Jon Nakamatsu Program Book

JON NAKAMATSU PIANO

APR 7, 2024

MARY-ANN K. CLINTON

ANABETH H. COX

MARYSUE HARRIS

KEITH HECKMAN

ABOUT JON NAKAMATSU

Since winning the Gold Medal at the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Jon Nakamatsu tours year-round working with today’s leading conductors and orchestras, and appears in recital and chamber collaborations at festivals and music centers worldwide. Together with the renowned clarinetist Jon Manasse, Mr. Nakamatsu regularly tours as a member of the Manasse/Nakamatsu Duo as well as with the Frautschi/Manasse/Nakamatsu Trio. Mr. Nakamatsu has been a frequent guest with ensembles such as the Emerson, Tokyo, Prazak, Escher, Jupiter and Ying String Quartets, and has also toured extensively with the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet. In 2018, Mr. Nakamatsu was appointed Artist-inresidence of the Chautauqua Institution Piano Program.

Named Debut Artist of the year by NPR’s Performance Today, Mr. Nakamatsu has been profiled by CBS Sunday Morning, Reader’s Digest, NPR’s Live from Here! and is featured in Playing with Fire, a documentary about the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He has recorded 13 CDs for harmonia mundi usa, all released to great critical acclaim. His recording of Gershwin’s Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue with the Rochester Philharmonic remained atop Billboard’s classical charts for six months. Mr. Nakamatsu’s CD of the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas with clarinetist Jon Manasse was selected by the New York Times as among its top classical recordings for 2008.

Jon Nakamatsu studied privately with Marina Derryberry since the age of six, has worked with Karl Ulrich Schnabel, and studied composition and theory with Dr. Leonard Stein of the Schoenberg Institute at the University of Southern California. A former high school German teacher, Mr. Nakamatsu is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a bachelor’s degree in German Studies and a master’s degree in Education. In 2015, Mr. Nakamatsu joined the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Mr. Nakamatsu serves on multiple international piano competition juries, and has been invited as guest speaker at numerous institutions including the Van Cliburn Foundation, Stanford University and the Juilliard School.

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Piano Program I

Placitas – 9/24/23

Nashville – 10/3/23

Placitas – 9/24/23

Temple – 10/21/23

Nashville – 10/3/23

Temple – 10/21/23

Lincoln – 4/7/24

Temple – 10/21/23

Lincoln – 4/7/24

Temple – 10/21/23

Lincoln – 4/7/24 J

Sonata, Op. 1 BERG Mässig bewegt

Sonata, Op. 1 BERG

Mässig bewegt

Sonata, Op. 1

Mässig bewegt

D Major, Op. 28 “Pastorale”

Sonata, Op. 1

Sonata in D Major, Op. 28 “Pastorale” BEETHOVEN

Allegro

Sonata in D Major, Op. 28 “Pastorale” BEETHOVEN

Mässig bewegt

Andante

Sonata in D Major, Op. 28 “Pastorale” BEETHOVEN

Andante

Allegro

Andante

Allegro

Andante

Scherzo: Allegro vivace; Trio

Scherzo: Allegro vivace; Trio Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo

Scherzo: Allegro vivace; Trio

Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo

Allegro

Scherzo: Allegro vivace; Trio Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo

Sonata in D Major, Op. 28 “Pastorale” BEETHOVEN

Andante

Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo

Scherzo: Allegro vivace; Trio

Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo

Fantasy in f minor, Op. 49 CHOPIN

f minor, Op. 49

Fantasy in f minor, Op. 49 CHOPIN

Fantasy in f minor, Op. 49

Intermission II

Sonata No. 3 in f minor, Opus 5 BRAHMS

3 in f minor, Opus 5

Sonata No. 3 in f minor, Opus 5 BRAHMS

Allegro maestoso

Andante

Sonata No. 3 in f minor, Opus 5

Allegro maestoso

Andante

Allegro maestoso

Sonata No. 3 in f minor, Opus 5 BRAHMS

Allegro maestoso

Andante

Scherzo; Allegro energico; Trio Intermezzo: (“Rückblick”): Andante molto

Scherzo; Allegro energico; Trio

Intermezzo: (“Rückblick”): Andante molto

Scherzo; Allegro energico; Trio Intermezzo: (“Rückblick”): Andante molto

Finale: Allegro moderato ma rubato

Scherzo; Allegro energico; Trio Intermezzo: (“Rückblick”): Andante molto

Intermezzo: (“Rückblick”): Andante molto

Finale: Allegro moderato ma rubato

STEINWAY PIANO

HARMONIA MUNDI

Exclusive Management: ARTS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC., 130 West 57th St., New

Lincoln

O N N A K A M A T S U Piano

Placitas Nashville Temple

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Program I

Intermission II

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O N N A K A M A T S U Piano

Placitas Nashville Temple Lincoln J

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STEINWAY PIANO HARMONIA MUNDI Exclusive Management: ARTS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC., 130 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019

J O N N A K A M A T S U Piano Program I

BERG

CHOPIN

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MUNDI

MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC., 130 West 57th St., New

10019

STEINWAY PIANO HARMONIA

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York, NY

Placitas – 9/24/23

J O N N A K A M A T S U Piano

BERG

Program I Op. 1

BEETHOVEN

CHOPIN Intermission II

BRAHMS

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PIANO

MUNDI

Management: ARTS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC., 130 West 57th St., New York,

10019

STEINWAY

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NY

Placitas – 9/24/23 Nashville – 10/3/23

O N N A K A M A T S U

Piano Program I

BERG

CHOPIN

BRAHMS

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MUNDI

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PROGRAM NOTES

PIANO SONATA, OP. 1 – MÄSSIG BEWEGT ALBAN BERG (1885-1935)

Alban Berg penned his Piano Sonata – the only piano work to which he assigned an opus number – in 1908-09 while studying under the hugely influential composer Arnold Schoenberg. Berg originally intended his sonata to have the typical three movements but found himself lacking inspiration for the remaining two after drafting the first. It was Schoenberg who eventually commented that Berg’s inability to add more meant that he “had said all there was to say.” Taking this advice to heart, Berg published the sonata as a standalone movement in 1910, and it premiered in Vienna in April 1911. Schoenberg’s prompting seemed to serve Berg well, as the sonata’s single movement speaks volumes despite its economic scale. Its musical language it a study in contrasts, shifting rapidly between tonal and post-tonal, stable and unstable elements. Despite its brief structure, the work still retains a recognizable classical sonata form with clear exposition, development, and recapitulation sections. Though it is officially in the key of B minor, the sonata makes such ample use of chromaticism and shifting tonal centers, defying simple categorization into a single key. The tempo and dynamics likewise pass through varied stages as the piece unfolds. The musical ideas heavily depend on Schoenberg’s technique of “developing variation,” wherein all facets of a composition derive from a single idea – in this case, the sonata’s opening gesture. Overall, the piece remains unsettled in tone, reflecting the anxiety and apprehension at the heart of the Austrian Expressionist movement that dominated Viennese art at the beginning of the 20th century.

PIANO SONATA NO. 15 IN D MAJOR, OP. 28 – “PASTORALE”

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)

Ludwig van Beethoven penned and published his Piano Sonata No. 15 in 1801, at the tail end of his early, classically-informed compositional period. Though not nearly as well-known as its immediate predecessor, No. 14 (commonly referred to as the “Moonlight” Sonata), No. 15 is still greatly admired for its serene beauty and musical intricacy. The nickname “Pastorale” was bestowed upon the work by Beethoven’s London publisher in 1805 rather than by the composer himself, yet the moniker aptly reflects the piece’s character. Not only does it evoke the rustic beauty of the natural countryside, but it also incorporates distinct elements of folk music, including an unmistakable drone bass in the outer movements. The sonata remains a popular concert piece today, captivating audiences and musicians alike with its lyrical beauty and subtle energy. The Allegro’s opening lines are the epitome of bucolic serenity. The gently flowing melody sings above a repeated pedal tone in the left hand, reminiscent of a bagpipe’s drone. The movement unfolds organically, one passage blending seamlessly into the next, with brief moments of drama and tension ultimately yielding to tranquility once more.

The Andante is a study in light and shadow. It commences with a stately march passage in a minor key, its dark legato melody in the right hand flowing over a staccato walking bass pattern in the left. The middle section interrupts with an almost comic burst of musical brightness before returning to the solemnity of the slow and steady march.

The humor hinted at in the second movement emerges fully in the third, which is rife with playful melodic buoyancy and a teasing interplay between the piano’s registers. This Scherzo brilliantly exemplifies Beethoven’s almost uncanny ability to endlessly develop even the smallest musical motifs and craft complex pieces out of a mere handful of notes.

Another drone-like figure opens the finale, further cementing its “Pastorale” sobriquet. This final movement Rondo progresses through a series of varying episodes, each imbued with its own unique atmosphere and rhythmic character. A presto coda brings the sonata to a close with a dazzling display of virtuosic passagework.

FANTAISIE IN F MINOR, OP. 49

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)

Frédéric Chopin holds the enviable position of being the Romantic composer who is perhaps most closely associated with piano composition. Chopin produced works full of delicate nuance and subtle virtuosity. Despite his renown, he gave fewer than ten public performances throughout his career, favoring the intimate atmosphere of private salons over grand Parisian concert halls. This preference may have stemmed from his somewhat fragile constitution; the composer battled poor health for most of his life and died at the young age of 39. While Chopin’s true legacy lies in the smaller piano forms at which he excelled and which gained him the most notoriety, he also penned a handful of larger-scale works, including two concertos, three sonatas, and the Fantaisie in F minor.

We know from Chopin’s letters that he used the term “fantasy” to refer to works with no clear compositional rules, that were free in both form and inspiration, and that broke with the established canon of defined genres of the day.

Written with such freedom of Romantic expression, the Fantaisie in F minor is now regarded as one of Chopin’s greatest achievements, widely recognized as a masterpiece of creative expression. Composed in 1841 when Chopin was 31 years old, the Fantaisie builds upon the compositional hallmarks found in his miniature masterworks – preludes, etudes, nocturnes, mazurkas, and more –but on a larger scale. Here we encounter the same intricate, soaring melodies, rich harmonies, sharp dynamic contrasts, and subtle shifts in character, skillfully woven together and expanded into a sweeping musical narrative of exceptional beauty and intensity.

PIANO SONATA NO. 3 IN F MINOR, OP. 5 JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)

In October 1853, the renowned composer and music critic Robert Schumann penned an article in his journal, Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Journal for Music), which catapulted the virtually unknown 20-year-old Johannes Brahms into overnight stardom:

“Sooner or later…someone would and must appear, fated to give us the ideal expression of the times, one who would not gain his mastery by gradual stages, but rather spring fully armed like Minerva from the head of Jove. And he has come, a young blood at whose cradle graces and heroes mounted guard. His name is Johannes Brahms…”

Amidst the whirlwind of newfound fame that followed, Brahms composed his third and final piano sonata, its symphonic scale and fully realized Romantic expression justifying the excitement caused by Schumann’s extravagant praise. Throughout the sonata, Brahms demonstrates his command of the piano as both a virtuosic instrument and a vehicle for emotional expression. It is his largest work for solo piano, structured in five movements rather than the typical three or four, and contains strong measures of the innovative language and youthful agility found in his early works.

The sonata’s opening movement immediately establishes a sense of drama and intensity through a sequence of bold fortissimo chords spanning the range of the keyboard. It then proceeds in sonata form, heavily featuring the sharp musical contrasts that would remain a key component of Brahms’ style throughout his career. A complex development section and extensive coda build the movement toward a triumphant climax.

The following slow Andante acts as the sonata’s emotional center: tender, simple, and divine. This movement is headed by a quotation from a poem by C.O. Sternau: “Through evening’s shade, the pale moon gleams/While rapt in love’s ecstatic dreams/Two hearts are fondly beating.” The two main themes perhaps represent the verse’s “two hearts,” alternating throughout the movement before combining at last in a rapturous conclusion.

The tumultuous third-movement Scherzo bursts with the frazzled energy of rapidfire rhythmic patterns and numerous fragmentary melodic ideas before giving way to the welcome calm of a lyrical trio. In contrast, the extra fourth movement takes the form of a subdued and brooding Intermezzo titled Rückblick (“looking back”), which reworks the lyrical character of the second movement into a haunting meditation.

The Rondo finale ingeniously draws together the disparate elements of the preceding movements, a mark of Brahms’ compositional maturity even at such a young age. The increasingly intricate passagework, inventive thematic transformations, and rhythmic and melodic ingenuity make for a thrilling conclusion to this stunning sonata.

Program notes by Laney Boyd

THIS PERFORMANCE IS DEDICATED TO MARYSUE HARRIS

MarySue Hormel Harris, aged 82, of Lincoln, passed away at her home in Laguna Hills, California, on February 15, 2024. MarySue, a gifted concert pianist and music teacher and was also the political partner of her husband, Bill Harris, who served as both a Nebraska State Senator and Mayor of Lincoln. Their marriage union spanned 46 years.

Renowned for her musical talent, compassion and philanthropic spirit, MarySue was a member of the First Church of Christ Scientist in Lincoln, NE. She was also an enthusiastic entrepreneur, operating her own business for decades and supporting numerous startups and family businesses over the years.

Raised in McCook, MarySue graduated from McCook High School and went on to earn a degree in Music from Hastings College, followed by graduate studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

A lifelong Nebraskan, she resided in Lincoln for 55 years, strenuously supporting various institutions and charities, including the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, the Lied Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln City Libraries, Lincoln Public Schools, the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, and Lincoln Music Teachers Association. As First Lady of Lincoln from 1987 to 1991, she was a fierce advocate for the arts and championed the City of Lincoln and its arts community through the remainder of her life.

Her broad generosity and dedication led to the local establishment of the UNL MarySue Harris School of Music Fund, the MarySue Harris Piano Scholarship Fund and even extended to places like Austin, MN in founding a music competition in partnership with the Hormel Historic Home.

She was recognized for her passion and leadership with awards such as the Award of Merit from UNL, the Hastings College Pro Rege Society Award, the LMTA Music Teacher of the Year, and the Music Teachers National Association Distinguished Service Award.

THIS PERFORMANCE IS DEDICATED TO JOAN REIST

Joan Reist loved helping bring world-class pianists to Lincoln as part of the Lied Center’s Piano Circle, especially as a way to give young people an opportunity to hear those artists perform.

Joan taught countless young people to play the piano. She was a lifelong member of the National Music Teachers Association, serving as president at the local, state and national levels. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and went on to teach music majors and develop graduate and undergraduate programs before retiring as an assistant professor. An avid supporter of the arts, she was passionate about helping make music a part of people’s lives.

ANABETH H. COX

As the only member of the Piano Circle without a history on the piano, I must admit that my love of piano performance comes as a result of my sister, MarySue Harris. Her love of the piano, her 40+ years of teaching piano, and her joy in the performance on the piano, have sealed my commitment to perpetuating that love for the children, and the children at heart, in the beauty of the music written for the piano. I’m grateful to be a part of bringing that beauty to the Lincoln community. I can’t play the piano, but I can love it!

MARY-ANN K. CLINTON

My late husband (John) and I have loved music all our lives. However, our passion for classical piano started in 1967 when we learned that our four-year-old son Mark had extraordinary musical talent. From that time, we dedicated our efforts to help him develop his God-given talents. We recently discovered that Mark’s paternal grandmother was such an accomplished pianist that she had been awarded a music scholarship to attend Boston University in the 1930’s. Due to family reasons, she never fulfilled that dream. This made us realize that although God works in wonderful and mysterious ways, family genes may also have been involved. Following our move to Lincoln, John and I soon found a home for all things musical and cultural at the Lied Center. The growth of the Lied Piano Circle allowed us to contribute to having some of the best piano music in the world on the Lied stage. Our musical journey has been wonderful one, and my continued participation in the Piano Circle is an honor and privilege. I look forward to this year’s Piano Circle artists as they provide another season of exciting performances for our Nebraska audiences.

KEITH HECKMAN

Having been a dealer in fine pianos for more than forty years, it gives me great pleasure to continue to provide Lincoln and the surrounding area the opportunity to hear some of the great artists of the world. It is also fulfilling to assist young piano students with interacting with excellent teachers and clinicians. What a treasure the Piano Circle is for the Lied.

CHARLOTTE HEERMANN

The Piano Series initially featured in the 2013–14 season of the Lied Center has enhanced the season program and promises to continue to do so in the 2023–24 season. Our community has had the special opportunity to experience piano performances of the highest quality presented by internationally acclaimed pianists. The response has been enthusiastic and has raised awareness and expectations of even more outstanding performances.

As a performing pianist and teacher for many years, I am particularly excited by the opportunity for students to hear some of the best pianists and performances in the world. What an inspiration! I look forward to another outstanding season with exceptional pianists and performances offered by the Piano Series.

MRS. LARRY H. LUSK

The piano and music have played an important part in my life. From my early childhood piano lessons, through high school, college and beyond, there has always been music and especially the piano. Once again, the Lied Piano Series brings beautiful music and outstanding artists to the Lied stage, showcasing the endless variety, creativity and beauty of this grand and glorious instrument. We welcome these artists to the Lied stage for all to enjoy!

JOAN M. REIST

It’s wonderful that the Piano Series has received such a positive and enthusiastic response, and I’m delighted that is has become a permanent fixture in Lied Center programming. It’s especially gratifying that this program continues to reach out to young people, giving them a unique opportunity to hear great music and observe great artists interact with the instrument. In the end, all who enjoy these concerts will walk away with something new and exciting that can enhance their personal—and positive—relationship with the piano.

I really appreciate continuing efforts to engage interested and enthusiastic piano students beyond the concert hall. The initial Piano Academy was a success in 2018 the 2019 and 2020 events followed suit. What a great opportunity for piano students to engage with talented and experienced mentors and with peers who have similar passion for making music at the piano!

RHONDA SEACREST

Since the early 1980’s, a priority of mine has been to provide visual and performing arts to underserved populations in Nebraska. The Piano Series is a wonderful extension of that objective.

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