Missoula Symphony 2023-2024 Season Brochure

2023 – 2024 SEASON

(406) 721-3194

MISSOULASYMPHONY.ORG

Julia Tai, Music Director

2023-2024 SEASON SNAPSHOT

August 13, 2023

Symphony in the Park

September 23 & 24, 2023

Masterworks #1 - Struggle & Triumph

November 3 & 5, 2023

Masterworks #2 - Symphonic Variations

December 1, 2 & 3, 2023 Holiday Pops! with the Missoula Symphony Chorale

January 27, 2024

Harry Potter and His Magical Orchestra Journey Family Concert

March 2 & 3, 2024

Masterworks #3 - In Nature’s Realm

April 20 & 21, 2024

Masterworks #4 - Moving Toward the Light with the Missoula Symphony Chorale

May 18 & 19, 2024

Broadway Concert

All regular-season performances held at the Dennison Theatre, University of Montana. Saturdays – 7:30 p.m., Sundays – 3:00 p.m. Please note Friday nights for November and December concerts.

All four classical concerts plus Holiday Pops! will be live-streamed during the Saturday, 7:30 p.m. performances.

Tickets sponsored by: Pangea and Stave & Hoop Speakeasy

WELCOME 2023-2024

Welcome to our 2023-2024 concert season! We’ve put together an outstanding series for the year ahead, featuring an exciting blend of symphonic masterpieces, contemporary works, and seldom-performed gems from the orchestral repertoire. There’s harmony in our community, and we’re just as thrilled as ever!

Our season opener features acclaimed pianist Charlie Albright performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2—one of the most famous and beloved concertos of all time. Other exciting guest artists include award-winning violinist Kristin Lee, Icelandic cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, and soprano Rabihah Davis Dunn—all making their Missoula Symphony Orchestra debuts under acclaimed Music Director Julia Tai.

As an added treat, our season will end with a very special collaboration with the The ASCAP Foundation Jerry Herman Legacy Program that features hit tunes from legendary composer Jerry Herman by four of Broadway’s finest headliners selected by Mr. Herman himself!

Join us for a season of Missoula in Harmony, won’t you?

SEASON SPONSOR

JULIA TAI Music Director

Welcome to a new season with YOUR Missoula Symphony! We can’t wait to share the joy of music with you again this year.

The highlights of our season include some of my favorite music—from Rachmaninoff’s magnificent Piano Concerto No. 2, Elgar’s beloved Enigma Variations, to Beethoven’s timeless Pastoral Symphony. We will also feature four world-class, young musicians on the international stage: Charlie Albright, piano; Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, cello; Kristin Lee, violin; and Rabihah Davis Dunn, soprano. We will be joined by our Symphony Chorale in our Holiday Pops! concert, as well as two spectacular masterworks in the spring: Poulenc’s Gloria and Rutter’s Requiem.

Our diverse programming continues to introduce some of the most beautiful music written by composers of all backgrounds, including British composer, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, also known as the "African Mahler," and two African-American female composers, Florence Price and Margaret Bonds. Our composer-in-residence this year will be Canadianborn Chinese-American composer Vivian Fung, who explores her own multicultural background and identity. In addition, we will present a world premiere by Missoula’s own, Scott Billadeau.

Come celebrate the season with our favorite holiday tradition, a Holiday Pops! concert in December, and enjoy the best of Broadway at our annual Broadway concert in May. I am excited to see all of you again this season and bring our community together through the magic of music!

Julia Tai Music Director, Missoula Symphony Orchestra

Sunday, August 13, 7:00 p.m.

SYMPHONY

in the Park

On Sunday, August 13, we opened the 2023-24 symphony season with the highly anticipated annual presentation of Symphony in the Park at Caras Park.

This year’s Symphony in the Park, A Jazzy Summer Evening with the Missoula Symphony, featured works by Frank Sinatra, John Williams, and Duke Ellington, with special guest appearances by Great Falls native and saxophonist Antonio Jarvey and Hellgate High School vocalist Max Heiner.

Attendees brought blankets and lawn chairs to relax and unwind while enjoying food and beverage offerings from several different food vendors plus a full bar.

We look forward to seeing you again in August of 2024 when we will once again partner with the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center to nourish and enrich our community.

Since 2019, we have partnered with the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center for a food drive to help nourish our community. This evening’s donations of non-perishable food items will go directly to the Food Bank.

One in four Missoulians now relies on the Food Bank for support. Please help us meet our goal of collecting 2,000 pounds of food items during this event.

SPONSORED BY

Bill and Phyllis Bouchee | Anonymous | S.G. Long & Company

Langel Yonce and Associates PC | Flaherty Financial Services

Garlington Lohn & Robinson, PLLP | Brian Eicholtz, Merrill Lynch

NorthWestern Energy | Missoula Downtown Partnership

Saturday,

MASTERWORKS #1 Struggle & Triumph

Charlie Albright, piano

REPERTOIRE

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Hiawatha Overture

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18, C minor

Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3 in C minor

The Missoula Symphony takes the stage for our first Autumn performance with an evening of power, emotion, and triumph, featuring Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Hiawatha Overture, which draws inspiration from the 1855 poem The Song of Hiawatha by American Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as the soundtrack to Rachmaninoff’s journey out of depression and darkness, and ascension into true joy, performed by rising star pianist, Charlie Albright.

The performance also includes Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3 in C minor, which was commissioned and composed at the height of the Great Depression and expresses stylistic themes reminiscent of Wagner and Shostakovich.

Join us the first days of autumn and celebrate resilience, triumph, and true expressions of the human spirit through this collection of inspiring music!

SPONSORED BY

Friday, November 3, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, November 5, 3:00 p.m.

MASTERWORKS #2 Symphonic Variations

Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, cello REPERTOIRE

Margaret Bonds’ The Montgomery Variations

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33

Edward Elgar’s Variations on an Original Theme, Enigma, Op. 36

Join us in November for compelling and important symphonic variations.

20th-century composer Margaret Bonds, known for blending classical, folk, and African American music in innovative ways, showcases her influence in the 1964 piece, The Montgomery Variations, which draws from the civil rights anthem "Oh, Freedom" and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme melds 18th-century Rococo with Romantic elements, spotlighting the cello's expressiveness. Cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, praised for her emotional intensity, will perform this piece.

Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations, Op. 36, is a renowned orchestral work from the famed British composer. Each variation is linked to a person in Elgar's life, and a hidden, cryptic theme adds intrigue, sparking speculation and enhancing the composition's mystique.

SPONSORED BY

Friday, December 1, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, December 2, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 3, 3:00 p.m.

HOLIDAY Pops!

Get ready to unwrap the magic of the season with the Missoula Symphony’s spectacular Holiday Pops! concert, featuring the radiant voices of the Missoula Symphony Chorale and a special visit from the North Pole!

Immerse yourself in a captivating blend of timeless holiday classics and modern favorites, performed by the talented musicians of the Missoula Symphony and the angelic voices of the Missoula Symphony Chorale.

From cherished carols to festive symphonic masterpieces, every note will warm your heart and fill your soul with holiday joy, evoking the true spirit of the holidays.

SPONSORED BY

Saturday, March 2, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, March 3, 3:00 p.m.

MASTERWORKS #3 In Nature's Realm

Kristin Lee, violin

REPERTOIRE

Antonín Dvořák’s In Nature's Realm Overture, Op.91 Scott Billadeau’s Nothing Gold Can Stay – World Premiere

Vivian Fung’s Violin Concerto No. 1

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68

Join us as we celebrate spring in the Northwest with our third Masterworks presentation. Experience Antonín Dvořák's captivating In Nature's Realm Overture, Op. 91, composed in 1891. This piece is part of the Nature, Life, and Love trilogy with Carnival Overture and Othello Overture and eloquently depicts nature's beauty and vitality through lush orchestration, melodies, and shifting moods.

Don't miss the exciting world premiere of Missoula composer Scott Billadeau’s Nothing Gold Can Stay, based on a Robert Frost poem performed by the eclectic composer.

Vivian Fung’s Violin Concerto, played by renowned violinist Kristin Lee, offers a multicultural exploration of orchestral colors. And Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, departs from his intense works by portraying the natural world through his innovative orchestration, structure, and musical gestures.

SPONSORED BY

2023-2024 SEASON

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

SYMPHONY IN THE PARK

First Security Bank | Muralt’s Travel Plaza | PayneWest Insurance

Bill and Phyllis Bouchee | Anonymous | S.G. Long & Company

Langel Yonce and Associates PC | Flaherty Financial Services

Garlington Lohn & Robinson, PLLP | Brian Eicholtz, Merrill Lynch

NorthWestern Energy | Missoula Downtown Partnership

STRUGGLE & TRIUMPH

SYMPHONIC VARIATIONS

HOLIDAY POPS!

HARRY POTTER AND HIS MAGICAL ORCHESTRA JOURNEY

IN NATURE’S REALM

MOVING TOWARD THE LIGHT

Anne & Bruce Robertson | Anonymous Chorale Member

BROADWAY CONCERT

Sponsored by the Tremper Family in honor of their parents, Barbara and William Tremper.

SEASON SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSORS

ACCOMMODATIONS SPONSOR

COMMUNITY PARTNER

SEASON SUPPORT OF THE MISSOULA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CHORALE IS PROVIDED, IN PART, BY THE MONTANA ARTS COUNCIL AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

CONCERTMASTER

Janet & Harry Haines

ASSOCIATE

CONCERTMASTER

Sharon & Gerald Marks

ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Betty Thisted

2ND VIOLIN

Laura Patterson

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

2ND VIOLIN

Brad Peterson

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

2ND VIOLIN

Frank & Rae Lynn D’Angelo

VIOLA PRINCIPAL

Robert Moseley

CHAIR SPONSORS

CELLO

Sophie Lambros

ASSISTANT CELLO

Louisa & Paul Axelrod

DOUBLE BASS

Richard & Alice Dailey

ASSOCIATE BASS

Amber & Lans Richardson

FLUTE

Laura & Mark

Haythornthwaite

OBOE

Jennifer & Ben Yonce

PICCOLO

Mary Ann Oberhaus

PRINCIPAL CLARINET

Charla & Don Murray

BASSOON

Jean & Bill Woessner

HORN

Betsy & Warren Wilcox

TRUMPET

Ann & Tom Boone

TUBA

NGD, LLC

TIMPANI

Robin Kendall

PERCUSSION

Sharon Snavely

HARP

Peter & Maria

van Loben Sels

PIANO

Twila Wolfe

MUSIC DIRECTOR

Rick & Diana Nash

Chair sponsorships available this season: Associate Principal Viola, Assistant Principal Viola, English Horn and Trombone.

DEAN PETERSON Chorale Conductor

The Missoula Symphony Chorale is anticipating an exciting and musically diverse season for 2023-2024! We look forward to joining the orchestra in December when we take the stage together in the annual Holiday Pops! concerts. These festive concerts have become the official kickoff to the holiday season in Missoula and, as always, we’ll offer our audiences a program of contrasting holiday favorites with a few surprises along the way.

In April, the Chorale will join the orchestra again for a performance of not one but two contrasting choral masterworks, the Poulenc Gloria and the Rutter Requiem

The Poulenc Gloria, composed in 1959, is a piece that showcases Poulenc’s unique harmonic and rhythmic compositional techniques. He described his inspiration for the Gloria as follows, “While writing it I had in mind Crozzoli frescoes with angels sticking out their tongues, and also some solemnlooking Benedictine monks that I saw playing football (soccer) one day.” This piece is at times lyrical and serene, but also humorous and gleeful.

The Rutter Requiem, composed in 1982, contrasts the Poulenc by sounding more contemporary and popular in style. Rutter was influenced by Faure and Duruflé in this composition and it is set in both Latin and English, making it easily accessible to American audience. Rutter, in my mind, composes some very catchy and memorable melodies that you very well may be humming as you leave the theater next April.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you in the upcoming season!

Dean Peterson Conductor, Missoula Symphony Chorale

MUSIC FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

SYMPHONY KIDS @ MISSOULA PUBLIC LIBRARY

Music Director Julia Tai presents FREE mini-concerts the Wednesday before each Masterworks concert. Created with pre-school and elementary-aged audiences in mind, the series features Symphony musicians and instrument demonstrations.

4:30-5:30 P.M. IN THE MISSOULA PUBLIC LIBRARY IMAGINARIUM

Wednesday, September 20 • Wednesday, November 1

Wednesday, February 28 • Wednesday, April 17

STUDENT NIGHT @ DRESS REHEARSAL

Thanks to a generous grant from the Bill and Rosemary Gallagher Foundation, Student Night at Dress Rehearsal offers students in our community and outlying areas the chance to hear our concerts for FREE. This collaboration with Missoula County Public Schools is an opportunity for students and their families/caregivers to attend each concert dress rehearsal, while also following along with education materials and a short talk by Music Director Julia Tai.

7:00 P.M. AT THE DENNISON THEATRE

Friday, September 22 • Thursday, November 2

Friday, March 1 • Friday, April 19 • Friday, May 17

DOWNBEAT LOWDOWN

Join us for a free, pre-concert talk before each of our Masterworks concerts with Music Director Julia Tai. These informative conversations, which provide interesting facts about the concert you’re about to hear, begin at 6:30 p.m. for our Saturday concerts and 2:00 p.m. for our Sunday matinees. Downbeat Lowdown conversations are held at the Music Recital Hall in the Music Building north of the Dennison Theatre. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

SPONSORED BY

Saturday, April 20, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, April 21, 3:00 p.m.

MASTERWORKS #4

Moving Toward the Light

Rabihah Davis Dunn, soprano

REPERTOIRE

Igor Stravinsky’s Funeral Song, Op. 5

Francis Poulenc’s Gloria John Rutter’s Requiem

Our spring concert delves into spirituality and the human experience. Stravinsky's Funeral Song, Op. 5, pays homage to Rimsky-Korsakov, revealing Stravinsky's early development and Russian connection.

Poulenc's celebrated Gloria blends traditional and modern in a choralorchestral masterpiece. Shifting between solemnity, joy, and intimacy, it's a dynamic setting of the Gloria in excelsis Deo

Rutter's contemporary Requiem offers comfort in its lush harmonies and balanced tradition and modernity. Composed in 1985, it conveys solace and hope in the face of mortality.

SPONSORED BY

Anne & Bruce Robertson | Anonymous Chorale Member

BROADWAY CONCERT Jerry Herman: The Broadway Legacy Concert

Jerry Herman, one of Broadway’s most beloved icons, stood as a legendary composer/lyricist of the American Musical Theatre. His creations, from Hello, Dolly! and Mame to Mack and Mabel and La Cage aux Folles, have illuminated Broadway for decades with foot-tapping, soul-stirring musical showstoppers. Now, a new generation of musical theater enthusiasts is joyfully rediscovering his immense musical legacy. The ASCAP Foundation Jerry Herman Legacy Program proudly presents Jerry Herman: The Broadway Legacy Concert, featuring a cast of New York’s foremost Broadway and concert stars. They come together to celebrate the songs and stories of one of the true giants of the theater.

STARRING:

Klea Blackhurst

(Everything the Traffic Will Allow)

Jason Graae

(Falsettos, A Grand Night for Singing, Stardust)

Debbie Gravitte Tony Award-Winner (Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Chicago, Les Misérables)

Ron Raines

(Follies, Show Boat, Teddy & Alice, Chicago)

SPONSORED BY

The Tremper Family in honor of their parents, Barbara and William Tremper

Jason Graae

Debbie Gravitte

Klea Blackhurst

Ron Raines

Saturday, January 27, 3:00 p.m.

FAMILY CONCERT Harry Potter and His Magical Orchestra Journey

Calling all little wizards and witches in training: Bring your whole squad to continue the fantastical tradition of the Missoula Symphony's family concert. It's an event that turns learning about music into an absolute magical blast!

Embark on this magical adventure through composer John Williams’ music from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Get ready to explore the enchanting world of the orchestra, where each instrument has its own spellbinding story to tell.

Hold onto your broomsticks because this isn't your ordinary concert— it's an annual family extravaganza that combines learning with fun and laughter!

Tickets: $8.00

SPONSORED BY

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION

For more than 40 years, education and community engagement have been at the heart of the Missoula Symphony Association’s mission. Over the past two years, that commitment has grown steadily under the stewardship of Musical Director Julia Tai. This season the Missoula Symphony Association is proud to present the following educational outreach programs throughout the region:

SYMPHONY KIDS @ MISSOULA PUBLIC LIBRARY

Julia Tai presents a series of four mini concerts in the library’s Imaginarium focusing on the instruments of the orchestra and guest artists from our 2023-2024 season. For more information, see page 19.

BRANCH LIBRARY CONCERTS

Symphony musicians perform mini concerts in Missoula County libraries and surrounding communities throughout the summer months.

STUDENT NIGHT @ DRESS REHEARSAL

Students and families are invited to join us for the dress rehearsal preceding each Masterworks Concert. For more information, see page 19.

SYMPHONY IN THE SCHOOLS

Missoula Symphony musicians visit local high schools throughout the school year to perform and coach music students.

UM/MSA STRING CAMP

Building on the success of the former Montana Suzuki Institute, the MSA collaborated with the UM School of Music to launch the UM/MSA String Camp in June 2023. Welcoming students entering 1st grade through recent high school graduates, the camp offers beginning through advanced instruction on bass, cello, viola and violin. All this takes place in a safe, fun musical environment that encourages all campers to achieve their very best.

For dates and more information, visit missoulasymphony.org/education

SEASON TICKETS, MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS

BENEFITS OF BEING A SEASON SUBSCRIBER:

• Priority seating for all concerts and first chance at upgrades.

• First opportunity to purchase tickets for special concerts and events.

• Free ticket delivery via U.S. Mail.

• Easy exchange/return policy! Call the office to exchange tickets for the alternate performance or donate tickets back to us for a tax deduction.

• Free replacement of lost tickets.

TO PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS:

• Call the MSA office at (406) 721-3194.

• Go to missoulasymphony.org or scan the QR code.

• Complete the order form on page 29 and mail, along with check or credit card info, to the MSA office.

THEATRE MAP

SATURDAY SEATING

SUNDAY SEATING

2023-2024 ORDER FORM

CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS

Would you like to retain your current seats?

 YES  NO (Please indicate your seat change request below. You will be added to our seat changes/upgrades waitlist.)

NEW SUBSCRIBERS

I would like to attend performances on:  Saturday  Sunday I would prefer to sit:  Main Floor  Balcony

 Special Request

PLEASE SELECT YOUR SEASON TICKETS (SIX-CONCERT SEASON)

1

1

*Sunday

GA

 Check (enclosed)  Credit Card (VISA, Mastercard or Discover)

CONTACT & TICKET INFORMATION

Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Phone: Email:

If paying by credit card, please fill out the information below:

Name on card:

Signature:

Programs and artists subject to change. All ticket sales are final. No refunds. Thank you for your understanding.

Please fill out order form, enclose payment/payment information and mail to: Missoula Symphony Association • PO Box 8301 • Missoula, MT 59807-8301

Tickets sponsored by: Pangea and Stave & Hoop Speakeasy

GREAT MUSIC BEGINS WITH YOU

THANK YOU for supporting your Missoula Symphony! Our community is extremely generous, and we’re grateful for all donations, regardless of the amount. We have an exciting concert season ahead, and, thanks to you, the Missoula Symphony Orchestra & Chorale can perform a dynamic repertoire and bring in talented guest artists.

Ticket sales only make up 30% of our operating expenses, which means your donations and sponsorships are paramount to our success.

MEMBERSHIP

$ Maestro* ($25,000+)

$ Conductor* ($5,000–$24,999)

$ Sponsor* ($1,000–$4,999)

$ Benefactor* ($600–$999)

$ Contributor* ($450–$599)

$ Patron ($250–$449)

$ Associate ($100–$249)

$ Member ($50–$99)

$ Friend ($49 & under)

*  Contributor level and above receive one pair of GA tickets, to one concert of the season. Holiday Pops! excluded.

For more information about sponsorships or other donations, please contact Executive Director David O’Dell: david@missoulasymphony.org

The Missoula Symphony Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, a federal tax ID #81-0290730. All donations are 100% tax-deductible.

YOUR SUPPORT COUNTS

ADOPT A MUSICIAN

When you Adopt a Musician you honor our individual musicians’ exceptional dedication and effort, while helping to sustain high standards of professional support for our named chair musicians. Chair sponsorships available this season: Associate Principal Viola, Assistant Principal Viola, English Horn and Trombone.

PLANNED GIVING

Please consider the Missoula Symphony Association in your planned giving.

BEQUESTS

Please consider naming the Missoula Symphony Association (MSA) in your will and/or trust.

RETIREMENT FUND GIFT

IRA contributions can be made directly to the MSA, are not taxable to the donor and the MSA receives the full amount of your gift.*

ENDOWMENT TAX CREDIT

The Missoula Symphony Association has a permanent endowment to provide financial stability for decades to come. Under Montana law, a contribution to our endowment can benefit you with a very generous tax credit.*

*Subject to federal and state tax regulations

DONATIONS

Donations in any amount are always needed. You can pay online, mail a check or stop into our office during business hours. If you’d like to set up a monthly donation plan, please contact our office for arrangements. All donations receive a tax receipt and donations of $50 and higher are listed in our concert program books for one year. Thank you!

VOLUNTEER

Giving your time is an important part of supporting the Missoula Symphony! We are always looking for ushers, box office assistance and help with projects at our office. Contact Patron Services Coordinator Kirsten McGlynn at kirsten@missoulasymphony.org to find out how you can help.