UTRGVSYMPHONYORCHESTRA
FirstProgram~2024 • 2025ConcertSeason
Mozart&Shostakovich
UTRGVPerformingArtsComplex,Edinburg Thursday,October17,2024at7:00pm
NormanGamboa,Conductor JonathanGuist,Clarinet
Tangazo:VariationsonBuenosAires.............AstorPiazolla (1921-1992)
ConcertoinAmajorfor ClarinetandOrchestra,K. 622.......WolfgangAmadeusMozart (1756-1791)
Allegro
Adagio
Rondo:Allegro
INTERMISSION
SymphonyNo.5inDminor,Op.47........DmitriShostakovich (1906-1975)
Moderato Allegretto Largo Allegronontroppo
CONCERTRUNTIMEISAPPROXIMATELY1HOURAND45MINUTES
Forabetterconcertexperience,wekindlyaskyoutoturnoff cellularphones,pagers,andalltypesofnoisemakers.Thankyou!
PROGRAMNOTES
Tangazo:VariationsonBuenosAires AstorPiazolla
Togetherwith TangusDei,Tangatadel Alba,Libertango,Tristango, andseveral othersworks,Piazzolla’s Tangazo belongstoalistoftango-related concertpiecesbytheArgentinean composer.Itopenswitharather melancholiclinebythecellosand bassesthatisfollowedbyapassionate melodyinchargeofviolinsandviolas, fillingtheatmospherewithgreat harmonicexuberance.Afterafleeing transition,theoboeintroducesaplayful tango;flute,clarinet,andpercussion quicklyjoinin,withsporadiclyrical interludesfeaturingsoaringhornsolos. Tangazo waspremieredin1970bythe EnsembleMusicaldeBuenosAiresand notentirelytoPiazzolla'ssatisfaction;he lamentedthelowqualityofthe performanceandhowtheclassical trainedArgentineanmusiciansoften dismissthetangoasaworthyformal musicalgenre.Piazzollastudied orchestrationwithrenownedcomposer AlbertoGinastera(1916-1983)atthe NationalConservatoryofMusicof Argentinaandlaterwiththelegendary NadiaBoulanger(1887-1979)inParis.
ConcertoinAmajorforClarinet andOrchestra,K.622
WolfgangAmadeusMozart
Duringhisrelativelybrieflife,Mozart wasabletocomposeinalmostall typesofmusicalgenres.Notably,his operasareconsideredhismost importantcontributions,followedby hisextensiveoutputofsoloconcertos, whichdefinedtheformand
establishedapathmanycomposers followedforgenerations.Withmore thantwentyconcertosforpiano,about adozenforvariousstringed instruments,androughlythesame numberforwindsoloists,the Concerto forClarinetinAmajor washislast, writtenduringthefinalyearofhislife, alongwithhisopera TheMagicFlute andthe RequiemMass.Composedfor AntonStadler,theconcertowas premieredinOctober1791,justa coupleofmonthsbeforeMozart’s death.Itadherestotheconventional threemovementformat,eachsection exploitingthevirtuesoftheinstrument. Whilecertainlynotwithoutits difficulties,theconcertoisbestknown foritsexpressivenessandhighlyricism throughout.Thismasterpiece representsMozart’smaturity,writtenat theheightofhispowers.Itisadelicate balancebetweenthelyricalsingingof thesoloistandanorchestra accompanimentinintimatedialog.This isespeciallytrueintheslowmovement withitssublimemelodiesandexquisite writing,whichmanywillrecognizefrom itsdramaticusesomeyearsagointhe film, OutofAfrica
SymphonyNo.5inDminor,Op.47
DmitriShostakovich
Composedin1937,Shostakovich’s FifthSymphonybelongstoaperiod whenJosephStalin’sregimeexercised totalcontrolovertheentireSoviet Union,imposingdrasticrestrictionson alltypesofartisticmanifestations. The symphonyiscertainlythecomposer’s turningpointinhiscareer;atimewhen
strikingabalancebetweenone’sown artisticviewsandcompromisingone’s integrityinordertoappeasean oppressingdominantregimebecamea tallorder.Fromitsveryfirstopening notes,theFifthrevealsadeepsenseof tension,conflict,andrebelliousness.It isamusicalportrayalofhumanityand thestrugglesagainsttheforcesof repression.Shostakovichmasterfully deliveredawiderangeofemotions, fromanguishandhopelessnessto momentsfullofoptimismand resilience.Theworkevidencesthe composer’sexceptionalskillsasan orchestrator.Followingthetraditional four-movementformat,thesymphony’s musicallanguageincorporates elementsofmodernism,dissonance,as
wellassarcasm,showcasing Shostakovich’suniquevoiceasa composer.Eachofthemovementshas itsownverydistinctnarrative:thefirst movementopenswithanominous atmosphere;brewingtensionfinally eruptsintoadramaticending.Then,a hauntingwaltzinafolksyidiom conformsthesecondmovement,while anextremelylyricalthirdmovement introducesacontemplativeand melancholictheme ofgreat intensity andexpression.Last,afinalmovement thatisbothtriumphantandalsofullof irony.Shostakovichprivatelysaid(oris saidtohavesaid)thatthefinalewasa satiricalpictureofthedictator, deliberatelyhollowbutdressedupas exuberantadulation.
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Dr.JonathanGuistisProfessorof ClarinetandcoordinatorofWoodwind StudiesattheUniversityofTexasRio GrandeValley,whereheteachesapplied clarinet,clarinetensemble,clarinet methods,andchambermusic.He appearsfrequentlyasasoloistand chambermusicianthroughouttheU.S. andabroad.Mostrecently,Dr.Guistwas aguestsoloistwiththeSymphony OrchestraofSriLankaperformingCarl MariavonWeber’s ClarinetConcertoNo. 2.Hehasalsoappearedassoloistwith theUTRGVWindOrchestra,Valley Symphony,UTRGVSymphony,and UTRGVWindEnsemble.Inaddition,Dr. Guistperformedafeaturedguestartist solorecitalattheTexasClarinet Colloquium,numerousrecitalsand masterclassesatuniversitiesacrossthe countryaswellasinMexico,Canada, CostaRica,SriLanka,andIndia.His
ensembleshaveperformedatrecent ClarinetFestsinBelgium,Texas,Kansas, andLouisiana.Asanorchestramusician, hehasperformedwiththeValley Symphony,WacoSymphony, IndianapolisPhilharmonic,Carmel(IN) Symphony,SouthBendSymphony, BrazosValleySymphony,LasCruces Symphony,ChicagoReadingOrchestra andothers.Heisafoundingmemberof theTexasChamberWindswith upcomingperformancesinBrazil. Additionalappearancesincludethe InternationalClarinetAssociation, AmericanSingleReedSummit,National FluteAssociation,TexasMusicEducators Association,CollegeMusicSociety, NationalAssociationofCollegeWind andPercussionInstructorsandthe InternationalDoubleReedSociety.He hasservedasanadjudicatorforMusic TeachersNationalAssociation,Texas MusicEducatorsAssociationandTexas UILSolo&Ensemble.Astrongadvocate forchambermusicandnewmusic,Dr. Guisthascommissionedseveralnew worksbycomposerssuchasJustin Writer,RusselReed,JamesSyler, AlexandraBaldwin,KenKreuzer,and MathewCampbell.HeholdsaD.M.A. fromtheEastmanSchoolofMusic,a M.M.fromBaylorUniversityandaB.M.E. fromNewMexicoStateUniversity.His mainteachersareKennethGrant, RichardShanley,andLaroyBorchert. Previousteachingengagements includedEastmanSchoolofMusic, NazarethCollege,BaylorUniversity,the HochsteinSchoolofMusicandDance, andtheConservatoryofCentralIllinois. Dr.GuistisaBackunPerformingArtist andplaysCGCarboncustomclarinets.
Dr.NORMANGAMBOA Conductor
NormanGamboaistheDirectorof OrchestralActivitiesatTheUniversityof TexasRioGrandeValley,conductorofthe RioGrandeYouthSymphonyOrchestra andtheRioGrandeValleyBallet Orchestra.HeisalsoMusicDirectorofthe SonomaCountyPhilharmonicin California.Oneofthemostprominent CentralAmericanconductors,hisactive scheduleincludesappearancesin Missouri,Kansas,Minnesota,Nebraska, Idaho,Texas,California,Wyoming,and Colorado.Worldwideengagements includerenownedorchestrasinEcuador, CzechRepublic,Romania,Colombia, Brazil,Guatemala,Venezuela,CostaRica, Panama,Guatemala,Nicaraguaand Honduras.Normanhaslednumerous jointventuressuchaschoreographed productionsofRavel's Mamèrel'Oye withBalletMidwest, TheNutcracker
Ballet withAuroraDanceArts,RioGrande ValleyBallet,andSantaRosaDance Theater, FiestaMexicana withFiesta ColoradoDanceCompany, Peterandthe Wolf withEdinburgDanceTheatreand numerousoperaswiththeTopekaOpera SocietyandOperaonTapColorado. FestivalappearancesincludePlzeň2015, FOSJA-CasalsFestival,CentralAmerican FestivalofChamberMusic,International MusicFestivalofMedellín,VillarricaArts Festival,CostaRicaInternationalFestival ofArts,BlueLakeFineArtsCamp, BregenzerFestspiele,LasVegasMusic Festival,OSESPOrchestraConductors Competition,NewYorkBrassConference andReginaMusicConference.Healso ledtheYouthSymphonyOrchestraof Europe,aprojectthatgathered distinguishedmusicstudentsfromallover Europe.Previously,heservedasMusic DirectorofthePowderRiverSymphonyin WyomingandtheAuroraSymphonyin Colorado,DirectorofOrchestralStudies atWashburnUniversityinKansas,Cover ConductoroftheTopekaSymphony, AssociateConductoroftheLasVegas MusicFestival,AssistantConductorofthe WacoSymphonyOrchestraandMusic DirectoroftheWacoSymphonyYouth OrchestrainTexas.Gamboahasserved asconductorandclinicianwithhonor studentorchestrasthroughoutthe MidwestandwesternUnitedStatesas wellasabroad,heholdsorchestral conductingdegreesfromtheUniversityof NevadaLasVegasandLouisianaState University.Upcomingguestconducting appearancesincludeorchestrasinBrazil, Ecuador,Nicaragua,ElSalvador,Costa Rica,GuatemalaandColombia.
SymphonyOrchestra
NormanGamboa,Conductor
VIOLIN
AngelaLlanes, Concertmaster
CristianContreras, Assistantconcertmaster
LeahLoera, Principal
IsaacVargas, Assistantprincipal
VicenteCamacho
IsaacEscalon
IsabelEstrada#
JazminGutierrez
AstridHerrera
LyzzetteHinojosa
AlvaroMartinez
RafaelRamirez*
RamiroRaya
ValeriaRuiz
JoelSanchez
DanielSantiago
AndrewTrevino
VIOLA
JacobRobledo, Principal
MelanieCantu
CytlalyCoronado
EmanuelDiaz
KatiaLuna
JacobMartinez
MiaMora
HarleyMassey
AlanPerez
JoséSalinas
CELLO
JudithRecio, Principal
SebastianGarcia
JairoGarza
SebastianGuerrero
ClarissaMartinez
NathanMowers
MarcoVazquez
DOUBLEBASS
MaximilianoLopez, Principal VianethBernardo-Pinon
MarisolMejia
FLUTE&PICCOLO
LauraBarba3
Carlos Hernandez1
StephanieHernandez2
OBOE
LorenaCoronado1,3 YingChingJeter*
CLARINET
AngelAldana1,3
AlejandroMoreno DiogoPerales
BASSOON
AracelyGarcia1,2,3 ArtGonzalez*
CONTRABASSOON
Dr.CynthiaCrips*
HORN
JonahCantu BrittanyCruz3
SamuelGarcia
DanielGarza1
JohanEspinoza2
TRUMPET
VictorFortuna
JacobMorales
ChristianRamirez
DanielVela3
TROMBONE JhonEscobar
AlejandroSalinas3
BASSTROMBONE JorgeSegura
TUBA VictorCruz3
TIMPANI
SlatonMeador3
PERCUSSION
EdgarFacundo PaulGutierrez SlatonMeador AdamReyna JorgeRuiz
KEYBOARD
AmirKarimi3
AnnaTrevino1
HARP YiruiLi*
ASSISTANTCONDUCTOR RaymonCorrea
1 PrincipalinPiazzolla
2 PrincipalinMozart
3 PrincipalinShostakovich #STCstudent
*Guestmusician
Saint-Saëns&Tchaikovsky
TidoJanssenandtheUTRGVSymphonypresent Saint-SaënsCelloConcertoNo.1.Withits powerfulevocationoftheideaoffate, Tchaikovsky’sSymphonyNo.5isregardedas oneofhismostlovedandtimelesslarge-scale creations.
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Wild,WildWest
Copland’sBillytheKidpayshomageto theAmericancowboyandmusicallydepicts themanyadventuresinthedesperado’slife. KennethSaxonperformstheworldpremiere ofanall-newpianoconcertobyresident composerJustinWriter.
FEBRUARY20,2025
OrganSymphony
Withitsmanythemesappearingin popsongsandfilm,Saint-Saëns SymphonyNo.3“Organ”isadramatic journeythatwilltakesustoamighty musicalsummit.
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