Spokane Symphony Program Book: Fall Edition

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P R O G R A M

FALL EDITION

B O O K

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

TABLE OF CONTENTS History of the Fox Theater and Spokane Symphony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 Music Director Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Board Chair Letter and Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Spokane Symphony Chorale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Soirée’s and Sensory Friendly Nutcracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A Welcome from Interim Executive Director Russ Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 An Experience Beyond the Concert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Masterworks 1: The Turning World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-23 Masterworks 2: Scotland the Brave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-28 Masterworks 3: An American Celebration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-41 Masterworks Concerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 A Guide to the Language of Orchestral Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45 Education and Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 What Should I Eat? Dining Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48-49 Spokane Symphony Pops Shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Specials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Spokane Symphony and Fox Theater Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Box Office and Digital Tickets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Our Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Spokane Symphony Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Musical Legacy Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Ways to Give . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Thank You to our Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61-63

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HISTORY OF THE FOX THEATER AND SPOKANE SYMPHONY 1

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1931: Fox Theater opens on September 3.

• 1940s-1950s: The Fox hosts stage performances, including stars like Katharine Hepburn and Frank Sinatra. Community Concerts series brings renowned musicians to the stage.

• 1945: Spokane Philharmonic Orchestra founded by conductor Harold Paul Whelan.

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1945-1946: Debut season at the Masonic Temple Auditorium.

• 1961: Financial and artistic crisis leads to the dissolution of the original philharmonic organization. Spokane Symphony is born.

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1962: Donald Thulean becomes music director, leading artistic improvement and expanding the concert schedule.

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• 1974: Spokane hosts Expo ‘74, and the symphony plays a significant role in the fair’s entertainment.

• 1974: Spokane Symphony moves to the Spokane Opera House (now First Interstate Center for the Arts.).

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1984: Pulitzer Prize winner Gunther Schuller becomes interim conductor, bringing stability.

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1985: Bruce Ferden takes over as music director, introducing innovations like pops concerts.

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

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6 1989: The Fox becomes a movie triplex.

7 1991: Vakhtang Jordania becomes music director.

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8 1993: Fabio Mechetti becomes music director, leading financial and artistic advances.

• 1996: Mechetti conducts Beethoven’s Ninth in the symphony’s first commercial recording session.

9 2000: The Spokane Symphony purchases the Fox Theater to revive to its original glory.

10 2004: Eckart Preu becomes music director, leading the orchestra into the Fox Theater era.

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• 2007: Spokane Symphony moves into the renovated Fox Theater.

11 2019: James Lowe becomes the music director, continuing the symphony’s legacy •

2024-25:

YOU ARE HERE.

Spokane Symphony’s 79th Season

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Dear Friends of the Spokane Symphony, As we embark on our new season, I find myself reflecting on the connection that music fosters among us. Music is more than just sound; it’s a bridge that links our hearts and minds, transcending the everyday mundane. This season, we are thrilled to present an eclectic array of performances that promise to captivate and inspire.

Our season opens with Masterworks 1: The Turning World, which embodies the transformative power of music. From the breakneck thrills of Glinka’s “Ruslan and Lyudmila” Overture to the emotive strains of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, you’ll take a journey through time and emotion.

We are delighted to welcome Grammy Award winning pianist, Awadagin Pratt.

Local talent is also on display. In October, we invite you to experience Masterworks 2: Scotland the Brave! which captures the landscapes of the North in Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony and showcases our very own flutist Julia Pyke in Christopher Rouse’s Gaelicinspired Flute Concerto. Masterworks 3: An American Celebration, is conducted by audience favorite Morihiko Nakahara. Marking the 100th anniversary of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” this concert also features, Symphony saxophonist Greg Yasinitsky’s composition “Celebration Overture.”

We are particularly excited about our innovative Masterworks 4: Beethoven vs. A.I. concert, an exploration of the intersection between timeless human creativity and cutting-edge technology.

This concert features an experiment where Artificial Intelligence attempts to complete a movement of Beethoven’s unfinished 10th Symphony. The fascinating technological ingenuity of A.I. serves to remind us of the irreplaceable essence of human artistry as we culminate with Beethoven’s own emotional and revolutionary “Eroica” Symphony.

This season you will explore different musical worlds. From the spellbinding melodies of Korngold’s Hollywood-inspired Violin Concerto in Masterworks 6: L.A. Stories to the grand, celestial choruses of Haydn’s “The Creation” in Masterworks 8: Let There Be Light! Each concert offers a unique window into the diverse expressions of human creativity.

For those looking to experience the magic of live orchestral music in another setting, our Pops series offers something for everyone. Whether it’s the festive Pops 3: Holiday Pops concert, the thrilling tunes of Pops 4: The Music of James Bond, or the cosmopolitan flair of Pops 5: Pink Martini, these performances are designed to entertain and delight audiences of all ages.

Let us not forget the power of music to unite and uplift. Each performance is an invitation to disconnect from the noise of everyday life and reconnect with our shared humanity. I invite you to join us at the symphony, where every concert is a chance to find yourself in the music.

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm. Together, we create a community that celebrates the beauty and power of music.

James Lowe Music Director, Spokane Symphony

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

JAMES LOWE James Lowe assumed his role as the Music Director of the Spokane Symphony in 2019. His work as a conductor has ranged over five continents including collaboration with orchestras in the UK and Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA. Born in Nottingham, England and currently residing in both Spokane and Scotland, he previously held the positions of Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra in Finland, Associate Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Prussian Chamber Orchestra in Germany, and worked as Orchestras Advisor to the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland.

Lowe began playing the viola as a child, and went on to graduate from the University of Edinburgh with First Class Honours in music. He was subsequently invited by Benjamin Zander to be the Zander Conducting Fellow

with the Boston Philharmonic, and was a recipient of the Bernard Haitink Fund for Young Talent, working as Assistant Conductor to Bernard Haitink with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.

Lowe has conducted orchestras all over the world, including engagements with the Osaka and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestras, the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic, Scottish Ballet, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, plus numerous other ensembles in Europe, South Africa and the United States.

In addition to his conducting work, Lowe is active as an educator, teacher of conducting, and is researching ways in which orchestras can meaningfully engage with a wider public.

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THE ORCHESTRA VIOLIN I Mateusz Wolski Concertmaster Florence Wasmer Chair

Roberta Bottelli Louise Butler Sean Lamont Kevin Hekmatpanah Jared Carlson Johannes Kleinmann

Jason Moody+ Associate Concertmaster Carol L. Herak Chair

BASS Patrick McNally Principal

Jeanne Bourgeois Assistant Concertmaster

Kim Plewniak Assistant Principal

Margaret Bowers Ayer-Blegen Chair

Stephen Swanson Jack Koncel Brian Bonnell Greg Youmans

John Bennett Jeri Bentley April Martin Elizabeth Lund Kathleen Teal

FLUTE Julia Pyke Principal Frances L. Risdon Chair

Erica Uzcátegui Campíns* Associate Concertmaster Carol L. Herak Chair

Colleen McElroy Sherry Knott Chair Jennifer Slaughter

VIOLIN II Amanda Howard-Phillips Principal Washington Trust Chair

PICCOLO Colleen McElroy

David Armstrong Assistant Principal

OBOE Keith Thomas Principal

Xu Duo Luis Pérez Canabal Catherine Shipley Tiffany Wang

Sheila Armstrong ENGLISH HORN Sheila Armstrong

Allion Salvador* VIOLA Nick Carper Principal The Coughlin Chair Jeannette Wee-Yang Assistant Principal Angela Mitchell Sarah Bass Jessica Jasper Michael Molnau Joey Pomeroy

Helen Byrne Assistant Principal

*One Year Leave of Absence

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HORN Clinton Webb Principal Johnston-Fix Chair Henry Nordhorn Assistant Principal Charles Karschney Andrew Angelos Kristin Joham TRUMPET Larry Jess Principal Johnston-Fix Chair Chris Cook Eric Moe Andrew Plamondon TROMBONE John Church Principal Richard Strauch BASS TROMBONE Skyler Johnson TUBA Clayton Dungey Principal Leonard I. Byrne Chair

CLARINET Chip Phillips Principal

TIMPANI Hamza Able# Principal Sherry Knott Endowed Chair

Daniel Cotter

Meagan Gillis*

Eb CLARINET Daniel Cotter

PERCUSSION Leigh Wilson Principal

SAXOPHONE Greg Yasinitsky Principal

CELLO John Marshall Principal Jerry R. & Francis L. Strafford Chair

CONTRABASSOON Luke Bakken

BASSOON Lynne Feller-Marshall Principal Paul and Susan Kennedy Chair Luke Bakken Paul Plowman

+One Year Appointment

William Howald Andrew Repsold HARP Earecka Tregenza Moody Principal James Lowe Music Director Dr. Meg Stohlmann Chorale Director

#One Year Possibly Permanent

SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

Dear Friends of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, As we come together for the 2024-25 season, we embrace resilience, excitement, and unity in our shared journey. We are profoundly grateful to our donors and supporters for their unwavering support, which has enabled us to navigate challenges while staying innovative and adaptable. Our determination to bring the transformative power of music to our community is stronger than ever. Each performance will reflect our steadfast commitment to artistry and connection.

We invite you to experience the joy of live performances, the thrill of new discoveries, and the collective strength that unites our Spokane community through the universal language of music.

This season promises an exhilarating exploration of both classic and innovative works, celebrating the enduring beauty and vitality of orchestral music. Our Masterworks series will showcase a diverse range of compositions, from timeless classics to contemporary masterpieces.

Here’s to a season of unforgettable performances and magical moments shared together!

With warmest regards, Dr. Vange Hochheimer, Board Chair

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Chair: VANGE OCASIO HOCHHEIMER Vice Chair: SARA MALEKI Chair of Finance and Audit: ANNA TORMA

Chair of Governance Committee: DR. FRANCISCO VELAZQUEZ

DIRECTORS Mary Ruth Carleton Vernice Cohen Bruce Colquhoun (Past SSA President) Michael Ebinger (Emeritus Director – non-voting role)

Debbie Maurus Carol Nelson Elizabeth Raol (SSA President) Michael Sharapata Keith Slater

Ann Fennessy Carolyn Kadyk Janet Lambarth (Past SSA President) Sybil MacDonald

Jennifer Slaughter (Music Representative) Brad Stark Anna Torma Jeanette Wee-Yang (Music Representative)

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY CHORALE Where can you find over 80 singers who put in over 100 hours of volunteer rehearsal and performance and always sound incredible?

In the Spokane Symphony Chorale, of course; a group of doctors, nurses, realtors, salesmen, performers, and more who come together just because they love singing and sharing music with others. Since 1978, the Spokane Symphony Chorale has brought the Spokane Symphony to new musical levels in many shows throughout each season. They also take their talents into the community through their own individual projects as well as collaboration with the Spokane Symphony Associates.

ENJOY THE CHORALE IN THE 2024-2025 SEASON The Music of Harry Potter and Other Halloween Favorites Handel’s Messiah at St. John’s Cathedral HOLIDAY POPS

New Year’s Eve: Beethoven’s 9th MASTERWORKS 5:

Daybreak of Freedom MASTERWORKS 8:

Let There be Light!

DR. MEG STOHLMANN

Dr. Meg Stohlmann is the director of choral and vocal studies at Gonzaga University where she conducts the Concert Choir, Glee Club, Musea Treble Choir and assists with Big Bing Theory, Gonzaga’s only pop a cappella ensemble. Meg is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and serves on the Washington state board as the student activities chair.

She was also selected as one of six conductors to participate in the 2023 ACDA International Conductor’s Exchange program in Germany. Originally from Santa Rosa, California, Meg taught choir and guitar at the middle and high school level in Lexington, KY for six years and conducted the Danville Children’s Choir.

Her children’s choir and high school advanced women’s choirs performed at the Kentucky Music Educators State Conference in 2014 and 2015, respectively. She earned her Doctoral of Musical Arts Degree at the University of Washington and Masters degree in Voice Performance and Choral Conducting from the University of Kentucky. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Meg also served on active duty in the Air Force for 5 years in Arizona, Korea and Germany. She separated from the military in 2004 to pursue a second bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Sonoma State University. Meg’s lifelong love of choral music began as a charter member of the Santa Rosa Children’s Chorus where she sang for over 10 years and credits with her decision to make music education her career.

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

CHORALE MEMBERS SOPRANO Wanda Alger Richelle Bronson Millie Brumbaugh Brenda Burger Anna Carparelli Holly Chase Katherine Cleveland Sharon Fischer Jennifer Garcia Jenna Gigstead Lise Hafso-Marks Amelia Kaufman Jamie Kizer Anne LaBella Janet Lambarth Stephanie Lauritzen Amber Lawson Anita Lewis Claire Liezen Karlee Ludwig Sara Maleki Brittany McEachran Maureen Miller Kristen Nauditt

Lori Parisot Carmyn Parks Lisa Phillips Rene Phillips Grace Rowe Judy Sawyer Jennifer Snow Becky Soth Mary Steenblik Allison Wagstaff Lori Williams ALTO Marcia Amend Trayci Ballin Linda Besse Jess Carlson Rebecca Cheek Jo Crandall Paulina Crownhart Becky Dahlager Kay Deffenbaugh Dawn DeWitt Tianna Drew Sara Duggin

Brook Gehring Kathryn Gordon Jessica Hopf Hailey Hughes Esther Kelley Jordyn Kernodle Kathryn Kleypas Jessica Knick Natalie Marssdorf Kimberly Meinecke Catherine Miller Faith Mitchell Heather Morton Gretchen Ramey Hannah Reiman Kira Schwander Michelle Scott Salli Sledge Maria Stromberg Maggie Sullivan Irene Supica Alice Thomas April Thompson Jennifer Traeger Debbie Zimmerman

TENOR Micah Blauer Mike Bullard Trevor Bushnell Justin Gray Bob Jespersen Tim Kenagy Bobbi Kizer David Liezen Lucas Manfred Brendan McEachran Isaac Miller Jayden Salazar Frank Seidl Logan Shevalier Christian Skok Jacob Smith Brian Soth Jim Swoboda Brian Vaughn Tom Williams

BASS Alex Barclay Adam Bartholomew Andrew Cheek Brian Cheney Brayden Dini Dan Eyestone Bill Gormley Ryan Gunn Blaine Huizinga Matthew Hurd Kevin Jung Ken Krall Cole Reiman Aaron Rondeau Bill Shea Brent Stanyer Paul Steenblik John Stillman Stephen Vigus Scott Waples Brent Wilcox Michael Williams Chuck Zimmerman

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY CHAMBER SOIRÉES RETURN TO THE HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL Wednesday, October 16 & Thursday, October 17 Wednesday, January 22 & Thursday, January 23 Wednesday, April 16 & Thursday, April 17 All performances start at 7:30pm Set in the opulent but intimate Davenport Historic Hotel, small ensembles play some of our musician’s favorite works of familiar composers with a few new discoveries along the way.

A wonderful way to relax and unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse yourself in beautiful music.

Chamber Soirée single tickets and subscription package available now.

Thank you to our concert sponsors Richard Trudell & Dr. Nancy Morrison, PhD and Andy and Liz Law.

SENSORY-FRIENDLY NUTCRACKER PERFORMANCE RETURNS Saturday, December 4 at 6pm General Admission Tickets: $30 Designed for those on the autism spectrum or with other sensory issues, modifications include altered lighting levels, flexibility to move around during performance, and sensory support tools in the lobby. This is a full-length production.

Sponsored by Stephanie Plowman in loving memory of Gary Plowman, former SSO oboist “Thank you SO much for opening this performance of The Nutcracker to our ASD community! Wow. My son was able to move as he pleased without me having to attempt to correct his behavior the entire performance. I loved all of the many added sounds from the audience members. There was space, the lighting was perfect, and the performance was absolutely beautiful. Being able to have these experiences with my son is so important to me. I spoke to some families who were able to attend The Fox for the first time and were blown away by its beauty. The whole experience delighted me to no end.”

-Sensory-Friendly Nutcracker Patron

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

DISCOVER THE NEW HISTORIC

Introducing two new dining and retail experiences.

EMPORIUM A charming coffee bar and retail shop that offers a delightful blend of artisan coffee, delectable pastries, and unique retail treasures. Start your day with an espresso or unwind with a freshly brewed cup of tea, all crafted by our expert baristas.

The perfect blend of timeless charm and contemporary sophistication.

Savor expertly crafted cocktails, fine wines, and a curated selection of small bites in a setting that celebrates the rich heritage of the Davenport Hotel.

FOLLOW ALONG AT @STAYDAVENPORT DAVENPORTHOTELCOLLECTION.COM

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

A WELCOME FROM INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RUSS LEE I want to welcome you all to the 79th season of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. It is with an extra level of excitement and anticipation that I look forward to the season as I join the Spokane Symphony as the interim Executive Director. I have worked with Jeff vom Saal as both a former Board President and a Trustee for the entirety of his 9-year service and have the greatest of appreciation for his contributions.

When my wife and I arrived in the city in 2015 we began to learn about the proud, growing and impressively unique area that is Spokane. We found a city with both a long and historically significant past as well as a forward-looking spirit. This also describes our Orchestra which not only provides an elevated level of musical artistry and excitement but is a key factor amongst many others which makes Spokane so special.

Thank you for being a part or our symphony family. Your support allows us to create music - A shared joy that brings us all together. We are committed to making every concert and experience at The Fox a memorable moment.

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AN EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE CONCERT Behind the Music

One hour before the concert James Lowe provides insights into the music and composers. Typically joined by the guest artist, this is a great way to enhance your concert experience!

Saturday evening performance: 6:30pm Sunday matinee performance: 2:00pm

LoweDown

Every Thursday before a Masterworks he is conducting, Music Director James Lowe gives you the “LoweDown” on the music in a free, fascinating and lighthearted talk about the historical context, meaning, and juicy gossip with musical clips, visuals, and our conductor’s quick wit. FREE and open to the public.

Noon to 1:00PM NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CULTURE’S ERIC A. JOHNSTON AUDITORIUM 2316 W. First Avenue, Spokane

Masterworks and Mimosas

A casual and fun way to see the Symphony— with food included! See how each Masterworks performance is perfected as James, the musicians, and our guest artists shape each work in the final rehearsal. Plus, each ticket includes one mimosa, coffee, and locally-baked pastries.

Tickets: $31.50 10 AM to Noon Visit spokanesymphony.org for dates.

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

Follow Us:

M AS T E R WO R K S 1

THE TURNING WORLD S E P T E M B E R 1 4 - 1 5, 20 24

Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981) Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra

Awadagin Pratt, piano

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Concerto No. 4 in A major for Keyboard and String Orchestra, BWV 1055 Allegro Larghetto Allergro ma non tanto

Awadagin Pratt, piano I N T E R M I S S I O N

Max Richter (b. 1966) On the Nature of Daylight Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 Andante—Allegro con anima Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza Valse: Allegro moderato Finale: Andante maestoso—Allegro vivace 85 minute program with 20 minute intermission 16

SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

AWADAGIN PRATT precisely tinted” performances (Washington Post) and is hailed as “one of the great and distinctive American pianists and conductors of our time” (WGBH). He has appeared at addresses as familiar as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (at the invitation of the Clinton and Obama administrations) and Sesame Street (at the invitation of Big Bird).

His breakneck concert schedule has taken him across six continents for performances with the Boston and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, the New York Philharmonic, and many others; solo recitals at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center; and chamber music collaborations with Zuill Bailey, Simone Dinnerstein, and the Harlem and St. Lawrence String Quartets. Highlights of Awadagin’s 2023/24 season include concerto appearances with the Nashville, Utah, Bournemouth, and Annapolis Symphonies; A Far Cry at Boston’s Jordan Hall; and the Cincinnati, Manitoba, New Century, and IRIS Chamber Orchestras. Recital engagements include performances at Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Hall, a program of four-hand music with Simone Dinnerstein at the Washington Performing Arts Society, and an appearance at the Irving Through his kaleidoscopic career as a pianist, conductor, educator, and curator of memorable musical moments, Awadagin Pratt is actively inventing the artistic world he longs to live in — a world that shines light on rich voices of the past and present, amplifies the diverse talents of today’s brightest creative minds, and paves the way for a new generation of inventive musical artists. Since launching onto the international stage after winning the prestigious Naumburg International Piano Competition in 1992 and receiving a 1994 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Awadagin has received acclaim for delivering “forceful, imaginative, and

S. Gilmore International Piano Festival. August 2023 marks the release of his first album for New Amsterdam Records, STILLPOINT, which explores the truth and beauty found within T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets through newly composed works by Tyshawn Sorey, Paola Prestini, Pēteris Vasks, Jessie Montgomery, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Alvin Singleton, and Judd Greenstein. Between performances at the piano, Awadagin maintains a bustling conducting career. This 23/24 season marks his first as Principal Conductor of the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra and a return to the podium of the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh.

He recently made his conducting debut with

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the Georgia Symphony Orchestra (Tbilisi); his

ushering in the next generation of agile, creative,

operatic debut leading Porgy and Bess with

and inventive pianists is evidenced by his work

the Greensboro Opera (North Carolina); and

as founding director of the Next Generation

conducted a concert featuring the music of jazz

Festival, the Art of the Piano Foundation, and the

great Ornette Coleman with Bang on a Can at

Nina Simone Piano Competition, a new biennial

the Brooklyn Academy of Music. But Awadagin’s

competition that celebrates diversity in classical

creativity cannot be confined to the stage alone.

music by showcasing the tremendous talents

After witnessing the globally broadcast execution

of young Black pianists. He has adjudicated the

of George Floyd by officers of the Minneapolis

Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition,

Police Department, he published a podcast

Cleveland International Piano Competition,

that quickly evolved into a multimedia musical

Minnesota e-Competition, Unisa International

experience. Performed primarily on college

Piano Competition, and the International

campuses across the U.S., Awadagin Pratt: Black

Competition for Young Pianists created in memory

in America fuses the music of Bach, Messaien, and

of Vladimir Horowitz. Having recently left his

Liszt with still and moving pictures by filmmaker

position as Professor and Artist in Residence at

Alrick Brown and an original narration in which

the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory

he chronicles his life — from his time as a music

of Music (CCM) after two decades, Awadagin

student at the Peabody Conservatory through

is now Professor of Piano at the San Francisco

his ascent to international acclaim — through

Conservatory. He remains the only graduate

graphic accounts of numerous police stops and

of the Peabody Institute to earn performance

arrests he experienced for Driving While Black. In

certificates in three areas — violin, piano, and

2023, a documentary film version of Awadagin

conducting — and has received the Distinguished

Pratt: Black in America directed by Michelle

Alumni Award from Johns Hopkins University

Bauer Carpenter aired in more than one million

and honorary doctorates from Illinois Wesleyan

U.S. households and screened at film festivals

University, Susquehanna University, and the Boston

across the country. Awadagin’s commitment to

Conservatory.

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SPOKANE SYMPHONY 2024-2025 MASTERWORKS PROGRAM

Symphony welcomes guest pianist Awadagin Pratt, who performs on two works, beginning with a new piece written for him by Jessie Montgomery. Mr. Pratt then plays the fourth and most lyrical of Bach’s keyboard concertos. Framing these pieces are an exuberant opera overture by Glinka and a moving minimalist work by Max Richter. To close, we have Tchaikovsky’s great Symphony No. 5, the composer’s ultimately triumphant struggle with Fate.

MIKHAIL GLINKA

Born: June 1, 1804. Novospasskoe, Russia.

Died: February 15, 1857, Berlin, Germany..

Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla Composed: completed in 1842.

Premiere: December 9, 1842 at the Bolshoi Theater in St. Petersburg.

Duration: 5:00.

audiences were a bit slower to accept the work (it was not performed in the US until 1942), but it is still heard occasionally today.

What You’ll Hear Though the opera Ruslan and Ludmilla is rarely heard on today’s stages, its brilliant little overture has become a staple of the orchestral repertoire. The overture is set in classical sonata form. The opening melodies, accompanied by furious violin lines, are borrowed from the opera’s final victory scene. The contrasting theme, played by violas, cellos, and bassoons, is borrowed from a battlefield aria sung by the hero Ruslan in the second act. Near the end, the trombones—as usual, relegated to the role of orchestral Bad Guy—play a descending whole-tone scale associated with the evil dwarf Chernomor, but this is soon drowned out in general rejoicing.

JESSIE MONTGOMERY

Born: December 8, 1981, New York City.

Background Glinka, widely viewed as the founding father of Russian musical nationalism, is primarily known today through two operas. The first of these, A Life for the Czar (1836), was a success both for its incorporation of elements from Russian folk music and its contemporary plot, which resonated with burgeoning Russian political nationalism. For his second opera, Glinka turned to an epic poem by Pushkin. Pushkin’s Ruslan and Ludmilla had secured his reputation when it was published in 1818 and was widely known in Russian literary circles.

The poem is a fairy-tale recreation of ancient Slavic epics: in this case, an extremely complicated version of the “sleeping beauty” legend. Glinka had originally planned to work with the poet to create a libretto, but Pushkin died in a duel before he could collaborate on the opera. Glinka brought in a team of no fewer than five librettists, who turned Pushkin’s already convoluted storyline into an even more complicated series of tableaux. The confusing plot probably contributed to a rather lukewarm response at the premiere performance.

Ruslan and Ludmilla soon caught on, however, and became a recognized symbol of Russian music: the opera was performed over 300 times in St. Petersburg alone over the next half century and was widely heard in other Russian cities. European and American

Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra Composed: 2022.

Premiere: March 27, 2022, by Awadagin Pratt and the Hilton Head (SC) Symphony Orchestra. Rounds was commissioned by the Art of the Piano Foundation for Mr. Pratt. It was co-commissioned by a consortium of nine American orchestras.

Duration: 15:00.

Composer Jessie Montgomery is also prominent as a violinist, educator, and advocate for broader representation of Black and Latinx musicians in classical music. Her Grammy-winning composition Rounds was written in 2022 for Mr. Pratt.

Background Composer and violinist Jessie Montgomery grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and credits the neighborhood’s unique artistic atmosphere and the musical, artistic, and activist activities of her own family for fostering a career that “merges composing, performance, education, and advocacy.”

After her musical studies at the Third Street Music School Settlement, the Juilliard School, and Princeton

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University, Montgomery remains active both as a performer and composer. As a violinist, she has performed with the PUBLIQuartet, the Providence Quartet, the Catalyst Quartet, the Silkroad Ensemble, the Sphinx Virtuosi, and her own ensemble. Since she was a teenager, Montgomery has been involved with the Sphinx Organization, devoted to fostering diversity in classical music performance, which specifically promotes the development of young African-American and Latinx string players. She has gained an impressive number of credits as a composer, with commissions for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Albany Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many others.

What You’ll Hear Earlier this year, Rounds won a Grammy Award for best classical composition. Montgomery provides the following description of the piece: “Rounds for solo piano and string orchestra is inspired by the imagery and themes from T.S. Eliot’s epic poem Four Quartets. Early in the first poem, Burnt Norton, we find these evocative lines :

“At the still point of the turning world.

Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,

about the interdependency of all beings. Weber explores how every living organism has a rhythm that interacts and impacts all of the living things around it, resulting in a multitude of outcomes.

“Like Eliot in Four Quartets, beginning to understand this interconnectedness requires that we slow down, listen, and observe both the effect and the opposite effect caused by every single action and moment. I’ve found this is an exercise that lends itself very naturally towards musical gestural possibilities that I explore in the work – action and reaction, dark and light, stagnant and swift.

“Structurally, with these concepts in mind, I set the form of the work as a rondo, within a rondo, within a rondo.

The five major sections are a rondo; section “A” is also a rondo in itself; and the cadenza – which is partially improvised by the soloist – breaks the pattern, yet, contains within it, the overall form of the work.

“To help share some of this with the performers, I’ve included the following poetic performance note at the start of the score: “Inspired by the constancy, the rhythms, and duality of life, in order of relevance to form: Rondine – AKA Swifts (like a sparrow) flying in circles patterns Playing with opposites – dark/light; stagnant/swift

But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,

Fractals – infinite design

Where past and future are gathered.

Neither movement from nor towards,

“I am grateful to my friend Awadagin Pratt for his collaborative spirit and ingenuity in helping to usher my first work for solo piano into the world.”

Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.

(Text © T.S. Eliot. Reproduced by courtesy of Faber and Faber Ltd.)

“In addition to this inspiration, while working on the piece, I became fascinated by fractals (infinite patterns found in nature that are self-similar across different scales) and also delved into the work of contemporary biologist and philosopher Andreas Weber, who writes

The classical rondo form is relatively easy to follow in this piece. The main idea is a swirling line that travels from the piano to the strings and back. There is a contrasting episode that moves from ethereal, quiet music to more impassioned playing before a return of the main idea.

A second contrasting section begins with a hushed and peaceful piano melody above a repeating string ostinato, which eventually gives way to a solo piano cadenza. (At one point during this solo episode, Pratt draws delicate harp-like music from the instrument by plucking the strings.) The piece ends with a final return to the main idea and, following a robust slap from the basses, a dramatic upward-sweeping flourish.

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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)

Born: March 31, 1685, Eisenach, Germany.

Died: July 28, 1750, Leipzig, Germany.

Concerto No. 4 in A major for Keyboard and String Orchestra, BWV 1055 Composed: Bach probably composed this work in 1721-23 as a concerto for oboe d’amore. While the original concerto has not survived, it was reworked as a keyboard concerto sometime before 1739.

Premiere: It was undoubtedly heard for the first time in 1739 or shortly afterward in Leipzig.

Duration: 15:00.

This keyboard concerto, written for Leipzig’s Collegium Musicum, an amateur concert society, was adapted from an earlier concerto for oboe d’amore.

It is set in the traditional three-movement form of the baroque concerto.

Background In 1729, after six intensely busy years as the Kantor at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche, Bach turned once more to secular music and took up an additional position as director of Leipzig’s Collegium Musicum. The Collegium was a group of some of Leipzig’s finest singers and instrumentalists that gave a series of weekly concerts— really open rehearsals or “reading sessions”—at a local coffee house. Though no formal record of their concerts has survived, it is obvious that much of the music was

by Bach himself. This was an opportunity to perform his earlier instrumental concertos and chamber works, many of which dated from his years as Kapellmeister to the court of Cöthen (1717-1723). It was also a chance to compose pieces that would have been inappropriate for the staid Thomaskirche, such as his well-known “Coffee Cantata” (Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211)—one of Bach’s few essays in musical comedy.

In 1738 or early 1739, Bach compiled a manuscript containing seven harpsichord concertos and the beginning of an eighth. These were probably pieces written for the Collegium as well, performed by Bach or possibly by one of his sons. He stepped away from the Collegium for a time in 1737-39, and these concertos would have been the perfect reintroduction to Leipzig’s secular music scene.

Keyboard (or “Clavier”) concertos were relatively rare in Bach’s time—the harpsichord was a standard part of the continuo group that improvised the harmonic foundation for baroque music, but it was not considered a solo instrument for concertos. That Bach, one of the great organists and harpsichordists of his age, should have wanted to take a solo role is hardly surprising, and in 1721, he wrote what is arguably the first keyboard concerto, the Brandenburg Concerto No.5.

In this concerto grosso, the solo group includes violin, flute, and a fully written-out part for the harpsichord— including an astonishing four-minute solo cadenza in the opening movement. The later Leipzig concertos are mostly arrangements of earlier violin concertos from Cöthen, with the solo line transformed into an idiomatic keyboard part. One of the most famous of these, for example, the Concerto No.3 in D Major, is adapted from the earlier E Major violin concerto. The concerto heard here, No.4 in A Major, was probably based on a now-lost concerto for oboe d’amore.

What You’ll Hear The Concerto No.4 is in three movements. As usual in baroque concertos, the soloist plays in both tutti and solo sections, though here we have a keyboard part that is freed from its usual supporting continuo role. Probably because of its original scoring for oboe d’amore, the solo part has a more lyrical quality than in some of Bach’s other keyboard concertos, particularly in the last two movements. The opening Allegro begins with a lively ritornello—a passage that repeats throughout—for soloist and orchestra, laying out themes that are developed by the solo part in the course of the movement. The second movement (Larghetto) has some elements of the chaconne in the gently pulsing string background, providing a simple accompaniment to the solo part’s lyrical, almost improvisatory lines. The final movement (Allegro ma non tanto) combines a pair of ideas. The first is a relaxed dancestyle ritornello that supports flashy ornamentation from the keyboard, and the second is a gentler idea that hints at the newly fashionable galant style.

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MAX RICHTER

Born: March 22, 1966, Hamelin, Germany.

On the Nature of Daylight Composed: 2003.

Premiere: It was recorded as part of Richter’s 2004 album The Blue Notebooks.

Duration: 6:00 This quietly intense minimalist work was originally intended as a protest against the Gulf War. It has since been used frequently in television and film scores.

Background Pianist and composer Max Richter was born in what was then West Germany, but his parents emigrated to Britain while he was a child. After training at the University of Edinburgh, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and studying with composer Luciano Berio, Richter has gone on to a successful multifaceted career, scoring for films and television, working as a producer, and issuing several successful recordings of his own music.

Richter’s best-known work, On the Nature of Daylight, was written in 2003 as part of his album The Blue Notebooks, which he describes as a musical protest against the build-up to the first Gulf War. He calls this work “an attempt to make a kind of luminous music out of the darkest possible materials. The piece is structured as a sort of palindrome. It has all sorts of internal geometrical symmetries, which come from my studies of Renaissance music. I’m very fond of those kinds of practices.” If this work sounds familiar to you, it has been used in many film and television scores: Shutter Island (2010), Disconnect (2012), Arrival (2016), The Handmaid’s Tale (2021), The Last of Us (2023), and nearly 20 others!

What You’ll Hear On the Nature of Daylight is in a minimalist style and proceeds by adding layers to the simple repeating progression played at the beginning by the low strings.

Richter then lays on a flowing line from the second violins and, later, a soaring and serene line from the first violins. The violin parts introduce subtle variations on their repeated melodies before the piece ends quietly.

PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY

Born: May 7, 1840, Votkinsk, Russia.

Died: November 6, 1893, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 Composed: Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony was composed in 1888 at the composer’s summer retreat in Frolovskoe.

Premiere: Tchaikovsky conducted the first performance in St. Petersburg on November 17, 1888.

Duration: 47:00.

“Should not a symphony reveal those wordless urges that hide in the heart, which ask so earnestly for expression?” – Tchaikovsky This symphony, written after a long period of depression and self-doubt, starts in a very dark place, but is ultimately triumphant.

Background Over ten years passed between the time Tchaikovsky completed his fourth symphony and the composition of his fifth—a decade of deep self-doubt and insecurity.

During much of this period, Tchaikovsky was haunted by guilt over the ending of his brief and disastrous marriage and by upheaval in almost every area of his professional and private life. This turmoil is the very fabric of the Fourth Symphony and the opera Eugene Onegin, both of which were completed in 1878, but these works seem to have exhausted Tchaikovsky’s creative resources. Much of the next ten years were spent in seclusion or traveling throughout Europe. Although he continued to compose during this time, few of the works he produced had the energy of his earlier music. It was not until 1885 and afterward, with the enthusiastic admiration of the Czar, the increased popularity of his works in Russia, and an enormously successful tour of Europe in 1887, that Tchaikovsky began to recover from this emotional crisis.

In May 1888, Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother, afraid he had “written himself out,” but added a hopeful note that he was beginning work on a new symphony. A month later, he wrote to his confidante Nadejda von Meck and made an almost apologetic reference to the work. The premiere, which he conducted in November, was quite

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successful, but his continuing self-doubt is shown in another letter to Madame von Meck: “... I have come to the conclusion that [the fifth symphony] is a failure. There is something repellent, something superfluous, patchy, and insecure, which the public instinctively recognizes. It was obvious to me that the ovations I received were prompted more by my earlier work and that the Symphony itself did not really please the audience. This realization brings a sharp twinge of dissatisfaction with myself. Am I really played out, as they say? Can I merely repeat and ring the changes on my earlier idiom? Last night, I looked through our symphony [the fourth]. What a difference!

How immeasurably superior it is! It is very sad!”

It was not until the following year, after a superb performance of the new symphony in Hamburg and amid glowing reports of its success elsewhere, that Tchaikovsky himself began to express some satisfaction with the work. Although the Fifth Symphony does not have an explicit program, it is apparent from Tchaikovsky’s writings that both this work and the Fourth Symphony have Fate as their central idea. However, the musical realization of this idea is very different in the two works. In the fourth symphony, the motive associated with Fate is resoundingly announced by the brasses and plays an adversarial role throughout the work—it is as if, in 1878, that Fate was something against which Tchaikovsky felt a need to struggle. However, his relationship with Fate in the Fifth Symphony is more resigned, even relaxed. Tchaikovsky biographer John Warrack has suggested that, in both works, the figure of Fate “is referring to his central emotional problem, his homosexuality.” It is relatively certain that, by 1888, Tchaikovsky had come to terms with it.

Although he still felt guilt pangs, his acceptance was accompanied by a deepening religious conviction and renewed confidence. A clear sense of this cautious self-assurance comes through in the symphony’s triumphant finale.

What You’ll Hear The symphony opens with a slow introduction (Andante), quietly stating the motto that provides the dramatic background of the entire work—the motive that Tchaikovsky identified as “Fate.” The clarinet and bassoon introduce the main idea of the movement’s

body (Allegro con anima), a minor-key theme that Tchaikovsky may have derived from a Polish folk song.

Strings introduce a contrasting group of ideas, which are much more lyrical in nature. The movement is worked out rather conventionally in sonata form, but the music is expressive throughout, creating moods of yearning, sadness, and emotional turmoil.

The second movement (Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza) is based upon one of Tchaikovsky’s most beautiful and expressive melodies, sung by a solo horn above a light background of strings. There are gentle answers by clarinet and oboe, and a change of mood.

This central section builds gradually towards a climax: a statement of the Fate motive by the brass. He returns once more to the lyrical mood of the opening, but at the end, the mood is shattered again by the return of Fate.

Tchaikovsky’s waltz (Valse: Allegro moderato) is set in a three-part form—two principal sections enclosing a contrasting section or trio. In this movement, the main theme was inspired by a Florentine street melody he had heard some years earlier. The trio takes on a lighter character, dominated by a quick 16th-note melody passed among the strings and woodwinds. After a reworked version of the main idea, Tchaikovsky adds a coda, which includes an ominous statement of the Fate motive by the clarinet and bassoon. Here, it is fitted into the triple meter of the waltz, but it seems no less forbidding.

The introduction to the last movement (Andante maestoso) presents the motto in a major key, now transformed from something frightening into a triumphant march. The body of the movement (Allegro vivace) returns to the E minor of the beginning of the symphony. The first group of themes are generally quite forceful, while the second group, dominated by solo woodwinds, seem more hesitant. The Fate motive rounds off the exposition and pervades this movement as a whole, finally set in an extended coda. At the end, there is a surprise—the main Allegro theme of the first movement returns in the closing bars, transformed, like the Fate motive, into something exultant and optimistic.

This ending appeals for an explanation: the dark feelings of the beginning (guilt? shame? self-doubt?) have now been assimilated or overcome; the music has come full circle, and the spirit is victorious.

Program notes ©2024 by J. Michael Allsen

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M AS T E R WO R K S 2

SCOTLAND THE BRAVE O C TO B E R 5 - 6, 20 24

Aileen Sweeney (b. 1994) Glisk Christopher Rouse (1949-2019) Flute Concerto Amhrán Alla marcia Elegia Scherzo Amhrán Julia Pyke, flute I N T E R M I S S I O N

Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 in A minor Op. 56 (Scottish) Andante con moto- Allegro un poco agitato Scherzo: Vivace non troppo Adagio Allegro vivacissimo —Allegro maestoso assai 79 ½ minute program with 20 minute intermission

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JULIA PYKE From Seattle, Washington, Julia Pyke is Principal Flute of the Spokane Symphony. Julia has also performed with the Oregon Symphony, New World Symphony, and members of the Cleveland Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony. She has performed under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, Marin Alsop, Larry Rachleff, John Adams, Hans Graf, Tim Weiss, Hugh Wolff, Markus Stenz, Andre Boreyko, and Ludovic Morlot.

Julia has been a fellow of the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra at the Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and Texas Music Festival. While at Aspen Music Festival, she was named runner-up for the woodwind concerto competition, and while at Music Academy of the West, she was a finalist for both the Duo Competition and the Keston MAX audition in partnership with the London Symphony Orchestra.

As the winner of SFCM’s Brass & Woodwind Concerto Competition, she performed Lowell Liebermann’s Flute Concerto with the SFCM Orchestra in 2021. She was also selected for several Danenberg Honors Recitals while at Oberlin, and for the 2019 Oberlin Orchestra tour at Carnegie Hall.

An avid music educator, Julia has previously held the position of Adjunct Professor of Flute at both Whitworth and Eastern Washington Universities.

She currently maintains a private flute studio in Spokane, and is also a featured teacher on virtual lesson platform Forte in partnership with the Aspen Music Festival. Her students have won the MusicFest Young Artist Competition and play in the Spokane Youth Symphony.

Julia’s primary teachers include Timothy Day, former Principal Flute of the San Francisco Symphony, and Dr. Alexa Still, former Principal Flute of the New Zealand Symphony. She completed a Bachelor of Music at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music and Professional Studies Certificate at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

When she’s not playing the flute, Julia enjoys rock climbing, hiking, running, cooking, and singing. Last Spring, she made her theater debut as Grizabella in Spokane Civic Theater’s production of CATS.

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The landscape, history, and culture of Scotland fascinated 19th-century Romantics in all of the arts: from the phenomenally popular novels of Sir Walter Scott, the poetry of Robert Burns, and landscape paintings by Alexander Nasmyth and Jacob More to the first truly “romantic” ballet, La Sylphide. Felix Mendelssohn was only one of many 19th-century composers to be inspired by Scotland. One of his finest orchestral works, the Symphony No. 3, was inspired by an 1829 visit to Scotland. The two opening works also have Gaelic inspiration. Glisk, by the young Scottish composer Aileen Sweeney, draws on Scottish traditional music. American composer Christopher Rouse has talked about drawing upon his Irish “genetic memory” in his 1993 Flute Concerto. We are proud to feature our own principal flutist, Julia Pyke, in this work.

AILEEN SWEENEY

Born: 1994, Glasgow, Scotland.

Glisk Composed: 2022.

Premiere: January 2023, by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Duration: 4:00.

Glisk is an old Scots word meaning a sudden glimmer of light—the perfect description of this high-spirited piece.

Background Scottish composer and accordionist Aileen Sweeney was born in Glasgow and lives and works there today.

According to her website:

fitting perfectly into a particular style or role. I see myself somewhere in between folk music and classical music, composer and performer, the concert hall and a gig venue, and I’m looking forward to cultivating this nomadic approach to music-making.” Her Glisk was one of 20 pieces by young, “rising” composers who were commissioned to write works celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

What You’ll Hear Regarding the title, Sweeney says: “Glisk is an old Scots word meaning a fleeting glint or flicker. It’s often used to describe a gleam of sunlight coming through the clouds or, figuratively, ‘a glimpse of the good’ in Shetland. Often used to describe fleeting moments of good weather (that probably won’t last very long!).”

This exuberant little piece opens with rather solemn music led by the brass, but the strings soon introduce an insistent ostinato that is heard through the rest of the piece: in percussion during a quiet interlude and then coming in bursts from the woodwinds during a brassy concluding section. In the end, the music fades away with delicate percussion.

CHRISTOPHER ROUSE

Born: February 15, 1949, Baltimore, Maryland.

Died: September 21, 2019, Towson, Maryland.

Flute Concerto Composed: 1993. It was commissioned for flutist Carol Wincenc.

Premiere: On October 27, 1993, with Wincenc and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, directed by Hans Vonk.

Duration: 28:00.

“Her music is rooted in the traditional folk music she grew up with playing the accordion and is often influenced by her interests in fields of cosmology, nature, and folklore, alongside an admiration for many different genres of music. Aileen’s music has been performed across the UK from pubs on the Isle of Skye, to primary schools in Glasgow to the Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.”

Sweeney is particularly adept at straddling genres, noting that: “Going forward, I can’t imagine myself

Rouse’s Flute Concerto was inspired by Gaelic/ Irish musical styles. The central movement is a heartbreaking elegy to a young British toddler who was murdered by two older children.

Background Baltimore-born Christopher Rouse was a professor at the Eastman School of Music from 1981 to 2002, where he taught composition and the History of Rock. From 1997 to 2019, he taught composition at the Juilliard

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School. Rouse’s music encompasses a huge scope of musical influences—from great symphonists like Sibelius, Mahler, and Shostakovich to early Rock & Roll and Led Zeppelin. In describing his musical upbringing, Rouse notes that: “My [first] musical recollections are of Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent and Little Richard back when they were new, in the mid-fifties, and actually classical music came just a little later than that…I do remember my mother trying to counter my burgeoning interest in Rock & Roll with the Beethoven Fifth Symphony, and that worked, too—it enthralled me every bit as much.” His penchant for both catchy dance beats and heavy metal drumming shows up in works such as The Infernal Machine) and Bonham (a “rhythmic onslaught” for eight percussionists, written in memory of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham). His music runs the gamut from extremely loud and frantic to quiet and tender. His orchestral music, in particular, gained critical acclaim, and his 1991 Trombone Concerto was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Rouses’s final work, the Symphony No. 6, was premiered posthumously by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in October 2019.

What You’ll Hear The Flute Concerto, composed in 1993, finds Rouse exploring a more quiet and brooding side of his character. In his description of the piece, he writes: “Although no universal credence for the Jungian concept of ‘genetic memory’ exists, for me it seems a profoundly viable notion. Although both of my parents’ families immigrated to America well before the Revolutionary War, I nonetheless still feel a deep ancestral tug of recognition whenever I am exposed to the arts and traditions of the British Isles, particularly those of the Celtic origin.

“I have attempted to reflect my responses to these stimuli in my flute concerto, a five-movement work cast in a somewhat loose arch form. The first and last movements bear the title Amhrán (Gaelic for ‘song’) and are simple melodic elaborations for the solo flute over the accompaniment of orchestral strings.

They were intended in a general way to evoke the traditions of Celtic, especially Irish, folk music, but to couch the musical utterance in what I hoped would seem a more spiritual, even metaphysical manner through the use of extremely slow tempi,

perhaps not unlike some of the recordings of the Irish singer Enya.

“The second (Alla marcia) and fourth (Scherzo) movements are both fast in tempo. The second is a rather sprightly march, which shares some of its musical material with the fourth, a scherzo, which refers more and more as it progresses to that most Irish of dances, the jig. However, by the time the jig is stated in its most obvious form, the tempo has increased to the point that the music seems almost frantic and breathless in nature.

“In a world of daily horrors too numerous and enormous to comprehend en masse, it seems that only isolated, individual tragedies serve to sensitize us to the potential harm man can do to his fellow man. For me, one such instance was the abduction and brutal murder of the two-year-old English lad James Bulger at the hands of a pair of ten-year-old boys. I followed this case closely during the time I was composing my concerto and was unable to shake the horror of these events from my mind. The central movement of this work (Elegia) is an elegy dedicated to James Bulger’s memory, a small token of remembrance for a life senselessly and cruelly snuffed out.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN

Born: February 3, 1809, Hamburg, Germany.

Died: November 4, 1847, Leipzig, Germany.

Symphony No. 3 in A minor, “Scottish,” Op. 56 Composed: Though he did initial sketches for the symphony in Scotland in 1829, most of it was composed in 1840-1842 while in Berlin.

Premiere: Mendelssohn led the first performance in the Leipzig Gewandhaus on March 3, 1842.

Duration: 40:00.

As a young man, Mendelssohn was able to tour Europe and became a kind of musical sponge, absorbing musical and other influences everywhere he went. His famous “Scottish” symphony was directly inspired by a visit to Scotland in 1829.

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Background As the son of a wealthy German family, Mendelssohn was able to indulge in the “grand tour”—years of wandering Europe during his young adulthood. This was no idle tourism, however: he intended to refine his skills and to pick up musical influences from across the Continent. Well-known as a musical Wunderkind, he presented concerts and wrote music wherever he went. He met a particularly enthusiastic reception when he arrived in London in the spring of 1829, presenting concerts of his own works and appearing as a piano soloist. That summer, he and a friend left for an extended tour of Scotland. Mendelssohn was deeply affected by this visit, sketching landscapes, writing enthusiastically to family and friends, and, in a couple of cases, finding inspiration for musical works: the concert overture The Hebrides and his fine “Scottish” symphony.

That he found Scotland so attractive is hardly surprising: the romantics loved Scotland, and Mendelssohn’s letters are filled with appreciative descriptions of what he saw and experienced. Soon after arriving in Edinburgh, Mendelssohn visited Holyrood Abbey. He wrote to his parents that: “The chapel beside it has now lost its roof, it is overgrown with grass and ivy, and at the broken altar Mary was crowned Queen of Scotland.

Everything is ruined, decayed, and open to the sky.

I believe I have found there today the beginning of my Scottish Symphony.” Apparently, that same day, he sketched out the opening theme of the Andante introduction. The work was largely set aside for more than a dozen years, however. It was not until late 1840, while Mendelssohn was engaged as a conductor in Berlin, that he began serious work on the symphony.

He worked on it through most of the following year, finishing it in time for its premiere in Leipzig in the spring of 1842. This was to be his last completed symphony, and many agree that it is also his finest.

What You’ll Hear Mendelssohn was clearly uncomfortable about writing a symphony that could be understood as purely “programmatic,” but a few musical elements of the symphony would have been recognized as distinctly “Scottish” in character: the “Scotch snap” (a reverse dotted rhythm), the occasional use of bagpipe-style drones, and the clarinet’s folk-dance melody at the

beginning of the second movement. As a whole, however, the symphony works perfectly in purely musical terms: most of the musical material grows organically from the opening motive. He also specified that the movements be played without pauses.

The first movement begins solemnly (Andante con moto- Allegro un poco agitato), with the theme Mendelssohn sketched out in 1829. This introduction leads almost seamlessly into the main body of the movement (Ç). Both main themes are derived from Mendelssohn’s 1829 idea: a restless melody introduced by the low strings and flutes and an almost hesitant closing theme played by the violins. The development focuses on the main Allegro theme, working it out in an intensely contrapuntal manner. The recapitulation is conventional enough, but the end is a surprise: after a sudden storm, the movement rather suddenly dies away, and there is a reminiscence of the opening bars before it moves directly into the scherzo.

The scherzo (Vivace non troppo) opens with a playful dance theme introduced by the clarinet. In place of the usual contrasting trio, there is a rather agitated development section that again fades suddenly to provide a transition to the next movement. The Adagio’s main idea is a lovely, long-breathed melody spun out by the strings. This sublime mood alternates with uneasy march-like music from the brass and woodwinds.

The beginning of the fourth movement is the only abrupt transition in this symphony. Though the opening of this movement is marked Allegro vivacissimo in the score, Mendelssohn suggested in his preface that this be described in the program as a “warlike Allegro.”

Warlike associations are there, to be sure: an insistent pulsing background and an almost angry theme. A more peaceable contrasting idea bears a clear family resemblance to the first movement’s main theme.

This idea is quickly swept away by more intense music several times until it finally wins out in a long duet for clarinet and bassoon. This introduces the final section (Allegro maestoso assai), where low strings introduce a broad theme. The full orchestra quickly takes this up, bringing the symphony to a stirring conclusion.

Program notes ©2024 by J. Michael Allsen

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Since 1947, Spokane Civic The atre has been a cultural beac on in the Inland Northwest.

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30 S P O K A N E S Y M P H O N Y 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 M A S T E R W O R K S P R O G R A M 1020 N. HOWARD ST. | 509-325-2507 | SPOKANECIVICTHEATRE.COM

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ADDING SMILES TO OUR COMMUNITIES At Idaho Central Credit Union, we’re in the business of making a difference. It’s not only about helping our members achieve financial success but extends to supporting our communities.

We believe the Spokane Symphony adds smiles!

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M AS T E R WO R K S 3

AN AMERICAN CELEBRATION N OV E M B E R 2- 3 , 20 24

Gregory Yasinitsky (b.1953) Celebration Overture Gabriela Lena Frank (b. 1972) Concertino Cusqueño George Gershwin (1898-1937) Rhapsody in Blue Sara Davis Buechner, piano

I N T E R M I S S I O N John Adams (b. 1947) The Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for Orchestra) Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Fancy Free Enter Three Sailors Scene at the Bar Enter Two Girls Pas de deux Competition Scene Three Dance Variations: Galop Waltz Danzon Finale 81 minute program with 20 minute intermission

THANK YOU TO OUR CONCERT SPONSOR: JOAN DEGERSTROM 34 S P O K A N E S Y M P H O N Y 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 M A S T E R W O R K S P R O G R A M

MORIHIKO NAKAHARA

A native of Kagoshima, Japan, Morihiko Nakahara has served as Music Director of the South Carolina Philharmonic since 2008. During the 2024-2025 season, Nakahara remains active as a guest conductor, including conducting multiple programs with the Virginia Symphony and Spokane Symphony, as well as appearing with the Central Conservatory of Music Orchestra (Beijing), Wuxi Symphony Orchestra (China), Long Beach Symphony, and the Festival at Sandpoint Orchestra.

Known for his charismatic presence on and off the podium, innovative and audience-friendly programming skills, and thoughtful interpretations of both standard and contemporary repertoire, Nakahara was featured in the League of American Orchestra’s prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview in March 2005. Recent guest conducting engagements include appearances with the Florida Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, symphonies of Portland (Maine), Charleston, and Ann Arbor, as well as with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra.

Equally at home in a wide variety of musical styles and concert formats, Nakahara is a tireless advocate for commissioning and performing new music as well as for introducing works by underrepresented composers past and present.

A personable ambassador for the power of symphonic music in every community, he is also known for leading concerts synchronizing live orchestral soundtrack with film including the Star Wars franchise, Jurassic Park, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Psycho, to name a few.

A native of Kagoshima, Japan, Nakahara holds degrees from Andrews University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He previously served as Resident Conductor of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Holland Symphony Orchestra (Michigan), and served on the faculty at University of Massachusetts Amherst, Eastern Washington University, and Andrews University. Nakahara and his family reside in Yorktown, Virginia.

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SARA DAVIS BUECHNER Noted for her musical command, cosmopolitan artistry, and visionary independence, Sara Davis Buechner is one of the most original concert pianists of our time. Lauded for her “intelligence, integrity and allencompassing technical prowess” (New York Times), “thoughtful artistry in the full service of music” (Washington Post), and “astounding virtuosity” (Philippine Star), Japan’s InTune magazine sums up: “Buechner has no superior.”

In her twenties Ms. Buechner earned a bouquet of top prizes at the world’s premiere international piano competitions — Queen Elisabeth (Brussels), Leeds, Mozart (Salzburg), Beethoven (Vienna), and Sydney. She was a Bronze Medalist of the 1986 Tschaikowsky Competition in Moscow and the Gold Medalist of the 1984 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition.

Ms. Buechner has performed in every state and province of North America — as recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with top orchestras like the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra; and in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl. She has toured throughout Latin and South America and Europe; and she enjoys a special following in Asia, where she has been a featured soloist with the Sydney Symphony, New Zealand Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic and Shanghai Philharmonic, among many others.

She has commissioned and premiered important contemporary scores by composers such as Michael Brown, John Corigliano, Ray Green, Dick Hyman, Vitězslavá Kaprálová, Jared Miller, Joaquín Nin-Culmell, and Yukiko Nishimura. Ms. Buechner’s performance versatility extends to unique collaborations with film and dance (including tours with the Mark Morris Dance Group, and Japanese kabuki-mime-mask dancer Yayoi Hirano).

Ms. Buechner has released numerous acclaimed recordings of rare piano music by composers such as Rudolf Friml (“a revelation” — The New York Times), Dana Suesse, Joseph Lamb, Joaquín Turina, Miklós Rózsa, and Ferruccio Busoni (including the world première recording of the BachBusoni “Goldberg” Variations). Stereophile magazine selected her Gershwin CD as “Recording of the Month,” and her interpretation of Hollywood Piano Concertos won Germany’s coveted Deutsches Schauplatten Preis.

Most recently her recorded traversal of the score to Carl Dreiser’s silent movie classic Master of the House (1925) may be heard on Criterion Collection DVD. Sara Davis Buechner joined the faculty of Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in 2016, after previously teaching at the Manhattan School of Music, New York University and the University of British Columbia. She has presented masterclasses and workshops at major pedagogic venues worldwide, adjudicated important international piano competitions, and is also a contributing editor for Dover Publications International. In 2017 Ms. Buechner marked her 30th year as a dedicated Yamaha Artist.

As a proud transgender woman, Ms. Buechner also appears as a speaker and performer at important LGBTQ events, and has contributed interviews and articles about her own experience to numerous media outlets worldwide.

Sara is a dual American-Canadian citizen who makes her home in Philadelphia.

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Guest conductor Morihiko Nakahara leads this Spokane Symphony program, which opens with music by one of our own: Gregory Yasinitsky’s bright Celebration Overture. Gabriela Lena Frank draws on her Peruvian heritage and the music of Benjamin Britten in her colorful Concertino Cusqueño. Pianist Sara Davis Buechner joins us for George Gershwin’s jazz-inspired Rhapsody in Blue. John Adams’s The Chairman Dances might be described as a kind of “prequel” to his 1986 opera Nixon in China. In The Chairman Dances, Adams portrays the characters of Chairman Mao and his former wife with an eclectic blend of minimalism and other styles. We close with Leonard Bernstein’s ballet score Fancy Free, an enjoyable musical portrait of three rowdy sailors on shore leave.

GREGORY YASINITSKY

Born: October 3, 1953, San Francisco, California.

Celebration Overture Composed: 2022.

Premiere: July 12, 2022, by the McCall (Idaho) SummerFest Orchestra, directed by Eric Garcia.

Duration: 10:00.

Celebration Overture lives up to its name: it is an upbeat, optimistic, and—well—“celebratory” piece.

Its composer is a longtime member of the Spokane Symphony.

Background Composer, arranger, and saxophonist Gregory Yasinitsky is widely published in the fields of jazz and classical music. As a saxophonist, he has played with a huge range of leading artists and leads his own big band, the Yazz Band, and a jazz quintet, Crosscurrent, groups performing primarily his own compositions and arrangements. He has served as principal saxophone for the Spokane Symphony since 1991. Yasinitsky was trained at San Francisco State University and the Eastman School of Music, and he recently retired (2022) after 40 years teaching at Washington State University.

Celebration Overture was commissioned to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SummerFest (now MusicFest) in McCall, Idaho—according to the composer: “Celebration Overture was written especially for our

wonderful SummerFest orchestra, the members of which are drawn from some of the finest musicians from across the country.” During a phone conversation, he described it as “a kind of concertino for orchestra, in which all sections are featured and solo lines are distributed throughout the orchestra.”

What You’ll Hear Yasinitsky provides the following description of the piece: “Celebration Overture is a one-movement piece in three sections, showcasing all of the instruments of the orchestra: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. The first section begins with the brass and leads to a spirited theme, first heard in the strings, which rises as the music progresses. More and more instruments are added, leading to a presentation by the full orchestra. This is followed by a slow, lyrical, reflective section with a melody introduced by the flute and English horn, along with harp and strings. The orchestration becomes richer as themes are traded among instruments, leading to a dramatic statement by the full ensemble. The percussionists initiate the third section, which makes reference to the introductory music at the beginning of the piece, and leads to a heroic theme presented in the low brass. The music continues with energy and optimism, which culminates in the climax of the work, scored for the entire ensemble.”

GABRIELA LENA FRANK

Born: September 26, 1972, Berkeley, California.

Concertino Cusqueño Composed: 2012.

Premiere: October 25, 2012 by the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Duration: 11:00.

This lively and colorful work combines sly references to the music of Benjamin Britten, Peruvian traditional styles, and good humor— all in good measure!

Background Composer and pianist Gabriela Lena Frank was born in Berkeley California, to a Peruvian/Chinese mother and a Lithuanian/Jewish father. She was born with a significant

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hearing loss but has clearly overcome this in her career.

Frank is widely known as a performer and received a Latin Grammy Award for one of her recordings. As a composer, she has written commissioned works for Yo-Yo Ma, The King’s Singers, and several major orchestras. Frank has served as a Composer-inResidence to the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Frank often draws upon her multicultural background, most frequently her mother’s Peruvian heritage, but also a wide variety of other cultures in her work: she has traveled widely throughout Latin America in search of musical influences. As she puts it, she decided early in her career that: “I wanted to, in a very general way, be as mestiza [a woman of mixed race] in my music as I was in my person: I’m multiracial, I’m multicultural, and I think that’s something deeply American.” A believer in community outreach, she founded the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music at her home in Boonville, in northern California, to foster young composers. Frank also volunteers to bring music into prisons and hospitals and has also worked extensively to enhance public school music programs in Boonville, an under-resourced rural school system with a large Latino population.

What You’ll Hear Frank provides the following description: “Concertino Cusqueño, written to celebrate the fine players of the Philadelphia Orchestra on the eve of Yannick Nézet-Ségun’s inaugural season as Music Director, finds inspiration in two unlikely bedfellows: Peruvian culture and British composer Benjamin Britten. As a daughter of a Peruvian immigrant, I’ve long been fascinated by my multicultural heritage and have been blessed to find Western classical music to be a hospitable playpen for my wayward explorations. In doing so, I’ve looked to composers such as Alberto Ginastera from Argentina, Béla Bartók from Hungary, Chou Wen Chung from China, and my own teacher William Bolcom from the US as heroes: To me, these gentlemen are the very definition of “cultural witnesses,” as they illuminate new connections between seemingly disparate idioms of every hue imaginable.

“To this list, I add Britten, who I admire inordinately.

I wish I could have met him, worked up the nerve to show him my own music, invited him to travel to beautiful Perú with me... I would have shared chicha morada (purple corn drink) with him, taken him to a zampoña panpipe instrument-making shop, set him loose in a mercado (market) streaming with immigrant chinos and the native indio descendants of the Incas. I would have loved showing him the port towns exporting anchoveta (anchovies), the serranos (highlands) exporting potatoes, and the selvas (jungles) exporting sugar. And I know Britten would have been fascinated by the rich mythology enervating the literature and music of this small Andean nation, so deeply similar to the plots of his many operas, among other works.

“Concertino Cusqueño melds together two brief musical ideas: The first few notes of a religious tune, Ccollanan María, from Cusco (the original capital of the Inca empire Tawantinsuyu, and a major tourist draw today) with the simple timpani motif from the opening bars of the first movement of Britten’s elegant Violin Concerto. I am able to spin an entire one-movement work from these two ideas, designating a prominent role to the four string principal players (with a bow to the piccolo/ bass clarinet duo and, yes, the timpanist). In this way, while imagining Britten in Cusco, I can also indulge in my own enjoyment of personalizing the symphonic sound by allowing individuals from the ensemble to shine.”

GEORGE GERSHWIN

Born: September 26, 1898, New York City, New York Died: July 11, 1937, Los Angeles, California.

Rhapsody in Blue Composed: January and February 1924.

Premiere: Gershwin was the piano soloist with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra in the premiere in New York City on February 12, 1924.

Duration: 16:00.

Gershwin’s 1924 Rhapsody in Blue was his first great success in fusing Jazz style and Classical form and scoring.

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Background By 1924, Gershwin was a huge success on Broadway and well-regarded as a pianist. It was at this time that Paul Whiteman conceived one of the most ambitious concerts of the Roaring ‘20s. Whiteman, the “King of Jazz,” announced an “Experiment in Modern Music” for February 12, 1924, a concert that would supposedly answer the question “What is American Music?”

Whiteman planned to bring together jazz of all styles with classical music and newly composed works by composers such as Irving Berlin and Victor Herbert.

Whiteman and Gershwin had casually chatted about a large-scale jazz-style orchestral work for the Whiteman Orchestra. But this casual commitment became a fait accompli when Gershwin read the New York Herald’s January 3 announcement that he was “already at work” composing a “jazz concerto” for Whiteman’s grand concert! Composing a concerto in just over a month was daunting for a composer who had never written a work of this scale and already had several heavy Broadway commitments. Rather than attempting a traditionally conceived concerto, Gershwin settled on a “rhapsody”—a much less rigorous form that would allow him to develop musical ideas freely. According to a letter by Gershwin, the final inspiration for the score came during a train trip to Boston for the opening of his show Sweet Little Devil:

What You’ll Hear The Rhapsody opens with a famous clarinet glissando, the trademark lick of Ross Gorman, Whiteman’s lead clarinetist, which Gershwin adopted as the perfect lead-in to the first theme. The piece develops freely, with one theme flowing naturally into the next and with increasing intensity until the piano takes an extended solo and slows the tempo. The central section is based on a romantic melody that sounds like a nod to Tchaikovsky, with a bit of jazz punctuation. There is a recapitulation, and the piece ends aggressively, with the solo piano playing its loudest

“It was on the train, with its steely rhythms, its rattlety-bang that is often stimulating to a composer—I frequently hear music in the heart of noise—I suddenly heard—and even saw on paper— the complete construction of the rhapsody from beginning to end. No new themes came to me, but I worked on the thematic material already in my mind and tried to conceive the composition as a whole.

I heard it as a musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our national pep, of our blues, our metropolitan madness. By the time I reached Boston, I had a definite plot of the piece, as distinguished from its actual substance.”

Nixon in China was an opera based on President Nixon’s 1972 visit to China. The Chairman Dances accompanied a scene cut from the final version of Act III., a banquet on the final night of the visit. The work begins with persistently pulsing music, which gradually evolves, giving way to a more lush style and eventually to a foxtrot. The original rhythmic energy returns—now with a lyrical overlay—before the piece winds quietly to close.

Given Gershwin’s relative inexperience in writing for orchestra and the short lead time available, much of the orchestration was done by Whiteman’s staff arranger, Ferde Grofé. In the end, Whiteman’s pretentious and over-long “Experiment” was a qualified success.

However, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue—the 24th work on a program of 25 pieces—stole the show.

JOHN ADAMS

Born: February 15, 1947, Worcester, Massachusetts.

The Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for Orchestra) Composed: The Chairman Dances, composed in 1985, is an orchestral work related to Adams’s opera Nixon in China.

Premiere: This piece was performed before the opera as a whole was complete: it was premiered by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra on January 31, 1986.

Duration: 13:00.

“The myths of our time are not Cupid and Psyche, or Orpheus, or Ulysses, but characters like Mao and Nixon.” - John Adams.

Background Richard Nixon’s 1972 trip to China was the greatest diplomatic coup of his presidency. The staunchly anti-Communist Nixon surprised the world by visiting a then-closed and isolated China and meeting both with Premiere Zhou Enlai and Chairman Mao. Though the actual results of the visit were limited, it was a

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powerfully symbolic opening in what had been a hostile relationship. Some 15 years later, John Adams wrote Nixon in China—his first full-length opera—on the events of the three-day presidential visit to Peking.

Adams is one of several composers whose music is frequently characterized—sometimes misleadingly— as “minimalist.” This style, pioneered in the 1960s and 1970s by composers such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, LaMonte Young, and Adams, featured constant repetition and simple musical changes that are carried out very gradually over a long period of time.

In the last 40 years, Reich, Glass, and Adams have all moved far beyond the original minimalist style, and by the mid-1980s, when he wrote Nixon in China, Adams was already working with an eclectic range of styles and techniques. Nixon in China, which Adams described as a “docu-opera,” was a three-year collaboration with director Peter Sellars and librettist Alice Goodman. It is notable for its intense character development and innovative use of operatic conventions. The Chairman Dances was premiered while the rest of the opera was still in progress.

What You’ll Hear Adams describes its composition as follows: “The Chairman Dances was an ‘out-take’ of Act III of Nixon in China. Neither an ‘excerpt’ nor a ‘fantasy on themes from,’ it was, in fact, a kind of warmup before embarking on the creation of the full opera.

At the time, 1985, I was obliged to fulfill a longdelayed commission for the Milwaukee Symphony, but having already seen the scenario to Act III of Nixon in China, I couldn’t wait to begin work on that piece. So The Chairman Dances began as a ‘foxtrot’ for Chairman Mao and his bride, Chiang Ch’ing, the fabled ‘Madame Mao,’ firebrand, revolutionary executioner, architect of China’s calamitous Cultural Revolution, and (a fact not universally realized) a former Shanghai movie actress.”

This music was initially intended for the opera’s final scene, a formal banquet for the Nixons, hosted by Mao, who looks down from an enormous portrait. Though this scene did not appear in the final version, Adams describes the action:

“Chiang Ch’ing, a.k.a. Madame Mao, has gatecrashed the Presidential Banquet. She is first seen standing where she is most in the way of the waiters. After a few minutes, she brings out a box of paper lanterns and hangs them around the hall, then strips down to a cheongsam, skin-tight from neck to ankle and slit up the hip. She signals the orchestra to play and begins dancing by herself. Mao is becoming excited. He steps down from his portrait on the wall, and they begin to foxtrot together. They are back in Yenan, dancing to the gramophone...”

According to Adams, the final act is about love and aging. In its final state, Mao, Chiang Ch’ing, and the Nixons reminisce about the simpler days gone by: the Nixons about the early days of their marriage and his tour of duty in World War II, and the Maos about the months before the Revolution, when they spent quiet times together in the caves at Yenan. These reminiscences are treated with humor in The Chairman Dances—as in the chugging opening music associated with Mao or Chiang Ch’ing’s more seductive dance. But the end result is sweet and melancholy.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN

Born: August 25, 1918, Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Died: October 14, 1990, New York City.

Fancy Free Composed: 1943-44.

Premiere: April 18, 1944, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Duration: 25:00.

The ballet Fancy Free is a boisterous picture of three World War II sailors on shore leave in New York City.

Background The prodigiously talented Leonard Bernstein could have had any one of several successful careers: piano soloist, classical composer, conductor, writer, lecturer, or Broadway songwriter. In fact, Bernstein chose to do all of these things and did all of them very well! At age 25, he was named assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, and his legendary “big break” came on November 14, 1943, when, with just a few hours’ notice, he substituted for Bruno Walter in a nationally broadcast

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concert from Carnegie Hall. Shortly before this, Bernstein had been approached by a dancer named Jerome Robbins. Unlike Bernstein, who was already a star, Robbins was still up-and-coming but was every bit as ambitious. He wanted Bernstein to write a score for his Fancy Free—his first ballet, to be performed by the Ballet Theater of New York. The two hit it off immediately, and Bernstein immediately began work on the ballet’s score.

The original inspiration for the story was a pair of paintings by the New York artist Paul Cadmus, The Fleet’s In! and Shore Leave. These were energetic and popular images of sailors on leave, though the frank sexuality of Cadmus’s works was sometimes controversial. The scenario for the ballet involved three sailors on shore leave in New York on a hot summer night. They meet a pair of girls in a bar and begin to fight over which of them will be the odd man out. They stage a kind of competition, each dancing a solo designed to impress the girls, but in the end, both girls lose interest and walk off. Though Robbins created the choreography using the vocabulary of Classical Ballet, there are also hints of the dances that were current in ballrooms and bars across America, the Shag, the Lindy Hop, and the Jitterbug. Bernstein’s score is every bit as much a blend of ballet and popular music. The ballet was a phenomenal success, making Robbins a celebrity and increasing Bernstein’s fame as a composer. Later, in 1944, the pair collaborated again on a full-scale Broadway show, On the Town. This show, which expands on the story of Fancy Free (though with entirely new music), would be a huge hit, and, in 1949, an Oscarwinning film.

What You’ll Hear The score is laid out in seven sections, played without pauses. Enter Three Sailors begins with a raspy muted trumpet and the sound of a song being played on a phonograph: Billie Holiday singing Bernstein’s song Big Stuff. The swaggering music in the orchestra alternates with piano and drumset. The second section, Scene at the Bar, is a quiet Blues for woodwinds, strings, and piano. In Enter Two Girls, the girls enter the joint, swaggering every bit as much as the sailors, obviously confident and on the prowl. The humorous Pas de deux, with slinky music for muted brass, has one sailor after another trying his luck with the girls, eventually building to a rather grandiose climax. It soon becomes apparent that, in this case, three sailors are a crowd, and in the Competition Scene, a fight breaks out—an early and completely lighthearted version of the kind of aggressive music Bernstein would later write for violent scenes in On the Waterfront and West Side Story. The following sections are labeled “Three Dance Variations”—one for each sailor. The Galop is frantic and macho, while the Waltz, with its oddly dropped beats, is danced by a sailor who has obviously had a bit too much to drink. The final variation, Danzon, is a Latin-flavored number with hints of the Mambo, a dance that was just starting to become popular in New York City ballrooms.

The Finale is a kind of free-for-all that brings together many of the earlier themes. The two girls leave abruptly (you’ll hear the brass standing in for sailors cussing in dismay). The sailors make up and swear off women, but at the very end, another girl walks in, and the whole thing starts again.

Program notes ©2024 by J. Michael Allsen

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MASTERWORKS MASTERWORKS 4

MASTERWORKS 5

MASTERWORKS 6

BEETHOVEN VS A.I.

DAYBREAK OF FREEDOM

L.A STORIES

MASTERWORKS 7

MASTERWORKS 8

MASTERWORKS 9

January 18-19

February 1-2

MATEUSZ LET THERE PLAYS BRUCH BE LIGHT! March 29-30

April 26-27

March 1-2

TALES OF HEMINGWAY May 10-11

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Advancing Innovation and Art At IntelliTect, we believe in the power of innovation and creativity to transform lives. As proud sponsors of the Spokane Symphony’s “Masterworks 4: Beethoven vs. A.I.,” we celebrate the fusion of timeless artistry and cutting-edge technology.

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A GUIDE TO THE LANGUAGE OF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC Whether you’re a seasoned concertgoer or a newcomer to the world of classical music, this glossary will help you navigate the language that describes the elements of the symphony you are about to enjoy.

So before the lights dim and the conductor raises the baton, we invite you to delve into this curated collection of musical terms and enhance your listening experience.

A

C

D

- Adagio: Slowly.

- Cadenza: An elaborate solo passage, typically near the end of a movement in a concerto that allows the soloist to demonstrate their virtuosity.

- Decrescendo/diminuendo: Gradually get softer.

- Allegro ma non tanto: Fast, but not too much.

- Canon: A technique that employs a melody passing between voices played after a given duration.

Think “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”.

- Allegro moderato: Moderately fast.

- Cantabile: A style of playing that is song-like and lyrical.

- Allegro vivacissimo: Very lively and fast.

- Chaconne: A musical form with variations over a repeated short harmonic progression, a la Pachelbel’s Canon.

- Dynamics: The volume of sound in music, including terms like crescendo (get louder) and diminuendo (get softer) as well as the abbreviations pp (pianissimo: very soft), p (piano:soft), mp (mezzo piano: literally “half soft”, mf (mezzo forte: literally “half loud”), f (forte: loud), ff (fortissimo: very loud).

- Allegro: Quickly.

- Allegro energico: Energetic and lively.

- Allegro guerriero: Warlike and forceful.

- Andante: A moderate, easily flowing pace.

- Andante con moto: A moderate pace with more forward movement.

- Accelerando: Gradually speed up.

B - Bagpipe-style drones: A continuous, sustained pitch or pitches, reminiscent of bagpipe music.

- Baroque concerto: A type of concerto from the Baroque period (very roughly 1600-1750), typically in three movements.

- Bluesy: A jazz-inspired style of music characterized by its use of blue notes and a specific harmonic structure.

- Classical rondo form: A musical form characterized by a recurring leading theme, typically found in the final movement of a sonata or concerto.

- Concerto: a work for solo instrument and orchestra, usually in three movements.

- Concertino: A small or short concerto.

- Counterpoint: The simultaneous combination of independent melodic lines creating harmonious interplay.

- Crescendo: Gradually get louder.

- Drone: A continuous, sustained pitch or pitches, often used to create a harmonic background.

E - Elegia: A piece that is mournful or reflective in nature.

F - Fantasia: A free-form musical composition with a structure that follows the composer’s imagination rather than a set pattern or form.

- Fugato: A passage within a composition that employs fugal techniques but isn’t technically a fully worked-out fugue.

- Fugue: A strict compositional form involving the systematic imitation and development of themes across multiple voices.

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G - Galant style: A style of music from the early Classical period (very roughly 1750-1820) that emphasized lightness and elegance.

- Grave: Very slow and solemn.

H - Horn obbligato: A prominent solo horn part that is integral to the texture of the music.

I - Interlude: A short piece of music that occurs between the main sections of a composition.

J - Juba dance: A traditional AfricanAmerican dance involving rhythmic hand clapping and foot stomping.

L - Larghetto: Somewhat slowly, but not as slow as Adagio.

- Larghissimo: Very, very slow - Largo: Broadly, slow and dignified

- Moderato: Moderately - Movement: A section of a larger composition like a concerto or symphony, often with a brief pause in between movements.

O - Oboe d’amore: A member of the oboe family, slightly larger than the modern oboe, with a more mellow tone, used primarily in the Baroque period.

- Ostinato: A looped musical phrase or rhythm.

P - Palindromic structure: A symmetrical musical structure that reads the same forwards and backwards.

- Piano: Play softly.

- Pianissimo: Play very softly.

- Presto: Extremely fast - Prestissimo: Even faster than Presto - Programmatic: Music that is intended to evoke images, convey a story, or give the impression of events.

- Lento: Slow

Q

- Lyricism: A quality of music that is expressive and song-like.

- Quasi una Fantasia: In the manner of a fantasia (so no formal structure).

M - Major: Music written in “major” keys tends to sound bright and positive.

- Minor: Music written in “minor” keys tends to sound sad or melancholy.

- Minimalist style: A style of music that employs limited musical materials, often repeated.

R - Rhapsody: A one-movement work that is irregular in structure, intended to express emotion and include a range of highly contrasted moods.

alternates with contrasting solo sections, creating a dialogue between soloist and orchestra.

- Rondo: A musical form with a recurring leading theme.

- Rondo Form: A principal theme alternates with one or more contrasting themes.

S - Scherzo: A vigorous, light, or playful composition, typically comprising a movement in a symphony or sonata. From the Italian for “joke”.

- Scotch snap: A rhythmic figure featuring a short, accented note followed by a longer one.

- Sforzando: With emphasis or forceful accent.

- Sonata: A larger-sized composition written primarily for keyboard or for another solo instrument with keyboard accompaniment.

- Sonata form: A musical structure consisting of three main sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation.

- Spiritual: A genre of music that is deeply rooted in the religious and folk traditions of African Americans.

T - Tempo: The speed at which a passage of music is played.

- Tremolo: Rapid repetition of a single note or rapid alternation between two notes.

V

- Ritardando: Gradually slow down.

- Vivace: Lively and fast

- Ritornello: In a baroque concerto, a recurring orchestral theme that

- Vivace non troppo: Lively and fast, but not too much.

45

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY The Spokane Symphony’s education and community programs foster a love for music across all ages. Thanks to the generosity of individual donors, businesses and foundations, these enriching programs continue to be a free gift to our schools and community enriching lives with the universal language of music.

K-12 PROGRAMS

Symphony Day (4th and 5th Grade) 5,000 Students attended in 2023!

The Spokane Symphony welcomes 5,000 fourth and fifth grade students from the Greater Spokane area to The Fox Theater. Students experience an engaging concert that showcases the distinctive sounds of various instruments. The program is thoughtfully crafted to align with education curricula and includes interactive classroom activities prior to the concert to enhance the learning experience.

Link Up 1300 Students attended in 2024!

In collaboration with the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall, the program guides 1300 Students from 20 schools through the art of playing the recorder and vocal performance, utilizing workbooks and instructional materials. With a tiered structure that progresses from fundamental skills to advanced techniques, the program invites educators to join students from 3rd to 5th grade over a three-year journey.

YMEP Young Musicians Education Program (Middle and High School)

Spokane Symphony musicians made over 200 school visits in 23/24.

A talented ensemble makes its way to secondary schools within Spokane Public and Mead School Districts. Musicians dedicate their time to both classroom groups, teachers and individual students.

Free Access Student Tickets (FASTix) The Spokane Symphony donates over 1,000 FREE Masterworks concert tickets to students K-12 each season.

Class Pass Tickets Last year, classrooms from 14 schools from Tri-Cities to Whitefish, Montana attended and enjoyed a concert at The Fox!

FASTix and Class Pass Tickets tickets are available by calling the box office at (509) 624-1200.

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COLLEGE PROGRAMS College Card

An all-in-one pass to each of the 9 Masterworks concerts that feature favorite classic masterpieces and stirring symphonies for a killer price of only $40 (that’s only $5 a show)! College Cards can be purchased online or by calling the box office at (509) 624-1200. Student card verification

202 4 2 0 25 COL LEGE

CARD

is required for College Card pick up.

Master Classes Each season, over 150 students learn from our renowned guest artists.

These classes are FREE for the public to observe at The Fox Theater.

This season Master Classes will be hosted by Awadagin Pratt on piano in September, Julia Pyke on flute in October and Gabrielle Després on violin in March.

FAMILY & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Labor Day Concerts

The orchestra performs for 10,000 annually in Liberty Lake Pavillion Park and Spokane’s Comstock Park. For more than three decades, the Spokane

JASON MOODY Director of Education and Community Engagement

Symphony has been a source of joy for countless individuals at our FREE Labor Day Concerts.

Would you like the Spokane Symphony Musicians to Play in Your School or Community?

Contact Jason Moody at jasonmoody@ spokanesymphony.org

47

WHAT SHOULD I EAT BEFORE GOING TO A SYMPHONY SHOW AT THE FOX? Real suggestions from people like you!

Al Mango Tree 401 W Main Ave

Caralee Skewers Restaurant, downtown Spokane across from the Fox Theater, is AMAZING!!!

Alissa Highly recommend Cochinito Taqueria!

1009 W 1st Ave

10 N Post St

Stephanie The Gilded Unicorn right across the street 110 S Monroe St

Kathi Wild Sage. For sure 916 W 2nd Ave

Todd

Mike We went to Chicken-N-Mo it was delicious!

414 1/2 W Sprague Ave

Doña-Magnolia in the Indigo Hotel is great.

Christina

110 S Madison St

There’s a place called Wave Island.

Highly recommend 525 W 1st Ave

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Sara

Laura

Nudo was bomb

Baba

818 W Sprague Ave

1242 W Summit Pkwy

Ron Sushi Dot Com or Steelhead Bar & Grill. Can’t go wrong with either!

Sushi Dot Com: 430 W Main Ave Steelhead: 218 N Howard St

Conni Thunder Pie across from the Davenport. Great Happy Hour.

Nancy

816 W Sprague Ave

Post Street Ale House 1 N Post St

Renee Wooden City! Reservations are a must! The peppers are to die for.

110 S Monroe St

Jannie Soulful Soups!

117 N Howard St

49

WHAT A

WONDERFUL WORLD LEGENDS OF NEW ORLEANS

SPOKANE SYMPHONY POPS SPOKANE SYMPHONY POPS

JAMES LOWE

POPS

CONDUCTOR

1

BYRON STRIPLING TRUMPET AND VOCALS

CODY FRY

POPS

2

WITH THE SPOKANE SYMPHONY

SATURDAY

SATURDAY

7:30 PM

7:30 PM

SEPT 28

HOLIDAY POPS

NOV 9 POPS

3

WITH THE SPOKANE SYMPHONY

MORIHIKO NAKAHARA CONDUCTOR

THE MUSIC OF

JAMES BOND

POPS

4

JINGQI ZHU CONDUCTOR

MORIHIKO NAKAHARA

HUGH PANERO VOCALS

CONDUCTOR

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

SATURDAY

7:30 PM

3:00 PM

7:30 PM

DEC 21 DEC 22

MARCH 15

PINK MARTINI MORIHIKO NAKAHARA CONDUCTOR

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

7:30 PM

3:00 PM

APRIL 5 APRIL 6 50 S P O K A N E S Y M P H O N Y 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 M A S T E R W O R K S P R O G R A M

POPS

5

51

SPECIALS HARRY POTTER

HANDEL’S MESSIAH Nov 21-23

AND OTHER HALLOWEEN FAVORITES!

JESS WALTER Sept. 21

Oct 26-27

THE NUTCRACKER MAX RICHTER

Dec. 5-8 FILM TO CONCERT

Dec. 31

THE FOUR SEASONS

Feb. 14

STAR WARS

RETURN OF THE JEDI May 3-4 52 S P O K A N E S Y M P H O N Y 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 M A S T E R W O R K S P R O G R A M

SPOKANE SYMPHONY AND FOX THEATER STAFF ADMINISTRATION Russ Lee INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT Jan Ager DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Lucy Watmore GIFTS OFFICER Logan Pintor DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR EDUCATION Jason Moody DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Alexandra Rannow EDUCATION OPERATIONS FINANCE Weiling Zhu CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Alexandra Rannow FINANCE ASSOCIATE MARKETING Kathy Gustafson DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Danny Cordero PHOTOGRAPHER ORCHESTRA OPERATIONS Daniel Cotter GENERAL MANAGER Charles Karschney PRODUCTION MANAGER Andrew Angelos OPERATIONS & PERSONNEL MANAGER

PRODUCTION Tony Kacalek LIGHTING ENGINEER Pam Meyer AUDIO ENGINEER BOX OFFICE Joshua Schulz BOX OFFICE MANAGER Diane Fontana BOX OFFICE ASSISTANT MANAGER

Emily Nixon MUSIC LIBRARIAN

Ashe Greenwood BOX OFFICE ASSOCIATE

FOX THEATER OPERATIONS Brian Ritter GENERAL MANAGER

EVENT STAFF Angeline Dwyer HOUSE MANAGER

Michael Smith PROMOTER SERVICES MANAGER

Lynn Pachelli HOUSE MANAGER

Connor Jacobson ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER

Tom Peacock PARKING ENFORCEMENT

Joe Rietcheck FOX STAGE & FACILITIES MANAGER Bill Curry FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER

Natalia Bawden STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST

53

FOX THEATER TICKET OFFICE Traditional ticket box offices may be fading away, but the Spokane Symphony prides itself on personalized service through The Fox Box Office. Josh, Diane and Ashe are available to help answer your questions, pick your seats, place your order and everything in between.

While we make purchasing tickets online convenient and easy, sometimes it’s just nice to talk to a real person!

Ticket Office Hours:

Tuesday-Wednesday: 10am – 5pm Thursday: 12pm – 7pm Friday: 10am – 2pm Saturday – Monday: Closed Concert Days: 2 hours prior – 30 minutes after show starts Ticket Office Phone: 509-624-1200

DIGITAL TICKETS COMING SOON We are excited to announce a new level of convenience and security for your tickets! Digital tickets are a contactless way to deliver tickets directly to your mobile device using a mobile wallet. It uses a rotating QR code so that you know you have secure, valid tickets as well as reduces counterfeit tickets. Digital tickets can also be easily shared with other members of your party.

No more stress over how to print at home or misplacing your tickets, and no apps are required.

Full Instructions will be found on the website including how to access your mobile wallet, how to access your digital tickets and general FAQs. Plus, our helpful Box Office Staff will be on hand to answer questions.

REMEMBER: Always purchase tickets through our website at spokanesymphony.org or foxtheaterspokane.org, in person at the Ticket Office or call 509-624-1200.

Purchasing tickets through any other source can be priced much higher and may not be legitimate.

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OUR SPONSORS Individual Sponsors E.S Bergquist Foundation Mary Ruth Carleton and Bruce Hunt Bruce and Sandy Colquhoun In Memory of Lee Cullen Joan Degerstrom Sara Duggin Nancy Evans and Greg MacDonald Gerard Fischer Doug and Janet Lambarth Bruce and Carol Nelson Michael Ebinger and Britt Ravnan Carl M. Hansen Foundation George F. Jewett Foundation Sandy and Steven Kernerman Frank Knott and Rose Marie Quigley Andy and Liz Law Dr. Philip and Jennifer Ogden Stephanie Plowman Michael Sharapata - JLL Gerry and Bill Sperling Richard Trudell and Dr. Nancy Morrison, PhD

Restaurant & Bar

55

SPOKANE SYMPHONY ASSOCIATES ASSOCIATES

The Spokane Symphony Associates (SSA) is a dynamic group of over 300 volunteers who spend countless hours creating iconic fundraising events that are crucial in supporting a thriving Spokane Symphony. They firmly believe that an exceptional orchestra enhances the quality of life in Spokane.

Notable Events CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE

One of the most iconic Spokane holiday traditions, Christmas Tree Elegance draws in more than 100,000 attendees from around the region. Beautifully decorated, themed trees are displayed in the Historic Davenport Hotel and River Park Square. This is the largest fundraising event in support of the Spokane Symphony, last year raising $462,500.

Dates: December 3 – December 15, 2024 The Historic Davenport Hotel 10AM – 9PM River Park Square 10AM – 8PM

UPSCALE SALE

An annual pop-up thrift store that offers vintage curiosities, fine china, jewelry, home decor, collectibles, books, clothing, art, and all those fun knick-knacks you can’t find anywhere else. In May 2024, this event raised $75,570.

Follow the Spokane Symphony Associates on Facebook to stay up to date on more events, news, and opportunities.

Join the Magic!

SSA Board of Directors 2023-24: President ELIZABETH RAOL Treasurer BETSY JOHNSON VP Membership BRUCE COLQUHOUN President Elect DOUG BELANGER VP of Development STEVE CORKER VP Promotion & PR SANDY COLQUHOUN President Advisor JANET LAMBARTH VP Education MARTHA HARVIE VP Service & Social KRIS LAMBERSON Secretary PATRICIA GALLON VP Finance ALLISON SHARP

The doors are always open to join the Spokane Symphony Associates. Contribute to the enchanting Christmas Tree Elegance event and Upscale Sale, enjoy fun-filled activities, and stay active within a vibrant community. There are 8 chapters all around Spokane.

For more information on how you can and your friends can get involved, contact Bruce Colquhoun at 509458-8733 or online at spokanesymphonyassoc.org

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Spokane’s Premiere Holiday Attraction Benefits the Spokane Symphony

Presented by

TITLE SPONSOR

December 3-15 Historic Davenport Hotel & River Park Square

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MUSICAL LEGACY SOCIETY

Have you considered leaving a lasting impact by including the Spokane Symphony in your will? In 2023, bequests in the United States grew by 4.8%, reaching an impressive $42.68 billion. These generous gifts came from individuals like you who chose to leave a legacy through their estate plans. By joining the Musical Legacy Society, you are not just making a donation; you are creating a ripple effect that will sustain the arts, music education, and community spirit for generations to come. Your bequest can provide the Symphony with a solid foundation, ensuring its ability to enrich lives through music for years to come.

We currently have $3.2 million in expectancies, a testament to the generosity of our amazing supporters. Please join us in shaping the future of the Spokane Symphony!

Musical Legacy Society members Jeanne L. Ager

Jay L. Franz

*Al and Pat Payne

*Lucille Elizabeth Allert

Ron* and Carolyn Gooley

*Ruth S.H. Pearson

Walter and *Sally Bonsack

Estate of *Jeannette Harras

Dave and *Mary Jane Broom

Don and Janet Hart

Estate of *John A. and *Janet F. Peterson

Elisabeth H. Buxton

Estate of *Edward Heavner

Paul and Bridget Piper

*Leonard and Helen Byrne

Dr. Michael and Cathy Henneberry

Lucretia L. Pladera Fred Radebaugh

Estate of *Margaret A. Hinnenkamp

Lynne and Ben* Ridlon

Judith Chastain Estate of *Firth and *Katherine Chew

*Wendal and *Virginia Jones

A. W. and Vivian Louise Saylor

*Dr. Robert and Jean Kendall

Billie M. Severtsen

Paul and Susan Kennedy

Garry T. Shea

Estate of *Lyman V. and *Cora V. Kinard

Charles and Cathy Simon

Lori and Lawrence Cullen

Frank Knott

*Jean and *J. Herman Swartz

Michael Ebinger and Britt Ravnan

James Kuhns

Carolyn Clark Nancybell Coe Martin and Laura Col Mary Jane Corliss *Arthur B. and Joan G. Craig

Jan Wigen and Larry Ellingson Kevin W. Epps Gerard Fischer William C. and *Harriet J. Fix Michael Flannery and Dean Lynch Estate of *Sue and *Patrick Flammia

*Sherry Knott Janet Lambarth Ann Hurst and Charles Latimer Martha and William Lee The Estate of Louis S. and Margery L. Livingston Spike and *Molly Lynch Joel and Joy Moore

Carole and Michael Folsom

Diane DeFelice and David Nelson

Estate of *Lloyd G. and *DeLane Fowler

*Dr Arthur F. Noskowiak Estate of *Robert Ogden

*Bernard and Anne Fox

Estate of *Mary Olson

Anne Franke and *Michael West

John Patrouch and Linda Jean Hartman

*Richard and Connie Stacey Pat and Kirk Thomas Ms. Phebe Thompson *Betty Barker Tiffany Dr. Darlene A. Townsend Richard W. Trudell & *C. Darlene Trudell Harriet N. and *Sam Van Wyck *Elizabeth M. Welty, M.D. *Patricia Wenke Lura V. Whitham Estate Ruth and Dan Wimberly Jeannette Wee-Yang and Daniel Yang Anonymous (3)

As a proud member of the Spokane Symphony’s Musical Legacy Society, I have experienced firsthand the simplicity and profound impact of including the Symphony in my estate planning. I chose to designate the Spokane Symphony as a beneficiary of my retirement account—an action that was easy to execute online.

This decision not only ensures that a meaningful portion of my estate will continue to support the Symphony but also allows me to contribute to the enduring legacy of an organization that has been a significant part of my life since childhood.

The process of becoming a Legacy Society member and making the Symphony a beneficiary is designed with ease in mind. It requires only a few steps, which can be completed online or with the assistance of a Symphony representative. This accessibility encourages all who cherish the Symphony to consider how even a simple act of planned giving can leave a lasting imprint on our community’s cultural future.

In addition, I contribute to the Spokane Symphony annually, which is very rewarding as well. Arranging these gifts is also easy and can be done online or with Symphony staff assistance.

Gerard Fischer Musical Legacy Society Member

Endowment Board Officers President: MATT EWERS Vice President: DOUG BELANGER Treasurer: JACK FALLIS Secretary: CATE MOYE Members DAVID BROOM GERARD FISCHER JEFF SNOW

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WAYS TO GIVE Beyond traditional monetary donations, the Spokane Symphony welcomes a variety of non-cash contributions. From stocks and securities to planned estate gifts, your support can take many forms, ensuring the enduring legacy of music in our community.

DONATE APPRECIATED STOCK

ARE YOU READY TO BECOME A HERO FOR YOUR SYMPHONY? We are happy to collaborate with you and your trusted advisors.

Please contact Jan Ager at 509-990-1645

GIVE THROUGH YOUR IRA

If you are 70 ½ years of age or older, you can give up to $105,000 from your QCD. Once you reach 73, you are required to take an annual Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)

Development Staff

GRANT FROM YOUR DONOR-ADVISED FUND (DAF) DESIGNATED BENEFICIARY

Name the Spokane Symphony or Endowment as your designated beneficiary of life insurance policy, IRA or DAF.

SUSTAINERS

JAN AGER Development Director, Consultant

A sustainer of the Spokane Symphony is a true champion of the arts, making regular, recurring donations that keep the music alive and thriving.

By contributing monthly, sustainers provide a steady and reliable stream of support that covers everything from artist fees and venue costs to educational programs. This consistent backing is the lifeblood of the symphony, enabling it to continue to deliver breathtaking performances and inspire audiences year-round.

LUCY WATMORE Gifts Officer

As a lifelong lover of the Spokane Symphony, I wanted to find a way to support this incredible institution consistently.

Becoming a monthly sustainer was the perfect solution. Not only do I get to contribute to the Symphony’s continued success and enjoy the beautiful music it brings to our community, but I also found a clever perk. By setting up my monthly donations to be charged to my credit card, I accumulate airline miles throughout the

JEANNE AGER Development Consultant

year. This way, I support the arts I cherish and earn a free airline ticket annually. It’s a win-win!

Kent Burnham Monthly Sustainer

59

BEACON H ILL c a t er in g & e v e n t s

Family meals without the mess? That’s our kind of

harmony.

Try Beacon at Home, our scratch-made family meals for four delivered to your door every Thursday. Each week features a fresh menu with complimentary dessert.

Use code HARMONY to save $5 on your first order.

Order directly at beaconhillathome.square.site | 509.482.3556

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THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the ever-expanding community of supporters who generously contribute to the Spokane Symphony, Fox Theater, and the Spokane Symphony and Fox Theater Endowment Fund. This donor list reflects the cumulative giving history over a 12-month period. All donations are for the fiscal year 2024, spanning from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.

FORTISSIMO! ($100,000+) In Memory of Colleen Anderson *Leonard I. and Helen Byrne C Idaho Central Credit Union Spokane Symphony Associates Spokane Symphony and Fox Theater Endowment

CRESCENDO ($50,000-$99,999) City of Spokane-ARPA

PERFECT PITCH ($20,000-$49,999) Avista Foundation Clearwater Paper David and Vernice Cohen Joan Degerstrom Sara Duggin Future Song Foundation Hagan Foundation I.S. and Emily Fetterman Foundation  Johnston-Fix Foundation  Frank Knott Spokane Arts STCU  Anonymous (2)

PLATINUM BATON ($10,000-$19,999) Lauren Armstrong James and Nancy Barthelmess Doug and Gail Belanger John and Christeena Blasen  Kay Brightman  Michael Ebinger and Britt Ravnan Patricia Gorman Ewers C Ann Fennessy and Robert Maixner C George F. Jewett Foundation Robert E. Gibbs Dr. George and Lila Girvin The Heaton Family Arsen and Daria Kitch Russell and Deborah Lee Dr. William and Mary Murphy PotlatchDeltic Raymond Family Foundation Barry and Kathy Rettkowski C

Dr. Jeffery and Julia Snow The E. S. Bergquist Foundation Phebe Thompson Jeff vom Saal Harriet N. and *Sam Van Wyck

GOLD BATON ($5,000-$9,999) Joan and John Anderson Artsfund Chris and Christine Ashenbrener Dr. Bassem Bejjani Kent R. Burnham  / V Elisabeth H. Buxton Carl M Hansen Foundation Mary Ruth Carleton and Bruce Hunt Bruce and Sandy Colquhoun Sunny and Bob Cook  Elizabeth A. Cowles and James L. Meyer Jay L. Franz *Ron and Carolyn Gooley V Harold Fix  Hal Hunt and Claudia Smith Irwin Family Fund JLL Jack and Felicia Kendall Andy and Liz Law Danko and Dubravka Martincic  Multicare Health System Carol and W Bruce Nelson William and Paula Nelson V Otto and Denny Schatz  Ginny Schuyler C Ruth K. Seignemartin Bernard Sheldon and Mary Jane Corliss Gerry and Bill Sperling The Welty Foundation  Richard Trudell and Dr. Nancy Morrison Lyle and Kathy Wendling Joe Wessman and Dr. Debbie Maurus Mr. Joe Organick and Dr. Karen Wohlen Fritz Wolff Neil and Dawn Worrall

MAESTRO’S CIRCLE ($2,500-$4,999) Dale Boercker Walter Bonsack C Carolyn Clark Nancybell Coe Stacey and Anne Cowles Matt Ewers Mike and Vicki Frucci Stacey and Anne Cowles Don and Janet Hart C Harry H. and Inge S. Hendron Meredith Jobe Dr. and Mrs. R.N. Kleaveland Latah Creek Wine Cellars Drs. Pierre P. Leimgruber and Alina I. Peffer Spike Lynch Rita and Ron Mickelson Barbara and William Morkill Carla M. Nuxoll Dr. Philip and Jennifer Ogden Jerad and Katie Park H. Laird and Shawna Parry Georgene R. Patten  Gilbert and Beth Rossing A. W. and Vivian Louise Saylor C Donald Schaefer Sheila Sloan Grant and Lelia Smith Marcia M. Smith SRM Development, LLC Connie M. Stacey Ed and Amy Walker Peter and Karen Wildman

ENCORE SOCIETY ($1,000-$2,499) Rev. Dr. George and Jan Abrams V Tom and Helen Allerding Gail and Dex Amend *Dr. Wayne L. Attwood John and Sindra Barber Cary and Kay Bass Kathy and Bruce Bixler Frances H. Brewer Cathy Brown Krista Brown  William and Judy Camden Bridget and P.J. Carstens Michael and Anne Chamberlain

V Monthly Sustaining Donor C Endowment Donor/MLS or Musical Legacy Society



*

Education Donor Deceased

Dave and Mari Clack Joe and Jane Clements Ronald Cocchiarella Drs. Carey and Cohen Commercial Creamery Company Jane Ellsworth and William Conable V Lou Corones *Dr. Arthur B. and Dr. Joan G. Craig Ashlee Cribb and Walter Woliver Rodney and Darlene Croteau Randy and Linda Crowe Matthew Dudley and Lea Conner Sandra Duffy John Eisenhauer and Jil Strate V Peter and Susan Fern Gerard Fischer C Dr. Robert and Meryl Gersh Judy Grollmus V Bart and Lindell Haggin George Halekas and Patricia Moberly  Judy Hamel  Arthur Harlow and Mary Giannini  Faith Hayflich and Charlie Boettcher Mary Heath Dr. Michael and Cathy Henneberry Holloway Family Foundation Gary and Barbara Hordemann Lori and Dan Houk TJ Houk Suzanne W. Hoyle Karen J. Creveling-Hughes and Joel A. Hughes Valerie Hughes Stephen and Jean Johnson Jim and Elouise Johnson C Dr. Thomas A. Kearney,and Sharon A. Fischer V Steven and Susan Kelsch Selena and Myles Kennedy Cheryl D. Kingen Bill Kingman Jim Kolva and Pat Sullivan Bill and Pat Lamphere  Anne Lauderbaugh Dr. Robert and Marilyn Laugen The Estate of Louis S. and Margery L. Livingston

61

The Estate of Betty and Scott Lukins Malcolm Manwell Susan C. Mattoon Dave McGann Mary Beth McGinley V Kathleen L. Meyer  / C Joel and Joy Moore Mounsey Family Foundation Dan Muhm and Cathy Nemmert Carole L. Rolando and Michael J. Myers *Nicholas and Mildred Ninos  Susan Nunes David and Karen Parsons  Carla O. Peperzak Dr. John and Ashley Peterson Caryl Poshusta Thomas and Sallye Prenger Lunell Haught and Robert Pyle Fred Radebaugh Dick and Trudy Raymond Dr. Stephen and Sherilyn Renner Gerald and Maureen Ritter Sharlene Rivers V Jerry Rosen Laurelyn Rothrock Judy S Sawyer Tom and Mary Pat Schemmel  Selinger Shone Foundation Gerald and Patricia Sittser Spokane Bike Swap And Expo Brent Stanyer Blair and Susan Strong Steve and Linda Swartley Kathryn L. Tolin and Bruce A. Bailey Tom and Glea Trulove Doug Vilhauer and Bobbie Domonouski Rick and Diana Wilhite Peter and Gay Witherspoon Dave and Millicent Roberts Anonymous

FIRST CHAIR SOCIETY ($500-$999) Karen J. Bart Frank Beattie Ron Benfield Richard and Maureen Boutz Mary Jane and Dave Broom Curtis and Margaret Chambers Pat and Nancy Chase Virgil and Lyn Dedas Kim and Anita Eccles Jan Wigen and Larry Ellingson David and Sara Ensor Thomas and Patricia Fairchild Dr. Robert Farner

Carla and Tom Fawcett Darlene Fisher Art and Nancy Flagan Kathy Golden  Yvonne Goodwater Terri Gruber Betsy and Doug Hammond C Michael and Bailey Haugen V The Hendershot Family Charitable Fund Linda and Roy Hooten Jim and Sandy Ivers Janet and Robert Johnson Julia Jones Melodee Jones and Robert Hyslop Thomas L. Kasson Paul and Susan Kennedy Rachel and Larry Kristianson Don and Charlotte Lamp Sean LaSalle Donald and Haideh Lightfoot Greg MacDonald and Nancy Evans Cynthia and Kyle Malmquist V Gayle McCutchan Colleen and Jacob Meighan Virginia and John Moody Gary and Cynthia Munson Diane DeFelice and David Nelson Joann and K. V. Nelson Doug Orr Marion and James Park Karen Parsons Mary Perry Margaret Phillips George and Virginia Potts Harley and Melanie Reckord Michael Robinson and Jacquelyn Dibble-Robinson  Marcus Roeder Michael and Susan Rudd Nancy and James Schoepflin Jerry Searfoss Dr. John Paul and Sharma Shields Steven and Pam Silverstein William H. and Pamela Small  Peggy Springer V Lori Steiner V Ken and Lee Swedberg Judith and Gerald Titus Bernie Toutant Maria Trunkenbolz Cheryl and Royce Van Gerpen Louis Vogel and Anne Arguinchona-Vogel Walker Construction, Inc. Irene Weir Don and Shirley Whittaker Sally Winkle V

Annis G. Young Anonymous (3)

INNER CIRCLE ($250-$499) John Anderson and Alberta Brassfield Zach and Sim Arms V Judy and Doug Beane Dr. Julie and Mr. Rick Biggerstaff Muriel Blevins Bill and Kate Bradley James Brandmueller Dr. Robert and Mary Elizabeth Burroughs Family Fund at Innovia Diana and Bill Butland Bruce Carpenter Jana Sue Carter Keith Congleton and Kathy Hubbard William and Cynthia Corrick Kevin and Kay Dixon  Sherry L. Ennis Susan Eugster Ceanne Evans Sharon Fairchild Sandra Fink Paul Fish Karl and Suzanne Fleming Paul and Shirley Galli Richard and Judith Gammon Lawrence and Patricia Garvin Dr. and Mrs. Richard G. Gower Suzanne J. Grainger Jody Graves Kate Loftis Hamilton Darren Hand Dr. Mike and Christie Hinnen Manny and Vange Hochheimer Paul and Judy Jaremko Tom and Ruth Ann Johnson Brian Jonas Shari A. Kain Dr. Ken and Marie Kapstafer Masako and Maurice Keeler Sandra and Steven Kernerman Gudrun Klim Gary and Nora Klingsporn Peggy and Steve Koehler Stephen and Lisa Kuhar-Pitters V KNona Liddell, Ph.D. Kevin Littlemore Sybil Alicia MacDonald Todd Maddock Sara Maleki Gary and Lisa Marks Dave and Bobbie McGann Jeta P. McKillip  Susan M. Morris Bill and Susan Mulvihill

Katherine V. Myers Diana Ohlson Dan and Susan Ott Robert and Jean Panther Elizabeth and Jack Pearce Pamela Randolph Dee and John Rodgers Lance Rucker Jack Russell Brooks C. Sackett Robert Scheidmer Bob and Sue Schneidmiller Michael and Lori Sharapata Ron and Sherri Thies Anna Torma Richard R. Wagoner Daniel Yang and Jeannette Wee-Yang Nicholas and Karen Warrick Dave Weatherred  Douglas Wester Ms. Jennifer Wheaton  Larry and Mary Ann Winters V Judi and Donald Young Linda Siverts and Tony Yuen Anonymous

OVERTURE SOCIETY ($100-$249) Deral and Carol Adams Martha and James Ahrens Terry Arai Laura Arksey Maria Barac Kay Barmore Adam and Linda Bartholomew Brynn Beals Nick and Sue Ann Beamer Kathleen W. Bentley Brad W. Blegen Barbara Bonino Frank and Sharon Bouten Mark and Sharon Bowman Philip Boyer Monica Bramble  / V Penelope Brown David and Patricia Brown C Scott Campbell Barb and Mike Cantlon  Ashley Cantlon Lee Chaney Jessie Norris and Barry Chapman Roger and Kathleen Chase Joe Chrastil and Jean Ingebritsen Margaret W. Clark Jeremiah Clinton Martin and Laura Col Sharon and Joe Conaty Laurie and Tom Connolly Jennifer Cook

62 S P O K A N E S Y M P H O N Y 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 M A S T E R W O R K S P R O G R A M

Roger and Judy Cooke Ann Quinn and David Cooling James A and Carolyn E Brown Cooper Andrea Crumpler Dana Dalrymple Ronald Daniels Joan De Groot David Dierdorff Dick and Sherrill Dietz Ivan Dremov Jim and Sue Els John Empsall Jack Fallis G. Stanley Fergin Michael Flannery and Dean Lynch Blake Folden Dr. Merry A. Fougere Friday Musical Club Alex Ganea Woody Garvin James Gerding and Heidi Pouley Jenna Gigstead Benjamin Gish Leon and Annie Green Linda Greene Greg and Margaret Presley C Kelly Grieves Julie and Mike Haines Kenn Hamm Cynthia and Michael Hauser Eric and Corinne Hensley Gary and Vicki Van Heuvelen Joe and Sharon Hindman Jean Hodges Beth Hodgson Gary and Sharon Holmes Doug and Susan Hood Serban and Raluca Ionescu Robert Jackson Jerry and Tamolin Leonard C Rosa Johansen Richard and Karen Johnston Jerry and Julia Jose Peter and Diane Joss Blue Moon Garden & Nursery Dan and Nancy Kessler Karen Gendron and Dean Kiefer Kurt Kilayko Mike and Clare Kobluk Diana Koorkanian-Sauders  / V Janet Krovoza Ed and Jann Leppien  Mel and Sheila Leskinen Dr. Edward and Kay Lester John and Laura Lloyd Joe Lotrario Holly Love and Pam Glass Ron and Judy Lugone

John and Keirsten Lyons Scooter and Dan Mahoney James and Susan Malm Jane Mark  John Marshall and Lynne Feller-Marshall V Patricia Marvel V.A. Maxwell Janie McCaslin Michael McKay and Simone Ramel-McKay Linda R. Meyer Richard and Karen Meyers John and Sue Middaugh Arlin and Judith Migliazzo Camilla Mounts Don and Marilyn McNally Joseph and Alison Nowakowski Leonard Oakland Donald Oakley Jean O’Dell Carol Overman John and Diane Packard  Bruce Pennell Chris and Norma Petersen Stefanie and Bruce Pettit Betty and Mike Pontarolo Michael and Sandra Povich Kate Quinn Dave Remington Ray and Marilyn Riches V John and Shirley Riley Dr. Mary F. Roe  Craig and Valerie Rongey Neva Rotz John Rudman Kathy and Steve Sackett Robyn Samuels Dr. Judith Schoepflin Del Schwisow Jay and Kristi Sciuchetti Billie M. Severtsen Patricia H. Sexton Richard and Helen Ann Shanley Gregory Sharp Bill Shugg Sharon Simons Bob and Pat Skattum Salli and Jim Sledge Dr. Gary and Sarah Smith Gregory Smith Brian Soth Spokane Chapter American Guild Of Organists C Spokane Music Teachers Association Spokane Symphony Associates Bernstein Chapter C Dacotah Spurgeon Richard and Karen Steele

Stickles Family Fund Liz De Niro and Paul Swetik Lynn Terwilliger Alice Thomas  Molly and Walter Thompson John Toccalino V Marilyn Trail Barbara May Tuttle Debra Van Slyke Daniel and Tina Varey Constance Nelson and Robert Weaver Vicki Wieber Wende Wilber Brent and Sue Wilcox John and Sheree Wilkinson Burma and Richard Williams Jennifer Winson Mateusz and Dawn Wolski Gary and Sharon Zentzis Anonymous (3)

STACCATO SOCIETY ($50-$99) Mark Abrams Jeanne L. Ager Brian Alexander Marcia Amend Bruce Anderson Dena Angelos Karin Brocksbank Mary and Lawrence Bryan  Hans and Janet Bynagle Mary Louise Cameron Thomas C. Caswell Eric Christiansen Carol Currie-Hannah Kelly Dittmar Michael and Janelle Dobson Gary Edighoffer Francine S Evans  Erin Foster  James Fox Ellie Getchius Ernie and Venera Gilmour Karl Grotenhuis Nita Hamilton Molly Hannan Lucille Hanson V Ellen Hoffman Doris Holdaway Bob Hustrulid Jean Jalufka Ron and Debbie Johnson Amy Johnson-Colwell Christie and Rick Jones Keith and Pam Kager Stephanie Klein Darin Klein

Daniel Lannigan Andrew Lipsker Janelle McCabe Will Malone Garry and Annie Matlow Scott and Barbara McArthur  John McDowell Sarah McMenamin  Christine Morel Eteri Byazrova and Yuri Morozov Kathy Morris Rev. William J. Murphy Dian Nelson C Bill and Julia Nesbitt Jill-Lynn Nunemaker Holly Pena Alan and Patricia Perlman Kyle and Mary Peterson Charles Peterson Chuck and Donna Pierce Molly Prenger Kenn Priebe  Martha Raske Lois Redmond Harley W Rhodehamel III Scott Rigden Bernie Rodseth Janet Schmidlkofer A.J. Sheredos Dan Siddoway Stephen and Judith Spelman Andrea Srulovitz Fred and Karen Stahl Carolanne Steinebach Judy and Phillip Stephens  Mark Stinson  Howard and Rita Stoess C Sharon M. Straub Dr. Patrick and Lynn Tennican Robert Terleck Mary Thogersen Ha Tran Wallace and Lynn Volwiler Gay Waldman Jill Walicki Taryn Ward Ann Warrington Anne Claire and Z. Harry Whitley Mike and Carol Wilson Mary Winkes J. A. and Marie Wyatt Anonymous

V Monthly Sustaining Donor C Endowment Donor /MLS or Musical Legacy Society



*

Education Donor Deceased

63

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