Edition 1 | 2018-2019
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Did You Know? Young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are: • 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement • 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools • 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair • 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance • 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem WHAT’S INSIDE III ...................MESSAGE FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR V .............MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VII ...................... MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR VIII ...........................................DAVID ALAN MILLER XI ..................................... ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL OCTOBER 13, 2018: OPENING NIGHT CONCERT & GALA XVII ..........................................RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES! NOVEMBER 10, 2018: XXXI ......................................ARMISTICE CENTENNIAL DECEMBER 15-16, 2018: XL .............................................. VIENNESE CLASSICS LI ........................................2018-2019 SPONSORS LIII .......................................CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE LIV ............................................. INDIVIDUAL GIVING LVII .................IN HONOR, CELEBRATION, & MEMORY LVIII ..............................................ENCORE SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS & LIX .................................... GOVERNMENT AGENCIES LIX ...........................................IN-KIND DONATIONS LXI .........................................................BOARD & STAFF ALBANY SYMPHONY MUSICIAN LXIV ......................................... HOUSING PROGRAM ADVERTISING Onstage Publications Advertising Department 937-424-0529 | 866-503-1966 e-mail: [email protected] www.onstagepublications.com This program is published in association with Onstage Publications, 1612 Prosser Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45409. This program may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Onstage Publications is a division of Just Business, Inc. Contents ©2018. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. ALBANY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | I of the most exciting operatic works in the repertoire by Bizet, Verdi, and Wagner. For our grand gala conclusion, we’ll transform the Palace Theatre into a celestial paradise, inspired by the Valkyries of Norse (and grand opera) lore. November 11 marks the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the end of World War I. We commemorate this significant milestone with a performance of Benjamin Britten’s poignant masterpiece, his War Requiem for full orchestra, chamber orchestra, full chorus, boyschoir, and three vocal soloists, including Capital Region native, soprano Emalie Savoy. This colossal 80-minute work alternates movements of the Latin mass with poems by Wilfred Owen, a soldier-poet who died late in World War I, to create an absolutely overwhelming statement on war and the fragile beauty of life. We hope you’ll join us for this unique concert, as well as for the many advance lectures, recitals, and other events with our community partners that will help create context for the work MESSAGE FROM THE and the period. MUSIC DIRECTOR Our December concerts close the calendar year with a hundredth birthday tribute to the memory DEAR FRIENDS, of our dear friend and champion, Dr. Heinrich Medicus, a towering figure in our community and Welcome to our thrilling 2018-19 season. a lover of Bruckner, holiday cheer, and all things I hope you had as wonderful a summer as I did. Swiss, especially chocolate. Fitting, then, that we’ve I traveled to Paris, Portugal, and across America programmed pieces that celebrate all of the above! guest conducting, working on a film documentary, visiting family and friends, and dropping my three In addition to these beautiful subscription concerts, beautiful kids off at college (the best part!). After I hope you’ll bring the whole family and friends to the all the excitement of my summer travels, it feels Palace Theatre for our annual holiday spectacular, so good to be back home in my favorite place in The Magic of Christmas, on December 2. the world–New York’s Capital Region–making music with my magnificent colleagues, our brilliant To all of you who attend our concerts and support us Albany Symphony musicians. in so many ways, we want you to know how much we cherish you and your participation with us. It is your While each of this season’s concerts features a support that makes our music possible, and we are dazzling array of great music new and old, the immensely proud to serve you. We hope all of your first three are really monumental in scope. Our concert experiences this season are deeply satisfying, Opening Night concert and gala evening is a feat perhaps even life-altering! of engineering on and off the stage. First, we’ll present Sandbox Percussion as soloists in the world Warm Regards, premiere of the orchestral version of Viet Cuong’s Re(new)al, a piece that features incredible pyrotechnics (and calisthenics) on every imaginable percussion instrument: snare drum, vibraphone, and even water glasses! We then welcome Stefan David Alan Miller Jackiw, who joins us for Brahms’ magnificent Violin Music Director Concerto, followed closely by selections from some ALBANY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | III IV | ALBANY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA how things should be done on and off stage, who nonetheless come together to collaborate and strive to create a unified, unique, and wonderful experience for our audience members. Similarly, in this experience, for a few hours, there is potential for us to come together, set aside all that might divide us, and enter a space of expression, meaning, and beauty. While we may have differences of opinions and beliefs, the capacity for wonder and to appreciate expression and artistry is something we have in common. The Albany Symphony values the collaborations that are key to our performances. In this program book, you will see we are at three different venues: The Palace in Albany, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, and Proctors in Schenectady. Each of these organizations (and EMPAC at RPI in June) are rich cultural resources, invaluable jewels for not only our © Gary Gold Photography immediate communities but also the entire region. MESSAGE FROM THE The Britten War Requiem in November is perhaps the first performance of this major work in the Capital EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Region. I want to highlight and thank our artistic partners, Albany Pro Musica and the Cathedral of All Saints Boychoir, who have made monumental DEAR FRIENDS, efforts to include this very challenging repertoire in their seasons. I would also like to thank Proctors Welcome to the first concerts of the Albany and the Musicians of Ma’alwyck for their wonderful Symphony season! partnership in planning and presenting many intriguing and exciting programs exploring the 100th While making dinner this week, I caught an episode of anniversary of Armistice Day in conjunction with our World of Dance on WNYT. They were doing “Duels,” War Requiem performance. where two dance troupes competed against each other. The success of one group intrinsically meant Finally, for those of you seeing this program book the elimination of the other; yet, when the camera before November 10: please participate in our cut to the dancers watching their rivals perform, they food drive in partnership with the Regional Food were cheering and whooping for the amazing work of Bank of Northeastern New York for local veterans their opponents. organizations. See page 30 for more information. This reminded me of what happens on stage with Thank you for being here and partaking in this the orchestra. While each musician is focused concert experience. intently on their own playing, they are also very much supportive of their colleagues. During a performance, Sincerely, you will often see a musician tap a hand on their thigh (or shuffle a foot on the floor if hands are otherwise occupied) in silent applause for their fellow musician who has just executed a solo or challenging passage of music. Anna Kuwabara Executive Director The nature of a symphony orchestra is to bring together dozens of musicians—individuals who have their own personalities and differing ideas of ALBANY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | V VI | ALBANY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Averill Park public schools to exceptional music, and that encourage these young artists to express themselves through their own compositions and listening experiences. We also regularly collaborate with other community organizations to create cross- disciplinary events that celebrate our time and place, highlighting the history and cultural heritage of our Capital Region. Because we believe that arts education is for everyone at every stage of life, we also continue our commitment to provide programs for adults and seniors, including our pre-concert talks at the Albany Public Library and on stage. Community engagement is a central pillar of our new strategic plan, and we look forward to growing our current programs and expanding into new ways of engaging the broader community over the coming season and beyond. We are particularly excited by the community collaborations planned around our performance of Benjamin Britten’s monumental War Requiem at Proctors Theatre this November, which marks the 100th anniversary of the end of MESSAGE FROM THE World War II in 1918. Planned events include an art exhibition, film screenings, recitals, lectures, and BOARD CHAIR more! You can see