TCU’s College of Fine Arts prepares the next generation of creative leaders through personalized mentorship from leading performers and scholars, fostering academic and artistic development.
Three School of Music faculty received the prestigious Gentling Fellowship from the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and presented a concert honoring Fort Worth artists and musicians Stuart and Scott Gentling.
Learn From World-Class Faculty
go.tcu.edu/music-fellowship
AMON CARTER MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
From left: Gynecologic oncologists
James Wilder, M.D., Jayanthi Lea, M.D., and Steven Holloway, M.D.
Discover the UTSW difference in Fort Worth.
When it comes to gynecologic cancer care, choose the experts.
UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Texas. Also ranked among the top 20 for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report, we are proud to offer world-class medical treatment in Fort Worth.
Our experts provide specialized, compassionate care that is evidence-based –the kind you can only find in an academic medical center environment. We are not just treating gynecologic cancer; we are driving discoveries, leading clinical trials, and utilizing the latest technology to bring our patients the best in modern medicine – close to home.
This exhibition is supported in part by Frost. Promotional support provided by American Airlines, NBC 5/Telemundo 39, and the Fort Worth Report.
The exhibition
co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and Fondazione Torlonia, in collaboration with the Kimbell Art Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museum Box.
About Robert Spano 5 About Dame Jane Glover 6 About Stephanie Rhodes Russell
7 Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Roster
8 Program 1: Yacht Rock Symphony
12
FWSO STAFF
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
Keith Cerny, Ph.D. President and CEO
OPERATIONS
Sam Pavel Vice President of Operations
Jason Leyva Director of Operations and Production
Tim Vinson Production Manager
Christopher Hawn Principal Librarian
David Sterrett Associate Librarian
Program 3: REWIND: Music of the 80s
Program 2: Jurassic Park in Concert 14
20
25
Program 4: Saint-Georges’ Sword and Bow
Program 5: Mozart and Mahler’s Fourth 31
Program 6: Home for the Holidays 36 Board of Directors
Thomas Zuber Assistant Orchestra Librarian
Pierce Baruk Artistic Services Coordinator
DEVELOPMENT
Stephanie Moreau Senior Director of Development
Camille McPherson Individual Giving Manager
Morgan Tingle Institutional Giving Manager
Emily Hazlett Donor Engagement Manager
Alexia Wixom Development Operations Coordinator
BOX OFFICE
Tess Todora Director of Ticketing Services
Veronica Morris Box Office Associate
Rachel Raley Box Office Associate
Mary Russell Box Office Associate
Jarrett Self Box Office Associate
Paul Taylor Box Office Associate
FINANCE
Kenneth Rinehart Director of Accounting
Lucas Baldwin Senior Staff Accountant
ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL & HUMAN RESOURCES
Jacque Carpenter Vice President of HR
Araminta Stephens HR Administrator
Kayla Aftahi Orchestra Personnel Manager
Savanna Cardenas Orchestra Personnel Manager
MARKETING
Monica Sheehan Director of Marketing
Melanie Boma Senior Tessitura Database Manager
Joanna Calhoun Marketing Manager
Catherine Anderson Marketing Coordinator
EDUCATION
Josselin Garibo Pendleton Senior Manager, Education and Community Programs
Mercedes T. Bass Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dear Friends,
Thank you for joining us for another fabulous season with the FWSO. There are so many exciting and unique performances to look forward to. This month, we welcome Dame Jane Glover for her first concert as the FWSO’s newly appointed Principal Guest Conductor. While she is best known for her work with Baroque and Classical repertoire, particularly Mozart and Handel, she will be conducting Mahler for the first time in her illustrious career.
In addition to remarkable programming, the FWSO is always looking for new ways to engage its patrons and supporters, and we welcome you to join the “Angel’s Program”. Throughout the season, guests who make a night-of donation of $100 or more in support of our music education initiatives will enjoy a complimentary glass of wine during the concert intermission. Each gift of $100 allows up to 20 students to participate in one of the FWSO’s music education experiences.
We look forward to toasting to your generosity and hope you will join us with your friends and guests.
With much appreciation and gratitude,
Mercedes T. Bass Chairman of the Board of Directors
Keith Cerny, Ph.D. President and CEO
Dear Patron,
Following Music Director Robert Spano’s superb performances during opening weekend, we have many more exciting musical performances in store for you. On the Symphonic Series, we welcome Dame Jane Glover in her debut with the FWSO as Principal Guest Conductor, performing works of Mozart and Mahler. Her past performances with the FWSO have been exhilarating, and you won’t want to miss her official debut in her new role!
On the Pops and Specials Series, we have two exciting tribute concerts: Yacht Rock Symphony and REWIND: Music of the 80s. For our movies with orchestra programming, we will present Jurassic Park in Concert, conducted by Ron Spigelman. This full-length movie with live orchestra will be projected in 4D. On the first performance of the year on our Family Series, we will present Saint-Georges’ Sword and Bow, which brings to life an extraordinarily gifted contemporary of Mozart’s. These popular programs are intended to be a musical “on ramp” to the FWSO’s Symphonic and Pops Series and are suitable for all ages. Then, at the end of November, our popular Music Director Laureate Miguel Harth-Bedoya returns to lead the orchestra in one of the community’s favorite events: Home for the Holidays.
This set of concerts perfectly captures the extraordinary range of the types of music and concerts we produce, and we are grateful for the support of our donors and patrons. We look forward to seeing you in person!
Yours sincerely,
Keith Cerny, Ph.D. President & CEO
Robert Spano
Music Director
Robert Spano, conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher, is known worldwide for the intensity of his artistry and distinctive communicative abilities, creating a sense of inclusion and warmth among musicians and audiences that is unique among American orchestras. Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO) since August 2022, Spano will continue there through July 2031, shaping the artistic direction of the orchestra and driving its continued growth. This season, Spano also steps into the role of Music Director of the Washington National Opera (WNO) for a three-year term. An avid mentor to rising artists, he is responsible for nurturing the careers of numerous celebrated composers, conductors, and performers. As Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2011, he oversees the programming of more than 300 events and educational programs for 630 students and young performers; he also directs the Aspen Conducting Academy, which offers participants unparalleled training and valuable podium experience. After 20 seasons as Music Director with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO), he now serves as its Music Director Laureate. He also becomes Principal Guest Conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School this season, where he previously served as Principal Conductor.
In his fourth season as music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Spano leads more than six symphonic programs,
including a world premiere by Michael Gandolfi. Spano leads two productions at Washington National Opera in 2025-2026: the company’s production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and a new production of Robert Ward’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award®–winning opera The Crucible. Other highlights of the season include a return to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for two programs celebrating the 250th anniversary of America’s independence and guest conducting appearances with the Louisville Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Spano’s newest recording as a pianist and composer is a collaboration with mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, “Songs of Orpheus,” a series of song cycles by Edvard Grieg, Claude Debussy, George Crumb, and Spano himself, on Sono Luminus (August 22, 2025).
Robert Spano made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2019, leading the US premiere of Nico Muhly’s Marnie. Recent concert highlights include several world-premiere performances, including The Sacrifice of Isaac by Jonathan Leshnoff with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Steven Mackey’s Aluminum Flowers and James Ra’s Te Deum with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra; Jake Heggie’s Earth 2.0 with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra; a new production of Fidelio with the Washington National Opera; Of Earth and Sky: Tales From the Motherland by Brian Raphael Nabors with the FWSO and Rhode Island Philharmonic; and Voy a Dormir by Bryce Dessner at Carnegie Hall, with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and mezzosoprano Kelley O’Connor.
With a discography of critically acclaimed recordings for Telarc, Deutsche Grammophon, and ASO Media, Robert Spano has garnered four Grammy™ Awards and eight nominations with the Atlanta Symphony. Spano is on faculty at Oberlin Conservatory and has received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory University, and Oberlin. Maestro Spano is a recipient of the Georgia Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities and is one of two classical musicians inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
Dame Jane Glover
Principal Guest Conductor
Acclaimed British conductor Jane Glover, named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 New Year’s Honours, has been Music of the Baroque’s music director since 2002. In 2025 she was named Principal Guest Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony. She made her professional debut at the Wexford Festival in 1975, conducting her own edition of Cavalli’s L’Eritrea. She joined Glyndebourne in 1979 and was music director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera from 1981 until 1985. She was artistic director of the London Mozart Players from 1984 to 1991. From 2009 until 2016 she was Director of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music where she is now the Felix Mendelssohn Visiting Professor and was Visiting Professor of Opera at the University of Oxford, her alma mater.
Jane Glover has conducted many of the major symphony, chamber orchestras, and period instrument groups in Britain, Europe, the United States, Asia, and Australia. She has appeared frequently at the BBC Proms.
In demand on the international opera stage, Jane Glover has appeared with numerous companies including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera, Covent Garden, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, the Berlin Staatsoper, Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, Opera National de Bordeaux, Opera Australia, Chicago Opera Theater, Opera National du Rhin, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Luminato, Teatro Real, Madrid, Royal Danish Opera, Teatro La Fenice, and Detroit Opera. A Mozart specialist, she has conducted all the Mozart operas all over the world regularly since she first performed them at Glyndebourne in the 1980s, and her core operatic repertoire also includes Monteverdi, Handel, and Britten. Highlights of recent seasons
include The Magic Flute with the Metropolitan Opera, Alcina with Washington Opera, L’Elisir d’amore and The Magic Flute for Houston Grand Opera, Medea for Opera Omaha, Così fan tutte for Lyric Opera of Kansas City, The Turn of the Screw, Jephtha and Lucio Silla in Bordeaux, The Rape of Lucretia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cosí fan tutte, Figaro and Don Giovanni at the Aspen Music Festival, Gluck’s Armide and Iphigenie en Aulide with Met Young Artists and Juilliard, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) in Lisbon, Albert Herring with Chicago Opera theater, and Xerxes with Detroit Opera. Among the many operas she conducted while Director of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music were Eugene Onegin, The Rake’s Progress, The Marriage of Figaro, L’incoronazione di Poppea, and the world premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen! This past season she returned to the Houston Grand Opera and Cincinnati Opera to conduct productions of Don Giovanni and in the 2024/2025 season led the North American premiere of Ferdinando Paër’s Leonora with Chicago Opera Theater.
Future and recent-past concert engagements include her continuing seasons with Music of the Baroque in Chicago as well as engagements with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra—both at Severance Hall as well as the Blossom Music Festival, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (at Carnegie Hall), the London Mozart Players, the New York Philharmonic, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Camerata Salzburg, and the Symphonies of Chicago, Cincinnati, Toronto, Houston, San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Oregon. In the summer of 2025, she conducted Mozart’s opera The Impresario at the Buxton International Festival in the UK, appeared at the Aspen Music Festival and at the Lincoln Center Festival in New York City.
Jane Glover’s discography includes a live recording of Jephtha with Music of the Baroque on Reference Records, a series of Mozart and Haydn symphonies with the London Mozart Players and various recordings with the London Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic, Trinity, Wall Street, and the BBC Singers. She is the author of the critically acclaimed books Mozart’s Women, Handel in London, and Mozart in Italy. She holds a personal professorship at the University of London, is a Fellow of the Royal College of Music, an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, and the holder of several honorary degrees. In 2020, she was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Gamechanger Award for her work in breaking new ground for other female conductors. In 2025, she received the Musician Club of Women 150th Anniversary Founders Award.
Stephanie Rhodes Russell Resident Conductor
Stephanie Rhodes Russell is an alum of the Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors, the Houston Grand Opera Studio and the Merola Opera Program. She was a Conducting Fellow with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra from 2019-2021, where she appeared regularly with the ensemble leading education, family, and community concerts while serving as cover conductor for the symphonic subscription series. She is also the recipient of a 2019 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, designed to aid outstanding young conductors in developing their talents and careers.
For the 2025-2026 season, Ms. Rhodes-Russell returns to the Fort Worth Symphony, serving as the season’s Resident Conductor, and leading a range of programs. She makes her Charlotte Symphony debut, with a program that includes Beethoven’s “Emperor” piano concerto, the U.S. premiere of Anna Clyne’s The Years, and Martines’ Sinfonia in C Major. She leads the world premiere of Everlasting Faint at Madison Opera, conducts the Schwabacher Scenes Concerts for Merola Opera Program, and returns to the National Symphony Orchestra, assisting Gianandrea Noseda on Puccini’s Il trittico.
The 2024-2025 season brought a number of significant returns for Maestro Rhodes Russell: Utah Opera, for Hänsel und Gretel, Arizona Opera, for her first career performances of Verdi’s Aida, and Washington National Opera, for the orchestrated world premiere of Jungle Book by Kamala Sankaram (composer) and Kelley Rourke (librettist). She also made her orchestral debut with the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, conducting works by Prokofiev and Stravinsky, and returned to the National Symphony Orchestra, assisting conductors Gianandrea Noseda and Marin Alsop.
During the 2023-2024 season, the conductor made debuts with Washington National Opera, leading Jeanine Tesori’s The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me, and Arizona Opera, adding Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette 6 | 2025/2026 SEASON
to her repertoire. With Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, she conducted performances of Tchaikovsky’s masterwork Eugene Onegin, and with the National Symphony Orchestra, she assisted Music Director Gianandrea Noseda for Verdi’s Otello. Previous season highlights included company debuts with Austin Opera (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Utah Opera (La fille du régiment), and Cincinnati Opera (The Knock), as well as returns to Madison Opera (Le nozze di Figaro) and Wolf Trap Opera (Don Giovanni). She conducted Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah with Wolf Trap Opera, Verdi’s La traviata with Opera Orlando, a workshop of Git Here (Daniel Bernard Roumain/Anna Deavere Smith) and Four Portraits (Caroline Shaw/ Jocelyn Clark) for Lyric Opera of Chicago, Britten’s The Turn of the Screw (Temple University), Handel’s Alcina (University of Michigan) and Madison Opera’s Opera in the Park.
A Fulbright award recipient in Russia, she lived in Moscow specializing in Russian repertoire and pronunciation for non-native singers while working as a guest coach at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. She was thereafter commissioned by The Dallas Opera to transliterate Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and has taught workshops on Russian diction at young artist programs and universities across the United States.
Following her work on the San Francisco Opera Ring Cycle, she was appointed the 2019 Associate Conductor of the Grand Teton Music Festival, where she served as assistant to Music Director Donald Runnicles and led the GTMF orchestra in the Hartley Family Concert. Additionally, she performed as a pianist in the festival’s renowned Chamber Music Concert Series.
Highlights as an Assistant Conductor include work on two Wagner Ring Cycles with conductors Philippe Auguin and Donald Runnicles and productions of Iolanta, Eugene Onegin, and Queen of Spades with Emmanuel Villaume and Carlo Rizzi. She has served on the music staff of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, The Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, LA Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Washington National Opera, among others, and her extensive operatic experience in the roles of assistant conductor, prompter, chorusmaster, rehearsal pianist, and diction coach, brings a comprehensive understanding to her work.
In Autumn 2022, Stephanie Rhodes Russell became Associate Professor and Music Director of Opera at the University of North Texas. This position intersects with her strong interest in educating the next generation of artists, which also led her to found the non-profit Women’s Artistic Leadership Initiative (Women’s ALI). The organization’s aim is to educate and empower young female artists, training them to become future community leaders by equipping them with both leadership skills and business acumen. She holds degrees in Collaborative Piano and Piano Performance from the University of Michigan and Utah State University, respectively, and completed a doctorate in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Utah.
FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Robert Spano, Music Director, Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass Chair
Dame Jane Glover, Principal Guest Conductor
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Music Director Laureate
Stephanie Rhodes Russell, Resident Conductor
John Giordano, Conductor Emeritus
VIOLIN I
Michael Shih, Concertmaster
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
Swang Lin, Associate Concertmaster
Ann Koonsman Chair
Eugene Cherkasov, Assistant Concertmaster
Mollie & Garland Lasater Chair
Jennifer Y. Betz
Qiong Hulsey
Ivo Ivanov
Nikayla Kim
Izumi Lund
Ke Mai
Kimberly Torgul
Albert Yamamoto
VIOLIN II
Adriana Voirin DeCosta, Principal
Steven Li, Associate Principal
Ordabek Duissen, Assistant Principal° Symphony League of Fort Worth Chair
Molly Baer
Elizabeth Elsner°
Sue Jacobson° Matt Milewski
Gabriela Peña-Kim
Kathryn Perry
Tatyana Smith
Rosalyn Story
Ertan Torgul° Andrea Tullis
VIOLA
DJ Cheek, Principal
Anna Kolotylina, Associate Principal
HeeSun Yang, Assistant Principal
Joni Baczewski
Sorin Guttman
Aleksandra Holowka
Dmitry Kustanovich
Daniel Sigale
CELLO
Allan Steele, Principal
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
Keira Fullerton, Associate Principal
Colin Hill, Assistant Principal
BNSF Railway Foundation Chair
John Belk
Deborah Brooks
Shelley Jessup
Jenny Kwak
Annamarie Reader
BASS
William Clay, Principal
Mr. & Mrs. Edward P. Bass Chair
Paul Unger, Assistant Principal
Jeff Hall
Sean P. O’Hara
Julie Vinsant
FLUTE
Jake Fridkis, Principal
Shirley F. Garvey Chair
Gabe Fridkis, Assistant Principal
Elise Kim°
PICCOLO
Elise Kim°
OBOE
Jennifer Corning Lucio, Principal
Nancy L. & William P. Hallman Jr. Chair
Tamer Edlebi, Assistant Principal
Tamara Winston
Tim Daniels
ENGLISH HORN
Tamara Winston
Tim Daniels
CLARINET
Stas Chernyshev, Principal
Rosalyn G. Rosenthal Chair*
Ivan Petruzziello, Assistant Principal
Greg Hamilton°
E-FLAT CLARINET
Ivan Petruzziello
BASS CLARINET
Greg Hamilton°
BASSOON
George Sakakeeny, Principal°
Mr. & Mrs. Lee M. Bass Chair
Cara Owens, Assistant Principal
Kody Harrington
CONTRABASSOON
Kody Harrington
HORN
Gerald Wood, Principal
Elizabeth H. Ledyard Chair
Alton F. Adkins, Associate Principal
Drs. Jeff and Rosemary Detweiler Chair
Kelly Cornell, Associate Principal
Aaron Pino
Blake Moreland
TRUMPET
Kyle Sherman, Principal
Cody McClarty, Assistant Principal
Dorothy Rhea Chair
Oscar Garcia-Montoya
TROMBONE
Joseph Dubas, Principal
Mr. & Mrs. John Kleinheinz Chair
Mike Hayes, Assistant Principal
Vacant Position
BASS TROMBONE
Vacant Position
Mr. & Mrs. Lee M. Bass Chair
TUBA
Edward Jones, Principal*
TIMPANI
Seth McConnell, Principal
Madilyn Bass Chair
Nicholas Sakakeeny, Assistant Principal
PERCUSSION
Keith Williams, Principal
Shirley F. Garvey Chair
Nicholas Sakakeeny, Assistant Principal
Adele Hart Chair
Deborah Mashburn
Brad Wagner
HARP
Vacant Position, Principal
Bayard H. Friedman Chair
KEYBOARD
Shields-Collins Bray, Principal
Rildia Bee O’Bryan Cliburn & Van Cliburn Chair
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Tim Vinson
ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGERS
Kayla Aftahi
Savanna Cardenas
ORCHESTRA LIBRARIANS
Christopher Hawn
David Sterrett
* In Memory of Manny Rosenthal ° 2025/2026 Season Only
The Concertmaster performs on the 1710 Davis Stradivarius violin.
The Associate Concertmaster performs on the 1685 Eugenie Stradivarius violin.
Yacht
Rock Symphony
Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Will Rogers Auditorium Fort Worth, TX starring Ambrosia
John Ford Coley and Peter Beckett (the voice of Player) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Ron Spigelman, conductor
VONNEGUT / NORTH / PACK / PUERTA / DRUMMOND
Nice, Nice, Very Nice
PACK You’re the Only Woman
COMANOR
We’ll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again
McGEE Nights are Forever Without You
POE / PARSONS / WOOLFSON
PIPPIN / KEITH
The Raven
This Time I’m in It for Love
GOBLE The Night Owls
PACK / PUERTA
Holdin’ On to Yesterday
INTERMISSION
LENNON / McCARTNEY Magical Mystery Tour
CARRACK How Long
PACK How Much I Feel
LOGGINS / McDONALD
HORNSBY
8 | 2025/2026 SEASON
This Is It
The Way it Is
McGEE
I’d Really Love to See You Tonight
PACK Biggest Part of Me
BECKETT / CROWLEY
RUNDGREN
WRIGHT
Baby Come Back
Love Is the Answer
Love Is Alive
All orchestrations by Shem von Schroeck
Video/audio recording and flash photography is strictly prohibited at all FWSO performances.
Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
ARTIST PROFILES
Ron Spigelman, conductor
Australian conductor Ron Spigelman is an honors graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, London. Earlier in his career he was the Associate Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Fort Worth Symphony, Music Director of the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, San Angelo Symphony, Texas Chamber Orchestra, Springfield Symphony (MO), and the Lake Placid Sinfonietta (NY) where he is now conductor emeritus. He has also served as Principal Pops Conductor of the Fort Worth and Syracuse Symphony and beginning in the 25/26 season he will become the Principal Pops Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic.
Recent guest conducting appearances include the Atlanta, St. Louis, Baltimore, Utah, Oregon, Kansas City, Vancouver, and Nashville Symphonies, as well as the Florida Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. He will make his debut with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in December 2025.
He has conducted Symphonic, Ballet, Opera, Musical Theatre, and Pops plus over 30 live-to-film productions including all eight of the Harry Potter films. Guest artists he has accompanied include Horacio Gutierrez, Rachel Barton Pine, Richard Stoltzman, Marvin Hamlisch, Peter Paul & Mary, James Taylor, Leslie Odom Jr., Vanessa Williams, Gladys Knight, and many others.
Career highlights include the world premiere of Pegasus by Lowell Liebermann with the Dallas Symphony, his Carnegie Hall debut with the BPO in 2004, and the world premiere recording of Sylvan by Michael Torke with the Lake Placid Sinfonietta.
Ron lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife Laura, and they have a combined 6 children. He is board president of Harmony Project Tulsa, bringing instrumental instruction to underserved youth in collaboration with the Tulsa Public Schools. He also recently graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Family and Human Development at Arizona State University receiving the dean’s medal for academic excellence. He is currently pursuing a Master of Liberal Studies at ASU with a focus on communication, sociology, and psychology in musical leadership.
Ambrosia
Ambrosia, the band known and loved by a multitude of fans since the 1970’s, is now more alive and compelling than ever. This 5-time Grammy Nominated ensemble is exploring new musical territory and bringing an exceptional musical performance to stages everywhere.
In 1970, four young musicians from the South Bay of Los Angeles, came together to create a new moving and invigorating style of music. Joseph Puerta, Christopher North, David Pack, and Burleigh Drummond produced a sound that was immediately recognized. Today, Ambrosia is three of the original members with the addition of
ARTIST PROFILES
guitarist Doug Jackson, contributing keyboardist Mary Harris, and powerful lead vocals of Kipp Lennon (from the band Venice).
Always exploring the possibilities of progressive, classical, and world influences –with tangled roots of soul, rhythm, and blues – Ambrosia is continuing to entertain their original fans while still engaging newer audiences.
Originally labeled as America’s answer to the progressive invasion of English acts Yes and King Crimson, the group quickly proved itself with a unique blend of aural landscapes. Their musical styles attracted the collaboration with cultural icons Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Alan Parsons, Bruce Hornsby, Michael McDonald, Edgar Winter, Dave Mason, Gary Wright, Al Stewart, and others. Ambrosia had toured extensively with Fleetwood Mac, Heart, and the Doobie Brothers.
During Ambrosia’s early recording history, they garnered 5 Grammy Nominations, received frequent radio airplay, and gained the admiration and respect of the musical community – in addition to their sold out concerts around the world. Ambrosia achieved 5 Top 40 hit singles on Warner Bros. Records, released between 1975 and 1980, including “How Much I Feel” and “Biggest Part of Me”. In 2015 the group released a new single, “Hopes and Dreams”, which was featured on the series called The Sparrows that aired on the Fox television channel. As of 2017, the new Ambrosia material keeps coming.
Peter Beckett, vocalist
Peter Beckett, known as “The Voice of Player”, is the original lead singer and songwriter of the band Player. Player was voted by Billboard Magazine’s honor roll as Best New Single Artist for 1978 for their international #1 hit “Baby Come Back”. As a follow up on the record charts, Beckett and Player also enjoyed great success with their hit “This Time I’m In It For Love”.
John Ford Coley, vocalist
John Ford Coley is most revered as half of the Grammy nominated duo England Dan and John Ford Coley. Churning out many memorable hits during this era, some of John Ford Coley’s songs are: “Love Is The Answer”, “Gone Too Far”, “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight”, “We’ll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again”, “Nights Are Forever Without You”, and “Sad To Belong”.
Video/audio recording and flash photography is strictly prohibited at all FWSO performances.
Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
12 | 2025/2026 SEASON
ARTIST PROFILES
Ron Spigelman, conductor
Australian conductor Ron Spigelman is an honors graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, London. Earlier in his career he was the Associate Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Fort Worth Symphony, Music Director of the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, San Angelo Symphony, Texas Chamber Orchestra, Springfield Symphony (MO), and the Lake Placid Sinfonietta (NY) where he is now conductor emeritus. He has also served as Principal Pops Conductor of the Fort Worth and Syracuse Symphony and beginning in the 25/26 season he will become the Principal Pops Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic.
Recent guest conducting appearances include the Atlanta, St. Louis, Baltimore, Utah, Oregon, Kansas City, Vancouver, and Nashville Symphonies, as well as the Florida Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. He will make his debut with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in December 2025.
He has conducted Symphonic, Ballet, Opera, Musical Theatre, and Pops plus over 30 live-to-film productions including all eight of the Harry Potter films. Guest artists he has accompanied include Horacio Gutierrez, Rachel Barton Pine, Richard Stoltzman, Marvin Hamlisch, Peter Paul & Mary, James Taylor, Leslie Odom Jr., Vanessa Williams, Gladys Knight, and many others.
Career highlights include the world premiere of Pegasus by Lowell Liebermann with the Dallas Symphony, his Carnegie Hall debut with the BPO in 2004, and the world premiere recording of Sylvan by Michael Torke with the Lake Placid Sinfonietta.
Ron lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife Laura, and they have a combined 6 children. He is board president of Harmony Project Tulsa, bringing instrumental instruction to underserved youth in collaboration with the Tulsa Public Schools. He also recently graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Family and Human Development at Arizona State University receiving the dean’s medal for academic excellence. He is currently pursuing a Master of Liberal Studies at ASU with a focus on communication, sociology, and psychology in musical leadership.
REWIND: Music of the 80s
This concert is generously supported by Paul Wehba and dedicated to Brad Chandler
Friday, November 07, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 08, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Bass Performance Hall Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Ken Yanagisawa, conductor
Christine Shebeck, lead vocals
Ben Caron, lead vocals
Walter Ino, guitar
Tom Polce, drums
Ben White, bass
Allison Piccioni, keys
MICHAEL Faith
MICHAEL Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
BYRON / SWEET
ADAMS / VALLANCE
HAZARD
Shadows of the Night
Summer of ’69
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
SMITH / TOLHURST / DEMPSEY Boys Don’t Cry
PAGE / GEORGE / LANG Kyrie
MORODER / FORSEY / CARA
FORSEY / SCHIFF
WAAKTAAR / FURUHOLMEN / HARKET
LEWIS / HAYES / COLLA
Flashdance…What a Feeling
Don’t You (Forget About Me)
INTERMISSION
Take On Me
The Power of Love 14 | 2025/2026 SEASON
STEINMAN
Total Eclipse of the Heart
PALMER Morning Train (9 to 5)
LOGGINS / PITCHFORD
Footloose
MERRILL / HOOKER I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll
BELL / SMITH / BROWN / TAYLOR / MICKENS / TOON Jr. / THOMAS / BELL / DEODATO
TAUPIN / PAGE / LAMBERT / WOLF
CAIN / PERRY / SCHON
Celebration
We Built This City
Don’t Stop Believin’
Video/audio recording and flash photography is strictly prohibited at all FWSO performances.
Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
ARTIST PROFILES
Ken Yanagisawa, conductor
Japanese-American conductor Ken Yanagisawa is the Music Director of the Boston Opera Collaborative and the newly formed Boston Annex Players, the Associate Conductor of the Boston Civic Symphony, the Assistant Conductor of the New Philharmonia Orchestra, and an Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music.
A 2024 Aspen Conducting Academy Fellow and James Conlon Prize recipient, Ken was also awarded the 2025 Aspen Conducting Prize, which carries with it an appointment as Assistant Conductor of the Aspen Music Festival and School in 2026. Upcoming engagements include a return to Japan to conduct Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito for Kansai Nikikai’s landmark 100th opera production. He previously made his Japanese debut conducting Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with Kansai Nikikai and the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center. Ken has also served as a Conducting Apprentice with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and has assisted/covered the National Symphony Orchestra, Rhode Island and Plymouth Philharmonics, Berlin Academy of American Music, and Berlin Opernfest, among others.
Ken recently completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts under the guidance of James Burton and also holds graduate degrees in conducting from the Manhattan School of Music and a B.A. in music from Yale University. Prior to Yale he attended the New England Conservatory as an Undergraduate Diploma candidate for Oboe Performance under the tutelage of John Ferrillo. His other teachers include George Manahan, William Lumpkin, Bernard Labadie, and Tatsuya Shimono. In masterclasses and festivals, he has been taught by renowned artists and pedagogues such as Robert Spano, Leonard Slatkin, Mark Stringer, Dame Jane Glover, Hugh Wolff, Gerard Schwarz, and Jorma Panula. He is deeply grateful for all the excellent guidance and mentorship he has received thus far in his life as a musician.
Beyond the podium, Ken has held positions as orchestra librarian for Boston University’s College of Fine Arts and as an artistic administrator for the New York Philharmonic. He is also an accomplished freelance photographer, with work published in TIME, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Boston Globe, Playbill, and the Yale Daily News.
16 | 2025/2026 SEASON
ARTIST PROFILES
Christine Shebeck, lead vocals
Christine Shebeck is a captivating cabaret vocalist and seasoned performer whose career spans decades—from recording session work and voice-over roles in Los Angeles to dazzling stages across Las Vegas. A Robby Award–nominated actress and award-winning cabaret star, she’s earned a Broadway World Award for her stellar portrayal of Phyllis in Follies. Known for her “flawless” and emotionally resonant voice, Shebeck brings depth and storytelling to every performance. Her original productions, including S.I.S: Sisters in Song, showcase her versatility and rich interpretive range. Rooted in a lifelong passion for music and storytelling, Christine continues to inspire audiences, embodying the belief that “it’s never too late” to follow your dreams.
Ben Caron, lead vocals
Ben Caron is a Los Angeles–based singer-songwriter, producer, facilitator, and community organizer with a devoted international following that helped fund both his debut and sophomore albums. Originally from Iowa, Ben’s eclectic style blends pop, soul, folk, gospel, and adult contemporary, drawing inspiration from iconic storytellers like James Taylor, Elton John, and Garth Brooks. He began writing songs as a teenager, later training in classical voice and acting at CSU Los Angeles, where he discovered the importance of authenticity and connection in performance.
As a recording artist, Ben released his self-titled debut album in 2013, followed by his acoustic EP Climb in 2015, and the concept album King Benjamin’s Royal Heart in 2016—all projects fueled by community support. He has toured both solo and with collectives such as The Sovereign Sons & Daughters and The Joy Machine, the latter dedicated to spreading joy and unity through live music.
In addition to performing, Ben is a certified yoga teacher and holistic wellness leader whose events—Collective Ascension, Royal Heart Tribe Experience, and The Joy Machine—combine music, mindfulness, and movement to foster healing and connection.
ARTIST PROFILES
Walter Ino, guitar/background vocals
Walter Ino is a Los Angeles–based stage and studio multiinstrumentalist with decades of touring and recording experience. Originally from Pittsburgh, where he was classically trained in piano, Walter has built a versatile career performing worldwide as a keyboardist, guitarist, saxophonist, vocalist, and music director. He is currently the keyboardist/guitarist/music director for Tommy DeCarlo (Singer of Boston), the keyboardist for Asia featuring John Payne, and a featured musician in the Voices of Classic Rock show alongside singers from Foreigner, Journey, Kansas, Chicago, and more.
From 2011–2018, Walter was a member of the Grammy Award–winning, multiplatinum band Survivor, and he later toured as lead guitarist for Eagles of Death Metal. He also performs regularly with The Babys, Wilson Phillips, and the Las Vegas/ Branson production Raiding the Rock Vault. In addition, Walter serves as music director and arranger for acclaimed orchestral rock productions including The Music of Led Zeppelin with Orchestra, A Night of Symphonic Rock, and Rewind.
Outside of touring, Walter runs his own studio, Secret Asian Man Studios, where he produces and records artists across genres and creates music for film and television, with credits including the Hallmark Channel, USA Network, and Discovery Channel.
Tom Polce, drums
Tom is a Connecticut native. Before moving to Boston, Tom studied at New England Conservatory and Berklee College of music as a Jazz Performance Major before becoming a fixture in the 90’s Boston music scene as a drummer and producer, performing as a member in bands and for solo artists such as Letters to Cleo and Bill Janovitz. He has produced and/or performed with many acclaimed musical artists such as Bob Dylan and Eddie Vedder.
Ben White, bass/background vocals
Ben plays electric and upright bass, Chapman Stick, and is an accomplished backing vocalist. He’s made a name for himself as a versatile and reliable sideman, performing with such artists as Mindi Abair, Magnetico, The Boneshakers, Warren Hill, Keiko Matsui, Pet Shark, and recording with artists like Don Felder, Sophie B. Hawkins. Ben tempers his formidable instrumental abilities with a deep respect for the music itself and a love for creating the platform from which the star can shine. Ben is endorsed by Nordstrand Audio and Jamstik.
ARTIST PROFILES
Allison Piccioni, keys/background
Allison Piccioni (AKA Rocky Rose) is a Los Angeles–based multi-instrumentalist, composer, orchestrator, arranger, and performing artist originally from Ohio. A graduate of Berklee College of Music (Film Scoring) and the Royal College of Music, London (M.M. in Composition for Screen), she is both an accomplished film composer and a Professor of Composition for Screen & Orchestration.
As a touring musician, Allison has performed worldwide as the keyboardist for Persian pop star Siavash Ghomayshi, covering six countries in 2019 and returning to Istanbul in 2021. She also toured nationally with the Broadway musical Evita, playing more than 70 performances across 30 U.S. venues.
Equally versatile in the studio, Allison is a skilled keyboardist, synth programmer, singer, saxophonist, guitarist, and bassist. She has recorded at renowned studios including The Village, East West, and Woodshed, and collaborated with Grammywinning producers Rob Carranza and Matt Champlin. Beyond film and studio work, Allison continues to perform as a dynamic multi-instrumentalist across genres, balancing her passions for composing, teaching, and live performance.
Her recent work includes scoring This Changes Everything, the Geena Davis–fronted Netflix documentary examining gender disparity in Hollywood.
Saint-Georges’ Sword and Bow
The Family Series is generously supported by Paul Wehba This concert is dedicated to Luken Anthony Burzynski
Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Ken Yanagisawa, conductor
Classical Kids Music Education
Paul Pement, Executive and Artistic Director
Susan Hammond, Series Creator
Jim Stephenson, Music Editor and Arranger
Demetra Dee as Giselle
Daniel Riley as Joseph Bologne
SAINT-GEORGES
Overture to L'ament anonyme
Concerto in A Major, Op. 5, No. 2: Allegro moderato
Violin Concerto No. 9 in G Major, Op. 8: Rondeau
Symphony No. 1 in G Major, Op. 11: Allegro assai
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 11: Presto
2 Violin Concertos in D Major, Op. 2, No. 2
GLUCK
GOSSEC
SAINT-GEORGES
F.J. HAYDN
Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Orfeo ed Euridice
Trio in F Major, Op. 9, No. 3: I. Allegretto
Sinfonia in G Major: I. Allegro molto
Violin Concerto in C Major, Op. 5, No. 1: Andante moderato
Violin Concerto No, 9 in G Major, Op. 8: Largo
Scene from Ernestine
Symphony No. 2 Remix [Hip-Hop Dance]
Violin Concerto in A Major, Op. 7, No. 1: Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 85 in B-flat Major, Hob.I:85, La reine:
IV. Finale: Presto
Symphony No. 82 in C Major, Hob.I:82, L'ours: I. Vivace assai
SAINT-GEORGES Giselle's Rap [Boots n' Cats]
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W.A. MOZART
SAINT-GEORGES
Flute Quartet No. 1 in D Major, KV 285
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. posth., No. 2: Adagio
NEWLEY / BRICUSSE Feeling Good (as recorded by Nina Simone)
SAINT-GEORGES
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 3, No. 1: II. Adagio
Violin Concerto No. 9 in G Major, Op. 8: Allegro
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 11: Presto
Video/audio recording and flash photography is strictly prohibited at all FWSO performances.
Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
ARTIST PROFILES
Ken Yanagisawa, conductor
Japanese-American conductor Ken Yanagisawa is the Music Director of the Boston Opera Collaborative and the newly formed Boston Annex Players, the Associate Conductor of the Boston Civic Symphony, the Assistant Conductor of the New Philharmonia Orchestra, and an Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music.
A 2024 Aspen Conducting Academy Fellow and James Conlon Prize recipient, Ken was also awarded the 2025 Aspen Conducting Prize, which carries with it an appointment as Assistant Conductor of the Aspen Music Festival and School in 2026. Upcoming engagements include a return to Japan to conduct Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito for Kansai Nikikai’s landmark 100th opera production. He previously made his Japanese debut conducting Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with Kansai Nikikai and the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center. Ken has also served as a Conducting Apprentice with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and has assisted/covered the National Symphony Orchestra, Rhode Island and Plymouth Philharmonics, Berlin Academy of American Music, and Berlin Opernfest, among others.
Ken recently completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts under the guidance of James Burton and also holds graduate degrees in conducting from the Manhattan School of Music and a B.A. in music from Yale University. Prior to Yale he attended the New England Conservatory as an Undergraduate Diploma candidate for Oboe Performance under the tutelage of John Ferrillo. His other teachers include George Manahan, William Lumpkin, Bernard Labadie, and Tatsuya Shimono. In masterclasses and festivals, he has been taught by renowned artists and pedagogues such as Robert Spano, Leonard Slatkin, Mark Stringer, Dame Jane Glover, Hugh Wolff, Gerard Schwarz, and Jorma Panula. He is deeply grateful for all the excellent guidance and mentorship he has received thus far in his life as a musician.
Beyond the podium, Ken has held positions as orchestra librarian for Boston University’s College of Fine Arts and as an artistic administrator for the New York Philharmonic. He is also an accomplished freelance photographer, with work published in TIME, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Boston Globe, Playbill, and the Yale Daily News
22 | 2025/2026 SEASON
ARTIST PROFILES
Demetra Dee, Giselle
Demetra Dee is elated to be performing with Classical Kids as Giselle in Saint-Georges’ Sword and Bow! As a kid, Demetra was always singing, dancing and putting on a show for her family. When she was 12 years old, Demetra saw her first musical, Ragtime. She sat in awe of this incredible story being told right there in front of her, and it was in that moment that she discovered her love for storytelling, her God-given purpose. She hopes that each of you are inspired by Saint Georges’ story to never give up, to work hard to be the best you can be, and to live on purpose, in your purpose. Some of her other credits include Little Women (Northlight Theatre); Corduroy (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Penelopiad (Goodman Theatre); The Nacirema Society (Goodman Theatre); Chlorine Sky (Steppenwolf); Cullud Wattah (Victory Gardens Theatre); Relentless (Goodman/ Timeline Theatre); The Last Pair of Earlies (Raven Theatre); Middle Passage (Lifeline Theatre); Be Here Now (Shattered Globe). She is represented by DDO Chicago.
Daniel Riley, Joseph Bologne
Daniel is a Chicago-based performer. Born and raised in the city, he studied at Roosevelt University. He has performed at various theaters throughout Chicagoland, including Paramount Theatre, Northlight Theatre, and American Blues Theatre. National tour credits include Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie (Kennedy Center). Music director credits include Nina Simone: Four Women, Urinetown, and The Sound of Music. Puppeteering experience: Lyric Opera of Chicago, Jabberwocky Productions, Blair Thomas & Co. Favorite roles include Othello (Othello), Coalhouse (Ragtime), and Jim (Big River). Featured vocalist: Dark Side of the Moon A Capella (VOCOMOTION Productions). Thank you for supporting the arts! “If music be the food of love, play on.”
Paul Pement, Creator, Producer, Co-Director
Paul serves as Executive & Artistic Director of Classical Kids Music Education, a non-profit arts organization focused on introducing children (and their parents) to the lives and musical masterpieces of the great classical composers. A BFA in theatre from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and professional experience as an actor, singer, dancer, director, choreographer, and stage manager have enabled Paul to achieve success with Classical Kids LIVE! programming - the “gold-star” leader in the field for creating theatrical family concerts presented by professional symphony orchestras throughout North America and abroad. Production titles include Beethoven Lives Upstairs, Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage, Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery, Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Gershwin’s Magic Key, and the newest in the series, Saint-Georges’ Sword & Bow.
WHERE YOUR FINANCIAL SUCCESS TAKES CENTER
ARTIST PROFILES
Jim Stephenson, Music Editor & Arranger
James M. Stephenson earned a degree from the New England Conservatory in trumpet performance going on to perform for 17 seasons in the Naples Philharmonic in Florida. Now a fulltime composer, his catalog boasts concertos and sonatas for nearly every instrument, earning him the moniker “The Concerto King” from Chicago Symphony clarinetist John Yeh. The vast majority of those compositions came through commissions by and for major symphony principal players in Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Washington DC, St. Louis, Oregon, Milwaukee, and Dallas, among others. With such prolific output, Stephenson’s music is well represented in recordings. Nearly all of his solo brass works (over 50) have been professionally recorded, and in total, his extensive catalog for all instruments can be heard on over 30 CDs.
Susan Hammond, Series Creator
Susan has created a whole new generation of classical music fans through her innovative and award-winning Classical Kids recordings. She is the executive producer of a 16-title series of children’s classical music recordings known collectively as Classical Kids, selling to date nearly 5 million CDs, DVDs and books worldwide, and earning over 100 prestigious awards and honors. Each story entails its own adventure featuring a unique combination of music, history, and theatricality to engage the imaginations of children. Susan holds the philosophy that, “Where the heart goes, the mind will follow.” An accomplished concert pianist and music teacher, Hammond searched for recordings about classical music to share with her young daughters. One day, she sat reading to her girls with a classical music radio station on in the background and noticed how they responded to the literature in a different way when enhanced by music. The rest, as they say, is history. Susan is the recipient of Billboard Magazine’s International Achievement Award and is a member of the Order of Canada for her contribution to the arts.
Mozart and Mahler’s Fourth
This concert is dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. William M. Davis with generous support from Davoil, Inc.
Friday, November 21, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Bass Performance Hall Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Dame Jane Glover, conductor Lauren Snouffer, soprano
Imogen Cooper, piano
W.A. MOZART
Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165 [158a]
I. Exsultate: Allegro
II. Fulget, amica dies: Recitativo
III. Tu Virginum: Andante
IV. Allelujah: Allegro
Lauren Snouffer, soprano
W.A. MOZART
Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595
I. Allegro
II. Larghetto
III. Allegro
Imogen Cooper, piano
INTERMISSION
MAHLER
Symphony No. 4 in G Major
I. Bedächtig, nicht eilen
II. In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast
III. Ruhevoll (Poco adagio)
IV. Sehr behaglich
Lauren Snouffer, soprano
Video/audio recording and flash photography is strictly prohibited at all FWSO performances.
Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
ARTIST PROFILES
Lauren Snouffer, soprano
Recognized for her unique artistic curiosity in world-class performances spanning the music of Claudio Monteverdi and Georg Frideric Handel through to Hans Abrahamsen and Sir George Benjamin, Lauren Snouffer is celebrated as one of the most versatile and respected sopranos on the international stage.
Her concert profile has yielded marvelous results with Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra, Rafaël Pichon and the Handel & Haydn Society, Maasaki Suzuki and the San Francisco Symphony, Dame Jane Glover and Music of the Baroque, Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony, Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert conducting the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, and Marin Alsop and the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo.
Fervently committed to repertoire of the Baroque and Classical eras, Lauren Snouffer has performed Die Zauberflöte at Glyndebourne, Opernhaus Zürich, and Seattle Opera, La clemenza di Tito and Orphée et Eurydice at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Hasse’s Siroe at the Opéra Royal de Versailles with additional performances in Budapest and Vienna, Monteverdi’s Orfeo with a world premiere orchestration by Nico Muhly at Santa Fe Opera, and she has enjoyed many successes at Houston Grand Opera in productions led by Patrick Summers and Harry Bicket among others.
Imogen Cooper, piano
Imogen Cooper is regarded as one of the finest interpreters of Classical and Romantic repertoire. Recent and future concerto performances include the London Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle, the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala with Fabio Luisi, the Hallé Orchestra with Sir Mark Elder, the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra with Ryan Wigglesworth and The Cleveland Orchestra with Dame Jane Glover. This season her solo recitals include London, Dublin and Montreal.
As a committed chamber musician, Imogen performs regularly with Henning Kraggerud and Adrian Brendel. Following along collaboration with Wolfgang Holzmair in both the concert hall and recording studio, her Lieder partners now include Ian Bostridge, Dame Sarah Connolly and Mark Padmore.
Imogen’s most recent solo recordings have been for Chandos Records. Imogen received a DBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2021. The Imogen Cooper Music Trust was founded in 2015, to support young pianists at the cusp of their careers and give them time in an environment of peace and beauty.
PROGRAM NOTES by Jeremy Reynolds
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
EXSULTATE, JUBILATE, K. 165 [158a]
I. Exultate: Allegro
II. Fulget, amica dies: Recitativo
III. Tu Virginum: Andante
IV. Allelujah: Allegro
DURATION: About 18 minutes
PREMIERED: Milan, 1773
INSTRUMENTATION: Two oboes (or flutes), bassoon, two horns, organ, strings, and soprano solo
MOTET: A type of composition dating back to the high medieval era that features sacred texts sung over polyphonic music to tell stories, commemorate, and give thanks.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Mozart: String Quartet No. 7, K. 160 Divertimento for Winds No. 3, K. 166 Ave verum corpus in D major, K. 618
“If I were obliged to marry all those with whom I have jested I should have at least
200 wives.”
— Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, (Born 1756, Austria; died 1791)
Although it’s typically sung by a female soprano today, Mozart wrote his Exsultate, jubilate (Exult, rejoice) for a male voice. As a young lad, Mozart encountered the castrato Venanzio Rauzzini in Vienna and was so taken with his “angelic singing” that he offered him a role in an upcoming opera.
A castrato is a male singer whose voice remains high either due to hormonal anomalies (rare) or through physical castration. The process, performed on young boys with singing talent aged around 8-10, was barbaric, and many potential castrati died during castration. Those who lived kept their childhood vocal pitch and grew unusually large ribs due to a lack of testosterone, allowing them to develop increased lung power that couldn’t be matched by a boy soprano or a woman. (Plus, women were forbidden from singing in church for much of history — this was a way to keep a strong higher voice in the choir).
Castrati were quite privileged in society, but the practice largely died out in the 18th century as tastes and morals evolved.
After offering Rauzzini the role in his opera, Mozart also composed a special motet, the Exsultate jubilate, especially for Rauzzini’s voice. The origin of Exsultate’s text isn’t known, but some historians postulate that Rauzzini himself wrote the lyrics, which begin with:
Rejoice, resound with joy, o you blessed souls, singing sweet songs, In response to your singing let the heavens sing forth with me.
After a bright introduction in the orchestra, the singer enters to soar above with some of that “angelic” lyricism. The second movement is a “secco recitative,” essentially sung ordinary speech that is freer than a formal aria. The slow third movement scuds along, gentle and cloudlike, while the fourth bursts forth with mirth. This finale is the most famous bit in the piece, with whizzing scales and trills written into the vocal line’s quicker passages.
PROGRAM NOTES by Jeremy Reynolds WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
PIANO CONCERTO No. 27 in B-FLAT MAJOR, K. 595
I. Allegro
II. Larghetto
III. Allegro
DURATION: About 32 minutes
PREMIERED: Vienna, 1791
INSTRUMENTATION: Flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, solo piano, and strings
“I’d rather write 10,000
CONCERTO: A composition that features one or more “solo” instruments with orchestral accompaniment. The form of the concerto has developed and evolved throughout music history.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 26 in D Major, K. 537 String Quintet No. 5 in G Major, K. 593 “Ave verum Corpus” in D, K. 618
notes than a single letter of the alphabet.” — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, (Born 1756, Austria; died 1791)
By 1791, Mozart was house poor. The composer loved to entertain and maintained a lavish lifestyle filled with parties and regular guests, but maintaining his social status was costly. His annual rent alone cost double what a skilled laborer in Vienna took home per year.
Meanwhile, his music was falling out of fashion with a Viennese public that preferred simple, tuneful works to the increasing complexities of Mozart’s later music. The French Revolution, which had stormed into life a couple of years prior, also had the Viennese aristocracy clutching their pearls nervously and spending less on the arts. Mozart’s wife Constanze also fell ill during this period, leading the composer to write: “If people could see into my heart, I would almost have to be ashamed… everything is cold for me — ice cold.”
The Piano Concerto No. 27, the last of his piano concertos and the last work Mozart performed in public before passing away later the same year, is more subdued than some of his other concertos. (The numbering system is confusing —he actually composed just 21 complete solo piano concertos. The other six are either arrangements of other composers’ works or concertos for multiple pianos).
The No. 27 begins with a gentle tune in the strings, a lyrical melody punctuated by sighing woodwind interjections. There is a lively transition to a more subdued, minor-key second theme. The music transitions back to major just before the soloist
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enters to restate the themes, now lightly frosted with trills and scale runs, with piano and orchestra conversing throughout the movement.
The slow second movement begins with a hushed, reverent theme, a call and response for soloist and ensemble. It wanders slowly to a new key and melody before returning to the strains of the opening, now with new understanding.
And to close, a whimsical, cheery rondo, where the main tune repeats often and alternates with contrasting “episodes” of music. It’s a light, lilting affair, and a tune that Mozart later adapted for a song for voice and piano he titled “Yearning for Spring,” perhaps another reference to the “ice cold” of his heart. The concerto’s finale isn’t overly showy, but rather an elegant, egalitarian final statement of the main melody.
PROGRAM NOTES by Jeremy Reynolds GUSTAV MAHLER
SYMPHONY No. 4 in G MAJOR
I. Bedächtig, nicht eilen
II. In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast
III. Ruhevoll (Poco adagio)
IV. Sehr behaglich
DURATION: About 52 minutes
PREMIERED: Munich, 1901
SYMPHONY: An elaborate orchestral composition typically broken into contrasting movements, at least one of which is in sonata form.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Mahler: Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3 Symphony No. 5
“Men will have to work a long time at cracking the nuts that I’m shaking down from the tree for them.”
— Gustav Mahler, (Born 1860, Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic); died 1911)
For much of his life, the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler was fascinated by an old collection of German folk poems called Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy’s Magic Horn; Old German Songs). Taken as he was with the poems’ innocence and idealism, the composer references passages from the book in several of his compositions — his second, third, and fourth symphonies are known as his Wunderhorn symphonies.
The fourth symphony is purely instrumental for its first three movements but builds to a glorious movement of musical poetry in the fourth and final movement, with text drawn from the poem “The Heavenly Life.” This passage is meant to be a child’s vision of heaven, and here, the vocal lines may be sung by either a female soprano or a boy soprano:
We enjoy heavenly pleasures and therefore avoid earthly ones. No worldly tumult is to be heard in heaven. All live in greatest peace. We lead angelic lives, yet have a merry time of it besides.
The symphony begins with the sound of flutes and sleighbells, a merry walk in the countryside. It is neoclassical at the opening and presents a pair of contrasting theme groups, but in the movement’s middle section, distorted melodies from the finale make an appearance and blend with the first movement’s melodies. The entire symphony is cyclic, with tunes and other elements appearing across different movements to tie the work together.
Mahler had earned a reputation for stretching symphonic form to its breaking point with his earlier symphonies, all of them longer than the fourth. He reigned in this impulse for the fourth symphony, which clocks in at only around 50 minutes.
The symphony’s second movement is a scherzo that fronts a violin that isn’t tuned in the standard manner. This is called scordatura tuning, and it alters the character of the instrument’s sound. Multiple composers use such a technique to represent Death or the Devil, as folk images of such characters playing a fiddle have been common for hundreds of years now. This more ghostly music contrasts with simpler, more rustic folk dances.
The slow third movement is a theme and a set of variations on that theme. It is a gentle, wonderfully meditative affair that never becomes agitated. It is patience and pureness in music, a gentle transition to the flowing clarinet solo that opens the finale. This last movement is largely tuneful and rustic — Mahler associated folk melodies and poetry with goodness throughout his life. The symphony concludes with a gentle diminuendo, a sigh of contentment and joy.
It’s also true that he was overwhelmed by other work during this period, which may have encouraged him to restrain the symphony to a more economical length. Aside from composing, Mahler was also a much sought-after conductor. In 1897, the public’s prejudice against Jews was on the rise. Mahler made a strategic conversion from Judaism to Catholicism (actually, today’s biographers think Mahler was probably agnostic) to help secure an appointment to the prestigious post of director at the Imperial Opera in Vienna.
Home for the Holidays
This concert is generously supported by American Airlines
Friday, November 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 29, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor
Shayna Steele, vocalist
I.M. Terrell Academy Choir
Mary-Margaret Soknich, conductor
ANDERSON A Christmas Festival
BECKEL
TRADITIONAL
arr. Danenberg & Soifer
ADAM arr. Tyzik
TCHAIKOVSKY arr. Ellington adapt. Tyzik
MARTIN & BLANE arr. Bradford
TRADITIONAL arr. Prentice
A Christmas Fanfare
Chanukah Suite
1. Blessings
2. Dreydl
3. S'vivon
4. Chanukah, Oh Chanukah
5. Rock of Ages
Assorted songs sung by Shayna Steele
O Holy Night
Shayna Steele, vocalist
I.M. Terrell Academy Choir
INTERMISSION
Overture to The Nutcracker Sweet
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
I.M. Terrell Academy Choir
Sing We Now of Christmas
I.M. Terrell Academy Choir
Assorted songs sung by Shayna Steele
COOTS arr. Tyzik
Santa Claus is Coming to Town Shayna Steele, vocalist
ANDERSON Sleigh Ride
BASS Poem by Moore
FRY
The Night Before Christmas
A World of Joy Shayna Steele, vocalist
I.M. Terrell Academy Choir
STEPHENSON A Holly and Jolly Sing-Along Introduction Deck the Hall Jingle Bells
The Holly and the Ivy Jolly Old St. Nicholas Frosty the Snowman Up On the Housetop
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer Joy to the World
We Wish You a Merry Christmas Shayna Steele, vocalist
I.M. Terrell Academy Choir
Video/audio recording and flash photography is strictly prohibited at all FWSO performances.
Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
32 | 2025/2026 SEASON
ARTIST PROFILES
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Emmy award-winning and Grammynominated conductor, is currently the Distinguished Resident Director of Orchestras and Professor of Conducting at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He has also established The Conducting Institute, in Fort Worth, to teach the fundamentals of conducting to students ages high school and up, of all levels.
Harth-Bedoya has amassed considerable experience at the helm of orchestras, including tenures as Chief Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, where he now holds the title of Music Director Laureate. Previously he also has held Music Director positions with the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand and the Eugene Symphony in Oregon.
Harth-Bedoya appears with orchestras around the world. He has conducted the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Spain, New Zealand Symphony, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Seoul Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, and Taiwan National Orchestra, among others.
Equally, at home in opera, Harth-Bedoya has conducted at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, English National Opera, Bremen Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Cincinnati Opera, Minnesota Opera, Juilliard Opera Center, and Santa Fe Opera. With a passionate devotion to unearthing new South American repertoire, Miguel Harth-Bedoya is the founder and Artistic Director of Caminos del Inka, a non-profit organization dedicated to researching, performing, and preserving the rich musical legacy of South America.
Harth-Bedoya’s impressive discography includes albums on Harmonia Mundi, Deutsche Gramophone, Decca, Naxos, and Warner. Highlight recordings include Traditions and Transformations: Sounds of Silk Road Chicago with the Chicago Symphony and Yo-Yo Ma, which received two Grammy nominations, music by Osvaldo Golijov with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Castilla y Leon and pianists Katia and Marielle Labeque on Deutsche Grammophon, and Sentimiento Latino with Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flores on Decca.
Born and raised in Peru, Harth-Bedoya received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and his Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School. www.miguelharth-bedoya.com
ARTIST PROFILES
Shayna Steele, vocals
Shayna Steele is a dynamic vocalist known for her mastery of multiple genres, including soul, blues, jazz, and rock. With her powerful and versatile voice, she has become one of the most in-demand singers in the industry. In 2023, she debuted her solo symphony show American Diva with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring orchestrated versions of her original music and favorite covers. She has performed as a guest soloist with over 40 symphony orchestras across North America. Shayna’s original song “Gone Under” was selected by Snarky Puppy’s Michael League for inclusion in their viral album Family Dinner, Volume 1. A former cast member of Rent and Hairspray, Shayna provided background vocals for Bette Midler, Rihanna, and Kelly Clarkson. She has also appeared on soundtracks for Hairspray, The Bourne Identity, and Sex and the City 2, and made a guest singing appearance on The Sopranos and HBO Max’s The Penguin. She released her fourth studio album, Gold Dust, in 2023 on Ropeadope Records and produced by David Cook.
The I.M. Terrell Academy Choir
I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA provides a unique and unparalleled learning environment that develops and nurtures artistic talent, creative thinkers, and innovative problem solvers. Visual and Performing Arts students grow artistically in the study of dance, vocal music, instrumental music (band, orchestra, piano), theater, and visual arts. Students collaborate across content areas through a variety of interdisciplinary performances. Through in-depth conservatorylevel coursework, students prepare for college auditions and career opportunities in the arts. Under the direction of Mrs. Mary-Margaret Soknich, the Vocal Music Department consists of 72 singers in five performing ensembles. The Terrell Choirs have consistently won UIL sweepstakes awards since the school reopened as a STEM and VPA academy in 2018.
Mary-Margaret Soknich, conductor
Mary-Margaret Soknich is in her sixth year teaching Vocal Music at I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA, having taught secondary choral music for fifteen years. She holds a masters degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas and a bachelor’s degree from Texas Wesleyan University. Soknich has also spent many years directing and accompanying church choirs across the metroplex. Her choral performance career - most recently singing with Voices of Fort Worth and Fort Worth Chorale - has afforded her opportunities to sing with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Video Games Live tour, and at conventions hosted by TCDA, TMEA, SWACDA, and ACDA.
34 | 2025/2026 SEASON
Ways to Give
Annual Giving
Bring the joy of music to more than 100,000 adults, students, and children each year with an annual donation. You can do this by making a single gift or joining Metronome, the FWSO’s monthly giving program. As a token of our appreciation, enjoy access to unique benefits throughout the season.
Tribute Gifts
Make a gift to the FWSO in honor of a friend or loved one. A special letter acknowledging your donation is sent to the honoree or their family, informing them of your thoughtful and generous tribute.
Brooks Morris Society
Invest in the future of the FWSO through a charitable bequest and become part of the Brooks Morris Society. In addition to the impact of your legacy support, the FWSO honors these gifts with recognition and exclusive invitations throughout the year.
Endowment Fund
Established in 1984, the FWSO’s endowment fund provides an additional source of financial security for the institution. Gifts to the endowment fund ensure the FWSO remains an integral part of the cultural community.
How to Donate
To learn more about donor benefits and ways to give to the FWSO, please visit our website, fwsymphony.org/donate, or call the FWSO’s Development Team at (817) 665-6604.
Become an FWSO Angel Today
During your visit today, make a donation of $100 or more using the QR code above and enjoy a glass of wine on us! Just show your online gift confirmation to the Box Office at intermission and they will provide you a drink ticket to redeem at any venue bar.
Officers
Board of Directors
Mercedes T. Bass
Chairman of the Board
Marianne Auld
Chairman of the Executive Committee
Connie Beck
Secretary
Bob Karl
Treasurer
Keith Cerny, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Board of Directors
Dr. Semi Ali
Grant Allen
Dr. Edwin Augustat
Marianne Auld*
Amy Roach Bailey
Mercedes T. Bass*
Connie Beck*
Michael J. Bennett
J. Brooks*
John Broude
Karen Burchfield*
Ervin Cash
Dr. Joseph Cecere
Brenda Cline
Craig Collins*
Dr. Mary Costas
Barbara Cox
Dr. Benge Daniel
Salam David
Mitzi Davis
Dr. Tom Deas
Dr. Jeff Detweiler
Brian Drake
Althea Duersten*
Brandon Elms
Jonathan Espina
Dr. Jennifer Freeman
Aubrey Gideon
Pamela Gilchrist
Christopher Goff
Gail Granek
Eric T. Haitz
Aaron Howard*
Bonnie Janzen
Shauna Jenkins
Kim Johnson
Bob Karl*
Dee J. Kelly, Jr.*
Dr. Debra Koppelberger
Mollie Lasater *
Mary Hart Lipscomb
Quynh Dang Lu
Louella Martin*
Priscilla Martin
Dr. Stuart D. McDonald
Samuel E. Navarro
Justin Newton
Kate Lummis Norris
Frasher Pergande
Don Plattsmier *
Dana Porter *
Don Reid
Jean Roach
Anita Robidou
Henry Robinson*
The Rev. Julia G. Rusling
Leonard Ryan
Alann Sampson*
Jeff Schmeltekopf
Dr. Russ Schultz
Dr. Darcy Sety
Clare Stonesifer *
Rebecca Stupfel
Jonathan Suder *
Carla Thompson
Dr. Amy Tully
Paul Wehba*
John Wells*
Dr. James Williams
Kristine Williams
President Emerita
Ann Koonsman+
Emeritus Council
Dr. Rebecca Beasley
Marvin E. Blum
Ashli Blumenfeld
Anne Marie Bratton
Dr. Victor J. Boschini, Jr.
Anne Carvalho
Gail Cooke
* Executive Committee Member + Denotes Deceased
Juana-Rosa Daniell
Dr. Asad Dean
Joseph DeWoody
Vance A. Duffy
Katie Farmer
Charlotte French
Joan Friedman
Tera Garvey
John B. Giordano
Barry L. Green
Genie Guynn
Kathleen Hicks
Robert L. Jameson
Teresa King
Kelly Lancarte
Nico Leone
Misty Locke
Michelle Marlow
Ellen Messman
Colin McConnell
Dr. Till Meyn
Erin Moseley+
Jude Ryan+
Kal Silverberg
Thomas “Tommy” L. Smith
Dwayne Smith
Whit Smith
Kathleen B. Stevens
Ronda Jones Stucker
Lon Werner
J.W. Wilson
Chairman Emeriti
Mildred Fender
William P. Hallman, Jr.+
Adele Hart+
Janice Kelly
Rose Ann Kornfeld+
Ann Ryan
Ed Schollmaier+
Frank H. Sherwood+
Anna Belle P. Thomas+
Life Trustee
Rosalyn G. Rosenthal+
Rae & Ed Schollmaier+
Supporters of the FWSO
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra expresses its deepest gratitude to the generous individual, institutional, endowment, and legacy supporters of the FWSO, a world-class orchestra and cultural pillar of Fort Worth.
Chairman’s Circle
Generous donors who have made extraordinary, multi-year commitments in support of the FWSO’s sustainability and continued artistic excellence.
$5,000,000 and above
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass
$1,000,000- $4,999,999
Mr. & Mrs. John B. Kleinheinz
Mr. Paul Wehba
John Wells & Shay McCulloch-Wells
Individual Giving
Diamond Circle
$1,000,000 and above
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass
Mr. & Mrs. John B. Kleinheinz
Mr. Paul Wehba
John Wells & Shay McCulloch-Wells
Gold Circle
$250,000 - $499,999
Althea L. Duersten
Silver Circle
$100,000 - $249,999
Anonymous
Ms. Marianne M. Auld and Mr. Jimmy Coury
Mark & Katsura Cerny
Mollie & Garland Lasater at the NTCF Fund
Bronze Circle
$50,000 - $99,999
Connie Beck & Frank Tilley
Mr. & Mrs. William S. Davis; Davoil, Inc.
Mrs. Louella Martin
Nancy & Don Plattsmier
The Eagle Quest Charitable Fund
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of August 27, 2024 to August 27, 2025.
+ Denotes deceased
Maestro Level
$25,000 - $49,999
Ramona & Lee Bass
J. Brooks
Beth and Craig Collins
Aaron Howard & Corrie HoodHoward
Mr. & Mrs. J. Luther King, Jr. / Luther King Capital Management
Mr. and Mrs. David Porter
Don & Melissa Reid
Alann Bedford Sampson
Dr. & Mrs. Russ A. Schultz
Jonathan and Medea Suder; MJR Foundation
Dr. James C. Williams
Conductor Level
$10,000 - $24,999
Drs. Farhan and Semi Ali
Carol Margaret Allen
Dr. Edwin Augustat, M.D.
Mr. & Mrs. Tull Bailey
Michael J. Bennett and Melissa M. Mitchell
Mr. Henry Borbolla
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas K. Bratton
Steve Brauer
John Broude & Judy Rosenblum
Mr. and Mrs. Ervin and Fran Cash
Dr. Joseph and Neva Cecere
Brenda & Chad Cline
Mr. John & Dr. Mary Costas, in honor of their grandchildren
Barbara A. & Ralph F. Cox
Kim & Glenn Darden
Tom & Deborah Deas
Rosemary and Jeff Detweiler
H. Paul Dorman
Mr. Brandon Elms
Dr. Jennifer Freeman
Aubrey Gideon
Stephen & Pamela Gilchrist
Leslie Goolsby
Gail Aronoff Granek
Mr. & Mrs. Mark L. Hart III
Shauna Jenkins
Matthew & Kimberly Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. Bob Karl
Dr. Debra and Mr. Aaron Koppelberger
Dr. Henry and Mrs. Quynh Lu
Deborah Mashburn & David Boddie
Dr. & Mrs. Stuart D. McDonald
Berlene T. & Jarrell R. Milburn
Nesha & George Morey
Samuel Navarro
Stephen & Brenda Neuse
Mr. Justin E. Newton
Katherine Lummis Norris
Estate of Virginia & James O’Donnell
Frasher H. & John F. Pergande
Mrs. Susan Pratt
Anita and Robert Robidou
Dr. Darcy Sety
Ms. Patricia A. Steffen
Tim and Clare Stonesifer
Mr. & Mrs. Mark J. Stupfel
Gerald Thiel & Stella Chang
Bonnie Janzen & Dr. Stuart Thomas
Mr. & Mrs. Kelly R. Thompson
Charles White
Mrs. Kristine Williams
Soloist Level
$5,000 - $9,999
Elaine & Neils Agather
Grant and Kristi Allen
Richard Beeny
Greg & Pam Braak
Debbie Brooks; DFW Musicians
Services LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Carvahlo
Mary Cauble
Sue & John Allen Chalk, Sr.
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of August 27, 2024 to August 27, 2025.
+ Denotes deceased
38 | 2025/2026 SEASON
Dr. & Mrs. Lincoln Chin
Mrs. Jeanne Cochran
Dean & Emily Crocker
Dr. and Mrs. Benge R. Daniel, Jr.
Dr. Asad Dean M.D.; Texas Oncology
Ms. Willa Dunleavy
Family of Christian Espina
Susan & Tommy Green
Steve+ & Jean Hadley
Eric Haitz
Dotty & Gary Hall
Gary & Judy Havener
Ms. Nina C. Hutton
Dee Kelly Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Koonsman
Nicole and Nico Leone
Chuck Marsh
Priscilla & Joe+ Martin
Marsland & Dick Moncrief
Ronald Moore, in memory of Marie A. Moore
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Reynolds
Jeff & Judy Schmeltekopf
Dr. Richard Turner
Mr. and Mrs. Philip C. Williamson
Stuart Yarus & Judith Williams
Anonymous
Artist Level
$2,500 - $4,999
William & Kathryn Adams
Mr. & Mrs. Harper Bartolomei
Ellen & Larry Bell
Mr. Bill Bond
Judge Tim & Celia Boswell
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Burchfield
Hon. H.D. Clark III and Peggy Sue Branch-Clark, in Memory of Col. Robert Branch and Betty Branch
Susan Jackson Davis
Doug & Carol English
Gary Glaser and Christine Miller
John W. Goodwin
Dr. Christy L. Hanson
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob M. Huffman III
Gordon & Aileen Kanan
Jim Kelley
Patrick & Kathryn Kinne
Ms. Trina Krausse
Mr. John Kroemer
Mr. Donald C. Little,in memory of Laura Elizabeth Bruton
L. Lumley
Mr. Peter Lyden
Chas Martin
Paul & Mary Kay Park
Mary Pencis
Mr. & Mrs. Omas Peterson
Bill Proenza
Ms. Jane Rector
Dr. Deborah Rhea & Ms. Carol Bollinger
Rosemary Riney
Mr. and Mrs. William E. Rosenthal
Capera Ryan
Punch Shaw & Julie Hedden
Mary Alice Denmon Smith
Mary C. Smith; Clark Educational Services
Anita Conley and Daniel Stevens
Mr. and Mrs. Craig Stevenson
Jim & Judy Summersgill
Lynne & David Urbel
Rhonda McNallen Venne
Gene Walker and Marianna Smith
Mr. John Molyneaux & Ms. Kay West
Suzy Williams & John Williams+
Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Wynne
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of August 27, 2024 to August 27, 2025. + Denotes deceased
Institutional Giving
Institutional Giving
$500,000 and above
Sid W. Richardson Foundation
$150,000- $499,999
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Mary Potishman Lard Trust
$50,000- $149,999
American Airlines Gittings
Adeline & George McQueen Foundation
Leo Potishman Foundation
Qurumbli Foundation
William E. Scott Foundation
Web Maddox Trust
$25,000- $49,999
Arts Fort Worth
BNSF Railway City Club
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
The Frill Foundation
Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
Mr. & Mrs. J. Luther King, Jr. / Luther King Capital Management NorthPark Center
Piranesi
Texas Commission on the Arts
$10,000- $24,999
Anonymous Bank Of America Charitable Gift Fund
First Horizon Bank Frost
George & Jeanne Jaggers Charitable Trust
Helene Bare & W. Glenn Embry Charitable Trust
Lowe Foundation
Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation
Neiman Marcus Fort Worth
Community Foundation of North Texas
Peugh Pate Capper Charitable Trust
The Roach Foundation
The Thomas M., Helen McKee & John P. Ryan Foundation
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing As of August 27, 2024 to August 27, 2025.
+ Denotes deceased
40 | 2025/2026 SEASON
David Webb New York
Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District
$5,000- $9,999
Alcon
Communities Foundation of Texas
Dee Kelly Foundation
Marguerite Bridges Charitable Trust
J.P. Morgan Charitable Giving Fund
Morgan Stanley
Frances C. & William P. Smallwood Foundation
Symphony League of Fort Worth
Texas Christian University
$2,000- $4,999
Pinnacle Bank
Black Oak Valuation Advisory, LLC
Deal Family Foundation
Duro Hospitality
Jackson Family Foundation
JPMorgan Foundation
Kimbell Art Foundation
Once Upon A Time Foundation
Robert D. & Catherine R. Alexander Foundation
Vanguard Charitable
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of August 27, 2024 to August 27, 2025.
+ Denotes deceased
Endowment Giving
$5,000,000 and above
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass
Mr.+ and Mrs.+ Perry R. Bass
Mr. Sid R. Bass
$1,000,000- $4,999,999
Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation
Sasha and Edward P. Bass
The Burnett Foundation
Garvey Texas Foundation
Kimbell Art Foundation
Elizabeth H. Ledyard+
Rosalyn Rosenthal+
Rae+ & Ed+ Schollmaier; Schollmaier Foundation
$500,000- $999,999
Mr. & Mrs. John B. Kleinheinz
Mollie & Garland Lasater at the NTCF Fund
The Thomas M., Helen McKee & John P. Ryan Foundation
T.J. Brown & C.A. Lupton Foundation
$250,000- $499,999
BNSF Railway
Estate of Dorothy Rhea
Qurumbli Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Mark L. Hart III
Drs. Jeff & Rosemary Detweiler
$100,000- $249,999
Alcon
American Airlines
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Althea L. Duersten
Estate of Peggy L. Rayzor
Mr. & Mrs. Ben J. Fortson, Jr.
Mr.+ & Mrs. Dee J. Kelly, Sr.
+ Denotes deceased
Mr. & Mrs. J. Luther King, Jr. | Luther King Capital Management
John Marion
J.P. Morgan Charitable Giving Fund
The Roach Foundation
Anna Belle P. Thomas
$50,000- $99,999
Michael and Nancy Barrington
Van Cliburn+
Mrs. Gunhild Corbett
Mrs. Edward R. Hudson, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs.+ Ronald Koonsman
Scurlock Foundation
Symphony League of Fort Worth
$25,000- $49,999
Mr. & Mrs. Jack S. Blanton Jr.
Estate of Linda Reimers Mixson
Michael Boyd Milligan+
Garvey Texas Foundation
Colleen+ and Preston+ Geren
Mrs. Adele Hart+
Mr. and Mrs. Craig Kelly
Dee Kelly Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Krebs
Mr. Eddie M. Lesok
Mr. & Mrs. Duer Wagner Jr.
Laurie and Lon Werner
$10,000- $24,999
Mr.+ and Mrs.+ William L. Adams
Mr.+ & Mrs.+ Malcolm K. Brachman
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas K. Bratton
Mr. Carroll W. Collins+
Mary Ann and Robert Cotham
Mr. and Mrs. Norwood P. Dixon+
Elizabeth L. and Russell F. Hallberg Foundation
Estate of Ernest Allen, Jr.
Fifth Avenue Foundation
Mrs. Dora Lee Langdon
Carol V. Lukert+
Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Moncrief
Stephen & Brenda Neuse
Peggy L. Rayzor
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Reynolds
William E. Scott Foundation
Mr.+ and Mrs. Thomas M. Taylor
Donna+ & Bryan Whitworth
William S. Davis Family Foundation
$5,000- $9,999
Mrs. Charles Anton+
Ms. Lou Ann Blaylock
Sue & John Allen Chalk, Sr.
Anonymous
Nelson & Enid Cleary
Barbara A. & Ralph F. Cox
Estate of Whitfield J. Collins
Francis M. Allen Trust
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Jeffrey Gerrish
Felice and Marvin Girouard+
Mr.+ & Mrs.+ Ralph J. Green Jr.
Maritza Cáceres & Miguel HarthBedoya
Richard Hubbard, M.D.
JPMorgan Chase+
Mr.+ and Mrs.+ Robert E. Klabzuba
Priscilla & Joe+ Martin
Miss Louise McFarland+
Karen Rainwater Charitable Fund at the NTCF
Alann Bedford Sampson
Betty J. Sanders+
Save Our Symphony Fort Worth
Jerry & James Taylor
The Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Mr. Gerald E. Thiel
John+ & Frances Wasilchak Charitable Fund at the NTCF
+ Denotes deceased
Endowed Chairs & Programs
The Board of Directors extends sincere gratitude to the following donors who have demonstrated exceptional generosity and commitment to the FWSO by endowing the following chairs and programs.
Music Director
Guest Conductors
Associate Conductor
Concertmaster
Associate Concertmaster
Assistant Concertmaster
Assistant Principal 2nd Violin
Section 2nd Violin
Principal Cello
Assistant Principal Cello
Principal Bass
Principal Flute
Principal Oboe
Principal Clarinet
Principal Bassoon
Principal Horn
Associate Principal Horn
Assistant
Principal Trumpet
Principal Trombone
Bass Trombone
Timpani
Principal Percussion
Assistant Principal Percussion
Harp
Keyboard
Great Performance Fund
Pops Performance Fund
Adventures in Music
Symphonic Insight
+ Denotes deceased
Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass+ Chair
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
Rae and Ed Schollmaier Foundation Chair
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
Ann Koonsman+ Chair
Mollie & Garland Lasater Chair
Symphony League of Fort Worth Chair
Marie A. Moore+ Chair
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
BNSF Railway Foundation Chair
Mr. & Mrs. Edward P. Bass Chair
Shirley F. Garvey+ Chair
Nancy L. & William P. Hallman, Jr. Chair
Rosalyn G. Rosenthal+ Chair
In Memory of Manny Rosenthal
Mr. & Mrs. Lee M. Bass Chair
Elizabeth H. Ledyard+ Chair
Drs. Jeff and Rosemary Detweiler Chair
Dorothy Rhea+ Chair
Mr. & Mrs. John Kleinheinz Chair
Mr. & Mrs. Lee M. Bass Chair
Madilyn Bass Chair
Shirley F. Garvey+ Chair
Adele Hart+ Chair
Bayard H. Friedman+ Chair
Rildia Bee O’Bryan Cliburn & Van Cliburn+ Chair
Rosalyn G. Rosenthal+ Chair
In Memory of Manny Rosenthal
The Burnett Foundation
The Ryan Foundation
Teresa & Luther King
Brooks Morris Society
Annette & Jerry+ Blaschke
Dr. Lloyd W. Brooks
Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Cardona+
Barbara Clarkin
Mr. Carroll W. Collins+
Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Cooke
Juana-Rosa & Dr. Ron Daniell+
Estate of Anna Belle P. Thomas
Miss Dorothy Rhea+
Electra M. Carlin+
Estate of Ernest Allen, Jr.
F. Warren O’Reilly+
Hugh L. Watson+
Estate of Kathy B. Higgins
Estate of Linda Reimers Mixson
Lois Hoynck Jaggers+
Michael Boyd Milligan+
Mildred G. Walters+
Estate of Peggy L. Rayzor
Sylvia E. Wolens+
Whitfield J. Collins+
Tom Gay
Gwen M. Genius
George & Jeanne Jaggers Charitable Trust
Mrs. Charlotte M. Gore
Gail Aronoff Granek
Helene Bare & W. Glenn Embry
Charitable Trust
Qurumbli Foundation
Hank and Shawn Henning
+ Denotes deceased
Mr. Eric F. Hyden+
Kathleen E. Connors Trust
Mr. & Mrs.+ Ronald Koonsman
Lewis F. Kornfeld, Jr. Memorial Fund at the NTCF
Mollie & Garland M. Lasater, Jr.
Elizabeth H. Ledyard+
Carol V. Lukert+
Marguerite Bridges Charitable Trust
Patty Cartwright Mays
Shannon McGovern
Dr. and Mrs. A. F. Murph
Linda Todd Murphy
Estate of Virginia & James O’Donnell
Harris Franklin Pearson Private Foundation
Peggy Meade-Cohen Crut Charitable Trust
Mr.+ and Mrs. John V. Roach II
The Roach Foundation
Jude+ & Terry Ryan
Jeff & Judy Schmeltekopf
Mr. & Mrs. Grady Shropshire
Kathleen & Richard Stevens
Mr. Gerald E. Thiel
The Walsh Foundation
Peter G. Warren
John+ & Frances Wasilchak Charitable Fund at the NTCF
John Wells & Shay McCulloch-Wells
Lynn Wilson
A City Club Social Membership provides access to dining in our restaurants and member event privileges including Wine Tastings, Holiday Brunches and many other Club events. You will have the ability to reserve private rooms for business and social functions.
Social Memberships for $102 per month
FWSO Subscribers receive a discounted enrollment fee
For more information, contact Matt Burrell, City Club Membership Director at 817.878.4000 or mburrell@cityclubfw.com.
Take in sweeping downtown views from our inviting, western-inspired accommodations—especially the one-of-a-kind Resistol Suite. Then head downstairs for clever cocktails, prime-aged steaks at Bob’s Steak & Chop House, and a variety of flavorful options at our other on-site restaurants. Present this program at Whiskey & Rye and Cast Iron to receive a 10% discount. Does not include alcohol.
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