ALBERT-GEORGE SCHRAM • conductor | KENNY G • saxophone Gioachino rossini Overture to The Barber of Seville Josef hellmesberger Danse Diabolique in D Minor Victor Vanacore Viva El Mambo Warren casey/Jim Jacobs Born to Hand Jive from Grease arr. calvin custer Jeff tyzik Hot Soul Medley Kenny G summer festival 2014 auG. 23 InterMIssIon Kenny G the concert begins at 8 p.m. PACIFIC SYMPHONY’S SUMMER FESTIVAL 2014 AT VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATER presents PACIFIC SYMPHONY PROUDLY RECOGNIZES ITS OFFICIAL PARTNERS official hotel official television station official classical radio station official pops radio station official Media sponsor supporting sponsor presenting sponsor
Transcript
Albert-GeorGe SchrAm • conductor | Kenny G • saxophone
Gioachino rossini overture to The Barber of Seville
Josef hellmesberger Danse Diabolique in D minor
Victor Vanacore Viva el mambo
Warren casey/Jim Jacobs born to hand Jive from Grease arr. calvin custer
Jeff tyzik hot Soul medley
Kenny G
summer festival 2014auG. 23
I n t e r M I s s I o n
Kenny Gthe concert begins at 8 p.m.
PACIFIC SYMPHONY’S SUMMER FESTIVAL 2014at VERIZON WIRELESS aMPHItHEatER
presents
P A c i f i c S y m P h o n y P r o u D l y r e c o G n i z e S i t S o f f i c i A l P A r t n e r S
official hotel official television stationofficial classical radio station
official pops radio station
official Media sponsor
supporting sponsorpresenting sponsor
E qually 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 SCHRAMconductor
G e o r G e meet the guest conductor
2 • Pacific Symphony | Summer festival 2014
August 23, 2014 | Pacific Symphony • 3
K e n n Y meet the guest artist
I n a recording career that spans almost three decades and 23 albums, Grammy award-winning 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 Grammy-winning 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 Gsaxophone
4 • Pacific Symphony | Summer festival 2014
c a r L meet the music director
I n 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.
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.
CARL ST.CLAIRWILLIaM J. GILLespIeMusIc dIrector chaIr
by michael clive
August 23, 2014 | Pacific Symphony • 5
M e e t the orchestra
CARL ST.CLAIR • MUSIC DIRECTORWilliam J. Gillespie Music Director Chair
RICHARD KAUFMAN • PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTORHal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation Principal Pops Conductor Chair
ALEjANDRO GUTIéRREz • ASSISTANT CONDUCTORMary E. Moore Family Assistant Conductor Chair
NARONG PRANGCHAROEN • COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE
The musicians of Pacific Symphony are members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 7.
FIRST VIOLINraymond Kobler Concertmaster, Eleanor and Michael Gordon
FRENCH HORNKeith popejoy*Mark adamsJames taylor**russell dicey
TRUMPETBarry perkins*tony ellisdavid Wailes
TROMbONEMichael hoffman*david stetson
bASS TROMbONEVacant
TUbAJames self*
TIMPANItodd Miller*
PERCUSSIONrobert a. slack*cliff hulling
HARPMindy Ball*Michelle temple
PIANO•CELESTEsandra Matthews*
PERSONNEL MANAGERpaul Zibits
LIbRARIANSrussell diceyBrent anderson
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGERWill hunter
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERWilliam pruett
* principal** assistant principal
† on Leave
celebrating , or years with pacific symphony this season.
30 20 10
30
30
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
10
10
10
THE CHIEFTAINS THE TENORS
SANDI PATTYMICHAEL ANDREW
HERB ALPERT and LANI HALLvERTIgO
PAUL ANKA
Season tickets are like getting one concert FREE!
SubScRibE todaywww.PacificSymphony.org
(714) 755-5799
PoPS 2014–15
The lighter side of Pacific Symphony!
Nov. 6–8
MicHaEL aNdREW SiNGS SiNatRaThe Great American Songbook comes alive!
Dec. 18–20
cHRiStMaS with SaNdi PattyA wholesome, uplifting holiday concert for the entire family.
Feb. 12–14, 2015
VaLENtiNE’S day with tHE tENoRSSet the mood for Valentine’s Day with their magnificent voices.
March 19–21, 2015
tHE cHiEFtaiNSExtend your St. Patrick’s Day celebration with the Chieftains!
April 9–11, 2015
PauL aNKaThe legendary singer/songwriter performs his dynamic, high-energy show!
April 30–May 2, 2015
VERtiGoAlfred Hitchcock’s thriller, with Bernard Herrmann’s hypnotic score.
June 4–6, 2015
HERb aLPERt and LaNi HaLLAn eclectic blend of jazz, world and American pop standards.
POPS Ad for Program Book_8.375x10.75.indd 1 7/28/14 11:59 AM
August 23, 2014 | Pacific Symphony • 7
a B o u t
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 brain-based 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.
the transformative Power of music Heartstrings Breaks Ground Into Health and Wellness
S cientific 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.
heartstrings
8 • Pacific Symphony | Summer festival 2014
Get InVoLVed take your experience to the next level
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:
Pacific Symphony league
T he 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!
Symphony 100
S ymphony 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
T he 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 [email protected] to find out which group is the best fit for you.
