Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale INSIDE THIS ISSUE March 2020 March “From the Podium” Beethoven 250 - John Zoltek, Music Director GSC Achieves GOLD SEAL of Transparency An Inside Look at GSC Board of Directors Vice President Mark Holston Photo courtesy of FVCC GSC’s Nancy Brunson brings you: Celebrating the 250 th Anniversary of the Birth of Ludwig van Beethoven April 25 th and 26 th , 2020 Spring Festival: Beethoven’s “Missa solemnis” Purchase Tickets for the Encore Raffle Drawing April 26 th . [Proceeds Benefit the New Home of GSC]
Transcript
Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale
INSIDETHIS
ISSUE
March 2020
March “From the Podium” Beethoven 250 - John Zoltek, Music Director
GSC Achieves GOLD SEAL of Transparency
An Inside Look at GSC Board
of Directors Vice President
Mark Holston
Photo courtesy of FVCC
GSC’s Nancy Brunson
brings you:
Celebrating the 250th
Anniversary of the Birthof Ludwig van Beethoven
April 25th and 26th, 2020Spring Festival: Beethoven’s “Missa solemnis”
Purchase Tickets for the Encore RaffleDrawing April 26th. [Proceeds Benefit the New Home of GSC]
Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale
Thursday, April 23, 2020 - SOIREEAn Evening With The Four Spring Festival Soloists
TICKETS AND
More Info
2
Saturday and Sunday,
TICKETS AND
More Info
Upcoming Events
Experience the emotional power and devotional reverence of Beethoven’s sacred masterpiece with full orchestra,chorale and four solo voices. The composer’s supreme achievement is compared only to Bach’s Mass in b minor. George Frederic Handel was a major influence on Beethoven during this period. If you love Handel’s Messiah, you will be astounded by Beethoven’s Missa solemnis, a deeply moving personal spiritual statement like no other, a monumental sacred choral symphony.”
“Once in a LIFETIME Opportunity”
~ Maestro Zoltek
Don’t miss your
BeethovenMissa Solemnis in D Major Op. 123
“From the heart.
May it return to the heart.”
~ Ludwig van Beethoven
Brian Cheney, tenor Robin Bier, alto
Isaiah Musik-Ayala,bass-baritone
Danielle Pastin, soprano
Spring Festival: Beethoven’s “Missa solemnis”April 25th and 26th, 2020
“There is no doubt that we musicians continue to receive immense gratification when performing Beethoven’s music.”
~ John Zoltek
Celebrating 250 Years!Beginning with our performances of the monumental Missa solemnis this coming April 25/26, we will join literally thousands of orchestras around the world as we recognize the 250th anniversary of the birth year of the great, some say immortal, Ludwig van Beethoven.
Beethoven
eethoven, born in theprovincial town of Bonn in1870, is perhaps one of themost fascinating figures in
all of music history. His great legacyis one of overcoming the acuteadversity of his deafness andcreating a musical art form thatharnessed the classical model heinherited from Haydn, Mozart andothers, only to transform it into anexpressive new art emerging fromhuman pathos and emotionalimmediacy. This music seemedradical and unrefined during theheight of the Enlightenment whenvalues of proportionality andrestraint ruled the day. Beethovenwould have none of it. After his earlyflirtation with classical style, hedeveloped with laser focus and hardwork a taut personal style ofcomposition based on thedevelopment of small motivicmusical atoms - case in point, theopening Da-Da-Da-Dum..... of hisfamous 5th Symphony. Beethoven’sheroic music emerged after movingpermanently to Vienna, Austriaduring the Napoleonic Wars - a timeof social upheaval, destruction ofabsolutism, the burgeoning of
Bcomplete deafness, but he alsomanaged his own business affairs, attimes quite unscrupulously. Yes, hedid have patrons as was the expectednorm of artists at the time, but thesefew loyal patrons who helped himfinancially, continually bore the bruntof Beethoven’s unpredictablepersonality. As a result, they driftedin and out of his life, sometimessupporting him and sometimes not.
Republicanism and ideals ofequality. On a personal level,Beethoven also had to deal with hisown very significant struggle with theonset of his deafness. He strove toovercome this malady by throwing
himself completely into his music,eschewing almost all else that had littleto do with his own musical creationsand process. In fact, it may be arguedthat Beethoven himself came to definewhat it meant to be a struggling artist,smashing all notions of socialconformity and struggling to bevictorious in the face of seeminglyinsurmountable adversity. He not onlycomposed magnificent music as hishearing deteriorated to the point of
Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale
From the PodiumMusic Director and Conductor
by: John Zoltek
Nevertheless, because of the volatileeconomy in Vienna during hislifetime and the disruption of thearistocratic patronage system,Beethoven had to work to securedeals with publishers, impresariosand sometimes even monarchs ofother states. King LouisXVIII of France, for example,subscribed to receive anautographed copy of the Missasolemnis score. Beethoven’s music,along with the difficult and curiousaspects of his life, resulted in a kindof personality cult which essentiallylater defined what it meant to be anartist, and specifically a composer,for the next 100 years or so duringthe Romantic Era of the 19th century.
Continued on page 10
Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale
Upcoming Events
4
And, of course, a Flathead Valley
summer would not be complete
without Montana’s only week-long
classical music festival, Festival
Amadeus. This year the popular
festival will take place August 7 – 16.
The charming town of Whitefish will
once again serve as our host and
headquarters, with special educational
events and receptions and the
addition of some new and exciting
social activities for you to delight in.
This year’s Festival is a special one as
we continue to celebrate the 250th
anniversary of the birth of Beethoven!Maestro Zoltek has programmed spectacular works to pay tribute to this greatest of composers, performed by the
select Festival Amadeus Orchestra and internationally-acclaimed guest artists. It will all culminate with a concert
featuring Beethoven’s ingenious Triple Concerto for violin, cello and piano. Make your plans now to attend all that
Festival Amadeus has to offer - you won’t want to miss one note of this very special performance!
SAVE THE DATES FOR OUR
SUMMER CONCERTS…
They’re
“Too Darn Hot”
to miss!!!
finally getting outdoors to
soak up some sunshine and enjoy
the rolling green hills, majestic
mountains and crystal clear lakes.
And you know what goes great
with all that beautiful scenery?
Beautiful music!
Open your calendars and save the
dates NOW for the Glacier
Symphony’s Hot Summer
Concerts! Treat all your senses to
Music in the Mountains. Bring the
family and share an experience you
will be talking about together for
years to come.
First up, enjoy jazz and pops on July
10th and 11th at Rebecca Farm with our
special guest, vocalist Halie Loren.
Critical Jazz magazine has raved, “Old
school becoming new cool in the hands
of a gifted artist is a beautiful thing.”
Bring a blanket or reserve a picnic table
and experience the merging of sound
and scenery in one of the Flathead’s
most beloved outdoor event venues.
ontana summers are for
M
Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale5
GuideStar is the world's largest source of information on nonprofit organizations.A Seal is not a rating. Instead, it indicates the type and amount of information your nonprofit has shared.
WHAT IS A SEAL OF TRANSPARENCY, AND WHY DOESMY NONPROFIT WANT ONE?
A Seal of Transparency appears on an organization’s Nonprofit Profile on GuideStar when the organization has publicly shared important information about its work.The Seals help your nonprofit tell its complete story, which in turn gives funders and donors a
meaningful way to understand your organization’s work.
GLACIER SYMPHONY ACHIEVES
of TRANSPARENCYfromGuideStar
Recent research indicates that transparency has a tangible benefit: as a group, organizations that earned a Seal received 53 percent more in contributions than nonprofits that had not earned Seals. Earning a Seal also allows you to add a donation button to your Nonprofit Profile.
The Seals are free—but they require you toshare truthful information for public displayon GuideStar, including:•Bronze—basic information, such as mission, leadership team and board names, and basic program information.•Silver—financial information.•Gold—qualitative information about goals, strategies, and vision.•Platinum—metrics to show progress made toward your mission
You must earn Bronze before you can earn Silver, Silver before you can earn Gold, and Gold before you can earn Platinum. You can access the complete list of fields in our 2019 GuideStar Profile Standard—Best Practices Guide.
Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale6
ENCORE RAFFLE DRAWING APRIL 26, 2020
Make Your Mark
Mark HolstonBoard of Directors Vice President
Mark, you have such an interesting “life story”...
I think our readers would love to hear about it.
My mother’s side of the family has been in the Flathead for almost a century. Iattended elementary school in a two-room schoolhouse with one teacher! As my
Of all the many non-profit organizations that you could give your time and talents to,
what was it that interested you in the Glacier Symphony?
The concept of “cultural infrastructure” is very important to me. The GSC fills a vital role in the region’s cultural life. Ourchallenge, as symphony supporters, is to encourage others to attend performances and become active supporters ofthe GSC. They won’t be disappointed. There should be no such thing as an empty seat at a GSC performance.
Continued on page 8
By GSC’s Nancy Brunson
From self-taught musician to television news director,
band architect and philanthropist, Mark Holston strives
to carry on a tradition of innovation and excellence.
Communications Manager Nancy Brunson sat down with Mark Holston to bring usan inside look at our board Vice President.
Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale7
father had been a music teacher for a short time, there was naturally an interest in music in the home. In high school, I played baritone horn. I also earned a Boy Scout merit badge for bugling and was the staff bugler at the Melita Island summer camp!
I taught myself – not very well, I admit – how to play the slidetrombone and performed for over three decades in local bigbands, including the marvelous Don Lawrence Orchestra, andoccasionally in the Glacier Symphony (when they were reallydesperate!).
Mark with his band Cocinando Latin Jazz Orchestra
Thirty years ago, I started Cocinando Latin Jazz Orchestra toperform authentic Afro-Cuban jazz and tropical Latin dancemusic. The group became – and remains – quite popular,
leading to countless performances in dozens of venues throughout Montana and in Spokane. We also performed pops concerts with three Montana symphony orchestras – quite an interesting fusion of styles and a singularly rewarding experience.
As a journalist, after 14 years as News Director at KCFW TV, I became associated withpublications that reported on Latin American issues – a lifelong interest of mine. I became amusic critic and contributing editor to more than a dozen such journalistic outlets. Thisopened many doors, leading to becoming a voting member of both the regular Grammy andLatin Grammy awards. Based on this expertise, I’ve served twice as an Invited Scholar for Latinmusic-theme programs at The Smithsonian. I’ve also lectured at the Berklee College of Musicand the University of Paris, as well as at jazz festivals in Brazil, Ecuador and Panama.
I’m currently in the pre-production phase of launching three Internet radio programs showcasing lesser known modern jazz, Latin jazz, and Brazilian music. My lovely and talented wife Marcy is also an occasional member of the symphony and a highly respected local private music teacher.
Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale8
Cocinando Latin Jazz Orchestra
There’s no limit to what can be accomplished. Moving into theperformance hall at FVCC will give the GSC a new profile in theregion, as well as enhanced credibility, and will inspire the GSC toachieve an even higher level of excellence. With 1,000 seats to fill,enlarging the audience base will be a necessity. I think the future alsoholds the possibility of an aggressive educational outreach tostimulate interest in the GSC by area students and the general public.I expect that the GSC’s tradition of innovation and excellence will berenewed and continue unabated.
Who is your favorite composer and/or What is your
favorite piece of classical music?
Continued from page 7…
I’ve become quite a fan of Sibelius, largely because the maestro has programmed somuch of his music over the years! My primary interest as a journalist, however, hasfocused on Latin American composers, who are generally underappreciated. Being inthe audience for a performance of Alberto Ginastera’s Estancia Suite in Buenos Aires’famed Colon opera house was truly a once in a lifetime kind of experience.
What do you consider the most important
contribution that GSC makes to thecommunities of the Flathead Valley andNorthwest Montana?
It’s impossible to overstate the importance ofthe GSC in this part of Montana. It is highlyunusual that an area with such a smallpopulation is graced with a symphonicorchestra and chorale of this quality. Greatmusic enriches our lives in many ways. There isso much vulgarity in today’s popular culture –symphonic music is an antidote to that! It is areminder that great musicianship andintellectually challenging music still count andcan play an important role in society andchange lives for the better.
What are your hopes for the future of GSC?
Mark serves on the Glacier Symphony boardAs well as the FVCC Board of Trustees
Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale
Subscribers in March will receive tickets for the April Spring Festival concert. Offer ends 4/26/2020.New DIL subscribers need to call the Symphony box office at 406-407-7000 and mention the DIL promo to receive tickets.
Each new Daily Interlake Subscriberwill receive 2 FREE tickets to attend the
Spring Festival Concert Performance byThe Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale.
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10Newsletter of the Glacier Symphony, Orchestra and Chorale
Continued from page 3…
Ludwig van Beethoven: detail of an 1804–05 portrait by Joseph
Willibrord Mähler.
Ludwig van Beethoven: detail of an 1815 portrait by Joseph
Willibrord Mähler.
The masterfulness of his music andits effect on the listener, the force ofhis personality and the ensuingmythos that developed around hisheroic struggle, had a sweepinginfluence on literally every composerthat came after him. In some ways itremains so to this day.
There is no doubt that we musicianscontinue to receive immensegratification when performingBeethoven’s music. The music heleft, from his solo piano works andchamber music to his largerorchestral works, all convey thatcertain human energy andengagement that is hardly matchedby anyone, especially from that era.Musicians continue to perform thisgreat music because of its technicaldemands, power of expression andhuman pathos. But perhaps moreimportantly is the interpretive
probing for those human truths lockedinside the notes and gestures of hissound world. We can directly experiencethat special essence of Beethoven’scharacter, his struggles and the Zeitgeistof his world experience. Most of all, hismusic marks the beginning of the modernidea of the artist creating art that is apersonal statement with a deep messagefor the listener, however defined orabstract. Beethoven was indeed thebridge from the Classical to the Romanticperiod. He was the essential catalyst forthe then emerging musical art of personalexpression.
In recognition of the importance ofBeethoven our celebration will start thisApril and run through December. Duringthese months we will present a numberof concerts featuring Beethoven’s music.We begin with the orchestra andchorale’s milestone performance ofBeethoven’s greatest masterpiece, hisMissa solemnis in D Major, Op. 123(Solemn Mass) for 4 soloists, chorus andorchestra and continue throughDecember when we celebrateBeethoven’s actual birthday week.
Our Holiday Concert will featureBeethoven Lives Upstairs, an award-winning family program created byClassical Kids that highlightsBeethoven through the eyes of ayoung boy. This August, FestivalAmadeus will focus on Beethovenwith performances of his ViolinConcerto in D major, the TripleConcerto for Violin, Cello and Piano,his Symphony No. 7 in A Major, andthe Egmont Overture, as well as anumber of chamber pieces. In theFall, our 2020/21 Voyages seasonwill feature the Piano Concerto No. 5in Eb Major, “Emperor” and the epicSymphony No. 5 in C minor. So getready to experience and enjoy a lotof Beethoven – a fitting GlacierSymphony tribute to this astoundinggenius creator of music and aestheticcatalyst.
