Mitchell Sardou Klein Music Director & Conductor
Nathaniel Berman Guest Conductor
A
JOHN WILLIAMS CELEBRATION
JANUARY 18 & 19
SAT / Heritage Theatre, Campbell SUN / San Mateo Performing Arts Center
“Music for a musician is like breathing. It supports us, sustains us, and gives us energy.”
- John Williams
RISING
ADOPT-A-MUSICIAN SUPPORTERS
BOARD,
Jaws (1975) / Dir. Steven Spielberg
“How many composers can you hear just the beginning, and you instantly know what movie that is?”
- Kathleen Kennedy, producer
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) / Dir. Steven Spielberg
Welcome from PSO Board of Directors
From our stage to yours, welcome to the Peninsula Symphony’s first concert of the new year: A John Williams Celebration! We’re thrilled to have you join us and deeply grateful for your support. We hope your holiday season was filled with happiness, health, and joy—but the festivities have only just begun!
Our New Year’s resolution is to forge an even stronger connection with our audience by curating a season brimming with diverse selections that resonate with all. From the cinematic magic of John Williams to the timeless brilliance of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky, we invite you to experience this rich tapestry of music with us!
Tonight, we kick off the next chapter of our season by celebrating the genius of John Williams, a master composer whose music captures the essence of storytelling. Known for his heroic brass fanfares, lush woodwind and string flourishes, and electrifying percussive rhythms, his compositions are a feast for the senses. As you listen, we hope these iconic themes bring your favorite films vividly to life, painting scenes of wonder, drama, and adventure.
Thank you for sharing your evening with us and for your steadfast support of our program. We look forward to welcoming you back in March for an exhilarating program of Carlos Simon’s Amen!, Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring piano extraordinaire and fan favorite, Jon Nakamatsu. Your support means the world to us—it fuels the music and keeps our symphony thriving. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and we can’t wait to welcome you back again soon!
Nicole Galisatus, Principal Clarinet PSO Board Member / Orchestra Rep
Superman (1978) / Dir. Richard Donner
“The music comes from the sky and envelops him... It’s the purest form of art I’ve ever experienced from any human being.”
- Steven Spielberg
Mitchell Sardou Klein, Music Director & Conductor
A JOHN WILLIAMS CELEBRATION
JANUARY 18, 2025 at 7:30pm / Heritage Theatre, Campbell
JANUARY 19, 2025 at 2:30pm / San Mateo Performing Arts Center
Nathaniel Berman, Guest Conductor
Greg Chambers, Saxophone
The Cowboys Overture
Suite from Jaws
I. The Shark Theme
II. Out to Sea and The Shark Cage Fugue
Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Flying Theme from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Superman March
- Intermission -
Escapades from Catch Me If You Can
Greg Chambers, saxophone
Reflections
Closing In
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Suite
I. Hedwig’s Theme
II. The Sorcerer’s Stone
III. Nimbus 2000
IV. Harry’s Wondrous World
Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark
* THESE CONCERTS ARE GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY * Pamela Ferris
PROGRAM NOTES
PROGRAM NOTES BY MITCHELL SARDOU KLEIN
John Williams is a national treasure, among the most iconic cultural figures of our time. The list of his accomplishments is overwhelming to consider: an astounding 26 Grammy Awards, 5 Academy Awards, 7 BAFTAs, 3 Emmys, and 4 Golden Globes. His 54 Academy Award nominations make him the Academy’s second-most nominated person, after Walt Disney. Last January, at age 92, he became the oldest Oscar nominee in any category. He was principal conductor of the Boston Pops from 1980 to 1993; he continues to conduct the world’s top orchestras (including the Berlin Philharmonic) on a regular basis; he has composed numerous classical works including concertos for the greatest soloists of the age; he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2004, the
National Medal of the Arts in 2009, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. He has been inducted into the following Halls of Fame: Songwriters, Hollywood Bowl, and American Classical Music. 9 of the top 25 highest-grossing films of all time contain his scores. Queen Elizabeth II celebrated him as an Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE). In 2005, the American Film Institute placed Williams’ score for Star Wars first on its list of 100 Years of Film Scores, and his music for Jaws and E.T. are also on the list. These accolades only begin to suggest Williams’ deep impact on our musical and human sensibilities. His ability to create orchestral sound pictures that animate cinematic images has transformed film-music and film-making.
John Williams brings a remarkable mastery of style and craft to his writing. He can adapt orchestral sound to any imaginable visual image or story line. The fact that observers have noted influences as diverse as Holst, atonal music, Debussy, jazz, Wagner, hip-hop, Strauss, Stravinsky, and electronic music gives one a sense of his versatility and imagination. In his early years he collaborated with a who’s-who of the greatest film composers: Franz Waxman, Alfred Newman, Bernard Herrman, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, and Henry Mancini. He has written film scores for William Wyler, Robert Altman, Alfred Hitchcock, Clint Eastwood, and John Frankenheimer, and, of course, the Star Wars films of George Lucas
But tonight’s program focuses on John Williams’ most universally loved music for five films by Steven Spielberg, plus three other popular Williams scores.
PROGRAM NOTES
The Cowboys Overture (1972) is from a rollicking Western movie score for a John Wayne film directed by Mark Rydell, and it led to a Hollywood lunch with the very young aspiring director, Steven Spielberg. Williams recounts: “I met what looked to be this seventeen-year-old kid, this very sweet boy, who knew more about film music than I did - every Max Steiner and Dimitri Tiomkin score. We had a meeting in a fancy Beverly Hills restaurant, arranged by executives. It was very cute - you had the feeling Steven had never been in a restaurant like that before. It was like having lunch with a teen-age kid, but a brilliant one.” The rest is history. They first worked together on The Reivers.
Jaws was their second collaboration (1975) and the first score that came to be embedded deeply in every film-goer’s imagination, with that scary two-note ostinato that always sends a shiver up one’s spine.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) came soon after, again with a musical signature that is instantly recognizable - the five-note theme which has the power to unite even the most distant intelligences.
E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982) won Williams his fourth Oscar. Spielberg has said that the Williams’ scoring of the final chase music caused him to edit the scene to fit the score, a remarkable reversal of the usual process.
The marvelous Escapades from Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, starring Tom Hanks, gave Williams an opportunity to evoke the 1960s mood and progressive jazz style, featuring alto sax, vibes and bass.
Raiders of the Lost Ark dates from 1981. The rousing Raiders March embodies the heroic spirit of Indiana Jones, so typical of Williams at his powerful best.
Richard Donner’s film Superman (1978) provided another occasion for Williams to uplift an audience with a majestic and unforgettable Hollywood-hero musical March.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a film that Spielberg initially was expected to direct, but circumstances led to a change to Chris Columbus and a succession of other directors throughout the eight-movie sequence. Williams’ imagination is vividly present in this innovative score, full of his unique magical orchestration. And the fantastical “Hedwig’s Theme” came to be the musical trademark for the entire series.
Hearing the range and originality of these eight John Williams scores in one program is a feast of colorful, memorable cinematic treasures, and a profound part of the texture of our lives. Enjoy!
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) / Dir. Steven Spielberg
“You hear his music for the first time, and you can’t forget it.”
- J.J. Abrams
“This is… John’s effect on people.”
- Gustavo Dudamel
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) / Dir. Chris Columbus
“His music for me is so comforting. I know immediately it’s John.”
- Itzhak Perlman
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) / Dir. Steven Spielberg
“He’s an incredible musical scholar of every style that exists.”
- Yo-Yo Ma
Catch Me If You Can (2002) / Dir. Steven Spielberg
MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR
Mitchell Sardou Klein
Music Director & Conductor
Music Director and Conductor Mitchell Sardou Klein brings extensive conducting experience in the US, Europe, Australia and Japan to his leadership of the Peninsula Symphony. This year marks his 40th season on the Symphony’s podium. Over the past four decades, he has guest-conducted the Seattle Symphony, New Polish Philharmonic, Suddetic Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Eastern Philharmonic, and numerous other orchestras across the US and Europe. In California he has led Symphony San José (formerly Symphony Silicon Valley), the San José Symphony, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Inland Empire/Riverside Philharmonic, Ballet San José, 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 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.”
MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR
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.
Maestro Klein with Taylor Eigsti / October 2024
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 conducted 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.
GUEST ARTIST
Greg Chambers
Saxophone
A San Franciso Bay Area-based saxophonist and music educator, Greg Chambers is steadily establishing himself on the contemporary jazz scene. With five albums to date, multiple hit singles landing on the Billboard Jazz Chart, and music in steady rotation on Sirius XM radio, cable network music channels, and terrestrial radio stations in the US and abroad, Greg has been chosen as a nominee for “Breakout Artist of the Year” by Smooth Jazz Network in 2024. Greg has collaborated with some of the best in the industry, including Euge Groove, Adam Hawley, Jonathan Fritzen, Michael Fields Jr., Lew Laing, Nils, David P. Stevens, Matt Godina, Nate Harasim, Julian Vaughn, and 2x Grammy winner Paul Brown. Also a classically-trained saxophonist, Greg earned B.A. and Master of Music Degrees in Saxophone Performance from UCLA. Greg has worked with the New World Symphony in Miami, FL, the Spoleto USA Festival Orchestra, was the Saxophone Fellowship recipient for the 2007 & 2008 seasons of the Aspen Music Festival, and has played under renowned conductors like Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, David Robertson, James DePreist and others.
Greg is an endorsed Artist of Conn-Selmer, Inc.
When everyone comes together, the opportunities open. The goals become focused, the path to success gets wider. This event is made possible by the tireless work of many selfless, talented individuals, moving forward with intention toward a strong and powerful future.
Alan Russell Private Mortgage Banker 408-887-5141
homeloans.wellsfargo.com/Alan-W-Russell alan.w.russell@wellsfargo.com NMLSR ID 280182
Information is accurate as of date of printing and is subject to change without notice. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. © 2024 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. NMLSR ID 399801. AS6091280 01/2025 IHA-7961605
HELPING PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN RETURN TO AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
Mitchell Sardou Klein Music Director & Conductor
MARCH 22 & 23
Jon Nakamatsu
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2
+ Carlos Simon, Amen!
+ Jean Sibelius, Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43
ORCHESTRA ROSTER - JANUARY 2025
Music Director & Conductor
Mitchell Sardou Klein
Guest Conductor
Nathaniel Berman
Violin I
Kevin Rogers, Acting Concertmaster
Kim Bonnett
Daniel Cher
Colin Gaffney
Julian Hsieh
Jungmee Hwang
Tara Iyer
Jeffrey Lin
Jueun Nam
Girish Nanjundiah
Matt Springer
Judy Streger
Sarah Wu
Violin II
Deborah Passanisi, Principal
Moosa Azfar
Susanne Bohl
Brad Gibson
Sophia Jin
Vineet Mehta
Frank Rahn
Jshon Thomas
Audrey Yan
Angela Yeh
Hanna Yoshimoto
Jane Zhang
Viola
Elyse Ader, Principal
Katherine Bukstein
Jerry Saliman
Renee Toscan
Jolynda Tresner
Carolyn Worthington
Cello
Yosef Feinberg, Acting Principal
Abraham Aragundi
Garth Cummings
Tetsu Ishihara
Tomoko Ishihara
Jason Shu
Ryan Toulouse
Bass
David Herberg
Rahul Iyer
Bruce Moyer
Jeff Wachtel
ORCHESTRA ROSTER - JANUARY 2025
Flute
Kay Saito Shafi, Principal
Patricia Harrell
Kristin Kunzelman
Piccolo
Patricia Harrell
Oboe
Audrey Gore, Principal
Dane Carlson
Joel Greene
Clarinet
Nicole Galisatus, Principal
Mark Beyer
Ron Miller
Bassoon
Juliet Hamak, Principal
Alex Hernandez
Mia Stormer
Horn
Brian Holmes, Co-Principal
Randy Nickel, Co-Principal
Justin Privitera, Assistant Principal
David Dufour
Paul Schneider
Trumpet
Mike Marmarou, Principal
Nicholas Toscan
Bob Fitt
Michael Pakaluk
Trombone
David Allmon, Co-Principal
Rami Hindiyeh, Co-Principal
Todd Weinman
Tuba
Johnathan Hsu, Principal
Timpani
Mike Bresler, Principal
Harp
Kristin Lloyd
Percussion
Emily Hendricks, Co-Principal
Paul Burdick, Co-Principal
Michael Chen
Storm Marquis
Erica Richstad
Nathan Tran
Keyboard/Piano
Irina Behrendt
Music Librarian
Joel Greene
RISING STAR: KLEIN COMPETITION WINNER
Emad Zolfaghari
Viola
Canadian violist Emad Zolfaghari has recently come to international attention after winning the first prize and audience prize at the 2024 Primrose International Viola Competition. Emad was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music at age 16, where he currently studies with Hsin-Yun Huang. He is the first prize winner of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, first prize winner of the International Morningside Music Bridge Competition, second prize winner of the Johansen International String Competition and third prize winner of the OSM String Competition.
Emad has appeared as a soloist with several major symphony orchestras, including l’Orchestre Métropolitain under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Montreal Symphony, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Philharmonic, the Oakville Chamber Orchestra and the National Metropolitan Philharmonic.
Emad has attended several festivals such as Morningside Music Bridge, the Center Stage Strings festival as a junior faculty member, the Perlman Music Program, Music from Angel Fire, ChamberFest Cleveland, ChamberFest West, the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, and the Music in the Vineyards Festival. Emad currently plays on a fine 1700 Matteo Goffriller viola on generous loan from the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation, and a Sartory Copy bow from CANIMEX, inc.
Don’t miss our season finale on Saturday, May 17 at the Heritage Theatre in Campbell, and Sunday, May 18 at the Capuchino Performing Arts Center.
Jessie Montgomery, Soul Force
Carl Philipp Stamitz, Viola Concerto in D, Op. 1 / Emad Zolfaghari, viola Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Capriccio Italien, Op. 47
Ottorino Respighi, Pines of Rome, P. 141
TICKETS: peninsulasymphony.org
LIFETIME ADOPTED MUSICIANS
Mitchell Sardou Klein
Deborah Passanisi
Dr. Lauren Speeth
MUSICIAN
Debra Fong
Conductor
Violin II
Violin I
INSTRUMENT
Concertmaster
Dave Allmon Trombone
Abraham Aragundi Cello
Lianne Araki
Kim Bonnett
Mike Bresler
Katherine Bukstein
Dane Carlson
Daniel Cher
Garth Cummings
David Dufour
Bob Fitt
Nicole Galisatus
Bradley Gibson
Audrey Gore
Joel Greene
Juliet Hamak
Yukoh Hammura
Patricia Harrell
David Herberg
Oboe
Violin I
Timpani/Percussion
Viola
Oboe/English Horn
Violin I
Cello
Horn
Trumpet
Clarinet
Violin II
Oboe
Oboe/Music Librarian
Bassoon
Flute
Flute/Piccolo
Bass
Rami Hindiyeh Trombone
Brian Holmes Horn
Johnathan Hsu
Tetsu Ishihara
Rahul Iyer
Tara Iyer
Kristin Kunzelman
Susan Magrini
Mike Marmarou
Vineet Mehta
Ron Miller
Bruce Moyer
Randy Nickel
Kristin Chesnutt Oro
Frank Rahn
Jerry Saliman
Tuba
Cello
Bass
Violin I
Flute/Piccolo
Cello
Trumpet
Violin II
Clarinet
Bass
Horn
Violin II
Violin II
Viola
Paula Uccelli
Frank & Annette Rahn
Elfenworks Foundation
ADOPTED BY
Katherine & Roy Bukstein
Jacqueline Smith
Friend of PSO
Patricia L. Griffin
Bradley Gibson
Celeste Everson Misfeldt & Todd Misfeldt
Margrit Rinderknecht & Richard Siemon
Kirt & Kelly Minor
Laura & David Francis
Sheri & Michael Frumkin
Hannelore Draper
Don & Cathy Draper
Penny Barrows in memory of John Barrows
Teri Quick
Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Al & Liz Dossa
John Givens
Nina Brody
Krista & Jerry Terstiege
Suesan Taylor
John & Christine Sanguinetti
Mary Gundelach
Yvonne Hampton; Teri Quick
Marcia Leonhardt in honor of Judy & David Anderson
Suesan Taylor
Pauline Roothman
Jennifer & Tim Kardos
Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Ronald S. Miller
Sheree Kajiwara
Jacqueline Smith
Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Diana Lloyd
Dorothy Fahlman & Karin Chesnutt
Nichole Edraos & Jim Augustus
Dorothy Saxe
MUSICIAN
INSTRUMENT
Paul Schneider Horn
Kay Saito Shafi Flute/Piccolo
Kirsten Shallenberg Cello
Matt Springer Violin I/Timpani
Mia Stormer Contrabassoon
Judy Streger Violin I
Suesan Taylor Bass
Jshon Thomas Violin II
Nicholas Toscan Trumpet
Jolynda Tresner Viola
Jeff Wachtel Bass
Kate Wahl Violin I
Alex Wang Violin I
David Williams Violin II
Carolyn Worthington Viola
Sarah Wu Violin I
Kyoko Yamamoto Bassoon
Hanna Yoshimoto Violin II
Jane Zhang Violin II
EMERITUS
MEMBERS
ADOPTED BY
Sheri & Michael Frumkin
Ronald S. Miller
Jacqueline Smith
Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Joel Greene
Alan & Spike Russell
Martin Chai & Gray Clossman
Sheri & Michael Frumkin
Bob & Karen Fitt
Brian Holmes, Maureen Thrush, and Roy & Victoria Sasselli
The Wachtel Pronovost Family
Sheri & Michael Frumkin
Bichen Wang
Family and Friends
Richard Izmirian
Alan & Spike Russell
John Givens
Hironari & Yoshihiro Yoshimoto
Gayle Flanagan
John Givens, Principal Bassoon, adopted by Juliet Hamak & George Yefchak
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.
We are grateful to the following contributors who support live symphonic music and education on the Peninsula. Our donor listing below is a compilation of total giving received between September 1, 2023 and December 18, 2024. 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 +)
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Maestoso al fine ($25k - $49,999)
Sheri & Michael Frumkin in honor of Mitchell Sardou Klein & Paula Uccelli
Fortissimo ($10k - $24,999)
Mervyn L. Brenner Foundation
Katherine & Roy Bukstein
David Cone
Joel Greene in honor of The Monkeyman of Burlingame
Krista & Jerry Terstiege
Paula Uccelli in memory of Peter Uccelli
Friend of PSO in memory of Pieter Smith Friend of PSO
Crescendo ($5k-$9,999)
Rika & Shawn Ellis
Pamela Ferris
John Givens
Mary Gundelach in memory of Charles M. Gundelach
Diana Lloyd in memory of Cliff Lloyd
Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens
Celeste E. & Todd M. Misfeldt
Deborah Passanisi
Friends of PSO (2)
SUPPORTERS
Presto ($2,500 - $4,999)
Janice Boelke
Nathan Brookwood & Patricia Hendriks
Howard & Diane Crittenden
Barbara Erickson
Meiying Forney & Steve Shatas in appreciation of Sheri Frumkin
Brad Gibson
Russell Hurley
Alex Kurosawa
Bill Malmstrom in memory of Linda Malmstrom
Ronald S. Miller
Rita’s Rainbows
Redwood City Arts Commission
William & Diane Reuland
Teri Quick in honor of Brad Gibson
Jeff & Gwyn Wachtel
Teri & Robert Whitehair
David A. Williams & Hilary Benton
John & Rachel Youmans
Scherzo ($1,000-$2,499)
Barbara & Robert Brandriff in memory of Dorothy Lunn
David & Janet Cain
Martin Chai & Gray Clossman
Daniel Cher & Laura Wolfe
Tom Cooper & Mary Hom
Stanley Dirks
Al & Liz Dossa
Hannelore Draper
Gene Esswein
Robert & Karen Fitt
Gayle Flanagan
Laura & David Francis in appreciation of Daniel Cher
Mariam S. Galvarin
Herbert Grench
Patricia Harrell
Benjamin & Kaoru Hollin
Sheree Kajiwara & Richard Izmirian in memory of Dr. Diana Koin
Mitchell Sardou Klein & Patricia Whaley
James Kleinrath & Melody Singleton
Lillian Lee
Joe & Mollie Marshall
Vineet Mehta & Karishma Sharma
Randy & Janie Nickel
Craig & Wendy Nishizaki
Nvidia
Prudential
Caroline & Chris Rackowski
David Sacarelos & Yvette Lanza
Jerry & Ellen Saliman
Sara & Phillip Salsbury
John & Christine Sanguinetti
Paul Schneider in memory of Amanda Smith Schneider
Margrit Rinderknecht & Richard Siemon
Marianne & John Silva-Oba
Anita Stewart & Kaj Rekola
Sue Larson Family Fund
Suesan W. Taylor in memory of Craig Barr Taylor, and in honor of David Herberg and Michael Tong
The Wachtel Pronovost Family in appreciation of Jeff Wachtel
Wells Fargo Foundation
Carolyn & Tim Worthington
Y&H Soda Foundation
Friend of PSO
Vivace ($500-$999)
Maryam Aghamirzadeh
David & Michelle Allmon
Jim Augustus & Nichole Edraos
Kathryn Barnard & Kenneth Shirriff [Reception Sponsors]
Nina Brody
Kathleen Brown
Geoffrey W Burr
Dorothy Fahlman and Karin Chesnutt
Erika Crowley in honor of Cary Kimler
John DeLong & Sharon Peters
Don & Cathy Draper
Nicholas & Renee Toscan
Anne Esparza
Alexandra Gillen & Hartmut Koeppen
Alice Graham in memory of Dorothy Graham Givens
David Greene in honor of Monkey Greene
Patricia L. Griffin
Juliet Hamak & George Yefchak
Yukoh Hammura in appreciation of Kay, Patti, and Kristin from the flute section
Brian Holmes & Jolynda Tresner
Mela & Peter Hwang
Douglas & Susan Jacobs
Jennifer & Tim Kardos
Ann & Ben Kong in honor of Linda Dunn, most dedicated volunteer
Marcia Lowell Leonhardt in honor of Judy and David Anderson
Susan Lin in appreciation of everyone at PSO
Susan Magrini
Richard & Beverly Marconi
Marcia & John Mehl
Kirt & Kelly Minor in appreciation of Dane Carlson
Pamela Moore in memory of Bill Moore
Elizabeth Nyberg in memory of Paul Nyberg
Kristin Oro
Mary & Neil Panton
Roland Feller Violin Makers
Pauline Roothman
Alan & Spike Russell
Dorothy Saxe
Kay Saito & Sayed Shafi
Ruth A. Short
Molly Wachtel in honor of Jeff Wachtel
Bichen Wang
Todd & Andrea Weinman
William Warren Weisenfeld
Anne Wharton
Friend of PSO in honor of Hanna Yoshimoto
Friends of PSO (2)
Allegro ($250-$499)
Apple Inc
Michael & Merrie Asimow
Wate & Johanna Bakker
Charlotte & David Biegelsen
Michael & Adrienne Bresler
Sylvia & Fun Pang Chau
Helen Cockrum
Joseph Coha
Ruth Evans
Delbert & Susan Fillmore
Robert Goldware
Google, Inc.
Dawn Grench and Family in honor of Herb Grench
Elke & Chris Groves
Charles Hanes
Steven Hibshman
Johnathan Hsu
IBM International Foundation
Intel Corporation
Sandra Krakowski
Kenneth Krieg & Carol Dolezal
Eugene Lee & Claire Chang
Harvey Lynch
Linelle Marshall
Joyce Monda
Beth Morris
Noni Naughton
Chuck & Patty Ortenberg in honor of Jeff Wachtel
Grant Parker
Frank & Annette Rahn
Cynthia Robbins-Roth
Alison and Ken Ross in appreciation of Linda Dunn
Amy & Daniel Schiff in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Karen & John Scorsur in appreciation of Jacqueline Smith & Chelsea Chambers
Lorraine Smith
Matt Springer & Weiyun Ai
The Trade Desk
Jshon Thomas & Gary Carson
Michael Tong & Luna Wang
Hanna & Yoshihiro Yoshimoto
Friends of PSO (4)
Dolce ($100-$249)
John & Barbara Adams
Karen Alden
Sue Alvarez
Lianne M. Araki
Doron Bardas
Marilyn Barlow in memory of Rachel Ann Youmans
Barbara Barth
Israel and Sari Beinglass
Berger Family in honor of Jerry Saliman
Nathaniel Berman
Jeanne Bertini
Jill Biegenzahn
Lorraine Bodie
Juliette Bryson
Nancy & Les Burger in appreciation of Jeff Wachtel
Frank & Charlotte Cevasco in honor of Debbie Passanisi
Faye Chapman
Thom & Carol Chivers
Sharon J. Chortack
Mary Elise Clarity
Ronald Danielson
Judy and Philip Davis in memory of Marilyn and Harold Mindell
Tanya Dubinsky
Bill Enloe
Andrew & Michele Epstein in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Suzanne & Allan Epstein
Fredrika and Joel Felt in honor of Jeff Wachtel
David Fernandez & Lori Krauss
Moira Fordyce
Ann & Stan Forman in honor of Sheri Frumkin
Ruth Freeman & David Stoner
Jim Fung
Michael & Cindy Galisatus
Ann Guerra
Hillel Hachlili
Ann & Salek Hamer in memory of Tom Perry
Matthias Hausner
Joan Hebert
Nancy Heffner
Kathie Hillier & Bob Boen
Joseph & Bette Hirsch
Marshall & Roberta Hollimon
Perry Hopkins
AssetMark, Inc
Robert & Ana Johnson
Lorrin & Stephanie Koran
Jeffrey Koseff & Thalia Anagnos
Sharon Krawetz
Marianne Kruze
Kristin Kunzelman
Amy Kuo
Ancilla Kwok in memory of Dr. Sam Chan
Joseph & Sharon Kwok in memory of Dr. Sam Chan
Sandra & Brandon Martinez-Larragoiti
Richard Leder & Cherrill Spencer
William & Lucille Lee
Amy Lit
Janet Louie
Catherine Lozano-Wilcox
Michael Marmarou
Melody Marshall
Janice McKim
Judi McManigal
Diane Merchant
Vonya Morris
Bruce Moyer
Carol Muller
Margaret Nalbach
Alan Pattison
Karen & Douglas Perry in appreciation of Chelsea Chambers
Wayne Phillips
Charles Polanski
J. Richard & Karen S. Recht
Cheryl & John Ritchie
Stephen & Joanne Rovno
Bill & Sherrean Rundberg
Heather Sanders
Dave Sargent in honor of Brian Holmes & Jolynda Tresner
Victoria & Roy Sasselli
Marian Schmidt
Marvin & Ellen Schwartz
Marilyn Sefchovich
Marcyl Seidscher
Noel Shirley
Tom Silva
Lynne Simpson
Dr. Patrick L. Smith
Lisa & Bruce Steinback
Alan Stern & Thomas Whatley
Laura Sternberg
Grant Takamoto
Maureen Thrush
Carolyn Tucher
Warren R Williams
Raymond & Cecilia Wong Friends of PSO (4)
“Sostenuto” Legacy Society
The future of Peninsula Symphony is sustained by the generosity of individuals who choose to give during or after their lifetimes. Their contributions safeguard the presence of symphonic music on the Peninsula for this and future generations to come. To find out more about how to join this special group of cherished supporters, please reach out to Executive Director Chelsea Chambers, chelsea@peninsulasymphony.org.
Sostenuto Legacy Society Members as of September 2024:
Ellis Alden
Anonymous
Janice Boelke
The Elfenworks Foundation
Mitchell Sardou Klein & Patricia Whaley
Judi McManigal
Frank & Annette Rahn
Genny Hall Smith
Lorraine Smith
Marguerite Szekeley
William Warren Wiesenfeld Trust
Peninsula Symphony is seeking board candidates!
Our current board is composed of devoted community members with experience in the realms of finance, high tech, education, volunteer musicians and marketing. Meetings are held virtually and in person four to six times a year. Board members may serve up to three consecutive 3-year terms. Elections are held on an ongoing basis.
We are seeking new board members from diverse backgrounds who bring additional skills and perspectives in order to continue to move our symphony forward. We want our board to reflect our community and strive to find members who will add diverse voices to the team. We are a working board, so if you are looking for a way to get out and live your best life by helping to govern a vibrant, innovative non-profit organization and contribute to your local community in a meaningful way, this is a great way to do it!
We would love to see candidates with experience in:
· Financial Management
· Legal Expertise
· Human Relations
· Fundraising / Grant-Writing
· Event Planning
· Education / Youth / Community programs
· Passion for music and PSO
If you or someone you know may be interested in a board position or just want to learn more about what is involved, please reach out to me or our board co-chairwe’d love to talk to you!
Chelsea Chambers (Executive Director) - chelsea@peninsulasymphony.org
Ben Hollin (Co-Chair, Board of Directors) - ben@peninsulasymphony.org
BOARD, STAFF & VOLUNTEERS
PENINSULA SYMPHONY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ben Hollin, Co-Chair
Jeff Wachtel, Co-Chair
Randy Nickel, Secretary
Katherine Bukstein, Chair, Governance Committee
Sheri Frumkin, Chair, Development Committee
Alan Russell, Treasurer
Nicole Galisatus, Orchestra Rep
Mariam Galvarin
Juliet Hamak
Tara Iyer
Alex Kurosawa
Lillian Lee
Diana Lloyd
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, Operations & Outreach Manager
Tara Kariat , Box Office & Administrative Assistant
Faye Chapman , Bookkeeper
Joel Greene , Music Librarian
Greg van der Veen , Stage Manager
Samantha Paschner , Rehearsal Setup
Linda Dunn , Office Volunteer
Heidi Hau , Piano Competition Coordinator
Amelia Yee , Front of House & Volunteer Coordinator
Aleena Mehdi , Intern
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
“It gets back to primal sounds. That in our origin story as human beings, sounds meant a great deal to us. They could bring us peace and a sense of serenity, or they could alert us to danger and the need to run. Percussion could be an earthquake. It could be rocks tumbling down. Birds could signal a sense of romance in the air...”
- John Williams on why music works the way it works
Steven Spielberg and John Williams in the late 1970s
“Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.”
- John Williams
