BPO 2021-2022 Season: Program Book 2 by Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

TABLE OF CONTENTS | OCTOBER 23 – NOVEMBER 21 BPO Board of Trustees/BPO Foundation Board Directors

BPO Musician Roster

Nikki Chooi Plays Brahms 15 BPO Classics Series October 23 and 24

Stewart Copeland: Police Deranged 21 BPO Rocks Series presented by Calspan October 29

Bewitching Broadway

Grieg Piano Concerto

Whitney Houston: The Greatest Love of All

Gershwin & Barber

Spotlight on Sponsors

Sponsor a Musician

Annual Fund

Patron Information

BPO Pops Series October 30

BPO Classics Series November 5 and 6 BPO Pops Series November 13

BPO Classics Series November 20 and 21

CONTACT Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra 786 Delaware Ave. Buffalo, NY 14209 bpo.org Kleinhans Music Hall 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY 14201 kleinhansbuffalo.org

BPO Administrative Offices Box Office Box Office Fax Line Kleinhans Music Hall

(716) 885-0331 (716) 885-5000 (716) 885-5064 (716) 883-3560

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR It’s hard to believe we’re already well into the 202122 season, and the change in weather reminds us that with change comes progress. We’ve made progress this season in returning audiences to Kleinhans Music Hall with your cooperation and understanding, and we will continue to keep the best interests of our patrons, musicians, staff, and volunteers at the heart of all our decisions moving forward. September provided two unique opportunities for the orchestra to collaborate on special one-night-only events. We hope you were able to participate in the poignant tribute commemorating the 20th anniversary of September 11th, and view the American Red Cross flag display to those lost located around Kleinhans’ reflecting pool. And many patrons were able to experience the BPO’s performance of French compositions in conjunction with the traveling Beyond Van Gogh immersive exhibition. Both concerts were inspirational, thoughtprovoking presentations. Which brings us to our next outstanding string of offerings. Concertmaster Nikki Chooi joined the BPO to start the 2019 season, and his engaging personality and incomparable talent has brought a new passion to the orchestra. His interpretation of Brahms’ monumental Violin Concerto leads off a succession of weekends that run the gamut from rock superstar Stewart Copeland of The Police fame, to bewitching Broadway favorites on Halloween eve, vivacious pianist Joyce Yang performing Grieg, an out-of-sight tribute to the legacy of Whitney Houston, and Gershwin’s enchanting An American in Paris. We hope you’re able to join us for several, if not all, of these exciting concerts that demonstrate the talent and versatility of your BPO. To show your appreciation of the orchestra, we encourage you to participate in the $100,000 community matching challenge that was issued for donations received by December 31. And speaking of gifts, it’s never too early to consider giving the gift of music for the holidays. They will be upon us before you know it!

Sincerely,

John R. Yurtchuk Chair, Board of Trustees Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society, Inc.

BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA BOARD OF TRUSTEES AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 OFFICERS John R. Yurtchuk, Chair Scott Stenclik, Vice Chair — Chair-Elect

Angelo Fatta, Treasurer Peter Eliopoulos, Secretary

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Cindy Abbott Letro Douglas Bean Jonathan Borden † Janz Castelo † Anne Conable Stephen B. Edge, MD* JoAnn Falletta* Amy Habib Rittling Daniel Hart* Jim Hettich Mark Hodges †

James Iglewski William Keefer Ronald Luczak Alex Montante Allan C. Ripley* Casimiro D. Rodriguez, Sr. Rev. Melody I. Rutherford Diana Sachs † Robin G. Schulze, Ph.D Joseph Sedita Brett Shurtliffe †

Sonny Sonnenstein Karen Sperrazza Christine Standish Rev. Jonathan Staples Stephen T. Swift John Zak*

*ex-officio † musician representatives

LIFE MEMBERS Anthony Cassetta Randall Odza Edwin Polokoff

John N. Walsh, III Robert G. Weber

BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA FOUNDATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John J. Zak, Chair Holly Hejmowski, Treasurer Alexs Spellman, Secretary Michael Munschauer

Karen Arrison John Yurtchuk

JOANN FALLETTA MUSIC DIRECTOR Multiple Grammy Award-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta serves as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, Music Director Laureate of the Virginia Symphony, Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center, and Artistic Adviser of both the Hawaii Symphony and the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra. Recently named as one of the 50 great conductors of all time by Gramophone Magazine, she is hailed for her work as a conductor, recording artist, audience builder and champion of American composers. As Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, Falletta became the first woman to lead a major American ensemble. She has guest conducted over a hundred orchestras in North America, and many of the most prominent orchestras in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. She has won two individual Grammy Awards, including the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance as Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic in the world premiere Naxos recording, Richard Danielpour’s “The Passion of Yeshua.” In 2019, she won her first individual Grammy Award as conductor of the London Symphony in the Best Classical Compendium category for Spiritualist, her fifth world premiere recording of the music of Kenneth Fuchs. Her Naxos recording of Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan with the BPO received two Grammys in 2008, and her 2020 Naxos recording with the BPO of orchestral music of Florent Schmitt recently received the Diapason d’Or Award. Upcoming releases for Naxos include the complete William Walton Façade, with narrators Kevin Deas, Hila Plitmann, and Minnesota Public Radio Host Fred Child, and the Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players and Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy with the BPO. Falletta is a member of the esteemed American Academy of Arts and Sciences, has served by presidential appointment as a Member of the National Council on the Arts during the Bush and Obama administrations, and is the recipient of many of the most prestigious conducting awards. She has introduced over 500 works by American composers, including well over 100 world premieres. ASCAP has honored her as “a leading force for music of our time.” In 2019, JoAnn was named Performance Today’s Classical Woman of The Year. Falletta is a strong advocate and mentor for young professional and student musicians. She has led seminars for women conductors for the League of American Orchestras, and established a unique collaboration between the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Mannes College of Music to give up-and-coming conductors professional experience with a leading American orchestra. She has held the positions of Principal Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony, Music Director of the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Denver Chamber Orchestra and The Women’s Philharmonic. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Mannes, Falletta received master’s and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School. When not on the podium, JoAnn enjoys playing classical guitar, writing, cycling, yoga and is an avid reader. For more information, visit www.joannfalletta.com.

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR A master of American musical style, John Morris Russell has devoted himself to redefining the American orchestral experience. He is in his fifth season as Principal Pops Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Russell made his debut with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in the fall of 2014, and later that season was named the third conductor to hold the position following in the footsteps of Doc Severinsen and Marvin Hamlisch. Mr. Russell’s concerts at the BPO reflect the diversity of American musical styles: from Classics to Jazz, Hollywood to Broadway, Country&Western to Rhythm&Blues. This season, Mr. Russell conducts Motown, Broadway, Holiday concerts, and Star Wars. Maestro Russell is also Conductor of the renowned Cincinnati Pops, one of the world’s most iconic and beloved pops orchestras. With his position at The Pops, Mr. Russell leads sold-out performances at Cincinnati Music Hall, the Taft Theater, and Riverbend Music Center; additionally, he conducts the orchestra in concerts throughout the Greater Cincinnati region as well as domestic and international tours. Creator of the orchestra’s Classical Roots series, he also conducts the Pops family concert series and the annual USO Tribute Cincinnati Gala. The Cincinnati Pops recorded legacy continues under Mr. Russell’s leadership. He led the Cincinnati Pops on their first-ever Florida tour, and in 2017 he led the orchestra’s sixth tour to Asia including performances in Shanghai and Taipei. For the last nine seasons, Mr. Russell has served as Music Director of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina, and conductor of the prestigious Hilton Head International Piano Competition. Under his leadership, the HHSO has enjoyed unprecedented artistic growth. Mr. Russell leads the orchestra in masterwork subscription concerts annually. Between 2001-2012 Maestro Russell served as Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, where he fostered a decade of unprecedented artistic growth. He led the WSO in seventeen national broadcasts on CBC Radio 2, and the orchestra’s first nationally televised production for the CBC series Opening Night, which received the orchestra’s first Gemini Award Nomination. Maestro Russell was named Conductor Laureate of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in 2012. As a guest conductor, John Morris Russell has worked with many of North America’s most distinguished ensembles. He has served as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony, Associate Conductor of the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, Director of the Orchestral Program at Vanderbilt University, and Music Director with the College Light Opera Company in Falmouth, Massachusetts. He received a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Williams College in Massachusetts. He has also studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, and the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Hancock, Maine.

JAMAN E. DUNN

ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Jaman E. Dunn is currently the Assistant Conductor with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Buffalo Master Chorale, and the Founder and Music Director of the Polaris Orchestra. A native of Chicago, IL, he attended The Ohio State University for his undergraduate studies, earning a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance under the study of Dr. C. Andrew Blosser. Mr. Dunn earned his Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting under the instruction of Maestro Bruce Hangen at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

In addition to his orchestral activities, Mr. Dunn has also maintained a vocal career which began during his time in central Ohio. With a strong focus on oratorio and sacred music, Mr. Dunn has been Bass Soloist for performances of the Requiems of Mozart and Verdi, Handel’s Messiah, Gounod’s St Cecilia Mass, Schubert’s Mass in E ; Jesus in Bach’s St. John Passion; and Baritone Soloist in Carmina Burana. He has also been a part of opera productions including Falstaff, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Bohème, La Traviata, Cavalleria Rusticana, and Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor. In a professional capacity, it is Mr. Dunn’s continued goal to raise awareness of African-American performers in classical music at all levels and in all mediums.

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HISTORY OF THE BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA As Buffalo’s cultural ambassador, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under Music Director JoAnn Falletta presents more than 120 Classics, Pops, Rock, Family and Youth concerts each year. After the rise and fall of several forerunners, the BPO was founded in 1935, performing most often at the Elmwood Music Hall, which was located at Elmwood Ave. and Virginia St., and demolished in 1938 as its permanent home, Kleinhans Music Hall, was constructed. During the Great Depression, the orchestra was initially supported by funds from the Works Progress Administration and the Emergency Relief Bureau. Over the decades, the orchestra has matured in stature under outstanding conductors including William Steinberg, Josef Krips, Lukas Foss, Michael Tilson Thomas, Maximiano Valdes, Semyon Bychkov and Julius Rudel. The orchestra has welcomed many distinguished guest performers, such as Isaac Stern, Aaron Copland, Van Cliburn, Igor Stravinsky, Renee Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma. During the tenure of JoAnn Falletta, who has served as music director since 1998, the BPO has rekindled its history of radio broadcasts and recordings, including the release of 51 new CDs. The BPO’s Naxos recording of composer John Corigliano’s “Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan,” won two Grammys. Our recordings are heard on classical radio worldwide.

HISTORY OF KLEINHANS MUSIC HALL Since 1940, the orchestra’s home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, which enjoys an international reputation as one of the finest concert halls in the world due to its superb acoustics. Kleinhans Music Hall was built thanks to the generosity and vision of Edward and Mary Seaton Kleinhans and the stewardship of their charitable dreams by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and the support of the federal government. The Community Foundation was bequeathed the estates of Mr. and Mrs. Kleinhans, who made their fortune from the clothing store that bore their name, and who died within three months of each other in 1934. The Public Works Administration, an agency of the New Deal, provided crucial funding that made it possible to complete the hall. The Kleinhans, who were music lovers, specified their money was to be used “to erect a suitable music hall…for the use, enjoyment and benefit of the people of the City of Buffalo.” The BPO performed at Kleinhans Music Hall’s official opening on Oct. 12, 1940, under the baton of Franco Autori. Kleinhans Music Hall was designed by the Finnish father-and-son team of Eliel and Eero Saarinen, along with architects F.J. and W.A. Kidd. Kleinhans is known for its combination of graceful structural beauty and extraordinary acoustics. Eliel Saarinen’s aim was to create “an architectural atmosphere…so as to tune the performers and the public alike into a proper mood of performance and receptiveness, respectively.” In 1989, the hall was designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest designation of significance a site or structure can receive. Kleinhans is owned by the City of Buffalo but operated by a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Its Board of Directors is Jeremy Oczek, chair; Karen Arrison, vice chair; Stephanie Simeon, secretary and treasurer; Cindy Abbott Letro; Peter Eliopoulos; Tania Werbizky; and city officials including Byron Brown, Mayor of the City of Buffalo, and David Rivera, Niagara District Councilmember.

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JOANN FALLETTA, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Angelo and Carol Fatta Endowed Chair

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL, PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR JAMAN E. DUNN, ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

FIRST VIOLIN

Nikki Chooi concertmaster Amy Glidden assoc. concertmaster Louis P. Ciminelli Family Foundation Endowed Chair Ansgarius Aylward asst. concertmaster Clement Luu 2nd asst. concertmaster** Douglas Cone Deborah Greitzer Diana Sachs Alan Ross Melanie Haas Andrea Blanchard-Cone Loren Silvertrust Hee Sagong

SECOND VIOLIN

Antoine Lefebvre principal Jacqueline Galluzzo assoc. principal Richard Kay Robert Prokes Frances Morgante Amy Licata Dmitry Gerikh Shieh-Jian Tsai Xiaofan Liu Iain Crampton*

VIOLA

Caroline Gilbert principal Anna Shemetyeva assoc. principal Matthew Phillips Kate Holzemer Natalie Piskorsky Janz Castelo Maria Hardcastle*

CELLO

Roman Mekinulov principal Jane D. Baird Endowed Chair Feng Hew assoc. principal Nancy Anderson Robert Hausmann David Schmude

Amelie Fradette Eva Herer*

BASS

Daniel Pendley principal Garman Family Foundation Endowed Chair Brett Shurtliffe assoc. principal Michael Nigrin Edmond Gnekow Jonathan Borden Nicholas Jones Gary Matz

FLUTE

Christine Bailey Davis principal Linda Greene Natalie Debikey Scanio

PICCOLO

Natalie Debikey Scanio

OBOE

Henry Ward principal Joshua Lauretig Anna Mattix

ENGLISH HORN

Anna Mattix

Daniel Kerdelewicz assoc. principal Sheryl Hadeka Jay Matthews Daniel Sweeley

TRUMPET

Alex Jokipii principal Geoffrey Hardcastle Philip Christner

TROMBONE

Jonathan Lombardo1 principal Timothy Smith

BASS TROMBONE

Filipe Pereira

TUBA

(vacant)

TIMPANI

Matthew Bassett principal Dinesh Joseph assistant principal

PERCUSSION

CLARINET

Mark Hodges principal Dinesh Joseph

E-FLAT CLARINET

Madeline Olson principal

William Amsel principal Patti DiLutis Salvatore Andolina Patti DiLutis

BASS CLARINET AND SAXOPHONE

Salvatore Andolina

BASSOON

Glenn Einschlag principal Hunter Gordon*

CONTRABASSOON

(vacant)

FRENCH HORN

Jacek Muzyk principal Kay Koessler Endowed Chair

HARP

MUSIC LIBRARY

Travis Hendra acting principal librarian

STAGE MANAGERS

Charles Gill Assistant Property Person IATSE Local 10 Chair dedicated to the memory of Scott Parkinson

* One Year Appointment

** Temporary Appointment

Saturday, October23, 2021 at 7:30 PM Sunday, October 24, 2021 at 2:30 PM

M&T Bank Classics Series

NIKKI CHOOI PLAYS BRAHMS JoAnn Falletta, conductor Nikki Chooi, violin

PIAZZOLLA MENDELSSOHN

Tangazo

Symphony No. 4 in A major, Opus 90, "Italian" I. Allegro vivace II. Andante con moto III. Con moto moderato IV. Saltarello: Presto INTERMISSION

BRAHMS

Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 77 I. Allegro non troppo II. Adagio III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace Nikki Chooi, violin

This concert is graciously sponsored by Mark Chason and Mariana Botero Chason Learn about this program from the conductor and guest artists at Musically Speaking, one hour prior to the start of Saturday’s concert. Patrons are asked to turn off all electronic devices. The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited.

NIKKI CHOOI, VIOLIN Canadian violinist Nikki Chooi, praised for his passionate and poetic performances, has established himself as an artist of rare versatility. Described as “vigorous, colorful” by the New York Times, he has received critical acclaim in recent engagements at the Harris Theatre in Chicago, Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Carnegie Hall and Kauffman Center in New York, Koerner Hall in Toronto, Place des Arts and Salle Bourgie in Montreal, as well as appearing as soloist with orchestras across Canada including the Montréal Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Edmonton Symphony, and internationally with the St. Petersburg State Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Wallonie, National Orchestra of Belgium, Auckland Philharmonia, Malaysian Philharmonic, and Hong Kong Philharmonic. He has been featured at many international festivals with performances at the Marlboro Festival, Ravinia Festival, La Jolla Summerfest, Vancouver Recital Series, Moritzburg Festival, Kammermusik Utrecht, Dresden Music Festival, Olympus Festival in Russia, and Fundación Beethoven in Chile. His many collaborators have included Jan Vogler, Inon Barnatan, Desmond Hoebig, Kim Kashkashian, David Shifrin, Susanna Phillips, and members of the Guarneri and Juilliard String Quartets. Nikki has embarked on nation-wide performance tours with Musicians from Marlboro in the United States, as soloist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada, Chamber Music New Zealand, and Australia's Selby and Friends. Nikki has also delved into the orchestral repertoire, having served as Concertmaster of New York's Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in 2016/2017 while working closely with singers and conductors including Renee Fleming, Elīna Garanča, Eric Owens, Fabio Luisi, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. His solos can be heard through The Met: Live in HD broadcasts in productions of Verdi’s La Traviata, Janacek’s Jenufa, and the Grammy-nominated recording of Strauss’ Rosenkavalier released on the Decca Label. He has also appeared as Guest Concertmaster with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Sydney Symphony, and Houston Symphony. A passionate educator, Nikki has presented masterclasses at the San Francisco Conservatory, Morningside Music Program at the New England Conservatory, Sphinx Academy at the Curtis Institute of Music, Hong Kong Cultural Center, and the University of Auckland. Nikki is also immersed in projects involving the engagement of classical music through Astral’s Community Program for schools and learning centers in Philadelphia, New Zealand's Sistema Aotearoa Program, and Music from Angelfire's Outreach events in New Mexico. Nikki began his studies at the Victoria Conservatory, Mount Royal Conservatory, and at the National Arts Centre Young Artist Programme with Pinchas Zukerman. He completed his formal studies at the Curtis Institute and the Juilliard School under the mentorship of Joseph Silverstein, Ida Kavafian, and Donald Weilerstein. A recipient of prizes at the Queen Elizabeth and Tchaikovsky Competitions, Nikki was the 1st Prize Winner of the Montreal Symphony's Standard Life Competition, the Klein International Strings Competition, and the Michael Hill International Violin Competition. He released his debut album of works by Prokoﬁev, Ravel, and Gershwin on the Atoll Label.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Brahms Violin Concerto - considered the ultimate achievement for a violinist, a work of extraordinary difficulty and profound musical depth. This weekend we celebrate our beloved concertmaster Nikki Chooi in this milestone, and we are so glad that you are sharing in this special concert. A brilliant symphony by Felix Mendelssohn is on the program as well, his love letter to Italy on his first visit as a very young man. From a religious procession to the wild excitement of a Tarantella, this symphony is a favorite of musicians and audiences alike. We open with a sensuous and melancholy tango for orchestra by the master of that dance, the great Astor Piazzolla. A program of three masterpieces to savor!

PROGRAM NOTES Astor Piazzolla

(Argentinian; 1921-1992)

Tangazo (1969)

Born in Argentina to Italian immigrant parents, Astor Piazzolla’s formative years actually took place in New York City where his father’s tango records, exposure to jazz, and classical music lessons all combined to make a unique foundation for a curious young composer. Learning the bandoneón along the way (a sort of accordion used in tango music), he returned to Argentina to participate in the burgeoning tango scene as a teenager, but his classical aspirations led him to Paris to study with the venerated Nadia Boulanger. Only with her encouragement did he find freedom to merge his love of classical and tango. Piazzolla made his mark in the history of Tango upon his return to Argentina, establishing an entirely new genre, nuevo tango, injecting the traditional tango with jazz and his classical education. He was also a fearless composer of concert works featuring an entirely fresh approach to traditional forms, as with his 1969 Tangazo. The work opens with grumbling strings, slinking and plodding. Higher strings

are systematically added, creating lush, embellished counterpoint. The stringsonly opening changes its tune when, after a ping of color, the work takes a turn for the tango. Piazzolla leverages myriad percussive sounds against rhythmic weaving melodies. The raucous orchestrations turn to romantic solitude in the central section, featuring an extensive cinematic horn solo. In this tidy concert work, Piazzolla expertly explores the sound of the orchestra with his vast and diverse influences, turning one surprising corner after another. Felix Mendelssohn (German; 1809-1847)

Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, Italian (1833) I. Allegro vivace II. Andante con moto III. Con moto moderato IV. Salterello: Presto Born to a well-to-do banking family in HamburgandraisedinBerlin,anintellectually stimulating environment allowed both Felix Mendelssohn and his sister Fanny to blossom into well-rounded musical

prodigies with uncommon opportunities to travel. Felix often recounted his travels in music, and a great time spent in Britain, with a particular attachment to Scotland, led to his Third Symphony, the Scottish, which he began at the ripe age of 20. The Scottish is often spoken of in the same breath as the Italian, as he worked on his Third and Fourth Symphonies simultaneously. A ten-month tour of Italy inspired the Symphony’s creation, along with many drawings and watercolors that demonstrate his jovial reaction to the great peninsula. Opening with a burst of color, the woodwinds provide a harmonious exclamation of eighth notes, supporting a jubilantly buoyant melody, heard here in the violins. Mendelssohn captures his unrestrained joy of the south’s warm sun and open skies. Following the animated exposition, the music sheds its levity and stirring counterpoint demonstrates a certain intellectual rigor, but his sunny melodies peek through. Contrasting moments evoke rural simplicity, but the underlying staccato energy is ever-present in the Symphony’s ecstatic opening. Unfamiliar Catholic ceremonies witnessed by Mendelssohn are evoked in the Andante. With a subtle rhythmic underpinning, long mysterious melodies paint a picture of religious processionals, but a supple central melody becomes briefly amorous in tone. The third movement, a tender minuet, flows intimately. Central to the movement is a brief interruption with a militant flair, but as the hornsfade,wereturntothe romanticscene. The most explicit nod to Italian music occurs in the intense final, which begins with the particularly Tuscan “saltarello” dance rhythm. Its spitfire triplet rhythms are the perfectly energetic accompaniment for a tumultuous A minor melody. A contrasting “tarantella” quietly weaves fast-

moving lines that find their way back to the opening dance. A moment of solitude is interrupted by a final grand crescendo. Johannes Brahms

(German; 1833-1897)

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 (1878)

I. Allegro non troppo II. Adagio III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace — Poco più presto Success in the arts, as in all professions, is often not just a product of talent, but connections. Brahms, a deeply talented pianist, became cozy with Robert and Clara Schumann who helped the young composer with self-confidence. In return, Brahms assisted Clara and family in the wake of Robert’s terminal mental health crisis. Brahms’ ingratiation into such a prominent family was made possible through a lifelong friend, violinist and composer Joseph Joachim. It was during an 1853 concert tour with Brahms and a different violinist friend that he met Joachim. The two impressed one another and would form a partnership, challenging one another’s compositional skills, encouraging in new works, and making important introductions. Brahms’ career took until the 1870s to come to fruition, catalyzed by the 1876 premiere of his long toiled-over First Symphony, which was deemed by his most supportive critics as “Beethoven’s Tenth” to Brahms’ particularly past-oriented approach to musical advancement. In the same year, Cambridge University offered both he and Joachim an honorary degree. Though Brahms did not receive his degree in person due to an aversion to travel, the two were otherwise nearly joined at the

hip. This period of creative abundance resulted in a number of memorable orchestral works, including his only Violin Concerto in 1878, which was the product of close collaboration with his friend. Like his First Symphony, his new Violin Concerto is a nod to Beethoven’s, both being set in D major. Joachim, who was perhaps one of the greatest violinists of the century, praised both works as being amongst the greatest German Violin Concertos, and performed them on the same program when he premiered Brahms’ new work. The performance occurred in Leipzig in 1879 with Joachim as soloist (also, the work’s dedicatee), and Brahms conducting the orchestra. While immediate reception was mixed, Joachim’s assessment of its quality and importance seems to have prevailed. The work is nearly symphonic in approach, its long opening featuring pastoral allusions with horn-call melodies and sweeping orchestrations along with darker digressions. When the violinist finally enters, the dewy opening has shifted an intense D minor. Immediately virtuosic, the soloist comments in winding harmonies with streaming passages leading to a reprisal of the calm opening melody. Throughout the enormous movement, the soloist and orchestra collaborate in brilliant developments. Brahms’ initial intention to create a fourmovement symphony-like concerto was later abandoned for the more traditional three-movement structure, but the intense opening movement alludes to his (and therefore Beethoven’s) symphonic efforts. The opening movement features a massive cadenza written by Joachim— with many others to come—and ends with a final presentation of the opening material and a grand conclusion.

The following Adagio was an unsatisfying second-choice for self-deprecating Brahms, but naturally slots in as one of his most beautiful creations. With more Classical allusions, the movement opens with a nocturnal Mozart-like wind serenade. Next with strings, the soloist sings the melody in a soaring octave, traversing the instrument’s range to heartfelt ends. Central to the movement are freely-moving gestures from the soloist that build intensity before a final return to the movement’s opening. Brahms’ output featured many references to the music of Hungary, perhaps because it appeased his musical curiosity, but his closeness with Joachim (who was Hungarian) likely inspired the Concerto’s raucous finale. The memorable melodies of the Allegro dance brazenly, offering a delightful conclusion to Brahms’ masterful Concerto. Chaz Stuart, 2021

Friday, October 29, 2021 at 7:30 PM

BPO Rocks Presented by

STEWART COPELAND: POLICE DERANGED FOR ORCHESTRA Edwin Outwater, conductor Stewart Copeland Carmel Helene, vocalist Amy Keys, vocalist Ashley Tamar, vocalist Rusty Anderson, guitar Armand Sabal-Lecco, bass

Program to be announced from the stage

Patrons are asked to turn off all electronic devices. The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited.

STEWART COPELAND, COMPOSER/DRUMS Stewart Copeland has spent more than three decades at the forefront of contemporary music as rock star and acclaimed film composer, as well as in the disparate worlds of opera, ballet, and world and chamber music. Recruiting Sting and Andy Summers in 1977, Copeland is renowned as the founder of The Police, a band that became a defining force in rock music from the ‘80s through to the present day. His career includes the sale of more than 60 million records worldwide, and numerous awards, including five Grammy awards. Copeland moved beyond the rock arena in the mid-1980s when he returned to his classical roots with creative pursuits in concert and film music. His concert works include BEN-HUR, A Tale of the Christ, which features Copeland as soloist in a live orchestral score for the 1925 silent film; Tyrant's Crush: Concerto for Trapset and Orchestra commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Poltroons in Paradise commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; and Gamelan D'Drum, commissioned by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for the world percussion group D'Drum. In 2017, The Chicago Opera Theatre premiered Copeland’s surreal chamber opera The Invention of Morel, a co-commission with Long Beach Opera based on the novel by Adolfo Bioy Casares. Copeland has also written two operas based on stories by Edgar Allen Poe: The Cask of Amontillado and The Tell-Tale Heart. Copeland has continued writing for Opera and 2020 will see the premiere of Electric Saint, commissioned by Staaskapelle Weimar as well as his Oratorio, Satan’s Fall, based on John Milton’s Paradise Lost, which premiered in Pittsburgh in February 2020 and will be performed across the US and UK in 2021. The 2018/19 season saw Stewart Copeland premiere concerts of his project Stewart Copeland Lights Up the Orchestra, a concert showcasing the life of Stewart and his compositions, from The Police to Spyro the Dragon and Tyrant’s Crush with performances taking place across Germany and the UK. In 2021, Copeland debuts a new project, Stewart Copeland: The Police Deranged for Orchestra, which focuses on the epic rise of his career. The concert is an evening bursting with The Police’s biggest hits including ‘Roxanne,’ ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me,’ and ‘Message in a Bottle’ arranged for full symphony orchestra as well as hand-picked highlights from Copeland’s compositions. The project will tour across Europe and US throughout 2021 and 2022. Recipient of the Hollywood Film Festival's first Outstanding Music in Film Visionary Award, a Grammy nominee for his 2005 CD Orchestralli, and a 2003 inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Copeland has been responsible for some of the film world's most innovative and groundbreaking scores. His numerous film scores include Oliver Stone's Wall Street, the seminal score for the Golden Globe-nominated soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola's Rumble Fish, the score for Bruno Barreto's Oscar-nominated Four Days in September, and his Emmy nomination for the Showtime pilot and series Dead Like Me. His work in television includes contributions to The Equalizer, Babylon V, and Desperate Housewives, and he also scored the blockbuster hit video game ‘Spyro.’

EDWIN OUTWATER, GUEST CONDUCTOR A truly visionary conductor, Edwin Outwater regularly works with orchestras and institutions throughout the world, producing, curating, and conducting unique concert experiences. He is equally adept at interpreting canonical works, and regularly premieres new commissions and connects audiences with repertoire beyond the mainstream. He is, in the words of Michael Tilson Thomas, “one of the most innovate conductors on the scene today.” Recent guest performance highlights for him include New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, New World Symphony, and the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Chicago, Seattle, as well as Toronto, Victoria, and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, where he currently holds the position of Music Director Laureate. In April 2020, Outwater was appointed Music Director of San Francisco Conservatory of Music and began his tenure in September 2020. International appearances include the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony, the Brussels Philharmonic, BBCNOW, the New Zealand Symphony, Adelaide Symphony, Malmö Symphony, Mexico City Philharmonic, and Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Outwater’s recent curations include “Sound Health,” a collaboration with soprano Renée Fleming, The Kennedy Center, and the National Institutes of Health, as well as a jazz version of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, with Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony. He also appeared with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall in a concert for families featuring a world premiere of composer Caroline Shaw, narrated by actor John Lithgow. Outwater holds a long association with the San Francisco Symphony. 2019/2020 season began with a hugely successful collaboration between the orchestra, Outwater, and legendary metal band Metallica at the new Chase Center arena. He also regularly conducts and curates their SoundBox series and “Holiday Gaiety,” an LGBTQ holiday concert he created with drag performer Peaches Christ.

ASHLEY TáMAR, VOCALS

Ashley Támar, author and powerhouse contemporary vocalist versed in classical to jazz to musical theatre and beyond, is known as the muse & protégé of Prince, gaining notoriety for co-writing their Grammy-nominated duet "Beautiful, Loved, and Blessed” (“3121”/ Universal Republic). With a recent achievement having landed as Music Supervisor for the highly anticipated “That Damn Michael Che” show on HBO Max, Ms. Davis proudly hails as a graduate of University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. Ms. Támar currently co-stars as Chief Linda in the BET+ sitcom “BRUH” and has also authored an edutainment book and workbook for aspiring artists: “100 Things to Know as an Independent Music Artist.” In June 2021, Ms. Davis released her 4th independent album “My Name is Ashley” featuring Jason Moran, Mark Kelly, and Mononeon (just to name a few) as a follow-up to her previously independently released albums: “My Name is Támar” and “I Am the Storm” via her company Syren Music Group. With recent jaw-dropping performances on NBC’s “The Voice: Season X,” Ashley Támar

was recently nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone) in the critically acclaimed Broadway film “A Night with Janis Joplin,” which can now be streamed worldwide on BroadwayHD.com. Ms. Támar is the lead actress of “A Topaz Troop,” a children’s television show circulating in numerous festivals including the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Through music as a conduit for reaching people through song, Ashley Támar has successfully initiated various community outreach projects: The Syren Arts Academy, the College, Career, and Empowerment Summit (co-Founded with her mother, Dr. Carolyn Davis), the Támar Talks Podcast, Next Level Houston, and DocFest. Támar has performed an eleven-city national tour “Támar featuring Prince” as well as on Good Morning America, Saturday Night Live, the NAACP Image Awards, the BRIT Awards as well as having been featured in numerous magazines such as Glamour, Billboard, PEOPLE, and VIBE. She has recently been named brand ambassador for Atlas Ocean Voyages and continues to develop innovative creative content with collaborators both nationally and internationally.

CARMEL HELENE, VOCALS Carmel is a diverse singer/songwriter and producer from San Francisco. From street performing solo with her guitar, to traveling to over 34 countries with featured performances for over 80,000 people, she has been a musical veteran for over 25 years. Carmel’s talents run the gamut from writing and recording to producing and mixing her own compositions, across many genres, with placements in major music libraries. Her voice and songs have been featured in films, national commercials, and television, including National Lampoon's Gold Diggers, McDonald's, C.S.I., Jimmy Kimmel Live, Black Monday, The Good Wife, NBC Super Bowl, BET Jazz, Perrier, Iomega, Dr. Pepper, Friedman’s Jewelers, and ABC, ESPN. She has toured with acts including Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael Bolton, Luis Miguel, and French rock icon, Johnny Hallyday, also appearing as a backing vocalist on shows such as American Idol, The Voice, The Tonight Show, American Music Awards, American Academy of Country Music Awards, Country Music Hall of Fame, Good Morning America, The View, and Teen Choice Awards, to name a few. Carmel has recorded on major-selling albums, and has released her own artist albums as well. As an original artist, Carmel wrote and produced her first pop rock EP. Her country EP has been featured on Sirius XM radio, KIX Hot Country, Music Connection Magazine, WUSA9, and Good Day DC. She has played across the country, including opening for Lee Brice, Lady Antebellum, and Chris Janson in the Shipkicker Country Music Festival, Subaru Country Freedom Festival, Coastal Country Jam, Oktoberfest, Disneyland, and the St. Lucia Jazz Festival, and the Capital One Arena halftime and post-game shows. Endorsed by Taylor Guitars, and nominated for Best Female Vocalist in both the California Country Awards and L.A. Music Awards. Being dually passionate, Carmel continues to help develop and put in place - much needed social betterment programs that work, while writing and producing for herself and other artists, and building her catalog to license music to shows.

AMY KEYS, VOCALS Amy is a very versatile and accomplished vocalist, writer, producer, and actor. You've heard her voice on everything from the Emmy Award Winning NBC NASCAR Superbowl Commercial and the Stanley Cup Playoffs to Tarzan & Tarzan 2, and seen her singing for Coca-Cola. Originally from Washington, DC; she started singing with groups in college, and her education continued with studies in voice at the Peabody Institute, and in acting with Howard Fine and Master Classes with the original “Virginia Woolf” on Broadway, Ms. Uta Hagen. The title track of her solo album “Lover's Intuition” appeared on the soundtrack of the movie “Tap” starring Gregory Hines. Her first “major” tour was with Leonard Cohen and was quickly followed by a tour with the “LA All Stars”, whose members included Al McKay and Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire. Later that same year, she was offered the opportunity to perform with Phil Collins, performing background and lead vocals (including duets) and creating vocal arrangements for his show/albums. She also choreographed the Phil Collins "First Final Farewell Tour" show. Other touring credits include: Herbie Hancock, Barbra Streisand, Toto, Dave Stewart, kd lang, Joe Cocker, Tears for Fears, Kevin Spacey (“Beyond the Sea” Tour), Michael Bolton, Phillip Bailey, and many more. Amy has also sung backgrounds for numerous artists and is an accomplished writer with recording credits including performances with Phil Collins, Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr, and many more. Amy served as a representative of the music community on the Governor’s Board of the National Recording Academy (Grammys) and is a member of its Advocacy Board. She also performs as a member and soloist with the Los Robles Master Chorale. Contact Info: Email: keysmuziq@gmail.com Mobile: 818-324-0199 Facebook: Amy Keys Instagram: AmyKeysVox

RUSTY ANDERSON, GUITAR Rusty Anderson is best known as lead guitarist for Sir Paul McCartney since 2001. Performance highlights include The Super Bowl, Desert Trip, The London Olympics, Roman Colosseum, The White House, Tokyo Dome, Red Square, and multiple studio and live albums. From playing with Animal Logic (Stewart Copeland & Stanley Clarke), performing the national anthem at Dodger Stadium on solo guitar (Dodgers vs. Cubs, August 2016), and joining a host of other artists in the studio to record multi-platinum hits, his credits are wide ranging. The song “Effortless,” by his band “Rusty Anderson Afternoon,” reached number one on Sirius radio. They also charted on Triple A radio with “Where Would We Go?” RAA have had multiple TV and film song placements, including for the CBS hit The Big Bang Theory. Additionally, Rusty has played live and in the studio with many artists including Elton John, Lana Del Rey, Miley Cyrus, Cat Stevens, Willie Nelson, Michael Bublé, Tim McGraw, Carlos Santana, Regina Spektor, Fishbone, Little Richard, among many others. He also wrote and played the guitar solos on Ricky Martin's mega-hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca."

ARMAND SABAL-LECCO, BASS Born in Ebolowa, Cameroon, bassist and composer Armand SabalLecco was first inspired musically by his siblings Roger (bass, guitar, multi-instrumentalist) and Felix (drums, multi-instrumentalist), reputed contributors to their native country’s rich musical history. As a teenager, Armand rose to prominence in the mid ‘80s in Paris among the pioneering new wave of African musicians who helped redefine the sound of the world music genre. Since then, as a specialist in creating musical bridges between cultures, Armand’s artistic savoir faire has generated both praise and demand from artists including Sir George Martin, Peter Gabriel, Mercedes Sosa, Ringo Star, João Bosco, Ziggy Marley, Manu Dibango, among many others. He has composed for Carole King, Jeff Beck, Stewart Copeland, and Herbie Hancock. Featured on Stanley Clarke’s 2011 Grammy Jazz Album of the Year was Armand’s piece “Fulani.” He has also received NARAS recognition for his outstanding work on the Grammy Awarded albums “Out of the Loop” and “Return of…” by The Brecker Brothers, Paul Simon’s “Rhythm of the Saints,” and Alejandro Sanz’s “Unplugged.” Armand recorded the vocals for the track Képéré, sung in Képéré, an eastern Cameroonian dialect, on the feature film Blood Diamonds, as well as advertising campaigns for international brands. Armand’s solo project Positive Army, released in 2012, is a bass-driven, African groove alchemy with jazz harmonies and features a cast of international guest artists.

Saturday, October 30, 2021 at 7:30 PM

BPO Pops Series

BEWITCHING BROADWAY John Morris Russell, conductor CoCo Smith, vocalist Christopher Blem, vocalist Lexie Dorsett Sharp, vocalist ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER/ Custer Selections from The Phantom of the Opera ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER All I Ask of You from The Phantom of the Opera FRANK WILDHORN A New Life from Jekyll & Hyde FRANK WILDHORN This is the Moment from Jekyll & Hyde DUKE/ Osser Autumn in New York COLEMAN/ Matt Amy Witchcraft ALAN MENKEN Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid ALAN MENKEN Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid ALAN MENKEN Friend Like Me from Aladdin RAY PARKER, JR./ Ghostbusters Kris Dorsey and Bill Holcombe INTERMISSION STEPHEN SONDHEIM The Ballad of Sweeney Todd from Sweeney Todd STEPHEN SONDHEIM Not While I'm Around from Sweeney Todd STEPHEN SCHWARTZ For Good from Wicked STEPHEN SCHWARTZ Defying Gravity from Wicked TEMPERTON/ Bill Holcomb Thriller KERN The Way You Look Tonight from Swing Time BERLIN/ Bill Holcomb Puttin' On The Ritz ALAN MENKEN Suddenly Seymour from The Little Shop of Horrors ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera

Patrons are asked to turn off all electronic devices. The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited.

COCO SMITH, VOCALS CoCo is thrilled to be part of "Bewitching Broadway" having last appeared with the BPO in Spot-On Entertainment's “RESPECT: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin.” CoCo made their Broadway debut in “The Book of Mormon” and performed the show all over the world (Broadway/ National Tour/International). Since being chosen one of “Broadway’s Rising Stars” in 2015, CoCo has starred in numerous productions including the offBroadway revival of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and regional productions of “Oklahoma” (Weston Playhouse), “Sideshow” (Near West Theatre), "Children of Eden" (Near West Theatre), and made a return appearance in the 2016 edition of “Broadway’s Rising Stars” at historic Town Hall in the heart of Times Square. CoCo is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. CoCo would like to give special thanks to their vocal coach, Tony James.

CHRIS BLEM, VOCALS Chris Blem is one of Disney's favorite voices and has traveled the globe singing with some of the world's most prestigious symphony orchestras including The Tokyo Philharmonic, Evergreen Orchestra (Taipei), Metropolitan Orchestra (Singapore), Never-land Orchestra (Tokyo), Buffalo Philharmonic, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Encore Orchestra (Walt Disney World), and the San Diego Symphony. Chris can be heard on three “Disney on Classic” recordings and seen across Disney Channel Japan in the live broadcast of Disney on Classic featuring the Tokyo Philharmonic. His theatre credits include the Off-Broadway production of A Dog Story and regional productions of Beauty and the Beast, Oklahoma, HAIR, Matilda, A Christmas Carol, and Into The Woods, which received the League of Cincinnati Award. Chris the founder and creative director of The Network, which helps artists amplify their voices through thoughtful curation of their visual and online story. He is a mentor on the faculty of Spot-On Arts Academy (www.spot-onartsacademy.com) and a graduate of The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. www.chrisblem.com @chrisblem

LEXIE DORSETT SHARP, VOCALS Lexie Dorsett Sharp has appeared on stages throughout the United States and Asia with Broadway National/ International tours such as "Young Frankenstein the Musical" (Elizabeth), "The Addams Family" (Morticia), "Elf the Musical" (Emily), and most recently as leading lady Rosalie in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s "School of Rock the Musical." In New York City, Lexie frequently performs in prestigious cabaret venues and participates in industry readings. Her voice can be found on several new works recordings, and she has had the pleasure of performing with both the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. She holds a BFA in musical theatre from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and is a member of Actors Equity Association. www.LexieDSharp.com

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Friday, November 5, 2021 at 10:30 AM Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 7:30 PM

M&T Bank Classics Series

GRIEG PIANO CONCERTO JoAnn Falletta, conductor Joyce Yang, piano

PROKOFIEV

Classical Symphony, Op. 25 [Symphony No. 1] I. Allegro con brio II. Larghetto III. Gavotte: Non troppo allegro IV. Finale: Molto vivace

STRAVINSKY

Pulcinella Suite I. Sinfonia II. Serenata III. Scherzino IV. Tarantella V. Toccata VI. Giavotta con due variazioni VII. Vivo VIII. Minuetto IX. Finale INTERMISSION

GRIEG

Concerto in A minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 16 I. Allegro molto moderato II. Adagio III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato Joyce Yang, piano

The Coffee Concert Series is presented by Learn about this program from the conductor and guest artists at Musically Speaking, one hour prior to the start of Saturday’s concert. Patrons are asked to turn off all electronic devices. The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited.

JOYCE YANG, PIANO Blessed with “poetic and sensitive pianism” (Washington Post) and a “wondrous sense of color” (San Francisco Classical Voice), Grammy-nominated pianist Joyce Yang captivates audiences with her virtuosity, lyricism, and interpretive sensitivity. She first came to international attention in 2005 when she won the silver medal at the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The youngest contestant at 19 years old, she took home two additional awards: Best Performance of Chamber Music (with the Takàcs Quartet), and Best Performance of a New Work. In 2006 Yang made her celebrated New York Philharmonic debut alongside Lorin Maazel at Avery Fisher Hall along with the orchestra’s tour of Asia, making a triumphant return to her hometown of Seoul, South Korea. Yang’s subsequent appearances with the New York Philharmonic have included opening night of the 2008 Leonard Bernstein Festival – an appearance made at the request of Maazel in his final season as music director. The New York Times pronounced her performance in Bernstein’s The Age of Anxiety a “knockout.” In the last decade, Yang has blossomed into an “astonishing artist” (Neue Zürcher Zeitung), showcasing her colorful musical personality in solo recitals and collaborations with the world’s top orchestras and chamber musicians through more than 1,000 debuts and re-engagements. She received the 2010 Avery Fisher Career Grant and earned her first Grammy nomination (Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance) for her recording of Franck, Kurtág, Previn & Schumann with violinist Augustin Hadelich (“One can only sit in misty-eyed amazement at their insightful flair and spontaneity.” – The Strad). In recent years, Yang has focused on promoting creative ways to introduce classical music to new audiences. She served as the Guest Artistic Director for the Laguna Beach Music Festival in California, curating concerts that explore the “art-inspires-art” concept – highlighting the relationship between music and dance while simultaneously curating outreach activities to young students. Yang’s collaboration with the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet of Half/Cut/Split – a “witty, brilliant exploration of Robert Schumann’s Carnaval” (The Santa Fe New Mexican) was a marriage between music and dance to illuminate the ingenuity of Schumann’s musical language. Born in 1986 in Seoul, South Korea, Yang received her first piano lesson from her aunt at the age of four. She quickly took to the instrument, which she received as a birthday present. Over the next few years she won several national piano competitions in her native country. By the age of ten, she had entered the School of Music at the Korea National University of Arts, and went on to make a number of concerto and recital appearances in Seoul and Daejeon. In 1997, Yang moved to the United States to begin studies at the pre-college division of the Juilliard School with Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky. During her first year at Juilliard, Yang won the pre-college division Concerto Competition, resulting in a performance of Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto in D with the Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Orchestra. After winning the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Greenfield Student Competition, she performed Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with that orchestra at just twelve years old. She graduated from Juilliard with special honors as the recipient of the school’s 2010 Arthur Rubinstein Prize, and in 2011 she won its 30th Annual William A. Petschek Piano Recital Award. Yang appears in the film In the Heart of Music, a documentary about the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In 2020, Yang released her tenth album. She is a Steinway artist.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The BPO musicians and I are delighted to welcome back audience favorite Joyce Yang, who brings us a deeply beloved Piano Concerto. Edvard Grieg was the musical hero of his people and his country of Norway, and this piece is a classic in every sense of the word. The first half of the concert explores two works that looked backwards for inspiration in delightful ways. Prokofiev was an enfant terrible in the conservatory, writing modern music that shocked his professors. But the young man had a special love of the music of Haydn, and based his first symphony on the 18th century classical style (with his own contemporary accent, of course). Stravinsky also adored earlier music, and his Italianate portrait of Commedia d'arte was inspired by the classical music of Giovanni Pergolesi. Two "handshakes across the centuries" - and two virtuoso showpieces for the musicians of the BPO! With gratitude and love,

PROGRAM NOTES

Sergei Prokofiev (Russian; 1891-1953)

Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25, “Classical” (1917) I. Allegro con brio II. Larghetto III. Gavotte: Non troppo allegro IV. Finale: Molto vivace Neoclassicism was an artistic movement that took hold between the World Wars and sought to achieve balance, clarity, and emotional restraint by emulating the art of the eighteenth century. Possibly a form of escapism during a time of international political and economic uncertainty, the trend was championed by composers like Igor Stravinsky, Paul Hindemith, and many others, but its musical beginning can be traced back to Sergei Prokofiev’s 1917 Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25, “Classical Symphony,” a title given by the composer. In his late twenties, Prokofiev was establishing himself as a professional composer when, in 1918, he conducted the new symphony’s first performance

JoAnn and the BPO

in Petrograd. Its traditional four movements, relatively short length (only fifteen minutes), and small orchestra were the perfect building blocks in purposefully emulating the style of Franz Joseph Haydn. Prokofiev believed this was the kind of symphony Haydn would have written had he been alive, and its simple, witty melodies, clear arpeggiated bass lines, and driving motoric accompaniments appropriately reflect the concise order of a Classical symphony. But Prokofiev was not looking backwards. He had cultivated a reputation as a modernist trouble-maker in Russia’s prominent and conservative music circles, and the idioms of the eighteenth century provided the perfect excuse to experiment with contemporary ideas. The opening Allegro evokes a true Haydnism: the Mannheim rocket! At dizzying speed, the symphony begins with this exciting ascending figure and continues with quippy confusion. Like Haydn, he varies phrase lengths to create surprise, but the odd variations are so numerous they disorient. Prokofiev mischievously perpetuates surprise by modulating to strange keys at unexpected places. While

these harmonic deviations would have been unrecognizable in the 18th century, such subtle musical provocation under the guise of a charming surface would no doubt have earned Haydn’s approval. The elegant Larghetto and clever Gavotte avoid the emotional extravagance of Prokofiev’s Romantic countrymen. Rather, the light repetitious ostinatos, mechanical rhythms, and angular melodies anticipate some of Prokofiev’s lifelong stylistic traits. The blazing Finale reiterates all of these clever musical elements with virtuosic speed. After essentially inventing a new important musical aesthetic with this cornerstone work, Prokofiev relied on lessons of the past as he left Russia behind in hope of better prospects in America. Igor Stravinsky

(Russian; 1882-1971)

Suite from Pulcinella (1895) I. Sinfonia II. Serenata III. Scherzino IV. Tarantella V. Toccata VI. Giavotta con due variazioni VII. Vivo VIII. Minuetto IX. Finale With the unbridled romanticism that spilled over into the early twentieth century and the shocking music in works like Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, the wreckage and disarray brought by the First World War seemed to demand a return to order and restraint. For a trailblazer like Stravinsky, the path forward was extreme. A radically regressive aesthetic shift was looming when ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev approached Stravinsky about a new score. Although Russian-born, Igor Stravinsky had made an international reputation in Paris, where he composed sev-

eral ground-breaking ballets for the Ballets Russes, led by Diaghilev who was something of a king-maker among composers. Despite a falling out between the two, Stravinsky was eager to make amends when in 1919 he pursued a new project suggested by the impresario based on an Italian Baroque score. Pulcinella was a folk hero who featured prominently among the Neapolitan commedia dell’arte tradition popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. He was the central figure in a 1700 score Diaghilev found and originally attributed to Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, but was perhaps a collaborative work featuring many composers. In an absolutely astonishing display of restraint, Stravinsky was almost entirely literal in his adaptation of the original manuscripts, keeping the bass lines and melodies. Stravinsky’s personality, or what he described as his own accent, marked the new score with some updated rhythms, harmonies, and orchestration. The 1920 Paris premiere of Pulcinella portrayed its protagonist betraying his love Pimpinella. Begging forgiveness, Pulcinella pretends to be killed, only to be resurrected and reunited with his love. Although Diaghilev was shocked by Stravinsky’s literal commitment to the 18th century manuscripts, audiences lauded this return to simplicity. Stravinsky was now entering a new period of modernism, leading the way for composers who sought to forge a new path of objectivity and rationalism by using Classical-era music as their model. In 1922, Stravinsky created an abridged suite of Pulcinella, omitting several movements and the original vocal parts to be performed in the concert hall. Decades later he returned to his score to make revisions in 1949 and 1965.

Edvard Grieg (Norwegian; 1843-1907) Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 (1868)

I. Allegro molto moderato II. Adagio III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato The German-speaking world had long been the epicenter for the classical music tradition, and Leipzig was the destination for the eager pianist and composer Edvard Grieg, who traveled from his native Norway to study formally at conservatory. It was in his first year, 1858, that the fourteen-year-old heard Clara Schumann perform her late husband Robert Schumann’s only Piano Concerto. Schumann’s music would have a lasting impact on Grieg, who ten years later would compose his only Piano Concerto. Grieg’s career coincided with the rise of nationalism amongst composers throughout Europe’s exterior nations: Poland produced Frédéric Chopin, Czechoslovakia’s musical hero was Bedřich Smetana, and Russia had its own cadre of nationalist composers. Scandinavia was home to many such composers, but Edvard Grieg’s impact was most lasting despite his self-conscious indulgence in Norwegian idioms. His output however was modest in both amount and scale, due perhaps to extensive conducting engagements and endless revising. Also, a preference for small forms like songs and sonatas dominated his work. The Norwegian government recognized his contributions with a pension until his death in 1907, whereupon some 40,000 people flocked to his home town to celebrate their own musical hero.

career as a formidable concert pianist, the 24-year-old Grieg was enjoying a vacation in Denmark when he composed his Piano Concerto. The next year, Grieg was too busy in Oslo to perform—let alone attend—the premiere of his new work when given in Copenhagen by his countryman Edmund Neupert. The work was praised by many including Franz Liszt, but he revised the work at least a half-dozen times, with the final version being the most performed. Schumann’s life-long influence on Grieg appears in the Concerto’s tonal design. Mirroring Schumann, the work begins in A minor, travels in the second movement to a major key, and ends in A major (technically, the third movement of Grieg’s concerto begins in A minor, moves to F major, and ends in A major, which is the exact tonal scheme of Schumann’s three movements). Grieg’s work begins with timpani roll that launches the famous introductory descending flourish from the soloist leading to the fanfare-like main theme. The massive conclusion of the first movement is followed by the sedated opening of the central Adagio. The central movement contrastingly demonstrates Grieg’s intimate sensibilities with warm orchestration and a welcoming piano. The calmness of the central movement is short-lived however, and gives way to an energetically pounding dance. The final movement’s bombast is interrupted by romantic song-like melodies, but the ending is massive and heroic. Chaz Stuart, 2021

While folksy Nordic coziness emanates from the mature Grieg’s chamber music, it is the bravado of a young lionized Norwegian that dominates his Piano Concerto, perhaps his most celebrated work today. While enjoying a budding

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Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 7:30 PM

BPO Pops Series

WHITNEY HOUSTON: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL Bradley Thachuk, conductor Amanda Cole, vocalist

Program to be announced from the stage

This concert is graciously sponsored by Gurney Becker & Bourne Patrons are asked to turn off all electronic devices. The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited.

BRADLEY THACHUK, GUEST CONDUCTOR Bradley Thachuk is the Music Director of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in Canada, entering into his 11th season as their artistic leader and conductor in September 2021. He is also the conductor for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s BPO Rocks! series, conductor and arranger for Steve Hackett’s “Genesis Revisited” project, and a lecturer in Orchestral Literature at the world-renowned Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. A respected and devoted artist, he has received many awards including Established Artist 2016 in Niagara, given to an artist of international stature who has benefitted the artistic life in the Niagara region, being selected by the National Arts Centre (Canada) as the only Canadian in an international field to be featured in their Young Conductor Showcase, receiving the David Effron Fellowship at the Chautauqua Institute, and being awarded a Corbett Scholarship at the University of Cincinnati, allowing him to pursue his entire graduate education tuition-free. A versatile and diverse musician, Mr. Thachuk has also established himself globally as one of the handful of conductors who moves easily between the classical and rock worlds. He is a highly sought-after symphonic arranger, but he also has the legitimacy and skills as a symphony conductor, which allows him to see a project through from inception to performance. He is quite uniquely positioned in this capacity and has worked with artists in many genres. His work on Steve Hackett’s worldwide Blu-Ray/ DVD/CD release “Genesis Revisited Band & Orchestra: Live at Royal Festival Hall,” and appearances in Europe with this project have been met with critical acclaim. Recent and upcoming projects include Blue Rodeo, Styx, Dave Mason of Fleetwood Mac and Traffic, Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Bahamas, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars franchise, Tony-Award winning Heather Headley, Sarah Slean, Chantal Kreviazuk, The Beach Boys, and Air Supply. An advocate of contemporary music, he has led world, Canadian, and U.S. premieres of works by John Estacio, Joseph Schwantner, Kevin Lau, Stewart Goodyear, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Roydon Tse, Robert A. Baker, and Ronald Royer, amongst others A native of Toronto, Canada, Mr. Thachuk started his music studies in classical guitar at the age of 5. Having established a performing career by the age of 9, he eventually began studies of the French horn and piano before entering the University of Toronto to pursue his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance as a guitarist. Following graduation, his sights set on conducting, and he began the Special Program for Conductors at the University of Toronto. Following studies at the Janacek Academy in Brno, Czech Republic he pursued his Masters and Doctorate degrees at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and completed his studies with NHK Symphony Orchestra ( Japan), Orchestre de Paris (France), and Tonhalle Orchestra (Switzerland) Music Director, Paavo Järvi.

AMANDA B. COLE, VOCALS From LA to Amsterdam, Amanda Cole has performed every genre of music imaginable. Country, R&B, Rock, Classical, even Tejano have all been a part of her growing repertoire. Amanda has performed as a member of the legendary girl group En Vogue and has extensive experience on and off stage. She has shared the stage with many R&B and Pop greats such as Destiny's Child, Mary J. Blige, and the late greats Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. As an actress, Amanda has been featured in productions such as “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Anything Goes,” and “Dream Girls,” as well as a string of other successful gospel and off Broadway stage plays.

Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 7:30 PM Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 2:30 PM

M&T Bank Classics Series

GERSHWIN & BARBER Keith Lockhart, conductor Philippe Quint, violin

GABRIELA LENA FRANK

DVOŘÁK

BARBER

Three Latin-American Dances I. Introduction: Jungle Jaunt II. Highland Harawi III. The Mestizo Waltz Suite in A Major, Op. 98b, "American" I. Andante con moto II. Allegro III. Moderato (alla polacca) IV. Andante V. Allegro Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 14 I. Allegro II. Andante III. Presto in moto perpetuo Philippe Quint, violin INTERMISSION

GERSHWIN An American in Paris

Learn about this program from the conductor and guest artists at Musically Speaking, one hour prior to the start of Saturday’s and Sunday's concert. Patrons are asked to turn off all electronic devices. The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited.

KEITH LOCKHART, GUEST CONDUCTOR Keith Lockhart is Conductor of the Boston Pops, Chief Guest Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and Artistic Director of the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina (USA). Now in his twenty-fifth season, Keith has served as Conductor of the Boston Pops since 1995, a tenure that includes nearly two thousand performances, forty-five national tours to more than 150 cities, and four international tours. He and the Pops have made eighty television shows, and participated in such highprofile sporting events as Super Bowl XXXVI, the 2008 NBA finals, the 2013 Boston Red Sox Ring Ceremony, and, most recently, Game 2 of the 2018 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. The annual July 4 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular draws a live audience of over half a million with millions more who watch on television or live webcast. From 2010-2018, Keith was Principal Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra. Highlights of his tenure include critically acclaimed North American tours, conducting annual performances at The Proms, and celebrating the orchestra’s 60th year in 2012. In June of that same year, Keith conducted the orchestra during Queen Elizabeth II’s gala Diamond Jubilee Concert, which was broadcast around the world. In October 2007, Keith succeeded David Effron as Artistic Director of the Brevard Music Center Summer Institute and Festival. The Brevard Music Center (BMC) has established itself as one of the nation’s leading summer institutes for gifted young musicians, preparing them to perform great musical works at a high artistic level. His appointment solidifies an already special relationship with BMC, having attended as a teenager for two summers (1974, 1975). Keith concluded eleven seasons as Music Director of the Utah Symphony in 2009. He led that orchestra through the complete symphonic works of Gustav Mahler and brought them to Europe on tour for the first time in two decades. He stood at the front of that organization’s historic merger with the Utah Opera to create the first-ever joint administrative arts entity, the Utah Symphony and Opera. Since the merger, arts institutions nationally and internationally have looked to Keith as an example of an innovative thinker on and off the podium. Keith conducted three “Salute to the Symphony” television specials broadcast regionally, one of which received an Emmy award, and, in December 2001, he conducted the orchestra and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in a national PBS broadcast of Vaughan Williams’ oratorio Hodie. He led the Utah Symphony during Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and conducted two programs for the 2002 Olympic Arts Festival. Under Keith’s baton, the Utah Symphony released its first recording in two decades, Symphonic Dances, in April 2006. Keith Lockhart has conducted nearly every major orchestra in North America, as well as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Vienna Radio Symphony, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the NHK Symphony in Tokyo, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In October 2012, he made his London Philharmonic debut in Royal Albert Hall. In the opera pit, Keith has conducted productions with the Atlanta Opera, Washington Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Utah Opera. Keith served as Music Director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra for seven years, completing his tenure in 1999. Under his leadership, the orchestra doubled its number of performances, released recordings, and developed a reputation for innovative and accessible programming. Keith also served as Associate Conductor of both the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra from 1990 to 1995.

PHILIPPE QUINT, VIOLIN Multi Grammy Award nominee violinist Philippe Quint is internationally recognized for his unique and insightful approach to standard repertoire, championing and rediscovering neglected repertoire and embarking on imaginative, exciting journeys of explorations and collaborations with artists of different genres. “Truly phenomenal” is how BBC Music Magazine recently described him, also adding that “Quint’s tonal opulence, generously inflected with subtle portamentos, sounds like a throwback to the glory days of Fritz Kreisler.” American violinist of Russian heritage, Philippe Quint is constantly in demand and regularly appears with major orchestras and conductors worldwide at venues ranging from the Gewandhaus in Leipzig to Carnegie Hall in New York, while making frequent guest appearances at the most prestigious festivals including Verbier, Aspen, Colmar, Hollywood Bowl and Dresden Festspiele. Quint’s award winning 17 commercial releases discography includes a recent debut on the Warner Classics label, a CD titled Chaplin’s Smile, that features 13 original arrangements of songs by Charlie Chaplin. The disc received worldwide acclaim, multiple Editor’s Choices from all major radio stations and such publications as Forbes, Gramophone, Limelight, Strad, and Strings. The album also inspired Philippe to create and produce Charlie Chaplin’s Smile, a multimedia show that will have debuts worldwide throughout the 2019-2020 season, including the opening of the 5th International Tchaikovsky Festival in Klin, Russia, Ravinia Festival, Baltimore Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County as well as its orchestral premieres of the show in Germany, Poland and Bulgaria to name a few. Highlights of Quint’s 2019-2020 season include performances with Baltimore Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Bochumer Symphoniker, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony and Thailand Philharmonic under the batons of Andrew Litton, Steven Sloane, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Rune Bergmann, Jorge Mester and Carolyn Kuan. Making his home in New York since 1991, Philippe Quint was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union (now St. Petersburg, Russia), and studied at the Moscow Special Music School for the Gifted with the famed Russian violinist Andrei Korsakov making his orchestral debut at the age of nine. After moving to the United States, he earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Juilliard School. His distinguished pedagogues and mentors included Dorothy Delay, Cho-Liang Lin, Masao Kawasaki, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Arnold Steinhardt, and Felix Galimir. Philippe Quint plays the magnificent 1708 "Ruby" Antonio Stradivari violin on loan to him through the generous efforts of The Stradivari Society®. For more information, visit: www.philippequint.com, https://www.facebook.com/ philippequint, https://twitter.com/PhilippeQuint

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Great American conductor Keith Lockhart is our very welcome guest this week, bringing us a spectacular collection of American favorites. Opening the program is an irresistible dance suite by the young composer Gabriela Lena Frank that will enchant you. Antonin Dvořák paid tribute to his adopted country during the time he lived in New York with his American Suite. Barber's Violin Concerto is perhaps the greatest American work in that genre, and we are very fortunate to have superstar Philippe Quint to perform it with us. And what better way to end an American program than with one of the most beloved works in our repertoire - George Gershwin's brilliant portrait of his own visit to Paris! We happily welcome Keith and Philippe back to Kleinhans Music Hall!

PROGRAM NOTES

Gabriela Lena Frank (American; 1972)

Three Latin-American Dances for Orchestra (2003) I. Introduction: Jungle Jaunt II. Highland Harawi III. The Mestizo Waltz Pianist/composer Gabriela Lena Frank has a flourishing career, currently serving as Composer-in-Residence for Philadelphia Orchestra, and has attained many important awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Latin Grammy. With a firm education from Rice University and the University of Michigan, she has studied with many of America’s most prominent contemporary composers and boasts technical prowess influenced by the great composers of the twentieth century. Yet her style often channels her diverse heritage. Born in Berkeley, California, her father is an American of Lithuanian-Jewish heritage, and her mother is Peruvian of Chinese heritage. South America’s melting-pot has long piqued her interest in investigating its wide-ranging cultural art forms. This deep interest is explored in her 2003 Three LatinAmerican Dances for Orchestra

The work’s opening Jungle Jaunt is infused with Amazonian dance forms, but explicitly channels Bernstein’s treatment of dance music as heard in West Side Story, as well as Argentinian composer Alberto Ginestera’s own energetic approach to South American folk music. The centerpiece of the work, Highland Harawi, explores Andean mountain music known for its melancholic flute melodies. The stoic middle movement is contrasted by the joyous finale, a waltz that channels the multicultural popular music found in South America’s Pacific coast. Antonín Dvořák (Czech; 1841-1904)

American Suite in A major, Op. 98b, B. 190 (1895) I. Andante con moto II. Allegro III. Moderato (alla polacca) IV. Andante V. Allegro With humble and impoverished beginnings, Czech composer Antonín Dvořák’s star rose to great heights when, in his fifth decade, he was given an astonishing salary to head New York’s short-lived National Conservatory of Music. Dvořák leaned on

a Brahmsian, classically-minded approach to his compositions, but was also a part of the growing trend of Europeans outside of western cities who pursued a musical Nationalism, engaging with the cultural output of their homeland. During his time in America, he hoped to encourage its composers to engage with its unique musical elements, focusing on Native American and African American music. Grafting his approach to Czech Nationalism in an American environment, he worked with students and wrote articles about American music. Dvořák hoped to breathe life into American concert music, but his own contributions retained his distinctive Czech idiom, even while borrowing or garnering influence from the new world. His 1894 American Suite was composed at the piano during his time in America that was performed following its completion. The orchestrated version would come a year later, but would not be performed until 1910, after Dvořák’s death. It is unclear if the Suite included any actual American folk music, or if the melodies were reconstructions of the music he heard, but the serene opening conveys a rural simplicity he enjoyed in his American travels. The second movement is charged with the energy of urban bustle, with a dreamy excursion. The third movement, labelled alla polacca, is a dance in a Polish style. Perhaps an odd choice for the European in New York, but Dvořák was attracted to the comfort of Slavic communities during his time abroad, and the light movement lends to the idea of the melting-pot as American identity. A homesick Dvořák’s recounts his 1893 travels to Iowa. Although enlivened by his encounters with the music of Native Americans, the vast prairies can be heard in the stillness of the melancholic fourth movement. In the work’s finale, Dvořák’s subtle references to syncopated African American music is a delightful conclusion to his American Suite.

Samuel Barber (American; 1910-1981) Violin Concerto, Op. 14 (1939) I. Allegro II. Andante III. Presto in moto perpetuo Born to a well-to-do family in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Samuel Barber’s early interest in music was accommodated at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music’s youth, and later, adult programs. His career, which spanned composition, conducting, and a stint as a professional singer, came to fruition in the 1930s as the promising twenty-something began to accumulate prizes (such as the vaunted Rome Prize) and recognition. His elegant, uncomplicated melodic tonality, replete with subtle dissonances and chromaticism, set him apart as an approachable American voice in his nascent career. He gained momentum with high-profile performances of his Symphony in One Movement and Adagio for Strings, exposing him to a broader audience of commissioners. Later, Barber would gain the sort of unquestioned authority reserved only for seasoned masters, but his youthful decision-making would be questioned by the antiquated views of gate-keepers as documented in the drama that resulted from the 1939 commission of his Violin Concerto. Samuel Fels, a Philadelphia businessman, engaged Barber to compose a new concerto for his Curtis Institute classmate Iso Briselli. Barber accepted an advance and began work immediately. Early manuscripts of the first two movements received harsh scrutiny from Briselli’s teacher, who criticized the work for lacking seriousness or virtuosity. A challenging finale failed to meet his requirements as well, and a drama of endless back-and-forth letters resulted in a cancellation of the work’s premiere. Later, another Curtis student performed a discreet performance for the school’s faculty, whose opinions were much more positive,

leading to its performance by the school’s orchestra, and in 1941, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, establishing it as a gem in the repertoire of American orchestral works. The work opens with the soloist alone presenting a lyrical, song-like melody, accompanied by unobtrusive orchestral support. Lacking Briselli’s grandiose Beethovian expectations, Barber’s American simplicity is refreshingly unashamed. The violin however does deliver challenging runs and soaring lines that connect humble scenic orchestral interludes. The central Andante opens with a pensive oboe solo underscored by mellow string harmonies. The soloist finally enters with a rhapsodic melody that rises to a brooding, contrasting middle section. The movement builds to a mountainous climax, returning to a restful quiet. The first two movements combine to make a sentimental concerto, with the finale acting as a rousing coda. Although brief, the moto perpetuo is a dense tarantella, quietly packed with bold flavor. The violin dominates with whirls of rhythmically motoric lines that reveal the instrument’s wide range of colors and capabilities. George Gershwin (American; 1898-1937)

An American in Paris (1939) George Gershwin exuded New York energy, beginning his career as a teenager with serious classical piano training, writing Tin Pan Alley songs and soaking up the burgeoning jazz scene. He made waves when his 1924 Rhapsody in Blue combined both traditions on the concert stage, but he was ultimately unsatisfied with his training. In 1926 he traveled to Paris to receive instruction from Maurice Ravel, who at the time was the figurehead of French modernism. Gershwin’s meeting with Ravel did not conclude as he wished, but was significant and fruitful for the batter. Ravel rejected Gershwin as a student, but encouraged him to continue forging his own path, noting that Ravel’s influence would only sully the unique voice of the promising American.

Their friendship led to an American tour for Ravel, and an introduction to Paris’ most famous teacher, Nadia Boulanger, who ultimately rejected Gershwin for the same reason as Ravel. Encouraged, Gershwin spent his second trip in Paris working on a new symphonic poem. At its heart, An American in Paris is George Gershwin’s love letter to the city of light and his friends there. The quasi-autobiographical 1928 score portrays a gleefully lost foreigner. A flighty principal “Parisian” theme is the jumping-off point for a loosely structured symphonic poem that colorfully depicts scenes of chaotic traffic, sentimental detours, and all the wonders of a tourist captivated by 1920s Paris. Early critics balked at Gershwin’s style, noting it to be unfit on programs of serious classical music. However, the work was only intended to delight, and to that end Gershwin was successful, instantly winning audiences with An American in Paris. The work was so popular as to instill it in the zeitgeist with the 1951 Oscar-winner of the same name, which features Gene Kelly portraying a World War II veteran trying to make it as a painter in Paris, and includes legendary 17-minute dance number to George Gershwin’s symphonic poem. Chaz Stuart, 2021

SPONSOR A MUSICIAN Nikki Chooi, concertmaster

Kate Holzemer, viola

Jay Matthews, French horn

Ansgarius Aylward, assistant concertmaster

Janz Castelo, viola

Sheryl Hadeka, French horn

Douglas Cone, first violin

Feng Hew, associate principal cello

Alex Jokipii, principal trumpet

Robert Hausmann, cello

Jonathan Lombardo, principal trombone

David Schmude, cello

Timothy Smith, trombone

Amelie Fradette, cello

Filipe Pereira, bass trombone

Sponsored by Dennis P. Quinn

Salvatore Andolina, clarinet/saxophone

Jennifer Dowdell, in memory of Charles and Nancy Dowdell

Daniel Kerdelewicz, associate principal, French horn

Sponsored by Gretchen Wylegala and Steven McCabe * deceased

To learn more about the Sponsor a Musician program, please contact Guy Tomassi at (716) 242-7821 or gtomassi@bpo.org.

ANNUAL FUND

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra gratefully acknowledges contributions received from the following individuals and foundations who gave $500 and above through April 12, 2021. While the thousands upon thousands of donors whose gifts ranged from $1 to $499 are too numerous to list here, we gratefully acknowledge those additional individuals, groups, companies and foundations who give to us so generously.

MILLONZI SOCIETY $150,000+ The Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation Carol and Angelo Fatta The John R. Oishei Foundation John & Carolyn Yurtchuk

$50,000-$149,999 Anonymous Mr. Brent Baird Mark Chason & Mariana Botero Chason Louis P. Ciminelli Family Foundation The Robert and Patricia Colby Foundation Cullen Foundation Carlos and Elizabeth Heath Foundation W. & J. Larson Family Foundation Mulroy Family Foundation The Walter Schmid Family Foundation Charitable Trust

$25,000-$49,999 Clement & Karen Arrison Brian and Barbara Baird Mr. Bruce C. Baird & Mrs. Susan O'Connor-Baird First Niagara Bank Foundation Montgomery Family Foundation Svetla and Doug Moreland Mr.* and Mrs. George F. Phillips, Jr. Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds at CFGB Roy and Ruth Seibel Family Foundation Christine Standish & Chris Wilk

Maestro’s Circle $10,000-$24,999 Cindy Abbott Letro and Francis Letro Paul and Vanda Albera Sue Fay Allen & Carl Klingenschmitt The Baird Foundation Mr. Charles Balbach The Better Buffalo Fund at the CFGB Anthony & Barbara Cassetta Carmela M. Colucci Arthur W. & Elaine I. Cryer Robert J. & Martha B. Fierle Foundation Patricia & William Frederick George and Bodil Gellman Mrs. Amy Habib-Rittling and Mr. Mark Rittling Mr. and Mrs. George G. Herbert Dr. and Mrs. Curtis F. Holmes Hooper Family Foundation Bonnie and Nick Hopkins Mr. Philip H. Hubbell Clement and Margot Ip J. Warren Perry & Charles Donald Perry Memorial Bruce and Gail Johnstone Roberta & Michael Joseph Mrs. Ellen T. Koessler Dr. Bradford Lewis, Ph.D. Mr.* and Mrs. Reginald B. Newman II Adam Rome and Robin Schulze Joseph & Carole Sedita Mr. and Mrs. Paul Steinwachs Scott R. and Rachel C. Stenclik Steve and Nicole Swift Gary and Katharina Szakmary The Vincent and Harriet Palisano Foundation Jack Walsh, in memory of Connie Walsh The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Donald MacDavid Charitable Trust

Edward Giannino Jr E Joseph And Lynne Giroux Sarah Goodyear Ms. Constance A. Greco Dr. Elisabeth Zausmer and Dr. Angel A. Gutierrez Daniel and Barbara Hart David and Eva Herer Jim Hettich David and Lucinda Hohn John J. and Maureen O. Hurley Robert and Hana Jacobi Linda Johnson Michael & Marilee Keller Mr. and Mrs.* Philip Kadet - The Linton Foundation Mr. Warren Lippa Lorinda McAndrew Voelkle Foundation Charles & Judith Manzella Stephen McCabe and Gretchen Wylegala Sandra and Dennis McCarthy Ms. Beth Mooney Frances L. Morrison Mrs. Sheila M. Nancollas Mr. and Mrs. James D. Newman Patricia Notarius/ Premier Group Marie and Jay Novello, in memory of Don and Eileen Brutvan Douglas & Laurette* Oak OSC Charitable Foundation Pappalardo Family Foundation Mrs. Michelle Parrish Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Polokoff Mr. Dennis P. Quinn Robert and Nancy Warner Memorial Fund at the FJP Lowell and Ellen Shaw Stephen and Monica Spaulding Martha and John Welte Robert and Judith Wetter

Encore Circle Concertmaster’s Circle $2,500-$4,999 $5,000-$9,999 Anonymous (2) Anonymous (4) James and Linda Beardi James M. Beardsley & Ellen M. Gibson Mr. Joseph F. Casey Ms. Anne E. Conable Donald F. & Barbara L. Newman Family Foundation Jennifer Dowdell Sally and Don Dussing Peter & Maria Eliopoulos Ms. JoAnn Falletta & Mr. Robert Alemany Lynne Marie Finn Judith Fisher

Dr. George N. Abraham Monica Angle & Samuel D. Magavern III Douglas Bean and Elisa Kreiner The Reverend* and Mrs. Peter Bridgford Mr & Mrs John Burkholder Joanne Castellani & Michael Andriaccio Ms. Elizabeth G. Clark Conable Family Foundation Michael D'Ambrosio Alan Dozoretz Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Easton Stephen Edge and Cynthia Swain Ms. Mary A. Ferguson

Mrs. Marta Fernandez Thomas and Grace Flanagan Beth Fleming Frederick S. & Phyllis W. Pierce Family Fund Dr. Samuel Goodloe, Jr. Dave & Katie Hayes Dr. Barbara W. Henderson Philip M. and Marion Henderson Martha & Tom Hyde Mr. James & Mrs. Diana Iglewski Edwin M. Johnston, Jr. Joseph & Anna Gartner Foundation Joy Family Foundation Mr. William P. Keefer Joseph M. Kelly Mrs. S. A. Keppel Dwight King & Leslie Duggleby Susan B. Lee Steve & Sandy Levinthal Mr. Ron Luczak Sr. Beatrice Manzella William and Jane Mathias Denise Rezabek Michael and Lorrie Munschauer Mr. and Mrs. Sanford M. Nobel Dr. Thomas Nochajski Mary Jane and Walter Pawlowski Mr. Paul J. Polokoff Mrs. Susan A. Potter Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Priselac, Jr. Ms. Georgeann W. Redman Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Renner David & Joan Rogers Dr. Richard J. Saab/Maureen Wilson Saab Ken Schmieder and Nancy Julian* Ronald Frank* & Anne Schneider Dr. Gilbert Schulenberg Ms. Betty J. Schultz Dr. Maxine Seller Simple Gifts Fund Dr. Joyce E. Siriann Diane & Sonny Sonnenstein Ronald Struzik Dr. Joseph R. Takats, III Garin Tomaszewski Drs. Mark and Maansi Travers Nicholas & Nicole Tzetzo Barry & Donna Winnick Gregory and Donna Yungbluth John and Deanna Zak

Bravo Circle $1,000-$2,499 Anonymous (8) Morton & Natalie Abramson Dr. and Mrs. Fred and Bonnie Albrecht JoAnne Alderfer Burtram W. & Ellen Anderson Liz & John Angelbeck Ann Holland Cohn Endowment Fund at the FJP Reverend James M. Augustyn Mr. and Mrs. Teo Balbach Mary L. and Ronald E* Banks

Mr. Steve Earnhart and Mrs. Jennifer Barbee Drs. Kevin and Elizabeth Barlog Thomas R Beecher Jr Ann N. Bonte Gary & Willow Brost Tim and Mary Lou Butler Dr. and Mrs. John L. Butsch William Catto Cheryl Christie Dr. and Mrs. Michael E. Cohen Dr. and Mrs. Harold G. Corwin, Jr. Patti Cosgrove Dr. Elizabeth Conant* and Ms. Camille Cox Mr. and Mrs. David Croen Jean McGarry and James F. Cunning Peter S. and Elizabeth H. Curtis Jane M D'Agostino Ian Danic Clotilde & Trey Dedecker Mr. and Mrs. Joseph S. DePaolo James & Mary Frances Derby Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Detwiler Tony* & Kathy Diina Wendy Diina Duane and Nancy DiPirro Joan M. Doerr Mrs. Carol Donley Richard and Cornelia Dopkins Miriam & Peter Dow Ellen & Victor* Doyno Patricia K Duffner Edward G Eberl Elsie P. & Lucius B. McCowan Private Charitable Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Kim A. Ferullo Joyce E. Fink Mr. and Mrs. Michael Flaherty Jr. Ilene and Peter Fleischmann Robert and Ruth Fleming The Honorable and Mrs. Leslie G. Foschio Ms. Margaret A. Frainier Eileen & Laurence Franz Mr. and Mrs. David Fried Sue Gardner Ms. Dolores S. Gernatt Mr. and Ms. James G. Hanley Golden and Goldman Philanthropic Fund Ms. Carol A. Golder Marc J. Goldstein Dr. Susan Graham and Dr. Jon C. Kucera Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Greene Mr. and Mrs. William A. Greenman Adrienne Tworek-Gryta and Matt Gryta Mr. and Mrs. Van N. Harwood, Jr. Michele O. Heffernan & John J. Cordes Ms. Sharon M. Heim and Mr. David Wahl Carla J. Hengerer Amy & Eduardo Heumann Nancy Higgins Monte Hoffman, Niscah Koessler Mr. Paul A. Hojnacki Duncan C. Hollinger John and Janice Horn Mr. Bernhard Huber, Jr.

Dr. Mildred J. Fischle* Thomas and Deborah Jasinski Luella H. Johnson Craig & Debbie Joho Mr. Alex Jokipii and Ms. Shari L. McDonough Mr. and Mrs. Benoy Joseph Mr. Charles J. Kaars Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Kahn Ms. Jennifer Kartychak Dr. Kathleen Keenan-Takagi Mr. and Mrs. Douglas G. Kirkpatrick Rosalind & Michael Kochmanski Carol & John* Kociela Mr. and Mrs. Jean Pierre A. Koenig Ken & Paula Koessler Bob & Liz Kolken Daniel Kosman Kenneth A. and Gretchen P. Krackow Mr.* and Mrs. Robert J. Kresse Risé & Kevin* Kulick Drs. Jeffery Lackner and Ann Marie Carosella Mr. Donald Latt Dr. John Leddy and Dr. Carmen Alvarez Catherine & Matt Lincoln Ms. Donna J. Ludwig Judy Marine Ms. Linda Marsh Ms. Elaine Mackensen May Mr. George L. Mayers Mr. and Mrs. John R. McClester Ms. Michaelene J. McFarlane Ms. Barbara Mellerski-Farkas Dr. and Mrs. Franklin H. Meyer David & Gail Miller Ms. Pennie C. Hoage Mitchell Family Philanthropic Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Mr. and Mrs. Carl J. Montante, Sr. Anne Moot Ms. Sharon F. Mortin Robert Moskowitz and Mary McGorray Sandra Mundier Philip Nicolai and Mary Louise Hill Dr. Michael F. Noe Mr. and Mrs. Randall M. Odza Mr. Gerald Pacillo Judith Parkinson Lois & Tom Pause Dr. & Mrs. Philip Penepent Richard & Karen Penfold Erin Peradotto David C Schopp and Mark J Peszko Mr. Robert S. Petersen Ms. Christye Peterson and Mr. Peter J. Grogan Gregory Photiadis and Sandy Chelnov Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Plyler Keith & Beth Podgorny Henry & Patty Porter Dr. Igor and Dr. Martina Puzanov Ted and Mary Ann Pyrak Peter & Nancy Rabinowitz

Mr. & Mrs. Allan Ripley Ms. Stephanie Robb Mary Anne Rokitka deborah henning/thomas rolle Rose H. and Leonard H. Frank Community Endowment Fund Mr. Philip Rumore Mrs. Frances C. Rumsey Ruth and Darwin Schmitt Fund at the CFGB William and Elizabeth Savino Susan and Jeffrey Schwartz Mr. Michael B. Sexton and Dr. Sandra Sexton Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence D. Seymour Drs. Stuart C. and Caren Shapiro Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shappee Dr. Mary Ellen Shaughnessy Larry & Barbara Sherman Mr. and Mrs. John W. Sherman Charles E. and Penelope R. Shuman Philanthropic Fund Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Sperrazza Mr. Gerould R. Stange Ruth & Ted Steegmann Alma and Malcolm Strachan Mr. and Mrs. David G. Strachan Jan Svec Dr. Donald G. Symer, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Symons Mr. Ronald G. and Mrs. Margaret N. Talboys Susan and John Thomas Thomas J. Hanifin BPO Fund II at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Mr. Jeffrey J. Thompson Dr. Ann M. Bisantz and Dr. Albert H. Titus Lyle & Phil Toohey Dr. & Mrs. Raymond C. Vaughan Janet D. Vine Ms. Suzanne J. Voltz Dr. and Mrs. P.K. Wallace Nellie B. Warner Endowment Fund William & Valerie Warren William Weiss Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. Wiesen William & Ida Christie Fund for Music Wayne* & Janet Wisbaum Paul M. Wos Arden and Julie Wrisley The Yadzinski Family Cynthia Zane & Stephen Mazurak Mr. Paul Zarembka Ms. Barbara M. Ziegler Dr. Gregory Castiglia & Dr. Valerie Zingapan Drs. Bill Ziter & Cathy Gogan C. Richard and Joyce T. Zobel

Crescendo $500-$999 Anonymous (4) Ms. Gail Adema

Eileen M. & Erik S. Anderson Susan Baird Bradford Banks Karen A. Barbee Mr. Richard C. Batt Mark & Debbie Bauer Henry E. and Susan W. Beamer Endowment Fund at CFGB Mr. Donald M. Behr Benjamin and Lila Obletz Endowment Fund Ms. Elizabeth S. Bennett and Ms. Marietta T. Lorenzo Ms. Linda M. Betzer Peg Beyer Alice F. Bird Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Bisson Derek & Laura Brann Mr. James A. Brophy, Jr. Bruce and Jill Brown Mr. & Mrs. William Brucker Ms. Bette J. Brunish R. R. Bujnicki Mr. & Mrs. David Bullions Dr. Barbara B. Bunker Mr. & Mrs. Dean & Patricia Burgstahler Mr. and Ms. Randall Burkard Dr. Mireya B. Camurati Joseph and Susan Cardamone Janet M. Casagrande Jerry* & Barbara Castiglia Miss Victoria A. Christopher Emmy Lou Churchill Mr. Michael Charles Cimasi Ruth C. Cisek Collins Charitable Foundation Ginger and Gordon* Comstock Bob and Susan Conklin John and Patricia Connolly Mrs. Donanne S. Coovert Andrea and Don Copley Thomas and Elizabeth Cowley Dr. and Mrs. John Coyne Croucher - Fletcher Charitable Fund Ms. Ellen J. Daly Mr. and Mrs. Walter Dannhauser Mr. and Mrs. David Day Roger and Roberta Dayer Dr.* and Mrs. David C. Dean Dr. Juan F. de Rosas Jonathan Dewald Julie Klotzbach and Gary Diamond Nicholas and Lusyd Kourides Mr. David T. Duff Robert G Dunford Drs. Philip Dvoretsky & Linda Ludwig Mr. Edward Eardley Amy P. Early M.D. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Efron Marla Eglowstein Dr. Sanford H. Eisen Mr. and Mrs. K. Wiedenhaupt Dr. Richard S. Elman and Dr, Nora MeaneyElman Mr. and Mrs. Warren E. Emblidge, Jr.

Joan Michael Eschner Mr. Francis E. Evans Mr. and Mrs. James S. Fanning Dr. W. Ferguson Paul & Karen Ferington Denise Ferkey and Jeffrey Swaluk Mrs. Judith Ferrentino Mr. and Mrs. Karl D. Fiebelkorn Michael R. Fiels & Mary T. Ricotta Edward J. Fine Dawn & John Fischer Edward* and Cynthia Fisher Dr. Peter Fletcher Rita A. Forman Howard and Laurie Foster Patricia B. Frey, Ed.D. Rick Friend John Fudyma and Sarah Fallon Mrs. Joanne Gaffin Rev. David M. Gallivan Theodore & Joan* Geier Jeffrey & Norma Gentner Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth T. Glaser Mr. Otis Glover Mr. and Mrs. Peter H. Grace George and Cecelia Grasser Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Greenlee Ms. Jane Griffin Mark and Lora Grinder kenneth w gross Mr. and Mrs. William H. Gurney Marjorie K Hamilton Martha Haseley David Hays Dr. and Mrs. Reid R. Heffner, Jr. Dr. Theodore Herman and Ms. Judith Ann Cohen Ms. Olive Marie Hewett Richard and Laura Hill Dr. & Mrs. Ralph W. Hinds, III James & Eileen Hoffman Mr. Raymond and Mrs. Virginia Hohl Mr. & Mrs. Paul Homer Michael Huber Scott and Alyssa Hunt Yasushi Innami Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Jacobs Dr. Thomas A. Jambro William & Genevieve James Mrs. Cathleen Jeffers Mr. and Mrs. Carl E. Jennings David & Joan Kernan Claire E. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. William Johnson Drs. Richard and Barbara Jurasek Dr. Faye Justicia-Linde Nathan Kahn Theresa Kazmierczak Jane and John Kearns Kathie A. Keller Milton Kicklighter Verna Kieffer Mr. and Mrs. Scott King Juliet E. Kline Robert and Barbara Klocke

Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Koppmann Deborah Raiken & Charles Korn George Kotlewski Leslie and James Kramer Ms. Rosemary Kuca and Mr. Kevin J. Hagerty Joan Kuhn Dr. and Mrs. Kevin W. Lanighan Mr. and Dr. John M. Laping Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lasure Paul and Jane Lehman Msgr. Fred Leising Fern & Joel Levin Dr. and Mrs. Harold J. Levy Dorothy M. Lien Christopher Lightcap Drs. David B. and Madeline A. Lillie Howard and Lorna Lippes Joel & Andree Lippes Dr. Thomas & Donna Lombardo Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. Lubick Karen Magee Ms. Maria Malaniak Robert Martino Randy & Diana Martinusek Philip and Jane McCarthy Mr. Scott W. McCone Claire Miller McGowan Louise McGrath Michael and Lucille Melton Dr. and Mrs. Donald E. Miller Mr. John E. Milner Dr. and Mrs. Herman S. Mogavero, Jr. Robert and Nancy Morey Sandra G. Morrison Gary and Carolyn Mucci JFF and JFFLabs Russell A. Newbert Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Nice

Christa* and Jim Nolan Howard Noonan Susan D. Nusbaum Tim O'Brien Fund at the FJC Bernard & Linda O'Donnell Ann C. Pappalardo Eleanor & Tony Paterson Laurence & Sylvia Paul Mr. Rick Paulson Jo Anne Brocklehurst Rodney P. Pierce Karen L. Podd James and Nancy Poole Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Pranikoff John & Betty Preble Joseph and Pamela Priest Charles and Joanne Privitera Ms. Carol Dean Privitera Scott Propeack and Heidi Freedman Patrick J. Rankin Mr. Alex J. Ratkowski Martha J. Reddout Mrs. Kathrin Reid Randolph & Cathy Ritz Mrs. Susan C. Robinson Ms. Elizabeth S. Rundle Revs. Melody and Rodney Rutherford Mr. and Mrs. W. Scott Schaefer Dr. William L Scheider Mr. and Mrs. Roger L. Schintzius Mr. and Mrs. John H. Schlegel John & Connor Cardot-Schloop Paul J. Schulz Eleanor Scott Miss Louise E. Seereiter Mary Anne Seifert Henry & Tricia Semmelhack Mr. Joseph A. Shifflett Peter Siedlecki & Lynnette Mende

Mr. and Mrs. Roger T. Sieracki Edward & Elizabeth Simmons Mr. Jeremy Smith Lynne G. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sodaro Mr. Brad Stahlka Dr. Rabie N. Stephan and Dr. Eugena B. Stephan James and Karen Stephenson Stephen Still Mr. Edwin F. Stohrer, Jr. Marilyn & Irving Sultz Ms. Mary J. Syrek Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Szymkowiak Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Thompson Dr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Tomasi Mr. Guido A. Tomassi Sheila Trossman Dr. and Mrs. Stephen J. Turkovich Frederick D. Turner John H. Twist, D.D.S. Mary K. Twist Mrs. Ilona Tylwalk Chris and Kathy Tzetzo Charitable Fund Susan & Ron Uba Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Van Nortwick Mr. William Vosteen Ms. Suzanne Sheard-Walsh Karen Wehn Norman and Carole Weingarten Ms. Marlene A. Werner Bud and Sandy Whistler Pierre Williot MD Mr. Martin Wolpin Quinn & Jewell Wright Ms. Kelly Ann Wright Mr.* and Mrs. James C. Yuhnke Mr. Bryan Zielenieski

TRIBUTE REGISTRY

You can celebrate a significant occasion, remember a loved one, or recognize someone special with an honor or memorial gift to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. These gifts were received between June 26, 2021 and August 10, 2021.

In Honor of James Wadsworth’s Birthday Ms. Mary Wadsworth

In Memory of

Marguerite Bukowski Katie & Jake Schneider Timothy Bukowski Cynthia Dawdy Charlene Murphy Marianne and Norman Goldstein Marc J. Goldstein Jesse Kregal Ms. Marilyn Gallivan

JoAnn Falletta Miss Victoria A. Christopher

Edward Kucio Paul & Marilyn Koukal

Bruce Flagler Simmons Anthony Fast and Barbara Norris

Susan Lafferty Mr. David & Ms. Judith Wieserner

Luigi Tomassi Mr. Guido A. Tomassi

Harold Levy Dr. Sanford Levy Richard C. Merlo Ms. Roslyn Sciascia

April N.M. Baskin, Chair Lisa Chimera John J. Gilmour Kevin R. Hardwick Howard J. Johnson, Jr. Joseph C. Lorigo Timothy Meyers John J. MIlls Edward A. Rath, III Frank J. Todaro Jeanne M. Vinal

GOVERNMENT

Council Member Joel Feroleto; Mitch Nowakowski; Christopher Scanlon; David Rivera; Crystal Peoples-Stokes; and Ulysees Wingo, Sr.

The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature

Check out YOUR Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra online!

MY SHELTER PETS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS

THESHELTERPETPROJECT.ORG OLIVIA MUNN WITH CHANCE AND FRANKIE: ADOPTED 2014 AND 2016.

PLANNED GIVING

Musical Heritage Society

We are pleased to list the current members herein because they have realized the importance of “the gift that keeps giving.” Each of these individuals or couples have made provisions for a contribution to the BPO in their estate plans and while there are many different methods, the most common is by adding the BPO as a beneficiary in one’s will. Anonymous (4) Angelo & Carol Fatta Mrs. Frederick S. Pierce Charlotte C. Acer Marion Fay Edwin Polokoff Elizabeth & John Angelbeck Dr. Mildred J. Fischle* Susan Potter Rita Argen Auerbach Judith & John* Fisher Dennis Quinn Charles Balbach Marjorie* and William Gardner Virginia Ann Quinn Jennifer Barbee Richard E. Garman* Donald M. Behr & Samuel E. Edward N. Giannino, Jr. Evelyn Joyce Ramsdell Lolinger* Mr. George Eagan Ginther Sally Rohrdanz* The Reverend and Mr. & Mrs. Byron R. Goldman Sylvia L. Rosen Mrs. Peter W. Bridgford* Ms. Constance A. Greco John and Susan Rowles James A. Brophy & Fraser B. Drew* Susan J. Grelick Nancy E. Ryther* Daniel R. Burch Gordon* & Gretchen Gross Anthony J. Cassetta Peter Hall & M.E. O'Leary Paul and Gerda Sanio The Joanne Castellani and Marion Hanson* Kenneth Schmieder, Michael Andriaccio Charitable Trust Margaret W. Henry In memory of Nancy L. Julian Barbara & Jerry* Castiglia Mr. & Mrs. George G. Herbert Gilbert Schulenberg Gerard and Rachel Catalano Monte & Cheryl* Hoffman Betty J. Schultz Cheryl I. Christie Mrs. L. Nelson Hopkins, Jr.* Ida Christie* Philip H. Hubbell Catherine F. Schweitzer Victoria A. Christopher in memory of Jayne T. Hubbell Joseph and Carole Sedita In honor of JoAnn Falletta and Paul A. Imbert Roger & Joan Simon Donald McCrorey Robert and Hana Jacobi Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Skerker Dr. Sebastian and Mrs. Marilyn Bruce and Gail Johnstone Dennis M. Smolarek Ciancio Theresa Kazmierczak Louis & Ann Louise Ciminelli Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth R. Kahn Jane Snowden* Ms. Elizabeth G. Clark Kathleen Keenan-Takagi Monica and Steve Spaulding Mr.* & Mrs.* William M. Clarkson The Herbert & Ella Knight Harriet Stewart* Mary E. Clemesha* Family Charitable Fund David D. Stout & Ruth Cohan* Rosalind and Michael Kochmanski Janet E. Popp Stout Mrs. George Cohn Dr. Merrily Kuhn and Mr. James Anne Conable Kulwicki Gerald R. Strauss Dr. Elizabeth Conant Norma Jean Lamb* Sue W. Strauss Ellen Todd Cooper Eric E. & Ruth F. Lansing Cecelia Tachok* Rev. Raymond G. Corbin Mr. * & Mrs. * Wilfred J. Larson Nancy B. Thomas Marilyn R. Cornelius Kalista S. Lehrer* Therese M. Vita Dr. Sharon F. Cramer and Steve & Sandy Levinthal Mr. Leslie R. Morris* Bradford Lewis, PhD Jim and Michal Wadsworth, in honor of the BPO Viola Section Gerald & Barbara Lipa as trustees of the Mulroy, Sandra B. Cumming Francie D. & Joel N. Lippman Heath and Colby Foundations Beverly Davies Marie Marshall* Dr. Bernard D. Wakefield* Clarence Davis, Jr.* Mr.* & Mrs. J. A. Mattern Mrs. Robert Warner* Mrs. Roberta Dayer Sandra and Dennis McCarthy Tim DiCarlo Michael and Lorrie Munschauer Marjorie W. Watson Mr.* and Mrs. Anthony N. Diina Donna & Leo Nalbach Dorothy Westhafer* Charles* & Nancy* Dowdell Rev. Russell A. Newbert Wayne* & Janet Wisbaum Ellen & Victor* Doyno Drs. Howard & Karen Noonan Elizabeth Ann Withrow Sarah & Donald Dussing Robert & Marion North Fund Jeanne C. Eaton* Mr.* and Mrs.* J. Milton Zeckhauser George F. Phillips, Jr.* *deceased

Trusts

Anonymous AJL Fund Lawrence M. Appleby Fund at the CFGB Cameron Baird Fund Benderson BPO Endowment Fund Virgil A. and Margaret L. Black Memorial Fund Philip & Joyce Celniker Fund Irwin H. Cheskin Fund at the CFGB Mildred Bork Conners & Joseph E. Conners Fund Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society Inc. Endowment Fund Grace Neff Daniels Memorial Anne Catt Filer Fund at the CFGB

Howard F. Gondree Fund Joan Hetzelt Hanifin Memorial Fund D. Bruce and Gail Johnstone Fund at the CFGB The Herbert & Ella Knight Family Charitable Fund John and Carol Kociela Fund at the CFGB Janet K. Larkin & John D. Larkin III Fund Albert H. Laub Bequest Donald I. MacDavid Charitable Trust Marie A. Marshall Fund MPZ Endowment Fund Benjamin and Lila Obletz Endowment Fund Mary Louise Olmsted Fund

Susan Harvey Prentis Fund Margaret Frank Rofot Charitable Lead Trust Natalie Kubera Roth Fund Martin and Barbara Schechtman Charitable Remainder Unitrust William Kenneth Schmitt Fund Dr. & Mrs. Roy E. Seibel Philanthropic Fund Joseph and Loretta Swart Fund Nellie B. Warner Endowment Fund Charlotte Potter Whitcher Trust

To ensure your wishes are carried on for the BPO for generations to come, you may call Guy Tomassi (716) 242-7821 for more information. The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra endorses the LEAVE A LEGACY® WESTERN NEW YORK program, an initiative of the WNY Planned Giving Consortium and a public awareness campaign of the National Committee on Planned Giving.

SPOTLIGHT ON SPONSOR

BPO ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Kevin James

Sales and Patron Services

Nicole M. Bodemer

Jennifer Colwell

Development

Jacqueline Henry

Associate Executive Director & Vice President, Development

Susan Hill

Patron Services Representatives

Vice President, Corporate Relations & Special Projects

Marketing

Administration

Finance

President & Executive Director

Diana Martinusek

Vice President, Finance & Administration

Daniel Hart

Executive Assistant

Associate Director of Finance

Jennifer Barbee Wendy Diina

Katie Bates Johnson Annual Fund Manager

Finance/Accounts Payable Associate

AndréeRenée Simpson

Kleinhans Music Hall Staff

Guy Tomassi

Kelcie Hanaka

Marketing Manager

Digital Marketing Manager

Cary Michael Trout Education and Graphic Designer/Consultant Community Engagement Operations Robin Parkinson, Vice President, Education & Community Engagement

Alison Bolton

Education Manager

Brian Seibel

Rachael Pudlewski

Patron Services Supervisor

Patrick O’Herron

Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Major and Planned Gifts Officer

Senior Manager of Patron Services

Anne Boucher Bethany Erhardt Scott Kurchak Edward Lonergan Amy Sturmer

Payroll and HR/ Benefits Administrator

Holly Johnson

Grant and Corporate Relations Coordinator

Adam Cady

Vice President, Artistic & Orchestra Operations

Renee Radzavich

Building Services Coordinator

Michael Cassidy Chief Engineer

Dennis Nawojski

Concessions Manager

Alister Bouvart

Parking & Set Up Supervisor

Event Manager

Connor Schloop

Operations Manager

Sarah Lewandowski

Orchestra Personnel Manager

Al Rabin

Audience Services Manager

Advertise with us todaywe have your platform!

(716) 972-2250 buffalospree.com

PATRON INFORMATION WHAT TO KNOW AT THE BPO • Kleinhans Music Hall will open 90 minutes before a concert’s scheduled start, or earlier depending on pre-concert activities. • Special assistance in the areas of parking, seating, and hearing will be accommodated to the best of our ability. Please contact the Box Office ahead of your visit. -Options are available for patrons using mobility aids or requesting a wheelchair accessible location and accompanying companion seating. -Hearing Assistance Devices are available at the coat check. -Please note: there is no elevator to the balcony level. • It is strictly forbidden to record, photograph, or film during a performance in the Main Auditorium. Photography is permitted in the hall before and after concerts. • Late arrivals will be seated at the first suitable break or at intermission. Late seating may not be in the purchased section. • Security staff is available at all times, and an EMT is on site for all concerts and performances. Please notify an usher or staff member if there is a medical or security need. • Kleinhans Music Hall maintains a smoke-free environment. • All programs and artists are subject to change without notice. • Sorry, no refunds or exchanges on single ticket purchases.

Shuttle Service and BPO Preferred Restaurants

BPO Parking at Kleinhans $8 evening and Sunday performances; $5 Coffee concerts and BPO Kids performances.

FREE Park and Ride Shuttle (SELECT Saturdays)

Shuttle service begins at 6pm and ends 30 minutes after the conclusion of the concert.

• D’Youville College Lot D, 430 West Avenue between Connecticut & Porter Ave, 14213 (SELECT Saturday performances only) • BPO Clement House Lot, 786 Delaware Avenue corner of Summer Street, 14209 (SELECT Saturday performances only) Shuttle service is only available for SELECT dates. Please join our email club at bpo.org or call the Box Office for updated information. SALVATORE’S SYMPHONY SHUTTLE Saturday Nights $15 per person, leaving promptly at 6:30pm from the rear of the lot near the water tower, 6461 Transit Rd. and Genesee St. in Depew. Call the reservation hotline at (716) 885-5000 and select “shuttle” option to reserve your place, or reserve online at bpo.org MARCATO by Oliver’s at Kleinhans Music Hall A new concept for fine dining on Kleinhans Lower Level. For more information or to make reservations, call (716) 877-9662. SALVATORE’S ITALIAN GARDENS 6461 Transit Rd. and Genesee St. in Depew. Call (716) 683-7990 for dinner reservations. Dinner and shuttle sold separately. 31 CLUB 31 N. Johnson Park and Elmwood Avenue in Downtown Buffalo. Complimentary shuttle service for dinner patrons to and from Kleinhans on all concert nights. Call (716) 332-3131 for reservations and information.