Anthony McGill
WELCOME FROM PSO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TONIGHT’S PROGRAM
PROGRAM NOTES
MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR
RESIDENT CONDUCTOR
FEATURED ARTIST: ANTHONY MCGILL
SEASON 74 CONTINUES
PENINSULA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - APRIL 2023
ANNOUNCING SEASON 75
ADOPT-A-MUSICIAN SUPPORTERS
BOARD, STAFF & VOLUNTEERS
PSO program copyright ©2023 Peninsula Symphony Orchestra
PENINSULA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
146 Main Street, Suite 102 Los Altos, CA 94022 (650) 941-5291
peninsulasymphony.org
Welcome
from PSO Board of DirectorsWelcome to the third subscription concert of the Peninsula Symphony’s 74th Season! As a lifelong clarinetist, and member of the PSO clarinet section for over 30 years, I am extremely excited to have Anthony McGill as our soloist tonight! Anthony McGill is principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, and an Avery Fisher Prize winner. He is also a frequent performer in the Bay Area with the Music at Menlo series! Tonight he is performing the Weber Clarinet Concerto No. 1, and the beautiful Première rapsodie for clarinet and orchestra by Claude Debussy. In addition to these fabulous clarinet pieces, the orchestra will perform Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony! Composed in 1901-1902, this is a truly monumental work.
Whether you are here for the first time, have attended for many years, or have volunteered, donated, or supported us in other ways, I am delighted that we have loyal patrons in the audience. We could not fulfill our mission to provide accessible, affordable performances and educational opportunities throughout the Peninsula without the support of so many of you. It is truly a group effort, and every contribution is noticed and deeply appreciated. Tonight is also special, in that you will hear for the first time about the Peninsula Symphony’s landmark 75th Season, beginning this coming October 2023! We have a spectacular lineup of great music and all-star soloists. More information can be found soon at www.peninsulasymphony.org.
If you enjoy what you hear tonight, we encourage you to spread the word and bring a friend next time around. Word-of-mouth is by far the highest form of compliment we can receive!
Warmly,
Ron Miller Co-chair, PSO Board of DirectorsAnthony McGill
April 7, 2023 / San Mateo Performing Arts Center
April 8, 2023 / Heritage Theatre, Campbell
Mitchell Sardou Klein, Music Director & Conductor
Nathaniel Berman, Resident Conductor
Anthony McGill, Clarinet
Claude Debussy, Première rapsodie
Anthony McGill, clarinet
Carl Maria von Weber, Clarinet Concerto No.1, Op. 73, in F Minor
I. Allegro
II. Adagio ma non troppo
III. Rondo: Allegretto
Anthony McGill, clarinet
- Intermission -
Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 5, in C# Minor
I. 1. Traeurmarsch. In gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein Kondukt
2. Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz
II. 3. Scherzo. Kräftig, nicht zu schnell
III. 4. Adagietto. Sehr langsam
5. Rondo-Finale
THE CONCERT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY LOCAL CLARINETISTS AND ENTHUSIASTS:
Janet Averett / Katherine Boster / Chelsea Chambers
Nancy Farmer / Sheri Frumkin / Nicole Galisatus
Jimmée Greco / Ginger Kroft / Nora Lemmon
Sue Macy /Ron Miller / Gary Sears
The Somersille Sibley Family / Linda Wilson
This concert is made possible by the generous support from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
PROGRAM NOTES
By Larry Laskowski
The Clarinet
The modern clarinet. We tend to take it for granted. It has been an essential member of the symphony orchestra for a long time, and of course the clarinet is the ‘violin’ of the wind ensemble and military band, and also an essential player in many chamber ensembles. Yet the modern clarinet really is a marvel. Four octave range, a wide dynamic space, remarkable agility, and an impressive palette of tonal color.
The clarinet came into its own in the late 18th century. Lots of innovations: new technology, new keying systems, innovative ways of enabling the clarinetist to be virtuosic and expressive and flexible. The result was that important composers became entranced with this new instrument and its talented players. Mozart was perhaps the first to be captivated, but others followed.
Claude Debussy, Première rapsodie (1910)
By 1910 Debussy (1862 – 1918) had established a secure reputation in the world of French music. It wasn’t an easy road for him, yet he had achieved a certain preeminence. The French system of musical pedagogy was indeed very strict. The Paris Conservatory was the dominant training ground for young instrumentalists. At that time, the modern clarinet was firmly established in the orchestra and as a chamber and solo instrument. So, in 1910 Debussy was asked to compose an examination piece for the clarinetists at the conservatory. Debussy would write it. The students would have about a month to learn it and memorize it and perform it for the conservatory judges.
Though Debussy wrote the Première rapsodie as an examination piece, it has been in the standard repertoire for virtuoso clarinetists ever since. One movement, improvisatory in style. The Debussy orchestration is very subtle and effective. But Debussy was pressing those clarinet students to do everything the clarinet could do: range, dynamics, lyricism, quick fingers, quick tongue … and some of the most sublimely beautiful clarinet melodies ever written... a real test. And then of course there’s Debussy’s genius as a composer which is not to be overlooked. Imagine being a clarinet student and having the opportunity to essentially debut a Debussy composition - a short piece in which there are many opportunities for both the solo clarinet and Debussy to amaze us. A test and an experience that as listeners we’re happy to relive.
Carl Maria von Weber, Concerto No. 1 for Clarinet in f minor (1811)
We think of Beethoven as the successor to Mozart, but we shouldn’t forget that there was also Carl Maria Von Weber (1786-1826). Weber is properly credited with pushing German opera into the Romantic era with Der Freischütz (1811) and his other operas, essentially reinventing German opera and paving the way for other composers to follow. He found a somewhat darker and more colorful vision of what opera could do, and we hear that in his fascination for the clarinet. Weber was inspired by a particular player, Heinrich Baermann, and hence wrote several important pieces for the clarinet. Weber saw that the clarinet could be just as expressive as an opera singer. All the technique, the colors, the expressive gestures. Hence the f minor concerto has been a beloved staple in the repertoire ever since.
The concerto is in three movements. The first movement (Allegro) is very reminiscent of Mozart, and it gives the clarinet a wide range of expressive opportunities. The second movement (Adagio ma non troppo) is very lyrical, virtually an extended aria for the clarinet. And the passages for clarinet and French horns are both innovative and just plain gorgeous. The last movement (Rondo: Allegretto) is light, fast, and fun.
With this concerto Weber helped put the clarinet on the list of celebrated solo instruments. And we still enjoy hearing it today.
Mahler Symphony No. 5 (1901)
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was probably one of the most complicated and conflicted of the great composers, and he was also a phenomenal conductor. Lots of different trends influenced him:
• “Gemütlichkeit” A difficult word to translate into English. Often referred to as coziness or comfort. It’s a happy domestic state when all is familiar and well, and we relax into good feeling. It’s somehow essential to the Viennese soul.
• The high culture of artistic Vienna at the time. From the food (ah, those pastries) to the visual arts to the writing to the dance to fashion: Lots of decorative touches. You just can’t have too much fancy icing or too many curves in your statue. Elegance at the highest level. Some would claim that it’s perhaps overly indulgent. Others just enjoy it.
• There was also a very serious and darker side to life in Vienna at that time. Freud was doing important work there. Science was making consequential strides into new territory. Philosophy was in the air, thoughts and writings that took life’s struggles and fundamental existential questions very seriously. Also, at the time many people foresaw that WWI was inevitable, so some in high society took the attitude that it was advisable to enjoy life while they could.
PROGRAM NOTES
• Mahler’s Jewish family heritage is also in play here. We hear many references to Jewish musical traditions. Even though Mahler converted to Christianity (probably to further his career), those welcome and interesting Jewish influences remain.
• In much of Mahler’s music there’s a sense of irony. As listeners we’re asked to believe in something, only to find that it is quickly transformed into something else with an entirely different emotional profile, and then into something else again. It’s a kind of musical kaleidoscope that keeps turning and changing the view.
• Mahler’s knowledge of the orchestra, and his willingness to pull out all the stops (and add some new ones) are characteristic strains. Like Maurice Ravel and Richard Strauss, the orchestra was for him a manageable instrument, and one that could always be advanced and used in new ways.
• And then there’s a certain straightforward and genuine religiosity that sometimes comes into play, a kind of optimistic and comforting redemption.
The fifth symphony is in five separate movements:
I Trauermarsch (funeral march) In gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein Kondukt. (In a measured pace. Strict. Like a cortege.)
Grief in many of its manifestations. Death was a constant reality in his life – 8 of his siblings died in childhood. There’s solemn ceremony (the opening trumpet call), there’s anger, there’s denial and memory and regret and sorrow and love and longing. It’s all there for us to feel. The recent movie Tár (2022) used this movement both at the beginning of the film and near the end of the film. At the conclusion of the movie the violence of the music’s grief led to actual violence on stage, an understandable Hollywood representation of the power of Mahler’s music. Very interesting that this movement has had such staying power.
II. Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz. (moving stormily, with the greatest vehemence)
The fantasy in music is usually understood to be a free-form piece often improvised by a keyboard player. The music moves dramatically between contrasting ideas and shows the players’ ability to portray different moods and styles, but somehow link them together into a coherent whole.
This movement is an orchestral fantasy, which one would think is impossible. With a symphony orchestra every detail must be carefully notated and rehearsed. But Mahler manages to make this movement sound like an improvised fantasy. It moves among many moods, textures, dynamic levels, instrumentation combinations, and tempi quite freely. In places it takes up pieces of the opening movement’s funeral march (Mahler tells us that the first two movements are connected, and should be played with only a brief pause); in another place there’s a triumphant brass chorale. There are also tender and heartfelt passages as well. Just about anything you can think of is in there. Don’t listen so much for coherence. Just be astonished and enjoy the ride.
III. Scherzo, Kräftig, nicht zu schnell (Scherzo, vigorously, not too fast)
A scherzo, yes, but not a joke. Instead it’s a good natured invitation to the dance, as the composer moves into a happier realm. At times it’s a Viennese waltz, at other times a more country-like, leisurely, tender, and elegant Austrian ländler. Things sometimes get worked up into complicated emotional confusion, but ultimately, we return to good nature. The orchestration is sublime (including some wonderful passages for solo French horn) and difficult to execute, and some harmonies are exquisitely modern. Accounts tell us that the first rehearsal didn’t go well, and Mahler said something like:
“The Scherzo is an accursed movement! It will have a long history of suffering! For fifty years conductors will take it too fast and make nonsense of it. The public – oh, heavens –how should it react to this chaos that is eternally giving birth to a world that then perishes in the next moment, to these primordial sounds, to this blustering, bellowing, roaring ocean, to these dancing stars, to these shimmering flashing breathing waves?” Just one of the many challenges this symphony has to offer.
IV. Adagietto, Sehr langsam (very slow)
The adagietto is one of the most beloved movements in the entire symphonic repertoire, a love song to his beloved Alma. The orchestration is astounding, using just the string section (including harp), and Mahler’s portrayal of peace and beauty on the one hand, and pain and heartache on the other is very striking. It’s no wonder that Visconti chose to use it in his film “Death in Venice” (1971).
V. Rondo-Finale
Finally, the sky has cleared, and we have a lighthearted and playful finale. Lots of cheerful interchange between various instruments, as well as plenty of fugue-like polyphony (probably a consequence of Mahler’s recent serious study of Bach’s music). There are some dark moments, but the movement returns to its cheerful colors and ends in a rousing virtuosic joyous conclusion that’s very far from the opening movement’s emphasis on grief and mourning.
People have debated the issue of coherence in the symphony as a whole. It’s a long and complex work, so how exactly does it hold together (if it does)? Most agree that while the music can sprawl a bit here and there and go off in many different directions, it’s really a depiction of a very personal story, a journey through a complex and varied musical, cultural, and emotional landscape.
MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR
Mitchell Sardou Klein Music Director & ConductorMusic Director and Conductor Mitchell Sardou Klein brings extensive conducting experience in the US, Europe, Australia and Japan to his leadership of the Peninsula Symphony. During his 36 years on the Symphony’s podium, he has guest conducted the Seattle Symphony, New Polish Philharmonic, Suddetic Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Eastern Philharmonic and many other orchestras in the US and Europe. In California he has led Symphony San Jose (formerly Symphony Silicon Valley), the San Jose Symphony, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Inland Empire/Riverside Philharmonic, Ballet San Jose, the California Riverside Ballet and the Livermore-Amador Philharmonic and others. He co-founded and is Music Director of the Peninsula Youth Orchestra, which he has taken on concert tours of England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium, Holland, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Latvia, and Estonia.
Maestro Klein directed over a hundred concerts as Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Philharmonic (where he was also Principal Pops Conductor and Principal Conductor of Starlight Theater, the Philharmonic’s summer home), and also served as Music Director of the Santa Cruz Symphony. He also has extensive experience in conducting ballet orchestras, including the Kansas City, Lone Star, Oakland, and Westport Ballets, as well as the Theater Ballet of San Francisco and les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Before turning to the podium, he performed as a cellist for many years. Known to most everyone as Mitch, he enjoys travel, photography, jazz and visual arts in his spare time.
Since 1984, he has been Director of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition. Held in San Francisco each June, the Competition has become one of the most prominent in the world, featuring prizes totaling over $35,000, attracting applicants from more than twenty nations annually, and launching numerous major international concert careers.
Critics have consistently praised his work. The San José Mercury described his performance with Symphony Silicon Valley in 2012 as a “gorgeous performance; big, enveloping and wonderfully luxuriant.” The San Mateo County Times described him in 2007 as “Super Conductor: Mitchell Sardou Klein, music director of the Peninsula Symphony, led his musicians through another triumphant concert. The Peninsula Symphony just keeps getting better and better. Great works and great performances by all.” The Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza proclaimed, “The American conductor quickly established a fine rapport with his orchestra. Klein is a musician who has the musical score in his head, rather than his
MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR
head in the score, which he demonstrated ably. The creative conception and artistic shape which he brings to his work comes from deep inside him.”
Maestro Klein is a winner of many prestigious awards, including the 2008 Diamond Award for Best Individual Artist, the Silver Lei Award from the 2009 Honolulu Film Festival (for the World Premiere of Giancarlo Aquilanti’s La Poverta), the 2000 ASCAP Award for Programming of American Music on Foreign Tour, the 2001 Jullie Billiart Award from the College of Notre Dame for Outstanding Community Service, a 1996 award for the year’s best television performance program in the Western States (for the one-hour PBS program about him and the Peninsula Symphony) as well as the 1993 Bravo Award for his contribution to the Bay Area’s cultural life.
Mr. Klein was born in New York City, into a musical family that included members of the Claremont and Budapest String Quartets. He began cello studies at age four with his father, Irving Klein, founder of the Claremont Quartet. His mother, Elaine Hartong Klein, danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet.
Cited for his “keen judgment, tight orchestral discipline, feeling for tempo, and unerring control,” Maestro Klein has conducted many significant world, American, and West Coast premieres, including works by Bohuslav Martinu, Meyer Kupferman, Joan Tower, Hans Kox, George Barati, Benjamin Lees, Giancarlo Aquilanti, Melissa Hui, Rodion Shchedrin, Brian Holmes, Ron Miller, Lee Actor, Michael Thurber, Jonathan Russell, Alvin Brehm, and Margaret Garwood. He has appeared frequently on national and international broadcasts, including National Public Radio, the Voice of America, the WFMT Fine Arts Network, PBS Television, and KQED television. He lives in Oakland, California with his wife, violist Patricia Whaley. Their daughter, Elizabeth, lives and works in Washington D.C.
RESIDENT CONDUCTOR
Nathaniel Berman Resident Conductor
Nathaniel Berman maintains an active presence as a performer and music educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. A faculty member at UC Santa Cruz since 2007, he is conductor of the UCSC Concert Choir and the UCSC Wind Ensemble and has appeared as guest conductor of the UCSC Orchestra and the University Opera Theater. Nathaniel has held the position of Music Director of the Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony since 2011 and has appeared as guest conductor of the Santa Cruz County Symphony in annual collaborative concerts with the Youth Symphony.
A strong advocate for new music, Nathaniel is Artistic Director of the San Franciscobased new music ensemble Ninth Planet (formerly Wild Rumpus), with whom he has led premieres of commissioned works by dozens of composers, and he appears as conductor of new music on Innova, Other Minds, and Pinna recordings. Nathaniel has appeared as guest conductor with Empyrean Ensemble at UC Davis in June of 2019, as well as leading the world premiere of The Pressure by Brian Baumbusch, at San Francisco’s Other Minds Festival at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. In March of 2023, he will conduct the premiere performance of Prospero’s Island, a new opera by Alan Shearer, at Herbst Theater in San Francisco.
Nathaniel has been a member of the professional new-music chorus Volti, where he also served as Assistant Conductor, and has sung with early music ensembles Pacific Collegium and Euouae. Originally a trumpet player, he now keeps up his brass chops playing euphonium in the Balkan brass band Inspector Gadje.
Nathaniel received his Master’s degree in conducting from UC Santa Cruz, where he studied with Nicole Paiement. He grew up playing duets with his dad, a jazz pianist and singer.
FEATURED ARTIST
Anthony McGill
Hailed for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (The New York Times), clarinetist Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures. In addition to his dynamic international solo and chamber music career, McGill is principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic—the first African-American principal player in the organization’s history.
In 2020, he was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize, one of classical music’s most significant awards given in recognition of soloists who represent the highest level of musical excellence. McGill was honored to take part in the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams and performing alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero.
McGill appears regularly as a soloist with top orchestras around North America, including the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Kansas City Symphony. This season he performs “You Have the Right to Remain Silent” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Davis with the Detroit and Boston Symphony Orchestras. He’ll also serve as the Orlando Philharmonic’s Artist-in-Residence, and during this series of performances he’ll premiere a new clarinet arrangement of the Bologne (Chevalier de Saint-Georges) Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 5, No. 2.
This past June, he performed as part of The Re-Collective Orchestra, the first-ever all-Black orchestra to play the Hollywood Bowl, in a CNN broadcast commemorating the first year Juneteenth was recognized as a Federal holiday.
As a chamber musician, McGill is a favorite collaborator of the Brentano, Daedalus, Guarneri, JACK, Miró, Pacifica, Shanghai, Takács, and Tokyo Quartets, as well as Emanuel Ax, Inon Barnatan, Gloria Chien, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Midori, Mitsuko Uchida, and Lang Lang.
In 2022-23, he reunites with the Grammy Award-winning Pacifica Quartet on a seven city tour in support of their new album “American Stories” (November 11, Cedille Records). Each work on the album is by a living composer, and shares unique perspectives shaped by the American experience–being unhoused on Los Angeles’ Skid Row (Ben Shirley), the murder of four young girls in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing (Richard Danielpour), the early young life of Muhammed Ali (Valerie Coleman), and the encounter of indigenous Americans (James Lee III).
Also, this season, Anthony joins soprano Susanna Phillips and pianist Myra Huang in concerts in Cleveland and New York. He’ll collaborate with comedian (and fellow clarinetist!) Kimberly Clark (Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready - Season 2 on Netflix) for a unique storytelling comedy project in development debuting at Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara in June 2023.
FEATURED ARTIST
He has toured with Musicians from Marlboro and regularly performs for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. His festival appearances include Marlboro, Mainly Mozart, Ravinia, Skaneateles, Tanglewood, and the Music@Menlo, Santa Fe, and Seattle Chamber Music Festivals.
A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, McGill previously served as the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera and associate principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
McGill is an ardent advocate for helping music education reach underserved communities and for addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music. He serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he holds the William R. and Hyunah Yu Brody Distinguished Chair. He is the Artistic Director for Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program, a weekend program dedicated to students who demonstrate a commitment to artistic excellence, which actively seeks young musicians from backgrounds underrepresented in classical music.
In 2020, in concert with a $30,000 charitable gift from the Avery Fisher Artist Program designated to a charity of McGill’s choice, McGill and Weston Sprott, Dean of the Preparatory Division of The Juilliard School, established the Weston Sprott and Anthony McGill MAP Summer Scholarship Fund so MAP students can take part in summer programs and festivals. In 2021 The Juilliard School announced a permanent endowment grant of $50 million for its Music Advancement Program (MAP) from Crankstart, which will fund full-tuition scholarships for all MAP students and program expansion.
In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, McGill launched a powerful musical protest video urging people to #TakeTwoKnees in demonstration against the death of George Floyd and historic racial injustice. His video went viral and hundreds of artists and citizens amplified the message and responded to the protest with their own videos using the hashtag #TakeTwoKnees.
McGill has been covered in The New York Times and the The New Yorker and has appeared on National Public Radio, Performance Today, and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He has served as the Artist-in-Residence for WQXR.
McGill recorded the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic. His previous album with the Pacifica Quartet was Mozart and Brahms Clarinet Quintets. He and his brother, Demarre McGill, joined the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras & Allen Tinkham, to record Winged Creatures, an album of works for flute, clarinet, and orchestra. Demarre and Anthony also recorded Portraits with pianist Michael McHale. In 2021, Anthony and pianist Gloria Chien released Here With You, an album of favorite works by Brahms, Weber, and Montgomery of longtime friends and frequent recital collaborators. McGill’s self-titled debut recording, also recorded with Chien, features early 20th century works by Gershwin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and Poulenc. McGill serves on the board of directors for Cedille Records and the Harmony Program, and on the advisory councils for the InterSchool Orchestras of New York and Time In Children’s Arts Initiative. He is a Vandoren Artist and Buffet Crampon Artist.
2022/23 Season Continues
FEATURED ARTIST
FAMILY CONCERT: Musical Magic
SUNDAY, APRIL 16, 2023 at 3PM College of San Mateo Theater
MAY 12 & 13
SMYTH, The Wreckers Overture BRAHMS, Double Concerto MUSSORGSKY, Pictures at an Exhibition
Three of the most beloved works for orchestra come together in a program that features two stellar young virtuoso Klein Competition winners: James Baik and Gabrielle Després.
ORCHESTRA APRIL 2023
Music Director & Conductor
Mitchell Sardou Klein
Resident Conductor
Nathaniel Berman
Violin I
Debra Fong, Concertmaster
Kate Wahl, Asst. Concertmaster
Kimberly Bonnett
Peter Cheng
Daniel Cher
Genevieve Coyle
Tara Iyer
Jeffrey Lin
Drew Mendinueto
Girish Nanjundiah
Matt Springer
Judy Streger
Alexander Wang
Tracy Wang
Violin II
Deborah Passanisi, Principal
Brad Gibson, Assistant Principal
Susanne Bohl
Kevin Dong
Frank Rahn
Jshon Thomas
David Williams
Brittany Xiao
Xinzhi Xue
Angela Yeh
Hanna Yoshimoto
Jane Zhang
Viola
Patricia Whaley, Acting Principal
Katherine Bukstein
Silvio Rocha
Charlie Tian
Doug Tomm
Jolynda Tresner
Karen Tsuei
Carolyn Worthington
Jennie Yang
Cello
Thomas Shoebotham, Acting Principal
Monica Anuforo
Abraham Aragundi
Cyrus Behroozi
Garth Cummings
Paul Federighi
Gail Hammler
Chris Healy
Jill Hirsh
Tetsu Ishihara
Susan Magrini
Christian Selig
Janet Sloan
Bass
Suesan Taylor, Principal
Rahul Iyer
Bruce Moyer
Grant Parker
Michael Tong
Jeff Wachtel
Flute
Patricia Harrell, Principal
Vivian Boudreaux
Yukoh Hammura
Kristin Kunzelman
Oboe/English Horn
Audrey Gore, Principal
Dane Carlson
Joel Greene
Peter Stahl
Clarinet
Nicole Galisatus, Acting Principal
Jimmée Greco
Ron Miller
Bassoon
Juliet Hamak, Acting Principal
Jonathan Westerling
Kyoko Yamamoto
Horn
Brian W. Holmes, Co-Principal
Randy Nickel, Co-Principal
David Dufour
Naomi Dushay
Anna Newman
Bob Satterford
Paul Schneider
Trumpet
Mike Marmarou, Principal
Nicholas Duncan
Robert Fitt
Mike Pakaluk
Trombone
David Allmon, Co-Principal
Rami Hindiyeh, Co-Principal
Todd Weinman
Tuba
Johnathan Hsu, Principal
Timpani
Michael Jay Bresler, Principal
Percussion
Emily Hendricks, Co-Principal
Paul Burdick
Benedict Lim
Michael MacAvoy
Erica Richstad
Harp
Kristin Lloyd
Music Librarian
Joel Greene
LIFETIME ADOPTED MUSICIANS
Mitchell Sardou Klein Conductor
Deborah Passanisi Violin II
Dr. Lauren Speeth Violin II
Paula Uccelli
Frank & Annette Rahn
Elfenworks Foundation
MUSICIAN INSTRUMENT ADOPTED BY
Nathaniel Berman
Debra Fong
David Allmon
Resident Lily Tian & Victor Ge
Conductor
Concertmaster
Trombone
Lianne Araki Oboe
Kathryn Barnard
Flute/Piccolo
Susanne Bohl Violin II
Michael Bresler
Katherine & Roy Bukstein
Jacqui Smith
Patricia L. Griffin
Kenneth Shirriff
Diana Lloyd
Timpani/ Celeste Everson Misfeldt
Percussion
Beatrice Chau Violin II
Peter Cheng Violin I
Daniel Cher Violin I
Kristin Chesnutt Oro Violin II
Garth Cummings Cello
David Dufour Horn
Nicole Galisatus Clarinet
Brad Gibson Violin II
John Givens Bassoon
Audrey Gore Oboe
Joel Greene Oboe
Juliet Hamak Bassoon
Patricia Harrell
Flute/Piccolo
Brian Holmes Horn
Johnathan Hsu
Tuba
Elizabeth Ingber Viola
Susan Macy
Clarinet
Sue Magrini Cello
Mike Marmarou Trumpet
Vineet Mehta Violin II
Bruce Moyer Bass
Grant Parker Bass
Frank Rahn Violin II
Kay Saito Shafi
Flute/Piccolo
Jerry Saliman Viola
Gayle Flanagan
Albert Cha
Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Karin Chesnutt, Dorothy Falman & Mildred Saxman
Sheri Frumkin
Hannelore Draper
Penny Barrows in memomry of John Barrows
Teri Quick
Juliet Hamak & George Yefchak
Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Al & Liz Dossa; Jim Fung
John Givens
Krista & Jerry Terstiege
Mary Gundelach
Yvonne Hampton
Robert Fitt
Alan Kalman; Jacqui Smith
Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Ronald Miller
Sheree Kajiwara
Margrit Rinderknecht & Richard Siemon; Suesan Taylor
Suesan & Barr Taylor
Nichole Edraos & Jim Augustus
Ronald Miller
Dorothy Saxe
ADOPT-A-MUSICIAN
MUSICIAN INSTRUMENT ADOPTED BY
Kirsten Shallenberg Cello
Matt Springer
Jacqui Smith
Violin I/ Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Timpani
Judy Streger Violin I
Suesan Taylor Bass
Jshon Thomas Violin II
Renee Tostengard Violin I
Jolynda Tresner Viola
Alex Wang Violin II
Carolyn Worthington Viola
Kyoko Yamamoto Bassoon
Alan & Spike Russell
Martin Chai & Gray Clossman
Sheri & Michael Frumkin
Juliet Hamak & George Yefchak
Brian Holmes; Roy & Victoria Sasselli
Paul & Melonie Brophy
Richard Izmirian
John Givens
Would you like to adopt a musician? It is our goal to have the entire orchestra adopted as a special way of supporting us.
For information on this meaningful program, please reach out to Chelsea Chambers, Executive Director at chelsea@peninsulasymphony.org or (650) 941-5291 to learn more about this opportunity.
SUPPORTERS
Thank you to our special donors who have helped keep Peninsula Symphony alive and vibrant during these difficult times. Our donor listing below is a compilation of total giving received between January 1, 2022 and March 16, 2023. If you see an error in this listing or would like more information on ways you can contribute to Peninsula Symphony, please reach out to Executive Director Chelsea Chambers by emailing chelsea@peninsulasymphony.org.
Risoluto ($50k +)
California Small Business Administration
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Fortissimo ($10k - $24,999)
Katherine & Roy Bukstein
Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Mervyn L. Brenner Foundation
Maria Shim & Nicholas Fox
Crescendo ($5k-$9,999)
Anonymous
Arcadia Foundation
John Givens
Mary Gundelach
Deborah Passanisi in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Teri Quick in honor of Brad Gibson
William & Diane Reuland Shriners Hospitals
Paula Uccelli in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Presto ($2,500 - $4,999)
Anonymous in appreciation of Jeffrey Wachtel
Anonymous in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Anonymous in honor of Ruth & Roy Dunn
Anonymous (4)
Barbara Erickson
Joel Greene
Diana Lloyd
Michael Marmarou
Vineet Mehta
Ronald S. Miller
Redwood City Arts Commission
Jacqueline Smith
Jeff & Gwyn Wachtel
SUPPORTERS
Scherzo ($1,000-$2,499)
Anonymous (2)
Janet Averett
Susanne Bohl
Robert & Barbara Brandriff in memory of Dorothy Lunn
Nathan Brookwood & Patricia Hendriks
Martin Chai
Gregory & Chelsea Chambers in honor of our dedicated musicians and staff
Tom Cooper in memory of Mary Hom
Howard & Diane Crittenden
Erika Crowley in honor of Nancy Pellizzer and in memory of Margot Haygood
Stanley Dirks
Gene Esswein
Pamela Ferris
Gayle Flanagan
Sheri & Michael Frumkin in memory of Elsie Robertson
Lily Tian & Victor Ge
Brad Gibson
Juliet Hamak & George Yefchak in appreciation of Sheri Frumkin
Patricia Harrell
Benjamin & Kaoru Hollin
Intel Corporation
Richard Izmirian
Alan Kalman
Mitchell Sardou Klein & Patricia Whaley
James Kleinrath & Melody Singleton
Lauren Koenig
Alex Kurosawa
Susan & Donald Magrini
Bill & Linda Malmstrom in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Joe & Mollie Marshall
Celeste Everson Misfeldt
Prudential
Caroline & Chris Rackowski
Rita’s Rainbows in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Alan & Spike Russell
Jerry & Ellen Saliman
Sara & Phillip Salsbury
Marianne & John Silva-Oba in memory of Sharon Nora Silva
Suesan & Barr Taylor
Todd & Andrea Weinman
Wells Fargo Foundation
Anne Wharton
David A. Williams & Hilary Benton in appreciation of Sheri Frumkin
Carolyn & Tim Worthington
Y&H Soda Foundation
Rachel Youmans
Vivace ($500-$999)
David & Michelle Allmon
Anonymous in appreciation of Kay Saito Shafi
Anonymous (2)
Apple Inc
Jim Augustus & Nichole Edraos
Kathryn Barnard & Kenneth Shirriff
Penny Barrows in memory of John Barrows
Louis Caputo
Albert Cha
Sylvia & Fun Pang Chau
Daniel Cher
Karin & Jim Chesnutt
Al & Liz Dossa
Hannelore Draper
Anne Esparza
Robert Fitt
Meiying Forney & Steve Shatas
Jim Fung
Google, Inc.
Jimmée Greco
Dawn Grench in honor of Herb Grench
Patricia L. Griffin
Roger & Elizabeth Hagman
Yukoh Hammura
Karen & Ken Imatani
Sheree Kajiwara
James & Nancy Kyser
Susan Lin in appreciation of Chelsea, Mitch, Jim, and all the amazing folks at PSO!
Susan Macy
Anna Newman & Mueen Ghani in memory of Richard Newman
Randy & Janie Nickel
Craig & Wendy Nishizaki
Nvidia
Deb & Dan Ross in appreciation of Alan Russell
David Sacarelos & Yvette Lanza
John & Christine Sanguinetti
Dorothy Saxe
Gary Sears
Margrit Rinderknecht & Richard Siemon
Lorraine Smith in memory of Elsie Robertson
Anita Stewart & Kaj Rekola
Sue Larson Family Fund
Linda Wilson
Hanna & Yoshihiro Yoshimoto
SUPPORTERS
Allegro ($250-$499)
Judith & David Anderson
Anonymous (3)
Michael & Merrie Asimow
Michael & Adrienne Bresler
Kathleen Brown
Dr. Patricia Campbell & John Miaullis
Jenny Chan-Sakauye
Sharon Chortack
Sloane Citron
Judy Davis in memory of Marilyn & Harold Mindell
Barbara Gilmore
Mateo Go
Robert Goldware
John Gookassian
David Greene in honor of Big Monkey
Ann & Salek Hamer
John Haugh
SUPPORTERS
Joseph & Bette Hirsch in honor of David Anderson
Brian Holmes & Jolynda Tresner
Ernst & Susan Hoyer
Mela & Peter Hwang
Sandy & Norman Koo
Kenneth Krieg & Carol Dolezal
Ginger Kroft
Larry Laskowski
Nora & Galen Lemmon
Marcia Leonhardt in honor of Judy Preves
Anderson and David Anderson
Amy Lit
Harvey Lynch
Richard & Beverly Marconi
Linelle Marshall
Diane Merchant
Kirt Minor in appreciation of Dane Carlson
Pamela Moore
Beth Morris
Michelle Oberman & Lawrence Marshall in honor of Maestro Mitch Klein
Neil Panton
Wesley & Linda Petit
Laura Pitchford
The Somersille Sibley Family
Matt Springer & Wei Ai
Judy & Ivan Streger
Rachel Tasch
Michael Tong & Luna Wang
Mary Urbach in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Nina Weil
Barbara Weis in honor of Warren, Kay, and George Weis
Teri & Robert Whitehair
Lan Zhang
Dolce ($100-$249)
John & Barbara Adams
Anonymous in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Anonymous in honor of Gail Hammler
Anonymous (2)
Jo Anne Bailey
Wate & Johanna Bakker
Barbara Barth
Janet Bell
Dick & Penny Bennett
Rebecca Berger in honor of Jerry Saliman
Lorraine Bodie
Janice Boelke
Barbara Bogomilsky
Andre & Marina Broido in appreciation of Sheri Frumkin
Lina Broydo
Juliette Bryson
David & Janet Cain
Frank & Charlotte Cevasco in honor of Debbie Passinisi
Seema Cicerone in appreciation of Frank Rahn
Mary Elise Clarity
Joseph Coha
Nicholas Duncan
Thomas Ehrlich
Nancy Farmer
Howard Feinberg
David Fernandez & Lori Krauss
Melinda Fielding
Kristine Forney
Madeleine Frankel
Susanne Geller
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Marguerite Gonzales
Chris & Elke Groves
Lisa L. Gruman in memory of Evelyn Holzman
Linda Hagarty
Yvonne Hampton
Ward Hoffman & Karlette Warner
Marshall & Roberta Hollimon
Perry Hopkins
Ben Hsu & Brenda Porter
Jennie Johnson
Seymour Kaufman
Jeffrey Koseff & Thalia Anagnos
Sandra Krakowski
Sharon Krawetz
Paul & Jackie Kuckein
Lena Kuhar
Carole Kushnir
Pamela Lampkin & Robert Zipkin
Richard Leder & Cherrill Spencer in appreciation of Mitch Klein and team
Lori McBride
Judi McManigal
Patricia Meyer
Amanda & Walter Mok
Vonya Morris
Amanda Myers
Anthony & Amy Oro
Sharon Peters
Ken & Farrell Podgorsek in appreciation of Sheri Frumkin
SUPPORTERS
J. Richard & Karen S. Recht
Marilyn Reisen
Cheryl & John Ritchie
Cynthia Robbins-Roth
Alison Ross in appreciation of Linda Dunn
Stephen & Joanne Rovno
Bill & Sherrean Rundberg
Roy & Victoria Sasselli
Marian Schmidt
Marvin & Ellen Schwartz
Dana Scoby in memory of Robert T. and Jane Anderson Cheatham
Noel Shirley in honor of Susan Shirley
Ruth A. Short
Judy Siegel
Ilene Sokoloff
Jane Stahl
Laura Sternberg
David Swerdlove & Carol Winston
Karl Talarico
Chris & Carol Thomsen in appreciation of Jeff Wachtel
Carolyn Tucher
Barrie Wilber
IN
LOVING MEMORY:
Peninsula Symphony lost a dear friend and long-time supporter in December 2022. Ken Rodgorsek, whose impact as a community leader, activist and philanthropist was felt in so many communities in the Bay Area, unexpectedly left us. His generosity in supporting art and education over the years has been a testimony of how one man’s vision and commitment can benefit countless others. For the PSO family and patrons, every time we hold one of the beautiful program books printed by his San Jose Mailing business, it will remind us of what Ken meant to us in the performing arts community. As we celebrate his life this month, please donate in Ken’s name to one of the following organizations he held dear: Northern California Innocence Project (NCIP.org) and San Jose Public Library Foundation (SJPLF.org). Also support your neighborhood with your time and money. Thank you, Ken.
Our 74th Season is filled with exceptionally gifted guest artists and classical masterworks in a series titled “Music Forward”. We are excited to present nationally and internationally recognized soloists to our audiences.
Our musicians and our patrons are ecstatic and grateful for the return to live performances in the concert halls. Our current board is comprised of community members with experience in the realms of finance, high tech, teaching, volunteer musicians and marketing. They are elected by the membership for up to three 3-year terms.
We are actively seeking new board members! This is a great way to live your best life while making a meaningful contribution to your community. The major requirement is a passion for classical symphonic music and a willingness to roll up your sleeves, as we are definitely a working board. We especially welcome diverse voices that can help our symphony better reflect our community, and are always happy to find board members with expertise in financial management, law, HR, event planning, or educational/youth/virtual programming.
If you are interested in a board position or just want to learn more about what is involved, please message us - we’d love to talk to you more about these opportunities! Also, if you know someone outside our current community who has the right skills and might be interested, feel free to pass this notice on.
Chelsea Chambers, Executive Director - chelsea@peninsulasymphony.orgBOARD, STAFF & VOLUNTEERS
PENINSULA SYMPHONY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ben Hollin, Co-Chair / Chair, Marketing Committee
Ron Miller, Co-Chair / Chair, Education Committee
Alan Russell, Vice Chair
Randy Nickel, Secretary
Katherine Bukstein, Chair, Governance Committee
Daniel Cher
Barbara Erickson, Treasurer / Chair, Finance Committee
Juliet Hamak, Orchestra Rep
Alex Kurosawa
Diana Lloyd
Deborah Passanisi, Chair, Development Committee
Jeff Wachtel
PENINSULA SYMPHONY STAFF
Mitchell Sardou Klein, Music Director & Conductor
Nathaniel Berman, Resident Conductor
Chelsea Chambers, Executive Director
Jim Fung, Director of Marketing & Digital Content
Jenny Ugale, Development & Operations Associate
Faye Chapman, Bookkeeper
Joel Greene, Music Librarian
Kristin Kunzelman, Stage Manager
Greg van der Veen, Stage Manager
Linda Dunn, Office Volunteer
Nicole Nguyen, Intern
Heidi Hau, Piano Competition Coordinator
Amelia Yee, Front of House & Volunteer Coordinator
The mission of the Peninsula Symphony is to enrich the lives of people in our community with inspiring, innovative, high-quality musical presentations at affordable prices, and to promote music education through engaging programs for children and adults.
The Peninsula Symphony Association of Northern California is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Corporation, Federal Tax ID 94-6106974.
Peninsula Symphony
146 Main Street, Suite 102 Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 941-5291 / info@peninsulasymphony.org
PeninsulaSymphony.org
