WMS Program - Volume 10, Issue 2 by West Michigan Symphony

PRÉLUDE WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

CARNIVAL OF PIANOS FRIDAY • JANUARY 28 • 7:30 PM FRAUENTHAL CENTER

SCOTT SPECK • CONDUCTOR ALESSIO BAX & LUCILLE CHUNG • PIANO

NOTHIN' BUT THE BLUES FRIDAY • MARCH 4 • 7:30 PM FRAUENTHAL CENTER

SCOTT SPECK • CONDUCTOR SHAYNA STEELE • VOCALIST

Merrill applauds the West Michigan Symphony Hammond, Martin & Associates Kimberly Hammond, CIMA®, CFP®, CPFA Senior Vice President Senior Resident Director – Wealth Management Advisor 231.725.6404 • kimberly_hammond@ml.com Michael Martin, CIMA®, CFP® Senior Vice President Wealth Management Advisor 630.954.6274 • michael_t_martin@ml.com Base Hammond, CIMA®, CPFA Financial Advisor Portfolio Advisor 231.725.6411 • base.e.hammond@ml.com Jack McKeough Financial Advisor 231.725.6507 • jack.mckeough@ml.com Lin Turnage, CRPC® Wealth Management Specialist 231.725.6408 • lin.turnage@ml.com Merrill Lynch Wealth Management 380 West Western Avenue Suite 303 Muskegon, MI 49440 fa.ml.com/hammondmartinandassociates Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp. Investment products:

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The Bull Symbol and Merrill are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. CIMA® is a registered service mark of the Investment Management Consultants Association dba Investments & Wealth Institute. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S. CRPC® is a registered service mark of the College for Financial Planning. © 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. MAP3413078 | AD-09-21-0090 | 470944PM-0221 | 09/2021

WHAT'S INSIDE WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SCOTT SPECK | MUSIC DIRECTOR

Artistic Staff Scott Speck Music Director Beth Slimko WMS Children’s Choir Director Angela Corbin Debut and Premier Strings Director

Administrative Staff

Message from the Music Director

Meet the WMS Principal Musicians

West Michigan Symphony Musicians

Message from the Chairperson

2021-22 Board of Directors

Sustaining the Symphony

Andrew Buelow President/CEO Amanda Dykhouse Orchestra Librarian Karen Mueller O'Neill Vice President of Development and Marketing Maris Myers Patron Services Manager Keely Payne Art Director/Marketing Coordinator Gabe Slimko Vice President of Operations and Orchestra Sherrie Tower Finance and Facilities Manager Karen Vander Zanden Director of Education and Engagement

West Michigan Symphony Endowment

Carnival of Pianos

Nothin' but the Blues

About West Michigan Symphony

Music Director Scott Speck

Concerts at The Block

Education

Find Us Online

Advertisers

West Michigan Symphony Website: westmichigansymphony.org Facebook: facebook.com/wmsymphony Twitter: twitter.com/westmisymphony Email: info@westmichigansymphony.org The Block Website: theblockwestmichigan.org Facebook: facebook.com/AtTheBlock Twitter: twitter.com/attheblock Email: info@theblockwestmichigan.org

The West Michigan Symphony is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides programs and services without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex or disability. Programs are funded in part by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts. Dates, artists and programs are subject to change. Cover art by Keely Payne

SEASON SPONSORS

SEASON TICKET SPONSOR

SINCE T H E A1880 RTS SINCE 1880

SUPPORTING

S I THE N C EARTS 1880

INSPIRING WHAT’S

S U PPO RTI NG SINCE 1880

THE ARTS SI NC E 1880

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www.wassermansflowers.com 1595 Lakeshore Dr. Muskegon, MI 49441 wassermansflowers.com

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

MESSAGE FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR Dear Friends, WELCOME BACK! It has been a thrill for us at the West Michigan Symphony to finally return to the stage at full force, in front of a full audience. Thanks to your support, and to the Herculean efforts of our WMS musicians, Board and staff, we've managed to weather the huge challenges of the past year and a half. Now, as we enter the coldest months of the year, we've programmed music especially to heat you up. Our Carnival of Pianos features two lively Italian pieces to set your foot tapping (creating kinetic energy, which is converted into heat). The chemistry between our piano soloists Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung in Carnival of the Animals is off the thermal charts. And singing sensation Shayna Steele will raise everybody's temperature in Nothin' But the Blues. Of course, the warmest part of this equation is you. Over the past year we have all truly realized how important our audience is to us. As you've heard me say before, at least 50 percent of the energy in a performance comes from you. When we play, we feel your energy, and we feed off of it. What a joy it is to have you in the hall with us again!

Scott Speck Music Director

Please see Scott Speck’s bio on page 24

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

MEET THE WMS PRINCIPAL MUSICIANS Our musicians are West Michigan’s cultural ambassadors and a key part of its creative capital. In addition to WMS, our players teach privately and at major Michigan universities, perform with other orchestras, and appear as recitalists and chamber musicians across the Midwest and beyond.

John Heffernan

Interim Concertmaster

Jacie Robinson

Adam Liebert

Assistant Concertmaster

Assistant Principal – Violin 1

Romona Merritt

Alica Gregorian Sawyers

Associate Principal – Viola

Gabriel Renteria

Principal – Violin 2

Igor Cetkovic

Mark Portolese

Principal – Viola

Brook Bennett

Jill Marie Brown

Associate Principal – Cello

Assistant Principal – Cello

Jonathan Holden

Marat Rakhmatullaev

Paul Clifton-O’Donnell

Principal – Clarinet

Edward Hickman

Clinton McCanless Principal – Tuba

Principal – Bassoon

Matthew Beck

Principal – Percussion

Arturo Ziraldo

Associate Principal – Violin 2

Principal – Cello

Principal – Oboe

Principal – Trombone

Amanda Dykhouse

Gene Hahn

Associate Concertmaster

Principal – Horn

Sylvia Norris

Principal – Harp

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

Principal – Flute

Pamela Smitter

Principal – Trumpet

Leo Taylor

Principal – Timpani

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY MUSICIANS Music Director

Cello

Trumpet

Scott Speck

Alicia Gregorian Sawyers principal

Pamela Smitter principal

Mike & Kay Olthoff Endowed Chair

Sponsored by Jan Deur & Laura Weaver

Horn

Romona Merritt assc. principal Sponsored by Tom Schaub & Mary L Price

David Beytas Sara Churchill Csaba Erdélyi Sponsored by JoLee Wennersten

Josh Holcomb Howard Jones

Paul Clifton-O’Donnell principal Greg Bassett Lisa Honeycutt Sponsored by Allen & Sandy Beck

Leah Brockman

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

Musical Chairs

Sponsor for the season. Endow for a lifetime. For more information, contact Andy Buelow at 231.726.3231 or abuelow@westmichigansymphony.org.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON Dear Patrons: The 2021-2022 season, like the previous, has continued to be an interesting and challenging road, with many unexpected twists and turns, advances and setbacks. We are striving for a balance between optimism and prudence. Most important is being able to continue with the joy of live performances in person at the Frauenthal Center. Attending a concert isn’t a passive experience—it’s an engaging and participatory event. Here is where you hear, feel, experience and cherish what makes live music so special. Here is where you give that energy back to the performers on the stage. Virtual Concerts kept us connected last season—but our musicians missed your presence and energy in the room and they are thrilled to see you back. That being said, we continue to offer a “virtual” version of each Frauenthal Center concert this season, premiering on westmichigansymphony.org exactly a week after the live performance. There is a 10-day viewing window at no additional cost for subscribers. Since the public announcement in August, the Play Your Part Campaign has reached more than $3.8 million in gifts and pledges. Play Your Part will right size the WMS Endowment so that it offsets approximately 15% of annual expenses. For more information, see page 12. The campaign is also securing funds for a new youth orchestra partnership with Muskegon Public Schools. Launching next fall, Tune Up will be a free after-school initiative for students who lack current access to instrumental music. For more information, please see page 27. We are eternally grateful for the continued support of this generous, arts loving community. Thank you for purchasing tickets, and for your generous gifts to Play Your Part and to the year-end Mike and Kay Olthoff Matching Challenge benefitting the Annual Fund. Play Your Part is supporting the future of WMS; the Annual Fund keeps it going today. Both are critical as we seek to fulfill our Vision of being a catalyst for a music-infused West Michigan! I am honored and humbled to be the Chair of your West Michigan Symphony. Sincerely,

2021-22 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Susan Cloutier Crain Chairperson Retired Executive Director Disability Network Paul R Jackson Secretary and Immediate Past President Partner Warner Norcross + Judd LLP Kimberly L Hammond, CFP, CIMA, C(k)P Treasurer Senior Resident Director Merrill Lynch Peter W Brown Retired Engineer Ricardo, Inc. Ryan W Bryker Tax Partner BDO Jan L Deur Retired CPA Verizon Kevin Even Shareholder Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Larry Fife Retired Infotainment Director Siemens and Continental Automotive Amy Hosford Associate Publisher Brillance Publishing (Amazon) Dr Dale Nesbary President Muskegon Community College Michael Olthoff CEO Nichols Emma Peterson Director of Philanthropy Mercy Health

Susan Cloutier Crain Chairperson, WMS Board of Directors

VISION

We are a catalyst for a musicinfused West Michigan: leading, facilitating, connecting and collaborating with the community to stimulate cultural vibrancy, inclusivity and pride of place. WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

SUSTAINING THE SYMPHONY Your contributions to West Michigan Symphony help to sustain a vital community resource. Just over 60% of contributions to WMS during the 2020-21 season came from individual patrons, with the remainder generated from corporate and foundation support. We extend our deepest appreciation to you for helping make WMS a cultural touchstone in our community. The listings below represent total pledges and gifts by each patron household from August 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021. This includes our Annual Fund and other special initiatives. In particular, we wish to express our gratitude to Mike and Kay Olthoff for their support of our Year-End Matching Challenge. We have given careful attention to ensure a complete and accurate list. Please notify us of any inaccuracies by calling 231.726.3231.

$10,000 and up Anonymous Jan & Laura Deur Deborah DeVoursney Pat & Julie Donahue Douglas & Janet Hoch Buzz & Wendy Kersman Mike & Kay Olthoff Mary Price Jack & Becky Slimko $5,000-$9,999 Anonymous Jon & Jane Blyth Pete & Sherry Brown Orville Crain & Susan Cloutier Crain William & Mary Lou Eyke Bari Johnson Daniel & Sheryl Kuznar Donna & Scott Lachniet Joanna & Fred Norris Suzanne Richards & Lee Burlison Jill Sanders Peter M Turner JoLee Wennersten Marguerite & Kenneth Winter $2,500-$4,999 Anonymous (2) Bonnie Borgeson Andy & Beth Buelow Michael Cerminaro & Connie Verhagen Ruth Clark Rob & Cathleen Dubault Tilio Giacobassi Family

Bruce & Donna Hood Paul & Karen Jackson Charles & Vivian Johnson Steve & Deb Olsen Bonnie Olson Memorial Fund of the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation (GHACF) Chrissy Robison Sawyer Family Fund of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County (CFFMC) Michael Smith Michael & Corina Soimar Susan & Stephen Struck Roger & Rebecca Tuuk $1,000-$2,499 Anonymous (5) Charles & Gloria Alstrom Marilyn V Andersen Bruce & Paula Baker Allen & Sandy Beck Cathy & Bernie Berntson Fund of the CFFMC Herb & Anne Bevelhymer William Bissell Arthur & Marilyn Bolt Ryan & Katie Bryker Gordon & Mary Buitendorp Ardy Bulthouse Kroes in memory of Rodger Kroes Dr Mark D & Kristina M Clark Mary Douville Marcia D’Oyly Roni Devlin

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

Jackie Engel, CFP Ron Fritz David F Gerdes & Carolyn Smith-Gerdes Michael Gluhanich Don Goodman Robert & Clara Harrell Bill Haug & Jane Curtis Hugh & Barbara Hornstein Ruth & Bob Keessen Barbara Kelso Marilyn & Brian McKeown Pete & Mimi Kunz Mr & Mrs Paul Ladas Clara Lang John & Jessie Martin Mark & Bonnie Meengs Anne & Bart Merkle Chris McGuigan & Gary Neal Dale & Connie Nesbary Perry & Deb Newson Chris & Amy Olthoff Mary Payne Gary & Beth Post Paul Richards in memory of Charles Richards David Roodvoets Scott Speck Dr F Remington & Ginny Sprague Dr Alan Steinman John & Mary Swanson Marty & Heidi Sytsema David & Linda Taylor Don & Jane Tjarksen Elinore Verplank Robert & Nancy Voyt Michael & Patricia Wade Judy Wilcox Jane J Wright $500-$999 Anonymous Anonymous in honor of Joanna & Fred Norris Barbara Bates-Lalick & Martin Lalick Ron & Ann Marie Brown Michael & Joanna Buboltz Maureen Campbell Curtis Chambers & Diana Wojton George & Deborah Chmelar Rudy & Pat Chmelar 7

Albrecht & Susan Cogswell in memory of Robert & Barbara Buelow Dr Donald & Nancy Crandall William & Carol Cross III Allan & Anne Dake Don & Kathy Dahlstrom Karen & Herb Driver Harold & Mary Englund Kevin & Annette Even Eugene Fethke Larry Fife Charles & Patti Fisher James & Karel Fox Charles & Lynn Freeman James & Susan Geisler Jan & David Harris Family Giving Fund Theresa Hegedus Kurt & Antoinette Hildwwin Greg & Debi Hillebrand Mary Ann Howe Gwen Hoffman Pat Hunt Stephen & Debra Jackson Wilda James Jason Jespersen in memory of David Jespersen Tom & Pat Johnson Francine Kieft Joan La Mourie Robert & JoAnn Landman Ms Cindy Larsen Donna Little & Faye Redmond Charles Matthews & Kay Cater Matthews Cindy Mazurek Paul & Winnie McNergney Scott & Janee’ Musselman Rhonda Myers Eric Norris in honor of Joanna & Fred Norris Dr C Michael & Mary O’Brien Jason & Jamye Olthoff Jim & Ruthann Olthoff Carol Parker Thompson Janet Payne David & Beth Pickard Sylvia Precious Mike & Char Ratchford Susan Rehrer Randall & Gretchen Rhoades Dr Gary & Pennie Robertson John Saling & Diane Fischer Gwynne & Steve Schoff Laura Schultz Jocelyn Shaw & Doug Hannink Susan Sridharan 8

Leon & Zinnie Stille Jane & Tim Stoepker Clifford & Lucia Storr Ann & Dan Tabor George & Laura Thurlow Dr Jane L Toot Richard & Marge Tourre Liz & Tom Trzaska Kay VanderWall Ellie Williams Paul & Sherry Wilson Robert & Joanne Zayko Jim & Linda Zolman $100-$499 Anonymous (11) Bonnie Adamczak Brown Chris Adams Ross & Sandra Aden Ron & Nancy Anderson Margo Atwell Jerry & Barbara Bakker Stephen & Martha Bartlett Greg Bassett Karla Bates Gary Beatty Paul & Grace Benedict Theodore & Joanne Bensinger Carl & Bonnie Bergman Robert & Cindy Birtles in memory of Jon Chesney Andrew Bissonnette Charles Black Greg & Kara Black in honor of Joanna & Fred Norris William Black Jerry & Marcia Brichan Mary & Bob Boyer Barbara Brower & Gerald Johnson Jack & Marilyn Brown Roy & Britta Bujak Portenga Keven Burchfield Andrew Busard Greta Bushnell David Carlson Joe & Natalie Carmolli Michael & Kristine Carpenter Linda Caughey Alyson Chapman Bob & Charlotte Chessman Dr Paul & Nancy Christie Valerie & Fred Church-McHugh Joanne Cochrane Darlene Collet

E Jane Connell & Steven W Rosen Roger Cooper Lee Copenhaver Ryan & Angela Corbin David & Marie Culver Steve & Darleen Dangel Mary Theodore Danigelis Kurt & Cheryl Deford Diane DeGrazia Paula DeGregorio & Frank Galante Dr David & Susan Deitrick Ed DeJong & Diane VanWesep Larry & Ursula DeVoogd Greg & Judith DeWeerd Michael & Nancy Dodge Brad Doriot Bruce & Esther Drukker Dennis & Barbara Dryer Janice Dyer Amanda & Gregory Dykhouse Bruce & Linda Eckerman in memory of Jon Chesney James Edmonson Kath & Greg Edwards Joel & Linda Engel Jean Enright Tim & Anne Erickson Corrine Erickson Strand Bob & Ann Erler John Essex Wallace & Jane Ewing Geraldine Farrar Randy Lynnel Filbrandt Janet Fortenbacher N Michael Galinis Chuck & Jeanne Gembis Flo Gerling John Giganti Erica Gillard Marjorie Gorajec George Gordon Tom & Diane Gordon Mary Anne Gorman Jim & Karen Grace Marcia Grasman Linda Gregorian LaDon Gustafson in memory of Susan Bissell Revs Susan & Jerry Hagans Linda Hagemann Jeff & Gail Hall Raymond Hamil Tom Happel

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

Hayner Consulting and Management Services, LLC Robert & Kiristina Hedges Mary Henry Patricia Hesling Thomas & Rita Higgins Martin Hillila Sarah Hirdes Herbert S & Elinor Hoeker Bud & Shelly Hoffman in memory of Jon Chesney Cornelia Holley William Horne in memory of Margaret Linebaugh and in honor of her children Mary Anne & Thom Hornik Doug & Judy Hostetler Marcia Hovey-Wright & Ernie Boone Richard & Holly Hughes John & Jane Humphrey Nicholas Huryk Charles & Suze Huttula Jose & Sue Infante Joel & Kathleen Jarvis Don & Penny Johnson Robert & Susan Johnson Betty Johnston Dr Morton Kantor David & Loretta Kasprzyk Barbara Kidd Gloria Klinger in honor of Mr & Mrs Ivo Soljan Dr Ray & Betsy Komray Marie Kordecki Bruce & Mary Krueger Peter Kurdziel Claudia Lague Michael Lamkin Pam Lascko Phyllis Laurin Joan Leder Mark Leonard in honor of Steven & Kitty Leonard Margaret Linebaugh Patricia Locke William & Mary Macleod Jim & Mary Malek Marsha Marek Deborah Margules Shirley McIntire Garry & Julie McKeen Marilyn & Brian McKeown John & Cindy McKinnon Gloria McNarland

L Scott McNeill Carole Meade Susan Meston Alice Michaud Rich & Teresa Micheil Patrick & Sheila Miller Marjolein Moser & John Bousfield Roger & Jane Missimer Dave & Kathy Myers Ed & Ginevra Naill David R Nancarrow Phil Nehar Matt & Laurel Nease Gary Nelund & Angie Wasserman-Nelund Kathryn L Neumann Carol Norris in honor Joanna & Fred Norris Garry & Charlotte Olson Roland & Evelyn Olson Merilee & Kenneth Otto Richard A. Pardini Daniel & Dominga Partenio Thomas Pascoe William & Gay Petersen Frank & Emma Peterson Richard & Nancy Piersma Irene Pierson Nick & Barb Pietrangelo Albert & Elizabeth Posthuma Denis & Barbara Potuznik Margaret Price Bruce & Shirley Privacky Rev William Randall Bruce & Mari Rice Linda Riehl Dan & Sarah Rinsema-Sybenga Kenneth Robison Charles & Susan Rogalla Tindall Kathy & Mike Rohlman Bruce & Judy Rollston Merry Rosenberg Marilyn Rottschafer-Andriese Karl & Barbara Rowe John & Marilyn Ruck James M. Rynberg Bob & Bobbi Sabine Marjorie Salata Marc Sawyers & Alicia Gregorian Sawyers Duane & Susan Schecter Jack & Jill Scheerhorn Jim Schmidt Stephen Schmidt Pat & Ed Schroeder Michael & Debra Schubert

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

Sue Schuiteman Mark & Pam Schumaker in memory of Kay Ostrom Glenn H Sheathelm Thomas & Suzanne Shepherd Kenneth Sherburn Dar Smith Frank & Barbara Smith Helen & Jay Smith Hayden Smith Joanie Smith Michael Smith Robert & Jennifer Snideman Gayle Speck in honor of Andy Buelow George & Dottie Strabel Catherine Steed in memory of Jon Chesney Jean Stein Anbritt & Darlene Stengele Bill Papo & Julie Stewart James & Nancy Stier Ted & Judy Stojak Robert & Julie Stuberg Verne & Janet Sutherland in memory of Julia E Sutherland Howard & Marilyn Swanson Bryce & Marti Tallant Peter & Judy Theune Bernadette Thomas Judith Tierney Mary Jo Towle in honor of Joanna & Fred Norris Mary Towner Pastor Bill & Bev Uetricht John & Barbara Usmial David & Laura Valk Stephen Vallier John Van Walsum Bridget VanDerhoff Phillip VanderPol David Vanderwall Nancy & Gerrit Vanderwest Tom Vitale Bill & Shirley Walther Daniel & Barbara Weikel Dan & Nancy Weller Harry & Julie Wierenga Brewster & Mary Ellen Willcox Frank & Sandra Williams Joe & Cindy Wolff in memory of Loopo the Clown Duane & Laurie Wright Douglas & Jennifer Zwemer

Advertisers

Corporate, Arts Council & Foundation Donors

Aquastar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 $10,000 and up Baker College of Muskegon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Community Foundation for Muskegon Blue Lake Public Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 County (CFFMC) DTE Energy Foundation Fund Chalet Floral & Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Grand Haven Area Community Click Clack Moosic (GHACF) Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Foundation Leonel LShores & MaryBank Loder. .Fund Community . . . . . .of. . the . . . .CFFMC . . 11 Meijer Foundation DaySpring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs Debut/Premier Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Nichols Warner Delta Hotel Norcross . . . . . . . . .+ . . Judd . . . . . .LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Women’s Division Chamber of Commerce Drip Drop Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 $5,000-$9,999 Feeding the Soul of the City . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Fremont Area Community Foundation Generation Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Gerber Foundation Goodwill of West Michigan . . . . 14 HinesIndustries Corporation Howmet Community Fund Grand Valley State University . . of . . .the . . . .CFFMC . . . 13 JSJ Foundation Fund Greenridge Realty – Tom Knight . . . . . . . . . 31 The Loutit Foundation Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 H&SMercy Companies RENK America Harbor Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside front cover Samuel L. Westerman Foundation Hearthstone . . . . . .Agency, . . InsideInc. back cover ShorelineBistro Insurance Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge $2,500-$4,999 Active Manufacturing Consumers Energy Core Realty Partners Eagle Alloy, Inc WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY Lorin Industries Muskegon Community College Raymond James Scherdel Sales and Technology

$100-$499 Grand Valley State University Schierholz/Hogan L3Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family . . . . . . . Fund . . . . . .of . . the . . 31CFFMC Raymond James . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Lakeshore Museum Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Lorin Past . . . . . .Presidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge . . . . . . . . . . 34 at White Lake The Past Presidents Club provides ongoing Medendorp Real Estate Group/ Sytsema Funeral Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 guidance, advocacy and support to the WMS Michigan Mortgage . . . . .terms . . . . . are . . . .completed. . . . . 37 The Block Season . . . Concerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 long after its members’ thanks and honors these individuals MerrillWMS Lynch – Kimberly L. Hammond . . . 38 The Playhouse at White Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Plays for their generosity, collective wisdom and Muskegon Civic Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Timbers 939 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 continuing leadership. Youth Theatre Muskegon Co-op Torresen Marine. . . . . . .Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Pete Brown Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Warner Norcross + Judd LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Marcia D’Oyly Private & Muskegon College . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Wasserman's Flowers & Gifts. . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 DavidCommunity Gerdes Corporate Holly Country Hughes Club/Se4sons . . . . . . . 46 Muskegon West Michigan Symphony Gala . . . . . . . . . . 38 Events David Hogan Muskegon County Airport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 West Michigan Symphony Pat Hunt Weddings Muskegon Museum of Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Lunch n' Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Paul Jackson G Thomas Nichols . . . . . . . . Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back cover West Shore ENT & Allergy . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 47 Tom Johnson 231.894.0119 Northern Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 WMS Children's Choir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Wendy Kersman 304 S. Mears in Whitehall OperaJoAnn GrandLandman Rapids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Witt Buick. . . . theplayhouseatwhitelake.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Clara Lang PNC Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Zopa Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Deb Newson Port City FredGroup Norris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Kay Olthoff Mike Olthoff Sylvia Precious Chip Sawyer hen all Susan Sridharan Ann Tabor the music Jane Toot has been played, Peter Turner and the baton lies Jane Wright motionless

Children's Choir West Michigan Concert Winds Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 7:30 pm $1,000-$2,499

on the stand,

Block Underwriters

Pete & Sherry Brown Consumers Energy Billie Klont Greinke Memorial Fund WMS Children’s Choir will join the West Michigan Eagle Alloy of the CFFMC Concert Winds onstage at the Frauenthal Theater. Jan & Laura Deur Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Tickets: Adults $10, Children $2. For more info: wmcw.org Lake Michigan Credit Union Newkird Electric Lorin Industries Sand Products Corporation Fund Sounds of the Season of the Fri, Dec 13,CFFMC 2019, 7:30 pm | Sat, Dec 14, 2019, 3 pm Mercy Health Muskegon Community College Sparta Community Foundation WMS Children’s Choir will join the West Michigan Nichols Symphony onstage at the Frauenthal Theater. Steve & Deb Olsen $500-$999 Mary Price & Tom Schaub Ann & Bud Eichmann Fund of the CFFMC For more info: westmichigansymphony.org Scherdel Bank of America WMSCC Strings Concert Shoreline Insurance Agency, Inc Gentry and RealDebut/Premier Estate LLC Sun, Mar 22, 2020, 4:30 pm Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge John L. Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Fund of the aCFFMC WMSCC presents concert with the WMS Debut and Stella Artois Premier Strings, their first collaboration. Location TBD Michael & Corina Soimar Lakeshore Creative Services Warner Norcross + Judd LLP Shon Cook Law PC Tickets: Adults $10, Children/Students Free

The PLayhouse

Smash Wine Bar & Bistro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

what’s remembered most is the song that remains in the heart forever.

~ Since 1929 ~

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

WELCOME BACK TO LIVE! COMING SOON FROM YOUR WMS

@ the Frauenthal Center

@ The Block Listening Room Alessio Bax & Lucille Chung Four-Hand Piano

Cherish the Ladies Friday, March 25 at 7:30 pm

The Grammy-nominated, Irish-American super group joins us for an evening of beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements, and stunning step dancing.

Saturday, January 29 at 7:30 pm

Fareed Haque & Tony Monaco Guitar & Organ Jazz Saturday, February 19 at 7:30 pm

Finally Sujari!

Friday, May 13 at 7:30 pm Sujari Britt cello We were on the verge of performing this concert, featuring Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto no. 1, when the Covid lockdown began in March 2020. Join us for this long-awaited performance!

Tim Froncek & TC Friends Jazz Quintet Saturday, March 12 at 7:30 pm

The Benny Green Trio Straight-Ahead Jazz Friday, April 29 at 7:30 pm

WMS Around the World Friday, June 10 at 7:30 pm

Take a musical journey around the world. Features Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, Brahms’s Hungarian Dances nos. 1&5 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 2.

Sujari Britt Classical Cello

Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 pm

House Of Hamill Celtic Fiddle

Fantastic Finale

Friday, June 24 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 21 at 7:30 pm

Arturo Ziraldo viola This fantastic season finale features Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and principal violist Arturo Ziraldo in the spotlight.

VOLUME 10 • westmichigansymphony.org ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

Arturo Ziraldo & Friends Classical Chamber Friday, June 17 at 7:30 pm

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY ENDOWMENT Now in its 82nd Season, WMS is dedicated to building a music-infused West Michigan, providing professional concerts in a welcoming environment and music education that enriches the lives of both children and adults. The Endowment, along with robust annual giving, provides a stable funding base that supports this cause. WMS’s Endowment is held in two funds at the Community Foundation for Muskegon County (CFFMC), as well as in a third newly established fund at the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation (GHACF). Established in 1992 at the CFFMC, the “Secure the Spirit” Fund reported a fair market value of $665,990 on June 30, 2021. Established in 2020, the “Play Your Part” fund reported $821,575 on the same date. The new “Play Your Part” fund, established in 2021 at GHACF, was at $102,950. The corpus of each fund is owned, managed and directed by these foundations, whose trustees determine the timing and amount of distributions—normally 4% annually. Foundation staff handles all administrative details and investment responsibilities, freeing WMS leadership and staff to focus on its mission delivery.

Play Your Part Campaign West Michigan Symphony’s $5 million “Play Your Part” Campaign has two primary objectives. The first is to bring the Endowment to a level that will generate a significant percentage of the annual budget—between 15 and 18%—thereby providing a more stable revenue model for the future. The second is to establish “Tune Up,” a new string orchestra program for underserved students who currently lack access to such instruction. For more information on this initiative, please see page 27. At the end of December 2021, campaign leadership reported more than $3.8 million in gifts and pledges. We thank all those who have given generously to the campaign to date, and invite everyone to consider “playing a part” in WMS’s future. Whether through an outright gift or a designation in your will and trusts, your support will ensure continuity and future growth of WMS’s artistic and education footprint. To learn more, please contact Andy Buelow at 231.726.3231 or abuelow@westmichigansymphony.org.

Honorary Chairs

Operation Chairs

Larry & Lari Hines Robert & Wendy Kersman Fred & Joanna Norris Mike & Kay Olthoff Peter Turner & Jean Enright

Jan Deur Kay Olthoff

Cabinet Members Sherry Becker Susan Bissell Jon & Jane Blyth Pete & Sherry Brown Ryan Bryker Susan Cloutier Crain

Anne Dake Kevin Even Bill Eyke Jim & Susan Geisler Dave Gerdes Kimberly L. Hammond

Paul & Karen Jackson Roger Morgenstern Steve & Deb Olsen Susan Rehrer Tom Schaub & Mary Price Dr Alan Steinman

Brad Hilleary Todd Jacobs Clara Lang Cindy Larsen Gary Nelund Dale Nesbary Frank & Emma Peterson

Asaline Scott John Severson Dan & Ann Tabor Rebecca Veltman Walter Watt

Endorsement Council Marilyn Andersen Troy Bell Bernie & Cathy Berntson Pat Donahue Steve Gawron Judy Hayner Amy Heisser 12

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

Maestro: $250,000 and up Michael & Kay Olthoff Larry & Lari Hines

Prelude: $10,000-$14,999 Susan Bissell Andy & Beth Buelow G&L Hot Dogs The Gerber Foundation David Gerdes & Carolyn Smith-Gerdes Stephen & Debra Jackson F. Martin & Dorothy A. Johnson Fund of the GHACF Paul C Johnson Fund of the CFFMC Fred & Joanna Norris Greg & Shelley Olson Bonnie Olson Memorial Fund Susan Rehrer Robbins Road Animal Clinic Dr Alan Steinman John & Mary Swanson Liz & Tom Trzaska matched by L3Harris Mr Peter M Turner Roger & Rebecca Tuuk Webb Chemical Judy Wilcox

Premiere: $100,000-$249,999 Community Foundation for Muskegon County (CFFMC) Douglas & Janet Hoch Robert & Wendy Kersman Scott & Donna Lachniet Jack & Becky Slimko Crescendo: $50,000-$99,999 Bernie & Cathy Berntson Jon & Jane Blyth Mary Theodore Danigelis Jan & Laura Deur Pat & Julie Donahue Mark & Christine Fazakerley Mrs. Carol Folkert Grand Haven Area Community Foundation (GHACF) Howmet Aerospace Dan & Sheryl Kuznar Meijer Foundation Patrick O'Leary Foundation Steve & Deb Olsen Warner Norcross + Judd LLP Symphony: $25,000-$49,999 Pete & Sherry Brown Orville & Susan Cloutier-Crain Don & Kathy Dahlstrom matched by Charles Stewart Mott Fund Rob & Cathleen Dubault Eagle Alloy William & Mary Lou Eyke Fifth Third Bank Paul & Karen Jackson John & Jessie Martin Dr Richard & Nancy Peters Tom Schaub & Mary Price Concerto: $15,000-$24,999 Marilyn Andersen Allen & Sandy Beck Jackie Engel, CFP James & Susan Geisler Kimberly Hammond & Michael Martin matched by Bank of America Stephen & Susan Struck

Overture: $5,000-$9,999 Anonymous (2) BDO Bill Baldridge Sherry Becker Frank & Susan Bednarek George & Lori Lynn Cannon Cofessco Fire Protection Consumers Energy Dr Donald & Nancy Crandall Anne & Allan Dake Kevin & Annette Even Mary Anne Gorman Judith Hayner & Charlene Romanosky Greg & Debi Hillebrand Patsy Hunt Bari Johnson Tom & Pat Johnson Dick & Lynn Kamps Ray & Betsy Komray Clara Lang Mark & Bonnie Meengs Frank & Emma Peterson Suzanne Richards & Lee Burlison Dr F Remington & Ginny Sprague John & Sue Sytsema Dan & Ann Tabor Don & Jane Tjarksen LJ Verplank Webb Chemical Kathy West in memory of David Alan West

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

Sonata: $1,000-$4,999 Anonymous (2) Cynthia Ackerman Christine Adams Charles & Gloria Alstrom Margo Atwell Bank of America Charitable Foundation Jack & Marilyn Brown Ryan & Katie Bryker Robert & Charlotte Chessman George & Deborah Chmelar Dr & Mrs Paul Christie Dr Mark D & Kristina M Clark Darlene Collet Core Realty Partners Kurt & Cheryl Deford Jean Enright Charles & Lynn Freeman Evelyn Geile Michael Gluhanich Mr & Mrs Bill Hendrick Cornelia Holley Keith & Mary Kay Hopkins Hugh & Barbara Hornstein Richard & Holly Hughes Ed Hunt & Nancy McCarthy Bruce & Mary Krueger Peter Kurdziel Michael Martin Cindy Mazurek Chris McGuigan & Gary Neal Roger & Jane Missimer Roger & Michelle Morgenstern in memory of Richard & Nancy Morgenstern Scott & Janee' Musselman Gary Nelund & Angie Wasserman-Nelund matched by State Farm Insurance Dr Dale & Connie Nesbary Steve & Kathy Parker Gary & Beth Post Denis & Barbara Potuznik RENK America David & Georganna Rice David Roodvoets Kurt Rosen John & Marilyn Ruck John Saling & Diane Fischer Jill Sanders Chip & Susan Sawyer Duane & Susan Schecter Laura Schultz John & Elaine Severson Jocelyn Shaw & Doug Hannink 13

Shoreline Insurance Michael & Corina Soimar Scott Speck in honor of the WMS Musicians Ted & Judy Stojak Bryce & Marti Tallant Carol Parker Thompson Peter & Judy Theune Judy Tierney Evan & Rachel Ufer David & Laura Valk JR Whitby Eleanor Williams Dr Roy Winegar & Ms Barbara Klingenmaier Jan Witt Jane Wright Robert & Joanne Zayko Environmental Fund of the CFFMC Douglas & Jennifer Zwemer Introit: Up to $999 Anonymous (4) Anonymous in honor of Fred & Joanna Norris Larry & Sandra Austin

Charles Black in honor of Fred & Joanna Norris Gary & Rhonda Bogner Dana & Claudia Bryant Jerry & Marcia Brichan Benjamin Christian on behalf of Tina Horigan E Jane Connell & Steven W Rosen Calvin Deur Harold & Mary Englund Eugene Fethke Martha Ferriby Tilio Giacobassi Family Erica Gillard Harvey & Maraleigh Heyer Ellen Hanichen Gwen Hoffman Doug & Judy Hostetler Mary Ann Howe Joel & Kathleen Jarvis Kristi Klomp Randy & Debra Knapp Pete & Mimi Kunz Cindy Larsen Joeseph & Barbara Legatz Charles Matthews & Kay Cater Matthews

Patrick & Sheila Miller Barb & John Mullally Kathryn Neumann Perry & Deb Newson James & Ruth Olthoff Thomas Pascoe Janet Payne William & Gay Peterson Linda Quaine Rev William Randall Mike & Char Ratchford Stephen & Susan Salisbury Schieholz/Hogan Fund of the CFFMC Sally Schwartz Asaline Scott Joanie Smith Howard & Marilyn Swanson Warren Tibbitts Richard & Marge Tourre Mary Towner Nancy & Gerritt Vanderwest Rebecca Veltman Duane & Laurie Wright Raimonds T Ziemelis Jim & Linda Zolman

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MASTERWORKS.2

CARNIVAL OF PIANOS FRIDAY JANUARY 28 7:30 PM SCOTT SPECK CONDUCTOR ALESSIO BAX & LUCILLE CHUNG PIANOS

Rossini Overture to The Thieving Magpie Last performed March 1991

Respighi The Birds

Last performed February 2012

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Prelude The Dove The Hen The Nightingale The Cuckoo

Intermission SPONSORS CONCERT

Bolzoni Minuetto WMS premiere

Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals Last performed September 2012

MEDIA

SEASON

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Intro & Royal March of the Lion Hens and Roosters Wild Donkeys—Fleet Animals Tortoises The Elephant Kangaroos Aquarium People with Long Ears Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods Aviary Pianists Fossils The Swan Finale

Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung Poetry by Ogden Nash 16

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

CONCERT SPONSOR MESSAGE—HARBOR STEEL

What is better than hearing a nine-foot Steinway grand piano live? The answer: two nine-foot Steinways! Add to that a 60-piece professional symphony orchestra and you have a truly unforgettable experience. Harbor Steel is delighted to sponsor Carnival of Pianos, featuring the dynamic duo of Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung. Like you, we are ecstatic to see the orchestra “in the flesh” again at the community’s beloved Frauenthal Center. And for those not yet ready to return in person, WMS continues to offer home viewing of the entire performance—exactly one week after the live concert—via its online Virtual Concert Hall at westmichigansymphony.org. It is a privilege to partner with the West Michigan Symphony to provide the beauty and enjoyment that comes from listening to the musical arts in our community—whether in person or virtually. Enjoy the concert!

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) Overture to The Thieving Magpie Gioachino Rossini was the most prolific and acclaimed Italian composer of the first half of the nineteenth century. Before retiring at age 38, he composed 39 operas, at times churning out a full-length opera in less than a month. An early biography of Rossini recounts that at the 1817 premiere of La Gazza Ladra (“The Thieving Magpie”) in Milan, the conductor locked Rossini in a room the day before the first performance, ordering him to complete the still unfinished overture. Stagehands stood guard over the composer, and as each page of the score was completed, they ripped it from his desk and threw it out the window to the copyist, who would create the orchestra’s parts. This opera tells the story of a maid named Ninetta who is nearly executed for stealing silver. Only at the last minute is the true culprit revealed: a magpie has been hiding valuables in a church tower. While the audience knows the outcome from the title of the work, the conflict builds as they witness the behavior of various characters leading up to the execution scene. As is typical of Rossini, a lot of musical material is packed into the opera’s overture, previewing the themes and emotional breadth of the performance to come. In an unusual move sure to have gotten the attention of the audience, the overture opens with snare drum rolls followed by a military march. The frantic, minor-key melody that is heard next comes from Ninetta’s prison scene, where she contemplates her looming death. A loud, authoritative trombone enters symbolizing the heavy hand of the law. This is followed by a hummable, waltz-

like, major-key theme taken from the scene where the judge prepares the court. The theme is played over and over again at increasing volume: a so-called “Rossini crescendo.”

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) The Birds Composers have been enchanted by birdsong for generations. Birds are famously heard in Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, in Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony, and in Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. And Saint-Saëns included hens, roosters, a cuckoo, a swan, and an entire aviary in his Carnival of the Animals. The demand on wind players to imitate birds has become such a cliché that when author Lemony Snicket collaborated with composer Nathaniel Stookey to create a children’s book and performance piece titled The Composer is Dead, the woodwind players use birdsong as their alibi: “‘We were doing bird imitations,’ said the Flutes, the shiniest and highest pitched of the woodwinds. ‘It seems like that’s all we ever do. Whenever the orchestra needs a bird, there we are.’” Thankfully, when Respighi set out to capture the sounds of four different birds in his 1928 composition—dove, hen, nightingale and cuckoo—he didn’t rely solely on the flutes. String instruments perform the soft coo of the dove and the abrasive clucking of the hen; woodwinds perform rooster calls; and the flutes provide the two-note call of the cuckoo. In addition, Respighi illustrates the motion of fluttering wings, the soaring of flight, and the bobbing and pecking of farmyard hens. While the birds themselves get the title billing of the piece, Respighi gives substance to an otherwise light-hearted showpiece by borrowing melodies from various Baroque composers. He quotes from the Italian composer Bernardo Pasquini in the Prelude and “The Cuckoo,” from the French lutenist and composer Jacque de Gallot in “The dove,” from the French harpsichordist, composer and theorist Jean-Philippe Rameau in “The Hen,” and from a folksong transcribed by the Dutch musician Jacob van Eyck in “The Nightingale.”

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Carnival of the Animals Camille Saint-Saëns was a very serious composer. Often compared to Mozart, he was a child prodigy, a master musical craftsman and a prolific composer. He preferred traditional, abstract instrumental forms like sonatas, symphonies and concertos, causing his contemporary Charles Gounod to dub him “The Beethoven of France.” Saint-Saëns didn’t push the envelope or jump on the modernist bandwagon. He was, as Claude Debussy noted, “the musician of tradition.”

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

But in 1886, Saint-Saëns wrote a letter of apology to his publisher explaining that while he knew he was supposed to be completing his “Organ” Symphony, he was delayed because he was working on a humorous piece for Shrove Tuesday (or Mardi Gras), and it was just such fun! He was apparently so engrossed in his work on this musical comedy—his Carnival of the Animals—that he completed it in a matter of days. However, Saint-Saëns wished to protect his reputation as a serious composer. He did not allow the work to be published during his lifetime—stipulating in his will that it could be released posthumously—and he only allowed a handful of private performances. So how did this serious composer achieve musical comedy in fourteen movements played by an odd ensemble of eleven musicians? In his broadcasted Young People’s Concerts, Leonard Bernstein addressed this subject: “The first and simplest way that music can be amusing is by simply imitating nature. It’s one of the oldest ways of making you laugh.” Throughout Carnival of the Animals, Saint-Saëns successfully imitates an entire menagerie. You will hear lions roaring, hens pecking at the ground, tortoises dancing a painfully slow can-can, kangaroos hopping, cuckoos chirping, birds singing, and a swan gliding gracefully across the surface of the water.

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Saint-Saëns also used musical imitation, quoting from a menagerie of composers. “Hens and Roosters” (movement 2) quotes from a harpsichord piece called La Poule (“The Hen”) by the French Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. “Tortoises” (movement 4) uses the “Can-can” from Jacques Offenbach’s opera Orpheus in the Underworld. In “The Elephant” (movement 5), Saint-Saëns dramatically lowers the pitch of two themes: one from Felix Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and one from Hector Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust. And the composer even quotes his own Danse Macabre in “Fossils” (movement 12). This “zoological fantasy” contains two rather odd animals. The eighth movement, titled “ “Characters with long ears,” imitates the hee-haws of donkeys. But it has long been understood that the braying was intended to be that of the music critics that annoyed even the best composers of 19th-century Paris. And in the eleventh movement, SaintSaëns—a pianist himself—includes “Pianists” in his zoo! You will hear these beasts practicing their scales and finger exercises. In the original edition, the score instructed the pianists to imitate the awkwardness of beginning musicians: a sound as beastly as any roaring lion or braying donkey. In the finale, Saint-Saëns brings many of the animals back for a reprise. Listen for the lions roaring, the hens pecking at the ground and the kangaroos hopping. But it is those wild donkeys with long ears that get the last laugh... or the last hee-haw.•• 18

Notes by Sarah A Ruddy, Phd WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

Alessio Bax Combining exceptional lyricism and insight with consummate technique, Alessio Bax has been lauded as “among the most remarkable young pianists now before the public.” (Gramophone) He catapulted to prominence with First Prize wins at both the Leeds and Hamamatsu International Piano Competitions, and is now a familiar face on five continents, not only as a recitalist and chamber musician, but also as a concerto soloist who has appeared with more than 100 orchestras worldwide. Bax revisited the two concertos heard on his disc Alessio Bax Plays Mozart for his recent debuts with the Boston and Melbourne Symphonies, both with Sir Andrew Davis, and with the Sydney Symphony, which he led himself from the keyboard. Other recent highlights have included his Auckland Philharmonia debut, concerts in Israel, a Japanese tour featuring dates with the Tokyo Symphony, U.S. collaborations with Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Edo de Waart, and two solo recitals marking his return to the prestigious Mozarteum Argentino series at Buenos Aires’s Teatro Colón. In fall 2019, Bax joined the piano faculty of Boston’s New England Conservatory. Recent seasons have also seen Bax make his solo recital debut at London’s Wigmore Hall, which aired live on BBC Radio 3, and give concerts at L.A.’s Disney Hall, Washington’s Kennedy Center, and New York’s Carnegie Hall. In 2009, he was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and four years later he received both the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award and the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists.

“Moonlight” Sonatas (a Gramophone “Editor’s Choice”). He recorded a duo disc with his wife, pianist Lucille Chung, that includes Stravinsky’s original four-hand version of the ballet Pétrouchka as well as music by Brahms and Piazzolla. His disc Scriabin & Mussorgsky was named “Recording of the Month, and quite possibly of the year” by MusicWeb International. He performed Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata for maestro Daniel Barenboim in the PBSTV documentary Barenboim on Beethoven: Masterclass, available as a DVD boxed set on the EMI label. Mr. Bax graduated with top honors at the record age of 14 from the conservatory of Bari, his hometown in Italy, where his teacher was Angela Montemurro. He studied in France with FrancoisJoël Thiollier and attended the Chigiana Academy in Siena under Joaquín Achúcarro. In 1994 he moved to Dallas to continue his studies with Achúcarro at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts. A Steinway artist, he lives in New York City with Lucille Chung and their five-year-old daughter, Mila. Beyond the concert hall he is known for his longtime obsession with fine food; as a 2013 New York Times profile noted, he is not only notorious for hosting “epic” multi-course dinner parties, but often spends his intermissions dreaming of meals to come. ••

Bax is a staple on the international summer festival circuit, and has performed at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland; the Aldeburgh Festival, Bath Festival, and Southbank Centre’s International Piano Series in England, among others. In the U.S., he makes regular appearances at Seattle Chamber Music Festival, Music@ Menlo, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and New York’s Bard Music Festival. Bax’s celebrated discography for Signum Classics includes Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto and the “Hammerklavier” and

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Lucille Chung Born in Montréal, Canadian pianist Lucille Chung has been acclaimed for her “stylish and refined performances” by Gramophone magazine, “combining vigor and suppleness with natural eloquence and elegance.” (Le Soir) She made her debut at the age of ten with the Montréal Symphony Orchestra and Charles Dutoit subsequently invited her to be a featured soloist during the MSO Asian Tour in 1989. Since then, she has performed an extensive concerto repertoire with over 70 leading orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Staatskapelle Weimar, and the orchestras of Calgary, Dallas, National Arts Centre, St. Louis, Toronto and Vancouver, among others.

Alessio Bax and once again received the prestigious R10 from Classica-Répertoire. She and Bax recorded Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals with the Fort Worth Symphony under Maestro Miguel Harth-Bedoya, released in 2006. 2013 marked the release of a piano duo disc with Alessio Bax, presenting Stravinsky’s original four-hand version of the ballet Pétrouchka as well as music by Brahms and Piazzolla, for Signum Records. In 2015, she released an all Poulenc album for Signum, which was chosen as the “Recording of the Month” on MusicWeb and most recently in 2018, a Liszt solo album was released. ••

As a recitalist, she has performed in over 35 countries in prestigious venues such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, London’s Wigmore Hall, New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and Washington’s Kennedy Center. Festival appearances include the Verbier, Music@ Menlo, Montreal International Festival, Ottawa Chamber Festival and the International Keyboard Institute in NYC, among others. In 1989, she was recognized on the international scene as the First Prize winner at the Stravinsky International Piano Competition. She won Second Prize at the 1992 Montreal International Music Competition, at which she also won a Special Prize for the best interpretation of the unpublished work. In 1993, she received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Governor General of Canada and in 1994 won the Second Prize at the First International Franz Liszt Competition in Weimar. In 1999, she was awarded the prestigious Virginia Parker Prize by the Canada Council for the Arts. She graduated from both the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School before she turned 20. She decided to further her studies in London with Maria Curcio-Diamand, Schnabel’s protégée, at the “Mozarteum” in Salzburg with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and received the Konzertexam Diplom from the Hochschule “Franz Liszt” in Weimar, where she worked with the late Lazar Berman. She also graduated from the Accademia Pianistica in Imola, Italy with the honorary title of “Master” and from Southern Methodist University under Joaquín Achúcarro. Ms. Chung is the recipient of the prestigious Honors Diploma at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy. Lucille Chung has been hailed as “a considerable artist, admirable for her bold choice of music” by The Sunday Times for her recordings of the complete piano works by György Ligeti on the Dynamic label. The first volume was released in 2001 to great critical acclaim, receiving the maximum R10 from ClassicaRépertoire in France, Five Stars from the BBC Music Magazine, and Five Stars on Fono Forum in Germany. The final volume, which also contains works for two pianos, was recorded with her husband, 20

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Nothin' BUT THE BLUES FRIDAY MARCH 4 7:30 PM SCOTT SPECK CONDUCTOR SHAYNA STEELE VOCALIST

The Blues was the heart and soul of most forms of popular music throughout the 20th Century. This musical art form was the foundation for some of the biggest hits in jazz and popular music and influenced artists like Eric Clapton, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and countless other musical icons. This concert explores the early music that started it all and pays tribute to the first musical legends who sang their way into history, including Bessie Smith, Billy Holiday, Ma Rainey, Louis Armstrong, and more.

SPONSORS SEASON

Concert to include: 'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do St. Louis Blues St. James Infirmary Blues I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues Backwater Blues Jailhouse Blues Downhearted Blues Tin Roof Blues Nobody Knows When You're Down and Out Wear Me Down Blues Train Downtown Shuffle

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

Shayna Steele There’s no need to sugar coat it since her impressive credits speak for themselves. Her colleagues praise her ability, her dedication and drive to perfecting her craft as a professional singer and knockout performer. With a voice that London Jazz News says “unleashes enough voltage to light up the West End,” Shayna Steele has made her mark as an in-demand vocalist in the studio and on the stage. An appearance on Ed McMahon’s Star Search was her first experience performing in front of a nationally televised audience. After losing by half-star, Shayna returned to her hometown of Biloxi, Mississippi to finish high school and pursue a music degree before exposing herself to the cutthroat “reality” of the business. “I was embarrassed and defeated,” she remembers. “I wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl in a hole.” A completely unexpected call in 2005 would drop her squarely in the middle of a genre she had absolutely no experience with: Electronica. Hearing that Moby “needed a screamer” for a track off his new album Hotel, a mutual friend recommended Steele, resulting in the disc’s second single, “Raining Again.” Two years later, she was back, laying down vocals for “Extreme Ways” – Moby’s theme song to The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy and Jason Bourne – and in early 2008, “Disco Lies,” the first single off of Moby’s 2008 release Last Night. The song reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Dance charts and was featured in J.J. Abram’s summer blockbuster Cloverfield and the movie The Backup Plan starring Jennifer Lopez. Her voice has remained highly in demand with vocals on the soundtrack for Hairspray, Sex and the City 2, NBC’s Smash, 2008 Summer Olympic highlights on BBC, and the 2021 release of In the Heights. Shayna has made television guest appearances on HBO’s The Sopranos and she reprised her Broadway role with the “Dynamites” in NBC’s Hairspray Live.

Her self-penned song “Gone Under” from that same album was personally selected by Michael League of Snarky Puppy to be arranged for their album Family Dinner, Volume 1. The song and Shayna’s performance was the first single to be released on the Grammy Award-winning band’s album, which has exceeded 1.8 million views on YouTube. Shayna has appeared as a soloist and guest artist with over 40 symphony orchestras throughout North America. Her most recent solo concert Nothin’ But the Blues, written by Maestro Jeff Tyzik, is one of many highlights in her symphonic solo career. A Portland Press review of Shayna’s performance with the Portland Symphony Orchestra (ME) ranked her concert “among the PSO’s best.” Shayna recently returned to school 25 years later to finish what she started. She is currently working on her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Music Studies at Berklee College of Music where she is on the Dean’s List. She continues to tour the world with her band playing original music, is a regular guest artist with Grammy-award winning trumpeter Chris Botti, and is recording her third studio album, set for release in spring of 2022. ••

After spending 8 years as a Broadway ensemble member in shows such as Rent and Hairspray and 6 years in the background supporting artists like Bette Midler, Rihanna, and Kelly Clarkson, Shayna stepped out on her own with the release of her third studio album, Watch Me Fly, following the huge success of her album Rise which reached No. 3 on the U.S. iTunes jazz charts.

Partnership between the Lakeshore Museum Center, Congregation B'nai Israel, and Grand Valley State University. This project is funded in part by Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

ABOUT WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

MUSIC DIRECTOR SCOTT SPECK

West Michigan Symphony (WMS) is an anchor arts organization headquartered in Muskegon whose cultural footprint extends throughout West Michigan. Founded in 1939 by A. M. Courtright and conductor Palmer Quackenbush, WMS has been led by such conductors as Tauno Hannikainen, Hugo Kolberg, Wayne Dunlap, Lyman Starr, John Wheeler, Philip Greenberg, Murray Gross, and current Music Director Scott Speck. WMS is comprised of professional musicians of the highest caliber playing challenging repertoire and presenting some of the world’s most acclaimed guest artists. The orchestra presents an eight-concert season that includes classical masterworks and pops at the Frauenthal Center in downtown Muskegon.

Scott Speck became Music Director of the West Michigan Symphony in 2002. Since then he is proud to have helped the WMS enter the ranks of the nation's finest regional orchestras.

Mission

In past seasons Scott Speck has conducted at London’s Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the Paris Opera, New York's Lincoln Center, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Washington’s Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, and the Los Angeles Music Center. He has led numerous performances with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Houston, Baltimore, Paris, Moscow, Shanghai, Beijing, Vancouver, Romania, Slovakia, Buffalo, Columbus, Louisville, New Orleans, Oregon, Rochester, Florida, and Virginia, among many others.

WMS connects and enriches our diverse community through the transformative power of music. We fulfill this primarily through three core offerings: • Professional, live symphonic performances in a welcoming environment • The Block, a gathering space that sparks curiosity, inspiration and fellowship through the shared experience of uncommon live music • Music Education that enriches the lives of children and adults through exploration, participation and performance

Statement Of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion West Michigan Symphony is committed to building an organization that fosters diversity, equity and inclusion. We acknowledge and celebrate the 19th century European cultural heritage from which the symphony orchestra arises. At the same time, we believe the art form is renewed and enlivened by embracing multifarious cultures and influences, as it has done throughout its history. We will continually explore ways to reflect plurality, inclusivity and curiosity in our artistic programming. We commit to inviting under-represented ethnic groups into an ongoing, active dialogue so that we can learn, grow, and change, making the Symphony a place where everyone feels invited and accepted. In our Board, staff and volunteer base, we will work for greater inclusivity, thereby reflecting the rich diversity of the West Michigan community. We will strive to reflect these values throughout our organization.

Scott also holds positions as music director of the Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Philharmonic and Mobile Symphony. He previously held positions as conductor of the San Francisco Ballet; music advisor and conductor of the Honolulu Symphony; and associate conductor of the Los Angeles Opera. During a tour of Asia he was named principal guest conductor of the China Film Philharmonic in Beijing. He was also invited to the White House as music director of the Washington Ballet.

Speck is co-author of the world’s best-selling books on classical music for a popular audience: Classical Music for Dummies, Opera for Dummies, and Ballet for Dummies. He has been a regular commentator on National Public Radio, the BBC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Voice of Russia, broadcast throughout the world. Born in Boston, Scott Speck is a Fulbright Scholar, a summa cum laude graduate of Yale University, and an Aspen Conducting Fellow. He is fluent in English, German and French, has a diploma in Italian, speaks Spanish and has a reading knowledge of Russian. Web: scottspeck.org; Twitter: ScottSpeck1 Facebook: facebook.com/ConductorScottSpeck

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE

CONCERTS AT THE BLOCK WMS’s Listening Room for the Musically Curious, The Block, is an innovative performance venue featuring a mixture of jazz, crossover-folk, and classical chamber concerts. Since its opening in 2013, The Block has become a vibrant downtown gathering space that sparks curiosity, inspiration and fellowship through the shared experience of uncommon live music and educational programs. Audiences have found the venue a refreshing alternative—to the formality of a concert hall on one hand, the clamor of a brewpub on the other.

EDUCATION West Michigan Symphony offers a host of programs that address access to arts learning and education. Music and the arts furnish young people with important skills they need to better navigate through life. These include creative thinking, problem solving, motivation and collaboration—traits that boost both academic performance and employability. WMS education programs impact toddlers through young adults and are provided free or at very low cost to ensure access to all.

Debut and Premier Strings Debut Strings introduces beginning and intermediate students to large ensemble performance through challenging and diverse repertoire. Students in Debut Strings have at least two years of playing experience and strong note reading skills. Concert performances occur in the fall and spring. Premier Strings is made up of intermediate to advanced string players who have the opportunity to perform on stage with the West Michigan Symphony at the spring Link Up concerts. For those string players who are looking to challenge their abilities and experience additional performance opportunities, this is THE group! Both ensembles are led by Angela Corbin, Orchestra Director at North Muskegon Public Schools.

West Michigan Symphony Children’s Choir (WMSCC) The WMSCC is an audition-based choir for children ages 8-13. With the goal of providing children quality music education of the highest level, we strive to enrich the lives of youth from all backgrounds and to be an integral part of the artistic community in West Michigan. A special combined concert with the Debut and Premier Strings will be held on March 26, 2022 at the Frauenthal Center. Beth Slimko, the WMSCC

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN. RENK America is driven by a sense of pride and purpose in our country and our community. We are passionate about providing crucial components that support our military family, and we’re equally passionate about providing for our employees and supporting community initiatives that make Muskegon a better place to be. Whether here in our city or on the front lines, we take care of our own.

WE POWER FREEDOM.

al th n e u a r F e th e v r e s e Help pr ! s r a e y 0 9 t x e n e th for For the last 90 years, the Frauenthal Theater has been the cornerstone of downtown Muskegon. The Frauenthal’s impact on the cultural and economic life of Muskegon has been felt from its early cinematic shows to today’s community events, graduations, weddings, and performances. Today, its impact continues to ripple through a diverse range of arts and entertainment experiences. A regional asset, the Frauenthal Theater is now approaching 30 years since its renovation and is showing wear from steady use. The Community Foundation has identified more than $5 million in fundamental structural needs, renovation, and preservation that are critical to the theater’s future and use. This needed investment will enhance the experience of patrons and ensure its place in the community for future generations. You can help ensure that the Frauenthal Theater’s next 90 years continue to inspire, enlighten, and educate our entire community. To support the Frauenthal Preservation Campaign Fund, go to www.frauenthal.org/TheNext90Years Frauenthal Center | 425 West Western Avenue | Downtown Muskegon 26

Center WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASONFrauenthal MAGAZINE

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Frauenthal Theater

conductor, is currently the director of the North Muskegon Public School choir program and is a vocal music specialist for elementary music.

Link Up Link Up is beginning its 18th year serving over 5,000 children in more than 50 schools from six counties. This free beginner music education program, a collaboration with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, pairs our orchestra with local community schools. Students learn to read and play music on the recorder and gain an understanding of orchestral repertoire. They benefit from regular contact with Music Mentors: WMS musicians who visit classrooms to work with students and prepare them for attending the symphony and performing on their recorders. Mentors will meet students in person and virtually during the 2021-22 school year, and the culminating spring concert will be held in person on May 3, 2022.

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Tune Up Slated for launching in the fall of 2022, Tune Up is modeled after El Sistema, a visionary global orchestra movement that provides free instrumental music education to underserved youth, developing the life skills and habits that lead to successful lives. Students will receive use of a musical instrument, learn to play that instrument, participate in ensemble and sectional lessons, build friendships, and receive music and academic support from teaching artists and qualified staff. Filling a gap in the current elementary education system, the program will take place in partnership with Muskegon Public Schools as part of MPS IMPACT!, which provides after-school academic enrichment opportunities.

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Watch Muskegon Play The WMS has collaborated with Muskegon Rotary and other community activists to bring all-weather outdoor musical instruments to Muskegon. Installation took place in August and September 2020. Manufactured by Freenotes™ Harmony Park, these are durable, sustainable sound sculptures that enhance outdoor community spaces and are located throughout parks in the Muskegon area. Please visit our website for details.••

3003 Lakeshore Drive, Muskegon, MI 49441

231.759.8596 | www.torresen.com VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

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I see music as fluid architecture -Joni Mitchell

For all of your real estate needs, call Tom...

Knight or Day! Tom Knight • 616-850-8398 326 N. Beacon Blvd., Grand Haven MI 49417

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 2022 – MARCH 2022

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY SEASON MAGAZINE