MSO-March-2021-Concert-Program
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2 3 Dear Friends of the MSO, This week we discover a marvelous French composer of the classical era, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint Georges. Bologne was born in the French colony of Guadeloupe and is considered to be the first known classical composer of African ancestry. He was denied the post of director of the Paris Opera in 1776, due to his origins. His music is very close to Mozart’s and has a similar grace and lightness in its galant style. We are glad that this was suggested by our Concertmaster, Kurt Nikkanen, who will be performing it for us tonight! Next, we are glad to feature our own principal cellist Jacques-Pierre Malan in Haydn’s joyful C Major concerto. It is not only a staple of the cello repertoire but also the main cello concerto of the classical era. The Chamber Symphony is a transcription by Russian conductor Rudolf Barshai of Shostakovich’s 8th String Quartet. It is Shostakovich in miniature, with the composer quoting himself, and thinking of the piece as his own epitaph. It is an incredibly stirring piece, one that haunts you for years thanks to its combination of passionate strength and ethereal beauty. I would like to thank the wonderful musicians, staff, and board of the MSO, as well as you, our audience, for making these concerts possible during this difficult period. Through the musical stories of Bologne, Haydn, and Shostakovich we can hear the uplifting force of resilience, passion, and joy. I hope you enjoy tonight’s performance and gain new insights into these marvelous composers’ music and lives. Julien Benichou 4 MISSION STATEMENT: To enrich life across the Mid-Atlantic region through the power of classical music Board of Directors President Jeffrey Parker Vice President Valerie Mazur Secretary Raymond Vergne Treasurer John Pinney Vice President of Education & Outreach Patricia Campbell Area Vice Presidents Valerie Mazur, Easton Jean Wehner, Ocean View Vacant, Ocean Pines Peter Harrigan, Rehoboth Directors Donna Barker Andrea Barnes Katherine Barney Regina Brittingham Courtney Kane Marci Levin MSO Staff Music Director Julien Benichou General Manager Dane Krich Consultant Mary Lou Tietz Ticket Fulfillment Anne Marie Rogerson 5 Dear MSO Patrons, As we approach the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra’s 5th Concert of our 2020-2021 "Season of Strings” on Thursday, March 4th, 2021, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your patronage and continued support of the orchestra. It has been a unique year for performing arts organizations and we are grateful that together we have been able to persevere and -- through the options of live performances and live-streamed performances -- continue to bring classical orchestral music to our audiences across the DelMarVa peninsula. Some subscribers have asked why performances have been limited to a string and percussion orchestra this season. One general assumption is that this was a cost-cutting measure in light of the ongoing pandemic, with ticket sales and other revenues lower than usual. Others believe it was simply a way of achieving social distancing for the performers. In fact, both of those aspects were considerations. However, the primary driving force was the necessity to eliminate wind instruments - both woodwinds and brass - as these instruments require a great circulation of human breath and create aerosol sprays. Essentially, wind instruments were deemed too unsafe to include in our performances this year. We also were compelled to reduce the orchestra’s size because most of our traditional venues were not available to us. For example, the Ocean City Convention Center offers an expansive stage on which we might have been able to present wind instruments with precautions including Plexiglass dividers and social distancing. Unfortunately, the venue has been closed to us for the past year because of the pandemic, ruling out this option. These restrictions required a very different configuration of the orchestra than is typical for the MSO. As often is the case, necessity is the mother of invention and we quickly adapted to the current circumstances in the world at large. We replaced programs planned for 2020- 2021 with “A Season of Strings”, drawing upon a great library of chamber orchestra repertoire with works often overlooked or dismissed as not being composed for a larger orchestra. Continued 6 The MSO could have abruptly canceled the season, as so many other performing arts in- stitutions chose to do. But we were determined to bring live music to our audience de- spite the limitations of the pandemic. We strongly believe that musicians must make mu- sic and our audiences need to experience live performances. Our Board of Directors ral- lied and with the leadership of committee chair Courtney Kane and others, our MSO “Live Streaming” was born. This allows us to offer our audience options that would pro- vide safe access to the MSO’s season of live concerts. It has been a time-consuming and energetic ride but we are so grateful that we have persevered and triumphed. Again, we say thank you to each of you who have joined us for this incredibly unique season. As we soldier on through the pandemic, the MSO Board of Directors has embarked on a path of bold thinking and evolution, planning for the time when we will once again per- form post-pandemic. We are in the process of creating an innovative 5-year plan that in- cludes consideration of the following initiatives: Youth & Education: 1.) The creation of a Mid-Atlantic Symphony Youth Orchestra 2.) Virtual Master Classes for middle and high school students - available to schools across the DelMarva Peninsula 3.) Podcast classes involving Orchestra Members and Students Concerts: 4.) The addition of MSO Summer Pops Concerts 5.) Soliciting CD recording contracts with selected soloists. In the midst of the pandemic cloud, we feel particularly motivated to be at the forefront of the performing arts scene here on DelMarVa as we move ahead – cautiously, but with determination. Again, we thank you for your support and enthusiasm for the MSO. We look forward to many exciting seasons together! We Are Your MSO! Fondly, Jeffrey 7 8 GUIDELINES Music is an integral part of our lives. The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is dedicated to making your concert-going experience one in which you will continually want to return. VENUES For the 2020-2021 Season Series, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra will perform at one venue on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Easton Church of God, Easton, Maryland and will livestream the concerts. VENUE ACCESSIBILITY The venue is handicap accessible. PARKING Parking is available at the venue. TICKET PURCHASES There are four options for purchasing tickets. 1) Tickets may be purchased online via the MSO website midatlanticsymphony.org. 2) The ticket order form can be downloaded from the MSO website and mailed to the MSO address. 3) Tickets may be purchased by calling the MSO voice system at 1-888-846-8600. Leave a brief message with your name and telephone number and an MSO representative will return your call. 4) Tickets, if available, may be purchased at the door. TICKET PRICES Single tickets may be purchased for $45 and the livestream concert may be purchased for $15 per person. Tickets to the New Year’s Eve concert are $85 and $25 for the livestream. Complimentary tickets are available to youths up to 18 years old, however due to a limited number of these tickets, a reservation is required. TICKET PAYMENT The MSO accepts Visa, MasterCard, check or cash for payment. continued 9 DRESS CODE There is no official “dress code” for attending MSO concerts. In respect to the Maestro and the musicians, “smart casual” attire is suggested. “THEATER” TEMPERATURES Temperatures will fluctuate due to audience size and location of seating. Dress in layers so you can adjust your clothing to be comfortable in a variety of temperatures. LOST AND FOUND If you misplace your glasses, think you left a sweater on a seat, found keys in the parking lot, etc., call 1-888-846-8600, leave a message and an MSO representative will return your call. Turn off cell phones and any other electronic devices. The light/noise from these devices is a distraction. Please, no text messaging or flash photography during performances. Leave all food and drinks outside the “theatre”. NO food or drinks are allowed inside the “theatre”. If unwrapping a cough drop or piece of candy to soothe a dry or sore throat, please do so quietly. Respect those around you. Concert-goers are expected to arrive and be seated before the music commences. The audience waiting for a concert to begin may talk freely until the end of the applause greeting the entrance of the conductor (or the concertmaster if the orchestra tunes on stage). Please refrain from talk during the performance as it is extremely distracting to other audience members and the musicians. Unless there is an emergency, plan to stay seated during the performance. Refrain from returning to your seat while the musicians are performing. Do so when there is a “break” in the music. Applause, for musical performances, is held until the entire piece is completed even though there are sometimes pauses between the movements. In between these movements the music will stop for a few seconds. Take note of the program to determine the number of movements. Do not applaud until the conductor has dropped his hands and has turned around to acknowledge the audience. Sometimes this is prolonged past the cutoff of the orchestra, with hands held in the air or slowly lowered over several seconds, in the hope of allowing the audience to stay joined with the artistic creation even for just a moment after its sounds have ceased.