-~-SPRING 2011 VOL. 23 i NO.4 A Newsletter for Supporters and Friends of the Symphony

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Andrew Rammon, principal cellist of the Williamsport Symphony While living in Los Angeles, Mr. Rammon appeared in Steven Orchestra, was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and raised in a family of Spielberg's movie Amistad and in a music video by Puff Daddy. During American musicians in Germany. He began his formal studies at the the summer Mr. Rammon performs and teaches in Heidelberg, Frankfurt Musikhochschule while in high school, and continued at Germany as part of Pepperdine University's summer music program. Pepperdine University and The Cleveland Institute of Music. His Past performances as soloist with the WSO include Shostakovich Cello teachers include Ronald Leonard and Stephen Geber. Currently Concerto (2004), and Richard Strauss, Don Quixote (2008).

Mr. Rammon is the cellist of the Grammy-nominated Eaken Piano Trio. Mr. Rammon teaches cello at Bucknell, Susquehanna and Mansfield The trio has performed extensively in the United States, Europe and Universities, and Lycoming College. In Williamsport he maintains a China. Their twelve commercial recordings have been heard on private studio of talented young cello students with whom he plays in National Public Radio's Performance Today and All Things Considered the biannual event called Cellobration. and have been broadcast on many local radio stations including WVIA. The trio's upcoming projects include the recording of a CD of arrangements and original music by Mike Garson, a featured soloist with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra in 2009. Concen Sponsor LYCOMING COLLEGE Guest Artist Sponsor AITORNEYS FOR THE ARTS

Williamsport Symphony Orchestra 1220 West Fourth Street,Third Floor 1 Williamsport, PA 17701-61021570.322.02271 www.williamsportsymphony.org CONDUCTOR'S CORNER

cSa()eIhe dale Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe that our final concert of c5afurday:June 11 the season is a month away! At the Symphony we are all having a fantastic time and the season finale is one not to be missed. The Austro-German 7)ancin!lQ/nder Ihe tradition in classical music has inspired generations of musicians and cSummercSlars audiences alike, and we would like to share with you in this concert the great works of three outstanding composers. Featuring dinner, dancing, music, raffles, auctions and more! From 6 pm until the stars come out, dance along with us Commemorating the lOath anniversary of Mahler's death, I picked one of at the home of Yvonne Roskowski. This once a year fun and fund-raising event benefits WSO. his most beloved slow movements, the Adagietto from his Symphony No.5, Invitations will be mailed in May. Open to the public. a love song dedicated to his wife Alma. We will continue with an early piece by Haydn, the Cello Concerto No. I in C Major played by our fabulous principal cellist Andrew Rammon. This music is noble, fresh and delightful like all of Haydn's compositions. Without a doubt he is one of the most respected and prolific composers from the classical period, and not by chance Beethoven choose him as a teacher!

We will close our program with perhaps one of the most well-known pieces of all time: The Symphony No.9 "Ode to Joy" by Beethoven. Four guest soloists and the Lycoming College Choir and the State College Choral Society will join -'-:"---~. forces to perform the epic work by this immortal master.

I was very lucky to have the chan to sing this piece with choirs in Argentina at the Teatro Colon and later in Israel by the walls of Have you ever wondered what it would be like to conduct a full the old city with the legendary symphony orchestra? At the WSO "Hollywood Connections" concert conductor, Zubin Mehta. I was this past March, Jeanette Winner finally got her chance to find out! even luckier to have the opportuni She was the lucky winner of WSO's first "Be the Maestro" raffle. Her to conduct this amazing work on winning ticket provided the opportunity to have coaching sessions with several occasions, but this one is Maestro Edelstein and finally the chance to lead our symphony in very special to me because I believe concert. After about a month of practice and preparations, Jeanette it is going to be the highlight provided an artful presentation of Chariot's of Fire. Having no previous of an amazing year of wonderful conducting experience, she promptly rose to the challenge. She music making with the carefully chose a video from and got immediately to work on Williamsport Symphony Orchestra. her baton technique. Maestro Edelstein was duly impressed with how Like Beethoven asks, let's all well she prepared for her first coaching session, and the orchestra was rejoice and celebrate life every day! able to easily follow her interpretation in performance. Was it a success? Her picture says it all! Congratulations, Jeanette! See you at the concert,

WSO PERSONNEL Gerardo Edelstein, Music Director/ Conductor Reuben Councill, Executive Director, Hind Jabbour, Executive Assistant / Marketing Coordinator Rebecca Clark, Operations Manager / Ubrarian Lee Saville-Andree, Stage Manager GERALD GRAHAME-SOLOIST

A musician of many talents, tenor Gerald Grahame is known as a gifted conductor and voice teacher in addition to being a notable and concert soloist. After completing his Bachelor of Music Education at SUNY/Fredonia, he received his Master of Music in Opera Performance from Binghamton University in conjunction with the Tri-Cities Opera, a company with which he has performed over twenty lead roles, including Rodolfo in La Boheme, Afred in Die Fledermaus, the title role in , Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as the Interrogator in the world premiere of Ezra Laderman's Galileo Galilei. When he debuted with the City Opera, he was the recipient of that company's Rita and Herbert Z. Gold Debut Award. He went on to sing other roles with the company including Count Alrnaviva in /I Barbiere di Siviglia, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, and Tamino in The Magic Flute under the baton of Proud Supporter of Julius Rudel. Since then, Mr. Grahame has appeared with orchestras and opera companies throughout the country including the Binghamton Philharmonic, the Utica Symphony, the Syracuse Symphony, the Virginia The Williamsport Symphony Symphony, the Rochester Oratorio Society, and the National Symphony under Eric Leinsdorf, as well as the Syracuse Opera, the Tulsa Opera, the Cleveland Opera, Opera/Omaha, the Lake George Opera Festival and the Opera Company of with Sarah Caldwell conducting.

Mr. Grahame has been an adjudicator for choral festivals around upstate New York, a choral clinician for the Dennis Keane Choral Festival, and A marketing company that has participated in choral workshops in Carnegie Hall with , builds equity position in the minds and Helmut Rilling. Recently Mr. Grahame performed as tenor soloist of now and future customers. with the Ithaca Community Chorus in Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, and in Haydn's The Creation with the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society in Los Vegas. Currently, Mr. Grahame is a Professor of Music at Broome Community College where teaches voice and other music courses in addition to his duties as Director of the College Choir.

WINNER OF MARCH'S MYSTERY PIECE

This Mystery Piece was a real hit! Out of 54 correct entries, Eleanor Laver was selected our winner for the March concert. The Mystery Piece was "Chariots of Fire", the theme from the award-winning 1981 movie of the same name. The music was composed by Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, a composer in many genres who wrote under the name Vangelis. Although he is best known for his Academy Award winning score for Chariots of Fire, he also composed music for the films Blade Runner, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, and Alexander. Contact us locally at: 570-204-2000 His largely electronic score was arranged for orchestra by Jim Riley. www.viamediatv.com Congratulations to our new winner, and thank you to all who participated. FROM REUBEN'S DESK... MEREDITH MECUM-SOPRANO

Wow! It's hard to believe I've already Soprano Meredith Mecum was recently awarded Second Place in the first completed my first 3 months as annual Ades Vocal Competition at MSM, as well as an Encouragement Executive Director. I am proud of the Award from the Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition. She has covered achievements our office has already the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni as a Young Artist with Ash Lawn made in such a short amount of time. Opera, appeared as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus with Martina Arroyo's The office is working well together to Prelude to Performance, as Frau Fluth in scenes from Nicolai's Die lustige make this organization run as smoothly Weiber von Windsor, and as Rose Segal in the New York premiere of John as possible. From a funding perspective Musto's Later the Same Evening at Manhattan School of Music. She can we've had a successful launch of our be heard on the recording of Musto's work, which was released by annual campaign (you received Albany Records. Other performances include scenes from Le Nozze di your letter, yes?), heard positiv Figaro, and Madama Butterfly, and excerpts from Clara: from some past grant initiatives, Images from the Life of Clara Schumann by Victoria Bond, in which she and have several new ones in the premiered the role of Clara Schumann. As a recitalist, she has performed works. Things look well on at the Third Street Music School Settlement in NYC, and at the State track to bring back Pops in the Park this summer, Street Academy in Harrisburg, PA. and the Family Concert in 20 12! Ms. Mecum recently completed her Master of Music degree We will be ready to announce our 20 I 1/2012 at Manhattan School of season at the concert on May I st! Make sure you Music in the studio of Joan come to hear our last regular season concert with Patenaude-Yarnell. She received plans to save your seats for next fall! her Bachelor of Musical Arts Next year promises to build on all of the excitement that we've created from The Pennsylvania State in our season of "Connections." Get ready to "Celebrate" with a series University in voice performance of concerts next season that will impress, inspire, and entertain you. and art history. She has participated in such programs I can't wait for Beethoven's as the Opera Theatre and Music 9th! It will be my first Festival of Lucca, the Chautauqua performance of this Institution School of Music, and Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance. masterwork. We have four amazing soloists and over 200 voices TIMOTHY LEFEBVRE-SOLOIST in a combined choir Nationally acclaimed baritone Timothy LeFebvre has wide-ranging that are ready to make experience from the operatic stage to the concert hall. 2009-2010 this an epic conclusion to appearances include Faure's Requiem with Syracuse Symphony, our 20 I 0/20 II concert seas Mendelssohn's Elijah with Hamilton College, a solo recital at Hamilton I remain truly proud College, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Orchestra of the Southern of my association Finger Lakes and Vaughan-Williams' Dona nobis pacem with the with the WSO. Binghamton Downtown Singers. His 2008-2009 appearances included Thank you for all the title role in with Tri-Cities Opera, Messiah with Jacksonville you do as patrons, Symphony, Ping in Turandot with Jacksonville audience members, Symphony, the Brahms Requiem with the and musicians to make this organization flourish! Binghamton Philharmonic, Vaughan-Williams' Five Mystical Songs and Liszt's Christus with the New Dominion Chorale in Washington, DC, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Mozart's Solemn Vesper Mass with the Berkshire Choral Festival. In the 2007-2008 season, LeFebvre made his debut with Opera Delaware, and had return engagements with Berkshire Choral Festival, Jacksonville Symphony, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and Cornell University. ~ ~~ ~ A ': / :k-l \ -: '} 1~ , t ~ " 'j' ~ L"./ f t- Y not e s SPRING 20 II _L----, __:. --'" MAY NOTES Continued from page 4 I Timothy Lefebvre FROM DR. GARY BOERCKEl Mr. LeFebvre has appeared in concert with the Jacksonville Symphony, Pensacola Symphony, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Vermont Thank you, Oldrich Pulkert! Symphony, Minnesota Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, American Haydn's Cello Concerto in C is Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Spokane Symphony, one of the mainstays of the cello Binghamton Philharmonic, Rochester Bach Festival, Berkshire Choral literature, but it was unknown Festival, New Dominion Chorale, Williamsport Symphony, Syracuse until a musicologist named Chamber Music Society, the Skaneateles Festival and the Marlboro Oldrich Pulkert found it in the Music Festival. He has also appeared in concert at New York's Carnegie Czech Museum of Music in 1961, Hall and Alice Tully Hall. His operatic experience includes leading roles almost two hundred years after it with Central City Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Sarasota Opera, Chattanooga was composed. Haydn wrote the Symphony and Opera, Syracuse Opera, Indianapolis Opera, concerto during his early years as court composer and music director Opera Delaware, and Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. ~;;'::1iiIII..aIIrR:""J'" for the fabulously wealthy Hungarian prince, Nicholas Esterhazy. Mr. LeFebvre is a winner of the New York Although the original score was lost, a copy found its way into a Liederkranz Vocal Competition, and other Bohemian castle library. It remained there until after World War II, when awards include the Richard F.Gold Career the Czech government collected manuscripts from monastic and Grant, an Opera Fellowship at Binghamton aristocratic holdings to be archived in the national library. When he first University and Regional Finalist in several discovered the concerto, Pulkert was not certain that it was really by Competitions. Haydn. The first performance in 1962 convinced him and the rest of the Mr. LeFebvre is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon musical world that the Concerto in C Major was not only authentic, but University and Binghamton University and is currently Assistant Professor one of the best of all Haydn's concertos. of Voice at Binghamton University. Future performances include Brahms ... and you, too, Henrietta Sontag! Requiem with Syracuse Symphony, and two concerts at Binghamton University in the fall. In 1823, Beethoven was only 53 years old, but he was already perceived to be an old man in the twilight of his career. Universally regarded as the greatest musician alive, Beethoven knew that, while his fame was undiminished, his popularity had fallen far below that of the public's current hero, Rossini, the master of Italian comic opera. Despite his ProvicIJng YOU with the Yery best In all of ,onr fnll-servlce eommerelal near-total deafness, Beethoven labored for years on his two late printing needs for oYer 50 ,ears. masterworks, the ninth symphony and the Missa Sofemnis. Finally completed in 1823, Beethoven's last symphony owed its first Stop In and talk with our frlendl, and knowledgable professionals If ,ou need .. , performance to a pretty, seventeen year-old soprano who had just come from her triumphant operatic debut as the heroine of Carl Maria von Weber's last opera, Euryanthe. Henrietta Sontag knew that Beethoven had composed a magnificent choral symphony, and that she might be asked to perform the part for soprano solo, but she also knew that the irascible composer was refusing all requests to have it performed in Vienna. She paid Beethoven a visit, he invited her to dinner, she assured him that the musical world eagerly awaited his new symphony, and Beethoven agreed to a performance with Henrietta Sontag as soprano soloist. Beethoven acted wisely! The concert was one of the greatest triumphs of his career ... and Henrietta Sontag went on to become the leading operatic soprano of her generation.

JOIN US FOR A FREE PRE-CONCERT LECTURE WITH GARY BOERCKEL

May I, 2:30pm in the Capitol Lounge at the CAC before the Austro-German Connections concert. Open to the public. LORIE GRATIS-SOLOIST

Lorie Gratis (Mezzo Soprano) is active as a recitalist, chamber music and oratorio singer, and has made solo oratorio debuts in New York's Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall, and Washington's National Cathedral. Recent seasons include Ms. Gratis joining Philadelphia's premiere baroque orchestra Tempesta di Mare for performances of Handel's Aci Galatea and Polifemo and Zalenka's Lamentations; The Mendelssohn Club of ••• Philadelphia and Coro Allegro in Wilmington, DE for their performance of Elijah; the Chester County Chorale and the Delaware Symphony for Messiah performances; with the North Penn Symphony for the .9. VerdiRequiem; Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Bernstein's Jeremiah Symphony and Mozart's Coronation Mass; Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Penn State Orchestra and Choirs; with the Brandywine Baroque for two Bach concerts; and concerts presented by LyricFest in Philadelphia. Ms. Gratis has also sung with the National Symphony Orchestra at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C; The Maryland Handel Festival (Theorora, Solomon, Joshua, ••• and Alexander Balus.), The Cathedral Choral Society of Washington, D.C.; solo appearance with Amor Artis and St. Luke's Orchestra in ; The Ama Deus Ensemble of Philadelphia; The Bach Choir of thewildstUdi. Pittsburgh; the Dryden Early 800.7 45.3257 Music Ensemble of Princeton; and performances of the VerdiRequiem and Beethoven's PLEASE HELP US ADD TO THE ROSTER OF Ninth Symphony at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia with the Temple WSYO ALUMNI-SEND US INFORMATION! University Orchestra and Chorus and also with the Reading Symphony Email: [email protected] Phone: 570.322.0227 and Choral Society; and Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Mail: 220W Fourth Street Third Floor, Williamsport, PA 1770 1-61~~_. __ Luis Biava and the Temple University Orchestra.

Ms. Gratis has been the first prize winner of several national competitions including The Bodky Early Music Competition, Musica Sacra's Bach Vocal CALL NOW, Competition, The National Artist Award presented by the National LIMITED SEATING Association of Teachers of Singing, and the Young Artist Award from The National Federation of Music Clubs. She has presented numerous MEETTHE MAESTRO solo recitals under the auspices of, and in conjunction with The National LUNCHEON Federation of Music Clubs, NATS, and the Boston Early Music Festival. She was the mezzo soprano Soloist at the Marlboro Music Festival for two CAPITOL LOUNGE, CAC seasons and has also studied German Oratorio repertoire at the Britten FRIDAY APRIL 29 Pears School in England as well as with the Bach Aria Group in Stonybrook, NY. Among the hightlights of her career to date are solo oratorio debuts in New York's Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall, and a solo recital appearance at the United Nations. Ms. Gratis has also been a guest judge at several national voice competitions. She can be heard APRIL29 LUNCHEON on the VOX Classics label on recordings of J.S. Bach's B Minor Mass and !1:30AM Magnificat; A European Christmas; and as a guest artist on Julianne FOR RESERVATIONS

Baird's recording of Rossini Songs as well as The Jane Austin Songbook. CALL 570.322.0227 She holds degrees from West Chester University, The Eastman School $25 A TICKET of Music, The Curtis Institute of Music, and a doctoral degree in performance from Temple University. Ms. Gratis presently teaches voice and voice-related courses at Temple University. _L--__ COLBY AND MICHAEL KOLB

Williamsport Youth Symphony Orchestra provides ~~ ;) many young adults a rare opportunity to join with other students from local schools to play in an orchestral setting. Michael & Colby Kolb

SUNDAY MAY 15 The conductor at the time, Richard Coulter, kept them excited about 2PM IN CLARKE CHAPEL the WYSO, and helped them to grow in the knowledge of music and LYCOMING COLLEGE their instruments. Not only did WYSO provide a venue to meet others who shared their passion for music, but it also provided a social venue which brought two people together who may have never met otherwise. The Williamsport Symphony will host its 38th annual Young Artist Competition on Sunday May 15. Young musicians through grade 12who Michael and Colby Kolb currently reside in Williamsport and hope their live in north central Pennsylvania may compete for cash story will inspire other young adults to pursue their passion for music as awards and the opportunity to perform with the WSO! well. They are grateful that WYSO is still around to celebrate its 25th anniversary, and will keep supporting its efforts in the years to come. The preliminary round will require a high quality WSO Februry Newsletter corrections, article Meet the Carpenters: recording of the piece Kayla Carpenter graduated from Montoursville not Loyalsock. It is also to be performed in a important to note that Kayla was a member of the first ever PMEA State final round with piano Vocal Jazz Ensemble and studied with WSO 2nd Horn and Operations accompaniment. Applications Manager, Rebecca Clark from 5th to 12th grade. Korinne Carpenter is a must be submitted to WSO trumpet major rather than a minor at Grove City College. office by April 27,20 II. For more information, please visit the WSO website THANK YOU PENN COLLEGE www.williamsportsymphony.org The Board ofTrustees and WSO staff are grateful to Penn College for or call the WSO office at 570.322.0227. sponsoring this season's newsletters.

~------~8 Nonprofit Organization US Postage 220 WEST FOURTH STREET. THIRD FLOOR 0'.' PAID symphony. WILLIAMSPORT, PA 17701·6102 Williamsport, PA 17701 Permit No. 295 AUSTRO-GERMAN CONNECTIONS SUN MAY 1'3:00

SPRING 2011 VOL. 23 I NO.4

-Andrew Rammon~-, Guest Artist RAFFLETO BENEFIT THE WSO Dancing Under the Summer Stars TREBECCA at 600 Cemetery Street in Williamsport has been in business since 1998. Once the store opened, the owner Paul Hendricks claims, they never looked back. "We strive to Be the Maestro set TREBECCA apart from what already exists in the area with price points to fit all occasions." WSO Personnel Entering the store off Cemetery Street, the customer will notice the extreme contrast between the circa 1895 exterior Conductor's Corner and the modern neo-classical interior which defines the character of the store. There is really no store quite like Jerry Grahme-Soloist TREBECCA with gifts anyone can be proud to give and receive, American hand-crafted, internationally hand-crafted and

Mystery Piece Winner "live" items make for a unique shopping experience. "We are always looking for new and engaging items that normally one would not expect to be available in this area," Mr. Hendricks explains. A wide variety of customers comes from From Reuben's Desk Pennsylvania and the surrounding states to enjoy the ever-expanding selection of gifts, Meredith Mecum - Soloist TREBECCA is proud of its gold and silver-smiths who come from serious training schools. Jennifer Parks, the gold-smith, Timothy Lefebvre - Soloist has a BA in Fine Arts and from Edinboro, 2003. David Baker from Lycoming College with an Economics and Philosophy

May Notes from Dr. Boerkel degree is also a metal- smith. They both work in 14K gold and sterling silver, also with precious stones and semi-precious stones. Both are very proud of their workmanship. From the initial concept to the finished product, their skills shine. Lorie Gratis - Soloist They are meticulous in every aspect of their work and it shows, Both Jen and David excel at designing custom-made gold Please help us add to the Roster pieces for that special occasion, Greeting every customer with courteous and dedicated commitment, the staff also includes

Meet The Maestro Luncheon Ms.Alison Moser, Chris Case and Kristen Miller who keep the front end of the store alive and pleasant for easy browsing.

WSYO-Where are they now? To demonstrate its very generous style of business, TREBECCA has donated a one-of-a kind pendant by Jennifer Parks exclusively for the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra's "Dancing Under the Summer Stars" June 11,20 II fund raiser. In Young Artist Competition keeping with the event's theme, the pendant of 14K yellow and white gold with a green 2.13ct trillion Peridot stone Thank you Penn College and a sprinkle of .23tcw diamonds sparkles like the stars in a summer evening. Thank you Trebecca!

Symphony Notes A publication of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, 220W Fourth St .. Third Floor, Williamsport, PA 17701·6102 Phone: 570.322.0227 Ernail: [email protected] Visit us at: www.williomsportsymphony.org WSO Personnel Gerardo Edelstein. Music Directorl Conductor I Reuben Councill. Executive Director I Hind Jabbour, Executive Assistant and Marketing Coordinator I Rebecca Clark. Operations Manager and Ubrarian I Lee Saville-Andree. Stage Manager

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