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72ndConcert SeasonTABLE OF CONTENTS 4 A Note from the President &

Executive Director 5 Important Information 7 Board of Directors 9 Past Presidents & Administrative Staff 10 Maestro Edvard Tchivzhel 13 GSO Concert Schedule 14 GSO Musicians 16 About the GSO 17 The Guild of the Greenville Symphony 19 About Our Program Notes Writer 21 The Russian Sorcerer & His Apprentices

(Masterworks Series)

27 Rising Stars (Masterworks Series)

33 Strings Supreme (Chamber Orchestra Series)

38 Mostly Mozart (Masterworks Series)

42 Orchestral Brilliance (Chamber Orchestra Series)

45 Happy Birthday, Beethoven! (Masterworks Series)

52 Annual Fund 56 The Endowment 62 Education Programs

GREENVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 3

Dear Friends,

We invite you to celebrate your orchestra – the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. For the last seventy-one years, the GSO has enthralled audiences through the power of live music. As we begin the second half of our 72nd concert season, we ask you to take a moment and think about what the GSO means to you. Perhaps you look forward to one of our many classical performances or maybe you prefer our pops series. Then again, you may look forward to one of our education and community engagement programs like Lollipops or Once Upon An Orchestra. Whether you choose to attend this season’s Beethoven’s Ninth or our tribute to The Beatles pops concert (or maybe you’ll be attending both!), the GSO is whatever you choose it to be, because it’s your orchestra.

Our Masterworks Series season continues with a tribute to the “Russian Sorcerer,” Mikhail Glinka, and his “apprentices,” Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky and Borodin, a “mostly Mozart” program, and we welcome guest conductor Joseph Young for our fourth concert, “Rising Stars,” at the end of February. We close our Masterworks Series season with a birthday party 250 years in the making, as we celebrate the birthday of one of the world’s greatest and most influential composers, Ludwig van Beethoven, with our performance of Beethoven’s Ninth, featuring four world-renowned soloists and The Greenville Chorale.

The Chamber Orchestra and Spotlight Series will both move and enlighten you with personalized insights from Maestro Tchivzhel and the musicians. Want to know even more about our musicians? Then be sure to attend a Friday night performance of one of our Chamber Orchestra concerts and stay after the concert for one of our “Friday Night Chamber Chats,” curated by GSO Education Director and Bassist, Dr. Braxton Ballew.

We finish our Pops Series with one of our most anticipated concerts, Revolution: The Music of the Beatles. A Symphonic Experience. This all-new authorized symphonic tribute to the Fab Four, features top vocalists with full orchestration from the GSO and is accompanied by hundreds of rare and unseen photos, video and animation of one of the most influential rock bands ever, The Beatles. Be sure to mark you calendars for March 26, 2020, because this is a concert you won’t want to miss.

We thank you for your participation and support of your orchestra, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. Now, sit back, get comfortable, and prepare to escape for the next couple of hours as your GSO takes you on a glorious, musical excursion. Enjoy.

Sincerely,

A Note From thePRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

C. Dan Adams President

Julianne M. Fish Executive Director

4 | GREENVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICEGreenville Symphony Orchestra200 South Main StreetGreenville, SC 29601Phone: (864) 232-0344Fax: (864) 467-3113www.greenvillesymphony.org

BOX OFFICEThe Peace Center300 South Main StreetGreenville, SC 29601Phone: (864) 467-3000 or (800) 888-7768Fax: (864) 467-3025Email: [email protected]

TICKET EXCHANGE POLICYAll sales are final and tickets are non-refundable. If you cannot attend a GSO performance, you may return your tickets to The Peace Center Box Office at least 48 hours before the concert begins, in exchange for tickets to a future GSO performance. The box office charges a fee to non-subscribers for this service. You may also donate your unused tickets prior to a concert for a tax letter. Refunds cannot be issued for inclement weather.

LATE SEATING POLICYTo ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone, late-arriving audience members may be held in the lobby until an appropriate performance break. To minimize inconvenience, a live broadcast of the concert will be presented on a lobby monitor.

ELECTRONIC DEVICE POLICYThe use of cameras, audio recorders, and video recorders are not permitted in the hall, as they may interfere with the musicians’ performance. Please turn off all cell phones, beepers, and watch alarms before entering the hall.

SPECIAL SERVICESSeating and special assistance are available in both theaters for people with disabilities. Please notify the box office when ordering tickets if you need special assistance.

E-MAIL CLUB, FACEBOOK & TWITTERBecome a fan of the GSO and join our E-mail Club to receive updates, concert insights and special offers! To sign up, visit our website at www.greenvillesymphony.org.

STUDENTS, MILITARY & GROUPSStudents with a valid ID and U.S. Servicemen and Veterans with a valid military or Veteran ID may purchase tickets for $10, based on availability. Groups of 10 or more may receive a discount of 20% off regular single ticket prices to GSO concerts. For information, call (864) 232-0344, extension 129.

ADMITTANCE OF CHILDRENThe GSO welcomes children age five and over to concerts at The Peace Center. The GSO performs “Lollipops” and “Once Upon An Orchestra” concerts in the community for children of all ages. For information about Lollipops, Once Upon An Orchestra, or other opportunities for children, please call the Education Director at (864) 232-0344, extension 119.

SUNDAY FUNDAYThe GSO encourages parents to bring their younger children, ages 5 through 12, to any Sunday afternoon Masterworks Series concert on us! For each adult ticket purchased in the “Sunday Funday” seating section in the Upper Balcony, you will receive two complimentary child tickets. Visit greenvillesymphony.org for more information.

RADIO BROADCASTSThe Greenville Symphony Orchestra’s concerts are broadcast on S.C. public radio’s “Carolina Live” on 90.1 FM in Greenville/Spartanburg; 89.3 FM in Charleston; and 91.3 FM in Columbia. “Carolina Live” is also broadcast in the Charlotte, NC region by WDAV, Classical Public Radio 89.9 FM.

LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRASTo learn more about orchestras across the country, visit the League of American Orchestras website at www.americanorchestras.org.


BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERSC. Dan Adams, PresidentBrittany Timmons, 1st Vice PresidentTerry R. Weaver, 2nd Vice PresidentWerner A. Eikenbusch, SecretaryThomas L. Willcox, Jr., Treasurer

MEMBERSBenjamin A. BarnhillDr. Natasja BevansClaire K. BlakeRobert CarterJohn Young Shik ConcklinDr. Charles E. DavisM. Todd EdwardsBrittany EllisFernando A. FleitesEva-Marie FoxNina Hallissy

Alexandra HarrisonMark B. JohnstonMary Burnet JohnstonJohn LawingRosalind Lewis-SmithMatthew MaddenJoanna MulfingerRobert B. O’BrienHenry L. Parr, Jr.Richard H. Pennell, Jr.XiaoLi Saliny

Sandy SanfordThomas F. StrangeTara E. TranthamPhilip C. Van HaleAshley W. WeeksBurl F. Williams

ADVISORY COUNCILRobert E. Howard, Co-chairMary Burnet Johnston,

Co-chairJohn AllenDonald W. BeckieChuck BlankenshipSteven BrandtBruce BraunWilliam W. BrownNoel A. BrownleeJean Alderman ClarkeVernon DunbarHoward Einstein

Michael W.L. GaudererJohn GilbertJerry HowardMargaret JenkinsWilliam T. JohnsonSharon KelleyJerry LarsonGenevieve Sakas ManlyEllie MioduskiJohn MioduskiKathleen OxnerLillian ParrSue Priester

James E. Reynolds, Jr.Stan SmithBetty StallEdward StallKris StrasserEmilie TheodoreThe Honorable

Nick A. TheodoreDon Van RiperAndy WhiteBeverley K. WhittenRay Williams

ENDOWMENT BOARDRobert E. Howard, ChairL. Leon Patterson, Vice Chair

Mary Louise Mims, TreasurerSue Priester

Nancy B. Stanton, Secretary


The Greenville Symphony Association would like to recognize the Mary Ann Claud and Olin Sansbury Staff Development Fund which supports continuing education and development for GSO staff members.

PAST PRESIDENTS

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Clifford B. Denision 49–50Jack Lee Dibble 50–51James B. Little 51–52Frank A. Marynell III 52–53J. Milton Williams 53–55Kenneth Beachboard 55–56William P. Barton 56–58Alfred E. Burgess 58–59J. Cranston Gray 59–60Sterling L. Smith 60–62Arthur Magill 62–63Thomas F. Hudgens, Jr. 63–65Alester G. Furman III 65–66Frank Wrenn 66–68Ernest Blakely, Jr. 68–70Junius H. Garrison, Jr. 70–71James C. Parham, Jr. 71–72Ben D. Weinstein 72–74Phillips Hungerford 74–75David L. Freeman 75–76

William J. Rothfuss 76–77Wilson C. Wearn 77–78Robert W. Hassold 78–79J. Philip Southerland 79–80T.C. Cleveland, Jr. 80–81W. deBerniere Mebane 81–82Joseph T. Allmon 82–83Robert J. Alexander 83–84Carol S. Toth 84–85Rhea T. Eskew 85–86Henry L. Parr, Jr. 86–87George E. Tate 87–88Karen M. Lawton 88–89Bradford W. Wyche 89–90Joseph J. Blake, Jr. 90–91John J. Warner 91–92Edward H. Stall, Jr. 92–93Elizabeth S. Mills 93–94Wallace K. Lightsey 94–95William L. Carpenter 95–97

Robert W. Hassold 97–99Mary Louise Mims 99–01Douglas J. Stevens 01–02Uwe Diestel 02–02John A. Redmond 02–04Mary Burnet Johnston 04–06Lillian W. Parr 06–07Susan C. Priester 07–08Andrew J. White, Jr. 08–09Jerry E. Dempsey 09–10William W. Kehl 10–11Kathleen G. Oxner, MD 11–12Donald H. Nickell, Jr. 12–13Flavia B. Harton 13–14A. Robert Nachman II 14–15Lee S. Dixon 15–16William P. Crawford 16–17Thomas F. Strange 17–18Richard W. Bradshaw 18–19

Executive DirectorJulianne M. Fish

Staff Volunteer, Special Assistant to the Executive DirectorVince Garrett

Office ManagerPam Hunter

Development AssociateKristy Buchanan

Marketing DirectorTodd Weir

Marketing AssistantKaitlyn Shimek

Education DirectorBraxton Ballew

Director of Operations & Orchestra PersonnelPhil Elkins

Principal Music LibrarianAngie Jones

ControllerPam Menges

Accounting AssistantJennifer Mullins


MAESTRO EDVARD TCHIVZHELMusic Director and Conductor

The Early Years in the U.S.S.R.Son of the Violinist of the Mariinsky Theater of Opera and Ballet and concert organist, Edvard Tchivzhel was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg, Russia). He graduated from the Leningrad Conservatoire with the highest distinction in the areas of piano and conducting, and completed three more years of postgraduate study at the Conservatoire’s Higher Academy of Music in the prestigious conducting classes of Arvid Jansons. While still a student, Tchivzhel scored a remarkable success by winning the Third Soviet Conductor’s Competition in Moscow. He worked as Assistant Conductor to the legendary conductor Yevgeni Mravinsky with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra from 1974 until 1977. By the late 1970s, Maestro Tchivzhel appeared as permanent guest conductor with the Leningrad Philharmonic and conducted the Moscow Philharmonic, the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leningrad’s Kirov Theatre of Opera and Ballet, as well as many other orchestras throughout the former U.S.S.R. In

1973, Tchivzhel became Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Karelian Symphony Orchestra of National Television and Radio, a position he held until 1991. Maestro has been awarded by ranks of “The Honored Artist of the Republic of Karelia” and “Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.”

In the 1980s, Tchivzhel’s career achieved international status with appearances in England, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand, where he served as Artistic Advisor for the Auckland Philharmonic. In 1986, he was appointed the Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Umeå Sinfonietta and the Norlands Opera, Sweden, and frequently performed with the symphony orchestras of Helsinborg, Malmö and Norrköpping. In 1998, he debuted with the Stockholm Philharmonic. In 1992, 1996 and 2000, Tchivzhel served with the Sydney International Piano Competition as the Conductor and the member of the Jury.

Internationally acclaimed conductor, Maestro Edvard Tchivzhel (pronounced CHIV-gel), serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. “Maestro Tchivzhel is, simply put, a master…his music-making is indisputably commanding and communicative,” wrote Yo-Yo Ma after performing with Tchivzhel and the GSO in 2004. Now in his 21st season with the GSO, Maestro Tchivzhel has become an icon in the Greenville community and a motivational force behind our orchestra.


Defection from the U.S.S.R.As associate conductor of the U.S.S.R. State Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Tchivzhel toured widely, scoring great success during a tour in Japan in 1990. In February 1991, Tchivzhel was enthusiastically received in the United States during a tour of the State Russian Symphony Orchestra. Following this tour, he defected to the U.S. with the help of friends in Greenville, the city he considers his “American cradle.” After defecting, his son Arvid and his wife Luba became U.S. citizens in 1999. As an American citizen, it is now a tradition for the Maestro to lead the orchestra in the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the beginning of each concert. Tchivzhel returned to Russia in April 2003 (for the first time since his defection) to once again conduct the St. Petersburg Philharmonic in a performance of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.

Extensive United States and International Conducting ExperienceTchivzhel has conducted several American orchestras, including the Baltimore Symphony, and the Atlantic Sinfonietta, a chamber orchestra based in New York, where he served as the music director from 1992 until 1994. He made acclaimed debuts with the Indianapolis Symphony in 1995 and the Grand Rapids Symphony in 1998. Maestro’s debut with the Dayton Opera in 2008 in the production of Verdi’s Macbeth was hailed by critics as “the triumph of the Dayton Opera.”

In 2002, Tchivzhel conducted in Venezuela, and in 2005, he performed Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 with the Orquestra Sinfonica del Estado in Mexico in commemoration of the victory in World War II. After a spectacular premiere of Scriabin’s Divine Poem with the Orquestra Sinfónica Brasileira in Rio de Janeiro in 2004. Maestro was invited back in Brazil to conduct in 2007 and 2011, with the Petrobras Symphony Orchestra of Brazil. In 2006, Maestro Tchivzhel conducted a Russian-Hungarian program in Spain with the Extremadura Symphony Orchestra to high acclaim. He was invited to perform again

in Spain and in Romania in 2008. In May of 2009, Maestro Tchivzhel made a triumphal debut with L’Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Italy. In April and May of 2010, he scored another great success conducting the Macau Symphony Orchestra in China and the Queensland Symphony in Australia, where the Maestro became a permanent conductor continuing his successful performances in Brisbane every year since. In summer of 2016, Maestro made his highly successful debut with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, China, the Silicon Valley Symphony, California, and the Augusta Symphony, Georgia.

Performances with World-Acclaimed ArtistsTchivzhel has performed with many great artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Gidon Kremer, Vladimir Spivakov, Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg, Emmanuel Ax, Andre Watts, Janos Starker, Olga Kern, Nicolai Demidenko, Gil Shaham, Joshua Bell, Bella Davidovich, Yuri Bashmet, Evelyn Glennie, Sharon Isbin, Doc Severinsen, and Pete Fountain. He has made numerous recordings with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Moscow Radio Orchestra, the State Russian Orchestra, the Atlantic Sinfonietta, with several orchestras in Sweden, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.

Twenty-One Years Conducting the Greenville Symphony OrchestraTchivzhel was selected as Music Director and Conductor for the Greenville Symphony Orchestra in 1999. He served as Music Director for the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Philharmonic from 1993 until 2008. Tchivzhel teaches master classes in conducting as Distinguished Visiting Professor at Furman University. As recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the musical arts, Maestro Tchivzhel was awarded The Congressional Johnny Appleseed Award in 2004 and The Order of the Palmetto, the highest award of the State of South Carolina, in 2016.


2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 0

Edvard Tchivzhel, Music Director & Conductor

Photograph by Ernest Raw

lins Photography

MASTERWORKS SERIES

Peace Concert HallSaturdays at 8:00 p.m.Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

September 21 & 22, 2019“TCHEERS” FOR TCHAIKOVSKY!FEATURING:Do-Hyun Kim, Piano

November 2 & 3, 2019LOVE, DRAMA, TRIUMPH!

January 25 & 26, 2020THE RUSSIAN SORCERER & HIS APPRENTICES

February 29 & March 1, 2020RISING STARS

April 4 & 5, 2020MOSTLY MOZARTFEATURING:Laura Colgate, Violin

April 25 & 26, 2020HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEETHOVEN!FEATURING:four world-renowned soloists & The Greenville Chorale

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA SERIES

Gunter TheatreFridays at 8:00 p.m.Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

October 4, 5 & 6, 2019BEETHOVEN, BACH & BEER

November 15, 16 & 17, 2019THE MAGNIFICENT MOZARTFEATURING:Anthony Marotta, Clarinet

March 20, 21 & 22, 2020STRINGS SUPREMEFEATURING:Anneka Zuehlke-King, French Horn

April 17, 18 & 19, 2020ORCHESTRAL BRILLIANCE

SPOTLIGHTSERIES

Fellowship Hall at First Baptist GreenvilleSaturdays at 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

October 26, 2019WOMEN OF MUSIC

January 11, 2020THE CHANGING SEASONS

February 8, 2020PAST & PRESENT

POPS SERIESPeace Concert Hall

JOHN WILLIAMS’ GREATEST HITSOctober 24, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

HOLIDAY AT PEACEpresented by United Community BankFEATURING:Diane Penning & Paul Langford, VocalistsDecember 20 & 21, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.December 22, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.

REVOLUTION: THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES. A SYMPHONIC EXPERIENCEMarch 26, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.

72ndConcertSeason

For tickets, call The Peace Center Box Office at (864) 467-3000 or visit www.greenvillesymphony.org


GREENVILLE SYMPHONYOrchestra Musicians

EDVARD TCHIVZHEL, CONDUCTOR | Thomas A. and Shirley W. Roe Podium Fund

VIOLINLaura Colgate,

Concertmaster Leila Cunningham Roe Endowed Chair

Mary Lee Taylor Kinosian, Assistant Concertmaster Uwe Diestel Endowed Chair

Joanna Mulfinger, Principal Second Violin

Kirsten BrowningCatherine Hinnant

CroweDavid EdwardsRobin Hague ElsElizabeth FeeCatherine Culp HazanJames JohnstonSarah LandKathleen S. RobinsonCarol RooseveltPatrick RyanXiaoLi SalinyShr-Han Wu

VIOLAKathryn Dey,

Principal Erika and Chuck Riddiford Endowed Chair

Arthur Ross III, Assistant Principal

Alvoy Bryan, Jr.John Young Shik

ConcklinScott GarrettS. Angeline Jones

(leave of absence)Emily Schaad

CELLORobert B. O’Brien,

Acting Principal Guild of the Greenville Symphony Endowed Chair

Ismail A. AkbarRyan KnottDavid Saliny

DOUBLE BASSTimothy Easter,

Principal Anonymous Endowed Chair

Ian Bracchitta, Assistant Principal

Braxton BallewTodd Louis BealMaurice BelleLevi GableJonathan McWilliams

FLUTECaroline J. Ulrich,

Principal Alice and Jerry Lenz Endowed Chair

Wendy CohenJeana Melilli

(leave of absence)

PICCOLOJeana Melilli

(leave of absence)

OBOEVirginia Metzger,

Principal Guild of the Greenville Symphony Endowed Chair

Kelly Mozeik

ENGLISH HORNLisa Hauser Prodan

CLARINETAnthony Marotta,

Principal Harriet and Jerry Dempsey Endowed Chair

John Sadak (leave of absence)

BASSOONAmy Yang Hazlett,

Principal (leave of absence) Anonymous Endowed Chair

Lauren Piccirillo Waid, Acting Principal

SAXOPHONEClifford Leaman,

Principal

HORNAnneka Zuehlke-King,

Principal Charles W. Wofford and Nancy B. Thomas Endowed Chair

Elizabeth RegasBill TylerChristina Cornell

Charles A. Lee Endowed Chair

TRUMPETPhil Elkins,

Co-Principal Beverley & Jim Whitten Endowed Chair

Kevin Lyons, Co-Principal

Gary J. Malvern, Assistant Principal

TROMBONEStephen K. Wilson,

Co-PrincipalMichael Hosford,

Co-Principal

BASS TROMBONERichard deBondt

TUBADon Strand, Principal

TIMPANIDaniel Kirkpatrick,

Principal Sherwood A. Mobley Endowed ChairNancy B. Stanton

PERCUSSIONCourtney McDonald

Bottoms, Principal

Edward Nagel, Assistant Principal

John S. BeckfordRick BlackwellGary A. Robinson

HARPJohn Wickey,

Principal

KEYBOARDLisa Kiser,

Principal Beth Marr Lee Endowed Chair

PRINCIPAL MUSIC LIBRARIAN

Angie Jones

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Laura Auvil

String sections use a revolving method of seating. String players except for principals, are listed alphabetically. The GSO frequently employs additional musicians to meet the musical demands of the works performed.


2019 – 2020 ORCHESTRA COMMITTEE:

SUBSTITUTE & EXTRAMusicians

VIOLINNathan BanksElliott CihlarTeresa CurranMelissa DantFelix FarrarMila GilbodyRyan GregoryShawn Anne HurtDeirdre N. HuttonBrandon IronsideMary IrwinEmily Blankenship

KirkpatrickJohn MalloyBrigid McCarthyKristen MillerMichelle MillsAndrea PettigrewBrian PinnerKaren PommerichMariya PotapovaInez Hullinger RedmanDomenic SalerniLauren ScottEssena SetaroDavid StrassbergJonathan UrizarElizabeth Ivy Wilson

VIOLACarolyn AlfordMatthew DarseyLucie FinkCarrie FreyRachel HallJarrod HaningMichael HolubAndrew LevinJoshua MuzziTessa PinnerKara PoorbaughValentina Shohdy

CELLOJean BeaudoinHarrison CookSharon GerberMiro GomezChris GrattonKatie HamiltonChristopher HuttonChristine LeeYuriy LeonovichTzu-Ying LiaoMatthew PierceCynthia SulkoDusan VukajlovicMary Ann Watson

DOUBLE BASSBret AlfordJose CarrionAustin GaboreauBrian GencarelliRich HarbisonJack MeisburgWilliam VaughanEliot WadopianMatthew Waid

FLUTEMary Ann ArcherLaurie BaynardJennifer DiorCynthia HopkinsJessica ShererLauren Watkins VaughnEsther WaiteRegina Helcher Yost

OBOEDaniel EllisWilliam Jones

CLARINETJoseph EllerJoelle La Rue-GardenerTaylor MasseyJustin StanleyJohn WarrenAndrew WarwickKyra Zhang

BASSOONRosalind BudaRyan FoxReed HannaPatrick HerringJoy HoffmanStephanie LipkaNaomi McKinneyAmy Pollard

SAXOPHONEReese ManceauxJack MurrayMatt Olson

HORNTravis BennettMichael BrubakerMichael DalyChristopher GriffinAndrew MeridethDebra Sherrill WardDarian WashingtonHelen Werling

TRUMPETWilliam AnonieChris ImhoffCraig King

TROMBONEMark E. BrittSamuel ChenEric HensonFletcher PeacockZsolt Szabo

TUBAJohn HollowayChristopher SparaceDavid Zerkel

TIMPANIWesley Strasser

HARPSusan Brady

KEYBOARDJessica ElliottCharlie Miller

Subject to change. Musicians are listed as of December 15, 2019, the date this publication went to press.

Elected by GSO musicians to represent their concerns to the Board of Directors of the Greenville Symphony Association: Ian Bracchitta, Alvoy Bryan, Jr., Timothy Easter, Joanna Mulfinger, Robert B. O’Brien, and Caroline J. Ulrich.


About TheGREENVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

For more information about the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, visit www.greenvillesymphony.org.

photography by: David Poleski D

esign Photography

The Greenville Symphony Association is dedicated to providing educational and cultural opportunities for the citizens of Greenville and surrounding communities through the presentation of live orchestral music.

For seventy-one years, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra (GSO) has performed classical music in the Upstate. From its first season in 1948, featuring only two concerts, to the 72nd, which offers thirty-five concerts, the GSO has become one of the finest symphonic orchestras in the Southeast.

The GSO offers a variety of classical and pops performances at the Peace Center and in the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Greenville. Programming includes six Masterworks concerts performed on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons in the Peace Concert Hall with selections from the classical repertoire, often featuring renowned guest artists. The Chamber Orchestra Series, featuring four concerts held on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons, focuses on portions of the repertoire that typically call for smaller ensembles with each selection introduced by the Maestro, and is presented in Gunter Theatre. The popular

Spotlight Series, held in the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Greenville, features chamber ensembles of GSO musicians with three chamber performances in a casual and relaxed setting. Finally, the Pops Series, presented by the Greenville Pops™, returns for the 2019–2020 season that includes the annual Holiday at Peace concert sponsored by United Community Bank, as well as John Williams’ Greatest Hits and Revolution: The Music of The Beatles. A Symphonic Experience.

Education and outreach have been an important part of the GSO’s mission since the first children’s concert was presented in 1951. Every year, GSO musicians present free educational concerts and programs for nearly 30,000 children in the Upstate. In addition, GSO musicians are often hired to perform with touring Broadway shows during their performances at the Peace Center.

Russian-born, internationally acclaimed Maestro Edvard Tchivzhel was appointed to his current post in 1999 and is the fifth Music Director and Conductor of the GSO. Tchivzhel has conducted with many renowned guest artists and has won international status with appearances on five continents.


THE GUILDof the Greenville Symphony

E-mail: [email protected] | Website: www.guildGSO.org | Telephone: (864) 370-0965

Dear Friends of the Symphony,

The 2019–2020 season is the 72nd of the Greenville Symphony and the 61st season for the Guild. This year the Guild remains as committed as ever to providing support for our Symphony. Since our inception, the Guild has donated over $3 million dollars to the GSO making us the second highest donor. We will proudly continue our longstanding tradition of financial support this upcoming season.

This year the Guild will host multiple major fundraising events. The first of these is to be our Tour of Homes. This year it will be held in the Claremont area off of Roper Mountain Rd. The dates are October 4–6, 2019. In March we will hold our Annual Gala Celebration followed by the Condo Rondo in May.

In addition to fundraising, the Guild also provides tireless volunteer hours for the Symphony’s educational and outreach programs. We usher

for the annual Children’s Concert, provide assistance during the Lollipops and Once Upon an Orchestra events, and provide meals for the musicians during double rehearsals.

The Guild provides a wonderful opportunity for all who love live music to contribute their time and talents through volunteering, fundraising, and participating in the experience that the Greenville Symphony brings to the entire community. We invite you to join the Guild to support the Symphony and make new friends while you are here!

Sincerely,

Alexandra Harrison2019 Guild President

2019–2020 OFFICERS

President: Alexandra Harrison VP Administration: Sandy Sanford VP Education: Beth Marano VP Membership: Eileen Hofmeister Recording Secretary: Theresa Brim Treasurer: Janna Kelley Assistant Treasurer: Don Beckie Immediate Past Presidents: Peggy Hill, Pat McDonald, Nancy Stanton


About OurPROGRAM NOTES WRITER

Paul Hyde

Paul Hyde has written the Masterworks program notes and led the pre-concert talks for the Greenville Symphony for the past 19 years. Paul, a veteran journalist, is the public information coordinator for the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities at Clemson University. Before joining the Clemson team in 2018, Paul served 18 years as a columnist, education writer and arts writer for the Greenville News. He is also a founding editor of the website Classical Voice North America. Paul is a graduate student in English at Clemson University. His commentaries have appeared in a wide variety of newspapers, including USA Today, the Houston Chronicle, Houston Post and Dallas Morning News. A native of Houston, Paul has had a lively second career as a singer, actor, stage director and conductor, having served as the music director of The Centurion Theatre in Los Angeles and performed with Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars, Houston Grand Opera and the Atlanta Opera. In the Upstate, Paul has performed leading roles in dozens of plays and musicals, and he currently sings with the Greenville Chorale. Paul also writes regularly for the Greenville Journal, Anderson Observer and Classical Voice North America. Paul and his wife, Ashley Polasek, enjoy spending time with their rambunctious five-year-old wheaten terrier named Jekyll.


MASTERWORKS SERIES

THE RUSSIAN SORCERER & HIS APPRENTICESSaturday, January 25, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, January 26, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

Peace Concert Hall

Edvard Tchivzhel, Conductor Solos in Orchestra: Laura Colgate, Violin; Robert O’Brien, Cello; Caroline Ulrich, Flute; Virginia Metzger, Oboe; Lisa Hauser Prodan, English Horn; Anthony Marotta, Clarinet;

Lauren Piccirillo Waid, Bassoon; Anneka Zuehlke-King, Horn; John Wickey, Harp MIKHAIL GLINKA Ruslan and Ludmila: Overture (1804–1857)

ALEXANDER BORODIN Symphony No. 2, B minor (“Heroic Symphony”) (1833–1887) I. Allegro II. Scherzo: Prestissimo III. Andante IV. Finale: Presto

INTERMISSION

IGOR STRAVINSKY The Firebird: Suite (1919 version) (1882–1971) I. Introduction: The King Kastchei’s Enchanted Garden II. Dance of the Firebird III. Round Dance of the Princesses IV. Infernal Dance of the King Kastchei V. Lullaby VI. Final Hymn

NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Capriccio espagnol, op. 34 (1885–1961) I. Alborada II. Variazioni III. Alborada IV. Scena e canto gitano V. Fandango asturiano

This concert will feature a multimedia presentation of works created by students from the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Visual Arts Department in collaboration with the Greenville Center for Creative Arts.

This program is funded in part by a grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council, which receives funding from the City of Greenville, SEW Eurodrive, BMW Manufacturing Company, LLC, Michelin North America, Inc.,

and the South Carolina Arts Commission with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

This organization is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.


THE RUSSIAN SORCERER & HIS APPRENTICESProgram Notes by Paul Hyde

Overture to Ruslan and LudmilaMikhail Glinka (1804–1857)

Mikhail Glinka is regarded as the father of Russian concert music. He is the “Sorcerer” of this program’s title. The other composers featured in these performances were heavily influenced by Glinka. “All music in Russia stems from him,” Stravinsky said 101 years after Glinka’s death.

Glinka sought to create a Russian musical culture through the use of folk music and stories from Russia history and folk lore. His opera Ruslan and Ludmila (1842) is based on the fairy-tale poem of the same name by Alexander Pushkin.

The Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila is a popular and dazzling concert-opener. It begins with a battery of forceful chords followed by a series of scales played by the strings at breakneck speed. These two themes come from the end of the opera – a scene of jubilation. The contrasting lyric theme of the Overture is a melody based on an aria sung by the hero, Ruslan, as he muses on the battlefield about his beloved, Ludmila. Glinka repeats the two main themes as he races toward a thrilling conclusion.

Symphony No. 2Alexander Borodin (1833–1887)

Alexander Borodin, like Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, was a member of the “Russian Five,” a group of self-taught composers who, following Glinka’s example, forged a nationalistic style of Russian music in the 19th century. They were an important part of the larger intellectual reaction to the Westernizing influence of Peter the Great. They distanced themselves from the professionally trained (i.e., presumably Westernized) musicians of their time, such as Tchaikovsky. Borodin himself was a doctor and professor of chemistry at the Petersburg Academy and composed only in his spare time.

Borodin’s Second Symphony reflects the nationalistic emphasis of the “Russian Five.” Sometimes referred to as the “Heroic” or “The Valiant,” the symphony recalls the rough feudal chivalry of medieval Russia. Borodin had been steeping himself in old Slavic lore as he prepared to write his towering opera “Prince Igor.”

Of the Second Symphony, one early critic said, “Hearing this music, you are reminded of the ancient Russian knights in all their awkwardness and greatness.” Borodin’s biographer wrote that in the Second Symphony the composer pays tribute to the strength and courage of the great heroes of Russian history who saved the nation from destruction.

Given its subject, the symphony often evinces a forthright raw power; yet there are passages of refined lyricism as well. The 1877 symphony is relatively short in duration – about 30 minutes or less – equivalent to the length of a Haydn or Mozart symphony rather than to the hour-long (or longer) works that were being produced by other romantic composers at the time.

The stern opening subject, which dominates the first movement, represents a gathering of Russian heroes. More expansive melodies in the violins and woodwinds offer contrast. The second movement opens with a light and skittering theme balanced later by a lovely lilting melody introduced by oboe. The majestic and antique-sounding third movement depicts the Slavic bard Boyan and his epic poetry. The exuberant fourth movement, with its heavily syncopated dances, reflects a scene of great celebration as Russian heroes are honored by a cheering populace.


“Polovtsian Dances” from “Prince Igor”Alexander Borodin (1833–1887)

Borodin’s “day job” as a doctor and professor of chemistry strictly limited his time for composing music. He worked intermittently on his masterpiece, the opera “Prince Igor,” for 18 years but left it unfinished at his death. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov not only filled in the gaps but constructed entire sections of the opera.

Given Borodin’s interest in Russian history, Prince Igor proved an irresistible subject. The opera is based on a 12th-century epic poem about the heroism of Prince Igor and his campaigns against invading nomadic tribes.

The thrilling “Polovtsian Dances” are from the opera’s second act, as Prince Igor and his son Vladimir are taken prisoner by Polovtsian leader Khan Konchak, who entertains them lavishly and calls on his slaves to dance.

The dances have taken on a life of their own apart from the opera. They’re frequently excerpted in the concert hall and constitute Borodin’s best-known work. Broadway fans may recognize the themes that were adapted for the 1953 musical “Kismet”; one main melody became the song “Stranger in Paradise.” At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the “Polovtsian Dances” opened the games as a flying acrobat swept through a winter dreamscape.

The dances are a study in extreme contrasts: sensuous lyricism alternating with fierce, primitive revelry.

The “Firebird” SuiteIgor Stravinsky (1882–1971)

“The Firebird” was the first of Stravinsky’s three great ballet scores for the impresario Sergei Diaghilev. Stravinsky wrote the music in 1910, and the ballet premiered that year with choreography by Mikhail Fokine.

The ballet is a fairy tale of the evil King Kastchei and his demons, who have abducted 13 princesses. The Firebird intervenes to defeat Kastchei and release the captives.

The sections of the “Firebird” Suite are played without pause.

I. Introduction: “King Kastchei’s Enchanted Garden.” The introduction begins in the darkest colors of the low stringed instruments, creating an eerie, unsettling atmosphere.

II. “Dance of the Firebird.” Shimmering strings and splashes of high woodwind figures suggest the fluttering of the Firebird’s wings and the mercurial dips and circles of her flight.

III. “Round Dance of the Princesses.” The music here, spotlighting several solo instruments, is tender and melancholy. The melodies reflect the simplicity and tunefulness of folk music. Listen closely and you’ll hear soft hints of the theme of the finale. At the end of this movement, the music fades into silence, like a dream.

IV. “Infernal Dance of King Kastchei.” A powerful crash of the entire orchestra launches Katschei and his demons into their barbaric dance. Syncopated rhythms and clashing harmonies are as musically violent as episodes from the composer’s “Rite of Spring.”

V. “Lullaby.” The Firebird puts Kastchei and his demons to sleep in the soft, haunting lullaby, with the solo bassoon prominently featured.

VI. “Final hymn.” Shimmering strings prepare the way for one of the glories of classical music – a horn solo that suggests the sun breaking through the clouds. There is only one theme in this finale, but Stravinsky puts it through several transformations. After the horn solo, a harp glissando prompts strings to wrap the theme in a gossamer texture. Then the full orchestra proclaims it



fortissimo. Next, the brass play it double-time. Lastly, the tempo expands for a majestic and triumphant conclusion.

“Capriccio espagnol”Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908)

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was the most cosmopolitan of the “Russian Five” and the group’s finest orchestrator. Indeed, he was one of the greatest masters of the orchestra in the history of classical music.

Like the other members of the “Russian Five,” Rimsky-Korsakov began as a part-time, self-taught composer. By day, he was an officer in the Russian navy.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s brilliant “Capriccio espagnol” (“Spanish Caprice”), written in 1887, won high praise from Tchaikovsky, who called the work “a colossal masterpiece of instrumentation,” adding that Rimsky-Korsakov should consider himself “the greatest master of the present day.”

“Capriccio espagnol” is a colorful tribute to the music and spirit of Spain. Written in five short movements that are played without interruption, “Capriccio espagnol” captures the

flavor of Spain through traditional dances and characteristic instruments such as the castanets. Also noteworthy: The piece spotlights several dazzling solos.

It begins with an exuberant outburst, an “Alborada,” a song style traditionally associated with daybreak – and thus the opposite of a serenade or nocturne. What follows in the second movement (“Veriazioni”), is, in fact, a nocturne, expressive of wistful longing. The theme is gently stated at first and repeated with increasing passion. Next, the “Alborada” returns in a slightly different but no less energetic orchestration. The fourth movement, “Scene and Gypsy Song,” is the longest of the five and features a splendid, swashbuckling theme. A spirited “Fandango” leads to a reprise of the “Alborada,” and a fiery coda concludes the piece.

Paul Hyde, a longtime Upstate journalist, is the public information coordinator for the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities at Clemson University. He writes regularly for the Greenville Journal, Anderson Observer and Classical Voice North America. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter : @PaulHyde7.



MASTERWORKS SERIES

RISING STARSSaturday, February 29, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. Peace Concert Hall

Joseph Young, Conductor JONATHAN LESHNOFF Starburst (b. 1973)

GEORGES BIZET Carmen: Suite (Ed. Fritz Hoffman) (1838–1875) I. Prelude and Aragonaise II. Intermezzo III. Seguedille IV. Les Dragons d’Alcala V. Les Toreadors VI. Marche des contrebandiers VII. Habanera VIII. Nocturne IX. Chanson de toreador X. La Garde montante XI. Danse boheme

INTERMISSION

JOHANNES BRAHMS Symphony No. 2, op. 73, D major (1833–1897) I. Allegro non troppo II. Adagio non troppo III. Allegretto grazioso (Quasi andantino) IV. Allegro con spirito

This program is funded in part by a grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council, which receives funding from the City of Greenville, SEW Eurodrive, BMW Manufacturing Company, LLC, Michelin North America, Inc,




Joseph Young is increasingly recognized as “one of the most gifted conductors of his generation.” In recent years, he has made appearances with the Saint Louis Symphony, Buffalo P h i l h a r m o n i c , Colorado Symphony,

Charleston Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Bamberger Symphoniker, New World Symphony Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, and the Orquesta Sinfonica y Coro de RTVE (Madrid); among others in the U.S. and Europe. This season, Joseph will make debuts with the Nashville Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and the Florida Orchestra. Joseph also makes his debut this season as the Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Artistic Director of Ensembles at the Peabody Conservatory. In this role, he leads the programming and direction of all Peabody Conservatory instrumental ensembles.

In his most recent role Joseph served as the Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony where he conducted more than 50 concerts per season.

Mr. Young also served as the Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, where he was the driving force behind the ensemble’s artistic growth. Previous appointments have included Resident Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony, and the League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow with Buffalo Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony.

Joseph is a recipient of the 2015 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award for young conductors, an award he also won in 2008, and 2014. In 2013, Joseph was a Semi-finalist in the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition (Bamberg, Germany). In 2011, he was one out of six conductors featured in the League of American Orchestras’ prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview.

Joseph earned his bachelor’s degree in music education at the University of South Carolina, and completed graduate studies with Gustav Meier and Markand Thakar at the Peabody Conservatory in 2009, earning an artist’s diploma in conducting. He has been mentored by many world-renowned conductors including Jorma Panula, Robert Spano and Marin Alsop, whom he continues to maintain a close relationship.

JOSEPH YOUNG, CONDUCTOR

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RISING STARSProgram Notes by Paul Hyde

“Starburst”Jonathan Leshnoff (born 1973)

“Starburst,” by American composer Jonathan Leshnoff, is a short, colorfully orchestrated work of tremendous power and drive.

Lasting only about eight minutes, the concert-opener packs a wallop. The New York Times called Leshnoff “a leader of contemporary American lyricism,” but “Starburst” is primarily concerned with brilliant sonic textures and rhythmic urgency.

“My job, as a composer, is to take the audience on a journey,” Leshnoff has said. “Where they go is not for me to decide.”

Leshnoff, only in his mid-40’s, already has a large number of works to his credit, including four symphonies, major choral pieces and several concertos.

“Starburst” was commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which premiered the piece on April 29, 2010. Since that first performance, several other major orchestras have featured the work.

Carmen SuiteGeorges Bizet (1838–1875)

Carmen was a shocker. Georges Bizet’s 1875 opera put thieves, gypsies and smugglers on the stage. Women smoked cigarettes and fought. The shameless title character used men as playthings and heartlessly discarded them. At the end, Carmen was violently attacked and killed – not offstage but right in front of the audience.

Conservative French opera patrons were outraged by the harsh realism. Here was an opera not only about ordinary village folk but one that seemed to glamorize a criminal underclass. The original production of Carmen met with only mixed success. During the run, Bizet died suddenly of heart disease at the age of 36 – and on his wedding anniversary.

A later Vienna production of the opera, however, won wide acclaim, earning praise from Wagner and Brahms, the latter seeing it 20 times and saying he would have “gone to the ends of the earth to embrace Bizet.” More triumphs followed and in the following decades Carmen would become one of the most popular works in the world’s opera houses.

Today, it remains an operatic mainstay, with productions popping up frequently across the globe. The reason is simple: The music is irresistible. Beautiful, passionate arias alternate with dynamic choruses. The colorful orchestration vividly evokes the atmosphere of Spain – the sultry heat, expansive mountains and festive bullring. It’s all the work of Bizet’s creative imagination; the mild-mannered French composer never set foot in Spain.

The suite from Carmen is an orchestration of the opera’s most familiar themes, though not performed in order of their appearance in the opera. The “Prelude” sets a tragic tone but is followed by the lighter and Spanish-inflected “Aragonaise.” (The latter is the Prelude to the opera’s Act IV). The “Intermezzo” is the opera’s Prelude to Act III, a lovely, bucolic piece for flute and clarinet, accompanied by harp. Next is Carmen’s teasing, sensuous “Seguedille.”

“Les Dragons d’Alcala” is a short, whimsical piece. Then, an explosion of energy and color: “Les Toreadors” evokes the vibrant atmosphere of the bullring and the procession of the toreadors. The “Marche des Contrebandiers” suggests a stealthy scene of mischief-making by smugglers. Carmen’s sultry “Habanera” is one of the opera’s most-familiar arias. The “Nocturne” is a tender rendition of an aria sung by Micaela, a village girl in love with the hapless Don Jose. The toreador Escamillo proclaims the blustery “Chanson de Toreador.” “La Garde montante” is a mock military march from Act I. The suite concludes with the “Danse boheme,” a gypsy dance that begins softly and ends in wild celebration.


RISING STARSProgram Notes by Paul Hyde

Symphony No. 2Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

If Brahms reached for the stars in his epic First Symphony, the Second is far more down to earth – a work of warmth and good cheer. Of course, this wouldn’t be a symphony by Brahms without some darkness and turbulence, but expansive lyricism dominates.

Brahms worked on the symphony over four months in 1877 at an Austrian summer resort, and that bucolic setting may have inspired the work’s graceful melodies. “Portschach is an exquisite spot,” wrote Brahms from the little village on Lake Worth, “and I have found a lovely and pleasant abode in the castle.” At another time, he said the melodies were so abundant in the Lake Worth region that one had to be careful not to step on them.

No surprise, Brahms’ Second Symphony is sometimes referred to as his “Pastoral” Symphony. The work is composed in the traditional four movements.

I. The opening certainly evokes a mood of pastoral contentment. The first three notes in the lower strings constitute a melodic kernel from which later melodies grow. A soaring string theme initiates a conversation between violins and flute. Next comes a wonderfully nostalgic melody for cellos and violas. A buoyantly leaping theme follows, and the rest of the movement is a rich and sometimes dramatic meditation on this material.

II. The slow, introspective second movement journeys through a range of emotions, toggling most often between serenity and troubled restlessness. It’s a deeply felt and seemingly complex movement, but it’s based on a simple A-B-A structure.

III. The third movement is dominated by a graceful lilting phrase similar to an old-fashioned minuet. Brahms offers two contrasting themes, both faster, with scampering figures for strings and woodwinds.

IV. The finale begins with a soft introduction, tracing a melody that refers back to the three-note kernel that launched the work. Suddenly, a fortissimo outburst reveals the true character of the finale: unalloyed exuberance. This is the most unashamedly brilliant music Brahms ever wrote. The composer offers an abundance of closely related themes, concluding the work in a blaze of exhilaration.




STRINGS SUPREMEFriday, March 20, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 21, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

Gunter Theatre

Edvard Tchivzhel, Conductor Anneka Zuehlke-King, French Horn

GIUSEPPE VERDI Symphony for Strings, E minor (1813–1901) I. Allegro II. Andantino III. Prestissimo IV. Scherzo fuga

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN Horn Concerto No. 2, D major (1732–1809) I. Allegro moderato II. Adagio III. Allegro

INTERMISSION

ANTONIN DVOŘÁK Serenade for Strings, op. 22, B. 52, E major (1841–1904) I. Moderato II. Tempo di valse III. Scherzo: Vivace IV. Larghetto V. Finale: Allegro vivace

??? A mysterious encore!





Anneka Zuehlke-King began her tenure with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra (GSO) for the 2004–2005 concert season. She immediately joined the GSO after receiving her Masters of Music from the Yale

School of Music, preceded by a Bachelor’s of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music. Her teachers include Sylvia Alimena of the National Symphony Orchestra, Myron Bloom from the

Cleveland Orchestra, Jerome Ashby from the New York Philharmonic and William Purvis, of the New York Wind Quintet and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Over the years, Anneka has performed with many ensembles, including the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Reading Symphony, Haddonfield Symphony, Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Hartford Symphony, Augusta Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, and the Charleston Symphony. In addition to being Principal Horn in Greenville, Anneka is also Principal Horn for the Spartanburg Philharmonic and Third Horn for the Asheville Symphony. She is also the horn teacher at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and Furman University.

ANNEKA ZUEHLKE-KING, FRENCH HORN


Symphony for StringsGiuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)

Giuseppe Verdi, the great Italian opera composer, wrote very little that was not opera. The Symphony for Strings, in fact, is his only extended instrumental composition.

It owes its existence to pure chance. In the spring of 1873, Verdi had journeyed to Naples to oversee a production of his opera Aida, but rehearsals were postponed when the star soprano got sick. Verdi used the time to write his first and only string quartet. Later, the quartet was arranged by the conductor Arturo Toscanini as the Symphony for Strings.

With its grace and lightness of touch, the piece could hardly be considered operatic.

I. Allegro. A vigorous opening theme gives way to the serene second subject. But the opening theme soon returns for an extended development. The recapitulation brings the gracious second subject back briefly, and an agitated coda concludes the movement.

II. Andantino. The second movement is dominated by elegant melodies, though there’s often a hint of tension lurking underneath.

III. Prestissimo. The fiercely energetic scherzo is reminiscent of Verdi’s ballet music for his opera Macbeth. The central section offers a serenade sung by the cello against pizzicato accompaniment.

IV. Scherzo Fuga. Allegro assai mosso. The heavily contrapuntal finale concludes the piece in spirited fashion.

Concerto No. 2 for HornFranz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)

Franz Joseph Haydn’s Horn Concerto No. 2, dating from 1781, may not have been written by Haydn at all. Musicologists point to stylistic elements in the concerto that are not characteristic of the Austrian composer. In addition, none of Haydn’s many other concertos has a middle movement in minor.

Recent scholarship suggests Haydn’s younger brother, Michael Haydn, as the actual composer. Whatever the case may be, the work is delightful.

I. Allegro moderato. The strings open the first movement of the concerto with a dancing figure that is at once graceful and majestic. The horn soloist soon enters, echoing the opening melody. Some extroverted phrases recall the horn’s long associations with hunting.

II. Adagio. The introspective second movement spotlights the horn’s capacity for songful lyricism. A gentle melancholy pervades the movement.

III. Allegro. The animated finale, with the horn soloist negotiating wide leaps and brisk passages, concludes the piece in a joyous spirit.

Serenade for StringsAntonin Dvořák (1841–1904)

There’s nary a cloud in Dvořák’s sunny Serenade for Strings. The 1875 piece seems a product of happy times, and indeed it was. Dvořák had married two years before and his son recently had been born. He had composed some of his finest work to date, including the Fifth Symphony, and was enjoying both financial security and growing recognition as a composer. The Czech composer wrote the serenade in a mere 12 days.

STRINGS SUPREMEProgram Notes by Paul Hyde


STRINGS SUPREMEProgram Notes by Paul Hyde

I. Moderato. The singing theme at the beginning seems the soul of tranquility. Later, a new dancelike theme will be introduced. The initial theme returns to end the movement in quietude.

II. Menuetto. Allegro con moto: A lilting waltz dominates the second movement. The middle section introduces a whiff of tension before the waltz returns.

III. Scherzo. Vivace: The scherzo evokes the high spirits of a rustic celebration. The tempo slows, however, for more songful episodes.

IV. Larghetto. The music grows more reflective and wistful. The flowing melodies and tender phrases provide a sharp contrast to the vigorous third and fifth movements.

V. Finale. Allegro vivace: Dvořák offers one of his stylistic trademarks, evoking the fiery spirit of Czech folk music. Dvořák reprises the theme from the beginning of the serenade, bringing the piece full circle. A dynamic coda concludes the work.

Paul Hyde, a longtime Upstate journalist, is the public information coordinator for the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities at Clemson University. He writes regularly for the Greenville Journal, Anderson Observer and Classical Voice North America. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @PaulHyde7.


MOSTLY MOZARTSaturday, April 4, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

Peace Concert Hall

Edvard Tchivzhel, Conductor Laura Colgate, Violin

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492: Overture (1756–1791)

DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 1, op. 77(99), A minor (1906–1975) I. Nocturne II. Scherzo III. Passacaglia IV. Burlesca

INTERMISSION

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART The Magic Flute, K. 620: Overture (1756–1791)

Symphony No. 41, K. 551, C major (“Jupiter”) I. Allegro vivace II. Andante cantabile III. Allegretto IV. Molto allegro

MASTERWORKS SERIES





LAURA COLGATE, CONCERTMASTER

Praised by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as “remarkably poised…sensitive and majestic,” violinist Laura Colgate enjoys a versatile career as a chamber and orchestral musician, soloist, educator, and innovator. Having

performed worldwide across Europe, Asia, and North America, she has performed on stages including the Barbican Centre, Kennedy Center, and multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall.

Laura currently lives in Takoma Park, MD and is Concertmaster of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina, and was formerly concertmaster of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra. She frequently performs as a substitute with several major orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, and is a member of the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in her hometown, Memphis, TN. She is also the curator for the Strathmore Music in the Mansion series and the Chamber Music Series at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

She completed her Doctorate from the University of Maryland (UMD) School of Music, focusing her thesis on Women Composers. Laura is passionate about being an innovator in the world of classical music, and in March 2018 co-founded the Boulanger Initiative, an advocacy organization for women composers based in D.C., for which she holds the position of Executive Director. The Initiative champions the works of women composers through consulting, performance, education, and commissions, and launched it’s performance series with the Women Composers (WoCo) Chamber Music Series Festival Launch in D.C. March 8–10, 2019.

As founder and previous first violinist of Excelsa Quartet, Laura studied at the Conservatory in Luzern, Switzerland, and in the Professional Quartet Training Program with the Alban Berg Quartet in Cologne, Germany. The Quartet held the Fellowship Quartet Residency at UMD from 2013–2016, and were First Prize winners at the Charles Hennen

26th International Chamber Music Competition for Strings in The Netherlands.

The quartet worked closely with members of the Guarneri, Pavel Haas, Mosaiques, Emerson, St. Lawrence, and Juilliard quartets. They also held multiple performances at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, performing on various instruments within the Smithsonian Instrument Collection. In 2015, the quartet commissioned and gave the world premiere of John Heiss’s Microcosms.

Festival appearances include Schleswig Holstein Music Festival Orchestra (Germany), Verbier Festival Orchestra (Switzlerand), Great Lakes Summer Chamber Music Festival (Detroit, MI), St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar (Stanford University), Britten-Pears Young Artists Programme (Aldeburgh, UK), and the McGill International String Quartet Academy (Montreal, QC). She has performed under world-renowned conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Christoph Eschenbach, Christopher Hogwood, Kent Nagano, Semyon Bychkov, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, and Herbert Blomstedt.

While working towards her Master’s Degree with David Takeno and Malin Broman at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London in 2007, Laura focused on the art of Classical Improvisation with David Dolan and performed a solo recital of improvised Mozart sonatas in the Barbican Centre.

After taking second place in the Dorothy C. Baker Violin Competition in 2007 and first place in 2008, Laura was awarded the privilege of using a Joseph Filius Andreas Guarnerius violin (1715) for two years.

As a member of the Young Artist Program, Laura attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with David Updegraff. She completed her undergraduate degree in 2006 with Lucy Chapman at the New England Conservatory (NEC), and received a Graduate Diploma from NEC in 2009 under Boston Symphony Orchestra concertmaster, Malcolm Lowe.

As a passionate educator of solo and chamber music, Laura has given masterclasses throughout the U.S. and Europe, and maintains a small studio of private students in the DC area.


https://www.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/2019-2020-strathmore-seasonhttps://www.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/2019-2020-strathmore-seasonhttps://theclarice.umd.edu/https://theclarice.umd.edu/http://www.boulangerinitiative.org/https://www.boulangerinitiative.org/launch-festival/https://www.boulangerinitiative.org/launch-festival/https://www.boulangerinitiative.org/launch-festival/

Overture to The Marriage of FigaroWolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

The Overture begins in a breathless whisper but soon bursts forth in full exuberance. Scampering figures in the strings and woodwinds bring to mind the shenanigans of farce – secret confidences, slamming doors and chases down the hall. It all recalls the original title of the play on which the opera is based: “The Madcap Day.”

Violin Concerto No. 1Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)

Shostakovich frequently ran afoul of Soviet censors. It’s understandable that although the composer wrote his First Violin Concerto in 1947–48, he kept it from being performed until 1955, two years after Stalin’s death.

Earlier, in the mid-1940s, the feared Central Committee secretary Andrei Zhdanov had overseen the Soviet Union’s brutal cultural policy. Any artistic creation that did not glorify the Soviet state was deemed unacceptable. Writers, playwrights, filmmakers and music composers were all subject to official condemnation.

Shostakovich had already been denounced by communist authorities for his 1945 Ninth Symphony, which didn’t sufficiently reflect the glory of the Soviet Union’s victory over the Nazis. In 1948, Shostakovich was condemned for his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, deemed too sophisticated and supposedly immoral. Such official denunciations could result in prison for artists – or even execution. No wonder, then, that Shostakovich was reluctant to see this complex and intensely dramatic Violin Concerto performed before 1955.

Shostakovich wrote the work for the esteemed violinist David Oistrakh, who premiered it on Oct. 29, 1955 with the Leningrad Philharmonic. Two months later, Oistrakh presented the first U.S. performance of the concerto with the New

York Philharmonic Orchestra. The Greenville Symphony is performing the concerto for the first time, with concertmaster Laura Colgate as soloist.

The concerto makes extraordinary demands on the violin soloist. It is written in four movements (slow-fast-slow-fast), rather than the traditional three.

I. “Nocturne.” The long, lyrical nocturne is introspective and haunting. Rhythm seems suspended in the flowing soundscape. The movement alternates between calm reflection and a sense of unease.

II. “Scherzo.” The second movement is characteristic of Shostakovich’s sardonic scherzos. The music becomes increasingly frenzied as it develops into a macabre dance. One can easily see how this biting music (perhaps satirizing the repressive Soviet state) would not have met the approval of Soviet censors.

III. “Passacaglia.” Horns introduce an atmosphere of stern grandeur. What follows is a series of nine variations. The solo violin sings against the backdrop of an ever-shifting chorale. The solo melody, climbing higher and higher, is beautiful, but not without melancholy. The music subsides into the soloist’s extended cadenza, which builds from mournfulness to passionate declamation to virtuosic abandon, recalling melodies from earlier in the concerto.

IV. “Burlesca.” The cadenza leads without a break to the boisterous finale. David Oistrakh, the violinist who premiered the concerto, called this movement “a joyous folk party.” The soloist provides the musical fireworks. The solo part, played at breakneck speed, is an enormous challenge to a virtuoso’s technique. The momentum never flags as the concerto races to its blazing conclusion.

MOSTLY MOZARTProgram Notes by Paul Hyde


MOSTLY MOZARTProgram Notes by Paul Hyde

Overture to The Magic FluteMozart (1756–1791)

Three stately chords, heard at the beginning, are associated in the opera with the themes of brotherhood and Masonic ritual. Following a few solemn measures, the Overture is off to the races with a sparkling fugue.

Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”)Mozart (1756–1791)

Mozart’s last utterance as a symphonist was a bold, triumphant one. The composer’s Symphony No. 41 was such an energetic, commanding, life-filled creation that it earned the subtitle “Jupiter,” after the Roman king of the gods. The work gives little indication of the financial desperation that consumed Mozart in the summer of 1788 as he wrote a series of humiliating letters to a fellow Freemason, the well-to-do merchant Michael Puchberg, begging for one loan after another. The kindly Puchberg often obliged.

Against great odds, then, Mozart produced one of his finest and most optimistic works. The Symphony No. 41, Mozart’s longest, showed the composer to be at the height of his creative powers. It promised more great things to come. Three years later, however, the 35-year-old Mozart died of heart failure brought on by rheumatic fever. It’s uncertain whether the symphony was ever performed during his lifetime.

The work is composed in the traditional four movements:

I. Mozart introduces two contrasting themes at the beginning: a march figure and a lyrical phrase. What’s remarkable, however, is that the two are fused into one single unit. What follows is a tour de force of sparkling invention and symphonic drama. Mozart deftly balances grandeur with charm and tempestuousness.

II. The melodically rich second movement toggles between melancholy and gentle consolation. With violins muted, the dreamlike music proceeds slowly and softly, with many heartfelt turns along the way.

III. The minuet brings the symphony back down to earth. There’s an air of rustic celebration, though a very tasteful one.

IV. The finale presents some of the most dynamic music Mozart ever wrote. The tempo is swifter than any encountered thus far in the symphony. The composer here works with no fewer than six short themes, whirling them by us with fierce energy. At the end, in a virtuosic display, Mozart combines five of those lines of melody at once in brilliant, harmonious counterpoint. That paves the way to a grand conclusion.



ORCHESTRAL BRILLIANCEFriday, April 17, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

Gunter Theatre

Edvard Tchivzhel, Conductor Solos in Orchestra: Laura Colgate, Violin;

Caroline Ulrich, Flute; Anthony Marotta, Clarinet GIOACHINO ROSSINI L’Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers): Overture (1792–1868)

PIOTR TCHAIKOVSKY Suite No. 4, op. 61, TH 34 G major (“Mozartiana”) (1840–1893) I. Gigue II. Minuet III. Prayer: “Ave verum corpus” IV. Theme and Variations

INTERMISSION

GEORGES BIZET Symphony No. 1, C major (1838–1875) I. Allegro vivo II. Adagio III. Allegro vivace IV. Allegro vivace

??? A mysterious encore!






ORCHESTRAL BRILLIANCEProgram Notes by Paul Hyde

Overture to L’Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Woman in Algiers)Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868)

Rossini dashed off his first great comic opera, “L’Italiana in Algeri,” in a mere 27 days – or so a newspaper reported two days after the premiere in Venice on May 22, 1813. Later, Rossini claimed he had written it in only 18 days. The opera was a tremendous success, prompting Rossini to muse with characteristic wit, “I thought that after hearing my opera, the Venetians would treat me as a crazy man. They have showed themselves to be crazier than I am.”

The opera is heard occasionally in the world’s opera houses, and the overture is a popular concert-opener.

The overture begins softly with plucked strings accompanying an elegant melody played by oboe. Woodwinds then introduce the sparkling, up-tempo main theme, echoed by the strings. This subject is developed with boisterous energy. Soon, the solo oboe is called into duty for a new theme, characterized by a giddy leaping phrase. For several measures, oboe and flute engage in witty dialogue; then, woodwinds and strings enjoy a similar repartee. The music gathers strength, leading to a restatement of the two principal themes. And a brilliant coda carries the overture to its conclusion.

Symphony No. 1Georges Bizet (1838–1875)

Georges Bizet is best known as the composer of Carmen, one of the most popular works in the opera house. When he was only 17 years old, however, Bizet wrote this Symphony No. 1, a piece that proclaims youthful hope and vitality. (Three

of the four movements are marked “allegro,” or fast. The composer was a young man in a hurry). Bizet was still a student at the Paris Conservatory when he completed the symphony in 1855, but for unknown reasons he set it aside – and the score was never published or performed during the composer’s lifetime.

The symphony was discovered among Bizet’s papers in 1933. Felix von Weingartner conducted the world premiere of the symphony in Basel on Feb. 26, 1935, 60 years after Bizet’s death.

I. Allegro vivo. The zesty first movement is full of energy and Rossini-like exuberance, with the opening theme skipping from one group of instruments to another. The solo oboe sings a contrasting melody. Bizet toggles between these two themes at length, exploring a range of orchestral colors.

II. Adagio. After a few measures of introduction, the oboe solo sings a lonely serenade-like melody over an accompaniment of plucked strings. That’s followed by a more expansive song for violins. After a brief, contrasting middle section, the two basic themes return to round off the movement.

III. Allegro vivace. The third movement evokes a high-spirited folk dance. In the middle section, the movement’s beginning theme is repeated but in a different guise over a drone accompaniment.

IV. Allegro vivace. The scampering figures at the beginning of the finale may remind a listener of Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” music. The second subject is a carefree lilting theme for violins. The music soars on a wave of exhilaration to the joyous conclusion.


Suite No. 4 (“Mozartiana”)Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Tchaikovsky loved Mozart above all other composers. “I don’t just like Mozart, I idolize him,” he wrote to his patron Nadezhda von Meck. It was Mozart, in fact, who inspired Tchaikovsky to become a composer: “He gave the first jog to my musical powers; he made me love music above all things in this world.”

Tchaikovsky had the idea of writing a musical tribute to Mozart in 1884. “Played Mozart and was in raptures. Thought about a suite from Mozart,” he wrote in his diary in May 1884. But other musical obligations kept the project from being realized until three years later. Tchaikovsky conducted the premiere himself in Moscow in November 1887.

Tchaikovsky based his “Mozartiana” suite on four lesser-known pieces by Mozart. Harmonically, they are among Mozart’s more adventurous and forward-looking pieces. In arranging the works, Tchaikovsky was faithful to the spirit of Mozart; these are not radical reinterpretations.

The first piece is an orchestration of the Gigue in G major that Mozart composed late in his short career. It was inspired by Mozart’s own hero, Johann Sebastian Bach. The second selection is Mozart’s graceful Minuet in D major. It is followed by an orchestration of the sublime choral work “Ave verum corpus,” composed by Mozart in the last year of his life. Tchaikovsky based his orchestration not on the original but on a transcription Franz Liszt made for organ in 1862. The fourth section, by far the longest, is an arrangement of Mozart’s piano variations on a theme from “Le recontre imprevue” (“The Unexpected Encounter”), a once-popular operetta by Christoph Willibald Gluck. Mozart played variations on this theme for Gluck himself when the distinguished composer, then almost 80, came to Vienna in 1783. Here, then, there’s a double tribute taking place: Mozart saluting Gluck as Tchaikovsky pays homage to Mozart.

Paul Hyde, a longtime Upstate journalist, is the public information coordinator for the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities at Clemson University. He writes regularly for the Greenville Journal, Anderson Observer and Classical Voice North America. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @PaulHyde7.

ORCHESTRAL BRILLIANCEProgram Notes by Paul Hyde





MASTERWORKS SERIES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEETHOVEN!Saturday, April 25, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

Peace Concert Hall

Edvard Tchivzhel, Conductor Christina Major, Soprano

Stacey Rishoi, Mezzo-Soprano Nathan Munson, Tenor

Lester Lynch, BassThe Greenville Chorale

(Bingham Vick, Jr., Artistic Director & Conductor) RICHARD WAGNER Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III (1813–1883)

JOHANNES BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture, op. 80* (1833–1897)

INTERMISSION

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9, op. 125, D minor (“Choral”) (1770–1827) I. Allegro ma non troppo; in poco maestoso II. Molto vivace III. Adagio Molto e cantabile IV. Presto-Allegro assai-Allegro assai vivace

*Choral parts for Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture are generously provided by Wilson Ochoa, the Principal Librarian of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.


Rising star, dramatic coloratura soprano Christina Major, has already established herself for her sumptous and agile “Italianate sound” that brings back memories of the earlier greats.

Ms. Major recently made her international debut at the illustrious and historical Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the role of Norma. She makes another role debut with West Bay Opera in San Francisco in rare performances Verdi’s

“I due Foscari” as Lucrezia amidst her numerous symphony engagements. She debuted the role of Norma in 2017 and returned as a guest at the Greenville Symphony Verdi’s Requiem conducted by Maestro Edvard Tchivzhel in 2018. In June she made her much anticipated Carnegie Hall debut without MidAmerica Productions as the soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria and Haydn’s Missa Cellensis. She has also performed with Arizona MusicFest, Florida Bach Festival, Jacksonville Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Dallas Symphony Chorus on Tour, Symphony Silicon Valley, Winston-Salem Symphony, Duke University Chorale and many more. She is always thrilled to return to Greenville Symphony.

Stacey Rishoi has received critical acclaim on concert stages across the U.S. for the beauty and power of her mezzo-soprano voice. Of her performance in Norma with Virginia Opera, the critic of the Washington Post wrote, “It was

Rishoi’s Adalgisa, however, who nearly stole the show with a performance that was convincing and unwavering from start to finish. … Rishoi commanded the stage with a lustrous voice graced with natural expression and a surprising clarion projection.”

Ms. Rishoi’s recent concert engagements include soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under JoAnn Falletta, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Annapolis,

Eugene, and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestras, Verdi’s Requiem with Columbus and Greenville Symphony Orchestras, Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Das Lied von der Erde at the Colorado Mahler Festival, and Sieglinde in a concert performance of Act I of Die Walküre with English Symphony Orchestra. Recent operatic credits include the title role of Carmen and Maddalena in Rigoletto with Cincinnati Opera, Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos with Toledo and Calgary Operas, and Amneris in Aida with Opera Tampa.

Among Ms. Rishoi’s concert career highlights are Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Leonard Slatkin and National Symphony Orchestra, and the world premieres of Michael Torke’s Four Seasons, Aaron Kernis’ Garden of Light, and Adès’ America: A Prophecy with Kurt Masur and New York Philharmonic. She can be heard on the world premiere recording of Liszt’s St. Stanislaus, conducted by James Conlon, on the Telarc label.

CHRISTINA MAJOR, SOPRANO

STACEY RISHOI, MEZZO-SOPRANO


LESTER LYNCH, BARITONE

Nathan Munson has been praised for his vocal beauty with a versatile presence on the concert and operatic stage. He has sung leading and supporting roles with the Sarasota Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, the Atlanta Opera, Opera North,

Piccola Opera San Antonio, Capitol City Opera, dell’Arte Opera, and the Illinois Opera Theatre. Roles include Beppe in Pagliacci, the Steersman in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer, Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor, Pedrillo in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, El Dancaïre in Carmen, Rodolfo in La bohème, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette, Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Cassio in Verdi’s Otello, and Dr. Baglioni in a world premiere revision of

Daniel Catan’s La Hija di Rappaccini. Upcoming performances include roles in Frida and Salome with the Atlanta Opera.

In addition to his operatic appearances, Dr. Munson has been a frequent visitor to the concert stage. He makes his debut with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and with the Helena Symphony Orchestra in Handel’s Messiah. He has been soloist in Bruckner’s Te Deum, Bach’s B-minor Mass and Magnificat, and Mozart’s Requiem. He has also been featured with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Huntsville Symphony, and the Georgia Symphony.

Dr. Munson can be heard on the world premiere recording of The Golden Ticket (Albany Records) and was a featured soloist in a Christmas Concert with the Atlanta Opera, which was recorded live for broadcast by WABE-Atlanta.

Lester Lynch, an established dramatic baritone, is making his mark in some of the world’s leading opera houses. Known for his charismatic portrayals and commanding voice, he is receiving rave reviews as he masters some of the

most important baritone roles from Scarpia to Rigoletto to Count di Luna. Opera Today recently enthused, “It was booming baritone Lester Lynch who served notice that he is now in consideration for admittance to the Scarpia Preferred Pantheon – when he needed to pour it on he had the Puccinian fire power and the dramatic heat to raise the hair on the back of your neck.” The Cincinnati

Enquirer wrote, “Lester Lynch made a superb Macbeth, delivering an authoritative performance with a firm, powerful voice and wonderfully communicating both tragedy and madness.”

An accomplished concert artist, Mr. Lynch has performed a wide and varied repertoire with orchestras across the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra. His recent Carnegie Hall solo debut of Karl A. Hartmann’s Gesangsszene with the American Symphony Orchestra received rave reviews.

Mr. Lynch has received many distinguished awards, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the George London Vocal Competition, and the Sullivan Awards. His work with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis earned him the Richard Gaddes Award.

NATHAN MUNSON, TENOR

The Greenville Chorale was organized in 1961 by the Rotary Club of Greenville as the “Rotary Civic Chorale.” From that initial group of forty-five voices, the Chorale has grown to include a roster of over 170 of

the most talented voices drawn from across the Upstate, providing our region and its audiences with an accomplished symphonic chorus. Today, as an independent not-for-profit organization, the Greenville Chorale pursues its Mission: to promote and celebrate the art of choral music. This Mission is realized as the Chorale performs concerts of the great choral masterworks at the highest level of excellence; supports the creative and artistic lives of singers at all stages of their musical development; and reaches into the community to bring the power of live performance to as many people as possible.

Seven years after its founding by Rotary, in 1968, the “Greenville Civic Chorale Association” was chartered as an independent organization, and in 1987, the official title was changed to the Greenville Chorale. Auditions are held annually to fill available open positions. Many singers have remained with the organization for decades, sharing their love of choral music by committing hundreds of hours of rehearsal and performance time each year.

Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Bingham Vick, Jr. lead the Chorale, now in his 39th Season. Chorale singers donate their time and talents – more than 10,000 volunteer hours each season – for rehearsals and performances. That represents an investment of nearly $500,000 in Greenville’s cultural economy each year, based on rates paid to professionals singing a comparable repertoire.

The Greenville Chorale season typically includes a fall concert at the Peace Center joined by musicians from the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, a December/Christmas concert in McAlister Auditorium at Furman University, an intimate performance of choral chamber music by the professional, 24-voice Herring Chamber Ensemble; a spring concert of choral classics; and a free Lakeside Patriotic Concert as part of Furman’s annual Lakeside Concert Series. The Chorale also performs as Guest Artists regularly with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, and at Brevard Music Center. In addition to its performances, the Chorale sponsors education and outreach programs to increase community engagement in the arts.

Established in 1997, the Chorale’s Young Artist Program trains the next generation of choral singers by provide talented high school students with mentoring along with rehearsal and performance experiences with the Chorale.

GREENVILLE CHORALE


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEETHOVEN!Program Notes by Paul Hyde

Prelude to Act III of LohengrinRichard Wagner (1813–1883)

This is music for a grand celebration: In Wagner’s opera Lohengrin, the Act III Prelude sets the mood for the wedding of the hero Lohengrin and his beloved Elsa. Against rushing triplets in the strings, the brass proclaims an exuberant theme. Things calm down for a lilting melody in the woodwinds. But the opening theme returns for a brilliant conclusion. In the opera, t

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