WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Joseph Caminiti, Director
FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2021 WCU FOUNDATION BALLROOM 202 CARTER DRIVE, WEST CHESTER, PA 8:15 PM
PROGRAM FIESTA NO. 1 FOR STRING ENSEMBLE (2019) ........................... Sonia Ivette Morales-Matos (b. 1961) Composer biography: Sonia Ivette Morales-Matos (b. 1961) is a Puerto Rican composer, performer, and educator who belong to a family of distinguished musicians. She has a bachelor degree from Berklee College of Music, where she studied composition and jazz, and a master degree in both Composition and Jazz Studies from Indiana University in Bloomington. While in Indiana University, she studied with distinguished professors such as David Baker, Juan Orrego-Salas, Claude Baker, and John Eaton. She was the 2016’s recipient of the Dr. Herman Hudson Alumnus Award presented by the African American Arts Institute of Indiana University for her excellence as an educator, performer and composer. Her compositions explore a wide variety of styles and genres such as chamber music, the concerto, choral music, Latin Jazz, pop, sacred and/or contemporary Christian, and Latin or Tropical music. International artists and orchestras in the United States and other countries of the world have performed some of her compositions including the Dayton Philharmonic, the Clermont Philharmonic, the Central Ohio Symphony, the Puerto Rico Symphony, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de la República Dominicana and the Symphony Orchestra of the Casals Festival. Her works have been commissioned by various ensembles such as The Iridium Quartet, Coral Cantigas, and Camerata Caribe; and for festivals such as the Festival Casals of Puerto Rico, the International Clarinet Fest, and the International Choral Festival of Havana, among others. Some of her compositions were performed in the international Music by Women Festival 2018, sponsored by the Mississippi University for Women. In October 2018, her works Paisajes, concerto for Puerto Rican cuatro and orchestra, and Tembandumba’s Court Dance, were performed during the inaugural concert of the Central Ohio Symphony 40th Season. Most recently, she has been working on commissions for the Nouveau Chamber Players from Cincinnati, Ohio, and the renowned Dali String Quartet. Many music critics have identified Mrs. Morales-Matos as one of the most promising female composers from Latin America. Sonia Ivette resides in Cincinnati, Ohio where she pursues her career as a composer, performer, and educator. At the present she is working in other commissions. “Fiesta No. 1” notes from the composer: This piece was commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony for the Nouveau Chamber Players and it premiered on March 8th, 2019. This composition is a high energy and festive work. It features dance music from different parts of Latin America, music that has become more present in the fabric of American music. In “Fiesta No. 1”, the listener is immersed in the reminiscent sounds of the Mexican jarabe, the Venezuelan joropo, the Argentinian tango, and the Cuban son montuno. In the European tradition, there are composers who have written Serenades, Nocturnes, Romances, and other forms to describe a feeling or the purpose of the composition on hand. In “Fiesta No. 1” I am trying to invite the audience to enter a fantastic place where everybody gathers in a
special party to celebrate in unity, peace, and hope despite their differences; a high energy party where everybody is accepted and where we can celebrate each other as friends. ANCIENT DANCES AND AIRS, SUITE I (1917) ........................................................ O. Respighi Composer biography link: https://www.pcmsconcerts.org/composer/ottorino-respighi/ (1879–1936) Notes about the piece: Respighi wrote three suits under the heading, “Ancient Dances and Airs.” In all three suites, each movement is based on lute songs of Renaissance composers. In this suite, those composers are (in movement order accompanied by piece date): Simone Molinaro (1599); Vincenzo Galilei (1550s); Unknown (end of the sixteenth century); Unknown (end of the sixteenth century). I. Balletto detto “Il conte Orlando” II. Galliarda III. Villanella IV. Passo Mezzo e Mascherada
Olivia Choi, graduate conductor FROM HOLBERG’S TIME, SUITE IN OLDEN STYLE, OP. 40 (1884) ...........................E. Grieg Composer biography link: https://griegmuseum.no/en/about-grieg (1843–1907) Notes about the piece: This piece was written in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Dano-Norwegian playwright, Ludwig Holberg (1684–1754). Originally written for piano in 1884, in the same year, Grieg set the piece for string orchestra. While Grieg did not base each movement on previously written pieces as Respighi did, each movement does draw on the sensibilities of the Baroque dances that are indicated by the movement titles. I. Praeludium II. Sarabande III. Gavotte—Musette—Gavotte IV. Air V. Rigaudon
MUSICIANS VIOLIN I Ben Weaver, Concertmaster Sharon Chen Abigail Stratton Millie Slifer Jassamine Chen
FLUTE Wik Godawa, Principal Emma Flinchbaugh
VIOLIN II Olivia Choi, Principal Kyla Eryka De Guia Kat Norman Anastasia Galante
BASSOON Joe Plavin, Principal Dominick DeStefano
VIOLA Priscilla Paino, Principal Robert Cutler John Griffin Valerie Miller CELLO Lia Crisuolo Principal Carlos Martinez Ally Paino Ceara Caisido Grace Rich Bonnie Calhoun Simon Perez Torres Michael Repko DOUBLE BASS Grace Wible, Principal Tim Ragsdale Sarah Renz
OBOE Madison Feeser, Principal Peyton Beebe
HORN Matthew Hontz, Principal Felicia Quinn TRUMPET Maeve Bartra HARPSICHORD Tina Douglass
UPCOMING WELLS SCHOOL OF MUSIC EVENTS For full event details visit wcupa.edu/music or call (610) 436-2739
COVID-19 STATEMENT In Person Audiences Are Not Permitted for Spring 2021 Events Sunday, March 21, 2021, 3:00 PM Mastersingers Concert Ryan Kelly, director Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Swope Music Building
Sunday, March 21, 2021, 7:30 PM Concert Choir Concert David P. DeVenney, director Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building
Sunday, March 28, 2021, 3:00 PM Wind Ensemble Concert Andrew Yozviak, director Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center
Monday, March 29, 2021, 8:00 PM Faculty Recital: Terry Klinefelter, piano Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building
Tuesday, March 30, 2021, 8:15 PM Trumpet Ensemble Concert Jean-Christophe Dobrzelewski & Robert Skoniczin, directors Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center
Thursday, April 1, 2021, 12:00 PM Madeleine Wing Adler Concert Series: Piano Division Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building
Monday, April 5, 2021, 8:00 PM Faculty Recital: Karen Dannessa, clarinet Philips Autograph Library Philips Memorial Building
Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 8:15 PM Guitar Ensemble Concert David Cullen, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building
*Tickets required for this event.
Events at the Wells School of Music are often supported by individual donors and organizations. Contributions to the Wells School of Music may be made out to: WCU Foundation, 202 Carter Drive, West Chester, PA 19382 Please include “School of Music Deans Fund” in the memo line. For further information, please call (610) 436-2868 or visit wcufoundation.org A majority of performances are available to watch via live stream at Facebook.com/ArtsAtWCUPA and LiveStream.com/wcupa. Mr. Robert Rust, Audio & Visual Technician Steinway & Sons Piano Technical, Tuning and Concert Preparations by Gerald P. Cousins, RPT If you do not intend to save your pro gram , please recycle it in the baskets at the exit do o rs.
The Wells School of Music | West Chester University of Pennsylvania Dr. Christopher Hanning, Dean