Spartanburg Philharmonic - HearHere, Fall 2021

Spartanburg Philharmonic

Volume 93, Fall 2021

Be Inspired

by Live Music

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Volume 93, Fall 2021 200 East Saint John St. Spartanburg, SC 29306 864.948.9020

Contributing Authors: Sally Frick Peter B. Kay Susana Lalama Courtney Oliver Laura-Clare Thevenet Chris Vaneman Tristan Willcox

Information 4 5 6 7 8 12 14 30 58

Calendar of Events A Letter from the Philharmonic Board of Directors Orchestra Committee Philharmonic Staff Corporate Partnerships Spartanburg Philharmonic Annual Fund Spartanburg Philharmonic Musicians Spring Calendar

Photographers: Anna Bandy Kavin Bradner Jimmy Gibson Brian Smith Kordell Hemphill

Design: Peter B. Kay

Concerts 22

Espresso Series

31

Zimmerli Series: Radiant

38

Zimmerli Series: Magical

40

Zimmerli Series: Whimsical

44

Bluegrass Spartanburg

49

Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra

Articles 16 17 18 25 26 29 37 39 41 42 46 48 50

Kurt Zimmerli Spotlight: Samantha Larkins Get to know our Guest Conductors!

An Evening of Divertimentos & Dressage Spotlight: The Bassoons Meet Callie Brennan Kayoko Dan Roger Kalia Geneviéve Leclair The Nutcracker Backstage with Bluegrass Spartanburg The SPYO Stronger Everyday 3

Calendar of Events

Fall 2021

Zimmerli Classics & Family Series (page 31)

Youth Orchestra (page 49)

Espresso Series (page 22)

Special Events

Bluegrass Spartanburg (page 44)

Event

Date

Venue

Sat 9/18

Twichell Auditorium

Cheeky: Chaplin & Keaton

Fri 10/1

Chapman Cultural Center

Love Canon at FR8yard

Sat 10/9

FR8yard

Sam Bush Band

Sat 10/16

Twichell Auditorium

An Evening of Divertimentos & Dressage

Thurs 10/21

Motlow Creek Equestrian Center

Courageous: Dvorak, Symphony no. 9

Sun 10/24

Twichell Auditorium

Magical: The Music of John Williams

Sat 10/30

Twichell Auditorium

Magical: The Music of John Williams

Sun 10/31

Twichell Auditorium

Fri 11/19

Chapman Cultural Center

The Waybacks

Fri 12/3

Twichell Auditorium

Whimsical: Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker

Fri 12/10

Twichell Auditorium

Whimsical: Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker

Sat 12/11

Twichell Auditorium

Whimsical: Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker

Sun 12/12

Twichell Auditorium

September Radiant: Brahms, Symphony no. 2

October

November Energized: Electric Cellos

December

additional information is available online at:

SpartanburgPhilharmonic.org/Events

Connect with the Spartanburg Philharmonic!

See photos and video of the symphony on stage, backstage, and behind the scenes. Learn more about music and musical life, and stay up-to-date about our upcoming events. Like, Follow, and Watch

facebook.com/SpartanburgPhil instagram.com/SpartanburgPhilharmonic youtube.com/SpartanburgPhilharmonic

4

A Letter from the Philharmonic

Thank you for being a friend of the Spartanburg Philharmonic!

We appreciate the community’s continued support of our programs, musicians and educational opportunities in the current climate. In our 93rd season, the Philharmonic is committed to inspiring, entertaining, and educating our community through the universal language of music.

We are excited to bring LIVE music back to Spartanburg with many opportunities for our community – all while keeping the health and safety of our musicians, staff and audience at the forefront of our concerts.

The upcoming live 2021-22 season will feature invited guest conductors to our long-standing and popular Zimmerli Series. Of special note is a collaboration with Ballet Spartanburg for the first time in over 20 years for The Nutcracker; the world premiere of a work by Spartanburg Philharmonic Composer in Residence, Peter B. Kay; performances of Brahm’s Symphony No. 2; the Philharmonic premiere of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1; an all-John Williams program; the Espresso Series Silent Movie double feature of Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp & Buster Keaton’s One Week; and performances by the Sam Bush Band and powerhouse acoustic duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley. Read on within the pages of HearHere to learn more about our fantastic guest conductors and all of our programs for the Fall.

The Philharmonic has deepened our commitment to education and opportunities for youth with our Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (SPYO). Comprised of two orchestras, the SPYO fosters a lifelong appreciation for music while students learn important skills, such as listening, teamwork, and a strong work ethic. We hope you will join us for their first concert of the season on October 26th and celebrate the Courageous attitude of our youth!

We are thrilled to return to the concert hall and to continue to bring high quality LIVE music to Spartanburg.

We continue to create an extraordinary impact on our City and County.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Boucher, Executive Director Spartanburg Philharmonic

Chip McLeod, President of the Board of Directors Spartanburg Philharmonic 5

Board of Directors 2021-2022 Officers

Chip McLeod President

Laura Allen

Past President

Karen Parrott

President Elect

Samantha Larkins Treasurer

Chris Strickland Secretary

Directors Karen Bjelland James Cheek Ray Dunleavy Peter Grzan Laura Henthorn Dr. Ohmar Land Francie Little Dr. Cabe Loring Judy McCravy Dr. Melinda Moretz Alex Hunt North Dr. Rick Orr Bert Shuler Helen Tipton Kate White Dr. Meisha Whitlock

From the top: Chip McLeod with his wife; Samantha Larkins pours wine at an Espresso concert; Laura Allen with her family and Mary Helen Wade at a Philharmonic fundraiser; Karen Parrott with her family at a Philharmonic fundraiser; Chris Strickland with his wife at an Espresso concert.

Lifetime Director Dr. J. Sidney Fulmer

6

The Mission of the Spartanburg Philharmonic is to enrich, inspire

Orchestra Committee 2021-2022 Representatives

Diana Maley Berti, Viola

Committee Co-Chair

Michele Cockram, Violin

Committee Co-Chair

Ian Bracchitta, Bass Alvoy Bryan, Jr., Viola Patrick Lowery, Timpani Andrew Merideth, Horn

From the top: Diana Maley Berti Michele Cockram Patrick Lowery Alvoy Bryan, Jr. Ian Bracchitta Andrew Merideth

Members of the Spartanburg Philharmonic elect six to eight colleagues to serve as an Orchestra Committee.

This committee performs the duties in the Orchestra Manual, which outlines the responsibilities of both the orchestra members and the Philharmonic’s staff in preparing for and presenting outstanding concerts. This committee represent the interests of the musicians on the Artistic Committee, and a member serves as a nonvoting member of the Board of Directors.

e, and educate through live performances of high-quality music.

7

Philharmonic Staff

Kathryn Boucher

Peter B. Kay

Courtney Oliver

Robert Borden

Susana M. Lalama

Johanna Wilson

Executive Director

Orchestra Librarian

8

2021-2022

General Manager & Composer in Residence

Youth Orchestra Conductor

Volunteers:

Interns:

Marianne Fortin Tristan Willcox

Kordell Hemphill Lanna Peterson Adriana Stamile

Marketing & Special Events Manager

Junior Youth Orchestra Conductor

T

S. REEL ROBERTSON

Certified Public Accountant 721 E. Main Street Spartanburg, SC 29302

(864) 583-2450

Fax: (864) 582-7332 reel@sreelrobertsoncpa.com

9

st udio series

In Collaboration with Spartanburg Philharmonic

WHITE’S PINE STREET EXXON FRI., OCTOBER 22 7:00 PM SAT., OCTOBER 23 11:00 AM, 3:00 & 7:00 PM SUN., OCTOBER 24 3:00 PM

TICKETS: 864-542-2787 BALLETSPARTANBURG.ORG CHAPMAN CULTURAL CENTER STUDENT $20 | SENIOR $23 | ADULT $25

FRI., DEC. 10 SAT., DEC. 11 SUN., DEC. 12

7:00 PM 3:00 & 7:00 PM 3:00 PM

TICKETS: 864-596-9724 BALLETSPARTANBURG.ORG TWICHELL AUDITORIUM STUDENT $20 | SENIOR $28 | ADULT $35

FRI., FEB. 11 SAT., FEB. 12

6:00 & 8:00 PM 6:00 & 8:00 PM

TICKETS: 864-583-0339 BALLETSPARTANBURG.ORG BALLET SPARTANBURG STUDIOS NOT PART OF BALLET SPARTANBURG SEASON|SPECIAL EVENT

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CHAPMAN CULTURAL CENTER STUDENT $20 | ADULT $25 | SENIOR $23

TICKETS: 864-542-2787 BALLETSPARTANBURG.ORG CHAPMAN CULTURAL CENTER STUDENT $20 | SENIOR $23 | ADULT $25

21/22 PRESENTING SPONSOR

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS balletspartanburg.org or 864.542.2787

SEASON MEMBERSHIPS balletspartanburg.org/memberships 864.583.0339

SEPT. 17-26, 2021

NOV. 5-14, 2021

JAN. 14-23, 2022

MARCH 4-13, 2022

MAY 6-15, 2022

Phone: (864) 585-1226

Fax: (864) 585-4305

OCT. 8-9, 2021

DEC. 3-5, 2021

FEB. 11-13, 2022

APRIL 15-16, 2022

JULY 15-24, 2022 the musical

110 Summit Hills Drive • Spartanburg, SC 29307 (864) 408-8850 • Summit-Hills.com INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE • SKILLED NURSING • REHAB

CORPORATE PARTNERS 12

Corporate Partners

F O U N D A T I O N

Funders Carlos Moseley TRUST

When arts and businesses partner, everyone profits. With corporate partnerships, our concerts and events provide invaluable exposure to prospective and current clients, educate the public about your business initiatives, offer networking opportunities with clients, and provide benefits for employees.

For full details regarding our Corporate Partnership packages, please contact: Kathryn Boucher, Executive Director kboucher@spartanarts.org

Donations given to Chapman Cultural Center’s Annual United Arts Fund supports Spartanburg Philharmonic through a General Operating Support Grant.

Chapman Cultural Center is a proud supporter of Spartanburg Philharmonic and their mission.

Spartanburg Philharmonic We gratefully acknowledge the following donors who made generous commitments to the Spartanburg Philharmonic.

This list reflects gifts received July 2020 through June 2021

ANNUAL FUND

Benefactor ($15,000+) Balmer Foundation Mr. and Mrs. William Barnet III Mr. and Mrs. George Dean Johnson, Jr. Alfred Moore Foundation Carlos Moseley Trust Mrs. Nelly Zimmerli Virtuoso & Podium ($5,000-$9,999)

Baton ($2,500-$4,999)

Dr. Barry Bodie and Ms. Laurel D. Johnson Mrs. Patricia Hudgens

Mrs. Mac Cates, Jr. Mr. James Cheek Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kohler, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lehner Mr. and Mrs. V. C. McLeod, III Mr. and Mrs. Peter Weisman Mr. and Mrs. Donald Wildman Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Wilson

Principal ($1,000-$2,499) Laura Allen and Roger Sullivan Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Baker Mrs. Susan H. Baker Ms. Karen E. Bjelland Ms. Kathryn H. Boucher Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Cogan Mr. and Mrs. Halsey Cook Mr. and Mrs. Ken Deems Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dunleavy Mr. and Mrs. Ken Frick Mr. Peter Grzan Mr. and Mrs. Roger Habisreutinger Ms. Laura Henthorn Dr. Leslie W. Howard, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ireland Dr. and Mrs. Louis Knoepp, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay Little Dr. and Mrs. Caleb Loring, IV

Dr. Dennis E. Mayer and Mr. Dean Rutherford Mayer Mr. and Mrs. John S. McBride, Jr. Mrs. Judy McCravy Mr. E.T. McLean Mr. and Mrs. Walter S. Montgomery Dr. Melinda Moretz Mr. John R. Murphy Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Nederostek Mr. and Mrs. Wiley North Dr. and Mrs. Rick Orr Mr. and Mrs. Stephen P. Parrott Ms. Thelma A. Powell Mr. Stefan Sanders and Ms. Kela Walton Ms. Johanna Lewis and Mr. Richard Spiers Mr. and Mrs. Walter Sunderlin Mr. and Mrs. H. Peter Theiler Mr. and Mrs. Marshall T. Walsh Dr. Meisha Whitlock Mr. Robert K. Bellinger

for more information about donor levels or supporting the Philharmonic, visit us online at: 14

SpartanburgPhilharmonic.org/GiveNow

Fellow Musician ($500-$999) Mr. Robert Borden Mr. and Mrs. George Brandt, III Mr. Mark Carlson Mrs. Celia Cogdell Mr. and Mrs. David Ellis Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Flynn, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Holloway Dr. and Mrs. David A. Holt Rear Admiral and Mrs. Stephen Johnson Clint & Samantha Larkins Mr. and Mrs. Don Miles Dr. and Mrs. Peter Sereque

MG(R) and Mrs. Edwin Spain, III Mr. and Mrs. Eliot Stone Mr. & Mrs. John Tipton Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Traywick, II Mr. and Mrs. Glen Warner Mr. and Mrs. Taylor White

Mr. and Mrs. Brandt Goodwin Todd and Ginger Greer Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Haas Mr. & Mrs. Gaston C Harris Jr Mr. J. Mark Hayes, II Mr. and Mrs. Robert Houston Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Hyatt Harriet and David Ike Dr. and Mrs. William A. James Cat and Mike Judice Mr. and Mrs. Thomas N. King Ms. Beverly Knight Mr. Vincent J. Krydynski, Jr. Dr. Susana Lalama Dr. Ohmar Land Mr. and Mrs. Horace C. Littlejohn, Jr. Dr. Allen H. Mackenzie Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley Martin Ms. Carol B McCulloch Ms. Cabell Mitchell

Mrs. PJ Morrow Kam and Emily Neely Mr. Jeffrey Nye Mr. & Mrs. Daniel O’Connell Ruth and Walter S. Oliver, IV Dr. and Mrs. Jan Postma Dr. Douglas A. Rayner Ms. Joy Shackelford Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Shuler Mr. and Mrs. John Supra Mr. Frank R. Thies, III Mr. and Mrs. Jack Turner Mr. Arnold Tuttle Ms. Melanie Vick Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Wade Mr. and Mrs. Mark Ward Douglas and Rita Weeks Ms. Linda Sangster West Ms. Johanna Wilson

Ms. Barbara Colvin Ms. Patricia Cook Dr. C. Edward Davidson Isaac and Darlene Dickson Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Garrell Gerty Gonzales Mr. and Mrs. David L. Gowing Dr. Lee Hagglund Mr. and Mrs. Peyton Harvey Mr. Christopher Herrell Anna Hough Mrs. Ava Hughes Mr. and Mrs. Michael Humeniuk Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Miller Dr. and Mrs. Larry Kibler Dr. Lizabeth McLeod and Mr. David Kushubar Mr. and Mrs. George Loudon, Jr Thorne and Harrison Martin Mr. Gaines H. Mason, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Foster McLane

Dr. and Mrs. Tom Moore Mr. and Mrs. Wilton P. Myers Dr. Kelly Neil Mr. Robin C. New Mr. Dwight F. Patterson, Jr. Ms. April Preston and Mr. Kyran Dowling Ms. Betty C. Pryor Mrs. Pat Quantz Ms. Naomi Richardson Mr. and Mrs. Jason Sikma Christine Stephenson Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Stoll Mr. and Mrs. Richard Strasburger Mrs. Martha I. Tiller Mr. and Mrs. Robert Troup Mr. and Mrs. James Trout Mrs. Sandra G. Turner Drs. Edward and Petra Warren Mr. and Mrs. Bob Wynn

Patron ($150-$499) Dr. and Mrs. Mitchell Hurst Allen Mr. and Mrs. Charles Baxter Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Blexrud Mr. and Mrs. Tim Brannon Mary and Wayne Britsch Mr. Jack Bucher Dr. and Mrs. William W. Burns Mr. and Mrs. Jan Caldwell Dr. and Mrs. Ernest Camp III Dr. Andrew Taber and Ms. Alyson Campbell Mr. Bill and Mr. Martin Cooper-Meek Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cote Ms. Brenda Lytle and Mr. James C. Curry Mr. and Mrs. Allen Darryl Doyle Ms. Jean Dunbar Mrs. Angelina Eschauzier Mr. and Mrs. Bill Fitch Ms. Elaine T. Freeman Col. (Ret.) and Mrs. James D. George, Sr Gerald and Hanh-Trang Ginocchio

Members ( $50-$149) Ms. Kathy J. Allen C. Mack and Patty Amick Ms. Frances J. Bagwell Ms. Margaret Barnes Patricia Battle Dr. and Mrs. Howard C. Bean, Jr. Diana and Alden Berti Mr. and Mrs. Victor Bilanchone Mr. Alton Bishop Martha and Clarke Blackman Mr. and Mrs. Louie W. Blanton Mr. Markus Bolliger and Mr. Stephan Bolliger Mr. and Mrs. Ken Boucher Mr. Dexter Brown Bridges Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Brough Mr. and Mrs. Robert Burnette Mr. and Mrs. W. Waller Caldwell, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John Claggett Kelly and Gwen Clary Ms. Susan Coffman

15

Kurt Zimmerli Building a Legacy

In Spartanburg, SC, the name Zimmerli is known by most, whether they realize it or not. Countless buildings, parks, auditoriums, and several other projects in the city either share the name or are affiliated with it. Mention of the name usually sparks a conversation gushing with adoration and gratitude.

Kurt Zimmerli not only built a life in Spartanburg, but he built a legacy.

Kurt and Nelly Zimmerli moved to the United States from Switzerland in 1956. Zimmerli did not know English at the time but quickly learned and was able to utilize his degree in Mechanical Engineering, working for several firms in the Northeast before moving to Spartanburg in 1969. There he was successful in founding Zima Corporation in 1969, which became the largest textile and carpet wet-processing sales firm in the U.S. as well as Küsters Corporation in 1974.

The Zimmerlis became involved in the Spartanburg community right away. Former mayor Bill Barnet described their widespread philanthropy with admiration and respect.

“Their generosity of both spirit and resources is evident across the face of Spartanburg... all are examples of willingly given aesthetic assets we all can share.”

City-wide projects include the amphitheatre and splash fountain in Barnet Park, Chapman Cultural Center, and numerous parks and spots of natural beauty.

Additionally, Zimmerli served as chairman of both the Finance Committee and the Buildings and Grounds Committee at Converse College (now Converse University), leading several beautification projects across campus, including the design and construction of the Phifer Science Hall, Milliken Fine Arts Building, and the Weisiger Center at the Sally Abney Rose Physical Activity Complex. During this time, he also held a position on Converse’s Board of Trustees, until he was named a Life Trustee in 2004.

Zimmerli was well known for being an avid supporter of the arts in Spartanburg. He especially loved music. Kurt and Nelly were regular patrons of the Philharmonic when he joined the Spartanburg Philharmonic Board of Directors in the 80s. Additionally, they frequently attended the Carlos Moseley Chamber Music Series at Converse, funded endowed scholarships for students

top: Kurt and Nelly Zimmerli with former Spartanburg Philharmonic bottom: Kurt and Nelly are presented the Zimmerli Performance Center at Converse University

in the Petrie School of Music, provided funds for instrument repairs, and provided Steinway pianos that would eventually earn the school the prestigious title of an All-Steinway School.

Kurt and Nelly’s most recent contribution to their community was the renovation of Twichell Auditorium at Converse in 2019. He led the first renovation in 1989, but this time the couple’s generous lead donation funded a $3.5 million renovation. To honor their support, the facility that houses Twichell Auditorium was renamed Zimmerli Performance Center. The Spartanburg Philharmonic Classics Series, which takes place in Twichell, was renamed the Zimmerli Series as well.

To honor his passing, Kurt’s seat in Twichell Auditorium will remain empty for the 21-22 Spartanburg Philharmonic Concert Season, and the Philharmonic will dedicate a performance from the opening of their season.

Kurt Zimmerli will be fondly remembered as a skilled businessman, philanthropist, loving husband and father, advocate for the arts, and lover of music, but most importantly, he will be remembered as a true friend of the Philharmonic.

Laura-Clare Thevenet

Contributing Author

Spotlight: Samantha Larkins Laura-Clare Thevenet

Contributing Author

Spartanburg Philharmonic Board Treasurer, Converse University Alumni Association President, Spartanburg Rotary Club Board Director, President of the Estate Planning Council of Spartanburg, attorney, advocate, wife, mother, friend, leader. These are only a handful of the titles that Samantha Larkins expertly juggles in her day-to-day life.

The Spartanburg native’s passion for leadership and community service can be traced back as far as her teenage years. Samantha attended Byrnes High School where she served as the Student Government Association President. She later attended Converse College (now Converse University) and earned her BA in Politics and Psychology and Minor in Religion.

During her time at Converse, she was heavily involved on campus serving as the Student Government Association President, participating in Model Arab League and Model NATO, and serving as Cross Country Captain, all while graduating magna cum laude. Samantha’s dedicated service to her alma mater would later come full circle in 2020 when she took on the title of Converse Alumni Association President.

Her interest in community and civic engagement led her to Washington and Lee University of Law where she earned her law degree before returning to Spartanburg. Upon her return, Samantha joined Hyde Law Firm, PA in 2017 as an Associate Attorney, focusing on family law, civil litigation, business matters, and more. Naturally, she enthusiastically dove into volunteering and giving back to the very same Spartanburg community that had shaped her throughout the years.

Already a regular patron, Samantha joined the Spartanburg Philharmonic Board of Directors as the Treasurer in 2018 and has since shown incredible initiative and ambition volunteering for concerts, encouraging patron donations, and much more. Her professional experience and networking skills alone make her an excellent addition to the Board, but the dedication, authenticity, and empathy with which she approaches her work and her ability to connect with others is what makes her invaluable.

17

! s r o t c u d n o C ow our Guest

Get to kn

1

What is your favorite composer or work (not on the concert you’re conducting) and why?

.

As a flute player, I was exposed early and often to French music. Naturally, I am drawn to wonderful colors French composers make.

2

If you were not a conductor, what would you have pursued as a career?

.

Ka

yo ko

4

.

1

.

D an

, Sept. 18

What are you listening to when you’re not streaming classical music?

True Crime podcasts (don’t judge me)

When driving or traveling, do you prefer music or podcasts and what’s your go-to choice?

Music. Usually something not classical, especially if I’m driving, since classical will distract me from the road! My go-to is my own personal list in which I have about 800-900 songs… my personal nonclassical best-of!

3

.

18

3

.

Zookeeper (for Capybara or Sloth) or maybe a Vet

What has been your worst travel experience?

Traveling to Japan with a 3 year old who drank too much orange juice on the plane.

(I’ll spare you the details.)

5

.

2

.

If you could spend a day with a famous composer or musician (living or dead) who would it be and why?

Rossini- I hear he was a great cook, or at least loved to eat!

What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Jumping in my car with my right foot in a cast and driving 6 hours in a freezing rain storm to go take care of my mom’s dog who developed a life-threatening illness while at the doggy hotel because my mom was overseas for the week.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

Ideally, close to my family and friends. Alternately, anywhere where I feel a sense of belonging and community. And finally, any place where I have the opportunity to make good music with others!

1

What is your ultimate comfort food?

.

My wife Christine makes a delicious jambalaya, which is my ultimate comfort food.

2

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

031

.

3 t. c O Roger Kalia,

4

If you were not a conductor, what would you have pursued as a career?

.

I have always been fascinated by investigative crime shows, so I would probably be a detective of some sort. Likewise, Anthony Bourdain has always been an inspiration for me, and I would love to have my own show where I could travel the world, experience different cultures, and sample a variety of different cuisines.

.

.

Play with my dog Burney (named after music historian Charles Burney) or study the many scores on my desk at any given moment.

5

.

If you could spend a day with a famous composer or musician (living or dead) who would it be and why?

I would love to have dinner and a drink with Leonard Bernstein. I would pick his brain about conducting, particularly his approach to the music of Gustav Mahler.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

Ideally, close to my family and friends. Alternately, anywhere where I feel a sense of belonging and community. And finally, any place where I have the opportunity to make good music with others!

What is your ultimate comfort food?

I have a sweet tooth. I love mochi ice cream, sorbet, ginger or spruce beer, jelly beans and desserts in general. I also love a good lasagna, gnocchis or French onion soup… if it involves cheese, it’s usually pretty comforting!

-1 2

5

.

If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

10

4

3

I would love to live in Italy, particularly in a city like Florence or in Tuscany.

The history, wine, and food are extraordinary.

c. e D Ge neviève Leclair,

19

20

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Espresso Series

now feeling

Cheeky inspired by

Chaplin & Keaton’s Classic Comedy Friday

Oct 1, 2021 5:30 PM Social Hour 6:30 PM One-hour Concert

@ the Chapman Cultural Center

It’s a silent-movie double feature that will have you laughing out loud and maybe even feeling a bit witty yourself. Enjoy Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp, featuring his most memorable character, and Buster Keaton’s slap-stick romp One Week, each with live accompaniment by our chamber musicians.

Bowler hat and spats optional.

22

now feeling

Energized inspired by

Music For Electric Cellos Friday

Nov 19, 2021 5:30 PM Social Hour 6:30 PM One-hour Concert

@ the Chapman Cultural Center

If your motivational playlist went classical, this program would be it. This concert is designed to lift your spirit and add thrilling new energy to your life while thoroughly exploring the expressive range of the cello - both acoustic and electric. Enjoy a thrilling combination of contemporary and familiar works from composers such as Philip Glass, Gioachino Rossini, and Spartanburg’s own John Moody.

23

FOOTHILLS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL PRESENTS

Benefiting Brooke USA Foundation & The Spartanburg Philharmonic

Thursday, October 21 @ 6:00 pm An evening of dressage set to classical music performed by musicians from the Spartanburg Philharmonic and ridden by Brooke USA Ambassador JJ Tate, Jessica Davis, Ashley Perkins, Trayce Doubek, Tazma Toi Trent, and Julio Mendoza.

Tickets & Sponsorship available at:

BrookeUSAevents.org

An Evening of Divertimentos & Dressage Sally Frick

Contributing Author

I can neither look into the eye of a horse, nor listen to orchestral music without being inspired. There is something so beautiful, purposeful, consequential, and relevant about these two seemingly divergent passions. Bringing these two concepts together, live orchestra and classical free-style dressage, has been a mission of mine for many years. As a past member of the orchestra and the board, coupled with my fervor (ok, obsession) with horses, Divertimentos & Dressage was at first visualized, then designed, and ultimately performed in October of 2019.

Divertimentos & Dressage was an endeavor, wrought with many variables, undertaken in October of 2019 on behalf of both the Spartanburg Philharmonic and Brooke USA Foundation. For all of us who took a chance on presenting this performance, knowing it could fail due to circumstances beyond our control (live horses, live musicians, outdoor elements, etc.) we ultimately succeeded in presenting a memorable and mesmerizing performance. The music was excellent, the horses and their riders were spectacular, and we raised $35,000.

Enter Covid 19. Sadly, everything came to a // (a musical symbol for an abrupt stop), or to put it in horsey lingo, HALT. We all know that the loss of funding to these, and many other 501 c 3 organizations was devastating. It’s hard not to reflect on this devastation with anything but a sense of incredible loss and concern for the future. Yet, Spartanburg Philharmonic and Brooke USA Foundation both were amazingly resilient through the use of technology, and by appealing to unfailing support of those who really

believe in the sustainability of these two organizations.

For most of us, it is our nature to not only want to return to a sense of normalcy, but to then expand on the experiences we cherish and want to see flourish once again. With that, we are planning a bigger and better Divertimentos & Dressage with more dressage riders and a larger orchestra. This will again be accompanied by a one-hour cocktail party from 6-7pm and then a beautiful one-hour performance of fantastic horses dancing to the music of our wonderful orchestra.

On behalf of the Spartanburg Philharmonic and Brooke USA Foundation, I cordially and enthusiastically invite you to attend!

To have a greater understanding of what you are supporting, Brooke USA Foundation improves the health, welfare and productivity of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people who depend on them for survival worldwide. This is accomplished by reducing poverty, increasing food security, providing access to water, and raising basic standards of living through improved equine health and welfare.

And, for over 90 years, the Spartanburg Philharmonic has been inspiring audiences with high-quality music performances, enriching our community with outreach programs, and educating a new generation of musicians and music lovers.

I hope to see you on October 21, 2021 for this exciting and important performance!

25

Spotlight: The Bassoons

Frank Watson

Rosalind Buda

It might surprise you to learn the bassoon was not Principal Bassoonist Frank Watson’s first love. Originally from New Jersey, Frank’s youth was spent just steps away from the first fairway of Mount Tabor Country Club.

Frank came by his passion for golf honestly, as both parents were avid golfers his father having been a fine amateur golfer in the days of wooden-shafted clubs and his brother John working on the golf course through his High School years. Frank was a fixture at the Club every day that school was not in session, either working in the Pro Shop or playing golf from sunup ‘til sundown.

Originally from Iowa, Rosalind moved to Asheville, NC after graduating from the New England Conservatory in Boston. She decided to move south after visiting a friend and bagpipe-maker in the area and immediately fell in love with the rich folk and classical music scenes.

Rosalind has been a member of the Spartanburg Philharmonic since 2012, and she also performs regularly with Greenville Symphony, Asheville Symphony, Brevard Philharmonic, and Johnson City Symphony.

Frank’s High School Golf Team set a (then) national record of 144 straight victories in interscholastic competition, winning several State HS Golf Championships. Parsippany High School, fortuitously, also boasted an exceptionally fine Band program. After making All-State Bands every year, Frank entered Furman University intent on becoming a PGA Professional Golfer.

Here Frank also continued his growing love of music and as a Sophomore discovered the Bassoon. Six weeks after first playing that double reed, he was hired to play Second Bassoon in the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

With many years as a much-loved Band Director and Symphony player, Frank is a well-respected and valued member of the Spartanburg Philharmonic. In 1991, Frank was awarded the position of Principal Bassoon, and we have held him close ever since!

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But the bassoon isn’t Rosalind’s only musical passion.

She began on the recorder, followed by the piano, then the clarinet. Eventually, she focused on the bassoon, but also includes seven additional instruments in her repertoire: Great Highland Bagpipes, Scottish Smallpipes, whistle, recorder, bombarde, banjo, and riq!

“I started learning Scottish pipes my senior year of high school and have been playing them ever since. It was really great luck: my band director wanted to learn how to play himself, so he brought a teacher into the school and offered lessons to the students for free. I think I levitated out of my chair when he asked the band for a raise of hands to see who was interested in learning.”

Rosalind and her Scottish pipes have been a regular staple of the Music Sandwiched In series in the past as one half of her celtic duo The Reel Sisters. We are excited to say, she and her bagpipes will be featured on our upcoming March 18 Espresso concert next spring!

proud sponsor of the

Spartanburg Philharmonic 2021-2022

Proud to support the arts in our community with a standing ovation.

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At The Johnson Group, we believe in the power of partnership and the transformative energy of the arts.

That’s why we’re proud to support the Spartanburg Philharmonic.

TheJohnsonGroup.com

Meet Callie Brennan Concertmaster

Callie Brennan hails from the sunny state of Maine, which is where she first held a violin at the tender age of four. As an adolescent she studied with Ronald Lantz of the Portland String Quartet, and received regular coachings in chamber music from the PSQ. While pursuing her Bachelor’s degree at The University of Colorado, Callie studied with Lina Bahn and Harumi Rhodes. During this time she studied abroad in Sydney, Australia, studying with Ole Bohn at the Sydney Conservatorium. This travel prompted her to look abroad for postgraduate study, and led her to The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 2016 she moved to London, England, where she completed two Masters Degrees in Music and Violin performance.

During her studies at Guildhall, Callie studied with Stephanie Gonley and Ofer Falk, and had numerous opportunities to receive coachings from other internationally renowned musicians. She performed twice under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, playing alongside the London Symphony Orchestra, and also collaborated with the Australian Chamber Orchestra during their residency at Guildhall.

Callie has an extensive background in chamber music, having been coached by ensembles such as the Portland String Quartet, the Takacs Quartet, the Heath Quartet, Endellion Quartet, and the Zodiac Trio. As a member of the Ember String Quartet, she traveled to Spain in July 2017, attending the Fringe Festival in Torroella di Montgri. Callie was also a member of The Orchid Trio, which was awarded the St. James

Chamber Music prize and a recital opportunity in Piccadilly Circus, London. In February 2018 Callie was named the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra’s Soloist of the year, which led to her first solo performance with an orchestra; She performed the Walton Violin Concerto under the direction of Peter Stark at St. John’s Church, Waterloo.

Callie has had the pleasure of performing on The Barbican Stage and in Royal Festival Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and Boettcher Hall in Denver. Other global performance experience includes a quartet residency for the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland’s summer strings courses, and attending the “Renaissance in the XXI Century” summer course in Florence, Italy. Other music festivals include the Zodiac Music Festival (France), The Bowdoin International Music Festival (USA), and The Colorado Music Festival (USA).

Moving to Asheville, NC, in 2018, Callie enjoyed regular performance opportunities with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Philharmonic, and served as principal second of the Spartanburg Philharmonic in the spring of 2019. She now lives in Denver, CO, and is currently principal second violin of the West Virginia Symphony, principal first violin of the Fort Collins Symphony, and has the pleasure of serving as interim concertmaster for your Spartanburg Philharmonic. When she’s not practicing or in rehearsal, she is most likely hiking, traveling, and eating alarming amounts of chocolate.

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Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra Members & Chair Sponsors as of August 2021

Violin I

Cello

Horn

Callie Brennan, Concertmaster

Ismail Akbar, Principal

Anneka Zuehlke-King, Principal

Robin Hague Els, Associate Concertmaster

Kathy Foster, Assistant Principal

Chris George

Debra Anthony*

Meredith Keen Christine Lee Lance Eric Scheider Benjamin Smith

Andrew Merideth**, Assistant Principal

Mr. & Mrs. George Dean Johnson Dr. Barry Bodie & Ms. Laurel D. Johnson Ms. JoAnn Bristow

Abigail Chetta

Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey Wilson

JulieAnne Bennet* Amanda Gentile* Christine Hallett-Penney* Courtney LeBauer*

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dunleavy

Nyamka Odsuren* Mariya Potapova Kathleen Robinson*

Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Baker Lib & Rick Orr

Bass Ian Bracchitta**, Principal

Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Cogan

Matthew Waid, Assistant Principal

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Lehner

Brian Gencarelli Jeff Stinson

Rhea Jacobus, Principal

Essena Setaro*, Assistant Principal Violin II

Caroline Ulrich

Mr. & Mrs. Bob Ireland

Ann Buttimer

Trumpet Tyler Jones, Principal

Dr. Joella Utley

Kenneth Frick

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas P. Nederostek

Flute & Piccolo

Simone Beach

Mr. & Mrs. John R. Murphy

Jeanette Schlimgen Christopher Griffin Darian Washington

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Troup

Ashley Horvat, Principal Violin II

Dr. & Mrs. James Bradof

Ms. Karen E. Bjelland

Bruce Cox

Violin II Mr. and Mrs. Roger Habisreutinger

Mr. & Mrs. Donald Wildman

Trombone

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Ellis Weisman

Mark Britt, Principal

Mrs. Susan H. Baker

Rienette Davis

Jessica Sherer

Mr. and Mrs. V. C. McLeod, III Ms. Thelma A. Powell

Eric Henson

Mr. & Mrs. H. Peter Theiler

Laura Allen & Roger Sullivan

Oboe & English Horn

Mr. E.T. McLean, in memory of Henry Janiec

Ginny Metzger, Principal

Tuba

Mr. and Mrs. Wiley North

Kelly Vaneman, Associate Principal

John Holloway, Principal

Mrs. Helen E. Dunleavy

Mary AllyeB Purtle

Michele Tate Cockram** Theresa Jenkins-Russ March Moody Emily Wait

Viola Alvoy Bryan Jr., Principal

Endowed by friends and family in honor of Wallace Eppes Johnson

Rachel & Ken Deems

Mr. Robert K. Bellinger

Mr. & Mrs. William Barnet III

Timpani

Clarinet Karen Hill, Principal

Patrick Lowery**, Principal

Mr. & Mrs. J. Michael Kohler, Jr.

Dr. & Mrs. Louis Knoepp, Jr.

Harry Hill‚ Jr.

Mrs. Patricia Hudgens

Arthur Ross*, Assistant Principal

Percussion

Mr. James Cheek

Bassoon

Adena McDaniel, Co-principal Matt McDaniel, Co-principal

Mr. Peter Grzan

Frank Watson**, Principal

Del Burton

Rosalind Buda

Organ

Stephanie Lipka Rhyne

Brennan Szafron, Principal

Diana Maley Berti** Audrey Harris* Amber Holden Katy Martin

Karen & Stephen Parrott

Emma Smoker Michael Weaver

Mr. & Mrs. John S. McBride

Samantha & Clint Larkins Mrs. Hearon McCravy

Dr. Leslie W. Howard, Jr.

Harp Emily Waggoner, Principal

Mr. & Mrs. Lindsay Little

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*denotes substitute musicians playing two or more concerts in 2021-2022 **2021-2022 Orchestra Committee Member

Zimmerli Concert Series

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September 18

2021

7:00 pm @ Twichell Auditorium, Zimmerli Performance Center

to be Determined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter B. Kay 6 min Lyric for Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Walker 6 min Rissolty Rossolty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ruth Crawford Seeger 3 min Nimrod from Enigma Variations, Op. 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Elgar 4 min The Star-Spangled Banner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Key/Smith 2 min

Intermission Symphony no. 2 in D Major, Op. 73. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johannes Brahms 40 min I. Allegro non troppo II.

Adagio non troppo

III.

Allegretto grazioso (quasi andantino)

IV.

Allegro con spirito

Programs subject to change | All timings are approximate.

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to be Determined Peter B. Kay 1980-

For his biography, Haydn shared a now-famous story about his Symphony no. 45 (1772) that has captured the imaginations of countless composers. Haydn served Prince Nikolaus Esterházy as court composer for almost 30 years, a prestigious position that afforded him ample opportunities to write and even experiment with music.

When the Prince vacationed at his second home – an extravagant palace that has earned the nickname “the Versailles of Hungary” – he brought Haydn and his orchestra along. As they were essentially servants, the musicians had little choice but to leave their families in Vienna and accompany the Prince to this isolated countryside estate.

Prince Esterházy was so enamored with the palace that he extended the duration of his vacation there. Wanting to return to their homes, the musicians asked Haydn to approach the Prince on their behalf. So Haydn, wrote his 45th symphony with a surprise ending, choreographed to get the Prince’s attention.

Right in the middle of the symphony’s lively and spirited finale, the music abruptly stops. It begins again, but in a slow and stately manner. As the charming melody plays, one by one, each musician finishes their part, snuffs out their candle (stand light), and exits. With only two violinists left, the symphony comes to a quiet and peaceful close.

Perhaps the story is apocryphal, but the Prince – and everyone else – returned to Vienna shortly after this “Farewell” symphony’s premiere.

In 2020, the pandemic led to arts organizations canceling live events all over the world. Soon after, I was commissioned to write a piece celebrating the return of the Spartanburg Philharmonic to the stage at Twichell Auditorium, and when I first put pen to paper, I decided to write something of a reverse of Haydn’s “Farewell”

symphony. In fact, the opening phrase of the solo violin is the same as Haydn’s melody… played backward (a kind of ‘Call to Return’).

Since then, we have lived through a period of unprecedented and unpredictable change. The Philharmonic has been unable to perform for a live audience since Twichell first shuttered its doors 16 months ago, and as a result, the work has undergone numerous revisions (and a few complete reboots). Still, the initial concept remains, and the music incorporates many of Haydn’s ideas, musical and dramatic. While writing, I also took inspiration – and even borrowed a few notes – from composers Caroline Shaw, Ruth Crawford Seeger (also on this program), Henryk Górecki, and Eva Sæther. And in the final few minutes of the piece, the cellos and basses play a chorale derived from an earlier work of mine for solo piano entitled, “home.”

In some ways, this piece is a dedication to the strength and persistence of our art form in the face of extreme adversity. The tenacity of musicians to share their passion is inspiring to me. Religious-political movements, fascist military regimes, and even global pandemics have worked to silence the stage. Even today. But music is determined to be.

Peter B. Kay Composer

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Program Notes

Lyric for Strings George Walker (1922-2018)

Malvina King must have been a remarkable woman. Born into slavery, she lost her first husband when their slaver sold him. Before long she herself escaped and made her way to freedom, and raised a large family in Washington D.C. She was also indirectly responsible for one of the greatest pieces of American string music: it was her death, and the epic and eventful life that preceded it, that inspired her grandson George Walker’s Lyric for Strings.

Walker’s long and illustrious career may have been foretold at his birth: he shared a given middle name, Theophilus, with no less a personage than Mozart. (Mozart Latinized the name to the more-familiar “Amadeus” as a young man.) He already had the makings of a piano virtuoso when he entered Oberlin Conservatory at the age of 14, and he later studied piano with the legendary Rudolf Serkin at Curtis and Robert Casadesus in Paris.

In Paris he came under the tutelage of the legendary Nadia Boulanger, who in her long career taught American composers from Aaron Copland (best known for Appalachian Spring) to Quincy Jones (perhaps best-known, and best-paid, for his work producing all of Michael Jackson’s big hits). Like many of Boulanger’s students Walker learned the art of “keeping the instruments out of one another’s way,” and counterpoint – the layered dialogue of melodies and countermelodies – drove his long career, which culminated in his being the first Black composer awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1996.

Counterpoint plays a powerful expressive role in Walker’s first masterwork, the Lyric for Strings. Walker was a 24-year-old graduate student at the Curtis Institute in 1946, when his grandmother and matriarch died just after he’d begun composing the second movement of his First String Quartet. The work immediately became a

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lament and a memorial, as Walker poured his memories and emotions directly onto the staff paper. By the time the whole quartet was complete, his professors had programmed the Adagio movement onto a string orchestra radio broadcast. Its power was immediately recognized with a standing ovation, and, as the Lyric for Strings, it has remained one of the best-loved American string pieces.

While the Lyric’s origin story and emotional power evoke that of Samuel Barber’s Adagio – written at Curtis ten years previously – its musical DNA is wholly its own and its effect is both more hopeful and more subtle.

Walker’s affinity for Black spirituals and American folk music is readily apparent in its mournful opening melody and minor harmonies, but that melody is immediately engaged by countermelodies that introduce murmurs of hope. Hope and pain thread intimately together as major harmonies struggle to push through; after a shattering climax, hope and consolation remain, and the throbbing heartbeat of the piece’s counterpoint finally yields to an ineffable peace.

Program Notes

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Rissolty Rossolty Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953)

I married my wife in the month of June Rissolty Rossolty now, now, now.

I carried her home in a silver spoon, Rissolty rossolty Hey born bossolty Nickelty nackelty Rustical quality Willowby wallaby now, now, now!

She swept the floor but once a year, She swore the brooms, they cost too dear…

She combed her hair but once a year At every rake she shed a tear.

Rissolty rossolty Hey born bossolty Nickelty nackelty Rustical quality Willowby wallaby now, now, now!

The life and the winding career of Ruth Crawford Seeger could hardly be more emblematic of the concerns of liberal intellectuals and the challenges facing female musicians in the 20th Century – even, in fact, facing many working women even now. It’s no coincidence that her one orchestral work is inspired by an old American folksong that makes light of the challenges of domesticity.

When young Ruth Crawford travelled from Jacksonville to Chicago to enroll at the American Conservatory in 1921, her family’s ambitions were simple enough: that she learn, as many women did, to be a successful piano teacher. But her talent and love for composing changed all that, and by 1929 she was living at the home of a wealthy patroness in New York City and studying with Charles Seeger, an illustrious theorist of the avant-garde and a man who had once been dismissed from the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley for being too liberal.

In 1930 Crawford became the first woman to be awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, and spent the next two years traveling Europe, soaking in the flavors of the modernist music then ascendant and making innovative contributions of her own to the genre. In 1932 she

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married Seeger, who, while nominally supportive of his wife’s composing, also assumed that she’d raise her new stepchildren as well as the three children of their own that quickly followed.

The Depression inspired the Seegers, like many artists, to turn away from the avant-garde and towards the folk music of everyday Americans, and when Franklin Roosevelt’s WPA added a musical branch in 1935 the Seegers moved to Washington to work in it. Charles helped to oversee a team of researchers traveling through the countryside recording folksong; Ruth stayed at home and transcribed the recordings, producing the seminal folksong collections America Sings! and American Folk Songs for Children.

So in 1939, when she finally had a commission to compose for orchestra, it’s hardly surprising that chose as inspiration the nonsense song Rissolty Rossolty, which turns marriage and domesticity into a rollicking goofaround. Crawford Seeger breaks the song’s tune into little bits and hurls them willy-nilly around the instruments of the orchestra, stirring in for good measure fragments of the children’s playsong My Sister Phoebe. The short, footstomping hoedown captures all the chaotic good spirits of American frontier gatherings at their most joyous; even its surprising ending, which feels for all the world like a car breaking down and coasting to a halt beside the road, portrays what the composer called the “great going on-ness” of a folksinger winding down one tune only in order to gear up for another one that will be even more boisterous.

Program Notes

Nimrod

from Enigma Variations Edward Elgar 1857-1934

Photographs of Sir Edward Elgar present what appears to be the absolute archetype of the Edwardian English ruling class: a vast, rounded dome of a forehead, an imperious brow, a hawklike nose, and a mustache of a size and impressiveness that it seems to defy the laws of both human anatomy and gravity. And the utter ubiquity of his Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1 at graduation ceremonies – the most formal activities in many Americans’ lives – reinforces his image as the human epitome of the British empire at its most dominant.

But, as is so often the case with these things, our preconception is almost entirely wrong. Elgar was Roman Catholic, the son of a humble small-town organist, and never studied at a prestigious London conservatory. Most of his music, far from being pompous or stuffy, displays an emotionalism and formal innovation more akin to Wagner than to, say, Sir Arthur Sullivan. And when he did marry into the upper class, the family of his new father-in-law – a retired Major-General – was so scandalized that they disinherited and cut off relations with the couple.

Elgar’s eventual recognition by the British and then worldwide audiences didn’t come till he was 42, with the 1899 premiere of the Enigma Variations. The Variations’ title reflects their unique form: they’re a series of variations, each dedicated to a friend or acquaintance, on a theme that is never actually heard. And in fact Elgar

never did reveal what the theme was, which has meant that musical detectives have busied themselves for over a century trying to identify it.

While the composer’s wife and female friends are depicted in lovely variations, the piece’s lushest and most romantic music is reserved for his publisher, August Jaeger. Jaeger had shown faith in and encouraged the composer for years as he labored in obscurity, and he was rewarded with “Nimrod,” among the most purely beautiful music for orchestra ever created. (Nimrod was the mighty hunter of the Book of Genesis; Jaeger, as Spartanburg’s many German-speakers already know, translates as “Hunter.”) “Nimrod’s” unusually expansive melody is cushioned by plush harmonies and seems to flow impossibly slowly – time itself seems to stop as we bask in its golden glow.

The Spartanburg Philharmonic proudly dedicates this performance of Edward Elgar’s Nimrod from Enigma Variations to the memory of our friend

Kurt Zimmerli

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Program Notes

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Symphony no. 2 in D Major, op. 73 Johaness Brahms 1833-1897

There is a tendency – learned, certainly, out of emotional self-protection, rather than innate – among artists to not take critics terribly seriously. The sting of that first bad review fades quickly as an artist reads the absurd critical drubbing laid on Beethoven’s 3rd and 9th Symphonies, for instance; conversely, a glowing notice can’t help but pale a little when you read the critical praise once heaped on such comparative nonentities as Beethoven’s rivals Clementi and Spohr. After all, if the critics know so well how to write great music, why don’t they just do it themselves?

We must imagine, however, that Brahms felt a little differently, for Brahms’ compositional career was pretty well made by a single good review. That review came from a critic who did know how to write great music, Robert Schumann, in Germany’s leading musical periodical, the Allgemeine musicalische Zeitung. In a front-page article, Schumann proclaimed the arrival of “an artist at whose cradle Graces and heroes stood guard,” a genius who “was called forth to give the highest expression of our time.” Spohr and Beethoven notwithstanding, getting such a review in a popular and respected journal is a boon to even the thickest-skinned artist; getting it from a critic who manifestly and beyond all question knows what he’s talking about is almost beyond prayer. Schumann’s article appeared in 1853, when Brahms was just 20; never again did he lack an audience.

Or perhaps Brahms didn’t feel differently. From that point he was a celebrated throughout his life, but he became among the most self-critical of musicians: if nobody else was going to criticize him, it seems, he decided to criticize himself. He destroyed much more music than he ever allowed to see the light of day, and labored through 20 years of false starts and revisions before finally offering a first symphony to the world in 1876.

The Second Symphony, in contrast, flowed from Brahms’ pen in just a matter of weeks in the summer and fall of 1877. And whereas the First wrestles strenuously with the ghost of Beethoven (Brahms was always open about his anxiety over Beethoven’s influence), the Second has to be ranked among Brahms’ sunniest pieces. Most of its ideas came to the composer during a vacation to a mountainside lake cabin in Austria, and even in its most dramatic moments and the nostalgic intensity of its 2nd movement Adagio, it seems to bask in the gentle air of an Alpine summer. When Brahms’ friend Theodor Billroth first played through the piece, he exclaimed, “It is all rippling streams, blue sky, sunshine, and cool green shadows!”

The great pianist and composer Clara Schumann (who, yes, was also Robert’s wife), wrote in her diary after a visit from Brahms as he was working on the piece:

Johannes came this evening, and he played the first movement of his second symphony in D Major, and it delighted me…. Also, he played some of the last movement, which gave me great joy. This symphony will bring him more success than the first, and its genius and marvelous workmanship will impress the musicians, too.

Chris Vaneman

Contributing Author

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Program Notes

Kayoko Dan

kayokodan.com

Guest Conductor

Kayoko Dan serves as the Music Director of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, position held since 2011. Previously, she served as Assistant Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony and Music Director of Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras. She has been awarded the Karajan Fellowship for Young Conductors, as well as the David Effron Conducting Fellowship at the Chautauqua Institute. Ms. Dan has participated in numerous workshops including the Kurt Masur Conducting Seminar, International Bartok Festival, Fondazione I Pomeriggi Musicali Conducting Workshop and National Conducting Institute.

As a strong advocate of music education, Ms. Dan was recently appointed as the Director of Orchestral Studies at Sam Houston State University, and in demand as a clinician at universities, high schools, youth orchestras, and regional orchestras throughout the country. She has taught at several elementary schools including Thomas J. Pappas school for homeless children in Arizona as an ArtsBridge Scholar. While serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, her dedication and passion for music education was recognized by the Graduate Teaching Excellence Award from the Arizona State University.

Additionally, she is a frequent guest speaker at university conducting classes to encourage young conductors who are pursuing a career in music.

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Born in Japan and raised in the United States, music has been an integral part of Ms. Dan’s life since an early age.

She received a Bachelor in Music Education at the University of Texas, and her Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting and Master in Music Education from Arizona State University. Her principal teachers are Timothy Russell and Timothy Muffitt.

She has also studied with Kurt Masur, Leonard Slatkin, Zoltan Pesko, Jorma Panula, and William Reber.

“One definition of a term “conductor” is “a body capable of transmitting energy.” I love this definition. As a conductor of an orchestra, I facilitate the transmission of energy from the music to the audience, through my interpretation and my fellow musicians’ commitments.”

- Kayoko Dan

Program Notes

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Zimmerli Concert Series

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Magical S AT U R D AY & S U N D AY

October 30 & 31

2021

7:00 pm & 2:00 pm @ Twichell Auditorium, Zimmerli Performance Center

Main Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . from Jurassic Park

John Williams 6 min

Hymn to the Fallen . . . . . . . . . John Williams from Saving Private Ryan 6 min

Main Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . from Jaws

John Williams 3 min

Midway March. . . . . . . . . . . . John Williams from Midway 4 min

The People’s House. . . . . . . . . John Williams from Lincoln 6 min

Nimbus 2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . John Williams from Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone 3 min

Intermission

John Williams 4 min

Liberty Fanfare . . . . . . . . . . .

Imperial March. . . . . . . . . . . . John Williams from Star Wars V 3 min

John Williams 5 min

Across the Stars. . . . . . . . . . . John Williams from Star Wars II 6 min

Raider’s March. . . . . . . . . . . . John Williams from Raiders of the Lost Ark 5 min

Main Title. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Williams from Star Wars IV 5 min

Love Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . from Superman

Programs subject to change | All timings are approximate.

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Roger Kalia

rogerkalia.com

Guest Conductor

A native of New York State, Indian American conductor Roger Kalia is a respected collaborator with orchestras and artists alike. Kalia holds degrees from Indiana University, the University of Houston, and SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music with his primary mentors, including David Effron, Arthur Fagen, and Franz Anton Krager.

In addition, Kalia is also a committed supporter of music education. His tenure as Music Director of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra was highly praised and included numerous commissioned works and a three-city tour of China in June 2016, marking the orchestra’s second international tour and its first to Asia.

Kalia now serves as the Music Director of Indiana’s 87-yearold Evansville Philharmonic orchestra, New Hampshire’s 97-year-old orchestra, Symphony New Hampshire, California’s Orchestra Santa Monica and he is also the Co-Founder and Music Director of the celebrated Lake George Music Festival in upstate New York, which celebrates its ten-year anniversary in August 2021. The 2021-22 season sees Kalia leading his orchestras in live concerts.

Of special note is the world premiere this fall of Orchestra Santa Monica’s commission by composer Derrick Skye for the art film “Santa Monica Black Life Expressed through Music, Visuals, and Narrative,” which combines musicians, artists, and local historians from the Santa Monica area. Maestro Kalia makes his subscription debut with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Spartanburg Philharmonic this season, and returns for performances with Poland’s Szczecin Philharmonic, and the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra at the Redlands Bowl.

“A dynamic and innovative presence both on and off the podium, Indian American conductor Roger Kalia is a respected collaborator with orchestras and artists alike, known for his eloquent and compelling interpretations, and for bringing a “fresh view to classical music.”

- Long Beach Gazette

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Zimmerli Concert Series

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Whimsical F R I D AY — S U N D AY

December 10–12

2021

7:00 pm & 3:00 pm @ Twichell Auditorium, Zimmerli Performance Center

Nutcracker, op.71, TH 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 90 min

Act I

Act II

Miniature Overture

Tableau III 10. Scene: The Magic Castle in the Land of Sweets

Tableau I

11. Scene: Clara and Nutcracker Prince

1. Scene: The Christmas Tree 3. Children’s Gallop & Dance of the Parents 4. Dance Scene; Arrival of Drosselmeyer 5. Scene; Grandfather Waltz 6. Scene: Clara and the Nutcracker 7. Scene; The Battle Tableau II 8. Scene: A Pine Forest in Winter 9. Waltz of the Snowflakes

Intermission

12. Divertissement

2. March of the Toy Soldiers

m. Le chocolat n. Le café o. Le thé p. Trépak q. Les Mirlitons r. La mère Gigogne et les polichinelles

19. Waltz of the Flowers 20. Pas de deux u. Sugar Plum Fairy and Her Cavalier v. Variation I: Tarantella w. Variation II: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy x. Coda

25. Final Waltz and Apotheosis

Programs subject to change | All timings are approximate.

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Geneviéve Leclair

genevieveleclair.com

Guest Conductor

Geneviève Leclair is an Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music who holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from Boston University. Leclair also received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in flute performance at Université de Montréal. She has been teaching at Berklee since 2016 and acts as an active guest conductor with organizations across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Equally at home in symphony, ballet and opera, she was a recurring guest conductor with The National Ballet of Canada and Northern Ballet (UK), Music Director of Parkway Concert Orchestra from 2013 to 2019, as well as Assistant Conductor and Guest Conductor of the Boston Ballet Orchestra from 2010 to 2017, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Conductors Guild from 2017 to 2020.

In 2010, Leclair received the Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation Award in orchestral conducting. Leclair was also awarded the 2017 American Prize in orchestral conducting, college/university division, and took 2nd place in the professional orchestra division.

Leclair’s conducting style has been praised for its stamina and precision as she utilizes confident dynamics and tempos, crisp rhythms, and clear phrasing to create powerful forward momentum. In addition to her career as a performer, conductor, and teacher Ms. Leclair is also a published author of theory exercise books and music literature.

Our dancers always feel they have an ally and an artist supporting and guiding them when Geneviève is in the pit. This kind of connection between the orchestra and the stage allows great performances to happen; moments of trust and daring that are unique to live theater.

- Christopher Stowell Associate Artistic Director National Ballet of Canada

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The Nutcracker Courtney Oliver When my husband and I moved to Spartanburg several years ago, we were delighted to find a professional orchestra and ballet company. This is rare for cities the size of Spartanburg. And between the Spartanburg Little Theatre, Spartanburg Art Museum, Artists Guild, Hub City Writers Project, and more, it is also a true testament to the community’s appreciation and support of the arts.

What is also fantastic and rare about the arts in Spartanburg is how frequently each organization partners together. Having worked in the performing arts in Memphis, TN, I know firsthand how challenging

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collaboration can be. It takes extra time to plan and frequently additional funds over and above what a typical performance requires. The smaller the organization, the more of a challenge it becomes to overcome these obstacles.

While the Spartanburg Philharmonic and Ballet Spartanburg have partnered on numerous smaller collaborations over the years, it has been 20 since we performed the Nutcracker together. It is undoubtedly an enormous creative undertaking, but the results will be absolutely incredible. While you may have enjoyed the Nutcracker each year, seeing it performed

with live orchestral accompaniment is an entirely new experience. I can personally attest to this fact - having seen it with both pre-recorded and live music.

Tchaikovsky’s score is delightfully nuanced, something that’s easy to miss in a recording. But to me, the most incredible part is how in-tune both the dancers and orchestra must be with each other during a performance. Too fast or too slow by either can throw the entire production off. It takes skill and professionalism to rehearse and work together to find that balance and maintain it through the entire performance run. With this first performance together, we also welcome guest conductor, Geneviève Leclair, who knows firsthand the extraordinary charm that comes from this sort of collaboration.

“I don’t know if I could pinpoint a favorite Nutcracker performance over the past 12 years. Even after 130 performances, I try to approach each one as if it were opening night. The audience and the cast performing that day deserve their show to be the most special.

Therefore I try to put myself in that frame of mind every time. I can tell you there have been eventful performances over the years, some funny, others less so: I remember vividly a performance where the principal male dancer injured his knee during act 2, and someone else had to step in to finish the show.

We were all horrified! There was another performance during which a stage light blew up in the middle of the snow scene, and dancers couldn’t see the glass among the snowflakes, which was scary. In another, one of the kids standing in the background during the pas de deux in act 2 fell asleep face first on the stage.

They were not injured but stood up petrified right in the path of the Sugar Plum Fairy’s circle of turns. She seamlessly altered her circle while spinning at high speed and went around the kid as if this was meant to happen. It was so impressive! I also remember a performance during which a cymbal stand broke in the pit and sent the cymbal tumbling down the stairs in the middle of the (very quiet) lullaby in act one. Not one of the kids dancing on stage even twitched - there were at least 4 or 5 stairs so it seemed to last forever - they were so professional, it was a sight to see! And I remember countless moments: an incredibly fast coda which the orchestra played perfectly, moments of finesse and musicality, an incredible jump or balance on point that suspends time. The orchestra is right there for it… the fabulous moments of conversation between dancers and musicians that make this art form so special! Bottom line, it’s a live performance, so every show is unique and when something unexpected happens, the show must go on! The unpredictability of the experience is what makes it so exciting.”

Long-time Philharmonic Tuba player, John Holloway, was in the orchestra pit the last time the Nutcracker was performed with live music, 20 years ago. And while you can’t always see the stage from the pit at Twichell Auditorium, John had a perfect view for an unexpected moment. “It was the famous “Snow Scene” and right in the middle of the male dancer’s solo. I didn’t realize anything was wrong until I heard the audience laughing behind me. At the time, Twichell’s snow machine was a long tub fed by a huge bag of fake snow. Well, right in the middle of the scene, the bag ripped, and the snow started falling in giant chunks. I watched as the young dancer kept going, dodging clumps of the snow and still pulling off a heck of a routine. As a performer myself, it was impressive to see because your mind has to think several steps ahead as it is. It’s easy to get thrown off when you have to react to something new at the same time. This guy kept going like nothing was different.”

For Carlos Agudelo, it is one of the hallmarks of a long career and a production he looks forward to each year. “As I embark on my 30th anniversary as Artistic Director of Ballet Spartanburg, I always relish my journey working on the Nutcracker. From navigating the auditions and the rehearsal process to finally shaping up and polishing the production so the Nutcracker can be enjoyed by thousands. I approach each as a new birth, a new edition with new, young dancers and their dreams of performing. With the addition of live music, our 2021 production is therefore going to be a fantastic experience for both the dancers and audience.”

While with any live production, countless things can go wrong, but there is just as much that can go incredibly right. It’s the unknown and unexpected element that keeps performers on their toes. They pour all they have into executing their next turn or leap or flawlessly fingering their way through a challenging set of double stops or pizzicato. The aim is always to dazzle the audience so much that they are so swept away by the sights and the sounds that they don’t notice that bobbled lift or slightly sour note. You’ll know you’re enraptured by the goosebumps crawling up your arms, the warmth in your heart, and the smile on your face.

That, my friends, is what all performers live for and one of the biggest reasons we do what we do.

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker is truly a grand affair and Spartanburg’s most beloved Christmas tradition. It is whimsy and magic, fantasy and festivity, family and the dearest of friends. And in 2021, it will add to the legacy of two already dynamic performing arts programs and something to celebrate, indeed.

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Chris Strickland, Committee Chair Kristin Scott Benson Walker Copley Ray Dunleavy Peter Grzan Ben Burke Howell Chris Kennedy

Sam Bush Band Saturday

Oct 16, 2021 8:00 PM @ Twichell Auditorium Vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and father of progressive Bluegrass, the legendary Sam Bush is heading to Spartanburg. Since his first fiddle award at age 15, Sam hasn’t stopped jamming, winning multiple GRAMMY awards and garnering even more recognition from the Americana Music Association and International Bluegrass Music Association. This concert promises to be a sellout because, after all, there is only ONE Sam Bush.

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Bluegrass Spartanburg presents both international and local award-winning bluegrass bands in its four-show series. In 2015, a small group of bluegrass fans living in Spartanburg partnered with the Chapman Cultural Center to bring world-class bands to our hometown. The pilot season was such a success that they sought to expand with the help, experience, and leadership of the Spartanburg Philharmonic.

In the fall of 2017, in partnership with the Philharmonic, the series relaunched as“Bluegrass Spartanburg” and has seen enormous success ever since.

Bluegrass Spartanburg hopes to continually offer its fans the opportunity to enjoy outstanding bluegrass music in the Upstate.

The Waybacks Friday

Dec 3, 2021 8:00 PM @ Twichell Auditorium Merlefest fan-favorite, The Waybacks, are bringing their unique blend of bluegrass to Spartanburg.

The four-piece draws freely from the old school and the old world, but the Waybacks are no throwback. They are storytellers and instrumental improvisers with a powerful sound, even drawing the attention of legend Sam Bush who played mandolin on their 2008 hit Loaded. The Waybacks don’t frequently travel to the East Coast to play, so don’t miss the chance to see them LIVE.

for more information or to purchase tickets, visit us online

Tick

ets

SpartanburgPhilharmonic.org/Bluegrass

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Backstage with Bluegrass Spartanburg Creating a Welcoming Environment through Hospitality

Since the first Bluegrass show in 2015, Piedmont Club General Manager Peter Grzan has provided catering for the bands, serving extravagant dinners backstage before each concert. More than just fulfilling the hospitality rider, Peter has gone above and beyond earning a name for the series as one of the best in the region.

Q. How long have you been a Bluegrass fan?

A.

Since 2003. A friend invited me to check out Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC, and we have attended every year since (except for 2020 due to COVID).

Q. How long have you played guitar and performed?

A.

A.

I was a part of the initiative that was started by Andrew Babb back in 2015, and it was known back then as the Chapman Cultural Center Bluegrass Series.

I was essentially brought in to fulfill hospitality riders and feed the guest artists.

I started playing the guitar when I was 13, however performing was a different story. I suffered terrible stage fright until I was in my early 40’s.

Walk us through a typical behind-the-scenes/ backstage pre-concert night for you and your team.

Q. Do you have any bluegrass festival traditions?

A. It is fun, but can be a bit hectic. It all depends

A.

At Merlefest, they have what they call “picking tents”. I love jamming with musicians of all ages and backgrounds. At the end of the four days, my fingers are pretty well calloused up.

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Q.

When did you first get involved with Bluegrass Spartanburg?

Q.

on the bands and what is in the rider. We have had a number of bands that stated that they would be happy with water and coffee. Others have had extensive riders with special requests such as vegan options, specific beverages such as particular wines, flavored beverages, teas and kombucha. We make sure that everyone has a great experience.

from left to right: Peter Grzan at the Piedmonth Club with Béla Fleck, Abigail Washburn, and their children; (top) Peter in the lobby of the Chapman Center with Balsam Range; (bottom) Peter lounging backstage with Jens Kruger; Peter poses with Rhonda Vincent in the lobby after the show.

Q.

Tell us a little about the your Piedmont Club team who help prepare the hospitality for the visiting bands.

A.

I am typically assisted by our Membership Director Joy Sloan and Director of Operations Terry Janney in getting things set up. We bring tablecloths, china, glassware, silverware, etc. Early on, one of the Bluegrass Committee Members (the legendary Kristin Scott Benson of the Grascals) shared with me how impressed she was by how we were taking care of the musicians. In addition, she shared that as a traveling Bluegrass musician, they are typically happy if there is running water at the venues.

Q.

If not specified in their rider, how do you choose the food/drink to serve the members of the bands?

A.

More often than not we go with one of the items that we, at the Piedmont Club, are renowned for, but sometimes we come up with something different specific to the band. My favorite was bringing the Krueger Brothers - who are from Switzerland schnitzel, sauerkraut, and other items that were familiar from their homeland.

Q.

Without naming names, what’s the strangest or most challenging hospitality request you’ve seen (on a rider) from one of the bands?

A.

One of the riders was extremely specific with very detailed lists of what brands of foods and beverages that would be acceptable and what brands were clearly not acceptable. We did a good deal of searching to make sure that everything was exact.

Q.

What, in your opinion, sets Bluegrass Spartanburg apart from most festivals/series/presenters of Bluegrass music in the rest of the country?

A. At the very beginning, we felt that there were

two things we wanted to accomplish. One was that we would hire the finest Bluegrass artists to provide attendees a wonderful experience. We have definitely provided that with acts such as the Steep Canyon Rangers, Flatt Lonesome, Steeldrivers and the brilliant Rhonda Vincent. The other thing was that we would treat the musicians so well that they would spread the word about playing Spartanburg. It has worked well and we are really excited about the upcoming season, starting with the Sam Bush Band in October!!

Q.

Do you have a favorite “Bluegrass Spartanburg” moment?

A.

Yes and No. It’s not something that happened in Spartanburg, but it would not have happened if not for the series. Because I got to meet the Steep Canyon Rangers through Bluegrass Spartanburg, I received invitations to charity events that they played to raise money for Can’d Aid, which provides musical instruments to elementary school students in the Brevard area where they are from. At the second event, I came up with a plan to create a “fake” silent auction item which allowed the winning bid to get to play a song with the band. I made a donation that they couldn’t say no to and I got to play “The Weight” with the band. It was a memory I will cherish forever!

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The SPYO

Two Years of Growth and a Generation of Change Tristan Willcox Volunteer

In 2019, the Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra was officially launched as a program intended to help grow the musicianship, repertoire, and musical maturity of some of Upstate South Carolina’s best young players. They currently have over one hundred members across two orchestras (a Junior and a Senior division) and are still growing. With an upcoming concert planned as early as October and rehearsals already underway, these student musicians certainly have an excitingly full season ahead of them! And of course none of the events nor any of the rehearsals would be possible without the extremely involved staff members on hand, including conductors, managers, music librarians, and gracious volunteers. However, the SPYO wasn’t always the same expansive, welloiled machine that you know today. They had their

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beginnings four years ago in a strategic plan meeting with the Board of Directors not as an orchestra, but as an idea — and as a promising possibility.

As soon as the plans for the youth orchestra’s creation were set in motion, the Philharmonic staff immediately reached out to high school band and orchestra directors across the community in order to discover ways that the SPYO could support their education programs and judge interest in the existence of a youth orchestra. It wasn’t long after the motion was officially passed before several passionate, local volunteers jumped at the chance to help. One of the most prominent members of this group was Mrs. Helen Tipton. In 2018, Helen joined her first three year term on the Board and quickly became a major player in the youth orchestra’s actualization. Alongside her, Bob

Borden, the Philharmonic’s music librarian, gladly took on a second role as co-manager of the group. Another impressive addition to the team: Dr. Susie Lalama, the current Senior Youth Orchestra’s conductor. She was hired with only a few short months to settle in before she began adjudicating auditions in May of 2019.

After a lively and wildly successful initial season, the youth orchestra crew was optimistic and decided to tackle the next big question that had been looming over them that year. Should there be a second youth orchestra? They believed that the momentum from the positive responses to their first group in 2019 would carry over strongly with the announcement of a Junior youth orchestra — and they were correct! Early in the 2019-2020 season, history repeated itself as the search for staffing and a conductor for the Junior orchestra commenced. Once again, there was endless support from students, teachers, parents, and subscribers for the creation of the Junior group. Johanna Wilson was hired as the Junior conductor and fulfilled her role spectacularly. According to Executive Director Kathryn Boucher, “the goal was to find the right balance between teacher and go-getter/self-starter. Johanna has stepped up for everything that we’ve asked of her!” Audition material was prepped, rehearsals scheduled, and concerts planned. All was proceeding swimmingly.

That is, of course, until March of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, closing businesses and shutting down performing arts worldwide. For the SPYO, that meant weekly rehearsals had to be put on hold, and the Senior orchestra’s final concert that season — planned for just a few weeks later — would have to be canceled entirely. Auditions were held online, which greatly hindered the recruitment process for the Junior orchestra. There was still a fairly large turnout, however, and the SPYO staff and members alike were thrilled to continue moving forward as soon as was made possible.

Currently, the Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s 100+ members are back to rehearsing in person (both indoors and outdoors) and are thrilled to prepare for their audience a quickly approaching October concert! Having personally worked many of the concerts they have previously put on either as film crew, as general help, or even as a performer, I can attest to their formidableness as an ensemble. In an effort to learn what other great things the youth orchestra might have in store for all of us in the long term, I got in contact with the aforementioned Kathryn Boucher and discussed some of the big-picture goals for the program.

now feeling

Courageous inspired by Giuseppe Verdi, Overture to Nabucco Florence Price, The Old Boatman Antonín Dvorák, Symphony no. 9 in E minor, op. 95 “From the New World” ...and more!

S U N D AY

October 24, 2021 TWICHELL AUDITORIUM

senior & Junior

3:00 pm

SpartanburgYouthOrchestra.org

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Stronger Everyday Susana M. Lalama

The Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, now entering its third season, is feeling stronger than ever.

After overcoming countless obstacles during last year’s intense COVID-19 season, SPYO is ready to conquer.

Whether we rehearse masked, socially distant, or even outdoors, the SPYO musicians are determined to perform their best.

SPYO continues to push to new boundaries by challenging the students with advanced repertoire that enhances their technique and encourages cooperation.

Young musicians from the greater Spartanburg area are well-aware of the benefits of being a member of our youth orchestra. Auditions were held in May of 2021 through video submissions, and we had a record number of auditions. After several hours of review, the Senior Youth Orchestra selected a 72-member full

to support the Youth Orchestra or for more information about concerts, visit us online at:

SpartanburgYouthOrchestra.org

50

orchestra, and the Junior Youth Orchestra selected a 45-member string orchestra.

Music was selected and student folders were stuffed ready for our Pop-in, Popsicle, Pick-Up scheduled on August 1, 2021. This was a chance for students and their families to meet the conductors and other members of the orchestra. It’s a casual summer moment for SPYO, but we love it because it gives all involved a chance to experience the friendly and supportive learning environment that SPYO offers. Our Pop-In, Popsicle, Pick-Up is a lot of fun, and it launches the orchestras into their season as the individual practice begins.

We have selected programs that are both memorable and challenging. For the Senior Youth Orchestra, the ensemble will be opening with Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco Overture, followed by an arrangement of The Old Boatman by Florence Price, and concluding with Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony, mvt. 4. These pieces will keep the Senior orchestra practicing and improving their technique and musicianship, all while emersed in beautiful music.

For the Junior Youth Orchestra, musical selections include Kathryn Griesinger’s Wildfire, Brian Balmages’s Lullaby to the Moon, Chris Campbell’s Speaking Alien, Mark Williams’s North Country Legend, and Michael Allen’s arrangement of Revenge of the Double Bass. These pieces are fun for the younger musicians and challenge them to continue building their musicianship.

Last season we enjoyed featuring some of our young musicians in the Concerto Competition. The preparation and performance of the competition winners from last season was an amazing journey.

We are offering the competition this season again to Senior Youth Orchestra. The auditions will be judged

by Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra members and will take place on October 30, 2021. The winner(s) will perform with the Senior Youth Orchestra in the spring.

There are plenty of other opportunities for all of the young musicians to perform with SPYO as a large group, and as chamber ensembles. We use small ensembles as an opportunity for the students to gain independence and confidence when performing.

Whether it is our full orchestra concerts or chamber ensembles online, look for SPYO in the community.

These students are stellar, and they need your support!

Keep us in mind for all your HOLIDAY needs – 51 we would love to help!

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Some cities celebrate their war heroes, others their sports stars, but in Spartanburg, it’s all about our musicians. Head out on the Spartanburg Music Trail, a 30-minute outdoor walking tour of the city’s incredibly robust music history. With your GPS enabled smartphone, you’ll be directed to each colorful marker to learn about the artists and hear the music that lifted them onto the national stage. You’ll also discover opportunities for side trips to further explore our musical heritage.

The Spartanburg Music Trail honors musicians from Spartanburg who have made a national or international impact in the world of music. The stops highlight artists

in such genres as country, gospel, soul, rock ‘n’ roll and more. Ultimately the trail will circle the downtown as new inductees are added.

As publisher of the book Hub City Music Makers: One Southern Town’s Popular Music Legacy, the nonprofit Hub City Writers Project took the lead in organizing the Spartanburg Music Trail. The initial honorees were chosen because they represent a wide variety of music styles, a broad demographic of our county, and almost 200 years of music-making history. The Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau has partnered with Hub City Writers Project, the City of Spartanburg, and the Spartanburg Philharmonic to produce the tour.

SpartanburgMusicTrail.com

For the last 24 years, the Spartanburg Philharmonic and the Spartanburg County Public Library have been proud to offer this fun, lunchtime music series to the public. For health and safety reasons, we have decided to postpone MSI until further notice. Thank you for your support, and for updates, please visit us online:

SpartanburgPhilharmonic.org/MSI 55

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Feb 5

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Youth Orchestra

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Darin & Brooke Aldridge 8:00 @ Chapman Cultural Center

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