Presented by Pansy Lim Chan PRIDE & PREJUDICE: NOTES FROM LGBTQ michelle meow, master of ceremonies First Essay for , Op. 12 Bryan Nies, Conductor BENJAMIN BRITTEN Serenade for , Horn and Strings, Op. 31 I. Prologue II. Pastoral (Charles Cotton) III. Nocturne (Alfred, Lord Tennyson) IV. Elegy (William Blake) V. Dirge (Anonymous fifteenth century) VI. Hymn (Ben Jonson) VII. Sonnet (John Keats) VIII. Epilogue Jonathan Blalock, tenor Meredith Brown, horn Bryan Nies, Conductor

INTERMISSION

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 I. Andante sostenuto II. Allegro scherzando III. Presto Sara Davis Buechner, piano TIM ROSSER AND CHARLIE SOHNE With The Right Music: A Song Cycle World Premiere, Commissioned by Oakland Symphony Orchestrations by Matt Aument 1. With the Right Music 2. When Jason’s There 3. Nothing More 4. Better Version of You 5. A Message from the Gay Community Noah Galvin, singer, Lee Chisolm, , Tatiana Cordoba, alto, Taylor Rawley, tenor 1, Alex Perkins, tenor 2, Brandon Bell, baritone Special Appearance by Jonathan Cozart Season Media Sponsors: East Bay Express, 7x7, Oakland Magazine The 2017/18 season of Oakland Symphony is generously funded in part by the East Bay Community Foundation; Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation; Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy; William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; the Rea Charitable Trust; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; and by the Oakland City Council and funded by the City of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program. Major support generously provided by The Wallace Foundation.

12 OAKLAND SYMPHONY OAKLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA COMPOSERS

Michael Morgan, Music Director & Conductor Bryan Nies, Associate Conductor VIOLIN I VIOLA FLUTE Dawn Harms, Betsy London, Alice Lenaghan, Tom Hornig, Principal Concertmaster Principal Principal Donald Benham Vivian Warkentin, Patricia Whaley, Rena Urso Steve Trapani Asst. Concertmaster Asst. Principal Natasha Makhijani, Stephanie Railsback Assoc. Concertmaster Katy Juneau Andrea Plesnarski, Scott Choate, Principal Kristina Anderson Linda Green Principal Patrice May Emily Onderdonk Denis Harper TIMPANI Carla Picchi Alessandra Aquilanti Kumiko Ito, Principal Ellen Gronningen Ivo Bokulic Deborah Spangler Bill Kalinkos, PERCUSSION Emanuela Nikiforova CELLO Principal Ward Spangler, Rachel Noyes Daniel Reiter, Diane Maltester Principal Hande Erdem Principal Kevin Neuhoff Jory Fankuchen Joseph Hébert, Fred Morgan Asst. Principal Deborah Kramer, TIM ROSSER AND CHARLIE SOHNE JENNIFER HIGDON VIOLIN II Michelle Kwon Principal HARP David Cheng, Rebecca Roudman David Granger Meredith Clark, im Rosser and Charlie Sohne have won the San ennifer Higdon is a major figure in contemporary Principal Elizabeth Vandervennet Principal TDiego Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Original J Classical music, receiving the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Candace Sanderson, Michael Graham HORN Score, the Jonathan Larson Award and ASCAP’s Mary Music for her , and a 2010 Grammy Asst. Principal Jeffrey Parish Meredith Brown, PERSONNEL MANAGER Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award. Their musical, The Boy for her Percussion Concerto. Higdon enjoys several Who Danced on Air, premiered at Diversionary Theatre hundred performances a year of her works, and Sharon Calonico Paul Rhodes Principal Craig McAmis in San Diego and Off-Broadway at the Abingdon blue cathedral is one of America’s most performed Baker Peeples Alex Camphouse Theater. Their television pilot, Truth Slash Fiction, won contemporary orchestral works, with more than 600 Adrienne Duckworth Alicia Telford LIBRARIAN best comedy at SeriesFest and ITVFest, and is currently performances worldwide since its premiere in 2000. Sergi Goldman-Hull Patrick McCarthy, Ross Gershenson Paul Rhodes optioned by Lionsgate Television. They were residents Her works have been recorded on over four dozen Cecilia Huang Principal at Yale’s Institute for Music Theatre, Dramatists Guild CDs. One of Higdon’s most current projects is an Robert Donehew Andy Butler RECORDING ENGINEER Fellows, members of the Civilians’ R&D Group and based on the best-selling novel Alison Miller Carl Stanley William Harvey, Tom Johnson, writers in the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and ASCAP’s by Charles Frazier. It was co-commissioned by Santa Robert Ashley Principal Johnson Digital Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project. Concerts: 54 Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and Minnesota Opera, Bruce Moyer Leonard Ott Below, Symphony Space, Birdland, Contemporary in collaboration with North Carolina Opera. Higdon Classics at Seattle Rep, Cutting Edge Composers at recently won the International Opera Award for Tim Spears John Freeman Joe’s Pub, ALNM at Rockwell in LA, Above The Arts Best World Premiere. Higdon holds the Rock Chair in London, a sold out show at Broadway au Carré in in Composition at the Curtis Institute of Music in Paris, and the Kennedy Center. They wrote India.Arie’s Philadelphia. Her music is published exclusively by single, High Above. Lawdon Press.

14 OAKLAND SYMPHONY OAKLAND SYMPHONY 15 GUEST ARTISTS GUEST ARTISTS

of Middlebury; Ramiro (La Cenerentola) with Opera Roanoke, Opera in Williamsburg, and as a guest with Bob Jones University; and covered two Rossini roles at Santa Fe Opera: Rodrigo (La Donna del Lago) and Conduliermo (Maometto II).

Career highlights also include Pang () with Nashville Opera and Pacific Symphony; the title role in Candide with Emerald City Opera; The Burrowing Mole (The Fantastic Mr. Fox) with both Opera San Antonio and Odyssey Opera; Remendado (Carmen) with Pacific Symphony and Fort Worth Opera; and Fenton (Falstaff ) with Mercury Opera Rochester. In concert, Blalock has performed Carmina Burana with the Southern New Jersey Philharmonic and the Las Cruzas Symphony; Handel’s Messiah with Winston- Salem Symphony and Lexington Philharmonic; and as soloist with the Portland Symphony, Opera America’s New Opera Showcase, the PROTOTYPE Festival, The Washington Chorus, the Rackham Choir (Detroit), and Opera Hong Kong. MICHELLE MEOW, MATT AUMENT JONATHAN BLALOCK

MASTER OF CEREMONIES ew York-based musician Matt Aument feels merican tenor Jonathan Blalock recently triumphed Nvery lucky. An orchestrator and arranger for live A as Prince Claus in the world premiere of Mark ichelle Meow has been a radio personality in San theatre, he has created charts for some truly incredible Adamo’s Becoming Santa Claus at the Dallas Opera. MFrancisco and four other markets nationally for over performers–Victoria Clark, Kristin Chenoweth, His critically acclaimed performance was broadcast live seven years, where she continues to be a voice for the Nathan Lee Graham–and heard them performed in to Lincoln Center and will be released on DVD later LGBTQ community. Meow is a true journalist with some legendary spaces–Carnegie Hall, Broadway’s Neil this year. an edgy vibe (think hip and funny Lesbian version of Simon Theatre, and the Kennedy Center–and has been Anderson Cooper, minus the gray hair). Throughout allowed to arrange for a wide variety of players and 2016-17 season engagements included Don her radio career, Meow has interviewed notable ensembles–symphony orchestra, chamber group, rock- Ramiro (La Cenerentola) with Syracuse Opera, personalities such as Margaret Cho, Sarah Palin, Gavin band-with-a-harp. Beppe (I ) with Arizona MusicFest, Newsom, Janice Dickinson, and Jennifer Beals. Her Nanki-Poo (the Mikado) with Performance entertaining yet knowledgeable approach to all things Aument is particularly involved in the development Santa Fe, a debut with Michigan Opera Theatre LGBTQ make her a memorable personality and a of new works. Recent projects have included pieces by as Harry in , and Podesta force to be reckoned with in every market in which Sam Willmott, Dan Fishback, and Shaina Taub’s in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera with both OnSite she lands. Twelfth Night at the Delacorte in Central Park. He Opera and Atlanta Opera. teamed up with drag personality Martha Graham Cracker to create intimate micro-shows in Room 202 Highly acclaimed for his work in 20th and 21st century of the Washington Square Hotel. In cabaret, Matt opera, Blalock has appeared in a number of world has joined Molly Pope for shows at the Duplex and premieres, including Huang Ruo’s An American Soldier concocts arrangements for Seth Sikes’ Judy and Liza with Washington National Opera, The Secret Agent tribute shows at 54 Below. with the Center for Contemporary Opera in NYC and MEREDITH BROWN the Armel Festival in Hungary; Jorge Martin’s Before eredith Brown is well-known throughout Northern Aument adapted and arranged the score for the 2015 Night Falls with Fort Worth Opera; and Paul’s Case California, holding Principal Horn positions with Broadway revival of Lerner & Loewe’s , also playing with Urban Arias, which Alex Ross in The New Yorker M Gigi the Napa Valley, Fremont, and Vallejo Symphonies as in the orchestra and sometimes conducting. Going for declared as one of the top ten musical events of 2014, saying, “The tenor Jonathan Blalock was transfixing in the well as with Oakland Symphony, and serving as Acting the hat trick, he recast the score of Camelot with a new Principal Horn of the Santa Rosa Symphony. She has take on the orchestrations for Drury Lane Theater in title role; Spears’ score glistened beautifully and eerily around him.” In addition, Blalock sang The Electrician in performed with the San Francisco Symphony, the Chicago, and music-directed My Fair Lady last winter. San Francisco Opera, and the San Francisco Ballet, as This season, he’s music-directing the American transfer Adès’ Powder Her Face with West Edge Opera, made his Virginia Opera debut as Cégeste in Philip Glass’ Orphée, well as with Oakland Symphony, Marin Symphony, of Tooting Arts Club’s site-specificSweeney Todd at Fresno Philharmonic, and the California Symphony. Barrow Street Theatre. and has sung in the same composer’s Hydrogen Jukebox with both West Edge Opera and Fort Worth Opera. In addition, she has extensive experience in musical theater, including the San Francisco appearances of As a specialist in Rossini and Mozart, Blalock has White Christmas, La Bohème, Ragtime, Fiddler on the performed Pedrillo in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Roof, Titanic, Sound of Music, Miss Saigon, Phantom of Serail with Des Moines Metro Opera; Don Ottavio the Opera, and Les Miserables. Educated at the Peabody (Don Giovanni) with Cedar Rapids Opera and Nevada Conservatory in Baltimore, with a master’s degree from Opera; Ferrando (Così fan tutti) with Capitol Opera the San Francisco Conservatory. Raleigh; Count Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) with Tri-Cities Opera, LOFT Opera, and Opera Company 16 OAKLAND SYMPHONY OAKLAND SYMPHONY 17 GUEST ARTISTS GUEST ARTISTS

SARA DAVIS BUECHNER NOAH GALVIN JONATHAN COZART YOUTH SPEAKS - PRE CONCERT

ara Davis Buechner is one of the leading concert oah Galvin is an American actor, best known for onathan Charles “Jon” Cozart, known by his online LOBBY PERFORMERS Spianists of our time. She has been praised worldwide Nplaying Kenny O’Neal in the ABC sitcom The Jalias Paint, is an American YouTube personality, as a musician of “intelligence, integrity, and all- Real O’Neals. Before starring on The Real O’Neals, he musician, and comedian. ince 1996, Youth Speaks has created safe spaces that encompassing technical prowess” (New York Times). also appeared Off Broadway at theaters such as the Schallenge young people to find, develop, publicly Japan’s InTune magazine says: “When it comes to Signature, Playwrights Horizons, MCC, the Vineyard, Cozart’s video Harry Potter in 99 seconds helped him present, and apply their voices as creators of societal clarity, flawless tempo selection, phrasing and precise The Public, The Culture Project, The Flea, the wild become a YouTube phenomenon with over four change. As one of the world’s leading presenters of control of timbre, Buechner has no superior.” project, New York Theater Workshop, the Barrow million followers. Spoken Word performance, education, and youth Street Theater, Rattlestick, Ensemble Studio Theater, development programs, Youth Speaks produces local In her twenties, Buechner won the Gold Medal at the and many others. He is a recipient of Audiofile In 2015, Cozart performed his own one-man show and national youth poetry slams, festivals, and reading 1984 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, Magazine Earphones Award for his narration of Hollis Laughter Ever After at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. series, alongside a comprehensive slate of arts-in- and was a Bronze Medalist of the 1986 Tchaikovsky Seamon’s novel Somebody Up There Hates You. His His live performance of musical comedy was well- education programs during the school day, in the after- International Piano Competition in Moscow. With other audiobook work includes Perks of Being a reviewed by attendees, stating “Jon Cozart delights school hours and on weekends all across the Bay Area. an active repertoire of more than 100 piano Wallflower, Matthew Quick’s Forgive Me, Leonard with his witty, heartfelt music.” In 2016, Cozart joined ranging from A (Albeníz) to Z (Zimbalist)–one of the Peacock, and more. Additional credits include the fellow YouTube musicians Dodie Clark, Tessa Violet, largest of any concert pianist today–she has appeared as celebrated short filmsPromised Land and Welcome to and Rusty Clanton for selected shows of the small soloist with many of the world’s prominent . the Wayne. He currently lives in both New York City, and intimate Transatlantic Tour along the east coast. Audiences throughout North America have applauded New York, and Los Angeles, California. In 2017, he hosted the 2017 Streamy Awards. Buechner’s recitals in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and the Hollywood Cozart was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and raised in Bowl; and she enjoys wide success throughout Asia, Houston, Texas. After graduating from Cypress Creek where she tours annually. High School in 2010, he moved to Austin, Texas, and studied film at the University of Texas. Cozart took Buechner’s numerous CD and DVD recordings have piano lessons as a child and has two brothers and a sister. received prominent critical acclaim. She can be seen and heard on numerous live video and audio recordings on her website and YouTube Channel; and she has created many essays in written, spoken and film format on her blog Sara Says. She is a Professor of Piano at Temple University in Philadelphia, and an Honorary Visiting Professor of Music at the University of Shanghai. Sara Davis Buechner is a Yamaha Artist.

18 OAKLAND SYMPHONY OAKLAND SYMPHONY 19 PROGRAM NOTES PROGRAM NOTES

moving with song, singing a heavenly music. The listener would float down the aisle, moving upward slowly at first and then progressing at a quicker pace, rising towards an immense ceiling which would open to the sky…as this journey progressed, the speed of the traveler would increase, rushing forward and upward. I wanted to create the sensation of contemplation and quiet peace at the beginning, moving towards the feeling of celebration and ecstatic expansion of the soul, all the while singing along with that heavenly music.

These were my thoughts when the Curtis Institute of Music commissioned me to write a work to commemorate its 75th anniversary. Curtis is a house of knowledge–a place to reach towards that beautiful expression of the soul which comes through music. I began writing this piece at a unique juncture in my life and found myself pondering the question of what BARBER BRITTEN HIGDON makes a life. The recent loss of my younger brother, Andrew Blue, made me reflect on the amazing journeys that we all make in our lives, crossing paths with so First Essay for Orchestra, Op. 12 Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, blue cathedral many individuals singularly and collectively, learning Op. 31 and growing each step of the way. This piece represents SAMUEL BARBER JENNIFER HIGDON the expression of the individual and the group…our (1910-1981) BENJAMIN BRITTEN (b. 1962) inner travels and the places our souls carry us, the (1913-1976) lessons we learn, and the growth we experience. In omposers Samuel Barber and Gian Carlo orn in Brooklyn, Higdon grew up in Atlanta, tribute to my brother, I feature solos for the clarinet (the Menotti first visited conductor C ritten wrote the Serenade in 1943 for his partner, BGeorgia, and Seymour, Tennessee, and now lives in instrument he played) and the flute (the instrument I in 1933. There were other visits, during one of tenor Peter Pears, and the twenty-two-year-old Philadelphia, where she teaches at the Curtis Institute play). Because I am the older sibling, it is the flute that which Toscanini mentioned his desire to perform a B Dennis Brain. Brain was then principal horn player in of Music. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2010. appears first in this dialogue. At the end of the work, the work by Barber. the RAF Orchestra, which was playing Britten’s music two instruments continue their dialogue, but it is the on various radio programs. blue cathedral Blue…like the sky. Where all possibilities flute that drops out and the clarinet that continues on Four years later, Toscanini was planning the first season soar. Cathedrals…a place of thought, growth, spiritual in the upward progressing journey. of the newly formed NBC Symphony Orchestra. He The first performance of theSerenade took place at expression…serving as a symbolic doorway into and asked Artur Rodzinski to recommend an American Wigmore Hall in London on October 15, 1943, with out of this world. Blue represents all potential and This is a story that commemorates living and passing work to program. Rodzinski suggested something Pears and Brain as soloists and Walter Goehr conducting. the progression of journeys. Cathedrals represent a through places of knowledge and of sharing and of that by Barber. William Glock recalled his predecessor as music critic place of beginnings, endings, solitude, fellowship, song called life. for the Observer “being able to hear Brahms’ maturest contemplation, knowledge and growth. As I was By spring, 1938, Barber sent Toscanini the First works as they came out…. In Benjamin Britten we have writing this piece, I found myself imagining a journey This work was commissioned and premiered in 2000 by , and also the , an Essay for Orchestra at last a composer who offers us visions as great as these. through a glass cathedral in the sky. Because the walls the Curtis Institute of Music. arrangement of the first half of the second movement His new Serenade…surpasses everything else of his in would be transparent, I saw the image of clouds and of his . Toscanini sent the scores back strength and feeling.” blueness permeating from the out