Joan Steele Stein Family Series THE SNOWMAN

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestrs

FILM WITH ORCHESTRA

THE SNOWMAN

Family Series

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.

PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITIES

• AWE (Artists Working in Education) Art Activity

• Bradley Symphony Center Scavenger Hunt

• Composer Station

• Conductor Station

• Selfie Station

• Visit with Santa

• White House of Music Instrument Petting Zoo

A special thank you to Forte, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra volunteer league.

ACCESSIBILITY RESOURCES

Sensory Bags, Weighted Lap Pads, & Noise Canceling Headphones: Sensory bags containing special KultureCity VIP badges, fidget tools, noise canceling headphones, and other resources are available for checkout, at no cost, on concert days. Noise canceling headphones and weighted lap pads can also be checked out individually. Items can be checked out from the Coat Check in the Gallery. A photo ID will be requested as security.

Quiet Areas: The Bradley Symphony Center has a Quiet Room located in the pre-theater lobby on the first floor. The Quiet Room, equipped with a sink, comfortable seating, and warm lighting is available for anyone who needs a private space to escape for a few minutes. Additional Quiet Areas are located in the Historic Exhibit on the lower level and in the Phone Booth Area on the second level. These spaces can be an escape for those feeling overwhelmed for as little or as long as they need. If you need assistance finding any of these Quiet Areas, please find an usher or Front of House staff member.

Hearing Loop & Infrared Listening System: Allen-Bradley Hall is equipped with a tele-coil or T-coil Loop system. No additional assistive listening devices are required for patrons with compatible hearing aids or cochlear implants. Allen-Bradley Hall is also equipped with an infrared listening system. Assistive listening devices are offered free of charge and can be checked out from the house manager. A photo ID will be requested as security.

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

YANIV DINUR

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).

ETHAN McDONALD, vocalist

ETHAN McDONALD

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 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