UTRGVSYMPHONYORCHESTRA
SecondProgram~2024 • 2025ConcertSeason
Saint-Saëns& Tchaikovsky
UTRGVPerformingArtsComplex,Edinburg Thursday,November21,2024at7:00pm
NormanGamboa,Conductor RaymonCorrea,Conductor TidoJanssen,Cello
TheEnchantedLake,Op.62......AnatolyKonstantinovichLiadov (1855-1914)
ConcertoNo.1inAminor forCelloandOrchestra,Op.33............CamilleSaint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Allegronontroppo
Allegrettoconmoto
MoltoAllegro
INTERMISSION
SymphonyNo.5inEminor,Op.64......PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Andante—Allegroconanima
Andantecantabileconalcunalicenza
Valse.Allegromoderato
Finale.Andantemaestoso—Allegrovivace
Forabetterconcertexperience,wekindlyaskyoutoturnoff cellularphones,pagers,andalltypesofnoisemakers.Thankyou!
PROGRAMNOTES
TheEnchantedLake,Op.62
AnatolyKonstantinovichLiadov
Withoutadoubt,Liadovisbestknown forthemusichedidnotcompose; legendaryimpresarioandfounderof therenownedBalletsRusses,Sergei Diaghilev,firstofferedhimthechance towriteaballetscoreontheRussian legendoftheFirebird.Liadovdeclined andthusthecommissionwenttoIgor Stravinsky.Inhisprime,Liadovwasa respectedpianist,musiceditor, conductor,andcomposer,howeverhis irresponsibility,loose-living,andlaziness werehismostnotorioustraits;inhis earlyteenshewasevenexpelledfrom theSt.PetersburgConservatoryfor missingtoomanyclasses.Afterhewas reinstated,hegraduatedin1877with highesthonorsincomposition.Laterin hislife,Liadovcomposedthethree beautifultonepoems: BabaYaga, The EnchantedLake,and Kikimora,and amongthem, TheEnchantedLake is theonemostoftenperformed.Written in1908,itisa“fable-tableau,”andit wasLiadov’sfavoriteworkofhisentire output.Heoncewrote“itisamultitude ofstarshoveringoverthemysteriesof thedeepwhilenature,cold,malevolent, andfantastic,isafairytale.”Thepiece iscertainlyaspectacleoftranscendent serenity,wherethewatersgentlystir understarryskies,disturbedonlyby fleetingmelodiesandalluringtraceries.
ConcertoNo.1inAminor forCelloandOrchestra,Op.33 CamilleSaint-Saëns
Consideredamodernistcomposer, whenSaint-Saënswrotehis Cello
ConcertoNo.1 in1872,hewasstilla polemicname;evenHectorBerlioz oncesaid“Saint-Saënsknows everything,butlacksinexperience.” Laterinhiscareerhebecameknownas areactionaryintheFrenchmusical circles,whichbythenwereexperiencing theemergenceofStravinsky’savantgardeballets.Withoutanexpected orchestralintroduction,The Cello ConcertoinAminor immediately launchesthesoloistintoactionina completedeparturefromthetraditional concertoform.Itsfirstmovement beginsasasonataallegro,however afteraslowdevelopmentsection,itis interruptedbythesuddenarrivalofthe secondmovement,an Allegrettocon moto inthestyleofaminuet.Muted stringsandthealmostcomplete absenceoflowregisterinstruments givesthismiddlesectionatypeof music-boxcharmthatcontrastswiththe energeticclosing Allegro.Withthis Concerto,Saint-Saënsmasterfully createdasinglemovementworkthat hastheeffectofthestandardfast-slowfastthree-movementcomposition.A successfromtheverybeginning,the Concertowaswell-receivedasitwas perceivedasbeingfreefromSaintSaëns’modernisttendencies.
SymphonyNo.5inEminor,Op.64 PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky
PeterIlyichTchaikovskywrotehis SymphonyNo.5 inthesummerof 1885,duringthistimehewasalso workingonhis“Fantasy-Overture” Hamlet afterWilliamShakespeare’splay. TheFifthSymphonyreceivedits premiereinNovember1888withthe
composerhimselfatthepodium. AccordingtoTchaikovsky,bothhis fourthandsixthsymphoniesfeature programmaticelementswhiletheFifth doesnotadheretoanyspecific program.Nevertheless,the Symphony No.5 isbuiltuponacentralrecurring themethatgoesthroughnumerous dramatictransformationsthatseemto implysomeextra-musicalsubtext. AmongTchaikovsky’ssketchesforthe Fiftharewordshewrotesuggestingthe workdepictsaconfrontationwithFate. TheSymphonybeginswitharather somberslowintroduction;clarinets presentanominousmelodythatwill becomethecentraltheme,later reappearingineachoftheSymphony’s fourmovements.Theopeningthemeis
soontransformedanditbecomesthen theopeningmelodyofthefollowing Allegroconanima.Thepassionate secondmovementfeaturesalyrical melodyintroducedbytheFrenchhorn, thisthemeistwiceinterruptedlateron byferociousburstsoftherecurring centraltheme.Thethirdmovementisa waltzinA—B—Aformthatconcludes witharatherinsinuatingrepetitionof thecentralthemeandsiximposingloud chords.Thefinalmovementopenswith aslowmarchintroductionthatfeatures thecentralrecurringthemeoncemore, thistimetransposedtothemajorkey. Afteralengthystruggleandadramatic pause,thecentralthemereturnsone moretime,nowintheformofa triumphalmarch.
Wild,WildWest
Copland’sBillytheKidpayshomageto theAmericancowboyandmusicallydepicts themanyadventuresinthedesperado’slife. KennethSaxonperformstheworldpremiere ofanall-newpianoconcertobyresident composerJustinWriter.
FEBRUARY20,2025
OrganSymphony
Withitsmanythemesappearingin popsongsandfilm,Saint-Saëns SymphonyNo.3“Organ”isadramatic journeythatwilltakesustoamighty musicalsummit.
APRIL24,2025
Dr.TidoJanssenhasservedasLecturer ofCelloattheUniversityofTexasRio GrandeValleysince2010. Heisfounder anddirectoroftheUTRGVCello Festival,hostingcellistsfromtheRio GrandeValleytoworkwithnationally andinternationallyknowncellists.
AnativeofGermany,Dr.Janssenstudied celloperformanceatFolkwang HochschulefürMusikinDuisburgbefore continuinghisstudiesintheUnited States.HeholdsaMasterofMusic DegreefromBostonUniversity,and DoctorofMusicalArtsdegreefromthe UniversityofNorthTexas.Hismajor teachersincludeJürgenWolf,George Neikrug,CarterEnyeart,WalterGray, andEugeneOsadchy.Hischamber musicstudiesincludecoachingswiththe MuirQuartet,LydianQuartet,and
membersoftheLyontevichandKolisch Quartets.
Beforejoiningthemusicfacultyat UTRGV,DrJanssenservedonthefaculty oftheUniversityofLethbridgein Alberta,CanadaandHardin-Simmons UniversityinAbilene,Texas.Asacharter memberoftheUniversityofLethbridge facultyensembleTrioAmaranth,hehas performedextensivelythroughout westernCanada.InAbilene,TX,hewas PrincipalCellistoftheAbilene PhilharmonicandAbileneOpera Orchestras, foundingdirectorofthe AbileneSummerMusicFestival,an orchestracampformiddleandhigh schoolstudents,andalsofounding memberoftheAbileneChamber Players.Inthesummerof2013he performedwiththeAbileneChamber PlayersfortheConcertiNelChiostroat theConservatoriodimusica“Giuseppe Verdi”,andtheAbrosianeumConcerti,in Milan,Italy.
AsaperformerDr.Janssenhas repeatedlyappearedinGermany,The Netherlands,Spain,Italy,Austria, Canada,andthroughouttheUS. Hehas beenamemberoftheNewHampshire MusicFestivalOrchestrasince2000, currentlyservingasco-executive directorofthefestival,andhas recordedforDeutscheWelle,Public Radio,andCentaurRecords.
Dr.NORMANGAMBOA Conductor
NormanGamboaisDirectorofOrchestral ActivitiesatTheUniversityofTexasRio GrandeValley,founderoftheRioGrande YouthSymphonyandconductorofthe RioGrandeValleyBalletOrchestra.Heis alsoMusicDirectoroftheSonoma CountyPhilharmonicinCalifornia.Oneof themostactiveCentralAmerican conductors,hisscheduleincludes appearancesinMissouri,Kansas, Minnesota,Nebraska,Idaho,Texas, California,Wyoming,andColorado. Worldwideengagementsinclude orchestrasinEcuador,CzechRepublic, Romania,Colombia,Brazil,Guatemala, Venezuela,CostaRica,Panama, NicaraguaandHonduras.
Normanhaslednumerousjointventures suchaschoreographedproductionswith BalletMidwest,AuroraDanceArts,Rio GrandeValleyBallet,NationalBalletof Nicaragua,andSantaRosaDance Theater,FiestaColoradoDance
Company,EdinburgDanceTheatre,Kim RobardsDance,andalsonumerous operaswiththeTopekaOperaSociety andOperaonTapColorado.
FestivalappearancesincludePlzeň2015, FOSJA-CasalsFestival,CentralAmerican FestivalofChamberMusic,International MusicFestivalofMedellín,VillarricaArts Festival,CostaRicaInternationalFestival ofArts,BlueLakeFineArtsCamp, BregenzerFestspiele,LasVegasMusic Festival,OSESPConductorsCompetition, NewYorkBrassConferenceandRegina MusicConference.Healsoconductedthe EuropeanYouthSymphonyOrchestra,a projectthatgatheredmusicstudentsfrom alloverEurope.
Previously,heservedasMusicDirectorof thePowderRiverSymphonyinWyoming andtheAuroraSymphonyinColorado, DirectorofOrchestralStudiesat WashburnUniversityinKansas,Cover ConductoroftheTopekaSymphony, AssociateConductoroftheLasVegas MusicFestival,AssistantConductorofthe WacoSymphonyOrchestraandMusic DirectoroftheWacoSymphonyYouth OrchestrainTexas.Gamboahasserved asconductorandclinicianwithhonor studentorchestrasthroughoutthe MidwestandwesternUnitedStatesas wellasabroad,heholdsorchestral conductingdegreesfromtheUniversityof NevadaLasVegasandLouisianaState University.
Upcomingguestconducting engagementsincludeorchestrasinBrazil, Ecuador,Nicaragua,Portugal,Puerto Rico,andGuatemala.
RAYMONCORREA Conductor
RaymonCorreawasborninMcAllen, TX.HehasplayedFrenchHornfor twenty-fouryearsandgraduatedfrom theUniversityofTexasRioGrande Valleywithabachelor'sdegreein musiceducation.In2014,hebegan
takingconductinglessonsfromDr.Saul Torres,theformerdirectorofbandsat UTRGV.Raymonhasconductedthe UTRGVSymphonicband,UTRGVBrass Ensemble,UTRGVHornChoir,Wind Octets,Brassbands,SmallChamber Orchestra,YouthSymphonyOrchestra, ElPasoWindsandElementarySchool Choir/PercussionEnsembles.Heisthe conductorandorganizerforElValle BrassBand,inwhichhefoundedin 2022.Heactivelyparticipatesseveral conductingworkshopstodevelophis craftinconducting.RaymonCorreais currentlyfinishinghismaster'sdegree inWindConducting/Instrumental PedagogyattheUniversityofTexasat ElPasoundertheguidanceofDr. BradleyGenveroandDr.Andrew Hunter.HewillgraduatetheFall2024. Now,Raymonhasbeenacceptedinto theMaster'sdegreeprogramin orchestralconductingatUTRGVunder theguidanceofDr.NormanGamboa.
ForapplicationinformationscantheQRcodeaboveorgoto: https://www.utrgv.edu/music/academic/application-audition
SymphonyOrchestra
NormanGamboa,Conductor
VIOLIN
AngelaLlanes, Concertmaster
AndrewTrevino, Assistantconcertmaster
LeahLoera, Principal
CristianContreras, Assistantprincipal
VicenteCamacho
IsaacEscalon
JazminGutierrez
AstridHerrera
LyzzetteHinojosa
AlvaroMartinez
XavierMunguia
RafaelRamirez*
ValeriaRuiz
JoelSanchez
DanielSantiago
IsaacVargas
VIOLA
JacobRobledo, Principal
MelanieCantu
CytlalyCoronado
EmanuelDiaz
KatiaLuna
JacobMartinez
MiaMora
HarleyMassey
AlanPerez
JoséSalinas
CELLO
JudithRecio, Principal
SebastianGarcia
JairoGarza
SebastianGuerrero
ClarissaMartinez
MarcoVazquez
DOUBLEBASS
MaximilianoLopez, Principal
VianethBernardo-Pinon
MarisolMejia
FLUTE&PICCOLO
LauraBarba
Carlos Hernandez2
StephanieHernandez1 RamiroRaya3
OBOE
LorenaCoronado1,2,3 CarlosCantu*
CLARINET
AngelAldana,3
AlejandroMoreno2 DiogoPerales1
BASSOON
ArtGonzalez*1,2,3
ChristopherJones*
1 PrincipalinLiadov
2 PrincipalinSaint-Saëns
3 PrincipalinTchaikovsky
*Guestmusician
HORN
JonahCantu
BrittanyCruz2
SamuelGarcia1
DanielGarza3
JohanEspinoza
TRUMPET
VictorFortuna3
JacobMorales2
ChristianRamirez
DanielVela
TROMBONE
JhonEscobar
AlejandroSalinas3
BASSTROMBONE
JorgeSegura
TUBA
AzdruballMontemayor3
TIMPANI
SlatonMeador1,2
AdamReyna3
PERCUSSION
EdgarFacundo
SlatonMeador
AdamReyna
KEYBOARD
AnnaTrevino1
ASSISTANTCONDUCTOR
RaymonCorrea