JOAN STEELE STEIN
FILM WITH ORCHESTRA
THE SNOWMAN
Family Series
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ABOUT THE SNOWMAN
One winter’s night, a snowman comes to life and an unforgettable adventure begins. Raymond Brigg’s classic is a true piece of holiday magic – narrated entirely through pictures – that captures the wonder and innocence of childhood. Originally published in 1978, The Snowman, created and illustrated by Raymond Briggs, has become one of the world’s most popular children’s books, selling in excess of 8.5 million copies worldwide and being translated into over 15 languages.
ABOUT THE SNOWMAN – FILM
In 1982, Raymond Brigg’s classic picture book, The Snowman, was adapted as a 26-minute animated film by TVC: at the time, the UK’s longest established animation studio, under the direction of Dianne Jackson. Having spotted the potential for creating a unique and groundbreaking animation, John Coates instructed two trusted assistant animators, Hilary Audus and Joanna Harrison, to go and buy a dozen copies of the book for the purpose of dissecting it and storyboarding the very first animatic.
This quickly turned into a hand-drawn animation bible which became the template for the final film. John Coates’s passion for bringing the book to the screen quickly caught the attention of Sir Jeremy Isaacs, former chief executive of BBC Channel 4, who believed that it would be a fantastic piece for the channel and stand out from the rest of its schedule.
The Snowman was first shown on December 26, 1982, and has since been shown every year on Channel 4.
ABOUT THE SNOWMAN – MUSIC
In keeping with the book, the film of The Snowman is wordless and free of dialogue, except for the iconic “Walking in the Air,” which is featured as part of the now timeless musical score.
Both song and score were written and composed by Howard Blake, who had in fact written the melody some years before having been inspired by a walk on a Cornish beach.
The score for the film was originally performed by the Sinfonia of London, with “Walking in the Air” being sung in the film by chorister Peter Auty. Often cited as a famous case of mistaken identity, the song was famously re-recorded by Welsh chorister Aled Jones in a single which reached number 5 on the UK charts.
ABOUT RAYMOND BRIGGS
Raymond Briggs is one of the UK’s most respected and beloved artists.. Born in Wimbledon Park in 1934, he studied at the Wimbledon School of Art and later at the Slade School of Fine Art and went on to produce a treasure trove of work. He has created characters that are now icons for generations of children, including Fungus the Bogeyman, Father Christmas, and, of course, the beloved Snowman.
The biography of his parents in graphic novel form, Ethel and Ernest, became a bestseller in the UK, and an animated feature film based on the novel was released in 2016. He has won many awards over his career including the Kurt Maschler Award, The Children’s Book of the Year, Dutch Silver Pen Award, and the prestigious Kate Greenaway Award twice for his The Mother Goose Treasury and Father Christmas.
THE SNOWMAN
A Joan Steele Stein Family Concert
Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 2:30 pm
ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL
Yaniv Dinur, conductor Ethan McDonald, vocalist
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Valse finale et Apothéose from The Nutcracker
FELIX BERNARD/arr. Ralph Hermann Winter Wonderland
JOHANN STRAUSS II
Thunder and Lightning Polka, Opus 324
VICTOR HERBERT
“March of the Toys” from Babes in Toyland
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
March from The Nutcracker Suite, Opus 71a
HOWARD BLAKE
The Snowman
Ethan McDonald, vocalist
LEROY ANDERSON Sleigh Ride
The length of this concert is approximately 50 minutes and will be performed without intermission.
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on Telarc, Koss Classics, Pro Arte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout recordings. MSO Classics recordings (digital only) available on iTunes and at mso.org. MSO Binaural recordings (digital only) available at mso.org.
YANIV DINUR , resident conductor
Winner of the 2019 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Fellow Award, Yaniv Dinur is the resident conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and music director of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra. He is lauded for his insightful interpretations and unique ability to connect with concertgoers of all ages and backgrounds, from season subscribers to symphony newcomers.
Dinur conducts more than 50 concerts per season with the Milwaukee Symphony and was named by the Milwaukee Business Journal as one of the city’s most impressive young leaders currently making a positive difference in Milwaukee. In New Bedford, he has brought star soloists such as Yefim Bronfman, Pinchas Zukerman, Karen Gomyo, and Vadim Gluzman to play with the orchestra. Under his leadership, the New Bedford Symphony has been nationally recognized for its bold, engaging programming and artistic quality, leading to the League of American Orchestras selecting the orchestra to perform at the 2021 League Conference.
Dinur’s recent and upcoming guest conducting highlights include subscription debuts with the symphonies of San Diego, Edmonton, Tulsa, Sarasota, Fort Worth, and Orchestra Haydn in Italy. He made his conducting debut at the age of 19 with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, which led to multiple return engagements. Since then, he has conducted orchestras around the world, including the Israel Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony, Houston Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, New World Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Portugal Symphony, Sofia Festival Orchestra/Bulgaria, State Orchestra of St. Petersburg, Torino Philharmonic, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.
An accomplished pianist, Dinur made his concerto debut with the Milwaukee Symphony in 2019, playing and conducting Mozart’s D Minor Concerto. He received critical acclaim for his “fluid, beautifully executed piano passages” and “deeply musical playing” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
Born in Jerusalem, Dinur began studying the piano at the age of six with his aunt, Olga Shachar, and later with Prof. Alexander Tamir, Tatiana Alexanderov, Mark Dukelsky, and Edna Golandsky. He studied conducing in Israel with Dr. Evgeny Zirlin and Prof. Mendi Rodan, and holds a Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where he was a student of Prof. Kenneth Kiesler.
ETHAN McDONALD, vocalist
Ethan McDonald is 12 years old and is in seventh grade. Ethan is thrilled to have his first solo performance with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He enjoys singing with Milwaukee Children’s Choir, his school’s choir, and playing the trombone in his school’s band. In his free time, he loves playing with his friends and sister. He also loves collecting Pokémon cards.
M ILWAUKEE CHILDREN’S CHOIR
Milwaukee Children’s Choir is Southeastern Wisconsin’s premier youth choir. Founded in 1994 by Emily Crocker, Milwaukee Children’s Choir has been delighting audiences throughout our city and around the country through in-person concerts, online video performances, and live streams. We provide children, ages 3 through 18, with exceptional choral music education and performance experiences that foster creativity, personal expression, and social growth. Learn more at milwaukeechildrenschoir.org
Photo by Erin Kavanaugh
KEN-DAVID MASUR
Music Director
Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair
EDO DE WAART
Music Director Laureate
YANIV DINUR
Resident Conductor
CHERYL FRAZES HILL
Chorus Director
Margaret Hawkins Chorus Director Chair
TIMOTHY J. BENSON
Assistant Chorus Director
FIRST VIOLINS
Ilana Setapen, Acting Concertmaster, Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair
Jeanyi Kim, Acting Associate Concertmaster (2nd Chair)
Alexander Ayers
Yuka Kadota
Ji-Yeon Lee**
Dylana Leung
Allison Lovera
Lijia Phang
Margot Schwartz
Alexandra Switala**
SECOND VIOLINS
Jennifer Startt, Principal, Andrea and Woodrow Leung Second Violin Chair
Timothy Klabunde, Assistant Principal John Bian, Assistant Principal (3rd Chair)
Glenn Asch
Lisa Johnson Fuller
Paul Hauer
Hyewon Kim
Shengnan Li*
Laurie Shawger
Mary Terranova
VIOLAS
Robert Levine, Principal, Richard O. and Judith A. Wagner Family Principal Viola Chair
Samantha Rodriguez, Acting Assistant Principal, Friends of Janet F. Ruggeri Viola Chair
Alejandro Duque, Acting Assistant Principal (3rd Chair)
Elizabeth Breslin
Nathan Hackett
Erin H. Pipal
Helen Reich
CELLOS
Susan Babini, Principal, Dorothea C. Mayer Cello Chair
Nicholas Mariscal, Assistant Principal
Scott Tisdel, Associate Principal Emeritus Madeleine Kabat
Peter Szczepanek
Peter J. Thomas Adrien Zitoun
BASSES
Jon McCullough-Benner, Principal, Donald B. Abert Bass Chair
Andrew Raciti, Associate Principal Nash Tomey, Assistant Principal (3rd Chair) Brittany Conrad Peter Hatch Paris Myers
HARP
Julia Coronelli, Principal, Walter Schroeder Harp Chair
FLUTES
Sonora Slocum, Principal, Margaret and Roy Butter Flute Chair
Heather Zinninger, Assistant Principal Jennifer Bouton Schaub
PICCOLO
Jennifer Bouton Schaub
OBOES
Katherine Young Steele, Principal, Milwaukee Symphony League Oboe Chair
Kevin Pearl, Assistant Principal Margaret Butler
ENGLISH HORN
Margaret Butler, Philip and Beatrice Blank English Horn Chair in memoriam to John Martin
CLARINETS
Todd Levy, Principal, Franklyn Esenberg Clarinet Chair
Benjamin Adler, Assistant Principal, Donald and Ruth P. Taylor Assistant Principal Clarinet Chair
Taylor Eiffert
E FLAT CLARINET
Benjamin Adler
BASS CLARINET
Taylor Eiffert
BASSOONS
Catherine Van Handel, Principal, Muriel C. and John D. Silbar Family Bassoon Chair
Rudi Heinrich, Assistant Principal Beth W. Giacobassi
CONTRABASSOON
Beth W. Giacobassi
HORNS
Matthew Annin, Principal, Krause Family French Horn Chair
Krystof Pipal, Associate Principal Dietrich Hemann, Andy Nunemaker French Horn Chair Darcy Hamlin Kelsey Williams**
TRUMPETS
Matthew Ernst, Principal, Walter L. Robb Family Trumpet Chair David Cohen, Associate Principal, Martin J. Krebs Associate Principal Trumpet Chair Alan Campbell, Fred Fuller Trumpet Chair
TROMBONES
Megumi Kanda, Principal, Marjorie Tiefenthaler Trombone Chair Kirk Ferguson, Assistant Principal
BASS TROMBONE
John Thevenet, Richard M. Kimball Bass Trombone Chair
TUBA Robyn Black, Principal
TIMPANI
Dean Borghesani, Principal Chris Riggs, Assistant Principal
PERCUSSION
Robert Klieger, Principal Chris Riggs
PIANO Melitta S. Pick Endowed Piano Chair
PERSONNEL MANAGERS
Françoise Moquin, Director of Orchestra Personnel Constance Agoucha, Assistant Personnel Manager
LIBRARIAN
Paul Beck, Principal Librarian, Anonymous Donor, Principal Librarian Chair
PRODUCTION
Tristan Wallace, Technical Manager & Live Audio Supervisor Paolo Scarabel, Stage Technician & Deck Supervisor
* Leave of Absence 2022.23 Season
** Acting member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra 2022.23 Season
2022.23 SEASON
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