We are continuing our educational programs, deepening our engagement with young audiences, and enhancing our relationships with other nonprofits and partner venues around the state. This allows us to reach more people than ever before. These efforts would not be possible without the generous support of our patrons, sponsors, and volunteers. Your contributions are the lifeblood of our organization, and we are profoundly thankful for your unwavering commitment.
As we look forward to the months ahead, we are reminded of the extraordinary privilege it is to be a part of this vibrant musical community. We are excited to share this journey with you and to create lasting memories together.
Thank you for your continued support, and we can’t wait to see you at the symphony!
With warm regards,
Deanna R. Hoying Executive Director
Don McDonah, M.D. Board President
Our musicians for Tonight
Kun Shao Principal
Elliott Markow
Nancy Goodwin
Sara Skinner
Lisa Brooke
Jessica Helie
VIOLA
Dani Rimoni Principal
Elaine Leisinger Assistant Principal
Kathleen Kalogeras
Seeun Oh
Joy Grimes
FLUTE
Peggy Friedland Guest Principal
Nina Barwell
OBOE
Cheryl Bishkoff Principal
Ronald Kaye
CLARINET
Marguerite Levin Guest Principal Hyunwoo Chun
Richard Watson Principal Paul Perfetti
TIMPANI & PERCUSSION
Jeffrey Bluhm Principal
A LETTER FROM OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Symphony NH’s 2024-25 season! This year, we are thrilled to present a season rich in variety, spanning from Beethoven to Mahler to Hollywood Hits, and much more. Our repertoire is diverse, and we are excited to feature an eclectic lineup of guest artists, while continuing to showcase the extraordinary talents of the musicians of Symphony NH.
As many of you may know, this will be my final season as your music director. The past six years have been a truly special chapter in my life, and I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished together. It has been an honor to lead the organization through its milestone 100th anniversary and to bring the orchestra to cities across the Granite State. The challenges of navigating the pandemic and re-imagining the concert experience—whether symphonic or chamber—have been profound, and I take pride in the fact that we continued to create opportunities for our musicians and bring music to so many people during that time. Most importantly, I will cherish the friendships and connections I’ve made with so many wonderful people over these years.
This season features some of my favorite works in the symphonic repertoire. Our opening concert includes Mahler’s breathtaking Symphony No. 4 in a unique chamber orchestra arrangement by Iain Farrington. Later, we will perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” along with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Copland’s monumental Symphony No. 3. In a special concert, our remarkable woodwind and brass players will be highlighted in “Serenade for Winds,” which includes Mozart’s enchanting Gran Partita and Dvořák’s Serenade of the Winds—plus a surprise addition! I am also excited to present a program of beloved overtures, including Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro and Bernstein’s Overture to West Side Story. Additionally, it will be a joy to share the stage with our outstanding guest artists this season, such as soprano Carley DeFranco and pianist Fei-Fei.
While this season is bittersweet for me, I look forward to every moment we will share in what promises to be a series of thrilling performances and unforgettable memories as I conclude my time as music director. Thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm over these past six years. I look forward to this season of music making and am thrilled you are part of it!
Sincerely,
Roger Kalia Music Director, Symphony NH
Roger Kalia Music Director, Symphony NH
Praised for bringing a “fresh view to classical music” (The Republic), Indian American conductor Roger Kalia is a versatile communicator who brings unique and unmistakable energy to the podium. Recently profiled by Symphony Magazine in recognition of his innovative programming, Kalia has been hailed as “leading with passionate intensity and a clear beat” as well as being “one to watch” (Long Beach Gazette).
Kalia is now in his fifth season as Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic, his sixth season as Music Director of Symphony New Hampshire, and in his seventh season with Orchestra Santa Monica. He was most recently appointed Artistic Director Designate of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra for the 2024-25 season, and he will assume the role of Artistic Director during the 2025-26 season. He is also Co-Founder and Music Director of the celebrated Lake George Music Festival in upstate New York which has been described as “an unparalleled classical music experience in the Adirondacks” (Chronogram). The recipient of several awards from The Solti Foundation U.S., including an Elizabeth Buccheri Opera Residency with Lyric Opera of Chicago and five Career Assistance Awards, Kalia has been praised for his “extraordinary leadership” (Courier & Press).
The 2024-25 season features Kalia’s debut with the Amarillo Symphony and a return to the Redlands Bowl to conduct the Grand Finals of the prestigious Young Artists Concerto Competition as part of the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival. In recent seasons, he has appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Chicago Sinfonietta, Louisiana Philharmonic, Baltimore Chamber
Orchestra, Szczecin Philharmonic (Poland), Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, Boise Philharmonic, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Redlands, Lima, Adrian, Bakersfield, Great Falls, Owensboro, Spokane, and Wheeling.
In his various music director positions, Kalia has focused on innovative artistic partnerships highlighting a variety of community partners. In 2023, Kalia collaborated with acclaimed Bollywood singer Anuradha “Juju” Palakurthi and Symphony New Hampshire in a celebration of Indian culture via a history-spanning performance of Bollywood songs in their first-ever arrangement for Western instruments, Symphony Masala. He commissioned and premiered Orchestra Santa Monica’s inaugural art film in collaboration with composer Derrick Skye titled We Gather: Black Life in Santa Monica, and his early seasons leading the Evansville Philharmonic centered on collaborations with community organizations such as Historic Bosse Field, the Tri-State Hindu Temple, and the Evansville Wartime Museum. Kalia’s groundbreaking programming has been featured on PBS’s “On the Road with Brick Briscoe” and “Regional Voices.”
Kalia has collaborated with a wide range of artists including singers Angela Brown, Shayna Steele, Dan Domenech, and Jubilant Sykes; Grammy-winning trio Time for Three; Indian tabla virtuoso Sandeep Das; singer/ songwriters Randy Newman and Randy Jackson; rock musicians Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls and Nancy Wilson of Heart; the B-52s; sitar player Anoushka Shankar; and actor Jack Black.
A native of New York State, Kalia holds degrees from Indiana University, the University of Houston, and SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music. He currently resides in Indiana with his wife, musicologist and violinist Christine Wisch.
One of the most famous stories about Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony is the tale of him tearing up the dedication to Napoleon Bonaparte. According to Beethoven’s student and biographer, Ferdinand Ries, the composer initially admired Napoleon for being a hero of the people and dedicated his third symphony to the French officer. This admiration, however, soon turned to rage when Napoleon crowned himself emperor, with Ries describing Beethoven as furiously ripping up the title page, exclaiming, “So he is no more than a common mortal!”
While this fiery tale has persisted, it’s not entirely accurate. Beethoven did originally dedicate the “Eroica” to Napoleon, but the surviving manuscript reveals a different story: instead of tearing up the page, Beethoven simply scratched out the dedication, leaving a blot on the title. The final title became “Sinfonia Eroica, composed to celebrate the memory of a great man.” Despite the more subdued reality, this dramatic anecdote has helped perpetuate the myth of Beethoven as a misunderstood, suffering genius—a narrative that was already emerging during his lifetime due in part to the tumultuous events in Beethoven’s life during the time in which he wrote this symphony.
1802 proved to be an important milestone in the composer’s life. He first began to recognize his deteriorating hearing in 1798, and within just a few years, it had progressed significantly to the point that Beethoven entered a period of deep despair. The realization is most poignantly expressed in the Heiligenstadt Testament, a letter the grieving composer wrote to his brothers named for the village where he stayed outside Vienna in October 1802. In this document, Beethoven contemplated suicide but ultimately resolved to live for his art. His declaration to “seize fate by the throat” set the tone for the next phase of his career,
which was marked by bold, emotionally charged works that broke with classical traditions.
The “Eroica” was the first major work to emerge from this new period, and its scope and ambition were unprecedented. At around 50 minutes long, it was far lengthier than any previous symphony, and its
complexity and emotional depth set it apart from the more structured symphonies of Haydn and Mozart. This was a symphony that pushed boundaries, not just in terms of its length but in its emotional and harmonic daring.
When the “Eroica” was first performed publicly in 1805, it bewildered many listeners. Audiences at the time were used to shorter, more formally restrained symphonies,
and the sprawling, emotionally charged structure of the “Eroica” was overwhelming for many. One critic for the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, the leading music journals of its day, described the symphony as “too long, too difficult,” while another remarked that it would appeal “more for the connoisseur than for the public in general.”
However, musicians and more discerning listeners soon recognized the “Eroica” as a groundbreaking work. Beethoven’s student Carl Czerny remarked that the symphony “opened a new world,” while composers such as Hector Berlioz hailed its first movement as “one of the most perfect productions of the human mind.” Though initially polarizing, the symphony quickly established itself as a pivotal work in music history, laying the groundwork for future symphonic works.
Today, the “Eroica” is seen not only as a reflection of Beethoven’s personal struggles but also as a profound exploration of heroism and resilience. The work is not explicitly programmatic, but can be understood through lenses that suggest a heroic journey. Its first movement, with its bold, energetic theme, embodies a sense of determination and conflict, while the second movement, the Marcia funebre (Funeral March), is a deeply expressive meditation on loss and mourning. The lively third movement, a scherzo, offers a burst of vitality and contrasts the earlier gravity, while the triumphant finale brings the symphony to a powerful close, celebrating not the triumph of a single figure like Napoleon, but an abstract, universal heroism.
Owing to its timeless themes and emotional power, the “Eroica” has been performed at many key moments in history, such as memorial concerts for world leaders and in times of collective mourning. Its Funeral
March was notably played at the memorial service for President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945. Though the tale of Beethoven tearing up the title page and retracting his dedication to Napoleon is likely more myth than fact, it reflects the public’s fascination with Beethoven not only as an artistic genius but also as a deeply human figure, grappling with his own emotions and ideals. We may be tempted to interpret the work autobiographically, as Beethoven’s own heroic journey in the face of personal adversity, or more broadly, as a universal expression of resilience and triumph over struggle. Either way, Beethoven’s bold departure from convention resulted in a symphony that redefined the genre and remains a powerful tribute to the enduring strength of the human spirit.
Christine Wisch
Program Annotator
Christine Wisch is a staff member of the Latin American Music Center and adjunct lecturer at the Jacobs School of Music. She holds a bachelor’s degrees in music education and Spanish from the University of Houston as well as a master’s degree and doctorate in musicology from Indiana University. Her work as a musicologist focuses on nineteenth-and early twentiethcentury Spanish classical music and issues of patronage, nationalism, and exoticism. She currently teaches a course on Women Musicians for the Music in General Studies Program and the Introduction to Latin American Art Music for the LAMC as part of the undergraduate minor curriculum.
24/25 SEASON
Mahler 4 - Visions of Heaven
Sunday, October 27 4pm
Nashua Center for the Arts, Nashua
Beethoven 3rd - Exploring Eroica
Saturday, November 9 7:30pm
Nashua Center for the Arts, Nashua
Illuminated Ensembles
American Standards
Sunday, November 17 4pm
Bank of NH Stage, Concord
Holiday Brass
Thursday, December 5 7:30pm
The Rex, Manchester
Friday, December 6 7:30pm
St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church, Nashua
Illuminated Ensembles
Heartstrings
Friday, February 14 7:30pm
Bank of NH Stage, Concord
Serenade of the Winds
Saturday, March 8 7:30pm
Nashua Community College
Hollywood Hits
Saturday, March 29 7:30pm
Stockbridge Theatre, Derry
Sunday, March 30 3pm
Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord
It’s All Overtures
Saturday, April 19 7:30pm
Nashua Center for the Arts, Nashua
Rhapsody in Blue
Saturday, May 10 7:30pm
Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord
Illuminated Ensembles
Chamber Favorites
Sunday, May 18 4pm
Bank of NH Stage, Concord
Nashua Center for the Arts (800) 657-8774
Capitol Center for the Arts (603) 225-1111 Rex Theatre (603) 668-5588
Stockbridge Theatre (603) 437-5210
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Symphony NH gratefully acknowledges these donors who have contributed to our mission of making great music accessible and providing learning opportunities to enrich diverse audiences. Gifts listed were made between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Ella F Anderson
The Demoulas Foundation
Samuel P. Hunt Foundation
The McIninch Foundation
Frederick Smyth Institute of Music
RBC Foundation
Conway Arena Ice Commission
2024-25 Board of Trustees
Officers
Dr. Donald McDonah, President
Open, Vice President
Bob Blaisdell, Treasurer
Dr. Robert Oot, Secretary
Trustees
Harold Clarck
Ryan Correia
Joe Kenny, Esq.
Jasmine Pandit
Dr. Ashwini Saxena Alka Sen Olga Usyk
Ex-Officio Members
Deanna Hoying, Executive Director
Roger Kalia, Music Director
Rosemary Johnson, Co-President, Friends of Symphony NH
