Encore 3: 2016-2017 by Jax Symphony

THE MAGAZINE OF THE JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY

C E L E B R AT I N G J A C O B Y S Y M P H O N Y H A L L

JAXSYMPHONY.ORG

Feb-Mar 2017

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WELCOME! Insight One hour prior to each Florida Blue Masterworks Series concert, join Music Director Courtney Lewis and other Masterworks guest conductors in Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall to hear their insight on the program. An open, low-key 15 to 25 minute presentation including question and answer time will provide the opportunity to learn more about the fantastic works performed by the Jacksonville Symphony.

Twenty years ago this spring, the cultural landscape of northeast Florida would be forever changed. What began as a renovation of the old Civic Auditorium transformed into something much greater—the creation of Jacoby Symphony Hall. From that moment on, Jacksonville, and the Jacksonville Symphony, would never be the same. A performance venue is to an orchestra what a violin is to a violinist. Jacoby Symphony Hall is our instrument, and we are extremely fortunate to play it every day. Coming from a Symphony that had to beg, borrow and barter for performance dates, it is a luxury knowing that this is our space. Not only do we have a place to perform each week, but we have the rare benefit of getting to rehearse in that space. The superb acoustics and the fact that, in 2005, we installed the Bryan Concert Organ is icing on the cake.

Guest artists often join the conductor to give their vision of the works to be presented. Insight is a new angle on the concert experience. You’ll never listen to the music the same way after hearing Insight. So come early, grab a seat and hear what the experts have to say.

Jacoby Symphony Hall has made the Jacksonville Symphony into the orchestra it is today. This season alone, the Symphony will present 97 performances in Jacoby Symphony Hall over the course of our 35-week season. In preparation for these concerts, we will rehearse on stage 114 times. As a rising star in the symphony orchestra world, these numbers are only going to increase over the next few years as we bring you more of what you love. More classical repertoire. More diverse pops concerts. More innovative programs. More guest artists. More educational offerings. More family events. Simply put, more symphonic music presented by your Jacksonville Symphony.

INSIGHT

is sponsored by

In my two years here, I have been fortunate to meet many of the giants who, two decades ago, had the forethought, inspiration, passion and generosity to raise the funds necessary to create this cultural gem. Together with the City of Jacksonville, which understood that a great City needs a great Symphony and a phenomenal Symphony Hall, they share a legacy that will live on for generations to come.

Tickets: 904.354.5547 Contributions: 904.354.1473 Administration: 904.354.5479 Encore! Production Publisher – Robert Massey Editor – Amy Rankin Graphic Designer – Kenneth Shade Advertising Sales – Caroline Jones Photography – Tiffany Manning, Renee Parenteau To Advertise in Encore - Call Caroline Jones at 904.356.0426 or email cjones@jaxsymphony.org.

To Bob Jacoby, Preston Haskell, Carl Cannon, Bob Shircliff, Dink Foerster, Isabelle Davis, Jay Stein, Jim Winston, J.F. Bryan, IV, Ross Krueger, Roger Nierenberg, and the countless other men and women who permanently made their mark on Jacksonville’s musical landscape, I thank you. I thank you on behalf of the musicians who get to perform in this wonderful space each week, and I thank you on behalf of the patrons who have the great fortune to listen to these extraordinary artists in such an incredible venue. Here’s to many more amazing experiences in this cultural cornerstone of Jacksonville.

@jaxsymphony

#jaxsymphony

is the official piano of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

4 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

Robert Massey President and CEO

EnCORE

THE MAGAZINE OF THE JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY

2016 - 2017 SEASON

VOLUME 23 – ISSUE THREE

EVENTS 19

FRENCH CONNECTION

bestbet SYMPHONY IN 60 SERIES

WEST SIDE STORY FIDELITY NATIONAL FINANCIAL POPS SERIES February 11

COFFEE SERIES FLORIDA BLUE MASTERWORKS SERIES February 2, 3, 4

CLASSICAL CORNERSTONES

bestbet SYMPHONY IN 60 SERIES

JSYO FESTIVAL OF STRINGS PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS CHARITIES JSYO SERIES March 6

COFFEE SERIES FLORIDA BLUE MASTERWORKS SERIES March 2, 3, 4

Welcome

Music Director

Symphony Association Board

About the Symphony

9, 25, 55-57

Thank You, Supporters

12-13

Jacksonville Symphony Musicians

The Cadenza Society

68-69

Volunteer Activities and Events

Sound Investment Program

Jacksonville Symphony Administration

SECOND CITY’S GUIDE TO THE SYMPHONY FIDELITY NATIONAL FINANCIAL POPS SERIES February 24, 25

DEPARTMENTS

THE FIREBIRD JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY FAMILY SERIES February 19

LANG LANG JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY 2017 GALA February 17

JSYO MAJOR/MINOR CONCERT PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS CHARITIES JSYO SERIES March 11 THE CHIEFTAINS FIDELITY NATIONAL FINANCIAL POPS SERIES March 17, 18 MENDELSSOHN’S “SCOTTISH” SYMPHONY COFFEE SERIES FLORIDA BLUE MASTERWORKS SERIES March 24, 25, 26 JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY CHORUS PROGRAM JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY SPECIAL EVENT March 29

904.354.5547

J a x S y m p h o n y. o r g ENCORE 5

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6 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

EQUITY

MUSIC DIRECTOR Courtney Lewis Music Director, Haskell Endowed Chair With clear artistic vision, subtle musicality, and innovative programming, Courtney Lewis has established himself as one of his generation’s most talented conductors. The 2016/17 season marks his second as Music Director of the Jacksonville Symphony. Previous appointments have included Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, where he returns on subscription in the 2016/17 season, Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, where he made his subscription debut in the 2011/12 season, and Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he debuted in 2011. From 2008 to 2014, Courtney Lewis was the music director of Boston’s acclaimed Discovery Ensemble, a chamber orchestra dedicated not only to giving concerts of contemporary and established repertoire at the highest level of musical and technical excellence, but also bringing live music into the least privileged parts of Boston with workshops in local schools.

RENEE PARENTEAU

In the 2016/17 season he will make his debut with the Dallas Symphony and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and return to the Colorado Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. Highlights of 2015/16 included debuts with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, and Colorado Symphony, as well as assisting Thomas Adès at the Salzburg Festival for the world première of Adès’s opera The Exterminating Angel. Lewis made his major American orchestral debut in November 2008 with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and has since appeared with the Atlanta Symphony, Washington National Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Houston Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, and Ulster Orchestra, among others. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Lewis read music at the University of Cambridge during which time he studied composition with Robin Holloway and clarinet with Dame Thea King. After completing a master’s degree with a focus on the late music of György Ligeti, he attended the Royal Northern College of Music, where his teachers included Sir Mark Elder and Clark Rundell.

ENCORE 7

SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers

Past Board Chairs

Matthew S. McAfee, Chair

Olin E. Watts, Founding President Wellington W. Cummer Hugh R. Dowling Giles J. Patterson Carl S. Swisher Gert H. W. Schmidt Robert R. Bowen Roger L. Main Charles L. Hoffman Hugh Abernethy Archie J. Freels Harold K. Smith Jacob F. Bryan, III Ira M. Koger J. Shepard Bryan, Jr. Randall C. Berg W. E. Grissett, Jr. B. Cecil West James C. Blanton David C. Hastings Alford C. Sinclair Constance S. Green Arthur W. Milam John H. McCallum Preston H. Haskell Sylvia F. “Tibby” Sinclair J. F. Bryan, IV David W. Foerster E. William Nash, Jr. James H. Winston Robert T. Shircliff Robert O. Purcifull Carl N. Cannon Phillip E. Wright Jay Stein Mary Ellen Smith R. Travis Storey John S. Peyton A. R. “Pete” Carpenter Steven T. Halverson Gerald J. Pollack James Van Vleck R. Chris Doerr Richard H. Pierpont Martin F. Connor, III

David Strickland, Vice Chair & Development Committee Chair Rick Moyer, Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair Elizabeth Lovett Colledge, Ph.D., Secretary Robert Massey, President and Chief Executive Officer

Executive Committee Gilchrist Berg, Member at Large R. Chris Doerr, Member at Large Margaret Gomez, Foundation Board Chair Gurmeet Keaveny, Marketing Committee Chair Randall C. Tinnin, DMA, Programming Committee Chair Terry West, Member at Large Gwendolyn “Gwen” Yates, Governance Committee Chair

Board of Directors

Honorary Directors

Don Baldwin

Ruth Conley

Martha Barrett

David W. Foerster

Karen Bower

Preston H. Haskell

J.F. Bryan, IV

Robert E. Jacoby

Tim Cost

Frances Bartlett Kinne, Ph. D.

Tyler Dann

Arthur W. Milam

Barbara Darby, Ed.D.

Mary Carr Patton

Jack Dickison, ex officio

Mary Ellen Smith

Anne H. Hopkins, Ph.D.

Jay Stein

Michael Imbriani, ex officio

James Van Vleck

Wesley Jennison

James H. Winston

Charles Joseph Randolph R. Johnson Susan Jones Kiki Karpen Allison Keller Ross Krueger, M.D.

Foundation Board

Anne Lufrano, Ph.D.

Margaret Gomez, Chair

John Malone

Gilchrist Berg

Pat Manko, ex officio

R. Chris Doerr

Elizabeth McAlhany

Peter Karpen

W. Ross Singletary, II John Surface Clay B. “Chip” Tousey, Jr. Lowell Weiner, Ph.D. Douglas Worth 8 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

The Jacksonville Symphony gratefully acknowledges some of our most important music makers.

J. Wayne & Delores Barr Weaver

Ruth Conley

Robert D. and Isabelle T. Davis Endowment Fund

The Roger L. and Rochelle S. Main Charitable Trust

State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

The Jessie Ball duPont Fund

Audio Visual Logistics

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The DuBow Family Foundation

Donald C. McGraw Foundation

Valdemar Joost Kroier Endowment Fund

Ann McDonald Baker Family Foundation • Yvonne Charvot Barnett Young Artist Fund Biscottis • G. Howard Bryan Fund • Brooks Rehabilitation • Cummer Family Foundation • Downtown Investment Authority Drummond Press • Jess & Brewster J. Durkee Foundation • Fleet Landing • David and Ann Hicks • The Kirbo Charitable Trust Martin Coffee Co. • Publix Super Markets Charities • Rice Family Foundation • David and Linda Stein • Jay and Deanie Stein Foundation Carl S. Swisher Foundation • Edna Sproull Williams Foundation • St. Vincent’s HealthCare • Stein Mart • SunTrust Vanguard Charitable-Kessler Fund • Woodcock Foundation for the Appreciation of the Arts

ACOSTA Sales & Marketing • The Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation • Buffet Crampon USA • Chartrand Foundation Claude Nolan Cadillac • Dana’s Limousine and Transportation Services • Enterprise Holdings Foundation Harbinger Sign • Holland and Knight • JAX Chamber • JAX Chamber - Downtown Council • Brady S. Johnson Charitable Trust The Main Street America Group • Mayse-Turner Fund • Parsley’s Piano • Rayonier Advanced Materials Foundation Rowe Charitable Foundation • Sawcross, Inc. • Scott-McRae Group, Inc. • Shacter Family Foundation • Harold K. Smith Foundation Smoller Scholarship Fund • Stellar Foundation • V Pizza • Wells Fargo • Westminster Woods on Julington Creek • Workscapes A-B Distributors, Inc. • The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida • Cornelia and Olin Watts Endowment Fund Media Partners: WJCT Public Broadcasting • Florida Times-Union

ENCORE 9

Corporate Conductor’s Club Becoming a Corporate Conductor’s Club member gives you the chance to enhance your company’s brand, build business relationships, reward your employees and enjoy exclusive benefits as you foster a reputation for corporate citizenship. You’ll receive vouchers for concert experiences that will include four tickets to any series concert, enjoy complimentary refreshments in the Florence N. Davis Gallery during intermission receptions during your visit, and as a member at the Gold level, valet parking.

2016-2017 Corporate Conductor’s Club BENEFITS

$3,000 SILVER

$5,000 GOLD

CONCERT EXPERIENCES

Four Tickets to Four Concerts

Four Tickets to Eight Concerts

INTERMISSION RECEPTIONS

Four complimentary Intermission Reception vouchers

Eight complimentary Intermission Reception vouchers

COMPLIMENTARY Not Available VALET PARKING

YEAR-LONG RECOGNITION IN ENCORE

Year-long recognition as “Corporate Silver” in Encore

One complimentary Valet Parking pass per concert Year-long recognition as “Corporate Gold” in Encore

ACCESS TO THE ANNUAL GALA

Reserve a table by adding $5,000 to your Membership

DISCOUNT ON SEASON ADS

15% discount on your company’s season-long advertisement in Encore

Florida Blue Challenge EXTENDED

In addition to these great benefits that all Corporate Conductor’s Club members receive, businesses who join in 2017 as charter members will receive two tickets to The Chieftains concert and events.

The Jacksonville Symphony is not only a great place to entertain clients and reward staff, it’s an essential cultural institution that serves over 80,000 families and youth annually with free community concerts, music instruction and education programs and field trips to Jacoby Symphony Hall. To help us support this work, Florida Blue will match every Corporate Conductor’s Club membership dollar for dollar through February 28, 2017. Become a member today and support music in our community!

SECOND CITY Feb 24&25

THE CHIEFTAINS Mar 17&18

Connect your company to the Symphony and join today! 904.354.7779 | Corporate@jaxsymphony.org JaxSymphony.org/Corporate 10 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

ABOUT THE JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY

Fresh from the first complete season for both Music Director Courtney Lewis and President and CEO Robert Massey, the Jacksonville Symphony is ready to break new ground and new records for 2016-2017. The 2015-2016 season saw an increase in ticket sales of 9% over the previous year as well as an increase in contributed income of 6%. The Symphony performed for more than 201,000 individuals up from the previous season record of 180,000. New music such as Adés Asyla and new events including bestbet Symphony in 60 and Symphonic Night at the Movies were introduced to the community. A new marketing branding including revised logo, updated website and video program notes emphasize the new direction. The Jacksonville Symphony is one of Northeast Florida’s most important cultural institutions. Founded in 1949, the Symphony is ranked among the nation’s top regional orchestras. The Symphony’s home, Robert E. Jacoby Hall, is considered to be an acoustic gem. Each year thousands enjoy the Symphony’s performances both at Jacoby Hall in the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts and at venues located throughout Northeast Florida.

The Symphony is also the community’s leader in music education for children, serving four county school districts. Besides offering free tickets to children under the age of 18 for selected concerts and other special youth pricing, there are several programs to foster music education. The Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras, under the direction of Music Director and Principal Conductor Scott Gregg, has a membership of more than 300 and a regular concert schedule. Over the years the Jacksonville Symphony has hosted some of the most renowned artists of the music world including Isaac Stern, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Itzhak Perlman, Kathleen Battle, Mstislav Rostopovich and Audra McDonald. This year the Symphony will host Lang Lang at a February 17 Gala. As a not-for-profit organization, the Symphony relies on the generosity of its donors, patrons and volunteers. For more information about the Jacksonville Symphony, please visit www.Facebook.com/JaxSymphony, follow us on Twitter @JaxSymphony, and on Instagram at JaxSymphony.

ENCORE 11

THE ORCHESTRA

Anthony Anurca

Melissa Barrett

Patrick Bilanchone

Aaron Brask

Andrew Bruck

Katherine Caliendo

SECOND BASSOON CONTRABASSOON

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

BASS

THIRD HORN

VIOLIN

SECOND HORN

Rhonda Cassano

Kevin Casseday

Laurie Casseday

Christopher Chappell

Tristan Clarke

Naira Cola

BASS

CELLO

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL SECOND VIOLIN

PRINCIPAL TRUMPET

VIOLIN

Dr. Hugh A Carithers Endowed Chair

SECOND FLUTE

Merryn Ledbetter Corsat

Clinton Dewing

Aurelia Duca

Patrice Evans

Kenneth Every

Betsy Federman

PRINCIPAL VIOLA

VIOLIN

PRINCIPAL SECOND VIOLIN

VIOLIN

PRINCIPAL TIMPANI

CELLO

Ileana Fernandez

Kevin Garry

Anna Genest

Lois Elfenbein Gosa

Derek Hawkes

Deborah Heller

PRINCIPAL KEYBOARD

SECOND PERCUSSION

VIOLIN

SECOND TROMBONE

THIRD FLUTE – PICCOLO

Max Huls

Vernon Humbert

Kayo Ishimaru

James Jenkins

Cynthia Kempf

Colin Kiely

VIOLIN

CELLO

PRINCIPAL HARP

PRINCIPAL TUBA

VIOLA

Ilana Kimel

Mark Knowles

Jonathan Kuo

Lela LaBarbera

Dana Landis

Jason Lindsay

VIOLIN

FOURTH HORN

VIOLIN

BASS TROMBONE

BASS

12 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

Stephanie Lindsay

Shannon Lockwood

Todd Lockwood

Charlotte Mabrey

Brian Magnus

Jeanne Majors

VIOLIN

CELLO

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL BASS

PERCUSSION

CELLO

VIOLIN

Steve Merrill

Claudia Minch

Linda Minke

Annie Morris

Glynda Newton

Ellen Caruso Olson

PRINCIPAL PERCUSSION

SECOND OBOE ENGLISH HORN

CELLO

The George V. Grune Endowed Chair

VIOLIN

VIOLA

VIOLIN

Eric Olson

Brian Osborne

Philip Pan

Joel Panian

Susan Pardue

Jeffrey Peterson

PRINCIPAL OBOE

THIRD TRUMPET

Isabelle Davis Endowed Chair

THIRD PERCUSSION

VIOLA

PRINCIPAL TROMBONE

CONCERTMASTER

Lisa Ponton

Jorge A. PeÃ±a Portillo

Kevin Reid

Marguerite Richardson

Les Roettges

Alexei Romanenko

VIOLA

PRINCIPAL HORN

VIOLIN

PRINCIPAL FLUTE

PRINCIPAL CELLO

Sunshine Simmons

Forrest Sonntag

Paul Strasshofer

Piotr Szewczyk

Carol Whitman

John Wieland

SECOND CLARINET

SECOND TRUMPET

BASS

VIOLIN

PRINCIPAL BASS

The Musicians of the Jacksonville Symphony are proudly represented by the American Federation of Musicians, Local 444.

Peter Wright

Backstage Employees are proudly represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) Local 115, Saul Lucio, Business Agent.

PRINCIPAL CLARINET

ENCORE 13

Tiffany Manning is the official photographer of the Jacksonville Symphony.

Visit her website at www.tiffanymanning.com to see more of her beautiful work.

Music Camp & Festival Prelude Chamber Music Inc

14 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

THE JACOBY COMES OF AGE by Richard A. Salkin The orchestra on Jacoby Hall’s opening night.

In local history, some events stand out. For Jacksonville, the opening of the Robert E. Jacoby Hall, on April 26, 1997, was pivotal. Like October 1, 1968 (consolidated government), and November 30, 1993 (NFL franchise announced), the opening of the Jacoby is a local milestone. Things have been fundamentally different ever since. Getting the hall conceived, financed, designed, built and established was a Jacksonville journey in itself, a long and winding road that started in the 1980s. As the orchestra gained in skill, board members realized the musicians needed a home of their own in order to take symphonic music in Jacksonville to a whole new level. In the end, civic and government leaders seized the reins of cultural leadership to create the Symphony’s first permanent home. Which is not to be confused with a starter home. With seating for 1,800 within an acoustically perfect space, the Jacoby incorporates state-of-the-art technology and design characteristics that rival its counterparts in musical capitals throughout the world. It is a home for the long term. And like most 20-year-olds, it is just hitting its stride. Identifying the Need Like many mid-sized cities with orchestras, Jacksonville was an up-and-comer 20 years ago. We had a respectable orchestra that was growing in terms of size and artistic quality; a justifiably proud community provided wide local support. But there were issues. The orchestra was performing in the cavernous 3,200-seat Civic Auditorium, completed in 1962, sharing the venue with traveling roadshows, graduation ceremonies and other events.

A packed house for Jacoby Hall’s opening night.

“The acoustics were not good for a symphony orchestra,” said Bob Shircliff, one of the community leaders who helped drive the effort to upgrade the venue. “And the musicians could never rehearse where concerts were being played.” To a casual observer, neither ENCORE 15

the acoustics nor the lack of rehearsal space mattered much. But to Shircliff and other visionaries with an eye on the future, both issues required a bold and proactive solution. Plans started taking shape in 1993. Mayor Ed Austin’s River City Renaissance plan envisioned a multi-million-dollar renovation to the auditorium itself. The Florida Times-Union would commit $3 million to put its name on the building; private contributors would add $11 million. But the original plan had no provision for a separate home for the Symphony. “We were struggling and conflicted,” said Preston Haskell, a board member who also sat on a specially formed Building Committee. Should the renovation make the Civic Auditorium suitable just for orchestral performances? Keep it suitable for large audiences? Remove some of the seats? All the single-hall solutions they explored “would compromise the hall’s usefulness.”

Bob and Monica Jacoby.

Then he met with then-Music Director Roger Nierenberg. “One Friday afternoon he came to my office and said ‘we’ve just got to have a separate hall for the symphony.’” Haskell summed up the reasoning thusly: a new hall “would allow for an orchestra stage, not a proscenium arch like we had in the Civic Auditorium; it would have 1,800 seats [a more appropriate size for unamplified symphonic music]; and, most important, it would have acoustical characteristics and configuration that make it ideal for orchestral music.” A separate hall would also give the orchestra a permanent home, a place to rehearse without working around the schedules and demands of other users of the aging Civic Auditorium. There was already an exhibition space on the site, which had been rendered redundant with the opening of the Prime Osborne Convention Center blocks away. The only problem: a dedicated symphony hall “would cost 10 to 15 million dollars more than we had contemplated,” Haskell added.

Publicity photo of Jacoby Hall under construction.

Energized and undaunted, Haskell took Nierenberg’s idea back to the Building Committee, which included a sizeable portion of Jacksonville’s permanent Who’s Who: Dink Foerster, Chairman; Bob Jacoby, Co-Chairman; Carl Cannon, Isabelle Davis, Bob Shircliff, Jay Stein and Jim Winston. They coalesced around a separate-hall approach; a capital campaign was established, with Haskell as its chairman. Making it Happen “I took it to my colleagues,” Haskell said. “We agreed on a campaign target, and Bob Shircliff approached Bob Jacoby for the name gift.” Jacoby’s unflinching decision to support the idea catalyzed the effort. “The first gift is always the hardest,” Shircliff recalled. “Raising the funds for a new hall and renovation of the Civic Auditorium was a daunting task. But the excitement began to build when Bob Jacoby said he would give the donation that would make it possible. That one contribution created such enthusiasm that things began to fall into place. It worked out great and was the right decision.” Ultimately the campaign raised $22 million, significantly exceeding its original target, as smaller donors were inspired by Jacoby’s example.

Opening night program. 16 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

The hall’s design was entrusted to KBJ Architects’ Jack Diamond, who brought in world-famous acoustician Larry Kierkegaard to oversee sound quality. They chose a “shoebox” configuration, modeled after acclaimed music halls in Vienna and Boston—

Opening Night – 2015-2016 season. an acoustically perfect space, considered the gold standard for orchestral sound design then and now. At the time, Kierkegaard told Haskell how he would know if he had succeeded in Jacksonville: “His standard for perfect acoustics was Boston Symphony Hall,” Haskell said. “I agreed it was a marvelous standard to aspire to.” During construction, the band played on, relocating for a season to the Florida Theatre; subscribers jockeyed good-naturedly for seat locations as desirable as the ones they had enjoyed in the much larger Civic Auditorium. One item still needed to be addressed: Should the new Jacoby have a concert organ? Budgetary and other practical considerations stood in the way of including one in the initial design, and adding such a massive instrument later could be impractical. But “Preston and Jack planned ahead,” Shircliff recalled, “so a temporary wall was placed behind the orchestra, built to allow for expansion when an organ became available.” Symphony board member J. F. Bryan, IV stepped forward with a solution: His family would finance restoration and rework of an organ when a suitable one could be located. Bryan credits fellow Symphony board member Ross Krueger with finding the instrument whose magnificent pipes we see and hear today. “It had been sent to a warehouse outside Chicago, destined for a church near Gainesville that no longer needed it,” Haskell remembered. “The rector of the church said you can have it for nothing if you pay the storage fee. We readily agreed.” The mighty Casavant Opus 553, built in 1914, with four manuals, 63 stops and 70 ranks, was delivered to Quimby Pipe Organs in Warrensburg, Missouri in 1997 for rebuilding and restoration. In an installation ceremony, it was re-christened the Bryan Concert Organ on February 17, 2005 at a concert featuring Camille Saint-Saëns’ full-throated Organ Symphony. A Transformative Space With two decades of history, the Jacoby is part of Jacksonville’s DNA. “I don’t know if newer patrons realize what a monumental effect the Jacoby has had on making the Symphony what it is today,” said Robert Massey, president and CEO. “It’s one of the crown jewels of performance destinations.” It says something about Jacksonville and our priorities as a community, too, according to Music Director Courtney Lewis. The fact that we have a Jacoby Hall “makes a statement about how important music and our orchestra are to Jacksonville,” he said. “I’m proud of that when people visit.”

Lewis added that the hall gets high marks from visiting conductors and soloists. “Musicians comment on the beauty of the sound from the podium, the excellent sightlines and risers, and how well sized the hall is for a city of Jacksonville’s population.” Violinist Joshua Bell, who headlined last year’s Gala concert, gave the Jacoby a big thumbs-up. “Joshua was especially pleased with the ability to hear the musicians of the orchestra on stage,” Lewis added. “It’s surprising how often this is difficult in even famous halls.” Having a dedicated home means more concerts and stage productions, Massey added. “Today, if we had to share the Moran with the Artist Series, there would be far fewer events. Fortunately, we don’t have to fight for dates and know we have our own space.” That factor leads to important, less obvious implications. “We have the most professional orchestra in Florida because we have this venue,” Massey said. “Our musicians show up to work every day, have their own lockers, and go in and rehearse in the space they will perform in. That’s huge.” In contrast, he added, “Our counterparts in Tampa don’t have a place of their own. They have to rehearse in a college auditorium and perform in a different space. They never get a sense of that sound. Just as a violin is part of the violinist, the hall is instrumental for the entire orchestra. The sound is specific to the space.” Music Director Courtney Lewis underscores Massey’s point. “Being able to rehearse in the hall in which the concerts take place is a surprisingly rare luxury for many orchestras. I love being able to work on the orchestra’s sound without having to calculate how it might be different between rehearsal and concert venues.” Massey, who attended the New England Conservatory of Music, knows a few things about acoustically perfect spaces. “I put myself put through school ushering in Symphony Hall in Boston [one of the acoustically perfect spaces on which the Jacoby is modeled],” he recalled. “To hear 60 or 90 instrumentalists playing, blending into this one uniform essence, is almost a 4-D experience. When all that sounds comes together, it’s pretty astonishing.” So how well did the Jacoby live up to Kierkegaard’s standard of excellence? Haskell recalls attending opening night in 1997. Seated next to him was Larry Kierkegaard. “After just a few bars, Kierkegaard leaned over and whispered, ‘Better than Boston.’ I’ll never forget it.”

ENCORE 17

Hello!

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Jacksonville #HereForYou

Blue is a ^ Florida

e sor of th proud spon ony. le Symph Jacksonvil

Fidelity National Financial Pops Series Concert sponsors: BRASS & VyStar

THE CHIEFTAINS Friday, March 17 at 8 pm Saturday, March 18 at 8 pm Times-Union Center

Sunday, March 19 at 3 pm St Augustine Ampitheatre

Day St. Patrick’s n Celebratio March 17

Enjoy pre-concert activities featuring Irish music and dance including the

Ponte Vedra Ballet & Dance Company

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SYMPHONY IN 60 SERIES COFFEE SERIES MASTERWORKS SERIES

Symphony in 60 Series Coffee Series Masterworks Series

Thursday, February 2, 2017 l 6:30 pm Friday, February 3, 2017 l 11 am Friday & Saturday, February 3 & 4, 2017 l 8 pm

“Insight” one hour prior to each Masterworks concert

FRENCH CONNECTION

Courtney Lewis, conductor

Michael McHale, piano

Haskell Endowed Chair

(not on Coffee Series Concert)

Le carnaval romain, characteristic overture, Opus 9 (1843)

bestbet Symphony in 60 Series – Revel in Ravel Roman Carnival Overture

Maurice RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major I. Allegramente II. Adagio assai III. Presto Maurice RAVEL

9:00 21:00

La valse 13:00 Coffee Series – French Connection

Hector BERLIOZ

Roman Carnival Overture 9:00

Henri DUTILLEUX

Métaboles 17:00

Maurice RAVEL

La valse 13:00

The Coffee Concert is hosted by the Jacksonville Symphony Guild. Coffee and tea are provided by Martin Coffee Company, Inc. Florida Blue Masterworks Series – French Connection Hector BERLIOZ

Roman Carnival Overture 9:00

Maurice RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major I. Allegramente II. Adagio assai III. Presto

21:00

~ Intermission ~ 20:00 Henri DUTILLEUX

Métaboles 17:00

Maurice RAVEL

La valse 13:00 Friday evening concert sponsor: Fleet Landing Students at the Symphony is supported in part by:

Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony.

By Steven Ledbetter

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)

Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

Hector BERLIOZ

FRENCH CONNECTION

Berlioz conceived this piece as an afterthought to his opera Benvenuto Cellini, a fictionalized treatment of the life of the famous Renaissance sculptor, which reaches its climax in the casting of the great bronze “Perseus.” By the 1840s, partly to preserve some of the wonderful music of Benvenuto Cellini, which he despaired of ever hearing again, Berlioz took his own advice to become active as a conductor, and wrote a series of effective concert pieces that he could use in his own tours. For this purpose he turned to the lively second-act finale of Benvenuto Cellini, which takes place in Rome during the unbuttoned pre-Lenten period known as carnival time. The finished piece, under the title, “The Roman Carnival,” and described as a “characteristic overture,” became one of Berlioz’s most popular compositions. Berlioz begins his concert showpiece with a brief outburst of the main saltarello theme at a devil-may-care speed, followed by an exquisite and utterly characteristic slow, lyrical melody in the English horn (drawn from the duet between Cellini and Teresa in the opera’s first act); this, upon its third statement, is heard in tight canonic imitation. Once into the Allegro, the material comes almost literally from the Act II finale of Cellini for nearly two-hundred measures. The brief fugato that comprises the development keeps the galloping saltarello rhythm constantly present while the lyric melody recurs in sustained notes. The climactic moment involves the combination of all these elements—saltarello, canon, lyric passages and tricky phrase elisions to make a wonderfully invigorating close that leaves the listener--as much as the performers-breathless with its non-stop, headlong rush. NOTE (continued on next page)

ENCORE 19

Michael McHale, piano Masterworks guest artists sponsored by Ruth Conley Belfast-born Michael McHale is one of Northern Ireland’s leading pianists. Since completing his studies at Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music, he has developed a busy international career as a solo recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician. He has performed at many important musical centers including Suntory Hall, Tokyo; Lincoln Center, New York; Symphony Hall, Boston; Konzerthaus, Berlin; Pesti Vigadó, Budapest, and the Ushuaia, Chopiniana and Tanglewood Festivals. McHale’s début solo album ‘The Irish Piano’ was selected as ‘CD of the Week’ by critic Norman Lebrecht, who described it as “a scintillating recital…fascinating from start to stop”, whilst Gramophone praised “the singing sensibility of McHale’s sensitive and polished pianism.” A commitment to new music has seen him give first performances and recordings of music by composers including Arvo Pärt, Valentin Silvestrov, John Tavener, Luke Bedford and Ian Wilson, as well as concerto world premières by Irish composers Garrett Sholdice (with Gábor Takács-Nagy and the Irish Chamber Orchestra) and Philip Hammond (with Nicholas Collon and the Ulster Orchestra for BBC Radio 3). His début solo recitals in the Wigmore Hall, London, the National Concert Hall, Dublin, and the Phillips Collection, Washington DC received great public and critical acclaim, with the Washington Post praising his “bravura playing in the music of Franz Liszt” and his “beautifully proportioned and energetic account of Mozart’s Sonata in C minor, K.457.” 2015 saw the release of a second solo CD, ‘Miniatures and Modulations’, of music by Philip Hammond on the Grand Piano label (awarded a 5* review by BBC Music) and a disc of clarinet sonatas by Brahms and Reinecke with Michael Collins for Chandos (Editor’s Choice in Gramophone). Recent projects included a first concerto CD recording with the RTÉ NSO and Jacksonville Symphony Music Director Courtney Lewis, return visits to Camerata Pacifica and Wigmore Hall, London, and solo and chamber music recital tours in Ireland and the UK. In addition to winning the 2009 Terence Judd/Hallé Award, Michael was awarded the Brennan and Field Prizes at the 2006 AXA Dublin International Piano Competition and the 2005 Camerata Ireland/Accenture Award. His teachers and mentors include John O’Conor, Réamonn Keary, Christopher Elton, Ronan O’Hora and Barry Douglas. Michael enjoys chamber music collaborations with Sir James Galway, Michael Collins, Patricia Rozario and the Vogler Quartet. www.michaelmchale.com

NOTE (continued from previous page)

Henri Dutilleux (1916-2013)

based almost entirely on fewer than a dozen pieces composed since the Second World War.

Métaboles (1964) Though one of the most respected of contemporary composers, Henri Dutilleux remained relatively little-known, even at the end of his long life. He was a careful, fastidious worker, never eager to rush the completion of a piece (Métaboles was commissioned in 1957/58, but not finished until 1964), and he destroyed a number of his earlier compositions that, to his mind, too strongly reflect the youthful influence of Ravel in particular. Thus, oddly enough for a composer who lived to 97, his reputation is

Another reason for the average listener’s relative lack of familiarity with Dutilleux is that he never fit comfortably in any of the pigeonholes of contemporary composition, so he was neither supported nor attacked as a member of this or that “school.” During most of his mature years, public and critical attention in France was focused on the twin poles of Messiaen and Boulez. Dutilleux was always interested in what they did, but he was not at all a “camp follower.”

20 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

In the case of Métaboles, the composer aimed to present musical ideas “in different order and aspects” until they should eventually undergo a transition, an “actual change of nature.” The rhetorical term “metabole” (pronounced with three syllables in French, four in English) refers to the process of transition, of gradual change, which may take place very slowly but ultimately becomes so great as to bring about an entirely new state. In the large view, the scoring changes from movement to movement, emphasizing in turn the woodwinds, strings, brass, percussion, and finally a blending of the different groups.

Each movement is also provided by the composer with an epithet, an adjective serving to describe in the most general way the character of each section, though he wanted to avoid suggesting that the work was in any way programmatic. In the Cleveland Orchestra program book for the premiere, Dutilleux described the process by which the five interlinked sections progress in this way: In each, the main motif—melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, or simply instrumental— undergoes successive transformations, as in the processes adopted in the domain of “variation.” At a given stage of evolution— toward the end of each piece—the distortion is so charged as to engender a new motif, which appears as a filigree under the symphonic texture. It is this figure that “sets the bait” for the next piece, and so on until the last piece, where the initial motif from the beginning of the work is profiled above the coda, in a long rising movement. In summary, the composer drew attention to the general title of the work, noting that he “did not cease to muse upon the mysterious and fascinating world of eternal metamorphosis.” The sustained and repeated E with which the score opens is the primary note of the first movement’s “incantation,” sustained and reiterated amidst elaborations of the greatest imagination and fantasy, but always returning to the fundamental oscillation around the note. Throughout the score the range and variety of the instrumental color, the unerring sense of line, whether in the meditation on the incantatory opening motive or in the midst of intricate contrapuntal elaborations, the sensitivity to texture and sonority, and the effective rounding off of the opening material at the end, to provide a solid sense of completion and closure confirm the composer’s mastery in this hypnotically beautiful score.

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Piano Concerto in G (1931) At about the same time that Paul Wittgenstein, a concert pianist who had lost an arm during World War I, asked Ravel if he would write a concerto for him, Ravel’s longtime interpreter Marguerite Long asked for a concerto for herself. Thus, although he had written no piano music for a dozen years, he found himself in 1930 writing two concertos more or less simultaneously. The Concerto for the Left Hand turned out to be one of his most serious compositions, but the G-major concerto, dedicated to and first performed by Madame Long, falls into the delightful category of high-quality diversion. Ravel’s favorite term of praise was divertissement de luxe, and he succeeded in producing just such a piece with this concerto. The motoric high jinks of the first movement are set off by the cracking of a whip, though they occasionally yield to lyric contemplation. The second movement is a total contrast, hushed and calm, with a tune widely regarded as one of the best melodies Ravel ever wrote. The effort cost him dearly, and it may have been here that he first realized that his powers of composition were failing; they broke down completely in 1932, when the shock of an automobile collision brought on a nervous breakdown, and he found himself thereafter incapable of sustained work. For this concerto he found it necessary to write the Adagio assai one or two measures at a time. The final Presto brings back the rushing motor rhythms of the opening, and both movements now and then bear witness that Ravel had traveled in America and had become acquainted with jazz and recent popular music. He also met George Gershwin and told him that he thought highly of his Rhapsody in Blue; perhaps it is a reminiscence of that score that can be heard in some of the “blue” passages here and there.

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) La valse, Choreographic poem (1931) After the ravages of the First World War, Ravel suffered from a recurring insomnia, partly from the loss of many friends. Even before the war he had started sketching a symphonic poem intended as musical depiction of Vienna, with the obvious plan of creating a grand orchestral waltz. Ravel had not yet visited the Austrian capital, but he certainly had a feel for the home of so many waltz composers, going back to Schubert and continuing with the Strauss family and many others. In 1928 Ida Rubenstein mounted a ballet production of the score, designed to suggest the Vienna of 1855. The hazy beginning of La valse captures a vision of clouds that clear away to reveal dancing couples. The piece grows in a long crescendo, interrupted and started again, finally carried to an energetic and irresistible climax whose violence hints at far more than a social dance. In 1855 the waltz had been a captivating, carefree, mind-numbing, seductive dance that filled the salons, the ballrooms, and the inns, while the whole of Austrian society was slowly crumbling under the reactionary absolutism of Emperor Franz Joseph, who was twenty five in 1855 and reigned until the middle of the First World War. The social glitter of mindless whirling concealed the volcano that was so soon to erupt. In Ravel’s waltz, the music rises to a level of violence hinting at the concealed rot of the society. Would La valse have been different if composed before the horrors of the war? Who can tell? In any case, consciously or not, Ravel’s brilliantly orchestrated score captures the glitter and the violence of a society that, even as he was composing, had passed away. © Steven Ledbetter

ENCORE 21

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About Fidelity National Financial, Inc. Fidelity National Financial, Inc. is organized into two groups, FNF Group (NYSE:FNF) and FNFV Group (NYSE: FNFV). FNF is a leading provider of title insurance, technology and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries. FNF is the nation’s largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters - Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title and National Title of New York - that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States. FNF also provides industry-leading mortgage technology solutions and transaction services, including MSP®, the leading residential mortgage servicing technology platform in the U.S., through its majority-owned subsidiaries, Black Knight Financial Services and ServiceLink Holdings. FNFV holds majority and minority equity investment stakes in a number of entities, including American Blue Ribbon Holdings, LLC, Ceridian HCM, Inc., and Digital Insurance, Inc. More information about FNF and FNFV can be found at www.fnf.com.

22 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION The Times-Union Center is within easy walking distance of several convenient parking locations, including the lot directly across the street. Disabled Parking spaces for disabled patrons are located in the CSX lot with a valid concert ticket for that evening’s performance and a handicapped licence plate or hanging decal. For more information, please call Patron Services at 904.354.5547. Subscribers to Masterworks, Pops, Passport, Family or Symphony in 60 Series can purchase series parking vouchers (booklet of ten passes) for the One Enterprise Center Garage (entrance on Pearl Street) for only $40 for the entire season. Discounted single ticket parking is also available in advance for $6 through Patron Services.

POPS SERIES Saturday, February 11, 2017 l 7 pm

Steven Reineke, conductor

Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

West Side Story ® Associates (sm) Presents

WEST SIDE STORY Film with Orchestra Steven Reineke, conductor MIRISH PICTURES Presents “WEST SIDE STORY” A ROBERT WISE Production Starring NATALIE WOOD RICHARD BEYMER RITA MORENO

RUSS TAMBLYN

GEORGE CHAKIRIS

Directed by ROBERT SIE & JEROME ROBBINS Screenplay by ERNEST LEHMAN Associated Producer SAUL CHAPLIN Choreography by JEROME ROBBINS Music by LEONARD BERNSTEIN Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM Based upon the Stage Play Produced by ROBERT E. GRIFFITH and HAROLD S. PRINCE Book by ARTHUR LAURENTS Play Conceived, Directed and Choreographed by JEROME ROBBINS Film Production Designed by BORIS LEVEN Music Conducted by JOHNNY GREEN Presented by MIRISCH PICTURES, INC. In Association with SEVEN ARTS PRODUCTIONS INC. Filmed in PANAVISION ® TECHNICOLOR ®

Film screening of West Side Story courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. WEST SIDE STORY © 1961 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved West Side Story 50th Anniversary Blue-ray and Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set available now. Tonight’s program is a presentation of the complete film West Side Story with live performance of the film’s entire score. The program runs 2 hours and 34 minutes, plus an intermission. It also includes the underscoring played by the orchestra during the Saul Bass-designed End Credits. We ask that, out of respect for the music, for the musicians playing it and for your fellow audience members, you remain in your seats until the End Credits are completed.

Support for Symphonic Night at the Movies is provided by

Audio Visual Logistics Lighting Design and Consulting

spectacular. Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony. From corporate to concert, making events

Event Planning • Corporate Meetings & Events • Audio, Video & Lighting Rentals • Concert Production

Steven Reineke is the Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Principal Pops Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Principal Pops Conductor Designate of the Houston Symphony. He is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include Seattle, Edmonton and Pittsburgh. On stage Reineke has created programs and collaborated with a range of leading artists from the worlds of Hip Hop, Broadway, television and rock including Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Sutton Foster, Megan Hilty, Cheyenne Jackson, Wayne Brady, Peter Frampton and Ben Folds, amongst others. As the creator of more than 100 orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, his work has been performed worldwide, and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands around the world. A native of Ohio, Steven Reineke is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, where he earned bachelor of music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. ENCORE 23

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Production Credits Producer: Paul H. Epstein for The Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc. Associate Producer: Eleonor M. Sandresky for The Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc. Production Supervisor: Steven A. Linder Technical Director: Mike Runice Sound Engineer: Matt Yelton Music Supervision: Garth Edwin Sunderland Original Orchestrations: Leonard Bernstein, Sid Ramin, Irwin Kostal Additional orchestrations: Garth Edwin Sunderland & Peter West

Music Preparation: Peter West Original manuscript reconstruction: Eleonor M. Sandresky Technical Consultant: Laura Gibson Soundtrack Adaptation – Chace Audio by Deluxe: Robert Heiber, Chris Reynolds, Andrew Starbin, Alice Taylor Sound Separation Technology provided by Audionamix Click Tracks and Streamers created by: Kristopher Carter and Mako Sujishi

With special thanks to: Arthur Laurents and his Estate, Stephen Sondheim, The Robbins Rights Trust, The Johnny Green Collection at Harvard University, The Sid Ramin Collection at Columbia University, The Robert Wise Collection at the University of Southern California, Laurence A. Mirisch, David Newman, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., MGM HD, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC, Ken Hahn and Sync Sound West Side Story is a registered trademark of The Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc. in the US and other countries.

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24 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

Fidelity National Financial Pops Series

Sat, Apr 1 @ 7 pm Sun, Apr 2 @ 3 pm Warner Bros. Studios presents

BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY II Conducted by GEORGE DAUGHERTY Created by GEORGE DAUGHERTY & DAVID KA LIK WONG

Many of us were introduced to classical music by none other than…Bugs Bunny. From “What’s Opera Doc?” to the “Rabbit of Seville,” all our favorites return to Jacoby Symphony Hallon the big screen, in high definition and accompanied by the Jacksonville Symphony. Bring the family for great laughs and great music. TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s16)

The Jacksonville Symphony Association gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the following individuals, businesses and foundations: Gifts to the Annual Fund between July 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016 ∆ Designates a gift in-kind * Designates deceased

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL $100,000+ BRASS Ruth Conley in memory of Paul Conley Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville/City of Jacksonville Fidelity National Financial Florida Blue Florida State College of Jacksonville ∆ Jessie Ball duPont Fund Mrs. Josephine Flaherty Monica and Bob Jacoby

$50,000 - $99,000 Anonymous gift in honor of the City Rescue Mission Staff bestbet Jacksonville State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs Florida Times-Union ∆ Mayo Clinic Mrs. C. Herman Terry

$25,000 - $49,999 Bob and Lynn Alligood Mr. and Mrs. John D. Baker II Amy and Gilchrist B. Berg AVL Productions ∆ Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Bryan, IV Stephen and Suzanne Day Robert D. and Isabelle T. Davis Endowment Fund Deutsche Bank Chris and Stephanie Doerr Lory and Harold Doolittle DuBow Family Foundation EverBank Haskell Jacksonville Symphony Guild Valdemar Joost Kroier Endowment Fund Anne and Robert Lufrano Magnolia Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Matthew S. McAfee Donald C. McGraw Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Russell B. Newton Jr. Omni Hotel & Resorts ∆ PGA TOUR PwC Regency Centers, Inc. VyStar Credit Union J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver Music Education Endowment ENCORE 25

Your table is ready.

Experience the local flavors of Jacksonville at Juliette’s Restaurant. Located in the Omni Jacksonville Hotel, enjoy pre-show dinner or post-show dessert. Or relax with a refreshing cocktail at J Bar. 904-355-6664 • omnihotels.com/jacksonville

26 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

SPECIAL EVENT Friday, February 17, 2017 l 7:30 pm Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

GALA – LANG LANG Courtney Lewis, conductor Haskell Endowed Chair

Lang Lang, piano

Valentines in Verona Hector BERLIOZ “Romeo Alone – Festivitios at the Capulets” 12:00 from Roméo et Juliette, Op. 17 Béla BARTÓK Piano Concerto No. 2, BB, 101 28:00 Allegro Adagio – Presto – Adagio Allegro molto Sergei PROKOFIEV Selections from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64 Scene The Death of Tybalt Juliet – The Young Girl Minuet Masks The Montagues and the Capulets Dance Romeo at Juliet’s Grave

Tonight’s performance is supported by:

26:00

Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony.

Valentines in Verona By Steven Ledbetter

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) Roméo et Juliette, Dramatic Symphony, Opus 17 (1839) As a young student of composition in Paris, Berlioz was bowled over by performances of Hamlet and of Romeo and Juliet as performed by a touring English company. Before its arrival, the French had generally preferred their drama faithful to a classical tradition that had long since become stodgy. The experience of Shakespeare’s sweeping, fast-moving tragedies, opened many eyes— including the composer’s. (The fact that he was equally affected by the actress playing

Ophelia and Juliet—Harriet Smithson, who was eventually to become his wife—only added spice to his excitement.) Shakespeare provided specific literary models for Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet and his Béatrice et Bénédict (based on Much Ado About Nothing); but even more, the Bard affected his entire aesthetic by suggesting ways of bringing together highly varied materials into a unified work of art. Just as Shakespeare combined prose and verse, high comedy and low, or even comedy with tragedy in a single work, Berlioz realized that he need not restrict himself to “pure” musical forms, but could mix elements from many different kinds of works

Berlioz thought of it originally as a symphony based on selected incidents in Shakespeare, with a choral finale. But as he worked, he kept adding bits here and there to refer to portions of the play that wouldn’t fit in his symphonic framework. Eventually he frankly accepted that it would consist of various sections freely strung together, though he described the finished work (with light sarcasm) as a “dramatic symphony,” one in which the “feelings and passions are to be expressed by the orchestra.” The two orchestral passages included here begin with “Romeo alone,” depicting the young lover standing in the dark outside Capulet’s house listening to the sounds of merriment within and focusing his longing on Juliet. This is followed by the sounds of the great party going on within the house, taking place early in the evening when Romeo and Juliet will meet in the balcony scene and affirm their soon-to-be tragic love. No score from the first half of the nineteenth century displays more clearly than the great orchestral movements from Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet the expressive range won by the romantic era for purely instrumental music. The flexible treatment of musical ideas, the harmonic richness, and the delicate colors of the orchestration represent not only Berlioz’s most splendid musical achievement of the 1830s, but also one of the signal accomplishments of all romantic music, an inspiration and influence on all who followed him, including specifically and especially Liszt and Wagner.

Béla Bartók (1881-1945) Piano Concerto No. 2 (1931) By 1930, Bartók, who made his living as a virtuoso pianist far more than as a composer (since there were, in those days, too few performances of his music to pay the rent), must have felt the need for a new showpiece. Since 1927 his orchestral appearances had featured the Piano Concerto No. 1, composed the previous year. After the premiere in Frankfurt, he had performed it in London, Prague, Warsaw, New York, Boston, Budapest, Cologne, and Berlin. (America proved far from ready for Bartók’s most recent music; the Boston BARTÓK (continued on page 29) ENCORE 27

Lang Lang, piano If one word applies to Lang Lang, to the musician, to the man, to his worldview, to those who come into contact with him, it is “inspiration”. It resounds like a musical motif through his life and career. He inspires millions with his open-hearted, emotive playing, whether it be in intimate recitals or on the grandest of stages – such as the 2014 World Cup concert in Rio, with Placido Domingo, to celebrate the final game; the 56th and 57th GRAMMY Awards two years in a row, where he performed with Metallica and Pharrell Williams; the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where more than four billion people around the world viewed his performance; the Last Night of the Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall, or the Liszt 200th birthday concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Charles Dutoit which was broadcast live in more than 300 movie theaters around the United States and 200 cinemas across Europe (the first classical music cinema cast to be headlined by a solo artist). He forms enduring musical partnerships with the world’s greatest artists, from conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Gustavo Dudamel and Sir Simon Rattle, to artists from outside of classical music – among them dubstep dancer Marquese “nonstop” Scott, king of the crooners Julio Inglesias and jazz titan Herbie Hancock. He even builds relationships with corporations who will help him get classical music to ever-more people - And he builds cultural bridges between East and West, frequently introducing Chinese music to Western audiences, and vice versa. Yet he never forgets what first inspired, and continues to inspire him. Great artists, above all the great composers – Liszt, Chopin and the others – whose music he now delights in bringing to others. Even that famous old Tom and Jerry cartoon “The Cat Concerto” which introduced him, as a child, to the music of Liszt – and that childlike excitement at the discovery of music now surely stays with him and propels him to what he calls “his second career”, bringing music into the lives of children around the world, both through his work for the United Nations as a Messenger of Peace focusing on global education and through his own Lang Lang International Music Foundation. As he inspires, he is inspired. Time Magazine named Lang Lang in the “Time 100”, citing him as a symbol of the youth of China, and its future. Lang Lang is cultural ambassador for Shenzhen and Shenyang. And if the Chinese passion for piano isn’t solely due to him, he has played no small part as a role model – a phenomenon coined by The Today Show as “the Lang Lang effect.” Steinway Pianos for the first time named a model after a single artist when they introduced “The Lang Lang Piano” to China, specially designed for education. And the child Lang Lang was and who, perhaps, is always with him, would surely have approved of the way he gives back to youth. He mentors prodigies, convenes 100 piano students at a time in concert, and dedicated his Lang Lang International Music Foundation to cultivating tomorrow’s top pianists, music education at the forefront of technology, and building a young audience. Lang Lang has been featured on every major TV network and in magazines worldwide. He has performed for international dignitaries including the Secretary-General of the U.N. Ban Ki-moon, four US presidents, President Koehler of Germany, former French President Sarkozy and President Francois Hollande. Of many landmark events, he was honored to perform for President Obama and former President Hu Jin-Tao of China at the White House State Dinner, the Diamond Jubilee celebratory concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, the 70th Anniversary celebration of the United Nations, and the 500th Anniversary of the founding of the City of Havana in Cuba. Honors include being added as one of the World Economic Forum’s 250 Young Global Leaders, Honorary Doctorates from the Royal College of Music, Manhattan School of Music and New York University, the highest prize awarded by China’s Ministry of Culture, Germany’s Order of Merit and France’s Medal of the Order of Arts and Letters, and the first ever Ambassador of the Château de Versailles in Paris. For further information visit www.langlang.com / www.langlangfoundation.org

28 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

BARTÓK (continued from page 27) Symphony performance of the concerto, in February 1928 under the direction of Serge Koussevitzky, evoked an astonishing review from Musical America: “this work from first to last was one of the most dreadful deluges of piffle, bombast and nonsense ever perpetrated on an audience.”) A new concerto would give him another choice of repertory for orchestral bookings. He began the piece in the fall of 1930, but evidently worked most intently during the following summer. He had been scheduled to teach harmony and composition at the Austro-American Conservatory, a summer school near Salzburg, but when he arrived, he discovered that he had only a single student. Eventually his class load increased to three students; still, he was well paid for his time, which he put to good use in more creative ways. Bartók composed his concerto between the Fourth and Fifth String Quartets, and like those works, it makes extensive use of arch form; it is also replete with the devices of variation technique, which were always a central part of Bartók’s compositional approach. The last movement grows out of material from the first movement, varied in its rhythmic shape. The second movement, too, which has its own, simpler, arch shape, consists of a hushed Adagio surrounding a demonic Presto. From early in his musical life, Bartók became familiar with the keyboard music of the Baroque masters, especially Bach and Scarlatti. The Second Concerto embodies the spirit of that music, especially in its rhythmic drive, built of tiny repeated cells—bustling eighth and sixteenth notes—reiterated energetically, and in its contrapuntal textures. Though the work contains some acerbic dissonances and complex chords, its basic harmonic plan is far simpler than that of Bartók’s earlier music, and strongly classical: the first and last movements are centered on G, the middle movement on C. After an opening spray of sound from the piano, the trumpet introduces the first important motive, and the piano follows at once with another. The very sound of the first movement comes as a surprise: only the winds and percussion play along with the piano. The string sections sit patiently, doing nothing. (There is an obvious model in Stravinsky’s 1924 piano concerto with winds and percussion.) The first movement

itself is laid out in an arch form consisting of several small arches (opening ABA with the full ensemble, in which the B section is marked by triplet movement in the piano part; a central section featuring the solo piano in a concertino arrangement with individual instruments or small groups; and a closing ABA). The large closing section mirrors the opening section melodically: that is, the themes heard at the outset return played upside-down (the technical term for this is “in inversion”) and backwards (“retrograde”). The strings, which had nothing to do throughout the first movement, enter all by

substantially, so they are easier to see than hear, though the first appearance of the opening motives, now converted to smoothly rolling triplets, is straightforward enough. Whether the listener is conscious of the derivations or only takes them in on a subconscious level, Bartók’s symmetrical plan shapes the balance of the concerto. While the resulting work is a complex one at many levels, it is nonetheless far simpler in its harmonic complexity than many earlier Bartók compositions. In that respect, the Second Piano Concerto also clearly points the way toward the composer’s late music.

Verona, Italy

themselves at the beginning of the second, muted, played without vibrato, and laid out in spacious chords of piled-up fifths. This first part of the movement is again in a small-scale arch form, the string passage alternating with a foreboding dialogue between the solo piano and the timpani: Strings—Dialogue—Strings—Dialogue— Strings. The piano and timpani seem ready to begin another dialogue when they suddenly explode into a demonic Presto, buzzing with energy that fills the middle section of the movement. It races to a halt on a sustained trill, whereupon the Adagio returns, with the piano, strings, and timpani now commenting simultaneously. Bartók’s interest in balanced structures is equally evident in the finale, a complex rondo. But beyond that, he balances the concerto as a whole, building the rondo largely out of themes and textures from the opening movement. The main thematic section (a motoric passage built on the interval of the minor third) is new, but the contrasting sections are all derived from the first movement. Bartók often changed the rhythmic character of the themes

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) Romeo and Juliet, Ballet in four acts, Opus 64, selections from Suites No. 1 and 2 (1936) Prokofiev was already an experienced ballet composer when, in the mid1930s, he began to work on a full-length version of Romeo and Juliet. He had attained a firm reputation in the West as a composer of advanced tendencies, but his early music had never been well received in the Soviet Union, where art that did not appeal to the broadest masses was suspicious. After his return to Moscow in 1933, then, his musical style underwent a marked process of simplification as he turned his attention to larger audiences than before. His considerable success in this change may be indicated simply by listing some of the works composed in those first years back in Russia: Lieutenant Kije, the Second Violin Concerto, Romeo and Juliet, Peter and the Wolf, and the film score for Eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky. PROKOFIEV (continued on page 31)

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30 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

PROKOFIEV (continued from page 29) The proposal for a Romeo ballet came from the Kirov Theater in 1934. When the Kirov backed out of the production, Prokofiev signed a contract with the Bolshoi in Moscow. But upon delivery of the score, the company declared the music impossible to dance to, and the contract was broken. In an attempt to salvage music in which he put great faith, Prokofiev arranged two orchestral suites of selections from the ballet. These became exceedingly popular and eventually brought pressure for a full theatrical production. In the end, the ballet became one of the greatest triumphs in the career of the composer and of the ballerina, Galina Ulanova, who was the first Juliet. Her success was ironic, since all through the rehearsal period, Ulanova had insisted that Prokofiev’s music was “strange” and that she simply could not conceive how the love of Romeo and Juliet could be expressed in it—but she eventually learned!

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The suites present music in a different order from their appearance in the ballet. Suite No. 1 includes the segments known as Tableau, Gavotte, Masks, and the dramatic Death of Tybalt as a close. For the most part these are decorative dance numbers with little connection to the ballet’s plot. (The Gavotte is the best-know part of this score, because Prokofiev originally composed it as the third movement of his popular “Classical” Symphony.) Suite No. 2 contains more of the dramatic numbers: The Montagues and the Capulets (the two rival families in Verona), Juliet the young girl (representing Juliet before she has been overwhelmed by love), a Dance, and The Tomb of Juliet, where the tragic story comes to its close. The score reveals the mellowing of Prokofiev’s earlier style (a process that was to continue in the 1940s), but it is rich in color, accessible without being vapid, and lyrical throughout. The full ballet combines formal dance and divertissement with psychological and dramatic studies of the principal characters in a way that goes back to and continues from Tchaikovsky, highlighting the dramatic essence of the work with its combination of both “personal” and “public” music. Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet remains the most successful and perhaps the greatest narrative ballet to come from Soviet Russia.

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JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

PERFORMING ARTS SERIES

The Jacksonville University College of Fine Arts proudly presents the 2016 – 2017 Performing Arts Series! The upcoming season features world-class performances and exhibitions produced by our Dance, Theatre, Music, and Visual Arts divisions including:

Dance • Music • Musical Theatre Theatre • Visual Arts MFA Choreography • MFA Visual Arts

32 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

For a full list of Performing Arts Series events, please visit www.ju.edu/cfaevents.

FAMILY SERIES Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Sunday, February 19, 2017 l 3 pm Pre-concert activities begin at 2 pm

“Four Sea Interludes” from Peter Grimes, Opus 33a (1945)

Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

THE FIREBIRD Nathan Aspinall, conductor The Florida Ballet Benjamin BRITTEN “Four Sea Interludes” from Peter Grimes 16:00 I. Dawn II. Sunday Morning III. Moonlight IV. Storm Igor STRAVINSKY Suite from The Firebird (1919) I. Introduction and Dance of the Firebird II. Dance of the Princesses III. Infernal Dance of King Kastchei IV. Berceuse V. Finale

19:00

Pre-concert acitivities are supported by: The Chartrand Foundation Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony.

The Four Sea Interludes serve as scene changes in Peter Grimes, Benjamin Britten’s first opera. The story is about a fisherman in Aldeburgh on England’s eastern coast. He is a loner who is hounded by the townspeople after the mysterious but accidental deaths of two of his apprentices. “Dawn” is the first interlude in the opera and follows a duet in which the main character, Peter and his fiancé, sing about the hurt he has suffered from the townspeople’s rumors. In the “Sunday Morning” interlude you hear the church bells and fog horns of the community of Aldeburgh. A flute represents the waking birds. “Moonlight” gives the impression that something unsettling may be coming. Then “Storm” depicts an oncoming storm where everyone is anxiously waiting out the danger.

Florida Ballet The mission of The Florida Ballet is to enrich and inspire the cultural landscape of our community through the education and art of classical ballet. Established in 1978, The Florida Ballet is a multi-faceted institution, encompassing a Conservatory Program, a Training Center offering the finest in ballet instruction and performance opportunities, a Graduate Program and a superior outreach department that enables thousands of community members the opportunity to experience the art of dance.

Sea Interludes Choreography Heather Olschewske Dancers: Olivia Barcia, Kenley Beam, Penelope Bloodworth, Ashley Brandt, Clio Chazan-Gabbard, Dante Emanuel, Dante Gonzalez, Amina Kolenc, Miranda Mythen, India Olchefske, Morgan Olschewske, Amelia Packard, Meleah Paishon, Paul Piner, Hailee Rodriquez

Firebird Suite Choreography Telmo Moleira Firebird: Princess Reid, Courtesy Orlando Ballet 2 Prince: Andre Gallon, Courtesy Orlando Ballet 2 Lead Princess: Clio Chazan-Gabbard or Hailee Rodriguez Princesses: Olivia Barcia, Clio Chazan-Gabbard, Miranda Mythen, Amelia Packard, Meleah Paishon King Kastchei: Savery Morgan Monster Lead Couple: Dante Emanuel and Morgan Olschewske Monsters: Olivia Barcia, Kenley Beam, Penelope Bloodworth, Ashley Brandt, Clio Chazan-Gabbard, Dante Emanuel, Dante Gonzalez, Samuel Johnson, Merri Jones, Amina Kolenc, Ester Kosik, Miranda Mythen, Indida Olchefske, Morgan Olschewske, Amelia Packard, Meleah Paishon, Paul Piner, Hailee Rodriquez

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) The Firebird (1910) Stravinsky dedicated The Firebird to his teacher, composer Rimsky-Korsakov, whose influence is reflected in the piece. The story of The Firebird is based on a Russian folk legend. Prince Ivan finds himself in the forest of the evil Kastchei the Deathless, where the ogre turns intruders to stone. The Prince sees the Firebird, who has beautiful feathers which look like flames, plucking golden apples. Prince Ivan knowns that the ogre Kastchei seizes pretty young princesses so he asks the Firebird to help him destroy Kastchei and to free those captured. The Firebird gives the Prince a magic feather that helps him cast off a spell from the ogre. The Firebird then causes the ogre and his followers to dance until they drop. Next the Prince frees all those who have been turned to stone by Kastchei by destroying his immortal egg which contains the ogre’s soul.

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MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Four UpTempo Concert Vouchers Includes UpTempo Block seating

• Invitations to Monthly Member Experiences • Buy additional tickets to Symphony concerts and Member Experiences for $25 • Discounts to Premier Symphony Events • One year of Symphony Membership Benefits

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2016-17

MONTHLY MEMBER EXPERIENCES

Calendar of Events

Feb 2, 2017 FRENCH CONNECTION

University of North Florida’s School of Music calendar is now available! Performances feature talented students, faculty and guest artists. Annual events and concert series include the Cummer Family Foundation Chamber Music Series, Great American Jazz Series, UNF Jacksonville SINGS! Choral Invitational, Lawson Ensemble performances, opera and orchestra performances and Wind Symphony’s Upbeat Pink. Full information on concerts and auditions can be found online at: www.unf.edu/coas/music info AUDITION DATES: January 21, 2017 February 18, 2017 March 11, 2017

Feb 25, 2017 SECOND CITY’S GUIDE TO THE SYMPHONY Mar 2, 2017 HAYDN’S “MIRACLE” SYMPHONY Mar 17, 2017 THE CHIEFTAINS Apr 27, 2017 TCHAIKOVSKY’S “PATHÉTIQUE” SYMPHONY May 20, 2017 MAHLER’S “RESURRECTION” SYMPHONY

MEMBERSHIP PRICING $150 per person $225 per household w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / U N F S c h o o l o f M u s i c

Membership@JaxSymphony.org 34 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

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POPS SERIES Friday & Saturday, February 24 & 25, 2017 l 8 pm Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

SECOND CITY’S GUIDE TO THE SYMPHONY Written by: Carly Heffernan, Scott Montgomery, Matthew Ried and Klaus Schuller Original Music composed by Matthew Ried Directed by: Chris Earle George Schram, conductor

ACT I 49:00 Chim & Friends Big Opening Number First date Uncle Gustav Fiddling Around Meanwhile In The Foyer Peter And The Wolves Overture From The Marriage Of Figaro, Mozart It’s All About You Zarathustra’s Children SuperFlaut

~ Intermission ~ 20:00

ACT II 45:00 Player To Be Named Later Where’s The Beef? Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622 Composers OR Why Am I Here Ruslan and Lyudmila by Mikhail Ginka New Friends Whose Symphony Is This Anyway? Love Song Boys Will Be Boys Big Closing Number

Concerts sponsored by:

Second City – the funniest guide to the Symphony It’s been more than 50 years since Second City opened its doors in Chicago and the world has laughed along with them all the way. Besides being a world premier comedy club, theatre and school of improvisation, in 2014 they took the musical plunge and created Second City’s Guide to the Symphony. The Toronto Star called it ‘the funniest two hours I spent in a theatre this year.’ Tonight you will hear beautiful music combined with a light-hearted blend of hilarious sketch comedy. You will hear and think of Mozart and Mahler in an entirely different light along with the musicians, the conductor and even the audience. Since its debut, The Second City has been a launching pad for comedians, actors, directors and others working in show business. It’s definitely a list of who’s who. Notable alumni include Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, John Belushi, John Candy, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Rachel Dratch, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Jeff Garlin, Ian Gomez, Bonnie Hunt, Richard Kind, Eugene Levy, Jane Lynch, Andrea Martin, Jack McBrayer, Tim Meadows, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Catherine O’Hara, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, Joan Rivers, Amy Sedaris, Martin Short, George Wendt and Fred Willard, among many others. So sit back and enjoy an evening that may bring tears of laughter to your eyes.

Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony.

Chicago, IL - The Second City

36 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

Albert-George Schram, conductor Equally adept at conducting classical and pops program, Albert-George Schram has led a wide variety of repertoire for many orchestras in the US and abroad. Previously he has held titled positions in Nashville, Louisville and Florida. Schramâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guest conductor roster has included the symphonies of Dallas, Tucson, New Orleans (Louisiana Philharmonic), Oklahoma City, Louisville, Spokane, San Antonio and Orlando, among others. His conducting engagements abroad have been with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the KBS (Seoul) and Teagu Symphonies in Korea, the Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional of Bolivia, the Orquestra Sinfonica Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Mendoza) in Argentina, the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, and the Orchester der Allgemeinen Musikgesellschaft (Luzern) in Switzerland. Educated at The Hague Conservatory in his native Netherland, Schram has also studied at the University of Calgary and Victoria in Canada, and the University of Washington. Schram has worked with many distinguished artists, including pianists Lang Lang and Olga Kern and violinist Elmar Olivereira. His performance repertoire has included most of the standard symphonic masterpieces and he has an affinity for performing the great choral-orchestral works as well as those of contemporary composers such as John Corigliano and Jennifer Higdon. As a pops conductor, Schram has worked with James, Taylor, Art Garfunkel, Chris Botti, Boyz II Men, LeAnn Rimes, Kenny G, Olivia Newton-John, Smokey Robinson, Chicago and Aretha Franklin. In his spare time, Schram is an avid racquetball player and a certified group fitness instructor. He currently resides in Florida with his wife, Debbie. They have three children.

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SYMPHONY IN 60 SERIES COFFEE SERIES MASTERWORKS SERIES

Symphony in 60 Series Coffee Series Masterworks Series

Thursday, March 2, 2017 l 6:30 pm Friday, March 3, 2017 l 11 am Friday & Saturday, March 3 & 4, 2017 l 8 pm

“Insight” one hour prior to each Masterworks concert

(1786-1826)

CLASSICAL CORNERSTONES

Overture to Oberon (1826)

Courtney Lewis, conductor

Shai Wosner, piano

Haskell Endowed Chair

(not on Coffee or Symphony in 60 Series Concerts)

bestbet Symphony in 60 Series Coffee Series Carl Maria von WEBER

Overture to Oberon, J. 306

10:00

Béla BARTÓK

Divertimento, BB. 118

27:00

Franz Joseph HAYDN

Allegro non troppo Molto adagio Allegro assai

Symphony No. 96 in D major, “The Miracle”

21:00

Adagio – Allegro Andante Menuet: Allegretto Vivace

The Coffee Concert is hosted by the Jacksonville Symphony Guild. Coffee and tea are provided by Martin Coffee Company, Inc.

Florida Blue Masterworks Series Carl Maria von WEBER

Overture to Oberon, J. 306

10:00

Béla BARTÓK

Divertimento, BB. 118

27:00

Allegro non troppo Molto adagio Allegro assai

~ Intermission ~ 20:00 György LIGETI

Piano Concerto

Franz Joseph HAYDN

24:00

Vivace molto ritmico e preciso Lento edeserto Vivace cantabile Allegro risoluto, molto ritmico Presto luminoso

Symphony No. 96 in D major, “The Miracle”

Adagio – Allegro Andante Menuet: Allegretto Vivace

Students at the Symphony is supported in part by: Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony.

By Steven Ledbetter

Carl Maria von Weber

Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

Classical Cornerstones

21:00

Weber was marked for the theater from birth. His father was a professional actor, and much of his all‑too‑brief career was spent as a conductor in opera houses all over Germany. He himself began composing for the theater at the age of twelve. Weber eventually came to cherish the goal of creating a true German opera, a goal he substantially accomplished in his last three works, Der Freischütz (1821), Euryanthe (1823), and Oberon (1826). Unfortunately, because Weber composed Oberon for London, when the English theater was perhaps at an all-time low, the opera suffered the fate of general neglect. It was based on a German classic poem by Wieland, but the plot and the production were filled with unnecessary spectacle to delight the eye of the “tired businessman.” By the time Weber realized what an artistic hodgepodge he had gotten into, it was too late to withdraw from the project. He consoled himself with the idea that he would completely recompose the work for the German theater, in order to do the subject justice. Alas, his death two months after the premiere put an end to that dream. Still, the music was glorious. Weber wrote the overture last, using some of the main themes to hint at the dramatic elements of the story. The opera involves a test of constancy between two lovers, Huon and Rezia. Periodically we hear the magic horn of Oberon blowing. At the end of the overture we hear a grand triumphal procession in the court of Charlemagne. In between a theme in the cellos depicts the awakening of Huon’s love for Rezia. Later a theme in clarinet theme evokes the love between the principals. Given the presence of Oberon and Titania, we may naturally expect some WEBER (continued on next page) ENCORE 39

Shai Wosner, pianist Masterworks guest artists sponsored by Ruth Conley Pianist Shai Wosner has attracted international recognition for his exceptional artistry, musical integrity and creative insight. He performs a broad range of repertoire, from Beethoven to Ligeti, as well as music by his contemporaries. Wosner has appeared with major orchestras worldwide including the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra. Internationally he has performed with the Barcelona Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony and Hamburg Symphony. Last year he joined the Jacksonville Symphony for its Beethoven and Bruckner concert. Shai Wosner has recorded three albums of solo works which were released by Onyx: Schubert’s Six moments musicaux, D. 780, Missy Mazzoli’s Isabelle Eberhardt Dreams of Pianos, and Schubert’s Sonata in A Major, D. 959. in November 2014; a selection of piano works by Schubert that incorporate elements of folk music in October 2011; and his debut solo recording of works by Brahms and Schoenberg in August 2010. His first joint recording with Jennifer Koh, Signs, Games + Messages, featuring works by Bartók, Janáček and Kurtág, was released in October 2013 on the Cedille Records label. Wosner is widely sought after by colleagues for his versatility and spirit of partnership and often performs duo recitals with violinists Jennifer Koh, Viviane Hagner and Veronica Eberle. He is a former member of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society Two and performs regularly at various chamber music festivals.

WEBER (continued from previous page) fairy music as well; Weber obliges us with elements that might have influenced the young Mendelssohn and certainly did influence Arthur Sullivan when he came to compose Iolanthe. Despite the ludicrous libretto with which he was saddled, Weber mined from it wonderful images that he turned to musical jewels.

Béla Bartók (1881-1945) Divertimento for String Orchestra (1939) The success of the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste, composed for the Basel Chamber Orchesta in 1936 led to another commission from the Swiss ensemble. In November 1938, Sacher asked Bartók to write a new work for string orchestra. He also apparently requested that the new work be somewhat easier to play than the earlier composition. This caused Bartók difficulty for a time. By July 1939 he had decided on a work that recalled the Baroque concerto grosso, with its dialogue between larger and smaller instrumental groups. But he found it difficult to begin. Hitler’s annexation of Austria in 1938 had cast a shadow over all of Eastern Europe. His Viennese publisher was Nazified, and Bartók sought a new publisher elsewhere. Many of his friends began leaving for

England or America, but Bartók was too strongly tied to his native land to consider leaving at once. Moreover his mother, to whom he was intensely devoted, was clearly failing. That summer, Sacher invited him to be his guest at his Alpine chalet near Basel. Here he completed the entire score in just fifteen days of intense concentration. Two weeks later, the world exploded in war. When Bartók’s mother died that December the last remaining tie to Hungary had been cut. He moved to the United States, where he was to die in 1945, an exile from the land that had vibrated in the very core of his being. The Divertimento is one of his most accessible pieces, filled (especially in the outer movements) with rhythms and melodies that evoke Hungarian folk music and dance and fiddling. The first movement opens with a melody that grows and grows in the first violins over repeated notes in the other instruments. Solo instruments, appearing after a massive outpouring of block chords in a huge wall of sound, introduce a tiny new idea that is playfully extended—though occasionally cut short by block chords. The recapitulation— in the tradition of Hungarian folk‑fiddling evoked here—is so free as to sound improvisatory. The slow movement is one of those wonderful Bartókian “night music” pieces

40 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

that form so characteristic and memorable a part of his personality. Here, if anywhere, the composer’s suppressed concern for the political madness of the distant outside world is expressed in music that is dark and shadowy, played on muted instruments. This movement belies the title of the work; there is nothing here that could be described simply as “diverting.” The final rondo, though, is as lively and unbuttoned a folk dance as Bartók ever composed, a vibrant, ringing contrast to the music of the middle movement. It reflects the good‑humored character of the folk dance, exploiting techniques of popular fiddle‑playing in more refined form, even to the point of giving the principal violinist a kind of gypsy‑violin solo and later on suggesting a slightly tipsy episode sandwiched between two wild‑eyed Vivacissimo passages, the second one bringing the Divertimento to its vigorous close.

György Ligeti (1923-2006) Piano Concerto (1988) György Ligeti studied composition with leading composers in his native Hungary, starting with Ferenc Farkas at the Kolzsvár Conservatory in his late teens (1941‑43) and Pál Kadosa in Budapest during the summers of those same years. After the end of the war

he continued studying in Budapest, at the Academy of Music, with Farkas and Sándor Veress, graduating in 1949. But at the time, Hungarian music was under the domination of the Soviet Union’s demands on the arts, including music. Ligeti was very interested in the latest musical techniques, but he deemed it prudent to suppress his own most advanced works. He pursued research in Romanian folk music, which strongly influenced the simpler pieces that could be published in the early 1950s. He was appointed professor of harmony, counterpoint, and analysis at the Academy of Music in 1950, retaining that position until he left Hungary in 1956 during the shortlived uprising against Soviet control that made that possible. He rapidly formed ties with the leading avant‑garde composers, including Stockhausen, and worked for a time at the electronic studios of the West German Radio in Cologne, an experience that was surely to have an effect on the kind of music he soon began creating for traditional instruments. In 1960 the International Society of Contemporary Music held its quadrennial festival in Cologne, where Ligeti’s Apparitions was performed, creating a sensation. Overnight he was catapulted into a position of leadership among contemporary composers. After 1960, Ligeti taught all over the world and became one of the most honored composers of the age, culminating in the 1986 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition, a $150,000 prize endowed by a Louisville philanthropist, the largest such prize in the world. (He used the money to endow a foundation for the support of younger composers.) His music reached an audience of millions, in a way he did not approve, when it was used in the soundtrack of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Gradually Ligeti’s music responded to a fascination with fractal mathematics and elaborate computer images, in which fairly simple formulas are reapplied to themselves over and over again, creating a complex structure out of a surprisingly simple basic principle. Beyond this, he was fascinated by the natural overtones of musical instruments, which add color to musical instruments in performance. But Ligeti often chose to reinforce these “mistuned” overtones by having those very pitches played as if they were fundamental pitches, producing still more complex aggregations of pitches that create denser sonorities and complex colors.

All of these elements can be found in the Piano Concerto, composed between 1985 and 1988, after a long delay (it had already been commissioned in the late 1970s). Unable to get started on the Piano Concerto he completed only two short harpsichord pieces and the Horn Trio in the next four years. Then he began a series of Piano Etudes, which emphasized the piano’s percussive quality and suitability for polyphonic structures. It was in composing these short but extremely demanding pieces that he found his way into the Piano Concerto. The first movement (Vivace molto ritmico e preciso) is filled with energetic activity at a fast clip, filled with driving pulses and varied percussive sounds, partly influenced by American minimalism. It is followed by music that could hardly be more different (Lento e deserto), almost devoid of activity, open “empty” sounds with the piano marching gingerly along in a low register. A sudden explosion by a fierce horn call brings in sustained cries from higher woodwinds and rapidly reiterated percussion, eventually returning to the deserted quality of the opening. The third movement (Vivace cantabile) opens with a piano trill and a lyrical melody in the right hand, while other instruments contribute motoric elements. Despite the rapid tempo, there is an impression of songfulness. The faster-moving instruments gradually overwhelm the more lyrical lines, then die away into silence. The Allegro risoluto, molto ritmico is made up of assertive brief statements that seem unrelated at first, disjunct, separated by shorter or longer silences. The piano demands recognition as the true power here, with powerful chords that knock the others down, until they scurry away, defeated. The finale, Presto luminoso, races along, still maintaining its control over the rest of the ensemble, either swatting the “flies” buzzing around, or taking over briefly in solo moments, without pause right up to the final sharp crack on the last notes. The Ligeti Piano Concerto calls for an extraordinary virtuoso as soloist, but not in the David-and-Goliath manner of the big Romantic piano concertos. Here the piano is part of the ensemble throughout, but is without question the dominant figure.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Symphony No. 96 in D major, The Miracle (1791) Haydn’s two extended visits to London, the first one beginning in January 1791 and the second ending in August 1795, made the Viennese realize that they had a truly great composer in their midst, a composer who aroused unprecedented enthusiasm from the large musical public in London. He almost certainly made his debut in the concert series of Johann Peter Salomon, the impresario who had brought him to London. Over and over again the reviews noted that Haydn’s music was both “pleasing” and “scientific,” thus identifying Haydn’s unique accomplishment: creating music that was both immediately accessible and yet fully satisfying to connoisseurs. The nickname for the symphony, The Miracle, is known only in England. It apparently came from an event at one of Haydn’s concerts. When he took his place at the piano to direct the performance (conductors at the time did not stand in front of the orchestra) the audience rushed forward to get a good look at him—just as a great chandelier came crashing down in the place where many people had been sitting. This happy circumstance was instantly hailed as a miracle. Whether or not the tale is true, the anecdote apparently got connected to the wrong symphony! Still, the nickname The Miracle might justifiably be applied to Symphony No. 96 purely on the grounds of its musical riches, were it not for the fact that Haydn composed eleven other symphonies for his London audience, each of which, in its own way, could be called miraculous. Haydn chose to begins with a slow introduction, lending weight to the opening while quieting the enthusiastic audience with a loud first chord, thus ensuring that everyone would hear the actual (quiet) beginning of the movement proper. The main material of the Allegro is not so much melodic as rhythmic—though Haydn uses this purposely restricted material in a richly imaginative way. Particularly telling is the pick-up of three eighth-notes, which accumulate potential energy, releasing it on the downbeat to propel the music forward. That particular motive becomes ubiquitous as the movement proceeds. HAYDN (continued on next page) ENCORE 41

HAYDN (continued from previous page) Haydn’s development takes us through the relatively dark key of C major, sequencing to land solidly on an F-sharp, followed by a surprising silence lasting almost three measures. Now, we certainly expect a recapitulation, but Haydn has a delicious surprise: a false reprise in G, which may sound convincing enough at first until he brings us around to the real return, signaled with a quiet scale passage in the first violins, not the horns and trumpets of the purposely misleading joke. The Andante is a delicious, lighthearted play featuring woodwind obbligatos and the unusual presence of trumpets and timpani. It takes on a more serious tone with a turn to the minor and the more “academic” air of a fugato for the middle section. Near the end we have a delightful surprise: Haydn pauses on the chord that normally introduces the cadenza in a concerto, and suddenly two solo violins seize the moment, then other instruments demanding to be heard–taking off on a written-out ensemble cadenza, even closing with the traditional trills.

The minuet is Austrian to the core, from the sturdy grandeur of the main section, which would not have been out of place in any Viennese palace, to the gracefully countrified Ländler of the Trio, with the oboe singing over the simple “oom-pah-pah” of the strings. The final movement is one of those pieces in which Haydn employs all the means and all the elements of music to build up to what one writer of the day called “the highest degree of comic art.” Every idea is designed /jaxsymphony to mislead the listener in trying to guess what will come next and then boldly surprise with something different—yet still totally logical.

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...the road to

CARNEGIE HALL

begins on Hilton Head Island

MARCH 6-11

You’re invited!

PRELIMINARY ROUNDS: MON – THUR MARCH 6–9 FINALS WITH THE HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: MARCH 11 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT HHIPC.ORG OR CALL 843.842.2055 42 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

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ENJOY SPECIAL HHIPC RATES FOR A HEAVENLY STAY AT THE WESTIN HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESORT & SPA CALL 843.681.4000 FOR RESERVATIONS

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YOUTH ORCHESTRAS SERIES Through the in-depth study of classical repertoire, each orchestra improves its musical skills and understanding at both the individual student level and the ensemble level. All six levels are under the direction of Music Director Scott Gregg and his team of music educators: Judith Steinmeyer, Rocco DiGeorgio, Marj Dutilly, Naira Cola and John Wieland.

Monday, March 6, 2017 l 7 pm Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

FESTIVAL OF STRINGS Scott C. Gregg Music Director, Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras Winston Family Endowed Chair

Foundation Strings I B. BALMADGES S.H. NEWBOLD

Marj Dutilly, conductor Into the Sky Honor and Glory

Foundation Strings II P. LAVENDER Traditional/arr. S. Dackow R. GRICE W. RICH

Rocco DiGeorgio and Naira Cola, conductors Pizza Calypso 1:20 Bohemian Stomp 1:20 Dragon Slayer 1:15 Adirondak Trail 1:30

2:00 2:00

Encore Strings Rocco DiGeorgio, conductor G.F. HANDEL/arr. M.J. Isaac The Harmonious Blacksmith Suite I. Harmonious Blacksmith II. Minuet from “Alcina” III. Bouree from “Water Music” IV. Hornpipe from “Water Music” L. BEETHOVEN/arr. M. Bender Two German Dances Premiere Strings G. HOLST Traditional/arr. Naughtin

Judith Steinmeyer, conductor St. Paul’s Suite for String Orchestra La Bamba (Son Jarocho)

4:00

These professional conductors, along with Jacksonville Symphony musicians, nationally recognized soloists and other professional educators in the community, enable the JSYO to serve the needs of each young musician with individualized, ability-level specific instruction. This year, the JSYO has expanded its reach through the development of a Foundation Strings program in Clay County at the Wehner School of the Arts in Middleburg. Future plans call for more sites in addition to the rehearsal site at the Florida State College of Jacksonville’s South Campus.

2:00

14:00 3:00

is a sponsor of JSYO. Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony.

First Time On Stage The Festival of Strings is the first performance for children who are part of Foundation Strings I on the Jacoby Symphony Hall stage. It represents a great leap forward, so to speak, for these children in their music education. Now they get to experience all the butterflies of performing in a major concert setting along with all the accolades of a performance well-done. The Foundation Strings are beginner string students and the first of the six levels of ensembles that make up the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras (JSYO). The JSYO serves more than 300 young musicians ages 7 to 21, who are admitted through a competitive audition process.

The JSYO ensembles are as follows: Foundation Strings I – beginner string students Foundation Strings II – advancing beginner string students Encore Strings – intermediate string students Premiere Strings – advancing intermediate string students Repertory Orchestra – intermediate to advancing full orchestra Philharmonic – advanced/pre-conservatory full orchestra ENCORE 43

Scott C. Gregg, Youth Orchestras Music Director and Principal Conductor Winston Family Endowed Chair Scott Gregg will be in his 22nd year holding the Winston Family Endowed Chair with the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras (JSYO). He has guided the organization’s growth from a 60-member group to an artistically robust arts education program with more than 300 participants this season. Previously, Gregg served as Music Director for Education of the Jacksonville Symphony; Music Director for the Youth at the Beaches Arts Guild productions; and Music Director for the Summer Musical Theater Experience at Florida State College at Jacksonville. In 2016, Maestro Gregg was named Music Director and Principal Conductor of the St. Augustine Orchestra. In 2006, Gregg helped found the First Coast Community Music School which assists hundreds of Jacksonville music students access top-notch music education. In 2014, he became that school’s Artistic and Executive Director. Once in a youth orchestra himself, Gregg served as concertmaster of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, and made his solo debut with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the age of 17. Gregg received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University with a concentration in music theory and composition and minor concentration in astrophysics. He studied conducting at Baltimore’s Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he earned a master’s degree and was awarded the Christopher Percy Prize in Conducting. Concurrently, Gregg was appointed to the conducting staff of the Peabody Conservatory Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as Associate Conductor of the Johns Hopkins Symphony Orchestra. He is married to Camille Clement Gregg and the two are the proud parents of their golden retriever, Midas.

Naira Cola to lead Clay County Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras Educational Efforts Naira Cola, a violinist with the Jacksonville Symphony, will lead the educational efforts of the Foundation Strings program that is being established at the Clay County site for the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras (JSYO). The JSYO program will be held at the Wehner School of the Arts in Middleburg and will be for students starting out on a string instrument or in their first few years of study.

Over the course of her career, Cola has received recognition for her unique artistry. She has received numerous accolades including winning the Doris Kahn Concerto Competition, being a semi-finalist in the National Sphinx Competition and being awarded the Artist Award from the New York Foundation for the Arts. As a soloist, she has been featured on NPR radio, WUWF Classic radio and WEAR-TV. She has also toured with Ensemble Du Monde chamber orchestra. Underwood-Cola has served as an Artist in Residence for the Sphinx Performance Academy, QueensBorough Community College and The Noel Pointer School of Music. She serves as the Artistic Director of the Four Strings Academy in Lexington, MA, and has served as the Artistic Director for the Noel Pointer School of Music. As a pedagogue and advocate for arts education, she has instructed hundreds of students in Brooklyn and throughout the New York Metropolitan area.

“We’re excited to provide the opportunity for students to participate in performance ensembles and ultimately the orchestral experience,” said Cola. “This creates a closer connection between students and families in the Clay County community and the JSYO.”

She is currently on the faculty of the First Coast Community Music School. Cola received her training under the tutelage of Sally Thomas and Dr. Ann Setzer at the Mannes College of Music for her undergrad degree at New York University and the Julliard School for her graduate and post-graduate studies.

Kathryn Rudolph, Director of Education and Community Engagement, is committed to branching out JSYO from its main education site at Florida State College at Jacksonville South Campus. “Our goal has been to reach more children and we have a plan to continue our expansion,” she added. “Clay County is our first step in that direction and we are excited to have Naira be part of the program.”

For those interested in the program at the Wehner School of the Arts, visit jaxsymphony.org.

44 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

YOUTH ORCHESTRAS SERIES Major/Minor Concert

Saturday, March 11, 2017 l 8 pm Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

MAJOR/MINOR CONCERT Scott C. Gregg Music Director, Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras Winston Family Endowed Chair

Repertory Orchestra P. TCHAIKOVSKY/arr. Ryden

Eugene Onegin: Polonaise

4:00

P. TCHAIKOVSKY/arr. Ryden

Eugene Onegin: Waltz

4:15

C. SAINT-SAËNS/arr. McAllister

Samson et Dalila: Dance Bacchanalle

8:00

JSYO Soloist

TBD

JSYO Soloist

TBD

~ Intermission ~ 20:00 Philharmonic F. LISZT

Les Préludes, S. 97 (Symphonic Poem No. 3)

N. RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade Note: The JSYO Competition Winners were not selected at the time Encore went to press. Please see insert for names, repertoire and biographies. is a sponsor of JSYO. Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony.

16:00

The culmination of hard work, hours of practice, intuitive talent and insightful instruction for members of the Repertory and Philharmonic ensembles of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras is the Major/Minor concert. This event pairs the youngsters with the members of the Jacksonville Symphony for a concert that highlights everyone’s musical ability and features the talents of two very special youth. Though Encore went to press before the selection of the two young soloists (check your insert for details), it can be assured that whomever was chosen has both talent and stage presence. Their solos will be part of the performance between the Repertory Orchestra presentation and the Philharmonic presentation. The Repertory Orchestra, which is for intermediate and advancing full orchestra students, will be playing selections from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and SaintSaëns Samson et Dalila. Eugene Onegin, an opera, is based on the Pushkin novel of the same name. It tells the tragic story of a selfish hero who lives to regret his rejection of a young woman. Samson et Dalila is also an opera that is based on the biblical tale of the same name. The Philharmonic’s performance includes Liszt’s Les Preludes, the third of his 13 symphonic poems. The music is based on his earlier choral cycle called The Four Elements. The final presentation will be from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Scheherazade is based on the tale One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. In this story, an angry Sultan who vows to kill successive wives comes under the spell of Scheherazade. She weaves elaborate stories that keep the Sultan from his murderous ways.

JSYO Concerto Competition prizes are generously provided by The Jacksonville Symphony Guild and the Ruthwood Craven Samek Memorial Fund ENCORE 45

JSYO ASSISTANT CONDUCTORS Judith Steinmeyer, Conductor, Premiere Strings Judith Steinmeyer has been involved with the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras for many years serving as a sectional coach, audition faculty, co-director of the beginner strings groups and now director for the Premiere Strings. She started her career as a violinist at the U.S. Air Force Band Symphony Orchestra and Strolling Strings at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, DC. After completion of her military service she performed in venues ranging from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the Bolshoi Theatre to Carnegie Hall. Steinmeyer was personnel manager and violinist for the Washington Chamber Orchestra for nearly 10 years. She holds a Professional Educator’s Certificate from the State of Florida and currently teaches private violin and viola lessons at the First Coast Community Music School and general music at Holy Spirit Catholic School. She was named one of five artist-educators in Florida to receive the Florida Alliance for Arts Education 2012 Guided Residency Program Award and scholarship. She is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, the Suzuki Association of the Americas, the American String Teachers Association and the America Orff-Schulwerk Association.

Rocco (Rocky) DiGeorgio, Conductor, Foundation Strings II/ Encore Strings

Rocco (Rocky) DiGeorgio has 35 years of experience as an orchestral music instructor. In addition to leading the JSYO Foundation Strings II and Encore Strings, DiGeorgio performs a variety of musical roles in the community. He is founder and director of Jacksonville Suzuki Strings, an ensemble consisting of 60 young musicians from greater Jacksonville. He has also been a guest clinician for Suzuki violin workshops throughout the United States. He also currently serves as Sunday Music Director at San Juan del Rio Church in St. Johns County and conductor for several student orchestras at area private schools. DiGeorgio received his Bachelor of Music Education from Jacksonville University. He resides in Mandarin with his wife Judy and children Antoni and Juliana.

Marj Dutilly, Foundation Strings I Marj Dutilly’s career has taken her from the military to JSYO but music has always been the base of her success. A graduate of Immaculata University with a degree in music, she served a tour of duty in Vietnam and was utilized as a music recreation therapist at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. Dutilly has performed with the Ventura (CA) Symphony Orchestra, the North Attleboro (MA) Civic Symphony, the Attleboro Civic Opera Company and the Warwick (RI) Symphony Orchestra. She is Director of Music at Faith Christian Academy, Fernandina Beach and founder/director of SELAH STRINGS of Nassau County. Her work has included assistance with both the JSYO Foundation and Overture Strings as tuning coach and audition judge. She and her husband Ron have six children, one of whom, Peter, was a member of the JSYO Philharmonic Orchestra for six years.

46 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

JSYO Repertory Violin Alyssa Albert Bridget Ausley Alexander Barnett + Julia Butler Mary Carlson Grace Castillo Kismet Field Peter Goricki Katherine Harland Miguel Huertas Gabrielle Keller Ariel Lockley + Nicole Lukens Nora Menon Benjamin Model Anneliese Nguyen Sarah Park Audrey Plauche Hanna Ray Sophia Reed Eden Rewa Jamie Robinson Willmott Alessia Rosa

JSYO Foundation Strings II Samuel Schlenoff Selin Tiryakioglu Elizabeth Whitehead + Viola Russell Greco Avery Palmer Aditi Shandilya Ellison Whitehead + Cello Aaron Dantzler + LaRyn Fagan Noah Hays + Mitchell Henshaw Samuel Iturra Natalie Taunton + Sam Watson Nicholas Willie + Double Bass Christopher Cavaliere Kieran Elwood Ned Franklin +

JSYO Premiere Strings Violin Seth Arcenas Alexia Bartley + Stephanie Baskin Gabriella Caballero Tatiana Caballero Annastasia Cantu + Anne Caraher Carolyn Chen Andrew Chiang Augustina Cole Franchesca Dalugdug Ethan Das Caleb Feng Madison Fisher Audrey Freehafer Elise French Levi French Micah French Katherine Gabriel Addison Hassler Claire Huang Stella Hyatt Michael Kim Jihae Kim Rohini Kumar William Li Audrey Lindsay Victoria Locklin Rachael Lovejoy Marison McDowell Gabriel Miel Matthew Miel Gahyun Park

Kent Peyton Xavier Phillips Ericz Plauche Alexander Roes + Elise Russu Lauren Schawrz Sarah-lyuna Spencer + Mary Clare Stinneford Pilar Thorn Ronak Venkata Leila Warren Viola Ian Adkinson Nathan Oyler Cello Margaret Chalut James Dowell Maggie Frantz Jack Gallishaw Ryan Gear Anamarie Lopez Wills Maw Chasney Stancliffe Double Bass Peter Goricki Volunteer Assistants Kelly Albright Selah Welton

Flute Ainsley Elgin Hanna Kissenger Gabin Park Oboe Mackenzie Ki Margaret Monday Matthew Rowell + Michael Stabile Clarinet Nicole Graham + Brianna Howard William Skinner Bass Clarinet Cordelia Ciuk Bassoon Kaila Peeples + Kylie Wilkins

Trumpet Richard Bachmann Joseph Stancil Horn Michael Flanagan Timothy Kellett Justin Marcotte Kayleigh Owen Trombone Federico Bolano + Georgie Rodriguez Tuba Parker White Percussion Grace Bachmann Trinity Hootman

JSYO Encore Strings Violin Mary Adams Valeria Aviles Brianna Borbely Jack Camp Ava Cheng Rebekah Chun Sam Cosby Ana Docuyanan Emily Docuyanan Madison Fagan Abby Grace French Katherine Graham Laurence Greene, II + Gloria Honoré + Anna Keller Christian Kim Christine Kim + David Kim + Philip M. Lawson, II Likhita Manchikanti Gabriela Micolucci Alerice Milagrosa Mia Moore Mason Mormino Nate Mormino Abigail Okey Samay Patel Julia Peiris Khobe Pierre + Alyssa Ramesh Grace Randall Laurel Reed Ashkon Shirazi

Aden Speight Rodriquez Shannon Stalford Srikuti Venkat-Ganesh Natalie Watson Kaylin White Mihajla Wickham Kalen Wilkins Enoch Xiao Ethan Xiao Viola Raquel Abril Charlie Doyle Joshua Manuel Jairen Neil-Blake + Janel Neil-Blake + Brendan Roes + Aditya Singh Racheal Stowe Cello Kyle Bae Emily Caraher Lyanne Claudio Jordan Dowell Henry Franklin + Neriah Holley + Kalahni McNair Ian Navaille Finley Petchauer + Julie Remmer Ellie Stewart Roan Wallerius Sina Wegerer-Jones

Violin Aislin Alexander William Bell Tyler Bradley + Ankitha Chintala Nikitha Chintala Skylar Davis Maxim Drexler Jadah Foltz Rex Franklin + Ashley Fuentes Jacob Holyer Nikolus Huff Cates Kean Keller Krieger Kariel Lampkin Benedict Lang Dominic Lang Aleydis Lockwood Garrett McLees Abbygale Monroe Madeline Mormino Giavanna Nagy Amelia O’Neill Chloe O’Neill Mary Patterson Arianna Rahmathulla Emaad Rahmathulla Marissua Redmond Hannah Lydia Sauer

Chinmay Shandilya Amelia Snodgrass Timur Tiryakioglu Kylea Watson Joya Welch Clement Wurtz Viola Makayla Artis Justin Berger Melanie Dickson + Taylor Graham McKennah Lanier + Lauren Lanier + Nevaeh Lanier + Allison Pianetta Cello Nathalie Bowen Jackson Brown Alayna Edwards Leo Franklin + Taelyn Graham Amaya Gray + Thomas Karvounis Deckland Lanier + Madison McInarnay Audrey Roes + Water “David” Ulmer Mihajla Wickham

JSYO Foundation Strings I Violin Hunter Davis Nathaniel Hall NaRiya Johnson Leila Jones Kerrington Marshall Randy Martin III Samuel Memon Rihanna Odol Yasmen Odol Mateo Pinilla Sofia Pinilla David Stewart Reginald Thomas Grace Vasquez Kylee Waller Viola Jadon Brown Talina Fuentes Taylor Graham Louisa Holyer

Andrew Keller Grace Lampkin Angelina Rush Kaz Sasaki + Christian Thomas Jaylen ThomasBailey Cello Alani Austin Farhad Bagirov Jackson Brown Nicholas Cribbs Leah Lampkin Joshua Mayrand Kalahni McNair Glenn Michael Monserrad Vasquez Double Bass Liam McNew +

+ Denotes Eleanor King Scholarship winners made possible through the Jacksonville Symphony Guild. ++ Denotes the James B. Lay, Sr. Trumpet Memorial Scholarship

ENCORE 47

JSYO Philharmonic Violin I Noah Arcenas Cameron Black Michelle Dantzler + Glen Dizon Ava Hampton Lark Harrington William Harrington* Anatasia Letkemann Moriah Lewis Bryce Martin* Olivia Morello Joseph Petchauer + Jessica Rinosa Max Warren Olivai Wright

Flute Annabelle Gunn Alex McGuire* Jillian Savage +

A.J. Pulliam Dolaine Qian Oona Roberts Daniel Savo Maxwell Vanhoeij Laura Watson*

Oboe Derek Alexander Jacob Hutchinson Sammy Park Megan Wojtyla*

Viola Breanna Lang Grace Remmer Kaitlynn Thornton

OR C HES T R A

Cello Angelo Andrew Hannah Budd Nathan Ealum Wesley Navaille Alejandro Ochoa + Maxwell Remmer* Sophia Schlenoff Darren Wang

BA ND

Clarinet Michael Jenkins* Frank Lukens Ashlie Santiango

Trombone Kiara Benjamin* Alexis Potter + Ian Wolff Bass Trombone Georgie Rodriguez

T HE AT RE Bass Clarinet Makobi Marshall

Pe r for mance and Educ ation

Violin II Arianna Arcenas Allen Barnett + Sadie Butler Lexi Feng Eva Karjono Fiona Lockley + Mira Menon Lara Morello Sadie Pichelmann

Horn Paola Colón Amanda Friedman* Janet Johnson Joshua Stancil

Bassoon Sam Watson* Trumpet Patrick Clarke* ++ Carson Brite* Benjamin Gibson

Double Bass Pete Casseday Sam Watson

Tuba Bryce Pierce Percussion Zachary Schoonmaker Ignacio Troche Harp Marie Chappell + Isabelle Scott * Denotes Principals

NEW PRODUCTION! Private Lessons on ALL Instruments for ALL Ages

Community Band | Orchestra | Jazz Band Faculty: Jacksonville Symphony Members and College Music Professors

New in 2017: Art Department! “Northeast Florida Conservatory is the most comprehensive music school in our community.” Philanthropic Outreach Project

~Philip Pan, Jacksonville Symphony Concertmaster

Laura’s Friends We offer free music lessons/classes to the disadvantaged in our community and have introduced music into the lives of children and students at Daniel Kids, Girls Inc., The Bridge of NE Florida and many public schools in the Duval County School System.

904.374.8639

www.nfconservatory.org NE Conservatory is a non-profit 501(C)(3) Member: National Guild for Community Arts Education

48 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

Apr 21-23 / Apr 28-30 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)

All tickets only $20! Purchase Tickets Online:

ShowTixNow.com All performances at

The Conservatory

11363 San Jose Blvd., Bldg. 200

POPS SERIES Friday & Saturday, March 17 & 18, 2017 l 8 pm Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

THE CHIEFTAINS Timothy Hankewich, conductor The Chieftains, special guests

Selections will be announced from the stage.

Friday’s concert is sponsored by:

Saturday’s concert is sponsored by:

Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony.

The Chieftains 2017 marks the 55th anniversary of the formation of The Chieftains, the group that brought traditional Irish music to the world. Formed in 1962 by Paddy Moloney, the group didn’t officially start playing together full-time until 1973, celebrating that year with an historic performance at Royal Albert Hall in London. Traditional Irish music was largely meant for dancing and celebrations. It featured 10 difference instrument such as a fife, hornpipes, bagpipes and even castanets! Founder Paddy Moloney, originally part of Ceoltoiri Chualann which specialized in instrumental music, brought Irish music back to its origins. Their big breakthrough in America came after they provided the music for Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon movie in 1975. The Chieftains have won six Grammy awards and one Oscar for their music. They started with just a “folk” music audience and have expanded their audience over the years performing with many symphony and folk orchestras. Their collaborations are endless including everyone from Bob Dylan to Van Morrison to Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, Mick Jagger, and now Bon Iver. Current members include Paddy Moloney (composer, leader and founding member, uilleann pipes and tin whistle), Sean Keane (fiddle), Kevin Conneff (bodhran, vocals), and Matt Molly (flute). In 2002 they received Lifetime Achievement Award by BBC Radio 2. They have played in concert for Pope John Paul II, at the Great Wall of China, where they were the first musical group to perform there, and during the Ground Zero/September 11th memorial service. The band name comes from (Irish poet) John Montague’s poem “Death of a Chieftain.” Montague was actually born in Brooklyn, New York but his family sent their children to Ireland in 1933 because of the Great Depression.

ENCORE 49

Timothy Hankewich, conductor The 2016-2017 season marks Timothy Hankewich’s 11th year as the Music Director of Orchestra Iowa. His recent guest appearances have included performances in Canada with the Victoria Symphony and throughout the Czech Republic and Slovakia with the Moravian Philharmonic and the Slovak State Orchestra. This season, Maestro Hankewich makes his debut leading the Hamilton Philharmonic (Canada), and the Jacksonville Symphony. In September of 2014, Orchestra Iowa under Tim’s direction released its first ever commercial recording featuring composer Michael Daugherty’s American Gothic. Prior to his position with Orchestra Iowa, Mr. Hankewich served as the Resident Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony for seven years and held earlier staff conducting positions with the Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony and the Evansville Philharmonic. In 1997, Hankewich won the prestigious Aspen Conducting award, which helped launch his career and opened the door to many guest appearances with orchestras throughout North America and abroad. Timothy Hankewich is a native of Dawson Creek, British Columbia and is married to his wife Jill, a pharmacist. He holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Alberta, as well as a Doctor of Music from Indiana University.

50 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

COFFEE SERIES MASTERWORKS SERIES Coffee Series Masterworks Series

Friday, March 24, 2017 l 11 am Friday & Saturday, March 24 & 25, 2017 l 8 pm Sunday, March 26, 2017 l 3 pm

“Insight” one hour prior to each Masterworks concert

Don Juan, Tone poem after Lenau, Opus 20 (1888)

MENDELSSOHN’S “SCOTTISH” SYMPHONY

It is altogether fitting that Strauss’s Don Juan, an evocation of the greatest erotic subject of all time, should be composed under the influence of his own first passion for Pauline de Ahna, the soprano who was eventually to become his wife.

Nathan Aspinall, conductor Eric Olson, oboe Coffee Series Don Juan, Opus 20

18:00

Felix Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 “Scottish” MENDELSSOHN I. Andante con moto – Allegro agitato II. Scherzo assai vivace III. Adagio cantabile IV. Allegro guerriero – Finale maestoso

43:00

The Coffee Concert is hosted by the Jacksonville Symphony Guild. Coffee and tea are provided by Martin Coffee Company, Inc.

Florida Blue Masterworks Series Richard STRAUSS

Don Juan, Opus 20

Ralph Oboe Concerto in A minor VAUGHAN WILLIAMS I. Rondo Pastorale: Allegro moderato II. Minuet and Musette: Allegro moderato III. Finale (Scherzo): Presto

18:00

19:00

~ Intermission ~ 20:00 Felix Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 “Scottish” MENDELSSOHN I. Andante con moto – Allegro agitato II. Scherzo assai vivace III. Adagio cantabile IV. Allegro guerriero – Finale maestoso

By Steven Ledbetter

Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

Richard STRAUSS

“Scottish” Symphony

43:00

The story of Don Juan has appeared over and over again in European literature and music. Strauss knew Mozart’s Don Giovanni, but he found inspiration rather in the work of Nikolaus Lenau, an Austrian romantic poet who had died in a mental asylum in 1850 leaving unfinished a poetic drama on Don Juan partly inspired by Byron. Lenau’s version was a psychological treatment of a man devoted to an idealistic search for the perfect woman. He glories in the experience of the individual moment above all else, but learns that each successful exploit has led to some great harm, a fact that makes his existence increasingly burdensome. In the end, challenged by the brother of one of the women he has seduced, he throws his sword away at the moment when he has all but conquered because he finds victory “as boring as the whole of life.” His opponent puts an end to his career with a single sword stroke. Strauss’s father restricted his son’s studies to the classics, particularly Mozart and Mendelssohn. But with Don Juan he accepted Wagner and the “music of the future.” In the fall of 1889, Strauss became assistant conductor at the Weimar Opera. There he gave the premiere of his work. From its first tumultuous performance, Strauss—just 25 years old—was recognized as the most important German composer to appear since Wagner. The opening pages present a brilliant array of themes evoking a character of the fullest manly vigor. The first phrases contain a half dozen brief ideas, all of which will be further developed. Strauss shapes this opening like STRAUSS (continued on next page) ENCORE 51

STRAUSS (continued from previous page) a traditional sonata form movement with a transition (an expressive violin solo) to the normal secondary key, in which we hear an extended love scene, easily understood as the “second theme.” This is developed at length in a passage of Tristanesque richness, but as it dies away, the cellos dryly insert the arpeggio from the very opening—here suggesting unmistakably that Don Juan is already bored with this conquest and ready to move on. His themes build to a frenzied climax suddenly breaking off as the woodwinds indicate the presence of a newly captivating woman, while violas and cellos begin the Don’s wooing with a yearning theme, to which the flute coyly responds—then refuses his overtures. He continues to urge; her capitulation comes with a poignant oboe melody that introduces a delicate episode in which the woodwinds (led by the oboe) represent the girl’s devotion, while the lower strings suggest Don Juan in her arms. Here Strauss introduces a bold stroke—an entirely new theme for Don Juan, presented in the four horns in unison, a theme so memorable that it remains the single bestknown phrase of the score. The themes associated with the Don lead into an elaborate pictorial passage growing to a pitch of excitement that collapses suddenly: Don Juan has hit rock bottom. He recalls his three former loves (in the flutes, then oboe and bassoon, finally solo violin).

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All this happens over an extended dominant pedal in cellos, double basses, and timpani, suggesting that Strauss intends to recall traditional sonata procedure by arranging a formal recapitulation. It turns out to be formal, but not literal, climaxing in the return of the horn theme (which calls for the four players to reach unprecedentedly high notes, terrifying the players in Strauss’s orchestra who first had to deal with it).

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52 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

All seems ready for a triumphant cadence when after a sudden long silence comes the collapse. As Don Juan encounters the brother of one of his conquests, he suddenly realizes the utter futility of his existence. He throws away his sword (a cold minor chord softly played by the orchestra) and is stabbed to death (a single dissonant note inserted into the minor chord by the trumpets, like a sword slipping between two ribs). With breathtaking suddenness the music collapses and ends, bleak and chill.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

(1872-1958)

Concerto in A minor for oboe and strings (1944) There are a few composers who enjoyed both long life and a continuing flow of creativity, producing some of their most important works at the end of a long career. Verdi and Richard Strauss are prime examples, though even they had fallow periods during their late years. Ralph Vaughan Williams lived to just short of his 86th birthday, but his last 15 years were filled with a non-stop flow of music, works ranging widely in character, from his last four symphonies, to the completion of his opera The Pilgrim’s Progress, to film scores, and chamber and vocal music. The Oboe Concerto is the first work he completed after his Fifth Symphony. He even took up a discarded scherzo originally intended for that Symphony (one of his masterpieces that had taken him five years of work to bring to conclusion). The composition of the concerto seems to have gone smoothly, inspired by one of the world’s leading oboists of the day, Léon Goossens, brother of the conductor and composer Eugene Goossens and of the harpist Sidonie Goossens. The first performance was supposed to take place at one of the London “Proms” in July 1944, but the entire concert was canceled because of the danger of flying bombs, and the premiere was moved to a distant Liverpool for safety. Though oboe concertos were very numerous in the Baroque era, when the instrument stood out effectively against the small body of strings that formed the orchestras of the day, few composers wrote full-scale oboe concertos in the romantic and modern eras, because the fuller sonority of the much larger orchestras made it difficult for the oboe’s very characteristic sound to dominate in the David-and-Goliath character of concertos then. Vaughan Williams’s decision to write for just string orchestra (though with a larger number of instruments than Vivaldi, for example, might have expected) gives the soloist a chance of standing out from the ensemble. At the same time, the solo writing is such that it requires a real mastery of the instrument if it is to sound effortless. At the same time, Vaughan Williams had already showed how the oboe can be the perfect instrument to express poignancy, a mood that is evident in many parts of the concerto.

The first movement opens in a pastoral character (also something evident in much of RVW’s earlier music), though it takes on a cheerful hint of dancing as well. The second is identified as Minuet and Musette, both dance forms familiar from the Baroque era, to which the music seems to be looking back; it is a more formal movement and quite brief. The finale is the weightiest movement of the concerto, with virtuosic materials at the opening, slowing to a waltz section. The approach to the close is especially brilliant, but it is twice interrupted with music that is unusually nostalgic—“he seems to be yearning for some lost and precious thing,” in the words of his biographer Michael Kennedy. And this sense of poignant memory comes also in the final moments.

Felix Mendelssohn

ideas prefigure stormy music in Wagner’s own Flying Dutchman overture.) But just how “Scottish” is it? Here are no skirling bagpipes, no highland flings, no folk tunes borrowed and harmonized (though the pentatonic main tune of the second movement certainly has some characteristics of a Scottish folk tune). The opening theme is the only part of the score explicitly inspired by Scotland; it is the melody that Mendelssohn wrote down after his visit to Holyrood, a pensive tune in A minor sung by melancholy violas and oboes. The development of this theme is shrouded in harmonic clouds and mists. A hesitant pause on the dominant leads into the main body of the movement, a 6/8 melody that follows the outline of the introductory theme, but in a more agitated character.

(1809-1847)

Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Opus 56, Scottish (1842) On July 30, 1829, Felix Mendelssohn wrote to his family from Edinburgh about the sightseeing he had done with a friend, giving a particular account of a visit to the palace of Holyrood, closely associated with the romantic figure of Mary Queen of Scots. Here the ill-fated queen had apparently succumbed to an infatuation for an Italian lutenist named David Rizzio, for which real or imagined affair the king had poor Rizzio murdered. Mendelssohn was touched by the romantic tale associated with the spot. He wrote: We went, in the deep twilight, to the palace where Queen Mary lived and loved. There is a little room to be seen there, with a winding staircase leading up to it. That is where they went up and found Rizzio in the little room, dragged him out, and three chambers away is a dark corner where they killed him. The adjoining chapel is now roofless; grass and ivy grow abundantly in it; and before the ruined altar Mary was crowned Queen of Scotland. Everything around is broken and moldering, and the bright sky shines in. I believe I found the beginning of my Scottish Symphony there today. This last of Mendelssohn’s symphonies is also the freest, the most romantic of his symphonies. Even Wagner, a composer usually antipathetic to Mendelssohn’s work, conducted the Scottish symphony and admired the poetic qualities of the music. (Indeed, some of Mendelssohn’s

The Scherzo is of a brilliance unsurpassed even in that most brilliant of Mendelssohn scores, the Italian symphony. The principal theme, first stated in the clarinet over tremolo strings, is supposed to be derived from an actual Scottish bagpipe tune, though it could just as easily be a completely original melody. Even in the tuttis the music remains zephyr-light throughout. The third movement alternates a slow singing melody with rhythmic ideas of a march-like character. The dotted rhythms in the winds at the outset eventually take over the entire orchestra, but each time the cantilena comes back with ever more delicate elaboration. The finale begins with a wild flourish in the violins against a steady marching beat in the horns, bassoons, and violas. Mendelssohn characterized this movement, after all, as a “martial Allegro,” and the battle is joined at once. A second theme, equally warlike in its determined vitality, is first sounded by the oboe and clarinets over tremolo violins; it seems to be related to the very opening theme of the symphony. At the end of the recapitulation the second theme gradually dies out in a very beautiful passage that seems about to lead to a quiet conclusion—perhaps yet another, and more definitive statement of the first movement’s introductory theme. But Mendelssohn has a surprise: a completely new major-mode theme labeled maestoso (“majestic”); the effect is to change, in retrospect, the listener’s recollection of the foregoing moods through a conclusion pregnant with affirmative power.

ENCORE 53

Nathan Aspinall, conductor Nathan Aspinall, joined the Jacksonville Symphony as Assistant Conductor in 2015. Formerly, he held the position of Young Conductor with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra where he assisted Chief Conductor Johannes Fritzsch and visiting guest conductors and conducted concerts for the education series. He studied French Horn and Conducting at the University of Queensland and upon graduation was awarded the Hugh Brandon Prize. In 2012 he attended the Aspen Music Festival studying with Robert Spano and Hugh Wolff. He was awarded the Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize, inviting him to return to Aspen in 2013. Aspinall has guest conducted the Sydney, Adelaide, Queensland and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, the Queensland Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra and has acted as Assistant Conductor for Opera Queensland. During the 2015-16 he returned to the Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras and had also been invited to attend the Conductor’s Workshop at the Tanglewood Music Centre. He studied Orchestral Conducting with Hugh Wolff at New England Conservatory.

Eric Olson, principal oboe Eric Olson has held the position of principal oboist with the Jacksonville Symphony since 1986. Originally from Pennington, New Jersey, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, where he studied with Ray Still. Other teachers include Louis Rosenblatt, Richard Killmer, and Grover Schiltz. Olson served as guest principal oboist with the Baltimore Symphony for five weeks in 2002, including a two-week tour of Japan. As a soloist, he has appeared with the orchestra of the Colorado Music Festival, the Eastern Music Festival, the Peninsula Music Festival, and many times with Jacksonville Symphony, most recently performing John Corigliano’s oboe concerto on the Masterworks series. He has performed at the Marlboro Music Festival, and has toured with the Musicians from Marlboro, performing the Mozart Oboe Quartet. Other festivals in which he has participated include the Tanglewood and Aspen music festivals. During the summers, from 2000 to 2005, he served as principal oboist and faculty member at the Eastern Music Festival, and since 2006 he has been principal oboist with the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin. Olson also enjoys teaching oboe, and since 2012 has been adjunct oboe instructor at Jacksonville University. In 2008 he and his wife, Jacksonville Symphony violist Ellen Caruso Olson, formed the San Marco Chamber Music Society (SMCMS). Currently the SMCMS annually performs five different chamber music programs free to the public of Northeast Florida, including an annual benefit for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). In June 2016 the San Marco Chamber Music Society performed a series of eight concerts of all-American music including four performances in Oxford, England. One of the pieces featured on the tour was Bill Douglas’ Songs and Dances for oboe and string quartet. He can be heard on Instant Encore in several of SMCMS’ live recorded performances.

Florida Blue Masterworks Series

APR 7/8/9

Fri & Sat, Apr 7 & 8 @ 8 pm • Sun, Apr 9 @ 3 pm

CANELLAKIS CONDUCTS SHOSTAKOVICH Karina Canellakis, conductor BEETHOVEN Egmont Overture NORMAN Unstuck SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 15

54 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

CONDUCTOR’S CLUB PLATINUM $10,000 - $24,999

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Patricia Clegg in memory of George F. Clegg Linda L and Patrick W Clyne In memory of Shirley Collupy Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLC ∆ Mr. John Cranston Peter and Lois Dalmares Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Davis Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Mrs. George C. Elliott Enterprise Holdings Foundation Greg and Helen Euston Mr. and Mrs. David Foerster Friend of the Symphony Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Gartner Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Pat and Fred Gieg William G. Gingrich Nathaniel Glover, President Edward Waters College Lawrence and Phyllis Goldberg Rabbi Robert and Marilyn Goodman Mel and Debbie Gottlieb O. C. and Mae Jean Gregg Jim and Pat Griffiths Becky and Tommy Grimes Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Grubbs, Jr. Mrs. Egbert Heilman Mrs. Joan F. Heller Joe and Renate Hixon Holland & Knight Brian J. Horton John Ievalts and Lise Everly Miss Naomi E. Karkanen Andrew and Gurmeet Keaveny Mr. and Mrs. Charles Keller Dr. and Mrs. John R. Kelley David and Sally Ketcham Dr. Annette Laubscher Janine Leland and Tom Larson Gene H. Lewis Carolyn Marsh Lindsay Mrs. John R. Mackroth Mr. and Mrs. John Malone Susan and Ron Masucci Mayse-Turner Fund for Public Performance of Classical Music Alison McCallum Davis and Sandra McCarty Donald McCurry and Suzanne Keith Frances W. McCurry Helen Morse and Fritz Skeen Newman Family Foundation Capt. John and Mrs. Carol O’Neil Jr (USN Ret.) Marie and Joel Pangborn Performance Security, Inc. Mr. John S. Peyton and Dr. Kathryn Pearson Peyton Mrs. John G. Pflugfelder Ted and Jane Preston Ina W. Richter Donald Albert James Robinson Bruce Rosborough and Judy Ham Lorraine and Paul Rothstein Herb and Ann Rowe Charitable Foundation Sheila and Louis Russo Mrs. Patricia M. Sams Ms. Betty Saunders Dr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Sawyer Mrs. Miyuki Scheidel Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Sherin Mr. Benjamin Shorstein and Ms. Nicole Nissim Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Shorstein Mr. and Mrs. Mark J. Shorstein Samuel Shorstein

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PLAYERS CIRCLE

$1,000 - $2,499 Ron and Darlene Adams Judith T. and Robert P. Adelman Linda R. Alexander In memory of Cecil Cole from Dickey, Joel, Leighton and Andrea Alford Lewis and Sybil Ansbacher Family Foundation, Inc. David and Beth Arnold Dr. William and Linda Ann Bainbridge Byron and Cynthia Bergren Mr. and Mrs. Charles Berman Joyce R. Blackburn Mr. and Mrs. James C. Blanton Otis and Joan Bowden John and Hilary Breen Jim and Mary B. Burt R. and L. Y. Cabrera Mr. Stanley W. Cairns Candy Apple Café and Cocktails ∆ Mrs. Diane Cannon Warren and Clarissa Chandler Meade and Alvin Coplan Alice Mach Coughlin Caroline Covin in memory of Robert Covin Dr. Jacob Danner Mr. John A. Darby and Dr. Barbara Darby Mr. and Mrs. Bruce R. Darnall Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Henry D’Hulst Dr. and Mrs. James W. Dyer Randy and Lynn Evans Mark R. Evans Kris Meyer and Michael Fay David C. Ferner* Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Fernley III Reed and Nancy Freeman Friend of the Symphony (4) Forster Family Foundation Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Dr. John Gallo Jeff and Jolee Gardner Clark and Lauretta Gaylord Wayne Greenberg and Elizabeth Shahan Susan and Hugh Greene Oscar R. Gunther M.D. Dr. Dan Hadwin and Dr. Alice Rietman-Hadwin Suna Hall Bill and Kent Hamb Jack and Grace Hand

56 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY

PAT R O N P L U S MEMBER EVENTS An all-new series of monthly events that provide a behind the scenes look at the music Members make possible. FEB “Sound Bites” French Connection Wednesday 2.1.17 | 12:30-4 PM MAR

Member Day @ Young People’s Concert (Firebird)

Thursday 3.9.17 | 10:30 AM-1:00 PM APR

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ENCORE 57

THE

C A D E NZ A

An invitation to play your part in the future of our Orchestra

SOCIETY

Cadenza Society members are a group of dedicated supporters who have made a future financial commitment to ensure that the orchestra you love will be able to keep making vibrant music for generations to come. Membership is easy. No immediate donation is necessary. You simply need to name Jacksonville Symphony as a beneficiary in your will, trust, insurance policy, donor advised fund, or foundation. Cadenza Society Members receive recognition in Encore as well as invitations to: • An exclusive Cadenza Society gathering with Music Director Courtney Lewis • Onstage Open Rehearsals • Annual Donor Appreciation Night

THE CADENZA SOCIETY

Office of Development • 904.354.9136

J a x S y m p h o n y. o r g / l e g a c y The Jacksonville Symphony gratefully acknowledges these members for including the Symphony in their estate planning. Mark and Rita Allen Sandra Sue Ashby Rick E. Bendel Jacob F. Bryan IV Elizabeth I. Byrne, Ed.D. Carl and Rita Cannon Clarissa and Warren Chandler Estelle and Terry Chisholm Col. and Mrs. Robert B. Clarke Luther and Blanche Coggin Elizabeth Schell Colyer Ruth P. Conley Mrs. Caroline S. Covin Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Cowden Dr. Amy Crowder in memory of Carole V. Ewart Ms. Sara Alice Bradley Darby Stephen and Suzanne Day Chris and Stephanie Doerr Jeff Driggers Brock Fazzini Josephine Flaherty Friend of the Symphony (7) Mr. and Mrs. Allan Geiger John L. Georgas Linda Barton Gillis Rabbi Robert and Marilyn Goodman

Sue Gover Mary T. Grant Camille Clement Gregg Charitable Remainder Trust in memory of Ruthwood Craven Samek Dr. Dan W. Hadwin and Dr. Alice Rietman-Hadwin Preston H. Haskell Richard Hickok and Andrea Ashley Bev and Bill Hiller Calvin and Ellen Hudson Charitable Trust Wes and Beth Jennison Lillian and Bunky Johnson Miss Naomi E. Karkanen Elizabeth Kerr Frances Bartlett Kinne, Ph.D. Norman and Dolores Kramer Dr. and Mrs. Ross T. Krueger E. Michel and Heidja Kruse Mrs. Edward W. Lane, Jr. Dr. D’ Anne and Mr. Daniel Lombardo Doug and Laura Mathewson Ambassador Marilyn McAfee Alison McCallum Frances Watts McCurry Sherry Murray Mr. and Mrs. E. William Nash, Jr. Janet and Joseph Nicosia

58 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

Lloyd Hamilton Oakes in memory of Ruthwood Craven Samek Mr. Val Palmer Mr. and Mrs. Joe Peters Ruth (Rusty) Pierce Richard and Leslie Pierpont Donald Albert James Robinson Victoria M. Rogers J. William Ross Mrs. Ruthwood C. Samek Carol and Bob Shircliff Mrs. Sally Simpson Ann H. Sims Al Sinclair Helen Morse and Fritz Skeen Ana and Hal Skinner Mary Love Strum Gwynne and Bob Tonsfeldt Chip and Phyllis Tousey Rev. W. Glenn Turner Mary Jane and Jack Uible James and Joan Van Vleck Stephen Williams Renee Winkler Quentin Wood Thomas C. Zimmerman

SPECIAL EVENT Wednesday, March 29, 2017 l 8 pm

listener the recognition of his or her own mortal journey.

Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY CHORUS PROGRAM Donald McCullough, conductor Director, Jacksonville Symphony Chorus, Tom Zimmerman Endowed Chair

Jacksonville Symphony Chorus Morten Lux Aeterna 27:00 LAURIDSEN Introitus In Te, Domine, Speravi O Nata Lux Veni, Sancte Spiritus Agnus Dei - Lux Aeterna ~ Intermission ~ 20:00 Bob Requiem 41:00 CHILCOTT Introit & Kyrie Offertorio Pie Jesu Sanctus & Benedictus Agnus Dei Thou knowest, Lord Lux aeterna Dana’s Limousine is the official transportation of the Jacksonville Symphony. Omni Jacksonville Hotel is the official hotel of the Jacksonville Symphony.

Morten Lauridsen (1943 - ) Lux Aeterna (1997) To walk in the evergreen forests and along the waterways of the Pacific Northwest, as Morten Lauridsen loves to do, is to experience infinite variations of light. Clouds of gray loom in the skies, and deft rays of sunlight filter through the trees and touch on water with an ever-changing chiaroscuro effect. Walking here with poetry in his mind and music in his heart, Lauridsen finds inspiration for his compositions, luminous with inner radiance. Lauridsen composed the requiem Lux Aeterna in 1997, the year his mother died. She was the “muse” who introduced him to music, playing swing jazz and singing to him as a toddler. She also taught him to play the piano. The consolation for grief offered by Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna is often compared to that of Fauré’s Requiem and

Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, both works inspired by the deaths of the composers’ mothers. These works also have in common a deceptive simplicity, yet their capacity to touch the listener reveals mastery at expressing through music the depth of human emotion. The five movements of Lux Aeterna are based on various references to light from sacred Latin texts: perpetual light, light risen in the darkness, Redeemer-born light from light, light of the Holy Spirit light of hearts, most blessed light, eternal light – all supporting an earthbound spirit seeking not only mercy, understanding and consolation but also renewal. In expressing a human journey to reclaim intimacy with the inner life, Lauridsen seamlessly integrates the musical essence of ancient modes, Renaissance polyphony, Romanticism and modern dissonance. This timelessness can bring home to the

Lauridsen uses the beginning and ending of the traditional Requiem Mass to open and close Lux Aeterna. The second movement, “In Te, Domine, Speravi” (Lord, I have hoped in you), opens with a chant from the hymn “Herliebster Jesu” (Dearest Jesus) published in a 1677 songbook, addressed to the trusted Lord, to whom is directed the gentle plea for mercy. The third movement, “O Nata Lux” (Oh light born [from light]) is the centerpiece from which all of the other references to light seem to emanate. The tempo changes are beautifully placed to linger on the interplay of voice parts in the style of Renaissance polyphony, creating a showpiece of a cappella choral singing. In “Veni, Sancte Spiritus” (Come, Holy Spirit), voices soar to high notes on both the words lucis (light) and fletu (grief). This pairing serves as a bridge that brings together all who share the experience of grief. Unison singing at the phrase O lux beatissima (O most blessed light) encourages our hearts with the humble insight necessary to petition on behalf of those we have lost. The final movement, “Agnus Dei – Lux Aeterna” (Lamb of God, Eternal Light), begins with a long, whispered prayer on behalf of the dead, swells into full voice on the phrase lux aeterna, and ends with an optimistic Alleluia. Program notes by Carol Talbeck

Bob Chilcott (1955 - ) Requiem (2010 ) Bob Chilcott is one of the busiest and most popular figures in British choral music. His musical experience began as a boy chorister and then as a tenor choral scholar in the choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and continued as singer, composer and arranger with the celebrated King’s Singers. Since 1997 he has worked as a full-time composer and conductor, spending much of his time CHILCOTT (continued on page 61) ENCORE 59

“She is a one-of-a-kind musical super-talent … As a singer she is an irreplaceable resource.” — N.Y. Times

Proud Supporter of the Jacksonville Symphony.

A very special concert featuring Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer and actress

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CHILCOTT (continued from page 59) promoting choral music in this country and abroad, especially in the United States. At home he is currently Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Singers. Chilcott’s singing experience has given him an inside knowledge of an exceptionally wide range of music and this is reflected in the eclectic nature of his own compositions which, whilst remaining within the mainstream English choral tradition, are variously inspired by folksongs, Gregorian chant, Anglican hymns and psalms, spirituals, jazz, close-harmony, gospel and African music. The Requiem was jointly commissioned by Music at Oxford, the Oxford Bach Choir and Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas, and first performed in Britain and the United States in 2010. It is scored for soprano and tenor soloists, chorus, organ and orchestra. The text is the Latin Missa pro Defunctis, the Mass for the Dead, with the addition of the prayer, ‘Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts’ from the Book of Common Prayer. The work is dedicated

to the memory of the composer’s niece, Samantha Verschueren, who tragically died at the age of only 23 whilst the piece was being written. Chilcott’s principal influences when writing this work were the requiems of Fauré and Duruflé, which he sang regularly whilst at King’s. The most obvious parallel between those two works and this one is the Pie Jesu, which like them features a solo soprano, but the harmonies and melodic lines of Chilcott’s Requiem also suggest that Fauré and Duruflé were never far away from him. He omits the more forbidding parts of the traditional Latin text, notably the Dies Irae, his declared intention being to create a contemplative setting appropriate for either a concert or a liturgical context. The music bears the usual Chilcott hallmarks: strong rhythms, lyrical melodies, and the influence of jazz elements, though in this particular work the jazz influence is for the most part only subtly hinted at. The Introit and Kyrie opens over a gently pulsing accompaniment, initially in the dark key of F minor, but moving into the major for

‘et lux perpetua’. The pace quickens slightly at the tenor soloist’s entry, ‘Te decet hymnus’, after which the opening material returns, with the addition this time of the soprano soloist. The tenors and basses of the choir introduce the Offertorio, which begins urgently, building to a climax at ‘Libera me’. A gentler tempo ushers in an extended tenor solo at ‘Hostias et preces tibi’. This eventually leads into the Pie Jesu, a simple, lyrical aria for the soprano soloist, supported by a subdued choral accompaniment. Jazz elements now come to the fore in the Sanctus and Benedictus, with its dissonant harmonies, irregular dancing rhythm and driving energy. The choir’s role in the Agnus Dei is again that of accompanist, this time to another expansive tenor solo. Chilcott next inserts a reflective setting for the choir of the prayer, Thou knowest, Lord, from the Book of Common Prayer. The Lux aeterna is a re-working of the music from the first movement, with the soprano soloist’s final phrase ascending heavenward and bringing the Requiem to a serene close. Program notes by John Bawden

Jacksonville Symphony Chorus Donald McCullough, Director Tom Zimmerman Endowed Chair

Jill Weisblatt, Chorus Manager William Adams David Avery Susan Baker Jerrye Baker Stan Ballenger Carole Vanderhoef Banks Alla Bartosh May Beattie Jessica Bergstol Taylor Boice Elizabeth Bricknell Louise Brooks Dorothy Jean Bush Rita Cannon Craig Cantley Chuck Carroll Kenneth Chin Estelle Chisholm Dale Choate Ellen Christensen Sandy Clarke Susan Connors Bradley Corner Nancy Crookshank Julie Cross Katherine Crowell Jane Daugherty Julie Davis

Tracy Davis Alyce Decker Marissa Dickerson Stephanie Doerr Jeff Elledge Kate Flint Brian Ganan Karin Ghinter Bonnie Goldsmith Jessica Green David Groth Michele Hale Robert Hall Deborah Harden Baker Carol Heckrotte Wayne Heckrotte Lynda Height Deborrah Hoag Shawna Hodges Mike Hodges Kathy Hunt Steven Jockisch Ryan Justice Kiki Karpen Matthew Kelly Michelle Kemp William Kolb Ken Kutch

Lili Lauer Ginger Lindberg Leyse Lowry Melissa Lumsden Mark Macco Linda MacLeod Jim Maher Walter Mattingly Marianne McAlhany-Murray Liz McAlhany James McGuffin Kate Medill Osvaldo Medina Pat Medlock Bill Meisel Paula Merritt Molly Miller Barbara Miller Kenneth Mixon Libby Montgomery John Morrow Sevella Mostella Joseph Murray Tom Nesbitt Christina Ng Ben Norman Shane Oakley Sally Offen

John Owen Vanessa Pagan Jane Palmer Hugh Patterson Rosina Paul John Petersen Anne Petersen David Pierson Deborah Pierson Kelsey Potratz Ken Powell Rosalind Powell Shelby Prendes Vickie Prince John Pugh Nancy Purcell Robert Quinby Amy Quinn Paulina Ragunas Mark Reasoner Timothy Redding Nancy Redfern Wynn Redmon Caitlin Regan Patti Robertson Mark Robinson Karl Rogers Robert Roth

Connie Roush Kim Rowland A.J. Ruvane John Ruvane Jeffrey Schroer Keith Schroyer Jennifer Serotta Kara Shidemantle Janet Snell Sharon Snow Laura Stephenson Buddy Stone Richard Stritter Richard Sykes Hugh Tobias Michael Tough Sheri Van Orden Hannah Ventro Eileen Ward Jerri Lea Ware Billy Ware Jill Weisblatt John Weitzel Terri Williams Cindy Wohl Peter Wynkoop Sam Young ENCORE 61

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Continuing Education A Division of Workforce Education and Economic Development

Certificates & Licensure | Professional Development | Personal Enrichment

Florida State College at Jacksonville Continuing Education offers hundreds of courses that will help you advance professionally and grow personally. Whether you want to earn an industry certification, sharpen your business presentation skills or explore a new hobby, there’s a course for you. FSCJ Continuing Education courses are open to the public and offered during the day, evening, on the weekends and online to fit your busy schedule.

Visit our website and register today!  fscj.edu/coned

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Donald McCullough,

Director, Jacksonville Symphony Chorus Tom Zimmerman Endowed Chair

Hailed by the Washington Post for his “dazzling expertise” on the podium, Donald McCullough is considered one of America’s pre-eminent choral conductors. He became the Director of the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus in 2012. In November 2014 he led the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus in its first appearance at New York’s Lincoln Center. Previously, he was the director of the Master Chorale of Washington in the John F. Kennedy Center Concert Hall for more than a decade, developing a reputation for creating choruses that sang “with an innate sense of lyricism and musical poise” and delivered concerts that were “sensitive, scrupulous and heartfelt” (Washington Post). During his tenure with the Master Chorale, the 120-member symphonic chorus performed 16 world premieres, produced three nationally distributed CDs, and toured twice throughout Central Europe. The Chorale earned The Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence in North America. McCullough is also a composer whose works have been critically acclaimed throughout North America and Europe. Routinely sought after for commissions, his works have been described as “powerful and heart-wrenching,” “mystically beautiful” and “remarkably inspirational.” Previously, McCullough was the founder and music director of two Norfolk-based choruses: the all-professional vocal ensemble, the Virginia Chorale, and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus. A native of Jacksonville, FL, he moved to Atlantic Beach, FL, in 2009 to focus on his expanding composing career. He also holds the post of Organist and Choirmaster at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Riverside.

About the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus The Jacksonville Symphony Chorus, under the direction of Donald McCullough, is an all-volunteer group of individuals from all walks of life who have a love of singing choral music. The 140 members must audition to participate. Four members have been with the Chorus since the beginning: Carole Vanderhoef Banks, Deborrah Hoag, Libby Montgomery and Billy Ware.

This season the Chorus will participate in several performances including The Dream of Gerontius, Holiday Pops and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection. Choral singing is the most popular form of

participation in the performing arts according to a recent study by Chorus America. Over 18% of American households report one or more adults participate in a chorus.

“The Symphony chorus is designed to sing over the Symphony,” said McCullough. “I look for voices that have focus and ring to them and that are sizeable enough to add to the sound we are trying to achieve.” Some of the voice factors that go into selecting a choral member including their ability to sing in tune, which must be impeccable; their flexibility; range, diction; and innate sense of musicality. The Chorus is celebrating its 32st season this year and was founded by past Music Director Roger Nierenberg. In 2014 the Chorus traveled to New York City to perform under McCullough’s direction in the Lincoln Center premiere of his cantata In The Shadow of the Holocaust. ENCORE 63

MEET THE MUSICIANS

KATHERINE CALIENDO HORN Katherine Caliendo actually thought she wanted to play the flute. Sitting in her classroom in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, she listened to the music teacher describe the instruments. When the teacher said that when you play the horn you actually get to put your hand inside the instrument, that sold her. A graduate of Rice University, both undergraduate and graduate, she was with the Houston and San Antonio symphonies before joining us in Jacksonville. Katherine and her cat, Scout, are enjoying the transition to Florida. “I love Jacksonville,” she said. “The people are friendly and there’s everything you’d expect to find in the big city.” Besides music, Katherine enjoys travel. She says she fantasizes about opening up a coffee shop in the mountains – a combination of her love of travel, culinary adventures and the prospect of meeting new people. Though a Jersey girl who loves thin crust New York-Style pizza, she has even found two pizza spots in Jacksonville that remind her of the Garden State: Carmine’s and V. Photo by Tiffany Manning

ENCORE 65

John Wieland New JSYO Assistant Conductor

From the free Africans who came with the Spanish to found the original 1565 settlement to pivotal roles in the Civil Rights Movement, St. Augustine’s rich history includes many stories of cultural significance. St. Augustine proves why the African-American story is one of our nation’s greatest strengths. Journey through these fabled streets and learn about the historical landmarks and museums that help shape the important story of heritage in the South.

Visit HistoricCoastCulture.com and download a full itinerary to explore African-American Heritage in the nation’s oldest city.

John Wieland, principal bass for the Jacksonville Symphony, will assume additional duties as Assistant Conductor for the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras in charge of Foundation Strings I and II at Woodland Acres Elementary School. Prior to joining the Jacksonville Symphony, Wieland was principal bass of the Virginia and Oklahoma Symphonies, as well as the Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria in Mexico City and the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder Colorado. His bachelor’s degree is from the New School of Music in Philadelphia (now part of Temple University) and included studies with Michael Shahan (Associate Principal Bass/Philadelphia Orchestra and (the late) William Smith (Assistant Conductor/Keyboard/Philadelphia Orchestra. Additional teachers include Eugene Levinson/Principal/New York Philharmonic and (the late) H.Stevens Brewster/Principal of the National Symphony. An avid educator, he has taught students from age three up to the university level. He has held faculty positions at the University of Central Oklahoma, Langston University, Bethune-Cookman University and Stetson University. His many former students teach all over North and Central America and many play professionally around the world.

66 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017 sjc272315_FebMarch_2017EncoreAd_rSg.indd 1

1/6/17 12:05 PM

Listen. Learn. Create. Give Did you know that income from concert tickets covers just half of the cost of creating a full season of concerts? We rely on donations to keep concerts affordable, as well as offer community and education programs that will nurture musicians and listeners alike. Make a gift today that will inspire creativity and spread joy, and you’ll lead the way for great music in Jacksonville.

Giving Programs Making a gift to the Symphony’s Annual Fund strengthens your Symphony experience to include full year of special privileges and benefits for one household. Each level includes benefits of the previous levels for one household.

MEMBERSHIP ($75)

CONDUCTOR’S CLUB ($2,500)

Invitations to the all-new Patron Plus events series

Florence N. Davis Gallery intermission reception access

Insider privileges and events

Elite concert and ticketing privileges

Invitations to Season Announcement and Member Appreciation Night

VIP Ticketing Concierge

Minimum 10% off all tickets

Invitations to On-Stage Rehearsals

Members’-only edition of the Interlude e-Newsletter

CONDUCTOR’S CLUB GOLD ($5,000)

PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP ($250)

Guaranteed complimentary valet parking

50% off all Patron Plus events

R CONDUCTOR’S CLUB PLATINUM ($10,000)

A gift of $250 give 5 middle schoolers access to the new Students at the Symphony concert and lecture experience.

The opportunity to dedicate a concert A gift of $2,500 brings seven busloads of students to the hall for youth concerts.

P L AY E R ’ S C I R C L E ( $ 5 0 0 ) Exclusive access to Symphony musicians

INTRODUCING PATRON PLUS EVENTS

Four vouchers for Patron Plus events

A new series of monthly behind-the-scenes events to give you more access to the music you make possible.

Season-long recognition in Encore! Invitations to Candlelight Conversations dinners and Cast Parties with Symphony musicians

R PREMIUM PLAYER’S CIRCLE ($1,000)

An exclusive CD recording of the Jacksonville Symphony A gift of $1,000 underwrites one year of instruction through the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras for one student.

Privileges to attend events are available with a gift of $30 annually.

MARCH Member Day @ Young People’s Concert (Firebird) Thursday 3.9.17 | 10:30 AM-1:00 PM

APRIL

“Listen Up”

(Chamber Ensemble) Wednesday 4.19.17

Stay tuned for details See page 56 for more information and a listing of events.

Make a difference and be counted among our members who share a passion for music.

J a x S y m p h o n y. o rg / d o n a t e

ENCORE 67

GET INVOLVED - VOLUNTEER WITH THE SYMPHONY The Jacksonville Symphony loves its volunteers. There are many ways to support the Symphony – you can give a gift, join an auxiliary group, serve as an usher or sing in the chorus. Read about the many opportunities to support our mission.

ARIAS Continues Its Support of Nassau County Music Education ARIAS, Amelia Residents in Action for the Symphony, has as its primary mission the music education of Nassau County primary school students. This is divided into three parts. Instrument Zoo, our program for fourth graders, kicked off in November with the announcement of our schedule for this year. Our volunteers are given the opportunity to sign up for one or many dates to help guide the children through their introduction to the various symphonic instruments. If you live in Nassau County and enjoy seeing a student smile when they hear their efforts produce a sound on a clarinet, trumpet or violin, please consider giving our Zoo some time. Call Susan Kosciulek at 904.548.0227 for more information. Our second initiative is bringing symphony ensembles to the various fifth graders. The feedback from the kids, displaying their enthusiasm for the program, is heartwarming. Now in its second year and including first and second graders, is our support for a Suzuki violin program. Instructor Shelby Trevor leads these classes and last year’s results were very encouraging. If you are interested in joining ARIAS, please call Jack Dickison, President, at 904.277.0572.

BRASS

Beaches Residents Actively Supporting the Symphony Make plans to attend the BRASS Annual Gala, the celebration of a year of fine music, on Sunday, April 23 at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club. At the event, live auction offers chances to bid on exciting musical opportunities, including the opportunity to conduct the Symphony at next year›s Gala. In addition to the concert and auction, the evening features a cocktail hour, dinner and dessert.

Some of the 2016 BRASS Ring Winners: From left to right, First row: Katrina Kirov, Grace Remmer, Jacob Whitney, Amanda Friedman, Bianca Fasanelli, and Dahlia Kirov. Second row: Eric Zeng, Skylar Derr, and Liam Harrington.

Also coming this spring is the BRASS Ring, an annual music competition for students grades 4 through 12 that live in the Beaches area. Liam Harrington and Eric Zeng each earned the title of 2016 BRASS/Jacksonville Symphony Music Scholar and received a $500 music scholarship. Grace Remmer won the BRASS Karen B. Boling Memorial Scholarship for the Viola. The scholarship allowed her to attend Meadowmount School of Music in Westport, New York. These students won medals in their divisions: Division IV Piano - 1st Alexandra Lin, 2nd Katrina Kirov Division III Piano - 1st Zachary Yu, 2nd Dahlia Kirov Division III Voice - Bianca Fasanelli Division II Piano - 1st Eric Zeng, 2nd Chadrick Schwipper, Honorable mention; Harrison Snowden and Sadie Pichelmann Division II Orchestral Instruments - 1st Amanda Friedman, 2nd Brianna Howard Division I Piano - 1st Skylar Derr, 2nd Remy Van Nostrand Division I Violin - 1st Liam Harrington, 2nd Jacob Whitney Breanna Lang was runner up for the BRASS/Karen B. Boling Memorial Scholarship. BRASS supports the Jacksonville Symphony by fostering orchestral music appreciation, promoting concert attendance, providing financial support, and facilitating music education. Please visit brassonline.org or write to info@brassonline.org for more information.

68 JAXSYMPHONY.ORG – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2017

THE GUILD The Jacksonville Symphony Guild has been helping the staff with various projects. That is part of our mission, to support the Jacksonville Symphony in any way we can even if it is just baking cookies or stuffing envelopes. Now we are turning to the other part of our mission – to financially support our Symphony in any way we can. Our Friend of the Guild campaign starts in January. You can join this group for a donation of $125 which goes toward sponsoring a concert later in the season. I am happy to announce that we will be sponsoring “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony” which will be presented on April 1, 2017. Education is a big part of the Guild mission. Our Instrument Zoos have started. You should have seen the beautiful painted violins by now. Don’t forget to stop by our table and buy a chance. The money raised by this effort goes to support local teachers. Of course there is the Eleanor King Memorial Tuition Assistance Fund. We are very proud of the fact that we were able to donate $6,500 for Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra scholarships that help talented young musicians pay the tuition required to participate. There will be a Golf Tournament at Queen’s Harbour on April 10th. Even if you do not play golf you can always sponsor a hole or perhaps sponsor a musician that may want to play. So as you can see, there are lots of ways to support the Guild. If you would like more information about any of these activities or just want more information about the Guild please contact Jennifer Behr at 354.2767 or jbehr@jaxsymphony.org. She will point you to the exact person to answer any questions you may have. Also, check us out on Facebook at The Guild of the Jacksonville Symphony. Pat Manko, Guild President

VyStar Supports The Jacksonville Symphony

At VyStar we work hard to lower the cost of financial services on everything from free checking and savings accounts to lower cost loans and credit services. Because we are member owned, we have your best interest in mind. As a VyStar member, you’ll enjoy the convenience of a full range of financial service offerings, 40 full-service branches, more than 200 ATMs, and 24/7 access with Internet and mobile banking. Join us today and we’ll go to work for you.

904-777-6000 | www.vystarcu.org

ENCORE 69

7PM FRIDAY

FEBRUARY 17

NOVEMBER 11

7PM FRIDAY

7PM WEDNESDAY

MARCH 3

JANUARY 11

World dance

Sarah Chang, Violin

7PM WEDNESDAY

7PM TUESDAY

MARCH 22

JANUARY 31

Nicola Benedetti, Violin

7PM FRIDAY

FEBRUARY 10

MUSIC CAN TAKE YOU PLACES

P E A B O DY AU D I TO R I U M

Ray Chen, Violin

for more information 386.253.2901 or dbss.org

EXTRAVAGANZA Dance | Musical Theatre | Choral | Classical Music Jazz | Film

An Evening of

Artistry & Entertainment SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Times-Union Center • Moran Theater Tickets at TICKETMASTER.COM • 7PM

Featuring the talented students at

Douglas Anderson DA-ARTS.ORG

School of the Arts

ENCORE 71

2017 Season: February-April Dover Quartet, our Quartet-in-Residence

IF YOU LOVE MAKING MUSIC...

February 8, March 31 and Master Class on April 1

Anne Akiko Meyers, violin February 17

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn

Anne Akiko Meyers

Dover Quartet

banjo and vocals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 5

Christiania Trio

Christiana Trio

March 12

City of Angels Saxophone Quartet

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn

March 19 and free family concert on March 20

Buy Tickets Today for our 16th Season! www.aicmf.com or 904-261-1779

Visit www.aicmf.com for complete information about our entire 2017 season