Neighborhood Series Program Book - June and July 2023

DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS

2022-2023 CONCERT SERIES

BEETHOVEN’S “EMPEROR”

CONCERTO

June 15, 16 & 18

SOUTHFIELD MONROE

BEVERLY HILLS

SUMMER SERENADE

July 13, 14, 15 & 16

WEST BLOOMFIELD

PLYMOUTH

BLOOMFIELD HILLS

GROSSE POINTE

LIFETIME DIRECTORS

Samuel Frankel◊

Stanley Frankel

David Handleman, Sr.◊

Dr. Arthur L. Johnson ◊

James B. Nicholson

CHAIRS EMERITI

Floy Barthel

Chacona Baugh

Penny B. Blumenstein

Richard A. Brodie

Lois Cohn

Marianne Endicott

Anne Parsons, President Emeritus ◊

Barbara Van Dusen

Clyde Wu, M.D.◊

Peter D. Cummings

Mark A. Davidoff

Phillip Wm. Fisher

DIRECTORS EMERITI

Sidney Forbes

Herman H. Frankel

Dr. Gloria Heppner

Ronald Horwitz

Bonnie Larson

Arthur C. Liebler

Harold Kulish

David McCammon

David R. Nelson

William F. Pickard, Ph.D.

Marilyn Pincus

Marjorie S. Saulson

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stanley Frankel

Robert S. Miller

James B. Nicholson

Renato Jamett, Trustee Chair

Ismael Ahmed

Richard Alonzo

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.

Maha Freij

Christa Funk

Robert Gillette

Jody Glancy

Florine Mark

Anthony McCree

Kristen McLennan

Tito Melega

Laurie Rosen

Elana Rugh

Marc Schwartz

Carlo Serraiocco

Alan E. Schwartz

Jane Sherman

Arthur A. Weiss

Hadas Bernard

Janice Bernick

Elizabeth Boone

Gwen Bowlby

Dr. Betty Chu

Karen Cullen

Joanne Danto

Stephen D’Arcy

Maureen T. D’Avanzo

Jasmin DeForrest

David T. Provost Chair

Erik Rönmark President & CEO

Faye Alexander Nelson Vice Chair

Laura Trudeau Treasurer

James G. Vella Secretary

Ralph J. Gerson Officer at Large

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Glenda D. Price, Ph.D. Officer at Large

Shirley Stancato Officer at Large

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

Michael Bickers

Amanda Blaikie, Orchestra Representative

Elena Centeio

Dave Everson, Orchestra Representative

Aaron Frankel

Herman B. Gray, M.D., M.B.A.

Laura HernandezRomine

Rev. Nicholas Hood III

Richard Huttenlocher

Renato Jamett, Trustee Chair

Daniel J. Kaufman

Michael J. Keegan

Xavier Mosquet

David Nicholson

Arthur T. O’Reilly

Stephen Polk

Bernard I. Robertson

Nancy Tellem

Laura J. Trudeau

David M. Wu, M.D.

Ellen Hill Zeringue

Afa Sadykhly Dworkin

James C. Farber

Abe Feder, Musician Representative

Linda Forte

Carolynn Frankel

Malik Goodwin

Mary Ann Gorlin

Donald Hiruo

Michelle Hodges

Julie Hollinshead

Sam Huszczo

John Jullens

Laurel Kalkanis

Jay Kapadia

David Karp

Joel D. Kellman

John Kim

Jennette Smith Kotila

Leonard LaRocca

William Lentine

Linda Dresner Levy

Lydia Michael

H. Keith Mobley

Scott Monty

Shari Morgan

Sandy Morrison

Frederick J. Morsches

Jennifer Muse, NextGen Chair

Sean M. Neall

Eric Nemeth

Maury Okun

Jackie Paige

Vivian Pickard

Denise Fair Razo

Gerrit Reepmeyer

James Rose, Jr.

Lois L. Shaevsky

Mary Shafer

Ralph Skiano, Musician Representative

Richard Sonenklar

Rob Tanner

Yoni Torgow

Gwen Weiner

Donnell White

Jennifer Whitteaker

R. Jamison Williams

Margaret E. Winters

MAESTRO CIRCLE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Janet & Norm Ankers, Chairs

Cecilia Benner

Joanne Danto

Gregory Haynes

Bonnie Larson

Lois Miller

Richard Sonenklar

JEFF TYZIK

Principal Pops Conductor

DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

JADER BIGNAMINI , Music Director Music Directorship endowed by the Kresge Foundation

TERENCE BLANCHARD

Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair

FIRST VIOLIN

Robyn Bollinger

CONCERTMASTER

Katherine Tuck Chair

Kimberly Kaloyanides Kennedy

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

Schwartz and Shapero Family Chair

Hai-Xin Wu

ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Walker L. Cisler/Detroit Edison

Foundation Chair

Jennifer Wey Fang

ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Marguerite Deslippe*

Laurie Goldman*

Rachel Harding Klaus*

Eun Park Lee*

Adrienne Rönmark*

William and Story John Chair

Alexandros Sakarellos*

Drs. Doris Tong and Teck Soo Chair

Laura Soto*

Greg Staples*

Jiamin Wang*

Mingzhao Zhou*

SECOND VIOLIN

Adam Stepniewski

ACTING PRINCIPAL

The Devereaux Family Chair

Will Haapaniemi*

David and Valerie McCammon Chairs

Hae Jeong Heidi Han*

David and Valerie McCammon Chairs

Elizabeth Furuta*

Sheryl Hwangbo Yu*

Daniel Kim*

Sujin Lim*

Hong-Yi Mo *

Marian Tanau*

Alexander Volkov*

Jing Zhang*

VIOLA

Eric Nowlin

PRINCIPAL

Julie and Ed Levy, Jr. Chair

James VanValkenburg

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Caroline Coade

Henry and Patricia Nickol Chair

Glenn Mellow

Hang Su

Hart Hollman

Han Zheng

Mike Chen

NA’ZIR MCFADDEN Assistant Conductor, Phillip & Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador

CELLO

Wei Yu

PRINCIPAL

Abraham Feder

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Dorothy and Herbert Graebner Chair

Robert Bergman*

Jeremy Crosmer*

Victor and Gale Girolami Cello Chair

David LeDoux*

Peter McCaffrey*

Joanne Deanto and Arnold Weingarden Chair

Una O’Riordan*

Mary Ann & Robert Gorlin Chair

Cole Randolph*

BASS

Kevin Brown

PRINCIPAL

Van Dusen Family Chair

Stephen Molina

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Christopher Hamlen

Brandon Mason

HARP

OPEN PRINCIPAL

Winifred E. Polk Chair

FLUTE

Hannah Hammel Maser

PRINCIPAL

Alan J. and Sue Kaufman and Family Chair

Amanda Blaikie

Morton and Brigitte Harris Chair

Sharon Sparrow

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Bernard and Eleanor Robertson Chair

Jeffery Zook

Shantanique Moore §

PICCOLO

Jeffery Zook

Shari and Craig Morgan Chair

OBOE

Alexander Kinmonth

PRINCIPAL

Jack A. and Aviva Robinson Chair

Sarah Lewis

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Monica Fosnaugh

ENGLISH HORN

Monica Fosnaugh

LEONARD SLATKIN Music Director Laureate

NEEME JÄRVI Music Director Emeritus

CLARINET

Ralph Skiano

PRINCIPAL

Robert B. Semple Chair

Jack Walters

PVS Chemicals Inc./

Jim and Ann Nicholson Chair

Shannon Orme

E-FLAT CLARINET OPEN

BASS CLARINET

Shannon Orme

Barbara Frankel and

Ronald Michalak Chair

BASSOON

Conrad Cornelison

PRINCIPAL

Byron and Dorothy Gerson Chair

Marcus Schoon

Jaquain Sloan §

CONTRABASSOON

Marcus Schoon

HORN

Karl Pituch

PRINCIPAL

Johanna Yarbrough

Scott Strong

Ric and Carola Huttenlocher Chair

David Everson

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Mark Abbott

TRUMPET

Hunter Eberly

PRINCIPAL

Lee and Floy Barthel Chair

William Lucas

TROMBONE

Kenneth Thompkins

PRINCIPAL

David Binder

Adam Rainey

BASS TROMBONE

Adam Rainey

TUBA

Dennis Nulty

PRINCIPAL

TIMPANI

Jeremy Epp

PRINCIPAL

Richard and Mona Alonzo Chair

James Ritchie

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

PERCUSSION

Joseph Becker

PRINCIPAL

Ruth Roby and Alfred R. Glancy III Chair

Andrés Pichardo-Rosenthal ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

William Cody Knicely Chair

James Ritchie

LIBRARIANS

Robert Stiles PRINCIPAL

Ethan Allen

LEGACY CHAIRS

Principal Flute

Women’s Association for the DSO

Principal Cello

James C. Gordon

Personnel Managers

Patrick Peterson DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

Benjamin Tisherman MANAGER OF ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

Nolan Cardenas

AUDITION AND OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Stage Personnel

Dennis Rottell STAGE MANAGER

William Dailing DEPARTMENT HEAD

Ryan DeMarco DEPARTMENT HEAD

Kurt Henry DEPARTMENT HEAD

Steven Kemp DEPARTMENT HEAD

Matthew Pons DEPARTMENT HEAD

LEGEND

* These members may voluntarily revolve seating within the section on a regular basis

^ Extended Leave

§ African American Orchestra Fellow

JEFF TYZIK

Principal Pops Conductor

TERENCE BLANCHARD

Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair

NA’ZIR MCFADDEN Assistant Conductor, Phillip & Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador

LEONARD SLATKIN Music Director Laureate

NEEME JÄRVI Music Director Emeritus

WILLIAM DAVIDSON NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT SERIES BEETHOVEN’S “EMPEROR” CONCERTO

Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek

Friday, June 16, 2023 at 8 p.m. at Meyer Theater, Monroe Community College

Sunday, June 18, 2023 at 3 p.m. at Seligman Performing Arts Center

Mason Bates Garages of the Valley (b. 1977)

Paul Hindemith Symphony: Mathis der Maler (1895 - 1963) I. Ruhig bewegt (Angel Concert)

II. Sehr langsam (Entombment)

III. Sehr langsam, frei im Zeitmass (Temptation of St. Anthony)

Intermission

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, (1770 - 1827) “Emperor”

I. Allegro

II. Adagio un poco mosso

III. Rondo: Allegro Shai Wosner, piano

The William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series is made possible by a generous grant from the William Davidson Foundation. WRCJ 90.9 FM also supports the Series.

FRANCESCO LECCE-CHONG, conductor SHAI WOSNER, piano

PROGRAM NOTES

Garages of the Valley MASON BATES

B. January 23, 1977, Richmond, VA

Scored for 2 flutes (one doubling alto flute and piccolo), oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets (one doubling E-flat and bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, percussion, and strings. (Approx. 15 minutes)

Composer of the Grammy Awardwinning opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Mason Bates is imaginatively transforming the way classical music is created and experienced as a composer, DJ, and curator. As the first Composer-inResidence appointed by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, he presented a diverse array of artists on his series KC Jukebox using immersive production and stagecraft. Championed by legendary conductors including Riccardo Muti, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Marin Alsop, his symphonic music is the first to receive widespread acceptance for its unique integration of electronic sounds. Named as the most-performed composer of his generation in a recent survey of American music, Bates has also composed for feature films including Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees starring Matthew McConaughey and Naomi Watts.

Highly informed by his work as a DJ, his curatorial approach integrates adventurous music, ambient information, and social platforms in a fluid and immersive way. Working in clubs under the name DJ Masonic, Bates has developed Mercury Soul, a show combining DJing and classical music, to packed crowds with clubs and orchestras around the country. A diverse artist exploring the ways classical music integrates into contemporary cultures, Bates currently serves on the composition faculty of the San Francisco

Conservatory of Music.

On Garages of the Valley, Bates writes: “Much of the Digital Age was dreamed up in the most low-tech of spaces. The garages that dot the landscape of Silicon Valley housed the visionaries behind Apple, Hewlett Packard, Intel, and Google. The imagined music of these tech workshops begins hyper-kinetically yet sporadically, filled with false starts. It soon flashes into a quicksilver world of exotic textures and tunings that is informed by the music of Frenchman Gérard Grisey (whose imaginative orchestrations sound electronic but are completely unplugged). The exhilarating finale reflects the infectious optimism of the great inventors of our time, who conjured new worlds within the bright Valley’s dark garages.”

This performance marks the DSO premiere of Mason Bates’s Garages of the Valley

Symphony: Mathis der Maler

Composed 1934 | Premiered March 1934

PAUL HINDEMITH

B. November 16, 1895, Hanau, Germany

D. December 28, 1963, Frankfurt, Germany

Scored for 2 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings. (Approx. 25 minutes)

Hindemith first considered composing a work on the life of Mathias Grünewald, the sixteenth century German painter, in 1932. At first, he found insufficient dramatic interest in the subject and consequently turned to other projects. But circumstances soon changed his mind. In January of 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, and an official denunciation of “decadent” modern artists

was issued from his Ministry of Culture. Hindemith, who was not only perceived as an arch modernist and political liberal, but also the spouse of a Jewish wife, was a prime target.

In these changed circumstances, the subject of “Mathias the Painter” took on an entirely new meaning. Hindemith therefore began writing an opera libretto in June of 1933, one that told an allegorical drama of an artist, Mathias, caught in a political maelstrom. This was the Peasants’s War of 1524, in which Germany’s underclass revolted against the churches and aristocracy. Mathias, a painter of religious scenes, abandoned his art to join the cause of the peasants, but became disillusioned when they proved to be as brutal as those who oppressed them. Wandering in a forest, he had a vision, which Hindemith based on Grünewald’s depiction of the “Temptation of St. Anthony,” which convinced him he could best serve mankind as an artist. The opera ends with Mathias alone in his studio, having returned to his proper labors.

Hindemith was still in the early stage of his work on Mathis der Maler when he received a request from Furtwängler for a new orchestral piece. The composer had already decided to preface each of the opera’s acts with an instrumental prelude that would be a kind of musical representation of one of the panels of the Isenheim Alterpiece, Grünewald’s most famous work. Not wishing to disrupt his concentration on the opera, he adapted three of these preludes to form a symphonic score. The result was the Mathis der Maler Symphony.

The success of the symphony—it was loudly applauded and favorably reviewed—persuaded Hindemith that performance of the opera would proceed routinely. This was not to be. In June of 1934, the Nazis banned Hindemith’s music

from radio broadcast. Permission to produce Mathis was denied soon thereafter. The opera was finally staged in 1938 in Switzerland, where Hindemith would soon live as a refugee.

The DSO most recently performed Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler in January 2000, conducted by Neeme Järvi. The DSO first performed the piece in December 1945, conducted by Hindemith himself.

Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat Major, Op. 73, “Emperor”

Composed 1809 | Premiered November 28, 1811

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

B. Bonn, Germany, December 15/16, 1770

D. Vienna, Austria, March 26, 1827

Scored for solo piano, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. (Approx. 38 minutes)

The title “Emperor,” by which Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto has been known since the early nineteenth century, apparently stems from one of the many apocryphal anecdotes that have come to us concerning the composer. According to this story, a French army officer stationed in Vienna attended the first performance of the work in the Austrian capital and was so moved by the grandeur of Beethoven’s music that he cried out: “C’est l’Empereur!” (“It is the Emperor!”)

In 1809, when the work was composed, it far surpassed any and all other concertos in its expression of majesty and heroism, and it retains an imperious position among compositions in its genre even today. Beethoven establishes the lordly character of the “Emperor” Concerto in its opening moments, as

three sonorous orchestral chords each give way to cadenza like flourishes from the piano. But although the solo instrument is heard from the start, Beethoven does not abandon the convention of the orchestral exposition, which tradition in his time prescribed as the proper way to begin a concerto. Instead, the movement’s impressive opening gesture serves as a prelude to the expected orchestral paragraph, one of the grandest and longest in any concerto.

When the piano rejoins the orchestra, it is as a member of a thoughtfully integrated ensemble rather than merely an exalted soloist. Beethoven had come to think of the concerto in almost symphonic terms rather than as a virtuoso display piece. The prominence, virtually unparalleled in the concerto literature, that the orchestra enjoys throughout the first movement, as well as the unusual absence of a cadenza (more than absent, the composer expressly forbids it), indicate this more coherent concerto ideal

PROFILES FRANCESCO LECCE-CHONG

Francesco Lecce-Chong has been described as a “fast rising talent in the music world” with “the real gift” and is recognized for his dynamic performances, fresh programming, and deep commitment to commissioning and performing new music, as well as to community engagement. Lecce-Chong has appeared with orchestras worldwide including the San Francisco Symphony, New York

and resultant concern for an equitable balance between soloist and ensemble.

The Adagio second movement is a serene and deeply devout meditation, one of Beethoven’s most beautiful and tender creations. It is connected to the third movement by way of a final musing by the piano that evolves magically into the principal theme of the ensuing Rondo, a transition that recalls the one linking the scherzo and finale of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The music that follows fits the description of the eminent English conductor and commentator Donald Francis Tovey, who extolled “this most spacious and triumphant of concerto rondos.”

The DSO most recently performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major at a Classical Roots concert in March 2020, conducted by Thomas Wilkins and featuring pianist Terrence Wilson. The DSO first performed the piece in March 1917, conducted by Weston Gales and featuring Ossip Gabrilowitsch as piano soloist.

Orchestra; and a European appearance at the renowned Enescu Festival with the Romanian Radio Orchestra. He continues a Rachmaninoff symphonic cycle in Santa Rosa, presents the second act of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde in Eugene, and leads the world premieres of new major orchestral works by Ellen Taafe Zwillich and Angélica Negrón.

Previously, Lecce-Chong served as Associate Conductor with the Milwaukee Symphony under Edo de Waart and the Pittsburgh Symphony under Manfred Honeck. His opera credentials include serving as staff conductor with the Santa Fe Opera and conducting Madama Butterfly at the Florentine Opera with the Milwaukee Symphony.

Lecce-Chong is the recipient of awards including the prestigious Solti Foundation Award. Also trained as a pianist and composer, he completed his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music with Otto-Werner Mueller after attending the Mannes College of Music and Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Italy. He has had the privilege of being mentored and supported by celebrated conductors including Bernard Haitink, David Zinman, Edo de Waart, Manfred Honeck, Donald Runnicles, and Michael Tilson Thomas.

musical mind and deep musical soul” (NPR’s All Things Considered ).

Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, National Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, and Hong Kong Philharmonic, and has collaborated with top soloists including Renée Fleming and Itzhak Perlman. Lecce-Chong is the Music Director of the Eugene Symphony in Oregon and the Santa Rosa Symphony, performing at the Green Music Center in northern California.

Lecce-Chong’s 2022-2023 seasons includes debut performances with the Kansas City Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Knoxville Symphony; a return to the Saint Paul Chamber

SHAI WOSNER

In the 2022-23 season, Wosner curates and performs in the second annual Kurtág Festival at Bard Conservatory, exploring the music of Hungarian composer György Kurtág (b. 1926) while also using the composer’s works as a point of departure into musical ideas regardless of century. Additional highlights from the season include Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Columbus Symphony; Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Israel Chamber Orchestra; Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations presented by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival; three appearances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, including trios by CPE Bach, Debussy, Britten, and Fauré, Brandenburg Concertos; a People’s Symphony Concert; a Focus Residency with Music at Menlo; and a tribute concert honoring Joseph Kalichstein. He also performs as part of the Zukerman trio, with violinist Pinchas Zukerman and cellist Amanda Forsyth. In November 2022, Wosner’s arrangement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” for violin, cello, and piano, performed by Leonidas Kavakos, Yo-Yo Ma, and Emmanuel Ax, was released on a new recording from Sony.

Pianist

Shai Wosner has attracted international recognition for his exceptional artistry, musical integrity, and creative insight. His performances of a broad range of repertoire—from Beethoven and Schubert to Ligeti and the music of today—reflect a degree of virtuosity and intellectual curiosity that has made him a favorite among audiences and critics, who note his “keen

Born in Israel, Wosner enjoyed a broad musical education from a very early age, studying piano with Opher Brayer and Emanuel Krasovsky, as well as composition, theory, and improvisation with André Hajdu. He later studied with Emanuel Ax at The Juilliard School, where Wosner is also now on the piano faculty. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. He resides in New York with his wife and two children. Visit shaiwosner.com for more information.

DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

PROGRAM NOTES

Prelude for Strings

JULIA PERRY (ARR. ZAHAB)

B. March 25, 1924, Lexington, KY

D. April 24, 1979, Akron, OH

Scored for strings. (Approx. 3 minutes)

WILLIAM DAVIDSON NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT SERIES SUMMER SERENADE

Thursday, July 13, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. at Berman Theater

Friday, July 14, 2023 at 8 p.m. at NorthRidge Church, Plymouth

Saturday, July 15, 2023 at 8 p.m. at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church

Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 3 p.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church

JAMES BLACHLY, conductor LAQUITA MITCHELL, soprano

Julia Perry Prelude for Strings (1924 - 1979) arr. Roger Zahab

Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson Sinfonietta No. 1 for Strings (1932 - 2004) Sonata Allegro Song Form Rondo

Samuel Barber Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24 (1910 - 1981) Laquita Mitchell, soprano

Intermission

Ethel Smyth Serenade in D (1858 - 1944) Allegro non troppo

Scherzo: Allegro vivace Allegretto grazioso

Finale: Allegro con brio

under the new title Prelude for Strings

This arrangement was first performed virtually by the University of Pittsburgh’s Symphony Orchestra, with Zahab as Music Director.

American composer, conductor, vocalist, and educator Julia

Perry studied at the Westminster Choir College, and rose to prominence after receiving a scholarship to the Berkshire Music Center (now known as the Tanglewood Music Center) in 1951 to study under Luigi Dallapiccola. Following continued studies in Italy and France, Perry received many accolades— including the Prix Fontainebleau for her Viola Sonata and two Guggenheim Awards—and launched her international conducting and performance career through a series of European concerts under the United States Information Agency.

Her compositional style was often described as “neoclassical,” and she wrote in all musical forms and used many 20th-century compositional techniques. Upon her return to the United States in 1959, her compositional style evolved to reflect influence from the civil rights movement. She consistently pushed the boundaries of race and gender during an era where few composers of her background were recognized.

Despite health challenges following several strokes, Perry composed until her death, completing more than 100 works, though only 18 have been published, performed, or recorded.

Among these 18 is her Prelude for Piano written in 1946 and revised in 1962. In August 2020, at the height of the global Covid-19 pandemic, Roger Zahab arranged this work for string orchestra

This performance marks the DSO premiere of Julia Perry’s Prelude for Strings

Sinfonietta No. 1 for Strings

Composed 1955 | Premiered 1966 COLERIDGE-TAYLOR

PERKINSON

B. June 14, 1932, Winston-Salem, NC D. March 9, 2004, Chicago, IL

Scored for strings. (Approx. 18 minutes)

Named after prominent composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson rose to prominence in the 1950s, which marked a time of significant division between experimental, contemporary music and the rise of neo-Classicism and neo-Romanticism.

Perkinson’s Sinfonietta No. 1 for strings was composed in 1955 but was not premiered until almost a decade later in 1966 by the Radio Chamber Orchestra in Hilversum, the Netherlands. The Netherlands premiere of this piece was a product of the time he spent in this country in the summers from 1960-1963. This Sinfonietta contains three movements in a traditional fast, slow, fast form, reminiscent of an Italian Baroque overture. However, the form was nearly the only component of this piece besides some Vivaldi-inspired passages that evokes the Baroque era. A highly eclectic piece, exploring consonance and dissonance through a skillful bravura and rich counterpoint. This piece can best be described as a post-Modernist tradition reminiscent of Alfred Schnittke, and one can also hear influences of Stravinsky and Bartók throughout.

The William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series is made possible by a generous grant from the William Davidson Foundation. WRCJ 90.9 FM also supports the Series.

DIRECTOR

JADER BIGNAMINI , Music Director Music Directorship endowed by the Kresge Foundation

TERENCE BLANCHARD

Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair

NA’ZIR MCFADDEN Assistant Conductor, Phillip & Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador

NEEME JÄRVI Music Director Emeritus

LEONARD SLATKIN Music Director Laureate

JEFF TYZIK

Principal Pops Conductor

This performance marks the DSO premiere of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s Sinfonietta No. 1 for Strings.

Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24

Composed 1947 | Premiered April 1948

SAMUEL BARBER

B. West Chester, Pennsylvania, March 9, 1910 D, New York, New York, January 23, 1981

Scored for solo soprano, flute (doubling piccolo), oboe (doubling english horn), clarinet, bassoon, 2 horns, trumpet, percussion, harp, and strings. (Approx. 16 minutes)

“We are talking now of summer evenings in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the time that I lived there so successfully disguised to myself as a child.” With this sentence begins an extraordinary prose fragment—a prose poem, really—by American writer James Agee. The text, whose lyrical language recounts events of the author’s childhood, later became the prologue to A Death in the Family, the novel that won Agee a posthumous Pulitzer Prize.

Barber set Agee’s words for soprano and orchestra. He finished the score in April 1947 and dedicated it to his father, who had died shortly before its completion. In an interview in 1949, Barber explained his attraction to Agee’s piece: “You see,” he said, “it expresses a child’s feeling of loneliness, wonder and lack of identity in that marginal world between twilight and sleep.” His poetic translation of these feelings into music made for one of his most successful and popular compositions.

The DSO most recently performed Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 at a concert honoring the life of DSO President Emeritus Anne Parsons in May 2022, conducted by Jader Bignamini and featuring

soprano Jessica Rivera. The DSO first performed the piece in November 1954, conducted by Paul Paray and featuring soprano Eleanor Steber.

TEXT

We are talking now of summer evenings in Knoxville Tennessee in that time that I lived there so successfully disguised to myself as a child; …It has become that time of evening when people sit on their porches, rocking gently and talking gently and watching the street and the standing up into their sphere of possession of the trees, of birds’ hung havens, hangars. People go by; things go by. A horse, drawing a buggy, breaking his hollow iron music on the asphalt; a loud auto; a quiet auto; people in pairs, not in a hurry, scuffling, switching their weight of aestival body, talking casually, the taste hovering over them of vanilla, strawberry, pasteboard and starched milk, the image upon them of lovers and horsemen, squared with clowns in hueless amber; …A streetcar raising its iron moan; stopping, belling and starting; stertorous; rousing and raising again its iron increasing moan and swimming its gold windows and straw seats on past and past and past, the bleak spark crackling and cursing above it like a small malignant spirit set to dog its tracks; the iron whine rises on rising speed; still risen, faints; halts; the faint stinging bell; rises again, still fainter, fainting, lifting, lifts, faints foregone: forgotten. Now is the night one blue dew; Now is the night one blue dew, my father has drained, he has coiled the hose; Low on the length of lawns, a frailing of fire who breathes…; Parents on porches: rock and rock. From damp strings morning glories hang their ancient faces; The dry and exalted noise of the locusts from all the air at once enchants my eardrums; On the rough wet grass of the back yard my father and mother have spread quilts. We all lie there, my mother, my father, my uncle, my aunt, and I too am lying there....They are not

talking much, and the talk is quiet, of nothing in particular, of nothing at all. The stars are wide and alive, they seem each like a smile of great sweetness, and they seem very near. All my people are larger bodies than mine, … with voices gentle and meaningless like the voices of sleeping birds. One is an artist, he is living at home. One is a musician, she is living at home. One is my mother who is good to me. One is my father who is good to me. By some chance, here they are, all on this earth; and who shall ever tell the sorrow of being on this earth, lying, on quilts, on the grass, in a summer evening, among the sounds of the night. May God bless my people, my uncle, my aunt, my mother, my good father, oh, remember them kindly in their time of trouble; and in the hour of their taking away; After a little I am taken in and put to bed. Sleep, soft smiling, draws me unto her: and those receive me, who quietly treat me, as one familiar and well-beloved in that home: but will not, oh, will not, not now, not ever; but will not ever tell me who I am.

— James Agee, Copyright 1949 by G. Schirmer, Inc. Used by permission.

Serenade in D

Composed 1889

ETHEL SMYTH

B. April 22, 1858, Sidcup, United Kingdom D. May 8, 1944, Woking, United Kingdom Scored for strings. (Approx. 38 minutes)

DameEthel Smyth, born in 1858, defied societal expectations of her time to pursue a career in music composition. Her unwavering determination, coupled with immense talent, allowed her to break through barriers and become a pioneering figure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Smyth’s musical prowess extended beyond her compositions—she was also a tireless advocate for women’s rights and an active participant in the suffragette movement.

Smyth’s “Serenade in D” stands as a testament to her mastery of orchestral composition. Completed in 1890, this work showcases her distinct musical voice, combining elements of Romanticism with hints of the emerging modernist styles of the time.

The opening movement, marked Allegro ma non troppo, introduces us to a lively and spirited atmosphere. The orchestra engages in a vibrant dialogue, showcasing Smyth’s skillful orchestration and command of melodic development. The music weaves between playful themes and soaring melodies, creating a sense of joyful exuberance.

In contrast, the second movement, Andante grazioso, offers a more introspective and lyrical experience. Here, Smyth demonstrates her ability to evoke deep emotional resonance through delicate and expressive melodies. The strings take center stage, guiding listeners through moments of tenderness and contemplation, while the woodwinds add a touch of ethereal charm.

The third movement, Allegro vivace, transports listeners into a whirlwind of energy and excitement. Smyth’s rhythmic vitality and spirited orchestration infuse the music with a sense of buoyancy and anticipation. Listeners will be swept away by the exuberance and vivacity of this movement, as the orchestra dances through cascading passages and invigorating rhythms.

Finally, the Serenade concludes with a resplendent Finale marked Allegro molto vivace. The movement embodies a triumphant spirit, with bold thematic statements and an exhilarating sense of forward momentum. Smyth’s command of orchestral color shines through, as she skillfully utilizes the ensemble’s various sections to create a rich tapestry of sound that culminates in a thrilling climax.

This performance marks the DSO

PROFILES

JAMES BLACHLY

James Blachly is a Grammy Awardwinning conductor dedicated to enriching the concert experience by connecting with audiences in memorable and meaningful ways. Blachly serves as Music Director of the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra and of the Experiential Orchestra, and is a versatile guest conductor in diverse repertoire with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

With the Johnstown Symphony, Blachly conducted the orchestra at the Flight 93 Memorial for the 20th anniversary of 9/11, which was featured on Katie Couric’s America Inside Out. Under his leadership across six seasons, the orchestra has increased season ticket sales and annual giving each by more than 50%.

In 2021, he received a commendation by the City of Johnstown and the Johnstown chapter of the NAACP.

With the Experiential Orchestra, he has conducted the works of Arvo Pärt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, invited audiences to dance to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, sit within the orchestra at Lincoln Center, and engage with Symphonie fantastique and Petrushka with circus choreography at The Muse in Brooklyn. Their world premiere recording of English composer Dame Ethel Smyth’s 1930 masterpiece The Prison, released on Chandos Records, won a 2021 Grammy Award and was widely acclaimed.

A strong supporter of composers of our time, Blachly has commissioned and premiered more than 40 works by composers including Jessie Montgomery, Courtney Bryan, Viet Cuong, Michi Wiancko, Kate

Copeland Ettinger, Tommy Daugherty, Patrick Castillo, Brad and Doug Balliett, and many others. In recent seasons, he has collaborated with soloists including Paul Jacobs, Michelle Cann, Charles Yang, Julia Bullock, Dashon Burton, Helga Davis, Sarah Brailey, Andrés Cárdenes, Michael Chioldi, Karen Kim, and Andrew Yee.

In 2020, Blachly was invited to serve as the Associate Editor and Orchestral Liaison for the African Diaspora Music Project, directed by Dr. Louise Toppin. In that capacity, he has overseen the compilation of a database and website detailing more than 1,300 published works for orchestra by African diaspora composers. Visit jamesblachly.com for more information.

LAQUITA MITCHELL

Soprano Laquita Mitchell consistently earns acclaim on eminent international opera and concert stages worldwide. Mitchell performed as soprano soloist in the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec’s Sanctuary Road at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of New York, which was nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award.

This season, Mitchell will reprise the role of Julie in Omar for Carolina Performing Arts, a role she created in the opera’s world premiere at the Spoleto Festival last season. She will also return to the role of Josephine Baker in Josephine with Music of Remembrance. In concert, Mitchell performs Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Madison Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Sarasota Orchestra, Sanctuary Road with the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati, Verdi’s Requiem with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Tippet’s A Child of Our

Time with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. Next season, Mitchell will return to the role of Countess in Le nozze di Figaro.

Notable previous engagements include the role of Coretta Scott King in I Dream with Opera Grand Rapids, Toledo Opera, and Opera Carolina; Violetta in La traviata with Opera Memphis, New York City Opera, and Edmonton Opera; and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with the Florentine Opera and the Portland Opera. Recent concert engagements include serving as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Berkeley Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Missoula Symphony, and her return to The Philadelphia Orchestra to perform in their Academy Ball alongside Steve Martin and

led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

A native of New York City, Mitchell was a 2004 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Prize Winner and was awarded a Sara Tucker Award. She was also the First Prize Winner of the Wiener Kammer Oper’s Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition, making her the first American to win this competition in more than 20 years. Additionally, Mitchell was the First Prize Winner of the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, as well as the winner of the Audience Choice award. Mitchell holds a Master of Music degree and the Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music and completed undergraduate studies at Westminster Choir College.

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