Holland Symphony Orchestra

Pops at the Pier: Broadway Our Way
2024-06-20 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Eldean’s Boat Shed, 2150 S. Shore Drive, Holland, 49423, United States
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Program
Thursday, June 20, 2024Eldean Boat Shed #3
Lisa Vroman & Doug LaBrecque, soloists
6:00 p.m.Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra
Program announced from the stage
7:00 p.m.Holland Symphony Orchestra
ACT ONE
Broadway Fantasy Overture
Wunderbar
Trolley Song/I Could Have Danced All Night
I Want to Go Back to Michigan
76 Trombones
Till There Was You
S’Wonderful
I Got Rhythm
ACT TWO
West Side Story Overture
Begin the Beguine
In The Still of The Night
Jesus Christ Superstar Overture
Art is Calling Me
All I Ask of You
Thursday, June 20, 2024 Eldean Boatshed #3, Macatawa
Online ticket sales for Pops at the Pier: Back to Broadway have ended. We have plenty of tickets available for sale at the door, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Click below to see a video from last year’s Pops at the Pier concert!
https://hollandsymphony.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Pops-on-the-Pier-1-2.mp4
6:00pm Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra7:00pm Holland Symphony Orchestra with Lisa Vroman and Doug LaBrecque
Pops at the Pier on Thursday, June 20, rain or shine! Two Broadway favorites join your symphony in an extraordinary evening revisiting classic songs from Broadway’s Golden Age and beyond. The most popular tunes from Porter, Gershwin, Berlin, Hamlisch, Lloyd Webber and more are sung by Phantom of the Opera stars Lisa Vroman and Doug LaBrecque. With unforgettable melodies and beautiful lyrics, their incredible vocal talents make this an elegant and memorable evening of beloved songs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I park?Parking is first come, first served.
What can I eat?
Food trucks from Da Kidd Bar-B-Que, Kitchen 55, and Mezkla will open at 5:30. Beer, wine, and other beverages will also be available for sale.
What time does everything happen?
5:30: Doors open! Food will be ready!
6:00: Holland Jazz Orchestra performs
7:00: Holland Symphony Orchestra begins, joined by Broadway Stars Lisa Vroman and Doug LaBrecque
Do I need to bring a chair?
We encourage you to bring a chair. Many people like to bring their own chairs, so they can sit close to the action, on the sides, or sit in the back of the shed or by the open windows to catch the breeze. We have 700 chairs available on a first come, first served basis.
What happens if it rains?
Everything at this concert is inside the boat shed except the food trucks. The concert will happen rain or shine. Bring an umbrella to get your food.
What about the heat?
HSO will have all possible doors and windows open to encourage airflow. Keep hydrated and dress lightly! Beverages will be available. Bring a chair so you can sit somewhere with the most breeze!
Where are my tickets?
If you selected “Will Call” tickets when you placed your order, your tickets will be available to pick up at the “Will Call” table in the lobby. All your tickets for the whole season will be stapled together. Keep your tickets for future concerts. HSO will not print your tickets again unless you request it.
If you selected “Print at Home” tickets when you placed your order, click on the blue box that says “Print Tickets.” Bring these tickets to the concert.
If you selected “Mobile Tickets” when you placed your order, click on the blue box that says “View Mobile Tickets.” Take ascreen shot of each of your tickets.
If you know you bought tickets but don’t have them, email adykhouse@hollandsymphony.org or call the office (616-796-6780) and we will take care of you.
If you have any questions regarding your order, please contact the HSO office at hso@hollandsymphony.org or 616-796-6780.
Some patrons are sensitive to perfumes, colognes, and other scented products. Please consider minimizing your use of these products.
Thank you for your continued support of HSO!
This concert is sponsored by University of Michigan Health – West. Special thanks for the in-kind support of Eldean Shipyard, Waterfront Film Festival and Anchorage Marina Yacht Club.
Doug LaBrecque thrilled theatre audiences as The Phantom and Raoul in the Harold Prince production of The Phantom of the Opera. In addition, Mr. LaBrecque has starred on Broadway as Ravenal in the Hal Prince revival of ShowBoat, a role he also performed in Toronto and Chicago. He was featured in Oscar Hammerstein’s 100th Birthday Celebration Something Wonderful on Broadway at The Gershwin Theatre, and toured nationally with Les Miserables. Regionally, Mr. LaBrecque has performed leading roles in Candide, A Chorus Line, and Man of LaMancha among many others. A graduate of University of Michigan he was also featured in the world premiere of A Wonderful Life, written by Sheldon Harnick and Joe Raposo, and starred in the premiere revival of Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner’s Love Life.
One of the most prolific concert performers of his generation, Mr. LaBrecque has been a soloist with some of the world’s finest symphony orchestras including The National Symphony, The Israel Philharmonic (Tel Aviv), The Cleveland Orchestra, The San Francisco Symphony, The Detroit Symphony among many others. In the last few years, Mr. LaBrecque’s U.S. appearances have included The Fort Worth Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Houston Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and numerous engagements with The Minnesota Orchestra.
A frequent guest artist with Marvin Hamlisch, he appeared with Hamlisch at the Ravinia Festival with The Chicago Symphony and with the symphonies of Pittsburgh, San Diego, Baltimore, and numerous others.
In a tribute to Richard Rodgers, Mr. LaBrecque made his Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist with the New York Pops and during that same season he debuted with The Boston Pops. Alongside frequent collaborator Jeff Tyzik, he appeared with both the St. Louis and Seattle Symphony for their Holiday Celebrations as well as numerous performances with the Oregon Symphony, Toronto Symphony and Rochester Philharmonic. Other special engagements have included starring in Cole Porter’s Ambassador Revue with the Opera de Rennes in France, singing with Carole Bayer-Sager at Feinsteins’s in Manhattan and the Cinegrill in Los Angeles, performing alongside Broadway legend Jerry Herman with the Naples Philharmonic, and appearing onstage with Senators Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch (singing together!) at Hickory Hill, the legendary home of Ethel Kennedy.
International engagements have included The Korean National Symphony in Seoul, Korea, The Shanghai Radio Orchestra in China, The Hong Kong Philharmonic, The Brazilian Symphony Orchestra in Rio De Janeiro, The Jerusalem Symphony, The Moscow Philharmonic, The Malaysian Philharmonic, The Reutlingen Symphony in Germany and numerous return engagements with the Israel Philharmonic and the International Music Festival in The Czech Republic. In 2011 he appeared alongside piano sensation Lang Lang in a concert with The Beijing Symphony broadcast on Chinese Television. In 2017 he sang with the BBC orchestra in Sunday Night is Music Night recorded live on the BBC and featuring the music of George Gershwin.
He has appeared in Alba, Italy as a guest soloist in a tribute to Leonard Bernstein. Mr. LaBrecque has sung the role of Tony in West Side Story(Grant Park Music Festival), Candide (West Virginia Symphony) and Maximillian in Candide (Michigan Opera Theatre and Dayton Opera) and appeared with Osmo Vanska and the Minnesota orchestra in a tribute to Mr. Bernstein.
Doug’s numerous recordings include Holiday at Peace, a live recording alongside Russian conductor Edvard Tchivzhel and The Greenville Symphony, Broadway Showstoppers, a live recording with Peter Nero and The Philly Pops, Play it Again, Marvin live with The Kalamazoo Symphony and Opening Doors a solo studio recording with The National Symphony of London on Jay Records. He appears on numerous Jay Record albums: I Believe My Heart, My Personal Property, Simply Musicals, A Little Bit in Love, and Showstoppers from Broadway.
As the Director of Broadway Pops Programming for Greenberg Artists, Doug maintains a busy schedule creating and co-producing original symphonic programs and directing numerous musicals in concert. Mr. LaBrecque is also the Artistic Director of the Oconee Performing Arts Society(OPAS), 80 miles east of Atlanta in Greensboro, GA.
For upcoming engagements or additional CD information log onto www.DougLaBrecque.com
From Broadway to Classics, on stage and in concert, Lisa Vroman has established herself as one of America’s most versatile voices. She has been regarded as a “musical and theatrical marvel” by the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as “one of American Musical Theater’s most beautiful voices” by acclaimed Broadway producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh.
Lisa starred for over eight years on Broadway, in San Francisco and in Los Angeles as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera. Ms. Vroman starred as Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella, making her New York City Opera debut with Paul Sorvino playing the title role. She starred as Lili Vanessi in Kiss Me Kate with Glimmerglass Opera and the MUNY Theater of St. Louis, Anna Leonowens in The King and I with Lyric Opera of Virginia, and played Marian Paroo in The Music Man with Shirley Jones (Mrs. Paroo) and Patrick Cassidy (Harold Hill) at The Bushnell Theatre in Hartford CT. Lisa sang the role of Birdie in Regina with Utah Opera, conducted by Keith Lockhart, made her New Jersey Opera debut as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus (directed by Ira Siff), and premiered and recorded two Comic Operas by composers John Musto (Bastianello)and William Bolcom (Lucrezia) with the New York Festival of Song.
Her many performances have included a multi-city concert tour in China, concerts of Cole Porter’s 1928 La Revue des Ambassadeurs with L’Opera de Rennes in France, and playing the role of Maria Callas in Terence McNally’s award winning play, Master Class.
Lisa’s Broadway debut was in Aspects of Love. She was the first to play both Fantine and Cosette in Les Miserables. For PBS she was featured with Colm Wilkinson and Michael Ball in Cameron Mackintosh’s Hey, Mr. Producer! at a Royal Gala at the Lyceum Theatre in London. She sang the role of Johanna in the San Francisco Symphony’s Emmy Award winning PBS production of Sweeney Todd in Concert, with Patti Lupone and George Hearn. Both are available on DVD. Lisa starred as Laurey in Oklahoma, filmed live in concert for the BBC Proms Festival at Royal Albert Hall in London, played Mary Turner in Gershwin’s Of Thee I Sing/Let ’em Eat Cake in concert with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, and played Lucy Brown in Threepenny Opera at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco with Bebe Neuwirth, Nancy Dussault, and Anika Noni Rose. Other roles have included Laurie in The Tender Land, Maria in The Sound of Music, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, and Anna 1 in The Seven Deadly Sins. She has sung Maria in West Side Story, Guenevere in Camelot, Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me, as well as many other well-known musical roles.
Lisa is a George London Competition Grant recipient and a 1999 Minerva Award recipient from the State University of New York at Potsdam. She received an Undergraduate degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, a Masters degree in Fine Arts, Opera Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music from SUNY Potsdam. Ms. Vroman has become an active mentor and sought-after clinician with many colleges and universities across the country and around the world. She has acted as a judge in both the Lotte Lenya Competition for the Kurt Weill Foundation and UCLA’s Walter Jurmann Competition. In the fall of 2019 Lisa joined the voice faculty of AMDA Los Angeles as part their Bachelor of Fine Arts program.
With a repertoire that ranges from Stravinsky to Weill to Broadway, Lisa is a frequent guest soloist with theater and opera companies, and orchestras including San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, the National, Malaysia, Seattle, Hong Kong, Cleveland, Nashville, Pacific, Utah, Dallas, the Boston Pops with Keith Lockhart, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, and the Philly Pops with Peter Nero. She made her debut at The Hollywood Bowl in Disney’s 75th celebration, singing and dancing with legend Dick Van Dyke in a medley from Mary Poppins. Lisa has sung in concert with composer Stephen Schwartz, organist David Higgs, and the Empire Brass Quintet. Her solo CD, Broadway Classic, features Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe and 47 of San Francisco’s finest orchestral players. Lisa had the honor of singing at the Profiles in Courage Award dinner in Boston at the JFK Library, as a guest of the Kennedy family. She has also sung on separate occasions for Queen Elizabeth, former presidents Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, and the Library of Congress.
Lisa is part of an ongoing multimedia symphony project produced by Music Unwound and the Kurt Weill Foundation which features the work of Kurt Weill, Berthold Brecht and Marc Blitzstein. Upcoming engagements include celebrations of Broadway and the music of George Gershwin.
Lisa lives in Pasadena, CA with husband Patrick O’Neil and their beautiful dog Barber.

HSO thanks these business partners for their support of this concert!

Night at the Opera
2024-04-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
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Pre-Concert Talk

Program
Saturday, April 27, 2024, 7:30 p.m.Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director and Conductor
Marina Harris, soprano
Prelude to Die MeistersingerRichard Wagner (1813-1883)
Four Last SongsRichard Strauss (1864-1949)
Frühling (Spring)SeptemberBeim Schlafengehen (At Bedtime)Im Abendroth (At Sunset)
Marina Harris, soprano
Intermission
Suite No. 1 from CarmenGeorges Bizet (1838-1875)PreludeAragonnaiseLes Toréadors
Air for StringsArthur Foote (1853-1937)
Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

Experience the epitome of Romantic music with colorful and expressive pieces from great operas. Marina Harris, a California-based soprano, will join HSO for Strauss’s masterpiece song cycle.

Tickets are $28 for adults and $5 for students through college.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, are online under the “Pre-Concert Talk” Tab.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

Prelude to Die Meistersinger von NürnbergRichard WagnerBorn: May 22, 1813, LeipzigDied: February 13, 1883, VeniceComposed: 1861-1862Approximate Duration: 9 minutesInstrumentation: 3 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (cymbals, triangle), harp, strings
Most of Richard Wagner’s operas are based on mythological themes, but he departed from this material in his opera, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, his only mature comedic opera. In this work, written in 1861-62, he delves into the guild system of 16th century Nuremberg. The Meistersingers were a guild of amateur poets and musicians who uphold traditional rules for composing and performing songs. They organize a singing competition in which the winner wins the hand of Eva, the daughter of a Meistersinger, in marriage. Eva loves the young knight Walther von Stolzing, who is not a Meistersinger but wants to participate in the contest to win her hand. Despite lacking formal training in the Meistersingers’ rules, Walther is talented and passionate about music. Hans Sachs, a guild member, mentors Walter and helps him prepare for the competition. Walter faces ridicule and attempts at sabotage by the established Meistersingers, but he perseveres and ultimately wins the prize. The opera concludes with a celebration of art, love, and the enduring traditions of the Meistersingers.
The opera’s overture, composed in 1862, introduces the spirit and themes of the opera. It opens with a majestic brass fanfare, depicting the regal and proud traditions of the Meistersingers. This theme is juxtaposed with lighter, more playful motifs, representing the youthful energy and creativity of the apprentice singer, Walther von Stolzing. This contrast highlights the opera’s central conflict between innovation and tradition. The middle section of the Prelude features a lyrical and expressive theme, introducing the love story between Walther and Eva. This tender melody, carried by strings and woodwinds, captures the romance and emotional depth of their relationship. Towards the end, the music builds to a powerful climax, with all the thematic elements converging in a triumphant and exultant finale.
To watch a video of this piece, click here.
Four Last Songs, Op. posth.Richard StraussBorn: June 11, 1864, Munich Died: September 8, 1949, Garmisch-PartenkirchenComposed: 1948Approximate Duration: 24 minutesInstrumentation: 4 flutes (two doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (one doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon), 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, harp, celeste, strings.
Strauss composed his Four Last Songs in 1948, using poetry by Hermann Hesse and Joseph von Eichendorff. He probably had the voice of his wife, soprano Pauline de Anha, in mind when he wrote these emotional and nostalgic pieces. He often accompanied her on piano. Strauss didn’t know that these would be his “last songs.” His publisher attached the title to the song cycle after Strauss’s death, about a year after the songs were completed.
Famed soprano Renée Fleming described Strauss’s Four Last Songs as “an allegory of the passages of life.” The music is deeply personal and universally resonant, offering a profound meditation on the beauty of life, the inevitability of its passing, and the transition to whatever mystery lies beyond death. Strauss is well known as one of the most brilliant masters of orchestral color. In this work he uses a massive orchestra–one that, in the hands of a lesser composer, could easily overwhelm a singer–to create a remarkable sense of intimacy. He is especially skilled at “word painting,” using musical colors and themes to depict the words in the text. In this work Strauss shows his remarkable ability to capture the complexities of human emotion in music.
The cycle opens with “Frühling” (Spring), an introspective and tender meditation on the arrival of spring and the renewal of life. The music is filled with a sense of wonder and awe, as Strauss’s rich harmonies and soaring melodies paint a vivid picture of nature’s awakening. The soprano’s voice goes higher as she dreams of the sky and trees. The flute imitates bird calls. Strauss also adds a solo trumpet in this song and “Im Abendrot” to provide a countermelody to the soprano’s voice.
“September” follows, capturing the melancholy beauty of autumn, evoking themes of farewell and acceptance. The text reflects on the passage of time and the inevitability of change, while Strauss’s music evokes the wistful mood of the season with its poignant harmonies and delicate orchestration. The use of muted brass creates a sense of distance and nostalgia, enhancing the autumnal mood of the song.
“Beim Schlafengehen” (“Going to Sleep”) is a profound reflection on the end of the day and the approach of night, with its shimmering orchestration and ethereal vocal lines conveying a sense of calm resignation. The soprano’s soaring lines are supported by lush orchestral textures, creating a sense of calm and serenity as the day comes to a close. The sparkling celesta evokes a starry sky as the soprano yearns to forget all thoughts in slumber.
The cycle concludes with “Im Abendrot” (At Sunset), a setting of Joseph von Eichendorff’s text that portrays an elderly couple reflecting on their lives together as they face the end of their days. Strauss’s music is achingly beautiful, capturing both the sadness of farewell and the peaceful acceptance of life’s end. Two trilling flutes represent the poem’s pair of larks ascending into the sky (a metaphor for the souls of the old couple). The use of cymbals and tam-tam adds a shimmering quality to the orchestration, heightening the sense of mystery and awe in the music. The light fades as the song unfolds, until the soprano asks, “Ist dies etwa der Tod?” (“Is this perhaps death?”). The orchestra whispers the wistful “transfiguration” theme from Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration, written sixty years earlier.
To watch a video of this piece, click here.
“Prélude & Aragonaise” and “Les Toréadors” from CarmenGeorges BizetBorn: October 25, 1838, ParisDied: June 3, 1875, near ParisComposed: 1873-1874Premiered: March 3, 1875, Opéra-Comique in ParisApproximate Duration: 5 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (one doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion (bass drum, castanets, cymbals, snare drum, tambourine, triangle), harp, strings
When French people went to the comic opera in the nineteenth century, they were used to fairy tale stories with “happily ever after” endings. It is understandable, then, that most of them were shocked and appalled at Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen, based on the play by Merimée. In this opera, Don José, a young soldier, is betrothed to Micaëla, his childhood sweetheart. She is good and faithful, refusing the advances of other young men. Don José starts out as a “good” character. He initially ignores the fiery Gypsy girl, Carmen, who works at the cigarette factory in Seville, but Carmen is not used to being ignored and soon seduces him. As Micaëla tries to rescue him, Don José loses his ability to act rationally and becomes obsessed with Carmen. Once Carmen wins Don José, she quickly tires of him and pursues the vain and swaggering matador Escamillo. Don José cannot give up his consuming love for Carmen, but she cannot become tied down to him and give up her freedom. Don José, in a fit of jealous rage, stabs her, and she and the curtain fall.
Initially, Carmen met with mixed reviews. Many at the time considered it a failure. Actually, although the opera received some adverse criticism for the “indelicacy” of its subject, it met with fair success at the box office, being performed thirty-three times in the two-month period between its premiére and the death of Bizet from a ruptured artery. Eventually an orchestral suite was extracted from themes throughout the opera. Most of the movements come from orchestral interludes meant to entertain the audience while the scenery was changed. The Prélude sets an ominous tone for the opera and introduces the “Fate” theme. The “Aragonaise” is rhythmic and percussive, and is the introduction to the final act of the opera. The “Toréadors” movement contains two melodies from the opera. Its opening theme comes from the prelude of the opera, and it also reappears in the final scene outside the bullring in Seville. This melody is charged with excitement. The contrasting melody is from the suave “Toréador Song,” an aria that Escamillo sings as he tries to interest Carmen. In this aria, Escamillo sings of the similarity of matadors to soldiers and sings prophetically of danger.
To watch a video of this piece, click here.

Air for StringsArthur FooteBorn: March 5, 1853, Salem, MassachusettsDied: April 8, 1937, BostonComposed: 1891, BostonApproximate Duration: 5 minutesInstrumentation: strings
Arthur Foote was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He showed musical talent at a young age and began studying piano and composition. He graduated from Harvard and is the first significant American composer who was trained in the US. As a composer he was a member of the “Second New England School” of composers and the “Boston Six,” which also included George Whitefield Chadwick, Amy Beach, Edward MacDowell, John Knowles Paine, and Horatio Parker. This group of composers sought to create a distinct American musical identity by blending European Romantic traditions with American folk and indigenous music. Foote was an organist at First Church in Boston for 32 years and one of the founders of the American Guild of Organists. He was also a respected teacher, serving on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music for many years. His influence extended to many younger American composers, including Charles Ives, who admired Foote’s music and considered him a mentor.
Foote frequently programmed the music of the Romantic composers, such as Brahms and Wagner, who were influences on his own compositional style. Foote’s music is characterized by its lyrical melodies, rich harmonies, and meticulous craftsmanship. The “Air” for string orchestra showcases his gifts. It has a lyrical and flowing melody, which is passed between the different sections of the orchestra. The gentle and contemplative mood of the “Air” creates a sense of serenity and introspection, drawing the listener into its melodic beauty.
To listen to this piece, click here.
Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59Richard StraussBorn: June 11, 1864, Munich Died: September 8, 1949, Garmisch-PartenkirchenComposed: 1909-1910Premiered: Suite in 1945Approximate Duration: 22 minutesInstrumentation: 3 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (one doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (one doubling e-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, 3 bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon), 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, ratchet, snare drum, tambourine, triangle), 2 harps, celeste, strings.
Richard Strauss composed his opera, Der Rosenkavalier, between 1909 and 1910. The romantic comedy is set in 18th century Vienna, based on a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The plot revolves around a love triangle between three characters: the noblewoman Marschallin, her young lover Octavian, and Sophie, who is in the process of getting engaged to Baron Ochs. Octavian is tasked to present the engagement rose to Sophie at a formal party, but at this ceremony, the Baron flirts with a chambermaid, who is actually Octavian in disguise. Sophie also meets Octavian there, while undisguised, and they fall in love. The action continues with a series of misunderstandings and comedic situations. At the end, the disguised Octavian conspires with the noblewoman Marschallin to expose the Baron’s unfaithfulness. Sophie learns about Octavian’s dual identity and confronts him. They eventually reconcile, and their union is gracefully honored by the Marchallin.
The suite from Der Rosenkavalier is a collection of musical highlights from the opera. Strauss himself arranged this work in the early 1940s, capturing the essence of the opera’s rich orchestration, lush harmonies, and captivating melodies. The music begins with the strings, which are soon joined by the full orchestra. It features a rich, romantic melody that is passed between the different sections of the orchestra, building in intensity and grandeur as it progresses. The next section, “Presentation of the Rose,” features a beautiful duet between the young lovers Octavian and Sophie. The music is tender and lyrical, with lush harmonies and delicate textures, reflecting the blossoming romance between the two characters.
The waltz has long been associated with Viennese elegance and sophistication, and the lively and energetic “Waltz Sequence” captures that spirit perfectly. The graceful melodies, swirling rhythms, and elegant orchestration evoke the glamor and charm of a Viennese ball. This movement is a showcase for Strauss’s skill as an orchestrator, with its intricate textures and shimmering colors.
The final section, from the final trio of the opera, is a poignant and emotional conclusion to the suite. The voices sing a heartfelt farewell, accompanied by lush orchestral textures. The music is tender and poignant, with a bittersweet quality that reflects the characters’ conflicting emotions. The orchestration is rich and expressive, with lush harmonies and soaring melodies that tug at the heartstrings. The trio builds to a dramatic climax before resolving in a peaceful and serene conclusion, bringing the suite to a satisfying close.
To watch a video of this piece, click here.

Marina Harris, soprano
Heralded by the San Francisco Chronicle for her “knockout combination of vocal power and expressive eloquence,” soprano Marina Harris is quickly establishing herself as a talent to watch. An alumna of the prestigious Adler Fellowship program at the San Francisco Opera, Ms. Harris’ appearances with the company included four world premiere operas; Nolan Gasser’s The Secret Garden (in the role of Susan Sowerby), Mark Adamo’s The Gosepel of Mary Magdalene (Tamar/Girl/Seeker), Tobias Picker’s Dolores Claiborne (Maid), Jack Perla’s Love/Hate (Samantha), and covering numerous leading roles, most notably the role of Elsa in Lohengrin. In September 2013, she garnered national attention as a last-minute replacement for Patricia Racette in the role of Elena (Helen of Troy) in San Francisco Opera’s season-opening production of Boito’s Mefistofele.
Marina has also joined the roster of the Los Angeles Opera to cover the verismo roles of Nedda in Pagliacci and the title role in Madama Butterfly. She has made leading role debuts with Opera Idaho (Tatiana in Eugene Onegin), Pacific Opera Project (title role in Ariadne auf Naxos) and the Southern Illinois Music Festival (Mathilde in Guillaume Tell). Ms. Harris’ international credits include the Festival der jugend Stimmen in Switzerland as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser and as a guest performer with the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in Chengdu, China. 2021-22 saw performances with The Infinite Stage in her hometown of Long Beach, a return to Southern Illinois in the role of Fiordiligi (Felicia) in Così fan tutte (aka Covid fan tutte), a company debut with GLOW Lyric Theater in their 2021 Festival, Berta in The Barber of Seville with the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, Colette in the world premiere of Laura Schwendiger’s Cabaret of Shadows with Musiqa Houston, the Marquise of Berkenfield in La Fille du Regiment with the Opera Buffs at the Colburn School of Music, and performances at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City with composer and pianist Felix Jarrar. In 2023, Marina sang with the Sun Valley Opera in recital with crossover star Ashley Faatoalia, the soprano solos in Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 (Lobgesang) with the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, and released a debut EP with her band Bones & Teeth.
From the baroque period to contemporary, Marina has been featured as a soprano soloist in a diverse range of repertoire, including Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection), Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor, Verdi’s Requiem, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, and J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor. Additionally, she has performed in the West Coast premieres of Charles Stanford’s Stabat Mater and Cecelia MacDowall’s Magnificat with the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra. She originated the role of Angelina (wife of famous Portuguese diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who helped at least 10,000 Jews escape Nazi Germany during WWII) in Bruce Neely’s oratorio, Circular 14. Ms. Harris has been a guest soloist with the Marin Symphony, the California Symphony, the West Los Angeles Symphony, and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, among many others. In recital, Marina has appeared with Carnegie Hall’s Neighborhood Concert Series, with the Brava! Opera Theater, as part of The Song Continues with Marilyn Horne and the Weill Institute of Music, and with San Francisco Performances. She has also been featured on WQRX, New York’s leading classical radio station, along with baritone Norman Garrett and Ken Noda of the Metropolitan Opera.
In 2015, Ms. Harris was awarded the Dorothea-Glatt-Förderpreis in the triennial International Wagnerstimmen Competition, securing her place as one of the top singers of Wagnerian repertoire worldwide. Marina has won numerous other awards for her performances of the Wagnerian repertoire, including the 2015 George London Vienna Prize and the George London-Leonie Rysanek Award in 2014, and the Gerda Lissner Foundation’s Vocal Competition in both 2015 and 2017. She has received additional grants and awards from the Wagner Society of Northern California, the Merola Opera Program, the Palm Springs Opera Guild, and the Loren L. Zachary International Vocal Competition.
Ms. Harris resides in Long Beach, California
To watch the pre-concert talk, click here.

HSYO Spring Concert
2024-03-24 15:00 - 17:00 | DeWitt Auditorium, Zeeland East High School, 3333 96th Ave., Zeeland, 49464, United States
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Sunday, March 24 at 3:00pm
Zeeland East High School

HOLLAND AREA JUNIOR STRINGS
Kyle Nester, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerJaclyn Klinger, ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Salisbury Overture by Terry McQuilkin
Pastoral Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven/arr. Christina Hans
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, 1st movement by Johann Sebastian Bach/arr. Merle J. Isaac

HOLLAND AREA CONCERT STRINGS
Kyle Nester, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerJaclyn Klinger, ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Ancient Wonders Suite by Todd Parrish
I. Temple of Artemis at EphesusII. The Great Lighthouse at AlexandriaIII. The Great Pyramid at GizaIV. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Lullaby by William Hofeldt
Jupiter from The Planets by Gustav Holst/arr. Deborah Baker Monday
COMBINED STRINGS
Fantasia Española by Soon Hee Newbold
HOLLAND AREA YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Christopher Fashun, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerJaclyn Klinger, ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Symphony No. 8 in G Major, by Antonín DvořákAllegro con brio AdagioAllegro ma non troppo
Libertango, by Astor Piazzolla/arr. Lito Valle
Tickets will be available for purchase at dress rehearsal and at the door – $10 for adults and $5 for students ages 6-college. Children under 6 are free.
Kyle Nester
Kyle Nester graduated from Alma College in 2004 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree. While in college, he participated in orchestra, marching band, jazz band, percussion ensemble, and choir. Mr. Nester spent a term in Vienna, Austria and studied violin with Maeve Auer from the Universitat fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst. After college, he was a soloist in the Baroque on Beaver Music Festival and performed with Josh Groban a few times. After a long-term substitute teacher position in Fremont, Michigan, he taught 5th – 12th grade orchestra at Chippewa Hills School District for seven years. After his wife Andrea finished her law degree at Michigan State University, the couple moved to West Michigan. He started teaching at Holland Christian in 2012 and Andrea was employed in a law firm in downtown Grand Rapids. Recently, Mr. Nester has been interested in fiddling and started the Michigan Academy of Folk Music with Nate Roberts from Hope College.
Mr. Nester enjoys running races, enjoying nature, playing music, and traveling. They have three “interesting” cats and a planted freshwater fish tank.
Christopher H. Fashun
Christopher H. Fashun is an incredibly diverse and versatile conductor, performer, and educator. He brings over two decades of experience as a music educator leading middle school, high school and collegiate band and orchestra programs in addition to directing jazz and percussion ensembles.
A 2018 recipient of a U.S. Postdoctoral Fulbright Award in All Disciplines, Dr. Fashun will be living and researching Afro-Brazilian music in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil during the summer of 2019. His project will focus on the dissemination of Afro-Brazilian music and culture in the city of Salvador.
An accomplished percussionist and violist, he has several years of orchestral and chamber music experience and has enjoyed success in both areas as a soloist by winning three concerto competitions, one on viola and two on marimba.
Dr. Fashun is an active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and percussionist. He is a frequent presenter at music education conferences and is a highly sought after clinician and conductor. Notable engagements include the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra, Holland Symphony Orchestra, Elkhart Symphony Orchestra, St. Ambrose University Community Symphony Orchestra, the University of Iowa Philharmonia and All-University Orchestras. Dr. Fashun has conducted the Symphony String Orchestra at the Iowa IMEA Conference for the All-State Iowa Junior Honors String Orchestra Festival Concert and the Midwest Mennonite Festival Orchestra and Concert Band. He has served on the music faculties at St. Ambrose University, Goshen College, and Hope College.
His research in conducting combines developing musicianship from the podium and health and wellness for music educators.
When he’s not making music, he is either cycling, paddle boarding, or practicing Pilates and enjoying the fabulous beaches in Holland (in the summer, of course) with his wife and daughter.

Link Up - The Orchestra Moves
2024-03-11 09:00 - 12:00 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States

Surprise Symphony
2024-03-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
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Program
Saturday, March 9, 20234, 7:30 p.m.Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director and Conductor
Sarah Southard, Oboe
Two Pieces for Small OrchestraFrederick Delius (1862-1934)
On Hearing the First Cuckoo in SpringSummer Night on the River
Danzas de PanamaWilliam Grant Still (1895-1978)
Tamborito: ModeratoMejorana y Socavón: Allegro moderatoPunto: Allegretto con graziaCumbia y Congo: Allegro con moto
Oboe Concerto, Op. 45Eugene Goosens (1897-1988)
Sarah Southard, oboe
Intermission
Symphony No. 94 in G Major, “Surprise”Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Adagio; Vivace assaiAndanteMenuetto: Allegro moltoAllegro di molto

Enjoy the relaxing quality of Delius’s pieces, the delightful Latin rhythms of William Grant Still’s set of dances, and the musicality of HSO principal oboist Sarah Southard in the first half of this concert. The second half will delight you with Haydn’s playful and well-known “Surprise Symphony.”
Tickets are $28 for adults and $5 for students through college.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, are online under the “Pre-Concert Talk” Tab.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

Two Pieces for Small OrchestraFrederick Delius
Born: January 29, 1862 in Bradford, EnglandDied: June 10, 1934 in Grez-sur-Loing, FranceComposed: 1912Premiered: October 23, 1913, in LeipzigApproximate Duration: 7 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes, 1 oboe, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, strings
English composer Frederick Delius tried his hand at a lot of things in his young adulthood. He failed in an attempt to run an orange grove in Florida. He taught music in Virginia, and spent some time as an organist in New York. He also pursued a musical apprenticeship at the Leipzig Conservatory, where he befriended Edvard Grieg and met his wife, a German painter. After receiving an inheritance from his father, a wealthy German wool merchant who found a lot of success in Manchester, England, he moved to France and bought a villa in Grez-sur-Loing. He and his wife lived in relative isolation there, supported largely by inheritances that they both received. He composed pieces that were well-received in parts of continental Europe and Scandinavia, but he had more trouble gaining a foothold in his native England. Two friends gave him similar advice. Peter Warlock said, “Write some short pieces for small orchestra, and English orchestras will devour them.” Percy Grainger advised him, “I do wish you had in print some piece for not too big orchestra & not too wildly hard … that could be performed with an hour’s rehearsal & then form part of the general repertory.”
Delius wrote these orchestral miniatures–two short tone poems–in 1912. “On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring” is one of Delius’s most played and beloved works. It combines a French Impressionist language with English lyricism. It has a bittersweet mood, reflecting the inevitable passing of seasons and time. Composers often assign cuckoo calls to the clarinet, and Delius is no exception. After this beginning the violins then introduce a Norwegian folk song, “In Ola Valley,” which Percy Grainger had introduced to Delius. This piece is a dialogue between strings and woodwinds, between the cuckoo call, played sixteen times by the clarinet, and the folk tune. “Summer Night on the River” depicts the Loing River near the French village of Grez where Delius lived. His gardens bloomed along the edge of the river. This piece is particularly Impressionistic, portraying mist over the river and the gentle rocking of boats. A peaceful cello solo depicts the quiet river on a warm summer evening.
To watch video of “On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring,” click here.
To listen to “Summer Night on the River,” click here.
Danzas de PanamáWilliam Grant Still
Born: May 11, 1895, Woodville, MississippiDied: December 3, 1978, Los AngelesComposed: 1948Approximate Duration: 15 minutesInstrumentation: strings
William Grant Still, Jr. was born in a small Mississippi town. His parents were teachers and musicians. HIs father, William Grant Still, Sr., died when he was three months old. His mother moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and continued teaching high school English. She eventually remarried in 1904, and Still’s stepfather nurtured his interest in music, buying him records and taking him to concerts and operettas. Still began violin lessons at age fifteen and also taught himself to play clarinet, saxophone, oboe, viola, cello, and bass.
Following his mother’s wishes, Still pursued pre-medical training at Wilberforce University, a historically black college in Ohio. While there he conducted the band, started composing and orchestrating music, and learned several more instruments. He left Wilberforce before graduating and pursued musical studies at Oberlin College, funded by a small inheritance from his father. That money didn’t last long, and he had to work a lot to pay for his education. Eventually some faculty, who were impressed with his musical abilities, noticed his challenges and created a scholarship just for him. Still subsequently studied composition with the modern French composer Edgard Varése and American composer George Whitefield Chadwick.
Early in Still’s career he spent a lot of time in New York City. He worked for W. C. Handy’s band and performed with many notable pit orchestras. He arranged a lot of music for the popular NBC radio broadcasts Deep River Hour and Old Gold Show. He was prominent in the Harlem Renaissance movement and is known as the “Dean of African-American composers.” He eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he continued performing and composing and arranged music for films including Pennies from Heaven and Lost Horizon.
During a time in the United States when Jim Crow laws were common, William Grant Still attained a level of musical prominence that would have seemed impossible for almost any other person of color. He claims many “firsts” for African-American composers.

He was the first black man to conduct a major American orchestra, leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in 1936.
He was the first black composer to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. The Rochester Philharmonic, conducted by Howard Hanson, performed Still’s Afro-American Symphony in 1931.
He was the first black man to conduct an orchestra in the deep south, leading the New Orleans Philharmonic in 1955.
He was the first to have an opera performed by a major company (Troubled Island, 1949, in NYC), and the first to have an opera performed on national television (Bayou Legend in 1981).

As a composer, Still is known for blending European art music and African-American melodies like those in spirituals and scales and harmonies from jazz and blues. This is evident in his Danzas de Panamá, a suite of dances based on Panamanian dance themes originally collected by Elizabeth Waldo. The first movement, “Tamborito,” is based on an African theme probably brought to Panama by enslaved peoples. This traditional Panamanian dance uses a familiar habañera rhythm (3+2) and is performed with voice or strings and percussion. Still includes a percussive statement at the beginning and end of the movement. This music alternates between two dances, one thoughtful and chromatic and one rhythmic and fast. “Mejorana y Socavón” reflects two types of Panamanian guitars. The melody is innocent and relaxed, with an improvisatory style. The middle section is rhythmically aggressive. The third movement, “Punto,” is a graceful dance characterized by Zapateo (shoe-tapping) and Paseo (Promenade), which also occur in the Mejorana. It has the feel of courtship enacted by two dancers. The last movement also has African origins and is the most sensual of all the dances. Still uses non-traditional percussive ways of playing string instruments to add additional colors and effects to his music. These two folk dances, cumbia and congo, feature a driving tempo that suggests pounding feet and swirling colorful dresses, leading to a fast and exciting conclusion.
To listen to Danzas de Panamá, click here.
Concerto in One Movement for Oboe & Orchestra, Op. 45Eugene Goossens
Born: May 26, 1893, LondonDied: June 13, 1962, Hillingdon, Middlesex, EnglandComposed: 1927Approximate Duration: 11 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), 1 bassoon, 2 French horns, 1 trumpet, harp, celeste, bass drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, tam tam, xylophone, strings
Following World War I, Sir Eugene Goosens emerged as one of the most prominent young British Composers. He was part of an influential musical family. His father and grandfather, Eugene I and Eugene II, were conductors. His brother Leon was an oboist–one of the most distinguished of the twentieth century–and his sisters, Marie and Sidonie, were harpists. His brother Adolph, a horn player, was killed in World War I.
Eugene (the composer) was sent to boarding school at age eight in Bruge. He returned to England in 1906, where he studied at Liverpool College of Music and then earned a scholarship to attend the Royal College of Music in London in 1907, where he studied violin, piano, theory, and composition. He spent his early career as an orchestral and opera violinist, and then gained a strong reputation as a conductor. He spent some time in the US as the first conductor of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra from 1923-1931 and taught at the Eastman School of Music, and then became music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra until 1946, before moving to Australia to direct a conservatory in New South Wales and became the chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. There he worked diligently for a performing arts center that ultimately led to the Sydney Opera House. He was knighted in 1955 and lived in London for the remainder of his life.
As a composer Goossens experimented with “modern” music early in his career, but spent most of his time thoroughly grounded in the language of romantic composers. He wrote two symphonies, two operas, and many other works for orchestra, soloists, and chamber music ensembles. He wrote his oboe concerto for his brother Leon in 1927.
To listen to the Goossens concerto, click here.
Franz Joseph HaydnSymphony No. 94 in G Major, Hob. I:94, “Surprise” or “With the Drum Strike”
Born: March 31, 1732, Rohrau, Lower Austria Died: May 31, 1809, ViennaComposed: 1791Approximate Duration: 23 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings
Music donated by Stuart and Lynette Fall
Franz Joseph Haydn spent much of his career (1761-1790) working for the Esterházy family–initially, for Paul Anton and then for his brother Prince Nicolaus. The family loved music and was very supportive of Haydn. Haydn enjoyed the freedom to compose, the financial security to experiment, and strong musicians who could play what he wrote well. The Esterházy estate, described by a traveler as “having no place but Versailles to compare with for magnificence,” became known as a major center for music. While on this estate he developed the four-movement structure that composers have used ever since. Over the decades on the Esterházy estate the size of his orchestra grew and the complexity of Haydn’s music.
Toward the end of Haydn’s employment with the Esterházy family, he became increasingly isolated. In a letter to a friend Haydn wrote, “Well, here I sit in my wilderness – forsaken – like a poor waif – almost without any human society – melancholy – full of the memories of past glorious days.… ” When Prince Nicolaus died, Haydn was freed from his obligations to the family. In 1790 he decided to leave Austria and settle in London. He spent the next two years there.
In London Haydn composed his last twelve symphonies. The concerts at which these symphonies were performed could go on for hours, and even though Haydn was the star attraction, the length of the evenings often took its toll on audience members. After the premiere of Haydn’s Symphony No. 94, a newspaper described the second movement, a theme with four variations, in this way: “The second movement was the happiest of this great Master’s conceptions. The surprise might not be unaptly likened to the situation of a beautiful shepherdess, who, lulled to slumber by the murmur of a distant waterfall, starts alarmed by the unexpected firing of a fowling-piece. The flute obligato was delicious.” Haydn denied the rumor that he wrote this movement to wake up audience members who fell asleep at his concerts. The famous chord wasn’t even in the earliest versions of this symphony. Allegedly, Haydn claimed that he wanted to make a grand statement to outshine other composers, but no one really knows why he added the gratuitous chord. “No, rather it was my wish to surprise the public with something new, and to make a debut in a brilliant manner so as not to be outdone by my pupil Pleyel [Pleyel was giving concerts in London at the same time as Haydn] … the enthusiasm reached its highest point in the Andante with the kettledrum beat. ‘Encore, Encore’ sounded from every throat, and even Pleyel complimented me on my idea.”
The symphony opens with a slow introduction, like all but one of Haydn’s London symphonies. Alternating wind and string chorales give way to a brisk, joyful movement in A-B-A form. The second movement is a theme and variations on the famous theme, a tune that is marked by its simplicity. The third movement, Menuet and Trio, is really an Austrian ländler, a peasant dance in triple meter. The finale is fast and exciting–a rondo that alternates between the opening theme and other tunes, ending with an energetic conclusion.
To watch a video of the “Surprise Symphony,” click here.
Sarah Hustad Southard joined the Hope College Music Department faculty as instructor of oboe in fall 2007. She has taught as temporary instructor of oboe at Central Michigan University and as adjunct professor at the University of Michigan-Flint and Northern Kentucky University. Along with her collegiate teaching, Sarah keeps an active studio of area oboists and has enjoyed working with many youth programs like the Interlochen Center for the Arts All-State Orchestra and All-State Band, the Holland Area Youth Orchestra Chamber Music Program, the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble and the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras.
Besides teaching, Sarah is an active performer, playing regularly with the Midland and Holland symphony orchestras. She has also had the pleasure of performing with other groups such as the Lansing Symphony in Lansing, Michigan; the New World Symphony Orchestra in Miami, Florida; the Cincinnati Symphony Opera Orchestra in Cincinnati, Ohio; and the Madison Symphony and Chamber Orchestras in Madison, Wisconsin. As well as her orchestral playing, Sarah has performed in chamber groups at Hope College, the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck and the Free at Three Concert Series (formerly the Herrick Library series in Holland, which she also took part in) and has soloed nationally and internationally at locations including Italy, England and Scotland.
Sarah received her Doctorate of Musical Arts from Michigan State University with oboist Jan Eberle, her Master’s of Music at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with Mark Ostoich, and her Bachelor of Music from the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying with Marc Fink.
To watch the pre-concert video, click here.

Young Artists Competition Public Recital
2024-01-27 13:00 - 15:00 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States

Celebrate the Season
2023-12-09 19:30 - 21:00 | Dimnent Chapel, 277 College Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
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Celebrate the Season
2023-12-09 15:30 - 17:00 | Dimnent Chapel, 277 College Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
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Celebrate the Season
Saturday, December 9, 20233:30 & 7:30 p.m.Dimnent Memorial Chapel, Hope College
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director and ConductorAllison and Steven Martin, soloists
Program
On Christmas Day Steven Amundson
The Snowman OvertureErich Wolfgang Korngold
Jesu Joy of Man’s DesiringJohann Sebastian Bach, arr. Arthur Luck
Ave MariaJohann Sebastian Bach & Charles Gounod
The Nutcracker Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky March Arabian Dance Trepak Waltz of the Flowers
Fantasia on GreensleevesRalph Vaughan Williams
Have Yourself A Merry Little ChristmasHugh Martin, arr. Calvin Custer
Christmas SingalongJohn Finnegan
O Holy NightAdolphe Adam, arr. René Clausen
Dona Nobis Pacem from Silent NightKevin Puts
Sleigh RideLeroy Anderson
The PrayerCarole Bayer-Sager & David Foster, arr. Larry Goss
StraussianaErich Wolfgang Korngold

HSO presents two traditional holiday concerts of seasonal classics and carols as we celebrate the season. Local favorites Steve & Allison Martin join HSO to share their gifts with us.
Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 3:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Dimnent Memorial Chapel, Hope College
Tickets are $28 for adults and $5 for students through college.
Parking is available on the streets or in Faculty/Staff parking lots (not during regular business hours).
Allison Martin received her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from Michigan State University and Bachelors of Arts in Music Performance from Goshen College. She has performed throughout the U.S. and in Italy singing both opera and musical theater. She has performed roles such as Annina in Verdi’s La Traviata, Countess Charlotte in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, Casilda in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, Laetitia in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, and Catherine in Schwartz’s Pippin with companies such as Opera in the Rock, Opera Grand Rapids, and The Other Mirror Production Company. On the oratorio stage, she was the soprano soloist for Mozart’s Missa Brevis in Fmajor in Vienna and Saltzburg, Austria, Handel’s Messiah with the Mennonite Choral Society, Brahms’ Ein Deutches Requiem with the St. Joseph Valley Camerata, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Goshen College where she was also an invited masterclass clinician. Martin currently serves as Interim Managing Director for the Next Festival of Emerging Artists (www.next-fest.org).
Stephen Martin has enjoyed engagements spanning throughout Italy, China, Austria, and the United States singing leading roles in staged works such as La Traviata, La Bohème, The Tales of Hoffmann, Gianni Schicchi, The Grapes of Wrath, Les Misérables, and many more. He has performed with companies such as The Santa Fe Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival Opera, Sarasota Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera in the Rock, Chicago Summer Opera Festival, Kenosha Opera, The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Motor City Brass Band, Flint Symphony Orchestra, Saginaw Symphony, and others. Stephen has twice won the East Tennessee District Metropolitan Opera Competition and is the recipient of an Encouragement Award at the Mid-South Regional Metropolitan Opera competition. He was a grand finalist in the Rochester International Voice Competition, a semi-finalist in the Mildred Miller International Voice Competition, Opera Index Competition, and Birmingham Opera competitions, was awarded the Mandelker/Harris Award for Outstanding Returning Studio Artist at Sarasota Opera, and won the Charlotte Ruppel Memorial Voice Competition.
In 2019 Stephen took a step back from full-time performing and became an Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Central Arkansas where he served for two years until transitioning into full time music ministry. He currently serves as the Director of Music and Fine Arts at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.
Stephen holds a Doctorate in Voice Performance, Masters Degrees in Voice Performance and Music Theory Pedagogy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance all from Michigan State University.
You can learn more about Stephen at StephenMartinTenor.com

HSYO Fall Concert
2023-11-19 15:00 - 17:00 | MI
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Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 3:00pm
West Ottawa Performing Arts CenterHolland, Michigan
HOLLAND AREA JUNIOR STRINGS
Kyle Nester, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerJaclyn Klinger, ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Bella Bocca Polka Op. 163 Emile Waldteufel/arr. Bob Phillips
Bartok Song and Dance for String OrchestraBela Bartok/arr. Deborah Baker Monday
Shamrock Polkasarr. Andrew H. Dabczynski
HOLLAND AREA CONCERT STRINGS
Kyle Nester, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerJaclyn Klinger, ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Prelude from Holberg SuiteEdvard Grieg/arr. Brendan McBrien
Ashokan FarewellJay Ungar, arr. Calvin Custer
Themes from The Rite of SpringIgor Stravinsky/arr. Bob Lipton
Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1AllegroGeorge Frideric Handel/arr. Sandra Dackow
HOLLAND AREA YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Christopher Fashun, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerJaclyn Klinger, ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Symphony No. 94 in G major (“The Surprise”)Franz Joseph Haydn

Adagio cantabile – Vivace assai
Andante
Menuetto
Allegro di molto

Brazilian choros featuring guest artist Choro das 3
Boca de Goiaba Elisa, Lia, Corina, e Eduardo Meyer Ferreira/arr. Christopher Fashun
Pé de Frango Elisa, Corina a, e Lia, Meyer Ferreira/arr. Josh Trentadue
Tucunaré Elisa Meyer Ferreira/arr. Josh Trentadue
Tico-Tico no Fuba Zequinha Abreu/arr. Marty Gold
Tickets will be available for purchase at dress rehearsal and at the door – $10 for adults and $5 for students ages 6-college. Children under 6 are free.
Choro das 3 Artist Biography
Choro das 3 is a Brazilian band of three sisters. The band plays Brazilian instrumental music based on choro, an instrumental music genre that emerged in Brazil in the 19th century to become the foundation for all Brazilian music. Choro das 3 is in the US playing their 8th USA Tour.
Of the three sisters in the band, Corina, the oldest, plays flute and piccolo, Lia plays acoustic 7 string guitar, Elisa, the youngest sister, plays mandolin, clarinet, banjo, piano and accordion.
In Brazil, Choro das 3 has played for presidents and for huge audiences such as São Paulo’s New Year’s Eve Party (2 million people). It has been on national TV many times, including the Jo Soares show (the Brazilian version of “The Tonight Show”).
From 2013 to 2019, Choro das 3 toured in the USA annually. Reviewers say the band is, “superbly talented,” “cohesive,” and “beguiling.” Renowned musician Mike Marshall says that Choro das 3 plays “. . . some of the most inspired and inspiring music . . . the highest level of musicianship and presentation . . . the highest quality of Brazilian Choro music that can be heard any place today.” The Covid pandemic caused Choro das 3 to cancel plans for their 2020 USA tour. Tragically, Eduardo, the father of the three sisters, lost his life to Covid early in the pandemic, before vaccines were available. Eduardo was the band’s percussionist from its beginning. He played pandeiro (Brazilian tambourine). Bravely, the sisters resolved to continue as Choro das 3, but they play every song in their father’s memory.
Kyle Nester
Kyle Nester graduated from Alma College in 2004 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree. While in college, he participated in orchestra, marching band, jazz band, percussion ensemble, and choir. Mr. Nester spent a term in Vienna, Austria and studied violin with Maeve Auer from the Universitat fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst. After college, he was a soloist in the Baroque on Beaver Music Festival and performed with Josh Groban a few times. After a long-term substitute teacher position in Fremont, Michigan, he taught 5th – 12th grade orchestra at Chippewa Hills School District for seven years. After his wife Andrea finished her law degree at Michigan State University, the couple moved to West Michigan. He started teaching at Holland Christian in 2012 and Andrea was employed in a law firm in downtown Grand Rapids. Recently, Mr. Nester has been interested in fiddling and started the Michigan Academy of Folk Music with Nate Roberts from Hope College.
Mr. Nester enjoys running races, enjoying nature, playing music, and traveling. They have three “interesting” cats and a planted freshwater fish tank.

Christopher H. Fashun
Christopher H. Fashun is an incredibly diverse and versatile conductor, performer, and educator. He brings over two decades of experience as a music educator leading middle school, high school and collegiate band and orchestra programs in addition to directing jazz and percussion ensembles.
A 2018 recipient of a U.S. Postdoctoral Fulbright Award in All Disciplines, Dr. Fashun will be living and researching Afro-Brazilian music in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil during the summer of 2019. His project will focus on the dissemination of Afro-Brazilian music and culture in the city of Salvador.
An accomplished percussionist and violist, he has several years of orchestral and chamber music experience and has enjoyed success in both areas as a soloist by winning three concerto competitions, one on viola and two on marimba.
Dr. Fashun is an active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and percussionist. He is a frequent presenter at music education conferences and is a highly sought after clinician and conductor. Notable engagements include the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra, Holland Symphony Orchestra, Elkhart Symphony Orchestra, St. Ambrose University Community Symphony Orchestra, the University of Iowa Philharmonia and All-University Orchestras. Dr. Fashun has conducted the Symphony String Orchestra at the Iowa IMEA Conference for the All-State Iowa Junior Honors String Orchestra Festival Concert and the Midwest Mennonite Festival Orchestra and Concert Band. He has served on the music faculties at St. Ambrose University, Goshen College, and Hope College.
His research in conducting combines developing musicianship from the podium and health and wellness for music educators.
When he’s not making music, he is either cycling, paddle boarding, or practicing Pilates and enjoying the fabulous beaches in Holland (in the summer, of course) with his wife and daughter.

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Brahms 3
2023-10-28 19:30 - 21:30 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
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Program
Saturday, October 28, 2023, 7:30 p.m.Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director and Conductor
Aaron Berofsky, violin
Alone TogetherJohn Wineglass (b. 1973)
Strange Pandemic TimesA Ray of Hope
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 64Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Allegro molto appassionatoAndanteAllegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace
Aaron Berofsky, violin
Intermission
Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Allegro con brioAndantePoco allegrettoAllegro
Experience an intimate and reflective piece by Emmy-winning composer John Wineglass and the dazzling and expressive virtuosity of Aaron Berofsky in Mendelssohn’s violin concerto. The evening will culminate with the powerful emotion of Brahms’s third symphony.
Tickets are $28 for adults and $5 for students through college.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, are online under the “Pre-Concert Talk” Tab.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

Alone TogetherJohn Wineglass (b. 1973)
Born: 1973, Washington, DCComposed: 2021Approximate Duration: 11 minutesInstrumentation: harp, timpani, percussion (bass drum, glockenspiel, sizzle cymbal, suspended cymbal, tamtam, tubular bells, 2 vibraphones), strings
John Christopher Wineglass was born in Washington DC, played viola in the DC youth orchestra, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in composition from American Univeristy. He also earned a master’s degree in Music Composition: Film Scoring for Motion Pictures, Television and Multi-Media at New York University. He has written several scores for documentaries, shows on MSNBC, CNN, NBC, CBS and ABC, independent films, and several of his nationally syndicated commercials. He is a recipient of three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series (for All My Children), and three ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards.
Wineglass’s compositions are inspired by the beauty of creation and the splendor of nature, as well as bringing to light social issues of the past and present. He has received major commissions from orchestras, festivals, and foundations in the US and Europe. Mr. Wineglass is currently serving as Composer-In-Residence with the Monterey Symphony where both of his pandemic response works, Alone for Solo Violin, Live EFX and Electronica and Alone Together for Percussion, Harp and Strings have been curated to be included in the permanent collection of the COVID-19 response art at the Library of Congress.
Wineglass provides the following notes about “Alone Together”:
Initially a zoomed brainchild collaboration between composer John Wineglass, Maestra Barbara Day Turner (San Jose Chamber Orchestra) and Maestra Rei Hotoda (Fresno Philharmonic) – this work was ultimately co-commissioned by two more additional California orchestras as well – Monterey Symphony where Wineglass is in residency and with great support of the subject matter from Maestro Carl St. Clair of Pacific Symphony – all coming together to express a shared interest of new music that responds to the extraordinary nature of life during the 2020 pandemic and the catastrophic circumstances accompanying this global crisis.
In a joint-statement from Wineglass and Fresno Philharmonic conductor Rei Hotoda in the San Francisco Classical Voice, Alone Together addresses the social issues we are all facing during this pandemic – from not being able to perform together ot even the systemic racial disparities given a world stage due to shelter-in-place. Despite all the setbacks of our present limitations, we are moving forward. This work is allowing us to continue our work as performers – to never lose sight of just how important the arts are and have always been. By creating this work, we are providing a way to connect to one another which is so valuable and something most of us probably once took for granted. We may feel alone at this moment but we as four performing arts organizations are coming to move forward together as one.
Additionally, this very work can also be aptly summed up in a few excerpt journal entries by the composer during the creation of this work. In his own words…
Alone Together (Journal entry)
November 20th, 2020 8:08 pm
As i sequestered “alone” quite literally to finish writing this work in walking to a market store near my sponsored beachfront quarters, I was verbally accosted by two laughing males who thought it would be funny with a bullhorn on top of their sport Audi SUV to go around this pristine neighborhood and spew out expletives in, of ALL places, where I normally do a lot of writing–Shell Beach, CA–a beautiful central coastline between LA and San Francisco. Truly–what world are we living in? Let me rephrase that–what world are some of us living in and others (millions, in fact) choose to turn a blind eye?
As I dwelled heavily into this work this particular week–there were parts of America that I recognized and parts that I knew were always there BUT certainly didn’t recognize… in this extremely politically divided time and in the midst of a global pandemic. Was I still in the times of my just recently deceased parents last year of the 60s and the riots during MLK or was this 2020? Have we NOT as a nation grown… at all? It was dreamlike for me–an unbelievable seeping dystopian euphoria in a way…. Indeed, “Strange Pandemic Times”… my working title of the first movement. And this is just personally what was happening to me in composing this work… with everyday MAJOR unstable shifts in the temperature of this country. This present-day world of 2020 without tonality… without centeredness… swelling major-minor chords in the strings without times of possible brilliance–yet brought back to a current dismal reality. A longing for common ground but finding no footing… no continuity. Abrupt silences… alone… many intubated. No foundation… lost in a midst of unbelief of what I was witnessing with my very own eyes in this land of “equality. The universe repeatedly brings this up… again… and again before our very own eyes–until we learn.
But… I still believe in and have hope… A Ray of Hope (working title for 2nd movement)… A hope deferred at the moment but a hope nonetheless. A hope that in this struggle together–we will come out TOGETHER somehow and in some way–stronger, more wise and vigilant.
Program note by John Wineglass
There is no recording of this piece. To listen to an interview with Wineglass, including some excerpts from “Alone Together,” click here.
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64Felix Mendelssohn
Born: February 3, 1809, HamburgDied: November 4, 1847, LeipzigComposed: 1844, revised 1845Premiered: March 13, 1845, LeipzigApproximate Duration: 26 minutesInstrumentation: two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two French horns, two trumpets, timpani, strings
Music donated by Diane Lewis
In 1838 Mendelssohn wrote to his friend Ferdinand David, one of the leading violinists of the mid-nineteenth century: “I should like to write a violin concerto for you next winter. One in E minor runs through my head, the opening of which gives me no peace.” Mendelssohn worked closely with David while composing the concerto. Both men disliked the “empty showpiece concerto” of the early Romantic era that contained little more than what Mendelssohn called “juggler’s tricks and rope dancer’s feats.” The two sought to produce a serious musical piece in the manner of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. The result is a piece wonderfully suited to the violin, both musically and technically.
Unlike Classical concertos, with long orchestral introductions, Mendelssohn’s work begins with the soloist presenting the initial soaring theme that “haunted” the composer. This melody is contrasted with a tender second theme, introduced by the woodwinds. Mendelssohn took an innovative approach to the cadenza; instead of putting it at the end of the movement, he used it as a bridge leading from the development into the restatement of the movement’s opening themes. Furthermore, instead of leaving it to the soloist to improvise or write his or her own cadenza, Mendelssohn provides a cadenza, probably written by David.
A single thread—a note sustained by one bassoon—provides the seamless bridge to the lyrical second movement, an endearing song. The melodies are harmonized and scored beautifully—sometimes peacefully, sometimes restlessly. Another brief transition, which recalls the impassioned first movement, introduces the Finale, a brilliant and sunny scherzo that recalls Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. The soloist is called upon to display light-hearted virtuosity alternating with long, lyrical passages, leading to a rousing conclusion.
To listen to the Mendelssohn, click here.
Symphony No. 3, Op. 90, in F MajorJohannes Brahms
Born: May 7, 1833 HamburgDied: April 3, 1897, ViennaComposed: Summer 1883, WiesbadenPremiered: December 2, 1883, ViennaApproximate Duration: 33 minutesInstrumentation: two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four French horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, strings
Music donated by Mark Dykstra
Johannes Brahms was recognized for his compositional skill at a young age. In his young twenties, Robert Schumann described him in Europe’s most important journal of music as “the one . . . chosen to express the most exalted spirit of the times in an ideal manner, one who [sprang] fully armed from the head of Jove… [A] youth at whose cradle the graces and heroes of old stood guard.” As much as Brahms appreciated the recognition, the high expectations were almost paralyzing. Brahms was his own harshest critic. He had incredibly high standards for himself.
Brahms is well-known among musicologists and music history students for his reluctance to write a symphony. In 1872, he famously stated, “I shall never write a symphony! You can’t have any idea what it’s like to hear such a giant marching behind you.” That giant was Beethoven, who had taken the symphony structure introduced by earlier composers and had pushed it to new limits of complexity, refinement, and emotional depth. Many late nineteenth century composers thought that Beethoven’s symphonies were so perfect that subsequent composers shouldn’t try to innovate further, instead turning to new genres. Brahms fundamentally disagreed, exploring the forms of the past and discovering new layers, colors, and complexity. He wanted to make sure the symphony remained a relevant genre. After writing a couple orchestral serenades, a concerto, and the German Requiem, he ultimately conquered his feelings of intimidation and composed his first symphony in 1876–a work raw with power, sound, and emotion. He wrote his second, a joyful and optimistic work, in 1877. His third, the most introspective, came in 1882-3.
Brahms was very fond of this symphony, and his good friend Clara Schumann said that “all the movements seem to be of one piece, one beat of a heart.” The first movement opens with three broad chords that have been called “heroic,” even causing some to label this symphony Brahms’s “Eroica.” The chords also suggest the tonal ambiguity that Brahms weaves through this symphony–is it in F major or F minor? The opening “F-A-flat-F” tonality spells Frei aber fröh (Free, but happy), Brahms’ adaptation of his friend Joseph Joachim’s personal motto, Frei aber einsam (Free, but lonely). After the enticing opening, Brahms presents a broad melody that leaps, builds, and pushes forward before transforming into an intimate second theme introduced by woodwinds. This gentle dance-like melody encounters a brief song and then proceeds to a dense development section. When Brahms recaps this material it becomes more tense, complicated, and dissonant before the movement ends in peace.
The second movement begins with a folk-like melody in the clarinet that forms the basis for the entire movement. The character is rocking and gentle, with occasional call-and-response moments in the strings. The third movement is also based on a single melody, a melancholy tune introduced by the cellos set to gentle triplets that gradually build momentum. There is a short dance-like section in the middle, the only part that sounds like most symphonic scherzo movements.
The final movement begins with quiet, nervous energy. A chorale from the second movement is heard before Brahms unleashes his turbulent, yet heroic, melodic energy. Much of the movement is in a stormy F minor, but this alternates with hushed themes. The movement resolves into a calmer F Major section, ending with three chords on F-A-F, as the music settles into peaceful silence.
To listen to the Brahms, click here.
Violinist Aaron Berofsky has toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad, gaining wide recognition as a soloist and chamber musician. As soloist, he has performed with orchestras in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain and Canada. He has performed the complete cycle of Mozart violin sonatas at the International Festival Deia in Spain and all of the Beethoven sonatas at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall. His 2011 recording of the complete Beethoven sonatas with Phillip Bush has been met with great acclaim.
France’s Le Figaro calls his playing “Beautiful, the kind of music-making that gives one true pleasure”. He has appeared in such renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the 92nd Street Y, the Corcoran Gallery, Het Doelen, L’Octogone, Seoul National University, the Teatro San Jose and the Museo de Bellas Artes. Mr. Berofsky has been featured on NPR’s Performance Today and on the Canadian Broadcasting Company. His acclaimed recordings can be found on the Sony, Naxos, New Albion, ECM, Audio Ideas, Blue Griffin and Chesky labels. Recent recital tours have taken him to Germany, Italy and Korea, and he was featured soloist on the 2009 NAXOS recording of music by Paul Fetler, performed by the Ann Arbor Symphony, including the debut recording of his Concerto No. 2. His recording of the complete chamber music of Franz Xavier Mozart was released in 2013 on Equilibrium.
Mr. Berofsky was the first violinist of the Chester String Quartet for fifteen years. The quartet has been acclaimed as “one of the country’s best young string quartets” by the Boston Globe. Tours have taken them throughout the Americas and Europe and the quartet members have collaborated with such artists as Robert Mann, Arnold Steinhardt, Franco Gulli, members of the Alban Berg quartet, Andres Diaz, Eugene Istomin and Ruth Laredo. Some notable projects over the years have included the complete cycles of the quartets by Beethoven and Dvorak, and numerous recordings by such composers as Mozart, Haydn, Barber, Porter, Piston, Kernis and Tenenbom. The Chester Quartet has served as resident quartet at the University of Michigan and at Indiana University South Bend.
An alumnus of the Juilliard School, Mr. Berofsky was a scholarship student of Dorothy DeLay. Other important teachers have included Robert Mann, Felix Galimir, Glenn Dicterow, Lorand Fenyves and Elaine Richey. Mr. Berofsky is known for his commitment to teaching and is Professor of Violin at the University of Michigan and served as visiting Professor at the Hochschule fur Musik in Detmold, Germany. He taught at the Meadowmount School of Music for many summers and is currently on the violin faculty of the Chautauqua Institution. He has also given masterclasses throughout the world, including a 2013 tour of Korea which included classes at Seoul National University, Ewha Women’s University, Seoul Arts High School and many others. He has also given class at the Cleveland Institute, Oberlin, Eastman, the Peter de Grote festival in the Netherlands, Domaine Forget in Quebec, Interlochen, the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival and the Conservatorio Palma Mallorca.
Mr. Berofsky’s interest in early music led him to perform with the acclaimed chamber orchestra Tafelmusik on period instruments, also making several recordings with them for the Sony label. He co-runs University of Michigan’s Baroque Chamber Orchestra with harpsichordist Joseph Gascho. With a strong dedication to new music as well, he has worked extensively with many leading composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, performing, commissioning and recording music by John Cage, William Bolcom, Zhou Long, Michael Daugherty, Aaron Jay Kernis, Susan Botti, Morton Subotnick, Paul Fetler and Bright Sheng.
Aaron Berofsky has been concertmaster of the Ann Arbor Symphony since 2003. He has also served as guest concertmaster for many orchestras throughout the US and Europe.
To listen to the pre-concert talk, click here.

The Planets
2023-09-30 19:30 - 21:30 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
Concert Sponsors:

Program
Information
Program Notes
Artist bio
Pre-Concert Talk

Program
Saturday, September 30, 2023, 7:30 p.m.Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director and Conductor
Alon Goldstein, Piano
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73, “Emperor”Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
AllegroAdagio un poco mossoRondo: Allegro
Alon Goldstein, piano
Intermission
The Planets
Gustav Holst (1872-1934)Mars, the Bringer of WarVenus, the Bringer of PeaceMercury, the Winged MessengerJupiter, the Bringer of JollitySaturn, the Bringer of Old AgeUranus, the MagicianNeptune, the Mystic
HSO’s opening night presents two masterpieces. World-renowned concert pianist Alon Goldstein will stun you with a performance of Beethoven’s mighty “Emperor” piano concerto.The second half will feature the raw power, colorful orchestration, and memorable tunes of Gustav Holst’s epic set of tone poems, The Planets.
Tickets are $28 for adults and $5 for students through college.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, are online under the “Pre-Concert Talk” Tab.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 73, “Emperor”Ludwig van Beethoven
Music donated by Doug & Jennifer Griffith
Born (Baptized): December 17, 1770, Bonn Died: March 26, 1827, ViennaComposed: 1809, ViennaPremiered: November 28, 1811, in LeipzigApproximate Duration: 40 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings
The year 1809 was difficult for Vienna and for Beethoven. In May, Napoleon invaded the city with enough firepower to send the residents scurrying. Beethoven retreated into the basement of his brother’s house. The bombardment was close enough that he covered his deaf ears with pillows to protect them from the din. On July 29, he wrote, “We have passed through a great deal of misery. I tell you that since May 4th, I have brought into the world little that is connected; only here and there a fragment. The whole course of events has affected me body and soul…. What a disturbing, wild life around me; nothing but drums, cannons, men, misery of all sorts.” Austria’s finances were in shambles, and Beethoven barely received any of the annual stipend he had been promised by several noblemen who supported his work. Yet by the end of that year, Beethoven had completed his “Emperor Concerto.”
Beethoven himself did not label the concerto the “Emperor,” and probably never heard it labeled as such. Even though he had originally dedicated his Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” to Napoleon, by 1809 the ruler had fallen from Beethoven’s esteem. Beethoven remarked to a student, “This man will trample the rights of men underfoot and become a greater tyrant than any other.” There are many explanations for this title. It may have been tacked on by an early publisher or pianist because of the grand character of the work. Perhaps it came from a French officer, who allegedly exclaimed at the première, “C’est l’Empereur!” The most likely exclamation is that the Viennese premiere took place at a celebration of the Emperor’s birthday.
Beethoven departed from the norm with this concerto by having the soloist enter right at the beginning of the piece. After a few grand chords, the soloist plays a cadenza. Then the orchestra proceeds into the customary opening “tutti.” The first theme is martial in character. The second, contrasting theme, in E-flat minor, is a soft step-wise slow “march” immediately reprised in E-flat major as a beautiful melody played by two horns. The piano then repeats all this exposition material, accompanied by the orchestra. Toward the end of the movement, the point at which soloists would ordinarily play their own cadenzas, Beethoven wrote into the piano part, “Do not play a cadenza, but begin immediately what follows.” At this point, he supplied a written-out solo passage that begins the coda. Since this was the first of his concertos that Beethoven himself did not play, he wanted to have more control over the finished product, and so he prescribed exactly what the soloist was to do. Eventually this became the standard method used by most composers in their concertos.
The second movement begins with a chorale for strings in the surprising key of B Major. Beethoven originally wrote this tune for a military band. The piano responds to the chorale with an expressive second theme that moves faster than the chorale. The two motions are then combined as the piano takes over the chorale melody (the strings play along pizzicato). Here the melody’s slow quarter-notes are accompanied by the faster triplets derived from the second theme. After a further variation where the motion intensifies (the triplets are replaced by faster sixteenth-notes), the music comes to a halt on the note B. Beethoven simply lowers this note by a half-step to B-flat, to prepare the return of E-flat major in the last movement.
There is no pause between the second and third movements. Beethoven introduces the Finale theme in a slow tempo at the end of the second movement. The piano hesitatingly plays two measures of ascending E-flat major harmonies amidst an atmosphere of suspense, followed immediately by an exuberant restatement of the same material as the main theme of the Finale. This buoyant, hunting-theme unfolds as a boisterous rondo. The rondo theme is repeated four times, interspersed with variations by soloist and orchestra. In the coda, the piano part grows ever slower and quieter, with only the timpani as accompaniment. Once it reaches a slow tempo, the music suddenly accelerates again and the piano and orchestra dash to the concerto’s grand conclusion.
To watch a video of Alon Goldstein playing the first movement, click here.
To watch a video of Alon Goldstein playing the second and third movements, click here.
The Planets, Op. 32Gustav Holst
Music donated by David Heuvelhorst, in memory of James and Henrietta Heuvelhorst
Born: September 21, 1874, CheltenhamDied: May 25, 1934, LondonComposed: 1914-1916Premiered: September 29, 2928, LondonApproximate Duration: 51 minutesInstrumentation: 3 flutes, piccolo, 3 oboes, English Horn, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tenor tuba, bass tuba, 2 timpani, 2 harps, percussion [bass drum, chimes, cymbals, glockenspiel, snare drum, tambourine, tamtam, triangle, xylophone], celeste, organ, female chorus, strings
Gustav Holst was born into a very musical family and showed early promise as a concert pianist, organist, and choirmaster. He also played the violin and trombone. After neuritis in his right arm put an end to his solo career, he pursued composition, teaching, and choir directing. Like his friend Ralph Vaughan Williams, Holst sought to infuse his music with English folk music and wrote pieces in a cosmopolitan, accessible style.
Sometime after the turn of the century, Holst became fascinated by astrology. Initially he was reluctant to speak of this, though he admitted that his “pet vice” was reading horoscopes for his friends. Ultimately he transformed this interest into his best-known work, The Planets, written between 1914 and 1917. This large suite of subtly interrelated tone poems, or as Holst preferred, “mood pictures,” depicts the astrological characters of seven planets in our solar system and their influence on human character, though a few mythological and astronomical elements enter in as well.
World War I was on the horizon when Holst wrote Mars, the Bringer of War in August, 1914. Strings begin this strange march in 5/4 meter by tapping their strings with their bow sticks. Brass and percussion soon dominate, sounding brutal and implacable chords over a relentless martial ostinato. After a dissonant climax, the machine pauses desolately for a moment, only to push towards a devastating conclusion. Holst instructed that “Mars” be played as fast and brutally as possible.
A solo horn summons Venus, the Bringer of Peace. In The Principles and Practices of Astrology, Noel Tyl writes that, to astrologers, “when the disorder of Mars is past, Venus restores peace and harmony.” This movement is total contrast: a calm, tranquil reverie, set far from the scene of any conflict. The dominant instrumental colors come from flutes, harps, celeste, and high violins.
Mercury, the Winged Messenger, follows. In this scherzo, it is easy to imagine Hermes, deity of dreams and conductor of the dead, clad in his winged cap and sandals. To astrologers, Mercury is “the thinker.” Holst associated this character with the process of human thought. He uses chuckling woodwinds, darting strings, and tinkling celeste and glockenspiel to portray this character with music that is unstable, mercurial, and nervously changeable in meter and harmony.
The most massive of the Planets is Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, named for the light‑bringer, the rain‑god, the god of thunderbolts, of the grape and the tasting of the new wine, of oaths, treaties, and contracts. The opening and closing sections were inspired by Edwardian vaudeville, folk songs, and dance halls. In the central section, the strings introduce a stately, British melody evoking a more ceremonial type of rejoicing. Holst later gave this tune words and it became the English patriotic hymn, “I Vow to Thee, My Country.”
As we get farther out in the solar system, the character of the music gets noticeably stranger. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age was Holst’s favorite movement. Harps and flutes toll the relentless passing of time under restless melodic fragments, perhaps representing the uncertain early stages of life. Then a solemn march builds slowly to a harsh climax, portraying the struggles and heartbreaks of maturation. Another march, even more bowed with age, starts in the flutes and grows to a mighty climax above the heavy thud of timpani and low strings. The movement ends in the wisdom of later years, with its serene acceptance of imperfection and mortality.
Another scherzo, Uranus, the Magician, opens with a magician’s incantation played three times by trumpets and trombones, then tubas, then timpani. In astrology, Uranus rules invention, innovation, and astrology itself. This movement is full of magic, menace, and mischief with troll-like bassoons and mocking, heavy-footed marches. A serene vision of Neptune interrupts, then with a sardonic laugh the magician utters a final incantation before the apparitions disappear into the night.
Once again in 5/4 meter, Neptune, the Mystic completes the circle begun by “Mars.” In astrology, Neptune means confusion and mystic rapport with other worlds. In Holst’s lifetime, Neptune was thought to be the most distant planet in our solar system, invisible to the naked eye, so to Holst it represents distance, mystery, and unanswerable questions. This slow movement has a swaying, irregular meter, and is softly dissonant in harmony. Holst uses weaving flutes, high violins, celesta, and harps to conjure a cool, distant world and state of mind, beyond ordinary human understanding. An ethereal women’s chorus sings wordlessly offstage in mysterious, overlapping lines. In the final bars, the orchestra falls silent and the voices echo, over and over, until they fade into silent infinity.
To watch a video of The Planets, click here.
Alon Goldstein is one of the most original and sensitive pianists of his generation, admired for his musical intelligence, dynamic personality, artistic vision and innovative programming. He has played with the Philadelphia orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, Toronto and Vancouver symphonies as well as the Israel Philharmonic, London Philharmonic , Los Angeles and Radio France Orchestra. He played under the baton of such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Herbert Blomstedt, Vladimir Jurowski, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, Peter Oundjian, Yoel Levi, Yoav Talmi, Leon Fleisher and others.
This upcoming season Mr. Goldstein will be performing in cities across the world including New York (Rockefeller university and Salon di Virtuosi), Ravinia Festival, Vienna (Bösendorfer salon), Berlin (Salon Christophori), including return engagements with the Haifa Symphony, Jerusalem Camerata, Bach festival Orchestra and Shreveport Symphony. He will make his debut with the Portland Symphony and the Orquestra Filarmonica Minas Gerais in Brazil playing Brahms Concerto no. 2, as well as with the Bogota Philharmonic playing Mozart Concerto no. 25. Mr. Goldstein will also continue his highly acclaimed recording project for the Naxos label of all piano concerti by Mozart, with the Fine Arts Quartet. The upcoming recording will feature Concerti nos. 19 and 25. The last season saw the release of two CDs on the Naxos label: Mozart Piano Concerti Nos. 9 and 17 with the Fine Arts Quartet (a follow-up to their two critically acclaimed recordings of Nos. 20 & 21 and Nos. 23 & 24) and Scarlatti 19 Piano Sonatas.
During the 2019-2020 season Mr. Goldstein performed Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto at the New Year concert with the Beijing Symphony at the Forbidden City Concert Hall. He returned to play with the Kansas City, Ann Arbor, Illinois, Spokane, Bangor, Augusta, and Pensacola Symphony Orchestras, as well as a performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto on fortepiano with Mercury Houston. He played Bernstein’s “Age of Anxiety” with the Jerusalem symphony as well with the Xalapa Symphony in Mexico to celebrate the composer’s centennial, and performed the New Year’s concert with the Beijing symphony in China. He gave recitals and chamber music, including tours with the Goldstein-Peled-Fiterstein Trio, the Tempest Trio, and the Fine Arts Quartet at the Mendelssohn International festival in Hamburg Germany, as well as in Cleveland, Washington DC, New York, Burlington, Key West, Sarasota, Melbourne, Duluth, and other cities.
Other recent highlights include appearances with the Indianapolis Symphony as part of a Prokofiev Festival performing the composer’s Piano concerti nos.1&4, as well as a 17-concert Latin American tour with the Israel Chamber Orchestra including concerts at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Teatro de Bellas Arts in Mexico city, Teatro Nacional in San Jose, Teatro Solis in Montevideo etc. He also played with the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia, and at the prestigious Ruhr Piano Festival in Germany performing Mozart, Britten and Poulenc in one evening with Leon Fleisher, his former teacher, conducting. He gave the premiere of Lost Souls with the Kansas City Symphony and Michael Stern written for him by the noted Israeli composer Avner Dorman and debuted with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Vladimir Jurowski.
A passionate advocate for music education, his recent teaching engagements have included the Steans Institute of the Ravinia Festival, International Keyboard Festival and Institute in New York, Music@Menlo, The Gilmore Festival, Piano Texas, PYPA in Curtis, International Piano Festival in Gijon Spain, and “Tel Hai” masterclasses in Israel.
Mr. Goldstein was recently honored with the “Society of Scholars” award given to him by his alma mater – the Johns Hopkins University. This was given in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions over the years. He serves as the Artistic Director of the “Lieven Piano Foundation” summer school in Vienna, as well as the Artistic Director of the Mt. Angel Abbey Bach Festival in Oregon, and Co-Director of The Distinguished Artists Concert & Lecture Series in Santa Cruz, CA. He created the Emerald Coast Music Alliance, whose annual festival in Florida is devoted to sharing the beauty of classical music to under-served communities, at no charge. Last year the festival featured 12 musicians performing 63 concerts. He received his undergraduate degree from the Tel Aviv University where he studied under Prof. Victor Derevianko and Prof. Arie Vardi. He went on to study at the Peabody Conservatory of Music with Leon Fleisher and was his teaching assistant. He received scholarships from the America Israel Cultural Foundation. Following his graduation he became a “Performer Fellow” at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where he initiated chamber music concerts involving staff and students, as well as an annual festival dedicated to the piano duet repertoire. He was an artist in residence at the “Theo Lieven” piano academy in Como Italy. He currently holds the position of “Distinguished Visiting Professor” at the University of Missouri – Kansas City.
To listen to the pre-concert talk, click here.

Community Concert: Our Wonderful World
2023-08-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Kollen Park Henry VanderLinde Bandshell, 240 Kollen Park Dr., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
Concert Sponsors:

& the snack wagon

Program
Information
Artist bios

Our Wonderful World
Saturday, August 12, 2023, 7:00 p.m. Henry P. VanderLinde Bandshell, Kollen Park
Additional solo pieces announced from the stage
West Side Story SelectionsLeonard Bernstein, arr. Mason
Minka VariationsUkrainian folk song, arr. Scheer
Sufro Por Tu AmorChristian Paul Garcia, arr. Scheer
Sufro Por Tu Amor / How Long Must I Suffer for Your Love? 1. How long must I suffer for your love?You broke my heart–is that enough?I know you’ll only hurt me,but I just can’t give you up. Why did your love for me grow cold? You know I gave you my heart and soul. If I could read your mind would I find that you don’t know? I want to start again.I don’t think this is the end.I believe there’s something more to our love. 2. They’re telling you I don’t deservethe love of such a perfect girl, but I know you know the truthif you’d just listen to your heart. You’re still with me in my memories.When I fall asleep you’re in my dreams.I’m waiting for you to wake upand realize you love me. I want to start again.I don’t think this is the end.I believe there’s something more to our love.
Introduction and Rondo CapricciosoCamille Saint-Saens
BabiryeSamuel Nalangira, arr. Scheer
Babirye* It’s time to be going, and where we are going is so far, so far away. Our journey will lead into the mountains and into the forest where evening gets so dark. If the way grows too dark our journey may be over; It may be too dangerous; there is so much to fear. Please remember my precious daughter, my baby girl you must be you must be very careful. You must go where I go, you must step where I step. I don’t always know what lies ahead. There’s no time; now we must go. Just pack what you can carry and we’ll walk out the door. Hurry, my love. My daughter, my child, we must go now. Babirye, my little girl. Babirye, we must go away. Babirye, my little girl. Babirye, we must go away. Stay by me. Stay very close. I will keep you safe though the way is long. We must keep moving on. Hurry, my love. My daughter, my child, we must go now. Babirye, my little girl. Babirye, we must go away. Babirye, my little girl. Babirye, we must go away. *”Babirye” means “the first born girl among twins.”
Dóng máu Lạc Hồng (The Children of Lac Hong)Vietnamese patriotic song, arr. Scheer
Dòng máu Lạc Hồng / The Children of Lac Hong We bear the blood of Lac Hong. Four thousand years, it still runs strong. Our hearts are one; heart of the dragon beats forevermore. Throughout the land, we hear its drum, through generations echoes on. The hero’s call, the mother’s song, tell the proud tale once more. Vietnam, we’re filled with love as bamboo sways and rivers run. Birds take flight; they’re soaring on. We’ll sing the song of great Lac Hong. Vietnam, we sing the song, and hand in hand, we’re marching on. We’re the children of Lac Hong; heart of the dragon beating strong for love of Vietnam!
Wonderful Worldsarr. Victor López
The Music Unites Us concert will bring together local musical talent and the Holland Symphony Orchestra in a groundbreaking celebration of diversity at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 12 in Kollen Park. This free community concert aims to showcase cultures that make up Our Wonderful World here in West Michigan.
Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and arrive early to scope out your spot for this one-of-a-kind concert experience.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase from:Abeshia Ghanian CuisineCrepes by the LakeMezkla Taqeria & FruiteriaRobinson’s Popcorn
Music Unites Us is a collaborative musical effort between the Holland Symphony Orchestra and Holland community to celebrate diversity and showcase the musical gifts of frequently underrepresented groups of people. The concert will showcase Cumbia, Vietnamese, Ukrainian and Ugandan pieces reimagined with the support of a symphony orchestra, as composed by Greg Scheer. We are also honored to feature Julia LaGrand as a guest violinist bringing attention and awareness to disability and inclusivity within our community.
This free community concert is made possible thanks to our concert sponsors: MillerKnoll Foundation, Gentex Corporation, Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, the Brooks family, Macatawa Bank and the snack wagon. The concert is partially sponsored by Michigan Arts & Culture Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Additional thanks to our partner organizations: I AM Academy, Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance, Latin Americans United for Progress, West Michigan Asian American Association, Lakeshore Disability Network
Grupo Super Nova is a Cumbia band of brothers from Puebla, Mexico. Nate, Christian, Hector, and Juan Garcia grew up in Holland, Michigan after immigrating here in 1990. This family-centered band has adapted and grown over the years, learning new instruments, and trying new venues and events. They reflected that as Holland has become more diverse, a lot of the community has become more interested in learning about other cultures. Playing with the symphony orchestra is a bucket list item!
Cuong Luong is a Vietnamese singer and performer who immigrated to West Michigan in 2015. In Vietnam, he regularly competed in singing competitions and won numerous competitions, including first place in Vietnam’s “The Voice.” He continues to compete in American Vietnamese vocal competitions with a growing following on YouTube. Luong uses his operatic influence and choreography to tell stories through music. He has dreamt of performing in front of an American audience and is excited that the Holland Symphony Orchestra has provided him this unique opportunity.
Nina Tritenichenko is a Ukrainian singer and Bayan accordion player who has lived in Holland for the past 12 years, and fondly referring to the area as “New Ukraine” due to its similarity in climate. Tritenichenko has a master’s degree in music education and performance, has taught lessons and grown a YouTube following with over 800 videos, and accompanied an orchestra for the first time at the age of 9. She believes love is a language we can understand without translation and prefers to communicate through the power of music.
Samuel Nalangira is a Ugandan born musician and educator who relocated his talents to West Michigan in 2018. He uses his passion for and experience in traditional African music and dance to spread awareness and love through performances and lessons. He is constantly writing music, inspired by everything around him, and feels very blessed to be able to grow his music career here. Nalangia did not plan on staying in Michigan long term but was surprised by how welcoming and loving the people are here and cannot imagine leaving at this point. He is inspired by the good people in this community to continue to work hard and bring people together through music, especially music that makes you want to dance!
Julia LaGrand is a classical violinist and disability advocate from Grand Rapids, MI. LaGrand is passionate about exploring what disability can bring to classical music. Being blind has forced her to know the music inside and out, including pieces that musicians don’t usually memorize as she cannot read and play at the same time. She believes “music can be a powerful social force.” Music can be transformative, but in order to meet its full potential, LaGrand notes that “it has to be a really, really inclusive space.” These dual passions of music and inclusivity continue to drive her activism and educational pursuits as she begins Conservatory in the fall.
Greg Scheer is a composer, author, and speaker. His life’s work includes two sons (Simon and Theo), two books (The Art of Worship, 2006, and Essential Worship, 2016), and hundreds of compositions, songs, and arrangements in a dizzying variety of styles.
Greg is well-known for his sacred music, with congregational songs in numerous hymnals, dozens of choral anthems available from traditional and online publishers, settings of 75 Psalms, a hundred global song translations/editions, and arrangements for choir, orchestra, piano, and jazz ensemble.
Greg has composed for just about every ensemble: symphony orchestra, string quartet, brass quintet, choir, piano, cello septet, organ, and electronic compositions. He has received commissions from Baylor University, The Chagall String Quartet, the Calvin Community Symphony, and many others. Greg has written pop, rock, jazz, folk, and punk for years. Currently, he leads the St. Sinner Orchestra, described as “a grand fusion of classical and rock music” and “Eleanor Rigby’s favorite band.” You can visit St. Sinner’s website to learn more and listen to our music. Also online is Greg’s 2013 solo album Half the Man.
Greg’s music blog is where he posts all his latest musical creations: demos of news songs, live recordings, experiments, outtakes–anything he’s working on at the moment. Posts often include lyrics and the story behind the music. If you want to be the first to hear it, you need to subscribe to the Musical Diary of Greg Scheer.

Pops at the Pier
2023-06-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Eldean’s Boat Shed, 2150 S. Shore Drive, Holland, 49423, United States
Concert Sponsor:

Tickets

Program
Information
Artist bio

Program
Thursday, June 22, 2023Eldean Boat Shed #3
Carl Topilow, Guest Conductor
Connor Bogart O’Brian, vocalist
6:00 p.m.Holland Jazz Orchestra
Program announced from the stage
7:00 p.m.Holland Symphony Orchestra
Also Sprach Zarathustra – Introduction
Jailhouse Rock and C’Mon Everybody
Copacabana
Pinball Wizard (The Who)
Medley from Chicago
All I Care About is Love
Hey Jude (The Beatles)
76 Trombones from The Music Man
“This is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde
“Clarinetist” on the Roof Carl Topilow. clarinet
INTERMISSION
Oh What a Night from Jersey Boys
Can’t Take My Eyes off of You from Jersey Boys
A George Gershwin MedleyCarl Topilow. clarinet
Medley from Grease
Mambo from West Side Story
“Aldolpho” from The Drowsy Chaperone
Queen on Stage
You’ll Be Back
My Way
Thursday, June 22, 2023 Eldean Boatshed #3, Macatawa
Click below to see a video from last year’s Pops at the Pier concert!
https://hollandsymphony.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Pops-on-the-Pier-1-2.mp4
6:00pm Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra7:00pm Holland Symphony Orchestra with Connor O’Brian
Pops at the Pier on Thursday, June 22nd, rain or shine! Inside the boat shed you will be treated to a delightful evening of music favorites from Broadway, food and fun with Holland Symphony and Guest Conductor, Carl Topilow from the Cleveland Pops and Broadway singer, Connor Bogart O’Brian. Enjoy the best of Broadway with songs from Hamilton, Phantom, Les Misérables, Jersey Boys and Music Man! This fun filled show produced by one of the most successful entertainers will be sure to delight all ages. Doors open at 5:30.
Two food trucks from Mezkla and daKidd BBQ will be at the concert with summer food selections available for sale. Beer, wine, and water are also available for purchase starting at 5:30pm.
We encourage audience members to bring their own chairs, but there will be some available at the shed on a first come-first served basis.
This concert is sponsored by University of Michigan Health – West. Special thanks for the in-kind support of Eldean Shipyard, Waterfront Film Festival and Anchorage Marina Yacht Club.
Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra will begin the show performing for pre-concert enjoyment at 6:00pm. Then the Holland Symphony will take the stage at 7:00pm.
Tickets for the show will be $30 Adults and $5 Students. Tickets are available from the Symphony online, by phone at 616-796-6780, or at the concert.
Connor Bogart O’Brian
A classical violinist since the age of five, Connor Bogart (Connor Bogart O’Brian) studied opera at the Eastman School of Music in New York, and has since toured the globe as a professional performer.
Notable theater performances have included leading roles in Miss Saigon (Chris), West Side Story (Tony), Sweeney Todd (Anthony), Rock of Ages (Stacee Jaxx), The Last Five Years (Jamie), Company (Bobby), Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Joseph), Forever Plaid (Sparky), as well as Altar Boyz (Abraham). A native of Northeast Ohio, Connor decided to leave the violin behind to study vocal performance/opera at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in New York (U. S. News and World Report ranked #1 Music Conservatory in America 2010-2012) under the direction of Dr. Robert McIver. During his time at Eastman, he also auditioned for, and was subsequently accepted into the nationally ranked male a cappella group, The University of Rochester Yellowjackets, (as seen on NBC’s “The Sing Off”) as a featured soloist. After recording several award winning albums with the group, a love of singing without instruments took hold and in subsequent years led to executive producing future Yellowjacket albums and being a national finalist for the world famous vocal band Rockapella in their search for a new second tenor.
Connor has been a featured soloist with The Charlotte Symphony, The Fort Worth Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, The Cleveland Pops, The Symphony of Southeast Texas, The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, The Rochester Philharmonic, The Toledo Symphony, The Mansfield Symphony, The New Haven Symphony, The Akron Symphony, The Rappahannock Pops, Music In The Mountains (The Dallas Symphony), The Fireland Symphony, and the Cleveland Orchestra. He has served as executive music supervisor and composer to The Discovery Channel for their series, [The Kustomizer, and as a songwriter, had had several of his original songs featured on national television.
“Inside Out,” the lead single from his self-titled first album, vaulted to the number one radio position in France, and held the position for several weeks. Two full-length albums followed, “Soliloquy” which featured a cover story in Scene Magazine, as well as the hit single “Ready To Fall,” a national semi-finalist entry in Sony Music and Clear Channel’s “Radiostar” competition hosted by Ryan Seacrest and KISS FM’s Elvis Duran. His third album “Prizefighter” is his latest rock release.
He has since toured the U.S, and along with his band, has performed as the opening act on over 20 national tours, including Ashlee Simpson, Huey Lewis and The News, Edwin McCain, Richard Marx, Rick Springfield, Hall & Oates, and Mariah Carey. Connor can currently be heard behind the scenes singing and recording jingles for companies such as Hasbro Toys and American Greetings, performing on tour with native Clevelander and Grammy nominee Jim Brickman, as well as in over 32 countries worldwide as a headlining act on Princess, Holland America, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean cruise lines with his previous group of Broadway veterans, “The Matinee Idols,” his current solo show available in both English and Mandarin Chinese, and as the Guest Rock Tenor in Princess’ Cruises newest production show, “Rock Opera.”
Carl Topilow, Guest Conductor
Carl Topilow is renowned worldwide for his versatility, whether he is holding a conductor’s baton or his trademark red clarinet. He is a multi-talented virtuoso who is equally at home in classical and popular music both as conductor and instrumentalist. Carl’s pops performances blend the music of Broadway and Hollywood, as well as popular music, light classics and jazz, often finding an occasion to include a number on his array of brightly colored clarinets. His unique approach to pops programming includes extensive audience involvement and true showmanship.
Carl is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, with a degree in clarinet performance and a masters degree in music education. He has held conducting fellowships with the National Orchestral Association with Leon Barzin and the Aspen Music Festival under Jorge Mester. Carl began his professional career as Exxon Arts Endowment Conductor of the Denver Symphony Orchestra.
Following his longtime dream of conducting his own pops orchestra, Carl founded the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. The orchestra, currently in its 25th season, plays its subscription series in Severance Hall and performs in several other locations throughout Ohio. The Cleveland Pops Orchestra’s diverse, innovative and electrifying programs have been critically acclaimed. The orchestra has three CDs, Music to Grow On, an exciting collection of music for children and adults of all ages, Live at the Pops, a stirring compilation of music taken from live performances, and a 20th anniversary CD, which includes a selection of live performances taken from concerts over a span from the past decade.

Romantic Masterpieces
2023-04-22 19:30 - 21:30 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
Tickets

Program
Information
Program Notes
Artist bio
Pre-Concert Talk

Program
Saturday, April 22, 2023, 7:30 p.m.Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director and Conductor
David Grogan, Baritone
Two movements from Old Vienna SerenadesJosef Marx (1882-1964)

Aria. Andante appassionato
Tempo di Menuetto

Songs of a WayfarerGustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht (“When My Sweetheart is Married”)
Ging heut Morgen über’s Feld (“I Went This Morning Over the Field”)
Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer (“I Have a Gleaming Knife”)
Die zwei blauen Augen (“The Two Blue Eyes of my Beloved”)

David Grogan, Baritone
Intermission
Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Allegro non troppo
Andante moderato
Allegro giocoso
Allegro energico e passionato

Season Ticket SeriesThe final concert of the 22-23 season will feature German and Austrian romantic masterpieces with their full range of emotional expression. The concert will open with two movements from Marx’s Old Vienna Serenades. Baritone David Grogan will join the HSO for Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer. The concert will conclude with Brahms’s Symphony No 4 in E minor.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for students through college.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, are online under the “Pre-Concert Talk” Tab.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

Alt-Wiener Serenaden (Old Vienna Serenades)Joseph Marx
Born: May 11,1882, GrazDied: September 3, 1964, GrazComposed: 1941Approximate Duration: 8 minutes (two movements)Instrumentation: 3 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (one doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 1 trumpet, timpani, celeste, harp, strings
Joseph Marx was born in Graz, Austria. His mother taught him piano at an early age, and he taught himself how to play violin and cello. He was raised in Graz and went to Graz University. His father wanted him to study law, but Marx initially focused on philosophy and other liberal arts. When he turned more fully to musical studies it led to a break with his family. He wrote an important thesis that presented a scholarly study of tonality. In this work he was the person who coined the term “atonal.”
Marx began composing as his primary work in 1908, ultimately writing over 150 songs. He focused on orchestral pieces in the 1920s and 1930s, followed by a time devoted to chamber music. He assumed a faculty position at the Vienna Music Academy in 1914 and eventually became the director. He had a lot of influence on many musicians and composers. He was also one of the most prominent music critics in Vienna, particularly in the 1930s, and published influential books on music theory.
As a composer Marx was concerned about upholding the Viennese classical tradition, both in the forms he used (waltzes, for example), and the use of Austrian folk music. His work is described as including Impressionist, Slavonic, and Italian elements. Following World War II he thought of himself as a “father figure” for conservative, tonal music. He was well known in his lifetime but much of his music fell out of notice due to cultural and political upheaval.
In his “Old Vienna Serenades,” Marks looks back to Haydn and Austrian folk music, combined with a lot of original material. The first movement performed at this concert is slow and in a sweeping gentle triple meter, featuring woodwind and string solos. The second movement to be performed draws on the rich waltz tradition in Viennese culture.
To listen to the “Aria,” click here. To listen to the “Waltz,” click here.
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer)Gustav Mahler
Born: July 7, 1860, BohemiaDied: May 18, 1911, ViennaComposed: 1884-1885Premiered: 1896, Berlin (orchestral version)Approximate Duration: 16 minutesInstrumentation: 3 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (one doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, bass drums, cymbals, triangle, tamtam, glockenspiel, harp, strings
Many of today’s music lovers think of Mahler as primarily a symphonic composer. His nine symphonies regularly appear on “World’s Best Symphonies” lists, and these works are viewed as milestones for orchestras to learn and perform. During his lifetime, though, Mahler was best known as an opera conductor, and he got his start as a composer writing songs. He worked on his first version of “Songs of a Wayfarer,” with piano accompaniment, in 1884 and 1885. He revised and orchestrated it in the 1890s.
This set of songs is loosely autobiographical. The word traditionally used in the English translation of the work’s title is “wayfarer,” but it would more accurately be translated “journeyman” or “tradesman.” This term was used for individuals who had completed an apprenticeship program in a trade. Typically these people would travel to various places and learn from various masters before settling down somewhere. As a young composer, Mahler identified with this tradition as he moved around and studied with various composers and conductors.
The subject matter of these songs is also loosely autobiographical. Mahler wrote the poetry. In these songs, a male narrator experiences romantic heartbreak and wanders the countryside. His loneliness and despair contrast greatly with the beauty in the world around him. The first song portrays the narrator thinking of his beloved’s wedding day–to someone else. The second song reflects a gentle walk through a mountain field, punctuated by pangs of despair. The third song presents a vision of a knife plunging into his chest. The final piece offers some peace and relief, with the narrator falling asleep under a blossoming linden tree, though the nature of his “sleep” is ambiguous.
To listen to the Mahler, click here.
English translation of song texts
“When My Sweetheart is Married”
When my darling has her wedding-day, her joyous wedding-day, I will have my day of mourning! I will go to my little room, my dark little room, and weep, weep for my darling, for my dear darling!
Blue flower! Do not wither! Sweet little bird you sing on the green heath! Alas, how can the world be so fair? Chirp! Chirp!
Do not sing; do not bloom! Spring is over. All singing must now be done. At night when I go to sleep, I think of my sorrow, of my sorrow!
“I Went This Morning Over the Field”
I walked across the fields this morning; dew still hung on every blade of grass. The merry finch spoke to me: “Hey! Isn’t it? Good morning! Isn’t it? You! Isn’t it becoming a fine world? Chirp! Chirp! Fair and sharp! How the world delights me!”
Also, the bluebells in the field merrily with good spirits tolled out to me with bells (ding, ding) their morning greeting: “Isn’t it becoming a fine world? Ding, ding! Fair thing! How the world delights me!”
And then, in the sunshine, the world suddenly began to glitter; everything gained sound and color in the sunshine!
Flower and bird, great and small! “Good day, Is it not a fine world? Hey, isn’t it? A fair world?”
Now will my happiness also begin? No, no – the happiness I mean can never bloom!
“I Have a Gleaming Knife”
I have a red-hot knife, a knife in my breast. O woe! It cuts so deeply into every joy and delight. Alas, what an evil guest it is! Never does it rest, never does it relax, not by day, not by night, when I would sleep. O woe!
When I gaze up into the sky, I see two blue eyes there. O woe! When I walk in the yellow field, I see from afar her blond hair waving in the wind. O woe!
When I start from a dream and hear the tinkle of her silvery laugh, O woe! I wish I could lay down on my black bier – Would that my eyes never open again!
“The Two Blue Eyes of My Beloved”
The two blue eyes of my darling they sent me into the wide world. I had to take my leave of this most-beloved place! O blue eyes, why did you gaze on me? Now I have eternal sorrow and grief.
I went out into the quiet night well across the dark heath. To me no one bade farewell. Farewell! My companions are love and sorrow!
By the road stood a linden tree, Where, for the first time, I found rest in sleep! Under the linden tree that snowed its blossoms over me, I did not know how life went on, and all was well again! All! All, love and sorrow and world and dream!
Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98Johannes Brahms
Born: May 7, 1833. HamburgDied: April 3, 1897, ViennaComposed: 1884–85Premiered: October 25, 1885, MeiningenApproximate Duration: 40 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, triangle, and strings
Music donated by Douglas & Jennifer Griffith
Brahms is well-known among musicologists and music history students for his reluctance to write a symphony. In 1872, he famously stated, “I shall never write a symphony! You can’t have any idea what it’s like to hear such a giant marching behind you.” That giant was Beethoven, who had taken the symphony structure introduced by earlier composers and had pushed it to new limits of complexity, refinement, and emotional depth. Many late nineteenth century composers thought that Beethoven’s symphonies were so perfect that subsequent composers shouldn’t try to innovate further, instead turning to new genres. Brahms fundamentally disagreed, exploring the forms of the past and discovering new layers, colors, and complexity. He wanted to make sure the symphony remained a relevant genre. He ultimately conquered his feelings of intimidation and composed his first symphony in 1876–a work raw with power, sound, and emotion. He wrote his second, a joyful and optimistic work, in 1877. His third, the most introspective, came in 1882-3.
Brahms wrote his fourth symphony during two summer vacations in 1884 and 1885 in Mürzzuschlag in the Styrian Alps, southwest of Vienna. Brahms often reflected that his pieces sounded like the locations where he composed them. While composing this symphony he wrote to a friend that the work “tastes of the climate here; the cherries are hardly sweet here—you wouldn’t eat them!” Brahms sometimes referred to it as a “new tragic symphony.” Indeed the symphony is filled with emotional extremes: joy and sorrow, tenderness and severity, exuberance and restraining. The work builds from one movement to the next. The conductor of the first rehearsal remarked, “[it is] gigantic, altogether a law unto itself, quite new, steely individuality. Exudes unparalleled energy from first note to last.”
The first movement begins with a simple four-note theme in the strings. Brahms develops and elaborates on this simple, searching melody in endless ways. These “sighs” eventually evolve from lament to nervous agitation and finally into tragic resignation. The second movement begins with a summons, a horn call that transforms into a gentle melody. This quiet song passes through a wide range of moods, tonalities, and colors before a peaceful ending. The third movement is lively, aggressive, and humorous, providing a break from the emotional intensity of the first two movements. Whatever “joke” Brahms intended in this scherzo, though, is quickly upended by what was the most pessimistic, relentless concluding movement to a symphony to date. In the last movement Brahms makes his most direct connection with the past, drawing on an early Baroque form called the chaconne, a moderately paced continuous flow of variations on top of a recurring bass line, usually written in triple meter. The winds and brass initially outline eight huge chords that provide the foundation for thirty-two variations and a coda. Unlike Brahms’s previous symphonies, which ended in a major key or quietly, this one ends abruptly and severely.
To listen to the Brahms, click here.

David Grogan, Baritone
The American baritone and music pedagogue, David Grogan, holds Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from Texas Christian University, where he studied voice with Sheila Allen and pedagogy with Vincent Russo. His love of choral music was solidified under the tutelage of the late Ronald Shirey, who taught Grogan much of his musicality. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy in 2010 from the University of North Texas, where he studied voice with Jeffrey Snider, pedagogy with Stephen Austin, and worked closely with Lyle Nordstrom in the early music program. Grogan’s dissertation was on the vocal pedagogy of Frederic W. Root, who was an American vocal pedagogue of the 19th century. A shorter version of the dissertation was published in the January 2010 Journal of Singing under the title, “The Roots of American Pedagogy.”
David Grogan joined the faculty at the University of Texas Arlington in the fall of 2009, first as visiting professor and in 2010 as tenure-track Assistant Professor of Voice. In addition to providing private vocal instruction for voice majors, Grogan teaches vocal pedagogy, voice class, and choral methods. His background in choral music education is extensive, including experience directing programs in both private and public schools across the metroplex. As choir director at Dallas Christian School from 1996 to 2000, Grogan increased choir participation from 15 members to 115, and took the choir to one of the first TPSMEA competitions. He has taught voice and served as assistant choral director in some of the most prominent programs in the area, including at Arlington High School under Dinah Menger, and Manor Middle School under Tommy Haygood.
To listen to the pre-concert talk, click here.

HSYO Spring Concert
2023-03-26 15:00 - 17:00 | West Ottawa Harbor Lights Middle School, 1024 136th Ave, Holland, MI, 49424, United States
Program
Information
Program Notes
Artist bio

Tickets

Dance into Spring!
2023-03-19 15:30 - 17:00 | Holland Civic Center Place, 150 W. 8TH STREET, Holland, 49423, United States
Program
Information
Program Notes
Artist bio

Program
Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.
Holland Civic Center Place
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director and Conductor
H2 Dance Co.
Hope College
Danzon No. 2
Arturo Márquez (b. 1950)
Waltz from Sleeping Beauty
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Hungarian Dances 5 & 6
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Slavonic Dance No. 10 in E minor, Op. 72, No. 2
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Rite of Spring
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
(McPhee Reduction)
PART I: Adoration of the Earth
Introduction
The Augurs of Spring—Dances of the Young Girls
Ritual of Abduction
Spring Rounds
Ritual of the Rival Tribes
Procession of the Sage
The Sage
Dance of the Earth
PART II: The Sacrifice
Introduction
Mystic Circle of the Young Girls
Glorification of the Chosen One
Evocation of the Ancestors
Ritual Action of the Ancestors
Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)
Season Ticket Series
This season, the Classics Discovery concert celebrates the medium of dance with the H2 Dance Co., a pre-professional dance company at Hope College, performing the Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. Also performing will be the winner of the 2023 Norbert Mueller High School Concerto Competition. Selected Hungarian Dances by Brahms will also be featured. This concert is designed for families of all ages.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for students through college.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, will be online this year under the “Pre-Concert Talk” Tab. There are opportunities for you to ask questions about upcoming programs on that tab. We look forward to resuming live Pre-Concert Talks when the pandemic lessens.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

Danzón No. 2
Arturo Marquez
Born: December 20, 1950, Álamos, Sonora, Mexico
Composed: 1994, commissioned by the National Autonomous University of Mexico
Premiered: 1994
Approximate Duration: 10 minutes
Instrumentation: 2 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, suspended cymbals, snare drum, güiro, claves, 3 tomtoms, piano, strings
Arturo Marquez is one of Mexico’s most prominent living composers. He studied at the Conservatory of Music of Mexico, at the California Institute of the Arts, and in Paris. He was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and numerous grants and awards from both the Mexican and French governments, which enabled him to visit and study many diverse places. Recently Marquez has dedicated himself to researching the folk traditions of nearly every region in Mexico. He has become passionate about many traditional genres, and uses his compositions “to pay tribute to them in the concert halls.”
Marquez has used the danzón form on numerous occasions. This genre of dance music traces its roots to nineteenth century Cuba. It describes a dance step involving small movements of feet and hips in a tight square of floor space. Marquez says, “The danzón is today still very popular in Mexico. In Veracruz, there are special town squares where it is still danced two or three times a week. It’s a very strong tradition. In Mexico City, there are special dance halls where only danzón is danced.” He wrote the following description of this danzón:
“The idea of writing the Danzón 2 originated in 1993 during a trip to Malinalco with the painter Andrés Fonseca and the dancer Irene Martínez, both of whom [have] a special passion for the danzón, which they were able to transmit to me from the beginning, and also during later trips to Veracruz and visits to the Colonia Salon in Mexico City. From these experiences onward, I started to learn the danzón’s rhythms, its form, its melodic outline, and to listen to the old recordings by Acerina Mariano Merceron and his Danzonera Orchestra. I was fascinated and I started to understand that the apparent lightness of the danzón is only like a visiting card for a type of music full of sensuality and qualitative seriousness, a genre which old Mexican people continue to dance with a touch of nostalgia and a jubilant escape towards their own emotional world; we can fortunately still see this in the embrace between music and dance that occurs in the State of Veracruz and in the dance parlors of Mexico City. “Danzón 2 … endeavors to get as close as possible to the dance, to its nostalgic melodies, to its wild rhythms, and although it violates its intimacy, its form and its harmonic language, it is a very personal way of paying my respects and expressing my emotions towards truly popular music.”
The explosive, driving rhythm and melodic inventiveness of Danzón No. 2 have made it the most frequently performed contemporary Mexican work. The piece showcases vibrant, lively brass, suave woodwinds and driving percussion. Its Latin energy and sassy dance rhythms are reminiscent of Mexican street music. The music starts with swaying melodies, quickens into sharp, staccato effervescence, calms into a slow, easy tango, then finishes in a dramatic climax.
To listen to Danzón No. 2 , click here.
Hungarian Dances Nos. 5 & 6
Johannes Brahms
Born: May 7, 1833, Hamburg
Died: April 3, 1897, Vienna
Composed: 1868
Approximate Duration: 3 & 4 minutes
Instrumentation: 2 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings
Many nineteenth century composers and musicians had a fascination with “Hungarian” music. At various times during this century refugees fled revolutions in Hungary, many looking for a new life in the United States. Brahms encountered gypsy fiddle tunes in a significant way in his late teens when he heard the Hungarian violinist Eduard Reményi, who had a “gypsy style.” The two became friends and toured Europe together in the 1850s as a violin-piano duo. At this time he began collecting Hungarian folk tunes–a project that lasted most of his life. The tunes Brahms collected were not authentic, peasant tunes like those that Bartók and Kodály recorded in the twentieth century. Instead, Brahms gathered the stylized tunes curated for city audiences as they were played by “gypsy bands” in cafes and on street corners. Gradually Brahms wrote these tunes down–retaining their dramatic melodies and quickly changing rhythms and moods–as four-hand piano duets (two pianists playing on one piano). To his publisher, Brahms wrote, the dances were “genuine gypsy children, which I did not beget, but merely brought up with bread and milk.” He enjoyed playing them with friends, and there was an eager market for these duets, so he ultimately published them in two groups: ten in 1869 and eleven in 1880.
Brahms’s Hungarian Dances were so popular that they have been arranged for almost every possible instrumentation. All twenty-one have been orchestrated. Dvořák orchestrated the last five, Brahms orchestrated three, and others, including Parlow, arranged the rest. No. 5 in G minor is the most frequently played and arranged of all the dances. It is based on the Csárdás Bártfai emlék (Memories of Bártfa), by Hungarian composer Béla Kéler. Brahms mistakenly thought this tune was a traditional folk song. No. 6 in D-flat Major opens gently with fast interruptions, ultimately rushing to a rapid conclusion.
To listen to Hungarian Dances Nos 6 & 5 (in that order), click here.
Slavonic Dance in E minor, Opus 72, No. 2
Antonín Dvorák
Born: September 8, 1841, Nelahozeves, near Kralupy, Bohemia
Died: May 1, 1904, Prague
Composed: 1886-1887
Approximate Duration: 6 minutes
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, timpani, strings
Behind Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances lies a story of musical friendship. By the mid-1870s, Johannes Brahms was considered one of Europe’s leading composers and served on a committee to award stipends to talented but undiscovered composers living in outlying provinces of the Austrian Empire. Austria controlled Bohemia, the modern-day Czech Republic, making Dvorák a potential candidate. Brahms was deeply impressed by Dvorák’s music, so in addition to awarding Dvorák a monetary prize, he used his influence to secure performances for Dvorák’s music. Brahms also asked his publisher, the prestigious Simrock, to take on Dvorák and promote his works. Simrock had recently reaped substantial profits from Brahms’ Hungarian Dances for piano four-hands. In 1878, the firm asked Dvorák to create a similar set, based on his own native dance traditions. He responded with eight Slavonic Dances, arranging them for orchestra as well as piano duet. These dances launched Dvorák’s fame beyond his native Bohemia. They were so popular that Simrock asked for another set of eight dances, but Dvorak declined, saying, “You will forgive me, but I simply have not the slightest inclination now to think of such light music,” was Dvořák’s response. “As long as I am not in the right mood for it, I cannot do anything. It is something that cannot be forced.” Eight years later, he was in the mood again and wrote eight more during one month in the summer of 1886.
Dvorák did not base his Slavonic Dances on actual Czech folk tunes. He wrote the melodies himself, orchestrated them colorfully, and filled them with the robust rhythmic patterns and characters of traditional Czech folk music. Each dance consists of two or more dance themes with contrasting moods, keys, and tempos. The first set of dances consisted of lively and joyful Czech dances, but the Op. 72 set is more varied in tone and nationalistic influence. No 2 is a Starodávný, in a triple meter. It begins and ends with a slow, melancholy tune, which Dvořák said should be played expressively, and the middle section provides contrast with a sparkling tune in E Major.
To listen to Slavonic Dance Op. 72, No. 2, click here.
“Waltz” from Sleeping Beauty, op. 66
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Born: May 7, 1840, Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia
Died: November 6, 1893, St. Petersburg, Russia
Composed: 1888-1889
Premiered: 1890
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, clochettes, strings
Peter Tchaikovsky wrote three major ballet scores, using his gifts for melody, orchestral color, and rhythm to elevate ballet music to a new level. In 1877 Tchaikovsky debuted Swan Lake, which met with mixed reviews due to its complex and complex music, dark subject matter, and high demands he placed on the dancers. The Nutcracker premiered in 1892. In between these two, Ivan Vseolozhky, director of the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg, commissioned Peter Tchaikovsky in 1888 to write a ballet set to the story of Sleeping Beauty, a story about a princess who awakens from a magic spell with the kiss of true love from a well-known seventeenth century book of fairy tales by French author Charles Perrault. He wrote, “I want to stage it in the style of Louis XIV, allowing the musical fantasy to run high and melodies to be written in the spirit of Lully, Bach, Rameau and such-like.” Many musical authorities, including Igor Stravinsky, think this is Tchaikovsky’s best ballet music.
This ballet also met with mixed reactions initially. Some thought it was too sophisticated and “French.” Tsar Alexander III, who paid for the lavish staging, said it was “very nice” after going to a rehearsal. Soon, though, audiences responded eagerly and the ballet became extremely popular. Tchaikovsky’s music, along with the choreography and spectacular staging of the original production, became the model for the Russian imperial ballet style.
Eventually a suite of some of the most popular musical numbers was extracted from this ballet, as with almost every other well-loved ballet. The order of movements in the suite doesn’t follow the ballet plot, but is organized based on the musical preferences of the arranger. The suite for Sleeping Beauty opens with the original ballet introduction but ends with the Waltz, which appears in Act I of the ballet. In this movement several courtiers celebrate Princess Aurora’s sixteenth birthday party. This famous tune was also featured in Walt Disney’s animated rendition of this fairy tale.
To listen to the Sleeping Beauty Waltz, click here.
The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du printemps)
Igor Stravinsky
Born: June 17, 1882. Oranienbaum, Russia
Died: April 6, 1971. New York City
Composed: 1911-12, in Ustilug, Ukraine and Clarens, Switzerland
Premiered: May 29, 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, as a staged production of Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes
Approximate Duration: 35 minutes
Original Instrumentation: 3 flutes plus piccolo and alto flute (3rd flute doubling 2nd piccolo), 4 oboes and English horn (4th oboe doubling 2nd English horn), 3 clarinets plus E-flat clarinet and bass clarinet (2nd clarinet doubling 2nd bass clarinet), 4 bassoons and contrabassoon (4th bassoon doubling 2nd contrabassoon), 8 horns (7th and 8th doubling tenor tubas, a.k.a. Wagner tubas), 4 trumpets plus high trumpet in D and bass trumpet, 3 trombones, 2 bass tubas, 5 timpani (divided between 2 players), bass drum, tam-tam, triangle, tambourine, guiro, antique cymbals, and strings
Revised Instrumentation (for an orchestra that might fit into an orchestra pit): 3 flutes (including alto flute and piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets (including piccolo clarinet and bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (including contrabassoon), 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, bass trumpet, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, tamtam, guiro, crotales, strings
The program note below was written by Matthew Farmer.
The Rite of Spring premiered on May 29, 1913, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, France. In the audience were two differing communities: those of the established elite who had come to the theatre for an enjoyable evening of expected historic art and culture, and those captivated by, and in the throes of, the Bohemian Revolution. These two communities would clash in a predestined event that was both the ignition and culmination of these differing communities: the premier of Vaslav Nijinky’s “le Sacre du Printemps” (The Rite of Spring). Before the prelude was even completed, a riot had broken out in the audience as some members cried “ce n’est pas de l’art” (this is not art), and others cried “révolution” (revolution). Two warring communities, each with their own notions of what it means to be a community, to reflect national pride, and, ultimately, what it means to be alive. In today’s context, perhaps The Rite of Spring is more necessary than ever.
Ironically the storyline of the original ballet deals with community; specifically, what a community will do in order to ensure its survival. In the original version presented at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the community in the ballet chooses a woman (historically identified as a virgin) to dance herself to death for the gods in hopes of bringing on the spring season; thus ensuring the survival of the community for another year. While today’s performance does not follow this original storyline, it does however address the idea of community. What does it mean to live within a community where threats are both external and within? Is it possible that our community, at times, is the very thing that keeps us from growing into fuller human beings? And yet, if/when we need our community, how do we lean on them in spite of its flaws and shortcomings?
When a global pandemic arrives, who is our community? This was the question we all asked ourselves, and this is the question out of which this newest interpretation of The Rite of Spring was born.
To listen to The Rite of Spring, click here.
H2 Dance Co.
H2 Dance Co. is a pre-professional dance company affiliated with the Hope College Department of Dance. It provides professional dance performance and touring experience to its student company members and engages its audiences through artistically and educationally diverse programs.
H2’s repertory spans all areas of dance, and seeks to impact its audiences through works that are versatile, dynamic, engaging and inspiring; ultimately presenting dance that is both accessible and thought provoking.

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Holiday: Celebrate the Season
2022-12-10 15:30 - 17:00 | Dimnent Chapel, 277 College Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
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Program
Saturday, December 10, 2022, 3:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Dimnent Chapel, Hope College
Michelle Areyzaga, soprano
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director and Conductor
“Polonaise” from Christmas Eve
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
“Rejoice Greatly” from Messiah
George Frederic Handel
Jul, jul, stralande jul
Gustaf Nordqvist
Overture to Hansel and Gretel
Engelbert Humperdinck
Panis Angelicus
Ceaar Franck
I’ll be Home for Christmas
Walter Kent, arr. Marty Gold
Christmas Singalong
John Finnegan
Andante Festivo
Jean Sibelius
Around the World at Christmas Time
Arr. Bruce Chase
Maria Wiegenlied
Max Reger
O Holy Night
Adolphe Adam, arr. Luck
Christmas at the Movies
Arr. Bob Krogstad
Tickets: Adults: $25
Students through college: $5
Saturday, December 10, 2022, 3:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Dimnent Chapel, Hope College
Tickets: Adults: $25
Students through college: $5
Season Ticket Series
Holland Symphony presents two traditional Holiday Concerts of classics, seasonal classics and carols as a gift to the community as we celebrate the season. Operatic soprano Michelle Areyzaga from the Chicago area joins the HSO sharing her gifts with us. The two concerts are at 3:30 and 7:30 pm.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking at Dimnent Chapel
The faculty/staff parking lots are available for parking after 5pm
Michelle Areyzaga, soprano
As a coveted performer with a diverse repertoire, American soprano Michelle Areyzaga is held in high regard by orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and abroad. She has performed operatic roles with New York City Opera in Telemann’s Orpheus as well as in their VOX series, and has appeared in leading roles with Chicago Opera Theater, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s In the Neighborhoods programs, Opera Birmingham, Ravinia Festival, and Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México.
Michelle Areyzaga’s association with the music of Leonard Bernstein runs deep. She has become well known for her interpretation of his delightful and moving music – from her portrayal of Cunegonde in Candide to her participation in varied programs featuring his works, including musical theater and chamber music/recital works. Areyzaga toured the show Bernstein on Broadway together with Jamie Bernstein (Leonard’s daughter) for six years, performing it with the Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Oregon Bach Festival, among many others. Areyzaga is still often heard performing Bernstein, such as her performances in Las Vegas and at Ravinia in conjunction with the composer’s centennial celebration.
As an orchestral soloist, she has appeared with, in addition to orchestras listed above, Richmond Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, Rochester Symphony, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, and North Carolina Symphony, among others. She sang the first Bach B minor Mass in the country of Costa Rica, under the baton of Maestro John Nelson.
Ms. Areyzaga’s operatic roles have included Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro; title role, Madama Butterfly; Cunegonde, Candide; Adina, L’elisir d’amore; Despina, Così fan tutte; Zerlina, Don Giovanni; Pamina, Die Zauberflöte; Lauretta, Gianni Schicchi; both Musetta and Mimì, La bohème and Casilda in The Gondoliers.
Known as a foremost interpreter of vocal art song and chamber music, Ms. Areyzaga has been a repeat guest of the New York Festival of Song under the direction of Steven Blier and Michael Barrett, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Chicago Ensemble, as well as Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, and the Tucson Desert Song Festival. She has collaborated with the Avalon String Quartet, the Cavatina Duo, and the Lincoln Trio, and has been selected to perform world premieres of many new works by American composers.
As a recorded artist, she has performed song cycles by Gwyneth Walker on The Sun Is Love (Proteus). Other recordings include Songs from Spoon River (Cedille) by Lita Grier and The Small Hours, songs by William Ferris. She has sung numerous times in both live and programmed broadcasts on Chicago’s classical music radio station WFMT.
Ms. Areyzaga made her European concert debut as soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor at England’s York Minster Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, and St. Mary’s Church in Oxford. In Paris, she received standing ovations as soloist in the Lord Nelson Mass with the orchestra of London’s Royal Academy of Music and the St. Charles Singers.
Michelle Areyzaga has been named “Artist of the Year” by Pioneer Press and has been an award recipient from the Julian Autrey Song Foundation, Wm. C. Byrd International Young Artist, Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year, Marguerite McCammon Vocal Competition (Ft. Worth Opera), NATSAA—National Finalist ”Outstanding Artist”chosen by Teresa Stratas, Metropolitan Opera National Council (Central Region), Viñas Concurs International and the Concert Artist Guild.
She received her B.A. in Vocal Performance from Roosevelt University with honors and was a member of Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Artists. In addition she has been a member of the OperaWorks Summer intensive Program in L.A. and a member of Chicago Opera Theater’s Debut Artist Series.
Ms. Areyzaga is represented by Alpha Artists Management.

HSYO Fall Concert
2022-11-13 15:00 - 17:00 | MI
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Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 3:00pm
DeWitt Auditorium, Zeeland East High School
Holland Area Junior Strings
Kyle Nester, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Iowa Spring for String OrchestraPaul Seitz A Little Bit of…. Space…. Time Samuel Adler The Blue Danube Waltz Johann Strauss/arr. Mark Williams Do-Si-DoRichard Meyer
Holland Area Concert Strings
Kyle Nester, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager Four Royal DancesEric Ewazen1. The Lord2. The Lady3. The Jester4. The Knight Water Music SuiteGeorge Frederic Handel/arr. Forest R. Etling Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, First Movement AbridgedWoflgang Amadeus Mozart/arr. Merle J. Isaac Symphony No. #3 – “Eroica” (Fourth Movement) Ludwing van Beethoven/arr. Andrew Dabczynski
Holland Area Youth Orchestra
Christopher Fashun, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk The Barber of Seville Overture Gioachino Rossini Finlandia (Tone Poem) Op 26 No 7 Jean Sibelius/Adapted by Henry Sopkin Nabucco OvertureGiuseppe Verdi
Ticket price is $10 for adults and $5 for kids age 6-college; 6 and under are free.
Tickets can be purchased during the dress rehearsal on Saturday, 11/12 from 9:00am-noon and at the door prior to the concert (starting at 2:00pm).
Kyle Nester
Kyle Nester graduated from Alma College in 2004 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree. While in college, he participated in orchestra, marching band, jazz band, percussion ensemble, and choir. Mr. Nester spent a term in Vienna, Austria and studied violin with Maeve Auer from the Universitat fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst. After college, he was a soloist in the Baroque on Beaver Music Festival and performed with Josh Groban a few times. After a long-term substitute teacher position in Fremont, Michigan, he taught 5th – 12th grade orchestra at Chippewa Hills School District for seven years. After his wife Andrea finished her law degree at Michigan State University, the couple moved to West Michigan. He started teaching at Holland Christian in 2012 and Andrea was employed in a law firm in downtown Grand Rapids. Recently, Mr. Nester has been interested in fiddling and started the Michigan Academy of Folk Music with Nate Roberts from Hope College.
Mr. Nester enjoys running races, enjoying nature, playing music, and traveling. They have three “interesting” cats and a planted freshwater fish tank.

Christopher H. Fashun
Christopher H. Fashun is an incredibly diverse and versatile conductor, performer, and educator. He brings over two decades of experience as a music educator leading middle school, high school and collegiate band and orchestra programs in addition to directing jazz and percussion ensembles.
A 2018 recipient of a U.S. Postdoctoral Fulbright Award in All Disciplines, Dr. Fashun will be living and researching Afro-Brazilian music in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil during the summer of 2019. His project will focus on the dissemination of Afro-Brazilian music and culture in the city of Salvador.
An Assistant Professor of Music at Hope College, he serves as the Director of Orchestras, the founder and Music Director of the Brazilian Drumming Ensemble, teaches applied percussion, world music, and is an Instructor of Instrumental Music Education.
An accomplished percussionist and violist, he has several years of orchestral and chamber music experience and has enjoyed success in both areas as a soloist by winning three concerto competitions, one on viola and two on marimba.
Dr. Fashun is an active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and percussionist. He is a frequent presenter at music education conferences and is a highly sought after clinician and conductor. Notable engagements include the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra, Holland Symphony Orchestra, Elkhart Symphony Orchestra, St. Ambrose University Community Symphony Orchestra, the University of Iowa Philharmonia and All-University Orchestras. Dr. Fashun has conducted the Symphony String Orchestra at the Iowa IMEA Conference for the All-State Iowa Junior Honors String Orchestra Festival Concert and the Midwest Mennonite Festival Orchestra and Concert Band. He has served on the music faculties at St. Ambrose University and Goshen College.
His research in conducting combines developing musicianship from the podium and health and wellness for music educators.
When he’s not making music, he is either cycling, paddle boarding, or practicing Pilates and enjoying the fabulous beaches in Holland (in the summer, of course) with his wife and daughter.

Symphonie Fantastique
2022-10-15 19:30 - 21:30 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
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Artist bios
Pre-Concert Talk

Program
Saturday October 15, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College
Cold Mountain SuiteJennifer Higdon (b. 1962)
Concertino for Cello and String OrchestraEsteban Benzecry (b. 1970)1. Allegro2. Intermezzo dramatico: Largo Misterioso3. Toccata: Allegro
Adalus Low-Manzini, cello
Intermission
Symphonie Fantastique, op. 14Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)1. Reveries, Passions2. A Ball3. Scene in the Country4. March to the Scaffold5. Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath
Tickets: Adults – $25, Students through college – $5
Season Ticket Series
Saturday October 15, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College
Tickets: Adults – $25, Students through college – $5
Season Ticket SeriesThe concert opens with a new piece by award-winning composer Jennifer Higdon commissioned by a consortium of orchestras. A young Venezuelan cellist and Sphinx competition artist, Adalus Low-Manzini, will perform a cello concerto by Argentinian composer Esteban Benzecry. Rounding out the program is Berlioz’s masterpiece, Symphonie Fantastique.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, will be online this year under the “Pre-Concert Talk” Tab. There are opportunities for you to ask questions about upcoming programs on that tab. We look forward to resuming live Pre-Concert Talks when the pandemic lessens.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

Cold Mountain SuiteJennifer Higdon
Born: December 31, 1962, Brooklyn, NYWritten: 2012-2014Opera Premiere: August 1, 2015, Santa Fe OperaSuite Premiere: Fall 2021, Delaware Symphony Approximate duration: 19 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, 3 percussionists (bass drum, brake drum, Chinese cymbal, crotales, glockenspiel, suspended cymbal, tom-tom, vibraphone), strings
Jennifer Higdon is one of America’s most acclaimed figures in contemporary classical music, receiving the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto, a 2010 Grammy for her Percussion Concerto, a 2018 Grammy for her Viola Concerto and, most recently, a 2020 Grammy for her Harp Concerto. Higdon’s first opera, Cold Mountain, won the International Opera Award for Best World Premiere and the opera recording was nominated for two Grammy awards. Most recently, she was inducted into membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Higdon enjoys several hundred performances a year of her works and her works have been recorded on more than seventy CDs. Her music is published exclusively by Lawdon Press.
Cold Mountain was commissioned by opera companies in Santa Fe, Philadelphia, and Minnesota. It is based on the 1997 novel by Charles Frazier. The libretto is by Gene Scheer. Higdon, who grew up in the Appalachian region of the United States, helped refine the dialogue. She writes, “I helped Gene ‘southernize’ the libretto. Gene’s from New York, and he wasn’t sure how to shape the language for the characters, so I took care of it. Those speech patterns felt very familiar.” The opera is set in the American Civil War. It tells the story of a wounded Confederate soldier who deserted the Confederate army and faced a difficult journey home to his beloved, while she struggled for survival as she waited for the war to end.
Cold Mountain Suite is part of a commissioning project organized by New Music for America, a project of the League of American Orchestras. In these projects, a consortium of small budget orchestras, at least one in each state, comes together to commission a work from a major American composer. Each orchestra is asked to pay a small amount to participate. It is a meaningful way for small orchestras, who could not afford to commission a work from a major composer, to participate in these projects and in the birth of new American music. This is the third time HSO has participated in these projects. HSO is proud to perform the Michigan premiere of this work!
There is no recording of this piece yet, since this is a premiere. To learn more about the opera, click here.
Concertino para violinchelo y orquesta de cuerdas (Concertino for Violoncello and String Orchestra)Esteban Benzecry
Born: April 13, 1970, Lisbon, PortugalWritten: 1992Premiered: October 13, 1992, Claudio Baraviera, cello, Orquestra de Camara Mayo, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaApproximate duration: 15 minutesInstrumentation: string orchestra
Esteban Benzecry was born to Argentine parents in Lisbon, Portugal. He grew up in Argentina and did his early music studies there. He moved to Paris in 1997 where he studied at the Conservatoire Superieur de Paris. There he won the “Premier Prix a l’unanimitè” in composition in 1999. As a composer, he has won a variety of prizes and awards in Argentina and in Europe. He has become known for music that is based on Latin American rhythms and draws on European contemporary music. He has been called an heir to Villa-Lobos and Ginastera due to his use of Latin American rhythms and melodies.
Benzecry wrote this piece for cello and string orchestra in 1992. It has three relatively short movements. The first movement is fast and rhythmic, with a lot of two-against-three rhythms that are a hallmark of Latin American music. The slow movement opens mysteriously, as the cello explores melodies above muted and fluttering string sounds. Here Benzecry explores the low, melancholy range of the cello. The third movement, another fast and energetic showcase, features a lot of rapid dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra. Rapidly changing meters, with measures in five, six, or seven beats, keep listeners on their toes in this joyful display of virtuosity.
Holland Symphony and Adalus Low-Manzini are proud to present the U.S. premiere of this piece!
To listen to the first movement, click here.To listen to the second movement, click here.To listen to the third movement, click here.
Symphonie FantastiqueHector Berlioz
Born: December 11, 1803, La Côte-Saint-André, Isère, FranceDied: March 8, 1869, Paris, FranceWritten: 1829-30, revised 1832Premiered: December 5, 1830, ParisApproximate duration: 52 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (one doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (one doubling e-flat clarinet), 4 bassoons, 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani and percussion (bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, low‑pitched bells), 2 harps, and strings
Music donated by Mark Dykstra.
Hector Berlioz wrote his Symphonie Fantastique six years after the premiere of Beethoven’s ninth symphony, but the two pieces sound worlds and centuries apart.
Berlioz had a very different musical upbringing from most composers. He had a few flute and guitar lessons as a child in the small town where they lived near Grenoble, in the Alps, but he never became proficient at an instrument as a child. He didn’t know traditional music theory. His father was a doctor and wanted Berlioz to follow in his footsteps. He studied medicine in Paris but hated it, so he pursued private music instruction. In 1826 he entered the composition program at the Paris Conservatory. On his fourth attempt he won the coveted Prix de Rome, in 1830, for his cantata La Mort de Sardanapale, a lost and forgotten piece. By that point Berlioz had already composed his first symphony, the Symphonie Fantastique. Many musicologists feel that Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique is the most original first symphony ever written.
Symphonie Fantastique owes its existence to a theatrical performance Berlioz attended on September 11, 1827. An English touring company was performing Shakespeare’s Hamlet. One of the leading roles, Ophelia, was played by Harriet Smithson, a twenty-seven-year-old Irish actress. Berlioz fell instantly and completely in love with her, though they did not meet at that time. He spoke almost no English and she spoke almost no French, yet he wrote to her incessantly when the touring company left Paris. He read a French translation of Hamlet repeatedly. Gossip about affairs between Smithson and others in the company only fueled his wildly passionate feelings for her.
Ultimately the pair met at the end of 1832. After a brief courtship, and despite the fact that they could hardly communicate, they married. The marriage lasted only twelve years.
Smithson became such a vivid presence in Berlioz’s mind that she took the form of a melody, and Berlioz began writing a symphony about Smithson as portrayed by that melody. Her melody, which Berlioz called the “idée fixe,” is the central character in the symphony and its dramatic plot. Berlioz presents the melody in a variety of creative ways, coloring it with different instruments and surrounding textures. He wanted his intentions to be completely clear, so he wrote a detailed program for this work, complete with all capital letters when he felt that was necessary. He published these details (all the text below) with the score in 1845 and claimed this narration was “indispensable for a complete understanding of the dramatic outline of the work.”
The composer’s aim has been to develop, to the extent that they have musical possibilities, various situations in the life of an artist. The plan of the instrumental drama, which is deprived of the help of words, needs to be outlined in advance. The following program should therefore be thought of like the spoken text of an opera, serving to introduce the musical movements, whose character and expression it calls into being.
Part One: Reveries, Passions — The author imagines that a young musician, afflicted with that moral disease that a well-known writer calls the vague des passions, sees for the first time a woman who embodies all the charms of the ideal being he has imagined in his dreams, and he falls desperately in love with her. Through an odd whim, whenever the beloved image appears before the mind’s eye of the artist, it is linked with a musical thought whose character, passionate but at the same time noble and shy, he finds similar to the one he attributes to his beloved. This melodic image and the model it reflects pursue him incessantly like a double idée fixe. That is the reason for the constant appearance, in every movement of the symphony, of the melody that begins the first Allegro. The passage from this state of melancholy reverie, interrupted by a few fits of groundless joy, to one of frenzied passion, with its gestures of fury, of jealousy, its return of tenderness, its tears, its religious consolations.
Part Two: A Ball — The artist finds himself in the most varied situations — in the midst of the TUMULT OF FESTIVITY, in the peaceful contemplation of the beauties of nature; but everywhere, in town, in the country, the beloved image appears before him and disturbs his peace of mind.
Part Three: Scene in the Fields — Finding himself one evening in the country, he hears in the distance two shepherds piping a ranz des vaches [a tune sung or played by a Swiss herdsman] in dialogue. This pastoral duet, the scenery, the quiet rustling of the trees gently brushed by the wind, the hopes he has recently found some reason to entertain — all concur in affording his heart an unaccustomed calm, and in giving a more cheerful color to his ideas. He reflects upon his isolation; he hopes that his loneliness will soon be over. — But what if she were deceiving him! — This mingling of hope and fear, form the subject of the Adagio. At the end, one of the shepherds again takes up the ranz des vaches; the other no longer replies.
Part Four: March to the Scaffold — Convinced that his love is unappreciated, the artist poisons himself with opium. The dose, too weak to kill him, plunges him into a sleep accompanied by the most horrible visions. He dreams that he has killed his beloved, that he is condemned and led to the scaffold, and that he is witnessing HIS OWN EXECUTION. The procession moves forward to the sounds of a march that is now somber and fierce, now brilliant and solemn, in which the muffled noise of heavy steps gives way without transition to the noisiest clamor. At the end of the march the first four measures of the IDÉE FIXE reappear.
Part Five: Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath — He sees himself at the sabbath, in the midst of a frightful troop of ghosts, sorcerers, monsters of every kind, come together for his funeral. Strange noises, groans, bursts of laughter, distant cries which other cries seem to answer. The beloved melody appears again, but it has lost its character of nobility and shyness; it is no more than a dance tune, mean, trivial, and grotesque: it is she, coming to join the sabbath. — A roar of joy at her arrival. — She takes part in the devilish orgy. — Funeral knell, burlesque parody of the DIES IRAE, SABBATH ROUND DANCE. The sabbath round and the Dies Irae are combined.
To listen to the Berlioz, click here.
Adalus Low-Manzini, cello
Adalus Low-Manzini is a young Venezuelan cellist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she is pursuing a Master’ Degree in Cello Performance with Professor Amir Eldan at the University of Michigan. She was awarded the Sphinx Organization Scholarship which allows one Black or Latinx student every year to pursue a Master’s degree at UofM. She received her Bachelor’s of Music in Cello Performance from Louisiana State University in May of 2021, where she studied with Professor Dennis Parker, a disciple of Janos Starker and Aldo Parisot. At present, Adalus carries out an important activity as a musician that includes both pedagogy, as well as chamber and orchestral music. From 2019 to 2021, Adalus was a cello teaching artist at Kids’ Orchestra (an “El Sistema” inspired music program), where she taught music and cello to elementary and middle school children in the Baton Rouge area. This, combined with over five years of teaching experience in her Venezuela, Low-Manzini has been able to hold and maintain her private cello studio where she teaches students from preparatory to advanced levels between the ages of 8 and 20 all in the Ann Arbor area. She is the cellist of the Calista Quartet, an UofM string quartet she is part of along with fellow graduate students at the School of Music and with whom she performs for university events as well as Chamber Music Festivals like the Banff Center: Evolution: Quartet Program.
Adalus started her musical studies in the renowned musical program “El Sistema.” There she had the opportunity to perform with maestros such as Gustavo Dudamel, in Venezuela, and with Sir Simon Rattle at the prestigious Salzburg Festival, in Austria. She has performed as a soloist with orchestras all throughout her home country and the US, including the Falcón Symphony Orchestra, the Teresa Carreño Symphony Orchestra, the Rapides Symphony Orchestra, the LSU Symphony Orchestra, among others. In 2015 she received the first prize at the I Festival Iberoamericano de Violoncello Competition. During that festival, she met two of her current mentors: Germán Marcano and Horacio Contreras; two people who have guided her throughout her musical journey ever since crossing paths.
In the summer of 2018, sponsored by Louisiana State University, she and her piano quintet Zizique attended “Orvieto Musica,” a prestigious chamber music festival held in central Italy. At that festival, the Zizique quintet was the only chamber music group that was awarded its own concert, which was held at the prominent Emilio Greco Museum in the city of Orvieto, with a program that included works by Brahms and Shostakovich. In addition to performing chamber music, Adalus has performed with different orchestras in the Louisiana and Michigan area, including the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, the Rapides Symphony Orchestra, and the Ann Arbor Symphony.
In 2018 and 2019, she attended the International Cello Institute (ICI) in Minnesota, where she received masterclasses from leading cello teachers such as Astrid Swcheen, Jens Peter Maitnz, and Anthony Ross. While in ICI, she met another important mentor: Anna Clift, who has consistently supported her through college applications, recitals, and more. From 2019 through 2022, she attended the renowned summer festival Center Stage Strings, a music program for emerging young artists held at the University of Michigan. In the summer of 2022, she won first prize in the CSS Contemporary Music Competition. In January 2019, Adalus won the Rapides Symphony Competition in the Youth Division and performed as a soloist with the same orchestra in Alexandria, Louisiana, in March of that year. In 2020, she won third place in the Louisiana State University concerto competition, allowing her to perform as a soloist with the university’s orchestra in April of 2021.
One of Adalus’ passions is the creation of educational and informative content for social media related to music. This has allowed her to hold positions such as the Video and Social Director for the International Cello Institute since 2019, and occasionally collaborate with the department of Creation of Digital Content of Strings of Latin America (SOLA) and The Sphinx Catalog of Latin American Cello Works, these last two initiatives of the Sphinx Organization. In addition to this, Adalus is an advocate for creating, commissioning and performing music by Latin American composers. In fact, this past year she received a grant to commission a cello solo work to be premiered in her Master’s degree recital by renowned Venezuelan composer Diana Arismendi. It is Adalus’ mission to keep commissioning works, especially by women Latin American composers, and in that way contribute to expanding the canon of cello music. In her free time, Adalus loves to swim, paint, and take pictures with her film cameras, as well as connecting and getting to know new people in the communities she visits.
Taras Krysa, Guest Conductor
The Ukrainian-born, American conductor Taras Krysa is establishing a reputation for innovative and thoughtful music-making throughout the United States and Europe. In addition to serving as the Director of Orchestras at UNLV, Mr. Krysa serves as the Music Director of Las Vegas Sinfonietta and just finished his tenure as the Music Director of Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mr. Krysa has appeared internationally with orchestras including the New World Symphony, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony, Moscow Soloists, Slovak Sinfonietta, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Kiev Chamber Orchestra, Lublin Philharmonic Orchestra, Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra, Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, and many others. In addition, Krysa led several European orchestras on tours in China, Germany and Netherlands, including appearances at the Concertgebouw Hall.
An accomplished violinist, he was a member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the New World Symphony Orchestra and continues to maintain an active career performing chamber music.
Krysa recently concluded his ninth season as the Artistic and Music Director of the Henderson Symphony Orchestra in Nevada. Under his leadership, the ensemble saw its audience expand ten-fold, and its concerts recognized as a treasured part of the cultural life of the community.
Mr. Krysa actively promotes new music and has made three critically acclaimed recordings for the Brilliant Classics label; two of which featured works by Mozart, and one a live recording of Freddie Mercury’s rock opera, Barcelona.
Krysa started his music studies in Moscow, Russia before moving with his family to the United States in 1989, where he continued his studies in violin and conducting at Manhattan School of Music, Indiana University and Northwestern University under the guidance of Albert Markov, Nelli Shkolnikova, Syvlya Rosenberg and Victor Yampolsky. Taras currently lives in Henderson NV, with his wife Nataliya and two adorable cats, Siegfried and Brungilda. In free time he enjoys skiing, surfing, playing viola and collecting stamps.

To listen to the pre-concert talk, click here.

Pulling Out the Stops
2022-09-24 19:30 - 21:30 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
Concert Sponsor

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Pre-Concert Talk

Program
Saturday September 24, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College
Concert Overture No. 2
Florence Price (1887-1953)
Symphony No. 2, Op. 30, “Romantic”
Howard Hanson (1896-1981)

Adagio; Allegro moderato
Andante con tenerezza
Allegro con brio

Intermission
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Symphony No. 3, op. 78, in C minor, “Organ Symphony”
PART I
Adagio – Allegro moderato
Poco adagio
PART II
Allegro moderato – Presto
Maestoso – Allegro
Tickets: Adults – $25, Students through college – $5
Season Ticket Series
The concert opens with Florence Price’s “Concert Overture No. 2.” This piece is a beautiful meditation on three spirituals, “Go Down, Moses, Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit,” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” Price was an American composer in the early 1900s whose music has recently been discovered and celebrated. The orchestra will continue with another American work, the “Romantic” Symphony by Howard Hanson. Full of sweeping melodies, nostalgic tenderness, and majestic brass, this work captures a hopeful American spirit. The concert will conclude with the well-known “Organ Symphony” by Camille Saint-Saens.
The stage will be full with a large orchestra, harp, colorful percussion, and a piano played by two people, as well as the majestic Casavant organ in the concert hall played by Peter Kurdziel. The concert will substitute soloist Peter Kurdziel performing on the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony as the artist Huw Lewis is unable to perform due to covid-related illness and two broken fingers.
Peter Kurdziel has been the Director of Music at the Basilica of St. Adalbert in Grand Rapids, Michigan since August of 2010. He earned degrees in organ from Hope College where he was a student of Huw Lewis and the University of Notre Dame where he was a student of Craig Cramer. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) where he was a student of Dana Robinson. In addition to the organ, Peter has also studied voice, conducting, harpsichord, and theology at the graduate level. He is the past dean of the Grand Rapids and Muskegon-Lakeshore Chapters of the American Guild of Organists. He has also served on the executive boards of the Grand Rapids Chapter of the National Pastoral Musicians and the West Michigan Symphony.
The concert opens with Florence Price’s “Concert Overture No. 2.” This piece is a beautiful meditation on three spirituals, “Go Down, Moses, Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit,” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” Price was an American composer in the early 1900s whose music has recently been discovered and celebrated. The orchestra will continue with another American work, the “Romantic” Symphony by Howard Hanson. Full of sweeping melodies, nostalgic tenderness, and majestic brass, this work captures a hopeful American spirit. The concert will conclude with the well-known “Organ Symphony” by Camille Saint-Saens.
The stage will be full with a large orchestra, harp, colorful percussion, and a piano played by two people, as well as the majestic Casavant organ in the concert hall played by Peter Kurdziel. The concert will substitute soloist Peter Kurdziel performing on the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony as the artist Huw Lewis is unable to perform due to covid-related illness and two broken fingers.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, will be online this year under the “Pre-Concert Talk” Tab. There are opportunities for you to ask questions about upcoming programs on that tab. We look forward to resuming live Pre-Concert Talks when the pandemic lessens.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

Concert Overture No. 2
Florence Price
Born: Little Rock, Arkansas, April 9, 1887
Died: Chicago, Illinois, June 3, 1953
Written: 1943
Approximate duration: 15 minutes
Instrumentation: 3 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and percussion (bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, snare drum), harp, and strings
Florence Price was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her mother was a music teacher and her father was the only African-American dentist in the city. Even though Little Rock had lots of racial issues, the family was well-respected. Florence’s mother guided her early musical studies. At age four she performed for the first time on the piano, and published her first composition at age eleven. After graduating at the top of her class from high school she attended New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, majoring in organ and piano teaching. She also studied composition.
Upon her graduation in 1906, Price taught at Clark Atlanta University, becoming head of the music department. She eventually got married and moved back to Little Rock, where she raised two daughters. She had trouble finding work in that segregated town. After a series of racial incidents, including a lynching in 1927, the Price family moved to Chicago. Price met a lot of other musicians in Chicago and began her composition career. She also worked for a time as an organist for silent film showings. She studied with many of the city’s leading teachers, spent time at Chicago Musical College, University of Chicago, and American Conservatory of Music, and became part of the Chicago Black Renaissance. Ultimately she composed over 300 works. In 1932 she became the first African American woman to have a work played by a major orchestra when the Chicago Symphony played her first symphony.
After she died, much of Price’s work fell out of favor as new styles emerged. A lot of her music was lost until the discovery of over 200 pieces in an abandoned house in 2009 outside St. Anne, Illinois, that Price used as a summer home late in her life. In recent years many of her works have been re-published or published for the first time. Orchestras, in an effort to recognize underrepresented composers, have helped audiences discover and enjoy her delightful music.
Price’s music draws heavily on the American musical sounds surrounding her. She was a devoted Christian and used a lot of spirituals–both their melodic sounds and rhythms–in her symphonic pieces. This is true of her “Concert Overture No. 2,” written in 1943. This piece, one of the compositions found in the dilapidated house, features “Go Down Moses,” “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit,” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.”
To listen to the Price, click here.
Symphony No. 2, Op. 30 “Romantic”
Howard Hanson
Born: Wahoo, Nebraska, October 28, 1896
Died: Rochester, New York, February 26, 1981
Written: 1930
Premiered: 1930, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Approximate duration: 28 minutes
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and percussion (bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, snare drum), harp, and strings
Hanson was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, to Swedish immigrants who wanted him to become a Lutheran pastor. His mother was his first music teacher, and he excelled so much in music that he decided to make it his career. He studied at the Julliard School of Music and Northwestern University, and took a teaching position at a college in California when he was only nineteen years old. In 1921, he was the first American composer to win the prestigious Prix de Rome and enter the American Academy in Rome. After returning to the United States, he met George Eastman, the founder of Kodak, while he was conducting at the University of Rochester. Eastman was fabulously wealthy and wanted to start a music school at the University. He asked Hanson to be its first director. Hanson accepted, and remained at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music for forty years as its director and composer-in-residence. During that time, he composed frequently, but he also encouraged other composers, conducting over 1,500 new compositions by approximately 700 students. Hanson also instituted an annual American Music Festival where he conducted the premieres of works by composers such as Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson. In these roles Hanson influenced more American composers in the twentieth century than any other teacher or conductor. He was justly called the “Dean of American Composers” and became a spokesman for music in America.
As a composer, Hanson’s style is romantic, tonal, and rich in the low instrument registers. He departed from many of his contemporaries, including Debussy, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg, who were challenging the traditions of Western music. With the influence of his Scandinavian background and his deeply felt concern to create an “American” voice in the world of music, Hanson decided that experimentation and dissonance were not for him. Instead he created appealing works based on traditional harmony and melody. Hanson’s most significant contribution to the American repertoire was his cycle of seven symphonies, which rank among the most widely appreciated American works in the genre.
The Symphony No. 2 is Hanson’s best-known and most frequently performed work. The Boston Symphony gave the world premiere of the work in 1930 as part of the orchestra’s 50th Anniversary. Hanson gave the symphony the subtitle of “Romantic” to distinguish it from much of the experimental music by other composers that was being performed at the time. As the nickname implies, Hanson intended the symphony to be unabashedly beautiful and emotional. “I do not believe that music is primarily a matter of intellect,” he said, “but rather a manifestation of the emotions. I have, therefore, aimed in the Symphony to create a work that was young in spirit, lyrical and romantic in temperament, and simple and direct in expression… definitely warm-blooded music.”
The entire symphony is based, harmonically and melodically, upon only one theme, which reappears in different guises throughout all three movements. Those who are acquainted with Interlochen’s summer camp will recognize this theme immediately. Hanson was intimately associated with this music camp and “donated” the principal theme of his Second Symphony to the camp as the “Interlochen Theme.” The first movement starts slowly and gently with an introduction that is mysterious and grand. The sound dies, then leads to a faster section interspersed with rich melodic writing and sweeping fanfares interrupted by lyrical passages. Ending with the primary theme in the dark key of D flat, the music leads directly to the tender slow movement and the clarity of C major. Hanson called this tender melody “a song without words.” It is interrupted by a brass interlude featuring two main tunes from the first movement. The opening tune returns, this time sounding more like a hymn. The Finale is a grand “summing up.” This energetic movement’s opening idea is derived directly from the slow movement’s main melody. The music is driven forward with great excitement; a triumphal statement of the theme by the brass finishes the piece in a grand manner.
To listen to the Hanson, click here.
Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, “Organ”
Camille Saint-Saëns
Born: Paris, 9 Oct 1835
Died: Algiers, 16 Dec 1921
Written: 1883-1886
Premiered: Philharmonic Society of London, 1886
Approximate duration: 36 minutes
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and percussion (bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, triangle), piano 4 hands, organ, and strings
Music donated by Dorothy and Judy Voss
As a child, Camille Saint-Saëns displayed a prodigious talent that would have rivaled Mozart’s. He started piano lessons at age two and composing at three. At age ten he dazzled a Parisian audience with an extremely difficult piano program at his formal debut. As an encore he offered to play any of Beethoven’s thirty-two piano sonatas from memory. He was as skilled on the organ as he was on the piano, and served as the organist of Paris’ most prestigious church, La Madeleine, for nineteen years.
Saint-Saëns’s third and final symphony was commissioned by the Philharmonic Society of London in 1883. He did not give the symphony its nickname, “Organ,” which is misleading. At that time several French composers wrote large-scale solo pieces that they called “Organ Symphonies.” Saint-Saëns did not consider the organ to occupy a solo role in this symphony; rather, he considered it an additional orchestral color. The organ’s first entrance, about ten minutes into the piece, is so subtle that it is easy to miss. The symphony premiered in London in May,1886, with the composer conducting. He also played Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto in the first half of the program. Saint-Saëns reported on the concert: “The Symphony enjoyed a colossal success. [It was] “spiced up by just enough opposition to make the success more intense.” Saint-Saëns then dedicated the new piece to Franz Liszt, whom he greatly admired.
Saint-Saëns provided these comments on the structure of his symphony: “This symphony is divided into two parts. Nevertheless it embraces in principle the four traditional movements, but the first is altered in its development to serve as the introduction to the Adagio, and the scherzo is connected by the same process to the finale.” After a brief introduction, Saint-Saëns introduces his core theme. In a process of “thematic transformation” that he had learned from Liszt, he builds almost every melody of the entire piece from this initial restless theme. Later in the movement the violins present a rocking, tranquil melody that gives listeners a rest from the opening, rushing figure. The nervous music flows directly into the beautiful slow movement, which Saint-Saëns described as an “extremely peaceful, contemplative theme.” Next the energetic scherzo alternates with two contrasting trios. In the second trio, a “grave and austere” slow theme emerges from the low brass. Saint-Saëns wrote: “There is a struggle for mastery, which ends in the defeat of the restless diabolical element.” The music builds and quiets, and in a moment of suspense, the organ enters with a hair-raising C Major chord. The strings play a chorale based on a brilliantly transformed version of the opening, restless melody, accompanied by glittering arpeggios played by two pianists (a theme that was featured in the movie Babe). After the organ and brass have their turn, string melodies, brass fanfares, and fugues take the audience to the triumphant ending.
To listen to the Saint-Saëns, click here.
Peter Kurdziel, Organ
Peter Kurdziel has been the Director of Music at the Basilica of St. Adalbert in Grand Rapids, Michigan since August of 2010. He earned degrees in organ from Hope College where he was a student of Huw Lewis and the University of Notre Dame where he was a student of Craig Cramer. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) where he was a student of Dana Robinson. In addition to the organ, Peter has also studied voice, conducting, harpsichord, and theology at the graduate level. He is the past dean of the Grand Rapids and Muskegon-Lakeshore Chapters of the American Guild of Organists. He has also served on the executive boards of the Grand Rapids Chapter of the National Pastoral Musicians and the West Michigan Symphony.
To listen to the pre-concert talk, click here.

Onstage with HSO
2022-09-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
Tickets

Program
Information
Program Notes
Artist bio
Pre-Concert Talk

Program
Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College

Le Tombeau de CouperinMaurice Ravel (1875-1937)1. Prélude2. Forlane3. Menuet4. Rigaudon
Premiére Rhapsodie for Clarinet and OrchestraClaude Debussy (1862-1918)
Gary June, clarinet
Intermission
Pavane, op. 50Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Adagio for StringsGuillaume Lekeu (1870-1894)
Le Boeuf sur le Toit (“The Bull on the Roof”), op. 58Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)

Tickets: Adults – $25, Students through college – $5Onstage seating upcharge: $50
Make onstage reservations through the HSO office.
This first concert of the season, formerly known as “Classics Up Close,” will move to the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. A limited number of “Up Close” on-stage seats will be available on a first come, first served basis. Call the HSO office at 616-796-6780 to reserve stage seating. This program will feature favorite French classics such as Ravel’s “Le Tombeau de Couperin,” Faure’s “Pavane,” and Milhaud’s “The Bull on the Roof.” Clarinetist Gary June will be the featured artist on Debussy’s First Rhapsody for clarinet and orchestra.
Tickets: Adults – $25, Students through college – $5Onstage seating upcharge: $50
Make onstage reservations through the HSO office.
As of September 1, masks will not be required for concerts. This may be subject to change based on the evolution of the pandemic or venue requirements.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, will be online this year under the “Pre-Concert Talk” Tab. There are opportunities for you to ask questions about upcoming programs on that tab. We look forward to resuming live Pre-Concert Talks when the pandemic lessens.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

Le Tombeau de CouperinMaurice Ravel
Born: March 7, 1875, Ciboure, near Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Basses-PyrénéesDied: December 28, 1937, ParisWritten: piano suite started July 1914; completed June 1917Orchestrated: 1919Premiered: February 28, 1920, Pasdeloup Orchestra of ParisApproximate duration: 17 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes and English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, trumpet, harp, and strings
The French word “tombeau” literally means “tomb,” but it is also used to describe a piece of music written as a memoir. Maurice Ravel began his “Tombeau,” a piano suite, in 1914. He wrote the work as an homage to the French composer and keyboardist François Couperin. Ravel wasn’t just paying his respects to Couperin. He wanted to honor the genre that Couperin perfected and popularized–the French baroque keyboard suite containing a variety of dances.
World War I interrupted his composition. Ravel tried to enlist in the military, but he was very small and often sick, so he was deemed unfit for military service. He instead served as a nurse’s aid and ambulance and truck driver for the 13th Artillery Regiment. Those experiences took a physical toll on Ravel, but gave him a lot of time to think about compositions, including this suite. His mother died in 1917, causing Ravel’s mental and physical health to decline significantly, and he was discharged. After he recovered he returned to this keyboard suite, but expanded his original intent and used each movement of this “tombeau” to memorialize friends who had died in the war. Ravel orchestrated four of the movements in 1919. He gave each movement a lot of personal attention to details and instrumental colors–he is considered one of the greatest orchestrators of all time. He also sketched the original cover for the piece, a picture of a draped funeral urn.
The work opens with a Prélude dedicated to Lieutenant Jacques Charlot. Rapid triplets evoke Couperin’s harpsichord music, though the harmonic language definitely belongs to Ravel. The Forlane is dedicated to Lieutenant Gabriel DeLuc. It is based on a Venetian passamezzo, thought to be popular with gondoliers in the seventeenth century. This hopping, quirky melody is in 6/8 meter. The Menuet is dedicated to Jean Dreyfus, the stepson of one of Ravel’s friends. It has the stately form of the baroque minuet but is colored with melancholy. A contrasting musette, a rustic dance over a drone, provides a lighter break. The Rigaudon is dedicated to the brothers Pierre and Pascal Gaudin, who died on the first day of their service on the front in 1914. This lively Provençal dance was full of hopping steps and became very popular in the French courts. A contrasting pastoral section provides a break before the energetic conclusion.
Music donated by Doug and Jennifer Griffith.
To listen to the Ravel, click here.
Première Rhapsodie for Clarinet and OrchestraClaude Debussy
Born: August 22, 1862, St Germain-en-Laye, FranceDied: March 25, 1920, ParisWritten: 1909-1910Premiered: January, 1911Approximate duration: 8 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes and piccolo, 2 oboes and English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 percussionists (suspended cymbal and triangle), harp, and strings
In 1909, Gabriel Fauré, then director of the Paris Conservatoire, appointed Claude Debussy to the governing council of the school. This was somewhat controversial. Debussy was “at odds” with the French musical establishment. He hadn’t been an easy student or colleague, and his compositional style definitely challenged the status quo. Debussy needed the stipend that came with this position, though, and faithfully did this job. One of his duties was to write pieces for performance exams and serve as one of the judges. When he was assumed the position in 1909 he was asked to write two pieces for the 1910 clarinet juries. One was a sight reading piece, which he wrote quickly and at the last minute. He spent much more time on his solo de concours (contest solo), which he called Première Rhapsodie. He wasn’t looking forward to hearing numerous students perform his piece, but he was pleased with the results, noting to his publisher that “to judge by the looks on the the faces of my colleagues, the Rhapsody was a success,” further saying that it was “one of the most charming [pieces] I have ever written.” Debussy dedicated the rhapsody to Prosper Mimart, professor of clarinet at the Paris Conservatoire from 1904-1918, who gave its public premiere in 1911. It has become one of the most performed works for accompanied solo clarinet.
Debussy’s rhapsody opens with quiet music that he marked, “slowly dreaming.” The solo line grows out of the beginning motive, heard over quiet strings and a harp. The colors are truly Impressionistic–transparent, fluttering, quiet, and dreamy. In the middle of the piece Debussy changes the mood, instructing performers to be “sweet and penetrating,” and the soloist playfully shares ideas back and forth with other woodwind players. The piece ends with a quick virtuosic display and a short cadenza. Debussy uses the variety of moods in this piece to challenge the soloist to explore the full range of a clarinet’s possibilities: varied colors, soaring melodies, rapid changes of articulation, and fast technical displays.
To listen to the Debussy, click here.
Pavane, Opus 50Gabriel Fauré
Born: May 12, 1845; Pamiers, FranceDied: November 4, 1924; ParisWritten: 1887Approximate duration: 7 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes and English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, and strings
Gabriel Fauré was born into a large, poor family. He spent some of his earliest years with a foster mother and was accepted as a free boarder at the Niedermeyer school in Paris at age ten. While at that school Fauré gained an excellent general and musical education, including composition study with Camille Saint-Saëns. As a young adult he composed and served as a church organist in several small French towns, eventually becoming the chief organist at the Madeleine, one of the largest churches in Paris, and a composition professor at the Paris Conservatory. In 1905 he became the director of the conservatory. He had a lot of influence in this role, shaping countless composition students including Maruice Ravel and Nadia Boulanger.
Gabriel Fauré wrote this pavane in 1887, the same year he wrote his requiem. It is one of Fauré’s most famous works. A pavane was originally a dance from Spain that entered the European tradition of courtly dance from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Pavanes have a slow, gentle character with simple steps, intending to imitate the strut of a peacock (pavo). It begins with a nostalgic flute melody. Its somber mood might reflect Faure’s grief over his father’s death. He included optional chorus parts to a text by Robert, comte de Montesquiou-Fezensac (1855-1921). The text isn’t usually included since the voices double the instrumental parts (and it creates many logistical challenges for orchestras to include a choir!).
To listen to the Fauré, click here.
Adagio for StringsGuillaume Lekeu
Born: January 20, 1870 Verviers, BelgiumDied: January 21, 1894, Angers, FranceWritten: 1891Approximate duration: 12 minutesInstrumentation: solo violin, solo viola, solo cello, strings
Belgian composer Guillaume Lekeu was the son of a wool merchant in the small town of Verviers. He had some early music instruction and violin and piano lessons at the school there. His family moved to Poiters, France, in 1879, where he continued his studies and published his first work at age fifteen. On a trip to Paris with his family in 1888 he met César Franck. Franck was impressed with Lekeu and accepted him as his final music student. Their time together was short, since Franck died in 1890. In the fall of 1893 Lekeu ate at a restaurant with some friends and consumed some contaminated water. All his friends also got sick, but they recovered. Lekeu died the day after his twenty-fourth birthday.
The vast majority of Lekeu’s music was written between 1891 and 1894. His most famous piece is a violin sonata commissioned by Eugène Ysaÿe. He wrote this “Adagio for Strings” in 1891, subtitled “The Pale Flowers of Remembrance.” The language of this Adagio–deeply romantic melodies and forward-looking harmonies–reflects his fascination with the music and operas of Richard Wagner. It is thick and complex, with ten separate string parts.
Music donated by Mark Dykstra.
To listen to the Lekeu, click here.
Le Boeuf sur le toit (or, “The Nothing-Doing Bar”), Op. 58Darius Milhaud
Born: September 4, 1892; Marseille, FranceDied: June 22, 1974; Geneva, SwitzerlandWritten: 1919Premiered: February 21, 1920, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, ParisApproximate duration: 15 minutesInstrumentation: Instrumentation: Two flutes (one doubling piccolo), oboe, two clarinets, bassoon, two horns, two trumpets, trombone, percussion (guiro, tambourine, bass drum, tambourin provençal) and strings
Darius Milhaud was born into a musical family. By age three he could play simple piano duets with his father. At age seven started learning the violin, and began to study harmony and composition at age thirteen. He enrolled at the Paris Conservatory in his late teens. Due to rheumatoid arthritis, he was unable to serve in a military role in World War I, so he offered to be a secretary to a friend who served as poet and dramatist at the French embassy in Brazil. After the war he visited in New York, spending a lot of time in Harlem jazz clubs, before returning to Paris.
Milhaud was an incredibly prolific composer, writing over 450 pieces. He was a member of “Les Six,” a group of six composers intentionally moving away from the impressionistic style of Debussy and Ravel and the heavy German romanticism of Wagner and his contemporaries. They were considered scandalous by the “establishment” because they incorporated jazz and café music into their serious pieces. Milhaud’s style evolved a lot over the years but it was always eclectic, combining music from Provence, the United States (Jazz and ragtime), folk songs from Brazil and America, and other music he heard on his extensive travels around the world.
Milhaud loved the music he heard in Brazil, and incorporated a lot of Brazilian melodies and rhythms into the music he wrote in the decade after his time there. After he returned to France in 1919 he began a piece in the style of a silent film accompaniment. He described “a piece [originally a cinéma fantasie] about the carnival in Rio, which will be called “Le Bœuf sur le toit,” from the name of the samba that the band was playing this evening while the women, dressed in blue, were dancing.” He said, “I assembled a few popular melodies, tangos, maxixes [fast Brazilian tangos in 2/4 time], sambas, even a Portuguese fado, and transcribed them with a rondo-like theme recurring between each pair.” One of Milhaud’s friends turned it into a ballet-pantomime set in a Manhattan speakeasy called Le Bœuf sur le toit. Prohibition had just begun, and in this ballet the establishment was immediately turned into a milk-bar (a “nothing-doing bar”) as soon as police appeared. It was very successful, later re-envisioned in a Parisian nightclub called “Le Boeuf sur le Toit” for a French audience.
Milhaud created this piece as a rondo, with a jaunty syncopated theme that repeats a dozen times, each time in a different key, until it returns to the home key at the end of the piece. Between statements of the rondo theme, Milhaud quotes the Brazilian tunes with a wonderful variety of orchestral color and character, sometimes in different keys at the same time, to give it a kaleidoscopic effect that resembles a Brazilian Carnival.
To listen to the Milhaud, click here.
Dr. Gary June is a clarinetist and educator based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He holds teaching positions at both Saginaw Valley State University, where he is the Adjunct Professor of Clarinet, and Grand Valley State University, where he teaches clarinet and general music courses. As an orchestral musician, he has held the position of 2nd/Eb clarinet with the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra and was an Associate Member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He has likewise regularly played with Sinfonia da Camera, the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, and the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra. As a committed educator of primary and secondary-aged students, he spends summers teaching and playing at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and the Illinois Summer Youth Music Pre-College Clarinet Camp.
Dr. June can be heard on the GVSU New Music Ensemble’s celebrated recording of Terry Riley’s In C: Remixed and Sinfonia da Camera’s to-be-released recording of Bohuslav Martin’s ballet, Stin. He holds degrees from Grand Valley State University and the University of Colorado-Boulder, and recently completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he served as the clarinet studio Teaching Assistant and wrote his thesis on contemporary Finnish clarinet music. His principal teachers include Dr. Arthur Campbell, Daniel Silver, and J. David Harris.

To listen to the pre-concert video, click here.
HSO thanks these business partners for their support of this concert!

Classics III: Beethoven 9 (3:30pm) sponsored by University of Michigan Health-West
2022-04-30 15:30 - 17:30 | Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope College, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
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Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 3:30pm & 7:30pm
Concert Hall at the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College
Program

Festive Overture, Op. 96Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
1. Allegro ma non troppo; un poco maestoso2. Molto vivace3. Adagio molto e cantabile4. Presto – Allegro assai – Allegro assai vivace
Schyler Sheltrown, sopranoKaren Albert, altoJon Lovegrove, tenorDavid Grogan, baritone
Choirs of Hope College & Holland Chorale
Text and translation of Schiller’s poem, “Ode to Joy”: Beethoven-Symphony-No.-9-text-and-translation-PDF
Festive OvertureDmitri Shostakovich
Born: September 25, 1906, Saint Petersburg, RussiaDied: August 9, 1975, Moscow, USSRWritten: 1954Premiered: November 6, 1954, MoscowApproximate duration: 7 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, snare drum, triangle, strings, and off-stage brass
Like many Soviet composers of his generation, Dmitri Shostakovich spent his career trying to balance the current musical trends, his own creative expression, and the necessity of working within the government’s limits and expressing his country’s revolutionary socialism. This was easy early in his career, when the cultural climate in the Soviet Union was remarkably free; he and other composers could experiment with avant-garde trends, Western influences, and satirical works. Soon the composers’ musical language became too radical; the only acceptable music was a direct, accessible, and popular style. Avant-garde music, jazz, and even Tchaikovsky were banished.
Shostakovich experienced this censure firsthand. When Stalin became angry at what he heard in one of Shostakovich’s operas, Shostakovich and his opera were officially condemned. Later, when the Cold War was raging, Soviet authorities sought to impose a firmer ideological control over cultural expression. At a notorious conference in Moscow, the leading figures of Soviet music, including Shostakovich, were attacked and disgraced. Shostakovich was fired from his teaching positions at the Leningrad and Moscow Conservatories. He was attacked in print, called a “musical charlatan” and criticized for ignoring “the demand of Soviet culture that coarseness and savagery be abolished from every corner of Soviet life.” In the two years following his opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mstensk District, Shostakovich was so sure that he would be exiled to Siberia that he kept a packed suitcase by the door and slept wearing his daytime clothes. He was shunned by society; as an “enemy of the people,” others were afraid to be associated with him.
Shostakovich managed to escape arrest and figured out how to write music that maintained his artistic integrity and pushed up against the limits of what was “acceptable” without crossing the line. He could somehow portray the heaviness of life while maintaining enough ironic humor to suggest lightheartedness. Even though Shostakovich spent his life and career in this delicate balancing act, he seemed to flourish in this tension, writing music that could be received by the authorities and also displayed his fiercely creative thought in challenging and hopeful ways.
Despite the brooding quality of much of Shostakovich’s music, he was also noted for his gregariousness. This quality is evident in his Festive Overture, written in 1954 to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia. After an introduction dominated by the brass, the overture consists of two primary themes: one is fast and brilliant, and the other is optimistic and lyrical.
To listen to the Festive Overture, click here.
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 Ludwig van Beethoven
Music donated by Teresa Owen
Born: December 17, 1770Died: March 26, 1827, ViennaWritten: Spring, 1823 – January, 1824Premiered: May 7, 1824, Kärnthnerthor TheaterViennaApproximate duration: 65 minutesInstrumentation: ​​Soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, mixed chorus, piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, and strings
With his ninth symphony, Beethoven expanded the concept of a “symphony” far beyond what it had been in the past and set an intimidatingly high bar for centuries of composers who followed him. Beethoven’s grandest and most influential work was not initially recognized as a landmark, though. In 1822, when he started the work, Beethoven was nearly deaf and had hardly written anything for a decade. The 1824 premiere had been staged to prove that Beethoven could still draw a crowd in Vienna, but he was disappointed by the meager profits and mixed reviews. Beethoven had conducted the work himself, beating his arms and turning pages, but the musicians had been cautioned beforehand to ignore him and instead follow the concertmaster’s beat. When the audience burst into applause Beethoven couldn’t hear it and kept beating; one of the singers had to turn him around for a bow. The second performance was even less successful. The work that Beethoven had written to surpass everything he already had accomplished in the field of the symphony had seemingly failed him. For several years after his death, the ninth symphony was considered too difficult to perform and too long to program easily. Although it won early supporters, it was not established in the repertoire until the middle of the nineteenth century.
The trajectory of Beethoven’s masterpiece follows darkness to light, chaos to order, despair to joy. It opens with sound emerging from silence—a poignant gesture from a composer who couldn’t hear what he was writing. The first sixteen measures have no secure sense of key or rhythm. The music gradually builds to a decisive, loud arrival that catapults musicians and listeners into a tumultuous journey. While the overarching structure would have been familiar to Beethoven’s audience, the scale, harmonies, and “perpetual motion” intensity was totally new. The structure of the scherzo is huge, with driving, almost martial rhythms that occasionally give way to lighter moments and anticipation-filled pauses that tease the listener. The light, folk-like trio provides needed contrast. The slow movement alternates between two themes of contrasting key, meter, and mood. They grow ever more fanciful in their decoration until the movement ends peacefully.
After a disruptive chord shatters the peace, a carefully staged drama unfolds. Cellos and basses imitate operatic recitative, the music of the three previous movements is quickly reviewed and dismissed, and a new theme is suggested, which, when it finally takes shape, is a simple song that sounds like a hymn or a folk tune. (Beethoven, in fact, labored painstakingly over this theme.) And then—in a move that must have stunned his first audience—Beethoven welcomes the sound of the human voice into the symphony. The earlier recitative returns and now is sung.
For many years Beethoven had wanted to write music for Schiller’s “Ode to Joy,” a glorified drinking song with a strong humanistic message. He toyed with it several times, sketched a number of musical ideas, and even included two lines from Schiller in his opera Fidelio. Beethoven himself wrote the “preface to Schiller’s poem: “oh friends, not these tones… Rather, let us raise our voices more pleasingly, and more joyfully.” When the voices enter, Beethoven’s wonderful melody is finally given words. (In the end, Beethoven used only half of Schiller’s poem, deleting in the process any obvious drinking-song references.) And from there Beethoven creates a totally new symphonic movement, combining elements of symphony and concerto (with a big, virtuosic cadenza for the four soloists), classical variations, Turkish marches (complete with cymbals, triangle, and bass drum), majestic slow meditations, and, finally, a gigantic double fugue.
To listen to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, click here.

Schyler Sheltrown, sopranoSchyler Sheltrown is a soprano from West Michigan. Heralded as one of “the country’s most vibrant up-and-coming singers” and “a lovely lyric soprano” by the Toledo Blade for her title role in The Ballad of Baby Doe, you have likely heard her in performances across the Great Lakes Region. These performances include the roles of Pamina in The Magic Flute, Musetta in La boheme, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Romilda in Serse, Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, The Page in Rigoletto, and Mrs. Hayes in Susannah. She has also performed as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mozart’s Requiem, and Debussy’s La damoiselle élue. She also had the pleasure of voicing Joan of Arc as a soprano soloist in Voices of Light with the Rackham Choir at the Detroit Film Theatre. She was a finalist in the Harold Haugh Light Opera Vocal Competition (2017) and, in the same year, lent her talents to The Library of Congress through the Comic Opera Guild for the first recording of The Free Lance by John Philip Sousa. She has received national recognition, gaining an Encouragement Award in the Michigan District of the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions in 2015 and 2016, First Place in the Scholarship Division of the National Opera Association’s solo voice competition (2014), as well as numerous other competitions and prizes.Miss Sheltrown is a graduate of Michigan State University, where she received her Master of Music (2016) as a Mackey Scholar under the tutelage of Melanie Helton, along with her Bachelor of Music (2014).
Karen Albert, altoEqually at home on the opera stage and in intimate concert settings, Karen’s work covers a variety of disciplines and styles. Recent opera roles include “Katisha” in The Mikado, the dasterdly “Mrs. McClean” in Susannah, and “Cio Cio San’s Mother” in Madama Butterfly. Actively pursuing opportunities to share the unique beauty of the art song tradition, Karen has performed works such as Edward Elgar’s Sea Pictures and Libby Larsen’s Raspberry Island Dreaming. Her love for choral music is evident in her work as well, and she regularly sings both solo and ensemble works with historic Park Church in Grand Rapids, MI and other professional ensembles around the country.
Her scholarship has led to lecture recitals spanning from early French-Canadian folksongs to theological interpretations of Bach arias. Karen has also presented papers at the Midwest Gradatue Music Consortium and at the University of Calgary.
Karen is an adjunct faculty member at Cornerstone University where she teaches music history and vocal technique courses as well as a studio of voice students.
Karen is also the creator of The Barber & The Singer, a lifestyle blog seeking to serve and inspire musicians, artists, and others in the freelance/self-employed community. The Barber & The Singer can be found in the blog section of this website.
Jon Lovegrove, tenorTenor Jon Lovegrove has performed with West Michigan Opera Project as Sam in Susannah, as well as with Opera Grand Rapids as 2nd Priest and 2nd Man in Armor in The Magic Flute, the tenor soloist in Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Shem in Noah’s Flood, and Remendado in Carmen. He has also been a member of the OGR chorus since 2007, appearing in multiple productions, including The Mikado, La Traviata, The Marriage of Figaro, and I Dream. Other West Michigan performances have been with GVSU Opera Theatre as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, the Kent Philharmonic Orchestra as Rodolfo in La Bohème, and Timothy in 2nd Act Opera’s production of Help, Help, the Globolinks!
Mr. Lovegrove was a soloist for the Michigan premier of Benjamin Britten’s The World of the Spirit with the Evangelical Choral Society in 2013, and has performed with the ECS on multiple other occasions.
Mr. Lovegrove holds an Associate’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Grand Rapids Community College. While pursuing that degree, he was a member of the Grand Rapids Community College Choir, Madrigal Singers, and Shades of Blue Vocal Jazz Ensemble.
David Grogan, baritoneThe American baritone and music pedagogue, David Grogan, holds Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from Texas Christian University, where he studied voice with Sheila Allen and pedagogy with Vincent Russo. His love of choral music was solidified under the tutelage of the late Ronald Shirey, who taught Grogan much of his musicality. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy in 2010 from the University of North Texas, where he studied voice with Jeffrey Snider, pedagogy with Stephen Austin, and worked closely with Lyle Nordstrom in the early music program. Grogan’s dissertation was on the vocal pedagogy of Frederic W. Root, who was an American vocal pedagogue of the 19th century. A shorter version of the dissertation was published in the January 2010 Journal of Singing under the title, “The Roots of American Pedagogy.”
David Grogan joined the faculty at the University of Texas Arlington in the fall of 2009, first as visiting professor and in 2010 as tenure-track Assistant Professor of Voice. In addition to providing private vocal instruction for voice majors, Grogan teaches vocal pedagogy, voice class, and choral methods. His background in choral music education is extensive, including experience directing programs in both private and public schools across the metroplex. As choir director at Dallas Christian School from 1996 to 2000, Grogan increased choir participation from 15 members to 115, and took the choir to one of the first TPSMEA competitions. He has taught voice and served as assistant choral director in some of the most prominent programs in the area, including at Arlington High School under Dinah Menger, and Manor Middle School under Tommy Haygood.
Holland Symphony Orchestra Musicians
Violin 1Amanda DykhouseSara GoodKatie BastJennifer TuinengaJaclyn BurkeAnna SpixJosh ZallarKatie LefevreMichelle KellisSheri DwyerAlison Sal
Violin 2Michelle Bessemer Irina KaganPatricia WunderLinssey MaRuth Vanden BosBecky DykKaren-Jane HenryEmma BieniewiczEllen RiznerSusan FormsmaJay SheridanRoger White
ViolaLauren GarzaDavid LeeKennedy DixonDaniel GriswoldSean BrennanJamie ListhConnie MeekhofMary HoflandLaurie Van Ark
CelloPablo Mahave-VegliaJacob ResendezJohn ReikowSilvia SidoraneDawn Van ArkKevin SweersAnne ThompsonMatthew HeyboerEsther PetersonAlex Bowers
BassMarcy MarcellettiChuck PageSam DykhouseJmar BongadoAiden Harmon
FluteGabe SouthardJayne GortGay Landstrom
OboeSarah SouthardRebecca WilliamsAnn Hepfer-Isaacson
ClarinetGary JuneLindsey Bos
BassoonCynthia Duda PantLaura DiazRuth Wilson
HornGreg BassettKarin YamaguchiMichael WrightFred GordonTucker Supplee
TrumpetBruce FormsmaAaron GoodGregory Alley
TrombonePaul WesselinkPhilip MitchellAdam Graham
TubaBrendan Bohnhorst
TimpaniSue Gainforth
PercussionEric PetersonShanley KruizengaChris JonesRachel Coussens
Holland Chorale
Dr. Patrick Coyle, Artistic DirectorKristin Goodyke, Principal Accompanist
Martin AmonKerri BakerAndrew BroussardSarah BrownJay BylsmaKaren BylsmaBrian CarderEvan CuperusJill DeVriesRobert Edwards, guestJessica Fashun, guestVincent Frank, guestJay GainforthChristopher GrapisJohn GriffinJeff HelderSteve HookElizabeth HudsonChandra HronchekCasey LampenKit LeggettJean LemmenesJo MeeuwsenJanet MorrowSverre OlsenPatricia Easa PersenaireMike PikaartAndrew PlummerShela RitchieAmanda RobbertDavid SchallertEd SchmidtJennie SchmidtJoe TerpstraJustin VandenBrinkKent VanTilStan WitteveenCarol Zeh
Spera
Eric D. Reyes, conductorBethany Dame, keyboardist
SopranoMaicee BishopEmma BoschCaitlyn BrownDarian DavisSeanna DeWittElisa FulperAletheia HoffmanAlli MitchellYessi MorenoChloe Roberts
AltoLauren BryanEllie DirkseAllyson FennemaLeah FrittsEmma HakkenTaylor HofmanBeata HuntingtonKendall MaesNatalie PlittLily-Kate PritchardRachel Thomas
Chapel Choir
Eric D. Reyes, conductorAlex Cross, keyboardist
SopranoJane AltevogtEmma ClarkMJ CockingGrace CritchfieldLottie-Brooke MimsChloe SmithAbby VonkGretchen Woell
AltoMegan BartaKatie DonahueEmlin MunchKelli TrudeauRebecca Yurschak
TenorEliseo BustillosAlex CrossDavid HallockLorenzo LumettaBryce RobinsonWesley StewartSpencer Whittington
BassBryce GroverChristian LundyGarett ShrodeAndrew SilagiBen WaltersSawyer Winstead
College Chorus
Eric D. Reyes, ConductorAlex Cross, Keyboardist
SopranosMakenzie ChapmanCarola DettmarNatalie GestMacy KerrHannah PastJennie Judd ReyesJennie StatonLeyang Xu
AltosBethany DameKatherine HaydukAnne KlippAllison MaleMargaret PromAnna TriezenbergBeth VandenbroekDeb VandenHeuvelJoanna VandenHeuvelAngela WagenveldAna Wong
TenorsTodd SchuilingRyan VanDoeselaar
BassesGary BogleSamuel GrosskreuzJim KleinhekselIsaac SandovalNoah Wohlfert
To listen to the pre-concert video, click here.
Learn more about the music…
We will be hosting not only the Classical Chat series at Freedom Village, but also Pre-Concert Talks! Details below:
Classical Chats at Freedom Village: These informative and fun talks are led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and take place at 3:00pm on the Thursday before each Classics concert. (Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave.)
Pre-Concert Talks: These talks, led by Johannes Müller Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, will be posted online this year, approximately one week before each Classics concert. Look under the “Pre-Concert Talk” tab.
New to the Symphony? Check out the Frequently Asked Question page…
Parking Map at the Miller Center
Holland Symphony Orchestra will reserve and monitor Lot 40 for handicapped parking. The faculty parking lots are available for parking after 5pm

HSO thanks these business partners for their support of this concert!

Link Up: The Orchestra Rocks! School Fourth Grade Concert
2022-04-13 08:00 - 17:00 | DeWitt Auditorium, Zeeland East High School, 3333 96th Ave., Zeeland, 49464, United States
Concert Sponsor:
John & Judy Spoelhof Foundation
Samuel Westerman Foundation
April 13, 2022 – School Concerts
These concerts are part of the Carnegie Hall Link Up program and are created for area 4th grade students and teachers. They are not open to the public.

Classics Discovery: Out of this World
2022-03-20 15:30 - 17:00 | DeWitt Auditorium, Zeeland East High School, 3333 96th Ave., Zeeland, 49464, United States
Concert Sponsor:

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Sunday, March 20th 2022 at 3:30 p.m.DeWitt Auditorium Zeeland East High School
Scott Wiessinger, NASA Videographer
Denise Hill, NASA Heliophysics Communications and Outreach Lead
Mark Moldwin, Professor of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan and Director of NASA’s Michigan Space Grant Consortium

Program
Themes from Also Sprach ZarathustraRichard Strauss (1864-1949), arr. J. F. Lehmeier
Helios Overture, op. 17Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)
Star Wars SuiteJohn Williams (b. 1932) Main Title Imperial March
Apollo 13 SelectionsJames Horner (1953-2015), arr. John Moss
“Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
The Planets, Op. 32Gustav Holst (1874-1934) Mars Venus Jupiter

Scott Wiessinger is an award-winning multimedia producer for astrophysics, heliophysics, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Scott received a Masters of Fine Arts in Science and Natural History Filmmaking from Montana State University in 2009 and has been at NASA ever since. His work with Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) imagery has been widely featured in the media and he has pioneered innovative ways of displaying solar footage, including the art installation called Solarium. Much of Scott’s time is spent communicating the complex science of high-energy astrophysics, which includes topics like black holes, supernovas, neutron stars and gravitational waves.
Themes from Also Sprach ZarathustraRichard Strauss, arr. Jerry Lehmeier
Born: June 11, 1864, Munich, BavariaDied: September 8, 1949, Garmisch, GermanyWritten: Between February 4, 1895, and August 24, 1896, MunichPremiered: November 27, 1896, Frankfurt City OrchestraApproximate duration (this version): 5 minutesInstrumentation (this version): 2 flutes, oboe, two clarinets, bassoon, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, bass drum, crash cymbal, suspended cymbal, triangle, glockenspiel strings
German composer Richard Strauss is known for his huge tone poems: pieces of programmatic music that, in his case, tell a story or elaborate on an extra-musical idea. In Also sprach Zarathustra he expanded the scale of his tone poems. The complete work is around forty minutes, uses a massive orchestra, and pushes various instruments to new levels of difficulty. As a result, the full, original version of this piece is rarely played.
In the 1890s Strauss spent a lot of time reading the works of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). Nietzsche articulated his philosophy extensively in his four-part treatise Also sprach Zarathustra, published in 1883-85. Here Nietzsche speaks through Zarathustra, his version of the Persian prophet Zoroaster, who has been removed to a mountaintop for years to meditate and then returns to share his insights with humanity. Strauss was very attracted to Nietzsche’s philosophy, and used this work to “convey in music an idea of the evolution of the human race from its origin, through the various phases of development, religious as well as scientific, up to Nietzsche’s idea of the Superman.”
Today’s arrangement captures several themes from the full tone poem, including the opening theme, made famous in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. It opens in darkness, with the lowest instruments intoning a low C. Brass instruments represent the sun rising over the horizon in a rising three note motif: C-G-C. This “Nature” or “World Riddle” theme is an evocative introduction to the musical journey that follows.
Helios Overture, Op. 17 Carl Nielsen
Music donated by Brian and Gay Landstrom in honor of Darlene Dugan
Born: June 9, 1865, Funen, DenmarkDied: October 3, 1931, in CopenhagenWritten: March 10–April 23, 1903, Athens, GreecePremiered: World premiere: October 8, 1903, Copenhagen, Danish Royal OrchestraApproximate duration: 9 minutesInstrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings
Carl Nielsen grew up in a large family on the island of Funen in Denmark. His father was an amateur violinist and trumpeter. Carl also played the violin and eventually attended the Copenhagen Conservatory. In 1889 he became a violinist in Copenhagen’s opera orchestra. He started conducting the ensemble part time in 1905 and became its primary conductor in 1908. In 1915 he began teaching music theory and composition at the Copenhagen Conservatory, and was named its director in 1930. He was never able to support himself as a composer full time, but he was so well loved for his works that his death in 1931 was named a day of national mourning. He was not well known as a composer outside of Denmark during his lifetime, but his reputation grew after his death, mainly through his orchestral works, including six symphonies and other thematic pieces.
Like many of his contemporaries, Nielsen grappled with one of the biggest musical debates of his time. Should music be “pure,” unattached to any outside idea or story? Or should music be “programmatic,” that is, music that would paint a picture, tell a story, depict something in nature, or express some other non-musical idea? In general, NIelsen was wary of going too far into the “programmatic” music camp, stating that music should be based on its internal logic and telling its own “story” rather than just narrating someone else’s story. But in the winter of 1903, his wife, a sculptor, received a grant to study ancient art in Athens. They rented rooms overlooking the Aegean sea, and the hot sun of Greece inspired Nielsen to compose his Helios Overture, named for the Greek god of the Sun. He described his new piece to a friend: “Now it is scorchingly hot; Helios burns all day and I am writing away at my new solar system. A long introduction with sunrise and morning song is finished, and I have begun on the allegro…. My overture describes the movement of the sun through the heavens from morning to evening, but it is only called Helios and no explanation is necessary.” Nielsen later added this description to the score, summarizing the overture’s scene: “Stillness and darkness – Then the sun rises to joyous songs of praise – Wanders its golden way – Quietly sinks in the sea.”
The piece opens with hushed low notes, quiet horn calls, and smooth melodic fragments that capture the “stillness and darkness” of the early morning. A horn melody and subsequent trumpet fanfare evoke Helios, riding his golden chariot through the sky. The main body of the overture, with fast and high melodies, portrays the sun in all its glory. The piece ends in the original slow, quiet manner as the sun “quietly sinks in the sea,” leaving only a distant, low hum.
Star Wars Suite: Main Title and Imperial MarchJohn Williams
Music donated by James Strickland
Born: February 8, 1932, Flushing, Queens, New York CityWritten: Star Wars: A New Hope, 1977Approximate duration: complete suite: 24 mins; Main Title: 5 minutes; Imperial March: 3 minutesInstrumentation (complete suite): 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, bass tuba, timpani, triangle, snare drum, tambourine, cymbals, suspended cymbal, bass drum, tam‑tam, chimes, glockenspiel, celesta, xylophone, vibraphone, harp, piano, celeste, and strings.
John Williams is the most recognized and decorated composer of music for the movies. He has received 51 Oscar nominations, 24 Grammys, 4 Golden Globes, 7 BAFTAs, and at least 12 honorary doctorates. He has more Oscar nominations than anyone else alive–second only to Walt Disney. His score for the earliest Star Wars film was recognized as the greatest movie score of all time. Over 20 of his albums have achieved gold or platinum status.
Williams was the son of a Jazz drummer and percussionist. Though born in New York City, his family moved to Los Angeles when he was twelve. He studied music and composition in college and joined the Air Force, where he played various instruments, conducted, and arranged music for the U. S. Air Force Band. He then concluded his musical studies at Julliard and Eastman, studying piano and composition and playing jazz piano in many night clubs. After his studies he returned to Los Angeles and worked as an orchestrator for film studios and played piano as a studio musician. He was also the primary conductor of the Boston Pops from 1908-1993.
Williams composed many “concert” works in addition to his film scores, including concertos, song cycles, and other orchestral pieces. He is certainly most known and loved for his cinematic music. His style is very romantic, with expansive themes and colorful orchestration very well suited to Fantasy and Science Fiction films. He follows in the footsteps of late Romantic composers like Richard Wagner with his use of leitmotifs–melodic themes that represent characters such as Princess Leia, Darth Vader, or Jaws.
Music from Apollo 13James Horner, arr. John Moss
Born: August 14, 1953Died: June 22, 2015Premiered: 1995Approximate duration (this version): 5 minutesInstrumentation (this version): 2 flutes, 1 oboe, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 1 bassoon, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, field drum, bass drum, suspended cymbal, tambourine, crash cymbal, snare drum, chimes, bells, triangle, piano, strings
James Horner is a celebrated composer and orchestrator of film scores. He is well known for his use of Celtic melodic motifs in his music. His score for Titanic is the best-selling movie soundtrack ever. His music is varied and has wide appeal, in movies ranging from Avatar to A Beautiful Mind to The Karate Kid, and also some of the Star Trek, Zorro, and Spiderman movies.
Horner started playing the violin at an early age. He spent most of his life, including his education, in the Los Angeles area. He was also an avid pilot and owned several small planes. He died in a single airplane crash at the age of 61.
The movie Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard, tells the story of one of the most watched and suspenseful missions of the U.S. Space program. In this movie, set in 1970, astronauts played by Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton are en route to the moon when an explosion causes a critical system failure. Mission Control aborts the moon landing and the team proceeds with a desperate attempt to bring the crew home safely despite dwindling oxygen and electric power and other perils. This movie is the source of the famous line, “Houston, we have a problem!” It was released in U.S. theaters in 1995 and was nominated for many awards.”
“Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46Edvard Grieg
Born: June 15, 1843, Bergen, NorwayDied: September 4, 1907, Bergen Written: May 1874–September 1875Premiered: Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt premiered in Oslo, Norway, February 24, 1876Approximate duration: Entire suite: 15 minutes; Morning Mood: 4 minutesInstrumentation (complete suite): 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, bass tuba, timpani, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, and strings.
In 1874, the playwright Henrik Ibsen invited Edvard Grieg to write incidental music for his poetic satire, Peer Gynt. In this play, Peer, the only son of poor peasants, follows some bad advice from a group of trolls. Instead of staying home to help his widowed mother and marry his girlfriend Solveig, he embarks on a series of reckless adventures, including carrying off brides from weddings, seducing the daughter of a mountain king, and wandering among foreign countries. Throughout his adventures, Peer finds wealth and fame, but he is unhappy. He moves farther away from being a caring person and seeks only to satisfy himself by lying and taking advantage of others. At one point he returned home just in time to see his mother, Aase, die from her worry for Peer, but he immediately departed again. He finally returns as a remorseful old man, welcomed by his first love, Solveig, who has waited for him all these years.
When Ibsen asked Grieg to compose this music, Grieg was well known in his country but not abroad. He was hesitant to accept, feeling that Ibsen’s portrayal of the Norwegian people, represented by Peer, was insulting. He needed the money, though, so he finally agreed to participate in this project, thinking that he could use it as a vehicle to bring Scandinavian—especially Norwegian—musical and literary culture to the attention of the rest of Europe. He succeeded in this endeavor, and this assignment that established Grieg’s fame around the world.
“Morning Mood” portrays the day on which Peer Gynt started his adventure. Grieg captures the calm spirit of dawn, the songs of birds, the rippling water of a stream, and the glory of a majestic sunrise.
Gustav Holst The Planets, Op. 32: Mars, Venus, and Jupiter
Music donated by David Heuvelhorst, in memory of James and Henrietta Heuvelhorst
Born: September 21, 1874. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, EnglandDied: May 25, 1934. LondonWritten: Mars, Venus, and Jupiter: 1914; Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune: 1915; Mercury 1916Premiered: First performance of complete work: November 15, 1920, in LondonApproximate duration: 51 mins (complete work); Mars: 6 minutes; Venus: 10 minutes; Jupiter: 7 minutesInstrumentation (complete work): 2 flutes, piccolo, alto flute), 2 oboes, English horn, bass oboe, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoon, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tenor tuba, bass tuba, 6 timpani (2 players), triangle, snare drum, tambourine, cymbals, bass drum, tam‑tam, chimes, glockenspiel, celesta, xylophone, 2 harps, organ, and strings. Off-stage female chorus
Gustav Holst was born into a very musical family and showed early promise as a concert pianist, organist, and choirmaster. He also played the violin and trombone. After neuritis in his right arm put an end to his solo career, he pursued composition, teaching, and choir directing. Like his friend Ralph Vaughan Williams, Holst sought to infuse his music with English folk music and wrote pieces in a cosmopolitan, accessible style.
Sometime after the turn of the century, Holst became fascinated by astrology. Initially he was reluctant to speak of this, though he admitted that his “pet vice” was reading horoscopes for his friends. Ultimately he transformed this interest into his best-known work, The Planets, written between 1914 and 1917. This large suite of subtly interrelated tone poems, or as Holst preferred, “mood pictures,” depicts the astrological characters of seven planets in our solar system and their influence on human character, though a few mythological and astronomical elements enter in as well.
World War I was on the horizon when Holst wrote Mars, the Bringer of War in August, 1914. Strings begin this strange march in 5/4 meter by tapping their strings with their bow sticks. Brass and percussion soon dominate, sounding brutal and implacable chords over a relentless martial ostinato. After a dissonant climax, the machine pauses desolately for a moment, only to push towards a devastating conclusion. Holst instructed that “Mars” be played as fast and brutally as possible.
A solo horn summons Venus, the Bringer of Peace. In The Principles and Practices of Astrology, Noel Tyl writes that, to astrologers, “when the disorder of Mars is past, Venus restores peace and harmony.” This movement is total contrast: a calm, tranquil reverie, set far from the scene of any conflict. The dominant instrumental colors come from flutes, harps, celeste, and high violins.
The most massive of the Planets is Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, named for the light‑bringer, the rain‑god, the god of thunderbolts, of the grape and the tasting of the new wine, of oaths, treaties, and contracts. The opening and closing sections were inspired by Edwardian vaudeville, folk songs, and dance halls. In the central section, the strings introduce a stately, British melody evoking a more ceremonial type of rejoicing. Holst later gave this tune words and it became the English patriotic hymn, “I Vow to Thee, My Country.”
Violin 1Amanda DykhouseSara GoodKatie BastLetitia JapJosh ZallarPatricia WunderKatie LeFevreEmma HakkenMIchelle KellisSheri Dwyer
Violin 2Michelle BessemerJaclyn BurkeRuth VandenBosSarah CovellKaren Jane HenryBecky DykEllen RiznerSusan FormsmaDiane LewisEmma Bieniewicz
ViolaLauren GarzaSean BrennanDan GriswoldJamie ListhConnie MeekhofLaurie VanArk
CelloAnna KuceraJacob ResendezMac WynJohn ReikowDawn VanArkKevin SweersAlex BowersMatt Heyboer
BassMarcy MarcellettiChuck PageAiden HarmonJmar Bongado
Flute
Gabe SouthardJayne GortRebecca VanDeWalker
OboeSarah SouthardRebecca Williams
ClarinetVanessa HeuckLindsey Bos
BassoonWei-Tzu WangLaura Diaz
French HornMichael WrightReed FitzpatrickKarin YamaguchiFred GordonTucker Supplee
TrumpetBruce FormsmaAaron GoodGreg Alley
TromboneSteve LillyJames GroelsmaAdam Graham
TubaBrendan Bohnhorst
Tenor tubaWill Sutton
TimpaniSue Gainforth
PercussionEric PetersonShanley KruizengaMark LopezBrandon Gainforth
HarpMartha Waldvogel
Piano/CelesteLinda Strouf
HSO thanks these business partners for their support of this concert!

HSYO Spring Concert
2022-03-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Lokers Auditorium, Cityside Middle School, 320 East Main, Zeeland, MI, 49464, United States
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Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 3:00pm
Lokers Auditorium, Cityside Middle SchoolZeeland, Michigan

HOLLAND AREA JUNIOR STRINGS
Kyle Nester, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Pastoral SymphonyLudwig van Beethoven, arr. Christina Hans
Shepherd’s Hymn from the Pastoral SymphonyLudwig van Beethoven, arr. Richard Meyer
Finale from Symphony No. 5Ludwig van Beethoven, arr. Richard Meyer
HOLLAND AREA CONCERT STRINGS
Kyle Nester, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Arith-Metric No. 1Brian Balmages
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Second MovementJohann Sebastian Bach, arr. Merle Isaac
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Second MovementGustav Mahler, arr. Sandra Dackow
COMBINED STRINGS FROM HAJS, HACS, HAYO
Variations on a Theme from ThailandRichard Meyer
HOLLAND AREA YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Christopher Fashun, Music Director and ConductorTori Zokoe, General ManagerKatie Rae Hayduk, Rehearsal Manager
Symphony No. 1 in C major, op. 2: Adagio molto-Allegro con brioLudwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, op. 74, “Pathétique”: Allegro con graziaPeter Ilych Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Enigma, Variations on an Original Theme, Opus 3: Variation IX, NimrodEdward Elgar (1857-1934)
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, op. 95, “From the New World”: Allegro con fuocoAntonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

Masks will be required for all audience members at this concert. Our students have been making it all semester long and our season does not end until our concert is finished. All students and audience members will be required to mask during the concert.
Dress rehearsal for the concert will take place on Saturday morning, March 12th. This will take place at Lokers Auditorium at Cityside Middle School on Main Street in Zeeland (320 E Main St, Zeeland, MI 49464). Junior Strings will rehearse from 9:00-9:45, Concert Strings from 10:00-10:45, ALL HSYO STRINGS from 10:45-11:15, and HAYO from 11:15-12:00. Students DO NOT need to be in concert dress for dress rehearsal. Per the HSYO Handbook, DRESS REHEARSAL IS REQUIRED AND FAILURE TO ATTEND CAN MEAN INABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONCERT. Concert dress is not required for this rehearsal. Please see the breakdown of the schedule below for further clarification.

Junior Strings students should arrive no later than 8:45am, and will be done with their first block of rehearsal by 9:45am. They MUST return for rehearsal at 10:45am and will be dismissed for the day by 11:15am. Students may stay at the venue between their two rehearsal blocks, but must have a book to read or sit quietly in the auditorium while Concert Strings rehearses.
Concert Strings students should arrive no later than 9:45am and will be done with their rehearsal block by 11:15am.
HAYO String players should arrive no later than 10:30am and will be done with their rehearsal block by 12:00pm.
HAYO Winds, Brass, and Percussion players should arrive no later than 11:00am and will be done with their rehearsal block by 12:00pm.

Concert dress is as follows:

Junior and Concert Strings: Men: Black pants, black socks, and black shoes, with long sleeved white shirt (no ties); Women: Tea length (below knees) black skirt, white long sleeved dress blouse, and black shoes with black nylons or tights. Dressy long pants are permissible for women (no jeans or leggings). Black mask required.
HAYO: Men: Black pants, black socks, and black shoes, with long sleeved black shirt (no ties); Women: Tea length (below knees) black skirt, black long sleeved dress blouse, and black shoes with black nylons or tights. Dressy long pants are permissible for women (no jeans or leggings). Black mask required.

Spring Concert warm-up schedule on Sunday, March 13:

Call time for students is 1:30pm, dressed and ready to perform at Lokers Auditorium (320 E Main St, Zeeland, MI 49464).
Students should plan to arrive no later than 1:15pm. We will do sound checks on stage and the concert will begin promptly at 3:00pm.

Tickets will be available for purchase at dress rehearsal and at the door – $10 for adults and $5 for students ages 6-college. Children under 6 are free. You can preorder tickets using this link and then pay and pick up at dress rehearsal or the door before the concert. HSYO Spring Concert Ticket Orders

Spring Auditions: Video submissions are due by August 1st for Concert Strings and HAYO students. Interested students can inquire and/or send video submissions to our General Manager, Tori Zokoe, at victoriazokoe@gmail.com.
HOLLAND AREA JUNIOR STRINGS
Aurea DeKuiper, 5, Homeschool, violinAnna Richert, 6, Homeschool, violinDan Thach, 7, West Ottawa, violinHailey Moorman, 5, Byron Center, violinDavid Steenwyk, 6, Holland Christian, violinRebecca Haig, 6, Holland Christian, violinJosiah DeVries, 6, Holland Christian, violinMatthew Yang, 7, West Ottawa, violinDiana Linares, 7, West Ottawa, violinRyan Park, 7, West Ottawa, violinElLeigh Frame, 7, West Ottawa, violinEvangeline Figueroa, 7, West Ottawa, violinAidric Gomez, 2, Black River, violinJennifer Goding, 7, West Ottawa, violaCat Kraus, 7, Black River, violaEzra Rozema, 7, Holland Christian, violaGwendolyn Bedwell, 7, West Ottawa, violaGrace Meade, 4, Reeths Puffer, celloDavina VanIwaarden, 7, Holland Christian, celloJoseph Yang, 8, West Ottawa, celloAmalia Noble, 7, West Ottawa, celloMadison Goodenough, 7, West Ottawa, cello
HOLLAND AREA CONCERT STRINGS
Leila Sundararajan, 8, Holland, violinNorrah Campbell, 9, Zeeland, violinChristiana Franzon, 7, Homeschool, violinAxel Franzon, 7, Homeschool, violinCharlotte Beckman, 7, Holland Christian, violinJack Bolt, 8, Holland, violinLayla Vinten-Johansen, 9, SaugatuckJack Sherman, 6, HomeschoolDane Kolk, 8, Holland Christian, violaAlan Juarez, 9, Holland, violaAlexis Goodell, 8, West Ottawa, violaOak DeKuiper, 8, Homeschool, celloAndrew Elwood, 8, West Ottawa, celloAbby Kuiper, 8, West Ottawa, cello
HOLLAND AREA YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Rebekah Dykema, 12, Zeeland, violin 1Lindsay Brncick, 12, Black River, violin 1Aeja DeKuiper, 12, Homeschool, violin 1Olivia Wilcox, 12, Hudsonville, violin 1Greta Bast, 9, Black River, violin 1Aliz Pusztai, 11, Libertas, violin 1Noah Marroquin, 11, West Ottawa, violin 1Elyse Schurman, 12, West Ottawa, violin 2Claire Kaercher, 12, Unity Christian, violin 2Carlina Franzon, 11, Homeschool, violin 2AmySue Harlow, 11, Homeschool, violin 2Paige Bomhof, 12, West Ottawa, violin 2Mason Sybesma, 8, Holland Christian, violin 2Kate Wehrman, 10, Libertas, violin 2Ariana Ramirez, 10, West Ottawa, violin 2Sophia Postma, 12, Homeschool, violaElla Pusztai, 11, Libertas, violaElla Vanden Berg, 11, Holland Christian, violaBarrett Huffman, 10, Holland Christian, violaBrandon Blake, 12, West Ottawa, celloSamuel Nicely, 12, Holland Christian, celloDaniel Hotchkiss, 10, West Ottawa, celloMadeline Benson, 11, Black River, celloChase Veldink, 10, West Ottawa, celloMaggie Bast, 10, Black River, celloAbigail Fahrion, 12, Holland, celloSophie Fenwick, 11, Homeschool, celloAbram Vanden Berg, 8 Holland Christian, celloSam Dykhouse, 12, Black River, bassJenna Ly, 12, Holland Christian, fluteJilaena Weesies, 12, Grand Haven, fluteStephanie VanKuiken, 11, Grand Haven, fluteCarlos Marroquin-Lozada, 12, West Ottawa, oboeJoshua Woolsey, 11, Holland Christian, clarinetNoelle Harrity, mentor, bassoonSydney Brander, 12, Zeeland, French hornIsaiah Theonugraha, 9, Zeeland, French hornJaclyn Klinger, mentor, French hornAnnika Johnson, 8, Hamilton, French hornKaleb Gomez Corder, 11, trumpetKeith Walker, mentor, trumpetNolan Meier, 12, Black River, tromboneCaroline Johnson, 10, Hamilton, tubaPeyton Brennan, 12, Zeeland, percussion
Rehearsal Manager: Katie Rae Hayduk
Set Up Crew: Brandon Blake, Aeja DeKuiper, Carlina Franzon, Rebekah Dykema
HAYO Graduating Seniors: Brandon Blake, Paige Bomhof, Sydney Brander, Peyton Brennan, Lindsay Brncick, Aeja DeKuiper, Rebekah Dykema, Sam Dykhouse, Abigail Fahrion, Claire Kaercher, Jenna Ly, Carlos Marroquin-Lozada, Nolan Meier, Sam Nicely, Sophia Postma, Elyse Schurman, Jillaena Weesies, Olivia Wilcox

Kyle Nester
Kyle Nester graduated from Alma College in 2004 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree. While in college, he participated in orchestra, marching band, jazz band, percussion ensemble, and choir. Mr. Nester spent a term in Vienna, Austria and studied violin with Maeve Auer from the Universitat fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst. After college, he was a soloist in the Baroque on Beaver Music Festival and performed with Josh Groban a few times. After a long-term substitute teacher position in Fremont, Michigan, he taught 5th – 12th grade orchestra at Chippewa Hills School District for seven years. After his wife Andrea finished her law degree at Michigan State University, the couple moved to West Michigan. He started teaching at Holland Christian in 2012 and Andrea was employed in a law firm in downtown Grand Rapids. Recently, Mr. Nester has been interested in fiddling and started the Michigan Academy of Folk Music with Nate Roberts from Hope College.
Mr. Nester enjoys running races, enjoying nature, playing music, and traveling. They have three “interesting” cats and a planted freshwater fish tank.

Christopher H. Fashun
Christopher H. Fashun is an incredibly diverse and versatile conductor, performer, and educator. He brings over two decades of experience as a music educator leading middle school, high school and collegiate band and orchestra programs in addition to directing jazz and percussion ensembles.
A 2018 recipient of a U.S. Postdoctoral Fulbright Award in All Disciplines, Dr. Fashun will be living and researching Afro-Brazilian music in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil during the summer of 2019. His project will focus on the dissemination of Afro-Brazilian music and culture in the city of Salvador.
An Assistant Professor of Music at Hope College, he serves as the Director of Orchestras, the founder and Music Director of the Brazilian Drumming Ensemble, teaches applied percussion, world music, and is an Instructor of Instrumental Music Education.
An accomplished percussionist and violist, he has several years of orchestral and chamber music experience and has enjoyed success in both areas as a soloist by winning three concerto competitions, one on viola and two on marimba.
Dr. Fashun is an active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and percussionist. He is a frequent presenter at music education conferences and is a highly sought after clinician and conductor. Notable engagements include the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra, Holland Symphony Orchestra, Elkhart Symphony Orchestra, St. Ambrose University Community Symphony Orchestra, the University of Iowa Philharmonia and All-University Orchestras. Dr. Fashun has conducted the Symphony String Orchestra at the Iowa IMEA Conference for the All-State Iowa Junior Honors String Orchestra Festival Concert and the Midwest Mennonite Festival Orchestra and Concert Band. He has served on the music faculties at St. Ambrose University and Goshen College.
His research in conducting combines developing musicianship from the podium and health and wellness for music educators.
When he’s not making music, he is either cycling, paddle boarding, or practicing Pilates and enjoying the fabulous beaches in Holland (in the summer, of course) with his wife and daughter.
HSO thanks these business partners for their support of this concert!

Holiday Concert: Home for the Holidays (7:30pm)
2021-12-11 19:30 - 21:00 | Dimnent Chapel, 277 College Ave., Holland, MI, 49423, United States
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Artist bio

Saturday, December 11, 2021 3:30 & 7:30pm
Dimnent Chapel, Hope College (general seating)
Helen Welch, guest artist
A Canadian Brass ChristmasArr. Henderson & Custer
I’ve Got the World on a StringKoehler/Arlen, arr. Dave Hanson
It Happened in Sun ValleyWarren & Gordon
The Christmas SongWells & Torme, arr. Kempers
Winter Weather MedleyArr. Dave Hanson
Trepak & Waltz of the Flowers from The NutcrackerTchaikovsky
A Christmas FestivalAnderson
Feeling GoodNewley & Bricusse, arr. Ferguson
Happy Holidays/Holiday SeasonBerlin, orch. Kempers
Sleigh RideAnderson
I’ll Be Home for ChristmasGannon, Kent & Ram, arr. Hanson
On a Wonderful Day Like TodayBricusse & Newley
Wonderful WorldWeiss & Thiele
The concert is held twice: 3:30 and 7:30pm. Seating is general.
We hope you will make this special concert part of your family Christmas.
Tickets are non-refundable. HSO will exchange holiday tickets for another concert.
Helen Welch is an internationally acclaimed vocalist, entertainer, producer and band-leader. Her unique talent for arranging songs to make them her own, coupled with her ability to intimately engage her audience, has quickly earned her a large and devoted following around the globe.
A native of England, Helen began her career on television’s Romper Room. Since her early success, she has headlined with world-class organizations such as the BBC Big Band, Glenn Miller Europe, Opus One and others at some of the UK’s most prestigious venues including: The Ritz, The Savoy, Blenheim Palace, The Grosvenor House Great Room, Claridges and many theatres in London’s West End. Additionally, she held starring roles in a variety of popular musicals including: Hello Dolly, Barnum, Carousel, 42nd Street, Calamity Jane, and Oliver Twist.
After a very successful run in the U.K., Helen relocated to the United States to guest star in the Broadway musical Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Her immediate success landed her as a fronting vocalist for The Cleveland Orchestra, The Breckenridge Summer Orchestra, The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, The Grant Park Symphony Orchestra (Chicago), The Florida Symphony and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. Since that time, Helen has been producing her own shows for Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, The Akron Civic Theatre, The Chautauqua Institution and many other theatres and performing arts centers around the country.
In 2006 Helen produced her big band CD One Dream using the nationally renowned Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. Rosemary Riddle, daughter of famed arranger Nelson Riddle, gave Helen the original Nelson Riddle arrangement of “Zing Went the Strings of my Heart” for her to perform and record on this CD. Apart from Judy Garland, Helen is the only other vocalist to have used and performed this arrangement on a recording and she still uses it today in her big band performances.
Helen has had world-class symphony pops arrangements for 3 of her productions and has performed with many different symphony orchestras throughout the U.S. and in England. Helen was invited twice to perform with the Blossom Festival Orchestra, which is part of the Cleveland Orchestra. For these particular concerts the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation gave Helen permission to go to the Library of Congress in Washington to go through Ella’s collection of music which she then used for these special symphony orchestra concerts at Blossom.
In 2016, her musical release, “Spellbound” was an entry for the Traditional Pop Category of the Grammy Awards.
HSO thanks these business partners for their support of this concert!
