InSymphony January 2020

JANUARY 2 02 0

the magazine of the

Oregon Symphony

Ghostbusters in Concert FE ATURED CONCER T S Fiesta! With Edna Vazquez | Jan. 4–5 Also sprach Zarathustra | Jan. 11–13 Itzhak Perlman Plays Beethoven | Jan. 16 Ghostbusters in Concert | Jan. 18–19 Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 | Jan. 25–27

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CONTENTS JANUARY 2020 14

Feature

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about us LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 9 CONDUCTORS 11 ORCHESTRA, STAFF & BOARD 12 RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS 35 OUR SUPPORTERS 36

Sarah Kwak

Fiesta! With Edna Vazquez

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featured SARAH KWAK 14 FASCINATING FACTOIDS: GHOSTBUSTERS 43 ON A HIGH NOTE: SHANSHAN ZENG 44 ASK URSULA THE USHER 46

performances Also sprach Zarathustra

Itzhak Perlman Plays Beethoven

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FIESTA! WITH EDNA VAZQUEZ 16 SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2 PM ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA 20 SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2 PM MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 7:30 PM ITZHAK PERLMAN PLAYS BEETHOVEN 26 THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 7:30 PM GHOSTBUSTERS IN CONCERT 30 SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2 PM

Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2

Ghostbusters in Concert

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Feature

Boyz IINutcracker MenFactoids: Ghostbusters Fascinating Cirque

Feature

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A Viennese New Year with Zach Galatis On a High Note: Shanshan Zeng Guests from Oregon Emily Ballet ColeTheatre

CHOPIN’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 32 SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2 PM MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 7:30 PM

Oregon Symphony programs are supported in part by the Oregon Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts – a federal agency – and by the Regional Arts & Culture Council, which includes support from the Arts Education and Access Fund; Arts Investment Fund; the City of Portland; Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties; and Metro.

on the cover: Ghostbusters in Concert

®

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, Happy New Year! We kick off the second half of the 2019/20 Season with our Pops concert Fiesta! With Edna Vazquez (January 4–5), who blends her multicultural and multigenre influences into messages of cultural healing.

The program also showcases Mariachi Una Voz and Mariachi Tradición, student bands from Hillsboro and Forest Grove school districts that seek to inspire and promote cultural understanding and music education. We welcome friends from partner social service organizations, including Latino Network, to the hall for this performance.

On January 11–13, we present Richard Strauss’ monumental Also sprach Zarathustra on a program with Charles Ives and John Adams.

Next, virtuoso Itzhak Perlman joins the orchestra in playing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (January 16). On January 18–19, our popular Popcorn Package continues with Ghostbusters in Concert. We conclude the month with a Classical offering featuring Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 with a lighthearted contemporary composition by Texu Kim (January 25–27).

Oregon Symphony productions bring you the past, present, and future of orchestral music – exhilarating and vibrant, inspiring, and relevant. We thank you for joining us in the concert hall today, and look forward to seeing you at our community initiatives in schools, libraries, healthcare settings, resource centers, and myriad other public venues throughout the region.

We hope you enjoy the music.”

Scott Showalter president & ceo

orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353

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FEBRUARY CONCERTS Game ON! FEBRUARY 1 Norman Huynh, conductor PSU Chamber Choir

Featuring concert premieres from 14 blockbuster video games, including World of Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed, BioShock, Overwatch, and more.

The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra FEBRUARY 2 Norman Huynh, conductor Pam Mahon, narrator Dance West

We’ll spirit the young audience away for a musical adventure inside the orchestra with Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

Pictures at an Exhibition FEBRUARY 8–10 Carlos Kalmar, conductor • Augustin Hadelich, violin Gabriella Smith: Commission (World premiere) • Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 Missy Mazzoli: Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition

Embark on a musical stroll through an art museum in Mussorgsky’s imaginative symphonic favorite.

Casablanca in Concert

Tituss Burgess in Concert

FEBRUARY 14 Norman Huynh, conductor

FEBRUARY 25 The Emmy-nominated star brings his incomparable flair and joyful energy to songs from The Wiz, Porgy and Bess, Bette Midler, and more.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with one of classic Hollywood’s most romantic tales as the Oregon Symphony performs Max Steiner’s memorable score live with the projected film.

The Music of John Williams FEBRUARY 15–16 Norman Huynh, conductor

Take a thrilling journey through some of John Williams’ most beloved cinematic scores, including Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as well as his Olympic Fanfare.

Shostakovich’s Eleventh FEBRUARY 22–24 Robert Trevino, conductor • Sarah Kwak, violin Walker: Icarus in Orbit • Menotti: Violin Concerto Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11, “The Year 1905”

Shostakovich’s cinematic Eleventh Symphony depicts the drama of the Russian Revolution of 1905 in vivid detail.

Buy tickets to any of these concerts in the lobby of the Schnitz during intermission!

The Oregon Symphony does not perform.

Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group FEBRUARY 26 The Grammy-winning Texas trailblazer and his backup band perform for the first time alongside the Oregon Symphony in a conventiondefying performance that showcases his rich and eclectic oeuvre.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert FEBRUARY 28–MARCH 1 Justin Freer, conductor

Get ready to fight a dragon, swim with merpeople, and find out just who put Harry’s name in the Goblet of Fire™! For the first time ever, audiences can rediscover the magic of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ while the Oregon Symphony performs Patrick Doyle’s unforgettable score.

The Music of John Williams February 15–16

harry potter characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © jkr. (s20)

orsymphony.org 503-228-1353 your official source for symphony tickets

CONDUCTORS Carlos Kalmar Jean Vollum music director chair

Carlos Kalmar is in his 17th season as music director of the Oregon Symphony. He is also the artistic director and principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago.

In May 2011, he made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall with the Oregon Symphony as part of the inaugural Spring for Music festival. Both his imaginative program, Music for a Time of War, and the performance itself were hailed by critics in The New York Times, The New Yorker magazine, and Musical America, and the concert was recorded and released on the Pentatone label, subsequently earning two Grammy nominations (Best Orchestral Performance and Best Engineered). Under Kalmar’s guidance the orchestra has recorded subsequent cds on the Pentatone label – This England, featuring works by Britten, Vaughan Williams, and Elgar; The Spirit of the American Range, with works by Copland, Piston, and Antheil, which received another Best Orchestral Performance Grammy nomination; Haydn Symphonies; and Aspects of America.

The New Yorker magazine critic Alex Ross called the Oregon Symphony’s Carnegie Hall performance under Kalmar “the highlight of the festival and one of the most gripping events of the current season.” That verdict was echoed by Sedgwick Clark, writing for Musical America, who described the performance of Vaughan Williams’ Fourth Symphony as “positively searing… with fearless edge-of-seat tempos… breathtakingly negotiated by all…”

A regular guest conductor with major orchestras in America, Europe, and Asia, Kalmar recently made his subscription series debuts with three of America’s most prestigious orchestras: those of Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Past engagements have seen him on the podium with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the New World Symphony, as well as the orchestras of Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Milwaukee, Nashville, Seattle, and St. Louis.

Kalmar, born in Uruguay to Austrian parents, showed an early interest in music and began violin studies at the age of six. By the time he was 15, his musical promise was such that his family moved back to Austria in order for him to study conducting with Karl Osterreicher at the Vienna Academy of Music. He has previously served as the chief conductor and artistic director of the Spanish Radio/Television Orchestra and Choir in Madrid as well as the music director for the Hamburg Symphony, the Stuttgart Philharmonic, Vienna’s Tonnkunsterorchester, and the Anhaltisches Theater in Dessau, Germany. He lives in Portland with his wife, Raffaela, and sons, Luca and Claudio.

Norman Huynh Harold and Arlene Schnitzer associate conductor chair

Norman Huynh has established himself as a conductor with an ability to captivate an audience through a multitude of musical genres. This season, Huynh continues to showcase his versatility in concerts featuring Itzhak Perlman, hip hop artists Nas and Wyclef Jean, and vocal superstar Storm Large.

Born in 1988, Huynh is a first generation Asian American and the first in his family to pursue classical music as a career.

Upcoming and recent engagements include the St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Grant Park Music Festival.

He has served as a cover conductor for the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic with John Williams.

Huynh has been at the forefront of moving orchestral music out of the traditional concert hall. In 2011, he co-founded the Occasional Symphony in Baltimore to celebrate holidays by performing innovative concerts in distinct venues throughout the inner-city. The orchestra performed on Dr. Seuss’ birthday at Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Halloween in a burnt church turned concert venue, and Cinco de Mayo in the basement bar of a Mexican restaurant.

Huynh currently resides in Portland and enjoys skiing, board games, and riding his motorcycle. You can follow him on Instagram @normanconductor.

Jeff Tyzik principal pops conductor

Jeff Tyzik has earned a reputation as one of America’s foremost pops conductors and is recognized for his brilliant arrangements, original programming, and rapport with audiences. Now in his 26th season as principal pops conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic, Tyzik is also in his 13th season as the Oregon Symphony’s principal pops conductor and continues to serve in the same role with the Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Florida Orchestra, and Canada’s Vancouver Symphony.

Tyzik is also highly sought after as a guest conductor across North America. He holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music. He lives in Rochester, New York, with his wife, Jill. orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 11

O R C H E S T R A , S TA F F & B O A R D Orchestra MU S I C D IR E C TO R

CE LLO

H O RN

Carlos Kalmar Jean Vollum music director chair

Nancy Ives, Mr. & Mrs. Edmund Hayes, Jr. principal cello chair Marilyn de Oliveira, assistant principal Seth Biagini Kenneth Finch Trevor Fitzpatrick Antoinette Gan Kevin Kunkel

John Cox, principal Joseph Berger, associate principal Graham Kingsbury, assistant principal Matthew Berliner* Mary Grant** Alicia Michele Waite

A S S O CIATE COND U C TO R Norman Huynh Harold and Arlene Schnitzer associate conductor chair PR IN CIPAL P O P S COND U C TO R Jeff Tyzik VI O LIN

BASS Colin Corner, principal Braizahn Jones, assistant principal Nina DeCesare Donald Hermanns Jeffrey Johnson Jason Schooler

Sarah Kwak, Janet & Richard Geary concertmaster chair Peter Frajola, Del M. Smith & Maria Stanley Smith associate

concertmaster chair FLU TE Erin Furbee, Harold & Jane Pollin Martha Long, Bruce & Judy Thesenga assistant concertmaster chair principal flute chair Chien Tan, Truman Collins, Sr. principal Alicia DiDonato Paulsen, second violin chair Inés Voglar Belgique, assistant principal assistant principal Zachariah Galatis second violin Fumino Ando PI CCO LO Keiko Araki Zachariah Galatis Clarisse Atcherson Ron Blessinger OBOE Lisbeth Carreno Martin Hébert, Harold J. Schnitzer Ruby Chen principal oboe chair Emily Cole Karen Wagner, assistant principal Julie Coleman Kyle Mustain** Eileen Deiss Jason Sudduth* Jonathan Dubay Gregory Ewer ENGLI S H H O RN Daniel Ge Feng Kyle Mustain** Lynne Finch Jason Sudduth* Shin-young Kwon Ryan Lee CL AR INE T Yuqi Li James Shields, principal Samuel Park Todd Kuhns, assistant principal Searmi Park Mark Dubac Vali Phillips Shanshan Zeng B A S S CL AR INE T VIOLA Todd Kuhns Joël Belgique, Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund principal viola chair Charles Noble, assistant principal Jennifer Arnold** Kenji Bunch* Silu Fei Leah Ilem Ningning Jin Brian Quincey Viorel Russo Martha Warrington

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TR UMPE T Jeffrey Work, principal David Bamonte, assistant principal, Musicians of the Oregon Symphony Richard Thornburg trumpet chair Doug Reneau TR OMB ONE Casey Jones, principal Robert Taylor, assistant principal Charles Reneau B A S S TR OMB ONE Charles Reneau TUBA JáTtik Clark, principal TIMPANI Jonathan Greeney, principal Sergio Carreno, assistant principal PE R CU S S I ON Niel DePonte, principal Michael Roberts, assistant principal Sergio Carreno HAR P Jennifer Craig, principal LIB R ARY Joy Fabos, principal Kathryn Thompson, associate Sara Pyne, assistant O R CHE S TR A PE R S ONNE L MANAGE R Leah Ilem AR TI S T- IN - R E S ID EN CE

B A S S O ON

Johannes Moser

Carin Miller Packwood, principal Evan Kuhlmann, assistant principal** Nicole Haywood, assistant principal* Adam Trussell ** Steve Vacchi*

Artist-in-Residence program is sponsored

by Drs. Cliff and Karen Deveney

CR E ATIVE CHAIR Gabriel Kahane

CONTR AB A S S O ON

Creative Chair is sponsored by Michael, Kristen, and Andrew Kern, and Anna Sanford

Evan Kuhlmann** Steve Vacchi*

* Acting position ** Leave of absence

Administration MAR KE TING , Scott Showalter, president and ceo COMMUNI C ATI ONS & S ALE S Diane M. Bush, executive assistant Susan Franklin, assistant to Ethan Allred, marketing and web content manager the music director Hilary Blakemore, vice president Liz Brown, marketing partnership and group sales manager for development Katherine Eulensen, audience Ellen Bussing, senior development manager director for campaigns John Kroninger, front of house manager Charles Calmer, vice president

Lisa McGowen, marketing for artistic planning

Janet Plummer, chief financial operations manager and operations officer O PE R ATI ONS Steve Wenig, vice president Jacob Blaser, director of operations and general manager Ryan Brothers, assistant stage manager John Zinn, interim vice president for Monica Hayes, Hank Swigert director, marketing and strategic engagement learning and community

B U S INE S S O PE R ATI ONS engagement programs Susan Nielsen, project manager, Allison Bagnell, art director Gospel Christmas David Fuller, tessitura applications Darcie Kozlowski, director of administrator popular programming Tom Fuller, database administrator Steve Stratman, orchestra manager Julie Haberman, finance and Lori Trephibio, stage manager administration associate Jacob Wade, manager, operations and Randy Maurer, creative services

artistic administration and publications manager Peter Rockwell, graphic designer TI CKE T O FFI CE D E VE LO PMENT Adam Cifarelli, teleservices manager Meagan Bataran, director of development Christina Cook, patron services representative Kerry Kavalo, annual giving manager Karin Cravotta, patron services Ella Rathman, development associate Leslie Simmons, director of events representative Courtney Trezise, foundation Alison Elliott, patron services representative and corporate giving officer

Ethan J H Evans, patron services representative Rebecca Van Halder, lead patron service, teleservices Danielle Jagelski, patron services representative Emily Johnstone, lead patron services, ticket office Chris Kim, patron services representative Nils Knudsen, ticket office manager Christy McGrew, director of patron services Jen McIntosh, patron services representative Elliot Menard, patron services representative Carol Minchin, patron services representative Amanda Preston, patron services representative Tyler Trepanier, patron services representative Robert Trujillo, patron services representative

S ALEM Laura AgĂźero, director of

Oregon Symphony in Salem programs L. Beth Yockey Jones, operations manager

Board of Directors O FFI CE R S

D IR E C TO R S

Robert Harrison, chair Dan Drinkward, vice chair Tige Harris, vice chair & treasurer Rick Hinkes, vice chair Nancy Hales, secretary

Courtney Angeli Rich Baek Janet Blount Christopher M. Brooks Eve Callahan Cliff Deveney

Lauren D. Fox Robyn Gastineau Jeff Heatherington J. Clayton Hering Sue Horn-Caskey Judy Hummelt Braizahn Jones

LIFE TIME D IR E C TO R S William B. Early RenĂŠe Holzman Gerald R. Hulsman Walter E. Weyler Jack Wilborn

Grady Jurrens Gerri Karetsky Kristen Kern Thomas M. Lauderdale Martha Long Priscilla Wold Longfield Peggy Miller Roscoe C. Nelson III Dan Rasay Lane Shetterly, ex-officio Scott Showalter James Shields Amanda Tucker Chabre Vickers Derald Walker

orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 13

F E AT U R E D A R T I C L E

BY ELIZABETH SCHWARTZ

Concertmaster Sar ah Kwak has a penchant for tuneful melodies. When it comes to solo performances, she is drawn to composers who specialize in lyricism. Since she began her tenure as the Oregon Symphony’s concertmaster eight years ago, Kwak has performed violin concertos by Glazunov and Szymanowski, and last year she presented Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. This season, she’ll be featured in another melodic showcase, a violin concerto

by Gian Carlo Menotti.

Menotti is best known for his one-act operas, which gained popularity in the 1950s, particularly Amahl and the Night Visitors, the first opera broadcast on television.

Born in Italy, Menotti came to the United States as a child and studied music at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where he met his colleague and life partner Samuel Barber. Beginning in 1941, Menotti taught composition at Curtis, where he remained on the faculty for more than 30 years.

Sarah Kwak Oregon Symphony Janet & Richard Geary concertmaster chair

Photo: Christine Dong, Artslandia

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Kwak’s interest in Menotti goes back to her own student days at Curtis.

“I’ve only heard [the violin concerto] once or twice myself, but it’s very tuneful and pretty and accessible,” she says. “I was interested in Menotti because I’ve known about him as a composer since I was young at Curtis.” Like Menotti, Kwak spent her teenage years at Curtis, where she eventually earned a bachelor’s degree. “I left my home in Lawrence, Kansas; I have an older brother who was still in high school at the time,” Kwak explains.

While at Curtis, Kwak studied with Ivan Galamian, whom she had met while attending his Meadow Mount School of Music, an eight-week summer program in upstate New York. “Ivan wanted me to play for Rudolf Serkin, who was director of Curtis at that time,” says Kwak. When Serkin came to Kansas City for a performance, Galamian arranged for Kwak to audition for him backstage immediately following his concert.

Impressed with Kwak’s audition, Serkin invited her to enroll at Curtis for the following year. “I had a fantastic time at Curtis,” she remembers.

After Galamian’s death, Kwak continued her studies with Szymon Goldberg. “He was my hero,” says Kwak. “Everything he did and the way he taught was eye-opening to me. He was very different from Ivan Galamian, who was a great pedagogue. The main difference between them was that at the end of his life, Ivan couldn’t play much violin, so there were no concrete examples of what to do because he couldn’t demonstrate what he wanted.

Goldberg was still an amazing violinist, and he would demonstrate and lead by example.”

This total musical immersion might have overwhelmed some young people, but not Kwak, who always knew she wanted to perform. “For me, there was never any decision to be made or any choice. My parents weren’t your typical pushy Asian family, but they wanted the best for me. I started with Suzuki at age four and blew through the first four Suzuki books in one year. At six, I began studying with the concertmaster of the Kansas City Symphony, and then

I worked with Tiberius Klausner, who taught at the Kansas City Conservatory.”

While she wanted a life in music, Kwak discovered in her early 20s that a solo career wasn’t the right path for her. “I saw what the solo life was like, and I thought it wasn’t something I wanted; it’s lonely,” she explains. “I tried some international competitions when I was younger. You have to have a cutthroat focus and a competitive edge. I’m competitive, but not to the point of badmouthing other people.

In those days, you had to win the grand prize in a major competition or study with Dorothy DeLay [a violin teacher at Juilliard], who had the connections to launch you into a solo career.”

Instead, Kwak moved to New York City, where she joined the Casa Verde Trio, a piano trio that performed all over the country. She spent four years concertizing with them and then got married. “My husband at the time was doing a surgical fellowship in Minnesota for a year, so I auditioned for the Minnesota Orchestra for last chair second violin.” Kwak found it difficult to follow the conductor from the back of the section, so she auditioned for assistant concertmaster, and later for first associate concertmaster, where she remained for 24 years. “I gained a real appreciation for orchestral players and the amount of music they have to learn every week.”

Menotti’s Violin Concerto reminds Kwak of early Shostakovich or Prokofiev.

“It has a certain playfulness, and I think people will enjoy it. The first tune in the opening Allegro moderato is something I think people will come away humming.” Even though the Menotti is lyrical and easy for audiences to grasp, Kwak has plenty of technical obstacles to overcome. “I find it all pretty challenging,” she admits. “There are a lot of fast notes, and I’ve spent quite a few weeks trying to find the best fingering for these passages. It’s hard to commit to one fingering.” Fortunately for Kwak, her current husband, Oregon Symphony violinist Vali Phillips, is always on hand for advice. “He often makes really good suggestions about voicing; he’s a second set of ears.”

BY ELIZABETH In eight years withSCHWARTZ the Oregon Symphony, Kwak says the orchestra’s reputation and skill level have grown exponentially. ‘It was a great orchestra when I arrived and it’s only getting better as we hire new players. The quality of the music keeps getting better and better. I’ve been on many string audition committees, and the playing level is higher and higher every year. I’m very pleased with our sound.’ Kwak also appreciates how well the musicians get along. ‘We are so lucky with the Oregon Symphony – everyone is so friendly. Not all orchestras are like that. I noticed it when I came for my trial week; we socialize with each other, and everyone is nice to one another.

There’s a real lack of ego among the musicians.’”

Concertmaster Sarah Kwak performs Menotti’s Violin Concerto February 22, 23, and 24 with the Oregon Symphony.

For more information and tickets, go to orsymphony.org.

orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 15

FIESTA! WITH EDNA VAZQUEZ SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 2020, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2020, 2 PM sponsored by

Jeff Tyzik, conductor Edna Vazquez, guitar and vocals Mariachi Una Voz, special guest Mariachi Tradición, special guest George Gershwin Geraldo Matos Rodríguez Jeff Tyzik Ruperto Chapí Carlos Gardel/Arr. Williams Jeff Tyzik

Cuban Overture La Cumparsita Danza Cubano Alicia DiDonato Paulsen, flute

Preludio from La revoltosa Por una Cabeza Peter Frajola, violin Three Latin Dances Danzón Cha Cha Malambo

José Alfredo Jiménez

El Rey Mariachi Una Voz and Mariachi Tradición Eduardo Silva Alonso, vocalist

Pedro Galindo

Viva México Mariachi Una Voz and Mariachi Tradición Kaelen Ornelas Cazares, vocalist

INTERMISSION Ernesto Lecuona Rafael Mendez

Andalucía La Virgen de la Macarena Jeffrey Work, trumpet

Edna Vazquez/Arr. Tyzik

Sana

Edna Vazquez/Arr. Tyzik

Corazonada

Edna Vazquez/Arr. Tyzik

Trasciendes

Edna Vazquez

Monita

Edna Vazquez

Sola Soy

Edna Vazquez/Arr. Tyzik

Liberal Edna Vazquez

ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL

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A vibrant and artful evening with the Oregon Symphony SUNDAY, APRIL 19 Portland Art Museum Cocktail Hour Concert Dinner & Special Appeal Reserve your tickets today. orsymphony.org/gala

F I E S TA ! W I T H E D N A V A Z Q U E Z Biographies

Edna Vazquez Born in Jalisco, Mexico, and currently based in Portland, Oregon, Edna Vazquez is a fearless singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose powerful voice and musical talent transcend the boundaries of language to engage and uplift her audience. Her original music crosses the genres of alternative rock, folk, pop, and r&b seamlessly and delivers a message of light, love, and cultural healing.

Her passion for music and education have led her to empower youth and the community through workshops and projects with bravo Youth Orchestras, Young Audiences, and The Lullaby Project

by Carnegie Hall through the Oregon Symphony. After releasing her album Sola Soy, Vazquez began to perform at venues nationwide including Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. She has also performed at the mgm in Las Vegas in a special performance with Latin Grammy Award-winner Flor de Toloache and Natalia Lafourcade. Vazquez received the Most Influential Latina Award in 2019 and is regularly touring with Pink Martini as featured guest vocalist. Pink Martini’s album with Vazquez, Bésame Mucho, was released on October 4, 2019.

opportunity to explore culture through music and the Spanish language.

Cesar Chavez Poetry Contest, and a full ib candidate.

The band is open to all Hillsboro School District middle school and high school students at no charge and comprises students from nine different schools, who rehearse after school twice a week at Lincoln Street Elementary School.

Kaelen Ornelas Cazares

The Hillsboro School District mariachi band started in 2010 through the support of the Hillsboro School District Office of Equity. The ensemble was the recipient of the Oregon Symphony’s Schnitzer Wonder Award in April 2019.

The ensemble has been delighted to be frequent guests at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and has played at Portland’s El Grito Festival, Trail Blazers games, Cinco de Mayo festivals, schools, libraries, markets, conferences, health and hospice organizations, and community festivals all around the region.

MARIACHI UNA VOZ ROSTER Violin Isabella Aleman Jazmin Bugarin Kaelen Ornelas Cazares Martin Cervantes Emily Jimenez Gonzaga Nadalyn Hernandez Isabel Uribe-Jensen Gladis Manriquez Vazquez Roxy Neri Wong Trumpet William Parra Cid Alberto Fernandez Leslie Gallegos

Michael Roletto Franko Araiza Santaella Vihuela/Guitar Eduardo Silva Alonso Adonai Garcia Adriel Garcia Zion Palmer Alex Solano Silva Cesar Flores Ubaldo Guitarrón Raul Hernandez- Ramirez Bryant Palmer Director Dan Bosshardt

Eduardo Silva Alonso

Mariachi Una Voz The Hillsboro School District’s mariachi band Mariachi Una Voz seeks to promote cultural understanding, community unity, and music education.

It gives students a culturally responsive

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Eduardo Silva Alonso is an 11th grader at Hillsboro High School. Activities include National Honor Society, Hillsboro School District (hsd) Citizen’s Curriculum Advisory Committee Member, hsd Mariachi Una Voz President, Minds Matter Member, Co-Captain Juntos Unidos Bilingual Robotics Team, 2018 Oregon Migrant Education Program Title I-C Student of the Year, teaching parents how to use computers through Family University (famu), second place in

Kaelen is in eighth grade at Poynter Middle School, where she has straight As. She enjoys singing and plays three instruments. Her favorite foods are tacos, posole, and boba tea. She was born in Hillsboro and is the second oldest out of five brothers and sisters.

Mariachi Tradición from Forest Grove High School Mariachi Tradición from Forest Grove High School has had the privilege to open for internationally renowned artists such as La Santa Cecilia and George Lopez at Revolution Hall and Keller Auditorium in Portland, Oregon.

Mariachi is a class that is offered at both the middle school and high school levels.

The students who will be performing in this concert are students who are in the top performance group, which is an audition-based ensemble. This group has travelled to Arizona for the Tucson International Mariachi Conference and this year will be going to Texas to participate in the Festiba Mariachi Festival at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

MARIACHI TRADICIÓN ROSTER Emily Andrade Julian Calderon Garcia Camilla Contreras Bran Jorge Gaona Miranda Yamil Gaona Miranda Amanda Giron Daniel Gomez Torres Citlalli Luna-Larios Hector Luna-Larios Aaliah Mandujano Mayra Solorio Saul Tinoco Carlos Marquez Vargas

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ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2020, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020, 2 PM MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020, 7:30 PM Alexander Liebreich, conductor Leila Josefowicz, violin Chester England, cimbalom John Adams

Scheherazade.2 Tale of the Wise Young Woman—Pursuit by the True Believers A Long Desire (Love Scene) Scheherazade and the Men with Beards Escape, Flight, Sanctuary Leila Josefowicz Chester England

INTERMISSION Charles Ives Richard Strauss

The Unanswered Question Also sprach Zarathustra Introduction, or Sunrise From the Backwaters Of Great Longing Of Joys and Passions The Dirge Of Science and Learning The Convalescent Dance Song The Night-Wanderer’s Song ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL

CONCERT CONVERSATION Conducted one hour before each performance, the Concert Conversation will feature guest conductor Alexander Liebreich and host Robert McBride. You can also enjoy the Concert Conversation in the comfort of your own home.

Visit orsymphony.org/conversations to watch the video on demand.

Biographies

Alexander Liebreich With this concert, Alexander Liebreich makes his debut with the Oregon Symphony.

20 artslandia.com

The 2018/19 Season saw Liebreich begin his tenure as chief conductor and artistic director of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra.

winner of the International Classical Music Awards 2017 Best Collection category, featuring works by Karol Szymanowski and Witold Lutosławski.

He held the position of chief conductor and artistic director of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (nospr) from 2012 until the end of the 2018/19 Season. The collaboration between the orchestra and the Accentus Music label features recordings of pieces

by Lutosławski alongside other great Polish works. Their third cd release was

As one of Germany’s foremost conductors, Liebreich’s extensive career takes him around the world. As a guest conductor, he has worked with many prestigious orchestras including the Concertgebouw Orchestra, bbc Symphony Orchestra, Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Munich Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg

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Recent and future engagements include debuts with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, bbc Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, and Kyoto Symphony Orchestra.

Alongside his concerts and opera performances, Liebreich has established a reputation for producing innovative projects. In 2011, he became the first European artistic director of the Tongyeong International Music Festival in South Korea, one of the biggest and most important festivals in Asia. With the goal of encouraging intercultural encounters, he implemented the “east-west-residenceprogramme,” inviting guest artists like Heiner Goebbels, Unsuk Chin, Martin Grubinger, Toshio Hosokawa, and Beat Furrer to South Korea.

In October 2016, the Bavarian Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and

Art announced that Liebreich was the recipient of the Bavarian Culture Prize Special Award.

Liebreich was born in Regensburg, Germany, and gained much of his early artistic experience with both Michael Gielen and Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

He was significantly influenced by his mentor Claudio Abbado, who invited him to join and assist productions at the Salzburg Easter Festival with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and in Bolzano with the Gustav-Mahler-Jugend Orchestra

Leila Josefowicz Leila Josefowicz last appeared with the Oregon Symphony on November 13, 2006, when she performed Hindemith’s

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Violin Concerto with conductor Carlos Kalmar.

Josefowicz’s passionate advocacy of contemporary music for the violin is reflected in her diverse programs and enthusiasm for performing new works.

In recognition of her outstanding achievement and excellence in music, she won the 2018 Avery Fisher Prize and was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2008, joining prominent scientists, writers, and musicians who have made unique contributions to contemporary life.

Highlights of Josefowicz’s 2019/20 Season include opening the London Symphony Orchestra’s season with Sir Simon Rattle and returning to San Francisco Symphony with the incoming Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen to perform his Violin Concerto.

Further engagements include concerts with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra,

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A L S O S P R A C H Z A R AT H U S T R A and the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, where she will be working with conductors at the highest level, including Susanna Mälkki, Matthias Pintscher, and John Adams.

A favorite of living composers, Josefowicz has premiered many concertos, including those by Colin Matthews, Steven Mackey, and EsaPekka Salonen, all written especially for her. This season, she will perform the uk premiere of Helen Grime’s Violin Concerto with the bbc Symphony Orchestra and Dalia Stasevska.

Alongside pianist John Novacek, with whom she has enjoyed a close collaboration since 1985, Josefowicz has performed recitals at world-renowned venues such as New York’s Zankel Hall, Washington dc’s Kennedy Center, and London’s Wigmore Hall, as well as in Reykjavik, Chicago, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara. This season, they appear together at Washington dc’s Library of Congress, New York’s Park Avenue

Armory, and Amherst College. She will also join Thomas Adès in recital to perform the World premiere of his new violin and piano work at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the Japanese premiere at the Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation.

Josefowicz has released several recordings, notably for Deutsche Grammophon, Philips/Universal, and Warner Classics. Her latest recording, released in 2019, features Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s Violin Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hannu Lintu. She has previously received nominations for Grammy Awards for her recordings of John Adams’ Scheherazade.2 with the St Louis Symphony, conducted by David Robertson, and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Violin Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer.

Chester Englander Acclaimed for his “unnerving dexterity” (San Francisco Chronicle), and for his “boldly played” (Los Angeles Times), “vivid” (The New York Times), and “expert” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) performances, Chester Englander has a thriving career as a percussionist and cimbalom artist with orchestras throughout the country.

Englander has performed with a considerable list of major orchestras, including those of Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Iceland, Israel, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, and Washington, dc, among others.

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A L S O S P R A C H Z A R AT H U S T R A with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, and Seattle Symphony, as well as on the scores for the videogames Resident Evil V and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and the film Earth by DisneyNature. Englander also performed on the song “Reach For the Stars” by will.i.am, which was played on Mars by the Curiosity Rover in 2011 as the first song broadcast from another planet.

Englander is director of percussion studies at Cleveland State University and is an artist endorser for Pearl Drums/ Adams Percussion, Freer Percussion Products, and Zildjian Cymbals. He is also director of engagement for Access Music, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to share communion through music with those most disconnected from society.

Program Notes JOHN ADAMS b. 1947

Scheherazade.2 composed: 2014 first oregon symphony performance instrumentation: solo violin, piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 bass drums (medium and large), suspended cymbal, tam-tam, vibraphone, tuned gongs, whip, xylophone, cimbalom, celesta (5 octave), 2 harps, and strings estimated duration: 48 minutes John Adams and Leila Josefowicz have been friends and musical collaborators for almost 20 years. Since the mid-1990s, Josefowicz’ focus has been on presenting new works by living composers, several of whom have written new violin repertoire expressly for her. Adams’ and Josefowicz’ creative partnership is the latest in a long line of composer/violinist collaborations that date back to the 19th century: Felix Mendelssohn with Ferdinand David; both Johannes Brahms and Antonín 24 artslandia.com

Dvořák with Joseph Joachim; and Igor Stravinsky with Samuel Dushkin. In Josefowicz, Adams finds, as he noted in a 2018 New York Times interview, “an incredible combination of emotional intensity… supreme technical virtuosity, and some extra level of charisma, a kind of electricity onstage.”

“The impetus for Scheherazade.2 was an exhibition at the Institute du Monde Arabe in Paris detailing the history of the ‘Arabian Nights’ and of Scheherazade, and how this story has evolved over the centuries,” Adams wrote in the program notes for Scheherazade.2’s 2015 premiere.

“The casual brutality toward women that lies at the base of many of these tales prodded me to think about the many images of women oppressed or abused or violated that we see today in the news on a daily basis. In the old tale, Scheherazade is the lucky one who, through her endless inventiveness, is able to save her life.

But there is not much to celebrate here when one thinks that she is spared simply because of her cleverness and ability to keep on entertaining her warped, murderous husband.

“Thinking about what a Scheherazade in our own time might be brought to mind some famous examples of women under threat for their lives, for example the ‘woman in the blue bra’ in Tahrir Square [in 2011], dragged through the streets, severely beaten, humiliated, and physically exposed by enraged, violent men. Or the young Iranian student, Neda Agha-Soltan, who was shot to death while attending a peaceful protest in Tehran [in 2009]. Or women routinely attacked and even executed by religious fanatics in any number of countries – India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, wherever.

The modern images that come to mind certainly aren’t exclusive to the Middle East – we see examples, if not quite so graphic then nonetheless profoundly disturbing, from everywhere in the world, including in our own country and even on our own college campuses.

“So I was suddenly struck by the idea of a ‘dramatic symphony’ in which the principal character role is taken

by the solo violin – and she would be Scheherazade. While not having an actual story line or plot, the symphony follows a set of provocative images: a beautiful young woman with grit and personal power; a pursuit by ‘true believers;’ a love scene which is both violent and tender; a scene in which she is tried by a court of religious zealots (Scheherazade and the Men with Beards), during which the men argue doctrine among themselves and rage and shout at her only to have her calmly respond to their accusations); and a final ‘escape, flight, and sanctuary,’ which must be the archetypal dream of any woman importuned by a man or men.

“I composed the piece specifically for Leila Josefowicz, who is my friend and champion of my music (and that of many other composers) for nearly 15 years…

This work is a true collaboration and reflects a creative dialogue that went back and forth for well over a year and that I expect will continue long after the first performance. I find Leila a perfect embodiment of that kind of empowered strength and energy that a modern Scheherazade would possess.”

CHARLES IVES 1874–1954

The Unanswered Question (from Two Contemplations) composed: 1906, rev. c. 1930–35 most recent oregon symphony performance: May 12, 2011, at Carnegie Hall; Carlos Kalmar, conductor instrumentation: 4 flutes, trumpet, and strings estimated duration: 6 minutes Charles Ives wrote this existential music, subtitled “A Cosmic Landscape,” as a counterpart to a piece called Central Park in the Dark. Ives paired the two compositions together: “1. ‘A Contemplation of a Serious Matter’ or ‘The Unanswered Perennial Question’ and 2. ‘A Contemplation of Nothing

A L S O S P R A C H Z A R AT H U S T R A Serious’ or ‘Central Park in the Dark’ in ‘The Good Old Summer Time.’”

Ives included the following comments in the score: “The strings play ppp [extremely quietly] throughout with no change in tempo.

They are to represent ‘The Silences of the Druids – Who Know, See, and Hear Nothing.’ The trumpet intones ‘The Perennial Question of Existence,’ and states it in the same tone of voice each time… the hunt for ‘The Invisible Answer,’ undertaken by the flutes and other human beings, becomes gradually more active… as the time goes on, [the flutes], after a ‘secret conference,’ seem to realize a futility, and begin to mock ‘The Question.’ After they disappear, ‘The Question’ is asked for the last time, and ‘The Silences’ are heard beyond in ‘Undisturbed Solitude.’”

The strings create the harmonic foundation, floating a series of slowmoving shimmering chords that seem revealed, rather than composed.

In a manner that anticipates 1970s minimalism, Ives avoids traditional harmonic progressions; his chords evolve with no linear directionality. Over the strings, a solo offstage trumpet intones a haunting, ambiguous five-note question, repeated seven times. Six of the “questions” trigger responses from a quartet of flutes.

These responses range from a tentative restatement of the question to angry outbursts that take issue with it.

The trumpet solo’s “The Perennial Question of Existence” is likewise ambiguous. The question remains both unspecified and unanswered, which allows each listener to assign a personal, individual meaning to the music.

RICHARD STRAUSS 1864–1949

Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 composed: 1896 most recent oregon symphony performance: October 1, 2007; Carlos Kalmar, conductor

instrumentation: 4 flutes (2 doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, bass drum, chime, cymbals, glockenspiel, triangle, organ, two harps, and strings estimated duration: 34 minutes “Without music, life would be a mistake.”

— Friedrich Nietzsche Richard Strauss expanded musical boundaries with his innovative tone poems Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel.

When Strauss encountered philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s Also sprach Zarathustra, he was inspired to represent Nietzsche’s philosophical allegory musically. While the choice of subject may seem odd, it was Nietzsche himself, a trained musician, who first made the connection between Also sprach Zarathustra and music. “Where does this Zarathustra really belong?” asked Nietzsche as he worked on it. “Almost, I think, among the symphonies.” Strauss, by way of explanation, wrote: “I meant rather to convey in music an idea of the evolution of the human race from its origin, through the various phases of development, religious as well as scientific, up to Nietzsche’s idea of the ‘Übermensch’ (Superman). The whole symphonic poem is intended as my homage to the genius of Nietzsche.” The score was published with an excerpt from the book, in which Zarathustra descends from his mountain hermitage to share his wisdom with humanity.

The movements of Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra correspond with chapter headings in Nietzsche’s book; whether Strauss conceived the music around these titles or simply added them after he finished the music in unclear. The opening theme, best known to audiences from the score to Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey, represents Nature. Strauss features brasses in this glorious burst of musical color, supported by a C major chord

that lingers in the organ. In From the Backwaters, Strauss presents humanity held captive by outdated religious beliefs that impede the evolution towards Nietzsche’s Superman. This section opens in the low strings and winds, while the horns sound the Credo from the Latin Mass. A lyrical string serenade transitions into Of Great Longing. The Nature theme returns, as does the brass Credo, against a background of tremolo strings. Here Nature’s C major tonality clashes sharply with B major, which represents humanity. They combine in a whirlwind of sound that ushers in Of Joys and Passions. Strauss reflects on his own youthful passions with a series of soaring passages for strings, harp, and brasses.

The Dirge refers not to a literal death, but the realization that old ideas must be discarded and buried. This music, an elegiac combination of melodies from the previous two movements, shows Zarathustra mourning his lost youth.

Strauss illustrates Of Science and Learning with the most complicated, sophisticated music possible: a monumental, densely textured fugue whose subject, using all the notes of the chromatic scale, features both the Nature and Humanity themes.

The fugue segues into The Convalescent, a passage in which Zarathustra recovers from a lengthy illness and becomes a prophet. The fugue subject transforms into a forceful scherzo as Nature and Science battle for supremacy. Out of such complexity, a solo cello reiterates the theme of longing. After such musical abstraction, Strauss gives us a something familiar in the Viennese waltz of the Dance Song. Winds and harp dialog with a lilting solo violin. This extended section builds to a dense, impassioned finale, The Night-Wanderer’s Song. Tolling bells sound the stroke of midnight as the music dissipates. Also sprach Zarathustra ends quietly, with the eternal conflict between Nature and Humanity unresolved. The basses intone a steady C major pedal tone, while high strings and woodwinds sound an ethereal B major chord. © 2020 Elizabeth Schwartz

orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 25

ITZHAK PERLMAN PLAYS BEETHOVEN THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020, 7:30 PM sponsored by

Norman Huynh, conductor Itzhak Perlman, violin Samuel Barber Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 1, “In One Movement” Allegro ma non troppo—Allegro molto—Andante tranquillo—Con moto Capriccio Italien

INTERMISSION Ludwig van Beethoven

Violin Concerto in D Major Allegro ma non troppo Larghetto Rondo: Allegro Itzhak Perlman ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL

Biography

Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman last appeared with the Oregon Symphony on January 12, 2015, when he performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with conductor Carlos Kalmar.

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician.

Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.

Having performed with every major orchestra and at venerable concert halls 26 artslandia.com

around the globe, Perlman was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in November 2015 by President Obama for his meritorious contributions to cultural endeavors of the United States and for being a powerful advocate for people with disabilities. In 2016, he received the Genesis Prize in recognition for his exceptional contributions as a musician, teacher, advocate for individuals with special needs, and Jewish values. In 2003, he was granted a Kennedy Center Honor by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in celebration of his distinguished achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of the United States. In 2009, he was honored to take part in the Inauguration of President Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams alongside cellist Yo-Yo Ma, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and pianist Gabriela Montero, for an audience of nearly 40 million television viewers in the United States and millions more throughout the world.

Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. An early recipient of an America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship, he came to New York and soon was propelled to national recognition with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. Following his studies at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, he won the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964, which led to a burgeoning worldwide career. Since then, Perlman has established himself as a cultural icon and household name in classical music.

Perlman has further delighted audiences through his frequent appearances on the conductor’s podium. He has performed as conductor with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, National Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Dallas, Houston, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Montreal and Toronto, as well as at the Ravinia and Tanglewood festivals.

In the 2019/20 Season, Perlman embarks on a debut tour of a new program entitled An Evening with Itzhak Perlman, which captures highlights of his career through narrative and multimedia elements, intertwined with performance. On the orchestral front, Perlman makes appearances with the Baltimore Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Charlotte Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Toledo Symphony, and Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Throughout the season, he plays recitals with his longtime collaborator, Rohan De Silva, across North America in Northridge (Los Angeles), Costa Mesa, Rohnert Park (Sonoma County), Seattle, Spokane, Greenville, Knoxville, and in the nyc region.

During the summer, he led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in an all-Tchaikovsky program at the Ravinia Festival.

A recent award-winning documentary on Perlman, titled Itzhak, premiered in October 2017 as the opening film of the 25th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival. It was released theatrically in over 100

cinemas nationwide in March 2018, with international releases in summer 2018. Directed by filmmaker Alison Chernick, the enchanting documentary details the virtuoso’s own struggles as a polio survivor and Jewish émigré and is a reminder why art is vital to life.

Perlman’s recordings have garnered 16 Grammy® Awards and regularly appear on the best-seller charts. In 2008, Perlman was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in the recording arts.

Perlman’s most recent album features a special collaboration with Martha Argerich. Released in 2016 by Warner Classics, it marked a historic first studio album for this legendary duo exploring masterpieces by Bach, Schumann, and Brahms. It had been 18 years since their first album, a live recital from the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. On that momentous occasion in 1998, in addition to recording the material for their initial disc, the pair recorded Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 1. The Schumann Sonata at long last was released in 2016 alongside

new material, making the album a fascinating ‘then and now’ portrait of how two living legends have evolved musically.

Over the past two decades, Perlman has become actively involved in music education, using this opportunity to encourage gifted young string players.

Alongside his wife Toby, his close involvement in the Perlman Music Program has been a particularly rewarding experience, and he has taught full-time at the Program each summer since its founding in 1993. Perlman currently holds the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Chair at the Juilliard School.

Numerous publications and institutions have paid tribute to Perlman for the unique place he occupies in the artistic and humanitarian fabric of our times.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate and a centennial medal on the occasion of Juilliard’s 100th commencement ceremony in 2005. Perlman’s presence on stage, on camera, and in personal appearances of all kinds speaks eloquently on behalf of the disabled, and his devotion to their cause is an integral part of his life.

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I T Z H A K P E R L M A N P L AY S B E E T H O V E N Program Notes SAMUEL BARBER 1910–81

Symphony No. 1, “In One Movement,” Op. 9 composed: 1935–36; rev. 1943 most recent oregon symphony performance: September 29, 1981; James DePreist, conductor instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, harp, and strings estimated duration: 20 minutes In May 1935, Samuel Barber won two awards: the American Prix de Rome, which included a two-year residency at Rome’s American Academy, and a travel scholarship from the Pulitzer Foundation.

The 25-year-old Barber, hailed by the Prix de Rome awards committee as “the most talented and deserving student of music in America,” used the Pulitzer money to cover his travel costs and arrived in Rome in October 1935. In his luggage, Barber had packed preliminary sketches for what he described to a friend as “an orchestra piece of ambitious tendencies.”

During a visit to the French Riviera in February 1936, Barber returned to his “ambitious” orchestral work, after months spent writing other music and traveling around Europe. Ideas came quickly, and Barber finished his Opus 9, now titled Symphony No. 1, “In One Movement,” in just ten days. This 20-minute symphony, officially just a single movement, is actually a distilled, concentrated version of a conventional symphony, as Barber explained in his program note: “The form is a synthetic treatment of the four-movement classical symphony. It is based on three themes of the initial Allegro non troppo… The Allegro opens with the usual exposition of a main theme, a more lyrical second theme, and a closing theme. After a brief development of the three themes… the first theme… forms the basis of the scherzo section 28 artslandia.com

(Vivace). The second theme (oboe over muted strings) then appears in… an extended Andante tranquillo. An intense crescendo introduces the finale, which is a short passacaglia based on the first theme (introduced by the violoncelli and contrabassi), over which, together with figures from other themes, the closing theme is woven, then serving as a recapitulation for the entire symphony.”

Barber’s somewhat dry description does not do his Symphony justice. It has immediate dramatic impact; Barber’s adept use of orchestral timbres, particularly the solo oboe’s poignant lyricism, demonstrates artistic maturity and mastery. The brass writing also stands out; during one of the rehearsals for Opus 9’s premiere, the tuba player told Barber, “I’ve been waiting 15 years for a part like that!”

Opus 9 premiered in Rome on December 13, 1936. Italian critics did not care for it much; according to Barber, “It was thought too dark-toned, too Nordic and Sibelian.” When Opus 9 received its first American performance one month later in Cleveland, American critics also noted – more favorably – its resemblance to the music of Jean Sibelius, particularly in the writing for brasses. Olin Downes, writing for The New York Times, opined, “The work has the feel and certain tangible evidences of a gifted young musician of 26 seeking and gradually discovering means of selfexpression.” For his part, Barber knew and admired Sibelius’ symphonies, especially the Finnish composer’s one-movement Symphony No. 7.

Barber’s Symphony No. 1 earned a positive reception in London and New York, and in the summer of 1937, it became the first work written by an American composer to be presented at the prestigious Salzburg Festival.

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY 1840–93

Capriccio italien, Op. 45 composed: 1880 most recent oregon symphony performance: September 12, 2013; Carlos Kalmar, conductor

instrumentation: 3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, orchestra bells, tambourine, harp, and strings estimated duration: 16 minutes For many 19th-century northern Europeans, Italy came to represent a quasi-enchanted realm of light, warmth, and beauty, where one could escape the harsh realities of life at home. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky found such refuge there in the winter of 1879–80, when he fled his disastrous marriage and the bitter cold of Moscow for the milder climes of Rome. Two years earlier, Tchaikovsky had married his former student Antonina Ivanovna Miliukova, whom he described as “... a woman with whom I am not the least in love.” Tchaikovsky probably took this ill-fated step as a means of stifling public gossip about his homosexuality and to satisfy the wishes of his family.

Within weeks of the wedding, Tchaikovsky suffered a crippling nervous breakdown and attempted suicide. When he recovered, he severed all ties to his wife, although the two were never officially divorced.

After leaving Moscow, Tchaikovsky and his brother Modest settled in Rome for Carnival season. Away from home, amid the lively crowds, colors, tastes, smells, and sounds of the Eternal City, Tchaikovsky’s wounded spirit began to mend. For the first time in several years he also felt an urge to compose. On January 16, 1880, Tchaikovsky began working on the Capriccio italien. Two weeks later, in a letter to his patron Nadezhda von Meck, Tchaikovsky wrote, “I have already completed the sketches for an Italian fantasia on folk tunes… it will be effective, thanks to the delightful tunes which I have succeeded in assembling partly from anthologies, partly through my own ears on the streets.”

Note Tchaikovsky’s choice of “effective” to describe the Capriccio. After the emotional turmoil of his failed marriage and a three-year composing hiatus, Tchaikovsky, who was often prone to self-doubt, was perhaps simply grateful to discover he could still write music at all.

I T Z H A K P E R L M A N P L AY S B E E T H O V E N The Capriccio Italien opens with the trumpet fanfare that woke Tchaikovsky every morning in his hotel, which was located next to the barracks of the Royal Italian Cuirassiers. Tchaikovsky pairs the fanfare with an insistent repeating rhythm – rat-tat-tat-TAT – that suggests both precision marching and gun salutes.

The military music fades into a highspirited series of melodies. Tchaikovsky alternates between these danceable tunes and the military-style music, using a vivid spectrum of orchestral colors to illuminate the warmth and brilliance of the Roman Carnival season.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN 1770–1827

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 composed: 1806 most recent oregon symphony performance: September 25, 2017; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Augustin Hadelich, violin instrumentation: solo violin, flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings estimated duration: 41 minutes Ludwig van Beethoven’s violin concerto shattered conventional notions of what a solo concerto could or should be. Instead of using the concerto as a vehicle to show off the soloist’s technique, Beethoven placed the music front and center, while also giving the soloist plenty of opportunities to display musical skills.

The 21-year-old Franz Clement, music director and concertmaster of the Theater an der Wien, commissioned the Violin Concerto in 1806. After the premiere, Clement suggested revisions to the solo part, which Beethoven incorporated into his revised score.

Even masterworks can be diminished by a mediocre performance. According to published accounts, Beethoven finished the concerto just two days before the premiere, which meant Clement had to sight-read the opening performance. Although it was beautiful, and staggeringly difficult, the lack of adequate rehearsal, among other factors, left the Violin Concerto with

a bad reputation, which took 30 years to dissipate. The 12-year-old violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim presented the concerto at his debut with the London Philharmonic in 1844 – 38 years after its premiere. Joachim pored over the score, memorized the entire piece, and composed his own cadenzas in preparation. The hard work paid off; one reviewer noted, “[Joachim] is perhaps the finest violin player, not only of his age, but of his siècle [century]. He performed Beethoven’s solitary concerto, which we have heard all the great performers of the last 20 years attempt, and invariably fail in… its performance was an eloquent vindication of the master-spirit who imagined it.”

Unlike Beethoven’s piano concertos, which feature thick, dense chords and difficult runs, the violin solo epitomizes grace. This warm expressiveness matched Clement’s style of playing, which Beethoven said exemplified “an extremely delightful tenderness and purity.”

The concerto begins unconventionally, with five repeating notes in the timpani. This simple knocking is repeated, like a gentle but persistent heartbeat, throughout the movement, and becomes a recurring motif.

In another distinctive break from tradition, the soloist does not enter for a full three minutes and then begins a cappella (unaccompanied), before reiterating the first theme in a high register.

SOLO PIANO SERIES

2019 / 2020 SEASON

DASOL KIM JAN 25 & 26, 2020 / 4PM LINCOLN HALL

RISING STAR:

BARON FENWICK

FEB 22, 2019 7PM GRACE MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL FREE!

The Larghetto’s stately, intimate, and tranquil melody becomes an orchestral backdrop over which the solo violin traces graceful arabesques in ethereally high registers. The soloist takes center stage in this movement, playing extended cadenzas and other passages with minimal accompaniment.

The final Rondo: Allegro flows seamlessly from the Larghetto; the soloist launches immediately into a rocking melody that suggests a boat bobbing at anchor.

Typical rondo format features a primary theme (a), interspersed with contrasting sections (b, c, d, etc.) Each of these contrasting sections departs from the (a) theme, sometimes in mood, sometimes by shifting from major to minor, or by changing keys entirely.

ANDERSON & ROE PIANO DUO MAR 14 & 15, 2020 / 4PM LINCOLN HALL

PORTLANDPIANO.ORG 503.228.1388

© 2020 Elizabeth Schwartz orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 29

GHOSTBUSTERS IN CONCERT SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2020, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2020, 2 PM sponsored by

Peter Bernstein, conductor Ghostbusters (1984) Film with Live Orchestra An Ivan Reitman Film Music by Elmer Bernstein A Schirmer Theatrical Production Columbia Pictures Presents An Ivan Reitman Film A Black Rhino/Bernie Brillstein Production Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Sigourney Weaver Also starring Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis Music by Elmer Bernstein Executive producer Bernie Brillstein Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis Produced and directed by Ivan Reitman Ghostbusters Š 1984 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

schirmer theatrical creative team: Robert Thompson, president & creative producer Alyssa Foster, producer Peter M. Bernstein, score arranger and consultant Mike Kasper, technical director Marc Mann/Music Production Services, Inc., synth designer and score consultant Jeff Sugg/Handmade Media, llc, production designer Ronen Shai, production editor & senior multimedia editor

ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL

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Biography

Peter Bernstein Peter Bernstein has been center stage in the music world for his entire life. As an arranger, record producer, orchestrator, composer, conductor, lecturer, rock ’n’ roll bass player, and author, Bernstein has had a multifaceted career as an insider in the Hollywood music industry. As a composer, he has scored feature films, television movies, mini-series, and episodes, which together amount to over 500 projects.

His musical experience began with his father, Elmer Bernstein, an Academy

Award-winning composer whose credits include The Magnif icent Seven, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Ghostbusters.

Peter was going to recording sessions before he was going to school and learned to conduct symphonies from memory by watching his father practice. His early musical education consisted of nothing more exotic than piano lessons until he decided he wanted to be a bass player and learned on his own. Eventually, he took lessons from legendary bass player and member of the famed “wrecking crew” session musicians, Carol Kaye.

At 14, he started his professional career as a rock ’n’ roll bass player and was in the rock ’n’ roll and record business until his composing career took over. He studied music in school as time allowed. As a student at CalArts, he studied with pioneering electronic composer Morton Subotnick, which began a lifelong interest in electronic music.

He then turned to composing for film. Eventually, he became his

father Elmer’s lead orchestrator while simultaneously pursuing careers as a composer, record producer, and bass player.

His first major orchestral assignment as a composer was The Ewok Movie for LucasFilm (a major tv event in its time).

He also went on to score its sequel. His first tv series was the huge hit 21 Jump Street. At the time, he was one the first composers working from a home studio.

Later, Peter and his father worked together on several scores. Elmer conducted Peter’s score for the tnt miniseries Rough Riders and contributed an end credit theme for the Showtime series Fallen Angels. Peter conducted sessions for several of Elmer’s scores, including Three Amigos and The Babe, and composed about a third of one of Elmer’s last scores – Wild Wild West.

He has composed music in almost every imaginable style and combination of instruments, voices, and synths.

THANK YOU

Groundbreaking for Patricia Reser Center for the Arts November 13, 2019

“It has been truly inspiring to see the community join in support of the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts and raise these funds in such a short amount of time. There is still work to be done to close the gap before opening our doors in 2021.

The time is now!”

– Pat Reser, Lead Donor and Campaign Chair

centerfortheartscampaign.org/join-the-movement

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CHOPIN’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2020, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2020, 2 PM MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2020, 7:30 PM Eun Sun Kim, conductor Benjamin Grosvenor, piano Texu Kim Frédéric Chopin

Spin-Flip Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor Maestoso Larghetto Allegro vivace Benjamin Grosvenor

INTERMISSION Sergei Rachmaninoff

Symphony No. 3 in A Minor Lento—Allegro moderato—Allegro Adagio ma non troppo—Allegro vivace—Tempo come prima Allegro—Allegro vivace—Allegro (Tempo primo)— Allegretto—Allegro vivace ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL

CONCERT CONVERSATION Conducted one hour before each performance, the Concert Conversation will feature composer Texu Kim and Christa Wessel, host of All Classical Portland. You can also enjoy the Concert Conversation in the comfort of your own home.

Visit orsymphony.org/conversations to watch the video on demand.

Biography

Eun Sun Kim With this concert, Eun Sun Kim makes her debut with the Oregon Symphony.

In December 2019, Kim was appointed music director of San Francisco Opera, where she previously led a new production of Rusalka that earned praise from the San Francisco Chronicle as “a company debut of astonishing vibrancy and assurance” with “magnificent musical values on display from top to bottom.”

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In the 2019/20 Season, Kim leads concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, Cincinnati Symphony, and the symphony orchestras of San Diego, Oregon, and Seattle. Continuing a series of important operatic debuts, she conducts the company premiere of Roberto Devereux at Los Angeles Opera and The Magic Flute at Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center.

She returns to the Berlin Staatsoper for Tosca and leads Salome in her triumphant return to Houston Grand Opera, where The New York Times pronounced her “a major star… with great sensitivity and flexibility.”

In addition to her growing North American presence, Kim is a regular guest conductor at many important European opera houses. She maintains

a particularly close connection with the Berlin State Opera, where she has recently conducted successful productions of La traviata, Ariadne auf Naxos, Madama Butterfly, and Il trovatore.

Kim established herself in Scandinavia with a successful debut at the Royal Swedish Opera in Madama Butterfly, returning there to conduct Il barbiere di Siviglia. Her performances of Il trovatore at Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, Carmen in Oslo, and Madama Butterfly and Der Fliegende Höllander in Bergen have been complemented by concert appearances with Gothenburg Symphony and Norwegian Radio Orchestra, as well as orchestras in Malmö, Umeå, and Aarhus.

Kim studied composition and conducting in her hometown of Seoul, South Korea, before continuing her studies

in Stuttgart, where she graduated with distinction. Directly after graduation, she was awarded the first prize in the International Jesús López Cobos Opera Conducting Competition at the Teatro Real Madrid.

Benjamin Grosvenor Benjamin Grosvenor last appeared with the Oregon Symphony on January 25, 2016, when he performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with conductor Tomáš Netopil.

British pianist Grosvenor is internationally recognized for his electrifying performances, distinctive sound, and insightful interpretations.

His virtuosic command over the most arduous technical complexities underpins the remarkable depth and understanding of his music making.

Described as “one in a million... several million” by The Independent, his “astounding technical gifts, the freshness of his imagination, his intense concentration, the absence of any kind of show, and the unmistakable sense of poetic immersion directed solely at the realization of music” have been lauded by Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Grosvenor first came to prominence as the outstanding winner of the Keyboard Final of the 2004 bbc Young Musician Competition at the age of 11, and he was invited to perform with the bbc Symphony Orchestra at the First Night of the 2011 bbc Proms aged just 19.

A pianist of widespread international acclaim, he was announced as the inaugural recipient of The Ronnie and Lawrence Ackman Classical Piano Prize with the New York Philharmonic in 2016. Recent and forthcoming concerto highlights include engagements with the Boston and Chicago symphony orchestras, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, and the London, City of Birmingham, San Francisco, and Washington National symphony

orchestras, as well as a tour of China with Britten Sinfonia. Grosvenor works with such esteemed conductors as Riccardo Chailly, Alan Gilbert, Ludovic Morlot, Kent Nagano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leonard Slatkin, Nathalie Stutzmann, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Kazuki Yamada.

In 2011, Grosvenor signed to Decca Classics, becoming the youngest British musician ever, and the first British pianist in almost 60 years, to sign to the label. Grosvenor’s most recent cd on the label, Homages, was named Instrumental Recording of the Month in bbc Music Magazine and awarded a Diapason d’Or, with Diapason’s critic declaring that “his pianistic ingenuity, his lyrical voice and aristocratic distinction remind one of the young Josef Hofmann or Ignaz Friedman. The whole recital is charged with Romantic élan.”

Program Notes TEXU KIM b. 1980

Spin-Flip composed: 2014–15 first oregon symphony performance instrumentation: 3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (1 doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (1 doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (1 doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, 2 castanets, crotales, flexatone, hi-hat, kick drum, log drum, snare drum, 3 suspended cymbals, tambourine, 5 temple blocks, 2 tomtoms, triangle, vibraslap, water gong, xylophone, harp, and strings estimated duration: 8 minutes Texu Kim’s music combines a fascination with how things work and an affinity for contemporary sound worlds. Drawing on his background in science – Kim earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Seoul National University while he was also working

toward bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition – Kim explained the origins of the title Spin-Flip in his program note: “The proton and the electron in a hydrogen atom spin permanently with their rotation axes parallel to one another. They can rotate in the same direction (clockwiseclockwise, for example), or the opposite way. When the directional relationship changes due to absorption or emission of a certain type of energy, it is called Spin-Flip. The same term can also mean a sudden change in a rotating black hole’s spin axis... Regardless of its meaning in physics, I titled my piece Spin-Flip simply because [the name suggests table tennis]; a spin serve and flip shot are ping-pong techniques.”

Through basic musical elements, Kim modifies and synthesizes short musical ideas into new sonic material. Much of Kim’s compositional output also reflects his personal fascination with everyday objects in a humorous and sophisticated way, as in Bounce!! (2014) and Shake It!!

(2014), inspired by bouncing basketballs and grinding coffee beans, respectively.

With regard to Spin-Flip, Kim continues, “I happen to share my name (spelled differently in English) with a legendary Korean table tennis player, Taek-soo Kim (b. 1970), who coached the Korean National Team of table tennis. For this reason, when meeting new people in Korea, I am often asked if I am good at table tennis. Though the answer is ‘No,’ this silly coincidence has led me to write a musical piece about it.

“Spin-Flip is an eight-minute overture which is all about Ping-Pong, and conveys the driving energy of a (good) Ping-Pong match. Its primary motives are derived from the sound of a cheering crowd and balls bouncing around on the table (and occasionally on the floor); its alternating harmonic pattern and somewhat random form reflect the alternation of service and unpredictable results, respectively … I only hope that I share the sheer fun I have with the audience through this piece.”

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CHOPIN’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN 1810–49

Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21 composed: 1829, rev. 1836 most recent oregon symphony performance: March 23, 2014; JeanMarie Zeitouni, conductor; Bertrand Chamayou, piano instrumentation: solo piano, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, trombone, timpani, and strings estimated duration: 33 minutes The name Frédéric Chopin is essentially synonymous with music for piano, especially solo piano. All pianists and lovers of piano music owe a debt to Chopin, who revolutionized 19th century piano composition.

Chopin wrote his two piano concertos as musical business cards; they were useful vehicles for self-promotion, particularly when the young Pole arrived in Paris in 1830. Both concertos emphasize the soloist’s role with crystalline, dazzling passages; the orchestra, meanwhile, has a more functional, accompanying role.

Scholars have likened Chopin’s melodies in the F Minor Concerto to the soaring lyricism of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera arias, a comparison that reflects the friendship and mutual admiration shared by the two composers. Both men prioritized melody over harmony and showcased their melodic themes with understated accompaniments. While attending the Warsaw School of Music, 19-year-old Chopin met and fell in love with another student, Polish soprano Konstancja Gładkowska. Gładkowska became Chopin’s muse, and he paid homage to her in both of his piano concertos with the expressive, vocally conceived “piano arias” featured in the middle movements.

The orchestra begins the Maestoso with a vivid, restless theme whose dotted rhythm propels it towards the

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piano’s first entrance. Once the soloist begins, the orchestra recedes into the background, serving primarily as accompaniment.

In referring to Gładkowska, Chopin told a friend, “I have – perhaps to my own misfortune – already found my ideal, whom I worship faithfully and sincerely. Six months have elapsed, and I haven’t yet exchanged a syllable with her of whom I dream every night – she who was in my mind when I composed the Adagio [Larghetto] of my Concerto.”

The Larghetto opens with an exquisitely languid melody. The middle section features an instrumental version of an impassioned operatic recitative, complete with tremolo strings, and the dreamy opening melody concludes the Larghetto with a rapturous sigh.

In the finale, Chopin features both the Viennese waltz and the mazurka, a dance from his native Poland. The music flirts coquettishly between the two.

These lighter episodes are punctuated by moments of intensity, but the overall mood of this movement is freer and more playful than the previous two.

Once again, the piano is the main purveyor of thematic material; midway through the movement, the horns enter into a dialogue with the soloist. The final section rushes headlong toward a lissome, sparkling conclusion.

Chopin himself performed the solo part at Opus 21’s premiere, a private concert in Warsaw on March 3, 1830, led by Karol Kurpinski. They repeated their performance for the public at the National Theater in Warsaw two weeks later. Chopin was disappointed in the audience’s reaction. In a letter to a friend shortly after the premiere, he wrote, “My first concert… did not make on the general public the impression I thought it would… it seems to me that people felt they had to show interest (‘Ah, something new!’) and pretend to be connoisseurs.”

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF 1873–1943

Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 44 composed: 1935–36 most recent oregon symphony performance: November 17, 2008; Christoph Campestrini, conductor instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, celesta, harp, and strings estimated duration: 40 minutes Sergei Rachmaninoff is an underrated symphonist, due to the extraordinary and enduring popularity of his piano concertos and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Contemporary reviews did not help; Rachmaninoff was skewered by critics for his later music, particularly the Third Symphony, because it didn’t sound “modern” enough to their ears. Audiences, meanwhile, rejected Rachmaninoff’s later works because they yearned for the romantic soundscapes of the Second Piano Concerto and were unwilling to let Rachmaninoff evolve as a composer. Author Madeleine L’Engle once summarized this dilemma in a response from her publishers, who wanted her to duplicate the success of a previous book: “You’ve done it in pink, dear; now do it in blue.”

Rachmaninoff would have understood L’Engle’s frustration all too well. As a composer, he had something new to say, but few seemed interested in hearing it.

After he fled Russia in 1917, Rachmaninoff essentially sacrificed his identity as both conductor and composer; instead, he supported his family as a virtuoso pianist who maintained a relentless and exhausting schedule of concerts and travel. In 1926, Rachmaninoff began composing again, after a nine-year hiatus. His new music reflected all the turmoil of those years, along with Rachmaninoff’s exile from his homeland and new trends in classical music, particularly the influence of jazz.

CHOPIN’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 Stylistically, the Third Symphony retains some of the lushness of Rachmaninoff’s earlier works, blended with a more expansive harmonic palette and infused with a restless tension not found in his earlier music. The Third Symphony also condensed the usual four movements into three; the second movement, however, features two large sections that function almost as separate movements (Adagio followed by a scherzo). Overall, the music is episodic, and Rachmaninoff makes a point of developing rather than merely embellishing his trademark melodies. Towards the end of the final movement, Rachmaninoff quotes the Dies irae (Day of Wrath) from the Requiem Mass. This ancient chant was a recurring theme in Rachmaninoff’s music; he first used it in his Symphony No. 1, then in later works such as the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphonic Dances, and Isle of the Dead.

Reactions to the Third Symphony were mixed. Olin Downes, writing for The New York Times, opined, “The outward characteristics of Rachmaninoff’s style are evident in the work heard on this occasion…

It cannot be said, however, that in these pages Mr. Rachmaninoff says things which are new, even though his idiom is more his own than ever before, and free of the indebtedness it once had to Tchaikovsky…

There is a tendency to overelaboration of detail, and to unnecessary extensions, so that the last movement, in particular, appears too long. Would not a pair of shears benefit the proportions of this work?” However, another critic praised the Third as “a most excellent work in musical conception, composition, and orchestration.” Rachmaninoff himself was puzzled by the negative reactions. In a 1937 letter to a friend, Rachmaninoff wrote, “It was played wonderfully. Its reception by both the public and critics was sour. One review sticks painfully in my mind: that I didn’t have a Third Symphony in me any more. Personally, I am firmly convinced that this is a good work. But – sometimes composers are mistaken too! Be that as it may, I am holding to my opinion so far.” © 2020 Elizabeth Schwartz

RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS FROM ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA John Adams: Scheherazade.2 Leila Josefowicz, violin David Robertson – St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Nonesuch 557170 Ives: The Unanswered Question Carlos Kalmar – Oregon Symphony Pentatone 5186393 Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra Herbert von Karajan – Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra 2-Deutsche Grammophon 000020202 FROM ITZHAK PERLMAN PLAYS BEETHOVEN Barber: Symphony No. 1 David Zinman – Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Argo 436288 Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien Leonard Bernstein – Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Deutsche Grammophon 431047

Beethoven: Violin Concerto Itzhak Perlman, violin Carlo Maria Giulini – Philharmonia Orchestra Warner Classics 552362 FROM CHOPIN’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 Texu Kim: Spin-Flip No recording available Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 Krystian Zimerman, piano & conductor – Polish Festival Orchestra 2-Deutsche Grammophon 479687 Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3 Vladimir Ashkenazy – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra 2-Decca 448116 Recordings selected by Michael Parsons, who studied music at Lewis & Clark College and has worked professionally with classical recordings for several decades. Select recordings will also be available for purchase in the Grand Lobby.

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CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE: $2,500–$3,999

Anonymous (6) An Advised Fund of ocf Ajitahrydaya Gift Fund Carole Alexander Kirby & Amy Allen Trudy Allen & Bob Varitz Meredith & Robert Amon David & Jacqueline Backman Bob Ball & Grant Jones Ed & Becky Bard Wayne Bartolet & Susan Remick Michael & Barbara Besand in Memory of Lillian (Lee) Besand Craig Billings David Blumhagen Josh & Wendie Bratt Gregory & Susan Buhr Tom Burke & Axel Brunger Ellen E. Bussing§ Eve Callahan* & Scott Taylor Mrs. Robert G. Cameron Cynthia & Stanley Cohan Mike & Becky DeCesaro Nicholas & Jamie Denler Ginette DePreist Richard B. Dobrow, M.D. Donald & Katharine Epstein Kenneth & Carol Fransen Y. Fukuta Liz Fuller & Brent Barton Richard Gallagher Robert & Carolyn Gelpke Daniel Gibbs & Lois Seed Jamieson & Tiffanie Grabenhorst Don Hagge & Vicki Lewis Paul Hamilton Jamey Hampton & Ashley Roland Kirk & Erin Hanawalt Sonja L. Haugen Dennis & Judy Hedberg Diane M. Herrmann

Dan & Pat Holmquist Brad & Bente Houle Dennis Johnson & Steven Smith Penelope Johnstone Barbara Kahl & Roger Johnston Susan D. Keil David & Virginia Kingsbury Drs. Arnold & Elizabeth Klein Lakshman Krishnamurthy & Rasha Esmat Mary Lago Paul W. Leavens Cary & Dorothy Lewis Eric & Hollie Lindauer Peter & Allison Lyneham Dana & Susan Marble M. & L. Marks Family Fund of ocf Sir James & Lady McDonald Designated Fund of ocf Duane & Barbara McDougall Bonnie McLellan Violet & Robert+ Metzler Anne K Millis Fund of ocf Dolores & Michael Moore Lindley Morton & Corrine Oishi John & Nancy Murakami Jon Naviaux & Anne Kilkenny Ward & Pamela Nelson John & Ginger Niemeyer Larry & Caron Ogg George & Deborah Olsen Barbara & Art Palmer Charles & Ruth Poindexter Janet C. Plummer§ & Donald S. Rushmer Katie Poppe & Sam House Lawrence Powlesland & James Russel Vicki Reitenauer & Carol Gabrielli Jeff & Kathleen Rubin Brooks & Wendi Schaener Susan Schnitzer Mrs. & Mr.* Francine Shetterly Peter Shinbach Jaymi & F. Sladen Sue & Drew Snyder George & Molly Spencer Annetta & Ed St. Clair David Staehely Jack & Crystal Steffen Garry & Ardith Stensland Straub Collaborative, Inc. Eustacia Su Drs. John & Betty+ Thompson Robert Trotman & William Hetzelson Charles & Alice Valentino Ravi Vedanayagam & Ursula Lukert David & Christine Vernier Drs. Bastian & Barbara Wagner

Wells Family Foundation Elaine M. Whiteley+ Robert & Margaret Wiesenthal Davida & Slate Wilson Loring & Margaret Winthrop Jeffrey Yandle & Molly Moran-Yandle Zephyr Charitable Foundation Inc. Charlene Zidell

CONCERTO SOCIETY: $1,000–$2,499

Anonymous (10) Markus Albert Joseph Allan & Karen Saul Dr. Christopher Amling Jonathan & Deanne Ater Michael Axley & Kim Malek Stephen S. Babson+ Steve & Mary Baker James & Kathryn Bash John & Claudette Beahrs Eric Bell Broughton & Mary Bishop Family Advised Fund of cfsww Paul Black & Greg Eicher Priscilla Blumel Lynne & Frank Bocarde Henry Bodzin Benjamin & Sandra Bole Mrs. Fanny P. Bookout Fred & Diane Born Mr. & Mrs. Peter Brix Christopher Brooks* & Brittney Clark Craig & Karen Butler Martin & Truddy Cable

Barbara & Robb Cason Carlos Castro-Pareja Audrey & Stephen Cheng Charles Clarkson Classical Up Close‡ Holly Cohen Maurice Comeau, M.D. Jeffrey G. Condit Susan & Mark Cooksey James & E. Anne Crumpacker Abby & Marvin Dawson Enrique deCastro Edward & Karen Demko William Dolan & Suzanne Bromschwig Kay Doyle Tom & Roberta Drewes Gerard & Sandra Drummond Charlene Dunning & Donald Runnels Richard & Jill Schnitzer Edelson Douglas Egan & Susan Bach Lee & Robin Feidelson Ray & Nancy Friedman Paul Gehlar David & Kiki Gindler Michael & Gail Gombos Harriet & Mitch Greenlick David & Caroline Greger Dr. & Mrs. Price Gripekoven Jeffrey & Sandy Grubb Louis & Judy Halvorsen Drs. James & Linda Hamilton Howard & Molly Harris Pamela Henderson & Allen Wasserman Jane & Ken Hergenhan Frances F. Hicks Joseph & Bette Hirsch

Margaret & Jerry Hoerber Eric & Ronna Hoffman Fund of ocf Joseph Holloway, Sr. Lee & Penney Hoodenpyle Pamela Hooten & Karen Zumwalt Pam Horan Arthur Hung Doug Inglis Jon Jaqua & Kimberly Cooper David Jentz Harlan Jones Bob Kaake Peter & Patricia Kane Carol Brooks Keefer Alexis Kennedy Douglas & Selby Key Fred Kirchhoff & Ron Simonis Sheldon Klapper & Sue Hickey John Kochis Kevin Komos & Bruce Suttmeier Sarah Kwak‡ & Vali Phillips‡ Frank Langfitt & MJ Steen Thomas M. Lauderdale* Dr. & Mrs. Mark Leavitt Dr. John & Elaine Lemmer, Jr. Phyllis J. Leonard Carol Schnitzer Lewis Fund of ocf Joanne Lilley Patrice Louie & Jeffrey Courion Richard & Diane Lowensohn Jerome Magill Linda & Ken Mantel Gayle & Jerry Marger Bel-Ami & Mark Margoles Dante Marrocco & Julia Marrocco

Bob Martindale & Gwyneth Paulson Carolyn McMurchie Karen McNamee Anthony Merrill & Cheryl Thompson-Merrill Eric & Sarah Merten Sherrey & Robert Meyer Mia Hall Miller & Matthew Miller Greg & Sonya Morgansen Drs. Beth & Seth Morton Virginia S. Mullen+ Chris & Tom Neilsen Ralph & Susan Nelson Peter & Cassie Northrup Libby Noyes Marianne Ott Thomas Palmer & Ann Carter Yoona Park & Tom Johnson Duane & Corinne Paulson Richard & Helen Phillips Diane Plumridge Hugh Porter & Jill Soltero Wally & Bettsy Preble William Pressly & Carole Douglass Dr. & Mrs. Kevin Proctor Ronald & Lee Ragen Dr. Gerald & Alene B. Rich Jan Robertson Anna Roe & Ken Schriver Rebecca Rooks Debora Roy Joshua Sabraw Robert & Ann Sacks Michael Sands & Jane Robinson Steven & Karen Schoenbrun Dr. & Mrs. George Sebastian

DEC. 28, 2019 - FEB. 23, 2020

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Chris Sherry Gregory Shields The Shulevitz Family Dr. Rick Simpson Albert Solheim Ben & Jill Souede Jack & Charlene

Stephenson Anne Stevenson Rabbi Ariel Stone & Dr. Joe Thaler Barbara J. & Jon R. Stroud Sandra Suran Drs. Donald & Roslyn Elms Sutherland Matt & Bethany Thomas Richard & Larie Thomas Mike & Priscilla Thompson Laura Tomas & Jason Martin Ann Van Fleet Don & Marian Vollum Bill & Peggy Wagner Bill & Janet Wagner Kevin & Sharon Wei Joan & David Weil Weiss Fund of ocf Cameron J. Wiley & Carey Whitt Wiley Carol S. Witherell Bing Wong Jane Work Darrell & Geneva Wright Dr. Candace Young Lawrence & Jo Ann Young *current board ‡current musician §current staff

JAN. 18 - FEB. 16, 2020

503.445.3700 | PCS.ORG

Delphon “DJ” Curtis Jr. in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Photo by Kate Szrom.

SEASON SUPERSTARS

MARY & DON BLAIR

orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 37

Encore Society The Oregon Symphony Encore Society was established to thank and recognize those generous individuals who have remembered the Oregon Symphony in their estate plans. For more information, please contact the Development Office at 503-416-6325.

Anonymous (13) Markus Albert Kirby & Amy Allen Margaret A. Apel Margaret & Scott Arighi Sabine Baer & Manfred Wiesel Laurel Bardelson+ Joy Belcourt Lynda R. Bell Steve & Patt Bilow Leola J. Bowerman+ Dean Boyd & Susan Wickizer John & Yvonne Branchflower Steve & Kristine Brey Elizabeth Burke Ellen E. Bussing§ Craig & Karen Butler Elaine Calder & William J. Bennett Carl & Connie Clark Debi Coleman Terry & Peggy Crawford Dr. Jim Darke Niel B. DePonte‡ Ginette DePreist Jess Dishman Allen L. Dobbins William Dolan & Suzanne Bromschwig Clarke Donelson Kay Doyle Gerard & Sandra Drummond Denise Chantrelle DuBois Bill* & Karen Early George Fabel Louise P. Feldman Harry & Gladys Flesher Kenneth & Carol Fransen Mark Gardiner & Mary Nolan Robyn Gastineau* Jim & Karen Halliday Susan Halton Betsy & Gregory Hatton Diane M. Herrmann Henry M. Hieronimus Rick* & Veronica Hinkes Renée* & Irwin Holzman Donna Howard Beth & Jerry* Hulsman Judy & Hank Hummelt Anne & Charles Jochim Dennis Johnson & Steven Smith Karen & Keith Johnson Richard Kaiser & Virginia Shipman Richard & Ruth Keller Georgia A. Koehler Sally & Tom Kuhns Kyle & Marcia Lambert Wayne & Carolyn Landsverk Barbara A. Lee Fernando Leon, M.D. & Dolores Leon, M.D. Cary & Dorothy Lewis Ardath E. Lilleland A. G. Lindstrand Lynn & Jack Loacker

Linda & Ken Mantel Michele Mass & Jim Edwards Dr. Louis & Judy McCraw Roger & Pearl McDonald Stephanie McDougal+ Duane & Barbara McDougall Edward+ & June McLean Sheila McMahon Karen McNamee Ruben J. & Elizabeth Menashe Robert+ & Violet Metzler Geri & Bruce F.+ Miller Mia Hall Miller Richard Patrick Mitchell Carol N. Morgan Roscoe* & Debra Nelson John Nettleton & Douglas Michael+ Christi R. Newton Ann H. Nicholas Ann Olsen Roger N.+ & Joyce M. Olson Marianne Ott Jane S. Partridge Janice E. Phillips Janet Plummer§ & Don Rushmer Arnold S. Polk Harold & Jane Pollin David Rabin Tom & Norma Rankin Richard & Mary Raub Barbara Perron Reader Ed Reeves & Bill Fish Mary & Mike Riley Sherry Robinson & Steve Shanklin Peter Rodda & Vincenza Scarpaci Betty Roren Walt Rose Betsy Russell Frank Sampson William C. Scott Scott Showalter§ V. L. Smith & J. E. Harman George & Molly Spencer Anne Stevenson Hank Swigert Diane Syrcle & Susan Leo Herman Taylor & Leslye Epstein Bruce & Judy Thesenga Mike & Diana Thomas Leslie & Scott Tuomi Linda & Stephen VanHaverbeke Randall Vemer John & Frances von Schlegell Les Vuylsteke Joella B. Werlin Jack* & Ginny Wilborn Gary Nelson Wilkins Roger & Kathleen Wolcott Nancy Wolff & E. David Booth + in memorium

TR IB U TE

Cuisine of the Italian and French Riviera

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Weekend Brunch Happy Hour Daily from 4 - 6 pm Spacious Patio Close to Keller, Schnitzer & Lincoln Hall Available for Private Parties

Tribute gifts November 14–December 14, 2019 In Memory of John R. Bookout Fanny P. Bookout In Honor of Bob & Janis Harrison Robert & Gail Joseph

In Honor of Jack Mahoney Alice Carlson In Memory of Pency Wong Dr. Marshall Lee

1408 SW 6th Avenue, Portland 97201 | 503.484.1099 RESERVATIONS AT NELCENTRO.COM

orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 39

OUR SUPPORTERS Corporate Partners The Oregon Symphony thanks these corporations for their generous contributions received in the 2018/19 Season (July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019).

TR ANS FO RMATI ONAL $10 0 , 0 0 0 A ND A B OV E

VIR T U O S O S O CIE T Y $5 0 , 0 0 0 – $ 9 9,9 9 9

O P U S S O CIE T Y $ 2 5 , 0 0 0 – $ 49,9 9 9

M OZ AR T S O CIE T Y $10 , 0 0 0 – $ 24 ,9 9 9

HOFFMAN CORPORATION

MACY’S

SAMUEL I NEWHOUSE FOUNDATION

PAR K ING S P ONS O R

ME D IA S P ONS O R

OTHE R S P ONS O R S

40 artslandia.com

ALL CLASSICAL PORTLAND AMAZON.COM ANDANTE VINEYARD THE AV DEPARTMENT BLUE STAR BOEING D.A. DAVIDSON & CO. DOMAINE SERENE ESCO FOUNDATION FREELAND SPIRITS FURIOSO VINEYARDS GENIUS LOCI GERANIUM LAKE FLOWERS HEADWATERS AT THE HEATHMAN HENRY’S TAVERN

HORST & GRABEN WEALTH

MANAGEMENT INICI GROUP, INC. JACOBSEN SALT CO. JASON DESOMER PHOTOGRAPHY KEY BANK KLARQUIST SPARKMAN, LLP KROGER MAGAURN VIDEO MEDIA PAT MCGILLEN, LLC JONATHAN NAGAR NEL CENTRO NORDSTROM, INC. TIMOTHY O’MALLEY PDX ICE

PORTLAND ART MUSEUM POSTERGARDEN RACHEL HADISHAR PHOTOGRAPHY RAVEN & ROSE RINGSIDE STEAKHOUSE SINEANN WINERY THE STANDARD TONKIN TORP TIFFANY & CO. VIDON VINEYARDS

Foundation and Government Support The Oregon Symphony thanks these organizations for their generous contributions received in the 2018/19 Season (July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019).

TR ANS FO RMATI ONAL $10 0 , 0 0 0 A ND A B OV E

HEATHERINGTON FOUNDATION FOR INNOVATION & EDUCATION IN HEALTHCARE

GLOBE FOUNDATION

JAMES AND SHIRLEY RIPPEY FAMILY FOUNDATION

VIR T U O S O S O CIE T Y $5 0 , 0 0 0 – $ 9 9,9 9 9

O P U S S O CIE T Y $ 2 5 , 0 0 0 – $ 49,9 9 9

M OZ AR T S O CIE T Y $10 , 0 0 0 – $ 24 ,9 9 9

WILLIAM AND FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION

THE WOLD FOUNDATION

THE CAMPBELL FOUNDATION

ANONYMOUS (1)

RESER FAMILY FOUNDATION

ROSE E. TUCKER CHARITABLE TRUST

ROBERT & MERCEDES EICHHOLZ FOUNDATION

HAMPTON FAMILY FOUNDATION OF OCF

JACKSON FOUNDATION

LAMB FAMILY FOUNDATION

HERBERT A. TEMPLETON FOUNDATION

WALTERS FAMILY FOUNDATION

WHEELER FOUNDATION (WA)

THE WOLLENBERG FOUNDATION

S ILVE R B ATON $ 6 , 0 0 0 – $ 9,9 9 9

JUAN YOUNG TRUST

JW & HM GOODMAN FOUNDATION

B R ONZ E B ATON $ 4 , 0 0 0 – $5 ,9 9 9

FAYE & LUCILLE STEWART FOUNDATION

WINTZ FAMILY FOUNDATION

CON CE R TO $1, 0 0 0 – $ 2 , 49 9

H.W. & D.C. IRWIN FOUNDATION

MASON CHARITABLE TRUST

orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 41

Celebrate Giving WINEMAKER DINNERS WINTER: February 25, 26 & 27 & March 1, 2020 SPRING: April 28, 29 & 30, 2020 SUMMER (new!): Dates TBD Held at select Portland-area restaurants, these memorable culinary experiences feature esteemed Pacific Northwest winemakers partnered with local chefs.

WinemakerDinnersPDX.com

THE 36TH ANNUAL CLASSIC WINES AUCTION Saturday, March 7, 2020 Oregon Convention Center Classic Wines Auction is one of the longest-running charity wine auctions in the U.S., ranking in the Top 10 of U.S. Charity Wine Auctions by Wine Spectator Magazine. It has raised nearly $50 over the past 35 years for local nonprofits.

CORKS + FORKS Thursday, June 4, 2020 The Redd on Salmon Street Corks + Forks is a wine and food tasting event where guests nibble on delicious bites from Portland’s hottest restaurants and sip from the area’s best wineries while enjoying music, games and a live demonstration kitchen.

ClassicWinesAuction.com

CorksAndForksPDX.com

Join us for our year-round series of wine + food events

ClassicWinesAuction.com Benefiting children and families in our community

2020 CLASSIC WINES AUCTION PRESENTING SPONSOR

FA S C I N AT I N G FA C T O I D S

GHOS TBUS TERS 1

DAN AYKROYD’S FAMILY INSPIRED THE MAKING OF GHOSTBUSTERS. Co-author and star Aykroyd is from a family of spiritualists.

His great-grandfather would perform séances in their family home and even had a personal medium he consulted regularly.

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THE FILM NEARLY HAD ANOTHER TITLE. Filmation Associates filed a copyright lawsuit seeking to protect their ’70s live-action show of the same name. Filmmakers quickly resolved the conflict by settling out of court, paying Filmation $500,000 and promising one percent of movie profits.

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THE MAN WHO DESIGNED THE FAMOUS GHOSTBUSTERS LOGO WAS ASSOCIATE PRODUCER MICHAEL C. GROSS. Before producing films, Gross worked as a graphic designer and art consultant, and most notably, as artistic director for National Lampoon in the early ’70s.

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CANADIAN COMEDIAN JOHN CANDY WAS FIRST OFFERED THE ROLE OF LOUIS TULLY but ultimately turned it down. Director Ivan Reitman reports getting a phone call from Rick Moranis, jokingly asking him to pass along thanks to Candy for declining the role.

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RAY PARKER JR. WAS GIVEN TWO DAYS TO WRITE THE EPONYMOUS TITLE SONG. Initially intended for the montage in the middle of the film, the song was reworked into the beloved hit we know and love. Parker mentioned in a 1984 interview that what made the song difficult to write was not just the short amount of time but the incorporation of the word “ghostbusters.”

THE ESTIMATED $30 MILLION BUDGET CAME WITH A STIPULATION THAT THE FILM WAS COMPLETED IN 12 MONTHS OR FEWER. Despite being considered a financial risk by many production higher-ups, Ghostbusters had Columbia Pictures executive Frank Price to thank for the green light. The film was an instant blockbuster and became an icon in American cinema.

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8

4

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EACH STAY PUFT MARSHMALLOW MAN SUIT COST $20,000 TO MAKE. Ultimately, all three of the costumes created for the production were destroyed by fire as depicted in the film.

GHOSTBUSTERS’ DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE SURPASSED BEVERLY HILLS COP, THE KARATE KID, AND INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM to become the highest-grossing film of 1984.

IN ONE SCENE, THE GREEN ECTOPLASMIC GHOST NAMED SLIMER WAS PLAYED BY A GREEN SPRAYPAINTED PEANUT. For the scene in which Slimer spins rapidly around a chandelier, the original model was too big to achieve the desired rate of spin. Animation supervisor Terry Windell had to improvise on set.

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THE “MELTED MARSHMALLOW” OF THE DEFEATED MARSHMALLOW MAN that covered the entire set and actors was 50 pounds of shaving cream. .

orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 43

ON A HIGH NOTE

Shanshan Zeng Oregon Symphony violin Shanshan Zeng at Powell’s City of Books, her favorite destination for a night out. Photo by Jennifer Alyse.

44 artslandia.com

Violinist Shanshan Zeng is a rising star in her first season with the Oregon Symphony. Originally from Chengdu, China, she came to the United States as a full scholarship recipient to study at both San Domenico School and the San Francisco Conservatory.

At San Domenico, she played as soloist and concertmaster with the Orchestra da Camera, which won the asta National Orchestra Festival Grand Champion in 2008 and 2010. Zeng earned her bachelor’s degree at San Francisco Conservatory and served as concertmaster of their Preparatory Chamber Orchestra. While earning her master’s degree at New England Conservatory of Music, she played as a member of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra. Among her other incredibly impressive accomplishments, Zeng played with Yo-Yo Ma at the 38th Kennedy Center Honors honoring Maestro Seiji Ozawa in 2015.

When and why did you start playing?

I started learning the violin at the age of four with my great aunt, who is a violin professor at Sichuan Conservatory of Music. My dad is a classical music lover.

He has a vast collection of classical music cds – not just violin but symphonies, operas, chamber music, and other instrumental music as well. He was quite enthusiastic about me taking violin lessons – much more than I was at the time. He would videotape my lessons and study them so he would know what to say when I was practicing at home.

by Claudio Abbado. I was in an ecstasy that I had never felt before. I thought, this is it! I wanted to share this unexplainable, moving, magical, and emotional content with more people. I wanted to study music, and I wanted to make more people happy from the inside.

What constitutes an extraordinary live performance, in your opinion?

I think it is when the performer becomes the music and takes the audience with him or her on the musical journey.

Do you get nervous before a performance? Do you have any pre-show rituals?

I think I get more anxious than nervous because performing is presenting something that I have been working on meticulously. By performing it and sharing it with the public, I am also witnessing the product of my labor. The moment I step onstage, I have to remind myself to let go of any fear and embrace the uncertainty – sometimes this is more successful than others. I prefer to have a relatively empty stomach before going onstage, so I stop eating at least two hours before a performance. Dark chocolate is fine, but too much food gives me a “food coma” that puts me to sleep.

If you had not become a professional musician, what do you imagine would you be?

Maybe an interior or fashion designer?

Or something creative, like a chef or a painter. I would also like to be a professional food taster!

When did you first know you wanted to be a professional musician?

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given about anything?

When I was in my ninth grade, I was suddenly very drawn to music. I did not think about playing the violin as my career, but I kept taking lessons every week with my great aunt up until then. She was very strict with me during lessons, but after lessons, we would have such good meals that it would make up for all the tears I shed moments before. There was one time during my study break that I watched video of the Berlin Philharmonic playing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 conducted

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Don’t forget to breathe.

How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

I keep going and do not let it affect the rest of the performance. Afterward, I analyze to see if it was because of lack of practice or purely mental blocks and if it has happened repeatedly or just that once. Different mistakes need to be treated differently.

Is the symphony orchestra still relevant, or is it a museum?

Going to a live symphony concert is exciting. Listening to music at home or on an electronic device is convenient, but it will not give you the same feeling as going to a live performance. The audience around you and the musicians onstage all share the same physical space and time. It is an exchange of humanity and energy. And as classical performers, we are trying to reverse some of the stereotypes that people have when they think about classical music – uptight, super formal, serious, hard to understand, and inaccessible.

But classical music is like the classic literature; it is timeless and enriches the human souls in so many ways that one does not have to be a professional to appreciate it.

What do you find to be the most challenging part of being a musician?

Musicians can be very hard on themselves. I think of striking the balance between being incredibly critical of my playing and accepting the fact that this was the best I could have done in the given situation. Then, I keep striving for the perfection that is in my mind again and again. It is hard because I know I will never get to it, but I have to keep trying.

Artslandia’s theme for the 2019–20 season is A Night Out. Describe for our readers your perfect night out.

I think it depends on my mood and energy tank. If I am running low on juice, I would like to cuddle up in my apartment by myself, either watching something on my computer or reading a book. Depending on the weather, I might brew some tea or have some wine. If I have a date night with friends and am going out, I think anywhere that is not too loud is the most enjoyable. Making a conversation over loud “background” music hurts my throat, and after a while, I feel that I need oxygen. Or, we could all hang out at one of our places, make our own drinks, and play board games or charades. Or we could watch Our Planet and marvel at the beauty of our habitat.

I can be quite boring in this regard. . orsymphony.org | 503-228-1353 45

ASK URSULA THE USHER She’s not the sweetest usher in town (for which competition is fierce), but she knows her stuff.

Greetings, Artslandians.

I’m Portland’s foremost and award-winning expert in propriety, crowd management, security, and patron services administration.

I’m Ursula the Usher. Yes, that’s right. What’d you think? That ushers just stand around handing out the playbills and pointing to seats? You don’t even know the things we do to keep you safe and comfortable. Ushers are the unsung heroes of the performing arts. .

Email your questions to ursula@artslandia.com.

Q

DEAR URSULA,

My kids have had one cold after another since the weather turned.

I have tickets to a show this weekend and am starting to feel that ever-soslight (yet telling) scratch in my throat.

What should I do if I’m sick Saturday evening? In your opinion, how sick is too sick to attend a show?

– I’ve Been Looking Forward To This For Months A

DEAR BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FOR MONTHS,

My goodness, I can hardly believe we are back to the season of cold and flu.

It seems like only yesterday we were rejoicing that we’d made it another year without a global pandemic.

While I lament your disappointment and applaud your foresight, I must state plainly: If you suspect you are too sick to attend a show, then you are. You’ll do no one any favors, yourself included, by venturing forth during a particularly disgusting stage of the common cold.

We’ll set infectious disease transmission aside for a moment and focus on the misery. That which is rightfully yours by virtue of whatever wintry ailment you suffer will be compounded exponentially.

The constant coughing and sniffling symphony of disease is enough to drive anyone mad in close quarters, especially when competing with the paid presentation. After all, LISTEN is an anagram of SILENT. As for what you should do, you should set your potential disappointment aside and address your state of health with 46 artslandia.com

an eye toward consideration. Consider your fellow patrons; consider the performers; consider yourself. Are you a raging contagion or just suffering the low-level January malaise? Can you be reasonably still and reasonably quiet for the duration of the performance? Is your health sufficient for you to enjoy the experience? Only you can answer these questions. A good rule of thumb is that if you could go to work, you are well enough to attend a show.

Naturally, you’d be wise to stock your easily accessible pockets with unwrapped cough drops and prepare a supply of tissues that does not involve crinkling plastic. Keep your wad of tissues in your lap to avoid the added distraction of fishing for them in the dark. A carefully timed sip of water is often enough to stave off a coughing spell. For the sporadic cough, do your best to suppress. Failing that, cover your mouth with a tissue or cough into your elbow as quietly as possible. Be sure to reassess your attendance at intermission and know that your ushers are likely doing the same. Some of my compatriots may offer a cough drop as you pass by.

I will not. It’s nothing personal, but I just don’t believe that you will refrain from crinkling the wrapper.

If good sense dictates that you forgo the performance, then don’t even think of doing otherwise. Most performing arts groups allow patrons to exchange their tickets for another performance of the show at hand or another production during the season if alternate tickets are available. Call the box office for specific options with as much advance notice

as possible. For the Oregon Symphony, you can generally exchange tickets to Classical, Pops, and Kids concerts by contacting the box office. Officially, tickets to the Symphony’s Special Concerts are not eligible for exchanges, but it’s worth a call to the box office for these shows as well. Most groups have cut off times for ticket exchanges and some charge a nominal fee. The Oregon Symphony, for example, charges $6 per ticket for nonsubscribers, but there’s no charge for subscribers. Their cut off is 4 p.m. the Friday before the show.

In the event that an exchange doesn’t work out, many arts presenters also allow you to donate your ticket back to the organization, often for use by someone who might not otherwise have access. The Oregon Symphony will automatically send you a receipt for the donation for tax-filing purposes. And, finally, you could always be a sport and offer your tickets to a friend.

Let’s return to infectious disease transmission before I sign off. I wondered how long it would take until I received some version of this letter.

This month, I received four. I apologize, but I must take this opportunity to remind all of you (as I do my five children, 14 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren every chance I get), cleanliness is next to godliness – especially during the season of cold and flu. Now, imagine that I’m pointing a finger right at you and intimidating you ever so slightly with my matronly authority. WASH YOUR HANDS! – Ursula the Usher

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