Brantley Manderson brantley@encoremagazine.com
Kelli Dill kelli@encoremagazine.com
Hila Johnson hila@encoremagazine.com EDITOR
Robert Viagas robert@encoremagazine.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Tamara Hooks tamara@encoremagazine.com DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Jennifer Nelson jennifer@encoremagazine.com
Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra! Whether you are here for your first time or if you’re a long-time patron, we are delighted that you have chosen to spend a portion of your December with us, and we hope you leave the performance inspired and enlightened.
This season, we celebrate not only the joy of the holidays but also the power of music to bring us together, transcending boundaries and creating lasting memories. There’s never been a better time to put our differences aside, reach out to friends and family, and experience the magic of music together.
Speaking of transcending boundaries, we start the month with one of the most beloved and versatile musicians in the world, the one and only Yo-Yo Ma. His superpower is bringing together musicians from all genres and all countries.
For the remainder of December our music-making is devoted to the harmonious combination of heart, mind and voice in some of the most glorious works known to humankind, lovingly prepared for you by our talented musicians of the world-renowned Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, and the traditional holiday choral works that are woven through our Christmas with the ASO program—these are the sounds of the holidays for many families, celebrating the light and inspiration that comes in the days at the end of the calendar year.
As you sit back and immerse yourself in the music, we hope you feel the connection that unites us all through these shared experiences. May this concert inspire you and fill your hearts with joy and peace.
If you are moved by what you hear, we hope you will consider making a gift to the Orchestra’s Annual Fund. Thanks to a special matching gift challenge made by a generous anonymous donor, all new and increased Annual Fund gifts will be doubled. Please visit aso.org/donate to learn how you can support the ASO.
Thank you for being here and for your continued support of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. We wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season filled with harmony and happiness.
With gratitude,
Jennifer Barlament, Executive Director
Nathalie Stutzmann is the Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the second woman in history to lead a major American orchestra. She was Principal Guest Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 2021 to 2024.
Nathalie made big news in the opera pit in 2023 with her debut at the Bayreuth Festival with Wagner's Tannhäuser. The performances resulted in her being named 'Best Conductor' of the year in the 2024 Oper! Awards. She returned to Bayreuth in 2024 for a revival of Tannhäuser and will be back in 2026 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Festival, conducting a new production of Rienzi.
Her opera debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 2023 was declared by The New York Times as “the coup of the year.”
The 24-25 season with the Atlanta Symphony features key pillars of the romantic repertoire including a complete Beethoven Symphony cycle and Missa solemnis. With several notable debuts including the Czech Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich and her conducting debut at the Musikverein with Wiener Symphoniker; her season also includes returns to the New York Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra and L.A Philharmonic. In June 2025 she will return to Bruxelles La Monnaie to conduct Carmen.
Nathalie Stutzmann has signed an exclusive recording contract with Warner Classics/Erato and her first symphonic recording for the label of Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 and American Suite with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra was released in
Awarded the 2023 Opus Klassik “Concerto Recording of the Year” for her recording of Glière and Mosolov Harp concertos with Xavier de Maistre and WDR Sinfonieorchester, 2022 also saw the release of complete Beethoven Piano Concertos recorded with Haochen Zhang and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Gramophone praised it as “a brilliant collaboration that I urge you to
Nathalie started her studies at a very young age in piano, bassoon, cello and studied conducting with the legendary Finnish teacher Jorma Panula.
As one of today’s most esteemed contraltos, she has made more than 80 recordings and received the most prestigious awards. Recognized for her significant contribution to the arts, Nathalie was named “Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur”, France’s highest honor; and “Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the French government.
Patrick Viguerie chair
Janine Brown immediate past chair
Bert Mills treasurer
Angela Evans secretary
Phyllis Abramson
Keith Adams
Juliet M. Allan
Susan Antinori
Rona Gomel Ashe
Andrew Bailey
Jennifer Barlament*
Keith Barnett
Paul Blackney
Janine Brown
Betsy Camp
Lisa Chang
Susan Clare
Russell Currey
Sheila Lee Davies
Carlos del Rio, M.D. FIDSA
Lisa DiFrancesco, M.D.
Lynn Eden
Yelena Epova
Angela Evans
Craig Frankel
Sally Bogle Gable
Anne Game
Rod Garcia-Escudero
Sally Frost George
Robert Glustrom
Julie Goosman
Bonnie B. Harris
Charles Harrison
Michael Hoffman
Tad Hutcheson, Jr.
Roya Irvani
Joia M. Johnson
Chris Kopecky
Carrie Kurlander
Scott Lampert
James H. Landon
Daniel Laufer*
Donna Lee
Susan Antinori vice chair
Lynn Eden vice chair
Sukai Liu
Kevin Lyman
Deborah Marlowe
Shelley McGehee
Arthur Mills IV
Bert Mills
Molly Minnear
Hala Moddelmog*
Caroline Moïse
Anne Morgan
Terence L. Neal
Galen Lee Oelkers
Dr. John Paddock
Margie Painter
Howard D. Palefsky
Cathleen Quigley
Doug Reid
James Rubright
Ravi Saligram
William Schultz
Neil Berman
Benjamin Q. Brunt
John W. Cooledge, M.D.
John R. Donnell, Jr.
Jere A. Drummond
Carla Fackler
Charles B. Ginden
John T. Glover
Dona Humphreys
Aaron J. Johnson, Jr.
James F. Kelley
Patricia Leake
Karole F. Lloyd
Meghan H. Magruder
Howell E. Adams, Jr.
John B. White, Jr.
* Ex-Officio Board Member
^ On Sabbatical
James Rubright vice chair
V Scott
Charles Sharbaugh
Fahim Siddiqui
W. Ross Singletary, II
John Sparrow
Elliott Tapp
Brett Tarver^
Valerie Thadhani
Yannik Thomas
Maria Todorova
Ben Touchette
S. Patrick Viguerie
Kathy Waller
Chris Webber
Richard S. White, Jr.
Mack Wilbourn
Kevin E. Woods, M.D., M.P.H.
Penelope McPhee
Patricia H. Reid
Joyce Schwob
John A Sibley, III
H. Hamilton Smith
G. Kimbrough Taylor, Jr.
Michael W. Trapp
Connie Calhoun
Azira G. Hill
Ray Uttenhove
Chilton Varner
Adair M. White
Sue Sigmon Williams
Ben F. Johnson, III
FIRST VIOLIN
David Coucheron concertmaster
The Mr. & Mrs. Howard R. Peevy Chair
Justin Bruns
associate concertmaster
The Charles McKenzie Taylor Chair
Lauren Roth
assistant concertmaster
Jun-Ching Lin
assistant concertmaster
Anastasia Agapova
Kevin Chen
Carolyn Toll Hancock
The Wells Fargo Chair
John Meisner
Christopher Pulgram
Juan R. Ramírez Hernández
Olga Shpitko
Kenn Wagner
Lisa Wiedman Yancich
Sissi Yuqing Zhang
SECTION VIOLIN ‡
Judith Cox
Raymond Leung
The Carolyn McClatchey Chair
Sanford Salzinger
SECOND VIOLIN
Sou-Chun Su
acting / associate principal
The Atlanta Symphony Associates Chair
The Frances Cheney Boggs Chair
Jay Christy
acting associate / assistant principal
Rachel Ostler
acting assistant principal
Dae Hee Ahn*
Robert Anemone
Noriko Konno Clift
Paolo Dara
David Dillard
Paul Halberstadt
Eun Young Jung
Eleanor Kosek
Yaxin Tan
Zhenwei Shi principal
The Edus H. & Harriet H.
Warren Chair
Paul Murphy
associate principal
The Mary & Lawrence Gellerstedt Chair
Catherine Lynn assistant principal
Marian Kent
Yang-Yoon Kim
Yiyin Li
Lachlan McBane
Jessica Oudin
Madeline Sharp
CELLO
Daniel Laufer
acting / associate principal
The Miriam & John Conant Chair
Karen Freer
acting associate / assistant
The Livingston Foundation Chair
Thomas Carpenter
Joel Dallow
The UPS Foundation Chair
Ray Kim
Isabel Kwon
Nathan Mo
Brad Ritchie
Denielle Wilson
Nathalie Stutzmann
music director
The Robert Reid Topping Chair
BASS
Joseph McFadden principal
The Marcia & John Donnell Chair
Gloria Jones Allgood
associate principal
The Lucy R. & Gary Lee Jr. Chair
Karl Fenner
Michael Kurth
Nicholas Scholefield
Daniel Tosky
Michael Kurth
The Jane Little Chair
FLUTE
Christina Smith principal
The Jill Hertz Chair
The Mabel Dorn Reeder
Honorary Chair
Robert Cronin
associate principal
C. Todd Skitch
Gina Hughes
PICCOLO
Gina Hughes
OBOE
Elizabeth Koch Tiscione principal
The George M. & Corrie Hoyt Brown Chair
Zachary Boeding
associate principal
The Kendeda Fund Chair
Jonathan Gentry
Emily Brebach
ENGLISH HORN
Emily Brebach
William R. Langley
resident conductor & atlanta symphony youth
orchestra music director
The Zeist Foundation Chair
CLARINET
Jesse McCandless
principal
The Robert Shaw Chair
Ted Gurch*
associate principal
Ivan Valbuena
associate principal
Julianna Darby
Marci Gurnow*
Alcides Rodriguez
E-FLAT CLARINET
Ted Gurch*
Ivan Valbuena
BASS CLARINET
Alcides Rodriguez
BASSOON
Cameron Bonner
principal
The Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation Chair
Anthony Georgeson
associate principal
Laura Najarian
Juan de Gomar
CONTRABASSOON
Juan de Gomar
HORN
Ryan Little principal
The Betty Sands Fuller Chair
Andrew Burhans
associate principal
Kimberly Gilman
Bruce Kenney
Norman Mackenzie director of choruses
The Frannie & Bill Graves Chair
TRUMPET
Michael Tiscione
acting / associate principal
Finan Jones
conducting fellow
The Madeline & Howell Adams Chair
Mark Maliniak
acting associate principal
William Cooper
Ian Mertes
TROMBONE
Nathan Zgonc
acting / associate principal
The Terence L. Neal Chair, Honoring his dedication & service to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Home Depot Veterans Chair
Jason Patrick Robins
BASS TROMBONE
Vacant
Jordan Milek Johnson Fellow
TUBA
Michael Moore principal
The Delta Air Lines Chair
Joshua Williams fellow
Zeist Foundation ASO Fellowship Chair
TIMPANI
Michael Stubbart
acting / assistant principal
The Walter H. Bunzl Chair
PERCUSSION
Joseph Petrasek
principal
The Julie & Arthur
Montgomery Chair
Michael Jarrett
assistant principal
The William A. Schwartz Chair
Michael Stubbart
The Connie & Merrell
Calhoun Chair
HARP
Elisabeth Remy Johnson
principal
The Sally & Carl Gable Chair
KEYBOARD
Vacant
The Hugh & Jessie Hodgson
Memorial Chair
Sharon Berenson †
LIBRARY
Joshua Luty
principal
The Marianna & Solon
Patterson Chair
Sara Baguyos
associate principal
James Nelson
GUEST CONDUCTOR
Neil and Sue Williams Chair
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Advisory Council is a group of passionate and engaged individuals who act as both ambassadors & resources for the ASO Board and staff. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra extends heartfelt gratitude to the members listed on this page.
Jane Morrison advisory council chair
Justin Im
internal connections task force co-chair
Robert Lewis, Jr.
internal connections task force co-chair
Frances A. Root patron experience task force chair
Eleina Raines
community connections & education task force co-chair
Otis Threatt
community connections & education task force co-chair
MEMBERS
Dr. Marshall & Stephanie Abes
Krystal Ahn
Paul & Melody Aldo
Kristi & Aadu Allpere
Logan Anderson & Ian Morey
Evelyn Babey
Asad & Sakina Bashey
Herschel Beazley
Meredith W. Bell
John Blatz
Jane Blount
Carol Brantley & David Webster
Johanna Brookner
Stacey Chavis
Mrs. Amy B. Cheng & Dr. Chad A. Hume, Ph.D
Kate Cook
Daniel I. DeBonis
Donald & Barbara Defoe
Paul & Susan Dimmick
Bernadette Drankoski
John & Catherine Fare Dyer
Mary Ann Flinn
Bruce Flower
Annie Frazer
John D. Fuller
Alex Garcias
Dr. Paul Gilreath
Mary Elizabeth Gump
Elizabeth Hendrick
Mia Frieder Hilley
Caroline Hofland
Justin Im
Baxter Jones & Jiong Yan
Lana Jordan
Rosthema Kastin
Andrea Kauffman
Brian & Ann Kimsey
Jason & Michelle Kroh
Dr. Fulton Lewis III & Mr. Neal Rhoney
Robert Lewis, Jr.
Eunice Luke
Erin Marshall
Belinda Massafra
Doug & Kathrin Mattox
Ed & Linda McGinn
Erica McVicker
Berthe & Shapour Mobasser
Bert Mobley
Sue Morgan
Bill Morrison & Beth Clark-Morrison
Jane Morrison
Gary Noble
Regina Olchowski
Bethani Oppenheimer
Ralph Paulk
Suzanne Redmon Paulk
Ann & Fay Pearce
Jonathan & Lori Peterson
Dr. John B. Pugh
Eliza Quigley
Eleina Raines
Joseph Rapanotti
Leonard Reed
Dr. Jay & Kimberley
Rhee
Vicki Riedel
Felicia Rives
David Rock
Frances A. Root
Tiffany & Rich Rosetti
Thomas & Lynne Saylor
Beverly & Milton Shlapak
Suzanne Shull
Baker Smith
Cindy Smith
Victoria Smith
Peter & Kristi
Stathopoulos
Tom & Ani Steele
Beth & Edward Sugarman
Stephen & Sonia Swartz
George & Amy Taylor
Bob & Dede Thompson
Otis Threatt Jr.
Cathy Toren
Roxanne Varzi
Robert & Amy Vassey
Juliana Vincenzino
Emily C. Ward
Nanette Wenger
Christopher Wilbanks
Kiki Wilson
Taylor Winn
Camille Yow
For more information about becoming an Advisory Council member, please contact Cheri Snyder at cheri.snyder@atlantasymphony.org or 404.733.4904.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is grateful to the generous donors who support our Education and Community Engagement Initiatives. The following list represents gifts of $500 or more made since June 1, 2023 in support of the Talent Development Program and the Orchestra’s other education and community programs.
Elaine & Erroll Davis
$250,000+
A Friend of the Symphony
Delta Air Lines
Goizueta Foundation
Lettie Pate Evans Foundation
$100,000+
Georgia Power Company
Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
The Home Depot Foundation
Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation
Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc.
The Zeist Foundation, Inc.
$50,000+ Accenture
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs
Norfolk Southern Foundation
$25,000+
A Friend of the Symphony Alston & Bird LLP
BlueLinx Corporation
Cadence Bank
Chick-fil-A Foundation | Rhonda & Dan Cathy
The Coca-Cola Company
Fulton County Board of Commissioners
The Gable Foundation
Georgia Council for the Arts
League of American Orchestras
National Endowment for the Arts
Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc.
PwC
$10,000+
Ms. Tena Clark & Ms. Michelle LeClair
Costco Wholesale
Cari K. Dawson & John M. Sparrow
Georgia-Pacific
The Scott Hudgens Family Foundation
Slumgullion Charitable Fund
The Mark & Evelyn Trammell Foundation
$5,000+
Azalea City Chapter of Links
Ned Cone & Nadeen Green
Michelle Caruso-Decoufle & Christopher Decoufle
Ms. Angela L. Evans
Mr. David L. Forbes
Mr. & Mrs. David Goosman
The William Randolph Hearst Foundations
Azira G. Hill
Mona & Gilbert Kelly
Drs. Joon & Grace Lee
Patty & Doug Reid
Ms. Maria Rivera
Ms. Felicia Rives
Kathy Waller & Kenneth Goggins
$2,000+
George & Gloria Brooks
Janine Brown & Alex J. Simmons, Jr.
Jacqueline A. & Joseph E. Brown, Jr.
Karen & Rod Bunn
Mr. & Mrs. Ricardo Carvalho
Mrs. Nancy Cooke
Mr. Nigel Ferguson
Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler & Dr. William M. Kahnweiler
Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Levingston
Mr. Cesar Moreno & Mr. Greg Heathcock
Mr. Charles A. Morn
Ms. Helen Motamen & Mr.
Deepak Shenoy
Mr. & Mrs. Berk Nowak
Ms. Lili Santiago-Silva & Mr. Jim Gray
TEGNA Foundation
Dr. Brenda G. Turner
Ms. Sonia Witkowski
Drs. Kevin & Kalinda Woods
$1,000+
A Friend of the Symphony
Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Barrow
Mr. & Mrs. Kris Bowen
Judith D. Bullock
Ms. Lisa V. Chang
Mr. Bruce R. Cohen
Mr. & Ms. Daniel DeBonis
Ms. Cydnee Dubrof & Mr. Robert McDonough
Dr. Bernie Dunson
William C. Eisenhauer
Ms. Yelena Epova & Mr. Neil Chambers
Mr. Burt Fealing
Sharon, Lindsay & Gordon Fisher
Jeannette Guarner, MD & Carlos del Rio, MD
Ms. Jamila Hall
Ms. Ayonna Hammond
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Hennessy
Tad & Janin Hutcheson
Mr. Derrick Jenkins
Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Kelly
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Vincent Lalli
Dr. & Mrs. Scott I. Lampert
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Lewandowski
Hala & Steve Moddelmog
Ms. Mallori Morris
Mr. & Mrs. Roger B. Orloff
Victoria & Howard Palefsky
Ms. Sunnah Pasha
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Patterson
Ms. Sharon A. Pauli
John & Monica Pearson
Ms. Cathleen Quigley
Mr. & Mrs. Chris W. Rork
Ms. Robin B. Ryder
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Sanders
Ms. Lauren Sayeski
Dr. & Dr. Patricia Thomas
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Toren
Ms. Mary A. Valdecanas
Ms. Cathryn van Namen
Ms. Phyllis R. Williams
Mrs. & Mr. Katherine Zanaty
$500+
A Friend of the Symphony
Nadja & John Aquino Household
Mr. & Ms. Jonathan Barnwell
Big Bethel A. M. E. Church
Johnnie Booker
Ms. Kim Van Dang
Mr. Rohan Datta
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ewing
Mr. & Mrs. Reade Fahs
Shirley C. Franklin
Ms. Chanel H. Frazier
Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Ginden
Mr. Jerry Goux
Mary C. Gramling
Ms. & Mr. Daryll Griffin
Dr. R. Donald Harvey & Mrs. Christine Kempton
Mrs. Elice D. Haverty
Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Hill
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Hyland
Mr. Alan Jackson
Ms. Caroline A. Joe & Dr. Linda McGehee
Mr. Matthew D. Kent & Mr. Joseph C. Miller
Bill & Kathy Lamar
Daniel & Terri Laufer
Mr. & Mrs. Keith D. Levingston
Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Levitt
Mr. & Mrs. Chris Loeffler
Mr. & Mrs. William G. Loventhal
Alan & Amy Manno
Ms. Deborah A. Marlowe & Dr. Clint Lawrence
Mr. & Mrs. Jim McNary
Caroline & Phil Moïse
Jane Morrison
Ms. Ronda P. Respess
Dr. La Tanya & Mr. Earl R. Sharpe
Ms. Fawn M. Shelton
Mr. Burleigh L. Singleton
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Spiva
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Stinson
George & Amy Taylor
Mr. Otis Threatt Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm Walker
Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd W. Walmsley
Mr. & Ms. Timothy Wang
Mrs. Elise K. Warshaw
Ms. Karen Yeoh & Mr. Felix Poh
As the holidays approach, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus (ASOC) gathers to celebrate a cherished tradition: the annual Christmas concert. For many members, this concert is not just a performance; it's a yearly celebration of the chorus' rich legacy and impact within Atlanta's community.
This year marks 54 years since the ASOC's debut performance during Beethoven's 9th Symphony, performed September 24, 1970.
It’s been 44 years since the Chorus made its national television debut with its Christmas program, then called, "Robert Shaw's Christmas Festival" (December 24, 1986). Now called "Christmas with the ASO", a few of our chorus members share what this annual tradition means to them.
Nick Jones (bass), a seasoned member of 54 seasons, reflects on the evolution of Shaw's legacy in the concert. "We maintain the training that Robert Shaw gave us, emphasizing the unity of diction and intonation. The fact that we have 150 people on stage, but we can sound like a much smaller chorus, creates an intimate setting in Symphony Hall."
Arietha Lockhart (soprano), a member for an impressive 41 seasons, shares her favorite part of the performance. “It’s always a joyous occasion to sing with our guests—Morehouse College, Atlanta Young Singers, Spivey Hall Children's Choir, and others.” Megan Littlepage (soprano) echoes this sentiment. Her highlight is the Morehouse College Glee Club's performances. She recalls, “The crowd goes absolutely wild” for these pieces. The excitement is palpable in Symphony Hall from classical work to festive carol.
David Hansen (bass), who joined the chorus in 1982, first sang with Robert Shaw in 1968 as a young high schooler during Shaw's first Atlanta performance of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Hanson shares, "It was the broadcast of this concert which ultimately convinced me eight years out of college that, yes, I have to find the time to sing with this chorus. It was heavenly light
through a speaker on a very small television."
Each holiday performance is a reminder of what creates and sustains a nurturing and vibrant musical community. Hansen reflects, “It’s about more than what happens in the room; it’s an outreach to the larger Atlanta community.”
For many, the hallmark moment is Handel's epic "Hallelujah" chorus from Part II of Messiah. Tierney Breedlove (alto) describes the exhilarating atmosphere of the concert in this moment. “When everyone stands up and sings, it brings this huge holiday spirit for me where everyone can participate. It's truly my favorite." This moment transforms the concert into a communal celebration that fills the concert hall with joy.
Beth Freeman (alto) who has sung with the chorus for 22 seasons and is Senior Manager of Major Gifts at the ASO, reflects on the memories that come with such a long tenure. One moment stands out: her son’s debut at the concert. She recalls, “We strategically put him on the aisle, and he came running down in his little Christmas outfit and a big smile on his face, knowing the song ‘Farandole’ from Little Einsteins.” It's during unexpected moments of joy that Christmas with the ASO becomes a magical experience for every attendee.
For almost forty years, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus have invited concertgoers to celebrate the holiday season in Symphony Hall, and for many families, it marks the start of the festivities. "Christmas with the ASO, to me, starts the holiday season. It starts on a wonderfully joyous note," said Freeman.
It is a beloved tradition that may start your holiday season but also hopefully serves as a reminder of the power of music to bring people together. This year, as the chorus raises their voice in song, we thank our audience for being a part of these important celebrations for years to come.
We are deeply grateful to the following leadership donors whose generous support has made the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's season possible.
Concert of Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Atlanta Symphony Hall
ERIC JACOBSEN, conductor
YO-YO MA, cello
The use of cameras or recording devices during the concert is strictly prohibited. Please be kind to those around you and silence your mobile phone and other hand-held devices.
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Slavonic Dance No. 8 in G minor, Op. 46 3 MINS
Presto
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)
Concerto No. 1 in C major for Violoncello and Orchestra (ca. 1761-1765) 24 MINS
I. Moderato
II. Adagio
III. Allegro molto
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Bachianas brasileiras No. 5, for Solo Cello & Orchestra of Violoncelli, (1938-1945) 6 MINS
I. Ária (Cantilena)
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
INTERMISSION 20 MINS
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 (1889) 36 MINS
I. Allegro con brio
II. Adagio
III. Scherzo: Allegretto grazioso
IV. Allegro, ma non troppo
CURTIS STEWART (b. 1986)
"M. Bett" from The Famous People for Orchestra 2 MINS
by Noel Morris Program Annotator
DVOŘÁK Slavonic Dance and Symphony No. 8
At one time, it was illegal to speak Czech in Bohemia. The native tongue nearly went extinct in the 17th century, but the Bohemians found a loophole: the prohibition didn't apply to marionettes, so Czechspeaking actors poured their art into puppet theaters.
For centuries, Bohemia remained under Austrian rule. In the 1900s, language delineated social class: landowners and middle-class merchants tended to speak German, while laborers and domestic workers spoke Czech. In Vienna, Czech people became an underclass.
Into his thirties, Antonín Dvořák lived in Prague, barely scraping by as an organist, violist, and music teacher. In 1877, he submitted some vocal duets to a competition and not only won but also gained the notice of Johannes Brahms.
Slavonic Dance
First ASO performance: November 24, 1963
Henry Sopkin, conductor
Most recent ASO performance: November 2-4, 2023, Nathalie Stutzmann, conductor
Symphony No. 8
First ASO performance: October 30, 1951
Henry Sopkin, conductor
Most recent ASO performance: May 18-20, 2023
Without asking, Brahms recommended Dvořák's duets to the publisher Fritz Simrock, who had made a bundle off Brahms's Hungarian Dances. Like the Dances, Dvořák's duets hit a sweet spot between an "ethnic sound" and German classical training. The duets generated a respectable profit, and Simrock suggested they follow with dances modeled after Brahms. Dvořák obliged, applying his melodic genius to Czech rhythms and harmonies to produce the Slavonic Dances, Op. 46. He struck gold.
Paolo Bortolameolli, conductor
The sheet music to Slavonic Dances landed on family pianos across Europe. Dvořák arranged them for orchestra and became an international sensation.
With Simrock’s business acumen, Dvořák's career exploded, but they quarreled. The publisher grimaced at Dvořák's forays into opera and symphonic music, complaining that they weren't as lucrative as the parlor pieces. He refused to include Czech titles on Dvořák's scores and insisted on Germanizing the composer's name (he printed Anton instead of Antonín). Despite the antiCzech sentiment around Vienna, Dvořák refused to squeeze into the German mold.
In 1883, he traveled to England, where he found shopkeepers selling his portrait. People stopped him
on the street for autographs, and he made a small fortune. Back in Bohemia, Dvořák bought a country house where he could garden, raise pigeons, hike, and hang out at the village pub. He wrote much of his Eighth Symphony in that little village in the Fall of 1889.
Completing the piece in just 75 days, Dvořák presented it to Simrock, but the publisher lowballed him, prompting Dvořák to publish at Novello in London. He later conducted the piece at Cambridge, where he received an honorary doctorate, and again in Chicago on "Czech Day" at the World's Columbian Exposition.
First ASO performance:
May 1-3, 1975
Michael Palmer, conductor
Most Recent ASO performance: July 27, 2008
Robert Spano, conductor
“Imagine a composer in the throes of inspiration having to wait twice a day, at certain hours, in the prince’s antechamber, to receive the master’s orders,” wrote Haydn biographer Karl Geiringer. In fact, Haydn had a highly coveted job. He had just been appointed vice-kapellmeister at the court of Prince Paul Anton Esterházy.
Esterházy was a decent violinist and cellist and was willing to put money into his private orchestra. Young Haydn’s duties included rehearsing and conducting concerts and operas, playing violin and keyboard, supervising personnel and the upkeep of their instruments, and writing much of the music they played.
Over three decades with the Esterházy family (17611790), Haydn developed the symphony and the string quartet into important genres while ushering in the High Classical period. But back in 1761, he was grateful to have a job.
One of his first hires was a young cellist named Joseph Weigl, one of the best players he'd ever heard. It seems Haydn made it his business to keep him happy because he threw his energy into writing one of the great masterpieces of the instrument—but the plot thickens. At some point, his First Cello Concerto disappeared.
The memory of the Concerto went down in history as a few bars scrawled into the composer’s personal catalog and was
lost to generations of cellists until 1961—exactly 200 years after Haydn went to work for Esterházy—when a Czech musicologist discovered an early copy in the archives at the Prague National Museum. The first modern-day performance took place in 1962. The Concerto sparkles with virtuosic passages, showcasing the instrument’s full range, while the translucent orchestration frees the cellist to explore delicate nuances in color. Haydn and Weigl became lifelong friends.
Bachianas Brasileiras is just as it sounds—a mashup of Bach and Brazilian music.
From the beginning, Heitor Villa-Lobos was a maverick. As a child, he resisted formal training but went all out on the cello, clarinet, and guitar. When his father died, 12-year-old Heitor started performing popular songs on street corners. His pick-up band blended African and European influences. Into his teens, he played cello in a theater orchestra before traveling to Brazil’s interior to learn his country’s indigenous music. Traveling up the Amazon, he found musicians living in some of the world’s most isolated locales. He was only 19.
First ASO performance: January 8, 1969
Michael Palmer, conductor
Most recent ASO performance: March 18-20, 1976
Robert Shaw, conductor
Bachianas Brasileiras, written between 1930 and 1945, pays tribute to the composer’s musical influences: Johann Sebastian Bach and the native music of Brazil. Writing nine pieces in all, Villa-Lobos gave each one a unique set of instruments with two titles: one classical and one Brazilian. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, “Ária (Cantilena)” was scored for eight cellos and soprano. In it, the composer employed the Baroque technique of using steady, repeated 16th notes to propel the piece forward. Layers of independent melodies (counterpoint) also point to Bach. At the same time, he fashioned a haunting soprano line floating in the ether to lyrics by Ruth V. Corrêa. The words evoke moonlight washing over a dense, tropical forest.
This is the first ASO performance.
STEWART The Famous People V. “M Bett”
In his suite The Famous People, Curtis Stewart “recomposes” five of Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances in the name of American Abolitionists, fusing Dvořák with “traditional American Slave dances—the Ring Shout, Juba, Cakewalk, Pigeon Wing, Buck and Wing etc.”
Composer’s notes:
After looking up the etymology of the word “slavonic,” I found several articles that suggest it comes from a language of people from an area of eastern Europe where many were sold into slavery—also, “slav” is a denotation of fame or worth—families would add borislav or stani-slav to their names to denote fame:
I was drawn to this approach of dealing with a history of slavery within one's family, the celebration of the dances of those peoples in Dvořák's original works, the ownership of a name and its “rebranding”—and reflecting on the American Slave— how Black Americans deal with creating a similar sense of pride, familial storytelling and lineage in contemporary America.
Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity.
Most recently, Yo-Yo began Our Common Nature, a cultural journey to celebrate the ways that nature can reunite us in pursuit of a shared future. Our Common Nature follows the Bach Project, a 36-community, six-continent tour of J. S. Bach’s cello suites paired with local cultural programming. Both endeavors reflect Yo-Yo’s lifelong commitment to stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to understand how music helps us to imagine and build a stronger society.
Yo-Yo is an advocate for a future guided by humanity, trust, and understanding. Among his many roles, Yo-Yo is a United Nations Messenger of Peace, the first artist ever appointed to the World
Economic Forum’s board of trustees, a member of the board of Nia Tero, the US-based nonprofit working in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and movements worldwide, and the founder of the global music collective Silkroad.
His discography of more than 120 albums (including 19 Grammy Award winners) ranges from iconic renditions of the Western classical canon to recordings that defy categorization, such as “Hush” with Bobby McFerrin and the “Goat Rodeo Sessions” with Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile. Yo-Yo’s recent releases include “Six Evolutions,” his third recording of Bach’s cello suites, and “Songs of Comfort and Hope,” created and recorded with pianist Kathryn Stott in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. YoYo’s latest album, “Beethoven for Three: Symphony No. 4 and Op. 97 ‘Archduke,’” is the third in a new series of Beethoven recordings with pianist Emanuel Ax and violinist Leonidas Kavakos.
Yo-Yo was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris. He began to study the cello with his father at age four and three years later moved with his family to New York City, where he continued his cello studies at the Juilliard School before pursuing a liberal arts education at Harvard. He has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize (1978), the National Medal of the Arts (2001), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010), Kennedy Center Honors (2011), the Polar Music Prize (2012), and the Birgit Nilsson Prize (2022). He has performed for nine American presidents, most recently on the occasion of President Biden’s inauguration.
Yo-Yo and his wife have two children. He plays three instruments: a 2003 instrument made by Moes & Moes, a 1733 Montagnana cello from Venice, and the 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius.
Already well-established as one of classical music’s most exciting and innovative young conductors, Eric Jacobsen combines fresh interpretations of the traditional canon with cutting-edge collaborations across musical genres. Hailed by the New York Times as “an interpretive dynamo,” Eric, as both a conductor and a cellist, has built a reputation for engaging audiences with innovative and collaborative programming. Eric joined the Virginia Symphony Orchestra as Music Director in 2021, being named the twelfth music director in the orchestra’s 100+ year history. Current and recent projects include recording projects of Dvořák and Coleridge-Taylor with Gil Shaham and Rhapsody in Blue (on banjo!) with Béla Fleck. Eric is entering his tenth season as Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, as he continues to pioneer the orchestra’s programming and community engagement in new and exciting directions. The 24-25 season looks forward to concerts including An Evening with Jamie Bernstein and the World Premiere of Gabriel Kahane’s clarinet concerto for Anthony McGill.
Eric is also artistic director and co-founder of The Knights, the uniquely adventurous NYC-based chamber orchestra. The ensemble, founded with his brother, violinist Colin Jacobsen, grew out of late-night music reading parties with friends, good food and drink, and conversation. Current endeavors include a multi-year Rhapsody project and a residency at Carnegie Hall. Under Jacobsen’s baton, The Knights have developed an extensive recording collection, including albums with longtime collaborators Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham, Aaron Diehl, Gabe Kahane, and Anna Clyne.
Eric and his brother founded the string quartet Brooklyn Rider and also performed regularly with Yo-Yo Ma as a member of Silk Road, touring around the world.
Concerts of Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 3:00 PM and 8:00PM
Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 3:00 PM Atlanta Symphony Hall
NORMAN MACKENZIE, conductor
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
GLEE CLUB, DAVID MORROW,
director
SPIVEY HALL CHILDREN’S CHOIR, CRAIG HURLEY, director
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHORUS
The use of cameras or recording devices during the concert is strictly prohibited. Please be kind to those around you and silence your mobile phone and other hand-held devices.
The Coca-Cola Holiday Concerts are presented by Holiday concerts are made possible through an endowment from the Livingston Foundation in memory of Leslie Livingston Kellar.
by Noel Morris Program Annotator
Founded in 1911, the Morehouse College Glee Club is the premier singing organization of Morehouse College, traveling all over the country and the world, demonstrating excellence not only in choral performance but also in discipline, dedication, and brotherhood. The current director, David E. Morrow, ‘80, assumed directorship of the Glee Club in 1987. The current members come from all over the United States and even from other countries around the world. While some are music majors, members are in all academic divisions at the college. Even though some members take Glee Club as a course for credit, all members still sing as a labor of love and enjoy being ambassadors for Morehouse College.
On January 18, 1993, the Glee Club, as part of the Morehouse Spelman Chorus, sang at Atlanta’s Symphony Hall, with soprano Jessye Norman, in a concert celebrating the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. They also performed the National Anthem with Natalie Cole for Super Bowl XXVIII in 1994. The organization participated with Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, and Trisha Yearwood in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2008, the Glee Club recorded the spiritual, "He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands", for Spike Lee’s movie, Miracle at St. Anna. The Glee Club celebrated its Centennial in 2011 by performing commemorative concerts in Atlanta and New York’s Avery Fisher Hall, for events leading to the dedication of the King Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and recorded "Zachary and the Scaly Bark Tree" by Bill Lee for his son, Spike Lee’s movie, Red Hook Summer.
The Glee Club has performed concerts with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, featuring the work Seven Last Words of the Unarmed by Joel Thompson. The Glee Club has performed internationally on several different occasions: African Nations –Senegal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, and Nigeria (1972), Russia (1996), Poland (1998), Bermuda (2001), the Bahamas (2005), South Africa (2008), Canada and Puerto Rico (2011), Honduras (2018), Algeria (2019), and performed the 50th Anniversary Tour of Nigeria in 2022.
David Morrow is a native of Rochester, New York. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College in 1980 and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music in 1995. Dr. Morrow has been a member of the Music faculty at Morehouse College since 1981 and became Director of the Glee Club in 1987.
Dr. Morrow’s conducting honors include: 1991 Kennedy Center Honors as part of the tribute to Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Conductor Laureate, Robert Shaw with the Morehouse College Glee Club; celebrating the 1994 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday at Atlanta Symphony Hall with soprano Jessye Norman and the Spelman-Morehouse Choruses; the National Anthem for Super Bowl XXVIII with Natalie Cole and the combined choruses of the Atlanta University Center; the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games with the Morehouse College Glee Club, and many more.
Dr. Morrow is past president of The National Association of Negro Musicians, and was a member of the Georgia Council for the Arts. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses, Inc. and Chorus America, Inc. He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, the Georgia Music Educators Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, is a “Friend of the Arts” member of Sigma Alpha Iota.
Xavier Andrews
Langston Bassett
Jouvence Benoit
Braylon Bodison
Matthew Brock Jr
Jalen Brown
Josiah Brown
Kyree Burley
Nathaniel Cangé
Shawn Carter
Gavin Chapman
Justin Clopton
Courtland Coleman
Neil Collymore
Juquwayne Crockett
Dalin Davis
Allheim Devan-Bey
Xavier Doyle
Devan Durrett
Lesh'ln Edwards
Mason Filio
Sebastien Ford
Elijah Gatling
Amare Glenn
Stephen Goff
Matthew Greene
Sean Hallers
Harlem Henderson
Mehki Holly
Donovan Hood
Ronny Johnson
Lance Johnson Jr.
Tyler Jones
Evan Lowther
Ian Mausi
Maurice McCrea
Xavier McDaniel
Noah Mize
Joe NoringtonReaves
Sean Norton
John Paige
Dylan Patterson
Kaden Quick
Chantz Robinson
Salahuddin Saafir
Saleem Saafir
Ian Shepherd
Beloved Joshua
Simons
Mekhi Smith
Robert Smith Jr.
Cuba Stellenberg
Jordan Stewart
Jamari Story
Rayquan Strickland
Shawn Taylor
Desmond Thompson
Kabien Thompson
David Totty
Isaiah TrippAlvarado
Keenan Washington
Aaron Watts
Imari Welcher
Alexzavier Williams
Dejuan Wright
Now in its 31st season, the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program was established in 1994 by founding director, Dr. Martha Shaw. The program features three choirs, with the Children’s Choir comprising 70 singers aged 10 to 18. These distinguished young musicians exemplify Spivey Hall’s commitment to music education and artistic excellence. Each spring, the choir auditions enthusiastic young singers for admission to the program (www. spiveyhallchildrenschoir.org).
Dr. Hurley is currently in his first year as the Artistic Director of the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program, where he leads both the Children’s Choir and the Tour Choir. Prior to this role, he led the Spivey Hall Young Artists, the preparatory ensemble of the organization, for 18 years. Dr. Hurley has also been a guest clinician for honor choirs across the southeastern United States and is the current president of the Georgia Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
In addition to his role at Spivey Hall, Dr. Hurley serves as the music specialist at Ford Elementary School in Cobb County, Georgia, where he instructs general music for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Dr. Hurley was honored as the Teacher of the Year in both 2002 and 2016, and he was recognized as the 2020 Cobb County Elementary General Music Teacher of the Year. In 2021, he was named the Educator of the Year by the Georgia Music Educators Association.
Dr. Hurley earned his degrees from Shorter College, Berry College, and the University of Georgia.
SPIVEY HALL CHILDREN'S CHOIR
Carina Ashby
Ellen Ashby
Rex Ashby
Serena Avery
Isabella Bagwell
Madison Bartlett
Victor Byrd
Elise Byrd
Lana Carlson
Kara Cauble
Titus Cauble
Aailee Chapman
Jacob Clark
Madison Cook
Kameron Cox
Karina Davis
Ashley Dixon
Messiah Draggs
Aiden English
Lono Francois Watkins
Samantha Gaspard
Laura Gray
Karyn Hancock
Jack Hayes
Alexandria Henderson
Shaniya Henderson
Elijah Herrera
Amari HodgesBarnes
Cyanne Holloway
Katlynn Kearse
Daniel King
Avery Kolm
Aaliyah Leverette
Katherine LewisJohn
Anna Leigh Lott
Nola Lyons
Abigail Marchman
Naomi Marchman
Gavin Markovitch
Lorraine Melville
Aliyah Miller
Jeriah MoorerAlexander
Jay'Vone Motley
Isabella Nagel-Silva
George Nelson
McKenzie Patterson
Brandon Pittman, Jr.
Jackson Powell
Elizabeth Pulliam
Nataleigh Rivera
Alexandria Rumley
Inara Russell
Armani Sanders
Madison Sayavong
Leah Schilling
Elizabeth Sekar
Abigail Snelson
Thomas Solove
Thomas Stark
Perry Sullivan
Jonathan Thomas
Luke Thomas
Ruby Tillery
Andrea Van Eps
Dkyra Walton
Jordyn WhiteFavors
Angel Williams
Andrew Wood
Hannah Wood
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, founded in 1970 by former Music Director, Robert Shaw, is an all-volunteer, auditioned ensemble that performs on a regular basis with the Orchestra and is featured on many of its recordings. Led by Director of Choruses, Norman Mackenzie, the chorus is known for its precision and expressive singing quality. Its recordings have garnered 14 Grammy® Awards (nine for Best Choral Performance; four for Best Classical Recording and one for Best Opera Recording). In addition, the Chorus has been involved in the creation and shaping of numerous world-premiere commissioned works.
Norman Mackenzie’s abilities as musical collaborator, conductor and concert organist have brought him international recognition. As Director of Chorus for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) since 2000, he was chosen to help carry forward the creative vision of legendary founding conductor Robert Shaw.
During his tenure, the Chorus has made numerous tours and garnered several Grammy® awards, including Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance.
At the ASO, he prepares the Choruses for all concerts and recordings, works closely with Nathalie Stutzmann on the commissioning and realization of new choral-orchestral works and conducts holiday concerts. In his 14-year association with Mr. Shaw, he was keyboardist for the ASO, principal accompanist for the ASO Choruses and ultimately assistant choral conductor. In addition, he was musical assistant and accompanist for the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers, the Robert Shaw Institute Summer Choral Festivals in France and the United States and the famed Shaw/ Carnegie Hall Choral Workshops. He prepared the ASO Chorus for its acclaimed 2003 debut and successive 2008 and 2009 performances in Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic, in Britten’s War Requiem, Berlioz’s Grande Messe des Morts and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, respectively, conducted by ASO Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles.
Norman Mackenzie
director of choruses
The Frannie & Bill Graves
Chair
Marcia Chandler
interim chorus
administrator
Dock Anderson
series accompanist
Debbie Ashton
Sloan Atwood
Aliyah Auerbach
Jessica Barber
Juliana Bolaño
Tierney Breedlove
Barbara Brown
Maggie Carpenter
Martha Craft
Liz Dean
Gina Deaton
Saskia den Boon
Laura Foster
Mary Goodwin
Erin Harris
Heidi Hayward
Amy Lea
Megan Littlepage
Arietha Lockhart
Melissa Mack
Mindy Margolis
Katie O’Brien
Rachel Paul
Chantae Pittman
Tramaine Quarterman
Kate Roberts
Samaria Rodriguez
Georgia Sackler
Emily Salmond
Kristian Samuel
Marianna Schuck
Susie Shepardson
Anne-Marie Spalinger
Tommie Storer
Emily Tallant
Cheryl Thrash
Caroline Todd
Chelsea Toledo
Brianne Turgeon
Rebecca van Rooyen
Caroline Wendt
Lacy Wilder
June Abbott
Nancy Adams
Jacosa Ainu'u
Pamela Amy-Cupp
Ana Baida
Angelica BlackmanKeim
Elizabeth Borland
Emily Campbell
Marcia Chandler
Carol Comstock
Jessica Crowe
Meaghan Curry
Katherine Fisher
Beth Freeman
Luanne Harms
Unita Harris
Beverly Hueter
Janet Johnson
Joia Johnson
Susan Jones
Sally Kann
Kathleen KellyGeorge
Nicole Khoury
Alina Luke
Lynda Martin
Lalla McGee
Sara McKlin
Rachel Meyer
Linda Morgan
Natalie Pierce
Elizabeth Qian
Anna Ree
Caroline Roberts
Noelle Ross
Rachel Schiffer
Duhi Park Schneider
Sharon Simons
Rachel Stewart
Kiki Wilson
Diane Woodard
Brian Bishop
LaRue Bowman
Steve Brailsford
Jack Caldwell
Daniel Cameron
Keddrick Clark
Caleb Cole
Daniel Compton
Justin Cornelius
Phillip Crumbly
Steven Dykes
Clifford Edge
Stephen Eick
David Ellis
Steven Farrow
Sean Fletcher
Thomas Foust
Matthew Gavilanez
Leif Gilbert-Hansen
John Harr
David Ingham
James Jarrell
David Kinrade
Tyler Lane
John Henry Monti
David Moore
Michael Parker
LaTimothy Parrott
Christopher Patton
Matthew Sellers
Thomas Slusher
Scott Stephens
Zachary Temin
Mark Warden
Dock Anderson
Jacob Blevins
Noah Boonin
William Borland
John King Carter
Russell Cason
Jeremy Christensen
Joshua Clark
Rick Cobb
Joel Craft
Michael Cranford
Benjamin Grisham
Timothy Gunter
Brooks Hanrahan
David Hansen
Noah Horton
Elle Jeffers Blocker
Dylan Johnson
Rodney S. Jones
Nick Jones#
Sims Kuester
Daniel Lane
Wesley Lanter
Jason Manley
Brandon Mozingo
Joss Nichols
Philip Rogers
Joel Rose
John Ruff
Brian Smith
John Smith
Jonathan Smith
Will Stephens
Thomas Stow
George Sustman
Benjamin Temko
John Terry
Gregory Whitmire
Keith Wyatt
# Charter Member
Concert of Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Atlanta Symphony Hall
NORMAN MACKENZIE, conductor
ADELAIDE BOEDECKER, soprano
RHIANNA COCKRELL, mezzo-soprano
THOMAS COOLEY, tenor
LAWSON ANDERSON, baritone
ASO CHAMBER CHORUS
The use of cameras or recording devices during the concert is strictly prohibited. Please be kind to those around you and silence your mobile phone and other hand-held devices.
The Coca-Cola Holiday Concerts are presented by Holiday concerts are made possible through an endowment from the Livingston Foundation in memory of Leslie Livingston Kellar.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243 (ca. 1728-1731) 29 MINS
1. Magnificat
2. Et exsultavit spiritus meus
3. Quia respexit humilitatem
4. Omnes generationes
5. Quia fecit mihi magna
6. Et misericordia
7. Fecit potentiam
8. Deposuit potentes
9. Esurientes implevit bonis
10. Suscepit Israel
11. Sicut locutus est
12. Gloria Patri
INTERMISSION
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)
20 MINS
Part the First (Christmas Portion) and Hallelujah from Messiah, HWV 56 58 MINS
1. Overture
2. Recit: Comfort ye, my people (Tenor)
3. Air: Ev'ry valley shall be exalted (Tenor)
4. Chorus: And the glory of the Lord
5. Recit: Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts (Bass)
6. Air: But who may abide the day of His coming? (Alto)
7. Chorus: And He shall purify
8. Recit: Behold! A virgin shall conceive (Alto)
9. Air and Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (Alto)
by Noel Morris Program Annotator
10. Recit: For behold, darkness shall cover the earth (Bass)
11. Air: The people that walked in darkness (Bass)
12. Chorus: For unto us a Child is born
13. Pastoral Symphony
14a. Recit: There were shepherds abiding in the field (Soprano)
14b. Recit: And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them (Soprano)
15. Recit: And the angel said unto them (Soprano)
16. Recit: And suddenly there was with the angel (Soprano)
17. Chorus: Glory to God in the highest
18. Air: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion (Soprano)
19. Recit: Then shall the eyes of the blind be open'd (Alto)
20. Air: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd (Alto, Soprano)
21. Chorus: His yoke is easy and His burthen is light
44. Chorus: Hallelujah
Performances of this concert were made possible by a grant from the BARNEY M. FRANKLIN & HUGH W. BURKE CHARITABLE FUND.
Tonight's concert is dedicated to KAREN M. SCHWARTZ, PH.D. AND JOHN R. PADDOCK PH.D. in honor of their generous support of the 2023/24 Annual Fund.
First ASO performance:
November 17-19, 1971
Robert Shaw, conductor
Most Recent ASO performance:
December 13-14, 2018
Robert Spano, conductor
According to the Gospel of Luke, there are two miracle babies in the Christmas story: Jesus and John the Baptist. Luke tells us both were in utero when the Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, who had been barren. Elizabeth’s baby (John) quickened in her womb at the sound of Mary’s voice. Mary responded with a song of praise to God, the Magnificat. Since then, Mary’s words have inspired legions of people to write music.
Johann Sebastian Bach learned this Bible story as a child. Studying scripture in German and Latin, he followed his father and brothers into the business of church music. He entered the profession as a teenager and cycled through several jobs before landing at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig in 1723.
This marked the beginning of a period of astonishing creativity for Bach, who pushed out volumes of choral and organ works for various occasions in Leipzig. He wrote his Magnificat for the 1723 Feast of the Visitation but then decided to hold onto it until the Christmas celebration. He revised the piece in 1733, paring it down and adjusting the scoring. Bach’s Magnificat has twelve sections, each exploring different instrumental and vocal combinations to illustrate Mary’s words. Apart from being a glorious masterpiece, Bach’s Magnificat (like the B minor Mass) is a rarity in that he used Latin instead of his customary German.
First ASO performance:
December 19-21, 1985
Robert Shaw, conductor
• The “Hallelujah” chorus isn’t Christmas music—or wasn’t.
It’s one of the top downloads during the Christmas season, yet it was written for Easter. The “Hallelujah” chorus proclaims Christ’s Resurrection and makes a splendorous finale to Part Two of Messiah. Early in the 19th century, choirs co-opted the famous chorus for Christmastime. The text of the “Hallelujah” chorus comes from the Book of Revelation, “For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
• Much of the text from Messiah comes from the Old Testament.
Messiah is a compilation of Bible verses. Librettist Charles Jennens took a broad view of his subject, drawing extensively from the Hebrew prophets. Part One anticipates the birth of the Messiah using texts from the Books of Isaiah and Malachi and only moves into the Nativity at the famous chorus “For unto us a child is born” (around thirty minutes into the piece). Part Two explores the relationship between the world’s iniquity and Christ the Redeemer. Much of its text comes from Isaiah and the Book of Psalms. Part Three, by far the shortest section, opens with verses from the Book of Job and then moves into the New Testament to celebrate the risen Christ: “O death, where is thy sting?”
• Some people found Messiah indecent. In certain circles, theaters were considered places of ill repute. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels and Dean of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, initially tried to prevent his choir from participating in the world premiere of Messiah for fear that it would sully its reputation. At Messiah’s London debut the following year, there were murmurs of indecency surrounding the singing of Biblical texts from the stage of a theater.
In the 1750s, Messiah caught on when performances moved to a chapel at the Foundling Hospital; the work became part of Handel’s annual benefit for orphans. Soon, Covent Garden took up the tradition of performing Messiah during Lent, when opera was forbidden.
• There is no definitive version of Messiah.
Handel was as much impresario as composer. He continually rewrote his works to suit a particular performance. He would transpose or rewrite music for specific singers, delete or add movements, and often insert entire organ concertos between acts. As was common during the Baroque era, Handel used varied combinations of keyboard and bass instruments to cover the part of basso continuo, including organ, harpsichord, bassoon, cello, harp, theorbo (a large lute), etc. By 1787, Westminster Abbey advertised an ensemble of eight hundred.
• He wrote it in 24 days.
Messiah runs about two hours and twenty minutes; that means Handel wrote around forty-five minutes of music per week. He finalized the piece on September 14th, 1741, with the dedication “SDG,” or Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone).
Incredibly, keeping a breakneck pace was more the rule than the exception with Handel. He routinely composed an oratorio in a month’s time, although his use of recycled material helped his fluency. In Messiah, for example, he lifted “For unto us a child is born” and “All we like sheep have gone astray” from his duet “Nò, di voi non vo’ fidarmi” (“No, I will never trust you”).
• Messiah is packed with word painting.
To represent the flogging of Jesus, for example, Handel creates a cascading effect by laying one statement of “And with His Stripes” upon another. That’s followed by the chorus "All we like sheep have gone astray.” Here, Handel begins with a strong, unified proclamation: “All we like sheep!” But on the word "astray," the four sections of the chorus peel away from one another, meandering across the musical landscape.
• Why do people stand during the “Hallelujah” chorus?
That’s a very good question. Possibly some trivia lover told you that it’s because King George II was so moved by the music that he stood up when he heard it in 1743. As a rule, when the king stands, everybody stands. But scholars have been unable to confirm the presence of his royal personage at that concert. There are numerous newspaper and eyewitness accounts, but none mentions the King (it seems unlikely that the King’s presence would go unnoticed). The earliest known source of George II’s famous gesture is second-hand, an account given in the 1770s by a man named James Beattie: “They were so transported,” Beattie wrote, “that they all, together with the king (who happened to be present) started up and remained standing.” According to sources, standing during different choruses of Messiah happened as early as the 1750s. Whatever the reason for it, the tradition endures today.
Libretto—Magnificat
Texts and Translations
I. Magnificat (Chorus)
Magnificat anima mea Dominum,
II. Et exsultavit (Soprano Solo)
Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
III. Quia respexit (Soprano Solo)
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae; ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent…
IV. Omnes generationes (Chorus)
Omnes generations.
V. Quia fecit mihi magna (Bass Solo)
Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius.
VI. Et misericordia (Alto and Tenor Solos)
Et misericordia a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
VII. Fecit potentiam (Chorus)
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo: dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
VIII. Deposuit potentes (Tenor Solo)
Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles.
IX. Esurientes implevit bonis (Alto Solo)
Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes.
X. Suscepit Israel (Three-Part
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Salvation
For He has considered the humbleness of his handservant: behold, henceforth I shall be called blessed by…
All generations.
For He that is mighty has magnified me; and holy is His name.
And He is merciful to those who, from generation to generation, fear Him.
He has shown strength in His arm: He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has deposed the mighty from their seats, and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He has sent away empty.
Women’s Voices)
Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae.
XI. Sicut locatus est (Chorus)
Sicut locutus est ad Patres nostros, raham et semini eius in saecula.
XII. Gloria Patri (Chorus)
Gloria Patri, gloria Filio, gloria et Spiritui Sancto! Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Libretto—Messiah
He has supported His servant Israel, remembering His mercy.
As He spoke to our forefathers, Abraham, and his seed forever.
Glory to the Father, glory to the Son, glory to the Holy Spirit! As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, and for ever and ever. Amen.
This concert features Part I, the Christmas Portion, of Messiah, as well as the “Hallelujah!” Chorus from Part II.
Music by GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)
Texts selected from Holy Scripture by Charles Jennens (17001773)
Comfort ye my people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness:
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low: the crooked straight and the rough places plain.
[Isaiah 40:1-4]
CHORUS
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
[Isaiah 40:5]
BASS
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Yet once a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of nations shall come. The Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.
[Haggai 2:6-7; Malachi 3:1]
ALTO
But who may abide the day of His coming?
And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire.
[Malachi 3:2]
CHORUS
And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
[Malachi 3:3]
ALTO
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us.
[Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23]
ALTO & CHORUS
O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah: Behold your God! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
[Isaiah 40:9; 60:1]
BASS
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee,
and His glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
[Isaiah 60:2-3]
BASS
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
[Isaiah 9:2 (Matthew 3:16)]
CHORUS
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
[Isaiah 9:6]
Pastoral Symphony
SOPRANO
There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them: Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying:
[Luke 2:8-11,13]
CHORUS
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men.
[Luke 2:14]
SOPRANO
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace
unto the heathen.
[Zechariah 9:9-10]
ALTO
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.
[Isaiah 35:5-6]
ALTO & SOPRANO
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Come unto Him, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for he is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
[Isaiah 40:11; Matthew 11:28-29]
His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.
[Matthew 11:30]
Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
[Revelation 19:6; 11:15; 19:16]
Adelaide Boedecker has been described as “emotionally transparent and beguiling of tone” (The San Francisco Chronicle). Ms. Boedecker recently returned to the Metropolitan Opera covering the role of Amore in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Past assignments at the Metropolitan Opera include covering the role of Tebaldo in Don Carlo, and Thibault in Don Carlos.
Ms. Boedecker most recently appeared as Pamina in The Magic Flute and returned to Santa Fe Opera performing the role of Meridian in UnShakeable. Other operatic heroines include Norina in Don Pasquale, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Clorinda in La Cenerentola, Marie in La fille du régiment and Frasquita in Carmen.
Ms. Boedecker debuted professionally at age 17 and received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from University of Florida, where she graduated summa cum laude, and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music.
Rhianna Cockrell, mezzo soprano, has captivated audiences with her interpretations of Renaissance and Baroque works as well as her passion for contemporary works. Cockrell’s 2024–25 season sees her solo debut with Washington Bach Consort in J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. She also joins the Baltimore Basilica Schola Cantorum and Three Notch'd Road Baroque Ensemble in J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion. Other season highlights include performances with Folger Consort, Ensemble Altera, The Thirteen, and True Concord Voices & Orchestra.
In addition to performance, Cockrell is an advocate for social justice and diverse representation in classical music. Cockrell co-founded New Muses Project, a collective focused on justicefocused radical curiosity in classical music. Cockrell holds degrees from Yale University (MMA), University of Minnesota (MM), and George Mason University (BM).
THOMAS COOLEY, tenor
With an acclaimed international performance career spanning over two decades, tenor Thomas Cooley continues to deliver memorable performances across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Renowned as an expert in the works of Handel and J.S. Bach, Cooley has performed this repertoire with renowned ensembles such as the Thomanerchor and Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig.
Over his career, he has portrayed over 35 operatic roles with renowned institutions such as the Bavarian State Opera, the Krakow State Opera, Minnesota Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Göttingen Händelfestspiele, and Lincoln Center.
Thomas Cooley's discography includes 20 recordings. An upcoming recording of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, under the baton of Nicholas McGegan, is planned for Avie Records 2025.
Hailed for his “powerful, darkly-hued voice and nobility of phrasing and carriage” (Cleveland Classical), Lawson Anderson is quickly establishing himself as one of the leading bass-baritones of his generation. A former management consultant with an MBA from Columbia Business School, Anderson has made waves in the opera world coming off of his Top Prize finish at the 2018 George London Foundation Competition; First Prize award from the Gerda Lissner Foundation’s 2017 International Vocal Competition; and 2017 Opera Index Top Prize Arthur E. Walters Memorial Award.
Highlights of the current season include Donner (Das Rheingold) and Gunther/cover (Götterdämmerung) at the Semperoper Dresden under the baton of Christian Thielemann; Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress) in Concert with the Staatskapelle Dresden; and a debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin with the Staatsballett Berlin in Christian Spuck’s production of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem as bass soloist.
Acclaimed for the beauty, precision and expressive qualities of its singing, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Chamber Chorus has been an important part of the orchestra's programming since its founding by the late Robert Shaw. The Chamber Chorus, which debuted on December 14, 1967, is composed of 40-60 volunteers selected by audition from the ranks of the ASO Chorus, who meet for extra rehearsals and perform with the ASO each season. The Chamber Chorus performs music of the Baroque and Classical eras, as well as works by modern masters such as Golijov, Tavener, Pärt, Paulus, Theofanidis and Britten.
Highlights of the ASO Chamber Chorus’s history include a residency with the ASO and Robert Spano for California’s Ojai Festival, participation with the ASO in recordings of masterworks by Bach, Golijov, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Vivaldi and a 2005 a cappella recording that features the Vaughan Williams Mass under Norman Mackenzie. Their Carnegie Hall appearances include performances of Bach's B-Minor Mass, Rachmaninoff Vespers, Stravinsky’s Nightingale and Mozart's Requiem.
SOPRANO
Aliyah Auerbach
Juliana Bolaño
Tierney Breedlove
Khadijah Davis
Liz Dean
Megan Littlepage
Arietha Lockhart
Mindy Margolis
Mary Martha Penner
Marianna Schuck
Anne-Marie Spalinger
Brianne Turgeon
Lacy Wilder
Wanda Yang Temko
Ana Baida
Angelica BlackmanKeim
Donna Carter-Wood
Marcia Chandler
Katherine Fisher
Unita Harris
Kathy Kelly-George
Virginia Little
Katie Mackenzie
Linda Morgan
Kathleen Poe-Ross
Laura Rappold
Anna Ree
Christian Bigliani
David Blalock
Matthew Borkowski
LaRue Bowman
Jack Caldwell
Daniel Compton
Justin Cornelius
Phillip Crumbly
Matthew Gavilanez
Leif Gilbert-Hansen
John Harr
Keith Langston
Michael Parker
LaTimothy Parrott
Christopher Patton
Mark Warden
Dock Anderson
Philip Barreca
Russell Cason
Trey Clegg
Joel Craft
Michael Cranford
Timothy Gunter
Peter Mackenzie
Jason Maynard
Jackson McCarthy
Brian Smith
Benjamin Temko
Edgie Wallace Jr.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra continues to prosper thanks to the support of our generous patrons. The list below recognizes the donors who have made contributions since June 1, 2023. Their extraordinary generosity provides the foundation for this worldclass institution.
Paulette Eastman & Becky
Joyce & Henry Schwob
$1,000,000+ A Friend of the Symphony
$100,000+
Sheila Lee Davies & Jon Davies
Barney M. Franklin & Hugh W. Burke Charitable Fund
$50,000+
The Antinori Foundation
Ms. Lynn Eden
Ms. Angela L. Evans∞
John D. Fuller
The Gable Foundation
Robert & Roberta** Setzer
Ann Marie & John B. White, Jr.°∞
$35,000+
Cari K. Dawson & John M. Sparrow
Sally & Walter George
Sally & Pete Parsonson ∞
Patty & Doug Reid
Mary & Jim Rubright
Slumgullion Charitable Fund
Kathy Waller & Kenneth Goggins
Patrick & Susie Viguerie
$25,000+
John & Juliet Allan
Mr. & Mrs. Paul J. Blackney
Janine Brown & Alex J. Simmons, Jr.
Connie & Merrell** Calhoun
John W. Cooledge
Sally** & Larry Davis
Mr. Richard H. Delay & Dr. Francine D. Dykes∞
Pryor Anderson**
Jeannette Guarner, MD & Carlos del Rio, MD∞
Bonnie & Jay Harris
Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Harrison
Donna Lee & Howard Ehni
John & Linda Matthews∞
John R. Paddock, Ph.D. & Karen
M. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Ms. Margaret Painter
Bill & Rachel Schultz°
June & John Scott∞
Mrs. Edus H. Warren
$17,500+
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Bailey
Jennifer Barlament & Kenneth Potsic∞
Ms. Elizabeth W. Camp
Wright** & Alison Caughman
Ms. Lisa V. Chang
Ms. Yelena Epova & Mr. Neil Chambers
Florencia & Rodrigo Garcia Escudero
Dick & Anne Game°
Pam & Robert Glustrom
Ms. Joia M. Johnson
Dr. & Mrs. Scott I. Lampert
Dr. Jennifer Lyman & Mr. Kevin Lyman
Ms. Deborah A. Marlowe & Dr. Clint Lawrence
Ms. Molly Minnear
Caroline & Phil Moïse
Moore Colson, CPAs & Bert & Carmen Mills
Terence L. & Jeanne Perrine Neal°
Victoria & Howard Palefsky
Martha M. Pentecost
Mr. Fahim Siddiqui & Ms. Shazia Fahim
Ross & Sally Singletary
John & Ray Uttenhove
Mrs. Sue S. Williams
Drs. Kevin & Kalinda Woods
$15,000+
Phyllis Abramson, Ph. D.
Madeline** & Howell E. Adams, Jr.
Mr. Keith Adams & Ms. Kerry Heyward°
Aadu & Kristi Allpere°
Mr. Neil Ashe & Mrs. Rona
Gomel Ashe
Keith Barnett
Mr. David Boatwright
Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Clare
Russell Currey & Amy Durrell
Mr. & Mrs. Erroll B. Davis, Jr.∞
Lisa DiFrancesco, MD & Darlene Nicosia
Eleanor & Charles Edmondson
Craig Frankel & Jana Eplan
In Memory of Betty Sands Fuller
Roya & Bahman Irvani
Sarah & Jim Kennedy
Brian & Carrie Kurlander∞
James H. Landon
Mr. Sukai Liu & Dr. Ginger J. Chen
John F. & Marilyn M. McMullan
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Mills IV
Anne Morgan & Jim Kelley
Lynn & Galen Oelkers
Ms. Regina Olchowski & Mr. Edward Potter
Barbara & Andrew Paul
Ms. Cathleen Quigley
V Scott
Beverly & Milton Shlapak
Mr. John A. Sibley, III
Elliott & Elaine Tapp°
Judith & Mark K. Taylor
Dr. Ravi & Dr. Valerie Thadhani
Mr. Yannik Thomas
Maria Todorova
Carol & Ramon Tomé Family Fund
Adair & Dick White
Mr. Mack Wilbourn
$10,000+
A Friend of the Symphony
Paul & Melody Aldo∞
Mr. & Mrs. Calvin R. Allen
Farideh & Al Azadi Foundation
Estate of Elizabeth Ann Bair
Jack & Helga Beam∞
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald R. Benjamin
Kelley O. & Neil H. Berman
Karen & Rod Bunn
Lisa & Russ Butner∞
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Chubb III
Ms. Tena Clark & Ms. Michelle LeClair
Janet & John Costello
Donald & Barbara Defoe°
Peter & Vivian de Kok
Marcia & John Donnell
Dr. John Dyer & Mrs. Catherine Faré Dyer
Marina Fahim
Dr. & Mrs. Leroy Fass
Dr. Paul Gilreath
Mr. Max M. Gilstrap
The Hertz Family Foundation, Inc.
Azira G. Hill
Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Hill
Clay & Jane Jackson
Ann A. & Ben F. Johnson III°
James Kieffer
Ann & Brian Kimsey∞
Stephen & Carolyn Knight
Dr. & Mrs. Douglas Mattox
Jane Morrison∞
Gretchen Nagy & Allan Sandlin
Mr. & Mrs. Solon P. Patterson
Margaret H. Petersen
David F. & Maxine A.** Rock
Ms. Frances A. Root
Thomas & Lynne Saylor
Tom & Ani Steele
John & Yee-Wan Stevens
Mr. & Mrs. Edward W. Stroetz, Jr.
Stephen & Sonia Swartz
George & Amy Taylor∞
Carolyn C. Thorsen
Mr. & Mrs. Benny Varzi
Drs. Jonne & Paul Walter
Dr. & Mrs. James O. Wells, Jr.
Camille W. Yow
$7,500+
Dr. Marshall & Stephanie Abes
Ms. Johanna Brookner
Judith D. Bullock
Patricia & William Buss∞
John Champion & Penelope Malone
Mark Coan & Family
Ms. Diane Durgin
Mr. & Mrs. William A. Flinn
Grace Taylor Ihrig°
Jason & Michelle Kroh
Dr. Fulton D. Lewis III & S. Neal Rhoney
Mr. Robert M. Lewis, Jr. & G.
Wesley Holt
Elvira & Jay Mannelly
Belinda & Gino Massafra
Berthe & Shapour Mobasser
Mr. Cesar Moreno & Mr. Greg Heathcock
Ms. Eliza Quigley∞
Mr. & Mrs. Joel F. Reeves
Hamilton & Mason Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Toren
Kiki Wilson
Mr. David J. Worley & Ms. Bernadette Drankoski
$5,000+
A Friend of the Symphony (2)
Mr. & Mrs. Louis Alrutz
Mr. Logan Anderson
Dr. Evelyn R. Babey
Lisa & Joe** Bankoff
Asad & Sakina Bashey
Herschel Beazley
Meredith Bell
Mr. John Blatz
Rita & Herschel Bloom
Dr. & Mrs. Jerome B. Blumenthal
Mrs. Sidney W. Boozer
Carol Brantley & David Webster
Margo Brinton & Eldon Park
Jacqueline A. & Joseph E. Brown, Jr.
CBH International, Inc
Ms. Stacey Chavis
Mrs. Amy B. Cheng & Dr. Chad A. Hume, Ph.D
Ned Cone & Nadeen Green
Matt & Kate Cook
Carol Comstock & Jim Davis
Mr. & Mrs. DeBonis
Mr. Christopher J. Decoufle & Ms. Karen Freer
Mr. & Mrs. Paul H. Dimmick∞
Xavier Duralde & Mary Barrett
Dieter Elsner & Othene Munson
Robert S. Elster Foundation
Dr. & Mrs. Carl D. Fackler
Ellen & Howard Feinsand
Bruce W. & Avery C. Flower∞
Mr. David L. Forbes
Annie Frazer & Jen Horvath
Gaby Family Foundation
Dr. V. Alexander Garcias
Charles Ginden
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Goodsell
Mr. & Mrs. David Goosman
The Graves Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Louis Gump
Sally W. Hawkins
For information about giving to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Annual Fund, please contact William Keene at
or william.keene@ atlantasymphony.org.
Ms. Elizabeth Hendrick
Hilley & Frieder
Richard & Linda Hubert
Tad & Janin Hutcheson
Mr. Justin Im & Dr. Nakyoung
Nam
Mr. & Mrs. Baxter Jones
Cecile M. Jones
Lana M. Jordan∞
Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler & Dr.
William M. Kahnweiler
Paul** & Rosthema Kastin
Mr. & Mrs. Mark A. Kauffman
Mona & Gilbert Kelly°
Mr. Charles R. Kowal
Pat & Nolan Leake
Drs. Joon & Grace Lee
Ms. Cynthia Smith
Ms. Eunice A. Luke
Dr. & Mrs. Ellis L. Malone
Ms. Erin M. Marshall
Beau and Alfredo Martin
Ms. Darla B. McBurney
Ed & Linda McGinn°
Mr. Bert Mobley∞
Sue Morgan∞
Mr. Charles Morn
Mr. William Morrison & Mrs.
Elizabeth Clark-Morrison
Ms. Bethani Oppenheimer
Ms. Amy H. Page
Ralph Paulk & Suzanne
Redmon Paulk
Ann & Fay Pearce°
Jonathan & Lori Peterson
In Memory of Dr. Frank S. Pittman III
Dr. & Mrs. John P. Pooler
Dr. John B. Pugh
Mr. John Rains
Mr. Joseph Rapanotti
Leonard Reed
Mrs. Susan H. Reinach
Dr. Jay Rhee & Mrs. Kimberley
Rhee∞
Vicki & Joe Riedel
Ms. Maria Rivera
Ms. Felicia Rives∞
Tiffany & Rich Rosetti∞
Dr. & Mrs. Rein Saral
Katherine Scott
Suzanne Shull∞
Baker & Debby Smith
Ms. Victoria Smith
Ms. Lara Smith-Sitton
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Stathopoulos
Dr. Steven & Lynne Steindel°
In memory of Elizabeth B. Stephens by Powell, Preston & Sally∞
Beth & Edward Sugarman
Mr. G. Kimbrough Taylor & Ms. Triska Drake
Dede & Bob Thompson
Trapp Family
Chilton & Morgan** Varner
Amy & Robert Vassey
Ms. Juliana T. Vincenzino
Emily C. Ward
Alan & Marcia Watt
Ruthie Watts
Mr. & Ms. Robert L. Welch
Dr. Nanette K. Wenger
Mr. John F. Wieland, Jr.
Suzanne B. Wilner
Mr. & Mrs. M. Beattie Wood
$3,500+
A Friend of the Symphony
Anthony Barbagallo & Kristen Fowks∞
Drs. Jay & Martin Beard-Coles
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis M. Chorba
Malcolm & Ann Cole
Jean & Jerry Cooper
Mr. Ramsey Fahs
John** & Martha Head
Barbara M. Hund
Cameron H. Jackson
Ms. Rebecca Jarvis
Mrs. Gail G. Johnson
Mr. W. F. & Dr. Janice Johnston
Wolfgang** & Mariana Laufer
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher D. Martin
Molly McDonald & Jonathan Gelber
Hala & Steve Moddelmog
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Owen, Jr.
Ms. Kathy Powell
S.A. Robinson
Gerald & Nancy Silverboard
Ms. Martha Solano
Mrs. Dale L. Thompson
Dr. Brenda G. Turner
David & Martha West
Ms. Sonia Witkowski
Zaban Foundation, Inc.
$2,000+
A Friend of the Symphony (3)
Mr. James L. Anderson
Dr. & Mrs. Joel E. Berenson
Susan & Jack Bertram
Leon & Joy Borchers
Ms. Jane F. Boynton
Martha S. Brewer
Harriet Evans Brock
George & Gloria Brooks
Benjamin Q. Brunt
Dr. Aubrey Bush & Dr. Carol Bush
Mr. & Mrs. Walter K. Canipe
Mr. & Mrs. Ricardo Carvalho
Betty Fuller Case
Mr. Jeffery B. Chancellor & Mr. Cameron England
Julie & Jerry Chautin
Mr. James Cobb
Susan S. Cofer
Liz & Charlie Cohn°
Ralph & Rita Connell
William & Patricia Cook
Dr. & Mrs. John E. Cooke
Mary Carole Cooney & Henry R. Bauer, Jr.
R. Carter & Marjorie A. Crittenden Foundation
Claire & Alex Crumbley
Dr. & Mrs. F. Thomas Daly, Jr.
Mr. David S. Dimling
Jerome J. Dobson
Mr. & Mrs. Graham Dorian
Gregory & Debra Durden
Mr. Trey Duskin & Ms. Noelle Albano
Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge
Erica Endicott & Chris Heisel
Mr. & Mrs. Paul G. Farnham
Mr. Nigel Ferguson
Karen Foster
Dr. Elizabeth C. French
Mr. & Mrs. Sebastien Galtier∞
Marty & John Gillin°
Sandra & John Glover
Mrs. Janet D. Goldstein
Mr. Robert Golomb
Mr. James N. Grace
Richard & Debbie Griffiths
Mr. & Mrs. George Gundersen
Deedee Hamburger
Phil & Lisa Hartley
Mr. & Mrs. Steve Hauser°
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Hawk
Mr. & Mrs. John Hellriegel∞
Ann J. Herrera & Mary M. Goodwin
Kenneth & Colleen Hey
Sarah & Harvey Hill, Jr.°
Laurie House Hopkins & John D. Hopkins
James & Bridget Horgan°
Mr. & Mrs. Brian Huband
Dona & Bill Humphreys
Lillian Kim Ivansco & Joey Ivansco
Silvey James & Rev. Jeanne Simpson
Nancy & John Janet
Sally C. Jobe
Aaron & Joyce Johnson
Coenen-Johnson Foundation
Teresa M. Joyce, Ph.D
Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy & Dr.
William R. Kenny
Mr. & Mrs. Randolph J. Koporc
Dr. & Mrs. William C. Land, Jr.
Lillian Balentine Law
Mr. & Mrs. Chris Le
Mr. & Mrs. Van R. Lear
Elizabeth J. Levine
Deborah & William Liss°
Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Levingston
Barbara & Jim MacGinnitie
Dr. Marcus Marr
Mrs. Sam Massell
In Memory of Pam McAllister
Mr. & Mrs. James McClatchey
Martha & Reynolds McClatchey
Birgit & David McQueen
Anna & Hays Mershon
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Mimms, Jr.
Ms. Helen Motamen & Mr. Deepak Shenoy
Janice & Tom Munsterman
Agnes V. Nelson
Denis Ng
Gary R. Noble, MD & Joanne Heckman
Mr. & Mrs. Berk Nowak
Mr. & Mrs. James Pack
Dana & Jon Parness
Mr. Doug F. Powell
Mr. Ron Raitz
Ms. Patricia U. Rich
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas G. Riffey, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Roberts
Betsy & Lee Robinson
Ms. Lili Santiago-Silva & Mr. Jim Gray
Ms. Donna Schwartz
Dick Schweitzer
Mr. David C. Shih
Alan & Marion Shoenig
Nick & Annie Shreiber
Helga Hazelrig Siegel
Diana Silverman
Ms. Charlotte Skidmore & Maj.
Gen. Arnold Fields
Anne-Marie Sparrow
Peggy & Jerry Stapleton
James & Shari Steinberg
Dr. & Mrs. John P. Straetmans
Kay R Summers
Ms. Linda F. Terry
Johnny Thigpen & Clay Martin
Duane P. Truex III
Ms. Cathryn van Namen
Wayne & Lee Harper Vason
Vogel Family Foundation
Dr. James L. Waits
Mr. Charles D. Wattles & Ms.
Rosemary C. Willey
Russell F. Winch & Mark B. Elberfeld
Mrs. Lynne M. Winship
Herbert** & Grace Zwerner
Patron Leadership (PAL) Committee
We give special thanks to this dedicated group of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra donorvolunteers for their commitment to each year’s annual support initiatives:
Linda Matthews
chair
Kristi Allpere
Helga Beam
Bill Buss
Pat Buss
Kristen Fowks
Deedee Hamburger
Judy Hellriegel
Belinda Massafra
Sally Parsonson
June Scott
Milt Shlapak
Lara Smith-Sitton
Jonne Walter
Marcia Watt
° = We are grateful to these donors for taking the extra time to acquire matching gifts from their employers.
** = Deceased
∞ = Leadership Council: We salute these extraordinarydonors who have signed pledge commitments to continue their support for three years or more.
$1,000,000+
Boston Consulting Group
Delta Air Lines
$100,000+
1180 Peachtree, LLC
The Coca-Cola Company
Georgia Power Company
Graphic Packaging International, Inc.∞
The Home Depot Foundation Invesco QQQ
$75,000+
Alston & Bird LLP
Norfolk Southern Foundation
$50,000+
Accenture∞
BlackRock
KPMG LLP, Partners & Employees
PwC
The Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center of Emory University
$25,000+
AFFAIRS to REMEMBER
Aspire Media
Bank of America Charitable Foundation
BlueLinx Corporation
Cadence Bank∞
Chick-fil-A Foundation | Rhonda & Dan Cathy∞
Eversheds Sutherland
Google Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
Northside Hospital
Porsche Cars North America Inc.
Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc.
Troutman Pepper
$15,000+
Cisco
Council for Quality Growth
Deloitte
Georgia-Pacific
Van Dang Fragrances
WABE 90.1 FM
Warner Bros. Discovery
$250,000+
Emerald Gate Charitable Trust
Lettie Pate Evans Foundation∞
Goizueta Foundation∞
The Halle Foundation
$100,000+
Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation∞
Amy W. Norman Charitable Foundation
Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc.
The Zeist Foundation, Inc.
$75,000+
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation∞
The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation∞
$50,000+
City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs
Robert and Polly Dunn Foundation, Inc.
National Endowment for the Arts
The Vasser Woolley Foundation, Inc.
$25,000+
The Jim Cox, Jr. Foundation
The Roy and Janet Dorsey Foundation
Fulton County Board of Commissioners
Georgia Council for the Arts
League of American Orchestras∞
The Marcus Foundation, Inc.∞
Massey Charitable Trust
$20,000+
Choate Bridges Foundation
The Ray M. & Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation, Inc.
The Mark and Evelyn Trammell Foundation
$10,000+
AAA Parking
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Costco Wholesale
Davis Broadcasting's WJZA Smooth Jazz 101/100
Hamilton Capital Partners, LLC
Jazz 91.9 WCLK
King & Spalding LLP
La Fête du Rosé
WVEE-FM | V-103.3 FM
$5,000+
A Friend of the Symphony
Music Matters
Perkins&Will
The St. Regis Atlanta
WhoBody Inc.
Yellow Bird Project Management
$2,000+
Legendary Events
The Piedmont National Family Foundation
$10,000+
The Breman Foundation, Inc.
The Scott Hudgens Family Foundation
The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation
$5,000+
Azalea City Chapter of Links
The Fred & Sue McGehee Family Charitable Fund
The Hellen Plummer Charitable Foundation, Inc.
$2,000+
2492 Fund
Paul and Marian Anderson Fund
The Parham Fund
The Alex & Betty Smith DonorAdvised Endowment Fund
TEGNA Foundation
Named for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s founding Music Director, the HENRY SOPKIN CIRCLE celebrates cherished individuals and families who have made a planned gift to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. These special donors preserve the Orchestra’s foundation and ensure success for future generations.
A Friend of the Symphony (22)
Madeline* & Howell E. Adams, Jr.
Mr.* & Mrs.* John E. Aderhold
Paul & Melody Aldo
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Antinori
Elizabeth Ann Bair*
Dr. & Mrs. William Bauer
Helga Beam
Mr. Charles D. Belcher*
Neil H. Berman
Susan & Jack Bertram
Mr.* & Mrs.* Karl A. Bevins
The Estate of Donald S. & Joyce Bickers
Ms. Page Bishop*
Mr.* & Mrs.* Sol Blaine
John Blatz
Rita & Herschel Bloom
The Estate of Mrs. Gilbert H. Boggs, Jr.
W. Moses Bond
Mr.* & Mrs. Robert C. Boozer
Elinor A. Breman*
Carol J. Brown
James C. Buggs*
Mr. & Mrs.* Richard H. Burgin
Hugh W. Burke*
Mr. & Mrs. William Buss
Wilber W. Caldwell
Mr. & Mrs. C. Merrell Calhoun
Cynthia & Donald Carson
Mrs. Jane Celler*
Lenore Cicchese*
Margie & Pierce Cline
Dr. & Mrs. Grady S. Clinkscales, Jr.
Suzanne W. Cole Sullivan
Robert Boston Colgin
Mrs. Mary Frances
Evans Comstock*
Miriam* & John A.* Conant
Dr. John W. Cooledge
Dr. Janie Cowan
Mr. & Mrs. William R. Cummickel
Bob* & Verdery* Cunningham
Mr. Richard H. Delay & Dr. Francine D. Dykes
John R. Donnell
Dixon W. Driggs*
Pamela Johnson Drummond
Mrs. Kathryn E. Duggleby
Catherine Warren Dukehart*
Ms. Diane Durgin
Arnold & Sylvia Eaves
Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge
Geoffrey G. Eichholz*
Elizabeth Etoll
Mr. Doyle Faler
Brien P. Faucett
Dr. Emile T. Fisher*
Moniqua N Fladger
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce W. Flower
A. D. Frazier, Jr.*
Nola Frink*
Betty* & Drew* Fuller
Sally & Carl Gable
William & Carolyn Gaik
Dr. John W. Gamwell*
Mr.* & Mrs.* L.L. Gellerstedt, Jr.
Ruth Gershon & Sandy Cohn
Micheline & Bob Gerson
Max Gilstrap
Mr. & Mrs. John T. Glover
Mrs. David Goldwasser
Robert Hall Gunn, Jr. Fund
Billie & Sig Guthman
Betty G.* & Joseph* F. Haas
James & Virginia Hale
Ms. Alice Ann Hamilton
Dr. Charles H. Hamilton*
Sally & Paul* Hawkins
John* & Martha Head
Ms. Jeannie Hearn*
Barbara & John Henigbaum
Jill* & Jennings* Hertz
Mr. Albert L. Hibbard
Richard E. Hodges
Mr.* & Mrs. Charles K. Holmes, Jr.
Mr.* & Mrs.* Fred A. Hoyt, Jr.
Jim* & Barbara Hund
Clayton F. Jackson
Mary B. James
Nancy Janet
Mr. Calvert Johnson & Mr. Kenneth Dutter
Joia M. Johnson
Deforest F. Jurkiewicz*
Herb* & Hazel Karp
Anne Morgan & Jim Kelley
Bob Kinsey
James W.* & Mary Ellen* Kitchell
Paul Kniepkamp, Jr.
Vivian & Peter de Kok
Miss Florence Kopleff*
Mr. Robert Lamy
James H. Landon
Ouida Hayes Lanier
Lucy Russell Lee* & Gary Lee, Jr.
Ione & John Lee
Mr. Larry M. LeMaster
Mr.* & Mrs.* William C. Lester
Liz & Jay* Levine
Robert M. Lewis, Jr.
Carroll & Ruth Liller
Ms. Joanne Lincoln*
Jane Little*
Mrs. J. Erskine Love, Jr.*
Nell Galt & Will D. Magruder
K Maier
John W. Markham*
Mrs. Ann B. Martin
Linda & John Matthews
Mr. Michael A. McDowell, Jr.
Dr. Michael S. McGarry
Richard & Shirley McGinnis
John & Clodagh Miller
Ms. Vera Milner
Mrs. Gene Morse*
Hal Matthew Mueller* and Constance Lombardo
Ms. Janice Murphy*
Mr. & Mrs. Bertil D. Nordin
Mrs. Amy W. Norman*
Galen Oelkers
Roger B. Orloff
Barbara D. Orloff
Dr. Bernard* & Sandra Palay
Sally & Pete Parsonson
James L. Paulk
Ralph & Kay* Paulk
Dan R. Payne
Bill Perkins
Mrs. Lela May Perry*
Mr.* & Mrs. Rezin E. Pidgeon, Jr.
Janet M. Pierce*
Reverend Neal P. Ponder, Jr.
Dr. John B. Pugh
William L.* & Lucia Fairlie*
Pulgram
Ms. Judy L. Reed*
Carl J. Reith*
Mr. Philip A. Rhodes
Vicki J. & Joe A. Riedel
Helen & John Rieser
Dr. Shirley E. Rivers*
David F. & Maxine A.* Rock
Glen Rogerson*
Tiffany & Richard Rosetti
Mr.* & Mrs.* Martin H. Sauser
Bob & Mary Martha Scarr
Mr. Paul S. Scharff & Ms. Polly G. Fraser
Dr. Barbara S. Schlefman
Bill & Rachel Schultz
Mrs. Joan C. Schweitzer
June & John Scott
Edward G. Scruggs*
Dr. & Mrs. George P. Sessions
Mr. W. G. Shaefer, Jr.
Charles H. Siegel*
Mr. & Mrs. H. Hamilton Smith
Mrs. Lessie B. Smithgall*
Ms. Margo Sommers
Elliott Sopkin
Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel
Mr. Daniel D. Stanley
Gail & Loren Starr
Peter James Stelling*
Ms. Barbara Stewart
Beth & Edward Sugarman
C. Mack* & Mary Rose* Taylor
Isabel Thomson*
Jennings Thompson IV
Margaret* & Randolph* Thrower
Kenneth & Kathleen Tice
Mr. H. Burton Trimble, Jr.
Mr. Steven R. Tunnell
Mr. & Mrs. John B. Uttenhove
Mary E. Van Valkenburgh
Mrs. Anise C. Wallace
Diane Woodard & Bruce
Wardrep
Mr. Robert Wardle, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. John B. White, Jr.
Adair & Dick White
Mr. Hubert H. Whitlow, Jr.*
Sue & Neil* Williams
Mrs. Frank L. Wilson, Jr.
Mrs. Elin M. Winn
Ms. Joni Winston
George & Camille Wright
Mr.* & Mrs.* Charles R. Yates
Jennifer Barlament executive director
Lizzy Clements executive assistant, senior management
Alvinetta Cooksey executive & finance assistant
Gaetan Le Divelec vice president, artistic planning
Kelly Edwards director of operations
Ebner Sobalvarro
artistic administrator
RaSheed Lemon
artistic coordinator
Sarah Grant vice president of education & community engagement
Ryan Walks
atlanta symphony youth orchestra & teen programs manager
Elena Gagon Dunn family programs & community engagement manager
Michael Kralik manager of school engagement
Jadonna Brewton
interim talent development program manager
Emily Liao Master vice president & general manager
Paul Barrett director of production
Richard Carvlin senior stage manager
Kelvin Hill senior manager of orchestra personnel
Jeremy Tusz
audio recording engineer & producer
Marcia Chandler chorus administrator
Joshua Luty principal librarian
Sara Baguyos associate principal librarian
James Nelson assistant librarian
Ashley Mirakian vice president, marketing & communications
Camille McClain director of marketing & communications
Matt Dykeman director of digital content
Adam Fenton director of multimedia technology
Delle Beganie content & production manager
Mia Jones-Walker marketing manager
Whitney Hendrix creative services manager, aso
Amy Godwin
communications manager
Sean David video editor
Bob Scarr archivist & research coordinator
Russell Wheeler
vice president, sales & revenue management
Nancy James front of house supervisor
Erin Jones
senior director of sales & audience development
Jesse Pace senior manager of ticketing & patron experience
Dennis Quinlan manager, business insights & analytics
Robin Smith guest services coordinator
Jake Van Valkenburg group sales & audience development supervisor
Milo McGehee guest services coordinator
Anna Caldwell guest services associate
Nicole Panunti
vice president, atlanta symphony hall live
Will Strawn director of marketing
Christine Lawrence director of ticketing & parking
Lisa Eng creative services manager
Caitlin Buckers marketing manager
Dan Nesspor ticketing manager, atlanta symphony hall live
Liza Palmer event manager
Jessi Lestelle event manager
Nicole Jurovics booking & contract manager
Meredith Chapple marketing coordinator, live
Shamon Newsome booking & contract associate
Susan Ambo
executive vice president & cfo
Kimberly Hielsberg vice president of finance
April Satterfield controller
Brandi Reed staff accountant
Grace Sipusic vice president of development
Cheri Snyder senior director of development
William Keene director of annual giving
James Paulk senior annual giving officer
Renee Contreras director of foundation & corporate relations
Dana Parness manager of individual giving & prospect research
Beth Freeman senior manager of major gifts
Sharveace Cameron senior development associate
Rachel Bender manager of donor stewardship and events
Sarah Wilson manager of development operations
Jenny Ricke foundation & corporate giving associate
The Woodruff Arts Center’s unprecedented $67 million capital campaign will bring new life to our campus, expand access to our proven educational programming, and secure our place as Atlanta’s center for the arts. Scan the QR code to learn more about Experience Atlanta, Experience Woodruff.
$1,000,000+
The Goizueta Foundation
The Hertz Family Foundation, Inc.*
The Home Depot Foundation
The Imlay Foundation
$500,000 - $999,999
Acuity Brands Anonymous
$250,000 - $499,999
Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation Bank of America Charitable Foundation
$100,000 - $249,999
Thomas and Aimee Chubb
Ann and Jeff Cramer*
Emerald Gate Charitable Trust
Fraser Parker Foundation
$10,000 - $99,999
Annie Adams
H. Ross and Claire Arnold
Janine Brown and Alex Simmons
Cousins Properties
Michael and Mindy Egan
Vicki Escarra
Patrick Gunning and Elizabeth Pelypenko
Rand and Seth Hagen
Philip Harrison and Susan Stainback
Julia Houston
Robin and Hilton Howell
James M. Cox Foundation
Norfolk Southern Foundation
PNC
Patricia and Douglas Reid*
Robert W. Woodruff Foundation
The Tomé Foundation
The Zeist Foundation
Georgia Power Foundation
J. Bulow Campbell Foundation
Kelin Foundation
Chick-fil-A Foundation | Rhonda and Dan Cathy
Phil and Jenny Jacobs
Robert and Margaret Reiser*
Kathy Waller and Kenny Goggins
The Hearst Foundations, Inc.
Joia Johnson
The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation, Inc.
Truist Charitable Fund
KPMG
The Dennis Lockhart and Mary Rose
Taylor Memorial Fund
Barry and Jean Ann McCarthy
Richard and Wimberly McPhail
Kavita and Ashish Mistry
Hala and Steve Moddelmog
Kent and Talena Moegerle
Sara Giles Moore Foundation
Kenneth Neighbors and Valdoreas May
Galen and Lynn Oelkers
Mark and Jennifer Pighini
Southface Energy Institute
Lauren and Andrew Schlossberg
Dave Stockert and Cammie Ives
Tull Charitable Foundation
Vasser Woolley Foundation
Patrick and Susan Viguerie
D. Richard Williams and Janet Lavine
John and Ellen Yates
*Denotes additional support for the Alliance Theatre’s Imagine campaign
We are grateful to our dedicated Annual Fund donors for ensuring that everyone in Atlanta can experience the power of the arts. Their gifts support the arts and education work of the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and High Museum of Art.
$1,000,000+
A Friend of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
$500,000 - $999,999
A Friend of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Anonymous
$250,000 - $499,999
Accenture
Art Bridges Foundation
Farideh and Al Azadi Foundation
Mr. Joseph H. Boland, Jr.
Thalia and Michael C. Carlos Advised Fund
Chick-fil-A Foundation |
Rhonda and Dan Cathy
Sheila Lee Davies and Jon Davies
$100,000 - $249,999
1180 Peachtree
A Friend of the High Museum of Art
Alston and Bird
AT&T Foundation
Atlantic Station
Bank of America Charitable Foundation
Helen Gurley Brown Foundation
Cadence Bank Foundation
City of Atlanta Mayor’s
Office of Cultural Affairs
The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
Cousins Foundation
Forward Arts Foundation
Art Bridges
Emerald Gate Charitable Trust
Georgia Power Company
Sara Giles Moore Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation
The Halle Foundation
Invesco QQQ
Sarah and Jim Kennedy
Ms. Anne H. Morgan and Mr. James F. Kelley
Norfolk Southern Foundation
Novelis, Inc.
The Rich’s Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
Alfred A Thornton Venable Trust
Truist Trusteed Foundations: The Greene-Sawtell Foundation, Guy Woolford Charitable Trust, and Walter H. and Majory M. Rich Memorial Fund
UPS
Smurfit Westrock
Barney M. Franklin and Hugh W. Burke Charitable Fund
Fulton County Board of Commissioners
Dick and Anne Game
Georgia Council for the Arts
Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Georgia-Pacific
Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland
Charitable Foundation
The Hertz Family Foundation, Inc.
Karen and Jeb Hughes
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation
King and Spalding, Partners & Employees
KPMG LLP, Partners & Employees
Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc
The Marcus Foundation, Inc.
Northside Hospital
PNC
Patty and Doug Reid
Southern Company Gas
Carol and Ramon Tomé Family Fund
Warner Bros. Discovery
Kelly and Rod Westmoreland
wish Foundation
