TROY QUINN, MUSIC DIRECTOR DIGITAL PROGRAM
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Inside you’ll discover:
● Biographies of our Guest Artists, whose vocal performances are sure to inspire
● Concert Notes celebrating the history behind tonight’s program, musical works, and fun facts
Dear Friends,
On behalf of The Venice Symphony, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to our Patriotic Pops Concert: Star Spangled Spectacular. This beloved event has become a cherished tradition in our community. It’s a time to gather under the stars, celebrate the enduring spirit of our nation, and honor the heroes who have served and sacrificed for our freedom.
As we look ahead to the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, tonight’s concert is a meaningful reminder of the history, unity, and resilience that define our country. There is nothing quite like the experience of live symphonic music filling the air at CoolToday Park, surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors, all coming together through the power of music and patriotism.
We are especially thrilled to welcome the extraordinary vocal talents of Key Chorale and guest artists Qiana Miles, Renée McGee, Jesse V. Martin, and Shannon Potter to tonight’s performance. Their artistry and passion will help make this evening truly unforgettable.
We are also excited to conclude tonight’s celebration with an epic new drone show finale, an innovative and spectacular tribute that we hope will leave audiences inspired with wonder, pride, and excitement.
We are deeply honored to have the Community Foundation of Sarasota County as our presenting sponsor this year. Their generous support helps make this unforgettable community celebration possible.
This year marks our seventh Patriotic Pops Concert at CoolToday Park, a venue that continues to provide the perfect setting for this special tradition. With its welcoming atmosphere, outstanding amenities, and dedicated staff, the park allows us to create an exceptional experience for thousands of guests each year.
Thank you for joining us as we celebrate America, community, and the shared joy of music. We are grateful to share this evening with you and look forward to continuing this treasured tradition for years to come.
With warmest regards,
Christine Kasten, President/CEO The Venice Symphony
TROY QUINN, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Emmy-nominated conductor Troy Quinn has quickly established himself as one of his generation’s most versatile young artists. Lauded for his energetic and riveting, yet sensitive conducting, Quinn is in his seventh season as Music Director of the Venice Symphony in Florida. He is also in his eighth season as Music Director of the Owensboro Symphony in Kentucky and serves concurrently as the Pops Conductor of both the Santa Rosa Symphony in California and the Rhode Island Philharmonic. Quinn’s engagements have included performances with many prestigious orchestras in the United States, including the Boston Pops, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.
Equally at home in the pops and commercial world, Quinn has performed and recorded with some of the most popular artists of our time, including The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Barry Manilow, Lee Greenwood, Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson, Michael Feinstein, Tower of Power, The Indigo Girls, and Nas. As an accomplished vocalist, Quinn has also collaborated with such prominent maestros as Helmuth Rilling, Carl St. Clair, and Dan Saunders of the Metropolitan Opera. In addition to his concert work, Quinn has worked extensively in the television and recording industry, earning an Emmy nomination for the PBS special A Night at the Oscars with the Owensboro Symphony. He has made appearances on such hit television shows as Fox’s GLEE, NBC’s The Voice, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno while recording on films like The Call of the Wild and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He has also appeared at many of the world’s major music centers and at such famed venues as the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Tanglewood, where Quinn conducted the BUTI orchestra. A native of Connecticut, Quinn pursued a bachelor of arts degree from Providence College where he was the recipient of the Leo S. Cannon award for superior achievement in the music field. He went on to earn his master’s degree with honors from the Manhattan School of Music, studying conducting with David Gilbert and voice with highly acclaimed Metropolitan Opera singer Mark Oswald. He completed his doctorate in conducting at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where he studied with Larry Livingston and Jo-Michael Scheibe and was named the outstanding doctoral graduate of his class. Quinn has participated in numerous masterclasses as a conducting fellow, attending conducting institutes at the Royal Academy of Music, Eastman School of Music, and Bard Conservatory of Music. He has been mentored by such renowned conductors as Benjamin Zander, Neil Varon, and Leon Botstein. Quinn serves on the conducting faculty at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and has previously served as a faculty member at Providence College.
CONCERT PROGRAM
A PATRIOTIC POPS CONCERT
May 23, 2026
Troy Quinn, Music Director
Joseph Caulkins, Artistic Director, Key Chorale
Francis Scott Key Star Spangled Banner arr. Paul Murtha Shannon Potter & Jesse V. Martin, Vocalists
Joseph Wilcox Jenkins American Overture orch. Paul Murtha
Jim Kessler Grand Teton Postcard
Arr. Paul Murtha
George Gershwin
Georgia On My Mind Ken McGee and Renée McGee, Trumpets
Girl Crazy Overture arr. Don Rose
Women of Soul
Tina Turner Tribute/ Respect/ Everybody Dance / We Are Family Qiana Miles, Vocalist
George M. Cohan Star Spangled Spectacular arr. John Cacavas
Arr. Jim Kessler Armed Forces Medley
Arr. Carmen Dragon Shenandoah (Across the wide Missouri)
Arr. Peter Wilhousky Battle Hymn of the Republic
Arr. Carmen Dragon America The Beautiful
Today’s performance will be approximately 90 minutes in length.
MUSICIANS
M u SIC DI re CT or Troy Quinn
F I r ST V I ol IN
Marcus Ratzenboeck
Concertmaster
Hannah Cho
Associate Concertmaster
Katherine Gilger
Assistant Concertmaster
Wallace DePue
Karissa Ratzenboeck
Sergio Carleo
Francisco Diaz
Iryna Usova
Benita Dzhurkova
Sardor Djumaev
Evgeny Komarnitskiy
Eva Carizza
Se C o ND V I ol IN
Erik Berg Principal
Yordan Tenev
Assistant Principal
Anna Khalikova
Elena Komarnitskaia
Eliot Roske
Katia March
Isabella Diaz
Nicole Rawley
Samvel Arakelyan
Laura Jensen-Jennings
V I ol A
Paul Reynolds Principal
Audrey Naffe
Assistant Principal
Rafael Ramirez
Emily Lane
Seongwoo Jeong
Roberto Henriquez
Rosa Iannelli
Yaniv Cohen
Cello
Susan Debronsky Principal
Nathaniel Taylor Assistant Principal
Chen Chen
Julia Tretyakova
Chris Pegis
Oliver Cole
Helen Lewis
Joel Osinga
B ASS
Chris Riley Principal
Trent Harper Assistant Principal
Jordan Nashman
Jonathan Ingram
Kevin Gallagher
Laura Miranda
Flu T e
Allison DeFrancesco Principal
Elissa Lakofsky
Renee Miska
PICC olo
Renee Miska
oB oe
Amy Collins Principal
Vincent Artusa
Noah Redstone
M AST er o F Cere M o NI e S Bryan Sherlock
Former Assistant Director “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band
e NG l ISH H or N
Noah Redstone
Cl A r IN e T
Asher Carlson Principal
Kelsey Castellanos
Jeff Snavely
BASS C l A r IN e T
Jeff Snavely
B ASS oo N
Patrick Broder Principal
Javi Rodriguez
Ann Adair
C o NT r A B ASS oo N
Ann Adair
Hor N
Joseph Lovinsky Principal
Chase DeCarlo
Jennifer Miller
Margaret Dixon
Lyndsie Wilson
Tru MP e T
Kris Marshall Principal
Dave Dash
John Castleman
Ken McGee
Renée McGee
Tro MB o N e
Joe Offner Principal
Tom McNair
Teddy Arnold
BASS T ro MB o N e
Chris Lundquist
Tu BA
Joseph Alvarez Principal
T IMPANI
Matt Kibort Principal
Per C u SSI o N
Dana Kimble Principal
Al Lyman
Michael Woods
Nick Bruno
HARP
Giuseppina Ciarla Principal
K e YB o A r D
Judi Glover Principal
SAXo PH o N e
Pete Barenbregge Principal
Len Pierro
Austin Vickrey
G u ITA r
Norm Johnson Principal
BASS
Blake Eberhard Principal
The Venice Symphony is a proud member of
GUEST ARTISTS
Key Chorale, the Suncoast’s premier symphonic chorus, is dedicated to transforming lives through innovative programming, artistic excellence, educational outreach and service to the community. For more information, visit www.keychorale.org or call (941) 552-8768.
Qiana Miles is a versatile vocalist, songwriter, and performer from Dayton, Ohio and a graduate of Kentucky State University and Full Sail University. She has appeared in major theme park productions including Disney’s Festival of the Lion King and Voices of Liberty, as well as Universal Orlando’s Monsters Review and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees. Her performance career also includes cruise ship productions with Norwegian and Disney.
A sought-after background vocalist, she has shared the stage with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Kirk Franklin. As an independent artist, she performs throughout Central Florida and released her debut EP New Wave in 2023, featuring original singles “Without You” and “I Need You Here.”
Tickets: 941-207-8822
GUEST ARTISTS
renée McGee’s trumpet has brought her all over North America in the past few years as she has built a diverse musical career as a versatile trumpet player, bandleader, entertainer, recording artist, and pedagogue. Renée is currently based in southeastern Connecticut, where she plays lead and section trumpet with the U.S. Coast Guard Band. Prior to joining the Coast Guard, she completed a residency with the U.S. Airmen of Note, and was endorsed by the S.E. Shires Company as a performing artist.
Jesse V. Martin is a bass-baritone based in Southwest Florida. Originally from Venice, he moved to Tampa to attend the University of South Florida, where he completed his B.A. in Music Studies in and worked as a graduate assistant while earning his M.M. in Vocal Performance. During and since that time, Jesse has sung with the choruses of Opera Tampa and St. Petersburg Opera. During and since that time, Jesse has sung with the choruses of Opera Tampa and St. Petersburg Opera. Currently, he sings as a bass section leader in Key Chorale and at Faith Lutheran Church. A long time voice teacher, Jesse currently teaches Applied Voice at State College of Florida and with Key Chorale.
Shannon Potter, originally from Wausau, Wisconsin, recently relocated to Bradenton, and continues her lifelong passion for musicas a member of Key Chorale and the Chamber Singers, while also serving as Sales and Fulfillment Project Manager for Come Together Choir. Today, she sings in honor of her twin daughters, both currently serving in the Minnesota National Guard, and in gratitude for all the men and women who serve our country.
CONCERT NOTES
Star Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key ((August 1, 1779 - January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and poet from Frederick, Maryland, best known as the author of the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry”, which eventually became the American national anthem. In 1814 Key observed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812. He was inspired upon seeing an American flag flying over the fort at dawn. His poem was published within a week with the suggested tune of the popular song To Anacreon in Heaven. The song with Key’s lyrics became known as The Star-Spangled Banner and slowly gained in popularity as an unofficial anthem, finally achieving official status as the national anthem more than a century later in 1931. He was nominated for District Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Andrew Jackson, where he served from 1833 to 1841.
Key was a lawyer in Maryland and Washington, D.C., for four decades and worked on important cases, including the Burr conspiracy trial, and he argued numerous times before the Supreme Court.
American Overture
Joseph Willcox Jenkins (February 15, 1928 - January 31, 2014) was an American composer, professor of music, and musician. During his military service in the Korean War, he became the first arranger for the United States Army Chorus. He ended his teaching career as Professor Emeritus at the Mary Pappert School of Music, Duquesne University, where he had been a professor since 1961, and composed over 200 works. American Overture was Jenkins’s first work for band, written in 1953 when he was 25 years old. It came about during his first military stint as an arranger for the U.S. Army Field Band.
Jenkins is known for his vocal arrangements of well-known Stephen Foster works: Beautiful Dreamer, Camptown Races, and Oh! Susanna, which he wrote for the Army Chorus and remain part of its core repertoire.
Grand Teton Postcard
Jim Kessler is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He served on the arranging staff of the US Army Band in Washington D.C. for more than 20 years. He has written pieces for National Geographic, the Kennedy Center Honors, various PBS Specials, as well as numerous performances of the National Symphony Orchestra.
In 2021 the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming launched its 60th year. On Sunday, July 4, the festival’s “Patriotic Pop” concert returned, featuring Jim Kessler’s Grand Teton Postcard.
CONCERT NOTES
Georgia On My Mind
Paul Murtha served as the Chief Arranger at the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, NY from 1990 to 1996. He served on the arranging staff of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, in Washington, D.C. from 1996 to 2001 and then served as the band’s Chief Arranger from 2001 to 2016. Georgia on My Mind was written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930. The song has been most often associated with singer Ray Charles, a native of Georgia.
It is generally believed that composer Hoagy Carmichael wrote the song about his sister, Georgia. However, Carmichael wrote in his memoir Sometimes I Wonder that saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer suggested he should write a song called Georgia, stating that no one ever lost anything writing about the “South” – never mentioning his sister.
Girl Crazy Overture
George Gershwin (September 26, 1898 - July 11, 1937) was an American composer whose compositions spanned jazz, popular and classical music. Girl Crazy is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Co-leads Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman made their stage debuts in the first production and Rogers became an overnight star. Girl Crazy Overture consists of an introduction, refrains from I Got Rhythm, Embraceable You, But Not for Me, and Bronco Busters, and a grandiose ending.
Tina Turner Tribute/Respect/Everybody Dance/We Are Family Qiana Miles celebrates these amazing Women of Soul with their iconic hits!
CONCERT NOTES
Star Spangled Spectacular
George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878 - November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan wrote more than 50 shows and published more than 300 songs during his lifetime. On May 1, 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt presented him with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his contributions to World War I morale, with songs including You’re a Grand Old Flag, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and Over There. John Cacavas has selected Cohan’s greatest patriotic songs to create this “Spectacular” arrangement.
The United States Postal Service issued a 15-cent commemorative stamp honoring Cohan on the anniversary of his birthday, July 3, 1978.
Armed Forces Medley
Arr. Jim Kessler This collection of service anthems is a tribute to the brave men and women of our armed forces, past, present, and future.
Shenandoah
Carmen Dragon (July 28, 1914 - March 28, 1984) was an American conductor, composer, and arranger who also worked in radio, film, and television. Shenandoah is a traditional folk song of uncertain origin, sung in the Americas dating to the early 19th century. The song appears to have originated with American and Canadian fur traders traveling down the Missouri River in canoes and has several different sets of lyrics. By the mid 1800s versions of the song had become sea shanties heard or sung by sailors in various parts of the world. It has been notably recorded by Paul Robeson, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Tom Waits with Keith Richards and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
Carmen Dragon’s son, Daryl Dragon (August 27, 1942 - January 2, 2019) was the Captain of the 1970s pop music duo Captain & Tennille.
CONCERT NOTES
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Julia Ward Howe (May 27, 1819 - October 17, 1910) was an American author and poet, known for writing Battle Hymn of the Republic. She was also an advocate for abolitionism and a social activist, particularly for women’s suffrage. She was inspired to write Battle Hymn of the Republic after she and her husband visited Washington, D.C., and met Abraham Lincoln at the White House in November 1861. During the trip, a friend suggested she write new words to the song John Brown’s Body, which she did on November 19. The song was set to William Steffe’s already existing music and Howe’s version was first published in the Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. It quickly became one of the most popular songs of the Union during the American Civil War.
In 1908 Julia was the first woman to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a society whose goal is to “foster, assist, and sustain excellence” in American literature, music, and art.
America The Beautiful
America the Beautiful is an American patriotic song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine lee Bates (August 12, 1859 - March 28, 1929), an American author and poet, chiefly remembered for this anthem, but also for her many books and articles on social reform, on which she was a noted speaker. Its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey, though the two never met. Bates wrote the words as a poem, originally titled “Pikes Peak”. It was first published in the Fourth of July, 1895 edition of the church periodical, The Congregationalist. At that time, the poem was titled “America”.
The first draft of “America the Beautiful” was hastily jotted down in a notebook during the summer of 1893, which Bates spent teaching English at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Later she remembered: “One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000foot Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. Near the top we had to leave the wagon and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse.”
PRESENTING SPONSOR
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $605 million in more than 1,600 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $44.7 million last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant $542 million to nonprofits in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families and businesses. For more information, visit cfsarasota.org or call 941-955-3000.
T HA nk you to everyone who supported The Venice Symphony during the 2026 Giving challenge!
Because of you we:
• Raised over $80,000!
• Reached our goal of 300+ Donors
• Unlocked THREE incredible matches generously made by Tom and Mary Lynch, Robert and Jane Goldsmith, and The Prior Family
• Can make it possible to inspire a lifetime of music through funding educational programs, concerts, and new initiatives
We couldn’t hit these high notes without you!
