Inside The Score: Symphony 101 and Jake Shimabukuro | Program Notes

INSIDE THE SCORE • 2015-2016 SYMPHONY 101 COLORADO SYMPHONY ANDRES LOPERA, conductor CATHERINE BEESON, host Friday, October 9, 2015 at 7:30 pm Boettcher Concert Hall

KABALEVSKY

Overture to Colas Breugnon, Op. 24

MONTEVERDI

Overture to Orfeo, SV318

J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047 III. Allegro HAYDN Symphony No. 60 in C major, “Il distratto” II. Menuetto – Trio IV. Presto BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 IV. Allegro BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 IV. March to the Scaffold: Allegretto non troppo R. STRAUSS

Don Juan, Op. 20

JENNIFER HIGDON Fanfare Ritmico

SOUNDINGS 2015-2016 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG PROGRAM 1

INSIDE THE SCORE BIOGRAPHIES ANDRES LOPERA, conductor Colombian Conductor Andres Lopera is one of the leading Latin-American artists in the United States with nearly a decade of engagements in both North and South America. A passionate conductor who believes in the transformational power of music, Lopera has directed the Oregon Symphony, Toledo Symphony, New World Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, and Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra just in the past three seasons. He has also appeared with professional and youth orchestras throughout Central and South America, including Honduras, where he led the Youth Orchestra of the Americas in a musical camp for both young and professional musicians. In 2012, Lopera was appointed as Music Director of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, for which he oversaw 12 different orchestral ensembles with more than 450 students. Also an accomplished trombonist, Lopera’s musical development started with the Red de Bandas de Antioquia and Red de Escuelas de Musica de Medellin, both El Sistema like programs developed in Colombia. Lopera earned a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from New England Conservatory of Music and in Trombone Performance from the University of Texas at Austin.

Prior to these programs, he was awarded a double degree in Conducting and Trombone from the Universidad EAFIT in Medellin, Colombia. His principal teachers are Hugh Wolff and David Loebel, with additional studies with Ludovic Morlot, Michael Tilson Thomas and Marin Alsop.

KATHLEEN SCHMIDT

CATHERINE BEESON, host Catherine Beeson has been Assistant Principal Viola since joining the orchestra in 1999. She is a native of Texas, spending much of her formative years taking care of various livestock and trying to stay out of trouble.

(Little known true fact, Catherine won a trophy for barrel racing in her local east Texas rodeo at age 5.) Fortunately the violin (at age 9, approximately a gazillion years ago), and then viola (beginning in 1991) has kept her in the practice room and pretty much out of harm’s way. Nowadays Catherine is unleashed upon the communities of the Denver Metro area teaching and directing the education activities of your Colorado Symphony, and playing chamber music concerts as often as possible with her amazing colleagues. Catherine is a musical arts community builder. She has led creative expression workshops for adults and children, designed and published teachers’ guides and lesson plans to support the outreach endeavors of local and national organizations, and has designed and performed in fully interactive recital and chamber music programs throughout the metro area. In her “spare” time Catherine enjoys hanging out with her family, torturing them with super nerdy board games, reading, and doing projects with scary looking power tools. She also makes sure to attend the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo at least twice each January so as not to stray too far from her roots.

PROGRAM 2 SOUNDINGS 2015-2016 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG

POPS • 2015-2016 JAKE SHIMABUKURO IN CONCERT COLORADO SYMPHONY CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor JAKE SHIMABUKURO, ukulele

Tonight’s concert is gratefully dedicated to AEG Live

Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 7:30 pm Boettcher Concert Hall

Selections to be announced from stage.

SOUNDINGS 2015-2016 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG PROGRAM 3

POPS BIOGRAPHIES CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor Australian conductor Christopher Dragon begins his appointment as Associate Conductor of the Colorado Symphony in the 2015/16 season.

In 2013 he was appointed the inaugural Assistant Conductor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, a title he holds until the end of 2015.

This role provided him with the opportunity to work closely with Principal Conductor Asher Fisch in addition to numerous other engagements. In April of 2015 Christopher made his debut at the Sydney Opera House conducting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Australian singer/ songwriter Josh Pyke. In 2016 he will be making his debut with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Christopher is a member of the prestigious Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program through which he has worked with orchestras in Australia and New Zealand under the guidance of Christopher Seaman and the orchestras’ Principal Conductors. In 2014 Christopher was invited to conduct the Princess Galyani Vadhana Youth Orchestra in Thailand and earlier that year participated in the Jarvi Winter Academy in Estonia where he was awarded the Orchestra’s Favourite Conductor Prize. Christopher has also studied with numerous distinguished conductors including Paavo and Neeme Jarvi at the Jarvi Summer Festival, Fabio Luisi at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, and conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.

JAKE SHIMABUKURO, ukulele Jake Shimabukuro has elevated the ukulele from a beloved Hawaiian folk instrument to a world-class vehicle, fearlessly traversing boundaries and putting his inspired touch on everything from island standards, to popular tunes and, most recently, classical symphonic concertos. No wonder Rolling Stone called him “one of the hottest axemen of the past few years (who) doesn’t actually play guitar.” Even Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has voiced his admiration saying, “Jake is taking the instrument to a place that I can’t see anybody else catching up with.” Viewed by his peers as a musician’s musician, Shimabukuro’s discography includes collaborations with a wide range of artists, from Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson and Cyndi Lauper to Ziggy Marley, Dave Koz, Lyle Lovett and Bette Midler – with whom he performed for the Queen of England in 2009.

In recent years, Shimabukuro’s sizzling live performances have made him a hot commodity on national TV, guesting on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Good Morning America and the Today show. He’s wowed audiences at SXSW, Bonnaroo, the Playboy Jazz Festival and the cutting-edge TED conference. In 2012, he was the subject of an acclaimed documentary, Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings. His newest album “Travels” is out on October 9 and he will continue into 2016 with tour dates across the country, as well as the United Kingdom and Japan.

For further information, visit www.jakeshimabukuro.com.

PROGRAM 4 SOUNDINGS 2015-2016 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG