OKC PHIL program for the 20-21 season, October 13, 2020 Classics concert "Celebrating the Americas" by OKC Phil Program Magazine

WELCOME D

BRENT HART, President Oklahoma Philharmonic Society, Inc. Welcome to the (re)IMAGINE(d) 2020-21 season. It has been a long journey to get here and, on behalf of the OKC Phil family, we are so happy to have you join us. Music has the power to heal, to inspire and to unite in unmatched ways and I hope that you have enjoyed connecting with us through social media since last season. None of us could have imagined how much we would long for the opportunity to be together for this concert. The OKC Phil plays a leading cultural role in Oklahoma City, providing Classics, Pops and Discovery concerts. Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate along with Executive Director Agnieszka Rakhmatullaev and her team have worked tirelessly to bring music to the stage, and your screens, this season. New this year, we are adding smaller ensemble performances in community settings to connect with new audiences. In addition to these performances, our community engagement and music education programs reach music lovers of all ages. We are grateful to our patrons, donors and volunteers for your ongoing support. We also thank the Orchestra League and the Associate Board for their volunteer and fundraising efforts that make these programs possible. Now sit back, leave the world outside and enjoy the story that unfolds through each note.

KRISTEN BRANDT FERATE, President Oklahoma City Orchestra League This Season the Oklahoma City Philharmonic embarks on a (re)IMAGINE(d) adventure. The Oklahoma City Orchestra League is honored to support this historic undertaking. The orchestral experiences offered this season will change the collective perspective. The Orchestra League, founded in 1948, will move forward with our great and celebrated legacy. We will support music education and fundraising efforts of the Philharmonic. We will share in the knowledge gained from new forms of musical education, volunteerism and appreciation. The Orchestra League membership offers a chance to witness history and help shape the future of symphonic music in our great city. I invite you to join us! More information can be found at www.okcphil.org/about-us/orchestra-league

DAVID WHITE, President Associate Board On behalf of the Associate Board, welcome to the 2020-21 (re)IMAGINE(d) season. While the offerings may look a little different than in previous years you can always expect the same excellent entertainment and artistry from our Oklahoma City Philharmonic. From Beethoven to Broadway, we have something in store for everyone. The Associate Board brings together civic-minded young professionals to support and fulfill the mission of the PHIL. There’s more to the Philharmonic than concerts. From classrooms to community outreach, the OKCPHIL is working to spread the joy of orchestral music across our state--and the Associate Board is proud to be a part of that work. Thank you for supporting the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, we look forward to seeing you again soon. Enjoy the show!

MUSIC DIRECTOR S

ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE Beginning his third season as Music Director of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Conductor Alexander Mickelthwate’ s exciting musical programming has created a buzz across the city, drawing people from all walks of life to the concert hall. Originally from Germany Mickelthwate is also Music Director Emeritus of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada. Since starting his Winnipeg tenure in 2006 he played a pivotal role in the rejuvenation and turnaround of the Winnipeg Symphony which culminated in a highly successful and critically acclaimed performance at Carnegie Hall in May 2014. The New York Times noted the performance was “conducted expertly,” and the New York Classical review stated “under music director Alexander Mickelthwate, they play with excellent intonation and such a fine overall blend and balance of sound that, on their own terms, they may be the best orchestra to appear in the week’s worth of concerts.” Deeply rooted in his German heritage, Norman Lebrecht wrote about Mickelthwate’s interpretation of Mahler’s 10th Symphony with the Winnipeg Symphony: “Both Mahler 10 performances were intense and engaging. Every twist and turn in the score was fresh and surprising to my ears.” And his interpretation of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 prompted the pianist Anton Kuerti to write a letter to the newspaper saying, “I would like to call attention to the stunning performance heard after the intermission. To play Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 with the passion, profundity, emotional intensity, subtlety and degree of perfection achieved by conductor Alexander Mickelthwate and the Winnipeg Symphony can only be called miraculous.” In North America Alexander has guest conducted the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Saint Luke’s, Milwaukee Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic and Toronto Symphony, among others. His European debut was with the Hamburg Symphony. He also conducted the BBC London, Stuttgart Radio Orchestra, Royal Scottish, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and NDR Hannover. Other notable performances include the Sao Paulo Symphony and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra in Venezuela. He made his Australia debut with the Adelaide Symphony and the Tasmania Orchestra where he recorded the Mozart piano concerti Nos. 7 and 10 with the Silber Garburg Duo. Alexander Mickelthwate has worked several times with Dame Evelyn Glennie conducting the world premiere of two new

percussion concerti by Vincent Ho. He also worked with Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Yuja Wang, Dawn Upshaw, Plácido Domingo, Ben Heppner, Horatio Gutiérrez, Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Sarah Chang, among many others, and he worked very closely with a wide range of composers including Phil Glass, Steve Reich, Sofia Gubaidulina, Kaija Saariaho, John Adams, John Luther Adams and Mason Bates. After guest conducting the Simon Bolivar Orchestra and experiencing the life-changing power of the El Sistema program in Venezuela for underprivileged children, Alexander played an instrumental part in creating Sistema Winnipeg. For three years Alexander created a critically acclaimed Indigenous Festival in Winnipeg. Passionate to connect with all cultures, he created artistic collaborations between First Nations and western cultures that culminated in the performances of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Revueltas’ Les Noches de loss Mayas with new choreographies of contemporary and First Nations dance. The Winnipeg New Music Festival is an international institution. Alexander broadened the repertoire and created many new collaborations connecting with different audiences. Because of the programming of the festival the WSO was chosen to perform at the Spring for Music Festival at Carnegie Hall in 2014. A few of the most creative projects of the festival for Alexander were the performance of movie director Guy Maddin’s Brand Upon a Brain with narration by actress Isabella Rossellini, the workshopping of a new opera Tesla by movie director Jim Jarmusch and composer Phil Klein, and a production of Gavin Bryar’s The Sinking of the Titanic at PanAm Pool. Alexander has conducted for President Jimmy Carter and the Queen of England, and he received the Queen Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Key to the City of Winnipeg. Born and raised in Frankfurt Germany to a musical family, Alexander received his degree from the Peabody Institute of Music. He studied conducting under Fredric Prausnitz and Gustav Meier as well as with Seiji Ozawa, Andre Previn, Daniel Barenboim and Robert Spano at Tanglewood. Following his tenure as Assistant Conductor with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which he completed in 2004, Alexander was Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for three years, under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen. He is married to fashion designer Abigail Mickelthwate and has two sons.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR R

AGNIESZKA RAKHMATULLAEV Welcome to the OKCPHIL’s (re)IMAGINE(d) Season. After a long pause, we are thrilled to be back and thank you for joining us on this journey! While the majority of concert stages across the country remain silent, we wanted to find a way to continue our mission and bring live orchestral music to you and our community. With everyone’s safety and well-being as our top priority, we had to reimagine nearly every single aspect of our operations: from programming choices for each concert, to accommodating the needs of our patrons, continuing our partnership with area schools, and many more. Orchestrating the plan for each individual area required creative thinking, out-of-the-box approaches, collaboration, and a lot of hard work. We are pleased to present to you this unique season, shaped around the challenges of the unprecedented times we live in. While this season might look and feel different, many of its components will remain the same, perhaps with a few twists. The OKCPHIL’s Classics and Pops series will continue to bring high-caliber performances, presented in smaller settings to create a more intimate experience. The programming will

continue to be shaped by Maestro Mickelthwate’s artistic vision and desire to combine traditional repertoire with today’s music. And, of course, you will continue to be blown away by the talented musicians of our orchestra, some of whom will be featured as guest soloists. As part of this unique season, you will also notice a few new and exciting initiatives. Our concerts will be digitally available for those patrons who are not able to join us in the hall. Additionally, our musicians will frequently be performing in smaller settings in venues across the city, as part of our expanded Education and Community Engagement programs. We are excited about these new opportunities, as we broaden our reach, serve more people, and become more accessible in a different way. Of course, none of this would be possible without YOU, our loyal patrons! We are sincerely grateful for your ongoing support, generosity, flexibility, and understanding that allow us to keep the music playing on our main stage, on your screen, or in your neighborhood. While we continue to navigate these turbulent waters, the OKCPHIL is committed to serving our mission as we strive to bring healing, unity, and hope to our entire community.

OKLAHOMA PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY, INC.

P R O V I D I N G

I N S P I R A T I O N

A N D

J O Y

T H R O U G H

O R C H E S T R A L

M U S I C .

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lifetime Directors

Officers

Debra Kos Kristian Kos David McLaughlin Margaret Freede Owens Donald Rowlett Kelly Sachs Jennifer Schultz Michael Sweeney Glenna Tanenbaum J. Mark Taylor Tony Welch Cheryl Brashear White David White Renate Wiggin Nick Wu

Jane B. Harlow Patrick Alexander

Brent Hart President

Directors

Jane Jayroe Gamble President Elect

Steve Agee Robyn Birdwell Lori Dickinson Black Phil Busey Robert Clements Lawrence H. Davis Veronica Pastel Egelston Kristen Ferate Joy Hammons Dean Jackson Michael E. Joseph Kathy Kerr Wesley Knight

Melissa Scaramucci Vice President Kevin Dunnington Treasurer Jerrod Shouse Secretary Jeff Starling Immediate Past President

Honorary Directors Richard Sias

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Tara Burnett Associate Director of Development

Daryl Jones Box Office Operations Manager

Ulises Serrano Digital Strategies Coordinator

Daniel Hardt Finance Director

Kris Markes Operations Consultant

Chris Stinchcomb Concert Operations & Guest Artist Liaison

Judy Hill Administrative Assistant

Chris Merkle General Manager

Corbin Taggart Customer Service Representative

Stephen Howard Development Operations Manager

Agnieszka Rakhmatullaev Executive Director

Susan Webb Marketing & P.R. Director

Whitney Redding Development and Volunteer Coordinator

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Classical KUCO 90.1 Garman Productions

Morningstar Properties Oklahoma City Police Association

George Ryan Stubble Creative, Inc.

The Skirvin Hotel Titan AVL

Photographers: Michael Anderson, David Bricquet, Rick Buchanan, Heather Hanson, Mutz Photography, Shevaun Williams and Associates, Ulises Serrano

THE OKLAHOMA PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY, INC. 424 Colcord Drive, Ste. B • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102 Tickets: 405-842-5387 • Administration: 405-232-7575 • Fax: 405-232-4353 • www.okcphil.org

AFFLIATED PARTNERS

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic Foundation was established to provide leadership and endowment expertise to help ensure a stable financial base for orchestral music and musical excellence in Oklahoma City for generations to come. Distributions from the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Foundation provide a meaningful and secure source of annual income for the Philharmonic’s operations, continually confirming the importance of endowment in an organization’s longrange planning and overall success. Current officers and directors of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Foundation are: OFFICERS Michael E. Joseph President Jean Ann Hartsuck Vice President Douglas J. Stussi Treasurer Penny M. McCaleb Secretary DIRECTORS Steven C. Agee Patrick B. Alexander J. Edward Barth L. Joe Bradley Louise Cleary Cannon Teresa Cooper T.A. Dearmon Paul Dudman Thomas J. Enis Misha Gorkuscha Jane B. Harlow Brent Hart Harrison Levy, Jr. Duke R. Ligon Michael J. Milligan Richard Tanenbaum Charles E. Wiggin

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Kristen Ferate President Debra Kos President-Elect Julia Hunt Secretary Newt Brown Treasurer Meredith Blecha-Wells Development VP Marion Burcham Membership VP Sherry Rowan Education VP Joan Bryant Communications VP Wendi Wilson Past President, Ex-Officio Agnieszka Rakhmatullaev Executive Director Oklahoma City Philharmonic (Ex-Officio, Advisory) BOARD OF DIRECTORS Helen Chiou Jeannie Drake Yvette Fleckinger Sue Francis Jane Krizer Patsy Lucas Geetika Verma Heather Walter Dwayne Webb Orchestra League Office 424 Colcord Dr., Ste. B Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102 Phone: 405.232.7575 Fax: 405.232.4353 e-mail: league@okcphil.org website: www.okcorchestraleague.org

OFFICERS David White President Christa Bentley President-Elect Jay Scrambler Secretary Sam Rainbolt Membership Chair Kelsey Karper Marketing Chair Tyler Larson Events Chair DIRECTORS J. Cruise Berry John Cannon Peter Harlin Patrick E. Randall, II Kara Simpson Desiree Singer Jennifer Stadler Collin Walke Jabee Jackie Zamarippa

THE ORCHESTRA S

ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE, Music Director and Conductor JOEL LEVINE, Founder and Music Director Emeritus AGNIESZKA RAKHMATULLAEV, Executive Director

FIRST VIOLIN

Gregory Lee, Concertmaster Gertrude Kennedy Chair Marat Gabdullin, Associate Concertmaster Densi Rushing, Assistant Concertmaster Sam Formicola Hong Zhu Beth Sievers James Thomson Benjamin Shute Deborah McDonald Janet Gorton Lu Deng Ai-Wei Chang*

SECOND VIOLIN

Katrin Stamatis, Principal McCasland Foundation Chair Catherine Reaves Sophia Ro Brenda Wagner Sarah Brown Corbin Mace Angelica Pereira Cindy Zhang Laura Young* Ashley Cooper*

VIOLA

Royce McLarry, Principal Mark Neumann Joseph Guevara Kelli Ingels Steve Waddell Donna Cain Brian Frew Shaohong Yuan* Lacie Savage* Julie Dodge*

CELLO

Jonathan Ruck, Principal Orchestra League Chair Tomasz Zieba, Associate Principal Meredith Blecha-Wells

Valorie Tatge Emily Stoops Jim Shelley Angelika Machnik-Jones Jean Statham Rob Bradshaw* Ann Wilson*

BASS

Anthony Stoops, Principal Larry Moore Parvin Smith Mark Osborn Jesus Villarreal* Christine Craddock* Kara Koehn*

FLUTE

Valerie Watts, Principal Parthena Owens Nancy Stizza-Ortega

PICCOLO

Nancy Stizza-Ortega

OBOE

Lisa Harvey-Reed, Principal Dan Schwartz Katherine McLemore

CONTRABASSOON Barre Griffith

HORN

Kate Pritchett, Principal G. Rainey Williams Chair James Rester Mirella Gable Matthew Reynolds

TRUMPET

Karl Sievers, Principal Jay Wilkinson Michael Anderson

TROMBONE

John Allen, Acting Principal Philip Martinson

TUBA

Ted Cox, Principal

TIMPANI

Jamie Whitmarsh, Principal

PERCUSSION

Patrick Womack, Acting Principal Roger Owens

ENGLISH HORN

HARP

Dan Schwartz

Gaye LeBlanc Germain, Principal

CLARINET

PIANO

Bradford Behn, Principal Tara Heitz James Meiller

BASS/E-FLAT CLARINET James Meiller

BASSOON

Rod Ackmann, Principal James Brewer Barre Griffith Larry Reed*

Peggy Payne, Principal

PERSONNEL MANAGER John P. Allen

MUSIC LIBRARIAN Jose Batty

STAGE MANAGER Leroy Newman

*Denotes Substitute and Extra Musicians Please Note: The sea ting positions of all string sections change on a regular basis.

PLANNED GIVING

O F T H E O K L A H O M A P H I L H A R M O N I C S O C I E T Y, I N C .

The Oklahoma Philharmonic Society, Inc. is honored to recognize its Encore Society members — visionary thinkers who have provided for the future of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic through their estate plans.

Anonymous (3)

Joel Levine and Don Clothier

Steven C. Agee, Ph.D.

John and Caroline Linehan

Patrick and Linda Alexander

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin C. Lunde, Jr.

Gary and Jan Allison

Mrs. Jackie Marron

Dr. Jay Jacquelyn Bass

Mr. and Mrs. John McCaleb

Louise Cleary Cannon

Jean and David McLaughlin

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Clements

W. Cheryl Moore

Thomas and Rita Dearmon

Carl Andrew Rath

Dr. and Mrs. James D. Dixson

Mrs. Catherine Reaves

Hugh Gibson

Mr. and Mrs. William J. Ross

Pam and Gary Glyckherr

Drs. Lois and John Salmeron

Carey and Gayle Goad

Mr. and Mrs. William F. Shdeed

Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Gowman

Richard L. Sias

Carol M. Hall

Doug and Susie Stussi

Ms. Olivia Hanson

Larry and Leah Westmoreland

Jane B. Harlow

Mr. John S. Williams

Dr. and Mrs. James Hartsuck

Mr. and Mrs. Don T. Zachritz

Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Joseph

THANK YOU The Oklahoma Philharmonic Society, Inc. is grateful for the support of caring patrons who want to pass on a legacy of extraordinary music to future generations. You can join this special group of music enthusiasts by including a gift for the OKC Philharmonic’s future in your own will or estate plan. For more information on how to become an Encore Society member, contact Tara Burnett at (405) 232-7575 or tara@okcphil.org.

MEET THE MUSICIANS

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE MUSIC

MARK OSBORN Mark Osborn plays in the bass section for the OKCPHIL. He currently teaches for Norman Public schools, founded “Bass Bash” camp, and conducts Festival Strings as part of Oklahoma Youth Orchestras. What would you like our patrons to know about you? Playing in the Philharmonic has been a part of my life since I was 18. I love coming to “work” but it really doesn’t feel like a job to me. What do you like about living in Oklahoma? I live in Norman and I love the small town feel I get after visiting other big cities around the country. What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time I enjoy working on cars and spending time with my family. I have two active high school daughters and a very understanding wife. I was fortunate to marry someone that completely understands a musicians lifestyle.

DR. VALERIE WATTS Dr. Valerie Watts, principal flute with the OKCPHIL, is also professor of flute at University of Oklahoma. What would you like our patrons to know about you? I have been with the OKC Philharmonic since its inception in 1988. I am so proud of how Founder and Music Director Emeritus Joel Levine, the musicians, and the community rebuilt this wonderful orchestra after a challenging time in Oklahoma City history. Anything is possible if we work together. What do you like about living in OKC? Not shoveling snow! (I grew up in Rochester, NY). The spring and autumn seasons are glorious here and I love the open spaces. What do you do in your spare time? Reading and ballroom dancing (especially the salsa with my husband). What is your favorite restaurant? Legend’s Restaurant in Norman, OK. I love the history of the place and the lemon cake is to die for!

GIFTS TO THE PHILHARMONIC The Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra gratefully acknowledge the commitment and generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies that support our mission. To help us provide inspiration and joy to the community through live orchestral performances and a variety of education and community engagement programs, please contact the Philharmonic’s Development Office at (405) 232-7575. This Annual Fund recognition reflects contributions made in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons. Contributions of $250 and above are listed through September 4, 2020. If your name has been misspelled or omitted, please accept our apologies and inform us of the error by calling the phone number listed above. Thank you for your generous support!

CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT Express their generous commitment to the community.

UNDERWRITER $40,000 & Above

GOLD SPONSORS $5,000 - $9,999

GOLD PARTNERS $1,500 - $2,249

Allied Arts Foundation The Chickasaw Nation Delaware Resource Group of Oklahoma, LLC Devon Energy Corporation E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation Inasmuch Foundation Kirkpatrick Foundation Inc. Oklahoma Arts Council Oklahoma City Orchestra League, Inc. The Oklahoman The Skirvin Hilton Hotel

BancFirst Bank of Oklahoma Clements Foods Foundation The Crawley Family Foundation Garman Productions Mekusukey Oil Company, LLC The Metro Restaurant

Charlesson Foundation Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages

PLATINUM SPONSORS $10,000 - $39,999 405 Magazine Ad Astra Foundation American Fidelity Foundation Express Employment International HSPG and Associates, PC I Heart Media Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Mathis Brothers Furniture Co., Inc. MidFirst Bank OGE Energy Corp. Tyler Media Co./Magic 104.1FM and KOMA W&W Steel, LLC

SILVER SPONSORS $3,000 - $4,999 The Friday Intrinsic Health OK Gazette

BRONZE SPONSORS $2,250 - $2,999 The Black Chronicle BNSF Railway Foundation Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company The HoganTaylor Foundation Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic Testers, Inc. The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation

MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES AND FOUNDATIONS Double the impact of an individual’s gift. American Fidelity Foundation Bank of America Matching Gifts Program

The Boeing Company Inasmuch Foundation

SILVER PARTNERS $1,000 - $1,499 Beneficial Capital Management Flips Restaurant, Inc. The Fred Jones Family Foundation The Kerr Foundation, Inc. The Meinders Foundation Trade Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

BRONZE PARTNERS $500 - $999 ARTSOK INC Garvin County News-Star Hatton Enterprises Tom Johnson Investment Management, LLC

BUSINESS MEMBERS $250 - $499 Kent S. Johnson Law Firm The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Foundation

GIFTS TO THE PHILHARMONIC MAESTRO SOCIETY Providing leadership support.

Underwriter $25,000 and above Phil G. and Cathy Busey Mrs. Josephine Freede Joel Levine and Don Clothier Jean and David McLaughlin George Records Mr. Richard L. Sias and Alice and Phil Pippin Glenna and Dick Tanenbaum

Guarantor $10,000 and above Steven C. Agee, Ph.D. Patrick and Linda Alexander Mo Anderson Lawrence H. and Ronna C. Davis

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Evans, II Jane B. Harlow Andria and Paul Heafy Mr. Albert Lang Larry and Polly Nichols Ms. Veronica Pastel Egelston Mr. and Mrs. William J. Ross Donald Rowlett Doug and Susie Stussi Renate and Chuck Wiggin

Benefactor $5,000 - $9,999 Patricia Hall Abney Mark and Julie Beffort Mrs. Betty D. Bellis-Mankin Marilyn and Bill Boettger

Dr. and Mrs. L. Joe Bradley Louise Cleary Cannon and Gerry Cannon Mrs. Teresa Cooper Molly and Jim Crawley Peggy Cummings Mrs. Carlene Edwards Mr. and Mrs. John A. Frost Gerald and Jane Jayroe Gamble Darleene Harris Ms. Jeanne Hoffman Smith Mary Ann Holdrege John and Claudia Holliman Mr. Christian K. Keesee Ruth Mershon Fund Mr. and Mrs. Jerrod Shouse Mrs. Anne Workman Caroline Payne Young

INDIVIDUALS Providing essential support for the Annual Fund. Patron ($3,500 - $4,999) Mr. and Mrs. John Biggs Mike and Dawn Borelli John Crain Mrs. Bonnie B. Hefner Kim and Michael Joseph Lance and Cindy Ruffel

Sustainer ($2,250 - $3,499) Gene and Cheryl Allen Dr. and Mrs. Dewayne Andrews Dr. and Mrs. John C. Andrus Dr. and Mrs. Charles F. Bethea Larry and Sarah Blackledge Mrs. Carole S. Broughton Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Browne Bruce Campbell Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Clements Mr. and Mrs. David C. DeLana Mr. and Mrs. Sidney G. Dunagan

David and Druanne Durrett Nancy Payne Ellis Scott Fischer Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Fleckinger Paul and Debbie Fleming Mr. Albert Gray Sam and Joy Hammons Brent Hart and Matt Thomas Dr. and Mrs. James Hartsuck Tom and Cindy Janssen Margaret and Drake Keith Kathy and Terry Kerr Debra and Kristian Kos Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Levy, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Patrick McKee Todd and Mary Margaret Miller Annie Moreau, MD Dr. and Mrs. William L. Parry Mr. William G. Paul Mrs. Ruby C. Petty

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry W. Plant Drs. Gary and Mary Elizabeth Porter Mr. and Mrs. Ray H. Potts Mr. H.E. Rainbolt Andrew and Kelly Sachs Drs. Lois and John Salmeron Todd and Melissa Scaramucci Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schmitt Dr. and Mrs. Hall Scofield Sharon and John Shelton Jeff and Sally Starling Jim and Debbie Stelter Mr. and Mrs. John E. Stonecipher Mr. and Mrs. J. Mark Taylor Mrs. Billie Thrash Mrs. June Tucker Donna Kennedy Vogel Mrs. Janet Walker John and Lou Waller Mr. Tom L. Ward CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

SPECIAL EVENT GIFTS

Thank you to the following who believed in our mission by supporting the 2020 Symphony Show House!

Headlining Show House Patron

Benefactor

Mrs. Josephine Freede Glenna and Dick Tanenbaum

Mr. and Mrs. John Biggs John and Sue Francis Dick and Julia Hunt Margaret and Drake Keith John and Anna McMillin Angela Miller Drs. John and Lois Salmeron Benjamin Williams

Silver Patron Lance and Cindy Ruffel Jean and David McLaughlin

Bronze Patron Teresa Cooper Dr. and Mrs. William L. Parry Mrs. June Tucker Dr. Don and Eleanor Whitsett The Meinders Foundation

Friend Ms. Janice B. Carmack Carole Doerner Mrs. Lou Kerr/The Kerr Foundation, Inc. Cinda Lafferty

Larry and Deanna Pendleton Meg Salyer Judith Clouse Steelman

Supporter Joe and Kerry Bocock Alix Darden Karen Delaney Lu Ann Faulkner-Schneider Linda Mason Pamela Parker Kate Pritchett and Neal Kellogg Myrna Ranney Michael Winters Bev Wood

Thank you to the Talented Designers who made the 2020 Symphony Show House a Reality! Elizabeth Richardson, Adorn Rosinna Gies, Amini’s Galleria Rachael Gruntmeir, The Black Scintilla Tuesday Fay and Halah Songer, Bob Mills Furniture Abbie Wilkerson, Aleks Payne, Victor Goetz and Doris Medrano, Calvert’s Plant Interiors Crystal Carte, Carte’s Interiors Shara Castillo, Castle Rock Granite Cindy Raby, Cindy Raby Interiors Patti Williams, The Enchanted Cottage Nora Johnson, Johnson Manor Interior Design Katelynn Henry, Steve Calonkey and Steve Simpson, Henry Home Interiors Patty Tippit, Home Dazzle Jeff Muse and Beth Ketchum, K&N Interior Fabrics Lezley Lynch, Lezley Lynch Designs Dr. Kari Lopez, Renae Brady and Tracy Knoche, LOREC Ranch Home Furnishings

Lynda Savage, Lynda Savage Art Nathan R. Hughes and Maria Magana, Mathis Design Studio Keven Calonkey Carl, ASID, NCIDQ, Cassidy Brunsteter, Allied ASID, and Lance Whitlow, Mister Robert Fine Furniture & Design Cindy Curley and Ryan Johnson, Norwalk Design Ronette Wallace, OTW Interiors and Suburban Contemporary Furniture Deb Johnson, Paint Inspirations, Inc. Duff Jack, Suburban Furniture Julie Miller, Tin Lizzie’s J. Mark Taylor, RID, Assoc. ASID, Traditions Fine Furniture & Design Pam Smart, Vintage Gypsy Steve Winters and Lisa Smallwood, Winter House Interiors

THANK YOU

Endowment Campaign Donors In celebration and in honor of Maestro Joel Levine and the founders of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.

Louise Cleary Cannon In Memory of Bill Cleary Lawrence H. and Ronna C. Davis The Estate of Lois Marie Fees The Kirkpatrick Family Fund Joel Levine and Don Clothier Michael and Catherine Reaves Susan Robinson Glenna and Dick Tanenbaum Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Clements Ms. Barbara Crabtree The Payne Family Mrs. Josephine Freede Pam and Gary Glyckherr In Memory of Jackson Cash Lamb Jane B. Harlow Kim and Michael Joseph Doug and Susie Stussi Dr. and Mrs. Dewayne Andrews Anonymous In Honor of June H. Parry Mr. J. Edward Barth Valerie and Joe Couch Molly and Jim Crawley David and Jan DeLana Annie Moreau, M.D. Mr. William G. Paul Presbyterian Health Foundation Leah and Larry Westmoreland Anne W. Workman Mr. and Mrs. Don T. Zachritz Karen Beckman Linda and Morris Blumenthal Jo Carol Cameron Ms. Janice B. Carmack Shirley E. Dearborn, M.D.

Gwen Decassios Charles and Dorothy Ellis John and Sue Francis Stephen P. and Nancy R. Friot Ms. Joan Gilmore Jerry H. and Judy Johnson L. M. Johnston, Ph.D. The Kerr Foundation, Inc. Gerry Mayes Ronald T. and Linda Rosser McDaniel Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Perri Dr. and Mrs. Marvin D. Peyton Gary and Carol Sander John W. and Rose Steele Mrs. Dorothy J. Turk Dr. Don and Eleanor Whitsett Anonymous Dr. and Mrs. John C. Andrus Norwood Beveridge Carla Borgersen In Honor of Maestro Joel Levine Mr. and Mrs. Bob G. Bunce Dr. and Mrs. Don R. Carter Ms. Martha A. Custer Mr. and Mrs. Sam Decker Sarah Jane Gillett In Memory of Ken McKinney Julia and Dick Hunt Colonel (ret.) Dean and Mrs. Jeanne Jackson Patricia Matthews Ms. Carol McCoy Cheryl Moore Judy and Wes Morrison Michael and Ginger Penn Ms. Margaret L. Price Tommie and Gary Rankin Dean Rinehart Janice and Lee Segell Cindy Solomon Tom and Venita Springfield K. Kay Stewart Paula and Carl Stover Dorothy and Udho Thadani

CELEBRATING THE AMERICAS October 17, 2020 8:00 P.M.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE MUSIC

CLASSICS GREGORY LEE, VIOLIN ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE, CONDUCTOR

MEET CHRIS

SIMON........................ This Land* PIAZZOLLA ................ Las cuatro estaciones porteñas* (The Four Seasons in Buenos Aires), for Violin and String Orchestra

Hello, everyone. I am so honored to be here joining the incredible team of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic! I come to you from Atlanta where I most recently served as an Associate Director in the College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University. Prior to that I held positions as Director of Artistic Operations with the Savannah Philharmonic, as well as positions with the Aspen Music Festival, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, and the Williamsport Symphony. I hold a B.A. in Music and German from Gettysburg College (with studies in conducting, bassoon, and voice) and an M.A. in Arts Management from American University. I am blessed to be here with my wife, Kristin, who is a Speech Language Pathologist, our dog, Atticus, and our first child who we will be excitedly welcoming in December. I am so grateful to be in this generous community and look forward to meeting everyone! Chris Merkle General Manager

Verano porteño (Summer in Buenos Aires) Otoño porteño (Autumn in Buenos Aires) Invierno porteño (Winter in Buenos Aires) Primavera porteña (Spring in Buenos Aires)

Gregory Lee, violin

GOLIJOV ................... Last Round*

II. Muertes del Ángel (Deaths of the Angel) (Lentissimo)

KORNGOLD ............... Much Ado About Nothing Suite*

Overture Maiden in the Bridal Chamber Dogberry and Verges—March of the Watch Intermezzo: Garden Scene Hornpipe

*First performance on this series

In Memory of Mrs. Josephine Freede THIS CONCERT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:

Text CLASSICS to 95577 to stay up to date on the latest Philharmonic info. Listen to a broadcast of this performance on KUCO 90.1 FM on Wednesday, December 16 at 8 pm and Saturday, December 19 at 8 am on “Performance Oklahoma”. Simultaneous internet streaming is also available during the broadcast.

GUEST ARTIST C

DR. GREGORY LEE An outstanding violinist with virtuosic brilliance, Gregory Lee is currently Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Oklahoma and Concertmaster of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Lee has performed with the Oklahoma Chamber Players, Holmberg String Quartet and is a regular member of the Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble in Oklahoma City. Before coming to Oklahoma, Lee taught at Tunghai University and National Taiwan Normal University. He has given numerous recitals around Taiwan and was frequently invited as a competition adjudicator. The Australian-born violinist holds a degree from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Dorothy DeLay and Naoko Tanaka. Later, he received his master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Michigan studying with Paul Kantor. His success in competitions include the Special Jury Commendation Award of Michael Hill International Violin Competition and winner of the Geelong Advertiser Instrumental Competition. Lee has worked in Los Angeles where he played in several orchestras including Pacific Symphony, Long Beach

Symphony, Los Angeles Opera and has recorded for many Hollywood motion pictures scores at 20th Century Fox, Sony/MGM, Warner Bros, Paramount and Capital Records. He has given recitals and masterclasses at institutions including the University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin, University of North Texas, Arizona State University, University of Kansas, Wichita State University and the University of Texas in Arlington. In Asia, he has performed, and guest taught at Renmin University in Beijing, Shanghai Conservatory and the Queensland Conservatorium in Australia. He has also appeared on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s “Sunday Live” radio show. Many of Lee’s former students have not only been accepted to major conservatories around the US but also been successful musicians, including Richard Lin, 2018 winner of the Indianapolis International Violin Competition. During his summers, he has taught and performed at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, OU Summer Music Academy, Vietnam Connection Music Festival and Wyoming Seminary Performing Arts Institute.

This Land Carlos Simon First performance on this series Born: 1986, in Washington, D.C. Residing: Gaithersburg, Maryland Work composed: 2019 Work premiered: October 5, 2019, at the Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium of Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, with Michelle Di Russo conducting the ASU Symphony Orchestra Instrumentation: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, trombone, timpani, percussion, and strings

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the Theodore Presser Foundation, and was cited by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) as one of its “Composers to Watch.” In 2016, he was honored with the Underwood Emerging Composer Commission by the American Composers Orchestra, and in 2018, he was named a Sundance/Time Warner Composer Fellow as part of the Sundance Institute. In July, he was awarded the 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, which — as the Sphinx Organization describes it — recognizes “extraordinary classical Black and Latinx musicians … who, early in their career, demonstrate artistic excellence, outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, and an ongoing commitment to leadership and their communities.” He has received commissions from the Philadelphia Orchestra, Washington National Opera, Reno Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, and the Albany Symphony’s Dogs of Desire, and in 2016 he served as the “young composer-in-residence” with Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings. His string quartet Elegy, honoring the lives of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner, was recently performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on the Mason Bates JFK Jukebox Series. In 2018, Simon toured with the Asia/America New Music Institute on a two-week tour of Japan, giving concerts in numerous temples and concert spaces, including Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. As a performer, he has also appeared as music director and keyboardist for Jennifer Holliday in concerts with the Boston Pops, Jackson Symphony, and St. Louis Symphony, and has toured internationally with soul star Angie Stone.

From the Composer The son of a minister, Carlos Simon began playing the organ at the age of 12 in his father’s church. “That’s where my interest in music was born and I decided to keep pursuing it through high school and into college,” he explained in an interview carried out at Georgetown University, where he joined the music faculty a year ago. “I noticed that there is something that music can say that words cannot and I wanted to continue exploring that medium. … I can play with almost an endless number of sound combinations that don’t exist anywhere else, and this allows me to say what I want to say in music.” What he wants to say in music, to judge from his recent output, often has to do with social justice. “The projects I have been drawn to,” he said, “have always been about telling the stories of people who aren’t often heard or are misrepresented or marginalized.” Simon holds degrees from Georgia State University and Morehouse College in Atlanta, and earned his doctorate at the University of Michigan. His interest in film music led him to advanced study at the Hollywood Music Workshop in Baden, Austria, and at New York University’s Film Scoring Summer Workshop. In 2015, he was given the Marvin Hamlisch Film Scoring Award and the Presser Award from

Carlos Simon offers a comment about This Land: “This piece is inspired by Emma Lazarus’ gentle, welcoming words in her poem, “New Colossus.” Lush, bright harmonies in the strings are used to represent hope and unity. I’ve also incorporated the anthems of the many countries of the immigrants (“State Anthem of the Russian Federation,” “Himno Nacional Mexicano,” “La Marseillaise,” etc.) under a dissonant bed of pulsating harmonies.” —JMK

His recent orchestral compositions include Portrait of a Queen (2014), which traces imagined chapters of Black women through American history; Plagues of Egypt (2016), which he envisions as part of a larger sequence of works based on episodes from the Bible; Amen! (2017), a work for orchestra or symphony band celebrating the AfricanAmerican Pentecostal Church; The Block (2018), inspired by a sequence of paintings by the Harlem artist Romare Bearden; and Sweet Chariot (2019), in which the famous CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

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spiritual rubs elbows with Gregorian chant. Current projects include a work inspired by the revelation that, in 1838, the Jesuits at Georgetown University (where Simon teaches) sold 272 enslaved people to settle the school’s debts—a project that led him to visit Louisiana plantations where many of those people ended up. “Visiting this place,” he said, “really gave me a sense, that I would not otherwise have gotten, about the pain and suffering these individuals must have faced. Now when I write this piece, I will be able to represent them better than I would have before.”

This Land was the winning entry in a competition of Arizona State University’s “Towards a More Perfect Union” incentive, designed to encourage and reward achievements that promote diversity in the orchestral repertoire. “As a black person in this country, Simon stated, “I choose to write pieces that reflect society and how I fit into the puzzle. We’re all human, we have the same connections to things, so I find that if a piece is reflective of who I am as a person and something I can connect with, someone else can too.”

a composer on a foundation of distinctly Argentine sounds. “Up to then,” he recalled, “I had composed symphonies, chamber music, string quartets; but when Nadia Boulanger analysed my music, she said she could find nowhere any Piazzolla. She could find Ravel and Stravinsky, also Béla Bartók and Hindemith—but never Piazzolla. … Nadia made me play a tango to her and then she said, ‘You idiot! That is the real Piazzolla!’ So I threw away all the other music and, in 1954, started working on my New Tango.” By 1956 he began presenting his hybrid tangos in concert. On his return to Argentina he formed the Octeto de Buenos Aires, the first of several chamber ensembles that would serve as a laboratory for his continuing experiments in developing tango as a genre of contemporary music.

Las cuatro estaciones porteñas (The Four Seasons in Buenos Aires), for Violin and String Orchestra Astor Piazzolla First performance on this series Born: March 11, 1921, in Mar del Plata, Argentina Died: July 4, 1992, in Buenos Aires, Argentina Work composed: June 1965 through 1970 Work premiered: Verano porteño was first heard as part of the recorded incidental music for a theatre production in Buenos Aires in early August 1965; Piazzolla and his Quintet premiered the complete suite May 19, 1970, at the Teatro Regina in Buenos Aires. Work arranged: By Leonid Desyatnikov in 1999, on commission from violinist Gidon Kremer Instrumentation: Solo violin and string orchestra

Born in Argentina, Astor Piazzolla grew up in New York City, where his family moved in 1925; there, he learned to play the bandoneón, a concertina-accordion whose timbre instantly evokes the Argentine tango. (In deference to his Italian family heritage and American upbringing, he preferred that the double-“l” in his surname be sounded as the English “l,” rather than with the Spanish or Argentine pronunciation of the letter “ll,” that is, as a “y” or “zh.”) Returning to his native country at the age of 16, he established himself as a working musician and performed with many popular ensembles before forming his own tango orchestra, the “Orquesta del 46,” in 1946. In that year he wrote his first tango, the genre in which he would make an important mark as a composer. In 1950 he disbanded his ensemble, the better to dedicate his time to composing, and as early as 1953 he produced his first works for symphonic forces. The following year he received a grant from the French government to travel to Paris; there he studied with Nadia Boulanger, who urged him to develop his language as

During the 1960s and ’70s, Piazzolla appeared most widely with his Quintet, which comprised piano, bandoneon, violin, electric guitar, and double bass. In 1965, the Argentine government sent the ensemble as cultural emissaries on a tour of Brazil and the United States. The New York Times proclaimed that the group “sounded like nothing but itself, and that was quite enough.” He returned to Buenos Aires that June, the day before a session at which the group was to record his original incidental music for an upcoming production of Melenita de oro, a play by his friend Alberto Rodríguez Muñoz. He had forgotten about the project, but he penned the requisite pieces overnight. One of the movements became famous as a standalone work, Verano porteño. (In Argentine usage, the adjective porteño refers to Buenos Aires.) Over the next few years, Piazzolla wrote three further “Seasons,” and his Quintet unveiled the four-movement suite in May 1970 at a packed-to-the-gills concert that was recorded live and released on LP shortly thereafter. Piazzolla’s “Seasons” are among the most advanced examples of his “new tango” style. Boulanger’s comment likening his music to Bartók’s makes sense in light of certain nervous, edgy passages at the beginning of Verano porteño, although the spacious melodies and salon-jazz

PROGRAM NOTES About the Arranger Leonid Desyatnikov (b. 1955 in Kharkiv, Ukraine), a graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory, defines his musical goal as “the emancipation of consonance, the transformation of the banal, minimalism with a human face” and maintains that his favorite genre is the “tragically naughty bagatelle.” He has composed operas, a symphony, and numerous film scores, but he is especially well known internationally for his Piazzolla arrangements, which have been prominently championed by the violinist Gidon Kremer. By and large, he inserts his borrowings from Vivaldi into the “opposite” season—for example, bits from Vivaldi’s Spring end up in Piazzolla’s Autumn, ideas from Vivaldi’s Summer enter Piazzolla’s Winter, and so on. Although strange at first glance, this is quite logical since the characters of the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere (like Piazzolla’s Argentina) are opposite from what they are in the Northern Hemisphere (like Vivaldi’s Venice).

Osvaldo Golijov has emerged through the past three decades as the most exciting voice of his generation of Argentine composers. He represents the multicultural diversity of Argentina; of Eastern European Jewish heritage, he grew up listening to not only European-style classical music but also Jewish liturgical and klezmer music and the new tangos of Astor Piazzolla. Following initial musical studies in his country, Golijov moved to Israel in 1983, where he studied with the composer Mark Kopytman at the Rubin Academy of Jerusalem. From there he moved on to the United States, where he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania as a student of George Crumb. After earning his doctorate in 1990, he advanced his career as a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, studying composition with Oliver Knussen. Tanglewood offered him its prestigious Fromm Commission, which led to the composition of his much-played Yiddishbbuk for string quartet. Most of Argentina’s leading composers, by the way, have lived as expatriates for significant portions of their careers: Alberto Ginastera, Piazzolla, Mauricio Kagel, Mario Davidovsky, and now Golijov.

—JMK

harmonizations for which Piazzolla is famous are also evident in abundance. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons were by then enjoying a new resurgence in popularity, and Piazzolla made a discreet bow to them, structuring each of his “Seasons” in a tripartite, fast-slow-fast form and even including some melodic allusions, most prominently the rapid descending scales and then the pizzicato “raindrops” in the third section of Invierno porteño. When Leonid Desyatnikov arranged the suite for solo violin with string orchestra in 1999, he expanded on that aspect, incorporating into his arrangement 15 quotations of varying lengths that intensify the link between Piazzolla’s pieces and Vivaldi’s.

Last Round Osvaldo Golijov First performance on this series Born: December 5, 1960, in La Plata, Argentina Residing: in Brookline, Massachusetts Work composed: 1991 (the second movement) on commission from the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Work premiered: October 25, 1996, at Sir Adrian Boult Hall in Birmingham, England, with Stefan Asbury conducting the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in the original chamber version. Instrumentation: String orchestra

Golijov went on to work with the Romanian-Romani band Taraf de Haidouks, the Mexican Rock Band Café Tacuba, the tablas virtuoso Zakir Hussain, and the acclaimed Argentine musician Gustavo Santaolalla. Several of his works have provoked international attention since 2000, including his St. Mark Passion, written that year to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s death; his opera Ainadamar (a meditation on the death of Federico García Lorca and the devotion of Lorca’s leading actress, Margarita Xirgu), premiered at Tanglewood in 2003 and revised through several productions since; and Siderius, a symphonic work jointly commissioned by 35 American CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

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orchestras that honors the astronomer Galileo. His future works will include an opera commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. He has served as composer-in-residence for the Spoleto USA, Marlboro, Ravinia, Ojai, Cape and Islands, and Mostly Mozart music festivals, as well as at Merkin Concert Hall in New York, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Music Alive series, and Carnegie Hall. He has been the focus of in-depth festivals exploring his music at Lincoln Center, the Barbican Centre in London, and the Ojai Festival in California. Golijov is also a teacher. Since 1991 he has been on the faculty of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts; he also has taught at the Boston Conservatory and the Tanglewood Music Center. In 2003, he was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Award; in 2006, he was named Musical America’s Composer of the Year; and in 2008, he received the Vilcek Prize, which honors foreignborn persons who have realized exceptional creative achievements while residing in the United States. In Last Round, we find Golijov confronting the tango, the sultry dance that was born in the back alleys of Buenos Aires in the late 19th century. The extraordinary Argentine singer Carlos Gardel (1887-1935) emerged as the preeminent interpreter of tango on the international circuit. A product of Argentine slums, he came to symbolize aspirations of upward mobility, and his status as a popular hero in Argentina has scarcely dimmed to this day. In succeeding generations, the old-style tango (the so-called tango de la guardia vieja) was gradually transformed into a more avant-garde style (the tango nuevo), thanks to the efforts of Piazzolla. His prolific output of more than three hundred tangos opened the pathway to the ongoing evolution of the art, which to this day continues to evolve through fusion with various other musical strands. In Last Round, Golijov salutes both of these two seminal figures of the tango tradition.

First performance on this series

Erich Wolfgang Korngold was one of history’s most extraordinary prodigies, rivaled in the annals of child composers only by Felix Mendelssohn and Wolfgang Amadè Mozart. He was born into a musical family; his father, Julius Korngold, was a noted music critic who befriended and then succeeded the terrifying Eduard Hanslick on the staff of Vienna’s Neue Freie Presse. Music came naturally to him. His mother, asked later in life about when her son began playing the piano, replied, “Erich always played the piano.” In fact, he never had more than basic training on the instrument (curiously, since his father could have opened doors to the most renowned studios in Vienna), but it’s not clear that regimented study would have improved what already seemed to be absolute fluency at the keyboard. He never pursued a performing career, but people who heard him play remarked on how he seemed almost organically connected to the keyboard. Ultimately his musical interests were not those of a piano virtuoso. Repeating a piece over and over and rendering its notated details to perfection seemed not to hold his attention. He was a creator rather than a re-creator, and his natural route was a more improvisatory approach that allowed him to adapt a piece to express momentary inspirations.

Born: May 29, 1897, in Brno, Moravia (then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now in the Czech Republic) Died: November 29, 1957, in Hollywood, California Work composed: Summer of 1918 through 1919 Work premiered: January 24, 1920, with the composer conducting the Vienna Symphony Orchestra Instrumentation: Flute and piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, two horns, trumpet, trombone, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, snare drum, triangle,

In 1906, his father convinced Gustav Mahler to assess the nine-year old boy. After hearing Korngold play his (now lost) cantata Gold at the piano, Mahler declared him to be a genius and recommended that he be put under the compositional care of Alexander von Zemlinsky. In 1910, Korngold’s ballet-pantomime Der Schneemann (The Snowman) was produced to astonished acclaim at the

The composer allows for three different modes of performance for Last Round: the original chamber setting for nine solo players (four violins, two violas, two cellos, and double bass); as a work for small string orchestra (in which case the first movement should be played by nine soloists as above, and the second movement by the full string ensemble); or by a string orchestra, as it is here.

Much Ado About Nothing Suite, Op. 11 Erich Wolfgang Korngold

glockenspiel, tambourine, switch, harp, harmonium, piano, and strings (without double basses)

PROGRAM NOTES A Selection of Suites Korngold completed his incidental music for Much Ado About Nothing well before Max Reinhardt’s production opened in May 1920. More than three months earlier, he extracted his five-movement orchestral suite from the score and premiered it to acclaim. It comprised short movements to accompany specific bits of the play, in which the Paduan lord Benedick wages a “merry war” with noble Beatrice—a game of wits and wiles that resolves in their admission of love. Following the spirited, ingratiating overture, we hear a gentle (if winking) scene in the bridal chamber of Hero (the female half of a secondary love plot), a mock-serious scene with the pompous constable Dogberry and his wilting lieutenant Verges, a peaceful garden-scene intermezzo, and a hornpipe meant to accompany a masquerade. Korngold’s score drew resounding applause when the play opened at Schönbrunn Palace, and still more when the production moved to Vienna’s Burgtheater, racking up some 80 performances—after which it moved to the Rezidenz Theater in Munich. The composer went on to arrange the suite further, into versions for violin and piano (four movements, without the Overture) and for solo piano (three movements, without the Overture and Intermezzo).

Night’s Dream. It was a fortunate invitation. Hollywood agreed with Korngold, and being Jewish, he assuredly would not have agreed with Austria had he remained there. During this second phase of his career he created masterful symphonic scores for some 20 motion pictures, including Captain Blood, The Prince and the Pauper, Anthony Adverse (which brought him his first Academy Award), Robin Hood (which earned him his second), The Sea Hawk, and Kings Row. Many a Korngoldian turn of phrase would be assumed into the lingua franca of ensuing film composers. Korngold first met Reinhardt in 1910, when they both attended the premiere of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, in Munich. By that time, Reinhardt, who was 24 years Korngold’s elder, had overseen several theatres in Berlin and was the subject of a newly minted biography. He first directed Shakespeare’s comedy Viel Lärmen um Nichts—or, as The Bard called it, Much Ado About Nothing—in 1912, at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. When, in 1918, he was asked to direct that play at the Vienna Volksbühne, he invited Korngold to compose incidental music. The production grew and grew, requiring a larger theatre by the time it opened, which it did in May 6, 1920, at the Schönbrunn Palace Theatre, with Korngold leading members of the Vienna Philharmonic through his score.

—JMK

Vienna Court Opera. By then he had already completed his Piano Trio (Op. 1) and he would momentarily finish his Piano Sonata No. 2, which the pianist Artur Schnabel immediately put into his concert repertoire. Two years later Korngold produced his Sonata for Violin and Piano; again, it was Schnabel who took up its cause, programming it in joint recitals with the eminent violinist Carl Flesch. Composers all over Europe gawked in awe at their young colleague; Richard Strauss, Giacomo Puccini, Jean Sibelius, and many others scrambled for superlatives to describe what they heard. By the time Korngold was 20, his orchestral works had been played by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Arthur Nikisch conducting) and the Vienna Philharmonic (Felix Weingartner conducting), among other orchestras, and his operas Der Ring des Polykrates and Violanta had been premiered at the Munich Court Theatre, with Bruno Walter on the podium. During the interwar years, Korngold continued from strength to strength, and in 1934 the theatre director Max Reinhardt invited him to travel to Hollywood to compose the soundtrack for his film adaptation of A Midsummer

JAMES M. KELLER James M. Keller recently completed 25 years as Program Annotator of the New York Philharmonic and 20 as Program Annotator of the San Francisco Symphony. He is the author of Chamber Music: A Listener’s Guide (Oxford University Press). Portions of these notes previously appeared in the programs of the San Francisco Symphony (Golijov) and the New York Philharmonic (Piazzolla, Korngold) and are used with permission. ©James M. Keller

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In Memory of R. Deane Wymer Esther Wymer

HOUSE NOTES

CIVIC CENTER COVID-19 HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS INCLUDE: • Masks will be required over nose and mouth for all patrons upon entry and throughout the performance • 6 foot social distancing will be required • Temperature checks will be performed upon entry • Hand sanitizing stations will be readily available throughout the building • As you exit the theater please allow the rows closest to the exit to rise and exit first, then the next row and the next… think of it like a wedding. RESTROOMS are conveniently located on all levels of the theater. Please ask your usher for guidance. LATECOMERS and those who exit the theater during the performance may be seated during the first convenient pause, as determined by the management, and as is possible while maintaining safe social distancing. ELECTRONIC DEVICES must be turned off and put away during the performance (no calling, texting, photo or video use please). BEVERAGES: Bottled water is permitted in the theater at the Classics Series concerts. Beverages are permitted in the theater at the Pops Series concerts; however, bringing coffee into the theater is discouraged due to the aroma. Beverage stations will be located on floors 1-4. SMOKING in the Civic Center Music Hall is prohibited. The Oklahoma City Philharmonic promotes a fragrance-free environment for the convenience of our patrons. FIRE EXITS are located on all levels and marked accordingly. Please note the nearest exit for use in case of an emergency. ELEVATORS are located at the south end of the atrium of the Civic Center Music Hall. CHILDREN of all ages are welcome at the Philharmonic Discovery Family Series and Holiday Pops performances; however, in consideration of the patrons, musicians and artists, those under five years of age will not be admitted to evening Classics and Pops concerts unless otherwise noted. BOOSTER SEATS for children are available in the Civic Center lobby. Please inquire at the Box Office. VIDEO MONITORS are located in the lobby for your convenience. WHEELCHAIR AVAILABLE SEATING – Persons using wheelchairs or with walking and climbing difficulties will be accommodated when possible. Those wishing to use the designated wheelchair sections may purchase the wheelchair space and a companion seat. Please inform the Philharmonic or Civic Center Box Office staff of your need when ordering tickets so that you may be served promptly and appropriately. Please request the assistance of hall ushers to access wheelchair seating. HEARING LOOPS have been installed. Ask your audiologist to activate the telecoil in your hearing aid or cochlear implant. Due to the mechanics of the stage, the hearing loops do not reach the pit section but are available at concession stands, the Box Office and the Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre. The copper wire in the floor and telecoil work together to connect the hearing device to the theater’s sound system using a magnetic field which dramatically improves sound clarity for patrons using hearing devices. LOST & FOUND is located in the Civic Center office (405-594-8300) weekdays 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PHILHARMONIC TICKET OFFICE may be contacted by calling 405-TIC-KETS (405-842-5387) or you can visit the Philharmonic Ticket Office located on the first floor of the Arts District Garage at 424 Colcord Drive in Suite B. The Philharmonic Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and by phone on concert Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CIVIC CENTER BOX OFFICE hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and two hours prior to each performance. (405-594-8300) Programming has been kept to a one hour format with no intermission as a Covid-19 safety measure for Staff and Audience alike. Artists and Programming Subject to Change.