two solo piano albums, Blaze and Awake and Dreaming, featuring Christina Petrowska Quilico and Katherine Dowling. Her catalog also includes a full-length recording of her opera CHINATOWN, commissioned by City Opera Vancouver with Madeleine Thien and a Hoisanese co-writer.
Ho’s operas, including The Lesson of Da Ji, The Monkiest King, and CHINATOWN, transcend cultural boundaries, reflecting her Chinese heritage while connecting with global audiences. These works exemplify her ability to blend diverse musical traditions into powerful narratives.
She holds a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University and a Master of Music from the University of Toronto, having studied with John Eaton, Brian Ferneyhough, and John Beckwith. An accomplished pianist and advocate for contemporary music, she has premiered works such as Tan Dun’s Traces II.
Now based in Toronto, Alice Ping Yee Ho continues to captivate audiences with her groundbreaking compositions and unique artistic voice.
PROGRAM NOTES
Experience the world premiere of a new commission by acclaimed Canadian composer Alice Ho. Known for her innovative and expressive compositions, Ho’s new work promises to bring fresh and exciting sounds to the string quartet repertoire. Threnody of the Skies is a new composition commemorating the Arrow Air Flight 1285R tragedy in 1985. 2025 is the 40th anniversary of the disaster in Gander, NL which was the deadliest plane crash in Canada aviation history. The piece pays tribute to those who lost their lives, and offers hope for the future for friends and family who have been affected by this event.
in 1983 as incidental music for a theater adaptation of Samuel Beckett’s novella “Company.” The work was later adapted for the string quartet format, retaining its minimalist roots while effectively capturing the emotional depth and existential themes of Beckett’s writing. The piece is a quintessential example of his minimalist style, characterized by repetitive structures, gradual changes, and a focus on texture and rhythm. The quartet is structured in four concise movements, each contributing to a cohesive and contemplative whole. The music’s simplicity belies its emotional potency, with subtle shifts creating a sense of introspection and calm.
Felix Mendelssohn composed his String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 13, in 1827, at the age of 18. Despite his youth, the work demonstrates remarkable maturity and emotional depth. It was composed shortly after the death of Ludwig van Beethoven, whose late quartets deeply influenced Mendelssohn. The quartet’s thematic material is also closely related to one of Mendelssohn’s songs, “Frage” (Question), Op. 9 No. 1, highlighting his penchant for integrating vocal elements into instrumental music.
Mendelssohn’s Op. 13 quartet blends classical forms with early Romantic expressiveness. The quartet is notable for its lyrical melodies, rich harmonies, and intricate counterpoint. Mendelssohn employs cyclical thematic development, with motifs reappearing throughout the movements to create a unified, cohesive work.
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N SO Board
T om Hickey (Chair)
Ian Penne y (Vice-Chair)
Paul McDonald (Past Chair)
Douglas Wright (Treasurer)
Conor Stack (Corporate Secretary)
J essica Chapman
Heather McKinnon
Michelle Davis
Andrea Rose
Duncan Fitzpatrick
Glenn Colton
Photo: Brad Clarke