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KATY COY - Executive Director
Welcome to the Valley Symphony Orchestra We're honored that you've taken time out of your schedule to enjoy one of life's greatest pleasures - a night at the Symphony. This spring, we are welcoming some very special artists for our performances. On March 1, the Symphony will perform Gershwin's show stopping, mold-breaking "Rhapsody In Blue" with Anastasia Dedik, a dynamic and virtuosic concert pianist. For our season finale on April 5, we have incredible vocalists who will lead the Orchestra and Chorale in filling the hall with favorite selections from Beethoven's ninth symphony. These artists are national and international figures, and it is a true thrill to welcome them to the Valley. Thank you for being here tonight. Every time you purchase a VSO ticket, you are directly funding musicians’ work and the creation of art in the Rio Grande Valley. If you love arts and culture and want to see and hear more of them in our community, please continue attending our performances and telling your friends about the outstanding professional musicians that live and work here. We hope tonight is an opportunity to slow down, to open your ears, heart, and mind, and to discover something new. Whether it is music you've never heard before, or something fresh about one of your longtime favorite selections, there is always a treasure waiting to be uncovered in these masterful compositions.
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PETER DABROWSKI - Music Director/Conductor
PETER DABROWSKI
Music Director/Conductor The Valley Symphony Orchestra celebrates Maestro Peter Dabrowski’s eighteenth season as Music Director and Conductor. A native of Warsaw, Poland, Dabrowski continues with an unparalleled commitment to provide exhilarating musical performances and education in the Rio Grande Valley. Additionally, he serves as Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts, Professor of Music and he recently served as Conductor of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Symphony Orchestra in Edinburg. Dabrowski is also a renowned guest conductor with critical acclaim and in demand throughout Europe and the United States. Before moving to the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Dabrowski was the Music Director and Conductor of the American University Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., the American Youth Concert Orchestra in Northern Virginia and the Chicago Philharmonic.
“Familiar masterworks are comforting. They often bring us great memories. Unfamiliar Music is sometimes difficult to accept. The important thing to remember is that all music affects us. Music is the most universal language. It speaks directly to our hearts, minds, and souls. Music has the power to change lives. “
CONDUCTOR EMERITI Dr. Carl Seale † Dr. Christopher Munn
valleyorchestra.org
2018-19 Season
7
2018-19 VSO MUSICIANS Violin I Geoffrey Wong Concertmaster Lindsey Gamble Assistant Concertmaster Kurt Roehm James Robertson Carlos Peralez Adriana Olivan Marvin Eagle Danny Diaz Kristen Gerhard James Escobedo Angelica Martinez Alfonso Teran
Violin II
Kathleen Hawkins, Co-Principal Silvia Tsai, Co-Principal Jaime Garza Mirelle Acuna Vicky Martinez Rafael Ramirez Jonathan Vasquez Pedro Vera Oscar Dodier Claudia Ferguson Paula Beard
Viola
Jennifer Miller, Principal Young Sin Choi, Assistant Principal Miguel GutiĂŠrrez Linda Sobin Brian Miller James Wilson Aaron Barrera Matthew Garcia
Cello
Benjamin Ponder, Principal Patrick Hopkins Assistant Principal Anna Chance valleyorchestra.org
Joe Luna Catherine Norquest-Vasquez Andy Arango Irvin Castillo Emilia Monsivais Sofia Garcia
Bass
David Cassady, Principal Thomas Hudson Salvador Marmalejo Victoria Perez John Hunter
Flute
Zynahia Banda, Co-Principal Krista Jobson, Co-Principal Cassandra Sanchez Camden Beavers Gabriella Carrera Roberto Delgado
Oboe
Yingching Jeter, Principal Carlos Cantu Victoria Juhasz
Clarinet
Bill O’Neil, Co-Principal Melissa Vaughan, Co-Principal Michael Gersten, Co-Principal William Gillum Meredith Gersten
Bassoon
Art Gonzalez, Co-Principal Carol McNabb-Goodwin Co-Principal Eric Ehramjian, Co-Principal Christopher Jones David Smith
Saxophone
Cindy Cripps, Principal
French Horn
Barbara Keller, Principal Carol Brown Rachel Lovestrand Gabriel Hernandez Orlando Medrano Victor Moyeda Joseph Sanchez
Trumpet
Jared Broussard, Principal Johnny Munoz Art Brownlow Melanie Kulaga Art Rocha
Trombone
Jacob Banda, Principal Benjamin Coy Travis Dobson Oscar Herrera
Tuba
Scott Roeder, Principal Abel Rios
Percussion
Philip Johnson, Principal David LaClair Angel Martinez Adan Rosa III Ed Trevino Isaac Vasquez Mauricio Castellano Richard Castillo Virginia Davis Ron Schermerhorn Erick Ochoa Lisa Bays
Piano
Linda Chavez, Principal
Harp
Delaine Leonard, Principal 2018-19 Season
9
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2018-2019 PRINCIPAL MUSICIANS
Lindsey Gamble
Kathleen Hawkins
Silvia Tsai
Assistant Concertmaster Trudie Elmore Abbott and Glynn Morgan
Co-Principal Second Violin
Co-Principal Second Violin
Jennifer Miller
Young Sin Choi
Benjamin Ponder
Patrick Hopkins
Principal Viola Kirk & Jeri Clark
Assistant Principal viola
Principal Cello Loring Cook Foundation
Assistant Principal cello
David Cassady
Zynahia Banda
Krista Jobson
Yingching Jeter
Principal Bass Charles & Bennie Thompson
Co-Principal Flute
Co-Principal Flute Trudie Elmore Abbott and Glynn Morgan
Principal Oboe Dr. William & Evelyn Gillum
Bill O’Neil
Melissa Vaughan
Michael Gersten
Art Gonzalez
Co-Principal Clarinet Stanley Sherman
Co-Principal Clarinet Frost
Co-Principal Clarinet
Co-Principal Bassoon Dr. William & Evelyn Gillum
Concertmaster Drs. Tawhid & Mihaela Shuaib
2018-2019 PRINCIPAL MUSICIANS
“The McAllen Performing Arts Center is one of ;,' 139; #'!<ࣅ (<¡ ;,'!;'89 X=' '='8 6'8(381'& -2U ,'@ &32X; 1!0' ;,'1 ¡-0' ;,-9 !2@138'UZ - Tony Bennett, December 6, 2016 McAllen, Texas
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DR. DAVID L. MEANS, Chorale Conductor is Director of Choral Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, TX and the conductor of the Valley Symphony Chorale since 2013. He is also an organist at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Edinburg and Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in McAllen, and recently founded Rio Grande Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier chamber choir, the Valley Choral Artists. Dr. Means came to South Texas from Austin where he was Head Choral Director of the Grammy Award winning Fine Arts Academy of Westwood High School in the Round Rock ISD. Means has also taught at the University of Southern California, Christopher Newport University, Hill College and has more than seventeen years experience successfully teaching public school choirs in Texas and California. Dr. Means earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree in piano and voice from Howard Payne University, a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Baylor University and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Music from the University of Southern California. He was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Choral Student Award upon graduation. Means is active as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician, having taught and performed across the United States, Europe, Mexico, Canada and Japan. Means has premiered works by Morten Lauridsen, Z. Randall Stroope, David Childs and John Rutter, and studied conducting in masterclasses with Helmuth Rilling, Frieder Bernius, Robert Shaw and Paul Salamunovich. Means remains active as a conductor, singer and pianist, and has shared the stage with Quincy Jones, Liza Minneli and Michael Feinstein, and has performed for former president Ronald Reagan.
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2018-19 Season
15
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CONCERT IV - HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD Friday, March 1, 2019 McAllen Performing Arts Center | 8:00 PM 801 Convention Center Blvd, McAllen, TX A TRIBUTE TO MUSIC IN FILM BERNSTEIN
The Magnificent Seven
WAGNER
Tristan and Isolde Prelude and Love Death
TYZIK
The Big Movie Suite Tara’s Theme Laura Ben Hur Dr. Zhivago Lawrence of Arabia The Pink Panther The Way We Were Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky) INTERMISSION
MANCINI
Moon River (from Breakfast At Tiffany’s)
GERSHWIN
Rhapsody In Blue Anastasia Dedik, piano MAESTRO SPONSOR
Wanda Boush CONCERTMASTER SPONSOR
Drs. Tawhid & Mihaela Shuaib GUEST ARTIST SPONSORS
CONTRIBUTORS
ANASTASIA DEDIK - Guest Artist
Anastasia Dedik Biography Anastasia Dedik has been performing as a soloist and chamber musician on some of the most important stages in the world, including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, The Great Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia and many others. Anastasia has appeared as a soloist with Fort Worth Symphony, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, NYCA Symphony Orchestra, San Jose Symphony, and Oberlin Orchestra. She has been featured on RAI TV in Italy, NDR TV in Germany, ABC in NYC as well as in an episode of NBC’s “Law and Order SVU”, performing Beethoven’s “Appassionata” in an exciting episode “True believers”. Born and raised in St.Petersburg, Russia to a family of distinguished musicians, Anastasia graduated from The Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 2004 and moved to the United States to continue her education at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The Juilliard School on full talent scholarships. She has been the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including The Governor of Saint Petersburg Award for Achievements in Arts, Harold and Helene Schonberg Piano Scholarship and Susan W. Rose Fellowship at The Juilliard School in NYC. Anastasia isa top prizewinner of many International Piano Competitions, including “Bösendorferand Yamaha USASU” International Piano Competition, San Jose International Piano Competition, Pietro Argento International Piano Competition. Anastasia is a founding member of the The Prima Trio, an ensemble that burst onto the international stage when they won the Grand Prize at the Fischoff International piano competition. Since 2007 the Prima Trio has performed over 200 concerts in more than 20 states. The Prima Trio is managed by Lisa Sapinkopf Artists. Ms. Dedik’s début Solo CD was recorded at a live recital in Recco, Italy and was released by GPM Records in 2008. In 2015 she recorded Tchaikovsky-Pletnev’s “Nutcracker” Suite and “Pictures at an Exibition” by Mussorgsky. The CD “PIANO” was recorded at Yamaha Artist Services in New York City and has been released in 2015. Her playing has been praised by “New York Concert Artist Review” as “flawless and memorable” and “Highly accomplished and authentically Russian pianism” – David Beech, Peninsula reviews. In the past few seasons Anastasia has performed in New York, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Seattle, Miami, Washington DC, Los Angeles and other places. Her latest recording has been released on “Toccata Classics” and premieres works for piano and violin by Ukranian composer Theodore Akimenko. Anastasia is on faculty at Gracias School of Music at Mahanaim and is residingin New York City with her husband and their 4 year old daughter Anasofia, while managing a busy performing and teaching schedule.
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2018-19 Season
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VSO CONCERT IV PROGRAM NOTES Born April 4, 1922, New York: Died August 8, 2004, Ojai The Magnificent Seven Elmer Bernstein was delighted when director John Sturges asked him to write the score for the film The Magnificent Seven because he finally had a project where he could put his hobby of collecting and studying folk music to good use. Much of Bernstein’s score was based on traditional Mexican songs, a choice that the composer believed would draw the audience into the world of the film and bring a sense of authenticity to the narrative. He said: “I think what caught people’s imagination, there had been a sort of, what we may call a kind of commercial Western music, which had existed for years, which was not folk based. It was just inventive. What I did was folk based. It therefore had a different
kind of strength and a different kind of energy.” The score garnered him an Academy Award nomination and became an instant hit with audiences worldwide. The opening song was immensely popular, with sharp cracks at the beginning in the full orchestra that sound like gun shots and a soaring theme reminiscent of the open plains. When asked about the success of this soundtrack, Bernstein told a reporter: “I was in Spain…doing some concerts near Barcelona. We were in this tiny town. I sat down in a little sidewalk café. There was a mechanical horse that kids like to ride, you put a quarter in. All of a sudden it starts to play The Magnificent Seven! I thought, ‘Now I know what my life has been about!’”
Born May 22, 1813, Leipzig: Died February 13, 1883, Venice Tristan and Isolde: Prelude and Love Death Wagner began composing the opera Tristan und Isolde as early as 1856, interrupting his work on his music drama Siegfried to do so. The Prelude to the opera and the Love Death (Isolde’s aria at the conclusion of the third act) were first paired by Wagner during an orchestral performance in St. Petersburg in February of 1863, two years before the premiere of the opera itself. In the original score, Wagner called the prelude Liebestod and the finale Verklarüng (Transfiguration), but Franz Liszt accidentally confused the names in his piano transcription and these titles stuck in the form we use today. The opera tells the tale of doomed lovers whose ill-fated desires result in their deaths. In the story, Tristan has been charged with the duty of bringing Isolde safely to Cornwall, where she is to marry King Marke. Isolde is distraught and drinks a death potion, but her servant has switched it with a love potion that causes Isolde and
Tristan to fall in love. The couple meets secretly in the forest at night, but they are caught by King Marke’s guards and Tristan is mortally wounded. He escapes to his castle and Isolde follows, having realized that their love can only be fulfilled in death. Though the June 1865 premiere of Tristan und Isolde was mostly unsuccessful, the piece had a major impact on musicians for many years after. By using advanced techniques in harmony, Wagner was able to give expression to the unfulfilled longing of the main characters and illustrate their intimate connection. For the composer, the idea of using music to represent a character's innermost feelings and desires was more important than showing external actions or plot, relying on intense chromaticism to show the strength of passion between the lovers. The result was a powerful opera with music that continues to move audiences even today.
Arranged by Jeff Tyzik Jeff Tyzik’s The Big Movie Suite from 2006 comprises themes from eight beloved movie scores spanning over thirty-five years of cinema. The earliest music presented is “Tara’s Theme” from Max Steiner’s score to the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, which captures the grand majesty of the O’Hara family’s plantation in Georgia. Steiner used patriotic and folk songs as he wrote this
score, and these influences are clear in the nostalgic melody. Miklós Rózsa’s stirring music from Ben Hur of 1959 evokes the regal power of ancient Rome, while David Raskin’s “Laura” from 1944 is a haunting tune that has become a commonly performed jazz standard. Maurice Jarre composed the dramatic score for the film Dr. Zhivago in 1965, depicting the relationship between
VSO CONCERT IV PROGRAM NOTES ill-fated lovers in war-torn Russia. In contrast, Jarre’s main theme to Lawrence of Arabia from three years earlier uses exotic musical characteristics to show Lawrence’s vision of the Arabian deserts, vast lands filled with epic adventures. Bill Conti’s song “Gonna Fly Now” originated in the movie Rocky from 1977 and accompanies a montage of the main character’s training regimen before an important boxing match, his intense physical exertion matched by the punctuated rhythms of the music. The theme from The Pink Panther has a sound
that is instantly recognizable as the work of Henry Mancini. Written in 1963, the original version of this song is a jazzy instrumental number that features the tenor sax and accompanies the antics of an animated pink panther during the opening credits of the film. The song “The Way We Were” was a popular hit for singer Barbara Streisand in 1973 after she appeared as a main character in the film of the same name. Tender and nostalgic, this song is touched with melancholy for days long past.
Born April 16, 1924, Cleveland: Died June 14, 1994, Beverly Hills Moon River The film Breakfast at Tiffany’s was released in 1961 and featured legendary actress Audrey Hepburn in the leading role of a quirky New York socialite. In one scene, she sits in her apartment window, legs draped lazily out onto the fire escape, and commences to sing the nostalgic song “Moon River” while accompanying herself on the guitar. Since Hepburn was not a trained singer, the movie studio initially planned to dub the song with a professional vocalist, but Mancini promised to compose a song that Hepburn could sing herself. He recalled Hepburn singing in the 1957 film Funny Face, and he studied that performance to get a sense of her
vocal range and capabilities. Once he started “Moon River,” Mancini says that writing the music took only half an hour. He sent the completed melody to lyricist Johnny Mercer for words to be added, and Mercer created three different possible texts. They settled on lyrics describing the full moon hanging over the river in Mercer’s hometown of Savannah, Georgia, a sentimental scene that captured the hearts of Americans across the county. “Moon River” earned Mancini and Mercer an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1961 as well as two Grammy Awards in 1962.
Born September 26, 1898, New York: Died July 11, 1937, Hollywood Rhapsody In Blue In 1923, bandmaster Paul Whiteman decided to take his jazz ensemble in a bold new direction and planned a concert that would blend classical music with jazz, a very uncommon combination at that time. He asked George Gershwin to write a piano concerto for the concert, and Gershwin promised that he would consider the offer, but soon forgot about his promise and left the matter unsettled. Early the next year, Gershwin’s brother Ira was browsing the newspaper and happened to notice an article advertising Whiteman’s upcoming concert in which Gershwin received prominent billing as the soloist in a newly composed concerto. Realizing that he was at fault for this misunderstanding, Gershwin decided that he had no choice but to produce a suitable concerto quickly. He found his inspiration for Rhapsody In Blue on the train from New York to Boston: “It was on the train with its steely rhythms. Its rattlety-bang, that is often so stimulating to a composer, I suddenly heard – and even saw on paper – the complete construction of the
rhapsody, from beginning to end. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America – of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our blues, our metropolitan madness.” One of the most characteristic moments of Rhapsody In Blue does not belong to the solo piano but to the clarinet, who opens the concerto with a fantastic glissando sliding to the top of the instrument’s range. Gershwin had intended for each note to be played distinctly in a quick run, but Whiteman’s lead clarinet player was tired after a long day of rehearsing and slid up the scale instead as a joke. Gershwin loved the sound and insisted that it stay. At the premiere, Rhapsody In Blue made a huge impact on the crowd and received an overwhelmingly positive response. It remains a popular piece today for its soaring melodies and energetic sections brimming with the hustle and bustle of city life.
- Program notes by Heike Hoffer
CONCERT V – The 3 B’s: Beatles, Brahms And Beethoven Friday, April 5, 2019 McAllen Performing Arts Center | 8:00 PM 801 Convention Center Blvd, McAllen, TX A TRIBUTE TO MUSICAL GREATS BRAHMS
Academic Festival Overture
THE BEATLES/MANCINI
Portrait of The Beatles A Hard Day's Night And I Love Her All My Loving Norwegian Wood Michelle Yesterday INTERMISSION
BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, op. 125 Ode to Joy Soon Cho, Soprano Christina Marie Pier, Alto Eric Schmidt, Tenor TBA, Bass MAESTRO SPONSOR
Wanda Boush CONCERTMASTER SPONSOR
Drs. Tawhid & Mihaela Shuaib GUEST ARTIST SPONSORS
Col R.T. (Ret) & Carolyn Ann Dixon, Jr. Drs. Tawhid & Mihaela Shuaib CHORALE CONDUCTOR SPONSOR
Dr. Rudy Alvarez CONTRIBUTORS
VSO CONCERT V GUEST ARTISTS All concert dates, times, venue and guest artists are subject to change.
Soon Cho Mezzo-Soprano Lyric mezzo-soprano Soon Cho is both a performer and a teacher. Praised by Opera News for her “potent presence” and hailed by Cincinnati Post as “regal in bearing, with vocal endowments to match… [where] tears were listeners’ response to her heart-wrenching performance” as Dido, Cho has gained recognition for her sensitive artistry and winning execution on the concert and opera stages around the world. Cho began her professional singing career under the batons of world-renowned conductors such as Alan Gilbert, Kristjan Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Erich Kunzel, Julius Rudel, Mischa Santora, and David Zinman. Cho’s operatic roles include Der Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Costanza (L’Isola Disabitata), Mao’s 2nd Secretary (Nixon in China), Adalgisa (Norma), Mercedes (Carmen), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), and many more. She has performed with the Cincinnati Opera, Dayton Opera, Astoria Music Festival, New York Philomusica, Seongnam Arts Center Opera in Korea, Houston Grand Opera’s Opera-to-Go, Seattle Opera Outreach, Opera in the Heights, Opera Festival of Lucca, and Aspen Opera Theater. Currently a member of the voice faculty at Baylor University, Cho holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice with cognate fields of Vocal Pedagogy and Opera Stage Directing and an Artist Diploma in Opera from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Her students’ achievements include acceptance into prestigious graduate schools and summer programs. In addition, they have been semi-finalists and finalist winners of the Texoma Regional National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competitions.
Eric Schmidt Tenor Eric Schmidt made his company and role debut as the Hunter in the concert performances of Antonin Dvorak’s Rusalka last year. He has performed with the San Antonio Symphony as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah. Schmidt performed the roles of Larry/Matt in Opera piccolo of San Antonio’s production of The Face on the Barroom Floor in July 2012. In April of the valleyorchestra.org
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VSO CONCERT V GUEST ARTISTS All concert dates, times, venue and guest artists are subject to change.
same year he sang the role of Piquillo in Jacques Offenbach’s La Périchole at Amarillo Opera. A San Antonio native, Schmit received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Abilene Christian University and a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music. He is the Director of Choral Activities at St. Phillip’s College and is the artistic director for the San Antonio-based men’s chorus IlluMen.
Christina Marie Pier Alto American soprano Christina Pier has been hailed by Opera News for her “big, gleaming soprano and impressive coloratura.” Whether on the opera stage, concert platform or recital hall, Ms. Pier is consistently met with great critical and audience acclaim. In the spring 2019, Ms. Pier will perform as Micaëla in Carmen with Opera Carolina and Toledo Opera. Past engagements include leading roles with the Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, Nashville Opera, Virginia Opera, Princeton Festival, Eugene Opera, and Sarasota Opera. In addition, she understudied two roles with Lyric Opera Chicago. Ms. Pier has been a soloist with the Alabama Symphony, Bach Bay Chorale, Baltimore Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Charlotte Symphony, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Eugene Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Hartford Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica, Orquesta Sinfónica de México, the Rochester Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Virginia Symphony, and the Winston-Salem Symphony. Other performances include a recital for the George London Foundation, performances with the World Youth Orchestra throughout Italy and at the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations in New York, among many others. In 2009 she recorded Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem with David Hill and the BBC Singers, which is available on the Naxos label. Ms. Pier is the recipient of the 2003 Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, George London Award, Sullivan Award, two Charles A. Lynam awards, and two Palm Beach Opera Competition Awards. Originally from Flagstaff, AZ, Ms. Pier received a BM and MM in voice at Indiana University where she studied with Virginia Zeani. She is currently on the faculties at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Queens University. valleyorchestra.org
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VSO CONCERT V PROGRAM NOTES Born April 16, 1924, Cleveland: Died June 14, 1994, Beverly Hills Portrait of the Beatles Henry Mancini was an American arranger, composer, conductor, and pianist who wrote some of the most successful film scores of all time. His enduring melodies are instantly recognizable and many of his scores have substantially outlived the productions for which they were written. Mancini's influence as a Hollywood composer was felt most strongly between 1958 and 1965, partially due to his unique choice to feature jazz and popular music in his scores. His songs and instrumental works were all tremendously popular, prompting Mancini to arrange them as concert works that he could perform as a pianist and conductor. He later recorded many of these arrangements for RCA Records. Portrait of the Beatles was written in 1967 and highlights six of this beloved British band’s most popular songs from the mid-1960s. “A Hard Day’s Night” was featured in both a film and an album of the same title. The name of the song came from a comment made by the band’s drummer Ringo Starr, who often made innocent errors in speaking that were unintentionally poetic or clever. During an especially busy time, the Beatles had worked for almost twenty-four hours straight and Starr was
confused about the time, making the comment that eventually became the song’s title. “And I Love Her” also appeared on the A Hard Day’s Night album as a touching ballad written by Paul McCartney. “All My Loving” is also by McCartney, who said: "It was the first song [where] I'd ever written the words first. I never wrote words first, it was always some kind of accompaniment. I've hardly ever done it since either." “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” marked a milestone in the band’s maturity as musicians and songwriters. John Lennon’s lyrics are introspective and poetic, following the model of Bob Dylan, and the band’s choice to include Indian instruments such as sitar inspired many other bands to adopt similar approaches to incorporating non-Western instruments in their music. “Michelle” uses the French language, which is rare for the Beatles, and won a Grammy Award for “Song of the Year” in 1967. Finally, McCartney heard the melody for the melancholy ballad “Yesterday” in a dream, which he rushed to write down when he woke up. He worked on the song for an uncharacteristically long period of time, refining it until it became the tune beloved by so many fans today.
Born May 7, 1833, Hamburg [Germany]: Died April 3, 1897, Vienna, Austria-Hungary Academic Festival Overture When Johannes Brahms accepted an honorary doctorate from the University of Breslau in 1880 with a handwritten letter, the university informed him that a larger gesture of gratitude was expected. Their request for "a fine symphony … well orchestrated" annoyed Brahms, so he composed a piece for the occasion filled with humor at the institution’s expense. In a reference to the University's creation by the Habsburg emperor Leopold I, Brahms opens his Academic Festival Overture with a variation on the "Hungarian March," which was written as a protest song against the unjust rule of the Habsburg valleyorchestra.org
empire. After this introduction, Brahms builds the rest of the piece from settings of contemporary student drinking songs. The brass introduce the first of these songs, "Wir hatten gebauet ein stattliches Haus" or "We had built a stately house," which was identified with a politically controversial student group and had been banned for decades. Next, the violins begin a soaring, lyrical version of "Der Landesvater," a fraternity pledge song, before passing it on to the flute and oboe. Abruptly, the bassoons break in with "Fuchslied," or "Freshman Song." The comical timbre of the double reeds and the intensity of the following orchestration 2018-19 Season
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VSO CONCERT V PROGRAM NOTES augment the absurdity of the moment. Using these three songs plus the introductory march theme, Brahms weaves a wide array of orchestral colors through a brief but brilliant development section before restating each of the songs in order. The piece concludes with a fourth and final drinking song, "Gaudeamus Igitur" or "So Let Us Rejoice," which celebrates the carefree joy of youth. The
triumphant presentation belies the the risqué lyrics of the song. Brahms conducted the premiere of the Academic Festival Overture at what was supposed to be a solemn award ceremony at the University of Breslau in January of 1881. The piece’s premiere in Vienna was delayed for two weeks over concerns that the work might incite a student uprising.
Baptized December 17, 1770, Bonn: Died March 26, 1827, Vienna Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Opus 125, movement 4 (Ode to Joy) Many composers have a ninth symphony to their credit, but only Beethoven’s has had such a profound influence on society as a whole, making a compelling call for brotherhood and equality that touches our hearts through its brilliant musical construction and powerful text. The finale movement is based on the poem An die Freudeby Friedrich Schiller, who publishedthe textin 1786. Beethoven was already considering composing music to accompany the poem as early as 1793, but had to abandon his plan when the notoriously harsh censors in Vienna banned Schiller’s works due to what they perceived as “dangerous and immoral” content. By 1808 the tides had turned and the ban was lifted, finally allowing Beethoven to think seriously about working on An die Freude. Composition came slowly for Beethoven and only after painstaking labor, so it took fifteen more years of sketches and false starts before he finally completed his setting, which he placed in a prominent position in the brilliant finale of the Ninth Symphony. The premiere of the new symphony took place in Vienna on May 7,1824, and was a financial disaster, but there was great enthusiasm for the work among audience members. Beethoven was completely deaf, but he still insisted on leading the orchestra and choir himself despite the many problems it created for the musicians during rehearsals. Witnesses at the premiere reported that he continued conducting after the piece had ended because he could not hear that the music had ceased. As he was oblivious to the thunderous applause that filled the hall, alto soloist Karoline Unger took the composer's arm valleyorchestra.org
and gentlyturned him toward the audience so that he receive their heartfelt accolades. After experiencing the amazing craftsmanship of the first three movements, it is hard to imagine how Beethoven could surpass them, yet he manages spectacularly in the final movement by using chorus, something that had never been done in a symphony before. The finale movement opens with a raucous fanfare in the winds. The orchestra seems to search for a theme, but each new idea is interrupted by recitative-like passages in the low strings. Finally, the winds sound the famous Ode to Joy melody and the low strings carry it through a set of variations. The noisy wind fanfare is heard again, and the bass soloist sings a greeting where he announces that the orchestral sounds are not enough and must combine with voices to proclaim the joyful message. These words were not part of Schiller's poem and are Beethoven's own contribution to the text. Schiller’sAn die Freudefollows in the chorus and soloists. A march is heard as if it is far off in the distance, first in the contrabassoon and bass drum and then in the winds with a prominent part for the triangle. The march leads to a complicated double fugue followed by a simplified setting of the text. The music suddenly slows as the men, low strings, and trombones intone an other-worldly chant. The final section is a celebration in the orchestra as the full chorus expresses overwhelming joy interrupted only by an ecstatically virtuosic cadenza for the soloists. - Program notes by Heike Hoffer 2018-19 Season
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WELCOME TO THE CONCERT CLAPPING AND SHOWING APPRECIATION Not sure when to clap? No worries, follow the lead of the experienced audience members around you. If you’re still unsure when to applaud, watch the Conductor. When the he drops his hands down to his sides after a piece, the applause may begin. PLEASE, NO RECORDING Recording of any kind is strictly prohibited due to copyright and licensing issues. It also distracts performers and audience members around you. Flash photography is also strictly prohibited. Photos can be taken before, during intermission and after the performance. EXITING MID-PERFORMANCE If you must exit during a performance, please do so quietly and quickly, respecting those around you. When reentering, you must wait until the music has stopped between pieces or until after intermission. You may be asked to sit in the late seating section, should you move to re-enter during a performance. CELL PHONES / DIGITAL DEVICES Cell phones, watch alarms and other electronic
devices should be silenced prior to concert performances. TALKING / WHISPERING Even the quietest whisper can be heard in a resonant hall. Try to refrain from commenting on the music until the end of the performance. It will give you more to share during intermission! COUGHING / FOOD WRAPPING Muffle your cough with your hand or handkerchief. If possible, wait until the end of a movement or during a loud section of the music to muffle the sound of your cough. Bring cough drops but don’t unwrap them during a performance – this can be just as distracting as the cough itself. CURTAIN CALLS / ENCORES Audience enthusiasm is contagious. After the applause, the performers may return to stage and resume performance positions, signaling to the audience they will be going into an encore or bonus performance. Encores generally do not last very long, and are a great showcase for appreciations. You may also hear shouts of “Bravo!” or “Brava!” or “Brave’!” This simply means, “Well done!”
SYMPHONY STAFF
Katy Coy
Vivian Vargas
Executive Director
Marketing Manager
Rebecca F. Velasco
Scott Roeder
Catherine Norquest
Johnathan Vasquez
Orchestra Personnel Manager
Orchestra Librarian
Orchestra Crew Manager
2018-2019 ANNUAL FUND SPONSORS MAESTRO - $15,000 Mrs. Wanda Boush SYMPHONY CONCERT - $10,000 Frost .....................................................................................A Touch of Frost - Concert III Mrs. Trudie Elmore Abbott ..........................................Hooray for Hollywood - Concert IV CONCERTMASTER - $10,000 Doctors Tawhid and Mihaela Shuaib CHORALE CONDUCTOR - $5,000 Dr. Rudy Alvarez CHILDEN'S EDUCATION CONCERT - $5,000 BBVA Compass Bank Clark Knapp Honda / Clark Chevrolet IBC Bank IDEA Public Schools Dr. & Mrs. Jim and Jean Hinthorne PRINCIPAL CHAIR - $5,000 Mrs. Trudie Elmore Abbott and Mr. Glynn Morgan.......................Lindsey Gamble, violin Mrs. Trudie Elmore Abbott and Mr. Glynn Morgan ............................Krista Jobson, flute Mrs. Trudie Elmore Abbott and Mr. Glynn Morgan ..................Jared Broussard, trumpet Mrs. Trudie Elmore Abbott and Mr. Glynn Morgan................Philip Johnson, percussion Mr. & Mrs. Kirk and Jeri Clark..........................................................Jennifer Miller, viola Frost ........................................................................................Melissa Vaughan, clarinet Dr. & Mrs. William and Evelyn Gillum ...........................................Art Gonzalez, bassoon Dr. & Mrs. William and Evelyn Gillum ...........................................Yingching Jeter, oboe Mr. & Mrs. Gary and Bailey Gurwitz.....................................................Scott Roeder, tuba Dr. & Mrs. Jim and Jean Hinthorne...............................................Delaine Leonard, harp Loring Cook Foundation..............................................................Benjamin Ponder, cello Mr. Stanley Sherman..........................................................................Bill O'Neil, clarinet Mr. & Mrs. Frank and Joyce Smith..............................................Jacob Banda, trombone Mr. Tom & Dr. Nina Torkelson .....................................................Eric Ehramjian, bassoon Mr. & Mrs. Charles and Bennie Thompson........................................David Cassady, bass Mr. & Mrs. Charles and Bennie Thompson............................Barbara Keller, French horn GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR - $2,500 Atlas, Hall & Rodriguez, LLP............................................Christopher Atzinger - Concert I Col. R.T. (Ret) & Carol Ann Dixon........................................................Concert V Bass, TBA Dr. & Mrs. Joel & C.C. George..................................Christina Marie Pier, alto - Concert V Doctors Tawhid and Mihaela Shuaib.................................Eric Schmidt, tenor - Concert V Doctors Tawhid and Mihaela Shuaib......................Soon Cho, mezzo-soprano - Concert V Mr. Don Meyers .............................................................David Sadlier, tenor - Concert III Mr. Don Meyers.......................................................Nereida Garcia, soprano - Concert III Rio Bank....................................................................Anastasia Dedik, piano - Concert IV ORCHESTRA MUSICIAN SPONSORS - $1,500 Mrs. Visha Daniec .....................................................................Jonathan vasquez, violin Mrs. Sonia Garcia.............................................................................Mirelle Acuna, violin Dr. & Mrs. Joseph and Suzanne McDonald ........................................Anna Chance, cello valleyorchestra.org
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2018-2019 ANNUAL FUND SPONSORS ORCHESTRA MUSICIAN SPONSORS - $1,500 continued Mr. Don Meyers ...........................................................................Art Brownlow, trumpet Mrs. Alice Tavarez ....................................................................Adan Rosa, III, percussion Dr. & Mrs. Roger and Jolene Vitko.......................................................Danny Diaz, violin SYMPHONY PATRON SPONSOR - $1,000 Mr. & Mrs. Frederick J. and Sally G. Biel Mr. & Mrs. Philip & Beth Brown Mr. & Mrs Robert E. and Joyce F. Flaks Mr. & Mrs. Glen and Rita K. Roney
Mr. Guillermo Nañez-Falcón In memory of Don Alfredo Nañez and Clotilde Nañez-Falcón Seven Cities Foundation
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION - $1,000 Mrs. Trudie Elmore Abbott Dr. Fredricka A. Borland Mr. & Mrs. Othal E. Brand, Jr Mr. & Mrs. Sidney and Cynthia Brown Judge & Mrs. Randy and Michelle Crane Evening Primrose, LLC Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Joyce Flaks
IDEA Public Schools Lt. General and Mrs. Derald Lary Dr. & Mrs. Roberto and Joy Manllo-Karim Dr. & Mrs. Joseph and Suzi McDonald Mr. & Mrs. Willard and Ana Maria Moon Norquest Family Ventures, LLC Mrs. Amanda Norquest Chan Mr. Erik Paul Norquest
Ms. Meredith Norquest Flores, M.D. Mrs. Lisa Oliveira Mr. & Mrs. Rafael and Sony Rego Mr. & Mrs. Frank and Joyce Smith Mr. Mark Szumilewicz Mrs. Gloria Mae Vanderbeck
SYMPHONY DONOR - $100 - $999 Mrs. Deborah Alexander Arredondo & Cabriales, LLC Mr. David Adame Ms. Tina Atkins Ms. Handrel Avila Mr. & Mrs. Frederick J. and Sally G. Biel Mrs. Jeanne Blackburn Dr.& Mrs. Steven and Stephanie Block Mr. & Mrs. Spurgeon (Spud) and Jan Brown Mr. Daniel Clark Anne Walkercragg Judge & Mrs. Randy and Michelle Crane Mrs. Dorothy J. Christman Mr. Fernando De La Cerda Ms. Viviana Dominguez Coronado Mrs. Margaret Craun Trudy Tinsman Field Mr. Michael Tristan Flores Mrs. Geraldean B. Fritts Mr. & Mrs. Harold K. and Maria E. Foraker Mr. Phillip Garza
Mr. Fred Harms-AVL, LP Mr. Jack Hart Mrs. Gretchen Hausenfluck Mr. & Mrs. John and Marcia Ingram Doctors Jaime A. and Maria R. Jimenez Mrs. Jocelynn La Masters Mr. & Mrs. Harry and Vicki Leggett Mr. & Mrs. David & Rachel Loman Deanna Longoria Mr. Christopher Patrick Manllo-Sudario Mr. Robert Alexander Manllo-Sudario Ms. Sophia Isabella Manllo-Sudario Ms. Stephanie Alexis Manllo-Sudario Mr. William F. Martin Dr. Raul A. Martinez Dr. & Mrs. Joseph and Virginia Massey Ms. Beth Masso Mr. & Mrs. Robert and Margaret McAllen Mr. & Mrs. Bennie and Janette McDonald Mr. Donald G. Meyers Ms. Eva Mullis Ms. Rachel Niño
Mr. & Mrs. Neil and Virginia Norquest Mr. & Mrs. David and Susie Oliveira Ms. Nora E. Pérez Mrs. Jan Seale Mrs. Lori Shontz Mrs. Reba M. Showers Mr. Stefan Shuaib Mr. John Sigrist Mr. Israel Silva Mr. & Mrs. Joyce and Frank Smith Mr. Roger Solis Mr. & Mrs. Gabe and Martha Stahl Mr. & Mrs. Joseph and Margaret Sterk Mr. Jaime Tijerina Mrs. Josefina Vasquez Mrs. Pamela Abbott Voss Mr. Ernest Williams & Ann Williams Dr. & Mrs. Larry and Ruth M. Windle Mr. & Mrs. Jennifer and Mark Wright Mr. & Mrs. Joaquin and Elizabeth Zamora
MEMORIAL GIFTS Mrs. Alice M. Tavarez and Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. and Bennie Thompson, Jr. In Memoriam of Halina Rola and Jan Rola; Adam Daniec and Floyd Woods Ms. Visha Daniec Mrs. Trudie Elmore Abbott valleyorchestra.org
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CANTUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SPECIAL EVENTS
1601 N. 7th St. McAllen, TX 78501 E: info@cantuspecialevents.com Ph: (956) 668-9475 www.cantuspecialevents.com â&#x2014;?
2018-2019 VSO BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Philip K. Brown
Suzanne M. McDonald
Eva Mullis
Roxanna Marie Godinez
PRESIDENT Immediate Past Airport Director, Community Leader
VICE-PRESIDENT Community Leader, Arts
TREASURER Community Leader,
SECRETARY CEO Cornerstone Regional Hospital
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Frederick J. Biel
Michelle Crane
Dr. Roberto Manllo-Karim
Ernesto Sepulveda
South Texas Kidney Specialist, P.A.
BBVA Compass
Atlas, Hall & Rodriguez, LLP
Fernando De La Cerda
Harry Urey, Jr.
Dr. Nina Torkelson, M.D.
Senior Vice President IBC Bank
Pointer Realty South Texas
Physician
ADVISORY BOARD Jerry Sanchez O.E. Brand, Jr.
Beth Brown Visha Daniec
valleyorchestra.org
Dr. Raul Martinez Lisa Oliveira Joyce Smith
Eva Paschal Sylvia Saenz
Alice Tavarez Ruth Windle
2018-19 Season
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