FALL 2019
CRESCENDO NEWSLETTER FOR HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY PATRONS
H+H IN YOUR HOME: A CONVERSATION WITH SUSANNA OGATA Susanna Ogata is H+H’s assistant concertmaster and a frequent performer at house concerts and special events. We spoke to her about her experience playing these special performances. Why do you enjoy playing house concerts for H+H? Susanna Ogata: House concerts have provided us a unique opportunity to connect with our audience members. I’ve enjoyed getting to know our donors and patrons over the years, playing chamber music for them, and having the chance to chat afterwards. We have such a vibrant, appreciative, and thoughtful audience. How does the experience of playing a house concert or salon differ from the concert hall? SO: I’ve often had audience members enthusiastically remark that they enjoyed participating up close with our musical conversations. They appreciate the chance to have a closerange view of our facial expressions and gestures. Instead of being separate entities with stage musicians on one side and
viewers in the hall—the audience and musicians can truly have a two-way, shared interaction. Does Baroque and Classical-era music lend itself especially to house concerts? SO: Playing chamber music in small settings like this is so historically on the mark! Chamber music emerged in the 17th century and, as reflected in its name, was intended for enjoyment in the home. What is most musically rewarding about these performances? SO: Some of my deepest musical partnerships with other H+H members have been forged through these concerts. The warmth and interaction in these relaxed settings adds to a feeling of impromptu music making. You can host Susanna in your home for a concert with your closest friends. Contact Rachel Dacus Hill at 617.262.1815 or rdacushill@handelandhaydn.org for more information.
JOIN H+H IN NYC FOR THE HOLIDAYS This holiday season, H+H is excited to return to New York City for two engagements. The H+H Chorus joins the New York Philharmonic and conductor Harry Bicket for five performances of Handel’s Messiah at Lincoln Center, December 17-21. “This collaboration with one of America’s greatest symphony orchestras puts H+H on a bigger stage than ever before,” says H+H President and CEO David Snead, who previously served as a senior executive at the NY Phil. “With these performances, New York audiences will learn what we in Boston already know: the H+H Chorus is simply the best.” On Friday, December 20, members of the H+H Orchestra appear at the Grace Rainey Rodgers Auditorium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a performance of H+H’s annual Baroque Christmas program, with a twist. For this very special occasion, The Met will bring out its famous Stradivarius, “The Gould” Violin, to let it sing once again in the hands of H+H concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky. We invite you to join us for any of these performances. For information on how to purchase tickets, contact Lisa Yasui at lisa@handelandhaydn.org. Lend your support today to sponsor the H+H Orchestra and Chorus for these incredible opportunities. Our supporters make these touring performances possible. To make a gift, please contact Signe Lindberg at slindberg@handelandhaydn.org.
INSPIRING YOUNG VOICES
THROUGH SINGING
This fall, the H+H Youth Choruses added New Voices, an ensemble for grades 2–4. The chorus brings together students from across the Boston area, from different schools, neighborhoods, and socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. Together they share and are introduced to a large and diverse musical community.
NURT VILLANI CONDUCTOR, NEW VOICES
“At this age, kids are willing to learn and experiment and are not afraid to make mistakes,” says faculty member Nurt Villani, who leads New Voices. “This is a perfect age to build self-confidence by pursuing goals and achieving them through discipline. Early musical experience also improves the capacity to integrate information from various senses
and links the intellectual and the emotional.” New Voices would not be possible without the generous donors who support H+H’s Karen S. and George D. Levy Education Program, for whom we are sincerely grateful. H+H is committed to removing financial barriers for participants in H+H’s seven youth choruses by providing need-based financial aid, and to bringing the joy of music to children throughout Greater Boston.
For more information on how to fund a Youth Chorus scholarship, please contact Mike Peluse at mpeluse@handelandhaydn.org.
SUPPORT THE MUSIC YOU LOVE AND BENEFIT FROM
GIVING THROUGH YOUR IRA HOW IT WORKS
YOUR BENEFITS:
Jane is 76, and has $400,000 in a traditional IRA. The IRS requires that she take out $18,000+ this year, but she doesn’t need all of that money, and is concerned about all the tax she will pay on that amount. Jane has also been thinking of making a meaningful gift to H+H.
+ You can transfer up to $100,000 per year to charitable organizations. + The gift counts toward your required minimum distribution for the year. + The amount transferred is excluded from your adjusted gross income (AGI).
So, Jane instructs her IRA administrator to transfer $15,000 to H+H, and the remaining $3,000 to herself. The $15,000 counts towards Jane’s annual required minimum distribution, plus she avoids having to pay taxes on it.*
TO QUALIFY: + You must be age 70½ or older at the time of the gift. + Transfers must be made directly from your IRA by your IRA administrator. + Donors cannot receive any goods or services in exchange for a contribution. INTERESTED IN MAKING A GIFT? To learn more, contact Brook Holladay at 617.262.1815 or brook@handelandhaydn.org. Please note, our Tax ID number is 04-2126598.
*Not intended to provide legal or tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor to confirm how you might benefit from this opportunity.
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MASTERFULLY PERFORMED. PASSIONATELY SHARED.
Reflections on a Family Legacy THE BARBARA E. MAZE AWARD FOR MUSICAL EXCELLENCE Given annually to an alumnus of the H+H Youth Choruses who shows exceptional potential to pursue a career in music. BY HOLLY MAZE CARTER
PICTURED: Holly Maze Carter presents the Barbara E. Maze Award for Musical Excellence in 2018
This Award has always held a special place for my family. This year will be particularly meaningful for me, as it’s approaching the 10th anniversary of my mother’s passing. Before my mother passed, I remember how much she looked forward to the ceremony every year. She always brought out her best outfit, and just beamed when she got ready to go to the awards ceremony. For me to sit in the audience and see her expression—and the pride on her face—as she went up to give the award; I treasure those times. Giving her award allows me to continue to share something that I knew was so, so important to her.
My mother had a beautiful voice, as did her sister. As African-American young women growing up in Boston, neither had the opportunity to pursue classical music training during their lifetime. She saw H+H and the work they did through the education program as the opportunity to provide that training and performance opportunities for young people in the city of Boston. She held on to her love of classical music, and to be a part of an organization committed to giving young people a chance to train, perform, and grow in their music was very special for her. H+H was a passion for her. That they were willing to give her this honor while she was alive meant so much. She was overwhelmed. She was a quiet giver, and didn’t have a lot of money, but she gave her soul, her heart, and her time. I really see this scholarship as a way of carrying on her legacy. I have three grandchildren, and my youngest granddaughter is three. I hope that she will at some point in her life be able to sit in Jordan Hall and be a part of an award ceremony that honors and recognizes her great-grandmother. I struggle as an African-American mother to think about legacy. We don’t have a lot of money to provide a legacy for our grandchildren. But my mother provided her legacy of love for H+H and Baroque and Classical music to me, and that’s an extraordinary legacy to pass on to my children and grandchildren. Sometimes it’s not just money that provides the most meaningful legacy. That’s what this award has meant to us. As donors, we often think of donations as “me giving something to an organization.” Ideally, it’s a two-way street—it’s about what the donor also receives from that gift. My mother received an extraordinary gift from H+H through the naming of this award. It was a gift she was able to experience in her lifetime. That this award will continue is the best gift that H+H could have given. It’s a gift that those of us who love her continue to experience every year.
LATEST H+H CD RELEASE HAYDN MASSES, VOL. 1
Harry Christophers and H+H just released their 13th CD together on the CORO label. Haydn Masses, Vol. 1, showcases Haydn’s Harmoniemesse as well as the London Symphony, No. 99, both recorded live at Symphony Hall in January 2019. “It’s spectacular,” Christophers says of this mass. “This is the culmination of Haydn’s faith, and a pinnacle of his late style.” Both the Mass and the Symphony are known for their colorful woodwind writing, which gives the Mass the nickname “Harmonie” (a German term for wind band). The Symphony was also the first Haydn wrote to include clarinets, perhaps in tribute to his departed colleague Mozart, who had loved the instrument. This new CD features the H+H Orchestra and Chorus in all their glory, and was made possible by the generous support of Peter G. Manson and Peter A. Durfee, and the Peacewoods Charitable Fund. MASTERFULLY PERFORMED. PASSIONATELY SHARED.
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H+H BOOK FROM 1827
RETURNS HOME THANKS TO DONOR Early in its history, H+H entered the music publishing business, releasing The Old Colony Collection in 1818 followed by a series of hymnals, some of which became standard for use in churches across the United States. One of these books recently made its way home, thanks to Wes Kussmaul, who donated an 1827 fifth edition Psalm and Hymn Tunes to the H+H archives. This volume contains
several handwritten inscriptions, including lines from Canto I of Lord Byron’s poem Don Juan copied into the front pages, and what might be an original poem written in the back. The owner was likely part of a church or community choir— though it appears they were writing poetry when they were supposed to be focused on learning music!
LEND YOUR SUPPORT TO THE
CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD HIP FELLOWSHIP Since 2009, Teresa Neff has become a familiar face to the H+H community as the Christopher Hogwood Historically Informed Performance Fellow, connecting with listeners through her program notes and Musically Speaking pre-concert talks. In addition to her work with H+H, Teresa is a senior lecturer in music at MIT, where she won the Levitan Teaching Prize. “When I first came to Boston, I was fortunate enough to hear Christopher Hogwood lead an H+H performance,” Teresa recalls. “That concert was inspiring! He changed—in the most positive way—how I experience music. To now be the Christopher Hogwood HIP Fellow is very special for me. I hope I can help to continue this part of Hogwood’s legacy through my work with H+H.”
CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD HIP FELLOW TERESA NEFF, PHD
The Hogwood Fellowship pays an annual stipend to the recipient and supports many programs throughout the concert season. It is funded entirely through individual donations. You can add your support by giving online at handelandhaydn.org/donate, calling our offices at 617.262.1815, or mailing your contribution to us at 9 Harcourt Street, Boston, MA 02116.