Francesco Lecce-Chong, Music Director & Conductor SEASON
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Francesco Lecce-Chong, Music Director & Conductor 2020 2021 SEASON Contents Welcome Symphony Soundwaves — The Color of Sound Dear Symphony fans, 3 Welcome Welcome to our first Symphony Soundwaves program! We miss coming together in person to experience the energy and irreplaceable experience of 4 Orchestra Roster live performance, but we are happy to be able to share virtual experiences together, while apart. Our commitment to Eugene Symphony’s mission—enriching lives through the power of music—is unwavering despite the challenges we face during the COVID-19 pandemic. 5 Conductor While this season is far from traditional, we are continuing to bring music to the community, safely. You can now connect with the Eugene Symphony online and through the airwaves to experience meaningful and inspiring moments. We are still employing our wonderful musicians and making 7 The Color of Sound music, even if it’s from our living rooms to yours. Sponsored by Imagination International For our first Symphony Soundwaves program, we are pleased to present a video recording of The Color of Sound, which was a perfect example of Eugene Symphony’s innovation, community collaboration, 8 Program Notes 7 Alexander Scriabin’s Prometheus: Poem of Fire and robust music education programs. Through partnerships with local creatives from Harmonic anchors the thrilling multi-media production Laboratory and Light at Play, we brought to life Russian composer Alexander Scriabin’s vision to The Color of Sound recorded on April 18, 2019, fully envelop an audience in color and sound through an expressive and nuanced “light organ” he 11 Guest Artists featuring Light at Play’s eight-foot Radiance Orb. conceived of in theory more than a century before the technology existed. Read more in the program notes on page 8 of this virtual program. 14 Key of E[ducation] In addition to a mentorship program for high-school and college student animators whose visual art was incorporated into the concert, we also brought a mobile art workshop to elementary school students. They envisioned the connection between sound and sight and illustrated that connection in 17 Season Partners their own abstract art. Read more about this project in the Key of E[ducation] article on page 14. During a typical season, we share the inspiring and healing power of music with more than 50,000 people inside the concert hall and beyond in classrooms and the community. During the pandemic, 18 Founders Society we are not able to serve our community in the same ways we usually do, but we have actually reached more people through the digital engagements we began in March than we typically do during the 19 Thank You to Our Supporters same timeframe! Delivering music through the airwaves and online allows us to share the orchestra’s artistry with even more people than is possible within the concert hall—perhaps a silver lining to what has otherwise been a challenging year. 22 Endowment Fund We are able to offer these virtual events, like Symphony Soundwaves, for free to the community because of support from foundations, corporate partners, and generous donors who love this 11 An advocate of late 20th-century music, pianist orchestra and want to make sure it’s here to stay. We invite you to continue supporting the 23 Board of Directors Christopher Taylor plays Alexander Scriabin’s Eugene Symphony this season and beyond by becoming a Member. Learn more on page 13 of and Administrative Staff Prometheus: Poem of Fire in The Color of Sound. this program or at eugenesymphony.org/donate. Thank you for joining us on this new journey. Your generous support of Eugene Symphony has made us the organization it is today, providing our region with world-class performances and music education opportunities for all ages and backgrounds. Stay well, stay optimistic, and stay connected! David Pottinger, President, Board of Directors Francesco Lecce-Chong, Music Director & Conductor 14 Harmonic Laboratory co-founder John Park mentored the students whose digital imagery accompanied The Color of Sound. Scott Freck, Executive Director 2 EUGENE SYMPHONY NOVEMBER 2020 3 MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR Eugene Symphony Francesco Lecce-Chong MUSIC DIRECTOR Joseph Eggleston TRUMPET & CONDUCTOR David Straka Sarah Viens Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong is the Music Director of projects such as an original multimedia performance of Francesco Lecce-Chong Joseph Klause the Eugene Symphony in Oregon, and the Santa Rosa Symphony, Scriabin’s compositions engaging light and color. BASS David Bender performing at the Green Music Center in Northern California. The During his successful tenures as Associate Conductor VIOLIN I Kevin Brown John Davison Jennifer Estrin Forrest Moyer James Smock press has described him as a “fast rising talent in the music world” with the Milwaukee Symphony under Edo de Waart and the Della Davies Tyler Abbott Logan Brown with “the real gift” and recognized his dynamic performances, fresh Pittsburgh Symphony under Manfred Honeck, Lecce-Chong Yvonne Hsueh Rick Carter programming, deep commitment to commissioning and performing also dedicated his time to opera, building his credentials Clara Fuhrman Richard Meyn TROMBONE new music as well as to community outreach. Lecce-Chong has as staff conductor with the Santa Fe Opera and conducted Anthony Dyer Nathan Waddell Henry Henniger appeared with orchestras around the world including the San Madama Butterfly at the Florentine Opera with the Jamie Chimchirian Greg Nathan Carson Keeble Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic, National Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony. Stephen Chong James Meyer Atlanta Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, St. Louis Lecce-Chong is the recipient of several distinctions, Cauis Oprea FLUTE Symphony, and Hong Kong Philharmonic and collaborated with top including the prestigious Solti Foundation Award. Trained Sigrun Oprea Kristen Halay TUBA soloists including Renée Fleming and Itzhak Perlman. also as a pianist and composer, he completed his studies Nic Price Amelia Lukas Michael Grose In spring 2019, Lecce-Chong debuted in subscription concerts at the Curtis Institute of Music with Otto-Werner Mueller Keiko Ota Jill Pauls with the San Francisco Symphony. The San Francisco Chronicle after attending the Mannes College of Music and Accademia Chris Ives TIMPANI Mitchell Drury PICCOLO Ian Kerr called his conducting “first rate” praising the “vitality and brilliance Musicale Chigiana in Italy. He has had the privilege of being Holly Roberts Heather Johnson of the music-making he drew from members of the San Francisco mentored and supported by celebrated conductors including PERCUSSION Symphony.” Other recent subscription debuts included the Colorado Bernard Haitink, David Zinman, Edo de Waart, Manfred VIOLIN II OBOE Tim Cogswell Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic and Xi’An Honeck, Donald Runnicles and Michael Tilson Thomas. Matthew Fuller Kelly Gronli Brian Scott Symphony Orchestra. Lecce-Chong has also returned to conduct the Julia Frantz Cheryl Wefler Sean Wagoner Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Milwaukee and San Diego Symphony. The Claudia Miller Alan Juza Will Reno 19/20 season marked his debut with the New York Philharmonic as Alice Blankenship Paul Owen part of the legendary Young People’s Concert Series. Dan Athearn ENGLISH HORN Bob Brudvig In the 20/21 season, an unprecedented one for live orchestral Marilyn Tyler Annalisa Morton music, Lecce-Chong will conduct virtual concerts with both the Jannie Wei HARP Santa Rosa and the Eugene Symphony, specifically created for online David Burham CLARINET Jane Allen Virginia Kaiser Michael Anderson Jeff Parsons audiences. The performances will be streamed worldwide and will take Elyse Walters Wonkak Kim a unique form of a cohesive musical journey complete with interviews Bashar Matti Sarah Brown LIGHT ORGAN with musicians. The programs will include music by living composers Karen Doerfert Jeremy Schropp Jessie Montgomery, Gabriella Lena Frank and Chen Yi. Santa Rosa BASS CLARINET Symphony will also celebrate Beethoven’s 250th with performances of VIOLA Carol Robe CELESTA his first three symphonies. Miriam English Ward Christine Mirabella Following the paths of renowned Music Directors of the Eugene Lauren Elledge BASSOON and the Santa Rosa Symphonies including Marin Alsop, Giancarlo Anamaria Ghitea Steve Vacchi ORGAN Guerrero and Jeffrey Kahane, Lecce-Chong has made his mark Shauna Keyes Mike Curtis Debra Huddleston with the two orchestras introducing a series of new music and Karlie Roberts David Hattenhauer community initiatives. In 2019, the orchestras announced Kim Uwate Lecce-Chong’s “First Symphony Project” commissioning four Devin Burgess CONTRABASSOON LIBRARIAN Pamela Burovac Bronson York Christine Mirabella major orchestral works by young composers—Matt Browne, Leslie Straka Gabriella Smith, Angélica Negrón and Michael Djupstrom—to HORN VIDEO PRODUCTION be performed over several seasons accompanied by multiple CELLO David Kruse Attic Media, Inc. composer residencies and community events. In Eugene, he has Anne Ridlington Jonathan Kuhns-Obana Ryan Postma reinitiated family concerts and presented a number of innovative Eric Alterman Lydia Van Dreel Jessica Mitchell James Pelley Scott King Mckenzie Baldwin EUGENE SYMPHONY MUSIC DIRECTORS Dale Bradley Mike Hettwer Lawrence Maves, Founding Conductor (1966–1981) Ann Grabe Kelsi McGlothin AUDIO ENGINEERING Nancy Sowdon Jennifer Harrison Bill Barnett, Gung Ho Studios William McGlaughlin (1981–1985) David Chinburg Justin Stanley Adrian