August/September 2023
Music Director Robert Spano conducts the Season Opening Weekend, Sept. 8-10
Stars of the Symphony Aug. 26
Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles Sept. 1-3
FLY Dance Company: Breakin’ Classical Sept. 23
In TCU’s College of Fine Arts, we’re guided by our mission to prepare the next generation of creative leaders in the arts by supporting diverse perspectives at the intersection of tradition and innovation.
We proudly celebrate a rich legacy of artists who contribute to the creative life of TCU and our broader community.
Areas of study in the College of Fine Arts include:
• Art
• Dance
• Fashion Merchandising
• Graphic & Interior Design
• Music
• Theatre
Learn How to Put Your Passion into Practice finearts.tcu.edu
Excellence in action.
Excellence in action.
UT Southwestern’s Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center, located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Medical District, is committed to delivering the highest-quality health care for you and your family.
UT Southwestern’s Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center, located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Medical District, is committed to delivering the highest-quality health care for you and your family.
As part of the No. 1 hospital in Texas* (tied), as ranked by U.S. News & World Report , our renowned physicians offer innovative treatments in nationally recognized specialties ranging from cardiology and orthopaedics to neurology and rehabilitation. Using the most advanced techniques and technology, we are equipped to meet all your medical needs with a personal touch. Primary and specialty care, physical and speech therapy, lab and pharmacy services are all available in one convenient location.
As part of the No. 1 hospital in Texas* (tied), as ranked by U.S. News & World Report , our renowned physicians offer innovative treatments in nationally recognized specialties ranging from cardiology and orthopaedics to neurology and rehabilitation. Using the most advanced techniques and technology, we are equipped to meet all your medical needs with a personal touch. Primary and specialty care, physical and speech therapy, lab and pharmacy services are all available in one convenient location.
At UTSW Fort Worth, the future of medicine is right where you want it –close to home.
At UTSW Fort Worth, the future of medicine is right where you want it –close to home.
600 S. Main St., Fort Worth, TX 76104
600 S. Main St., Fort Worth, TX 76104
Visit us at utswmed.org/fortworth or call 817-882-2400 for more details.
Visit us at utswmed.org/fortworth or call 817-882-2400 for more details.
The exhibition is organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Kimbell Art Museum. It is supported in part by the William and Catherine Bryce Memorial Fund, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District.
Promotional support provided by
At The University of Texas at Dallas, we celebrate rising stars in the visual and performing arts. From dance, theatre and music to art history and film studies, our students are creative, innovative and performance driven. Come shine with us. utdallas.edu/bright
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
Keith Cerny, Ph.D. President and CEO
OPERATIONS
John Clapp Vice President of Operations
Matthew Glover Director of Operations
Gillian Boley Artistic Services Coordinator
Megan Brook Orchestra Personnel Manager
Christopher Hawn Orchestra Librarian
David Sterrett Librarian Assistant
Branson White Production Manager
Wilson Armstrong Stage Manager
DEVELOPMENT
Meagan Hemenway Vice President of Development
Courtney Mayden Grants Manager
Malia Lewis Development Manager
Veronika Perez Development Specialist, Operations
FINANCE
Shelby Lee Vice President of Finance
Lucas Baldwin Senior Staff Accountant
HUMAN RESOURCES
Jacque Carpenter Vice President of Human
Raquel Amaya HR & Office Coordinator
MARKETING
Carrie Ellen Adamian Chief Marketing
Melanie Boma Tessitura Database Senior Manager
Jacob Clodfelter Box Office Manager
Sydney Palomo Box Office Associate
Josh Pruett Box Office Associate
Patrick Sumner Box Office Associate
Paul Taylor Box Office Associate
Josselin Garibo Pendleton Senior Manager, Education and Community
Joanna Calhoun Marketing and Social Media
I am thrilled that you are joining us for the FWSO’s exciting 23-24 Concert Season. From our incredible musicians and new collaborations to a Pops season like the FWSO has never seen before, there is truly something for everyone. And while it is very exciting to introduce and welcome visiting artists to Fort Worth, I am personally looking forward to the great productions that will feature and highlight some of our very own musicians, guided by our very own Robert Spano in his second year as Music Director.
Though artistically, the FWSO has never sounded better, it is fair to say that this past year has been one of the most challenging for us and many American Orchestras. As we continue to rebuild audiences and seek new funding, your support and patronage has allowed us to maintain our longstanding commitment to the musicians, and our place as a cultural pillar in this community. Thank you!
With much appreciation and gratitude,
Mercedes T. Bass Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dear Patron,
Welcome back for the start of the 2023-2024 season, which marks the second season of the FWSO’s acclaimed new Music Director, Robert Spano. In his first season, Maestro Spano displayed his extraordinary artistic versatility and musical range with 10 different Symphonic and Chamber Music programs, all performed at the highest possible level. Last season also marked the introduction of the FWSO’s unique “Theater of a Concert” projects, in which the FWSO adds visual, dance, and other creative elements to productions to stretch artistic boundaries and foster innovation. In the 2023-2024 season, we continue this series with our three-year sequences of Wagner programs and Stravinsky ballets, this time partnering with the outstanding Dallas Black Dance Theatre. Our opening night weekend features Robert Spano and the 2022 Cliburn Gold Prize Medalist Yunchan Lim. Lim is the youngest person ever to win Gold at
the Cliburn, and is already establishing himself as one of the most popular and inspiring artists performing today. Other highlights of the upcoming season include performances by Principal Guest Conductor Kevin John Edusei, and the glamorous Renée Fleming and dashing Rod Gilfry displaying their superb artistry at the FWSO gala in February. These are just a few of the exciting projects planned for this year; we hope you will join us for them all!
We are equally proud of our expanded programming on the Pops series, which we know will draw audiences from around the Metroplex. We are featuring Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Encanto, and Disney Princess the Concert on our movie series, as well as Game ON! video game music and a new immersive project involving live music and projections, Lasting Impressions. I am especially looking forward to the performance of the FLY Dance Company in September, and the much-anticipated tribute to Elton John and Bill Joel in January. There really is something for everyone on our Pops series!
Thank you for your support and attendance at all of the FWSO concerts, as we work to rebuild and grow our audiences following the pandemic. We are incredibly proud of the exceptional music we are producing at the FWSO, which we know you will enjoy.
Yours Sincerely,
Keith Cerny, Ph.D. President & CEO
Robert Spano, conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher, is known worldwide for the intensity of his artistry and distinctive communicative abilities, creating a sense of inclusion and warmth among musicians and audiences that is unique among American orchestras. After twenty seasons as Music Director, he will continue his association with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as Music Director Laureate. An avid mentor to rising artists, he is responsible for nurturing the careers of numerous celebrated composers, conductors, and performers. As Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2011, he oversees the programming of more than 300 events and educational programs for 630 students and young performers. Principal Guest Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 2019, Spano became Music Director Designate on April 1, 2021, and begins an initial three-year term as Music Director in August 2022. He is the tenth Music Director in the orchestra’s history, which was founded in 1912.
Spano leads the Fort Worth Symphony in six symphonic programs, three chamber music programs, and a gala concert with Yo-Yo Ma, in addition to overseeing the orchestra and music staff and shaping the artistic direction of the orchestra and driving its continued growth. Additional engagements in the 2022-23 season include a return to
Houston Grand Opera to conduct Werther. Maestro Spano made his highly-acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut in 2019, leading the US premiere of Marnie, the second opera by American composer Nico Muhly. Recent concert highlights have included several world premiere performances, including Voy a Dormir by Bryce Dessner at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor; George Tsontakis’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Dimitrios Skyllas’s Kyrie eleison with the BBC Symphony Orchestra; the Tuba Concerto by Jennifer Higdon, performed by Craig Knox and the Pittsburgh Symphony; Melodia, For Piano and Orchestra, by Canadian composer Matthew Ricketts at the Aspen Music Festival; and Miserere, by ASO bassist Michael Kurth.
The Atlanta School of Composers reflects Spano’s commitment to American contemporary music. He has led ASO performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Ravinia, Ojai, and Savannah Music Festivals. Guest engagements have included the Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Minnesota Orchestras, New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, With a discography of criticallyacclaimed recordings for Telarc, Deutsche Grammophon, and ASO Media, Robert Spano has garnered four Grammy™ Awards and eight nominations with the Atlanta Symphony. Spano is on faculty at Oberlin Conservatory and has received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory University, and Oberlin. Maestro Spano is a recipient of the Georgia Governor’s Award For The Arts And Humanities and is one of two classical musicians inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He makes his home in Atlanta and Fort Worth. New World, San Diego, Oregon, Utah, and Kansas City Symphonies. His opera performances include Covent Garden, Welsh National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and the 2005 and 2009 Seattle Opera productions of Wagner’s Ring cycles.
German conductor Kevin John Edusei is sought-after the world over, dividing his time equally between the concert hall and opera house. He is praised repeatedly for the drama and tension that he brings to his musicmaking, for his attention to detail, sense of architecture, and the fluidity, warmth and insight that he brings to his performances. He is deeply committed to the creative elements of performance, presenting classical music in new formats, cultivating audiences, introducing music by under-represented composers and conducting an eclectic range of repertoire from the baroque to the contemporary.
In the 2022/23 season, Edusei makes his debut with many orchestras across the UK and US, including the London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Hallé, Utah Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony and National Symphony (Washington) orchestras amongst others and he returns to the London Symphony, the City of Birmingham Symphony, Baltimore and Colorado Symphony orchestras. With the Chineke! Orchestra he returns to the BBC Proms for a televised performance of Beethoven 9 and also performs at Festivals in Snape, Hamburg, Helsinki and Lucerne. In recent seasons he has conducted many of the major orchestras across the UK, Holland, Germany and the US. He is the former Chief Conductor of the Munich Symphony Orchestra and 22/23 marks the start of his tenure as the Principal Guest Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (Texas).
In the 2022/23 season Edusei also makes his debut with the Royal Opera House conducting La Boheme with Juan Diego Florez and Ailyn Pérez. He recently made his debut at the English National Opera and previously has conducted at the Semperoper Dresden, Hamburg State Opera, Hannover State Opera, Volksoper Wien and Komische Oper Berlin. During his time as Chief Conductor of Bern Opera House, he led many new productions including Britten Peter Grimes, Strauss Salome, Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle, Wagner Tannhäuser and Tristan and Isolde, Janáček Kátya Kábanová and a cycle of the Mozart Da-Ponte operas.
In 2004 Edusei was awarded the fellowship for the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival by David Zinman, in 2007 he was a prizewinner at the Lucerne Festival conducting competition under the artistic direction of Pierre Boulez and Peter Eötvös, and in 2008 he won the First prize at the International Dimitris Mitropoulos Competition.
Kevin John Edusei
Principal Guest Conductor
Taichi Fukumura is a rising Japanese-American conductor known for his dynamic stage presence, resulting in a growing international career. Acclaimed for his musical finesse and passionate interpretations, he is praised by musicians and audiences alike across the United States, Mexico, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, and Japan. A two-time recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award in 2021 and 2022, Fukumura is the newly appointed Assistant Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for the 2022-2024 seasons.
Highlights from the 2021/22 season include guest conducting debuts with La Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Selected by the Berlin Philharmonic as one of 10 Assistant Conductor Candidates, Fukumura conducted in the Siemens Conductors Scholarship Competition. Fukumura served as the Assistant Conductor of the Chicago Sinfonietta, where he previously received mentorship from Music Director Mei-Ann Chen as a Freeman Conducting Fellow.
Past engagements include guest conducting in the Boston Symphony’s Community Chamber Concerts, leading members of the BSO in Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat. Fukumura assisted the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Philharmonic as cover conductor. Equally adept in opera conducting, he has led full productions of Britten’s Turn of the Screw and Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Northwestern University Opera Theatre.
Born in Tokyo, Taichi Fukumura grew up in Boston and began music studies at age three on the violin. Professionally trained on the instrument, he received a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from Boston University, studying with Peter Zazofsky. Fukumura received both his Doctoral and Masters degrees in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University, studying with Victor Yampolsky. Additional conducting studies include Aspen Music Festival Conducting Academy, Pierre Monteux School and Festival, Paris Conducting Workshop, and Hong Kong International Conducting Workshop.
Robert Spano, Music Director, Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Chair
Kevin John Edusei, Principal Guest Conductor
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Music Director Laureate
Taichi Fukumura, Assistant Conductor, Rae and Ed Schollmaier+ Foundation Chair
John Giordano, Conductor Emeritus
VIOLIN I
Michael Shih, Concertmaster
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
Swang Lin, Associate Concertmaster
Ann Koonsman+ Chair
Eugene Cherkasov, Assistant Concertmaster
Mollie & Garland Lasater Chair
Jennifer Y. Betz
Ordabek Duissen
Qiong Hulsey
Ivo Ivanov
Nikayla Kim
Izumi Lund
Ke Mai
Kimberly Torgul
Albert Yamamoto
VIOLIN II
Adriana Voirin DeCosta, Principal
Steven Li, Associate Principal
Janine Geisel, Assistant Principal
Symphony League of Fort Worth Chair
Molly Baer
Suzanne Jacobson°
Matt Milewski
Kathryn Perry
Rosalyn Story
Tatyana Smith
Andrea Tullis
Camilla Wojciechowska
VIOLA
DJ Cheek, Principal
Anna Kolotylina, Associate Principal
HeeSun Yang, Assistant Principal
Joni Baczewski
Sorin Guttman
Aleksandra Holowka
Dmitry Kustanovich
Daniel Sigale
CELLO
Allan Steele, Principal
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
Emileigh Vandiver, Associate Principal
Keira Fullerton, Assistant Principal
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation Chair
John Belk
Deborah Brooks
Shelley Jessup
Jenny Kwak
BASS
William Clay, Principal
Mr. & Mrs. Edward P. Bass Chair
Paul Unger, Assistant Principal
Jeffery Hall
Sean P. O’Hara
Julie Vinsant
The seating positions of all string section musicians listed alphabetically change on a regular basis.
FLUTE
Jake Fridkis, Principal
Shirley F. Garvey Chair
Gabriel Fridkis, Assistant Principal Vacant
PICCOLO Vacant
OBOE
Jennifer Corning Lucio, Principal
Nancy L. & William P. Hallman, Jr., Chair
Tamer Edlebi, Assistant Principal
Tim Daniels
ENGLISH HORN
Tim Daniels
CLARINET
Stanislav Chernyshev, Principal
Rosalyn G. Rosenthal Chair*
Ivan Petruzziello, Assistant Principal
Gary Whitman
E-FLAT CLARINET
Ivan Petruzziello
BASS CLARINET
Gary Whitman
BASSOON
Joshua Elmore, Principal
Mr. & Mrs. Lee M. Bass Chair
Cara Owens, Assistant Principal vacant
CONTRABASSOON
vacant
HORN
Gerald Wood, Principal
Elizabeth H. Ledyard Chair
Alton F. Adkins, Associate Principal
Drs. Jeff and Rosemary Detweiler Chair
Kelly Cornell, Associate Principal
Aaron Pino
TRUMPET
Kyle Sherman, Principal
Cody McClarty, Assistant Principal
Dorothy Rhea Chair
Oscar Garcia
TROMBONE
Joseph Dubas, Principal
Mr. & Mrs. John Kleinheinz Chair
John Michael Hayes, Assistant Principal
Dennis Bubert
BASS TROMBONE
Dennis Bubert
Mr. & Mrs. Lee M. Bass Chair
TUBA
Edward Jones, Principal
TIMPANI
Seth McConnell, Principal
Madilyn Bass Chair
Nicholas Sakakeeny, Assistant Principal
PERCUSSION
Keith Williams, Principal
Shirley F. Garvey Chair
Nicholas Sakakeeny, Assistant Principal
Adele Hart Chair
Deborah Mashburn
Brad Wagner
HARP
vacant
Bayard H. Friedman Chair
KEYBOARD
Shields-Collins Bray, Principal
Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn & Van Cliburn Chair
STAGE MANAGER
Wilson Armstrong
ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER
Megan Brook
ORCHESTRA LIBRARIANS
Christopher Hawn
David Sterrett
*In Memory of Manny Rosenthal
°2023/2024 Season Only
+Denotes Deceased
The Concertmaster performs on the 1710 Davis Stradivarius violin.
The Associate Concertmaster performs on the 1685 Eugenie Stradivarius violin.
Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Bass Performance Hall
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Taichi Fukumura, conductor
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Stanislav Chernyshev, clarinet
Taichi Fukumura, conductor
Joshua Elmore, bassoon
Nicholas Sakakeeny, percussion
Stanislav Chernyshev, clarinet
Shields-Collins Bray, piano
Joshua Elmore, bassoon
Nicholas Sakakeeny, percussion
Shields-Collins Bray, piano
I. Sinfonia
ENESCO Rumanian Rhapsody in A Major, Opus 11
II. Serenata
III. Scherzino
RAVEL Pavane pour une infante défunte
IV. Tarantella
V. Toccata
STRAVINSKY Suite from Pulcinella
G E R S H W I N (orch. Grofé)
R. STRAUSS
IV. Gavotta
VII. Duetto
I. Sinfonia
VIII. Minuetto - Finale
II. Serenata
III. Scherzino
IV. Tarantella
V. Toccata
Stanislav Chernyshev, clarinet Joshua Elmore, bassoon
IV. Gavotta
VII. Duetto
VIII. Minuetto - Finale
III. The Festival of Fruition
Nicholas Sakakeeny, percussion
Intermission
R ha p s o d y in Blu e
Duett-Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon
Shields-Collins Bray, piano
III. Rondo
Stanislav Chernyshev, clarinet
Joshua Elmore, bassoon
Video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
TOSHIO MASHIMA The Song of a Great Tree (Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra)
III. The Festival of Fruition
Nicholas Sakakeeny, percussion
GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue (orch. Grofé)
Shields-Collins Bray, piano
Video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
Shields-Collins “Buddy” Bray, FWSO Principal Keyboard
Buddy Bray has been principal keyboardist of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 1986, and has hosted its Symphonic Insights discussions since 1993. Mr. Bray is artistic advisor at the Van Cliburn Foundation, where his duties include the creation and performance of all programs in Musical Awakenings, the Cliburn's vast educational initiative. Mr. Bray also is the artistic director of Cliburn at the Modern, a series in which he hosts the most distinguished composers of our time.
Stanislav “Stans” Chernyshev, FWSO Principal Clarinet
An "eloquent" clarinetist with "incredible artistry” Russianborn Stas Chernyshev has established a versatile career as an orchestral musician, soloist, chamber musician, and educator. Mr. Chernyshev has collaborated with Grammywinning ensembles Eighth Blackbird and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra commissioning new works for his instrument. He is the founder and artistic director of Fort Worth Performances for Autism, and a cofounder of Opus Nova Chamber Music Series. Mr. Chernyshev holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and St. Petersburg Conservatory.
Joshua Elmore, FWSO Principal Bassoon
Joshua Elmore is the principal bassoonist of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Joshua has performed with many orchestras around the world including The Chineke! Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Oregon Symphony and Charleston Symphony. Before joining the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Joshua completed his professional studies certificate at The Colburn School as a student of Richard Beene. Joshua was a Kovner Fellow graduate of The Juilliard School where he studied under Judith LeClair.
Nick Sakakeeny, FWSO Assistant Principal Percussion
Nick Sakakeeny joined the FWSO in 2018 as Assistant Principal Timpanist and Percussionist. He enjoys performing in a variety of settings, and has worked with ensembles including the International Contemporary Ensemble, Mark Morris Dance Group, and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. A native of Oberlin, OH, Nick attended the Manhattan School of Music for his undergraduate studies before completing his master’s degree at Northwestern University. His teachers have included Marc Damoulakis, Duncan Patton, Christopher Lamb, and She-e Wu. As a student, he attended the Round Top Festival Institute, National Orchestral Institute, Eastern Music Festival, and Tanglewood Music Center. In his spare time, Nick likes cooking and traveling.
DURATION: About 12 minutes
PREMIERED: Bucharest. 1903
INSTRUMENTATION: Three flutes (third doubling piccolo), two oboes and English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two cornets, three trombones and tuba, three timpani, triangle, snare drum, cymbals, two harps, and strings
“Sure, to master my quill and exercise my spirit, I wrote a lot – it is true – but I dare say that everything came from the bottom of my heart!”
—RHAPSODY: Typically a one-movement, free-form work that presents a range of contrasting moods and styles.
FURTHER
Enesco: Rhapsody No. 2 in D major Suite No. 1 for Orchestra in C major, Op. 9
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies, S. 244
The gold standards for classical composition go back hundreds of years. Writing a symphony? It’ll be compared to Beethoven’s symphonies. Writing a fugue? It’ll be compared to Bach’s fugues. Think you’re a child prodigy? Well, comparisons to classical music’s best-known prodigy, Mozart, are bound to crop up.
Such was the case with little George Enesco, born in a small town in Romania. At the age of 3, he began trying to make his own music on makeshift instruments after hearing a band of fiddlers play. “It’s odd though: I never knew anything, I never listened to anything or to very little, I never had anyone near me who could influence me,” Enesco wrote later in life. “Still, as a child, I had a definite idea about being a composer. Just a composer.” And a composer he became, the youngest student ever to be admitted to the prestigious Vienna Conservatory.
While Mozart was wonderfully prolific in his relatively short life, the prodigy Enescu produced comparatively little, only 33 published works. Of these, the Romanian Rhapsody No. 1, published when he was only 19, remains his best-loved work in the orchestral canon for its colorful touring of a variety of folk dances native to his homeland. It begins with a simple phrase in the clarinet, answered by the oboe, a straightforward call and response. Soon, the two instruments intwine to play together in harmony, before strings and harp begin interjecting, adding a new flavor to this tune, identified as the then-popular tavern song “I Have a Coin, I Want a Drink.”
Part of the fun here is that Enescu doesn’t tamper with the simple melodies and harmonies of the folk music by introducing more complex harmonies or ornaments — it retains an air of breezy clarity. The engaging aspect is the orchestration, or the way he spins out the melodies using different instruments in the orchestra. Woodwinds and strings dialogue,
Continued on Page 16
George Enesco (Born 1881, Romania; died 1955)DURATION: About 6 minutes
PREMIERED: Manchester, 1911
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes and oboe, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, harp, and muted strings
“Do not be surprised, that title has nothing to do with the composition. I simply liked the sound of those words and I put them there, c’est tout.”
— Maurice Ravel (Born 1875, France; died 1937)
RONDO: In music, an instrumental form characterized by the initial statement and subsequent restatement of a particular melody or section, the various statements of which are separated by contrasting material. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Ravel: Boléro
Rapsodie espagnole
Ma mère l’Oye
Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 1
During his years at the traditionalist Paris Conservatory, Ravel was booted and readmitted twice due to his inability to win a composition prize. Undeterred, Ravel cast his sights higher than mere academia and on the elusive Grand Prix de Rome. That prestigious competition can trace its roots all the way back to Louis XIV, and winners received a three-year stay at Rome’s Villa Medici in addition to the career boost that came from winning.
Now, here’s the rub: the juries were rigged against Ravel. In 1905, the talented but unconventional Ravel was eliminated in the first round of the competition. The Paris press discovered that a senior professor at the conservatory, Charles Lenepveu, was on the jury, and that, curiously, only his students made the final round... though Ravel never won, he left one of the more lasting impressions on the competition, which underwent significant reform after this scandal.
Throughout his school years, Ravel often found himself at odds with his professors — his ideas about harmony were progressive and fresh at an institution that prized tradition above all else. Still, Ravel’s work occasionally paid homage to older forms and styles of music, as in the case of the 1899 Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte, the Pavane for a Dead Princess.
The Pavane was a courtly dance that originated in 16th century Italy, a slow, stately affair that allowed nobility to show off their court clothing at the start of an evening. Ravel’s work, originally written for solo piano, isn’t an exact replica, it’s more of a fantasy-like evocation of the dance, written for his patron, the American-born Princess Edmond de Polignac.
The music is in a quasi-rondo form. First, the French horn introduces the main tune, a delicate, winding melody, accompanied by pizzicato strings. Soon, the flute interjects, though the tune remains with the horn, and other winds begin to add color and
Continued on Page 16
I. Sinfonia
II. Serenata
III. Scherzino – Allegretto – Andantino
IV. Tarantella
V. Toccata
VI. Gavotta (con due variazioni)
VII. Vivo
VIII. Minuetto – Finale
DURATION: Around 22 minutes
PREMIERED: The ballet: Paris, 1920; The suite: Boston, 1922
REVISIONS: The original ballet calls for a small chamber orchestra with soprano, tenor and bass. The suite trims the ballet’s 21 sections back to eight and calls for a more traditional orchestra sans voices.
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, trumpet, trombone, and strings
“Pulcinella was my discovery of the past, the epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible. It was a backward look, of course—the first of many love affairs in that direction—but it was a look in the mirror, too”.
“To listen is an effort, and just to hear is no merit. A duck hears also.”
— Igor Stravinsky (Born 1882, Russia; died 1971)
NEOCLASSICAL MUSIC: A 20th century trend by which composers once again sought to return to aesthetics associated with “classicism,” i.e. clarity of form and clean melodic lines, now with new harmonic and structural tricks.
SUGGESTED READING:
Conversations with Igor Stravinsky, by Robert Craft
FURTHER LISTENING:
The Rite of Spring
Suite italienne for cello and piano
Petrushka
Octet for Winds
Pulcinella — a stock character in southern Italian puppetry dating back to the 17th century — spared no one in his comedic jabs. Raised by two fathers in the aristocracy and servant class respectively, the iconic figure embodied and bridged the duality between social divisions as well as nationalities. (In England, he evolved into the unapologetically murderous Mr. Punch of Punch and Judy fame.)
In Stravinsky’s hands, the puppet cut his strings and escaped to the subtler, more graceful world of Les Ballets Russes. Impresario Sergio Diaghilev commissioned Stravinsky to adapt music thought to be written by Italian Baroque composer Giovanni Baptiste Pergolesi (1710-1736), though this attribution was later disproven.
In Pulcinella, Stravinsky, still basking in the fame and notoriety of The Firebird and The Rite of Spring, conceived a compositional style that would shape his output for years to come: the neoclassical. By altering the music of not-Pergolesi, he creates music of arresting simplicity, imbuing tuneful, folk-like strains with 20th century flourishes and gnarlier harmonies than would have been used back in the 18th century.
The suite trims a bit more than 10 minutes of music from the ballet and opens with the same cheery, pompous overture. This gives way to a lilting serenade in the oboe as two men serenade their lady loves in the story, which details the antics of Pulcinella as he flirts with his two friends’ paramours, fakes his own death and later arises for a triple marriage. All in a day’s work.
Lighthearted dances comprise the bulk of the music, clarion trumpets and snarling trombones adding zest and verve for the zanier bits of action and finale while the oboe and strings taking over for the more heartfelt melodies. Odd instrumental pairings, like trombone and double bass, suggest banter and sliding glissandos suggest the acrobatics of the dancers.
Continued on Page 16
III. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo
DURATION: About 9 minutes
PREMIERED: Lugano, 1948
INSTRUMENTATION: Clarinet, bassoon, strings, and harp
“I am very busy with an idea for a double concerto for clarinet and bassoon thinking especially of your beautiful tone – nevertheless, apart from a few sketched out themes it still remains no more than an intention. Perhaps it would interest you.”
— Richard Strauss (Born 1864, Bavaria; died 1949)
CONCERTINO: A concertino is a short concerto, freer in form. It normally takes the form of a one-movement musical composition for solo instrument and orchestra, though some concertinos are written in several movements played without a pause.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Strauss: Metamorphosen
Oboe Concerto in D Major
Horn Concerto No. 2
Four Last Songs
Strauss, that revered Romantic composer, loved to tell stories with his music. His most famous works are his tone poems like Don Quixote, Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks and the like, enormous works of music that capture some of the exploits of larger-than-life fictional characters in melody and harmony.
The Duet-Concertino is similarly fanciful but less specific. Strauss mentioned a couple of different inspirations for the music. There’s the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Swineherd, in which a prince takes a job as a swineherd at a palace to get closer to a princess. Some have argued that it’s based on one of Odysseus’ adventures in Homer’s Odyssey, where the hero meets the princess Nausicaa. Strauss himself mentioned a different scenario in a letter: “A dancing princess is alarmed by the grotesque cavorting of a bear in imitation of her. At last she is won over to the creature and dances with it, upon which it turns into a prince. So in the end, you too will turn into a prince and live happily ever after...”
In any case, the takeaway is clear: the clarinet is a princess and the bassoon pursues her. At the opening, strings lay a gentle bed of sound, atop which the clarinet floats dreamily. After an extended, and utterly lyrical melody spins out, the bassoon enters, sneaking stealthily up a scale, startling and exciting the clarinet, which begins to race around. The bassoon lumbers, and the soloists begin to trade lines and dialogue.
Strauss, known for writing for massive orchestras with auxiliary instruments like E-flat clarinets and contrabassoons and extra brass and the like, scored the Duet only for soloists, strings and harp. The texture is shimmering and transparent, with the wind instruments emerging plainly from the texture. (Strauss wrote that he was modelling his compositions during this period on Mozart’s work, more classically sparse than his earlier works.)
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III. The Festival of Fruition
DURATION: About 8 minutes
PUBLISHED: 2008 (Orchestrated 2014)
INSTRUMENTATION:
Piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, bassoon, contrabassoon, three clarinets, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, two tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, three trumpets, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, euphonium, tuba, string bass, harp, timpani, percussion, and glockenspiel
“Never give up.”
— Toshio Mashima (Born 1949, Japan; died 2016)
CONCERTO: A composition that features one or more “solo” instruments with orchestral accompaniment. The form of the concerto has developed and evolved over the course of music history.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Mashima: The Song Of A Great Tree Concerto for Marimba and Band (in full) Lotus Flower Concerto for Marimba and Band (in full) Sunlight for two marimbas
Percussion instruments come in all shapes and sizes, from massive bass drums and huge bells to tiny castanets and triangles, and classically trained percussionists must master them all. In general, however, percussion instruments can be grouped into two categories: pitched and unpitched. Pitched percussion instruments — like the timpani, the xylophone and, of course, the marimba — play recognizable notes and can play a melodic and harmonic role in music in addition to a rhythmic one. Unpitched instruments — like the snare drum, the bass drum, gongs, tambourines, etc. — play a primarily rhythmic function.
The marimba, like the xylophone, is fully chromatic, meaning that it plays all the notes that a piano can, though its range is smaller, about four octaves on a standard instrument. Its origins are murky but can be traced back to the 14th century in Asia. From there, they spread like wildfire in Africa and in South America — today, they’re a staple in symphonic band and symphony orchestras. Its construction is simple: Wooden bars of different lengths are laid over resonator pipes to amplify their sound, and players strike the bars with different mallets to achieve different sounds.
Japanese composer Toshio Mashima wrote his Marimba Concerto for band, originally, but later arranged the music for full orchestra only a couple of years before he passed away. It’s a programmatic work that depicts the Japanese emigration to Brazil that began in 1908. The feudal system had recently ended in Japan, and poverty was rampant — tens thousands of Japanese set off to Brazil in the early decades of the 20th century, as Brazil was subsidizing immigration to work its coffee plantations, as slavery had been abolished and the country was looking for cheap labor.
In the concerto, the first movement, “Voyage,” details the ships’ passages, while the second,
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RHAPSODY in BLUE
DURATION: About 16 minutes
PREMIERED: New York, 1924
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons, two alto saxophones and tenor saxophone, three horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, solo piano, timpani, cymbals, bass drum, snare drum, triangle, gong, banjo, and strings.
“When I’m in my normal mood, music drips from my fingers.
“The composer does not sit around and wait for an inspiration to walk up and introduce itself! Making music is actually little else than a matter of invention aided and abetted by emotion. In composing we combine what we know of music with what we feel.”
— George Gershwin (Born 1898, USA; died 1937)
RHAPSODY: Typically a one-movement, free-form work that presents a range of contrasting moods and styles.
CADENZA: A virtuoso passage in a concerto movement or aria, typically near the end and often played without strict adherence to meter or time.
SUGGESTED READING:
The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin, by Joan Peyser George Gershwin: His Life and Work, by Howard Pollack
FURTHER LISTENING:
Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F Minor
An American in Paris Three Preludes
Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite
The news that Gershwin was to write a jazz concerto for bandleader Paul Whiteman’s upcoming alljazz concert came as a surprise to many, including Gershwin himself.
On January 3, 1924, the story goes, George Gershwin’s brother, Ira, saw in a news article that George was hard at work on the concerto that would become the Rhapsody in Blue. George, who was playing billiards at the time and had already turned down Whiteman’s invitation to write a piece for the concert, was understandably perplexed. He rang Whiteman up the next day to demand an explanation. Professional music being the competitive world that it is, Whiteman had heard that a rival bandleader was organizing a similar concert, and he decided to announce Gershwin’s work and push his own performance up, sweettalking Gershwin into composing the Rhapsody for a rapid Feb. 24 premiere.
With no time to waste, Gershwin set about working on a piece that would fuse classical and jazz idioms as was all the rage in the roaring ‘20s, later telling his biographer:
“It was on the train, with its steely rhythms, its rattle-ty bang, that is so often so stimulating to a composer.... I frequently hear music in the very heart of the noise. And there I suddenly heard—and even saw on paper—the complete construction of the rhapsody, from beginning to end. No new themes came to me, but I worked on the thematic material already in my mind and tried to conceive the composition as a whole. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness. By the time I reached Boston I had a definite plot of the piece, as distinguished from its actual substance.”
The rest is history. The opening clarinet solo began
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there is a rare solo for the viola, bassoon and harp have prominent roles at times. The origin of the other songs isn’t known, but it’s likely that he copied them down from folk bands. The finale features brass in a prominent role as strings begin to whizz and dance about, building to a thrilling close.
“Contrary to the general idea, Romania is not a Slavic country, but Latin,” wrote Enescu, a patriotic figure whose visage later began appearing on Romanian currency.
“Settled 2000 years ago, it has maintained its completely Latin character...Our music, curiously enough, is influenced not by the neighboring Slav, but by members of these remote races, now classed as Gypsies, brought to Romania as servants of the Roman conquerors. The deeply oriental character of our own folk music derives from these sources and possesses a flavor as singular as it is beautiful.”
texture. The structure is simple: this main tune alternates with contrasting “episodes.” The first episode is marked by the oboe taking over the melody. The “A” theme returns in the flute with more expansive accompaniment — the piece continues to alternate.
Ravel’s Pavane’s popularity would lead him to orchestrate the work with a light touch in 1910. He eventually became irritated with the work’s success, as composers often saw works they’d intended as trifles overshadow their other more serious pieces. While some interpreters saw the title as indicating a funeral march, Ravel chastised them: “Do not dramatize it,” he once wrote. “It is not a funeral lament for a dead child, but rather an evocation of the pavane which could have been danced by such a little princess as painted by Velázquez.”
Sudden shifts in musical character harken back to the improvisatory elements of “commedia dell”arte,” the style of street puppetry that birthed Pulcinella.
Despite a mixed critical response, the premiere proved to be “one of those productions where everything harmonizes, where all the elements― subject, music, dancing, and artistic setting― form a coherent and homogeneous whole,” Stravinsky wrote, and indeed the artistic setting here is of note: Pablo Picasso himself designed the original costumes and sets.
That said, the gestation proved frustrating for those involved, with Stravinsky later recalling: “It often happened that when I was shown certain steps and movements that had been decided upon I saw to my horror that in character and importance they in no wise corresponded to the very modest volume of my small chamber orchestra... The choreography had, therefore, to be altered and adapted to the volume of my music, and that caused them no little annoyance though they realized that there was no other solution.”
The updated choreography proved more suitable to the instrumental forces, and Stravinsky would later pare down the instrumentation even further for the Suite italienne duet adaptations of the ballet.
“Nostalgia,” is slower, warmer, sweeter. The finale, “The Festival of Fruition,” opens with fanfares in the brass and flourishes in strings and winds before it begins a rollicking melody.
trade virtuosic licks with interjections from the orchestra, with plenty of solo clarinet and trumpet.
The brief second movement is more still, fantasy-like and transformative, with strings shimmering and glittering before the dancing rondo begins. The final movement is the longest and most intricate — the first two movements clearly drive the music toward this finale, filled with carefree little gestures that soloists and orchestra toss off with abandon throughout. At times the music resembles a waltz, at others it is lighter and quick-stepping. And at the close, it speeds up, skipping into a grand, delightful finish.
The Duet-Concertino is the last instrumental work Strauss completed before passing away in 1949 at the age of 85. His output had slowed in the late 1930s before World War II seemed to rekindle his creative fire, and, he also completed an Oboe Concerto, a second horn concerto, and the Four Last Songs during this autumnal period.
The soloist takes up the tunes and enters into a cheery dialogue with the orchestra that later transforms into a bright samba, a style of dance that originated in Brazil.
On the publisher’s website, there is a dedication: “trust and friendship of the two peoples has become a big tree taking root, showing unshakable unity.” The Japanese community in Brazil is still the largest concentration of Japanese not in Japan, and in recent decades intermarriage has become far more common life as a scale, but as a prank in rehearsal clarinetist Ross Gorman slid up the scale with a bluesy wail. Gershwin loved the effect and asked him to perform it that way every time. After a punchy statement of the opening theme in the orchestra, the piano enters brooding, mysterious, and begins to
Gershwin himself premiered the work, improvising some of the solo sections on the spot. At the time, the composer, only 26-years-old, wasn’t confident yet in his ability to orchestrate music, or to take a tune and assign harmony and melody to different instruments of the orchestra. Whiteman’s own arranger, Ferde Grofé (composer of the famous Grand Canyon Suite) deserves significant credit for the work, as it’s his colorful assignations of solos that immediately captivated listeners. Grofé rearranged the work for larger orchestra in 1926 and 1942. It’s this last version that still regularly schmalzes its way into concert halls around the globe. At the premiere, critics were divided, though the paper the New York World famously tipped its hat to Gershwin making “an honest woman out of jazz.”
Strauss, p. 13Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth, TX
Friday, September 1, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, September 2, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Taichi Fukumura, conductor
Sunday, September 3, 2023 at 2 PM
Stanislav Chernyshev, clarinet
Joshua Elmore, bassoon
Bass Performance Hall
Nicholas Sakakeeny, percussion
Fort Worth, TX
Shields-Collins Bray, piano
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Albert-George Schram, conductor
Hotel California: The Music of the Eagles
III. Scherzino
IV. Tarantella V. Toccata
IV. Gavotta
Hotel California Overture
Take It Easy
Witchy Woman
Already Gone
Seven Bridges Road
Wasted Time
Best of My Love
New Kid in Town
Heart of the Matter
Intermission
Life in the Fast Lane
Video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
Victim of Love
Lyin’ Eyes
Tequila Sunrise
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Desperado
One of These Nights
I Can’t Tell You Why
Heartache Tonight
Hotel California
Video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
Albert-George Schram, conductor
Equally adept at conducting classical and pops programs, AlbertGeorge Schram has led a wide variety of repertoire for many orchestras in the U.S. and abroad.
For many years, Schram was Resident Staff Conductor of the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony and Charlotte Symphony orchestras. He conducted classical, pops, holiday and educational concerts for both orchestras. He has also served as Music Director of the Lubbock (Texas) Symphony and the Lynn Philharmonia (Florida). Most recently, Schram concluded his tenure as Resident Conductor of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Previously he has held titled positions with the Louisville Orchestra and Florida Philharmonic orchestras.
Schram’s guest-conducting roster has included the symphonies of Dallas, Charlotte, Tucson, New Orleans (Louisiana Philharmonic), Oklahoma City, Louisville, Spokane, San Antonio, Orlando, Atlanta, Portland and Buffalo, among others. His conducting engagements abroad have been with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the KBS (Seoul) and Teagu Symphonies in Korea, the Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional of Bolivia, the Orquestra Sinfonica Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Mendoza) Argentina, the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, the Orchester der Allgemeinen Musikgesellschaft (Luzern) in Switzerland and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice).
Educated at The Hague Conservatory in his native Netherlands, Schram has also studied at the Universities of Calgary and Victoria in Canada, and the University of Washington. His teachers have included Rafael Kubelik, Franco Ferrara, Abraham Kaplan and Neeme Jarvi.
A spirited blend of originality and the pursuit of excellence have taken Hotel California “A Salute to the Eagles” to a level of recognition normally reserved for Gold and Platinum recording artists.
By respectfully and accurately reproducing the Grammy award winning sounds of our generation’s Greatest American Songbook, this legendary Southern California group, has touched the hearts of fans all over the world,
The most successful and longest running show of its kind, Hotel California “A Salute to the Eagles”, is the ONLY show to have ever received “Official Authorization” to perform the Eagles catalog of music.
BRAHMS
SCHUMANN
Friday, September 08, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, September 09, 2023 at 7:30 PM
BRAHMS
Friday, September 8, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 2:00 PM
Bass Performance Hall Fort Worth, TX
Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 2 PM
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Bass Performance Hall
Robert Spano, conductor
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Robert Spano, conductor
Yunchan Lim, piano
II. Intermezzo: Andantino grazioso III. Allegro vivace
Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
IV. Adagio;
I. Allegro affettuoso
II. Intermezzo: Andantino grazioso
Video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
III. Allegro vivace
Yunchan Lim, piano
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
I. Un poco sostenuto; Allegro
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
IV. Adagio; Più andante; Allegro non troppo ma con brio
Video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
Yunchan Lim, piano
In June 2022, Yunchan Lim became the youngest person ever to win gold at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; his performances throughout showcased a “magical ability” and a “natural, instinctive quality” (La Scena) that astounded listeners around the world.
Just 18 years old, Yunchan’s ascent to international stardom has been meteoric. The video of his performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3—with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop—quickly became the most-watched version of the piece, amassing more than 5.5 million views in just one month.
Born in Siheung, Korea, Yunchan Lim began piano lessons at age 7; he entered the Music Academy of the Seoul Arts Center the next year and quickly became immersed in his musical studies. He was accepted into the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts at age 13, where he met his teacher and mentor, Minsoo Sohn.
23
ACADEMIC FESTIVAL OVERTURE, Op. 80
DURATION: About 10 minutes
PREMIERED: Wrocław, 1881
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, and strings
“The idea comes to me from outside of me and is like a gift. I then take the idea and make it my own. That is where the skill lies.
How do composers come up with the melodies they write? Most casual concertgoers would likely be surprised to know how many famous tunes heard at the symphony were either folk songs or drinking tunes. Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture is a lively compilation of the latter.
The background is simple: In 1879, the University of Breslau, now the University of Wrocław in Wrocław, Poland, awarded the composer an honorary doctorate in philosophy, a few short years after the premiere of his monumental first symphony, dubbed by some as “Beethoven’s 10th.” Brahms never formally attended college, but in his youth he spent a summer with his friend the violinist Joseph Joachim while the latter took summer courses at a university in the German city of Göttingen. That was a pleasant time for Brahms, one of reading and friendly debates and singing in beer halls and good company, perhaps the inspiration for the overture at hand.
“It is a real pleasure to see music so bright and spontaneous expressed with corresponding ease and grace.”
— Johannes Brahms (Born 1833, Germany; died 1897)
OVERTURE: An introduction to a large dramatic work, such as a ballet or opera, that demands listeners ears and sets the tone of the evening.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Brahms: Tragic Overture, Op. 81
Hungarian Dances
Binzer: “We Have Built a Stately House”
At any rate, the composer wrote a polite thank you to the university but was informed by a friend that the university expected a musical tribute. (How demanding: “we’ll give you a doctorate, but only in exchange for a bit of your genius.”) Earlier in his life, Brahms turned down an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University due to his unwillingness to cross the English channel to receive the degree in person. This time, determined to accept, Brahms set about working on a 10-minute work to reciprocate the honor of the degree.
His efforts lacked gravitas, however. The work begins with an almost mock-pompous sense of seriousness, a minor-key march that soon gives way to brighter melody in the trumpets. From this point on, the music is all warmth and camaraderie and bright spirits, an essay on an idyllic view of college life. Its simplicity continues to charm. And the tunes themselves are a quartet of beer-hall tunes known to college students: “Father of Our Country,” “What
Continued on Page 25
I. Allegro affettuoso
II. Intermezzo: Andantino grazioso
III. Allegro vivace
DURATION: About 32 minutes
PREMIERED: Dresden, 1845
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, strings, and solo piano
“My concerto is a compromise between a symphony, a concerto, and a huge sonata. I see I cannot write a concerto for the virtuosos — I must write something else.
— Robert Schumann (Born 1810, Germany; died 1856)
CONCERTO: A composition that features one or more “solo” instruments with orchestral accompaniment. The form of the concerto has developed and evolved over the course of music history.
Robert Schumann:
Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 14, “Concerto Without Orchestra”
Clara Schumann:
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 7
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 18
Concertos often include flashy, difficult passagework for soloists to show off their technical mastery of their instruments. Not so Robert Schumann’s only piano concerto; in this piece, the quality of the melodies and the way the composer blends the piano with the orchestra provides a more than ample feast for the ears. Unnecessary technical embellishments would simply clutter the music.
The concerto begins with an explosive chord in the whole orchestra, followed with a plummeting line in the piano that falls right into the movement’s first theme, played plaintively in the oboe. The piano echoes that melody immediately, and already we have another departure from tradition. In concerto first movements, the orchestra typically introduces the principal melodies first without the soloist, and then the soloist repeats them with extra flourishes and ornaments. These separate forces then follow a call and response pattern of phrases, taking turns with the material and dialoguing with one another, functioning diametrically.
For this concerto, which began its life as a singlemovement “Concert Phantasie,” Schumann integrates the piano seamlessly with the orchestra throughout, a long-held goal of his: “We must await the genius who will show us in a newer and more brilliant way how orchestra and piano may be combined, how the soloist, dominant at the keyboard, may unfold the wealth of his instrument and his art, while the orchestra, no longer a mere spectator, may interweave its manifold facets into the scene.”
And just as the piano and orchestra are indispensable forces in the concerto, it’s impossible to discuss Schumann’s work without mentioning his partner in crime and greatest champion, his wife Clara, a brilliant concert pianist, who premiered the concerto in 1845. Schumann even fashioned the first melodies in the piece, which begin with the notes
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SYMPHONY No. 1 in C MINOR, Op. 68
I. Un poco sostenuto — Allegro
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
IV. Adagio — Più andante — Allegro non troppo, ma con brio — Più allegro
DURATION: Around 38 minutes
PREMIERED: Karlsruhe, 1876
INSTRUMENTATION: two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns (two in C and two in F), two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, and strings
“The idea comes to me from outside of me - and is like a gift. I then take the idea and make it my own - that is where the skill lies.
— Johannes Brahms (Born 1833, Germany; died 1897)
SYMPHONY: An elaborate orchestral composition typically broken into contrasting movements, at least one of which is in sonata form.
ALPHORN: A 12-foot long, valveless wooden horn shepherds used to signal one another in the Alps.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77
Hungarian Dances
by Jeremy ReynoldsThe third movement of Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 begins with a liquid-smooth clarinet solo accompanied by little drops of sound of pizzicato strings. Then, the orchestration flips, with the strings taking over the melody while the clarinet bounces around with a light arpeggio for a moment. It’s an almost light-hearted contrast, probably the closest thing to levity in Brahms’ colossus of a first symphony, a work that underwent a 21-year gestation before seeing the light of day.
This from the man who once declared: “I shall never write a symphony!”
The symphony’s first movement begins with a pounding set of footsteps in the timpani, a slow tattoo that beats itself into the eardrums, while the entire orchestra screams through a desolate first statement of the melody. This steady pulse trudges inexorably toward the initial burst where the movement takes off at full steam, the pace nearly doubled, tempestuously minor throughout with only a few moments of brightness for contrast.
Next, the Andante sostenuto movement is a more affirming but still weighty affair, with gorgeous, lyrical solos violin and oboe serving as the movement’s heart.
Two factors contributed to Brahms’ excruciating progress with his first symphony. First, a perfectionist nature that led him to burn many of his early works and revise finished pieces ad infinitum before pulling the trigger on publishing. Second, he had a deep-rooted, understandable fear of publishing something that didn’t measure up to the memory of that symphonist before him: a certain Mr. Ludwig van Beethoven, who died shortly after Brahms’ birth and whose ninth symphony both inspired and intimidated Brahms deeply.
Continued on Page 25
Comes from Afar?,” “Let Us Rejoice Therefore” and “We Have Built a Stately House.” (This last song had associations with a political unification movement and resulted in the overture being banned in Vienna for a couple of weeks, fearing it would inspire students to riot.)
Brahms himself conducted the work’s premiere at a special convocation at the university in 1881, where the work clashed wryly with the seriousness and solemnity of the ceremony. For one often accused of writing overly serious music, the piece is a rare burst of good humor in a long career of weighty, consequential works.
C-H-A in the German system, from a musical wink to his pet name for Clara, “Chiara.”
Publishers, who held great sway in a compositions’ success at the time, weren’t interested in a single-movement work for orchestra, and so Schumann added a second and third movement. The second is a lovely song without word, intimate, fresh and succinct, while the finale is
bursting with energy and positivity. (Clara wrote: “I am very glad about it for I have always wanted a great bravura piece by him.”) Here, the music, having transformed over the course of the concerto, departs from its brooding A Minor home to a brilliant, warm A Major, changing from “darkness to light” in mood and atmosphere, a common device. And although the finale isn’t wildly pyrotechnic in terms of its technical requirements, it still conveys a highspiritedness that thrums and thrills.
Brahms, p. 24
An early attempt at a symphony was ultimately adapted into the first piano concerto, and the germ for the actual Symphony No. 1 didn’t occur until Brahms’ caught wind of shepherds blowing a tune on the alphorn and jotted it down in a sketchbook. This tune became the introduction of the final movement of the symphony, a great, swelling affair in the French horns that changes the symphony’s affect from a dark C Minor to brilliant, fiery C major. Then, after a five minute introduction, comes a tune of such rustic simplicity and simple positivity, the heart can’t help but sing. It is one of the greatest examples of
building and releasing musical tension in the Western canon.
In response to assertions that this remembered Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” tune in the ninth symphony, Brahms retorted: “any ass can see that!” He saw this symphony as a form of homage rather than imitation, a continuance rather that a repetition. Critics and historians supported this position, with the most influential Viennese critic of the time, Eduard Hanslick referring to the C Minor symphony as “Beethoven’s Tenth.”
Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Friday, September 08, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, September 09, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Will Rogers Auditorium
Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 2:00 PM
Fort Worth, TX
Bass Performance Hall Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Taichi Fukumura, conductor FLY Dance Company
Robert Spano, conductor Yunchan Lim, piano
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Dance of the Buffoons from The Snow Maiden FLY Dance Company
I. Allegro affettuoso
II. Intermezzo: Andantino grazioso
III. Allegro vivace
piano
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan FLY Dance Company
L. BOULANGER D’un matin de printemps
I. Un poco sostenuto; Allegro
II. Andante sostenuto
DEBUSSY Clair de lune (orch. Luck) FLY Dance Company
III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
IV. Adagio; Più andante; Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
SAINT-SAÊNS Danse Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah
Video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
COPLAND Hoe Down from Rodeo FLY Dance Company Intermission
COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Danse Nègre
PONCHIELLI Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda FLY Dance Company
Trading Places FLY Dance Company
MANCINI Strings on Fire! FLY Dance Company
TCHAIKOVSKY Valse from Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64
Video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. Patrons arriving late will be seated during the first convenient pause. Program and artists are subject to change.
Based in Houston, FLY Dance Company offers entertaining, clean-cut, fun concert performances as well as educational shows, workshops, and residencies available for booking locally, nationally, and internationally throughout the year. Entertainment is custom-made from FLY’s extensive repertory. FLY offers fun, fast-action, educational shows scripted and designed to deliver entertainment, knowledge, and important social messages to school-aged audiences.
FLY’s performance style is called theatrical hip hop — “theatrical” in that acting is an essential element of the style. FLY’s performing repertory is varied musically and choreographically and its dancers are skilled and highly adaptable.
Kathy Musick Wood, FLY’s original creator and creator of the theatrical hip hop style, is back as Artistic Director and Choreographer and is adding new powerful concert pieces to the classic FLY repertory.
The Aug. 26 performance to Neiman Marcus
The Sept. 1-3 performances to Davoil, Inc.
The Sept. 8-10 performances in memory of Mrs. Ann Koonsman
The Sept. 23 performance to American Airlines
The elegance continues at Omni Fort Worth Hotel. Take in the sweeping downtown views from our inviting, western-inspired accommodations, and enjoy clever cocktails, prime aged steaks, and live music at our on-site restaurants.
Your generous gift to the annual fund allows the FWSO to continue bringing the joy of music to more than 150,000 adults, students, and children through an average of 125 performances each season. Annual fund donors are vital to the FWSO, which is why we show our appreciation by offering annual fund donors access to a range of exclusive benefits beginning at the $100 membership level.
The FWSO also makes it easy to give in the way that best fits your lifestyle! Make a one-time donation to the annual fund, or join Metronome—the FWSO’s monthly giving program that helps us keep a steady tempo year-round.
Celebrate or commemorate friends, family, or loved ones by making a tribute gift to the FWSO in their honor. A special letter acknowledging your donation is then sent to the honoree or the honoree’s next of kin to inform them of your thoughtful and generous act.
Gain entry to the Brooks Morris Society and ensure your legacy leaves and impact by investing in the future of the FWSO through a charitable bequest.
Established in 1984, the FWSO’s endowment fund was established in order to provide an additional source of financial security for our centuries-old institution. Gifts to the endowment fund ensure that the rich artistic traditions of the FWSO are secured in perpetuity as a part of the city’s cultural fabric for generations to come.
To learn more about donor benefits and ways to give to the FWSO, please visit our website, fwsymphony.org/support/personal-giving or call the FWSO’s Donor Services Team at (817) 665-6603.
Officers
Mercedes T. Bass
Chairman of the Board
Marianne Auld
Chairman of the Executive Committee
Lee Hallman Secretary
Don C. Plattsmier
Interim Treasurer
Keith Cerny, Ph.D. President and CEO
Board of Directors
Marianne Auld+
Amy Roach Bailey
Mercedes T. Bass+
Rebecca Beasley
Connie Beck+
Ashli Blumenfeld
Anne Marie Bratton+
John Broude
Karen Burchfield+
Anne Carvalho
Dr. Joseph Cecere
Brenda Cline
Barbara Cox
Juana-Rosa Daniell
Tim Daniels
Mitzi Davis
Dr. Asad Dean+
Dr. Tom Deas
Dr. Jeffrey G. Detweiler
Joseph DeWoody
Willa Dunleavy
Brandon Elms
Dr. Jennifer Freeman+
Charlotte French
Gail Aronoff Granek
Genie Guynn
Lee Hallman+
Aaron Howard+
Kim Johnson
Dee J. Kelly, Jr.+
Kelly Lancarte
Mollie Lasater+
Mary Hart Lipscomb
Misty Locke
Kate Lummis
Louella Martin+
Priscilla Martin
Dr. Stuart D. McDonald
Ellen Messman
Don C. Plattsmier+
Dana Porter+
Don Reid
Jean Roach+
Henry Robinson+
Jude Ryan
Alann B. Sampson+
Jeff Schmeltekopf
Dr. Russ Schultz
Kal Silverberg
Whit Smith
Clare Stonesifer+
Jonathan T. Suder+
Carla Thompson+
Dr. Amy Tully
John Wells+
Dr. James Williams
J.W. Wilson+
Gerry Wood
Emeritus Council
Marvin E. Blum
Dr. Victor J. Boschini, Jr.
Gail Cooke
Vance A. Duffy
Katie Farmer
Joan Friedman
Tera Garvey
John B. Giordano
Barry L. Green
Kathleen Hicks
Robert L. Jameson
Teresa King
Michelle Marlow
Colin McConnell
Dr. Till Meyn
Erin Moseley
Frasher H. Pergande
Thomas “Tommy” L. Smith
Dwayne Smith
Kathleen B. Stevens
Ronda Jones Stucker
Lon Werner
Chairman Emeriti
William P. Hallman, Jr.*
Adele Hart*
Ed Schollmaier*
Frank H. Sherwood
Life Trustee
Rosalyn G. Rosenthal
Rae and Ed Schollmaier*
President Emerita
Ann Koonsman*
+ Executive Committee Member
* Denotes Deceased
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra expresses its deepest gratitude to the generous individual, institutional, endowment, and legacy supporters of the FWSO, a world-class orchestra and cultural pillar of Fort Worth.
Maestro’s Level
$150,000+
Sasha and Edward P. Bass
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass
Mr. & Mrs. J. Luther King, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. John B. Kleinheinz
John Wells & Shay McCulloch-Wells
Principal Guest Conductor’s Level
$50,000- $149,999
Ms. Marianne M. Auld and Mr. Jimmy Coury
Mr. & Mrs. William S. Davis; Davoil, Inc.
Aaron Howard & Corrie Hood-Howard
Mrs. Louella Martin
Concertmaster’s Level
$25,000- $49,999
Connie Beck & Frank Tilley
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Koonsman
Estate of Virginia & James O’Donnell
Nancy & Don Plattsmier
Alann Bedford Sampson
Artist’s Level
$10,000- $24,999
Carol Margaret Allen
Megan & Victor Boschini
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas K. Bratton
James Brooks
Mary Cauble
Brenda & Chad Cline
Deborah & Tom Deas
Althea L. Duersten
Gary & Judy Havener
Dee Kelly Foundation
Priscilla & Joe Martin
Deborah Mashburn & David Boddie
Nesha & George Morey
Mrs. Susan S. Pratt
The Roach Foundation
Jonathan and Medea Suder
Mr. Gerald E. Thiel
Mr. & Mrs. Kelly R. Thompson
Dr. Richard Turner
Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Wilson
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of August 1, 2022 to August 1, 2023.
* Denotes deceased
Benefactor
$5,000- $9,999
Mr. & Mrs. David R. Atnip
Mr. & Mrs. Tull Bailey
Ashli & Todd Blumenfeld
Judge Tim & Celia Boswell
Greg & Pam Braak
Mr. & Mrs. L. O. Brightbill III
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Burchfield
Sue & John Allen Chalk, Sr.
Gary Cole
Barbara A. & Ralph F. Cox
Dean & Emily Crocker
Dr. & Mrs. Atlee Cunningham, Jr.
Anonymous
Dr. Ron & Juana-Rosa Daniell
Margaret & Craig Dearden
Drs. Jeff & Rosemary Detweiler
C. Edwards & R. Schroeder
Dr. Jennifer Freeman
Mr. & Mrs. Kirk French
Gail Aronoff Granek
Susan & Tommy Green
Eugenie Guynn
Mrs. Edward R. Hudson, Jr.
Ms. Nina C. Hutton
Matthew & Kimberly Johnson
James & Dorothy Doss Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. William Leavitt
Tim & Misty Locke
Dr. and Mrs. Scott Marlow
Dr. & Mrs. Stuart D. McDonald
Ellen F. Messman
Berlene T. & Jarrell R. Milburn
Mrs. Erin Moseley
Stephen & Brenda Neuse
Anonymous
Ms. Jane Rector
Don & Melissa Reid
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Reynolds
Dr. Deborah Rhea & Ms. Carol Bollinger
Rosemary Riney
Jeff & Judy Schmeltekopf
Dr. & Mrs. Russ A. Schultz
Ms. Patricia A. Steffen
Ronda & Walter Stucker
Laurie & Lon Werner
Ms. Virginia Wheat
Charles White
Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Wynne
Stuart Yarus & Judith Williams
Contributor
$3,000- $4,999
Ellen & Larry Bell
Mr. Bill Bond
John Broude & Judy Rosenblum
Mrs. Jeanne Cochran
Doug & Carol English
Gary Glaser and Christine Miller
Kay Glenday
Steve* & Jean Hadley
Dr. Christy L. Hanson
Richard Hubbard, M.D.
Gordon & Aileen Kanan
Art & Cheryl Litke
Anonymous
Cecile Montgomery Charitable Account
In memory of Marie A. Moore
Dr. William & Mary Morton
Mr. & Mrs. Omas Peterson
Jude & Terry Ryan
Tzu-Ying & Michael Shih in tribute of Mr. & Mrs. William S. Davis
Kal & Karen Silverberg
Jim & Judy Summersgill
Mary & Reuben Taniguchi
Dr. Stuart N. Thomas; In memory of Dr. Gaby Thomas
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of August 1, 2022 to August 1, 2023.
* Denotes deceased
Sustainer
$2,000- $2,999
William & Kathryn Adams
Mary Frances & George Barlow
Charitable Fund at the NTCF
Dr. Joyce Beck
Linda Brookshire
Frances Jean Browning
Henry & Diana Burks
Daniel & Soraya Caulkins
Dr. & Mrs. Lincoln Chin
Honorable H.D. Clark III and Mrs. Peggy
Sue Branch-Clark
Dr. & Mrs. Martin F. Conroy
Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Cooke
Susan Jackson Davis
Angela L. Evans
Mr. & Mrs. Ben J. Fortson, Jr.
Dr. Oscar L. Frick
Ms. Clara Gamache
Dr. & Mrs. William H. Gibson
Anonymous
Mr. Joseph Gonzales
Dotty & Gary Hall
Peggy Harwood
Michelle & Reagan Horton
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob M. Huffman III
Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Jameson
Ms. Trina Krausse
Amy Faires & Swang Lin
In memory of Laura Elizabeth Bruton
Mr. & Mrs. Colin McConnell
McCraw Family Charitable Fund
Shannon McGovern
Barbara Measter
John & Kay Mitchell
Mr. & Mrs. W.A. Moncrief III
John & Anita O’Carroll
Bill & Jeanne O’Connor
Harris Franklin Pearson Private Foundation
Mary Pencis
Lynne B. Prater
William Proenza
Peggy Rixie
Laurie & Len Roberts
Punch Shaw & Julie Hedden
Anne & Danny Simpson
Marilyn Wiley & Terry Skantz
Emmet G. & Judith O. Smith
Susan & James Smith
Thomas L. Smith
Virginia Street Smith
Dr. Mary Alice Stanford & Mr. Don Jones
Thomas Sutter
Sallie & Joseph Tarride
Hon. and Mrs. Christopher Taylor
John* & Camille Thomason
Joy & Johnnie Thompson
David Turpin
Mr. John Molyneaux & Ms. Kay West
John Williams & Suzy Williams
Suzy Williams & John Williams
Arthur & Carolyn Wright
Anonymous
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of August 1, 2022 to August 1, 2023.
* Denotes deceased
$500,000 and above
Sid W. Richardson Foundation
$150,000- $499,999
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Mary Potishman Lard Trust
$50,000- $149,999
The Eugene McDermott Foundation
Leo Potishman Foundation
$25,000- $49,999
BNSF Railway
Omni Hotel Fort Worth
Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District
$10,000- $24,999
Alcon
U.S. Trust
BNSF Railway
Bratton Family Foundation | Mr. and Mrs. Douglas K. Bratton
City Club of Fort Worth
North Texas Giving Day Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas
Helene Bare & W. Glenn Embry
Charitable Trust
Lowe Foundation
MJR Foundation
Neiman Marcus Fort Worth
Omni Hotel Fort Worth
Piranesi
The Roach Foundation
The Thomas M., Helen McKee & John P. Ryan Foundation
Texas Commission on the Arts
Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District
$5,000- $9,999
Atmos Energy
Fifth Avenue Foundation
Kimbell Art Foundation
Anonymous
Once Upon A Time...
Symphony League of Fort Worth
Texas Women for the Arts
$2,000- $4,999
Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
Robert D. & Catherine R. Alexander Foundation
Tanner and Associates, PC
As of August 1, 2022 to August 1, 2023. For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
$5,000,000 and above
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass
Mr.* and Mrs.* Perry R. Bass
Mr. Sid R. Bass
$1,000,000- $4,999,999
Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation
Sasha and Edward P. Bass
The Burnett Foundation
Garvey Texas Foundation
Kimbell Art Foundation
Elizabeth H. Ledyard
Rosalyn Rosenthal
Rae* & Ed* Schollmaier; Schollmaier Foundation
$500,000- $999,999
Mr. & Mrs. John B. Kleinheinz
Mollie & Garland Lasater at the NTCF Fund
The Thomas M., Helen McKee & John P. Ryan Foundation
T.J. Brown & C.A. Lupton Foundation
$250,000- $499,999
BNSF Railway
Estate of Dorothy Rhea
Qurumbli Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Mark L. Hart III
Drs. Jeff & Rosemary Detweiler
$100,000- $249,999
Alcon
American Airlines
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Althea L. Duersten
Estate of Peggy L. Rayzor
Mr. & Mrs. Ben J. Fortson, Jr.
Mr.* & Mrs. Dee J. Kelly, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. J. Luther King, Jr. / Luther King Capital Management
John Marion
J.P. Morgan Charitable Giving Fund
The Roach Foundation
Anna Belle P. Thomas
$50,000- $99,999
Michael and Nancy Barrington
Van Cliburn*
Mrs. Gunhild Corbett
Mrs. Edward R. Hudson, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Koonsman
Scurlock Foundation
Symphony League of Fort Worth
$25,000- $49,999
Mr. & Mrs. Jack S. Blanton Jr.
Estate of Linda Reimers Mixson
Michael Boyd Milligan*
Garvey Texas Foundation
Colleen* and Preston Geren
Mrs. Adele Hart
Mr. and Mrs. Craig Kelly
Dee Kelly Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Krebs
Mr. Eddie M. Lesok
Mr. & Mrs. Duer Wagner Jr.
Laurie and Lon Werner
$10,000- $24,999
Mr.* and Mrs.* William L. Adams
Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm K. Brachman
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas K. Bratton
Mr. Carroll W. Collins*
Mary Ann and Robert Cotham
Mr. and Mrs. Norwood P. Dixon*
Elizabeth L. and Russell F. Hallberg Foundation
Estate of Ernest Allen, Jr.
Fifth Avenue Foundation
Mrs. Dora Lee Langdon
Carol V. Lukert
Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Moncrief
Stephen & Brenda Neuse
Peggy L. Rayzor
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Reynolds
William E. Scott Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Taylor
Donna* & Bryan Whitworth
William S. Davis Family Foundation
$5,000- $9,999
Mrs. Charles Anton*
Ms. Lou Ann Blaylock
Sue & John Allen Chalk, Sr.
Barbara A. & Ralph F. Cox
Estate of Witfield J. Collins
Francis M. Allen Trust
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Jeffrey Gerrish
Felice and Marvin Girouard
Mr. & Mrs. Ralph J. Green Jr.
Maritza Cáceres & Miguel Harth-Bedoya
Richard Hubbard, M.D.
JPMorgan Chase*
Mr.* and Mrs. Robert E. Klabzuba
Priscilla & Joe Martin
Miss Louise McFarland*
Karen Rainwater Charitable Fund at the NTCF
Alann Bedford Sampson
Betty J. Sanders
Save Our Symphony Fort Worth
Jerry & James Taylor
Mr. Gerald E. Thiel
Anonymous
Nelson & Enid Cleary
John* & Frances Wasilchak Charitable Fund at the NTCF * Denotes
The Board of Directors extends sincere gratitude to the following donors who have demonstrated exceptional generosity and commitment to the FWSO by endowing the following chairs and programs.
Music Director
Guest Conductors
Associate Conductor
Concertmaster
Associate Concertmaster
Assistant Concertmaster
Assistant Principal 2nd Violin
Principal Cello
Assistant Principal Cello
Principal Bass
Principal Oboe
Principal Flute
Principal Clarinet
Assistant Principal Trumpet
Principal Bassoon
Principal Horn
Associate Principal Horn
Principal Trombone
Bass Trombone
Principal Percussion
Assistant Principal Percussion
Timpani Harp
Keyboard
Great Performance Fund
Pops Performance Fund
Adventures in Music
Symphonic Insight
* Denotes deceased
Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass* Chair
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
Rae & Ed Schollmaier*/Schollmaier Foundation Chair
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
Ann Koonsman* Chair
Mollie & Garland Lasater Chair
Symphony League of Fort Worth Chair
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Chair
Mr. Sid R. Bass Chair
BNSF Foundation Chair
Mr. & Mrs. Edward P. Bass Chair
Nancy L. & William P. Hallman, Jr. Chair
Shirley F. Garvey* Chair
Rosalyn G. Rosenthal Chair
In Memory of Manny Rosenthal
Dorothy Rhea* Chair
Mr. & Mrs. Lee M. Bass Chair
Elizabeth H. Ledyard* Chair
Drs. Jeff and Rosemary Detweiler Chair
Mr. & Mrs. John Kleinheinz Chair
Mr. & Mrs. Lee M. Bass Chair
Shirley F. Garvey* Chair
Adele Hart* Chair
Madilyn Bass Chair
Bayard H. Friedman * Chair
Rildia Bee O’Bryan Cliburn & Van Cliburn* Chair
Rosalyn G. Rosenthal Chair
In Memory of Manny Rosenthal
The Burnett Foundation
The Ryan Foundation
Teresa & Luther King
Annette & Jerry Blaschke
Dr. Lloyd W. Brooks
Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Cardona*
Barbara Clarkin
Mr. Carroll W. Collins*
Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Cooke
Juana-Rosa & Dr. Ron Daniell*
Estate of Anna Belle P. Thomas
Miss Dorothy Rhea*
Electra M. Carlin*
Estate of Ernest Allen, Jr.
F. Warren O’Reilly*
Hugh L. Watson*
Estate of Kathy B. Higgins
Estate of Linda Reimers Mixson
Lois Hoynck Jaggers*
Michael Boyd Milligan*
Mildred G. Walters*
Estate of Peggy L. Rayzor
Sylvia E. Wolens*
Whitfield J. Collins*
Tom Gay
Gwen M. Genius
George & Jeanne Jaggers Charitable Trust
Mrs. Charlotte M. Gore
Gail Aronoff Granek
Helene Bare & W. Glenn Embry
Charitable Trust
Qurumbli Foundation
Hank and Shawn Henning
Mr. Eric F. Hyden*
* Denotes deceased 38 | 2023/2024
Kathleen E. Connors Trust
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Koonsman
Lewis F. Kornfeld, Jr. Memorial Fund at the NTXCF
Mollie & Garland M. Lasater, Jr.
Elizabeth H. Ledyard
Carol V. Lukert
Marguerite Bridges Charitable Trust
Patty Cartwright Mays
Shannon McGovern
Dr. and Mrs. A. F. Murph
Linda Todd Murphy
Estate of Virginia & James O’Donnell
Harris Franklin Pearson Private Foundation
Peggy Meade-Cohen Crut Charitable Trust
Mr. and Mrs. John V. Roach II
The Roach Foundation
Jude & Terry Ryan
Jeff & Judy Schmeltekopf
Mr. & Mrs. Grady Shropshire
Kathleen & Richard Stevens
Mr. Gerald E. Thiel
The Walsh Foundation
Peter G. Warren
John* & Frances Wasilchak Charitable Fund at the NTCF
John Wells & Shay McCulloch-Wells
Lynn Wilson
FILM WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA
FRIDAY, DEC. 15, 2023 AT 7:30 PM
SATURDAY, DEC. 16, 2023 AT 2 PM
original songs by LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA
original songs by LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA
original score by GERMAINE FRANCO full orchestra conducted by SUSIE SEITER
original score by GERMAINE FRANCO full orchestra and choir conducted by NAME HERE ©
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When it has to be right
