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OCTOBER 2018

President’s PerspectiveLSO Season 36 Preview

Bank of the James and Framatome, Inc.

Dr. Kathryn Voelker and Gina DiCarlo are co-conductors for the Bernstein Birthday Bash, October 28. This concert is in the amazing Liberty University School of Music Concert Hall – featuring Lynchburg native and Broadway singer, Justin Bowen, and Meghan Lambert, winner of the Maria contest, singing favorites from West Side Story.

Be sure to get tickets for the Home for the Holidays concert as soon as possible. We expect this concert to sell out – so get your tickets soon. Hugh Ballou will conduct this festive program with a choir of local singers (there is still time to join the choir), a children’s choir from John L. Hurt Elementary School, the Ramp Church Choir, Daryl Duff soloist and lots of holiday music for you to sing along. I can’t wait to hear the LSO in the Historic Theatre!

Zuill Bailey returns to Lynchburg late February/early March for a 3-day residency with the LSO. Zuill will provide educational programs in the Lynchburg City Schools, master classes at LU, a reception to benefit the LSO, and the concert on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall at LU. We are so pleased to welcome David Glover

Pops and masterworks classics with exciting venues and qualified guest conductors will please a range of audiences this season. From West Side Story, to our Home for the Holidays debut in the Historic Theatre at the ACOA, to the organ concerto at Court Street United Methodist Church, a 3-day residency with world class cellist Zuill Bailey and closing the season with the New World Symphony. The LSO brings something for everyone.

We are especially grateful to generous sponsors who make these programs possible. Harry’s Bakery is supplying cakes for the Bernstein Birthday Bash! Liberty University is providing the School of Music Concert Hall at no cost to the LSO. Martin & Lee Ann Parece are the generous sponsors for the Home for the Holidays! concert in the ACOA Historic Theatre. Cary & Robert Roberts, Karl Miller Team, Liberty University School of Music and The Standard, Altavista, are sponsors for bringing Zuill Bailey to Lynchburg. Craddock Terry Hotel will host Zuill Bailey during his stay, and The Virginian Hotel Curio Collection By Hilton will host the Sweets with Zuill Bailey reception. THANK YOU!

Generous corporate sponsors make this season possible: BWX Technologies, Inc., Pacific Life Foundation, Karl Miller Team, continued on page 2

Bernstein Birthday BashOctober 28, 2018, 4:00 PMLiberty University School of Music Concert HallDr. Kathryn Voelker and Gina DiCarlo, conducting

We celebrate the centennial anniversary of Bernstein’s birth with Candide and West Side Story Suite with Broadway tenor and Lynchburg native Justin Bowen, and local soprano contest winner singing Maria. Hear works by Aaron Copland and John Williams who shared Bernstein’s passion for educating youth. Enjoy a slice of birthday cake to top off your afternoon.

Tickets Available Now For Upcoming Concerts

Home for the Holidays! December 9, 2018, 4:00 PMAcademy Center of the Arts Historic TheatreHugh Ballou, conducting

Experience the LSO’s inaugural concert in the newly restored ACOA Historic Theatre. Feel the warmth of home and community as soloists, and adult and children’s choirs usher in the holiday season. Festive seasonal favorites will have you singing along.

To reserve a seat at this season’s concerts, visit the LSO website below, scroll down to find the concert you want to attend, and click the red Purchase Tickets button.lynchburgsymphony.org/events-concerts

President’s Message, continued from page 1

to the podium as conductor of this program. Mr. Bailey and Mr. Glover will do a pre-concert talk with limited seating for VIP ticket holders.

We welcome spring and Dr. Carol Williams with the LSO Strings & Timpani, conducted by Dr. Randall Speer, April 6, 2019, at Court Street United Methodist Church. Limited seating is available – so, get your tickets to be sure you have a seat!

We close this exciting season with Aaron Garber conducting the full orchestra for Dvorak’s New World Symphony. Jefferson Choral Society will join the LSO for this inspiring evening.

We are working on posting the Music Director position by the end of

2018. We look forward to announcing our new permanent conductor next summer as we begin season 2019-2020. Your support is needed as we continue to grow and bring excellent programs to Lynchburg and the surrounding area.

Linda Edwards isPresident of the LSO’s Board of Directors

The Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra recently announced the hiring of Erika Mork as its new executive director.

“The LSO is very pleased to have Erika join our staff as Executive Director,” says Board President Linda Edwards. “She brings a strong background in non-profit work with emphasis on development and grant writing. She has worked as a grant reviewer and site visitor, giving her perspective from both sides of the process.”

Mork is a former participant in The Fulbright Program, and also completed a year as a Policy Fellow after graduate school with the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs. In addition to her work for the LSO, she teaches in the Masters of Nonprofit

Leadership Studies program at the University of Lynchburg. Mork will work part time with the LSO with particular emphasis on donor relations, development and grant writing.

Allegro is a monthly publication of the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra and sent via email to subscribers.

To be added to the Allegro email list, contact the LSO office through one of the means listed below.

Address:621 Court StreetLynchburg, VA 24504

Phone: (434) 845-6604

Email: lso@ntelos.net

© 2018 Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra

LSO Welcomes Executive Director

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School concerts that were recently performed:

Friday, Sept. 7Yellow Branch Elementary School Concord Elementary School Rustburg Elementary School (gym)

LSO Musicians:Michael Straw, Matthew Farley, John Glaeser, Walker Pennock, Bill Folger

Friday, Sept. 14Leesville Rd. Elementary SchoolTomahawk Elementary SchoolMadison Heights Elementary School

LSO Musicians: Michael Straw, Larry Seipp, John Glaeser, Walker Pennock, Bill Folger

Area School Children Enjoy LSO Brass Ensemble Youth Education Programs in September

These programs are generously sponsored by the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation. Over the past 12 years,15,000 children have participated in educational programs to introduce them to classical music and symphony instruments.

LSO musicians interact with students and give them opportunity to touch the instruments, with the hope they will develop appreciation for the classics to carry them through life.

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Orchestras bolster local economies, educate various ages from young people to senior adults, and unite individuals across cultures.

Lynchburg is fortunate to have a professional orchestra to enjoy in its own hometown. Fans of the LSO can participate in the orchestra, and it will not require a music degree or experience playing an instrument.

Sponsor-A-Musician is a way to support the orchestra as a whole, as well as individuals within the LSO. Do you have a favorite musician in the orchestra? Do you like the sound of a certain instrument? This program is an important way to show your support.

Individuals can sponsor a musician in the orchestra, including this year’s guest conductors. The LSO is a 501c3 non-profit organization, so donations through Sponsor-A- Musician are tax deductible.

The LSO has been bringing local music lovers and musicians together for more than three decade. Share the experience by joining the sponsorship program.

Support the LSO by Sponsoring a MusicianBenefits of Sponsoring A Musician

Attend a hosted reception, as a guest of the LSO, where sponsors and musicians can mix and mingle in the VIP lounge of the Academy Center of the Arts Historic Theatre, prior to the LSO’s Holiday Concert, December 9, 2018.

• Reserved seating close to the stage.

• Badge/lanyard to wear at concerts.

• Photo op with your musician(s).

• For one year following the date of your sponsorship, your photo will appear in the symphony program book on the Sponsor-A-Musician page.

• Your photo will be displayed on the Sponsor-A-Musician poster in the lobby on concert days.

• An acknowledgment of your participation will appear on the Contributors’ pages in the concert program book.

Sponsorship levelsGuest Conductor

$800

Concertmaster$600

Principal Musician$400

Section Musician$200

Guest Artist (local)$500

The Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra has announced the winner of its Maria singing contest. Sopranos were invited during September to submit video auditions to sing the part of Maria during the October concert.

Soprano Meghan Lambert has been selected to sing a duet at the LSO’s October concert with Broadway performer Justin Bowen. The two will sing the parts of Tony and Maria in Tonight from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. The song is part of the LSO’s Bernstein Birthday Bash concert that will be held at Liberty University’s School of Music Concert Hall on October 28 at 4 p.m.

Lambert holds an undergraduate degree in vocal performance from Liberty University and is currently studying for her Master’s in Music Education with a specialization in Performance. She resides in Lynchburg with her husband, Trey.

“Meghan has a blend of both musical theater and classical technique that fits Bernstein’s concert style and will also blend well with Justin,” says Dr. Kathryn Voelker, who will be conducting the Bernstein portion of the October concert.

Lambert has performed in local churches, including solo work at Rivermont Presbyterian. She is actively involved on the worship team at her church, Gospel Community,

LSO Names Winner of Singing Contest for the Bernstein Birthday Bash Concert

and also teaches voice lessons. This December, Lambert will sing the title role of the mother in Liberty University’s production of Amahl and the Night Visitors.

The Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra inaugurates its 36th season with a salute to Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and John Williams at its October 28 concert. The concert also features two expert guest conductors.

Dr. Kathryn Voelker, a music professor at Liberty University, will

lead the LSO in a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Bernstein’s birth. The concert will recognize both the importance of his music and his contribution

to educating young people. “He is known for symphonic music and theater music that crossed a lot of different 20th century styles,” Voelker says. “He was an educator, a pianist, a conductor, and a music director.”

The LSO will perform three of

Lynchburg Symphony to Celebrate American Composers at Season Opener

Bernstein’s works: West Side Story Suite, Candide, and Symphonic Dances. Voelker says Bernstein’s contribution to music was his ability to bring the different worlds of popular, jazz, and theatre together into the concert hall. “He was working within that world to make it fun and exciting and dramatic, which is what I think culture was interested in,” says Voelker. The popular song Tonight will feature a duet by Broadway performer Justin Bowen, a Lynchburg native and E. C. Glass High School graduate, and soprano Meghan Lambert.

Gina DiCarlo is orchestra conductor at E. C. Glass High School, and also serves as adjunct instructor of violin and viola at Randolph College. She was concertmaster of the LSO during the 2016-2017 season. DiCarlo will conduct Aaron Copland’s Hoe Down and Buckaroo Holiday (from Rodeo) and John Williams’ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Copland is best known for his western-style compositions. DiCarlo says the importance of Copland’s music is the source of his inspiration. “He drew heavily from already existing American musical literature like jazz and folk,” she says. “You can hear both genres in his works.”

As for John Williams, concertgoers will recognize his composition from a popular film series. “I turned to one of my own childhood favorites – music from Harry Potter,” DiCarlo says. Williams work reflects his Hollywood association with major film directors. “The themes are recognizable and hopefully will deliver a sense of magic to listeners.”

Dr. Kathryn Voelker

Gina DiCarlo

Bernstein, Copland and Williams: Connections and Contemporaries

The connections among the three composers is intriguing. Copland and Bernstein were very good friends and it was actually Copland who helped kick-start Bernstein’s conducting career. Although Copland was 18 years Bernstein’s senior, they both died in 1990.

An especially important commonality of the three composers was that they all emphasized the education of youth to the symphony. Bernstein was well know for his Young People’ Concerts during his time as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. The education series actually started before Bernstein joined the NY Phil, but they became a particularly important component of his career.

Bernstein conducted more than 50 of the concerts over a period of 14

years (see leonardberstein.com) in an effort both to introduce audiences to various forms of music and to showcase young performers. The concerts not only reached attendees, but many more through television.

Copland also was involved in education activities. For example, he taught several times at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, as well as at Tanglewood, Harvard and the New School for Social Research (pbs.org). In 1960, Bernstein featured Copland’s works on a Young People’s Concert to commemorate the 60th birthday of the composer, including having Copland conduct one of his compositions (bernstein.classical.org). Like Bernstein, Copland wanted to expose young composers to the public, which he did through the Copland-Sessions concerts, a

venture with Roger Sessions (pbs.org).

Williams is best known for his Hollywood movie scores, including Jaws, Star Wars, and Home Alone, plus television themes. He served as music director of the Boston Pops Orchestra for 14 years.

Contributing to the development of future musicians is an important part of Williams’ career. An example is the bequeathing in 2018 of his scores and other materials to The Julliard School.

Tanglewood, in the Berkshire mountains and home of the Boston Symphony, is the place where two of Williams’ mentors, Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, taught. As conductor laureate and artist-in-residence, Williams still describes the institution as his “permanent family.”

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