FREE PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT
2019/20
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
2019/20 SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR:
THE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. COLORADO HOLIDAY HUMANITARIAN AWARDS PERFORMED BY YOUR COLORADO SYMPHONY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DR. MLK, JR. HOLIDAY COMMISSION BERTIE BAIGENT, conductor GLORIA NEAL, mistress of ceremonies E’LISSA JONES, violin MICHAEL CHIPMAN, piano FRANKIE LE’TROY, spoken word MARISA GLASBY-BEAVER, vocalist DEVAN BLAKE JONES, vocalist DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. COLORADO MASS CHOIR, Angela Faison, director
LANDMARK TABERNACLE YOUTH CHOIR Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at 7:00 pm Boettcher Concert Hall
PERFORMANCE SELECTIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED FROM STAGE Wilma J. Webb Founders Award Tamara Banks Syl Morgan-Smith Achievement Syl Morgan-Smith Honorable Upshaw Lifetime Achievement Jerome & JoKatherine Page Hazel Whitsett continued on next page PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY SOUNDINGS
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FREE PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT
2019/20
Humanitarian Award Aubrey J. Lavizzo, DVM African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs Alan Harrison Berg Award Alan Harrison Berg CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AND 31 MINUTES WITH A 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION.
CLASSICS
Strauss A Hero’s Life conducted by Brett Mitchell MAR 6-8 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 n
Brett Mitchell, conductor The Percussion Collective RAVEL Boléro CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS Drum Circles: Concerto for 7 Percussionists and Orchestra R. STRAUSS Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life)
tickets: coloradosymphony.org PROGRAM 2
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PUBLIC BENEFIT BIOGRAPHIES
PHOTO: BEN DURRANT
BERTIE BAIGENT, assistant conductor Bertie Baigent is rapidly building an international reputation as an exciting and dynamic conductor-composer. He is Assistant Conductor of the Colorado Symphony, Music Director of Waterperry Opera Festival and Principal Guest Conductor of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra; other groups he has worked with include the Dallas Symphony, the WDR Sinfonieorchester, and the Gürzenich-Orchester. Bertie has assisted conductors including Sir Mark Elder, Edward Gardner, and Jac van Steen, and has participated in masterclasses with Martyn Brabbins, Pierre-André Valade, and as part of the Dirigentenforum in Germany. Winner of the Royal Academy of Music’s Sir Henry Wood Scholarship and Ernest Read Prize in 2017, Bertie was the youngest semi-finalist in the London Symphony Orchestra Donatella Flick Conducting Competition 2018, and in 2017 participated in the Deutscher Dirigentenpreis. He is a Lies Askonas Fellow with Askonas Holt. Also at home in the world of opera, recent engagements have included The Magic Flute at Waterperry Opera Festival, Partenope for Hampstead Garden Opera, and work with Helios Opera and OperaUpClose. New music is particularly important to Bertie, with collaborations including those with the London Sinfonietta, the Phaedra Ensemble, the Royal Academy Contemporary Ensemble, and 4|12 Collective. Bertie’s compositions have been widely performed by artists such as the Aurora Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia, the Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, and the viol consort Fretwork, and have been heard in venues such as the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the Royal Festival Hall. He has been awarded prizes and commissions by organizations including the Royal Philharmonic Society, the BBC, the National Centre for Early Music, and the Royal College of Organists. His works have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, and other European radio stations, and are published by Stainer & Bell. Bertie is a prize-winning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and trained as a cellist and pianist before focusing on conducting and composition. He read music at the University of Cambridge, graduating with a double first in 2016, and subsequently completed his master’s at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating with distinction and DipRAM in 2018.
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. COLORADO HOLIDAY COMMISSION The purpose of the Statewide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission is to unify and educate communities within the State of Colorado and encourage appropriate observations, ceremonies and activities in commemoration of the federal holiday and state legal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. throughout all the towns, cities, school districts, counties and local governments within Colorado.
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PUBLIC BENEFIT BIOGRAPHIES E’LISSA JONES, violin Violinist, pianist, guitarist, singer-song writer and educator, E’lissa Jones has dreamed of playing with the Colorado Symphony since she was nine years old. She began playing violin at the age of 10 and wrote her first instrumental composition at the age of 12. Primarily self-taught through school, she amazed her school music teachers with her natural feel for the music. In high school, she was the leader of an all-African-American classical string quintet called the Ebony Strings. She attended the University of Northern Colorado and studied violin with Professor Richard Fuchs. She then moved to New York State and graduated with a BA from Mount Saint Mary’s College. She then achieved her MA from Long Island University. E’lissa has traveled the world touring with many national acts such as Wilson Pickett, Ray Charles, Al Green, B.B. King, and many more. E’lissa is now on the high school orchestra faculty with the Warwick Valley School District in Hudson Valley, New York, where she has continued encouraging Black students in the classics. She is the leader of the E’lissa Jones Band and plays in several classical music ensembles. She has recorded several CDs and DVDs which can be seen/heard at www.ElissaJones.com
FRANKIE LE’TROY, spoken word Frankie Le’Troy is an internationally recognized poet. As a child, Frankie suffered a severe speech impediment which caused him to have to re-learn how to speak as an adult. He gives full credit to God for his miraculous healing. Frankie’s first poems have been shared around the U.S and also in Europe and Africa. His poems have also been used for course study at Minnesota University. Appearing in several documentaries including the film Transcending Stuttering, Frankie has become an ambassador for anyone who has been afraid to share their voice. He has become a professional actor landing a role in the Netflix film Amateur. His poems are known for their illustrative rhymes and passion that create a story he delivers to his audience. In Frankie’s words “He was the boy who couldn’t talk, now he is the man of many words”.
MICHAEL “CHIP” CHIPMAN, piano Michael “Chip” Chipman hails from southern California. When he was 13 years old his family relocated to Aurora, Colorado. Needing a credit in fine arts as part of his high school schedule, he reluctantly enrolled in the only class still available – Beginning Piano. To the amazement of all, within weeks the teenager who had never touched a piano in his life was playing Beethoven’s Für Elise. As his hidden talent blossomed, he began accompanying soloists, choirs, and saxophonists at church and community events throughout the Denver metropolitan area. By the time he was 16 he had entered and won a city-wide competition. Mike’s piano artistry continued to blossom through four years of college. Entering the military, he was accepted into the highly competitive Army Element School of Music where he graduated as Honor Student. In time, he achieved a longtime dream of auditioning and being accepted PROGRAM 4
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PUBLIC BENEFIT BIOGRAPHIES into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, with a major in Film Scoring, making the Dean’s List in his first semester. He has an established reputation as a music director, teacher, keyboardist, composer/arranger, live concert performer, producer, assessment/ placement evaluator, songwriter, bandleader, curriculum developer and event organizer in many settings. In addition to his own recordings, he has been a featured part of the projects of others. “ChipMichael” has performed with bands, ensembles, and as a solo act both nationally and internationally. His eclectic musical repertoire ranges from gospel to reggae, R&B, pop, rock & roll, classical, salsa, and country western. His style appeals to multicultural audiences.
WILMA J. WEBB FOUNDERS AWARD TAMARA BANKS Award winning journalist Tamara Banks is freelance correspondent, anchor, and host of numerous local, national, and international news organizations who fights for social and political justice for neglected, under represented, invisible. She fights for equity around the world using her journalism gifts/resources to inform the world about political issues and crimes against humanity. Banks believes it is her life’s purpose to create more political awareness and impact humanity efforts around the world, enlightening all peoples about governmental, doctrinal and biased international social injustice issues.
SYL MORGAN-SMITH ACHIEVEMENT SYL MORGAN-SMITH The incomparable, Syl Morgan-Smith is recognized as one of Denver’s first media icons. Exceling in both television and radio, Syl Morgan-Smith is known both state wide and nationally for her service as one of Colorado’s first African American’s in television; serving as anchorwoman, television show host, and national radio news correspondent. She was an active member in many broadcasting and radio organizations, and received numerous local and national recognition for her contributions to both. Known as Denver’s First Lady of Gospel, Syl is an ordained minister at New Hope Baptist Church, is the founder and president of the Colorado Gospel Music Academy and Hall of Fame, a gospel singer, a woman of unwavering faith and community mentor. Syl Morgan-Smith has also served on numerous local and national civic and political commissions and organizations and was recognized as a presidential “Point of Light”, by President H. W. Bush. She received two honorary doctorates in communication and humanities from the Denver Institute of Urban Studies and Swisher Bible College respectively. To this day, you can find Ms. Smith busily involved in improving the lives of her community and serving in her church.
HONORABLE MENOLA UPSHAW LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT JEROME WHITTINGTON AND JOKATHERINE HOLLIMAN PAGE Jerome Page and JoKatherine (Holliman) Page, are natives of Colorado. Both grew up in Denver, attended East High School, and public colleges in Colorado. They grew up during the civil rights movement, and it was as if they were destined to be champions of social justice and civil rights, world-wide. They experienced the traumatic horror of the Emmit Till murder, the Montgomery SOUNDINGS
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PUBLIC BENEFIT BIOGRAPHIES Bus Boycott and The Little Rock 9 crisis. Their personal experiences include Jerome being denied entry to movie theaters, suffering racial profiling, marching against apartheid in South Africa, organizing counter demonstrations to a KKK rally in Colorado Springs, and working over 40 years as Urban League CEO in five different cities. JoKatherine participated in the March on Washington, the Women’s Strike for Peace in New York, created and directed the first Executive Women’s Center at the YWCA in Washington, DC and spent 13 years as the Public Affairs Citizen Advocate for the Tennessee Valley Authority. In 2010 they donated books and memorabilia from their personal library, to East High School’s lending library. When asked about the decision to donate such important, personal resources, JoKatherine said “Exposing the young people to our history is what counts, and who is responsible for that exposure? We are.” When asked about their life’s work JoKatherine replied, “…our passion is diversity, and our strength is connecting people, bringing them together to effect positive change. That’s something we just can’t give up; there is so much that still needs to be done.”
HAZEL G. WHITSETT Hazel Whitsett is the Co-Founder of the Northeast Women’s (Shelter) Center where she served as the Director from its inception in 1983 until 2011. The shelter, was a safe haven for women, and their children, escaping domestic violence. Under the direction of Ms. Whitsett, the facility expanded to offer its participants and the community to earn their GED’s, gain opportunities for intern programs, on-the-job training, and interviewing and resume skills building. In addition, the center provided new moms with food, diapers, formula, strollers and car seats. She helped facilitate partnerships with the Gathering Place and Dress for Success to help low income, low literacy communities have resources to find and secure gainful employment to support their families and their community in a greater way. In addition to these things, Ms. Whitsett served as a Community Liaison for Senator Gary Hart and in an advisory capacity for Governor Roy Romer, Mayor Wellington E. Webb, Councilman Hiawatha Davis and various others in the political arena. She helped them understand the needs of the community that they were elected to serve. Although, Ms. Whitsett retired from the Northeast Women’s Center in 2011, she continued to serve in many of the same capacities as she’s done her entire life; busy serving the community through feeding the hungry, clothing those without, and being a friend to those that had no one in their lives. She has been a faithful member of Zion Baptist Church since 1952 and served in the Sunday School Ministry for 25 years.
HUMANITARIAN AWARD AUBREY J. LAVIZZO, DVM Dr. Aubrey Lavizzo ran a successful veterinary clinic and hospital in the Denver community for over 50 years. He served as an active, respected professional, outstanding leader in the field of Veterinary medicine as well as his community, an educator and servant in his community. Dr. Aubrey is dedicated to the personal growth, leadership development and community engagement of future leaders of all ages and modeled this by adopting his business district neighborhood on Santa Fe Avenue. He partnered with the neighborhood elementary schools and welcome the children to his clinic. He demonstrated the loving bond that develops between pets and their humans, being responsible pet owners, and the value of such relationships. In turn, he taught the children significance of empathy. Dr. Aubrey also PROGRAM 6
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PUBLIC BENEFIT BIOGRAPHIES partnered with the Veterinary Medicine programs at both Colorado State University and the University of Washington. He not only taught the students about veterinary medicine but also the importance of being engaged in the communities where they worked. He purposely invested time and effort into the development of compassionate leadership and engagement in community service of the students he interacted with. In 2011 the outstanding character, community engagement and dedication to leadership development Dr. Aubrey Lavizzo has exhibited garnered him the ultimate professional recognition of Colorado Veterinarian of the Year from the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association.
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF COLORADO SPRINGS The African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs is the only combined Black History and Genealogy society in Colorado. The Negro Historical Association of Colorado Springs was founded in 1981. The organization combined with the African American Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs in 2003 and the organization was renamed The African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs. The organization primarily serves Colorado’s Pikes Peak Region and provides African American Historical and Genealogical Workshops and events continually throughout the year. The organization also has a Black History Museum which was founded by Candice McKnight in 2009.
ALAN HARRISON BERG AWARD ALAN HARRISON BERG (January 1, 1934 – June 18, 1984) Alan Harrison Berg was an attorney turned popular talk radio host known for his liberal, outspoken viewpoints and confrontational interview style throughout the late seventies and early eighties.He used his on-air platform to speak out against anti-Semitism. On June 18, 1984, Berg was fatally shot by members of the white nationalist group The Order.
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. COLORADO HOLIDAY COMMISSION VERN L. HOWARD, Commission Chair TERRY NELSON, Vice Chair BARBARA SHANNON-BANISTER, Treasurer SHYRETTA HUDNALL, Statewide Special Events Chair CHRISTIAN STEWARD, Deputy Marade Commander
WE ARE PEOPLE YOUTH COMMITTEE HYRETTA HUDNALL, Committee Chair ALTON CLARK, Vice Chair SUNITA HUDNALL, Secretary MICHAEL HUGHES,Youth Advisor MYJAE MALOY, Youth Advisor
SOUNDINGS
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young professionals of the colorado symphony
expand your symphony experience Crescendo Society members attend happy hours around town, Colorado Symphony concerts, and exclusive events to support the Symphony.
new events and social hours — all year long! Check
CrescendoSociety
COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG/CRESCENDOSOCIETY