STAR SPANGLED POPS – JUNE 30, JULY 1 & 2 | PROGRAM NOTES
PROGRAM JOHN STAFFORD SMITH Arr. H. W. Davis "The Star-Spangled Banner" DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH Festive Overture, Op. 96 JOHN PHILIP SOUSA "Semper Fidelis March" ERNESTO LECUONA Orch. Felix Guenther Danza Lucumi JOHN WILLIAMS Midway March DUKE ELLINGTON Arr. Jeff Tyzik Ellington Portrait
INTERMISSION DR. JOHN RUSSELL, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Friday, June 30, 2017 | 7:30PM Saturday, July 1 & 2 2017 | 7:30PM
STAR SPANGLED POPS conductor Damon Gupton San Diego Master Chorale
All performances at Embarcadero Marina Park South
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Music from the University of Southern California. His primary conducting mentors are Craig Arnold, Joe Miller and Jo-Michael Scheibe and he has studied voice with William Appel, Curt Peterson, Jeanne Goffi-Fynn and Gary Glaze. He currently
DR. JOHN RUSSELL is the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies
resides in San Diego with his wife, Jill and son, Parker. n
at Palomar College and the Music Director of the San Diego Master Chorale and. At Palomar he conducts the Chamber
Singers and the Palomar Chorale oversees the vocal music program. As Music Director of the SDMC, Dr. Russell conducts and coordinates all artistic activities of the chorale, which include preparing the chorus for performances with San Diego Symphony and other San Diego orchestras including the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra and La Jolla Symphony. In addition, he serves on the summer conducting faculty at Westminster
Declared "The Voice of San Diego" by mayoral proclamation,
Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey where he teaches master
The SAN DIEGO MASTER CHORALE (SDMC) is the region’s
classes in conducting for the annual Westminster Summer
premier choral ensemble, show- casing approximately 100 of
Choral Festival.
San Diego's finest singers. Established in 1961, the SDMC is the preferred ensemble for the San Diego Symphony Orchestra,
Dr. Russell is also frequently in demand as a tenor soloist and was
San Diego Opera and other collaborating organizations, and
ELMER BERNSTEIN Suite from The Magnificent Seven
recently noted for his “heart-melting legato”. His recent solo
it produces an annual series of concerts featuring the world’s
performances include Hector Berlioz’s Te Deum with the San
greatest choral works.
RICHARD RODGERS Arr. Robert Russell Bennett Symphonic Scenario from South Pacific
University, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana with the Lisbon Summer
VARIOUS Arr. Robert Wendel Hollywood Salute TRADITIONAL "Shenandoah" San Diego Master Chorale SAMUEL WARD Arr. Carmen Dragon "America the Beautiful" San Diego Master Chorale VARIOUS Arr. Bob Lowden Armed Forces Salute San Diego Master Chorale J. ROSAMOND JOHNSON Arr. Roland M. Carter "Lift Every Voice and Sing" San Diego Master Chorale
Diego Symphony, St. John Passion (Evangelist) with Pepperdine
Legendary choral composer Alice Parker personally presented
Choral Festival Chorus and Orchestra in Lisbon, Portugal, and
the San Diego Master Chorale with the prestigious ASCAP/
Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the Bach Collegium San Diego.
Alice Parker Award for Innovative Choral Programming at the
Dr. Russell was previously the Director of Choral Activities at
performance of Daniel Kellogg's The Fiery Furnace with the San
California State University, San Bernardino, and has held similar
Diego Symphony Orchestra. In 2012 The San Diego Master
positions at Albion College (Michigan), Los Angeles City College,
Chorale was also chosen to perform under the direction of
Cypress College and the San Diego Children’s Choir. Prior to his
the celebrated Chinese composer Tan Dun in the San Diego
work in California, Dr. Russell was the principal choral conductor
premiere of his Water Passion According to St. Matthew, which
at the LaGuardia School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
was lauded by reviewers as “riveting” and the La Jolla Music
(the Fame School) in New York City. At LaGuardia he was the
Society SummerFest’s “finest hour” since the annual event was
assistant chairperson of the Music Department, conductor of
launched 25 seasons ago.
2009 Chorus America Convention, in recognition of its debut
the symphonic chorus and voice instructor for the school’s advanced vocalists. While in New York he conducted in over 20
The mission of the San Diego Master Chorale is “to promote
performances with the world-renowned Orchestra of St. Luke’s,
and preserve the art of choral music through performance,
served as a clinician for the New York Philharmonic’s Education
education and diverse community outreach.” Their singers, who
Department and was a guest conductor with New York City
are all unpaid volunteers, also partici- pate in the Chorale's
National Chorale.
community outreach programs, including on-site music workshops for groups ranging from elementary schools to senior
Dr. John Russell is a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan and is
centers. They regularly collaborate with the San Diego Youth
a graduate of Western Michigan University and Columbia
Symphony, Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and other San Diego
University. He received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral
arts organizations. n
JOHN PHILIP SOUSA Stars and Stripes Forever
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P ER FO R MA NCES MAG A Z I NE
S AN DIEG O SYM P H O N Y O RC H ES T RA 2 0 1 7-1 8 S EAS ON JULY 20 1 7
SA N D I EG O SYMPH O N Y O R C H EST R A 2 0 1 7-1 8 S E A S ON JULY 20 1 7
PE RFORM A N CES M AGA ZI N E
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