Program 2: Home for the Holidays

FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ROBERT SPANO, MUSIC DIRECTOR KEVIN JOHN EDUSEI, PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR KEITH CERNY, Ph.D., PRESIDENT AND CEO

Friday, November 25, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 26, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, November 27, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. Bass Performance Hall Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Stuart Chafetz, Conductor N'Kenge, Vocalist Lone Star Youth Chorus of Fort Worth

Home for the Holidays

SEBESKY A Christmas Scherzo

HERBERT (arr. Otto Langey)

DiLORENZO March of the Toys from Babes in Toyland

Fum! Fum! Fun!

STYNE Let It Snow! (arr. Larry Blank) N'Kenge, Vocalist

MENDELSSOHN Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (arr. Daryl McKenzie) N'Kenge, Vocalist

TRADITIONAL The Twelve Days of Christmas (arr. Matt Catingub)

TCHAIKOVSKY A Klezmer Nutcracker (arr. Sam Shoup)

TRADITIONAL Three Chanukah Songs (arr. Bruce Healey) Chanukah Dreidle Song Oh Chanukah Lone Star Youth Chorus of Fort Worth

SMITH Noel (arr. Brad Holmes) Lone Star Youth Chorus of Fort Worth

TRADITIONAL Masters in this Hall (arr. Mark Hayes) Lone Star Youth Chorus of Fort Worth

COOTS Santa Claus is Coming to Town (arr. Bill Holcombe) N'Kenge vocalist, Lone Star Youth Chorus of Fort Worth

Intermission

TRADITIONAL Angels We Have Heard on High/ TABOUROT Ding Dong Merrily on High (arr. David Hamilton)

YON Gesù Bambino (arr. William Ryden) N'Kenge, Vocalist

TRADITIONAL The First Noel (arr. Daryl McKenzie) N'Kenge, Vocalist

FRASER This Christmastide (Jessye’s Carol) (arr. Daryl McKenzie) Lone Star Youth Chorus of Fort Worth

RODGERS Edelweiss from The Sound of Music (arr. Daryl McKenzie) Lone Star Youth Chorus of Fort Worth

WELLS / TORMÉ The Christmas Song / MARTIN / BLANE Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (arr. Donald Pippin) N'Kenge, Vocalist

TRADITIONAL We Three Kings (arr. Matt Riley / Michael Shih, Violin orch. Brian Bunker)

LOPEZ Let it Go from Frozen (arr. Chris Walden) N'Kenge, Vocalist

TRADITIONAL Go Tell It on the Mountain (arr. Jim Stephenson) N'Kenge, Vocalist

TRADITIONAL We Wish You a Merry Christmas (arr. Jim Stephenson) Lone Star Youth Chorus of Fort Worth

ANDERSON Sleigh Ride

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.

Stuart Chafetz is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Columbus Symphony and the newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor of the Chautauqua and Marin Symphonies. Chafetz, a conductor celebrated for his dynamic and engaging podium presence, is increasingly in demand with orchestras across the continent and this season Chafetz will be on the podium in Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, Naples, Philly Pops, Cincinnati Pops, Pittsburgh, San Diego, and Winnipeg. He enjoys a special relationship with The Phoenix Symphony where he leads multiple programs annually.

He’s had the privilege to work with renowned artists including Chris Botti, 2 Cellos, Hanson, Rick Springfield, Michael Bolton, Kool & The Gang, Jefferson Starship, America, Little River Band, Brian McKnight, Roberta Flack, George Benson, Richard Chamberlain, The Chie ains, Jennifer Holliday, John Denver, Marvin Hamlisch, Thomas Hampson, Wynonna Judd, Jim Nabors, Randy Newman, Jon Kimura Parker and Bernadette Peters.

He previously held posts as resident conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and associate conductor of the Louisville Orchestra. As principal timpanist of the Honolulu Symphony for twenty years, Chafetz would also conduct the annual Nutcracker performances with Ballet Hawaii and principals from the American Ballet Theatre. It was during that time that Chafetz led numerous concerts with the Maui Symphony and Pops. He's led numerous Spring Ballet productions at the world-renowned Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.

In the summers, Chafetz spends his time at the Chautauqua Institution, where he conducts the annual Fourth of July and Opera Pops concerts with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in addition to his role as that orchestra’s timpanist.

When not on the podium, Chafetz makes his home near San Francisco, CA, with his wife Ann Krinitsky. Chafetz holds a bachelor’s degree in music performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and a master’s from the Eastman School of Music.

The New York Post calls N’Kenge “Electrifying” in the role of Mary Wells in Broadway’s hottest new show Motown: The Musical. N’Kenge made her Broadway debut in Sondheim on Sondheim alongside Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams and Norm Lewis and starred in The Genius of Ray Charles where she made her West End debut.

She has been hailed by Variety as “a sensational powerhouse of a singer packed in a lithe body.” A native New Yorker, she just returned from starring in the World Tour of the Michael Jackson Tribute Show. N’Kenge graduated from both the prestigious Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music. N’Kenge made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops Orchestra where The New York Times called her “a classically trained diva that can stretch from Broadway, Pop Soul to Opera. N’Kenge’s debut EP TAKE ME OFF produced by Kerry Gordy, son of Motown Legend Berry Gordy, is available on iTunes worldwide. N’Kenge has performed alongside jazz greats such as Wynton Marsalis and Ornette Coleman at Lincoln Center and has been a Principal Artist at New York City Opera. N’Kenge had the honored to perform for the Commander-in-Chief’s Inaugural Ball hosted by President Obama.

Equally at home on the opera stage, N’Kenge has been seen in a range of opera roles including Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Musetta in La Boheme and Therese in Les Mamelles de Tiresias. N’Kenge has given recitals at the White House, Kennedy Center, and at the Library of Congress which it was broadcast worldwide through NPR.

N’Kenge has been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a musical for the title role in Elton John’s Aida and as a Diva in Marion Caffey’s 3 Mo’Divas.

Most recently N’Kenge appeared as Hannah Brown in the workshop for Let the Good Times Roll.

Up next, N’kenge will play The Moon in Roundabout Theatre’s production of Caroline, Or Change.

For more news and tour dates, visit N’Kenge at www.nkengemusic.com

The Lone Star Youth Chorus of Fort Worth is made up of 65 dedicated singers in grades 9-12 from FWISD public schools. They rehearse each Monday evening at I.M. Terrell VPA & STEM Academy and hold each other accountable in rigorous rehearsals and repertoire immersion. The choristers are surrounded by dedicated professionals including Artistic Director, Jesse Cannon II, and section leaders Aubrey Kistler [Director-Southwest High School], Blake Glass [Director-Western Hills], Jake Rodriguez [Director North Side High School], Celeste Luna [Williams MS], and accompanist is Ms. Susan Bowers [Assistant Principal - Western Hills HS]. Many of the Lone Star Youth Chorus graduates continue pursuing music education or performance at the university level.

Jesse Cannon II is currently the Director of Vocal and Elementary Music in Fort Worth ISD. Prior to Fort Worth, he was the Director of Choirs in Duncanville ISD. He is currently the Vice-President and Vocal Division Chair for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA). His choirs performed at the 2020 Texas Music Educators Association Convention and the 2021 National American Choral Director’s Association Convention. The Duncanville HS Choir has also been recognized by The American Prize and The Foundation of Music Education Mark of Excellence as a National Winner. Jesse Cannon II was recognized as a Music Teacher of Excellence by the Country Music Association Foundation (2022), Duncanville HS Teacher of the Year (2021), and been awarded the Grammy Signature School Award for the Duncanville HS Choral Department. He is an active Region Clinician and adjudicates several times each year for the UIL Concert & Sight-Reading Contest.

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