THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY College of Music presents the
University Philharmonia Alexander Jiménez, Music Director and Conductor
Thursday, October 1, 2026 7:30 p.m. | Opperman Music Hall
PROGRAM Soul Force (2015)
Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981)
Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 “Unfinished” Allegro moderato Andante con moto
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Karelia Suite, Op. 11 Intermezzo Ballade Alla marcia
Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)
NOTES ON THE PROGRAM Montgomery: Soul Force Soul Force is a one-movement symphonic work which attempts to portray the notion of a voice that struggles to be heard beyond the shackles of oppression. The music takes on the form of a march which begins with a single voice and gains mass as it rises to a triumphant goal. Drawing on elements of popular African American musical styles such as big-band jazz, funk, hip-hop and R+B, the piece pays homage to the cultural contributions, the many voices, which have risen against aggressive forces to create an indispensable cultural place. I have drawn the work’s title from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in which he states: “We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.” – Jessie Montgomery Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 “Unfinished” Franz Schubert’s short life roughly coincided with that of Beethoven’s—both passing away within about a year of each other. But what a difference there is between the life and music of these two giants of early romantic music! Beethoven–world renowned with fiery temperament, and master of struggling to hammer out profundities from modest ideas—strode across the musical landscape of Europe as a conqueror. Schubert, on the other hand, lived quietly within a circle of close friends, rarely capturing the public’s imagination, while turning out an immeasurable wealth of melodies, apparently with little effort. In his brief career Schubert composed orchestral music, dabbled in opera, produced masterpieces of chamber music, and created a significant body of compositions for piano. But his glory, and the world’s musical treasure, lies in his Lieder (German songs). It is astounding that he composed over six hundred of them, and they constitute the defining repertory within that genre. No one else—not Schumann,
Brahms, Wolf, Strauss, nor Mahler—come close to the defining mark of Schubert. And it is an understanding and appreciation of the centrality of song in Schubert’s oeuvre that informs our encounter with his instrumental music, including his symphonies. He wrote nine symphonies, but two of them have garnered the most prominence: The “Great C Major” symphony and the “Unfinished.” Many have claimed that the latter really is “finished,” (owing to its genius), and many others have actually finished it (fools rush in . . .) by composing the missing last two movements in Schubert’s style. But, manifestly it is unfinished, but of such gripping quality and beauty that it really doesn’t matter. Ironically, it did not meet the light of day (literally) until 1865, when it was retrieved, almost as an afterthought, from an obscure personality’s desk drawer. Schubert never heard any of his symphonies played by a professional orchestra, and none of them were published in his lifetime. Yet, here is an iconic work of early Romanticism that lay undisturbed almost from the time of its composition in 1822. In many respects it manifests most of the technical characteristics (and I won’t bother you with those) of late Classical symphonies such as those of late Haydn and Mozart, and perhaps early Beethoven. The essence of this great work is more elusive: its dark and reflective tone, its stunning and novel combinations of subtle instrumental color, the characteristic and striking harmonic language—and, of course, the Schubertian melodies. Technical points pale beside these qualities—the “Unfinished” opens a new atmospheric sound world of Romanticism that is palpable beyond analysis –Wm. E. Runyan Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Op. 11 Jean Sibelius stands alone as the single most important Scandinavian composer, and the greatest symphonist ever produced in that part of the world. His music is so thoroughly identified with his adopted country that it comes as a surprise to learn that he was born to Swedish parents who were living in Finland at the time. In fact, he never spoke a significant amount of Finnish until he began school at age eight. Although at one time he enrolled in law school, his true love was for music. So, after a short time he dropped out of the university to study music. Originally, he aspired to a career as virtuoso violinist and eventually auditioned (unsuccessfully) for the Vienna Philharmonic. His love for music was undaunted by his failed audition, and he concentrated on his other talent – composing. He would go on to become the dominant figure in Finnish musical history, unmatched to this day. The Karelia Suite is one of his earliest published works. It is drawn from a much larger body of music originally composed to celebrate a region in southeast Finland, as part of a patriotic pageant that was held by students at the branch of Helsinki University in that district. The Karelia region has been a scene of conflict between Western and Russian influences for centuries. It is still divided, part of it within the sovereign nation of Finland, and part of it presently incorporated into Russia. The pageant presented in 1893 by the Finnish students portrayed a long series of events and conflicts between Russia and the Karelian people (who are ethnically diverse from other Finns). Sibelius, who had just received international acclaim with his Kullervo Symphony was the obvious choice to provide music to support the drama. The full score of the Karelia music was only performed twice in its own time, although it has recently been revived. However, Sibelius knew how good the music was and extracted an overture (not usually included in the suite) and three purely orchestral interludes between the dramatic tableaux of the full work. These three movements make no attempt toward dazzling virtuosity, but reflect the simple, folksy atmosphere of the region and its people. It has become one of his most popular and frequently played minor pieces. – C. Michael Kelly
University Philharmonia Personnel Alexander Jiménez, Music Director and Conductor Shaka Lwaki, Graduate Associate Conductor Violin 1 Ajay Balkaran‡ Anaise Jones Ellie Millette Garrett Groff Leah Tryzmel Sasha Richeson Olivia Castellanos Valencia Olivia Leichter Joel Alexander Emma Biesack Violin 2 Lucia Marti Garro* Shane Sharkey Chloe Gullo Isaiah Dorn Samantha Pirona Elise Knepp Violet Lorish Emma Colehower Lindsay Cunningham Jack Qualls Viola Jacqueline Wang* Joseilys Quinones Keanna Goliat Brenden Brewer Jorge Batista Amare Jones Saven Burgos Aniyah Crawford
Justin Tran Caiden Graham Andrew Eckstein Corinne Williams-Hough Cello Miroslav Beck* Myles Owens-Walker Brandon Bonamarte Chloe Kolenc Tyler Benko Ashley Gessner Sophia Anderson Liam Davidson Matthew Pooler Bass Daniel Martinez* Ryan Schaefer Jean-Phillip Montas Annabelle Cutshaw Gavin Smith Garrett Gilley Charles DeBay Flute Ian Guerrero Mundaray* Salma Oviedo Brianna Williams Piccolo Brianna Williams
Oboe Sarah Ward* Jordan Miller* Abigail Saltares Emma Druggan English Horn Sarah Ward Clarinet Joseph Eckhardt* Rachael Malawey* Dawson Huynh*
Trombone Allen Wroten* Caden Ragsdale Bass Trombone Jacob Zussy Tuba Devin Walmsley Percussion Aidan Lenski Cole Martin Aidan Pippin
Bassoon Benjamin Kiely* Orchestra Manager Susanna Campbell* Steven Stamer Alex Rameau Sebastián Andrade-Rondón Stage Manager Gavin Smith Horn Andrew Keller* Orchestra Librarians Davis Craddock* Misaki Hall Thiago Costa Shaka Lwaki Aiden Curry Coen Taylor Library Assistant Keren Garcia Rodriguez Trumpet Angelo Del Oro* Kate Moncada* ‡ Concertmaster Erik Links
* Principal / Co-Principal
To Ensure An Enjoyable Concert Experience For All… Please refrain from talking, entering, or exiting during performances. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls. Recording or broadcasting of the concert by any means, including the use of digital cameras, cell phones, or other devices is expressly forbidden. Please deactivate all portable electronic devices including watches, cell phones, pagers, hand-held gaming devices or other electronic equipment that may distract the audience or performers. Recording Notice: This performance may be recorded. Please note that members of the audience may at times be included in this process. By attending this performance you consent to have your image or likeness appear in any live or recorded video or other transmission or reproduction made in conjunction to the performance. Florida State University provides accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please notify the College of Music at (850) 644-3424 at least five working days prior to a musical event to request accommodation for disability or alternative program format.