Aug. 23 summer festival 2014 presents PACIFIC SYMPHONY S SUMMER FESTIVAL 2014 at VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATER Kenny G The concert begins at 8 p.m. Albert-George Schram conductor Kenny G saxophone Gioachino Rossini Josef Hellmesberger Victor Vanacore Warren Casey/Jim Jacobs arr. Calvin Custer Jeff Tyzik Overture to The Barber of Seville Danse Diabolique in D Minor Viva El Mambo Born to Hand Jive from Grease Hot Soul Medley INTERMISSION Kenny G Pacific Symphony Proudly Recognizes its official partners Presenting Sponsor Supporting Sponsor Official Hotel Official Classical Radio Station Official Pops Radio Station Official Media Sponsor Official Television Station
George meet the guest conductor Equally adept at conducting classical and pops programs, Albert-George Schram has led a wide variety of repertoire for many orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. Schram is currently resident conductor of the Nashville Symphony and resident staff conductor of the Columbus (Ohio) and Charlotte symphonies. He has conducted classical, pops, holiday and educational concerts for all three orchestras. He has also served as music director of the Lubbock (Texas) Symphony and the Lynn (Fla.) Philharmonic, and has held titled positions with the Louisville and Florida philharmonic orchestras. Schram s guest-conducting roster has included the symphonies of Dallas, Charlotte, Tucson, New Orleans (Louisiana Philharmonic), Oklahoma City, Spokane, Dayton and San Antonio, among others. His conducting engagements abroad have been with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the Taegu Symphony in Korea, the Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional of Bolivia, the Orquestra Sinfonica Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (in Mendoza, Argentina), the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan and the Orchester der Allgemeinen Musikgesellschaft in Lucerne, Switzerland. Educated at The Hague Conservatory in his native Netherlands, Schram has also studied at the University of Calgary and the University of Washington. His teachers have included Rafael Kubelik, Franco Ferrara, Abraham Kaplan and Neeme Järvi. On the classical side, Schram has worked with many distinguished artists, including pianists Lang Lang and Olga Kern and violinist Elmar Oliveira, among others. His vast performance repertoire has included the Requiems of Verdi and Berlioz, most of the standard symphonies (by Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Mahler, et al.), the basic concerto repertoire, and music by such acclaimed contemporary composers as John Corigliano and Jennifer Higdon. As a pops conductor, Schram has worked with James Taylor, Art Garfunkel, Chris Botti, LeAnn Rimes, Boyz II Men, Olivia Newton-John, Chicago, Aretha Franklin and many others. He also has put together a variety of theme programs, including a Big Band show, a Ray Charles tribute, Home for the Holidays and a romantic evening called That s Amore. albert-george schram conductor 2 Pacific Symphony Summer Festival 2014
KENNY meet the guest artist In a recording career that spans almost three decades and 23 albums, Grammy Awardwinning saxophonist Kenny G has grafted elements of R&B, pop and Latin to a jazz foundation, solidifying his reputation as the premiere artist in contemporary jazz. Since the early 80s, his combination of unparalleled instrumental chops and indelible melodies has resulted in sales of more than 75 million records worldwide (45 million in the U.S. alone) and more than a dozen climbs to the top of Billboard s contemporary jazz chart. Given these and other commercial and critical achievements, one might think Kenny is an artist with nothing to prove, but he once again reaffirmed his enduring place in popular music with the June 2010 release of Heart and Soul on Concord Records. Following up on the success of Rhythm and Romance in 2008, his first Latin jazz album and Concord debut, Heart and Soul captures the spirit and the vibe of the classic R&B that Kenny grew up listening to in his native Seattle. Kenny s longtime songwriting partner and producer, Walter Afanasieff, once again served as a creative foil in the making of this record. In addition, guest vocalists Robin Thicke and Kenny Babyface Edmonds each take a turn at the mic. In many respects, this album takes him back to the beginning the R&B of the early and mid-1970s that Kenny soaked up during his teen years at an inner-city Seattle high school where he mixed with a culturally diverse student body at a young age. Inspired by the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire and Grover Washington, Jr., he was only 17 when he landed a gig with Barry White and his Love Unlimited Orchestra at the Paramount Northwest Theater (now the Paramount Theater) in 1973. After high school, the gigs with R&B and contemporary jazz artists like White and Jeff Lorber kept coming. In 1982, he landed a record deal with Arista and launched a solo career with three critically acclaimed jazz albums Kenny G (1982), G-Force (1983) and Gravity (1985). By the 1990s, he was a multi-platinum seller and a frequent collaborator with some of the most iconic figures in American popular music, including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole and Frank Sinatra. His subsequent studio albums, Silhouette (1988) and Breathless (1992), were hugely successful, the latter selling more than 12 million records in the U.S. alone and spawning the Grammywinning single, Forever in Love. Other career highlights include Miracles, a 1994 holiday album that took him to the top of the Billboard chart for the first time, which has since become the best-selling holiday album of all time. His two holiday albums since then Faith in 1999 and Wishes in 2002 have been similarly successful. Released in 2004, his At Last The Duets Album featured performances by Barbara Streisand, Burt Bacharach and LeAnn Rimes, along with a remake of Outkast s The Way You Move with Earth, Wind and Fire. He joined Concord in 2008 with the release of Rhythm and Romance, an album that united him with an all-star lineup of Latin musicians, including guitarist Ramon Stagnaro; percussionists Michito Sanchez, Paulino Da Costa and Ron Powell; and legendary Weather Report drummer Alex Acuña. In many respects, Heart and Soul is a culmination of everything that has come before it a confident statement from an instrumentalist and songwriter who remains true to his own voice after nearly three decades of artistically satisfying and commercially compelling recordings. Kenny G saxophone August 23, 2014 Pacific Symphony 3
carl meet the music director In 2014-15, Music Director Carl St.Clair celebrates his landmark 25th anniversary season with Pacific Symphony, making him the longest tenured music director, still active, of any orchestra in the United States. St.Clair s lengthy history solidifies the strong relationship he has forged with the musicians and the community. His continuing role also lends stability to the organization and continuity to his vision for the Symphony s future. Few orchestras can claim such rapid artistic development as Pacific Symphony the largest orchestra formed in the United States in the last 40 years due in large part to St.Clair s leadership. During his tenure, St.Clair has become widely recognized for his musically distinguished performances, his commitment to building outstanding educational programs and his innovative approaches to programming. Among his creative endeavors are: the vocal initiative, Symphonic Voices, inaugurated in 2011-12 with the concert-opera production of La Bohème, followed by Tosca in 2012-13, La Traviata in 2013-14 and Carmen in 2014-15; the creation five years ago of a series of multimedia concerts featuring inventive formats called Music Unwound ; and the highly acclaimed American Composers Festival, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2014-15 with a program of music by André Previn. St.Clair s commitment to the development and performance of new works by composers is evident in the wealth of commissions and recordings by the Symphony. The 2014-15 season continues a recent slate of recordings that has included three newly released CDs by today s leading composers: Richard Danielpour s Toward a Season of Peace, released in 2013-14, Philip Glass The Passion of Ramakrishna, and Michael Daugherty s Mount Rushmore and The Gospel According to Sister Aimee, both released in 2012-13. Two more are due for release over the next few years, including William Bolcom s Songs of Lorca and Prometheus and James Newton Howard s I Would Plant a Tree. St.Clair has led the orchestra in other critically acclaimed albums including two piano concertos of Lukas Foss; Danielpour s An American Requiem and Elliot Goldenthal s Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Other composers commissioned by the Symphony include Goldenthal in a world premiere in 2013-14, as well as earlier works by Bolcom, Zhou Long, Tobias Picker, Frank Ticheli and Chen Yi, Curt Cacioppo, Stephen Scott, Jim Self (Pacific Symphony s principal tubist) and Christopher Theofandis. In 2006-07, St.Clair led the orchestra s historic move into its home in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The move came on the heels of the landmark 2005-06 season that included St.Clair leading the Symphony on its first European tour nine cities in three countries playing before capacity houses and receiving extraordinary responses and reviews. From 2008 to 2010, St.Clair was general music director for the Komische Oper in Berlin, where he led successful new productions such as La Traviata (directed by Hans Neuenfels). He also served as general music director and chief conductor of the German National Theater and Staatskapelle (GNTS) in Weimar, Germany, where he led Wagner s Ring Cycle to critical acclaim. He was the first non-european to hold his position at the GNTS; the role also gave him the distinction of simultaneously leading one of the newest orchestras in America and one of the oldest in Europe. In 2014, St.Clair assumed the position as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Costa Rica. His international career also has him conducting abroad several months a year, and he has appeared with orchestras throughout the world. He was the principal guest conductor of the Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart from 1998 to 2004, where he completed a three-year recording project of the Villa Lobos symphonies. He has also appeared with orchestras in Israel, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South America, and summer festivals worldwide. Carl St.Clair William J. Gillespie Music Director Chair In North America, St.Clair has led the Boston Symphony Orchestra (where he served as assistant conductor for several years), New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver symphonies, among many. A strong advocate of music education for all ages, St.Clair has been essential to the creation and implementation of the Symphony s education programs including Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles, Sunday Casual Connections, OC Can You Play With Us, arts-x-press and Class Act. 4 Pacific Symphony Summer Festival 2014
MEET by the michael orchestra clive CARL ST.CLAIR MUSIC DIRECTOR William J. Gillespie Music Director Chair RICHARD KAUFMAN PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation Principal Pops Conductor Chair Alejandro Gutiérrez ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Mary E. Moore Family Assistant Conductor Chair Narong Prangcharoen composer-in-residence FIRST VIOLIN Raymond Kobler Concertmaster, Eleanor and Michael Gordon Chair Paul Manaster Associate Concertmaster Jeanne Skrocki Assistant Concertmaster Nancy Coade Eldridge Christine Frank Kimiyo Takeya Ayako Sugaya Ann Shiau Tenney Maia Jasper Robert Schumitzky Agnes Gottschewski Dana Freeman Grace Oh Jean Kim 10 Angel Liu Marisa Sorajja Second Violin Bridget Dolkas* Jessica Guideri** Yen-Ping Lai Yu-Tong Sharp Ako Kojian 30 20 20 Ovsep Ketendjian Linda Owen Phil Luna MarlaJoy Weisshaar Robin Sandusky Alice Miller-Wrate Shelly Shi Viola Robert Becker* Catherine and James Emmi Chair Meredith Crawford** Carolyn Riley John Acevedo Erik Rynearson Luke Maurer Julia Staudhammer Joseph Wen-Xiang Zhang 20 Pamela Jacobson Adam Neeley Cheryl Gates Margaret Henken 20 Cello Timothy Landauer* Kevin Plunkett** John Acosta Robert Vos László Mezö Ian McKinnell M. Andrew Honea Waldemar de Almeida Jennifer Goss Rudolph Stein Bass Steven Edelman* Douglas Basye** 20 Christian Kollgaard David Parmeter 20 Paul Zibits David Black Andrew Bumatay Constance Deeter Flute Benjamin Smolen* Valerie and Hans Imhof Chair Sharon O Connor Cynthia Ellis Piccolo Cynthia Ellis Oboe Jessica Pearlman* Suzanne R. Chonette Chair English Horn Lelie Resnick Clarinet Benjamin Lulich* The Hanson Family Foundation Chair David Chang Bass Clarinet Joshua Ranz Bassoon Rose Corrigan* Elliott Moreau Andrew Klein 30 Allen Savedoff Contrabassoon Allen Savedoff French Horn Keith Popejoy* Mark Adams James Taylor** Russell Dicey Trumpet Barry Perkins* Tony Ellis David Wailes 10 10 20 Trombone Michael Hoffman* David Stetson Bass Trombone Vacant TUBA James Self* Timpani Todd Miller* Percussion Robert A. Slack* Cliff Hulling Harp Mindy Ball* Michelle Temple Piano Celeste Sandra Matthews* Personnel Manager Paul Zibits Librarians Russell Dicey Brent Anderson 20 Production Stage Manager Will Hunter Assistant Stage Manager William Pruett * Principal ** Assistant Principal On Leave The musicians of Pacific Symphony are members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 7. Celebrating 30, 20 or 10 years with Pacific Symphony this season. August 23, 2014 Pacific Symphony 5
Season tickets are like getting one concert FREE! SubScRibE today www.pacificsymphony.org (714) 755-5799 The lighter side of Pacific Symphony! PoPS 2014 15 Nov. 6 8 MicHaEL andrew SiNGS SiNatRa The Great American Songbook comes alive! Dec. 18 20 christmas with SaNdi Patty A wholesome, uplifting holiday concert for the entire family. Feb. 12 14, 2015 VaLENtiNE S day with the tenors Set the mood for Valentine s Day with their magnificent voices. March 19 21, 2015 the chieftains Extend your St. Patrick s Day celebration with the Chieftains! April 9 11, 2015 PauL anka The legendary singer/songwriter performs his dynamic, high-energy show! April 30 May 2, 2015 VERtiGo Alfred Hitchcock s thriller, with Bernard Herrmann s hypnotic score. June 4 6, 2015 HERb alpert and LaNi HaLL An eclectic blend of jazz, world and American pop standards. SANDI PATTY PAUL ANKA MICHAEL ANDREW THE CHIEFTAINS vertigo THE TENORS HERB ALPERT and LANI HALL
ABOUT heartstrings The Transformative Power of Music Heartstrings Breaks Ground Into Health and Wellness Scientific research and studies overflow with evidence that music can have a profound impact on a person s health in a variety of ways. From infants to senior citizens, music improves quality of life by encouraging social bonds, recalling positive memories and being an outlet for emotional expression, among many other benefits. Taking this evidence into account, Pacific Symphony, through its Heartstrings program, has embraced the power that music has on health and wellness by collaborating with community partners The Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Age Well Senior Services and the Orange County Rescue Mission. Age Well Senior Services Adult Day Health Care program caters to aging adults who suffer from dementia, traumatic brain injury, developmental disabilities, depressive disorder and strokes. Knowing that so many lives and families are affected by these conditions, Pacific Symphony was thrilled to partner with this organization where live musical experiences could be used as a tool for improving the participants well-being by elevating moods and activating memories. Music performances by Pacific Symphony flutist Cindy Ellis and harpist Michelle Temple allowed for a sophisticated level of engagement with the participants, and the musicians were able to respond to their reactions in real time. Typical behaviors of those with Alzheimer s disease, like wandering and social isolation were reduced. Participants became so focused and moved by the music that one patient who typically would sit with his head down, completely disengaged, picked up a tambourine and played along with the musicians performance of Habanera. The music therapist who works with this patient year-round said this was a first for this gentleman. When asked what the most valuable aspect of this program was for her as a musician, Ellis remarked, I think I KNEW the power of music on the audience, that I was making a difference. Not only did music create joy, but it brought memory recognition to those living with Alzheimer s. One such patient, Peter, bobbed his head rhythmically to Handel s Concerto in G and reminisced with the musicians about playing the flute when he was younger. He also came up to the musicians after a later performance of When You Wish Upon a Star and held the flute with the proper hand positioning. Musicians, staff and volunteers alike experienced the impact of this program. We saw eyes opening, feet swaying and toes tapping. There was engagement, humming, singing, arms waving and eyes sparkling, said volunteer Jaye Yaruss. In addition to this exciting work, Pacific Symphony teamed up with the Orange County Rescue Mission s Village of Hope to bring the healing power of music to mothers and their infants suffering from emotional and/or physical trauma. Pacific Symphony violinist Dana Freeman and violist Carolyn Riley performed live music, while mothers and babies danced, moved and sang together during brainbased learning activities facilitated by teaching artist Maria Simeone. The music and activities created a safe environment where mothers were able to build long-lasting bonds with their babies and one another, as well as establish confidence in themselves. The moms opened themselves up more, trusted and allowed their babies the freedom to explore and be babies. I saw mothers team-up with other moms to create the class-related crafts, and taking a more active part in celebrating the milestones of other babies, besides their own, said Simeone. Mothers were motivated to get their children on a nap schedule, because they wanted to ensure they were rested and ready for class. Music helped them to become much more aware of the non-verbal cues communicated to them by their babies, and the children were mesmerized by the musicians, allowing for a fluid and responsive class. When following the journey of one particular infant, Sarah Bucek, from the Orange County Rescue Mission observed, When I took [him] from the room last week, he leaned toward the music (when barely audible) and brightened up when he realized that he was hearing the viola. The mothers have also noticed the difference in the baby s attitude when music was playing. They are calmer and more attentive. Violist Riley reflects, It was a fantastic experience to be included in the Village of Hope project. Being able to play live music in a program that celebrates the brain dance of a child s early transformative years is both fascinating and satisfying. This program further solidified the importance of early childhood music education as well as a necessary component of the mother and child bonding experience. The extent to which Pacific Symphony musicians explored the effects of music and its impact on health and wellness brought inspiring results. Pacific Symphony plans to expand this work in the coming year, and is continuing to develop a pilot program with The Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, intended to launch this Fall. Pacific Symphony gratefully thanks the William and Nancy Thompson Family Foundation, The Ahmanson Foundation and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals for making all of this new and exciting work possible. August 23, 2014 Pacific Symphony 7
get involved take your experience to the next level Pacific Symphony League The Pacific Symphony League provides financial and volunteer support that truly opens the doors of creativity for the next generation. From volunteering with Class Act to bring thousands of students to the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, to expanding their own musical understanding at Salon Series a series of intimate performances by and conversations with Symphony musicians and guest artists members of the League are engaged with all aspects of the Symphony. There is even a group of members dedicated to supporting the Symphony s opera initiatives: Opera Focus! Experience first-hand the impact that music-making has on a child. Meet a Pacific Symphony guest artist in person. Have a one-on-one conversation with Carl St.Clair. Becoming a member of one of Pacific Symphony s support groups can make these fabulous moments a reality. By getting involved, you can change the lives of hundreds of thousands with the power of music and have a wonderful time doing it! Here are three great ways to get started: Symphony 100 Symphony 100 members enjoy music education classes and unique events to enrich each member s experience of Pacific Symphony and classical music. Imagine meeting with friends at a luncheon to hear from artists such as Symphony first violinist Maia Jasper, Maestra Mei-Ann Chen, vocal ensemble Hudson Shad, or even our very own music director, Carl St.Clair. Through an annual contribution of $1,000 per member, Symphony 100 members sponsor Pacific Symphony concerts and other special projects with up to $100,000 in annual support. Board of Counselors The Board of Counselors is a group of people dedicated to furthering the mission of Pacific Symphony through active involvement as subscribers, donors and volunteers. Members hear special presentations by Symphony leadership on education, marketing and concert productions, as well as attend lunches with artists such as pianist and composer Conrad Tao, band leader for the legendary Duke Ellington Orchestra Tommy James and violinist Pinchas Zukerman. Members also have the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with Symphony musicians. Board of Counselors members make annual gifts to the Symphony at the Composer s Circle level ($5,000) and above. READY TO GET INVOLVED? Contact Eska Laskus at (714) 876-2374 or e-mail her at elaskus@ pacificsymphony.org to find out which group is the best fit for you. 8 Pacific Symphony Summer Festival 2014