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David Alan Miller, Heinrich Medicus Music Director
CLARICE ASSAD
DAVID ALAN MILLER
Our activities include everything from musician support (housing, driving, ushering), staff support (office, work, concert going), and major fundraising events to delightful social gatherings.
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DAVID ALAN MILLER
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Heinrich Medicus Music Director
Two-time Grammy Award–winning conductor David Alan Miller has established a reputation as one of the leading American conductors of his generation. As music director of the Albany Symphony since 1992, Mr. Miller has proven himself a creative and compelling orchestra builder. Through exploration of unusual repertoire, educational programming, community outreach, and recording initiatives, he has reaffirmed the Albany Symphony’s reputation as the nation’s leading champion of American symphonic music and one of its most innovative orchestras. He and the orchestra have twice appeared at "Spring For Music," an annual festival of America's most creative orchestras at New York City's Carnegie Hall, and at the SHIFT Festival at the Kennedy
Center in Washington, D.C. Other accolades include Columbia University’s 2003 Ditson Conductor’s Award, the oldest award honoring conductors for their commitment to American music, the 2001 ASCAP Morton Gould Award for Innovative Programming, and, in 1999, ASCAP’s first-ever Leonard Bernstein Award for Outstanding Educational Programming.
Frequently in demand as a guest conductor, Mr. Miller has worked with most of America’s major orchestras, including the orchestras of Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco, as well as the New World Symphony, the Boston Pops, and the New York City Ballet. In addition, he has appeared frequently throughout Europe, the UK, Australia, and the Far East as guest conductor. Since 2019, Mr. Miller has served as Artistic Advisor to the Little Orchestra Society in New York City, and, from 2006 to 2012, served as Artistic Director of “New Paths in Music,” a festival of new music from around the world, also in New York City.
Mr. Miller received his most recent Grammy Award in 2021 for his recording of Christopher Theofanidis’ Viola Concerto, with Richard O’Neill and the Albany Symphony, and his first Grammy in 2014 for his Naxos recording of John Corigliano's "Conjurer," with the Albany Symphony and Dame Evelyn Glennie. His extensive discography also includes recordings of the works of Todd Levin with the London Symphony Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon, as well as music by Michael Daugherty, Kamran Ince, Michael Torke (London/Decca), Luis Tinoco, and Christopher
Rouse (Naxos). His recordings with the Albany Symphony include discs devoted to the music of John Harbison, Roy Harris, Morton Gould, Don Gillis, Aaron J. Kernis, Peter Mennin, and Vincent Persichetti on the Albany Records label. He has also conducted the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic in three acclaimed recordings on Naxos.
A native of Los Angeles, David Alan Miller holds a bachelor’s degree from the
University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard School. Prior to his appointment in Albany, Mr. Miller was associate conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. From 1982 to 1988, he was music director of the New York Youth Symphony, earning considerable acclaim for his work with that ensemble. Mr. Miller lives in Slingerlands, New York, a rural suburb of Albany.
MISSION
STATEMENT:
The Albany Symphony Orchestra celebrates our living musical heritage. Through brilliant live performances, innovative educational programming, and engaging cultural events, the Albany Symphony enriches a broad and diverse regional community. By creating, recording, and disseminating the music of our time, the Albany Symphony is establishing an enduring artistic legacy that is reshaping the nation’s musical future.
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ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL
DAVID ALAN MILLER
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Heinrich Medicus Music Director
The Albany Symphony's string sections use revolving seating. Players behind the stationary chairs change seats systematically and are listed alphabetically.
Barbara Lapidus ^ ENDOWED BY MARISA AND ALLAN EISEMANN
Gabriela Rengel ^
Brigitte Brodwin
Ouisa Fohrhaltz
Heather Frank-Olsen
Emily Frederick
Rowan Harvey
Margret E. Hickey
Christine Kim
Aleksandra Labinska
Myles Mocarski
Kae Nakano
Harriet Dearden Welther
VIOLA
Noriko Futagami PRINCIPAL ENDOWED IN PERPETUITY BY THE ESTATE OF ALLAN F. NICKERSON
Sharon Bielik
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Carla Bellosa
Daniel Brye ^
Ting-Ying Chang-Chien
Anna Griffis
Hannah Levinson
CELLO
Susan Ruzow Debronsky
PRINCIPAL SPONSORED BY AL DE SALVO & SUSAN THOMPSON
Erica Pickhardt
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Hikaru Tamaki ^
Kevin Bellosa
Marie-Therese Dugre
Catherine Hackert
Li Pang
BASS
Bradley Aikman PRINCIPAL
Philip R. Helm
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Michael Fittipaldi ^ Luke Baker
James Caiello
Joshua DePoint
FLUTE
Ji Weon Ryu + PRINCIPAL
Mathew Ross +
OBOE
Karen Hosmer
PRINCIPAL
Grace Shryock
CLARINET
VACANT
PRINCIPAL IN MEMORY OF F.S. DEBEER, JR. -ELSA DEBEER IN MEMORY OF JUSTINE R.B. PERRY -DAVID A. PERRY
Bixby Kennedy
BASSOON
VACANT
PRINCIPAL ENDOWED IN PERPETUITY BY THE ESTATE OF RICHARD SALISBURY
HORN
William J. Hughes PRINCIPAL
Joseph Demko
Alan Parshley
Victor Sungarian
TRUMPET
Eric M. Berlin
PRINCIPAL
Eric J. Latini
TROMBONE
Greg Spiridopoulos
PRINCIPAL
Karna Millen +
BASS TROMBONE
Charles Morris
TUBA
Derek Fenstermacher PRINCIPAL
TIMPANI
Kuljit Rehncy + PRINCIPAL
PERCUSSION
VACANT PRINCIPAL
Mark Foster
HARP
Lynette Wardle PRINCIPAL
PERSONNEL MANAGER
J.J. Johnson
LIBRARIANS
Jessica Bowen Myles Mocarski
UNION STEWARD
Greg Spiridopoulos
SYMBOL KEY ^ STATIONARY CHAIR + ON LEAVE
THE FOUR SEASONS + ESMAIL
SATURDAY | MARCH 16, 2024 | 7:30 PM
SUNDAY | MARCH 17, 2024 | 3:00 PM
TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL
DAVID ALAN MILLER, CONDUCTOR | MOLLY NETTER, SOPRANO RAVENNA LIPCHIK, EDSON SCHEID, AMELIA SIE AND SHELBY YAMIN, VIOLINS
Derek Bermel Murmurations
I. Gathering at Gretna Green
II. Gliding over Algiers
III. Swarming Rome
Reena Esmail
Antonio Vivaldi
The History of Red
INTERMISSION
The Four Seasons (1678-1741)
Violin Concerto No. 1, “Spring”
I. Allegro
II. Largo e pianissimo sempre
III. Allegro pastorale
Violin Concerto No. 2, “Summer”
I. Allegro non molto
II. Adagio e piano – Presto e forte
III. Presto
Violin Concerto No. 3, “Autumn”
I. Allegro
II. Adagio molto
III. Allegro
Violin Concerto No. 4, “Winter”
I. Allegro non molto
II. Largo
III. Allegro
CONCERT SPONSORS
All programs and artists are subject to change. During the performance, please silence mobile devices. Recording and photographing any part of the performance is strictly prohibited.
OVERVIEW
Today’s concert is an homage (with strings prominent) to the natural world and our place in it, from Antonio Vivaldi’s charming sojourn through the year, meteorologically speaking; to Derek Bermel’s evocation of a flock of starlings (called a “murmuration”); and to Reena Esmail’s setting of Linda Hogan’s fierce poem about the history of the world, with reference to a color that suggests both life and death.
ANTONIO VIVALDI
There are a number of interesting things to say about Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741). He was the son of a prominent violinist in a city that was absolutely passionate about music thanks, in part, to the influence of composer Giovanni Gabrieli. Vivaldi studied for the priesthood and was known as “il prete rosso” (the red-haired priest). For 36 years he taught and composed music at the Ospedale della Pieta, one of four Venetian schools for orphaned and illegitimate girls, all of whom were subsequently well trained in music. He wrote hundreds of concertos for these students. He also composed more than 40 operas, many commissioned by European royalty. During his lifetime he was much admired but, as musical tastes changed, his music found less favor: It
THE FOUR SEASONS
wasn’t until the 20th century that interest was renewed and, in fact, lost copies of his works were discovered.
In a masterstroke of word painting, Vivaldi traverses all four seasons in just over 40 minutes. That's four our three-movement concertos in two-thirds of an hour!
It was probably Vivaldi himself who wrote the four sonnets on which these concertos are based. So precisely did he want the music to match the words that he wrote each line right above the corresponding measure. As you listen to each concerto, you will hear the events described in the poem brought to life by the violin soloist and the string orchestra.
“Spring”
Allegro: Spring has returned and festively Is greeted by the birds in happy song; And fountains fanned by little zephyrs Murmur sweetly in the constant flow. When skies are mantled all in black Lightning flash and thunder roar; When these have finished the little birds Return to carol their enchanting song.
ANTONIO VIVALDI
Largo: While upon the flowering meadow Amid the murmuring leaves and boughs Sleep the goatherd and his trusty dog.
Allegro: To country bagpipes’ festive sound Nymphs and shepherds dance underneath Beloved springtime’s brilliant skies.
The bounce of the first movement suggests the vitality of this fresh season. New life is pushing up all over. Birds trill, echoing each other. In the second movement, as Edward Downes suggests, the dog’s alert bark is heard in the violas. Finally, the village erupts in a dance, with the bagpipes hinted at in the drawn-out notes in the lower voices.
“Summer”
Allegro non molto: Beneath the blazing sun’s relentless heat Men and flocks are sweltering; Pines are scorched. We hear the cuckoo’s voice; then sweet songs Of the turtledove and finch are heard. Soft breezes stir the air, But threatening north wind sweeps them aside. The shepherd trembles, fearful Of violent storm and what may lie ahead.
Adagio: His limbs are now awakened
From their repose By fear of lightning’s flash And thunder’s roar As gnats and flies buzz furiously around.
Presto Alas, his worst fears were justified As the heavens roar and great hailstorms Beat down upon the proudly standing corn.
The first movement alternates between languid and energetic music, befitting the events described: torpid creatures, but emotionally agitated by impending bad weather. The adagio captures the meditative quality of the shepherd (solo instrument) and the tormenting insects (the orchestra). The presto is really perpetual motion as everyone runs for cover from the pounding hailstones.
“Autumn”
Allegro: With song and dance the peasant celebrates His joy in a fine harvest, And with generous draughts of Bacchus’s cup, His efforts end in sleep.
Adagio: Song and dance are done; The gentle, pleasant air and the season Invite one and all to the delights Of sweetest sleep.
Allegro: At first light the huntsman sets out With horns, guns, and dogs, Putting his prey to flight and following its tracks. Terrified and exhausted by the great clamor Of guns and dogs, wounded and afraid, The prey tries to flee but is caught and dies.
It is not difficult to see how—with instrumentation, volume, special effects and speed—Vivaldi conjures up the events described in this poem, starting with the exuberant dancing and drunken stumbling of the first quatrain; then the peaceful rest mentioned in the second four lines; and, finally, the jumpy little figure in the strings, mimicking the horn that announces the daily chase. Of course, the solo violin gets a workout as it describes the efforts of the quarry (fox?) to avoid capture, to no avail.
“Winter”
Allegro non molto: To shiver icily in the freezing dark In the teeth of a cruel wind, To stamp your feet all the time, So chilled that your teeth chatter;
Largo: To remain in quiet contentment by the fireside While outside the rain pours in torrents; To walk on the ice, with slow steps In fear of falling, advance with care;
Allegro: Then to step forth strongly, fall to the ground, And again run boldly on the ice Until it cracks and breaks;
To listen as from the iron portals Rush winds from south and north, And all the winds in contest: Such is winter—such the joys it brings.
If this is Vivaldi’s idea of a Venetian winter, what would he have made of a New York one? The opening movement evokes the physical torments of cold weather. The second movement conjures up two contrasting environments: The pizzicato playing of the orchestra represents the pitter-patter of cold rain on a house, which shelters the lucky ones having a fireside chat (the solo violin). Finally, treacherous ice, over which we slip and slide and through which we occasionally plunge, is depicted, as are violent winds. Question: Do we read the word “joys” in the last line ironically? You bet.
The Four Seasons were the first four concertos in a set of 12 published in 1725.
Concert notes by Paul Lamar
THE HISTORY OF RED
The first time I heard Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, it changed my life. I was 14 years old, and as I sat under the stars at the beautiful Ford Theater on a summer night in Los Angeles with my parents, I completely identified with the voice of the child who narrates the text of the piece—so aware of the huge, complex world that I was seeing, even through young eyes. Just trying to parse it all. I can pinpoint that one performance as a pivotal moment in my decision to be a musician. I just wanted to be someone who could create that kind of beauty.
The History of Red is borne from the same bones as Knoxville: It is also a large-scale work for soprano and chamber orchestra (intentionally written for the same instrumentation), where the singer grapples with the world around her. And yet it is different — Linda Hogan’s beautiful text is clearly the voice of an adult woman, aware not only of her own current world, but of the entire, complex history of her ancestors. Perhaps that is why her words instantly grabbed me — at this time in the world, when we are each grappling with our own complicated, intertwined histories, her journey felt so resonant to me.
I wrote this piece as the pandemic was raging around the world, as the effects of decades of racism hit a new fever pitch in the US, and as we headed into the 2020 presidential election with so much trepidation. My own complicated history, and the history of this time, is also embedded in every note of this piece.
I love the last lines of Hogan’s poem: “This life in the fire, I love it / I want it, / this life.” What an incredible aspiration: More than simply agreeing to confront her own history, she beckons it. She craves a life of the deepest engagement with it. It feels to me like the most beautiful way to build the world we want to see from a ashes of the world that has fallen apart.
Program notes by Reena Esmail
MURMURATIONS
When I listen to and watch a string orchestra play, I’m reminded of a flock of birds. Visually and aurally, the performers seek unity on many levels—attention to tuning, tone, clarity of rhythm, consistency and pressure of bowing. They glide and dive in formation, soaring together or splitting into layers of counterpoint before regrouping into a single unit. During my year living in Rome, I was often treated to the graceful spectacle of a starling murmuration. The birds' stunning, geometrical displays of aviation prior to settling down for the night are a humbling sight to behold. In fact, starlings’ mass motion suggests “emergence,” a concept in Game Theory that explains how simple interactions can engender complex systems.
In “Murmurations” I attempted to map onto a musical structure some of the behavior I observed in the starlings’ flight. Their collective push and pull, swoop and parallel movement manifest in the opening movement, “Gathering near Gretna Green,” titled for the Scottish village where starlings frequently assemble. The music hovers and swoops, culminating in a cadenza—the lone concertmaster briefly separates from the flock for a rare individual moment, and is again swallowed up into the mass motion. In the middle movement, “Soaring over Algiers,” the melodic line glides alone, then in double, and finally triple layers of counterpoint, over arpeggios in the lower strings. I was inspired to write the third movement, “Swarming Rome,” upon learning that starlings signal and sense subtle directional intent to and from their neighbors seven birds distant. Here the notes travel in loose clusters, darting and fluttering, far enough from each other to maneuver through the air, yet close enough to respond to sudden shifts in the murmuration’s rhythm and cadence.
“Murmurations” was co-commissioned by the New Century Chamber Orchestra, the
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and partner A Far Cry. For inspiration, violinists Nadja SalernoSonnenberg, Steve Copes, Jae Young Cosmos Lee and Cho-Liang Lin; writers Siobhan Roberts and Noah Strycker; mathematician Helmut
Violinist Ravenna Lipchik made her debut with the Milwaukee Symphony at the age of 8 playing the Bach Double Violin Concerto. Now a Grammy Award-winning artist for her work with the Experiential Orchestra on Ethel Smyth’s The Prison, her chamber music career has taken her around the world. She has performed and toured with the New Zealand String Quartet, the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) and Shattered Glass ensemble. Lipchik is a member of the Overlook String Quartet in NYC. This season’s highlights include touring with Les Arts Florissants production of Fairy Queen and a release of Schumann piano trios on the Deux-Elles label. She received her modern violin training at the San Francisco Conservatory and The Juilliard School, where she is a graduate of both their modern and Historical Performance programs.
Hofer; and photographer Richard Barnes. Special thanks to Alecia Lawyer, Parker Monroe, Kyu-Young Kim, Todd Vunderink, Anthony Cornicello and Elizabeth Dworkin.
Program notes by Derek Bermel
Entrenched in a multitude of styles from an early age, Canadian-American soprano Molly Netter enlivens complex and beautiful music, both old and new. Noted for her “natural warmth” (LA Times) and “clear, beautiful tone” (NY Times), Netter's voice can be heard on five Grammy-nominated albums since 2017. Highly sought after as a soloist, ’22-’23 season engagements include her debut with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer at Carnegie Hall, the premiere of Katherine Balch’s Illuminate with the California Symphony, as well as solo appearances with both the Fort Worth and Johnstown Symphonies for Handel’s Messiah. This season also includes the anticipated release of three new recordings: David Lang’s the little match girl passion for solo quartet on Cantaloupe music, gallant music
RAVENNA LIPCHIK
MOLLY NETTER
from “the New Spain” recorded in Madrid with Camerata Antonio Soler on Orchid Classics, and a video concert of 16th century song with Voices of Music in Berkeley, California.
Recent performance highlights include the US premiere of prayers for night and sleep by David Lang conducted by Joe Hisaishi at Carnegie Hall and in Tokyo. Netter has also been presented as soloist by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Early Music Festival, New World Symphony, Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra, Bang-on-a-Can All Stars, and on tour in Japan, Singapore and Burma under Masaaki Suzuki. Consistently engaged in early and new music, Molly was a featured curator/performer on Trinity Wall Street’s 2019 “Time’s Arrow Festival,” leading an eclectic evening of Barbara Strozzi paired with newly commissioned works. In 2020 she began commissioning an entirely new repertoire for self-accompanied singer and clavicytherium, working with composers to emphasize the florid voice, early music vocal techniques and improvisation.
Netter holds a BM in composition and contemporary voice from Oberlin Conservatory and an MM in early music voice from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.
To learn more about Molly Netter, visit mollynettervoice.com
Edson Scheid has been praised for his “polished playing” (The Strad), and for being a “virtuoso violinist” (The Boston Globe). His performance of Strauss’s song Morgen at Carnegie Hall alongside Joyce DiDonato and Il Pomo d’Oro was described as follows: “The concertmaster, Scheid, proved a worthy foil as violin soloist” (The New York Times).
A native of Brazil, Scheid is based in New York City, where he plays with some of the city’s leading ensembles, including the Trinity Baroque Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, American Classical Orchestra, Musica Sacra New York, The Clarion Orchestra and New
York Classical Players. He frequently performs throughout the United States, on both modern and period instruments, and in Europe, Asia, North and South America with such ensembles as Il Pomo d’Oro and Les Arts Florissants. As concertmaster, Scheid has led performances with Seraphic Fire, Washington Bach Consort, Il Pomo d’oro, Music Sacra New York, Juilliard415, The Clarion Orchestra, and Teatro Nuovo, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Cullen Theater at Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Sala São Paulo, Harris Hall in Chicago, the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.
Scheid’s many performances of Paganini’s 24 Caprices, on both period and modern violins, have been received with enthusiasm around the world. He has been featured live in-studio on In Tune from BBC Radio 3 and his recording of the Caprices on the baroque violin for the Naxos label has been critically acclaimed: “Far from being mere virtuoso stunts, Scheid’s Caprices abound in the beauty and revolutionary spirit of these works...” (Fanfare magazine).
EDSON SCHEID
Scheid holds degrees from the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg, the Yale School of Music and The Juilliard School, where he was the recipient of a Kovner Fellowship. He is a two-time winner of the Historical Performance Concerto Competition at Juilliard, and a recipient of the Broadus Erle Prize at Yale.
To learn more about Edson Scheid, visit edsonscheid.com
Based in New York, violinist and violist Amelia Sie is a virtuosic and adventurous performer on both Baroque and modern instruments. As a historical performer, she has appeared on stage with Juilliard415, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Trinity Baroque Orchestra, and Teatro Nuovo, among others. Equally comfortable on the modern violin, Sie made her first public appearance with the Seattle Festival Orchestra at the young age of 8 and has since performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Seattle Symphony and the Coeur D’Alene Symphony.
Along with Vivian Mayers, Jimmy Drancsak, and Chelsea Bernstein, Sie is a member of the Arrow Quartet, a historically informed ensemble that explores and performs music across genres with the goals of expanding the historical performance music canon and creating a more inclusive concert experience. Notable engagements include Roger Williams University, the Dedham Museum & Archive, and Community Strings Project in Rhode Island.
Known for her exuberant and fiery performances, Sie specializes in the performance practice of Italian virtuoso music from the 17th to 19th centuries. She is also interested in the performance practice of music from the Classical to early Romantic periods. The year 2021 saw her solo viola debut performing Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ Sinfonia Concertante Op. 10 No. 2 with Juilliard415. This 2023-2024 season, Sie looks forward to appearances with the GEMS Midtown Concerts and Musicians of the Old Post Road.
Sie received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Violin Performance from New England Conservatory, where she studied with Paul Biss, Miriam Fried and Soovin Kim. She graduated in 2023 from The Juilliard School with a master’s degree in Historical Performance, where she studied with Cynthia Roberts, Elizabeth Blumenstock and Rachel Podger. Sie is honored to have been named a Mercury Chamber Orchestra Mercury-Juilliard Fellow for the 2023-24 concert year, as well as a Handel+Haydn Society Stone Fellow for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 concert years.
Sie proudly performs on a Peter Westerlund modern violin and a Timothy Johnson baroque violin.
To learn more about Amelia Sie, visit ameliasie.com
Violinist Shelby Yamin brings signature vivacity to performances across the globe, from the historic state rooms of George Washington’s Mount Vernon to the storied chapel at Versailles. Equally adept on modern and baroque violin, Yamin has appeared as a soloist with Philharmonia Baroque Chamber Players, New York Baroque
AMELIA SIE
Incorporated, the San Francisco Academy Orchestra, Tafelmusik Winter Institute, and as guest concertmaster of the 2019 Berwick Academy of the Oregon Bach Festival. Also an active chamber musician, she regularly collaborates with a wide range of New Yorkbased ensembles and Cleveland’s Les Délices. Dedicated to diversifying the canon, Yamin regularly researches, performs and records lesser-known works, including 18th-century repertoire from the music library of Nelly Custis and, more recently, the violin duets of Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen (1745-1818).
Yamin’s discography includes the first ever recording of Sirmen’s entire opus of violin duets on period instruments (Orpheus Classical Label, 2021) and a forthcoming album on Paladino Records of contemporary music for harpsichord, violin and flute.
Yamin has earned degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and The Juilliard School, where she won the Historical Performance Concerto Competition. In addition to her active performance and teaching career, Yamin is the Associate Producer of SalonEra, an online
webseries that blends conversation and performances from a diverse slate of early music musicians. She currently resides in New York City. To learn more about Shelby Yamin, visit shelby-yamin.com
Indian-American composer Reena Esmail works between the worlds of Indian and Western classical music, and brings communities together through the creation of equitable musical spaces. Her life and music were profiled on Season 3 of the PBS Great Performances series Now Hear This, as well as 'Frame of Mind,' a podcast from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Esmail divides her attention evenly between orchestral, chamber and choral work. She has written commissions for ensembles including the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Kronos Quartet, and her music has featured on multiple Grammy-nominated albums, including The Singing Guitar by Conspirare, BRUITS by Imani Winds, and Healing Modes by Brooklyn Rider. Many of her choral works are published by Oxford University Press.
REENA ESMAIL
SHELBY YAMIN
Esmail is the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 2020-2025 Swan Family Artist in Residence, and was Seattle Symphony’s 2020-21 Composer-in-Residence. She also holds awards/ fellowships from United States Artists, the S&R Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Kennedy Center.
Esmail holds degrees in composition from The Juilliard School (BM’05) and the Yale School of Music (MM’11, MMA’14, DMA’18). Her primary teachers have included Susan Botti, Aaron Jay Kernis, Christopher Theofanidis, Christopher Rouse and Samuel Adler. She received a Fulbright-Nehru grant to study Hindustani music in India. Her Hindustani music teachers include Srimati Lakshmi Shankar and Gaurav Mazumdar, and she currently studies and collaborates with Saili Oak. Her doctoral thesis, entitled "Finding Common Ground: Uniting Practices in Hindustani and Western Art Musicians," explores the methods and challenges of the collaborative process between Hindustani musicians and Western composers. Esmail was Composer-in-Residence for Street Symphony (2016-18) and is currently an Artistic Director of Shastra, a non-profit organization that promotes cross-cultural music connecting music traditions of India and the West. She currently resides in her hometown of Los Angeles. To learn more about Reena Esmail, visit ReenaEsmail.com
Composer and clarinetist Derek Bermel has been internationally recognized for his creativity, theatricality and virtuosity. Bermel is acclaimed for music that is “intricate, witty, clear-spoken, tender, and extraordinarily beautiful [and] covers an amazing amount of ground, from the West African rhythms of Dust Dances to the Bulgarian folk strains of Thracian Echoes, to the shimmering harmonic splendor of Elixir. In the hands of a composer less assured, all that globe-trotting would seem like affectation; Bermel makes it an artistic imperative” (Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle). Bermel and his works have received
the Alpert Award in the Arts, Rome Prize, Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellowships, the Trailblazer Award from the American Music Center, and the Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Recordings of Bermel’s “unambiguously luscious” music (The New York Times), with the composer as clarinet soloist, have received three Grammy nominations: "Intonations" (Naxos, 2023), "Migrations" (Naxos, 2020) and "Voices" (BMOP, 2010). His "Migration Series" for jazz band and orchestra was acclaimed by Gramophone magazine as “exciting, compelling attention from the very first bars… Bermel succeeds with Bernsteinian élan.” Bermel’s newly recorded orchestral work A Shout, a Whisper, and a Trace, noted for its “ideal balance of tenderness and raucousness, of stillness and intricate rhythms” (Los Angeles Times), was cited as best of the year by The New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini for its “dizzying melting pot of folklike rhythms, droning tunes and pungent modernist harmonies, spiked with bursts of wailing jazz.” Bermel holds BA and DMA degrees from Yale University and the University of Michigan. Notable among his composition teachers are William Albright, Louis Andriessen, William Bolcom, Henri Dutilleux and Michael Tenzer. His music is published by Peermusic Classical (Americas, Asia) and Faber Music (Europe, Australia).
To learn more about Derek Bermel, visit DerekBermel.com
DEREK BERMEL
CUONG + BEETHOVEN
SATURDAY | APRIL 13, 2024 | 7:30 PM
SUNDAY | APRIL 14, 2024 | 3:00 PM
TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL
DAVID ALAN MILLER, CONDUCTOR
JUSTIN BENAVIDEZ, TUBA SANDBOX PERCUSSION
Viet Cuong
Viet Cuong
Viet Cuong
Next Week’s Trees
Tuba Concerto
I. Chaconne
II. Canticle
III. Chaconne
Re(new)al
I. Hydro
II. Wind
III. Solar
INTERMISSION
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 4 (1770-1827)
I. Adagio – Allegro vivace
II. Adagio
III. Scherzo-trio: Allegro vivace
IV. Allegro ma non troppo
All programs and artists are subject to change. During
OVERVIEW
Beethoven would have recognized Viet Cuong’s music insofar as structure is concerned: the concerto. Perhaps, however, he would have been flummoxed by the instrumental forces: a concerto for tuba and another for a percussion quartet? In fact, the tuba was invented eight years after Beethoven’s death. He might have better understood a piece for string orchestra, such as Next Week’s Trees, because he knew everything about string quartets.
But maybe he would not be surprised by anything our contemporary composers write, only intrigued. After all, he himself blew up many conventional notions about music!
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
In their book A History of Music and Musical Style, professors Homer Ulrich and Paul A. Pisk reiterate the long-held theory that the works of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) can be divided into three periods, artistic periods that are demarcated by external events.
The first extends from Beethoven’s early years in Bonn and his subsequent move to Vienna. (Interestingly, he disregarded his youthful musical efforts by making his op. 1 a work he wrote in Austria.) Some of these pieces include the first two symphonies and the first three piano concertos. His reputation was solidified during this period.
In 1802 signs of increasing deafness appeared, plunging him into despair. But as the authors
aver, “The mental depression that consumed Beethoven about 1802 and the deafness that grew ever more severe are not reflected in his music of his second period. Rather it is his reaction or response to his personal problem that comes to expression. If the works of the first period reveal a composer who brought boisterousness and unrestrained energy to the Classical style, those of the second period reveal one who expanded that style and touched expressive regions that Haydn and Mozart had not known or had avoided.”
The last period begins in 1815, when Beethoven undertook a two-year battle with his sister-in-law for custody of his young nephew, Karl. After the bruising court fight, which he won, Beethoven returned to composing but his interests—in life? in music?—had changed. “The subjective emotions of joy, sadness, or pensiveness gave way to the spiritualized equivalents of those moods; and an ethical purpose, which had been apparent in several earlier works, animates many of the later ones as well.” It was in this third period, of course, that he wrote the Symphony No. 9, Missa Solemnis, and the extraordinary string quartets.
SYMPHONY NO. 4
You’re in for a treat. This symphony in B-flat major is one of six composed during the second period. Consider the ones that book-end it: the “Eroica” and the mighty Fifth. Is it anamolous? Not according to Ulrich and Pisk. “The (second period) symphonies are completely individual in
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
content and expressive effect,” and if you’re familiar with numbers three-eight, you know exactly what they mean.
Written in the fall of 1806 (a year that saw the creation of the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra and the Piano Concerto No. 4), this work is, in a word, happy. Others have called it “joyous, or of a heavenly sweetness” (Berlioz) and “gentle” (Edward Downes), and for good reason: it emerged after a pleasant summer at the home of his patron, Count Lichnowsky. The first movement begins adagio, hushed. The strings tiptoe. Something will happen, but what? What key are we in? Nearly three minutes in an exuberant tune in B-flat major breaks forth. The entire movement is then propelled by spirited playing of a couple of bubbly themes taken up by all orchestral forces. Notice, too, the dynamic contrasts: sforzandi, crescendi, and sudden pianos. It’s also rhythmically alive. Syncopations? You bet. The first theme in the strings and the second in the winds get a workout in the development section. The recapitulation drives forward to a thrilling conclusion, with repeated B-flats providing the exclamation points.
In the second movement, marked adagio, a lovely string melody rides over a skipping, dotted figure in the lower strings. The winds then take up the tune. Again the ear catches the undercurrent that bubbles beneath the flowing melody in the strings or winds, particularly the clarinet. The trumpets insert themselves, with minor key gestures, but the flute soon returns to the charming little tune, with hiccups attending. Once again the clarinet solos, and a series of familiar phrases in various voices (flute, horn, bassoon) comment one last time before a couple of decisive chords.
The third movement appears to be in the typical scherzo-trio-scherzo format. The rhythmic accents of the scherzo (which means “joke” in Italian) are such that we can’t quite put our foot down in the right spot. The trio is a little lighter and more predictable than the scherzo: we can feel the ¾. The scherzo returns, making us feel
giddy and clumsy again. Then the ever-inventive Beethoven repeats the trio as well as part of the scherzo. Indeed, the joke’s on us!
The last movement starts off with fleet fingerwork in the strings, a perpetuum mobile. Listen for this figure throughout, a sort of rondo tune between other episodes in the movement. Fragments of melody are passed around from instrument to instrument—and “fragment” is the operative word. Can you keep up with this effect or that? Catch the quicksilver shifts to minor mode and back again? The ritardandos?
The silences? Everybody has a say in what Edward Downes has called “one of Beethoven’s merriest conclusions.”
Concert notes by Paul Lamar
RE(NEW)AL
I have tremendous respect for renewable energy initiatives and the commitment to creating a new, better reality for us all. Re(new)al is a percussion quartet concerto that is similarly devoted to finding unexpected ways to breathe new life into traditional ideas, and the solo quartet therefore performs on several “found” instruments, including crystal glasses and compressed air cans. And while the piece also features more traditional instruments, such as snare drum and vibraphone, I looked for ways to either alter their sounds or find new ways to play them. For instance, a single snare drum is played by all four members of the quartet, and certain notes of the vibraphone are prepared with aluminum foil to recreate sounds found in electronic music. The entire piece was conceived in this way, and even the accompaniment was written with these ideas in mind.
Cooperation and synergy are also core themes of the piece, as I believe we all have to work together to move forward. All of the music played by the solo quartet is comprised of single musical ideas that are evenly distributed between the four soloists (for those interested, the fancy musical term for this is a "hocket"). The music would therefore be dysfunctional without the presence and dedication of all four members.
For example, the quartet divvies up lightning-fast drum set beats in the second movement and then shares one glockenspiel in the last movement. But perhaps my favorite example of synergy in the piece is in the very opening, where the four soloists toast crystal glasses. We always toast glasses in the presence of others, and oftentimes to celebrate new beginnings. This is my simple way of celebrating everyone who is working together to create a cleaner, more efficient world.
Re(new)al is constructed of three continuous movements, each inspired by the power of hydro, wind and solar energies. The hydro movement transforms tuned crystal glasses into ringing hand bells as the wind ensemble slowly submerges the soloists in their sound. The second movement turns each member of the quartet into a blade of a dizzying wind turbine, playing seemingly-impossible '90s-inspired drum and bass patterns. The closing movement simulates a sunrise and evokes the brilliance of sunlight with metallic percussion instruments. This piece was originally written with a sinfonietta accompaniment, and in its original form was commissioned for the 2017 American Music Festival by David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony’s Dogs of Desire in partnership with GE Renewable Energy. A full orchestra version was commissioned in 2018 by the Albany Symphony, a wind ensemble version was commissioned by a consortium of universities and community ensembles in 2019, and a version for chamber winds was commissioned in 2021 by Thomas Verrier and the Vanderbilt Wind Symphony. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been involved in any of the four versions of this piece.
TUBA CONCERTO
Concerto for Tuba begins and ends with a chaconne—a musical form that centers around a repetitive bass line. As a composer who enjoys repetition and exploring ways to draw the most out of limited musical material, I’ve always found chaconnes attractive; however, what I find most compelling about a chaconne is how its repetitiveness can actually cause a listener to hear a bass line as a melody. This is
the opposite of what we might normally expect; as listeners we often associate melodies with the voices and instruments that occupy the higher registers—Maria Callas was a soprano and Luciano Pavarotti was a tenor, after all! As a result, the instruments that perform in the lowest registers more often than not take on the accompaniment roles. I love that a chaconne flips this notion, and I found it to be the perfect way to open and close a piece that pays tribute to the tuba, the lowest of brass instruments.
The piece begins with the tuba soloist performing a bass line that, through the accompaniment, blossoms upward with every note. The first movement builds in energy before it is abruptly “interrupted” by the second movement, and the third movement picks up where the first left off to conclude the piece. Between the opening and closing chaconnes lies a slow, spacious canticle that draws inspiration from the music of Palestrina, Gabrieli, and Vaughn Williams—all composers who were important to the evolution of the bass line’s importance, brass music, and (in Vaughn William’s case) the tuba concerto itself. I find this movement to be the heart of the piece, where the tuba soloist has the most room to sing and interpret the melodic material in ways that a soprano might in an aria.
The music surrounding the soloist in this movement often mimics the Shepard Tone—an auditory illusion where music sounds as if it’s constantly rising. In fact, this entire piece turns the simple act of rising into a prevailing musical motive. From the upward blossoming flurries in the work’s opening bars, to the Shepard tones in the second movement, to the endlessly ascending sequential motion in the chaconne’s return, the piece is almost obsessed with the act of climbing.
I realized early on that this approach would be a meaningful way to celebrate the tuba (and lowest register in general), as rising music inherently honors the lowest notes from which it first grew. And, in any piece, all the members of a wind ensemble must similarly look to the
tuba for a foundation when tuning or balancing chords. Ultimately, this entire concerto is an homage to the notion that the bass voice is, well, the base of all musical material.
This piece was commissioned by the Purdue University Fort Wayne Symphonic Wind Ensemble and a consortium of wind ensembles. Heartfelt thanks to all the consortium tubists, ensembles and conductors who brought this piece to life, and especially to Dr. Dan Tembras and Chance Trottman-Huiet for asking me to write this piece.
NEXT WEEK’S TREES
The title of this piece comes from Mary Oliver’s poem “Walking To Oak-Head Pond, And Thinking Of The Ponds I Will Visit In The Next Days And Weeks.” In this particular time of great loss, I was deeply inspired by Oliver’s words—words that are a gentle reminder of the uncertainty of the future, the confident hope of the present, and the propulsive force of life that drives us through any doubt that a new day will arrive.
Next Week’s Trees was commissioned by the California Symphony as part of their Young American Composer-in-Residence program. Heartfelt thanks to everyone at the California Symphony.
VIET CUONG
Called “alluring” and “wildly inventive” by The New York Times, the “arresting” (Gramophone) and “irresistible” (San Francisco Chronicle) music of Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong (b. 1990) has been commissioned and performed on six continents by musicians and ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Eighth Blackbird, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Sō Percussion, Alarm Will Sound, Atlanta Symphony, Sandbox Percussion, Albany Symphony, PRISM Quartet, and Dallas Winds, among many others. Cuong’s music has been featured in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, National
Gallery of Art, and Library of Congress, and his works for wind ensemble have amassed several hundreds of performances worldwide, including at Midwest, WASBE, and CBDNA conferences.
In his music Cuong enjoys exploring the unexpected and whimsical, and he is often drawn to projects where he can make peculiar combinations and sounds feel enchanting or oddly satisfying. His notable works thus include concerti for tuba and dueling oboes, percussion quartets utilizing wine glasses and sandpaper, and pieces for double reed sextet, cello octet and solo snare drum. This eclecticism extends to the variety of musical groups he writes for, and he has worked closely with ensembles ranging from middle school bands to Grammy-winning orchestras and chamber ensembles. His wind ensemble works are widely performed, having been programmed by the world’s preeminent wind bands such as the Dallas Winds and military bands including the United States Navy Band, “President’s Own” Marine Band, “Pershing’s Own” Army Band, Army Field Band, Coast Guard Band and Air Force Band. These works have also been performed by the top wind ensembles at academic institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, University of North Texas, Louisiana State University, University of Miami and Michigan State University. Passionate about bringing all
VIET CUONG
these different facets of the contemporary music community together, his recent works include Vital Sines, a concerto for Eighth Blackbird and the United States Navy Band, and Re(new)al, tonight's concerto for percussion quartet with a variety of ensemble accompaniments. Cuong is the Pacific Symphony’s current Composer-in-Residence, and from 2020-23 was the California Symphony’s Young American Composer-in-Residence. He has held artist residencies at Copland House, Yaddo, Ucross, the Atlantic Center for the Arts and at Dumbarton Oaks, where he served as the 2020 Early-Career Musician-in-Residence. His music has been awarded the Barlow Prize, William D. Revelli Prize, Frederick Fennell Prize, Walter Beeler Memorial Prize, Barlow Endowment Commission, ASCAP Morton Gould Composers Award, Theodore Presser Foundation Award, Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composers Award, Cortona Prize, New York Youth Symphony First Music Commission, and Boston GuitarFest Composition Prize. To learn more about Viet Cuong, visit vietcuongmusic.com
SANDBOX PERCUSSION
Described as “exhilarating” (The New York Times) and “utterly mesmerizing” (The Guardian), Grammy-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion is dedicated to artistry in contemporary chamber music. The ensemble was brought together in 2011 by a love of chamber music and the simple joy of playing together; today, Sandbox Percussion captivates worldwide audiences with visually and aurally stunning performances.
Sandbox Percussion’s 2021 album Seven Pillars was nominated for two Grammy awards—Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and Best Contemporary Classical Composition. The ensemble performed the piece more than 15 times throughout the United States and Europe last season, including at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in Paris. In the 2023-24 season, Sandbox Percussion performs
Seven Pillars at the VIVO Music Festival (Columbus, OH); the New School (New York); Aperio, Music of the Americas (Houston); the Frost School of Music (Miami); Brown University (Providence, RI); and the Peace Center (Greenville, SC), among other venues. This season, Sandbox Percussion also released their fourth album, Wilderness, featuring the piece of the same name by experimental composer Jerome Begin. Other season highlights include two performances at the Park Avenue Armory (New York), featuring premieres by Chris Cerrone and Viet Cuong; a performance at the 92nd Street Y with pianist and new-music champion Conor Hanick featuring the New York premiere of two works composed for them by Christopher Cerrone and by Tyshawn Sorey; and an appearance at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Sandbox Percussion will also continue to champion Viet Cuong’s acclaimed concerto for percussion quartet, Re(new)al, including performances with the Des Moines Symphony and, this evening, with the Albany Symphony, which commissioned the piece.
Besides maintaining an international performance schedule, Sandbox Percussion holds the position of ensemble-in-residence and percussion faculty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and The New School’s College of Performing Arts. In 2016, Sandbox Percussion founded the Sandbox Percussion
SANBOX PERCUSSION
Seminar, introducing percussion students to the leading percussion chamber music of the day. Sandbox Percussion endorses Pearl/Adams musical instruments, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Remo drumheads, and Black Swamp accessories.
To learn more about Sandbox Percussion, visit sandboxpercussion.com
JUSTIN BENAVIDEZ
Hailed by Fanfare magazine as “a true virtuoso of his instrument,” Justin Benavidez is the Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the Eastman School of Music. He previously held a tenured faculty position at Florida State University. In the summer, he teaches and performs at the Round Top Summer Music Festival in Round Top, Texas and at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, California.
Benavidez has performed across North America, Europe and Japan. He has been featured numerous times on Performance Today. His debut solo album, Emblems, won Silver Medals in the Classical Album and Solo Instrumentalist categories of the 2018 Global Music Awards. The International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal described it as “an impressive and highly entertaining record” on which Benavidez “shreds with enthusiasm, exuberance, and precision.” His second album,
Storyteller, won Silver Medals in the Classical Album and Solo Instrumentalist categories of the 2022 Global Music Awards and was named a finalist for the 2023 ITEA Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording. Fanfare magazine described the album as “splendidly eloquent […] a masterclass in expressiveness” with a sound that is “gloriously warm and comforting.” As an orchestral musician, Benavidez has performed as tubist with the symphony orchestras of Charleston, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Rochester, Santa Fe, Sarasota, Tallahassee and Utah.
Benavidez is a Melton Meinl Weston and Denis Wick performing artist.
To learn more about Justin Benavidez, visit justinbenavidez.com
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JUSTIN BENAVIDEZ
ALBANY SYMPHONY
BOARD & STAFF
BOARD
OFFICERS
Faith A. Takes, Chair
Marisa Eisemann, MD, Vice Chair
John Regan, Vice Chair
Daniel Kredentser, MD, Vice Chair
Dush Pathmanandam, Treasurer
Nicholas Faso, Secretary
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kaweeda Adams
Melody Bruce, MD
Christopher Canada
Dr. Benjamin E. Chi
Marcia Cockrell
Ellen Cole, Ph. D.
Becky Daniels
Nicholas Faso
Maureen Geis (Ex Officio)
Alan Goldberg
Jerel Golub
Joseph T. Gravini
Catherine Hackert (Ex Officio)
Anthony P. Hazapis
Jahkeen Hoke
Edward M. Jennings
Judith Kahn
Mark P. Lasch
Steve Lobel
Cory Martin
Daniel P. McCoy (Ex Officio)
Anne Older
Henry Pohl
Barry Richman
David Rubin
Hon. Kathy M. Sheehan (Ex Officio)
Rabbi Scott Shpeen
Louis Solano
Christopher R. Stager
Deshanna Wiggins
DIRECTORS’ COUNCIL
Rhea Clark
Denise Gonick
Sherley Hannay
Judith B. McIlduff
John J. Nigro
STAFF
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
David Hyslop, Interim Executive Director
FINANCE
Scott Allen, Finance Director
DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING
Kirsten Broschinsky
Director of Development
Alayna Frey
Patron Services Manager
Keynola Russell
Development Coordinator
ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Derek Smith
Director of Operations & Programming
JJ Johnson, Personnel Manager
Daniel Brye, Housing Coordinator
Myles Mocarski, Librarian
CORPORATE SPONSORS
The Albany Symphony acknowledges the support of our corporate sponsors whose contributions recognize the importance of the Albany Symphony in building civic pride, educating our youth, and contributing to the cultural life of all people in the Capital Region. Updated February 15, 2024.
This concert season has also been made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, the City of Albany, grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the Capital District Economic Development Council, Vanguard-Albany Symphony, and the support of our donors, subscribers, and patrons.
MEDIA PARTNERS HOSPITALITY PARTNER
FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS, & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
The Albany Symphony is deeply grateful to the foundations, corporations, and government agencies whose ongoing support ensures the vitality of our orchestra. Updated February 15, 2024.
$100,000+
Empire State Development
Capital Region Economic Development Council
Carl E. Touhey Foundation
$50,000+
The Review Foundation
$25,000+
Aaron Copland Fund for Music
National Endowment for the Arts
The Picotte Family Foundation
New York State Council on the Arts
$10,000+
Amphion Foundation
Broadview Federal Credit Union
Crowne Plaza – Albany – The Desmond
Fenimore Asset Management
May K. Houck Foundation
Nielsen Associates
Nigro Companies, Inc.
The City of Amsterdam
The John D. Picotte Family Foundation
$5,000+
Alice M. Ditson Fund
AllSquare Wealth Management
Berkshire Bank Foundation
Graypoint, LLC
J.M. McDonald Foundation
The Hershey Family Foundation
New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc.
Price Chopper/Market32
The Tuthill Family Foundation
$2,500+
Albany Fund for Education
Barry Alan Gold Memorial Foundation
Charles R. Wood Foundation
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
Keeler Motor Car Company Charitable Foundation
Stewart’s Shops
The Peckham Family Foundation
Woods Oviatt Gilman Llp
$1,500+
AARP New York
Janney Montogomery Scott, LLC
The David and Sylvia Teitelbaum Fund, Inc.
$1,000+
CDPHP
Courtyard by Marriott Schenectady at Mohawk Harbor Hippo’s
Pearl Grant Richmans
Philanthropic Fund Firestone Family Foundation
Stuyvesant Plaza Retail LLC
The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
INDIVIDUAL GIVING
The Albany Symphony is grateful to the following individuals for their vital ongoing support. Updated February 15, 2024. *in memoriam
ALBANY SYMPHONY
AMBASSADORS
$25,000+
Charlotte Buchanan
Daniel & Celine Kredentser
Chet & Karen Opalka
Opalka Family Donor Advised Fund of the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region
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Gifts of all sizes make it possible for the Albany Symphony to maintain our tradition of artistic excellence, innovation and community engagement for generations to come.
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* in memoriam
Kaweeda G Adams
Anonymous
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Susan Thompson* & Al De Salvo
Marisa Eisemann, MD
David Emanatian
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Judith Gaies Kahn
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Gretchen A. & Lewis* C. Rubenstein
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Paul Wing
The Albany Symphony is grateful to the following Encore Society Legacy Members who live on in our hearts
Matthew Bender IV | Charles B Buchanan | Charles Liddle III
Adella S. Cooper | Dr. Heinrich Medicus | Marcia Nickerson
John L. Riley | Lewis C. Rubenstein | Ruth Ann Sandstedt
Dwight Smith | Harriet & Edward Thomas | Susan Thompson
