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Michael Weintraub (MM), guest conductor
Joseph Carver (PhD), guest conductor
WELCOME
Happy Valentine’s Day! We are delighted to share this program entitled “Heart Music” on a day devoted to the powerful and essential human emotion…love. We hope to inspire reflection about different dimensions of love through each of the compositions on this evening’s concert.
The Greek myth of Helen of Troy and her elopement with Paris serves as the gateway to the evening, through the overture to the comic opera La Belle Héléne by Jacques Offenbach—whose 200th birth anniversary we celebrate this year. Multiple facets of love are celebrated through Frank Ticheli’s setting of “Amazing Grace”—the love of parents and the importance of unconditional love of others are evident in this beautiful setting of the well-known melody.
Perhaps the most well-known love story in all of literature, that of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, was set to music by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev in the early 20th century. That music speaks to the drama and tragedy of this classic tale of unrequited love that continues to find its place in contemporary life. The universal love of children and youth—the future of our communities and world—is celebrated through the delightful and wistful composition "Firefly" by Ryan George. And we conclude the evening with a reminder of the importance of love for nature and our planet through a new composition by Michael Markowski entitled “The Tonic of Wildness.”
Thank you for joining us for this evening’s program, and we look forward to seeing you back at our School of Music soon!
PROGRAM
La Belle Héléne Overture
German-born composer Jacques Offenbach composed more than 100 operettas (light, comedic operas) in the course of his rich musical life, and in so doing, inspired a number of composers who followed him (Johann Strauss, Jr. and Arthur Sullivan). Accepted for admission at the Paris Conservatory at age 14, he left the institution after a year, and proceeded to craft his international career as cellist, conductor and composer largely upon his own.
First performed in 1864, La Belle Héléne ("The Beautiful Helen") parodies the Greek myth Helen of Troy. The plot of this comic opera centers upon Helen’s elopement with Paris, which sparks the Trojan War. The story line is filled with characters frequently in disguise, trickery and extraordinary twists and turns of plot. While performances of the operetta are now rare, the overture remains a popular selection in orchestral programming.
Amazing Grace (1994)
Frank Ticheli is a member of the composition faculty at the University of Southern California. While his catalog includes works for concert band, orchestra, chorus, and chamber music, his compositions for winds and percussion have achieved world-wide acclaim and are performed with tremendous frequency.
Suite from the Ballet
Romeo and Juliet (1938/1990)
2. Tableau: The street awakens
3. Morning Dance
4. At Friar Laurence’s
5. Departure of the Guests (Gavotte)
6. The Montagues and Capulets
Regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century, Russian-born pianist, composer and conductor Sergei Prokofiev is hailed as having created masterworks across numerous musical genres including symphonies, operas, ballets and concerti. Prokofiev resided for a period of time in the United States during the early twentieth century, before returning to his native Russia in 1936.
Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet is based upon the Shakespearian play by the same name and received its staged premiere in 1938. Music from that score was reused by the composer in suites from the ballet as well as a composition for solo piano. This arrangement for concert band by Dutch composer Johan de Meij is crafted from the orchestral suites but is not a literal transcription of those works.
Firefly (2008)
Michael Weintraub, conductor
Inspired by the vivid imaginations and insights of children, this composition “…was born one night as I watched my 4-year old become mesmerized by a firefly that had wandered into our front yard. When I asked her what she thought of the firefly she looked at me with a puzzled face and said in a corrective tone, ‘Dad, that is not a firefly…that’s Tinkerbell…and she’s come to take me with her on an adventure.’”
The Tonic of Wildness (2017)
Since graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in Film Practices from Arizona State University in 2010, Michael Markowski has resided in New York City. His compositional catalog of more than 25 compositions for concert band (among works for film, orchestra and other genres) has enjoyed wide popularity in the United States and abroad.
“The Tonic of Wildness” was commissioned for the 100th anniversary of the band program at Ithaca High School (NY). Inspired by mid-19th century American landscape paintings of the Hudson River School (Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt, and Frederic Edwin Church among others), the piece revealed itself to the composer “like a slideshow from a family vacation—a musical montage—each theme moving through different scenery from one picturesque lookout point to the next. Above all, I think this piece is a celebration of the restorative power of nature…”
The Ohio State University Symphonic Band
Scott A. Jones, conductor
Sophie Gallucci
FLUTE
Alexandria Biondo
Vivian Chan
Sophie Gallucci
Irene Guggenheim-Triana
Maggie McCarter ∆
Brianna Nolte
OBOE
Sarah Kline
Zachary Krnach
Jade Robertson § ∆
ENGLISH HORN
Zachary Krnach
BASSOON
Dustin Gourley
Maris Haugrud
Adrian Oliver ∆
E-flat CLARINET
Lyndi Knox
CLARINET
William Erickson §
Johnson Gao
Ryan Jaeckin
Lyndi Knox
Fiona Lin
Stephen Mattson ∆
Diana Sari
Michael Smith
BASS CLARINET
Noah Krumme
ALTO SAXOPHONE
Alex Lowe
Kevin Ruppert
Samantha Schafer
Lindsay Smithson ∆
TENOR SAXOPHONE
Courtney Larkin
BARITONE SAXOPHONE
Scott Snyder
TRUMPET
Carson Coldren ∆
Hunter DeWitt
Grant Gerwit
Emma Koors
Kyle Niksa
William Patton
Evan Philipp
Paul Renzi
Jordon Young
HORN
Matthew Berman
Olivia Boden
Jamey Boezi
Trevor Healy ∆
Matthew Mikulich
TROMBONE
Zach Irwin, bass ∆
Ethan Ours
Brendan Timmel
EUPHONIUM
Kathryn Reed
Dawson Taylor
Ben Young ∆
TUBA
Jacob Blevins
Austin Friedrichsen
Nick Hann
Bradley Krak ∆
PERCUSSION
Joe Borgerson
Alex Brudnicki ∆
Tristan Collins
Justin Monroe
James O’Connor
Michaela Poeppelmeier
Krista Staten §
DOUBLE BASS
Christopher Golden § ∆
∆ principal player
§ board member
* assisting musician
Band Department Personnel
Russel C. Mikkelson, director of bands
Scott A. Jones, associate director of bands
Christopher D. Hoch, associate director of bands; director, marching and athletic bands
Phillip A. Day, assistant director of bands; associate director, marching and athletic bands
David Hedgecoth, conductor, Collegiate Winds
Michael Smith, assistant director, marching and athletic bands
Christopher Dent, band office associate
GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
Onsby C. Rose, doctoral conducting associate
Brent Levine, doctoral conducting associate
Alexander Gonzalez, doctoral conducting associate
Joe Carver, doctoral teaching associate
Michael Weintraub, master’s conducting associate
School of Music Instrumental Faculty
Katherine Borst Jones, flute
Robert Sorton, oboe
Karen Pierson, bassoon
Caroline Hartig, clarinet
Michael Rene Torres, saxophone
Timothy Leasure, trumpet
Bruce Henniss, horn
John Gruber, trombone
James Akins, euphonium and tuba
Barry Green, double bass
Susan Powell, percussion
Steven Glaser, piano
Caroline Hong, piano
Jeanne Norton, harp
Join us…
School of Music performances are free, except for a few premium events.
OPERA & LYRIC THEATRE presents
The Marriage of Figaro
Friday, March 1 • 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 3 • 2 p.m.
Mershon Auditorium
Tickets at 614-292-3535 or wexarts.org
42nd ANNUAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
A five-day festival celebrating America's musical art form
March 20–24
OUTREACH EVENTS FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS
Details at music.osu.edu/outreach
Spring Visit Day • April 5
Double Reed Honors Invitational • April 13
Central Ohio Flute Association Festival • April 6
Piano Day • May 11
Youth Summer Music Programs • June–July
Visit music.osu.edu/events