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AUDITION for the May Festival Chorus & Youth Chorus

FESTIVAL 150

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Sara Daneshpour PIANO

Sunday, September 17, 2023

“She created transfixing poetry.” The Washington Post

Julian Schwarz

Marika Bournaki PIANO

Sunday, October 29, 2023

“Schwarz’s deep tone shoots straight to the heart of a listener.” Shepherd Express

Jasmine Choi FLUTE

ChangYong Shin PIANO

Sunday, November 19, 2023

“One of best flutists in the history of music” Sinfini Magazine

Yun Zeng FRENCH HORN

Donna Loewy PIANO

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Won First Prize in the Brass Category at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition

Pene Pati & Amina Edris TENOR and SOPRANO

Robert Mollicone PIANO

Sunday, April 21, 2024

“Pati surprises…one of the most beautiful tenor voices of the moment...”

—Christophe Rizoud, Forum Opera

“Edris…A magnetic presence.” Opera News

Tickets: MemorialHallOTR.org or 513-977-8838

CELLO CINCINNATI DEBUT

DEBUT AMINA EDRIS CINCINNATI DEBUT

FESTIVAL 150

CONTENTS

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GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD CHAIR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the May Festival, May Festival Chorus and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, we are honored and excited to present the May Festival’s 150th season, which is poised to be our biggest season yet!

In Ken Smith’s article, “May Festival 150th Anniversary” (pp. 6–11), he talks with the composers and conductors who make this year’s Festival one of a kind.

Named by BBC Music Magazine as “One of the Best Classical Music Festivals in the United States and Canada” for the third year in a row, the May Festival has been at the forefront of innovating choral music to the highest artistic and performance standards. Since the first May Festival in 1873, the Festival has grown to become the longest-running choral festival in the Western Hemisphere, cultivating diverse audiences, choirs and singers with the utmost passion for choral music. In fact, within the last two years, the May Festival Chorus has welcomed 57 new members, making this year’s Chorus the largest in recent memory, and the youngest and most diverse in the history of the May Festival.

This season, the May Festival is honoring its vast and extensive legacy of groundbreaking commissions and premieres. To honor this history, the May Festival embarked on an innovative choral commissioning project, “25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music,” in collaboration with the Luna Composition Lab, founded by composers Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid. Luna Composition Lab provides mentorship, educational resources and professional development for female, non-binary and gender nonconforming composers ages 13–18. Through this collaborative effort, the young

Christy Horan and Steven Sunderman composers have written 25 new choral works for 25 choral ensembles throughout Greater Cincinnati. Writer Anne Arenstein had an opportunity to speak with the composers, choral directors and mentors about how these commissions came to life, for her article on pp. 15–17.

What would a 150th anniversary be without a look back at our origins? Craig Doolin’s article, “Beginnings of the Cincinnati May Festival and Music Hall” (pp. 26–31), describes the early years of the May Festival and the events leading up to the construction of the now iconic Cincinnati Music Hall. Cincinnati’s highly developed arts scene was catalyzed by the founding of the May Festival. “Cincinnati’s Modern Musical Landscape” (pp. 32–35) by Tyler M. Secor, examines the many cultural organizations that emerged in the two decades after the founding of the May Festival.

Our history is unmatched, and it is through this history that we see our future. Hannah Edgar’s piece, “By Looking Backward, May Festival Springs Forward” (pp. 18–23), illuminates those events in our past that continue to inform what we do today.

We are very grateful to the members of the May Festival Chorus and the May Festival Youth

Chorus, who have showcased exemplary and exceptional talent, maintaining our 150-year long reputation as the standard for choral relevance, evolution, innovation and excellence. Without their dedication, passion and incredible musicianship, none of what we do would be possible. We are just as thankful to our artistic leadership, who skillfully prepare and lead our choruses for every performance. This season marks the conclusion of Principal Conductor Juanjo Mena’s tenure with the May Festival, and on p. 13 David Lyman talks with those who have worked closely with Mena about his final Festival. Director of Choruses Robert Porco leads the May Festival Chorus in his record-setting 34th season; during his tenure he has expertly prepared the Chorus for almost every major choral and orchestra work in the standard repertoire for May Festival, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Ballet concerts.

Director of the May Festival Youth Chorus

Matthew Swanson brings together and elevates some of the most talented young singers in the Greater Cincinnati area. Have you ever wondered

what it is like to be part of the May Festival Youth Chorus? On p. 24, DiDi Turley talks with some of the Youth Chorus members about the amazing experiences they have had as part of the ensemble.

From the Choruses, Orchestra, artistic leadership, crew, staff and soloists, we express our deep gratitude for every single audience member, donor and sponsor. Without all of you, none of this would be possible! We sincerely thank you for your attendance, sponsorship and support of the May Festival. It is an absolute honor to present the 150th season of the May Festival, and we hope for your continued support and enjoyment as we continue to cement Cincinnati’s legacy as “The City that Sings,” and as we embark on the next 150 years—and beyond!

Christy Horan, Chair, Board of Directors Steven Sunderman, Executive Director

Credit: Mark Lyons

MAY FESTIVAL’S 150th ANNIVERSARY

by Ken Smith

You have to admit, they had a great excuse. When J.S. Bach’s Magnificat received its U.S. premiere at the May Festival in 1875, the organizers couldn’t exactly invite the composer on stage to take a bow.

Unlike Bach, though, who died 125 years too soon to greet Cincinnati audiences, Gustav Mahler actually had his music performed at Music Hall in 1905—while he was still alive. The year before, Richard Strauss conducted the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) in several of his own works; the year after, Camille Saint-Saëns performed his Piano Concerto No. 5 with the same orchestra on the same stage. We could go on, and on.

Juanjo Mena. “I have found Cincinnati to be amazing in its openness and creativity,” says Mena, who has helmed the Festival since 2018. “There have always been premieres here—and not only of new works. Even during the horrible pandemic

continued, p. 11

Although each of the conductors appearing this season—from “newcomer” Marin Alsop (making her May Festival debut on May 20) to 37-year Festival veteran James Conlon (returning on May 25) to—differs in their wording, they’ve said essentially the same thing: In Cincinnati, the past remains the present, the present becomes the past, and both are poised to shape our future.

That motto could easily apply to classical music in general, but it rings especially true as the May Festival celebrates its 150th anniversary and also marks the final season for its Principal Conductor

Principal Conductor Juanjo Mena leads the treble voices of the May Festival Chorus in Gustav Holst’s Hymns from Rig Veda, May 2021. Credit: Mark Lyons

James Conlon leads the May Festival Chorus and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for his final concert as May Festival Music Director, May 2016. Credit: Philip Groshong

In Cincinnati, the past remains the present, the present becomes the past, and both are poised to shape our future.

Kindred musical spirits

by KEN SMITH

Apart from their given name, composers James MacMillan and James Lee III have a couple of other things in common. First is a shared background in both orchestral and choral music; second is a connection to conductor Juanjo Mena dating back to 2012.

Before his May Festival days, Mena led the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in Lee’s Sukkot Through Orion’s Nebula, “a wonderfully rich series of contrasts that was warmly received by the CSO musicians,” the conductor recalls. Lee, too, was amazed at the vibrancy Mena achieved through the orchestral ranks. “Even the tuba player was excited about how I explored the low notes,” he exclaims.

But when Mena reached out to Lee with a commission for the May Festival’s 150th anniversary season, the Baltimore-based composer was, frankly, surprised. “I’ve written a lot of choral music, mostly for the Baltimore Choral Arts Society,” he says, “but nearly all of my commissions have been for orchestral music.”

A decade ago, Mena had taken Lee’s Sukkot to the Chicago

Symphony Orchestra and was astonished by how much he’d refined the piece after hearing it in performance. With Lee’s May Festival commission, Breaths of Universal Longings, he decided to jumpstart the process with a preview at the American Choral Directors Association’s annual conference last February (pictured above). “We both agreed it would be helpful to have as much preparation as possible,” Mena says. “I thought his new work would be similar to the earlier piece, but he surprised me. With voices, his musical ideas are very different, the orchestration is very different. It is a completely different language, but still very special.”

MacMillan first met Mena when he conducted the 2012 world premiere of the composer’s Credo at the BBC Proms. Before the ink was even dry on Mena’s May Festival contract, the conductor was plotting to bring MacMillan, who became a Festival Creative Partner in 2019, to Cincinnati. “I remember this wonderful concert with many local choruses,” the composer says. “Church choirs, children’s choirs, volunteer community groups, all performing at a very high level. It was a sign of how deeply Cincinnati’s choral tradition was rooted.”

So, too, did composer and conductor recognize each other as kindred musical spirits.

Much as MacMillan grew up in a British coal-mining family, with a brass-band tradition on one hand and a Catholic church choir on the other, Mena came of age in northern Spain with a strong civic choral tradition of mostly farmers and factory workers. “There are at least two different MacMillans,” Mena says, “the calm religious man, and a social figure of working people. I knew immediately he must return for the Festival’s 150th anniversary.”

Where Lee recalls only minimal guidance regarding his commission (“They mentioned something about the collective universality of human joy,” he says), MacMillan explored texts concerning the power of music, settling on John Dryden’s Alexander’s Feast, a poem also set by Handel.

Although MacMillan’s Timotheus, Bacchus and Cecilia ends with the patron saint of music, the first two sections are distinctly secular. Timotheus, the musician accompanying Alexander on his military campaigns, gives way to Bacchus, the god of drunkenness. “After Alexander’s attacks, the looting soldiers lose all control,” the composer explains. “Some things never change, like the slaughter of Ukrainians today. It shows that music’s power often has a dark center.” But the piece finds resolution in St. Cecilia, he says, culminating in a glorious celebration of music itself.

James Conlon reflects on tradition, legacy and the music of Julia Adolphe

by KEN SMITH

“It was always important for me to respect the legacy,” says James Conlon, reflecting on his record 37 seasons as May Festival Music Director. “There’s always a polemic between looking forward and looking back, but for me the May Festival’s tradition of defending the choral repertory outweighed almost everything else.”

On the other hand, “tradition” and “repertory” can be expansive concepts, and Conlon has never been shy about pushing at the edges. Bolstered by the Festival’s history of presenting new and less familiar works, he championed not only living composers like Adolphus Hailstork and Stephen Paulus but also undiscovered pieces by more famous figures like Berlioz, Dvořák and Liszt.

So, it remains fully in character for Conlon, the May Festival’s Music Director Laureate since stepping down in 2016, to bring to the Festival’s 150th anniversary his own personal definitions. Together with the Mozart Requiem (“a piece I could conduct every month,” he says), Conlon continues a rather more recent Cincinnati tradition with another world premiere by the composer Julia Adolphe.

The two first met when Adolphe, then a graduate student at the University of Southern California, became Conlon’s assistant for “Recovered Voices,” a research initiative involving music and composers suppressed by the Nazis. By coincidence, he discovered that she was the niece of the composer (and Conlon’s Juilliard classmate) Bruce Adolphe and was also a composer herself.

“Her gifts were immediately apparent,” says Conlon, who commissioned Adolphe’s Sea Dream Elegies for the May Festival in his final year as Music Director. “Her music is always coherent, always striking

and always demands to be heard again.” The next season, in fact, Adolphe returned to Cincinnati with Equinox, a May Festival Chorus commission led by Director of Choruses Robert Porco and performed on a CSO subscription concert. Her Paper Leaves on Fields of Clay, commissioned by the CSO in 2020, received its (Coviddelayed) premiere under Music Director Louis Langrée in 2022.

“Only Julia knows where her muse can be found, so I gave her carte blanche,” Conlon says of Crown of Hummingbirds, which has its world premiere at Music Hall on May 25. “She knows the Orchestra—you can give the Cincinnati Symphony anything and they’ll be able to play it—but she also knows the Chorus, and that they need a nourishing vocality. She takes these challenges seriously.

“My definition of tradition is whatever stands the test of time and place,” he continues. “Mozart’s Requiem remains part of our common past, which we need to balance with creation of the present. It’s important to gauge how any composer develops, and I see every sign that Julia will continue to grow throughout her lifetime.”

Composer Julia Adolphe speaking to the audience before the premiere of Paper Leaves on Fields of Clay with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, April 2022. Credit: JP Leong

James Conlon leads the May Festival Chamber Choir in the premiere of Julia Adolphe’s Sea Dream Elegies at Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, May 2016. Credit: AJ Waltz

time, we managed to discover Gustav Holst’s Hymns from the Rig Veda, which is not the Holst people thought they knew. From my first day here, we wanted the people of Cincinnati to sing with us, to discover new things, to realize that it’s their Festival.” (Read “Celebrating Juanjo Mena” on pp. 13-14 for more on his final Festival.)

Bach still won’t be taking a bow after the Magnificat on Mena’s opening program on May 19, though two other composers will. The evening also features world premieres of works commissioned from figures already familiar to CSO audiences: James MacMillan, who served as a May Festival Creative Partner in 2019, and James Lee III, whose Sukkot Through Orion’s Nebula Mena first conducted with the CSO in 2012 (see sidebar, p. 9).

Another case study of a world premiere becoming recurring May Festival repertory turns up on Alsop’s program, with The Ordering of Moses by the Canadian-born, Oberlin Conservatory-trained composer Robert Nathanial Dett. Originally performed at Music Hall in 1937 for a national radio broadcast on NBC, it was interrupted on air midway due to “technical difficulties” long suspected, but never proved, to be resulting from complaints concerning a piece written by a Black composer.

Alsop, for her part, is looking forward to making her May Festival debut on such a large scale. “I probably suffer from ‘bigger is better’ syndrome, so adding a choir and text is perfect for me,” says Alsop, who will lead the work alongside Samuel Barber’s First Symphony and Knoxville: Summer of 1915, as well as “The Promise of Living” from Aaron Copland’s opera The Tender Land. “I’ve always loved conducting this orchestra, and there’s a nostalgia to this program that feels very poignant, especially in today’s American climate.”

For this year’s final May Festival program, though, Mena clearly has the last word. And for

him, there was never any doubt what that would be. “When you want to make a big, powerful statement, there’s only one piece,” he claims. Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 is not only grand, he adds, but its balance of the Veni, Creator Spiritus with the final scene from Goethe’s Faust represents precisely the balance of sacred and profane that has run through the May Festival throughout its history.

But Mahler’s famous “Symphony of a Thousand” also resonates with him on a highly personal level. When Mena’s predecessor at the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Theo Alcántara, was programming his final concert, he came to Mena to prepare the choruses. The performance on May 27, Mena admits, will be his first time to lead the piece in concert.

“For a long time, I have known the choral part very well,” he says with a smile. “Actually, with this piece there is a second choir, and a third. You also have yet another choir—I mean the soloists, who need to sing organically, because if they try to sing as individuals, the piece doesn’t work at all.”

Mena’s finale as Principal Conductor will bring together the May Festival Chorus, Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Cincinnati Boychoir and Cincinnati Youth Choir.

“Together, we can reach the full enormity of this work,” he adds, raising his arms above his shoulders. “Together, we can all go up to here.”

Marin Alsop, who will lead the May Festival’s American Voices concert May 20. Credit: Grant Leighton

From left: James Lee III. James MacMillan, serving as Creative Partner, conducting his own Seven Last Words from the Cross, May Festival 2019. Credit: Lee Snow

CELEBRATING JUANJO MENA

by David Lyman

It’s time to say goodbye.

After six years as Principal Conductor of Cincinnati’s May Festival, Juanjo Mena will step away at the end of this year’s Festival.

There’s no conflict behind the decision, no sense of dissatisfaction. Remember, when James Conlon left the May Festival as Music Director in 2016, a new artistic structure was put in place. Instead of engaging music directors for open-ended tenures— Conlon held the position for 37 years—the Festival would be led by a principal conductor with a threeyear contract.

“The idea was that by bringing in a new principal conductor every few years, we could more effectively encourage innovation,” says Steven Sunderman, the May Festival’s Executive Director. And if things went well during the initial term, that conductor might be re-engaged for an additional three years.

When he was approached about the position, Mena was initially hesitant. His position as Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, combined with an extensive guest conducting schedule, was demanding.

“I didn’t think it was a good moment for me,” Mena recalled at the time of his appointment. “But there was a new hall. (The renovated Music Hall.) And Robert Porco—he is a wonderful man to work with—I had to consider it. You know, all my life I have worked with symphonic choruses. They are my great love.”

Besides, he relished the idea of stepping into a choral festival with such a long and distinguished history.

“They told me that my first parameter was that I should take risks,” Mena said when he was introduced as the Principal Conductor. “I had to respect the past. But I was to make something new in Cincinnati.”

And, reflecting on the past years, Sunderman is confident that is precisely what Mena’s legacy will be to May Festival audiences.

“Juanjo has been fantastic,” says Sunderman. “He embraced the regional choral scene. He is the one who championed the creation of the May Festival Community Chorus in 2018 and created community showcase concerts that brought choirs from all over

Juanjo Mena makes his May Festival debut as Principal Conductor, May 2018.

Credit: AJ Waltz

the city to sing at Music Hall in one concert.”

That led very directly to the “25 for 25” performances in March of this year, in which 25 local choirs were paired with young composers involved with the Luna Composition Lab, created by composers Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid. (Read more about this initiative on pp. 15–17)

“His stamp on the repertoire has really been remarkable,” says Sunderman. “Last year’s program of South American epics, for instance. And the performances of Mark Simpson’s The Immortal. And James MacMillan’s Seven Last Words from the Cross. Those were all new to the May Festival repertoire.”

The result of this reinvigorated repertoire has been an expansion of the May Festival audience, not just in numbers but in demographic reach. That has extended to the Chorus, as well. In the past two years, the group has welcomed 57 new members—more than three-quarters of them under the age of 40.

“We are seeing a whole new generation of singers,” says Sunderman.

Robert Porco, who has led the May Festival Choruses since 1989, finds the changes particularly invigorating.

“In my lifetime, I have seen so much change,” says Porco.

“Orchestras used to be all-male, with the exception— maybe—of a harpist or a piccolo player.

Today, we have female conductors and music by a

whole range of composers,” he says, rattling off a list of recent May Festival commissions, including those by Julia Adolphe, James MacMillan and James Lee III. “It’s all so exciting.”

He has found his time working with Mena especially rewarding.

“Juanjo is such a warm, gracious personality,” says Porco. “And he has brought wonderful music ideas to the Festival.” Equally important is that, unlike many conductors, Mena has also brought a collaborative spirit to the role.

“He is very respectful to me,” says Porco. “After rehearsals, he often approaches me and says ‘What do you think, Bob’ or ‘How are the tempos, how is the balance?’ And then he actually listens to what I have to say. That is really quite unusual.”

Mena wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Conductors are not dictators,” he says. “Everywhere you go, you hear people talk about their musical teams. When you’re a team, you work together. It’s necessary. And here in Cincinnati, I have been fortunate to have a wonderful team. I think I have challenged them with ideas. But this team—this May Festival team—has turned those ideas into reality.

“We gave audiences Bach and Brahms, but we also gave them Mark Simpson and John Adams and Villa-Lobos. It is not enough to open the door to people. When the door is open, it is important to invite them and then not to close the door. You ask me what I will remember about Cincinnati—these are the things I will remember.”

Juanjo Mena conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, May 2022. Credit: JP Leong

Principal Conductor Juanjo Mena and Director of Choruses Robert Porco embrace after a concert in May 2022. Credit: JP Leong

by Anne Arenstein

The May Festival devised a brilliant initiative to celebrate its 150-year history of commissioning new choral music, and its ties with the area’s choruses: “25 For 25: A New Time for Choral Music.” The culminating event was presented at Christ Church Cathedral on March 19 and was groundbreaking on many fronts.

For more than four hours, audiences heard an intriguing selection of choral music written by 25 composers in their teens and early 20s, performed by ensembles representing the region’s extraordinary diversity of choral singing. The attendance was equally impressive: nearly 2,000 were on hand throughout the afternoon.

“We wanted to honor the May Festival’s 150th anniversary and its legacy of commissioning new works since 1873,” explained Matthew Swanson, Associate Director of Choruses and May Festival Youth Chorus Director. “The idea was to commission 25 new works and give them away to area ensembles so they could celebrate with us.”

Enlisting 25 composers was a daunting task, but Swanson found a unique resource in Luna Composition Lab, a fellowship program founded in 2016 by composers Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid to provide mentoring, education and resources for young female, nonbinary and gender nonconforming composers ages 13–18.

Mazzoli and Reid are prolific, award-winning composers whose works are programmed throughout the world. But their shared experience of being the only female in a room of white male composition students led to establishing Luna Lab, the only program of its kind in the U.S. Its success in launching the careers of young women composers and fostering a strong alumni network matched the May Festival’s goals.

“The May Festival’s initiative is the largest scale project we’ve had,” Mazzoli said. “It’s the first time almost all of our alumni have been commissioned and, for most, it’s their first professional commission.”

In January, the May Festival announced a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for project support. Each composer received a stipend, travel funds and support for a professional recording of their work’s performance.

From top: Luna Composition Lab founders Missy Mazzoli (Credit: Caroline Tompkins) and Ellen Reid (Credit: James Matthew Daniel)

Composers met with their respective chorus directors online beginning in August 2022. Although many of the composers are singers and have written for the voice, this was their first experience writing for a vocal ensemble.

The 25 choruses included children’s and youth choruses, men’s and women’s ensembles, and chamber groups as small as eight singers.

The results demonstrated remarkable facility across a range of styles, from Gregorian chant to blends of spoken word (including Korean text) with vocal textures. It would be wrong to call these works juvenilia; they are the works of assured accomplished composers.

For many composers, the first hurdle was the text.

Sage Shurman, a high school senior from Pasadena, wrote “Spring is My Complicity” for the Northern

Kentucky Community Chorus directed by Stephanie Nash.

She opted to write her own text, “a meditation on climate change from the perspective of Mother Earth,” she wrote in her program note.

“At first, the text was very wordy and sentences were unsingable,” she said. “As I was scrapping words, I came to a new idea, ‘Spring is My Complicity,’ and from that I built the piece.”

“I wanted it to move forward in terms of experiencing the words in a new way,” she continued. The text begins with rich choral phrases that suddenly go awry tonally, culminating in a mezzo-soprano solo that is completely consonant.

Joanna McDonald’s “Untamed” sets verses from Vachel Lindsay’s poem “The Broncho That Would Not Be Broken of Dancing.” After several conversations with Young Professional Choral Collaborative director Danielle (Dan) Cozart Steele, McDonald developed a structure that placed an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter as the central character.

“Dan wanted to create an interaction between interpreter and choir,” McDonald explained. “The poem has different characters, so why couldn’t I do that with the ensemble? Working in a more collaborative manner led to a creative solution.”Anya Lagman, a native of the Philippines, worked with poet Catherine Hollis on the text for “I Am Mother,” written for MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir, directed by Jillian Harrison-Jones. Lagman honors Filipina migrant workers living away from their families, but becomes universal, beginning as a quiet lament and building to a multilingual cacophony of mothers calling out.

“I wanted to drive home an idea of motherhood that wasn’t culturally specific,” she said. “It’s a profound topic that’s unspoken.”

Frequent online conversations aided composers and choral directors to shape the appropriate vocal

The three 25 for 25 composers interviewed for this article, from top: Sage Shurman, Joanna McDonald and Anya Lagman.

At left, from top: Luna Composition Lab composers with Missy Mazzoli and Alyssa Kayser-Hirsh, March 19. MUSE, Cincinnat’s Women’s Chorus, performing on March 19. Stephanie Nash conducts the Northern Kentucky Community Chorus on March 19. (L to R) Composer Joanna McDonald, Young Professional Choral Collective Artistic Director Danielle Cozart Steele, Deaf Interpretive Artist Arriana Bedgood and ASL Interpreter Tamra Thacker. Credit: Julie Curry

25 for 25 Composers

Violet Barnum

Olivia Bennett

KiMani Bridges

Gabriella Cariddo

Madeline Clara Cheng

Tiffany Cuaresma

Michelle David

Alicia Erlandson

Jack Gjaja

Abby Harris

Elisa Kain Johnson

Anya Lagman

Devon Lee

Yuri Lee

Maya Miro Johnson

Joanna McDonald

Jordan Millar

Rachel Mugemancuro

Ebun Oguntola

Cecilia Olszewski

Caleb Palka

Zola Saadi-Klein

Sage Shurman

Azalea Twining

Chloe Villamayor

settings for their respective groups. Composers were eager to take on challenges, and conductors had no difficulty working with young composers, many still in their teens. They were even more impressed by how rapidly the work progressed: many compositions were in hand by January.

Choral directors acknowledge that working with new music is a difficult process for even the most professional ensembles.

“They were nervous,” said Xavier University Choir’s director Matthew Swanson. “Maya Miro Johnson’s ‘Strange Father’ has graphic notation and other notation systems she developed. It took us a couple of rehearsals to get used to those elements.”

“Admittedly, singers got frustrated because they wanted to get it right,” added Jillian HarrisonJones. “I kept reminding them to trust the process, and we got there.”

“I told them that we were going to bring a new piece to life written by a composer writing choral music for the first time,” said Stephanie Nash. “We have to be so good that an audience hearing it for the first time will get it.”

The audiences got it, and Missy Mazzoli and Luna Composition Lab Executive Director Alyssa KayserHirsch were visibly elated by the reception.

“It really does feel like a community showcase with the community here in support of this,” Kayser-Hirsh said.

“This is an amazing crowd! Everyone is so open to hearing new music for the first time,” Mazzoli added.

Each composer will receive a professional recording of their chorus’s performance, but an even more important take-home is the confidence and assurance gained throughout the process.

“I’m so proud of my colleagues and I’m proud of myself,” said Joanna McDonald. “We’re walking into this venue, we’re all women composers, we’re writing good, mature new music and it’s great that people are recognizing that. It’s so cool!”

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Luna Composition Lab, visit lunacompositionlab.org. For more about 25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music project, please visit mayfestival.com/25.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Selected performances from the March 19 “25 for 25” concert will be broadcast on WGUC 90.9 FM, Sunday, Oct. 1 at 8 pm.

Thank you to 25 for 25 Project participating ensembles and artists!

• Cincinnati Boychoir

• Cincinnati Camerata

• Cincinnati Choral Academy

• Cincinnati Men’s Chorus

• Cincinnati Youth Choir

•

CinKoa: Cincinnati Korean Choir

• Classical Roots Community Chorus

• Hear Us, Hear Them

• Heri et Hodie

• Jeremy Winston Chorale

•

• Little Miami Chorale

• May Festival

Youth Chorus

•

MUSE: Cincinnati

Women’s Choir

• No Promises Vocal Band

• Northern Kentucky Community Chorus

• Northern Kentucky University Chamber Choir

• School for the Creative and Performing Arts Chorale

• St Ursula Academy

Vocal Ensemble

•

Learn more at mayfestival.com/25

• Thomas More University Choir

• Tron

•

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Chorale

• Ursuline Academy Choir

• Voices of Indiana

• World House Choir

• Xavier University Choir

• Young Professionals Choral Collective

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BY LOOKING BACKWARD, MAY FESTIVAL SPRINGS FORWARD

by Hannah Edgar

The Festival’s 150th anniversary honors its history and informs its future.

The story of the May Festival is, in some ways, the story of Cincinnati itself. At the time the Festival was founded, Cincinnati was a booming city of nearly 250,000, its perch at the crossroads of America making it a crucible for industry and significant wealth. The city already hosted scores of amateur choirs—disproportionately many for a city of its size—and its first music school, the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

That story is still unfolding. The May Festival has reached its 150th year, and many of the elements that made its 1873 maiden voyage a success are still with us: the presence of world class musical institutions (the Cincinnati Conservatory is now, of course, CCM), civic support, and a bevy of choirs in the metro area. Cincinnati remains the only American city selected to host the World Choir Games, in 2012, at which point “City That Sings” was auditioned as a city motto. Taken from the final stanza of a crowdsourced poem, a monument in Cincinnati’s Freedom Park likewise implores passersby to “Sing the Queen City.”

The seed for the May Festival is broadly agreed to have come from Maria Longworth Nichols (later Storer), who later founded Rookwood Pottery. At the time, Nichols was a 23-year-old heiress of the Longworths, who built their wealth from real estate and America’s first successful winemaking business. A trip to London introduced Nichols to grand

English choral festivals, and she wanted Cincinnati to have its own.

In 1872, Nichols managed to get an audience with German-American conductor Theodore Thomas, one of America’s greatest musical celebrities, while his celebrated orchestra was touring in Cincinnati. Impressed by Nichols’ sophisticated musical taste and organizational savvy, Thomas agreed to take part.

Maria Longworth Nichols

Credit: JP Leong

“Sing the Queen City” sculpture by Tommy Sheehan in Freedom Park. Credit: Eric Johnson

Remarkably, more than 700 singers participated in the first May Festival. Thomas’s ensemble was enlisted as the Festival orchestra; the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1895, would not take over until 1906, after Thomas’s death. Thomas himself served as the May Festival’s first music director, and Carl Barus—a leading figure in Cincinnati’s German musical circles and the maternal great-great-uncle of author Kurt Vonnegut—as its first choral director. Start to finish, the first Festival cost $42,000, according to Charles Frederick Goss’s history of Cincinnati.

The first May Festival featured eight sold-out concerts spread over five sequential days, from May 6 to 10, 1873. Until 1967, the Festival happened biennially, with few exceptions. These days, the May Festival happens every year and features four programs spread out over two weeks. But its roots in those early years still nourish the Festival’s present direction, 150 years on.

A mirror on the Queen City

Before the May Festival’s founding, group singing in Cincinnati largely reflected one of two dominant styles: English or German. The first to take root in the city, English choral societies tended to be more formal, growing out of church choirs and prioritizing artistic excellence. In contrast, the German choral tradition was mostly centered on community-building and recreation, gathering singers to revel in biergartens or put on light operas.

Cincinnati’s significant Anglophone and Germanophone populations made the city a unique

hotbed for both traditions. However, they rarely interacted with one another, save a few early attempts to bridge both communities.

The May Festival would represent the most successful attempt yet to blend the city’s English and German choral strains. After assembling an executive committee, the organizers of the first May Festival circulated a call for singers, printed in German and English, which reached 144 music societies, 1,200 newspapers, and more than 120 music stores. Most of the musicians and repertoire were German, but the May Festival’s leadership team were all English-speaking—a dynamic that was not without friction in the Festival’s early years.

Some key moments in the May Festival’s history likewise reflected the city’s changing demographics.

R. Nathaniel Dett became the first Black composer featured1 in the May Festival when it premiered his The Ordering of Moses oratorio in 1937. The piece was rapturously received; a Musical Courier review described its ovation as “pandemonium” and singled it out as “one of the most delectable items… [of the Festival’s] 1937 musical feast.” The work has remained in the Chorus’ repertoire since: In 2014, former May Festival Music Director James Conlon led critically acclaimed performances in Carnegie Hall, and this year Marin Alsop conducts the oratorio in her Festival debut. At the following Festival, in 1939, the May Festival also premiered an oratorio by a local rabbi, James G. Heller

Theodore Thomas

1 This was the first large-scale (full chorus and full orchestra) composition by a Black composer. In May 1900, the tenor aria “Onaway! Awake, Beloved” from Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor became the first piece by a Black composer to be performed at the May Festival.

(Watchman, What of the Night) , the most visible onstage representation yet of Cincinnati’s historic Jewish community.

Last year, the May Festival reached a new milestone when it prepared the first Spanishlanguage works in its history: Antonio Estévez’s Cantata Criolla and John Adams’ El Niño. That, too, was very conscious: The Latine population in Cincinnati is among the city’s fastest-growing demographics. Principal Conductor Juanjo Mena, himself a Spanish speaker, spoke, in the 2022 Festival program book, about the importance of including these works. “We were thinking about diversity and the different cultures that we have also in Cincinnati,” Mena said. “Why not move the programming a little in this area?”

Although this May Festival is Mena’s last, Executive Director Steven Sunderman says that the civic-minded ethos he nurtured is here to stay.

“I have to give a shout-out to Juanjo, because a big focus for him has been involving the community in the May Festival and centering other traditions,” he says.

A zest for premieres

The first May Festival was so ambitious that it ran $350 in the red, paid for by its executive committee. By 1878, however—the third May Festival, and first in its new digs at Music Hall—it netted an amazing $30,000 profit. Festival organizers funneled part of that sum toward founding the very first composition competition in the United States. Winners received a $1,000 cash prize and had their works performed at the May Festival.

The unnamed competition lasted only two Festivals, but the winning works established the May Festival’s investment in nurturing new repertoire early on. The May Festival has given 35 world premieres to date, among them a revised version of Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3, Kaddish (2002) and an incomplete Liszt oratorio (St. Stanislaus, 2003). This season alone, the May Festival welcomes three new commissions, all by names familiar to Cincinnati concertgoers in recent seasons: James MacMillan’s Timotheus, Bacchus

Composer John Adams conducts his El Niño with the May Festival Chorus, May Festival Youth Chorus and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, May 2022. Soloists include Lauren Snouffer, soprano; Josefina Maldonado, mezzo-soprano; Ethan Vincent, baritone; Daniel Bubeck, countertenor; Brian Cummings, countertenor and Nathan Medley, countertenor. Credit: JP Leong

FEATURE: MAY FESTIVAL SPRINGS FORWARD

and Cecilia (May 19), James Lee III’s Breaths of Universal Longings (May 19), and Julia Adolphe’s Crown of Hummingbirds (May 25).

The May Festival’s early-established musical excellence also made it an ideal testing ground for works performed in Europe but never attempted by American ensembles. The May Festival gave the American premiere of Bach’s Magnificat in 1875, during its second year. The sesquicentennial season commemorates this achievement by including it in the same opening program with the MacMillan and Lee commissions.

But the May Festival’s most ambitious commissioning project this year wasn’t for the May Festival Chorus at all. Rather than “patting ourselves on the back and having a big party for our own constituency,” per Sunderman, the Festival collaborated with students and alumni of Luna Composition Lab—a mentorship program for young composers who are female, nonbinary or gender nonconforming—to gift 25 new works to 25 choirs in greater Cincinnati. Dubbed “25 for 25,” the

program brought ensembles together to debut their works at a March 19 showcase at Christ Church Cathedral, with a few other premieres presented independently this spring and next. (Read more about this project on pp. 15–17.)

“A lot of the choirs had never commissioned anything before, so working with a composer was new for them. I think they grew from that, and I think the composers grew as well, working with somebody on the other end of the telephone or the Zoom screen,” Sunderman says. “We all know a rising tide lifts all boats. When one group gets better, the rest of the choral community gets better.”

A true community chorus

“25 for 25” nods not only to the May Festival’s rich commissioning history but the Chorus’ status as a true community ensemble. The May Festival Chorus is famously all-volunteer; when conducting the ensemble in 1973 for its centennial year, Leonard Bernstein mused that “one of the most valuable features of Cincinnati’s Festival as

James Conlon leads the May 2014 performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the May Festival Chorus, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Youth Choir and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Soloists include Erin Wall, soprano; Tracy Cox, soprano; Amanda Woodbury, soprano; Sara Murphy, mezzo-soprano; Ronnita Nicole Miller, mezzo-soprano; Brandon Jovanovich, tenor; Kristinn Sigmundsson, bassbaritone and Donnie Ray Albert, baritone. Credit: Philip Groshong

I see it is that it preserves the involvement of the community chorus…. I’m filled with admiration at what they accomplish.”

Indeed, all 36 choral societies in Cincinnati were invited to participate in the first May Festival in 1873, as were choirs from a few other towns in Ohio. The Festival set exacting expectations for the chorus from the beginning, tracking rehearsal attendance through punch cards. Three unexcused absences would be grounds for dismissal from the chorus.

The exhaustive preparation wasn’t lost on anyone who heard that first Festival. Press coverage breathlessly declared Cincinnati “the first musical city of the West.” The Chicago Tribune echoed the plaudits of other publications and posited why Cincinnati was able to pull off a cultural achievement unimaginable in other cities: “It is only an old and stationary population of leisure and wealth which can produce such a chorus…. Cincinnati had the material at home, and its singers submitted to a drill and discipline which were rigidly severe.”

After all, not too many choruses would tackle Gustav Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 8, sometimes dubbed “the Symphony of a Thousand,” as frequently as the May Festival Chorus has. The

grand finale performance on May 27 with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, May Festival Youth Chorus, Cincinnati Boychoir and Cincinnati Youth Choir marks the May Festival’s 10th performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8. Director of Choruses

Robert Porco has prepared Mahler 8 six times for the May Festival alone—as many times as the New York Philharmonic, the nation’s oldest orchestra, has performed the epic work over its entire history

“It’s become a little bit of a tradition,” Sunderman says.

So has Mahler’s music more broadly, including his other two symphonies that involve chorus. His Symphony No. 3 is among those works that received its American premiere at the May Festival, in 1914. And when, at long last, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra performers and audiences returned to full capacity at Music Hall earlier this season, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 was selected to mark the occasion.

In this way, the 150th anniversary honors the May Festival’s more recent history, too, while keeping its gaze clearly fixed on the future. And who knows what that future might hold?

“We’re not just looking back. We’re using the last 150 years as a jumping-off point into the next 150 years,” Sunderman says.

CSO Music Director Louis Langrée leads the September 2022 performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony with the May Festival Chorus and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Soloists are Joélle Harvey, soprano and Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano. Credit: Mark Lyons

May Festival Youth Chorus: Sundays are for Singing

by DiDi Turley

For many high school students, Sundays are spent catching up on homework, spending time with friends, and prepping for the week of school ahead of them. However, for a select group of Cincinnati teens, Sundays are for singing.

The May Festival Youth Chorus (MFYC) is a 100% cost-free choir that connects, inspires and educates young musicians from the greater Cincinnati area through extensive music education and performance opportunities. These talented teenagers perform music ranging from the medieval era to world premieres from living composers. On top of that, they get the performance opportunities of a lifetime singing with the renowned Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops and in stand-alone concerts around Cincinnati. Between the performances, exposure to internationally renowned conductors and soloists, and the opportunity to take private voice lessons and study music theory, the MFYC is any choir kid’s dream come true.

The MFYC accepts students enrolled in 8th grade through 12th grade. For some, the choir is a stepping stone that helps them prepare to study music at the collegiate level. For others, the skills they learn and the community they’ve built are all things that they plan to pull from as they pursue studies outside of music.

Keep reading to meet some of this season’s MFYC members and learn about their experiences:

Calia Burdette, soprano, is in her fifth year as a member of the MFYC, making her the titleholder of “longestserving member” in the history of the chorus. She started singing with the choir in eighth grade and has been

At right: The May Festival Youth Chorus, conducted by Matthew Swanson, performing at Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church for the May Festival Vaulted Voices concert in April 2023. Credit: JP Leong

The May Festival Youth Chorus, conducted by Matthew Swanson, performing at the Community Choral Showcase on March 19. Credit: Julie Curry

involved in countless musical endeavors since. Calia is now in her senior year of high school, and she plans to study music in college—double majoring in classical voice performance and arts administration. According to her, the MFYC has been a crucial part of her preparation for college auditions:

The May Festival Youth Chorus has been super helpful in preparing. I plan to study music in college, so the musicianship classes with Dr. Floyd have been so helpful, especially for sight reading…. We’ve also had the opportunity to do three world premiere works, and there are many opportunities to sing solo repertoire. —Calia

Gwyneth (“Gwyn”) Gaunt, alto, is also in her senior year of high school and has been singing with the MFYC since the winter of 2021. According to Gwyn, she came across the recruitment table in Music Hall’s lobby after a Holiday Pops concert, and the rest is history. The skills Gwyn has gained from MFYC have set her apart in the college audition process, and she is thrilled to be attending Ohio University for musical theatre in the fall.

I don’t think I could have done it without [MFYC], because one of the things that [colleges] were specifically looking for was musicianship, playing instruments, and sight-reading music. A lot of people going [into college] for musical theatre don’t have access to that training. So, I feel very lucky that I’ve had that opportunity.

—Gwyn

For Charles (“Charlie”) Rahner, tenor, MFYC has shown him a sense of community that he hopes to continue beyond his time in high school and into his collegiate studies, regardless of what career he decides to pursue. This is Charlie’s first season with MFYC.

Even though I don’t think I’m going to go into music, being a part of the May Festival Youth Chorus has made me realize that I definitely want to stay in some sort of choir beyond high school. —Charlie

Younger members of the choir are amazed at the chance to take the stage in breathtaking venues. For some, these performances are their first time hearing a professional orchestra, which makes the experience of rehearsing and singing even more magical.

Natalie Hoover, alto, is an eighth-grade student in her second year as an MFYC member. She began singing in church as a child, but had never performed in such remarkable venues prior to her first MFYC concert at The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.

Going to the Basilica to sing was so huge. It’s such an amazing space. Being there to sing…I honestly don’t know how to describe it. It was such an amazing experience to sing there.

—Natalie

The MFYC has provided high school freshman Sophia Clever with countless musical firsts. Though she isn’t new to singing in choirs, her previous experiences didn’t focus on music theory, sight-singing and musicianship in the same way that MFYC does. According to Sophia, this (along with the beauty of creating music in Music Hall) is her favorite part of singing with MFYC:

One of my favorite things is learning about melodic intervals and harmonic intervals and really diving into music theory…. I’d also never been to Music Hall before—getting to be on stage and seeing the strings [of the CSO] and how they’re playing in this beautiful, beautiful auditorium was amazing. —Sophia

Auditions for the May Festival Youth Chorus are held in January, May and August for singers enrolled in 8th through 12th grade. Acceptance into the choir is based solely on ability, and there is no fee for membership. Rehearsals are held from 1 pm to 3:30 pm in Music Hall from September through May and are under the direction of Matthew Swanson. Singers can register for auditions at mayfestival.com/join.

May Festival: The Beginning

Credit: Eric Johnson

BEGINNINGS OF THE CINCINNATI MAY FESTIVAL

AND MUSIC HALL

by Craig Doolin, co-author of A City That Sings: Choral

Cincinnati’s famous May Festival, first held in 1873, is a unique mixture of choral traditions. While the artistic forces were almost entirely German, the administrative team that planned the event was mostly of English descent. Cincinnati’s successful 1870 Saengerfest, with its 1,800 singers, was certainly a hometown model for the May Festival, but the tone of the event came from the spectacularly large, but well-mannered, display of the massed-choir traditions of English festivals in Leeds and elsewhere. The festive social component of the German festivals, complete with food and drink, hasn’t been a regular part of the May Festival. At the time of this writing, the Festival is 150 years old and has been a continuous event since its inception in 1873. Until 1967, the May Festival was held every two years with only a few exceptions, but since then it has been given every year.

Over the years, many people have led the May Festival, including Theodore Thomas, Eugène Ysaÿe, Eugene Goossens, Josef Krips, Max Rudolf, James Conlon and, presently, Juanjo Mena.

Cincinnati history holds that Maria (pronounced with a long “i”) Longworth Nichols, the 23-year-old granddaughter of the wealthy Nicholas Longworth, invited the famous conductor, Theodore Thomas, to her home on Grandin Road to ask him to create and conduct what is today the oldest continuous choral music festival in the Western Hemisphere. Also present at this historic meeting were Maria’s husband, Colonel George Ward Nichols, who had been an aide-de-camp to Civil War Generals Fremont and Sherman; Heinrich Rattermann, a leading figure in the Saengerfests of the past decade; and Henry Krehbiel, music critic of the Cincinnati Gazette

Maria’s eagerness to have a festival in Cincinnati came from an 1871 trip to England, where she witnessed one of the large English festivals.

Music in Cincinnati

Thomas, during their meeting in 1872, agreed to be conductor of the festival if $50,000 could be raised for a guarantee fund and a committee could be formed to take care of the business aspects of the event.

The Cincinnati Musical Festival Association’s Executive Committee included, among others, George Ward Nichols as President, with dry goods merchant John Shillito as treasurer, Cincinnati music publisher John Church as Chairman of the Printing Committee, and attorney Bellamy Storer, Jr., as Secretary. Over the following eight months, these men made all the business decisions leading to the May Festival of 1873.

They decided to hire Theodore Thomas as musical director and Carl Barus as director of the chorus. Thomas’s touring orchestra would play, as they would continue to do at every Festival until 1904. Arthur Mees, a Cincinnati music teacher, was named rehearsal accompanist and, later, Festival organist. Choristers were assembled from throughout the West (today’s Midwest) by distributing a circular to 121 music dealers, 60 post offices, and 144 singing societies. The circular was also distributed to 1,120 newspapers throughout Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and “the leading papers of the West.” Rehearsals were set to begin in January of 1872.

Sometime in November, the Executive Committee engaged soloists. The soloists for the 1873 May Festival were Mrs. H.M. Smith of Boston, soprano; Emma Dexter of Cincinnati, soprano; Annie Louise Cary, contralto; Nelson Varley, tenor; J.P. Rudolphsen, bass; and Myron W. Whitney, bass. Although Thomas had no advance notice of the soloists’ hiring, he was nonetheless satisfied. He did express concern about Annie Louise Cary, the contralto soloist hired to sing excerpts from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice:

I must be sure that a good contralto is engaged who can sing the two arias and the recitatives

Theodore Thomas Courtesy of the Friends of Music Hall

connecting the choruses. She must have a good voice and not be spoiled by singing Trovatore and Lucrezia, and one who will not try to cover up her bad singing by shaking her body and smiling at young America.

However, Thomas relented and later praised her as “perhaps the finest alto voice in the country.”

In the meantime, the Festival chorus was taking shape, and rehearsals were strict. Choristers who were absent from rehearsals had their names published in the local newspapers. By the time the first performance took place, the chorus had 706 members.

The performances of the 1873 May Festival, held in Saengerfest Halle (built for the 1870 Saengerfest and located on the site where the current Music Hall was built in 1878), established it as the principal musical event of Cincinnati’s concert season, an honor that it retains to the present day. The repertoire was overwhelmingly German. Of the 60 works on the seven concerts, only five were by composers not born in a German-speaking country. The matinee concerts consisted largely of arias, art songs and light orchestral works, including isolated movements of symphonies, Strauss waltzes, and overtures. Thomas’s evening concerts were more formal and consisted of major vocal and choral works, including Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum, scenes from Gluck’s

Orfeo ed Euridice, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. In the five days from May 6 to 10, 1873, Cincinnati’s reputation as a city of Saengerfests grew to include world-class performances of canonic works for orchestra and chorus.

After the death of Theodore Thomas in 1905, the 1906 May Festival featured British composer Sir Edward Elgar conducting the American premiere of his oratorio The Dream of Gerontius at the final concert. He conducted the second, fifth and sixth concerts of the Festival, and spent the preceding two weeks rehearsing his music with the performers.

Leonard Bernstein was Honorary Music Director for the 1973 centennial celebration of the May Festival, at which he conducted Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.

The May Festival has presented many world and U.S. premieres in its 150-year history. Among the Festival’s U.S. premieres are Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum (the very first work performed at the very first Festival), Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, Britten’s “Choral Dances” from his opera Gloriana, and Menotti’s The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi.

Continued commissions and artistic innovations ensure that the May Festival remains as relevant today as it was in 1873. The tradition lives and expands.

Saengerfest Hall, c. 1870, from Harper’s Weekly Courtesy of the Friends of Music Hall

MUSIC HALL

Cincinnati Music Hall is a direct result of the 1875 May Festival. Cincinnati’s usual springtime thunderstorms pelted the leaky tin roof of Saengerfest Hall with rain and hail. The cavernous hall acted as a resonating chamber, and Thomas had to stop the concerts on more than one occasion to let the storms pass. It was also hot and crowded.

Windows were broken to reduce the temperature, but the 6,000 attendees, a third of them outside the hall, could not be moved.

Kentucky-born grocer Reuben Springer was so annoyed by the situation that he made the initial $125,000 donation to create a matching fund to enable the construction of Music Hall, completed in 1878. The Third May Festival, originally scheduled for 1877 but postponed until the new hall could be finished, cemented the Festival as a recurring event deserving of notice on a national level.

Music Hall was designed by Hannaford and Procter and is 150-feet tall at its central gable. Of its 372 feet of frontage, 178 feet would be devoted to the main hall, while nearly 90 feet would be occupied by each of the two exposition buildings, constructed in 1879. Music Hall would be 293 feet deep from Elm Street to the Miami and Erie Canal that flowed behind the hall.

Cincinnati’s Music Hall was officially dedicated at the first concert of the 1878 May Festival on May 14.

Reuben Springer Courtesy of the Friends of Music Hall

Left: The cover of the 1878 Daily Graphic, featuring the interior of the newly opened Music Hall for the Grand Opening Concert of “The Cincinnati Musical Festival.” Below: Music Hall, 1878. Courtesy of the Friends of Music Hall

CINCINNATI’S MODERN MUSICAL LANDSCAPE

by Tyler M. Secor

The formation of the May Festival in 1873 catalyzed what is today’s culture of arts and music in Cincinnati and put the City of Cincinnati on the map as a hub for music and art. After the first May Festival, the Chicago Tribune wrote, “the result of that festival to-day is, that Cincinnati is the first musical city of the West.” Other arts and music organizations quickly followed.

As noted in Craig Doolin’s article, “Beginnings of the Cincinnati May Festival and Music Hall” (p. 28), the 1875 Festival led to the construction of the Festival’s home, Cincinnati’s iconic Music Hall, in 1878. Reuben R. Springer, a successful business man and the person who made the initial donation to build Music Hall, wrote, “The Musical Hall building to be located in the center of the lot, and so planned and constructed as to be capable of being used for Exposition purposes in connection with suitable buildings that may be constructed on the North and South to the limits of the lot.” By the 1878 May Festival, only the center section of Music Hall had been built; the north and south “wings” were built between 1878 and 1879 and opened in the fall of 1879. These wings were built to hold popular industrial expositions. The North Wing, known as

Machinery, or Power, Hall, and the South Wing, known as the Art, or Horticultural, Hall housed the Seventh Cincinnati Industrial Exposition in September 1879. Among the 250,000 guests that visited this exposition was President Rutherford B. Hayes and General W. T. Sherman.

These wings, or halls, have been used for a variety of purposes throughout the years. The North Hall was renovated in the 1920s to include a 6,000seat arena for sporting events such as basketball, wrestling, boxing, swimming, tennis, ice skating, gymnastics, bowling and roller derby. Currently, the North Hall holds the offices for the Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Arts Association, a scene/ carpentry shop, and the Harry T. Wilks Studio. An arched roof, three-quarters of which was glass, adorned the top of the South Hall until 1927. With a glass roof, the South Hall was used to house exhibits of plants and landscaping. In 1927, the South Hall was renovated to include a ballroom for popular bands and dancing. Today, the South Hall houses Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival offices, while the ballroom remains.

The founding of the College of Music quickly followed the first May Festival. Established on October 14, 1878, this college was led by then May Festival Music Director Theodore Thomas and rented many of Music Hall’s rooms for their rehearsals, recitals and concerts, including Dexter Hall, which is known today as Corbett Tower). The Cincinnati Conservatory of Music had existed since 1867, when founder Clara Baur rented a room in Miss Nourse’s School for Young Ladies. The Conservatory is believed to be the first residential conservatory in the U.S. and helped to form the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). In 1955, the College of Music and the Conservatory of Music would merge to create The College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). CCM would go on to merge with the University of Cincinnati (forming the UC-CCM) in 1962 to create the school of music that is still active today.

“[A] crowning jewel in the diadem of the Queen City—The May Festival.” —Charles T. Greve, 1892.

1879 Floor plan for Music Hall, Courtesy of the Friends of Music Hall

Cincinnati was home to the first Black-owned conservatory in the U.S. Founded by Dr. Artie Matthews and his wife, Anna Howard, in 1921, the Cosmopolitan School of Music provided advanced educational and musical opportunities for African Americans. The June Festival, an annual African American choral festival produced by the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, was the outgrowth of increased opportunities for African Americans. From 1938 to the mid-1950s, the Festival was held mostly outdoors and drew 100–300 singers from Cincinnati to perform for crowds of thousands.

The College of Music held the city’s first opera festivals starting in 1881. These festivals were performed mostly by major touring companies. But in 1910, as part of the Cincinnati Industrial Exposition, a new opera was commissioned from faculty member Pietro Floridia; titled Paoletta, the opera premiered with unquestionable success on August 29, 1910. Twenty years later, on June 27, 1920, the Cincinnati Opera Association would be formed, making Cincinnati Opera the second oldest opera company in the U.S. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden was the home of the Cincinnati Opera until 1972. Like the May Festival, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden was also formed in 1873 and opened to the public in 1875.

In the realm of fine art, the Cincinnati Museum Association (known today as the Cincinnati Art Museum) was formed in 1881. The South Hall of Music Hall was the Art Museum’s temporary location until its building in Eden Park, which remains its home today, was finished in 1886. The

Art Museum currently houses an “encyclopedic art collection of more than 67,000 works spanning 6,000 years.”

For contemporary Cincinnatians, the link between the May Festival and the Cincinnati

Horticulture Hall, south wing, Courtesy of the Friends of Music Hall

The Cincinnati Orchestra Association Company incorporation document from 1894.

A proud sponsor of the musical arts

Symphony Orchestra is foundational, but complex. Starting in 1880, the relationship between Theodore Thomas, the May Festival and the College of Music grew bitter until the city of Chicago announced that Thomas had been hired to develop its symphony orchestra in 1891. The announcement dashed any expectations that Thomas would start a symphony orchestra in Cincinnati. Many attempts to create an orchestra in the 1880s and early 1890s had failed; then the Ladies Musical Club, which was founded in 1891 and had sponsored several concerts, turned its attention to establishing a permanent orchestra in Cincinnati. “They determined at the outset to maintain control of the Orchestra Association, limiting men to supportive roles” (Robert C. Vitz).

Led by Helen “Nellie” Herron Taft (who became First Lady of the U.S. when her husband William Howard Taft was elected president in 1908), the Ladies Musical Club started raising money and support for a new orchestra. Part of their planning was attempting to quell old feuds by selecting leadership that would bring Cincinnati’s fractured musical community together. Their plan was to select a music director who also directed the May Festival; however, this plan was ultimately blocked by the May Festival president. The Cincinnati Orchestra Association Company was founded in May 1894, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) held its first concert on January 17, 1895, conducted by Frank Van der Stucken. The CSO was the first orchestra in the U.S. to be founded by a group of women.

The Ladies Musical Club’s plan to see the CSO and the May Festival directed by the same person came to fruition in 1906, when the May Festival program listed Frank Van der Stucken as Music Director and the CSO as the orchestra. The CSO would remain the house orchestra of the May Festival but, in 1970, the practice of the CSO’s music director being the music director of the May Festival ended.

Today the Cincinnati Musical Festival Association and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra remain separate 501(c)(3) organizations, but they share administrative support through a shared services agreement that allows for combining resources and expertise to benefit all organizations.

It is a powerful testament to the people of Cincinnati who, in the

last three decades of the 19th century, organized, formed and funded major professional music ensembles that have stood the test of time and have placed Cincinnati forever on the map as one of the finest musical cities in the Midwest.

Bass-baritone Norman Treigle towers over the 1969 cast of Faust at the Cincinnati Zoo.

1894 May Festival, Theodore Thomas on stage in Cincinnati Music Hall. Photo by John Closs from Memoirs of Theodore Thomas by Rose Fay Thomas, 1911, p. 177.

Juanjo Mena began his conducting career in his native Spain as Artistic Director of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra in 1999. His uncommon talent was soon recognized internationally with appointments as Principal Guest Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic and Chief Guest Conductor of the Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. In 2011, he was named Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, which he led for seven seasons, taking the orchestra on tours of Europe and Asia and conducting annual televised concerts at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. He currently holds the position of Principal Conductor of the Cincinnati May Festival, the longest running choral festival in North America, served by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

A sought-after guest conductor, Juanjo Mena has led Europe’s top ensembles and also appears regularly with all the major orchestras in his native Spain. Following his North American debut with the Baltimore Symphony in 2004, he has conducted most of the continent’s leading orchestras. In Asia, he is a regular guest conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo.

Juanjo Mena opened the 2022–23 season with a Carnegie Hall gala concert, leading the Teatro Real Orchestra (the Royal Opera of Madrid) in its historic Carnegie Hall debut. The concert follows Mena’s recent triumphant performances at Madrid’s Teatro Real, with Arthur Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake paired with Debussy’s La damoiselle élue staged in June 2022. Other guest performances this season include his debut with the Dallas Symphony and the Czech Philharmonic and returns to the Minnesota Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony, Lucerne Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, Danish National Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic and the Spanish National

Principal Conductor

Orchestra. May 2023 marks Juanjo Mena’s final performances as Principal Conductor of the May Festival, concluding his pivotal six-year tenure at the organization, during which he has expanded commissioning of new works and put the community at the heart of the Festival. The Cincinnati May Festival’s 150th Anniversary program will culminate with Mena leading Mahler’s Eighth Symphony.

Juanjo Mena’s operatic work includes Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman; Richard Strauss’ Salome, Elektra and Ariadne auf Naxos; Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle;and Schoenberg’s Erwartung, as well as productions of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin in Genoa, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in Lausanne, and Beethoven’s Fidelio and Britten’s Billy Budd in Bilbao.

His latest release, of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 with the BBC Philharmonic on Chandos, has been described by The Classical Review as “intensely musical,” “impressive” and with a “spectacular sound.” Mena’s rich discography with the BBC Philharmonic on Chandos also includes an acclaimed Gabriel Pierné release selected as a Gramophone Editor’s Choice, Weber symphonies, Ginastera’s orchestral works to mark the composer’s centenary, and new reference recordings of lesser-performed Spanish repertoire including Arriaga’s orchestral pieces, works by Albéniz, Montsalvatge and Turina, as well as three discs of works by Manuel de Falla featuring his opera La vida breve. In 2012, Juanjo Mena recorded Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie with the Bergen Philharmonic for the Hyperion label, a disc said to “utterly redefine the terms under which past/ current/future Turangalîlas need to be judged” (Gramophone).

Juanjo Mena studied conducting with Sergiu Celibidache following his musical education at the Madrid Royal Conservatory, where he was mentored by Carmelo Bernaola and Enrique García Asensio. In 2016, he was awarded the Spanish National Music Award. He lives with his family in his native Basque Country.

Photo: Michal Novak

MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS

ROBERT PORCO, Director of Choruses

Matthew Swanson, Associate Director of Choruses

Heather MacPhail, Accompanist

Christin Sears, Conducting Fellow

Kathryn Zajac Albertson, Chorus Manager

Bryce Newcomer, Chorus Librarian

The May Festival Chorus has earned national and international acclaim for its musicality and command of repertoire. Consisting of 130 avocational singers who collectively devote more than 45,000 hours in rehearsals and performances annually, the Chorus is the core artistic element of the Cincinnati May Festival and the official chorus of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and

Cincinnati Pops. The premier choral ensemble in Cincinnati, the May Festival Chorus has garnered national and international attention through numerous PBS broadcasts and award-winning recordings, many in collaboration with the CSO and Pops. Most recently, a live recording of Robert Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses featuring Music Director Laureate James Conlon conducting the Chorus and CSO at Carnegie Hall was released to critical acclaim in 2016 on Bridge Records, and, in 2017, the Chorus re-released its popular a cappella holiday recording Christmas with the May Festival Chorus on the Fanfare Cincinnati label. The Chorus is also featured on several Pops recordings, which have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.

Sopranos

Natalie Badinghaus, 2

Tracy Bailey, 22

Karen Bastress, 24

Laurel Boisclair Ellsworth, 18

Dawn Bruestle, 18

Caitlyn Byers, 1

Renee Cifuentes, 6

Ally Clifton, 2

Kathy Dietrich, 9

Jennifer Dobson, 6

Rachel Dummermuth, 4

Sarah Evans, 8

Jennifer Fillare, 1

Anita Marie Greer, 34

Melissa Haas, 5

Gaynelle Hardwick, 7

Dana Harms, 15

Mary Wynn Haupt, 21

Lauren Steiger Hess, 27

Carolyn Hill, 12

Alexandra Kesman, 8

Lisa Koressel, 23

Judith C. LaChance, 45

Hilary Landwehr, 34

Julia Lawrence, 3

Julia Marchese, 2

Audrey Markovich, 2

Alison Peeno, 4

Lauren Peter, 19

Kristi C. Reed, 12

Beth Roberts, 17

Justine Alexandra Samuel, 5

Noelle Scheper, 1

Julia H. Schieve, 28

Christin Sears, 1

Yvon F. Shore, 11

Mary Ann Sprague, 1

Alex Vale, 1

Patricia Wilkens, 2

Taraneh R. Wilkinson, 2

Altos

Kathy Falcón, 19

Sarah Fall, 2

Lindsey Fitch, 9

Emily Garcia, 1

Amanda Gast, 2

Sally Vickery Harper, 51

Sarah Keeling Horseman, 13

Beth Huntley, 3

Spence B. Ingerson, 33

Karolyn L. Johnsen, 51

Jenifer Klostermeier, 4

Julie Laskey, 19

Megan Lawson, 8

Katherine Loomis, 3

Elaine P. Lustig, 13

Kathy Mank, 18

Melissa A. Martin, 17

Teri McKibben, 15

Jennifer Moak, 9

Amy M. Perry, 11

Kate Robertson, 1

Christy Roediger, 1

Amanda Schwarz

Rosenzweig, 2

Karen Scott-Vosseberg, 6

Sarah Stoutamire, 6

Kristie Stricker, 1

Christine Wands, 31

Megan Weaver, 10

Robin Rae Wiley, 1

Tenors

Lawrence Adams, 2

Lydia Rose Ball, 1

Avery Bargasse, 5

David Bower, 2

Douglas Easterling, 8

Robert Henderson, 4

Fansheng Kong, 2

Elijah Lanham, 1

Kevin Leahy, 5

Matthew Leonard, 1

Robert Lomax, 5

Andrew Miller, 2

H. Scott Nesbitt, 13

Scott C. Osgood, 21

Jason Ramler, 21

Larry Reiring, 14

Edward Rosenberry, 1

Austin M. Schafer, 1

Adam Shoaff, 10

David W. Skiff, 18

Jeffrey Stivers, 13

Matthew Swanson, 11

Stephen West, 2

Zaslow, Barry, 39

Basses

Mark Barnes, 6

Jim Baxter, 32

Richard Becker, 1

Nathan Bettenhausen, 2

Andrew L. Bowers, 7

Scott Brody, 8

Darren Bryant, 2

Christopher Canarie, 29

Matthew Cheek, 1

Lawrence Coleman, 21

Steven L. Dauterman, 41

David Dugan, 1

Grant Ebert, 1

Steve France, 18

Mark Hockenberry, 2

Kim P. Icsman, 26

Christopher Kanney, 1

Takuya Konishi, 2

Jim Laskey, 12

D. Stuart Lohrum, 1

John McKibben, 5

Daniel Parsley, 6

Justin Peter, 19

James V. Racster, 41

Mitch Radakovich, 2

Brian Reilly, 2

Joshua Wallace, 16

Chancellor Waye, 1

Mark Weaver, 17

Paul Wessendarp, 3

Tommy Wessendarp, 2

Numbers behind chorus members’ names signify their years of service. Those celebrating anniversaries of five-year increments are honored with lapel pins they proudly wear with their May Festival uniforms.

THE MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS The May Festival Chorus is endowed by the Betsy & Alex C. Young Chair

Credit: Mark Lyons

ROBERT PORCO, Director of Choruses

Recognized as one of the leading choral musicians in the United States, Robert Porco has been an active preparer and conductor of choral and orchestral works and a highly regarded educator in the practice and art of conducting and choral leadership for more than 40 years.

The 2022–23 season is Porco’s 34th as Director of Choruses of Cincinnati’s May Festival, starting in the position in 1989. In 2011, Porco received Chorus America’s Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art. In 2021 and 2022, the May Festival, with the May Festival Chorus (MFC) at its core, was named “One of the Best Classical Music Festivals in the U.S. and Canada” by BBC Magazine.

Notable performances during Porco’s tenure with the May Festival have included the 2010 premiere he led of Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking, a piece commissioned by the MFC in honor of Porco’s 20th season as director. Acclaimed Carnegie Hall performances he prepared include Mendelssohn’s Elijah in 1991 with Jesús López Cobos, the MFC and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO); Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in 1995 with Robert Shaw, the MFC, The Cleveland Orchestra, and other choruses; and Britten’s War Requiem in 2001 with James Conlon, the MFC and the CSO. The 2014 performance of R. Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses and John Adams’ Harmonium, with the MFC, Conlon and the CSO, “shook the rafters…. Carnegie has seldom felt so alive,” according to The New Yorker

The MFC’s 2008 performance of the Pulitzer Prize-winning On the Transmigration of Souls, under the baton of composer John Adams, led Adams to write, “The pure American quality of their enunciation and their perfectly balanced sonorities lifted the matter-of-fact plainness of the words to a transcendental level, and for once the piece did not seem as compromised and uneven as I had previously thought.”

Porco’s conducting career has spanned geographic venues across western Europe and the U.S., including performances in the Edinburgh Festival; Taipei, Taiwan; Lucerne, Switzerland; Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel; and Reykjavík, Iceland; and in the May Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, Berkshire Music Festival, Blossom Festival and Grant Park Festival. He has guest conducted at the May Festival since 1991, with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra since 1996, and with The Cleveland Orchestra since 2000.

From 1998 to 2017, Porco was Director of Choruses for The Cleveland Orchestra, preparing the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus (COC) for appearances in Severance Hall and the Blossom Festival and with the Orchestra at the Edinburgh Festival in 1999, at Carnegie Hall in 2002 and at the Lucerne Festival and London Proms in 2005. Porco’s work during the 2013–14 season included preparing the COC for its debut with the Orchestra in Frankfurt, Paris and Luxembourg. From 1988 to 1998, Porco was Artistic Director and Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir.

Porco has gained national recognition for his preparation of choruses for prominent conductors such as John Adams, Pierre Boulez, James Conlon, Andrew Davis, Christoph von Dohnányi, Paavo Järvi, Erich Kunzel, Raymond Leppard, James Levine, Jahja Ling, Louis Langrée, Jesús López Cobos, Zubin Mehta, Juanjo Mena, John Nelson, André Previn, Kurt Sanderling, Leonard Slatkin, Robert Shaw, Franz Welser-Möst, John Williams and David Zinman.

Porco taught doctoral-level choral conducting at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music from 1979 to 1998, in addition to serving as Department Chair, and returned as a guest instructor in 2011 and 2012. A highlight of his tenure at IU included leading a wholly student choral and orchestral ensemble of 250 in a highly acclaimed performance of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS as part of the Tanglewood Music Festival’s celebration of the composer’s 70th birthday. As teacher and mentor, Porco has guided and influenced the development of hundreds of musicians, most of whom are now active as professional conductors and singers, and as teachers in public and private schools and in schools of music. Porco remains a sought-after guest instructor and coach for conservatory students, young professional conductors, and singers. His guest teaching venues have included Harvard University, the University of Miami Frost School of Music, the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music and Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ).

MATTHEW SWANSON

Associate Director of Choruses

Matthew Swanson is the Associate Director of Choruses, the Director of the Youth Chorus, and the Director of Special Projects at the Cincinnati May Festival. He annually prepares the May Festival Chorus and Youth Chorus for performances with the Cincinnati Symphony and

Credit: Roger Mastroianni

Credit: Krista DeVaul

Pops Orchestras and for their featured appearances at the May Festival. Additionally, he develops and produces special projects for the May Festival in collaboration with local, regional and national organizations.

Highlights of his tenure at the May Festival include the creation of an annual Youth Chorus commissioning project; the presentation of community choral concerts during the May Festival; a robust program of professional voice instruction, free to Chorus and Youth Chorus members; the Festival’s community choral podcast “Sing the Queen City”; and free in-school choral clinics for area middle and high schools. His portfolio of special projects at the May Festival has included staged productions of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS (2018) and Candide (2022), the formation of the May Festival Community Chorus, and 25 for 25, the May Festival’s 2023 collaborative commissioning project.

Beyond the May Festival, his affiliations have included the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center (New York), Schola Antiqua (Chicago), and the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. In the 2022–23 season, he conducts the Xavier Choir and teaches choral methods and conducting at Xavier University, and he leads Vox Antiqua, an ensemble of the Early Music Lab at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (UC-CCM).

Matthew Swanson is a native of southeast Iowa. He earned an undergraduate degree in trumpet performance and American Studies at the University of Notre Dame, master’s degrees in choral conducting and choral studies from UCCCM and King’s College, Cambridge, respectively, and a doctorate of musical arts in conducting from UC-CCM. He was awarded the May Festival Choral Conducting Fellowship in 2015.

HEATHER MacPHAIL, Accompanist

Heather MacPhail has been the accompanist for the May Festival Chorus since 1990. She is a frequent keyboardist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, performing on all keyboard instruments, and has been organ soloist for the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony in several performances. MacPhail has been Staff Accompanist at Miami University since 1997. There, she supervises and coaches students in accompanying, teaches organ, and performs with faculty and guest artists. MacPhail has performed as

piano soloist with the Oxford String Quartet, Miami University Orchestra and Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra. She performs regularly on local concert series, such as Christ Church Glendale Music at Noon, Holy Trinity Episcopal Noon Series and Westwood First Concert Series.

Heather MacPhail is Organist/Director of Music Ministries at Westwood First Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati. She maintains a private teaching studio for piano and organ, with students active in competitions and recitals. She holds a Master of Music degree in Accompanying and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music.

CHRISTIN SEARS

May Festival Conducting Fellow

Christin Sears is a first-year doctoral student in Choral Conducting at the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music. She graduated summa cum laude from Texas State University, receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Music Education and Choral Conducting, completing her study in 2010. While at Texas State, Sears received numerous scholarships in recognition of her academic and musical achievements. In her final year, the faculty awarded her the Presser Foundation Scholarship, honoring her academic standing, leadership and extracurricular involvement.

Sears taught for 12 years as a school choral director in the Houston area and was selected the First Year Teacher of the Year at her first appointment. In 2013, Christin Sears became the founding choir director at Obra D. Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas. The Tompkins Chorale received the highest honor of being selected to perform at the 2019 Texas Music Educators Association Convention and, in the same year, was named the Overall Winner of the Celebration of Excellence Choral Festival.

Sears is an active clinician, soloist, and singer in professional ensembles. She served as the soprano section leader and sang seven seasons with CANTARE Houston. Christin Sears is happy to be newly wed to her husband, Timothy Sears, and is grateful for his unending love and support.

The May Festival is grateful to Ginger Warner for her generous support of the Conducting Fellowship.

MAY FESTIVAL YOUTH CHORUS MATTHEW SWANSON, Director

David

Kirkendall, Accompanist and Assistant Director

Dr. Eva Floyd, Musicianship Instructor

Kathryn Zajac Albertson, Chorus Manager

Bryce Newcomer, Chorus Librarian

The May Festival Youth Chorus connects, inspires and educates young people through the study and performance of choral music. Since its founding in 1987, the Youth Chorus has appeared annually at the May Festival to perform choral-orchestral works with the May Festival Chorus, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and internationally renowned conductors and soloists. In addition, the Youth Chorus presents its own concert series and collaborates with cultural institutions and organizations throughout greater Cincinnati.

Highlights of the Youth Chorus experience include a broad range of repertoire; annual commissions and world premieres; free professional voice instruction; access to free and discounted tickets to the May Festival, CSO and Pops concerts; frequent concert appearances with the CSO and Pops at Music Hall and Riverbend Music Center; and a community of enthusiastic and skilled peer musicians from across the Tri-State. Notably, the Youth Chorus is tuition-free; acceptance is based solely on ability.

DAVID KIRKENDALL, Accompanist and Assistant Director

David Kirkendall has served as assistant director and accompanist for the May Festival Youth Chorus since 2006. He was choral director at Princeton High School in Cincinnati from 1980 to 2013, and

Brayden Adams

Ava Altenau

Sam Bringle

Calia Burdette

Anna Burkhart

Angelina Bush

Cameron Carnahan

Timothy Carnahan

Ella Clark

Sophia Clever

William Demeter

Gabrielle Dodd

Gwyneth Gaunt

Caroline Gneuhs

Mary Hollon

Natalie Hoover

Madeleine Kasman

Katie Kear

Emily Lynch

Adriana Mayfield

Cecelia McDaniel

Sophia Nery

Charles Rahner

Caroline Reister

Nikki Tayidi

Abby Turner

Ansley Varisco

Celia Wallace

Olivia Wetzel

Sam Wright

for three years he served as choral director at Mount Saint Joseph University.

After earning his undergraduate degree, Kirkendall continued at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, receiving a master’s degree in Choral Conducting. He received a fellowship to attend the Choral Conducting Institute at the Aspen Music Festival, and has also completed studies for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Illinois. His keyboard reductions and continuo realizations appear in the Roger Dean edition of the Vivaldi Gloria, and he has had an SSA arrangement published with Alfred Music Publishing.

EVA FLOYD, Musicianship Instructor

Eva Floyd is an associate professor of choral music education at the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music (CCM), where she teaches Choral Methods, Literature for School Choir, History and Philosophy of Music Education, and Kodály Musicianship classes for music education graduate students. Floyd is also the founder and conductor of the CCM Community Women’s Choir.

The Organization of American Kodály Educators published a DVD documentary of Soul-fege: A Journey from Soulful Genres to the Classics, which chronicles Eva Floyd’s collaboration with the Voices of Unity Gospel Youth Choir to prepare for an honor choir festival in Budapest using Kodályinspired teaching techniques.

THE MAY FESTIVAL YOUTH CHORUS

The May Festival Youth Chorus is financially assisted by the ongoing support of ArtsWave and the Ohio Arts Council The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation

Credit: JP Leong

CINCINNATI BOYCHOIR

JASON ALEXANDER HOLMES, Artistic Director

Lisa Peters, Associate Director

Patrick Apfelbeck, Program Coordinator

Carmen Greiner, Executive Director

Stacey Devlin, Finance Manager

Cincinnati Boychoir is a choir for male-identifying youth of all musical abilities from across the greater Cincinnati region. Founded in 1965, the Boychoir is a teaching and performing organization that offers musical enrichment, performance and touring opportunities.

Cincinnati Boychoir vocal ensembles are directed by professional music educators who teach a curriculum not only of musical skills but also of cultural appreciation, empathy, self-discipline, leadership, mentorship, and a spirit of volunteerism.

In its core ensembles, boys from grades 3 through 12 attend weekly rehearsals for a full academic year. Each week, all boys come together for a combined rehearsal in which older boys are empowered as big brothers to younger boys, teaching them the nuts and bolts of music and singing, as well as how to tie their bowties, and more.

Cincinnati Boychoir presents approximately 20 annual performances in the greater Cincinnati region, and members have performed concerts and completed residencies both at home and abroad.

The Boychoir strives to be accessible to boys of all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, offering them the opportunity to experience the lifechanging impact of immersive arts participation.

JASON ALEXANDER HOLMES, Artistic Director

Jason Alexander Holmes is a music educator and performer from Ridgeway, Virginia, and currently serves as the Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Boychoir, the director of Cincinnati’s MLK Chorale, and the Associate Musician for Children and Youth at Christ Church Cathedral in Cincinnati. Before coming to Cincinnati, he was Director of Educational Programming at the Boston Children’s Chorus. Prior to his time in Boston, Jason taught music at the elementary and secondary levels. He also led the University of Rochester Gospel Choir and the Eastman Young Children’s Chorus. Jason holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Ithaca College, where his mentors and teachers included Drs. Susan Wharton Conkling, William Weinert and Susan Avery.

Choirs under Jason’s direction are consistently praised for their energetic, unified tone and engaging performances. He is known for innovative programming that celebrates the cultural context while encouraging singers and audiences alike to stretch their awareness by living in many different musical worlds. Pedagogically, Jason is committed to implementing culturally responsive practices in music education. He has given workshops and conference sessions on this topic at professional development seminars, schools and conferences.

At the core of Jason’s teaching and performing is the belief that we are all expressive and musical beings who deserve to witness and participate regularly in moments of truth and beauty.

CINCINNATI BOYCHOIR

For Lee’s Breaths of Universal Longings

Bryce Biedenharn

Garrett Cetti

Seth Coppens

Santiago Dreher

Alexander Gentil

James Harper

Joel Leptak-Moreau

Jackson Metz

Joshua Moore

Aaron Pankey

Andrew Prevost

Owen Riker

Lawrence Riley

JeKorey Spencer

Enairs Turnbow

For Mahler’s Symphony No. 8

Stefano Adams-Orejuela

Christian Bedinghaus

Cody Ching

Elessar DeHoff

Clark Hamlet

Otto Heckman

Zachary Li

Theo Miritello

Jayden Nguyen

Jasper Sebastian

Colin Wilder

CINCINNATI YOUTH CHOIR

ROBYN LANA, Managing Artistic Director

Sandra Thornton, Associate Artistic Director

The Cincinnati Youth Choir, recognized as a leading youth choral program in the U.S., was founded in 1993 by Managing Artistic Director Robyn Lana. This educationally based choral ensemble program develops singers who learn artistry through education. All of the conductors are music educators who incorporate the philosophies of Carl Orff, Zoltán Kodály, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze and Jerome Brunner. CYC became Ensemble-inResidence at the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music (CCM) in August 2001. With the residency, the choir regularly collaborates with the CCM Music Education Division, the CCM Opera Department, and the CCM Division of Ensembles and Conducting, and continues to build upon the rich history of the former CCM Children’s Choir, founded in 1983 by Dr. Karen Wolff. CYC maintains its own concert series, performing from September through June and often hosting guest artists and choirs. Ensembles in the program regularly collaborate with children’s choirs from around the United States.

Regionally, CYC has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Vocal Arts Ensemble, May Festival Chorus, Cincinnati Opera, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Choral Society, and CCM ensembles. In addition, CYC has recorded with the Pops for two nationally released compact discs, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Nutcracker, the latter reaching number two on Billboard’s Classical Chart.

ROBYN LANA, Managing Artistic Director Interpreting choral music for diverse audiences in a way that is relevant to young people while maintaining the highest standards of music education and performance sums up the work of CYC Founder and Managing Artistic Director Robyn Reeves Lana. When not leading the Cincinnati Children’s Choir over the last quarter of a century, Lana has served as conductor and clinician across the United States and at internationally acclaimed venues. Closer to home, she has been a featured guest conductor at Carnegie

Hall and the Kennedy Center. She has served as clinician or guest conducted state and regional choral events in more than 25 states. Lana has served on the choral faculty at Xavier University, has been a guest professor in the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s choral department, and is currently a visiting professor on the choral faculty at Miami University in Oxford.

Lana is the editor of a choral series with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Her book, Voices in Harmony (2017), celebrates philosophies in choral education. She also is published in Chorister Guild’s The Chorister, Chamber Music America’s CMA Matters, and ACDA’s Choral Journal

Nationally, Lana has served ACDA as Children’s Choir and Community Youth Repertoire and Standards Chair and Chair of ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration. She currently serves on the Chorus America Board of Directors.

CINCINNATI YOUTH CHOIR

Bel Canto and Con Brio Choirs

Julia Allgeyer

Zayne Armstrong

Jasmine Austin

Caraline Barnett

Annabelle Brumback

Ben Brumback

Anna Burger

Sage Bushstone

Madelyn Cahill

Timothy Carnahan

Kenna Cornish Scott

Sophie Corwin

Thanh-Tam Dao

Khushi Dayal

Lucy Dixon

Bethany Foister

Maryann Foister

Ella Giesler

Kennedi Grayer

Molly Harris

Caitlin Hartley

Ashley Havlin

Vivian Hermes

Ruth Ann Hornsby

Georgia Horton

Claire Jeffreys

Amara Johnson

Amrutha Juluri

Charles Lawson

Claire Long

Raegan Louis

Victoria Louis

Emily Lynch

Mina Mader

Christopher Martin

Kara McLaughlin

Aziah Miles

Reilly Murphy

Margaret Rankin

Carolyn Sagel

Anika Saladi

Noelle Sanderson

Shaili Shah

Sana Shyam

Chloe Siekman

Carson Smedley

Mabel Smith

Jena Southcombe

Anne Steinmetz

Genevieve Stevenson

Lily Stewart

Garrett Thornton

Kieran Thornton

Lucy Toomey

Natalie Ward

Ava Withers

Edie Wolfer

Priyanka Yenugu

From left: CYC Bel Canto and Con Brio choirs. Credit: Steve Ziegelmeyer

CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA CHORUS

LISA WONG, Director

Daniel J. Singer, Assistant Director

Daniel Overly, Collaborative Pianist

Jill Harbaugh, Manager of Choruses

The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus is one of the few professionally trained, all-volunteer choruses sponsored by a major American orchestra. In addition to performing with The Cleveland Orchestra in concerts at Severance Music Center each season, the Chorus has appeared with the Orchestra on tour in Boston, Brussels, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, London, Lucerne, Luxembourg, Miami, Paris and New York, as well as on television and in numerous recordings. The Chorus has also toured on its own to the Casals Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico; the Chautauqua Institution in New York; and to venues in England, Wales, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany.

Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and Blossom Festival Chorus members hail from nearly 50 Northeast Ohio communities. Together, the group’s 175 members volunteer more than 50,000 hours annually, through rehearsals and performances.

Today’s Cleveland Orchestra Chorus was first formed in 1952 at the request of Music Director George Szell. The Chorus is celebrating its 70th anniversary during the 2022–23 season.

LISA

WONG, Director

Lisa Wong was appointed director of choruses for The Cleveland Orchestra in May 2018 after serving as acting director throughout the 2017–18 season. She joined the choral staff of The Cleveland Orchestra as assistant director of choruses at the start of the 2010–11 season, helping to prepare the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and Blossom Festival Chorus for performances each year. In 2012, she took on added responsibilities as director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus.

In addition to her duties at Severance, she is the Olive Williams Kettering Professor of Music at the College of Wooster. An advocate for the music of marginalized composers, Dr. Wong serves as the Repertoire and Resource Chair for World Music and Cultures for the Ohio Choral Directors Association. Her previous academic posts include positions in New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana.

Active as a clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator, she serves regularly as a music panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. Recent international accolades have included work at

Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya as a part of Tunaweza Kimuziki, and as a conductor for “Conducting 21C: Musical Leadership for a New Century” in Stockholm, Sweden.

Sopranos

Amy Foster Babinski

Claudia Barriga

Amanda Cobes

Susan Cucuzza

Sasha Desberg

Emily Engle

Molly Falasco

Samantha Garner

Ayesha Gonzales

Sarah Gould

Julia Halamek

Rebecca S. Hall

Sarah Henley

Lisa Hrusovsky

Shannon R. Jakubczak

Katie Kitchen *

EvaCecilia Koh

Molly Lukens

Kate Macy

S. Mikhaila Noble-Pace

Jennifer Heinert O’Leary

Katie Paskey

Victoria Peacock

Grace Prentice

Jylian Purtee

Lisa M. Ramsey

Cara Rovella

Martell Savage

Ellie Smith

Megan Tettau

Sharilee Walker

Tracey Webber

Adeleine Whitten

Altos

Emily Austin

Laurel Babcock

Debbie Bates

Riley Beistel

Carolyn Dessin

Brooke Emmel

Grace Ho

Karen S. Hunt

Sarah Hutchins

Kristi Krueger

Zoe Kuhn

Elise Leitzel

Danielle S. McDonald

Karla McMullen

Holly Miller

Peggy A. Norman

Dawn Ostrowski

Andrea Pintabona

Alanna M. Shadrake

Ina Stanek-Michaelis

Melanie Tabak

Rachel Thibo

Kristen Tobey

Martha Cochran Truby

Laure Wasserbauer

Caroline Willoughby

Leah Wilson

Lynne Leutenberg Yulish

Tenors

Rong Chen

Richard Hall

John-Joseph Haney *

Peter Kvidera

Adam Landry

Tod Lawrence

David McCallum

James C. Pintner

Matthew Rizer

Ted Rodenborn

Andrew Stamp

William Venable

Allen White

Basses

Craig Astler

Jack Blazey

Ronnie Boscarello

Peter B. Clausen

Kyle Crowley

Tom Cucuzza

Christopher Dewald

Jeffrey Duber

Brian Fancher

Andrew Fowler

Jeffrey D. Gershman

Mark Hermann

Seth Hobi *

Kurtis B. Hoffman

Robert L. Jenkins III

James Johnston

Kevin Kutz

Jason Levy

Jacob J. Liptow

Tyler Mason

Robert Mitchell

Tremaine Oatman

Daniel Overly

Francisco Prado

Brandon Randall

Robert G. Seaman

Daniel J. Singer

Charlie Smrekar

Charles Tobias

Matt Turell

* Shari Bierman Singer Fellow

CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA CHORUS

Photo: Roger Mastroianni

Credit: Roger Mastroianni

BERIT NORBAKKEN, soprano

Berit Norbakken’s repertoire spans the history of Western music, from the Renaissance and baroque periods up to the most recent contemporary music.

Berit Norbakken belongs to a special group of sopranos who are characterized by courage and exceptional abilities. Very few sopranos have equilibristic and challenging works such as György Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre, Kaija Saariaho’s Quatre instants and György Kurtág’s Kafka-Fragments in their repertoire. Berit does.

She appears regularly with the group Barokksolistene in different concerts and recordings, most notably their award-winning recording and concert series The Image of Melancholy. As a recitalist, she has also given concerts in cities such as Tokyo and Sydney.

Berit Norbakken made her opera debut in Ophelias—Death by Water Singing by Henrik Hellstenius. Her opera roles have included Abel in Il primo omicidio (Scarlatti), Adonis in Il giardino d’amore (Scarlatti), Ermione in Oreste (Handel), Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart), Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini), Belinda in Dido and Aeneas (Purcell), Sigrun in the world premiere of

MAY FESTIVAL CONCERTS ON WGUC

Tune in to WGUC 90.9 FM on Sunday evenings in October to hear all five May Festival concerts once again. All broadcasts begin at 8 p.m. You can also listen at mayfestival.com/replay. Here’s the schedule:

October 1: 25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music

October 8: Bach’s Magnificat

October 15: Marin Alsop: American Voices

October 22: Mozart’s Requiem

October 29: Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand

NOTE: Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand will also be broadcast live on WGUC on May 27.

Malleus Maleficarum (Rasmussen) and an ensemble part in Melancholia (Haas).

She works closely with Juanjo Mena, and their recording of the vocal music of Juan Crisostomo Arriaga with the BBC Philharmonic has been very well received. Norbakken performs regularly with conductors including Daniel Reuss, Ottavio Dantone, Andreas Spering, Benjamin Bayl, Herbert Böck, Simon Gaudenz, Bernard Labadie, Andrew Parrott, Vasily Petrenko, George Petrou and Jos van Immerseel. beritnorbakken.no

NOLA RICHARDSON, soprano

Australian/American soprano Nola

Richardson has won first prize in all three major American competitions focused on the music of J.S. Bach (Bethlehem Bach, 2016; Audrey Rooney Bach, 2018; Grand Rapids Symphony Linn Maxwell Keller Award, 2019), catapulting her to the forefront of baroque ensembles and orchestras around the country.

In concert, Richardson’s repertoire ranges from medieval to contemporary works—including several world premieres—and she has been particularly noted for her interpretations of Bach, Handel and Mozart. She has also appeared in concert at Lincoln Center with the American Classical Orchestra and in a Sondheim review with the Boston Pops.

Her operatic roles include a the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte with Clarion Music Society and her debut at the Kennedy Center with Opera Lafayette as Fraarte in Handel’s Radamisto. Most recently, she has interpreted the role of Apolo in a rare performance of the Baroque Zarzuela Apolo e Dafne by Sebastián Durón, and next season will feature a performance of Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum staged by Francesca Zambello with Seraphic Fire.

In the 2022–23 season, Richardson performs Handel’s Messiah with the Helena Symphony Orchestra, Musica Sacra and Northside UMC. She also is featured as a soloist with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Boise Baroque Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and she appears in recital with Avi Stein at Arizona Early Music Festival. She also joins the cast of Boston Early Music Festival’s productions of Alcinia and Circé Richardson is the first and only soprano to receive the prestigious DMA degree in Early Music Voice from Yale, where she attended the Institute of Sacred Music.

Photo: Daniel Lilleeng

Her upcoming season will include performances with the American Bach Soloists, the Kansas City and Grand Rapids Symphonies, Musica Angelica, Seraphic Fire, and debuts with Ars Lyrica Houston and the Tucson Baroque Music Festival. nolarichardson.com

MARIANNE BEATE KIELLAND, mezzo-soprano

Marianne Beate

Kielland is established as one of the foremost singers of Europe and is the only Norwegian singer to have received a U.S. Grammy nomination in the category Best Vocal Classical Album. The versatile mezzo-soprano started her international career as an ensemble member of the Staatsoper Hannover, and since then she has been working frequently with leading orchestras, ensembles and opera houses, enjoying a vast repertoire spanning from early 17thcentury works through to Classical, Romantic and contemporary eras. She has performed with many of the major orchestras and ensembles of the world and is in especially great demand for baroque opera roles.

In the 2022–23 season, she performs the title role in Handel’s Giulio Cesare at New National Theatre in Tokyo with Rinaldo Alessandrini. Among her concert highlights are Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Bach Collegium Japan and Masato Suzuki in Saitama and Tokyo, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and Ottavio Dantone, Mozart’s C Minor Mass in Salzburg with Jordi Savall, and concerts with the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest led by Aapo Häkkinen and with the Gulbenkian Orchestra and NDR Orchester Hannover led by Andrew Manze.

Kielland has made more than 60 CD recordings of oratorios, operas, cantatas and songs by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Caldara, Scarlatti, Beethoven, Schumann, Mahler, Mussorgsky, Martin, Chausson, Korngold, von Suppé, Schönberg, Webern, Berg and Sigurd Islandsmoen.

She regularly performs song recitals with pianist Nils Anders Mortensen and has also collaborated with pianists such as Leif Ove Andsnes, Pascal Roge, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Lise de la Salle and Jos van Immerseel. mariannebeatekielland.com

TOBY SPENCE, tenor

An honors graduate and choral scholar from New College, Oxford, Toby Spence studied at the Opera School of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was named the Royal Philharmonic Society 2011 Singer of the Year.

In concert, Spence has sung with some of the most renowned orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Festival highlights include the Easter Festival in Salzburg and the Edinburgh International Festival.

A prolific recitalist, Spence has given numerous solo recitals for BBC Radio 3 and at London’s Wigmore Hall and has appeared at LSO St. Luke’s, Opera de Lille, at Northern Ireland Opera’s Festival of Voice, Janáček’s Brno International Music Festival and the Aldeburgh Festival. He has made numerous recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, BMG, Philips, Collins, Linn Records, Hyperion and EMI.

Operatic highlights include Aschenbach in Death in Venice for Opéra national du Rhin; Captain Vere in Deborah Warner’s Billy Budd for Teatro Real, Opera di Roma and Royal Opera House, with which he has a long-standing relationship; Anatol in Vanessa for Frankfurt Opera; Don Ottavio for the Liceu Barcelona; Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus and Antonio in The Tempest for The Metropolitan Opera; among many others.

Operatic appearances for 2022–23 include role debuts as Alonso in The Tempest for Teatro alla Scala and Erik in Der fliegende Holländer for Teatro la Fenice. On the concert platform, Spence sings Das Lied von der Erde with Orchestre de Lille under Alexandre Bloch, St. Matthew Passion for the Gulbenkian Foundation, Britten’s War Requiem with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The Bells with the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Glagolitic Mass with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Further ahead, Spence returns to the Wiener Staatsoper. askonasholt.com/artists/toby-spence

Photo: Liv Øvland

Photo: Mitch Jenkins

CHRISTIAN IMMLER, bass-baritone

German bass-baritone

Christian Immler is a multifaceted artist whose career ranges widely across the worlds of lieder, oratorio and opera. He studied with Rudolf Piernay in London and won the International Nadia et Lili Boulanger Competition in Paris.

His operatic experience ranges from Seneca in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, Jupiter in Rameau’s Castor et Pollux, the Commendatore and Masetto in Don Giovanni, Speaker in Die Zauberflöte, Don Fernando and Rocco in Beethoven’s Leonore, the Hermit in Weber’s Der Freischütz and the Musiklehrer in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, to Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland. In concert, he has performed Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Minnesota Orchestra, Kindertotenlieder with Hungarian National Philharmonic, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony with Orchestre National de France, Detlev Glanert’s Prager Sinphonie with the Czech Philharmonic, Beethoven’s Missa solemnis with the Montreal Symphony, as well as the Requiems of Dvořák, Brahms, Mozart, Fauré and Verdi. He also loves coming back to key works by Bach and Handel. Immler has worked with such conductors as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Herbert Blomstedt, René Jacobs, Semyon Bychkov, Marc Minkowski, Masaaki Suzuki, Raphaël Pichon, Ivor Bolton, Christophe Rousset, Daniel Harding, Kent Nagano, Leonardo Alarcón, Laurence Equilbey, Philippe Herreweghe and William Christie.

A keen recitalist, Immler has been invited by Wigmore Hall in London, the Frick Collection in New York, the Paris Philharmonie and the Salzburg Mozarteum, with pianists including Helmut Deutsch, Kristian Bezuidenhout and Danny Driver. His more than 60 recordings have been awarded prizes such as a 2016 Grammy nomination, a Diamant d’Opéra, several Diapasons d’Or, the Echo Klassik, the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, the Gramophone Award, and France Musique’s Enregistrement de l’année. Immler loves teaching and is much in demand for worldwide masterclasses. christianimmler.com

AMERICAN VOICES MARIN ALSOP, conductor

One of the foremost conductors of our time, Marin Alsop represents a powerful and inspiring voice. Convinced that music has the power to change lives, she is internationally recognized for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, deep commitment to education, and championing of music’s importance in the world. She is the first woman to serve as the head of a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria and Britain.

Now in her fourth season as Chief Conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alsop leads the orchestra at Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Musikverein, and on recordings, broadcasts and international tours, highlighted by its recent Salzburg Festival appearance and BBC Proms debut. As Chief Conductor of Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, she curates and conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s summer residencies, formalizing her long relationship with Ravinia, where she made her debut with the orchestra in 2002. Appointed in 2020 as the first Music Director of the National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F), a program of the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, she has launched a new academy for young conductors and conducts multiple concerts each June with the NOI+F Philharmonic.

At the close of the 2020–21 season, Alsop assumed the title of Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, after seven years as Music Director, Alsop became Conductor of Honour of Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony Orchestra. Deeply committed to new music, she was Music Director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music for 25 years, over the course of which she led 174 premieres.

Alsop has longstanding relationships with the London Philharmonic and London Symphony orchestras and regularly guest conducts major international ensembles. In collaboration with YouTube and Google Arts & Culture, she spearheaded the “Global Ode to Joy” (GOTJ), a crowd-sourced video project to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th anniversary.

Recognized with BBC Music “Album of the Year” and Emmy nominations in addition to Grammy, Classical BRIT and Gramophone awards,

MAY 20 MARIN ALSOP:

Photo: Adriane White

Photo: Marco Borggreve

Alsop’s discography comprises more than 200 titles. Recent releases include a live account of Bernstein’s Candide with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and a Hindemith collection that marks her first recording as Chief Conductor of the Vienna RSO.

The first and only conductor to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, Alsop has also been honored with the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award and made history as the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms. She served as 2021–22 Harman/Eisner Artist-inResidence of the Aspen Institute Arts Program and 2020 Artist-in-Residence at Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts, is Director of Graduate Conducting at the Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute, and holds Honorary Doctorates from Yale University and the Juilliard School. To promote and nurture the careers of her fellow female conductors, in 2002 she founded the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship. The Conductor, a documentary about her life, debuted at New York’s 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and has subsequently been broadcast on PBS television, screened at festivals and theaters nationwide, and recognized with the Naples International Film Festival’s 2021 Focus on the Arts Award. marinalsop.com

MASABANE CECILIA RANGWANASHA, soprano

Rising star Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha was the winner of the Song Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition 2021 and is an alumna of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

During the 2022–23 season, Rangwanasha sings Mathilde in Guilliame Tell and the title role in Iphigénie en Tauride at Theater Bern. She also returns to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as Liù in Turandot conducted by Antonio Pappano. On the concert platform, Rangwanasha performs Mendelssohn’s Lobegesang at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Theater Bern, makes her U.S. debut with the Washington Symphony Orchestra for Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, and gives solo recitals at Wigmore Hall and in Bordeaux.

Future seasons will see a series of exciting house and role debuts, including Staatsoper Hamburg, Semperoper Dresden and returns to the Royal Opera House and on the concert platform with the London Symphony.

Rangwanasha completed her PGDip at the University of Cape Town, where she studied with Virginia Davids, and then went on to study Vocal Performance at Tshwane University of Technology. She was the winner of the Audience Prize and two special prizes in the 2019 Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition.

Rangwanasha is a current BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.

masabanececiliarangwanasha.com

LAQUITA MITCHELL, soprano

Soprano Laquita Mitchell consistently earns acclaim on eminent international opera and concert stages worldwide. She performed as soprano soloist in the world premiere of Paul Moravec’s Sanctuary Road at Carnegie Hall with Oratorio Society of New York; the recording was nominated for a 2021 Grammy. She reprised her role in Sanctuary Road with Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble in April 2023.

This season, Mitchell reprises Julie in Omar for Carolina Performing Arts, a role she created in the opera’s world premiere at the Spoleto Festival last season, and she returns to the role of Josephine Baker in Josephine with Music of Remembrance. In concert, Mitchell performs Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Madison Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with Sarasota Orchestra, Verdi’s Requiem with Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Tippett’s A Child of Our Time with Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. Next season, Mitchell will return to the role of Countess in Le nozze di Figaro

Mitchell is an alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, where she performed a variety of roles including several stand-out performances in contemporary operas. Mitchell was previously a member of San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program. She then joined Wolf Trap Opera in performances as Alice Ford in Antonio Salieri’s Falstaff and Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and presented a recital with pianist Steven Blier.

A native of New York City, Mitchell was a 2004 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions grand prize winner and was awarded a Sara Tucker Award. She was also the first prize winner of the Wiener Kammeroper’s Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition, making her the first American to win this competition in over 20 years. Additionally, Mitchell was the first prize winner of the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition

Photo: Royal Opera House

Photo: Matthew Placek

for Young Singers, as well as the winner of the Audience Choice award. Mitchell holds a Master of Music degree and the Professional Studies Certificate at the Manhattan School of Music and completed undergraduate studies at Westminster Choir College. laquitamitchell.com

BRIANA HUNTER, mezzo-soprano

Briana Hunter’s 2021–22 season opened with two major New York City debuts: first at The Metropolitan Opera as Ruby/Woman Sinner in a Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, followed by her Carnegie Hall debut with The Orchestra Now in a performance of Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater, under the auspices of the Bard Musical Festival She reprised her critically acclaimed portrayal of Mother in Jeanine Tesori’s Blue in February at Seattle Opera and with Pittsburgh Opera in April. On the concert stage she debuted at the Madison Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, as well as with the Charlotte Symphony for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Hunter created the roles of Mother in Jeanine Tesori’s Blue at the Glimmerglass Festival and of Dee Dee Reyes in Hilliard and Boresi’s The Last American Hammer with UrbanArias.

Recent engagements include the title role in Carmen with Opera Orlando, Tanya in Is This America? with Santa Fe Opera, and Constance Fletcher in The Mother of Us All with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. The Kennedy Center released the first-ever commercial recording of Blue in 2022, featuring Hunter as Mother.

An accomplished stage actress, Hunter has worked with Tony- and Academy Award-winning playwright Mark Medoff in a production of his play Gunfighter—A Gulf War Chronicle, in addition to developing and starring in an original double bill titled Infinite Variety/For Every Passion Something under the direction of the Royal Shakespeare Company and presented in a two-week run at the Fringe Festival in Scotland.

Hunter is a Lotte Lenya Competition finalist and winner of the Lys Symonette Award from The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music. She participated in the “I Sing Beijing” program, where she performed at The National Center for the Performing Arts.

Hunter holds a Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Davidson College. Originally from Malvern, Pennsylvania, she currently resides in New York City. brianaelysehunter.com

RODRICK DIXON, tenor

Rodrick Dixon possesses a tenor voice of extraordinary range and versatility that has earned him the respect and attention of leading conductors, orchestras and opera companies.

Notable operatic engagements include Los Angeles Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Todi Music Festival, Portland Opera, Opera Columbus, Cincinnati Opera and Opera Southwest in roles including the title role of Zemlinky’s Der Zwerg, Walther von der Vogelweide in Tannhäuser, Tonio in La fille du régiment, Lenski in Eugene Onegin, the title role of Les contes d’Hoffmann, Prince in Vanqui, Sportin’ Life in Porgy & Bess, the Duke in Rigoletto, and the title role in Rossini’s Otello.

On the concert stage, Rodrick Dixon is a regular guest of the Cincinnati May Festival, including previous performances of R. Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses in Cincinnati and in New York’s Carnegie Hall.

He was tenor soloist for The Philadelphia Orchestra composer-in-residence Hannibal Lokumbe in world premieres of Healing Tones and One Land, One River, One People; he also performed in Lokumbe’s historic Crucifixion Resurrection, presented by the orchestra in honor of the nine church members who lost their lives during Bible study in Charleston, SC.

Dixon’s extensive television credits include several PBS specials and guest appearances on network and cable television shows. Musical theater credits include the original cast of Ragtime on Broadway. He appears in the annual Too Hot to Handel Christmas concerts at the Detroit Opera House and Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre.

Recordings for Sony/BMG include PBS Great Performances Cook, Dixon & Young Vol. 1 (2005), Follow that Star Christmas CD (2003), Liam Lawton’s Sacred Land (2006), and Rodrick Dixon Live in Concert (2008), and a Christmas album with the Cincinnati Pops. tenorroddixon.com

Photo: Dan Demetriad

NICHOLAS NEWTON, bass

During the 2022–23 season, Nicholas Newton, an up-andcoming bass-baritone, debuts with Dallas Opera as Monterone in Rigoletto, debuts with Detroit Opera in Handel’s Xerxes, returns to Houston Grand Opera for Salome, and performs with Lyric Opera of Chicago to cover the role of Peter in Hänsel und Gretel.

An avid concert performer and recitalist, he is an alumnus of Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute and has toured with renowned pianist Kevin Murphy and performed at the Tucson Desert Song Festival. He also has worked with the Cincinnati Song Initiative, performing in their virtual recital series, A World of Song, and he appeared in Houston Grand Opera’s “Giving Voice: Lawrence Brownlee & Friends” concert. Other notable concert performances range from Mozart to Duruflé, Gershwin to Paulus, and the world premiere of Michael Capp’s Christmas Revels with Las Colinas Symphony.

Newton completed his training at the Houston Grand Opera Studio in the 2020–21 season and also trained as a Studio Artist and Filene Artist with Wolf Trap Opera, as a Young Artist with Aspen Music Festival, in the Young Artists Vocal Academy of Houston Grand Opera, and in San Diego Opera’s Opera Exposed program. A 2021 Sullivan Awardwinner, he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from San Diego State University, studying with Laurinda Nikkel, and his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Rice University, under the tutelage of Dr. Stephen King. nicholasnewton.com

MAY 25 MOZART’S

REQUIEM

JAMES CONLON, conductor

James Conlon, one of today’s most versatile and respected conductors, has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic and choral repertoire. Since his 1974 debut with the New York Philharmonic, he has conducted virtually every major American and European symphony orchestra. Through worldwide touring, an extensive discography and videography, numerous writings, television appearances and guest speaking engagements, Conlon is one of classical music’s most recognized figures.

Conlon is Music Director of LA Opera, where since 2006 he has led more performances than any other conductor in the company’s history—to date, more than 400 performances of over 60 different operas. This season he conducts Verdi’s Il trovatore, Wagner’s Tannhäuser; Verdi’s Aida, and a ballet adaptation of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. He is also Artistic Advisor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He has been Principal Conductor of the Paris Opera; General Music Director of the City of Cologne, Germany, where he was Music Director of both the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and the Cologne Opera; Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra; and Principal Conductor of the Orchestra Nazionale Della RAI in Torino, Italy. He has served as Music Director of the Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony, and is now Music Director Laureate of the Cincinnati May Festival, where he was Music Director for 37 years. As a guest conductor at The Metropolitan Opera, he has led more than 270 performances since his 1976 debut.

In an effort to call attention to lesser-known works of composers silenced by the Nazi regime, Conlon has devoted himself to extensive programming of this music throughout Europe and North America. For his efforts, he was awarded the Roger E. Joseph Prize at Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion (2013), a Crystal Globe Award from the Anti-Defamation League (2007) and the Zemlinsky Prize (1999). His work on behalf of suppressed composers led to the creation of The OREL Foundation and the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices at the Colburn School.

Conlon is an enthusiastic advocate of public scholarship and cultural institutions as forums for the exchange of ideas and inquiry into the role music plays in our shared humanity and civic life. At LA Opera, his immensely popular pre-performance talks draw upon musicology, literary studies, history and social sciences to contemplate the enduring power and relevance of opera, and of classical music in general. His appearances throughout the country as a speaker on a variety of cultural and educational topics are widely praised.

Conlon’s extensive discography can be found on the Bridge, Capriccio, Decca, EMI, Erato and Sony Classical labels; and his recordings of LA Opera productions, including Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles released on PentaTone and Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny on EuroArts, have received four Grammy awards. Conlon was named Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, and Commandeur de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture. In 2002, he received France’s

Photo: Jiyang Chen

Photo: Chester Higgins

highest honor, the Legion d’Honneur from thenPresident of the French Republic Jacques Chirac. jamesconlon.com

ERICA PETROCELLI, soprano

American soprano Erica Petrocelli has recently completed tenures as a Studio member with Opernhaus Zürich and with the Domingo-Colburn-Stein young artist program at LA Opera. In the 2022–23 season, Petrocelli returns to Opernhaus Zürich as a guest, first for Musetta in La bohème, and later as the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte. She also collaborates with James Conlon at the Baltimore Symphony to sing Bernstein’s “Jeremiah” Symphony No. 1 and for concert performances with the Ravinia Festival as Zerlina in Don Giovanni.

In the 2021–22 season, Petrocelli performed Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at Opera Theater of St. Louis and also joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for Mozart’s Requiem. At LA Opera, she sang Clorinda in La Cenerentola and The Shepherd in Tannhäuser and, as a Studio member in Zürich, performed Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Delia in

Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, and covered the title role in Arabella and Stella in Les contes d’Hoffmann.

In the 2019–20 season, Petrocelli sang Musetta in La bohème and First Lady in Die Zauberflöte at LA Opera, both conducted by James Conlon. She also made her principal debut at Opera Theatre of St. Louis singing Micaëla in Carmen. In the 2018–19 season, she made her LA Opera debut as Mrs. Naidoo in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha, conducted by Grant Gershon, and appeared as Annina in La traviata, also conducted by James Conlon. Other season highlights included her role debut as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. imgartists.com/roster/erica-petrocelli

KATE LINDSEY, mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey is one of the most promising voices of her generation and appears regularly in the world’s most prestigious opera houses, including The Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, Glyndebourne Opera Festival, in Aix-en-Provence, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Bavarian State Opera.

Photo: Rosetta Greek

Kate Lindsey once again shows her great diversity in the 2022–23 season with a wide selection of role debuts and new productions. The mezzo-soprano kicks off the season as Prince Idamante in The Metropolitan Opera’s production of Idomeneo She then returns to the Vienna State Opera for the revival of her acclaimed Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) and to further give her role debut as Penelope in the house premiere of Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria under the baton of Pablo-Heras Casado. At Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona Kate Lindsey takes on the lead role of Dido in Dido and Aeneas.

A sought-after concert and lied interpreter, Kate Lindsey gives her debut at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg performing Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem. She further returns to Wigmore Hall in autumn to present a program with pieces of Robert Schumann and Gabriel Fauré with pianist Gary Matthewman and sings her A Thousand Miles program with pianist Baptiste Trotignon at the Festvial des los Angeles in Barcelona.

Kate Lindsey now records exclusively for Outhere Music France. Her albums include Thousands of Miles, with works by Kurt Weill, Korngold and Zemlinsky; Arianna (January 2020) with Arcangelo featuring Scarlatti, Handel and Haydn; and Tiranno, focused on the character of Nero and including

pieces by Scarletti, Handel and Monteverdi, also with Arcangelo.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Lindsey holds a Bachelor of Music degree with distinction from Indiana University and is a graduate of The Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Her many awards include a 2011 grant from the Festival Musique et Vin au Clos Vougeot, the 2007 Richard F. Gold Career Grant, the 2007 George London Award in memory of Lloyd Rigler, the 2007 Lincoln Center Martin E. Segal Award and a 2006 Sullivan Foundation Grant. katelindsey.com

JOSHUA BLUE, tenor

During the 2022–23 season, BritishAmerican tenor Joshua Blue makes his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut as the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the Hollywood Bowl with Eva Ollikainen on the podium. Blue also returns to Opera Philadelphia to make his role debut as Rodolfo in La bohème before reprising the role at the Glimmerglass Festival in the summer. He also

Photo: Arielle Doneson

OUR SINCERE APPRECIATION TO THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT

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returns to The Metropolitan Opera to sing the Royal Herald in David McVicar’s production of Don Carlo under the baton of Carlo Rizzi and to cover Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites led by Bertrand de Billy. In concert, he performs in two engagements of Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall with Musica Sacra and Oratorio Society of New York. Blue also performs in the world premiere of Another City, a commission by Houston Grand Opera featuring composer Jeremy Howard Beck and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann.

In 2022, Blue was awarded the prestigious Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Prize by Opera Theatre of St. Louis. He was the inaugural recipient of the Lotos Foundation’s James McCracken and Sandra Warfield Opera Prize in 2020, was a semi-finalist of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2018, received the Ellen Lopin Blair award for first place in the 2017 Oratorio Society of New York solo competition, and was noted as an Emerging Artist in the 2017 Opera Index Competition in New York City. Blue appears on the recording of Moravec’s Sanctuary Road, which was nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award, and he provided vocals for the 2018 Oscar-nominated short film My Nephew Emmett

Blue earned his bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and graduated from The Juilliard School with a master’s degree, studying voice with Dr. Robert C. White, Jr. He is a former apprentice singer with Santa Fe Opera and is an alumnus of the Cafritz Young Artist program with Washington National Opera. joshuabluetenor.com

MICHAEL SUMUEL, bass

American bass-baritone

Michael Sumuel returns to The Metropolitan Opera in the 2022–23 season, singing Belcore in L’elisir d’amore. Other debuts include the Father in Blue with English National Opera, Elviro in Xerxes with Detroit Opera, and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Pittsburgh Opera. In concert, Sumuel performs Bach Cantatas BWV 61 and 140 with the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, opens Washington Concert Opera’s season, performs in a gala with soprano Tammy Wilson, and returns to Mercury Houston for Handel’s Messiah. With Pacific Chorale, Sumuel takes part in a European tour, performing in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Florence Price’s Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight

Last season, Sumuel made his debut as Jesus in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with LA Opera,

a semi-staged production conducted by James Conlon with choreography by the Hamburg Ballet; Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Seattle Opera; Escamillo in Carmen for his Santa Fe Opera debut and with Chicago Opera Theater; a concert of arias to open the Dallas Opera season; the King in Massenet’s Cinderella with The Metropolitan Opera; and Leporello in Don Giovanni with Opera San Antonio. In concert, Sumuel returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic to sing Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Bach’s Easter Oratorio with Music of the Baroque and Mozart’s Requiem with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s.

Sumuel’s competition accolades include a Richard Tucker Career Grant, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Finalist, and a winner of the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition. A Texas native, he is an alumnus of Houston Grand Opera Studio, Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera and the Filene Young Artist program at Wolf Trap Opera. He currently resides in San Francisco with his wife and baby son.

imgartists.com/roster/michael-sumuel

MAY 27 MAHLER’S

SYMPHONY OF A THOUSAND SARAH WEGENER, soprano

Sarah Wegener has enthralled listeners in performances such as Strauss’ orchestral songs under Mariss Jansons and Vladimir Jurowski in Munich, London and Hamburg; Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 under Kirill Petrenko in Bregenz, Eliahu Inbal in Hamburg and Kent Nagano in Montreal; as well as in her “War and Peace” program shaped around works by Handel and Purcell, which she also presented at the Schwetzingen SWR Festival. Concerts, recitals and operatic roles have taken her to prominent stages and festivals of the world.

The 2022–23 season began for Wegener with Strauss’ Four Last Songs with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Another highlight is Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall. Further engagements include Mahler’s Das klagende Lied in Porto; Bernstein’s Kaddish with the MDR-Sinfonieorchester at the Gewandhaus Leipzig, Elbphilharmonie and Philharmonie Berlin; works by Berg and Holliger with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra; as well as songs by Alma Mahler with the Brandenburgische Staatsorchester. In June 2023, she will sing Widmann’s Arche at the Elbphilharmonie.

Photo: Kristin Hoebermann

Photo: Simon David Tschan

In addition to her highly praised lieder recordings, Into the Deepest Sea and Zueignung (OPUS Klassik nominee), Wegener’s discography includes recordings of works by Boesmans, Korngold, Mozart, Rossini, Kurtág, Elliott Carter and Heinz Holliger. At the OPUS Klassik 2019, she was nominated as Singer of the Year for Jörg Widmann’s Labyrinth III. A recording of songs arranged by B.A. Zimmermann with the WDR Symphony Orchestra (WERGO) was awarded the Choc de Classica (March 2023), Diapason d’Or and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik

Following her double bass studies, the BritishGerman soprano studied singing with Prof. JaegerBöhm in Stuttgart and took part in masterclasses with Dame Gwyneth Jones and Renée Morloc. sarah-wegener.de

CAMILLA TILLING, soprano

Swedish soprano

Camilla Tilling has been performing on the world’s leading opera, concert and recital stages for over two decades while building an impressive discography that includes Die Schöpfung with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, a portrait album of Gluck and Mozart Arias, and numerous recitals on the BIS label dedicated to the Lieder of Schubert and Strauss, among others.

In the 2022–23 season, Tilling gives the premiere of Daniel Nelson’s Chaplin Songs with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and performs IrgenJensens’ Japanischer Frühling alongside Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Karajan-Akademie of Berliner Philharmoniker. She joins the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and the Oregon Symphony Orchestra for Osvaldo Golijov’s Three Songs. A consummate recitalist, Camilla Tilling presents her new program “Jenny Lind: Love and Lieder” at Spivey Hall, Oxford Lieder Festival, Gothenburg Opera and Schloss Elmau. A prolific concert performer, highlights of recent seasons include Mahler’s Symphony No. 4under Gustavo Dudamel with both Concertgebouworkest and Los Angeles Philharmonic, Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder with Esa-Pekka Salonen and London Philharmonia, Dutilleux’s Correspondances with Orchestre national de France/Omer Meir Welber and Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder with London Symphony Orchestra/François-Xavier Roth.

Tilling was a soloist in Bernard Haitink’s historic final concert with Radio Filharmonish Orkest at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and she has toured extensively in Peter Sellars’ stagings of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion with Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle. harrisonparrott.com/artists/camilla-tilling

LAUREN SNOUFFER, soprano

Recognized for her unique artistic curiosity in world-class performances spanning the music of Claudio Monteverdi and Johann Adolph Hasse through to Missy Mazzoli and Sir George Benjamin, American Lauren Snouffer is celebrated as one of the most versatile and respected sopranos on the international stage.

Lauren Snouffer is increasingly in demand on the world’s most prestigious concert stages and, in the 2022–23 season, collaborations include Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with The Cleveland Orchestra. Also with Cleveland, she sings John Adams’ El Niño with the composer on the podium, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Handel’s Jeptha with Music of the Baroque, Handel’s Messiah with the San Francisco Symphony, Bach’s Mass in G Major with the Handel & Haydn Society, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the New York Philharmonic, and Hans Abrahamsen’s Let Me Tell You with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester. Operatic performances of the season include Die Zauberflöte with Opernhaus Zürich, Le nozze di Figaro with Houston Grand Opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia at Austin Opera, and debuts at Santa Fe Opera in Monteverdi’s Orfeo with a world premiere orchestration by Nico Muhly and at Detroit Opera in Xerxes.

A Grammy-nominated artist, Lauren Snouffer has recorded Hasse’s Siroe and Handel’s Ottone with George Petrou (Decca), Gottschalk’s Requiem for the Living with Vladimir Lande (Novona Records), Grantham’s La cancíon desesperada conducted by Craig Hella Johnson (Harmonia Mundi), and Feldman’s The Rothko Chapel with Steven Schick (ECM).

An alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Lauren Snouffer graduated from Rice University and The Juilliard School. etudearts.com/artists/ lauren-snouffer

Photo: Maria Östling

Together we’ll celebrate Louis Langrée’s final season as CSO Music Director, featuring bold international collaborations and tributes to special moments from his tenure, plus the music of America as the Pops bring us hits from Broadway, Hollywood and the Great American Songbook.

KATE LINDSEY, mezzo-soprano

A biography for Ms. Lindsey is on p. 50.

BRIANA HUNTER, mezzo-soprano

A biography for Ms. Hunter is on p. 48.

BARRY BANKS, tenor

Barry Banks’ 2021–22 season saw a triumphant return to The Metropolitan Opera, where he sang the role of Hades in Matthew Aucoin’s acclaimed new opera Eurydice, earning him the highest of praise from audiences and critics alike. Making further steps into a new territory of repertoire, the current season sees him returning to Los Angeles Opera in Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abel’s new opera Omar and his role debut as Mime in Das Rheingold for Dallas Opera.

Banks’ notable operatic roles in the bel canto repertoire have included Arnold (Guillaume Tell) at Welsh National Opera, the title role in Mitridate, re di Ponto and Don Narciso (Il turco in Italia) at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Ernesto (Don Pasquale) at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Idreno (Semiramide) at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples and Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore) at The Metropolitan Opera.

During a long association with English National Opera, Banks has appeared in a string of new productions and roles. Other recent international highlights include house debuts at Teatro Real as the Astrologer in The Golden Cockerel, as Pirelli in Sweeney Todd at Opernhaus Zürich, as Truffaldino (The Love for Three Oranges) at Opera Philadelphia, and The Golden Cockerel at Dallas Opera.

In concert, Barry Banks has performed Berlioz’s Grande messe des morts under Sir Colin Davis and London Symphony Orchestra (LSO Live), which was released to considerable acclaim. He sang in Britten’s War Requiem at the Teatro alla Scala, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with Münchner Philharmoniker, Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Gurrelieder with Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de Espana. He features on several recordings of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, including with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic and, to be released this year, with the Minnesota Orchestra. harrisonparrott.com/artists/barry-banks

JOSÉ ANTONIO LÓPEZ, baritone

The baritone José Antonio López is a versatile singer who moves smoothly between styles and eras—from baroque to contemporary music. His professional activity includes concerts, opera and recitals, and he pays great attention to the style and expression of each period, using his voice to best bring out the music. On the concert stage, he recently debuted with the LA Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in four concerts, as well as engagements with orchestras such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Dresdner Festspieleorchester, Antwerp Symphony, BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, La Cetra Barockorchester, Budapest Festival and Nacional de España and his forthcoming debut with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, in venues such as the Berliner Philharmonie, Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Konzerthaus and Musikverein in Vienna (Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passion), Barbican in London, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles or Mozarteum in Salzburg.

In recent years, he has also greatly increased his number of opera performances, in which the operas of Handel and contemporary composers (leading roles in the premieres of Mauricio Sotelo’s El Público and Luis de Pablo’s El abrecartas at the Teatro Real in Madrid, as well as Benet Casablancas’ L’enigma di Lea at the Liceu in Barcelona) have an important presence, but in which there are also incursions into Mozart (roles such as Figaro at the Teatro Mayor in Bogotá), Verdi (the roles of Macbeth, Germont, Iago, Ford and Amonasro), Puccini, Wagner (Der fliegende Holländer in Valencia) and Strauss (Ariadne auf Naxos in Barcelona and Salome in Mérida), among others.

He has recorded Gurrelieder for the Deutsche Gramophon label with Josep Pons and has made recordings for Harmonia Mundi, Naxos and Chandos. joseantoniolopez.net

A biography for Mr. Immler is on p. 46.

CHRISTIAN IMMLER, bass-baritone

Photo: Christian Steiner

Photo: Michal Novak

With a legacy dating back 128 years, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is considered one of America’s finest and most versatile ensembles. Led by Louis Langrée since 2013, the CSO’s distinguished roster of past music directors includes Leopold Stokowski, Eugène Ysaÿe, Fritz Reiner, Max Rudolf, Jesús López Cobos and Paavo Järvi. Matthias Pintscher is the Orchestra’s Creative Partner, and previous artistic partners have included Lang Lang, Philip Glass, Branford Marsalis and Jennifer Higdon. The Orchestra also performs as the Cincinnati Pops, founded by Erich Kunzel in 1977 and currently led by John Morris Russell with Damon Gupton serving as Principal Guest Conductor. The CSO further elevates the city’s vibrant arts scene by serving as the official orchestra for the Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet.

The CSO has long championed the composers and music of its time and has given historic American premieres by Claude Debussy, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartók, William Grant Still and other prominent composers. It has also commissioned many works that ultimately became mainstays of the classical repertoire, including Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. The Orchestra continues to actively commission new work, amplifying new

voices from a diverse array of backgrounds, most recently with the Fanfare Project, a series of solo instrument works written for CSO musicians to mark a moment in time during the Covid pandemic. Deeply committed to inclusion, relevance, and enhancing and expanding opportunities for the children of Greater Cincinnati, the Orchestra works to bring music education, in its many different forms, to as broad a public as possible. In 2020, the CSO was one of the first American orchestras to create a Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer position to ensure the absorption of best DE&I practices into every facet of the organization. The CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship, a nationally recognized program in partnership with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, provides a graduate degree-level education with performance and professional development opportunities for extraordinary young string players from populations historically underrepresented in American orchestras. The CSO is also an incubator for and partner to Equity Arc, a consortium of American orchestras, professional musicians and educators established to address the lack of racial equity in the classical music field by aligning resources and collaborating to strengthen the trajectory of classical instrumentalists of color at all stages of their pre-careers.

FIRST VIOLINS

Stefani Matsuo

Concertmaster

Anna Sinton Taft Chair

Felicity James

Associate Concertmaster

Tom & Dee Stegman Chair

Philip Marten

First Assistant Concertmaster

James M. Ewell Chair++

Eric Bates

Second Assistant Concertmaster

Serge Shababian Chair

Kathryn Woolley

Nicholas Tsimaras–

Peter G. Courlas Chair++

Anna Reider

Dianne & J. David Rosenberg Chair

Mauricio Aguiar§

Anne G. & Robert W. Dorsey Chair

Minyoung Baik

James Braid

Marc Bohlke Chair given by Katrin & Manfred Bohlke

Michelle Edgar Dugan

Donald & Margaret Robinson Chair

Rebecca Kruger Fryxell

Clifford J. Goosmann & Andrea M. Wilson Chair

Gerald Itzkoff

Jean Ten Have Chair

Sylvia Mitchell

Jo Ann & Paul Ward Chair

Charles Morey†

Luo-Jia Wu

SECOND VIOLINS

Gabriel Pegis

Principal

Al Levinson Chair

Yang Liu*

Harold B. & Betty Justice Chair

Scott Mozlin**

Henry Meyer Chair

Kun Dong

Cheryl Benedict

Evin Blomberg§

Rachel Charbel

Ida Ringling North Chair

Chika Kinderman

Hyesun Park

Paul Patterson

Charles Gausmann Chair++

Stacey Woolley

Brenda & Ralph Taylor Chair++

VIOLAS

Christian Colberg

Principal

Louise D. & Louis Nippert Chair

Christopher Fischer

Acting Associate Principal

Grace M. Allen Chair

Julian Wilkison**

Rebecca Barnes§

Emilio Carlo†

Stephen Fryxell

Melinda & Irwin Simon Chair

Caterina Longhi

Gabriel Napoli

Denisse Rodriguez-Rivera

Dan Wang

Joanne Wojtowicz

LOUIS LANGRÉE, Music Director

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL, Cincinnati Pops Conductor

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

Matthias Pintscher, CSO Creative Partner

Damon Gupton, Pops Principal Guest Conductor

Samuel Lee, Assistant Conductor

Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

Daniel Wiley, Assistant Conductor

Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

CELLOS

Ilya Finkelshteyn

Principal

Irene & John J. Emery Chair

Daniel Culnan*

Ona Hixson Dater Chair

Norman Johns**

Karl & Roberta Schlachter

Family Chair

Daniel Kaler§

Marvin Kolodzik &

Linda S. Gallaher Chair for Cello

Isabel Kwon†

Hiro Matsuo

Laura Kimble McLellan Chair++

Theodore Nelson‡

Peter G. Courlas–

Nicholas Tsimaras Chair++

Alan Rafferty

Ruth F. Rosevear Chair

BASSES

Owen Lee

Principal

Mary Alice Heekin Burke Chair++

James Lambert*

Thomas Vanden Eynden Chair

Stephen Jones**

Trish & Rick Bryan Chair

Boris Astafiev§

Luis Arturo Celis Avila

Gerald Torres

Rick Vizachero

HARP

Gillian Benet Sella

Principal

Cynthia & Frank Stewart Chair

FLUTES

Randolph Bowman

Principal

Charles Frederic Goss Chair

Henrik Heide*

Haley Bangs

Jane & David Ellis Chair

PICCOLO

Rebecca Pancner

Patricia Gross Linnemann Chair

OBOES

Dwight Parry

Principal

Josephine I. & David J. Joseph, Jr.

Chair

Lon Bussell*

Stephen P. McKean Chair

Emily Beare

ENGLISH HORN

Christopher Philpotts

Principal

Alberta & Dr. Maurice Marsh Chair++

CLARINETS

Christopher Pell

Principal

Emma Margaret & Irving D. Goldman Chair

Joseph Morris*

Associate Principal and E-flat Clarinet

Robert E. & Fay Boeh Chair++

Ixi Chen

Vicky & Rick Reynolds Chair in Honor of William A. Friedlander

BASS CLARINET

Ronald Aufmann

BASSOONS

Christopher Sales

Principal

Emalee Schavel Chair++

Martin Garcia*

Hugh Michie

CONTRABASSOON

Jennifer Monroe

FRENCH HORNS

Elizabeth Freimuth

Principal

Mary M. & Charles F. Yeiser Chair [OPEN]*

Ellen A. & Richard C. Berghamer

Chair

Molly Norcross**

Acting Associate Principal

Sweeney Family Chair in memory of Donald C. Sweeney

Lisa Conway

Susanne & Philip O. Geier, Jr. Chair

Duane Dugger

Mary & Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Chair

Charles Bell

TRUMPETS

Robert Sullivan

Principal

Rawson Chair

Douglas Lindsay*

Jackie & Roy Sweeney

Family Chair

Steven Pride

Otto M. Budig Family Foundation Chair++

Christopher Kiradjieff

TROMBONES

Cristian Ganicenco

Principal

Dorothy & John Hermanies Chair

Joseph Rodriguez**

Second/Assistant Principal Trombone

BASS TROMBONE [OPEN]

TUBA

Christopher Olka

Principal

Ashley & Barbara Ford Chair

TIMPANI

Patrick Schleker

Principal

Matthew & Peg Woodside Chair

Joseph Bricker*

Morleen & Jack Rouse Chair

PERCUSSION

David Fishlock

Principal

Susan S. & William A. Friedlander Chair

Michael Culligan*

Joseph Bricker *

Morleen & Jack Rouse Chair

Marc Wolfley+

KEYBOARDS

Michael Chertock

James P. Thornton Chair

Julie Spangler+

James P. Thornton Chair

CSO/CCM DIVERSITY

FELLOWS~

Tyler McKisson, viola

Luis Parra, cello

Samantha Powell, cello

LIBRARIANS

Christina Eaton

Principal Librarian

Lois Klein Jolson Chair

Elizabeth Dunning

Acting Associate Principal Librarian

Cara Benner

Interim Assistant Librarian

STAGE MANAGERS

Brian P. Schott

Phillip T. Sheridan

Daniel Schultz

Andrew Sheridan

§ Begins the alphabetical listing of players who participate in a system of rotated seating within the string section.

* Associate Principal

** Assistant Principal

† One-year appointment

‡ Leave of absence

+ Cincinnati Pops rhythm section

++ CSO endowment only

~ Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

STRONGER ARTS FOR A STRONGER REGION

The growth of Cincinnati and its arts is inseparable. Creating a thriving region starts with each of us giving what we can to the arts. Help set the stage for the future of the region we all love.

Give today at artswave.org.

Bravo—150 years! The May Festival was the first choral festival in the Western Hemisphere and the first arts organization established in Cincinnati. Its history predates Cincinnati Music Hall, which was built in 1876 to accommodate the third choral festival. Since then, of course, the Hall has become home to the Cincinnati Symphony (first established to play for the May Festival), the Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet.

The May Festival inspired Cincinnati’s nom du coeur, “the City that Sings.” Helping to prove, scientifically, the social and emotional benefits of unison singing, May Festival leaders created the Cincinnati Choral Academy to give more kids more access to this experience. Moreover, the May Festival’s influence has transcended choral music, giving rise to the development of groups like the Cincinnati Youth Choir, Cincinnati Boychoir, MUSE and the Young Professionals Choral Collective. Over the years, the May Festival has engaged over 200 different choral groups. Few cities have as many thriving choral organizations as does Cincinnati today.

Now, under the dynamic musical direction of Juanjo Mena, the May Festival brings thousands of us together as a community. Actually, it’s a community of communities: a community of singers, of musicians and of audience members. Together, these three communities demonstrate the superpower of the arts, connecting us together through a shared experience—one that is elevated by uplifted voices.

The May Festival stands out for tackling robust pieces of music, like Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 (the “Symphony of a Thousand”)—not just once, but multiple times, including this celebratory season. Generations of Cincinnati choruses and listeners have been fortunate to experience something so unique, so gigantic, that it feels brand new.

As a commissioner of new works, the May Festival has always stretched musical boundaries. This year’s “25 for 25” commissioning project gave new opportunity to female, non-binary or gender nonconforming composers. In the process, it brought forward 25 profound new pieces.

The beauty of commissioning these 25 works, and others before them, is that everyone who learns the music starts from the very same place: facing the challenge of mastering unfamiliar music together. As audience members, we in the community also experience something brand new, together.

Special thanks and congratulations to Robert Porco as he concludes 34 seasons as the May Festival’s Director of Choruses. From conducting singers across the globe or cooking via Zoom for fellow musicians during the pandemic, Bob’s dedication and artistry is appreciated by many. Try his stout-braised short ribs!

As we wrap up the 2023 ArtsWave Campaign, a tradition that took root in 1927, I’m reminded that Cincinnati’s arts were “Created to Grow.” There’s no better illustration of this than the May Festival. It’s grown lives, friendships, careers, the compendium of choral music and most importantly, it’s grown our collective sense of community and the profile of Cincinnati, Ohio, as a city that sings—triumphantly.

Happy 150th Season, May Festival!

Alecia Kintner President & CEO, ArtsWave

ARTSWAVE

JUANJO MENA, conductor

BACH’S MAGNIFICAT

FRI MAY 19, 7:30 pm | Music Hall

BERIT NORBAKKEN, soprano

NOLA RICHARDSON, soprano

MARIANNE BEATE KIELLAND, mezzo-soprano

TOBY SPENCE, tenor

CHRISTIAN IMMLER, bass

MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS Robert Porco, director

The May Festival Chorus is endowed by the Betsy & Alex C. Young Chair

MAY FESTIVAL YOUTH CHORUS, Matthew Swanson, director

CINCINNATI BOYCHOIR, Jason Holmes, Artistic Director

CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Louis Langrée, Music Director

James LEE III

(b. 1975)

Breaths of Universal Longings

WORLD PREMIERE, COMMISSIONED BY THE CINCINNATI MAY FESTIVAL ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY From Dust We Were Made Now and Then Reflections Seeking Joy

James MacMILLAN Timotheus, Bacchus and Cecilia

(b. 1959)

WORLD PREMIERE, MAY FESTIVAL CO-COMMISSION

INTERMISSION

Johann Sebastian BACH Magnificat, BWV 243 (1685–1750)

Magnificat anima mea Fecit potentiam

Et exultavit spiritus meus Deposuit potentes

Quia respexit humilitatem Esurientes implevit bonis

Omnes generationes Suscepit Israel

Quia fecit mihi magna Sicut locutus est Et misericordia Gloria Patri

Tonight’s concert is sponsored by Patty Misrach. The May Festival 150th Anniversary Sponsor is Christy and Terry Horan.

The 2023 May Festival is presented by Fort Washington Investment Advisors.

Tonight’s concert will last approximately 110 minutes.

James MacMillan’s Timotheus, Bacchus and Cecilia was commissioned by an anonymous donor in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Cincinnati May Festival and in honor of the many years of extraordinary service Steven Sunderman has given as its Executive Director and by the Hallé Orchestra and the Hallé to mark Sir Mark Elder’s celebrated time as Music Director of the orchestra.

The 2023 May Festival is sponsored by Chavez Properties

The appearance of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is generously supported by the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation. The appearance Christian Immler is made possible in part by generous endowment gifts from the friends and family of the Joan P. and Oliver L. Baily Fund

The appearances of Berit Norbakken and Robin Johannsen are made possible in part by a generous gift from Dr. and Mrs. Morton Harshman.

The appearances of Marianne Beate Kielland and Toby Spence are made possible by a generous endowment gift from Mr. and Mrs. S. Charles Straus.

The appearance of Matthew Swanson in this evening’s performance is made possible in part by David and Elaine Billmire.

Steinway Pianos, courtesy of Willis Music, is the official piano of the May Festival. This concert will be broadcast on 90.9 WGUC on October 8, 2023 at 8 p.m.

JAMES LEE III

Breaths of Universal Longings

Born: 1975 in St. Joseph, Michigan

Work Composed: 2022

Premiere: This performance is the work’s world premiere.

Instrumentation: SATB chorus, SATB youth chorus, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons (incl. contrabassoon), 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, chimes, congas, crash cymbals, egg shaker, glockenspiel, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, tambour de Basque, temple blocks, tenor drum, tom-tom, triangle, wind chimes, wood block, harp, strings

Duration: approx. 28 minutes

James Lee III, born in 1975, graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 2005. Lee’s orchestral works have been commissioned and premiered by the National Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, and the orchestras of Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Atlanta, and others. His works have been conducted by Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop, Michael Tilson Thomas, Juanjo Mena, and others. In October of 2021, Amer’ican was premiered by the Detroit Symphony, and Niiji Memories, his flute concerto, was premiered by Julietta Curenton and the Columbia Orchestra. In November of 2021, the Calyx Piano Trio premiered Tones of Clay at Tanglewood, and the St. Louis Symphony performed Emotive Transformations. Other world premieres that season included Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, which was premiered by the Baltimore Symphony in January 2022. A Double Standard for Karen Slack and the Pacifica String Quartet was premiered in June of 2022 at Carnegie Hall and Shriver Hall. Premieres scheduled for the 2023–24 season include a piano concerto, an English horn concerto, and an orchestral work.

James Lee III wrote of Breaths of Universal Longings:

Breaths of Universal Longings is a work in four movements that is inspired primarily by the concepts of joy and belonging. It is a work that celebrates the power of the voice and singing. It is also about shared humanity and the universality of singing.

The first movement, “From Dust We Were Made,” employs biblical texts from Genesis 2:7, and Job 38:7 in which I paraphrased the words written. The initial idea is that mankind was created from the dust of the ground, the breath of life was breathed into humanity’s nostrils, and then man (and woman) become living beings that would rise, and joyfully sing as the morning stars also sang together and all of creation shouted for joy!

Movement two, “Now and Then,” was written by Charles Bertram and is a reflection on a long life lived and a comparison of the actions in one’s youth with the last years of one’s life. The following strophe from the poem illustrates the sentiments of the poet: “To life’s sun-setting years, My feet have come—Alas! And through its hopes and fears, again I shall not pass.” There are contrasting episodes of music that alternate with the unifying melodic passages on the texts “All life is built from song” and “All life is built from love.”

As the work continues, the third movement, “Reflection,” utilizes texts written by members of the May Festival Youth Chorus. This movement includes texts that search for joy, singing, longing and belonging. The music from this movement was partially inspired by the aftermath of being in mandatory lockdowns and quarantines during the Covid-19 crisis of 2020 and 2021. A beautiful part of the texts used in this movement comes from the words “Into this day we must rise as a sun, out from this darkness to shine.”

The last movement, “Seeking Joy,” uses texts from William Henry Davies’ poem with the same name. The music here continues in a steady ascent from a thin texture of tranquility that seeks to musically convey the opening words, “Joy, how I sought thee!” As the texts continue to expand on the acts of an individual searching for joy in various places and not being fulfilled, the music comes to a decisive change in course with the words “Joy, I have found thee!” Then, the music continues to bring forth passages of joy, glee, awe, and exuberance in an increasingly dense texture until the last explosive measure.

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James Lee III

Breaths of Universal Longings

1. From Dust We Were Made

Genesis 2:7, Job 38:7, (paraphrased by James Lee III) Dust, from dust we were made. Inanimate, lifeless…dust that lay on the ground until day six. Then those hands appeared. Those hands took the dust, formed man, and then GOD breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life. A living soul was born.

Ah, those hands. They took a rib from man. A woman was formed and united with man. United bones, united flesh, unashamed. Breathe. Arise. Sing.

The morning stars also sang together, and all the children of God shouted for joy!

2. Now and Then

Charles Bertram Johnson

All life is built from song

In youth’s young morn I sang; And from a top-near hill

The echo broke and rang.

The years with pinions swift To youth’s high noon made flight, All life is built from song

I sang amid the fight. To life’s sun-setting years, My feet have come—Alas! And through its hopes and fears

Again I shall not pass.

The lusty song my youth

With high-heart ardor sang Is but a tinkling sound— A cymbal’s empty clang. And now I sing, my Dear, With wisdom’s wiser heart, All life is built from love, And song is but a part.

3. Reflection

Texts by members of the May Festival Youth Chorus

Where is the song?

Where is our joy?

searching—longing—seeking—chasing— Calling.

Into what day will we break as dawn?

Out of this dark will we climb?

The longing of our age is an age of belonging. Into this day we must rise as a sun, out from this darkness to shine.

Here is our song—

Hear this, our joy! seeing—meaning—breathing—being— Singing.

4. Seeking Joy

William Henry Davies

Joy, how I sought thee! Silver I spent and gold, On the pleasures of this world, In splendid garments clad; The wine I drank was sweet, Rich morsels I did eat— Oh, but my life was sad! Joy, how I sought thee!

Joy, I have found thee! Far from the halls of Mirth, Back to the soft green earth, Where people are not many; I find thee, Joy, in hours With clouds, and birds, and flowers— Thou dost not charge one penny. Joy, I have found thee!

JAMES MacMILLAN

Timotheus, Bacchus and Cecilia

Born: July 16, 1959, Kilwinning, United Kingdom Work Composed: 2022

Premiere: This performance is the work’s world premiere. Instrumentation: SATB chorus, children’s chorus, 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets (incl. bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, bongos, crash cymbals, glockenspiel, snare drum, tamtam, tubular bells, harp, piano, strings

Duration: approx. 20 minutes

Sir James MacMillan* is the pre-eminent Scottish composer of his generation. He first attracted attention with the acclaimed BBC Proms premiere of The Confession of Isobel Gowdie (1990). His percussion concerto Veni, Veni Emmanuel (1992) has received over 500 performances worldwide by orchestras including London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw

Orchestra, New York and Los Angeles

Philharmonics and Cleveland Orchestra. Other major works include the cantata Seven Last Words from the Cross (1993), Quickening (1998) for soloists, children’s choir, mixed choir and

James MacMillan, ©Marc Marnie

*MacMillan biography reprinted by kind permission of Boosey & Hawkes

orchestra, the operas Inès de Castro (2001) and The Sacrifice (2005-06), St. John Passion (2007), St. Luke Passion (2013) and Symphony No.5: Le grand Inconnu (2018).

He was featured composer at Edinburgh Festival (1993, 2019), Southbank Centre (1997), BBC’s Barbican Composer Weekend (2005) and Grafenegg Festival (2012). His interpreters include soloists Evelyn Glennie, Colin Currie, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Vadim Repin; conductors Leonard Slatkin, Sir Andrew Davis, Marin Alsop and Sir Donald Runnicles; choreographer Christopher Wheeldon; and stage director Katie Mitchell. His recordings can be found on BMG/RCA Red Seal, BIS, Chandos, Naxos, Hyperion, Coro, Linn and Challenge Classics.

Recent highlights include MacMillan’s Stabat Mater for The Sixteen streamed from the Sistine Chapel and premieres of the 40-voice motet Vidi aquam, Christmas Oratorio streamed in 2021 by NTR Dutch Radio from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, and the anthem “Who Shall Separate Us?” commissioned for the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. MacMillan founded the annual Cumnock Tryst festival in 2014 in his childhood town in Scotland. James MacMillan wrote of Timotheus, Bacchus and Cecilia:

Timotheus, Bacchus and Cecilia was composed in 2022 and is a setting of three sections of John Dryden’s great poem from 1697 (in celebration of St. Cecilia’s Day) Alexander’s Feast: Or The Power of Music. Although the poem was written as an ode to St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, most of the text is focused on two pre-Christian classical stories. The first section presents Timotheus, the musician who served Alexander the Great and accompanied him in his military campaigns. The legend is that his music had a huge effect on the King, moving the great warrior from one passion to another.

Dryden’s poem refers to Timotheus’ “flying fingers,” his music ascending to the heavens, where it inspires joy. There are rich images of the god Jove, moved by love in “A dragon’s fiery form” and riding “on radiant spires” to Olympia. He then “stamp’d an image of himself, a sov’reign of the world,” and we are to assume that stamp is Alexander himself. Jove’s influence on the warrior king “seems to shake the spheres.”

The poet’s purpose is to present allegories for the power of music on the human soul and body, and later there are references to Bacchus, the god of celebration and drink. But what is being described here is Alexander’s attack on the Persian capital city of Persepolis. Dryden stresses the greed of the looting soldiers, who lost all control in their thievery, slaughter and destruction. Timotheus references the increased destruction that will follow the drunken debauchery, as he sings,

“Drinking is the soldier’s pleasure; Rich the treasure, Sweet the pleasure Sweet the pleasure after pain.”

Some things never change, and we have seen modern versions of this in the slaughter of Ukrainians recently.

The third and final section of the work presents St. Cecilia, the martyr and Patron Saint of music. And there is a distinct change in musical mood at this point. After the drama and violence of the opening two sections there is the balm and serenity of a very different character:

“Enlarg’d the former narrow bounds

And added length to solemn sounds

With nature’s mother-wit and arts unknown before. Or both divide the crown; He rais’d a mortal to the skies; She drew an angel down.”

The “narrow bounds” which Cecilia enlarges with her music is a reference to the ability of mere mortals to make such a “divine” thing as music. And where Timotheus praises the mortal, Alexander, raising his name to the allegorical heights reserved for celebrated individuals, St. Cecilia’s music is so powerful that it tempts heavenly creatures (angels) to descend to earth.

Although this poem is of another time and dimension, I was struck by its breadth and ambition to explore the transformative nature of music from a number of different angles. And its final suggestion that music might be a sacred thing, of heavenly concerns, is an idea which will never fade, being as vital now as it was in the eras of Timotheus, Alexander, Cecilia, Dryden and Handel, who also set this poem to music in 1736.

My work is scored for various choruses and large orchestra, in one movement lasting about 20 minutes, and is dedicated to my granddaughter, Isabella Grace MacMillan.

John Dryden (1631–1700)

Excerpted from Alexander’s Feast; or the Power of Music

Timotheus placed on high

Amid the tuneful quire With flying fingers touch’d the lyre: The trembling notes ascend the sky And heavenly joys inspire. The song began from Jove Who left his blissful seats above Such is the power of mighty love!

A dragon’s fiery form belied the god; Sublime on radiant spires he rode

When he to fair Olympia prest, And while he sought her snowy breast, Then round her slender waist he curl’d, And stamp’d an image of himself, a sovereign of the world.

The listening crowd admire the lofty sound; A present deity! they shout around: A present deity! the vaulted roofs rebound: With ravish’d ears

The monarch hears, Assumes the god; Affects to nod, And seems to shake the spheres.

The praise of Bacchus then the sweet musician sung, Of Bacchus ever fair and ever young: The jolly god in triumph comes; Sound the trumpets, beat the drums!

Flush’d with a purple grace

He shows his honest face: Now give the hautboys breath; he comes, he comes!

Bacchus, ever fair and young, Drinking joys did first ordain; Bacchus’ blessings are a treasure, Drinking is the soldier’s pleasure: Rich the treasure, Sweet the pleasure, Sweet is pleasure after pain.

(Sancta Cecilia, ora pro nobis.) (Saint Cecilia, pray for us.)

Thus, long ago, Ere heaving bellows learn’d to blow, While organs yet were mute, Timotheus, to his breathing flute And sounding lyre, Could swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire. At last divine Cecilia came.

Inventress of the vocal frame; The sweet enthusiast from her sacred store Enlarged the former narrow bounds, And added length to solemn sounds, With Nature’s mother-wit, and arts unknown before.

Let old Timotheus yield the prize, Or both divide the crown; He raised a mortal to the skies, She drew an angel down!

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Magnificat, BWV 243

Born: March 21, 1685, Eisenach, Germany

Died: July 28, 1750, Leipzig

Work Composed: 1723, revised ca. 1730

Premiere: Christmas Day 1723, Leipzig, under the composer’s direction

Instrumentation: SATB chorus, SSATB soloists, 2 flutes, 2 oboes (incl. 2 oboes d’amore), bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani, organ, strings

May Festival notable performances: First: May 1875, Theodore Thomas conducting, Theodore Thomas Orchestra (soloists: Helen Smith, soprano; Abbie Whinnery, soprano; Annie Louise Cary, contralto; William Winch, tenor; Myron Whitney, bass), Otto Singer, chorusmaster. Most Recent: May 2009, James Conlon conducting (soloists: Ellie Dehn, soprano; Jill Grove, mezzo-soprano; Rodrick Dixon, tenor; James Creswell, bass), Robert Porco, director of choruses. Most Recent CSO: November 2017, Louis Langrée conducting (soloists: Chloé Briot, mezzo-soprano; Leah Wool, mezzo-soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, tenor; Matthew Brook, bass), Robert Porco, director of choruses. Duration: approx. 30 minutes

On June 1, 1723, Johann Sebastian Bach assumed the duties of Kantor for the churches of Leipzig. Although the city was something of a cultural backwater in the early 18th century, it was a powerful center of Lutheranism in Germany, and the position of musicmaster to its churches was a prestigious one. Bach, fully aware of the importance of his job, enthusiastically launched into his duties during his early years in Leipzig—most of his nearly 300 cantatas date from the first decade of his tenure. With only six months on the job, the 38-year-old composer made a special effort to impress his superiors with the music for his first Christmas season as Kantor, and he composed three new cantatas for the morning services of December 25, 26 and 27, as well as another for the New Year’s worship of the following week. In addition to these pieces (and playing the organ, and organizing the performers, and conducting the rehearsals, and copying the parts), he wrote his glorious Magnificat for the special afternoon Vespers service that was a beloved Leipzig Christmas-day tradition.

Johann Sebastian Bach, portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann (1746)

The text of the Magnificat is the Canticle of the Virgin Mary as given in the Gospel of St. Luke (1:46-55) and was a regular part of the Roman Catholic Vespers and Anglican Evensong services. Although usually sung in plainchant, these verses had prompted polyphonic compositions for special occasions since at least the 14th century. It was to enrich such important religious days that the Canticle was retained in the Lutheran Vespers services for Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. The Christmas Vespers in Leipzig began at 1:45 pm, and included the formal order of worship, a cantata preceding the sermon, and the Magnificat as the brilliant finale to the day’s activities. Due to the imposing length of the Lutheran service in Bach’s time (often four hours in duration!), it was necessary that the closing items of the Vespers be succinct so that the Benediction would come before dusk. The compact nature of Bach’s 12 Magnificat movements demonstrates that he took this requirement to heart. The real reason for the local popularity of the Magnificat (besides its function of ending nearly eight hours of worship on Christmas day) was that it accompanied a tableau-vivant representation of the Nativity, with many of the Biblical characters portrayed by the

church members in costume. For the original 1723 version of his Magnificat, Bach interspersed five German Christmas hymns among the Latin verses to accompany the stage action of this mystery play. (The durability of this spectacle in the affection of the Leipzigers is attested to by the fact that the City Council had tried unsuccessfully to abolish it since at least 1703.) In 1733, Bach revised the work by transposing it to its present key of D major and eliminating the Yuletide insertions, thereby making it practical for performance at Easter and Pentecost as well as at Christmas.

The esteemed English musicologist Sir Donald Tovey wrote, “Bach’s Magnificat is one of his most comprehensively representative works. From it, almost any point in Bach’s treatment of words, of musical forms, and of instrumentation can be brilliantly represented.” Each of the 12 movements engenders a clear and vivid mood: from the jubilant opening and closing choruses (which, by sharing the same joyous music, serve as supporting pillars for the entire structure) to the pathos of the duet “Et misericordia”; from the surging power of “Omnes generationes” to the bucolic sweetness of “Esurientes implevit bonis”; from the anguish of

“Deposuit potentes” to the confident optimism of the Doxology (“Gloria Patri”), Bach’s Magnificat is not just a beautiful work of art but also a document of the composer’s faith in the deity’s multifarious and omnipotent qualities. It is music that is joyous,

TEXT

1. Chorus

festive and uplifting while being at the same time introspective and touching. Like his later B Minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, Bach’s Magnificat scales the summit of the musical expression of man’s faith.

—Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Magnificat anima mea Dominum: My soul doth magnify the Lord,

2. Aria (mezzo-soprano)

Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my savior.

3. Aria (soprano)

Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent For, behold, from henceforth shall call me blessed.

4. Chorus Omnes generationes. All generations.

5. Aria (bass)

Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; Et sanctum nomen eius. And holy is his name.

6. Duet (mezzo-soprano, tenor)

Et misericordia a progenie in progenies And his mercy is on them Timentibus eum. That fear him from generation to generation.

7. Chorus

Fecit potentiam in bracchio suo: He hath showed strength with his arm; Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui. He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

8. Aria (tenor)

Deposuit potentes de sede

He hath put down the mighty from their seats, Et exaltavit humiles. And exalted them of low degree.

9. Aria (mezzo-soprano)

Esurientes implevit bonis: He hath filled the hungry with good things; Et divites dimisit inanes. And the rich he hath sent empty away.

10. Chorus (soprano and mezzo-soprano)

Suscepit Israel puerum suum, He hath holpen his servant Israel, Recordatus misericordiae suae. In remembrance of his mercy;

11. Chorus

Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, As he spake to our fathers, Abraham et semini eius in saecula. To Abraham, and to his seed forever.

12. Chorus

Gloria Patri, gloria Filio, gloria

Glory be to the Father and to the Son et Spiritui sancto. and to the Holy Ghost. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, Et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. World without end. Amen.

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MARIN ALSOP: AMERICAN VOICES

SAT MAY 20, 7:30 pm | Music Hall

MARIN ALSOP, conductor

MASABANE CECILIA RANGWANASHA, soprano

LAQUITA MITCHELL, soprano

BRIANA HUNTER, mezzo-soprano

RODRICK DIXON, tenor

NICHOLAS NEWTON, bass

MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS Robert Porco, director

The May Festival Chorus is endowed by the Betsy & Alex C. Young Chair CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Louis Langrée, Music Director

Samuel BARBER Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9 (1910–1981) Allegro ma non troppo—Allegro molto—Andante tranquillo—Con moto

Samuel BARBER Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24

INTERMISSION

R. Nathaniel DETT The Ordering of Moses* (1882–1943)

Aaron COPLAND “The Promise of Living” from The Tender Land (1900–1990)

Tonight’s concert will last approximately 140 minutes.

Tonight’s concert is sponsored by Joan P. Baily in memory of Oliver L. Baily.

The May Festival 150th Anniversary Sponsor is Christy and Terry Horan

The 2023 May Festival is presented by Fort Washington Investment Advisors. The 2023 May Festival is sponsored by Chavez Properties

The appearance of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is generously supported by the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation.

The appearance of Marin Alsop in this evening’s performance is made possible in part by Kathy and Craig Rambo.

The appearance of Rodrick Dixon in this evening’s performance is made possible in part by Katherine and Tim Stautberg.

The appearances of Laquita Mitchell and Briana Hunter are made possible in part by Hixson Architecture Engineering Services.

The appearances of Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha and Nicolas Newton are made possible by a generous endowment gift from Dr. Thomas Lesher.

Steinway Pianos, courtesy of Willis Music, is the official piano of the May Festival. This concert will be broadcast on 90.9 WGUC on October 15, 2023.

*The Ordering of Moses by Nathaniel Dett, ©1937 (Renewed) J. Fischer & Bro. Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission of Alfred Music.

SAMUEL BARBER

Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9

Born: March 9, 1910, West Chester, Pennsylvania

Died: January 23, 1981, New York City

Work Composed: completed February 24, 1936, Roquebrune, France

Premiere: December 13, 1936, Bernardo Molinari conducting the Augusteo Orchestra at the Adriano Theater, Rome

Instrumentation: 3 flutes (incl. piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, harp, strings May Festival notable performances: This is the first performance of this work at the May Festival. First CSO: October 1963, Milton Katims conducting. Most Recent CSO: December 2012, Jacques Lacombe conducting. Duration: approx. 21 minutes

To some extent, Samuel Barber’s Symphony No. 1 represents both a pivot toward increasingly ambitious projects and a summation of the composer’s cosmopolitan musical life up to that point. Before this symphony, Barber had completed only two works for full orchestra, both hailing from Barber’s transition from student to emerging composer: the Overture to the School for Scandal (1931) and Music for a Scene from Shelley (1933). The latter helped garner Barber a 1935 Rome Prize residency that yielded Symphony No. 1 and its eventual premiere. These successes provided a launchpad to compose some of his most popular and enduring works over the next decade, including his famous Adagio for Strings (1936) and beloved Violin Concerto (1939).

Although ideas for the symphony had percolated since at least late 1933, Barber only began serious work during the summer of 1935 while he was in Maine. He finished a draft in Rome soon after and completed the full score on February 24,

1936 in Roquebrune, France. Through a friend’s introduction, Barber played the score for conductor Bernardo Molinari, who presented the world premiere on December 13, 1936 with Rome’s Augusteo Orchestra. Italy’s cultural conditions were auspicious for such a premiere; under Mussolini’s regime, orchestras symbolized utopian, militaristic discipline, and audiences admired the symphony’s balance of full-throated monumentality and passages of crystalline clarity. The symphony’s history thus encapsulates Barber’s cosmopolitanism, native to the United States but drawn to Europe for long stretches year after year.

Notably, Barber compressed the traditional four movements of symphonies by earlier composers like Brahms into one movement. Howard Pollack has shown that Barber was inspired by Jean Sibelius’ one-movement Symphony No. 7, a work with a similarly tortured atmosphere. Barber’s work begins with powerful brass chords and woodwinds’ and strings’ pronouncement of the symphony’s primary seven-note melody. A lurching, halting section follows before English horn and violas introduce a lyrical contrasting theme. These ideas are passed around the orchestra in different guises, showcasing players’ abilities for a strong push to the playful second large section. A solitary timpani roll ushers in the second section’s return of the symphony’s opening seven-note melody, but played much quicker, at first by only violins. The idea travels around the orchestra, at times gliding on ice, at others in rhythmic vertigo like Morse code, reminiscent of the machine-obsessed futurist composers of then-recent decades. Following a held silence, the lyrical third large section arrives, recalling the English horn and violas’ earlier melody, but this time played by oboe at a slower pace. The fourth and final section of the symphony begins with shivering string chords that dissipate, making space for the low strings’ revival of the opening seven-note motif as a somber passacaglia. Barber’s passacaglia, like its 17th-century Spanish model, was built passacaglia from the ground up: a repeating melody in the low strings sets a foundation for soaring variations on the symphony’s now-familiar ideas, a final push to the end.

—Dr. Jacques Dupuis

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Samuel Barber

SAMUEL BARBER

Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24

Work Composed: completed April 4, 1947 (revised 1949)

Premiere: April 9, 1948 by soprano Eleanor Steber with Serge Koussevitsky conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Instrumentation: soprano soloist, flute (incl. piccolo), oboe (incl. English horn), clarinet, bassoon, 2 horns, trumpet, triangle, harp, strings May Festival notable performances: This is the first performance of this work at the May Festival. First CSO: October 1950, Thor Johnson conducting, Eleanor Steber, soprano (Samuel Barber attended the Saturday concert). Most Recent CSO: September 2020, digital only concert, Louis Langrée conducting, Angel Blue, soprano. Duration: approx. 14 minutes

Samuel Barber’s faithful setting of James Agee’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 holds a particular distinction in America’s musical history. According to musicologist Barbara Heyman, the piece was the first orchestra-accompanied song commissioned by an American singer. Curiously, that credit was not part of its origin. Barber had started planning a vocal-orchestral piece in conference with conductor Serge Koussevitsky prior to Knoxville’s official commissioning by soprano Eleanor Steber, who premiered the piece with Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra on April 9, 1948. The piece’s well-earned status as an American music staple owes much to Steber as its first champion and her early performances, including with Thor Johnson’s Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in October 1950. To many critics, it is Barber’s most sincere expression of American musical spirit.

Upon his first encounter with Agee’s text, Barber was struck both artistically and personally, filled as it is with images that awaken the five senses to nostalgic reminiscence. Agee published the text as a nostalgic meditation on a safe time shortly before his father’s sudden and untimely death. Barber read sights and sounds from his own childhood in Agee’s references to an artist uncle and musician aunt (Barber’s close aunt Louise and uncle Sydney Homer were musicians) and, in Barber’s words, “parents sitting on the porch, talking quietly as they rocked.” Generations of audiences have since identified with Barber’s piece in a similarly personal way. In 1947, as the composer worked on the piece, the specter of his aunt’s and father’s poor health loomed. Both passed away within the year, and Barber dedicated the piece to his father. The circumstances imbue the listening experience with poignant emotional gravity.

Excerpting the last third of Agee’s text, Barber introduces us to his Knoxville as a scene already

in progress, a choice invoking nostalgic memory’s ephemerality. A plaintive pastoral orchestral introduction sets the piece in motion and leads to the vocal soloist’s speech-like opening lines (“It has become that time of evening…”), supported by what critic Allen Kozinn described as the orchestra’s “rocking chair rhythms.” The combination of music and ruminating imagery evinces the staid restraint of a lullaby staving off modern life’s disturbances. The textual and musical mood returns twice through the piece as a kind of refrain. But the oasis does not last. A jarring change of pace activated by rudely interrupting woodwind chirps brings in the contrasting next section, which frets over the previously suppressed signs—and now sounds—of modernity: a streetcar’s “iron whine and rising speed.” The lilting refrain section then returns with familial images of evening and nature (“Parents on porches…”). A mysterious-sounding string melody leads to an adoring litany of the family’s members, prelude to a more sustained yet fraught prayer for religious benevolence for the family. The piece closes with a final airing of the lullaby refrain (“After a little I am taken in and put to bed.”), sealing the envelope on this letter from the past.

—Dr. Jacques Dupuis

TEXT

“We are talking now of summer evenings in Knoxville, Tennessee in the time that I lived there so successfully disguised to myself as a child.”

It has become that time of evening when people sit on their porches, rocking gently and talking gently and watching the street and the standing up into their sphere of possession of the trees, of birds’ hung havens, hangars. People go by; things go by. A horse, drawing a buggy, breaking his hollow iron music on the asphalt: a loud auto, a quiet auto; people in pairs, not in a hurry, scuffling switching their weight of aestival body, talking casually, the taste hovering over them of vanilla, strawberry, pasteboard, and starched milk, the image upon them of lovers and horsemen, squared with clowns in hueless amber.

A streetcar raising its iron moan; stopping; belling and starting, stertorous; rousing and raising again its iron increasing moan and swimming its gold windows and straw seats on past and past and past, the bleak spark crackling and cursing above it like a small malignant spirit set to dog its tracks; the iron whine rises on rising speed; still risen, faints; halts; the faint stinging bell; rises again, still fainter; fainting, lifting, lifts, faints foregone: forgotten.

Please turn page quietly

Now is the night one blue dew. Now is the night one blue dew, my father has drained, he has coiled the hose. Low on the length of lawns a frailing of fire who breathes. Parents on porches; rock and rock.

From damp strings morning glories hang their ancient faces.

The dry and exalted noise of the locusts from all the air at once enchants my eardrums.

On the rough wet grass of the backyard my father and mother have spread quilts. We all lie there, my mother, my father, my uncle, my aunt, and I too am lying there. They are not talking much, and the talk is quiet, of nothing in particular, of nothing at all in particular, of nothing at all. The stars are wide and alive, They seem each like a smile of great sweetness, and they seem very near.

All my people are larger bodies than mine, with voices gentle and meaningless like the voices of sleeping birds. One is an artist, he is living at home. One is a musician, she is living at home. One is my mother who is good to me. One is my father who is good to me.

By some chance, here they are, all on this earth; and who shall ever tell the sorrow of being on this earth, lying, on quilts, on the grass, in a summer evening, among the sounds of the night.

May God bless my people, my uncle, my aunt, my mother, my good father, oh, remember them kindly in their time of trouble; and in the hour of their taking away.

After a little I am taken in and put to bed. Sleep, soft smiling, draws me unto her: and those receive me, who quietly treat me, as one familiar and well beloved in that home: but will not, oh, will not, not now, not ever; but will not ever tell me who I am.

ROBERT NATHANIEL DETT The Ordering of Moses

Born: October 11, 1882, Niagara Falls, Canada

Died: October 2, 1943, Battle Creek, Michigan

Work Composed: 1932

Premiere: Premiered on May 7, 1937 at the Cincinnati May Festival, conducted by Eugene Goossens with soprano Agatha Lewis, contralto Elizabeth Wysor, tenor Frederick Jagel and baritone Alexander Kisselburgh as soloists.

Instrumentation: SATB soloists, SATB chorus, 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, castanets, chains, crash cymbals, glockenspiel, snare drum, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, tambour de Basque, tom-tom, triangle, harp, organ, strings

May Festival notable performances: First: May 1937, Eugene Goossens conducting (soloists: Frederick Jagel, tenor; Agatha Lewis, soprano; Alexander Kisselburgh, baritone; Elizabeth Wysor, contralto), Alfred Hartzel, chorusmaster. Most Recent: May 2014 at Carnegie Hall conducted by James Conlon (soloists: Latonia Moore, soprano; Ronnita Nicole Miller, mezzo-soprano; Rodrick Dixon, tenor; Donnie Ray Albert, baritone), Robert Porco, director of choruses. Recording: 2016 live recording from the 2014 Carnegie Hall performance. Duration: approx. 50 minutes

The build–up to R. Nathaniel Dett’s 1937 debut and oratorio debut was palpable. Articles begin appearing in The Cincinnati Enquirer in January and The Cincinnati Post in March with detailed descriptions of the work and information on Dett. The reception was glowing. On May 8, 1937, May Dearness of The Cincinnati Post reported:

The fourth concert of the May Festival continued to hold interest of a large audience Friday night and brought down the house when the composer, Dr. Robert Nathaniel Dett, appeared on the stage after the world premiere of his oratorio, The Ordering of Moses

Before we continue, it should be noted that the May Festival was segregated until 1956.* While ubiquitous, racial segregation was also inconsistent. For example, Marian Anderson performed in Philadelphia’s Academy of Music but could not dine at its café. And, like other concert halls and organizations in the North, our Music Hall did not have Black performers on the stage, thus no interracial choir. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t program a new work by a Black composer. So they did: The Ordering of Moses (ca. 1926, 1937). While this composition–and Dett himself–may have been new to white audiences, he was already a fixture in predominately-Black communities. Born in Canada and educated at Oberlin and Eastman, R. Nathaniel Dett was part of a vanguard of composers (e.g., Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Harry T. Burleigh, Florence Price, Clarence Cameron White) who developed a school of composition built on sacred Black folk repertoire, aka Negro spirituals. “We have this wonderful store of folk music—the melodies of an enslaved people,” Dett wrote in 1918, and he believed they needed to be “presented in choral form, in lyric and operatic works, in concertos and suites and salon music.”

Robert Nathaniel Dett

While drawing on a narrow conception of “high art,” Dett was nonetheless confident that there was no disunity between African American folk and classical idioms. If anything, it would show “that we too, have national feelings and characteristics.”

The Ordering of Moses is such an example, carrying layers of meaning from classical and African American music traditions. First is the story of Moses, a major figure in African American sacred, artistic and linguistic practice; you hear it in the linguistic double-speak from the formerly enslaved and the ubiquity of the spiritual “Go Down Moses.” Second, Dett wove together a Biblical story of immense importance in African American culture with another sacred genre–the oratorio. While eschewing the costumes and pageantry of opera, the storytelling core remains. As Dett shared in The Cincinnati Enquirer on May 7:

The similarity of folk text to the words of the Scripture is striking, and the fusion of the two seems natural; moreover, the light which is thrown subsequently on the true meaning of the spiritual is very revealing.

Not to say he didn’t run into creative problems; the “Go Down Moses” fugue, one of the apexes of the work, was not easy coming:

I had tried almost everything without satisfaction, when suddenly I realized that the melody I had written for the trio, “God Looking on Israel,” was a perfect counterpoint. This discovery filled me with great enthusiasm and the fugato was soon finished….

In 2016, the May Festival and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra released a recording of their live Carnegie Hall performance, under the baton of James Conlon, of The Ordering of Moses. It is one of few recordings of the work, preceded only by the Talladega Choir and Mobile Symphony Orchestra under William Dawson in 1968. Just as the composition has layers of meaning, so does the return of this piece of the Music Hall stage. People have their favorites; perhaps R. Nathaniel Dett and The Ordering of Moses will remain one of the Queen City’s.

—Dr. A. Kori Hill

* In 2005, Cincinnati-born opera singer Arthur Herndon stated in an unpublished interview, “many people have forgotten about the June Festival and the fact that it was a supplement at the time for the May Festival. So [the June Festival] was organized for those of us who were classically trained.” The June Festival Association was organized “for the purpose of furthering

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THANK YOU! to Concert

Joan P. Baily in memory of Oliver L. Baily

Sponsor

for extraordinary support of “Marin Alsop: American Voices”

opportunity for musical expression among Negro citizens of Cincinnati,” wrote the Cincinnati Enquirer on February 22, 1940. The first of these festivals was held at the Eden Park Bandstand in June 1938 with a chorus of 243 singers. In 1939, the June Festival was made an annual event by the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, until the mid-1950s when the Cincinnati Recreation Commission discontinued its funding.

TEXT

Text based on scripture and folklore

The Word

All Israel’s children sorely sighed,

Chorus

By reason of their bondage—

The Word

And unto God they sorely cried,

Chorus

By reason of their bondage—

The Word

All Israel’s children sighed—

And unto God they cried—

‘Neath Egypt’s king they hard were tried—

Chorus

By reason of their bondage.

The Voice of Israel

O Lord, behold my affliction. My heart is turned within me;

A dark’ning cloud is Thy anger, Thy hand is hard against me. My eyes and heart fail with grieving; I walk alone in deep shadows. Oppressed and captive is Judah; And Zion sigheth in her mourning.

Chorus

O Lord!

Trio, Chorus

God looked on Israel, And heard her children groaning; He looked on her children groaning, And had respect unto her. Mercy, Lord!

Chorus

And from a burning bush, flaming, God spake unto Moses saying— Go down, Moses, Way down in Egypt’s land; Tell Pharaoh

Let my people go! Thou shalt lead thy people

To the promised land. Go down, take thy rod in thy hand Thou shalt lead thy people To the promised land.

Moses

Lord!

Who am I to go unto Pharaoh, And why should I lead the children of Israel! How shall they know Thou sendest me? What name shall I say unto them?

What signs or wonders show?

I am not eloquent; Have no gift of speech; Am slow of tongue.

Chorus

And God spake unto Moses, Spake unto Moses saying—

The Voice of God

Who hath made a man dumb, Or who hath made his mouth speak? Is it not I, Jehovah?

God of your fathers?

Now therefore, go, And I will be thy mouth. I will instruct thee

What thou shalt say! Go down, Moses—

Chorus

Jehovah! Jehovah! God of your fathers? Now therefore go, and I will be thy mouth; I will instruct thee what thou shalt say. Go down, Moses, Way down in Egypt’s land. Tell Pharaoh

Let my people go!

Thou shalt lead thy people

To the promised land, I’ve looked on Israel, And I have respect unto her.

MEDITATION OF MOSES

The Word

And when they reached the other shore— O glory, hallelujah—

They sang a song of triumph o’er. O glory, hallelujah!

Moses

I will praise Jehovah, For he hath triumphed gloriously; The horse and his rider He has o’er thrown in the midst of the sea!

Chorus

Hallelujah, hallelujah, Let us praise Jehovah.

The Word

Then did the women of Israel

Gather with timbrels and dances; And Miriam, gifted with prophecy, Answered exhorting them, saying—

Miriam

Come, let us praise Jehovah, For His triumph is glorious; The clouds and fire are his chariots, The winds and waves obey Him.

Now all the armies of Pharaoh Are sunk as stones in deep waters. The deeps stood up as the mountains, When Thou didst blow Thy breath upon them.

The Women

Hallelujah, hallelujah!

Moses Sing ye to Jehovah, For He hath triumphed gloriously.

Chorus

Thy right hand, O Lord, Is become glorious in power: Pharaoh’s hosts thou hast cast In the depths of the sea!

Moses Sing ye Praise to Jehovah, Sing ye.

Chorus He is King of kings; He is Lord of lords. Sing together, praise Jehovah, Great God of our fathers. God, the great I Am That I Am; Hallelujah, He is a Man of War. Mighty is Jehovah, Mighty in battle; No god doth wonders like Him. Praise the Lord. Sing to Jehovah, Whose right hand is our salvation.

Moses

O praise ye, Praise Jehovah, Praise His holy name!

Miriam

O praise ye, Praise ye Jehovah, Praise His holy name!

Chorus He is King of kings, He is Lord of lords. Sing together, praise Jehovah, Great God of our fathers. God, the Great I Am That I Am, Hallelujah, He is a Man of War. Mighty is Jehovah, Mighty in battle— No god doth wonders like Him, Praise the Lord, Sing to Jehovah, Whose right hand is our salvation. O praise the Lord!

Moses I will sing unto Jehovah, For He hath triumphed gloriously.

Miriam

The horse and his rider He hath thrown into the sea!

Moses Jehovah is my strength and my song!

Miriam And He hath become my salvation!

Moses

This is my God, and I will praise Him!

Miriam

My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Moses

Thou, Lord, in Thy loving kindness Hast led the people, whom Thou hast redeemed!

Miriam and Moses

Jehovah shall reign forever and ever!

AARON COPLAND “The Promise of Living” from The Tender Land

Born: November 14, 1900, Brooklyn, New York

Died: December 2, 1990, Sleepy Hollow, New York

Work Composed: The opera was composed 1952–1954 (revised 1955); the arrangement of “The Promise of Living” was completed in 1954.

Premiere: The premiere of the opera took place April 1, 1954, Thomas Schippers directing the New York City Opera at the City Center Theater. The final revision of the opera premiered May 20, 1955, Aaron Copland conducting the Oberlin College Opera Workshop.

Instrumentation: SATB chorus, 2 flutes, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, crash cymbals, glockenspiel, harp, celeste, piano, strings

May Festival notable performances: This is the first performance of this work at the May Festival. First Pops: September 2011, John Morris Russell conducting.

Most Recent: July 2012 World Choir Games Opening Ceremony, John Morris Russell conducting.

Duration: approx. 6 minutes

Aaron Copland completed the opera The Tender Land in 1952–54 with a libretto by Horace Everett (pseudonym of Erik Johns), adapted from James Agee’s 1941 documentary account of Depressionera tenant farmers, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II commissioned the piece for the 30th anniversary of the League of Composers. The nature of the commission kept Copland’s ambitions for the work humble, with intention for television broadcast at a scale also accessible to university repertory theaters. It premiered at the New York City Opera on April 1, 1954 under the direction of Jerome Robbins.

The opera revolves around the provincial Moss family and the arrival of two itinerant workers, Martin and Top, falsely rumored around town to be deviants. The plot’s action derives from the coming of age of the Moss’s daughter, Laurie. On the eve of her high school graduation, Laurie falls in love with Martin, whom she sees as her way into the wider world. The two decide to elope, but, fearing danger, Martin abandons Laurie. Heartbroken, she determines to leave home on her own.

Copland later arranged select numbers as standalone pieces, including “The Promise of Living,” a clarion anthem of thanksgiving. The number comes at the end of the opera’s first act, once Grandpa Moss has hired Martin and Top to help with the coming harvest. The chorus extolls the joy and invigoration of communal labor, the lifeblood of the rural way of life portrayed in The Tender Land

—Dr. Jacques Dupuis

TEXT

The promise of living with hope and thanksgiving Is born of our loving our friends and our labor. The promise of growing with faith and with knowing Is born of our sharing our love with our neighbor.

The promise of living, the promise of growing Is born of our singing in joy and thanksgiving. For many a year we’ve known these fields And known all the work that makes them yield. Are you ready to lend a hand?

We’re ready to work, we’re ready to lend a hand. By working together we’ll bring in the harvest, the blessings of harvest.

We plant each row with seeds of grain, And Providence sends us the sun and the rain. By lending a hand, by lending an arm Bring in from the land, bring out from the farm, bring out the blessings of harvest.

Give thanks there was sunshine, give thanks there was rain, Give thanks we have hands to deliver the grain.

O let us be joyful, O let us be grateful, Come join us in thanking the Lord for his blessing. The promise of ending in right understanding Is peace in our own hearts and peace with our neighbor.

O let us sing our song, and let our song be heard. Let’s sing our song with our hearts, and find a promise in that song.

The promise of living, the promise of growing The promise of ending is labor and sharing and loving.

The Promise of Living from The Tender Land by Aaron Copland, ©1954, 1956 The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. Copyright Renewed. Boosey & Hawkes, Sole Licensee. Copyright Secured. Reprinted by Permission.

Aaron Copland

MOZART’S REQUIEM

THURS MAY 25, 7:30 pm | Music Hall

JAMES CONLON, conductor

ERICA PETROCELLI, soprano

KATE LINDSEY, mezzo-soprano

JOSHUA BLUE, tenor

MICHAEL SUMUEL, bass

MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS Robert Porco, director

The May Festival Chorus is endowed by the Betsy & Alex C. Young Chair

CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Louis Langrée, Music Director

Julia ADOLPHE Crown of Hummingbirds (b. 1989) WORLD PREMIERE, MAY FESTIVAL CO-COMMISSION (MUSIC AND POEM)

Wolfgang Amadeus Requiem in D Minor, K. 626 MOZART

Requiem aeternam. Kyrie (1756–1791)

Dies irae

Tuba mirum

Rex tremendae

Recordare

Confutatis— Lacrimosa

Domine Jesu

Hostias

Sanctus. Osanna

Benedictus. Osanna

Agnus Dei. Lux aeterna Cum sanctis

James

Tonight’s concert is sponsored by the Christine E. and Thomas L. Neyer, Sr. Family.

The May Festival 150th Anniversary Sponsor is Christy and Terry Horan.

The 2023 May Festival is presented by Fort Washington Investment Advisors. The 2023 May Festival is sponsored by Chavez Properties.

Tonight’s concert will last approximately 90 minutes. There is no intermission.

Julia Adolphe’s Crown of Hummingbirds was commissioned by Barbara Ann Feldmann in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Cincinnati May Festival and in honor of the altos of the May Festival Chorus.

The appearance of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is generously supported by the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation.

The appearance of James Conlon in this evening’s performance is made possible in part by Sherry and Mark Holcomb.

The appearance of Joshua Blue in this evening’s performance is made possible in part by Chris and Beth Canarie.

The appearances of Erica Petrocelli and Kate Lindsey are made possible by a generous endowment gift from Mary and Joe Stern.

The appearance of Michael Sumuel is made possible in part by Robert A. Atterton. Steinway Pianos, courtesy of Willis Music, is the official piano of the May Festival. This concert will be broadcast on 90.9 WGUC on October 22, 2023.

Conlon dedicates this performance to the memory of renowned tenor John Aler. Over three decades, Mr. Aler sang on more than 50 May Festival programs.

JULIA ADOLPHE

Crown of Hummingbirds

Born: May 16, 1988, New York City

Work Composed: 2022

Premiere: These performances are the work’s world premiere.

Instrumentation: SATB chorus, 2 flutes (incl. piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (incl. bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (incl. contrabassoon), 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, Chinese cymbals, glockenspiel, log drum, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, tom-tom, vibraphone, whip, wood block, harp, piano, strings

Duration: approx. 15 minutes

Librettist Safiya Sinclair and composer Julia Adolphe have each written about their Crown of Hummingbirds. Sinclair says: In this libretto, I wanted to explore a natural repetition of language as a mirror to its recurring imagery, which is grounded in the natural world. First, I imagined the voices, multitudinous and searching, reaching into the unknown, asking the larger philosophical questions about loneliness and the nature of existence and finding the answer to be Love. Love is what fights the dark of solitude. Love is what roots us in the light. From there, I imagined the love of family as its own kind of song. What would such a song sound like? I wanted to begin in darkness and doubt and end in a place of hope and wonder, uplifted and ecstatic, as I imagined all those who have come before us and those yet to come, singing our names. With each line, I threaded a tone of incantation or bright litany, weaving the imagery from a lone girl to a tender woman, finally to the crescendo of togetherness. There, in the place where we gather like hummingbirds, now—or in some memory after—no one is ever lost. No one is ever alone. This is the truest home, this sense of belonging, bathed in the voices of tomorrow’s sun.

Adolphe says:

Crown of Hummingbirds reveals the power of love, community, family and connection in the face of death, isolation and destruction. The music opens in a dark, chaotic realm, with voices emerging from a murky haze, striving toward color and light. The orchestra threatens to engulf the choir while the singers are fervently “reaching for meaning,” banding together in unified harmonies. As the choir perseveres, the music subsides, revealing a lone, meandering harp. The women’s voices sing of a new life, where wonder, beauty and

creativity take root and flourish. “Starlight,” evoked with vibraphone, piano, harp, soft winds and pizzicato strings, is associated with the vibrancy of the imagination, the capacity for love and the pathway toward connection. The voices intertwine and swell, conveying the movement and growth of the “golden river of family.” As the poem moves toward the line “No one is ever lost,” the music shifts towards a sense of sparse isolation, then suddenly returns to the darkness of the opening material, consumed by the depth of loss. Faced with the resolve and unity of the choir, the orchestra ultimately transforms from a foreboding mass to a realm of brightness and light, swirling and soaring like a bird in flight while the singers deliver the poem’s final stanza. The orchestra fades once more to reveal the choir standing on its own, suggesting the intimate and vulnerable nature of love, hope and belonging.

Julia Adolphe’s music has been described as “alive with invention” (The New Yorker), “colorful, mercurial, deftly orchestrated” (The New York Times) displaying “a remarkable gift for sustaining a compelling musical narrative” (Musical America). Adolphe’s works are performed across the U.S. and abroad by the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Verona Quartet, and soprano Hila Plitmann, among others.

In February of this year, the Sitkovetsky Trio gave the world premiere of Adolphe’s , piano trio, which was commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Adolphe’s comic opera for all ages, A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears, based on the novel by Jules Feiffer with libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann, received initial workshops directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer at National Sawdust and Boston Court Pasadena in 2019. Also in 2019, the New York Philharmonic and Decca Gold released their recording of Adolphe’s Unearth, Release, a viola concerto commissioned for Cynthia Phelps. In November 2017, the May Festival Chamber

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Julia Adolphe

Choir, under the baton of Robert Porco, gave the world premiere of Adolphe’s Equinox, which was commissioned by the May Festival Chorus.

Adolphe’s awards include a 2017 ASCAP Young Composer Award, a 2016 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, a 2016 OPERA America Discovery Grant, and a 2015 Charles Ives Scholarship from the Academy of Arts and Letters. A native New Yorker living in Nashville, Adolphe holds a Master of Music degree in Music Composition from the USC Thornton School of Music and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University.

Safiya Sinclair was born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica. She is the author of the forthcoming memoir How to Say Babylon, from Simon & Schuster in October 2023. She is also the author of the poetry collection Cannibal, winner of a Whiting Writers’ Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Metcalf Award, the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Poetry, the Phillis Wheatley Book Award and the Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry. Cannibal was selected as one of the American Library Association’s Notable Books of the Year and was a finalist for the PEN Center USA Literary Award, as well as being longlisted for the PEN Open Book Award and the Dylan Thomas Prize.

Sinclair’s other honors include a Pushcart Prize, a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, fellowships from the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, the Elizabeth George Foundation, Yaddo, MacDowell, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, The Nation, Poetry, Kenyon Review, the Oxford American, and elsewhere.

She received her MFA in poetry at the University of Virginia, and her doctorate in Literature and

Creative Writing from the University of Southern California. She is currently an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Arizona State University.

TEXT

Poem by Safiya Sinclair (May Festival commission) From darkness we came, in search of colour, in search of another, reaching for meaning from the mud.

O love, a lost girl outdreaming our loneliness, starlight we trace to the golden river of family.

O life, a tender woman, the bright wind speaking: No one is ever lost. No one is ever lost. Together, we will gather. Where love still blossoms breath from wonder, each voice a sky opening, a crown of hummingbirds. Mother. Sister. Brother. Father. They sing our names. They sing our names. They sing us home!

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Requiem in D Minor, K. 626

Born: January 27, 1756, Salzburg

Died: December 5, 1791, Vienna

Work Composed: 1791

Instrumentation: SATB soloists, SATB chorus, 2 clarinets (basset horns), 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, organ, strings

May Festival notable performances: First: May 1882, Theodore Thomas conducting, Theodore Thomas Orchestra (soloists: Amalia Friedrich-Materna, soprano; Annie Louise Cary, contralto; William Candidus, tenor; Myron Whitney, bass), Arthur Mees, chorus conductor. Most Recent: May 2013, James Conlon conducting (soloists: Janai Brugger, soprano; Daniela Mack, mezzosoprano; Richard Croft, tenor; Jordan Bisch, bass), Robert Porco, director of choruses. Most Recent CSO: January 2019, David Robertson conducting (soloists: Nicole Cabell, soprano; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Phan, tenor; Eric Greene, baritone), Robert Porco, director of choruses.

Duration: approx. 55 minutes

In early July 1791, while he was busy composing

The Magic Flute, Mozart received a letter testifying to the glories of his music and alerting him that he would be having a visitor with a proposal on the following day. The letter was unsigned. The visitor, “an unknown, grey stranger,” according to Mozart, appeared on schedule and said that he

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represented the writer of the letter, who wanted to commission a new piece—a Requiem Mass— but added the curious provision that Mozart not try to discover the patron’s identity. Despite the somewhat foreboding mystery surrounding this venture, Mozart was in serious financial straits just then and the money offered was generous, so he accepted the commission and promised to begin as soon as possible. The Magic Flute, however, was pressing, and he also received at the same time another commission, one too important to ignore, for an opera to celebrate the September coronation in Prague of Emperor Leopold as King of Bohemia—La Clemenza di Tito, based on one of Metastasio’s old librettos—that demanded immediate attention. As if those duties were not enough to fill his thoughts, Mozart’s wife, Constanze, was due to deliver another baby at the end of the month. She had been in the local spa town of Baden since the beginning of June, trying to preserve what little health she had left after nine years of almost constant pregnancy since her marriage to Wolfgang in 1782, and Mozart went to bring her back to the city and to her doctors in mid-July. Just as he was entering the carriage for the trip, the “unknown, grey stranger” approached him; the stranger inquired about the progress of the Requiem, was told that it was going well, and left, apparently satisfied. On July 25, Constanze gave birth to Franz Xaver Wolfgang, who became a composer and music teacher.

Mozart worked on the Requiem as time allowed. From mid-August until mid-September, he, Constanze and his pupil Franz Süssmayr, who composed the recitatives for Tito, were in Prague for the opera’s premiere. When they returned to Vienna, Emanuel Schikaneder (librettist for The Magic Flute) pressed Mozart to put the final touches on The Magic Flute, which was first staged on September 30. Mozart’s health had deteriorated alarmingly by October—he complained of swelling limbs, feverishness, pains in his joints and severe headaches. On November 17, with the Requiem far from finished, he took to his bed and was treated by Dr. Thomas Closset, one of Vienna’s best physicians, with the prescribed remedy for what was diagnosed

as “miliary fever” (perhaps rheumatic fever or uraemia, though the evidence is inconclusive)—cold compresses and unremitting bleeding. Mozart became obsessed with the Requiem, referring to it as his “swan-song,” convinced that he was writing the music for his own funeral:

I cannot remove from my mind the image of the stranger. I see him continually. He begs me, exhorts me, and then commands me to work. I continue, because composition fatigues me less than rest. Moreover, I have nothing more to fear. I know from what I feel that the hour is striking; I am on the point of death; I have finished before I could enjoy my talent.... I thus must finish my funeral song, which I must not leave incomplete.

Mozart managed to finish only the “Requiem” and “Kyrie” sections of the work, but he sketched the voice parts and the bass and gave indications for scoring for the “Dies irae” through the “Hostias.”

On December 4, he scrawled a few measures of the “Lacrymosa,” and then asked three friends who had come to be with him to sing what he had just written. He tried to carry the alto part but broke into tears as soon as they had begun and collapsed. A priest was called to administer extreme unction; at midnight Mozart bid his family farewell and turned toward the wall; at five minutes to one on the morning of December 5, 1791, he died, six weeks shy of his 36th birthday. He never knew for whom he had written the Requiem.

Constanze, worried that she might lose the commission fee, asked Joseph Eybler, a student of Haydn and a friend of her late husband, to complete the score. He filled in the instrumentation that Mozart had indicated for the middle movements of the piece, but he became stuck where the music broke off in the “Lacrymosa.” Franz Süssmayr, to whom Mozart had given detailed instructions about finishing the work, took up the task, revising Eybler’s orchestration and supplying music for the last three movements. Süssmayr recopied the score so that the manuscript would show one rather than three hands, and it was collected by the stranger, who paid the remaining commission fee.

The person who commissioned Mozart’s Requiem was Count Franz von Walsegg, a nobleman of musical aspirations who had the odious habit of anonymously ordering music from established composers and then passing it off as his own. This Requiem was to commemorate Walsegg’s

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

wife, Anna, who died on February 14, 1791. The “grey stranger” was Walsegg’s valet, Anton Leitgeb, the son of the mayor of Vienna. Even after Mozart’s death, Walsegg went ahead with a performance of the Requiem, which was given at the Neukloster in the suburb of Wiener-Neustadt on December 14, 1793; the title page bore the legend, Requiem composto del Conte Walsegg. A few years later, when Constanze was trying to have her late husband’s works published, she implored Walsegg to disclose the Requiem’s true author. He did, and the score was first issued in 1802 by Breitkopf und Härtel.

Buried away in Otto Erich Deutsch’s Mozart: A Documentary Biography, is a fascinating but littleknown tidbit of information that may (or may not) have been a factor in Walsegg’s commission. One of Mozart’s brothers in Freemasonry was Michael Puchberg, who earned many fond footnotes in the composer’s biography for his generous financial support to the composer (Mozart euphemistically called these emoluments “loans”) during Wolfgang’s last years. Puchberg lived and managed a textile firm at Hoher Markt 522. That address, it seems, just happened to be located in the Viennese house of Franz von Walsegg, and it is certainly not impossible that Puchberg

encouraged Walsegg, in his curious way, to help Mozart in his time of distress.

It is difficult, and perhaps not even advisable, to dissociate Mozart’s Requiem from the circumstances of its composition—the work bears the ineradicable stamp of otherworldliness. In its sublimities and its sulfur, it appealed mightily to the Romantic sensibility of the 19th century, and it continues to have a hold on listeners matched by few other musical compositions. (Perhaps it is significant that the Requiem is performed annually in Vienna for the Feast of All Saints, the day after Halloween.) Manifold beauties of varied and moving expression abound throughout the Requiem: the ethereal strains of the “Recordare”; the vehemence of the “Confutatis”; the bitter plangency of the “Lacrymosa”; the old-fashioned, Bachian profundity of the fugal “Kyrie”; the feigned joy, so quickly terminated, of the “Hosanna.” The words of Lili Kraus, the Hungarian pianist closely associated throughout her career with the music of Mozart, apply with special cogency to the wondrous Requiem: “There is no feeling—human or cosmic, no depth, no height the human spirit can reach— that is not contained in his music.”

—Dr. Richard E. Rodda

THANK YOU!

to Concert Sponsors

Christine E. and Thomas L. Neyer, Sr.

for their extraordinary support of “Mozart’s Requiem”

I. INTROITUS (Chorus and Soprano)

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, Rest eternal grant them, O Lord; et lux perpetua luceat eis. and let perpetual light shine upon them. Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, There shall be singing unto Thee in Zion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem. and prayer shall go up to Thee in Jerusalem. Exaudi orationem meam. Hear my prayer. Ad te omnis caro veniet. Unto Thee all flesh shall come.

II. KYRIE (Chorus)

Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy. Christe eleison. Christ have mercy. Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy.

III. SEQUENZ

1. Dies irae (Chorus)

Dies irae, dies illa

This day, this day of wrath solvet saeclum in favilla, shall consume the world in ashes, teste David cum Sibylla. so spake David and the Sibyl. Quantus tremor est futurus, Oh, what great trembling there will be quando Judex est venturus when the Judge will appear cuncta stricte discussurus! to examine everything in strict justice!

2. Tuba mirum (Soloists)

Tuba mirum spargens sonum

The trumpet, sending its wondrous sound per sepulchra regionum, across the graves of all lands, coget omnes ante thronum. shall drive everyone before the throne. Mors stupebit et natura, Death and nature shall be stunned cum resurget creatura when all creation rises again judicanti responsura. to stand before the Judge. Liber scriptus proferetur,

A written book will be brought forth, in quo totum continetur, in which everything is contained, unde mundus judicetur. from which the world will be judged. Judex ergo cum sedebit, So when the Judge is seated, quidquid latet apparebit, whatever is hidden shall be made known, nil inultum remanebit. nothing shall remain unpunished. Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? What shall such a wretch as I say then?

Quem patronum rogaturus, To which protector shall I appeal, cum vix justus sit sicurus? when even the just man is barely safe?

3. Rex tremendae (Chorus)

Rex tremendae majestatis, King of awesome majesty, qui salvandos salvas gratis, who freely saves those worthy of salvation, salva me, fons pietatis! save me, fount of pity!

4. Recordare (Soloists)

Recordare, Jesu pie, Recall, dear Jesus, quod sum causa tuae viae, that I am the reason for Thy time on earth, ne me perdas illa die. do not cast me away on that day.

Quaerens me, sedisti lassus, Seeking me, Thou didst sink down wearily, redemisti crucem passus; Thou hast saved me by enduring the cross; tantus labor non sit cassus. such travail must not be in vain. Juste judex ultionis, Righteous judge of vengeance, donum fac remissionis award the gift of forgiveness ante diem rationis. before the day of reckoning. Ingemisco tamquam reus, I groan like the sinner that I am, culpa rubet vultus meus, guilt reddens my face, supplicanti parce, Deus. Oh God, spare the supplicant. Qui Mariam absolvisti Thou, who pardoned Mary et latronem exaudisti, and heeded the thief, mihi quoque spem dedisti. hast given me hope as well. Preces meae non sunt dignae, My prayers are unworthy, sed tu bonus fac benigne, but Thou, good one, in pity ne perenni cremer igne. let me not burn in the eternal fire. Inter oves locum praesta Give me a place among the sheep et ab hoedis me sequestra, and separate me from the goats, statuens in parte dextra. let me stand at Thy right hand.

5. Confutatis (Chorus)

Confutatis maledictis, When the damned are cast away flammis acribus addictis, and consigned to the searing flames, voca me cum benedictis. call me to be with the blessed. Oro supplex et acclinis, Bowed down in supplication I beg Thee, cor contritum quasi cinis, my heart as though ground to ashes: gere curam mei finis. help me in my last hour.

6. Lacrymosa (Chorus)

Lacrymosa dies illa

Oh, this day full of tears qua resurget ex favilla when from the ashes arises judicandus homo reus; guilty man, to be judged: huic ergo parce Deus. Oh Lord, have mercy upon him. Pie Jesu, Domine, Gentle Lord Jesus, dona eis requiem. grant them rest. Amen. Amen.

IV. OFFERTORIUM

1. Domine Jesu Christe (Chorus and Soloists)

Domine Jesu Christe, rex gloriae, Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, Libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum deliver the souls of the faithful departed de poenis inferni from the pains of hell et de profundo lacu. and the bottomless pit. Libera eas de ore leonis, Deliver them from the jaws of the lion, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, lest hell engulf them, ne cadant in obscurum; lest they be plunged into darkness; sed signifer sanctus Michael but let the holy standard-bearer Michael representet eas in lucem sanctam, lead them into the holy light, quam olim Abrahae promisisti as Thou didst promise Abraham et semini ejus. and his seed.

2. Hostias (Chorus)

Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, Lord, in praise we offer to Thee laudis offerimus, sacrifices and prayers, tu suscipe pro animabus illis, receive them for the souls of those quarum hodie memoriam facimus: whom we remember this day: quam olim Abrahae promisisti as Thou didst promise Abraham et semini ejus. and his seed.

V. SANCTUS

1. Sanctus (Chorus)

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Holy, holy, holy, Dominus Deus Saboath! Lord God of hosts! Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in excelsis! Glory to God in the highest!

2. Benedictus (Soloists)

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in excelsis! Glory to God in the highest!

VI. AGNUS DEI (Chorus)

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, dona eis requiem. grant them rest.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, dona eis requiem sempiternam. grant them eternal rest.

VII. COMMUNIO (Soprano and Chorus)

Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, May eternal light shine upon them, O Lord, cum sanctis tuis in aeternam, with Thy saints forever, quia pius es. for Thou art good.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, Lord, grant them eternal rest, et lux perpetua luceat eis. and let perpetual light shine upon them.

MAHLER’S SYMPHONY OF A THOUSAND

SAT MAY 27, 7:30 pm | Music Hall

JUANJO MENA, conductor

SARAH WEGENER, soprano (Magna Paccatrix)

CAMILLA TILLING, soprano (Una Poenitentium)

LAUREN SNOUFFER, soprano (Mater Gloriosa)

KATE LINDSEY, mezzo-soprano (Mulier Samaritana)

BRIANA HUNTER, mezzo-soprano (Maria Aegyptiaca)

BARRY BANKS, tenor (Doctor Marianus)

JOSÉ ANTONIO LÓPEZ, baritone (Pater Ecstaticus)

CHRISTIAN IMMLER, bass (Pater Profundus)

MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS Robert Porco, director

The May Festival Chorus is endowed by the Betsy & Alex C. Young Chair

CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA CHORUS, Lisa Wong, director

MAY FESTIVAL YOUTH CHORUS, Matthew Swanson, director

CINCINNATI BOYCHOIR, Jason Holmes, Artistic Director

CINCINNATI YOUTH CHOIR, Robyn Lana, Managing Artistic Director

CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Louis Langrée, Music Director

Gustav MAHLER Symphony No. 8 in E-flat Major, Symphony of a Thousand (1860–1911)

I. Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus

II. Final Scene from Goethe’s Faust

Encore:

George Frideric HANDEL “Hallelujah” from Messiah (1685–1759)

Tonight’s concert is sponsored by Ethan and Doreen Stanley in memory of Ethan Bates Stanley II.

The May Festival 150th Anniversary Sponsor is Christy and Terry Horan.

The 2023 May Festival is presented by Fort Washington Investment Advisors.

The 2023 May Festival is sponsored by Chavez Properties.

The appearance of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is generously supported by the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation.

Tonight’s concert will last approximately 95 minutes. There is no intermission.

The appearances of Sarah Wegener and Christian Immler are made possible in part by generous endowment gifts from the friends and family of the Joan P. and Oliver L. Baily Fund.

The appearances of Barry Banks and Jose Antonio Lopez are made possible in part by a generous endowment gift in memory of Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy R. Brooks.

The appearances of Camilla Tilling and Lauren Snouffer are made possible in part by Melinda and Irwin Simon. The appearance of Briana Hunter is made possible in part by Hixson Architecture Engineering Services. The appearance of Kate Lindsey is made possible in part by a generous endowment gift from Mary and Joe Stern. The encore performance of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah is given in memory of Betty Wohlgemuth, with funds generously provided by The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation.

The appearance of Matthew Swanson in this evening’s performance is made possible in part by David and Elaine Billmire.

Steinway Pianos, courtesy of Willis Music, is the official piano of the May Festival. This concert will be broadcast on 90.9 WGUC live this evening, and on October 29, 2023 at 8 p.m.

GUSTAV MAHLER

Symphony No. 8 in E-flat Major, Symphony of a Thousand

Born: July 7, 1860, Kalist, Bohemia

Died: May 18, 1911, Vienna

Work Composed: 1906

Premiere: September 12, 1910 in Munich, conducted by the composer

Instrumentation: SATB soloists, SATB double chorus, youth/children’s choruses, 5 flutes (incl. piccolo), piccolo, 4 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, 4 bassoons, contrabassoon, 8 horns, 8 trumpets, 7 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, deep bells, glockenspiel, tam-tam, triangle, 4 harps, celeste, harmonium, organ, piano, mandolin, strings May Festival notable performances: First: May 1931, Eugene Goossens conducting (soloists: Jeanette Vreeland, soprano; Editha Fleischer, soprano; Helene Kessing, soprano; Muriel Brunskill, contralto; Eleanor Reynolds, contralto; Dan Gridley, tenor; Fraser Gange, bass; Herbert Gould, bass); May Festival Chorus, Alfred Hartzel, chorusmaster; Conservatory of Music Chorus, John A. Hoffmann, director; St. Lawrence School, J. Alfred Schehl, conductor. Most Recent: May 2014, James Conlon conducting (soloists: Erin Wall, soprano; Tracy Cox, soprano; Amanda Woodbury, soprano; Sara Murphy, mezzo-soprano; Ronnita Nicole Miller, mezzo-soprano; Brandon Jovanovich, tenor; Kristinn Sigmundsson, bassbaritone; Donnie Ray Albert, baritone); May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director; Nashville Symphony Chorus, Kelly Corcoran, director; Cincinnati Youth Choir, Robyn Lana, director.

Duration: approx. 80 minutes

In 1899, Mahler purchased a house and a plot of land at Maiernigg on Lake Wörth in southern Austria as a summer retreat from his strenuous duties as director of the Vienna Opera and as a quiet place to compose. After the 1905–1906 Vienna season, he conducted the premiere of his Sixth Symphony in Essen on May 27, and then went directly to Maiernigg “with the firm resolution of idling the holiday away and recruiting my strength,” he promised his wife, Alma. Although he had little time for creative work during the winter due to his operatic duties (he orchestrated his short scores from the summer during whatever minutes he could steal from his schedule during those months), he had no plans

to undertake a new composition in 1906. Quite unexpectedly (Mahler once said, “I don’t choose what to compose. It chooses me.”), his imagination was seized by the words of the Latin hymn Veni, Creator Spiritus, long attributed to Hrabanus Magnentius Maurus (780–856), Archbishop of Mainz, but now conceded to be by an unknown hand. The ancient hymn, Mahler said, “took hold of me and shook me and drove me on for the next eight weeks until my greatest work was done.”

Mahler started composing music for the Veni, Creator Spiritus feverishly, but for the words he was depending on his memory and on what proved to be a corrupt edition of the verses. He found the music running unaccountably ahead of the text, and lamented the fact to a philologist friend, who told him that several lines were missing from his version. On July 18th, Mahler hurriedly cabled his Viennese friend, the archeologist Dr. Friederich Löhr, and asked him to locate a reliable edition of the hymn and send it to him with all possible speed. Alma recorded with amazement that “the complete text fit the music exactly. Intuitively he had composed the music for the full strophes!” (Mahler did, however, omit a few words in stanzas five and six.)

Caught in a whirlwind of inspiration, Mahler was possessed of enough audacity to attempt, as a complementary movement to his Veni, Creator Spiritus, a setting of the closing scene from that most sacred icon in all German literature, Goethe’s Faust Faust had already been the subject of a number of earlier compositions; indeed, Goethe hoped that parts of it would be set to music. Berlioz played fast and loose with the story in his La damnation de Faust (in which he transports the hero to the plains of Hungary for the sole purpose of incorporating his popular Rákóczy March into the score); Liszt was inspired to write a Faust Symphony; Schumann composed Scenes from Goethe’s Faust; Wagner penned a Faust Overture; Gounod made melodrama of Goethe’s soaring verse in his 1859 opera; and Boito conjured up more power than profundity in his 1868 Mefistofele. Mahler’s version would surpass all of these, not only in the enormous forces required for its performance but also in the sweeping, transcendent nature of its vision.

Mahler took as his subject the last scene from Faust, Part II, those paragraphs in which Goethe

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Gustav Mahler

chose not the death and damnation accorded to the title character in earlier realizations of the story but rather salvation and assumption into the highest universal bliss. The scene is set in rocky gorges inhabited by religious hermits named, in ascending order of divine knowledge, Pater Ecstaticus, Pater Profundis and Doctor Marianus. The spirits of children who died in infancy hover about. Angels bear the soul of Faust to this lofty place. Doctor Marianus hails the appearance of the Virgin (Mater Gloriosa), with whom penitent women intercede for mercy for another penitent, Gretchen. Gretchen is forgiven and charged to lead Faust “to higher spheres.” The Chorus Mysticus sings of the heaven where earth’s imperfections are swept away and the Virgin’s pure love—the “Eternal Feminine”—leads humanity onward.

Just before leaving to conduct The Marriage of Figaro in Salzburg on August 18, 1906, in honor of the 150th anniversary of Mozart’s birth by “Supreme Command” of the Emperor Franz Josef himself, Mahler wrote to the conductor Willem Mengelberg:

I have just finished my Eighth! It is the most important thing I have done so far. And so individual in content and form that I cannot describe it in words. Imagine that the whole

universe begins to vibrate and resound. These are no longer human voices, but planets and suns revolving.

Later, Mahler wrote to Alma specifically about his music for Faust:

It is all an allegory to convey something which, whatever form it is given, can never be adequately expressed.... That which draws us by its mystic force, what every created thing, perhaps even the stones, feels with absolute certainty as the center of its being, what Goethe here—again employing an image—calls the “Eternal Feminine”—that is to say the resting-place, the goal, in opposition to the striving and struggling towards the goal (the “Eternal Masculine”)—you are quite right in calling it the force of love. There are infinite representations and names for it.... Christians call this eternal blessedness [Mahler converted from his paternal Judaism to Christianity before taking the Vienna post in 1897], and I cannot do better than employ this beautiful and sufficient mythology—the most complete conception to which at this epoch of humanity it is possible to attain.

The realization of such an extraordinary vision required one of the most elaborate aggregations of performers ever required for a musical work (an

Ethan and Doreen Stanley in memory of Ethan Bates Stanley II

THANK YOU!

to Concert Sponsor for their extraordinary support of “Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand”

enormous orchestra, eight soloists and three choirs), and, given Mahler’s own deteriorating health, the press of his new duties at The Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic after resigning from the Vienna Opera in 1907, and the composition of Das Lied von der Erde and the Ninth Symphony, it was some time before he could arrange for the premiere. The impresario Emil Gutmann finally accepted the challenge and scheduled the Eighth Symphony’s first performance for Munich in September 1910. Since Mahler was engaged in New York throughout the winter months, his protégé Bruno Walter was entrusted with the preparations for the concert, including the selection and coaching of soloists and choristers and the direction of preliminary rehearsals.

Gutmann advertised the production as the “Symphony of a Thousand” (Mahler was worried that it would deteriorate into “a Barnum and Bailey show”) and enlisted 858 singers and 171 instrumentalists. Preparations went ahead for the performances on Monday and Tuesday, September 12 and 13, in Munich’s new Musikfesthalle with meticulous attention to detail: Mahler consulted Alfred Roller, his designer at the Vienna Opera, on the most striking visual and acoustical deployment for his vast musical forces; many levels of lighting were tried before the most effective one was chosen; the program booklet went through constant revision; the passing streetcars were instructed not to sound their bells during the concerts. Reports unanimously tell of the awe that Mahler, as both conductor and composer, inspired first in his performers and then in his audiences. Many of the leading intellectual figures of the day attended, including Klemperer, Stokowski (who created a sensation in Philadelphia when he gave the American premiere of the Eighth Symphony six years later), Webern, Casella, Stefan Zweig, Siegfried Wagner, Max Reinhardt, and many others. Thomas Mann was so moved by the performance that he sent Mahler a copy of his latest novel, Königliche Hoheit (“Royal Highness”), inscribed to “the man who, as I believe, expresses the art and time in its most profound and most sacred form.” The event was Mahler’s only unmitigated acclamation as a composer during his entire life. It was also the last time he conducted in Europe and the last time he led one of his own works anywhere. Nine months later, he was dead of a streptococcus infection that stilled his already weakened heart.

The two large parts in which Mahler disposed the huge panorama of his Eighth Symphony contrast in language, form and musical style. Part I, Veni, Creator Spiritus, originally a hymn used in the Roman Catholic liturgy at Pentecost, the celebration of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the followers of Jesus Christ after His resurrection, asks the Divinity to “kindle our senses with light, pour Thy love into our hearts.” Mahler’s logical and grandiloquent reply in Part II to this invocation is the scene from Faust, which he relates musically to the Veni, Creator Spiritus movement through the recurrence of certain motives, the most triumphant of which is the transformed main theme of the first movement pealed forth by the supplementary brass instruments in the Symphony’s closing pages. Egon Gartenberg, in his study of the composer, wrote: Despite the vastness of the work, it is a structural marvel, surprisingly compact and integrated. Aspects of three pronounced musical periods are evident: the structure of the Viennese Classics [Part I is in sonata-allegro form]; the color and glow of the Romantic age; and at the high point of symphonic drama Mahler reaches back to Bruckner and even further back to the splendor and spirit of the Baroque. It is the interplay among these diverse influences that makes Mahler’s Eighth Symphony a milestone in its time and a highlight of his creative life.... All are integrated in one musical masterpiece and heightened in intensity by Mahler’s grandiose vision.

—Dr. Richard E. Rodda

2023 YOUTH CHORUS AWARD WINNERS

John

Hauck Foundation Scholarship

The May Festival Youth Chorus is pleased to award the John Hauck Foundation Scholarship to CALIA BURDETTE. The scholarship annually supports graduating Youth Chorus members who will pursue university studies in music or a related arts field.

James Bagwell Award

The Youth Chorus is pleased to honor NATALIE HOOVER with the James Bagwell Award. Named for Dr. James Bagwell, conductor of the Youth Chorus 1997–2018, the award recognizes exemplary commitment to the Youth Chorus, intellectual curiosity and musical potential.

TEXT

PART I

Veni, Creator Spiritus, Come, Creator Spirit, Mentes tuorum visita, visit our souls, Imple superna gratia, fill them with grace, Quae tu creasti pectora. Thou that didst create them.

Qui diceris Paraclitus, Thou, that art called Comforter, Altissimi donum Dei, highest gift of God, Fons vivus, ignis, caritas living fount, fire, love Et spiritalis unctio. and unction of the spirit.

Infirma nostri corporis Endow our weak flesh Virtute firmans perpeti, with perpetual strength, Accende lumen sensibus, kindle our senses with light, Infunde amorem cordibus. pour Thy love into our hearts.

Hostem repellas longius Drive the enemy far from us, Pacemque dones protinus, grant us lasting peace, Ductore sic te praevio so, beneath Thy guidance, Vitemus omne pessimum. we may avoid all ill.

Tu septiformis munere Thou, sevenfold in gifts, Digitus paternae dexterae. finger of the Father’s right hand, (Tu rite promissum Patris, true promise of God, Sermone ditans guttura.)* that dost endow our tongues with speech.

Per te sciamus da Patrem, Give us to know Father Noscamus (atque)* Filium, and Son through Thee, (Te utriusque)* Spiritum and Thee, emanating of both, Credamus omni tempore. grant we may always believe.

Da gaudiorum praemia, Give us joy, Da gratiarum munera, grant us Thy grace, Dissolve litis vincula, smooth our quarrels, Adstringe pacis foedera. preserve us in bonds of peace.

Gloria Patri Domino, Glory be to the Father, Deo sit gloria et Filio, and to His Son, Natoque, qui a mortuis who rose from the dead, Surrexit, ac Paraclito and to our Advocate and Comforter In saeculorum saecula. for ever and ever.

*Words omitted by Mahler

PART II

Final Scene from Goethe’s Faust, Part II (Mountain gorges, forest, cliffs, desert. Holy anchorites …resting between high cliffs.)

Choir and Echo

Waldung, sie schwankt heran, Forest sways, Felsen, sie lasten dran, rocks press heavily, Wurzeln, sie klammern an, roots grip, Stamm dicht an Stamm hinan. tree-trunk packs close to tree-trunk. Woge nach Woge spritzt, Wave upon wave breaks, foaming, Höhle, die tiefste, schützt. deepest cavern provides shelter. Löwen, sie schleichen stumm, Lions, friendly disposed, Freundlich um uns herum, pad silently round us— Ehren geweihten Ort, place sacred to honors, Heiligen Liebesort. refuge sacred to love.

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Pater Ecstaticus

(soaring high and low)

Ewiger Wonnebrand, Eternal passion of delight, Glühendes Liebesband, love’s glowing bond, Siedender Schmerz der Brust, seething agony of the breast, Schäumende Gotteslust. sparkling happiness divine. Pfeile, durchdringet mich, Arrows, pierce me through, Lanzen, bezwinget mich, spears, subdue me, Keulen, zerschmettert mich, clubs, batter me, Blitze, durchwettert mich, lightning, flash through me, Dass ja das Nichtige that all things futile Alles verflüchtige, should vanish without fail, Glänze der Dauerstern, that the everlasting star, Ewiger Liebe Kern! nucleus of eternal love, may shine forth!

Pater Profundus

(from the nether regions)

Wie Felsenabgrund mir zu Füssen

As the rocky precipice at my feet

Auf tiefem Abgrund lastend ruht, rests heavily in the deep abyss, Wie tausend Bäche strahlend fliessen as a thousand streams, sparkling, flow Zum grausen Sturz des Schaums der Flut, to the dread cataract of the foaming flood, Wie strack, mit eig’nem kräft’gen Triebe, as, straight upward, of its own powerful drive, Der Stamm sich in die Lüfte trägt, the tree-trunk rears itself in the air, So ist es die allmächt’ge Liebe, so it is almighty love

Die alles bildet, alles hegt. that shapes all and cherishes all.

Ist um mich her ein wildes Brausen, When around me wild tumult roars, Als wogte Wald und Felsengrund! as if forest and rocky bottom were in upheaval, Und doch stürzt, liebevoll im Sausen, and yet the mass of waters, loving in its bluster Die Wasserfülle sich zum Schlund, hurls itself into the gorge, Berufen gleich das Tal zu wässern; summoned presently to water the valley, Der Blitz, der flammend niederschlug, when the lightning flamed downwards

Die Atmosphäre zu verbessern, to purify the atmosphere, Die Gift und Dunst im Busen trug: which carried in its bosom poison and fumes, Sind Liebesboten, sie verkünden, these are harbingers of love, they proclaim Was ewig schaffend uns umwallt. that which ever seethes, creating, round us. Mein Inn’res mög’ es auch entzünden, Oh, might it kindle also my inmost being, Wo sich der Geist, verworren, kalt, where my spirit, confused and cold, Verquält in stumpfer Sinne Schranken, agonizes, imprisoned by a dulled brain Scharf angeschloss’nem Kettenschmerz. fast locked in fetters of pain. O Gott! beschwichtige die Gedanken, Oh, God, soothe my thoughts, Erleuchte mein bedürftig Herz! enlighten my needful heart!

The two following choruses are sung simultaneously.

Angels (bearing Faust’s immortal soul, as they soar in the upper air) Gerettet ist das edle Glied Saved is the noble member Der Geisterwelt vom Bösen: of the spirit world from evil: Wer immer strebend sich bemüht, that man, who endeavors, ever striving, Den können wir erlösen, him we have power to redeem, Und hat an ihm die Liebe gar and if, over and above love from on Von oben teilgenommen, high has taken its part, Begegnet ihm die sel’ge Schar the blessed host will encounter him Mit herzlichem Willkommen. with heartfelt greeting.

Blessed Boys

(circling in the highest peaks)

Hände verschlinget euch

Hands clasp joyfully Freudig zum Ringverein, in the circle of union, Regt euch und singet bestir yourselves, and may your songs Heil’ge Gefühle drein. add holy sentiments thereto.

Göttlich belehret, Divinely instructed Dürft ihr vertrauen: you may rest assured: Den ihr verehret, He, whom you worship, Werdet ihr schauen. you will behold.

Younger Angels

Jene Rosen, aus den Händen

Those roses from the hands Liebend-heil’ger Büsserinnen, of loving-holy women penitents, Halfen uns den Sieg gewinnen help us achieve victory

Und das hohe Werk vollenden, and fulfill the divine purpose, Diesen Seelenschatz erbeuten. capture this soul-treasure. Böse wichen, als wir streuten, Evil retreated as we strewed, Teufel flohen, als wir trafen. devils fled as we pelted them. Statt gewohnter Höllenstrafen Instead of the accustomed punishments of hell, Fühlten Liebesqual die Geister; the spirits experienced pangs of love; Selbst der alte Satans-Meister even the old master-Satan himself War von spitzer Pein durchdrungen. was pierced by sharp pain. Jauchzet auf! es ist gelungen. Rejoice! It is fulfilled.

The More Perfect Angels (choir with contralto solo)

Uns bleibt ein Erdenrest

To us remains a residue of earth

Und, zu tragen peinlich painful for us to bear, Und wär’ er von Asbest, as though it were of asbestos made, (voices overlapping)

Er ist nicht reinlich. yet it is not clean.

Wenn starke Geisteskraft

When the great might of the spirit Die Elemente has grappled fast

An sich herangerafft, each element to itself, (enter soloist)

Kein Engel trennte no angel could divide Geeinte Zwienatur the two joined natures Der innigen beiden, of the deeply passionate pair, Die ewige Liebe nur the everlasting love alone Vermag’s zu scheiden. would be capable of dividing them.

Younger Angels

Ich spür soeben, I perceive at this moment, Nebelnd um Felsenhöh’, misty round the rocky heights Ein Geisterleben, a rousing Regend sich in der Näh’. of spirits nearby.

Seliger Knaben I see a stirring host

Seh’ ich bewegte Schar, of blessed children, Los von der Erde Druck, free from the burden of earth

Im Kreis gesellt, in a circle joined, Die sich erlaben who delight themselves

Am neuen Lenz und Schmuck in the new springtime and embellishment Der obern Welt. of the world above.

Doctor Marianus

(in the highest, most pure cell of all)

Hier ist die Aussicht frei, Here the prospect is free, Der Geist erhoben. the spirit elevated.

Younger Angels

Sei er zum Anbeginn, Let him, at first, be joined with these Steigendem Vollgewinn, till, ever-increasing, finally attain Diesen gesellt! the highest gain.

Doctor Marianus

Dort ziehen Frauen vorbei,

Women are passing there, Schwebend nach oben; soaring towards the heights; Die Herrliche mittenin, in the center, the all-glorious one, Im Sternenkranze, in a coronet of stars, Die Himmelskönigin… the Queen of heaven…

Blessed Boys

Freudig empfangen wir

Joyfully we welcome him Diesen im Puppenstand; in his chrysalis condition; Also erlangen wir thus do we receive Englisches Unterpfand. an angelic pledge. Löset die Flokken los, Shake off the flakes Die ihn umgeben. that envelop him. Schon ist er schön und gross He is already tall and beautiful Von heiligem Leben. through the holy life.

Doctor Marianus

…Ich seh’s am Glanze

…I perceive by the splendor, Höchste Herrscherin der Welt! most exalted mistress of the world! Lasse mich im blauen In the blue outspread

Ausgespannten Himmelszelt vault of heaven Dein Geheimnis schauen! make me to behold thy mystery!

Bill’ge, was des Mannes Brust

Accept that which moves the breast of man Ernst und zart bewegt tenderly and gravely

Und mit heil’ger Liebeslust and which, with love’s holy joy, Dir entgegen trägt. he offers up to thee.

Unbezwinglich unser Mut, Indomitable our courage, Wenn du hehr gebietest; when thou, sublime, commandest; Plötzlich mildert sich die Glut, passions at once subside, Wenn du uns befriedest. when thou dost pacify us.

Doctor Marianus and Choir (variously, overlapping)

Jungfrau, rein im schönsten Sinne,

Virgin, pure in the fairest thought, Mutter, Ehren würdig, mother worthy to be honored, Uns erwählte Königin, to us elected queen, Göttern ebenbürtig. equal to gods.

(Mater Gloriosa soars into view)

Choir

Dir, der Unberührbaren,

To thee, virgin-unassailable, Ist es nicht benommen, it is not denied Dass die leicht Verführbaren that the easily-led-astray Traulich zu dir kommen. may confidently approach thee. In die Schwachheit hingerafft, Carried away in frailty, Sind sie schwer zu retten. they are difficult to save.

Wer zerreisst aus eig’ner Kraft

Who, of his own strength, Der Gelüste Ketten? can break free from the chains of appetite?

Wie entgleitet schnell der Fuss How quickly does the foot slip Schiefem, glattem Boden. upon a smooth sloping floor.

Penitent Women

Du schwebst zu Höhen

Thou dost soar to the heights

Der ewigen Reiche, of the eternal kingdom, Vernimm das Flehen, accept our prayer, Du Gnadenreiche, thou, rich in mercy, Du Ohnegleiche! thou, unparalleled!

Magna Peccatrix (St. Luke, vii, 36)

Bei der Liebe, die den Füssen

By the love that on the feet

Deines gottverklärten Sohnes of thy divinely transfigured Son Tränen liess zum Balsam fliessen, let fall tears as balsam, Trotz des Pharisäer-Hohnes, despite the scorn of the Pharisees, Beim Gefässe, das so reichlich by the vessel that so richly Tropfte Wohlgeruch hernieder, dropped sweet fragrance, Bei den Lokken, die so weichlich by the tresses that so softly Trockneten die heil’gen Glieder— dried the holy limbs—

Mulier Samaritana (St. John, iv)

Bei dem Bronn, zu dem schon weiland

By the well to which of old already Abram liess die Herde führen, Abraham drove his flock, Bei dem Eimer, der dem Heiland by the water-pot which was suffered Kühl die Lippe durft’ berühren, to touch, refreshing, the Savior’s lips, Bei den reinen reichen Quelle, by the pure rich spring which, Die nun dorther sich ergiesset, spilling over, eternally clear, Überflüssig, ewig helle, pours from thence, Rings durch alle Welten fliesst— flows round about all through the world—

Maria Aegyptiaca (Acta Sanctorum)

Bei dem hochgeweihten Orte

By the sublime and holy place

Wo den Herrn man niederliess, where they laid Our Lord, Bei dem Arm, der von der Pforte, by the arms that, from the gate, Warnend mich zurükke stiess, warning, thrust me back, Bei der vierzigjähr’gen Busse, by the 40-year-long repentance, Der ich treu in Wüsten blieb, I faithfully adhered to in the desert, Bei dem sel’gen Scheidegrusse, by the sacred farewell, Den in Sand ich niederschrieb— I wrote in the sand—

All Three

Die du grossen Sünderinnen

Thou who dost not deny thy presence Deine Nähe nicht verweigerst, to penitent women who have greatly sinned, Und ein büssendes Gewinnen and raise to eternity

In die Ewigkeiten steigerst, the victory gained by repentance, Gönn’ auch dieser guten Seele, grant also to this good soul, Die sich einmal nur vergessen, who fell but once, Die nicht ahnte, dass sie fehle, not suspecting that she erred, Dein Verzeihen angemessen! thy just pardon!

Gretchen (A Penitent) (clinging to the Virgin)

Neige, neige, Incline, incline thy countenance graciously, Du Ohnegleiche, thou unparalleled, Du Strahlenreiche, thou, richly radiant, Dein Antlitz gnädig meinem Glück. upon my happiness. Der früh Geliebte, The love of long ago, Nicht mehr Getrübte, now free from stain, Er kommt zurück. is returning.

Blessed Boys (circling near)

Er überwächst uns schon He outstrips us already An mächt’gen Gliedern, on mighty limbs, Wird treuer Pflege Lohn he will richly requite Reichlich erwidern. the reward of faithful care. Wir wurden früh entfernt We were early snatched Von lebechören; from the choir of life; Doch dieser hat gelernt, but this man has learnt, Er wird uns lehren. he will teach us.

Gretchen (A Penitent)

(cutting in)

Vom edlen Geisterchor umgeben,

Encircled by the noble choir of spirits Wird sich der Neue kaum gewahr, the newly-arrived is scarcely conscious of himself, Er ahnet kaum das frische Leben, hardly conscious of the new life, So gleicht er schon der heil’gen Schar. so much does he resemble the sacred host already. Sieh, wie er jedem Erdenbande See how he divests himself of every Der alten Hülle sich entrafft. earthly bond of his erstwhile husk. Und aus ätherischem Gewande And, from ethereal raiment, Hervortritt erste Jugendkraft! steps forth from the first flush of youth! Vergönne mir, ihn zu belehren Let me be his tutor, Noch blendet ihn der neue Tag. the new day dazzles him still.

Mater Gloriosa

Komm! Hebe dich zu höhern Sphären,

Come! Raise yourself to the supreme spheres, Wenn er dich ahnet, folgt er nach. When he apprehends you, he will follow after.

Mystical Choir Komm! Komm! Come! Come!

Doctor Marianus Blicket auf,… Look up,…

Mystical Choir Komm! Come!

Doctor Marianus

…alle reuig Zarten!

…all creatures frail and contrite!

Mystical Choir

Komm!

Doctor Marianus and Mystical Choir

Come!

Blicket auf, auf zum Retterblick, Look up, up to the Redeemer’s gaze, Alle reuig Zarten, all creatures frail and contrite, Euch zu sel’gem Glück that you may gratefully be translated Dankend umzuarten. to blissful fortune.

Werde jeder bess’re Sinn May every better impulse Dir zum Dienst erbötig; be ready at your service; Jungfrau, Mutter, Königin, virgin, mother, queen, Göttin, bleibe gnädig! goddess, be ever gracious!

Mystical Choir

Alles Vergängliche

All things transitory

Ist nur ein Gleichnis; are but parable; Das Unzulängliche here insufficiency

Hier wird’s Ereignis, becomes fulfillment, Das Unbeschreibliche, here the indescribable Hier ist’s getan; is accomplished; Das Ewig-Weibliche the ever-womanly Zieht uns hinan. draws us heavenward.

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

“Hallelujah” from Messiah

TEXT

Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. (Revelation 19:6)

THE CITY THAT SINGS

A vibrant community of choirs from across the Tri-State area of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana that collaborate with each other for the collective benefit of all singers in the Cincinnati region.

Choirs from YOUR schools, universities, community organizations and houses of worship are invited to join this initiative, and, together, we’ll ensure that Cincinnati remains “The City That Sings.”

Whether you’re looking for a choir to join, a performance to attend, or a grand convention of singers, THE CITY THAT SINGS has the information you need! Learn more online at bit.ly/citythatsings.

CINCINNATI MUSICAL FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers

Christy Horan, Chair

Mike Curran, Vice-Chair

Anthony Lazzeri, Treasurer

Mary Stucky, Secretary

Eric Combs, Immediate Past Chair

Directors

Helene Bentley

David Boyles

William Henry Caldwell

Chris Canarie

Melanie M. Chavez

Teresa F. Ernst, PharmD

Barbara Feldmann

Mary Monahan Gimpel

J. Mark Holcomb

Dr. David A. Huelsman

Isaiah Hyman, Jr.

Thomas Kirkpatrick

Robert K. Lomax

Rene McPhedran

Patricia Misrach

Manisha Patel, MD

Kathleen Rambo

Ruthann Sammarco

Eileen Stanisic

Kelly Willbrandt

Jeannine Winkelmann

Shelby O. Wood

Directors Emeriti

Susan S. Laffoon

Geraldine B. Warner

Honorary Director

Steven Monder

Advisory Committee

(Past Chairs)

Rhoda A. Brooks

Melanie M. Chavez

Eric K. Combs

Nancy Heffner Donovan

Kelley J. Downing

Gregory L. Ebel

Jerold A. Fink

J. Mark Holcomb

Susan S. Laffoon

Sherie Lynch Marek

Charles S. Mechem

Thomas L. Neyer, Jr.

Charles Powers

Carole Tyler Rigaud

J. Shane Starkey

Robert E. Stautberg

Timothy E. Stautberg

Gust Totlis

Ronald H. Yocum

Cincinnati Musical Festival Association Mission, Vision and Values

MISSION We exist to engage, energize and connect our community with the highest quality performances of great choral music.

VISION We are the most exciting force in the choral world. We are a leader and catalyst in the production, presentation and promotion of choral activities in our region and around the globe.

VALUES We believe in fostering choral music of the highest artistic standards; preserving the history, enhancing the present and embracing the future of choral music; cultivating diverse audiences, choirs and singers who are passionate about choral music; operating in a financially sound manner.

WELCOME GROUPS!

Bach’s Magnificat

The Athenaeum of Ohio

Dale and Tracy Bailey Family and Friends Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Mozart’s Requiem

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Twin Tower Senior Living Residents

Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand Maple Knoll Village Residents

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

ANNUAL FUND

THANK YOU to the following donors for sharing their love of choral music, and the power of the May Festival, with our community, and for making our region a better, more vibrant, exciting and inspiring place to live.

This list represents donations of $50 or more received between January 1, 2022, and April 15, 2023. Gifts received after this date will be recognized in future May Festival listings. To request a change to your listing, please reach out to Cat Dixon, Director of Advancement & Engagement at cdixon@mayfestival.com or 513.744.3321.

CHORUS LEVEL

Gifts of $10,000 and above

ArtsWave

Joan P. Baily

Trish and Rick Bryan

The Thomas W. Busse Charitable Trust

Chavez Properties

The Corbett May Festival Fund

Barbara Ann Feldmann

Babs and Tom Ferrell

Fort Washington Investment Advisors

The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Morton Harshman

Christy and Terry Horan

Scott and Carol Kosarko

Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts

Fund of the Greenacres Foundation

The H.B., E.W. and F. R. Luther Charitable Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

Lois and Mel Nizny, MD

Ohio Arts Council

Louise Taft Semple Foundation

Ethan and Doreen Stanley

Ginger and David Warner

The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation

ENSEMBLE LEVEL

Gifts of $7,500–$9,999

Patrons

Robert A. Atterton

The Andrew Jergens Foundation

Laskey Charitable Fund

Irwin and Melinda Simon

Gifts of $5,000–$7,499

John G. Avril

Chris and Beth Canarie

Drs. Manisha Patel and Michael Curran

Sherry and Mark Holcomb

Sherry and Mark Holcomb

Mrs. Karen P. McKim

The Estate of Mary Ann Meanwell

Christine E. and Thomas L. Neyer, Sr. Family

Mr. Michael E. Phillips

Kathy and Craig Rambo

Mrs. Barbara W. Robb

The Ladislas & Vilma Segoe Family Foundation

CHORALE LEVEL

Gifts of $4,000–$4,999

Patrons

David and Elaine Billmire

Cincinnati International Wine Festival

Ann Ellison

Mrs. Karolyn L. Johnsen

Susan Laffoon

Sherie Lynch Marek

Gifts of $2,500–$3,999

Eric and Jane Combs

Diana T. Dwight

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ernst

Drew Gores and George Warrington

Linda Busken and Andrew MacAoidh Jergens

Patty Misrach

David and Vicky Motch

Motch Family Foundation

Poul D. and JoAnne Pedersen

Mr. and Mrs. Slobodan Stanisic

Katherine and Tim Stautberg

Margaret and Michael Valentine

Jeannine and John C. Winkelmann, MD

Shelby O. Wood

SOLOIST LEVEL

Gifts of $2,000–$2,499

Patrons

Jess Baily

Karen and David Huelsman

Tom and Sue Kirkpatrick

Matinee Musicale Club

Dr. and Mrs. G. James Sammarco

Sally and Jerry Skidmore

Nydia C. Tranter

Gifts of $1,000–$1,999

Anonymous

Jeff and Keiko Alexander

Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Bierer

Prof. William Henry Caldwell

Helen H. Chatfield

Melanie Chavez

Caroline H. Davidson

Ashley and Barbara Ford

Friends of Music Hall

Isaiah Hyman

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Klinedinst III

Kathleen B. and Michael C. Krug*

Ronald C. Lamping

Susan J. Lauf

Mr. & Dr. Anthony Lazzeri

Whitney and Phillip Long

Mrs. Rene McPhedran

Linda Mueller

Ellen Rieveschl

Dianne and J. David Rosenberg*

The Saenger Family Foundation

Kathryn and Vishnoo Shahani

Bill and Lee Steenken

Steven R. Sunderman and Mark C. Adams

St. Rose Church

Jane A. Walker

Joe White

DUO LEVEL

Gifts of $750–$999

Patrons

Milt and Berdie Blersch

Charles and Barbara Glueck

Rev. Anne Warrington Wilson

Gifts of $500–$749

Gerard Baillely

Pete and Melanie Boylan

Mr. David R. Boyles and Mr. David Castillo

William L. Budde, PhD

Michael L. Cioffi and Rachael Rowe

Cat and Stan Dixon

Nancy and Steve Donovan

Kelley and David Downing

Ms. Kathleen M. Grote

Margaret E. Hagar

Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn

Hixson Architecture

Engineering Interiors

Mike and MaryBeth Hockenberry

Elizabeth Lilly*

Thomas J. and Adele G. Lippert*

The Naberhaus Family

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Osterman

Judge Mark and Sue Ann Painter

Irene and Daniel P. Randolph Family

The Schieve Family

James P. Schubert

Mr. Geoffrey Strauss

Dr. Matthew Swanson

Mr. and Mrs. George Thomas

Roseanne Wetzel

Barry Zaslow

TRIO LEVEL

Gifts of $400–$499

Patrons Anonymous

Helene Sullivan Bentley

Mr. and Mrs. Carl R. Fiora

Shelley and Steven Goldstein

Spence Ingerson

Gifts of $300–$399

Nate and Greta Bachhuber

Neil K. Bortz

David Brashear

Dale and Kathy Elifrits

Gorilla Glue

Mr. Henry Huber

Mr. and Mrs. John Klahm

Dr. and Mrs. Calvin C. Linneman

The Family of Marie F. Martin

Dr. Janet P. McDaniel

Alice Perlman

Carol J. Schroeder

John M. Shepherd

Kenneth and Alice Skirtz

Mr. Jeffrey Slattery

Robin and Larry Wiley

Karen Wiltsie

QUARTET LEVEL

Gifts of $200–$299

Patrons Anonymous

Christine O. Adams

Marsha and Alan Brody

Rhoda and John Brooks

Carol C. Cole

Mark Dauner

Steven and Donna Dauterman

Stephen and Cynthia DeHoff

Edy and David Dreith

Barbara Erskine

Barbara Esposito-Ilacqua

Bernard and Rachel Foster

Rebecca Freer

Mr. and Mrs. John Gantt

Lawrence John Halloran

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Heidenreich

Robert and Anne Judd

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Kilfoil

Mr. Robert Lomax and Mrs. Justine Clark-Lomax

David Mill and Kate York

Mr. and Mrs. James Nicholson

Mr. Terry Parsons

Stephen Phillips

Mrs. Carole T. Rigaud

Ms. Barbara Seiver

Marian P. Stapleton

Mrs. Cynthia M. Starr

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Stucky

David and Christine Thornbury

Dean and Mary Watkins

Mark and Jennifer Weaver

Ronna and James Willis

Robert and Judy Wilson

Gordon Yasinow

Gifts of $100–$199

Anonymous (7)

Drs. Frank and Mary Albers

Kathryn and Kevin Albertson

Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Bacevich

Dr. Allen W. Bernard

Ms. Laurie Boisclair

Dr. Ralph P. Brown

Donald and Kathleen Field Burns

Ms. Deborah J. Campbell

The Cincinnati Woman’s Club

Dr. George I. Colombel

Mr. and Mrs. Vito Damiano

Mr. and Mrs. William O. DeWitt, Jr.

Roger and Mary Jo Duvall

Ren and Christina Egbert

Turney Berry and Kendra Foster

Karl and Connie Graham

Anita Greer & William Gatian

Charles and Melissa Haas

Mrs. Gaynelle Hardwick

Alice and John Hehman

Emily Hodges

Ross Hoff

Dr. and Mrs. Nelson Horseman

Carl and Bonnie Hosea

Ms. Maite Iraolagoitia

Robert Jenkins

Paul and Mary Jenks

Marlene Rowat Johnson

Mary Judge

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Kanney

Jerry N. Kirby, MD

Mel and John Kuempel

Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence H. Kyte, Jr.

Ms. Jane Lewin

Ms. Linda Lin

Nancy and Jonathan Lippincott

Elaine and Lowell Lustig

David L. Martin

Matthew Matson

Mr. Randolph McAusland

Catherine McGraw

Mrs. Frances Lee Meyer

Lynn Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Moore

Lorena Mora-Mowry

Tim and Jean Muetzel

James Muhlenkamp

Robert and Cynthia Muhlhauser

Dr. and Mrs. Charles M. Myer III

Mr. and Mrs. H. Scott Nesbitt

Terry and Jill Parsons

PNC Bank Foundation

Drs. Michael Privitera and Marcia Kaplan

Joseph Raterman

Steven and Emily Riedell

Terry and Burr Robinson

Ellen Sanders-Noonan

Alison Yaeger Schray

Mrs. Elizabeth B. Schulenberg

Dr. and Mrs. Rees W. Sheppard

Elizabeth A. Snyder

Ms. Carol A. Sparks

Sam and Dottie Stover

Dr. Steve and Rev. Kristie Stricker

May Ann and Bill Taylor

HORAN Capital Advisors

Janet G. Todd

Dr. Ilsa van der Bent

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick D. Warren

Jim and George Ann Wesner

Stephen and Amy Whitlatch

Dennis Wilhelm and Michael Kinerk

Charles A. Wilkinson

M. P. Wiggins

John M. Yacher

SHAREHOLDER LEVEL

Gifts of $75–$99

Patrons

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Beimesch

Sarah Hawkins

Ms. Megan Lawson

Ms. Sally A. Lund

Gifts of $50–$74

Anonymous (1)

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Albi

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Beimesch

Fred Berger

Mr. Michael Bourke

Dr. C.J. and Carolyn Condorodis

Phillip Crabtree and Christy Backley

Keith and Penni Dale

Ronda Deel

Mr. James Gaunt

Mr. Nicholas Gonzales and Ms. Anne Eisele

Ms. Julia Hawgood and Mr. Harry Kangis

Lauren and Richard Hess

Ms. Margaret A. Hilvert

Emily and Barry Hindin

Joseph and Eleanor Hingtgen

Daniel J. Hoffheimer

Dr. and Mrs. Scott Jolson

Helen Kanters

Ms. John Kemen

Mr. Robert A. Kercheval, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. John Maier

David Mason

Jim and Hope Metzger

Ms. Brenda Mitchell

James Norton

Alan and Tamar Oestreich

Ms. Bavi È. Rivera

Mr. Steven Rosen and Mrs. Mindy Wallis-Rosen

Christina M. Russo

Mr. Eli Shupe and Toby Ruben

Elizabeth C. B. and Paul G. Sittenfeld

Mr. and Mrs. William Smith

Shirley and Phil Stikeleather

Mr. and Mrs. John J. Sullivan

Ms. Beth Troendly

Debbie and Dick Westheimer

Mr. Steven Wilkinson

Linda and Jim Young

* Denotes contributions received via the Greater Cincinnati Foundation

MUSIC MAKERS OF TOMORROW

The May Festival is grateful to the following donors whose contributions to the Music Makers of Tomorrow Fund ensure that students will be able to attend the May Festival at no charge—every concert, every year.

Anonymous (3)

Elisabeth Anger

Nate and Greta Bachhuber

Mrs. Maxine Berkman

David and Elaine Billmire

Milt and Berdie Blersch

Dr. Ralph P. Brown

Chris and Beth Canarie

Carol C. Cole

Ms. Lisa Collins

Mark Dauner

Ann Ellison

Mr. Frank Espohl

Shelley and Steven Goldstein

Karl and Connie Graham

Ms. Kathleen M. Grote

Charles and Melissa Haas

Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn

Ms. Jane F. Hansley

Carl and Barbara Harcourt

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Heidenreich

Ms. Margaret A. Hilvert

Emily and Barry Hindin

MaryBeth Hockenberry

Emily Hodges

Christy and Terry Horan

HORAN Capital Advisors

Dr. and Mrs. Nelson Horseman

Mr. Henry Huber

Isaiah Hyman

Ms. Maite Iraolagoitia

Robert Jenkins

Paul and Mary Jenks

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew M. Jergens

Mrs. Karolyn L. Johnsen

Dr. and Mrs. Scott Jolson

Mary Judge

Ms. Linda Kamperman

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Kanney

Mr. and Mrs. John Klahm

Scott and Carol Kosarko

Kathleen B. and Michael C. Krug

Janet & Gary Langhorst

Ms. Linda Lin

Nancy and Jonathan Lippincott

Elaine and Lowell Lustig

Dr. and Mrs. John Maier

Kathy and Brad Mank

Sherie Lynch Marek

David L. Martin

The Family of Marie F. Martin

The Estate of Mary Ann Meanwell

Leslie Metheney

Mrs. Frances Lee Meyer

David Mill and Kate York

Lynn Miller

Patty Misrach

Linda Mueller

James Muhlenkamp

Lois and Mel Nizny, MD

James Norton

Alan and Tamar Oestreich

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Osterman

Mr. Terry Parsons

Dr. Manisha Patel and Dr. Michael Curran

Poul D. and JoAnne Pedersen

Mrs. Amy Perry

Anne M. Pohl

Drs. Michael Privitera and Marcia Kaplan

Kathy and Craig Rambo

Steven and Emily Riedell

Ellen Rieveschl

Carole and Edwin Rigaud

Mrs. Barbara W. Robb

Ellen & Eugene Saenger, Jr.

The Schieve Family

Mr. James P. Schubert

Mrs. Elizabeth B. Schulenberg

Ms. Barbara Seiver

John M. Shepherd

Kenneth and Alice Skirtz

Smith-Dobbins Family

Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Stradling

Steven R. Sunderman and Mark C. Adams

Dr. Matthew Swanson

Janet G. Todd

Nydia C. Tranter

Ernest and Helen Waits

Jane A. Walker

Robin and Larry Wiley

Charles A. Wilkinson

John M. Yacher

Barry Zaslow

Year after year, ever since its founding, the May Festival presents the greatest choral music ever written. You may play a part in this unique tradition and help to ensure our mission—for the next 150 years—by including the May Festival in your estate plans. Supporters and friends who have made a gift to the May Festival through their estate plans are eligible to join The Festival Society. If you are already a member, we thank you; if not, we hope you’ll consider taking this step. You will assure that the May Festival continues to maintain its reputation for excellence as the “Best Classical Music Festival in the U.S. and Canada” (BBC Music Magazine, May 2021 and 2022).

Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Baily

Ms. Henrietta Barlag

Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Brockmeier

Barbara Ann Feldmann

H. Jane Gavin

Mary & Jack Gimpel

Margaret E. Hagar

Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius W. Hauck

Christy & Terry Horan

William J. & Miriam B. Hyde

Winifred Beam Kessler

Scott & Carol Kosarko

Susan S. Laffoon

Jim & Julie Laskey

Thomas & Adele Lippert

Anne M. Pohl

Susan G. Stanton

Nancy Steman

Bill and Lee Steenken

Brett A. Stover

Steven Sunderman

Christine Wands

Allen P. Weirick

Jeannine & John C. Winkelmann, MD

Anonymous (21)

For more information about including the May Festival in your estate plans, please contact Steven Sunderman at 513.744.3248. If you have already remembered the May Festival with a planned gift, please let us know so we can recognize you as you wish.

SOMEONE is sitting in the shade today because SOMEONE planted a tree a long time ago.

—Warren Buffett

TRIBUTE GIFTS

The May Festival is honored to recognize the following individuals whose choral music work and legacy have inspired others to contribute to our community of singers between January 1, 2022 and April 15, 2023.

In memory of Thomas B. Avril

Elizabeth C. B. and Paul G. Sittenfeld

In memory of Oliver L. Baily

Jess Baily

Joan P. Baily

In memory of Chrissy Boylan Lytle and John Boylan

Pete and Melanie Boylan

In memory of Charles Bretz

Mr. Gary Mitchner

In memory of Mary G. Budde

William L. Budde, Ph. D.

In memory of Angie Eynon

Dr. and Mrs. Calvin C. Linnemann

In memory of Barbara Harshman

Susan and Brad Blair

Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn

Emily and Barry Hindin

HORAN Capital Advisors

Leslie Metheney

James Norton

Steven R. Sunderman and Mark C.

Adams

Ernest and Helen Waits

In honor of Lauren Hess

Ellen Sanders-Noonan

In honor of Mark Hockenberry

Mike and Marybeth Hockenberry

In honor of Glenn Jeffers

Mary Ann and Bill Taylor

In honor of Madeline Judge

Mary Judge

In memory of Richard I. Lauf

Susan J. Lauf

In memory of Mary Ann Meanwell

Rhoda and John Brooks

Mr. and Mrs. John J. Sullivan

Elizabeth C. B. and Paul G. Sittenfeld

In honor of Robert Porco

Robert Jenkins

In memory of Barbara W. Robb and Daniel J. Robb

Daniel L. Robb

In memory of Kathleen A. Schubert

James P. Schubert

In honor of Ethan Bates Stanley II

Ethan and Doreen Stanley

In honor of Steven Sunderman

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Osterman

In thanksgiving for Dr. Matthew

Swanson

Kathleen B. and Michael C. Krug

In honor of Dr. Matthew Swanson

Dawn and Doug Bruestle

In honor of Joe White

Caroline H. Davidson

In memory of Timothy Vogeler

Helen Kanters

In honor of Dr. James Arthur Williams

Prof. William Henry Caldwell

Want to see YOUR name here? Become a part of the May Festival’s next 150 years with a gift today! Make your contribution now by visiting mayfestival.com/give or scan the QR code.

To learn about all the ways you can support Cincinnati’s Chorus, visit mayfestival.com/options or contact Cat Dixon, Director of Advancement & Engagement, at 513.744.3321 or cdixon@ mayfestival.com

2023 ARTSWAVE PARTNERS

The May Festival acknowledges the following Partner Companies, Foundations and their employees who generously participate in the Annual ArtsWave Community Campaign at the $100,000+ level. Your support helps make our community vibrant and connects people all across our region through the arts. Thank you! (includes in-kind support)

$2 million+ P&G

$1 million to $1,999,999

Fifth Third Bank and the Fifth Third Foundation

$500,000 to $999,999 GE

$300,000 to 499,999

altafiber

Western & Southern Financial Group

$100,000–$299,999

Cincinnati Business Courier

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

The Cincinnati Insurance Companies

Cincinnati Reds

The E.W. Scripps Company and Scripps Howard Foundation

The Enquirer | Cincinnati.com

Great American Insurance Group

The H.B., E.W. and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Trustee

The Kroger Co. Messer Construction Co.

Ohio National Financial Services PNC

U.S. Bank

Duke Energy

WE APPLAUD OUR LOYAL SUBSCRIBERS!

Welcome and thank you to every audience member for supporting great music and the unique Cincinnati tradition that is the May Festival. Thank you especially to our subscribers. Whether it’s your first or your 50th-plus season, your ongoing support makes these performances possible and enables us to engage and uplift the people of Greater Cincinnati. List as of April 20, 2023 for subscribers of 10 years or more

If your name is inadvertently missing or listed incorrectly, please call us at 513.381.3300 or email contact@mayfestival.com.

50+ YEARS

Mr. Michael A. Battersby

David A and M. Elaine Billmire

Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Burns

Ms. Ann A. Ellison

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Harper

Mr. Isaiah Hyman, Jr.

Mrs. Susan Laffoon

Mr. Ronald C. Lamping

Mrs. Adele E. Lippert

Ms. Sally A. Lund

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Mystkowski

Ms. Anne M. Pohl

Richard S. Wayman

25–49 YEARS

Mrs. Christine O. Adams

Dr. and Mrs. Khosrow Alamin

Christine M. Andrew

Mr. John G. Avril

Ms. Henrietta Barlag

Mr. Avi Bear and Mrs. Karen Schulman-Bear

Dr. Alfred J. Berger, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Bierer

Dr. Christiane Boehr

Dr. and Mrs. John E. Bossert

Mr. Frederick Brockmeier

Mr. and Mrs. John R. Brooks

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick E. Bryan III

Dr. William L. Budde

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Burdin

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher J. Canarie

The Castellini Foundation

Cincinnati Financial Corporation

Mel Cohen

Dr. George I. Colombel

Mrs. Lynne B. Curtiss

Mr. and Mrs. Steven Dauterman

Mr. and Mrs.Thomas J. Davis

Ronda Deel

Ms. Kathleen Doane

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen P. Donovan, Jr.

Harold K. Eberenz

Mr. John Ellmore

Ms. Susan M. Falk

Ms. Barbara A. Feldmann

Mr. Thomas Price Ferrell

Mr. Carl R. Fiora

Mr. and Mrs. James T. Fitzgerald

Mr. and Mrs. Ashley L. Ford

Ms. Jane Garvey and Mr. John Lanier

Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Givens

Mr. and Mrs. Steven J. Goldstein

Mr. and Mrs. Karl R. Graham

Ms. Anita Marie Greer and Mr. William G. Gatian

Dr. and Mrs. Jack A. Hahn

Dennis Hanseman

Jane F. Hansley

Dr. and Mrs. Robert Highsmith

Mr. and Mrs. William C. Hill

Mr. Michael H. Hirsch

Ms. Emily M. Hodges

Daniel J. Hoffheimer

Ms. Maite Iraolagoitia

Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Ivanov

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew M. Jergens

Mr. and Mrs. Randy Johnson

Dr. and Mrs. Robert S. Jolson

Mr. David and Dr. Charlotte Kirkendall

Mr. William Klykylo and Ms. Dorothyann Feldis

Lonn and Lisa Koressel

Scott and Carol M Kosarko

Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Krug

Ms. Carol L. Kruse

Mr. Walter E. Langsam

Mrs. Susan J. Lauf

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan R. Lippincott

Brad C and Kathy Mank

Ms. Nancy McNeal

Ms. Lynn E. Meloy

Lon Mendelsohn

Ms. Lynn Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Donald D. Mills

Mrs. Patricia C. Misrach

Mr. Gary Mitchner

Mr. and Mrs. Harry G. Moeller

Mr. and Mrs. David W. Motch

Ms. Nancy Neff

Dr. and Mrs. Alan E. Oestreich

Dr. Cora K. Ogle

Mrs. Elizabeth Osterburg

Mary Beth A. Owens

Mr. and Mrs. Poul D. Pedersen

Ms. Priscilla J. Prouty

Mr. and Mrs. Jason N. Ramler

Mr. Joseph W. Raterman

Ms. Patricia Richards

Christina M. Russo

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene L. Saenger, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. G. James Sammarco

Mr. and Mrs. Lee Schimberg

Carol J. Schroeder

Dr.and Mrs. Fritz L. Schuermeyer

Mr. Joseph Schwering and Ms. Diana Fleming

Eli E. Shupe

Mr. and Mrs. Irwin B. Simon

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Skidmore

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Skirtz

Mr. Jeffrey Slattery

Ms. Jean D. Snyder

Ms. Carol A. Sparks

Mr. and Mrs. William G. Steenken

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stewart

Mr. Brett A. Stover

Reverend and Mrs. Samuel M. Stover

Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Stradling

Mr. James L. Thompson

Mrs. Helga Tillinghast

Mr. Harold Tucker and Ms. Debbie Bogenschutz

Dr. Ilse van der Bent

Ms. Mary U. Vicario

Mr. and Mrs. David W. Warner

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick D. Warren

Mr. and Mrs. Chad Warwick

Mr. Joe E. White

Susan & Dean Windgassen

Mrs. Shelby O. Wood

Jeff T. Wysel

10–24 YEARS

Jimmy E. Antia and Ms. Pheruza P. Tarapore

Dr. Paule S. Asch

Mr. and Mrs. James R. Baxter

Rev. and Mrs. Milton T. Berner

Perry Bohanon

Mrs. Jayne Bonzella

Mr. Neil K Bortz

Mr. and Mrs. Don H. Brown

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas J. Bruestle

Prof. William H. Caldwell

Ms. Deborah J. Campbell

Mr. Victor Canfield and Mr. Richard Sacksteder

Ms. Melanie M. Chavez

Mr. Christopher R. Church

Mr. Michael L. Cioffi and Ms. Rachael Rowe

Ms. S. DeAnne Cleghorn

Mr. and Mrs. Barry Cobb

Mr. and Mrs. Eric K. Combs

Ms. Melissa Cox

Mr. and Mrs. Keith L. Dale

Mr. and Mrs. Bill L. Dean

Mr. James Decker and Ms. Karolyn Schalk

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen DeHoff

Dr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Dennison

Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Eagen

Mr. and Mrs. John G. Earls

Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Elifrits

Mr. Daniel Epstein

Ms. Mary J. Feldkamp

Mr. Roger Fenn

Mr. Paul Franz and Ms. Shari Loo

Mr. and Mrs. Jon T. Gimpel

Ms. H. Drewry Gores

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Harcourt

Marcia Hartsock

Mr. and Mrs. James P. Healy

Mr. and Mrs. John Hehman

Mr. and Mrs. Phillip G. Hester

Dr. and Mrs. David A. Huelsman

David Hulefeld

Dr. William Hurford and Dr. Lesley Gilbertson

Mr. and Mrs. Dale Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kirkpatrick

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Klette

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Klinedinst III

Mrs. Sooncha Lee

Mary Levee

Mr. and Mrs. John Lund

Mr. David L. Martin

Mrs. Judith Martin

David J. Mason

Mr. Randolph McAusland

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Mueller

Mr. Paul Neumann

Dr. Melvyn and Mrs. Lois Nizny

Dr. Manisha Patel and Dr. Michael Curran

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Peter

Mr. Michael E. Phillips

Ms. Gale Z. Roberts

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Rutan

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Schoen

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald B. Schofield

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Slavin

Mr. and Mrs. David Smith

Mr. Owen Smith and Mr. Rick Cook

Ms. Karen Sroufe

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Stautberg

Mrs. Diana Stoppiello

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Stucky

Ms. Patia Tabar

Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Togneri

Mr. and Mrs. Gary Tyler

Mr. Stephen J. Washburn

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Weaver

Ms. Karen Webb

Mr. Charles A. Wilkinson

Tom Williams

Dr. James and Ronna Willis

Dr. and Mrs. John C. Winkelmann

LaVerne Young

The May Festival, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Vocal Arts Ensemble operate under an administrative shared services agreement. By the consolidation of resources and expertise, this cooperative management effort benefits all organizations.

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT & CEO

Jonathan Martin President & CEO

Andrea Maisonpierre

Hessel

Executive Assistant to President & CEO

MAY FESTIVAL

Steven R. Sunderman

Executive Director

Cat Dixon

Director of Advancement & Engagement

Matthew Swanson

Associate Director of Choruses

Kathryn Zajac Albertson

Chorus Manager

Edy Dreith

Administrative Assistant

Bryce Newcomer

Chorus Librarian

ARTISTIC PLANNING & PRODUCTION

Robert McGrath

Chief Operating Officer

Shannon Faith Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer

Artistic Planning

Nate Bachhuber

Vice President of Artistic Planning

Anthony Paggett Director of Artistic Planning

Laura Ruple

Assistant to the Music Director and Artistic Planning

Nick Minion Artist Liaison

Sam Strater Senior Advisor for Cincinnati Pops Planning

Shuta Maeno

Artistic Planning Intern

Production

Brenda Tullos

Director of Orchestra Personnel

Naomi Sarchet Orchestra Personnel & Operations Manager

Laura Bordner Adams

Acting Vice President of Orchestra & Production; Director of Operations

Alex Magg

Production Manager, CSO & May Festival

Carlos Javier Production Manager, Pops

Digital Content & Innovation

KC Commander Director of Digital Content & Innovation

Lee Snow

Digital Content Technology Manager

Corinne Wiseman

Digital Content Manager

Kaitlyn Driesen

Digital Production Manager

COMMUNICATIONS

Felecia Tchen Kanney Vice President of Communications

Tyler Secor Director of Publications & Content Development

Charlie Balcom Social Media Manager

Wajeeh Khan Communications Intern

COMMUNITY

ENGAGEMENT | DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Harold Brown The Honorable

Nathaniel R. Jones Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer

Tiffany Cooper Director of Community Engagement and Diversity

Amanda Franklin Community Engagement Manager

Pamela Jayne Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator

Nicole Ortiz Community Engagement Intern

FINANCE & DATA SERVICES

Richard Freshwater Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Finance

Kristina Pfeiffer Director of Finance, CSO

Elizabeth Engwall Accounting Manager, CSO

Laura Van Pelt Accounting Clerk, CSO

Judy Simpson Director of Finance, MEMI

Marijane Klug Accounting Manager, MEMI

Deborah Benjamin Accounting Clerk, MEMI

Matthew Grady

Accounting Manager, MEMI

Sydney Mucha Accounting Clerk, MEMI

Data Services

Sharon D. Grayton

Data Services Manager

Tara Williams

Data Services Manager

Kathleen Curry

Data Entry Clerk

HUMAN RESOURCES

Kyle Wynk-Sivashankar Vice President of Human Resources

Jenny Ryan Human Resources Manager

Megan Inderbitzin-Tsai Payroll Manager

Natalia Lerzundi Payroll Specialist

MARKETING

Michael Frisco Vice President of Marketing

Michelle Lewandowski Director of Marketing

Leon Barton Website Manager

Jon Dellinger Copywriter/Marketing Manager

Alexis Shambley

Marketing & Audience Insight Coordinator

Carmen Granger Subscriptions Marketing Manager

Stephanie Lazorchak Graphic Designer

Amber Ostaszewski

Director of Audience Engagement

Abigail Karr

Audience Engagement Manager

Tina Marshall

Director of Ticketing & Audience Services

Nic Bizub

Group Sales Manager

Elaine Hudson

Assistant Box Office Manager

Hannah Kaiser

Assistant Box Office Manager

Djenaba Adams

Marketing Intern

PATRON SERVICES

REPRESENTATIVES

Rebecca Ammerman, Lead

Ellisen Blair, Lead

Drew Dolan, Lead

Wendy Marshall, Lead

Erik Nordstrom, Lead

Benjamin Connelly

Craig Doolin

Mary Duplantier

Ebony Jackson

Grace Kim

Gracie Lustenberg

Hayley Maloney

Marian Mayen

Administrative Offices: Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 | 513.621.1919 | Box Office: 513.381.3300 contact@mayfestival.org

ARTISTS & REPERTOIRE HISTORY

You can browse a comprehensive list of May Festival repertoire and featured artists who have graced the Music Hall stage at mayfestival.com/about/history.