2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 3 FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR Dear Friends, We are so excited to be able to welcome you to the PVS’ 2022-2023 season, as we refocus on our love for music! Having now carefully returned to in-person performances, we are grateful to channel more of our energies into making music and sharing it with our community and gather together as we have always done—even when the orchestra was founded in the midst of the second world war back in 1939. Thank you for being such encouraging partners and allies as we navigated the often murky passages of the pandemic. Your reassuring support gave us the ability to press forward in the many innovations on which the orchestra has embarked since 2020! As in 1939, the world is again clouded with shades of war in Europe. Fittingly, we begin with Sibelius’ Finlandia, with words that counter the ugly nationalism that led to so many conflicts in the past. In Metamorphosis of Peace, this music is followed by the virtuosic and entrancing music of Bruch’s first violin concerto. The concert closes with Hindemith’s seminal Symphonic Metamorphosis. Written in 1943, when Hindemith was a new refugee from Germany living in New Haven, CT, it serves as a symbol of hope and transformation for the many who have been displaced and now live among us in our community. In November, Resilience Through Serenity recounts the triumph of American Indian tribes in the wake of the Trail of Tears. We have the rare opportunity to hear the work of one of the 19th century’s most notable female composers, Emilie Mayer, in her fourth symphony, juxtaposed against the wistful elegance of Elgar’s Serenade. That same month, the PVS Chorus invites you to Cheer the Weary Traveller, celebrating the choral music of Black composers across centuries. For the holiday season, we are excited to premiere a fabulous new Christmas Extravaganza by Puerto Rican composer Ivan Rodriguez, paired with singalongs and familiar festive pops. Join us as we recreate—and create anew—our holiday traditions. In the spring, we join the Springfield Symphony, UConn Storrs, and UMass Amherst in a mini-festival of the music of Ukrainian composer Thomas de Hartmann. We will present his first symphony and the regional premiere of a new edition of de Hartmann’s Piano Concerto. These masterworks sit at the crossroads of Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.—of lost worlds and new homes. Also in the spring, the PVS Chorus hosts a summit of regional choruses for a joyous celebration of singing. Lastly, we draw on the most popular Classical opera of modern times, Hiawatha’s Feast, together with Mozart’s great Mass in C Minor in a stirring and evocative finale to a season filled with gorgeous music and opportunities for communitymaking. As we revitalize our shared love for music, may we all experience peace, renewal, and comfort in community. Tianhui Ng
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 4 SEASON Music in a Chamber Setting Trinity United Methodist Church 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 361 Sumner Avenue Springfield (413) 896-1266 www.tuesdaymmc.org
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 5 Broadcast to Podcast— and Everything in Between. nepm.org Watch Meets Listen New England Public Media is proud to be your home for news, culture, and entertainment. We provide local perspective and all the shows you know and love from PBS and NPR— on every screen and every speaker.
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 6 SEASON BOLD. INTIMATE. NOW. Engaging Valley artists and audiences in the conversations of our time with bold, intimate, professional theater Silverthornetheater.org 2022-23 Season Shows October The Taming March Intimate Apparel An die Musik June The Cake Hosted by Lucy & Lary Wednesdays 8-9am WXOJ-LP 103.3 FM NOW STREAMING AT VALLEYFREERADIO.ORG ON VALLEY FREE RADIO
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 7
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 8 SEASON Tianhui Ng has emerged as one of the leading advocates for new music, with a rare understanding of the voice and Romantic expression. He has conducted more than 60 world premieres, including numerous operas and multimedia works. His unique gifts for communication and intercultural work have borne fruit in several unusual firsts, including the first operas in Yoruba and Chickasaw, alongside award-winning programming, drawing on his deep knowledge of canonic repertoire in dialogue with the issues of our time. Since his appointment as Music Director of White Snake Projects in 2020, Tian has led the world premieres of Death By Life by Leila Adu Gilmore, Jacinthe Greywoode, David Sanford, Jonathan Bailey Holland, and Mary D. Watkins, A Survivor’s Odyssey by Mary Prescott, Elena Ruehr’s Cosmic Cowboy, and Jorge Sosa’s Alice in the Pandemic, identified by the Library of Congress as one of the most significant works of American art in the pandemic. In 2022, Tian’s first album with the Lviv National Philharmonic of Ukraine on Nimbus Alliance has been lauded internationally as a major contribution to a previously unknown legacy of symphonic music in Ukraine and Russia. Hailed by the Boston Globe as “unforgettable,” Tian will celebrate his appointment as Music Director of the New England Philharmonic with his trademark programming in the 2022-2023 season. Tian’s debuts and new collaborations this season include appearances with GBH Music in Boston, National Public Radio, New England Public Media, Borromeo Quartet, Pro Arte Musical, and the Springfield Symphony. TIANHUI NG Music Director
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 9 Tian has conducted orchestras around the world, including the Savaria Symphony Orchestra (Hungary), Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech Republic), Dartington Festival Orchestra (UK), Orchestra of the Royal Opera of Wallonie (Belgium), and the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra (USA). A versatile musician, he is equally at home in the realm of choral music, and has conducted ensembles like the Stuttgart Chamber Choir (Germany), Carnegie Hall Festival Chorus (USA), Oregon Bach Festival Chorus (USA), Yale Schola Cantorum (USA), and the Young Person’s Chorus of New York (USA). Tian has collaborated with internationally renowned artists such as Dashon Burton, Tyler Duncan, Marcus Eiche, Jamie-Rose Guarrine, Ayano Kataoka, Ilya Polataev, Gary Steigerwalt, Astrid Schween, Sara Davis Buechner, Hanna Elisabeth Müller, Nicholas Phan, James Taylor, Gilles Vonsattel, and Soyoung Yoon. Tian holds a B.M. in Music from the University of Birmingham, UK, with a focus on conducting and composition, and he earned an M.M. in Conducting from the Yale School of Music. His conducting teachers and mentors have included Helmuth Rilling, Masaaki Suzuki, Paolo Arrivabeni, John Carewe, Peter Eötvös, Kurt Masur, and Michel Tabachnik. Tian is the Music Director of the Pioneer Valley Symphony, New England Philharmonic, the Victory Players, and White Snake Projects. Stay in touch with Tian via Instagram @ngtianhui
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 10 SEASON CURTISS, CAREY, GATES & GOODRIDGE, LLP ________________________________ 377 MAIN STREET, SUITE 3, GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 01302 TEL. (413) 774 – 4331 Litigation in State and Federal Courts, Estate Planning, Probate, Real Estate, Corporate, and Employment Law S T A M E L L 18 Kellogg Ave Amherst, MA 01002 www.stamellstring.com STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Violin • Viola • Cello • Bass Makers • Dealers • Appraisers • Restorers
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 11 Fit Function Custom handcrafted steel framesets designed and engineered to your needs by a master craftsman and fellow cyclist. RUSA 1681 La Société Charly Miller 2007 www.alexmeade.com 859.351.8443 Shelburne Falls, MA Mary Rezny Style
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 12 SEASON Dr. Allegra Martin serves as the Interim Director of Music at First Unitarian Worcester, the Music Director of Convivium Musicum, and conducting teacher at Berklee School of Music. Previous positions have included Director of College Choirs and Interim Orchestra Director at the College of the Holy Cross, Director of Music at First Parish Cohasset, Artistic Director of the Cantilena Women’s Chorale, and Chorus Director at Lasell College. Allegra holds degrees from Williams College and Westminster Choir College, and a doctorate from the University of Illinois. At the University of Illinois, she founded and conducted the University Mixed Chorus. Her research specialty is the choral music of Margaret Bonds. She has presented on Margaret Bonds and on the topic of diversity and inclusion in the choral canon at ACDA Northeastern, NCCO, and the Oxford Conducting Institute. Allegra is also an active professional singer, and was one of the founders of Anthology, a women’s vocal quartet that performed in the greater Boston area for six years and commissioned 22 works of new music in that time. She currently sings with the Schola Cantorum of Boston and in the past has sung with such ensembles as Cappella Clausura and the Video Game Orchestra. While at the University of Illinois, she performed Julia Wolfe’s award-winning Anthracite Fields with Bang on a Can and Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans with the Venice Baroque Orchestra. While at Westminster, she sang with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as in opera productions at the U.S. Spoleto Festival. ALLEGRA MARTIN Chorus Director
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 13 Nell Wiener is an educator, musician, and arranger based in southwestern New Hampshire. She brings 15 years of experience teaching instrumental and choral music across elementary, middle, and high school levels, working with students from their very beginning moments all the way through their development into confident, capable musicians. She enjoys weaving elements of history and music theory into her teaching, inviting students to broaden their contextual understanding and engage more deeply with the music. Young musicians appreciate the upbeat and collaborative environment of her ensembles, along with the engaging musical programming she brings. Playing in orchestras has been a constant presence in Nell’s life since childhood; she’s been a proud member of the viola section in many youth and community ensembles over the years, and with the Pioneer Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra she is honored to work with the next generation of musicians within one of the oldest community orchestra organizations in the country! Nell holds a BA in Music from Wellesley College, where she studied music theory with Martin Brody and conducting with Lisa Graham. She worked for many years at Monadnock Waldorf School in Keene, NH, teaching music as well as serving in faculty leadership. Currently she teaches music at Gathering Waters Charter School in Keene and maintains a private studio teaching violin and viola. NELL WIENER YOUTH ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 14 SEASON
FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, This evening, we raise up the life and works of Ukraine-born composer Thomas de Hartmann. When the PVS first started performing de Hartmann just over a year ago, our concert was under the shadow of Russia’s very recent invasion of Ukraine. The world expected a swift end to the conflict. Yet, to our horror, the war has continued. It is easy to feel impotent in the face of devastation on this scale. Thousands of miles away, we do our best to raise humanitarian funds and stand up in solidarity, desperate for peace. This concert spotlights one of the outstanding contributors to that region’s rich culture of orchestral composition. I hope tonight reminds us of the power music has for communication across cultures, for healing, and for peace. Kara Peterman Investments, Financial & Retirement Planning FEE ONLY, SEC Registered Investment Advisers, Investment Managers, Retirement & Financial Planners CALL 413.256.1225 — WESTBRANCHCAPITAL.COM ©2020 WEST BRANCH CAPITAL, LLC. 9 Research Drive Suite 1 Amherst, MA 01002 300 International Dr. Ste. 134 Williamsville, NY 14221 100 Independence Dr. Suite 123 Hyannis MA 02601 99 Derby Street Suite 200 Hingham, MA 02043
2 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season COMING UP THIS SEASON
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 3 Pianist Elan Sicroff has specialized in the music of Thomas de Hartmann since the early 1970s. From 1975 to 1979, he worked with Mme. Olga de Hartmann, widow of the composer, and gave numerous performances of de Hartmann’s music under her auspices. In 2006, Elan was invited by guitarist Robert Fripp (King Crimson) to spearhead the Thomas de Hartmann Project, which aims to bring de Hartmann’s music back to the listening audience. In 2010, Elan and Gert-Jan Blom embarked on a five-year project to record a large portion of de Hartmann’s music. The seven-CD box set entitled The Thomas de Hartmann Project: Music for Piano, Voice and Chamber Ensemble was recently rereleased by Nimbus Alliance (UK). The music has drawn widespread critical acclaim. Elan has since given many performances and lecture recitals throughout the U.S. and Europe to bring awareness of de Hartmann’s music and the ideas that inform it, as well as his fascinating life story. In September 2021, Elan performed and recorded de Hartmann’s colorful and exciting Piano Concerto, Op. 61 with the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, under the baton of Tianhui Ng. Orchestral Music of Thomas de Hartmann was released in 2022 on Nimbus Records. It is this same work Elan plays with the Pioneer Valley Symphony tonight. For further information about the Thomas de Hartmann Project, please visit: sicroff.com thomasdehartmannproject.com facebook.com/TDHProject ELAN SICROFF PIANO
4 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season The life story of the composer, pianist and arranger Thomas Alexandrovich de Hartmann (1884–1956) was, like that of many Russian artists of his generation and background, full of amazing twists and turns brought about both by the Russian Revolution and his personal artistic and spiritual journey. Born to an aristocratic Russian family on their estate outside of Khoruzhivka, Ukraine, de Hartmann was expected to follow his father into a career as an officer in the Russian army. To that end, at the age of nine he was sent to a military academy in St. Petersburg. Since the officer corps, a bastion of the Russian aristocracy, included a large number of highly cultured men (Rimsky-Korsakov had had a career as a naval officer before becoming a full-time composer), it is not surprising that de Hartmann’s musical gifts were recognized and encouraged at the academy. Alongside his military studies, he received private tutoring in music with some of the leading musicians of the day—first studying with Anton Arensky (1861– 1906), one of Rimsky-Korsakov’s star students who also taught Alexander Scriabin and Sergei Rachmaninoff, and later by Tchaikovsky’s protégé Sergei Taneyev (1856–1915). In 1904, de Hartmann both completed his military studies and obtained an artist’s diploma from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied piano and attended Rimsky-Korsakov’s masterclass in composition. After a few smaller projects, de Hartmann’s career seemed to begin in earnest with what would prove to be his most successful work in his lifetime, the full-length ballet Le Flourette Rouge (The Scarlet Flower), which premiered at the Mariinsky Imperial Opera House in St. Petersburg in 1907. Starring the greatest Russian dancers of the day—Vaslav Nijinsky, Anna Pavlova, and Michel Fokine (all of whom would play major roles in the success of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in Paris in the 1910s)—the ballet was consistently in the repertoire of the Imperial Ballet until the outbreak of World War I. This auspicious first public outing opened the doors for de Hartmann to have his piano music published by one of Russia’s leading music publishers. It might have also resulted in large-scale commissions had de Hartmann pursued them. Instead, the young composer used his early success and his personal connection to the Tsar’s youngest sister to obtain a release from his full-time military obligations, which allowed him to travel to Munich in search of new artistic inspiration in 1908. In Munich, de Hartmann entered the world of modernism through a friendship with the Russian expatriate painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866– COMPOSER’S PORTRAIT Thomas de Hartmann in 1906
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 5 1944), which led to a series of artistic collaborations. Kandinsky opened up new vistas for de Hartmann, especially because of his ideas about the connection of art and spirituality, which he propagated in his 1911 book Über das Geistige in der Kunst (On the Spiritual in Art). While de Hartmann’s musical studies in Russia had focused on rule-bound aspects of composition such as counterpoint, under Kandinsky’s guidance he was freed by the notion that the artist’s obligation was to follow his own inner voice. De Hartmann and Kandinsky also shared an interest in the synesthetic connection between color and sound. Tensions in Europe preceding the outbreak of World War I brought de Hartmann’s Munich idyl to an end and compelled the composer to return to Russia and re-join his regiment, which was stationed outside of St. Petersburg. While on a break from active military duty in 1916, de Hartmann was introduced to the Armenian-Greek mystic George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (1877–1949), who would become his and his wife Olga’s spiritual leader for the next twelve years, and a life-long influence. In the words of Olga de Hartmann: Mr. Gurdjieff was an unknown person, a mystery. Nobody knew about his teaching, nobody knew his origin . . . but whoever came into contact with him wished to follow him, and so did Thomas de Hartmann and I. In 1917, after the communist take-over in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), the de Hartmanns, like many aristocrats unsympathetic to the communists, fled the city for the Caucasus, which were still under Imperial control. There Gurdjieff led them and a small group of followers in a journey that gradually took them farther from the communists’ sphere of influence— first to Sochi, and then via several waystations to Tiflis (present day Tblisi). In 1920, the group joined the many Russian refugees in Constantinople (present day Istanbul), and in 1921 they settled for eleven months in Berlin, a common stop-over for Russians who would eventually find their way to France. This was also the trajectory for Gurdjieff and his followers, who in 1922 relocated to Fontainebleau outside of Paris, a city then filled with refugees from Imperial Russia. The de Hartmanns remained with Gurdjieff’s commune in a villa in Fontainebleau until 1929, when a personal break with their teacher (but not with his teachings) led them to seek their own lodgings on the outskirts of Paris. While in Gurdjieff’s community, de Hartmann composed piano music to accompany meditation and movement (“sacred gymnastics”) that was part of Gurdjieff’s practice. Finding himself separated from Gurdjieff’s financial support in 1929, and having run out of the money he had been able to extract from Russia, forced de Hartmann to earn a living exclusively from music. He began to teach (presumably piano), to make arrangements of well-known pieces, and write concert works for publication and
6 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season performance. He also continued to compose film scores, which he had begun to do in 1924 to contribute to the finances of Gurdjieff’s community. De Hartmann’s scoring of films appears to have provided the largest portion of his income after separating from Gurdjieff, but he also was productive in writing large-scale concert works. In the 1930s and ’40s alone he wrote seven large-scale concertos, two large symphonies, two ballets, three substantive works of chamber music, several piano pieces, and an opera. Following his and his wife’s relocation to the United States in 1951 to aid the work of those involved with Gurdjieff’s teachings, he continued composing until his unexpected death from a heart attack in 1956, just weeks before a concert devoted to his music at New York’s Town Hall. Although he had gained the support of a number of important musicians in the last twenty-five years of his life—the flutist JeanPierre Rampal, the cellist Pablo Casals, and the conductors Eugène Bigot and Serge Koussevitsky—de Hartmann’s music more or less fell off the map of the music world shortly after his death. Only through the efforts of his widow Olga (d. 1979) and tonight’s soloist, Elan Sicroff, who studied de Hartmann’s music with her, did a group of people (most of them with connections to Gurdieff’s teachings) eventually come together in 2006 to form the Thomas de Hartmann Project to bring the composer’s work back to public attention. Recent and upcoming recordings and performances of de Hartmann’s music by Sicroff, Theodore Kuchar, Tianhui Ng, and the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, as well as our own PVS show the effectiveness of the Thomas de Hartmann Project in making the composer’s music more available to the public today than it ever has been before. NOTES ON THE PROGRAM Symphonie–poème No. 1, Op. 50 (1934) 1. Lento–Allegro–Tranquillo–Tempo 1 (Allegro)–Allegro Risoluto–Fuga–Grandioso 3. Andante De Hartmann’s Symphonie-poème No. 1 (Symphony No. 1) is a largescale work both in its length and in its generous scoring. In its full four-movement form, the symphony lasts well over an hour. The two movements played in tonight’s concert total close to forty minutes. The Alexander Schneider, P. Casals, de Hartmanns c. 1937 (courtesy Sicroff)
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 7 score calls for three saxophones, two harps, piano, and a large battery of percussion in addition to the normal full complement of brass, woodwinds (including English horn, bass clarinet, and contrabassoon), and strings. As the subtitle “poème” suggests, the work sits on the cusp between “absolute music”—music not intended to communicate meaning beyond the interplay of notes—and “program music”—music meant to convey poetic meaning. Given the scope of the work and de Hartmann’s spiritual orientation, it seems likely that the composer saw this work as a reflection on higher spiritual consciousness. The first movement begins with an explosive gesture that can be thought of as a twentieth-century re-writing of the premier coup d’archet (first hit of the bow) or aggressive first chord traditional as the opening for symphonies in the eighteenth century. This introduces an eerie slow introduction out of which emerge dark-hued woodwind solos in the bassoon (emerging from primordial depths), bass clarinet, and English horn. A series of aggressive chords for the full orchestra break out of the slow introduction and into the movement’s main Allegro, which begins as an exotic dance, the melody of which includes upward swooping gestures reminiscent of Mussorgsky’s orchestral showpiece Night on Bald Mountain. De Hartmann does not structure the Allegro in the conventional pattern of DOUBLE BASS STUDY AND RENTAL IN ONE LOCATION BASSESFORRENT.COM LynnLovell’sBasses ForRentprovides professional,intermediateandstudent quality basses for rent.Basses come with pickups, adjustable bridges,casesandbows. Privatestudyiscurrentlyavailablewith Lynnforbeginner, intermediateand advancedstudents. E-mail: [email protected] for rates and info.
8 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season themes, development of themes, and recapitulation of themes (a structure known as sonata form) commonly used for the first movements of symphonies. Instead, his approach is to present a series of episodes, each distinguished by its own repeated rhythmic and melodic figures and held together by de Hartmann’s exquisite sense of color, which he achieves both through masterful orchestration and the incorporation of exotic scales. The structure of the movement, expressed through de Hartmann’s tempo markings, can be thought of as follows: Slow Introduction–Series of Fast Dances–Slow Interlude–Continuation of Fast Dances–Extended Coda including a section of imitation (fuga) leading to a grand climax (grandioso) and ending with a return to the music of the slow introduction, which fades to nothingness. The third movement (tonight played as the second and last movement) is the symphony’s slow movement. While de Hartmann gives few written clues as to its subject, the atmospheres of this movement evoke two of the most common topics of slow movements from the history of the symphony in Western classical music: death and the pastoral. The music that strikes me as related to death is the first loud section following the quiet introduction. This section, marked Marziale pesante (martial and heavy), seems to be a funeral march for a hero, which gradually loses intensity. The entrance of the piano with shimmering arpeggios in its highest range and rising gestures in the woodwinds lead to a series of beautiful melodic solos with pastoral connotations: first in the soprano saxophone, then in the violins, and then in a wide variety of instruments playing in imitation in a more lilting rhythm. The center of the movement features a solo for trombone marked “quasi recitative” and “like a blind Ukrainian Kobza player.” The Kobza, a lute-like folk instrument, was traditionally used by blind bards to accompany their singing—whether the music played by the trombone is a literal transcription of the singing of a Kobza player or simply meant to evoke the practice remains to be discovered. This brief reference to Ukrainian music is followed by another reference, now to folk bagpiping, the oboe lending its reedy tone to the bagpipe melody and the triangle adding a sparkle akin to sun on a dewy meadow in the background. De Hartmann initiates the final section of the movement with the introduction of an extensive solo for the piano, which is paired with lush melodies reminiscent of Rachmaninoff in the strings. The music reaches Elan Sicroff with Olga de Hartmann and friends (courtesy Sicroff)
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 9 an apotheosis—a common conclusion to nineteenth-century Russian ballets—and closes with solos from the soprano saxophone, clarinet, and horn in the manner of the pastoral music from the first half of the movement. Whatever journey de Hartmann depicts in this movement, it ends in a bucolic state in which love and nature appear to be united. Piano Concerto, Op. 61 (1939, Rev. 1951) Although de Hartmann did not write the solo part of his piano concerto for himself, the 1943 premiere could not have taken place had he not been able to step in for the ailing soloist with only two weeks’ notice. Serge Moreux, one of Paris’s leading critics, praised both the piece and de Hartmann’s performance of it with Eugène Bigot conducting the Orchestre Lamoureux, a Parisian orchestra with a long history of important premieres, writing: “These pages, full of music, are as vibrant and dynamic as anyone could desire. Only a great virtuoso can play it.” Elan Sicroff, soloist for this PVS performance and a leading exponent of de Hartmann’s music, sees the Piano Concerto in the semi-programmatic realm of much of the composer’s work, considering it “a musical representation of the Quest with the piano playing the protagonist/hero.” This interpretation aligns well with the opening fanfare in the orchestra, which introduces the piano with pomp suited to a grand person. The Scythe and theFountain Herbert Howells Requiem and music by Gjello, Holst, Thompson, Whittacre and Tavener Mercy Lang, ‘the little match girl passion’ Schütz, ‘Musikalische Exequien’ In Illo Tempore At That Time J.S. Bach, ‘Komm, Jesu, komm,’ BWV 229 • ‘Jesu, meine Freude,’ BWV 227 Monteverdi, Missa ‘In illo tempore’ • Victoria, Missa ‘O quam gloriosum’ tickets, season tickets with preferred seating, and details: illuminatiensemble.org ILLUMINATI ILLUMINATI vocal arts ensemble 7:30 PM October 15, 2022, Our Lady of the Valley Easthampton Arianne Abela, Interim Director
10 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season EXPLORE DE HARTMANN’S WORKS UPCOMING CONCERTO PERFORMANCES May 7, 2023 | 3:00PM | Boston, MA New England Philharmonic presents People in Between, featuring Thomas de Hartmann’s Violin Concerto, Op. 66 Tianhui Ng, conductor Dianelle Maddon, violin May 13, 2023 | 7:30PM | Springfield, MA Springfield Symphony Orchestra presents Beauty Amid Chaos, featuring Thomas de Hartmann’s Cello Concerto, Op. 57 Theodore Kuchar, guest condutor Matt Haimovitz, cello RECENT RELEASES All first-time recordings. Selections available for purchase in the lobby. From Nimbus Alliance in 2021 with Elan Sicroff: The Chamber Music of Thomas de Hartmann (2 discs) The Piano Music of Thomas de Hartmann (2 discs) The Songs of Thomas de Hartmann From Toccata Classics in 2022: The Orchestral Music of Thomas de Hartmann The Orchestral Music of Thomas de Hartmann: Vol II includes the symphony from tonight’s program From Nimbus Alliance in 2022 with Elan Sicroff and Tianhui Ng: The Orchestral Music of Thomas de Hartmann includes the piano concerto from tonight’s program While listeners will want to let their own imaginations run free, Sicroff’s interpretation leads me to imagine the piano/protagonist visiting a variety of lands and having a number of encounters—a violin solo implying a romantic interest, a sequence of dance-like episodes suggesting moving through crowds, a jazz-inflected passage suggesting a 1930s bar, etc. The work contains a few dark moments of struggle, but bright colors dominate. The ending, fittingly for a composer so involved in writing for film, is pure “Hollywood.” That de Hartmann composed such an optimistic work not in sunny Los Angeles but in Europe when the storm clouds of war were gathering may well reflect a sense of optimism born of his own extraordinary life overcoming many travails in a quest for spiritual enlightenment. © 2023 David E. Schneider. All rights reserved. David E. Schneider is the Georges Lurcy Professor of Music History and Theory at Amherst College and the PVS’ Resident Musicologist.
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 11 Ukrainian composer Thomas de Hartmann (1884-1956) was widely acclaimed in Russia at the turn of the 20th century and enjoyed a successful career in France, however since his death his music fell into obscurity. The Thomas de Hartmann Project aims to bring the composer's music back to the listening audience via recordings, performances and lectures. www.thomasdehartmannproject.com The Thomas de Hartmann Project
12 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 13 THE Pioneer valley symphony presenTS THOMAS DE HARTMANN: REDISCOVERING A MASTER SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2023 | 7PM Tillis Performance Hall, Bromery Center for the Arts Amherst, Massachusetts Tianhui Ng, Conductor Pre-concert talk by Professor David Schneider Symphonie–poème No. 1, Op. 50 Thomas de Hartmann (1884-1956) I. Lento III. Andante INTERMISSION Piano Concerto, Op. 61 T. de Hartmann U.S. Premiere Elan Sicroff, Piano Guest Artist Sponsor: Thomson Financial Management as SageView Advisory Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra Tianhui Ng, Music Director Anthony Ferreira, Assistant Conductor This Concert Is Sponsored In Part By:
14 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season VIOLIN I Janet Van Blerkom, concertmaster Diana Peelle John Wcislo Elaine T. Holdsworth Ronald Weiss Mark Mason Dennis Townsend Reiko Sono VIOLIN II Cecilia R. Berger, principal Nancy Ramsey Brian Whetstone Laurie Israel Barbara Wald Freed Zoë Ballou Wendy Foxmyn Maureen Carney Marilyn Richards VIOLA Mandi Jo Hanneke, principal Gregory Campbell Jeff Ramsey Roy Rudolph Robert McGuigan Pamela Skinner Peter J. Haas VIOLONCELLO Nancy Rich, assistant principal Jennifer Allen Alisa Beaver Su Auerbach Susan Young Ari Jewell Daniel Brandon Kate Walker Nancy Pond BASS Patricia Cahn, principal Lynn Lovell David Glassberg Sue Keller Lauren C. Ostberg Jeff Knox FLUTE Bonnie Mast, principal Hannah Smeltz PICCOLO Beckie Markarian OBOE Aaron Lakota, principal Catalina Arrubla Abigail Haines CLARINET Janice Murphy Kathryn Scott Rongbing Shen Jess Gross BASSOON Alex Meade, principal Roger F. Clapp CONTRABASSOON Guillermo Yalanda Muelas HORN Erin Lylis, principal Joshua Vinocour Rebecca Krause-Hardie Victor Perpetua Stanley Light
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 15 TRUMPET Karen Atherton, co-principal Melissa Griffin, co-principal Wendy LaValley TROMBONE Ben Smar, principal Scott Pemrick Joseph Sabol TUBA Nick Lawrence SAXOPHONE Lynn Barszcz Beth Guertin Gregory O’Connor TIMPANI Daniel Albert, principal PERCUSSION Andrew Armstrong Madeline Dethloff Maxwell Newman PIANO Larry Picard HARP Sorana Scarlat Amanda Evans Proud to be the “Official Chocolatier” for the Pioneer Valley Symphony HandmadeChocolates andSpecialtyCandies Lorem ipsum 500 Greenfield Road (Route 5 & 10), Deerfield, Massachusetts 413-772-0443 RichardsonsCandy.com
16 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 17 OUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTORS We offer our deepest thanks to the individuals, businesses, agencies, and foundations who support the Pioneer Valley Symphony through financial gifts. Your trust, support, and encouragement inspire us and make the music possible. The following represents gifts made to the PVS or to other charitable causes via PVS benefit events in the 2022 calendar year. Conductor’s circle Platinum Baton | $10,000 + Bronze Baton | $1,000-$2,499 Gold Baton | $5,000-$9,999 Silver Baton | $2,500-$4,999 Alex Meade Bikeworks, LLC Roger Anderson Anonymous in honor of Tianhui Ng and Janna Walters-Gidseg Julia Bady, pianist Big Y Dartmouth Class of 1968 George Drake and Roberta Lombardi Debbie Felton and Jim Miller Greenfield Cultural Council GSB Investments and Insurance Peter Haas Mandi Jo and David Hanneke Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation Mass Mutual Foundation U.S. Small Business Association Sydney Cushman Greenfield Cooperative Bank Efrem Marder Mass Cultural Council, a state agency Anonymous Commonwealth of Massachusetts Ruah Donnelly and Steve Dinkelaker Lathrop Communities Mark Mason and John Shea^ in memory of Naomi Franklin Thomson Financial Management as Sage View Advisory * marks members of the Continuo Society—donors with recurring monthly gifts ^ marks members of the Da Capo Society—donors who have included the PVS in their legacy plans To learn more about giving societies and other ways to support the PVS, visit pvsoc.org/donate or contact us at 413.773.3664 or [email protected].
18 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season Andrew Ferguson and Nang Edwards Frank Labelle’s Sales & Service Gill Cultural Council Gilmore & Farrell Insurance Lisa Kent and David Glassberg* Donald Graham and Barbara Loh David Halloran Judy and Alfred Hudson^ Laurie Israel and Elaine Sidney Robert Kidder Attorney Stanley Light Evelyn Locke Craig Machado in honor of Wayne Abercrombie Richard Mayer and Joan Spalding Music Lovers Music Director | $500-$999 Andy’s & The Oak Shoppe Ashfield Cultural Council Suzanne Auerbach and Matt Kaplowitz Basses for Rent by Lynn Lovell Paul Benjamin Cecilia and Joseph Berger in honor of Zoë Ballou and Carmen Torres-Nans Bernardston Cultural Council Susan Bowman Elizabeth Brown and Stanley Morris Bulkley, Richardson & Gelinas Judith and Joe Case Colrain Cultural Council Curtiss, Carey, Gates & Goodridge Edith Fabos concertmaster | $250-$499 Bronze Baton | CONTINUED Ken and Bonnie Hargreaves Elaine and Robert Holdsworth Kathleen Holt William Hurd Jean and William Jeffries in memory of Elizabeth Bowdan Robert Joyal William Kelliher Alex Meade and Clarissa Spawn Marilyn Pryor John Thomas and Dennis Coffey* Janet Van Blerkom Ronald and Janet Weiss Gary Wendlandt William and Carol MacKnight Beckie Markarian* in honor of Janna Walter-Gidseg New Salem Cultural Council Northfield Cultural Council Alexandra Ottaway Davin and Jennifer Peelle in memory of Priscilla and Jerol Mann Stu and Betsy Reese Family Foundation Myra and David Ross* in memory of Elizabeth Bowdan and Marten Cornelissen Shelburne Cultural Council Nancy Shinn in memory of Tom Shinn Jr. Pamela Skinner and Wayne Glaser Yeshvant and Jean Talati Dennis Townsend Anonymous in honor of TL Lafleur Carlin Barton in honor of Robert McGuigan Channing and Marie Bete Patricia Cahn* Maureen Carney* in memory of John J and Madelyn Carney Cohn & Company Davis Financial Group LLC Barbara Davis and George Howard* Florence Bank Paul Friedmann in honor of Efrem Marder Richard Gaberman Marvin and Carol Kelley in honor of Kara Peterman Catherine and Edward Lamoureux Robin Luberoff and Neal Pruchansky in memory of Peggy Freedman Mary and George Lunt
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 19 Robert McGuigan and Julia Bady Grant Moss Carl Nelke and Janet Gerry Oberlin Alumni Alethea O’Donnell and Scott Tulay Diana and Paul Peelle Gretchen and Joel Plotkin Nancy and David Pond Renfrew Real Estate Marilyn Reynolds in memory of Cathy Bowers Ryan & Casey Liquors Shelburne Falls Cork, LLC Vanessa M. Smith and Elizabeth L. Lehman in honor of Alisa Beaver Ilene Stahl and Benjamin Miner Stamell Stringed Instruments Jane and Peter Stein JoAnne Stultz Kathleen Swaim Tuesday Morning Music Club West Branch Capital Whately Cultural Council First chair | $125-$249 Shirley Keech and Mary King Susan Lauscher in honor of Myra Ross Deborah Leopold and David Sacks in memory of Mark Mason’s mother Carol and Peter Letson Mark and Polly Lindhult in memory of Julius Gy. Fabos Dana Muller and Gary Steigerwalt Robyn Newhouse Amy Patt and Keith Czerwiec Brenda and Scott Peterman Dale and Lorna Peterson Larry Picard Wallis and Cornelia Reid Zach Ruhl Elizabeth and Robert Schmitt Martin Shell Nancy Shumate Nancy Slator and Daniel Grubbs Ben Smar in honor of The dedicated members, staff, audiences, and supporters of the PVS Orchestra, Chorus and Youth Orchestra Dr. Robert and Mrs. DiAnn Speth State Street Style Surner Heating The Optician UMassFive College Federal Credit Union Martha and Ihor Voyevidka John and Bridget Wcislo Western Mass. Horn Society Patricia Auchard and Joseph Sabella Ben and Mary Jane Barnard in honor of Nancy and Jeff Ramsey Hugh Barrett Paula Barry Berkshire Facial Surgery Blackmer Insurance Agency Bruce and Rita Bleiman Janet Bowdan Buckland Cultural Council Karen Burkinshaw and Laurel Quirk Charlemont Hawley Cultural Council Robert Cherdack Roger and Joanne Clapp Peter and Giovanna Contuzzi Robert Corry Nina DaDalt-Korza and Edward Korza Devine Overhead Doors Gordon Dodge Downtown Sounds Richard Engelman Euphoria Float Spa Steve Ferrarone Kristen Fossum* Andrea and Zachary Fox Goff Media Bruce Goldstein Mari Gottdiener Jeffrey Gurski Deborah Haas-Wilson Eugene and Mary Hanneke* Spencer and Lorma Hopton Joyce Huber concertmaster | CONTINUED Andrew Ferguson and Nang Edwards Frank Labelle’s Sales & Service Gill Cultural Council Gilmore & Farrell Insurance Lisa Kent and David Glassberg* Donald Graham and Barbara Loh David Halloran Judy and Alfred Hudson^ Laurie Israel and Elaine Sidney Robert Kidder Attorney Stanley Light Evelyn Locke Craig Machado in honor of Wayne Abercrombie Richard Mayer and Joan Spalding thank you to the more than 200 musicians, volunteers, directors, and staff for all you do to “build community through music” at the pvs and beyond.
20 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season Friend | Up to $124 Jordan Abbott Linda Abbott Noreen Acconcio Rev. Stanley Aksamit Pamela Albertson Barbara Allan Jion Allen Jennifer Allen Bridget Ambers Patricia Appelbaum Joan and Winthrop Arms Alyssa Arnell Glenn and Heidi Arnold George Arwady Gwendolyn Ashley in honor of Judy Case Lori Austin Lana Babij Mollie Babize and Mary Quigley Gary Bacchiocchi Ananda Bagiackas Carol Baker Jacki Barden Amanada Barnhart and Susan Murphy in honor of Richard Barnhart Steven and Megan Bathory-Peeler Alisa S. Beaver in memory of Estelle Beaver Ana Ben Geraldine Berenson in memory of Julius Fabos Timothy Berry Catherine Berry Marilyn S. Billings Masako Bogin* Joyce Bosworth Angie Bourdeau Bernice Bowler Sarah Boy and Charles Thompson Daniel Brandon Maria Brandriff Theodore Brown Barbara and James Cappello Eileen Carney in memory of John and Madelyn Carney Liz Carney Craig Carr Thomas Casartello Janet Chayes Deborah Chrzanowski Kendall Clark Betsey Clifford Carol Coan and David Nixon Ian Coddington Karen Cole* Susan Cole Elizabeth Contant David-Michael Cook Yvonne Crevier Eileen Crosby and Zoë Ballou Colleen Currie* Rebecca Curzon Christopher Daly Martin Daye and Linda Woodall Betsy and Viktor Decyk in honor of our relatives in Ukraine Catherine Dodds Patricia Donahue Leitch Helen Drake Maria Duncan Maurita Eaton Theresa Eckert Marcia and Russell Edes Thomas Eisenman Gerald Elias in honor of Myra Ross Susan Ellis Emily Dickinson Museum Helen Engeseth Lisa Evans Patricia Farrington and Jim Ellis in memory of Julius Fabos Federal Street Books Stein Feick Laurie and Jeffrey Ferreira Lucia Foley Wendy Foxmyn Jill Franks and David Neelon Heidi Frantz-Dale and Duane Dale Dina Friedman and Shel Horowitz Friends of Leverett Library in honor of the library pass program Ashala Gabriel David Gang and Roberta Hillenberg-Gang Denise Gendron Cynthia Gensheimer in honor of Myra Ross
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 21 Henry Gibson Eric Gidseg in honor of Janna Walters-Gidseg Dan and Cheryl Gillman Timothy Golden Alan Goldsmith Susan Grant Rosen Claire Griffin Lucy and E Lary Grossman in memory of Moira Brady Barbara Guardione Margo Halton Christine Hannon in honor of Pamela Skinner Maia Hansen* Roger Harris Marsha Hertel Paul and Jane Hetzel Mary Hocken Herbert and Janet Hodos Judith Holmes Julie Holt Linda Howell Mathilde Hunting Andy Jaffe Dorothy Janke Paul Jellinek Caroline Jennings Christine Johnson Suzette and Thomas Jones Julie Jones Sue and Cary Jubinville Barbara Kautz Keene Community Music Center Pauline Keener Elizabeth Keitel Sue Keller* in memory of Morris Youngdahl Cheryl and Micah Kieffer Shersten Killip Rebecca King Nancy Klatt in honor of Nancy Ramsey and Jeff Ramsey Alice Klingener Susan Knightly in honor of Tianhui Ng Maria Kohulka Green Jennifer Kramer Ed Kubosiak Bo and Karen Kukil Alexander Kuzma Denise Lafountain John LaFrance in honor of Efrem Marder Maureen and Paul Lahti Paul Lambert Janet Laprade Diane Lawler Christine Lee Leo’s Table Monica Jakuc Leverett Danielle Lochhead Louise Lopman Erica Lorentz Lynn Lovell in honor of Judy Hudson Daniel Lynch Gary MacCallum Ronald Maggio Dorothy Maloney Barbara Marder Elissa Marder Eve Marder Gabrial Marder Yuri Marder Ursa Marder Jane and Ken Markarian in honor of Beckie Markarian Audrey Markarian in honor of Beckie Markarian Mary and Herb Marsh David Martel Paul Martin Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. Andrea McDermott Cherryl McLaughlin Maria Merrill in honor of Cecilia Berger Jone Messmer Sarah Metcalf Norman and Suzanne Metz Arthur Meyer Meyers Brothers Kalicka, PC Sophie Michaux Lisa Middents David Miller Bonnie Miller in memory of Robert Miller FrienD | CONTINUED
22 Pioneer Valley Symphony 84th Season Daniel Ross Steven Ross Eric Roth and Anne Werry Helve Saarela Patrick Sabbs Emily Samuels David Sanborn Sattva Center for Archery Training Annita and William Sawyer Susan Schaeffer Stephanie Schamess William and Ilana Schmidt David Schneider* Susan Schwarz Kathryn and Russell Scott Russell Seelig Connie Shea Thomas and Elaine Shea Deborah Sherr and William Feinstein David and Esther Short Mickey Shrair Michael and Elizabeth Shuipis Shutesbury Cultural Council Elan Sicroff Jeffrey Siegel in honor of our dear friend Mark Mason and in memory of Naomi Franklin Serghei Sleptov Linda and Harlan Smith Anna Smith and Jim Mead Anthony Speranza in memory of Karen Speranza Susan Sprung Adrian Stair Henrietta Startup Homer Stavely* Gerald Steinberg Maryellen Sullivan Kevin and Margaret Sweeney John Tassinari The Bement School Cynthia Thibeau Kathleen Thibeault in honor of Maureen T. Carney Margot Thomas Thomson Financial Management in memory of Julius Fabos Mary Jean and Jeffrey Thurlow David and Ivana Toone Calin Trenkov-Wermuth Joseph Misterka Tanisha Mitra Mary Moriarty Athena Morris Patrice Moskow George Mowry Ladimer Nagurney Cynthia Nazzaro Nancy Nelkin in memory of Cathy Vollinger Dominik Niceva Andrew Noble in honor of Ben Smar John Nuhibian Jane O’Connor Lori O’Neil Paula Olson Julie Orvis Marta Ostapiuk Robert K Ostberg Lynne Page in memory of Roland Ratté Richard Page Louis Paparazzo John Paresky Marilyn Paterno Adam Peck Susan Peck Shirley Pelletier Kara Peterman and Scott Rutherford* Lawrence D. Picard Emily and John Pietras Barbara Pilarcik in honor of Elaine T Holdsworth Rutherford Platt Jacqueline Pleet Natalie Pollock Kimball Prentiss Kyle Pruett Patricia Ramsey Jennifer Rao Tom Redmond Gail Reiner Mark Rentschler Rachael Rheaume Richard and Lynn Rice Nancy Rich Marilyn Richards and Jon Steinberg Lucy and John Robinson Timothy Rooke Paul Ross
MARCH 18, 2023 REDISCOVERING THOMAS DE HARTMANN 23 Jessica Tuttle Susan Urban Kate Ussailis Peter Van Pelt Tanya Voyevidka Cheryl Wadsworth in honor of Janet Van Blerkom Janna Walters-Gidseg in honor of Beckie Markarian Judith Wermuth-Atkinson James Whetstone Whitelaw and Margaret Wilson in honor of Orca Giarrusso Emily Whitted Ali and Jeannette Wicks-Lim in honor of Lee Wicks Roy and Janet Williams Martha Wilson Susan Wilson Amy Wilson-Stayton Patricia Wisch in memory of Julius Fabos Richard Wizansky John and Ann Wood Emily Young Jeanne Young Lotus Yu Marya Zilberberg IN-KIND CONTRIBUTORS A2Z Science and Learning Store Academy of Music Alex Meade Bikeworks Amherst Books Amy Patt Baker Office Supply Beckie Markarian Black Birch Vineyard Book Links Cameron Joseph Wilson Electric Carol Coan/ Get Your Death In Order Cecilia Berger Central Rock Gym Hadley Chirgwin Insurance CopyCat Northampton David Ross David E. Schneider Diana Peelle Downtown Sounds Elegant Affairs Enchanted Forest Coffee Enjoy Esselon Cafe Falcetti Pianos Focus Springfield Forest Flowers Frontier Community Access Television Giving Circle Thrift Greenfield Community Television Greenfield Cooperative Bank Greenfield Public Schools Gretchen Plotkin Hannoush Jewelers Hillside Pizza Laurie Israel Le Bonton Liz Lachlan Luthier’s Co-op Lynn Lovell Marilyn Richards Mass Match Master Weaver Susan Wright Mill River Music Moldavite Dreams Nancy Rich NNCC CRV Youthbuild PINCH Plum Pulse Cafe Richardson’s Candy Kitchen Rise Above Bakery Springfield Symphony Hall Springfield Symphony Orchestra Stamell Stringed Instruments Steve Smith Strada Essentials Stop & Shop Tandem Bagel Shop Thai Blue Ginger Thai Place Tower Theaters Tree House Brewing Company Tuyet Linh LaFleur UMass Fine Arts Center Wendy Foxmyn FrienD | CONTINUED
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 15 ARTISTIC STAFF BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH MUSIC SINCE 1939 TIANHUI NG ANTHONY FERREIRA E. WAYNE ABERCROMBIE GRANT MOSS STEVEN BATHORY-PEELER MUSIC DIRECTOR ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR INTERIM CHORUS DIRECTOR CHORUS ACCOMPANIST YOUTH ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR DAVID E. SCHNEIDER JAMES LEGRAND DAVID NEWLAND & P. AL WILLIAMS RESIDENT MUSICOLOGIST LEGRANDICE AUDIO NORTHAMPTON OPEN MEDIA PRODUCTION CONTRIBUTORS OPERATIONS STAFF KAREN COLE CASEY GILMAN TUYET LINH LAFLEUR ROBIN LUBEROFF EMESE NEMETH JANNA WALTERS-GIDSEG USHER COORDINATOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT PERSONNEL MANAGER & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR ORCHESTRA LIBRARIAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS KARA PETERMAN AMY PATT PETER KRAVETZ ANDREA MCDERMOTT MAUREEN CARNEY KRISTIN DONOHUE DEBBIE FELTON AARON LAKOTA ALEX MEADE JOHN THOMAS RON WEISS TERRY RUGGLES PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER CLERK DIRECTOR EMERITUS artistic leadership operations BOARD OF DIRECTORS 239-R Main Street Greenfield MA 01301 413.773.3664 pvsoc.org Tianhui Ng Anthony Ferreira David E. Schneider Allegra Martin Larry Picard Nell Wiener Music Director Assistant Conductor Resident Musicologist Chorus Director Chorus Accompanist Youth Orchestra Director Karen Cole Casey Gilman Kristiana Labuga Tuyet Linh Lafleur Robin Luberoff Janna Walters-Gidseg Usher Coordinator Administrative Coordinator & Youth Orchestra Manager Marketing & Communications Coordinator Production & Personnel Manager Orchestra Librarian Executive Director Kara Peterman Amy Patt Ian Coddington Alex Meade Cecilia R. Berger Maureen Carney Aaron Lakota Craig Machado Ben Smar John H. Thomas Ron Weiss Terry Ruggles President Vice President Treasurer Clerk Director Emeritus
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 16 SEASON
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 17
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 18 SEASON Pianist/guitarist/composer Clifton J. Noble, Jr. is a sought-after musical collaborator who performs across a wide range of genres and styles. His original compositions and arrangements have been played by professional and student choral and instrumental ensembles and by soloists throughout the U.S. and around the world. The music he composes reflects a diverse and eclectic range of influences. Noble’s works are published by Subito Music, Warner Chappell, and ArtistTec, Inc., a company founded and managed with his wife, writer and editor Kara Noble. His compositions have been recorded by artists including saxophonist Lynn Klock, the Brigham Young University Women’s Chorus, Anima: The Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus, and violinist Joel Pitchon. From 1986 until his retirement in 2020, Noble accompanied faculty, staff, students, and ensembles in the Smith College Music Department as a collaborative pianist. He has written classical music features and reviews for the Springfield Republican newspapers since 1988. He holds a BA from Amherst College (1983) and an MA from Smith College (1988), where he studied composition with M. Lewis Spratlan and Donald Wheelock. Photo credit; Jon Crispin. GUEST COMPOSER CLIFTON J. NOBLE Best wishes to the Pioneer Valley Symphony on your 83rd season! 99 Prouty Street Springfield, MA 01119 [email protected] TEL: 413-796-8150 FAX: 413-214-6952 MEMBER MA & RI BAR [email protected] Pianist/guitarist/composer Clifton J. Noble, Jr. is a sought-after musical collaborator who performs across a wide range of genres and styles. His original compositions and arrangements have been played by professional and student choral and instrumental ensembles and by soloists throughout the U.S. and around the world. The music he composes reflects a diverse and eclectic range of influences. Noble’s works are published by Subito Music, Warner Chappell, and ArtistTec, Inc., a company founded and managed with his wife, writer and editor Kara Noble. His compositions have been recorded by artists including saxophonist Lynn Klock, the Brigham Young University Women’s Chorus, Anima: The Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus, and violinist Joel Pitchon. From 1986 until his retirement in 2020, Noble accompanied faculty, staff, students, and ensembles in the Smith College Music Department as a collaborative pianist. He has written classical music features and reviews for the Springfield Republican newspapers since 1988. He holds a BA from Amherst College (1983) and an MA from Smith College (1988), where he studied composition with M. Lewis Spratlan and Donald Wheelock. Photo credit; Jon Crispin. GUEST COMPOSER CLIFTON J. NOBLE Best wishes to the Pioneer Valley Symphony on your 83rd season! 99 Prouty Street Springfield, MA 01119 [email protected] TEL: 413-796-8150 FAX: 413-214-6952 MEMBER MA & RI BAR Pianist/guitarist/composer Clifton J. Noble, Jr. is a sought-after musical collaborator who performs across a wide range of genres and styles. His original compositions and arrangements have been played by professional and student choral and instrumental ensembles and by soloists throughout the U.S. and around the world. The music he composes reflects a diverse and eclectic range of influences. Noble’s works are published by Subito Music, Warner Chappell, and ArtistTec, Inc., a company founded and managed with his wife, writer and editor Kara Noble. His compositions have been recorded by artists including saxophonist Lynn Klock, the Brigham Young University Women’s Chorus, Anima: The Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus, and violinist Joel Pitchon. From 1986 until his retirement in 2020, Noble accompanied faculty, staff, students, and ensembles in the Smith College Music Department as a collaborative pianist. He has written classical music features and reviews for the Springfield Republican newspapers since 1988. He holds a BA from Amherst College (1983) and an MA from Smith College (1988), where he studied composition with M. Lewis Spratlan and Donald Wheelock. Photo credit; Jon Crispin. GUEST COMPOSER CLIFTON J. NOBLE Best wishes to the Pioneer Valley Symphony on your 83rd season! 99 Prouty Street Springfield, MA 01119 [email protected] TEL: 413-796-8150 FAX: 413-214-6952 MEMBER MA & RI BAR THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS!
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 19 ANTHONY FERREIRA ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Anthony C. Ferreira (ASCAP) is a composer, conductor, educator, and filmmaker based in western Massachusetts. He has written and produced six albums of varied genres and enjoys an active career writing and producing for local singers and rappers. As a film composer, Ferreira has over fifty scores to his credit, from animated shorts to feature-length films. He holds a B.Mus. in Composition from UMass Amherst and an M.Mus in Choral Conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Ferreira currently serves as the Director of Vocal Music at Suffield High School, as well as the Director of the Longmeadow Rock Voices. David E. Schneider has a former life as a professional clarinetist that includes recordings of Copland’s Clarinet Concerto and works written for him by Eric Sawyer, Lew Spratlan, and Daniel Palkowski. A graduate of Harvard College (A.B.) and the University of California at Berkeley (Ph.D.), his day job since 1997 has been as a professor of music history, music theory, and chamber music at Amherst College, where he serves as the Georges Lurcy Professor of Music and European Studies and Dean of the Class of 2023. His publications include Bartók, Hungary, and the Renewal of Tradition (University of California Press, 2006) and articles, chapters, and reviews on subjects including Hungarian opera, Anton Webern, W.A. Mozart, and the genre of the concerto. David is proud to be pre-concert lecturer and program-note writer for PVS since 2013. DAVID SCHNEIDER Resident Musicologist
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 20 SEASON Violinist Samuel Vargas Teixeira has received wide recognition for his powerful artistry and awards including First Prize of the Sphinx Competition (2021), Yamaha Young Performing Artist (2019), Grand Prize of the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2019), First Prize in Atlanta’s GA Philharmonic Competition (2017), and Concertmaster Ambassador of the United Nations (2014). Vargas holds the Pin Artistic Merits from City Key of Prince Georgeand Central Bank in Canada and has performed on tours in 40 countries, collaborating with acclaimed artists like Gustavo Dudamel, Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim, Claudio Abbado, and Christian Vasquez. Vargas began his violinistic journey through Venezuela’s El Sistema Program. In 2017 Samuel won the prestigious Woodruff Award enabling him to study with his current mentor and professor Sergiu Schwartz at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University. He is the founder and president of the Samuel Vargas International Music Foundation, an organization that is enriching communities and society through the power of classical music, emphasizing a holistic approach to music education, and supporting students in all areas of studies and well-being. Through his passionate work and entrepreneurship, he has founded eight active Venezuelan chamber orchestras as well as mentored students across South America. Vargas recently published his first book, The Art of Giving and Receiving; The Person Behind the Violin, which encompasses the art of teaching and focuses on establishing a relationship between the musician and their inner being. Samuel plays a Wojciech Topa 2020 Guarneri del Gesu model. SAMUEL VARGAS VIOLIN, OCTOBER 8
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 21 As an international soloist, South African native Dr. Cobus du Toit has concertized in Russia, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Australia, Norway, and France. Pretoria News declared: “du Toit makes you believe the impossible. With du Toit in flight, one is never aware of technique alone. He is driven by purely musical inspiration.” Concerto appearances include performances with the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic; Taurida International Symphony Orchestra in St. Petersburg, Russia; Boulder Philharmonic; Johannesburg Festival Orchestra; and Boulder Chamber Orchestra. Cobus has also been the principal flute for the Boulder Chamber Orchestra since 2010. For the Naxos recording label, professional recordings include three albums of the complete flute oeuvre by Jacques Castérède. An advocate for new music, other creative projects include #WeBringFlowers, a set of five socially-conscious commissions that deal with societal violence in a non-political manner. His compositional and creative work has been featured in the Massachusetts Museum of Modern Art and Oslo, Norway at the ITAC6 conference. Cobus received his M.M. and D.M.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Pretoria. His principal teachers include John Hinch and Christina Jennings. Cobus serves as the Associate Professor of Flute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and is a Wm. S. Haynes performing artist. COBUS DU TOIT FLUTE, NOVEMBER 20
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 22 SEASON
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 23 Tickets Available Now springfieldsymphony.org
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 24 SEASON Pianist Elan Sicroff has specialized in the music of Thomas de Hartmann since the early 1970s. From 1975 to 1979 he worked with Mme. Olga de Hartmann, widow of the composer, and gave numerous performances of de Hartmann’s music under her auspices. In 2006, Elan was invited by guitarist Robert Fripp (King Crimson) to spearhead the Thomas de Hartmann Project, which aims to bring de Hartmann’s music back to the listening audience. In 2010, Elan and Gert-Jan Blom embarked on a five-year project to record a large portion of de Hartmann’s music. The seven-CD box set entitled The Thomas de Hartmann Project: Music for Piano, Voice and Chamber Ensemble was recently rereleased by Nimbus Alliance (UK). The music has drawn widespread critical acclaim. Elan has since given many performances and lecture recitals throughout the U.S. and Europe to build awareness of de Hartmann’s music and the ideas that inform it, as well as his fascinating life story. In September 2021 Elan performed and recorded de Hartmann’s colorful and exciting Piano Concerto Op. 61 with the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, under the baton of Tianhui Ng. Orchestral Music of Thomas de Hartmann was released in 2022 on Nimbus Records. For further information about the Thomas de Hartmann Project, please visit: sicroff.com thomasdehartmannproject.com facebook.com/TDHProject ELAN SICROFF PIANO, MARCH 18
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 25
PIONEER VALLEY SYMPHONY 84th 26 SEASON (413) 772-0105 COHNANDCOMPANY.COM TIME TO SCORE YOUR NEXT HOME? HIT THE RIGHT KEY. COHN AND COMPANY CONDUCTING MOVEMENTS SINCE 1948. THE HAMPSHIRE MUSIC CLUB Your Classical Music Meeting Place THE CLUB We are a music appreciation club that promotes classical music throughout the Pioneer Valley. We are a membership organisation with officers and directors elected by the members. Annual dues: $15. MUSICAL POTPOURRI Five weekly programs on topics related to music. Recent examples: “Two Grands, Four Hands,” “That Tantalizing Tango,” “Choral Music of Randall Thompson”. Wednesday mornings at 10:00 in early fall. GOOD NEWS ABOUT CLASSICAL MUSIC A FREE e-mailed newsletter listing classical music events in the Pioneer Valley. Every Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. For further information, call the club president, Pat Kapitzky, at 413-575- JUDY or e-mail Peter Jones at [email protected].
2022 / 2023 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC 27