DSSO 2025-26 Northern Sounds Volume 2 by Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra

6 Music Director Dirk Meyer

7 Executive Director J. David Arnott

7 Land Acknowledgment

8 Staff and Administration

8 Board of Directors

MEET THE ORCHESTRA

10–11 Orchestra Personnel

DULUTH SUPERIOR SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRAS

12 Duluth Superior Symphony Youth Orchestras

DSSO PRESENTS

14 Upcoming Chamber Concerts

MASTERWORKS 4: French Voyage

16–21 Program Notes

DSSO CHORUS

22–23 Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra Chorus

MASTERWORKS 5: Beethoven & Bizet

28–33 Program Notes

POPS 2: Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark In Concert

MASTERWORKS 6: Rhine Journey

40–45 Program Notes

SUPPORTING THE DSSO

48 Become a Chair Sponsor

50 How to Support the Orchestra

51 Donor Spotlight

54–58 DSSO Contributors

60–61 In Memory

62 In Honor

63 Sponsors

Cover Photo: Brandon Michael

Morning Classics

Host Stephanie Elkins

WELCOME FELLOW MUSIC LOVER

I am thrilled to welcome you to the DSSO’s 2025/2026 season! This year we celebrate Erin Aldridge’s 20th season as Concertmaster of the DSSO. What a remarkable achievement by an incredible musician! Erin will be featured on two of our Masterworks concerts. First, she will represent the voice of Scheherazade in Rimsky-Korsakov’s spellbinding masterpiece of the same name. Then, later in the season, she will be our featured soloist in one of her favorite concertos, Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1.

Talking about amazing soloists, Adam Golka joins us for two seldom performed works for piano and orchestra: Camille Saint-Saëns Africa and Fazil Say’s Silk Road Concerto, a work that incorporates all sorts of fascinating techniques and sound effects for the piano. We will feature wonderful vocal soloists alongside the DSSO

Chorus for Haydn’s grand Lord Nelson Mass and Poulenc’s Gloria. Finally, up-and-coming piano superstar Evren Ozel will join guest conductor William Eddins for Beethoven’s beloved Piano Concerto No.4.

In between we present many a musical jewel. Be it from less familiar composers such as Anna Clyne, Lili Boulanger or Michael Abels, or from blockbuster names such as Sibelius, Liszt, Bizet or Schumann, our season truly offers something for everyone.

Alongside our Masterworks Series, the DSSO will present two pops concerts: In December we bring back our popular Holiday Spectacular. Featuring the DSSO Chorus singing the most beloved melodies of the season, this is truly an event for the entire family. Then, in April, the DSSO takes you to the silver screen once more with John Williams’ legendary score to Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. With the full movie on the big screen and all music performed live by the orchestra, you will experience Steven Spielberg’s classic in a completely new way.

So, help us spread the word and let more members of our community experience the joy of orchestral music. Bring a friend, invite a neighbor, include the DSSO on your date night. However you like to enjoy the music, we are thrilled you are here, and we are honored to share our music with you.

Dirk Meyer, Music Director

2025-26 SEASON SCHEDULE

MW1 September 20, 2025

MW2 November 8, 2025

POPS 1 December 6, 2025

MW3 January 31, 2026

MW4 February 28, 2026

MW5 March 21, 2026

POPS 2 April 11&12, 2026

MW6 May 16, 2026

Music Director Dirk Meyer

As I write this, we have just reached the midpoint of our season, and I am pleased to report that the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra continues forward with momentum and purpose. The first half of the season offered several truly memorable moments, beginning with Scheherazade in September and culminating in an especially stirring performance of Les Préludes in January. Speaking as a member of the orchestra, it is always a gratifying experience to feel the audience rise so quickly in appreciation at the close of a concert.

Artistically, the orchestra is performing at a high level, particularly notable given the extended intervals between performances. Our roster of Masterworks soloists for the spring is exceptional, and Raiders of the Lost Ark promises to be a highlight of the season. As we conclude the year celebrating Erin’s 20th anniversary, the season

will culminate with her performance of the Bruch Concerto in G Minor—a concert I personally hope will see every seat in Symphony Hall filled. From a financial perspective, the organization remains stable. Chair sponsorships are strong, grant support has been solid this season, and ticket sales are tracking well. Individual giving, while steady, remains an area where additional community engagement would make a meaningful difference in sustaining the artistic excellence you experience from the stage.

From a planning standpoint, we are well ahead of where we were at this time last year. With optimism, and a bit of ambition, I share that our goal is to place next season’s brochure in your hands at Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dates and programming for the upcoming season are already set, and the ticketing improvements introduced this year will continue unchanged, allowing for a smooth season ticket launch this spring.

One significant organizational update is that at the conclusion of this season, our offices in the Depot will relocate from train track level to the fourth floor. While our footprint will be smaller, we look forward to the change—and to having a window, along with a rather distinctive set of neighbors.

Thank you for your continued support of symphonic music in Duluth and Superior—for your attendance, your generosity, and for the standing ovations that remind us why this work matters.

J. David Arnott, Executive Director

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra’s Commitment to Building Bridges for Future Generations

The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra acknowledges its responsibility to the Anishinaabe, or the Ojibwe people, who were some of the original inhabitants and continue to be the longstanding stewards of the lands on which we are gathered today, and so many of us now call home.

The DSSO is deeply committed to uplifting a myriad of cultures, voices, and stories through the power of music. We recognize that music has roots tied

to countless Indigenous peoples across the globe and honor Indigenous people’s contributions past, present, and future. We encourage our patrons and partners to recognize, understand, and support the contributions of Indigenous individuals, communities, and organizations across the region and beyond. As we look toward celebrating our 100th year, we will continue to fulfill our mission to bring our communities together to embrace and celebrate music and musicians from across the world, and all walks of life, for many generations to come.

Executive Director J. David Arnott

ADMINISTRATION

J. David Arnott, Executive Director

Kristin Sande, Arts Administration Specialist

ARTISTIC STAFF

Dirk Meyer, The Charles A. & Carolyn M. Russell Music Director

J. David Arnott, Director of Orchestra Operations

Kristin Sande, Librarian

Wyatt Millaway-Roodell, Production Coordinator

Kathleen Laasko, Stage Manager

CHORUS

Richard Carrick, Chorus Director generously sponsored by members of the DSSO Chorus & anonymous donors

Aine Miller, Chorus Administrator

Beth Sobczak, Rehearsal Accompanist

CONCERT BOX OFFICE

Jean Larson, Front of House Manager

Hannah Wohlers, Front of House Assistant

Cas Bordner, Front of House Assistant

2025/26

CREATIVE SERVICES

Marketing, Graphic Design & Digital Communications provided by Andrea Halligan

YOUTH ORCHESTRAS

Melanie Sever, Administrative Director and Concert Orchestra Conductor

Kristin Sande, Youth Orchestras

Administrative Assistant

Ronald Kari, Youth Orchestras Coordinator

Byron Klimek, Youth Symphony Conductor

Kevin Hoeschen, Sinfonia Conductor

Teresa Aho, Sinfonia Conductor

Kristina Bock, Sinfonia Coach

Amy Eichers, Sinfonia Coach

Jeremy Craycraft, Percussion Ensemble Director

NORTHERN SOUNDS

Vincent Osborn, Program Notes Author

Ronald Kari, Performance Historian, now in his 64th Season with DSSO

Kristin Sande, Research Assistant

Thanks to Pro Print for the printing of this edition of Northern Sounds.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Branden Robinson, President, Treasurer

Mark Danielson, Secretary

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Linda Boben

Jeff Cadwell

Mark Danielson

Rhonda Degelau

Beth Gilbert

Amber Gurske

Olivia Huston

Maggie Johnson

Tegan Johnson

Jill Kaiser

Steve Mattson

James McLeod

Emily Nygren

William “Buzz” Palmer

Deborah Rausch

Branden Robinson

James Sebastian

Nairi Stack

Rajiv Vaidyanathan

Roberta Vose

Kat Werchouski

J. David Arnott (ex officio)

Dirk Meyer (ex officio)

HONORARY LIFE DIRECTORS

Christabel Grant

Elaine Killen

Nancy Melander

James Zastrow

MEET THE ORCHESTRA

Dirk Meyer, The Charles A. & Carolyn M. Russell Music Director

FIRST VIOLIN

Erin Aldridge, Concertmaster

Sponsored by Arend J. & Verna Sandbulte in support of the concertmaster chair through the Sandbulte Orchestra Leadership Fund

Angela Waterman Hanson, Associate Concertmaster

SECOND VIOLIN

Laurie Bastian, Principal

VIOLA

Kevin Hoeschen, Principal

CELLO

Betsy Husby, Principal Sponsored by Christabel Grant

Lucia Magney, Assistant Principal Sponsored by Tegan Johnson

Eric Graf

Rebecca M. Peterson

Sponsored by Robert T. & Barbara K. Bennett

Darin Anderson

Byron Klimek

DOUBLE BASS

Cassidy Morgan, Principal

FLUTE

James DeVoll, Principal

HORN

James Pospisil, Principal

TRUMPET

Earl Salemink, Principal

Sponsored by Mary Evans; R. Craft & Eleanore Dryer

Charles Leibfried, Trumpet 2

Sponsored by Jeff & Vickie Cadwell; Patricia & David Mast

Thomas Pfotenhauer, Trumpet 3

Sponsored by Mark & Grace Monson; The Ulrick Family (Shawn, Maeve & Liam)

TROMBONE

Larry Zimmerman, Principal Sponsored by Gale & Jeri Kerns; Roberta Vose

Christian Howard, Trombone 2

James Erickson, Bass Trombone

Sponsored by Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

TUBA

Steve Grove, Principal

Sponsored by Helena Jackson & Doug Dunham; Julia & Daniel Jacobson in honor of Rainer Jacobson, Youth Symphony Tubist

TIMPANI

Fred Morgan, Principal

PERCUSSION

Colin O’Day, Principal Sponsored by Dr. Susan Relf

HARP

Janell Kokkonen Lemire, Principal Sponsored by Elaine B. Killen

KEYBOARD

Alexander Sandor, Principal

DULUTH SUPERIOR SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRAS

For 85 years, thousands of young musicians throughout the Northland have found inspiration in the Duluth Superior Symphony Youth Orchestras program (DSSYO).

The DSSYO allows these young musicians to sharpen their music skills through a variety of experiences with DSSO conductors and musicians in rehearsals, sectionals, and side-by-side performances.

JOIN US FOR OUR 2025/26 SEASON!

Auditions are held annually to find new members for the intermediate and advanced orchestras. The Sinfonia program is for string players only and is non-auditioned. DSSYO membership is open to students ages 10 through high school.

In addition to advanced performance opportunities and weekly rehearsals, your DSSYO membership includes free tickets to DSSO concerts and professional coaching, as well as an annual retreat.

EVENTS

Spring Concert May 3, 2026 • College of St. Scholastica

2026/27 AUDITIONS

Auditions coming summer 2026. Visit dsso.com/youth for more information coming later this spring.

DSSO PRESENTS

MASTERWORKS 4

FRENCH VOYAGE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2026, 7 PM

DECC SYMPHONY HALL – ALLETE STAGE

DIRK MEYER, CONDUCTOR

KATHERINE HENLY, SOPRANO

DSSO CHORUS

RICHARD CARRICK, DSSO CHORUS DIRECTOR

BOULANGER

D’un matin de printemps

POULENC

Gloria

Laudamus Te

Domine Deus

Domine Fili unigenite

Domine Deus, Agnus Dei

Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris

INTERMISSION

FRANCK

Symphony in D minor

Lento - Allegro non troppo

Allegretto

Allegro non troppo

Thank you to our generous concert sponsor

Katherine Henly, Soprano

Praised worldwide for her captivating and affecting portrayals in genres ranging from opera to musical theater, jazz, and pop, American soprano Katherine Henly has performed with Los Angeles Opera, Washington National Opera, the Royal Opera House Muscat, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Charlottesville Opera, Virginia Opera, the New York Musical Theatre Festival, the New York International Fringe Festival, and the O’Neill National Music Theater Conference. For her eleventh-hour début with Oper Köln in Street Scene, Resmusica raved “Finally, in Sam Kaplan and Rose Maurrant, we discover two of the most promising American singers... Radiant physically and vocally, also very moving in the farewell scene... a performance even more impressive under the circumstances. The young American soprano, passing through Cologne, had replaced at the last minute a sick colleague during several rehearsals - without having yet sung the role on stage before. The Cologne Opera thanked her with a performance that marked both her European début and role début. Definitely a career worth following.”

Last season, Katherine performed the role of Clorinda in Opera Maine’s production of La Cenerentola and was seen in concert with Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra and the Creede Musical Arts Collective. This season, she joins the South Florida Symphony for Handel’s Messiah and Minnesota Opera to cover Adina in L’elisir d’amore.

Recent seasons saw her début the role of Musetta in Peter Rothstein’s critically acclaimed

production of La bohème with Theater Latté Da in Minneapolis, her return to Charlottesville Opera as Valencienne in The Merry Widow, her début as Clorinda in Rossini’s La Cenerentola conducted by Gavriel Heine for the Northern Lights Music Festival, and her performance as a soloist in Preludes: Lyrics & Lyricists, a five-part online series filmed on the historic stage of the 92nd Street Y. Additional recent performances include the world premiere of Maria Thompson Corley’s The Sky Where You Are commissioned by An Opera Theatre and streaming online as a part of Decameron Opera Coalition’s Tales From A Safe Distance; and a soloist for Glad Jul, a holiday concert produced by Motarbeider, the Støttet av Kulturrådet Norsk kulturfond, and the Nord-Odal kommune, filmed in the historic Sand kirke in Nord-Odal, Norway. She made her off-Broadway début as Elsa in Sheldon Harnick’s musical Dragons at The York Theatre Company and can be heard on the studio recording with Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris. Ms. Henly has had solo performances with Utah Lyric Opera, Utah Valley Symphony Orchestra, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, the Ramsey Wind Symphony, Palisades Virtuosi, Worcester Symphony Orchestra, Camerata New York, and in concert at Mechanics Hall and Carnegie Hall. Ms. Henly has completed Young Artist residencies with Utah Festival Opera, Charlottesville Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival. She is a graduate of Ithaca College (B.M.) and Brigham Young University (M.M.).

D’un matin de printemps (Of a Spring Morning)

LILI BOULANGER

BORN: August 21, 1893, in Paris, France

DIED: March 15, 1918, in Mézy-sur-Seine

WORK COMPOSED: Originally for violin and piano in1917, orchestrated by the composer in 1918.

WORLD PREMIERE: March 13, 1921, at the Paris Conservatoire, Concerts Pasdeloup Orchestra, Rhené-Baton conducting

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The DSSO has not previously performed any music by Lili Boulanger

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons and sarrusophone or contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, triangle, snare drum, cymbal, harp, celeste, and strings.

DURATION: 5 minutes

(Marie-Juliette Olga) Lili Boulanger grew up in a musical household where both her parents and her sister Nadia (1887-1979) were active composers and performers. Her father, Ernest Boulanger (18151900) won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1835 with his cantata Achille. Her mother, Raïssa Mischetzky (1854?-1935) was an amateur singer who performed at musical soirées in their house regularly attended by Dubois, Fauré, Gounod, Massenet, Widor and occasionally Saint-Saëns. The author of Nadia Boulanger’s biography, Jérôme Spycket, claims that Ernest was most likely not the father of Nadia or Lili! Spycket claims that the father was Richard Bouwens, the son of Ernest’s friend, William Bouwens van der Boijen, a Dutch architect who had settled in Paris. What good is a program note without a little controversy? Nevertheless, Nadia

and Lili always considered Ernest their father. Lili showed a prodigious talent at the very young age of two! She was already singing melodies by ear and learned to read sheet music before she even knew the alphabet. In 1895 Lili became ill with bronchial pneumonia that severely weakened her immune system. She was almost constantly ill with either passing infections or outbreaks of chronic intestinal tuberculosis which led to her death in 1918. Because of her frail condition she needed constant care and had to rely on private musical tutors instead of receiving a full education at the Conservatoire. Through these extraordinary hardships she eventually became the first woman to win the Grand Prix de Rome in 1913 with her cantata Faust et Hélène. She was able to partake in the award of the Prix de Rome and journey to the Villa Medici in Rome to study and compose. However, World War I cut short that time and she returned to Paris where she founded the Comité Franco-Américain du Conservatoire National, an organization which offered material and moral support to musicians fighting in the war. In 1916 she returned to Rome for several months and worked on her five-act opera La princesse Maleine and other works. Rapid deterioration of her health soon forced a return to Paris. She spent the last two years of her short life trying to finish compositions she had begun earlier.

The last two pieces Boulanger finished in her own hand (she dictated her final composition Pie Jesu to her sister) are complementary works: D’un matin de printemps (Of a Spring Morning) and D’un soir triste (Of a Sad Evening). Both of these works began as small chamber pieces before ultimately being fully orchestrated. They share a common idea for their thematic material with drastically contrasting moods implied by their titles; D’un soir triste is mournful with somber tones, D’un matin de printemps is bright and festive. D’un matin de printemps depicts a bright, energetic morning that includes dreamlike moments before returning to full brilliance. Think of waking up in that early morning after a good night’s sleep filled with wonderful dreams that you try to recall.

Boulanger was raised in a time of musical transition and her music fits easily in what we consider the post-Romantic style. Although she explored Impressionism, her style is more Symbolistic featuring a sense of obscurity and indirection. Considering the struggles and isolation caused by her poor health one might expect that her music is more introspective, which is not the mood of D’un matin de printemps. One can only imagine the fantastic music she might have given the world had she lived a longer life.

FRANCIS POULENC

BORN: January 7, 1899, in Paris, France

DIED: January 30, 1963, in Paris

WORK COMPOSED: 1959-60

WORLD PREMIERE: January 20, 1961, in Boston with Adele Addison, soprano; Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch conducting.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: There have been four previous performances of this work by the Orchestra and Chorus. Carol Moody was the soprano soloist on April 21, 1967, in a concert that closed the DSSO’s inaugural season in residence at the DECC and marked Hermann Herz’s final performance after 17 seasons as Music Director. In 1980 Nancy Virkhaus was the soprano; 1992 with Dana Summers; 2011with Regina Zona.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, strings, mixed chorus and solo soprano.

DURATION: 28 minutes

The music composed by Poulenc during the first half of his career was in a lighter vein and its main purpose was to give pleasure. In the 1920s Poulenc was a member of ‘Les Six’, along with Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Germaine Tailleferre and their artistic leader Jean Cocteau. As a group they opposed the heavy German Romanticism and Impressionism that dominated French music at the time. They found inspiration from Erik Satie’s clarity and from folk music, jazz and other popular

forms that celebrated modernity and urban life. For Poulenc this all changed in 1935 following the death of a close friend in an automobile accident. This tragic event caused Poulenc to experience some introspection that brought about a new maturity and a recovery of his lost Catholic faith. His compositions, both secular and sacred, became more serious even though he never lost sight of his lighter style.

Poulenc’s Gloria has an interesting history. The Koussevitzky Foundation approached Poulenc in the spring of 1959 to commission a symphony, to which Poulenc replied ‘that’s not my thing.’ The Foundation then suggested a concerto for the organ, which he brushed off saying he had already composed one. Finally the Foundation relented and on July 7 approved a $2000 commission (approximately $20,000 in 2026) for a work of the composer’s choosing. Poulenc replied on August 3 that he had already begun work on his Gloria, which he completed in July 1960. Indeed, he had written to organist and musicologist Bernard Gavoty (1908-1981) on April 18, 1959, that he had “just begun a Gloria for chorus, soloist and orchestra in the Vivaldi style.” He also claimed his inspiration for the Laudamus te came from watching Benedictine monks playing soccer.

Poulenc’s Gloria is divided into six movements:

I. Gloria in excelsis Deo (G major)

II. Laudamus te (C major)

III. Domine Deus, Rex caelestis (B minor)

IV. Domine Fili unigenite (G major)

V. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei (B-flat minor)

VI. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris (G major)

The text of the Gloria is regarded as one of the great prose hymns of Christian literature. Normally sung in the Latin Mass immediately after the Kyrie on festive occasions, the Gloria has also been used separately as a hymn of praise. The text as it is now employed developed over an extended period until it reached its present form in the 9th century. Poulenc repeated a number of phrases in such a way that make it liturgically inappropriate and gives evidence that he most likely considered his Gloria a piece for the concert hall and not for a church service. It is interesting to experience how Poulenc interspersed such an intensely serious text with his colorful and secular musical personality. The mystical quality of Poulenc’s Gloria may not make it a profoundly deep work, but it is one of his most brilliant and is still relevant in today’s world.

Symphony in D minor CÉSAR FRANCK

BORN: December 10, 1822, in Liège, Belgium

DIED: November 8, 1890, in Paris, France

WORK COMPOSED: 1887-88

WORLD PREMIERE: February 17, 1889, by the Société des concerts of the Paris Conservatoire, Jules Garcin conducting

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight marks the Orchestra’s eleventh performance of this piece. Early in the Orchestra’s history this Symphony was quite frequently played—eight times beginning in 1934 and continuing until 1962. After that there have been only two performances previous to this evening: in 1982 and on April 20, 2002.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets and two cornets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, and strings.

DURATION: 37 minutes

César Auguste Jean Guillaume Hubert Franck was a French composer with an interesting cultural origin. At the time of his birth Liège, in the Belgian region of Wallonia, was part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands until 1830, when the Belgian Revolution established an independent and neutral Belgium which incorporated Liège. His mother, Marie-Catherine-Barbe Franck (née Frings) (1788-1860), was from Aachen, Germany. His father, Nicolas-Joseph Franck

(1794-1871), came from Gemmenich, located on The Netherlands-German border. The young César displayed a talent for music at a very young age and his father, believing his son a prodigy, enrolled him in the Liège Conservatoire in October 1830. César was a successful student and in the spring of 1835 his father organized a series of concerts in Liège, Brussels and Aachen. The next obvious path led to the family’s move to Paris in May 1835 with a course of piano lessons with Pierre Zimmerman (1785-1853) and theory and harmony lessons with Anton Reicha (17701836). Because of his nationality, César was not allowed to enter the Paris Conservatoire until October 1837 after his parents became French citizens in that year.

Franck gained a reputation as a formidable musician on the organ and he travelled extensively in France to demonstrate the new organs built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (18111899). In 1858 Franck was employed as organist in the newly-consecrated church Sainte-Clotilde, a position he kept the rest of his life. In 1872 he became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire where his pupils included Ernest Chausson and Vincent d’Indy. Most of Franck’s compositions come from this time when his full creative powers were finally realized. He is best known for his Violin Sonata, a setting of Panis angelicus, and his Symphony in D minor.

The Symphony in D minor, completed on August 22, 1888, is Franck’s only mature symphony and it employs a cyclic form, with the important themes recurring in all three movements. Franck’s music after 1870 reflects an interest and awareness of German music, notably that of Richard Wagner. Henri Duparc (1848-1933), Franck’s student, encouraged his professor’s interest and Franck “made an effort to study one of the Wagner scores every summer during the last period of his life.” His Symphony in D minor reflects a Wagnerian influence and Franck dedicated it “to my friend Henri Duparc.”

The premiere received mixed reviews. The review in Le Figaro stated: “The new work of M. César Franck is a very important composition and developed with the resources of the powerful art of the learned musician; but it is so dense and tight that we cannot grasp all its aspects

and feel its effect at a first hearing, despite the analytical and thematic note that had been distributed to the audience.” Charles Gounod (1818-1893) was reported as calling the work “the affirmation of impotence taken to the point of dogma.” A member of the Conservatoire faculty asked the question, “Who ever heard of a cor anglais [English horn] in a symphony?” Franck’s use of the brass section was criticized as being too blatant, especially the addition of cornets to the usual orchestral trumpets. Those were the nicer reviews; they got worse! However, outside of the environment of French music criticism, Franck’s symphony quickly became popular. Until the 1970s Franck’s Symphony in D minor was frequently heard in the major symphonic halls throughout the United States. It is now rarely performed, mostly attributed to changing musical tastes. Nevertheless, there is value in dusting off an old gem and revisiting it with a new perspective.

DULUTH SUPERIOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHORUS

Founded

in 1959, the volunteer DSSO

Chorus is an integral part of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, regularly joining the orchestra for choral masterworks, operas, and pops concerts.

The DSSO Chorus has performed an impressive range of choral masterpieces, from monumental works like Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (“Ode to Joy”) and Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony” to vibrant and dramatic favorites such as Orff’s Carmina Burana and Bizet’s Carmen. Their repertoire also includes Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, Brahms’ and Fauré’s Requiems, and, of course, no choral repertoire would be complete without Handel’s Messiah, a timeless and beloved oratorio that continues to inspire and uplift listeners.

MEET DSSO’S CHORUS DIRECTOR

Richard Carrick is a conductor, clinician, singer, and educator. He is the Director of Choral Activities at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN, Director of Music at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, and a founding member and conductor of Borealis Chamber Artists. He holds a D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington and has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. When not teaching or conducting, Richard can be found on a trail somewhere in the woods, or baking with his wife and children. Chorus Master generously sponsored by members of the DSSO Chorus and an anonymous donor.

MEET THE CHORUS

CHORUS DIRECTOR Dr. Richard Carrick

REHEARSAL ACCOMPANIST Beth Sobczak

CHORUS ADMINISTRATOR Aine Miller

SOPRANOS

Jenna Altonen*

Cathy Ameel

Hannah Boadwine

Emilie Bowman

Karen Finseth

Maureen Gamradt

Anita Gille

Rose Heldt

Sara Henriksen

Susan Hough

Kaylie Jesperson

Jan Johnson

Tasha Kapp

Lynne King

Cathy Larson

Lita Lind

Steph Love

Kelli Marlow

Phyllis Messenger

Aine Miller

Chantal Norrgard

Barbara Olson

Deb Schroeder

Sara Stefancik

Beth Storaasli

Shannon Swegle

Maeve Ulrick

ALTOS

Andrea Asleson

Naomi Atkins

Alison Aune

Mariana Beier

Lea Carr

Erin Durkee

Diane Fernholz

Jill Geyer

Ann Gumpper

Carol Hoeschen

Lindsey Korthals

Lisa Larson

Audrey May

Carolyn Mikel

Grace Monson

Neve Moore*

Jillian Odell

Sharon Sandvik

Ann Sanford

Linda Senta

Sandy Skrien

Kathy Stinnett

Charlotte Taylor

Shelby Trost

Colleen Tuura

Gudrun Witrak

TENORS

David Arnott

Robert Asleson

Anne Bier

Richard Carrick

Kate Dean

Bonnie Lou Dunphy

Corbin Eddy

Jim Johnson

Tegan Johnson

Benjamin Jorgenson*

Glen Krenelka

Madonna LeBlanc

Patrick Russell

Jim Schulzetenberg

Tom Sjoberg

Peter Wodrich

BASSES

Samuel Black

Jeff Cadwell

Mark Danielson

Timothy Delnay

Tom Diener

Hilary Godard

Cade Hatlestad*

David Helf

Mark Knutson

Larry LeBlanc

Mark Monson

Andrew Nast

Luther Qson

David Steinberg

Kirby Wood

Christopher Wright

*Denotes Section Leader

For 33 years Keyport Liquor has been your trusted local store for top quality spirits at everyday low prices. without the gimmicks - just honest value and selection. Visit us today and experience why we're the twin ports favorite family owned liquor store.

INVEST WITH INTEGRITY IT’S YOUR FUTURE

MASTERWORKS 5

BEETHOVEN & BIZET

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2026, 7 PM

WILLIAM EDDINS, GUEST CONDUCTOR

EVREN OZEL, PIANO

BEETHOVEN

Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, op. 58

Allegro moderato

Andante con moto

Rondo: Vivace

Evren Ozel, piano

More Seasons

Symphony No. 1 in C major

Allegro vivo

Adagio

Allegro vivace

DECC SYMPHONY HALL – ALLETE STAGE

Thank you to our generous concert sponsor

More Seasons by Michael Abels is presented under license from Subito Music Corporation.

William Eddins, Guest Conductor

William Eddins is the Music Director Emeritus of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and a frequent guest conductor of major orchestras throughout the world. Recent engagements include conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra with Yo-Yo Ma, and collaborations with Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with both the Detroit Symphony and Minnesota Orchestra.

Evren Ozel, Piano

American pianist Evren Ozel has established himself as a musician of “refined restraint” (Third Coast Review), combining fluent virtuosity with probing, thoughtful interpretations. Having performed extensively in the United States and abroad, Evren is the recipient of a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, 2022 Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant, and is currently represented by Concert Artists Guild as an Ambassador Prize Winner of their 2021 Victor Elmaleh Competition.

Since his debut with the Minnesota Orchestra at age 11, Ozel has been a featured soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, and The Orchestra

Eddins has conducted the New York Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, the symphony orchestras of Boston, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Houston, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Internationally, Eddins was Principal Guest Conductor of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland). He has also has conducted the Berlin Staatskapelle, Berlin Radio Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Career highlights include taking the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra to Carnegie Hall in May of 2012, and leading the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic on tour in South Africa with soprano Rene Fleming.

An accomplished pianist and chamber musician, he regularly conducts from the piano in works by Mozart, Beethoven, Gershwin and Ravel. Recently, Eddins has been performing Enrique Granados’ seminal solo piano work Goyescas (1911), having performed recitals in Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Houston in 2023.

Mr. Eddins has performed at the Ravinia Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Hollywood Bowl, Chautauqua Festival, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

Now at Bard College, with conductors Jahja Ling, Courtney Lewis, and Leon Botstein. In March of 2025, his first album of Mozart Concertos with the ORF Radio Symphony of Vienna and conductor Howard Griffiths was released on Alpha Classics.

Ozel’s 2024-25 season highlights included solo recitals for La Jolla Music Society, Capital Region Classical, and Cal Performances. Previously, he has performed recitals for Harvard Musical Association, Schubert Club, Chopin Society of Minnesota, and The Gilmore. Carrying a vast and varied recital repertoire, his 2023-24 season included a program ranging from Bach and Rameau to Ligeti, as well as a program of Beethoven’s last three Piano Sonatas.

An esteemed chamber musician, Ozel performs alongside artists like David Finckel and Wu Han, Stella Chen, Zlatomir Fung, Paul Huang, and Peter Wiley. He spent four summers at the Marlboro Festival, and is currently a 2024-27 Bowers Program Artist for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. His 2024-25 season included a tour with Musicians from Marlboro, as well as CMS concerts at Alice Tully Hall.

Ozel resides in Boston, where he is currently a candidate in New England Conservatory’s prestigious and highlyexclusive Artist Diploma program, under the tutelage of Wha Kyung Byun. Other important mentors include Jonathan Biss, Imogen Cooper, Richard Goode, Andras Schiff, and Mitsuko Uchida.

Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

BAPTIZED: December 17, 1770, in Bonn, Germany

DIED: March 26, 1827, in Vienna, Austria

WORK COMPOSED: 1805-06

WORLD PREMIERE: March 1807 at a private concert in the home of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz; December 22, 1808, in Vienna, Beethoven soloist and conducting PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The DSSO has presented this concerto seven times previously: in 1960 with solo pianist Leonard Pennario; in 1969 with Claude Frank; 1971 Andre Watts; 1978 Diane Walsh; 1988 Grant Johannesen; 1995 Hélène Grimaud with guest conductor George Hanson; and on January 22, 2005 with Orli Shaham.

INSTRUMENTATION: Flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

DURATION: 34 minutes

Beethoven was part of the first generation to grow up playing the piano. The harpsichord was quickly being replaced by the more expressive fortepiano, invented around 1700 by Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731). The piano rapidly evolved to meet the demands of the musicians; at its invention the piano range was only four octaves. Mozart wrote his music for a piano with five octaves and the last

piano compositions by Beethoven spanned six and a half octaves. The modern piano is normally seven and one-third octaves.

Beethoven played an incredible part in the instrument’s evolution. By the time he had reached maturity as a composer, Beethoven was one of the world’s greatest pianists. He demanded more from the instruments and advised piano makers to build their instruments bigger and stronger. Beethoven was celebrated for the power of his playing and the imagination of his improvisations. Piano virtuosos wrote concertos for themselves as vehicles to display their talents. Mozart broke away from that tradition and his later concertos show that the piano is more than a tool to show off one’s technical prowess. Beethoven followed in Mozart’s footsteps in his earlier piano concertos until his Fourth Piano Concerto, where his maturity and identity shine through.

The first movement breaks with the traditional format: there is no orchestral introduction, the piano begins alone in the key of G major and ends on a D major chord (dominant of G major)then the orchestra enters, but in the key of B major! Within a few measures of the orchestra response Beethoven moves through the Circle of Fifths until arriving back at G major. Music theory alert: the Circle of Fifths is arranging all twelve tones of a chromatic scale in a circle where C is at the top and going clockwise each note is a perfect fifth above the preceding note. C-G-D-A-E-BGb/F#-Db/C#-Ab/G#-Eb/D#-Bb/A#-F-C When the orchestra enters in B major, Beethoven uses the circle in a counter-clockwise motion and moves from B-E-A-D-G. You might not think this is anything special, but back in Beethoven’s day this was most likely earth-shattering!

The second movement begins with a dark introduction by the strings in unison, using a motif from the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) chant, that is quietly answered by the piano. Beethoven’s biographer Adolf Bernhard Marx (1795-1866) has associated it with the imagery of Orpheus (represented by the piano) taming the Furies (unison strings) at the gates to Hades. The movement ends quietly and leads immediately

into the final movement.

Beethoven premiered the Fourth Piano Concerto in March 1807 in a private concert at the home of his patron Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz (1772-1816). Included in that performance was the Coriolan Overture and the Fourth Symphony. At the public premiere the Concerto was a bit overshadowed by other works on the program. By this time Beethoven was becoming increasingly deaf and this was the last of his concertos he was able to perform. He organized a benefit concert for himself to alleviate some of his financial difficulties. Those who attended witnessed the premieres of not only the Fourth Piano Concerto, but also the Choral Fantasy, the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, two excerpts from his in-progress Mass in C major, an aria and a solo piano improvisation! Now if you are starting to think you might be jealous of those fortunate audience members… it was December in 1808, there was a problem with the heating system making it a very cold venue, the concert lasted from 6:30 to 10:30, and nearly all of the music was sight-read at the concert and being under rehearsed, the orchestra was in a foul and surly mood. Ferdinand Ries, a piano pupil of Beethoven, wrote: “We experienced the fact that one could easily have too much of a good – and even more, a powerful – thing. I… would not have thought of leaving the box before the end of the concert, although several faulty performances tried our patience to the utmost.”

Early critics thought the concerto was strange and unusual, particularly the quiet piano entrance at the opening. It was performed rarely, compared with his other concertos, until November 3, 1836, when Felix Mendelssohn gave a significant performance in Leipzig that renewed interest in it. Since then the Fourth Piano Concerto has been ranked among Beethoven’s greatest works. It stands out for its fresh approach of combining the orchestra and soloist, requiring from the soloist virtuosity and sensitivity. Many great pianists have written cadenzas for the Fourth including Brahms, Clara Schumann, Saint-Saëns, Anton Rubinstein, Busoni, and many others, although most use Beethoven’s own cadenzas. The genius of Beethoven shines through in the Fourth Piano Concerto and it continues to sound fresh and new with each performance.

More Seasons

MICHAEL ABELS

BORN: October 8, 1962, in Phoenix, Arizona

WORK COMPOSED: 1999

WORLD PREMIERE: 1999

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight marks the first time the Orchestra will play music by Michael Abels.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes (2nd flute doubling piccolo), two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, harpsichord and strings.

DURATION: 12 minutes

Michael Abels spent his early years on a small farm in South Dakota where he lived with his grandparents. He began to show musical curiosity with the family piano at the age of four. His grandparents were music lovers and they convinced the local piano teacher to take him on as a student. By the age of eight he began composing music and his first completed orchestral work was performed when he was thirteen. After graduating from high school Abels attended the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. He later studied West African drumming techniques at California Institute of the Arts, and sang in a predominantly black church choir to further explore his AfricanAmerican roots. Abels has been a very prolific composer for film, television, and concert halls over the last fifteen years. In 2023 the opera

Omar, co-written by Abels and Rhiannon Giddens, won the Pulitzer Prize for Music. One of his earlier compositions is More Seasons, which he considers his “own spin” on early Baroque music, subjecting the themes of Vivaldi’s Spring and Summer “to maniacal, minimalist abuses,” and calling it “Vivaldi in a Mixmaster.” More Seasons takes the audience on an unexpected and delightful journey with themes that are instantly recognizable. In contrast with Astor Piazzolla’s Estaciones Porteñas (Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) which includes all four movements in a completely fresh style, Abels’ More Seasons is a single-movement piece that deliberately shifts away from that structure. Abels explores the minimalist quality of the original Four Seasons and creates a unique approach to an old classic.

Symphony No. 1 in C major GEORGES BIZET

BORN: October 25, 1838, in Paris, France

DIED: June 3, 1875, in Bougival, a suburb of Paris

WORK COMPOSED: 1855

WORLD PREMIERE: February 26, 1935, in Basel, Switzerland, Felix Weingartner conducting.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The two previous DSSO performances of this work were in 1966 (Hermann Herz conducting) and in 1978 (with Taavo Virkhaus).

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

DURATION: 27 minutes

Georges Bizet is, of course, an extremely wellknown composer in the operatic world with his wildly popular Carmen. However, other than Carmen and his incidental music to Alphonse Daudet’s play L’Arlésienne, very little of Bizet’s music is performed regularly.

Showing a proclivity for music at an extremely young age, Bizet’s parents enrolled him in the Paris Conservatoire at the age of nine. The minimum age for entrance was ten but his interview with Joseph Meifred (1791-1867), the horn virtuoso and professor who was also on the Conservatoire’s Committee of Studies, was so impressive that Meifred waived the age

requirement. Bizet was an exceptional student and won many prizes, including the Grand Prix de Rome in 1857. He was recognized as an outstanding pianist but he rarely performed in public, choosing instead to arrange the music of others and compose his own music.

Bizet composed a considerable number of works, but unfortunately a significant number of his manuscripts were lost after his untimely death at the age of 36. One of his earliest works is his Symphony in C, which he began composing four days after his seventeenth birthday and finished a month later. Because Bizet showed no interest in having the work performed or published it is presumed to have been an assignment for his composition studies with Charles Gounod (1818-1893). It has also been argued that Bizet’s Symphony closely resembles Gounod’s Symphony in D which was written in 1854 (Bizet had been hired to write a transcription of it for two pianos). His widow, Geneviève Halévy (18491926), gave the manuscript of Bizet’s Symphony to Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947), who then passed it along to the archives of the Conservatoire’s library where in 1933 it was found by Jean Chantavoine (1877-1952), musicologist and secretary-general of the Conservatoire. Bizet’s first biographer Douglas Charles Parker (18851970) then showed the manuscript to the conductor Felix Weingartner (1863-1942) who had it prepared for a premiere.

Unfortunately Bizet never composed another symphony and he died only months after the premiere of Carmen. The youthful energy and beautiful melodies that are displayed in the Symphony in C are evidence of his brilliance and we can only imagine what might have been had Bizet written more symphonies.

Simplify Your Financial Path

Signature Wealth Management is a marketing name for securities and investment advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth. Osaic Wealth does not provide tax or legal advice.

The Best of the Best award issued by Duluth News Tribune on 9/10/2025 for the 2025 year was awarded to Best Financial / Wealth Advisor. The financial professional was nominated for the recognition. All financial professionals within an 80 miles radius of Duluth, MN could be nominated by the public with the top 5 nominees being named finalist. Finalists were voted upon by the public with the highest vote receiver winning the award. No fee was paid for the nomination, receipt, or promotion of the award. Third-party ratings are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a

nor are

DECC SYMPHONY HALL APRIL 11 & 12, 2026

original score by JOHN WILLIAMS full orchestra conducted by DIRK MEYER

March 3 | 7:30 p.m

Symphonic Band Concert

Thorpe Langley Auditorium

March 17 | 7:30 p.m.

University Recital Series

Rachael Kresha, organ Cathedral of Christ the King

March 26 | 7:30 p.m.

Orchestra Concerto Competition Concert

Thorpe Langley Auditorium

April 14 | 7:30 p.m.

University Recital Series

Dough Walter & Brett Jones, percussion

Webb Recital Hall

MASTERWORKS 6

RHINE JOURNEY

SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2026, 7 PM

DECC SYMPHONY HALL – ALLETE STAGE

DIRK MEYER, CONDUCTOR

ERIN ALDRIDGE, VIOLIN

TE-CHIANG “BACCO” LIU, GUEST CONCERTMASTER

KODÁLY

Dances of Galánta

Lento

Allegretto moderato

Allegro con moto, grazioso

Allegro

Allegro vivace

BRUCH

Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, op. 26

Prelude: Allegro moderato

Adagio

Finale: Allegro energico

Erin Aldridge, violin

INTERMISSION

SCHUMANN

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, op. 97 (Rhenish)

Lebhaft

Scherzo: Sehr mässig

Nicht schnell

Feierlich

Lebhaft

Thank you to our generous concert sponsor

musician, and has been featured throughout Europe, South America, and the United States. Aldridge maintains an active performance schedule as a soloist and chamber musician, as well as in non-classical genres with her bands Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold and Superior Siren.

She has been a soloist with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, the Long Prairie Chamber Orchestra, the Mesabi Symphony Orchestra, and the Itasca Symphony Orchestra. She has been a guest artist at the Indiana University Summer Music Festival, Arizona State University, DePaul University Contemporary Concert Series, Madeline Island Music Camp, Ashland Chamber Music Series, National String Workshop, “Live at the Chazen” Concert Series, and The Third Coast Chamber Collective. She has been broadcast on National Public Radio, the BBC, Minnesota Public Radio, and Wisconsin Public Radio, and featured on television in the Midwest region.

Outside of classical music, Aldridge performs a wide variety of genres including bluegrass, Americana, folk, funk, blues, electronic, and rock. Her principal band, bluegrass and Americana group Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold, has garnered local and regional acclaim for their virtuosic instrumentalism and genre-blending original compositions. They have been featured at Blue Ox Festival in Eau Claire, Boats and Bluegrass Festival in Winona, River Falls Bluegrass Festival, The Great Northern Squashfest, and GLAMA Festival, and appear regularly at venues throughout the Midwest.

With Superior Siren, Aldridge made her debut at First Avenue in Minneapolis opening for DeVotchKa, and also performed at Blue Ox Festival. The first single she recorded with the group, “Rattlesnake,” received critical acclaim and was highlighted as a best new Minnesota song for August by Mpls. St. Paul Magazine. Aldridge is also the artistic advisor to the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra’s Bridge Sessions, a summer concert series dedicated to bringing together musicians of diverse genres.

Aldridge has several recordings, including her recording of Eugene Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27, Justin Rubin’s Constellations on the MSR Classics label, and Ian Deterling’s Duet in F Minor, Op. 4 for Violin and Trombone. She has also recorded with singer-songwriter Sara Thomsen, Three Altos, Superior Siren, and Andy Hanson. Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold released their live album Live from the Heart: Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold at Sacred Heart Music Center and recorded their first studio album in January 2025.

In the Twin Ports area, Aldridge has received significant recognition. She was named concertmaster of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra in 2005, selected for the Duluth News Tribune’s “20 Under 40” award in 2007, and received the Community Enrichment Award from the Duluth Depot Foundation in 2012. She was later honored by the American Association of University Women as one of four “Created Here” artists. Most recently, she received the 2023 Teaching Excellence Award from the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents.

As a conductor, Aldridge has directed ensembles throughout the state and served as guest clinician for the UW–Milwaukee High School Honors Orchestra. Under her direction, the University of Wisconsin–Superior Chamber Orchestra has developed a reputation for innovative programming. UW–Superior Chamber Strings has been featured at the Wisconsin State Music Educators Conference and has toured internationally.

Aldridge earned her bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from Indiana University, her master’s degree and Performer’s Certificate from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is currently Professor of Violin and Viola and Director of Orchestra at the University of Wisconsin–Superior, and Concertmaster of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of the North Opera Orchestra.

Dances of Galánta

ZOLTÁN KODÁLY

BORN: December 16, 1882, in Kecskemét, Hungary

DIED: March 6, 1967, in Budapest

WORK COMPOSED: 1933

WORLD PREMIERE: October 23, 1933, in Budapest; Philharmonic Society Orchestra, Ernst von Dohnányi conducting.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The two Masterworks performances of these dances were in 1960 and 2009. In the summer of 2004 Markand Thakar led outdoor performances at Lucius Woods (Solon Springs, WI) Performing Arts Center and on the lawn of Glensheen Mansion in Duluth.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes (2nd flute doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani, percussion (glockenspiel, snare drum, triangle) and strings.

DURATION: 16 minutes

Zoltán Kodály played an integral part in the development of ethnomusicology and music education. Because his father worked for the Hungarian State Railways as station master, the young Zoltán spent his first eighteen years in the Hungarian countryside. His mother played the piano and sang and his father played violin. While at the elementary school in Galánta he heard folktunes sung by his classmates. Nagyszombat, where Kodály attended grammar school, is a

historic town of rich cultural traditions. He was an excellent student with a proficiency in literature and languages. With very little tutorage he learned the piano, violin, viola and cello to such a level that he could take part in chamber music at home and perform with the school orchestra.

Kodály visited remote villages in 1905 to collect songs, which he recorded on phonograph cylinders. In 1906 he authored a thesis on Hungarian folk songs, Strophic Construction in Hungarian Folksong. Around this same time he met Béla Bartók, whom he took under his wing and shared his methods for collecting folk songs. They became lifelong friends and champions of each other’s music.

Throughout Kodály’s adult life he was very interested in improving music education. In 1935, along with his colleague Jenő Ádám, he embarked on a long-term project to reform music teaching in Hungary’s lower and middle schools. Several highly influential books resulted from this work. It’s interesting to read the goals of the Kodály method:

• Music is for everyone.

• Music teaching should be sequential and begin with the child in mind.

• Children should be taught music from an early age.

•The sequence should be logical and follow the same process by which children learn language.

•Music classes should be enjoyable and engaging.

• Singing is the first and most valuable tool for learning musical concepts.

• Teachers should pull from quality folk song materials in the “mother tongue” of the students.

Kodály adapted a hand signal system for solfège (Do - Re - Mi) created by Sarah Ann Glover (1785-1867) and improved on by John Spencer Curwen (1816-1880). In the motion picture Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a visual learning aid distributed to members of a conference of ufologists used Kodály’s method that referenced musical notes as hand signals.

Dances of Galánta was composed on commission for the 80th anniversary of the Budapest Philharmonic Society. It is based on the folk music of Galánta (now part of Slovakia), where Kodály lived for several years. By way of explanation, Kodály inserted this statement in the score:

Galánta is a small Hungarian markettown known to the travelers from Vienna to Budapest, where the composer passed seven years of his childhood. There existed at that time a famous Gypsy band which has since disappeared. Their music was the first “orchestral sonority” which came to the ear of the child. The forebears of these Gypsies were already known more than a hundred years ago. Around the year 1800 some books of Hungarian dances were published in Vienna, one of which contained music “after several Gypsies from Galánta.” They have preserved the old Hungarian traditions. In order to continue it the composer has taken his principal subjects from these old editions.

The old 18th century dances that Kodály chose are known as verbunkos music, ‘recruiting dances’. The method of enlisting recruits during the Imperial wars of that century was for the dances to be performed by a group of hussars led by their sergeant and consisted of slow figures alternating with lively ones. This impressive display was designed to arouse enthusiasm among the spectators, sending the message that the soldier’s life is endless fun. The music that accompanied these events was played by Gypsy bands, who often performed breathtakingly elaborate improvisations over the basically simple tunes.

Dances of Galánta is in five sections: Lento, Allegretto moderato, Allegro con moto - grazioso, Allegro, Allegro vivace. The link between ethnic musical sources and formal classical composition is exemplified in this work. The music of the Romani (Gypsies) embodies a distinct cultural heritage that has been influenced from the Middle East to Western Europe. The brilliant orchestration of the old Gypsy bands and the breathtaking liveliness makes Dances of Galánta one of Kodály’s most popular works.

PASSION

Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 MAX BRUCH

BORN: January 6, 1838, in Köln (Cologne), Germany

DIED: October 2, 1920, in Friedenau (near Berlin)

WORK COMPOSED: 1866

WORLD PREMIERE: April 24, 1866, probably in Koblenz; Otto von Königslow as soloist, Bruch conducting. Revised version on January 5, 1868, in Bremen; Joseph Joachim, soloist and Karl Martin Rheinthaler conducting.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Tonight marks the fifth DSSO performance of this concerto: in 1947 with violinist Isaac Stern; in 1953 with Ruggiero Ricci; 1974 Norman Carol; and on November 18, 1988 with Anne Akiko Meyers.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

DURATION: 24 minutes

Bruch composed his First Violin Concerto in 1866 during his tenure as music director from 1865-1867 at the court in Koblenz. Along with his Scottish Fantasy, which he completed in 1880, it is his most famous work. After its initial premiere Bruch worked with celebrated violinist Joseph Joachim to make revisions and completed it in its present form in 1867.

The immense popularity of his Violin Concerto No. 1 became a source of great frustration for Bruch. He wrote to his publisher: “Nothing compares to the laziness, stupidity and dullness of many German violinists. Every fortnight another one comes to me wanting to play the first concerto. I have now become rude; and have told them: ‘I cannot listen to this concerto any more – did I perhaps write just this one? Go away and once and for all play the other concertos, which are just as good, if not better.’” In 1903 he visited Naples and local violinists gathered to pay him tribute, “On the corner of the Via Toledo they stand there waiting to break out with my first violin concerto as soon as I allow myself to be seen. As if I had not written other equally good concertos!” Indeed, Bruch composed a significant number of other works but the Violin Concerto overshadowed the majority of them to the extent that only a handful of his works are regularly performed to this day.

The first movement is titled Vorspiel (Prelude) and opens quietly with the timpani and woodwinds followed by a mini cadenza. The second iteration has a similar structure, only a little louder. The music is impassioned and serves as an introduction, featuring dramatic cadenzas for the soloist. Seamlessly the second movement emerges from the end of the Vorspiel. The soul of the concerto is in the second movement and is probably the reason it is so beloved. Bruch’s heartbreakingly beautiful melody is infectious and memorable. The final movement is a spirited Gypsy-influenced dancelike movement that combines soaring melodies and brilliant double stops bringing Bruch’s Violin Concerto to a fiery conclusion. There is little wonder why it is considered one of the best works of the Romantic period.

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97 Rhenish

ROBERT SCHUMANN

BORN: June 8, 1810, in Zwickau, Saxony

DIED: July 29, 1856, in Endenich, near Bonn

WORK COMPOSED: 1850

WORLD PREMIERE: February 6, 1851 in Düsseldorf, Schumann conducting PERFORMANCE HISTORY: There have only been four previous DSSO performances of this symphony: in 1944 (Tauno Hannikainen conducting); in 1960 (with Hermann Herz); 1979 (Taavo Virkhaus); and on May 19, 2012 (Markand Thakar)–also the last piece of that season.

INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

DURATION: 32 minutes

The Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97, also known as the Rhenish, is the last symphony composed by Robert Schumann, although not the last published. This was due to Schumann withdrawing the score to his Fourth Symphony after a poor reception at its premiere in Leipzig in 1841. Schumann revised it ten years later and that version was published after the Rhenish Symphony. The Rhenish Symphony captures the composer’s response to the Rhineland at its most euphoric. Schumann used Beethoven’s symphonies as a model for his own symphonic writing. It has been suggested that Beethoven’s Third and Sixth Symphonies are the most influential in the Rhenish Symphony. The second movement of the Rhenish is most closely aligned with Beethoven’s Sixth; not

only does the Rhenish also have five movements, the second movements have a very similar quality. Beethoven titled his second movement Szene am Bach (Scene at the brook) and Schumann originally titled his second movement Morning on the Rhine, but removed it before publication. His reason for removing the title was his belief that it might force a certain opinion of the music upon the listener. This is supported by a quote from him, “If the eye is once directed to a certain point, the ear can no longer judge independently.” Schumann also said that “we must not show our heart to the world: a general impression of a work of art is better; at least, no preposterous comparisons can then be made.”

The fourth movement may be one of the most awe-inspiring things Schumann ever wrote. It was composed after he visited the Cologne cathedral. It has a solemn tone giving it the quality of an important ceremony. Indeed, the Archbishop of Cologne was elevated to Cardinal and may have been the inspiration for this movement. This is followed by a complete change of mood as the fifth movement is light and exhilarating.

The atmosphere around concerts in Düsseldorf was significantly more relaxed and convivial than the seriousness and formality of concerts in Dresden and Leipzig. The premiere was such a success that it was repeated a month later on March 13. This was one of the few successes Schumann had in Düsseldorf. He actually preferred a more formal atmosphere and after coming under fire for his conducting along with the pressure and stress of the treatment both he and his wife Clara were receiving, his mental and physical condition deteriorated. In January 1854 he tried to kill himself by jumping into the Rhine. Two and a half years later he died in an asylum.

The Rhenish Symphony stands apart from Schumann’s other symphonies for its openness, clarity, and sense of place. Rather than a literal tone poem, it offers an emotional portrait of the Rhineland - its landscapes, traditions, and spiritual life - filtered through Schumann’s poetic imagination. Composed at a moment of confidence and creative abundance, the symphony remains one of his most beloved orchestral works, radiating warmth, strength, and human connection.

Krajewski, Stephen Cleobury, Robert Franz, and Dirk Meyer

BECOME A FIRST-TIME CHAIR SPONSOR

Chair Sponsors support the DSSO by connecting with individual musicians who bring our concerts to life.

Each annual sponsorship pairs a donor with a member of the orchestra, creating a unique relationship that goes beyond the stage. Whether you’re sponsoring in honor of a loved one, supporting a specific instrument, or simply giving back to your community, Chair Sponsorship is a meaningful way to become part of the DSSO family.

Choose Your Level of Support

*Entry Level Chair valid for one season

Visit us online at DSSO.com/give or call 218.623.3776 to learn more.

Build a personal connection to the music you love

SUPPORT THE ORCHESTRA

The DSSO’s vision is to create a stronger community through the power of music. Have you had a transformative experience with music in your life? Maybe a memory of making music or listening to music that stands out in your mind? You could be a part of creating that experience for new generations of music lovers!

INDIVIDUAL GIVING

Your gift of any amount supports the music and musicians of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra.

CORPORATE & FOUNDATION GIVING

Partner with the DSSO to strengthen arts and culture in our community through sponsorships and philanthropic support.

CHAIR SPONSORSHIPS

Connect with a member of the orchestra through a sponsorship that goes beyond the stage

PLANNED GIVING

Create a lasting legacy for symphonic music by including the DSSO in your estate plans.

QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS

Are you 70½ or older? You can support the music you love with a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA. Please consult your tax or financial advisor for more information.

GIFTS OF STOCKS, BONDS, AND MUTUAL FUNDS

Investment markets have done very well over the last several years. Share that success by making a tax-smart contribution of appreciated securities directly to the DSSO.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Donate your time and talents behind the scenes to help make concerts possible.

HOW TO GIVE

In Person: Come say hello to us at the tables in the lobby. We want to hear your stories about concerts you have enjoyed over the years.

Call the Office: We are happy to process your donation over the phone and love it when you call! 218-623-3776

Donate Online: Give securely by visiting www.DSSO.com/give

Debit Transfer: Join other DSSO patrons and simply authorize your banker to initiate a recurring debit transfer from your account directly to the DSSO.

Security Transfers: Contact us for instructions.

Mail Us a Check: We know it can be oldfashioned, but our office loves getting mail. 506 West Michigan Street Duluth, MN 55802

DSSO DONOR SPOTLIGHT

We are proud to highlight some of those who love and have donated to the DSSO.

AREND “SANDY” AND VERNA SANDBULTE

Arend and Verna both grew up in northwest Iowa and were childhood sweethearts. Arend was a farm kid and everyone knows him as Sandy. He played competitive softball into his 70s.

Sandy was CEO of Minnesota Power, in the 1980s and 90s and was greatly loved by the rank and file and the company did well under his leadership.

Sandy and Verna were dedicated DSSO attendees for many years—always sitting halfway back on main floor for DSSO

BREAKFAST WITH DIRK

concerts. Sandy was very involved with the DSSO in developing the Leadership Fund which sponsors Erin Aldridge’s Concertmaster chair.

In addition to the DSSO, they have donated generously to organizations including the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation (now Boreal Waters), The College of St. Scholastica, Glen Avon Church, and Iowa State University.

Arend and Verna have identified the DSSO in their estate planning.

Donor Breakfast with Dirk at Restaurant 301 at the Sheraton. Left to right: Executive Director David Arnott, Music Director Dirk Meyer, Jim Krook, Mary Krook, Elaine Killen, Board Member Jill Kaiser, Kay Gower, & Ellie Dryer

Building the Future

DSSO CONTRIBUTORS

Thank you to the following corporate and individual contributors who have given in support of the DSSO between July 1, 2024 and January 16, 2026.

LEGACY

($25,000 & up)

Estate of Adelaide M. Cline

Arnold “Larry” Luukkonen Irrevocable Trust

The Depot Foundation

Jeremy & Carol Fryberger

McKnight Foundation

Cheryl Meese

Minnesota State Arts Board

North Shore Bank of Commerce

Pachel Foundation

Moses G. & Julie M. Smith Foundation

Muriel Whiteside Charitable Trust

MAESTRO

($10,000 to $24,999)

Aspirus St. Luke’s

Dr. & Mrs. Bernhard Boecker

Foundation Charitable Trust

Mark Danielson &

Theresa Smith

Duluth Grill Family of Restaurants

Thomas & Barbara Elliott

Helena E. Jackson &

Douglas Dunham

Pamella & Richard Jacobson

Tegan Johnson

Tom & Jill Kaiser

Richard D. Kivela

Wildey H. Mitchell

Family Foundation

Dr. Mark & Grace Monson

Nancy Odden & Doug Britton

William “Buzz” & Saundra Palmer

Branden H. Robinson

Charles A. & Carolyn M.

Russell Family Foundation

Arend J. & Verna Sandbulte

Kathleen & James Sanders

Signature Wealth

Management: Endersbe, Herron & Associates

The Teberg Fund

Gudrun & Geoffrey Witrak

VIRTUOSO

($5,000 to $9,999)

Dr. Vicki & Terry Anderson

Dr. J. David Arnott &

Tamara Bottge

Leonardo Alberto

Contardo Trust

Rhonda & John Degelau

Karl Diekman

Rondi Erickson

Dr. Beth Gilbert

Gale & Jeri Kerns

Keyport Liquor

LaVonne Middleton

Minnesota Power -

An ALLETE Company

Karen Hanson Sande

Brad Schmugge

Jacquie & Jim Sebastian

Harlan & Anita Stech

Carolyn Sundquist

Shirley Tratechaud

Amanda Wirta

ENCORE

($1,000 to $4,999)

Anonymous (1)

Leonore & Robert Baeumler

Sandra Barkley

Eileen Barratt

Benedictine Sisters of the St. Scholastica Monastery

John & Kathleen Berchild

Janice Biga

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Mark & Linda Boben

Boreal Waters

Community Foundation

The Honorable David & Gloria Bouschor

Lurene Buhrmann

Jeffrey & Vickie Cadwell

Janeen Carey

Cecilian Society

Alison Clarke

John & JoAnn Congdon

Stephen & Lauri Cushing

Judy Mueller Dahl

Father Daniel J. Dahlberg

Malcolm Davy & Cindy Spillers

Katharine DeVinck

Rose & Lester Drewes

R. Craft & Eleanore Dryer

Ruth Ann Eaton

Roger & Elaine Engle

Mary Evans

Gail Gilliland

Kay & Walter Gower

Christabel Grant

Debra Grimsrud

Thomas & Joan Hedin

Paul Holm

Otto Johnson &

September Mihaly

Elaine B. Killen

Robert Knighton

Mary & Jim Krook

Dennis Lamkin & Jon Niemi

Kristin Kinsela Larsen

David & Patricia Wall Mast

Alice McCabe

Dean & Kate McCall

Nancy Melander

Moms Run This Town

May Nordling

The Nys Family

Vincent & Sharon

Rigby Osborn

Tammy Ostrander & Anthony Barrett

Ann Pellman

Rebecca & Doug Pruitt

Deborah Rausch &

Dean Peterson

Dr. Susan Relf

Mary Hunner Robinson

Timothy Sandor

Janet R. Sklaris

Lane Fryberger Smith

Tobin Sobaski & Kari Koehler

Nairi & William Stack

Stack Bros.

Mechanical Contractors

Dr. Andrew Thompson & Patricia Bugliosi

Rajiv & Emily Vaidyanathan

Roberta Vose

Karen Wahmanholm

Rolf & Elizabeth Bent Weberg

Kirby & Cathleen Wood

Geiger & David Yount

James & Mary Zastrow

CRESCENDO

($250 to $999)

Anonymous (6)

Advantage Emblem & Screen Printing

John & Virginia Alexander

Allen Anway & Judy Sage

Beth Arnson

Charles & Judyth Babst

Glenn & Linda Backman

Susanne & Johan Bakken

Dr. Niles & Patricia Batdorf

Susan Bathory & Donald Lane

Kathi & Bill Beasley

Walter & Mariana Beier

Laura & Timothy Berdahl

Daniel & Marjorie Bergeland

Dee A. Boulger

Day Breitag & George Youngs

Maryjane Burdge

Thomas G. & Debra M. Buresh

Ronald Caple

Mary & Jeffrey Charnes

John & Martha Church

Henry F. Coyle

Jerry & Judy Curnow

Mary & Don Davidson

Linville Doan & Bernardo Perez

Jeanne & Daniel Doty

Michele Dressel

Bonnie Lou Dunphy

Paul Enenbach

Jason & Rose Fife

Fife Music Studio

Karen Finseth

Michael & Jennifer Fuchs

Douglas & Helen Gettle

Tracey Gibbens &

Kerry van Dusen

John D. Gibbs

Drs. Karen & Richard Gran

Great Lakes Aquarium

Carlton & Judith Gustafson

Kay & Ronald Gustafson

Beth Hall

Edwin & Sherry Hall

Dan Hartel

Ellen Hedin

Dan & Rose Heldt

Hemslöjd Studios

Robert & Lois Heller

Barbara Hjort

Jill-Ann Hoag

Ann & Robert Hockman

Kevin & Carol Hoeschen

Holden Insurance Agency

Mary Holm-Lund

Sally Hunner

Olivia Huston

Julia & Daniel Jacobson

James Jarocki & Kristin Blakeslee

Dennis & Susan Johnson

Matthew Johnson

Ronald Kari

Karen & John Keenan

John & Beth Kelly

Paul & Carol Knuti

Mark Knutson &

Elizabeth Storaasli

Glen Krenelka

Katherine & Robert Kuettel

James Lampi, Software

Diversified Services

Sharon Layon

Joshua Lehigh

Charles & Jean Leibfried

Gary & Nancy Loberg

Paul & Nancy Lokken

Dr. Michael & Marta Maddy

John & Michelle Magdsick

Matinee Musicale

Steve Mattson, Zenith City Photography

Heather Muster

Judith A. Newman

Mark & Karen Niedermier

Kathryn Noble

Phil & Lorraine Norrgard

Emily Nygren

Barbara Melde Olson

Dr. Peter & Carol Person

Kevin & Rebecca Peterson

Roger & Nancy Ralston

Kenneth & Sandra Rausch

Mary Pat Renaud

Kathleen Risku

David & Jo-Ann Rossetter

Gerald & Karen Ruona

Patricia A. Downs

Nichole & Jeffrey Schaefer

Theodore Schoen &

Laurie Van Brunt

Dr. John Schrock &

Mary Berube

Dr. Penny Schwarze

Judi Scott

Dr. Thomas & Julie Seidelmann

Janis & Gautam Sengupta

Kay Slack

Dale & Elizabeth George Sola

South Pier Inn

Gerard & Melissa Spoelhof

Sandra & Craig Sterle

Dr. Tim Stratton and Rev. Suzanne Wasilczuk

Jolane & John Sundstrom

Richard Swenson

Linnea & Jon Swenson

Tellekson

Ruth & Dale Thorpe

Terese Tomanek & Steve Davis

Sharon L. Torrison

The Ulrick Family (Shawn, Maeve, & Liam)

Emily & David Wigg

Sandra Reitz Wilson &

Brian Lowell Steen

John Wolf

Mary W. Zbaracki

OVERTURE

($1 to $249)

Anonymous (17)

Candy & Dick Adams

Fiona Adams

Janet Akervik

William Alexander

John & Catherine Ameel

Arthur & Kay Amundson

Logan & Samantha Amys

John & Mary Anderson

Jody Anderson

Richard & Yvonne Anderson

Tim Anderson

Kathleen & James Antilla

Allan Apter & Brenda Ion

Judith Arnold

Stacey Bailey

Carla Bayerl

Beth Behme

Vivian & Barry Bergquist

James & Darcy Bester

Anne Bier

David & Karen Bjorkman

Timothy Blackburn

Angie Bomier

Richard & Jane Bradford

Kathleen & John Bray

Sue & Kim Bretheim

Carolyn Brooks

Deborah Callies & Tom Bergin

Jean & Sharon Captain

Rev. Craig & Bobbie Lou Carlson

Lea Carr

Andrew Chalberg

Archie & Gretchen Chelseth

Julia Cheng & Robin

Washington

Maggie & Ethan Coady

Patrick Colvin

Ripley Cook & Natalie Constance

Margaret J. Cooper

Charles Corcoran

Tim & Joanne Itami Craig

Karen Ruedi Crowell

Gwyn Curran

Maria Cuzzo

Ann & John Dahl

Thomas & Kathy Dahlberg

Matthew Dane

Debbie Davis

Emma Deaner

Carol Diethelm

Connie & Bill Dinan

Charlene Domingo, Tat Chase, & Dodi Platt

Michael & Carol Donahue

Laura & Jim Donovan

Patricia Dorn & Harley Hanson

Gary & Marcia Doty

Peggy & Steve Downing

Kate & Paul Drevnick

Wendy Durrwachter

Jeffrey Eastman

Julie Eckman

Amy & Chad Eichers

Courtney Ann Eickman

Kari & John Embree

Sophia Farell

Peter I. Fifield

Martha & Conrad Firling

Danny & Angie Frank

Ruth Fransen

Kristin Garey & Michael Carey

Geoffrey Gates &

Deborah Rasmussen

Anita Gille &

James Schulzetenberg

Diana Giombetti

Deborah Voelk Good

Grandma’s Marathon

Ann Gumpper & Mark Harvey

Amber Gurske & Roger Reinert

Mary K. Hagen

Gail & Kevin Hamre

Greg & Rebecca Hansen

Charles Hanson

Ann Harrington

Lynne Harrington Hall

Clay Helberg & Andrine Lemieux

David & Mary Helf

Richard Hellman

Sara Henriksen

Kay Hill

Lisa Hoch

Karen Hoeschen

Dr. Glen E. Holt

Roderick Hood

George & Connie Host

Laura & Doug Houston

Robert Howe

Bryan Howell

Daniel & Lois Jaeckel

Alan & Dorothy Johns

Marian & Donald Johnson

Robert & Barbara Johnson

Ruth R. Johnson

Zachary Johnson

Young & Barbara Johnson Kim

Marlene D. Johnston

Peter Jongewaard

Marcus Juusola

Crystal & Stefan Kaiser

Jonathan Kane

Barbara Ellwanger Kase

Celeste Kawulok &

Perry Middlemist

John & Sharon Kemp

Jane Killough

Lynne King

Melissa King & Brian Ruggle

Byron Klimek

Ann Kraker

Arthur Kropp

Karl Kubiak

Cathy Kurtz

Anne Laible

Scott & Pamela Larson

Thomas & Cynthia Ledin

Paul & Marsha Lee

George & Lynn Lehman

John & Janell Kokkonen Lemire

Janet & Dale Lietha

Michael Lillo

Jean Loushin

Michael Lyons

Judy MacGibbon

Debora Magee

Lucia Magney & Richard Wildberger

Allen & Liz Makynen

Lisa & Gary Mandelin

Rachel & Gregory Mason

Julianne & Michael McCoshen

Jennifer McEwen

James & Cindy McLeod

Karen McManus

Mesabi Symphony Orchestra

Dirk & Paula Meyer

Donald & Marilyn Mitchem

Jane Moe

James R. Taylor & Therese Mooney

Tom & Julie Morgan

Pastor Dennis Morreim

Wende & James Morrell

Fran Morris

Penelope & Ron Morton

Janet & John Murphy

Susan & Charles Nelson

Jamie Ness & Maria Isley

Jeannette Nesseth

Ann M. Novack

David & Carolynn Olsen

Jacob Olson & Ryan Reid

Margaret “Peg” Oman

David J. Ouse

Julie Padilla

Parker Artists Managers & Consultants

Dennis Paulson

Benjamin & Kailyn Pelerin

Mary Lu Perham

Mary Kay Plank

Charles & Della Pleski

Betty Preus

Marjorie Provo

Kristin Randall

Mayur Rao

Brian & Suzanne Rauvola

Scott Risdal & Zandra Zweibel

Terry Roberts

Mark & Nancy Rubin

Holly Sampson

Kristin Sande

Barbara Schlichting

Harley Schreck

Jessica Schroeder & Richard Carrick

Marisa Schultz-Erickson

Terrence & Diane Scott

Edwyna Scouton

Jack & Cindy Seiler

Judy Seliga-Punyko & William Punyko

Linda Senta

Melanie Sever

Laurie & Mark Severson

Sheila & Fred Shusterich

Jill Siegfried

Lara Signorelli

Mark & Sandra Signorelli

Eleanor Simon

Steven & Jane Skalisky

Richard & Barb Skogg

Edward Smith

Phyllis & Vic Smith

Yelena Sokolova & Khagan Mammadov

Alice & Lawrence Sommer

Dennis & Donna Soukup

Lawrence Spears

Dr. Joseph & Judith Spencer

Dr. David & Brenda Sproat

Paul Stack

Richard & Eileen

Stack-Sandahl

Roxanne Stahl

Connie Olson Stanley

Marilyn Steele

Ann-Marie Stojevich

Thomas & Cynthia Storm

Emily & Luther Strayer

Luke Sydow

Christina Tarasczuk & David Alexander

Mary Tennis & Stacy Lavres

Adrienne Thureen

Steve & Kerry Tomhave

Lucas Trea

Ruth Ann & William Trembath

Karen Tribby

Mandy Turpin

Mary Ann Ulishney & Bill Schneider

Tiss Underdahl

Paul & Marlene Van Puymbrouck

Shelly Vanneste

Brandon VanWaeyenberghe

Jennifer & Steve Wabrowetz

Sally Wahman & Tim Carter

Jori & Chuck Walt

Sarah & Jason Warner

Peggy White

Trevor & Kathy White

Judy Whitely

Heidi Wick

Steve Wick & Margie Nelson

Kay & David Winek

Shirley Wuchter

Elizabeth Young

Eric & Celeste Zuniga Brandt

DSSYO SUPPORTERS

We are grateful for the individuals and organizations who support the Duluth Superior Symphony Youth Orchestras.

Anonymous (5)

Cecilian Society

Stephen & Lauri Cushing

The Depot Foundation

Linville Doan & Bernardo Perez

Kate & Paul Drevnick

Matinee Musicale

Moms Run This Town

Roger & Nancy Ralston

Moses G. & Julie M.

Smith Foundation

DSSO VOLUNTEERS

Thank you to our volunteers, who generously donate their time and energy to make each concert possible.

Jayne Baumgardner

Ashley Beecroft

Audrey Beyer

Charles Corcoran

Erik Davies

Bonnie Lou Dunphy

Elaine Haglund

Patty Kaiser

John Leach

Susan Leach

Lisa Mandelin

Jenny Peterson

Deborah Rausch

Heather Rickerl

Lela Rikkola

Judith Rogers

Kat Werchouski

CHAIR SPONSORS

We are grateful to the following individuals, families, & organizations whose generosity directly supports the musicians of the DSSO.

FULL CHAIR

($5,000 & above)

Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

Karl Diekman

Duluth Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, & Ram

Thomas & Barbara Elliott

Helena Jackson & Doug Dunham

Tegan Johnson

Tom & Jill Kaiser

Nancy Odden & Douglas W. Britton

William “Buzz” & Saundra Palmer

Arend J. & Verna Sandbulte

THREE-QUARTER CHAIR

($3,750)

LaVonne Middleton

HALF CHAIR

($2,500)

Dr. Vicki & Terry Anderson

Linda & Mark Boben

Rhonda & John Degelau

Christabel Grant

Sylvia Jamar

Gale & Jeri Kerns

Elaine B. Killen

Alice McCabe

Dr. Mark & Grace Monson

May Nordling

Branden Robinson

Karen Hanson Sande

Kathleen & James Sanders

Timothy Sandor

Brad Schmugge

Jacquie & Jim Sebastian

Stack Bros. Mechanical Contractors

Carolyn Sundquist

Gudrun & Geoffrey Witrak

QUARTER CHAIR

($1,250)

Sandra Barkley

Robert T. & Barbara K. Bennett

Janice Biga

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Lurene Buhrmann

Jeffrey & Vicki Cadwell

Steve & Lauri Cushing

Rose & Lester Drewes

Ruth Ann Eaton

Roger & Elaine Engle

Mary Evans

Walter & Kay Gower

Diane Kolquist & James Seitz

David & Patricia Wall Mast

Nancy Melander

Dr. Susan Relf

Mary Hunner Robinson

Lane Fryberger Smith

Roberta Vose

Geiger & David Yount

James & Mary Zastrow

ENTRY LEVEL

($500)

Anonymous (1)

Walter & Mariana Beier

Mary & Jeff Charnes

Friends at Marshall School

Julia & Daniel Jacobson in honor of Rainer Jacobson, Youth Symphony Tubist

Ronald Kari

Steve Mattson, Zenith City Photography

Barbara Melde Olson

Dr. Thomas & Julie Seidelmann

Terese Tomanek & Steven Davis

The Ulrick Family (Shawn, Maeve, & Liam)

Emily L. Wigg

IN MEMORY

Our hearts go out to the families and friends of musicians or patrons who have passed. *This list represents those we have been made aware of through Memorial Gifts.

MARTHA AAS

Linda Senta

ERIN ABRAMSON & JACOB NEPHEW

Bettina Keppers

Moms Run This Town

WILLIAM “BILL” ALEXANDER

Branden Robinson

Kristin Sande

DR. EUGENE THOMAS ALTIERE

Karen Finseth

DOROTHY ANWAY

Allen Anway

DR. & MRS. BERNHARD BOECKER

Dr. & Mrs. Bernhard Boecker

Foundation Charitable Trust

ELIZABETH MURPHY BURNS

Roberta Vose

MARY DONAHUE

Thomas Donahue

Ronald Kari

Charles & Jean Leibfried

MARY BETH DUNDER BROWN

Janice Biga

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

ROBERT H. EVANS

Anonymous

AUDREY FISHER

Jean & Sharon Captain

CAROL FRYBERGER

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

JAMES GRANT

Fiona Adams

John & Kathleen Berchild

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Steve & Lauri Cushing

Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

Mary & Don Davidson

Connie & Bill Dinan

Gary & Marcia Doty

Mary Evans

Walter & Kay Gower

Greg & Rebecca Hansen

Thomas & Joan Hedin

Helena Jackson & Doug Dunham

Peter Jongewaard

George & Lynn Lehman

Tom & Julie Morgan

Penelope & Ron Morton

Mayur Rao

Deborah Rausch &

Dean Peterson

Scott Risdal & Zandra Zweibel

Laurie & Mark Severson

Ann-Marie Stojevich

Emily & Luther Strayer

Roberta Vose

PHILOMENA GREGORIAN

Cathy Kurtz

Anne Laible

Scott & Pamela Larson

Julianne & Michael McCoshen

Richard Sandahl & Eileen Stack-Sandahl

Paul Stack

LINDA HAAGENSEN

Kathleen & James Sanders

NEIL HENSRUD

Kathleen Collins & Richard Stewart

MILT HILL

Kay Hill

Pastor Dennis Morreim

ALICE HOLM

Paul Holm

ROBERT G. HOWELL

Bryan Howell

JOHN HUSSEY

Tracey Gibbens & Kerry van Dusen

JACK JARNIS

Ripley Cook & Natalie Constance

Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

Jane Jarnis

PATRICIA DIANE

JOHNSON

Stacey Bailey

Tom Bergin & Deborah Callies

James & Darcy Bester

Debbie Davis

Charlene Domingo, Tat Chase, & Dodi Platt

Patricia Dorn & Harley Hanson

Kari & John Embree

Charles Hanson

Robert & Barbara Johnson

Marlene D. Johnston

Mesabi Symphony Orchestra

Edwyna Scouton

Roxanne Stahl

Ruth Ann & William Trembath

Paul & Marlene

Van Puymbrouck

Sarah & Jason Warner

Peggy White

Judy Whitely

Heidi Wick

Amanda Wirta

MARGE KEUHN

Kathleen & James Antilla

KALERVO & ARLYNE

KOKKONEN

Judith & Carlton Gustafson

ALICE KUBISTA

Candy & Dick Adams

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Dee Boulger

Jeffrey Eastman

Richard Hellman

Christina Tarasczuk & David Alexander

Roberta Vose

DEXTER LARSEN

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Kristin Kinsela Larsen

James & Mary Zastrow

THOMAS MCCABE

Julie Eckman

CAROL MILLER

Beth Arnson

WALTER & ALTA MOE

Shirley Tratechaud

GARY MEIER

Darla Meier

DON NIEMI

Sharon L. Torrison

VERN NORDLING

Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

DR. JAY PARKER

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

BERYL L. PETTIGREW

Arthur & Kay Amundson

Gwyn Curran

Stephen & Lauri Cushing

Matthew Dane

Barbara Ellwanger Kase

Peter I. Fifield

Laura & Doug Houston

Jonathan Kane

Ronald Kari

Barbara Ellwanger Kase

John & Sharon Kemp

Jane Killough

Ann Kraker

Kristin Randall

Jill Siegfried

Richard Skogg

Roberta Vose

Sally Wahman

Karen Wahmanholm

Elizabeth Young

JAMES PETTIGREW

Ann Kraker

Karen Wahmanholm

ANNETTE RADTKE

Gwyn Curran

ADELINE & JOSEPH SANDOR

Timothy Sandor

DAVID A. STECH

Harlan & Anita Stech

FRANK J. SKLARIS

Janet R. Sklaris

DR. CLARENCE

MALCOLM SCOTT

Janice Biga

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Sally J. Brown

Dennis O. Cochrane

Katherine DeVinck

Walter & Kay Gower

Barbara Hjort

Sylvia Jamar

Murray & Diana Johnson

Diane Kruger

Jan & Bill Lippitt

Sharon & Toby Marcovich

Janet & John Murphy

Richard & Ruth Nystrom

Ronald Scott

Marilyn Steele

SAMUEL TRATECHAUD

Shirley Tratechaud

DAVID VOSE

Sharon L. Torrison

Roberta Vose

DR. ROBERT WAHMAN

John & Mary Anderson

Beth Behme

Kay Biga & Patrick Spott

Mark Danielson & Theresa Smith

Peggy & Steve Downing

Julie Eckman

Mary Evans

Ruth Fransen

Grandma’s Marathon

Robert & Lois Heller

Dr. Glen E. Holt

Roderick Hood

Helena Jackson & Douglas Dunham

Daniel & Lois Jaeckel

Alan & Dorothy Johns

Dennis & Susan Johnson

Ruth R. Johnson

Mary & Jim Krook

Dr. Michael Maddy

Therese Mooney & James R. Taylor

William “Buzz” & Saundra Palmer

Eleanor Simon

Kay Slack

Dr. Joseph & Judith Spencer

Gerard & Melissa Spoelhof

Linnea & Jon Swenson

Tellekson

Roberta Vose

Sandra Reitz Wilson & Brian Lowell Steen

John Wolf

James & Mary Zastrow

SHARON WAHMAN

Kay Slack

Lane Fryberger Smith

Roberta Vose

ALBERTE & TREVOR

WHITE

Trevor & Kathy White

IN HONOR

This list represents gifts being made in tribute to an individual, organization, or occasion.

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ERIN ALDRIDGE, DSSO CONCERTMASTER

Samantha & Logan Amys

Anonymous (1)

Allen Anway & Judy Sage

Judith Arnold

J. David Arnott & Tamara Bottge

Kathi & Bill Beasley

Janice Biga

Timothy Blackburn

Linda & Mark Boben

Day Breitag & George Youngs

Carolyn Brooks

Jeffrey & Vickie Cadwell

Archie & Gretchen Chelseth

Julia Cheng & Robin Washington

Maggie & Ethan Coady

Patrick Colvin

Maria Cuzzo

Emma Deaner

Patricia A. Downs

R. Craft & Eleanore Dryer

Wendy Durrwachter

Amy & Chad Eichers

Rondi Erickson

Mary Evans

Sophia Farell

Jason & Rose Fife

Fife Music Studio

Karen Finseth

Danny & Angie Frank

Michael & Jennifer Fuchs

Dr. Beth Gilbert

Kay & Walt Gower

Gail & Kevin Hamre

Hemslöjd Studios

Kevin & Carol Hoeschen

Mary Hunner Robinson

Olivia Huston

Daniel & Lois Jaeckel

Marcus Juusola

Jill & Tom Kaiser

Karen & John Keenan

Elaine B. Killen

Byron Klimek

Dennis Lamkin & Jon Niemi

Charles & Jean Leibfried

John & Janell Kokkonen Lemire

Lucia Magney & Richard Wildberger

Alice McCabe

Dean & Kate McCall

Jennifer McEwen

Dirk & Paula Meyer

Fran Morris

Jamie Ness & Maria Isley

Mark & Karen Niedermier

Emily Nygren

Benjamin & Kailyn Pelerin

Kevin & Rebecca Peterson

Terry Roberts

Branden Robinson

Earl & Judith Rogers

Mark & Nancy Rubin

Holly Sampson

Kristin Sande

Kathleen & James Sanders

Jessica Schroeder & Richard Carrick

Dr. Penny Schwarze

Judi Scott

Jacquie & Jim Sebastian

Jack & Cindy Seiler

Melanie Sever

Lara Signorelli

Mark & Sandra Signorelli

Dr. Dennis & Donna Soukup

Nairi & William Stack

Carolyn Sundquist

Linnea & Jon

Swenson Tellekson

Luke Sydow

Mandy Turpin

Mary Ann Ulishney & Bill Schneider

Laurie Van Brunt & Theodore Schoen

Sarah & Jason Warner

Rolf & Elizabeth Bent Weberg

Steve Wick & Margie Nelson

Amanda Wirta

Gudrun & Geoffrey Witrak

Kirby & Cathleen Wood

Geiger & David Yount

Mary W. Zbaracki

J. DAVID ARNOTT

Branden Robinson

LAURIE BASTIAN

Thomas & Cynthia Storm

LINDA BOBEN

Mark Boben

ANGIE BOMIER

Paul Holm

RICHARD CARRICK, DSSO CHORUS MASTER

Anonymous (2)

Karen Finseth

KATHLEEN DALY

Deborah Good

MARK DANIELSON & THERESA SMITH

Sue & Kim Bretheim

THOMAS DONAHUE

Charles & Jean Leibfried

DSSO CHORUS

Karen Finseth

Linda Senta

DSSO VIOLIN SECTION

Beth Arnson

KEVIN HOESCHEN

Karen Hoeschen

MARY HUNNER

ROBINSON

Sally Hunner

ANDRE & MARILYN LAMOUREA

Janis & Gautam Sengupta

MUSICIANS OF THE DSSO

Brandon VanWaeyenberghe

VINCENT OSBORN

Ruth & Dale Thorpe

BRANDEN ROBINSON

Sally Hunner

MELANIE SEVER

Malcolm Davy & Cindy Spillers

TAKE A BOW, SPONSORS

We are pleased to offer a big thank you to our sponsors for the 2025-2026 Season. Their generous support makes it possible for the DSSO to bring world-class concerts, educational programs, and community outreach to the Northland. BRAVO!

DSSYO SPONSORS

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

CHOOSE EXCELLENCE CHOOSE HANFT

DINE-IN,

M-F: 11am-1am

Sat-Sun: 10am-1am WEEKEND BRUNCH

Sat-Sun: 10am-2pm

Duluth located on the corner of Superior and Lake.