Oakville Symphony - Feb 4 & 5, 2023

The Oakville Symphony is grateful for the continued support of as Vivace Sponsors in this, our 55th season.

FROM THE CONDUCTOR’S PODIUM

It is my honour and privilege to welcome you back to the 2nd subscription concert of the 2022-23 Season of the Oakville Symphony! Hope and community have been fundamental in these recent times. We have learned that we have a strong desire to share our experiences and we need each other to create the future we long for.

Our 55th season was built to create opportunities for all of us to find our community and share the unique experience of music with the people we love: our family, friends, neighbours, or the person you just met sitting next to you today (–Psst! Say hi if you haven’t yet!).

Today’s performance will bring you to a journey of more than 200 years in the history of music. Starting with one of the most impressive works of the early baroque, we hope you will be immersed in the music of Corelli in the candlelight setting in which it was performed on the Christmas eve of 1690 in Rome. We are incredibly proud to portray three of our string principals as soloists in the Concerto Grosso in G minor.

Then, we travel 100 years ahead, to a time where the viola starts to emerge from its place in between the violins and the cellos to be featured as a soloist with the orchestra for the first time. We are thrilled to welcome back the rising star Lynn Sue-A-Quan to perform this beautiful example of classical excellence.

Finally, another 100 years ahead, still in Europe but now in Bohemia. Dvorak’s monumental Eighth Symphony is one of the masterworks of all time. Full of pastoral images, Slavonic rhythms and the unique imagination that Dvořák has for orchestral colours, we close the concert with the unbridled energy of all the members of the Oakville Symphony performing for you.

It is my strongest wish that you enjoy this series of concerts that we have prepared for you and that you get to share the joy of live music with your loved ones as we come back full of hope for a brighter future. Your support gives us hope – thank you!

Lorenzo Guggenheim, Music Director & Conductor, Oakville Symphony

Photo of Lorenzo Guggenheim by Igor Petrov

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rhonda Wild, President

Samantha Cheung, Vice President

Mira Backo-Shannon, Secretary

Kumar Balan

Natalie Cabri

Geoffrey Creighton

OTHER OFFICERS

Bianca Chambers, Executive Director

Lorenzo Guggenheim, Music Director

Cathy Easton

Anna Hewitt

Andy Kenins, Treasurer

Jeany Kyung-Ah Jang

Sandra Litt

Jose Shapero

SUPPORT

Susan Barber-Kahro, Librarian

Michele Frensch, Rehearsal Coordinator

FROM THE PRESIDENT

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 55th season of the Oakville Symphony.

This is a very special season for the Oakville Symphony as we welcome our new Music Director and Conductor, Lorenzo Guggenheim. The search for a new Music Director began in early 2020, and the Music Director Search Committee undertook a rigorous selection process which culminated in Lorenzo’s guest conducting appearance in April of 2022. Lorenzo officially took on his new role on August 1, and he has been busy preparing and finalizing plans for this season. Lorenzo’s energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and I know that the Oakville Symphony will continue to thrive under his leadership.

Thank you to the Board of Directors and musician and community volunteers who have been working in the background to prepare for this season. A special thank you to the members of the Music Director Search Committee, and the Artistic Committee for their guidance in planning this season. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Bianca Chambers, our Executive Director, for her leadership and perseverance during particularly challenging circumstances.

On behalf of the board, thank you to our patrons for your continued support. Your donations help to sustain our operations amidst greatly reduced ticket sales and sponsorships over the last two years. We are also grateful to Delta Bingo, The Youssef-Warren Foundation, and the Oakville Community Foundation for returning as sponsors for the 2022 – 23 season. We welcome Alex Irish & Associates/ReMax Escarpment as the sponsor for our Family Holiday Concert, as well as the Santangeli family and Revera Kensington and Churchill Place for their support of the November concert.

We look forward to this exciting season and we are so pleased to have you share it with us.

Rhonda Wild President, The Oakville Symphony Board of Directors

PROGRAM

FEBRUARY 4 & 5, 2023

Concerto Grosso in G minor op. 6, No. 8, Arcangelo Corelli

“Christmas Concerto” – ca. 15 minutes

I. Vivace – Grave

II. Allegro

III. Adagio – Allegro – Adagio

IV. Vivace

V. Allegro

VI. Pastorale: Largo

Joseph Peleg and David Rehner, violin

Jose Shapero, cello

Viola Concerto in D major – ca. 20 minutes

I. Allegro

II. Adagio

III. Rondo

Intermission

Lynn Sue-A-Quan, viola

Symphony No. 8 in G major, op. 88 – ca. 42 minutes

I. Allegro con brio

II. Adagio

III. Allegretto grazioso — Molto vivace

IV. Allegro ma non troppo

Franz Anton Hoffmeister

Antonin Dvořák

OAKVILLE SYMPHONY

2022-2023

First Violin

Joseph Peleg, Concertmaster*

Eslyn Blair

Linda Choi (M)

Kevin Chuang

Irene De Wolf

Qiyue He (YA)

Andrea Maja Kho

Igor Kubelik

Bruce Lawson

Arlan Vriens (G)

Sarah Zbogar

Second Violin

David Rehner, Principal*

Brigitte Cormier

Rebecca Ellison

Kyung-Ah (Jeany) Jang

Deborah Kanfer

Margaret MacMillan

Tamara Puma

Larry Selby

Ruthie Snell

Jill Yokoyama

Heidi Zandvliet

Scully Zeng

Viola

Bill McMillan, Principal*

Jacob Clewell (G)

Naomi Li (G)

Maggie Wang (G)

Cello

Jose Shapero, Principal*

Matthew Buczkowski (YA)

Paul Burghardt

Deb Daymond

Barbara Frensch

Zain Ghadially

Jean Grieve

Hannah Kohler (YA)

Dominic Mitchell

Christina der Nederlanden

Else Sather (G)

Peggy Steele

Kim Tatone

Andreas Zbogar

Bass

Tim FitzGerald, Principal*

Robert Bell

Roger Hollingworth

Lynn Logie

Flute

Michele Frensch, Principal

Natalie Cabri

Oboe

Tyler Romesberg, Guest Principal*

Joshua Zeng (G)

Clarinet

Stephen Walter, Principal

Cindy Gollinger

Bassoon

Christian Sharpe, Principal*

Andrew Duncan (G)

French Horn

Heath Allen, Principal*

Michael Hindrich

Ewen Hutton

Molly Parris

Trumpet

Michael Abbott, Principal

Jennifer Peace

Trombone

Jonathan Lapp, Principal

Mark Kissel

Tom Wallace (G)

Tuba

Richard Jatiouk (G)

Percussion

Jorge Giorno, Guest Principal

* Member of the Professional Core | (YA) Young Artist | (M) Young Artist Mentor | (G) Guest

PROGRAM NOTES

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713): Concerto Grosso in G minor op. 6, No. 8 “Christmas Concerto” (1690)

Arcangelo Corelli is not a usual name in symphonic orchestras’ concerts. This is not because of the quality of his works, which are of the highest calibre, but because orchestras like ours are rooted in a tradition that is built from the classicism of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. Corelli was an exponent of the musical baroque, a generation earlier than Johann Sebastian Bach. He was extremely influential during his lifetime as a composer and most interestingly, one of the first composers to be famous as such. He only published six sets of works, but they were interpreted and admired even after his own time. For example, the concerto we will hear today is part of a set of twelve, which were utterly famous in Europe and especially in England well into the 19th Century.

The “Christmas Concerto” is known as such as it bears the subtitle fatto per la notte di Natale (“made for Christmas Eve”). His masterful op. 6 set the standard for the concerto grosso with two violins and a cello as soloists (the concertino) that alternate with the larger group of strings (the ripieno). The interchange between these two groups can be compared to the chiaroscuro technique present in paintings of the time, where light and dark elements are contrasted to great effect. In the concerto grosso, there also was the continuo, which is the bass line that drives the harmony, and for which today we have the cellos, basses, one bassoon and the harpsichord. At the time they also used the lute, the oboe, organ and harp for this role.

Corelli was a tremendously influential figure in music. Every contemporary of his borrowed his new style and made it so commonplace that today we think of Corelli’s music as being perhaps predictable. But this is only due to the amount of imitation it suffered consequently. The work is presented in six movements, the first five are relatively short, each presenting a different effect and mood. The final and longest one, the Pastorale, is a rare addition, perhaps related to the ceremonious occasion for which it was written.

by Lorenzo Guggenheim ©

Photo of Anna Clyne by Christina Kernohan

Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754-1812): Viola Concerto in D major (ca. 1790)

Franz Anton Hoffmeister was born in Rothenburg am Neckar (Further Austria) in May 1754. He travelled to Vienna when he was only 14 to study law. However, inspired by the rich life of the city he decided to dedicate his life to music after his graduation. He succeeded as an incredibly prolific composer, with more than 50 symphonies, dozens of concertos (at least 25 written for the flute), 8 operas and large quantities of chamber works. He was also well known for his career as a businessman in the rising music publishing world of Vienna. In the catalogue of his firm F. A Hoffmeister & Co. he counted with works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and other major composers. However, after 1791 he dropped the business and made composition his main priority.

His Viola Concerto in D major is one of the most performed works for the instrument, for its simple beauty but also because of the lack of concertos written for the instrument in the classical period. As the best example of a classical concerto for the viola, it has become an obligatory piece in viola auditions and competitions, allowing performers to show the characteristics of the classical style in music written specifically for their instrument.

There is not much certainty about the circumstances surrounding the composition of the concerto other than the fact that it was offered for sale on a music catalogue in 1799. Nonetheless, the piece was likely composed during the late 1780s or early 1790s. This work, written in the typical three movement alternation of fast-slow-fast movements, is nurtured by a constant outpouring of beautiful melodies that are intertwined with the appearance of the virtuosity of the viola.

The first movement is structured in the typical sonata form of concertos where the themes are first introduced by the orchestra and later by the soloist. The second movement is a moving Adagio with delicate melodies, in three sections (rounded binary form). For the finale, Hoffmeister chooses a danceable Rondo, which intercedes a refrain (also known as a “catchy tune”) in between each new section.

by Lorenzo Guggenheim ©

Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 in G major (1899) 1841-1904

This symphony was written in 1899, three years before the famous 9th (the New World). It is firmly rooted in the Slavonic idiom, particularly reflecting Dvorak's native region of Bohemia. At the time, Dvorak was being pressured by his publishers to write a second set of Slavonic Dances for piano, and not to spend his time in composing supposedly “less profitable” orchestral works. Nevertheless, Dvorak, who was enjoying great success in Russia and London as well as in his native Czechoslovakia, was determined to create a new symphony. The resulting 8th is intensely tuneful, and has the character of a symphonic poem or rhapsody. The ambience created is pastoral, replete with suggestions of rural sights and sounds – particularly birdcalls.

The first movement begins in a melancholy way on lower register instruments, followed by a "chirping" theme heard first on the flute, and which later comes to dominate the movement more forcefully. There are similar contrasts in the adagio between a solemn triplet motif in the strings, light birdcalls in the flutes and oboes, and a ponderous clarinet duet which recalls the opening of the first movement. All this gives way to a scene of rustic merrymaking, suggested first by the strings.

The allegretto has the form of a scherzo and trio in a slow waltz tempo, with alternation of the melodic and accompanying instruments part way through. There is also a coda in double time. The final allegro is, unusually for Dvorak, mainly a series of variations on two distinct themes in turn. With its folk tune character, this last movement perhaps represents a passing concession by Dvorak to his publishers' request for more Slavonic Dances. The movement is announced unconventionally by a trumpet fanfare, which recurs even more dramatically later on. There is again an exuberant coda to bring the entire work to a close.

by Stephen Walter ©

LORENZO GUGGENHEIM

MUSIC DIRECTOR

Lorenzo Guggenheim was selected as the new Music Director & Conductor of the Oakville Symphony in July 2022.

Described as instinctive and talented, Lorenzo Guggenheim is a conductor with an emerging career conducting the broad orchestral repertoire, new music and opera. Hailed as “one of the promises in orchestral conducting in Argentina with international projection,” Mr. Guggenheim’s career was launched with his debut in the Teatro Colón of his native Buenos Aires at age 23 and his following performance with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile.

This season he was invited to conduct the York University Symphony Orchestra and re-engaged to conduct the opening concert of the Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra. Locally, he has also conducted Orchestra Toronto, and Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra while the Toronto Symphony Orchestra recently selected him as semi-finalist for their Resident Conductor search. An active entrepreneur, Mr. Guggenheim founded the University of Toronto Campus Philharmonic Orchestra in 2018 and the Canadian Studio Symphony in 2022 with which he recorded Evocations, an album of music by Felipe Téllez.

Working on international stages, Mr. Guggenheim conducted the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and Orquesta de Mar del Plata (Argentina), and was the Assistant Conductor for the Berlin Academy of American Music’s debut at the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie. Guggenheim collaborated with the Seattle Symphony’s Prokofiev and Shostakovich Festivals as Assistant Conductor for Pablo Rus Broseta and was offered a Fellowship by Seattle Symphony’s Music Director Ludovic Morlot in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons acting twice as Cover Conductor as part of his master’s studies at the University of Washington.

Lorenzo participates frequently in international masterclasses, recently at Domaine-Forget with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the late Bramwell Tovey where he conducted the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec. Guggenheim was part of the first Jerusalem International Conducting Academy in July 2022 sponsored by a grant from the Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation.

Mr. Guggenheim holds positions as Music Director of the Oakville Symphony, Music Director of the UofT Campus Philharmonic Orchestra, and is Assistant Conductor of the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Contemporary Music Ensemble. He is currently engaged in research on the music of Franz Schreker, championing the performances of his symphonic repertoire as part of his Doctoral Studies under the mentorship of Uri Mayer.

OAKVILLE SYMPHONY

PROFESSIONALS

Joseph Peleg, Concertmaster

A native of Hungary, Joseph came to Canada in 1968 and earned his Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto, and later his Masters of Music from Indiana University, while working with Joseph Gingold. Mr. Peleg has also worked with the eminent virtuosi Joseph Szigeti and Nathan Milstein. He has performed solos and recorded, and played with chamber music groups throughout Canada, the USA, Israel and many European centres. He currently serves as concertmaster of the Oakville Symphony.

Heath Allen, Principal French Horn

Mr. Allen completed a B. Mus. at Queen’s University and a M. Mus. in performance at the University of Toronto under Eugene Rittich. He has performed with the Kingston, Niagara, Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Oshawa-Durham, Kindred Spirits, Royal Opera Canada, Brampton Lyric Opera, Opera Kitchener and Southern Ontario Lyric Opera orchestras and freelances in many cities across Southern and Central Ontario. Mr. Allen is also an occasional conductor and clinician for the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra. He lives in Mississauga where he has an active private studio and teaches instrumental and vocal music for the Peel District School Board. Mr. Allen has been an active member on the Oakville Symphony Board of Directors and is the past chair of the Music Director Search Committee and the Artistic Committee.

Tim FitzGerald, Interim Principal Double Bass

Originally from Halifax, Tim moved to Toronto in 2001 after more than 15 years in Thunder Bay as section bassist with TBSO. Principal bassist with Canadian Sinfonietta since 2003, he balances a busy musical schedule with technical work. Serving as interim principal bass for the 2022-2023 season Tim continues a 10 year relationship with the Oakville Symphony as extra bass and a young artist mentor. He is excited to work again with Roger, Lynn and Bob during this season of transition.

Lorne Grossman, Principal Percussion

Lorne Grossman did his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto. He was immediately offered work with the Stratford Festival, Royal Alexandria Theatre in Toronto and the O'Keefe Centre in Toronto. Within a few years, Lorne was principal percussion with the Canadian Opera Company (1972-1985) and a semi regular percussionist with the National Ballet of Canada (1974-1991). Lorne played on many TV commercials in the 70's, 80's and early 90's. He toured with Phantom of the Opera throughout Canada, Alaska and Hawaii twice from 1991-1994. Again he was on tour with Music of the Night 1995-1996. Staying home, Lorne had been playing drum set with the National Arts Centre Orchestra until 2011 and presently performs with the Oakville Symphony, Peterborough Symphony, Rose Orchestra, Ontario Philharmonic and occasionally with the Hamilton Philharmonic, London Symphonia, North Bay Symphony and Georgian Bay Symphony.

William McMillan, Principal Viola

Mr. McMillan completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies in music and education at the University of Toronto. A former director of the Inter-Provincial Music Camp, Principal of the North York Summer Music School as well as past conductor of the Halton and Sheridan Youth Orchestras, Pickering Philharmonic and Havergal and Crescent Chamber String Orchestras, Mr. McMillan recently retired as Curriculum Leader in Arts at York Mills Collegiate in Toronto. He is still active coaching, adjudicating and writing and publishing music for strings orchestra. He frequently performs with Counterpoint Community Orchestra and is principal viola of the York Symphony.

Jose Shapero, Principal Cello

Mr. Shapero graduated from the University of Toronto with Bachelor and Masters degrees in cello and piano. He has been Principal Cellist and guest soloist with several professional and community orchestras before joining the Oakville Symphony in 1987. Jose has recorded for commercials and television shows. He was very active with school performances as part of the Meet a Musician program and was music director at North Bramalea United Church in Brampton for the past 25 years. Jose is still active as cello coach with the OSYO. He plays on a beautiful 18th century Italian cello made by Luigi Venturini.

Christian Sharpe, Guest Principal Bassoon

Christian Sharpe is an accomplished and versatile bassoonist who has been in demand as an orchestral and chamber musician, and as a soloist for the past 30 years. A member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony from 1992 to 2009, he has also performed with the Toronto Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, the Canadian Opera Company orchestra, the National Ballet Orchestra, and on one memorable occasion, the Mariinsky Orchestra under the direction of Valery Gergiev, as well as all of the orchestras of Southern Ontario. He is a regular performer at the Festival of the Sound, the Westben Festival, and others, and for many years played principal bassoon at the Elora Festival and the Mendelssohn Choir orchestra. Christian is a member of the chamber ensemble Spirit 20, and can be heard on recordings by artists such as Patricia O’Callahan and Amy Sky, and as a soloist with the Mozart Effect Orchestra, as well as on YouTube.

David Rehner, Principal Second Violin

Violinist, educator and conductor David Rehner holds degrees in Music from the University of Toronto and in Education from OISE/UT. An experienced orchestra leader, he is the concertmaster of the Rose Orchestra Brampton and the Oakville Chamber Orchestra, and principal second violinist with the Oakville Symphony. David has appeared on many occasions as concertmaster with local ensembles including the Etobicoke Philharmonic, Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, Masterworks of Oakville, and Arcady among others. He also remains active as a guest soloist having performed many concerti with orchestra including those of Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns, Vivaldi and more. In 2011 David was recognized as Brampton’s Arts Person of the Year for his work bringing music education programming to community youth, a worthy cause he continues to support through his role as Music Director and Conductor of the Rosebud Orchestra Training Program. For over 20 years, he has taught Strings and Mathematics for the Peel District School Board at the QE Arts Regional Learning Choice Program in south Mississauga. David always looks forward to sharing the stage with our wonderful Oakville Symphony, and this weekend’s performances are no exception!

GUEST ARTIST LYNN SUE-A-QUAN

Violist Lynn Sue-A-Quan has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer around the world, venturing from baroque to contemporary music. She has won numerous competitions including the Canadian Music Competition and was a concerto competition winner for the Aspen Music Festival in 2019. She has collaborated with numerous orchestras as a soloist including the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Niagara Symphony, Guelph Symphony Orchestra, Oakville Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Toronto and others.

Lynn was born and raised in Toronto, Canada where she began her musical studies at the age of 5. After winning many local music competitions, she joined the Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at the Royal Conservatory on full scholarship under the tutelage of Viktor Danchenko and Barry Shiffman. She has participated in many music festivals including the Aspen Music Festival, Lucerne Music Festival, New York String Orchestra Seminar, Morningside Music Bridge, and Colorado College Summer Music Festival.

In addition to performing, Lynn is passionate about teaching. She is a recipient of the Morse Teaching Artists Fellowship at Juilliard where she teaches music to New York City students through school partnerships. Lynn is currently pursuing her masters in viola performance at the Juilliard School under Heidi Castleman and Misha Amory.

BRAVO AND THANK YOU TO OUR 2022-2023 PARTNERS

CONCERT SPONSORS

The Santangeli Family

INSTRUMENT GIFTS

Youssef-Warren Foundation – Violin Ian Morrison – Bow

Rotary Club of Oakville West – 2 trumpets Dorothy Hollier-Bidlake – Viola and Bow

DE CLARA YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM SPONSORS

OS Janet Jones Young Artists Fund*, John Postle, Dagmar Rydlo, Khurana Family

OUTREACH SPONSOR

BOUQUET SPONSOR

Moon’s Flowers

THANK YOU ALSO TO

*a fund held within the Oakville Community Foundation

FRIENDS OF THE

Support one of Oakville’s most important cultural organizations through Friends of the Oakville Symphony.

While keeping ticket prices at affordable levels so that as many as possible may enjoy the Symphony, the proceeds from ticket sales cover less than half of our expenses. The Symphony needs the generous additional support of Friends of the Oakville Symphony.

See page 20

ENHANCE YOUR SYMPHONY EXPERIENCE:

( Increase your involvement and commitment by joining or stepping up your level of support

( Receive a tax deductible benefit

WE ALWAYS WELCOME NEW FRIENDS!

Send your cheque, Visa or MasterCard information to: The Oakville Symphony 310-200 North Service Road West Oakville, ON L6M 2Y1

Call us at 905.338.1462 to donate.

E-transfers can be sent to office@oakvillesymphony.com. Please be sure to include your return email for a tax receipt.

FRIENDS OF THE OAKVILLE SYMPHONY

BRAVO CIRCLE ($2,000 and over)

Marie Oswald & Geoff Creighton

Peter Gilgan Foundation

Heather Kaine & Andy Kenins

The Khurana Family

Helen Litton, in memory of Colin Litton

Emil Nenniger

The Santangeli Family

Simon & Lynne Scott

MAESTRO ($1,000-$1,999)

The Backo-Shannon Family

Russell & Sonja Buckland

Debbie Daymond

James & Sandra Farley- In memory of Norman Webster, Hendrik Bykerk & Brian Rustom

Anna & Marc Hewitt

Mariella & David Holmes

Martin Levman

John Postle

Cathy Pote

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Pugsley

Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Sutton

John Wannamaker

Rhonda & Dave Wild

John & Gail Young

BENEFACTOR ($500-$999)

Manpreet Anand

Kathryn Bykerk, in memory of Dr Hendrik Bykerk

Patricia & Doug Coate

Ruth De Winter

Barbara Frensch

Bill & Donna Porter

Terry Still

SUPPORTER ($250-$499)

Robert Browne

Christopher Byrne

William & Sandy Boughner

Elaine Earp

Amber Foulkes

Lucie Larose

John & Victoria Lydall, in memory of Brian Isherwood

Frank & Jean Anne Morewood

Jose Shapero

Ruthie & Victor Snell

Dr. Stephen & Loraine Walter

CONTRIBUTOR ($75-$249)

Tom Alton

Elizabeth Becker

Eric Bentzen-Bilkvist & Jenny Mackay

Christine Berry

Judy Berube

Richard & Barbara Birkett

Irma Burke

Mayor Rob & Mrs. Wendy Burton

Elizabeth & Iain Chalmers

John & Bianca Chambers

Kenneth & Alayne Christie

Wanda Crichton

Michael Cummins

Jennifer Curran

Cam & Maili Davreux

Charles & Mary Davidson

Gordon & Berit Buck

Gordon Dine

John Easson

Yoka & Jan Feberwee

Carol Gordon

David Gittings

Cynthia Hawkins

Joe & Averil Jany

Catherine Kaloutsky

Andrew & Carol Kennedy

Carol Lester

Irene Lenney

Robert & Margo MacLean

Margaret Maclure

Mr. & Mrs. Robert March

Joanne McGinty

Carolyn Mcleod

William Miller

Marvine Moore

Laetitia Murray

Patricia Neely

Joan Owens

Patricia & Fred Pincock

Beth Robertson

Peter & Sally Ryan

Allan & Wendy Schmidt

Betty Spray

John & Donna Starkey

Peggy Steele

Jeff Stringer

Yvonne Strother

Kathleen Terry

Peter Trahair

Jackie Tyrrell

Sharlene Wallace

Neil & Maureen Westoll

Robert Wheeler

Michael & Marilynne Whyte

Lise Woollam

Malcolm & Anne Wootton

Jill Yokoyama

Michael Young

These contributions are based on "Friends" donations made between January 2022 and January 2023. Please contact us at office@oakvillesymphony.com if there is an error in your listing.

*A fund held within the Oakville Community Foundation

OAKVILLE SYMPHONY

Youth Program

The purpose of this program is:

• To support the development of young musicians in the Halton area and surrounding areas

• To develop new players who add to the diversity of the orchestra and contribute to the continuous improvement of its symphonic sound.

Recently re-named in honour of our former Music Director, Roberto De Clara, the purpose of the DE CLARA YOUNG ARTIST AWARDS is to stimulate the interest of young people by creating opportunities for them to develop their skills by playing with the orchestra. In turn, their participation helps the orchestra to achieve its objective of continuous improvement of the symphonic sound. Each student receives a bursary of $1,500 (see sponsorship page).

The DE CLARA YOUNG ARTISTS for the 2022-2023 season

Matthew Buczkowski, Qiyue He, Hannah Kohler and Lyndsay Tran

The KENNETH HOLLIER AWARD, named in honour of the orchestra’s founding musical director, was introduced in the year 2000 to recognize promising young artists. It is available to string players and non-string players in alternate years. Congratulations to the 2022–2023 winner: Qiyue He.

The DEVELOPING ARTIST AWARDS were introduced to recognize the talents of other competitors for the Kenneth Hollier Award. They are given at the discretion of the judges. Congratulations to the 2022–2023 winner: Matthew Buczkowski

THE YOUSSEF-WARREN VIOLIN was donated by the Oakville-based YoussefWarren Foundation to be loaned to a young violinist playing with the Oakville Symphony. Romano Gaiani, a master violin maker from Ferrara, Italy, made the violin in 1993. Ian Morrison, former violinist with the Oakville Symphony, also donated a “Handorff” bow to be used with the violin.

THE HOLLIER VIOLA was donated by Dorothy Hollier-Bidlake, widow of the founder of the symphony, Kenneth Hollier. We are very grateful for her donation of an A.G. Galea viola, as well as a Laberte viola bow and viola case in his honour.

For more information please visit our website at oakvillesymphony.com

2022/23 OAKVILLE SYMPHONY DE CLARA YOUNG ARTISTS

Lyndsay Tran recently completed her Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering at the University of Ottawa. She now works as a Chemical Engineer, specializing in process design. Despite pursuing a career in engineering, she still has a strong passion for music. Lyndsay grew up in Oakville, and started playing the violin at age 3. As she progressed through her musical career, she played in various orchestras and chamber groups around the GTA, competed in various music festivals, and became a mentor for young violinists. In 2013–14, she was the concertmaster of the Halton Youth Chamber Orchestra. In the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons, she joined the Oakville Symphony Orchestra as a Young Artist. When she went to Ottawa for university, she continued her playing with the Ottawa Pops Orchestra and Ottawa Chamber Orchestra. Upon her return to Oakville, she has been a part of the administrative staff for the Oakville Suzuki Performing Arts Summer Camp, and rejoined the Oakville Symphony.

Qiyue He is currently a graduate student at University of Toronto, studying violin performance with Jonathan Crow. Born in Beijing, China, Qiyue started playing violin at the age of four. In 2017, she went to the United States to continue her violin studies with Wilfredo Degláns and Baroque violinist Boel Gidholm at Eastman School of Music while pursuing her interests in history and mathematics at University of Rochester. She also received her music training at EAMA – Nadia Boulanger Summer Institute in Paris. Qiyue has performed extensively in China, France, the United States, and Canada as a chamber musician, recitalist, and orchestral musician.

Hannah Kohler is a grade 12 student at T.A. Blakelock Secondary School in Oakville. She currently studies with Susan Gagnon at an RCM 10 level. Hannah was a member of the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2016-2022. She has also played at a number of venues including Musikverein and the MuTh, Vienna, and the Longy School of Music, Boston. In addition to playing the cello, Hannah has been playing the trombone for the past 3 years and is a part of her school's Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble. Outside of music, Hannah dances, volunteers at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, and is involved in a number of leadership activities at school including Prime Minister of Student Council, President of Eco Club and a Youth Stakeholder for Generation Green.

OAKVILLE CENTRE HOUSE NOTES

The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts is a shared experience for everyone to enjoy in a safe space. In alignment with the Province, masks are no longer required to enter our facility.

Dr. Meghani, Halton Region’s Medical Officer of Health, commented; “…Some individuals may choose to keep wearing masks in places where they are not required, and others, such as those who are close contacts of COVID-19 cases, will be required to wear masks for a period of time... I encourage all Halton residents to continue to be kind and respectful to everyone, regardless of their decision to wear a mask or not.”

The Oakville Centre encourages a scent-free environment. Please be considerate of those in the audience who have allergies and/or multiple chemical sensitivities and refrain from wearing cologne, perfume or other scented products.

Cell phones and other electronic devices should be muted and not used while in the theatre.

Photography and recording devices are strictly prohibited inside the auditorium. Flashes can be quite dangerous to artists and other patrons, as they can be momentarily blinded.

The Oakville Centre concession has reopened with a reduced menu. Outside food and beverages, including water bottles, are not permitted inside the facility.

In consideration for other patrons and the artists, we ask that you refrain from opening candy or gum wrappers during a performance. This can be heard throughout the auditorium and onstage.

Latecomers and re-entries will be seated at a suitable break determined in advance by the Oakville Symphony’s production team. You may be asked to wait in the lobby.

Babes-in-arms and young children are welcome to the Family Series performances. Every person, no matter their age, entering the theatre requires a ticket.

Contact the box office for all other performances. Group bookings are available for 10 or more, please contact 905-338-4161, ext. 3204, for more information. All ticket sales are final. All performances take place in either the AEG Liebherr Auditorium or the Studio Theatre. The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts is a division of the Recreation and Culture Department of the Town of Oakville. Box Office – 905-815-2021 | www.oakvillecentre.ca

55TH SEASON

The Oakville Symphony is proud to present a season like no other, with five different programs and ten opportunities for you to experience the joy of live music with your loved ones.

Whether you are here for the first or the hundredth time, your presence is a gift. And our gift to you is to present the masterpieces that are Dvořák’s Symphony no. 8, Sibelius’ Symphony no. 2, and Haydn’s Symphony no. 104 which were intended as much for eternity as for their contemporary audiences. We also feature music written by young and well-established composers such as Anna Clyne, Yuang Chen, Kevin Lau and Esteban Fioroni (whose fabulous Fantasia on Argentine Tangos, written specifically for the Oakville Symphony, you will hear in May).

Our orchestra is a big family, and in February we are proud to show case some of our own extraordinary string principals in Corelli’s Christmas Concerto. We also welcome brilliant guest artists with strong ties with the Oakville Symphony: the sophisticated Lynn Sue-A-Quan on viola (winner of our 2017 Kenneth Hollier Award), the mesmerizing Bryan Allen on marimba (winner of our 2007 Developing Artist Award), and Paul Marleyn on cello who captivated us all this past November. We are grateful to those of you have generously supported our Young Artists programs and awards, leading to the pleasure of hearing Lynn and Bryan perform when they return in February and April as our guest soloists.

For the Season Finale in May we will welcome the unstoppable Kevin Ahfat to perform Ravel’s breathtaking Piano Concerto in G major. The program includes music close to the heart of our Maestro: from Argentina we will present traditional tangos and Estancia Suite by Ginastera, from Spain Carmen by Bizet, and from Canada For Home by Kevin Lau written as a celebration for Canada 150.

All of us at the Oakville Symphony hope that you enjoy this special series of concerts. We look forward to meeting up with you during the rest of the season!

COMING UP

SIBELIUS SYMPHONY NO. 2

Apr 1 & 2, 2023

J. Strauss Jr: Die Fledermaus

Rosauro: Marimba Concerto with Bryan Allen

MAESTRO'S CHOICE

May 6 & 7, 2023

Kevin Lau: For Home

Bizet: Carmen Suite No. 1

Tangos from Argentina (Arr. Esteban Fioroni)

Ginastera: Four Dances from Estancia

Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major with Kevin Ahfat

Stay tuned for our announcement of the 2023-24 Season and Subscription sales soon!

The Santangeli Family