Program Notes: Stewart Copeland & Renée Fleming

STEWART COPELAND: POLICE DERANGED FOR ORCHESTRA WITH YOUR COLORADO SYMPHONY

STEWART COPELAND, drums

WILBUR LIN, conductor

Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 7:30pm

Boettcher Concert Hall

Program to be announced from stage.

CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES INCLUDING A 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION

FIRST TIME TO THE SYMPHONY? SEE PAGE 7 OF THIS PROGRAM FOR FAQ’S TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE GREAT!

SPOTLIGHT BIOGRAPHIES

STEWART COPELAND, drums

1952-1975: EARLY DAYS, THE MIDDLE EAST, THE MUSIC BIZ, & CURVED AIR

Stewart Copeland was born in Alexandria, Virginia, but soon relocated with his family to Beirut, Lebanon, where his father served as the Middle Eastern city’s CIA Station Chief. It was here that Stewart discovered his talent on — and love for — the drums. His older brother Ian played drums in a local band and, following in his brother’s footsteps, Stewart picked up a pair of sticks and began to play. His knack for the instrument distinguished him from his sibling almost immediately. While Ian quickly gave up the drums, Stewart found his aim and purpose in them.

Encouraged and assisted by his father, who in addition to his intelligence career was once a trumpeter in The Glenn Miller Band, Stewart’s first teacher was an old jazz drummer. Copeland was a quick study with a good ear and scored his first real gig playing drums while still barely in his teens.

A sudden family move to England opened new opportunities for Stewart pursue rock and roll, first as a journalist for a drummer magazine, then as a roadie, for, among others British prog-rock group Curved Air. In 1974/1975, when the band found itself in need of a new drummer, Curved Air hired Stewart, who made his recording debut on the successful Midnight Wire and Airborne. In addition, Curved Air introduced him to vocalist Sonja Kristina, who would later become his wife and the mother of three of his sons.

1977: THE POLICE

Restless, Stewart decided to form a trio fashioned on the vibe and energy of punk music. He would call this project “The Police,” a provocative name in its time that capitalized on the everyday brawls that broke out between punks and law enforcement: a regular police presence in the streets of London meant free marketing for his band.

The second member of the trio would be guitar player Henry Padovani. A Curved Air performance in Newcastle gave Stewart the chance to find the third piece to the trio puzzle. While in town, he caught the set of a local band called Last Exit, a popular jazz fusion band recommended to him by journalist Phil Sutcliffe. Only one thing caught Stewart’s attention at the concert: the stage presence of the band’s charismatic bass player, a musician/vocalist known as Sting. Phil introduced the two musicians after the show. When Sting later moved to London with his wife and son, he called Stewart, who was only too happy to welcome him into The Police. It would be a move that would change music history. Though the band saw its shares of ups and downs, they went on to become one of the most successful trios of the 1980s. Stewart has chronicled this time in a couple of projects: his 2009 autobiography “Strange Things Happen: A Life With The Police, Polo and Pygmies” and his 2008 documentary Everyone Stares, The Police Inside Out. Though the band saw its shares of ups and downs, they went on to become one of the most successful trios of the 1980s, reuniting in 2007 for a successful world tour ended at the Madison Square Garden in New York City in August 2008.

PHOTO: JESSICA LEHRMAN

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1985-1989: THE SOUNDTRACK OF A LIFE

After his last concert with the Police in Australia in March 1984, Stewart began his move beyond the rock arena. He created the memorable score to Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumblefish, a strikingly original mixture of traditional percussion, electronically sampled car horns and ticking clocks that would earn him a 1984 Golden Globe nomination. Stewart followed this up with his 1985 docu-drama The Rhythmatist, a journey to Africa to explore the roots of rhythm. Soon afterwards, Oliver Stone called on him to write the scores for Wall Street and Talk Radio.

1988-1989: ANIMAL LOGIC

In 1988, Stewart began playing with Stanley Clarke, one of the most famous bass players of all time. Collaborating with singer-songwriter Deborah Holland, the two released their first album in 1989 under the name Animal Logic. The tour that followed put Stewart back on stage, playing drums in front of large, enthusiastic crowds. Although the success of these initial efforts prompted Animal Logic to record Animal Logic II, no supporting concert tour followed and, as a result, there would be no other releases in the future.

1992-2000: THE WORLD OF SOUNDTRACKS

The decade following the 80s was the most prolific period in Stewart Copeland’s career. With scores and soundtracks as his main occupation, the famous drummer now became better known as a famous composer.

Stewart had already been a productive songwriter before the Police had emerged, having released a few singles in 1978 and a follow-up album in 1980 under the pseudonym of Klark Kent. But while The Police needed that particular touch brought to its music by Sting, Stewart’s varied musical culture and knowledge allowed him to work on a variety of projects, from classical to jazz. All of these different influences surfaced in his many releases during the 1990s. But Stewart’s compositions were not limited to film scores alone: in addition to composing a number of ballets, Stewart was commissioned by the Cleveland Opera to compose an opera, which he called Holy Blood And Crescent Moon. As a result of his unique sound, ear, and experience, Stewart’s name soon became recognized as one of the most important composers in Hollywood.

He composed two Edgar Allan Poe-inspired short operas: A Casque of Amontillado and The TellTale Heart. His Orchestralli ensemble, comprised of Copeland, a four-piece percussion quartet and a chamber orchestra performed Stewart’s blend of energetic original compositions. A piece from that album — “Birds of Prey” — was nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award.

1992-2002: OYSTERHEAD

In 1999 Stewart was asked to produce a song on an album by Primus, an American alternative rock band whose bassist, Les Claypool, was widely acknowledged to be one of the most interesting musicians of the decade.

Stewart was so impressed by Les that the two decided to jam together on some improvised

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music. Les had been invited to play a festival in New Orleans in 2000, and he asked Stewart and guitarist Trey Anastasio of Phish to join him for the performance. The three of them rehearsed many classic tunes, including “House Of The Rising Sun” and various Led Zeppelin tracks, while also writing some original material.

That 2000 concert marked an unforgettable night for many. Critical reception to the performance was enthusiastic, and the band’s jam sessions had produced a number of good songs. Although it took many months for them to play together again, Stewart, Les, and Trey reunited to record an album under the name of Oysterhead.

The band released the album The Grand Pecking Order in October 2001, and a tour of the U.S. saw them playing in front of screaming crowds, all waiting to hear these three incredible musicians on the same stage together. Once again Stewart found himself working as a drummer in a rock band, and his performance was so impressive that many expressed disappointment that a band like the Police could not reform and demonstrate once more the great potential still held by three such legendary musicians as Andy Summers, Sting, and Stewart Copeland. None of them had ever said officially that the Police had broken up, so many fans still held out hope; but it seemed that none of them was making any effort to bring the band back together either.

2006-2007: HILARIOUS THREE WEEKS IN LONDON

In 2006, Stewart left for the UK and took up his duties as a judge on the BBC One reality composition Just the Two of Us. Gently deriding and — more often than not — applauding the talents in the Pro-Am match-up of duetting couples, Stewart enjoyed a hilarious three weeks in London as a new primetime television star. As a result of this successful appearance, he was asked to return as a judge in January 2007.

Stewart is a recipient of the Hollywood Film Festival’s first Outstanding Music in Film Visionary Award, and a 2003 inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His career includes the sale of more than 60 million records worldwide, and has won him five Grammy Awards. Meanwhile, his travels in search of exotic rhythms and musical celebration have taken him around the world from mysterious Easter Island to Mozambique, and from the outback of Australia to the remotest regions of the Congolese jungles. He is the father of seven children and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Fiona Dent.

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WILBUR LIN, conductor

Known for his creative programming and inviting stage presence, Wilbur Lin’s career has taken him to symphony halls and opera theaters across the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Taiwan. Recently appointed Music Director of the Missouri Symphony, Lin also joins the conducting staff of the Colorado Symphony as assistant conductor in 2023.

Lin’s 2022/23 season saw his debuts with the Rochester Philharmonic, Oak Ridge, Ann Arbor, and Elgin symphonies, and a return to Indiana’s Richmond Symphony. His other recent highlights include his debut with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, opening its 2021/22 season, a new studio recording with pianist Eric Zuber and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and conducting and covering the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops where he recently finished his tenure as assistant conductor (2019-2022).

In addition to his positions with the Colorado, Cincinnati, and Missouri symphonies, in recent years, Lin has conducted the Chamber Philharmonic Taipei, Manchester Camerata, Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil (El Salvador), Taipei Philharmonic, Taipei Symphony, Liverpool Mozart, Academy Orchestra of Taiwan Symphony, Richmond Symphony (IN), and LaPorte Symphony orchestras. As a cover conductor, Lin has worked with, notably, the Taiwan Symphony, Cincinnati Ballet, and Minnesota orchestras. In his role as the assistant conductor of the Colorado Symphony, Lin also serves as the Music Director of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra.

A graduate of Riccardo Muti‘s Italian Opera Academy, Lin’s operatic endeavors include conducting Verdi’s Macbeth at Teatro Alighieri (Ravenna, Italy), Die Zauberflöte and Barber of Seville with the Winter Harbor Music Festival (Winter Harbor, Maine), Menotti’s The Medium and Amelia Goes to the Ball as the conductor of Northern Illinois University (Dekalb, IL), and has coached and performed as a pianist with the Indianapolis Opera, Indiana University Opera Theater, Reimagining Opera for Kids, and the Cincinnati Ballet. In 2022, Lin led a new workshop production of Robeson by Scott Davenport Richards at the Cincinnati Opera.

Lin held the position of Taiwan Symphony Orchestra International Talent Fellow (2019-2021), Weiwuyin Opera (Taiwan) Conducting Fellow (2019-2020), Lord Rhodes Scholar (2013-2014), was a two-time recipient of Mortimer Furber Prize for Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), and holds a doctoral degree in orchestral conducting from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Lin has studied with Arthur Fagen and David Effron at Jacobs, Clark Rundell and Mark Heron at the RNCM, and Apo Hsu at the National Taiwan Normal University. He has also received conducting coaching with, notably, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Riccardo Muti, Sir Mark Elder, Helmuth Rilling, and has assisted Louis Langrée, James Gaffigan, and John Morris Russell, among others.

PHOTO: LAI YUEH-CHUNG

RENÉE FLEMING WITH YOUR COLORADO SYMPHONY

RENÉE FLEMING, soprano

CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor

Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 7:30pm

Boettcher Concert Hall

TCHAIKOVSKY Polonaise from Eugene Onegin

HAZEL DICKENS “Pretty Bird”

HANDEL “Care selve” from Atalanta

CANTELOUBE “Bailero”

STRAUSS “Waldseligkeit”

MARIA SCHNEIDER “Walking by Flashlight” from Winter Morning Walks

MARIA SCHNEIDER “Our Finch Feeder” from Winter Morning Walks

BJÖRK “All Is Full of Love”

— INTERMISSION —

BERNSTEIN West Side Story Overture

HOWARD SHORE “Twilight and Shadow” from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

KEVIN PUTS "Evening”

RODGERS/HAMMERSTEIN “Hello Young Lovers” from The King and I

RODGERS/HAMMERSTEIN “The Sound of Music” from The Sound of Music

MASCAGNI Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana

LEONCAVALLO “Musette svaria sulla bocca viva” from La Boheme

PUCCINI “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi

CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS AND 5 MINUTES INCLUDING A 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION

FIRST TIME TO THE SYMPHONY? SEE PAGE 7 OF THIS PROGRAM FOR FAQ’S TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE GREAT!

SPOTLIGHT BIOGRAPHIES

RENÉE FLEMING, soprano

Renée Fleming is one of the most celebrated singers of our time, 2023 Kennedy Center Honoree Renée Fleming captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence. Honored with five Grammy® awards and the US National Medal of Arts, she has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, to the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, to the Super Bowl. In May, Renée was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health by the World Health Organization.

Renée’s current concert calendar includes appearances in London, Vienna, Milan, Los Angeles, and at Carnegie Hall. In November, she starred in the world premiere staging of The Hours, a new opera based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and award-winning film, at the Metropolitan Opera. In March, she portrayed Pat Nixon in a new production of Nixon in China at the Opéra de Paris. Renée stars in an upcoming series of IMAX films, Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing, highlighting the music of great cultural capitals, with performances and visits to notable locations.

Renée has recorded everything from complete operas and song recitals to indie rock and jazz. In January, Decca released a special double-length album of live recordings from Renée’s iconic performances at the Metropolitan Opera, Renée Fleming: Greatest Moments at the Met. In February, Renée received the Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo for her album Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene, with Yannick Nézet-Seguin as pianist. A collection of classical songs and specially commissioned world premieres, the album focuses on nature as both inspiration and victim of human activity. Known for bringing new audiences to classical music and opera, Renée has sung not only with Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli, but also with Elton John, Paul Simon, Sting, Josh Groban, and Joan Baez. Her voice is featured on the soundtracks of Best Picture Oscar winners The Shape of Water and The Lord of the Rings.

In recent years, Renée has become a leading advocate for research at the intersection of arts, health, and neuroscience. As Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, she launched the first ongoing collaboration between America’s national cultural center and the National Institutes of Health. She has presented her program Music and the Mind in more than 50 cities around the world, and launched Music and Mind LIVE, a weekly web show that amassed nearly 700,000 views, from 70 countries. She is a founding advisor for major initiatives in this field, including the Sound Health Network at the University of California San Francisco and the NeuroArts Blueprint at Johns Hopkins University.

In addition to leading SongStudio at Carnegie Hall, Renée is Co-Director of the Aspen Opera Center and VocalARTS at the Aspen Music Festival, and Advisor for Special Projects at LA Opera. Renée’s other awards include the 2023 Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum, the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit, and France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneu

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CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor

Australian conductor Christopher Dragon is the Music Director of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra and Resident Conductor of the Colorado Symphony. He joined the Colorado Symphony in the 2015/2016 Season as Associate Conductor – a position he held for four years. For three years prior, Dragon held the inaugural position of Assistant Conductor with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, which gave him the opportunity to work closely with Principal Conductor Asher Fisch.

Dragon has a versatile portfolio ranging from live-to-picture performances including Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, a wide variety of collaborations with artists such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Cynthia Erivo and Joshua Bell, to standard and contemporary orchestral repertoire such as Danny Elfman’s Violin Concerto, Eleven Eleven; all areas of which he has become highly sought after. Christopher has become known for his charisma, high energy and affinity for a good costume, consistently delivering unforgettable performances that has made him an audience favourite.

Recent highlights include his successful debut with the San Francisco Symphony, performances of Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton with Danny Elfman reprising the role of Jack Skellington and historic performances with Nathaniel Rateliff at Walt Disney Concert Hall and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Upcoming debuts include the WRD Funkhausorchester, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.

Christopher is highly sought after as a guest conductor and has worked with San Francisco Symphony, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Utah Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Modesto Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. In Australia, he has guest conducted the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. His 2015 debut performance at the Sydney Opera House with John Pyke and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was released on album by ABC Music and won an ARIA the following year He has also conducted at numerous festivals including the Breckenridge and Bangalow Music Festivals, with both resulting in immediate re-invitations. At the beginning of 2016 Dragon conducted Wynton Marsalis’ Swing Symphony as part of the Perth International Art Festival alongside Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Christopher began his conducting studies in 2011 and was a member of the prestigious Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program in Australia under the guidance of course director Christopher Seaman. He has also studied with numerous distinguished conductors including Leonid Grin, Paavo and Neeme Jarvi at the Jarvi Summer Festival, Fabio Luisi at the Pacific Music Festival and conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.