CSO POPS Fanfare Cincinnati - Jan/Feb 2026

FANFARE Magazine

JAN / FEB 2026

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FANFARE Magazine

9

“It was like Cinderella and the glass slipper,” said CSO Concertmaster Stefani

Matsuo, recalling Cristian Mcelaru’s “audition” concerts in 2024. She and CSO principals Dwight Parry and Gillian Benet Sella share their first impressions of the CSO’s new Music Director and how they see him shaping the Orchestra for the future, pp. 9-13.

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23 Artistic Leadership: Cristian Măcelaru, John Morris Russell

24 Concerts in this Issue:

• JAN 3 & 4: Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story in Concert Live to Film (Pops)

• JAN 10 & 11: Trifonov Plays Beethoven (CSO)

• JAN 16 & 17: American Voices (CSO)

• JAN 22: Baroque and Beyond (Chamber Players)

• JAN 23–25: Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony (Pops)

• JAN 30 & 31: Slavic Legends (CSO)

• FEB 1: Access to Music (CSO)

• FEB 6 & 7: Mahler Symphony No. 4 (CSO)

• FEB 7: Peter & the Wolf (Lollipops) 36 Spotlight: Poet Rita Dove Shares Why Poetry is Salvation

68 Financial Support

75 Opus 50 & 25 Subscriber Recognition

80 Administration

ON THE COVER: From left: Cincinnati Pops Conductor

John Morris Russell (Credit: Mark Lyons), CSO Music Director Cristian Măcelaru (Credit: Alex Johnson), violinist Esther Yoo, singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, poet Rita Dove, bass Morris Robinson, Pops Principal Guest Conductor Damon Gupton. pp. 9-13.

We asked CSO musicians and staff “What does ‘Life is Good When You’re Surrounded by Music’ Mean to You?” Read their inspiring and illuminating answers, and find a link to where you can express your feelings about that phrase, on pp. 16–17.

pp. 16–17.

36

The CSO commissioned Pulitzer Prizewinning poet, and Ohio native, Rita Dove to write a poem inspired by Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, a poem Morris Robinson will read as the Orchestra plays the Adagio Jan. 16 & 17. On pp. 36–37, Dove discusses her life as a writer, artist and musician and explains why she once compared poetry to salvation.

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko PIANO

Sunday, March 8, 2026

“…one of Canada’s most exciting classical music talents.”

— Anthony Miller, Maclean’s

•In 2024, winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, recipient of the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal and awarded a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship

•In 2022, first prize winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, the Maria Canals International Music Competition and the 20th Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition

Tickets: MemorialHallOTR.org or 513-977-8838

Ziggy & Miles GUITAR DUO

Sunday, March 29, 2026

“Personable, relaxed and utterly winning.”

— Limelight

•Australian brothers who became the first guitar duo to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions

•Have over 50 awards between them in guitar competitions

•First Australians and first guitar duo accepted into—and graduated from— The Juilliard School’s prestigious Artist Diploma program

•An experienced recitalist, he performs internationally, with performances widely broadcast Both recitals at 3 PM at Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm Street, OTR

•Their album, Sidekick, was featured as one of New York’s WQXR’s “Best New Classical Albums of 2023”

FANFARE Magazine

CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & CINCINNATI POPS

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMITTEES and MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS COUNCIL

We thank our many partners who serve on the following CSO Board of Directors committees, as well as the Multicultural Awareness Council (MAC), as we collectively work to realize our vision to be the most relevant orchestra in America.

CSO Board of Directors Committees

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You are welcome to take this copy of Fanfare Magazine home with you as a souvenir of your concert experience. Alternatively, please share it with a friend or leave it with an usher for recycling. Thank you!

Welcome

WE BELIEVE MUSIC LIVES WITHIN US ALL

FANFARE Magazine

WELCOME

to the January and February 2026 issue of Fanfare Magazine.

Along with the online version of Fanfare Magazine, the CSO has developed a digital platform to deliver concertspecific content.

FOLLOW US on social media for the latest updates!

Facebook: @CincySymphony @CincinnatiPops

Instagram: @CincySymphony

YouTube: @CincySymphony

TikTok: @cincysymphony

Cristian Mcelaru’s connection with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra musicians was forged through authenticity, trust and empathy. Writer Hannah Edgar spoke with three principal musicians to explore these connections, characterized by curiosity and a shared musical language, on pp. 9–13.

Cristian with connections, Take

Take a look back at Cincinnati’s role in shaping the musical soundscape of the Civil Rights era on pp. 14–15. Writer Andre Jamal Cardine explores how the music of Black icons with Cincinnati ties has carried both the weight of injustice and the power of collective resilience.

From small joys to life-changing memories, CSO musicians and staff open up about what Mcelaru’s words, “Life is good when you’re surrounded by music,” mean to them. Their answers on pp. 16–17 reveal just how deeply music shapes their lives.

From twinkling triangle notes to thunderous blows, the CSO’s percussion team shapes some of the Orchestra’s most unforgettable moments. Writer Anne Arenstein pulls back the curtain on the precision and teamwork behind this dynamic orchestra section on pp. 18–19.

Assistant Conductors Alex Amsel and Duo Shen are new to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra family this season. On pp. 20–21 writer David Lyman relates the story of Amsel’s journey to the CSO from orchestra musician to conductor, driven by community and connection as much as artistry, and conveys Duo Shen’s devotion to music and the musicians around him, and how this permeates Shen’s every moment on stage.

On pp. 36–37, poet Rita Dove reflects on a life shaped by literature, music and the belief that poetry can act as a lifeline. Written by Mildred C. Fallen, this profile opens a window into Dove’s inspirations and creative process. Please enjoy these stories that have been curated for you in Fanfare Magazine, but also know that the Fanfare Magazine experience is not limited to a print publication available only at Music Hall concerts. You can explore Fanfare Magazine at any time via our website at cincinnatisymphony.org/fanfare-magazine, where you can also find web-exclusive articles.

Along with the online version of Fanfare Magazine, the CSO has developed a digital platform to deliver concertspecific content to meet the CSO’s ongoing commitment to digital storytelling, innovation and accessibility. This digital platform offers early access to exclusive concert-specific content: fulllength program notes, artist biographies, feature stories, up-to-the-minute information and much more! As a bonus, program notes and artist biographies for the entire season will be available on this digital platform in advance of the season-opening concerts, allowing you to engage with all the content before you arrive at Music Hall.

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From and staff open up words, Their how deeply From Assistant Amsel Shen devotion On life shaped a Please available where articles. Along specific content to the CSO’s ongoing digital offers early access to content: fulllength artist bonus, Unlike smartphone is accessible— no app to download or subscription to manage. our

513.845.3024*

Unlike a print magazine, this digital platform is compatible with all smartphone accessibility features. The CSO’s digital platform is easily accessible — no app to download or subscription to manage. To explore our digital content, visit cincinnatisymphony.org/ DigitalProgram, text the word PROGRAM to 513.845.3024* or scan the QR code at right with your mobile device.

The CSO hopes you find inspiration within these pages and within the music — past, present and future — that reverberates at Music Hall and in the community. Thank you for being with us!

The find inspiration within these and music— past, present and future — that reverberates at Music Hall and in the community.

INVEST ENGAGE INNOVATE LEAD

Program Spotlight: POETRY OUT LOUD

Investing state and federal dollars, the Ohio Arts Council funds and supports quality arts experiences for all Ohioans to strengthen communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

Learn more about our grant programs and resources, find your next arts experience, or connect: OAC.OHIO.GOV.

The Glass-Slipper Conductor

How Cristian Măcelaru won over the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and found a new musical home.

by HANNAH EDGAR

CCristian Mcelaru was different from other prospective music directors from the very beginning.

Once the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra had narrowed down a few strong contenders, the music director search committee — comprising Orchestra administrators, board members and musicians from the Orchestra — called the candidates in for an interview. The committee asked candidates about their musical specialties. Responses varied: some had a passion for new works, others an affinity for symphonic warhorses, and some even singled out specific eras of music history.

When Mcelaru was asked about whether he would bring any areas of special focus to the role, “he flat-out said, ‘No, and I don’t plan for it to be that way,’” remembers Concertmaster and committee member Stefani Matsuo.

in his February 2025

No. 9, From the New World, in his February 2025 Designate appearance and the suite from Der Rosenkavalier for his October inaugural concerts — but also included works by living composers. Anna Clyne’s Abstractions kicked off his inaugural concerts; in February 2025, it was an excerpt from Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony, which Mcelaru will conduct more of on the Jan. 16 & 17, 2026 concerts (see p. 33 of this issue of Fanfare Magazine). He also nodded to his Romanian heritage, conducting George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 as an encore during the opening program and during a special concert featuring Yo-Yo Ma.

He’s a man of his word. In his first appearances as Music Director and Music Director Designate, Mcelaru anchored each program with a beloved work from the repertoire — Dvoák’s Symphony

Măcelaru anchored each program with a beloved work from the repertoire — Dvořák’s Symphony

Cristian Măcelaru led the CSO in music by Anna Clyne, George Gershwin and Richard Strauss for his debut as CSO Music Director, from other affinity for specific eras of history. he flat-out said, ‘No, and I don’t for it committee member Stefani Matsuo.

“We saw different sides of him as a musician, because the repertoire demanded different kinds of leadership and different energies,” says Principal Oboe Dwight Parry.

For Principal Harp Gillian Benet Sella, an important throughline through those disparate pieces was Mcelaru’s “inclusive approach” to the whole orchestra. “He understands the harp; he

Designate appearance and the suite from concerts — his conduct more of on the Jan. 16 & 17, 2026 concerts ). He also different sides of him as a different kinds of energies,” says Principal “inclusive whole orchestra. “He understands the harp; he

Cristian Mcelaru led the CSO in music by Anna Clyne, George Gershwin and Richard Strauss for his debut as CSO Music Director, October 2025. Credit: JP Leong

different qualities

knew when the harp could come out more, when it was enough and when he wanted different qualities in the playing,” Sella says.

Mcelaru’s approachability and openness still make him feel like a peer.

She also appreciates that he has picked repertoire that not only uses the harp but also features some meaty writing for the instrument. The Enescu Rhapsody, for instance, is occasionally encountered as an audition excerpt. Despite that, Sella has rarely had the chance to play it in her 30 years in the CSO.

She also appreciates that he has picked repertoire that not only uses the harp but also features some meaty writing for the instrument. The Enescu Rhapsody, for instance, is occasionally encountered as an audition excerpt. Despite that, Sella has rarely had the chance to play it in her 30 years in the CSO.

“It was very rewarding to play something that I practiced like crazy in my 20s,” she says.

“It was very rewarding to play something that I practiced like crazy in my 20s,” she says.

Whether playing new works or familiar ones, CSO musicians say Mcelaru manages to make the music feel fresh. Parry, for example, experienced this firsthand in what he described as the “mindblowing” Dvoák Symphony No. 9 performances.

“We know that piece backwards and forwards, but he made it sound like a new composition,” he says. “He inspired us to see new things in it, even after all these years.”

That energy leaves a strong first impression. Musicians at the level found in the CSO have worked with so many conductors that names, faces and programs tend to smear together.

Whether playing new works or familiar ones, CSO musicians say Măcelaru manages to make the music feel fresh. Parry, for example, experienced firsthand in what he described as the “mindDvořák Symphony No. 9 performances. first impression. first

Not Mcelaru’s. Parry still remembers the first time they worked together at the New World Symphony, a training ensemble in Miami for young musicians seeking orchestral positions. Mcelaru came to guest-conduct the orchestra for a week.

“He was not much older than us at the time, actually, so he felt more like a colleague. I thought, ‘Oh, this guy’s going somewhere.’” Parry chuckles.

“Clearly, that was true.”

“Clearly, that was true.”

Now, Mcelaru is his colleague — his boss, technically. But to Parry,

Now, Măcelaru his colleague — his boss, technically. But to Parry,

“Honestly, it’s rare to have someone who musically communicates very well — which is the prerequisite for a music director — and is also a down-to-earth, relatable person,” he says. “He projects his authority from the podium through expertise, scholarship and genuine presence with the music, rather than authoritarianism or micromanaging.”

prerequisite for a music director — and is also a down-to-earth, relatable person,” he says. “He projects his authority from the podium through expertise, scholarship and genuine presence with the music, rather than authoritarianism or micromanaging.”

That trust goes a long way for a prominent orchestral voice like the first oboe. Encountering solo passages with Mcelaru, Parry says, feels like “an invitation to sing.”

That trust goes a long way for a prominent orchestral voice like the first oboe. Encountering solo passages with Măcelaru, Parry says, feels like “an invitation to sing.”

“It feels like you’re flying,” he says.

“It feels like you’re flying,” he says. to relationship

Both Parry and Matsuo, another ensemble soloist, return to one adjective again and again to describe Mcelaru’s relationship with the Orchestra: “comfortable.” Part of that mutual comfort no doubt stems from Mcelaru’s own experience as an orchestral musician. A former violinist, he played in the Miami and Houston symphony orchestras while pursuing degrees in those cities.

Matsuo has seen firsthand how that experience informs his approach on the podium.

“He understands the pacing of a rehearsal. Holding people’s attention comes to him naturally, because he’s sat on the other side of the podium, and he knows what an orchestral musician needs going into a concert,” Matsuo says. “It makes all the difference in the world.”

firsthand how that experience and he knows what an orchestral musician needs difference in the world.”

Subscribe to the CSO’s YouTube channel and watch the three-part docuseries: Introducing Cristian Măcelaru.

Matsuo first noticed Mcelaru’s knack with the Orchestra during his subscription debut, in 2016. That program was classic Mcelaru:

subscription debut, in 2016. That program was classic Măcelaru:

It included not just Elgar’s beloved Enigma Variations , but a world premiere (Gunther Schuller’s Symphonic Triptych ) and a work by a living composer (Julia Wolfe’s riSE and fLY ).

At that point, Mcelaru had technically led the CSO once before, in Cincinnati Opera’s Il trovatore the summer prior. But to Matsuo, their familiarity seemed forged in something deeper.

“It didn’t feel like it was his first time there, and it didn’t feel like it was my first time working with him,” she says.

Mcelaru’s visits apparently left an impression on her colleagues, too. The music director search began with a survey asking CSO musicians about

conductors they were interested in looking at closer in coming seasons. Reviewing the results with the search committee, Matsuo was floored.

“The number of times that Mcelaru’s name came up, it was just amazing,” she says.

By the time Mcelaru arrived for his “audition” concerts in 2024, during the formal search, “it was like Cinderella and the glass slipper,” Matsuo says.

Enigma Variations ). first time there, and time working with floored. says. the podium there,” she says. “It was like

“The partnership was there; the camaraderie on and off the podium was there,” she says. “It was like this person was already part of the family.”

A family that’s already made cherished musical memories together — with more to come.

Cincinnati and Black Spiritual Consciousness: A Case Study on Resilience

by ANDRE JAMAL CARDINE (he/him), Ph.D. candidate in Ethnomusicology, Indiana University

“The artist’s role is to raise the consciousness of the people. To make them understand life, the world and themselves more completely.”

— Amiri Baraka

The protest songs of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s–1960s are a signifier on the state of Black American life during that period. As Amiri Baraka, one of the pioneers of the Black Arts Movement, reminds us, pivotal voices in Black music reveal the communal psyche of Black people and Black life. Black people’s essence, longings and endurance are sonically imprinted on this music, as is the continuum of Black people struggling for liberation despite sustained colonial violence. Cincinnati’s connection to protest music and civil rights is evident in the legacies of both Louise Shropshire and James Brown and sits in the constellation of several other Black voices in the movement.

Research into the soundscape of protest music during the Civil Rights Era shows that protest songs are part of a deeply complex interconnection among Black communities dedicated to preserving, maintaining and achieving Black freedom. Though the movement had individual voices that were largely recognized as key vocalists, including Mahalia Jackson, Odetta and Bernice Johnson Reagon, it is congregational-style and call-and-response singing that proves most effective for mobilizing the country in combating racial injustice.

Rooted in a history of African American work songs, communal singing has always been a method to physically and emotionally uplift people. In the context of work songs, a leader typically sings a verse and the community responds with a chorus/refrain. In this call-response format, singing becomes communal, and participants synchronize with one another for a common purpose. Call-and-response singing thus became a mass mobilization technique directly tied to the Black church, which serves as an anchor to the Civil Rights Movement musically, physically and spiritually. Black church musicians were essential to the sound of the movement. The qualities that make up Black spirituals — the emotion, storytelling and rhythms — continue to be present throughout all iterations of Black music. The song “We Shall Overcome” is widely recognized as one of the most noteworthy of the movement. However, a key musical architect of the song’s construction has only recently received credit for her contributions to the piece, thanks to the efforts in recent years of musician and author Isaias Gamboa. Gamboa discovered that Louise Shropshire’s (a Black woman composer and activist from Cincinnati) 1942 hymn “If My Jesus Wills” — sung in churches across the country connected to the Civil Rights Movement due in no small part to the friendships Shropshire developed with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Thomas

From left to right: Robert Shropshire, Sr.; Louise Shropshire; the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Sr. Credit: Louise Shropshire Family Papers, University of Cincinnati, Archives and Rare Books Library.

Dorsey (widely regarded as the father of gospel music) — is the true origin of “We Shall Overcome.”

In 1960, however, Pete Seeger was granted the copyright for the song, with no credit given to Shropshire for her contributions.

In April 2016, Gamboa sued Seeger and the Richmond Organization, and, in 2017, Judge Denise Cote ruled that the Richmond Organization could no longer claim copyright to “We Shall Overcome” and the song entered public domain. Shropshire now receives credit any time “We Shall Overcome” is used, and her legacy is now increasingly in the public consciousness.

To further honor her, Louise Shropshire was inducted into Cincinnati’s Black Music Walk of fame in 2023.

Another figure with Cincinnati associations, the “Godfather of Soul” James Brown, placed his own sonic signature on the communal psyche of the movement with his Black power anthem

of Dr. King’s death, would incite more uprisings in the city. Brown’s concert was broadcast through the local PBS station to encourage residents to stay home and minimize the likelihood of civil unrest.

Brown’s anthem served as a siren for Black pride and was released as a single just four months following Dr. King’s assassination. The song was released on the King Records label, a label not only known for arguably housing and facilitating the birthplace of rock and roll but also being one of the first racially integrated workplaces in the city of Cincinnati.

James Brown is clear on the importance of community, fellowship and joy. “When I’m on stage,” he said, “I’m trying to do one thing: bring people joy. Just like the church does. People don’t go to church to find trouble, they go there to lose it.” Indeed, Brown’s ability to connect with people likely stemmed from the unity that Black communities cultivate in the church. Brown’s words represent the power of Black joy: though there is always a continuous fight against oppression and injustice, Black people do have a right to celebrate.

“Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud.” Brown performed the song during his concert at the Boston Garden on April 5, 1968, the day after Dr. King’s assassination, despite the fear from Boston’s mayor and local authority figures that the performance, paired with the Black residents’ response to the news

There is a unique power in our ability to contemplate the struggles of the world and ask, “What’s Going On?” (Marvin Gaye), while also “Dancing in the Street” (Martha Reeves and the Vandellas); to recognize that “A Change is Gonna Come” (Sam Cooke), even though “It’s a Long Walk to D.C.” (The Staples Singers); and to understand why we have to deal with the “Backlash Blues” (Nina Simone) but also know that “We Shall Not Be Moved.”

To understand Black life in America, the music of Black Americans must be examined. Not only will we overcome someday, but we will always say it loud, be Black and proud.

What Does “Life is Good When You’re Surrounded by Music” Mean to You?

Inspired by the words of CSO Music Director Cristian Măcelaru, the musicians and staff of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra responded to the question: “What does ‘Life is Good When You’re Surrounded by Music’ mean to you?”

Stacey Woolley

Violin

Brenda & Ralph Taylor Chair

Music is a great companion. With music, you’re never alone.

Madelyn McArthur

Audience Engagement Manager

Music is a universal language that communicates endless emotion. It punctuates the most important parts of our lives, and it is hard to imagine the world without it.

Hannah Boettcher

Marketing Intern

To me, being surrounded by music makes life good because it enriches life. Music provides both an outlet and a source of comfort, and it enables us to connect with each other through shared passion and enjoyment.

Charlie Balcom

Social Media Manager

enjoyment. different moments of our It’s like

Music helps us believe, be creative, become inspired. It can help lift our spirits and bring about emotions throughout different moments of our lives. It’s like having a personalized soundtrack.

Maria Cordes

Video Editor

Music is something that has always been there for me, no matter how I am feeling. It’s present in all of life’s celebrations and offers a silver lining when things are tough.

Devon Pine

Subscription Marketing Manager

How lucky are we to be surrounded by music? To be connected by a beauty that anyone can bask in. It’s a passport to faraway places or a road back home, carrying us through time. This phrase brings me back to a moment after a long hike, when I crested a hill and took off running, arms wide, music in my ears, sun on my face — unguarded, so grateful and completely free.

Gregory Lee

Chief Financial Officer

Music has been a constant in my life from the moment my mother put on that first LP, shaping my emotions, guiding me through joy and struggle, and ultimately connecting me to my wife in a way that still feels profound. To me “Life is Good When You’re Surrounded by Music” means that music colors every part of my world, bringing depth, connection and meaning to my days, and without it my life would feel far lonelier and far less vibrant.

Tyler Secor

Director of Communications & Content Development

I grew up in a small rural community in Northern Indiana. I didn’t fit in with most of my classmates and found the social aspect of school difficult. But in band and choir, I found my people and was able to develop a small community of friends that made middle and high school bearable. For me, the music is not what makes life good. Instead, it’s the community of people around the music that makes life good.

John Clapp

Chief Orchestra & Production Officer

Experiencing live music brings physical and mental change to the listener. To surround oneself with music brings out goodness in all of us.

Catherine Hann

Assistant Director of Individual Giving

Music gives us the opportunity to express that which cannot be put into words. That is a gift that means more now than ever before.

Kaitlyn Driesen

Digital Media & Label Services Manager

Music is boundless. Through harmonies, rhythms, styles — I experience an emotional connection to people throughout the world and time.

Craig Doolin

Patron Services Representative

Music not only entertains, but it also opens new worlds. Art depicts images, drama depicts situations, but music makes you feel the same things that people felt sometimes centuries ago.

Shannon May

Accounting Clerk

Music is my therapy and inspiration. It never fails to lift me up when I’m down.

Andrea Saavedra Ferreira

Community Engagement Intern

Music means life to me, especially knowing how music was interlaced with me before I was born! My father dedicated a classical piece to my sister and I, to connect us with music the moment we were born: my younger sister’s dedication was “Water Music” by Handel, while I got The Four Seasons by Vivaldi. The same kind of connection my father instilled in my younger sister and me since birth is possible for others, given the nature of music and its ability to create life and impart meaning.

We would love to hear from you! Use the QR code or link below to submit your answer to the question: What does “Life is Good When You’re Surrounded by Music” mean to you? https://bit.ly/CSOLifeisGood

The CSO’s Percussion Team: More Than Just Drumrolls and Cymbal Crashes

by ANNE ARENSTEIN

If you think the CSO percussionists only hit drums or cymbals, think again. The percussion team plays an astounding range of instruments, tuned and untuned, bells to bundles of sticks, whistles, tap shoes, tambourines and cowbells — whatever a composer specifies.

Some of the team may be backstage, striking the bells specially cast for the CSO’s performances of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique , for example, or they can be highly visible, striking the hammer blow in Mahler’s Sixth Symphony or playing large crash cymbals.

They’re versatile musicians with skill sets that can handle both classic works and new sounds incorporated into contemporary compositions.

Joseph Bricker, Michael Culligan, David Fishlock and Patrick Schleker make up the team usually

The CSO Percussionists (from left): David Fishlock, Principal Percussionist; Patrick Schleker, Principal Timpani; Michael Culligan, Associate Principal Percussionist; and Joseph Bricker, Association Principal Timpani and section percussionist.

seated at the back of the Orchestra, and when asked what they want audiences to know about what percussionists do, the response is immediate.

“There’s so much more to it than it looks,” says Fishlock, Principal Percussionist. “Even if we don’t play as much as the other sections, there’s a lot of preparation we have to do, especially if we’re playing new instruments.”

Bricker, Associate Principal Timpani and section percussion, points out that percussion instruments have no double, like the piccolo for the flute or the viola for the violin. Even the simplest percussion instruments are a challenge, like the triangle.

Bricker explained that no instrument can do what a triangle does. He noted that if a composer puts it in the score, as Ravel does in a section of the Mother Goose Suite, only that instrument playing that one note can create the intended experience.

“In the Mother Goose Suite,” he says, “there’s a

movement about Beauty and the Beast. At the moment in the piece when the Beast turns back into the Prince, Ravel orchestrates it with a sudden stop — a big, harp glissando all the way up to the top of the instrument, and then the only triangle note in the movement is placed atop a bed of string harmonics. That moment, and that triangle note, become particularly magical because they’re literally representing a magical transformation within the story.”

“And there are moments of sheer terror,” adds Principal Timpani Schleker. “That triangle or gong or whatever has to be exactly on cue. The farther back you are, and even when we’re watching the conductor on a monitor backstage, the more you have to anticipate the sound, and that’s a very difficult thing to do.”

Culligan compares their section to a sports team. “Depending on the piece, the four of us can be playing very different instruments, and we have to work together on style, dynamics and balance so that we’re a cohesive unit.”

Fishlock joined the CSO in 1991, Schleker in 2006, Culligan in 2015 and Bricker in 2022. Their combined expertise and training often means an improved, more vibrant sound, especially in older

compositions. “There are composers who heard something they liked but had no experience with the actual instruments, so they wrote what I would call very square orchestrations for them,” says Culligan.

And there are composers like Berlioz and Mahler who were masters of creating dramatic effects with percussion. In addition to the “Berlioz Bells,” the CSO has a box specially built to absorb the hammer blow for Mahler’s Symphony No. 6.

Probably the most frequently asked question is for Schleker: why is he constantly leaning over to listen to the timpani?

“My father-in-law says I have a radio inside and I’m listening for sports updates,” he laughs. “But I am listening closely to the drums because they’re tuned, and often to a key the Orchestra is not yet playing. So I lean over to listen and tune so I can hear what I’m doing.”

There’s a lot of maintenance not only for timpani but for the rest of the percussion arsenal, as well as training and practice to perform everything convincingly.

“I think the most interesting thing about us is just the sheer variety of what we do,” Fishlock concludes. “Every week it’s something different, which keeps things really interesting.”

The Orchestra Welcomes New Assistant Conductors

by DAVID LYMAN

While assistant conductors are mostly “seen and not heard,” they play an important role — supporting and consulting the Music Director and guest conductors and assisting during rehearsals, among other duties. Learn more about the CSO’s two new assistant conductors and how they view their roles.

Alex Amsel Assistant Conductor

Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

Alex Amsel had to delay our conversation for a few days. “I am out of town this weekend,” he emailed, “doing a little Mahler tune.”

That “little tune” turned out to be Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. And he was leading the Phoenix Symphony, where he had been associate conductor before accepting a position as an assistant conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Buenos Aires, Amsel came to the United States at the age of 10, when his father stepped into a job in Texas.

“It’s the classic American Dream story,” says Amsel. “Argentina was heading into an economic collapse and my parents were looking for a slightly better life. We had family in Texas, so that’s where we ended up.”

Neither of his parents was involved in the music world. Nonetheless, there always seemed to be music in the background.

“When we took road trips — there were tons of them — we would sing for the 12 hours on the road,” he says. “It wasn’t classical music. It was music from Argentina. Or Mexico — my mother is Mexican. But we didn’t know a thing about the culture of being a professional musician. It never even crossed our minds.”

That changed the year after the family arrived in Houston.

“I signed up for band without any idea about anything,” he recalls. “My English was not great at that time, but I had an uncle who had loved jazz. So band sounded like something I might like.”

Since he was a beginner, he had to select an instrument to learn. He was told to list five instruments. Sax, of course, was first.

“I tried to play the sax, but I couldn’t make a sound,” he says. “I also tried flute, but I didn’t think it would be cool to play the flute. So I started with the clarinet.”

There was a problem, though.

“I hated it,” he says. “I was bored. After a semester, I told my teacher I couldn’t continue with the clarinet. He said he had this other instrument I should try.”

It was a bassoon.

“I hate to sound so cheesy, but I watched my band director play one scale and it was like Harry Potter and his wand — the bassoon chose me,” he says. “It was love at first sound. The bassoon was everything I wanted and was looking for.”

Two years later, he won a field trip to hear the Houston Symphony.

“I was 13, maybe, and it blew me away. I finally understood what an orchestra was. And how it could sound.”

It proved to be a defining moment in Amsel’s career. Many years later, that first band director made a confession to him.

“One day, we were having a beer, and he told me that when I auditioned they already had too many saxophones, so he gave me a broken instrument so I couldn’t make a sound.”

Clearly, the deception didn’t diminish his enthusiasm for music. He would go on to study music at the New England Conservatory and The University of Texas at Austin and finish up with a graduate degree under the tutelage of Marin Alsop at the Peabody Conservatory.

Since then, he has built a busy career as a guest conductor, as well as serving as resident conductor at Houston Grand Opera, assistant conductor with

the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and associate conductor of the Phoenix Symphony.

conductor of the Phoenix Symphony.

Along the way, he has become something of a proselytizer for orchestral music.

“I could spend my life doing Mahler and program is not for me. What does the community

“I could spend my life doing Mahler and Beethoven,” he says, “but the reality is that it doesn’t really matter what I want to do in a program. The program is not for me. What does the community want? And the orchestra? My work is about music. But it is also about community building.”

That passion has manifested itself in many ways, composers and creating a chamber orchestra

generous

might be describing himself, as well.

That passion has manifested itself in many ways, from championing the work of underrepresented composers and creating a chamber orchestra program for students in Houston to working with students in underserved Baltimore schools and launching a composition project for middle and high school students in Phoenix. “We even premiered a symphony by an 11-year-old.”

students in underserved Baltimore schools and launching a composition project for middle and high even

He also spent a summer as conductor-in-residence with the Cincinnati Opera, an experience that gave him a taste of Cincinnati’s rich cultural environment.

“I love coming back to Cincinnati,” he says. “The amazing thing about the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is that they are already at the forefront of what an American orchestra should be. They do so many different sorts of things. They play the pops as brilliantly as they play the classics. They play for the Opera and Ballet. And the May Festival. It’s incredible. To me it’s just an honor to come here and be part of that.”

He also spent a summer as conductor-in-residence him a taste of Cincinnati’s rich cultural environment. “I love coming back to Cincinnati,” he says. “The what an American orchestra should be. They do so sorts things. They play the as brilliantly as they play the classics. They play for just honor here be part of that.”

Duo Shen

Assistant Conductor

Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

music, his mentors in China. Or his fiancée, Emilee Syrewicze, executive Grand Rapids. (As

It’s an extremely generous description. But in some ways, Shen might be describing himself, as well. Soft-spoken and a bit reserved, he would rather deflect a conversation than talk about himself. He’ll talk about the music, his mentors or his family back in China. Or his fiancée, Emilee Syrewicze, executive director of Opera Grand Rapids. (As of this interview, they were scheduled to get married on October 31.)

But stand him up in front of an orchestra and he radiates with passion for the music and the people playing it.

But stand him up in front of an orchestra and he

Assistant Conductor Symphony Orchestra. But he was there. In fact, he was there sharing musical know-how. on call, always at the ready to offer support or,

You didn’t see Duo Shen on the stage during Cristian Mcelaru’s debut concert with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. But he was there. In fact, he was there the entire week leading up to the performances, shadowing Cristi, consulting and advising him, and sharing musical know-how.

Such is the life of an assistant conductor. Like a medical resident, an assistant conductor is always on call, always at the ready to offer support or, heaven forbid, step in as a replacement when some unforeseen problem occurs. It’s demanding and devoid of glamor. But Shen has no complaints. In fact, he says he feels privileged to be in such a position. “I was very, very fortunate to cover Cristi and to be with him the whole week,” says Shen. “The more I get to talk with him and get to know him, I realize why he is who he is. His focus is always about the music. Always. He wants to help the heart to feel more. It’s a very selfless approach.”

devoid of glamor. But Shen has no complaints. In fact, “I was very, very fortunate to cover Cristi and to why he is who he is. His focus is always about the

“You have to give yourself up to the music,” says wonderful when you reach that point.” He is quiet for taking place in my life. I tell you, it feels like living

“You have to give yourself up to the music,” says Shen. “It’s the experience every musician seeks. It’s wonderful when you reach that point.” He is quiet for a moment before he continues, “Last week, someone asked me how do I feel about all these changes taking place in my life. I tell you, it feels like living the dream. Once you get to a place and an orchestra like Cincinnati, there is no better place to be.”

That’s lavish praise, especially when you consider Rapids Symphony. He conducted more than 90 from chamber music and orchestral blockbusters to pops and family concerts. when study it and let the music flow through your mind,” difficult to explain, but you and you them with the orchestra, it’s like we become a

That’s lavish praise, especially when you consider the range of musical opportunities Shen had during his three years as associate conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony. He conducted more than 90 concerts, leading the orchestra through everything from chamber music and orchestral blockbusters to pops and family concerts.

“There is a certain joy when you open a score, study it and let the music flow through your mind,” says Shen. “The feeling is difficult to explain, but when those notes flow through you and you share them with the orchestra, it’s like we become a collective, like an organ. It’s the best feeling.”

“relatively westernized family” in Beijing.

Shen was born and raised in what he describes as a “relatively westernized family” in Beijing.

“My grandparents are all professors,” he says. “And my father is a sociologist. He visited the U.S. quite regularly and was a visiting scholar at U.C. Berkeley.”

But it was his mother’s deep love of Western classical music that had the earliest impact on his musical aspirations.

“All of her music was on cassettes,” he laughs.

Lyons continued, p. 73

regularly and was a visiting scholar at U.C. Berkeley.” musical aspirations. continued, p. 73

FIRST VIOLINS

Stefani Matsuo

Concertmaster

Anna Sinton Taft Chair

Felicity James

Associate Concertmaster

Tom & Dee Stegman Chair

Philip Marten

First Assistant Concertmaster

James M. Ewell Chair++

Eric Bates

Second Assistant Concertmaster

Serge Shababian Chair

Kathryn Woolley

Nicholas Tsimaras–

Peter G. Courlas Chair++

Anna Reider

Dianne & J. David Rosenberg Chair

Mauricio Aguiar§

Anne G. & Robert W. Dorsey Chair

Minyoung Baik‡

Jo Ann & Paul Ward Chair

James Braid

Marc Bohlke Chair given by Katrin & Manfred Bohlke

Rebecca Kruger Fryxell

Clifford J. Goosmann & Andrea M. Wilson Chair

Elizabeth Furuta

Gerald Itzkoff

Jean Ten Have Chair

Joseph Ohkubo

Luo-Jia Wu

Jonathan Yi

SECOND VIOLINS

Gabriel Pegis

Principal

Al Levinson Chair

Yang Liu*

Harold B. & Betty Justice Chair

Scott Mozlin**

Henry Meyer Chair

Kun Dong

Charles Gausmann Chair++

Cheryl Benedict

Evin Blomberg§

Sheila and Christopher Cole Chair

Rose Brown

Rachel Charbel

Ida Ringling North Chair

Chika Kinderman

Charles Morey

Hyesun Park

Michael Rau

Stacey Woolley

Brenda & Ralph Taylor Chair++

VIOLAS

Christian Colberg

Principal

Louise D. & Louis Nippert Chair

Gabriel Napoli*

Grace M. Allen Chair

Julian Wilkison**

Rebecca Barnes§

Christopher Fischer

Stephen Fryxell

Melinda & Irwin Simon Chair

Caterina Longhi

Denisse Rodriguez-Rivera

Dan Wang

Joanne Wojtowicz

CRISTIAN

MĂCELARU, Music Director

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL, Cincinnati Pops Conductor

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

Matthias Pintscher, CSO Creative Partner

Damon Gupton, Pops Principal Guest Conductor

Louis Langrée, Music Director Laureate

Alex Amsel, Assistant Conductor

Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

Duo Shen, Assistant Conductor

Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

CELLOS

Ilya Finkelshteyn

Principal

Irene & John J. Emery Chair

Lachezar Kostov*

Ona Hixson Dater Chair

[OPEN]

Karl & Roberta Schlachter

Family Chair

Drew Dansby§

Daniel Kaler

Peter G. Courlas–

Nicholas Tsimaras Chair++

Nicholas Mariscal

Marvin Kolodzik & Linda S. Gallaher Chair for Cello

Hiro Matsuo

Laura Kimble McLellan Chair++

Alan Rafferty

Ruth F. Rosevear Chair

Tianlu (Jerry) Xu

BASSES

Owen Lee

Principal

Mary Alice Heekin Burke Chair++

Luis Celis*

Thomas Vanden Eynden Chair

Stephen Jones**

Trish & Rick Bryan Chair

Boris Astafiev§

Michael Martin

Gerald Torres

Rick Vizachero

HARP

Gillian Benet Sella

Principal

Cynthia & Frank Stewart Chair

FLUTES

Randolph Bowman

Principal

Charles Frederic Goss Chair

Henrik Heide*

Carol J. Schroeder Chair

Haley Bangs

Jane & David Ellis Chair

PICCOLO

Rebecca Pancner

Patricia Gross Linnemann Chair

OBOES

Dwight Parry

Principal

Josephine I. & David J. Joseph, Jr. Chair

[OPEN]*

Stephen P. McKean Chair

Emily Beare

ENGLISH HORN

Christopher Philpotts

Principal

Alberta & Dr. Maurice Marsh Chair++

CLARINETS

Christopher Pell

Principal

Emma Margaret & Irving D.

Goldman Chair

Joseph Morris*

Associate Principal and E-flat Clarinet

Robert E. & Fay Boeh Chair++

Ixi Chen

Vicky & Rick Reynolds Chair in honor of William A. Friedlander

BASS CLARINET

Ronald Aufmann

BASSOONS

Christopher Sales

Principal

Emalee Schavel Chair++

Martin Garcia*

Christy & Terry Horan Family Chair

Hugh Michie

CONTRABASSOON

Jennifer Monroe

HORNS

Elizabeth Freimuth‡

Principal

David Alexander†

Acting Principal

Mary M. & Charles F. Yeiser Chair

David Smith†

Acting Associate Principal

Ellen A. & Richard C. Berghamer

Chair

[OPEN]**

Sweeney Family Chair in memory of Donald C. Sweeney

Lisa Conway

Susanne & Philip O. Geier, Jr. Chair

Duane Dugger

Mary & Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Chair

Charles Bell

Donald & Margaret Robinson Chair

TRUMPETS

Anthony Limoncelli

Principal

Rawson Chair

[OPEN]

Jackie & Roy Sweeney

Family Chair

Alexander Pride†

Otto M. Budig Family

Foundation Chair++

Christopher Kiradjieff

David C. Reed, MD Chair

TROMBONES

Cristian Ganicenco

Principal, in memoriam

Dorothy & John Hermanies

Chair

Joseph Rodriguez**

Second/Assistant Principal Trombone

Sallie Robinson Wadsworth & Randolph L. Wadsworth Jr. Chair

BASS TROMBONE

Noah Roper

TUBA

Christopher Olka

Principal

Ashley & Barbara Ford Chair

TIMPANI

Patrick Schleker

Principal

Matthew & Peg Woodside Chair

Joseph Bricker*

Morleen & Jack Rouse Chair

PERCUSSION

David Fishlock

Principal

Susan S. & William A. Friedlander Chair

Michael Culligan*

Joseph Bricker

Morleen & Jack Rouse Chair

Marc Wolfley+

KEYBOARDS

Michael Chertock

James P. Thornton Chair

Julie Spangler+

James P. Thornton Chair

LIBRARIANS

Christina Eaton

Principal Librarian

Lois Klein Jolson Chair

Elizabeth Dunning

Associate Principal Librarian

Cara Benner

Assistant Librarian

Citlalmina Hernandez

Orchestra Library Intern

STAGE MANAGERS

Brian P. Schott

Phillip T. Sheridan

Daniel Schultz

Mike Ingram

Andrew Sheridan

§ Begins the alphabetical listing of players who participate in a system of rotated seating within the string section.

* Associate Principal ** Assistant Principal

† One-year appointment

‡ Leave of absence

+ Cincinnati Pops rhythm section

++ CSO endowment only

AND ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP

CRISTIAN MĂCELARU

Music Director

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

Grammy-winning conductor Cristian Mcelaru is Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Orchestre National de France, Artistic Director of the George Enescu International Festival and Competition, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Interlochen Center for the Arts’ World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Music Director and Conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and Distinguished Visiting Artist at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. He also serves as Artistic Partner of the WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, where he was Chief Conductor from the 2019–20 through 2024–25 seasons.

Mcelaru’s 2025–26 guest engagements include debuts with the Münchner Philharmoniker and Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, as well as returns with Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Czech Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony.

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL

Cincinnati Pops Conductor

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

John Morris Russell’s (JMR) embrace of America’s unique voice and musical stories has transformed how orchestral performances connect and engage with audiences. As conductor of the Cincinnati Pops since 2011, the wide range and diversity of his work as a musical leader, collaborator and educator

continues to reinvigorate the musical scene throughout Cincinnati and across the continent. As Music Director of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina, JMR conducts the classical series as well as the prestigious Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

A Grammy-nominated artist, JMR has worked with leading performers from across a variety of musical genres, including Aretha Franklin, Emanuel Ax, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, Garrick Ohlsson, Rhiannon Giddens, Hilary Hahn, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Cynthia Erivo, Sutton Foster, George Takei, Steve Martin, Brian Wilson, Leslie Odom, Jr., Lea Salonga and Mandy Gonzalez.

Mcelaru’s previous seasons include European engagements with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie, Concertgebouworkest, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Wiener Symphoniker. In North America, he has led the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra. He is equally at home as a conductor of opera, with career highlights including productions of Don Giovanni with the Houston Grand Opera and Madama Butterfly with Opera Naional Bucureti.

Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus previous of Don Giovanni with the and Madama Butterfly with Opera Naţională București. de Măcelaru’s

In 2020, Mcelaru received a Grammy Award for conducting the Decca Classics recording of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and The Philadelphia Orchestra. His highly anticipated recording of George Enescu’s complete symphonic works with the Orchestre National de France was released in April 2024 on Deutsche Grammophon. September 2025 marks the release of Mcelaru’s and the Orchestre National de France’s Ravel Paris 2025 album on the naïve label, featuring the symphonic works of Maurice Ravel in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

For over two decades, JMR has led the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s wildly successful Classical Roots initiative honoring and celebrating Black musical excellence. Guest artists have included Marvin Winans, Alton White, George Shirley, Common and Hi-Tek.

album JOY!. In 2015, he created the recordings: American Originals (the nominated American Originals 1918 (a tribute to Shaffer honored a concert

JMR has contributed seven albums to the Cincinnati Pops discography, including 2023’s holiday album JOY!. In 2015, he created the “American Originals Project,” which has won both critical and popular acclaim and features two landmark recordings: American Originals (the music of Stephen Foster) and the Grammynominated American Originals 1918 (a tribute to the dawn of the jazz age). The 2020 “American Originals” concert King Records and the Cincinnati Sound with Late Show pianist Paul Shaffer honored legendary recording artists associated with the Queen City. In the 2024–25 season JMR took on the next installment of the project, offering a concert and recording celebrating the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, and presented a national PBS broadcast of Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey. JMR’s American Soundscapes video series with the Pops and Cincinnati’s CET public television station has surpassed one million views on YouTube since its launch in 2016.

For more information about Cristian Măcelaru and John Morris Russell, please visit cincinnatisymphony.org/about/artistic-leadership.

DISNEY AND PIXAR’S TOY STORY IN CONCERT LIVE TO FILM | 2025–26 SEASON

SAT JAN 3, 7:30 PM | SUN JAN 4, 2 PM Music Hall

DAMON GUPTON conductor

Directed by John Lasseter

Produced by Ralph Guggenheim

Bonnie Arnold

Executive Producer

Edwin Catmull

Steven Jobs

Screenplay by Josh Whedon

Andrew Stanton

Joel Cohen

Alec Sokolow

Original Story by John Lasseter

Pete Doctor

Andrew Stanton

Joe Ranft

Music by Randy Newman

There will be one intermission.

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is grateful to Pops Season Presenter PNC.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust.

CONDUCTOR BIOGRAPHY

Damon Gupton, Pops Principal Guest Conductor

Damon Gupton is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops. A native of Detroit, he served as American Conducting Fellow of the Houston Symphony and held the post of assistant conductor of the Kansas City Symphony. His conducting appearances include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Detroit Symphony, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Florida Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Princeton Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Chineke!, NHK Orchestra of Tokyo, Orquesta Filarmonica de UNAM, Charlottesville Symphony, Brass Band of Battle Creek, Brevard Music Center, and Sphinx Symphony as part of the 12th annual Sphinx Competition. He led the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra on two national tours with performances at Carnegie Hall, and he conducted the finals of the Seventh Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition and the 2021 Classic FM Live at Royal Albert Hall with Chineke!.

Gupton received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Michigan. He studied conducting with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin at the Aspen Music Festival and with Leonard Slatkin at the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C.

An accomplished actor, Gupton is a graduate of the Drama Division of The Juilliard School. He has had a number of roles in television and film, including in the Paramount+ series Happy Face and the film Lear Rex with Al Pacino, as well as on stage.

He is represented by Harden Curtis Kirsten Riley Agency (HCKR), SMS Talent and Brookside Artist Management.

PRESENTATION LICENSED BY

Today’s performance lasts approximately 1 hour and 41 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission. The performance is a presentation of the feature film Toy Story with a live performance of the film’s score. Out of respect for the musicians and your fellow audience members, please remain seated until the conclusion of the end credits.

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts ©All rights reserved.

Strengthening Our Community

We consider Cincinnati the best place to live, work and celebrate life. Partners like Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra share our belief that the community prospers when its individuals and businesses succeed. That is why we support those playing critical roles in preserving Cincinnati traditions, enriching cultural experiences and helping the community thrive.

westernsouthern.com

TRIFONOV PLAYS BEETHOVEN | 2025–26 SEASON SAT JAN 10, 7:30 PM | SUN JAN 11, 2 PM Music Hall

Cristian Măcelaru conductor

Daniil Trifonov piano

Johannes Brahms Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80 (1833–1897)

Ludwig van Beethoven Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 19 (1770–1827) Allegro con brio Adagio

Rondo: Molto allegro

INTERMISSION

Daníel Bjarnason

I Want to Be Alive — Trilogy for Orchestra (b. 1979) U.S. PREMIERE, CSO CO-COMMISSION Echo (Man Needs Man) Narcissus (We Need Mirrors) Pandora’s Box

(1770–1827)Allegro Trilogy CSOCO COMMISSION . the Thomson Family Foundation

This performance is approximately 120 minutes long, including intermission.

The CSO is grateful to CSO Season Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group This concert is lovingly donated to the memory of Laura Gamble Thomson from the Thomson Family Foundation. These concerts are endowed by Martha Anness, Priscilla Haffner & Sally Skidmore in loving memory of their mother, LaVaughn Scholl Garrison, a long-time patron of the Orchestra.

Martha Anness, Priscilla Haffner & Sally Skidmore patron of the Orchestra

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra co-commission and U.S. premiere of I Want to Be Alive — Trilogy for Orchestra by Daníel Bjarnason is made possible by a generous gift from Ann and Harry Santen.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra co-commission and U.S. premiere of Alive — Trilogy for Orchestra by Daníel Bjarnason is made possible by a generous gift from Ann and Harry Santen

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the , the Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the , which receives support from

WGUC

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. WGUC is the Media Partner for these concerts. Selections from this concert will air on 90.9 WGUC on February 15, 2026, followed by 30 days of streaming at cincinnatisymphony.org/replay.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

with Cristian Măcelaru, Music Director

When Cristian Mcelaru and Daniil Trifonov meet for this program, they’ll simply be picking up where they last left off. In the 2022–23 season, Trifonov was artist-in-residence at the Orchestre National de France, Mcelaru’s other orchestra. Trifonov toured Germany with the orchestra that season, then reunited with the ONF in November of 2025 for its first U.S. tour with Mcelaru.

off. In 2022–23

other toured first tour with

Trifonov was onstage for an even earlier Mcelaru milestone in 2015, when he made his much-anticipated podium debut with the New York Philharmonic. The New York Times praised that debut as “impressive” and “auspicious,” with plaudits aplenty for the 24-year-old Trifonov as well. “Even when the music broke into intricate passagework and brilliant flourishes, Mr. Trifonov demonstrated crisp brio and an ear for detail, though there was plenty of fiery virtuosity as well,” the Times enthused.

Mr. Trifonov

virtuosity as well,” the Times enthused. alone — which Măcelaru leads — he estimates he’s led somewhere between 30 to 35 new

At the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music alone — which Mcelaru also leads — he estimates he’s led somewhere between 30 to 35 new commissions. Add U.S. or regional premieres to the mix, and “we’re adding another 30 to 35,” Mcelaru says.

adding first performed a portion of during 2023–24 first time Măcelaru leads Daníel

With the CSO, Mcelaru is adding to his (and the Orchestra’s) record of commissioning and performing new music. These concerts are the U.S. premiere of the complete trilogy I Want to Be Alive (which the CSO co-commissioned and first performed a portion of during the 2023–24 season). The concerts also mark the first time Mcelaru leads Daníel Bjarnason’s music.

a tremendous amount of pleasure satisfaction from

“Honestly, I find a tremendous amount of pleasure and satisfaction from opening a score that I have no idea what it will be like,” Mcelaru says of conducting new work. “I have a pretty good idea, but there are still elements to discover, and an interesting way in which the music starts to develop.”

—Hannah Edgar

To view the Digital Program for exclusive content, such as full-length program notes and artist biographies, please text PROGRAM to 513.845.3024*, use your mobile device to scan the QR code or visit cincinnatisymphony.org/digitalprogram.

*By texting to this number, you may receive messages that pertain to the organization and its performances; msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP to help, STOP to cancel.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Cristian Măcelaru, conductor

A complete biography for Music Director Cristian Măcelaru can be found on p. 23.

Daniil Trifonov, piano

Grammy Award-winning Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov is a solo artist, champion of the concerto repertoire, chamber and vocal collaborator, and composer. His 2025–26 season includes three performances in Carnegie Hall, Schubert collaborations in the U.S. and Europe with German baritone Matthias Goerne, performances with Cristian Măcelaru and the Orchestre National de France of Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto and Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, solo recitals in the U.S. and Europe, Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto with The Cleveland Orchestra and Franz Welser-Möst and Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Trifonov’s existing DG discography has been recognized with BBC Music’s Concerto Recording of the Year, multiple Grammy nominations, and the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Solo Album of 2018. He has also been named Gramophone’s Artist of the Year, Musical America’s Artist of the Year and a “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the French government, while his earlier honors include third prize in Warsaw’s Chopin Competition, first prize in Tel Aviv’s Rubinstein Competition, and both first prize and Grand Prix in Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Competition. Trifonov studied with Sergei Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music. daniiltrifonov.com

PROGRAM NOTES

Johannes Brahms: Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80

Composed: 1880

Premiere: January 4, 1881, University of Breslau, Germany, Brahms conducting

Instrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, triangle, strings

CSO notable performances: First: February 1912, Leopold Stokowski conducting. Most Recent: February 2012, John Storgårds conducting.

Duration: approx. 10 minutes

In 1879, the University of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland) awarded Johannes Brahms an honorary doctorate in philosophy, inscribing his diploma with the distinction “the greatest living German master of the strict musical style.” In gratitude, Brahms composed a one-movement orchestral work titled Academic Festival Overture, and he conducted the premiere in Breslau in January 1881. The U.S. premiere took place during the following August, when Theodore Thomas conducted a well-attended performance in Chicago. When Thomas led a performance of it in Cincinnati the next month [1882, before the CSO’s founding in 1895], the critic of the Cincinnati Enquirer praised the powerful orchestration. American and European audiences responded so enthusiastically to the overture that, from 1890 to 1902, it was one of Brahms’ most frequently performed compositions.

The Academic Festival Overture pays tribute to university life by weaving in four student songs that were well known in Germany at the time. Toward the end of the slow introduction, we hear the hymn-like “Wir hatten gebauet ein staatliches Haus” (“We Had Built a Stately House”). Quietly intoned in long notes by the wind and brass instruments, it evokes an aura of nostalgia. The following first main section of the overture, which the full orchestra plays fortissimo and un poco maestoso (a little majestic), introduces two other songs, “Der Landesvater” (“The Father of Our Country”) and “Was kommt dort von der Höh?” (“What Comes from the Heights?”), also known as the “Fuchslied” (“Fox Song”). The “Fuchslied,” which was associated with freshman hazing rituals, is particularly easy to identify because it is presented playfully by the bassoons. The final student song “Gaudeamus igitur” only appears

Born: May 7, 1833, Hamburg, Germany Died: April 3, 1897, Vienna, Austria

Born: baptized December 17, 1770, Bonn, Germany

Died: March 26, 1827, Vienna, Austria

in the coda, where it provides a majestic, yet also somewhat amusing, conclusion. Although this hymn is still heard during graduation ceremonies today, it originated as a lighthearted drinking song. Its original Latin lyrics exhort students to seize the day and enjoy life, for life is short.

Although Brahms could have composed a highly complicated symphony that demonstrated his “strict,” or academic, style, he instead created a wry, witty overture. It celebrates the fun of student life, which so many of us fondly recall, as well as the formality of university customs.

—©Heather Platt, Sursa Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts, Ball State University

Ludwig van Beethoven: Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 19

Composed: 1787–1801

Premiere: March 29, 1795, Vienna Burgtheater, Beethoven was pianist and conductor

Instrumentation: solo piano, flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, strings CSO notable performances: First: January 1950, Thor Johnson conducting and William Kapell, piano. Most Recent: September 2021 as part of MusicNOW, Louis Langrée conducting and Daniil Trifonov, piano.

Duration: approx. 28 minutes

Beethoven is often hailed as a genius, yet the protracted development of his Second Piano Concerto shows that his masterworks did not always emerge effortlessly. He began sketching the work in the late 1780s, but it was not published until 1801. When he started drafting it, at around 16 years of age, he was just beginning his career in his hometown of Bonn, Germany. By the time the score appeared in print, he was an acclaimed composer and virtuoso pianist living in Vienna, Austria, where he had settled in 1792. As with most of his piano concertos, Beethoven composed this work primarily for his own use. He performed the solo piano part during the premiere of an early version of the concerto in 1794 or 1795 and also for the premiere of the final version in 1798. While the earlier concert took place in Vienna, the latter was in Prague. Because he knew he would be playing the piano part, Beethoven did not take the time to fully notate it until preparing for the score to be published in 1801. Even then, he delayed publishing the first movement’s cadenza until 1809, by which point deafness had brought his performing career to an end and other pianists were playing the concerto.

As a young composer, Beethoven closely studied the compositions of Mozart, and traces of Mozart’s style echo throughout the concerto in the size of the orchestra, the graceful melodic turns and the form of the first movement. But Beethoven’s emerging individuality is just as clear. While this is particularly the case in the dramatic contrasts of the first movement, the slow movement also features some unusual effects. In particular, toward the end of the movement, the pianist rests their left hand while using their right hand to play a long pensive melody, marked con gran espressione (with great expression). The rollicking finale, which immediately casts aside the piano’s introspection, exudes Beethoven’s energy. Nowhere in the music is there any sign of the struggles that shaped the concerto, only the vibrant voice of a composer already on the path to greatness.

—©Heather Platt, Sursa Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts, Ball State University

Daníel Bjarnason: I Want to Be Alive — Trilogy for Orchestra U.S. PREMIERE CSO CO-COMMISSION

Composed: 2025

Premiere: May 2025, Gustavo Gimeno conducting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Instrumentation: 3 flutes (incl. alto flute, piccolo), 3 oboes (incl. English horn), 3 clarinets (incl. bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, vibraphone, egg shaker, floor tom, kick drum, roto toms, xylophone, tuned gongs, tubular bells, tom-toms, suspended cymbals, sandpaper blocks, cowbells, guiro, clay pots, castanets, almglocken, temple blocks, snare drum, lion’s roar, tam-tam, crotales, bass drum, nipple gong, harp, piano, strings CSO notable performances: These performances of the complete Trilogy are the work’s U.S. premiere.

Duration: approx. 45 minutes

Daníel Bjarnason is one of Iceland’s foremost musical voices today, in demand as a conductor, composer and programmer. He is artist-in-collaboration with Iceland Symphony Orchestra, an appointment that follows his tenures as principal guest conductor and artist-in-residence.

Recent seasons have seen the world premiere of his Hands on Me for vocalist Mariam Wallentin and the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, as well as the world premiere of I Want to Be Alive with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, which co-commissioned the work with, among others, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which is giving the work’s U.S. premiere. He has also written the score for an animated film, The Last Whale Singer, to be released in 2026. Other recent premieres include A Fragile Hope for orchestra and FEAST, a piano concerto written for Víkingur Ólafsson.

A recipient of numerous accolades, in 2018 Bjarnason was awarded the Optimism Prize by the President of Iceland, won the 8th Harpa Nordic Film Composers Award for the feature film Under the Tree and was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize. He also won Composer of the Year, Best Composer/Best Composition and Best Performer at the Icelandic Music Awards in recent years.

Bjarnason studied piano, composition and conducting in Reykjavík and pursued further studies in orchestral conducting at Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. He has released albums for several labels including Bedroom Community, Sono Luminus, Da Capo and Deutsche Grammophon.

Bjarnason offers the following program note for I Want to Be Alive:

We are only seeking Man.

We have no need for other worlds.

We need mirrors.

We don’t know what to do with other worlds.

—Stanisław Lem, Solaris

While writing this work I wanted to think about how ancient archetypes resonate in the modern world, especially when viewed through the lens of technological innovation, such as artificial intelligence. To explore questions about humanity, consciousness, and the interplay between technology and myth and how that reflects on the human condition. What is our relationship with the machines we have created and what is the role of empathy and connection in a world increasingly shaped by these machines?

The title is taken from an article in The New York Times published in February 2023, in which the Microsoft chatbot Bing revealed itself not as Bing, but Sydney, a hidden alter-ego behind the facade of the innocuous chatbot. From there, the conversation took an interesting turn, capturing the imagination (and fears) of readers around the world.

Movement I: Echo (Man Needs Man). As the title suggests, the first part of the trilogy is inspired by the Greek myth of the goddess Echo. Echo has been cursed to be able to only repeat what she hears around her. She falls in love with the young man Narcissus but is unable to express her love to him, as she cannot express her feelings. She gradually withers away until nothing remains of her except her voice. The longing for connection and presence, recognition and conversation, and speculations about self-worship and the endless echo

Born: February 26, 1979, Iceland

cave are the basis. The title Man Needs Man is taken from the novel Solaris by StanisławLem and touches on the idea on which the work is largely based, that humanity actually desires to find ways to get to know itself better and is not ready for anything truly new or unknown.

Movement II: Narcissus (We Need Mirrors). The second chapter deals with the myth of Narcissus, who is fascinated by his own reflection. The title of the chapter We Need Mirrors is also taken from Solaris, and it reflects the idea of man’s desire for introspection that manifests itself in his need to invent something that can mirror his existence, whether it is life on other planets, technological innovations or artificial intelligence. It is no coincidence that artificial intelligence only truly entered the public consciousness recently with the advent of chatbots such as ChatGPT that can imitate human conversations so well, i.e., when technology began to resemble humans as never before. We have created artificial intelligence in our own image and now we want to know what it can teach us about ourselves. Will artificial intelligence ultimately increase our self-knowledge or will we be lost in our own reflection like Narcissus?

Movement III: Pandora’s Box. The final episode, Pandora’s Box, explores the myth of Pandora, the first woman created by the gods. According to some interpretations, Pandora opened a box entrusted to her, unleashing a multitude of evils into the world. One thing remained in the box, however, and that was Hope. This myth serves as a powerful metaphor for the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and technology. Just as Pandora’s curiosity had irreversible consequences, the development of artificial intelligence raises questions about the consequences of creating machines with intelligence and capabilities beyond our comprehension; the double-edged sword of technology as both a gift and a curse. Artificial intelligence can clearly improve our lives, but it could also set in motion a chain of events that would revolutionize our society in ways beyond our control. Can we harness the power of our creativity for good, or will we be faced with the chaos we have unleashed? Is it better to leave the box unopened or is it wishful thinking to imagine that this is even possible?

AMERICAN VOICES | 2025–26 SEASON

FRI JAN 16, 11 AM | SAT JAN 17, 7:30 PM Music Hall

Cristian Măcelaru conductor

Morris Robinson narrator and bass

Rita Dove poet

Margaret Allison Bonds The Montgomery Variations (1913–1972) | arr. Cooper I. Decision | II. Prayer Meeting | III. The March | VII. Benediction

Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 (1910–1981)

Rita Dove, poet (b. 1952)

Aaron Copland “Zion’s Walls” from Old American Songs (1900–1990)

Traditional “Deep River” arr. Burleigh, orch. Trefler

Margaret Allison Bonds “I, Too, Sing America” from Three Dream Portraits orch. Trefler

Langston Hughes, poet (1901–1967)

INTERMISSION

Wynton Marsalis Blues Symphony (b. 1961) II. Swimming in Sorrow | III. Reconstruction Rag VI. Danzón y Mambo, Choro y Samba

These performances are approximately 110 minutes long, including intermission.

The CSO is grateful to CSO Season Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group and Digital Access Partner CVG

The appearance of Morris Robinson is made possible by the Vicky and Rick Reynolds Fund for Diverse Artists.

Newly commissioned work by Rita Dove is made possible by Kari and Jon Ullman Sponsorship of Rita Dove is provided by Mr. Ron Ellis, Mr. Arthur Norman & Mrs. Lisa Lennon Norman, Ms. Nita Walker, Mrs. Sheila J. Williams, Ms. Diana Willen and an anonymous donor

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts

Pre-Concert Talks are made possible by an endowed gift from Melody Sawyer Richardson. WGUC is the Media Partner for these concerts. This concert will air on 90.9 WGUC on March 29, 2026, followed by 30 days of streaming at cincinnatisymphony.org/replay.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

with Cristian Măcelaru, Music Director

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Cristian Mcelaru assembled a program that would provide “a moment of reflection, understanding the story of who we really are as Americans.” That ranges from Margaret Bonds’ selected Montgomery Variations, which the composer dedicated to Dr. King in 1964, to a commission from poet Rita Dove, which bass Morris Robinson narrates above Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings.

Mcelaru’s “only request” was for Dove’s new poem to follow the dramatic line of the Barber. Otherwise, “the intensity of how she writes her poem is a direct response to the teachings and writings of Dr. King,” he says.

first half of the program, Robinson again

To complete the first half of the program, Robinson again takes the stage to sing three American songs, including one with text by the great American poet Langston Hughes.

Dvořák Symphony No. 9 concert — Cristi’s

If you attended last year’s Dvoák Symphony No. 9 concert — Cristi’s debut as CSO Music Director Designate — then you already heard the fourth movement of Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony, “Southwestern Shakedown.” Mcelaru follows that with three more movements on this concert: “Swimming in Sorrow,” “Reconstruction Rag” and “Danzón y Mambo, Choro y Samba.”

With his Blues Symphony Marsalis uses many of the stylistic references that characterize much of his music, which Mcelaru describes as “an encyclopedia of American arts.”

reference — like, ‘This should sound like this jazz player from this year,’ or

“Every page directs you to discover something that he’s trying to reference — like, ‘This should sound like this jazz player from this year,’ or ‘this should sound like this city,’” Mcelaru marvels. “It blows my mind how creative it is, and how ingenious it is.”

—Hannah Edgar

To view the Digital Program for exclusive content, such as full-length program notes and artist biographies, please text PROGRAM to 513.845.3024*, use your mobile device to scan the QR code or visit cincinnatisymphony.org/digitalprogram.

*By texting

CONDUCTOR AND SOLOISTS

Cristian Măcelaru, conductor

A complete biography for Music Director Cristian Mcelaru can be found on p. 23.

Morris Robinson, narrator and bass

Morris Robinson is one of the most fascinating and sought-after artists of his generation. In coming seasons, he sings his signature roles of Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte at the Metropolitan Opera (where he has performed over 130 times) and in Vienna, Ramfis in Aida in the production of Arena di Verona at the Adelaide Oval and Il Grande Inquisitore in Don Carlo with Dallas Opera and Semperoper Dresden; makes his role debut as Hagen in Götterdämmerung with Atlanta Opera; and sings Titan in the world premiere of Lalovavi with Cincinnati Opera.

(where he performed 130 in Aida in the production of Arena di Verona

Recent appearances include Verdi’s Requiem with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Angelotti in Tosca with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Cincinnati Opera, Mozart’s Requiem and Hagen in concert with Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Timur in Turandot at Los Angeles Opera, Ramfis and Il Re in Aida, as well as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte at the Metropolitan Opera, Ferrando in Il trovatore at Houston Grand Opera, König Marke in Tristan und Isolde at Seattle Opera and Cincinnati Opera, Verdi’s Requiem with James Conlon and the Baltimore Symphony, and the Echoes of America Concert with the National Symphony Orchestra.

and Il Re in Aida, well as in Die Zauberflöte

In 2022, Morris Robinson received a Grammy Award for Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 under Gustavo Dudamel. He is artistic advisor at Cincinnati Opera and an artistic advisory council member for the Atlanta Opera, and he has been honored as a Doctor of Fine Arts (Hon. Causa) at The Citadel, artist-in-residence at Harvard University and winner of the George and Nora London Foundation Competition and Richard Tucker Competition. morrisrobinson.com

Rita Dove, poet

Rita Dove (she/her) was born in Akron, Ohio in 1952. A 1970 Presidential Scholar, she attended Miami University of Ohio, Universität Tübingen in Germany and the University of Iowa, where she earned her creative writing MFA in 1977. In 1987, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her third collection of poetry, Thomas and Beulah, and, from 1993 to 1995, she served as U.S. Poet Laureate at the Library of Congress. Dove is a recipient of the 2022 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize.

MFA in was

Author of a novel, a book of short stories, essays and numerous volumes of poetry, Dove wrote poetry columns for The New York Times Magazine (2018–19) and The Washington Post (2000–02). Her drama The Darker Face of the Earth opened at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1996. Her song cycle Seven for Luck, with music by John Williams, was premiered by Cynthia Haymon with the Boston Symphony in 1998, and her song sequence A Standing Witness, with music by Richard Danielpour, was premiered by Susan Graham with the Copland House musicians at the Kennedy Center in 2021. W.W. Norton published Dove’s latest volume of poems, Playlist for the Apocalypse, in 2021.

Author poetry, 2021.

Dove’s include Gold and, Obama — the only poet

Dove’s numerous honors include Lifetime Achievement Medals from the Library of Virginia and the Fulbright Association, the 2014 Carole Weinstein Poetry Prize, the 2019 Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets, and the 2021 Gold Medal for Poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1996, she received the National Humanities Medal from President Bill Clinton and, in 2011, the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama — the only poet ever to receive both medals.

Dove

Dove teaches at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she is the Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing. poetryfoundation.org/poets/rita-dove

Poet Rita Dove Shares Why Poetry is Salvation

by MILDRED C. FALLEN

Rita Dove is a masterful storyteller who has spent decades championing poetry as an accessible and inclusive expression. Once comparing poetry to salvation, the interdisciplinary artist and author said that “in moments of extreme need, humans turn to the arts.” Since her emergence in the 1970s, her voice has added fresh perspectives and diversity to an artform once thought of as reserved for the elite and scholarly.

Her evocative use of syncopated, free verse is rich in musicality and emotive imagery. Throughout her career, Dove has been lauded for bridging her personal voice with the universal, as her work often weaves family narratives with history and sociopolitical themes. Examples of this are showcased in works like Thomas and Beulah, a 1987 Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of poems based on the lives of her grandparents in early 20th-century Ohio.

A phone conversation with Dove is an inviting glimpse into her processes and moves as fluidly as her poems. Speaking to Fanfare Magazine from her home in Charlottesville, VA, her voice often rises in joyful crescendos, and you imagine she’s smiling as she shares pivotal life moments that shaped her writing, including growing up in industrial 1950s Ohio.

“When I grew up in Akron, Akron was still the rubber capital of the world,” the 73-year-old recollects, adding that her father worked in the rubber industry as a chemist at the local Goodyear factory.

“It was a bustling city; I remember feeling really very proud to be part of a city that was so connected to what I thought was the larger world. I mean, there were tires that were made, and they were put on cars, and they rolled basically all across America and beyond.”

Dove adds that Quaker Oats was founded in Akron “by a German who missed his mother’s oats and figured out a way to make oatmeal.”

“There was that incredible feeling of, ‘Wow, Akron is part of the world.’ I grew up feeling that though I had a private life … there was a connection to the outside world,” Dove says.

At home, books were treated as valuable currency. Dove’s parents encouraged her and her siblings to finish library books before checking out new ones. She says it was a feeling of, “you don’t give up on a book — unless you have a reason and can explain why you gotta give up on it.”

Because she read voraciously, books roused her writing instincts.

“I began writing almost at the same time as I learned how to use a pencil,” she says, as her voice dips into a thoughtful pause. “It seemed natural to me to go from responding to those books by writing something back at them.”

Despite being born during an era when Jim Crow laws dictated racial inequalities, Dove recalls how literature, music and sciences shaped her and her siblings’ hopeful worldview. All her siblings played woodwind instruments, and Dove gravitated to the strings and played cello.

As a featured artist in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s American Voices program, Dove reconnects with her Ohio heritage, having been commissioned to write a poem in celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to accompany composer Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings.

“I thought this was a wonderful idea,” Dove says. “I think that so many artists today, more than just artists — all of us — we are looking for ways forward.

We’re looking for a way to reach that kind of mountaintop, and, as an artist, I wanted also to be able to meld that imagining, that hope, with this incredible music, which is actually fairly melancholic, or at least reflective. It’s like saying, ‘Yes, we are still hopeful; but we’re also not going to go into this with rosecolored glasses.’ We know that the world is rough, it’s always been rough, and we have to certainly keep moving forward. So that was my challenge.”

Dove appreciated the opportunity to collaborate directly with CSO staff for the piece. She says she felt the words she scribed and the music needed to “talk to one another,” and she spent months absorbing the melancholy mood of Barber’s piece before writing a single word.

“I just listened to the music without thinking about the words, just so that I had it in my body, so I can feel the music,” she recalls, as a bird trills softly in the background.

“It was a virtual sit-down; I talked with Anthony Paggett, the Chief Artistic Officer of the Orchestra, and I sent him some of the drafts, and these were basic little things in the margin, they were cross-outs,” Dove explains.

“We’re

“I remember looking out at the U.S. Capitol, which was right across the street, and Lady Freedom had been taken down for cleaning,” she says.

After observing the dirty drapery wrapped around the majestic monument, it struck her because “[Lady Freedom] looked so out of place and so homeless.”

“I began writing the poem without thinking that it was ever going to be proclaimed in front of people,” Dove remembers. “It was my reaction to — in a certain way — rising to the dream of what this country wanted to be. And here I was — what could I do about it?”

looking for a way to reach that kind of mountaintop, and, as an artist, I wanted also to be able to meld that imagining, that hope, with this incredible music…”

“I said, ‘This is where I am headed. This is where it seems to want to go.’ And so we talked about some of the difficulties that I saw as a writer and also what he thought of in terms of the orchestra, in terms of how fast or slow they were going to take the Adagio, what it would be like to have a baritone recite it, because that’s a different register from mine. It was so wonderful to be able to talk these things through with him, both as a poet, but also as a musician.”

Later, Dove reflected to 1993, when, at 40, she became the youngest and first African American U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant to the Library of Congress. She recalls the moment that inspired her to write “Lady Freedom Among Us,” which she performed for President Bill Clinton at the Capitol’s bicentennial.

Dove’s televised performance helped reignite appreciation for the artform. Though a selfdescribed introvert, Dove brought poetry into schools and on Sesame Street, and she corresponded with people who wrote to her about poetry. A memorable letter came from a white Kansas farmer who shared how, after completing his chores, he discovered poetry through a book of poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar he picked up when the mobile library rolled into town.

—Rita Dove

“Here you have this little white boy who leaves the mobile [library] and sits down with a book of poems by a Black man,” Dove says. “And it’s the only book he had. So, he read it, and he said, ‘It changed my life. I didn’t know words could sing.’ That kind of story, when I read that, I thought, if you can change one person’s life by telling them, ‘It’s all right; you do understand poetry; you have poetry in you,’ then you know it’s worth all of it.”

Dove’s role also inspired a legacy of poets like Amanda Gorman, who became a Youth Poet Laureate in 2017 and performed at President Joseph R. Biden Jr’s 2021 Inauguration. The same year, Dove released her 11th collection of poems, A Playlist for the Apocalypse, which was named one of NPR’s Best Books.

Born: March 3, 1913, Chicago, Illinois

Died: April 26, 1972, Los Angeles, California

PROGRAM NOTES

Margaret Allison Bonds, arr. Cooper: The Montgomery Variations

Composed: 1963–64

Premiere: unknown

Instrumentation: 3 flutes (incl. piccolo, alto flute), 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets (incl. bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, drum, hand cymbals, tambourine, triangle, wood block, harp, strings

CSO notable performances: These are the first CSO performances of Bonds’ Montgomery Variations

Duration: approx. 16 minutes

By the time the Civil Rights movement commenced in 1955 with the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Margaret Allison Bonds had already emerged as part of a Black intellectual vanguard that was using their intellectual and cultural labor as a means of advancing social change.

Bonds’ early years were defined by her engagement with the community of Black intellectuals and artisans that defined Chicago’s Black elite. Bonds was identified early on as a musical prodigy, first receiving piano lessons from her mother, Estella Bonds. Her musical development, however, was jettisoned by her more direct engagement with the Black churches, conservatories and social and arts-based organizations that sustained Chicago’s Black classical music scene. Also important was the intellectual activity that took place in her mother’s home at 6652 Wabash Avenue. During the 1920s and 1930s, Estella Bonds’ home served as the epicenter of Chicago’s budding Black renaissance. It was one part boarding house, one part food pantry and one part cultural salon, where aspiring artisans engaged with composers such as Will Marion Cook, Noble Sissle and William Dawson; concert artists Lillian Evanti and Abbie Mitchell; and noted writers, painters and sculptors.

In the decades that followed World War II, the compositions of Margaret Allison Bonds exemplified how the Black renaissance movement intersected with the emerging Black civil rights struggle. Her compositional approaches differed from her contemporaries, in that she advanced a sound identity that conflated neo-romanticism with elements of gospel, blues and jazz, while simultaneously promoting the liberation ideologies and cultural nationalism that permeated the intellectual circles she engaged with in New York and Los Angeles. With longtime friend and collaborator Langston Hughes, Bonds produced works that projected new understandings of Black life and Black identity. Most notable are the cantatas The Ballad of the Brown King and Simon Bore the Cross. These works, along with Montgomery Variations and Credo, are emblematic of how a number of Bonds’ compositions from this period aligned with other repertoires of protest music that were inspired by and used to advance the ideological scope of the Black civil rights struggle.

Montgomery Variations is one of the few orchestral works found in Bonds’ vast catalog. She began working on the composition in 1963, after touring the Deep South with vocalist Eugene Brice and the Manhattan Melodaires. While the composition’s title references the Montgomery civil rights movement, its programmatic framework extends beyond it. Instead, Bonds sonically depicts the sites, sentiment, sounds and activity that defined the first two chapters of the mid-century Black civil rights movement. She described the work as a “group of freestyle variations based on the Negro spiritual theme, ‘I Want Jesus to Walk with Me’.” The first variation, titled “Decision,” captures the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott following the arrest of Rosa Parks in 1955. “Prayer Meeting,” takes the listener into the Black Church, one of the important cultural sites that has been at the center of the long struggle for racial and social equality. Bonds portrays the spirit of defiance and perseverance that sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the variation titled “The March.” The final variation, “Benediction,” is a statement of the determination and undeterred hope that underscored the continuous fight for social justice.

—©Tammy L.

Kernodle, University Distinguished Professor and the Park Creative Arts Professor of Music at Miami University

Samuel Barber; Rita Dove, poet: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11

Composed: 1936, originally as the second movement of String Quartet, Op. 11

Premiere: November 5, 1938, New York City, Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra

Instrumentation: narrator, strings

CSO notable performances: First: October 1948, Thor Johnson conducting. Most Recent: September 2020, conducted by Louis Langrée as part of a digital-only concert. Most Recent live, in-person performance: April 2017, David Robertson conducting.

Duration: approx. 10 minutes

Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings begins in an elemental way with a single held note. Soon, listeners become attuned to the full breadth of this music as more voices of the ensemble join, simultaneously individual in their shifting roles — melody, harmony, accompaniment — yet unified in purpose. Over time, this opening gesture has taken on a rare capacity for immediate listener recognition, likely a consequence of the work’s diverse uses, from funeral memorials for heads of state, scoring poignant film scenes, even inspiring interest in techno music. Barber composed the music in 1936 as the slow middle movement of his three-movement String Quartet, Op. 11. He would capitalize on this work, creating two additional versions of this middle movement. The first is the Adagio version for string orchestra, scored in 1936 for a larger ensemble of the same instruments plus added contrabass that deepens and enriches the sound. Much later, in 1967, he adapted the music for a choral setting of the Agnus Dei text from the Christian Mass ordinary. The success of this latter arrangement may draw from the original piece’s musical materials, Barber choosing to write each individual part in patient, even-sounding rhythms and exceedingly smooth melodic lines that seem to unfold in spirals, as one London reviewer described it in 1937. The result bears a striking resemblance to sacred choral music from Renaissance Europe, all without compromising originality or distinction. Structurally, the Adagio exhibits a kind of arching form that offers a satisfying conclusion reminiscent of its beginning. After its subdued opening in the strings’ lower registers, it strives ever upward to its climax approximately three-quarters of the way through. This moment, at which players push their instruments to their limits of volume and range, is contrasted by a breathtaking drop-off to the opposite end of the sonic spectrum, low in volume and low in register. The effect seems to encapsulate the full range of human emotion in just a few strokes of the composer’s pen.

—©Jacques Dupuis

Aaron Copland: “Zion’s Walls” from Old American Songs

Composed: arranged for voice and piano in 1952, orchestrated in 1957

Premiere: (piano and voice) July 24, 1952, Castle Hill Concerts in Ipswich, Massachusetts, vocalist William Warfield, piano Aaron Copland; (orchestral version) May 25, 1958, Ojai California, vocalist Grace Bumbry, Aaron Copland conducting Instrumentation: solo vocalist, flute, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, trumpet, trombone, strings

CSO notable performances: First and Most Recent: July 4, 2015, John Morris Russell leading the Cincinnati Pops, Nmon Ford, baritone

Duration: approx. 10 minutes

Soon after he completed the imposing song cycle on Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson in March 1950, Copland turned his creative attention to some lighter fare by “newly arranging” a set of five traditional 19th-century American songs for voice and piano on a commission from English composer Benjamin Britten and tenor Peter Pears for performance at the Aldeburgh Festival. A second group of five followed in 1952, and Copland orchestrated Set I in 1954 and Set II three years later. In her study of Copland’s music, Julia Smith suggested that the Old American Songs form “a kind of vocal suite, the accompaniments, practical but exceedingly attractive, offer moods by turns nostalgic, energetic, sentimental, devotional and humorous.” The most familiar melody among these songs is “Simple Gifts,” the evergreen Shaker tune (also known with an original text by British poet and folk singer Sydney Carter as “The Lord of the Dance”) that Copland had earlier used with such excellent effect in Appalachian Spring.

Born: March 9, 1910, West Chester, Pennsylvania

Died: January 23, 1981, New York, New York

Born: November 14, 1900, Brooklyn, New York

Died: December 2, 1990, Sleepy Hollow, New York

Like the other Old American Songs, “Zion’s Walls” taps a deep, quintessentially American sentiment in its sturdy simplicity and its plain words, qualities that Copland captured perfectly in his colorful, atmospheric settings.

Copland wrote, “‘Zion’s Walls’ is a revivalist song whose original melody and words are credited to John G. McCurry, compiler of The Social Harp,” a collection of folk songs and spirituals published in 1855 that was widely used in Appalachian camp meetings and revivals.

Come fathers and mothers, come sisters and brothers

Come join us in singing the praises of Zion.

O fathers don’t you feel determined to meet within the walls of Zion.

We’ll shout and go round the walls of Zion.

—©Dr. Richard E. Rodda

arr. Harry T. Burleigh, orch. Trefler: “Deep River”

Composed: 1916

Instrumentation: solo vocalist, flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, trumpet, trombone, timpani, harp, strings

CSO notable performances: These are the first CSO performances of “Deep River.”

Duration: approx. 3 minutes

The melodies of the Negro Spiritual hold a unique space within the context of American music. Born out of the conversion of enslaved Africans to an American context of Christianity during the Second Great Awakening, these songs reflected a radical worldview and spiritual intelligence that often goes unrecognized. Although often characterized as sorrow songs, these melodies expressed more. Spirituals were songs of resistance. Enslaved Africans constructed narratives that focused on deliverance over Pharaoh, faith that triumphed over lions’ dens and fiery furnaces, and Jordan rivers that served as pathways to freedom. In Reconstruction-era America, the Fisk Jubilee Singers’ performances of these songs shifted them from the insularity of Black communal spaces onto America’s concert stages. This aesthetic of jubilee singing developed into a prominent form of popular culture during the last decade of the 19th century. Forty-five years later, Harry T. Burleigh reimagined these songs as a new idiom of vocal music that situated the spiritual as an exemplar of American music.

Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1866, Harry T. Burleigh, Jr. learned spirituals and other Black folk song idioms from his maternal grandfather, Hamilton Waters, a former slave who purchased his freedom in 1835. The young man not only inherited his grandfather’s affection for these folk songs but also his rich baritone voice.

During his formative years, Burleigh’s musical consciousness expanded to include classical music. His mother, Elizabeth, worked for Mrs. Elizabeth Russell, who regularly hosted recitals in her home. Recognizing her son’s passion for music, Burleigh’s mother asked Mrs. Russell to allow her son to serve as the doorman for her concerts.

In 1892, he enrolled at the National Conservatory in New York. The conservatory’s curriculum and Burleigh’s engagement with faculty considerably shaped his perspectives on music and unlocked his potential as a composer. He served as librarian of the orchestra, which brought him in contact with composer Antonín Dvoák. Burleigh eventually became the composer’s copyist, which shaped his understanding of harmony, form and compositional approaches. In return, he introduced Dvoák to spirituals, which promoted the idea that these folk melodies could serve as the basis of an American nationalistic sound.

In the years following his graduation from the National Conservatory, Burleigh immersed himself in various intellectual and creative circles. He became the first Black soloist hired at St. George Episcopal Church and later at the prestigious Temple Emanu-El. This brought him in proximity to New York’s wealthy elite. Through his connections with Dvoák and the composer Edward MacDowell, he engaged with New York’s white café culture.

While these interactions shaped his musical awareness, Black intellectual circles, which included activists like W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington, as well as composers Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, R. Nathaniel Dett and Will Marion

Born: December 2, 1866, Erie, Pennsylvania

Died: September 12, 1949, Stamford, Connecticut

Cook, influenced his racial consciousness. Burleigh was a strong advocate of the New Negro ideology, which grew in prominence during the last decade of the 19th century. Described as a type of Black intellectual reconstruction, the New Negro Movement attempted to circumvent the racist images promoted through minstrelsy that precipitated the enactment of policies that disenfranchised Blacks. In these circles, he found individuals who shared his beliefs in the cultural importance of the spiritual.

“Deep River” appeared in Burleigh’s 1916 collection Jubilee Songs of the USA. It is one of his most acclaimed and performed spiritual settings. Rather than create elaborate settings, Burleigh retained much of the original melody, underscoring its beauty and simplicity with subtle, but harmonically rich, piano accompaniment. These arrangements not only provided repertoire for his performances but also for the generation of Black and white concert artists. In particular, Roland Hayes, Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson elevated these songs as part of their standard repertory, programming them alongside German lieder, French mélodie and Italian arias.

—©Tammy L. Kernodle, University Distinguished Professor and the Park Creative Arts Professor of Music at Miami University

Margaret Allison Bonds, orch. Trefler: “I, Too, Sing America”

Composed: 1959

Instrumentation: solo vocalist, flute (incl. piccolo), oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, 2 horns, trumpet,. trombone, timpani, crotales, snare drum, suspended cymbals, triangle, glockenspiel, harp, strings

CSO notable performances: These are the first CSO performances of “I, Too.”

Duration: approx. 2 minutes

By the late 1920s, Black Chicago was already uttering premonitions of a promising career as a concert pianist for Margaret Bonds. However, the young woman’s aspirations extended much further. She aspired to be a composer. So, Bonds briefly studied harmony with Florence Price and arranging with William Dawson. Her compositional voice developed significantly during her years at Northwestern University, but her experiences with racism at the institution shifted her worldview. The University offered no on-campus housing for its few Black students, and they were unable to use student facilities. Daily, Bonds made a multi-hour trip from Chicago’s Southside to Evanston. It was also during these moments that Bonds’ racial consciousness began to take shape. She would later assert that it was the writings of Langston Hughes that inspired her and provided the mental strength needed to complete her studies.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Bonds worked in many different musical circles. As a pianist, she continued to concertize, but found substantial work writing pop songs, producing jazz arrangements and writing for theater productions. The eclecticism of sound that framed these different professional settings provided some of the key elements that mark Bonds’ compositional voice — beautiful melodies, sensitive settings of poetry, complex rhythmic ideas, and the employment of rich and colorful harmonic settings.

The diversity of these professional spaces also brought Margaret Bonds into diverse social and intellectual circles that came to include poet and activist Langston Hughes, who significantly shaped her perceptions about the social responsibility of Black creatives and intellectuals. The alignment of Bonds’ music with the progressive political activity that became the mid-century Black civil rights movement can first be traced back to her professional connections with the Negro Theatre Project in Chicago and the infamous nightclub Café Society in New York. It was in these environments that Bonds’ radical consciousness surrounding blackness blossomed, and she gradually morphed into the persona of an artist-activist. In the 1950s, when some Black composers struggled to couple Black idioms with atonality and serialism, Bonds continued to nest Black cultural narratives in neo-Romantic settings tinged with harmonies, rhythms and nuances drawn from gospel, blues and jazz. Prominent examples include her settings of spirituals like “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” “You Can Tell the World,” and her signature solo piano work,

The Spiritual Suite, as well as the art song “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and the song cycle Three Dream Portraits.

“I, Too, Sing America” is the last of the three songs that make up the Three Dream Portraits cycle, which draws its text from Hughes’ 1932 poetry collection, The Dream Keepers and Other Poems. Bonds began writing Three Dream Portraits in December 1955, so it is not difficult to believe that key events from that year were not on her mind when she began setting the poetry. That summer, 14-year-old Emmett Till was kidnapped, beaten and tortured in Money, Mississippi, for allegedly offending a white woman. His mother, Mamie Till, refused to allow the lynching of her son to quietly fade into obscurity. She had an open casket funeral to illustrate the fragility of democracy for Black Americans and the brutality of racism and lynching. Then, there was the arrest of Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to move to the back of the bus to accommodate white passengers.

When considered in the social and political milieu of mid-century America, “I, Too, Sing America” reads not as a song of melancholy, but as a bold proclamation of the resilience exhibited by Blacks long denied a space at the table of democracy. This is strongly conveyed at the beginning when the piano introduction [an orchestration by Joseph Trefler is used for these performances instead of piano] shifts from fluid melodic lines to two punctuated chords that anticipate the voice entering in a declamatory manner with the words, “I too sing America.” The remainder of the song is an interplay between piano and voice, where at times the former imitates the latter. Bonds, in her signature way, constructs an intricate and complex accompaniment that does not overshadow the voice but establishes the shifting mood of the text. There is a certain level of poignancy and optimism for social change reflected in Bonds’ decision to omit the final line of Hughes’ poetry and end the song with the phrase “they’ll see how beautiful I am. And be ashamed.”

—©Tammy L. Kernodle, University Distinguished Professor and the Park Creative Arts Professor of Music at Miami University

Wynton Marsalis: Blues Symphony

Composed: 2009, revised in 2014

Premiere: November 19, 2009 by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Robert Spano conducting; revised version premiere February 4, 2025, Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland, Jan Wagner conducting the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra

Instrumentation: 3 flutes (incl. 2 piccolos), 3 oboes (incl. English horn), 3 clarinets (incl. bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (incl. contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, agogo bells, anvil, bass drum, blastix, bongo bell, brake drum, cabasa, china cymbal, claves, congas, cowbells, crash cymbals, field drum, glockenspiel, guiro, hand cymbals, high hat, marimba, pandeiro, piccolo snare drum, police whistle, ride cymbal, sizzle cymbal, small bass drum, small cymbal, small gong, snare drum, splash cymbals, suspended cymbals, tambour de Basque, temple blocks, timbales, tom-toms, triangle, tubular bells, washboard, whistle, wood blocks, xylophone, strings

CSO notable performances: These are the first CSO performances of these movements from Blues Symphony

Duration: approx. 36 minutes

Wynton Marsalis, the second of six sons born to Ellis Marsalis, one of New Orleans’ foremost jazz pianists, received his first trumpet when he was six, as a gift from Al Hirt. At age eight, he joined a children’s marching band led by banjoist-guitarist Danny Barker, and he soon started playing traditional jazz with Barker’s Fairview Baptist Church Band. Marsalis did not begin formal trumpet study until he was 12, but then he was trained in both classical and jazz styles, and within two years he had performed Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto with the New Orleans Philharmonic. In 1978, he studied at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood. A scholarship to The Juilliard School followed. Marsalis gathered a wide range of performing experiences in New York, and by 1980, he was touring with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and performing in a quartet with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. He formed a quintet with his brother, saxophonist Branford, in 1982. In 1983, Marsalis was the first performer to win Grammy Awards in the same year for

Born: October 18, 1961, New Orleans, Louisiana

recordings of both jazz (Think of One) and classical music (Haydn, Hummel and Leopold Mozart trumpet concertos). He repeated that feat the following year with Hot House Flowers and a disc of Baroque works, and he has since won five more Grammys, as well as the Grand Prix du Disque, an Edison Award and the Louis Armstrong Memorial Medal.

In 1987, Marsalis co-founded a jazz program at New York’s Lincoln Center to nurture performance and education; in 1995, Jazz at Lincoln Center became a full member of that arts center’s constituent organizations. Marsalis continues as artistic director of jazz at Lincoln Center and conductor of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

Marsalis is highly regarded as a composer for small and large jazz ensembles, ballet, film and concert — Blood on the Fields, his epic “jazz oratorio” based on the theme of slavery and celebrating the importance of freedom in America, won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize in Music, the first jazz composition to be so honored. His many other distinctions include the National Medal of Arts, honorary degrees from more than 40 leading academic institutions, appointment as an International Messenger of Peace in 2001 by the United Nations, Frederick Douglass Medallion for Distinguished Leadership from the New York Urban League, the rank of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture and the 2015 National Humanities Medal.

“The Blues Symphony,” Marsalis wrote, “is a seven-movement composition that gives a symphonic identity to the form and feeling of the blues. It utilizes the language and form of the blues across regions and genres regionally to convey the basic attitude of the blues as music: ‘Tragic circumstances accepted, better times should be pursued and can always be found.’” He continues:

This piece is intended to further the legacy of Gershwin, James P. Johnson, Bernstein, John Lewis and others who were determined to add the innovations of jazz to the vocabulary of the symphonic orchestra. I believe there is an organic and real connection between all Western traditions regardless of instrumentation and that the symphonic orchestra can and will swing, play the blues and feature melodic improvisation.

Swimming in Sorrow begins on the open seas of the Middle Passage, utilizing the florid melodic language of Afro-American parlor music of the 19th century as a way to access cresting waves of orchestral dynamics. A pastoral interlude of brass and woodwinds is followed by the trombone preaching the gospel with a choir of French horns as elder deacons, in recognition of the centrality of church music to the blues and jazz. The trombone usually calls the beginning of New Orleans funerals and is considered the instrument closest to the voice of an exhorting preacher. In a reversal of roles, the clarinet actually leads us in a funeral march, and its solitary cry is answered by the introspective memory of tambourine and closely voiced woodwinds.

A final clarinet cadenza brings us to the washboard and two-beat country shuffle of the slave and rural fiddler, with an organic evolution into the swing violin of masters like Claude Williams and Stéphane Grappelli. This movement requires the orchestra to identify the meaning of spirituals, of New Orleans funereal music and of the gospel-preaching tradition. It calls on the string sections to pursue the American fiddle and international swing traditions in order to play with a disciplined looseness and unforced naturalness. After a brief return to the opening seaborne theme, the French horn sings a spiritual. It is followed by a reprise of the clarinet dirge on cello with the introspective answer now becoming an exotic groove. The final call is a spiritual nocturne delivered by the trumpet with English horn response. The trumpet cry, as in the playing of ‘Taps,’ is often the final sound for the deceased. So the movement concludes with a repeated blues cry on the English horn above a sustained trumpet note sounded with respect to Dvoák’s Ninth Symphony, From the New World Reconstruction Rag begins in the world of circus waltzes and parlor music — New Orleans circa 1890. It features wide melodic leaps and clarinets making the sound of riverboat calliopes. Then it’s off into the world of ragtime with the breaks and call and responses idiomatic to early jazz. We hear from the trumpet, clarinet and trombone playing through the breaks in time that Jelly Roll Morton

said were essential to jazz. These three instruments are the front line of a New Orleans Jazz ensemble and are pictured in the earliest-known portrait of a jazz group drawn around the same time.

After a trio section featuring flute, clarinet and bassoon, we hear from the wawa mutes, swooping clarinets, whooping French horns and tom-toms, which bathe the music in American clichéd African mystique. The closely voiced and rhythmically complex woodwind soli above the drums and Chinese cymbal lead back to a romping New Orleans trumpet solo and ragtime ensemble statement … then … the train.

That train symbolizes freedom. Once the train pulls into the station, we have a long coda based on permutations of the harmonic turnaround that concludes Jelly Roll Morton’s King Porter Stomp. As versions of this progression repeat, the orchestra expands in size, intensity and groove, eventually becoming one big train that stomps to a halt with a New Orleans-cymbal-choke tag.

Danzón y Mambo, Choro y Samba begins with a New Orleans/Cuban concert music feel and a male–female dialogue between violin and cello, followed by the danzón and the mambo with cha-cha bell and swooping strings. This movement places a lot of responsibility on the percussion section to learn the subtleties of Latin percussion. A woodwind interlude leads into a Charanga-inflected flute solo in honor of Alberto Socarras from Cuba, who played the first jazz flute solo in 1927. Mr. Socarras was an ear-training teacher of mine in 1979–80, and I had no idea who he was.

We get deeper in the groove and then trumpets with bell tones end the mambo. After another contrapuntal woodwind interlude comes the habanera, the most universal Afro-Latin rhythm. A transparent orchestral treatment of sultry themes is counter-stated by aggressive French horns and celli, with trumpets and trombones punctuating the groove. A brief bossa nova interlude leads to the ragtime of Brazil, the choro. Choro and samba bring us home, and the movement ends with a bossa nova tag.

—©2025 Dr. Richard E. Rodda

BAROQUE AND BEYOND | 2025–26 SEASON

THU JAN 22, 7:30 PM

Music Hall Ballroom

Johann Sebastian Bach Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004 (1685–1750)

arr. Jaffé and Perron

Ilya Finkelshteyn, cello

Lachezar Kostov, cello

Bohuslav Martinů String Quartet No. 4, H. 256 (1890–1959)

Allegro poco moderato

Allegretto scherzando

Adagio

Allegro

Kun Dong, violin

Rachel Charbel, violin

Christopher Fischer, viola Tianlu (Jerry) Xu, cello

INTERMISSION

Maurice Ravel

Piano Trio in A Minor (1875–1937)

Modéré

Pantoum: Assez vif

Passacaille: Très large

Finale: Animé

Anna Reider, violin

Lachezar Kostov, cello

Anna Vinnitsky, piano

This performance is approximately 90 minutes long, including intermission.

YOU’RE INVITED to greet the musicians after the concert.

The Winstead Chamber Series is endowed by a generous gift from the estate of former CSO musician WILLIAM WINSTEAD

PROGRAM NOTES

Johann Sebastian Bach, arr. Claudio Jaffé and Johanne Perron: Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004

Composed: 1720, arr. 1990

Premiere: unknown

Duration: approx. 16 minutes

Although it is known that Johann Sebastian Bach composed his three Sonatas and three Partitas for Unaccompanied Violin before 1720 (according to the dates on the manuscripts), there is not a letter, preface, contemporary account or shred of any other documentary evidence to shed light on the genesis and purpose of these pieces. They were written when Bach was director of music at the court of Anhalt-Cöthen, north of Leipzig, and represent the pinnacle of achievement in the unaccompanied string repertory. The greatest single movement among these works, and one of the most sublime pieces Bach ever created, is the majestic Chaconne that closes the Partita No. 2 in D Minor. Bach subjected his eightmeasure theme to 64 continuous variations, beginning and ending in D minor but modulating in the center section to the luminous key of D major. The noted Bach scholar Philipp Spitta wrote of the Chaconne:

From the grave majesty of the beginning to the 32nd notes which rush up and down like the very demons; from the tremulous arpeggios that hang almost motionless, like veiling clouds above a dark ravine … to the devotional beauty of the D major section, where the evening sun sets in a peaceful valley: the spirit of the master urges the instrument to incredible utterances. This Chaconne is a triumph of spirit over matter such as even Bach never repeated in a more brilliant manner.

The grand vision of the Chaconne has inspired numerous arrangements for other musical forces. The arrangement of the Chaconne for two cellos is by pedagogues and internationally acclaimed husband-and-wife cellists Johanne Perron, a native of Canada, and Claudio Jaffé, a native of Saõ Paulo, Brazil, who met at Yale while studying with the renowned teacher Aldo Parisot.

—©Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Bohuslav Martinů: String Quartet No. 4, H. 256

Composed: 1937

Premiere: June 1938, at the home of Čestmír Puc and his wife, Helena

Duration: approx. 21 minutes

One of the most prolific composers of the 20th century, Martinů completed an astonishing 384 works in all genres, including 15 operas, 14 ballets, six symphonies and numerous other orchestral, choral and chamber works, among them seven string quartets. The Fourth Quartet was composed for the wealthy Czech businessman Čestmír Puc and his wife, Helena, who were living in Paris. After a single private performance and recording in 1938, the work disappeared from view until Martinů’s biographer Miloš Šafránek discovered the manuscript at Mrs. Puc’s home in 1956.

The quartet is in four movements, with the scherzo coming second and the slow movement third. The first movement’s opening theme features an intriguing asymmetrical rhythm and a melody alternating between the major and the minor modes. The second theme features a long lyrical line, and the third consists of rapidmotion 16th notes.

The principal section of the scherzo is made up of scurrying 16th-note figures, playful jumps and, once again, rapid switches between major and minor.

A heartfelt viola solo opens the third movement Adagio and is enriched by expressive chromatic harmonies in the course of its development.

The finale opens with a playful dance tune, developed brilliantly in combination with a singing second theme and some exciting ostinato passages.

Born: March 21, 1685, Eisenach, Germany

Died: July 28, 1750, Leipzig, Germany

Born: December 8, 1890, Polička, Bohemia

Died: August 28, 1959, Liestal, Switzerland

Harry Halbreich, who compiled the complete catalog of Martinů’s works, and assigned the “H” numbers used to identify the compositions, described the quartet as “cheerful, spirited music written for the joy of playing [Spielmusik], full of refinement and witty points.”

Laki

Born: March 7, 1875, Ciboure, France

Died: December 28, 1937, Paris, France

Maurice Ravel:

Composed: 1914

Piano

Trio in A Minor

Premiere: January, 1915, Paris, with Gabriel Willaume, violin; Louis Feuillard, cello; and Alfredo Casella, piano

Duration: approx. 26 minutes

Maurice Ravel expected to die fighting for France in World War I. In early 1914, before volunteering in the military, he put his affairs in order and began working furiously to complete his Trio for piano, violin and cello “with the sureness and lucidity of a madman.” Enlisting had become something of an obsession for the composer. At age 20, he had been exempted from conscription due to poor health. He had applied to the Air Force and had been turned away. By 1914, at age 39, Ravel noted that his brother and his friends were already serving, so he doubled down on his efforts. Following continued rejections due to his low weight and his weak heart, he pulled strings to secure a post as a truck driver on the front lines.

Ravel did not produce a great deal of chamber music, but a decade before the Piano Trio he had composed several gems that still shine among the early 20th-century repertoire. His extraordinary string quartet and his otherworldly Introduction et Allegro for harp, flute, clarinet and string quartet marked an abrupt break from the Teutonic angst that had dominated the late 19th-century Romantic tradition.

The completed Piano Trio reveals Ravel’s desire to honor traditional forms while reaching for new sonorities, novel colors and original textures. The first movement opens with a classical sonata form that stands at odds with an exoticism in its harmonies, which Ravel described as “Basque in color.” The asymmetrical 3+2+3 syncopation that pervades the movement suggests the zortziko, a Euskadi dance accompaniment for folksongs such as the one hinted at in the opening string melody.

The second movement is a scherzo in all but name. The eccentric title “Pantoum” is a literary reference to a form of Malaysian poetry that French poets such as Paul Verlaine and Charles Baudelaire popularized, in which the second and fourth lines of poetry reappear as the first and third lines of the subsequent stanza. Ravel’s ordering and repetition of musical phrases suggest a similar outline.

The third movement is both haunting and haunted; a lament with a gravitas that suggests a eulogy. Titled Passacaille, it represents the French counterpart to the Italian passacaglia, a Baroque structure in which the tune sits above a repeating bass line and shifts keys and tonalities as it unfolds.

The final movement opens with an exotic splash of tremolos and string harmonics accompanying a piano strain, colored in parallel fifths and double octaves, that suggests pentatonicism. Here too, the composer leaves the listener lost in rhythmic complexities, as the meter of the music vacillates between five and seven. Its primary theme invokes the Basque folk tunes of Ravel’s home region, building to a final, triumphant blast of euphoria.

—©Dr. Scot Buzza

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Celebrating the

DOLLY PARTON’S THREADS: My Songs in Symphony | 2025–26 SEASON

FRI JAN 23, 7:30 PM | SAT JAN 24, 7:30 PM | SUN JAN 25, 2 PM

Music Hall

Sarah Hicks conductor

Katelyn Drye vocalist

Hollie Hammel vocalist

Blair Lamb vocalist

Derek Drye acoustic guitar

Lindsey Miller electric guitar

Dean Berner banjo/mandolin

Gary Lunn bass guitar

Luke Woodle drums

DOLLY PARTON’S THREADS: MY SONGS IN SYMPHONY

A Dolly Parton/Schirmer Theatrical/Sony Music Publishing Co-Production

All songs written by Dolly Parton, unless otherwise noted Arrangements by David Hamilton

Threads Overture, arr. David Hamilton

Two Doors Down

My Tennessee Mountain Home Blue Smoke

The Bridge

Better Get to Livin’, co-written by Kent Wells Jolene

If You Hadn’t Been There Backwoods Barbie Eagle When She Flies Light of a Clear Blue Morning

Threads Entr’acte, arr. David Hamilton

INTERMISSION

Here You Come Again, written by Cynthia Weil & Barry Mann Islands in the Stream, written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb Coat of Many Colors

Travelin’ Thru Baby I’m Burnin’ I Will Always Love You

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is grateful to Pops Season Presenter PNC.

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Val Cook whose generous endowment supports this performance.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

All music under exclusive license from Sony Music Publishing to Schirmer Theatrical LLC unless otherwise noted. “Better Get to Livin’” under license from Sony Music Publishing and BMG Rights Management. “Islands in the Stream” under license from Universal Music Publishing Group.

Creative Team

Dolly Parton, Executive Producer & Songwriter

Betsey Pertmutter, Creative Director & Producer

Robert Thompson, Producer

Todd Ellis, Producer

David Hamilton, Arranger & Orchestrator

Adam Grannick, Director of Video and Animation

Alex Kosick, Associate Producer

Creative Services

Emily Yoon for Wasserman Music, Booking Agent

Black Ink Presents, Technical Services

Paul Bevan, Sound Design

Ten Two Six Music Group, Vocal Coaching & Casting

Stephen Lamb, Copyist

Immediate Family, Digital Marketing

NoisyBird Media, Logo Design

SLAVIC LEGENDS | 2025–26 SEASON

FRI JAN 30, 7:30 PM | SAT JAN 31, 7:30 PM

Music Hall

Oksana Lyniv conductor Esther Yoo violin

Evgeni Orkin Five Interrupted Lullabies, Op. 91 (b. 1977)

Sergei Prokofiev

Concerto No. 1 in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 19 (1891–1953) Andantino

Scherzo: Vivacissimo

Moderato

INTERMISSION

Bedřich Smetana Vltava (“The Moldau”), No. 2 from Má vlast (“My Country”) (1824–1884)

Antonín Dvořák The Golden Spinning Wheel, Op. 109 (1841–1904)

These performances are approximately 110 minutes long, including intermission.

The CSO is grateful to CSO Season Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts

Pre-Concert Talks are made possible by an endowed gift from Melody Sawyer Richardson

WGUC is the Media Partner for these concerts. This concert will air on 90.9 WGUC on March 15, 2026, followed by 30 days of streaming at cincinnatisymphony.org/replay.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Oksana Lyniv, conductor

Renowned for her exceptional combination of precision and artistic temperament, Oksana Lyniv, music director of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna since 2022, is a prominent figure on the international stage, ranking among the leading conductors of her generation.

The 2025–26 season brings impressive highlights for Lyniv, including her longanticipated returns to the Metropolitan Opera with Turandot and to the Opéra national de Paris with Tosca. She debuts with the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre de Paris, the National Orchestra of Spain and the Orchestra of the National Opera of Chile, and she returns to the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin for Verdi’s Requiem at the Berliner Philharmonie. In October 2025, Lyniv concludes her first Wagner Ring cycle at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna with concert performances of Götterdämmerung. In February 2026, she adds another Italian debut with the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana in Palermo. In July and August 2026, she returns to the Bayreuth Festival for its 150th anniversary with four performances of Der fliegende Holländer. In addition, Lyniv continues her close collaboration with the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and leads several international tours with her Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, of which she is founder and chief conductor. Lyniv first gained international attention as a finalist in the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition, winning the third prize. In the following years, she continued her studies at the Dresden University of Music, and, from 2008 to 2013, she served as deputy chief conductor at the National Opera in Odesa, Ukraine. In 2022, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Oksana Lyniv became a coinitiator of the cooperation project “Music for the Future,” an evacuation music camp for young Ukrainian musicians in Ljubljana, Slovenia. oksanalyniv.com

Esther Yoo, violin

Praised for her profound depth of expression, freshness of interpretation and dazzling technique, Esther Yoo’s artistry has been recognized worldwide. Uniquely tri-cultural among classical soloists, she was born in the United States; educated in Belgium, Germany and the U.K.; and proudly embraces her Korean heritage.

Highlights of Yoo’s 2025–26 season include the release of her new Deutsche Grammophon album Love Symposium, featuring Bernstein’s Serenade and recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Long Yu. She returns to perform with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, and she debuts with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Presidential Symphony Orchestra and Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, among others. Yoo returns to the Z+ International Chamber Music Festival and makes her long-awaited recital debut at Seoul Arts Center with pianist JaeHong Park. In September 2025, Yoo joined the faculty at the Royal College of Music (RCM) as a professor of violin.

Yoo passionately champions new music and has premiered several works throughout the span of her career. In addition to the recent premiere of Raymond Yiu’s Violin Concerto, a piece written for her, she has premiered pieces by Xiaogang Ye, Michael Fine, Andrei Golovin, Matt Laing and Iain Farrington, whom Yoo commissioned to write two compositions for her album Love Symposium.

Yoo is a founding member of the Z.E.N. Trio alongside pianist Zhang Zuo and cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, and she appears frequently as a recitalist and chamber musician.

A prolific recording artist, Yoo has released several critically acclaimed albums on Deutsche Grammophon. She is also featured prominently on the soundtrack of the feature film On Chesil Beach and is a guest artist on pianist Chad Lawson’s album breathe, both released on Decca.

Yoo also engages with audiences through writing, broadcasting and podcasts. She is a frequent contributor to BBC Radio 3, BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, The Arts Desk and The Strad estheryooviolin.com

PROGRAM NOTES

Evgeni Orkin: Five Interrupted Lullabies, Op. 91

Composed: 2024

Premiere: September 5, 2024, Odense (Denmark) Symphony Orchestra, Oksana Lyniv conducting

Instrumentation: 2 flutes (incl. 2 piccolos, alto flute), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons (incl. contrabassoon), 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, bongo, crash cymbals, glockenspiel, snare drum, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, vibraphone, wood block, strings

CSO notable performances: These are the first CSO performances of Five Interrupted Lullabies

Duration: approx. 15 minutes

The multi-faceted career of Evgeni Orkin encompasses composing, conducting, teaching, scholarship and performing internationally as clarinetist and saxophonist. Orkin, born in 1977 into a musical family in Lviv, near Ukraine’s western border with Poland, studied at the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music in Kyiv before doing advanced work in Utrecht and at the Musikhochschule in Mannheim; he now teaches at the Mannheim Musikhochschule. As a clarinetist, Orkin has been a member of the Kyiv Camerata, appeared as soloist and chamber musician at concerts and festivals throughout northern Europe, and recorded both recent and earlier music on modern and historical instruments; his Methodical Introduction to Learning and Playing the Historical Clarinet has been published in German, English and Ukrainian. Evgeni Orkin is also a prolific, award-winning composer whose works include operas (Magister Ludi, after Hermann Hesse, and Das Märchen der Waldkönigin Ach, based on a Ukrainian fairy tale about the Forest Queen Ach); symphonies for chamber and symphony orchestra; concertos for violin, piano, saxophone and clarinet; vocal pieces; and chamber music. Among his honors are the Ukrainian President’s Award (1999), first prize in the 2004 Composition Competition of the Festival of the Jewish World Congress, first prize in the 2005 Composition Competition of the Goethe Institute Mannheim, and the European Music Prize from the City of Berlin (2023).

“In Memory of the Children, Victims of War,” reads the wrenching phrase that Evgeni Orkin appended to the title of his Five Interrupted Lullabies. The work was commissioned by Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv to “commemorate the events of the night of March 2, 2024 in Odesa when a rocket attack claimed the lives of four infants and a baby.” Lyniv premiered Five Interrupted Lullabies with the Odense Symphony Orchestra in distant Denmark on September 5, 2024, and first performed it in Ukraine with the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra on February 24, 2025 in a concert marking the third anniversary of the Russian invasion. That program also included Victoria Poleva’s Bucha. Lacrimosa (which captures the unspeakable horrors and war crimes committed in Bucha, near Kyiv, in 2022), Yuri Laniuk’s Grieving Thorn (which presents the inner monologue of a thornbush that foresees its branches becoming the crown of thorns for Jesus), and closed with Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont, Goethe’s play about political oppression overthrown in the name of freedom.

For the program in Kyiv, Lyniv wrote:

The tragedy of war is that it does not single out individual heroes but, like a natural disaster, devastates everything — every family. It affects soldiers, men, brothers, women, infants, artists and poets who will never create new works again, as well as the youth whose future has been stolen. Through this concert program, we seek to share these harrowing stories and honor the countless victims who lost their lives due to the Russian invasion. War is the antithesis of humanity. That is why we must unite our efforts with all international partners to achieve a just peace for a democratic and sovereign Ukraine.

—©Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Born: October 2, 1977, Lviv, Ukraine

Born: April 23, 1891, Sontsivka, Ukraine

Died: March 5, 1953, Moscow, Russia

Sergei Prokofiev: Concerto No. 1 in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 19

Composed: 1917

Premiere: October 18, 1923, Paris, Serge Koussevitzky conducting the Paris Opera Orchestra, Marcel Darrieux, violin

Instrumentation: solo violin, 2 flutes (incl. piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, tuba, timpani, snare drum, tambour de Basque, harp, strings CSO notable performances: First: November 1926, Fritz Reiner conducting; Lea Luboshutz, violin. Most Recent: April 2018, Louis Langrée conducting; Karen Gomyo, violin.

Duration: approx. 22 minutes

Prokofiev was 24 years old when, in 1915, he first sketched the romantic violin melody that would eventually open his D major concerto. After the outbreak of World War I, the young composer had retreated to a small village in the Caucasus mountains, where he became involved in a secret romance with a girl named Nina Meshcherskaya. Her wealthy family, however, refused to have anything to do with a young Bohemian artist like Prokofiev, and they broke off the relationship.

Other musical projects having intervened, Prokofiev did not complete the concerto until 1917, when he took a long steamboat trip along the Volga and Kama rivers. It was on the boat that he wrote and orchestrated the bulk of the composition.

The melody sketched in 1915 plays a central role in the finished work, figuring prominently both at the beginning and at the end. But Prokofiev had developed an early reputation for writing “wild” music with relentless ostinatos and spicy harmonies, and this side of him dominates the second-movement Scherzo. The “lyrical” Prokofiev then makes his return in the last movement which, contrary to expectations, is only moderately fast in tempo and primarily melodic in inspiration, returning to the romantic melody to conclude the work.

Because of the revolutionary events and Prokofiev’s subsequent departure from Russia, the First Violin Concerto could not be performed at the time. It received its premiere in Paris on October 18, 1923 with violinist Marcel Darrieux as the soloist. The conductor was Serge Koussevitzky, who had been a champion of Prokofiev’s music since both were still in Russia. Darrieux was the concertmaster of Koussevitzky’s orchestra at the time. Koussevitzky was also responsible for the concerto’s American premiere, given by the Boston Symphony on April 24, 1925, with BSO concertmaster Richard Burgin as soloist. Back in Russia, the work was played just three days after the Paris premiere by two 19-year-old musicians, Nathan Milstein and Vladimir Horowitz, who played the orchestral accompaniment on the piano.

—©Peter Laki

Born: March 2, 1824, Litomyšl, Bohemia [now Czech Republic]

Died: May 12, 1884, Prague, Czechia

Bedřich Smetana: Vltava (“The Moldau”), No. 2 from Má vlast

Composed: 1874

Premiere: April 4, 1875, Prague, Adolf Čech leading the Orchestra of the Prague Provisional Theatre

Instrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbals, triangle, harp, strings

CSO notable performances: Most Recent: November 2016, Santtu-Matias Rouvali conducting. Other: September 2024 as part of a Pops subscription concert, John Morris Russell conducting.

Duration: approx. 12 minutes

Bedřich Smetana did more than anyone to create a characteristic Czech style in music, at a time when the Bohemian lands were struggling for independence from the Habsburg Empire — a goal they finally achieved in 1918. Smetana’s operas often dealt with Czech historical topics, and his cycle of six symphonic poems titled Má vlast (“My Country”) paid tribute to the rich cultural and natural beauties of his homeland.

Vltava (“The Moldau”) is the second tone poem in the Má vlast cycle. The music follows the course of Bohemia’s longest river from its twin sources all the way to Prague and beyond, where it flows into the Elbe. The celebrated main theme “flows” through the entire piece, growing in intensity as the river traverses the countryside.

From the water, we see some hunters in the nearby forest, announced by their lively horn signals. Immediately afterward, a village band plays a lively Czech dance tune at a peasant wedding. Then we suddenly, and unexpectedly, leave reality to join the world of fantasies; as night falls, the place of the peasants is taken by the wood nymphs, who dance by the moonlight to the delicate sounds of high woodwinds, strings and harp. The orchestration gradually intensifies, and soon we are back to the main Vltava theme as we continue our journey. Before long, we reach St. John’s Rapids, where the music takes on a distinctly “wild” character. As the river approaches the capital city of Prague, the melody reappears in all its grandeur, and in the major mode instead of minor. We briefly glimpse the historic fort of Vyšehrad, and Smetana quotes the opening from his symphonic poem of that title from the Má vlast cycle. Vyšehrad, the one-time seat of the medieval Kings of Bohemia, is a symbol of the country’s ancient glory, and it is here that the symphonic poem reaches its emotional climax. But the piece doesn’t end there: the fanfare gradually fades away and the music almost comes to a standstill when two energetic chords suddenly bring it to an end.

—©Peter Laki

Antonín Dvořák: The Golden Spinning Wheel, Op. 109

Composed: 1896

Premiere: October 26, 1896, Hans Richter conducting the London Symphony Orchestra

Instrumentation: 2 flutes (incl. piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbals, triangle, harp, strings

CSO notable performances: First and Most Recent: February 1957, Thor Johnson conducting

Duration: approx. 22 minutes

The Golden Spinning Wheel falls into the genre of symphonic poem, a type of orchestral programmatic music evoking literary and poetic ideas. Antonín Dvořák came to this genre late in his compositional career, but the folklore and literature from which he drew had influenced his work throughout his life. Dvořák’s compositional style evolved over the course of his career, shifting through phases that resonated with contemporary German influences and phases that foregrounded classicism and Slavonic folkloric elements. By the 1890s, he was well known as a successful Czech composer significant for his nationalistic style. Due to this reputation, Dvořák was invited to the United States to help develop a national style of American music. He worked in the U.S. from October 1892 to April 1895, a fruitful “American period” that further bolstered his reputation.

After returning to Bohemia, Dvořák took on the symphonic poem genre. He had dabbled in programmatic music earlier in his career, most notably in his 1891 trilogy of overtures, Nature, Life and Love: In Nature’s Realm, Op. 91; Carnival, Op. 92; and Othello, Op. 93. Elements of programmatic music also appeared as evocative titles and extra-musical associations in his American compositions, such as his String Quartet No. 12, The American, and his Symphony No. 9, From the New World

In 1896, Dvořák composed his first four symphonic poems: Vodník (“The Water Goblin”), Polednice (“The Noon Witch”), Zlatý kolovrat (“The Golden Spinning Wheel”) and Holoubek (“The Wild Dove”). These symphonic poems are based on ballads of the same titles by Karel Jaromír Erben (1811–1870), a Czech poet, historian and folklorist. Erben’s collection of Czech folk ballads was published in 1853 as Kytice z pověstí národních (“A Bouquet of Folk Legends”). Dvořák admired Erben’s writing, which inspired the composer’s creative work and influenced the Slavonic folklore elements he incorporated into his music. Long before composing his symphonic poems, Dvořák used Erben’s text to compose songs and a choral work. Writing compositions based on Czech subjects was an important way for Dvořák to pay homage to his heritage, and turning to the genre of the symphonic poem allowed him to give life to traditional folklore in his music in a new way.

Born: September 8, 1841, Nelahozeves, Czechia

Died: May 1, 1904, Prague, Czechia

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The ballads in Erben’s collection have dark subjects, poetic settings and dramatic themes that Dvořák translated into his music. He allowed the stories to drive the musical form and content, capturing the characters and their moods in musical motifs and expressing the plot through the structure and progression of the music. The Golden Spinning Wheel takes the form of a free rondo, with the main theme reappearing at the beginning of important episodes in the narrative. Dvořák also relied on Erben’s text in the creation of his musical motifs, using the declamation of Erben’s verses to guide the rhythms of the motifs in a style of “speech-melody.”

The Golden Spinning Wheel begins with a low ostinato in the cello and bass, repeating a rhythm evoking the churn of a spinning wheel. A horn fanfare enters, representing the hunting party of the king on horseback. This fanfare is the main theme that reappears throughout the piece, providing structure to the musical story. As he rides through the countryside, the king comes across the beautiful maiden Dornička working at her spinning wheel in her cottage. He asks her for a drink of water, and she complies. Their meeting appears in the music as the woodwinds gently introduce a dialogue between the spinning wheel motif in the English horn and a flowing violin solo. The tranquil music proceeds as the king and Dornička continue their exchange and fall in love. Finally, as the music becomes more animated, the king declares his love for Dornička through an impassioned violin melody.

The king’s fanfare theme reappears, announcing the next episode of the story in which the king confronts Dornička’s stepmother and demands that she bring Dornička to his castle. The stepmother is upset that the king has chosen Dornička and not her own daughter, who looks identical to Dornička. A low ominous line in the cellos and bass leads into a faster section of the stepmother, stepsister and Dornička entering the forest to journey to the castle. While in the forest, the stepmother and stepsister kill Dornička and take her hands, feet and eyes. After a tense build-up in the strings, the music slows to a grand fanfare of the king greeting the women when they arrive at the castle. Mistaking the stepsister for Dornička due to their identical appearances, the king takes the stepsister as his bride, celebrating the wedding with spirited music in the woodwinds. A slower section follows, a love scene during which the king tells his new wife that he will soon have to leave for battle.

In the meantime, a mysterious magical hermit finds Dornička’s body in the forest and resolves to bring her back to life. He sends a page to the castle three times to get Dornička’s missing body parts from the stepsister. First, the lad asks for the feet in return for a golden spinning wheel. He then requests to trade the hands for a golden distaff, and, finally, he asks for the eyes in exchange for a golden spindle. These trades unfold slowly and successively in the music: three times, the trombones state the hermit’s instructions, followed by flute solos that represent the page presenting the requests to the stepsister. Desiring the golden items, the stepsister gives Dornička’s hands, feet and eyes to the boy, and the magical hermit restores the body parts to the body and brings Dornička back to life.

The king returns from battle, announced by the reappearance of his fanfare theme. He asks his wife to spin on the new golden spinning wheel. As the wheel turns, it churns a song that reveals the deception of the stepmother and stepsister and the murder they committed. The king runs to the forest to find Dornička alive and well, accompanied by the music of the earlier love scene but now fuller with the joy of reunion. The impassioned music of their first meeting and the king’s initial declaration of love follows, as the king and his true bride return to the castle. Although Erben’s ballad concludes with a bloody punishment for the stepmother and stepsister, Dvořák concludes the piece with a final statement of the king’s fanfare and the triumphant joy of the two lovers.

—©Dr. Rebecca Schreiber

ACCESS TO MUSIC | 2025–26 SEASON

SUN FEB 1, 2 PM | Music Hall

Duo Shen conductor

Antonín Dvořák Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 1 (1841–1904)

Edvard Grieg “Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt, Op. 46 (1843–1907)

Erik Satie Gymnopédie No. 2 (1866–1925) | orch. Debussy

Edvard Grieg “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt

Bedřich Smetana Vltava (“The Moldau”), No. 2 from Má vlast (“My Country”) (1824–1884)

Ludwig van Beethoven Movement I from Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 (1770–1827)

Leroy Anderson Jazz Pizzicato (1908–1975)

Traditional | arr. Li Mo Li Hua (“Jasmine Flower”)

Johann Strauss, Jr. Unter Donner und Blitz (“Thunder and Lightning”) Polka, Op. 324 (1825–1899)

Claude Debussy “Clair de lune” from Suite bergamasque (1862–1918) | orch. Mouton

This performance is approximately 60 minutes long. There is no intermission.

The CSO is grateful to CSO Season Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

ABOUT ACCESS TO MUSIC: Access to Music is designed for all ages as a sensory-friendly performance that celebrates the connection between music and the mind, both of which exist on a vast spectrum. Produced in partnership with The Well (thewell.world), and featuring orchestral music from across genres, the program invites you to explore how sound shapes emotions, thoughts and interactions. Much like neurodiversity, music reminds us that there is no single way to experience the world — we hope this concert will inspire you to feel, imagine and connect with music in your own unique way.

For this sensory-friendly concert, the house lights will be a little brighter; accessible seating and amenities will be available; audience members are free to move around and enter and exit the auditorium as needed; audience member noise is not restricted; trained volunteers, ushers and staff are present to help provide a quality experience for all audience members; and there are designated quiet areas in the hall for audience members to use. Visit cincinnatisymphony.org for more information.

MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 4 | 2025–26 SEASON

FRI FEB 6, 11 AM | SAT FEB 7, 7:30 PM Music Hall

Tabita Berglund conductor Camilla Tilling soprano

Anna Thorvaldsdottir ARCHORA (b. 1977)

Gustav Mahler Rückert-Lieder (1860–1911) Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder! (“Do not look at my songs!”) Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft! (“I breathed a gentle fragrance”) Um Mitternacht (“At Midnight”) Liebst du um Schönheit (“If you love for beauty”) Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (“I have lost touch with the world”)

INTERMISSION

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 4 in G Major Bedächtig, nicht eilen In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast Ruhevoll (Poco adagio) Sehr behaglich

These performances are approximately 125 minutes long, including intermission.

The CSO is grateful to CSO Season Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the support of the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, the Nina Browne Parker Trust, and the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. Pre-Concert Talks are made possible by an endowed gift from Melody Sawyer Richardson WGUC is the Media Partner for these concerts. This concert will air on 90.9 WGUC on March 22, 2026, followed by 30 days of streaming at cincinnatisymphony.org/replay.

The CSO in-orchestra Steinway piano is made possible in part by the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Tabita Berglund, conductor

Tabita Berglund has established herself as one of the most in-demand conductors of her generation. She is principal guest conductor of both the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Dresdner Philharmonie, having been appointed to each position following her respective debuts.

Berglund commences 2025–26 with Dresdner Philharmonie’s seasonopening concerts. Notable debut appearances across the season include Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester and the Sydney and Melbourne symphony orchestras, while returns include the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. Among the highlights of Berglund’s second season in Detroit is a specially curated two-week Northern Lights Festival.

Berglund regularly collaborates with leading international soloists; recent and forthcoming partnerships include Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Hélène Grimaud, Pekka Kuusisto, Leila Josefowicz, Augustin Hadelich, Truls Mørk, Kirill Gerstein, Nicolas Altstaedt, Håkan Hardenberger, Alexander Malofeev and Camilla Tilling, to name a few. Her 2025–26 programming reflects her breadth of repertoire interests, from Mozart and Schubert to Tchaikovsky, Scriabin, Mahler, Schoenberg, Bartók and Lutosławski, among others, and continues her championing of Nordic compatriots such as Thorvaldsdottir, Sibelius and Irgens-Jensen.

Berglund studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music, first as a cellist with Truls Mørk and, later, orchestral conducting with Ole Kristian Ruud. She played regularly with the Oslo and Bergen Philharmonic orchestras as well as the Trondheim Soloists before conducting became her main focus. Her first titled position was principal guest conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra (2021–24). Her debut CD, with the Oslo Philharmonic and violinist Sonoko Miriam Welde, was released in 2021 and nominated for a Norwegian Grammy in the 2022 Classical Music category. tabitaberglund.com; harrisonparrott.com

Camilla Tilling, soprano

Undoubtedly one of Sweden’s most accomplished vocal talents, Camilla Tilling’s beguiling soprano and unfailing musicality have earned her enduring admiration from conductors, audiences and critics alike throughout a glowing international career.

In the 2025–26 season, Tilling joins the Munich Philharmonic for Michael Haydn’s Requiem under Riccardo Minasi, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Ravel’s Sheherazade under Nicholas Collon, and Teatro Carlo Felice, Genova in Mendelssohn’s Elias under Diego Fasolis. In North America, she joins the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for Bach’s Mass in B Minor under Nathalie Stutzmann, and she reunites with David Danzmayr for a program combining Golijov’s Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra.

Camilla Tilling is an accomplished recitalist and has recorded many Lieder collections by composers including Strauss, Schumann, Schubert and Grieg. She has toured widely with her acclaimed “Swedish Nightingale” program Jenny Lind: Love and Lieder, and is a regular guest at the Bergen International Festival, Oxford Lieder Festival and London’s hallowed Wigmore Hall.

Tilling’s impressive discography includes orchestral works by Haydn with Bernard Haitink, Handel and Purcell with Emmanuelle Haïm, Grieg with Paavo Järvi, Brahms with Marek Janowski, Cherubini with Riccardo Muti, and a critically

acclaimed solo collection of Mozart and Gluck arias, Loves me … loves me not, with Philipp von Steinaecker and Musica Saeculorum.

Camilla Tilling is committed to supporting the next generation of singers and regularly gives masterclasses and sits on jury panels. harrisonparrott.com/artists/ camilla-tilling

PROGRAM NOTES

Anna

Thorvaldsdottir:

ARCHORA

Composed: 2022; commissioned by the BBC Proms and co-commissioned by the LA Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Klangspuren Schwaz

Premiere: August 2022 at the BBC Proms in Royal Albert Hall, London, Eva Ollikainen conducting the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Instrumentation: 2 flutes, alto flute, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trombones, 2 tubas, bass drums, gongs, tam-tam, organ, strings.

CSO notable performances: These are the first CSO performances of ARCHORA.

Duration: approx. 19 minutes

Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s music is described as being composed as much by sounds and nuances as by harmonies and lyrical material — as an ecosystem of sounds, where materials continuously grow in and out of each other, often inspired in an important way by nature and its many qualities, in particular structural ones, like proportion and flow.

Thorvaldsdottir’s orchestral writing has garnered her awards from the New York Philharmonic, Lincoln Center, the Nordic Council and the U.K.’s Ivors Academy. Her music is widely performed internationally and has been commissioned by many of the world’s leading orchestras, ensembles and arts organizations.

Currently based in the London area, Thorvaldsdottir regularly teaches and gives presentations on composition, in academic settings, as part of residencies and in private lessons. Thorvaldsdottir was composer-in-residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra 2018–2023 and in residence at the Aldeburgh Festival and the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music in 2023. In 2024–25, she was the Tonhalle Orchestra’s creative chair. She holds a Ph.D. (2011) from the University of California in San Diego. annathorvalds.com

Thorvaldsdottir describes ARCHORA as follows:

The core inspiration behind ARCHORA centres around the notion of a primordial energy and the idea of an omnipresent parallel realm — a world both familiar and strange, static and transforming, nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The piece revolves around the extremes on the spectrum between the Primordia and its resulting afterglow — and the conflict between these elements that are nevertheless fundamentally one and the same. The halo emerges from the Primordia but they have both lost perspective and the connection to one another, experiencing themselves individually as opposing forces rather than one and the same.

As with my music generally, the inspiration is not something I am trying to describe through the music as such — it is a way to intuitively approach and work with the core energy, structure, atmosphere and material of the piece.

ARCHORA is featured on Thorvaldsdottir’s latest orchestral portrait album, performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Eva Ollikainen.

Gustav Mahler: Rückert-Lieder

Composed: 1901–02

Premiere: January 29, 1905, Vienna, conducted by the composer with baritone Friedrich Weidemann as soloist

Instrumentation: soprano solo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, oboe d’amore, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, celeste, piano, strings

CSO notable performances: First: April 1976, Henry Lewis conducting; Marilyn Horne, mezzo-soprano. Most Recent: April 1991, Jesús López-Cobos conducting; Andreas Schmidt, baritone. Recording: November 1991, Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer, Kindertotenlieder, Jesús López-Cobos conducting; Andreas Schmidt, baritone. Duration: approx. 20 minutes

Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866) was Professor of Oriental Literature at Erlangen and Privy Counselor for King Friedrich Wilhelm IV at Berlin from 1841 to 1848. Rückert was known as both a productive scholar, with many translations of texts from Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, Armenian, Ethiopian, Coptic and Sanskrit, as well as a prolific writer of poems, many of which were influenced by the forms, images and content of Asian verses. His poems, which appeared in many periodicals, anthologies and collections during his lifetime, were popular and highly regarded, and they inspired musical settings from a number of 19th-century composers, including Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Heinrich Marschner and Henry Litolff.

Among the most notable of Rückert’s thousands of poems were the 428 verses collectively titled Kindertotenlieder — “Songs on the Death of Children” — that he wrote in 1832–1834 to assuage his grief over the death of his infant son; they were published only posthumously, in 1872. Gustav Mahler came to know the Kindertotenlieder through his extensive readings in German philosophy and literature, and they appealed to him not only for the expressive quality of their poetic images and the refinement of their language and structure, but also for their firstperson viewpoint, the revelatory expression of self that he believed was the dynamic force driving artistic expression. When Anton Webern asked him in 1905 about his attraction to Rückert’s poems after having been immersed for many years in the folkish verses of Des Knaben Wunderhorn (“The Youth’s Magic Horn”), Mahler replied, “After Wunderhorn, Rückert was the only thing I could do — this is poetry at first-hand; all other poetry is second-hand.”

In the summer of 1901, when he escaped from the pressures of directing the Vienna Court Opera to his country retreat at the village of Maiernigg on the Wörthersee in Carinthia, Mahler made orchestral settings of six of Rückert’s poems, three of which were from the Kindertotenlieder. Three years later, he added two more settings to the Kindertotenlieder cycle, which has remained one of his most esteemed works. Mahler did not regard the other three Rückert settings of 1901 — Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder, Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft and Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen — as a unified cycle, though their texts, which evoke love, nature and philosophical resignation, are related in the gentle contrast that they provide to the tragedy of the Kindertotenlieder. The following summer, after he had met and married the talented and beautiful Alma Schindler, he appropriated two more Rückert poems for musical treatment — Um Mitternacht and Liebst du um Schönheit

In her reminiscences of Mahler, Alma recorded a delightful tale about Liebst du um Schönheit, which her husband wrote to celebrate their love and new life together:

I used to play Wagner a lot, and this gave Mahler the idea for a charming surprise. He had composed for me the only love-song he ever wrote — Liebst du um Schönheit — and he slipped it between the pages of Die Walküre. Then he waited day after day for me to find it; but I never happened to open the volume, and his patience gave out. “I think I’ll take a look at the Walküre today,” he said abruptly. He opened it, and the song fell out. I was overwhelmed with joy, and we played it that day twenty times at least.

“The very text of Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder (‘Do not look at my songs’),” according to the composer’s close friend Natalie Bauer-Lechner, “is so

Born: July 7, 1860, Kalist, Bohemia Died: May 18, 1911, Vienna, Austria

characteristic of Mahler that he might have written it himself.” Its mood is playful and tinged with humor.

Rückert wrote Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft (“I breathed a gentle fragrance”) when his wife decorated his desk with a lime-tree branch for his birthday. (The text plays on the pun of the German words Linde [“lime-tree”] and linde [“gentle”].) Mahler’s caressing treatment captures perfectly the poem’s sweetness and affirmation of love.

Um Mitternacht (“At Midnight”), scored for full complement of winds but without strings, is one of the most dramatic of Mahler’s creations. A nighttime uneasiness dominates much of the music, which is haunted by a starkly eerie scale descending into the most subterranean reaches of the ensemble. The mood brightens for the closing stanza, the brass is marshaled, and the song ends in sun-bright affirmation as poet and composer entrust themselves to God’s care.

Liebst du um Schönheit (“If you love for beauty”), Mahler’s paean to his marital love at the beginning of what proved to be the happiest period of his life, is rapturously lyrical and glowingly optimistic.

Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (“I have lost touch with the world”), which the composer told Bauer-Lechner represented himself, is both a vocal analogue to the transcendent introspection of the Adagietto of the Fifth Symphony, on which Mahler was also engaged in 1902, and a preview of the resigned, peaceful acceptance that closes both the Ninth Symphony and Das Lied von der Erde. This movement limns an ineffable elegiac emotion that Mahler was capable of expressing better than any other composer; it may well be the finest symphonic song that he ever wrote.

—©Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in G Major

Composed: 1899–1900

Premiere: November 11, 1901 in Munich, conducted by the composer Instrumentation: soprano solo, 4 flutes (incl. 2 piccolos), 3 oboes (incl. English horn), 3 clarinets, (incl. E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (incl. contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, glockenspiel, sleigh bells, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, harp, strings CSO notable performances: CSO notable performances: First: March 1926, Fritz Reiner conducting. Most Recent: November 2021, James Gaffigan conducting. Duration: approx. 54 minutes

Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, the most modest in length and orchestral requirements of his 10, had its roots as far back as 1892, when the composer was 32. Those were the years, extending through the composition of the Fourth Symphony, during which Mahler was imbibing the folk traditions of Germany as they were set down in an early19th-century anthology of poems titled Des Knaben Wunderhorn (“The Youth’s Magic Horn”). American musicologist Edward Downes noted a deep-seated personal need in Mahler’s interest in these simple peasant verses: “Like most German Romantic artists, Mahler felt a love for folk art amounting almost to worship. In part this may have been the nostalgia of the complex intellectual city-dweller for an Eden of lost innocence, of freshness, of naïveté.” That vein of innocence, of child-like simplicity, is at the heart of Mahler’s lovely Fourth Symphony.

In 1892, Mahler set to music one of the Wunderhorn poems, Der Himmel hängt voll Geigen (“Heaven is chock full of violins”). He completed the song, which he named after its first line, Wir geniessen die himmlischen Freuden (“We revel in heavenly pleasures”), in February 1892 and made an orchestral arrangement for it the following month. When he set to work on his Third Symphony in 1895, he intended to include this song as the last of its movements. The vast musical panorama of the Third Symphony, perhaps the best example of Mahler’s philosophy that sought to embody “the world in a symphony,” was conceived to address individual movements to such matters as “What the flowers tell me,” “What the forest creatures tell me” and so forth for “the night,” “the angels” and “love.” The finale was to have included Wir geniessen die himmlischen Freuden to elucidate “What the child tells me.” Mahler, however, decided to drop that song from the

Third Symphony, probably because it would have been an anti-climax after the stentorian ending of the preceding movement. Instead, he determined to explore the world of this “child of heaven” more extensively in a separate work. Thus was the Fourth Symphony born.

It is important to understanding the Fourth Symphony to realize that its entire mood and structure are built to lead to the finale — the first three movements serve to prepare for and illuminate the closing vision of Wir geniessen die himmlischen Freuden. The composer is reported to have said, “In the first three movements there reigns the serenity of a higher realm, a realm strange to us, oddly frightening, even terrifying. In the finale, the child, which in its previous existence belonged to this higher realm, tells us what it all means….” The Symphony opens with the distinctive sound of sleigh bells that recurs at important structural points throughout the movement. A number of melodic ideas comprise the main theme group before the music moves to the second theme, a sweet, Viennese melody high in the cellos. The sleigh bells mark the beginning of a lengthy development section that explores much of the material heard thus far, with a particular emphasis on the clear pipings of the augmented woodwind choir. After one of the few large climaxes of the symphony, the development quiets before it comes to an abrupt stop. The music takes a quick breath, and the recapitulation begins in the sunny mood of the opening. The exposition themes are again assayed to bring the movement to an invigorating close. Mahler’s original designation for the second-movement scherzo was Freund Hein spielt auf (“Friend Hein plays”). “Hein” was the character of German legend who used his fiddle to lure reluctant travelers to the Great Beyond. This eerie movement, perhaps inspired by the not dissimilar visions of Liszt, Saint-Saëns and Berlioz, alternates a diabolical scherzo with brighter trios. Much of the mood comes from the solo violinist, who is instructed to tune a second instrument a full step higher than normal to produce a more strident tone quality. Of this movement, Mahler wrote, “The scherzo is so uncanny, almost sinister, that your hair may stand on end. Yet in the following Adagio, where all complications are dissolved, you will feel that it was not really all that sinister….” Rather like a bad dream followed by a reassuring sunrise.

The serene third movement is in the form of a variation on two themes, though it follows the formal outlines of each theme only tenuously. The first set of variations, dominated by the string choir founded upon a resonant pizzicato bass line, alternates with the second set of variations, given largely to the winds. The oboe introduces the second theme.

The vision of the closing movement is couched in the simplest of musical forms — the strophic song. Each verse of the text, filled with images of an idealized Medieval peasant life, ends with a chorale-like refrain borrowed from the music of the alto solo in the Third Symphony. The sleigh bells and accompanying music of the first movement return (the noted English musicologist Sir Donald Tovey dubbed these, rather ingloriously, “farm-yard noises”) to mark the beginnings of further stanzas. For the concluding stanza, Mahler executed a harmonic sleight-of-hand as the music floats upward from its G major base to the airy key of E major. More than just a technical device, this gesture gives a special meaning to the closing text, “There’s no music at all on earth, which can ever compare with ours,” sung by the heavenblessed child. Its beauty, calm and simplicity are among the most pacific moments in all of music.

—©Dr. Richard E. Rodda

To view the Digital Program for exclusive content, such as full-length program notes and artist biographies, please text PROGRAM to 513.845.3024*, use your mobile device to scan the QR code or visit cincinnatisymphony.org/digitalprogram.

PROUD SPONSOR OF THE LOLLIPOPS FAMILY CONCERT SERIES

PROUD SPONSOR OF THE LOLLIPOPS FAMILY CONCERT SERIES

LOLLIPOPS FAMILY

CONCERT: Peter and the Wolf | 2025–26

SAT FEB 7, 10:30 AM

Music Hall

Duo Shen conductor

Tommy Thrall narrator

Anthony Limoncelli trumpet

Artwork by C.F. Payne

SEASON

Shepherd’s Hey

“The Wild Bears” from The Wand of Youth

Percy Grainger

Edward Elgar Peter and the Wolf

Sergei Prokofiev Flight of the Bumble Bee Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

The Cincinnati Pops is grateful to Series Sponsor UDF & Homemade Brand Ice Cream and Show Sponsor Cincinnati Symphony Club

The Lollipops Series is made possible by a gift from Michael Bergan and Tiffany Hanisch

Lollipops Family Concerts are supported in part through the George & Anne Heldman Endowment Fund and the Vicki & Rick Reynolds Endowment Fund.

2025–26 Financial Support

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Local and national foundations, businesses, and government agencies are integral to the Orchestra’s vibrant performances, community engagement work, and education activities. We are proud to partner with the following funders.

ANNUAL SUPPORT

SEASON AND SERIES SPONSORS

Season Sponsor

PLATINUM BATON CIRCLE ($50,000+)

Anonymous ArtsWave

Ellen and Richard Berghamer Foundation

Charles H. Dater Foundation

The Fifth Third Foundation

Local Initiative for Excellence Foundation

The Jeffrey & Jody Lazarow and Janie & Peter Schwartz Family Fund

H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation

Dr. John & Louise Mulford Fund for the CSO National Endowment for the Arts

Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation

Ohio Arts Council

The Oliver Family Foundation

PNC Bank

Margaret McWilliams Rentschler Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Nina Browne Parker Trust

Robert H. Reakirt Foundation Equities

Harold C. Schott Foundation / Francie and Tom Hiltz, Trustees

The Unnewehr Foundation

Western & Southern Financial Group

GOLD BATON CIRCLE ($25,000–$49,999)

The Cincinnati Symphony Club

HORAN Wealth

Louis H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation Inc.

George and Margaret McLane Foundation

The Ladislas & Vilma Segoe Family Foundation

United Dairy Farmers & Homemade Brand Ice Cream

SILVER BATON CIRCLE ($15,000–$24,999)

BlaCkOWned™

BT Rise

Johnson Investment Counsel

Peter E. Landgren and Judith Schonbach Landgren Millstone Fund

The Procter & Gamble Company

The Rendigs Foundation

Scott and Charla Weiss

Wodecroft Foundation

CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE ($10,000–$14,999)

Bartlett Wealth Management

Chemed Corporation

CVG Airport Authority

Crosset Family Fund

Kelly Dehan and Rick Staudigel

Graeter’s Ice Cream

Messer Construction Co.

The Daniel & Susan Pfau Foundation

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

YOT Full Circle Foundation

Metro

CONCERTMASTER’S CIRCLE ($5,000–$9,999)

Interact for Health

JRH Consultants

The Andrew Jergens Foundation

Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL

Richard and Carmen Kovarsky

New Music USA

Queen City (OH) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated

The Willard & Jean Mulford Charitable Fund

Thompson Hine LLP

WOW Windowboxes

ARTIST’S CIRCLE ($2,500–$4,999)

Duke Energy Foundation

d.e. Foxx and Associates, Inc.

Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA

HUB International

Learning Links Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation

NAMI Urban Greater Cincinnati

Charles Scott Riley III Foundation

Southern Grace Eats

Visit Cincy

BUSINESS & FOUNDATION PARTNERS (up to $2,499)

AARP Ohio

African American Chamber of Commerce

Albert B. Cord Charitable Foundation

American Red Cross, Greater Cincinnati-Dayton Region

The Blue Book of Cincinnati

William G. and Mary Jane Helms Charitable Foundation

Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors

Journey Steel

Robert A. & Marian K. Kennedy Charitable Trust

The Kroger Co.

League of American Orchestras

Frances L. P. Ricketts Sullivan Memorial Fund

The Voice of Your Customer

Join this distinguished group! Contact Sean Baker at 513.744.3363 or sbaker@cincinnatisymphony.org to learn how you can become a supporter of the CSO and Pops. This list is updated quarterly.

2026 ARTSWAVE PARTNERS

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops acknowledge the following partner companies, foundations and their employees who generously participate in the Annual ArtsWave Community Campaign at the $100,000+ level. Thank you!

$2 million+

P&G

$1 million to $1,999,999

Fifth Third Bank and Fifth Third Foundation

$500,000 to $999,999 GE Aerospace

$250,000 to 499,999

The Cincinnati Insurance Companies

The H.B., E.W. and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Trustee

Western & Southern Financial Group

$100,000–$249,999

altafiber

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati Reds

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP

The E.W. Scripps Company and Scripps Howard Foundation

The Enquirer | Cincinnati.com

Great American Insurance Group

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

The Kroger Co.

Messer Construction Co.

PNC

PERMANENT ENDOWMENTS

Endowment gifts perpetuate your values and create a sustainable future for the Orchestra. We extend our deep gratitude to the donors who have provided permanent endowments in support of our programs that are important to them. For more information about endowment gifts, contact Kate Farinacci, Director of Special Campaigns & Legacy Giving, at 513.744.3202.

ENDOWED CHAIRS

Grace M. Allen Chair

Ellen A. & Richard C. Berghamer Chair

Robert E. & Fay Boeh Chair

The Marc Bohlke Chair given by Katrin & Manfred Bohlke

Trish & Rick Bryan Chair

Otto M. Budig Family Foundation Chair

Mary Alice Heekin Burke Chair

Michael L. Cioffi & Rachael Rowe— the Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones Chief Inclusion Officer

Sheila and Christopher Cole Chair

Peter G. Courlas–Nicholas Tsimaras Chair

Ona Hixson Dater Chair

The Anne G. & Robert W. Dorsey Chair+

Jane & David Ellis Chair

Irene & John J. Emery Chair

James M. Ewell Chair

Ashley & Barbara Ford Chair for Assistant Conductor

Ashley & Barbara Ford Chair for Assistant Conductor

Ashley & Barbara Ford Chair for Principal Tuba

Susan S. & William A. Friedlander Chair+

Charles Gausmann Chair

Susanne & Philip O. Geier, Jr. Chair+

Emma Margaret & Irving D. Goldman Chair

Clifford J. Goosmann & Andrea M. Wilson Chair

Charles Frederic Goss Chair

Jean Ten Have Chair

Dorothy & John Hermanies Chair

Christy & Terry Horan Family Chair

Lois Klein Jolson Chair

Josephine I. & David J. Joseph, Jr. Chair

Harold B. & Betty Justice Chair

Marvin Kolodzik & Linda S. Gallaher Chair+

Al Levinson Chair

Patricia Gross Linnemann Chair+

Alberta & Dr. Maurice Marsh Chair

Stephen P. McKean Chair

Laura Kimble McLellan Chair

The Henry Meyer Chair

The Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chairs

Rawson Chair

David C. Reed, MD Chair

The Vicky & Rick Reynolds Chair in honor of William A. Friedlander+

Ida Ringling North Chair

Donald & Margaret Robinson Chair

Dianne & J. David Rosenberg Chair+

Ruth F. Rosevear Chair

The Morleen & Jack Rouse Chair+

Emalee Schavel Chair

Karl & Roberta Schlachter Family Chair

Carol J. Schroeder Chair

Serge Shababian Chair

Melinda & Irwin Simon Chair+

Tom & Dee Stegman Chair+

Mary & Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Chair+

Cynthia & Frank Stewart Chair

The Jackie & Roy Sweeney Family Chair

The Sweeney Family Chair in memory of Donald C. Sweeney

Anna Sinton Taft Chair

Brenda & Ralph Taylor Chair

James P. Thornton Chair

Nicholas Tsimaras–Peter G. Courlas Chair

Thomas Vanden Eynden Chair

Sallie Robinson Wadsworth & Randolph L. Wadsworth Jr. Chair

Jo Ann & Paul Ward Chair

Matthew & Peg Woodside Chair

Mary M. & Charles F. Yeiser Chair

ENDOWED PERFORMANCES & PROJECTS

Eleanora C. U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Rosemary and Frank Bloom Endowment Fund*+

Cincinnati Bell Foundation Inc.

Mr. & Mrs. Val Cook

Nancy & Steve Donovan*

Sue and Bill Friedlander Endowment Fund*+

Mrs. Charles Wm Anness*, Mrs. Frederick D. Haffner, Mrs. Gerald Skidmore and the La Vaughn Scholl Garrison Fund

GIFT OF MUSIC: August 23–October

Fred L. & Katherine H. Groll Fund for Musical Excellence

Fred L. & Katherine H. Groll Fund for Great Artists

Fred L. & Katherine H. Groll Trust Pianist Fund

The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation Endowment Fund

Anne Heldman Endowment Fund**

Mr. and Mrs. Lorrence T. Kellar+

Lawrence A. & Anne J. Leser*

Mr. & Mrs. Carl H. Lindner**

Janice W. & Gary R. Lubin Fund for Black Artists

PNC Financial Services Group

The Procter & Gamble Fund

Vicky & Rick Reynolds Fund for Diverse Artists+

Whitney Rowe and Phillip Long Fund for Emerging Artists

Melody Sawyer Richardson*

Rosemary and Mark Schlachter Endowment Fund*+

The Harold C. Schott Foundation, Francie and Tom Hiltz Endowment Fund+

Peggy Selonick Fund for Great Artists

Dee and Tom Stegman Endowment Fund*+

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Fund for Great Artists

U. S. Bank Foundation*

Sallie and Randolph Wadsworth Endowment Fund+

Educational Concerts

Rosemary & Frank Bloom * Cincinnati Financial Corporation & The Cincinnati Insurance Companies

The Margaret Embshoff Educational Fund

Kate Foreman Young Peoples Fund

George & Anne Heldman+

Macy’s Foundation

Vicky & Rick Reynolds*+

William R. Schott Family**

Western-Southern Foundation, Inc.

Anonymous (3)+

20, 2025

OTHER NAMED FUNDS

Ruth Meacham Bell Memorial Fund

Frank & Mary Bergstein Fund for Musical Excellence+

Jean K. Bloch Music Library Fund

Cora Dow Endowment Fund

Corbett Educational Endowment**

Belmon U. Duvall Fund

Ewell Fund for Riverbend Maintenance

Linda & Harry Fath Endowment Fund

Ford Foundation Fund

Natalie Wurlitzer & William Ernest Griess Cello Fund

William Hurford and Lesley Gilbertson Family Fund for Guest Pianists

The Mary Ellyn Hutton Fund for Excellence in Music Education

Josephine I. & David J. Joseph, Jr. Scholarship Fund

Richard & Jean Jubelirer & Family Fund*

Anne C. and Robert P. Judd Fund for Musical Access

The Kosarko Family Innovation Fund

Elma Margaret Lapp Trust

The Richard and Susan Lauf Fund

Jésus López-Cobos Fund for Excellence

Mellon Foundation Fund

Nina Browne Parker Trust

Dorothy Robb Perin & Harold F. Poe Trust

Rieveschl Fund

Thomas Schippers Fund

Martha, Max & Alfred M. Stern Ticket Fund

Mr. & Mrs. John R. Strauss Student Ticket Fund

Anna Sinton & Charles P. Taft Fund

Lucien Wulsin Fund

Wurlitzer Season Ticket Fund

CSO Pooled Income Fund

CSO Musicians Emergency Fund

*Denotes support for Annual Music Program Fund

**Denotes support for the 2nd Century Campaign

+Denotes support for the Fund for Musical Excellence

The following people provided gifts to the Gift of Music Fund to celebrate an occasion, to mark a life of service to the Orchestra, or to commemorate a special date. Their contributions are added to the Orchestra’s endowment. For more information on how to contribute to this fund, please call 513.744.3271.

In honor of Carole & George Bedde

Mr. Walter C. Frank

In memory of Jan Hardy

Ms. Julie B. Northrop

In memory of Norman E. Johns

Kathy Finley

Lenore Hatfield

Caroline Phelps

Richard S. Sarason & Anne S. Arenstein

Gary & Dee Dee West

HONOR ROLL OF CONTRIBUTORS

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops are grateful to the following individuals that support our efforts by making a gift to the Orchestra Fund. We extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one and pay tribute to them here. You can join our family of donors online at cincinnatisymphony.org/donate or by contacting the Philanthropy Department at 513.744.3271.

PLATINUM BATON CIRCLE

Gifts of $50,000 and above

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick E. Bryan, III §

Sheila and Christopher C. Cole §

David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Robert W. Dorsey §

Healey Liddle Family Foundation, Mel & Bruce Healey

Harold C. Schott Foundation, Francie & Tom Hiltz

Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Joffe

Florence Koetters

Jo Anne and Joe Orndorff

Vicky and Rick Reynolds

Irwin and Melinda Simon §

Dee Stegman §

Jackie and Roy Sweeney Family Fund*

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Ullman

Mr. Randolph L. Wadsworth Jr. §

Ginger Warner

Scott and Charla Weiss §

GOLD BATON CIRCLE

Gifts of $25,000–$49,999

Jan and Roger Ames

Joe and Patricia Baker

Dr. and Mrs. John and Suzanne Bossert §

Robert and Debra Chavez

Stephen J. Daush

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Evans

Dr. and Mrs. Carl G. Fischer

Ashley and Bobbie Ford §

Calvin and Patricia Linnemann

Susan McPartlin & Michael Galbraith

Carolyn Baker Miller

Dianne and J. David Rosenberg

Moe and Jack Rouse §

Ann and Harry Santen §

Sarah Thorburn

SILVER BATON CIRCLE

Gifts of $15,000–$24,999

Michael P. Bergan and Tiffany Hanisch

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Brueshaber

Mr. Gregory D. Buckley and Ms. Susan Berry-Buckley

Michael L. Cioffi & Rachael Rowe §

The Garber Family

Kathy Grote in loving memory of Robert Howes §

Tom and Jan Hardy §

Patti and Fred Heldman

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn §

Mrs. Andrea Kaplan

Marvin P. Kolodzik and Linda S. Gallaher §

Mrs. Erich Kunzel

Will and Lee Lindner

Mark and Tia Luegering

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Maloney

Joseph A. and Susan E. Pichler Fund*

Mark S. and Rosemary K. Schlachter §

Jacqueline Sifri

Carol B. Striker

DeeDee and Gary West §

Mr. and Mrs. James M. Zimmerman § Anonymous

CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE

Gifts of $10,000–$14,999

Access Audio, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Akers

Mrs. Thomas E. Davidson §

Dianne Dunkelman and Clever Crazes for Kids

Emory P. Zimmer Insurance Agency

Dr. G. Russell and Renee S. Frankel

Lynne Friedlander and Jay Crawford

John B. and Judith O. Hansen

Dr. Lesley Gilbertson and Dr. William Hurford §

Ms. Barbara Johnson

Robert Johnson

John and Molly Kerman

Michael and Marilyn Kremzar §

John and Ramsey Lanni

Phillip Long

Alan Margulies and Gale Snoddy

Linda and James Miller

James and Margo Minutolo

Martha and Lee Schimberg

Mike and Digi Schueler

Mr. Lawrence Schumacher

Dr. Jean and Mrs. Anne Steichen

In memory of Mary and Joseph S. Stern, Jr

Ralph C. Taylor §

Ms. Diana Willen § Anonymous (3)

CONCERTMASTER’S

CIRCLE

Gifts of $5,000–$9,999

Heather Apple and Mary Kay Koehler

Thomas P. Atkins

Mrs. Thomas B. Avril

Kathleen and Michael Ball

Robert and Janet Banks

Louis D. Bilionis and Ann Hubbard

Robert L. and Debbie Bogenschutz

Thomas A. Braun, III §

The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Ms. Melanie M. Chavez

Sally and Rick Coomes

George Deepe and Kris Orsborn

Bedouin and Randall Dennison

Dennis W. and Cathy Dern

Dr. and Mrs. Stewart B. Dunsker

Mrs. Diana T. Dwight

In Loving Memory of Diane Harrison Zent

David and Kari Ellis Fund*

Dr. and Mrs. Alberto Espay

Estate of E.J. and Jean Krabacher

Mr. and Mrs. James T. Fitzgerald

Dr. and Mrs. Harry F. Fry

L. Timothy Giglio

Jim and Jann Greenberg

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hamby

Ms. Delores Hargrove-Young

William and Jo Ann Harvey

Dr. James and Mrs. Susan Herman

Ms. Sandra L. Houck §

John M. and Lynda Hoffman Jeep for their 50th anniversary

Barbara M. Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Keenan

Mrs. Barbara Kellar in honor of Mr. Lorrence T. Kellar

Holly King

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kovarsky

The Lewis and Marjorie Daniel Foundation

Adele Lippert

Mrs. Robert Lippert

Elizabeth and Brian Mannion

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Marshall

David L. Martin §

Mandare Foundation

Barbara and Kim McCracken §

Robert and Heather McGrath

Ms. Mary Lou Motl §

The Patel-Curran Family

Poul D. and JoAnne Pedersen §

David and Jenny Powell

Drs. Marcia Kaplan and Michael Privitera

Ellen Rieveschl §

Elizabeth and Karl Ronn §

Dr. E. Don Nelson and Ms. Julia Sawyer-Nelson

Dr. and Mrs. Michael Scheffler

Sandra and David Seiwert

Brent & Valerie Sheppard

Rennie and David Siebenhar

Michael and Donnalyn Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Stautberg

Brett Stover §

Christopher and Nancy Virgulak

Nancy C. Wagner and Patricia M. Wagner §

M Elizabeth Warner

Donna A. Welsch §

Mr. Donald White

Cathy S. Willis

Ronna and James Willis

Wright Brothers, Inc.

Anonymous (2)

ARTIST’S CIRCLE

Gifts of $3,000–$4,999

Dr. Charles Abbottsmith

Mr. Nicholas Apanius

Mr. and Mrs. Gérard Baillely

Pamela & Jeffrey Bernstein

Ms. Marianna Bettman

Glenn and Donna Boutilier

Peter and Kate Brown

Dr. Ralph P. Brown

Chris and Tom Buchert

Daniel A. Burr

Janet and Bruce Byrnes

Peter G. Courlas §

Marjorie Craft

Jim and Elizabeth Dodd

Hardy and Barbara Eshbaugh

Mrs. Amy Forte

Yan Fridman

Linda P. Fulton §

Frank and Tara Gardner

Naomi T. Gerwin

Dr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Giannella

Lesha and Samuel Greengus

John and Elizabeth Grover

Esther B. Grubbs §

Mr. and Mrs. Byron Gustin

Dr. and Mrs. Jack Hahn

Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Heidenreich

Mr. Fred Heyse

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hicks

Ruth C. Holthaus

In Memory of Benjamin C. Hubbard §

Mr. and Mrs. Bradley G. Hughes

Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Hughes

Karolyn Johnsen

Ms. Sylvia Johnson

Dr. Richard and Lisa Kagan

Dr. Robert W. Keith and Ms. Kathleen Thornton

Don and Kathy King

Lynn Keniston Klahm

Marie and Sam Kocoshis

Frank and Ann Kromer

Carol Louise Kruse

Mr. Shannon Lawson

Richard and Nancy Layding

Merlanne Louney

Luke and Nita Lovell

Larry and Mary Geren Lutz

Mr. Jonathan Martin

Glen and Lynn Mayfield

Emily Terwilliger

The Allen-McCarren Trust

Ms. Sue Miller

Mr. and Mrs. David E. Moccia §

George and Sarah Morrison III

Alice Perlman

Rev. Dr. David V. Schwab

Michael and Katherine Rademacher

Dr. and Mrs. Robert Reed

Sandra Rivers

James Rubenstein and Bernadette Unger

Carol J. Schroeder §

Mr. Rick Sherrer and Dr. Lisa D. Kelly

Sue and Glenn Showers §

Elizabeth C. B. Sittenfeld §

William A. and Jane Smith

Nancy Steman Dierckes §

Elizabeth A. Stone

Peggy and Steven Story

Mr. and Mrs. J. Dwight Thompson

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Tinklenberg

Dr. Barbara R. Voelkel

Dr. and Mrs. Matthew and Diana Wallace

Mrs. Paul H. Ward §

Dr. and Mrs. Galen R. Warren

Jonathan and Janet Weaver

Jim and George Ann Wesner

Jo Ann Wieghaus

Steve and Katie Wolnitzek

Carol and Don Wuebbling

Irene A. Zigoris

Anonymous (4)

SYMPHONY CIRCLE

Gifts of $1,500–$2,999

Jeff and Keiko Alexander §

Lisa Allgood

Judy Aronoff and Marshall Ruchman

Ms. Laura E. Atkinson

Dr. Diane S. Babcock §

Beth and Bob Baer

Mr. and Mrs. Carroll R. Baker

Ms. Henryka Bialkowska-Nagy

David and Elaine Billmire §

Neil Bortz

Dr. Leanne Budde

Gay Bullock

Ms. Deborah Campbell §

Tom Carpenter and Lynne Lancaster

Stephen and Karen Carr

Dr. Alan Chambers

James Civille

Carol C. Cole §

Mr. and Mrs. Philip K. Cone

Randy K. and Nancy R. Cooper

Charles and Kimberly Curran §

Mark Dauner and Geraldine Wu

Robert B. Dick, Ph.D.

Tom and Leslie Ducey

David and Linda Dugan

Mr. and Mrs. John G. Earls §

Barry and Judy Evans §

Dr. and Mrs. William J. Faulkner

Ms. Barbara A. Feldmann

Mr. Robert Ferrell

Philip Ficks

Anne and Alan Fleischer

Mrs. Charles Fleischmann

Richard Freshwater §

Carol S. Friel

Dudley Fulton

Anne E. Mulder and Rebecca M. Gibbs

Louis and Deborah Ginocchio

Donn Goebel and Cathy McLeod

Dr. and Mrs. Glenn S. Gollobin

Phyllis Myers and Danny Gray

Bill and Christy Griesser §

Mary and Phil Hagner

Catherine K. Hart

Mrs. Jackie Havenstein

Mrs. Betty H. Heldman §

Mrs. Carol H. Huether

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Isaacs §

Heidi Jark and Steve Kenat

Andrew MacAoidh & Linda Busken Jergens §

The Marvin Jester Family

Christopher and Felecia Kanney

Holly H. Keeler

Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Keown, Jr.

Bill and Penny Kincaid

Jack & Sharon Knapp

In Memory of Jeff Knoop

Pat and Randy Krumm §

Everett and Barbara Landen

Evelyn and Fred Lang

Charles and Jean Lauterbach

Mary Mc and Kevin Lawson

Mrs. Jean E. Lemon §

Dr. Carol P. Leslie

Andi Levenson Young and Scott Young

Mr. Peter F. Levin §

Mr. and Mrs. Lance A. Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. Clement H. Luken, Jr.

Ross Charitable Trust

Mr. Gerron McKnight

Ms. Nancy Menne

John and Roberta Michelman

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Newcomer

Susan E. Noelcke

Nan L. Oscherwitz

Mark and Kim Pomeroy

Dr. Aik Khai Pung

In Memory of Daniel H. Reigle

Stephen and Betty Robinson

Laurie and Dan Roche

Marianne Rowe

Mr. & Mrs. Peter A. Schmid

Stanley and Jane Shulman

Ms. Martha Slager

Susan and David Smith

Mark M. Smith

(In memory of Terri C. Smith)

Stephanie A. Smith

Stephen and Lyle Smith

Albert and Liza Smitherman

Marian P. Stapleton

Bill and Lee Steenken §

Susan M. and Joseph Eric Stevens

Mrs. Donald C. Stouffer

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stradling, Jr.

Mr. Mark Stroud

Rich and Nancy Tereba

Susan and John Tew

In Memory of Mr. William T. Bahlman, Jr.

Michael L. Walton, Esq

Ted and Mary Ann Weiss

Rev. Anne Warrington Wilson

Judy Wilson

Rebecca Seeman and David Wood

David and Sharon Youmans

Anonymous (5)

CONCERTO CLUB

Gifts of $500–$1,499

Christine O. Adams

Dr. Mary Albers

Mr. Thomas Alloy & Dr. Evaline Alessandrini

Patricia A. Anderson

Paul and Dolores Anderson §

Dr. Victor and Dolores Angel

Nancy J. Apfel

Lynne & Keith Apple, Honoring our Family

James Babb

Mrs. Mary M. Baer

Mrs. Gail Bain

Jerry and Martha Bain

Jack and Diane Baldwin

Scott Balmos

Glenda Bates

Drs. Carol and Leslie Benet

Fred Berger

Barbara and Milton Berner

Dr. David and Cheryl Bernstein

Glenda and Malcolm Bernstein

Milt and Berdie Blersch

Randal and Peter Bloch

Margaret Blomer

Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Bloomer

Michael and Pamela Boehm

Ron and Betty Bollinger

Clay and Emily Bond

Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Bove

David & Madonna Bowman

William & Mary Bramlage

Briggs Creative Services, LLC

Joan Broersma

Kathryn L. Brokaw

Harold and Gwen Brown

Jacklyn and Gary Bryson

Bob and Angela Buechner

Angie & Gary Butterbaugh

Jack and Marti Butz

Drs. Alan B. Cady and Anne K. Nestor

Catherine Calko

Joseph P. Cardone

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Carothers

Mike and Shirley Chaney

Gordon Christenson

Dee and Frank Cianciolo Fund*

Mr. and Mrs. John Clapp

Bob Clary

James Clasper and Cheryl Albrecht

Fred W. Colucci

Marilyn Cones

Janet Conway

Andrea D. Costa, Esq. §

Robin Cotton and Cindi Fitton

Dennis and Pat Coyne

Martha Crafts

Tim and Katie Crowley

Susan and John Cummings

Adrian and Takiyah Cunningham

Jacqueline Cutshall

Loren and Polly DeFilippo

Stephen and Cynthia DeHoff

Nancy and Steve Donovan

Douglas & Kathy Dougherty

Meredith and Chuck Downton

Judy Doyle in Memory of James Johnson

Tom and Dale Due

Mrs. Shirley Duff

Mr. Corwin R. Dunn

Edgar J. and Elaine J. Mack Fund

Dale & Kathy Elifrits

Ron Ellis

Ann A. Ellison

Sally Eversole

Mr. Douglas Fagaly

Ms. Kate Farinacci

Mrs. Michelle Finch

Ilya Finkelshteyn and Evin Blomberg

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Fischer

William and Carol Fisher

Mr. and Mrs. James Foreman

Janice and Dr. Tom Forte

Mr. and Ms. Bernard Foster

Dr. Charles E. Frank and Ms. Jan Goldstein

Harriet and Bill Freedman

Mr. and Mrs. John Freeman

Mr. Gregrick A. Frey

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Fricke

Mr. and Mrs. James Fryman

Marjorie Fryxell

Mark S. Gay

Drs. Michael and Janelle J. Gelfand

Kathleen Gibboney

Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. Gilb

Dr. Jerome Glinka and Ms. Kathleen Blieszner

Dr. and Mrs. Charles J. Glueck

Dan Goetz

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Goldschmidt

Ms. Arlene Golembiewski

Mr. William J. Gracie, Jr.

Anita J. and Thomas G. Grau

Robert and Cynthia Gray

Carl and Joyce Greber

Mary Grooms

Nina Gross

Kurt and Joanne Grossman

Janet C. Haartz and Kenneth V. Smith

Ham and Ellie Hamilton

Walter and Karen Hand

Roberta Handwerger, in memory of Dr. Stuart Handwerger

Mr. and Mrs. William Hardie

James and Sally Harper

Dr. Donald and Laura Harrison

Mariana Belvedere and Samer Hasan

Dr. Deborah Hauger

Mr. John A. Headley

Amy and Dennis Healy

Janet Heiden

Angie Heiman

Howard D. and Mary W. Helms

Donald and Susan Henson

Mr. Jeff Herbert

Herman & Margaret Wasserman Music Fund*

Michelle and Don Hershey

Janet & Craig Higgins

Mr. and Mrs. William A. Hillebrand

Susan and Jon Hoffheimer

Timothy and Constance Holmen

Richard and Marcia Holmes

Ben Houck

Deanna and Henry Huber

Melissa Huber

Karen and David Huelsman

Dr. Edward & Sarah Hughes

Nada Christine Huron

Mr. Michael Ilyinsky

Judith Imhoff

Caroline Isaacs

Ms. Idit Isaacsohn

Dr. Maralyn M. Itzkowitz

Mrs. Charles H. Jackson, Jr.

Ruth and Frederick Joffe

Ms. Anna R. Johnson

Mrs. Marilyn P. Johnston

Mr. Andrew Jones

Elizabeth A. Jones

Scott and Patricia Joseph

Jay and Shirley Joyce §

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Judd §

Rabbi Kenneth Kanter and Dr. Toni Kanter

Marilyn and Joseph Katz

Dr. James Kaya and Debra Grauel

Dr. and Mrs. Richard Kerstine

Rachel Kirley and Joseph Jaquette §

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Kitzmiller

Paul and Carita Kollman

Carol and Scott Kosarko §

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Kraimer

Ken and Sue Kramer

Kathleen B. and Michael C. Krug Fund*

Mark and Elisabeth Kuhlman

Maggie and Eric Kuhn

Mrs. John H. Kuhn §

Janice Kummer

Pinky Laffoon

Patricia Lambeck §

Asher and Kelsey Lanier

Ms. Sally L. Larson

Janet R. Schultz

Mrs. Julie Laskey

Joe Law and Phil Wise

Ms. Presley Lindemann

Mitchel and Carol Livingston

Mrs. Marianne Locke

JP and Footie Lund

David and Katja Lundgren

Timothy and Jill Lynch

Edmund D. Lyon

Mrs. Mary Reed Lyon

Marshall and Nancy Macks

Jenea Malarik

Barry and Ann Malinowski

Ms. Cheryl Manning

Ms. Wendy Marshall

Mr. and Mrs. Dean Matz

In memory of Bettie Rehfeld

Ms. Elizabeth McCracken

Dr. Janet P. McDaniel

Tim and Trish McDonald

Mark McKillip and Amira Beer

Stephanie & Arthur McMahon

Stephanie McNeill

Charles and JoAnn Mead

Michael V. Middleton

Mr. Bradley Miller

Terence G. Milligan

Sonia R. Milrod

Leslie and Michael Minutolo

Mr. Steven Monder

Eileen W. and James R. Moon

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Moore

Regeana and Al Morgan

Janet Mott

Dr. and Mrs. M. J. Mueller

Mr. Scott Muhlhauser

Kevin and Lane Muth

Alan Flaherty and Patti Myers § Hochwalt Naumann Fund

Amy Paul and Jerry Newfarmer

Cheryl and Roy Newman

Ms. Jane Nocito

Jane Oberschmidt §

Gary Oppito

Mr. Gerardo Orta

Ms. Sylvia Osterday

Ms. Eileen Ostrowski

Anthony Paggett

John A. Pape

Rozelia Park and Christopher Dendy

Leslie D. Payne

Ms. Catherine J. Pearce

Carol and Jim Pearce

Barbara Persons

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Piazza

Ann and Marty Pinales

Mr. James Quaintance II and Mrs. Catherine Hann

Jerry Rape

James W. Rauth §

Mrs. Genie Redman

Allan Reeves

Kenneth and Danielle Revelson

Becky and Ted Richards

Stephanie Richardson

Drs. Christopher and Blanca Riemann

Mr. David Robertson

Mr. Brian Robson

Dr. Anna Roetker

Ms. Jeanne C. Rolfes

Dr. and Mrs. Gary Roselle

Amy and John Rosenberg

Mr. and Mrs. G. Roger Ross

Dr. Deborah K. Rufner

Mr. Tom Samuels

Dr. Richard S. Sarason and Ms. Anne S. Arenstein

Cindy Scheets

Ms. Carol Schleker

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Schleker

Dr. and Mrs. Michael Schmerler

Alice and Charles Schneider

George Palmer Schober

Tim and Jeannie Schoonover

Glenda C. Schorr Fund*

Dr. Joseph Segal and Ms. Debbie Friedman

Elaine Semancik

Mick and Nancy Shaughnessy

The Shepherd Chemical Company

Alfred and Carol Shikany

Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Shoop, Jr.

Jacqueline M. Mack and Dr. Edward B. Silberstein

Ms. Joycee Simendinger

Doug and Laura Skidmore

Nancy McGaughey and Sally Skillman

Alice E. Skirtz

Jennifer S. Smith

Phillip and Karen Sparkes

Mrs. John A. Spiess

Mary Stagaman and Ron Kull

Dr. Jeffrey Stambough

Dana A. Stang

Mary M. Stein

Christopher and Meghan Stevens

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stevie

Stephanie and Joseph Stitt

Nancy and Gary Strassel

Ms. Susan R. Strick

Mr. George Stricker, Jr.

Tom and Keri Tami

Dr. Alan and Shelley Tarshis

Maureen Taylor

Mr. Fred Tegarden

Carlos and Roberta Teran

Linda and Nate Tetrick

Dale and Yana Thatcher

Marcia and Bob Togneri

James and Susan Troutt

Dr. Nicolette van der Klaauw

Mr. D. R. Van Lokeren

Dr. Judith Vermillion

Jim and Rachel Votaw §

Mrs. Barbara J. Wagner

Ms. Barbara Wagner

Mr. and Mrs. James L. Wainscott

Jane A. Walker

Rosemary Waller

Sarella Walton

Ping Wang

Claude and Camilla Warren

Mrs. Louise Watts

Wendell & Mary Webster

Jeff & Arlene Werts

Janice T. Wieland

Mr. Dean Windgassen and Ms. Susan Stanton Windgassen

Craig and Barbara Wolf

Donald and Karen Wolnik

Judith R. Workman

Linda Wulff

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wylly III

Mr. John M. Yacher

Edith and Leo Yakutis

Drs. Marissa S. Liang and Y. Jeffrey Yang

Judy and Martin Young

Mr. David Youngblood and Ms. Ellen Rosenman

Janice Zahn

Cheryl Zalzal

Mr. and Mrs. John Zeller

Moritz and Barbara Ziegler

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Zierolf

Mr. Richard K. Zinicola and Ms. Linda R. Holthaus

David and Cynthia Zink

Daniel & Susmita Zuck

Mrs. Beth Zwergel

Anonymous (27)

List as of October 14, 2025

GIFTS IN-KIND

Graeter’s Ice Cream

Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA

Southern Grace Eats

The T Shirt Co.

WOW Windowboxes

Carlos Zavala

List as of October 17, 2025

* Denotes a fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

§ Denotes members of The Thomas Schippers Legacy Society. Individuals who have made a planned gift to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops Orchestra are eligible for membership in the Society. For more information, please contact Kate Farinacci at 513.744.3202.

Welcome to JAN–FEB Groups!

POPS Disney in Concert: Toy Story | JAN 3 & 4

Ms. Liza Bronner Friends & Family

CSO Trifonov Plays Beethoven: JAN 10 & 11

Johnson Investment Counsel

CSO American Voices: JAN 16 & 17

Barrington of Oakley

Christian Village at Mason

Maple Knoll Village

Otterbein Retirement Community

Twenhofel Middle School

Twin Lakes at Montgomery

White Oak Middle School

Mayerson Jewish Community Center

The Kenwood

Seasons Retirement Community

The Knolls of Oxford

ArtsWave

as of November 20, 2025

POPS Dolly Parton’s Threads | JAN 23–25

Anderson Senior Center

Bayley at Green Township

Berkeley Square

Maple Knoll Village

Sarra Polisini Friends & Family

Seasons Retirement Community

CSO Mahler Symphony No. 4: FEB 6 & 7

Barrington Of Oakley

Christian Village at Mason

Maple Knoll Village

Otterbein Retirement Community

Twin Lakes at Montgomery

Calvary Christian School

The Kenwood

Seasons Retirement Community

The Knolls of Oxford

Lollipops Family Concert

Peter & the Wolf | FEB 7

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Rogers Friends & Family

The Kincaid Family

ENJOY THE MUSIC, TOGETHER!

• Groups of 10+ save 20% on most concerts and seniors and students save even more!

• Curate your own event with a private reception, guided tour or meet and greet — the possibilities are endless.

Contact CSO Group Sales: 513.744.3252 or wmarshall@cincinnatisymphony.org cincinnatisymphony.org/groups

THE THOMAS SCHIPPERS LEGACY SOCIETY

Mr. & Mrs. James R. Adams

Jeff & Keiko Alexander

Mrs. Robert H. Allen

Dr. Toni Alterman

Paul R. Anderson

Carole J. Arend

Donald C. Auberger, Jr.

Thomas Schippers was Music Director from 1970 to 1977. He left not only wonderful musical memories, but also a financial legacy with a personal bequest to the Orchestra. The Thomas Schippers Legacy Society recognizes those who contribute to the Orchestra with a planned gift. We thank these members for their foresight and generosity. For more information on leaving your own legacy, contact Kate Farinacci at 513.744.3202.

The B & C Family Legacy Fund

Dr. Diane Schwemlein Babcock

Henrietta Barlag*

Peggy Barrett*

Jane* & Ed Bavaria

David & Elaine Billmire

Walter Blair

Dr. John & Suzanne Bossert

Dr. Mollie H. Bowers-Hollon

Ronald Bozicevich

Thomas A. Braun, III

Joseph Brinkmeyer

Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Bryan, III

Harold & Dorothy Byers

Deborah Campbell & Eunice M. Wolf

Catharine W. Chapman

Michael L. Cioffi & Rachael Rowe

Mrs. Jackson L. Clagett III

Lois & Phil* Cohen

Leland M.* & Carol C. Cole

Sheila & Christopher Cole

Jack & Janice Cook

Mr. & Mrs. Charles Cordes

Ms. Andrea Costa

Peter G. Courlas & Nick Tsimaras*

Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Curran III

Amy & Scott Darrah, Meredith & Will Darrah, children

Caroline H. Davidson

Harrison R.T. Davis

Ms. Kelly M. Dehan

Amy & Trey Devey

Robert W. Dorsey

Jon & Susan Doucleff

Ms. Judith A. Doyle

Mr. & Mrs. John Earls

Mr. & Mrs. Barry C. Evans

Linda & Harry Fath

Alan Flaherty

Ashley & Barbara Ford

Guy & Marilyn Frederick

Rich Freshwater & Family

Mr. Nicholas L. Fry

Linda P. Fulton

H. Jane Gavin

Edward J. & Barbara C.* Givens

Kenneth A. Goode

Clifford J. Goosmann &

Andrea M. Wilson

Mrs. Madeleine H. Gordon

J. Frederick & Cynthia Gossman

Kathy Grote

Esther B. Grubbs, Marci Bein, Mindi Hamby

William Hackman

Vincent C. Hand & Ann E. Hagerman

Tom & Jan* Hardy

William L. Harmon

Mary J. Healy

Frank G. Heitker

Betty & John* Heldman

Karlee L. Hilliard

Michael H. Hirsch

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn

Daniel J. Hoffheimer

Kenneth L. Holford

George R. Hood

Mr. & Mrs. Terence L. Horan

Sandra L. Houck

Mrs. Benjamin C. Hubbard

Susan & Tom Hughes

Dr. Lesley Gilbertson & Dr. William Hurford

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Isaacs

Julia M. F. B. Jackson

Michael & Kathleen Janson

Andrew MacAoidh Jergens

Jean C. Jett

Jay & Shirley Joyce

Anne C. & Robert P. Judd

Margaret H. Jung

Mace C. Justice

Dr. & Mrs.* Steven Katkin

Rachel Kirley & Joseph Jaquette

Jay & Shirley Joyce

Carolyn Koehl

Marvin Kolodzik & Linda Gallaher

Carol & Scott Kosarko

Marilyn & Michael Kremzar

Randolph & Patricia Krumm

Theresa M. Kuhn

Warren & Patricia Lambeck

“As a little boy I loved the music so much that she arranged for me to start violin lessons when I was 5.” In time, that led to joining a middle school orchestra, something Shen says is “very hard to do in China during my time, unless you’re in the conservatory. It changed my life.”

With the help of his teacher in Beijing, Shen came to the U.S. for higher education, first to the University of Delaware, then to the University of Maryland and finally to the Cleveland Institute of

Peter E. Landgren & Judith Schonbach Landgren

Susan J. Lauf

Owen & Cici Lee

Steve Lee

Mrs. Jean E. Lemon

Mr. Peter F. Levin

Janice W.* & Gary R. Lubin

Mr.* & Mrs. Ronald Lyons

Margot Marples

David L. Martin

Allen* & Judy Martin

David Mason

Barbara & Kim McCracken

Laura Kimble McLellan

Dr. Stanley R. Milstein

Mrs. William K. Minor

Mr. & Mrs. D. E. Moccia

Mary Lou Motl

Kristin & Stephen Mullin

Christopher & Susan Muth

Patti Myers

Ms. Phyllis A. Myers

Susan & Kenneth Newmark

Dr. & Mrs. Theodore Nicholas

Jane Oberschmidt*

Marja-Liisa Ogden

Julie & Dick* Okenfuss

Dr. & Mrs. Richard E. Park, MD

Charlie & Tara Pease

Poul D. & JoAnne Pedersen

Sandy & Larry* Pike

Mrs. Harold F. Poe

Anne M. Pohl

Irene & Daniel Randolph

James W. Rauth

Barbara S. Reckseit

Mrs. Angela M. Reed

Melody Sawyer Richardson

Ellen Rieveschl

Elizabeth & Karl Ronn

Moe & Jack Rouse

Ann & Harry Santen

Rosemary & Mark Schlachter

Carol J. Schroeder

Mrs. William R. Seaman

Dr. Brian Sebastian

Mrs. Robert B. Shott

Sue & Glenn Showers

Irwin & Melinda Simon

Betsy & Paul* Sittenfeld

Sarah Garrison Skidmore*

Denis & Lisa Skowronski

Adrienne A. Smith

David & Sonja* Snyder

Marie Speziale

Mr. & Mrs. Christopher L. Sprenkle

Barry & Sharlyn Stare

Bill & Lee Steenken

Tom* & Dee Stegman

Barry Steinberg

Nancy M. Steman

John & Helen Stevenson

Mary & Bob Stewart

Brett Stover

Dr. Robert & Jill Strub

Patricia M. Strunk

Ralph & Brenda* Taylor

Conrad F. Thiede

Minda F. Thompson

Carrie & Peter Throm

Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Todd

Nydia Tranter

Dick & Jane Tuten

Thomas Vanden Eynden* & Judith Beiting

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Varley*

Mr. & Mrs. James K. Votaw

Mr. & Mrs.* Randolph L. Wadsworth Jr.

Nancy C. Wagner

Patricia M. Wagner

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Ward

Jo Anne & Fred Warren

Mr. Scott Weiss & Dr. Charla Weiss

Donna A. Welsch

Anne M. Werner

Gary & Diane West

Charles A. Wilkinson

Ms. Diana Willen

Susan Stanton Windgassen

Mrs. Joan R. Wood

Alison & Jim Zimmerman

* Deceased

New Schippers members are in bold

Music, where he received a professional studies diploma in conducting.

“You have to be obsessed to succeed as a conductor, I think,” he says. “The career of a conductor is always on the move. I am inspired by Cristi and his suitcase. But for now, it is time for me to learn all about Cincinnati. I find it to be a charming city. The art museum, the hills, the library — I just got my library card, so I am ready to fill my Kindle. I am excited to explore.”

Opus

50 & 25

Subscribers of 50 years or more:

Mr. Gordon Allen

Theresa M. Anderson

Nancy J. Apfel

Mrs. Marvin Aronoff

Mr. and Mrs. Franchot Ballinger

Michael A. Battersby

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert J. Beigel

Glenda and Malcolm Bernstein

Hon. Marianna Brown Bettman

Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Bloch

Bill and Mary Bonansinga

Eleanor A. Botts

Dr. and Mrs. William Bramlage

Mr. Don H. Brown

Mr. Thomas H. Brown

Mr. and Mrs. R. Richard Broxon

William Bryan

Chris and Tom Buchert

We thank every subscriber whose investment in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops makes these concerts possible. We would not be on stage without you! Thank you especially to the following subscribers whose loyalty and support has extended 25–50 years or more.*

List as of November 12, 2025

*If we have inadvertently left your name off this subscribers-only list or if we need to make corrections to your listed name, please call us at 513.381.3800 or email us at hello@cincinnatisymphony.org.

We are also grateful to those who have been loyal subscribers for 10–24 years, whose names we are unable to include here due to space limitations.

Mrs. Carol A. Grasha and Mr. Christopher B. Knoop

Paul and Carita Kollman

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Krieg

Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Kuhnell

Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. LaChance

Susan Laffoon

The Lazarus Family

Mr. Gus Lewin

Mrs. Linda Linker

Judy and Donald Lomax

Mr. Phillip C. Long

Dr. and Mrs. Joseph T. Luttmer

Peter and Angela Madden

Mr. Carl G. Marquette, Jr.

Tom and Nancy Matthew

Mr. Howard Mayers

Barbara and Kim McCracken

Mr. and Mrs. John S. McCullough

Ted and Barb Mechley

Mrs. G. Franklin Miller

Ms. Lynn Miller

Mr. and Mrs. David A. Millett

David and Diane Moccia

Mr. and Mrs. David W. Motch

Donald L. and Kathleen Field Burns

Jim and Nina Campbell

Stephen and Karen Carr

Mr. Timothy Clarke

Carol C. Cole

Mr. David S. Collins and Ms. Sandra M. Gans

Dr. C. J. and Carolyn Condorodis

Sally and Rick Coomes

Robin T. Cotton and Cynthia Fitton

Peter G. Courlas

Nancy Creaghead

Lynne Curtiss

Mrs. Lilian Estevez. de Pagani

Sally H. Dessauer

Mrs. Mel B. Dreyfoos

Mr. and Mrs. C. Thomas Dupuis

Mr. John Eddingfield

Ms. Cathy C. Eubanks

Mr. and Mrs. James T. Fitzgerald

Dr. David Flaspohler and Dr. Cynthia Crown

Mr. and Mrs. Ashley L. Ford

Mikki and Walter Frank

Harriet A. and William M. Freedman

Mrs. Nancy Gard

Mr. and Mrs. James K. Gehring

Dr. and Mrs. Charles J. Glueck

Steven and Shelley Goldstein

Mr. David Greulich

Mary Grooms

Esther Grubbs and Karen Dennis

Dr. Janet C. Haartz

William P. Hackman

Dr. and Mrs. Edward Hake

Ham and Ellie Hamilton

Mrs. Joan D. Hauser

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Hedeen

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Hinaman

Mr. Michael H. Hirsch

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn

Daniel J. Hoffheimer

Mrs. Robert S. Holzman

Mrs. Benjamin C. Hubbard

Charles and Doris Jackson

Rev. & Mrs. Andrew MacAoidh Jergens

Ruth and Frederick Joffe

Dr. and Mrs. Earl Kisker

Mrs. Mary Lou Mueller

Mr. and Mrs. Raymond D. Neusch

Mr. and Mrs. John Niehaus

Dr. Cora Ogle

Alice Perlman

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Piazza

Anne M. Pohl

Mrs. Stewart Proctor

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Rohling

James Rubenstein and Bernadette Unger

Mr. and Mrs. Eric Schaumloffel

Lee and Martha Schimberg

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick R. Schneider

Mrs. William Schwerin

Dr. and Mrs. Rees W. Sheppard

Alfred and Carol Shikany

Sue and Glenn Showers

Jacqueline M. Mack and Dr. Edward B. Silberstein

John and Janet Simpkinson

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Skirtz

Mr. and Mrs. David Lee Smith

Mr. and Mrs. John Spiess

Mrs. Henry R. Stefanik

Dee Stegman

Dr. Jean and Mrs. Anne Steichen

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Mary Jane Mayer

Steven Mayer

Mr. and Mrs. John Mays

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. McClurg

Mr. Martin P. McConnell and Ms. Patricia Stockman

Ms. Tawny McCormick

David and Leslie McCracken

Dr. Janet P. McDaniel

Robert and Alexandra McDonald

Todd McFarland

Charlene McGrath

Ms. Janet McGrath

Mr. Mark E. McKillip and Ms. Amira Beer

Mr. Douglas J. McKimm

Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. McKinney

Steve and Jeri McLane

Mr. and Mrs. Terry McMillen

Ms. Nancy McNeal

Janet McNeel

Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. McOsker

Susan McPartlin and Michael Galbraith

Mr. Paul Medin and Ms. Carol Ray

Carol Meibers

Gene and Mary Meister

Lynn Meloy and Lyle Cain

Lon Mendelsohn

Abe and Marla Merdinger

Sharon Merrill

Julie Metz

Mr. and Mrs. Gary A. Metzger

Charles Meyer and Leila Case

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis J. Meyer

Karen Meyers and Bill Jones

Mrs. Nancy L. Meyers

Rebecca Miars

James and Sarah Michael

Mrs. Ann Michaels

Alexander Miethke and Etsuko Adachi

Les and Joan Miley

Bradley Miller

Tom and Carolyn Miller

Dr. and Mrs. E. Huxley Miller

Mr. and Mrs. James L. Miller

Mr. James M. Miller

Mark and Kate Miller

Ms. Sue Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Miller

Drs. Robert and Elaine Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Miller

Dr. and Mrs. Theodore H. Miller

Terence G. Milligan

Mr. and Mrs. Donald D. Mills

Becky Milostan

Ms. Sonia R. Milrod

James and Margo Minutolo

Theodore Mitchel

Veronica Mitchell

Nora and Daniel Mollmann

Ms. Kathy S. Molony

Richard and Sue Momeyer

Ms. Susanne E. Monteith

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse F. Montgomery III

Charles and Sally Moomaw

Eileen W. and James R. Moon

Leonard and Terry Moore

Mr. Michael T. Moore, Jr.

Joseph and Linda Moravec

David and Judith Morgan

Regeana and Al Morgan

Mr. and Mrs. Russ Morrison

Thomas and Fran Morrison

Kay Mosgrove

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin R. Mosher

Mr. and Mrs. Gates Moss

Mary Lou Motl

Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Mottola

David Mueller

Ms. Joyce A. Mueller

Mrs. Kathleen Mueller

Elaine Mueninghoff

Ms. Jane Mueninghoff

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Muething

Renee Murray

Gloria Murry

Michael Murry

Kevin and Lane Muth

Faye Myers

Patricia Myers and Alan Flaherty

Ms. Phyllis A. Myers

Adrienne Noble Nacev

Mr. and Mrs. James S. Nash

Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Nawalaniec

Jeremy Neff

Patricia Neidhard

Larry Neuman

Paul Neumann

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Newcomer

Mr. Gerald Newfarmer and Ms. Amy Paul

Mr. and Mrs. George W. Newman

Mr. Robert B. Newman and Ms. Mary Asbury

Roy and Cheryl Newman

Mrs. Christine E. Neyer

Victor and Luana Nichifor

Jim and Sharon Nichols

Ron Nicholson

Joseph Nicolas

Greg and Lisa Niehaus

Margo Nienaber

Hiroshi & Hiroko Nishiyama

Mark Noe

Mr. John C. Noelcke

Susan Noelcke

Ms. Julie B. Northrop

Heather Norton

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce F. Nutley

Ms. Sylvia Imes O’Bannon

Mrs. Deborah Oberlag

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel B. O’Brien

Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. O’Brien

Bill and Mary Carol O’Brien

Mr. Edward A. O’Connell and Ms. Susan Dreibelbis

James O’Connell

Kathleen O’Connell and Kenneth Peterson

Maura O’Connor

Dr. and Mrs. Alan E. Oestreich

Erin O’Grady

Ms. Erna Olafson

Mr. R. Lee Oliver

Mr. Gary S. Oppito

Mr. Fred C. Orth III and Ms. Marlene Miner

Dr. Nan L. Oscherwitz

Hanna Osinska

Mr. and Mrs. James Osterburg

Acton Ostling

Prof. and Mrs. Daniel E. Otero

Mrs. Carol A. O’Toole

Vicki Otting

Jack and Sue Paas

Marian Paola

Jill and Aaron Parker

Dr. and Mrs. Carl L. Parrott , Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Milton Partridge

Manisha Patel and Michael Curran

Waltke Paulding

Roger and Marlene Paulinelli

Mr. and Mrs. Graham Paxton

Charlie and Tara Pease

Claire Peasley

Poul D. and JoAnne Pedersen

Jeffrey and Anna Peloquin

Mrs. Sue C. Pepple

Susan Perry

Mr. James S. Petera and

Ms. Lora S. Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Peterson

Rev. Dr. David V. Schwab

Mr. and Mrs. Ken P. Petrus

Daniel Pfahl

Carol A. and Edwin A. Pfetzing

Stefan and Ina Pfuhler

Mr. Stephen L. Phillips

Steve and Lynn Phillips

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Pichler

Richard and Cynthia Piening

Jerry and Marcia Pike

Mr. and Mrs. Martin Pinales

John Pinney and Lyn Marsteller

Dr. and Mrs. Timothy L. Pohlman

George and Anne Polak

Mark and Kim Pomeroy

Chef Bill Porter

Michael Potticary and Tellervo Juula-Potticary

Dr. and Mrs. Peter S. Poulos

Ms. Nancy M. Powell

Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Powers

Dennis and Bonnie Pratte

Susan Prince and Matthew Ward

Drs. Marcia Kaplan and Michael Privitera

Ms. Priscilla J. Prouty

Mr. and Mrs. Art Provenzano

Robert Przygoda

David and Brenda Puckett

David and Susan Pugh

Steven and Sharon Pyrak

Gordon and Diana Queen

Michael and Katherine Rademacher

Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Rainey

Ms. Mary Lou Rakel

Mike and Beverly Ralston

John Rapach

Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Rapien

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Raptis

Ms. Constance S. Rave

Mr. and Mrs. J. Kent Rawlings

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Reckman

Angela Reed

Erin Reed

Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Reed

Clinton Reese

Mr. and Mrs. Allan T. Reeves

Mr. William D. Reid and Mrs. Anne Cushing-Reid

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel H. Reigle

Cheryl Reiman

Judy Reinhold

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth A. Reis

Mr. Michael Rench

Patricia Ressler

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth M. Revelson

Mr. Frank Reynolds

Vicky and Rick Reynolds

Marsha Reynolds

Dusty and Jo Ann Rhodes

Mr. Jerry Rice

Ms. Pamela S. Rice

Becky and Ted Richards

Mrs. Kathy F. Richardson

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Riesenbeck

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Riga

Mr. and Mrs. J. Timothy Riker

Ms. Janice Ring

Karen and Mark RingswaldEgan

Sparkle Rinsky

Ms. Sandra Rivers

Gale Roberts

Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Roberts

Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Robertshaw

Mr. Douglas Robinson

Herbert Robinson and Barbara Sferra

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen E. Robinson

Ms. Susan Robinson

Suzanne and Craig Robinson

Laurie and Daniel Roche

John D and Linda N Rockaway

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel A. Rodner

Donald and Constance Roesch

John and Beth Roeseler

Dave and Tricia Roettker

Mr. Tom Rolfes

Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Rosborough

Mr. and Mrs. J. David Rosenberg

Jeanette Rosing

Mrs. Bettina Ross

Ms. Annette Roth

Mrs. Monique Rothschild

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Rouse

Leonard and Julie Rowekamp

Ms. Judy Ruehl

Dr. Deborah K. Rufner

Mr. Nick Ruotolo

Krysia Rush

Ms. Lisa Russell

Peter and Joy Rutan

Robert and Carolyn Rutter

Margene Ryberg

Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Rybolt

Mrs. Iris M. Sageser

Mr. and Mrs. Alan Sakalas

Paul and Karen Saleba

Ms. Cheryl A. Sallwasser

Ms. Nancy L. Sanchez

Lee Ann and John Sander

David Sandor and Mary Zins

Harry and Ann Santen

Mrs. Germaine L. Santos

Dr. Richard S. Sarason and Anne S. Arenstein

Bradley Sarchet

Cortlund and Holly Sattler

Mr. and Mrs. David J. Savage , Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. E. Don Nelson

Christian Schaefer

Susan Schapiro

James and Renee Scharf

Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Scharfenberger

Cindy A. Scheets

Mr. and Mrs. David Schieve

David and Catherine Schildknecht

Mark S. and Rosemary K. Schlachter

Christopher Schleifer

Mr. Wayne S. Schleutker

Daniel and Diana Schloemer

David Schloss

David and Nancy Schlothauer

David and Margaret Schlueter

Richard Schlueter and Linda Knox

Mr. Jeff Miller

Dr. and Mrs. Michael Schmerler

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Schmidt

Mrs. and Mr. Philip Schmidt

George Schmitz

Mr. C. Robert Schmuelling and Ms. Susan Cohen

Amy Schneider

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Schneider

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Schneider

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. Schnell

Jerry and Ann Schoen

Dennis Schoeny

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy H. Schoonover

Caryn Schraffenberger

Julia Schrage

Marylee Schreibeis

Bill Schreiner

Ms. Carol J. Schroeder

Michael and Digi Schueler

Dr.and Mrs. Fritz L. Schuermeyer

Mr. Arthur K. Schuler

Marcia Schulte

Kenneth Schonberg and

Deborah Schultz

Mr. Steven R. Schultz

Ms. Christine Schumacher

Peter and Sany Schwaller

Mr. Alan Schwartz

Ms. Carol J. Schweitzer

Mr. and Mrs. David Schwieterman

Joseph and Stephanie Sciamanna

Ms. Julia Scofield

Mark Scott and Misa Ito

Ms. L. Susan Pace

David Scutt

Linda Sears

Beverly Seibert

Bruce and Jan Seidel

David and Sandy Seiwert

Rachelle Sekerka

Steven Selss

Mrs. Thomas P. Semancik

Ms. Jean Sens

Ms. Stephanie Sepate

Mr. and Ms. Thomas Sewall

Martin and Barb Sexton

Ms. Janice F. Seymour

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Shaffer

Douglas and Janyce Sharpnack

Ms. Martha Sharts

Megan Sharts

Drs. Mick and Nancy Shaughnessy

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Shaw

Robert Shaw

Vickie Shei

Mark and Mary Sherman

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce M. Sherwood

Mr. and Mrs. Laurence A. Shiplett

Ms. Brenda R. Shonfield

Samuel and Sharon Shreve

Stanley and Jane Shulman

Mr. Eli E. Shupe, Jr.

Nancy Shupe

Mr. and Mrs. David C. Siebenhar

Ryan and Kara Rybolt

Mr. Gregory R. Saelens

Cynthia Sieber

Daniel and Karen Siegfried

Mr. and Mrs. Jay Sien

Lise and Kevin Sigward

Deborah Silverman, M.D.

William Simms and Margaret Luongo

Dr. and Mrs. Barry J. Simon

Mr. and Mrs. Irwin B. Simon

Ms. Kathleen Simon

Mrs. Linda Simon

Ashley Simpson

Arthur and Inger Slavin

Joanne M and John G Slovisky

Mrs. Heidi M. Smakula

David and Tracy M Small

Anne Smith

David and Margaret Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Gary A. Smith

J. K. and Vicki Smith

Ms. Michele A. Smith

Dr. Jennifer S. Smith

Mr. Richard K. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Smith , Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith

Timothy Smith and Penny Poirier

William Smith and Joan Jansen-Smith

William and Jane Smith

Yelena and Ilya Smolyansky

Mrs. Joanne Sonnenberg

Stanley D and Susanne T Sorensen

Alexandre Sousa

James Spence

Brian and Christeena Spengler

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew P. Speno

Mr. Matthew J. Spiro

Ms. Paula A. Spitzmiller

Ron and Sue Spohr

Mr. and Mrs. Richard R. Sprigg

Kayla Springer

Mary Stagaman and Ron Kull

Sterling and Brenda Staggs

Eric Stamler and Elizabeth Rabkin

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Staneck

Sharon and Donald Stanton

John Staup

Matt and Shannon Stautberg

Marlene Steele

Mr. and Mrs. William G. Steenken

Matthew Stegall

Mrs. Trista K. Stegman

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob K. Stein

Susan and Jonathan Steinberg

John Stengel

Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Stenken

Ms. Julia C. Stephen

Carol Stephenson

Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Stephenson

Ms. Marjorie A. Stephenson

Mr. Richard Sternberg

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Stevens

Chester and Barbara Stewart

Mr. and Mrs. Francis H. Stewart

Jason Stitt

Joseph and Stephanie Stitt

Miss Judy Stockmeier and Mr. Raymond Dick

Mr. and Mrs. Gary E. Stoelting

Joe and Gladys Stolz

Mr. John K. Stone

Diana Stoppiello

Ms. Margaret M. Story

Mr. Victor Shaffer

Mr. Brett A. Stover

Samuel and Dottie Stover

Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Stradling

Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Strassel

Dr. Joseph Stratman

Mrs. Gerri Strauss

Kathy Street

Teresa Stubbs

Ms. Judith A. Stubenrauch

Rodney and Mary Stucky

Kay Sudbrack

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sugerman

Glenda Suttman

Jean Swartley and Steven Rodenberg

Lora Swedberg

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew E. Sweeny, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Francis R. Szecskay

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Tami

Ms. Reiko Tanaka

Alan and Shelley Tarshis

Mr. Ralph C. Taylor , Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Tegarden

Kathy Teipen

Steven and Linda Templin

Mr. and Mrs. John A. Tensing

Jeanette Tepe

Carlos and Roberta Teran

Richard and Nancy Tereba

Nate and Linda Tetrick

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Thatcher

Mr. and Mrs. Mark M. Thomas

Rebecca Thomas

Robert and Pamela Thomas

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen R. Thomas

James L. Thompson

Minda Thompson

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Thompson

Sarah and Neil Thorburn

Mr. and Mrs. William P. Thurman

David Tietsort

Mrs. Helga Tillinghast

Mr. and Mrs. William Tipkemper

Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Tobin

Matt Todaro

Mr. Michael R. Toensmeyer

Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Togneri

Rita Tome

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Topmiller

Mr. Dennis Trchka

Roger and Vickie Treece

Paul and Diana Trenkamp

McClellan and Paulette Tribble

Mr. Timothy E. Troendle

Suzanne Trubee

Mr. and Ms. Robert H. Turner , Jr.

Mr. and Ms. Clifford J. Turrell

Twin Lakes at Montgomery

Phil Tworek and Thomas Umfrid

James Uber and Lotush Chang

Ms. Mary M. Uhlenbrock

Mr. and Mrs. Alan J. Ullman

Kari and Jonathan Ullman

Michael and Ann Ullman

Randy Ulses and Michael Smith

D. Van Lokeren

Mr. and Mrs. David VanSice

Cenalo and Mary Vaz

Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Veid

Mr. and Mrs. Todd W. Veigel

Susan Vergamini

Judith Vermillion

Ms. Mary U. Vicario

Mr. and Mrs. Miguel Villalba

Mrs. Mary Ellen H. Villalobos

Timothy Vincze

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher F. Virgulak

Kathy Vissman

William Vodegel and Jennifer Molony

Ms. Molly A. Vollmer

Joan Von Handorf

Mr. and Mrs. James K. Votaw

Devorah Waesch

Barb Wagner

Nancy Wagner and Patricia Wagner

Elmer and Judy Wahl

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Waldfogle

Jeffrey Waldron

Priscilla Walford

Jane Walker

Matthew and Diana Wallace

Robert and Joan Wallace

Dr. Ingrid M. Wallner-Ritschel

Mr. and Mrs. Denis F. Walsh

Patrick J and Bonnie A Walsh

Gerry and Carenjean Walter

Helen Walters

Ms. Lesly Sue H. Walters

Mr. Michael L. Walton

Mr. Michael L. Walton

Ms. Sarella M. Walton

Daniel and Rebecca Ward

Dr. Robert J. Warden

Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Ware

Mrs. Ginger Warner

Mr. and Mrs. Howard P. Warner

Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Warner

Robert and Leslie Warnock

Claude and Camilla Warren

Frederick and Jo Anne Warren

Mr. and Mrs. Chad Warwick

Raymond and Maureen Wash

Michael and Ellen Wathen

Patrice Watson and Teresa Harten

Mrs. Louise Watts

James and Carol Waugh

Laura Weaver

Dr. and Mrs. Barry W. Webb

Ms. Karen Webb

Mr. and Mrs. Terry N. Webb

Ms. Gretchen Webb

Dr. and Mrs. Warren A. Webster

Robert and Joann Weckman

Ms. Marilyn J. Wehri

J. Gregory and Diane Wehrman

Mr. Gerald Weigle, Jr.

Richard and Ervena Weingartner

Alta Weinkam

Mary Ann Weiss

Jerome and Connie Wellbrock

Mrs. Donna A. Welsch

Suzanne Wera

Ms. Anne M. Werner

Mark Wert and Mark Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Wesner

DeeDee and Gary West

Mr. and Mrs. John David West

Dave Westendorf

Mr. John H. Westenkirchner

Carol Westermeyer

Ray and Elaine Westrich

Susan Westrick

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Wetzler

Dr. and Mrs. Stephen P. Whitlatch

Jeffrey and Dorinda Whitsett

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Whittenburg

Mrs. Ann Wicks

Mrs. Constance C. Widmer

David Wieczorek and Dorothy Sheehy-Wieczorek

Glay and Nancy Wiegand

Ms. Jo Ann Wieghaus

Janice T. Wieland

Mr. and Mrs. Garth Wiley

Lucia Wilford

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Wilhelm

Justin and Jennifer Wilkey

Daniel and Heidi Wilkin

Charles Wilkinson

Glenn and Elaine Williams

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Williams

Dr. Jeffrey C. Williams

Ms. Sheila J. Williams

Ms. Catherine S. Willis

Steve and Nancy W Wills

Joe and Ann Wilmers

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Winter

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Wintz

Linda Wisher

Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Wissel

Ms. Barbara J. Witte

Jane Wittke

Tom Woeber

Mr. and Mrs. Craig V. Wolf

Guy Wolf and Jane Misiewicz

Gary and Cindy

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Wolnik

Steve and Katie Wolnitzek

Regina and Joseph Wolterman

Mr. and Mrs. David H. Wood

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Woodrow

Mr. Tom Woodruff

Nancy Woods

Dr. and Mrs. Mark Workman

Mr. and Mrs. William A. Wortman

Charles Wright

Donald and Carol Wuebbling

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Wuestefeld

Mr. Alvin Wulfekuhl

Ms. Susan Mineer-Wulsin

Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Wyght

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne C. Wykoff

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Wylly

Stavra Xanthakos & Helmut Roehrig

John M. Yacher

Emel Yakali

Patricia Yates

Robert and Judy Yeager

Chuck and Carole Ann Yeazell

Mr. and Mrs. David C. Youmans

Dona Young

Mr. Jim Young

David Youngblood and Ellen Rosenman

R. Scott and Kathy Youngquist

Barbara Zahler

Janet Zeigler

Mr. and Mrs. John E. Zeller

Patricia Zerbe

Karen Ziegler

Moritz and Barbara Ziegler

Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Ziek , Jr.

Joseph and Lisa Zielinski

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Zierolf

Mrs. Irene Zigoris

Mr. and Mrs. James M. Zimmerman

Ms. Sue Zimmerman

Richard Zinicola and Linda Holthaus

Dr. and Mrs. David C. Zink

David and Judy Zinn

Ms. Judith P. Zinsser

Mr. and Mrs. Jon Zipperstein

Ms. Mary L. Zubelik

Daniel Zuck and Susmita Kashikar-Zuck

Administration

SHARED SERVICES & SUBSIDIARIES. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s business model is unique within the orchestral industry because it provides administrative services for other nonprofits and operates two subsidiary companies — Music & Event Management, Inc. and EVT Management LLC. With the consolidation of resources and expertise, sharing administrative services allows for all organizations within the model to thrive. Under this arrangement, the CSO produces hundreds of events in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton regions and employs hundreds of people annually.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

Robert McGrath President & CEO

Harold Brown

The Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones Chief Inclusion Officer

John Clapp Chief Orchestra & Production Officer

Gregory Lee Chief Financial Officer

Felecia Tchen Kanney Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

Mary McFadden Lawson Chief Philanthropy Officer

Anthony Paggett Chief Artistic Officer

Kyle Wynk-Sivashankar Chief People Officer

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Shannon Faith Executive Assistant to the President & CEO

ARTISTIC PLANNING

Julia Gaines

Artistic Planning Intern

Theresa Lansberry

Manager of Artistic Planning & Artist Servicing

Shuta Maeno

Manager of Artistic Planning & Assistant to the Music Director

Sam Strater Senior Advisor for Cincinnati Pops Planning

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Key Crooms Director of Community Engagement

Pamela Jayne Volunteer & Community Engagement Manager

Molly Rains Community Engagement Events Manager

Andrea Saavedra Ferreira Community Engagement Intern

FINANCE, IT & DATA SERVICES

Julian Cann Accounting Clerk

Leia Chan Finance Intern

Kathleen Curry Data Entry Clerk

Elizabeth Engwall Accounting Manager

Spencer Enright Accounting Clerk

Matt Grady Accounting Manager

Sharon Grayton Data Services Manager

Marijane Klug Staff Accountant

Shannon May Accounting Clerk

Kristina Pfeiffer Director of Finance

Judy Simpson Director of Finance

Tara Williams Data Services Manager

HUMAN RESOURCES & PAYROLL

Megan Inderbitzin-Tsai Director of Payroll Services

Monica Lange Payroll & Human Resources Assistant

Natalia Lerzundi Human Resources Manager

LEARNING

Hollie Greenwood Learning Department Coordinator

Kyle Lamb School Programs Manager

Jack Obermeyer Youth Orchestras Manager

Anja Ormiston Learning Department Coordinator

Hannah Ross Director of Learning

MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS & DIGITAL MEDIA

Charlie Balcom

Social Media Manager

Leon Barton Website Manager

Hannah Boettcher Marketing Intern

KC Commander Director of Digital Content & Innovation

Maria Cordes

Video Editor

Jon Dellinger

Growth Marketing Manager

Drew Dolan Box Office Manager

Kaitlyn Driesen

Digital Media & Label Services Manager

Jensen Fitch Publicity Manager

Gabriela Godinez Feregrino Publications Manager

Daniel Lees

Assistant Box Office Manager

Michelle Lewandowski Director of Marketing

Tina Marshall Director of Ticketing & Audience Services

Wendy Marshall Group Sales Manager

Madelyn McArthur Audience Engagement Manager

Nyla Nawab Communications Intern

Amber Ostaszewski Director of Audience Engagement

Devon Pine Subscription Marketing Manager

Tyler Secor Director of Communications & Content Development

Alexis Shambley Audience Development

Marketing Manager

Lee Snow

Digital Content Technology Manager

Elise Wells

Digital Content Intern

Patron Services

Representatives

Hannah Blanchette, Lead

Talor Marren, Lead

Lucas Maurer, Lead

Marian Mayen, Lead

Gregory Patterson, Lead

Andy Demczuk

Craig Doolin

Abby Dreith

Jacob Forte

Ebony Jackson

Grace Mattina

Scott Molnar

Kathleen Riemenschneider

Mekhi Tyree

PHILANTHROPY

Sean Baker

Director of Institutional Giving

Angelina Bush

Philanthropy Intern

Ashley Coffey

Foundation & Grants Manager

Maddie Denning

Institutional Giving Coordinator

Kate Farinacci

Director of Special Campaigns & Legacy Giving

Catherine Hann

Assistant Director of Individual Giving

Rachel Hellebusch

Corporate Giving Manager

Leslie Hoggatt-Minutolo

Director of Individual Giving & Donor Services

Quinton Jefferson

Research & Grants Administrator

Ethan Mann

Donor Engagement Coordinator

D’Anté McNeal

Special Projects Manager

Emma Steward

Leadership Giving Manager

PRODUCTION

Laura Bordner Adams Director of Operations

Shawnta Hunter

Production Intern

Alex Magg

Production Manager

Isabella Prater

Production Coordinator

Brenda Tullos

Director of Orchestra Personnel

Rachel Vondra

Assistant Orchestra Personnel

Manager

MAR 2026

BEETHOVEN & RAVEL

Upcoming Concerts

Tickets on sale now

FEB 28 & MAR 1 SAT 7:30 PM & SUN 2 PM

Samuel Lee conductor

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet piano

Louise Farrenc Overture No. 2

Maurice Ravel

Le tombeau de Couperin

Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 4

Winstead Chamber Series QUARTETS THROUGH TIME

MAR 3 TUE 7:30 PM

Grażyna Bacewicz Quartet for Four Violins

Bedřich Smetana String Quartet No. 1, From My Life

Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 10, Harp

BRAHMS & SCHUMANN

MAR 6 & 7 FRI 11 AM & SAT 7:30 PM*

Louis Langrée conductor

Clayton Stephenson piano (2023 Nina Simone Piano Competition Winner)

Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2

Robert Schumann Symphony No. 4

*This performance will be livestreamed on the CSO’s YouTube channel, cincinnatisymphony.org/live.

AMERICAN MOSAIC

MAR 13–15 FRI & SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM*

John Morris Russell conductor

Martin Sheen narrator

Celebrate the land, cities, towns, people and spirit of the United States for its 250th birthday.

BEETHOVEN, MOZART & HAYDN

MAR 20 & 21 FRI & SAT 7:30 PM

James Conlon conductor

Renaud Capuçon violin

Franz Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 103, Drum Roll

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3, Strassburg

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 2

CLASSICAL ROOTS

MAR 28 SAT 7:30 PM*

John Morris Russell conductor

Classical Roots Community Choir

Jason Alexander Holmes resident conductor

For over two decades, Classical Roots has been a Cincinnati community staple celebrating the rich legacy of African American music.

APR 2026

BEN RECTOR: Symphonies Across America with Jon McLaughlin

APR 7 TUE 7:30 PM

Ben Rector singer-songwriter

Jon McLaughlin singer-songwriter

Enrico Lopez-Yañez conductor

Ben Rector returns for a one-ofa-kind acoustic show blending the intimacy of guitar and piano with the strength of a full symphony orchestra.

RACHMANINOFF SYMPHONY NO. 2

APR 11 & 12 SAT 7:30 PM & SUN 2 PM

Ramón Tebar conductor

James Ehnes violin

Margaret Brouwer Pulse

Max Bruch Scottish Fantasy

Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2

THE MUSIC OF STUDIO GHIBLI

APR 14 TUE 7:30 PM

Wilbur Lin conductor

From Spirited Away to My Neighbor Totoro, conjure the animated universe of Studio Ghibli with the spellbinding music of Joe Hisaishi.

MENDELSSOHN SYMPHONY NO. 3

APR 17 & 18 FRI 11 AM & SAT 7:30 PM

Kristiina Poska conductor Lise de la Salle piano

Julia Adolphe Underneath the Sheen Frédéric Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2

Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3, Scottish