Prelude Live Fall 2019 by Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

OFFICIAL PROGRAMME OF THE CALGARY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA MUSIC DIRECTOR RUNE BERGMANN

AUTUMN 2019 | VOLUME 46 NO. 1

A GIFT OF MUSIC: HEATHER EDWARDS BRINGS VIOLINIST ITZHAK PERLMAN TO CALGARY P. 16 . game changing composers: Mahler, Stravinsky, and Britten p. 24

Y M E R JE ER H C T U D

classical queen: Thorgy Thor talks music and drag p. 45

BRIDGING CULTURES, GENRES, AND GENERATIONS

P. 36

YOUR COPY TO TAKE HOME

2 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

IN THIS ISSUE

PAGE 14

PAGE 38

PAGE 42

PRELUDE LIVE AUTUMN 2019

22 GREATEST OPERA HITS

41 PATRON PROGRAMMES

06 CALGARY PHILHARMONIC

feature 24 SAM’S PICKS: THIS SEASON’S REVOLUTIONARY COMPOSERS

42 THORGY AND THE

08 CALGARY PHILHARMONIC

26 MODERN MASTERS

ESSAGE FROM THE M PRESIDENT + CEO ORCHESTRA CHORUS

10 FAQ 12 THE MUSIC OF ABBA 14 AN EVENING WITH

ITZHAK PERLMAN: CINEMA SERENADE

feature 16 HEATHER EDWARDS GIVES GIFT OF MUSIC

28 DISNEY IN CONCERT: MARY POPPINS

30 ELECTRA RISING:

FORSYTH CELLO CONCERTO

32 GHOSTBUSTERS IN CONCERT:

HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR

34 BOND + BEYOND

18 KIDS AT THE OPERA

feature 36 JEREMY DUTCHER SHARES THE SONGS OF HIS ANCESTORS

20 RUSH HOUR:

38 JEREMY DUTCHER IN CONCERT

GREATEST OPERA HITS

THORCHESTRA

feature 45 Q + A WITH CLASSICAL QUEEN THORGY THOR

46 RESURRECTION:

MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 2

feature 50 INDIGENOUS MUSICIANS

SPEAK UP! AT STUDIO BELL

52 CHAMPION DONORS

feature GAME CHANGING MOMENTS

ON THE COVER Jeremy Dutcher © Vanessa Heins

AUTUMN 2019 | 3

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT + CEO

CALGARY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2019/2020 Season. The theme is ‘Game Changers’ and we are presenting the work of artists who changed the world — some from hundreds of years ago, and some who are making a difference as we speak.

205 8 Ave. SE | Calgary, AB T2G 0K9 Tel: 403.571.0270 | Fax: 403.294.7424 Box Office: 403.571.0849 calgaryphil.com MAUREEN MCNAMEE Managing Editor JANET BWITITI Editorial Advisor OMAR JEHA Creative Advisor DON ANDERSON SAM LOECK KATHLEEN RENNE DAVID SUSSMAN SABLE SWEETGRASS THORGY THOR KARINA ZAPATA Contributers REDPOINT MEDIA & MARKETING SOLUTIONS #100 1900 11 Street SE Calgary, AB T2G 3G2 PETE GRAVES President + CEO JOYCE BYRNE Group Publisher PRITHA KALAR Publisher JILL FORAN Editorial Director MIKE MATOVICH Production Manager REBECCA MIDDLEBROOK Graphic Designer MELISSA BROWN JOCELYN ERHARDT DEISE MACDOUGALL LINDY NEWSTAEDTER Account Executives Advertising inquiries can be answered at 403.240.9055 or emailed to info@redpointmedia.ca Prelude Live is published three times a year by RedPoint Media Group Inc. Copyright 2019 by RedPoint Media Group Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written consent of the publisher. Canadian publications mail product sales agreement #40030911. A member of the Alberta Magazine Publisher’s Association, albertamagazines.com

One of the first Game Changers in the lineup is esteemed violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman, here for a special benefit concert thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Heather Edwards. This is a one-night-only opportunity to see one of this generation’s defining artists demonstrate that great classical music and popular culture don’t have to be strangers. Other Game Changers highlighted this fall are fabulous drag queen Thorgy Thor, Polaris Prize and Juno Award-winning tenor and pianist Jeremy Dutcher, and Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 2 with full Orchestra and Chorus — a work that redefined what a symphony can sound like. As always, we love to hear from our audiences — please feel free to look for me or other CPO staff at the concert hall and let us know how we’re doing!

PAUL DORNIAN

MAYOR NAHEED NENSHI Honorary Patron

JENNIFER FOURNIER Senior Development Officer

MAESTRO RUNE BERGMANN Music Director

BARBARA SOLES Senior Development Officer

KARL HIRZER Associate Conductor + Assistant Chorus Master

JENNIFER TAYLOR Donor + Prospect Information Manager

TIMOTHY SHANTZ Chorus Master

SCOTT CAREY Grant Writer

ADMINSTRATION PAUL DORNIAN President + CEO TRICIA BAILEY Assistant to the President + CEO ARTISTIC OPERATIONS JENNIFER MACDONALD Director ALYSHA BULMER Education + Outreach Manager

Venue Partner

Official Publisher

FINANCE MARIA LAMAS Director SUSANNE FRAUCHIGER Operations Accountant KAREN HALFORD-EDWARDS Operations Accountant

JESSE CARROLL Production Manager

MARKETING + SALES JANET BWITITI Director

JASON STASIUK Artistic Operations Manager

COURTNEY ILIE Associate Director, Sales

MICHAEL THOMSON Orchestra Personnel Manager

MAUREEN MCNAMEE Communications Manager

PAUL CHIRKA Recording Engineer

FELICIA CHOW Office Administrator

ADAM MASSON Artistic Operations Coordinator

OMAR JEHA Graphic Designer

ROB GREWCOCK Music Librarian

DAGNY MACGREGOR Community Engagement Coordinator

KEVIN WU Music Library Assistant DEVELOPMENT JIM CAMPBELL Director VIVIANA D’AMBROSIO Senior Development Officer

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TARA KILMER Event Coordinator

GREG MACKAY Digital Media Coordinator KATRINA NETHERCOTT Marketing + Sales Coordinator

BOARD OF DIRECTORS WALT DEBONI Board Chair TIM GILLESPIE Governance Committee Chair JANET YUCHEM Finance + Audit Committee Chair PAUL DORNIAN Ex-officio LARA PELLA Board Secretary KEITH BYBLOW FERN CYR CORINNE GRIGORIU EILEEN GUKERT SAMUEL HAYES DON HERMAN ANNE HOWARD SAM LOECK BRENDAN MCCRACKEN SHEILA MCINTOSH ROBERT PALMER MONICA SAMPER DONOVAN SEIDLE CPO FOUNDATION JEREMY CLARK President TERRY DALGLEISH Q.C. Vice President JOHN PARTRIDGE Treasurer DAVID DALY Secretary LETHA MACLACHLAN Q.C. BYRON NEILES RYAN STASYNEC CATHY WILLIAMS JANET YUCHEM

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PRINCIPAL

CALGARY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA RUNE BERGMANN Music Director KARL HIRZER Associate Conductor TIMOTHY SHANTZ Chorus Master ROBERTO MINCZUK Music Director Laureate HANS GRAF Music Director Laureate MARIO BERNARDI Conductor Laureate CENEK VRBA Concertmaster Emeritus

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

FIRST VIOLINS DIANA COHEN Concertmaster JOHN LOWRY Associate Concertmaster DONOVAN SEIDLE Assistant Concertmaster EDMUND CHUNG AUSTIN HANSEN ERICA HUDSON HANGYUL KIM OLGA KOTOVA BONNIE LOUIE GENEVIEVE MICHELETTI MARIA VAN DER SLOOT

CELLOS ARNOLD CHOI JOSUÉ VALDEPEÑAS JOAN KENT

MAXWELL STEIN

THOMAS MEGEE

HEATHER WOOTTON

DAVID MORRISSEY DANIEL POCETA KAREN YOUNGQUIST

HYEWON GRILLET-KIM CRAIG HUTCHENREUTHER MINNIE MIN KYUNG KWON THERESA LANE ADRIANA LEBEDOVICH

ADAM ZINATELLI MATTHEW ROSS

SAM LOECK KYLE SANBORN MATTHEW HELLER

TROMBONES JAMES SCOTT MICHAEL THOMSON

GRAEME MUDD TRISH BERETI-REID

FLUTES

JEREMY GABBERT

TRUMPETS

BASSES

SECOND VIOLINS STEPHANIE SOLTICE-JOHNSON

JENNIFER FRANK-UMANA WILLIAM HOPSON

PATRICK STAPLES

ERIN BURKHOLDER

ROBERT MCCOSH

KATHLEEN DE CAEN

HOJEAN YOO

LORNA TSAI

HORNS

SARA HAHN-SCINOCCO

BASS TROMBONE DAVID REID TUBA TOM MCCASLIN

GWEN KLASSEN TIMPANI PICCOLO

ALEXANDER COHEN

GWEN KLASSEN PERCUSSION OBOES

JOSH JONES

ALEX KLEIN DAVID SUSSMAN

HARP TISHA MURVIHILL

STEVEN J. LUBIARZ ENGLISH HORN VIOLAS

DAVID SUSSMAN

MARCIN SWOBODA

LIBRARIAN ROB GREWCOCK

LAURENT GRILLET-KIM CLARINETS

ARTHUR BACHMANN

SLAVKO POPOVIC

MUSIC LIBRARY ASSISTANT

JEREMY BAUMAN

JOCELYN COLQUHOUN

KEVIN WU

PETER BLAKE MICHAEL BURSEY

BASSOONS

ALISA KLEBANOV

ANTOINE ST-ONGE

JESSE MORRISON

MICHAEL HOPE

PERSONNEL MANAGER MICHAEL THOMSON

THE CALGARY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA IS PROUD TO PERFORM LIVE SYMPHONIC MUSIC FOR THE ALBERTA BALLET, CALGARY OPERA, AND HONENS INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION. The members of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra are members of The Calgary Musicians Association, Local 547 of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. Repertoire often requires extra musicians including: Dongkyun An, cello; Eric Auerbach, violin; Gianetta Baril, harp; Rolf Bertsch, keyboard; Tim Borton, percussion; Jeremy Brown, saxophone; Stan Climie, clarinet; Neil Cockburn, harpsichord and organ; John Feldberg, bassoon; Gareth Jones, trumpet; Lucie Jones, flute; Janet Kuschak, cello; Malcolm Lim, percussion; Sarah (Gieck) MacDonald, flute; Aura Pon, oboe; Heather Schienbein, flute; Richard Scholz, trumpet; Eva Sztrain, violin; Doug Umana, horn. 6 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

RUNE BERGMANN Music Director Norwegian conductor Rune Bergmann is Music Director of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Szczecin Philharmonic in Poland, and incoming Music Director of Switzerland’s Argovia Philharmonic, starting in the 2020/2021 Season. Highlights of Bergmann’s 2019/2020 Season include starting the CPO’s 2020 Beethoven series, returning to the North Carolina Symphony, debuting with the Colorado Symphony, and leading a new production of Don Giovanni at Opera Naples. Bergmann also regularly conducts distinguished orchestras and opera houses, including the Oslo Philharmonic, Norwegian National Opera, Bergen Philharmonic, Wroclaw Philharmonic, Orquesta de Valencia, and the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg, as well as the Symphony Orchestras of Malmö, Helsingborg, Bergen, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Trondheim, Karlskrona, and Odense, and Lisbon’s Orquestra Sinfonica Portuguesa. In North America, he has appeared with the Alabama, Baltimore, Detroit, Edmonton, Grand Rapids, Pacific, Houston, and Toledo Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Brevard Music Festival. Bergmann has been Artistic Director of Norway’s innovative Fjord Cadenza Festival since its inception in 2010, and his former posts include Deputy-General Musik Direktor with the Augsburger Philharmoniker and Theater Augsburg in Germany.

KARL HIRZER Associate Conductor + Assistant Chorus Master Since September 2016, Karl Hirzer has been Resident, then Associate Conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. He has conducted the Nova Scotia Symphony and Regina Symphony Orchestra, and is a regular guest conductor with Land’s End Ensemble. In 2019, American composer John Corigliano, who collaborated with the ensemble on his song cycle Mr. Tambourine Man, stated: “Mr. Hirzer brought a combination of detailed accuracy and intense musical feeling to the work, resulting in an absolutely marvelous performance.” In the 2019/2020 Season, Hirzer debuts with the Szczecin Philharmonic in Poland, and takes on the additional role of Assistant Chorus Master with the CPO. He was previously Assistant Conductor for the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and the McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble, and worked with the Gstaad Festival Orchestra. He was also a Conducting Fellow at the 2017 Cortona Sessions for New Music. Hirzer has performed with diverse soloists such as Evelyn Glennie, Jonathan Crow, Chris Botti, Owen Pallett, and others. As an educator, he was on faculty at the 22nd Morningside Music Bridge program in Warsaw, Poland. Hirzer trained as a pianist and holds bachelor’s (University of Victoria) and master’s (McGill University) degrees, as well as an ARCT obtained at age 17.

VINCENT HO New Music Advisor Vincent Ho is a multiple awardwinning and three-time Juno Awardnominated composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal, and theatre music. His works have been described as “brilliant and compelling” by the New York Times and hailed for their profound expressiveness and textural beauty, leaving audiences talking about them with great enthusiasm. His many awards have included Harvard University’s Fromm Music Commission, the Canada Council for the Arts Robert Fleming Prize, ASCAP’s Morton Gould Young Composer Award, four SOCAN Young Composers Awards, and CBC Radio’s Audience Choice Award. From 2007 to 2014, Ho served as the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s composer-inresidence and presented a number of large-scale works that generated critical praise. Born in Ottawa, Ho began his musical training through Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music, where he received his Associate Diploma in Piano Performance. He gained his bachelor of music from the University of Calgary, his master of music from the University of Toronto, and his doctor of musical arts from the University of Southern California.

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PRINCIPAL

CALGARY PHILHARMONIC CHORUS The Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, led by Chorus Master Timothy Shantz and Assistant Chorus Master Karl Hirzer, is a group of over 100 volunteer singers who perform a diverse repertoire including oratorio, opera, light classics, contemporary music, and pops. The acclaimed ensemble is featured in approximately five to eight programs with the Orchestra each season. Established in 1963, the Chorus works with the Orchestra to achieve excellence in the performance of choral music and to promote the enjoyment and development of choral singing in the Calgary community. Chorus members come from all walks of life and include students, teachers, medical professionals, lawyers, stayat-home parents, and retirees who dedicate over 20,000 hours annually to rehearsals and performances. The Chorus often takes part in community education and outreach activities with the Orchestra throughout the year. The Chorus has participated in choral festivals across Canada, has been featured in live recordings and several live-streams, and has performed for Queen Elizabeth II in a special presentation conducted by the late Mario Bernardi.

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CHORUS MASTER TIMOTHY SHANTZ ASSISTANT CHORUS MASTER KARL HIRZER ACCOMPANIST EVAN MOUNCE SOPRANO HANNAH PAGENKOPF ROSANNA ARCEGA KARIN BAUMGARDNER LINDSAY BELLEMORE ELLEN BORAK MICHELLE BOZYNSKI TRICIA BRAY CAROLYN BYERS CHRISTINA CANDRA KATHERINE CLARKE SHEILA COOK LAURA DAVIS INA DOBRINSKI SIHANA DORFSMAN GAIL FELTHAM LISA FERNANDES YMENE FOULI SUE GALCHER SIM GALLOWAY ALISON GIBSON CAROLYN HATT DALE HENSLEY JESSICA HOW LINDA JANZEN ALLISON JOHNSON AMY KLINTBERG PAT KNECHT DANIELLE LOGAN MAUREEN MCDONALD JULIE MILLER RUTHANNA PENTON GILLIAN POSEY COLLEEN POTTER ANDREA SCHNARE KRISTEN SEAMS LISA SEARS-WALSH JOAN SIMMINS

JENNY SKIDMORE CHANTELLE STEVENSON CHANDRA STROMBERG MELISSA SYMANCZYK NORMA WEBB DIANNE WILLIAMS ALTO JULIA MILLEN MARGARET ANDERSON BARBARA BOLAND INDRANI CHATTERJEE TANYA CHOW BREANNE COADY BERNIE CONSTANTIN CAROL COOPER SHIRLEY CUMMING JANICE DAHLBERG GILLIAN FORSTER KAY HARRISON PATRICIA HEITMAN AMANDA HOLT HELEN ISAAC HEATHER KLASSEN OKSANA KRASNOZHEN KAITLIN KRELL CATHERINE LASUITA LORRIE LIPSKI BARBARA MATHIES SUE MCNAUGHTON SUSAN MENDONCA PATTY MINO MARA OSIS KAREN PALMER ANASTASIYA PETRUK JOSEE ROBITAILLE ANNE RODGER RACHEL ROSS DONNA RUPARELL MONICA SAMPER MONICA SCHULTZ MARIAN ŽEKULIN TENOR JASON RAGAN TIMOTHY AHRENHOLZ DEAN ALLATT

TIM BELL KEEVIN BERG TRISTRAM CHIVERS PAT FAVARO ANDREW FRASER BARB HOGAN JUNGSOO KIM ALLAN MORGAN DAVID OWEN PETER RILSTONE RICHARD SEALE ROSS SMITH JOSEPH STEDMAN DENNIS VOTH BASS NICHOLAS ALLEN ARCHIBALD ADAMS ODENIYI AYO-AJAYI IAN CHARTER JAMIE CHING TIMOTHY COOKE LLOYD CROSBY KEVIN DI FILIPPO ARTHUR DICK ALAN DORNIAN JOHN GHITAN IAN GIBSON BRIAN GRZELEWSKI ALLAN HUBER DYLAN JONES TYLER JONES ERIC KLAASSEN IAN LUNT KEITH ODEGARD JACKSON PARTRIDGE DAN PHILIPS TEDDY POPE ALASDAIR ROBINSON DANA SALTER DAVID SCHEY TOM VAN HARDEVELD RICHARD WANNER MAXWELL WEBBER JIM WEISERT KEITH WYENBERG

Featuring live music with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

TIMOTHY SHANTZ Chorus Master Timothy Shantz brings a wealth of expertise and artistry to his roles as Chorus Master for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and Founder and Artistic Director of Luminous Voices. He was also Artistic Director of Spiritus Chamber Choir for 11 seasons. This year, Shantz joins the Department of Music at the University of Alberta as an Associate Professor. In a review of the CPO’s 2019 performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Kenneth DeLong of the Calgary Herald called it “the best performance of this work I have heard outside commercial CDs and a fine tribute to Shantz, who has, seemingly single-handed, brought choral music to a new level in the city.” Shantz has several recordings to his name, including Zachary Wadsworth’s The Far West (2016), which received the 2018 National Choral Award for Outstanding Choral Recording and 2016 National Choral Award for Outstanding Choral Composition from Choral Canada. Shantz holds a doctor of music degree in Choral Conducting from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He is also a graduate of the University of Alberta’s Choral Conducting programme, and earned a degree in piano performance from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Experience the magic of the holidays live on stage with Alberta Ballet’s The Nutcracker. This classic story has enchanting dance, whimsical costumes, dazzling sets and a cast of 120 performers! Make Alberta Ballet’s The Nutcracker part of your family’s tradition this holiday season.

CALGARY DEC 13-15, 20-24 Tickets at albertaballet.com

AUTUMN 2019 | 9

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHAT DO I WEAR TO THE ORCHESTRA? Whatever you want! At the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra there is no formal dress code. We want you to feel comfortable and relaxed so you can enjoy the performance. Most attendees wear business-casual attire, but you will see everything from jeans to cocktail wear. Dress in your own style and what makes you most comfortable.

ARE DRINKS ALLOWED IN THE CONCERT HALL? Yes! Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are permitted in the concert hall, with the exception of the occasional Family Special. Many people arrive early to enjoy a drink in the lobby or take in a pre-concert chat before the performance.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I’M LATE? We realize that even the best laid plans sometimes go sideways. Ushers do their best to seat latecomers at appropriate breaks in the performance, but in some cases, this may not be possible until the completion of an entire work. We don’t want you to miss anything, so you can listen to the music and watch the screens in the lobby. 10 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

WHAT IS YOUR MOBILE PHONE POLICY? One of the joys of a live concert is you can sit back and experience the music without distractions, but we also know you don’t want to miss an important message from the babysitter. So, if you leave your mobile device on, we simply ask that you turn the sound off, turn the brightness down, and be considerate of your neighbours.

CAN I TAKE PHOTOS OR VIDEOS IN THE CONCERT HALL? We are happy for you to share your experience at a CPO performance. For most performances you can take quick photos or videos, but you can’t use a flash — as you can imagine, it interferes with the musicians’ ability to see the music.

HOW LONG IS A CONCERT? Concert length varies, but a typical performance starting at 7:30PM is about two hours long including a 20-minute intermission. Rush Hour concerts, held on select Fridays at 6:30PM, and Symphony Sundays for Kids concerts, held on select Sundays at 3PM, are usually one hour long with no intermission.

WHERE CAN I FIND PARKING? There are several parking lots in the area, but leave yourself time to find a spot as they fill up fast. Underground parking is available at Arts Commons and the nearby Civic Plaza and Telus Convention Centre parkades. If you take the C-Train, the stations are located one block from Arts Commons. Also, bike racks can be found on Stephen Avenue in front of the Jack Singer Concert Hall.

WHEN DO I CLAP? This is our most common question. Traditionally in classical music culture, audiences hold their applause until the end of an entire piece (there can be multiple movements, with short breaks between them, in one piece). This is intended to respect the performers’ focus and the flow of the music. You’ll know when the piece is finished because the conductor typically puts their arms down completely and turns to the audience. But if you do happen to clap before the piece is finished, that’s okay! The musicians will be happy to know you’re enjoying the performance.

MORE QUESTIONS? Visit calgaryphil.com/ plan-your-experience

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AUTUMN 2019 | 11

13 + 14 SEP

5 THINGS ABOUT ABBA 1. A BBA’s rise to stardom began in 1974 when the Swedish pop band won a Eurovision Song Contest in England with Waterloo. Eventually, the band went on to sell an estimated 375 million albums and singles. 2. A BBA’s name comes from the first initials of its four members: Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid ‘Frida.’ 3. During the band’s heyday, Agnetha and Bjorn married, then Benny and Anna-Frid married, but both couples broke up even before the band did in 1982. 4. A BBA’s most successful album, Gold, sold more copies in the United Kingdom than any Beatles album, but they didn’t have a No. 1 album in the United States until 2008, with Mama Mia! — the soundtrack for the hit movie.

Friday 13 September 2019 / 7:30PM Saturday 14 September 2019 / 7:30PM Pops

The Music of ABBA SPONSORS Associate Conductor Sponsor: Mary Rozsa de Coquet Concert Sponsor: Valentine Volvo Conductor Couturier: Umberto Custom Tailors Ltd.

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Indicates Canadian artist or composer

5. Apparently, ABBA’s flashy outfits — think bell-bottoms, hot pants, platform heels and lots of sparkle — were tax-deductible as long as they didn’t qualify as street clothes. In a book published in 2014, Björn said: “In my honest opinion we looked like nuts in those years.”

Karl Hirzer biography on page 7

“A superb, heart-rushing score” – THE GLOBE & MAIL PHOTO OF FRANCE BELLEMARE AND LUC ROBERT - OPÉRA DE MONTRÉAL – YVES RENAUD (2017)

TICKETS ARRIVAL FROM SWEDEN Band ARRIVAL from Sweden was founded by Vicky Zetterberg in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden and soon became one of the world’s most popular ABBA show bands. The band has toured in 60 countries and appeared in TV and radio shows all over the world. ARRIVAL from Sweden’s The Music of ABBA production is an authentic ABBA show that has sold out arenas and venues since 1995. The concert includes hits like Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Does Your Mother Know, Take A Chance, SOS, The Winner Takes It All, Super Trouper, Money Money Money, Waterloo, Honey Honey, Fernando, Chiquitita, Knowing Me Knowing You, Thank You For The Music, Lay All Your Love On Me, Gimme Gimme Gimme, and more, delivered with such accuracy that it’s hard to believe it’s not the real ABBA onstage. ARRIVAL from Sweden has also played with more than 60 symphony orchestras, including Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta. This production is the closest you will ever get to seeing ABBA!

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P E T E R J O ST. C A AUTUMN 2019 | 13

ABOUT THE WORKS

21 SEP

An Evening with Itzhak Perlman: Cinema Serenade SPONSORS This special benefit concert in support of CPO Education and Outreach programmes is made possible thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Heather Edwards Conductor Couturier: Umberto Custom Tailors Ltd.

PROGRAMME Rune Bergmann, conductor Itzhak Perlman, violin Respighi Pini di Roma (Pines of Rome), P. 141 I. I pini di Villa Borghese II. Pini presso una catacomba III. I pini del Gianicolo IV. I pini della Via Appia

23'

Intermission

20'

Hupfeld (arr. John Williams)

As Time Goes By from Casablanca

Morricone (arr. John Williams)

Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso

John Williams

Theme from Far and Away

Barry (arr. John Williams)

Main Theme from Out of Africa

Korngold (arr. John Williams)

Marian and Robin Love Theme from The Adventures of Robin Hood

John Williams Theme from Sabrina Theme from Schindler’s List

5' 4'

Gardel (arr. John Williams)

Tango (Por Una Cabeza)

Progamme and artists subject to change without notice

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Programme Notes by Don Anderson

Rune Bergmann biography on page 7

2019

Concert photo

21 September 2019 / 7:30PM Specials

In a country obsessed with opera, Respighi proved himself a maverick by winning his greatest fame in the concert hall. His colourful and atmospheric orchestral style successfully blended elements of Romanticism (Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Puccini) with the limpid pastel Impressionism of Debussy. Studies with Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, a master of spectacular orchestral effects, proved especially influential on the young Respighi. He relocated to Rome in 1913 and lived there for the remainder of his life. He celebrated the past and present beauties of his beloved adopted city in three sumptuous tone poems: Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924), and Roman Festivals (1929). Each one has four sections that are performed without interruption. Regarding Pines of Rome, he wrote, “Children are at play in the pine groves of the Villa Borghese; they dance round in circles, they play at soldiers, marching and fighting... Suddenly the scene changes, and we see the shades of the pine trees fringing the entrance to a catacomb. From the depths rises the sound of mournful psalm-singing, flowing through the air like a solemn hymn, and gradually and mysteriously dispersing. A quiver runs through the air; the pine trees of the Janiculum [one of the seven hills upon which Rome was built] stand distinctly outlined in the clear light of a full moon. A nightingale is singing [Respighi called for an actual recording] Misty dawn on the Appian Way: solitary pine trees guarding the magic landscape; the muffled, ceaseless rhythm of unending footsteps. The poet has a fantastic vision of bygone glories: trumpets sound and, in the brilliance of the newly risen sun, a consular army bursts forth towards the Sacred Way, mounting in triumph to the Capitol.”

Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

PINES OF ROME Ottorino Respighi (1879 to 1936)

Itzhak Perlman

Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

ITZHAK PERLMAN Violin Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music. Having performed with every major orchestra and at concert halls around the globe, Perlman was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honour, by President Obama in 2015, a Kennedy Center Honour in 2003, a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000, and a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan in 1986. Perlman has been honoured with 16 Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honour, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Genesis Prize. In the 2019/2020 season, Perlman embarks on a debut tour of a new programme entitled An Evening with Itzhak Perlman, which captures highlights of his career through narrative and multi-media elements, intertwined with performance. The tour goes to Penn State, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, McCallum Theatre Palm Desert, Mesa Arts Center, Artis-Naples and the State Theatre New Jersey. On the orchestral front, Perlman makes appearances with the

Israel Philharmonic in Zubin Mehta’s final appearances as Music Director and performs with the Baltimore Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Charlotte Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Toledo Symphony, and Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Throughout the season, he plays recitals with his longtime collaborator, Rohan De Silva, across North America. In June 2019, Masterclass.com, the premier online education company that enables access to the world’s most brilliant minds, including Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Helen Mirren, Jodie Foster, and Serena Williams, premiered their firstever classical-music class taught by Mr. Perlman. Available exclusively at www.masterclass.com/ip, Perlman’s class offers students an intimate and inspirational approach to the world of violin where he covers fundamental techniques, practice strategies, and ways to build a richer sound. Itzhak Perlman’s recordings have garnered 16 Grammy Awards and regularly appear on the best-seller charts. In 2008, Mr. Perlman was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in the recording arts.

SUBSCRIBING HAS ITS PERKS! The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra has partnered with local businesses to provide discounts and benefits to subscribers. Subscriber Rewards Partners

Mr. Perlman’s recordings can be found on the Deutsche Grammophon, Warner/EMI, Sony Classical, London/Decca, Erato/Elektra International Classics, and Telarc labels. For more information on Itzhak Perlman, visit www.itzhakperlman.com. Management for Itzhak Perlman: Primo Artists, New York, NY www.primoartists.com

Learn more about the special offers at calgaryphil.com/rewards Become a Subscriber today to take advantage of the best prices available for CPO concert tickets, plus additional perks and rewards!

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AUTUMN 2019 | 15

A GIFT OF BEAUTIFUL MUSIC Heather Edwards brings Itzhak Perlman to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra BY KATHLEEN RENNE

hen Heather Edwards was a child, her mother gave her a surprise that has had a long-lasting impact: tickets to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) to see world-renowned Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman. “I was completely spellbound by the experience. It’s one of those moments I go back to, even now, whenever I need a moment of peace or joy, or there are things happening in my life for which I need grounding. I return to that front-row seat and being incredibly transported by that artist and person,” Heather says. The experience was so memorable that, some 25 years later, Heather is paying for Perlman — a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient — to return to Calgary to play with the CPO on Saturday, 21 September. “I always wanted to see him again, and I wanted to give other people that same experience of being in the midst of such beautiful music,” she says.

Heather Edwards

Greg MacKay

MUSIC IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT STAYS WITH YOU — EVEN IF YOU ONLY PLAY FOR A YEAR, YOU’RE ALWAYS A MUSICIAN.” A born-and-raised Calgarian, Heather is no stranger to music nor to the CPO. “I have attended concerts all my life,” she says, recalling how her mother used to take her every year to Handel’s Messiah. Heather also played the violin. “When I was five years old, a classmate brought a violin to school and played something like Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. I went home and said, ‘I want to play the violin, too.’” That year, a violin appeared beneath her family’s Christmas tree. “It was one of the best moments of my life,” says Heather, who went on to perform with the Calgary Youth Orchestra.

While Heather no longer puts bow to strings, her 13-yearold son carries on the musical tradition, playing clarinet, guitar, and piano. “Music is a very big part of our daily life,” she says. It was at her son’s school, in fact, that Heather connected with a fellow parent who works for the CPO, setting Perlman’s return to Calgary in motion. “I remember saying I would love to see Itzhak Perlman come here and asked what I could do to help make that happen.” And the rest, as the saying goes, is history. Perlman will play a programme of cinematic music selected from films including Casablanca and Schindler’s List. “He’s had this lengthy, successful career, probably in part because he’s completely authentic. He’s got this joy about him. He connects with individuals,” Heather says, commenting on what makes him stand out as a violin virtuoso. “When I was in his presence, and heard him create such atmosphere and soul, it was a game-changing moment in my own life.” She expects Calgary audiences will appreciate seeing an artist of Perlman’s stature. “Calgary has this soul, and it’s not just the economy, sports, or the mountains. Arts are part of our soul,” Heather says, referencing some of Calgary’s other leading arts organizations, including Alberta Ballet and the Honens Festival, both of which she also supports, in addition to her involvement with the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and the Calgary Humane Society. As a further gift to Calgary, all proceeds from An Evening with Itzhak Perlman will go towards the CPO’s Education and Outreach programming. “The more we can do as individuals and as a society to bring music into every child’s life, the more we enhance and enrich our community,” Heather says. “Music is really something that stays with you — even if you only play for a year, you’re always a musician.” As for her role in making Perlman’s return to Calgary financially possible, Heather says it’s a privilege to have the time and energy to be involved with great organizations that do such great work. And who will be in the audience on 21 September? Her mother, who is excited and touched to see the lasting impact of her surprise gift. AUTUMN 2019 | 17

22 SEP

INSTRUMENT DISCOVERY ZOO Do you have a young music fan on your hands? Symphony Sundays for Kids concerts are about one hour long with no intermission, and feature classical favourites every child should know. Families attending the concerts are also invited to come early for the Instrument Discovery Zoo in the Jack Singer lobby, where they can visit different stations hosted by Orchestra musicians. Each station features an instrument or musical activity for children to try, so they can learn firsthand what it’s like to blow in a trumpet or run a bow across the strings of a violin.

Sunday 22 September 2019 / 3PM Instrument Discovery Zoo / 2PM Symphony Sunday For Kids

This fun, hands-on experience is the perfect way to indulge your child’s curiosity and excitement about visiting the Orchestra.

Kids at the Opera SPONSORS Associate Conductor Sponsor: Mary Rozsa de Coquet Chorus Sponsor: Borak Forte Programme Conductor Couturier: Umberto Custom Tailors Ltd. Instrument Discovery Zoo: Long & McQuade, V.A. Hill Fine Strings Ltd.

The Instrument Discovery Zoo starts at 2PM and the performance starts at 3PM.

PROGRAMME Karl Hirzer, conductor Anne-Marie MacIntosh, soprano Charles Sy, tenor Calgary Philharmonic Chorus Mozart

Overture to The Marriage of Figaro

Gounod

Juliet’s Waltz from Romeo and Juliet

Stravinsky

Here I stand from The Rake’s Progress

J. Strauss

Adele’s Laughing Song from The Bat

Rossini

Yes, I Swear to Find Her Again from Cinderella

Stephen Paulus

Pilgrim’s Hymn from The Three Hermits

Bizet

Toreador Song from Carmen Suite No.1

2’

Puccini

Oh My Dear Papa from Gianni Schicchi

Donizetti

Let Her Mock Me from The Elixir of Love

Verdi

Anvil Chorus from The Troubadour The Drinking Song from The Woman Led Astray

3' 3'

Progamme and artists subject to change without notice

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Indicates Canadian artist or composer

Opera work titles are listed in their original languages on page 22 Karl Hirzer biography on page 7 Anne-Marie MacIntosh and Charles Sy biographies on page 21 Calgary Philharmonic Chorus biography on page 8

AUTUMN 2019 | 19

27 SEP

RUSH HOUR The Rush Hour series at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra includes three Friday night concerts that kick off with happy hour in the lobby at 5:30PM. There is lounge seating, a live DJ and drink specials, followed by a one-hour performance of classical music favourites at 6:30PM. Skip the rush hour traffic and enjoy a night of socializing and music, and leave in time to tuck the kids in or make that dinner reservation! Rush Hour concerts also have a fun and informative component called Tweet Seats. Follow @CPOrush on Twitter for carefully curated facts and trivia about the pieces as they’re performed. You’re also invited to share photos, comment, and ask questions — it’s a great way to network with other arts lovers and share your feedback on the performance.

Friday 27 September 2019 / 6:30PM Happy Hour / 5:30PM Rush Hour

Rush Hour: Greatest Opera Hits SPONSORS Chorus Sponsor: Borak Forte Programme

Experience the rush! @CPOrush

PROGRAMME Jayce Ogren, conductor Anne-Marie MacIntosh, soprano Charles Sy, tenor Calgary Philharmonic Chorus Mozart

Overture to Le nozze di Figaro, K.492

Verdi

Caro nome from Rigoletto

Stravinsky

Here I stand from The Rake’s Progress

Charles Gounod

Je veux vivre from Romeo et Juliette

Rossini

Si ritrovarla io giuro from La Cenerentola

Stephen Paulus

Pilgrim’s Hymn from The Three Hermits

Puccini

Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly

Donizetti

Esulti pur la barbara from L’elisir d’amore

Verdi Brindisi from La Traviata

Triumphal March + Ballet from Aïda

11'

Bernstein

Make Our Garden Grow from Candide

Progamme and artists subject to change without notice

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Indicates Canadian artist or composer

Calgary Philharmonic Chorus biography on page 8

Rebecca Fay

ANNE-MARIE MACINTOSH Soprano

CHARLES SY Tenor

From revolutionary projects in symphony to operatic works, Jayce Ogren has established himself as one of the most versatile conductors to emerge from the United States. Ogren has conducted the Boston, Utah, and Pittsburgh Symphonies, the New York, Copenhagen, and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Cleveland Orchestra, the BBC Symphony, and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester in Berlin, among others. He also earned the Brevard Music Center’s 2018 Alumni Achievement award. In opera, Ogren has led Britten’s Turn of the Screw, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Bernstein’s A Quiet Place, Rossini’s Mose in Egitto, and more. He has creatively crossed boundaries to fulfill his interests in new and alternative productions, leading Basil Twist’s Rite of Spring at Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival, and collaborating with the International Contemporary Ensemble at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival and at the Wien Modern Festival in Vienna. He led the world premieres of Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna in New York and Paris, and Jack Perla’s Shalimar the Clown for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

Soprano Anne-Marie MacIntosh is a rising star in Canada’s classical music scene, recognized in the Globe and Mail as one of “The Voices of a Generation.” A native of Langley, B.C., MacIntosh is a recent alumna of the Calgary Opera Emerging Artist Development Program. As an Emerging Artist, she performed several roles including Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Despina (Così fan tutte), and Laurette (Docteur Miracle). In fall 2018, she returned to Calgary Opera for her debut as Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Her previous operatic credits include Pamina (The Magic Flute), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), and Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare). In concert, MacIntosh most recently performed with the Festival Chorus as the soprano soloist in Haydn’s Creation. In 2017, she appeared with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Canada 150 celebrations in Olympic Plaza. She has also been featured with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Carmina Burana, and with the Vancouver Oratorio Society in Poulenc’s Gloria.

Charles Sy is recognized as a promising young artist with a “softly lyric sound, a natural sense of phrasing coupled with a rare willingness to project beyond the apron” (National Post). He completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music at the University of Toronto, and an arts diploma from The Juilliard School. Sy is a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio and is currently a member of the Opernstudio in Staatsoper Stuttgart. Highlights this season include his Nationaltheater Mannheim debut as the title role in Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie, and his Toronto Symphony Orchestra debut in Mozart’s Requiem. Sy won a 2019 George London Award, First Prize in the Oratorio Society of New York’s 2018 Competition, and was a finalist for the Glyndebourne Opera Cup 2018. He received First Prize and Audience Choice in the Canadian Opera Company’s 2014 Centre Stage Competition, and earned First Place in the Ottawa Choral Society’s 2014 New Discoveries Competition. CBC ranked him one of 30 under 30 Canadian Classical Musicians for 2018.

Jayce Ogren

JAYCE OGREN Conductor

AUTUMN 2019 | 21

ABOUT THE WORKS

28 SEP

Greatest Opera Hits SPONSORS Chorus Sponsor: Borak Forte Programme

PROGRAMME Jayce Ogren, conductor Anne-Marie MacIntosh, soprano Charles Sy, tenor Calgary Philharmonic Chorus Mozart

Overture to Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492

Berwald

Overture to Estrella de Soria

Handel

Da tempeste il legno infranto from Giulio Caesare HWV 17 6'

Verdi

Caro nome from Rigoletto

Tchaikovsky

Kuda, Kuda vy udalilis from Eugene Onegin

Stravinsky

Here I stand from The Rake’s Progress

Puccini Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut

Verdi

11'

Triumphal March + Ballet from Aïda

Intermission

20'

Wagner

Feierlicher Zug zum Münster from Lohengrin

Rossini

Si, ritrovarla io giuro from La Cenerentola

Gounod

Je veux vivre from Romeo et Juliette

Stephen Paulus

Pilgrim’s Hymn from The Three Hermits

Puccini

Coro a bocca chiusa from Madama Butterfly

Donizetti

Esulti pur la barbara from L’elisir d’amore

Verdi Brindisi from La Traviata

Bernstein

Make Our Garden Grow from Candide

Progamme and artists subject to change without notice

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Indicates Canadian artist or composer

Jayce Ogren, Anne-Marie MacIntosh and Charles Sy biographies on page 21 Calgary Philharmonic Chorus biography on page 8

Concert photo

Saturday 28 September 2019 / 7:30PM Discovery

Opera is a unique, multi-faceted art form. Where else can your heart and mind be enraptured by equal measures of music and drama? This concert brings you many of opera’s most glorious and beloved melodies, drawn from nearly 300 years of repertoire. Opera appeared in Italy about 1600. The selections from Handel’s Julius Caesar in Egypt (1724) and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (1786) demonstrate the early schools of the baroque and classical periods, respectively, when emotions were less open than they became in later operas. The 19th century, the era of Romantic art, produced huge quantities of opera. Many of them are still popular today. In fact, they are the foundation of opera in general. Italian composer Gioachino Rossini is best known for his comic operas. At this concert you will hear an aria from La Cenerentola (Cinderella, 1817). Don Ramiro, Prince of Salerno, pledges that he will find the woman he has just fallen in love with, but who has disappeared. Rossini’s Italian contemporary Gaetano Donizetti composed in the same style of opera as Rossini, known as Bel canto (beautiful singing). The plot of L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love, 1832) tells how Nemorino, a good‑hearted peasant lad, wins the hand of Adina, a wealthy landowner. For countless listeners, the name of another Italian, Giuseppe Verdi, virtually defines the word “opera.” His skill at marrying drama and music is unsurpassed in the history of the art. On the bill are unforgettable melodies from three of his most popular works: Rigoletto (1851), La traviata (1853) and Aïda (1871). The title character in Aïda is an Ethiopian princess, held captive as a slave in Egypt. She is torn between her feelings of patriotism and her love for Radames, an Egyptian general. In Act Two, the Egyptian army under

Rebecca Fay

GREATEST OPERA HITS

Radames returns in triumph after defeating the forces led by Aïda’s father. The spectacular procession of captured treasure and slaves is accompanied by an appropriately pompous march. Giacomo Puccini was Verdi’s successor as the great Italian opera composer. This concert includes excerpts from his first great success, Manon Lescaut (1893), and one of his most poignant scores, Madama Butterfly (1904). Representing German opera is Richard Wagner, who revolutionized the art form with his grandly scaled, super-emotional compositions. Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral comes from Lohengrin (1850). To this solemn music, two of the principal characters approach the church where they are to be married. Representing the gracious and tuneful school of Romantic French opera is Charles Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette (1867). Juliette sings this spectacular aria in waltz time. From Sweden comes music from Franz’s Berwald’s Estrella de Soria (1862). He introduced this story of love and betrayal among Spanish royalty of the 15th century with a suitably turbulent and lyrical overture. The concert includes two pieces by Russian-born composers. In a heartfelt aria from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (1878), Lensky, on whose fiancée the heartless Onegin has made unwelcome advances, awaits what proves to be a fatal duel with Onegin. Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress (1951) follows the adventures of Tom Rakewell, an 18th century English rogue. In this bold aria, he proclaims his selfish philosophy. Two pieces from American operas complete the bill. Make Our Garden Grow is the heartening finale of Leonard Bernstein’s satirical 1956 operetta Candide, about a naïve young man’s search for meaning in life. Stephen Paulus based The Three Hermits (1997) on an old Russian folk tale. The sweet, gentle Pilgrims’ Hymn is the finale. Programme Notes by Don Anderson

2019

BOX OFFICE For your convenience, visit us at our new CORE Box Office for exclusive offers. Open seven days a week!

ORIGINAL RAGS Ragtime music with pianist Charles Foreman

9/21

DVOŘÁK – MORAWETZ CONNECTIONS UCalgary String Quartet

10/25

THE TENOR SAX HERITAGE PROJECT With Jack Wilkins, Jeremy Brown and more

10/28

LYRICAL PERSUASION Showcasing compositions by William Jordan

11/23

Hours: Monday to Saturday 10AM to 3PM Sunday 12PM to 3PM Third Floor The CORE Shopping Centre 324 8 Avenue SW

calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

Join us this fall for an exciting line up of classical music and jazz concerts! Tickets and info: scpa.ucalgary.ca/events

AUTUMN 2019 | 23

SAM’S PICKS: THIS SEASON’S REVOLUTIONARY COMPOSERS BY SAM LOECK, PRINCIPAL BASS

The history of music is a long succession of game changers. Innovative composers have pushed the boundaries for hundreds of years and fostered the constant evolution of the art, all the way from Palestrina and Bach to Schoenberg and Boulez. Largely, it’s music by these revolutionary composers that has survived and is still performed in concert halls today; for every Mozart, Schubert, or Strauss, there were hundreds of common, conventional composers whose music was quickly forgotten after their 15 minutes of fame. Now I’m going to put on my music-history cap and nerd out about a few revolutionary composers whose music we’re performing this Season at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra: Gustav Mahler, Igor Stravinsky, and Benjamin Britten. 24 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

GUSTAV MAHLER

IGOR STRAVINSKY

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

Gustav Mahler (1860 to 1911) bridged two very different musical worlds. He was one of the last great AustroGerman composers of the 19th century, with contemporaries such as Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner. In sharp contrast, 20th century Modernist composers Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern are among Mahler’s immediate successors. In many ways, Mahler’s symphonic writing stays true to the conventions established by his predecessors, while also pushing boundaries and taking the symphony to wild new extremes. In his Symphony No. 2, the first movement is written in “sonata form.” Listen to any symphony of Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven, and you’ll find this traditional structure, but Mahler makes it nearly unrecognizable through dense orchestration, unexpected tonal centres, and general buildup of, well, everything. For example, a complete Mozart symphony might be about 25 minutes; in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, the first movement alone is longer than this. In addition to length, Mahler took the symphony to new extremes in terms of the size of the orchestra required, which is partially due to the volume/fullness of sound, but also to the density of his writing. To illustrate, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 is comprised of 14 unique parts played throughout the orchestra, while Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 has 30. In Mahler’s own words, “The symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.” True enough — Mahler looked beyond the traditional orchestra for his symphonic writing, using everything from cow-bells and bird calls to the music of street musicians and country dances.

Igor Stravinsky (1882 to 1971) achieved fame as a composer with his three ballets, The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring. In The Firebird he looked back to the music of Romantic Russian composers Modest Mussorgsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (of whom Stravinsky was a pupil), keeping with the traditional styles in his treatment of melodic content and harmony. Petrushka, in the words of music historian Richard Taruskin, is where “Stravinsky at last became Stravinsky.” The music makes significant use of Russian folk melodies, and Stravinsky approaches the avant-garde with his exploration of polytonality (clashing, dissonant harmonies played simultaneously) and atypical, everchanging time signatures. The Rite of Spring, a radically progressive work that caused a near-riot at its premiere, is now considered one of the 20th century’s most influential works. Stravinsky’s influence on future composers is largely in terms of his distinct rhythmic drive, which often pushes rhythms past bar lines and altogether obscures conventional organization with successive changes of meter. In Stravinsky the rhythmic structure of music became much more fluid and was treated as a medium of expression as much as melody and harmony.

Benjamin Britten (1913 to 1976) lived and worked in a musical landscape defined by Modernism. While his contemporaries experimented with atonal, serial, and minimal music, Britten expressed his mission as a composer in simpler terms: “pleasing people today as seriously as I can.” Early in his life, Britten developed a reverence for the great masters, specifically writing of the significant influence he found in Mahler. As a neo-Romantic composer, Britten achieved a balancing act, taking the musical language of previous generations to a modern place with more colour and personal struggle, while avoiding the hypermodern, avant-garde styles of the composers of his time. Britten’s Violin Concerto, though one of his lesserknown works, is a great example of this balancing act. Throughout, the concerto is undoubtedly tonal, featuring virtuosic and lyrical passages easily reminiscent of one of the major Romantic violin concertos; however, there’s always a disoriented, laboured feeling. Here and there he gives us a particularly crunchy harmony, the orchestral accompaniment seems to be in rhythmic conflict with the soloist, or a melodic passage meanders to a place you wouldn’t necessarily expect. Britten’s legacy is as a progressive conservative — he found a way to write innovative, unique, and accessible works using the musical language of his predecessors.

Hear Stravinsky’s Petrushka on 28 + 29 February 2020.

Hear Britten’s Violin Concerto on 4 + 5 October 2019.

Hear Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 on 22 + 23 November 2019. AUTUMN 2019 | 25

ABOUT THE WORKS

4 + 5 OCT

CANTUS IN MEMORY OF BENJAMIN BRITTEN Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) Pärt’s beautiful, soulful style has made him the world’s most performed living composer. This Cantus is one of his most popular creations. He wrote, “In the past years, we have had many losses in the world of music to mourn. Why did the date of Benjamin Britten’s death — 4 December 1976 — touch such a chord in me? During this time I was obviously at the point where I could recognize the magnitude of such a loss. I had just discovered Britten for myself. Just before his death I began to appreciate the unusual purity of his music. And besides, for a long time I had wanted to meet Britten personally — and now it would not come to that.” In its oldest, simplest form, dating from medieval times, the word “cantus” refers simply to a melody. Later it came to mean (as it does in this work) a lament, or a mystical experience.

Friday 4 October 2019 / 7:30PM Saturday 5 October 2019 / 7:30PM Masterworks

SPONSORS Guest Artist Sponsor: Naomi + John Lacey Virtuoso Programme Series Sponsor: United Active Living Concert Sponsors: Calgary Finlandia Cultural Association + Alberta Estonian Heritage Society Conductor Couturier: Umberto Custom Tailors Ltd.

PROGRAMME Rune Bergmann, conductor Arabella Steinbacher, violin Arvo Pärt

Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten

Britten Violin Concerto No. 1, Op.15 I. Moderato con moto II. Vivace III. Passacaglia: Andante lento (un poco meno mosso)

6' 31'

Intermission

20'

Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op.43 I. Allegretto II. Andante; ma rubato III. Vivacissimo IV. Finale: Allegro moderato

43'

Progamme and artists subject to change without notice

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Britten started work on this piece in England in November 1938 and completed it in September 1939 in St. Jovite, Québec. A few years before, he and a Spanish violinist, Antonio Brosa, had spent time together in Spain during the Civil War. During that period, Brosa gave the premiere of Britten’s Suite for violin and piano, Op. 6, accompanied by the composer. Brosa also premiered this concerto, on 28 March 1940, with Sir John Barbirolli conducting the New York Philharmonic. It made a deep impression. World events may have played a role in its character, as it did with such other Britten works of this period as the orchestral piece Sinfonia da Requiem. According to Brosa, hints of Spanish flavour dot the concerto.

Rune Bergmann biography on page 7

Concert photo

Modern Masters

Peter Rigaud

VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 1, OP. 15 Benjamin Britten (Lord Britten of Aldeburgh) (1913 to 1976)

Its dark overall mood may reflect Britten’s feelings toward both the Spanish conflict and the outbreak of the Second World War. His pacifist stance had been one of the reasons for his relocating to North America.

Sublime Music Inspired Preaching Living Tradition

Arabella Steinbacher

Sammy Hart

SYMPHONY NO. 2 IN D MAJOR, OP. 43 Jean Sibelius (1865 to 1957) With Symphony No. 2, Sibelius began to speak his own, unique symphonic language. It retains the richness of thought and spirit displayed in Symphony No. 1 (1899), yet it is significantly tauter in form, more focused in expression, and less reminiscent of Tchaikovsky and Bruckner. He began to sketch it during a stay in Italy during the early months of 1901. The sunshine and easygoing lifestyle helped revitalize his blocked creative muse. Initially, he felt that the ideas that came to him might be suitable for a set of tone poems or a four-movement symphonic fantasy, inspired by either the Don Juan legend or Dante’s Divine Comedy. He eventually decided that a full, abstract symphony would suit them best. He completed it in essence after his return to Finland that autumn, although he continued to revise it right up to the premiere. He conducted the first performance himself in Helsinki on 8 March 1902. Finnish audiences embraced it rapturously, but some time passed before it found acceptance in other lands. Many commentators saw in it a fiercely patriotic composer’s defiant gesture towards his country’s repressive Russian occupiers. Sibelius denied all concrete outside inspirations. He regarded the symphony as too universal in content to be saddled with specific associations. The majestic themes and heroic spirit have made it the most popular of his seven symphonies. Programme Notes by Don Anderson

2019

ARABELLA STEINBACHER Violin Celebrated worldwide as one of today’s leading violinists, Arabella Steinbacher has been praised for her “brilliant playing,” “extraordinary sound,” and “softly blossoming tone.” Steinbacher frequently appears with world-class orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. She has had acclaimed performances with the NDR Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Sao Paulo Symphony, Orchestra National de France, Vienna Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. She has collaborated with conductors including Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, Riccardo Chailly, Herbert Blomstedt, Christoph Eschenbach, Charles Dutoit, Marek Janowski, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Thomas Hengelbrock. Born into a family of musicians, Steinbacher has played the violin since age three and studied with Ana Chumachenco at the Munich Academy of Music since age nine. She takes musical inspiration and guidance from Israeli violinist Ivry Gitlis. Steinbacher currently plays the 1716 ‘Booth’ Stradivari, generously loaned by the Nippon Music Foundation.

To learn more about our musical tradition and for a complete list of choral services, visit

www.anglicancathedralcalgary.ca

The Very Rev’d Leighton Lee, Dean Dr Neil Cockburn, Director of Music

AUTUMN 2019 | 27

11 + 12 OCT

5 THINGS ABOUT MARY POPPINS

IN CONCERT LIVE TO FILM

1. Walt Disney considered Mary Poppins (1964) one of the crowning achievements of his career. The first feature-length film to combine live action and animation, it earned 13 Oscar nominations and won five, including Best Original Soundtrack. 2. M ary Poppins inspired the 2013 film Saving Mr. Banks, about Walt Disney’s efforts to convince P.L. Travers to give him the film rights to her novels.

Friday 11 October 2019 / 7:30PM Saturday 12 October 2019 / 7:30PM Specials

Disney in Concert: Mary Poppins Presented in partnership with Calgary International Film Festival

PROGRAMME Ted Sperling, conductor Richard M. Sherman + Robert B. Sherman

Mary Poppins (Film with Live Orchestra)

Performance includes a 20-minute intermission. Music and Lyrics by RICHARD M. SHERMAN + ROBERT B. SHERMAN Underscore by IRWIN KOSTAL 1964 Wonderland Music Co., Inc. (BMI) Progamme and artists subject to change without notice

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3. Julie Andrews wanted the lead role in My Fair Lady, but it went to Audrey Hepburn. Disney convinced Andrews to play Mary Poppins instead — and at the Golden Globes that year, she beat Hepburn to take home the award for Best Actress, Comedy or Musical. 4. T he original soundtrack album, featuring music and lyrics by the Sherman brothers, features 17 tracks, including 16 songs and one overture track of the film score. 5. In 2013, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

19concert season 20 October 25, 2019 at 7:30pm Christ Church Elbow Park

Dowland Lachrimae Music rich in harmony with Ɵme for contemplaƟon, featuring Nigel North (lute) and Montreal's renowned viol consort Les Voix Humaines.

December 21, 2019 at 7:30pm Christ Church Elbow Park

TED SPERLING Conductor

Ted Sperling

Handel’s Messiah Our inƟmate and beauƟful periodinstrument Messiah returns aŌer last year's sell-out.

December 22, 2019 at 3:00pm Knox United Church

@pacific_canada

VoiceScapes Sing Along Messiah The Calgar y tradiƟon lives on. AudiƟoned young soloists along with VoiceScapes and friends will sing the arias.

February 16, 2020 at 3:00pm Christ Church Elbow Park

Sea Songs & ShanƟes Join La Nef as they explore music of the sea including capstan shanƟes, halyard shanƟes and laments.

March 28, 2020 at 7:30pm Christ Church Elbow Park

FLOWER BAR

Charles Chessler

Ted Sperling has maintained an active and successful career in the theatre and concert worlds for 35 years. A multi-faceted artist, he is a director, music director, conductor, orchestrator, singer, pianist, violinist, and violist. He is the Artistic Director of MasterVoices and the Music Director of the current Broadway production of My Fair Lady. A Tony Award-winner for his orchestrations of The Light in the Piazza, Sperling is known for his work across many genres, including opera, oratorio, musical theatre, symphony, and pops. His concert of Carole King songs can be seen on the new PBS channel AllArts, and his new production of Lady in the Dark with MasterVoices premiered at New York City Center in April 2019. Sperling can also be seen as Steve Allen in the final episode of Season Two of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

The Althorp Virtuosi Experience the music of a late 18thcentury viola da gamba revival, music wriƩen for the English aristocracy in a daring virtuosic style.

Visit our website for more informaƟon and to purchase Ɵckets.

www.earlymusicvoices.ca 403.285.0888 philipchongflowerbar.com

AUTUMN 2019 | 29

ABOUT THE WORKS

18 + 19 OCT

KONZERTMUSIK (CONCERT MUSIC) FOR STRINGS AND BRASS, OP. 50 Paul Hindemith (1895 to 1963) The young Hindemith stood at the forefront of the German avant-garde, delighting in creating bold, daring music that flaunted convention. With time, he developed a more communicative style and became a fully practical artist. He created specific pieces for specific occasions, and music for the enjoyment of professional and amateur musicians alike. His productivity was vast and his music is vigorous, richly textured, and life-enhancing. He composed the neo-baroque Konzertmusik for Strings and Brass in 1930, on commission for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Serge Koussevitzky conducted the premiere on 4 April 1931.

Electra Rising: Forsyth Cello Concerto SPONSORS Guest Artist Sponsor: Naomi + John Lacey Virtuoso Programme

PROGRAMME Hans Graf, conductor Amanda Forsyth, cello Hindemith Konzertmusik (Concert Music) for Strings and Brass, Op. 50 17' Part 1: Massig schnell; mit Kraft - Sehr breit; stets fleissend Part 2: Lebhaft - Langsam - Im ersten Zeitmass (Lebhaft) Forsyth

Electra Rising

31'

Intermission

20'

Brahms Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op.90 I. Allegro con brio II. Andante III. Poco allegretto IV. Allegro

33'

Progamme and artists subject to change without notice

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Indicates Canadian artist or composer

Concert photo

Friday 18 October 2019 / 7:30PM Saturday 19 October 2019 / 7:30PM Showcase

Honoured as Canadian Composer of the Year in 1989, Malcolm Forsyth earned international recognition as one of the country’s leading composers. After receiving his education in his native South Africa, he immigrated to Canada in 1968. Settling in Edmonton, he played trombone in the city’s orchestra and joined the faculty of the University of Alberta. His compositions have been performed and broadcast throughout the world, and are extensively recorded. He composed Electra Rising for his daughter, Amanda, a distinguished cellist, as the pinnacle of a series of pieces that he had been creating for her since she was a child. Amanda had attained sufficient skill and experience to meet the demands of a full-scale virtuoso piece at the same time Forsyth received a commission for just such a work from the CBC Vancouver Orchestra and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. The premiere took place in Calgary in 1995. The composer warned against taking the title too literally, that he was invoking the turbulent relationship between

Cheryl Mazak

ELECTRA RISING Malcolm Forsyth (1936 to 2011)

the ancient Greek king, Agamemnon, and his daughter, Electra, only as a symbol of the close musical relationship that always existed between himself and Amanda. Her recording of this concerto with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (CBC Records SMCD 5180) won the 1998 Juno Award for best classical composition. Electra Rising is part of Malcolm Forsyth: Perspectives and Legacy, a symposium and festival of concerts celebrating the contributions of Canadian composer Malcolm Forsyth, from 17 to 19 October 2019. Visit scpa.ucalgary.ca/events for details.

Hans Graf

Christian Steiner; Amanda Forsyth

Cheryl Mazak

SYMPHONY NO. 3 IN F MAJOR, OP. 90 Johannes Brahms (1833 to 1897) Brahms needed an unusually long time to develop an individual symphonic style. Much of the difficulty sprang from his awe of Beethoven, even though many of his supporters and colleagues saw him as the earlier composer’s true heir in this field. His highly dramatic first symphony premiered successfully in 1876, after 20 years of intermittent labour. In sharp contrast, Symphony No. 2, which followed just one year later, is relaxed and lyrical. He composed Symphony No. 3 in 1883. Hans Richter conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in the premiere on 2 December 1883. It is a more individual and characteristic symphony than its two predecessors. In its striking mixture of passion and pessimism, of restlessness and serenity, Brahms offered a compelling, highly revealing musical self‑portrait. “What harmonious mood pervades the whole!” his close friend, Clara Schumann, wrote to him after playing through the symphony at the piano. “All the movements seem to be of one piece, one beat of the heart, each one a jewel.” One of its most striking features is that all four movements end quietly. That degree of reserve reveals the level of confidence that he had attained by this point in his career, and also perhaps the growing pessimism that flowed from his lonely personal life. Programme Notes by Don Anderson

HANS GRAF Conductor

AMANDA FORSYTH Cello

Known for his wide range of repertoire and creative programming, Austrian Conductor Hans Graf is highly respected. He was Music Director of the Houston Symphony from 2001 to 2013 — the longest serving Music Director in its history. Previously, he was Music Director of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine. Graf is a frequent guest with major North American orchestras, including the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, and the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and has appeared at Carnegie Hall four times. He has also conducted throughout Europe, including with the Vienna and London Philharmonics, Vienna Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and is a regular guest with the Sydney and Auckland Symphonies, and the Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Seoul Philharmonics. His recordings can be found on the EMI, Orfeo, CBC, Erato, Capriccio, and JVC labels. Born near Linz, Graf received diplomas in piano and conducting from the Musikhochschule in Graz, then studied in Italy with Franco Ferrara and Sergui Celibadache, and in Russia with Arvid Jansons.

Canadian Juno Award-winner Amanda Forsyth is considered one of North America’s most dynamic cellists. She is recognized as an eminent recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician appearing with leading orchestras in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. From 1999 to 2015, Forsyth was Principal Cellist of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, where she performed regularly as soloist and in chamber ensembles. Forsyth has appeared as a soloist with orchestras around the globe, including Orchestre Radio de France, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, and Vancouver Symphonies, and the English Chamber Orchestra. She has performed on international tours with the Mariinsky, Royal Philharmonic, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestras. As cellist of the Zukerman Trio, she has performed on six continents and has appeared at prestigious music festivals such as Edinburgh, Verbier, BBC Proms, and Ravinia. Born in South Africa, Forsyth moved to Canada as a child and began playing cello at age three. She performs on a rare 1699 Italian cello by Carlo Giuseppe Testore.

2019 AUTUMN 2019 | 31

25 + 26 OCT

5 THINGS ABOUT GHOSTBUSTERS 1. Ghostbusters hit movie theatres 35 years ago. It became the highest grossing comedy of all time (until Home Alone in 1990) and earned two Oscar nominations, including Best Original Song. 2. T he score was composed by Elmer Bernstein, who brought in a musician from England to play the ondes Martenot — the keyboard equivalent of a theremin — that created the music’s ‘eerie’ effect.

Presented in partnership with Calgary International Film Festival

PROGRAMME John Jesensky, conductor Elmer Bernstein

Ghostbusters (1984) Film with Live Orchestra

Performance includes a 20-minute intermission. AN IVAN REITMAN FILM MUSIC BY ELMER BERNSTEIN A SCHIRMER THEATRICAL PRODUCTION COLUMBIA PICTURES Presents An IVAN REITMAN Film A BLACK RHINO/BERNIE BRILLSTEIN Production Starring BILL MURRAY + DAN AYKROYD + SIGOURNEY WEAVER Also Starring HAROLD RAMIS + RICK MORANIS Music by ELMER BERNSTEIN Executive Producer BERNIE BRILLSTEIN Written by DAN AYKROYD + HAROLD RAMIS Produced and Directed by IVAN REITMAN GHOSTBUSTERS 1984 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

Programme and artists subject to change without notice

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4. The American Film Institute ranked Ghostbusters No. 28 on its ‘100 Years... 100 Laughs’ list — it spawned TV shows, video games, and a 2016 remake with an all-female cast. A new Ghostbusters movie, shot in Calgary this summer with members of the original cast, will be released in 2020. 5. T he Ghostbusters hotline was real! The promotional trailer featured a working 1-800 number featuring a pre-recorded message saying the Ghostbusters were too busy catching ghosts to answer the phone.

Ghostbusters in Concert: Halloween Spooktacular

Image

Friday 25 October 2019 / 7:30PM Saturday 26 October 2019 / 2PM Specials

3. Actor Bill Murray wasn’t the first choice for his role, and at one point, the film’s working title was ‘Ghostsmashers.’ The title changed and Murray, who ad-libbed most of his lines, got the part.

Hawthorn Dining Room & Bar Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 3:00pm

Happy Hour | Mon-Fri 3 PM - 6 PM 10 PM -12 AM

BELLA CONCERT HALL, MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY TICKETS tickets.mru.ca 403 440 7770 and at the door

JOHN ROSS JESENSKY Conductor Composer and conductor John Ross Jesensky received a bachelor of music in composition from the Hartt School of Music, then began to focus his skills on the art of film scoring, studying with renowned film orchestrator Sonny Kompanek as well as prolific film composer Ira Newborn. After graduating from the Scoring for Film and Multimedia program at New York University with a masters of music degree, Jesensky was awarded the Elmer Bernstein Award for Film Composition. He also was the winner of the Skirball Film Scoring Competition with his score to Michael Daugherty’s short Season’s Greetings, which was performed live in a concert by the NYU Orchestra. Jesensky is currently touring the globe, conducting premiere orchestras in performance for CineConcerts, and AVEX Classics — bringing fully restored and showstopping film scores to audiences worldwide. He is also a freelance film composer, and several of his short scores have made appearances and won awards at events such as the Cannes Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival, Bare Bones Film Festival, La Gona Film Festival, L.A. Film Festival, and others.

luminousvoices.ca

SPECIAL GUESTS Gianetta Baril and Scott Ross-Molyneaux, harp

YOUR TICKET TO SAVINGS! Did you enjoy the concert? You can turn your ticket into a subscription and save up to 25%! Whether you prefer the flexibility of our Compose Your Own Series or the savings of a Curated Series, becoming a subscriber is the best way to see the Orchestra for less. Simply call or visit the Box Office and we will put the price of your tickets toward your subscription. PLUS — you’ll get all the perks and rewards of becoming a subscriber, including free exchanges + discounts all Season long, and our new Rewards Card with exclusive discounts and perks at partner businesses. The deadline to take advantage of this offer is 31 October 2019. To customize your Season, call or visit our Box Office at the CORE Shopping Centre.

calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

AUTUMN 2019 | 33

1 + 2 NOV

5 THINGS ABOUT BOND MUSIC 1. T he official ‘James Bond Theme’ has been featured in every Eon Productions Bond film since Dr. No in 1962. 2. S ome of pop music’s greatest artists have recorded songs for the Bond films, such as Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger), Tom Jones (Thunderball), Louis Armstrong (We Have All the Time in the World), Paul McCartney + Wings (Live and Let Die), Carly Simon (Nobody Does It Better), and Duran Duran (A View to a Kill). 3. Two Bond songs have won Oscars for Best Original Song: Skyfall, by Adele, from the 2012 film of the same name, and Writing’s on the Wall, by Sam Smith, from the 2015 film Spectre.

Friday 1 November 2019 / 7:30PM Saturday 2 November 2019 / 7:30PM Pops

Bond and Beyond SPONSORS Associate Conductor Sponsor: Mary Rozsa de Coquet Concert Sponsor: Calgary Jewellery Conductor Couturier: Umberto Custom Tailors Ltd.

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Indicates Canadian artist or composer

4. S heena Easton, who sings For Your Eyes Only for the 1981 Bond film of the same name, also appears in the movie title credits. 5. S everal famous artists have submitted Bond songs that were never used for the iconic film franchise, including: Johnny Cash, Brian Wilson, Alice Cooper, Blondie, Pet Shop Boys, and Radiohead.

Karl Hirzer biography on page 7

MORGAN JAMES Vocals Morgan James is a classically trained vocalist, Broadway veteran, and recording and touring artist. She recently appeared with the Colorado Symphony, performing her solo Bernstein show, conducted by Teddy Abrams. James has had the honour of being in Bernstein’s Mass three times: with the Louisville Orchestra (conducted by Teddy Abrams), the Philadelphia Orchestra (conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin), and the Baltimore Symphony at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center (conducted by Marin Alsop). She also has several other symphony orchestra appearances. James’s Broadway credits include four original casts: Motown: The Musical, the Broadway revival of Godspell, Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland, and The Addams Family, starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. She recently toured Europe, Australia, and the U.S. with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. Her videos on YouTube have garnered 75 million views. James has released an album of original soul music, Reckless Abandon, a debut studio album, Hunter, and a live album dedicated to the music of Nina Simone (Epic Records). She received her training at The Juilliard School.

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AUTUMN 2019 | 35

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JEREMY DUTCHER BRIDGES CULTURES, GENERATIONS, AND GENRES BY SABLE SWEETGRASS

hen Jeremy Dutcher announced he would be performing with orchestras across Canada this season, he said: “This orchestra tour means so much to me. It sews together two musical halves of myself.” For audiences, the tour is another stitch in the Indigenous artist’s efforts to bridge cultures, generations, and genres. A two-spirited Maliseet musician from the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, Dutcher is a classically trained tenor, composer, musicologist, performer, and activist. He won the 2018 Polaris Prize and a 2019 Juno Award for his groundbreaking debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (Maliseet Songs), which combines the traditional vocal singing of his Wolastoqiyik/Maliseet ancestors with classical and contemporary music, creating a whole new soundscape. Dutcher has emerged as a leader during an exciting time for Indigenous music across Turtle Island, with amazing new artists emerging in every genre. I recently had the opportunity to interview him about being a game-changing artist in what he calls Canada’s “Indigenous renaissance.”

Jeremy Dutcher

Vanessa Heins

“I come from the Wolastoqiyik people in what is today called New Brunswick, and they’ve been really excited about this work that I’ve been doing because I’ve been working with old songs and bringing some of the ancestor voices forward, but also because I’m singing in the language,” he says. “For our Nation there are less than 100 fluent speakers of our language left, so to keep that alive, our community is really excited about that.” The impact extends beyond his community as Dutcher shares the language with other First Nations people and all Canadians through his album and his performances. “They may not know what I’m singing, but they know what I’m singing about,” he adds. “They understand the emotion behind what I’m offering.” Dutcher’s tour brings him to the CPO (8 November) and other orchestras across Canada, where he plans to engage with local Indigenous communities and invite them to attend. “I hope that a lot of our Indigenous people from every First Nation across Turtle Island can come out to the shows and witness something — that is, classical music is

for everyone, and we can bring ourselves into those spaces and share who we are as Indigenous people,” he says. “For a long time we put those fences up because we didn’t feel welcome to listen to that kind of music, or that we were ostracized or put down for liking that kind of music. But what I’ve come to know on this journey is that Indigenous music and classical music come from a very similar place, a very spiritual place, and it’s all about beauty and that cuts across cultures.”

WHAT I’VE COME TO KNOW ON THIS JOURNEY IS THAT INDIGENOUS MUSIC AND CLASSICAL MUSIC COME FROM A VERY SIMILAR PLACE...” Dutcher says orchestras have an important role to play in making classical music more accessible to younger Indigenous people. For example, he says, they could offer lower ticket prices and outreach programmes to let them know they are welcome. “Let’s be clear, it’s very similar out there in Calgary as it is everywhere in the country — there is an economic disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and these kind of concert halls, the tickets aren’t cheap,” he says. “…Outreach activities are important as well, like getting the instruments in the hands of our youth.” When Dutcher performed a concert in his own community last year, he says it was the first time some of the youth had seen a grand piano and were able to touch it and play it. “As soon as they did they were so interested, you couldn’t detach them from that instrument. You know, they just need the tools and then they will do the rest…. So this is a real opportunity, to have conversations with orchestras across Turtle Island to ask how are we inviting Indigenous people into classic music spaces?” This season the CPO is working with Making Treaty 7 to develop Napi and the Rock, a new educational concert for school students. For more information visit calgaryphil.com/education. AUTUMN 2019 | 37

ABOUT THE WORKS

8 NOV

WOLASTOQIYIK LINTUWAKONAWA Jeremy Dutcher (b. 1990) Letter from Jeremy Dutcher: Kwolasihkulpon // Welcome: I’m so glad you could be with us here this evening to experience wocawson // the wind

Presented in partnership with Calgary Folk Music Festival SPONSORS Guest Artist Sponsor: Naomi + John Lacey Virtuoso Programme

PROGRAMME Lucas Waldin, conductor Jeremy Dutcher, piano and vocals McCauley

Cris Derksen

Louis Riel Overture

Round Dance

3' 6'

Jeremy Dutcher Honour Song (arr. Lucas Waldin ) Eqpahak Ultestakon

4' 3' 4'

Cathy Ellliott (arr. Lucas Waldin

Love at First Sight from Fireweeds )

Jeremy Dutcher Oqiton (arr. Lucas Waldin ) Essuwonike

4' 6'

Intermission Andrew Balfour

Traditional (arr. Rebecca Pellett

20'

Kiwetin-Acahocs (North Star)

Mi’kmaq Dance Medley

)

Jeremy Dutcher Mehcinut (arr. Lucas Waldin ) Qonute Sakomawit

5' 4' 4'

Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 (arr. Lucas Waldin ) (From the New World) II. Largo (Song of Hiawatha)

Buffy Sainte-Marie (arr. Daryl McKenzie)

Up Where We Belong

Jeremy Dutcher Nipuwoltin (arr. Lucas Waldin ) Pomok naka Poltoinskwes Progamme and artists subject to change without notice

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Indicates Canadian artist or composer

3' 6'

Psiw-te Ntolnapemok // All my relations, Jeremy Dutcher Matt Barnes

Jeremy Dutcher in Concert

Concert photo

Friday 8 November 2019 / 7:30PM Specials

Tonight we present songs from a record released last year called Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa // The Songs of the People of the Beautiful River. An elder from my First Nation asked me to help bring our songs home. These traditional songs had been recorded on wax cylinders over a century ago and now reside at the Canadian Museum of History. It was her greatest hope to hear these songs live among the people again. She told me, “When I hear those old voices qoss // son, I hear symphonies.” I did, too, and thus began the work that led to this evening. I have lived my life at the intersections. Where white meets native, classical meets traditional, old meets new meets future. What I understand now is that #ourmusicbelongs to all. Our songs carry the beauty and passion of an opera aria and our stories rival any great European drama. Thank you to my community which inspires my work, my loved ones who sustain me, my collaborator Lucas Waldin for handling this music so thoughtfully in his orchestration and conducting, the players for their musical gifts, and finally to you, for opening your ears and hearts to the sounds of my nation.

LUCAS WALDIN Conductor

JEREMY DUTCHER Vocals + Piano

Lucas Waldin is a dynamic and versatile conductor whose performances have delighted audiences across North America. He has collaborated with some of today’s most exciting artists, including Carly Rae Jepsen, Ben Folds, The Canadian Brass, and Buffy Sainte-Marie, in addition to conducting presentations such as Disney in Concert, Blue Planet Live, Cirque de la Symphony, and the groundbreaking symphonic debut of R&B duo Dvsn as part of the global Red Bull Music Festival. Waldin has been a guest conductor for numerous orchestras in the United States. and Canada, including the Houston Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Grant Park Festival Orchestra, Modesto Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, and the Toronto Symphony, and will make debut appearances this Season with orchestras such as the Utah Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, and the Cleveland Orchestra. A native of Toronto, Waldin holds degrees in flute and conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Jeremy Dutcher is a classically trained operatic tenor and composer who takes every opportunity to blend his Wolastoq First Nation roots into his music, creating distinct musical aesthetics that shape-shift between classical, traditional, and pop to form something entirely new. Dutcher’s debut release, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (Maliseet Songs), involves the rearrangement of early 1900s wax cylinder field recordings from his community. “Many of the songs were lost because our musical tradition was suppressed by the Canadian government. I’m doing this work as there’s only about a hundred Wolastoqey speakers left. It’s crucial that we’re using our language because, if you lose the language, you’re losing an entire distinct way of experiencing the world.” These ‘collaborative’ compositions, collected together on his debut LP, are like nothing you’ve ever heard. Delicate, sublime vocal melodies rise above piano lines that cascade through a range of emotions. The anguish and joy of the past erupt into the present through Dutcher’s bold approach to composition and raw performances enhanced by his outstanding tenor techniques.

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AUTUMN 2019 | 39

In the last five years, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual raffle has raised over a quarter million dollars for the Orchestra’s Greatest Needs Fund and has sent many lucky supporters on a trip of a lifetime!

2017/2018 raffle wi Trip for two to Itnner:alyBrett Norris

winner: 2016/2017 raanffnale y H e ell ich M eru Trip for two to P

Will you be next? Details on this Season’s prize package and how to buy tickets will be announced October 2019.

Tony and Julie Manning 2018/2019 raffle wintonersAr: gent ina two for Trip

40 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

PATRON PROGRAMMES The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra offers exciting, exclusive events and concerts via its three membership programmes. Enroll in Wolfgang, Amadeus, or Mozart patron programmes and join others who share a love for the symphony! WOLFGANG

AMADEUS

The Wolfgang Patron Programme brings the city’s dynamic young professionals together for connection, concerts, and conversation. This is a great opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals and share your love for wonderful, world-class music. With your membership you will receive tickets to five curated performances and post-concert parties at trendy downtown venues.

The Amadeus Patron Programme offers a remarkable fellowship with others who love symphonic music. Enjoy private recitals featuring world-renowned musicians and exclusive VIP experience benefits. Memberships include Amadeus recitals with pre- and post-recital receptions, and front-of-theline invitations to special events throughout the season.

Solo membership: $400 Duet Membership: $700

Solo membership: $800 Duet Membership: $1,500

MOZART The Mozart Patron Programme provides exclusive performances and connection opportunities, as well as access to the Wolfgang and Amadeus concerts, recitals and events. Expand your horizons with private performances and exclusive networking opportunities. Solo membership: $1,400 Duet Membership: $2,200

All Patron Programme members receive 15% off tickets to additional Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra concerts at the Jack Singer Concert Hall and access to CPO Subscriber Rewards. For more information and a list of events please visit us online at calgaryphil.com/patron-programmes.

AUTUMN 2019 | 41

16 NOV

Thorgy and the Thorchestra Presented in partnership with Calgary Pride

PROGRAMME Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor Thorgy Thor, violin, viola, cello Programme to be announced from stage. Performance includes a 20-minute intermission. Progamme and artists subject to change without notice

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indicates Canadian artist or composer

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser

Saturday, 16 November 2019 / 7:30PM Specials

A passionate communicator, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser brings clarity and meaning to the concert hall, fostering deep connections between audiences and performers. Bartholomew-Poyser is the Artist in Residence and Community Ambassador of Symphony Nova Scotia, conducting Ballet and Pops with national and international artists and designing diverse and relevant family and outreach shows for the Halifax community. He has served as Assistant Conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and Associate Conductor of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, and Calgary Philharmonic. He has been re-invited to the San Francisco Symphony for four years, and is looking forward to working with the Washington National Opera in 2020. Bartholomew-Poyser earned his bachelor in music performance and education from the University of Calgary, and his master of philosophy in performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. He has been awarded the RBC Royal Bank Emerging Artist Grant, and the Canada Council for the Arts Jean-Marie Beaudet Prize for Orchestral Conducting.

Ben Lariviere

DANIEL BARTHOLOMEW-POYSER Conductor

Education Concerts The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes 10,000 elementary school students each Season to experience one-hour programmes that educate and inspire. Haydn and the Symphony! 7, 13 + 14 November The Hockey Sweater and Appalachian Spring with Alberta Ballet School 30 January, 5 + 6 February Napi and the Rock with Making Treaty 7 29 + 30 April

THORGY THOR Violin + Viola + Cello Thorgy Thor is a New York Citybased drag performance artist and professional musician. Since appearing on Season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Season 3 of All Stars, Brooklyn’s fashion clown has travelled the world with her trademark wit and musical charm. In 2018, Thorgy and the Thorchestra made its debut in Halifax, Nova Scotia to rave reviews. Thor appeared on Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle, where he showcased his violin skills in drag, and is a repeat guest on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, alongside Goldie Hawn, Amy Schumer, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda. Thor has had the pleasure of playing violin with many recording artists, including NYC legend Joey Arias, as well as performing with over six major orchestras. After spending his early years studying violin, viola and cello, Thor earned a dual degree in violin and viola performance. Thor has been nominated for numerous awards, winning the LEGEND award and taking home Best Group Show of the Year award at the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards and the Glam Awards, respectively.

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AUTUMN 2019 | 43

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Q + A with with

THORGY THOR Q You first mentioned

your dream for Thorgy and the Thorchestra when you appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race. How did that dream become reality?

I was so ecstatic when RuPaul asked me to play violin live during the reunion episode of Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 8. Being a drag queen reality-TV ‘star’ invites a sprinkle of criticism when you announce, “Hey, I’m also a classically trained musician!” (Sure you are!) But I was pleased to show that I really can play, despite how high my heels are. I announced the idea for a full orchestral show called Thorgy and the Thorchestra and the response was overwhelming. I received hundreds of emails during the following weeks so I knew there was an interest right away. Putting together my own orchestra quickly became a massive undertaking, but thankfully I got a call from conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser of Symphony Nova Scotia inviting me to host the first Thorchestra by stepping in to an already established orchestra. It was a massive success, and I’ve been invited to host with many other orchestras since selling out two nights in a row in Nova Scotia.

Q You play violin, viola

and cello, and studied music in university. What led to your passion for classical music, and who are your main influences?

There is such magic in being a part of a large orchestra. I found it calming to force myself to blend

into a section. I studied violin and viola since I was very young, and taught myself cello when I was much older. But, I’ve had the pleasure of playing full symphonies sitting in each section. It is a totally different experience as a player when you know all the parts. My creative brain, however, couldn’t sit still. It was only a matter of time until I needed to start shouting from the roof tops with a microphone in my hand, making people laugh. Influences, huh? I could play Brahms all day and all night. Tchaikovsky, too! Most of my earlier 20-minute drag performances were scored to Tchaikovsky. As for my drag, it’s very colourful — to say what inspires some of my looks would take a whole podcast!

How did you go from being one of a handful of Brooklyn drag queens to one of the most world’s most recognizable?

That’s a loaded question that could take all day! I am a pre-YouTube, pre-Facebook, preInstagram Queen... which means I’ve been doing this a while and had no one to teach me the do’s and don’ts of drag artistry, makeup, and etiquette. When I first wanted to create a character, I typed “drag queen entertainer” into Google and a picture of Lady Bunny popped up. And let’s face it, who wants to look like her?! Ha! I lived in Brooklyn because it was what I could afford... nothing! I could count on one hand how many Brooklyn drag queens there were working the scene. Now, I can’t keep

Thorgy and the Thorchestra Thorchestra comes comes to the Jack Singer Singer Concert Concert Hall Hall on on 16 November 2019. 2019.

track because there are so many. I performed for years in dark, seedy nightclubs at 2AM, sometimes 7 days a week, all while teaching violin and freelancing during the day! Once I heard there was a show on TV, hosted by the world famous RuPaul, I auditioned until I got on and the rest is history.

Q Do you think

combining the worlds of drag and orchestra opens doors to new audiences for both?

A Having a fabulous

queen on the mic spices things up! I like to ask the audience, “Who audience “Who has has Season tickets and who is here because I was on TV in drag?” There is always a mix, so I ask everyone to take a second and shake hands, because it’s literally two different worlds colliding in one audience. I’ve received so many emails from queer youth spilling their hearts out to me. They are so thankful that I created something different and opened doors

for new ideas and artistic minds to create something new. Why not? Let’s see what we can all get away with in this lifetime. I’ll be in the front row cheering!

Q People who have seen

you on tour and on TV are familiar with your quick wit and clownish antics. What can audiences expect from this performance with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra?

I hear that a lot — “Thorgy, you are smart and witty. You have a European humour about you.” Maybe that’s why they kicked me off RuPaul’s Drag Race... twice! Who knows? Ha! At any rate, it’s a pleasure to bring Thorgy and the Thorchestra to Calgary. Audiences can expect a mix of beautiful orchestra repertoire and fabulous legs in tights! Of course, I will be playing violin and sharing stories from my life — but why not include the audience in the fun too?! Get ready! AUTUMN 2019 | 45

ABOUT THE WORKS

22 + 23 NOV

SYMPHONY NO. 2 IN C MINOR (RESURRECTION) Gustav Mahler (1860 to 1911)

Friday 22 November 2019 / 7:30PM Saturday 23 November 2019 / 7:30PM Masterworks

Resurrection: Mahler Symphony No. 2 Presented in partnership with Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust SPONSORS Guest Artist Sponsor: Naomi + John Lacey Virtuoso Programme Chorus Sponsor: Borak Forte Programme Conductor Couturier: Umberto Custom Tailors Ltd.

PROGRAMME Rune Bergmann, conductor Iwona Sobotka, soprano Edna Prochnik, mezzo soprano Calgary Philharmonic Chorus Mahler Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Resurrection; Auferstehungssymphonie) I. Allegro maestoso II. Andante moderato III. In ruhig fliessender Bewegung IV. Urlicht V. Im Tempo des Scherzo

80'

Please note there is no intermission during the performance. Progamme and artists subject to change Indicates Canadian artist or composer without notice

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The striking compound of optimism and neurosis found in Mahler’s music has made him one of the most popular composers of our time. The optimism speaks to the enduring need for a reminder that life can be beautiful; the neurosis reflects the state of western society, to a remarkably accurate degree for a composer who died 108 years ago. “A symphony should be like the world,” he told fellow composer Jean Sibelius in 1907, “it must contain everything.” Each of Mahler’s major compositions, in its own way, seeks to express a world’s worth of emotion and experience. The same symphony, or even the same movement of a symphony, may contain any or all of the following: heroism and tragedy, nobility and satire, simplicity and sophistication, despair and contentment. No composition of his achieves his goal of enhancing life with a greater, more unequivocal sense of triumph than his second symphony. The fact that he composed it between the ages of 28 and 34 makes its stunning impact even more remarkable. During the closing months of 1887 and the beginning of 1888, he worked feverishly on two compositions simultaneously: his first symphony and Totenfeier (Funeral Rites), an orchestral funeral march. He finished them both before the latter year was out. He also made sketches for an orchestral andante, but then put both it and Totenfeier aside. Three years later, he played Totenfeier on the piano for eminent conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow. Shattered by Bülow’s utter rejection, Mahler fell into a creative funk that lasted two years. By the end of that period, he had decided to use Totenfeier as the opening movement of a new symphony, and to follow its furious drama and grieving with a series of lighter, contrasting Rune Bergmann biography on page 7 Calgary Philharmonic Chorus biography on page 8

intermezzi. Working with materials not originally intended for this symphony — including his 1888 andante sketches and Urlicht (Primal Light), a song for voice and piano — he completed the second, third and fourth movements during the summer of 1893. Aside from a few sketches, the symphony’s finale continued to elude him. The dilemma was resolved in dramatic fashion, and in a manner appropriately tied in with the symphony’s early history. Bülow died in February 1894. At his funeral service in March, Mahler heard a choir sing poet Friedrich Klopstock’s Resurrection Ode. He knew instantly he had found the material he had been seeking. He eventually added words of his own to bring the text more into line with his own views on the subject. He conducted the symphony’s first complete performance in Berlin on 13 December 1895. His sister Justine recalled, “The triumph grew greater with every movement. Such enthusiasm is seen only once in a lifetime! Afterwards, I saw grown men weeping and youths falling on each other’s necks .... It was indescribable.” Mahler held ambivalent feelings toward the narrative elements in his music, and the second symphony was no exception. He first put forward an explicit programme for it in a letter to critic Max Marschalk in 1896. Several even more elaborate descriptions followed, only to have Mahler eventually disavow them all, as he had clearly created them after the music had been written. In finally abandoning more detailed description, however, Mahler left the words he had chosen, and the music he had written, to speak for themselves.

Iwona Sobotka

Michal Heller

Programme Notes by Don Anderson

2019

IWONA SOBOTKA Soprano

EDNA PROCHNIK Mezzo-soprano

Iwona Sobotka achieved international acclaim as the Grand Prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Belgium. Other awards include First Prize at the East and West Artists International Auditions in New York, which led to her debut concert at Carnegie Hall. Sobotka performs with many leading orchestras, including Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Vienna Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonie Luxembourg, Rundfunkorchester Berlin, and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. She made her operatic debut at the National Opera in Paris, where she performed the roles of the First Lady (The Magic Flute) and Ygraine (Ariane et BarbeBlue). Other roles she has enjoyed with great success include Tatyana (Eugene Onegin), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Violetta (La Traviata), Pamina (The Magic Flute), Mimi (La Boheme), and Liù (Turandot). Following her graduation from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Sobotka continued her studies with renowned artist and pedagogue Tom Krause at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid.

This season, Israeli mezzo-soprano Edna Prochnik sings Erda in both Das Rheingold and Siegfried with Staatstheater Kassel, Herodias in Salome with both Israeli Opera and Spoleto Festival in the U.S., Filippyevna in Eugene Onegin with Israeli Opera, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Calgary Philharmonic. Other recent performances include Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder (Tokyo Symphony Orchestra), Chausson’s Poème de l’amour et de la mer (Stuttgart), Olga in Die lustige Witwe (Paris), Klytämnestra in Elektra (Braunschweig), Kundry in Parsifal (Stuttgart), Die gute Hexe in Maxwell Daviss’ The Hogboon (Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg), Kurt Weill’s Die Verheissung (MDR Sinfonieorchester), Panisello’s Le malentendu (Wien, Madrid), Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (Basilika Trier, Symphony Orchestra Rishoi le Zion), and Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro (Israel). Among her many roles with Nationaltheater Mannheim are Kundry in Parsifal, Carmen, Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, Eboli in Don Carlo, Klytämnestra in Elektra, Herodias in Salome, Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera, Erda and Fricka in Das Rheingold, Erste Norn and Waltraute in Götterdammerung, and Erda in Siegfried. She holds an Artist Diploma from the Hochschule für Darstellende Kunst and graduated with honours from Tel Aviv’s Rubin Academy of Music. AUTUMN 2019 | 47

LISTEN… AND LEARN CONCERTS AND CLASSES In association with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, UCalgary Continuing Education offers a combined classroom and concert experience that will broaden your understanding and appreciation of classical music. This popular program has been offered for over a decade and has been enjoyed by over 500 participants! Classes are held in the evenings, from 7 – 9 p.m. at the UCalgary main campus. Evenings with the Calgary Philharmonic Course Number: HUM 405 Instructors: Jennifer MacDonald, MA, Director of Artistic Operations, Matthew Heller, MM, double bass $335 + GST; classes and concert tickets $195 + GST for CPO season ticket holders

FALL 2019 Classes: Sep 30, Oct 15, Nov 18, and Dec 2 Concerts: Oct 5, 19, Nov 23, and Dec 7

403.220.2866 • conted.ucalgary.ca

A Gala in Support of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

CORK CANVAS y

FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020 | 6PM | CALGARY PETROLEUM CLUB | $300

Enjoy a five course gourmet dinner with fine wine pairings. Bid on luxury trips, incredible experiences, original artwork and extravagant wine. The evening is topped off with live performances by members of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. For corporate tables and sponsorship opportunities, please email events@calgaryphil.com. To secure your tickets, please book early — last year’s event sold out. Purchase tickets online at calgaryphil.com or call our Box Office at 403.571.0849.

calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

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A PERFECT REMINDER OF THE REASON WHY WE CELEBRATE THIS SEASON.” - calgary herald

nov 28 - dec 28, 2019

by charles dickens adapted for the stage by geoffrey simon brown Get your tickets today at theatrecalgary.com or call us at 403-294-7447

Carol2019_Ad_CPOPrelude_HalfPage.indd 1

2019-08-19 4:50 PM

Not just shares, shared values. Curious? atb.com/corporate

AUTUMN 2019 | 49

STUDIO BELL HIGHLIGHTS INDIGENOUS ARTISTS Speak Up! exhibition honours Canadian musicians who make a difference BY KARINA ZAPATA

uring his 2018 Polaris Music Prize-winning speech, Jeremy Dutcher spoke in his Wolastoq language, then transitioned to English. “Canada, you are in the midst of an Indigenous renaissance,” he said while accepting the award for his debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (Maliseet Songs). “Music is changing this land, and what you see on this stage is the future.” The classically trained operatic tenor takes every opportunity to blend his Tobique First Nation roots and traditional language into the music he creates, which incorporates classical, contemporary, traditional and jazz. It’s a fusion that, he said in a 2018 interview with Billboard Magazine, is “about disrupting the bilingual Anglo-centric Canadian music narrative.” Dutcher is among 10 artists highlighted in a new exhibition at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre (NMC), in partnership with TD, that honours powerful Indigenous voices in music. Titled Speak Up!, it features artists who have, or are, making social and political impacts in Canada, and are inspiring a new generation to act. Other featured artists include: singer-songwriter and First Nations activist Willie Dunn, trip-hop singer-songwriter iskwe, eight-time Grammy-nominees Northern Cree, filmmaker and musician Alanis Obomsawin, Aboriginal poet, painter, broadcaster and filmmaker Dr. Duke Redbird, Anishinaabe singer-songwriter and emcee Leonard Sumner, Ottawa-based rock band Seventh Fire, Inuit throat singer and experimental artist Tanya Tagaq, and ground-breaking Cree hip-hop group War Party. Dutcher’s appearance in the exhibit comes just three years after his residency with NMC, where he recorded the demos for his now Polaris Prize and Juno Awardwinning album. Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa incorporates William Mechling’s wax cylinder recordings from Maliseet communities in the early 1900s with Dutcher’s own shapeshifting compositions. A performer, composer, activist, and musicologist, Dutcher was inspired to create the album as a means to keep his ancestors alive. “The preservation of language is the most integral part of this whole project because when we lose a language, we’re not just losing words,” he said while in residence in 2016. “What we’re really losing is an entire way of thinking and of moving through the world.” At the launch of Speak Up!, exhibition curator David McLeod also spoke to the origins and survival of Indigenous music 50 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

throughout history. “When the first musicologists were riding the waters to reach the North, they were searching out to record a people they thought were going to disappear, a culture that was going to disappear — and it hasn’t disappeared,” he said. “Indigenous people are still here. Indigenous music is definitely still here.” While the exhibit currently features 10 artists, more will be included over the years. McLeod says there is a wealth of Indigenous music and history needing long overdue recognition in Canada, and he hopes to share even more of their stories as the exhibit evolves. “The National Music Centre is at the centre of lifting up Indigenous music in this country right now and that needs to be applauded,” said McLeod.

Jeremy Dutcher is featured in Speak Up!, a new permanent exhibition at Studio Bell.

The Holidays aren’t the Holidays without music. Celebrate the Season with the CPO! Sounds of the Season: On the Road 27 November 2019 / 7:30PM Shane Homes YMCA 28 November 2019 / 7:30PM Brookfield YMCA 3 December 2019 / 7:30PM Magnolia Banquet Hall 18 + 19 December 2019 / 7:30PM Grace Presbyterian Church

RUNE BERGMANN Music Director

Holiday Pops with Rune + Jens 29 + 30 November 2019 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Handel’s Messiah 6 + 7 December 2019 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Paul Brandt’s Country Christmas 10 December 2019 / 7:30PM Bella Concert Hall 11 + 12 December 2019 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall

calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

THANK YOU TO OUR CHAMPIONS The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is able to achieve its goals in large part thanks to the dedication of its Champion donors. Every contribution, large or small, plays a vital role in the success of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and allows the Orchestra to share its love of music with others through its education and outreach programmes, live-streaming, the commissioning of new works, bringing world-class guest artists and conductors to Calgary, and supporting the next generation of artists.

The Naomi + John Lacey

Programme

The Foundation, the CPO’s largest annual supporter, is critical to its long-term stability and growth. Contributions to the Foundation ensure future generations have access to the power of orchestral music.

This programme has been bringing world-class artists to the CPO for over 10 seasons. Many Virtuoso artists also perform at intimate recitals for Patron Programme members, or teach masterclasses to aspiring musicians.

Irene and Walt DeBoni contribute to the development and commissioning of new Canadian works. Thanks to this programme, the CPO premieres five new works this Season for 2020: The Year of Beethoven series.

Founded by Ellen and Allen Borak, this programme helps elevate the art of choral music by supporting and nurturing the development of the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, led by Chorus Master Timothy Shantz.

Founded by arts champion Andrea Brussa, this programme supports the CPO by enabling it to bring some of the world’s leading conductors to Calgary to perform with the Orchestra.

C L A R K FA M I LY Elaine and Jeremy Clark, along with their daughters Keiko and Chloe, support initiatives such as the Mozart Patron Programme and Heartstrings that help bring more music to more people and encourage philanthropy.

MACLACHLAN

Joyce & Dick

EMERGING ARTIST PROGRAMME

Philanthropic Programme

Letha MacLachlan, Q.C., and John Ridge give outstanding young Canadian musicians a chance to advance their careers by performing with the CPO, helping to develop Canada’s next generation of artists.

Created in memory of Joyce and Dick Matthews, dedicated and generous supporters of the CPO for more than 50 years. This programme helps people recognize someone special in memoriam.

/RIDGE

Matthews

Founded by Judy Kilbourne, this after-school programme for students age 5 to 11 brings music to the hands and hearts of children who otherwise would not have access to such artistic development.

For more information about how your donation can make a difference to the Orchestra and also align with your interests, please visit calgaryphil.com or call 403.571.0270. 52 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

SPONSORS + SUPPORTERS SPONSORS + SUPPORTERS GOVERNMENT

Black

CMYK

FOUNDATIONS Pantone

TAYLOR FAMILY FOUNDATION

CORPORATE

Brookfield

Magic Tours & Travel

MEDIA

ARTISTIC + COMMUNITY

HOSPITALITY

AUTUMN 2019 | 53

DONORS DONORS The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra extends its sincere appreciation to all donors. Thank you! ENDOWED AND NAMED ORCHESTRA CHAIRS Rozsa Endowed Chair Music Director, Rune Bergmann Ellen + Allen Borak Endowed Chair Chorus Master, Timothy Shantz John + Ethelene Gareau Endowed Chair Concertmaster, Diana Cohen (in honour of Cenek Vrba’s 36 years of service) Peter + Jeanne Lougheed Endowed Chair Associate Concertmaster, John Lowry Hotchkiss Endowed Chair First Violin Section Member H.D. Klebanoff Endowed Chair First Violin Section Member, Olga Kotova Dennis Sharp + Hélène Côté-Sharp Endowed Chair Second Violin Section Member, Craig Hutchenreuther Dalgleish Endowment of Chair 66 Second Violin Member, Minnie Min Kyung Kwon Eckhardt-Gramatté Foundation Endowed Chair Principal Viola, Laurent Grillet-Kim (in memory of Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté) John + Jean Partridge Endowed Chair Cello Section Member, David Morrissey Deborah Yedlin + Martin Molyneaux Endowed Chair Cello Section Member, Joan Kent Bill + Irene Bell Endowed Chair Piccolo, Gwen Klassen Judith + William Kilbourne Named Chair (in recognition of their long-term support) Assistant Principal Horn, Heather Wootton Frank + Carol Gray Endowed Chair Principal Trumpet, Adam Zinatelli (in memory of Vincent Cichowicz)

Frank + Carol Gray Endowed Chair Principal Percussion, Josh Jones (in honour of Tim Rawlings’ 42 years of service) Dick + Joyce Matthews Endowed Chair Piano

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS Long-Term Giving 10+ Years Rajendra + Dinesh Agrawal Dr. Naomi Anderson + Dr. John Tyberg Irene Bakker Diana + David Ballard Marjory Barber Barbara Beaton Marian + Paul Beer Irene + William Bell Jenny Belzberg Beverly + Gerry Berkhold Marg + Paul Boëda Belinda + Tom Boleantu Ellen + Allen Borak Heather + Ian Bourne Andrea Brussa Pat + Jim Burns Marion R. Burrus Calgary Foundation Lori Caltagirone Gloria + Walter Chayka Elaine + Jeremy Clark Harry + Martha Cohen Foundation Rae + Phillip Cram Linda + Jack Crawford Lori Cutler + Nick Kuzyk Judith + Terry Dalgleish David Daly Rao + Dawn Darsi Gloria Davis Irene + Walt DeBoni Alexandra De Freitas Janet Dietrich Ute + Walter Dilger Clem Dumett Catherine Evamy Verna Jean Fairbrass E. Ann Falk Livia + Tibor Fekete Shirley + Walter Foster Beverly + David Foy Annie Freeze Liz + Tony Fricke Audrey + John Fry Ethelene + John Gareau Carlie-Jean + Eldon Godfrey Carol + Frank Gray Joan + Don Greenfield Barrie + Patricia Griffiths Theresa P. Hamilton Lois + Dick Haskayne O.C. A.O.E

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Juli Hegg + Bill Hogg James A. Hughes Mae Jardine Carrol Jaques + Bob Loov Valerie + Craig Johnstone Judy + John Kendall Judith Kilbourne Jeanette + Frank King Barbara + Hugh Klaassen Barbara Klebanoff Naomi + Dr. John Lacey John Laurence Ann Lewis-Luppino + Tony Luppino Diane + David Macdonald Letha MacLachlan Q.C. + John Ridge Beverly MacLeod Marlene + Blair Mason Kathleen Matheson + Jane McCruden Amanda + Andrew Matthews Joyce + Richard Matthews C.M. Elizabeth + Gene Maurice Jessie + Richard Mercer Patricia + Sherrold Moore Janice + James Morton Shelagh + Faiz Nadir Naegi + Dr. Benno Nigg Betty + Willis O’Leary Sheryl + Dave Olson The Paddon Hughes Development Co. Ltd. Jackie + Fritz Painsi Barbara + James Palmer Jean + John Partridge Camille + Erasmo A. Pavan Maureen + David Payne Shirley + Daniel Philips William Phillips Nellie Pintus Mary + Conrad Porth Janet Poyen The Rabinovitz Family Vera A. Ross Rozsa Foundation Drs. Lola + Ted Rozsa Mary Rozsa de Coquet C.M Ruth Ann Rozsa Rayner Sheila + Italo Sartorio Hedy + Clark Seaborn Tony Settari Clarice Siebens Joan + Geoffrey Simmins Betty J. Stein Marg Southern C.C. C.V. A.O.E. Mira Starczyk + Tom Skrzypinski Deb + David Stephens Holly Sykes + Rob Baker Carolyn + David Tavender John Thompson Faye + Kenneth Turnbull Peggy + Bill Warren Anne + Terry Wilson Gloria Wong + Art Hibbard

Dori Wood + James Doleman Shirley Zielsdorf + Ed Letkeman Anne + Frank Zinatelli Lifetime Giving $100,000+ Ellen + Allen Borak Heather + Ian Bourne Andrea Brussa Lori Caltagirone Norma Carroll Elaine + Jeremy Clark Harry + Martha Cohen Foundation Judith + Terry Dalgleish Irene + Walt DeBoni The Eckhardt-Gramatte Foundation Estate of Evelyn Christine Kings Estate of John Bruce Dunlop Estate of Mario James Stella Estate of Mary McIntosh Estate of Winnifred Griffith Livia + Tibor Fekete Jan + Larry Fichtner Annie Freeze Liz + Tony Fricke Ethelene + John Gareau Carol + Frank Gray Lois + Dick Haskayne O.C. A.O.E Jane Hayward H.D. Klebanoff Memorial Fund Barbara J. Hejduk Elizabeth + Wayne Henuset John Hopwood Rebecca + Harley Hotchkiss The Kahanoff Foundation Judith + William Kilbourne Jeanette + Frank King Naomi + Dr. John Lacey Sandra LeBlanc O.C. Marcelle Leveille Ann Lewis-Luppino + Tony Luppino Letha MacLachlan Q.C. + John Ridge Joyce + Dick Matthews Allan Markin Janice + James Morton Nickle Family Foundation Dan O’Grady Barbara + James Palmer Palmer Family Foundation Jean + John Partridge The Rabinovitz Family Rozsa Foundation Drs. Lola + Ted Rozsa Mary Rozsa de Coquet C.M. Clarice Siebens Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust Marg Southern C.C. C.V. A.O.E. Carla + Klaus Springer Trent + Josie Stangl Mary Ann Steen Muriel Stewart Vera Swanson C.M. O.C.

Taylor Family Foundation Dori Wood + James Doleman Deborah Yedlin + Martin Molyneaux Shirley Zielsdorf + Ed Letkeman 2018/2019 Fiscal Year $100,000+ Ellen + Allen Borak Irene + Walt DeBoni Dr. John Lacey The Rabinovitz Family $25,000 to $99,999 Elaine + Jeremy Clark Annie Freeze Letha MacLachlan Q.C. + John Ridge Janice + James Morton Mary Rozsa de Coquet C.M. $10,000 to $24,999 Jenny Belzberg Heather + Ian Bourne Kim Bruce Andrea Brussa Judith + Terence Dalgleish Ute + Walter Dilger E. Ann Falk Liz + Tony Fricke Ann + Walter Haessel Kay Harrison Angela + Samuel Hayes Judith Kilbourne Barbara Palmer Sue Riddell Rose + Mike Rose Clarice Siebens Marg Southern C.C. C.V. A.O.E. Wilma + John ‘t Hart $5,000 to $9,999 Carol Admanson + Ken Adam Irene Bakker Gloria + Walter Chayka Kathy + Paul Dornian Livia + Tibor Fekete Juli Hegg + Bill Hogg Jeanette King Marlene + Blair Mason Sheila McIntosh + Phil Ireland Janet Poyen James M. Stanford Muriel Stewart Heather L. Treacy Q.C. + Joe Nahman $2,500 to $4,999 Rajendra + Dinesh Agrawal Dr. Naomi Anderson + Dr. John Tyberg Marian + Paul Beer Anne + Israel Belenkie Beverly + Gerry Berkhold Belinda + Tom Boleantu Eleanor + Lawrence Bryan Lori Caltagirone Jim Campbell Lori Cutler + Nick Kuzyk Fern Cyr Alexandra De Freitas Verna Jean Fairbrass Shirley + Walter Foster Pamela Grigg Danelle Hames + Matthew Law James A. Hughes

Maria Kryzan Amanda + Andrew Matthews Elizabeth + Gene Maurice Kathleen McCruden Matheson + Jane McCruden Jessie + Richard Mercer Lara Pella + Geoffrey Holub Mary + Conrad Porth Nathan Smith Agatha Starczyk + Mike Miller Deb + David Stephens Helene + Henk ter Keurs Erin Thrall + Peter Johnson John Thompson Robert Welty Catherine + Bruce Williams Gloria Wong + Art Hibbard Janet Yuchem + Roy Christie $1,000 to $2,499 John Abbott Andrew Azmudeh Michelle Bailey Diana + David Ballard Barbara Beaton Marg + Paul Boëda John Bonnycastle Kathleen + Robert Booth Diane Boutin Marion R. Burrus Carla + Keith Byblow Ann + Bob Calvert Catherine + Stan Climie Rae + Phillip Cram Linda + Jack Crawford Daniel Culcea David Daly Dawn + Rao Darsi Clem Dumett Bruce Edgelow Catherine Evamy Philippa FitzGerald-Finch Donna + Denis Fonteyne Ethelene Gareau Carlie-Jean + Eldon Godfrey Carol Gray Corinne Grigoriu Eileen + Darcy Gukert Ian Hawkins Caroline + David Henley Joan Holland Anne Howard Allan Huber William Hyndman Mae Jardine Carrol Jaques + Bob Loov Valerie + Craig Johnstone Joseph Katchen Mary Anne Katzenberg Margaret Kemp Judy + John Kendall Madeleine King Barbara + Hugh Klaassen Barbara Klebanoff Ann Lewis-Luppino + Tony Luppino David Lyons Chris K. MacKimmie Beverly MacLeod Simone MacRae Roberta + David McCaslin Roderick McKay Rene + Mark McManus Sharon McNaughton

Elizabeth + Ross Middleton Marilyn Moldowan Marilyn Mooibroek + David Lau Patricia Moore Shelagh + Faiz Nadir Naegi + Dr. Benno Nigg Tatianna O’Donnell Betty + Willis O’Leary Tim Onyett Jackie + Fritz Painsi Jean + John Partridge Maureen + David Payne Robert Pearson Phyllis Peters Shirley + Daniel Philips May Ellen Pringle Christine Rendell Sonia + Bob Reynolds Vera A. Ross Ruth Ann Rozsa Rayner Ruchi + Chris Ryley Hedy + Clark Seaborn Tony Settari Mary + Richard Shaw Joan + Geoffrey Simmins Joan Snyder Alfred Sorensen Mira Starczyk + Tom Skrzypinski Betty J. Stein Minako + Yasuhiko Tanaka Neil Tice Ruth + Mark R. Trueman Jim Truesdale Faye + Kenneth Turnbull Jim Ulrich Henry + Sharon Van Der Sloot Sheila Wappel-McLean + Brent McLean Valerie Warke Peggy + Bill Warren Joyce Williams Steve Wilson Anne + Terry Wilson Dori Wood + James Doleman Robert Woodward

FOUNDATIONS, FUNDS, GOVERNMENT, ORGANIZATIONS + TRUSTS 2018/2019 Fiscal Year $1,000,000+ Morningside Music Bridge Foundation Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation $500,000 to $999,999 Canada Council for the Arts Department of Canadian Heritage $100,000 to $499,999 Alberta Foundation for the Arts Calgary Arts Development Authority Calgary Foundation Jewish Community Foundation of Calgary Taylor Family Foundation $25,000 to $99,999 Government of Alberta

Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust Edmonton Community Association $10,000 to $24,999 Calgary Marathon Society Canada Life Enbridge Inc. glasswaters foundation Rozsa Foundation Shaw Birdies for Kids Presented By AltaLink TD Canada Trust United Active Living Inc. Walter Dilger Consulting Engineers Ltd. Wood Ditton Holdings Inc. $5,000 to $9,999 Grosvenor Americas, Calgary Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd. $2,500 to $4,999 Aqueduct Foundation ATB Beniva Consulting Group Deloitte Management Services LP Imperial Oil Limited Pamela Grigg Charitable Fund Scotiabank The Welty Family Foundation $1,000 to $2,499 Baher Family Fund Berkhold Family Foundation DLA Piper (Canada) LLP Estate of Merrill Ann Highet Filterboxx Water and Environmental Corporation Halcyon Exploration Ltd. Harry + Martha Cohen Foundation H S Ulmer Giving Fund Keyera Corp. Lorne Price Professional Corporation. McLeod Law Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP Painsi & Aguirre Investments Inc. Strategic Charitable Giving Foundation; Wood Pittman Fund Summa Consulting Triwest Capital Partners V (2015) Inc. 2018/2019 Gifts in Kind $25,000 to $99,999 Calgary Herald Corus Entertainment Encana Corporation Meludia SAS Newcap Radio Inc. The CORE Kool 101.5 $10,000 to $24,999 Avenue Magazine CKUA Magic Tours & Travel Ltd. Michael Lipnicki Fine Pianos Shine FM $5,000 to $9,999 Calgary Airport Authority Daily Hive La Chaumière Restaurant AUTUMN 2019 | 55

Masters Gallery Ltd. PATTISON Outdoor Advertising LP Piano Services International, Inc. Zenato Family Winery $2,500 to $4,999 Fairmont Palliser Shine FM Sland Studios $1,000 to $2,499 Boft Fine Rugs Gallery Ltd. Calgary Jewellery Ltd. Contemporary Calgary Deane House Soft Rock 97.7

LEGACY GIVING We acknowledge all those who have made bequests in their will or through other means to provide future support to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Your generosity is deeply appreciated and will ensure a vibrant future for excellence in music in the Calgary community. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy on the above list. Please email any errors or omissions to info@calgaryphil.com.

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VOLUNTEERS These volunteers contribute their time each Season — we celebrate them and their dedication. Robert Adam Mariah Atkinson Partow Bayzaee Irlana Bondar Frances Bradley Peggy Chan Candice Cheah Mounira Chehade Ziniu Chen Teresa Chiu Ian Churchill Sandi Churchill Carole Clement Steve Clement Lynne Dale Viviana D’Ambrosio Carol Dann Julie Docken Graham Edwards Yaruuna Enkhbold Kajsa Erickson Aura Felipe Shirley Foster Dave & Brenda Frame Barbara Frasch Prasad Ganesan Jill Girgulis Milena Gonzalez David Grant Lolita Guboc Alan Hamaliuk Larry Hamm Gloria Hare Hamish Harrison Robin Harwig Don Herman Daniel Hernandez Pamela Humphreys Aime Hutton Eloise Jarvis Shane Kidd Veronika Kiryanova Dennis Kozak Lillian Kozak Wendy Kunsman Jeannie Laughlin Richie Le Jenai Lieu Elmire Limoges Lacey MacAulay Gail MacCrimmon Shawna MacGillivary Moira MacPherson Joy Mamer Kristy Martens Sheila Martin Julia Meeder Carol Mewha Haily Moon Donna Morrison Allison Nelson Maydelin Nunez Noguez Faye Olubobokun Tim Onyett Jolanta Pawlilowska Marlene Payne

Elsa Penate Stephanie Quilliams Lauren Ridge Stephanie Ridge Bridget Robinson Dianne Rutledge Amy Sawchenko Barbara Schultz Doug Smith Ryan Stasynec Dave Stephens Barbara Stuber Judy Taylor Gloria Tse Valerie Turner Noah Urquhart Candace Van Apeldoorn Mijk van Wijk Debbie Wagner Larry Wagner Gina Waks Dawne Wharton Gayna Wong

We also thank the Boards of Directors of the Calgary Philharmonic Society and Foundation, and members of the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus listed on page 4 and page 8 respectively. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy on the above list. Please email any errors or omissions to volunteer@calgaryphil.com.

107–321 6 Avenue SW 403.269.6955

Official Couturier for

RUNE BERGMANN Music Director

KARL HIRZER Associate Conductor

Supporters leave a lasting legacy for Calgary’s Orchestra Joyce and Dick Matthews were dedicated supporters of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for more than 50 years. They regarded symphonic music as one of life’s greatest pleasures, and a strong Orchestra as a hallmark of a world-class city. Their contributions to the CPO Foundation have helped create the strong and vibrant Orchestra that you enjoy today.

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UNITED residents embrace the arts Transforming the Experience of Aging

You can create your own legacy dedicated to the future of great music in Calgary by donating to the CPO Foundation. For more information please email Barbara Soles, Senior Development Officer, at bsoles@calgaryphil.com or call 403.571.0267. Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation Registered Charity: 119218089RR001

Garrison Green 403-685-7200 Fish Creek 587- 481-7907

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AUTUMN 2019 | 57

GAME CHANGING MOMENTS BY DAVID SUSSMAN, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OBOE

ecoming a professional musician demands a huge amount of training, practise, and commitment, and a real willingness to do the hard work required. Many of us have had moments of insight, inspiration, or clarity that changed things for us and helped us follow the path that has led to the CPO. One game-changing moment occurred for me when I entered Grade 7 in a junior high school with an instrumental music programme. I had been studying violin privately from the age of seven and enjoyed it very much, but now I got to pick an instrument of my choice. I heard concerts of my older brothers’ band classes and was fascinated by the unique and beautiful sound of the oboe — I particularly recall an oboe solo in The Little Drummer Boy. Once I started playing it, I discovered that it felt more natural for me to 58 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

phrase music with the air than with a bow. I loved the solo bits given to the oboe, too. I had chosen an instrument that I felt a special connection to and experienced joy every time I picked it up. In my early teens I began playing oboe in youth and community orchestras. I revelled in being in the midst of all that amazing sound. It was a visceral thrill that I still experience to this day. I heard many pieces for the first time from inside the orchestra and that was game changing. I still remember playing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 at a reading session of a community orchestra and thinking “What a fantastic piece of music!” I felt a part of this group that collectively created a wonderful soundscape at that particular moment. I enjoyed the interplay of the different parts and instruments and how it all worked together.

Despite my obvious love of music, I entered a bachelor of science programme at university, thinking music would be a lifelong hobby. I found myself playing rehearsals and concerts rather than studying for final exams. I would go to concerts of professional orchestras and wonder if it could be me playing in that group. I knew that I had to give a musical career a try or I would kick myself for the rest of my life. I did finish that BSc, but auditioned for and was accepted into music school. My first day in music classes at university felt so natural to me — I knew I was in the right game. Each CPO musician has their own tale of special moments that gave them a sense of direction and purpose in following a musical path. We will continue to have memorable times as our careers evolve, but remember with special fondness these formative game-changing experiences.

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OCT. 28

CALIDORE STRING QUARTET WYATT SERIES

NOV. 11 MRU KANTOREI REMEMBRANCE DAY CONCERT

NOV. 17 CALGARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA

DEC. 8 WINTER FANTASIA

AT T H E B E L L A TAY LO R C E N T R E . C A 60 | PRELUDE calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849

DEC. 13 SOUNDS OF THE SEASON

Prelude Live Fall 2019

Articles inside

GAME CHANGING MOMENTS

CHAMPION DONORS

INDIGENOUS MUSICIANS SPEAK UP! AT STUDIO BELL

Q + A WITH CLASSICAL QUEEN THORGY THOR

RESURRECTION MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 2

PATRON PROGRAMMES

JEREMY DUTCHER SHARES THE SONGS OF HIS ANCESTORS

GHOSTBUSTERS IN CONCERT HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR

ELECTRA RISING FORSYTH CELLO CONCERTO

HEATHER EDWARDS GIVES GIFT OF MUSIC

GREATEST OPERA HITS

SAM’S PICKS: THIS SEASON’S REVOLUTIONARY COMPOSERS

KIDS AT THE OPERA

THE MUSIC OF ABBA

FAQ

CALGARY PHILHARMONIC CHORUS