Edition 5 | 2018-2019

norwalksymphony.org 3 4 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra WELCOME FROM THE MAYOR

HARRY RILLING Norwalk Mayor

Congratulations to the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra on their 79th consecutive year! During the 2018-2019 season, I know the Symphony will continue delighting audiences of all ages with the truly unique experience of live orchestral music.

The Symphony’s long-standing commitment to providing music and educational opportunities has made them an integral part of the Norwalk community. We are so thankful for the beautiful music, magnificent performances, and enlightening discussions the Symphony brings the City of Norwalk and southwestern Connecticut every year.

The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra also shares their talents through various community programming. The free and expanded “(Not) Just for Kids” program engages young people with the joys of listening to and creating music. The “Young Artists Festival” is a wonderful way for young musicians to perform and compete, with the winner taking the stage with the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra later this spring! New this year is the “Inaugural Chamber Music Festival” in April, where those aged 18 and younger will receive coaching from a professional quartet, and all ensembles will perform in a closing concert.

The Symphony is indeed an incredible asset to our community. Their strong relationship with the region is apparent through their programming and partnerships with a rich variety of other arts organizations. I urge the community to come out and enjoy the Symphony’s 2018-2019 season. On their behalf, I thank the Board of Directors, Music Director Jonathan Yates, the Norwalk Symphony musicians and the staff for their ongoing commitment to musical excellence.

Sincerely,

Harry W. Rilling Mayor

norwalksymphony.org 5 THE NORWALK SYMPHONY SOCIETY, INC.

25 Van Zant Street, Suite 14-3, Norwalk, CT 06855 Telephone: 203.956.6771 Fax: 203.956.6774 www.norwalksymphony.org Email: [email protected]

2018-2019 Board of Governors Christopher Bell, President Rebecca Christopherson, Vice President Louis Broudy, Esq, Vice President Christopher McCormack, Treasurer Libby Mucci, Secretary

Douglas Adams Vanessa Smith Morest Anita Behnken Mary Petro Noonan Richard Beyman Maribeth Payne Robert Bourguignon Stephen Prostor Lawrence Cavanagh Warren Shapiro Lee Greenberg Darwin Shen David Hollander Barry Silver Charles Johnson Eva Toft Sarah E. Kelly Georgia von Schmidt Dr. Carole Ann Maxwell Schuyler Winter

Staff Jonathan Yates, Music Director & Conductor Sandra Miklave, Executive Director Katherine T. Altman, Office Manager Emanouil Manolov, Personnel Manager Scott Switzer, Librarian

6 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra ABOUT THE NORWALK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The mission of the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra is to bring the joy of orchestral music to appreciative audiences of all ages. Since 1939, the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra has enhanced the quality of life in Southwestern Connecticut. The symphony is a significant cultural organization that showcases talented musicians from the community as it enriches its audiences’ cultural experience through live performances, pre-concert discussions and educational activities for all ages.

In addition to six major concerts this season the Norwalk Symphony is committed to education and community outreach. (Not) Just for Kids is presented in after-school and library settings prior to each concert. The program features ensembles of our symphony musicians and gives children and adults alike a chance to experience music-making first hand. In December, the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra will accompany the New England Dance Theatre in their production of The Nutcracker the only regional live-music production outside of New York City. The 7th Annual Young Artists Festival and Concerto Competition in February provides an opportunity for students to be adjudicated on multiple levels and the winner of the Concerto Competition will play their solo with the orchestra in our March concert. The symphony continues to strengthen and build lasting ties in our community, and we look forward to an exciting 2018-2019 season!

norwalksymphony.org 7 2018-19 SEASON

NORWALK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CELEBRATES ITS 79th Season SEASON OPENER – 3 STITCHES IN TIME September 29, 2018 Pärt- Fratres; Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 5 Beethoven – Violin Concerto with Francisco Fullana, soloist ARMISTICE & TRIUMPH November 10, 2018 Honoring the Centennial of the conclusion of World War I Butterworth, Ives, Cohan, Berlin, Elgar, Faure, Poulenc With Ned Tipton, Organ; Helena Brown, Soprano; and The Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut JOYS OF THE SEASON: BACH TO POPS: MAGNIFICAT & MORE December 15, 2018 Bach Magnificat; Holiday Music and More With The Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut BROADWAY – WEST SIDE STORY! February 23, 2019 ** West Side Story is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI ** MUSIC FOR ALL AGES – PETER & THE WOLF March 17, 2019 Holst: Jupiter from The Planets Side by Side with Norwalk Youth Symphony, Young Artists Festival Concerto Competition winner and Prokofiev’s Peter & the Wolf SEASON FINALE – SYMPHONY NO. 9 BEETHOVEN’SMay 18, 2019 With The Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut

8 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra MEET OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR

JONATHAN YATES Music Director/Conductor

Jonathan Yates is the seventh Music Director of the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra since its inception in 1939. He has been a driving force in reinvigorating the relationship between the symphony and its community, having inaugurated the NSO Free Chamber Concert Series, revived the orchestra’s popular (Not) Just for Kids Educational Outreach programs, and started collaborations with numerous local cultural, religious and civic organizations. He made his professional orchestral conducting debut at 23, leading the National Symphony Orchestra in a Millennium Stages Concert. The following year he made his Carnegie Hall debut as a pianist in the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop. As Music Director of the Norwalk Youth Symphony, he has led that ensemble on successful tours to Spain, Germany, Carnegie Hall, and Tanglewood.

Jonathan recently completed his first season as Musical Director of Music Mountain, a preeminent chamber music festival in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. The New Yorker praised his first year, saying, “The longtime festival’s programming has been given a welcome jolt with the arrival of a new director, the pianist and conductor Jonathan Yates.” He has collaborated as a pianist and conductor with many of the country’s most respected musicians, including Midori, Kim Kashkashian, David Finckel, Charles Neidich, Ida Kavafian, Colin Carr, Gilbert Kalish, Paul Neubauer, Joseph Lin, and William Purvis; and the Avalon, Daedalus and Pacifica Quartets. He has been heard as a chamber musician at the 92nd Street Y, Miller Theater, Bargemusic and Merkin Hall, as well as at the Caramoor Festival and on the Ravinia Festival Rising Stars Series. As an ardent devotee of the music of our time, he has conducted new music concerts with the Argento Chamber Ensemble and the Knights, was the recipient of an ASCAP award for adventurous programming, and has given local and regional premieres of pre-eminent composers including Augusta Read Thomas, Huang Ruo, Zhou Long, Chester Biscardi, and Chen Yi.

Jonathan received his Graduate Diploma in conducting from the Juilliard School, where he studied with James DePreist and Otto-Werner Mueller, and was the holder of the Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship. He received his Master of Music from State University of New York, where he worked with Gilbert Kalish, and his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, where he studied with Robert Levin. He serves as Music Director Emeritus of Camerata Notturna, a chamber orchestra in New York City, and has also served on the faculty of Sarah Lawrence College. He descends from a family that has been on the forefront of the battles for the cultural and humanistic life of our country. His grandfather, U. S. Representative Sidney R. Yates, was the principal defender of the National Endowment for the Arts in his 48 years in Congress, and his father, the Honorable Stephen R. Yates, was the first judge in Illinois to approve same-sex adoption.

norwalksymphony.org 9 10 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS!

norwalksymphony.org 11 THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS

The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra recognizes and thanks all who are so generous to help keep music vibrant and accessible in our community. Maestro Sponsor - $25,000+ Patron - $500+ WEB Realty Company Anonymous Jan Berlage $20,000+ Richard & Michelle Beyman Baum Family Foundation Peter & Nancy Flournoy Chris & Terri Bell Lucinda Knuth Dr. Carole Ann Maxwell Season Sponsor - $10,000+ Matt & Sandra Miklave DECD/Connecticut-Office of the Arts James & Mary Noonan —Supporting Arts in Place Colleen & Steve Prostor Inisfad Foundation—Lawrence Cavanagh & Darwin Shen Dr. Eleanor Riemer Dale & Noriko Todaro Louis & Sylvia Broudy —In honor of Anita Behnken Supporter - $250+ John C Meditz Anonymous Thomas & Carol Aikenhead Concert Sponsor - $5,000+ Ann Marie Bello Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Timothy & Susan Benthall Memorial Foundation, Inc. Viktoria Bombardi Wilson Maurice Goodman Foundation Jacob & Etty Bousso Pullman & Comley, LLC James & Susan Carter David & Eunice Bigelow —In Honor of Chris & Terri Bell Eloise Epstein Sponsor - $3,000+ Alison Gruseke Bucks Creek Foundation Robert Hoffman New Canaan Community Foundation Margaret Kelley Webster Private Bank Frances Mansager Chris & Sarah McCormack John & Kate Russo Barry & Akiko Silver Steve & Elaine Rust Vicki Secrest Benefactor - $1,000+ Drs. Susan & Norman Weinberger DDampits International-David & Tair Hollander Schuyler & Patty Winter DECD/Connecticut-Office of the Arts —Access Grant Good Friend - $100+ DECD/Connecticut-Office of the Arts Anonymous —Arts Endowment Benevity Community Impact Fund Dooney & Bourke —Matching Gift from United Health Group Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Vincent & Elizabeth Aitoro —NSO Endowment Millette Alexander Morgan Stanley Donor Advised Fund James & Lisa Allison People’s Bank Richard & Antoinette Bain Pullman & Comley LLC Douglas & Lorene Bora Ruth Krauss Foundation, Inc. Edward Brennan Sayles & Maddocks Family Foundation Henry & Mary Ellen Cavanna Schwab Charitable Fund Anna Chase Carlotta & Charles Bell—In Honor of Chris Bell Rebecca Christopherson Robert Bourguignon William Collins & Elizabeth Gibbs Russ Cooper & Phyllis Schnepf Charlotte Cooper Carl & Eunice Feinberg Mary-Patricia Cottrell —In Memory of Anita Behnken Josephine Deupree Charles Johnson & Jennifer Mirsky Nancy Everson Sarah Kelly & Lorcan O’Connor William & Joyce Filip Millicent Mason John Fitzpatrick Wayne & Libby Mucci Dianne Flagello Adolph & Gloria Neaderland Harriet Flehinger Debra Yates Dr. Ed Fleischli —In Honor of Jonathan Yates Harold & Arline Foodman

12 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS

G. Gallagher Nina Crothers Syma Gruss & Henry Diamond Alan & Gertrude Dubrow —In Honor of Anita Behnken Archie Elam J. Bruce & Ruth Ipe Dr. Richard Epstein Paul & Mary Kokias Hanspeter & Elisabeth Fesenmeyer Monica Liu Arthur & Ellen Gang Shirlee Maddren Sophia Gevas & Theodore Burtt, Jr. Robert & Elizabeth McGrath Amy Gillis Salvatore & Marybeth Molllica Anna Hersom Dr. Rhoda Nair Joanne Hiscocks Juan Negroni Linda K. Johnson Kenneth Ng Eileen Joyce Daniel V & Elsa Peterson Obuchowski Constance Keavney Kristi Patterson Bruce Kimmel & Kay Anderson Louis Pietig & Mary Ann Neilson Louise LaChance Jane Plant Mildred Lasker Frederick Post & Sabra Gallo Benita Lauri Judith Rafael Irwin Lebish Pauline Randall Mr. & Mrs. John Lee Sara Ross—In Honor of David & Linda Ross Stuart & Susan Lovejoy Gunnar Sahlin & Suzanne Corey-Sahlin Katherine Mason —In memory of Anne Rorick & Arlette Werner Melissa Mayernik Alfred Scull Douglas Miner Eleanor Searles Carol Neumann Warren & Melissa Shapiro Lauren Phillips George & Madeline Shepherd Lisa Pinelli Elliot & Marguerite Sisson Marlene Powers Charlotte Stabinsky John Pritting Charles Tannen Helen Roman Eva Toft Dr. David Romeo Curt Vincent Stephanie Ross Wojciech & Magdalena Zajac Sandra Samuels Polly Sartori Friend - Up to $99 Edith Schpero PayPal Giving Fund —In Honor of Lee Greenberg’s 100th Birthday Sara T. Wahls Charity Fund Paul Serenbetz —In Memory of Anita Behnken Susan Suarez Katherine Altman Kathie Sumrow Chanda Brodnax-Nino Tara Tanzer Andrea J. Brown Mitchell Verzi Eileen Buckley Yasmin von Schirnding Mary Buley & Takashi Tsuchiya Nicole Vondohlen Luis & Diane Cano William Walbert Daniel & Tucker Chase Robert Welsh Frederick Cort

norwalksymphony.org 13 14 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra The Norwalk Orchestra Plays A Symphony of Thanks to our Volunteers! Mary Petro Noonan— Volunteer Committee Chairperson

We appreciate all the help we receive throughout the Season

Brett Altman Rebecca Bernardo Carmen Chute Thomas Ebersold Gloria Lau Barbara Millar Dorothy Minkus-McKenna Barry Olmezer Tia Petrus Arlene Rosenthal Margo Sisson

Come Join Us! Interested in becoming a volunteer with the Norwalk Symphony? Call us at 203.956.6771 or email: [email protected]

norwalksymphony.org 15 A2Z LLC A Technology Company Angelo Zullo

10 St. Charles Street Thornwood, NY 10594 914.602.4157 [email protected]

16 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra MUSIC FOR ALL AGES PETER & THE WOLF Sunday, March 17, 2019 – 3:00pm

Jupiter from “The Planets” GUSTAV HOLST

Side by Side with members of the Norwalk Youth Symphony Principal Orchestra

Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN III. Rondo. Allegro scherzando

Hudson Ragins, Piano Soloist Winner of the Young Artists Festival Concerto Competition

INTERMISSION

Peter & the Wolf SERGEI PROKOFIEV

Narrated by Mia Dillon

Characters provided by dancers from New England Academy of Dance

norwalksymphony.org 17 18 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra ORCHESTRA ROSTER

Jonathan Yates, Music Director & Conductor

Violin 1 Clarinet Chelsea Smith — Concertmaster Kathleen Rimlinger, Principal Emanouil Manolov, Ass’t. Concertmaster — Janet Atherton Dr. Emanuel Knishkowy Chair Cameron Chase Bassoon Marina Kitaychik Scott Switzer, Principal Rebecca Christopherson Richard Epstein Leo Ficks French Horn Violin 2 Bryan Meyer, Principal Nina Crothers, Principal Daniel Shapiro Christine Kim, Ass’t. Principal Katie Mason Chie Yoshinaka Adam Schommer Kate Dorfman Trumpet Viola Charles Johnson, Principal Sarah Smale, Principal Robert Patrick Joseph Dermody, Ass’t. Principal Chris McCormack Trombone Cathy Dillon Matt Russo, Principal Rebecca Bernardo Cello Jim Marbury Gunnar Sahlin, Principal Justin Elkins, Ass’t. Principal Tuba Chungsun Kim Katie Russo, Principal Rachel Stein Timpani Bass Russ Cooper, Principal Alex Svensen, Principal Kevin Huhn, Ass’t. Principal Percussion Brett Altman, Principal Flute Kathie Sumrow, Principal Stage Manager Joanne Hiscocks Scott Mesh Oboe Janet Rosen, Principal Susan DeCamp

norwalksymphony.org 19 NORWALK YOUTH SYMPHONY PRINCIPAL ORCHESTRA

Violin 1 Bass Bart Codd Calvin Carson Avo Cho Alejo Navaresse Flute/Piccolo Hope Zhang Violin 2 Hannah Taylor Annie Liu Lucy Belknap Oboe/English Horn Nora Dockter Kevin Gong Brian Gallegos John Russell

Viola Trumpet Johannah O’Brien Matt Davis

Cello Timpani/Percussion Ami Matsushita Mattias Lampe-Onnerud Nichlas Denton-Cheng Navod Jayawardhane Harp William McCormack Helen Culpepper

20 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra PROGRAM NOTES

“Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” from The Planets, Opus 32—Gustav Holst Born September 21, 1874, in Cheltenham, England Died May 25, 1934, in London, England

This work was premiered on September 29, 1918, before a private audience in the Queen’s Hall, London. It is scored for two piccolos, three flutes, bass flute, three oboes, bass oboe, English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, six horns, four trumpets, two tenor trombones, bass trombone, tenor tuba, bass tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps, celesta, organ, and strings. A women’s chorus sings in the last movement.

Primarily recognized as a composer of strangely approachable, yet austere, works, Gustav Holst was an able composer and talented orchestrator. Having composed since his teens, Holst was accepted by the Royal Conservatory where he was a classmate of Ralph Vaughan Williams, who deeply influenced his musical style. He developed an interest in Hinduism, studying its literature and the Sanskrit language. Holst became an active educator, holding positions at the St. Paul’s School for Girls and the Royal College of Music.

Today’s audiences are often surprised to learn that he composed other significant works in addition to his immensely popular suite, The Planets. However, he created works for nearly every musical genre, including many fine choral settings of English folksongs, several notable pieces for wind band, and numerous stage works (including the Sanskrit opera Savitri). Although Holst was a contemporary of many of the most experimental composers of the twentieth century, he was a proponent of melodic music and found that an approachable musical language could be as profound as more abstract sounds. For this reason, he was always at odds with the more dissonant (and critically accepted) music that came from Schoenberg and his disciples in Vienna.

Holst’s The Planets reflects the composer’s interest in astrology, not astronomy, and the character of the seven movements reflects the astrological personality of the planets included. It should be mentioned here that Holst chose to exclude Earth. Pluto, once considered to be a planet, would not be discovered for a dozen years after the premiere of Holst’s work. Regardless of the mechanics, Holst found the subject to be useful, but had reservations about the forces required to pull it off. World War I had just begun when he completed the Mars movement, itself a portrait of war, in 1914. As musicians were scarce and his work required a huge orchestra, Holst saw no reason to rush and took more than two years to complete it.

The music itself is fascinating, but nearly everything that needs to be known for enjoyment and edification lies in the titles, as each movement is a portrait of an astrological planet. “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” brims with the spirit of British pomp and pageantry. Opening with a bustling burst of masterful orchestration complete with rousing parts for the horn section, the movement soon gives way to a rousing theme that has become part of the British notional conscience, known as “I Vow to Thee, My Country.” The opening section returns, and the movement ends in a blaze of glory.

norwalksymphony.org 21 PROGRAM NOTES

Concerto No. 1 in C Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op.15— Ludwig van Beethoven Born December 16, 1770 in Bonn; Germany Died March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria

This work was first performed on December 18, 1795, in Vienna, with Beethoven as soloist. It is scored for piano solo, one flute, pairs of oboes and bassoons, one trumpet, timpani and strings.

When Ludwig van Beethoven left his hometown of Bonn and relocated to the famed musical capital of Vienna in 1792, his entire reputation was at stake. He had become well known in Bonn as a gifted pianist and a promising young composer. When Franz Joseph Haydn had passed through Germany on his first journey to London in 1791, he had invited the twenty-one-year-old composer to make a pilgrimage to Vienna as his student. Bonn’s biggest musical fish suddenly found himself engulfed by the sprawling ocean of Vienna.

Beethoven felt immense pressure to prove himself if he was ever to become recognized in a town so full of musicians. It seemed natural that his pianistic virtuosity, the most visible of his talents, should be his ticket to success. So it was as a pianist that Beethoven made his first inroads into Viennese society by playing in the homes of aristocrats. He also presented public concerts, often as benefit performances for musical or political causes – and sometimes for the purpose of funding his own career. It was against this background that four of the five piano concertos of Beethoven arose as showcases for his skills as pianist and composer.

The First Concerto was premiered by Beethoven at a Viennese benefit concert for Haydn on December 18, 1795, was actually the third one he composed. An unpublished early concerto, dating from his fourteenth year, is merely a juvenile attempt, but was once performed in Bonn. The concerto known today as number two, begun in 1788, was his first mature contribution to the genre but was published second. It was performed nine months before the one being performed on this program.

Despite its complicated history, the First Concerto is a showpiece in the Classical tradition, seldom departing from the musical language of Mozart and Haydn. The final scherzo provides many surprises including some elements of the alla Turca style, in which strong downbeats and quick grace notes in the higher reaches of the orchestra delightfully ornament repeated drone patterns in the lower instruments.

Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67—Sergei Prokofiev Born April 23, 1891, in Sontsovka, Ekaterinoslav, Russia Died March 4, 1953, in Moscow, Soviet Union

This work was first performed on May 2, 1936, at the Nezlobin Theatre in Moscow with Prokofiev conducting. It is scored for narrator, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, three horns, trumpet, trombone, timpani, percussion, and strings.

22 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra PROGRAM NOTES

Sergei Prokofiev was a privileged youth. His father managed an estate and earned enough to provide well for his family. His parents were quite involved in his education and served as his earliest teachers in general subjects as well as music. However, his almost aristocratic background provided him with French and German governesses to help with foreign language instruction. It is perhaps surprising that the young composer would adopt Bolshevik attitudes to government in his twenties, stating in his memoirs two decades later that he enthusiastically backed the 1917 Russian Revolution. There is evidence that this support might not have been completely wholehearted, as Prokofiev most certainly penned his recollections with Soviet censors in mind. To further fuel doubts, Prokofiev left the Soviet Union in 1918 and would not return for twenty years.

In Sergei Prokofiev’s earliest works, he struggled to balance the traditional with the innovative. On one hand, his works needed to be accessible enough to draw an audience. But, on the other hand, he had to establish himself as a unique voice in modern music. Clearly a child of his time, Prokofiev sometimes experimented with the latest musical trends in search of this individual musical style.

Prokofiev’s attraction next turned to Neoclassicism, in which composers combined certain eighteenth-century elements with newer techniques. The music of Haydn and Mozart, upon close examination, has several features in common with that of Prokofiev and other composers of his generation. A sense of compactness, balance, and a genteel flavor permeate the clearly defined textures of both eras. It was probably this built-in sense of structure that attracted many composers to Neoclassicism in the years of World War I.

Having been exiled from his homeland after the Russian Revolution of 1917, Prokofiev took up residence in Paris. As the Mecca for artistic types in the 1920s, Paris allowed for the composer’s modernistic experimentation, but somehow did not feel like home to him. After much thought, he decided to return home to Russia. The political climate had cooled and Prokofiev the man would be welcome, however Prokofiev the composer was a bit revolutionary for Soviet tastes.

Early in 1936 he established residence back in the Soviet Union. One of the first pieces he composed upon his return was Peter and the Wolf for narrator and orchestra. Composed for the Moscow Children's Musical Theatre, the work introduces the components of the orchestra by assigning characters of the story, mostly animals, to specific instruments. Natalia Satz, director of the theatre, hired a friend to prepare the text, but Prokofiev rejected it because of the overwhelming number of rhymes, and composed one of his own.

The narrator tells the familiar story of young Peter, who goes against the warnings of his grandfather and encounters a wolf. With the help of his animal friends, he stops the hunters from shooting the menace and instead, along with the friendly animals, takes it to the zoo. By disobeying his grandfather and the hunters, he rejects authority. By working with diverse members of the forest community, he uncovers a potential threat and thwarts impending disaster. Rejecting authority? Making your own rules? Are these the doctrines of Soviet leadership or could Prokofiev have been delivering a musical sucker-punch upon his return to Mother Russia?

norwalksymphony.org 23 PROGRAM NOTES

Musically, "Peter and the Wolf" is a colorful work. Composed in less than two weeks, this delightful diversion is not just an entertainment for children. Its descriptive orchestration, masterfully dramatic pace, and florid solos delight adults even more.

Our custom program notes have been used by dozens of orchestras coast to coast from LA’s Disney Hall to New York’s Lincoln Center, from the New England Conservatory to University of Southern California, and border to border from Ontario, Canada to San Antonio, Texas.

Musicologist Craig Doolin’s approach is friendly, yet astute. Along with Drs. Frank and Karin Pendle and Dr. Catherine Roma, Craig is a co-author of A City That Sings: Cincinnati's Choral Tradition 1800-2012 (May 2012, Orange Frazer Press). Call 513.266-6049 or email [email protected]

Learn more at www.orpheusnotes.com. Samples are available at the website and in this program.

24 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra norwalksymphony.org 25 GUEST ARTISTS

HUDSON RAGINS PIANIST

Twelve-year-old pianist Hudson Ragins was the winner of the 2019 Young Artists Festival Concerto Competition with his expressive performance of the third movement of Beethoven’s Concerto in C Major, No. 1 for piano. Hudson began piano study at age seven and has studied with Wilton teacher Yoshie Akimoto, Steinway Artist, since he was 9. He is home schooled.

He has won many first prizes already, including the 2018 Steinway Competition, the 2018 Norwalk Symphony Young Artist Festival Junior Level, and the French Award at the Schubert Award Competition. He was the alternate winner of Danbury Symphony Concerto Competition. In prior years he won first prizes at the Renee B. Fisher Competition and the Deborah Kahan Competition, and was third prize winner at the Princeton Festival Piano Competition.

Hudson has been a brilliant young pianist in Young Talent Chamber Music concerts in Connecticut and New York. He performed in a YTCM Trio as featured guests of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony conducted by Eric Jacobsen.

Hudson says, “My favorite way to express music is through playing with others, like chamber music. Music inspires me in all ideas, and sometimes a mythical world of dragons and evil forces. When I am not practicing piano nor getting into some kind of trouble, you can find me with my nose in a book or a role-player game.”

MIA DILLON NARRATOR

Mia Dillon is a Tony Nominated stage actress whose Broadway credits include Our Town with Paul Newman, The Miser, The Corn is Green, Hay Fever, Agnes of God, Once a Catholic, Crimes of the Heart, and Da. She has worked extensively off-Broadway and regionally, including her most recent appearance at The Hartford Stage in The Engagement Party. Previously at Hartford Stage she appeared in the world premiere of Seder, as well as Cloud Nine, and A Song at Twilight. She reprised A Song at Twilight at Westport Country Playhouse where she most recently was seen in Lettice and Lovage. Other awards include the CT Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Nomination, the Clarence Derwent Award, Barrymore Award, and a Dramalogue Award. Film and TV appearances include all 3 Law & Orders, Brain Dead, The Jury, Mary and Rhoda, Gods and Generals, The Money Pit, Isn't It Delicious, Ordinary World, and All Good Things. On June 16 she will return as the host of Bloomsday on Broadway at Symphony Space. She has been a reader on the NPR program Selected Shorts since 1988, and can be heard on the audiobook of the award-winning Lily's Crossing. She is thrilled to be a part of tonights program. The last time she appeared with an orchestra was in the film The Money Pit, playing her flute.

26 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra GUEST ARTISTS

CHELSEA SMITH VIOLINIST

Acclaimed as a violinist of “compelling presence, fearless attack, and technical aplomb and bravado” (New London’s The Day), Chelsea Starbuck Smith, 27, is a young artist becoming recognized for her infectious enthusiasm for the violin. She has performed as solo and chamber artist in venues across the United States and abroad, including David Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Citi Field, Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, Palais de Fontainebleau in France, and Centre National des Arts in Ottawa.

Chelsea recently made solo appearances with the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra in Charleston, SC, and the Southern Finger Lakes Orchestra in Corning, NY. Her solo debut in 2013 with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto was called a “show-stopper,” and she was described by music critic Milton Moore as “dominating the stage and electrifying her audience with her high-powered and knowing performance.”

As a chamber and orchestral musician, Chelsea is at home with both classical and crossover styles. Recent collaborators include Chris Thile of the Punch Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Debbie Harry & Blondie, and The Knights Chamber Orchestra. Chelsea is a section-member of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular orchestra pit as well as concertmaster for Broadway’s in-concert crossover experience, Rocktopia. She is one-half of the crossover violin duo, Les Deux, and has been hailed as “unarguably gifted with a keen ear for arranging” by the New York Examiner. In 2015 the duo dazzled Citi Field with their original arrangement of the Star-Spangled Banner at a New York Mets home game.

Beyond the concert stage, Chelsea can be seen in such television series as Glee and, perhaps most recognizably, as the featured violinist in the long-running NYU Langone national television commercial set in New York’s Grand Central Station. Other appearances include American Public Media’s Live from Here, The Today Show, WMNR Fine Arts Radio and Connecticut Public Radio, and The String Fingers Band’s debut bluegrass album Don’t Forget.

Chelsea completed her studies at The Juilliard School in 2016, receiving a Master of Music degree under the tutelage of David Chan and Laurie Smukler, and graduating with the Norman Benzaquen Career Advancement Grant for “talent, promise, creativity, and potential to make a significant impact in the performing arts.” She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Juilliard where she studied with Sally Thomas. A third-generation teacher, Chelsea is on faculty at Temple Emanu-El’s Nursery School, is a teaching artist with the New York Philharmonic’s “Philharmonic Schools” program, and has taught in the NYC Public Schools as a Morse Teaching Fellow. You can listen to Chelsea’s debut album, Les Deux, featuring original arrangements, available on iTunes and Spotify. Visit www.chelseastarbuckmusic.com for more information.

norwalksymphony.org 27 GUEST ARTISTS

NEW ENGLAND ACADEMY OF DANCE (NEAD)

Founded in 1968 by former Broadway dancer and esteemed ballerina Doris Driver, NEAD began as a boutique studio with only 12 dancers. Slowly, the school grew to extend class offerings to dancers of all ages, and encompass a studio company. In 2003, ownership was transferred to 3 directors with professional dance & choreography experience: Frances Ortiz, Ginna Ortiz, and Ted Thomas. Together, the new directors focused their energy on defining a curriculum for each distinct age group, and transforming the Nutcracker and Spring Performances into highly theatrical, community events. Enrolling over 500 dancers each semester during the past decade, NEAD has grown to become one of the foremost dance institutions in Fairfield County.

At NEAD, each class level has a unique curriculum that has been carefully crafted with specific, age-appropriate goals and achievements in mind. Both the classical Russian Vaganova technique and Italian Chichetti methods are incorporated into class work for all age groups. Additionally, the three NEAD Directors are certified to teach the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum, levels primary through five (5). At its core, the curriculum aims to provide students with the highest quality of age-appropriate, outcome-based training. These leanings have been integrated into all levels of NEAD schooling, to ensure high levels of physical and mental engagement across age groups.

FRANCES ORTIZ DIRECTOR

After graduating from the New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL, Ms. Ortiz went on to earn a BFA at SUNY Purchase and a MA in Dance Education at NYU. During her professional dance career, Frances received scholarships to Dance Theater of Harlem, The Martha Graham School and The Ailey School, and performed works by Kevin Wynn, Elisa Monte and Ti Martin. Additionally, her choreography was showcased in City Arts on PBS. In 2002, Ms. Ortiz co-founded Thomas/Ortiz Dance, a company that has since been invited to perform at esteemed venues such as Jacobs Pillow and Battery Arts Dance Festival. One year after founding Thomas/Ortiz Dance, Frances simultaneously became a director of NEAD, where she continues to act as a teacher, choreographer, and mentor for many. While overseeing progress of NEAD, Frances has taught and presented dance works at Yale and NYU, while also teaching dance at Greenwich High School. In 2015, Frances became certified to teach the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum, levels primary through five (5).

28 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra GUEST ARTISTS

GINNA ORTIZ DIRECTOR

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ms. Ortiz studied dance at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL, and received her BFA from SUNY Purchase with her twin sister Frances. For almost five years, Ms. Ortiz performed with Dance Theater of Harlem, and subsequently worked with a number of independent choreographers in New York City. In 1996, Ms. Ortiz began teaching at NEAD, where she later became a director in 2003. In addition to teaching and directing rehearsals at NEAD, Ginna actively performs with the Thomas/Ortiz company. In 2015, Ginna became certified to teach the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum, levels primary through five (5).

TED THOMAS DIRECTOR

Mr. Thomas attended La Guardia High School of Performing Arts in New York City, where his early interest in dance evolved into a professional passion. He went on to earn his BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase, and his MA in Dance Education from NYU. During his time dancing professionally, Ted spent seven years as a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and performed with Ballet Hispanico, the Elisa Monte Dance Company, and Nikolais/ Louis Dance. He was also afforded the opportunity to teach dance at Barnard College. In 2002, Mr. Thomas co-founded Thomas/Ortiz Dance with Frances Ortiz, and one year later became a director of the New England Academy of Dance. In 2015, Ted became certified to teach the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum, levels primary through five (5).

norwalksymphony.org 29 30 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra norwalksymphony.org 31 32 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra norwalksymphony.org 33 34 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra norwalksymphony.org 35 36 Norwalk Symphony Orchestra