What Makes It Great?

Rob Kapilow’s What Makes it Great? Love, Life, and Loss: The Songs of Stephen Sondheim WHEN: VENUE: THURSDAY, BING OCTOBER 11, 2018 CONCERT HALL 7∶30 PM Artists About the Artists Rob Kapilow, pianist and commentator Rob Kapilow Sally Wilfert and Michael Winther, vocalists For over 20 years Rob Kapilow has brought the joy and wonder of classical music—and unraveled some of its mys- teries—to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Characterized by his unique ability to create an “aha” Program moment for his audiences and collabo- rators, whatever their level of musical “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music (1973) sophistication or naiveté, Kapilow’s work brings music into people’s lives: “Finishing the Hat” from Sunday in the Park with George (1984) opening new ears to musical experi- ences and helping people to listen “Too Many Mornings” from Follies (1971) actively rather than just hear. As the Boston Globe said, “It’s a cheering “Getting Married Today” from Company (1978) thought that this kind of missionary Guest vocalist Cassidy McCleary enterprise did not pass from this earth with Leonard Bernstein. Rob Kapilow is awfully good at what he does. We need him.” The program will be performed without intermission and will be immediately followed by Kapilow’s range of activities is astonish- a question-and-answer session with the artists. ingly broad, including his What Makes It Great? presentations (now for over 20 seasons in New York and Boston), his family compositions and Family Musik events, his Citypieces, and resi- dencies with institutions as diverse as PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please be considerate of others and turn off all phones, pagers, and watch alarms. the National Gallery of Canada and Photography and recording of any kind are not permitted. Thank you. Upcoming Events New subhead here? Tickets and information: Sundays With the St. Lawrence Music For Change: live.stanford.edu St. Lawrence String Quartet with The Banned Countries Anne-Marie McDermott Kronos Quartet Oct 14 • 2∶30 PM Oct 20 • 7∶30 PM Bing Concert Hall Bing Concert Hall 2 and he has written two highly popular the second-place winner of the Antal books published by Wiley/Lincoln Cen- Dorati Conductor’s Competition with ter: All You Have To Do Is Listen which the Detroit Symphony. As a composer, won the PSP Prose Award for Best Book Kapilow was a featured on Chicago in Music and the Performing Arts, and Public Radio’s prestigious “Composers What Makes It Great (2011), the first book In America” series and is a recipient of of its kind to be especially designed for an Exxon “Meet-the-Composer” grant the iPad with embedded musical exam- and numerous ASCAP awards. ples. His newest book, Listening for America, will be published by Kapilow has conducted many of North Norton/Liveright in the fall of 2019.A America’s finest orchestras including documentary film, named Summer Sun, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Winter Moon after Kapilow’s National Symphony, the Toronto, St. choral/symphonic work of the same Louis, Atlanta, and Detroit Symphonies name, which traces the process of that and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Stanford University. The reach of his work’s composition from its conception He is an exclusive G. Schirmer com- interactive events and activities is wide, through to its premiere, has been poser and his many compositions have both geographically and culturally: broadcast hundreds of times on Public been performed by nearly every major from Native American tribal communi- Television since 2009. American orchestra as well as orches- ties in Montana and inner-city high tras in Europe, Asia, and Australia. school students in Louisiana to audi- Rob Kapilow dedicates his summer ences in Kyoto and Kuala Lumpur, and months to writing and composing new Kapilow has conducted many new from tots barely out of diapers to musi- music, most recently Chrysopylae, a works of musical theater, ranging from cologists in Ivy League programs, his large-scale work commissioned by the the Tony Award-winning Nine on Broad- audiences are diverse and unexpected, Marin Symphony to celebrate the 50th way to the premiere of Frida for the but invariably rapt and keen to come Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, opening of the Brooklyn Academy of back for more. which was premiered to great acclaim. Music’s “Next Wave Festival” and pre- He is currently completing a new com- mieres of works for the American A frequent guest speaker for corporate position for the 25th anniversary of Repertory Theater. events, museums, business groups, Ottawa Chamberfest based on Louise foundations, hospitals, law schools, Bourgeois' iconic sculpture, “Maman” to He is the conductor/creative director math departments and conferences, be premiered in August, 2019. He was of What Makes It Great? for the Rob Kapilow is constantly finding con- also the first composer to be granted Celebrity Series of Boston, New York’s nections and intersections between the rights to set Dr. Seuss’ words to Merkin Concert Hall, Washington Per- music and the outside world, making music, and his Green Eggs and Ham has forming Arts, the Cerritos Center for art essential to everyday life. been called “the most successful piece the Arts, and the Toronto written for families this half century.” A Symphony. Last season he began a Kapilow’s popularity and appeal are new CD featuring Nathan Gunn and new series at the Scottsdale Center for reflected in notable invitations and Isabel Leonard in two more of his popu- the Performing Arts. He has been achievements: this past season he lar FamilyMusik compositions, Chris van conductor/director of FamilyMusik for appeared six times on the PBS New- Allsburg’s Polar Express and Dr. Seuss’s New York’s Lincoln Center and 92nd sHour with segments ranging from Gertrude McFuzz, was released in Street Y, co-director of the Rutgers “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” to November 2014. SummerFest Festival, assistant con- Brahms and Mozart. He appeared on ductor of the Opera Company of NBC’s Today Show in conversation with Numerous major awards and grants Boston, Music Director of the touring Katie Couric; he presented a special have marked Kapilow’s career. He won company Opera New England, and What Makes It Great? event for broad- first place in the Fontainebleau conductor of the Kansas City Sym- cast on PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center; Casadesus Piano Competition and was phony’s summer FamilyFare program. 3 He was also music director of the Yale house in Texas (Mona), Chasing Rainbows: national tour of the 2015 Tony Award- Symphony Orchestra for five seasons. The Road to Oz (World Premiere, Ethel winning Best Musical, FUN HOME. Prior Gumm), Damn Yankees (Meg), Kiss Me to that, he collaborated with multiple At the age of 19, Kapilow interrupted his Kate (Lily/Kate), The Light in the Piazza Grammy-nominee, jazz composer Fred academic work at Yale University to (Margaret), Footloose (Ethel), LMNOP Hersch and poet Mary Jo Salter in the study with the legendary Nadia (World Premiere, Georgeanne), Little Miss premiere of a new song cycle, Rooms of Boulanger. Two years later, after gradu- Sunshine (World Premiere), Marry Me A Light for Peak Performance at Montclair ating Phi Beta Kappa from Yale, he Little, Les Miserables (Mdme. Thernardier), University. He portrayed Albert Einstein continued his studies at the Eastman The Last Five Years (Cathy), Amadeus in author and theoretical physicist Brian School of Music. After graduating from (Constanze), Enchanted April (Rose), Into Greene’s multimedia theater piece, Eastman, he returned to Yale, where he the Woods (The Witch), The Threepenny Light Falls in New York and in Australia was assistant professor for six years at Opera (Polly Peachum), Elegies: A Song (March 2016). He starred as “Dan” in the the university. He lives in River Vale, NJ, Cycle (Woman 1) to name a few. Sally Pulitzer winning musical, Next To Normal with his wife and three children. has appeared with Rob Kapilow in at Baltimore/Centerstage; Frank What Makes it Great? in major venues London and Neil Berger’s A Night In The Sally Wilfert around the country, celebrating the Old Marketplace in São Paulo; Tectonic Sally Wilfert has appeared on Broad- songs of Arlen, Gershwin, Cole Porter, Theatre Company’s The Laramie Project way in the Tony Award-winning pro- Sondheim and Bernstein. Other con- Cycle at BAM/Harvey Theatre; Fred duction of Assassins, The Adventures of cert credits include Sally Wilfert: It’s Hersch’s multimedia jazz-theatre Tom Sawyer, and King David. She also Time, American Songbook: Rebecca Luker, piece, My Coma Dreams in NYC, Berlin toured the country as Rona Lisa Peretti William Finn’s Songs of Innocence and and San Francisco; and Merrily We Roll in the first national tour of The 25th Experience, Broadway in South Africa, Jeff Along at City Center Encores!®. His Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Off- Blumenkrantz Songbook, New York City regional credits include productions at Broadway, Ms. Wilfert’s credits include Christmas in such venues as The Cerri- Center Theatre Group/LA, Guthrie See Rock City (Lauren), Make Me A Song: tos Center for the Performing Arts, 54 Theater, Yale Rep, McCarter Theater, The Music of William Finn (Sally), The Mis- Below, New Jersey Performing Arts Old Globe, Goodspeed Musicals, tress Cycle (Tess) and The Prince & The Center, Dallas’ Horchow Center, The TheatreWorks/Palo Alto, La Jolla Pauper (Mary Canty). At Carnegie Hall Jacob Javits Center, Le Chat Noir, The Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, she has appeared in Cole Porter’s Allen Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Perseverance Theater, O’Neill Theatre Jubilee, South Pacific in Concert (starring The Zipper Theatre, Merkin Hall, Sym- Center and Sundance Theatre Lab.

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