A Tribute to Music Director Robert Spano Alan Fletcher, President and CEO Sunday, July 5, 2020 3 Pm
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Aspen Music Festival and School Robert Spano, Music Director A Tribute to Music Director Robert Spano Alan Fletcher, President and CEO Sunday, July 5, 2020 3 pm R. STRAUSS Traum durch die Dämmerung, op. 29, no. 1 (1895) 3' (1864–1949) Heimliche Aufforderung, op. 27, no. 3 (1898) 3' Befreit, op. 39, no. 4 (1898) 6' Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano Yefim Bronfman, piano ALAN FLETCHER Romance for Clarinet, Bassoon, and Piano (2015) 10' (b. 1956) Michael Rusinek, clarinet Nancy Goeres, bassoon Yefim Bronfman, piano BRAHMS Vivace ma non troppo from Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, op. 78 (1878–79) 11' (1833–1897) KREISLER Schön Rosmarin (b. 1905) 2' (1875–1962) Robert McDuffie, violin Elizabeth Pridgen, piano CHOPIN Nocturne in D-flat major, op. 27, no. 2 (1835) 5' (1810–1849) Etude in F major, op. 10, no. 8 (1830–32) 4' Yefim Bronfman, piano LIEBERSON Amor mio, si muero y tú no mueres from Neruda Songs (2005) 7' (1946–2011) OSVALDO GOLIJOV/ Desde mi ventana from Ainadamar (2003/?) 5' STEPHEN PRUTSMAN Kelley O'Connor, mezzo-soprano (b. 1960/b. 1960) Brian Locke, piano Program continued on back of page The Aspen Music Festival and School uses Steinway and Boston pianos, designed by Steinway & Sons; Steinway & Sons is represented in Colorado exclusively by Schmitt Music. A Tribute to Music Director Robert Spano • July 5 MAHLER Liebst du um Schönheit from Rückert-Lieder (1901–2) 7' (1860–1911) LOWRY/ROB MATHES How Can I Keep from Singing? (c. 1868/2020) 5' (1826–1899/b. 1970) Renée Fleming, mezzo-soprano Robert Ainsley, piano This Tribute to Maestro Robert Spano is generously hosted byMercedes T. Bass. Tribute Co-Chairs are Kay Bucksbaum and Ann and Tom Friedman, Joan Fabry and Michael Klein, and Nan and Chuck Wall. Sponsored by the Crown Family, Lisa and Will Mesdag, and Kelli and Allen Questrom With special thanks to Nancy Swift Furlotti, Soledad and Robert Hurst, Denise Monteleone and Jim Martin, Alexandra Munroe and Robert Rosenkranz, H. Gael Neeson, and Janet and Tom O’Connor Aspen Music Festival and School Robert Spano, Music Director Alan Fletcher, President and CEO A Tribute to Music Director Robert Spano Sunday, July 5, 2020 3 pm Biographies Photo credit: Angela Morriss phony. He returns to the Indianapolis Sym- April 2020 to perform Missa solemnis with Robert Spano, conductor, pianist, phony, the Singapore Symphony, and the soprano Susanna Phillips, mezzo-soprano composer, and teacher, is known worldwide BBC Symphony Orchestra in the world pre- Sasha Cooke, tenor Benjamin Bliss and bass for the intensity of his artistry and distinctive miere of Dimitrios Skyllas’s Kyrie eleison, Matthew Rose. The season concludes with communicative abilities, creating a sense commissioned by the BBC. Conducting de- the Atlanta premiere of Wagner’s Tristan und of inclusion and warmth among musicians buts include the NHK Symphony Orches- Isolde. and audiences that is unique among Ameri- tra, Auckland Philharmonia, and Wroclaw can orchestras. Beginning his 19th season Philharmonic. As the newly appointed Prin- The 2018-2019 season featured Mr. Spano’s cipal Guest Conductor of the Fort Worth highly-acclaimed Metropolitan Opera de- as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Symphony, Spano appears on the orchestra’s but, leading the US premiere of Marnie, the Orchestra, this imaginative conductor is an Symphonic Series, conducting two of the ten second opera by American composer Nico approachable artist with the innate ability scheduled concert weekends. Muhly, with Isabel Leonard, Janis Kelly, De- to share his enthusiasm for music. An avid nyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, and Christopher mentor to rising artists, he is responsible for With the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, pro- Maltman, and the conclusion of the ASO’s nurturing the careers of numerous celebrat- grams include the Spano’s quintessentially two-year “LB/LB” celebration commemo- ed composers, conductors, and performers. rich, diverse pairings of contemporary works rating Leonard Bernstein and Ludwig van As Music Director of the Aspen Music Fes- and cherished classics, welcoming seasoned Beethoven. This celebration featured six tival and School since 2011, he oversees the guest artists and many new faces. The orches- Bernstein works and nine Beethoven Sym- tra’s 75th season features 16 ASO premieres, phonies, and vocal masterpieces including programming of more than 300 events and including works by living American compos- Verdi’s Otello, Beethoven’s Fidelio, and Ber- educational programs for 630 students and ers Krists Auznieks, Jessie Montgomery, Joby nstein’s Candide. Recent concert highlights young performers. Talbot, and Jennifer Higdon, and a world have included several world premiere per- Highlights of Mr. Spano’s 2019-2020 season premiere by Brian Nabors. The season opens formances including Voy a Dormir by Bryce include a return to the Dallas Symphony with Joshua Bell joining the ASO for Hen- Dessner at Carnegie Hall with the Orches- Orchestra, conducting the world premiere ryk Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and tra of St. Luke’s and mezzo-soprano Kelley of George Tsontakis’s Violin Concerto No. 3 Pablo de Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen. In cel- O’Connor; the Tuba Concerto by Jennifer alongside Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Sym- ebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday, the Higdon, performed by Craig Knox and the ASO and Chorus travels to Carnegie Hall in Pittsburgh Symphony; Melodia, For Piano 3 TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2020 • 3 PM and Orchestra, by Canadian composer Mat- thew Ricketts at the Aspen Music Festival; and Miserere by ASO bassist Michael Kurth. In addition to his leadership of the ASO, Spano recently returned to his early love of composing. His most recent works include Sonata: Four Elements for piano, premiered by Spano in August 2016 at the Aspen Music Festival, and a song cycle, Hölderlin-Lieder, for soprano Jessica Rivera. Both works were recorded on the ASO Media label and praised by Oberon’s Grove: “On this latest release, from ASO, we experience Spano as both an imaginative and evocative composer - with a special gift for writing for the voice - and a poetic pianist.” The Atlanta School of Composers reflects Spano’s commitment to American contem- porary music. He has led ASO performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Ra- vinia, Ojai, and Savannah Music Festivals. Guest engagements have included the Cleve- land, Philadelphia, and Minnesota Orches- tras, New York and Los Angeles Philharmon- ics, and the San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, San Diego, Oregon, Utah, and Kansas City Symphonies. Internationally, Maestro Spa- no has led the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, BBC Symphony, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orquestra Sin- Photo credit: Dan Rest fonica Brasileira, Orquestra Sinfonica Es- phon, and ASO Media, Robert Spano has "Mr. Spano drew a glowing, spacious perfor- tado Sao Paulo, the Melbourne Symphony in garnered six Grammy™ Awards with the At- mance of this Brahms masterwork from the Australia, and the Saito Kinen Orchestra in lanta Symphony. Spano is on faculty at Ober- orchestra, marking a great return visit for Japan. His opera performances include Cov- lin Conservatory and has received honorary both him and this essential ensemble." – The ent Garden, Welsh National Opera, Lyric Op- doctorates from Bowling Green State Uni- New York Times era of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and versity, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory the 2005 and 2009 Seattle Opera productions University, and Oberlin. Maestro Spano is “The festival’s music director, Robert Spano, of Wagner’s Ring cycles. one of two classical musicians inducted into caught both the broadest and finest strokes of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and makes tempo, dynamics and critical orchestral bal- With a discography of critically-acclaimed his home in Atlanta. ances. He drew the best playing in the quiet, recordings for Telarc, Deutsche Grammo- subtle moments of the score and long build- ups to big climaxes.” – Aspen Times Photo credit: Alex Irvin 4 ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES Active as an opera fanatic and factotum since 2019-2020 season, after which he took up 2001, Rob Ainsley has explored every facet of an Artist-in-Residence project with the Vi- the art form across the country, and lives to enna Symphony in both the Musikverein and pass on his enthusiasm to others. Konzerthaus. During the fall he also partici- pated in farewell concerts for Zubin Mehta in He is an alum of the University of Cambridge, Tel Aviv with the Israel Philharmonic, Japan Mannes College of Music, and the Linde- with the Vienna Philharmonic and Andrés mann Young Artist Development Program at Orozco-Estrada as well as season opening the Metropolitan Opera. Since then, he has events in Houston, Seattle and Rhode Island. been Associate Music Director at Portland Opera, Co-founder and Principal Conduc- tor of the Greenwich Music Festival, a guest Equally at home on the opera stage, Ms Chorus Master at English National Opera DeYoung has appeared in the title roles for and Head of Music Staff, Chorus Master, and Samson et Dalilah and The Rape of Lucretia, coach at Minnesota Opera and Opera The- Fricka, Sieglinde and Waltraute in The Ring atre of Saint Louis. He is currently the Direc- Cycle; Venus in Tannhäuser, Marguerite in tor of the Cafritz Young Artists of Washington Le Damnation de Faust, Dido in Les Troyens, National Opera and the American Opera Ini- Judith in Bluebeard’s Castle, and Jocaste in tiative, seeking out and grooming the finest Oedipus Rex. She also created the role of the young American singers, composers, and li- Shaman in Tan Dun’s The First Emperorat the brettists for international careers; his singers Metropolitan Opera. have gone on to win the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, sing at the White House, the Supreme Court, the National Gal- Reneé Fleming is one of the most highly ac- lery, and the Library of Congress, and per- claimed singers of our time.