2024-25 Bravo 9 (April 25 - May 18)

safety of patrons, musicians, and staff is of the utmost importance.

the University of Rochester masking protocols and guidelines, masking is currently optional at Eastman Theatre.

The Orchestra 2024/25 SEASON

VIOLIN 1

Juliana Athayde+, Concertmaster

The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair, funded in perpetuity

Angelina Phillips, Associate Concertmaster

The Fred M. and Lurita D. Wechsler Chair, funded in perpetuity

Shannon Nance, Assistant Concertmaster

Jeongwon Claire An

Tigran Vardanyan

James Zabawa-Martinez

Thomas Rodgers

Anna Leunis

Molly McDonald

Kurt Munstedt

Chihiro Kakishima

Perrin Yang

Jeremy Hill

An-Chi Lin

VIOLIN 2

Jeanelle Thompson, Principal

The Dr. Ralph F. Jozefowicz Chair, funded in perpetuity

Daryl Perlo, Assistant Principal

The James E. Dumm Chair, funded in perpetuity

Patricia Sunwoo

John Sullivan

Lara Sipols

Sooyeon Kim

Petros Karapetyan

Liana Koteva Kirvan

Margaret Leenhouts

Heidi Brodwin

Elin Schlichting

Ellen Stokoe

VIOLA

Joshua Newburger, Principal

The William L. Gamble Chair, funded in perpetuity

Marc Anderson, Assistant Principal

Rebecca Christainsen

James Marshall

Olita Povero

Neil Miller

Melissa Matson

Ye In Son

David Hult

CELLO

Ahrim Kim, Principal

The Clara and Edwin Strasenburgh Chair, funded in perpetuity

Lars Kirvan, Assistant Principal

Samuel Pierce-Ruhland

Christopher Haritatos

Benjamin Krug

Jennifer Carpenter

Ingrid Bock

BASS

Cory Palmer, Principal

The Anne Hayden McQuay Chair, funded in perpetuity

Michael Griffin, Assistant Principal

Daniel Morehead

Edward Castilano

Fred Dole

Jeff Campbell+

Eric Polenik

FLUTE

Rebecca Gilbert, Principal

The Charlotte Whitney Allen Chair, funded in perpetuity

Sean Marron

Elise Kim

PICCOLO

Sean Marron

Elise Kim

OBOE

Erik Behr, Principal

The Dr. Jacques M. Lipson Chair, funded in perpetuity

Anna Steltenpohl

Megan Kyle

ENGLISH HORN

Anna Steltenpohl

CLARINET

Kenneth Grant, Principal

The Robert J. Strasenburgh Chair, funded in perpetuity

Kamalia Freyling

Andrew Brown

E-FLAT CLARINET

Kamalia Freyling

BASS CLARINET

Andrew Brown

BASSOON

Matthew McDonald, Principal

The Ron and Donna Fielding Chair, funded in perpetuity

Karl Vilcins

Martha Sholl

CONTRA-BASSOON

Karl Vilcins

HORN

Michael Stevens, Principal

The Cricket and Frank Luellen Chair

YiCheng Gong, Associate/Assistant/Utility

Maura McCune Corvington

Nathan Ukens

Stephen Laifer

TRUMPET

Douglas Prosser, Principal

The Elaine P. Wilson Chair, funded in perpetuity

Wesley Nance

Herbert Smith

Paul Shewan

TROMBONE

David Bruestle, Principal

The Austin E. Hildebrandt Chair, funded in perpetuity

Lisa Albrecht

Jeffrey Gray

BASS TROMBONE

Jeffrey Gray

TUBA

W. Craig Sutherland, Principal

The Rob W. Goodling Chair, funded in perpetuity

TIMPANI

Charles Ross, Principal

The Harold and Joan Feinbloom Chair, funded in perpetuity

PERCUSSION

Brian Stotz

The Barbara and Patrick Fulford Chair, funded in perpetuity

HARP

Grace Browning, Principal

The Eileen Malone Chair. A Tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt M. Sylvester

Rosanna Moore

KEYBOARD

Chiao-Wen Cheng+, Principal

The Lois P. Lines Chair, funded in perpetuity

PERSONNEL MANAGER

Fred Dole

PRINCIPAL LIBRARIAN

Kimberly Hartquist

Kathalee & Ian Hodge Library Operation Endowment

STAGE MANAGERS

Danielle Suhr

Cederick Martinez + Eastman faculty

ANDREAS DELFS Music Director

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 24/25 season marks a milestone for Music Director Andreas Delfs, whose debut with the RPO was November 17, 1994. Many return appearances and more than 25 years later, Maestro Delfs was announced as the RPO’s 13th music director in January 2021.

Since then, Delfs has been pivotal in leading the orchestra out of the depths of the pandemic through the RPO’s history-making 23/24 Centennial Season: breaking box-office records with blockbuster programming and A-list special guests, while also climbing to new artistic heights with world-premiere commissions and acclaimed community collaborations.

Not one to rest on the laurels of those successes, Delfs is using them to inspire the orchestra to thrive into its second century. “You always have to move forward,” he explained. “And the only way to follow a breath-taking anniversary season is to build on its momentum.”

Born in Flensburg, Germany, Delfs began studying piano and music theory at age five. By 20, he became the youngest music director in the history of the Hamburg University Orchestra. Following graduation from Hamburg Conservatory, he followed the recommendation of legendary German conductor Christoph von Dohnányi, and took off for New York, where he earned his master’s degree at Juilliard School of Music, studying under such legendary conductors as Jorge Mester, Sixten Ehrling, and Leonard Bernstein.

Delfs soon landed posts at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO). He served as general music director of Hannover, Germany, conducting the city’s renowned symphony orchestra and opera company.

As music director and conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Delfs led the orchestra on its historic 1999 tour of Cuba, the first by an American orchestra in more than 37 years. During his tenure at the Milwaukee Symphony, he was instrumental in the symphony’s rise to national prominence.

Andreas Delfs has led scores of distinguished ensembles such as the London Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Chinese National Symphony Orchestra. He has partnered with world-renowned artists including Philip Glass, André Watts, Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn, Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, and Renée Fleming.

His passionate and dramatic interpretations of the late romantic repertoire with orchestras in both North America and Europe have drawn critical acclaim, reflecting a constantly evolving artistic maturity marked by the insight, depth and integrity he brings to the podium.

While Delfs’ approach to conducting has been forged by decades of experience, his love of new music is undeniable. Over the last two seasons alone, he has overseen RPO commissions by such highly regarded composers as Derrick Skye, Roberto Sierra, James Lee III, and Aaron Jay Kernis.

He and wife Amy live east of Rochester in the hamlet of Pultneyville, surrounded by their children, a grandchild, and Casper the Spitz.

PHOTO:ALEXCASSETTI

Our Conductors

JEFF TYZIK Principal Pops Conductor

Grammy Award winner Jeff Tyzik is one of America’s most innovative and sought after pops conductors. Tyzik is recognized for his brilliant arrangements, original programming, and engaging rapport with audiences of all ages. Tyzik is celebrating 31 years as Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and also serves as Principal Pops Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Oregon Symphony. Tyzik made his debut with the New York Philharmonic in September 2023 and closed the 23/24 season conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Frequently invited as a guest conductor, Tyzik has appeared with over 100 orchestras including the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, New York Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In May 2007, the Harmonia Mundi label released his recording of works by Gershwin with pianist Jon Nakamatsu and the RPO which stayed in the Top 10 on the Billboard classical chart for over three months. Alex Ross of The New Yorker called it “one of the snappiest Gershwin discs in years”.

In 2023, Jeff Tyzik launched his new publishing company TyzikMusic.com. This digital site features over 150 arrangements, orchestrations and compositions for Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music ensembles, and Wind Ensemble.

Committed to performing music of all genres, Tyzik has collaborated with such diverse artists as Leslie Odom Jr., Megan Hilty, Chris Botti, Matthew Morrison, Wynonna Judd, Sutton Foster, Tony Bennett, Art Garfunkel, Dawn Upshaw, Marilyn Horne, Arturo Sandoval, The Chieftains, Mark O’Connor, Doc Severinsen, and John Pizzarelli. He has created numerous original programs that include the greatest music from jazz and classical to Motown, Broadway, film, dance, Latin, and swing. Tyzik holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music.

With co-producers Greenberg Artists and Schirmer Theatrical, Jeff Tyzik has created 20 new orchestra pops programs that have been presented by 150 orchestras in the past three seasons.

For more information about Jeff Tyzik, please visit www.TyzikMusic.com

CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN Conductor Laureate

The Christopher Seaman Chair, supported by Barbara and Patrick Fulford and The Conductor Laureate Society

Christopher Seaman was music director of the RPO from 1998-2011, and was subsequently named conductor laureate. During his 13-year tenure, the longest in RPO history, he raised the Orchestra’s artistic level, broadened its audience base, and created a new concert series. This contribution was recognized with an award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. In May 2009, the University of Rochester made him an honorary doctor of music.

Previous positions include music director of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra (Florida) for 10 years, conductor-in-residence with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and artistic advisor of the San Antonio Symphony.

He is recognized for his wealth of repertoire, which ranges from baroque to contemporary, and in particular the works of Bruckner, Brahms, and Sibelius. Seaman also is highly regarded for his work with younger musicians, and he served as course director for the Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program (Australia) for many years.

Recent conducting engagements include the Aspen Music Festival, Detroit, Houston, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and Seattle symphony orchestras; the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Kristians Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Opera North, and Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais in Brazil. He frequently visits Australia and Asia where he has conducted the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Taiwan, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Singapore symphony orchestras, among others.

JHERRARD HARDEMAN Assistant Conductor

The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Education and Community Engagement Chair

Jherrard Hardeman begins his second season with the RPO as Assistant Conductor (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Education and Community Engagement Chair). Hardeman serves as Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (RPYO).

A rising star in the symphonic world, Hardeman leads the RPO’s signature OrKIDStra family series, education concerts at Kodak Hall, concerts for the community and beyond, and our July summer series.

By his mid-teens, Detroit native Hardeman was already attracting national attention as a classical conductor, composer, and violinist. He studied orchestral conducting under internationally renowned conductor David Robertson at The Juilliard School. Hardeman notes he cannot overstate the importance of mentorships by conductors

Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta, and Kevin Noe, Executive Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble.

Hardeman has appeared with the Seattle Symphony, Grosse Pointe Symphony, Juilliard Orchestra, Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, and the Longy Conservatory Orchestra. An innate leader, he has also formed and/or conducted orchestras at such prestigious institutions as the New England Conservatory of Music, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and the AVANTI Summer MusicFest.

RPO Board of Directors

Maintaining and operating the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (Founded in 1923 —Incorporated in 1930)

OFFICERS

Diana Clarkson, Esq., Chair of the Board

Curtis S. Long, President & CEO

Cindy Yancey, Vice Chair of the Board

Kathy Lindahl, Vice Chair of the Board

Karen Kessler, Secretary

Richard Stein, Treasurer

Ross P. Lanzafame, Esq., Immediate Past Chair

TERM EXPIRES JUNE 2025

James Fulmer

Laurie A. Haelen

Ralph F. Jozefowicz. M.D.

Karen Kessler

Ross P. Lanzafame, Esq.

Deborah Onslow

Ronald E. Salluzzo

Jason Thomas

TERM EXPIRES JUNE 2026

Daisy R. Algarin

Diana Clarkson, Esq.

George Daddis

Catherine Frangenberg

Allyson Hiranandani

Dr. Diane Lu

Sujatha Ramanujan

Elizabeth F. Rice

Dr. Eva P. Sauer

George J. Schwartz, M.D.

Richard Stein

Thomas Warfield

Dr. James Watters

TERM EXPIRES

JUNE 2027

Brian Bennett

Kimberly Gangi

Catherine Gueli

Emerson Fullwood

Paulette Gissendanner

Zuzanna Kwon

Katherine Lindahl

Jack McGowan

Sidney Sobel, M.D.

Cindy Yancey

EX-OFFICIO

Patrick Fulford

Chairperson, Honorary Board

Lars Kirvan

Orchestra Representative

Erik Behr

Orchestra Representative

Ross P. Lanzafame, Esq., Immediate Past Chair

Curtis S. Long

President & CEO

Kate Sheeran

Dean, Eastman School of Music

HONORARY BOARD

Patrick Fulford, Chairperson, Honorary Board

Stephen B. Ashley

Nancy Beilfuss*

James M. Boucher

Paul W. Briggs*

William L. Cahn

Louise Epstein

Joan Feinbloom

Ilene Flaum

Betsy Friedman

Ronald A. Furman*

Mary M. Gooley*

Suzanne Gouvernet*

David C. Heiligman

A. Thomas Hildebrandt

Harold A. Kurland, Esq.

Dr. Dawn F. Lipson

Jacques M. Lipson, MD*

Cricket and Frank Luellen*

Elizabeth F. Rice

Nathan J. Robfogel, Esq.

Jon L. Schumacher, Esq.

Katherine T. Schumacher

Ingrid Stanlis

Betty Strasenburgh*

Josephine S. Trubek

Suzanne D. Welch

Patricia Wilder*

Deborah Wilson

Robert Woodhouse

The RPO expresses its gratitude to all those who have served as Honorary Board members in the past.

PAST RPO CHAIRPERSONS

1930–32: Edward G. Miner*

1932–34: Simon N. Stein*

1934–38: George E. Norton*

1938–41: Leroy E. Snyder*

1941–42: Frank W. Lovejoy*

1942–43: Bernard E. Finucane*

1943–46: L. Dudley Field*

1946–48: Edward S. Farrow, Jr. *

1948–51: Joseph J. Myler*

1951–52: Joseph F. Taylor*

1952–55: Raymond W. Albright*

1955–57: Arthur I. Stern*

1957–59: Thomas H. Hawks*

1959–61: Walter C. Strakosh*

1962–63: Ernest J. Howe*

1963–65: O. Cedric Rowntree*

1965–67: Frank E. Holley *

1967–69: Thomas C. Taylor*

1969–71: Thomas H. Miller*

1971–72: Mrs. Frederick J. Wilkens*

1972–73: Edward C. McIrvine

1973–74: Robert J. Strasenburgh*

1974–75: John A. Santuccio

1975–76: Robert J. Strasenburgh*

1976–78: Dr. Louis Lasagna*

1978–80: Edward C. McIrvine

1980–82: Peter L. Faber

1982–84: Paul F. Pagerey*

1984–85: Peter L. Waasdorp*

1986–89: Robert H. Hurlbut*

1989–91: Paul W. Briggs*

1991–93: Karen Noble Hanson*

1993–95: Ronald E. Salluzzo

1995–98: A. Thomas Hildebrandt

1998–00: Harold A. Kurland, Esq.

2000–04: David C. Heiligman

2004–06: Ingrid A. Stanlis

2006–09: James M. Boucher

2009–11: Suzanne D. Welch

2011–13: Elizabeth F. Rice

2013–15: Dr. Dawn F. Lipson

2015-17: Jules L. Smith, Esq.

2017-19: Ingrid A. Stanlis

2019-24: Ross P. Lanzafame, Esq.

* Deceased

SEASON & SERIES SPONSORS:

SEASON SPONSOR

PHILHARMONICS SERIES SPONSOR

POPS SERIES SPONSORS

SUNDAY MATINEES AT NAZ SERIES SPONSOR

SEASON MEDIA SPONSORS RPYO SPONSOR

CONCERT SPONSORS:

OFFICIAL

PARTNER

OFFICIAL HOTEL PARTNER

CONNECT

8 PM SAT APR 26

8 PM

KODAK HALL AT EASTMAN THEATRE

William Waldrop, conductor

Lisa Vroman, soprano

Ray Ushikubo, piano & violin FRI APR 25

GEORGE GERSHWIN Overture from Funny Face 6:00 (ARR. DON ROSE)

GEORGE GERSHWIN ’S Wonderful 5:00 (ARR. PATRICK O’NEIL) Lisa Vroman, soprano

Someone To Watch Over Me 4:00 Lisa Vroman, soprano

My Cousin In Milwaukee 4:00 Lisa Vroman, soprano

Just Another Rhumba 5:00 Lisa Vroman, soprano

GEORGE GERSHWIN Lullaby for String Orchestra 8:00

GEORGE GERSHWIN Catfish Row: Suite from Porgy and Bess 12:00 (ARR. STEVEN D. BOWEN) I. Introduction II. Porgy Sings IV. Hurricane

INTERMISSION

GEORGE GERSHWIN Cuban Overture 10:00

GEORGE GERSHWIN They All Laughed (Rhythm Section only) 3:00 (ARR. PATRICK O’NEIL) Lisa Vroman, soprano

GEORGE GERSHWIN Love Walked In (Piano only) 3:00 Lisa Vroman, soprano

GEORGE GERSHWIN By Strauss 3:00 (ARR. NORMAN LEYDEN) Lisa Vroman, soprano

GEORGE GERSHWIN I Got Rhythm Variations 9:00 (SCHOENFELD, WILLIAM C.; REVISED) Ray Ushikubo, piano

SEASON

SPONSOR: SERIES SPONSORS:

CONCERT SPONSORS: ANASTASIA BROIKOS, RE/MAX ASSOCIATE BROKER

We kindly ask you to please silence all cellphones and electronic devices. Also, please note that photography and video recordings are prohibited during the performance.

CONNECT WITH US:

ARTISTS

WILLIAM WALDROP, conductor

Broadway Music Director, Pianist, and Conductor, William Waldrop, currently serves as Principal Conductor of the Broadway revival of Cats at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City. Equally comfortable on the podium with the orchestra on stage or conducting from the pit, Maestro Waldrop has been hailed for his ‘dynamic conducting’ and has been praised in cities all over the US and abroad. He most recently completed a 30-city tour as the Music Director and Conductor of the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita. Waldrop conducted the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in Washington, D.C. for the tour’s final engagement. Prior to leading the very successful national tour, he was the Associate Conductor for the Broadway production starring Ricky Martin, Elena Roger, and Michael Cerveris.

Waldrop has conducted productions of Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh (National Tour) as well as in Germany where he was the Associate Music Supervisor for a new production in Oberhausen in 2015.

William has played or conducted in the pits of other Broadway shows including Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, On The Town, and Fiddler on The Roof. As a music director, conductor and pianist, he has led chamber ensemble productions of Grey Gardens (Bay Street Theatre starring Betty Buckley), South Pacific (Asolo Repertory Theatre), and A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (Off-Broadway).

William received his Masters of Music degree from The Peabody Conservatory of Music and his Bachelors of Music degree from The University of Mississippi.

WILLIAM WALDROP

ARTISTS

LISA VROMAN, soprano

From Broadway to Classics, on stage and in concert, Lisa Vroman has established herself as one of America’s most versatile voices. She has been regarded as a “musical and theatrical marvel” by the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as “one of American Musical Theater’s most beautiful voices” by acclaimed Broadway producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh.

Lisa starred for over eight years on Broadway, in San Francisco, and in Los Angeles as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera. Ms. Vroman starred as Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella, making her New York City Opera debut with Paul Sorvino playing the title role. She starred as Lili Vanessi in Kiss Me Kate with Glimmerglass Opera and the MUNY Theater of St. Louis, Anna Leonowens in The King and I with Lyric Opera of Virginia, and played Marian Paroo in The Music Man with Shirley Jones (Mrs. Paroo) and Patrick Cassidy (Harold Hill) at The Bushnell Theatre in Hartford, CT.

Lisa sang the role of Birdie in Regina with Utah Opera, conducted by Keith Lockhart, made her New Jersey Opera debut as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus (directed by Ira Siff), and premiered and recorded two Comic Operas by composers John Musto (Bastianello) and William Bolcom (Lucrezia) with the New York Festival of Song.

Her many performances have included a multi-city concert tour in China, concerts of Cole Porter’s 1928 La Revue des Ambassadeurs with L’Opera de Rennes in France, and playing the role of Maria Callas in Terence McNally’s award winning play, Master Class.

Lisa’s Broadway debut was in Aspects of Love. She was the first to play both Fantine and Cosette in Les Miserables. For PBS she was featured with Colm Wilkinson and Michael Ball in Cameron Mackintosh’s Hey, Mr. Producer! at a Royal Gala at the Lyceum Theatre in London. She sang the role of Johanna in the San Francisco Symphony’s Emmy Award winning PBS production of Sweeney Todd in Concert, with Patti Lupone and George Hearn. Both are available on DVD. Lisa starred as Laurey in Oklahoma, filmed live in concert for the BBC Proms Festival at Royal Albert Hall in London, played Mary Turner in Gershwin’s Of Thee I Sing/Let ’em Eat Cake in concert with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, and played Lucy Brown in Threepenny Opera at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco with Bebe Neuwirth, Nancy Dussault, and Anika Noni Rose. Other roles have included Laurie in The Tender Land, Maria in The Sound of Music, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, and Anna 1 in The Seven Deadly Sins. She has sung Maria in West Side Story, Guenevere in Camelot, Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me, as well as many other well-known musical roles.

Lisa is a George London Competition Grant recipient and a 1999 Minerva Award recipient from the State University of New York at Potsdam. She received an Undergraduate degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, a Masters degree in Fine Arts, Opera Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music from SUNY Potsdam. Ms. Vroman has become an active mentor and sought-after clinician with many colleges and universities across the country and around the world. She has acted as a judge in both the Lotte Lenya Competition for the Kurt Weill Foundation and UCLA’s Walter Jurmann Competition. In the fall of 2019 Lisa joined the voice faculty of AMDA Los Angeles as part their Bachelor of Fine Arts program.

Lisa lives in Pasadena, CA with husband Patrick O’Neil and their beautiful dog Barber.

LISA VROMAN

ARTISTS

RAY USHIKUBO, piano & violin

Ushikubo made his orchestral debut at age ten with the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra in Los Angeles’ Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 alongside conductor Teddy Abrams. A recipient of the prestigious Davidson Fellow Laureate Award in 2014, Ushikubo was named a Young Steinway Artist and won the 2017 Hilton Head International Piano Competition and the 2016 Piano Concerto Competition at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Ushikubo was featured as a Young Artist-in-Residence of the national radio broadcast Performance Today with host Fred Child and he has been featured on NPR’s From the Top where he was named a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist.

Engagements in the 2024–25 season include performances of Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm for both violin and piano with the Florida Orchestra led by conductor John Morris Russell, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with both Oregon Symphony and Winston-Salem Symphony, and Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Saraste’s Zigeunerweisen with Symphonicity and conductor Daniel Boothe. Recently, Ushikubo performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Kansas City Symphony and conductor Thomas Wilkins; Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Hilton Head Symphony and conductor Michelle Merrill; Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso with the Reno Philharmonic and conductor Laura Jackson; recorded Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra led by Rafael Payare; performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Buffalo Philharmonic and JoAnn Falletta; and was the violin soloist of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Pasadena Symphony.

Additionally, Ushikubo has soloed with the Fort Collins, Hilton Head, New West, Modesto, Pasadena, and San Diego Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Buffalo, Los Angeles, Reno, and Westchester Philharmonic Orchestras on both piano and violin— sometimes in the same concert. He has worked with renowned conductors including Paolo Bortolameolli, Laura Jackson, Jeffrey Kahane, Wes Kenney, David Lockington, Sameer Patel, and John Morris Russell and in 2013, Ushikubo performed and conducted from the piano Bach’s Keyboard Concerto No. 1 with the Academy Virtuosi Orchestra at the Colburn School.

Ushikubo received his Bachelor’s degrees at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied piano with Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald and violin with Shmuel Ashkenasi and Pamela Frank. Currently, Ushikubo is enrolled at the Colburn Conservatory of Music pursuing Master of Music degrees where he studies piano with Fabio Bidini and violin with Robert Lipsett.

RAY USHIKUBO

Andreas Delfs, conductor

KODAK

I. Phaedras - Pausanias: Lento - Allegro

II. Aristophanes: Allegretto

III. Eryximachus: Presto

IV. Agathon: Adagio

V. Socrates - Alcibiades: Molto tenutoAllegro molto vivace Tessa Lark, violin

INTERMISSION

AARON

We kindly ask you to please silence all cellphones and electronic devices. Also, please note that photography and video recordings are prohibited during the performance. CONNECT

ARTISTS

TESSA LARK, violin

Violinist Tessa Lark is one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, consistently praised by critics and audiences for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, and musical elegance. Increasingly in demand in the classical realm, in 2020 she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category. She is also a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky, delighting audiences with programming that includes Appalachian and bluegrass music.

Following a busy summer that saw her perform with the Sarasota Festival, Seattle Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Music Society SummerFest, Classical Tahoe, Tippet Rise, and Moab Music Festival, among others, highlights of Lark’s 2024-25 season include returns to the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London, and the Rochester Philharmonic, and a debut with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. In recital, she will debut with San Francisco Symphony and the University of California at Santa Barbara. She reprises Michael Torke’s violin concerto, Sky – written for her, and the 2020 recording of which earned her a Grammy nomination – with the Boulder and Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as the West Michigan, Williamsburg, Shreveport, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestras. As a chamber musician, she will tour with her string trio project with composer-bassist Edgar Meyer and cellist Joshua Roman through the fall to venues including Meany Hall, Seattle, Cal Performances Berkeley, WPAS in Washington D.C., and the Boston Celebrity Series.

Lark’s most recent album, The Stradgrass Sessions, released in spring 2023, features an all-star roster of collaborators and composers including Meyer, pianist Jon Batiste, mandolinist Sierra Hull, and fiddler Michael Cleveland. Album selections mix original compositions by Lark and her collaborators with a sonata by Eugène Ysaÿe, a selection of Bartók’s violin duets arranged for violin and mandolin, and the world premiere recording of John Corigliano’s STOMP

Lark’s debut commercial recording was the Grammy-nominated Sky, a bluegrass-inspired violin concerto written for her by Michael Torke and performed with the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Besides The Stradgrass Sessions, her discography also includes Fantasy on First Hand Records, and Invention, the debut album for the violin-bass duo made up of Lark and bassist Michael Thurber. Finally, a live performance recording of Astor Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires was released in 2021 by the Buffalo Philharmonic in honour of Piazzolla’s centenary.

Lark is a recipient of the Hunt Family Award, one of Lincoln Center’s prestigious Emerging Artist Awards, as well as a 2018 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship and a 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant. She was Silver Medalist in the 9th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and winner of the 2012 Naumburg International Violin Competition

Lark is a graduate of New England Conservatory and completed her Artist Diploma at The Juilliard School, where she studied with Sylvia Rosenberg, Ida Kavafian, and Daniel Phillips. Her primary mentors include Cathy McGlasson, Kurt Sassmannshaus, Miriam Fried, and Lucy Chapman. She plays a ca. 1600 G.P. Maggini violin on loan from an anonymous donor through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

TESSA LARK LAUREN DESBERG

PROGRAM NOTES

JOHN ADAMS

Short Ride in a Fast Machine

B. WORCESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS

February 15, 1947

Short Ride in a Fast Machine is an orchestral fanfare by the living American composer John Adams that emulates a joyride in an Italian Ferrari. Adams, a passenger, described feeling “white knuckled” during the exhilarating ride. The work zooms off with the striking of a woodblock, locking the orchestra into a frantic beat, marked in the score as “delirando.” The thrill of speed is expressed in the woodwinds through shimmering hemiolas and sweeping whiplashes. Punchy brass, percussion, and string accentuations keep passengers alert and push the work—and the ride—into unpredictable territory. The woodblock maintains the speed as the brass shifts into ever-higher gears. Approaching the finish line, the woodblock finally releases the orchestra for a fearless, final fanfare statement to conclude. Written in 1986 and featuring the hallmark rhythmic drive and harmonic clarity of Adams’s post-minimalism, this popular orchestral opener was initially composed for the Great Woods Music Festival in Massachusetts, commissioned by conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and the Pittsburgh Symphony.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN

Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium)

B. LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS

August 25, 1918

D:NEW YORK, NEW YORK

October 14, 1990

The word “symposium” today evokes formal gatherings on specialized academic topics. But in ancient Greece, the word meant a dinner and drinking party where society members could wax poetic on intellectual topics in a more casual, and often festive, atmosphere. Plato’s The Symposium is a work of literature about the latter version, a fictional party where several members of Greek society convened to dialogue—speaking in turn—on the topic of Eros, the god of love. The speakers include, among others, the philosopher Phaedrus, legal expert Pausanias, comic playwright Aristophanes, poet Agathon, and the famous philosopher and Plato’s teacher, Socrates. Fast-forwarding to the mid-1950s, composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein reread Plato’s Symposium and felt inspired to use the literature to fulfill a commission for the Koussevitzky Foundation with violinist Isaac Stern as the soloist. Describing the work, Bernstein wrote, “The music, like the dialogue, is a series of related statements in praise of love, and generally follows the Platonic form through the succession of speakers at the banquet.” Despite the connection to Plato’s Symposium in the work’s title, Bernstein took liberties with his correlations, taking speakers out of order and superimposing meaning into the speeches to fit his musical vision. The result is five movements for solo violin, accompanied by strings and harp, that each build upon some musical idea or element of the previous movement as if the movements are in dialogue; the opening solo violin statement and fugue, however, provide the main building blocks. One of Bernstein’s more modern-sounding compositions, the work is lyrical and often tender, particularly the fourth movement based on Agathon’s soliloquy on the power of love. It is considered one of Bernstein’s most profound works.

PROGRAM NOTES

AARON COPLAND

Appalachian Spring Suite

B. BROOKLYN, NY

November 14, 1900

D. NORTH TARRYTOWN, NY December 2, 1990

Aaron Copland’s music is quintessentially American, with intervallic leaps that span the heights of the Appalachian Mountains and rhythms that bounce off horse hooves traversing the Western frontier. His music also attracted dance choreographers in the mid-twentieth century who similarly sought to create a uniquely American art form. One of those choreographers was Martha Graham, whose abstract and grounded movements started a new wave of modern ballet that remains a foundational influence on choreographers today. When Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, a wellknown pianist and supporter of modern composers, approached Copland with a commission for a ballet for Graham, he agreed. Graham and Copland traded thematic ideas but settled on a rural nineteenth-century Pennsylvanian community celebrating a marriage, which occurs against the backdrop of the Civil War. In the score, Copland used a direct American folk source, a nineteenth-century Shaker melody known as “Simple Gifts.” It was largely unknown outside of Shaker communities then but was soon propelled into the American consciousness. The original ballet was scored for 13 instruments and included eight episodes. It won Copland the 1945 Pulitzer Prize. A New York Times review from the ballet’s premiere in 1945 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. called Copland’s score one of “fresh and singing beauty.” Copland created an orchestral suite from the ballet in 1954, which the New York Philharmonic premiered.

GEORGE GERSHWIN

An American in Paris

B. BROOKLYN, NY September 26, 1898

D. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA July 11, 1937

From Tin Pan Alley to the New York Philharmonic, American composer George Gershwin’s versatility allowed him to infuse the Western classical tradition with the lyricism of Broadway and the rhythms and harmonies of Harlem jazz. Although he began his career as a composer writing songs for Broadway alongside his brother Ira, George’s first splash for orchestra was Rhapsody in Blue in 1924, composed for “King of Jazz” Paul Whiteman’s renowned jazz orchestra. Despite its success, George worried about his technical skills as a composer. Like many composers, artists, and writers during the 1920s, Gershwin was also drawn to the artistic climate in Paris, which produced composers like Maurice Ravel, whom Gershwin deeply admired. Gershwin requested lessons from Ravel; instead, Ravel wrote a letter endorsing Gershwin to the famous Parisian composition teacher Nadia Boulanger. After one lesson, she insisted she had nothing to teach the American composer. But the trip to Paris, with an orchestral commission from the New York Philharmonic to fulfill, became fodder for Gershwin’s An American in Paris.

Unusually biographical and akin to a self-portrait, An American in Paris is a musical impression of an American strolling the streets of Paris. To capture the bustling city of light, Gershwin tracked down several Parisian taxi horns of various pitches to add to the score. The symphonic tone poem follows a rough A-B-A structure. According to Gershwin, the first section depicts the American sauntering down the Champs-Élysées, “walking stick in hand, tilted straw hat, drinking in the sights and other things as well.” The section features a light, café style of music that was a nod to the French composers of the ‘20s. But the American becomes homesick, and the B section morphs into a sauntering jazzy blues theme and then a faster 12-bar blues progression, incorporating saxophones into the score. For the return to the A section, the American emerges from his wistful state to cheerfully appreciate the Parisian atmosphere, “listening to the taxi horns, the noise of the boulevards, and the music of the can-can.” Previous themes are layered in a fully-fledged synthesis. Despite the work’s memorable melodies, Gershwin utilizes several advanced techniques, including counterpoint, thematic transformation, and the camouflaging of motifs in new configurations, showcasing his skill as a composer. The New York Philharmonic premiered the piece under Walter Damrosch at Carnegie Hall on December 13, 1928.

Program notes by Anna Reguero, PhD, a Rochester-based arts writer and music scholar.

MAY 8

7:30 PM SAT MAY 10

8 PM

KODAK HALL AT EASTMAN THEATRE

Yaniv Dinur, conductor

Rochester Oratorio Society

Eric Townell, artistic director

Mary Wilson, vocalist

Clara Osowski, vocalist

Matthew Newhouse, vocalist

David Leigh, vocalist

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

Symphony No. 49 in F minor, “La Passione” 24:00

I. Adagio

II. Allegro di molto

III. Menuet

IV. Presto

INTERMISSION

WOLFGANG AMADEUS

Requiem, K. 626, 1:00:00 MOZART completed by Süssmayer (SUSSMEYER; (COMPLETED))

I. Introitus - Requiem

II. Kyrie

III. Sequenz

Dies irae

Tuba mirum

Rex tremendae

Recordare

Confutatis

Lacrimosa

IV. Offertorium

Domine Jesu

Hostias

V. Sanctus

VI. Benedictus

VII. Agnus Dei

VIII. Communio

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ARTISTS

YANIV DINUR, conductor

Yaniv Dinur is the winner of the 2019 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Fellow Award and Music Director of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra. He is lauded for his insightful interpretations and unique ability to connect with concertgoers of all ages and backgrounds, from season subscribers to symphony newcomers.

Season 24/25 marks the beginning of Dinur’s third contract with New Bedford Symphony and his eighth season as music director. Under his leadership, the New Bedford Symphony has been nationally recognized for its bold, engaging programming and artistic quality, leading to the League of American Orchestras selecting the orchestra to perform at the 2021 League Conference. Dinur recently concluded a successful tenure as Resident Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, during which he conducted hundreds of concerts. Recognizing his leadership and impact, the Milwaukee Business Journal selected him as a 40 Under 40 honoree, an award for young professionals making a difference in the community.

Yaniv Dinur made his conducting debut at the age of 19 with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, which led to multiple return engagements. Since then, he has conducted orchestras around the world, including the Israel Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony, Houston Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, New World Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Portugal Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Festival Orchestra/Bulgaria, State Orchestra of St. Petersburg, Torino Philharmonic, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. Recent and upcoming guest conducting highlights include subscription debuts with the Rochester Philharmonic, Orchestra Filarmonica de Madrid, New Hampshire Music Festival, Boca Raton Music Festival, Edmonton Symphony, and Present Music in Milwaukee, and returns to the Milwaukee, Tulsa, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestras. Dinur has collaborated with world-renowned soloists such as Pinchas Zukerman, Yefim Bronfman, Itzhak Perlman, Karen Gomyo, Vadim Gluzman, and Augustin Hadelich.

MARY WILSON, vocalist

Soprano Mary Wilson has been hailed as one of today’s most exciting artists, receiving critical acclaim for a voice that is “lyrical and triumphant, a dazzling array of legato melodies and ornate coloratura” (San Francisco Chronicle). Opera News heralded her first solo recording, Mary Wilson Sings Handel, stating, “Wilson’s luminous voice contains so much charisma,” and dubbing her recording one of its “Best of the Year.”

An exciting interpreter of Baroque repertoire, she has appeared with American Bach Soloists, Philharmonia Baroque, Musica Angelica, Boston Baroque, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Grand Rapids Bach Festival, Bach Society of St. Louis, Baltimore Handel Choir, Florida Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Colorado Bach Festival, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Casals Festival Puerto Rico, and the Carmel Bach Festival. Wilson was named an Emerging Artist by Symphony Magazine in the publication’s first-ever presentation of promising classical soloists on the rise.

In addition to her lauded soprano voice, Wilson is also an accomplished pianist. She holds performance degrees from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Memphis.

YANIV DINUR MARY WILSON

ARTISTS

CLARA OSOWSKI, vocalist

Mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski’s 2024/2025 season includes performances of Copland’s Old American Songs and Handel’s Messiah with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Mozart’s Requiem with the Rochester Philharmonic; Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the South Dakota Symphony; Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Mid-Columbus Symphony; and the role of Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress at the 2024 NDSU Chamber Music Festival. She will also perform as Ulrike in Bjorn and Anderson’s Kristine with VocalEssence; Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Master Chorale of South Florida; Bach Cantatas with Arts on Alexander; and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and excerpts from Messiah with Spire in Kansas City.

Clara Osowski’s recent career highlights include her London debut at Wigmore Hall, Handel’s Messiah with the Kansas City Symphony, and Mozart’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Milwaukee Symphony. Other notable performances include Handel’s Jephtha and Bach’s St. John Passion with Music of the Baroque, Schubert Lieder with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Delaware Symphony, and Pärt’s Stabat Mater with the South Dakota Symphony.  She has performed works such as Clara Schumann Lieder, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, and Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius.

Clara earned her Bachelor of Musical Arts from North Dakota State University and her Master of Arts in Voice from the University of Iowa. She currently serves as the Artistic Director of Source Song Festival in Minneapolis.

MATTHEW NEWHOUSE, vocalist

A sought after soloist, Matthew is incredibly excited for his debuts with the Tucson Symphony and the Utah Symphony this season for their respective performances of Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem . In May, Matthew premiered to great acclaim in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium performing emmy-winner Jeff Beal’s reimagined film score to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari . Matthew’s evocative storytelling lends well to narratorial roles and has been heard as Evangelist in Heinrich Schütz’s Weihnnachtshistorie with Harmonia Stellarum and in J.S. Bach’s Weihnnachtsoratorium with Yale Schola Cantorum. Other recent soloist engagements include Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang (Norfolk Chamber Festival), Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 (Bach Akademie Charlotte) and J.S. Bach’s Magnificat (TENET Vocal Artists).

Matthew’s accolades corroborate his musical prowess. He is the proud winner of the 2019 Semper Pro Music Competition where he gave his Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Recital Hall. Matthew was honored to be a Fellow for the Virginia Best Adams Masterclass at the 2023 Carmel Bach Academy. He is the 1st prize winner of the 2019 TEXOMA NATS Regional competition.

Matthew holds a Master of Music in Early Music Voice from the Yale School of Music and a Bachelor of Music in Applied Music: Voice from Baylor University.

CLARA OSOWSKI

MATTHEW NEWHOUSE

ARTISTS

DAVID LEIGH, vocalist

American bass David Leigh, a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, has been described by Opera News as “a bass of unusual agility, depth and darkness,” and is internationally known for his visceral and intelligent singing. In the 2024-2025 season, Mr. Leigh will make his debut at the Opéra national de Paris as Virgilio in Pascal Dusapin’s world-premiere production of Il Viaggio, Dante, conducted by Kent Nagano, Rocco in Fidelio with Washington National Opera, and in concert, two appearances with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, both with Semyon Bychkov, first in Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass on tour in Karlovy Vary and at Carnegie Hall, and then Pater Profundus in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 as part of the Prague Spring Festival, which will later be released as a recording.

David Leigh’s career highlights include Commendatore with Opernhaus Zürich, Festival d’Aix-enProvence, Opéra National de Lorraine, and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, and Colline in La bohème with the Bolshoi Theatre and Bayersiche Staatsoper. Other roles included König Marke at the Santa Fe Opera, the title role in The Snow Queen with Opéra national du Rhin, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with the Canadian Opera Company and Opéra national de Lorraine, Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin with Seattle Opera, and Jacaranda Music in Los Angeles for the world-premiere of Peter Knell and Stephanie Fleischman’s Arkhipov. In concert, he performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Montréal Symphony Orchestra and Mozart’s Requiem with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, both with Fabio Luisi. He also presented a joint recital at the Park Avenue Armory with mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo.

ROCHESTER ORATORIO SOCIETY

ERIC TOWNELL, artistic director

A versatile and dynamic musician, conductor Eric Townell became the third Music Director in the 77-year history of the Rochester Oratorio Society in 2006. He has led the ROS in subscription concerts, regional outreach performances, live radio broadcasts, televised concerts, commissions of new work, collaborative concerts with the region’s leading arts organizations and with the University of Rochester Humanities Center, award-winning tours to Beijing and Shanghai for the 2008 Olympic Cultural Festival and to Eastern European capitals.

He has prepared the ROS for numerous appearances with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, including several broadcasts nationally, and for the New York State Ballet. His choral and orchestral performances with the Oratorio Society have been heard nationally via WXXI’s “Performance Rochester” series.

DAVID LEIGH ERIC TOWNELL

ARTISTS

ROCHESTER ORATORIO SOCIETY –CHORUS PERSONNEL

SOPRANOS

Monica Amador

Laura Anders

Sara Anthony

Karen Bailey-Francois

Cecilia Beach

Tania Beghini

Annika Bentley

Barbara Bissell-Erway

Laurel Buckwalter

Caris Burton

Beverly Cranston

Luanne Crosby

Karen Crummins

Lisa deBlieck

Emilia Del Vecchio

Katie Derby (Choral Scholar)

Karen Dey

Sharon Dumbleton

Amy Ewell

Nancy Fink

Paulette Gissendanner

Liane Grasso

Kaleigh Green (Choral Scholar)

Diane Hamilton

Lilith Hart

Malaina Head

Erica Hoenig

X’zaya Ivy

Cora Jackson

Rebecca Johnson

Beth Keefer

Jane Keller

Suzan Keng

Kristin Kerr

Mary Ann Nazzaro

Wendy Nelson

Rebecca Paul

Kristi Phillips

Susan Reindel

Ann Robinson

Alison Romano

Pamela Rosen

Elise Rosenfeld

Judith Schewe

Katherine Schumacher

Maura Slon

Kelly Smeltzer

Sarah Stage

Mary Taylor-James

Cynthia Towler

Lorraine Tyra

Vicky Wadsworth

Katherine Walter

Julia Weston-Town

Christine Whitbourne

June White

Laura Wilks

Denise Yarbrough

ALTOS

Debbie Loo Anderson

Dianne Bailey

Angela Bartlow

Sarah Blood

Lynn Brussel

Donna Budgeon

Jane Capellupo

Jenifer Cheney

Marissa DeFranco

Francheska Diaz

Carol Elliott

Katelynn Kochalski

Katie Kovacs (Choral Scholar)

Jo Ann Lampman

Annette Leopard

Sarah Miller

Leta Mueller

ROCHESTER ORATORIO SOCIETY

Sarah Engel

Kety Esquivel

K. Sue Geier

Maryellen Giese

Susan Gilday

Michele Gingras

Kathleen Green

Barbara Hellwig

Carol Herford

Jenny Horn

Carole Huther

Lois Johnson

Margaret Kaminsky

Barbara Kassnoff

Julie Kirkwood

Nina Koski

Rev. Lisa Lancaster

Anna Lieser

Sue Lione

Honey Meconi

Larisa Melder

Sandy Moncrief

Dorothy Needler

Virginia Payne

Patricia Sanborn

Molly Sanchez

Ursula Scholz

Nancy Schreiber

Grace Seiberling

Natalia Sierra-Wardlow (Choral Scholar)

Deborah Sullivan

Cheri Trimble

Monica Tyne

Patricia Van Dussen

Susan Walders

Betty Wells

Susan Woodhouse

TENORS

John Buckwalter

Mark Darling

Richard Gudgel

Richard Johnson

James Kirkwood

Colleen Knapp

Greg Madejski

Daniel McInerney

Charles Meyer

Craig Mix

Jeff Moran

Nick Novellin

Simone Picciolo

Vicente Reyes

Samuel Wersinger

Virginia Wohltmann

BASSES

Brandon Bartlett

Philip Burke

Timothy Coleman

Douglas Constable

Marc Falco  (Choral Fellow)

Scott Griswold

Christian Haller

Harry Hellwig

Frederick Jefferson

Stanley Jones

Alan Kaminsky

Roy Kirvan

Dean Latten

Roger Leighton

Robert Leopard

Eric Logan

Robert Rees

Stephen Schaefer

Robert Slon

Steven Smith

Ben Timm (Choral Scholar)

William Tyra

Rob White

Ted White

Ben Willmott

Jeffrey Wright

PROGRAM NOTES

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

Symphony No. 49, “Le Passione”

B. ROHRAU, LOWER AUSTRIA March 31, 1732

D. VIENNA, AUSTRIA  May 31, 1809

Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 was composed during a stylistic period across literature and music known as “sturm and drang,” or “storm and stress.” This short-lived, pre-Romantic movement of the 1760s and 1770s emphasized intense expression over classical reason and restraint and served as a transition to the Romantic period. In music, this resulted in works of a dark and brooding nature in minor keys with dynamic contrasts. Haydn’s symphony, a dramatic work featuring four movements all in F minor, was not only composed during this “sturm and drang” period but its musical content maps on stylistically. Because of this, the symphony’s nickname “Le Passione,” or “The Passion,” seems entirely appropriate and has influenced how many listeners experience the work.

The nickname, however, didn’t originate with Haydn. Contemporary scholars attribute the nickname to a performance at a church in northern Germany that dates to 1790, where Haydn’s symphony was performed to evoke the Passion of Christ. (Secular works were otherwise banned.) Furthermore, a score of the symphony was discovered in Vienna, inscribed with “Il quakuo di bel’humore,” or “The good-humored Quaker.” Although Haydn was then serving in Prince Esterhazy’s court in Hungary, his symphonies often served as backdrops for theatrical productions in Germany. The inscription suggests that Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 may have been linked to a popular one-act play of a similar name. Although the play was a tragedy about forsaken love, it concluded with a witty moral takeaway delivered by a Quaker character. This new evidence suggests that the work isn’t entirely as “le passione” as was previously accepted. As scholar Elaine Sisman wrote, “Our reading of the work as serious is conditioned by its nickname.”

However, it would be misguided to disregard all “sturm and drang” associations, as much of the symphony is passionate and dramatic. It is composed in the form of a sonata da chiesa (a church sonata), with alternating slow and fast movements. The opening Adagio sets the mood with a roaming melody dominated by the violins in a primarily low register. The second movement, Allegro di molto, is characterized by punchy and expansive intervallic leaps and a driving bass line. The third movement, Minuet, finds drama through intensely held notes and dynamic variation, while the middle Trio section momentarily brightens up in a quick F major led by the oboes and horns. If there’s anything humorous about the symphony, it’s found in the work’s Presto finale, which is both fiery and witty.

PROGRAM NOTES

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Requiem in D minor, K. 626

B. SALZBURG, AUSTRIA January 27, 1756

D. VIENNA, AUSTRIA December 5, 1791

In mid-July 1791, a reportedly “unknown, grey stranger” arrived at Mozart’s doorstep with an urgent commission for a Requiem Mass from an anonymous yet affluent patron who wished to remain unidentified. Mozart was offered a substantial sum that he desperately needed due to outstanding debts. Half of the fee was paid upfront, while the remainder was to be paid upon delivery of the score. So goes the story from Constanze, Mozart’s wife, whose inconsistent accounts add an air of myth to this origin story. Mozart, unfortunately, was gravely ill. Not knowing who commissioned the Requiem, he believed he was writing music for his own funeral. The commissioner turned out to be Count Franz von Walsegg, an aristocrat whose wife Anna died at the age of 20, a fact Mozart never learned. Sadly, Mozart could not finish the Requiem. Unable to overcome his illness, he died on December 5, 1791, at the young age of 35. The cause of his death remains unknown, though theories abound, including an unsubstantiated rumor that he may have been poisoned by his colleague, Antonio Salieri.

Before Mozart died, he completed portions of the Requiem. He composed and orchestrated the opening Introitus. He also wrote parts and outlines for the Kyrie (a large-scale double fugue), the Sequence (a furious Dies Irae), and the Offertorium. Additionally, he composed the opening eight bars of the Lacrimosa, marked by its characteristic lamenting sighs. Mozart worked on the Requiem until his death, dictating his ideas to Constanze and other friends who visited him on his deathbed. Among those present during Mozart’s final days was his pupil, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, whom Constanze later approached to complete Mozart’s work. She needed the Requiem finished and sought to conceal Süssmayr’s involvement to secure the rest of the fee from Walsegg. Constanze’s secrecy and varied accounts regarding the completion of the Requiem have led to enduring questions about the work’s authorship. Süssmayr claimed he wrote the Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei, and finished the Lacrimosa. However, due to the frenzy of Mozart’s final days, other influences may have seeped into the score, and it is possible that Mozart’s notes contained more extensive clues for the final movements. Nevertheless, the finished version, formally attributed to Süssmayr’s efforts, retains Mozart’s character, infusing the rigid requiem mass form with the same beauty, lyricism, and inventiveness found in his operas.

Mozart scored his Requiem for violins and violas, basso continuo (low strings and organ), basset horns (an early iteration of the clarinet, although often transcribed for the modern clarinet in contemporary performances), bassoons, trumpets, trombones, and timpani. The vocal forces consist of four soloists (soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass) and a full choir.

Program notes by Anna Reguero, PhD, a Rochester-based arts writer and music scholar.

Jherrard Hardeman, conductor

The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Education and Community Engagement Chair

For Jherrard Hardeman’s biography, please see page 7.

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Dr. Ralph F. Jozefowicz&

Ross P. Lanzafame, Esq.&

Katherine Lindahl&

Dr. Dawn F. Lipson^

Jack McGowan and Kathleen Muscato&

Michael and Frances Millard&

Deborah Onslow&S

Pace Family Fund&

Amy R. Hecker and Howard S. Decker&

Joyce and Warren* Heilbronner&

Tom and Nan Hildebrandt&

Elsbeth J. Kozel&

Connie Leary and James O’Connell&

Victor Poleshuck&

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Forsyth

P. Robert and Mary Anne Fox

Shirley B. and Kevin Frick

Amy R. Hecker and Howard S. Decker&

David and Barrie Heiligman&

Kathleen Holt and Stephen Lurie

Nicholas and Kathryn JospeS

Laurie and David Kennedy

Joseph and Dale Klein

Elsbeth J. Kozel&

Karen and Gerald Kral&

Marc Libman and Meghann Postgate

Mr. and Mrs. Russell D. Chapman

Barbara A. Colucci^

Mrs. Joan Dalberth

Nancy and Sreeram Dhurjaty

William and Cynthia Dougherty

Michele Dryer

Simos and Eleni Economides

William Eggers and Deborah McLean

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Eisenberg

Larry and Kas Eldridge

Carol and Tom* Elliott

Louise W. Epstein

Gerald G. Estes

The Robert and Jean Freligh Memorial Fund

Kevin FrischS

Dan Fultz

Nancy Gadziala, M.D. and R. John Looney, M.D.

Richard T. Galvin

David and Patricia Gardner

Deborah Goldman

Rob W. Goodling

Patricia Goodwin

Janet and Roger Gram

Carl E. Grimm

Larry and Betsy Rice&

Nellie J. Rosenberg&

Ron and Sharon Salluzzo&

Drs. Eva and Jude Sauer&

Richard and Vicki* Schwartz

Dr. and Mrs. Sidney H. Sobel&

Ingrid Stanlis&

Sandra and Richard Stein&

Josephine S. Trubek& Krestie Utech&

Patricia Ward-Baker&

Louise Woerner and Don Kollmorgen

Robert A. Woodhouse& Geff and Cindy Yancey&

Deborah Ronnen and Sherman Levy*

Elise and Stephen* Rosenfeld, M.D. Drs. Carl and OJ Sahler& Katherine T. and Jon L. Schumacher&

Curtis and Elizabeth Long&S

Daniel M. Meyers&

Noel and JoBeth NicholsL&

Kathy Purcell

Nathan J. and Susan S. Robfogel

Marion Swett Robinson& Dr. Charlotte Ryan

Mrs. Robert M. Santo&

Heidi B. Schwarz, M.D.& Carol Whitbeck&

David Louis Guadagnino and Mary Beauchamp

Laurie Haelen and Mary McCrank

Mr. Gary D. Haines

Robert and Deborah HallS

David and MaryAnn Hamilton&

Dick Hare in memory of Marilyn Hare& Nicki Hastings

John and Ruth Hazzard

Bruce R. and Janice V. Hinman

Sanjay and Ally Hiranandani

Ian and Kathalee* Hodge

Dr. Jack and Harriette Howitt

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest J. Ierardi

Robert and Merilyn* Israel

Ronald and Martha Jodoin

Connie KaminskiS

Marie and Charlie Kenton

Connie Klein

Richard and Karen Knowles

Glenn and Nancy Koch

Harold and Christine Kurland

Vincent and Zuzanna Kwon&

Norma and Anthony* Leone, M.D.

Kathy J. Lindsley

ADAGIO ($2,500-$9,999) CONTINUED

John and Jane Littwitz

Sue and Michael LococoS

Edith M. Lord

Swaminathan and Janice Madhu

Dan and Kiki Mahar

Mr. Bruce P. Marshall

Tom and Emily McCall

Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert J.C. McCurdy*

Gilbert Kennedy McCurdy

Bruce and Eleanor McLear

Donald R. Messina*

Susan Murphy and Ralph Black

Paul Marc and Pamela Miller Ness&

William J. O’Connor, Jr.

John and Tobie Olsan

Ms. Lydia Susan Palmer

PHILHARMONIC FRIENDS

ADVOCATE ($1,000-$2,499)

Daniel and Elizabeth Abbas

Daisy AlgarinS

Marvin and Frederica Amstey

Anonymous

Mr. and Mrs. Mehdi N. Araghi

Neil and Maggie Atkins

Jane Ellen Bailey

Rodger and Elga Baker

Jack and Kathleen BeadlingS

Walter J.* and Jeanne M. Beecher

Ellen Bevan*

Teresa and Tim Biehler

Bischoff Family

William and Grace Boudway

Joseph* and Nancy Briggs

Eric and Wendy Bruestle

Josephine Buckley

Brian and Mary Jane Burke

Bruce and Shirley Burritt

Ed Castilano^

Clark Family Fund at the Rochester Area

Community Foundation

Rick and Sandra Cranshaw

Beth R. CrossS

Roy Czernikowski* and Karin Dunnigan

Joe and Sue DeGeorge Foundation, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Steven DeSmitt

Stephanie and Douglas Dickman

Tex and Nicki Doolittle

Rose Duver

Michael C. Dwyer

Dr. Dianne Edgar and Terry Platt

Ed and Rosemary Eichenlaub

Dr. Steven and Susan Eisinger

Neal and Kathleen Elli

D. Craig Epperson and Dr. Beth Jelsma

Trevor and Elizabeth Ewell

David and Anne Ferris

Jim and Steph Fischer

M. Fitzpatrick

Jonathan Foster

Ann and Steve Fox

Sandra and Neil Frankel

Evelyn Frazee and Thomas Klonick

Linda and David FriedmanS

Judith Fulmer

Jerry J. Gambino, Jr.

Paul Gardella

Jacquie and Andrew Germanow

Linda G. Gillim

Warren and June Glaser

John and Roslyn Goldman

Crofts* and Jane Gorsline

Jeanne and Bob Grace

Helen and George Greer**

Joanna and Michael Grosodonia^

Jason and Janelle Gutman

Susan and James Haefner

Joan Hallenbeck

Fred and Martha Hamaker

David and Edna F. Hamlin

Suzanne and Richard Portland

Brock and Sandra* Powell

Peter and Christina Prieto

Alice and Andrew Publow

Robert and Anne QuiveyS

David Rakov

Nancy and Vincent Reale

Nancy Robbins

Dick* and Bea Rosenbloom

Mr. Fritz Ruebeck and Dr. Cecilia Meagher

Mr. and Mrs. James Ryan, Jr.

Gary B. Schaefer

David and Antonia Schantz

Joan M. Schumaker

George J. Schwartz, M.D. and Paula Maier

Richard and Vicki* Schwartz

Martin and Sherrie Handelman

Carol Hardy

A. Scott Hecker

Bob and Kathy Heinig

James and Susan Herman

Dr. Tomas Hernandez and Dr. Keith Reas

Walter B.D. Hickey, Jr.

Drs. Ryan and Makiko Hoefen^

Dr. Marvin and Nancy* Yanes Hoffman

Mr. and Mrs. * Howard E. Holcomb, Jr.

Susan and Chris Holliday

Dr. Robert Horn and Dr. Patricia Nachman

Marjorie S. Humphrey

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence S. Iwan

La Marr J. Jackson, Esq.

Douglas and Maryanne Jones

Nancy Jones

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Judson, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Harold Kanthor

Judy and Norm Karsten

Heidi Katz and Carl Chiarenza

Robert J. Kennedy

Karen and Laurence Kessler

James H. Kirkwood

Ann Knigge and Al Buckner

Hon. Joan S. Kohout

Lynn Krauss-Prince

Chari and Joel Krenis

Deanna and Charles Krunsenstjerna

Werner and Susan Kunz

Donna M. Landry

Jennifer Leonard and David Cay Johnston

Katherine Lewis and Richard Chasman*

Curtis and Elizabeth Long&S

Dr. Diane Lu and Jeremy A. Cooney, Esq.

Patrick Macey and Jeremiah Casey

Chen and John MageeS

Pamela Krug Maloof

Scott Manspeaker

Saul and Susan Marsh

Mr. Lawrence Martling

Richard and Kate Massie

H. Winn McCray

William and Erin McCune in memory of Vera McCune

Richard W. McGrath

John W. McNeill

Andrew and Kay Melnyk

Robert J. and Marcia Wishengrad Metzger

Ralph and Martha Meyer

Deanne Molinari

James* and Geraldine Moore

Mr. and Mrs. Paul F. Morgan

Laura V. Morrissey

Pastor and Mrs. Donald Muller

Dr. Gary and Ruth Myers

Helene Newman

Nannette Nocon

Deborah Onslow&S

Elizabeth Osta and George VanArsdale

Graham Ottoson

Libba and Wolf Seka

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene P. Seymour

Georgine and James Stenger

Bob and Gayle Stiles

David and Grace* Strong

Margaret and Charles Symington

Mark and Lois Taubman

Mimi and Sam Tilton

Michael and Beverly* Tomaino

John Urban

Gary and Marie VanGraafeiland

Skip and Karen Warren

Stephen R. Webb

Mr. and Mrs. David K. Weber

David and Julie Weinstein

Kitty J. Wise&L

Douglas and Rose Peet

David and Marjorie Perlman

Dee and Horace E. Perry

Bill Prest

Susan and Donald Pritchard

Sujatha Ramanujan and James Chwalek

Dick and Cathy Rasmussen

Cary Ratcliff

Marcia Rausch

Rene Reixach

Josh Reynolds

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Richards

Nancy and Art Roberts

Dr. Gerald and Maxine Rosen

Hannah and Arnold Rosenblatt

Joan and James* Ryan, Sr.

Paul and Barbara Schmied

Peter Schott and Mary Jane Tasciotti

Mr. and Mrs. William Schultz

Anthony and Gloria Sciolino

Catherine and Richard Seeger

David Segal

Dr. Jenny C. Servo and Mr. John Servo

David and Susan Sharp

Thomas and Sandra Shaw

Kate Sheeran

Hezekiah and Ann Marie Simmons

Kathie Snyder

Phillip and Karen Sparkes

David Spector

Mr. Richard R. Spellicy

Ms. Maureen A. Stables

Eleanor Stauffer

Sandra and Richard Stein&

Ann H. Stevens and William J. Shattuck

Nancy Stevens and David Williams

David B. Stong and Marlane Juran

David and Christine Sage Suits

Adam and Catherine Towsley

Sally Turner

Wayne and Anne Vander Byl

James and Barb* Walker

Mr. and Mrs. William Wallace

James Watters

Jean and Sterling L.* Weaver

Philip and Marilyn Wehrheim Fund

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Weingarten^

Joyce and William Weir

Sue A. Whan

Ed and Wilma Wierenga

Elise and Joseph Wojciechowski

Beatrice and Michael Wolford

Grace Wong

Norman J. Wright

Laura and Joel Yellin

Bill and Wende Young

Marsha Young

Helen A. Zamboni

Barbara and David AckroydS

Barbara Agor

Peter and Jane Anderson

Anonymous

Barbara and E. David* Appelbaum

Bob and Jody Asbury

Karen Bancroft

Jim and Linda Baroody

Asish and Susan Basu^

Richard J. Bell

Hays and Karen Bell

Suzanne Bell and Chris Brown

Kate Bennett

Richard Bennett

James and Lynette Blake

Donald and Mary BoydS

James and Lynette Blake

Paula and James* Briggs

Henra S. Briskin

Eileen Buholtz

Lori Busch

Brendan and Suzanne Casey

Victor Ciaraldi and Kathy Marchaesi

Alan Cohen and Nancy Bloom

Jane R. Colucci

Cathleen Combs

Elison and Donald Cramer

Janice and Robert Daitz

Jacqueline Davis

Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Delvecchio

Gary DeWitt

Kathleen Dill

Michael DiSalle

Donald and Stephanie Doe

Jane Durham

Mohsen Emami, M.D.

Julia B. Everitt

Sherman and Anne Farnham

Udo Fehn and Christine Long

Joan and Harold* Feinbloom

Evan and Elvira* Felty

Almon Fisher

Elizabeth B. Fisher

Gail R. Flugel

George and Marie Follett

Susan and Leslie Foor

Ruth Freeman

Laura L. Fulton and Martin Zemel

Kimberly and Lou Gangi

John and Miriam Ganze

M. Lois Gauch

Mary Anna and Darrell Geib

Paulette GissendannerS

Mr. and Mrs. Julian Goldstein

Dr. John W. and Mrs. Heather Goodbody

Dr. and Mrs. William Grace

Russell and Kathleen Green

Gay Greene and Robert Goeckel

Michael D. Grossman

Catherine Gueli

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Guerin

William and Cathy Haller

Barbara and A. Michael Hanna

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Hanna

Gil and Judy Hawkins

William and Patricia Hayles

Michael R. Herzog

Dr. Florence M. Higgins and Mr. John Lebens

James and Betsy Hoefen

Sheila Hollander

Audrey W. Holly

Mr. and Mrs. Ned Holmes

Victoria Hoover

Philip and Eleanor Hopke

Dr. Dewey Jackson

Robert and Mary* Jackson

Bruce Jacobs

Lyle Jenks

Mr. Gilbert F. Jordan

Connie KaminskiS

Lori and Frank Karbel

Barbara and Robert Kay

Michael and Joann Keefe

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Keenan

Mary Kerr

Mr. Edward Klehr

Ken Knight and Ann Curtin-Knight

Mark and Mona Friedman Kolko

Mrs. Ellen Konar

Mr. and Mrs. Leon Kopf, Jr.

James Kraus

John and Lisa Lacci

Carolyn Leccese

Philip and Susan Lederer

Janet and James Leone

Doris and Austin Leve

Ellen C. Lewis

Sarah F. Liebschutz, PhD

Margaret Lindsey, M.D.

Dr. and Mrs. Norman R. Loomis

Mr. Robert Lowenthal

Susan and Chris Luedde

Daniel J. Lukach

John and Judy Lynd

David J. Mack

Frank Maley

James and Rosa Mance

Janice D. Manning

Darlene Mante

Bryan Maslin and Jane Flasch-Maslin

David and Dorcas McCartney

Dick and Sandra McGavern

Virginia McHugh

J. Scott and Susan L. Miller

Sanford and Jill Miller

Jonathan Mink and Janet Cranshaw

Mary E. Miskell and Terrance Clar

Ilene Montana

Charles Morgan

L. Janet Lawrence-Morse

David and Monika M. MullenS

Thomas C. Munger

Rita Myers

Michael D. Nazar

Maureen and Steve Neumaier

Mr. and Mrs. John Norris

Peggy and David Oakes

Jason Oaks

Mr. Donald W. and Jo-Ann R. O’Brien

Marcia O’Brien

W. Smith and Jean O’Brien

Margie O’jea

Debra and George Orosz

Damodar Pai

Tom Parker

Jonathan R. Parkes and Dr. Marcia Bornhurst

Parkes

Marian Payson and Helen Wiley

Glen Pearson

Jerry Peters

Robert and Penny Peterson

Thomas W. Petrillo and William R. Reamy

Everett Porter

Harry J. and Margaret H. Price

Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Przybylowicz

Jerry and Janice Rachfal

James Reed

Richard and Susan Reed

Stan and Anne Refermat

Constance Rice

Ray and Judy Ricker

Linda and Michael Riordan Family Fund at the RACF

Richard and Margery Rosen

Jamal and Pam Rossi

Dr. and Mrs. G. Theodore Ruckert

Tom and Ellen Rusling

Hon. Franklin T. and Cynthia Russell

Dr. Alvani D. and Carol M. Santos

Ed and Gabriel Saphar

Nancy and David Schraver

David and Naomi Schrier

Mrs. Arthur W. Schuster, Jr.

Heidi B. Schwarz, M.D.

Theresa A. Seil and Debra Celestino

Rich Sensenbach

Robert E. and Susan H. Shapiro

Richard and Joanne Shimko

Mrs. Caroline Shipley

Donna Broberg Shum

Christina Sickelco

Harvey Simmons

Daniel and Sarah Singal

Janet H. Sorensen

Jim and Dora Stauffer

Berl Stein

Abby and David Stern

Glen and Lynne Suckling

Anne Sullivan

Steve and Cheryl Swartout

Yoshiko Tamura and Bruce M. Lee

David and Carol Teegarden

Darbbie J. Thomas

Jeffrey J. Thompson

Celia and Doug Topping

John* and Janet Tyler

Jeff and Jill Tyzik

Eugene and Gloria Ulterino

Dr. William M. Valenti

Lorraine Van Meter-Cline and Doug Cline

Vic Vinkey

Robert Vosteen

Stephen H. and Jody Waite

Brian and Jean Waldmiller

John and Anne Walker

Lawrence and Diane Wardlow

Marsha Walton

Betsy and Peter Webster

Warren Welch

Stephen Wershing

Kathleen Whelehan

Charles and Carolyn Whitfield

Rick and Yvonne Whitmore

Dale and Lorraine Whittington

Susan and Paul Wilkens

Amy and Brent Williams

Molly Willner-Boucher

David and Donna Willome

Lois Wolf and William Hall

Les and Wanda Wood

Jim* and Barb Woods

Jeff Wright and Betty Wells

Caroline and Richard Yates

Susan and Maurice Zauderer

Robert and Carol Zimmerman

& Denotes donor(s) has/have contributed to the RPO& Comprehensive Capital Campaign S Denotes donor(s) has/have a recurring Sustaining Circle contribution to the RPO * Denotes donor(s) is/are deceased.

^ Denotes donor(s) has/have contributed to the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (RPYO).

Scan to view the full listing from July 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025

IN MEMORY OF…

Carol G. Achilles

Marilyn Merrigan

Dr. E. David Appelbaum

Barbara Appelbaum

Elizabeth Affolter

Don and Jeanne Worboys

Richard and Sharon Ahlman

BRAVO TRIBUTES

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the following individuals and organizations for their generous support by honoring or remembering in memory of, the individuals listed below. Listings are in recognition of our current donors in the 202425 Concert Season (July 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025).

Tribute gifts are a special way to remember loved ones or commemorate special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, births or graduations. If you would like to make a memorial or honorarium gift, please visit www.rpo.org/donate or contact the Development office at 585/454-7311 ext. 249 or email development@rpo.org.

Bud Feinen

Catherin O. Feinen

Elvira R. Felty

Evan Felty

Johanna M. Gambino

Jerry J. Gambino, Jr.

Jane L. Garrett

Michael Garrett

Ian M. Harvey

George Smith and Diane Ahlman

Joanne Anderson

Dolores Young

Marisa Ballatori

Albert Ballatori

Nancy Bischoping

David and Noreen Halpern

James Blackburn

Bridget Blackburn

Max M. Boudakian

Lita Boudakian

Jean Boyle

Joe Viola

Paul W. Briggs

Beatrice Briggs

Wilma C. Chadwick

Barbara Chadwick

Tina J. Cichanowicz

Ted and Peggy Cichanowicz

Eleanor Conte

George Conte

Dr. Roy Czernikowski

Jason and Janelle Gutman

Dr. Salvatore Dalberth

Joan Dalberth

Valera D’Esopo

Barbara Grajewski

Robert D. Davies

Christine Corrado and Andrew E. Green

Ross Fleckenstein

Janet Loomis

Rev. George H. Dehority, Jr.

John and Carolyn Dehority

William Dixon

Jan Dixon

Jeffrey Emblidge

Doug and Colleen Emblidge

Elizabeth K. Stevens

Richard C. Hastings

Glenda Hastings

Donald Heinle

Stephen and Ann Martin

Lillian Howk

Cynthia L. Howk

David L. Hunley, Sr.

Karen Stafford

Mrs. Polly Hunsberger

Margaret M. Joynt

Anne M. Jones

Robert K. Jones

William Keplinger

Thomas L. Bantle

Elaine Buralli

R. Alan and Deborah Lattime

Dr. Anthony Leone, Jr.

Norma Leone

Gregory Lombardo

Steven and Betsy Lombardo

Edna Lovell

Carol Lovell

Dr. Edward Maruggi

Carolyn Maruggi

Robert Marx

Frances Marx

Vera McCune

William and Erin McCune

John Michaels

Carol A. Michaels

Hon. Michael Miller

Edward Doherty and Patrice Mitchell

Evelyn Frazee and Thomas Klonick

H. Robert and Joyce Herman

John and Tobie Olsan

Eric and Elizabeth Rennert

Nathan and Susan Robfogel

Nellie J. Rosenberg

Anthony and Gloria Sciolino

Sue Thering

Joseph T. Pagano, Jr.

Nancy Pagano

W. Smith “Smitty” O’Brien

Scott and Charlene Birnie

Brendan Field

David and Maureen Field

Bernard Gershenson and Paula Gocker

Michelle Houghton

Deborah A. Kopp

Loretta A. Langan

Jean O’Brien

Marjory O’Brien

Suzanne and Edward O’Brien

Michael and Marge Perez

Gary and Judy Shaw

Mary Wilkins

Eileen Ramos

Maria C. Leonardo

Doris A. Rocha

Andrea P. Rocha

Peggy Savlov

Jeff and Jill Tyzik

Albert Serenati

Nancy Snyder and Family

Nina Shah

Prabodh and Christine Shah

Carol Simmons

Harvey Simmons

Iris Simon

David and Noreen Halpern

Kenneth Slining

David Hathaway

Beverly A. Tomaino

Michael Tomaino

Jane Wargo

Jessica Best

James E. Woods

Barbara Woods

Edna Yates

Helen M. Gordon

Christine R. Spaker

IN HONOR OF…

James Boucher

Margaret Boucher

Molly Willner-Boucher

Maura McCune Corvington

John and Lisa Lacci

Meghan Dewan and Kyle

Rosales’ Wedding

Stephen and Julia Smith

Dr. Giuseppe Erba

John Williams

Paulette Gissendanner

Eric Logan and Anne Kingston

Laurie Haelen’s Birthday

Donna Cator

John Frost

Dean Hutchinson

Kevin D. Kinney

Catherine D. Noble

James P. Terwilliger

Jennifer A. Yance

Elizabeth Zammit

James Henderson

Elizabeth Updaw and James R. Henderson

Dr. Harold Kanthor

Jill B. Freeman

Ross P. Lanzafame, Esq.

Nannette Nocon

Dr. William Valenti

Maura McCune Corvington

John and Lisa Lacci

Neil Miller

Dr. Etta Eskridge

Deborah Onslow

Paul Gardella

Miriam Iker

Daniel Lukach

Joanne Prives

Mary Elaine Pierce

Nancy E. Scher

Harvey Simmons

Gerald Segelman

David and Noreen Halpern

Georgine and James Stenger

Mary Anne Fox

Craig Sutherland

John and Anne Walker

Jeff Tyzik

Sally B. Bush

Jean Webster

Kathleen VanOrden

Catherine J. “Kitty” Wise

J. Michael and Alice Smith

Reyton Wojnowski

Julie Weinstein

Don and Anna Womack

Daniel and Edith Rice

Scan to view the full listing from July 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025

Anonymous

Marie Aklin*

Betty Jane Altier*

Alva Angle*

Catherine N. Asmuth*

Jean Boynton Baker*

John B. and Margaret Barnell*

RPO GEORGE EASTMAN LEGACY SOCIETY

Members of the RPO George Eastman Legacy Society are true believers in the power of music. The RPO George Eastman Legacy Society honors those individuals who remember the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra through a planned gift. The RPO’s team of development professionals are available to work with you and your advisors to create a plan that will help you meet your financial and philanthropic goals. For more information, please contact the Development Office at 585.454.7311.

Mary M. Gooley*

Barbara Jean Gray-Gottorff*

George Greer*

Jean Groff*

Sue C. Habbersett*

William B. Hale*

Mrs. Laura J. Hameister

Walter J.* and Jeanne M. Beecher

Walter S. Beecher

Nancy and Harry Beilfuss**

Carol and John Bennett

Jack and Carolyn Bent

Donald Berens*

Ellen S. Bevan*

Stuart* and Betsy Bobry

James R. Boehler*

Marilyn Bondy

Beverly T. Bowen*

John W.* and Margaret Z.* Branch

William and Ruth Cahn

Mary Allison Callaway and Paul R. Callaway*

Catherine B. Carlson*

Norris F. Carlson*

Margaret J. Carnall*

Susann* and Terence Chrzan

Nancy A. Clemens*

Barbara Colucci

Christine Colucci

Mary Consler*

Judy and Joe Darweesh

Alfred L. Davis*

Barbara Dechario*

Paul Donnelly

Marilyn A. Drumm*

Amelia N. Dunbar*

Frederick Dushay

Richard and Harriet Eisenberg*

James T. and Ellen Englert

John R. Ertle*

Julia B. Everitt*

Glenn and Rebecca Fadner

Ruth H. Fairbank*

Joan and Harold* Feinbloom

Albert Fenyvessy*

Donald C.* and Elizabeth Fisher

Catherine and Elmar Frangenberg

Carolyn and Roger Friedlander

Betsy Friedman

Karyl P. Friedman

Linda and David Friedman

Patrick and Barbara Fulford

William L. Gamble*

Sharon Garelick

Rob W. Goodling

Marilyn* and Dick Hare

Karen G. Hart*

Monica R. Hayden*

Warren* and Joyce Heilbronner

David W. Hinz*

Jean Hitchcock

Norman L. Horton*

Mrs. Samter Horwitz*

H. Larry and Dorothy C. Humm

Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Hursh*

Carol A. Jones

Dr. Ralph F. Jozefowicz

Nancie R. Kennedy*

Robert T. Kimbrough*

Marcella Klein and Richard Schaeffer

Glenn and Nancy Koch

Ross P. Lanzafame, Esq.

Jeanne Lareau*

Marshall and Lenore* Lesser

Drs. Jacques* and Dawn Lipson

Sue and Michael Lococo

William C.* and Elfriede K. Lotz

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Mahar

Linda Malinich*

Joseph J. Mancini*

Gerard Mayer*

John T. McAdam*

Pete* and Sally Merrill

Donald R. Messina*

Robert J. and Marcia Wishengrad Metzger

Dan Meyers

Mrs. Elizabeth O. Miller*

Jane E. Miller*

Mary L. Mitchell*

Deanne Molinari

Eleanor Morris*

Mrs. Marjorie Morris*

Patricia McCurdy Morse*

John S. Muenter

Diane F. Nelson*

Paul Marc and Pamela Miller Ness

Carolyn Noble*

Deborah Onslow

Margaret Paaschen*

Mary Anne Palermo

Ms. Lydia Susan Palmer

Eleanor T. Patterson*

Suzanne F. Powell

Robert and Ann Quivey

Ernest Rashiatore*

Eileen D. Ramos*

Marjorie Cohen Relin*

Doris Repenter*

Dr. Ramon L. and Judith S. Ricker

Dr. Suzanne H. Rodgers*

Dick* and Bea Rosenbloom

Elise and Stephen* Rosenfeld

Pearl W. Rubin*

Wallace R. Rust

Ron and Sharon Salluzzo

Wesley Saucke

Peggy W. Savlov*

James G. Scanzaroli*

David G. and Antonia T. Schantz

William and Susan Schoff

Peter Schott and Mary Jane Tasciotti

Jon L. and Katherine T. Schumacher

Laura M. Seifferd*

Libba and Wolf Seka

Gretchen Shafer*

Virginia Durand Shelden*

Elbis A. Shoales, M.D.

Carol Shulman

Anna Rita Staffieri*

Ingrid Stanlis

Abby and David Stern

Patricia E. Stott

Betty Strasenburgh*

Martha Ann* and Daniel Tack

Amanda Tierson

Ivan Town*

Carol Van Hoesen*

Elizabeth Van Horn*

Harry and Ruth Walker

Patricia Ward-Baker

Margaret Webster*

Robin and Michael* Weintraub

Jean B. Wetzel*

Mildred Wischmeyer*

Kitty J. Wise

John and Laurie Witmeyer

Helen W. Witt*

Mary Alice and Robert Wolf*

Susan and Lawrence Yovanoff

Nancy and Mark Zawacki

Alan Ziegler and Emily Neece

Mr. and Mrs. Ted Zornow

* Denotes donor(s) is/are deceased.

^Denotes donor(s) has/have contributed to the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (RPYO).

ADMINISTRATION

Curt Long President and CEO

Kristen Zimmer Director of Human Resources

Hannah Reich Executive Assistant/Office Manager

DEVELOPMENT

Rob Dermody Vice President of Development

Lis Bischoff-Ormsbee Senior Director of Principal Gifts

Amy Gallaher Director of Development, Annual Giving & Special Events

Elizabeth Garijo-Garde Institutional Partnerships Officer

Dorian Delfs Development Officer

George DeMott Development Officer

FINANCE

Brandi Sheppard Director of Finance

Priscilla DeSoto Staff Accountant

MARKETING

Herb Griffith Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Lauren MacDonough Director of Marketing

Joyce Tseng Content & Digital Marketing Manager

Meg Spoto Creative Director

Mike Cidoni Public Relations & Communications Manager

Sal Uttaro Group and Corporate Sales Manager

PATRON SERVICES CENTER

Charlene Beckwith Director of Ticketing

Daniel Traina House Manager

Daniel Long Patron Services Manager

Connor Straight Patron Services Assistant Manager

Samuel DeAngelis

Abby Chapman Duprey

Emma Duprey

Rilyn Garcia

Stephen House

Nathan Howton

Jaewon Jun

Alyssa Koh

Jacob Kundu

Hannah Moreno

Grant Simon Patron Services Representatives

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS AND EDUCATION

James Barry Vice President of Artistic Planning & Operations

Barbara Brown Vice President of Education

Chisato Eda Marling Manager of Education & Community Partnerships

Ashlee Allaire Youth Orchestra and Education Projects Manager

Meghan Dunn Orchestra Operations Manager

Fred Dole Orchestra Personnel Manager

Danielle Suhr Stage Manager

Cedrick Martinez Assistant Stage Manager

Kim Hartquist Principal Librarian

Sam Giacoia Artistic Coordinator

Karl Vilcins Auditions Coordinator

ROCHESTER PHILHARMONIC LEAGUE

Rachel Solomon Volunteer Administrator

ABOUT US

Since its founding by George Eastman in 1922, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music. Currently celebrating our Centennial Season, the RPO is dedicated to maintaining its deep commitment to artistic excellence, educational opportunity, and community engagement.

Today, the RPO presents up to 120 concerts per year, serving nearly 170,000 people through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Nearly one-third of all RPO performances are educational or community-related. In addition, WXXI 91.5 FM rebroadcasts approximately 30 RPO concerts each year. For more information, visit rpo.org.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

TICKETS: The RPO Patron Services Center is located at 255 East Avenue in the back of the Farash Place building in downtown Rochester. Free parking is available in a small lot between the parking garage and building. Open Monday through Friday 10 AM–5PM.

NIGHT-OF-CONCERT PURCHASES: RPO will-call tickets and concert tickets are available at the RPO tables in the Eastman Theatre Box Office lobby starting 90 minutes prior to concert time.

PARKING: Paid parking for Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre is available at the East End Garage, located next to the theatre. Open entrances/exits change frequently while the garage is under construction. Visit rpo.org/parking for the most recent updates. Paid parking for the Performance Hall at Hochstein is available at the Sister Cities Garage, located behind the school at Church and Fitzhugh Streets.

PRE-CONCERT TALKS: All ticketholders are welcome to attend free pre-concert talks held one hour before all Philharmonics concerts and all Jeff Tyzik-conducted Pops concerts. Ticketholders are asked to sit anywhere they would like in the orchestra level of the theatre, then head to their reserved seat for the concert.

SERVICES FOR PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES: Wheelchair locations and seating for those with disabilities are available at all venues; please see the house manager or an usher for assistance. Elevators are located in the Eastman Theatre Box Office lobby. A wheelchair-accessible restroom is available on the first floor.

SERVICES FOR HARD-OF-HEARING PATRONS: Audio systems are available at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre; headsets may be obtained from an usher prior to the performance.

CHANGING SEATS: If you find it necessary to be reseated for any reason, please contact an usher who will bring your request to the House Manager.

LOST AND FOUND: Items found in Kodak Hall will be held at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 E. Main Street. For more info, call 585-274-3000.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES: The use of cameras or audio recording equipment is strictly prohibited. Patrons are asked to silence all personal electronic devices prior to the performance.

REFRESHMENTS: Food and drink are not permitted in the concert hall, except for bottled water. Refreshments are available for purchase in Betty’s Café located on the orchestra level of Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.

TICKET DONATION: If you are unable to attend a concert, please consider donating your tickets to us as a tax-deductible contribution. Return your tickets to the RPO no later than 2 PM the day of the performance to make them available for resale.

GROUP SALES: Groups of 10 or more are eligible for discounts starting at 20%! Contact Group and Corporate Sales Manager: Sal Uttaro at suttaro@ rpo.org | Office: (585) 454-7311 ext. 267 | Mobile: (585) 530-0865

Bravo is published cooperatively by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Buffalo Spree

Joyce Tseng| Editor, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

Meg Spoto | Creative Director, m dash studio

Anna Reguero | Program Annotator, Anna Reguero ©

Editorial Offices: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra 255 East Avenue, Suite LL02 Rochester NY 14604

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