Volume 28, Issue 2 October 2017

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1 Volume 28, Issue 2 October 2017 SymphonyNotes VALDOSTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Meet the Artists Dr. Shannon Lowe serves as the Associate Professor of Bassoon at Valdosta State University. She has also served as adjunct Assistant Professor of Bassoon at the University of Florida. Currently, Dr. Lowe is the principal bassoonist of the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, 2014 recipient of the American Prize for Best Community Orchestra. Judges of this competition stated The individual wind and brass players are of high quality and play with lovely tone. She is also principal bassoonist of the Albany (GA) Symphony Orchestra. She actively performs with preeminent orchestras in the southeast such as the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Florida Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, and Macon Symphony. For six seasons, she was principal bassoonist of the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra (now known as the Gainesville Orchestra). Peter Geldrich is Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Valdosta State University and serves as principal clarinet of the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra in the Kay Jennett Chair. In addition to his role with the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Geldrich plays in the Albany Symphony Orchestra (GA). He frequently performs with Sinfonia Gulf Coast and the Charlotte (FL) Symphony Orchestra. He has also served as guest principal clarinet with the Orquesta Sinfonica UANL in Monterrey, Mexico. As a featured soloist, Mr. Geldrich has appeared with the Montclair Symphony Orchestra (NJ), the VSU Faculty Jazz Ensemble, the VSU Wind Ensemble, and the Carolina Master Chorale alongside acclaimed soprano Arianna Zuckerman. In 2015 Mr. Geldrich was a featured artist at the SCI National Conference in Gainesville, Florida. Featured in this Issue 2 Howard s Favorites 3 Conductor s Corner 4 Upcoming Concerts 5 Meet the VSO Kristen Johns is Associate Professor of Music at Valdosta (GA) State University, where she performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician, and as principal horn in the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra (VSO) and the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Prior to her appointment at Valdosta State, she was principal horn with the International Orchestra in San Diego, CA, with Zoltan Rozsnyai, music director. In Nov 2012, Dr. Johns was a soloist with the VSO performing Schumann s Concertpiece for Four Horns. During the 1992 Lincoln Center Mozart Bicentennial Celebration, Dr. Johns performed in Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall and the Juilliard Opera Theater. In addition to performing with the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, she has performed with the Cincinnati Pops, the Savannah Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Tallahassee Symphony, the New World Symphony, and the West Virginia Symphony. She has participated in summer festivals such as the Breckenridge continued on pg. 2 6 Announcements 6 Community Partners 7 Tickets & Directions SymphonyNotes 1

2 Continued Meet the Artists from Page 1 Music Institute, the National Repertory Orchestra, the National Orchestral Institute, the Kent-Blossom Music Festival, and at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Susan Eischeid currently holds the position of Principal Oboe with the Valdosta Symphony and serves as Professor of Music at Valdosta State University where she teaches oboe, chamber music, and music history. Dr.Eischeid played for several years with the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra. She is an active solo recitalist and clinician, both nationally and internationally, and has performed with the Richmond Symphony, the West Virginia Symphony, the Don t let your tickets go to waste! One of the most effective methods of marketing the VSO is through word-of-mouth. Please help us to spread the word about Valdosta s orchestra and fill Whitehead Auditorium on concert nights! Bring a friend - invite a friend (or two) who have never been to the VSO Utilize unused tickets - If you can t make it to a concert, try one of the following: Jacksonville Symphony and the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra. Dr. Eischeid is a long-time member of the Eastern Festival Orchestra and serves on the oboe faculty of the summer Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC. Dr. Eischeid appeared as soloist in the world premiere of the second oboe concerto by noted Hungarian composer Frigyes Hidas and has commercially released her first compact disc on the ACA Digital label. She has appeared as soloist with the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, in a performance of the Bellini Concerto. Dr. Eischeid is also an author, publishing her most recent book titled The Truth about Fania Fenelon and the Women s Orchestra of Auschwitz- Birkenau in July of As an outgrowth of this research, she has presented lectures and recitals in over twenty cities in the United States and in Europe and has received multiple grants. In March of 2010, as part of the Old First Concerts Artist s Series in San Francisco, CA, she premiered a new work for oboe, piano and men s voices by noted German composer Stefan Heucke under the aegis of The Pink Triangle Project. Howard s Favorite Recordings: Beethoven Symphony No. 4 Harnoncourt/Chamber Orchestra of Europe An ideal mix of historically informed performance style and modern instrument virtuosity make for a warm, responsive recording. Gardiner/Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique This is a stunning performance on original instruments. In addition to the distinctive timbres, the brisk speed is riveting. Conductor s Corner There s nothing like a good historical mystery to enhance the concertgoing experience. The Sinfonia Concertante for Winds has been attributed to Mozart, but several historians believe this work is either composed by another or a mix of music by Mozart and another. There s solid evidence for both sides, so we still don t know for sure. Either way, this piece does sound like Mozart, and it is a beautiful and charming work. We will feature my excellent colleagues Kristen Johns (VSO Principal Horn). Susan Eischeid (VSO Principal Oboe), Shannon Lowe (VSO Principal Bassoon), and Peter Geldrich (VSO Principal Clarinet) as soloists. I was fortunate to attend a rehearsal by Otto Werner- Mueller, the legendary conducting teacher, as he worked on Beethoven s 4th Symphony. His attention to detail was extraordinary, and he refused to let the orchestra to get away with ignoring Beethoven s musical markings. It was odd to see these hardened professional musicians revert to scared and intimidated conservatory students when they had to deal with Maestro Mueller, who was famous for his terrifying rehearsals. Although I don t emulate how he treated his players, I greatly admired how high his standards were and how hard he worked to live up to them. As you enjoy the October concert, ask yourself if the Sinfonia Concertante sounds like it was written by Mozart or someone else a) Give them to a friend b) Give them to the Guild (so other members can bring a friend) c) Give them back to Maggie Vallotton in the College of the Arts Office. Haitink/London Symphony Haitink is such an honest musician in that he allows the music to speak for itself instead of going for cheap effects. His musicianship and integrity are exemplary, and lead to committed and natural performances. 2 SymphonyNotes SymphonyNotes 3

3 Upcoming Meet the VSO: Laurel Yu VSO PRINCIPAL VIOLA The Valdosta Symphony Guild requests the pleasure of your company at the Moonlight Sonata SYMPHONY BALL To benefit the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra Youth Programs NOVEMBER 11, 2017 VALDOSTA COUNTRY CLUB Cash Bar 6:30 Dinner, Auction, & Dancing 7:30 Black Tie Attire $ Per Person / $45.00 Tax Deductible Q. What was your favorite restaurant experience? A. The Ming Tree Cafe is an amazing Chinese restaurant unlike any I have ever experienced (including Chinatown in San Francisco and New York). It s located in Tallahassee, and it s a tiny restaurant rather isolated on the north side of town. Takes 1 hour and 34 minutes to get to from VSU s campus (and worth the drive), although if you go during prime dinner time, you ll wait awhile for a table, given they only have six tables. There is no replicating the first time going to Ming Tree Cafe! Q. What food do you hate? A. Hate is a strong word, but I can t be around canned fish. Something about the aroma really bothers me. Q. What s the best or worst travel experience you ve ever had? A. My worst also ended up being one of my best travel experience. Back in high school, I had an early morning flight out of Atlanta to Michigan, where I was attending high school. Halfway to the airport, I realized I left my viola at home (doh!). My parents and I had to go back home, get my instrument, and I of course missed my flight to Detroit. I got on the next possible flight, which was actually to Chicago. After I arrived in Chicago, I unsurprisingly missed the only flight out of Chicago that day, too. Completely distraught, I played the naive teenager card and the airline comped a hotel room in downtown Chicago! Lo and behold, three of my close friends in school also missed their flights, and were also comped rooms in the same hotel. We had a free night in Chicago, went to the then Sears Tower, ate a Chicago deep-dish pizza, saw the outside of Wrigley Field, and made a fort out of borrowed sheets in my friend s room. Q. Are you a dog or cat person? A. Definitely a dog person. I feel I would enjoy being a cat person. THE NUTCRACKER December 1, :30 pm December 2, :00 pm and 7:30 pm December 3, :30 pm The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky Dance Arts, Inc. Allison Shenton, Artistic Director Linda Chase, Assistant Director Celebrate the holidays in Valdosta with Tchaikovsky s beloved Nutcracker ballet, fully staged with LIVE orchestra. Tickets for these concerts are not part of season ticket package. Mathis Auditorium. Reservations Required; tickets: $14 ADVANCE tickets will be available October 15th, 2017 For information about Dance Arts, Inc. see website or call (229) Q. What s a little-known fact about you? A. I used to be a competitive fighter. Many professional musicians start music at an early age, but I started music when I was well into my teenage years, and started competitive fighting around 5 years old. I broke some knuckles, my wrist, and have a fake tooth to show for it. Q. What s a favorite movie of yours and why? A. There are so many movies I enjoy and appreciate, but I don t know if I have a favorite. I m more of a fan of genres, like the underdog/comeback stories, or movies with a surprise ending. Q. What was one of the funniest/strangest concert moments you ve ever experienced? A. Funniest in retrospect, but not the funniest as it happened. If you look at my viola, I have a chinrest cover that is permanently on my chinrest. I used to have a handkerchief to cover my chinrest, but that all changed. I was soloing with an orchestra, and my handkerchief slipped from under my chin and my viola dropped to the floor. Luckily, I grabbed it just in time before it slammed onto the stage floor. A minor knick on the instrument opposed to a completely destroyed instrument. I missed my next entrance, had to quickly retune and keep going! Q. Why should people come to hear the VSO? A. Why not come to a VSO concert? As musicians, we are storytellers. We bring history and art to life in a way only music can, and it permeates in everything we do on stage. Even if you ve heard the story a hundred times, we tell it differently. Our doors are open to all who want to experience that which words are hard to express. If you ve gone this far in reading an explanation, then I ll just ask you again: why not come to a VSO concert? 4 SymphonyNotes SymphonyNotes 5

4 Community Partners Upcoming Events Pre-Concert C H A T THE NUTCRACKER, TCHAIKOVSKY These generous businesses annually make a commitment to help with the housing of our professional musicians and guest artists. We encourage you to make use of their services whenever you have the hospitality needs. Comfort Inn & Suites 1785 West Hill Avenue Comfort Suites 1332 N. St. Augustine Rd Hilton Garden Inn 1702 Gornto Road Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center 1805 W. Hill Avenue Sleep Inn & Suites 3026 James Road Days Inn & Super N. St. Augustine Rd Dance Arts, Inc. Allison Shenton, Artistic Director Linda Chase, Assistant Director December 1, :30 pm December 2, :00 pm and 7:30 pm December 3, :30 pm Celebrate the holidays in Valdosta with Tchaikovsky s beloved Nutcracker ballet, fully staged with LIVE orchestra. Tickets for these concerts are not part of season ticket package. Mathis Auditorium. Reservations Required; tickets: $14 ADVANCE tickets will be available October 15, 2017 For information about Dance Arts, Inc. see website or call (229) The DSC is a great way for the young and young at heart to meet, have a fun night out on the town and attend a VSO concert. A free membership includes a discount on single VSO tickets (DSC members will be seated together, space allowing). The evening doesn t have to end after the show! Meet up with the DSC, VSO musicians, Board and Guild members after the concert! To join the DSC, please contact Shannon Lowe (srlowe@valdosta.edu). Beat the Rush & Meet the Maestro! October 21, :45 PM SAWYER THEATRE October 21st Concert is Sponsored by Investment Services Since 1890 Make a lasting gift by endowing a Principal's Chair The VSO is now accepting endowments for our principal chairs. Select your favorite instrument and create a deeper association with the VSO. Your tax deductible gift of $100,000 names the chair and guarantees your ongoing support. Help us continue to offer the wonderful programs that you can enjoy long into the future. A variety of giving timelines are available. For more information contact: VSO Board Chairman, Dan Coleman or Executive Director, Doug Farwell A Special Thanks to our Friends & Transportation partners at GRINER NISSAN of Valdosta 3715 Inner Perimeter Rd. Valdosta, GA grinernissan.com/valdosta Directions Whitehead Auditorium is located in the Fine Arts Building at the corner of Brookwood and North Oak Street, at the Southwest corner of the Valdosta State University s Main Campus. For more information please contact Maggie Vallotton at SymphonyNotes SymphonyNotes 7 Interstate 75 Exit 18 Exit 16 St. Augustine Rd. Gornto Rd. West Hill Avenue US 84 Baytree Road Sustella Ave. North Oak Street Fine Arts Building Toombs Brookwood Patterson Street University Center Concert Tickets To purchase tickets visit: Tickets can be reserved for you to pick up at the concert. Tickets are $28 per concert. If you are going to be away or cannot make the concert, please make arrangements to give your tickets to someone else or contact Maggie Vallotton at Box Office Information: The Whitehead Box Office will be open the week before each concert on Thursday 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, and on Friday 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. Student tickets must be purchased at the box office.

5 Department of Music Valdosta State University 1500 N Patterson St Valdosta GA Change Service Requested The Valdosta Symphony Orchestra is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras. Volume 28, Issue 2 October 2017 SymphonyNotes VALDOSTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Radiance The Valdosta Symphony Orchestra s season continues on Saturday, October 21st, at 7:30 pm in Whitehead Auditorium in Valdosta State University s Fine Arts Building. The Sinfonia Concertante will feature four wind soloists from the ranks of the VSO Principal musicians. But was it actually composed by Mozart? You be the judge! The Fourth is one of Beethoven s most underrated symphonies it commands attention with an opening that conveys dark mystery and erupts with a thrilling ascent into the light. The October 21st concert is sponsored by Investment Services Since 1890 For more information about the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra visit our webpage at: For more information about music, theatre, and dance programs at VSU visit the College of the Arts website at: What s Inside... 1 Meet The Artist 3 Conductor s Corner 5 Meet the VSO 6 Community Partners Find us on Facebook & 8 SymphonyNotes Twitter