We are continuing our educational programs, deepening our engagement with young audiences, and enhancing our relationships with other nonprofits and partner venues around the state. This allows us to reach more people than ever before. These efforts would not be possible without the generous support of our patrons, sponsors, and volunteers. Your contributions are the lifeblood of our organization, and we are profoundly thankful for your unwavering commitment.
As we look forward to the months ahead, we are reminded of the extraordinary privilege it is to be a part of this vibrant musical community. We are excited to share this journey with you and to create lasting memories together.
Thank you for your continued support, and we can’t wait to see you at the symphony!
With warm regards,
Deanna R. Hoying Executive Director
Don McDonah, M.D. Board President
Rhapsody in Blue
Roger Kalia, Conductor
Fei-Fei, Guest Pianist
Piano Concerto in One Movement
Florence Price
Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin
-Intermission-
Symphony No. 3
Aaron Copland
I. Molto moderato
II. Allegro molto
III. Andantino quasi allegretto
IV. Molto deliberato - (Fanfare)Allegro risoluto
Roger Kalia Music Director, Symphony NH
Praised for bringing a “fresh view to classical music” (The Republic), Indian American conductor Roger Kalia is a versatile communicator who brings unique and unmistakable energy to the podium. Recently profiled by Symphony Magazine in recognition of his innovative programming, Kalia has been hailed as “leading with passionate intensity and a clear beat” as well as being “one to watch” (Long Beach Gazette).
Kalia is now in his fifth season as Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic, his sixth season as Music Director of Symphony New Hampshire, and in his seventh season with Orchestra Santa Monica. He was most recently appointed Artistic Director Designate of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra for the 2024-25 season, and he will assume the role of Artistic Director during the 2025-26 season. He is also Co-Founder and Music Director of the celebrated Lake George Music Festival in upstate New York which has been described as “an unparalleled classical music experience in the Adirondacks” (Chronogram). The recipient of several awards from The Solti Foundation U.S., including an Elizabeth Buccheri Opera Residency with Lyric Opera of Chicago and five Career Assistance Awards, Kalia has been praised for his “extraordinary leadership” (Courier & Press).
The 2024-25 season features Kalia’s debut with the Amarillo Symphony and a return to the Redlands Bowl to conduct the Grand Finals of the prestigious Young Artists Concerto Competition as part of the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival. In recent seasons, he has appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Chicago Sinfonietta, Louisiana Philharmonic, Baltimore Chamber
Orchestra, Szczecin Philharmonic (Poland), Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, Boise Philharmonic, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Redlands, Lima, Adrian, Bakersfield, Great Falls, Owensboro, Spokane, and Wheeling.
In his various music director positions, Kalia has focused on innovative artistic partnerships highlighting a variety of community partners. In 2023, Kalia collaborated with acclaimed Bollywood singer Anuradha “Juju” Palakurthi and Symphony New Hampshire in a celebration of Indian culture via a history-spanning performance of Bollywood songs in their first-ever arrangement for Western instruments, Symphony Masala. He commissioned and premiered Orchestra Santa Monica’s inaugural art film in collaboration with composer Derrick Skye titled We Gather: Black Life in Santa Monica, and his early seasons leading the Evansville Philharmonic centered on collaborations with community organizations such as Historic Bosse Field, the Tri-State Hindu Temple, and the Evansville Wartime Museum. Kalia’s groundbreaking programming has been featured on PBS’s “On the Road with Brick Briscoe” and “Regional Voices.”
Kalia has collaborated with a wide range of artists including singers Angela Brown, Shayna Steele, Dan Domenech, and Jubilant Sykes; Grammy-winning trio Time for Three; Indian tabla virtuoso Sandeep Das; singer/ songwriters Randy Newman and Randy Jackson; rock musicians Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls and Nancy Wilson of Heart; the B-52s; sitar player Anoushka Shankar; and actor Jack Black.
A native of New York State, Kalia holds degrees from Indiana University, the University of Houston, and SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music. He currently resides in Indiana with his wife, musicologist and violinist Christine Wisch.
Fei-Fei Guest Pianist
Infusing “intoxicating grace” with “exceptional musicality” and “inconceivable virtuosity,” pianist Fei-Fei conjures a special and undeniable connectivity with her audiences that brings joy, passion, and deep understanding of the music (Badische Neueste Nachrichten). Her engaging and endearing personality shines through in each note, each word, and each expression— whether performing as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician on world stages, or as a community outreach advocate.
“Sporting a naturally gracious charm and stage presence,” Fei-Fei has “shared her musical passions unstintingly” around the globe (Peninsula Review). Recent projects include her role artist-in-residence with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic touring in Germany, a Carnegie Hall performance and tour of Spain with the New York Youth Symphony, a cross-disciplinary collaboration with Ballet Arkansas, a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 at Lincoln Center with the Pegasus Symphony, a 19-city tour of China with her Aletheia Piano Trio (Fei-Fei is a founding member of the 10-year-old ensemble), and performances of lesser-represented repertoire, including concertos by Leroy Anderson, Florence Price, Clara Schumann, and Xiaogang Ye.
Additional concerto highlights include performances with the Fort Worth Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic, Spokane Symphony, Corpus Christi Symphony, Austin Symphony, Denver Philharmonic, Anchorage Symphony, and the Juilliard Orchestra. Internationally, she has performed with Canada’s Calgary Philharmonic, Germany’s Rostock and Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestras, and in China with the Shenzhen Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and China National Symphony Orchestras.
Fei-Fei was featured prominently as a Cliburn finalist in the documentary film, Virtuosity, about the 2013 Cliburn Competition, which premiered on PBS in August 2015. Deeply committed to sharing her joy for music and connecting with communities, Fei-Fei frequently engages students and community audiences through school and outreach concerts and masterclasses.
Born in Shenzhen, Fei-Fei began piano lessons at the age of 5. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School where she studied with Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky, and is currently pursing Doctoral of Musical Arts degree with pianist Yefim Bronfman at Manhattan School of Music. Fei-Fei is also a member of the piano faculty at John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University and teaching associate to pianist Yefim Bronfman at Manhattan School of Music beginning in Fall 2023.
Illinois. Among these was a long-lost full orchestral score of the concerto, which had been presumed missing for over 80 years. The rediscovery of this score, along with dozens of other previously unknown pieces, not only confirmed the breadth of Price’s orchestral imagination but also prompted a reevaluation of her entire body of work, much of which had been dismissed or forgotten despite its known existence. More than just a virtuosic showpiece,
the concerto is a cultural statement—an assertion of belonging and identity through sound. In its bold synthesis of traditions, it exemplifies Price’s belief that American classical music must reflect the full diversity of its people. Today, her concerto stands not only as a thrilling concert work but also as a vital chapter in the broader story of American music.
George Gershwin (1898–1937)
Rhapsody in Blue (1924)
George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which premiered on February 12, 1924, at New York’s Aeolian Hall, stands as a landmark fusion of classical music and jazz. Bandleader Paul Whiteman commissioned the work for a concert ambitiously titled “An Experiment in Modern Music,” intended to showcase the evolution of American music. Whiteman sought to demonstrate how jazz could be elevated into a refined art form, and Gershwin’s composition became the centerpiece of this vision. Remarkably, Gershwin only learned of his involvement after reading a newspaper article on January 4, 1924, announcing he would compose a “jazz concerto” for the event! With just five weeks to prepare, Gershwin began work in earnest. He later recalled that the thematic essence of the piece came to him during a train ride to Boston, where he envisioned “a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America.”
The premiere featured Gershwin himself as the piano soloist, with Whiteman’s orchestra providing accompaniment. The now-famous opening clarinet glissando, performed by Ross Gorman, was a playful warm-up that Gershwin chose to keep in the final score. This spontaneous gesture became one of the most iconic sounds in all of American music. Evocative of traditional Jewish klezmer music, the glissando sets the tone for a work that delights in stylistic contrasts and surprises.
Structurally, Rhapsody in Blue is a singlemovement work that encapsulates the fast-slow-fast form of a classical concerto. It introduces multiple themes characterized by syncopated rhythms, blue notes, and influences ranging from Latin dance to ragtime and stride piano. Gershwin’s orchestration, executed by Ferde Grofé, incorporated instruments like the banjo and saxophones, further blurring the lines between classical and popular music traditions.
The reception of Rhapsody in Blue was overwhelmingly positive, cementing Gershwin’s reputation as a composer who could transcend musical boundaries. Audiences were captivated by its bold fusion of classical structure and jazz idioms, and the piece quickly became a touchstone for American music. Its success propelled Gershwin to further explore the synthesis of these genres in later works like his Concerto in F and the groundbreaking opera Porgy and Bess. Over the century since its premiere, Rhapsody in Blue has remained an iconic work, one that not only innovated musically but also captured the spirit of its time. Often described as a sonic portrait of early 20th-century New York City, the piece brims with the energy, diversity, and ambition of a city and nation still defining their cultural and musical identities.
Christine Wisch
Program Annotator
Christine Wisch is a staff member of the Latin American Music Center and adjunct lecturer at the Jacobs School of Music. She holds a bachelor’s degrees in music education and Spanish from the University of Houston as well as a master’s degree and doctorate in musicology from Indiana University. Her work as a musicologist focuses on nineteenth-and early twentiethcentury Spanish classical music and issues of patronage, nationalism, and exoticism. She currently teaches a course on Women Musicians for the Music in General Studies Program and the Introduction to Latin American Art Music for the LAMC as part of the undergraduate minor curriculum.
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Symphony NH gratefully acknowledges these donors who have contributed to our mission of making great music accessible and providing learning opportunities to enrich diverse audiences. Gifts listed were made between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
