Peninsula Symphony: The Americas featuring 2022 Klein Competition Winner Gaeun Kim

Mitchell Sardou Klein Music Director & Conductor

THE AMERICAS Featuring

GAEUN KIM, cello

2022 International Klein Competition Winner

MARCH 15 & 16 at 8PM FRI / San Mateo Performing Arts Center SAT / Heritage Theatre, Campbell

Table of Contents | March 15 & 16, 2024 2

WELCOME FROM PSO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

3

WELCOME FROM MAESTRO MITCHELL SARDOU KLEIN

5

TONIGHT’S PROGRAM

6

PROGRAM NOTES

12

MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR

14

RESIDENT CONDUCTOR

15

FEATURED ARTIST

18

PENINSULA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - MARCH 2024

21

ADOPT-A-MUSICIAN

24

SUPPORTERS

30

BOARD, STAFF & VOLUNTEERS

PSO program copyright ©2024 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 Directors

Welcome to Peninsula Symphony’s “The Americas”, featuring cellist Gaeun Kim, the recent Irving M. Klein International String Competition winner! As a board member and violist in the orchestra, I know I speak for all of us when I say we are truly grateful to you, our audience, for choosing to spend your time with us!

As a board member and Chair of the Governance Committee, I invite you to learn more about how our Board of Directors contributes to the operation of our orchestra. How do we choose repertoire and soloists and bring you the music (both familiar and unfamiliar) you want to hear? How do we invest our resources and budget for future seasons? How do we seek new audiences and find new ways to market our concerts in a world of constantly changing technology? And how do we cultivate and sustain the community support we need to continue offering such high-quality music to our audiences? Our Board of Directors is dedicated and passionate about uplifting our community through music-making and with their wisdom and expertise, plays a crucial role in helping us move forward in these and many other ways.

My service on the Peninsula Symphony board has been deeply satisfying. I very much enjoy the work of supporting our talented maestro and musicians, and working closely with our staff and other board members - all in the interest of bringing you incredible musical offerings such as what you will experience here tonight.

Our board meets four to six times per year both online and in person after regular working hours. We are currently seeking diverse candidates who will bring new perspectives and skills to our board. We are especially looking for those with expertise in the finance, legal, human resources, event planning, fundraising, and education sectors, but welcome anyone who is interested in learning more about service on our board! Please reach out by emailing our Executive Director, Chelsea Chambers, at chelsea@peninsulasymphony.org, or our CoChairman, Ben Hollin at ben@peninsulasymphony.org.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to hearing from you!

Warmly, Katherine Bukstein Chair, Governance Committee & Violist Peninsula Symphony Board of Directors

2

Season 75:

A Celebration

The Peninsula Symphony is thriving as we celebrate 75 years of presenting great music and great musicians to our audience and our community. I’m so energized by the high quality of musicianship and orchestral camaraderie that our magnificent players bring to every rehearsal and concert. Our repertoire has expanded and diversified in challenging and rewarding new ways. We perform with some of the most celebrated and brilliant soloists in the world in fine concert venues. And, as we reflect back on the last three turbulent years, it is deeply uplifting and gratifying that we have returned to the stage better than ever.

In fact, the challenges of the Covid era brought us closer together than ever, as a musical ensemble and as a community partner. During the year when we could not perform together, we developed on-line assets that kept the musicians knitted together as musical colleagues and broadened our reach to our audience. We now are able to present our concerts and outreach events to the larger web world with beautifully produced programs that hugely expand the notion of community. Our audiences, like those of many performing arts organizations, are gradually returning to live presentations. Our deeply engaged and loyal audience can see us in Campbell (Heritage Theater) and San Mateo (SM Performing Arts Center) for the traditional four pairs of Subscription Concerts, an annual Fall collaboration with the Stanford University Music Department at the magnificent Bing Concert Hall, a Springtime Family Concert, a summer outdoor pops concert, and special events like brass ensemble concerts at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, an outdoor Wind Ensemble concert in Los Altos, the Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition at Stanford, our Young Musicians Competition and special events throughout the year.

Amazing guest artists elevate our performing standards and thrill Peninsula audiences.

Recent years have seen illustrious musicians like Jon Kimura Parker, Lara Downes, Anthony McGill, Joyce Yang, Natasha Paremski, Jon Nakamatsu, Tessa Lark, and a new generation of Klein Competition virtuosos join us in concert. Special musical events, like the Violins of Hope, our Jazz Reunion with David Benoit, Taylor Eigsti, and Chris and Dan Brubeck, and Broadway musicals like South Pacific and Brigadoon with 42nd Street Moon continue to expand our programming scope. Our musical vision grows and deepens as we explore superb works in previously neglected repertoire categories, with new and old music composed by inspiring minority diverse voices and underrepresented cultures. We look to new and more imaginative, multimedia-focused, and engaging ways to present all of this rich musical fabric.

Our superb volunteer musicians, our hard-working Board and our magnificent professional staff are dedicated to an ever-expanding vision of musical service the Peninsula. It is my privilege to work with them to bring great music to you, our wonderful audience, and to our wider community as we embark on the Peninsula Symphony’s next 75 years. Thank you for being with us tonight and into the future.

Mitchell Sardou Klein

3

4

Mitchell Sardou Klein, Music Director & Conductor

The Americas March 15, 2024 / San Mateo Performing Arts Center March 16, 2024 / Heritage Theatre, Campbell Mitchell Sardou Klein, Music Director & Conductor Nathaniel Berman, Resident Conductor Gaeun Kim, cello

Arturo Márquez, Danzón No.2 William Grant Still, Poem for Orchestra Alberto Ginastera, Malambo, from Estancia Victor Herbert, Cello Concerto No.1, Op.8 i. Allegro con spirito ii. Andante - Scherzo: Vivace - Andante iii. Finale: Allegro Gaeun Kim, cello - Intermission Clarice Assad, Sin Fronteras Nathaniel Berman, conducting Leonard Bernstein, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story i. Prologue ii. Somewhere iii. Scherzo iv. Mambo v. Cha-cha vi. Meeting Scene vii. Cool Fugue viii. Rumble ix. Finale THESE CONCERTS ARE GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY Mary Gundelach in memory of Charles M. Gundelach

5

PROGRAM NOTES

By Larry Laskowski

Introduction Western classical music: a general designation for “art music” rooted in the traditions of Western European culture. Today the planet is small, and political and economic developments as well as ease of travel and communication have enabled the spread of that European musical culture to the rest of world. Indeed, it has taken root and is thriving in many places, including the United States, Latin America and Asia. But cultural expansion is never a one-way street. It’s not a simple transfer, but rather an exchange, an ongoing two-way conversation in which artists learn from each other and create new hybrid forms of expression.

So, when European classical music came to “The Americas”, it was itself changed and enriched by the vibrant cultural traditions it encountered there. Tonight’s program highlights some outstanding examples of music by prominent composers in the Americas, composers who embraced the heritage of European music and added exciting elements from the New World.

Arturo Márquez, Danzón No.2 Danzónes (1994) is an iconic work by the Mexican composer Arturo Márquez (b. 1950). Márquez received much of his training in California and has become one of the most important Latin American composers of our time. In his many orchestral works, chamber pieces, solo works, and ballets, Márquez eschews more advanced modernist trends and instead leans heavily on cultural tradition and history. Dance, such an important element in Mexican culture, makes its presence felt in many of his works.

In Cuba in the second half of the 19th century, the danzón was born. Traditionally the dance begins with casual flirtations and gradually builds to more fully sensual dance moves. The genre quickly spread to other Latin American countries, including Mexico, where it is still especially popular. Márquez’s highly stylized version of the danzón draws on the ballroom dance culture of the Veracruz region of Mexico, here transported to the concert hall. The piece seduces with the dance’s intoxicating rhythms and barely controlled sensuality as it sparkles with brilliant orchestration. Danzón No. 2 has become so wildly popular and symbolic of Mexican musical culture that it is sometimes referred to as Mexico’s second national anthem.

And so ………..¿Bailamos? …………. (Shall we dance?)

6

PROGRAM NOTES

William Grant Still, Poem for Orchestra During his lifetime William Grant Still (1895-1978) was fondly and respectfully known as ‘the dean of African American composers”. He grew up in the American South, played a significant role in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s and 1930’s, and lived his later years in Los Angeles.

A broad musical education brought him into close contact with many musical styles, including traditional classical music, progressive music, the avant-garde, folk music, and popular music. A prolific composer, Still composed significant classical works in many genres; he also worked in film music and with the likes of Eubie Blake, Paul Whiteman, and Artie Shaw in popular music.

His prose writings express deeply felt reflections about modern musical trends and the role of the African American in contemporary America. In his works we hear diverse threads of musical tradition and thought woven together, always for a serious purpose. His words: “I believe that a real composer is a sort of medium for the transmission of higher thoughts to those on earth.”

Still’s Poem for Orchestra (1944) combines traditionally classical compositional technique with distinctly American sonorities. The work was inspired by a poem by Verna Arvey, Still’s wife and collaborator. With hope and conviction, Arvey describes a new optimism that she sensed was around the corner after the darkness of the war years: Soul-sick and weary, Man stands on the rim of a desolate world.

Then from the embers of a dying past Springs an immortal hope.

Resolutely evil is uprooted and thrust aside; A shining temple stands Where once greed and lust for power flourished.

Earth is young again, and on the wings of its re-birth Man draws closer to God. Still himself wrote that “…the opening is purposely dissonant, to express desolation and spiritual poverty. But the thematic material grows more consonant and more melodic as it rises to express man’s rapture in approaching God.” The gorgeous and comforting final section resolves the expressionistic angst of the opening, yet the ending (including the final chord) retains a trace of underlying existential uncertainty. The spiritual journey is strenuous, complex, and satisfying.

7

PROGRAM NOTES Alberto Ginastera, Malambo, from Estancia Argentinian by birth, Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) was among the most important twentieth century classical composers of the Americas. His works span virtually all genres of the classical repertoire, and his style displays a command of the progressive music of his time as well as a deep affinity for the cultural traditions of his homeland. Ginastera was also a respected teacher and academic who

contributed significantly to the development of music education in Argentina and Latin America.

The music schools he founded and his dedication to teaching were important in nurturing the next generation of composers and musicians in the New World.

Estancia Op. 8A (1942) was originally composed as a ballet. Malambo is the last of four dances that Ginastera took from the ballet to form an orchestral suite. Estancia in Spanish means a large estate or cattle ranch, and the malambo is a fast, energetic, and athletic Argentinian folk dance, a dance of the gauchos. The cowboys stomp, sing, whirl, and jump in a loud, aggressive display of strength and agility. The insistent intense rhythms are inspired by galloping horses and the intricate syncopations add complexity to the assertive masculine sensuality.

Ginastera’s Malambo puts the strength, joy, and pride of the gaucho on full display. The orchestration sizzles and the rapid dissonant clashes produce coloristic effects that skillfully blend folk tradition with progressive musical trends.

Victor Herbert, Cello Concerto No.1, Op. 8 In the early 1900’s New York City surely had its share of traditional classical music. There were symphony orchestras, opera companies, ballet companies, recitals, music schools, etc. But we shouldn’t forget that music in more popular styles drew bigger audiences. Tin Pan Alley was enjoying its heyday, ragtime was popular, jazz was in its early stages, and the music halls and revues played to full houses. Another popular genre was the operetta (a light musical comedy and precursor of today’s Broadway show). Its most notable American composer was Victor Herbert (1859-1924), who wrote over forty of them, including hits like Babes in Toyland and Naughty Marietta.

For his time Herbert uniquely straddled the worlds of

8

PROGRAM NOTES classical and popular music. Born in Europe, he began his career there as a classical cellist, conductor, and composer. He moved to New York at the age of 27 and quickly became an important and influential figure on the American music scene. He may be best remembered today for his lighter music, but he also composed an impressive list of serious classical works, including orchestral music, concerti, opera, choral works, piano music, and songs.

The Cello Concerto No. 1, op. 8 is an early work (1884), composed when Herbert was still living and working in Europe. An accomplished cellist, Herbert performed the piece in Europe, but the concerto was not published at the time and was soon forgotten. It was further eclipsed by Herbert’s second cello concerto (1894), which enjoyed considerable success and entered the standard repertoire. Luckily the first concerto was revived in 1986 by the American cellist Lynn Harrell and was first published in 2021.

As an experienced conductor, orchestral musician, and soloist Herbert well understood a thorny problem of the cello concerto as a genre: the solo cellist can easily be drowned out by the orchestra. Herbert deftly manages the problem without paring the orchestra down to chamber dimensions. The concerto is a full-throated embodiment of late Romantic style, rich and varied in texture, tempo, color, and mood, and a rewarding challenge for the soloist.

The concerto is in three movements. The first is an unabashed expression of late Romantic style.

The middle section of the movement with cello and harp is particularly ravishing. The second is both slow movement and scherzo built into one. And the last movement is a humorous, lighthearted, challenging polka that presages Herbert’s deft touch with popular genres in his later works.

Clarice Assad, Sin Fronteras A powerful communicator renowned for her musical scope and versatility, Brazilian-American Clarice Assad (b. 1978) is a significant artistic voice in the classical, world music, pop, and jazz genres. She is active as a composer, pianist, vocalist, and teacher who in all of these roles encourages the imagination to break free of often self-imposed constraints.

Sin Fronteras (2017) is a playful, rhythmic, fresh, fanciful, and sometimes comedic work that was originally commissioned as a dance. Assad uses complex cross rhythms and syncopation, draws on multiple styles, genres, and ethnic traditions, and uses innovative sounds from the orchestra (orchestra members humming, speaking, blowing through instruments, hand clapping, etc.). Assad’s imaginative approach is in service of her sweeping vision of the Americas as a land “Without Borders”. Perhaps her own words best express her intentions:

9

PROGRAM NOTES “Sin Fronteras emerged from a utopian state of mind in which I found myself one day, daring to erase imaginary lines that disconnect us geographically, culturally, and morally: Boundaries that the human race has willingly subscribed to for thousands of years. But what would happen if the walls that separate us from getting to know one another were not there? While this idea would generate a fair amount of confusion in the real world, in the realm of music of the 21st century, this does not need to be so!

As a South American woman living in the United States for two decades, I chose sounds of places that felt closest to home: The Americas. In Sin Fronteras, we journey from the bottom of South America, traveling up both coasts and navigating to the Northern hemisphere via Central America. The piece follows no storyline, but its central concept begins with a shocking reaction between two or more distinct cultures coming into contact for the first time. After the initial resistance, everyone collectively begins aggregating each other’s ethnic fragments into their culture spheres to create something new – while still preserving their original roots.”

Leonard Bernstein, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was undoubtedly the best-known figure on the American classical music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He made his mark on the conductor’s podium, at the piano, in the theater, in the classroom, and on the speaker’s platform. His innovations (the NY Philharmonic’s Young People’s Concerts and the Thursday Evening Preview Concerts, for example) broadened the audience for classical music and endeared him to many.

So many people, even those who never met him, refer to him fondly as “Lenny”.

Perhaps above all else, Bernstein was a thoroughly theatrical person. His strong presence as a conductor, musician, teacher made it seem as if he were always on stage and in the spotlight.

His personality inevitably took over the room, be it a living room or Carnegie Hall. It’s no

10

PROGRAM NOTES

surprise that we continue to be fascinated by him more than thirty years after his passing.

Recently we’ve had a 2023 Netflix movie about him (Maestro), a revival of the stage version of West Side Story on Broadway (closed in 2020), and a new 2021 Spielberg film version of West Side Story, not to mention the library of recordings of a wide variety of music that we continue to enjoy today.

Bernstein did his best to find time in his busy public schedule for the solitary process of composing, though late in life he regretted that he had not written more. His works for the theater are perhaps the best known, and West Side Story is the most popular of all. Written in collaboration with Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, and Jerome Robbins, the show opened on Broadway to tremendous acclaim. A feature film that won ten Oscars followed shortly thereafter (1960). The plot is based on Romeo and Juliet, but here the clan rivalry is between two street gangs in NYC in the 1950’s. One gang is white, the other is Puerto Rican. Bernstein had long been interested in racial and ethnic issues in the arts. His undergraduate thesis at Harvard was titled “The Absorption of Race Elements into American Music”. In West Side Story Bernstein incorporates Latin American musical elements (Mambo, Cha-Cha, etc.) as well as a strong jazz influence. The score also has traditional classical elements, including a fugue (albeit in jazz swing time), and the orchestration blends splashy modern symphonic colors with ethnic and popular traditions; the expressive range includes yearning for love, sadness, violence, and tragedy. The intricate details of the composition are carefully worked out; the wide variety of tempo, mood, and styles is unified by a tightly knit tonal and motivic framework. This is an entertaining and dramatically effective score that is also a serious musical work. Perhaps at that time only Bernstein had the ability to pull that off?

The Symphonic Dances is an orchestral work that Bernstein put together from the show’s music, mostly the dance numbers. That it holds up so well on its own without singers, dancers, and a stage is a tribute to Bernstein’s skill and imagination as a composer. With Bernstein you don’t need an actual stage. The drama is in the composer himself.

11

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. During his 39 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 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.”

12

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.

13

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 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.

14

FEATURED ARTIST Gaeun Kim cello

Gaeun Kim, a 20-year-old cellist based in New York, has been spotlighted as an outstanding virtuosic performer and a winner of numerous competitions worldwide since the age of four. Her journey began with winning both the first prize and the special award at the Antonio Janigro Competition in Zagreb, Croatia.

She has also secured first prizes in the Liezen International Competition and the David Popper International Cello Competition.

Gaeun was recognized as one of “30 Representative Stars in the Culture & Arts Industry of the Republic of Korea,” a “Samsung Foundation Rising Star,” and as one of the six winners of the ‘Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle,’ led by Gautier Capucon. She performed as a Louis Vuitton Foundation Artist until 2021. In 2023, she was invited as a special jury member at the “World’s Biggest Stage International Competition.”

Her recent accolades include receiving the First Prize and the Pablo Casals Special Award at the 2022 Irving M. Klein International Competition, and being a top prizewinner at the 2023 Paulo International Cello Competition. She also won the First Prize at the 2023 New York Young Artist Award and is scheduled for numerous concerts in the US in the upcoming season.

In the 2023-24 season, Gaeun will make concert appearances in major halls worldwide, including solo performances in Germany, Switzerland, Korea, New York, San Francisco, Palo Alto, St. Thomas, Poland, and others. Her engagements include performances with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Lahti Sinfonietta, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Santa Cruz Symphony Orchestra, Peninsula Symphony Orchestra, Master Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra, and Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra. She will also participate as a featured cellist and invited chamber musician at festivals such as “The Seoul Spring Music Festival,” “Music in the Vineyards,” “Water Island Music Festival,” “Moritzburg Festival,” and the “Jupiter Symphony Chamber Series.”

Nationally, Gaeun has won first prizes in numerous competitions, including the Seoul Classic Music Competition, the Music & Chunchu Competition, the Little Mozart Competition, the Yewon Competition, the Youngsan Music Competition, the Sungjong Music Competition, and the Ehwa & Kyunghyang Competition. She has also received the Shinhan Music Award, the Yewon Music Award, and the Director Award from the Korean National Institute for Gifted in Arts.

15

FEATURED ARTIST Her performance highlights include concerts for the Queen of the Belgians and the First Lady of the Republic of Korea, participation in the Antonio Janigro Cello Festival, and appearances at the Asian Forum of Legislative Information Affairs, CBS’s 17th Anniversary Celebration Concert in Jeju Island, and various other prestigious events. As a soloist, she has played with ensembles like the Zagreb Soloists, the Euro-Asian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Master Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra, the Suwon Symphony Orchestra, and many more.

Beyond the stage, Gaeun has been featured on radio programs and TV shows including From the Top, MBC, KBS Radio, C Channel, and others. She has also appeared in major music magazines such as The Strad, New York Concert Review INC, and Music Journal. A proponent of contemporary music, she has performed and recorded premiere pieces by composers such as Gloria Justen, Julian Gargiulo, Seounyun Kim, Jacky Liu, Nichagarn Chiracha-rasporn, Yuxuan Lin, and more.

Currently studying at The Juilliard School under Richard Aaron as an honorary scholarship recipient since 2020, Gaeun is a Korean ambassador for Jargar Strings. Her educational background includes studies at Yewon School, Seoul Arts High School, and Korea National University of Arts.

16

Enjoy the most exciting PSO encore presentations anywhere, anytime.

digital.peninsulasymphony.org

17

ORCHESTRA MARCH 2024 Music Director & Conductor Mitchell Sardou Klein Resident Conductor Nathaniel Berman Violin I Debra Fong, Concertmaster Kate Wahl, Assistant Concertmaster Kim Bonnett Peter Cheng Daniel Cher Jungmee Hwang Tara Iyer Jeff Lin Girish Nanjundiah Matt Springer Alex Wang Tracy Wang Sarah Wu Violin II Deborah Passanisi, Principal Moosa Azfar Susanne Bohl Brad Gibson Vineet Mehta Kristin Oro Katharine Schmidtke Jshon Thomas David Williams Angela Yeh Hanna Yoshimoto Jane Zhang

Viola Elyse Ader, Principal Alessandra Aquilanti Katherine Bukstein Andrea Hata Jerry Saliman Judy Beck Sumerlin Charlie Tian Jolynda Tresner Jennie Yang Cello Kirsten Shallenberg, Principal Sandy Baratoff Garth Cummings Victor Ha Julika Huber Tetsu Ishihara Susan Magrini Jason Shu Ryan Toulouse Bass Suesan Taylor, Principal David Herberg Rahul Iyer Bruce Moyer Grant Parker Michael Tong Jeff Wachtel

18

Flute Kay Saito Shafi, Principal Yukoh Hammura Patricia Harrell Kristin Kunzelman Piccolo Patricia Harrell Oboe Audrey Gore, Principal Dane Carlson Lianne Araki English Horn Dane Carlson Clarinet Nicole Galisatus, Acting Principal Nick Cotter Jimmée Greco Ron Miller Alto Sax Alex Lill Bassoon Juliet Hamak, Principal Mia Stormer Aidan Yang Contrabassoon Mia Stormer Horn Brian Holmes, Co-Principal Randy Nickel, Co-Principal David Dufour Justin Privitera Paul Schneider

ORCHESTRA Trumpet Mike Marmarou, Principal Nicholas Toscan Robert Fitt Trombone Dave Allmon, Co-Principal Rami Hindiyeh, Co-Principal Bass Trombone Todd Weinman, Principal Tuba Johnathan Hsu, Principal Timpani Mike Bresler, Principal Percussion Emily Hendricks, Principal Paul Burdick, Acting Principal Aaron Balot Michael Chen Benedict Lim Erica Richstad Harp Kristin Lloyd, Principal Keyboard/Piano Larry Laskowski Music Librarian Joel Greene

19

6

THE ELFENWORKS FOUNDATION ADOPT-A-MUSICIAN PROGRAM

LIFETIME ADOPTED MUSICIANS Mitchell Sardou Klein Deborah Passanisi Dr. Lauren Speeth

Conductor Violin II Violin II

Paula Uccelli Frank & Annette Rahn Elfenworks Foundation

MUSICIAN

INSTRUMENT

ADOPTED BY

Debra Fong Concertmaster Katherine & Roy Bukstein Dave Allmon Trombone Jacqueline Smith Abraham Aragundi Cello Friend of PSO Lianne Araki Oboe Patricia L. Griffin Kathryn Barnard Flute/Piccolo Kenneth Shirriff Susanne Bohl Violin II Diana Lloyd Mike Bresler Timpani/ Celeste Everson Misfeldt Percussion Katherine Bukstein Viola Margrit Rinderknecht & Richard Siemon Dane Carlson Oboe/ Kirt & Kelly Minor English Horn Beatrice Chau Violin II Gayle Flanagan Daniel Cher Violin I Laura & David Francis Garth Cummings Cello Sheri & Michael Frumkin David Dufour Horn Hannelore Draper Bob Fitt Trumpet Don & Cathy Draper Nicole Galisatus Clarinet Penny Barrows in memory of John Barrows Bradley Gibson Violin II Teri Quick John Givens Principal Bassoon Juliet Hamak & George Yefchak Emeritus Audrey Gore Oboe Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens Joel Greene Music Librarian Al & Liz Dossa; Jim Fung Juliet Hamak Bassoon John Givens Patricia Harrell Flute/Piccolo Krista & Jerry Terstiege David Herberg Bass Suesan Taylor Brian Holmes Horn Mary Gundelach Johnathan Hsu Tuba Yvonne Hampton; Teri Quick Elizabeth Ingber Viola Robert Fitt Rahul Iyer Bass Suesan Taylor Tara Iyer Violin I Pauline Roothman Sue Magrini Cello Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens Mike Marmarou Trumpet Ronald S. Miller Vineet Mehta Violin II Sheree Kajiwara Ron Miller Clarinet Jacqueline Smith Bruce Moyer Bass Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens Randy Nickel Horn Diana Lloyd

21

ADOPT-A-MUSICIAN MUSICIAN

INSTRUMENT

Kristin Chesnutt Oro Violin II

Frank Rahn Violin II Jerry Saliman Viola Kay Saito Shafi Flute/Piccolo Kirsten Shallenberg Cello Matt Springer Violin I Judy Streger Violin I Suesan Taylor Bass Jshon Thomas Violin II Nicholas Toscan Trumpet Jolynda Tresner Viola

Alex Wang Violin I Carolyn Worthington Viola Kyoko Yamamoto Bassoon

ADOPTED BY Karin Chesnutt, Dorothy Falman & Mildred Saxman Jim Augustus & Nichole Edraos Dorothy Saxe Ronald S. Miller Jacqueline Smith Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens Alan & Spike Russell Martin Chai & Gray Clossman Sheri & Michael Frumkin Robert & Karen Fitt Brian Holmes; Roy & Victoria Sasselli; Maureen Thrush Bichen Wang 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.

22

SUPPORTERS

We are grateful to the following contributors who have supported Peninsula Symphony as we embark on the next 75 years of music-making for our local community. Our donor listing below is a compilation of total giving received between November 1, 2022 and February 12, 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 +) California Small Business Administration The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fortissimo ($10k - $24,999) Katherine & Roy Bukstein Sheri & Michael Frumkin in honor of Mitchell Sardou Klein, Chelsea Chambers, and Jim Fung Mary Gundelach in memory of Charles M. Gundelach Mervyn L. Brenner Foundation Maria Shim & Nicholas Fox Paula Uccelli Crescendo ($5k-$9,999) John Givens Joel Greene Diana Lloyd in memory of Cliff Lloyd Monte Mansir & Susanne Stevens Deborah Passanisi William & Diane Reuland Shriners Hospitals Jacqueline Smith in memory of Pieter Smith Krista & Jerry Terstiege

23

SUPPORTERS Presto ($2,500 - $4,999) Janice Boelke Nathan Brookwood & Patricia Hendriks Barbara Erickson Pamela Ferris Brad Gibson Russell Hurley Richard Izmirian & Sheree Kajiwara in memory of Dr. Diana Koin Alex Kurosawa Michael Marmarou Rehearsal Venue Sponsors: Vineet Mehta & Karishma Sharma Ronald S. Miller Teri Quick Paul Schneider in memory of Amanda Smith Schneider Jeff & Gwyn Wachtel David A. Williams & Hilary Benton Friend of PSO in appreciation of Jeffrey Wachtel Friend of PSO in honor of Ruth and Roy Dunn Friends of PSO (5)

Scherzo ($1,000-$2,499) David & Michelle Allmon Apple Inc Janet Averett Barbara & Robert Brandriff in memory of Dorothy Lunn Martin Chai & Gray Clossman Chelsea & Gregory Chambers in honor of our dedicated musicians and staff Tom Cooper & Mary Hom Howard & Diane Crittenden Stanley Dirks Al & Liz Dossa Hannelore Draper Anne Esparza Gene Esswein Robert Fitt Gayle Flanagan Meiying Forney & Steve Shatas in appreciation of Sheri Frumkin

Laura & David Francis in appreciation of Daniel Cher Alexandra Gillen & Harmut Koeppen Mary Gundelach Juliet Hamak & George Yefchak Yukoh Hammura Patricia Harrell Benjamin & Kaoru Hollin Mitchell Sardou Klein & Patricia Whaley James Kleinrath & Melody Singleton Lauren Koenig Lillian Lee Susan Lin in appreciation of everyone at PSO Susan Magrini Bill & Linda Malmstrom Joe & Mollie Marshall Debra McLean Randy & Janie Nickel Craig & Wendy Nishizaki Nvidia

24

Kristin Oro Prudential Caroline & Chris Rackowski Redwood City Arts Commission David Sacarelos & Yvette Lanza Jerry & Ellen Saliman Sara & Phillip Salsbury John & Christine Sanguinetti Dorothy Saxe Margrit Rinderknecht & Richard Siemon Marianne & John Silva-Oba in memory of Sharon Nora Silva Suesan Taylor in memory of Craig Barr Taylor Todd & Andrea Weinman Wells Fargo Foundation Anne Wharton Carolyn & Tim Worthington Y&H Soda Foundation Rachel Youmans Friends of PSO (2) Vivace ($500-$999) Jim Augustus & Nichole Edraos Kathryn Barnard & Kenneth Shirriff Penny Barrows in memory of John Barrows Michael & Adrienne Bresler Kathleen Brown Geoffrey W Burr Albert & Cheryl Cha Sylvia & Fun Pang Chau Karin & Jim Chesnutt Erika Crowley in memory of Margot Haygood Don & Cathy Draper Nicholas & Renée Toscan Jim Fung in appreciation of Joel Greene Google, Inc. Jimmée Greco Dawn Grench & Family in honor of Herb Grench Patricia L. Griffin Brian Holmes & Jolynda Tresner Johnathan Hsu

SUPPORTERS

Mela & Peter Hwang Douglas & Susan Jacobs Kenneth Krieg & Carol Dolezal Amy Lit Harvey Lynch Susan Macy in honor of the Anthony McGill concert Richard & Beverly Marconi Linelle Marshall Marcia & John Mehl Kirt & Kelly Minor in appreciation of Dane Carlson Celeste Everson Misfeldt Angela Mogielski & Peter Cassini Pamela Moore in memory of Bill Moore Beth Morris Anna Newman & Mueen Ghani in memory of Richard Newman Neil Panton Pauline Roothman Alan & Spike Russell Gary Sears Kay Saito & Sayed Shafi Matt Springer & Wei Ai Anita Stewart & Kaj Rekola Sue Larson Family Fund The Wachtel Pronovost Family in appreciation of Jeff Wachtel Molly Wachtel in honor of Jeff Wachtel Bichen Wang Teri & Robert Whitehair Linda Wilson Hanna & Yoshihiro Yoshimoto Friend of PSO

25

SUPPORTERS Allegro ($250-$499) Judith & David Anderson Lianne Araki in memory of Edward C. Hattyar Susanne Bohl Katherine Boster Andre & Marina Broido David & Janet Cain Dr. Patricia Campbell & John Miaullis Louis Caputo Jenny Chan-Sakauye Sharon Chortack Sloane Citron Joseph Coha Judy Davis in memory of Harold and Marilyn Mindell John DeLong & Sharon Peters Nancy Farmer Madeleine Frankel Mateo Go Robert Goldware John Gookassian Alice Graham in honor of John and Dorothy Givens David Greene in honor of Big Monkey Yvonne Hampton Charles Hanes David & Elisa Herberg IBM International Foundation Sanjiv & Jazz Kaul Ann & Ben Kong in honor of Linda Dunn Sandy & Norman Koo Jeffrey Koseff & Thalia Anagnos in honor of Jeff Wachtel Ginger Kroft Larry Laskowski Eugene Lee & Claire Chang Nora & Galen Lemmon Marcia Leonhardt Diane Merchant Grant Parker Wesley & Linda Petit Laura Pitchford Frank & Annette Rahn J. Richard & Karen S. Recht

Cynthia Robbins-Roth Alison Ross in appreciation of Linda Dunn The Somersille Sibley Family Nathaniel & Marcia Sterling Laura Sternberg Judy & Ivan Streger Rachel Tasch Jshon Thomas & Gary Carson Michael Tong & Luna Wang Barbara Weis in honor of Warren, Kay, and George Weis Cameron Wessel & Sapna Upadhyay Lan Zhang Friend of PSO in honor of Hanna Yoshimoto Friends of PSO (4) Dolce ($100-$249) John & Barbara Adams Karen Alden Michael & Merrie Asimow Barbara Barth Jeanne Bertini Mark Beyer Jill Biegenzahn Lorraine Bodie Juliette Bryson Les & Nancy Burger Frank & Charlotte Cevasco in honor of Debbie Passanisi Faye Chapman Mary Elise Clarity Helen Cockrum Ronald Danielson Dolby Suzanne & Allan Epstein Ruth Evans David Fernandez & Lori Krauss Ruth Finkelstein Alastair & Moira Fordyce Shirley Foreman Ann & Stan Forman Kristine Forney Nicole Galisatus

26

Priscilla Gitchev Lisa L. Gruman Ann Guerra Hillel Hachlili Linda Hagarty Gayle Hansen in memory of James R. Hansen Matthias Hausner Kathie Hillier & Bob Boen Ward Hoffman & Karlette Warner Marshall & Roberta Hollimon Perry Hopkins Ben Hsu & Brenda Porter Intel Corporation Alan Kalman Peter Klein Lorrin & Stephanie Koran Sandra Krakowski Sharon Krawetz Paul & Jackie Kuckein Lena Kuhar Kristin Kunzelman Amy Kuo Jay & Sylvia Ladenheim in appreciation of Randy Nickel Lori Lambertson in memory of John Biegenzahn Sandra Larragoiti & Brandon Martinez Richard Leder & Cherrill Spencer in appreciation of Mitch Klein & the PSO staff William & Lucille Lee Kenneth Lum Jan McKim Judi McManigal Amanda & Walter Mok Joyce Monda Bruce Moyer Donna Ornitz Chuck & Patty Ortenberg in honor of Jeff Wachtel Karen & Doug Perry in appreciation of Chelsea Chambers Charles Polanski Marilyn Reisen Cheryl & John Ritchie

SUPPORTERS

Stephen & Joanne Rovno Bill & Sherrean Rundberg Heather Sanders Victoria & Roy Sasselli Marian Schmidt Marvin & Ellen Schwartz Dana Scoby in memory of Robert T. and Jane Anderson Cheatham Karen & John Scorsur in appreciation of Chelsea Chambers Noel Shirley Ruth A. Short Gang Situ Dr. Patrick L. Smith Karl Talarico Nicole Taylor Chris & Carol Thomsen in appreciation of Jeff Wachtel Maureen Thrush Carolyn Tucher Adam Wantz Andrew & Abigail Wen in appreciation of Thomas Shoebotham Alan Stern & Thomas Whatley Raymond & Cecilia Wong Friends of PSO (8)

27

“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 December 2023:

Ellis Alden Anonymous Elfenworks Foundation Mitchell Sardou Klein & Patricia Whaley Judi McManigal Frank & Annette Rahn Genny Hall Smith Lorraine Smith Marguerite Szekeley William Warren Wiesenfeld Trust

28

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-chair we’d love to talk to you!

Chelsea Chambers (Executive Director) - chelsea@peninsulasymphony.org Ben Hollin (Co-Chair, Board of Directors) - ben@peninsulasymphony.org

Guest Conductor Geoffrey Gallegos with PSO / At the Movies / January 2024

29

BOARD, STAFF & VOLUNTEERS

PENINSULA SYMPHONY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ben Hollin, Co-Chair / Chair, Marketing Committee Ron Miller, Co-Chair / Chair, Education Committee Randy Nickel, Secretary

Katherine Bukstein, Chair, Governance Committee

Barbara Erickson, Treasurer / Chair, Finance Committee Daniel Cher

Sheri Frumkin, Chair, Development Committee Juliet Hamak, Orchestra Rep Alex Kurosawa Lillian Lee

Diana Lloyd

Deborah Passanisi 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, Operations & Outreach Manager

Tara Kariat, Box Office & Administrative Assistant Faye Chapman, Bookkeeper

Joel Greene, Music Librarian Richard Le, Stage Manager

Elizabeth Quivey, Stage Manager

Samantha Paschner, Rehearsal Setup Linda Dunn, Office Volunteer

Heidi Hau, Piano Competition Coordinator

Amelia Yee, Front of House & Volunteer Coordinator

30

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

I PROUDLY SUPPORT THE

Peninnsula Symphony HELPING BUYERS GET HOME ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY

With lending in all 50 states I help borrowers find home wherever best suits them.

CONTACT ME TO LEARN MORE TODAY!

ALAN RUSSELL Mortgage Consultant NMLS # 280182

DIRECT: 408.887.5141 ARussell@WintrustMortgage.com WintrustMortgage.com/Alan-Russell 750 Menlo Ave. Suite 250-A19 Menlo Park, CA 94025

Wintrust Mortgage is a division of Barrington Bank & Trust Company, N.A., a Wintrust Community Bank NMLS #449042. © 2023 Wintrust Mortgage

Prudential Financial Planning Services Atsushi “Alex” Kurosawa MS, CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®, RSSA® Financial Planner CA Insurance License 0I32272 3333 Michelson Dr., Suite 820 Irvine, CA 92612 T. 408-755-4019 C.408-497-0257 黒沢

篤

総合的な資産運用計画を立案 Offering financial planning and investment advisory services and programs through Pruco Securities, LLC (Pruco), under the marketing name Prudential Financial Planning Services (PFPS), pursuant to a separate client agreement. Offering insurance and securities products and services as a registered representative of Pruco, and an agent of issuing insurance companies.

D5404 1060700-0002-00