8 minute read
Board Leadership
LIFETIME MEMBERS
CHAIRS EMERITI
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Samuel Frankel◊ Stanley Frankel David Handleman, Sr.◊ Dr. Arthur L. Johnson◊ James B. Nicholson Clyde Wu, M.D.◊
Peter D. Cummings Phillip Wm. Fisher Stanley Frankel Robert S. Miller James B. Nicholson
DIRECTORS EMERITI
OFFICERS
Floy Barthel Chacona Baugh Penny B. Blumenstein John A. Boll, Sr. Richard A. Brodie Lois Cohn Marianne Endicott Sidney Forbes Barbara Frankel Herman H. Frankel Dr. Gloria Heppner Ronald Horwitz Harold Kulish Bonnie Larson David McCammon David R. Nelson William F. Pickard, Ph.D. Marilyn Pincus Lloyd E. Reuss Marjorie S. Saulson Alan E. Schwartz Jane Sherman David Usher Barbara Van Dusen Arthur A. Weiss
Mark A. Davidoff
Chair Erik Rönmark
President & CEO David T. Provost Vice Chair Faye Alexander Nelson
Treasurer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Directors are responsible for maintaining a culture of accountability, resource development, and strategic thinking. As fiduciaries, Directors oversee the artistic and cultural health and strategic direction of the DSO. David Assemany
Governing Members Chair Elena Centeio Richard L. DeVore Aaron Frankel Herman B. Gray, M.D.,
M.B.A. Laura Hernandez-Romine Rev. Nicholas Hood III Hon. Kurtis T. Wilder (Ret.)
Secretary Pamela Applebaum
Officer at Large Ralph J. Gerson
Officer at Large Glenda D. Price, Ph.D.
Officer at Large
Shirley Stancato
Officer at Large James G. Vella
Officer at Large
Richard Huttenlocher Renato Jamett
Trustee Chair Daniel J. Kaufman Michael J. Keegan Arthur C. Liebler Xavier Mosquet Arthur T. O’Reilly Stephen R. Polk Bernard I. Robertson Scott Strong
Orchestra Representative Nancy Tellem Laura J. Trudeau Dr. M. Roy Wilson David M. Wu, M.D. Johanna Yarbrough
Orchestra Representative
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Renato Jamett, Chair Trustees are a diverse group of community leaders who infuse creative thinking and innovation into how the DSO strives to achieve both artistic vitality and organizational sustainability.
Ismael Ahmed Richard Alonzo Hadas Bernard Janice Bernick Elizabeth Boone Gwen Bowlby Marco Bruzzano Margaret Cooney Casey Karen Cullen Joanne Danto Stephen R. D’Arcy Maureen T. D’Avanzo Jasmin DeForrest Afa Sadykhly Dworkin Peter Falzon James C. Farber Linda Forte Maha Freij Carolynn Frankel Maha Freij Christa Funk Robert Gillette Jody Glancy Malik Goodwin Mary Ann Gorlin Donald Hiruo Michelle Hodges Julie Hollinshead John Jullens David Karp Joel D. Kellman Jennette Smith Kotila Leonard LaRocca William Lentine Linda Dresner Levy Florine Mark Anthony McCree Kristen McLennan Tito Melega Lydia Michael Lois A. Miller H. Keith Mobley Scott Monty Shari Morgan Sandy Morrison Frederick J. Morsches Jennifer Muse, NextGen Chair Nicholas Myers, Musician Representative Sean M. Neall Eric Nemeth Maury Okun Vivian Pickard Denise Fair Razo Gerrit Reepmeyer Richard Robinson James Rose, Jr. Laurie Rosen Elana Rugh Marc Schwartz Carlo Serraiocco Lois L. Shaevsky Mary Shafer Cathryn M. Skedel, Ph.D. Ralph Skiano, Musician Representative Richard Sonenklar Rob Tanner Yoni Torgow Gwen Weiner Donnell White Jennifer Whitteaker R. Jamison Williams Margaret E. Winters Ellen Hill Zeringue
MAESTRO CIRCLE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Cecilia Benner Bonnie Larson Janet & Norm Ankers, Chairs Joanne Danto Lois Miller
Gregory Haynes Richard Sonenklar
GOING THE DISTANCE
by Sarah Smarch
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s new mission statement is built upon two verbs: impact and sustain.
The orchestra “impacts lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences by sustaining a world class orchestra for our city and the global community.”
In music, “sustain” is the heart of an instrument’s sound: between its percussive beginning and gradual fading away. The sustain pedal on a piano frees notes to vibrate, allowing every single string of the instrument to harmonize sympathetically with the notes being played.
For a music institution, the word denotes something at the same time more essential and complex.
The goal of the orchestra is to ring out clearly, and keep ringing out, inspiring, enlightening, and inviting the broadest possible audience — based on an understanding that musical excellence has no value unless it finds an audience to impact. The mission demands not just “musical excellence” but “musical excellence…for our city and the global community.”
The 2022-2023 PVS Classical Series, announced in March along with the PNC Pops Series and Young Peoples Family Concert Series, includes 20 symphonic programs — ten led by Music Director Jader Bignamini.
In many ways, the DSO’s emphasis on sustainability and impact permeates the entire repertoire, defined by its deliberate mix of new and old, the world-renowned and the under-represented.
“We have combined historic masterpieces such as Mahler Symphony No. 2, Brahms 4, Tchaikovsky 4, and Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra,” says Jader, “with less performed but valuable works such as Florence Price’s First Symphony and Dora Pejacˇevic´’s Symphony in F sharp-minor.”
Price’s symphony combines elements from the Romantic symphonic tradition with hymn-like melodies and the rhythms of Black music to create a
distinctly American style, to be played on a program with William Grant Still’s Festive Overture and Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto with Daniil Trifonov. “Historically, there are works that have not been given the attention they deserve. We want our audiences to experience these beautiful pieces that rightfully belong in the main season of the greatest symphonic orchestras.”
Beautiful pieces like the symphony by Pejacˇevic´, a pioneering Croatian female composer at the turn of the 20th century. “Dora had an excellent sense of orchestral color and a gift with rhythm and melody,” says Jader. The symphony—presented on a program with Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain and Grieg’s Piano Concerto featuring Alexander Gavrylyuk—was written in 1916-1917 while the composer volunteered as a nurse during World War I.
Pejacˇevic´’s letters at the time explain the desire to distance herself from the aristocratic class of her birth: “Faced with misery in the world, the like of which there has never been, their thoughts remain exactly as they were before the War…devoid of all higher feelings, far from all big ideas, any kind of humanity, or any social progress.”
Dora was undoubtedly drawn to the collective experience music allows for. DSO President and CEO Erik Rönmark describes this experience as “a space for us to pause amid the world’s uncertainties, reflect on who we are, and connect to our shared humanity.” Juxtaposed against the roadpavers of centuries past, the season also features 14 works by living composers, including two world premieres and six DSO-commissioned works. Says Jader, “We are really close to the new generation of composers, and we will continue to support them; they understand the musical language of the future. Sharing new works with our audience is our investment in the future of classical music.”
Among the commissions is a new work, Snapshots, by Jessie Montgomery, co-commissioned by the DSO as part of New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices project to support racial and gender equity in classical music. Jader counts Montgomery as one of his favorite contemporary composers, “Jessie is incredibly talented and innovative, and I am so proud to have already conducted two of her pieces. The orchestra has been excited and committed to learning her music, and audiences are enthusiastic to hear it.” Eleven PNC Pops programs were also announced with DSO Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik leading three: Prohibition, a multimedia musical journey through the era with music channeling Rudy Vallée, Josephine Baker, Kurt Weill, and King Oliver; Sci-Fi Spectacular: Star Wars, Star Trek, and Beyond!, with music from iconic sci-fi film
scores; and Twist & Shout: The Music of the Beatles, a program celebrating The Beatles in America.
This spring, The Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube reopened after a two-year hiatus. Since 2016, The Cube has signatured a multidisciplinary aesthetic that aims to reflect the cultural personality and diverse communities of Detroit. The black box theater gives stage to regional, national, and local talent whose artistic skills spread across world music, hip-hop, funk, jazz, poetry, and everything in between–staying true to its intent on being an accessible space.
“Curation is a really important aspect because it’s about building a community gathering place where all people in the local community can have great musical experiences in whatever genre,” says Goode Wyche III, DSO’s Manager of Jazz and @ The Max. “What’s really cool is that a lot of times when The Cube has events, there’ll be a classical concert going on. That’s impactful because the classical audience sticks their head in The Cube saying, ‘Hey what’s going on in here,’ and The Cube audience asks the same about Orchestra Hall. It brings people together.”
Many components work in tandem to sustain the orchestra itself, among them: commitment and growth. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Michigan in February 2020, orchestra auditions for open positions were held. In total, five auditions for seven open positions will have been facilitated by the close of the 2021-2022 season, as well as an audition cycle for two African American Orchestra Fellows.
This winter, Jader awarded DSO tenure to Principal Flute Hannah Hammel, Assistant Principal Oboe Sarah Lewis, Violin Alexander Volkov, and Bass Brandon Mason.
“Having an orchestra of tenured musicians bakes in a sense of lifelong commitment to the orchestra and organization: carrying on musical traditions, growing as an ensemble, and working together to create the best possible conditions for music-making,” says Brandon.
After a year-long probationary period every new orchestra member plays through, the musicians got a green light to grow their roots in Detroit. When you consider that it is not unusual for tenured musicians to spend the remainder of their career with the same organization, the process makes sense: it’s serious business. As Hannah puts it, “Tenure is the final step in feeling confident to call this orchestra and city your forever home;” the new status recognizes each as a critical part of the DSO’s artistic vision and signals the institution’s investment in the future.
Asked “Why pursue tenure at the DSO?,” the musicians pointed to the caliber of their colleagues, the great sound they achieve together, and Jader’s leadership.
But no less important was the nature of the organization. Alexander values the DSO’s commitment to engaging with audiences across the city, “It is an exciting characteristic,” he says. “I believe that our duty is to give performances that will have audiences returning for more, encouraging their families and friends to join a community that has revolved around art for over 100 years in this corner of the country.”
Read more about the impact of our Detroit Neighborhood Initiative on page 16.
SUBSCRIBE NOW TO THE 2022-2023 SEASON AT DSO.ORG
