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WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

PRÉLUDE

West Michigan Symphony Season Magazine

Volume 14 • Issue 2 • Dec 2025 & Jan 2026

FRIDAY • DEC 19 • 7:30 PM

FRIDAY • JAN 30 • 7:30 PM

Artistic Staff

Scott Speck Music Director

Angela Corbin WMS Debut & Premier Strings Director

Lauren Garza Tune Up Program Manager & Lead Teaching Artist

Beth Slimko WMS Children’s Choir Director

Helen LaGrand Tune Up Teaching Artist

Julia Neckermann Tune Up Teaching Artist

Administrative Staff

Andrew Buelow President/CEO

Amanda Dykhouse Orchestra Librarian

Megan James Marketing & Design Manager

Karen Mueller O'Neill Vice President of Development & Marketing

Maris Myers Patron Services Manager

Gabe Slimko Vice President of Operations & Orchestra

Lisa Tabaczka Finance & O ffice Manager

Karen Vander Zanden Vice President of Community Learning & Engagement

Board of Directors

Kate Kesteloot Scarbrough, Chairperson

Retired Executive Director, Mediation & Restorative Services

Susan Cloutier Crain, Immediate Past Chairperson

Retired Executive Director, Disability Network

Merica S. Dobry, Secretary

Senior Council, Warner Norcross + Judd LLP

Bob Garretson, Treasurer CEO, Embark Financial Partners

Larry Fife

Retired Infotainment Director, Siemens and Continental Automotive

Amy Hosford

General Manager, KN Literary Arts

Donna Joyce

Advancement Director, DOOR International

Bob Kwiecien

Retired Vice President of Sales, Amstore Corporation

Stacy Mellema, CPA

Shareholder, Hungerford

Jason Olthoff

Vice President of Sales, Nichols

Emma Peterson

Director of Philanthropy, Trinity Health

Jennifer Ross

City Clerk, Muskegon Heights

Ryan Sterkenburg CTFA®, CISP®

VP / Senior Trust Administrator, Macatawa Bank

Thomas Trzaska

Chief Engineer, RENK America

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.

Dates, artists and programs are subject to change.

WHAT'S INSIDE

Message from the Music Director

Meet the WMS Principal Musicians

West Michigan Symphony Musicians

Message from the Chairperson

West Michigan Symphony Annual Fund

West Michigan Symphony Endowment

West Michigan Symphony Legacy Giving

Home for the Holidays

Superheroes at the Symphony

Community Music Encounters

About West Michigan Symphony

West Michigan Symphony 25/26 Season

The Block 25/26 Season

MISSION

West Michigan Symphony connects and enriches our diverse community through the transformative power of music. We fulfill this pimarily through three core offerings:

• Professional, live symphonic performances in a welcoming environment

• Inspired small ensemble performances in an immersive live listening room

• Learning activities that enrich the lives of children and adults through exploration, participation and performance

VISION

We are a catalyst for a musicinfused West Michigan: leading, facilitating, connecting and collaborating with the community to stimulate cultural vibrancy, inclusivity and pride of place.

Find Us Online

Website: westmichigansymphony.org

Facebook: facebook.com/wmsymphony

Facebook: facebook.com/AtTheBlock

Email: info@westmichigansymphony.org

Instagram: westmichigansymphony

Spotify: West Michigan Symphony

LinkedIn: West Michigan Symphony

On WMS concert nights, ride from the Muskegon Farmers Market (near the clock) to the Frauenthal between 6:30–7:30 pm. Wheelchair accessible. Return shuttles run after the concert until 10 pm.

Dear Friends,

Welcome to Winter at the WMS!

MESSAGE FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

Right on cue, the cold air is settling over West Michigan. And once again, we’ve got just the remedy — a warm evening of orchestral joy. We’ve designed the next two concerts to take you on two very different journeys — one fille with the spirit of the holidays, and one celebrating the larger-than-life power of heroes real and imagined.

In December, our cherished Home for the Holidays concert returns—this time as Around the World. I love this theme for the variety it affords. We’ve used it several times in our Masterworks programming, but this is our firs time for using it in the Holiday concert.

Together with baritone Finn Sagal, the West Michigan Symphony Children’s Choir, and the North Muskegon High School Choir, we perform carols and festive songs from diverse and far-flun cultures, from Spain to Ukraine, from the balmy south to the frigid north—and even a visit to the movie Frozen’s snowy realm. You’ll hear familiar favorites and discover new ones, as we embrace the beauty of our shared traditions.

Then in January, we turn to stories of courage and transformation in Superheroes at the Symphony. Music from Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman shares the stage with two timeless symphonic masterpieces

Prokofie’s Romeo and Juliet and Stravinsky’s Firebird Whether born from myth, legend, stage, or screen, our protagonists embody a heroism best expressed in music.

Thank you for sharing your winter with us. We’re grateful for your support of this living, breathing art form—and we look forward to taking these journeys with you.

Scott Speck Music Director

MEET THE WMS PRINCIPAL MUSICIANS

Our musicians are West Michigan’s cultural ambassadors and a key part of its creative capital. In addition to WMS, our players teach privately and at major Michigan universities, perform with other orchestras, and appear as recitalists and chamber musicians across the Midwest and beyond.

GENE HAHN Associate Concertmaster

MARK PORTOLESE Associate Principal – Violin 2

IGOR CETKOVIC Principal – Cello

ASAKO FURUOYA Principal – Oboe

EDWARD HICKMAN Principal – Trombone

JACIE ROBINSON Assistant Concertmaster

ADAM LIEBERT Assistant Principal – Violin 1

CARMEN ABELSON Assistant Principal – Violin 2

CAMERON SLAUGH Assistant Principal – Cello

ELIZABETH KAPITANIUK Principal – Clarinet

RILEY LINDSEY Principal – Tuba

ARTURO ZIRALDO Principal – Viola

ROBERT JOHNSON Principal – Bass

CHLOE ROBBINS Principal – Bassoon

LEO TAYLOR Principal – Timpani

AMANDA DYKHOUSE Principal – Violin 2

REBECCA BOELZNER Associate Principal – Viola

JILL MARIE BROWN Principal – Flute

PAUL CLIFTON Principal – Horn

MATTHEW BECK Principal – Percussion

BILL BAXTRESSER Principal – Trumpet

SYLVIA NORRIS Principal – Harp

Music Director

Scott Speck

Mike & Kay Olthoff Endowed Chair

First Violin

Open concertmaster

Gene Hahn interim concertmaster

Gust and Mary Theodore Danigelis

Endowed Chair

Jacie Robinson asst. concertmaster

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY MUSICIANS

Cello

Igor Cetkovic principal

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON

Hello and welcome to the 86th season of your West Michigan Symphony.

The days are shorter and winter-like weather has arrived in West Michigan. Although the days are darker, the holidays brighten our mood and there is so much to celebrate in December. We are excited to share all of the musical traditions from around the world as everyone is Home for the Holidays . We love bringing together our community of music lovers and music makers to share the season. I hope all your gatherings are merry and bright.

Superheroes at the Symphony is a fl ight through amazing music that accompanies their soaring feats. Not all heroes wear capes or have movie scores. Some heroes go a bout their work quietly and uncelebrated. We are grateful to our Local Heros, our police o ffi cers and fi re fi ghters, who labor each day to keep our community safe. Thank you!

January marks a new year and Scott Speck and the sta ff are working hard on the 2026/27 West Michigan Symphony season. I’m already excited about what’s coming up and I know you will be as well.

January is also a time for resolutions. I hope you will resolve to join us next season too.

Kate Kesteloot Scarbrough Chairperson, WMS Board of Directors

January 16–25, 2026

February 14–22, 2026

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

Frau Lounge by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron Based on the book by Ilene Beckerman

Black Box on the Frauenthal Stage

Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Music by Stephen Flaherty Based upon the novel "My Love, My Love" by Rosa Guy

West Michigan Symphony Annual Fund

Your annual contributions to West Michigan Symphony help to sustain a vital community resource. Just over 60% of contributions to WMS come from individual patrons, with the remainder generated from corporate and foundation support. We extend our deepest appreciation to you for helping make WMS a cultural touchstone in our community. The listings below represent total pledges and gifts by each patron household from October 1, 2024 through December 8, 2025. This includes our Annual Fund, other special initiatives and events. In particular, we wish to express our gratitude to Mike and Kay Olthofffor their support of our November-December Matching Challenge campaign. We have given careful attention to ensure a complete and accurate list. Please notify us of any inaccuracies by calling 231.726.3231.

Annual & Monthly Giving

Giving to the Annual Fund makes the Orchestra accessible to the entire community! One-time, monthly and annual contributions to WMS are fully tax-deductible and acknowledged with a receipt for tax purposes. You can make a gift designated toward sponsoring a musician, underwriting a youth learning program, or simply “where most needed.”

To make a secure, tax deductible donation now, simply point your smart phone at the QR code with your camera app open and tap the link that appears, visit westmichigansymphony. org/donate, or call 231.726.3231.

$10,000 and up

Anonymous (2)

Susan Cloutier Crain

Jan & Laura Deur

Deborah DeVoursney

Bob & Heather Garretson

Amy J Klop

Daniel & Sheryl Kuznar

Steve & Deb Olsen

Mike & Kay Olthoff

Jason & Jamye Olthoff

Brad & Kathleen Playford

Barbara Potuznik

Douglas Hannink & Jocelyn Shaw

Jack & Becky Slimko

Philip Smith & Family

Liz & Tom Trzaska

$5,000-$9,999

Anonymous

Jane Blyth

Pete & Sherry Brown

George W & Lori Lynn Cannon III

James & Susan Geisler

Mark & Jennifer Gross

Robert & Clara Harrell

Paul & Karen Jackson

Stephen & Debra Jackson

Patricia Johnson

Wendy M Kersman

Kate Kesteloot Scarbrough

Rich & Nancy Klassen

Lois & Bill Lydens

Patrick & Sheila Miller

Joanna Norris

Bonnie Olson Memorial Fund

Jill Sanders

Sawyer Family Fund of CFFMC

Mary Price and Tom Schaub

Dr. Michael and Marijean Smith

Susan & Stephen Struck

Roger & Rebecca Tuuk

Jim & Linda Zolman

$2,500-$4,999

Roy & Esther Baldridge

Amy Bensinger

Joanne Bensinger

Janice Buck

Andy & Beth Buelow

Gordon & Mary Buitendorp

Valerie Church-McHugh & Fred McHugh

Anne M Dake

Mary Douville

William & Mary Lou Eyke

David F Gerdes & Carolyn Smith-Gerdes

Carl & Sylvia Hansen

Jeff & Gen Hazekamp

Bruce & Donna Hood

Amy & William Hosford

Richard & Holly Hughes

Nelson & Elizabeth Huldin

Heather Kettler

Ratan & Vicky Khatri

Mike & Becky Kuznar

Bob & Dee Kwiecien

John & Jessie Martin

Chris McGuigan & Gary Neal

Jane Missimer

Frank & Emma Peterson

David & Beth Pickard

John & Karen Pitcher

Susan Rehrer

Gretchen & Randy Rhoades

John Saling & Diane Fischer

Sam Slaughter & Anne Lehker

Scott Speck

Peter M Turner

Elinore Verplank

Karen & John Wells

Marguerite & Kenneth Winter

Jon J & Cathy Workman

$1,000-$2,499

Anonymous (2)

Charles Alstrom

Melisa Baker

Allen & Sandy Beck

Susan & Frank Bednarek Fund of the CFFMC

Herb & Anne Bevelhymer

Dave Bishop

Ronnie & Kelli Bluhm

Brian & Jill Boersema

Nick Bolema

Rick Charles & Jennifer Grow

Bob & Charlotte Chessman

Darlene Collet

Amy Conn Tenny

Don & Kathy Dahlstrom

Diane DeGrazia

Eric & Merica Dobry

Robert & Cathleen Dubault

William & Donna Eckert

Joel & Linda Engel

Kevin & Annette Even

Mark and Christine Fazakerley

Larry & Lynette Fife

Manley Ford

Evelyn Geile

Mary Anne Gorman

Bill Haug & Jane Curtis

Dr Tom & Heidi Hill

Larry & Lari Hines

Susan Hoekenga

Pat Hunt

Ed Hunt & Nancy McCarthy

Wilda James

Joel & Kathleen Jarvis

Dick & Lynn Kamps Fund of the CFFMC

Barbara Kelso

Patricia Ladas

Tim & Lynette Lipan

Jim & Mary Malek

Cindy Mazurek

Don & Jean Medema

Mark & Bonnie Meengs

Stacy & Eric Mellema

Susan Meston

Barbara & Joseph Mockus

Roger C Morgenstern

Kathryn Neumann

Mike & Dina Poland

Roy & Britta Portenga

Bob & Carol Pyka

Judith Rahrig

Eric & Michelle Ringelberg

Clyde & Beth Rinsema

Dan & Sarah Rinsema-Sybenga

Brian & Julia Rupp

Wietse & Melanie Schaafsma

Duane & Susan Schecter

Laura Schultz

Robert N & Merle N Scolnik Advised Fund of the CFFMC

Allen & Mistelle Serio

Kathy & Kevin Smith

Dr F Remington & Ginny Sprague

Dr Alan Steinman

Ryan & Kris Sterkenburg

John & Mary Swanson

John & Sue Sytsema

Drs David & Linda Taylor

Kristine & Jim Tyler

William & Susan Vander Zanden

Michael & Patricia Wade

JoLee Wennersten

Melody & JR Whitby

Ellie Williams

Jan Witt

Jane J Wright

$500-$999

Anonymous

Ross & Sandra Aden

Colin Billingsley

Eriic & Monica Bollman

Art & Marilyn Bolt

Richard & Marilyn Brown

Ron & Ann Marie Brown

John Max Busard & Elizabeth Busard Fund

Pat & Amy Campanelli

Curtis Chambers & Diana Wojton

George & Deborah Chmelar

Rudy & Pat Chmelar

Dr Donald & Nancy Crandall

Mary Theodore Danigelis

Marcia D'Oyly

Karen Driver

Carla Flanders CMF Marketing & Events

Dana & Jeff Glamz

David & Shari Groendyk

Virginia Hague

Jeff & ail Hall

Michael Hanley

Mike & Jamie Hekker

Cornelia Holley

Norma Jean Horan

Mary Anne & Thom Hornik

Marcia Hovey-Wright & Ernie Boone

Maureen & Don Huldin

Todd & Tami Jacobs

Donna Joyce

Michelle Kantor Hanley

Thomas Knight

R'na & Kara Komarek

Brian & Gay Landstrom

David MacPherson

Adam & Amanda Moblo

Perry & Deb Newson

Eric & Lori Nisja

Amy Norris & MJ Towle

Richard & Katie Norton

Daniel & Dominga Partenio

Patricia Renucci

Sylvia Precious

Bob & Bobbi Sabine

Sally Schwartz

John & Zephyra Selmon

Jonathan Seyferth & Matthew Ellis

Helen & Jay Smith

Dr Carlo V Spataro

Tom and Denise Spoelman

Susan Sridharan

Eileen B Stoffa

Tom & Nanci Stone

Clifford & Lucia Storr

George & Dottie Strabel

Kim Suarez

Robert S Swan

Marty & Heidi Sytsema

Ann & Dan Tabor

George & Laura Thurlow

Don & Jane Tjarksen

Richard & Marge Tourre

Ed DeJong & Diane VanWesep

Susan Vogel-Vanderson

Jay & J'Nai Wallace

Bill & Shirley Walther

Ann M Wassmann & Thomas Edwards

Sheryl Wescott

Judy Wilcox

Dr Roy Winegar & Ms Barbara Klingenmaier

Lynn Winter

Robert & Joanne Zayko

$100-$499

Anonymous (6)

Jason & Ann Aerts

Laura Aikens

James Alexander

Kirsten Anderson

Tom & JIll Archambeau

Bernadette Arnold

Margo Atwell

Larry & Sandy Austin

Earl Baxtresser

Lisa Bayne

David & Sue Bird

William Black

Jeanne Kuharivicz Bleich

Dr Mary & Robert Boyer

Jerry & Marcia Brichan

Jennifer Bride

Michael & Joanna Buboltz

Brenda Burgess

Jay Burrows

Marie Bustin

Don Clemens

E Jane Connell & Steven W Rosen

Bill & Carol Cross

Jessica Wolin & Frank Crownover

Andrew & Samantha Cutler

Debbie Dausey

Bill & Joan Davis

Ian & Shannon Davis

Agnes De Boer

Chris Dean

Paula DeGregorio & Frank Galante

Dean Denman & Gale Ford

Calvin & Patricia Deur

Phil & Kim Deur

Larry DeVoogd

David & Dortha DeWit

John & Jan Ditmar

Joyce Downing

Jane Drake

Judy Draper

Dennis & Barbara Dryer

Amanda & Gregory Dykhouse

Nancy Emmerich

Robert & Jackie Engel

Harold & Mary Englund

Jean Enright

Wallace & Jane Ewing

Jill Farkas

Cork Farkas & Kathy Mauck

Katy & Walt Felver

Eugene Fethke

Dale & Bridget Fox

Steven Frantz

Trevor & Amy Friedeberg

Bruce Froelich & Margot Haynes

LaSandra & Arlen-Dean Gaddy

Cesar Galan

Charles & Jeanne Gembis

Susan & Ellery Gill

Marjorie Gorajec

Ann Gorter

Marcia Grasman

Patricia Groessl & David Leonard

LaDon Gustafson

Revs. Jerry & Susan Hagans

Kirk Hallman & Dawn Boston

George & Eve Hamstra

Richard & Diane Harder

Brad Hastings & Ashley Arnounts

Marcy Henehan

Mike & Ginny Henry

Patricia Hesling

Greg & Debi Hillebrand

Gwen Hoffma

William Hogan

Margaret Hudson

John & Jane Humphrey

Nicholas Huryk

Jessica Jenkins

Robert & Susan Johnson

Natalie Johnson & Dana Pink

Marjorie Jones

Laura & Kourosh Khatir

Kellen & Mary Kiley

Jay Kilgo

Randy & Debra Knapp

Alan Kohley

Judy Komar

Sarah & Gregory Korose

Bruce & Mary Krueger

Pete & Mimi Kunz

Monica Lakatos & Steve Preston

Joan La Mourie

Kenneth & Christine Lee

Fred & Pam Levin

Holly Lookabaugh-Deur & Sean Deur

Marsha Love

Mark Luttenton

Velvet Lyght & Arvin Candelaria

Deborah Margules

Christine Marshall

Adam & Anna Mausolf

Molly McCarthy & Timothy Hicks

Eileen McCormick & Lynne Nash

Shirley McIntire

Mary McKiernan

John & Cindy McKinnon

Mary McLaughlin Eyke

Stephanie McNamara

Howard & Carole Meade Fund

Richard Meads

Carol Meech

Joan Menke-Schaenzer

Rich & Teresa Micheil

LaShelle Mikesell

Tony Moceri

Wendy Morden

John & Lisa Mulder

Michael T. Naess

Jennie Naffie &ichard Oman

Bruce Neckers

Jil & Phil Nehra

Adam & Daisha Ngo

Donielle Nichols

Carol Norris

Bill & Erin O'Brien

David Olsen

Garry & Charlotte Olson

Henry & Mollie Osborn

Cara Owens

Bill Papo

Richard A Pardini

Bob & Linda Penny

Nick & Barb Pietrangelo

Gary & Beth Post

Garry Post and Robert Hill

Thomas Prince

John & Janet Quinn

Anthony Rickley & Terry Chambers

Gail Ringelberg

Claire Ritter

Dr Gary & Pennie Robertson

Derek & Claire Root-Benson

Susan Rositch

Karl & Barbara Rowe Family

Schierholz/Hogan Family Fund of CFFMC

Stephen Schmidt

Gwynne & Steve Schoff

Pat & Ed Schroeder

Susan (Sue) Schuiteman

Brianna Scott

Todd Sellon

John & Elaine Severson

Gregory Shaull

Kim & Andy Sims

Colleen & Joseph Skendzel

Dr Melissa Smith

Emylia Smith

Joanie Smith

Cindy Soyars

Michael & Cindy Stevens

James & Nancy Stier

Robert Strauss

Julie Stuberg

Zachary & Jessica Stucky

Judy Theune

Charles & Susan Rogalla Tindall

Katie Trzaska-Miller

Peggy Tully

David & Mary Turbessi

Brandon & Monica Turnbull

Catherine & Chris Uganski

Ula Rzepien

Bruce Van Dop

John Van Walsum

Vanessa & Alex Vander Meulen

David Vander Wall

Nancy L Vanderwest

Mikala VanDop

John & Gwen Varineau

Sabrina Warren

Louann & Hank Werksma

Nate & Amanda Westbrook

Neil & Beverly Whitbeck

Brewster & Mary Ellen Willcox

Raimonds T Ziemelis

Corporate, Arts Council & Foundation Donors

$10,000 and up

Community Foundation for Muskegon County

Embark Financial Partners

Grand Haven Area Community Foundation

Harbor Steel & Supply Corporation

Hines Corporation

Leonel L. & Mary Loder Fund

The Meijer Foundation

Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge

The Gerber Foundation

$5,000-$9,999

DTE Energy Foundation Fund

Fremont Area Community Foundation

Howmet Community Fund of the CFFMC

Macatawa Bank

Samuel L. Westerman Foundation

Smith Davis Morse Group

The Leonard Luxury Apartments

Trinity Health

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP

White Lake Community Fund of the CFFMC

Women's Division Chamber of Commerce

$2,500-$4,999

Billie Klont Greinke Memorial Fund of the CFFMC

Consumers Energy

Grand Valley State University

Hazekamp's Premier Foods

Hungerford i'move

Lorin Industries

Muskegon Community College

Raymond James

Shoreline Insurance Agency, Inc.

$1,000-$2,499

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Mart Dock Corporation

Mary C Payne Fund of the CFFMC

Newkirk Electric

Sparta Community Foundation

Tyler Sales

Webb Chemical Service Corporation

$500-$999

Ann & Bud Eichmann Fund of the CFFMC

City of Muskegon

John L. Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Fund of the CFFMC

Wintrust Community Bank

Past Chairs Committee

The Past Chairs Committee provides ongoing guidance, advocacy and support to the WMS long after its members’ terms are completed. WMS thanks and honors these individuals for their generosity, collective wisdom and continuing leadership.

Tim Arter

Susan Cloutier Crain

Pete Brown

Marcia D’Oyly

David Gerdes

David Hogan

Holly Hughes

Pat Hunt

Paul Jackson

Wendy Kersman

Deb Newson

Kay Olthoff

Mike Olthoff

Sylvia Precious

Chip Sawyer

Ann Tabor

Peter Turner

Jane Toot

Jane Wright

Block Underwriters

Consumers Energy

Grand Valley State University

Lorin Industries

Michael & Kimberly Martin (Endowed)

Muskegon Community College

Steve & Deb Olsen

Mike & Kay Olthoff

Mary Price & Tom Schaub

Shoreline Insurance Agency

Jack & Becky Slimko

Raymond James

Smith, Haughey, Rice and Roegge

Trinity Health

Tyler Sales

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP

EXHIBIT RUNNING FEBRUARY 11, 2025 - JANUARY 10, 2026

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY ENDOWMENT

Now in its 85th Season, WMS is dedicated to building a music-infused West Michigan, providing professional concerts in a welcoming environment and music encounters and learning that enrich the lives of both children and adults. The Endowment, along with robust annual giving, provides a stable funding base that supports this cause. WMS’s Endowment is held in two funds at the Community Foundation for Muskegon County (CFFMC) and in a third at the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation (GHACF).

Established in 1992, the CFFMC Secure the Spirit fund reported a fair market value of $672,101 on June 30, 2025. Established in 2020, the CFFMC Play Your Part fund reported $3,355,909 on the same date. The GHACF Play Your Part fund, established in 2021, was at $117,290.

The corpus of each fund is owned, managed and directed by these foundations, whose staffand trustees determine the timing and amount of distributions—normally an annual amount equal to 4% of the average balance over the previous 16 quarters. Foundation staffhandles all administrative details and investment responsibilities, freeing WMS leadership and staffto focus on mission delivery.

Play Your Part Campaign

The primary objective for WMS’s 2020-2022 Play Your Part Campaign was to grow the organization’s Endowment, providing a stable revenue model for the future. The second objective was to provide funding for a new string orchestra program for underserved students in Muskegon Public Schools. This initiative, called “Tune Up,” launched in fall 2022 and is now entering its third season. For more information, please see page 29.

As of September 30, 2024, gifts to the Play Your Part Campaign totaled $4,004,879 with outstanding pledges of $22,000 for a total of $4,026,879. We thank all those who have given generously to the campaign to date, and invite you to consider “playing a part” in WMS’s future. Whether through an outright gift or a designation in your will and trusts, your support will ensure continuity and future growth of WMS’s artistic and education footprint.

To learn more, please contact Andy Buelow at 231.726.3231 or abuelow@westmichigansymphony.org.

Maestro: $250,000 and up

Michael & Kay Olthoff

Larry & Lari Hines

Jeffey Lake Johnson

Premier: $100,000-$249,999

Community Foundation for Muskegon County (CFFMC)

Douglas & Janet Hoch

Robert & Wendy Kersman

Scott & Donna Lachniet

Crescendo: $50,000-$99,999

Bernie & Cathy Berntson

Jon & Jane Blyth

Mary Theodore Danigelis

Jan & Laura Deur

Pat & Julie Donahue

Mark & Christine Fazakerley

Mrs Carol Folkert

Grand Haven Area Community Foundation (GHACF)

Howmet Aerospace

Dan & Sheryl Kuznar

Meijer Foundation

Patrick O’Leary Foundation

Steve & Deb Olsen

Jack & Becky Slimko

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP

Symphony: $25,000-$49,999

Pete & Sherry Brown

Orville & Susan Cloutier-Crain

Don & Kathy Dahlstrom

matched by Charles Stewart Mott Fund

Rob & Cathleen Dubault

Eagle Alloy

William & Mary Lou Eyke

Fifth Third Bank

Paul & Karen Jackson

John & Jessie Martin

Monica Morse

Dr Richard & Nancy Peters

Tom Schaub & Mary Price

Concerto: $15,000-$24,999

Marilyn Andersen

Allen & Sandy Beck

Jackie Engel, CFP

James & Susan Geisler

Kimberly & Michael Martin

matched by Bank of America

Stephen & Susan Struck

Roger & Rebecca Tuuk

Prelude: $10,000-$14,999

Anonymous

Andy & Beth Buelow

G&L Hot Dogs

The Gerber Foundation

David Gerdes & Carolyn Smith-Gerdes

Stephen & Debra Jackson

F Martin & Dorothy A Johnson Fund of the GHACF

Paul C Johnson Fund of the CFFMC

Fred & Joanna Norris

Greg & Shelley Olson

Susan Rehrer

Robbins Road Animal Clinic

Dr Alan Steinman

John & Mary Swanson

Liz & Tom Trzaska

matched by RENK America

Peter M Turner

Webb Chemical

Judy Wilcox

Overture: $5,000-$9,999

Anonymous BDO

Bill Baldridge

Sherry Albertie Becker

Frank & Susan Bednarek

George & Lori Lynn Cannon

Cofessco Fire Protection

Consumers Energy

Dr Donald & Nancy Crandall

Anne & Allan Dake

Kevin & Annette Even

Mary Anne Gorman

Judith Hayner & Charlene Romanosky

Greg & Debi Hillebrand

Pat Hunt

Bari Johnson

Tom & Pat Johnson

Dick & Lynn Kamps

Ray & Betsy Komray

Clara Lang

Mark & Bonnie Meengs

Frank & Emma Peterson

Bruce & Marilyn Reichardt

Suzanne Richards & Lee Burlison

Kurt Rosen

Dr F Remington & Ginny Sprague

John & Sue Sytsema

Dan & Ann Tabor

Don & Jane Tjarksen

LJ Verplank

Webb Chemical

Kathy West in memory of David Alan West

Sonata: $1,000-$4,999

Anonymous (3)

Cynthia Ackerman

Christine Adams

Charles & Gloria Alstrom

Margo Atwell

Bank of America Charitable Foundation

Jack & Marilyn Brown

Ryan & Katie Bryker

Ardy Bulthouse Kroes in honor of Amanda Dykhouse

Rober t & Charlotte Chessman

Dr & Mrs Paul Christie

Dr Mark D & Kristina M Clark

Darlene Collet

Core Realty Partners

Kurt & Cheryl Deford

Jean Enright

Charles & Lynn Freeman

Evelyn Geile

Michael Gluhanich

Mr & Mrs Bill Hendrick

Cornelia Holley

Keith & Mary Kay Hopkins

Hugh & Barbara Hornstein

Richard & Holly Hughes

Ed Hunt & Nancy McCarthy

Joel & Kathleen Jarvis

Heather Kettler

Bruce & Mary Krueger

Peter Kurdziel

Michael Martin

Cindy Mazurek

Chris McGuigan & Gary Neal

Susan Meston

Roger & Jane Missimer

Roger & Michelle Morgenstern in memory of Richard & Nancy Morgenstern

Scott & Janee’ Musselman

Gary Nelund & Angie Wasserman-Nelund matched by State Farm Insurance

Dr Dale & Connie Nesbar y

Steve & Kathy Parker

Gary & Beth Post

Denis & Barbara Potuznik

RENK America

David & Georganna Rice

David Roodvoets

John & Marilyn Ruck

John Saling & Diane Fischer

Jill Sanders

Chip & Susan Sawyer

Duane & Susan Schecter

Laura Schultz

John & Elaine Severson

Jocelyn Shaw & Doug Hannink

Shoreline Insurance Agency

Michael & Corina Soimar

Scott Speck in honor of the WMS Musicians

Ted & Judy Stojak

Suarez/Polakis Family

Marty & Heidi Sytsema

Bryce & Marti Tallant

Carol Parker Thompson

Peter & Judy Theune

Judy Tierney

Evan & Rachel Ufer

David & Laura Valk

Karen & John Wells

JR Whitby

Eleanor Williams

Dr Roy Winegar & Ms Barbara Klingenmaier

Jan Witt

Jane Wright

Robert & Joanne Zayko Environmental Fund of the CFFMC

Douglas & Jennifer Zwemer

Introit: Up to $999

Anonymous (4)

Larry & Sandra Austin

Susan A Bissell Memorial Fund

Charles Black in honor of Fred & Joanna Norris

Gar y & Rhonda Bogner

Dana & Claudia Bryant

Jerry & Marcia Brichan

Rachel Calderon in memory of Dick Baker

Benjamin Christian on behalf of Tina Horigan

E Jane Connell & Steven W Rosen

Calvin Deur

Harold & Mary Englund

Eugene Fethke

Martha Ferriby

Tilio Giacobassi Family

Erica Gillard

Harvey & Maraleigh Heyer

Ellen Hanichen

Gwen Hoffma

Doug & Judy Hostetler

Mary Ann Howe

Kristi Klomp

Randy & Debra Knapp

Pete & Mimi Kunz

Cindy Larsen

Joeseph & Barbara Legatz

Charles Matthews &

Kay Cater Matthews

Patrick & Sheila Miller

Barb & John Mullally

Kathryn Neumann

Perry & Deb Newson

Amy Norris & MJ Towle in honor of Fred & Joanna Norris

James & Ruth Olthoff

Thomas Pascoe

Janet Payne

William & Gay Peterson

Linda Quaine

Rev William Randall

Mike & Char Ratchford

Stephen & Susan Salisbury

Schieholz/Hogan Fund of the CFFMC

Sally Schwartz

Asaline Scott

Joanie Smith

Howard & Marilyn Swanson

Warren Tibbitts

Richard & Marge Tourre

Mary Towner

Nancy & Gerritt Vanderwest

Rebecca Veltman

Duane & Laurie Wright

Raimonds T Ziemelis

Jim & Linda Zolman

Tune Up Donors: $5,000 and up

Cathy & Bernie Berntson Fund of CFFMC

Jon & Jane Blyth

Orville Crain & Susan Cloutier Crain

Community Foundation for Muskegon County (CFFMC)

Mar y Theodore Danigelis

Jan & Laura Deur

Mark & Christine Fazakerley

Fifth Third Bank

Gerber Foundation

Harbor Steel & Supply Corporation

Hines Corporation

Dr Douglas E & Janet P Hoch

Howmet Aerospace Foundation

Dick & Lynn Kamps

Robert & Wendy Kersman

Dan & Sheryl Kuznar

Scott & Donna Lachniet

Meijer Foundation

Patrick J O’Leary & Karen Yamasaki

Steve & Deb Olsen

Mike & Kay Olthoff

Jack & Becky Slimko

Stephen & Susan Struck

West Michigan Symphony Legacy Giving Circle

It Takes just one note to Start a Symphony

With a planned gift to West Michigan Symphony, you can continue to support the Orchestra even after your passing. Planned giving is simply creating a plan to make a gift. You don’t need to be wealthy to make an impact—you just need to make a plan.

The easiest way to make a planned gift is through a charitable bequest, where you designate in your will or trust the assets that you wish to gift to WMS upon your death. A bequest is not all or nothing; you can leave either a percentage of your total estate value, a specifi asset (such as part of an investment portfolio), a specifie amount of money, or the remaining assets in your estate after all your other requests have been satisfie. You can also make a planned gift by designating the WMS as a beneficiay of your retirement or IRA account, or your life insurance.

You can also specify how you would like your gift used by designating it toward music education, the Endowment, or “wherever it is needed.”

Creating a planned gift is a wonderful way to leave a legacy, provide future funding, and ensure that WMS continues to delight, teach and entertain audiences in the future. Talk with your estate plan attorney about your options.

We welcome your questions. Please reach out to Andy Buelow at 231.726.3231, or visit our website at westmichigansymphony.org. We would be happy to provide sample language to include in your estate plan documents, explore your ideas about your plan, or simply connect. And if you do make a planned gift, or have already done so, please consider letting us know so that we can thank you!

Legacy Giving Circle Members:

Allen & Sandy Beck

Andy & Beth Buelow

Susan Cloutier Crain

E. Allan & Anne M. Dake

Jan & Laura Deur

Eric & Merica Dobry

Pat & Julie Donahue

Robert & Jackie Engel

Jeffey Lake Johnson

Clara Lang

Mike & Kay Olthoff

Bob & Bobbi Sabine

Kate Kesteloot

Scarbrough

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT

Asset Transfer

Stocks, bonds and mutual funds can be transferred directly to WMS, allowing you to avoid capital gains tax. It is very easy! Contact us for the instructions to share with your financia advisor to initiate the transfer.

Qualied Charitable Distribution

If you are 70 ½ or older, you can transfer up to $108,000 annually from your IRA directly to a public operating charity, thereby reducing your adjusted gross income. At age 73, the IRS requires that you start taking withdrawals from most qualifie retirement accounts. Gifts to a public charity such as WMS count toward required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year.

Contact your financia advisor with any questions, or to initiate a gift. Our federal tax ID number is 38-6092131.

Donor–Advised Fund

A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is like a charitable investment account for the sole purpose of supporting organizations you care about. When you contribute cash, securities, or other assets to a donor-advised fund, you are generally eligible to take an immediate tax deduction. Then those funds can be invested for tax-free growth, and you can recommend grants to any eligible IRS-qualifie nonprofi organization like WMS.

You can easily set up a DAF at the Community Foundation for Muskegon County or another public charity. For more information, visit https://muskegonfoundation. org/giving/how-to-start-a-fund/ or contact CFFMC at 231.722.4538.

FREEDOM. MADE

Home for the Holidays

FRIDAY DEC 19

7:30 PM

SCOTT SPECK CONDUCTOR

FINN SAGAL VOCALIST

NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR

BETH SLIMKO, DIRECTOR

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

CHILDREN’S CHOIR

BETH SLIMKO, DIRECTOR

Ukrainian Christmas Carol Leontovich-Wilhousky/arr. Richard Hayman

Fantasia on Greensleeves Ralph Vaughan Williams

O Holy Night Adolphe Adam/arr. Johnie Dean

Los Peces en el Rio Trad./arr. Juan J. Colomer

Villancico Yaucano Amaury Veray Torregrosa/arr. Maury Vizoso

Danse Noel (Il Est Né le Petit Enfant) arr. John Leavitt

Choral Suite from Frozen Heimr Arnadalr and Vuelie/arr. Roger Emerson

The Sleigh (A la Russe) Richard Kountz/arr. W. Riegger

“Polonaise” from Christmas Eve Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

INTERMISSION

Overture to Die Fledermaus

North Muskegon High School Choir

Under the direction of Beth Slimko, the North Muskegon Public Schools Choir Program has grown tremendously since its beginnings. What started in 2004 as a single choir of six female members has blossomed into seven choirs featuring more than 230 dedicated singers from across the district.

The North Muskegon Choirs are proud participants in numerous Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) events each year. Through their commitment to excellence, all choirs consistently earn Superior and Excellent ratings in both performance and sight-reading.

In addition to competition and festival success, the choirs have performed at various venues, including the Frauenthal Center with the West Michigan Symphony, Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Lumberjack Hockey games, and numerous other local and regional events. Choir members have also travelled to Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, and Nashville to record and participate in vocal clinics and masterclasses.

Beyond their musical achievements, the North Muskegon Choirs take great pride in fostering a culture of citizenship, community, and collaboration. The program’s mission extends beyond high artistic standards—students learn the value of teamwork, leadership, and giving back through music.

A MESSAGE FROM CONCERT SPONSOR

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP is honored to be a dedicated partner in the West Michigan Symphony’s mission of enriching our region through the transformative power of music. Together, we are able to elevate, enlighten, and inspire our community through orchestral performances throughout the year.

West Michigan Symphony Children’s Choir

West Michigan Symphony Children’s Choir is a high quality choral program for children ages 8-13. The Children’s Choir brings together young singers from the lakeshore communities, fin-tuning their vocal abilities and rehearsing exciting repertoire. Meeting weekly from September through May, the Children’s Choir performs with the West Michigan Symphony and presents independent concerts and events throughout the area. Members are selected via auditions held in September and January of each year. No prior singing experience is needed—just a love of singing and a passion to share one’s voice with the community. Based at The Block, WMS’s downtown live listening room, the Children’s Choir is part of the organization’s Community Music Encounters: a comprehensive set of learning activities and programs that reach deeply into the community to inspire the next generation of music lovers.

Finn Sagal

Baritone Finn Sagal is a second-year member of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago gaining national recognition for his rich, expressive timbre and stylistic versatility across operatic and concert repertoire. In Lyric’s 2024/25 season, he appeared as A Policeman in The Listeners and was featured in the company’s Rising Stars in Concert showcase. Sagal is an award winner at Neue Stimmen and recipient of the 2025 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation, as well as The American Opera Society of Chicago Ginger and Jim Meyer Centennial Award. Sagal is also a past winner of the 2017 Songbook

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

STRINGS AUDITIONS

Monday, January 5, 2026

The Block 360 W. Western Ave. 2nd Floor Muskegon, MI

Do you have string experience? Would you like to be part of a wonderful string orchestra program? Rehearse with us weekly and develop music skills, make friendships, and experience exciting performances opportunities.

Academy Competition, serving as Songbook Youth Ambassador with performances at Lincoln Center, 54 Below, and the Wynn Las Vegas alongside Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, and Kristin Chenoweth.

Recent performances include concerts with WFMT’s Ryan Opera Center Recital Series, where his repertoire ranged from Schubert lieder and Wagner’s “O du, mein holder Abendstern” to Count Almaviva’s aria from The Marriage of Figaro. He has appeared as a guest artist with the Pasadena Symphony and performed at the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame Gala. In the summer of 2023, Sagal was a participant in the Merola Opera Program in San Francisco, following his training at the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS program in 2022.

Sagal earned his master’s degree from the Yale School of Music, where his operatic roles included Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress), Junius (The Rape of Lucretia), and the Tutor (Le Comte Ory). He holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from UCLA, where he performed the title role in The Marriage of Figaro and Pluton in Charpentier’s The Descent of Orpheus to the Underworld. Additional honors include the Ginger & Jim Meyer Centennial Award from the American Opera Society of Chicago.

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

CHILDREN’S CHOIR AUDITIONS

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

The Block 360 W. Western Ave. 2nd Floor Muskegon, MI

This group of young choristers works with a professional choir director to rehearse a wide range of music, learn proper singing techniques, perform in exciting singing opportunities, and make new friends.

For more information or to schedule an audition contact Karen Vander Zanden at 231.928.5738 or kvanderzanden@westmichigansymphony.org

West Michigan Symphony Holiday Gift Guide

Explore these one-of-a-kind experiences for the Music Lovers in Your Life (or you!)

#1 Superheroes at the Symphony Concert Tickets

The ultimate Christmas gift for comic-book adventures.

Experience the legendary themes of cinematic superheroes — Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Spider-Man— along with two symphonic masterpieces that inspired the iconic fil scores.

#2 Give the Gift of Music

3-concert package, best available seats, just $99!

#4 Gift Certificate

Available in various amounts!

#3 Make a donation in someone's name

#5 'Buy It Now' Online Auction

We’ve extended the reach of our annual Gala silent auction by taking a selection of unique items and experiences online. It’s the perfect chance to findone-of-a-kind holiday gifts while supporting WMS’s learning, artistic, and community initiatives.

SUPERHEROES AT THE SYMPHONY

FRIDAY

JAN 30

7:30 PM

FRAUENTHAL THEATER

SCOTT SPECK CONDUCTOR

John Williams (b. 1932)

Superman March

Danny Elfman (b. 1953) Spider-Man Main Title Theme

Danny Elfman (b. 1953) Batman/Batman Returns Suite

A MESSAGE FROM TONIGHT'S SPONSORS HARBOR STEEL

It’s only fittin that Harbor Steel sponsor a concert featuring the Man of Steel himself—along with his cohorts Wonder Woman, Spiderman and the Caped Crusader! John Williams, Danny Elfman and the others were inspired by the great superheroes to create truly great music. These exciting, powerful scores from the silver screen shine in a new light when paired with timeless works by Prokofie and Stravinsky. Harbor Steel is proud to sponsor this performance and to join in an event celebrating our community’s superheroes. Up, up, and away!

RAYMOND JAMES

Welcome to Superheroes at the Symphony! Raymond James & Associates of Downtown Muskegon is proud to sponsor tonight’s concert, held in collaboration with the Muskegon Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibit, The Art of Comics, featuring the great superheroes. Muskegon’s arts and culture scene is part of what keeps our community vibrant and makes it continue to grow and thrive

At Raymond James & Associates, we’re proud to invest our time, money and talents into the communities we serve. It’s so much more than tradition; it’s our way of thanking those who’ve supported us from the start.

The Marvel Comics Spider-Man character has a history in fil extending back to a 1978 made-for-TV version. Elfman composed the scores to the firs two film of Sam Raimi’s cinematic trilogy starring Tobey Maguire. The fil ’s main title music reflets the duality of Peter Parker’s double life: optimistic, heroic, but down to earth vs. strained and anxious, suggesting the forces of evil. The constant undercurrent of a drumbeat evokes the spider’s movement.

Danny Elfman Suite from Batman

The Batman franchise began in 1989 with Tim Burton’s superhero film Its music was Elfman’s firs action film—an the one that transformed him from struggling rock ’n’ roller to established composer and fil musician. His technique was classical: a simple theme cloaked in different versions, ranging from a dark romantic style to one with menacing drums. He did all this with different permutations of the principal theme, lending the score a subtle unity despite its wide-ranging moods. Elfman’s music captures the heart-pounding suspense of the violent conflit between Batman and his arch-enemy, the Joker. Today it is heard in multiple venues ranging from video games to Six Flags amusement parks.

Danny Elfman (b.1953)

Rupert Gregson-Williams (b.1967)

Wonder Woman Suite

Britain’s Rupert Gregson-Williams is a versatile musician who works as a conductor and producer as well as a composer. His fil credits are impressive, including Hotel Rwanda (which won him the European Film Composer award), Hacksaw Ridge, Aquaman and its sequel, the animated Over the Hedge, and Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie. He is also active in the television industry, and wrote the scores for the popular series Veep and the multiple award-winning Netfli drama The Crown.

Gregson-Williams had a traditional English music education, attending choir school, Lancing College, and St. John’s College Cambridge. Music runs in the family; his older brother Harry Gregson-Williams is also a fil composer. Rupert GregsonWilliams’s pounding Suite delivers the punch of Patty Jenkins’s 2017 blockbuster fil Wonder Woman, which starred Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. Gregson-Williams’s music pulses with power, energy, and lavish orchestration that descend from Hollywood’s golden age. His use of electronica connects his Wonder Woman score with modern adventure film.

Tamara Karsavina, who created the title role in the 1910 production of Firebird, wrote an article in 1948 recalling the young composer’s participation and demeanor as the new ballet went into rehearsal:

Often he came early to the theatre before a rehearsal began, in order to play for me, over and over again, some specially difficu passage. I felt grateful, not only for the help he gave me, but for the manner in which he gave it. For there was no impatience in him with my slow understanding; no condescension of a master of his craft towards the slender equipment of my musical education. It was interesting to watch him at the piano. His body seemed to vibrate with his own rhythm; punctuating staccatos with his head, he made the pattern of his music forcibly clear to me, more so than the counting of bars would have done.

With Firebird’s brilliant and lush orchestration, Stravinsky proved how well he had learned from his teacher RimskyKorsakov. Relying heavily on Russian folk tunes, he also acknowledged the influene of other older contemporaries. The Ronde des princesses shares the exotic orientalism of Borodin’s lyrical Polovetsian Dances. Stravinsky’s grandiose and triumphant final is indebted to Mussorgsky’s “Great Gate of Kiev” in Pictures at an Exhibition

Igor Stravinsky (1883-1971)

The Firebird Suite (1919 Version)

The Firebird is adapted from a Russian fairy tale in which a handsome prince is drawn into an enchanted garden and palace by the exotic bird of the title, who is a sort of good fairy. He falls in love with a beautiful captive princess, but must break the spell of the evil ogre Kashchei (who presides over the palace) before he may claim his bride. Stravinsky was young when he composed Firebird, and drew heavily on Tchaikovskyan ballet models, which were essentially derived from French principles. He took great care to bind the music closely to the action on stage. The Suite follows the essential outline of the story.

Remarkably, Firebird was Stravinsky’s firs ballet, and the firs of the trio of ballets that established him as a composer of international stature. The new work was an instant success, placing Stravinsky on the musical map virtually overnight.

In a sense, though, Firebird also marked Stravinsky’s break with his homeland. Thereafter he was a citizen of the world, living largely in France and Switzerland, and eventually in the United States. The ballet is at once a traditional work and a turning point, marking both the end of an era and the beginning of a brilliant, lengthy career.

Firebird was premiered by the Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets russes in Paris in 1910. The following year, Stravinsky derived a Suite from the ballet, concluding with Kashchei’s “Infernal Dance.” He re-orchestrated the Suite in 1919 for a somewhat smaller orchestra, using the Finale of the complete ballet for his conclusion; that is the version we hear.

IN THE COMPOSER’S WORDS

In his 1936 autobiography, Stravinsky described the circumstances that led to his composing Firebird.

In the summer of 1909 I returned to [my opera Le Rossignol] with the fim intention of finishin it. But a telegram then arrived to upset all my plans. Diaghilev, who had just reached St. Petersburg, asked me to write the music for L’Oiseau de feu for the Russian Ballet season at the Paris Opera House in the spring of 1910.

Only 27, Stravinsky was keenly aware of both the learning experience and prestige he would gain by accepting the assignment.

It was highly flttering to be chosen from among the musicians of my generation, and to be allowed to collaborate in so important an enterprise side by side with personages who were generally recognized as masters in their own spheres.

With the instinct for theatre and sense for life’s adventure that served him admirably for the next six decades, he embraced his new colleagues, dizzy with ideas.

At the moment when I received Diaghilev’s commission, the ballet had just undergone a great transformation owing to the advent of a young ballet master, Fokine, and the flwering of a whole bouquet of artists full of talent and originality: Pavlova, Karsavina, Nijinsky. Notwithstanding all my admiration for the classical ballet and its great master, Marius Petipa, I could not resist the intoxication produced by such ballets as Les Danses du Prince Igor or Carnaval, the only two of Fokine’s productions that I had so far seen. All this greatly tempted me, and impelled me to break through the pale and eagerly seize this opportunity of making close contact with that group of advanced and active artists of which Diaghilev was the soul, and which had long attracted me.

Sergei Prokofiv (1891-1953)

Selections from Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare’s plays have inspired centuries of artists: poets, painters, and especially musicians. None of his plays has had more impact in music than his firs great tragedy, Romeo and Juliet The tale of star-crossed lovers in Verona was a particular inspiration to 19th- and 20th-century composers. When Sergei Prokofie turned his attention to Romeo and Juliet in the mid1930s, he chose ballet, a realm in which Shakespeare’s play had not yet found a home. Prokofie developed the scenario with Sergei Radlov (1892-1958), a Soviet stage director with considerable Shakespearean experience. Even so, they faced a long battle bringing the project to the stage.

After his score was complete and ready for production, Romeo and Juliet encountered political and artistic snags that resulted in its postponement. Frustrated, Prokofie extracted two sets of seven numbers each from his score, publishing them as orchestral suites. Eventually he extracted a third suite as well. As suites, the ballet’s music became well known in Russian concert halls several years before the ballet was finall produced at Leningrad’s Kirov Ballet in 1940. Romeo and Juliet has since earned the status of a classic, and has become Prokofie’s most beloved ballet score.

The suites bear no direct chronological relationship to events in the ballet. Prokofie rearranged their sequence for musical (as opposed to dramatic) logic, contrast, and coherence. Many conductors mix movements from more than one of the suites, rather than adopting the composer’s selection. In keeping with that flxible tradition, Scott Speck has chosen, for these performances, seven excerpts.

In the firs number, Prokofie communicates the menacing antipathy between the Montagues and Capulets with great artistry. “Juliet, the Young Girl” paints a portrait of the innocent heroine as she appears at the ballet’s beginning, before she has met Romeo. Half girl, half woman, she is untroubled and teasing. Responsibility, passion and tragedy have not yet clouded her life.

“Masks” is the music for Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio arriving uninvited at the Capulets’ ball in disguise. Yes, the young men are at a social event and intend to be on their best behavior, but the uncompromising march rhythm makes clear they could be looking for trouble.

Percussion is essential to establishing a martial mood for this movement. “Romeo and Juliet” is the balcony scene, the lovers’ firs meeting alone and together. Prokofie’s poignant, lyrical music covers a panoply of emotions and moods, as the pair discover the layers of each other’s personality and the depths of their mutual love. At approximately eight minutes, this movement is the longest in the suites—and the emotional and dramatic center of Prokofie’s ballet.

The “Death of Tybalt” captures the frenetic atmosphere of the melée as Romeo resolves to avenge Mercutio’s death through a duel with Tybalt, nephew of Juliet’s mother. Tybalt’s death at Romeo’s hand prompts a scene of somber mourning as the Capulets gather around the body of their fallen kinsman. The die is cast, and Romeo is banished from Verona.

“Romeo and Juliet before Parting” communicates the depth of feeling between the doomed young lovers. After he learns of Juliet’s death, Romeo purchases poison in Mantua before returning to Verona, where he slips into the Capulet crypt. In “Romeo at Juliet’s Grave,” Prokofie combines funeral march, anguish, and overwhelming grief. The young man mourns his beloved, unaware that she will soon awaken from her drugged sleep. Knowing that he cannot live without Juliet, he drinks the vial of poison.

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

CLICK CLACK MOOSIC

Based on books by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin, this series introduces children ages 3-8 to instrumental music in a storybook format. A host/ narrator introduces the small ensemble of WMS musicians, teaches the children about musical concepts, and then reads the story aloud— accompanied by music written for the series. Let us know if you are Interested in bringing CCM to your area!

Premier Strings brings together youth that are more advanced in their skill and performance levels providing them unique performance opportunities on stage with the West Michigan Symphony during Link Up concerts and forming string quartets that focus on community engagement performances. Debut Strings offers young musicians with at least 1–2 years of experience the opportunity to come together and develop their playing and performance skills.

Douglas Hannink & Jocelyn Shaw, 2025-2026 Season Sponsors

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

CHILDREN’S CHOIR

Audition-based for children ages 8-13, WMS Children’s Choir performs in its own concerts, collaboratively with Debut and Premier Strings, and on stage with the Symphony during Home for the Holidays and the spring Link Up concerts.

Douglas Hannink & Jocelyn Shaw, 2025-2026 Season Sponsors

LINK UP

Beginning its 22nd season, this free beginner music education program— a collaboration with Carnegie Hall—pairs WMS with 55 area schools in six West Michigan counties. Students in grades 3-5 learn to play music on the recorder and gain an understanding of orchestral repertoire. They benefi from regular contact with classroom visits from Music Mentors from the Orchestra. The program culminates with an interactive concert at the Frauenthal Center during which students perform on recorders along with the Symphony.

TUNE UP

Beginning its fourth year with additional Tune Up teaching staff, this after-school string program partners with Muskegon Public School’s 21st CCLC Impact program. Students involved in Tune Up are learning to play an instrument at an earlier age and findin the thrill of making music. Tune Up offers students a free violin or viola instrument and performing opportunities, right in their own school. Currently offered at Muskegon Public Elementary Schools and the Charles Hackley Middle School.

LUNCH

‘N LEARN

These free noon hour events, hosted by Music Director Scott Speck, are held in The Block on Wednesdays prior to each Masterworks concert. Guests enjoy a delicious lunch and learn about the music on the upcoming concert. Everyone is invited, including those who already have tickets to the concert, those who are curious and want to learn more, downtown community businesses, and area residents.

MUSIC DIRECTOR SCOTT SPECK ABOUT WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

An anchor cultural organization headquartered in Muskegon, WMS is a resident performing group at the Frauenthal Center, where its eight-concert season is the most visible part of a larger artistic enterprise of far-reaching community benefit. Founded in 1939, today’s WMS is comprised of professional musicians of the highest caliber playing challenging repertoire and presenting some of the world’s most acclaimed guest artists. WMS concerts and education events bring 17,000 people— more than 30% of whom are children and students—downtown annually, making it the largest performing arts organization on the West Shore. Audiences come from throughout Muskegon, Ottawa, Kent, Oceana and surrounding counties.

Mission

West Michigan Symphony connects and enriches our diverse community through the transformative power of music. We fulfil this primarily through three core offerings:

• Professional, live symphonic performances in a welcoming environment

• Inspired small ensemble performances in an immersive live listening room

• Learning activities that enrich the lives of children and adults through exploration, participation and performance

Statement Of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

West Michigan Symphony is committed to building an organization that fosters diversity, equity and inclusion. We acknowledge and celebrate the 19th century European cultural heritage from which the symphony orchestra arises. At the same time, we believe the art form is renewed and enlivened by embracing multifarious cultures and influences.

We will continually explore ways to reflet plurality, inclusivity and curiosity in our artistic programming. We commit to inviting under-represented ethnic groups into an ongoing, active dialogue so that we can learn, grow, and change, making the Symphony a place where everyone feels invited and accepted. In our Board, staff and volunteer base, we will work for greater inclusivity, thereby refleting the rich diversity of the West Michigan community. We will strive to reflet these values throughout our organization.

Scott Speck became Music Director of the West Michigan Symphony in 2002. Since then he is proud to have helped the WMS enter the ranks of the nation's finest regional orchestras.

Scott also holds positions as music director of the Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Philharmonic and Mobile Symphony. He previously held positions as conductor of the San Francisco Ballet; music advisor and conductor of the Honolulu Symphony; 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. He was also invited to the White House as music director of the Washington Ballet.

In past seasons Scott Speck has conducted at London’s Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the Paris Opera, New York's Lincoln Center, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Washington’s Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, and the Los Angeles Music Center. He has led numerous performances with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Houston, Baltimore, Paris, Moscow, Shanghai, Beijing, Vancouver, Romania, Slovakia, Buffalo, Columbus, Louisville, New Orleans, Oregon, Rochester, Florida, and Virginia, among many others.

Speck is co-author of the world’s best-selling books on classical music for a popular audience: Classical Music for Dummies, Opera for Dummies, and Ballet for Dummies. He has been a regular commentator on National Public Radio, the BBC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Voice of Russia, broadcast throughout the world.

Born in Boston, Scott Speck is a Fulbright Scholar, a summa cum laude graduate of Yale University, and an Aspen Conducting Fellow. He is fluent in E nglish, German and French, has a diploma in Italian, speaks Spanish and has a reading knowledge of Russian.

scottspeck.org facebook.com/ConductorScottSpeck

CONCERTS AT THE BLOCK MUSKEGON ARTS & CULTURE COALITION

WMS’s Listening Room for the Musically Curious, The Block, is an innovative performance venue featuring a mixture of jazz, classical crossover and "curious." Since its opening in 2013, The Block has become a vibrant downtown gathering space that sparks curiosity, inspiration and fellowship through the shared experience of uncommon live music and educational programs. Audiences have found the venue a refreshing alternative—to the formality of a concert hall on one hand, the clamor of a brewpub on the other. The Block is also a gathering place for various nonprofit, musical and community groups. Recent users have included Black Business Expo, GVSU Piano Chamber Series, Greater Muskegon Economic Development, Harbor Hospice, Muskegon Rotary, the Poppen Foundation, Third Coast Trombone Retreat, Tux ‘n Chucks, and Young Black Professionals, to name a few.

For rental information, call 231.726.3231

WMS is a founding member of the Muskegon Arts & Culture Coalition (MACC), whose purpose is to advocate for and educate the community on the significant economic and quality of life impact of the arts and cultural sector. Muskegon County is home to a wide range of institutions offering exceptional arts and culture experiences that reflect and celebrate our diverse community. The arts have been key to the revitalization of our region for decades, and they remain pivotal in the post-COVID recovery economy. A recent study by Visit Muskegon found that cultural institutions and festivals contributed more than $70 million annually to Muskegon County’s economy. According to the Creative State Michigan Report, the Arts accounted for $2.5 billion in state tourism revenues—more than professional sporting events, golf, boating and sailing, hunting and fishing, hiking and biking combined.

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

25/26 SEASON

Gershwin’s

Piano Concerto

February 27

Kellen Gray conductor Michelle Cann piano

Immerse yourself in this unforgettable evening featuring the artistry of pianist Michelle Cann and a musical program that reflects the influences of American jazz, AfricanAmerican spirituals and folk themes.

Michael Ellis Ingram Overture to Jubilee

Gershwin Concerto in F Dawson

Negro Folk Symphony

Great Seats Still Available!

CONCERTS BEGIN AT 7:30 PM | Frauenthal Center

Guitar Romance

All-Star Finale

March 20

Scott Speck conductor Camille Zamora vocalist

The Mambo Kings

This celebration takes you on musical journey through Spain and the Americas. Experience the rich diversity of Latin music worldwide with the soaring melodies of Spain, the thrilling AfroCuban rhythms of the Caribbean, the sunlit boleros of Mexico, the elegant tangos of Argentina and Uruguay, and the burning Latin Jazz of Spanish Harlem.

April 17

Scott Speck conductor Pablo Sáinz Villegas guitar

Guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas is hailed as “the soul of the Spanish guitar.” His passionate performances, filledwith flair and emotional depth, captivate audiences. Don’t miss this evocative evening showcasing the finestof classical guitar.

Falla Suite No.1 from The Three-Cornered Hat

Piazzolla Tangazo

Rodrigo Soleriana, Suite for Orchestra

Falla Ritual Fire Dance from El Amor Brujo

Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez

May 8

Scott Speck conductor Igor Cetkovic cello

Peter Kurdziel organ

What better way to close the season than with a dramatic program of symphonic luminosity? WMS Principal Cellist Igor Cetkovic performs Gulda’s memorable Cello Concerto. Then lose yourself in the sumptuous rumble of the Barton Theatre Organ, as your WMS takes on Saint-Saëns’ magnum opus.

Glinka Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla

Gulda Cello Concerto

Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 “Organ Symphony”

WESTMICHIGANSYMPHONY.ORG

Do you know a student with a love of live musical entertainment?

Encourage them to become a WMS Student Music Pass member. This FREE membership program gives area students access to $5 tickets (best available seats) for all WMS Masterworks performances at the Frauenthal Center and select performances at The Block.

Fiesta Sinfónica

BY WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

25/26 SEASON

Jordan VanHemert Quartet

JAZZ SAXOPHONE

February 7

Saxophonist Jordan VanHemert, born in Korea and raised in Michigan, crafts jazz music that illuminates race and social justice. His music melds Korean cultural roots with blues-infused hard bop, creating a powerful narrative that honors tradition while expressing his unique musical voice.

House Of Hamill

CELTIC FUSION

March 13

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, House of Hamill returns to electrify with their dynamic fusion of Celtic traditions and contemporary folk energy. Experience jigs, reels and songs infused with their original take on traditional Irish fiddling

Immersive Listening Room for the Musically Curious

CONCERTS BEGIN AT 7:30 PM

Robert Johnson & Friends

BAROQUE CHAMBER

February 13

Our WMS Principal Bass joins with friends – violinist Letitia Jap, Soprano Jennie Judd Reyes, organist Alexis VanZalen – to bring you an inspiring night of music from Bach, Couperin, Telemann and more.

Camille Zamora

LOVE IN SONG

March 21

Camille Zamora’s voice has been described as “luminous, transcendently lyrical.” On this evening following her appearance with WMS, she’ll take you on a journey from the heart: loves songs across fie centuries and fie continents.

Michelle Cann

CLASSICAL PIANO

February 28

The night after her appearance with WMS at the Frauenthal, pianist Michelle Cann brings a solo performance to The Block. Cann has been described as “technically fearless” and is one of the most sought-after artists of her generation.

Varo String Quartet

CLASSICAL CHAMBER

April 18

Experience the variety of sound that a string quartet can make! The Varo String Quartet – featuring WMS violinists Carmen Abelson and Hannah Christianson – will perform a mix of music, from the innovative works of living composers to classical masterpieces.

Stéphane Wrembel Quartet

GYPSY JAZZ

May 1

While Stéphane Wrembel is considered a world master of the Django Reinhart guitar style, he revels in transcending and expanding—incorporating jazz, blues, classical, swing, flamenco and rock.

Dear Friends,

There’s more to the West Michigan Symphony than meets the eye... and even the ear. What you see before you is truly a miracle: a community resource nurtured and grown over the past 86 years and sustained through the dedication and love of the entire community. WMS brings together the fines musicians and guest artists from across the country and touches the hearts and souls of listeners of all ages. We are proud to sponsor the 2025/26 Season. Enjoy the performance!

Mike & Kay Olthoff 2025/26 Season Sponsors

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

WMS is the largest presenter of live music in Muskegon County, offering more than 30 events annually at the Frauenthal, The Block and elsewhere for audiences of all ages

WMS impacts more than 6,000 area youth from six West Michigan counties through its music education programs

Music Director Scott Speck also conducts the Joffey Ballet, Chicago Philharmonic and Mobile Symphony

Tune Up provides free string instruments and free after school instruction at all Muskegon Public Elementary schools and Muskegon Middle School.

The Orchestra prepares Masterworks performances in just 3-4 evening rehearsals, Pops in 1-2 rehearsals