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Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Roster 8 Program 1: The FWSO’s Allan Steele: Schumann Cello Concerto and Berlioz
Symphonie fantastique
Program 2: Kings of Soul
Program 3: Fly Dance Company
Breakin’ Classical
Program 4: Jane Glover Conducts Mozart
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
Keith Cerny, Ph.D. President and CEO
OPERATIONS
Victoria J. Moore Vice President of Operations
Matthew Glover Director of Operations
Branson White Production Manager
Lacy McCoy Project Manager
Megan Brook Orchestra Personnel Manager
Wilson Armstrong Stage Manager
Gillian Boley Artistic Services Coordinator
Christopher Hawn Orchestra Librarian
David Sterrett Assistant Orchestra Librarian
Meagan Hemenway Vice President of Development
Malia Lewis Development Manager, Board and Donor Relations
Courtney Hughey Institutional Giving Manager
Carolyn Hudec Events Manager
Veronika Perez Development Specialist, Operations
BOX OFFICE
Tess Todora Director of Ticketing Services
Preston Gilpatrick Box Office Associate
Veronica Morris Box Office Associate
Patrick Sumner Box Office Associate
Paul Taylor Box Office Associate
Xochitl Vasquez Box Office Associate
FINANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES
Jacque Carpenter Vice President of Finance & HR
Kenneth Rinehart Director of Accounting
Lucas Baldwin Senior Staff Accountant
Araminta Stephens HR Administrator
MARKETING
Carrie Ellen Adamian Chief Marketing Officer
Monica Sheehan Director of Marketing
Emily Gavaghan Senior Marketing Manager
Melanie Boma Senior Tessitura Database Manager
Josselin Garibo Pendleton Senior Manager, Education and Community Programs
Joanna Calhoun Marketing and Social Media Coordinator
Mercedes T. Bass Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dear Friends,
Thank you for joining us for another fabulous season with the FWSO. There are so many exciting and unique performances to look forward to like Mozart conducted by Dame Jane Glover, the FWSO’s Principal Guest Conductor Designate, and the world premiere of Earth 2.0, a newly commissioned piece from composer Jake Heggie.
In addition to remarkable programming, the FWSO is always looking for new ways to engage its patrons and supporters and this year we have launched the “Angel’s Program”. Throughout the season, guests who make a night-of donation of $100 or more in support of our music education initiatives, will enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne during the concert intermission. Each gift of $100 allows up to 20 students to participate in one of the FWSO’s music education experiences.
We look forward to toasting to your generosity and hope you will share this new program with your friends and guests.
With much appreciation and gratitude,
Mercedes T. Bass Chairman of the Board of Directors
Keith Cerny, Ph.D. President and CEO
Dear Patron,
Our 2024-2025 season opened strongly, with nearly sold-out performances of the monumental FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH Orchestra World Tour, virtuosic solo performances by FWSO musicians at Stars of the Symphony, and the opening weekend of the Symphonic Series featuring our acclaimed Music Director Robert Spano and the remarkable Canadian violinist James Ehnes. We are off to a great start!
The next set of concerts in October showcases the extraordinary versatility of the FWSO musicians, and their ability to perform at the highest level. In October, Maestro Spano will return to conduct FWSO Principal Cellist Allan Steele in the exquisite Schumann Cello Concerto, paired with arguably the first tone poem ever written: Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. At the end of the month, we welcome back Principal Guest Conductor Designate Jane Glover for a program of Mozart, Britten, and Ravel, featuring Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt.
In the middle of the month, we present our Pops Series opener, Kings of Soul, conducted by our new Associate Conductor Michelle Di Russo. You will love our tributes to soul artists Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, James Brown, The Temptations, and others. Our high-quality family programming in Bass Hall will feature FLY Dance Company’s Breakin’ Classical on October 19, also conducted by Ms. Di Russo. This unique group fuses classical music with hip-hop, and even on-stage skateboarding!
Thank you for your attendance; we are grateful for your support. We are incredibly proud of the exceptional music we are producing at the FWSO, and look forward to seeing you in person.
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. Spano has been Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since August 2022 and will continue there through the 2027-2028 season; this follows his tenure as Principal Guest Conductor with FWSO, which began in 2019. He is the tenth Music Director in the orchestra’s history, which was founded in 1912. In February 2024, Spano was appointed Music Director of the Washington National Opera, beginning in the 2025–2026 season, for a three-year term; he is currently the WNO’s Music Director Designate. 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; he also directs the Aspen Conducting Academy, which offers participants unparalleled training and valuable podium experience. After twenty seasons as Music Director with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, he now serves as
4 | 2024/2025 SEASON
Music Director Laureate. He was appointed Principal Conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School in 2024, and will transition to Principal Guest Conductor in 2025-2026 following the appointment of their new Music Director.
During the 2024–2025 season — Spano’s third as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony — he leads six weeks of symphonic programming, conducting works including Mahler’s Symphony No. 9, Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman in concert, and a world premiere by Jake Heggie, in addition to shaping the artistic direction of the orchestra and driving its continued growth. In the Fall of 2024, Spano leads his first performances as WNO’s Music Director Designate, including a new production of Beethoven’s Fidelio. Additional highlights of the 2024–2025 season include a twoweek residency with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and his first appearances as Principal Conductor with the Rhode Island Philharmonic.
Spano made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2019, leading the US premiere of Marnie by American composer Nico Muhly. Recent concert highlights have included several world-premiere performances, including The Sacrifice of Isaac by Jonathan Leshnoff with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Steven Mackey’s Aluminum Flowers and James Ra’s Te Deum with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra; Of Earth and Sky: Tales From the Motherland by Brian Raphael Nabors with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Rhode Island Philharmonic; and Voy a Dormir by Bryce Dessner at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor.
With a discography of critically acclaimed recordings, Robert Spano has garnered four Grammy™ Awards and eight nominations with the Atlanta Symphony. 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.
German conductor Kevin John Edusei is sought-after the world over. He is praised repeatedly for the drama and tension in his musicmaking and the sense of architecture, 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 and conducting an eclectic range of repertoire.
Highlights of Edusei’s 2024/25 season include debuts with the New York Philharmonic, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Musikverein with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. His return engagements include the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra at the Concertgebouw and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in his final season as Principal Guest Conductor. A strong advocate of contemporary music, Edusei’s carefully curated programmes
across the 2024/25 season include premieres of works by Hannah Kendall, Thomas Larcher, Samy Moussa, Brian Nabors, Derrick Skye and Gabriella Smith.
In Autumn 2022, Edusei made his debut at the Royal Opera House conducting Puccini’s La bohème, which was streamed across cinemas worldwide, and in 2023/24 he returned for a production of Madama Butterfly. Previously he has enjoyed great success with productions at the Semperoper Dresden, English National Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Volksoper Wien and Komische Oper Berlin. During his tenure at the Bern Opera House, he led highly acclaimed new productions including Peter Grimes, Ariadne auf Naxos, Salome, Bluebeard’s Castle, Tannhäuser, Tristan und Isolde, Kátya Kábanová and a cycle of the Mozart-DaPonte operas.
Born in Bielefeld, Germany, Edusei studied sound engineering, classical percussion and orchestral conducting at the University of the Arts Berlin and the Royal Conservatory The Hague with Jac van Steen and Ed Spanjaard. In 2004 he was awarded a conducting fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival by David Zinman, in 2007 he was a prize-winner at the Lucerne Festival conducting competition under the artistic direction of Pierre Boulez and in 2008 he won the first prize of the Dimitri Mitropoulos Competition in Athens. Edusei is an alumnus of the Deutsche Bank Akademie Musiktheater heute and the Dirigentenforum of the German Music Council. He resides with his family in Munich.
Michelle Di Russo Associate Conductor
A graceful yet powerful force on the podium, Argentinian-Italian conductor Michelle Di Russo is known for her compelling interpretations, passionate musicality, and championing of contemporary music. Recently appointed Associate Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony, she will begin her tenure in thew 24/25 season, working closely with Robert Spano. Di Russo is a recipient of the 2024 The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award and a conducting fellow at the Verbier Festival. She is a former Dudamel Fellow with LA Philharmonic, a mentee of the Taki Alsop Fellowship, and a conducting fellow of Chicago Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion program and The Dallas Opera Hart Institute.
This season’s highlights include guest conducting debuts with Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Calgary Philharmonic, Toledo Ballet, and Fort
Worth Symphony. She will also be returning to conduct the Delaware Symphony and cover conduct for the New York Philharmonic. Di Russo has been selected to lead a premiere of one of the Roche Young Commissions at Lucerne Festival Academy as part of a two-year project.
Di Russo has guest conducted LA Phil, San Diego Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Portland Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, and worked as cover conductor for the National Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, LA Phil, and NY Phil.
During the pandemic, Di Russo co-created Girls Who Conduct, an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between women and men in the conducting field and encouraging younger generations of women and non-binary conductors to overcome any obstacles presented due to their gender.
Di Russo holds a Doctoral Degree in Orchestral Conducting from Arizona State University and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Kentucky. She completed her degree in Orchestral Conducting and Music Production of Audiovisual Media from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, where she was awarded an Ad-Hoc Diploma for the highest grade in Orchestral Conducting.
Robert Spano, Music Director, Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Chair
Kevin John Edusei, Principal Guest Conductor
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Music Director Laureate
Michelle Di Russo, Associate 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
Matt Milewski
Gabriela Peña-Kim
Kathryn Perry
Tatyana Smith
Rosalyn Story
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
Vacant Position, 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
Vaynu Kadiyali
PICCOLO
Vaynu Kadiyali
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
Phillip Solomon°
E-FLAT CLARINET
Ivan Petruzziello
BASS CLARINET
Phillip Solomon°
BASSOON
Joshua Elmore, Principal
Mr. & Mrs. Lee M. Bass Chair
Nik Hooks°, Assistant Principal
Nicole Haywood°
Cara Owens, on leave
CONTRABASSOON
Nicole Haywood°
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 Position
Bayard H. Friedman Chair
KEYBOARD
Shields-Collins “Buddy” 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 °2024/2025 Season Only
The Concertmaster performs on the 1710 Davis Stradivarius violin.
The Associate Concertmaster performs on the 1685 Eugenie Stradivarius violin.
Friday, October 11, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 13, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Robert Spano, conductor
Allan Steele, cello
DEBUSSY Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faun [Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun]
R. SCHUMANN Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
I. Nicht zu schnell
II. Langsam
III. Sehr lebhaft
Allan Steele, cello
BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14
I. Rêveries – Passions [Daydreams and Passions]: Largo; Allegro agitato e appassionato assai
II. Un bal [A Ball]: Waltz; Allegro non troppo
III. Scène aux champs [Scene in the Country]: Adagio
IV. Marche au Supplice [March to the Scaffold]: Allegretto non troppo
V. Songe d’une nuit du Sabbat [Dream of the Witches' Sabbath]: Larghetto; Allegro
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.
Allan Steele, cello
Allan Steele, principal cellist with the Fort Worth Symphony, is a performer, composer, and teacher. Mr. Steele has premiered several works in chamber or orchestral settings by composers such as Mark Antony Turnage and Stephen Cohn, as well as performing the world premiere of Henri Lazarof's Fifth Cello Concerto. He frequently collaborates with the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth and the Olmos Ensemble of San Antonio, and maintains an active string quartet with FWSO colleagues known as Sedici Strings. He enjoys teaching tremendously; he's held teaching positions at Texas Christian University, University of North Texas, and Eastern Music Festival, and he is always open to private students. He will soon be a published contributor for Carus Books, and he spends his free time designing video games and composing music.
by Jeremy Reynolds
(PRELUDE to the AFTERNOON of a FAUN)
DURATION: About 10 minutes
PREMIERED: Paris, 1894
INSTRUMENTATION: Three flutes, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two harps, two crotales, and strings
“Extreme complication is contrary to art.”
— Claude Debussy (Born 1862, France; died 1918)
PRELUDE: A typically brief musical composition that serves as an introduction to a larger musical work.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Debussy: La mer Nocturnes Images
The modern era of classical music began not with the blast of a trumpet but with the languid sigh of a flute solo. French composer Claude Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun begins with a heavy-lidded chromatic scale in the flute, first descending, then ascending, as the Faun blinks and yawns. Soon, the harp enters with a gentle glissando to give the work a detached, timeless quality.
There are no hard edges in this work. It’s all shuddering strings, muted brass, smooth rhythmic shifts, and glassy harmonic transitions that stretch previous traditions of harmony to their breaking point. The piece isn’t in a traditional musical “key” so much as it glides among different tonal centers, foreshadowing the 20th century’s fascination with atonality.
The Prelude is based on a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé of the same title, which begins: “Those nymphs, I want to perpetuate them. So bright, Their light rosy flesh, that it hovers in the air Drowsy with tangled slumbers...”
Some have called Debussy’s music a tone poem. That isn’t strictly accurate — his music reflects the sensibilities of Mallarmé’s language rather than the specific, literal narrative. The composer himself argued as much when he wrote:
The music of this prelude is a very free illustration of Mallarmé’s beautiful poem. By no means does it claim to be a synthesis of it. Rather there is a succession of scenes through which pass the desires and dreams of the faun in the heat of the afternoon. Then, tired of pursuing the
timorous flight of nymphs and naiads, he succumbs to intoxicating sleep, in which he can finally realize his dreams of possession in universal Nature.
Debussy, like many artists, loathed when critics attempted to categorize his music and aggressively rejected the label of “impressionist,” arguing: “I am trying to do ‘something different’...what the imbeciles call ‘impressionism,’ a term which is as poorly used as possible, particularly by the critics.” (Nothing impressionistic about that sentiment.)
Still, there are some similarities between the hazier nature of his compositions and the atmospheric style of painting. In visual art history, the impressionist movement, which emphasized light and shadow, feeling, and color over pure realism, launched in the 1870s and 1880s This would have been the same time that Debussy entered the Paris Conservatory at the tender age of 10 after displaying a remarkable talent for music in his childhood.
Categorical questions aside, Afternoon of a Faun holds a pivotal place in music history. As the music embodies that twilight space between wakefulness and sleep, its harmonies represent that fuzzy, immaterial point between the old and the new.
by Jeremy Reynolds
CELLO CONCERTO in A MINOR, Op. 129
Nicht zu schnell (Not too fast)
Langsam (Slow)
Sehr lebhaft (Very lively)
DURATION: About 25 minutes
PREMIERED: Oldenburg, 1860
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, strings, and solo cello
“There are so few works for this lovely instrument.”
— 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 throughout music history.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Schumann: 5 Stücke im Volkston for piano and cello, Op. 102
Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105
The modern standard of holding applause between movements of a classical work would have quite offended a majority of composers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Mozart and Beethoven both have numerous diary entries crowing when the applause after a particular movement of a symphony or concerto was so great that they were able to replay the piece on the spot, and plenty more grousing at tepid applause after a movement they were particularly proud of.
There were exceptions to this applause affinity, of course, including the great German composer Robert Schumann, who abhorred inter-movement applause. He found a simple way around the problem, however: in some of his works, like the Cello Concerto in A Minor, the movements flow seamlessly into one another without pause. In the end, Schumann never heard applause for the concerto at all: he composed the piece in 1850, but due to its unusual structure and style, it wasn’t premiered until 1860, four years after his death.
The first movement is about as long as the other two movements combined. It begins with a fantasylike trio of chords, and then the cello enters with a gentle, passionate first melody, singing over a soft accompaniment in the strings. The movement continues in this quasi-improvisatory manner, the cello delivering long, luxurious passages that occasionally melt into a lighter mood than the brooding opening.
To transition to the second movement, the first slows dramatically at its end, and the cello and orchestra slow and soften their playing. Next, strings pluck out a pizzicato accompaniment, and the atmosphere lightens. The orchestra’s principal cellist joins the solo
cello in a duet filled with an aching sense of longing, a pair of turtle doves cooing in the night.
To close, the music rebuilds energy with a brief cadenza, accelerating into the call-and-response opening of the third movement. Schumann wrote to his publisher in an attempt to convince him to print the work that “the concerto is also really quite a jolly piece.” After the brooding melancholy of the opening and the seriousness of the second movement, this finale is the only section that could be construed as “jolly,” and it builds to a rousing finish.
Schumann was not a compositional prodigy, unlike some of his contemporaries, but he did have a remarkable aptitude for the piano and embarked on a career as a musician in the 1830s. Schumann was plagued by mental illness all his life, and by the 1850s, it progressed to an unsuccessful suicide attempt. He spent his final two years in a sanitorium. His friends removed some of his final compositions from circulation, fearing that they had been tainted by madness.
Although it took a decade to receive its first performance, the Cello Concerto in A Minor has since increased significantly in popularity and has become a staple of the genre, more due to its intimate character than any flashy virtuosity.
by Jeremy Reynolds
SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE, Op. 14
Rêveries - Passions (Daydreams and Passions)
Un bal (A ball)
Scène aux champs (Scene in the country)
Marche au supplice (March to the scaffold)
Songe d’une nuit du sabbat (Dream of the Witches’ Sabbath)
DURATION: About 50 minutes
PREMIERED: Paris, 1830
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets, four bassoons, four horns, two trumpets and two cornets, three trombones, two ophicleides, timpani, bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, low-pitched bells, two harps, and strings.
“I generally find it extremely painful to hear my works conducted by someone other than myself.”
— Hector Berlioz (Born 1803, France; died 1869)
PROGRAM MUSIC: Music of a narrative or descriptive kind; the term is often extended to all music that attempts to represent extramusical concepts without resorting to sung words. (Grove Dictionary of Music)
FURTHER LISTENING:
Berlioz: Lélio
Harold in Italy
Benvenuto Cellini
Self-medicating with opium was a perfectly socially acceptable practice back in French composer Hector Berlioz’s day. A powerful pain reliever, opium in its mild form can ease headaches, stress, anxiety, and much more. The composer’s father, a physician, took a tincture of the stuff for years and likely passed the habit on to his son, who would regularly take “ten drops of laudanum, and forget things till tomorrow,” according to young Hector’s diary. (Berlioz was to become a physician like his father but chose to defy his parents and pursue a career in music.)
For a time in his 20s, Berlioz sought out the drug to cure a desperate heartache. When the composer first saw the dramatic Shakespeare actress Harriet Smithson — three years his senior, with all the allure of star power and her exotic Irish accent in France — he was utterly smitten and wrote to her in an attempt to arrange a meeting. Alas, he was unsuccessful, and the young opium enthusiast channeled his energy into writing a new sort of symphony, the Symphonie Fantastique, inspired in part by Beethoven’s well-known pastoral Symphony No. 6, which had premiered in 1808. Both of these works follow an explicit story and have five movements, among other similarities.
Berlioz’s symphony is a semi-autobiographical musical description of a bad opium “trip.” The work begins with a young musician falling in love with a famous writer and pursuing her. For all its variety, the symphony is built on a single melodic idea. This tune, which recurs in every movement in different guises, is called the idée fixe (fixed idea) and represents the musician’s beloved.
It can first be heard in fragments in the slow, mournful opening of the symphony. This slow introduction lasts several minutes, with little flurries of motion as the artist’s heart quickens at the thought of his love. Soon, the movement changes character and picks up speed until the first full statement of the idée fixe in the strings. Berlioz peppers the remainder of the symphony with quotations of and from this tune — the writer’s beloved is never far from his mind.
“A Ball” is a light-stepping, stylized waltz, where one can
hear the whirling of gowns as Berlioz’s daydreams parade elegantly. The “Scene in the country” begins with a duet between English horn and oboe and represents a pair of shepherds playing a call and response on their pipes. The “March to the scaffold,” an absolute hit at its premiere, is a drug-fueled nightmare that builds to a final gasp of the idée before the guillotine falls. (Listeners can hear the musician’s head bounce down the stairs in the grisly pizzicato in the strings.) Finally, the “Witches’ Sabbath” transforms the idée into a grotesque, cackling parody of itself and builds to a terrifying finale, with quotations of the Dies Irae— the death tune from the Latin mass — sprinkled throughout the movement like so much holy water.
12 | 2024/2025 SEASON
Unlike the symphony’s morbid end, Berlioz actually did get the girl in the end. Although Smithson did not attend the premiere of the symphony he had written about her, she married Berlioz in 1833. They were happy at first, but the union did not last. The couple separated 10 years later, though Berlioz supported her financially until her death.
Berlioz wrote his own detailed program note for the work, reprinted below:
“Daydreams, passions”
The author imagines that a young musician, afflicted by the sickness of spirit which a famous writer has called the vagueness of passions (le vague des passions), sees for the first time a woman who unites all the charms of the ideal person his imagination was dreaming of, and falls desperately in love with her. By a strange anomaly, the beloved image never presents itself to the artist’s mind without being associated with a musical idea, in which he recognizes a certain quality of passion, but endowed with the nobility and shyness which he credits to the object of his love.
This melodic image and its model keep haunting him ceaselessly like a double idée fixe. This explains the constant recurrence in all the movements of the symphony of the melody which launches the first allegro. The transitions from this state of dreamy melancholy, interrupted by occasional upsurges of aimless joy, to delirious passion, with its outbursts of fury and jealousy, its returns of tenderness, its tears, its religious consolations – all this forms the subject of the first movement.
“A ball”
The artist finds himself in the most diverse situations in life, in the tumult of a festive party, in the peaceful contemplation of the beautiful sights of nature, yet everywhere, whether in town or in the countryside, the beloved image keeps haunting him and throws his spirit into confusion.
“Scene in the countryside”
One evening in the countryside he hears two shepherds in the distance dialoguing with their ‘ranz des vaches;’ this pastoral duet, the setting, the gentle rustling of the trees in the wind, some causes for hope that he has recently conceived, all conspire to restore to his heart an unaccustomed feeling of calm and to give to his thoughts a happier coloring. He broods on his loneliness, and hopes that soon he will no longer be on his own… But what if she betrayed him!… This mingled hope and fear, these ideas of happiness, disturbed by dark premonitions, form the subject of the adagio. At the end one of the shepherds resumes his ‘ranz des vaches’; the other one no longer answers. Distant sound of thunder… solitude… silence…
“March to the scaffold”
Convinced that his love is spurned, the artist poisons himself with opium. The dose of narcotic, while too weak to cause his death, plunges him into a heavy sleep accompanied by the strangest of visions. He dreams that he has killed his beloved, that he is condemned, led to the scaffold and is witnessing his own execution. The procession advances to the sound of a march that is sometimes somber and wild, and sometimes brilliant and solemn, in which a dull sound of heavy footsteps follows without transition the loudest outbursts. At the end of the march, the first four bars of the idée fixe reappear like a final thought of love interrupted by the fatal blow.
“Dream of a witches’ sabbath”
He sees himself at a witches’ sabbath, in the midst of a hideous gathering of shades, sorcerers and monsters of every kind who have come together for his funeral. Strange sounds, groans, outbursts of laughter; distant shouts which seem to be answered by more shouts. The beloved melody appears once more, but has now lost its noble and shy character; it is now no more than a vulgar dance tune, trivial and grotesque: it is she who is coming to the sabbath… Roar of delight at her arrival… She joins the diabolical orgy… The funeral knell tolls, burlesque parody of the Dies irae, the dance of the witches. The dance of the witches combined with the Dies irae.
Friday, October 18, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Michelle Di Russo, conductor
Wilkie Ferguson, vocalist
Chester Gregory, vocalist
Darren Lorenzo, vocalist
SOUL MAN, by Isaac Hayes and David Porter
As Recorded by Sam & Dave
CAN’T GET NEXT TO YOU, by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
As Recorded by The Temptations
LONELY TEARDROPS, by Roquel Davis, Berry Gordy and Gwen Fuqua
As Recorded by Jackie Wilson
SHOP AROUND, by Berry Gordy and William Robinson
As Recorded by Smokey Robinson
MY GIRL, by William Robinson and Ronald White
As Recorded by The Temptations
NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME, by James Oden and Roosevelt Sykes
As Recorded by Ray Charles
GET READY, by William Robinson
As Recorded by The Temptations
TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS, by James Campbell, Reginald Connelly, and Harry Woods
As Recorded by Otis Redding
HARD TO HANDLE, by Otis Redding, Allen Alvoid Jones Jr, and Alvertis Isbell
As Recorded by Otis Redding
MAN’S WORLD, by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome
As Recorded by James Brown
STAND BY ME, by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
As Recorded by Ben E. King
14 | 2024/2025 SEASON
DANCE TO THE MUSIC, by Sylvester Stewart
As Recorded by Sly and the Family Stone
LOVE’S THEME, by Barry White
As Recorded by Barry White
BACK STABBERS, by Leon Huff, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead
As Recorded by the O’Jays
MOVE ON UP, by Curtis Mayfield
As Recorded by Curtis Mayfield
ME AND MRS. JONES, by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert
As Recorded by Billy Paul
YOU’LL NEVER FIND, by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff
As Recorded by Lou Rawls
JUST MY IMAGINATION, by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
As Recorded by The Temptations
CLOSE THE DOOR, by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff,
As Recorded by Terry Pendergrass
LET’S GET IT ON, by Marvin Gaye and Edward Townsend
As Recorded by Marvin Gaye
LOVE AND HAPPINESS, by Al Green and Mabon Lewis Hodges
As Recorded by Al Green
ROCK WITH YOU, by Rodney Lynn Temperton
As Recorded by Michael Jackson
YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME HIGHER, by Gary Jackson, Carl Smith and Raynard Miner
As Recorded by Jackie Wilson
ALL ARRANGEMENTS LICENSED BY SCHIRMER THEATRICAL, LLC
Creative Team
Robert Thompson, Producer
Jeff Tyzik, Producer & Arranger
Jami Greenberg, Producer & Booking Agent
Alyssa Foster, Producer
Alex Kosick, Associate Producer
Eric Tarlo, Technical Coordinator
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.
Wilkie Ferguson, vocalist
Wilkie Ferguson III is thrilled to make his Fort Worth Symphony debut! A graduate of New World School of the Arts, Wilkie studied mathematics at Morehouse College and majored in classical piano performance at Eastman School of Music before joining the faculty of the Boys’ Choir of Harlem as assistant director, piano accompanist and music theory instructor.
Broadway: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Motown the Musical, and Wonderland. Tours: In the Heights, Hairspray,and Dreamgirls. Off Broadway/Regional: Fetch Clay, Make Man (Kirk Douglas Theatre), Cotton Club Parade (Encores). Musical Director: 9 to 5 (MTW) Newsies (5 Star), and Kinky Boots (Moonlight). Composer/Orchestrator: Show Way (Kennedy Center), Parrotheads (Netflix Jimmy Buffet documentary), and Congo Cabaret.
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter: @wilkieferguson, @takeonmemusical
Chester Gregory, vocalist
Chester Gregory is an award-winning Broadway veteran and recording artist. The New York Times calls him, "jaw dropping...over flowingly charismatic," stating “Gregory has the audience eating out of the palm of his hand.” His Broadway credits include starring in Motown: The Musical (Berry Gordy), Hairspray (Seaweed), Sister Act (Eddie), Tarzan (Terk, Original Cast), and Cry-Baby (Dupree, Original Cast). National tours include Motown: The Musical (Berry Gordy), Sister Act (Eddie), Dreamgirls (James “Thunder” Early). Mr Gregory's breakthrough role came with his outstanding portrayal of Jackie Wilson in The Jackie Wilson Story, launched at Chicago's Black Ensemble Theatre and culminated at New York's renown Apollo Theatre. As a recording artist, Gregory, also known as C.H.E.S.S, has collaborated with industry greats including Phil Collins, Marc Shaiman, Ledisi, and Chance The Rapper. He is the recipient of Chicago’s Jeff Award, the NAACP Theatre Award, the key to the city of his hometown of Gary, Indiana, as well as an honorary Doctorate Degree from Columbia College Chicago. Concerts include Higher and Higher with Artists Lounge Live and his original concert The Eve of Jackie. chestergregory.com
Darren Lorenzo, vocalist
Darren Lorenzo is a veteran performer, hailing straight from Atlanta, Georgia. Darren has appeared in numerous productions both nationally and internationally. He received his B.A. in Mass Communications at Clark Atlanta University and further trained with Broadway Theatre Project at the University of South Florida, and with Theatre Emory of Emory University. He has wowed audiences with roles on cruise ahips, in Las Vegas, multiple regional, off Broadway, Broadway, national, and international touring productions of After Midnight, Vegas the Show, Legally Blonde, Saturday Night Fever, Madagascar, Smokey Joes Cafe, No Strings, Fosse, Hair, Tony and Tina's Wedding, Once on This Island, What The World Needs Now, and several gospel tours throughout Europe. In addition to acting and singing, he also works as a writer, producer, teacher, director and performs with various club date and corporate Top 40, R&B/Soul and Jazz bands.
16 | 2024/2025 SEASON
Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 11:00 AM
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
FLY Dance Company
Michelle Di Russo, conductor
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Dance of the Buffoons from The Snow Maiden
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan
RAVEL
DEBUSSY orch. Luck
BIZET arr. Guiraud/Hoffmann
Rigaudon from Le Tombeau de Couperin
Clair de lune
Les Toréadors from Carmen Suite No. 1
COPLAND Hoe Down from Rodeo
COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Danse Nègre
PONCHIELLI Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda
TCHAIKOVSKY Polonaise from Eugene Onegin
STRAVINSKY Introduction and Infernal Dance from The Firebird
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, Texas, FLY Dance Company 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 has been spreading their infectious “theatrical hip hop” around the world since 1992. Notable performances include Washington's Kennedy Center, Miller Outdoor Theater, Jacob's Pillow, Vail International Dance Festival, Lincoln Center and Bob Hope Theater.
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.
December 13 at 7:30PM
December 14 at 2PM Will Rogers Auditorium
Deanna Tham, conductor
Friday, October 25, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Dame Jane Glover, conductor
Angela Hewitt, piano
BRITTEN
W.A. MOZART
Suite on English Folk Tunes, Op. 90 “A time there was...”
I. Cakes and Ale: Fast and Rough
II. The Bitter Withy: Allegretto
III. Hankin Booby: Heavily
IV. Hunt the Squirrel: Fast and gay
V. Lord Melbourne: Slow and languid
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503
I. Allegro maestoso
II. Andante
III. Allegretto
Angela Hewitt, piano
INTERMISSION
RAVEL Le tombeau de Couperin [The Grave of Couperin]
I. Prélude
II. Forlane
III. Menuet
IV. Rigaudon
W.A. MOZART
Symphony No. 31 in D Major, K. 297 [300a], “Paris”
I. Allegro assai
II. Andante
III. Allegro
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.
By bringing the arts into the lives of our residents, we connect on all levels using music as a key to successful and personalized dementia care.
As a not-for-profit organization, James L West has been providing expert care for those living with dementia and support for their caregivers for over 30 years. Until there is a cure, we are here to care.
Acclaimed British conductor Jane Glover, named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 New Year’s Honours, has been Music of the Baroque’s music director since 2002. She made her professional debut at the Wexford Festival in 1975, conducting her own edition of Cavalli’s L’Eritrea She joined Glyndebourne in 1979 and was music director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera from 1981 until 1985. She was artistic director of the London Mozart Players from 1984 to 1991. From 2009 until 2016 she was Director of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music where she is now the Felix Mendelssohn Visiting Professor. She was recently Visiting Professor of Opera at the University of Oxford, her alma mater.
Jane Glover has conducted all the major symphony and chamber orchestras in Britain, as well as orchestras in Europe, the United States, Asia, and Australia. In recent seasons she has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra,
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the San Francisco, Houston, St. Louis, Sydney, Cincinnati, and Toronto symphony orchestras, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Bamberg Symphony, and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. She has worked with the period-instrument orchestras Philharmonia Baroque, and the Handel and Haydn Society. And she has made frequent appearances at the BBC Proms.
In demand on the international opera stage, Jane Glover has appeared with numerous companies including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera, Covent Garden, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, the Berlin Staatsoper, Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, Opera National de Bordeaux, Opera Australia, Chicago Opera Theater, Opera National du Rhin, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Luminato, Teatro Real, Madrid, Royal Danish Opera, Teatro La Fenice and Detroit Opera. A Mozart specialist, she has conducted all the Mozart operas all over the world regularly since she first performed them at Glyndebourne in the 1980s, and her core operatic repertoire also includes Monteverdi, Handel, and Britten. Highlights of recent seasons include The Magic Flute with the Metropolitan Opera, Alcina with Washington Opera, L'Elisir d'amore and The Magic Flute for Houston Grand Opera, Medea for Opera Omaha, Così fan tutte for Lyric Opera of Kansas City, The Turn of the Screw, Jephtha and Lucio Silla in Bordeaux, The Rape of Lucretia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cosí fan tutte, Figaro and Don Giovanni at the Aspen Music Festival, Gluck’s Armide and Iphigenie en Aulide with Met Young Artists and Juilliard, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) in Lisbon, Albert Herring with Chicago Opera theater, and Xerxes with Detroit Opera. Among the many operas
she conducted while Director of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music were Eugene Onegin, The Rake’s Progress, The Marriage of Figaro, L’incoronazione di Poppea, and the world premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen! In the current season she will return to Houston Grand Opera for Don Giovanni, which she will also conduct for Cincinnati Opera.
Future and recent-past concert engagements include her continuing seasons with Music of the Baroque in Chicago, her returns to the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra— both at Severance Hall as well as the Blossom Music Festival, the Houston Symphony, the Orchestra of St Luke’s (at Carnegie Hall), the St Louis Symphony, Houston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and the London Mozart Players. She made her debuts with the Chicago Symphony, Montreal’s Orchestre Mètropolitain, the Fort Worth Symphony, and Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. The current season includes debuts with the Baltimore Symphony,
Angela Hewitt, piano
Angela Hewitt occupies a unique position among today’s leading pianists. With a wide-ranging repertoire and frequent appearances in recital and with major orchestras throughout Europe, Americas and Asia, she is also an award-winning recording artist whose performances of Bach have established her as one of the composer’s foremost interpreters. In 2020 she received the City of Leipzig Bach Medal: a huge honour that for the first time in its 17-year history was awarded to a woman.
In March 2024, Hewitt embarked on her latest major project entitled ‘The Mozart Odyssey’, comprising the composer’s complete piano concertos,
Helsinki Philharmonic, as well as returns to the New York Philharmonic, and the Cincinnati, Toronto and Fort Worth Symphonies. She will conduct the Mozart Requiem in a debut with Camerata Salzburg in the 2024/2025 season.
Jane Glover’s discography includes a series of Mozart and Haydn symphonies with the London Mozart Players and various recordings with the London Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic, Trinity, Wall Street, and the BBC Singers. She is the author of the critically acclaimed books Mozart’s Women, Handel in London and has recently published Mozart in Italy. She holds a personal professorship at the University of London, is a Fellow of the Royal College of Music, an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, and the holder of several honorary degrees. In 2020 she was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Gamechanger Award for her work in breaking new ground for other female conductors.
first appearing with Pierre Bleuse and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. This follows Hewitt’s highly acclaimed Bach Odyssey cycle (2016–22), in which she performed the complete keyboard works of Bach across 12 recitals, also presented worldwide. The Mozart project continues in 2024/25 with a variety of engagements spanning nine countries; conductor-led performances include the Brussels Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony, NAC (Ottawa), Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony and Ulster orchestras, among others. Hewitt is also much in demand as a play-conductor, collaborating with the Cameristi della Scala, Bochumer Symphoniker, Royal Northern Sinfonia, London Mozart Players and Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Mozart Odyssey. She has previously led Hong Kong and Copenhagen philharmonic orchestras, Lucerne Festival Strings, Zurich, Basel, Swedish and Stuttgart Chamber orchestras, Salzburg Camerata, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in New York, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan, and Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra in Vienna’s Musikverein.
Elsewhere in 2024/25, Hewitt continues to maintain a busy recital schedule, including concerts in New York City, Seoul, Toronto, Vienna, Rome, Milan, Utrecht, Bern and Oxford, as well as her regular appearances at London’s Wigmore Hall. The season also features two recital tours to Australia and Japan, including performances in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Tokyo and Kyoto.
Hewitt’s award-winning cycle for Hyperion Records of all the major keyboard works of Bach has been described as “one of the record glories of our age” (The Sunday Times). Her discography also includes albums of Couperin, Rameau, Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Fauré, Debussy, Chabrier, Ravel,
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Messiaen and Granados. Her most recent recordings include the first two volumes of Mozart’s complete piano sonatas, released in November 2022 and October 2023, with the final set due for release in 2025. In 2023, Hewitt’s complete catalogue became available on all major streaming platforms following Universal Music Group’s acquisition of Hyperion; included in the first release in July was her critically acclaimed Diapason d’Or recording of the Goldberg Variations, which is also the first of her recordings to be issued on vinyl in September 2024. A regular in the USA Billboard chart, her album Love Songs hit the top of the specialist classical chart in the UK and stayed there for months after its release. In 2015 she was inducted into Gramophone Magazine’s Hall of Fame thanks to her popularity with music lovers around the world.
Born into a musical family, Hewitt began her piano studies aged three, performing in public at four and a year later winning her first scholarship. She studied with Jean-Paul Sévilla at the University of Ottawa and, in 1985, won the Toronto International Bach Piano Competition, which launched her career. In 2018 Angela received the Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2015 she received the highest honour from her native country – becoming a Companion of the Order of Canada (which is given to only 165 living Canadians at any one time). In 2006 she was awarded an OBE from Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada, has seven honorary doctorates, and is a Visiting Fellow of Peterhouse College in Cambridge. In 2020 Angela was awarded the Wigmore Medal in recognition of her services to music and relationship with the hall over 35 years.
Angela lives in London but also has homes in Ottawa and Umbria, Italy where, 20 years ago, she founded the Trasimeno Music Festival — a week-long annual event which draws an audience from all over the world.
by Jeremy Reynolds
SUITE on ENGLISH FOLK TUNES
Cakes and Ale
The Bitter Withy
Hankin Booby
Hunt the Squirrel Lord Melbourne
DURATION: About 12 minutes
PREMIERED: Aldeburgh, 1975
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two French horns, two trumpets, timpani, percussion, harp, and strings
“It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful. It has the beauty of loneliness of pain: of strength and freedom. The beauty of disappointment and never-satisfied love. The cruel beauty of nature and everlasting beauty of monotony.”
— Benjamin Britten (Born 1913, England; died 1976)
SUITE: An ordered set of individual pieces for instrumental ensemble. In the 18th century, these were typically a group of dances, but the term later came to imply a selection of movements from a larger work.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Britten: Phaedra, Op. 93 Third String Quartet Winter Words, Op. 50
Composers don’t always invent tunes in a blazing flash of inspiration from the muses. Many composers, including big names like Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky, often looked to folk music idioms for material. They’d pluck a tune they’d hear in a tavern or at a country dance and dress it up in compositional finery as a fugue, a set of formal variations, or in sonata form. Some of the most famous symphonic music borrows from the wisdom of folk music.
Benjamin Britten, a 20th-century British composer, was no exception. Born to a dentist in Suffolk, he displayed musical talent at a young age and was sent to the Royal Conservatory, where he launched his career as a pianist and composer. Much of Britten’s music draws on British folk idioms, explicitly or otherwise, recasting them with new harmonies and more dissonant byplay. He dedicated the Suite on English Folk Tunes to the memory of his friend and fellow composer Peter Grainger, who collected folk tunes as a pastime.
“Cakes and Ale” sets militaristic timpani and percussion against thrumming strings, scurrying winds, and brass. (The instructions for this movement in the score are to play “Fast and rough.”) There’s a calmer, warmer central section before the percussion returns to crash the party, and a spooky violin solo closes out the brief movement.
“The Bitter Withy” is a musical interpretation of a medieval poem on Christ’s childhood — Britten considered himself a devout Christian, though he seemed ambivalent about religion at times in his writing. The harp takes center stage in this gentler movement, with strings sounding serenely. The music culminates in Mary disciplining Christ with three strikes, falling glissandos in the harp that lank in a “smack!” in the double basses as they strike the strings with the wood of their bows.
“Hankin Booby” is a dance for wind band and percussion. It’s a snappy, uneasy affair with plenty of scale runs and trills to decorate the simple tune. “Hunt the Squirrel” is a lively fiddle romp for violins alone, divided into four groups instead of the usual two for this movement.
Finally, “Lord Melbourne,” the longest of the movements, opens with a wistful, flowing clarinet solo before handing off to the oboe. The winds sing out in turn above a bed of lush string sound, and the work ends on a note of resignation, a cloud obscuring the sun.
Britten composed the suite while recovering from a heart operation that repaired a valve but caused him to lose some of the functionality of his right hand, ending his performing career. The suite perhaps bears traces of nostalgia as he reconciled with approaching the end of his life.
by Jeremy Reynolds
PIANO CONCERTO No. 25 in C MAJOR, K. 503
I. Allegro maestoso
II. Andante
III. Allegretto
DURATION: About 32 minutes
COMPLETED: 1786
INSTRUMENTATION: Flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, solo piano, and strings
“I cannot write poetically, for I am no poet. I cannot make fine artistic phrases that cast light and shadow, for I am no painter. I can neither by signs nor by pantomime express my thoughts and feelings, for I am no dancer; but I can by tones, for I am a musician.”
— Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Born 1756, Austria; died 1791)
CONCERTO: A composition that features one or more “solo” instruments with orchestral accompaniment. The form of the concerto has developed and evolved throughout music history.
SONATA FORM: A type of composition in three sections (exposition, development, and recapitulation) in which at least two themes or subjects are explored and developed throughout a movement.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Mozart: String Quintet in C Major
Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor
Symphony No. 41 in C Major
As Mozart once said: “Melody is the essence of music. I compare a good melodist to a fine racer, and counterpointists to hack post-horses; therefore be advised, let well alone and remember the old Italian proverb: Chi sa più, meno sa — Who knows most, knows least.”
In short, he believed an inspired melody is more consequential than formal compositional technique, as one is born of muses and creativity, and the latter is a learned craft. Despite privileging one aspect of composition over the other in that quotation, Mozart was himself one of the finest melodists in history, as well as a masterful formal writer, and his 25th piano concerto is a prime illustration of these dual proficiencies.
The first movement opens with a majestic proclamation of the first theme by the full orchestra. Next comes the contrasting second theme, a softer, more lyrical melody in the strings before winds join to shade and add color, once again adding layers and overlapping with one another before the fanfare-like quality of the opening returns to herald the entrance of the soloist.
Then, hesitant only at first, the piano picks its way through fragments of the orchestra’s introduction before entwining itself in the now-familiar melodies, cycling those tunes through various keys and emotional effects.
To contrast, the concerto’s second movement begins with a sighing melody of breathtaking longing in the winds. Gone is the force and vigor of the opening movement — here is a much gentler, soothing interlude, the piano dancing along with plenty of trills and flourishes without sounding ostentatious. It is pure grace.
The finale, a scurrying melody in the fashion of a French gavotte — a medium-paced 18th-century court dance — evidences that charm that has so endeared Mozart’s music to listeners across the centuries. For all its quick twists and turns, its sudden louds and softs and contrasting melodies and accompaniments, the music nips along with a sense of rightness, making those genuinely surprising moments all the more exquisite. A middle section introduces a theme of elegant pathos, and the cheery opening theme returns to zip along to a brilliant conclusion.
by Jeremy Reynolds
Le TOMBEAU de COUPERIN
Prélude
Forlane
Menuet
Rigaudon
DURATION: About 17 minutes
PREMIERED: Paris, 1920
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, trumpet, harp, and strings
“The dead are sad enough in their eternal silence.”
— Maurice Ravel (Born 1875, France; died 1937)
TOMBEAU: A piece written as a memorial to a notable individual.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Ravel: Alborada del gracioso
Some composers, like Mozart, famously composed in their heads, only taking up a pen to quickly jot down their music when it was more or less fully formed. For others, like the doughty French composer Maurice Ravel, composition was a more painstaking process. He’d sit at a piano testing melodies and harmonies and variations for hours on end, and many of his bestknown orchestral works began their lives as works for solo piano.
Le Tombeau de Couperin is one such work. Ravel began working on the piece in 1914 as a historically informed curiosity. It is a formal baroque dance suite, a genre more common in the 18th century, but Ravel infuses his suite with a modern harmonic language. The style of each movement pays homage to a particular baroque dance form, and there is an abundance of glittering musical ornaments like trills and little turns.
Ravel tinkered with the piece for several years before stalling out when he enlisted in the French military for World War I.
The war changed Ravel. He entered the military as a cheerful, upbeat man, serving as a truck driver as his small stature made him unfit for combat. In 1917, he
Le Tombeau de Couperin for solo piano returned with a little more shadow in his character and music. Instead of a mere historical dance compilation, he decided to dedicate each movement of Tombeau to a friend who died during the war. (Tombeau translates as “tomb;” Couperin is the name of a famous family of French baroque composers, so the piece’s title is literally “A Memorial to Couperin.”)
Ravel orchestrated four of the piano suite’s six movements in 1919. Although the subject matter may seem somber, the piece is a good-humored affair. It is more of a fond remembrance than a dour meditation. The first movement is a whirling, perpetual motion dedicated to Lieutenant Jacques Charlot, a fellow pianist. The oboe features prominently. The second movement is a Forlane, an Italian folk dance with a snapping rhythm. It is dedicated to Lieutenant Gabriel DeLuc, a painter who served as a nurse in the army. The Menuet, a stately partner dance in 3/4 time, is a melancholy, tender affair dedicated to Jean Dreyfus. Ravel spent time in the Dreyfus household recuperating after he was discharged from the army due to poor health.
The finale is more gregarious. Ravel dedicated his Rigaudon, an energetic folk dance for couples with great leaping steps, to the brothers Pierre and Pascal Gaudin, killed by the same shell on their first day on the front lines.
by Jeremy Reynolds
SYMPHONY No. 31 in D MAJOR, K. 385 (“PARIS SYMPHONY”)
I. Allegro assai
II. Andante
III. Allegro
DURATION: About 15 minutes
PREMIERED: Paris, 1778
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings
“Music, in even the most terrible situations, must never offend the ear but always remain a source of pleasure.”
— Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Born 1756, Austria; died 1791)
SYMPHONY: An elaborate orchestral composition typically broken into contrasting movements, at least one of which is in sonata form.
SONATA FORM: A type of composition generally in three sections (exposition, development, and recapitulation) in which at least two themes or subjects are explored according to set key relationships.
FURTHER LISTENING:
Mozart: Symphony No. 30 in D Major Symphony No. 32 in G Major Symphony No. 33 in B-flat major
Mozart did not hold the French in especially high regard. While composing the “Paris Symphony,” which he wrote especially to please a Parisian audience, he wrote to his father:“Whether other people will like it I do not know... I can vouch for the few intelligent French people who may be there; as for the stupid ones — I see no great harm if they don’t like it. But I hope that even these idiots will find something in it to like.”
To woo his local audience, the then 22-year-old wunderkind eliminated the middle “minuet” movement that was customary in German symphonies at the time but eschewed by the French. He also included a “coup d’archet” — or a flourish that features all instruments of the orchestra playing together in a grand gesture— at the opening, a practice quite in vogue at the time. The first movement is indeed stylish, with a brilliant fanfare and scalar passages to open, trumpets, timpani, and clarinet filling out the sound of the orchestra with more warmth and punch than some of his earlier offerings.
Mozart wrote again to his father after the first rehearsal: “I have had to compose a symphony for the opening concert of the Concert Spirituel. It was performed on Corpus Christi day with great applause... I was very nervous at the rehearsal, for never in my life have I heard a worse performance.” By all accounts, it shaped up for the premiere. However, he wrote a new operatic second movement with graceful melodies from violins and flutes over a gentle accompaniment in the lower strings, as he decided his first attempt didn’t quite fit.
To close, strings deliver a pleasant tune over whizzing scales, with brass and winds interjecting to punctuate the finale. The festive mood of the opening returns in force, displaying Mozart’s genius for counterpoint in the way he weaves multiple melodies together.
He recounts the tale of the premiere as follows:
I prayed to God that it might go well, for it is all to His greater honor and glory: and behold — the symphony began... Just in the middle of the first Allegro there was a passage which I felt sure must please. The audience was quite carried away — and there was a tremendous burst of applause. But as I knew, when I wrote it, what effect it would surely produce, I had introduced the passage again at the close — when there were shouts of “Da capo.” The Andante also found favor, but particularly the last Allegro, because, having observed that all last as well as first Allegros begin here with all the instruments playing together and generally in unison, I began mine with two violins only, piano for the first eight bars — followed instantly by a forte; the audience, as I expected, said “hush” at the soft beginning, and when they heard the forte, began at once to clap their hands. I was so happy that as soon as the symphony was over, I went off to the Palais Royal, where I had a large ice, said the Rosary as I had vowed to do — and went home.
Bring the joy of music to more than 150,000 adults, students, and children each year with an annual donation. You can do this by making a single gift or joining Metronome, the FWSO’s monthly giving program. As a token of our appreciation, enjoy access to unique benefits throughout the season.
Make a gift to the FWSO in honor of a friend or loved one. A special letter acknowledging your donation is sent to the honoree or their family, informing them of your thoughtful and generous tribute.
Invest in the future of the FWSO through a charitable bequest and become part of the Brooks Morris Society. In addition to the impact of your legacy support, the FWSO honors these gifts with recognition and exclusive invitations throughout the year.
Established in 1984, the FWSO’s endowment fund provides an additional source of financial security for the institution. Gifts to the endowment fund ensure the FWSO remains an integral part of the cultural community.
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
During your visit today, make a donation of $100 or more using the QR code above and enjoy a glass of wine on us! Just show your online gift confirmation to the Box Office at intermission and they will provide you a drink ticket to redeem at any venue bar.
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+
Connie Beck+
Ashli Blumenfeld
Anne Marie Bratton+
J. Brooks+
John Broude
Karen Burchfield+
Anne Carvalho
Ervin Cash
Dr. Joseph Cecere
Brenda Cline
Dr. Mary Costas
Barbara Cox
Dr. Benge Daniel
Mitzi Davis
Dr. Asad Dean+
Dr. Tom Deas
Dr. Jeffrey G. Detweiler
Willa Dunleavy
Brandon Elms
Dr. Jennifer Freeman+
Charlotte French
Aubrey Gideon
Pamela Gilchrist
Gail Aronoff Granek
Lee Hallman+
Aaron Howard+
Kim Johnson
Robert Karl
Dee J. Kelly, Jr.+
Kelly Lancarte
Mollie Lasater+
Nico Leone
Mary Hart Lipscomb
Misty Locke
Kate Lummis
Louella Martin+
Priscilla Martin
Dr. Stuart D. McDonald
Ellen Messman
Justin Newton
Don C. Plattsmier+
Dana Porter+
Don Reid
Jean Roach+
Henry Robinson+
Leonard Ryan
Alann B. Sampson+
Jeff Schmeltekopf
Dr. Russ Schultz
Whit Smith
Clare Stonesifer+
Rebecca Stupfel
Jonathan T. Suder+
Carla Thompson+
Dr. Amy Tully
John Wells+
Dr. James Williams
J.W. Wilson
President Emerita
Ann Koonsman*
+ Executive Committee Member * Denotes Deceased
Emeritus Council
Dr. Rebecca Beasley
Marvin E. Blum
Dr. Victor J. Boschini, Jr.
Gail Cooke
Juana-Rosa Daniell
Joseph DeWoody
Vance A. Duffy
Katie Farmer
Joan Friedman
Tera Garvey
John B. Giordano
Barry L. Green
Genie Guynn
Kathleen Hicks
Robert L. Jameson
Teresa King
Michelle Marlow
Colin McConnell
Dr. Till Meyn
Erin Moseley*
Frasher H. Pergande
Jude Ryan*
Kal Silverberg
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*
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.
Generous donors who have made extraordinary, multi-year commitments in support of the FWSO’s sustainability and continued artistic excellence.
$5,000,000
Mercedes T. Bass
$1,000,000+
Marsha and John Kleinheinz
Shay McCulloch-Wells and John Wells
Principal Guest Conductor’s Level
$150,000- $249,999
Mark and Katsura Cerny
In memory of Marie A. Moore
Associate Conductor’s Level
$100,000- $149,999
Ms. Marianne M. Auld and Mr. Jimmy Coury
Mr.* and Mrs. Clive D. Bode
Anonymous
Priscilla & Joe* Martin
Concertmaster’s Level
$50,000-99,999
Mr. & Mrs. William S. Davis; Davoil, Inc.
Aaron Howard & Corrie Hood-Howard
Mrs. Louella Martin
Rosalyn Rosenthal*
Principal’s Level
$25,000- $49,999
Ramona & Lee Bass
Connie Beck & Frank Tilley
Annette & Jerry* Blaschke
Dr. Joseph and Neva Cecere
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of September 10, 2023 to September 10, 2024.
* Denotes deceased
Kim & Glenn Darden
H. Paul Dorman
Deborah Mashburn & David Boddie
Nancy & Don Plattsmier
Don & Melissa Reid
Alann Bedford Sampson
Mr. & Mrs. Kelly R. Thompson
Dr. James C. Williams
Artist’s Level
$10,000- $24,999
Carol Margaret Allen
Mr. & Mrs. Tull Bailey
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas K. Bratton
Steve Brauer
James Brooks
John Broude & Judy Rosenblum
Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Carvahlo
Ervin Cash
Brenda & Chad Cline
Mr. John & Dr. Mary Costas, in honor of their grandchildren
Barbara A. & Ralph F. Cox
Dr. and Mrs. Benge R. Daniel, Jr.
Drs. Jeff & Rosemary Detweiler
Mr. Brandon Elms
Dr. Jennifer Freeman
Tera & Richard Garvey
Gail Aronoff Granek
Gary & Judy Havener
Matthew & Kimberly Johnson
Mr. Robert Karl
Dee Kelly Foundation
Priscilla & Joe* Martin
Dr. & Mrs. Stuart D. McDonald
Berlene T. & Jarrell R. Milburn
Nesha & George Morey
Dana & David Porter
Mrs. Susan S. Pratt
The Roach Foundation
Leonard Ryan
Ms. Patricia A. Steffen
Tim and Clare Stonesifer
Mr. Gerald E. Thiel
Dr. Richard Turner
Charles White
Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Wilson
Benefactor
$5,000- $9,999
Elaine & Neils Agather
Drs. Becky Beasley & Roger Gates
Ashli & Todd Blumenfeld
Judge Tim & Celia Boswell
Greg & Pam Braak
Debbie Brooks; DFW Musicians
Services LLC
Mary Cauble
Sue & John Allen Chalk, Sr.
Dr. & Mrs. Lincoln Chin
Mrs. Jeanne Cochran
Dean & Emily Crocker
Dr. & Mrs. Atlee Cunningham, Jr.
Dr. Ron & Juana-Rosa Daniell
Asad Dean M.D.; Texas Oncology
Althea L. Duersten
Ms. Willa Dunleavy
Aubrey Gideon
Susan & Tommy Green
James & Mary Ann Harris
Ms. Nina C. Hutton
Mr. Maynard K. Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Koonsman
Tim & Misty Locke
Katherine Lummis
McCallum Family Foundation
Ellen F. Messman
Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Moncrief
Stephen & Brenda Neuse
Mr. Justin E. Newton
Estate of Virginia & James O’Donnell
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Reynolds
Jeff & Judy Schmeltekopf
C. Edwards & R. Schroeder
Dr. & Mrs. Russ A. Schultz
Kal & Karen Silverberg
Ronda & Walter Stucker
Mr. and Mrs. Philip C. Williamson
Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Wynne
Stuart Yarus & Judith Williams
Contributor
$3,000- $4,999
William & Kathryn Adams
Ellen & Larry Bell
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of September 10, 2023 to September 10, 2024.
* Denotes deceased
30 | 2024/2025 SEASON
Mr. Bill Bond
Daniel & Soraya Caulkins
Gary Cole
Doug & Carol English
Gary Glaser and Christine Miller
Steve* & Jean Hadley
Ms. Lee Hallman
Dr. Christy L. Hanson
Michelle & Reagan Horton
Richard Hubbard, M.D.
Carolyn & Randall Hudson
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob M. Huffman III
Gordon & Aileen Kanan
Ms. Trina Krausse
Mr. Nico Leone
L. Lumley
Anonymous
Cecile Montgomery Charitable Account
Mr. & Mrs. Omas Peterson
Ms. Jane Rector
Dr. Deborah Rhea & Ms. Carol Bollinger
Rosemary Riney
Jude & Terry Ryan
Tzu-Ying & Michael Shih in tribute of Mr. & Mrs. William S. Davis
Marilyn Wiley & Terry Skantz
Jim & Judy Summersgill
Hon. & Mrs. Chris Taylor
Rhonda McNallen Venne
Dave & Julie Wende
Sustainer
$2,000- $2,999
Edwin Augustat, MD
Mary Frances & George Barlow Charitable Fund at the NTCF
Megan & Victor Boschini
Linda Brookshire
Frances Jean Browning
Lowell & Kathryn Bryan
Henry & Diana Burks
Honorable H.D. Clark III and Mrs. Peggy
Sue Branch-Clark
Dr. & Mrs. Martin F. Conroy
Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Cooke
Susan Jackson Davis
Dawn Ellison
Angela L. Evans
Mr. & Mrs. Kirk French
Ms. Clara Gamache
Dr. & Mrs. William H. Gibson
Anonymous
John W. Goodwin
Dotty & Gary Hall
Patrick & Kathryn Kinne
Art & Cheryl Litke
In memory of Laura Elizabeth Bruton
Dr. & Mrs. James D. Maberry
Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Malloy
McCraw Family Charitable Fund
Shannon McGovern
John & Anita O’Carroll
Jeanne O’Connor
Paul & Mary Kay Park
Harris Franklin Pearson Private Foundation
Mary Pencis
Lynne B. Prater
Bill Proenza
Barbara Roels
Punch Shaw & Julie Hedden
Susan & James Smith
Mary C. Smith; Clark Educational Services
Dr. Mary Alice Stanford & Mr. Don Jones*
Dr. Rebecca and Emily Stephenson
Sallie & Joseph Tarride
Mr. William Taylor
Dr. Stuart N. Thomas and Bonnie Janzen
John* & Camille Thomason
David Turpin
Gene Walker and Marianna Smith
Laurie & Lon Werner
Mr. John Molyneaux & Ms. Kay West
Suzy Williams & John Williams
Arthur & Carolyn Wright
Anonymous
For the full donor listing, please visit fwsymphony.org/support/donor-listing
As of September 10, 2023 to September 10, 2024.
* Denotes deceased
$500,000 and above
Sid W. Richardson Foundation
$150,000- $499,999
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. John Kleinheinz
Mary Potishman Lard Trust
$50,000- $149,999
American Airlines Anonymous
Arts Fort Worth
BNSF Railway
Crystelle Waggoner Charitable Trust
Adeline & George McQueen Foundation
Piranesi
Leo Potishman Foundation
Qurumbli Foundation
Ann L. & Carol Green Rhodes Charitable Trust
William E. Scott Foundation Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District
$25,000- $49,999
The Eugene McDermott Foundation Frill Foundation
Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
$10,000- $24,999
Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation City Club of Fort Worth
North Texas Giving Day Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas Frost
FWSO Players Assembly
Garvey Texas Foundation
George & Jeanne Jaggers Charitable Trust
Gilchrist Automotive
Helene Bare & W. Glenn Embry Charitable Trust
McCallum Family Foundation
Neiman Marcus Fort Worth
The Thomas M., Helen McKee & John P.
Ryan Foundation
Texas Commission on the Arts
$5,000- $9,999
Alcon
Atmos Energy
Ben E. Keith Beverages
Hillwood
Marguerite Bridges Charitable Trust
Once Upon A Time...
The Roach Foundation
Frances C. & William P. Smallwood Foundation
Steinway
Symphony League of Fort Worth
Texas Christian University
$2,000- $4,999
Bratton Family Foundation | Mr. and Mrs.
Douglas K. Bratton
Dubose Family Foundation
Kimbell Art Foundation
Robert D. & Catherine R. Alexander Foundation
As of September 10, 2023 to September 10, 2024.
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.
* Denotes deceased
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.
Anonymous
Nelson & Enid Cleary
* Denotes deceased
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
The Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Mr. Gerald E. Thiel
John* & Frances Wasilchak Charitable Fund at the NTCF
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
Section 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
* Denotes deceased
Symphonic Insight
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
Marie A. Moore* 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
36 | 2024/2025 SEASON
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
A City Club Social Membership provides access to dining in our restaurants and member event privileges including Wine Tastings, Holiday Brunches and many other Club events. You will have the ability to reserve private rooms for business and social functions.
A City Club Social Membership provides access to dining in our restaurants and member event privileges including Wine Tastings, Holiday Brunches and many other Club events. You will have the ability to reserve private rooms for business and social functions.
FWSO Season Ticket Holders receive a discounted enrollment fee
FWSO Season Ticket Holders receive a discounted enrollment fee
For more information, contact Matt Burrell, City Club Membership Director at 817.878.4000 or mburrell@cityclubfw.com.
For more information, contact Matt Burrell, City Club Membership Director at 817.878.4000 or mburrell@cityclubfw.com.
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.
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.
