Interlochen, Michigan

206th Program of the 54th Year *

INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY BAND Matthew Schlomer, conductor

with the INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY ORCHESTRA

Ara Sarkissian, conductor

Thursday, March 10, 2016 7:30pm, Corson Auditorium

PROGRAM

“When We Were Children”

INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY ORCHESTRA So Far So Good .................................................................................................... Nico Muhly (b. 1981) INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY BAND Serenade for Wind Instruments, Op. 44 ......................................................... Antonín Dvořák II. Menuetto: Tempo di minuetto; Trio: Presto (1841-1904) IV. Finale: Allegro molto A Childhood Hymn ......................................................................................... David Holsinger

(b. 1945)

Children's March: “Over the hills and far away” .......................... Percy Grainger (1882-1961) arr. R. Mark Rogers

Hold this Boy and Listen ....................................................................................... Carter Pann (b. 1972)

The Frozen Cathedral ...................................................................................... John Mackey

(b. 1973)

Proceeds from this concert will benefit the ANNETTE BASLER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

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PROGRAM NOTES

“Childhood”

Regina Brett once wrote, “Your children get only one childhood.” There is something sacred about our childhood--so many memories that shape and motivate us. It is often a time and place we strive to recreate. Tonight’s concert is dedicated to the promise our children hold for our future while also honoring the memory of a child taken too early. All profits are donated to the Basler Scholarship program which commemorates the Basler family’s tragic loss of their daughter. It is a common hope that every life begins with a love song, so we begin with a very romantic work by Antonín Dvorák. He wrote Serenade at the height of the Romantic era, in 1878. Dvorák wrote impulsively and quickly; the first movement was finished in only one day and the entire work in only 14 days. Dvorak premiered the work himself with the orchestra of the Czech Interim Theatre in Prague. The work is flirtatious yet fiery, and one can easily imagine a scenario of romance unfolding. A looming memory of childhood for many is the dawn of fear. For many this includes a fear of the dark. A shadow under our bed, or perhaps in the closet, can transform either into dens of mysterious evil in the imagination of a toddler. Synonymous with these memories are often memories of being soothed with a lullaby. Holsinger’s A Childhood Hymn is based on a common Christian hymn, itself based on a poem originally found in a novel by Anna Bartlett Warner where it is used to soothe a dying child. The tune was added in 1862 by William Batchelder Bradbury who also included text to create a chorus. The unique presentation of Holsinger’s arrangement is intended to transport the audience back to a moment of comfort in the darkness. Percy Grainger composed Children’s March: “Over the hills and far away” for his “playmate beyond the hills.” It is believed he was referring to Karen Holton. She was a beautiful Scandinavian girl with whom the composer corresponded after moving to America but did not marry because of his mother's jealousy. In the work Grainger oddly begins with the melody in the lower register and in an entirely unchildlike character. In Grainger’s typical fashion, he uses common melodic material presented in stunning variety to tell a tale of changing situation and emotion. The piece seems to begin from the perspective of an older man. This perspective seems to gradually become younger and hearken back to a more youthful presentation and then tell a tale of youth, life (ferocious horns and gun shots), war, marriage (including the sound of wedding bells), and a child of his own. In the end the melody returns to its older perspective and continues aging until he forgets the tune and the piece concludes in fragments. Anyone who has held a small baby has wondered, what are they possibly thinking about? Carter Pann’s Hold this Boy and Listen is perhaps a musical description of just those moments. The piece uses simple and uneventful melodies that avoid becoming a conscious thought such as an adult might have. Instead, Pann calls on the ensemble to

create stunningly unique changes in tone color and dynamic that are organized to create something similar to a song form. The work is written for his third nephew, David Paulus, Jr. The Frozen Cathedral is dedicated to “J.P.,” the son of John Locke, Director of Bands at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, who passed away immaturely. J. P. had a fascination with Alaska and the scenery of the Denali National Park. Mackey writes about the piece:

“How does one write a concert closer, making it joyous and exciting and celebratory, while also acknowledging, at least to myself, that this piece is rooted in unimaginable loss: The death of a child?

The other challenge was connecting the piece to Alaska--a place I’d never seen in person. I kept thinking about it in literal terms, and I just wasn’t getting anywhere. My wife, who titles all of my pieces, said I should focus on what it is that draws people to these places. People go to the mountains--these monumental, remote, ethereal and awesome parts of the world--as a kind of pilgrimage. It’s a search for the sublime, for transcendence. A great mountain is like a church. “Call it The Frozen Cathedral,’ she said.

Clearly, I married up.”

~Program notes by Matthew Schlomer

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MATTHEW SCHLOMER is the conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy Band, teaches conducting and classical saxophone at the Academy, and serves on the faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp. Previous positions have been at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Luther College, Edgewood College, Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, and Sheboygan High School. He studied wind conducting with Scott Teeple and Allan McMurray, saxophone with Jean-Marie Londeix and Tom Myer, and dance with Kate Corby and Mary Brennan. He holds a doctoral degree in Instrumental Conducting with a minor concentration in Dance from the University of Wisconsin, a bachelor degree in Music Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a gold medal in saxophone from Bordeaux Regional Conservatory in France. While at UW- Madison he twice received the Richard Church Memorial Conducting Award. Dr. Schlomer is an avid collaborator, creating events with artists in music, film, dance, creative writing, theater, and the culinary arts. He is resident conductor of the experimental percussion group Clocks in Motion and the Traverse City Dance Project. He serves internationally as a conductor, clinician and innovator in music education.

ARA SARKISSIAN is the conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, and is instructor of violin for Interlochen Arts Academy and Camp. He began studying the violin at the age of four and continues to enjoy performing and teaching both domestically and abroad. As a performer of contemporary music, he has collaborated with esteemed composers including Pierre Boulez, Peter Eötvös, Helmut Lachenmann, Wolfgang Rihm, Steve Reich, Frederic Rzewski, and George Benjamin. A highlight of his career was performing George Benjamin’s Palimpsests I and II under the direction of Pierre Boulez at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. An avid music educator, Mr. Sarkissian has taught private lessons and coached numerous young chamber ensembles across the country. His principal teachers were Marylou Speaker Churchill and James Oliver Buswell IV. Other important mentors include Mary LaMonaca, Paul Biss, Carol Ou, Paul Katz, Roger Tapping, Phil Setzer, and Soovin Kim. Mr. Sarkissian earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Violin Performance from New England Conservatory of Music.

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Upcoming Highlights of the 2015-16 Interlochen Performing Arts Series COMPOSERS IN CONTEXT FESTIVAL CONCERTS Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra ~ Friday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. in Corson Auditorium

Explore works by contemporary American composers with the Interlochen Academy Orchestra under the direction of Ara Sarkissian. The Academy's third annual Composers in Context Festival will delve into works by Jennifer Higdon and Nico Muhly among others. It will be an evening not to be missed! Higdon's Machine and Muhly's So Far So Good are two established works in the contemporary music canon. Interlochen is honored to be representing their work this evening, as well as part of the New York Philharmonic's Biennial this coming June. Interlochen Arts Academy Band ~ Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. in Corson Auditorium

Explore the work of contemporary composers Jennifer Higdon and Nico Muhly as the Interlochen Arts Academy Band performs select works including Higdon’s Fanfare Ritmico and Muhly’s work for percussion, Ta and Clap. Higdon and Muhly are two established American voices in contemporary music today. Part of Interlochen Arts Academy’s third annual Composers in Context Festival, this evening delves into their works, as well as pieces by composers that influenced their compositional style. The Interlochen Arts Academy Band, under the direction of Matthew Schlomer, will perform these works along Schoenberg’s Theme and Variations, Brahms’ Blessed Are They, and Crumb’s Ancient Voice of Children. Join us for this evening of unforgettable music. Interlochen Arts Academy Choir ~ Friday, April 29, 7:30 p.m. in Corson Auditorium

Explore the work of contemporary American composer Nico Muhly with the Interlochen Arts Academy Choir as part of our third annual Composers in Context Festival. Join us as the Interlochen Arts Academy Choir, under the direction of John Bragle, presents a night of original works by Muhly and select pieces from other contemporary American composers. Pieces by Muhly will include Like as the Hart, Set Me as a Seal, Let All the World in Every Corner, and A New Song.

For information and tickets, visit tickets.interlochen.org

INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY BAND Katie Stainkamp, manager

FLUTE Eliza Fisher, Ohio Gwendolyn Harris, Vt. Madeline Merwin, Mich. Jiwoo Julie Park, South Korea Nicolas Quero, Ill. Zoe Stier, Mich. OBOE Ha Young Cho, South Korea Benjamin Cormier, Nev. Ying Jiang, China Kailey Norton, Fla. David Norville, Fla. Heidee Reynolds, Mich. Victor Romulo Garcia, Mexico Angela Scates, Mich. Margaret Williams, N.C. CLARINET Reagan Casteel, Tenn. Zachary Cherry, Mich. Nicole Martin, Maine Andrew Mazanko, Russian Federation Jue Mei, China Nina Renella, Fla. Mason Sangster, Ark. Ian Schultz, Va. Gerardo Tirado Polo, Venezuela Zhu, Shihao, Calif. BASSOON Khalil Gray, S.C. Hannah Howell, Mich. Henry Johnson, Wash. Harrison Short, Neb.

SAXOPHONE Caleb Allen, W.Va. Caitlin Aylmer, Mich. Donovan Elliott, N.C. Jade Parker, Mich. Rebecca Williams, N.C. TRUMPET Kelvin Baker, Mich. Brandon Bellile, Iowa Miguel Angel Cubero Navarro, Costa Rica Max Friedman, Tenn. Gregory Gotham, Texas James Reynolds Martin, Ky. Jamie O'Brien, Pa. Declan Scott, Canada HORN AllenJade Carter, Texas J. Edwin Leech, Pa. Natalie Myers, Mich. Elisabeth Pesavento, Wash. Catherine Ruiz, Texas Kylie Twadell, Ill. Steven Weiner, Ind. TROMBONE Paul Boutet, Alaska Cole Foster, Wis. Christopher Hall, Va. Jeremiah Rodgers, Md. EUPHONIUM Logan Boyle, Alaska Cole Foster, Wis.

TUBA Conor Dailey, Mich. Oriana Fife, Idaho Stefan Hopman, Fla. HaoNan Alan Liao, China

CELLO Miquel Fuentes, Mich. DOUBLE BASS Wenqing Camilla Fu, China HARP Juanito Riveros, Texas Naomi Sutherland, Wis. Felicity White, Ga.

PIANO Zoey Zou, Calif. Xiaoping Wang, Ill.

PERCUSSION Emmaline Adams, Ky. Euijin Jung, South Korea Adriano Macciocchi, Calif. Kyle Martin, Conn. Daniel McGee, Pa. Miyu Morita, Japan Miles Rosengard, N.J. Margot Takeda, Calif. Mitchell Vogel, Fla. Tina Wiltsie (staff)

Sections are listed in alphabetical order

INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY ORCHESTRA J Berry, manager

VIOLIN I Emera Gurath, S.D. Nathaniel Heyder, D.C. Colli Chan, Canada Kailee McGillis, Ill. Sarah Hoffman, Md. Jillian Johnson, Nev. Pia Bucci, Mass. Joshua Lee, Canada Abigail Skerik, Mich. Tanner Manley, Mich. Tobin Castellano, Wash. Mengxiao Hong, China Yishan Ma, Netherlands VIOLIN II Monserrat Siles Umana, Costa Rica Miyu Kubo, Pa. Deurim Jung, Mich. Laura Carther, Iowa Joseph Gray, Mich. Carson Bohner, Tenn. Huiyang Xie, China Natalya Harp, Ill. Karo Arutyunyan, Turkmenistan Christopher Polhamus, N.M. Alyssa Chetrick, Va. Justin Okumura, Hawaii Jaffrey Hedegaard, Minn. VIOLA Joseph Skerik, Mich. Claire Satchwell, Calif. Anna Mach, Va. William Satterfield, Texas Jerome McCoy, Md. Momo Suzuki, N.J. Isaiah Morris-Polk, Ohio Essien Duke, N.Y.

VIOLA cont. Santiago Mendez Vigata Romero, Mexico Benjamin Barron, Va. Gabriella Trulli, Fla. Andre Harper-Rosenberg, Fla. CELLO Kyle Stachnik, Mich. Tianlu Jerry Xu, China Joshua McClendon, Mich. Abigail Monroe, N.M. Emma Goulet, Ill. Miquel Fuentes, Mich. Sydney Maeker, Texas Daniela Gonzales, Peru Andrew Blomquist Shinn, N.J. Philippa Pietzcker, Germany Tu Gu, China Yirui Deng, China DOUBLE BASS Ryan Avila, Mich. Hsuan-Yu Sunny Lin, Taiwan Wenqing Camilla Fu, China Matthew Scott, Md. Lawrence Hutfles, Mich. FLUTE Mei Stone, Texas (piccolo) Taiga Ultan, N.Y. (piccolo) OBOE Daniel Gurevich, Calif. Ryoei Leo Kawai, Japan M. Isaac Ripple, Pa. (English horn)

CLARINET Justin Best, Fla. (bass) Seung Min Sara Han, South Korea BASSOON Jensen Bocco, Fla. (contra) Corbin Krebs, Nev. Masaki Takeuchi, Texas TRUMPET Sean Alexander, Calif. Shane Obrien, Calif. Abigail Rowland, Hong Kong HORN AllenJade Carter, Texas Kiri Maza, Md. Elisabeth Pesavento, Wash. Steven Weiner, Ind. TROMBONE Jackson Bert, Mo. Marco Gomez Keeshen, Fla. Sophia Volpe, Ohio HARP Margaret Foster, Mich. Edward Manuel, Mich. PIANO Quinton Nennig, Wis. PERCUSSION Adriano Macciocchi, Calif. Daniel McGee, Pa. Mitchell Vogel, Fla. Sections are listed alphabetically except strings

* * * In consideration of the performing artists and other patrons, the use of flash photography is not permitted. Federal copyright and licensing rules prohibit the use of video cameras and other recording equipment.

In order to provide a safe and healthy school, Interlochen maintains a smoke-free and alcohol-free campus.

Michigan law prohibits any weapons, including concealed weapons, on Interlochen property because we are an educational campus. Thank you for your cooperation.

www.interlochen.org