Robert Spano Music Director Donald Runnicles Principal Guest Conductor Michael Krajewski Principal Pops Conductor
May
We’re for childhood. Childhood can be tough, especially on parents. That’s why you need WellStar. Our pediatricians are experts in keeping your kids healthy and your mind at ease. WellStar’s Pediatric Network can be found close to home in Cobb, Cherokee, Douglas and Paulding counties. And because aches and pains don’t take a day off, many of our pediatricians offer same-day appointments, six days a week. When it’s more than aches and scrapes, count on WellStar’s two pediatric emergency departments, at WellStar Kennestone and WellStar Cobb Hospitals. Our pediatric specialists and equipment specifically designed for children and teens will get your child back to childhood as soon as possible. To learn more, call 770-956-STAR or visit the new wellstar.org.
We believe in life well-lived. Women • Newborns • Pediatrics
The vision of WellStar Health System is to deliver world-class healthcare. Our not-for-profit health system includes WellStar Cobb Hospital, WellStar Douglas Hospital, WellStar Kennestone Hospital, WellStar Paulding Hospital, WellStar Windy Hill Hospital and WellStar Medical Group.
contents May 2012
encoreatlanta.com 48
Jeff Roffman
20
features
the music
20 A ‘tree’ grows in Atlanta
25 This week’s concert and program notes
Madeline Rogers takes you inside the latest Theater of a Concert production of A Flowering Tree, inspired by an ancient Indian folk tale.
48 Community Corner
Meet Ahmad Mayes, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Atlanta Music Project.
8 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
departments 12 President’s Letter 14 Orchestra Leadership 16 Robert Spano 18 Musicians 35 Contributors 52 Calendar 54 Administration 56 General Info 58 Ticket Info 60 Gallery ASO
©2012 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.
Same principles. New weight class. This isn’t just a new 911. It is the ushering in of a new era of the sports car. The history-making begins with 90% new or fundamentally revised materials. 400 horsepower from a powerfully efficient 3.8 liter engine in the Carrera S. And even the interior breaks new ground, with an elevated center console, inspired by the Carrera GT, connecting car and driver like never before. These are the things legends are made of. Even if it’s becoming a legend all over again.
The new era starts with a test drive. Call today.
Jim Ellis Porsche
770.234.2100 4006 Carver Drive, Atlanta, GA 30360 Just inside 285 off Peachtree Ind. Blvd. www.jimellisporsche.com facebook.com/AtlantaPorsche
vp of creative/chief storyteller
Kristi Casey Sanders kristi@encoreatlanta.com creative director Jenny Schisler jenny@encoreatlanta.com managing editor Kathy Janich kathy@encoreatlanta.com graphic designer Anna Aguiar anna.harrell@encoreatlanta.com production/marketing assistant Sophia Chin sophia.chin@atlantametropub.com contributing writers
Alex LaPierre and Madeline Rogers
atlanta symphony orchestra Rob Phipps Karl Schnittke program annotator Ken Meltzer
director of publications publications editor
publisher/sales Sherry Madigan White 404.459.4128 sherry.white@encoreatlanta.com account executive
Thomas Pinckney 404.459.4127 thomas.pinckney@encoreatlanta.com senior national accounts manager
Sandra Ourusoff 212.260.4883 marketing administrator
Stephanie Smith stephanie.smith@encoreatlanta.com ENCORE ATLANTA is published monthly by Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing Inc. president Tom
Casey Diane Casey controller Suzzie Adams Gilham vice president, sales and marketing Evan Casey chief administrative officer Claudia Madigan chairperson
180 Allen Road NE, Suite 200 North Atlanta, GA 30328 Phone 404.843.9800 Fax 404.843.9070 www.encoreatlanta.com Copyright 2012 AMP Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Encore Atlanta is a registered publication of AMP Inc. The publisher shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical errors or errors in publication. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication.
Welcome Yes, it is possible to live forever. Mabel Dorn Reeder grew up in McCormick, S.C., near the Georgia/South Carolina border. She was passionate about making the world a better place. The daughter of Joseph Dorn, a prominent farmer and businessman, and his wife, Hanoria, Mabel graduated from Greenville Women’s College and pursued graduate studies at New York’s Columbia University. She taught elementary school for several years before marrying businessman Thomas Reeder and moving to Atlanta. Mrs. Reeder was passionate about music, history and the welfare of animals. She passed away in April 2007 at the age of 98, but the foundation that bears her name — the Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation — sustains her memory and her passions by providing financial support for the causes Mrs. Reeder loved, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In 2011, the Reeder Foundation established an endowed Chair to support the ongoing professional development of one of the ASO’s musicians. The holder of the Reeder Chair must demonstrate excellence in musical artistry, leadership, collegiality and community engagement. At the annual meeting of our Board of Directors (May 14), we will name Concertmaster David Coucheron the newest holder of the Mabel Dorn Reeder Chair. Mr. Coucheron, a 27-year-old Norwegian violinist, is the youngest concertmaster among any major American orchestra. In just two seasons with the Atlanta Symphony, Mr. Coucheron has demonstrated that he is an incredible asset to this organization — through his passion, musicianship, innovative spirit and commitment to music education and the Atlanta community. Clearly, he embodies the qualities and characteristics so cherished by Mrs. Reeder and so necessary in today’s world. The spirit of Mabel Dorn Reeder lives on. I’m inspired by the generosity of the Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation to think about what more I might do to support our Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. I hope you will be inspired as well. Wishing you all the best,
Stanley E. Romanstein, Ph.D. President
12 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL CANCER INSTITUTE: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN
Second Honeymoons
Northside Hospital Cancer Institute is proud to have helped so many survive cancer. Northside diagnoses and treats more breast, gynecologic and prostate cancers than any other hospital in Georgia. Northside also has the best survival outcomes of any hospital in the nation for bone marrow transplants. And Northside is the only hospital in metro Atlanta chosen by the National Cancer Institute as a Community Cancer Center, giving you access the latest cancer research and treatments. Cancer is a long journey. For thousands of survivors, Northside is where it begins. Where the Extraordinary Happens Every Day
CANCER INSTITUTE
leadership Atlanta Symphony Orchestra League 2011-2012 Board of Directors Officers Jim Abrahamson Meghan H. Magruder Chair Vice Chair Karole F. Lloyd D. Kirk Jamieson Chair-Elect Vice Chair
Joni Winston † Secretary Clayton F. Jackson Treasurer
Directors Jim Abrahamson Pinney L. Allen Joseph R. Bankoff* Neil H. Berman Paul Blackney Janine Brown C. Merrell Calhoun Donald P. Carson S. Wright Caughman, M.D. Ann W. Cramer † Sylvia Davidson * Carlos del Rio, M.D. Richard A. Dorfman Lynn Eden David Edmiston Gary P. Fayard
Dr. Robert M. Franklin, Jr. Paul R. Garcia Carol Green Gellerstedt Thomas Hooten Tad Hutcheson † Mrs. Roya Irvani † Clayton F. Jackson D. Kirk Jamieson Ben F. Johnson III Mark Kistulinec Steve Koonin Carrie Kurlander James H. Landon Michael Lang Donna Lee Lucy Lee Karole F. Lloyd
Kelly L. Loeffler Meghan H. Magruder Belinda Massafra* Penny McPhee Howard D. Palefsky Victoria Palefsky Leslie Z. Petter Suzanne Tucker Plybon Patricia H. Reid Margaret Conant Reiser Martin Richenhagen † John D. Rogers Stanley E. Romanstein, Ph.D.* Dennis Sadlowski William Schultz John Sibley H. Hamilton Smith
Lucinda B. Smith Thurmond Smithgall Paul Snyder Gail Ravin Starr Mary Rose Taylor Joseph M. Thompson Liz Troy Ray Uttenhove Chilton Davis Varner † S. Patrick Viguerie Rick Walker Thomas Wardell Mark D. Wasserman John B. White, Jr. † Richard S. White, Jr. † Joni Winston † Patrice Wright-Lewis Camille Yow
Board of counselors Mrs. Helen Aderhold Robert M. Balentine Elinor Breman Dr. John W. Cooledge John Donnell Jere Drummond Carla Fackler Arnoldo Fiedotin
Charles Ginden John T. Glover Frances B. Graves Dona Humphreys Aaron J. Johnson Herb Karp Jim Kelley George Lanier
Patricia Leake Mrs. William C. Lester Mrs. J. Erskine Love Carolyn C. McClatchey Joyce Schwob Mrs. Charles A. Smithgall, Jr.
W. Rhett Tanner G. Kimbrough Taylor Michael W. Trapp Edus Warren Adair R. White Neil Williams
Life Directors Howell E. Adams, Jr. Bradley Currey, Jr.
Mrs. Drew Fuller Mary D. Gellerstedt
Azira G. Hill Dr. James M. Hund
Arthur L. Montgomery * ex officio † 2011-2012 sabbatical
14 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
28 CONTRACTS WRITTEN
IN THE 1ST QUARTER OF 2012 1 Bedroom Now from the low $200s 2 Bedrooms Now from the low $300s
Make an offer and take advantage of: Historically Low Interest Rates 5 Lenders to Choose From 3.5% Down Payment Option (FHA approved) Conveniently Located on the Midtown Mile and near Piedmont Park!
Open House Daily Corner of 12th & Crescent 404.815.4622 | 1010midtown.com
Now Open in 12th & Midtown:
Information subject to change without notice. * Numbers based on SmartNumbers results for sales dollar volume for 2011. See agent for details.
Robert Spano music Director
M
usic Director Robert Spano, currently in his 11th season as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, is recognized internationally as one of the most imaginative conductors today. Since 2001, he has invigorated and expanded the Orchestra’s repertoire while elevating the ensemble to new levels of international prominence and acclaim. Under Mr. Spano’s artistic leadership, the Orchestra and its audiences have together explored a creative mix of programming, including Theater of a Concert performances, which explore different formats, settings, and enhancements for the musical performance experience, such as the first concert-staged performances of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic in November 2008 and the production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in June 2011. The Atlanta School of Composers reflects Mr. Spano’s commitment to nurturing and championing music through multi-year partnerships defining a new generation of American composers, including Osvaldo Golijov, Jennifer Higdon, Christopher Theofanidis, Michael Gandolfi and Adam Schoenberg. Since the beginning of his tenure (to date), Mr. Spano and the Orchestra have performed more than 100 concerts containing contemporary works (composed since 1950).
angela morris
Mr. Spano has a discography with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra of 19 recordings, six of which have been honored with Grammy® awards. He has led the Orchestra’s performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, as well as the Ravinia, Ojai, and Savannah Music Festivals. Mr. Spano has led the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, San Francisco, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia symphony orchestras, as well as Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, BBC Symphony and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. In addition, he has conducted for Covent Garden, Welsh National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and the 2005 and 2009 Seattle Opera Ring cycles. Mr. Spano was Musical America’s 2008 Conductor of the Year.
16
In March 2010, Mr. Spano began a three-year tenure as Emory University’s distinguished artist-in-residence, in which he leads intensive seminars, lectures, and presents programs on science, math, philosophy, literature and musicology. In March 2011, Mr. Spano was announced as the incoming music director of the Aspen Music Festival. He was in residence in Aspen for the 2011 summer season as music director-designate and will assume the full role of music director in 2012.
Robert Spano
Donald Runnicles
Michael Krajewski
Music Director The Robert Reid Topping Chair *
Principal Guest Conductor The Neil and Sue Williams Chair *
Principal Pops Conductor
FIRST VIOLIN
SECOND VIOLIN
VIOLA
CELLO
David Coucheron Concertmaster William Pu Associate Concertmaster The Charles McKenzie Taylor Chair* Justin Bruns Assistant Concertmaster Jun-Ching Lin Assistant Concertmaster Carolyn Toll Hancock John Meisner Alice Anderson Oglesby Lorentz Ottzen Christopher Pulgram Carol Ramirez Juan Ramirez Olga Shpitko Denise Berginson Smith Kenn Wagner Lisa Wiedman Yancich
David Arenz Principal The Atlanta Symphony Associates Chair* Sou-Chun Su Associate Principal The Frances Cheney Boggs Chair* Jay Christy Assistant Principal Sharon Berenson David Braitberg Noriko Konno Clift David Dillard Eleanor Kosek Ruth Ann Little Thomas O’Donnell Ronda Respess Frank Walton
Reid Harris Principal The Edus H. and Harriet H. Warren Chair* Paul Murphy Associate Principal The Mary and Lawrence Gellerstedt Chair * Catherine Lynn Assistant Principal Wesley Collins Marian Kent Yang-Yoon Kim Yiyin Li Lachlan McBane Jessica Oudin Ardath Weck
Christopher Rex Principal The Miriam and John Conant Chair* Daniel Laufer Associate Principal The Livingston Foundation Chair* Karen Freer Assistant Principal Dona Vellek Assistant Principal Emeritus Joel Dallow Jere Flint Jennifer Humphreys Larry LeMaster Brad Ritchie Paul Warner
SECTION VIOLIN ‡
Judith Cox Raymond Leung Sanford Salzinger
18 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
BASS
Ralph Jones Principal The Marcia and John Donnell Chair * Gloria Jones Associate Principal Jane Little Assistant Principal Emeritus Michael Kenady Michael Kurth Joseph McFadden Douglas Sommer Thomas Thoreson
Jere Flint
Norman Mackenzie
Staff Conductor; Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra The Zeist Foundation Chair*
Director of Choruses The Frannie and Bill Graves Chair
FLUTE
BASS CLARINET
TROMBONE
HARP
Christina Smith Principal The Jill Hertz Chair* Robert Cronin Associate Principal Paul Brittan Carl David Hall
Alcides Rodriguez
Colin Williams Principal Stephen Wilson Associate Principal Nathan Zgonc George Curran
Elisabeth RemyJohnson Principal The Delta Air Lines Chair
PICCOLO
Carl David Hall OBOE
Elizabeth Koch Principal The George M. and Corrie Hoyt Brown Chair * Yvonne Powers Peterson Associate Principal Ann Lillya † CLARINET
Laura Ardan Principal The Robert Shaw Chair* Ted Gurch Associate Principal William Rappaport Alcides Rodriguez E-FLAT CLARINET
Ted Gurch
BASSOON
Carl Nitchie Principal Elizabeth Burkhardt Associate Principal Laura Najarian Juan de Gomar
BASS TROMBONE
George Curran
CONTRA-BASSOON
TUBA
Juan de Gomar
Michael Moore Principal
HORN
Brice Andrus Principal Susan Welty Associate Principal Thomas Witte Richard Deane Bruce Kenney
TIMPANI
TRUMPET
PERCUSSION
Thomas Hooten Principal The Madeline and Howell Adams Chair* The Mabel Dorn Reeder Honorary Chair* Karin Bliznik Associate Principal Michael Tiscione Joseph Walthall
Mark Yancich Principal The Walter H. Bunzl Chair* William Wilder Assistant Principal
Thomas Sherwood Principal The Julie and Arthur Montgomery Chair* William Wilder Assistant Principal The William A. Schwartz Chair* Charles Settle
KEYBOARD
The Hugh and Jessie Hodgson Memorial Chair* Peter Marshall † Beverly Gilbert † Sharon Berenson LIBRARY
Rebecca Beavers Principal Nicole Jordan Assistant Principal Librarian John Wildermuth Assistant Librarian
‡ rotate between sections * Chair named in perpetuity † Regularly engaged musician Players in string sections are listed alphabetically
encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 19
a ‘tree’ grows in Atlanta
The lighter side of composer John Adams reveals itself in his Mozartinspired opera, A Flowering Tree. Madeline Rogers takes you inside the latest Theater of a Concert production of a work based on an ancient Indian folk tale.
It’s
springtime, and Atlanta’s streets, parks, and gardens are blooming. And so is Atlanta Symphony Hall, where the hauntingly beautiful A Flowering Tree — performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, vocal soloists Jessica Rivera, Eric Owens and Russell Thomas, all led by Music Director Robert Spano, with stage direction by James Alexander — will transform the stage, on June 7 & 9, into a fantastical world in which a beautiful young woman discovers she has the power to turn herself into blossom-laden tree. The opera, based on an Indian folk tale, is the latest in the Orchestra’s popular Theater of a Concert series, and was penned by a composer who is well-known to Atlanta audiences: John Adams. 20 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
Do we mean the John Adams who brought Atlanta audiences to tears, in February 2008, with his searing tribute to the victims of 9/11, On the Transmigration of Souls, and challenged them later that year with his operatic retelling of the development of the atomic bomb, Doctor Atomic? Yes, that John Adams. It turns out the much-heralded American composer — best known for works inspired by today’s most upsetting headlines — does have a dreamier side, which is fully in evidence in A Flowering Tree. The work, which he calls “a departure” for him, was composed on the heels of completing Doctor Atomic. The latter work, as he recounted in his autobiography, Hallelujah Junction, “was an opera about technology and the end of ecology. A Flowering Tree is its antidote: a parable about youth, about hope, and about the ecology of the soul.”
A young prince, witnessing Kumudha’s transformation, claims her as his bride, but refuses to consummate their marriage until she performs her ritual. As she does so, the prince’s jealous sister spies on them, and then demands that Kumudha perform for her friends. When they lose interest partway through her performance, Kumudha is left half-woman, half-tree. In this hideous state, she flees, and is adopted by a band of traveling minstrels. When the prince discovers she is gone, he is stricken with guilt, and becomes a wandering beggar himself. Several years pass; the prince stumbles into a distant palace, where his sister, now a queen, recognizes him and takes him in. Meanwhile,
The two-act work, written between December 2005 and September 2006, was commissioned to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth, and took as its “guiding spirit,” Adams wrote, “the Mozart of the Magic Flute” and its themes of “the magic of transformation, both physical and spiritual.” The libretto, written by Adams himself, is based on a South Indian folk tale, in a translation by noted poet Attipat Krishnaswami Ramanujan, who also translated the erotic love poems that Adams has incorporated to deepen the characters. The opera tells the story of Kumudha, a beautiful peasant who discovers she has the ability to transform herself into a flowering tree whose blossoms she sells to help support her impoverished mother. 22 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
in the town marketplace, the queen’s maids see a minstrel troupe and hear the ravishing singing of a strange and misshapen torso. The queen, not knowing that this is Kumudha, the girl she had tormented and driven away, brings her to court. The prince and Kumudha recognize each other, he performs the old ceremony, and his bride resumes her lovely human form. Continued on page 44
program
Robert Spano, Music Director Donald Runnicles, Principal Guest Conductor
Delta Classical Series Concerts Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 24, 25 and 26, 2012, at 8:00 p.m.
Nicholas McGegan, Conductor Stefan Jackiw, Violin George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Concerto Grosso in G Major, Opus 6, No. 1 (1739)
I. A tempo giusto II. Allegro III. Adagio IV. Allegro V. Allegro Max Bruch (1838-1920) Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 46 (1880)
Prelude: Grave I. Adagio cantabile II. Allegro III. Andante sostenuto IV. Finale: Allegro guerriero Stefan Jackiw, Violin Intermission Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” from Orfeo ed Euridice (1762) Felix Mendelssohn (1873-1943) Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Opus 90 (“Italian”) (1833)
I. Allegro vivace II. Andante con moto III. Con moto moderato IV. Saltarello: Presto “Inside the Music” preview of the concert, Thursday at 7 p.m., presented by Ken Meltzer, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Insider and Program Annotator. The use of cameras or recording devices during the concert is strictly prohibited.
encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 25
sponsors
is proud to sponsor the Delta Classical Series of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Delta is proud to be celebrating our 70th anniversary as Atlanta’s hometown airline. Delta’s community spirit worldwide continues to be a cornerstone of our organization. As a force for global good, our mission is to continuously create value through an inclusive culture by leveraging partnerships and serving communities where we live and work. It includes not only valuing individual differences of race, religion, gender, nationality and lifestyle, but also managing and valuing the diversity of work teams, intracompany teams and business partnerships. Delta is an active, giving corporate citizen in the communities it serves. Delta’s community engagement efforts are driven by our desire to build long-term partnerships in a way that enables nonprofits to utilize many aspects of Delta’s currency — our employees time and talent, our free and discounted air travel, as well as our surplus donations. Together, we believe we can take our worldwide communities to new heights! The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s concert on November 5, 2011 at Carnegie Hall was made possible through the generous support of Delta Air Lines, Thurmond Smithgall and the Massey Charitable Trust. Solo pianos used by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra are gifts of the Atlanta Steinway Society and in memory of David Goldwasser. The Hamburg Steinway piano is a gift received by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in honor of Rosi Fiedotin. The Yamaha custom six-quarter tuba is a gift received by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in honor of Principal Tuba player Michael Moore from The Antinori Foundation. This performance is being recorded for broadcast at a later time. Atlanta Symphony concert broadcasts are heard each week on Atlanta’s WABE FM-90.1 and Georgia Public Broadcasting’s statewide network. The Atlanta Symphony records for ASO Media. Other recordings of the Orchestra are available on the Argo, Deutsche Grammophon, New World, Nonesuch, Philips, Telarc and Sony Classical labels. Media sponsors: WABE, WSB AM, and AJC. Trucks provided by Ryder Truck Rental Inc.
26 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
program Notes on the Program By Ken Meltzer Concerto Grosso in G Major, Opus 6, No. 1 (1739) George Frideric Handel was born in Halle, Germany, on February 23, 1685, and died in London, England, on April 14, 1759. The Concerto Grosso in G Major, Opus 6, No. 1, is scored for a concertino of two violins and cello, and a ripieno of two oboes, bassoon, strings and continuo. Approximate performance time is thirteen minutes. These are the first ASO Classical Subscription Performances.
G
eorge Frideric Handel composed his magnificent twelve Concerti Grossi, Opus 6, with incredible (but not atypical) speed. Handel completed the entire set between September 29 and October 30, 1739. It appears that Handel intended the Concerti Grossi, Opus 6, be played during intervals of performances of his operas and oratorios.
Handel incorporated previously composed music into his Concerti Grossi, Opus 6. However, it must be emphasized that such use of prior material was customary in Handel’s era. Further, in the Concerti Grossi, Opus 6, Handel was hardly content to offer mere repetition of such music; rather, he varied it to suit the mood of the work at hand. The term Concerto Grosso refers to a composition that juxtaposes a small group of instruments, the concertino, with the main body of the orchestra, the ripieno. In Handel’s Concerti Grossi, Opus 6, the concertino comprises the traditional two violins and cello. In the composer’s original manuscript, several of the Opus 6 Concerti Grossi feature ripieno parts for two oboes. The initial publication (approved by Handel) of these scores omitted the oboes. The 1961 complete edition of Handel’s works, the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe, includes oboes. These performances of Opus 6, No. 1, include the oboes, as well as the bassoon that would, in Handel’s time, have reinforced the woodwinds.
Musical Analysis I. A tempo giusto — The first movement, in moderate tempo, opens with a descending fournote motif that returns throughout. Dialogues between the first and second violins lead to the closing measures, whose lack of harmonic resolution sets the stage for the ensuing movement. II. Allegro — The Allegro features an emphatic return to the home key of G Major, and a bold forte theme, introduced by the first violins. III. Adagio — The Concerto’s slow movement, in E minor and ¾ time, prominently features the concertino. The final measures serve as a bridge to the ensuing Allegro. IV. Allegro — The concertino’s first violin launches the Allegro’s lively fugue theme. Later, the opening of the fugue is transformed from a descending to an ascending figure. After a pause, the movement resolves to a hushed conclusion. encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 27
V. Allegro — A sprightly Allegro, in 6/8 meter, brings the Concerto Grosso, Opus 6, No. 1, to a vibrant close.
Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 46 (1880) Max Bruch was born in Cologne, Germany, on January 6, 1838, and died in Friedenau, Germany, on October 2, 1920. The premiere of the Scottish Fantasy took place in September, 1880, in Hamburg, Germany, with Pablo de Sarasate as soloist. In addition to the solo violin, the Scottish Fantasy is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, harp and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-nine minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: January 22, 1966, Ruggiero Ricci, Violin, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: January 23, 24 and 25, 1997, Gil Shaham, Violin, Yoel Levi, Conductor.
“A good folk tune”
T
hroughout his career, Max Bruch received inspiration from the folk music of various countries. As the German composer once noted:
As a rule, a good folk tune is more valuable than 200 created works of art. I would never have come to anything in the world if I had not, since my twenty-fourth year, studied the folk music of all nations with seriousness, perseverance, and unending interest. There is nothing to compare with the feeling, power, originality, and beauty of the folksong … This is the route one should take — here is the salvation of our unmelodic times … The folk melodies of Scotland held a particular fascination for Max Bruch. In the early 1860s, Bruch made the acquaintance of The Scots Musical Museum, a late 18th-century anthology of 600 Scottish melodies. The Scots Musical Museum, compiled by James Johnson in collaboration with Robert Burns, attempted to catalogue every known Scottish air. Burns hoped “to future ages (The Scots Musical Museum) will be the text book and standard of Scottish Song and Music.” This resource served as the basis for Max Bruch’s 1864 composition for voice and piano, Twelve Scottish Folksongs. Fifteen years later, Bruch again turned to The Scots Musical Museum for one of his most famous compositions, the Scottish Fantasy. Bruch composed the work — whose full title is Fantasia for Violin with Orchestra, and Harp, with the Free Use of Scottish Melodies — during the winter of 1879-1880.
Pablo de Sarasate Bruch composed the Scottish Fantasy for the fabulous Spanish virtuoso, Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908). Sarasate’s vibrant tone, impeccable technique and patrician musicianship inspired not only Bruch, but such composers as Camille Saint-Saëns, Edouard Lalo, Joseph
28 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
program Joachim, Henryk Wieniawski and Antonín Dvorˇák to fashion works specifically for his prodigious gifts. Sarasate himself was an adept composer, whose Zigeunerweisen and Carmen Fantasy remain favorites of audiences and virtuosos alike. It was Sarasate who appeared as soloist in the world premiere of the Scottish Fantasy, which took place in Hamburg in the fall of 1880. That premiere, featuring a Spanish violinist performing a work written by a German composer (who, in turn, was inspired by traditional Scottish folk melodies) was most certainly a testament to the adage that “music is the universal language.”
Musical Analysis Prelude: Grave I. Adagio cantabile — The Scottish Fantasy opens with a somber orchestral statement, soon yielding to the wide-ranging flights of the soloist. Following this Prelude, the orchestra offers another brief statement, this time serving to introduce the soloist’s presentation of the affecting Scottish melody, “Auld Rob Morris.” The soloist’s lovely, ascending trills lead to the opening movement’s hushed, morendo conclusion. II. Allegro — The lively second movement begins with a vigorous orchestral introduction. The orchestra soon takes on the character of bagpipes, accompanying the soloist’s presentation of the spirited dance tune, “Hey the Dusty Miller” (“Hey, the Dusty Miller, and his dusty coat, he will win a shilling, or he spend a groat”). The soloist’s thrilling display finally resolves to a pensive section, recalling the melody from the opening movement. This serves as a bridge to the ensuing slow movement, which follows without pause. III. Andante sostenuto — The violin sings the beautiful melody, “I’m a-Doun for Lack o’ Johnnie.” This haunting tune is the basis for several majestic flights by the soloist. IV. Finale: Allegro guerriero — The final movement is inspired by the Scottish war song, “Scot’s Wha’ Hae,” or “Hey Tuttie Taitie,” a melody associated with the June 1314 Battle of Bannockburn. The finale is the most technically brilliant of the four, with the soloist engaging in virtuoso fireworks throughout. A final, hushed reprise of “Auld Rob Morris” leads to the Scottish Fantasy’s exuberant closing bars.
“Dance of the Blessed Spirits” from Orfeo ed Euridice (1762) Christoph Willibald Gluck was born in Erasbach, Germany, on July 2, 1714, and died in Vienna, Austria, on November 15, 1787. The first performance of Orfeo ed Euridice took place at the Burgtheater in Vienna, on October 5, 1762. The “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” is scored for two flutes and strings. Approximate performance time is seven minutes. These are the first ASO Classical Subscription Performances.
I
n 1761, the German composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, and the Italian writer, Ranieri Calzabigi, met in Vienna. Both Gluck and Calzabigi were troubled by encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 29
what they perceived as 18th-century Italian opera’s emphasis of vocal display at the expense of drama. Gluck and Calzabigi vowed to attempt a reform of opera, and to fashion an approach that would give full value to both the musical and dramatic elements of lyric theater. The product of this collaboration, Orpheus and Eurydice, premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna, on October 5, 1762. On that occasion, the opera was performed in Italian, with the title role sung by a male alto. In 1774, Gluck created a revised French-language version, with a tenor singing the role of Orpheus. The French version of Orpheus and Eurydice premiered at the Paris Opéra on August 2, 1774. Orfeo’s natural, expressive vocal writing and rich orchestral palette exerted a profound influence on composers of the 19th century, including Hector Berlioz and Richard Wagner. Calzabigi’s libretto relates the myth of the musician, Orpheus. As the opera begins, Orpheus mourns the death of his beloved Eurydice. Cupid appears, and tells Orpheus that the gods have taken pity upon his grief. Orpheus may descend into Hades and attempt to convince the demons to return Eurydice to him. However, if Orpheus either looks at or speaks to his wife while leading her from the underworld, he will lose Eurydice forever. Orpheus appears before the entrance of Hades. The spirits and furies, moved by the beauty of Orpheus’s singing, allow him to enter the gates. The scene changes to the Elysian Fields. There, Orpheus encounters the blessed spirits. The “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” (Lento) opens with the first violins singing the serene principal melody, marked dolcissimo. The central portion (Un poco più lento) features a beautiful flute solo, accompanied by muted violins and violas. A reprise of the opening portion (Tempo I) concludes the “Dance of the Blessed Spirits.”
Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Opus 90 (“Italian”) (1833) Felix Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, Germany, on February 3, 1809, and died in Leipzig, Germany, on November 4, 1847. The first performance of the “Italian” Symphony took place in London, England, on May 13, 1833, with the composer conducting the London Philharmonic Society. The “Italian” Symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. Approximate performance time is thirty minutes. First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: April 22, 1945, Henry Sopkin, Conductor. Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: March 20, 21 and 22, 2003, Donald Runnicles, Conductor. ASO Recording: Yoel Levi, Conductor (Telarc CD: 80318)
M
usic lovers are the happy beneficiaries of Felix Mendelssohn’s love for travel. The young composer’s fulfilling 1829 journey to Scotland inspired two of his masterpieces, the Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave) Overture (1830) and the “Scottish” Symphony (begun in 1829 and finally completed in 1842).
30 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
program As much as Mendelssohn enjoyed his Scottish travels, it was the visit to Italy he anticipated with the greatest relish. On May 8, 1830, the 21-year-old Mendelssohn departed Berlin for his Italian journey, by way of Munich (stopping first in Weimar to visit Goethe), and Vienna. Mendelssohn then continued his travels to Venice, Florence, Rome and, finally, Naples.
“I felt as if I were a young prince” Mendelssohn’s high spirits during his Italian sojourn are reflected in correspondence to his family. In a letter of October 10, 1830, he exulted: “This is Italy. What I have been looking forward to all my life as the greatest happiness is now begun and I am basking in it.” On October 23, Mendelssohn described Florence: “The air is warm and the sky cloudless; everything is lovely and glorious.” He later remarked, “The whole country had such a festive air that I felt as if I were a young prince making his entry.” Mendelssohn arrived in Rome on November 1, and remained there until mid-April of the following year. Mendelssohn wrote on February 22, 1831: “The ‘Italian’ Symphony is making rapid progress. It will be the jolliest piece I have so far written, especially the last movement. I have not yet decided on the adagio and I think I shall wait until I get to Naples.” Mendelssohn finally completed his “Italian” Symphony in 1833, in response to a commission by the London Philharmonic Society. The work received its premiere under Mendelssohn’s direction, in London, on May 13 of that year. Mendelssohn, a relentless perfectionist, was never entirely pleased with his “Italian” Symphony. The composer never allowed the work to be published, and throughout his lifetime, Mendelssohn continued to revise the score. The Symphony was finally issued posthumously, and although it apparently never satisfied Mendelssohn’s standards, the “Italian” Symphony — with its wealth of melodic inspiration and infectious joie de vivre — has continued to delight audiences.
Musical Analysis I. Allegro vivace — Mendelssohn’s high spirits during his Italian journey are apparent from the very opening of the Symphony, as the violins, over chirping woodwind accompaniment, sing the Allegro vivace’s principal melody. The clarinets and bassoons offer the lilting second theme. The opening theme returns to close the exposition. The stormy development section of this sonata-form movement offers a new motif, introduced by the violins, and based upon transitional material contained in the exposition. Mendelssohn treats this motif in contrapuntal fashion, often juxtaposing it with fragments of the opening melody, which finally returns in full glory to usher in the recapitulation. In a particularly ingenious sequence just before the coda, the development motif, played now by the flutes and oboes, serves as counterpoint to the violins’ restatement of the opening melody. Finally, the Allegro vivace whisks along to an ebullient close. II. Andante con moto — Commentators have suggested that this somber Andante was inspired by a religious procession Mendelssohn witnessed in Naples. After a brief introduction, the encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 31
violas, oboes and bassoons (over the repeated tread of cello and bass accompaniment) introduce a minor-key theme. The clarinets play a contrasting lyrical major-key motif. The two themes return in sequence, but in varied form, and the movement trails off into silence, with the cellos and basses offering a final three-note pizzicato finish. III. Con moto moderato — This graceful movement recalls the minuets of the Classicalera symphonies of Haydn and Mozart. The violins immediately play the elegant principal theme. In the contrasting Trio section, a fanfare by the bassoons and horns is answered by a playful ascending figure, played first by the violins, then the flutes. A bit of storm and stress enters the Trio, but finally, the principal theme of the Minuet returns. Toward the conclusion, Mendelssohn juxtaposes the principal themes of the Minuet and Trio, and the movement ends quietly, in sharp contrast to the outburst that is to follow. IV. Saltarello: Presto — While in Rome, Mendelssohn attended the carnival, which he described in great detail and with obvious relish: I arrived at the carnival, and was thinking of nothing, when suddenly I was assailed by a shower of sugar candies. I looked up and saw some ladies whom I had seen occasionally at balls, but scarcely knew, and when in my embarrassment, I took off my hat to bow to them, the pelting began in right earnest. Their carriage drove on, and in the next was Miss T___, a delicate beautiful Englishwoman. I tried to bow to her but she pelted me too; so I grew desperate, and clutching the sugar comfits, I flung them back bravely. There were swarms of my acquaintances and my blue coat was soon as white as that of a miller. The B___ family were standing on a balcony, flinging comfits like hail at my head. And thus what with all the pelting and being pelted, amid a thousand jests and the most extravagant costumes, the day ended with horse races. Much of this frenetic activity is suggested in the final movement, based upon an energetic Italian dance known as a saltarello, whose name is derived from the word “saltare” (“to jump”). After a brief and violent orchestral statement, the flutes introduce the principal subject — a scurrying triplet figure. The Finale proceeds in perpetuum mobile fashion, and appears to move toward a subdued finish. Suddenly, a crescendo and forte outburst bring the “Italian” Symphony to a forceful conclusion.
32 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
program NICHOLAS McGEGAN, Conductor
N
icholas McGegan is “one of the finest baroque conductors of his generation” (Independent) and “an expert in 18th century style” (New Yorker). In his capacity as music director of San Francisco-based Philharmonia Baroque, he has established the group as the leading period band in America. In 2005 they marked their 20 year association with concerts at Carnegie Hall, their first European tour with appearances at the BBC Proms, Snape Maltings Aldeburgh, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the International Handel Festival, Göttingen, where McGegan was artistic director from 1991 to 2011.
Nicholas McGegan
Active in opera as well as the concert hall, he has been principal guest conductor of Scottish Opera and principal conductor of Sweden’s 18th Century theatre in Drottingholm, running the annual festival there. He has been a pioneer in the process of exporting historically informed practice beyond the world of period instruments to wider conventional symphonic forces, guest-conducting a list of orchestras that includes the Chicago Symphony; Cleveland Orchestra; Philadelphia Orchestra; St. Louis Symphony; Toronto Symphony; Sydney Symphony; the New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong Philharmonics; the Northern Sinfonia; and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, as well as such opera companies as Covent Garden, San Francisco, Santa Fe and Washington. He has broken new ground in experimental dance-collaborations with Mark Morris, notably at festivals like Edinburgh International and Ravinia. His discography of more than 100 releases includes the world premiere recording of Handel’s Susanna, which attracted both a Gramophone Award and Grammy nomination. Recent issues of the same composer’s works include Solomon, Samson and Acis and Galatea (a rarity in that it unearths the little-known version adapted by Felix Mendelssohn). Among his other rediscoveries is the first performance in modern times of Handel’s Gloria. Born in England, Nicholas McGegan was educated at Cambridge and Oxford and taught at the Royal College of Music, London. He was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) “for services to music overseas.” His awards include the Halle Handel Prize; the Order of Merit of the State of Lower Saxony (Germany); the Medal of Honour of the City of Göttingen; and an official Nicholas McGegan Day, declared by the mayor of San Francisco in recognition of McGegan’s distinguished work with the Philharmonia Baroque. Future engagements include concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 33
STEFAN JACKIW, Violin
V
iolinist Stefan Jackiw is recognized as one of his generation’s most significant artists, captivating audiences with playing that combines poetry and purity with an impeccable technique. Hailed for “talent that’s off the scale” (The Washington Post). Jackiw has appeared as soloist with the Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco symphony orchestras, among others, and he has collaborated with such renowned conductors as Marin Alsop, Andrew Davis, Hannu Lintu, Stefan Jackiw Ludovic Morlot, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Mikhail Pletnev, Gerard Schwarz and Yuri Temirkanov. His solo performance of the Mendelssohn Concerto with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra at Australia’s Sydney Opera House in March 2011 was seen live on YouTube by more than 30 million people worldwide. His 2011-12 season includes debuts with the Atlanta Symphony under Nicholas McGegan, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic in France led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He enjoys return engagements with the Chicago Symphony (Trevor Pinnock), Toronto Symphony (Christopher Koenig) and Rochester Philharmonic (Arild Remmereit). Additional highlights include recitals at the Kennedy Center under the auspices of the Washington Performing Arts Society and in Chicago with pianist Jeremy Denk, presented by the Chicago Symphony. This past summer Jackiw performed at the Aspen Music Festival and Seattle Chamber Music Society. He toured Asia twice, first playing chamber music with Ensemble Ditto in Korea, and then doing a month-long tour as soloist with the Asian Youth Symphony performing Saint-Saëns, Sarasate and Sibelius in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan. Jackiw is an active recitalist and chamber musician. He has performed in numerous festivals and concert series, including the Aspen Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, Celebrity Series of Boston, New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival and Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Louvre Recital Series in Paris. He is a regular participant at the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, Bravo! Vail Valley Music and Bard Music festivals. At the opening night of Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall in New York, Jackiw was the only young artist invited to perform, playing alongside such artists as Emanuel Ax, Renée Fleming, Evgeny Kissin, and James Levine. He is a founding member of the Tessera Quartet, an emerging New York-based ensemble formed under the guidance of the Juilliard String Quartet. Born in 1985 to physicist parents of Korean and German descent, Stefan Jackiw began playing the violin at age 4. His teachers have included Zinaida Gilels, Michèle Auclair and Donald Weilerstein. He holds a bachelor of arts from Harvard University, as well as an artist diploma from the New England Conservatory. In 2002, the young artist was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. He makes his home in New York City.
34 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
support The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the generous gifts of individuals, corporations, foundations, government and other entities whose contributions help the Orchestra fulfill its mission to be a vigorous part of the cultural fabric of our community. The following list represents the cumulative total of philanthropy of $1,750 and above to the Orchestra’s fundraising campaigns, events and special initiatives from 2011 and 2012. (Please note that donor benefits are based solely on contributions to the annual fund.) $500,000+
Mrs. Thalia N. Carlos** The Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Delta Air Lines The Zeist Foundation, Inc. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation $250,000+
Madeline & Howell Adams, Jr. Mrs. Anne Cox Chambers
The Coca-Cola Company Mrs. William A. Schwartz
$100,000+
Lynn Eden GE Asset Management Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. McTier
Turner Broadcasting System The Vasser Woolley Foundation, Inc. Woodruff Arts Center
$75,000+
Thalia & Michael C. Carlos Foundation
Fulton County Arts Council National Endowment for the Arts
UPS
$50,000+
Anonymous AT&T Real Yellow Pages GE Energy The Graves Foundation InterContinental Hotels Group Invesco
The Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc. The Reiman Foundation Mr. Thurmond Smithgall Robert Spano Susan & Thomas Wardell
SunTrust Bank SunTrust Foundation SunTrust Bank Trusteed Foundation – Walter H. and Marjory M. Rich Memorial Fund Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
$35,000+
Georgia Natural Gas Massey Charitable Trust
Porsche Cars North America Publix Super Markets Charities
Patty & Doug Reid
John H. & Wilhelmina D. Harland Charitable Foundation, Inc. King & Spalding Lucy R. & Gary Lee, Jr. MetLife Foundation The Sara Giles Moore Foundation Terence L. & Jeanne P. Neal*
Victoria & Howard Palefsky Mr. & Mrs. Solon P. Patterson* Printpack Inc. & The Gay & Erskine Love Foundation Ryder System, Inc. Mrs. Charles A. Smithgall, Jr. Adair & Dick White Ann Marie & John B. White, Jr.* Sue & Neil Williams
$25,000+
Jim & Adele Abrahamson Susan & Richard Anderson Stephanie & Arthur Blank Mr. & Mrs. C. Merrell Calhoun Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Currey, Jr. Marcia & John Donnell Catherine Warren Dukehart Georgia Council for the Arts Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation
*We are grateful to these donors for taking the extra time to acquire matching gifts from their employers. **Deceased.
encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 35
$17,500+
Anonymous (2) Alston & Bird LLP The Arnold Foundation, Inc. Kelley O. & Neil H. Berman Mr. & Mrs. Paul J. Blackney
Janine Brown & Alex J. Simmons, Jr. City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Gary & Nancy Fayard Mr. & Mrs. Paul R. Garcia Jane & Clay Jackson
Amy & Mark Kistulinec Karole & John Lloyd Kelly Loeffler & Jeffrey C. Sprecher Mr. Kenneth & Dr. Carolyn Meltzer Loren & Gail Starr
Alison M. & Joseph M. Thompson Chilton & Morgan Varner Patrick & Susie Viguerie Camille Yow
Mr. Donald F. Fox Charles & Mary Ginden Global Payments, Inc. D. Kirk Jamieson, Verizon Wireless Ann A. & Ben F. Johnson III* Sarah & Jim Kennedy Steve & Eydie Koonin
Carrie & Brian Kurlander Michael & Cindi Lang Donna Lee & Howard C. Ehni Meghan & Clarke Magruder Nordstrom, Inc. Suzanne & Bill Plybon Dr. Stanley & Shannon Romanstein
Joyce & Henry Schwob Irene & Howard Stein Mary Rose Taylor Mike & Liz Troy Ray & John Uttenhove Mr. & Mrs. Edus H. Warren, Jr.
Dr. John W. Cooledge Trisha & Doug Craft Cari Katrice Dawson Eleanor & Charles Edmondson Rosi & Arnoldo Fiedotin Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence L. Gellerstedt III Mary D. Gellerstedt GMT Capital Corporation Nancy D. Gould Joe Guthridge & David Ritter* Jan & Tom Hough Mr. Tad Hutcheson
Roya & Bahman Irvani Robert J. Jones Anne Morgan & Jim Kelley Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Keough James H. Landon Mr. & Mrs. John M. Law Pat & Nolan Leake The Livingston Foundation, Inc. Mike’s Hard Lemonade Morgens West Foundation Primerica Margaret & Bob Reiser Bill & Rachel Schultz*
Mr. John A. Sibley III Siemens Industry, Inc. John Sparrow Carol & Ramon Tome Family Fund* Trapp Family Turner Foundation, Inc. Charlie Wade & M.J. Conboy Mark & Rebekah Wasserman Neal & Virginia Williams Suzanne Bunzl Wilner
Atlanta Federation of Musicians Jeff & Ann Cramer*
Jere & Patsy Drummond Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Hill, Jr. JBS Foundation
The Hellen Plummer Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Richard A. & Lynne N. Dorfman Christopher & Sonnet Edmonds Dr. & Mrs. Carl D. Fackler David L. Forbes James F. Fraser The Fraser-Parker Foundation, Inc. Betty Sands Fuller Sally & Carl Gable Dick & Anne Goodsell Mr. & Mrs. David Gould The Robert Hall Gunn, Jr. Fund The Jamieson Family
Paul & Rosthema Kastin Philip I. Kent Lanier Parking Solutions George H. Lanier The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation, Inc. Links Inc., Azalea City Chapter Belinda & Gino Massafra Linda & John Matthews John F. & Marilyn M. McMullan Penelope & Raymond McPhee*
Dr. & Mrs. Mark P. Pentecost, Jr. Margaret H. Petersen Hamilton & Mason Smith* Sandy & Paul Smith The Southern Company Peter James Stelling Mrs. C. Preston Stephens Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor, Jr. Ms. Kimberly Tribble & Mr. Mark S. Lange Russell Williamson & Shawn Pagliarini
Ellen & Howard Feinsand Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta Herbert & Marian Haley Foundation
Steven & Caroline Harless Sally W. Hawkins Mr. & Mrs. John E. Hellriegel
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel H. Hollums JoAnn Hall Hunsinger Dr. & Mrs. James T. Laney*
$15,000+
Pinney L. Allen & Charles C. Miller III The Antinori Foundation Lisa & Joe Bankoff The Boston Consulting Group Mr. & Mrs. David Edmiston Admiral James O. Ellis, Jr. in memory of Polly Ellis $10,000+ Anonymous AGCO Corporation, Lucinda B. Smith Mark & Christine Armour The Balloun Family Mr. David Boatwright The Breman Foundation, Inc. The John & Rosemary Brown Family Foundation The Walter & Frances Bunzl Foundation Cynthia & Donald Carson Dr. & Mrs. S. Wright Caughman $7,500+ The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc.
$5,000+ Anonymous (2) Aadu & Kristi Allpere* Ms. Julie M. Altenbach In honor of Dominick Argento Arnall Golden Gregory LLP The ASCAP Foundation Irving Caesar Fund Ms. Suzanne Dansby Bollman Bubba Brands, Inc. Dr. Robert L. & Lucinda W. Bunnen Charles Campbell & Ann Grovenstein-Campbell Mary Helen & Jim Dalton
$3,500+ Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Chorba Mr. James L. Davis & Ms. Carol Comstock*
36 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
support
$3,500+ continued Mr. & Mrs. William C. Lester* Mr. & Mrs. Albert S. McGhee Deborah & William Liss Mr. & Mrs. Harmon B. Miller III Dr. & Mrs. James T. Lowman Walter W. Mitchell Ruth & Paul Marston
Leslie & Skip Petter Mr. & Mrs. Joel F. Reeves S.A. Robinson Nancy & Henry Shuford
In memory of Willard Shull Elliott Sopkin Burton Trimble H. & T. Yamashita*
Drs. Carlos del Rio & Jeannette Guarner Gregory & Debra Durden Ms. Diane Durgin Francine D. Dykes & Richard H. Delay The Robert S. Elster Foundation John & Michelle Fuller Mr. & Mrs. Edward T. Garland Dr. Mary G. George & Mr. Kenneth Molinelli Ben & Lynda Greer Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Gross Paul B., Paul H., & M. Harrison Hackett Darlene K. Henson Mr. Thomas Hooten & Ms. Jennifer Marotta Mr. & Mrs. Harry C. Howard Richard & Linda Hubert Dr. William M. Hudson Dr. & Mrs. James M. Hund Dorothy Jackson** Ms. Cynthia Jeness Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Johnson Mr. W. F. & Dr. Janice Johnston Dr. Maurice J. Jurkiewicz** Mr. & Mrs. Gert Kampfer Hazel & Herb Karp
Mr. & Mrs. John H. Kauffman Mr. & Mrs. L. Michael Kelly Dick & Georgia Kimball* Mr. & Mrs. Daniel J. King Dr. & Mrs. Scott I. Lampert Thomas C. Lawson Dr. Fulton D. Lewis III & Mr. Neal Rhoney Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Lutz* Mr. & Mrs. Frederick C. Mabry Barbara & Jim MacGinnitie The Devereaux F. & Dorothy McClatchey Foundation, Inc. Birgit & David McQueen Virginia K. McTague Gregory & Judy Moore Ms. Lilot S. Moorman & Mr. Jeffrey B. Bradley Dr. & Mrs. R. Daniel Nable Robert & Mary Ann Olive Ms. Rebecca Oppenheimer Mr. & Mrs. Andreas Penninger Susan Perdew Elise T. Phillips Mr. & Mrs. Rezin Pidgeon, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. W. Harrison Reeves, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Rodgers Mr. & Mrs. George P. Rodrigue
John & Kyle Rogers Dr. Paul J. Seguin Elizabeth S. Sharp Angela & Morton Sherzer Kay R. Shirley Beverly & Milton Shlapak Helga Hazelrig Siegel Lewis Silverboard Sydney Simons Baker & Debby Smith Amy & Paul Snyder Mr. & Mrs. Raymond F. Stainback, Jr. Lynne & Steven Steindel* John & Yee-Wan Stevens Mr. & Mrs. George B. Taylor, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Mark Taylor Annie-York Trujillo & Raul F. Trujillo Mr. William C. Voss Mr. & Mrs. Randolph O. Watson Dr. & Mrs. Roger P. Webb Dr. & Mrs. James O. Wells, Jr. David & Martha West Mr. & Mrs. Peter L. Whitcup Mary Lou Wolff Jan & Beattie Wood Mr. & Mrs. John C. Yates
George T. & Alecia H. Ethridge Peg Simms Gary Bill & Susan Gibson Carol & Henry Grady Mary C. Gramling Mr. Lewis H. Hamner III Thomas High In memory of Carolyn B. Hochman Stephanie & Henry Howell Mr. & Mrs. William C. Humphreys, Jr. Mary B. & Wayne James Aaron & Joyce Johnson Baxter P. Jones Lana M. Jordan Mr. Thomas J. Jung Dr. Rose Mary Kolpatzki Mr. & Mrs. David Krischer Dr. J. Bancroft Lesesne Mr. & Mrs. Craig P. MacKenzie
Kay & John Marshall Martha & Reynolds McClatchey Captain & Mrs. Charles M. McCleskey Angela & Jimmy Mitchell Mrs. Gene Morse** Barbara & Sanford Orkin Keith & Dana Osborn Dr. & Mrs. Bernard H. Palay Mr. & Mrs. Emory H. Palmer Mr. Robert Peterson Dr. & Mrs. Frank S. Pittman III The Reverend Neal P. Ponder, Jr. Provaré Technology, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. David M. Ratcliffe Ms. Susan Robinson & Ms. Mary Roemer The Gary Rollins Foundation John T. Ruff Dr. & Mrs. Rein Saral
Alida & Stuart Silverman Alex & Betty Smith Foundation, Inc. Johannah Smith Mr. & Mrs. Gabriel Steagall Dr. Elizabeth Glenn Stow Kay & Alex Summers Poppy Tanner Elvira Tate Mr. & Mrs. William M. Tipping Ms. Sheila L. Tschinkel Drs. Jonne & Paul Walter Alan & Marcia Watt Drs. Julius & Nanette Wenger William & Rebecca White* Hubert H. Whitlow, Jr. Mrs. Frank L. Wilson, Jr. Charlie & Dorothy Yates Family Fund Herbert & Grace Zwerner
$2,250+ Anonymous (3) Mrs. Kay Adams* & Mr. Ralph Paulk John** & Helen Aderhold Mr. & Mrs. Phillip E. Alvelda* Mr. & Mrs. Stephen D. Ambo Paul & Marian Anderson Jack & Helga Beam Ms. Laura J. Bjorkholm & Mr. John C. Reece II Rita & Herschel Bloom Edith H. & James E. Bostic, Jr. Family Foundation Margo Brinton & Eldon Park Jacqueline A. & Joseph E. Brown, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Anton J. Bueschen Major General & Mrs. Robert M. Bunker Dr. Aubrey M. Bush & Dr. Carol T. Bush The Buss Family Charitable Fund Ms. Marnite B. Calder Mr. & Mrs. Beauchamp C. Carr Ralph & Rita Connell Chip & Darlene Conrad Mr. & Mrs. Thomas G. Cousins Mr. Robert Cronin & Ms. Christina Smith Sally & Larry Davis
$1,750+ Anonymous Dr. David & Julie Bakken Mr. & Mrs. Ron Bell Dr. & Mrs. Joel E. Berenson Leon & Linda Borchers Mr.** & Mrs. Eric L. Brooker Mr. & Mrs. Russell E. Butner Mr. & Mrs. Walter K. Canipe Susan & Carl Cofer Mr. & Mrs. R. Barksdale Collins* Dr. & Mrs. William T. Cook Jean & Jerry Cooper Mr. & Mrs. Brant Davis* Mrs. H. Frances Davis Deloitte Peter & Vivian de Kok Elizabeth & John Donnelly Xavier Duralde & Mary Barrett Cree & Frazer Durrett Mary Frances Early Ree & Ralph Edwards Heike & Dieter Elsner
*We are grateful to these donors for taking the extra time to acquire matching gifts from their employers. **Deceased.
encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 37
additional support Blonder Family Foundation
William McDaniel Charitable Foundation
Appassionato
William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund
Meghan Magruder, Appassionato Chair
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is privileged to receive annual contributions from individuals throughout the Southeast. Appassionato was inaugurated in 2000 and welcomes annual givers of $10,000 and above. Appassionato members provide the Symphony with a continuous and strong financial base in support of our ambitious aritistic and education initiatives.
Patron Partnership
Thomas J. Jung, Chair
The Patron Partnership of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is the society of donors who have given $1,750 or more and comprise a vital extension of the Orchestra family through their institutional leadership and financial support.
Henry Sopkin Circle Honoring the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s first Music Director, the Henry Sopkin Circle recognizes our friends who have planned bequests and other gifts to benefit the Orchestra’s future. We remain grateful to all Henry Sopkin Circle members – past and present – for their generosity, trust, and vision. Madeline & Howell E. Adams, Jr. Mr.* & Mrs. John E. Aderhold William & Marion Atkins Dr. & Mrs. William Bauer Neil H. Berman Mr.* & Mrs. Sol Blaine W. Moses Bond Robert* & Sidney Boozer Elinor A. Breman William Breman* James C. Buggs, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Richard H. Burgin Hugh W. Burke Wilber W. Caldwell Mr. & Mrs. C. Merrell Calhoun Cynthia & Donald Carson Margie & Pierce Cline Dr. & Mrs. Grady Clinkscales, Jr. Dr. John W. Cooledge John R. Donnell Catherine Warren Dukehart Ms. Diane Durgin Kenneth P. Dutter Arnold & Sylvia Eaves Elizabeth Etoll Rosi & Arnoldo Fiedotin Dr. Emile T. Fisher
A. D. Frazier, Jr. Nola Frink Betty & Drew* Fuller Carl & Sally Gable William H. Gaik Mr.* & Mrs. L. L. Gellerstedt, Jr. Ruth Gershon & Sandy Cohn Micheline & Bob Gerson Mr. & Mrs. John T. Glover Robert Hall Gunn, Jr. Billie & Sig* Guthman Betty G.* & Joseph F.* Haas James & Virginia Hale Miss Alice Ann Hamilton* Dr. Charles H. Hamilton* John & Martha Head Ms. Jeannie Hearn Richard E. Hodges Mr. & Mrs. Charles K. Holmes, Jr. Mr.* & Mrs. Fred A. Hoyt, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. James M. Hund Mary B. James Calvert Johnson Herb & Hazel Karp Anne Morgan & Jim Kelley Bob Kinsey James W. & Mary Ellen* Kitchell
38 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
Paul Kniepkamp, Jr. Miss Florence Kopleff Ouida Hayes Lanier Mr. & Mrs. William Lester Liz & Jay* Levine Jane Little Mrs. J. Erskine Love, Jr. Nell Galt & Will D. Magruder K Maier John W. Markham, III Dr. Michael S. McGarry Mr. & Mrs. Richard McGinnis John & Clodagh Miller Mr. & Mrs. Bertil D. Nordin Roger B. Orloff Dr. Bernard & Sandra Palay Dan R. Payne Bill Perkins Mr. & Mrs. Rezin E. Pidgeon, Jr. Janet M. Pierce Reverend Neal P. Ponder, Jr. William L. & Lucia Fairlie Pulgram The Reiman Foundation Vicki J. & Joe A. Riedel Dr. Shirley E. Rivers Mr. & Mrs. Martin H. Sauser Mr. Paul S. Scharff & Ms. Polly G. Fraser
Edward G. Scruggs* Dr. & Mrs. George P. Sessions Mr. & Mrs. H. Hamilton Smith Mrs. Lessie B. Smithgall Elliott Sopkin Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel Peter James Stelling Barbara Dunbar Stewart* C. Mack* & Mary Rose Taylor Jennings Thompson IV Margaret* & Randolph Thrower Kenneth & Kathleen Tice Steven R. Tunnell Mary E. Van Valkenburgh Mr. & Mrs. John B. White, Jr. Adair & Dick White Hubert H. Whitlow, Jr. Sue & Neil Williams Mrs. Frank L. Wilson, Jr. Joni Winston George & Camille Wright Mr.* & Mrs. Charles R. Yates Anonymous (12)
*Deceased
corporate & government support
Classical Series Title Sponsor Classic Chastain Title Sponsor Family and SuperPOPS Presenting Sponsor
Holiday Title Sponsor Muhtar Kent Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Richard Anderson Chief Executive Officer
Darryl Harmon Southeast Regional President
Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.
Atlanta School of Composers Presenting Sponsor
Supporter of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Philip I. Kent Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Jerry Karr Senior Managing Director
This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agency, the National Endowment for the Arts
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra programs are supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Major support is provided by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.
encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 39
Atlanta Symphony Associates The volunteer organization of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
2011-2012 board Sabine Sugarman Treasurer Camille Kesler VP Administration Dawn Mullican VP Public Relations Paula Ercolini VP Youth Education Ruth & Paul Marston VP Membership Gayle Lindsay Parliamentarian
Ann Levin & Gail Spurlock Historians Judy Schmidt Nominating Committee Chair Amy Musarra, Chair, Decorators’ Show House & Gardens Natalie Miller & Hillary Inglis Co-Chairs, Decorators’ Show House & Gardens
Janis Eckert, Nancy Fields & Gail Spurlock Chairs, ASA Fall Meeting Poppy Tanner Chair, ASA Night at the ASO Glee Lamb & Adele Abrahamson Chairs, ASA Spring Luncheon Pat King ASA Notes Newsletter Editor Jamie Moussa Chair, ASA Annual Directory
Nancy Levitt Ambassadors’ Desk Helen Marie Rutter Bravo Chair Elba McCue Concerto Chair Joan Abernathy Encore Chair Liz Cohn & Betty Jeter Ensemble Chairs Karen Bunn Intermezzo Chair Whitley Greene Vivace Chair
Terry Shivers
Belinda Massafra President Sylvia Davidson President Elect Suzy Wasserman, Leslie Petter, Camille Yow Advisors Elba McCue Secretary
Stanley Romanstein, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra President, and Amy Musarra, Decorators’ Show House and Gardens Chair. Celebrating its 42nd Anniversary, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Announces its Decorators’ Show House & Gardens at the magnificent Phillip Trammel Shutze’s Knollwood Estate from April 21 through May 13, 2012. Organized by the Atlanta Symphony Associates, proceeds will support the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s (ASO) Education and Community Engagement programs, including the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Talent Development Program. For more information visit decoratorsshowhouse.org .
40 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
Discover places to shop, dine and play in 4 easy steps + Read show programs, find contests and deals on your phone!
1. Go to m.encoreatlanta.com 2. Click on this icon and 3. Add name 4. Enjoy the finer things in life! Have an Android phone? Follow these instructions.
Patron Circle of Stars By investing $15,000 or more in The Woodruff Arts Center and its divisions — the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art and Young Audiences — these outstanding Annual Corporate Campaign donors helped us raise more than $8.9 million last year. Thank you!
Chairman’s Council ★★★★★★★★★★★★ $500,000+ The Coca-Cola Company Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. UPS
KPMG LLP, Partners & Employees The Rich Foundation, Inc. Wells Fargo
★★★★★★★ $100,000+ Alston & Bird LLP ★★★★★★★★★★★ Bank of America $450,000+ Kaiser Permanente Cox Interests Atlanta Journal-Constitution, King & Spalding Partners & Employees James M. Cox Foundation, Cox Radio Group Atlanta, The Klaus Family Foundation WSB-TV The Marcus Foundation, Inc. Hon. Anne Cox Chambers The Sara Giles Moore Foundation Novelis Inc. ★★★★★★★★★★ Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. $300,000+ The David, Helen & Marian Deloitte LLP, its Partners Woodward Fund & Employees ★★★★★★★★★ $200,000+ AT&T The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Inc. Ernst & Young, Partners & Employees The Home Depot Foundation Jones Day Foundation & Employees PwC Partners & Employees Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation SunTrust Bank Employees & Trusteed Foundations Florence C. & Harry L. English Memorial Fund Greene-Sawtell Foundation SunTrust Foundation Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. ★★★★★★★★ $150,000+ Delta Air Lines, Inc. Equifax Inc. & Employees
★★★★★★ $75,000+ AirTran Airways Holder Construction Company Kilpatrick Townsend The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation, Inc. Regions Financial Corporation ★★★★★ $50,000+ AGL Resources Inc. Lisa & Joe Bankoff Cisco Ann & Jay Davis Doosan Infracore International Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Frank Jackson Sandy Springs Toyota and Scion Beth & Tommy Holder Newell Rubbermaid Primerica
42 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
Devyne Stephens Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP The Zeist Foundation, Inc. ★★★★ $35,000+ Katharine & Russell Bellman Foundation Bryan Cave LLP Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Currey, Jr. GE Energy Georgia-Pacific The Imlay Foundation, Inc. Invesco PLC Norfolk Southern, Employees & Foundation Siemens Industry, Inc. Alex & Betty Smith Foundation, Inc. Harris A. Smith Frances Wood Wilson Foundation, Inc ★★★ $25,000+ Accenture & Accenture Employees Air Serv Corporation Atlanta Foundation Julie & Jim Balloun BB&T Corporation Laura & Stan Blackburn CIGNA Foundation Cousins Properties Incorporated Crawford & Company Ford & Harrison LLP Jack & Anne Glenn Foundation, Inc. GMT Capital Corporation Infor Global Solutions ING Sarah & Jim Kennedy Philip I. Kent Foundation The Ray M. & Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation, Inc.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions The Blanche Lipscomb Foundation Macy’s Foundation Katherine John Murphy Foundation Patty & Doug Reid Family Foundation RockTenn SCANA Energy Southwire Company Sprint Foundation Towers Watson Troutman Sanders LLP Waffle House, Inc. Gertrude & William C. Wardlaw Fund ★★ $15,000+ A. E. M. Family Foundation ACE Charitable Foundation AlixPartners Alvarez & Marsal Arnall Golden Gregory LLP The Partners & Employees of Atlanta Equity Investors Atlanta Marriott Marquis Beaulieu Group, LLC Susan R. Bell & Patrick M. Morris The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation The Boston Consulting Group Catherine S. & J. Bradford Branch The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Roxanne & Jeffrey Cashdan Center Family Foundation Mr. Charles Center Mr. & Mrs. Fred Halperin Ms. Charlene Berman
Chartis Chick-fil-A, Inc. CornerCap Investment Counsel Duke Realty Corporation Egon Zehnder International Eisner Family Foundation Feinberg Charitable Trust Fifth Third Bank First Data Corporation Gas South, LLC Genuine Parts Company Georgia Natural Gas Dolores & Javier C. Goizueta Grant Thornton LLP Harland Clarke HD Supply The Howell Fund, Inc. ICS Contract Services, LLC Mr. & Mrs. M. Douglas Ivester Jamestown Mr. & Mrs. Tom O. Jewell Weldon H. Johnson Family Foundation Ingrid Saunders Jones Jones Day Foundation, in honor of James H. Landon Mr. & Mrs. Muhtar Kent Kurt P. Kuehn & Cheryl Davis Lanier Parking Solutions The Latham Foundation Barbara W. & Bertram L. Levy Fund Livingston Foundation, Inc. Karole & John Lloyd Lockheed Martin Marsh-Mercer Mohawk Industries, Inc. & Frank H. Boykin Mueller Water Products, Inc. Gail & Bob O’Leary Vicki R. Palmer
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP Piedmont Charitable Foundation, Inc. Printpack Inc./The Gay & Erskine Love Foundation Mary & Craig Ramsey Mr. & Mrs. David M. Ratcliffe Emily Winship Scott Foundation Skanska USA Building Inc. Spencer Stuart Karen & John Spiegel Superior Essex Inc. Sysco Atlanta United Distributors, Inc. WATL/WXIA/Gannett Foundation Sue & John Wieland Mr. & Mrs. James B. Williams Sue & Neil Williams Carla & Leonard Wood The Xerox Foundation Yancey Bros. Co. Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Yellowlees *Annual Campaign Donors from June 1, 2010 May 31, 2011
encoreatlanta.com/Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication 43
Continued from page 22
role, and it’s been wonderful watching her career skyrocket.” This production will also feature the unveiling of a brand-new staging experience, Symphony V.0 — a collaboration between the Alpharetta-based company Clark, and James Alexander, the director who has designed and directed five Theater of a Concert productions, including Doctor Atomic, Madama Butterfly and La bohème. Alexander is already renowned for his ingenious use of projections, but he says that Symphony V.0 transforms what has been a somewhat one-dimensional
Soprano Shu-Ying Li sings the role of Butterfly, with Robert Spano conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus in a Theater of a Concert performance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly; in June 2011.
44 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
Jeff Roffman
Atlanta audiences will be treated to a production featuring the soloists for whom Adams wrote the work, and who performed in its world premiere in Vienna in 2006: bass Eric Owens, as the Narrator; tenor Russell Thomas as the Prince; and Jessica Rivera as Kumudha. In an interview last year, Adams talked about the artists: “I knew Eric very well because I wrote the role of General Groves for him in Doctor Atomic. Russell Thomas came to an audition, and I was blown away. I’m always very grateful when I get him to sing, because now everybody wants him. Jessica was barely known when she took on this
Start your night with a standing ovation. Enjoy a sumptuous pre-show dinner with our 3-course Prime Time Menu | $39.95 or $49.95 Offered nightly until 6:30pm.
Four Metro Atlanta Restaurants Sandy Springs • Buckhead Centennial Olympic Park • Kennesaw ruthschris.com
As excited as he is about the technology, Alexander’s priority is always the music and the musicians. “In these concert operas, I immerse the singers in the experience. They are used to pit orchestras; suddenly they’re standing with the musicians. They all become colleagues as never before.” He also promises that the Atlanta Symphony Chorus — whose text Adams rendered in Spanish to make the work more universal — will be important participants in the action, serving, Alexander says, “as a mask or screen on which to project images.” The Orchestra, as in previous Concert of a Theater productions, will be fully involved. “Why would I put this Rolls Royce of an orchestra in a pit? I prefer to make them the focus of attention.”
Jeff Roffman
The musicians of the Orchestra relish these opportunities, according to Principal Trombone Colin Williams, a 10-year Atlanta veteran, who has performed in all
Soprano Shu-Ying Li with James Alexander. Puccini’s Madama Butterfly; in June 2011.
Robert Spano and John Adams for his Doctor Atomic; in November 2008.
Jeff Roffman
technology into a multidimensional “immersive experience.” While Alexander is already at work on several Symphony V.0 productions in other cities, he wanted “Atlanta to have it first because they introduced me to the Clark guys.”
the Theater of a Concert productions. “For some music, like a Brahms symphony, it’s great for the Orchestra to be the focus of attention, but there’s other music that really benefits from the larger context. I enjoy being part of something that’s memorable and cool; I like being part of a process that engages the audience.” Alexander, who directs productions all over the world, has special praise for Atlanta audiences: “In big anonymous cities, when one steps outside, the audience ignores you. Here they say, ‘I need to tell you something.’ They ask interesting questions; they tell you what they saw. I always feel very welcome.” For Robert Spano, who has conducted 11 of Adams’ works with the Atlanta Symphony alone, A Flowering Tree represents another chance to involve himself in the work of a composer for whom he has a tremendous affinity: “It’s great to continue to explore Adams’s music. He’s one of the composers we have developed an ongoing relationship with. In many ways, we’re the ultimate Adams orchestra now.” Madeline Rogers, a freelance writer and editor, is the former Director of Publications at the New York Philharmonic.
Our Professional Ensemble Bruce V. Benator, CPA, Managing Partner Kevin J. Hedrick, CPA, Partner Steven G. Horn, CPA, Partner Laura E. Speir, CPA, Partner Patricia A. Yeager, CPA, Partner
Certified Public Accountants and Consultants For 30 years, the FIRM of CHOICE in Atlanta
NO rehearsals ONLY performances 1040 Crown Pointe Parkway, NE • Suite 400 • Atlanta, Georgia 30338 Phone: 770.512.0500 • www.wblcpa.com • Fax: 770.512.0200 Member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Russell Bedford International
community corner Dantes…
Meet Dantes Rameau, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Atlanta Music Project. Through the Atlanta Music Project program, he has brought music education to at-risk children throughout Atlanta. What is the Atlanta Music Project (AMP)?
The Atlanta Music Project provides intense music education for at-risk children right in their own neighborhood. Our after-school youth orchestra and choir programs take place five days a week, and we provide every student with an instrument, classes, and world-class teaching artists and performance opportunities. By virtue of their ZIP code, most of the kids we serve face a mountain of challenges that impede their chances of success in life. The Atlanta Music Project seeks to arm our students with skills that will help them overcome these challenges. Since we launched two years ago, we have observed that when kids join the Atlanta Music Project, they immediately begin to develop a stronger sense of self and a feeling of belonging to a cause. Our music ensembles empower our students to make a difference for themselves and their neighborhood. Naturally, this leads to an increase in our students’ motivation, discipline, and academic engagement.
48
What was the inspiration for the Atlanta Music Project?
The Atlanta Music Project was inspired by El Sistema, Venezuela’s renowned system of youth and children’s orchestras. Founded in 1975, El Sistema serves more than 300,000 youths each year — the majority of whom come from impoverished backgrounds — and is widely recognized as one of the best music education programs in the world. The program’s most famous alumnus is Gustavo Dudamel, who was named music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the age of 26. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra boasts another famous El Sistema alumnus in bass clarinetist Alcides Rodriguez! In addition, both myself and Aisha Bowden, the Choir Director for the Atlanta Music Project, have completed residencies in Venezuela’s El Sistema through the New England Conservatory of Music’s Sistema Fellows Program. You require a real commitment from the students, including two hours of practice per day…
Yes – It’s partly because we want our students to be safe and off of the streets after school. But then again, our students could be doing any number of after-school programs. So why spend two hours doing music?
Carlton D. Mackey
A Discussion with
Do you think there are other life skills students gain from the Atlanta Music Project, and music education in general, that transcend the musical world?
Being in a music ensemble is very similar to real life. As adults, we go to work every day to make a living and hopefully contribute our little piece to making the world a better place. For Atlanta Music Project students, they get up every day and practice their instrument individually in order to prepare their part to bring to the ensemble rehearsal. In rehearsal they develop the ability to work with their colleagues and teachers to put together the best performance possible. Through this process of music preparation,
50 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
our students are living out what it means to be committed, responsible, and productive citizens. I can’t wait to see where our students are seven or eight years from now. I wouldn’t bet against their future success! What led you to partner with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra?
In order for our program to succeed, our students need to be aware of and interact with the best musicians in the world, who can be found in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. It’s not just about our students being around a world-class orchestra, it’s about surrounding them with excellence. When young people are surrounded by excellence, they realize that they too have the tools and the capability to do big things, whether that is in music or in other fields. And being such a prominent institution, when the Orchestra puts a stamp on music education, people listen. That makes our jobs at the Atlanta Music Project much easier. And as they get older, hopefully our students will become Atlanta Symphony enthusiasts! Edited and condensed by Alex LaPierre.
Jeff Roffman
Quite simply, the intensity is what enables our students to experience a sense of accomplishment. Doing something at a high level is fun, but getting to that point requires work. Our rigorous schedule allows us to quickly get our students to a point where music-making is fun. Most importantly, along the way they come to understand the correlation between hard work and success.
calendar This Summer @ May 31/June 1/2 Thu/Fri/Sat: 8pm Magnus Lindberg: Arena Sibelius: Violin concerto Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 Robert Spano, conductor David Coucheron, violin June 7/9
Thu/Sat: 8pm John Adams: A Flowering Tree Robert Spano, conductor James Alexander, staging Jessica Rivera, soprano Russell Thomas, tenor Eric Owens, bass Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus
June 3 Sun: 7:30pm Jackie Evancho with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
July 4, 2012 Wed: 8pm David Abell, conductor Debbie Gravitte, vocalist U.S. Army Chorus All-American Celebration July 21, 2012 Sat: 8pm Martin Herman, conductor Classical Mystery Tour All You Need Is Love A Celebration of the Beatles August 12 Sun: 8pm Il Divo with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
404.733.5000 aso.org Woodruff Arts Center Box Office @15th and Peachtree Make it a group! 404.733.4848 Presented by:
Supported by:
800.745.3000 aso.org/vwa All
outlets
Make it a group! 404.733.4848 Media Sponsors:
RITCFoxTheater4.625x3.625Cocktails
4/16/12
11:14 PM
Page 1
Steak – Seafood – Sushi 5 Cocktails & $5 Small Plates
$
Daily from 3-7pm
Show this ad for a complimentary appetizer with the purchase of an entree.* raysrestaurants.com
240 Peachtree Street, NW, Atlanta, GA • 404-524-9224 Cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer subject to change without notice. Offer valid at Ray's in the City only. Maximum value of appetizer is $10. Offer expires 6/12/2012.
The best restaurant Midtown has to offer ...
Located at 14th Street & Peachtree Street NE (404) 846-2000
h2sr.com
... would like to invite you to enjoy 15% off. PRESENT YOUR TICKET AND RECEIVE 15% OFF FOOD ONLY AT SHOUT* Offer valid with your Atlanta Symphony Orchestra or Fox Theatre ticket stub. Expires 5/31/12.
*
staff Administrative Staff Executive Stanley E. Romanstein, Ph.D. President Brien Faucett Assistant to the President ADMINISTRATION John Sparrow Vice President for Orchestra Initiatives & General Manager Mala Sharma Assistant to the Vice President for Orchestra Initiatives & General Manager Julianne Fish Orchestra Manager Nancy Crowder Operations/Rental Events Coordinator Russell Williamson Orchestra Personnel Manager Susanne Watts Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager Paul Barrett Senior Production Stage Manager Richard Carvlin Stage Manager Lela Huff Assistant Stage Manager Artistic Evans Mirageas Vice President for Artistic Planning Carol Wyatt Executive Assistant to the Music Director & Principal Guest Conductor Jeffrey Baxter Choral Administrator Ken Meltzer ASO Insider & Program Annotator David Zaksheske Artist Assistant
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Mark B. Kent Senior Director of Education & Community Engagement Ahmad Mayes Community Programs Coordinator Nicole Bird Education Program Coordinator Janice Crews Professional Learning Teaching Artist Tiffany I.M. Jones Education Sales Associate
ASO Presents (cont.)
MARKETING & CONCERT PROMOTIONS Charles Wade Vice President Verizon Wireless for Marketing Amphitheatre at & Symphony Pops Encore Park Alesia Banks Katie Daniel Director of Customer VIP Sales Manager Service & Season Tickets Jenny Pollock Ted Caldwell Operations Manager Group & Corporate Sales Assistant Rebecca Simmons Box Office Manager Meko Hector Marketing Production Deborah Honan Manager Customer Service Manager & Venue Rental Coordinator Jennifer Jefferson Director of e-Business & Interactive Media DEVELOPMENT Melanie Kite FINANCE & Sandy Smith Subscription ADMINISTRATION Vice President Office Manager for Development Donald F. Fox Shelby Moody Executive Vice President Rebecca Abernathy Group & Corporate for Business Operations Development Services Sales Manager & Chief Financial Officer Coordinator Kimberly Nogi Shannon McCown Zachary Brown Publicist Assistant to the Director of Executive Vice President Robert Phipps Volunteer Services for Business Operations Publications Director Corey Cowart & Chief Financial Officer Melissa A. E. Sanders Director of Susan Ambo Senior Director, Corporate Relations Vice President of Finance Communications Janina Edwards Kim Hielsberg Christine Saunders Grants Consultant Director of Financial Group & Corporate Tegan Ketchie Planning & Analysis Sales Associate Development Coordinator April Satterfield Karl Schnittke Ashley Krausen Senior Accountant Publications Editor Special Events Coordinator Peter C. Dickson Robin Smith Sarah Levin Staff Accountant Subscription Volunteer Project Manager & Education Sales Michael Richardson Melissa Muntz Venues Analyst Bill Tarulli Development Coordinator Marketing Manager Stephen Jones Meredith Schnepp Symphony Store Manager Rachel Trignano Prospect Research Officer Manager of ASO Presents Tammie Taylor Broad Based Giving Assistant to the Clay Schell Russell Wheeler Vice President, Programming VP for Development Director of Group Trevor Ralph Sarah Zabinski & Corporate Sales General Manager and Senior Individual Giving Manager Christina Wood Director of Operations Director of Marketing Holly Clausen Director of Marketing Keri Musgraves Promotions Manager Lisa Eng Graphic Artist
54 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/aso.org
Chastain Park Amphitheater Tanner Smith Program Director
general info LATE SEATING Latecomers are seated at the discretion of house management. Reserved seats are not guaranteed after the performance starts. Latecomers may be initially seated in the back out of courtesy to the musicians and other patrons. SPECIAL ASSISTANCE All programs of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra are accessible to people with disabilities. Please call the box office (404.733.5000) to make advance arrangements. SYMPHONY STORE The ASO’s gift shop is located in the galleria and offers a wide variety of items, ranging from ASO recordings and music-related merchandise to T-shirts and mugs. Proceeds benefit the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
THE ROBERT SHAW ROOM The ASO invites donors who contribute at least $1,750 annually to become members of this private salon for cocktails and dining on concert evenings — private rentals available. Call 404.733.4860. IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Concert Hotline 404.733.4949 (Recorded information) Symphony Hall Box Office 404.733.5000 Ticket Donations/Exchanges 404.733.5000 Subscription Information/Sales 404.733.4800 Group Sales 404.733.4848 Atlanta Symphony Associates 404.733.4865 (Volunteers) Educational Programs 404.733.4870 Youth Orchestra 404.733.5038 Box Office TTD Number 404.733.4303 Services for People 404.733-5000 with Special Needs 404.733.4800 Lost and Found 404.733.4225 Symphony Store 404.733.4345
ticket info CAN’T ATTEND A CONCERT? If you can’t use or exchange your tickets, please pass them on to friends or return them to the box office for resale. To donate tickets, please phone 404.733.5000 before the concert begins. A receipt will be mailed to you in January acknowledging the value of all tickets donated for resale during the year. SINGLE TICKETS Call 404.733.5000 Mon.—Fri., 10 a.m.– 8 p.m.; Sat.–Sun., Noon–8 p.m. Service charge applies. Phone orders are filled on a best-available basis. www.atlantasymphony.org Order any time, any day! Service charge applies. Allow two to three weeks for delivery. For orders received less than two
weeks prior to the concert, tickets will be held at the box office. Woodruff Arts Center Box Office Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sat.–Sun., noon–8 p.m. The box office is open through intermission on concert dates. No service charge if tickets are purchased in person. Please note: All single-ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. All artists and programs subject to change. GROUP DISCOUNTS Groups of 10 or more save up to 15 percent on most ASO concerts, subject to ticket availability. Call 404.733.4848. GIFT CERTIFICATES Available in any amount for any series, through the box office. Call 404.733.5000.
Who says the best things in life aren't free?
Visit POSHdealz.com and add a free “Mystery Gift” to your shopping cart when you purchase show tickets, restaurant gift cards and more
at 50% off.
POSHdealz.com Atlanta luxury on a budget
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to hear about the latest deals!
A hip and contemporary place to meet for cocktails or hold your next event.
Historic charm combined with artful hospitality.
1302 West Peachtree St., Atlanta artmorehotel.com • 800.548.5631
After the show, Enjoy some of our award winning... Southern Hospitality
A Boutique Luxuryat Hotel West Peachtree 10th
regencysuites.com
gallery
1
1 Road Trip! The Orchestra performed for the sixth year in a row at the Savannah Music Festival. The concert featured pianist Yefim Bronfman and the Orchestra was led by Miguel Harth-Bedoya.
2 A Class for Brass The esteemed Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet – including former Atlanta Symphony Principal Trumpet and Youth Orchestra member Chris Martin – led a master class with local student musicians.
3 Noteworthy Kids Springdale Park Elementary students participated in the first annual Composer Project Festival. Orchestra members Denise Smith, Paul Murphy and Olga Shpitko (center in the group photo below) were the presiding judges.
Jeff Roffman
2
Jeff Roffman
3
60
Atlanta’s Performing Arts Publication
More than a program, it’s your ticket to the arts. 404.459.4128 encoreatlanta.com