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west michigan symphony concert magazine scott speck / music director volume 3 / october 2015 – may 2016

wms concertmaster jennifer walvoord

2015/16

west michigan symphony concert season SCOTT SPECK | MUSIC DIRECTOR FRIDAY | FRAUENTHAL THEATER | DOWNTOWN MUSKEGON

EAST MEETS WEST

October 2, 2015 | 7:30 pm | Austin Wintory Nascence and Apotheosis from Journey | Zhao Jiping Concerto no.2 for Pipa (WMS commission) Wu Man pipa | Rachmaninoff Symphony no.2

IGUDESMAN AND JOO: AND NOW MOZART October 16, 2015 | 7:30 pm | Aleksey Igudesman violin | Hyung-ki Joo piano

AMERICAN MUSIC: OLD AND NEW

November 6, 2015 | 7:30 pm | Mason Bates Mothership | Copland Clarinet Concerto Jonathan Holden clarinet Combining musical artistry with full-out slapstick, Igudesman and | Barber Overture to The School for Scandal Joo spoof the music of Mozart in a program that, according to the duo, “will contain absolutely NO Mozart!” and will strip the formality | Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story from classical music, leaving you laughing in the aisles.

HOLIDAY POPS

December 11, 2015 | 7:30 pm | Diane Penning soprano | Paul Langford tenor | WMS Children’s Choir, Beth Slimko, Director | Mona Shores Singers, Shawn Lawton, Director

BEETHOVEN AND BLUE JEANS

March 4, 2016 | 7:30 pm | Theofanidis Dreamtime Ancestors (WMS commission) | Beethoven Symphony no.1 | Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no.1 Conrad Tao piano

LUCK OF THE IRISH

January 15, 2016 | 7:30 pm | Andrew Koehler conductor | Cathie Ryan Irish music vocalist International recording artist Cathie Ryan warms up West Michigan with beloved ballads and traditional tunes of the Emerald Isle. Ryan and her band will provide a spirit-lifting evening of Irish music with the West Michigan Symphony.

BROADWAY GENTLEMEN April 15, 2016 | 7:30 pm | Nathaniel Stampley vocalist | Sean MacLaughlin vocalist | Edward Watts vocalist

VIVA ITALIA!

February 5, 2016 | 7:30 pm | Rossini Overture to The Italian Girl in Algiers | Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 Philippe Quint violin | Mendelssohn Italian Symphony

A STUDY OF CONTRASTS

May 20, 2016 | 7:30 pm | Tchaikovsky Symphony no.5 | Gershwin Concerto in F, Marcus Roberts Trio Hailed as “the genius of the modern piano,” Marcus Roberts joins WMS to bring real-time improvisation to his special arrangement of Gershwin’s Concerto in F.

For tickets and more info: westmichigansymphony.org | 231.726.3231 | 360 W Western Ave, 1st floor, Muskegon

What's Inside 2

Message from the President/CEO

3

Message from the Music Director

MUSIC DIRECTOR

5

About Scott Speck

Scott Speck

6

Board of Directors

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

7

Orchestra Personnel

8

About the Orchestra

Natalie Carmolli Director of Marketing and Sales

9

Welcome to The Block

David Dressel Stage Manager

10 Education Programs

Carla Hill President/CEO Rhonda Bogner, CPA Director of Finance

Cath Dubault Event Sales Manager Amanda Dykhouse Orchestra Librarian

12 Contributors

Perry Newson Director of Operations/Guest Artists

18 M.1 / East Meets West

Keely Payne Art Director/Marketing Coordinator

22 M.2 / American Music: Old and New

Gabe Slimko VP of Operations/Orchestra Personnel Manager Rita Smith Patron Services Manager/Tickets

26 P.1 / Holiday Pops

Emma Torresen Finance Manager

30 P.2 / Luck of the Irish

Karen Vander Zanden Director of Education

32 M.3 / Viva Italia!

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY CHILDREN'S CHOIR

38 M.4 / Beethoven and Blue Jeans

Beth Slimko Music Director/Conductor Karen Vander Zanden Choir Manager WEST MICHIGAN YOUTH SYMPHONY Angela Corbin Debut Strings Conductor

42 P.3 / Broadway Gentlemen 44 M.5 / A Study of Contrasts 48 Advertisers

Gabe Slimko WMYS Operations Manager The West Michigan Symphony is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides programs and services without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex or disability. Programs are funded in part by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

THEATER RULES/ETIQUETTE :: Latecomers will be seated by the ushers at a suitable pause in the program. :: Cameras and recording equipment are strictly prohibited. :: No food or drink allowed in the hall during the performance. :: Accommodations are available for hearing-impaired patrons.

Please see box office personnel.

TICKET OFFICE / 231.726.3231 x223 360 W. Western Avenue, Muskegon, MI 49440 Monday – Thursday, 10 am – 5:30 pm Friday (week of concert) 10 am – 5 pm Online at westmichigansymphony.org FIND US ONLINE Website: westmichigansymphony.org Website: theblockwestmichigan.org Facebook: facebook.com/wmsymphony Facebook: facebook.com/AtTheBlock Twitter: twitter.com/westmisymphony West Michigan Symphony 360 W. Western Avenue, Suite 200, Muskegon, MI 49440 p: 231.726.3231 e: info@westmichigansymphony.org Symphony concert tickets are also available at startickets.com, 800.585.3737

:: Quiet, please! We respectfully request that all light and sound emitting devices be turned off before entering the hall.

Patrons wearing hearing aids should be aware that such devices are sensitive to pitch and may transmit a shrill tone.

The wearer often is not conscious of this and nearby patrons may wish to alert them discreetly if this happens. We appreciate your cooperation in helping to make our concerts as enjoyable as possible for everyone.

Thank you to tonight’s ushers—volunteers courtesy of Friends of the Frauenthal.

PROGRAM NOTES All program notes by: Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn wordprosmusic.com All sales are final. Dates, artists and programs are subject to change.

A Message from Carla WELCOME, As we embark on our 76th season, I can’t help but reflect on the success of last season and of the West Michigan Symphony organization overall. As you are aware, last season was our first foray into offering single Friday evening concerts. No change comes without lessons learned, but fortunately most of our lessons were positive ones.

I am happy to report that last season we had sold out houses for two of our eight concerts. Overall, our audiences averaged over 80% capacity. I can’t tell you what a thrill it is for our musicians to play to a full house and for me to see the excitement that larger audiences bring. I hope you had a chance to experience that excitement last season and to meet new friends as well as re-engage with old ones.

Success also continues with our education programs. Last season we welcomed the WMS Children’s Choir to the stage for the first time to perform with the orchestra on both the Carmina Burana and the Christmas Magic concerts. The in-school recorder program, Link Up, continues to flourish, culminating with a concert that gives over 4,000 students from area schools a chance to perform with our orchestra at the Frauenthal Theater. In fact, our Director of Education, Karen Vander Zanden was invited

by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute to travel to New York City to share the successes about our program to a group of 40 orchestras from around the world.

DEBUT STRINGS Sun., Nov. 22, 2015 Sun., Mar. 13, 2016 3 pm @The Block ANGELA CORBIN music director 2 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

If you haven’t had a chance to visit The Block, the upcoming season holds a variety of entertainment options which you can read about in the pages of this magazine. Visitors to The Block can also view the 12 pieces of artwork that were commissions from 11 West Michigan artists as part of our 75th anniversary celebration.

We also celebrated our 75th with the release of our beautiful historical book, Substance and Light: 75 Years of the West Michigan Symphony by author Wallace K. Ewing, PhD. Finally, last season we were thrilled to announce that Scott Speck signed a new five year contract as WMS Music Director, ensuring you will continue to enjoy the high quality orchestral performances you have come to expect under his direction.

You are a big part of our success and you are why we do what we do. Thank you for your continued support and enjoy this evening’s concert.

Carla Hill President/CEO

A Message from Scott DEAR FRIENDS, It's hard to believe that our 75th season has come and gone. From capacity house for Carmina Burana to our "stellar" survey of The Planets, we felt a beautiful and thrilling bond with you.

As we enter our 76th year of great performances, we have decided to up the ante. The West Michigan Symphony’s 2015-16 season brings to life an overture by Rossini, symphonies by Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, piano concertos by Tchaikovsky and Gershwin and a violin concerto by Mendelssohn. We also conjure up powerful modern masterpieces by Mason Bates, Zhao Jiping, Christopher Theofanidis and Austin Wintory—two of which we co-commissioned ourselves—plus treasures by Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein.

The guest artists we’re bringing to you this season also up the ante. Pianist Conrad Tao scales Tchaikovsky’s treacherous heights, while pianist Marcus Roberts and his trio add an element of true improvisation. Our own Principal Clarinetist, Jonathan Holden, takes the spotlight in Copland’s jazzy and sublime Clarinet Concerto, Philippe Quint brings a Romantic soul to the violin; and Chinese Pipa virtuoso Wu Man returns with a concerto written especially for her, and for us!

In the realm of Pops, we are excited to welcome Diane Penning and Paul Langford for a concert of holiday favorites, the Broadway Gentlemen put a vigorous spin on America’s beloved show tunes, and we look forward to sharing the stage with Celtic singer Cathie Ryan and her band.

Of course, joining us all season are our spectacularly talented and energetic musicians—the true jewels of the West Michigan Symphony—here in the splendor of the Frauenthal Theater.

As you enjoy our performances this season, we hope you will reflect on our proud history, and on all the music we've brought to life for over three-quarters of a century. I assure you that all of us on the concert stage are thinking and feeling the same thing.

We are grateful to the community that has fostered our growth and allowed us to thrive. This orchestra that we love belongs to the generations—and it belongs to you.

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Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 3

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A SEASON FOR LOVE 2015–2016 season tickets now on sale.

Contact the Box Office at 616.451.2741 or Ticketmaster. Student “Passport to the Opera� is just $5 for any performance.

Learn more at operagr.org.

journalism For more than 158 years, we set the standard for print media, and now we continually innovate in digital media to meet the emerging needs of the modern reader. In addition to 24/7 news on any device, our newsrooms and news feeds are built for maximum interactivity and responsiveness to readers. Wherever you are, whenever you need it, we put the news in your hands.

Celebrating 99 Years of Arts & entertainment in the White Lake Community 304 S. Mears, WhitehalL 231.894.4048 www.howmetplayhouse.org

THEATER ETIQUETTE Q: Is there a correct way to enter a partly occupied row of seats in a theater?

A. Scoot sideways with you knees slightly bent and your buttocks facing the person seated. In the event a theater patron refuses to stand or twist to the side to let you pass, try grinding your heel into the toe of the person seated.

Jackie Engel, CFPÂŽ, CRPCÂŽ Financial Advisor

4 ::

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Scott Speck, Music Director

Scott Speck has inspired international acclaim as a conductor of passion, intelligence and winning personality. Now in his thirteenth year as Music Director of the West Michigan Symphony, he is also Music Director of the Mobile Symphony, Music Director for the Joffrey Ballet and Artistic Director of the Chicago Philharmonic Society. When you attend a West Michigan Symphony concert you'll find the way Speck communicates his love and knowledge of the repertoire makes each concert a memorable musical experience.

and Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Opera. During a tour of Asia he was named Principal Guest Conductor of the China Film Philharmonic in Beijing.

Scott Speck is a great communicator of classical music. He exudes his passion for music in every gesture and every word.

Mr. Speck has been a regular commentator on National Public Radio, the BBC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Voice of Russia. He has been featured in TEDx talks in Muskegon and at the Aspen Ideas Festival. His writing has been featured in numerous magazines and journals.

—David Styers, American Symphony Orchestra League

Among Speck's many credits include conductor at London’s Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the Paris Opera, Washington’s Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, the Los Angeles Music Center, and he was invited to the White House as Music Director of the Washington Ballet. He has led performances with the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Houston, New Orleans, Beijing, Vancouver, Chicago (Sinfonietta), Paris, Moscow, Shanghai, Romania, Slovakia, Buffalo, Columbus (OH), Honolulu, Louisville, Oregon, Rochester, Florida and Virginia, and more.

Previously he held positions as Conductor of the San Francisco Ballet, Music Advisor and Conductor of the Honolulu Symphony,

Speck is the co-author of two best-selling books on classical music, the recently released second edition of Classical Music for Dummies, and Opera for Dummies. Speck has also co-authored a third book in the series, Ballet for Dummies.

Born in Boston, Scott Speck graduated summa cum laude from Yale University. There he founded and directed the Berkeley Chamber Orchestra, which continues to perform to this day. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Berlin, where he founded Concerto Grosso Berlin, an orchestra dedicated to the performances of Baroque and Classical music in a historically informed style. He received his Master’s Degree with highest honors from the University of Southern California, served as a Conducting Fellow at the Aspen School of Music, and studied at the Tanglewood Music Center. He is fluent in English, German and French, has a diploma in Italian, speaks Spanish and has a reading knowledge of Russian. ••

Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 5

Frauenthal Theater Seating Chart STAGE 1

C

14

MAIN FLOOR

1

F

C

1

F

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

SOUND BOOTH

1

Ken Hoopes

David F. Gerdes Treasurer

Michael Olthoff

Susan Bissell Past Chair

Gil Segovia

Jan L. Deur

Bryce E. Tallant

Tom Godfrey

Steve Westphal

A

14

1

A

1

G

14 RIGHT

F 14

UPPER BALCONY

M

CENTER

S

TIER 1

Paul R. Jackson Secretary AA

F

LEFT

Kimberly L. Hammond

DD

CENTER

1

Pete Brown Chair

AA

LEFT

14

The Board of Directors of the West Michigan Symphony is an active and involved group that takes its fiduciary and oversight responsibilities very seriously. The Board is made up of business and community leaders and volunteers from throughout the communities served by the WMS. Board members actively participate in committees that are involved in all aspects of the organization.

DD

LOWER BALCONY 14

2015/2016 Board of Directors

1

G

1

M

14

RIGHT

S

TIER 2

TIER 3

TIER 4

Wheelchair accessible seating and/or special seating needs, please call West Michigan Symphony Ticket Office

SYMPHONY OR THE BLOCK TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: West Michigan Symphony Ticket Office 360 W. Western Avenue, 1st Floor Muskegon, MI 49440 p:231.726.3231 f:231.457.4033 westmichigansymphony.org WMS Ticket Office Hours Monday-Thursday 10 am – 5:30 pm Friday (week of concert) 10 am – 5 pm A special thank you to The Hearthstone Bistro for being our season-long ticket sponsor.

A Letter from the Board Chair WELCOME MUSIC LOVERS, We are happy you have joined us for West Michigan Symphony’s 76th season.

Music Director Scott Speck has created an exciting repertoire featuring old favorites and new pieces, classical and modern, that will delight and challenge you. Many concerts will feature outstanding guest artists performing with our world class orchestra, and as a special treat, this season the orchestra will proudly perform two new compositions co-commissioned by West Michigan Symphony.

In addition to orchestra concerts at the Frauenthal Theater, please also join us at The Block, West Michigan Symphony’s unique performance space that is helping light up Muskegon’s downtown. Performances at The Block will include recitals by many of our orchestra professionals and guest artists in a wide range of musical genres, and even some theatrical offerings. All of this great entertainment is presented in a comfortable, intimate space where conversation and cocktails are encouraged!

Finally, we’d like to thank you, our sponsors and our donors, for your support. You are all members of the West Michigan Symphony family. Your passion and commitment to fine musical performance and culture in West Michigan sustains all we do.

Symphony concert tickets are also available at startickets.com or 800.585.3737 (fees applied) or Frauenthal Box Office.

6 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

Pete Brown West Michigan Symphony Board Chair

West Michigan Symphony Personnel FIRST VIOLIN Jennifer Walvoord concertmaster Gene Hahn assc. concertmaster Jacie Robinson asst. concertmaster Adam Liebert asst. principal Jenna Anderson Oleg Bezuglov Jennifer Kotchenruther Joo Yun Preece Oxana Sourine Carla Joy Strand Delia Turner SECOND VIOLIN Amanda Dykhouse principal Mark Portolese assc. principal Vitezslav Cernoch Francine Harris Karen-Jane Henry Natalie Hockamier Britta Bujak Portenga Carol Wildgen Tatiana Zueva VIOLA Open Position principal Mikhail Bugaev assc. principal Csaba Erdelyi Evgeny Gorobstov Antione Hackney R. Rudolph Hasspacher Sara Rogers CELLO Alicia Gregorian Sawyers principal Igor Cetkovic assc. principal Brook Bennett asst. principal Lee Copenhaver Tina Horrigan Chi-Hui Kao Willis Koa Calin Muresan BASS Michael Crawford principal Mark Buchner assc. principal Robert Johnson Jonathan Reed Dennis Bergevin

FLUTE Jill Marie Brown principal Open Position 2nd flute Leslie Deppe piccolo OBOE Gabriel Renteria principal Timothy Sawyier Phil Popham English horn CLARINET Jonathan Holden principal Stephanie Hovnanian Lisa Raschiatore bass clarinet BASSOON Vincent Karamanov principal Jason Kramer HORN Paul Clifton principal Greg Bassett Lisa Honeycutt assc. principal Leah Brockman TRUMPET Pamela Smitter principal Bill Baxtresser Open Position 3rd trumpet TROMBONE Edward Hickman principal Joe Radtke Open Position bass trombone TUBA Clinton McCanless principal TIMPANI Open Position principal PERCUSSION Matthew Beck principal Eric Jones HARP Sylvia Norris principal

Presented by West Michigan Symphony and Music Director Scott Speck

IGUDESMAN & JOO

AND NOW MOZART Friday October 16 7:30 pm Frauenthal Theater | Muskegon

Aleksey Igudesman violin Hyung-ki Joo piano Tickets start at $27.50 Student tickets: $16.50 westmichigansymphony.org | startickets.com 231.726.3231 x223 360 W Western Avenue | 1st floor | Muskegon

“Their blend of classical music and comedy, laced with pop culture references and a wholly novel take on the word slapstick, is fueled by genuine, dazzling virtuosity.”

—The New York Times

PIANO/CELESTE Kelly Karamanov principal Note: The West Michigan Symphony Orchestra does not perform in this program.

Photo by Julia Wesely.

Concert Sponsor:

Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 7

About the West Michigan Symphony

West Michigan Symphony at the Frauenthal Theater (September 2014))

The West Michigan Symphony (WMS) is a widely recognized professional orchestra and proud to be a leader in West Michigan’s cultural community for over 75 years.

Mr. A. M. Courtright, and Mr. Palmer Quackenbush are credited with early pioneering efforts to provide Muskegon with a symphony orchestra. In November 1939 a musical group of 50 members presented its first concert with Mr. Quackenbush conducting and Mr. Courtright assisting. Performances were initially held in area schools and later moved to the historic Frauenthal Theater. Built in 1929, the 1724 seat Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts is praised by artists and audiences alike for its extraordinary beauty, excellent acoustics and broad sight lines.

Today WMS is comprised of professional musicians of the highest caliber playing extremely challenging repertoire and presenting some of the world’s most talented guest artists. WMS performs eight subscription concerts (five classical and three pops) per season. In the past 75 years WMS has seen nine conductors including Quackenbush, Tauno Hannikainen, Hugo Kolberg, Wayne Dunlap, Lyman Starr, John Wheeler, Philip Greenberg, Murray Gross, and current Music Director Scott Speck.

In 2013 WMS moved its offices into new headquarters on the second floor of the Russell Block Building at 360 W. Western Avenue. Adjacent to the offices is "The Block," an intimate concert and education space, and a rental facility for weddings and special events. With flexible seating for up to 150, it features a lounge and dressing room area, small balcony, windows facing Muskegon Lake, and an outdoor deck made of recycled materials with green spaces. The Block allows WMS to increase its presence in downtown Muskegon by expanding its ticket operations on the first floor and presenting smaller concerts and performances, welcoming artists in genres from theatrical, to classical, to cabaret, to alternative.

8 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

Music Director Scott Speck

OUR MUSICIANS At the heart of the Symphony are our musicians and for the majority of them, music is their livelihood.

When they aren’t practicing, rehearsing or performing a classical or pops concert with WMS, many of them are working with orchestras throughout West Michigan and beyond, including those in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Midland, Battle Creek, Holland and Traverse City. With advanced degrees in performance and a commitment to symphonic music, you will find many of our musicians on the music faculties of major Michigan universities, teaching privately, giving recitals, and playing with fellow musicians in small ensembles.

Welcome to The Block

360 W. Western Ave, 2nd Floor For tickets and info for upcoming concerts: theblockwestmichigan.org facebook.com/AtTheBlock 231.726.3231

A simple, accessible, inspirational space where honest music can happen— not to you, but with you. A place where music pushes the boundaries of tradition and expectation and encourages investigation. Concerts at The Block will include an intriguing, cross-pollinated mix of music that can be intimate or explosive, but always entertaining. The Block features a broad mix of entertainment from live theatre, to cabaret, to a fusion of jazz and beatbox, to superstar violin and piano performances.

The Block is located on the second floor of 360 W. Western Avenue in an 1800 square foot space with flexible seating on two levels for up to 150 audience members.

Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 9

Education Programs

Music Mentor Leah Brockman (WMS French horn)

WMS Children's Choir concert at The Block (Spring 2015)

West Michigan Symphony believes that a foundation in music education can give kids the tools they need to better navigate through life. We are dedicated to providing our local youth with programs that will help them develop an appreciation for music that they will carry with them their entire lives.

The National Arts Education Association lists numerous benefits that children receive when they participate in the arts; these are just a few of them: • The arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships.

• The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer.

• The arts teach students that small differences can have large effects.

• The arts help children learn to say what cannot be said.

Music not only impacts academic achievement, it also shapes the way students understand themselves and the world around them.

For kids who struggle academically, but have a talent and passion for music, it can be the motivator that brings them to school each day and allows them to shine and feel good about themselves. For kids who are academically strong, music can be the place where they truly are inspired to stretch and reach their full potential. Music in our schools nurtures our young people's hearts, souls, minds, and imagination. If you agree, let your voice be heard, and ensure that music in our schools remains a priority for all of our children.

—An area teacher and Link Up participant

10 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY CHILDREN’S CHOIR (WMSCC) With an emphasis on the development of musical skills and understanding, the WMSCC cultivates and encourages student achievement through quality music education and the pursuit of artistic excellence in choral music. An audition-only choir for kids ages 8-11, WMSCC is under the direction of Music Director Beth Slimko and rehearses weekly at The Block. WMSCC provides unique choral performance opportunities for children and this year along with their spring concert they will have the opportunity to sing at the WMS Holiday Pops concert.

DEBUT STRINGS Debut Strings introduces beginning and intermediate students to large ensemble performance through challenging and diverse repertoire. Students in Debut Strings have at least two years of playing experience and strong note reading skills. Debut Strings rehearses once a week throughout the fall and spring and performs two concerts annually at The Block.

CLICK CLACK MOOSIC Created by WMS, Click Clack Moosic is based on books by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin. Children and their families attend a musical storytelling event where they meet WMS musicians and learn new music skills through fun and interactive skits. In these performances, children listen to a narration of one of the Click Clack Moo series of books while Symphony musicians perform music composed specifically for the Click Clack stories. All three Click Clack stories give children a fun way to learn musical concepts and experience how music can tell a great story.

Link Up (April 2015) Click Clack Moosic at The Muskegon Farmer's Market (October 2014) Instrument Petting Zoo at the Muskegon Farmer's Market (Summer 2015)

INSTRUMENT PETTING ZOO Providing a hands-on experience creating sounds on musical instruments, the WMS Instrument Petting Zoo is an exciting way to show children they have the potential to play an instrument well before middle school band programs begin. Offered regionally at elementary schools, community events and as an occasional preconcert activity for youth and families attending a WMS concert, the Petting Zoo features instruments from each of the four families (strings, woodwind, brass and percussion) and children are able to handle and play them during the 45-minute program.

LINK UP Since 2004 the West Michigan Symphony has partnered with area elementary schools to introduce kids to music via the Carnegie Hall Link Up recorder program. Students learn to read music, play the recorder and meet WMS professional musicians. In the spring students play their recorders in a live performance at the Frauenthal Theater with WMS musicians. To date, over 37,000 students from over 50 elementary schools in five West Michigan counties have participated. Local foundations, corporations, and individuals generously support Link Up to keep it free to students and schools.

The program culminates in the spring with a day of live performances in the Frauenthal Theater. At these performances, over 4,000 students from West Michigan schools are split into groups and participate in three back-to-back performances, singing and playing the recorder along with the Symphony in hour-long concerts. These performances provide them with an opportunity to apply the musical concepts they have studied.

provided free to the schools, teachers guide students in exploring music through a composer’s lens, participating in active music making in the classroom.

WMS is participating in its 12th year presenting the Link Up program in collaboration with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. Link Up pairs orchestras across the country with schools in their local communities inviting them to learn about orchestral repertoire through a yearlong, hands-on music curriculum. Each year, students explore a core musical concept such as melodic motifs in The Orchestra Rocks. Using materials

MUSIC MENTOR PROGRAM Developed by WMS as a companion to Link Up, the Music Mentor Program provides students with classroom visits from a professional WMS musician. This year eight music mentors will work with students in the Link Up program, encouraging them to continue to practice and appreciate the music and the repertoire they are learning.

Click Clack Moosic at The Block (February 2014)

For more information or to support these programs contact Karen Vander Zanden, Director of Education at 231.928.5738 Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 11

Contributors Contributors listed here made gifts from September 1, 2014, through August 31, 2015. We have given careful attention to ensure a complete and accurate list. If your name has been misspelled or omitted, please accept our apologies and inform us of the error by calling 231.726.3231 x223.

Sustaining Fund

The generosity of numerous individuals, corporations and foundations of the Sustaining Fund has been instrumental in advancing the artistry and musical excellence of the West Michigan Symphony. We extend our deepest appreciation to you for helping to make the West Michigan Symphony a cultural touchstone in our community.

75th Anniversary Circle Campaign

In honor of the Symphony’s 75th Anniversary, Mike and Kay Olthoff generously offered a 3-year challenge match up to $75,000 each year beginning in 2014. Thank you to the many supporters who made a 3-year pledge or a gift during the first year of this significant fundraising campaign. +Denotes 75th Anniversary Circle Campaign Diamond Circle Member ++Denotes 75th Anniversary Circle Campaign Member *Denotes a fund of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County **Denotes a fund of the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation

DONORS Golden Baton: $10,000 & up Jan & Christine Deur+ Pat & Julie Donahue+ Bari Johnson+ Mike & Kay Olthoff Brooks Wheeler Estate Virtuoso Circle: $8,000-$9,999 Deborah DeVoursney David Gerdes & Carolyn Smith-Gerdes+ Concertmaster Circle: $4,000-$7,999 Anonymous+ Jon & Jane Blyth+ Dr. Harold E. Bowman+ Kimberly Hammond+ matched by The Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc. Carla Hill+ Douglas & Janet Hoch+ Robert & Wendy Kersman+ Jack & Becky Slimko+ Verplank Donor Advised Fund** Orchestra Circle: $1,500-$3,999 Roger A. & Marilyn V. Andersen+ Luanne & Bill Baldridge+ William & Susan Bissell++ Sherry & Pete Brown+ Curtis Chambers++ Lowell & Nel Dana Marcia D'Oyly Cathleen & Robert A. Dubault+ William & Mary Lou Eyke Martha Giacobassi

Paul & Karen Jackson+ Charles Johnson II+ Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Kelso+ Paul & Barbara Kidd+ Daniel & Sheryl Kuznar Clara Lang++ John & Jessie Martin+ Douglas & Patricia McKibben Barbara J. Murphy+ Joanna & Fred Norris Michael & Corina Soimar Mort & Gayle Speck+ Scott Speck+ Jane & Tim Stoepker++ David & Linda Taylor++ Peter M. Turner+ Thomas & Elizabeth Tuttle+ Norna Verplank Steven & Rebecca Westphal+ Judy Wilcox+ Benefactor: $700-$1,499 Charles & Gloria Alstrom Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Cathy & Bernie Berntson Fund* Gordon & Mary Buitendorp Michael Cerminaro, DDS & Connie Verhagen, DDS Dr. Donald & Nancy Crandall++ Dr. & Mrs. David Deitrick++ Marti Driscoll++ David Jespersen Tom & Diane Jones Justin & Kathleen Kleaveland++ Amy Klop

12 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

Robert & Jo Ann Landman Leonel L. & Mary Loder Fund* Charles Matthews & Kay Cater Matthews++ Steve & Debbie Olsen William L. "Bill" Rogers++ Gabriel & Beth Slimko++ Rita Smith Susan & Stephen Struck++ Tom & Liz Trzaska++ John & Peggy Whitlock Patron: $400-$699 Harold H. Andersen Living Trust Gus & Debby Barkett Herb & Anne Bevelhymer Gregory E. Bradbury Maureen Campbell Dr. Paul & Nancy Christie Dr. Mark & Kristina Clark Jane Connell & Steven Rosen++ Joel & Linda Engel++ Tim & Anne Erickson++ Eugene & Karen Fethke Robert & Clara Harrell Judith Hayner Mr. & Mrs. Bill Hendrick John L. & Linda P. Hilt Advised Fund* Barbara & Hugh Hornstein Wilda James F. Martin & Dorothy A. Johnson Family Fund** Ruth & Bob Keessen Kent & Charlotte Krive John & Linda McKendry Mark & Bonnie Meengs Hester P. Newton Dr. & Mrs. Richard W. Peters Grace Romzick

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Contributors Alice Michaud Patrick & Sheila Miller Phyllis Monte Martha Muir David R. Nancarrow Matt & Laurel Nease Kathryn L. Neumann Fred & Linda Nicles Bonnie Nyenhuis++ Steve & Kathleen Parker++ David & Beth Pickard Dr. & Mrs. Nicolas Pietrangelo Gary & Beth Post Sylvia Precious++ C. Bruce & Shirley Privacky++ Gary & Pennie Robertson Merry Rosenberg Timothy & Marilyn Ryan++ Stephen Schmidt Gwynne & Steve Schoff Glenn Sheathelm Harrison & Charlynne Sikkenga Jay & Joanne Sikkenga Linda Slade Dar Smith Hayden Smith Don & Lisa Spezia++ Bill Papo & Julie Stewart Clifford & Lucia Storr++ Julie & Robert Stuberg Robert & Lee Suits David & Karin Summers Family in memory of Margaret White Janet Sutherland++ Howard & Marilyn Swanson James & MaryAnn Thelen Marvin Thomas++ Dick & Shirley Tindall Tosa Family Richard & Marge Tourre Roger & Rebecca Tuuk Bill & Beverly Uetricht John & Barbara Usmial++ Mr. & Mrs. David Utzinger Nina & Bruce Van Dop Nancy Vanderwest Marsha VanLente++ Michael & Patricia Wade++ John & Kathryn Walson Brian & Debra Walters Jolee Wennersten David & Juanita Wikman Brewster & Mary Ellen Willcox Ellie Williams Joe & Cindy Wolff++ Jessica Wolin & Frank Crownover++ George & Doris Worden Mary & Robert Wygant

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14 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

James & Susan Geisler Donald & Kay Green John & Barbara Hermanson Patricia Hesling Connie Holley Mary Anne & Thom Hornik Micaela S. Iovine Pat & Tom Johnson William & Jeanne Karis Jack & Joanne Kelley Ed & Lynne Kinkema Justin & Kathleen Kleaveland Randy & Debra Knapp Dr. Ray & Betsy Komray Clara Lang Olga MacDowell Rosalie Mancier Joe & Lila Manhart Charles Matthews & Kay Cater Matthews Don Matthews Shirley McIntire Howard & Carole Meade Roger & Jane Missimer Perry & Deb Newson Bonnie Nyenhuis Steve & Kathleen Parker Irene Pierson Sylvia Precious Russell & Margaret Price C. Bruce & Shirley Privacky Susan Rehrer William L. "Bill" Rogers Timothy & Marilyn Ryan Sawyer Family Fund* Stephen Schneider & Keely Payne-Schneider Jocelyn Shaw & Doug Hannink Gabriel & Beth Slimko Helen & Jay Smith Vivian Sorden Don & Lisa Spezia Jane & Tim Stoepker Clifford & Lucia Storr Susan & Stephen Struck Janet Sutherland David & Linda Taylor Marvin Thomas Carol Parker Thompson Mary Towner Tom & Liz Trzaska John & Barbara Usmial Virginia Gay Van Vleck Marsha VanLente Michael & Patricia Wade Steven & Rebecca Westphal Joe & Cindy Wolff Jessica Wolin & Frank Crownover Jane Wright Louise Yonkers Robert & Joanne Zayko

September 1, 2014 – August 31, 2015

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Dr. & Mrs. John Cress Hester P. Newton Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 15

Contributors West Michigan Symphony Education Programs CLICK CLACK MOOSIC Eagle Alloy, Inc. Cheryl & Dennis Loveland Jean & Clarke Manning Fund* CHILDREN'S CHOIR Greater Muskegon Service League Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.

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September 1, 2014 – August 31, 2015 Julia Norris Fugate Martha Giacobassi Margot Haynes Carla Hill Sally Kenrick Robert & Wendy Kersman Kent & Charlotte Krive Olga MacDowell Joe & Lila Manhart David & Julia Marckini Charles Matthews & Kay Cater Matthews Paul & Winnie McNergney Richard & Nancy Morgenstern Barbara J. Murphy Kathy Neff Kathryn L. Neumann Hester P. Newton Bonnie Nyenhuis Steve & Debbie Olsen Garry & Charlotte Olson Drs. Travis & Michelle Piper Hack & Joan Ramseyer William & Avis Randall David & Georganna Rice John Saling Gwynne & Steve Schoff Colleen & Joe Skendzel Jack & Becky Slimko Carol Parker Thompson Peter M. Turner Michael & Patricia Wade John & Peggy Whitlock matched in part by Gerber Foundation Marilyn L. Wikman Judy Wilcox Jane Wright Robert & Joanne Zayko

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16 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

The Block CORPORATE, ARTS COUNCIL & FOUNDATION DONORS $10,000 and up Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs CAPITAL CAMPAIGN $5,000-$9,999 Hines Corporation Daniel & Sheryl Kuznar $1,000-$4,999 Warner Norcross & Judd LLP Up to $999 Don & Kathy Dahlstrom matched in part by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Carla Hill Anonymous Jocelyn Shaw & Doug Hannink Scott Speck Tom & Liz Trzaska George & Doris Worden CONCERT UNDERWRITERS

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Edye Evans Hyde jazz vocalist w/combo Fri, Sept 25 7:30 pm

The School for Scandal Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company theatre: comedy

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Diane Penning and Paul Langford cabaret and vocal favorites

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Sat, Dec 12 7:30 pm

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Infinitus String Trio beatbox/classical/jazz/hip hop fusion

Marcus Roberts jazz piano solo

Sat, Apr 16 7:30 pm

Fri, Apr 29 7:30 pm

Sat, May3//October 21 7:30 pm Volume 2015 – May 2016 :: 17

Program Notes

East Meets West October 2, 2015 | Friday | 7:30 pm Scott Speck, conductor Wu Man, pipa

Austin Wintory

Nascence and Apotheosis from Journey

Zhao Jiping Wu Man, pipa

Pipa Concerto no.2 (WMS Co-commissioner) Adagietto – Andante – Allegro – Andantino – Andante – Moderato – Subito Allegro – Andantino – Andante

INTERMISSION Sergei Rachmaninoff

Symphony no.2, Op. 27, in E minor I. Largo – Allegro moderato II. Allegro molto III. Adagio IV. Allegro vivace

AUSTIN WINTORY (b. 1984) Nascence and Apothesis from the video game Journey

Born in Denver, Austin Wintory started composing compulsively at ten. During high school he composed for the student orchestra, then went on to study composition at New York University and the University of Southern California.

Wintory is best known for his scores for video games, the first being flOw in 2006 and the most successful one to date, Journey, in 2012. The latter became the first-ever Grammy-nominated video game score. He has also scored over 45 feature films.

The developers of the game describe Journey as “…an interactive parable, an anonymous online adventure to experience a person’s life passage and their intersections with other’s. You wake alone and surrounded by miles of burning, sprawling desert, and soon discover the looming mountaintop, which is your goal.

“Faced with rolling sand dunes, age-old ruins, caves and howling winds, your passage will not be an easy one. The goal is to get to the mountaintop, but the experience is discovering who you are, what this place is, and what is your purpose.”

Concert Sponsor: Howmet Community Fund

at the Community Foundation for Muskegon County

Adult gamers claim that the musical score supplies more than background ear candy; that it contributes in an integral way to the existential qualities of the journey. An analogy might be Mendelssohn’s incidental music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Without familiarity with Shakespeare’s play, the listener loses a critical dimension and understanding of the music, which itself is an interpretation of the play.

The soundtrack of Journey has acquired a life of its own, independent of the game. The cello theme, which opens the first plateau of the game, represents the player’s embarkation on his journey. It serves also as a Leitmotif for the journey itself. And in “Apotheosis,” the final stage of enlightenment, its initial notes are enhanced with both melodic and orchestral variations.

18 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

ZHAO JIPING (b. 1945) Pipa Concerto no.2 Lead commissioner: Sydney Symphony Orchestra Co-lead commissioner: China National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA ) Co-commissioners: Buffalo Philharmonic Canton Symphony Orchestra Louisiana Philharmonic Luxembourg Philharmonic San Diego Symphony Santa Rosa Symphony West Michigan Symphony The pipa is a four-stringed pear-shaped instrument resembling the European lute in shape and the mandolin in sound. References to it appeared in Chinese texts from more than 2,000 years ago. With limited resonance and ability to sustain sound, the pipa sounds dry, even in comparison to other plucked instruments, such as the harpsichord, harp or guitar, which have much larger and more resonant soundboards. It is, however, much more resonant than the clavichord, whose sound is produced by simple levers with hammers that strike the strings. The technique for playing the pipa relies on complex finger dexterity. Using rolls, slaps, harmonics and other techniques, performers attempt to imitate a wide variety of sounds, from flowing water, honking geese and trotting horses to Chinese gongs, drums and battle sounds. The pipa is used in chamber ensembles to accompany singing and dancing and is especially popular as a solo instrument. The traditional Chinese orchestra generally includes an entire section of pipas. The modern pipa has 30 frets that extend down the neck and onto the soundboard, giving it a wide range and a complete chromatic scale. The instrument has been adopted, with some changes, throughout eastern Asia, and versions are found in Korea, Vietnam and Japan.

Zhao Jiping composed the Pipa Concerto no.2 in 2013 for Wu Man on a commission from a consortium headed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The composer writes: “Wu Man has accumulated a wealth of playing experience, and has a unique

perspective on the interpretation of music, particularly on the integration of eastern sounds with western ensembles. I see the piece not so much as a Western traditional concerto, but more an exploration of poetic expression of thoughts and emotions, able to stimulate many levels of the audience's imagination. The orchestra and Wu Man are the canvas and I have the privilege to paint the picture.”

Concerto composers for quiet instruments must be careful to keep the orchestra out of the way in order not to drown it out. The result is a dialogue between pipa and orchestra, which always plays softly and in small orchestral ensembles.

The Concerto is in a single movement and consists of several lyrical melodies combined with short accompanying motives for the orchestra. It is all about the soloist’s variations in style rather than the kind of thematic development common in Western pieces. The themes are either pentatonic or diatonic; Zhao never strays into chromaticism or Western-style changes of key. The pipa plays the themes in a seemingly random order as if a change in the performer’s mood elicits the melodic change.

Zhao Jiping is best known for his film music, including the scores for Raise the Red Lantern (1991) and Farewell My Concubine (1993). He received his musical education, which was interrupted in the middle by the Cultural Revolution, from Xi’an Conservatory of Music.

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Symphony no.2 in E minor, Op. 27 The premiere performance of Rachmaninoff's First Symphony took place in St. Petersburg in 1897. It was a dismal failure, in large part due to the shoddy conducting of Alexander Glazunov, who was drunk. The young composer’s disappointment brought on a severe depression, and for three years Rachmaninoff was unable to do any significant composing. Finally, in 1900 he went for therapy and hypnosis to Dr. Nikolay Dahl. The result was one of the first wellknown successes of modern psychotherapy. Rachmaninoff was consequently able to return to creative work on his Second Piano Concerto, dedicated to Dahl. However, relapses into depression

Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 19

Program Notes dogged Rachmaninoff for the rest of his life. Significantly, all his large instrumental compositions, as well as most of the rest of his work, are in minor keys.

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Rachmaninoff refused to publish the failed symphony and only acknowledged its existence by calling his next one no.2. The Second Symphony was composed in 1906-07 in Dresden, where Rachmaninoff had escaped from the social and professional demands in Russia. This expansive work, reflecting the composer’s love for long Romantic themes, was premiered to great applause with Rachmaninoff on the podium in St. Petersburg in January 1908.

The Symphony opens mysteriously, with a somber slow introduction, the low strings softly introducing a thematic motto that reappears throughout the work. The violins introduce the first theme, a variant of the motto that becomes urgent and driving. A solo clarinet (followed by the other woodwinds) introduces the lyrical second theme, answered by murmuring strings. The tension and passion grow, culminating in a series of climaxes accentuated with a liberal use of timpani and ending with a passionate transformation of the first theme as a coda.

The second movement is an energetic scherzo. Two of its most stunning aspects are Rachmaninoff’s use of hushed fragments of his principal themes, to make suspenseful transitions between the large sections, and his use of the glockenspiel. Upon the return of the first two themes, Rachmaninoff is said to have inserted one of his trademark musical quotations of the plainchant Dies Irae, from the Catholic Mass for the Dead. But in this case, we beg to differ with the traditional analysis. While the melodic shape of the eight-note motive is the same, the important intervals are significantly altered and, in fact, outline the skeleton of the first theme rather than introducing symbolic new musical material.

For the beautiful Adagio, Rachmaninoff created one of his most appealing and extended themes. As the movement continues Rachmaninoff brings in the theme from the introduction to the first movement.

The headlong rush of the exultant finale, Allegro vivace, is a wild and festive tarantella. The movement is an expanded sonata form, for which Rachmaninoff introduces another broad, lyrical theme for the strings as the second theme. Throughout the movement, fragments of the principal themes of the three preceding movements recur.

The movement ends with a joyous coda. ••

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231.739.9461 toll free 888.874.5892 www.msa-veincarecenter.com 20 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

AUDIO WEB NOTES For a deeper understanding of the music you heard or will be hearing, visit westmichigansymphony.org and go to the masterworks program of your choice. There you’ll find an expanded version of the printed notes including musical examples you can hear by clicking on the icon. There are also brief clickable definitions of musical terms as they appear in the text.

Program notes by: Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn

Wu Man

Recognized as the world’s premiere pipa virtuoso and leading ambassador of Chinese music, Grammy Award-nominated musician Wu Man has carved out a career as a soloist, educator and composer giving her lute-like instrument—which has a history of over 2,000 years in China—a new role in both traditional and contemporary music. Through numerous concert tours, Wu Man has premiered hundreds of new works for the pipa, while spearheading multimedia projects to both preserve and create awareness of China’s ancient musical traditions. Her adventurous spirit and virtuosity have led to collaborations across artistic disciplines allowing Wu Man to reach wider audiences as she works to break through cultural and musical borders. Wu Man’s efforts were recognized when she was named Musical America’s 2013 Instrumentalist of the Year, the first time this prestigious award has been bestowed on a player of a non-Western instrument.

Having been brought up in the Pudong School of pipa playing, one of the most prestigious classical styles of Imperial China, Wu Man is now recognized as an outstanding exponent of the traditional repertoire as well as a leading interpreter of contemporary pipa music by today’s most prominent composers. She was awarded The Bunting Fellowship at Harvard University in 1998, and was the first Chinese traditional musician to receive The United States Artist Fellowship in 2008. She is also the first artist from China to perform at the White House. Wu Man’s discography includes over 40 albums including the Grammy-nominated recordings Our World in Song, Traditions and Transformations: Sounds of the Silk Road Chicago, her recording of Tan Dun’s Pipa Concerto with Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists, and You’ve Stolen My Heart featuring Wu Man and the Kronos Quartet. As a principal musician in Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, Wu Man has performed throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia with the Silk Road Ensemble.

During the 2015-16 season, Wu Man embarks on an extensive North American tour with longtime friends and colleagues, the Shanghai Quartet. The tour will take them to 12 cities across the U.S., with a final concert at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Wu Man travels to Brussels and Geneva to collaborate with Uyghur singer Sanubar Tursun for performances presented by the Aga Khan Music Initiative, an interregional music and arts education program.

Orchestral highlights of the season include a performance of Zhao Jiping’s Pipa Concerto no.2, which was written for her, and cocommissioned by the West Michigan Symphony. Wu Man will also be featured in performances with the New York Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony for their Chinese New Year celebrations.

Born in Hangzhou, China, Wu Man studied with Lin Shicheng, Kuang Yuzhong, Chen Zemin, and Liu Dehai at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she became the first recipient of a master's degree in pipa. Accepted into the conservatory at age 13, Wu Man’s audition was covered by national newspapers and she was hailed as a child prodigy, becoming a nationally recognized role model for young pipa players. She subsequently received first prize in the First National Music Performance Competition among many other awards, and she participated in many premieres of works by a new generation of Chinese composers. Wu Man’s first exposure to western classical music came in 1979 when she saw Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra performing in Beijing. In 1980 she participated in an open master class with violinist Isaac Stern and in 1985 she made her first visit to the United States as a member of the China Youth Arts Troupe. Wu Man moved to the U.S. in 1990 and currently resides with her husband and son in California. wumanpipa.org facebook.com/wumanpipa twitter.com/wumanpipa ••

Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 21

Program Notes

American Music: Old and New November 6, 2015 | Friday | 7:30 pm Scott Speck, conductor Jonathan Holden, clarinet

Mason Bates

Mothership

Aaron Copland Jonathan Holden, clarinet

Clarinet Concerto

INTERMISSION Samuel Barber

Overture to The School for Scandal

Leonard Bernstein

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story I. Prologue II. “Somewhere” III. Scherzo IV. Mambo V. Cha Cha VI. Meeting Scene VII. "Cool" Fugue VIII. Rumble IX. Finale

MASON BATES (b. 1977) Mothership Born in Philadelphia and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Mason Bates earned degrees in both English literature and music composition in the joint program of Columbia University and the Juilliard School. He received a doctorate in composition from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008. With a predilection for writing for unconventional forces, he composes both concert music and electronica, frequently combining the two. While he may spend his nights playing in upscale dance clubs, he spends his days as composer-in-residence of the Chicago Symphony.

Bates has also twice been Composer of the Year with the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Bates composed Mothership in 2011 in versions for orchestra and wind ensemble. He writes:

“This energetic opener imagines the orchestra as a mothership that is ‘docked’ by several visiting soloists, who offer brief but virtuosic riffs on the work’s thematic material over action-packed electro-acoustic orchestral figuration. The piece follows the form of a scherzo with double trio (as found in, for example, the Schumann Symphony no.2.)”

The Mothership scherzo comprises a nervous, jangling theme with an underlying electronic ostinato that appears at the beginning and end of the piece, as well as between the two trios. Each of the trios involves a different jazz rhythm and features two different instruments, so that there are, in effect, four “dockings.”

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Jonathan Holden will be performing with his ensemble @ The Block Sat, Nov 7, 7:30 pm For tickets or info: theblockwestmichigan.org facebook.com/AtTheBlock 231.726.3231 22 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

AARON COPLAND (1900-1990) Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp and Piano Clarinetist Benny Goodman, the “King of Swing,” had wideranging musical interests and wanted to secure a place in classical music as well. He commissioned a number of well-known composers to write for him, including Béla Bartók (Contrasts) and Paul Hindemith (Clarinet Concerto). In 1947 he commissioned Aaron Copland for a work for clarinet and orchestra, giving Copland free rein and making no demands. Although Copland had long been an admirer of Goodman, he remarked, “I never would have thought of composing a clarinet concerto if Benny had not asked me for one.”

Completed in 1948, the Concerto is an unusual work, consisting of two movements connected by a long, spectacular cadenza.

The decision to incorporate jazz was Copland’s, inspired by Goodman’s playing.

In form, the Clarinet Concerto recalls the composer’s jazzy Piano Concerto of 1926. Despite its title, which suggests a prominent role for the harp and piano, Copland concentrates on the clarinet, weaving the other two instruments into the orchestral fabric.

The lyric first movement is a languid song, a gentle interplay between clarinet and orchestra, without a hint of jazz. It relies for expressiveness on shifts in tempo, rather than dynamics, and adheres to Copland’s dictum that “orchestral know-how consists in keeping instruments out of each other’s way.” It leads into the cadenza, which works itself from florid pyrotechnics, exploiting the inimitable sonorities of the different ranges of the clarinet, into an introduction of the main jazz themes of the upcoming Finale. Apparently, the difficulty of the cadenza so intimidated Goodman that he broke down and requested changes—to no avail except for a single high note.

The Finale, a free rondo, also includes elements of Latino popular music, an influence traceable to Copland’s visit to Brazil in 1947 as a goodwill emissary of the State Department. In the absence of a traditional orchestra or jazz percussion section, he used slapping basses, whacking harp sounds, finger snapping and, of course a piano, to achieve the effect of the underlying beat.

The Concerto ends with a clarinet glissando

—a “smear“ in jazz parlance—and perhaps a bow to Gershwin, whose Rhapsody in Blue begins with just such a device.

Goodman premiered the Concerto in November 1950 with the NBC Symphony of the Air, Fritz Reiner conducting. In 1951 Jerome Robbins of the New York City Ballet used the Concerto for a ballet, The Pied Piper.

SAMUEL BARBER (1910-1981) Overture to The School for Scandal, Op. 5 Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s (1751-1816) madcap comedy of manners, The School for Scandal, has delighted (and scandalized) audiences ever since it premiered in 1777.

Samuel Barber, all his life an avid reader of literature, composed his overture not as a prelude to the play, but rather “as a musical reflection of the play’s spirit.”

The overture was Barber’s first completed work for full orchestra. He composed the bulk of it while vacationing in Italy during the summer of 1931, tossing it off between tennis matches, swimming, bicycle trips, shopping expeditions and other vacation activities. It was premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1933.

The Overture, in classical sonata form, opens with a sneering fanfare (perhaps in “tribute” to the play’s principal female villain, Lady Sneerwell). The fanfare sets in motion a scurrying, tonally ambiguous theme, suggestive of the nefarious scandal mongering and plotting of Lady Sneerwell, her hireling, Snake, and arch hypocrite,

Sir Joseph Surface. The contrasting second theme, a sentimental melody introduced by the oboe perhaps represents the play’s principal innocent, Maria. There are innumerable rapid changes in tempo and dynamics as the two themes are developed, in one place seven changes within 30 measures.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) Symphonic Dances from West Side Story West Side Story was Leonard Bernstein’s attempt to demonstrate that it was possible to write a Broadway musical with the characteristics of high art. He succeeded beyond all expectations. With lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and with Jerome Robbins as director and choreographer, the show opened on Broadway on September 26, 1957, and ran for over 1,000 performances. The movie was just as spectacular a success as was the recording.

But its birth was not easy. The show was originally conceived eight years earlier as a conflict between Jews and Catholics during the Easter-Passover celebrations and at one point was to be called East Side Story.

The protagonists were finally switched to ethnic gangs on the Upper West Side, but no backers could be found. West Side Story became notorious for having been turned down by nearly every producer because no one thought that such a tragic story was suitable material for Broadway. Finally, Harold Prince and Robert Griffith, two successful Broadway producers, emerged as the show’s financial “angels.”

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Program Notes Casting was another problem. The perfectionist Robbins wanted a cast of 38 who could both dance and sing—a nearly impossible demand in those days, but now the rule rather than the exception. A choreographer first and foremost, Robbins finally settled on dancers who could sing—as opposed to singers who could dance.

While describing the tragic life of ordinary people in a New York Puerto Rican ghetto, West Side Story tackles an archetypal theme: love clashing with prejudice and clan hatred, an inner city Romeo and Juliet.

The Symphonic Dances, which Bernstein extracted from the musical, are not played in the order of the original show. Comprising of nine segments played without pause, the suite was first performed by the New York Philharmonic in 1961: 1.

Prologue: Portrays the rising violence between the two street gangs, the Sharks and the Jets in harsh, jazzy dissonances and rhythms.

2.

Somewhere: Tony and Maria’s idyllic dream sequence in which the gangs are joined in friendship and the lovers united, originally from Act 2 after Tony has stabbed Maria’s brother.

3.

Scherzo: The dream continues as the two gangs leave the city for the idyllic countryside.

4.

Mambo: The rival gangs compete at a school dance, originally from Act 1 when the two lovers first meet.

5.

Cha-Cha: Tony and Maria, from opposing gangs, meet for the first time and dance together.

6.

Meeting Scene: The lovers hesitantly exchanging their first words.

7.

“Cool”Fugue: The hostility of the Jets gradually builds in anticipation of street warfare.

8.

Rumble: The violent, dissonant climax results in the final tragedy in which both rival gang leaders are killed.

9. Finale: Tony dies in Maria’s arms, a victim of gang violence.

In an ironic twist, the dream melody of “Somewhere” hauntingly reappears during the funeral procession. •• AUDIO WEB NOTES For a deeper understanding of the music you heard or will be hearing, visit westmichigansymphony.org and go to the masterworks program of your choice. There you’ll find an expanded version of the printed notes including musical examples you can hear by clicking on the icon. There are also brief clickable definitions of musical terms as they appear in the text.

Program notes by: Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn

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May 5–8, 2016

Jonathan Holden Holden made his concert debut at the age of seventeen and has performed concertos in Britain, the United States and Israel. As a student, he was winner of the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain Competition and a semi-finalist in the Carl Nielsen International Clarinet Competition. He has appeared as a guest of the Ciompi and Voxare string quartets and has performed by invitation of the British Clarinet Congress, College Music Society, Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium, International Clarinet Association, Festival Contempoaneo (Brazil), Affetti Music Festival (AK) and Alfredo de Saint Malo Festival (Panama). Holden and his ensemble will be featured November 7 at The Block and he has been featured in chamber music series such as Chamber Music Wilmington, Festival South, the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck and the American Music Festival. He has given performances, clinics and master classes at colleges in the U.S. and overseas including Vanderbilt University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, the national conservatories of Panama and Paris, and the Universities of Memphis, Florida, Oklahoma, Montana, North Carolina (Greensboro), Alabama (Tuscaloosa), Tennessee, Texas and Rio de Janeiro.

A proponent of new music, Holden has performed works for composers Bright Sheng, Peter Sculthorpe and Judith Zaimont. His work with the Argot Trio has yielded seven new chamber works inspired by the birthplace of America's Music. The trio is featured on a CD of chamber music by Steven Holochwost (Albany), and Holden is heard on a recording of William Bergsma’s septet "Changes for Seven" (Centaur). His recording of British clarinet and piano music will be released in 2016.

British born clarinetist Jonathan Holden is Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Florida State University and Principal Clarinetist of the West Michigan Symphony. He is a founding member of several chamber ensembles including the Vireo Ensemble (clarinet, violin, cello, piano) and the Argot Trio (clarinet, violin, piano). Holden is sought as an orchestral clarinetist, having performed frequently with groups such as the Sarasota Orchestra, the Louisiana and Fort Wayne Philharmonic orchestras, and the Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Mississippi, Baton Rouge and Mobile Symphony Orchestras. He spends his summers teaching at the New England Music Camp in Maine.

Jonathan Holden received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University where he studied with eminent clarinetist and pedagogue Dr. Verdehr. He received his BM and MM performance degrees from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama under Joy Farrall, Andrew Webster and celebrated recording artist Dame Thea King.

Jonathan Holden is a D’Addario Performing Artist and a ConnSelmer Endorsing Artist. jonathanholdenclarinet.com ••

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Diane Penning

Holiday Pops December 11, 2015 | Friday | 7:30 pm Scott Speck, conductor Diane Penning, soprano Paul Langford, tenor Mona Shores Singers, Shawn Lawton, director WMS Children's Choir, Beth Slimko, director

Joy to the World George Frederick Handel

arr. Carmen Dragon “Dance of the Tumblers” Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov from The Snow Maiden Ave Maria Johann Sebastian Bach/Charles Gounod Diane Penning The Man With the Bag Irving Taylor, Dudley Brooks, Hal Stanley Paul Langford arr. Paul Langford Let It Snow Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn Diane and Paul arr. Paul Langford

Angels We Have Heard on High Traditional Mona Shores Singers arr. Craig Courtney “Somewhere in My Memory” and John Williams from Home Alone “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas” Mona Shores Singers, WMS Children's Choir INTERMISSION O Tannenbaum Traditional

arr. Carmen Dragon The Nutcracker Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Trepak Dance of the Mirlitons Waltz of the Flowers Baby It's Cold Outside Frank Loesser Diane and Paul arr. Jerry DePuit White Christmas Irving Berlin Diane and Paul arr. Paul Langford Christmas Time is Here Lee Mendelssohn and Vince Guaraldi Diane Penning, WMS Children's Choir arr. Paul Langford A Festive Noel Dave and Jean Perry WMS Children's Choir Sleigh Ride Leroy Anderson

O Holy Night Adolphe Adam Diane, Paul, Mona Shores Singers, arr. Paul Langford WMS Children's Choir

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26 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

Equally at home in classical repertoire and pops, Diane has performed with orchestras around the country, with some in programs of both genres, including the Adrian, Arkansas, Battle Creek, Bijou and Colorado Springs Symphonies; the Dayton Philharmonic; the Dearborn, DuPage, Elgin, Elmhurst, Firelands, Grand Rapids, and Grant Park Music Festival Symphonies; the Interlochen Arts Academy; and the Kalamazoo, Lafayette, Midland, Mobile, Park Ridge, Pensacola, Rockford (IL), Saginaw Bay, Sheboygan, South Bend, South West Michigan, Traverse, Tacoma Symphonies, and the West Michigan Symphony.

Her musical theatre credits include Cunegonde in Candide, Marian in The Music Man, Amalia in She Loves Me, Maria in West Side Story and “the grouch” in Kapilow’s "Green Eggs & Hamadeus."

Diane’s work in oratorio includes Bach’s B minor Mass and Christmas Oratorio; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Mass in C minor; Faure’s Requiem; Handel’s Messiah; Haydn’s The Creation, Harmoniemesse, and Nelson Mass; Mozart’s Requiem; Orff’s Carmina Burana; Poulenc’s Gloria; Rutter’s Magnificat under the baton of Sir David Willcocks, African Sanctus with Jonathon Willcocks; and Vaughan Williams’s Dona nobis pacem, with such organizations as the Apollo Chorus in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, the Kalamazoo Bach Festival, and the Calvin College Oratorio Society.

Her opera roles include Adele in Die Fledermaus, Frasquita in Carmen, Musetta in La Boheme, and Papagena in The Magic Flute.

Ms. Penning is a member of the "The Hildegard Singers", a group of four women who made their European debut in Great Britain in 2013.

Diane and Paul will be performing a cabaret concert @ The Block Sat, Dec. 12, 7:30 pm For tickets or info: theblockwestmichigan.org facebook.com/AtTheBlock 231.726.3231

In addition to concert stage performances, Ms. Penning also enjoys performing cabaret. She was featured guest artist in the inaugural season at The Block, West Michigan Symphony’s alternative music venue, as well as for the celebration of the Battle Creek Symphony’s 115th anniversary.

She holds degrees in music and voice from the University of Michigan (BM) and Western Michigan University (MM in voice performance).

Diane’s professional recordings include Phantom Phantasy with the Grand Rapids Symphony; Christmas Festival with the Czek National Orchestra; Simply Gershwin with pianist Paul Bisaccia; and Sacred Space with Composer/Performer Nicholas Palmer. dianepenning.com ••

Paul Langford A Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor, Paul Langford has a career that spans over 20 years.

His work includes arranging for and performing with groups such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicagoland Pops, the Pensacola and LaCrosse Symphony Orchestras, and for Walt Disney World.

As a singer and pianist, Paul has performed or recorded with Grammy award winners Celine Dion, David Foster, Kenny Rogers, Yolanda Adams, Abraham Laboriel and Heather Headley, and he’s shared the stage with Michael Buble, Josh Groban and President Bill Clinton. In the Christian music world, his credits include Glad, Steve Green, Larnelle Harris, Ray Boltz, Damaris Carbaugh, Tommy Walker, Mavis Staples and Alvin Slaughter.

His voice has been heard on radio and TV commercials for such companies as Ronald McDonald House, Oldsmobile, L.L. Bean, Old El Paso, Nintendo, Frigidaire and Nickelodeon. He has also led and arranged for choirs, rhythm sections, big bands, orchestras and acappella groups all across America and abroad, and is a published choral arranger and composer.

In the Chicago area, Paul can be heard singing and playing keyboards with the Tom VanKanegan Orchestra, as well as filling in with the Late Nite Band, and the Stanley Paul, Dick Judson, Bill Pollack and Paul Mabin Orchestras. Paul also owns and operates a state-of-the-art recording studio in Chicago’s northern suburbs, where he produces recording artists and composes music for video and film. paullangfordmusic.com ••

Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 27

Mona Shores Singers, Shawn Lawton, director including his choirs being selected to give performances at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival and at the Michigan Music Conference on multiple occasions. He was also selected by his peers to conduct the Michigan Regional and State TTBB Honors Choir. He is a former conductor of the Muskegon Community College choir as well. Shawn is married to Molly, the director and choreographer for the musicals at Mona Shores and they have three amazing children, Jonny age 20, Meghan age 17 and Jessica age 12 who also enjoy music, theater, dance and art.

Shawn Lawton is enjoying his 26th year teaching music and has spent the past 22 two years at Mona Shores High School where nearly 300 students sing in his four choirs every day. Shawn earned both his Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Music from Western Michigan University. In 2000, he received the Mona Shores Education Foundation’s Teacher Excellence Award. In the fall of 2013, the Singing Christmas Tree Project he oversees received the Michigan Association of School Board’s Michigan’s Best Award.

His ensembles have been selected for a number of prestigious honors in Michigan,

The Mona Shores Singers The Mona Shores Choir Program enjoys a rich tradition of excellence in choral singing as well as a reputation for offering a diverse and unique menu of musical opportunities in order to nurture well-rounded, enthusiastic and skilled singers. They have sung with the West Michigan Symphony on three previous occasions and performed Mozart's Requiem with the Muskegon Chamber Choir. The choir has been in existence for 53 years.

The entire program is best known for presenting “America's Tallest Singing Christmas Tree in the USA” (67 feet tall) concerts each holiday season to nearly 6,000 audience members.

This past year was the 30th year of the event. This event was featured nationwide on “The Learning Channel” (TLC).

Over the years, Mona Shores choir members have sung in Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Brazil in 2005 and in 2008 and most recently in Greece. This summer, they will travel to Spain and France. The choirs visit New York City every year. The entire performing arts department at Mona Shores was recognized twice as a Grammy Signature School. ••

WMS Children's Choir, Beth Slimko, director members. She is also an accomplished oboist, pianist, and vocalist, and maintains a full private lesson studio. She resides in North Muskegon, Michigan with her husband and two sons.

Beth Slimko holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with dual concentrations in vocal and instrumental pedagogy from Butler University, which included an intense study at the Zoltan Kodaly Pedagogical Institute in Hungary. She also holds a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Grand Valley State University. Other training includes experience with esteemed vocal music arranger Henry Leck and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, The Richards Institutes program “Education through Music, and the Kindermusik Organization."

Mrs. Slimko is currently the director of the North Muskegon Public School choir program and is a vocal music specialist for elementary music. Under her direction the choir program has grown from one choir with six female members in 2004 to four choirs and more than 240 dedicated 28 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

West Michigan Symphony Children's Choir WMSCC’s mission is to provide quality music education with the goal of attaining the highest level of artistic excellence in choral music performance. The audition-based program is for children aged 8-11 and was formed in 2013 with the goal of providing children in Muskegon and surrounding communities the opportunity to develop their voices, experience exciting singing opportunities and work with a professional arts organization. Each year members of the choir perform two solo concerts at The Block and are invited to share the Frauenthal stage with the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra; this season joining them in the Holiday Pops concert. ••

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Andrew Koehler

Luck of the Irish January 15, 2016 | Friday | 7:30 pm Andrew Koehler, guest conductor Cathie Ryan, Irish music vocalist Patsy O'Brien, guitar and vocals Brian Melick, percussion Caitlin Warbelow, fiddle and vocals

Irish Rhapsody

Victor Herbert

Peata Beag do Mhathar

traditional Irish arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

Somewhere Along the Road

Rick Kemp arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

Carrick a rede

Cathie Ryan & John Doyle arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

Mo Nion O (Mairead Ni Mhaoinaigh)

translation from Irish by Cathie Ryan arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

May the Road Rise to Meet You

Roger McGuinn & Camilla McGuinn arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

Johnny Be Fair

traditional Irish arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

INTERMISSION Follow the Heron

Karine Polwart arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

I’m a Beauty

Laura Smith arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

Cathie Ryan song–traditional Irish tunes arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik Lament of the 3 Marys

traditional Irish arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

Home By Bearna

traditional Irish arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

Walk the Road into Irish Traditional Tunes Kate Rusby and traditional Irish

arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik So, Here's to You

Alan A Bell arr. Cathie Ryan Band

Grace O'Malley

Cathie Ryan & John Doyle arr. Cathie Ryan Band & Jeff Tyzik

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As Conducting Associate and Cover Conductor to the Music Director, Mr. Koehler has worked with the West Michigan Symphony for many years, conducting the first rehearsal for several programs and this season appearing onstage as cover conductor to the orchestra for the third time.

Andrew Koehler is associate professor of music at Kalamazoo College and the music director of the Kalamazoo Philharmonia. In 2014 Kalamazoo College honored Koehler with the American Prize Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming for his innovative and thoughtful programming. He also is music director of the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra and has organized and conducted concerts with the Arcato Chamber Ensemble, made up of musicians from the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids Symphonies.

Active as a guest conductor at home and throughout the world, in recent seasons he has appeared with the Kalamazoo Bach Festival Orchestra; the Lyatoshynsky Chamber Orchestra in Kyiv, Ukraine; the Ruse Philharmonic in Bulgaria; the St. Cloud Symphony in Minnesota; the Festival South Chamber Orchestra in Mississippi; the American Opera Group Orchestra in Chicago; and the Penderecki Center in Poland.

Born in Philadelphia to Ukrainian parents, Andrew began his musical studies on the violin at the age of five.

He is a graduate of Yale College, where he completed a B.A. in Music and German Studies (graduating with honors and distinction in both majors). He holds a Masters degree from Northwestern University and certificates in conducting from the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna, where he studied for two years as a Fulbright scholar. Koehler’s principal teachers are Victor Yampolsky and Leopold Hager and among the list of artists he has worked with are David Zinman, Jorma Panula, Neeme Järvi, and Mariss Jansons. andrewkoehlerconductor.com ••

Cathie Ryan Cathie Ryan is a captivating performer whose shows are renowned for their intimacy and power, as well as her witty banter. “There is nothing like a live show. I love the energy, the give and take, of being with an audience. And I love to have fun up there!” she says. Cathie happily shares the stage, and the show, with her award-winning band. Featuring Patsy O’Brien on guitar, Caitlin Warbelow on fiddle, and Brian Melick on percussion, the band weaves subtle arrangements and harmonies around Cathie’s vocals and match her charming repartee with dazzling sets of traditional tunes.

Cathie has been in the vanguard of Irish music over twentyfive years with countless musical collaborations and multiple awards, including her 2012 induction into the Michigan Irish American Hall of Fame, twice-named “Top 100 Irish Americans”

by Irish America Magazine, and twice honored by liveireland.com has as “Irish Female Vocalist of the Decade.” She has released five solo albums, the most recent Through Wind and Rain bringing her music to a much wider audience.

She is blessed with a voice of luminous clarity and a gift for unearthing gems from Irish and American song traditions, creating her own heart-stirring originals, and for showcasing writers whose work deserves wider recognition. Wrap this musical integrity into a consummate entertainer and it is no wonder the Wall Street Journal calls her music, “a revelation.”

Cathie Ryan Band has built a loyal following by touring internationally and singing “songs of the heart” at performing arts centers, festivals, folk clubs, and with symphony orchestras. They have been featured on national and public television throughout the world. Their radio highlights include NPR’s Mountain Stage and Thistle and Shamrock, PRI’s The World, BBC in England and Northern Ireland, Radio Scotland, and RTÉ and RnaG in Ireland. cathieryan.com ••

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Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 31

Program Notes

Viva Italia!

February 5, 2016 | Friday | 7:30 pm Scott Speck, conductor Philippe Quint, violin

Gioachino Rossini

Overture to L'Italiana in Algeri

Felix Mendelssohn Philippe Quint, violin

Violin Concerto, Op. 64, in E minor I. Allegro molto appassionato II. Andante III. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace

INTERMISSION Felix Mendelssohn

Symphony no. 4, Op. 90, in A Major, "Italian" I. Allegro vivace II. Andante con moto III. Con moto moderato IV. Saltarello: Presto

GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868) Overture to L’Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers)

One of the most prolific opera composers of all time, Gioachino Rossini had written 39 operas by the time he was 37—then took “early retirement.” For the rest of his long life he composed only sporadically and, except for church music, mostly small works tossed off for the entertainment of his friends. He published over 150 of them in collections, which he called Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of Old Age).

L’Italiana in Algeri is a farce about two lovers, Isabella, trapped in Algiers after her ship has been wrecked in a storm, and Lindoro, taken earlier as a slave by the not overly bright Mustafa, the Bey of Algiers. Isabella lures Mustafa into joining the “prestigious” order of the Pappatacci, a sect whose members allow their wives to do anything they please, and manages to escape from under his nose with all the other Italian “expats.” Rossini wrote the opera in 1813 as a favor for a friend, the impresario of a Venice theater, and took less than four weeks to finish it.

Rossini had his own system for overture writing: never more than one day before the first performance. In his memoirs he recalls, “I wrote the overture to La gazza ladra on the actual day of the first performance of the opera, under the guard of four stagehands who had orders to throw my manuscript out of the window, page by page, as I wrote it, to the waiting copyist— and if I didn’t supply the manuscript, they were to throw me out myself. Nothing excites inspiration like necessity; the presence of an anxious copyist and a despairing manager tearing out handfuls of his hair is a great help. In Italy in my day all managers were bald at thirty.”

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Philippe Quint will be performing a solo concert @ The Block Sat, Feb 6, 7:30 pm For tickets or info: theblockwestmichigan.org facebook.com/AtTheBlock 231.726.3231 32 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

Of course, Rossini didn’t have to start his overtures “from Adam and Eve.” He had perfected a template that has been a surefire audience pleaser for nearly two centuries: a slow introduction, followed by a spirited allegro containing three themes, one of them a closing theme that ramps up the tempo and dynamics (the so-called “Rossini crescendo”). He also usually included at least one daredevil woodwind solo that continues to turn up on orchestra auditions.

In L’Italiana the principal oboe gets the workout.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 If ever there was a composer born with a silver spoon in his mouth, it was Felix Mendelssohn. He was raised in affluence and comfort, his precocious musical talent recognized and nurtured by his culturally sophisticated and highly supportive family. His home was a Mecca for the artistic and intellectual elite of Germany who also encouraged the prodigy and his talented sister, Fanny. One of his admirers was the formidable grand old man of German literature, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Fortunately for the development of Felix’s rare abilities, his carefully selected teachers were demanding. His strict training, especially in fugue composition, familiarized him with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, who at the time was dismissed as a mere pedagogue. In 1829 Mendelssohn was the central figure in a Bach revival with an historic performance of the Saint Matthew Passion in Berlin, virtually rescuing the great composer’s music from the counterpoint classroom.

As a mature artist, Mendelssohn was acclaimed throughout Europe as a composer and conductor, especially in his native Germany and in England, where he had a private audience with the young Queen Victoria, who sang for him after he had played for her. His untimely death from unknown causes created a profound shock, and Mendelssohn societies promoting his music and ideas quickly sprang up all over middle and northern Europe.

Unlike Mozart, Mendelssohn was extremely self-critical, constantly requesting feedback and carefully perfecting his compositions.

The Concerto in E minor had a long gestation period. Mendelssohn started the concerto in 1838 but did not finish it until six years later. He wrote it for his friend, the famed violinist Ferdinand David (1810-1873), concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig where Mendelssohn served as conductor from 1835 to 1843. The composer sought—and took—David’s advice on technical aspects throughout its composition. David finally premiered it in Leipzig in 1845, but Mendelssohn was ill and unable to attend. Now one of the staples of violin repertory, the Concerto was considered daring and innovative at the time of its composition.

From the first bar, the Allegro molto appassionato opening broke new ground. Instead of the usual orchestral exposition of the main themes, the violin enters at once to present the principal theme on which the movement is built. For the second theme, the roles are reversed, with the winds introducing the theme. The cadenza, largely the creation of David, is placed unconventionally before the recapitulation. Relocating the cadenza away from its traditional place at the end of the movement stresses the continuity with the second movement, which follows without pause.

The Andante emerges out of a single quiet bassoon tone, emanating from the last chord of the opening movement. It is joined by other instruments for a short transitional passage, after which the solo violin introduces the simple, almost religious theme.

Another transition, based on the opening theme of the Concerto, leads into the Allegro molto vivace. Mendelssohn saved the demonstration of the violin’s virtuoso possibilities for this sparkling Finale. After an orchestral fanfare for the winds, the soloist enters with a flourish followed by a delicate, dancing theme that dominates the movement and recalls the atmosphere of the teenaged composer’s first great hit, the Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, "Italian" The financial security of the Mendelssohn family allowed Felix all the advantages of a young aristocrat, including the ability to travel extensively in what was then considered the "civilized" world— Western Europe and Italy. Some of his most successful orchestral compositions represent musical travelogues of such trips: the Scottish and Italian symphonies and The Hebrides Overture. An added perk to all this travel was that the family’s connections, and Felix’s reputation as a Mozartian Wunderkind attracted attention to his music throughout Europe. Queen Victoria herself had several audiences with the young composer, during which he played and she sang.

Traveling to Italy in 1830, Mendelssohn stopped in Weimar, where he spent two weeks conversing with the forbidding grand old man of German literature, the 80-year-old Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It was a heady experience for the young composer, and he continued on to Italy in high spirits. He was at once completely captivated by the sights and sounds of the sunny country and wrote home “...what I have been looking forward to all my life as the greatest happiness has now begun, and I am basking in it.” He immediately set about composing the Italian Symphony, whose premiere he conducted in London in 1833 at the invitation of the London Philharmonic Society.

The first movement, Allegro vivace, opens with a buoyant theme reflecting the sparkle of the Italian sunshine and the young composer’s rush of excitement. The contrasting second theme is a lilting figure for two clarinets playing in parallel thirds.

The Andante con moto second movement is in a darker mood. It was composed after a visit to Naples, where Mendelssohn was greatly depressed by the poverty he saw. The doleful woodwinds and plodding ostinato in the cellos and double basses may allude to a religious procession he witnessed in the city’s streets.

Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 33

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Program Notes The charming and graceful Con moto moderato third movement lightens the mood again and uses the traditional scherzo and trio form. The finale, Saltarello: presto with its driving triplets is based on the nineteenth-century folk version of a medieval Italian dance.

In fact, Mendelssohn may have taken the two dance themes from folk music he had heard at a Roman carnival, which he described in detail in his letters. But this is one of those assumptions that is more guesswork than demonstrable fact. Both themes provide a difficult staccato workout for the upper winds.

It is seldom that an audience has the opportunity to hear a composer’s early drafts of a work. But that is exactly what we do hear every time we attend a concert with this popular work on the program. Mendelssohn was dissatisfied with the Symphony, never again conducted it after the premiere and refused to publish it. It is not clear what displeased him in such a joyous work; perhaps its spontaneity went against the grain of his rigid academic training.

In any case, he sat down in 1834 to revise it, rewriting the three last movements and commenting in a letter that he could not get the first movement right “in any way, it has to become totally different.”

As part of the commission, the original score was left with the London Philharmonic, and it is this version, published posthumously in 1851 (hence the high opus number), that became the public favorite; the later version was included in volume 28 of the collection of Mendelssohn’s unpublished manuscripts and was performed for the first time in 1992 and first recorded in 1998. •• AUDIO WEB NOTES For a deeper understanding of the music you heard or will be hearing, visit westmichigansymphony.org and go to the masterworks program of your choice. There you’ll find an expanded version of the printed notes including musical examples you can hear by clicking on the icon. There are also brief clickable definitions of musical terms as they appear in the text.

Program notes by: Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn

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Dec. 15: Peter Kurdziel – "Christmas at the Organ"

May 24: The Hildegard Singers – medieval music

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Philippe Quint Bournemouth Symphonies. And he has performed at venues ranging from the Gewandhaus in Leipzig to Carnegie Hall in New York under the batons of Kurt Masur, Marin Alsop, Andrew Litton, Edo de Waart, Ludovic Morlot, Bramwell Tovey, Carl St. Clair, Carlos Miguel Prieto, James Gaffigan, Cristian Macelaru, Michael Stern, Krzysztof Urbanski, Steven Sloane and Jahja Ling.

Mr. Quint is the first classical musician to land a leading role in a major independent feature film Downtown Express that was released in 2010 and plays the magnificent 1738 "Senhauser" Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu violin on loan to him through the generous efforts of The Stradivari Society®.

Highlights of Quint's 2015-2016 season include debuts with Colorado Symphony with Andrew Litton, North Carolina Symphony with Grant Llewellyn in performances and recording of Brahms Double and Beethoven Triple Concertos, Teatro Real in Madrid, and at the Lucerne Symphony’s “Russian Festival” with pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin among others. At the invitation of Maestro Vladimir Spivakov, Philippe will make appearances at the opening of the Colmar Festival in France with Tugan Sokhiev in a performance of Korngold Violin Concerto as well as the opening of the Mary B. Galvin’s new hall in Chicago alongside soprano Renee Fleming.

Lauded by Daily Telegraph(UK) for his “searingly poetic lyricism” celebrated Russian born American violinist Philippe Quint is carving an unconventional path with his impassioned musical desire for reimagining traditional works, rediscovering neglected repertoire to commissioning works by contemporary composers. Whether with his Tango Band, the Quint Quintet, or a most recent journey with a Jazz Trio in funky Bach XXI CD project, his dedication to exploring different styles and genres with an award winning discography has solidified him as one of the foremost violinists of today.

Receiving several Grammy nominations for his two albums of Korngold and William Schuman Concertos, Mr. Quint is in constant demand worldwide appearing with London, Los Angeles, Royal Liverpool, Rochester Philhamornics, Leipzig MDR, Berlin Komische Oper, China National, Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, Kansas, San Diego, Detroit, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Phoenix,

36 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

An active chamber musician and in addition to leading his own Chamber Festival in Mexico City, Philippe frequently collaborates with cellists Alisa Weilerstein, Gary Hoffman, Carter Brey, Nicholas Altstaedt, Zuill Bailey, Claudio Bohorquez and Jan Vogler, pianists William Wolfram, Inon Barnatan, Simone Dinnerstein, Jeffrey Kahane, violists Nils Monkemeyer and Lily Francisas as well as his esteemed violin colleagues Joshua Bell, Cho–Liang Lin, Vadim Gluzman, Nicola Benedetti, Lara St. John and Chee Yun Kim. Philippe has appeared at the Hollywood Bowl, Mostly Mozart, Caramoor, Ravinia, Aspen, Rome, Moritzburg, La Jolla, Lincoln Center and Chautauqua festivals.

Quint’s live performances and interviews have been broadcast on television by CBS, CNN, ABC, BBC World News, NBC, Reuters, Bloomberg TV, as well as by radio stations nationwide including NPR, WNYC and WQXR. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Philippe Quint studied at Moscow's Special Music School for the Gifted with the famed Russian violinist Andrei Korsakov, and made his orchestral debut at the age of nine, performing Wieniawski's Concerto no.2. After moving to the United States, he earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Juilliard. His distinguished pedagogues and mentors included Dorothy Delay, Cho-Liang Lin, Masao Kawasaki, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Arnold Steinhardt and Felix Galimir. philippequint.com facebook.com/philippequint twitter.com/PhilippeQuint ••

Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 37

Program Notes

Beethoven and Blue Jeans March 4, 2016 | Friday | 7:30 pm Scott Speck, conductor Conrad Tao, piano

Christopher Theofanidis

Dreamtime Ancestors (New Music for America, a national consortium commissioning program) I. Songlines II. Rainbow Serpent III. Each Stone Speaks a Poem

Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony no.1, Op. 21, in C Major I. Adagio molto – Allegro con brio II. Andante cantabile con moto III. Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace IV. Finale: Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace

INTERMISSION Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Conrad Tao, piano

Piano Concerto no.1, Op. 23, in B-flat minor I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso II. Andantino semplice III. Allegro con fuoco

CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS (b. 1967) Dreamtime Ancestors Born in Dallas, Texas, and a graduate of Yale, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Houston, Christopher Theofanidis has been the recipient of the Masterprize, the Rome Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Charles Ives Fellowship, among others. He is a former member of the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and the Juilliard School in New York City, and currently teaches at Yale. For the 2006-07 season he was Composer of the Year of the Pittsburgh Symphony, during which he composed a violin concerto for Sarah Chang.

According to the composer, Dreamtime Ancestors is a tone poem for orchestra that includes optional readings before each movement. It is based on the Australian aboriginal creation myths connected to “dreamtime,” when multiple generations, “dreamtime ancestors,” are connected to each other in the past, present, and future.

This is referred to as “all-at-once time.”

The work is dedicated to the late composer Stephen Paulus, “a wonderful human being and music maker, who is a part of us of all, past, present, and future.”

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony no.1 in C major, Op. 21

Conrad Tao will be performing a solo concert @ The Block Sat, Mar 5, 7:30 pm For tickets or info: theblockwestmichigan.org facebook.com/AtTheBlock 231.726.3231 38 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

Born and educated in Bonn, Germany, Beethoven settled in Vienna in 1792, hoping to take the city by storm; but it took him several years to establish his credentials in this musically sophisticated city whose idol was the aging Franz Joseph Haydn.

Beethoven studied with Haydn, soaking up many of his compositional techniques and innovations. By the time the now not-so-young composer premiered the First Symphony on April 2, 1800, at the Burgtheater, his reputation was secure. He was well known as a pianist and in great demand as a soloist; his chamber and piano compositions had begun to attract serious attention and he had acquired numerous sponsors from among the aristocracy and the well-to-do. He dedicated the First Symphony to one of them, Baron Gottfried van Swieten, a supporter and friend of Mozart, who had established a large library of music and promoted the music of Bach and Handel to Viennese audiences. The period of the First Symphony is also that of the Op. 18 String Quartets, and both represented important

milestones for Beethoven as he sought to assimilate and surpass the achievements of Haydn in these two genres.

The concert was a benefit for Beethoven where he was featured both as performer and composer. The hefty program—by no means unusual for the time—included a Mozart symphony, two movements from Haydn’s Creation, an improvisation on the piano

by Beethoven, the Septet, Op. 20, Symphony no.1, and probably the First Piano Concerto in C major.

Yet, despite Beethoven’s growing reputation, the critics' initial reception of the Symphony was lukewarm at best, "...a caricature of Haydn pushed to absurdity" (immediately apparent in the opening chords that trick the listener as to the true key of the piece).

The third movement, although labeled Minuet, dashes forward almost at a gallop with oddly placed forte outbursts. It was also the first symphonic instance of Beethoven's innovation, the scherzo, which he already debuted in his earliest chamber music. If there’s a minuet at all in this work, it’s the lilting second movement, unusual also in that it begins as a fugue in the strings, adding the other sections of the orchestra with each statement of the fugue subject.

The humor of the stammering scale, plus another bit of tonal ambiguity in the introduction to the final movement, also went unappreciated. The Finale begins with a slow opening of a repeated partial scale in the violins, reaching one note higher with each repetition, until it suddenly bursts forth into a dance-like theme. It is an opening worthy of Haydn at his most witty. Like the Finale, the Minuet theme, is also based on a rising scale motive.

In a short time, however, the Symphony became a great favorite, "...a glorious production, showing extraordinary wealth of lovely ideas..." A measure of its popularity was the appearance only two years later of an anonymous pirated arrangement for piano quintet that elicited a nasty letter from Beethoven—who always kept wary surveillance of his finances—to the Wiener Zeitung of October 30, 1802, disclaiming authorship and complaining of publishers' actions and the insecurity of a composer's rights. Copyright laws were still in the future, but one of Beethoven’s younger contemporaries, the enterprising composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel, made significant contributions to copyrights for composers.

PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1849-1893) Piano Concerto no.1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 It is ironic that Tchaikovsky’s two most popular works, the First Piano Concerto and the Violin Concerto, were initially rejected by the greatest virtuosi of his country as unplayable fiascos. “...Utterly worthless, absolutely unplayable. Certain passages are so commonplace and awkward they could not be improved, and Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 39

Program Notes the piece as a whole was bad, trivial, vulgar.” This was the verdict of Nikolay Rubinstein, first director of the Moscow Conservatory and one of Tchaikovsky’s mentors, on hearing the composer play his new Piano Concerto on Christmas Eve 1874. The tirade raised Tchaikovsky’s hackles, and he refused to change a single note (although in later editions he made some minor modifications). But with Rubinstein’s negative opinion, he had little chance of mounting a respectable performance—or unbiased reception—in Russia.

What has come to be the most popular piano concerto by Russia’s most popular composer was premiered in Boston on October 25, 1875, with a pick-up orchestra and famed pianist Hans von Bülow, where it was a smashing success.

It is worth remembering that the First Piano Concerto came relatively early in Tchaikovsky's career. Rubenstein, the founder of the Moscow Conservatory, had served both as a mentor and first employer to the young composer. Moreover, Tchaikovsky's wellknown bouts of depression and sense of alienation because of his homosexuality exacerbated his self-doubts about the quality of his music. It was a personal triumph, therefore, that he managed to withstand Rubinstein's vicious assault.

Although the majestic introduction has become so well known as to be recognizable even to people unfamiliar with classical music, it was revolutionary for its time. It remains unlike any standard introduction in the orchestral repertory, replete with a fully developed theme and a cadenza. Even more unusual: this glorious theme never comes back again.

Introduced by a soft chordal transition, the exposition begins with a melody Tchaikovsky allegedly heard a blind beggar sing at a country fair, but this theme too is hardly touched on again. The two following themes, one for the winds, the other for the strings,

become more important for the movement as a whole. The long cadenza is unusually restrained, a fine vehicle for highlighting the pianist’s control of pianissimo.

The second movement opens with a gentle theme on the flute, accompanied by muted strings; the theme is then taken up by the piano with just a single note change. Instead of maintaining the tempo for the middle section of the slow movement, Tchaikovsky quixotically launches into a cadenza of pianistic pyrotechnics as a lead-in to a melody based on a popular cabaret song of the time.

In the rondo finale Tchaikovsky again uses a folk tune in triple meter, but with the accent always on the second beat. As momentum towards the climax builds, the violins sneak in a hint of the main theme of the first movement. In place of a formal solo cadenza, an excited coda with lavish pianistic flourishes concludes the Concerto.

It is probably fair to ask why this Concerto is such a popular competition piece. In keeping with the composer’s tumultuous emotional life, it requires of the performer a mastery of just about every artistic and technical resource: rapid passages in octaves, abrupt changes in mood, delicate passages of arpeggiated filigree, giant buildups of harmonic and emotional tension, whispered legato pianissimos. Is it any wonder Rubinstein overreacted? •• AUDIO WEB NOTES For a deeper understanding of the music you heard or will be hearing, visit westmichigansymphony.org and go to the masterworks program of your choice. There you’ll find an expanded version of the printed notes including musical examples you can hear by clicking on the icon. There are also brief clickable definitions of musical terms as they appear in the text.

Program notes by: Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn

OUR FARES ARE LOWER NOW. SO THAT’S NICE. New lower fares 40 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

Conrad Tao

Conrad Tao has appeared worldwide as a pianist and composer, and has been dubbed a musician of “probing intellect and open-hearted vision” by the New York Times, a “thoughtful and mature composer”

by NPR, and “ferociously talented” by TimeOut New York. In June of 2011, the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the Department of Education named Conrad a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts awarded him a YoungArts gold medal in music. Later that year, Conrad was named a Gilmore Young Artist, an honor awarded every two years highlighting the most promising American pianists of the new generation. In May of 2012, he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant.

During the 2014-2015 season, Conrad served as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s artist-in-residence, performing solo recitals, chamber music, and concertos. He continues his formidable globe-trotting career as a pianist with performances with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony, among others. He also collaborates with the young musicians of the New York Youth Symphony, whose season he inaugurates in Carnegie Hall, and the Hawaii Youth Symphony.

In Europe, he will be returning to perform with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, and the Bern Symphony in Switzerland. He also performs recitals in Europe and throughout the United States with repertoire ranging from Bach to Toru Takemitsu to Julia Wolfe.

On his 19th birthday in June of 2013, Conrad kicked off the inaugural UNPLAY Festival at the powerHouse Arena in Brooklyn, which he curated and produced. The festival, designated a “critics’ pick” by TimeOut New York and hailed by the New York Times for its “clever

organization” and “endlessly engaging” performances, featured Conrad with guest artists performing a wide variety of new works. Across three nights encompassing electroacoustic music, performance art, youth ensembles, and much more, UNPLAY explored the fleeting ephemera of the Internet, the possibility of a 21st-century canon, and music’s role in social activism and critique. That month, Conrad, a Warner Classics recording artist, also released Voyages, his first full-length for the label, declared a “spiky debut” by the New Yorker’s Alex Ross. Of the album, NPR wrote: “Tao proves himself to be a musician of deep intellectual and emotional means—as the thoughtful programming on this album... proclaims.” Tao’s second album, Pictures, released October 9, 2015, features the world premiere recording of his work, "A Walk (for Emilio)" in memory of his first "serious" piano teacher in Chicago, Emilio del Rosario.

In November 2013, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra premiered Conrad’s new orchestral composition, “The World Is Very Different Now”, commissioned in observance of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Described by the New York Times as “shapely and powerful,” this work is the latest in his accomplished career as a composer, which has featured eight consecutive ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, the Carlos Surinach Prize from BMI, and an oeuvre that already includes everything from symphonic music to string quartets to electroacoustic work to popular music.

Conrad was born in Urbana, Illinois, in 1994. He currently attends the Columbia University/Juilliard School joint degree program and studies piano with Professor Yoheved Kaplinsky at Juilliard. He studies composition with Christopher Theofanidis. conradtao.com •• Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 41

Nathaniel Stampley

Broadway Gentlemen April 15, 2016 | Friday | 7:30 pm Scott Speck, conductor Nathaniel Stampley, Sean MacLaughlin and Edward Watts, vocalists

Phantom of the Opera Medley New York, New York Edward, Nathaniel, Sean Gigi Sean Bring Him Home Edward A Chorus Line Medley

There’s No Business Like Show Business Edward, Nathaniel, Sean Can't Take My Eyes Off You Nathaniel For Good Sean and Nathaniel Standin’ On The Corner Edward, Nathaniel, Sean Always Look on the Bright Side of Life Edward, Nathaniel, Sean

Andrew Lloyd Webber Leonard Bernstein (On the Town) arr. Mark Sensinger Frederick Loewe (Gigi) arr. John Russo Claude-Michel Schönberg (Les Misérables) Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban arr. Robert Lowden Irving Berlin (Annie Get your Gun) arr. Mark Sensinger Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio (Jersey Boys) arr. Eric Walton Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) arr. Eric Walton Frank Loesser (The Most Happy Fella) arr. Mark Sensinger Eric Idle, John Du Prez (Spamalot) arr. Eric Walton

INTERMISSION Jesus Christ Superstar Medley

Seasons of Love Edward, Nathaniel, Sean Easy to be Hard Nathaniel Being Alive Sean Sunrise, Sunset Edward, Nathaniel, Sean I Am What I Am Edward Memory Edward, Nathaniel, Sean Music of the Night Edward, Nathaniel, Sean

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice arr. Henry Mancini Jonathan Larson (Rent) arr. Andrew Gerle Galt MacDermot (Hair) arr. Eric Walton Stephen Sondheim (Company) arr. Ryan Shirar Jerry Bock (Fiddler on the Roof) arr. Ryan Shirarr Jerry Herman (La Cage aux Folles) arr. Donald Pippin Andrew Lloyd Webber (Cats) arr. Thomas Wilson Andrew Lloyd Webber (Phantom of the Opera) arr. Thomas Wilson

Guest Artist Sponsor:

42 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

Nathaniel Stampley appeared in the West End in The Lion King (Disney UK Ltd.). He also went on tour with Ragtime and Orpheus Returns. His Off-Broadway/Regional credits include Big Love (Signature Theatre); Fiorello!, and Lost in the Stars (NY City Center’s Encores!); The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (The A.R.T.); Abyssinia (North Shore Music Theatre); Pacific Overtures (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Strike Up the Band and One Touch of Venus (Auditorium Theatre’s Ovations!); Violet, Once on This Island and Big River (Joseph Jefferson Award nomination; Apple Tree Theatre); The Color Purple (The Milwaukee Repertory Theater); Showboat (Sacramento Music Circus); Harriet: The Woman Called Moses, El Capitan, Girl Crazy, The King and I, Porgy and Bess (The Skylight Music Theatre).

He has performed in a concert version of The Marriage of Figaro and Songs from Around the World with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; American Favorites from Gershwin to Copland, Home for the Holidays concerts, and has recorded with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra (Naxos). He has been a guest artist with UW-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra and toured internationally with the Madison Children’s Choir. He recently performed a Rogers and Hammerstein tribute concert at Lincoln Center.

He has performed in The Weill Music Institute concert series, Musical Explorers and Link Up with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall. Other concerts include Musical Introduction Series at 92Y, El Paso Symphony Orchestra, and Springfield Symphony Orchestra. In collaboration with Margaret Paek, Lanette Costas, Jason and Alicia Hall Moran he performed in the installation, BLEED at the Whitney Museum of Art. He directed 19 Secrets and Painted Red for Sacred Ground Productions. He has upcoming concert dates with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Bernstein’s MASS and will be the featured performer at The Block, Saturday, April 16. ••

Nathaniel Stampley will be performing a solo concert @ The Block Sat, Apr 16, 7:30 pm For tickets or info: theblockwestmichigan.org facebook.com/AtTheBlock 231.726.3231

Sean MacLaughlin Sean MacLaughlin recently garnered much praise across the U.S. performing the role of Juan Peron in the successful revival of Evita. Broadway credits include Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, Elton John’s Lestat, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman In White and Bombay Dreams. Other select NY and Regional credits include Transport Groups Productions of The Audience, Requiem for William, and Baby: in Concert; South Pacific: In Concert at Carnegie Hall; Grand Hotel, Follies and More at Signature Theatre in DC; The Sondheim Celebration: Merrily We Roll Along at the Kennedy Center; and the NY Readings of Frank Wildhorn’s Excalibur and Webber’s Sunset Boulevard. Film includes HBO’s Something the Lord Made and Walking Shadows. seanmaclaughlin.com •• Sean MacLaughlin

Edward Watts Nathaniel Stampley Edward Watts

Edward Watts was honored to recently make his New York Philharmonic debut as Steve Baker in Showboat, directly across the plaza at Lincoln Center from where he played Joe in the New York City Opera production of The Most Happy Fella. He has performed in concerts all over the U.S. and in Europe, and has toured the country in Les Misérables (Enjolras), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Adam Pontipee), The Little Mermaid (King Triton) and Beauty and the Beast (Gaston). Edward is currently starring as El Gallo in The Fantasticks at the Jerry Orbach Theater, and his other Broadway and NYC credits include Scandalous (Robert Semple/David Hutton), Finian’s Rainbow (Woody u/s), Transport (Delamare) at the Irish Rep, and It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman (Clark Kent/Superman) at New York City Center Encores! His extensive regional theater credits span from Boston to Sacramento, and Minneapolis to Dallas. Favorites include Javert in Les Misérables, Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Helen Hayes nomination), Joe Bradley in Roman Holiday, Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music and Harold Hill in The Music Man. Television credits include The Sopranos, All My Children, Rescue Me, The Carrie Diaries and every soap opera that used to film in NYC. edwardwatts.net •• Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 43

Program Notes

A Study of Contrasts May 20, 2016 | Friday | 7:30 pm Scott Speck, conductor Marcus Roberts, piano Rodney Jordan, bass Jason Marsalis, drums

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Symphony no.5 in E minor, Op. 64 I. Andante - Allegro con anima II. Andante cantabile con alcuna licenza III. Valse: Allegro moderato IV. Finale: Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace

INTERMISSION George Gershwin Marcus Roberts Trio

Concerto in F I. Allegro II. Adagio - Andante con moto III. Allegro agitato

Guest Artist Sponsor:

WMS Past presidents

Marcus Roberts will be performing a solo concert @ The Block Sat, May 21, 7:30 pm For tickets or info: theblockwestmichigan.org facebook.com/AtTheBlock 231.726.3231 44 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Symphony no.5 in E minor, Op. 64 Throughout his creative career, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s inspiration went through extreme cycles, tied to his frequent bouts of deep depression and self-doubt. In mid-May 1888 he wrote to his brother Modest that he was convinced that he had written himself out and that he now felt neither the impulse nor the inclination to compose. By the end of the month, however, he set about “...getting a symphony out of my dulled brain, with difficulty.” Inspiration must have started to flow, for by the end of August, the massive Fifth Symphony was finished.

As was the case with most of Tchaikovsky’s compositions, the premiere of the Symphony—in St. Petersburg, with the composer conducting—earned mixed reactions. The audience liked it, critics panned it and fellow-composers were envious. Modest believed that the problem with the critics lay with his brother’s lack of confidence as a conductor.

Tchaikovsky himself, however, was never at ease with the Symphony, and wrote to his benefactress, Nadeja von Meck: “Having played my symphony twice in St. Petersburg and once in Prague, I have come to the conclusion that it is a failure. There is something repellent in it, some exaggerated color, some insincerity of construction, which the public instinctively recognizes. It was clear to me that the applause and ovations were not for this but for other works of mine, and that the Symphony itself will never please the public.”

For the rest of his life he felt ambivalent about its merits, although after a concert in Germany, where the musicians were enthusiastic, he felt more positive.

The mood of the entire Symphony is set by the introduction, a somber motto in the clarinets that reappears throughout the work and hints at some hidden extra-musical agenda.

Perhaps the motto reflects the melancholy and self-doubt Tchaikovsky experienced when he started composing the Symphony; certainly its mood is maintained throughout most of the work, where it casts a pall over whatever it touches. After the Introduction, the first movement continues Andante con anima with a resolute march theme, almost a grim procession through adversity. A second beautifully orchestrated theme reveals how many ways there are to represent a sigh in music. Even the idyllic ambience of the second movement, Andante cantabile, its main theme one of the repertory's great horn solos, followed by a more animated theme for solo oboe, opens with ponderous introductory measures for the double basses and cellos, playing the underlying harmony of the motto. Later, the movement is interrupted by the sudden recurrence of the motto blasted out by trumpets over the threatening rumble of the timpani.

The third movement is a waltz based on a street melody the composer had heard in Florence ten years before. It also has an undertone of sadness, and towards the end the somber motto is again heard, the mood continuing into the Finale.

The last movement presents the motto as the focal point of a final struggle between darkness and light, symbolized by the vacillation between its original E minor and E major. The stately introduction mirrors the opening of the piece, although in an ambiguous mood and mode. With the Allegro, the key returns decidedly to the minor, but the tempo picks up into a spirited Trepak, a Russian folkdance.

Finally, following a grand pause, the key switches definitively to E major—with great pomp and fanfare—for a majestic coda based on the motto and a final trumpet blast of a version in E major of the first movement march.

GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937) Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra Arranged and expanded for Jazz Trio and Orchestra by Marcus Roberts Jazz evolved in New Orleans in the early part of the last century from ragtime and the blues. It was, however, in Europe, where American dance bands were very popular, that composers first incorporated the new American idioms into their classical compositions: Claude Debussy in Golliwog's Cakewalk (1908); Igor Stravinsky in Ragtime (1918); and especially Darius Milhaud in the ballet La création du Monde (1923).

George Gershwin was the first American composer to make jazz acceptable to the classical music audience. The performance of his Rhapsody in Blue at the Paul Whitman concerts in 1924 was a groundbreaker. It was however his Concerto in F, commissioned

by Walter Damrosch for the New York Symphony and premiered in December 1925, which was the first large-scale jazz composition in a traditionally classical genre.

Gershwin, who by that time was already a famous composer of songs and musical comedies, had no experience in orchestration.

In the Broadway tradition, this was usually left to professional orchestrators. Even the Rhapsody in Blue had not been orchestrated

by Gershwin, but by his colleague Ferde Grofé. But Gershwin took the plunge and orchestrated the Concerto in F himself. The results reveal him as a fast learner.

in the original score and as part of the trio. The trio operates much like any jazz ensemble, picking out the main tunes and freely expanding them. While the solo piano part in the original version already supplies the jazz riffs, its role in the trio adds further jazz treatment—perhaps improvisational—of the themes, as well as considerable length to the concerto as a whole. The trap set adds a new underlying rhythmic component to the orchestral parts.

Gershwin employed different jazz styles in each of the three movements. The First employs the quick pulsating rhythm of the Charleston. The unusual opening for timpani and trap set fixes the prevailing rhythm of the movement and announces in no uncertain terms: “This is jazz!” The main theme, introduced by the piano, becomes a motto for the concerto, recurring in the last movement.

Instead of developing core thematic material, the tunesmith Gershwin rolls out a series of melodies in contrasting rhythms and moods, expanding each one in the manner of a jazz riff. The climax of the movement is a repeat for full orchestra of the main theme.

The second movement has, as Gershwin himself explained, “...a poetic nocturnal atmosphere which has come to be referred to as the American blues...” The movement begins with a long introductory passage for solo winds, based on a small rhythmic motive that sets the bluesy atmosphere and contains little hints of the two important themes to come In this version, however, the trio dominates, adding several minutes of music to the original score. Both themes are delayed in order to produce a sense of expectation and tension that drive the movement, reflecting the melancholy sense of longing that characterizes the blues in general. As in the first movement, the piano introduces the first theme, the accompaniment to which hints at the movement's second big theme that will come into its own a full eight minutes into the movement.

The Finale, the only movement with a classical structure, is a rondo but also a toccata consisting of rapidly repeated notes. From a pop music perspective, the movement is a quickstep. The first episode brings back in variation the motto from the first movement. The next episode the melody is original to this movement, and in the third episode, Gershwin brings back the main theme from the second movement as a quickstep. The climax is a near repeat of the fully orchestrated motto. A rapid coda recalls the rondo theme with a timpani flourish and a jazz trill for the horns. ••

Although billed as a concerto for the concert hall, the Concerto in F adheres only to the most basic elements to classical models of form and structure: three movements, fast-slow-fast. There is no attempt at recreating sonata form in the movements themselves, although the finale is a rondo.

AUDIO WEB NOTES For a deeper understanding of the music you heard or will be hearing, visit westmichigansymphony.org and go to the masterworks program of your choice. There you’ll find an expanded version of the printed notes including musical examples you can hear by clicking on the icon. There are also brief clickable definitions of musical terms as they appear in the text.

In 2003 Jazz pianist Marcus Roberts (b. 1963) made an arrangement of Gershwin’s Concerto for his jazz trio and orchestra. In the process, he greatly expanded the work, with the piano doubling as soloist

Program notes by: Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn Volume 3//October 2015 – May 2016 :: 45

Marcus Roberts

In 2014, Marcus Roberts was honored to have his life and work featured on a segment of the celebrated CBS News television show 60 Minutes. The show, entitled “The Virtuoso,” traced Roberts’ life to date from his early roots in Jacksonville and at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind to his remarkable career as a modern jazz musician. Roberts is perhaps best known for the development of an entirely new approach to jazz trio performance.

Roberts grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, where his mother’s gospel singing and the music of the local church left a lasting impact on his own musical style. After losing his sight at age five, he began teaching himself to play piano; he had his first formal lesson at age 12. Roberts later went on to study classical piano at Florida State University with Leonidas Lipovetsky. Among the many competitions that Roberts has won and awards that he has received over the years, the one that is most personally meaningful to him is the Helen Keller Award for Personal Achievement.

Roberts toured with Wynton Marsalis starting at age 21 for six years, when he left to tour and record with his own band. Roberts’ criticallyacclaimed legacy of recorded music reflects his tremendous versatility as an artist; his recordings include solo piano, duets, and trio arrangements of jazz standards as well as original suites of music, large ensemble works, and symphony orchestra recordings (beginning with Portraits in Blue, Sony Classical, 1996). He premiered his ground-breaking arrangement of Gershwin’s Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra with the New Japan Philharmonic and then recorded it with the Berlin Philharmonic (DVD: A Gershwin Night, EuroArts 2003). Roberts’ release of New Orleans Meets Harlem, Volume 1 in 2009 was the first on his new label, J-Master Records.

Since then, he has released a very popular holiday recording, "Celebrating Christmas," a nonet recording of an original suite, "Deep in the Shed: A Blues Suite" (Nov 2012), a collaborative CD of the Marcus Roberts Trio with Béla Fleck called Across the Imaginary Divide (Rounder Records), and in 2013, three critically acclaimed 46 :: West Michigan Symphony Concert Program

CDs—From Rags to Rhythm, Together Again: Live in Concert, and Together Again: In the Studio. In 2014, Roberts released another suite of all-original music, called Romance, Swing, and the Blues.

Roberts is an accomplished composer who has received numerous commissioning awards, including ones from Jazz at Lincoln Center, Chamber Music America, and ASCAP among others. Most recently, he was commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Savannah Music Festival to write his first piano concerto—Spirit of the Blues: Piano Concerto in C-Minor. The concerto was premiered with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Robert Spano in 2013. Roberts first performed as a soloist with symphony orchestra in 1992 with Maestra Marin Alsop. Since that time, he has performed with orchestras all over the world, but most frequently with his long-time friend and mentor, Maestro Seiji Ozawa.

Roberts returned to Japan in September of 2014 to share the stage with Ozawa with the world-renowned Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra.

Finally, Roberts has long been dedicated to the training and development of younger musicians. He serves as Associate Artistic Director for the Savannah Music Festival as well as the Director of the annual “Swing Central” high school band competition and educational programs for students from all over the country. He is on the faculty at the School of Music at Florida State University. In May 2014, Roberts many contributions to the field of music were acknowledged through the awarding of an honorary Doctor of Music degree from The Juilliard School. All of this hard work and experience came together in 2012 with the founding of a completely new band—The Modern Jazz Generation, who released their first CD in October of 2014. This multigenerational band was founded on the principles of mentoring in jazz and has 12 accomplished musicians, ranging in age from their early 20s to their 50s. With each year that passes, you can count on Marcus Roberts tackling something new. marcusroberts.com ••

Opportunity knocks.

Research, internships, study abroad, and service learning are built into nearly all of Grand Valley’s 200+ areas of study. These, along with our liberal education foundation that fosters critical thinking, creative problem solving, and cultural understanding, prepare you well to answer the call of a rewarding career and life.

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