The safety of patrons, musicians, and staff is of the utmost importance. Following 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
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
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
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: ORKIDSTRA: CARNIVAL
GOUVERNET FUND
THORGY THOR AND THE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN WILLIAMS IS SUPPORTED BY: ANDREW J BURKE – RE/MAX REALTY GROUP
OFFICIAL HOSPITALITY PARTNER
OFFICIAL HOTEL PARTNER
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT:
CONNECT WITH US:
Jherrard Hardeman, conductor
The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Education and Community Engagement Chair
For Jherrard Hardeman’s biography, please see page 7. Chiao-Wen Cheng, piano
Elinor Freer, piano
Rochester City Ballet, dance
AARON COPLAND “Hoe Down” from Rodeo 4:00 for String Orchestra
GUSTAV HOLST
PETER WARLOCK
CAMILLE
SAINT-SAËNS
St. Paul’s Suite for String Orchestra 5:20
II. Ostinato
IV. Finale (The Dargason)
Capriol Suite 2:00
I. Basse Danse
VI. Mattachins
Carnival of the Animals 22:00
I. Introduction and Royal March of the Lion
II. Hens and Roosters
III. Wild Asses (Swift Animals)
IV. Tortoises
V. The Elephant
VI. Kangaroos
VII. Aquarium
VIII. People With Long Ears
IX. The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Forest
X. Aviary
XI. Pianists
XII. Fossils
XIII. The Swan
XIV. Finale
Chiao-Wen Cheng, piano
Elinor Freer, piano
Rochester City Ballet, dance
SEASON
SPONSOR:
CONCERT
SPONSOR: SPONSORS: GOUVERNET FUND FOR THE ARTS AT RACF
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.
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ARTISTS
CHIAO-WEN CHENG, piano
A versatile musician and educator, Taiwanese pianist Chiao-Wen Cheng has performed as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician in major venues throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Cheng has become a sought-after collaborative partner through her sensitive playing, vibrant sound colors, and detailed voicing. Cheng has performed with violinists Juliana Athayde, Yoojin Jang, Renée Jolles, and Robin Scott; cellists Steve Doane, Guy Johnston, and Astrid Schween; and members of many major orchestras. She has also performed at the Aspen Music Festival, the Atlantic Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, the International Bass Convention, International Trombone Festival, International Viola Congress, society for Chamber Music in Rochester, Seattle Symphony Chamber Music Series, Seattle Trombone Workshop, and the Southeast Trombone Symposium. Since 2019, Cheng has been an Artist-Faculty Piano Collaborator at the Perlman Music Program. In 2022, she was hired as the Collaborative Pianist for the U.S. premier of Tan Dun’s trombone concerto.
Cheng’s solo engagements include concerto performances with the Fort Worth Symphony, Greece Symphony, and Taiwan Shin-Min Orchestra, as well as solo recitals in major venues. Cheng has won numerous piano competitions and awards, including the Clara Ascherfeld Award in Excellence in Accompanying at Peabody Institute (2009); the Excellence in Accompanying Award at the Eastman School of Music (2010); and first prizes in the Piano Texas International Academy and Festival Concerto Competition (2010) and the Schubert Club Competition (2012).
Cheng began piano lessons with her aunt at the age of four. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as a student of Frank Weinstock, where she received the Van Cliburn Scholarship. She completed her master’s degree at Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University as a student of Benjamin Pasternack, where she received a full scholarship. Cheng holds a doctoral degree from the Eastman School of Music, where she was a student and teaching assistant of Barry Snyder. At Eastman, Cheng was also the recipient of a graduate assistantship as a collaborative pianist and large ensemble pianist. Cheng is currently an Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano at the Eastman School of Music. She joined the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as a Principal Keyboard in 2022.
CHIAO-WEN CHENG
ARTISTS
ELINOR FREER, piano
A native of Montana, pianist Elinor Freer has built a versatile career as soloist and chamber musician, performing across the United States, Europe, and China. In Europe, Ms. Freer has given multiple performances at The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and appeared at the Valery Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam. Other highlights include recordings for Dutch radio, performances at the International Musicians’ Seminar in Prussia Cove, England, and concerts at Moscow’s Gnessin Institute. She was also one of two American pianists selected to perform throughout China in tours designed to promote cultural relations. Ms. Freer has been featured as soloist with numerous orchestras including the String Orchestra of the Rockies, the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, the University of Rochester Chamber Orchestra, the Dekalb Symphony, the Southeastern Kansas Symphony, the Kingsport Symphony, and many others. She is also a frequent performer at festivals such as Summer Music in Harrisburg, PA, the Festival de Música de Cámera in Mexico, the Bowdoin Music Festival, the Lake Winnipesaukee Music Festival, and Music in the Vineyards in Napa Valley. Ms. Freer has been a laureate and prizewinner in competitions such as the Joanna Hodges International Competition and the American Pianists Association, and has held piano fellowships at the Steans Institute/ Ravinia Festival and the Tanglewood Music Center. She holds degrees with honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music and the University of Southern California and was awarded a Performer’s Diploma from the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht in the Netherlands. A dedicated teacher, Ms. Freer was previously appointed to the piano faculties of Fort Hays State University and the University of Missouri, and in 2003 joined the faculty of the Eastman School of Music. She also previously served as Co-Artistic Director of the Skaneateles Festival in Central New York for 10 years. In addition to performing and teaching, Ms. Freer has founded and produced a number of initiatives designed to bring classical music to new audiences and has presented a variety of educational and outreach performances across the country in settings ranging from inner city schools to psychiatric hospitals. For these projects she was awarded multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
ELINOR FREER ACADIA MEZZOFANTI
ARTISTS
SHANNON PURPURA, artistic director
Shannon Purpura received her dance training in Rochester, NY. In high school, she performed alongside RCB in notable roles that include Lead Spanish Hot Chocolate in The Nutcracker, Daniel Gwirtzman’s Encore, and George Balanchine’s Serenade. After training, Ms. Purpura attended the University of Arizona on scholarship where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance after just two and a half years. While at the University of Arizona, she performed River North Dance Chicago’s Evolution of a Dream, George Balanchine’s Rubies, Ernie Flatt’s Firebird, as well as many soloist roles in works by Michael Williams and James Clouser. Shannon also choreographed a solo that was selected to premier at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre in 2014.
Following graduation, Ms. Purpura returned to Rochester to join the RCB, as a company member, in 2015. Since joining RCB, she has performed soloist roles such as Dew Drop Fairy, English Toffee, Chinese Tea, Christmas Spirit, Harlequin, Russian Trepak, and Spanish Hot Chocolate in The Nutcracker. Contemporary works include Jamey Leverett’s featured soloist in My Songs Plead Softly, Images, Katarzyna Skarpetowska’s Terminus, Salvatore Aiello’s The Waiting Room, and David Palmer’s Rite of Spring. She has also performed leading roles in Robert Gardner’s Carmen as Carmen, The Sleeping Beauty as Carabosse, David Palmer’s Under the Moonlight: A Tribute to David Bowie. Shannon, along with other RCB company dancers, founded the Roc Dance Collective in 2022 to help make performance art more accessible to younger audiences in Rochester.
In August 2023, Shannon and Megan Kamler were announced as the Artistic Directors of Rochester City Ballet. Ms. Purpura has choreographed numerous works for Rochester City Ballet including “Peter & the Wolf” which premiered with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in January 2024. In April 2024, Shannon was commissioned by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra to create works for the Eclipse Spectacular: Symphonic Celebration performance at the Blue Cross Arena.
MEGAN KAMLER, artistic director
Ms. Kamler joined Rochester City Ballet in 2011 after receiving her training at the Timothy M. Draper Center for Dance Education and the University of Arizona where she earned her BFA in Dance. She received additional training at the National Ballet School of Canada summer intensive on scholarship and the summer intensives of Ballet Austin and the Ellison Training Program in New York City.
While at the University of Arizona she performed highlighted roles such as Choleric in Balanchine’s Four Temperaments, Big Swan in Swan Lake, and the Friend in Carmina Burana. Following her college graduation she was invited to perform with Art.if.act Dance in an 18-city tour of China.
With the Rochester City Ballet she has performed as the Maid, Harlequin, English Toffee, Magical Doll, Italian Ice, Dew Drop, Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Anna in The Blood Countess, Kitri in Don Quixote, Cinderella in Cinderella, and Elegy Girl and Waltz Girl in Balanchine’s Serenade. Contemporary roles with RCB include 4Play, New York CityScapes, Bravo! Colorado, InCantation, Katarzyna Skarpetowska’s Terminus, The Ugly Duckling by Jimmy Orrante, Slightly Sinful by Danny Rosseel, and Bach de Trois by Nikolai Kabaniev. More recently she has had the opportunity to perform soloist roles in both new and previous works by David Palmer and Yanis Pikieris such as Under the Moonlight, Summer of Love, Mist, Green Eggs and Ham, and Adiemus.
SHANNON PURPURA MEGAN KAMLER
ARTISTS
RCB COMPANY DANCERS
OLIVIA BEVILACQUA
JOINED RCB: 2024
RCB APPRENTICES
JOHN DEMING
JOINED RCB: 2018
KATHERINE DUFFY
JOINED RCB: 2017
SAMANTHA HOWE
JOINED RCB: 2021
MEGAN KAMLER
JOINED RCB: 2011
ADAM KITTELBERGER
JOINED RCB: 2005
LYDIA MARBACH
JOINED RCB: 2017
SAMANTHA GOODELLE
LILY JANNECK
ELIZABETH PINEL
MARLENA ROBERTS
SOFIA STITZ
RCB JUNIOR APPRENTICES
SHANNON PURPURA
JOINED RCB: 2014
ANNA TURANI
SOPHIA BARNARD-DECANN
JESSICA BEALER
JOINED RCB: 2022 *COMPANY HEADSHOTS BY ERICH CAMPING
RAVISHING RACHMANINOV
Joyce Yang, piano THU FEB 6
7:30 PM SAT FEB 8
8 PM
KODAK HALL AT EASTMAN THEATRE
Lidiya Yankovskaya, conductor
CLARICE ASSAD
Nhanderú, Overture for Orchestra 8:00
MANUEL DE FALLA
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
23:00 for Piano and Orchestra
I. En el generalife
II. Danza lejaña
III. En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba
Joyce Yang, piano
INTERMISSION
SERGEI
Symphonic Dances, Opus 45 35:00 RACHMANINOV
I. Non allegro
II. Andante con moto (Tempo di valse)
III. Lento assai - Allegro vivace
SERIES SPONSOR:
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.
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ARTISTS
LIDIYA YANKOVSKAYA, conductor
Lidiya Yankovskaya is a fiercely committed advocate for Slavic masterpieces and contemporary works on the leading edge of classical music. She has conducted more than 40 world premieres, including 17 operas, and her strength as a visionary collaborator has guided new perspectives on staged and symphonic repertoire from Carmen and Queen of Spades to Price and Prokofiev. Her transformative tenure as Music Director of Chicago Opera Theater earned consistent recognition from the Chicago Tribune, which named her Chicagoan of the Year and credited her with “raising the profile of COT immensely, her interpretations bracing and repertoire head-spinningly varied.”
The 24/25 season opened with Yankovskaya’s successful Australian debut leading Puccini’s rarely performed Il trittico at Opera Australia, which resulted in an immediate re-engagement for a new production of Carmen in 2025. Elsewhere, Yankovskaya conducts La bohème with San Diego Opera and returns to Washington National Opera to lead The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. She also appears with orchestras across the United States, conducting concerts in Nashville, Miami, Grand Rapids, Rochester, Albany, and Los Angeles. She returns to the United Kingdom, where The Guardian praised her reading of Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs as “visceral…refreshingly unsentimental,” to debut with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and join her longtime collaborator, sarod grand master Amjad Ali Khan, at the London Philharmonic.
Yankovskaya has recently conducted Eugene Onegin at Staatsoper Hamburg, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs and Bluebeard’s Castle at English National Opera, Rusalka at Santa Fe Opera, Carmen at Houston Grand Opera, Taking Up Serpents at Washington National Opera, and Don Giovanni at Seattle Opera. On the concert stage, high-profile engagements include appearances with the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics; concerts with Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and National Symphony Orchestras; and Julia Wolfe’s Anthracite Fields at Carnegie Hall.
Yankovskaya is the founder and artistic director of the Refugee Orchestra Project, which promotes the cultural and societal relevance of refugees through music and has brought that message to thousands of listeners around the world. In addition to a National Sawdust residency in Brooklyn, the orchestra has performed in London, Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and the United Nations.
Yankovskaya holds a B.A. in Music and Philosophy from Vassar College, with a focus on piano, voice, and conducting, and earned an M.M. in Conducting from Boston University. Her conducting teachers and mentors have included Marin Alsop, Kenneth Kiesler, and Ann Howard Jones; she has also held assistantships with Lorin Maazel and Vladimir Jurowski. Yankovskaya is the proud two-time recipient of Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards. She has been a featured speaker at the League of American Orchestras and Opera America conferences and served as U.S. Representative to the World Opera Forum in Madrid.
LIDIYA YANKOVSKAYA
ARTISTS
JOYCE YANG, piano
Blessed with “poetic and sensitive pianism” (Washington Post) and a “wondrous sense of color” (San Francisco Classical Voice), Grammynominated pianist Joyce Yang captivates audiences with her virtuosity and interpretive sensitivity. She first came to international attention in 2005 when she won the silver medal at the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at 19 years old. Yang made her celebrated New York Philharmonic debut with Lorin Maazel at Avery Fisher Hall and on tour in Asia, including a triumphant return to Seoul. Subsequent appearances included opening night of the 2008 Leonard Bernstein Festival, where The New York Times called her performance of The Age of Anxiety a “knockout.”
Yang has blossomed into an “astonishing artist” (Neue Zürcher Zeitung), showcasing her colorful musical personality through over 1,000 performances worldwide. She received the 2010 Avery Fisher Career Grant and a Grammy nomination for her recording with violinist Augustin Hadelich. Yang has performed with top orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and collaborated on a five-year Rachmaninoff concerto cycle with Edo de Waart and the Milwaukee Symphony, praised for its “emotional depth” (Milwaukee Sentinel Journal).
In solo recital, Yang has performed at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and Zurich’s Tonhalle, among others. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with the Takács Quartet and the Emerson String Quartet. She maintains an enduring partnership with the Alexander String Quartet, with acclaimed recordings of Mozart’s piano quartets and Brahms and Schumann quintets.
Yang’s discography includes Wild Dreams (Avie Records), featuring works by Schumann, Bartók, and Hindemith, and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Odense Symphony Orchestra. Her debut album, Collage, was praised by Gramophone for its “beautifully atmospheric playing.”
Yang is dedicated to introducing classical music to new audiences. In 2018/2019, she served as Guest Artistic Director for the Laguna Beach Music Festival, curating concerts exploring the relationship between music and dance. She also toured with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, performing Jorma Elo’s Half/ Cut/Split, described as a “brilliant exploration” of Schumann’s Carnaval.
Born in 1986 in Seoul, South Korea, Yang began studying piano at age four and won several national competitions before moving to the U.S. in 1997 to attend Juilliard’s pre-college division. At 12, she performed Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She graduated from Juilliard in 2010, receiving the Arthur Rubinstein Prize, and in 2011 won the William A. Petschek Piano Recital Award. Yang appears in the film In the Heart of Music and is a Steinway Artist.
JOYCE YANG
PROGRAM NOTES
CLARICE ASSAD
Nhanderú
February 9, 1978
NHANDERU pronounced (/nyuh.dey.roo/) means “God” in Tupi-Guarani, which is a subfamily of the Tupian languages spoken by a group of indigenous peoples living in areas of the Amazon basin. Natives from Tupi-Guarani tribes, like many other societies, often practiced a ritual called rainmaking (or rain dance) which is intended to invoke rain through prayer.
During the ceremony, they summoned spirits of the land as well as their ancestors to bring in the rain to ensure soil fertility, abundant harvest, and to frighten away the spirits of the lost world. In most rituals, the “dancers” embody one or more spirits (a higher power) expressed through rhythmic gestures and movements. In addition to chanting, some instruments, such as rattles of various sizes and types, flutes, and drums, are used. Legends have it that the rain provoked by the ritual holds the spirits of ancient chiefs. When the water droplets begin to fall, it sets off a great battle between our reality and the spiritual world.
The composition NHANDERÚ bases itself on the connection between the material and the unseen worlds, focusing on ritualistic practices through faith, prayer, and gratitude. As with any musical work, it can be interpreted in many different ways. However, my work tends to be quite visual, and I usually like to imagine vivid scenarios, which inspire me to create a stronger sense of timing. Programmatic in nature, the piece develops narratively and is a musical portrait of a rain dance ritual from beginning to end. It is divided into three main parts. The beginning (awakening), the development section (summoning/rainfall/gratitude), and the coda, which is a return to the beginning, in a cyclical form, which creates a parody between the water cycle and the cycle of life. To create a vivid listening experience, the score calls for vocalizing, finger-snapping, clapping, body tapping, and percussion instruments, which imitate sounds of nature.
––Clarice Assad
B. RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
PROGRAM NOTES
MANUEL DE FALLA
Noches en los jardines de España
B. CÁDIZ,
SPAIN
November 23, 1876
D. ALTA GRACIA, ARGENTINA
November 14, 1946
The traditional music of Andalusia, the region that encompasses the southern provinces of Spain, is called flamenco music. Flamenco music is gypsy music, the music of the migrants who traveled to Spain from far and wide between the ninth and fourteenth centuries. It is thought that these gypsies brought with them exotic instruments, such as tambourines and castanets, now instruments associated with Spanish music. Flamenco music—where the guitar became the primary vehicle for musical expression, accompanying the sensual and articulate Flamenco dance—is characterized by its highly percussive, mysterious, and passionate qualities.
Flamenco music, which encompasses many sub-styles, is the music that influenced Andalusian composer Manuel de Falla at the Royal Madrid Conservatory, where he began developing a uniquely Spanish voice that would eventually help to define Spain’s contributions to Western art music. But his ears were also drawn to the impressionistic atmospheres in the music of contemporary French composers at the end of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth. When he won a competition to create a Spanish opera and the promised performance never materialized—adding to a general lack of opportunity in Spain for orchestral music—he seized a chance to travel away from Spain and visit Paris as an accompanist. The few-week trip turned into a seven-year stay.
“Without Paris I would have remained buried in Madrid, submerged and forgotten, dragging out an obscure existence, living miserably by giving a few score of my operas in a cupboard,” wrote Falla. In Paris, Falla hobnobbed with composers like Paul Dukas, who lent encouragement for Falla’s unperformed opera La vida breve, and Claude Debussy, who became a primary mentor. Falla’s time in Paris was also partly supported by a grant from the King of Spain to assist Falla in developing a Spanish-influenced work, Cuatro piezas españolas. It was during his years in Paris that Falla started writing Noches en los jardines de España, which translates to Nights in the Gardens of Spain. He completed writing it in 1915 at an artist’s colony in the Mediterranean after the outbreak of World War I forced his return to Spain.
Nights in the Gardens of Spain was described as “symphonic impressions” for piano and orchestra on the first published score and is lushly impressionistic while showcasing Falla’s synthesis of flamenco styles. Although the piano part is virtuosic, emulating the expansive strumming and intricate fingerpicking of flamenco guitar, the work is not a concerto. Instead, the piano part is integrated into the whole, adding to the ensemble’s sweeps and colors to express the sensations of Spain’s famous gardens.
Falla said that the work was expressive rather than descriptive. However, two of the three movements refer to specific gardens in Spain. The first movement, “In the Generalife,” refers to the gardens surrounding the Alhambra in Grenada and features several impressionistic swells and rhythmic pulsations. The second movement, “A Distant Dance,” doesn’t specify a garden but is where Falla’s Spanish nationalism comes to the fore: flamenco syncopations give Spanish flavor to the movement. The final movement, which arrives without a pause and features colorful, animated sweeps and flamenco flare throughout the piano and orchestra, is expressive of the gardens in the Sierra de Córdoba.
The first performance was on April 9, 1916, in Madrid’s Teatro Real. The Madrid Symphony Orchestra performed Nights in the Gardens of Spain, with José Cubiles at the piano and Enrique Fernández Arbós conducting. Shortly after, pianist Arthur Rubinstein would champion the work. Although Falla was often criticized for absorbing foreign influences, Nights in the Gardens of Spain further cemented Falla’s reputation as one of Spain’s great composers.
PROGRAM NOTES
SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Symphonic Dances
B. ONEG, RUSSIA April 1, 1873
D. BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA March 28, 1943
Sergei Rachmaninov was one of the last Russian composers to continue the Romantic traditions of the nineteenth century into the twentieth century. Before he died in 1943, Rachmaninov readily admitted that his music was a product of his Russian heritage and named composers Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov as influences. However, he denied any overt attempts at nationalism. Still, Russian themes nonetheless emanate from his works, which include four piano concertos, three symphonies, the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini for piano and orchestra, and his Symphonic Dances, among other works for piano and chamber groups.
Although we mostly hear of Rachmaninov as a composer today, he was also active as a conductor and pianist. When he fled Russia in 1917 due to the Russian Revolution, settling in the United States in 1918, he worked primarily as a pianist. In his first four months after moving to New York, Rachmaninov performed approximately 40 concerts and soon signed a recording contract with the Victor Talking Machine Company. After emigrating to the US, Rachmaninov only wrote four more orchestral works and six works total (not counting revisions of earlier works) until his death. Of his reduced output, Rachmaninov once said that upon leaving Russia, “I left behind my desire to compose: losing my country, I lost myself also.”
After a busy concert season in which he both performed and conducted with the Philadelphia Orchestra to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his US premiere, he took a respite at an estate on Long Island. It was there in 1940 that he finished composing his Symphonic Dances, his final work before his death. Although there was some discussion about adapting the work as a ballet, the Philadelphia Orchestra premiered the orchestral work under Eugene Ormandy in 1941.
Because the Symphonic Dances incorporate quotes from several earlier works, even reaching back to his first symphony, it’s a work that seems to be expressive of the composer’s life. It also is a work that highlights Rachmaninov’s interest in sacred music: all quoted materials are influenced by Russian orthodox church music. Although the quotes are often well camouflaged—the theme of the first symphony, for instance, is in a different rhythm and mode—those intimately familiar with Rachmaninov’s works might find the earworms.
A three-note motif is passed from oboe to clarinet, bassoon, and bass clarinet to start the first movement of the Symphonic Dances, which then expands into a stringent, arpeggiated primary theme undergirded by a moderate march. A languid middle section introduces an alto saxophone solo, a highly unusual orchestra instrument but one that Rachmaninov may have been inspired to use from hearing American jazz. The strings take the melody into a more reflective mood before the movement recapitulates the march and concludes with an optimistic coda. The second movement is a curious, discontinuous waltz that meanders fitfully, with one heightened build-up of Russian angst near the end and quietly racing to a finish.
Bell tolls ring in the final movement, which incorporates statements of the Dies irae, the famous Gregorian chant closely linked to the theme of death. The Dies irae is initially deconstructed yet hinted at in early themes until powerful restatements of the chant by the brass section near the movement’s end. The Dies irae is juxtaposed with another theme based upon a quote from Rachmaninov’s choral work Vespers, which is meant to represent the resurrection of Christ. Given that Rachmaninov would struggle with his health and live only three more years before dying of cancer, the Symphonic Dances can be heard as a prognostication of Rachmaninov’s fate.
Program notes by Anna Reguero, PhD, a Rochester-based arts writer and music scholar.
THUR FEB 13
7:30 PM
KODAK HALL AT EASTMAN THEATRE
AND THE THORCHESTRA
Jherrard Hardeman, conductor
The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Education and Community Engagement Chair
For Jherrard Hardeman’s biography, please see page 7.
Thorgy Thor, violin
Rochester Gay Men's Chorus
SEE INSERT FOR PROGRAM DETAILS
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ARTISTS
THORGY THOR, violin
Thorgy Thor is a New York City–based drag performance artist, entertainer, musician, and event host. Since appearing on the eighth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, Thorgy has been travelling the world, bringing to audiences her trademark wit, sense of humour, and musical charm.
Thorgy uses unconventional recording materials and music to create unique performances for theatre, film, cabaret, and nightlife entertainment. She is an explosive performer who loves to lip-sync just as much as create collaborative performance art that combines drag, music, and comedy.
In 2018, the show “Thorgy and the Thorchestra” was created in collaboration with Canadian conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, making its debut with Symphony Nova Scotia in Halifax in conjunction with Halifax Pride, with two nights of sold-out performances to rave reviews. The show blends orchestral performances of traditional and modern classical repertoire and contemporary pop songs. The creation and debut of “Thorgy and the Thorchestra” was featured as part of Disruptor Conductor, Sharon Lewis’s 2019 documentary film about conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, which highlighted his creative collaboration with Thorgy.
Since then, Thorgy has taken the “Thorchestra” program to audiences around the globe. She has performed in the U.S. with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, and the Seattle Symphony, and in Canada with the Vancouver, Edmonton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Saskatoon, and Regina symphony orchestras and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, she has had the pleasure of playing violin with many recording artists including New York legend Joey Arias, as well as having appeared in performance at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Le Poisson Rouge.
Thorgy Thor is the stage name for Shane Galligan. He began his classical violin studies at a young age. Galligan studied music at the University of Hartford, Hartt School, in Connecticut before graduating from the State University of New York, Purchase, with a Bachelor of Music in both viola and violin performance in 2006. While undertaking studies at the Hartt School and Purchase Conservatory, Thorgy also earned an honorary degree in Drag Ridiculousness, performing her original works of art entitled Maitri and Pocket to Pocket. Thorgy also starred in theatre productions such as Bad Splices and Psycho Beach Party
Thorgy has appeared on Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle, where she showcased her violin skills in drag. Thorgy has also been a repeat guest on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, appearing alongside Goldie Hawn, Amy Schumer, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda. She was also a special guest performer as part of Eliot Glazer’s Haunting Renditions in 2017. Further television credits include Dragnificent! on TLC and Hulu.
As a part of multiple “Haters Roast” and other comedy tours, Thorgy established herself as a comedic powerhouse in the world of drag. Thorgy’s comedic prowess also secured her role in a new musical, Oh My God Broadway, which debuted in 2018, alongside Sally Struthers and Bonnie Milligan.
Moving to Brooklyn in 2006, Thorgy featured in nightclubs, theatre projects, street performances, and photo series throughout Brooklyn and New York City. She has since been nominated for numerous awards including the Glam Awards, Get Out Awards, Odyssey Magazine Awards, and the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards, winning the “Brooklyn Legend” award and taking home Best Group Show of the Year.
THORGY THOR
Peter Bay, conductor
Doug Emblidge, narrator Rebecca Leclair, narrator SAT FEB 15 8 PM
KODAK HALL AT EASTMAN THEATRE
(ARR. JOHN WILLIAMS) Tribute to the film composer 5:00 WILLIAMS The Mission Theme (from NBC News) 4:00
Jaws: Suite [CACAVAS!] 8:00
Memoires of a Geisha: 6:00 Sayuri's Theme
The Witches of Eastwick: 5:00 Devil's Dance
E.T.(The Extra-Terrestrial): 10:00 Adventures on Earth INTERMISSION WILLIAMS
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 9:00 Excerpts
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: 3:00 Diagon Alley
Star Wars: Episode II – 6:00 Attack of the Clones: Across the Stars
Jurassic Park: Theme 6:00
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ARTISTS
PETER BAY, conductor
Peter Bay became Music Director and Conductor of the Austin Symphony Orchestra in 1998. He is also Conductor of the Bravo! Big Sky Classical Festival Orchestra (MT) and Arizona Philharmonic.
Maestro Bay has appeared with over eighty different orchestras including the National, Chicago, St. Louis, Houston, Dallas, Baltimore, New Jersey, North Carolina, San Antonio, Tucson, West Virginia, Colorado, Hawaii, Sarasota, Fort Worth, Bochum (Germany), Carinthian (Austria), Lithuanian National, and Ecuador National Symphonies, the Minnesota and Algarve (Portugal) Orchestras, the Louisiana, Buffalo, Arizona, Rhode Island and Boca del Rio (Mexico) Philharmonics, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Eastman (Postcard from Morocco) and Aspen (The Ballad of Baby Doe) Opera Theaters, and the Theater Chamber Players of the Kennedy Center. Summer music festival appearances have included Aspen and Music in the Mountains (CO), Grant Park and Ravinia (IL), Round Top (TX), OK Mozart (OK) and Skaneateles (NY). In June 2018 he led performances of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass as part of the Bernstein100Austin celebration.
Peter is the primary conductor for Ballet Austin. For Austin Opera he has conducted A Streetcar Named Desire, La Traviata, Turandot, The Marriage of Figaro, and La bohème.
Other positions held by Bay have included Music Director of the Erie Philharmonic, Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Breckenridge Music Festival (CO), Britt Festival Orchestra (OR), Hot Springs Music Festival (AR), and posts with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Richmond Symphony. From 1980 to 1990 he served on the conducting staff of the Aspen Music Festival where he led concerts with four of its orchestras. Bay and the ASO with pianist Anton Nel released a critically acclaimed Bridge CD of Edward Burlingame Hill’s music. With the Richmond Symphony he recorded the U.S. premiere of Britten’s The Sword in the Stone for Opus One Records, and with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Voices, featuring the percussion ensemble NEXUS. He is conductor for Christopher Cross’ Secret Ladder album and Hanan Townshend’s soundtrack to the 2016 movie The Vessel
In 1994, he was one of two conductors selected to participate in the Leonard Bernstein American Conductors Program. He was the first prize winner of the 1980 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Young Conductors Competition and a prize winner of the 1987 Leopold Stokowski Competition sponsored by the American Symphony Orchestra. In July 2012 he appeared in Solo Symphony, a choreographic work created for him by Allison Orr of Forklift Danceworks. He was inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame in May 2016.
Peter is married to soprano Mela Sarajane Dailey and they have a son Colin.
PETER BAY BONICA AYALA
ARTISTS
DOUG EMBLIDGE, narrator
Doug Emblidge, a celebrated anchor at 13WHAM in Rochester, New York, retired in late 2022, marking the end of an era for local journalism. With a career spanning decades, Emblidge anchored the station’s 5 p.m. news since 1990 and the 10 and 11 p.m. news for two years, becoming a trusted figure in households across the region. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Doug was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2018. Known for his professionalism and commitment to his community, he was lauded by WHAM’s vice president and general manager Chuck Samuels, who described him as a “consummate professional and great person.”
Doug’s broadcasting journey began in high school, working at WHAM and WHFM in Rochester, WDNY in Dansville, and WHEN in Syracuse. Following college, he held positions at WROC and WOKR before joining WHAM. He co-anchored the station’s morning news from 2000 until 2020, before transitioning to evening broadcasts. After retiring, Emblidge joined Alesco Advisors, an investment advisory firm, where he leverages his communication skills in a new industry.
REBECCA LECLAIR, narrator
Rebecca Leclair is a communications professional with 30 years of broadcast journalism experience in local news in Rochester, NY.
For the past seven years, she has served as a media consultant, publicist, and coach for business leaders. Rebecca often serves as emcee for charitable events and loves being a cheerleader for all things Rochester!
A Geneseo native who bleeds orange for her alma mater, Syracuse University, Rebecca’s proudest accomplishment has been marrying her partner for life, Paul. She has also raised four spectacular children, a couple of dogs, multiple cats, numerous fish, and at least four gerbils all named Ed.
DOUG EMBLIDGE REBECCA LECLAIR
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Susan and James Haefner
Joan Hallenbeck
Fred and Martha Hamaker
Martin and Sherrie Handelman
Dr. Tomas Hernandez and Dr. Keith Reas
Walter B.D. Hickey, Jr.
Drs. Ryan and Makiko Hoefen^
Dr. Marvin and Nancy* Yanes Hoffman
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
Dr. and Mrs. Harold Kanthor
Judy and Norm Karsten
Heidi Katz and Carl Chiarenza
Karen and Laurence Kessler
James H. Kirkwood
Ann Knigge and Al Buckner
Lynn Krauss-Prince
Deanna and Charles Krunsenstjerna
John and Lisa Lacci
Donna M. Landry
Jennifer Leonard and David Cay Johnston
Katherine Lewis and Richard Chasman*
John and Jane Littwitz
Curtis and Elizabeth Long&S
Patrick Macey and Jeremiah Casey
Saul and Susan Marsh
Richard and Kate Massie
Tom and Emily McCall
H. Winn McCray
William and Erin McCune
Andrew and Kay Melnyk
Ralph and Martha Meyer
Deanne Molinari
Mr. and Mrs. Paul F. Morgan
Laura V. Morrissey
Pastor and Mrs. Donald Muller
Paul Marc and Pamela Miller Ness&
Helene Newman
Deborah Onslow&S
Elison and Donald Cramer
Janice and Robert Daitz
Mrs. Joan Dalberth
Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Delvecchio
Kathleen Dill
Mohsen Emami, M.D.
Sherman and Anne Farnham
Joan and Harold* Feinbloom
Evan and Elvira* Felty
Gail R. Flugel
George and Marie Follett
Susan and Leslie Foor
Ann and Steve Fox
Ruth Freeman
Kimberly and Lou Gangi
M. Lois Gauch
Paulette GissendannerS
Mark and Lois Taubman
Mimi and Sam Tilton
Michael and Beverly* Tomaino
Gary and Marie VanGraafeiland
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
Rene Reixach
Josh Reynolds
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Richards
Nancy and Art Roberts
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
Libba and Wolf Seka
Dr. Jenny C. Servo and Mr. John Servo
Hezekiah and Ann Marie Simmons
Kathie Snyder
Phillip and Karen Sparkes
David Spector
Sandra and Richard Stein&
Ann H. Stevens and William J. Shattuck
Nancy Stevens and David Williams
Sally Turner
Wayne and Anne Vander Byl
James and Barb* Walker
James Watters
Jean and Sterling L.* Weaver
Philip and Marilyn Wehrheim Fund
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
Dr. and Mrs. William Grace
Russell and Kathleen Green
Michael D. Grossman
Catherine Gueli
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Guerin
David and Edna F. Hamlin
Barbara and A. Michael Hanna
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Hanna
Michael R. Herzog
James and Betsy Hoefen
Sheila Hollander
Audrey W. Holly
Philip and Eleanor Hopke
Dr. Dewey Jackson
Bruce Jacobs
Lyle Jenks
Mr. Gilbert F. Jordan
BENEFACTOR
($500-$999) CONTINUED
Connie KaminskiS
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
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
Ellen C. Lewis
Sarah F. Liebschutz, PhD
Dr. and Mrs. Norman R. Loomis
Mr. Robert Lowenthal
John and Judy Lynd
David J. Mack
Frank Maley
James and Rosa Mance
Janice D. Manning
Bryan Maslin and Jane Flasch-Maslin
David and Dorcas McCartney
Dick and Sandra McGavern
Virginia McHugh
Jonathan Mink and Janet Cranshaw
David and Monika M. MullenS
Thomas C. Munger
Maureen and Steve Neumaier
Mr. and Mrs. John Norris
Peggy and David Oakes
Mr. Donald W. and Jo-Ann R. O’Brien
W. Smith and Jean O’Brien
Margie O’jea
Debra and George Orosz
Elizabeth Osta and George VanArsdale
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
Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Przybylowicz
Jerry and Janice Rachfal
Richard and Susan Reed
Stan and Anne Refermat
Ray and Judy Ricker
Dr. Gerald and Maxine Rosen
Richard and Margery Rosen
Dr. and Mrs. G. Theodore Ruckert
Tom and Ellen Rusling
Hon. Franklin T. and Cynthia Russell
Ed and Gabriel Saphar
Nancy and David Schraver
David and Naomi Schrier
David Segal
Theresa A. Seil and Debra Celestino
David and Susan Sharp
Mrs. Caroline Shipley
Donna Broberg Shum
Harvey Simmons
Daniel and Sarah Singal
Abby and David Stern
David B. Stong
Steve and Cheryl Swartout
Yoshiko Tamura and Bruce M. Lee
David and Carol Teegarden
Jeffrey J. Thompson
Celia and Doug Topping
Bill and Mary Anna Towler
Adam and Catherine Towsley
John* and Janet Tyler
Eugene and Gloria Ulterino
Dr. William M. Valenti
Lorraine Van Meter-Cline and Doug Cline
Vic Vinkey
Robert Vosteen
John and Anne Walker
Mr. and Mrs. William Wallace
Lawrence and Diane Wardlow
Marsha Walton
Warren Welch
Dale and Lorraine Whittington
Susan and Paul Wilkens
Amy and Brent Williams
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
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 December 15, 2024
IN MEMORY OF…
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 December 15, 2024).
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.
Lillian Howk
Cynthia L. Howk
David L. Hunley, Sr.
Karen Stafford
Mrs. Polly Hunsberger
Margaret M. Joynt
George Smith and Diane Ahlman
Joanne Anderson
Dolores Young
Marisa Ballatori
Albert Ballatori
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
William Dixon
Jan Dixon
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
Elizabeth K. Stevens
Richard C. Hastings
Glenda Hastings
Donald Heinle
Stephen and Ann Martin
Anne M. Jones
Robert K. Jones
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
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
Eileen Ramos
Maria C. Leonardo
Albert Serenati
Nancy Snyder and Family
Carol Simmons
Harvey Simmons
Kenneth Slining
David Hathaway
Beverly A. Tomaino
Michael Tomaino
James E. Woods
Barbara Woods
Edna Yates
Helen M. Gordon
IN HONOR OF…
James Boucher
Margaret 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.
Dr. William Valenti
Deborah Onslow
Paul Gardella
Miriam Iker
Joanne Prives
Mary Elaine Pierce
Nancy E. Scher
Harvey Simmons
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 December 15, 2024
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.
Barbara Jean Gray-Gottorff*
George Greer*
Jean Groff*
Sue C. Habbersett*
William B. Hale*
Mrs. Laura J. Hameister
Marilyn* and Dick Hare
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*
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
Mary M. Gooley*
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*
Paul Marc and Pamela Miller Ness
Patricia McCurdy Morse*
John S. Muenter
Diane F. Nelson*
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
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 Development Associate, Institutional Partnerships
Dorian Delfs Development Officer
George DeMott Development Officer
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
Alyssa Koh
Grant Simon
Patron Services Representatives
FINANCE
Brandi Sheppard Director of Finance
Priscilla DeSoto Staff Accountant
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
585-454-7311 • Fax: 585-423-2256
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