On-demand digital concerts featuring chamber works for multiple ensembles ranging from trios to octets, showcasing the versatility & caliber of the WCO’s 34 world-class musicians. PERFORMANCE DEBUTS January 22 | February 26 | March 26 | April 16 WISCONSIN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA | WCOCONCERTS.ORG WELCOME Welcome to our 2021 Winter Chamber Series and our new series in response to the ongoing pandemic. The four programs represent a wide variety of styles, time periods, and composers with a liberal quotient of contemporary American composers. ♦ Winter 2021 | Fridays at 7:30pm CST Our opening program features music for brass, ♦ January 22, February 26, March 26, April 16 woodwinds, and strings – from Baroque to the 21st ♦ On-demand Digital Concerts century – including a Jazz inspired Nonet by Alec Wilder. Concert II leans heavily towards the strings, ♦ Available for 72 hours online with a twist of percussion, featuring contemporary composers alongside Beethoven, Mozart and While full orchestras remain sidelined, the WCO is Rossini. In March, we introduce composers excited to present the Winter Chamber Series in Alyssa Morris and Jessie Montgomery, Beethoven 2021. This new series will feature chamber works for and Brahms. The grand finale includes larger multiple ensembles ranging from trios to nonets, ensembles such as French Romantic composer showcasing the versatility and caliber of the WCO’s Louise Farrenc’s Nonet from 1849, Stravinsky’s 34 world-class musicians. Septet and Schubert’s beloved Trout Quintet. Patrons will enjoy the four-concert series, streaming Thank you for supporting the each concert on WCO Live on demand starting at Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra 7:30pm on the evening of the concert launch. All through these challenging times. We programs will be 60-75 minutes in length recorded hope you will be inspired and look at The Sylvee in downtown Madison, with music and forward to returning to the stage. also personal stories from the WCO’s own musicians on their journey to becoming professional musicians. The WCO will make available pre-recorded content to enjoy before each performance, as well as an interactive post-concert reflection with musicians of Andrew Sewell the WCO. The WCO will also raise funds to support Music Director musicians throughout the series. wcoconcerts.org/winterchamberseries Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra 1 2 Enriching Madison. The attorneys of Husch Blackwell are The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra proud to support the Wisconsin MUSICIAN RELIEF FUND Chamber Orchestra and it’s mission to inspire our community through music. I am deeply humbled, awed, and grateful to everyone who has believed in us and offered huschblackwell.com 33 East Main Street their support. To all of these benefactors, I offer 608.255.4440 Madison, WI 53703 my most sincere “Thank you!” The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. – Suzanne Beia, Concertmaster DIRECTLY SUPPORT WCO MUSICIANS IN THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME FOR PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS During the Winter Chamber Series, the WCO’s Musician Relief Fund will raise money for the musicians of the WCO. Our goal is to raise $30,000 by April 15th. 100% of the funds raised will go directly to musician wages. Every contribution to the Musician Relief Fund will be matched – up to $15,000 – through the generosity of Kenneth and Virginia Yuska, as well as Fran and Brad Taylor. The arts will play a key role in the recovery and healing of our community in 2021. The musicians of the WCO remain committed to providing enriching, community-building experiences through music. Please considering making your gift to the WCO Musician Relief Fund in Supporting the arts today support of these world-class musicians today. Thank you! for a vibrant arts scene tomorrow wcoconcerts.org/donate 4 WINTER CHAMBER SERIES EVENT PARTNERS & SPONSORS WCO BOARD & STAFF PRESENTING SPONSORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Stephen & Jon Anderson, Chair Dr. Jun & Laurel Brown Joseph Diedrich, Vice Chair Sandy Lee Foundation Pam Stampen, Vice Chair Nathan Boebel, Treasurer LEAD SPONSORS Alan Fish, Past Chair Joyce Dieter Amy Fields Andrew Davis Tom Godar Rev. Dr. Alex Gee Jr. John Foss Dr. Jun Lee Paul Lenhart Di Huibregtse Tom Neujahr Harry Peterson Susan Lipp Liz Stephens Brett Topham Chad Resner SPONSORS Brian Yahn Kenneth Yuska Melissa Turczyn Amy & John Wong MUSIC DIRECTOR Andrew Sewell EVENT PARTNERS STAFF Joe Loehnis, Chief Executive Officer Sam Pavel, Director of Operations Elliott Valentine, Development Manager Engineering Jan Anderson, Office & Box Office Manager Video Video & Safety Production Production Laura Miller, Design & Communications Coordinator Sophie Willer, Education & Community Associate Media Venue Harpsichord generously donated by Carol Leybourn. wcoconcerts.org 7 8 WINTER CHAMBER SERIES II MUSICIANS ROSTER THOMAS SIWE CRAIG RUSSELL Duet for Snare Drum & Timpani Rejuvenations for Piano Sextet: Four Sanative Visions of Renewal ♦ Lana Wordel, Percussion ( Sextet version 2020 ) IS DELIGHTED TO JOIN THE ♦ Kent Barnhart, Timpani 1. The Train North WISCONSIN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA IN 2. A Tango 3. Starfish (a blessing) STEVE REICH 4. Turlough’s Harp ADVANCING THE ARTS Clapping Music ♦ Leanne League, Violin IN OUR COMMUNITY ♦ Lana Wordel, Percussion ♦ Tim Kamps, Violin ♦ Kent Barnhart, Percussion ♦ Nora Frisk, Viola ♦ Mark Bridges, Cello Engaging with culture-makers, we explore the life of the mind and the ♦ Kris Saebo, Bass questions of the soul. Upper House programs feature local and national BEETHOVEN ♦ Beth Wilson, Piano thought and marketplace leaders—musicians, scholars, authors, String Quartet Op.18 No.1 theologians, journalists, and scientists. People we have hosted include: I. Allegro con brio IV. Allegro ROSSINI ANDREW SEWELL LESLIE IWAI String Sonata No. 5 in E flat ANDY CROUCH LESLIE LEYLAND FIELDS ♦ Mary Theodore, Violin I. Allegro vivace BOB GOFF MARILYN MCENTYRE ♦ Anna Carlson, Violin II. Andante ♦ Diedre Buckley, Viola III. Allegretto DAVID GREGORY MARCUS ALLEN ♦ Robin Hasenpflug, Cello DREW & ELLIE HOLCOMB MICAH BEHR ♦ Suzanne Beia, Violin FLEMING RUTLEDGE PARKER PALMER ♦ Gerald Loughney, Violin HANNAH BUSSE PRAVEEN SETHUPATHY MOZART ♦ Karl Lavine, Cello String Quartet No. 17 “The Hunt” K458 ♦ Chunyang Wang, Bass JEMAR TISBY SUSI JENSEN I. Allegro vivace assai KATHARINE HAYHOE TRAVIS AGNEW LASHAWN WANAK WILLIE JAMES JENNINGS ♦ Wes Luke, Violin ♦ Hillary Hempel, Violin ♦ Janse Vincent, Viola ♦ Tim Archibold, Cello Upper House, an initiative of the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation, UPPERHOUSE.ORG is located in the heart of the wcoconcerts.org UW-Madison campus. 6 DIRECTOR’S NOTES Winter Chamber Series I JANUARY 22 PREMIERE | The music of Valerie Coleman and Alec Wilder are two new names that some listeners may not be familiar along with Gabrieli and Schubert as we kick off our Winter Chamber Series. Valerie Coleman is a performing artist and composer with the Imani Winds and has written many works for the wind quintet genre. American composer Alec Wilder’s Octets were written in the early 1940s while commuting from Philadelphia to New York city. These jazz inspired works have fanciful titles and are a unique ensemble of harpsichord, drumset, three clarinets, string bass, flute, oboe, and bassoon. Schubert’s String Quintet is on a grand scale: the first movement serving as a stand alone piece. Al Zocalo is a collection of Eight String Quartet arrangements of pieces by early Spanish Baroque composers, several from Santiago de Murcia’s anthology “Pasacalles y obras” from 1732. The three movements selected included a fandango, a short Allegro by Murcia and a Cumbe. This “Cumbés” is the first decipherable instrumental music of African origin to be found in the New World. Finally, Giovanni Gabrieli’s Canzonas are plentiful in the brass repertoire and provide a fitting fanfare opening to the season. – Andrew Sewell REPERTOIRE GIOVANNI GABRIELI | Canzoni per sonare No.’s. 1 to 4 VALERIE COLEMAN | Tzigane for Wind Quintet FRANZ SCHUBERT | String Quintet in C Major D956 (mvt I) ALEC WILDER | Octets I. Her Old Man was Suspicious II. Jack, This is My Husband III. She’ll Be Seven in May IV. It’s Silk, I Feel It! V. Dance Man Buys a Farm CRAIG RUSSELL | !Al Zocalo! (To the Plaza!) LANCE GEORGE AMBER BOB JOHN Three movements for String Quartet III. Fandango WEEKNIGHTS AT VII. Allegro VIII.Cumbees RUN TIME: 60 – 75 min 5, 6 & 10PM DIRECTOR’S NOTES HELPHELP MAKE MAKE ALL ALL OF OF THIS THIS POSSIBLE BY JOINING Winter Chamber Series II POSSIBLE BY JOINING FRIENDSFRIENDS OF OF THE THE WCO WCO FEBRUARY 26 PREMIERE | After a full opening in January, this program is weighted towards the strings and percussion. We open with a duet by American composer, Thomas Siwe for timpani and snare drum, and “clapping music” from 1972 by American minimalist, Steve Reich. Additionally, American composer, Craig Russell is featured in his Rejuvenations for Piano Sextet (2020), a COVID era adaptation of a 2013 work written for full orchestra. His style is heavily JOIN THE FRIENDS OF THE WCO, influenced by the early Baroque Spanish music JOIN THE FRIENDS OF THE WCO, prevalent on what is now the California Coast STARTINGSTARTING AT AT$30 $30 A YEARA YEAR during the late 1700s. Continuing this early classical theme, is Mozart’s The WCO’sThe newWCO’s membership new membership program is program your opportunity is your toopportunity connect with the homage to Haydn – his String Quartet No. 17 orchestra in new ways. Join the Friends of the WCO to directly support WCO to connect with the orchestra in new ways. Join the Friends known as “the Hunt”, Rossini’s early string sonata musicians and receive special perks throughout the year for a full year after No. 5 in E flat for two violins, cello and bass, written makingof your the donation! WCO to directly support WCO musicians and receive when he was just 12, and Beethoven’s first string special perks throughout the year for a full year after quartet Op.18 No.1.