Program Magazine Winter/Spring 2026

Wi n t e r /S p r ing E d i ti on 2026

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“

T hi s s e as o n pro mi ses a rich tap est r y of s o u nd

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O n behal f of t he B oa r d o f D i r ec to r s , o u r mu s ician s , a n d sta f f , i t i s m y gr e a t p l ea s u r e to w el c o m e yo u to a n ew sea s on w i t h t he S a i n t Jo s ep h S y m p h o n y. W h e th e r t h is is yo ur f i r s t c oncer t o r y o u ’ v e b een w i th u s fo r man y ye ar s , w e ’r e de l i g h ted to s h a r e a n o th e r ye ar o f e x tra ord i nar y m us i c w i th y o u . A n d I a m th r i l l e d to be gin my seco nd y e ar as th e E x ec u ti v e D i r ec to r o f th e firs t symph ony I e v e r he a r d a s a c h i l d r i g h t h er e in St. J o e .

O ne co ul d s ay t hi s s y mp h o n y s ta r ted m e o n a life lo n g p a th in m us i c . We are p r o u d to s er v e a s a c u ltu ral corn erstone i n our c o m m u n i ty fo r o v er 6 5 y e ar s .

Th is seas on pr om i s es a r i c h ta p es tr y o f s o u nd - fro m a fi l m scor e t o a c l as s i c fi l m, to b el o v ed m a s terwo rk s , to b o ld new r e pe r t oi r e a n d p o p s o ffer i n g s , a n d pro u dly, t o th e p r e m i e r e of a p i ec e c o m p o s ed b y a n o th e r St. J osep h nat i ve , ac c l a i m ed c l a s s i c a l g u i ta r i s t A n th o n y G l ise. E ac h pe r f or m a n c e h a s b een th o u g h tfully crafte d t o inspire, upl i f t , and c o n n ec t. L i v e s y mp h o n ic m u s ic h as a rem ar kabl e ab i l i ty to b r i n g p eo p l e to g e th e r an d t o tran spor t us out o f o u r ev er y d a y l i v es . Ou r tale n te d musician s , unde r t he d i r ec ti o n o f o u r ex c ep t io n al condu ctor D r . C hr i s t o p h er K el ts , a r e ea g er to tak e yo u o n a jo ur ne y t hat c e l eb r a tes th e p o w er a n d b eau ty of m us i c .

Yo ur p res e nc e w i t h u s i s v i ta l . E v er y ti c k et p urch as e d, e v ery standi ng ovat io n , ev er y d o n a ti o n m a d e , an d e v ery wor d of e nc our a g em en t h el p s s u s ta i n th e SJ S’s mis s i on and e n s u r es w e c a n c o n ti n u e t o o ffe r e x cep tio nal pr ogr am m i n g , m u s i c ed u c a ti o n , an d o utrea ch i ni t i at i ve s f o r a l l . W e i n v i te y o u to go o u t fro m t h is conc e r t and s pr ea d th e w o r d a b o u t w h at h as be e n called th e “ be s t ke pt s ec r et” i n S t. Jo e. L et’ s fill all o f t h e sea ts i n our v e nu es a n d en r i c h ea c h o th er’s liv e s a n d th is r e gi on t hr ou g h m u s i c .

Th an k you f or be i ng p a r t o f o u r m u s i c a l fa mily— we are t ru ly g ra t e f ul f or you r s u p p o r t. E n j o y th e s eas o n , an d we’ ll see y ou i n t he c o n c er t h a l l !

Wa rm re gar ds ,

Nan cy Sc hm i dt -B r un s o n , E x ec u ti v e D i r ec to r

Table of Co ntents

Welco m e 3. Welco m e 4 . T he S a int Jo s eph Sy m ph o ny S o ciet y, I nc.

T h ing s To K n ow 5 . O u r M u s ic D irecto r a n d Co nd ucto r Chr istoph e r Kelts 6. Yo u th M u s ic Ed uc at io n 7. Ed uc at io n Cha ir M a rg ie S h e a n 8 . S ta r- S p a n g led Ch a mb e r 10. Red , Wh ite, A n d B lue Note s 11. A r t ist B io g ra ph ies 12. Wo m en’s M a rch 13 . P ro g ra m N otes 14 . P ro g ra m N otes 15 . Co m m u n it y O u t re a ch Pro g ra m s 16. To u r D e Fra n ce Fe at u r in g A nth o ny G li se 17. A nth o ny G l is e B io g ra phy 18 . P ro g ra m N otes 19. P ro g ra m N otes SAINT JOSEPH SYMPHONY 120 South Eight Street, St Joseph, MO 64501 - 2231 816.233.7701

Contact Us Saint Joseph Symphony 120 S. 8th Street St. Joseph, MO 64501 saintjosephsymphony.org info@saintjosephsymphony.org (816) 233 - 7701

Find us on: stjoesymphony stjoesymphony

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T h e S aint Jo seph Sympho ny S oc ie ty, I n c .

Bo ard of D i rec tors

Ad m in ist rat ive a nd A r t ist ic Staff Di a na A na to le , V ic e P r e s id e n t

Na n c y Sc h m id t - B r u n s o n , E x e c u ti ve D i rector

L ori Bo y e r , Tr e asur e r

B ec ky A l v a r e z , Se c r e t a r y

D r . C h r is t o p h e r K e lt s , M u s ic D ir ector/ Conductor

C o n n i e Br oc k

Pa ul Dea s e

L orri e D ix on

S ha ron G ra y

Debra Van Me te r

Jeremy Pete r s

E ri c S h a iffe r

Pa ul a W i l l i a m s

Megan S. Wye th

Ma tt Y oung e r

Margi e She an, Inte r im Pres i d ent

M a ya R o u m p h , A d m in is t r a t iv e Assi stant/ G r a p h ic D e s ig n e r J e n yl H a r t , B o o k k e e p e r No e l G o o d , O r c h e s t r a L ib r a r ia n R o b P a t t e r s o n , O r c h e s t r a P e r s o nnel Manager F r a n k P o lle c k , St a g e M a n a g e r Monty Carter, Program Annotator

T hanks to o ur genero u s S e a s on S p on s ors a n d Pa r t n ers

And to YOU our Concert Patrons!

Things To Know Discounts: Discounts offered are not stackable. Children and student tickets are half price in all sections of the theater. Group discounts are available by calling the symphony office at (816) 233 - 7701.

Please Note: If the Saint Joseph Symphony should cancel a show, ticket exchange will be available. Individual cancellations are not refundable.

Services for Persons with Disabilities: Accessible seating is available. The audio loop is also offered by the Missouri Theater to patrons with hearing loss. Be sure to mention at all venues your interest in accessible seating and/or audio when placing your ticket order.

Programs, guest artists, dates and concert venues are subject to change. Tickets are non-refundable.

Scan the code for our digital program

The use of cameras and/or audio video recording devices is strictly forbidden. The Saint Joseph Symphony reserves the right to make changes in programs and artists without prior notice. Please turn off all cell phones and pagers during the concert.

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Our Music Director and Conductor Dr. Christopher Kelts

Dr. Christopher Kelts is the newly appointed Director of Orchestras at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. Concurrently, he serves as the Music Director and Conductor of the Kansas City Civic Orchestra, Kinnor Philharmonic Orchestra, and Saint Joseph Symphony.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Kelts has received the prestigious “Arts for Life” Award for his excellence in musical direction in local theater. He has served as a guest conductor for the St. Louis Suburban Honors Orchestra and as a clinician for numerous school districts in the St. Louis area.

Dr. Kelts remains an active guest conductor and clinician for music programs across the United States. His conducting engagements have taken him across the country and internationally. Most notably, Project Musica performed at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, in May 2016.

Other conducting engagements include his work as assistant conductor for the Kansas City Ballet, Chamber Orchestra of the Ozarks, Topeka Symphony Orchestra, and the Urban Cultural Project (Kansas City).

Dr. Kelts earned advanced degrees in conducting from Illinois State University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. He studied under esteemed mentors Glenn Block, Robert Olson, and Paul Vermel. In addition to his orchestral work, he has maintained an active opera conducting schedule, leading productions of Le nozze di Figaro, Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria, Susannah, The Pirates of Penzance, Hansel and Gretel, Giulio Cesare, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, and the world premiere of Tonatzin.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with distinguished stage directors, including Linda Ade Brand, the late Marciem Bazell, Sylvia Stoner-Hawkins, Ann Marie Daehn and Richard Gammon.

In addition to his conducting expertise, Dr. Kelts is a formally trained violist, having studied at Missouri State University and Illinois State University. His extensive symphonic experience includes positions with the Springfield (MO) Symphony Orchestra, Peoria Symphony, Opera of Illinois Orchestra, and Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Kelts is also dedicated to music education. He is a faculty member at the East Tennessee State University Summer Chamber Music Festival, where he mentors young musicians in chamber music and orchestral performance. He is a proud member of several esteemed professional organizations, including the Conductor’s Guild, College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA), and serves as the faculty advisor for Mu Phi Epsilon–Alpha Mu Chapter at Missouri State University. A complete performance schedule can be found at www.keltsconductor.com.

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Music Education Programs

YOUNG AT ART is the name we have given to our traditional Youth Concert Day that has been decades in the making. On November 13, 2025, we will once again host two fun and informative concerts at the Missouri Theater for the 4th graders of the SJSD and expanded grades from private and parochial schools and homeschool groups in the area, as well as school districts from surrounding communities in NW Missouri and NE Kansas. Also that day, select high school students will have the opportunity to attend sectional workshops with our professional musicians in the morning and play side by side at the concert with the SJS musicians on stage. Over 1,000 kids attend each year for a nominal fee. But our aim this year is to make it free admission through donations from people just like you! Won’t you consider giving a one time sum or monthly donation of $5 or $10 to help us achieve that goal and support our educational outreach?

INSTRUMENTAL INFUSION is our annual collaboration with Missouri Western State University. This popular event occurs every January and brings 5th graders from the SJSD to the University’s Potter Hall so that with the help of volunteers, musicians and music teachers, they can “try out” different instruments and help facilitate their decision to join a band or orchestra in middle school and beyond. We are proud to be a part of this event that is so key to promoting musical instruction and learning and all the benefits that come with that, whether these students continue with music as a vocation or avocation later in life.

Your one time or monthly donation will help assure that this program continues to bring the joy of discovering and mastering a musical instrument to children of our community.

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The program was originally created to introduce children to the joy, creativity, and beauty of classical m usic. B.A.C.H. has grown into an engaging experience for adults new to the genr e as well.

Through storytelling, rhythm games, live instrument demos, and guided listening, the program makes music fun and accessible for all ages. Led by collaborative pianist Lorrie Dixon and musical guests, B.A.C.H. takes small audiences on a playful journey through melody, harmony, and rhythm— sparking curiosity and a lifelong love of music. To learn more or host a program, contact the Saint Joseph Symphony at 816-233-7701 or info@saintjosephsymphony.org.

B.A.C.H. is supported by a generous grant from the Norma J. and William J. Kenney Charitable Trust, US Bank, N.A. Trustee.

A Me s s a ge Fro m Ou r Interi m Boa rd President and Educ ational Chair Marg ie S he a n On e o f th e m o s t i m p ortan t p i l l a r s o f o u r mi s s i o n is mu s i c ed u c a ti o n o u tre ach fo r N o r th w es t M i s s o u ri an d N o r th ea s t K a n s a s . F r om p r es c h o o l th r o u g h h i gh s c h o o l , th e S a i n t Jo s eph S y m p h o n y s tr i v es to brin g l i v e m u s i c to th e y o u th in o u r a r ea to s ti m u l a te i n ter es t i n th e mu s i c al arts i n a n i n ter a c ti v e fo r m at th at s tu d en ts c a n r el a te t o .

Trad itional l y , t he S JS h a s en g a g ed w i th o v e r 2, 20 0 student s i n 4 t h and 5 th g r a d es fr o m o u r l o cal area thr ough our t w o fl a g s h i p p r o g r a ms , o u r youth c onc e r t Youn g a t Ar t a n d Instrume nt al I nf us i o n.

What is uni que abo u t Y o u n g a t Ar t i s th a t h igh school s t r i ng pl aye r s h a v e th e o p p o r tu n i ty to perform s i de by s i d e w i th th e S JS o n s ta g e at th e b e aut i f ul M i s s o u r i T h ea ter . S el ec t h i g h school s t ude nt s ar e a l s o tr ea ted to a s ec t ion a l ma s te r c l ass w i t h o u r p r i n c i p a l s tr i n g p l a y ers on the m or ni ng of t h e c o n c er t. A n a u d i en c e o f 4th grade r s f r om SJS D , th e C a th o l i c A c a d em y, homeschool e r s , and s u r r o u n d i n g c o mm u n itie s attends one of t w o a fter n o o n p er fo r m a n c e s .

Th e b ea ut y of w or k i n g i n S t Jo s ep h i s th e po te n tial for co llabor at i on. I n th i s s p i r i t M W S U

an d SJ SD te am to ge th e r with th e SJ S for I n s tr u me n ta l I n fu s i on. Stu de n ts in the 5t h g ra d e are giv e n th e o ppo rtu n ity to try o u t va rious b a nd an d o rch e s tra in s tru m e n ts to in s pire t he fut ure playe rs in o u r are a.

A t th e SJ S, we are co m m itte d to e x p a nd ing our re gio n al o u tre ach fo r th e ch ildre n and yout h o f o u r are a. To facilitate th is v is io n , t he SJS ha s cre ate d a bran d n e w pro gram fo r 202 5 – 2 02 6 an d be yo n d. B .A .C.H. (B e g i n n i n g A dventures i n Cl a s s i c a l Ha r mon y ) h e lps pre s choolers a nd o lde r yo u th to ide n tify th e ir fe e lin gs in a ha nd so n e x pe rie n ce th at tak e s place th ro ug h live in s tru m e n t de m o n s tratio n s , gu ide d list ening , s to ryte llin g, an d rh yth m gam e s . T h is p rog ra m is plan n e d an d im ple m e n te d by o u r v ery t a lent ed bo ard m e m be r, L o rrie Dix o n .

A s th e Edu catio n ch air o f th e Sain t Josep h Sym ph o n y an d a fo rm e r e du cato r and school adm in is trato r, it is m y s pe cific m is s ion t o g ive ch ildre n th e lan gu age fo r th e v ario us emot ions th at liv e m u s ic can e v o k e . I h av e e x perienced t his in th e pas t ye ar o n th e bo ard – It is b ea ut iful t o watch an d is s u ch an im po rtan t s o cia l skill for th e m to de v e lo p.

W e w e lco m e all w h o are in te re s te d in help ing e x pan d an d e n rich o u r co m m u n ity throug h t he lo v e o f m u s ic to jo in u s fin an cially or wit h t heir tim e an d tale n ts in o u r m u s ic e du catio n al o u tre ach .

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Celebrating 250 Years of American music

S TA R- S PA NG LED CH AM B ER 8

Friday, January 16, 2026 7:00pm

First Christian Church

Saint Joseph Symphony Brass Ensemble Bob Harvey, trumpet

Bill Richardson, trumpet Sara Giovanelli, horn

Chris White, trombone David Earll, tuba

PROGRAM James Barnes

Intrada from Divertissement

Euday L. Bowman (arr. McLeod)

12th Street Rag

F.W. Meacham (arr. Frackenpohl)

American Patrol

Brian B. Millard

Maguire Street Gallop

Bruce Broughton (arr. Lendt)

Silverado

Michael Giacchino (arr. Murtha)

The Incredibles

Alec Wilder

Effie Joins a Carnival

David Marlatt

A Coconut Named Alex

(arr. Jari A. Villanueva)

Armed Forces Salute

John Philip Sousa (arr. Battles and Holcombe)

Liberty Bell March

(arr. Don Gillis)

Just A Closer Walk

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Celebrating 250 Years of American music

R E D, W H I T E, A ND B LU E NOT ES 10

Friday, February 20, 2026 7:00pm

Ashland United Methodist Church

Celebrating Jazz - the American Idiom Kathleen Holeman, piano, voice Bob Harvey, trumpet Tracy Smithy, bass

Chad Lippincott, drum set Bob Long, saxophone

Program will be announced from the stage

Artist Biographies Kathleen Holeman, piano, voice

Chad Lippincott, drum set

Kathleen Holeman is a jazz vocalist, pianist, and trombonist with more than 25 years of performance experience in the Kansas City area and beyond. She has appeared with artists such as Gary Foster and Louie Bellson, and with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, performing at festivals and concerts throughout the Midwest and Southeast. She directs the Ray Alburn Big Band and leads small jazz ensembles in a variety of settings.

Chad Lippincott gained his musical skills from his mom, MaryAnn Webster-Eichelberg, on piano as well as Joyce Berg in Kansas City. He then went on to study drums with Dennis Rogers and remained his student all through middle and high school in the Park Hill School District.

Other influential teachers while there were John Bell, Mike Everman, Steven Lenhert and Charlie Boyd. He then went on to college at CMSU to study music education with Patrick Casey, David Aaberg and Michael Sekelsky. In addition, he received further lessons with Doug Auwarter and Todd Strait. When a band teaching position opened up at Central High School in St. Joe for the fall of 2002, Chad received the position and has been teaching high school and middle school band, jazz band, drumline, percussion ensemble, among other music opportunities since. Chad has been married to his wife, Erin Lippincott, for 16 years. They have three daughters; Wendy, Annabeth and Violet.

Holeman is Director of Vocal Jazz and Jazz Piano at Missouri Western State University, where she directs the Missouri Western Vocal Jazz Ensemble. She holds degrees from Missouri Western State College and the University of Missouri-Kansas City and brings a diverse musical background to her work as both performer and educator.

Bob Harvey, trumpet Robert (Bob) Harvey earned degrees from Missouri Western State University and Michigan State University. He taught in the Lee’s Summit School District for 29 years, and served as an adjunct for Missouri Western and Ottawa universities. He has been Principal Trumpet in the St. Joseph Symphony since 1989. He splits lead trumpet duties in the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. He has performed and recorded with the Boulevard Big Band, Trilogy Big Band, Mike Metheny Big Band, Vince Bilardo Orchestra, and the Kerry Strayer Orchestra. Bob played in the TD Pack Band for over 20 years, 10 as lead trumpet.

He is active as a guest artist and clinician, performing with and running master classes for area middle and high schools. He frequently serves as clinician, adjudicator and/or soloist for area Jazz Festivals. Bob is an Educational Representative for Meyer Music.

Tracy Smithy, bass Tracy Smith is a guitarist and electric bassist who performs with Brass Rewind and the St. Joseph Big Band. He also performs in musical pit orchestras and as a folk musician in the KC metro area. He is a retired music educator who now lives in north Missouri.

Bob Long, saxophone Bob Long is Director of Jazz Studies and Saxophone Studio at Missouri Western State University, where he directs the Missouri Western Jazz Ensemble and teaches jazz improvisation, woodwind methods, and saxophone. Previously, he spent twelve years as Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Valley High School (IA), leading an award-winning program with appearances at the IAJE Conference and the Essentially Ellington Jazz Band Festival at Lincoln Center. Under his direction, ensembles have also performed at major regional and national festivals, including the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference. A versatile performer, Long has appeared with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Des Moines Symphony, and alongside artists such as Clark Terry, Bobby Shew, Manhattan Transfer, and Frankie Valli.

He holds degrees from Truman State University and pursued advanced studies at the UMKC Conservatory of Music.

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WOMEN’ S M A RC H

Saturday, March 28, 2026 7:00 p.m.

The Missouri Theater

Saint Joseph Symphony Christopher Kelts, music director / conductor

PROGRAM Marianna Martines (1744 - 1812)

Sinfonia in C Major

Jessie Montgomery (b.1981)

Starburst

Florence Price (1887 - 1953)

Adoration

Louise Farrenc (1804 - 1875)

Symphony No. 1, in C minor, Op. 32 Andante sostenuto - Allegro Adagio cantabile Minuette Moderato Allegro assai

CO NCE RT SPON SOR: D r. Hely n Strick la n d 12

Program Notes Wom e n’s March Transparent amorphous solids are such a wonderful thing! They enable life-saving optics, lovely window panes, perfect liquid holders, and so much more!

But in our National Women’s History Month, our greatest Glass Actions, so to speak, are transparent commemorations – and continuation! – of the SHATTERING OF GLASS CEILINGS!

lengths and contours.”

YES, let’s get spicy! The Sinfonia in C is such a cool combination of upfront melodic drive, popularly referred to as Galant style in those days, and harmonic twists and turns, similar to the dramatic fun of C.P.E. Bach, the prominent Classical-era son of Big Daddy J.S. Bach.

How long have women artists, innovators and contributors been around? Since the VERY BEGINNING! But hmmm, how long have they been openly respected, publicly cherished, and officially RECOGNIZED? For mere seconds, historically speaking.

In our Women’s March concert, we are excited to present amazing works of past and present women composers, celebrating art for us all to discover, savor, and further ENABLE!

In the first movement, you’ll hear quick-spirited dance from the strings! There’s nothing you could love more than that...except, ooooh, in the second movement, you’ll enjoy such beautiful singing in the melodic trade-offs and unity of our oboes, horns and trumpets! And in the third movement, we ALL magically morph into pretty, perky birds! In the hands of Martines, “Allegro spiritoso” translates to “Dart & Dive, Whiz & Whirl!”

Marianna Martines (1744-1812): Sinfonia in C Major (1770) I. Allegro con spirito. II. Andante ma non troppo. III. Allegro spiritoso.

Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981): Starburst (2012)

So much of the music living in our hearts and souls is borne out of song and dance! The three movements of this Sinfonia delightfully dance, sing, and ethereally frolic! In title listings, you’ll often see this and other Sinfonias referred to as Overtures. In the 18th century, the two terms were interchangeable: originally existing as instrumental overtures to operas, sinfonias evolved over time into their own thing: the central genre of a symphony orchestra!

Viennese composer Marianna Martines, of Spanish heritage, had such prodigious skill as a keyboardist and vocalist early on that she became the first female student ever to be admitted to the prestigious Accademia Filarmonica, in Bologna! Perhaps you’ve heard about one of her fellow students, a buddy with whom she often performed four-hand piano sonatas: Wolfgang Amadeus! Before then, from age 7 to 10, Marianna took keyboard lessons from Mozart’s favorite mentor, Franz Joseph Haydn, and she also showed natural, spirited gifts in composition from a young age!

As a matter of fact, Marianna Martines is the first known woman composer to write a symphony!

While our program’s unforgettable Sinfonia in C Major is her only surviving orchestral work, she very likely composed others as well. The accessibility of her Sinfonia in C is thanks to the research and care of Nan Harrison Washburn, an award-winning orchestral conductor and long-cherished advocate of women composers. We love her description of Martines’s Sinfonia: “Its light, tuneful Viennese style is harmonically simple and would be structurally straightforward except for the composer’s imaginative and spicy use of different phrase

The works of Grammy Award-winning composer Jessie Montgomery have been described by The Washington Post as “turbulent, wildly colorful, and exploding with life.” And wow, it so happens that at least those latter two qualities perfectly describe Jessie Montgomery herself! An astonishingly versatile solo violinist, improvisatory performer, composer and educator, Montgomery frequently collaborates with other musicians, visual artists, playwrights and choreographers. We love that several of her concert works have actually been choreographed with major dance companies across the U.S.! And her passion for composing is equaled by her support, mentoring, and enablement of underrepresented composers and young artists.

Here is Montgomery’s description of her cosmic piece, Starburst: “This brief one-movement work for string orchestra is a play on imagery of rapidly changing musical colors.

Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape. A common definition of a starburst: “the rapid formation of large numbers of new stars in a galaxy at a rate high enough to alter the structure of the galaxy significantly” lends itself almost literally to the nature of the performing ensemble who premieres the work, The Sphinx Virtuosi, and I wrote the piece with their dynamic in mind.”

Florence Price (1887-1953): Adoration (1951) Music is in metered time, of course, with steady or fluctuating pulse. But while experiencing it, especially enjoying music from different eras, we also feel like we’re stepping out of time. A spiritual sensation! We classical music lovers and performers are truly time travelers!

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Program Notes Wom e n’s March We’re grateful for the discovery of previously unknown masterworks throughout the ages, including those of Florence Price, uncovered in 2009 amidst manuscripts and letters in the attic of her abandoned summer home in the outskirts of St. Anne, Illinois, more half a century after her life ended!

Price was a prolific composer of keyboard, chamber and orchestral music who eventually flourished, to some extent at least, in her lifetime despite having to deal with, in her words: “two handicaps – those of sex and race. I am a woman, and I have some Negro blood in my veins.” Her passionate music insists on being experienced! An active participant of the National Association of Negro Musicians, established in the U.S. in 1919 and inspiringly thriving to this day, Price persevered despite continual rejections. When the Chicago Symphony performed her Symphony No. 1 in 1933, that occasion was a “number 1” in another way as well: it was the very first performance by a major orchestra of an African American woman!

A far more intimate piece is Price’s unforgettable Adoration, from her collection, The Organ Portfolio, Vol. 15, No. 86, intimately showing the gifts of a composer who was brilliant in symphonic writing AND pipes & pedals! (Early in her career, by the way, Price had gigs playing organ in movie theaters as well as worship services!) The version of this organ piece we’re performing for you is a string orchestra arrangement by Elaine Fine (b. 1959), who has lovingly arranged it for other forms of ensembles as well.

Reminiscent of liturgical hymnody, Adoration is ternary (in A-B-A form), beginning with a meditative melody, nestled in snuggly lower-voice harmony which then offer contemplative responsive, culminating in a return to the opening melody in a fervent, yet unobtrusive, Amen.

Louise Farrenc (1804-1875): Symphony No. 1, in C minor, Op. 32 (1841) I. Andante sostenuto - Allegro. II. Adagio cantabile. III. Minuetto. IV. Allegro assai.

How great it was that Louise Farrenc (born JeanneLouise Dumont) was able to have private lessons in composition at age 15, with Professor Anton Reicha of the internationally acclaimed Paris Conservatoire!

That was nice because, sighhh, she had no option of actually enrolling at the conservatory. Why was that?

Because she was just 15? NO, it was because WOMEN WERE PROHIBITED from attending the Conservatory! Arrrgh!

Guess what, though! Two decades later, Louise Farrenc’s fame as a concert pianist, including tours throughout Europe with her ardently supportive husband, flutist Aristide Farrenc, led to her becoming

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Professor of Piano at that very same Conservatoire de Paris! She held that distinguished position for thirty years, and even (eventually) got PAID the same as her male counterparts! In addition to teaching and composing, Farrenc assisted her husband with a publishing company he opened there in Paris, editing, producing and preserving historic music that might otherwise have sunk into the quagmire of the unknown.

Let’s walk across the street from Classical Avenue to Romantic Boulevard. Yeah, sure, let’s jaywalk and get hit by Farrenc’s Symphony No. 1! Composed in 1842, a year before her professorship started, this Symphony is a lovely landscape of Classical-to-Romantic stylistic structure and transfiguration!

The opening movement pulls out onto a slow, wideroad introduction in cool, changing lanes of winds and strings, gently moving onto an acceleration ramp of continuing dialogue, exciting drama and recurring joy. All instrument sections (and intersections!) drive with passion, but without instances of rear-end collisions.

In the serene second movement, Adagio cantabile (slow; singingly), Farrenc achieves a jaw-dropping combination of serenity and momentum. Our singing has peace, but no somberness. We’re still a driving force!

The third movement lives up to its name, but it also drives past it! The minuetto (Italian version of the French word menuet, meaning “small”) was a dance form, with little-bitty steps in graceful, stately, 3/4 time, flowing in one ‘beat’ per measure, similar to a waltz. But while Farrenc’s third movement is full of grace, it’s also full of fervor! Beethoven, by the way, had passed away fifteen years prior, but his symphonies still ruled the roost. That’s why we love the idea that if he’d still been around (and could still hear), Herr Ludwig would have given Madame Louise an excited hoch-fūnf! ~ haute-cinq! ~ HIGH-FIVE! The perfect balance structural clarity and passionate drive of this Symphony so masterfully culminate in the final movement. How moving, how rejuvenating, it is! Such expressive clarity. Such artfully structured drama. Such warm brilliance fueled, exchanged, and shared by all instruments of the orchestra!

Sharing is the essence to receiving.

Com mu nity O utre ach Progra ms !

Music has the power to inspire, heal, and bring people together and your presence here today is part of that impact. Through our Community Outreach Programs, the Symphony extends far beyond the concert hall, bringing live music and meaningful musical experiences into schools, neighborhoods, and community spaces throughout the region. These programs connect people of all ages and backgrounds to the joy of symphonic music, support music education, and strengthen the cultural fabric of our community. Together, we’re ensuring that great music continues to enrich lives and create lasting connections for generations to come.

Scan here to learn more about our community outreach programs on our website!

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TO UR D E F R ANC E Fe at u r i n g A NT HO NY GL I S E

Saturday, April 25, 2026 7:00 p.m.

The Missouri Theater

Saint Joseph Symphony Christopher Kelts, music director / conductor Anthony Glise, guitar/composer

PROGRAM Bizet (1838 - 1875)

Suite No. 1, Carmen

Debussy (1862 - 1918)

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Anthony Glise (b. 1956)

The Globe Rooms:

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Boléro, M.1

-Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, Op. 11

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Ar tist Biography A ntho ny Gl ise American guitaris t and composer, Anthony holds countless awards and twelve academic diplomas from seven countries—mostly in music, various languages, and medicine (as a licensed emergency medical technician). His most recent diploma (October, 2025) is a 1st-level saucier chef’s license from the famed cooking academy, “Le Cordon Bleu” in Paris, the alma mater of Julia Child, the TV chef, Giada De Laurentiss, et al.

The only American-born guitarist to win ever First Prize at the International Toscanini Competition (Italy) and the only guitarist chosen by the Missouri Arts Council as “Individual Artist of the Year” (Jefferson City, 2006), Anthony matriculated from the Konservatorium der Stadt (Vienna) and New England Conservatory (Boston) with additional study at Harvard University (in business management and marketing), the Université Catholique de Lille (France), ARCUM (Rome) and the Accademia di Studi “L’Ottocento” (Vigevano, Italy), etc.

Anthony is also the only guitarist ever awarded the “Individual Artist of the Year” by the Missouri Arts Council (2006) and has been awarded diplomas and performed at such festivals as Festival des Artes (Hautecombe), Ville Sable (France), ARCUM (Rome), the Nemzetközi Gitárfesztivál (Hungary).

He has performed and premiered his original compositions

in New York (Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Green Auditorium, etc.), Chicago (Dame Myra Hess Concert Series, etc.), Rome (Santa Maria degli Angeli), Vienna (Vienna International Center, etc.), Lille (Nouveau Siècle of the French National Orchestra, etc.), Esztergom (Hungary) etc.

In 2006 Anthony was elected to the board of the French government entity, Domaine Musique, to help develop better relations between French composers and feature film directors. He is the only non-French composer ever invited to that prestigious assembly and often composes for international films and documentaries.

Anthony has released eleven internationally distributed CDs and his 90+ publications (most, simul-published in English, German, French, and Italian) include the books, “Classical Guitar Pedagogy,” and “The Guitar in History from 1400 to Today,” which are both used as primary textbooks in virtually every university on earth.

Originally from St. Joseph, since 1984 Anthony has predominantly lived and taught in western Austria, the Black Forest region of Germany, the US, and for the last 27 years, in his adopted village of Sainghin-en-Mélantois in Northern France, one hour north of Paris, where—as he jokingly explains: “...we have 500 people, 900 cows, and the newest church in the county...built in 1562.”

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Program Notes Tour D e France Fe atu r i n g Anth ony G l is e Do your devoted Saint Joseph Symphony musicians compete with one another? No way! We are joined forces, absolument! But we actually have something cool in common with Tour de France competitors: our concert preparations are a lucid, coordinated CYCLING RACE! And what a delight it is to travel the roads avec Monsieurs Glise, Bizet, Debussy et Ravel!

C’est magnifique!

Anthony LeRoy Glise (b. 1956): “The Globe Rooms” — Concerto #1 for Solo Guitar and Orchestra, Op. 11 Anthony Glise is a St. Joseph, Missouri native! It is this town and Sainghin-en-Melantois, in northern France, that are his ‘home, sweet home’ and ‘maison, douce maison!’ Ask him about his life – in English, French, or German – and your jaw, mâchoire, or Kiefer will DROP! This internationally acclaimed creator can teach you guitar, composition, music research, arranging, dance, poetry, business management, tour management, emergency medical services, and LIFE BALANCE. Yes, this phenomenally giving soul is also known (and envied) for mysteriously knowing how to creatively dwell in his own space!

Here is Monsieur Glise’s description of his guitar concerto, The Globe Rooms: My Concerto #1 for Guitar and Orchestra, Op. 11, “The Globe Rooms” was written in 1988 with the world premiere at the Shore Festival of Classics in the famed “Great Auditorium” (seating 6,500 attendees), in Ocean Grove, New Jersey on July 7, 1988 for a concert entitled “Mozart and Glise.”

This three-movement composition stems from concepts in Herman Hesse’s novel, Steppenwolf. As Hesse’s writing subtly transforms from reality to the surreal, the main character, Harry, is led through a series of rooms called ‘The Globe Rooms’ where he confronts the deepest aspects of his psyche, good and otherwise.

This composition musically represents those same elements that confront everyone and it is—still today— one of my favorite original works. The opportunity to perform “The Globe Rooms” in my hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri at the glorious Missouri Theatre with the outstanding conductor, Maestro Christopher Kelts, is a tremendous honour and (as a footnote), in the words of Hermann Hesse himself, The Globe Rooms is: “...for madmen only.”

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Georges Bizet (1838-1875): Suite No. 1, Carmen (1875) I. Andante sostenuto - Allegro. II. Adagio cantabile. III. Minuetto. IV. Allegro assai.

While Bizet’s Carmen became one of the most popular operas of all time, we’re ok with just performing this Carmen Suite for you, rather than the whole opera in its original form! Back then, orchestra members griped about the music being “unplayable!”

Then, when they got it right, the singers hated how loud the instrumentation was! And for some reason, women in the chorus griped about being made to smoke cigarettes and fight onstage!

Paris Conservatoire standout and Prix de Rome winner Georges Bizet was a potentially prolific composer, but his career was ridden with missteps, unfinished efforts, and annoying lack of interest from the French operatic establishment. Upon the premier of his opera, Carmen, he felt it was a flop. While every musical element is glorious, its perceived scandalous narrative raised eyebrows beaucoup. Three months later, Bizet died from a heart attack, unable to bask in and benefit from the work becoming one of the most popular operas of all time! After his passing, Bizet’s friend Ernest Guiraud crafted two orchestral suites of excerpts from the music, which remain very popular to this day.

Motif du destin (fate motive) should definitely be a music term, especially for this opening excerpt, le Prélude! While we sometimes hear preludes that sound like a gentle Hey, how’re you doin’? Get comfy for some music, Monsieur Bizet and many other composers, including Big Daddy Bach, say, “Mais non!” This Prelude comes right at ya and whisks you into the narrative!

We are in Spain, by the way! Just south of the French border. Argonaise is a dance from Aragon, the region right there. This robust, swirly, minor-key yummy just can’t sit. We’re all doing arabesques: musically AND physically (in spirit!).

The Intermezzo is the simplest music of the suite: simply put, the most entrancing! What a beaut is the FLUTE, and we love to HARP on its partner! Tranquil as this excerpt is, it also hints at the tragic conclusion of the opera.

Séguedille will win your vote for the selection you wish would last longer than merely two minutes. But Carmen needs no more time than that to seducingly entice her captor, Don José to release her...and meet up later. This dance form is a Castilian folk genre in existence for at least eight centuries.

Do you know why these pompous little dragons d’Alcala are led by the bassoons? Because they’re

actually dragoons! Seriously! That’s their real, traditional name. Mounted infantry, travelling horseback but fighting on foot. And how sweet it is that their horses get to choose the music. It’s cute!

As the flute draws you into this extraordinary tone poem, enjoy feeling ~ and recognizing in yourself ~ the faun’s untrammeled spirit, and the nymphs’ free, tender joy.

Les toréadors is actually the opening music of the opera, but it is simply impossible for the Suite to resist concluding with its EXUBERANCE! – BRAVURA! – FERVOR! which are actually fueled, and sustained, by the very grace within.

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): Boléro (1928)

Claude Debussy (1862-1918): Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (1894)

“Euh … peut-être.” [Umm … maybe.]

We wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the response Ravel got from his pal, Ernest Chausson, back when they were on a summer vacation and Maurice shared with him, with a single finger at the piano keyboard, a mélodie insistante which he loved the idea of stating over and over and over in an orchestral piece?

Regardless of your species, this enchanting music is going to make you faun! Your ears will widen brightly, We hope you won’t do this in our performance, then tranquilly hang down past your muzzle. Yes, it will but it has been said that during the premier of this make such an Impression on you! piece, a woman in the audience was heard shouting Oooh, don’t tell Monsieur Debussy we used that term! that Ravel was CRAZY! And upon being told this, He didn’t like being called an Impressionist. Of course Ravel is said to have replied, “Elle l’a compris!” (She understood it!) we now swoon over Impressionistic music, broadly thought of as the profound path which art music took following the Romantic Era, with Debussy largely considered its founding father! But in his time it was an overused term, even somewhat derisive when used to describe music.

It’s not known whether that actually happened, but we love that story, because the piece really is crazy, in a wondrous way! The concept doesn’t seem all that impressive: just one little theme, introduced by the flute to a simple, steady rhythmic pattern, repeated in various instrumentations and gradually growing from But Debussy would be the first to attribute many of his greatest inspirations to friends in the arts: painters, pianissimo at the beginning to fortissimo at the end. certainly, but especially poets. It would be so fun if we The piece only lasts a couple of minutes, right? Naw, FIFTEEN! Maurice Ravel & your Saint Joseph Symphony could travel back in time and peek in on the regular have WAY MUCH MORE to give ya! Merci, chers amis!

Tuesday evening soirées of Debussy with Stéphane Mallarmé, Claude Monet, Marcel Proust and many others!

The term “Impressionism,” by the way, refers to the visual arts movement named after Claude Monet’s 1872 painting, Impression, soleil levant (Impression, Sunrise), with color, atmosphere and spiritual perception given creative freedom from formal structure.

Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun was truly conceived as a musical prelude to the reading of his friend Mallarmé’s poem, Afternoon of a Faun. In short, it’s a rhapsodic monologue from a faun’s point of view.

(Can we describe the Greek & Roman mythology in a single sentence? Of course!) We have here a halfman/half-goat, out in the woods, slowly awakening from an afternoon nap (he’s free of commitments that day), no need for coffee, just his pan flute, which he takes to his lips while trying to remember which nubile nymphs’ lips had been smiling (or more) with him that very morning! But brothers & sisters, what Stéphane’s poem & Claude’s express, is the magical mystery of so many our most meaningful experiences in life. We don’t fully grasp them, but they grasp us. And calm, open perception is how we embrace them back!

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