OKC PHIL program Magazine 2018-2019 edition 1 by OKC Phil Program Magazine

THE REBELS Beethoven 9

WILD INDIVIDUALISM Simone Porter, Violin

September 15, 2018

October 6, 2018

PG 25

PG 37

AN EVENING WITH MELINDA DOOLITTLE October 12-13, 2018

INDEPENDENT CREATIVITY Yolanda Kondonassis, Harp

PG 45

January 26, 2019

PG 49

WELCOME S

TERESA COOPER, President Oklahoma Philharmonic Society, Inc. It is a joy and an honor to welcome you to the OKC Philharmonic’s 30th season. We are all thrilled to welcome to our Philharmonic family and community our new Music Director, Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate, who follows the beloved Joel Levine, Founder and Music Director Emeritus. We encourage all of you to welcome him and his family to Oklahoma. The greater Philharmonic organization is comprised of several entities, each working to promote and support our outstanding orchestra and working to bring you exciting, beautiful and interesting music and to make it successful. Working with the amazing staff lead by our Executive Director extraordinaire Eddie Walker, the OKC Philharmonic is privileged to enjoy the support of the Orchestra League which provides critical financial support along with numerous educational programs and the Associate Board which encourages support from our new generation leaders. Together we encourage appreciation of our fabulous musicians who make the music happen. We are so grateful to you — our audience, patrons, donors and supporters who help make everything possible. Please share your joy for orchestral music with friends, family and colleagues so that they too can “Phil the Electricity” as we approach our 4th decade of bringing you the gift of music.

WENDI WILSON, President Oklahoma City Orchestra League On behalf of the Oklahoma City Orchestra League, I welcome you to the 30th Season of the OKC Phil! We too are celebrating a milestone, as we embark on our 70th year - our platinum anniversary celebration! Over the last 69 years we have been a continual supporter of orchestral music in our community, through our educational programs, to our musical competitions, volunteerism, and of course our financial support of the OKC Phil. We believe that music is to educate, enrich and inspire people of all generations. As you enjoy this most anticipated season with new Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate, we too are looking forward to our coming year. Our annual Maestro’s Ball will be a celebration to remember as we, and Honorary Chair Lee Allan Smith, exalt and welcome Mrs. Josephine Freede into our Maestro’s Circle. Become a League member and be “in the know”. Find out more at www.okcorchestraleague.org. Now, enjoy the talents of tonight’s special guest artist and our amazing OKC Philharmonic musicians, and thank you for helping to support music in our community. Que the Maestro!

JOHN P. CANNON, President Associate Board It is my honor to serve as President of the Philharmonic’s Associate Board and to welcome each of you to our inaugural season with Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate. He has prepared a challenging and exciting series for the Classics and Pops, which offers something for everyone. This year, the Associate Board is dedicated to finding and fostering the next generation of symphony enthusiasts by bringing classical music to our community. The Philharmonic presents an opportunity unlike any other in Oklahoma City to experience orchestral music, while learning and supporting the arts. The Associate Board, through its signature Overture program, offers a great way for you or someone you know to get involved and experience the Philharmonic in a deeper way. On behalf of the Associate Board, welcome to the 30th season of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and enjoy the show.

MUSIC DIRECTOR

ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE German Conductor Alexander Mickelthwate is the newly appointed Music Director of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and 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 turn-around 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 Australian 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, Horacio Gutiérrez, Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Sarah Chang, among many others, and he worked very closely with a wide range of composers including Philip 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’ La Noche de los 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 inside 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.

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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 Officers

Lifetime Directors

Teresa Cooper President

Jane B. Harlow Patrick Alexander

Jeff Starling President Elect

Directors

Brent Hart Vice President Tony Welch Treasurer Kathy Kerr Secretary Louise Churchill Immediate Past President

Steve Agee J. Edward Barth Lori Black John Cannon Robert Clements Lawrence H. Davis Joseph Fleckinger Jane Jayroe Gamble Dean Jackson Michael E. Joseph Wesley Knight Bradley W. Krieger

Charles Mayer David McLaughlin Margaret Freede Owens Thomas Rossiter Donald Rowlett Melissa Scaramucci John Shelton Jerrod Shouse Glenna Tanenbaum J. Mark Taylor Donita Thomas Cheryl Brashear White Renate Wiggin Wendi Wilson

Honorary Directors Josephine Freede Richard Sias

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Katie Barrick Education Coordinator

Stephen Howard Database/Records Manager

Chris Stinchcomb Concert Operations and P.R. Coordinator

Tara Burnett Development Manager

Daryl Jones Box Office Manager

Eddie Walker Executive Director

Daniel Hardt Finance Director

Kris Markes General Manager

Susan Webb Marketing & P.R. Director

Whitney Hendricks Customer Service Representative

Jennifer Owens Development Director

Judy Hill Administrative Assistant

Ulises Serrano Digital Strategies Coordinator

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Classical KUCO 90.1 Garman Productions George Ryan

Heritage Integrated Solutions Oklahoma City Police Association Production Essentials, Inc.

Stubble Creative, Inc. The Skirvin Hotel

Photographers: Brittany Smith, David Bricquet, Michael Anderson, Mutz Photography, Rick Buchanan, 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

OKLAHOMA CITY ORCHESTRA LEAGUE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Wendi Wilson Debbie Minter President Membership VP

Julia Hunt Past President, Ex-Officio

Thomas Rossiter Judy Austin President-Elect Ways & Means VP

Lisa Reed OCOL Executive Director, Ex-Officio

Glenna Tanenbaum Martha Pendleton Secretary Education VP

Eddie Walker Executive Director Oklahoma City Philharmonic (Ex-Officio, Advisory)

Judy Moore Treasurer

Margaret Biggs Competitions VP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Newt Brown Joan Bryant Rita Dearmon

Jean Hartsuck Dixie Jensen Rachel Morris

Kirstin Reynolds Matt Thomas

Priscilla Braun Susan Robinson Minna Hall Yvette Fleckinger June Parry Jean Hartsuck Judy Austin LaDonna Meinders Dixie Jensen Lois Salmeron Glenna Tanenbaum Debbie McKinney

Anna McMillin Sue Francis Peggy Lunde Cathy Wallace Sharon Shelton Cindy Raby Debbie Minter Deanna Pendleton Julia Hunt Carol McCoy

PAST PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL Katherine Kirk Janelle Everest Lael Treat Josephine Freede Jane Harlow Jane Rodgers Joyce Bishop Ann Taylor Lil Ross Sandra Meyers Mona Preuss Iva Fleck

ORCHESTRA LEAGUE OFFICE 3815 N. Santa Fe Ave., Ste. 105 • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118 Phone: 405-601-4245 • Fax: 405-601-4278 Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. • E-mail: orchleag@coxinet.net Website: www.okcorchestraleague.org

THE ORCHESTRA E

ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE, Music Director and Conductor JOEL LEVINE, Founder and Music Director Emeritus EDDIE WALKER, Executive Director

FIRST VIOLIN

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

SECOND VIOLIN

Katrin Stamatis, Principal McCasland Foundation Chair Catherine Reaves Sarah Brown Mary Joan Johnston Corbin Mace June McCoy Angelica Pereira Sophia Ro Brenda Wagner Laura Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2039; Cindy Zhang TBD

VIOLA

Royce McLarry, Principal Mark Neumann Donna Cain Brian Frew J. Michael Garland Joseph Guevara Kelli Ingels Lacie Savage Steve Waddell Shaohong Yuan

CELLO

Jonathan Ruck, Principal Orchestra League Chair Tomasz Zieba, Associate Principal

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

BASS

George Speed, Principal Anthony Stoops, Co-Principal Christine Craddock Kara Koehn Larry Moore Mark Osborn Parvin Smith Jesus Villarreal

FLUTE

CONTRABASSOON Barre Griffith

HORN

Kate Pritchett, Principal G. Rainey Williams Chair Nancy Halliday Mirella Gauldin Frank Goforth

TRUMPET

Karl Sievers, Principal Jay Wilkinson Michael Anderson

TROMBONE

John Allen, Principal Philip Martinson Noel Seals, Bass Trombone

Valerie Watts, Principal Parthena Owens Nancy Stizza-Ortega

TUBA

PICCOLO

PERCUSSION

Nancy Stizza-Ortega

OBOE

Ted Cox, Principal David Steffens, Principal Patrick Womack Roger Owens

Lisa Harvey-Reed, Principal Dan Schwartz Katherine McLemore

TIMPANI

ENGLISH HORN

HARP

Dan Schwartz

Gaye LeBlanc Germain, Principal

CLARINET

PIANO

Bradford Behn, Principal Tara Heitz James Meiller

BASS/E-FLAT CLARINET James Meiller

Lance Drege, Principal

Peggy Payne, Principal

PERSONNEL MANAGER/LIBRARIAN Michael Helt

STAGE MANAGER Leroy Newman

BASSOON

Rod Ackmann, Principal James Brewer Barre Griffith Larry Reed

Please Note: The seating positions of all string section musicians are listed alphabetically and change on a regular basis.

PLANNED GIVING

NCORE SOCIETY

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 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; visionary thinkers who have provided for the future of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic through their estate plans.

Anonymous (3)

John and Caroline Linehan

Steven C. Agee, Ph.D.

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

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick B. Alexander

Mrs. Jackie Marron

Gary and Jan Allison

Mr. and Mrs. John McCaleb

Dr. Jay Jacquelyn Bass

Jean and David McLaughlin

Louise C. Churchill

R.M. (Mickey) McVay

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Clements

Robert B. Milsten

Thomas and Rita Dearmon

W. Cheryl Moore

Dr. and Mrs. James D. Dixson

Carl Andrew Rath

Paul Fleming

Michael and 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

Mrs. Martha V. Williams

Dr. and Mrs. James Hartsuck

Mr. John S. Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Joseph

Mr. and Mrs. Don T. Zachritz

Joel Levine

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 Philharmonicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future in your own will or estate plan. For more information on how to become an Encore Society member, contact Jennifer Owens at (405) 231-0148 or jennifer@okcphil.org or Eddie Walker at eddie@okcphil.org.

GIFTS TO THE PHILHARMONIC The Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra gratefully acknowledges 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 performances and education programs, please contact the Philharmonic’s Development Office at (405) 232-7575. This Annual Fund recognition reflects contributions made in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 season. Contributions of $100 and above are listed through August 21, 2018 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 Allied Arts Foundation The Chickasaw Nation Devon Energy Corporation E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation Inasmuch Foundation Kirkpatrick Foundation Inc. Oklahoma Arts Council Oklahoma City Orchestra League The Oklahoman The Skirvin Hilton Hotel

Tyler Media Co./Magic 104.1FM and KOMA W&W Steel, LLC Wilshire Charitable Foundatio

GOLD SPONSORS $5,000 - $9,999 BancFirst The Crawley Family Foundation Garman Productions Mekusukey Oil Company, LLC The Metro Restaurant

PLATINUM SPONSORS $10,000 - $39,999

SILVER SPONSORS $3,000 - $4,999

405 Magazine Ad Astra Foundation American Fidelity Foundation Anschutz Family Foundation/ The Oklahoman Media Company Bank of Oklahoma Express Employment Professionals HSPG and Associates, PC I Heart Media Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Mathis Brothers Furniture Co., Inc. MidFirst Bank OGE Energy Corp.

Clements Foods Foundation Gordon P. and Ann G. Getty Foundation OK Gazette The Friday True Sky Credit Union

BRONZE SPONSORS $1,750 - $2,999 The Black Chronicle Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company

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 The Williams Companies

Norick Investment Company Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic

GOLD PARTNERS $1,250 - $1,749 Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages The Fred Jones Family Foundation The Kerr Foundation, Inc.

SILVER PARTNERS $750 - $1,249 Flips Restaurant, Inc. M-D Building Products, Inc. Testers, Inc.

BRONZE PARTNERS $300 - $749 Charlesson Foundation Richard Parry, Cory Robinson, Doug Haws and Staff of Tom Johnson Investment Management LLC

BUSINESS MEMBERS $100 - $299

GIFTS TO THE PHILHARMONIC MAESTRO SOCIETY Providing leadership support.

Glenna and Dick Tanenbaum Renate and Chuck Wiggin

MAESTRO SOCIETY

Guarantor $10,000 and above Mr. and Mrs. Patrick B. Alexander Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Evans, II The Estate of Lois M. Fees Mrs. Jane B. Harlow Joel Levine Jean and David McLaughlin Nancy and George Records Mr. Richard L. Sias

Benefactor $5,000 - $9,999 Mrs. Betty D. Bellis-Mankin Marilyn and Bill Boettger Molly and Jim Crawley Mr. and Mrs. Douglas R. Cummings Lawrence H. and Ronna C. Davis Mrs. Carlene Edwards Mr. and Mrs. John A. Frost John and Claudia Holliman Mr. Albert Lang Ms. Veronica Pastel-Egelston Mr. H.E. Rainbolt Lance and Cindy Ruffel Mr. and Mrs. Douglas J. Stussi Michael J. Sweeney, Jr.

INDIVIDUALS Providing essential support for the Annual Fund. Patron $3,000 - $4,999 Steven C. Agee, Ph.D. Mr. and Mrs. John Biggs Mike and Dawn Borelli Dr. and Mrs. L. Joe Bradley Mrs. Phyllis Brawley Bruce Campbell Louise Churchill Mrs. Teresa Cooper Mr. and Mrs. David C. DeLana Mr. and Mrs. Sidney G. Dunagan Paul and Debbie Fleming Mrs. Bonnie B. Hefner Mr. Robert B. Milsten Larry and Polly Nichols Mrs. Ruby C. Petty Mr. Donald Rowlett Mrs. June Tucker Mrs. Martha V. Williams Mrs. Anne Workman Mrs. Carol Wright

Sustainer $1,750 - $2,999 Dr. and Mrs. Dewayne Andrews Dr. and Mrs. John C. Andrus

Dr. John E. Beavers J. M. Belanger and Sarah Sagran Dr. and Mrs. Philip C. Bird Larry and Sarah Blackledge Priscilla and Jordan Braun Dr. and Mrs. Robert C. Brown Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Browne Phil and Cathy Busey Mr. John Crain David and Druanne Durrett Mrs. Patty Empie Bruce and Joanne Ewing Mr. and Mrs. George Faulk Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Fleckinger Mr. Jerry A. Gilbert Mr. and Mrs. Carey Don Goad Dr. and Mrs. James Hartsuck Mr. Joseph S. Jankowsky Tom and Cindy Janssen Kim and Michael Joseph Mrs. Lois Joseph Terry and Kathy Kerr Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Levy, Jr. Cindy and Johnny McCharen Dr. and Mrs. Patrick McKee Mr. and Mrs. Herman Meinders Annie Moreau, MD Mrs. Jeaneen Naifeh

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Norick Mr. William G. Paul Dr. Joseph H. Phillips Mr. and Mrs. Jerry W. Plant Drs. Gary and Mary Porter Mr. and Mrs. Ray H. Potts Mr. Joshua Powell Kathryn and Robert Prescott Mr. and Mrs. Steven Raybourn Mrs. Melba Rhinehart Mrs. Carol Ricks Mr. and Mrs. William J. Ross Drs. Lois and John Salmeron Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Sanchez Todd and Melissa Scaramucci Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schmitt Ms. Jeanne Hoffman Smith Mr. and Mrs. John S. Spaid Sr. Mr. and Mrs. John E. Stonecipher Mrs. Billie Thrash William P. Tunell, M.D. Mrs. Janet Walker Ron and Janie Walker John and Lou Waller Mr. Tom L. Ward Dr. James B. Wise Jeanise Wynn Mr. and Mrs. Ron Youtsey CONTINUED ON PAGE 56

THE REBELS

CONCERT PREVIEWS

September 15, 2018 8:00 P.M.

CLASSICS

The Oklahoma City Orchestra League presents CONCERT PREVIEWS at 7 PM, prior to each Classics Series concert in the Thelma Gaylord Theater at the Civic Center Music Hall. Spearheading lively conversation that will focus on inspiration and insight into the musical program of the evening, Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate will also invite various special artists and guests to stop in and share unique and interesting perspectives with you. On the evening of March 16, Guest Conductor James Feddeck will lead the Concert Preview talk.* For more detail go to www.okcphil.org/concert preview

ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE, CONDUCTOR

BERLIOZ ..................... Le Corsaire

TAN DUN ..................... Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds*

THE REBELS Beethoven 9 September 15, 2018

WILD INDIVIDUALISM Simone Porter, violin October 6, 2018

BEETHOVEN ................ Symphony No. 9 in D minor (Choral)

INDEPENDENT CREATIVITY Yolanda Kondonassis, harp January 26, 2019 IMPRESSIONIST VARIATIONS Daniel Binelli, bandoneon February 16, 2019 GRAND ROMANTICISM * Stewart Goodyear, piano March 16, 2019 FANTASTIC CONTRASTS Natasha Paremski, piano April 6, 2019 DEEP GERMAN ROMANTICISM Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano May 11, 2019 DANCE OF THE SEASONS Gregory Lee, violin June 1, 2019

INTERMISSION

Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso Molto vivace Adagio molto e cantabile Presto—Recitativo “O Freunde, nicht diese Töne”—Allegro assai Lara Ciekiewicz, soprano Tamara Mumford, mezzo Issachah Savage, tenor Michael Sumuel, bass-baritone Canterbury Voices, Randi von Ellefson, Artistic Director Oklahoma City University Chamber Choir, Randi von Ellefson, Conductor Oklahoma City University’s University Singers, Tony Gonzalez, Conductor

See page 34 for German to English translations

*First performance on this series

THIS CONCERT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:

RENATE AND CHUCK WIGGIN

MRS. JANE B. HARLOW

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, October 10 at 8 pm and Saturday, October 13 at 8 am on “Performance Oklahoma”. Simultaneous internet streaming is also available during the broadcast.

GUEST ARTISTS C

LARA CIEKIEWICZ Whether being hailed as “mesmerizing” (Classical Voice of North Carolina), “thrilling” (The New Classical 96.3 FM), or “a clear standout” (San Francisco Classical Voice), versatile soprano Lara Ciekiewicz makes her mark as a compelling, intelligent, and accomplished singing-actress. Upcoming in her schedule are performances at Ours for Opera on the Avalon, Micaëla in Carmen for Fargo Moorhead Opera and Opera Kelowna, a Pops evening with the Victoria Symphony and the role of Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus for Toronto Operetta Theatre. New and exciting roles figured prominently in Lara’s 2017-18 season beginning with the title role in Jenufa for Pacific Opera Victoria and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin for Calgary Opera. She was heard in Into the Woods for Opera on the Avalon, Forsythe’s Metis Songs

with the Winnipeg Symphony, Berlioz’s Les nuits d’ete for the Winnipeg Chamber Music series and ‘Salute to Vienna,’ in Montréal and Québec. Last season’s highlights included Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro for Vancouver Opera, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra for Pacific Opera Victoria, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for the Boise Philharmonic and Nellie in South Pacific for Opera on the Avalon. Ms. Ciekiewicz was heard during 2015-16 season as Contessa in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro for Manitoba Opera and as soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Winnipeg Symphony. Gala New Year’s concerts – ‘Salute to Vienna’ – were on her schedule in Miami, West Palm Beach and Coral Springs, Florida. As well, Lara was featured in the world premiere of Estacio’s Ours at Opera on the Avalon in July of 2016.

TAMARA MUMFORD Mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford returns this season to the Metropolitan Opera for Die Zauberflöte, appears in concert with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, and will be presented in recital by the Frick Collection in New York. An active concert performer and recitalist, Ms. Mumford appeared with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in the US and European tours of the world premiere of John Adam’s oratorio, The Gospel According to the Other Mary, and in performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. Other concert engagements have included appearances with the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Utah Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and Milwaukee Symphony orchestras, the Netherland Radio Philharmonic, and at the Hollywood Bowl.

Ms. Mumford has appeared in the Metropolitan Opera’s Met: Live in HD series broadcasts of Anna Bolena, Das Rheingold, Gotterdämmerung, The Magic Flute, Nixon in China, Manon Lescaut, and Il Trittico. Recordings include Handel’s Messiah with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Beethoven’s Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony (Avie), and John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Deutsche Grammophon). A native of Sandy, Utah, Ms. Mumford holds a Bachelors of Music from Utah State University and has received awards from the Opera Index Competition, Palm Beach Opera Competition, Sullivan Foundation, Connecticut Opera Guild Competition, Joyce Dutka Foundation Competition and the MacAllister Awards.

GUEST ARTISTS C

ISSACHAH SAVAGE Dramatic tenor Issachah Savage is garnering acclaim as a “heldentenor par excellence” with “trumpet-like, clear, openthroated, powerful” singing (San Francisco Examiner). Praised for his “impressive natural instrument” (Opera News). This season, he sings Verdi’s Otella at Austin Lyric Opera, Manrico in Il trovatore at Seattle Opera, and makes his European debut as Bacchus in Ariande auf Naxos at Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse and Siegmund in Die Walküre with Opéra National de Bordeaux. He will also make his Chicago Symphony debut with Riccardo Muti as the Messenger in Aida. Mr. Savage made his role debut in Verdi’s Otella with Marco Parisotto conducting Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco. He also made his Los Angeles Opera debut as Narraboth in Salome conducted by James Conlon and was heard with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

in Kurt Weill’s Lost in the Stars. Mr. Savage made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Don Riccardo in Verdi’s Ernani. He has sung Siegmund in Die Walküre at the Canadian Opera company under Johannes Debus to great critical acclaim and made his mainstage debut as Baccus in Ariande auf Naxos at Seattle Opera. On the concert stage, he sang Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Choral and Boston Philharmonic; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and L’Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine under Paul Daniel Philharmonic. At the Aspen Music Festival he sang Radames in Aida under conductor Robert Spano, a role he sang with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood under Jacques Lacombe.

MICHAEL SUMUEL American bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, lauded as having “vocals [that] are smooth and ingratiating” (Daily Camera) returns in the 2018-19 season to perform Marcello in La bohème at Houston Grand Opera, and Alidoro in La Cenerentola at Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. A wonderful concert artist, Mr. Sumuel will sing Haydn’s Mass No. 12 in B-flat with the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with the San Diego Symphony, conducted by Speranza Scappucci, and participate in a Schubertiade at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia.

ances included debuts with the BBC Proms, singing Kate Whitley’s “I am I say” with the Multi-Story Orchestra at Eastgate Centre Rooftop Car Park, Mozart’s Mass in C minor with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado at Carnegie Hall, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Seattle Symphony, Handel’s Messiah with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Bach’s St. John Passion with Music of the Baroque in Chicago, conducted by Jane Glover, and a return to Mercury Houston to perform the bass solos in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.

In the 2017-18 season, Michael Sumuel returned to Glyndebourne Festival Opera to perform Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and made his debut at Teatro Massimo di Palermo performing Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Concert appear-

A Texas native, he is an alumnus of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera and the Filene Young Artist program at Wolf Trap Opera.

GUEST ARTISTS C

CANTERBURY VOICES Randi Von Ellefson, Conductor In 1968, Miles Criss, an organist at All Souls Episcopal Church, began working to create a community chorus in Oklahoma City. Miles and his friend, Pat Taliaferro, sent letters out to local church choir directors to announce the beginning of this new and wonderful community chorus. The response they received was incredible; the original chorus had 87 members! This was the beginning of Canterbury Choral Society, now known as Canterbury Voices. In the first few years, this community chorus had a humble existence. There were no paid staff and All Souls Church was the first sponsor of the newly formed organization. The first concert to be held outside of the church was performed at the Stage Center in downtown Oklahoma City. Not long afterwards, Canterbury began partnering with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the performances were moved to the Civic Center Music Hall. Eventually Miles Criss moved on, but what began as his dream is now one of Oklahoma City’s most cherished performing arts groups, Canterbury Voices. Celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2019, Canterbury has grown and thrived and touched the lives of many people who have a love for singing and for artistic excellence in music. Canterbury now operates with a modest sized staff, still depending on the support of its volunteers for help and devoting the majority of its budget to programming.

with extensive musical and stage experience, coming from all over the state of Oklahoma and representing a wide variety of professions. The Adult Chorus routinely collaborates with sister arts agencies like the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and Oklahoma City Ballet. Canterbury’s international tours have included England, China, Austria, Paris, and Normandy. Other choral highlights include the presentation of three world premieres in recent years, composed by Dominick Argento, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, and Stephen Paulus, and collaborations with guest artists such as Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara, Tony Award nominee Ron Raines, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, renowned soprano Sarah Coburn, renowned Russian bass Nikita Storojev, and guitarist Edgar Cruz. Canterbury has also developed educational programming for the young people of the metropolitan area. Programs include Canterbury Youth Voices (CYV), an extracurricular youth choir for students in grades 2 – 12 and Camp Canterbury, an annual summer choral camp for kids. CYV has choirs rehearsing in Oklahoma City and in Moore, and brings students from different schools and cities together to make beautiful music. CYV was recently invited to perform at the D-Day 75th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremonies in Normandy, France in June of 2020. CYV Moore Apprentice Choir, under the direction of Susan Pendergraft, was selected to perform as an honor choir at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association Conference in January 2019.

The 125-member Adult Chorus is the largest of its kind in the state of Oklahoma. All singers are auditioned volunteers, most

UNIVERSITY CHAMBER CHOIR Randi Von Ellefson, Conductor

UNIVERSITY SINGERS Tony Gonzalez, Conductor

The University Chamber Choir and University Singers are two of the five choirs in the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University. These two ensembles are made up of approximately 90 men and women that are auditioned from the nearly two hundred voice majors in the music school. In addition to performing on campus, the choirs have combined with Canterbury Voices for various performances at the Civic Center Music Hall with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic as well as performing at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association conferences in Tulsa. The singers are thrilled to be part of the first, regular concert conducted by Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate.

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RANDI VON ELLEFSON Randi Von Ellefson is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at Oklahoma City University (OKCU) and serves as Artistic Director of Canterbury Voices—the 120-voice adult chorus in the city. He began his work in Oklahoma City in 2004 after working at the University of Chicago, (IL), Whitworth University, (WA) and Bethany Lutheran College, (MN.) He holds degrees from Texas Lutheran University, the University of Minnesota and the D.M.A. from Arizona State University. He is a founding member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) and has served as its President as well as Treasurer. NCCO awarded him the prestigious lifetime achievement award at their most recent national conference in Baton Rouge, LA. He has also been President of the American Choral Directors Association’s Northwestern and Central Divisions.

Dr. Ellefson has conducted a wide variety of university choruses as well as the Spokane Symphony Chorale and the Elgin Choral Union. He has worked at Lutheran and Presbyterian Churches and currently is the adult choir director at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. Canterbury Voices has toured in China in 2011 and in the summer of 2014, seventy singers from Canterbury joined other choirs for concerts in Paris and at Normandy commemorating the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. In the summer of 2017 a group of singers participated in “Limerick Sings” a choral festival in Ireland. Most recently, Dr. Ellefson conducted Canterbury Voices, the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and the OKC Philharmonic in a performance of the Mozart “Great” Mass in C Minor as part of the 2018 Southwest Conference of the American Choral Directors Association.

TONY GONZALEZ Tony Gonzalez is recently retired from Norman North High School where he spent seventeen years producing a choral program that gained state, regional, and national acclaim. The combined choirs earned the coveted State Sweepstakes Award a record 17 consecutive years. They won prestigious national festivals in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, Washington, D.C., NYC, Orlando, and San Diego. His ensembles performed for state, regional and national conventions of OMEA (a record ten appearances), OCDA, SWACDA (Kansas City-2008, Little Rock-2014) and ACDA (NYC-2003, Miami-2007, and OKC2009). His Chorale has been broadcast nationally on 271 radio stations on NPR’s From the Top. His Mostly Mozart Concerts have been hailed as a staple part of the Norman community. He has served as adjudicator and guest conductor throughout the Southwest. He has been voted to Who’s Who Among

American High School Teachers. He was honored in 2003 by the National Music Educators Association in its national magazine, Teaching Music, as one of the outstanding music educators in the country. He is the 2005 and 2006 recipient of the State and Regional Music Educator of the Year award for the National Federation of High Schools. In 2007 he was named the NFHS Music Educator of the Year. In 2008 OMEA honored him as Exemplary Teacher for his life-long work in music education. A native of Brownsville, Texas, Tony attended Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he studied with Ron Shirey. He earned his B.M.E. degree at Texas A & I University in Kingsville. He received a M.M.E. degree from the University of Oklahoma and has completed course work toward his D.M.A. degree in Choral Conducting.

PROGRAM NOTES C L A S S I C S S E

Le Corsaire Hector Berlioz First performance: 12/14/1971 Conductor: Ray Luke Last Performance: 9/18/2010 Conductor: Joel Levine Born: December 11, 1803, in La Côte-Saint-André, Isère, France Died: March 8, 1869, in Paris, France Work composed: 1844, revised before its publication in 1852 Work premiered: January 19, 1845, in Paris in its original form, as La Tour de Nice; in its final form, as Le Corsaire, on April 8, 1854, in Brunswick (Braunschweig), Germany, with the composer conducting Work dedicated: to James William Davison, an English music critic Instrumentation: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two cornets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings

and, beginning in 1826, the composition curriculum at the Paris Conservatoire. Graduation from the Paris Conservatoire was a virtual prerequisite for aspiring French composers. Nearly as essential was snaring the Prix de Rome, a foreign-study fellowship whose winners were sent off to a residency in Italy, a nation whose ancient cultural lineage was considered to wield an indispensable influence over the formation of the creative intellect. Berlioz applied five times to that annual competition, each year marking an incremental step toward success; along the way he composed and submitted (as the required cantata) such pieces as La Mort d’Orphée (1827), Herminie (1828), and La Mort de Cléopâtre (1829), which are occasionally performed still today, if principally as youthful curiosities of a developing genius. In 1830, in his fifth attempt, he was finally honored with the Prix de Rome for his cantata La Mort de Sardanapale, of which only a fragment survives. In the course of his marine voyage to Rome in February 1831, Berlioz’s ship got caught in a terrible storm and was very nearly wrecked. The Berlioz biographer Jacques Barzun theorized that Berlioz may have embarked on the work eventually known as Le Corsaire on the heels of that misadventure, although more recent scholars are not so sure. The title relates it to Lord Byron’s semi-autobiographical, nautical, poetical tale The Corsair, which was such a hit that it sold 10,000 copies on its first day of publication in 1814. (Modern readers tend to be less enthusiastic about it.) The date 1831 is in fact written on Berlioz’s score, but that notation is not in his hand and the work is otherwise undocumented until 1844, when Berlioz writes of it as if it were an entirely new work.

There is no doubting the genius of Hector Berlioz, but genius does not always ensure a calm passage through life. Berlioz’ biography makes extraordinary reading, especially when liberally peppered with accounts lifted from his beautifully written Memoirs, which have been vividly captured in English translation by David Cairns. Pressed by his father, a physician, to pursue the same profession, Berlioz’ musical inclinations were not particularly encouraged in his youth. As a result, he never learned to play the piano in a more than rudimentary sense, and his practical abilities as a performer were limited to lessons on flute and guitar, both of which he played with some accomplishment but short of true virtuosity. He was sent to Paris to attend medical school, hated the experience, and took advantage of being in the big city to enroll in private musical studies

At first this concert overture carried the title La Tour de Nice (The Tower of Nice), and when Berlioz completed it provisionally in 1844, he was actually staying in a tower perched on a rocky outcropping overlooking Nice. He had gone there to recover from jaundice and to mourn the break-up of his marriage. The overture was premiered under that title, on January 19, 1845, but later Berlioz decided to change the piece’s name to Le Corsaire rouge, which is the French translation of The Red Rover, a marine adventure tale by James Fenimore Cooper, of whose works Berlioz was an avid fan. When he finally revised and published the piece, in 1852, he deleted the “rouge,” yielding the title Le Corsaire, with its Byronic overtones—and that is the name that has stuck. The revised piece was not performed until two years later, on April 8, 1854, and Berlioz wrote a report of the premiere (which he conducted himself) to the English critic James William Davison, the work’s dedicatee, relating: “In Brunswick we performed your overture Le Corsaire for the first time. It went very well and made a great impact. With a large orchestra and a conductor with an arm of steel this piece comes over with a certain swagger.” That indeed it does; and if the piece is somewhat less often heard in the concert hall than it was formerly, it is not the fault of its exciting, propulsive spirit.

PROGRAM NOTES Berlioz on the Rebound When Berlioz provisionally completed his Overture La Tour de Nice (later revised into Le Corsair) in 1844, he had gone to the south of France to regroup following a period of inordinate stress that included the breakdown of his marriage to the actress Harriet Smithson (to whom he had been wed since 1833) and ongoing bureaucratic hassles involved in presenting his music in Paris. In his Memoirs he reported running into his old anatomy professor from medical school, who was so alarmed by Berlioz’s yellowed appearance that he promptly bled him and ordered him to go relax in the south, where he could “get some sea air, forget about all these things that overheat your blood and over-stimulate your nervous system.” Berlioz chose Nice, where he had stayed 13 years earlier on his way to Italy for his Prix de Rome stint and tried to turn back the clock to a happier time. He wrote: “The room in which in 1831 I had written the King Lear Overture was occupied by an English family, so I settled higher up, in a tower perched on a ledge of the Ponchettes rock, and feasted myself on the glorious view over the Mediterranean and tasted a peace such as I had come to value more than ever. Then, cured of my jaundice after a fashion, and relieved of my eight hundred francs, I quitted that enchanting Sardinian [sic] coastline which has such an abiding appeal for me and returned to Paris to resume my role of Sisyphus.”

peasants planting rice. Nonetheless, his aptitude for music could not be quelled, and he set about collecting folk songs and (at the age of 17) conducting an ad hoc village musical ensemble. Soon he was pressed into service as a string player and arranger for a provincial Peking opera troupe, and in 1978, with the restoration of China’s educational system, he began to pursue his musical education more formally by enrolling at the Central Conservatory in Beijing. As the political climate thawed, composers from outside China began to visit Beijing. Among those with whom Tan Dun came in contact were Alexander Goehr, George Crumb, Hans Werner Henze, Toru Takemitsu, Isang Yun, and Chou Wen-Chung. From figures such as these Tan Dun received his first exposure to not only their music but also the compositions of such central 20th-century Western masters as Bartók, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Boulez. In 1986, he entered Columbia University, where he studied for a Doctor of Musical Arts. His music began to reflect a more liberated attitude toward tonality, as well as the intense discernment concerning nuances of tone color that continues to mark his work. His palette often includes such naturalistic effects as the sound of trickling water.

— JMK

Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds Tan Dun First performance on this series Born: August 18, 1957, in Simao in the Hunan province of China Currently living: in New York City Work composed: 2015 Work premiered: July 10, 2015, at Purchase College (State University of New York), by the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, Charles Dutoit conducting Instrumentation: Three flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes and English horn, two clarinets and bass clarinet, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (four players), one or two harps, strings, compact disc, cell phones used by orchestra and audience members

Born in a village in the Hunan province of central China, Tan Dun grew up surrounded by the traditions of Chinese rural and small-town life. With the onset of the Cultural Revolution in the mid-1970s, it was decreed that he should live among

His opera Marco Polo, commissioned by the Edinburgh Festival, was premiered in 1996 at the Munich Biennale and quickly received further stagings internationally. His other major stage works include the operas Peony Pavilion, Tea: A Mirror of the Soul, and The First Emperor (which the Metropolitan Opera premiered in 2006). He has written numerous concertos, including works featuring guitar, pizzicato piano (with ten instruments), cello, and the Chinese instruments erhu, pipa, and zheng. In 1999, the New York Philharmonic premiered his Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra in Memory of Toru Takemitsu. In 1998, he was awarded the prestigious annual award of the Grawemeyer Foundation, and in 2003 he was named Composer of the Year by the publication Musical America. Other honors include an Oscar and a Grammy for his score for Ang Lee’s film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the Best CD of Contemporary Music of Japan’s Recording Academy (Suntory) CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

PROGRAM NOTES C L A S S I C S S E

The Composer Speaks Tan Dun offers these thoughts about his Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds: I t has always been a burning passion of mine to decode the countless patterns of the sounds and colors found in nature. Leonardo da Vinci once said, “In order to arrive at knowledge of the motions of birds in the air, it is first necessary to acquire knowledge of the winds, which we will prove by the motions of water.” I immediately decided to take this idea of waves and water as a mirror to discover the motions of the wind and birds. In fact, the way birds fly, the way the wind blows, the way waves ripple … everything in nature has already provided me with answers. With melody, rhythm and color, I structured the sounds in a passacaglia. passacaglia is, to me, made of complex variations A and hidden repetitions. In this piece, I play with structure, color, harmony, melody, and texture through orchestration in eight-bar patterns. Thus, the piece begins with the sounds of ancient Chinese instruments played on cellphones, creating a chorus of digital birds and moving tradition into the future. T hrough nine evolving repetitions of the eight-bar patterns, the piece builds to a climax that is suddenly interrupted by the orchestra members chanting. This chanting reflects ancient myth and the beauty of nature. As it builds, it weaves finger snapping, whistling, and foot stamping into a powerful orchestral hip-hop energy. By the end, the winds, strings, brass, and percussion together cry out as one giant bird. To me, this last sound is that of the Phoenix, the dream of a future world. — JMK

Awards, for Water Passion After Saint Matthew; the BBC’s Best Orchestral Album, for Death and Fire; and election for the Glenn Gould Prize in Music and Communication and the Munich International Music Theatre Prize. In 2010 he was Cultural Ambassador to the World for World EXPO Shanghai, and in 2013 UNESCO named him its global Goodwill Ambassador. He served as creative chair of the 2014 Philadelphia Orchestra China Tour, associate composer/conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony, and artistic director of the Festival Water Crossing Fire held at the Barbican Centre. He is currently honorary chair of Carnegie Hall’s China Advisory Council. Commissioned by Carnegie Hall for the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, Tan Dun’s Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds is designed to bridge ancient and modern

technologies as well as the natural and man-made worlds. It draws on compositional forms and methods from the eastern and western contenents and includes in its sound palette birdsong produced by smartphones. “Looking at ancient examples of Chinese music,” writes Tan Dun, “there are so many compositions that imitate the sounds of nature and, specifically, birds. With this in mind, I decided to start by using six ancient Chinese instruments, the guzheng, suona, erhu, pipa, dizi, and sheng, to record bird sounds that I had composed. I formatted the recording to be playable on cellphones, turning the devices into instruments and creating a poetic forest of digital birds. The symphony orchestra is frequently expanding with the inclusion of new instruments; I thought the cellphone, carrying my digital bird sounds, might be a wonderful new instrument reflecting our life and spirit today.”

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, Choral Ludwig van Beethoven First performance: 3/6/1951 Conductor: Victor Alessandro Last performance: 4/17/2010 Conductor: Joel Levine Born: December 16, 1770 (probably, since he was baptized on the 17th), in Bonn, Germany Died: March 26, 1827, in Vienna, Austria Work composed: Mostly from 1822 to February 1824, although Beethoven was actively plotting the piece by 1817 and some of its musical material was sketched as early as 1812 Text: In the finale, Friedrich Schiller’s ode “To Joy” Work dedicated: To King Frederick Wilhelm III of Prussia, though Beethoven dedicated another manuscript copy of this symphony to the Philharmonic Society of London, which officially commissioned the piece from him Work premiered: May 7, 1824, at Vienna’s Kärntnertor Theater, with Michael Umlauf conducting (and the deaf composer standing beside him to indicate tempos) Instrumentation: Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, and strings, plus (in the finale) four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) and four-part mixed chorus

Practically every commentator on music has had something to say about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and their opinions have been so divergent as to make one wonder if they could possibly have been speaking of the same piece at all. Not a few members of early audiences dismissed it as the raving of a deaf lunatic, and nearly three decades into the piece’s life we find a reviewer for the Boston Atlas trying to explain it away politely as “the genius of the great man upon the ocean of harmony, without compass which had so often guided him to his haven of success; the blind painter touching the canvas at random.” Beethoven’s contemporary Louis Spohr was an enthusiast of his colleague’s early works, but here he drew the line: its first three movements, he wrote, “in spite of some flashes of genius, are to my mind inferior to all the eight previous symphonies,” and he found the finale “so monstrous and tasteless … that I cannot understand how a genius like

PROGRAM NOTES A Penny for Your Thoughts Here’s a selection of comments about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony from people whose opinions we have reason to respect: “Beethoven is not a man, he is a God!—Like Shakespeare, like Homer, like Michelangelo!—Take the most intelligent public, let them listen to the greatest work in modern art, the Ninth Symphony, and they will understand nothing.” —Georges Bizet “At last one begins to realize that here a great man has created his greatest work. I do not recall that ever before it has been received so enthusiastically. Saying this we do not mean to praise the work—which is beyond praise—but the audience.” —Robert Schumann

as shockingly long; yet its very dimensions were cause for wonderment when it was new. So was the inclusion of voices in its finale. Was this a proper symphony at all, or a sort of oratorio? And what about the voice writing itself, which Verdi decried (“No one will ever approach the sublimity of the first movement, but it will be an easy task to write as badly for voices as is done in the last movement”)? This is certainly no exercise in bel canto, and many a soloist has veered toward shipwreck in the craggy contours of the vocal lines. But misgivings aside, this symphony does pack a punch, in no small part thanks to precisely these “problematic” features—the momentum acquired through its remarkable length, the revitalizing of its essential sound with the entrance of the chorus in the finale, even the drama associated with solo singers sitting silent for nearly an hour and then leaping in to wrestle challenging tessituras.

“Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony became the mystical goal of all my strange thoughts and desires about music.”—Richard Wagner “The alpha and omega is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, marvelous in the first three movements, very badly set in the last.” —Giuseppe Verdi “Nothing is superfluous in this stupendous work, not even the Andante, declared by modern aestheticism to be overlong.” —Claude Debussy “‘The Ninth’ is sacred, and it was already sacred when I first heard it in 1897. I have often wondered why.” —Igor Stravinsky

Beethoven could have written it.” And yet, wrote Hector Berlioz, “There is a small minority of musicians, whose nature inclines them to consider carefully whatever may broaden the scope of art, … and they assert that this work is the most magnificent expression of Beethoven’s genius. … That is the view I share.” Which is to say that we are allowed to have mixed feelings when encountering this piece, but that what we may individually perceive as its flaws might stand as virtues from someone else’s perspective. Take its length, which nobody was prepared for in 1824. Beethoven’s Third Symphony had tried listeners’ patience by clocking in at perhaps 50 minutes back in 1805; now they were faced with a symphony that might last another 20 minutes beyond that, a scale that proved baffling to many early audiences. But the impact of this piece was such that before long other symphonists began “scaling up” to bigger structures than had been previously imagined. Modern audiences, accustomed to symphonies of an hour or more (by Bruckner or Mahler, for example), are unlikely to experience Beethoven’s Ninth

Like all of Beethoven’s symphonies, the Ninth was conceived as a grand experiment; but somehow it held onto its stature as a beacon of the avant-garde more firmly than did its predecessors. That has to do partly with the fact that it was Beethoven’s last symphony. Many, many avant-garde moments pepper his symphonic production, but in every case those advances were immediately swept along in a current of more Beethoven, always building toward new advances. Standing at the end of that astonishing sequence of works, the Ninth takes on a magnified aura of monumentality—of finality, on one hand, but also of pointing to a future that Beethoven would not himself address. If Beethoven could personally show us where the implications of the Eroica or the Pastoral might lead, the path from the Ninth remained an utterly uncharted challenge to future generations of composers. JAMES M. KELLER James M. Keller is the long-time Program Annotator of the New York Philharmonic (where he holds The Leni and Peter May Chair) and the San Francisco Symphony. The Berlioz and Beethoven notes previously appeared in the programs of the New York Philharmonic and are used with permission. ©New York Philharmonic.

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Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor GERMAN

ENGLISH

O Freunde, nicht diese Töne! Sondern lasst uns angenehmere anstimmen und freudenvollere. Freude! Freude!

Oh friends, not these tones! Rather, let us raise our voices in more pleasing And more joyful sounds! Joy! (Joy!) Joy! (Joy!)

Freude, schöner Götterfunken Tochter aus Elysium, Wir betreten feuertrunken, Himmlische, dein Heiligtum! Deine Zauber binden wieder Was die Mode streng geteilt; Alle Menschen werden Brüder, (Schillers Original: Was der Mode Schwert geteilt; Bettler werden Fürstenbrüder,) Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt. Wem der große Wurf gelungen, Eines Freundes Freund zu sein; Wer ein holdes Weib errungen, Mische seinen Jubel ein! Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund! Und wer’s nie gekonnt, der stehle Weinend sich aus diesem Bund! Freude trinken alle Wesen An den Brüsten der Natur; Alle Guten, alle Bösen Folgen ihrer Rosenspur. Küsse gab sie uns und Reben, Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod; Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben, Und der Cherub steht vor Gott. Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen Durch des Himmels prächt’gen Plan, Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn, Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen. Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt! Brüder, über’m Sternenzelt Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen. Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen? Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt? Such’ ihn über’m Sternenzelt! Über Sternen muss er wohnen. Finale repeats the words: Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt! Brüder, über’m Sternenzelt Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen. Seid umschlungen, Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt! Freude, schöner Götterfunken Tochter aus Elysium, Freude, schöner Götterfunken

Joy, beautiful spark of divinity Daughter of Elysium, We enter, drunk with fire, Into your sanctuary, heavenly (daughter)! Your magic reunites What custom strictly divided. All men become brothers, Where your gentle wing rests Whoever has had the great fortune To be a friend’s friend, Whoever has won a devoted wife, Join in our jubilation! Indeed, whoever can call even one soul, His own on this earth! And whoever was never able to, must creep Tearfully away from this band! Joy all creatures drink At the breasts of nature; All good, all bad Follow her trail of roses. Kisses she gave us, and wine, A friend, proved in death; Pleasure was given to the worm, And the cherub stands before God. Before God! Glad, as His suns fly Through the Heaven’s glorious design, Run, brothers, your path Joyful, as a hero to victory. Be embraced, millions! This kiss for the whole world! Brothers, above the starry canopy Must a loving Father dwell. Do you bow down, millions? Do you sense the Creator, world? Seek Him beyond the starry canopy! Beyond the stars must He dwell. Finale repeats the words: Be embraced, you millions! This kiss for the whole world! Brothers, beyond the star-canopy Must a loving Father dwell. Be embraced, This kiss for the whole world! Joy, beautiful spark of divinity, Daughter of Elysium, Joy, beautiful spark of divinity Divinity!

OKLAHOMA PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY, INC. ASSOCIATE BOARD

WILD INDIVIDUALISM October 6, 2018 8:00 P.M.

CLASSICS

John Cannon, President SIMONE PORTER, VIOLIN ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE, CONDUCTOR

Patrick E. Randall, II, Vice President Peter Harlin, Secretary Ashley Wilemon, Membership Chair Lexi Belvis, Marketing Chair Christa Bentley, Events Chair Kash Barker Nina Barker J. Cruise Berry Chris Cummings Zachary Dumas Kara Simpson Jennifer Stadler David White

Emerging Artist Series

PROKOFIEV ................. Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19 Andantino—Andante assai Scherzo: Vivacissimo Moderato—Allegro moderato—Moderato—Più tranquillo

Simone Porter, violin

INTERMISSION

HOLST ......................... The Planets

nichols hills plaza

Mars, the Bringer of War Venus, the Bringer of Peace Mercury, the Winged Messenger Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age Uranus, the Magician Neptune, the Mystic

THIS CONCERT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:

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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, October 31 at 8 pm and Saturday, November 3 at 8 am on “Performance Oklahoma”. Simultaneous internet streaming is also available during the broadcast.

GUEST ARTIST C

SIMONE PORTER Violinist Simone Porter has been recognized as an emerging artist of impassioned energy, interpretive integrity, and vibrant communication. In the past few years she has debuted with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and with a number of renowned conductors, including Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Nicholas McGegan, Ludovic Morlot, and Donald Runnicles. Born in 1996, Simone made her professional solo debut at age 10 with the Seattle Symphony and her international debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London at age 13. In March 2015, Simone was named a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Her current season includes concerts with orchestras in Rhode Island; Albany, NY; Eugene, OR; Lubbock and Waco, TX; and Alabama in addition to a return visit to Des Moines and recitals in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Simone’s emergence on the international concert circuit has occurred simultaneously with her studies at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. Her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel came in 2015 followed soon after by performances with orchestras in Detroit, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Indianapolis, Nashville, Salt Lake City, Baltimore and Rochester. She also made her Ravinia Festival recital debut, her debut at the Grand Teton Music Festival, and multiple solo performances as a guest artist at the Aspen Music Festival. Having spent her formative years in Seattle, Simone made a rousing homecoming return engagement with the Seattle Symphony in 2016.

Internationally, Simone has performed with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra with Gustavo Dudamel; the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira in Rio de Janeiro; the Costa Rica Youth Symphony; the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong; the Royal Northern Sinfonia and the Milton Keynes City Orchestra in the United Kingdom Simone made her Carnegie Zankel Hall debut on the Emmy Award-winning TV show From the Top: Live from Carnegie Hall followed in November 2016 by her debut in Stern Auditorium. In June 2016, her featured performance of music from Schindler’s List with Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and members of the American Youth Symphony was broadcast nationally on the TNT Network as part of the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to John Williams. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Simone studied with Margaret Pressley as a recipient of the Dorothy Richard Starling Scholarship, and was then admitted into the studio of the renowned pedagogue Robert Lipsett, with whom she presently studies at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. Summer studies have included the Aspen Music Festival for seven years, Indiana University’s Summer String Academy, and the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy. Simone Porter plays on a 1745 J.B. Guadagnini violin on generous loan from The Mandell Collection of Southern California.

AD ASTRA WOMEN’S CHORUS Randi Von Ellefson, Conductor (see picture and bio on page 29) Ad Astra women’s chorus is a 50-voice ensemble selected from undergraduate and graduate voice students at Oklahoma City University. The choir performs a wide variety of select literature for upper voices and performs regularly on and off campus including the annual Christmas Vespers Concerts in December. The chorus also sings in the weekly Chapel Worship service held in the University Chapel. Ad Astra (“to the Stars”) has performed several times at the annual conference of the Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OMEA) in Tulsa, at the annual high school all state workshop and at several local music festivals.

Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19 Sergei Prokofiev First performance: 1/16/1962 Violin: Norman Paulu Last performance: 10/21/1973 Violin: Viktor Tretyakov Born: Either April 11 (old style)/23 (new style), as he himself claimed, or April 15/27 (according to his birth certificate), 1891, in Sontsovka, Ekaterinoslav district, Ukraine Died: March 5, 1953, in Moscow, Soviet Union Work composed: Summer 1917, drawing on material sketched slightly earlier Work premiered: October 18, 1923, in Paris, with Marcel Darrieux as soloist and Serge Koussevitzky conducting Instrumentation: Two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, tuba, timpani, tambourine, military drum, harp, and strings, in addition to the solo violin

PROGRAM NOTES I

Concertino.) The Concerto was supposed to be premiered by the famous Polish violinist Paweł Kochański, who was teaching in St. Petersburg (by then re-named Petrograd). But with the turmoil in Russia, not to mention Prokofiev’s departure for foreign soil, plans for the performance failed to progress. The premiere was delayed until 1923, when Serge Koussevitzky (by then a Russian expatriate in Paris, just like Prokofiev) programmed it on his own concert series, with his orchestra’s concertmaster, Marcel Darrieux, as the adequate but hardly brilliant soloist. Curiously, the Soviet premiere took place a mere three days later: an undoubtedly stellar performance with piano accompaniment (rather than orchestra) featuring two 19-year-old musicians just at the beginning of their careers, the violinist Nathan Milstein and the pianist Vladimir Horowitz. But it was the Hungarian violinist Joseph Szigeti who became the most ardent early champion of this work, playing it all over the world, making the first recording of it, and writing poetically of “its mixture of fairy-tale naïveté and daring savagery in lay-out and texture.” Szigeti had actually attended the world premiere of this concerto. Also in the Paris audience on that occasion were the artist Pablo Picasso, the dancer Anna Pavlova, the pianist Artur Rubinstein, and the composers Karol Szymanowski and Igor Stravinsky (with the latter conducting the premiere of his own Octet for Winds as part of the show). The Paris critics rebuffed this concerto at first—a special disappointment to the composer since it was the first of his compositions he unveiled since settling in that city. The Parisians had proved receptive to Prokofiev’s extroverted “bad-boy” scores of the time, such as the Scythian Suite and the ballet The Buffoon (or Chout), but they didn’t hide their disappointment over this score, which is considerably less confrontational. Just as the Classical Symphony departed from the spirit of those pieces in its simplicity and restrained wit, the Violin Concerto No. 1 stood apart with its inherent lyricism and sparkling virtuosity—an almost Romantic concerto arriving late on the scene.

Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 dates from the fateful moment when Prokofiev was about to leave Russia for a decade and a half to be based in Western Europe and America. World War I was reaching its end, but while most of Europe would breathe a sigh of relief at the cessation of hostilities, Russia would descend into increasing anarchy, paving the way for the Russian Revolution. Prokofiev was obviously concerned by what was happening around him—concerned enough to begin plotting his exit—but his creative spirit seems not to have diminished. In 1917, he completed not only his First Violin Concerto but also his First Symphony (the Classical), his Third and Fourth Piano Sonatas, and his Visions fugitives for piano. This concerto traces its origins to a Concertino for Violin that Prokofiev began in 1915 but left incomplete. Some of Prokofiev’s material for that earlier work ended up in the Concerto, which in any case adheres to modest proportions. (It retained its deceptively “early” opus number from the projected

In his so-called “Short Autobiography” (1941), Prokofiev identified five separate strands in his musical language, which he termed the classical, the modern, the toccata, the lyrical, and—with some strings attached—the “scherzo-ish.” He related the Violin Concerto No. 1 principally to the lyric strand of his style: The fourth line is lyrical: it appears first as a thoughtful and meditative mood, not always associated with melody, or at any rate with long melody (“Fairy Tale” in the Four Pieces for Piano Op. 3, Dreams, Autumnal, the songs Op. 9, the “Legend” Op. 12), sometimes partly contained in long melody (the two Balmont choruses, the beginning of the First Violin Concerto, the songs to Akhmatova’s poems, Grandmother’s Tales). This line was not noticed until much later. For a long time I was given no credit for any lyrical gift whatever, and for want of encouragement it developed slowly. But as time went on I gave more attention to this aspect of my work. CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

PROGRAM NOTES

The Planets Gustav Holst First performance: 3/14/1981 Conductor: Sir Charles Groves Last performance: 4/4/2009 Conductor: Joel Levine Born: September 21, 1874, in Cheltenham, England Died: May 25, 1934, in London, England Work composed: Mars, Venus, and Jupiter in 1914; Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in 1915; Mercury in 1916. Work premiered: September 29, 1918, before a private audience at Queen’s Hall, London, with Adrian Boult conducting the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra; the first public performance, though omitting “Venus” and “Neptune,” on November 22, 1919, with Holst conducting at Queen’s Hall; first public performance of the complete work on November 15, 1920, at Queen’s Hall, with Albert Coates conducting the London Symphony Orchestra Instrumentation: Four flutes (third and fourth doubling piccolo, fourth also doubling alto flute in G—Holst calls the latter “bass flute in G,” but there is no question that the instrument he had in mind was what we call today alto flute), three oboes (third doubling the rarely glimpsed bass oboe) and English horn, three clarinets and bass clarinet, three bassoons and contrabassoon, six horns, four trumpets, three trombones, tenor and bass tubas, six timpani (two players), bass drum, side drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, gong, bells, xylophone, glockenspiel, celesta, two harps, organ, strings, and, in Neptune, an offstage chorus of female voices in six parts.

The Composer Speaks Holst offered this comment, itself somewhat mysterious, in connection with the premiere of The Planets: These pieces were suggested by the astrological significance of the planets. There is no program music in them, neither have they any connection with the deities of classical mythology bearing the same names. If any guide to the music is required, the subtitle of each piece will be found sufficient, especially if it used in a broad sense. For instance, Jupiter brings jollity in the ordinary sense, and also the more ceremonial kind of rejoicing associated with religious or national festivities. Saturn brings not only physical decay, but also a vision of fulfillment. Mercury is the symbol of mind. — JMK

Jesus (1917). Success did not lie easily on his shoulders. Following the rapturous reception of the oratorio, he wrote to another friend, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you”; and before long, he retreated into the solitariness he found requisite to his profession. olst was born into a musical family of Scandinavian, GerH man, and Russian roots. The surname he inherited from his father, “von Holst,” alluded to a background of slight nobility in Sweden; he would drop the “von” and anglicize his given name of Gustavus when, at the onset of the First World War, people started shunning him for what they assumed was German lineage. Holst studied piano as a child, but neuritis in his right arm prevented him from pursuing a professional career. He entered the Royal College of Music in 1893, where he studied composition with the eminent Charles Villiers Stanford, though without achieving much distinction. He also studied trombone at the conservatory—a good thing, since it provided a skill with which he could earn a living playing in brass bands and opera orchestras.

“Every artist ought to pray that he may not be ‘a success,’ ” remarked Gustav Holst to a friend. “If he’s a failure he stands a good chance of concentrating upon the best work of which he’s capable.” Holst spoke with some authority on the matter since he knew both sides of the equation intimately. A leading figure of what is today viewed as the “Second English Renaissance” in music, he was catapulted to celebrity through the double-whammy triumph of his symphonic cycle The Planets (1914-16) and his oratorio The Hymn of

T he most important occurrences of his conservatory years, it seems, were the friendship he forged with his fellow student Ralph Vaughan Williams (who would be his closest lifetime colleague) and his directing of the Hammersmith Socialist Choir. This group met at Kelmscott Manor, the home of William Morris, a progressive thinker who apparently introduced Holst to Hindu literature and philosophy, which would greatly inspire his musical compositions. olst taught at St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Hammersmith, from H 1905 until the end of his life. Teaching exhausted him, such that he became a weekend composer. He spent the First World War with the YMCA educational programs among

British troops in Greece and Turkey. At the same time, the orchestral work was germinating that would thrust him to stardom. The Planets, a set of seven self-contained orchestral “mood pictures” portraying our neighbors in the solar system, has now maintained its renown for a century. Following the work’s premiere, in 1918, his popularity became his nemesis. He was called upon to conduct performances of his compositions. Social engagements and press interviews ate into his precious composition time. Publishers, suspecting that his earlier pieces might suddenly prove marketable, kept him busy correcting proofs and revising works he had long since put out of his mind. Holst collapsed—literally. In February 1923, he fell from the podium while conducting his students at the University of Reading and suffered a concussion. He recovered fully and traveled that spring to lecture at the University of Michigan; but shortly after returning to England he cancelled all his professional engagements and disappeared for a year to lead what he called “the life of a real composer.” In 1925, he returned to London, simplified his life, and reveled in the fact that audiences were finding his new pieces too cerebral to be popular. He took great satisfaction from the works he composed and continued to incur the respect of fellow composers and intellectuals. By 1932, his health began to fail; a brief stint lecturing at Harvard was marred by complications from a duodenal ulcer. He spent the next year and a half under nearly perpetual medical care and by the spring of 1934 was faced with a difficult surgical option: a simple operation that might somewhat alleviate his condition, or a risky one that could really make him better. He had the risky operation and died two days later.

JAMES M. KELLER James M. Keller is the long-time Program Annotator of the New York Philharmonic (where he holds The Leni and Peter May Chair) and the San Francisco Symphony. These notes previously appeared in the programs of the New York Philharmonic and are used with permission. ©New York Philharmonic.

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AN EVENING WITH MELINDA DOOLITTLE OCTOBER 12-13, 2018 8:00 P.M.

POPS ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE, CONDUCTOR

AN EVENING WITH

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GUEST ARTIST P

MELINDA DOOLITTLE Melinda Doolittle is a soul–stirring songstress. She is a flawless vocalist with irresistible artistry and effortless style compelling her audiences to keep listening. Tone deaf as a child, Melinda’s choir teacher would plead with her not to sing, but just silently move her mouth. Undaunted, her love of singing drove her to enter a talent show in the seventh grade where she stunned the audience with her miraculously spot on vocals and beautiful voice. She never looked back! Melinda graduated with a Bachelors in Music from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. She became a highly sought after background vocalist singing for musical icons including Michael McDonald, Aretha Franklin, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Aaron Neville and Jonny Lang. Doolittle became a household name during season six of American Idol in 2007. She came in third in the voting, first with Simon Cowell calling her his “personal favorite” and quickly became the sweetheart of American Idol winning over the hearts of all with her stunning powerhouse vocals and her personal charm. In 2009, Doolittle released her debut album Coming Back to You garnering rave reviews from critics, including The New

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York Times, which hailed her as one of the most “phenomenally gifted” singers in years. In 2013, she released her sophomore album You’re The Reason giving fans yet another opportunity to hear her impeccable vocals and revealing a bit more of her personality. People Magazine stating, “Her voice is a slinky purr then a mighty growl that will keep you coming back for more.” In the middle of her album releases, she penned her book Beyond Me: Finding Your Way to Life’s Next Level. Melinda was also the well-loved co-host of TV Line’s Reality Check. Doolittle continues to thrill audiences everywhere from the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame to The White House, from the Copa Room to Carnegie Hall. In addition, she has been a featured guest with the Boston Pops, Charlotte Symphony and United States Air Force Orchestra to name a few, including a featured performer at the 2015 Boston Pops Fourth of July Spectacular. She is currently headlining her own soulful show Great American Soul Book. In thankfulness for all she has been given, Doolittle gives back to these amazing organizations: Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, The League, and Malaria No More (Presidential Delegate to Africa).

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OKLAHOMA CITY PHILHARMONIC FOUNDATION PROVIDING LEADERSHIP AND ANNUAL SUPPORT 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 long-range 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

INDEPENDENT CREATIVITY January 26, 2019 8:00 P.M.

CLASSICS YOLANDA KONDONASSIS, HARP ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE, CONDUCTOR

BERNSTEIN ................ Three Dance Episodes from On the Town

The Great Lover Lonely Town: Pas de deux Times Square: 1944

ENO ........................... An Ending (Ascent)* HIGDON ...................... Concerto for Harp and Orchestra*

First Light Joy Ride Lullaby Rap Knock

Douglas J. Stussi Treasurer

Yolanda Kondonassis, harp

Penny M. McCaleb Secretary

INTERMISSION

DIRECTORS Steven C. Agee Patrick B. Alexander J. Edward Barth L. Joe Bradley Teresa Cooper T.A. Dearmon Paul Dudman Thomas J. Enis Misha Gorkuscha Jane B. Harlow Harrison Levy, Jr. Duke R. Ligon Michael J. Milligan Richard L. Sias Richard Tannenbaum Charles E. Wiggin

MOZART ..................... Symphony No. 41 in C major, K.551, Jupiter

Allegro vivace Andante cantabile Menuetto Molto allegro

*First performance on this series

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GUEST ARTIST C

YOLANDA KONDONASSIS Yolanda Kondonassis is celebrated as one of the world’s premier solo harpists and is widely regarded as today’s most recorded classical harpist. With “a range of colour that’s breathtaking” (Gramophone), she has been hailed as “a brilliant and expressive player” (Dallas Morning News), with “a dazzling technique unfailingly governed by impeccable musical judgment” (Detroit News). She has appeared around the globe as a concerto soloist and in recital, bringing her unique brand of musicianship and warm artistry to an ever-increasing audience. Also a published author, speaker, professor of harp, and environmental activist, her many passions are woven into a vibrant and multi-faceted career. Since making her debut at age 18 with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta, Kondonassis has brought new audiences to the harp and has appeared as soloist with numerous major orchestras in the United States and abroad such as The New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, to name a few. She has been featured on CNN and PBS as well as Sirius XM Radio’s Symphony Hall, NPR’s All Things Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts, St. Paul Sunday Morning and Performance Today. The first harpist to receive the Darius Milhaud Prize, Kondonassis is committed to the advancement of contemporary music for the instrument, with recent premieres including works by Bright Sheng, Keith Fitch, and Gary Schocker. Current projects include a Harp Concerto commission with Jennifer Higdon. Kondonassis has also earned a reputation as a world-class chamber musician, collaborating with artists such as the Shanghai, JACK, Jupiter and Vermeer string quartets, pianist Jeremy Denk, and guitarist Jason Vieaux, among others. The Kondonassis/Vieauz duo released their debut album, Together in January 2015 on Azica Records.

With hundreds of thousands of discs and downloads sold worldwide, Kondonassis’ extensive discography released on Telarc, Azica, Oberlin, New World, and Channel Classics labels, includes twenty titles. Her latest album, Ginastera: One Hundred, celebrates Ginastera’s 2016 centennial and was released in October 2016 on Oberlin Music. Her 2008 release of music by Takemitsu and Debussy, Air (Telarc), was nominated for a Grammy Award. Her many albums have earned universal critical praise as she continues to be a pioneering force in the harp world, striving to push the boundaries of what listeners expect of the harp. As an author, composer, and arranger, Kondonassis has published three books to date: On Playing the Harp, The Yolanda Kondonassis Collection, and The Yolanda Kondonassis Christmas Collection. Carl Fischer Music publishes all of her works. Kondonassis carries her passionate artistic commitment to issues regarding the protection of natural resources, air quality, and climate change. Royalties from several of her projects are donated to earth causes and she is the founder and director of Earth at Heart, a non-profit organization devoted to earth literacy and inspiration through the arts. Her first children’s book, entitled Our House is Round: A Kid’s Book About Why Protecting Our Earth Matters, was published in 2012 by Skyhorse Publishing. Born in Norman, Oklahoma, Kondonassis attended high school at Interlochen Arts Academy. She continued her education at The Cleveland Institute of Music, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as a student of Alice Chalifoux. Kondonassis heads the harp departments of Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The Cleveland Institute of Music, and presents masterclasses around the world.

Three Dance Episodes from On the Town Leonard Bernstein Sole performance on this series: 11/15/1972 Conductor: Skitch Henderson Born: August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts; this season the musical world celebrates the centennial of his birth Died: October 14, 1990, in New York City Work composed: June to December, 1944; in 1945-46 Bernstein revised sections of the show into his Three Dance Episodes from On the Town Work premiered: The show On the Town was premiered December 28, 1944, at the Adelphi Theatre, New York City, with Max Goberman conducting; the composer conducted the San Francisco Symphony in the premiere of the Three Dance Episodes from On the Town on February 13, 1946 in the Civic Auditorium, San Francisco. Instrumentation: Flute (doubling piccolo), oboe, three clarinets (doubling Eflat clarinet, bass clarinet, and alto saxophone), two horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, suspended cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, triangle, traps, woodblock, xylophone, piano, and strings

In 1944, Leonard Bernstein had joined with choreographer Jerome Robbins to create the ballet Fancy Free, which depicted three sailors on leave in New York City. Oliver Smith, who had created the sets for Fancy Free, urged Bernstein and Robbins to expand the ballet into a full-length stage work. Betty Comden and Adolph Green — who, like Bernstein, had not worked on Broadway previously — were enlisted to create the book and lyrics. Like the ballet that inspired it, On the Town follows the adventures of three Navy fellows on shore leave during their first visit to New York — their astonishment at the city itself and the romantic situations in which they ecome entangled. Where Fancy Free had been a relatively simple ballet divertissement spotlighting the three sailors, On the Town evolved into an entirely different show, more fully fleshed out with such memorable characters as Hildy the cabdriver, Claire de Loon (the libidinous anthropologist), and Ivy Smith,

PROGRAM NOTES I

that month’s “Miss Turnstiles,” who also performs as a Coney Island belly-dancer. In its day, On the Town lifted spirits during the dark months when World War II still had a distance to go before life could return to normal. It stands no less as a paean to New York, a valentine to a great city, a frolic celebrating the American urban spirit in all its zany audacity.

From Broadway to Concert Hall In the wake On the Town’s success on Broadway, Bernstein crafted the Three Dance Episodes from On the Town. He selected three of the choreographic sections for his orchestral suite: “Dance of the Great Lover” (from the “Dream Ballet,” Act 2); Pas de deux (from the “Lonely Town Ballet,” Act 1), and “Times Square Ballet” (the Finale of Act I). I n the first section, the dreamy romantic among the three sailors imagines himself not as a shy serviceman but rather as a great lover. Wrote Bernstein: “Gabey, the romantic sailor in search of the glamorous Miss Turnstiles, falls asleep on the subway and dreams of his prowess in sweeping Miss Turnstiles off her feet.” The second is an evocative scene in which a young girl falls for—and is jilted by—another sailor, to the strains of the bluesy tune “Lonely House.” (Bernstein: “Pas de deux: Gabey watches a scene, both tender and sinister, in which a sensitive high-school girl in Central Park is lured and then cast off by a worldly sailor.”) The last of the Three Dance Episodes bristles with the snazzy strains of “New York, New York,” the biggest hit in On the Town. (“Times Square Ballet: A more panoramic sequence in which all the sailors in New York congregate in Times Square for their night of fun. There is communal dancing, a scene in a souvenir arcade, a scene in the Roseland Dance Palace. Cuts have been made in this music of those sections relating directly to the plot action.”) —JMK

The sailing was not always smooth during the six months in which the team created On the Town. Both Bernstein and Green spent stints in the hospital — the former for deviatedseptum surgery, the latter to have his tonsils removed. As a result, Comden and Green ended up crafting some of their unforgettable lyrics in more than usually sanitary surroundings: “The floor nurses and patients in nearby rooms were alternately amused and irritated by the singing and laughter that erupted from Room 669,” Bernstein’s sister Shirley recalled later. For his part, the composer was not always an CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

PROGRAM NOTES

ideal patient. One self-censoring nurse remarked, “He may be God’s gift to music, but I’d hate to tell you where he gives me a pain.” By August, Bernstein had recovered sufficiently to travel by train to California to conduct some Ballet Theatre performances of Fancy Free. It was while en route that he penned the song “New York, New York”; ironically, this big production number, a virtual anthem to the nation’s largest metropolis, came into being as the cornfields of Nebraska were passing by outside. The estimable George Abbott agreed to direct the show. His participation not only guaranteed that deep-pocketed supporters would provide financing but also led to a movie deal with MGM, starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. When the film was made, MGM declined to have Mr. Abbott direct, though he expressed a desire to do so; and because studio head Louis B. Mayer disliked Bernstein’s score, it was largely rewritten for the film — by other composers. Hershy Kay signed on as the show’s orchestrator (with contributions by Don Walker, Elliot Jacoby, Ted Royal, and Bernstein himself) and Max Goberman was hired as conductor. Bernstein, however, conducted the first performance when On the Town opened its ten-day tryout run in Boston. The critics were warmly disposed, though far from elated, and the song “Lonely Town” was cited as a standout in the score. After a certain amount of tweaking, On the Town was ready to open on Broadway, which it did at the Adelphi Theatre on West 44th Street on December 28, 1944. It proved to be a hit and ran for more than a year. “It seems only natural that dance should play a leading role in the show On the Town,” Bernstein said, “since the idea of writing it arose from the success of the ballet Fancy Free. I believe this is the first Broadway show ever to have as many as seven or eight dance episodes in the space of two acts; and, as a result, the essence of the whole production is contained in these dances.”

rather than what we traditionally think of as musical composition. He downplayed the idea of the composer as the primary instigator of a musical composition, which he viewed instead as a collaborative effort that emerges from a group of creative individuals when they are freed of constraints. Whereas most concert-hall music involves musicians following as closely as possible the specific musical instructions that have been put before them by the composer, Eno strove to remove himself from the creative process, at least in such a specific way as the imposition of particular notes, harmonies, or rhythms. In fact, he was a product of art schools—the Ipswich Art School in the UK, beginning in 1964, then the Winchester School of Art beginning in 1966. He was not trained to play any musical instrument, but he became fascinated with making artworks whose processes (or “systems”) involved sounds, inspired in no small degree by John Cage and the Fluxus art circle. In 1969, he struck up an involvement with the Scratch Orchestra, a London modern-music group led by Cornelius Cardew, a musician devoted to artworks crafted to encourage social change. From there, connections in the music world led him to the field of sound manipulation through the use of synthesizers (primitive by modern comparison, but groundbreaking technology at the time). So it was that he grew adept at mixing acoustic sounds through electronic means. Characteristically, he would derive the acoustic sounds from sessions at which the assembled musicians were provides with only vague directions and then encouraged to improvise reactions to those clues. One of his early works consisted of precisely this instruction: “The instruments are in turn / ground down and individually / cast into blocks of acrylic / resin. The blocks are given to / young children. / Now the music begins . . ..”

An Ending (Ascent) Brian Eno First Performance on this Series Born: May 15, 1948, in Woodbridge, Suffolk, United Kingdom Currently residing: in London, UK Work composed: 1983 Work premiered: In the 1983 film Apollo Instrumentation: Arranged for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, horn, three trumpets, trombone, percussion (on player), harp, and strings

Brian Eno is widely known for introducing the term “ambient music” and for his collaboration, beginning in the 1970s, on famous albums and performance projects by forward-thinking pop-music performers, including Roxy Music, David Bowie, the Talking Heads, Devo, Laurie Anderson, and U2. From the outset, his approach to music has seemed more allied to the aesthetics of the avant-garde art-world creativity

Although many of the musicians and groups he worked with might produce pieces of an aggressive bent, Eno’s electronic manipulations tended to smooth things out into slow-motion, meditative expanses. His typical product was soft-edged, its

PROGRAM NOTES About An Ending (Ascent) Brian Eno’s atmospheric pieces have been much employed in films. An Ending (Ascent) originated as part of the score he wrote for the feature-length documentary film Apollo (released in 1983, and later retitled For All Mankind), which was a compilation of 35-millmeter footage taken during the Apollo moon missions from 1968 through 1972. As one might expect, this selection came at the movie’s end. That same year, it appeared on the studio sound recording Apollo—Atmospheres and Soundtracks, by Eno with his younger brother Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois. Since then, An Ending (Ascent) has been sampled in various recordings by other performers and was included in the soundtracks of several movies, including Steven Soderbergh’s film Traffic (2000), Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002), Olivier Assayas’ Clean (2004), Ghosts of Cité Soleil (2006, co-directed by Asger Leth and Milos Loncarevic), Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive (2011), and Miguel Arteta’s Beatriz at Dinner (2017).

Concerto for Harp and Orchestra Jennifer Higdon First Performance on this Series Born: December 31, 1962, in Brooklyn, New York Currently residing: in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Work composed: 2018 Work premiered: May 10, 2018, in Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre in Rochester, New York, with harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Ward Stare conducting Instrumentation: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, two trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (two players), and strings, in addition to the solo harp

—JMK

sound combinations sometimes sustained to very great length, not operating according to time signatures or recurrent impulses of melody, harmony, or rhythm. Before the ’70s were over, he had arrived at his defining achievement, the album Ambient 1: Music for Airports, released in 1978. “An ambience,” he wrote, “is defined as an atmosphere or a surrounding influence, a tint. My intention is to produce original pieces ostensibly (but not exclusively) for particular times and situations with a view to building up a small but versatile catalogue of environmental music suited to a wide variety of moods and atmospheres. …. Ambient Music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.” In ensuing decades, he broadened his in-putted material to include recordings of musics from exotic locales, as well as spoken recitations, conversations, or clips of radio broadcasts. His role became that of a collagist of sound. He eventually began to integrate lighting, projections, and videos into his collages. As technology evolved, he became fascinated by the concept of self-generating musical systems, computer-driven processes by which a piece might “play itself,” effectively removing human input from the process. As David Buckley wrote in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (second edition), “Eno sees himself as a curator and coordinator of sounds rather that as an originator of new ones.”

Although she is one of the most widely performed of living American composers, Jennifer Higdon didn’t set her sights on that profession until she was practically an adult. Born in Brooklyn, she grew up in Atlanta and in rural Tennessee in a counterculture family—both parents were visual artists—for whom “art happenings” and experimental film festivals were the norm. She thought she might become a writer and didn’t have any involvement with music until she started teaching herself to play the flute at the age of 15. A few years later she was a flute performance major at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. From there she moved on to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where she earned an artist’s diploma in flute. Today she holds a professorship in composition at that august conservatory. After her studies at Curtis, she gained admittance to the graduate program in composition at the University of Pennsylvania, where the faculty included Jay Reise and George Crumb, who would prove an inspiring influence as she earned her Ph.D. in composition. “With my background,” she told an interviewer, “I was at a disadvantage compared to the other Penn students, who’d been listening to Beethoven since age three.” But there was a flip side. “The sheer number of Beatles tunes I listened to helped me to realize the ability of music to CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

PROGRAM NOTES

communicate. My background wasn’t impoverished: it was a wealthy background. I have the ability to hear music like most people who didn’t grow up ‘classical.’ And I have complete joy in what I’m doing because it wasn’t squashed out of me.” Today her “dance card” for commissions is very full, and at least one of her orchestral works, blue cathedral, seems destined to become a classic, having already been performed more than 600 times since its premiere in 2000. She has served as composer-in-residence for many music festivals, and in 2004 she was the first woman composer to be named a featured composer at the Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival. She has also served as composer-in-residence with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Fort Worth Symphony, and during the current season is active as creative director for the Cincinnati Symphony’s Boundless Series as well as composer-in-residence with the Arkansas Symphony. For two academic years beginning in 2016 she served as the Barr Laureate Scholar at the University of Missouri Kansas City, and this past fall she was in residence at the University of Texas, Austin. She was recently awarded the 2018 Nemmers Prize in Music Composition from Northwestern University. In 2010 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto, which the award committee cited as a “deeply engaging piece that combines flowing lyricism with dazzling virtuosity.” The same work garnered the 2010 Grammy award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, and she won a second Grammy in 2018 for her Viola Concerto. She has operated as an unusually independent composer when it comes to the nuts-and-bolts of the business, with the publication of her scores and the management of her busy schedule of performances and appearances carried out within her own family. Although she has written a number of choral and solo-vocal pieces—and even an opera based on Charles Frazier’s novel Cold Mountain — Higdon is principally an instrumental composer, having produced an impressive body of works for orchestra and for various chamber formulations. She has composed a striking succession of concertos apart from the Violin Concerto, spotlighting piano, oboe (also recast in a version for soprano saxophone), percussion, viola, tuba, string trio, and low brass (two tenor trombones, bass trombone, and tuba). Her Harp Concerto, written for Yolanda Kondonassis, was commissioned by a consortium of orchestras: the Rochester Philharmonic (which presented the world premiere this past May 10, with Ward Stare conducting), Harrisburg Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony, Fargo-Moorhead Symphony, and Lansing Symphony, in addition to the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Biography for Jennifer Higdon: Jennifer Higdon is one of America’s most acclaimed figures in contemporary classical music, receiving the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto, a 2010 Grammy for her Percussion Concerto and a 2018 Grammy for her Viola Concerto. Most recently, Higdon received the prestigious

From Performer and Composer “From the first time I ever heard Jennifer’s work,” said Yolanda Kondonassis, “I have been mesmerized by her handling of unique sonorities and textures within both the orchestral and solo contexts. Her musical voice is distinct and I have always thought that she would be a perfect composer/advocate for the power and magic of the harp.” The admiration runs in both directions. “When writing concerti,” observed Higdon when the commission was announced, “I always look to the performer and his or her preferences to help dictate the type of work that I hope to write. Upon hearing Yolanda’s extraordinary playing, I was immediately taken by her style and the depth of her professional abilities. I look forward to collaborating with Yolanda and to expanding the repertoire for a wonderful instrument.” Higdon’s open-minded musical spirit in much on display spirit in the Harp Concerto. Where many composers would focus almost entirely on the instrument’s gentle, soothing qualities, Higdon takes a broader approach, acknowledging its inherent lyricism but also its possibilities for percussive attacks and rhythmic verve. —JMK

Nemmers Prize from Northwestern University which is awarded to contemporary classical composers of exceptional achievement who have significantly influenced the field of composition. Higdon enjoys several hundred performances a year of her works, and Blue Cathedral is one of today’s most performed contemporary orchestral works, with more than 500 performances worldwide. Her works have been recorded on more than sixty CDs. Higdon’s first opera, Cold Mountain, won the International Opera Award for Best World Premiere and the opera recording was nominated for 2 Grammy awards. She holds the Rock Chair in Composition at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Her music is published exclusively by Lawdon Press.

Symphony No. 41 in C major, K.551, Jupiter Wolfgang Amadè Mozart First performance: 11/11/1947 Conductor: Victor Alessandro Last performance: 1/30/2010 Conductor: Joel Levine Born: January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria Died: December 5, 1791, in Vienna Work composed: July 25 (at earliest) through August 10, 1788

PROGRAM NOTES Work premiered: No information has survived concerning the premiere of this work. Instrumentation: Flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings

Mozart’s biography contains such an amazing procession of experiences and achievements that it reads almost like an 18th-century novel. The story of his final three symphonies occupies a full chapter of this life-as-novel— unfortunately, one that falls not terribly far from its end. More than two centuries after they were written, these works—the Symphonies No. 39 in E-flat major, No. 40 in G minor, and No. 41 in C major (Jupiter) — continue to stand at the summit of the symphonic repertoire, where they keep company with a small and supremely select group of fellow-masterpieces by the A-list of composers. Almost incredibly, all three of these symphonies were produced in the space of about nine weeks, in the summer of 1788: he began his Symphony No. 39 around the beginning of June, not quite a month after Don Giovanni was granted a lukewarm reception at its Vienna premiere, and went on to complete the succeeding symphonies on July 25 and August 10. Each is a very full-scale work, comprising the standard four movements of the late-Classical symphony. Twelve movements in nine weeks would mean that, on the average, Mozart expended five days and a few hours on the composition of each movement. That doesn’t figure in the fact that he was writing other pieces at the same time, or that he was also giving piano lessons, tending a sick wife, enduring the death of a six-month-old daughter, entertaining friends, moving to a new apartment, and begging his fellow freemason Michael Puchberg for assistance that might see him and his family through what was turning into an extended financial crisis. Mozart, of course, had no idea that these would be his last symphonies. He undoubtedly had every expectation of liv-

ing well into the 19th century; and although that is not what happened, at least he had another three and a half years in which he might well have written further symphonies. But since he didn’t, these three works stand as the summa of his achievement in symphonic music, and in their strikingly different characters we glimpse not only a drawing together of strands of development that had enriched his orchestral music to that point but also hints of what the future might have held. These three symphonies have been minutely analyzed over the years — especially Nos. 40 and 41 — and they have proved so rich in their structural details that the analytical conversation continues at full force to this day. Still, words come with difficulty when one tries to discuss Mozart’s final symphonies. One can dissect their harmonic structures, their deployment of themes, their contrapuntal subtlety, and the mastery of their instrumentation and yet fail to convey the exceptionally well-wrought personalities that each makes evident even at first hearing. In Symphony No. 41, the so-called Jupiter, Mozart seems intent on showing off his sheer brilliance as a composer. Its emotional range is wide indeed, prefiguring the sort of vast expressive canvas that would emerge in the symphonies of Beethoven. In this work’s finale Mozart renders the listener slack-jawed through a breathtaking display of quintuple invertible counterpoint, and that in itself may be viewed as looking both backward, to the sort of contrapuntal virtuosity we associate with Bach and Handel, and forward, to the dramatic power of fugue as demonstrated in many of the greatest compositions of Beethoven. Although we don’t know just when it was premiered, the Jupiter Symphony quickly earned a reputation as a work of exceptional qualities. In 1798 a reviewer for Leipzig’s Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung referred to Mozart’s “formidable Symphony in C major, in which, as is well known, he came on a little too strong.” But soon commentators adopted tones of almost universal adulation. By the time Georg Nikolaus von Nissen published his groundbreaking Mozart biography, in 1828, the tenor was firmly set. “His great Symphony in C with the closing fugue is truly the first of all symphonies,” declared Nissen. “In no work of this kind does the divine spark of genius shine more brightly and beautifully.” JAMES M. KELLER James M. Keller is the long-time Program Annotator of the New York Philharmonic (where he holds The Leni and Peter May Chair) and the San Francisco Symphony. The Bernstein and Mozart notes previously appeared in the programs of the New York Philharmonic and are used with permission. ©New York Philharmonic. Eno and Higdon notes ©James M. Keller

GIFTS TO THE PHILHARMONIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

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Friend $750 - $1,249 Anonymous Hugh G. and Sharon Adams Ms. Lois Albert Tom and Fran Ayres Mr. and Mrs. Van A. Barber Jackie and Jerry Bendorf Dr. and Mrs. William G. Bernhardt Mr. Gene Binning Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Blumstein Don and Grace Boulton Carole and Deal Bowman Dennis and Chris Box Mr. and Mrs. David G. Bryant Mr. and Mrs. Bob G. Bunce Ms. Janice B. Carmack Mr. and Mrs. Earl J. Cheek Drs. Fong Chen and Helen Chiou Ms. Julie Collins Joseph and Valerie Couch Mrs. Patricia Czerwinski Dr. Nancy Dawson Tony and Pam Dela Vega Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dugger Ms. Anna Eischen Dr. Thurma J. Fiegel John and Sue Francis Dr. and Mrs. Ralph G. Ganick Melvin and Bobbie Gragg Mr. and Mrs. Nick S. Gutierrez, Jr. ,M.D. George M. and Jo Hall J. Mark and Ruth E. Harder Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence K. Hellman Frank and Bette Jo Hill Colonel (ret.) Dean and Mrs. Jeanne Jackson Mr. and Mrs. David R. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Drake Keith Mr. and Mrs. Owen Lafferty Ms. Mary Jane Lawson Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lindsey Brad and Janet Marion

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Member $100 - $299 Anonymous Mrs. Joan Allmaras Ms. Beth M. Alonso Mr. David Andres Mrs. Patricia Austin Mrs. Pamela S. Bale Judy Barnett Marion and Dianne Bauman

Paul B. and Terry Bell Dr. Paul and Bonnie Benien Ms. Marcia M. Bennett Ms. MarEllen Benson Mrs. Mary C. Blanton Mrs. Lillian Boland Ann Borden Rev. Thomas Boyer Mr. Reagan Bradford, Sr. John D. Bradley Shane Brock and Deana Parsons Mr. Ryan Bunyan James Burns Vikki Ann Canfield, M.D. Ms. Kathryn Carey Mr. and Mrs. Jack Carpenter Terry and Linda Carr Dr. and Mrs. Don R. Carter Mr. Michael P. Cassidy Linda Cavanaugh Clark Dr. and Mrs. Douglas C. Chancellor Ms. Henrie Close Ms. Susan Coatney Emogene Collins Ms. Rosemarie Coulter Ms. Carol A. Davito Diane and Ken Dragg Mr. W. Samuel Dykeman David Eaton Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ehlers Ms. Elizabeth K. Eickman Dr. and Mrs. Robert B. Epstein Mrs. Barbara L. Eskridge Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Free Stephen P. and Nancy R. Friot Scott and Michelle Ganson Mr. and Mrs. Robert Garbrecht Mr. and Mrs. M. Charles Gilbert Robert and Carmen Goldman Barry and Gay Golsen Mr. Steven Graham and Ms. Vicky Leloie Kelly Bob Gregory Ms. Deborah Gresh Dr. and Mrs. John E. Grunow Mr. and Mrs. John Gunter Pat Hackler Lisa Hart Mrs. Diane Haser-Bennett and Mr. Ray Bennett Ms. Zoe Haskins Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Herriage CONTINUED ON PAGE 58

GIFTS TO THE PHILHARMONIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 57

INDIVIDUALS Providing essential support for the Annual Fund. Charles and Joyce Hladik Mr. Jerome A. Holmes Kenneth Hopkins Mrs. LeAnn Hufnagel Nasrin Jalilvand Ms. Mary Lu Jarvis Jann Jeffrey Mrs. Janice C. Jenkins Mr. Peter Jensen K. Robert and Juanita Johansen Judy and Jerry Johnson Mr. Richard Johnson Edwina Johnston Mr. Bill Kemp Ms. Young Y. Kim Bishop and Mrs. Ed Konieczny Edith and Michael Laird Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth T. Lease Mr. Robert Leveridge David and Lynne Levy Bob and Kay Lewis Rosemary and Paul Lewis Diane Lewis Charles Lodge Dr. William Lovallo Roy and Sharon Love Robert Lynn Donald and Peggy Manning Mr. and Mrs. Ronald M. Manning Mrs. Patricia Matthews Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. McAlister Ms. Carol McCoy Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. McKown Ms. Ann McVey Mr. and Mrs. Harry Merson Terry L. Mock Monireh Mohamadi Connie Monnot Mr. Cole Morgan Judy and Wes Morrison Ms. Sylvia Ochs Mrs. Mildred B. Parsons Michael and Ginger Penn Robert and Karen Petry Kent and Susan Pinson Mr. William Powell Ms. Jan Prestwood Mrs. Mona Preuss Ms. Margaret L. Price Dr. Jenney Qin Roger and Joy Quinn Gary and Tommie Rankin Carole and Michael Read

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SPECIAL GIFTS TO THE PHILHARMONIC Honor loved ones, celebrate occasions, recognize achievements and support the Philharmonicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission.

In Memory of Martin and Gladys Brechbill Ms. Janice B. Carmack In Memory of Jackson Cash Pam and Gary Glyckherr Joe Howell and Jennifer Owens In Memory of William B. and Helen P. Cleary Steven C. Agee, Ph.D. Marilyn and Bill Boettger Louise Churchill Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Evans, II In Memory of Jean Dale Kathleen and Michael Rollings In Memory of Sam Decker Colonel (ret.) Dean and Mrs. Jeanne Jackson In Memory of James O. Edwards, Jr. Mrs. Carlene Edwards

In Honor of Joel Levine Nancy Payne Ellis Kim and Michael Joseph In Honor of Michael McCartney and Cyndi Tran Alexander Hart In Memory of Mary Nichols Mrs. Jane B. Harlow Glenna and Dick Tanenbaum Renate and Chuck Wiggin In Memory of William and Jessie Bruce Pequignot Kim and Michael Joseph In Memory of Grace Ryan Marilyn and Bill Boettger In Memory of Patrick J. Ryan Dorothea Baltes

In Memory of Rubye M. Hall Suzette Hardeman

In Honor of Matt Thomas, Brent Hart, and Chris Stinchcomb Amy Young

In Honor of Dorothy Hays Scott and Michelle Ganson

In Memory of Kathy Weidley Shane Brock and Deana Parsons

In Memory of Betty Johnson Dr. Kathryne Cates

In Memory of Richard D. Williams Mrs. Carol F. Williams

In Memory of George and Ruth Ann Kalbfleisch Julie Collins

In Honor of Joseph Young Charles Griffin

In Memory of Anne Levine Mrs. Jane B. Harlow

THANK YOU

Endowment Campaign Donors In celebration and in honor of Maestro Joel Levine and the founders of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic: Patrick Alexander, Priscilla Braun, William B. Cleary, Charles Ellis Jane B. Harlow, Berta Faye Rex, William Ross, John Williams

Louise C. Churchill In Memory of Bill Cleary Lawrence H. and Ronna C. Davis The Estate of Lois Marie Fees The Kirkpatrick Family Fund Joel Levine Michael and Catherine Reaves Susan Robinson Glenna and Dick Tanenbaum 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 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 Honor 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

HOUSE NOTES

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 will be seated at intermission or during the first convenient pause as determined by the management. ELECTRONIC DEVICES must be turned off and put away during the performance (no calling, texting, photo or video use please). FOOD AND 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. Snacks, drinks and desserts are available at the Civic Center Café on the main floor and snack areas 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 event office. Please inquire at the Box Office. STUDENT RUSH TICKETS are $6 each and available with a high school or university I.D. and email address at the Box Office 45 minutes prior to the start of each Philharmonic performance. Tickets are offered based on availability only and seats may be located throughout the theater. 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 (405-297-2584) 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. (405-297-2264) Artists and Programming Subject to Change.

MIDTOWN 432 N.W. 10th Street (E. of St. Anthony Hospital) (405) 602-6333

MOORE 1611 South I-35 Service Rd. (S.of Warren Theater) (405) 794-3474