T H E S E A S O N R. JOSEPH SCOTT - CONDUCTOR & MUSIC DIRECTOR
Orchestra Management Board of Directors Founding Director Joyce Cunningham Music Director & Conductor R. Joseph Scott President Armand Binkhuysen Vice-President Miranda Thorpe Treasurers Andrea Adee Secretary Cathy Grindle Directors-at-Large Dennis Helppie Andy Hill Renee Kuehn Donna Mansfield Daphne Robinson Honorary Board Members Don Gerend Former Mayor, City of Sammamish Skip Rowley Chairman, Rowley Properties Nancy Whitten Sammamish City Council member Personnel Librarian Loryn Lestz Section Librarians Eric Daane, Shelby Eaton, Jonathan Feil, Dennis Helppie, Libby Landy, Jayne Marquess Grants Armand Binkhuysen Welcome to the opening concert of the Sammamish Symphony s 23rd season! This season marks my 16th year with this gifted group of musicians. The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra continues to grow in artistic excellence, and the dedication of each member is evident in the quality of this fine musical ensemble. The Sammamish Symphony s 2014/2015 season is sure to be eventful, highlighted by orchestral masterworks and outstanding soloists. We will once again present each of our regular concerts at two locations. Our audiences can attend any of these concerts at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue (Friday or Thursday evenings) or at Eastlake Performing Arts Center (Sunday afternoons). The Cantaré Vocal Ensemble has again invited the Sammamish Symphony to take part in a special appearance at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. On Sunday, R. Joseph Scott April 19, 2015, we will perform Carl Orff s Carmina Burana, with 300 voices comprised of several Puget Sound choral groups, as well as a solo performance by the Symphony of selections from Jules Massenet s Le Cid Ballet Suite. This will be our sixth collaboration at Benaroya with Cantaré. Today s season opener features Ferde Grofé s Grand Canyon Suite, with its familiar On the Trail movement, and Elmer Bernstein s themes from The Magnificent Seven. We also showcase the dazzling virtuosity of pianist Mark Salman in George Gershwin s Rhapsody in Blue, a pioneering work in adding the colors of jazz to the orchestral palette. Our Holiday Pops is a perennial audience pleaser. The Sunday concert includes the Beaver Lake Middle School Choir. February s España theme features Maurice Ravel s climactic showpiece Boléro and classical guitarist Michael Parthington in Joaquín Rodrigo s Concierto de Aranjuez. Our season wraps up in June with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky s Fourth Symphony a masterpiece by turns somber, lyrical, colorful, and powerful. That concert also highlights our Youth Concerto Competition Winner. Now, I invite you to sit back and enjoy the concert! R. Joseph Scott Personnel Jonathan Feil Renee Kuehn Concert Program Jonathan Feil Emaugo Creative Webmaster Mark Wiseman Youth Concerto Competition Renee Kuehn Lobby Managers Kathie Jorgensen Cindy Jorgensen Concessions Manager Cherlyn Kozlak Sound Recording Philip Chance R. Joseph Scott Music Director and Conductor, R. Joseph Scott has been a dynamic leader in the Northwest musical community for 47 years. He is currently celebrating his 16th year with the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra. Maestro Scott has conducted concerts featuring a diverse array of artists, including Metropolitan Opera star Roberta Peters; violinist Pamela Frank; cellist Julian Schwarz; the Seattle Opera Chorus; the Empire Brass Quintet; the Seattle Symphony Choral; and vocalists Anna Maria Alberghetti, Lou Rawls, Maureen McGovern and Marni Nixon. Mr. Scott has also featured members of the Seattle Symphony: Kimberly Russ, piano; Ben Hausman, oboe; Simon James, violin. Maestro Scott founded the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra, serving as Music Director, Conductor and General Manager from 1967 1997 and served as Resident Conductor of Lyric Opera Northwest from 2005-2009. He has appeared with numerous musical ensembles, including the Bellevue Opera and has conducted world premieres of works by Alan Hovhaness, Vaclav Nelhybel and various regional composers. Maestro Scott attended the University of Oregon, School of Music and studied conducting with Eugene Furst and Wolfgang Martin of the Portland Opera. After moving to Seattle, Mr. Scott continued his studies with Henry Holt of the Seattle Opera, Mikael Scheremetiew of the Thalia Conservatory, and Vilem Sokol of the Seattle Youth Symphony. 2
Program R. Joseph Scott, Music Director and Conductor Friday October 17, 2014 7:30 pm Meydenbauer Theatre, Bellevue WA Sunday October 19, 2014 2:00 pm Eastlake Performing Arts Center, Sammamish WA Wild, Wild West! Mark Salman, piano Aaron Copland Elmer Bernstein Arr. Calvin Custer George Gershwin Fanfare for the Common Man Suite from The Magnificent Seven The American Frontier Rhapsody in Blue Mark Salman, piano Intermission Ferde Grofé Grand Canyon Suite Sunrise Painted Desert On the Trail Sunset Cloudburst Steinway Piano provided by Steinway Piano Gallery of Bellevue Please turn off all cell phones and pagers. No audio/video recording or flash photography is allowed during the performance. 3
Personnel First Violin Dennis Helppie, Concertmaster Tim Strait, Assistant Concertmaster Sandy Anuras Ian Backman Jacky Bosworth Kristin Edlund Karin Islip Donna Mansfield Lynne Martinell Heather Raschko Haley Schaening Deborah Wade Second Violin Shelby Eaton, Principal Feather Asmussen, Assistant Principal Barbara Ethington Cathy Grindle Matthew Guenther Jillian Kent-Dobias Nancy Johnson Shravani Kulkarni Paula Libes Fran Pope Setsuko Reeves McKenna Roberts Viola Libby Landy, Principal Jan Rider, Acting Principal Brian Jankanish, Acting Assistant Principal Armand Binkhuysen Kathryn Boudreau-Stroud Irwin Chao Heidi Fivash Viola continued Justins Holderness Hans Klein Dan Pope Amanda Salmick Loraine Terpening Barb Thorne Myrl Venter Cello Shiang-Yin Lee, Principal Joyce Sanford, Assistant Principal Kumiko Chita Kristina Crothers Marina Fernandez Margaret Fivash Andy Hill Loryn Lestz Michelle Miller Juha Niemisto Gail Ratley Joan Selvig Sandra Sultan Erin Verna Bass Jarod Tanneberg, Principal Flute Melissa Underhill, Principal Tori Berntsen Elana Sabovic-Matt Piccolo Elana Sabovic-Matt Oboe Susan Jacoby, Principal Jim Kobe English Horn Dennis Calvin Clarinet Jayne Marquess, Principal Kathy Carr Bass Clarinet Linda Thomas Bassoon Shannon Nelson, Principal Julia Kingrey Contrabassoon Gordon Brown French Horn Evelyn Zeller, Principal Dan Chernin Craig Kowald Nels Magelssen Bernie Olshausen Trumpet Jonathan Feil, Principal Greg DuPen Erik Reed Trombone Scott Sellevold, Principal Gregg Hirakawa Bass Trombone William Ronneburg Tuba Mark Wiseman, Principal Timpani Eric Daane, Principal Percussion Brian Yarkosky, Principal Scott Ketron Frank Ronneburg Piano/Keyboard Catherine Lowell, Principal Harp Bethany Man, Principal String sections listed in alphabetical order. Are you interested in playing with us? The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra is composed of adult volunteer musicians dedicated to performing concerts and maintaining outreach programs serving Eastside communities. The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra would like to thank the City of Sammamish for their support Rehearsals: Thursdays 7:15-9:45 p.m. at Eastlake High School Please call 206-517-7777 or go to www.sammamishsymphony.org 4
Featured Guest Hailed as a heroic virtuoso, and dazzling performer, Mark Salman s performances have been described as powerful, astonishing, exacting, and evocative, dramatic, wildly imaginative. and touchingly lyrical. Of his performance of Beethoven s Hammerklavier sonata one critic wrote, there are probably only five or six pianists in the world who can play it as perfectly. His performance of Liszt s transcription of the Beethoven Seventh Symphony was named one of three Performances of the Year by the Seattle Weekly. Mr. Salman s performances have taken him to Europe, Asia, and Canada, as well as throughout the United States. He has performed in Carnegie and Alice Tully Halls in New York City, has been the subject of profiles in The New York Times, and has been featured in numerous radio and television broadcasts. Mr. Salman regularly performs as a concerto soloist with northwest orchestras, including Orchestra Seattle, Auburn Symphony, Federal Way Symphony, and the Northwest Sinfonietta. As a chamber musician, he appears regularly with Simple Measures. Along with a wide-ranging repertoire, Mr. Salman is known for his expertise on Beethoven, having performed the complete cycle of the thirtytwo piano sonatas on both coasts as well as in 18 broadcasts on Seattle s KING-FM. Beethoven and his 32 Piano Sonatas A Musical Universe, a 16-part video series featuring Mr. Salman s performances of the complete sonata cycle, is in production. DVD volumes one and two have been released on the Great Composers label. Mr. Salman s recordings include his newest release, Schubert Late Sonatas, two all-chopin CDs, Mozart s Piano Concertos K. 488 and K. 503 with the Northwest Sinfonietta, the Transcendental Piano, featuring works by Alkan, Beethoven and Liszt, and American Interweave, featuring contemporary American works for cello and piano. A native of Connecticut, Mr. Salman began piano studies at age eight and made his recital debut at eleven. A graduate of The Juilliard School, he studied piano with Josef Raieff and Richard Fabre, and previously studied composition with John Harbison. Mr. Salman is on the faculty of the Seattle Conservatory of Music and is a Steinway artist. The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the generous support of the Garneau-Nicon Family Foundation. 5
Program Notes Go West, young man, and grow up with the country. (Horace Greeley, July 13, 1865 editorial in the New York Tribune) In the 1920s and 1930s, the United States transformed its classical music from emulation of mainstream European trends to idioms unmistakably its own. The three major elements were the revolutionary and uniquely American idiom of jazz (exemplified by George Gershwin), a style associated with the expanses of the American West (exemplified by Aaron Copland), and the intermixture into experimental music of American traditional tonal imagery such as fiddle tunes, hymn singing, and patriotic songs (exemplified by Charles Ives). These three indigenous strands formed the basis for the emergence of the United States as a major force in contemporary composition, with its own developments to offer European composers. The composers of the American West in today s concert share another heritage all were born and raised in New York City. (Arranger Calvin Custer, the lone exception, came from Atlantic City, New Jersey.) Though ironic to us today, it reflects New York s status as a seedbed for artists from all nations and cultures. Aaron Copland Fanfare for the Common Man The Great Depression prompted Aaron Copland (1900-90) to step up the aesthetic makeover that was in progress in his music. Already turning away from a modernist style, Copland shifted to a deliberately accessible style which he labeled vernacular. Fanfare for the Common Man was one of two patriotic works (the other being Lincoln Portrait) that Copland composed in 1942. The challenge, Copland later wrote, was to compose a traditional fanfare, direct and powerful, yet with a contemporary sound. For the title, Copland found inspiration from a speech where vice president Henry Wallace proclaimed the dawning of the Century of the Common Man. Fanfare has enjoyed great popularity, on the concert stage, at public occasions in the United States and abroad, and in films and on television. Copland also used it to begin the final movement of his Third Symphony. On May 15, 2014, it was played by the New York Philharmonic at the dedication of the 9/11 Museum in lower Manhattan. Elmer Bernstein Suite from The Magnificent Seven For over 50 years and in more than 200 major film and television scores, Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004) was known for his creativity, versatility, and longevity. His original film scores range over an enormous variety of styles, of which his score for the western The Magnificent Seven (1960) is perhaps his most familiar and iconic. The Magnificent Seven is a westernstyle remake of Akira Kurosawa s 1954 classic Seven Samurai. The film stars Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, Brad Dexter, and Horst Buchholz as a group of American gunmen hired to protect a small village in Mexico from a group of marauders led by Calvera, portrayed by Eli Wallach. In 2013 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Calvin Custer (arranger) The American Frontier Calvin Custer (1939-1998) was prolific in the creation of arrangements for orchestra, many of which have been performed across the country. For the majority of his musical career, Custer was associated with the Syracuse Symphony, serving in the keyboard, horn and bass sections, holding The Sammamish Symphony would like to thank Gordon Brown and the Gordon Brown Foundation for the generous contribution for music to build the Symphony s library. Gordon has been an active member and contra-bassoon player with the symphony for many years. 6
various conducting positions, and serving as staff arranger. In 2006, the Syracuse Symphony released a CD of Custer s arrangements on the disc Big Band Bash. The American Frontier features a medley of songs associated with the American West, yet each with origins elsewhere. The Girl I Left Behind dates to Ireland in the early 1800s and was adopted by the US Army during the War of 1812. Chester was a patriotic anthem sung during the Revolutionary War. Oh! Susanna started as a minstrel song by Stephen Foster (1826 1864) and migrated west as an unofficial theme of the Forty- Niners. Shenandoah is a traditional American folk song of uncertain provenance, with lyrics added by rivermen and frontier settlers. The lyrics of America the Beautiful were written by Wellesley College English professor, Katharine Lee Bates, inspired by the sights during a train trip to Colorado. The words were fitted to a hymn tune by New York church choirmaster Samuel A. Ward and published in 1910. George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue By the time he wrote Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin (1898-1937) was a highly-paid composer of popular Tin Pan Alley songs and musical theater. Beginning work with only five weeks left until its February 12, 1924 premiere, the ideas of the composition formed during a train ride to Boston. As Gershwin later recounted it, On the train, with its steely rhythms I suddenly heard, and even saw on R. Joseph Scott Conductor & Music Director Featuring Sleigh Ride The Christmas Song Fantasia on We Three Kings Hallelujah Chorus and more... Special guest Sunday only The Beaver Lake Middle School Choir Tina Worthington, Music Director Friday December 5, 2014 Meydenbauer Theatre 7:30 PM Sunday December 7, 2014 Eastlake Performing Arts Center 2:00 PM Tickets Adult - $20 Senior/Student - $15 Children 10 or under - $10 Available at the door or online at Ticketweb.com In Memoriam Ruth & Preben Hoegh-Christensen We mourn the losses of Ruth and Preben Hoegh-Christensen. Married for over 71 years, Preben died on March 4 at the age of 95 and Ruth on May 30 at 92. Preben and Ruth were steadfast and generous supporters of the Sammamish Symphony since its founding, volunteering their time and energy as well. We will miss them greatly. May 16, 2015 Save the date! Annual Auction (206) 517-7777 www.sammamishsymphony.org Plateau Club See our website for details. 7
paper the complete construction of the Rhapsody, from beginning to end. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness. By the time I reached Boston I had a definite plot of the piece. In 1924, Gershwin did not have sufficient knowledge of orchestration and agreed that Ferde Grofé, band leader Paul Whiteman s pianist and chief arranger, would prepare it for performance. The original version was tailored for Whiteman s jazz band of 23 musicians. Grofé later set the piece for full orchestra. Although it is one of the most recognizable and popular pieces in American music, Rhapsody in Blue eludes convenient classification. Its jazz qualities are syncopation and inflection, not the spontaneous improvised music that Louis Armstrong and Bix Biederbecke were creating. Notwithstanding his great love for the piece, Leonard Bernstein described Rhapsody as not a composition at all [but] a string of terrific tunes stuck together with a thin paste of flour and water. Composer-pianist and writer John Struble probably hit the mark when he observed that Gershwin approached all music as a songwriter. The result is a natural, sincere expression, with the confidence and nervous energy of the Roaring Twenties, by one of the greatest instinctive melodists of all time. Sales Appraisals Repairs Rentals Third Generation Violin Maker Choir of the Sound presents Cold Winter, Warm Memories Voted Evening Magazine s Best of Western WA! www.hkbviolins.com 425 822-0717 Deck the halls with Choir of the Sound as they spread holiday cheer with some of their favorite music. Shorecrest Performing Arts Center Saturday, December 6 at 3PM & 7PM Sunday, December 7 at 3PM Tickets Available at BrownPaperTickets.com Please note a correction in our season brochure. We will be joined at the Carmina Burana concert at Benaroya by the Choir of the Sound. This group was listed as the Choir of Puget Sound. We regret the error. 8
Ferde Grofé Grand Canyon Suite During his lifetime starting in his teens, Ferdinand Ferde Grofé s (1892-1972) abilities were in great demand in jazz, classical, and popular music circles. From 1920 to 1932, he was the pianist and arranger for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, during that time the most successful band in America. Grofé is sometimes referred to as America s tone poem composer. His most popular body of composition was a series of suites: Mississippi Suite (1925), scenes along a journey down the Mississippi River; Metropolis Suite (1928), a portrayal of New York in the Jazz Age; and Grand Canyon Suite (1931) by far the most well-known of the three a series of vignettes based on his trip to the Grand Canyon as an itinerant 24 year old pianist in 1916. The trip left indelible impressions on the composer, which he described in a radio interview more than 40 years later: I first saw the dawn because we got there the night before and camped. I was spellbound in the silence, you know, because as it got lighter and brighter then you could hear the birds chirping and nature coming to life. All of a sudden, bingo! There it was, the sun. I could hardly describe it in words because words would be inadequate. 2014 Sammamish Symphony Association Become a part of our organization! The Sammamish Symphony offers volunteer opportunities from lobby assistance and marketing support to board positions. We welcome the public to bring their talents to our growing organization Please contact us at 206-517-7777 if you are interested Cascade Woman s Club Living the Volunteer Spirit The GFWC Cascade Woman's Club is a non-profit charitable organization bringing together women from surrounding areas to promote community service and welfare locally, regionally and internationally. Anyone interested in learning more and contacting us visit our website at: gfwccascadeclub.weebly.com Lessons - Supplies - Rentals plateaumusic 425-369-9333 4532 Klahanie Dr SE Issaquah, WA 98029 Lessons for all instruments and voice $30 each In-home lessons available for slightly more Open 7 days a week www.plateaumusic.org 425-369-9333 4532 Klahanie Dr SE Issaquah, WA 98029 ADD A TOUCH OF CLASS TO YOUR PARTY OR EVENT. The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra offers small chamber groups for private functions. FOR INFO CALL 206-517-7777 9
2014-2015 Season At a Glance The Wild, Wild West! Friday, October 17, 2014, 7:30 pm Meydenbauer Theatre Sunday, October 19, 2014, 2:00 pm Eastlake Performing Arts Theater Holiday Pops Friday, December 5, 2014, 7:30 pm Meydenbauer Theatre Sunday, December 7, 2014, 2:00 pm Eastlake Performing Arts Theater España Friday, February 20, 2015, 7:30 pm Meydenbauer Theatre Sunday, February 22, 2015, 2:00 pm Eastlake Performing Arts Theater Sammamish Symphony at Benaroya Hall Performing Carl Orff, Carmina Burana with combined area choruses Sunday, April 19, 2015, 2:00pm Benaroya Hall Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 Thursday, June 4, 2015, 7:30 pm Meydenbauer Theatre Sunday, June 7, 2015, 2:00 pm Eastlake Performing Arts Theater 10
Contributors In addition to the following donors we gratefully acknowledge those individuals and families who purchased donated goods and services at our Sammamish Symphony Auctions. PATRONS ($1,000+) Sandy Anuras The Boeing Company The Charles Maxfield and Gloria F. Parrish Foundation Garneau-Nicon Family Foundation Allyn & Pat Hebner Ruth & Preben Hoegh-Christensen Andrew Coldham Expedia Gordon Brown Foundation King County 4Culture Microsoft Corporation Skip Rowley Rowley Properties City of Sammamish Swedish Hospital Mark & Linda Wiseman BENEFACTORS ($500-999) Anonymous (King County Employee) David Campbell Shelby Eaton Bob & Cathy Grindle King County Employee Giving Program Florian LaPlantif Kevin & Lynne Martinell Kenneth Morse Estate of Eleanor Nein Herman & Myrl Venter SPONSORS ($100-499) Arthur & Lora Lee Allan Ann & John Backman Alethia Barnes Armand & Claudia Binkhuysen Bischofberger Violins Debbie & Keith Brownfield David Brooks Dennis Calvin Kristen Edlund & Ken Rosenow Jonathan Feil Heidi Fivash Margaret & Scott Fivash Bob & Cathy Grindle SPONSORS ($100-499) Continued Scott Hamilton & Gail Twelves Andy & Lori Hill Heather Holmback Judith Johnson Nancy & Paul Johnson Joel & Catherine LaPlantif Jessica Lorant Nels H. Magelssen & Evelyn M. Zeller Donna Mansfield Ted & Lenore Martinell Dave Van Moorhem Kenneth Morse Pauline Miller Leslie Nielson Tom & Ruth Odell Janis Orrico Fran & Dan Pope R. Joseph Scott N. Jayne Marquess & Peter Sefton Robert Schneble Harry & Claradell Shedd Stamen & Denitsa Stoychev Sandra Sultan Ron & Cheryl Tanneberg Linda M S Thomas Melissa Underhill Dan & Marianna Vail Dave Van Moorhem Dorothy Wendler SUPPORTERS ($25-99) Feather & David Asmussen Lisa Bergman Verna Borup Rena Brady Kathy Carr Maury Corbin Pete & Tara Cummings CeCilio Di Gino Annie & Ed Evans Bill Ferensen John Ferensen Don & Sue Gerend Dr. Martin Hanson Iris King Jayne Marquess Michelle Miller Juha Niemisto Jose Pantoja Judy Peterson Issam Rashid David & Penny Short Carol Stewart Linda Thomas Miranda Thorpe Tom & Mary Lynn Vance Mark & Linda Wiseman YOU CAN NOW DONATE ONLINE VIA PAYPAL ON OUR WEBSITE AT www.sammamishsymphony.org We are seeking donations from supporters like you to help us sustain and expand our programs. Please join the generous individuals and organizations who have provided support to enable us to make the music our audiences love to hear. All contributions are tax-deductible. Please contact one of our representatives about how you can help. To the Many Supporters of the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra, THANK YOU! Acknowledgements Many people have worked together to make our community orchestra possible. They have given of their time, talent, and energy. Thank you! Facilities Meydenbauer Center Eastlake High School Program Design & Layout Emaugo Creative Program Notes Jonathan Feil Rehearsal Space Bellevue Christian School Lobby Services The City of Sammamish Volunteer Network Refreshments Safeway/Costco Klahanie QFC/Pine Lake QFC Percussion Equipment Marianna Vale Beaver Lake Middle School Recording Engineer Phillip Chance The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra Association (SSOA) is a Non-Profit Corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service. For further information, contact the SSOA: P.O. Box 1173, Issaquah, WA 98027 www.sammamishsymphony.org (206) 517-7777 11
2014 2015 SEASON Holiday Pops! FRIDAY & SUNDAY October 17, 2014 7:30 PM Meydenbauer Theatre October 19, 2014 2:00 PM Eastlake Performing Arts Center 2014 OCTOBER FRIDAY & SUNDAY December 5, 2014 7:30 PM Meydenbauer Theatre December 7, 2014 2:00 PM Eastlake Performing Arts Center 2014 DECEMBER FRIDAY & SUNDAY February 20, 2015 7:30 PM Meydenbauer Theatre February 22, 2015 2:00 PM Eastlake Performing Arts Center 2015 FEBRUARY SUNDAY April 19, 2015 2:00 PM Benaroya Hall 2015 APRIL Tchaikovsky s Symphony No. 4 in f minor THURSDAY & SUNDAY June 4, 2015 7:30 PM Meydenbauer Theatre June 7, 2015 2:00 PM Eastlake Performing Arts Center 2015 JUNE For more information please visit www.sammamishsymphony.org Thank you to our generous sponsors. Uplift Your brand! Graphic Design sponsored in part by Emaugo Creative