Anthony McGill & Pacifica
MAY 4, 2021
Sphinx Virtuosi
MAY 26, 2021
Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series
Worth the wait Dear friends,
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elcome back! We are delighted to see you this evening. Understandably, many aspects of Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series are different from past seasons. You’ve already experienced some of the changes: We’re prioritizing our collective well-being with ticket guarantees, socially distanced seating, no intermissions, no bar in the lobby, and other stringent safety protocols. Yet, the most important aspect endures: Together, we’re again sharing and celebrating our love of great live music. Thank you for embracing Tuesday Musical’s mission of bringing powerful music and inspiring musicians to stages, schools, workplaces, and other venues throughout our community. We couldn’t do it without you. With gratitude,
Cynthia Snider, executive director
More to come! We’re looking forward to seeing you back here at EJ Thomas Hall for the last concert remaining in Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series. Chanticleer Tuesday, July 27 Chanticleer’s seamless blend of 12 male voices shines with Renaissance to jazz, gospel to new music. If social distancing and other health protocols allow, we’ll all enjoy a reception after the concert!
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eld in fabulous venues throughout our community, Tuesday Musical’s Member Programs offer afternoon and evening musical performances featuring professional musicians, students from our Brahms Allegro Junior Music Club, Tuesday Musical Scholarship Winners, and other members. These programs also feature delicious refreshments and opportunities to meet other music lovers. Yearly dues are $75. Call us at 330-761-3460 or email info@tuesdaymusical.org to request a membership application.
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1:41 PM tuesdaymusical.org ■2/2/21 330.761.3460
Akron Concert Series
EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall—The University of Akron Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 7:30 p.m.
at EJ Thomas Hall
Pacifica Quartet Simin Ganatra, violin; Austin Hartman, violin; Mark Holloway, viola; Brandon Vamos, cello with
Anthony McGill, clarinet
Joaquin Turina La Oración del Torero, Op. 34 1882-1949 Introduction Bréve Two-step Walking Slow Pasodoble James Lee III Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet b. 1975 Forgotten Emblems Awashoha Alas, my identity Celebrated Emblems Johannes Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115 1833-1897 Allegro Adagio Andantino Con moto The Pacifica Quartet and Anthony McGill are represented by MKI Artists. Pacifica Quartet recordings: Cedille Records, Naxos Records, and Hyperion Records Anthony McGill recordings: Cedille Records, Dacapo Records, BCMF Records, and GPR Records https://www.pacificaquartet.com/ https://www.anthonymcgill.com/ Among Tuesday Musical’s generous season supporters: Lisle M. Buckingham Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation Kenneth L. Calhoun Charitable Trust, KeyBank, Trustee Mary and Dr. George L. Demetros Charitable Trust Charles E. and Mabel M. Ritchie Memorial Foundation Lloyd L. and Louise K. Smith Foundation Welty Family Foundation
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The Artists
Pacifica Quartet
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ecognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and often daring repertory choices, over the past 26 years the Pacifica Quartet has achieved international recognition as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today. Named the quartet-in-residence at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in March 2012, the Pacifica was previously the quartetin-residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and has received multiple Grammy Awards for Best Chamber Music Performance. In 2017, the Pacifica Quartet was appointed to lead the Center for Advanced Quartet Studies at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Formed in 1994, the Pacifica Quartet quickly won chamber music’s top competitions, including the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award. In 2002 the ensemble was honored with Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award and the appointment to Lincoln Center’s The Bowers Program (formerly CMS Two), and in 2006 was awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. With its powerful energy and captivating, cohesive sound, the Pacifica has established itself as the embodiment of the senior American quartet sound. 6
The Pacifica Quartet has proven itself the preeminent interpreter of string quartet cycles, harnessing the group’s singular focus and incredible stamina to portray each composer’s evolution, often over the course of just a few days. Having given highly acclaimed performances of the complete Carter cycle in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Houston; the Mendelssohn cycle in Napa, Australia, New York, and Pittsburgh; and the Beethoven cycle in New York, Denver, St. Paul, Chicago, Napa, and Tokyo (in an unprecedented presentation of five concerts in three days at Suntory Hall), the Pacifica presented the monumental Shostakovich cycle in Chicago, New York, Montreal and at London’s Wigmore Hall. The quartet has been widely praised for these cycles, with critics calling the concerts “brilliant,” “astonishing,” “gripping,” and “breathtaking.” Recent season highlights include defining performances at Shriver Hall with Marc-André Hamelin and for the Montreal International String Quartet Academy, as well as appearances on North America’s major chamber-music series, including concerts in Charlottesville, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City, and Vancouver. An ardent advocate of contemporary music, the Pacifica Quartet commissions and performs many new works including those by Keeril tuesdaymusical.org ■ 330.761.3460
Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series
Makan, Julia Wolfe, and Shulamit Ran, the latter in partnership with the Music Accord consortium, London’s Wigmore Hall, and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. The work—Glitter, Doom, Shards, Memory—had its New York City debut as part of the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center series. In 2008 the quartet released its Grammy Award-winning recording of Carter’s quartets Nos. 1 and 5 on the Naxos label; the 2009 release of quartets Nos. 2, 3, and 4 completed the twoCD set. Cedille Records released the group’s four-CD recording of the entire Shostakovich cycle, paired with other contemporary Soviet works, to rave reviews: “The playing is nothing short of phenomenal” (Daily Telegraph, London). Other recent recording projects include Leo Ornstein’s rarely heard piano quintet with MarcAndré Hamelin with an accompanying tour, the Brahms piano quintet with the legendary pianist Menahem Pressler, and the Brahms and Mozart clarinet quintets with Anthony McGill, the New York Philharmonic’s principal clarinetist who is joining them on our Akron stage tonight. The members of the Pacifica Quartet live in Bloomington, Indiana, where they serve as quartet-in-residence and full-time faculty members at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Prior to that appointment, the Pacifica was on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana from 2003 to 2012, and also served as resident performing artist at the University of Chicago for 17 years. pacificaquartet.com.
Anthony McGill
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ailed for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (The New York Times), clarinetist Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures. In addition to his dynamic international solo and chamber music career, Mr. McGill is principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic—the first African-American principal player in the organization’s history. In 2020, he was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize, one of classical music’s most significant awards given in recognition of soloists who represent the highest level of musical excellence. Mr. McGill was honored to take part in the
inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams and performed alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero (who was on Tuesday Musical’s 2019-20 season). A dedicated champion of new music, this season he is performing Peace by Jessie Montgomery, Ad Anah? by James Lee III, a new work from Benjamin J. Shirley, Book of Days by Daron Hagen, and From The Mountaintop written for him by Richard Danielpour. In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, Mr. McGill launched a powerful musical protest video urging people to #TakeTwoKnees in demonstration against the death of George Floyd and historic racial injustice. His video went viral, and hundreds of artists and citizens amplified the message and responded to the protest with their own videos using the hashtag #TakeTwoKnees. Mr. McGill appears regularly as a soloist with top orchestras around North America, including the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Kansas City Symphony. As a chamber musician, he is a favorite collaborator of the Brentano, Daedalus, Guarneri, JACK, Miró, Pacifica, Shanghai, Takács, and Tokyo quartets, as well as Emanuel Ax, Inon Barnatan, Gloria Chien, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Midori, Mitsuko Uchida, and Lang Lang. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Mr. McGill previously served as the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera and associate principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In demand as a teacher, he serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, 7
The Artists and Bard College Conservatory of Music. In the fall of 2020, he was named Artist-in-Residence at the Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. In 2015, Mr. McGill recorded the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto together with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic. He and his brother, Demarre McGill, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra’s principal flutist, joined the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras with conductor Allen Tinkham to record Winged Creatures, an album of works for flute, clarinet, and orchestra including world-premiere recordings of duo concertos like the title track by African-American composer Michael Abels (Cedille Records). His Portraits, recorded with Demarre McGill and pianist Michael McHale, and Mozart and Brahms Clarinet Quintets, with the Pacifica Quartet, were both released on Cedille Records. Mr. McGill is an ardent advocate for helping music education reach underserved communities and for addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music. He is the Artistic
Director for the Music Advancement Program (MAP) at The Juilliard School, a weekend program for music students who demonstrate a commitment to artistic excellence, which actively seeks students from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in classical music. This year, in concert with a $30,000 charitable gift from the Avery Fisher Artist Program designated to a charity of Mr. McGill’s choice, Anthony and Weston Sprott, Dean of the Preparatory Division of The Juilliard School, established the Weston Sprott and Anthony McGill MAP Summer Scholarship Fund so MAP students can take part in summer programs and festivals. Anthony McGill serves on the board of directors for the League of American Orchestras, Cedille Records, and the Harmony Program, and on the advisory councils for the InterSchool Orchestras of New York and Time In Children’s Arts Initiative. He is a Vandoren Artist and Buffet Crampon Artist. anthonymcgill.com.
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Program Notes
Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series
La Oración del Torero for String Quartet with performances by Joaquin Turina
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n the pantheon of 20th century Spanish composers — I. Albeniz, M. De Falla, E. Granados, and F. Mompou — Joaquin Turina was the only one to devote a considerable part of his compositional talents to chamber music. Like each of the aforementioned composers, he lived and studied music in Paris, where he was encouraged by the likes of D’Indy, Ravel, and Debussy. In this brief tone poem for string quartet, La Oración del Torero (“The Bullfighter’s Prayer”), the influence of Debussy can be heard, especially in the use of lush descending parallel ninth chords. The influence of music of the Andalusian Gypsies is also quite evident. This piece became one of the composer’s most popular works, often performed in an arrangement for string orchestra. I defer to David Ewen for the following: “The Bullfighter’s Prayer is marked by a striking contrast of moods and colors. It opens quietly: after progressing with impulsive rhythms to moods of impetuous character, an expansive melody which dominates the composition is unfolded. A forceful climax then arrives. After this has been fully realized, the ideas stated at the beginning of the piece are repeated. The principal melody brings the work to a gentle conclusion.” — Joseph Way
Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet James Lee III
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frican-American composer James Lee III hails from St. Joseph, Michigan. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Michigan. Among his major composition teachers have been Michael Daugherty, William Bolcom, Bright Sheng, and Betsy Jolas. Since 2006 he has been highly prolific, writing a broad array of works for orchestra,
the National Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, among others. There is also a sizeable body of work for solo piano, mixed chorus, string quartet, and other media. In 2014, he was a Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Professor to the State University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Lee is a professor of music at Morgan State University in Baltimore. The work we are hearing this evening was completed in November 2018. Like a number of Mr. Lee’s other works, it is inspired by a profound religious conviction coupled with a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness. In a personal communication to this writer he has drawn attention to the following passage from the Book of Revelation: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel
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Program Notes to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Revelation 14:6-7). Prefacing the score is this Composer’s Note: “Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet is a fourmovement work inspired by historical aspects of indigenous Americans. The first movement, Forgotten Emblems, uses what I call an ‘inverted shofar theme’ that can be heard at the beginning of Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses and William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony. This movement also refers to various paintings of An Emblem of America from the 18th century. There are also many moments when I try to imitate an Indian Pow Wow. I named the second movement Awashoha, which is a Choctaw Indian word that means to ‘play somewhere.’ This serves as the scherzo movement. Movement three serves as a kind of lament and references the reclassification of many indigenous people and the removal to other regions of the country. Then finally, movement four is a short dance celebration of the lives represented in the various paintings of Emblem of America.” This clarinet quintet offers richly evocative music that is to be savored for its rhythms, textures, and timbres as much as anything else. By way of homage to Nathaniel Dett and his The Ordering of Moses, Mr. Lee announces the “inverted shofar theme” in the cello at the outset. The prophet has spoken. Listeners may also hear this motif as a pentatonic four-note module that sounds like the opening of the traditional black spiritual Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. This motif is very soon expanded upon by the cello, with other instruments developing it further. What also imparts special atmosphere to the movement is the eighth-note ostinato — presumably an evocation of Pow-Wow drumming. Awashoha is truly playful — a “con spirito” movement replete with frequent metrical shifts, including those with five beats to the bar. Zestful pizzicato, playing collegno (the wooden part of the bow) and glissandi all communicate a sense of fun. By contrast, the third movement, Alas, my 10
identity, at least in its opening measures, harks back to a kind of accompanied recitative—an “operatic” clarinet-as-protagonist lamenting the abuses of reclassification and removal. The writing in this movement is deeply expressive of a bleak world, particularly in passages that are spare. By the same token, these passages serve as a foil for the impassioned climax around the midpoint of the movement. A reprise of much of the opening material rounds out the movement. The celebratory finale captures the spirit of the dance, starting with a series of tightly interlocking eighth-note duplets. Suggestions of stomping abound as well; they are contrasted with trance-like quintuple groupings of eighth notes that underpin the clarinet melodic line. Part of this melodic material turns out to be a variant of what was heard in the preceding movement. The closing measures are packed with the joyous fortissimo energy of eighth-note triplets that promptly deposit us on a final resounding E major chord. — Joshua Berrett, PhD
Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115 Johannes Brahms
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n December 1890 Brahms resolved to cease composing. “I have worked enough,” he told a friend, “now let the young take over.” He sent the completed score of his Viola Quintet, Op. 111 to his publisher with a note saying, “You may bid farewell to my music.” In March 1891, however, he heard a performance by the great clarinet virtuoso Richard Mühlfeld and decided his “farewell to music” was premature. Inspired by Mühlfeld, Brahms began at once to compose for him and completed the Clarinet Trio, Op. 114 and the Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115 that same year. Brahms considered himself a preserver of the classical music tradition, and Op. 115 mirrors the movement sequence of Mozart’s glorious Clarinet Quintet, K. 581. But Brahms gave Op. 115 an organic unity that was forward-looking for tuesdaymusical.org ■ 330.761.3460
Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series
its time. Musical motifs from early movements are explored in later ones; harmonies shift restlessly between major and minor keys in all movements; and the palette of tone colors Brahms uses is consistently autumnal. The revolutionary modernist composer Arnold Schoenberg later praised Brahms as a “progressive” for his exploration of unifying thematic elements across an entire composition. Op. 115 begins with an unassuming melody in the strings that is taken up by the solo voice of the clarinet. The movement’s first few measures contain musical fragments that Brahms uses again in various forms in all four movements. The opening measures also set the Quintet’s ongoing pattern of shifting harmonies. Three wistful notes in the clarinet over muted strings begin the second movement. Mozart biographer Maynard Solomon observes that Mozart’s clarinet quintet begins with these same three note intervals and that here Brahms pays homage to his illustrious predecessor. The movement’s melancholy nocturne is interrupted
by a dramatic Hungarian gypsy lament as the clarinet rises and falls above agitated string tremolos. The third movement performs the traditional role of scherzo and trio, although with an unusual structure. The brief opening section is more song than scherzo and serves principally to introduce a much longer scherzo-like section that runs to the end of the movement. Rather than repeat the opening introduction, Brahms artfully slips only its last few measures into the movement just before it ends. The last movement is a theme and five variations. The theme strongly recalls the melody of the second movement’s introductory section. Four of the variations explore different aspects of the theme, but the fifth returns to the lyrical melody that opens the first movement. As a final link across the composition, Brahms brings the Quintet to a close with almost exactly the same music that ended the first movement. —Robert Strong © 2015
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2/12/21 10:30 AM
EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall—The University of Akron Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 7:30 p.m.
Akron Concert Series at EJ Thomas Hall
Sphinx Virtuosi Quintet Rubén Rengel, violin; Jannina Norpoth, violin; Dana Kelley, viola Thomas Mesa, cello; Christopher Johnson, bass
Xavier Foley b. 1994
Ev’ry Voice
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson 1934-2004
Sinfonietta No. 1
Andrea Casarrubios b. 1988
SEVEN
Samuel Barber 1910-1981
Adagio from Quartet for Strings, Op. 11
Antonín Dvořák Quartet in F major, Op. 96, “American” 1841-1904 IV. Finale Inspired by the Sphinx musicians and guided by art teacher Patrick Dougherty, students Evelyn Brooks, Kaniyah Edwards, Rowan Loesch, Robin Moore, Sydnee Wade, and Jenny Wei from The Akron School for the Arts at Firestone High School have created paintings to unveil here this evening. Because of COVID, the talented students have worked mostly at home on their artworks since last fall. This is the latest in a multi-year collaboration that has led to an exciting collection of student artworks inspired by Tuesday Musical’s world-acclaimed musicians. This concert and related educational activities are supported, in part, by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Ohio Arts Council and the Crane Group.
Among Tuesday Musical’s generous season supporters: Lisle M. Buckingham Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation, Kenneth L. Calhoun Charitable Trust, KeyBank Trustee, Mary and Dr. George L. Demetros Charitable Trust, Gertrude F. Orr Trust Advised Fund of Akron Community Foundation, Charles E. and Mabel M. Ritchie Memorial Foundation, Lloyd L. and Louise K. Smith Foundation, Welty Family Foundation
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The Artists
Photo by Kevin Kennedy
Sphinx Virtuosi
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omposed of 18 of the nation’s top Black and Latinx classical soloists, the Sphinx Virtuosi are the nation’s most dynamic, exhilarating professional chamber orchestra dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in classical music. The Virtuosi are primarily alumni of the internationally renowned Sphinx Competition, working together as cultural ambassadors reaching new audiences. Five of the Virtuosi — representing each of the chamber orchestra’s sections — are with us this evening: violinists Rubén Rengel and Jannina Norpoth, violist Dana Kelley, cellist Thomas Mesa, and bassist Christopher Johnson. The Virtuosi earned rapturous reviews from The New York Times during their highly acclaimed debut at Carnegie Hall in December 2004: Allan Kozinn described the performance as “first-rate in every way” and raved that “the ensemble produced a more beautiful, precise and carefully shaped sound than some fully professional orchestras that come through Carnegie Hall in the course of the year.” The Sphinx Virtuosi have returned to Carnegie Hall annually since 2006, performing to sold-out audiences and earning additional outstanding reviews from The New York Times each year. 14
Acting as a bridge between minority communities and the classical music establishment, the Sphinx Virtuosi continue to garner critical acclaim during their annual national tours to many of the leading venues around the country. Inspired by the Sphinx Organization’s overarching mission, the Sphinx Virtuosi work to advance diversity in classical music while engaging young and new audiences through performances of kaleidoscopically varied repertoire. Masterpieces by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and Mozart are performed alongside the more seldom-presented works by composers of color, including Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, George Walker, Michael Abels, and Astor Piazzolla. Members of the Sphinx Virtuosi have performed as soloists with America’s major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland, Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras. Members also hold professional orchestral positions; several have been named laureates of prestigious international competitions, including the Queen Elizabeth and Yehudi Menuhin competitions. The Sphinx Virtuosi’s first recording was released in 2011 on the White Pine label and features music of Mendelssohn, Sibelius, Gabriela Lena Frank, and George Walker. tuesdaymusical.org ■ 330.761.3460
Program Notes Ev’ry Voice Xavier Foley
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his work is an homage and pays tribute to the Black National Anthem. Lift Every Voice and Sing was first written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson. Johnson was an American writer and civil rights activist, who also led the NAACP. Its first performance was in celebration of President Lincoln’s birthday, on February 12, 1900, in Jacksonville, FL, performed by a group of schoolchildren. The poem was set to music by Johnson’s brother, John Rosamond Johnson, and as a complete work, adopted by the NAACP as its official anthem. We often say that music is the soundtrack of our history and our lives. Today, we know Lift Every Voice and Sing as the soundtrack of the
Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series
African American Civil Rights Movement. Xavier Foley, a brilliant bassist and composer and the winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and a Sphinx Competition Laureate, was commissioned by the Sphinx Organization to create two separate versions of a work Lift Ev’ry Voice. One of the versions is set for the Sphinx Virtuosi, while the second incorporates use of Sphinx’s professional vocal ensemble, Exigence. This piece was created in 2020 as a special feature under Sphinx’s program umbrella of Land of the Free, which illuminates the wealth of musical talent among American composers. This composition has become a beloved standalone. The inspiration for the commission came at a time when the ideals of unity were invoked amidst uncertainty, tragedy, and hope. In his music, Foley brings out the sonority and virtuosity of the string instruments to feature the familiar melodic material, while uncovering new timbres and sounds, almost symbolically encouraging all of us to look and listen anew, beyond the isolation of the global pandemic and the racial and cultural divide in our country.
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Program Notes Today’s soundtrack for the hopeful times ahead is ushered in by Foley’s new tribute to a treasured piece of the American historical and musical heritage.
Sinfonietta No. 1 Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson
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orn in New York City, ColeridgeTaylor Perkinson was one of the nation’s foremost composers yet his profound contributions to the American classical canon have been significantly overlooked. His unique versatility transcends the barriers of genre, musical medium, culture, and time. A consummate and visionary artist, he was a composer, conductor, educator, mentor, role model, and pioneer. Perkinson held many positions throughout his career, including co-founder of the Symphony of the New World and coordinator of performance activities for Center for Black Music Research. Written in 1952 when Perkinson was 22 years old, the Sinfonietta was not premiered until 1966. In its style and form, this excellent work exhibits the influences of composers ranging from Bach to Copland and Barber. The Sinfonietta also offers a range of characters and qualities, from lyrical and sonorous in the slow movement to exuberant and defiant in the Finale. Perkinson not only masterfully combined the influences of other great masters, but also decidedly presented his own style and language, including intricate meter variation, harmonic definition, and distinctive lyricism. To capture some of the timeless jewels of Perkinson’s writing, the Sinfonietta was recorded on the disc A Celebration by the Chicago Sinfonietta and Paul Freeman after the composer’s passing.
SEVEN Andrea Casarrubios
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EVEN for solo cello (2020) is a tribute to the essential workers during the global COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to those who lost lives and suffered from the crisis. The piece ends with seven bell-like sounds, alluding to New York’s daily 7 p.m. tribute during the lockdown — the moment when New Yorkers clapped from their windows, connecting with each other and expressing appreciation for those on the front lines.
Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 Samuel Barber
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his American classic was created in the summer of 1936 as part of Barber’s String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11. The arrangement for a string orchestra was done several years later by the composer himself for a performance by the NBC Orchestra with the famed Arturo Toscanini. In fact, this slow movement, titled Adagio for Strings, became his most performed piece. A beautiful, soaring melody, ushered in by the first violins, becomes the centerpiece of the whole work, thoughtfully rotating among all voices. Written in a very challenging key of B Flat Minor, it is both haunting and beautiful, exploring the full range of human emotion from lamentation to gentle rays of hope.
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Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series
String Quartet No. 12 in F major, B. 179, Op. 96, American Antonin Dvořák
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n 1892 Dvořák served as artistic director and professor of composition at the National Conservatory of Music in America in New York City. He was appointed to this role at the request of the institution’s president, Jeannette Thurber. His mission was to help study and formulate the American classical or art music. Ultimately, his writing indicates that he was rather enamored with the African-American spirituals, Native American melodies, and the unusual rhythmic richness inherent in the American tradition. He further
believed in furthering these elements rather than encouraging the imitation or further of the European melodic and rhythmic foundation. Dvořák spent the summer of 1893 relaxing in a small farming community (300 residents) of Czech immigrants in Spillville, Iowa, where this work was born. The Kneisel Quartet gave the premiere in Boston on New Year’s Day 1894 and in New York City on January 12, 1895. Arguably the most popular of Dvořák’s 14 quartets, the American reflects his aim “to write something really melodious and simple” and undoubtedly reflective of not only the melodies of his native land, drawing upon the nostalgia, but also inspired by the music he heard in America. Specifically, the pentatonic melodies he employs throughout (in place of the chromatic preferences in the European music) certainly suggest an authentic connection to the latter. The fast final movement is cheerful, celebratory, jubilant, and deeply reflective.
Double your impact You can help Tuesday Musical continue to inspire current and future generations of music lovers. Several dedicated donors have created a $50,000 Incentive Fund to match new and increased gifts — dollar for dollar! Double your positive impact and help Tuesday Musical continue to: ■ Deliver exhilarating concert experiences. If you were in our audience in February 2019 for Joshua Bell and Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, you know what we mean! ■ Bring the power and magic of world-class music to schools, universities, libraries, community centers, retirement communities, hospitals, and more every year. ■ Provide free concert tickets to students of all ages and underwrite bus transportation for student groups. ■ Help college and university students become music educators and performers through Tuesday Musical’s Annual Scholarship Competition (our 65th competition is happening this month in an all-virtual format). ■ Encourage youngsters to develop their music skills, perform for their peers, and participate in competitions through our Brahms Allegro Junior Music Club. All gifts, at any level, are much appreciated and are tax deductible as allowed by law. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to contact us at info@tuesdaymusical.org or 330-761-3460. Or, to give securely online, visit tuesdaymusical.org/support.
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Support: Individuals
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e gratefully acknowledge all donors this season. Thank you for helping Tuesday Musical continue to inspire current and future generations of music lovers. This list includes this season’s donors who have given at least $200 as of April 12, 2021. Director $5,000+ Ann Allan Hope Everhart Cynthia Knight Paul and Linda Liesem Michael and Lori Mucha Corrine and Donald Rohrbacher Tim and Jenny Smucker Fred and Elizabeth Specht Darwin Steele Kenneth Taylor Linda and Jim Venner Luinda Weiss — “Three Graces Piano” Benefactor $1,500 to $4,999 Earl and Judy Baxtresser Bruce and Joy Hagelin DuWayne and Dottie Hansen Linda Hohenfeld David and Margaret Hunter James and Maureen Kovach Peter and Dorothy Lepp Marianne Miller Charles and Elizabeth Nelson Patrick Reilly Richard and Alita Rogers Patricia Sargent Kenneth Shafer Larry and Cynthia Snider Sustainer $700 to $1,499 Ann Amer Brennan Eleanor and Richard Aron Lee and Floy Barthel Rob and Alyssa Briggs Alfred Cavaretta Sally Childs Kittie B. Clarke Frank C. Comunale Thomas and Mary Lynn Crowley Barbara Eaton Barbara and Denis Feld Paul Filon Robert and Beverley Fischer Sue Gillman Teresa and Ted Good Joseph Kanfer Lawrence B. Levey Mike Magee Anita Meeker Natalie Miahky Dianne and Herb Newman George Pope Mark and Claire Purdy 18
Lola Rothmann Dr. Pamela Rupert Peter and Nanette Ryerson Thomas and Meg Stanton Elizabeth and Michael Taipale Carol Vandenberg John Vander Kooi Patron $400 to $699 Mark and Sandy Auburn John Bertsch William P. Blair III Ann Amer Brennan Joann Collier Harloe and Harriet Cutler John Dalton Denis and Barbara Feld Lois and Harvey Flanders Sharon Gandee Elaine Guregian Louise and Jim Harvey Loren Hoch Susan and Allen Kallor Mark and Barbara MacGregor Landon Nyako and Dallas Moore Stanley and Roberta Marks Earla Patterson Alan and Marjorie Poorman Paula Rabinowitz Roger Read and Sally Miller Elizabeth Rusnak Donald Schmid and Rosemary Reyman Jean Schooley Richard Shirey and Jim Helmuth Sandra and Richey Smith Annaliese Soros Jennifer and Jeff Stenroos Donor $200 to $399 Beth Amer Cornelia Aro John and Kathleen Arther Jack and Bonnie Barber Carmen and David Beasley Cheryl Boigegrain Guy and Debra Bordo Sara J. Buck Sara and Alan Burky Amielie Cajka Frank Communale Robert and Susan Conrad William and Rebecca Considine Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Croft
Gary Devault Roger and Ann Edwards Rosemarie George Barbara and John Gillette Mark Greer Jarrod Hartzler Michael T. Hayes Walt and Gwen Heeney Patti Hester John and Suzanne Hetrick Mike and Betty Howell Gary and Maureen Iler Moneeb Iqbal Mary Ann Jackson Mark and Karla Jenkins Greer Kabb-Langkamp Susan Kruder George and Mary Leuca III Tom and Cheryl Lyon Bill and Sally Manby Marjorie Magee JoAnn Marcinkoski John and Margaret McBride James and Mary Messerly Jim and Patty Milan Georgia and Gary Miller Richard Morrow Paul and Alicia Mucha Alfred and Judy Nicely Annette Nicoloff and Kristine Mikolajczyk Sue Rasor-Greenhalgh Sandra and Ben Rexroad Kathy Rose Beverly Rose Ed and Maureen Russell John Schambach Anne Marie Schellin Rachel Schneider Richard and Susan Schrop Betty and Joel Siegfried Sam and Sandy Smith Margo Snider Doris and James St. Clair Mary Jane Stanchina Peter and Linda Tilgner Brooks and Dina Toliver Susan and Reid Wagstaff Kathleen Walker Jorene Whitney Jamie Wilding and Caroline Oltmanns Christopher Wilkins Shirley Workman Terry and Susan Yingling Douglas D. Zook Jr. tuesdaymusical.org ■ 330.761.3460
Support: Memorials & Tributes
Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series
These generous donors have chosen to honor special people in meaningful ways. List as of April 12, 2021. In memory of Anne Alexander Barbara and Denis Feld Bob and Beverley Fischer Jarrod Hartzler
Bruce and Joy Hagelin Cynthia Knight Martha Kaltenbach Mark and Barbara MacGregor
In memory of Margaret Baxtresser Lee and Floy Barthel Judy and Eral Baxtresser
In memory of Laura Lee Garfinkle Mark and Sandy Auburn Barbara and Denis Feld
In memory of Leonora Bee Mark and Sandy Auburn
In memory of Stephen Griebling James and Linda Beck Bruce and Joy Hagelin
In honor of Judi and Jerry Brenner Anita Meeker In memory of Marian Caddick Harold and Pat Anderson Mark and Sandy Auburn Roberta DePompei Terry and Sue Rasor Greenhalgh Jarrod Hartzler In memory of Kathryn Carcione Joel and Betty Siegfried In memory of Jerry Davidson Bobbie Eaton Barbara and Denis Feld Bruce and Joy Hagelin Jarrod Hartzler Peter and Dorothy Lepp Mark and Barbara MacGregor Natalie Miahky In memory of Bill Eaton Doris St. Clair In honor of Bobbie Eaton Judi and Jerry Brenner In memory of Hope Everhart Peter and Dorothy Lepp In memory of Wanda L. Fair Kittie B. Clarke In honor of Bob Fischer Dan Ginis In memory of David Fisher Barbara and Denis Feld Ted and Teresa Good
In honor of Joy and Bruce Hagelin Judi and Jerry Brenner Anita Meeker Elizabeth Sandwick In memory of William Kingsbury Anonymous Doris and James St. Clair Bobbie Eaton Barbara and Denis Feld Bruce and Joy Hagelin Natalie Miahky In memory of Eugene Mancini Toshie Haga In honor of Anita Meeker Elizabeth Sandwick In memory of Rusty Miller Barbara and Denis Feld Jarrod Hartzler In memory of Bob Neidert Barbara and Denis Feld Bruce and Joy Hagelin Jarrod Hartzler Patricia Jones-Neal Natalie Miahky Shirley Workman In memory of Donald Reid Bruce and Joy Hagelin In memory of Patrick Reilly Mark and Sandy Auburn Judi and Jerry Brenner Bobbie Eaton Barbara and Denis Feld
Bob and Beverly Fischer Bruce and Joy Hagelin Jarrod Hartzler Barbara and Mark MacGregor Anita Meeker Natalie Miahky Shirley Workman In memory of Sue Reitz Barbara and Denis Feld Bob and Beverley Fischer Jarrod Hartzler Peter and Dorothy Lepp Natalie Miahky In memory of Lola Rothmann Akron-Canton Stage Employees – Local 48 Mark and Sandy Auburn Ann Amer Brennan Soloman Cokes and Pamela Rothmann Barbara and Denis Feld Bob and Beverley Fischer Teresa and Ted Good Jarrod Hartzler Rose Heintz Ruth Hunt Cynthia Knight Richard Morrow Alfred and Judy Nicely Elizabeth Rusnak Tom and Sue Stewart Lily Wallach Abe and Nancy Zaidan In honor of Lola Rothmann’s birthday Becky Ryba In honor of Cynthia Snider Mark and Sandy Auburn Cynthia Knight In memory of Roy and Marian Tunnell Bruce and Joy Hagelin In honor of Madeline Whittum Dr. Lawrence and Harriet Richmond In memory of Doyle Wingard Natalie Miahky 19
Support: Foundations, Businesses, Government Through their vital support, these organizations help to sustain Tuesday Musical and the arts throughout our region. List as of April 12, 2021. $25,000+ CARES Act GAR Foundation John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Ohio Arts Council $10,000 to $24,999 Community Fund—Arts & Culture of the Akron Community Foundation C. Colmery Gibson Polsky Fund of Akron Community Foundation Kulas Foundation John A. McAlonan Fund of Akron Community Foundation Gertrude F. Orr Trust Advised Fund of Akron Community Foundation Peg’s Foundation Charles E. and Mabel M. Ritchie Memorial Foundation
$5,000 to $9,999 The Lisle M. Buckingham Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation Kenneth L. Calhoun Charitable Trust, KeyBank, Trustee Mary S. and David C. Corbin Foundation Mary and Dr. George L. Demetros Charitable Trust Lloyd L. and Louise K. Smith Foundation Welty Family Foundation $1,000 to $4,999 Arts Midwest Touring Fund KeyBank Foundation Lehner Family Foundation Beatrice K. McDowell Family Fund Laura R. and Lucian Q. Moffitt Foundation OMNOVA Solutions Foundation Sisler McFawn Foundation
$200 to $999 KeyBank Foundation Community Leadership Fund W. Paul Mills and Thora J. Mills Memorial Foundation Maynard Family Foundation Business Partners Tuesday Musical thanks these businesses for their financial support. As our partners, they are investing in the community where their customers, employees, and families live, learn and work.
The McCarron Group
Thank you, Business Partners! presents
Stitched: Regional Dress Across Europe Featuring pieces exclusive to our permanent collection, Stitched draws attention to the shared commonalities of Western and Eastern European regional dress.
We hope to see you soon at the Kent State University Museum! 330-672-3450 www.kent.edu/museum 20
We are delighted to welcome The McCarron Group and Baird Financial Advisors as Tuesday Musical’s newest Business Partners. The McCarron Group – Robert McCarron Sr. and Robert McCarron Jr. – offer retirement planning, education planning, and investment management. In 2010 they joined Baird, which offers private wealth management, asset management, investment banking/capital markets and private equity services through its offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. All of Tuesday Musical’s Business Partners help us share world-class music on stages, in schools, and throughout our community. Through their generous support, they are investing in the region where their clients and employees live and work. Is your business interested in connecting with well-educated and sophisticated arts supporters and community leaders throughout Greater Akron and Northeast Ohio? To discuss options and opportunities, please contact Cynthia Snider, executive director of Tuesday Musical, at 330-761-3460 or csnider@tuesdaymusical.org. tuesdaymusical.org ■ 330.761.3460
Rising musical stars!
T
he best of its kind in Ohio, Tuesday Musical’s Annual Scholarship Competition provides valuable support for talented university students embarking on careers as music educators and performers. Now in its 65th year, this year’s adjudicated competition was fully virtual and drew a record 163 applicants. Categories included music education, brass, marimba/classical steel pan, organ, piano, strings, voice, woodwinds, and classical guitar. New this year was the Howard E. Leisinger Viola Prize, established by brothers Richard Zook and Douglas Zook Jr. to honor their maternal grandfather. The winners of the 2021 Competition include 21 college and university music students in Ohio. The winners have received awards totaling $23,500. The first- and second-place winners have been invited to perform in Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Scholarship Winners Concert on
Sunday, May 16, 2:30 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church, 2726 W. Market St., Fairlawn. Two additional performance scholarships — one for $1,000 and one for $2,000 — will be awarded. The concert is free. To ensure social distancing, reservations are required at info@ tuesdaymusical.org or 330-761-3460. Since starting the competition in 1955 with support from generous donors and volunteers, Tuesday Musical has awarded approximately 575 scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 to talented students embarking on careers as music educators and performers. Composer and pianist Jamie Wilding, a Tuesday Musical board member and faculty member at The University of Akron School of Music, chairs Tuesday Musical’s all-volunteer scholarship committee. Visit tuesdaymusical.org/education for the full winners’ list. Congratulations to all of this year’s applicants and their teachers!
Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Scholarship Competition Winners Brass — adjudicated by Dr. Christopher Blaha, The University of Akron ■ 1st Place, Arden J. Yockey Scholarship, $1,500: Jane Kelly, trumpet, Bowling Green State University ■ 2nd Place, Tuesday Musical Scholarship, $1,000: Devin Foster, tuba, Capital University ■ 3rd Place, Tuesday Musical Scholarship, $500: Taryn Lee, French horn, University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music Piano — adjudicated by Dr. Andrew Le, Kent State University ■ 1st Place, Marilyn Fischer & Joan Marie Scherer Scholarship, $1,500: Kyra Lombard, Oberlin Conservatory ■ 2nd Place, Marguerite Thomas & Gertrude Lancaster Scholarship, $1,000: Diana Chubak, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music ■ 3rd Place, Clarenz J. Lightfritz Scholarship, $500: Jiao Sun, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Strings — adjudicated by David Rose, SUNY-Fredonia ■ 1st Place, Drs. Frederick A. and Elizabeth M. Specht Scholarship, $1,500: Kristine Clair Galano, violin, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music ■ 2nd Place, Tuesday Musical Scholarship, $1,000: Drew Dansby, cello, Oberlin Conservatory ■ 3rd Place, Barbara Ainsworth Porter Scholarship, $500: Kitsho Hosotani, violin, Cleveland Institute of Music ■ Howard E. Leisinger Viola Prize (inaugural award), $1,200: Alyssa Warcup, Cleveland Institute of Music Voice — adjudicated by Dr. Marc Weagraff, Baldwin Wallace University ■ 1st Place, Arden J. Yockey Scholarship, $1,500: Christina Hazen, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
■ 2nd Place, Tuesday Musical Scholarship, $1,000: Katherine Krebs, Oberlin Conservatory/ Northwestern University ■ 3rd Place, Tuesday Musical Scholarship, $500: Amanda Olea, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Woodwinds — adjudicated by Thom Moore, professional oboist and recording productor/writer ■ 1st Place, Arden J. Yockey Scholarship, $1,500: Amer Hasan, clarinet, Oberlin Conservatory ■ 2nd Place, Ann, Emily & Jeffrey Gleason/Travis & Caitlin Rea Scholarship, $1,000: Joshua Tuttle, saxophone, Bowling Green State University ■ 3rd Place, Tuesday Musical Scholarship, $500: Stephen Dubetz, clarinet, Kent State University Classical Guitar — adjudicated by Dr. Evan Drummond, SUNY-Buffalo State ■ Margaret Watts Hunter Scholarship, $1,500: Aidan Wiley Lippke, Oberlin Conservatory Marimba/Classical Steel Pan — adjudicated by Dr. William Sallak, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay ■ Dr. Larry D. Snider Scholarship, $1,500: Lilith Manes, The University of Akron Organ — adjudicated by Daniel Laginya, professional organist, Youngstown State University ■ Audrey Mollard Scholarship, $1,500: Matthew Wachtman, Baldwin Wallace University Music Education — adjudicated by Dr. Patricia Boehm, Mount Union University ■ Gertrude Seiberling Scholarship, sponsored by the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs, $1,400: Talor Marren, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music ■ Winifred Collins Scholarship, sponsored by the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs, $1,400: Allison Siekmann, Case Western Reserve University 21
2020-2021 Board of Directors
Executive Committee
President Linda Liesem
Vice President/President Elect George Pope
Treasurer Paul Mucha Secretary Marianne Miller Governance Committee Chair Magdalena McClure
Committee Chairs Artistic Planning Cynthia Snider Brahms Allegro Jennifer Stenroos
Development Charles Nelson Finance Paul Mucha
Hospitality Bobbie Eaton
Membership Fred Specht
Member Programs Stanislav Golovin
Scholarship James Wilding Student Ticket Program Teresa Good
At-large Members Mark Greer, Cheryl Lyon, Brian Meek, Landon Nyako, Claire Purdy, Shirley Workman Staff
Executive Director Cynthia Snider
Director of Finance and Audience Services Karla Jenkins
Director of Artistic Operations and Educational Engagement Moneeb Iqbal
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Marketing Consultants Brett Della Santina, Jim Sector Program art direction by Live Publishing Co.
tuesdaymusical.org ■ 330.761.3460
Tuesday Musical’s 2021 Akron Concert Series
New for 2021
Tuesday Musical’s
Donations enable Tuesday Musical to share the world’s best music and musicians throughout our community. Are you — and perhaps a few of your friends — interested in funding a specific budget item? Perhaps in honor of a friend or family member? (Unrestricted gifts for our general operating fund are always welcome, too!) Wish List: ● Fuel for performers (concert snacks!): $55 per concert ● Street banners in downtown Akron: $125 each ● Paper stock for concert tickets: $225 for a case ● Facebook advertising: $250 per concert ● Underwrite the cost of one bus for a school group to attend a concert: $300 ● Concert promo postcard, printing and mailing: $400 per concert ● Concert Conversation in EJ’s Flying Balcony: $400 per concert ● Sponsor a post-concert reception with the guest artist(s): $1,500 ● Sponsor a concert: starting at $10,000 ● Endow and name a scholarship: starting at $13,000 Generous Wish Granters (thank you!): ● Jim and Maureen Kovach: One season of tuning and maintenance for our Three Graces Steinway D Grand Piano: $2,000 ● Anonymous: One street banner in downtown Akron: $125 For more information, please contact Cynthia Snider at 330-761-3460 or csnider@tuesdaymusical.org. Tuesday Musical is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are fully deductible as provided by law.
In our hearts We have all been shaken by COVID. Friends and family members have been lost, lives and livelihoods have been upended, normalcy has been redefined. Our hearts — and music — reach out to you with care and comfort. Tuesday Musical is a family. If we can help in any way, please reach out to us.
“Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.” — Elton John, who says we should never be afraid of saying three simple words: “I need help.” 23
HELPING YOU EXPLORE DIGITAL CONTENT ON THE GO
HELPI NG YOU CONNECT I CREATE I EXP LORE I L EA RN