Belmont University School of Music
THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2026 7:30 PM
MCAFEE CONCERT HALL
Belmont University School of Music presents
Folkloric Voices Reimagined
Belmont University Symphony Orchestra
Dr. Christopher H. Fashun, conductor
Huapango José Pablo Moncayo (1912-1958)
Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
I. Alborada (1844-1908)
II. Variazioni
III. Alborada (Reprise)
IV. Scena e canto gitano
V. Fandango asturiano
5-Minute Intermission
Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88
Antonín Dvořák
I. Allegro con brio (1841-1904)
II. Adagio
III. Allegretto grazioso
IV. Allegro, ma non troppo
Program Notes
Program Theme: Folkloric Voices Reimagined - Across this program, folk traditions serve not as static artifacts, but as living sources of inspiration. Whether through direct transformation (Moncayo), imaginative reinterpretation (Rimsky-Korsakov), or deeply internalized style (Dvořák), each composer bridges the gap between folkloric tradition and symphonic expression.
Together, these works invite us to hear how the rhythms, melodies, and spirit of everyday musical life can be elevated and reshaped into something that is both reflective of a past folkloric tradition and simultaneously transcendent.
Huapango - In Huapango, José Pablo Moncayo transforms the vibrant sounds of Mexican folk life into a symphonic celebration of national identity. Drawing on traditional sones huastecos particularly “El Siquisirí,” “El Balajú,” and “El Gavilancito” Moncayo reimagines the rhythmic vitality and melodic contours of rural dance music for the concert hall.
The huapango tradition is defined by its lively interplay between duple and triple meter, improvisatory flair, and festive character. Moncayo captures this energy through bold orchestration, bright brass colors, and sweeping string lines that evoke both the intimacy of village performance and the grandeur of national expression.
Rather than quoting folk music verbatim, Moncayo elevates and stylizes folkloric materials, creating a work that feels both authentic and symphonic. The result is a piece that has become emblematic of Mexican musical identity and adopted as Mexico’s second national anthem due to it’s popularity.
Capriccio Espagnol, Op 34 - With Capriccio Espagnol, Rimsky-Korsakov turns to Spain not as a native tradition, but as a source of fascination filtered through imagination. Inspired by regional Spanish folk melodies and dance rhythms, the work unfolds as a series of vivid orchestral tableaux, each movement highlighting a different instrumental color and character.
From the noble horn calls of the opening Alborada to the dazzling cadenzas of the fourth movement and rhythmic drive of the final Fandango asturiano, the piece evokes regional styles of Spain immersed in dance, color, and flair. Rimsky-Korsakov, a master orchestrator, treats the orchestra almost like a collection of folk instruments, infusing each movement with solo voices or cadenzas bringing the spontaneity of improvisation so prevelant in folkloric traditions.
Though not ethnographically “authentic,” Capriccio Espagnol reflects a broader 19th-century fascination with the folkloric “other.” Here, folk tradition becomes a source of color and character, transformed through orchestral virtuosity into a brilliant, cosmopolitan spectacle.
Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 - In Symphony No. 8, Antonín Dvořák channels the spirit of his Czech homeland into one of the most joyful and expansive symphonies of the Romantic era. Unlike composers who quoted folk tunes directly, Dvořák absorbed the essence of Bohemian folk music so deeply that his themes sound organically rooted in tradition.
Throughout the symphony, listeners encounter melodies that resemble folk songs, dance rhythms that evoke village life, sounds of nature, and harmonic modes characteristic of Slavic music. The first movement paints an outdoor landscape while the second movement introduces the folkloric
sounds of the cimbalom, a hammered dulcimer of eastern Europe, which is first imitated by the descending violin scales. The third movement suggests the lilting grace of a waltz-like dance brought closer to folk music with the various ornaments and surprising meter change in the coda, while the finale builds from a simple, almost rustic theme into a set of jubilant variations.
Dvořák’s achievement lies in his ability to synthesize folkloric idioms within symphonic form. The result is music that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant where the sounds of the countryside are transformed into a richly orchestral landscape.
Program notes by Dr. Christopher Fashun, School of Music Faculty
Personnel
First Violin
Luke Baxley, concertmaster
Jade LaGore, assistant concertmaster
Rocco Greco*
Macahila Hinnenkamp
Nathaniel Eulentrop*
Kangin Joo
Owen Swiggum
Eliana Woodman
Harrison Mabon
Isaac Hardin
Sam Lock
Florence Schaumann*
Second Violin
Kimmie Rauscher*, principal
Daniel Ramirez
Brooke Harden
Natalie Piedra
Zachary Hardin
Shelby Fuller
Nadia Foote
Lauren Nolte
Viola
George Graefen*, principal
Anne-Marie Nguyen
Bella Kinard
Mackenzie Combs*
Melanie Migneco
Jillian Baez
Cello
Madelyn Little*, principal
Graham DeHaan
JéNai O’Connor
Thomas Cañas
Hannah Silverman
Owen Siller
Corrine Hawkey
Zoë Wilson
Angie Jackson
Caylie Rader
Ingrid Bakeman
Ava Kronenberger
Bass
Alex Haldane*, principal
Joseph Bonvissuto
Ari Stoker*
Rylan Stone
Talon Seidel
Piccolo
Hannah Steele
Mya Ploor
Flute
Jake King, principal
Brendan Wilson
Mya Ploor
Oboe
Amanda Rebstock, principal
Shawn Redmond
Lily Chantler
English Horn
Lily Chantler
E♭ Clarinet
Mya Ploor
Clarinet
Michelle Babyak, principal
Tommy Steele
Bassoon
Emily Okamura*, principal
Harrison Sampson*
Horn
Holden Cessna*, principal
Grace Helton
Ali Voyles
Ellie McClellan
Caroline Holmes
Trumpet
Biruke Woldeyohannes, co-principal
Luke Woody, co-principal
Kristen Lester
Isabella Jones
Trombone
Luke Myers, principal
Adam Chavez
Dawson Fulcher
Tuba
Hudson Butler, principal
Harp
Audrey Smith
Aliyah Wenneker
Percussion
Gramm Raedeke, principal
Cole Counihan*
Joshua Wingard
Miriam Marks
Harper Benjamin
Kevin Robles
Upcoming Concerts and Events
Faculty Recital: Mark Godwin, guitar with Carmine Miranda, cello and Paulo Oliveira, guitar Monday, April 13, 7:30 p.m.
Harton Recital Hall
Percussion Ensemble & World Percussion Monday, April 13, 7:30 p.m.
McAfee Concert Hall
Faculty Concert Series
Angela Yoon, Savanna Sokolnicki, and Museop Kim Wednesday, April 15, 7:30 p.m.
McAfee Concert Hall
Join Belmont University’s College of Music and Performing Arts for Sounds of Belmont: The 36th Annual President’s Concert & Reception on Saturday, April 25th in the Fisher Center at Belmont University. Experience an evening of stories and songs to support our talented students. The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by a festive dessert reception for all guests and performers. The purchase of a ticket to this concert and reception will benefit endowed music and theatre scholarship funds for students in the college. Premier works from the College of Music and Performing Arts Fall 2025-Spring 2026 performance season will be showcased. This concert and reception is celebrating its thirty-sixth year (formerly the President’s Concert and Reception).
Reserve your tickets here
For more information on upcoming concerts and events, please visit www.belmont.edu/cmpa or “like” Belmont University School of Music on Facebook.
