Guest Artist Series 2016–2017 Season Helen M. Hosmer Hall Tuesday, April 11, 7:30 PM

Crane Symphony Orchestra Ching-Chun Lai, director

Awake and Rejoice Burt Mason (b. 1975) Nils Klykken, conductor

Pause

Violin concerto in C, Op. 5, No. 1 Chevalier de Saint-Georges Allegro (1745–1799) Andante moderato Rondeau Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violin

Concerto for Trombone George Walker Allegro (b. 1922) Grave Allegro Burt Mason, trombone

Intermission

Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American Symphony) William Grant Still Moderato assai (1895–1978) Adagio Animato Lento, con risolutione

Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violin

Acclaimed by the New York Times as “the versatile violinist who makes the music come alive” and for her “tonal mastery” (BBC Music Magazine) and “searing intensity” (American Record Guide), violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins is forging a dynamic career as a soloist and chamber musician. Winner of a Naumburg International Violin Competition Honorarium Prize as well as a Concert Artists Guild Career Grant, Ms. Hall-Tompkins has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Dallas Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Tulsa Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of New York, and a Brevard Festival Orchestra under the baton of Keith Lockhart, in addition to numerous concerts and recitals in cities including New York, Washington, Cleveland, Toronto, Chicago, Baltimore, and Greenville, South Carolina, and at festivals in France, Germany and Italy.

For thirteen months on Broadway, Ms. Hall-Tompkins was the “Fiddler,” violin soloist, for the Bartlett Sher production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” with numerous solos written especially for her. The New York Times hailed her in a feature article as holding the title role, together with dancer Jesse Kovarsky. Featured as soloist in almost 500 Broadway performances, plus a Grammy-nominated cast album alongside a bonus track by , Ms. Hall-Tompkins has been the featured subject on NBC’s Today Show with Harry Smith, NBC 4 New York with Janice Huff, NBC 4 at 5, Playbill.com, BroadwayWorld.com, WWFM radio Princeton and Strings Magazine among numerous other major press outlets for her role in Fiddler. A significant collaborating partner with violinist/composer Mark O’Connor for five years, Ms. Hall-Tompkins performed his Double Violin Concerto with O’Connor in concerts across the United States. As a passionate chamber musician, Ms. Hall-Tompkins was first violinist of the O’Connor String Quartet, which performed concerts nationally, including Tanglewood, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Lincoln Center’s Great Performer’s Circle, and a member of the Florida-based Ritz Chamber Players, including concerts in residence at Jacksonville’s Times Union Center for the Performing Arts, the Ravinia Festival’s “Rising Stars Series,” New York at Lincoln Center’s Allen Room, and in Baltimore in collaboration with BSO concertmaster and string principals, along with many other venues. She has performed at the Garth Newel Music Center, Chamber Music South Dakota, New York City’s Bargemusic, live on WNYC’s “Soundcheck”, at Miami’s Deering Estate Series and for the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild.

Additional performance highlights include a 2007 Benefit for the Victims of Darfur at Carnegie Hall. Ms. Hall-Tompkins was invited by actress Mia Farrow and conductor George Matthew to perform as soloist before an orchestra comprised of musicians from every major orchestra in the world. In 2002 Hall-Tompkins commissioned a new work for violin and percussion from the German composer Siegfried Matthus, which was premiered at Michigan’s Pine Mountain Music Festival and gave in 2016 with the Oakland East Bay Symphony the US Premiere of Professor Matthus’s newest Violin Concerto. Ms. Hall-Tompkins’ performances have been broadcast in New York by WQXR, by Chicago’s WFMT and live on the BBC.

Regularly tapped as concertmaster, Ms. Hall-Tompkins’ distinguished orchestral career includes the 2016 Lincoln Center Benefit for the 10 year Anniversary of “Light in the Piazza,” a 2016 PBS Live from Lincoln Center Broadcast with . Ms. Hall- Tompkins’ orchestral career also includes extensive touring in the United States and internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, including performances in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Japan, Singapore, Scotland and a recording with countertenor Andreas Scholl. She has also performed over 150 performances with the New York Philharmonic, under conductors including Kurt Masur, Leonard Slatkin, Andre Previn, Charles Dutoit and Valery Gergiev. Ms. Hall-Tompkins has also lead numerous Carnegie Hall concerts with the New York Pops and as founding member of the Chamber Orchestra of New York, which performed its debut concert in Carnegie’s Zankel Hall in the Fall ’07 with Ms. Hall-Tompkins also as soloist. From 1999-2012 she was a member of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s first violin section.

A dedicated humanitarian, Ms. Hall-Tompkins founded and directs Music Kitchen-Food for the Soul, which has, to date, brought almost 100 chamber music performances to New York City and Los Angeles homeless shelters, with over 150 artists including Emanuel Ax, Glenn Dicterow, Albrecht Mayer, Jeff Ziegler and Rene Marie. Kelly and Music Kitchen have been featured in The New York Times, on CBSNews.com and ABCNews.com, plus Strings Magazine, Chamber Music America Magazine, Spirituality and Health Magazine, Columbia University Radio and cable’s Hallmark Channel.

Ms. Hall Tompkins received an Honorary Doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music, her alma mater, in 2016, and also delivered the Commencement address. She is also one of three 2017 recipients of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, which will be presented at the US Supreme Court by Justice Sotomayor. She earned a Master’s degree from the Manhattan School under the mentorship of Glenn Dicterow, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic. While there, she was concertmaster of both of the school’s orchestras. Prior to that, she earned a Bachelor of Music degree with honors in violin performance with a minor in French from the Eastman School of Music studying with Charles Castleman. While at Eastman she won the school’s prestigious Performer’s Certificate Competition, several scholarship awards from the New York Philharmonic, and was invited to perform chamber music on the school’s Kilbourn Concert Series with members of the faculty.

An avid polyglot, Ms. Hall-Tompkins studies and speaks seven languages. A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Ms. Hall-Tompkins began her violin studies at age nine. She lives in New York City with her husband Joe.

Burt Mason, trombone

Burt Mason currently serves as Principal Trombone of the Chamber Orchestra of New York. He is on faculty of the Music Advancement Program at the Juilliard School. He was formerly solo trombone for the Miami Music Project as well as Principal Trombone and soloist of the New York Staff Band of The Salvation Army. He performs frequently with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and New York Philharmonic, and has been featured as a guest artist of the New York Philharmonic Brass, the Metropolitan Opera Brass and Utah Symphony. He has also appeared as soloist with numerous ensembles, performing throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. Mr. Mason has performed under the baton of notable conductors such as , Alan Gilbert, , Esa-Pekka Salonen, Skitch Henderson, Kenneth Kiesler and Sidney Harth amongst others in world- renowned venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and the Apollo Theater.

Mr. Mason began playing trombone at age 12 but did not receive any formal lessons until he entered college at the Crane School of Music (SUNY Potsdam). Despite this lack of formal training in his early stages, his natural skills as a trombonist placed him as a finalist in the first annual New York Philharmonic Young Performers Audition, selection for the esteemed NAfME/MENC All- Eastern Band, the NYSSMA All-State Band and Orchestra, as well as winning several local music contests during high school. While in college at the Crane School of Music, Mr. Mason won the Crane School of Music’s most prestigious performing contest, the annual Crane Concerto Competition as a sophomore.

Mr. Mason is also an advocate for Diversity in the Arts. He appeared as a guest on WQXR’s “Conducting Business” with Naomi Lewin to discuss the history and future of classical music and American orchestras. In addition, he performs regularly with organizations and events that promote artistic diversity in classical music, including the Sphinx Competition and Symphony and the Gateways Music Festival. As a recording artist, Mr. Mason has been featured as a soloist on a variety of recordings with the New York Staff Band on the Triumphonic label. He has also completed several recordings with Chamber Orchestra of New York on the Naxos label. Mr. Mason holds an MM in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music studying with David Finlayson of the New York Philharmonic. He has had additional studies with Joseph Alessi of the New York Philharmonic, Weston Sprott of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and obtained his BA in Music as a student of Mark Hartman at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Mr. Mason also holds an MBA in Arts Administration from SUNY Binghamton University. Learn more at www.burtmason.com

Crane Symphony Orchestra

Violin I Cello Clarinet Jayde Martin ** Meagan Alderisio Brandon Burgess^ Dana Berman Alicia Caropreso Alessandra Shellard Andrew Caswell John Carosella Mitchell Tellerday# Joe Field Samantha Godus*^# Michael Hahn Maeve Hanchrow Bass Clarinet Esteban Hansbrough Jon Kim Solomon Elyaho Mackenzie Hoffman John-Kyle Konye Nurkit Lucksom Steve Madonia Bassoon Harrison Park Victoria Saladino Matthew Boice^# Katherine Smith Shelby Sipos Tara Price Fred Volz Hannah Van Wickler Contrabassoon Violin II Bass Maxime Esformes AJ Barbera Ian Dingman Emily Berardicelli Ally Jindra Horn Jessica Bowen Justin Kehati Kyra Ellliott Tom Eustaquio*^# Anthony Klenke Isabella Kolasinski Marissa Faltings Aidan Moore Madeline Leppert* Adam Girts Adelle St. Onge*^# Klayton Schaefer^# Blakely Grunenberg Sarah Taylor Lauren Hart Trumpet Michael Murdock Flute Elizabeth Baker Erika Nick Julia Murray# Emily King Manuel Rodriguez Kennedy Burgess^ Tyler Nappo^# Amanda Segale Dustin White Trombone Viola Piccolo Jenna Thomas Zach Castro Julia Murray Matthew Tichy^# Loren Daley Dustin White Samantha Dalton Bass Trombone Carissa Erikson Sean Selinske J. T. Esposito Meagan Flynn Eva Farina Christopher Leech# Tuba Alexandra Hamilton Olivia McCartney Joseph Randazzo Brandon Keough Lillia Woolschlager*^ Alexa Mani Tenor Banjo Jill Salem English Horn Kyle Lee Shannon Santmyer Lillia Woolschlager Brandon White*^#