UTRGVSYMPHONYORCHESTRA
UTRGVSYMPHONYORCHESTRA
ThirdProgram~2025 • 2026ConcertSeason
A Hero’s Life
UTRGVPerformingArtsComplex,Edinburg Sunday,April26,2026at3:00pm
NormanGamboa,Conductor AlessandroPeña,Tuba
WinnerUTRGVYoungArtistSoloCompetition
LeNozzedeFigaro:Overture ... ........WolfgangAmadeusMozart (1756-1791)
ConcertoNo.1inE-fatmajor,Op.11 RichardStrauss (1864-1949)
I.Allegro
II.Andante
III.Allegro
INTERMISSION
EinHeldenleben,Op.40(AHero’sLife)............ .....Strauss
I.DerHeld" (TheHero)
II.DesHeldenWidersacher (TheHero'sAdversaries)
III.DesHeldenGefährtin (TheHero'sCompanion)
IV.DesHeldenWalstatt (TheHeroatBattle)
V.DesHeldenFriedenswerke (TheHero'sWorksofPeace)
VI.DesHeldenWeltfuchtundVollendung (TheHero'sRetirementfromthisWorldandCompletion)
CONCERTRUNTIMEISAPPROXIMATELY1HOURAND45MINUTES INCLUDINGA15MINUTEINTERMISSION
Forabetterconcertexperience,wekindlyaskyoutoturnoff cellularphones,pagers,andalltypesofnoisemakers.Thankyou!
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PROGRAMNOTES
LeNozzedeFigaroOverture
WolfgangAmadeusMozart
In1782,whenplaywrightPierre Beaumarchaisheldprivatereadingsof TheMarriageofFigaro forLouisXVI,the Kingwasfarfromamused.Decryingthe comedyofmannersas"detestable,"he banneditfrompublicproduction,fearing itsbitingirreverence.Naturally,the prohibitiononlyfueleditspopularity;the playbecamethe"forbiddenfruit"ofthe aristocracy,surfacinginsecret performances,oneevenfeaturingthe Queenherself.Theplay’ssubversive energywasn'tlostonNapoleon,either, wholatercalledit"therevolutionalready inaction."Despitebeingbannedacross theAustrianEmpireforitsradical undertones,theplaywasanunstoppable force.Afterscouringhundredsofscripts forasuitableoperabuffa(comicopera), Mozartfoundhis"perfectticket"in Beaumarchais’work.Alongsidelibrettist LorenzodaPonte,hetransformedthe playintoanoperainameresixweeks, famouslyfnishingtheOverturejusttwo daysbeforethe1786premiere.The Overturebeginswithafurryofhushed, bustlingnotes,reminiscentoffrantic gossip,thatquicklyswellintoarompof pureenergy.Eschewingatraditionalslow middlesectiontomaintainabreathless, "madcap"pace,Mozartcraftedan introductionthatperfectlycapturesthe opera’schaoticcharm.Centurieslater,it remainsoneofthemostbelovedstaples oftheorchestralrepertoire.
ConcertoNo.1inE-fatmajor,Op.11
RichardStrauss
Sonofapremierhornvirtuoso,Richard Straussbeneftedfromanideal upbringingwithanuniquecombination ofprofessionalimmersionandfnancial independenceprovidedalsobyher
motherJosephine,heiresstothe Hacker-Pschorrbrewingfortune.This allowedtheyoungStrausstobypass typicaladolescentlaborsanddevote himselfentirelytomusic.
ComposedfortheFrenchhornand dedicatedittohisfather,Strausswrote his ConcertoNo.1inE-fatmajor while studyingattheUniversityofMunich; wishingtofosterhisson’sindependent identity,Franzrequestedthededication bemovedtoBrunoHoyer.Franznever performedtheworkpublicly, encouragingRichardtoforgehisown path.Armedwithhisfather’sprofessional contactsandthisbreakthroughconcerto, Straussleftuniversityafterayeartotour Europe.Thework's1885orchestral premiere,conductedbyHansvonBülow, solidifedStrauss'sstatusasarisingstar intheEuropeancircuit.Theconcerto consistsofthreeinterconnected movementsthathighlightthesoloist lyricalandheroicqualities.Itopenswitha boldfourishthatlatertransformsintoa spiritedfnale,bindingthecomposition together.Then,afanfare-likeexposition, thesoloistintroducesadignifedmelody thatreturns,rhythmicallyaltered,inthe slowmovement.Whilethepiecerefects theearlyRomanticinfuenceof Mendelssohn,italsohintsatsweeping, late-Romanticmomentsfoundin Strauss’slatermasterpieceslike Don Juan, DonQuixote and EinHeldenleben
EinHeldenleben(AHero’sLife) RichardStrauss
Thepremiereof EinHeldenleben (A Hero’sLife)in1899sparkedaminor scandalwhenaudiencesrealized RichardStrausshimselfwasthe"Hero" inquestion.Whilecriticsobjectedathis perceivedego,Straussapproachedthe workwithacharacteristiclackof
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modestyandatouchofhumor, ironicallynotingthatsinceBeethoven’s Eroica was"rarelyperformed,"hewas simplyfllingavoidwithanotherE-fat majorepic,thistimewith"lotsofhorn sound."Thoughgargantuaninscale, EinHeldenleben iseffectivelya massive,single-movementsymphony.It followsaexpandedsonataform, completewithexposition, development,andrecapitulationthatis dividedintosixdistinctprogrammatic sections:
I.TheHero:Anexpansive,opening three-and-a-half-octavethemethat representsStrausshimself.
II.TheHero’sAdversaries:Aspiky, satiricalportraitofStrauss’scritics. StrausssinglesoutthepedanticDoktor Dehringwitha"harmonicmistake" (parallelffths)playedbythetubas,a musicalcaricatureusedtodepictthese Viennesemusiccritics.
III.TheHero’sCompanion:Acomplex soloviolinportraitofStrauss’swife, Pauline.Themusicshiftsthrough erraticmoods:fromragetotenderness,
culminatinginapassionateloveduet.
IV.TheHeroatBattle:Amassive contrapuntaldevelopmentwherethe HeroandtheCompanionthemes engageinamusicalstruggleagainst thecritics,eventuallyemerging victorious.
V.TheHero’sWorksofPeace:AselfreferentialsectionwhereStraussmakes referencetohisearliermasterpieces, including DonJuan, DonQuixote,and AlsoSprachZarathustra.
VI.TheHero’s Retirementfromthis WorldandCompletion:Afterafnal reminderofpastcontempt,thework settlesintoapeaceful,transcendent conclusion.
Ultimately,in EinHeldenleben the autobiographyissecondarytothe music.Itisabrilliantorchestral showcasethatmovesfromintimate chamber-liketexturesto"glorious racket"momentsoffullRomantic orchestration.Itistechnically punishing,emotionallybold,and despiteitsseriousscale,immense amusing.
AlessandroPeña
Tuba
AlessandroPeñaisagraduatestudent attheUniversityofTexasRioGrande Valleywhereheiscurrentlyinhisfnal yearpursuingaMaster’sdegreein MusicPerformance,withananticipated graduationinMay2026.Hepreviously
earnedhisBachelor’sdegreeinMusic EducationatUTRGV.Alessandrohas beenanactiveperformerandmember ofseveralUTRGVensembles,including theWindEnsemble,Symphony Orchestra,andtheTuba/Euphonium Studio.Hehasalsoservedasa GraduateTeachingAssistantforthe UTRGVMarchingBandandtheTuba/ EuphoniumStudio,gainingvaluable experienceinbothinstructionand ensembleleadership.Inadditiontohis academicandperformancework, Alessandrohasparticipatedin competitiveopportunitiessuchasthe SCRTECandtheLeonardFalconeTuba SoloArtistCompetition.Outsideof campus,hehasbeeninvolvedwith SynergyPercussion,TheAcademy DrumandBugleCorps,andhasworked withPioneerHighSchoolduringthefall marchingseason.Healsomaintainsa privatelessonstudio.
Beethoven SymphonyNo.5 OCTOBER15,2026
NOVEMBER20,2026
Dr.NORMANGAMBOA
Conductor
NormanGamboaisMusicDirectorofthe SonomaCountyPhilharmonicin CaliforniaandtheBrownsvilleChamber OrchestrainTexas.HeisalsoDirectorof OrchestralActivitiesatTheUniversityof TexasRioGrandeValley,conductorofthe RioGrandeValleyBalletOrchestraand founderoftheRioGrandeYouth Symphony.Oneofthemostactive CentralAmericanconductors,his engagementsincludetheKansasCity Philharmonia,BemidjiSymphony,Topeka Symphony,IdahoStateCivicSymphony, WinchesterOrchestra,BayAreaRainbow Symphony,NewtonSymphony,San FranciscoCivicSymphony,andSalina Symphonyamongothers.Worldwide engagementsincluderenowned orchestrassuchastheZápadočesky Symfonicky (CzechRepublic),Orchestra FilarmoniciideStatPloieşti(Romania), OrquestaFilarmónicadeMedellín (Colombia),OrquestraSinfônicade RibeirãoPretoandOrquestraSinfônica EstadodeSãoPaulo(Brazil),Orquesta SinfónicaJuvenilMunicipalde Guatemala,OrquestaSinfónicadel EstadoMéridaandOrquestaSinfónica deLosLlanos(Venezuela),Orquesta SinfónicadeCuenca(Ecuador), CamerataBach(Nicaragua),aswellas theNationalSymphonyOrchestrasof PuertoRico,CostaRica,Panama,
Guatemala,NicaraguaandHonduras. Normanhaslednumerousjointventures withBalletMidwest,RioGrandeValley Ballet,AuroraDanceArts,NationalBallet ofNicaragua,SantaRosaDanceTheater, FiestaColoradoDanceCompany, EdinburgDanceTheatre,andKim RobardsDanceCompany,includingfully choreographedproductionsofRavel's Mamèrel'Oye, TheNutcracker,Fiesta Mexicana, PeterandtheWolf,The CarnivaloftheAnimals, and Cinderella, aswellasseveraloperaswiththeTopeka OperaSociety,UTRGVOpera,and OperaonTapColorado.Festival appearancesincludePilsen2015,FOSJA CasalsFestival,CentralAmericanFestival ofChamberMusic,Medellín InternationalMusicFestival,VillarricaArts Festival,CostaRicaInternationalFestival ofArts,BlueLakeFineArtsCamp, BregenzerFestspiele,LasVegasMusic Festival,OSESPOrchestraConductors Competition,theNewYorkBrass ConferenceandReginaMusic Conference.HeconductedtheYouth SymphonyOrchestraofEurope,aproject thatgathereddistinguishedmusic studentsfromconservatoriesallover Europe.Previously,heservedasMusic DirectorofthePowderRiverSymphony inWyoming,DirectorofOrchestral StudiesatWashburnUniversityinKansas, AssistantConductoroftheTopeka SymphonyOrchestra,Associate ConductoroftheLasVegasMusic Festival,AssistantConductorofthe WacoSymphonyOrchestraandMusic DirectoroftheWacoSymphonyYouth OrchestrainTexas.Winnerofthe2025 VytautasMarijosiusMemorialAwardin OrchestralProgrammingforhisworkwith theUTRGVSymphonyOrchestra, Gamboahasservedasconductorand clinicianwithhonorstudentorchestras throughouttheMidwestandwestern UnitedStatesaswellasabroad,heholds orchestralconductingdegreesfromthe UniversityofNevadaLasVegasand LouisianaStateUniversity.
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SymphonyOrchestra
NormanGamboa,Conductor
VIOLIN
AngelaLlanes, Concertmaster
AndrewTrevino, Assistantconcertmaster
DominiqueAleman, principal VicenteCamacho, Assistantprincipal
JuanAlaniz,Jr. CristianContreras IsaacEscalon
JeremiahGaytan JazminGutierrez
AlvaroMartinez
XavierMunguia RafaelRamírez*
BellaReynoso
ValeriaRuizSoto
IsaacVargas GenesisVazquez
VIOLA
CytlalyCoronado, Principal
MaxDavila, Assistantprincipal AmairaniDelAngel
KatiaLuna
JacobMartinez
HarleyMassey
MiaMora
AlessandraSalazar
CELLO
SebastianGarcia, Principal JairoGarza, Assistantprincipal
JamesCarpenter
Dr.TidoJanssen*
ClarissaMartinez
JudithRecio
AngelRodriguez
Dr.TszToWon*
DOUBLEBASS
VianethBernardo-Pinon, Principal
MarisolMejia, Assistantprincipal JoseGallardo ZacharyLara MaximilianoLopez
FLUTE
MarkMejorado RamiroRaya1,3
YarisellRodriguez2
JordanRuiz
PICCOLO
JordanRuiz
OBOE
IsaacContreras LorenaCoronado2,3 VanessaMartinez1
ClaudiaQuintana
ENGLISHHORN
VanessaMartinez
CLARINET
FernandoDeLeon,Jr.1,3
KarlSchmidt2
DamienTorres
E-FLATCLARINET
DiogoPerales
BASSCLARINET
KarlSchmidt
BASSOON
AracelyGarcia2,3
AlexHernandez1
OrlandoCastrano
CONTRABASSOON
Dr.CindyCripps*
HORN
JonahCantu
AlonzoCavazos
BrittanyCruz1,2
JohanEspinoza
SamuelGarcia
DanielGarza3
VictorMartinez
CharlieRomero
RobertoSalas
TRUMPET
FabiolaAhuja1
AlejandroEscamilla
EmmanuelJuarez
ChristianRamirez3
DanielVela2
TROMBONE
JhonEscobar1
DanielLozano
BASSTROMBONE
JulianMontalvo
EUPHONIUM
NoahJaramillo3
TUBA
VictorCruz3
TIMPANI
AdamReyna1,2,3
PERCUSSION
ReynaldoGonzalez
MarcoGuerra
MichelleMolina
EricSalazar
1 PrincipalinMozart
2 PrincipalinStraussConcerto
3 PrincipalinStraussEinHeldenleben
*Guestmusician
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