CONCERT PREVIEWS
Performances are Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. at Sunset Center in Carmel.
FEBRUARY 15 & 16, 2020 Max Bragado-Darman, conductor Edward Elgar Enigma Variations, Op. 36 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade, Op. 35
MARCH 14 & 15, 2020 Oleg Caetani, guest conductor Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 3, Op. 29 Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 15, Op. 141
APRIL 18 & 19, 2020 Max Bragado-Darman, conductor Johannes Brahms Violin Concerto, Op. 77 Judith Ingolfsson, violin Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 2, Op. 43
MAY 16 & 17, 2020 Max Bragado-Darman, conductor Richard Strauss Don Juan, Op. 20 Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 1 Click here for a full description of each concert’s repertoire…
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FEBRUARY 15, 2020 SUNSET CENTER, CARMEL PARTY 6:30PM, CONCERT 8:00PM Indulge in decadent desserts from Parker Lusseau Pastries and Cafe Lumiere and delicious small bites from 5th Avenue Deli & Catering Co. Sip local libations by Chalone Vineyard, Mesa Del Sol and Carmel Berry Company while you vibe into music by Dave Holodiloff and Elijjah McCullar. Take home photos at our photo booth, have your tarot read by Wendy Burch of More Love Intuitive Soul Coaching, and enjoy a radiant strolling fashion show by Deja Vu Carmel. Raffle baskets by Cos Bar, In Bloom Salon and Spa, Monterey Symphony and more! Click here to purchase tickets‌
WRAPPING UP 2019 The season began with delicious competition when Maestro Max Bragado-Darman faced off against Chef Angela Tamura of Peppoli in a friendly paella cook-off. Over 100 Symphony supporters gathered at the home of George and Patricia Yellich to enjoy the best of Spanish cuisine, flamenco dancers with authentic Spanish music and the unique energy of the start of another Symphony season! Opening Weekend was one to remember: Stunning aerial artistry! 250-year-old violin! One of the most famous and elaborate symphonies of all time! Concertmaster Christina Mok delighted as a soloist performing Dvořák’s Romance, and it was standing room only for both the post-concert Green Room and Sunday’s Supper Club at SUR Restaurant in Carmel. At the Youth Concert on Monday, the Symphony (and those bells!) traveled to Sherwood Hall in Salinas for an unforgettable concert for nearly 3,000 students. The ovations continued as we welcomed Kun Woo Paik for a spectacular concert in November. Paik was a commanding presence, performing two impressive piano concertos with the Monterey Symphony. As one concert attendee said, “The final part of the Mozart was so fluid and so mellow, as if being played in heaven! The powerful and lucid technicality in a variety of forms in the second piece was truly virtuosic, magnificent and mesmerizing!”
HOW DO YOU GET TO CARNEGIE HALL? Practice, practice, practice. by Caitlin Fillmore
The real question, is how do you get to a youth concert at Sherwood Hall or the Sunset Center? Paperwork, volunteers, color coding, spreadsheets and donuts! Each year, 9,000 students fill the seats at Sunset Center and Sherwood Hall for eight, 45-minute youth concerts performed by the full Monterey Symphony orchestra. These concerts feature the same repertoire presented the weekend before with storytelling from the stage to provide context and entertainment for the audience, which often ranges from toddlers in homeschool to high school students. There is a specific magic to our youth concerts. While we have all experienced the intense cacophony of thousands of voices falling completely silent once Max’s baton is raised, it’s what happens next that matters. Sometimes you hear enthusiastic singing along to The Star Spangled Banner. Sometimes you will see excited fingers pointing toward what’s happening onstage. There is fidgeting. There is chatter. There is wonder. A Monterey Symphony youth concert is an experience that can’t be missed and we are proud of the moments we deliver. But getting there? That’s where the practice comes in.
Starting each March, schools rush to sign up for a youth concert during the following school year. Once the sign-up sheets roll in, the Symphony begins the monthslong relationship with the school—communicating final seat reservations, bussing documentation for $12,000 in scholarships awarded annually, in-school visit logistics and other essential questions: Can my student wear a hoodie? About six weeks before the youth concert, education packets are mailed to each school. These packets are designed with age-appropriate lessons, games and playlists about the composers and pieces the students will hear, as well as general information about symphonies. Why do they sit there? What does sheet music look like? What’s the name of that weird looking instrument? These are a great primer for the students before their in-school visit or their youth concert field trip. Our Education Coordinator and Assistant Principal Horn, Alicia Mastromonaco, visits as many schools as possible a few days prior to the field trip. In-school visits provide storytelling and historical context, but can also feature impromptu performances, Q&A sessions, and even career inspiration. Because our education program reaches every corner of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties, Alicia logs some serious miles! We schedule down to the minute to reach as many students as possible, so this involves precise calculations and a fair amount of hope and luck—do you think we can make it from Salinas to Aptos in an hour if we’re leaving at 1:30 on a Thursday afternoon?
When it comes to concert day, there’s a hefty bit of nervous energy. Getting 700-1,200 students safely in and out of a performance hall in 15 minutes is no small feat. This is where our impressive team of volunteers come in. Our volunteers do everything from welcoming buses and showing them where to park to ushering students to their seats and getting them safely back on the correct bus. Years ago an organizational genius came up with a lifesaving idea for this endeavor: color coding! This way the students know where to stand before the concert begins, where their seats are, and how to locate their bus. Just look for your volunteer with the bright blue sign! To keep our 12-20 volunteers happy, we of course make sure the coffee is hot and the donuts and bagels are plentiful. Their day begins at 8 a.m. and we cannot do it without them! This is just a peek at the behind the scenes effort to put on a Youth Concert. But it’s all worth it for the comments post-concert: “I didn’t like it ... I loved it!” - Oak Avenue, 3rd grader “We brought flowers for Max because he did such a great job!” - Frank Ledesma, 5th grader “My favorite part was the witch dance because Alicia told us it would sound like broomsticks and it DID.” - Harden Middle Schooler “This was my first time going to a symphony… did you see all the drums up there?” - Rose Ferrero, grown-up
IT’S THE BIGGEST SEASON YET FOR YOUTH CONCERTS
Directly following the weekend performances of the Monterey Symphony, Max and the full orchestra get up early Monday morning for two more concerts. These concerts feature remarks from the stage before each piece from our Education Coordinator Alicia Mastromonaco, providing context and storytelling to help students connect to the music. New this year, Monterey Symphony musicians will mingle with the students before each concert for an up close and personal experience with the musicians and their instruments. More than 9,000 students will experience the magic of a live orchestra—many for the first time! All of the remaining performances for 2020 are currently full, but wait lists are available. All participating schools also have access to bus scholarships to make this field trip possible for everyone. Bus scholarships are funded by donors like you!
YOUTH CONCERTS 2020 Performances at 9:30 and 11 a.m. LL Monday, March 16 at Sunset Center LL Monday, April 20 at Sunset Center LL Monday, May 18 at Sherwood Hall
BECOME A VOLUNTEER! Be there when nearly 9,000 students experience the magic of live classical music for the first time! Contact Caitlin Fillmore, Development and Education Manager. cfillmore@montereysymphony.org (831) 645-1120 More Information…
WANT TO CELEBRATE OUR MAESTRO IN 2020? We have multiple ways for you to express your appreciation for Maestro Max, who has led the Monterey Symphony for 15 remarkable seasons!
MAY CONCERT SPONSORSHIPS: Your name can be added to a roster of Max’s biggest fans. Sponsors are also invited to an intimate dinner with Max on May 13, 2020. Contact Nicola Reilly for more information…
FINALE CELEBRATION: The encores continue at this dinner for our Maestro Max Bragado-Darman. Join us on May 17 at the MPCC Great Room for a send-off dinner directly following the Sunday May concert. Special guests and a gourmet meal will make this an unforgettable evening. Limited seating is still available. Click here for event sponsorship opportunities…
TRIBUTE AD: Pay tribute to Max all year long by purchasing a special tribute ad in our remaining 2020 program books! Maestro Max will receive a commemorative book at the end of the season with your tribute included with all the well wishes from fellow Symphony supporters. For more information click here… or call the box office at (831) 646-8511.
FINALE
CELEBRATION may 17, 2 0 2 0, 6 pm monterey peninsula country club great room The encores continue at this Finale dinner for our Maestro Max. Join us at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club's Great Room following the May concert for a send-off dinner fit for the Music Director who has led the Monterey Symphony for 15 seasons. Special guests and a gourmet meal will make this an unforgettable evening.
limited seating still available
CONDUCTOR SEARCH
With new commissions, spectacular conductors, guest artists, and tons of surprises along the way, we’re just getting started at 75. Each candidate will perform repertoire they have selected to showcase their musicianship and unique point of view. Surveys will be available after the performance—you have a chance to voice your opinion about the next Music Director of the Monterey Symphony!
OCTOBER 17–18, 2020
Donato Cabrera with Philippe Bianconi, piano
NOVEMBER 21–22, 2020
Jung-Ho Pak with Rachel Barton Pine, violin
FEBRUARY 20–21, 2021
Jayce Ogren with Julian Schwarz, cello
MARCH 20–21, 2021
Peter Bay with Angelo Xiang Yu, violin
SPRING 2021
New Music Director announced
TRADITION & INNOVATION by Nicola Reilly, Executive Director Over 150 qualified candidates applied for the Music Director position when the search was announced in January of 2019. A committee of nine: five people representing Symphony management/board, and four musicians, selected by their peers, screened the applications. Countless hours were spent reading resumes, watching YouTube clips (both with the sound on and off!), and developing a shared philosophy of the profile of the next person to lead our beloved Symphony. Roger Saydack’s Music Director Search Handbook, produced by the League of American Orchestras, was the guiding force behind the process. Qualification matrices were used to rank each candidate according to a set of four principles: LL E D U CATI O N/ TR AI N I N G : many conductors come to the profession after developing proficiency with a specific instrument, and many of them attend conservatory or university to study conducting. The most popular instrument of conductors—piano! Many of our candidates also spent considerable time with conducting mentors, and participated in conducting workshops. Many, if not most of them, hold some type of permanent conducting position either with an orchestra, festival, or university.
LL CO N D U CTI N G EXPE R I E N CE: this overlaps with number one, but also provides information on the breadth of organizations they have experience with. Many of the candidates have long lists of guest conducting experiences (lots of orchestras!) and many have decades of experience in growing a single organization. We all felt that experience conducting a regional symphony orchestra (like Monterey Symphony) was imperative. LL M US I C D I R ECTO R O R CO M PAR AB LE LEADERSHIP/ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE: there are many components to being a Music Director other than simply guiding the orchestra through rehearsals and performances (and simply is not the right word!) The Music Director also plans the season—many years in advance—and works with senior staff to align the planning with budget and personnel. There are many non-podium events to attend including (in our case) luncheons and supper clubs and signature fundraising events. It is also important that the Music Director is part of the cultural fabric of the community, and has relationships with key constituents. L LS PECIAL OR U N IQU E G I FT/APPEAL/S KI LLS: this category could easily be viewed as nebulous, in fact this is the ‘wow’ factor that draws audiences to a person. Often times this can be in thematic programming; access to incredible soloists; or a greater vision of guiding patrons on a musical experience. Many conductors also perform on their respective instrument. Name recognition or a familiarity quotient is also a factor—in fact, two of our finalists have been previous guest conductors with the Monterey Symphony.
After the candidates were ranked, there was a lively discussion distilling the numbers down. We went from 150 to 75 to 50 to 25 to 15, who were interviewed. Each time we discussed the candidates it came back to a shared philosophy: experience with a regional symphony orchestra; ability to navigate the tightrope between tradition and innovation; commitment to youth music education; and a great desire to lead the Monterey Symphony through its next phase. As part of their interview and application process they were also asked to provide a potential season with the following rules: the music needed to come from the Monterey Symphony library and works chosen could not have been performed in the last five years. When the finalists were ultimately selected, each conductor was assigned a soloist and each soloist provided a list of works that could be selected from. Additionally, there couldn’t be any repeats amongst the candidates for their main works, so they had to offer three options for their specific concert. When the four finalists appear with the Monterey Symphony October–March, each will have four rehearsals and two main concerts. Each will appear at a pre-concert luncheon and talk about their own background as well as their programming. All of the finalists will give their own pre-concert lectures at Sunset Center. We invite you to not miss a moment of this process! Additionally, the audience will be surveyed after each candidate and the committee will review the responses. Selecting a new Music Director is a massive undertaking, and one not to be taken lightly. We are deeply grateful to the committee for all their hard work and diligence and welcome you, our patrons, to be a part of the journey.
DONATO CABRERA OCTOBER 17–18, 2020 CURRENT POSITIONS
PP California Symphony, Music Director PP Las Vegas Philharmonic, Music Director FUN FACT:
CONDUCTOR PROFILE
PP Champion of composer diversity PP Creates engaging and interactive curriculum based Youth Concert concert experiences AWARDS/FELLOWSHIPS:
PP Herbert von Karajan Conducting Fellowship PP Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview PP Luminary of the Friends of Mexico Honorary Committee
JUNG-HO PAK NOVEMBER 21–22, 2020 CURRENT POSITIONS
PP Cape Symphony, Artistic Director and Conductor PREVIOUS POSITIONS:
PP San Diego Symphony Orchestra, Music Director
PP Orchestra Nova (San Diego), Artistic Director and Conductor PP New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Music Director Emeritus SUCCESS STORY:
PP Mr. Pak led the San Diego Symphony Orchestra from bankruptcy to unprecedented financial success
Click here for each candidate’s full conductor biography…
CONDUCTOR PROFILE
PP World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Director of Orchestras and Music Director
JAYCE OGREN FEBRUARY 20–21, 2021 PREVIOUS POSITIONS
PP Cleveland Orchestra, Assistant Conductor PP Cleveland Youth Orchestra, Music Director FUN FACT: Conducted the premiere of
PP Leonard Bernstein's only opera, A Quiet Place
CONDUCTOR PROFILE
PP Puppeteer Basil Twist's The Rite of Spring PP Rufus Wainwright’s opera Prima Donna EDUCATION:
PP Masters in conducting from the New England Conservatory PP Fulbright Scholar with Jorma Panula
Click here for each candidate’s full conductor biography…
PETER BAY MARCH 20–21, 2021 CURRENT POSITIONS
PP Austin Symphony Orchestra, Music Director and conductor PP Hot Springs Music Festival, Music Director PP Big Sky Classical Music Festival Orchestra, Music Director FUN FACT:
PUBLICATIONS:
PP Bridge CD of Edward Burlingame Hill's music PP US premiere of Britten's The Sword in the Stone for Opus One Records PP Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Voices, featuring the percussion ensemble NEXUS AWARDS
PP 1st prize winner of the 1980 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Young Conductors Competition PP Winner of the 1987 Leopold Stokowski Competition
CONDUCTOR PROFILE
PP Maestro Bay has appeared with seventy-five different orchestras!
MAX BRAGADO-DARMAN Music Director SUNSET CENTER, CARMEL 2019–20 www.montereysymphony.org