Program Notes: A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

PROGRAM SERGEI PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25: Classical Symphony

IV. Finale: Molto vivace

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Orch. by Lucien Cailliet Fugue in G minor: The Little

HENRY PURCELL Suite from Abdelazer

Sunday, February 3 | 2:00PM

A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA A Family Concert

conductor Sameer Patel host and narrator Nuvi Mehta

II. Rondeau

BENJAMIN BRITTEN Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op.34

Theme: Allegro maestoso e largamente

Variation A (flutes and piccolo): Presto

Variation B (oboes): Lento

Variation C (clarinets): Moderato

Variation D (bassoons): Allegro alla marcia

Variation E (violins): Brillante - Alla polacca

Variation F (violas): Meno mosso

Variation G (cellos): [L'istesso tempo]

Variation H (basses): Comminciando lento ma

poco a poco accelerando al Allegro

Variation I (harp): Maestoso

Variation J (horns): L'istesso tempo

Variation K (trumpets): Vivace

Variation L (trombones): Allegro pomposo

Variation M (percussion): Moderato

Fugue: Allegro molto

Nuvi Mehta, narrator

Performance at the Jacobs Music Center's Copley Symphony Hall

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PROGRAM NOTES | A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA – FEBRUARY 3

ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR Internationally recognized for his deep musicianship and passionate communication, SAMEER PATEL is one of America's most exciting young conductors.

In the 2018-19 season, Patel continues in his role as Associate Conductor of the San Diego Symphony and as Associate Conductor of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, whose distinguished musicians come from many of North America’s finest orchestras. Upcoming and recent engagements include the orchestras of Toronto, St. Louis, Detroit, New Jersey, Phoenix, Sacramento, La Jolla, Toledo, New Hampshire, Fresno, Knoxville, Pacific, Alabama, Naples, Reading and Jacksonville, as well as the National Symphony in Washington, D.C and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Abroad, he has conducted acclaimed performances with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo, the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana, the Leipziger Sinfonieorchester and others. With an unending enthusiasm for understanding the music of our time, Patel has curated programs and has championed music by living composers such as Adam Schoenberg, Anna Clyne, Mason Bates, Ellen Reid, Hannah Lash, Tan Dun and others.

His impressive work across three continents has led to three consecutive Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards, which are given to promising young conductors in the early stages of their career. In 2016 he was recognized by Daniele Gatti as a top conductor at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy, which led to his acclaimed professional debut with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo. In 2013 Kurt Masur, the late Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, recognized Patel’s talents with a prize from the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Foundation, which allowed him to study with and assist Maestro Masur in his appearances with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. That same year, Patel was one of only six conductors selected by the League of American Orchestras for the Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, which led to subsequent, multiple engagements with that orchestra. In the early stages of his career he held prestigious fellowships with the Chicago Sinfonietta and Boston Philharmonic, and previously served as Associate Conductor of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic in Indiana.

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Patel furthered his training across Europe with some of the greatest conductors of our time, including Gianandrea Noseda, Daniele Gatti, the late Kurt Masur, Bernard Haitink, David Zinman and Neeme and Paavo Järvi.

Born and raised in Michigan, Patel is an enthusiastic advocate for music education, and in his spare time he pursues his passions for

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literature, languages, traveling, history and geopolitics. He makes his home in Southern California with his wife, Shannon, and their young son, Devan.

You can follow Patel on Twitter and Instagram: @sameerap2 n

ABOUT THE NARRATOR NAVROJ (NUVI) MEHTA serves the San Diego Symphony as pre-concert lecturer, multi-media presenter and community outreach resource.

Mehta joined the Ventura Music Festival in 2004 as Artistic Director, and was formerly conductor for the International Russian Music Piano Competition, as well as Music Director of the Marquette Symphony Orchestra and the Nova Vista Symphony. Mehta has also been Assistant Conductor and Director of Outreach Programs with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, and he served as apprentice conductor with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Mehta has also hosted San Diego Symphony appearances on XLNC 104.9FM and KPBS 89.5FM. As a violinist, Mehta served as concertmaster with the New World Symphony in Miami and performed for several seasons with the San Diego Symphony. A graduate with honors of Indiana University (BA in Music) and Juilliard (MA in Music), he studied conducting with Charles Bruck and attended conducting seminars with Leonard Bernstein. Mehta comes from a long musical tradition.

His father, Dady Mehta, studied piano at the Vienna Academy.

Simultaneously, Mehta’s mother had begun her voice training and his father’s cousin, Zubin Mehta, was studying conducting. Nuvi Mehta’s brother, Bejun Mehta, is a countertenor who has sung with the Metropolitan Opera.

Describing a childhood surrounded by music, Mehta says: “My mother taught us to sing, and my father’s piano filled the house.

To this day, some of my favorite piano music is that which my father played when I was under five years old. When he played Prokofiev or Bartók, I would run from wherever I was in the neighborhood hoping to arrive in time for the final chords.

While at Juilliard, Mehta began studying conducting with OttoWerner Mueller. “New York was a revelation. I heard Milstein and later had lessons with him. Zubin was a great support to me - taking me in, and giving me access to Philharmonic rehearsals and concerts.” Mehta’s principal violin teacher was Josef Gingold and he went on to study conducting with Charles Bruck. “I was fortunate to play concerts with Leonard Bernstein, as well, and to work with him. He was a big influence on me, too, as he was for so many.” n P ERFO RM AN C ES MAG A Z I N E

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