Jamal Duncan, conductor
Sergio Freeman, conductor
Kara Piatt, conductor
Moyi Liu, piano
Sunday, February 11, 2024
3:00 p.m.
Jeff and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
7:30 p.m.
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Musical Masquerades
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Program
Masquerade (2013) ....................................................Anna Clyne
(b. 1980)
5’
Kara Piatt, conductor
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934) ...Sergei Rachmaninoff
(1873-1943)
23’
Moyi Liu, Piano
Sergio Freeman, conductor
Intermission
Variations on an Original Theme, Enigma (1899).....Edward Elgar
Op. 36 (1857-1934)
30’
Jamal Duncan, conductor
Enigma: Andante
Variation I. “C.A.E.”: L’istesso tempo
Variation II. “H.D.S-P”: Allegro
Variation III. “R.B.T.”: Allegretto
Variation IV. “W.M.B.”: Allegro di molto
Variation V. “R.P.A.”: Moderato
Variation VI. “Ysobel”: Andantino
Variation VII. “Troyte”: Presto
Variation VIII. “W.N.”: Allegretto
Variation IX. “Nimrod”: Adagio
Variation X. “Dorabella”: Intermezzo: Allegretto
Variation XI. “G.R.S.”: Allegro di molto
Variation XII. “B.G.N.”: Andante
Variation XIII. “***” Romanza: Moderato
Variation XIV. “E.D.U.” Finale: Allegro
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Conductors
Jamal Duncan
Sergio Freeman
Kara Piatt
Clyne - Masquerade
Flute
Dianne Winsor, principal
Mikaela Hannon
Yian Shen, Piccolo
Oboe
Kelsey Maes, principal
Gabbie Wong
Rowan Albers, English Horn
Clarinet
Trish Bacalso, principal
Maddie Farmer
Stephen White, Bass
Bassoon
Harrison Cody, principal
Travis Williams
Michelle Fletcher, Contrabassoon
Horn
Charity Morrison, principal
Isabella Kolasinski
Quentin Fisher
Andrew Jan
Pin-Yu Chen
Trumpet
Alex Strawn, principal
Americo Zapata
Michael Peery
Trombone
Ben Hazel, principal
Ryan Pratt
Jonah Brabant
Tuba
Jake Kittleson
Timpani
Caleb Hupp
Percussion
Joshua Cruz
Ethan Fox
Tyler Kebo
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Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Flute/Piccolo
Mikaela Hannon, principal
Dianne Winsor
Claudia Kiso, Piccolo
Oboe
Kelsey Maes, principal
Gabbie Wong
Rowan Albers, English Horn
Clarinet
Stephen White, principal
Maddie Farmer
Bassoon
Michelle Fletcher, principal
Harrison Cody
Horn
Charity Morrison, principal
Isabella Kolasinski
Quentin Fisher
Andrew Jan
Pin-Yu Chen
Trumpet
Americo Zapata, principal
Michael Peery
Trombone
Ryan Pratt, principal
Daniel Nakazono
Jonah Brabant
Tuba
Jake Kittleson
Timpani
Caleb Hupp
Percussion
Joshua Cruz
Ethan Fox
Tyler Kebo
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Elgar - Variations on an Original Theme
Flute/Piccolo
Yian Shen, principal
Claudia Kiso, Flute and Piccolo
Oboe
Gabbie Wong, principal
Rowan Albers
Clarinet
Trish Bacalso, principal
Stephen White
Bassoon
Michelle Fletcher, principal
Harrison Cody
Travis Williams, Contrabassoon
Horn
Charity Morrison, principal
Isabella Kolasinski
Quentin Fisher
Andrew Jan
Pin-Yu Chen
Trumpet
Alex Strawn, principal
Americo Zapata
Michael Peery
Trombone
Daniel Nakazono, principal
Ben Hazel
Jonah Brabant
Tuba
Brett Page
Timpani
Caleb Hupp
Percussion
Joshua Cruz
Ethan Fox
Tyler Kebo
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Violin I
Tiffany Steinweg, concertmaster
Ramses Cid
Yu Zhuo
Ava Wipff
Louis Coste
Zoe Chen
Jamie Wu
Wei-Jhen Chen
Manxi Xu
Chi-Lin Chen
Le Luo
Luke Stikeleather
Gisselle Sanchez-Diaz
Choi Mei Lao
Ching-An Hsueh
Violin II
Olivia Bolles, principal
Yun Hao
Bella Ward
Rebecca Rosmanitz
Bridget Mitchell
Christina Green
Ruby Norman
Rebecca Ray
Roman Rivera
Jeesong Ahn
Halle Smith
Sarah Turner
Viola
Nicole Allen, principal
Mason Haskett
Megan Evans
Anika Kang
Harriet Cohen
Connor Dooling
Alexandria Klein
Paul Hagge
Yueching Ting
Cello
Daniel Kim, principal
Yongqi (Grace) Lao
Xuehui (Michelle) Yu
Jan Dacoycoy
Pinhan Lo
Reagan Drewett
Gina Choe
Katee Grandil
Bass
Samantha Olsen, principal
Tzu-I Yang
Dominic Pedretti
Sila Kuvanci
Ryan Giacinto
Siqing Zhang
Ash Coates
Harp
Sarahkim Nguyen
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Program Notes
Anna Clyne - Masquerade
Described as a “composer of uncommon gifts and unusual methods”
in a New York Times prole and as “fearless” by NPR, GRAMMY-
nominated Anna Clyne is one of the most in-demand composers
today, working with orchestras, choreographers, lmmakers, and
visual artists around the world. Clyne was named the 8th most
performed contemporary composer in the world and the most
performed living female British composer in 2022.
Clyne has been commissioned and presented by the world’s most
dynamic and revered arts institutions, including the Barbican,
Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic, MoMA,
Philharmonie de Paris, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, San
Francisco Ballet, and the Sydney Opera House; and her music
has opened such events as the Edinburgh International Festival,
The Last Night of the Proms, and the New York Philharmonic’s
season.
Clyne often collaborates on creative projects across the music
industry, including Between the Rooms, a lm with choreographer
Kim Brandstrup and LA Opera, as well as The Nico Project at the
Manchester International Festival, a stage work about pop icon
Nico’s life that featured Clyne’s reimagining of The Marble Index
for orchestra and voices. Clyne has also reimagined tracks from
Thievery Corporation’s The Cosmic Game for the electronica duo
with orchestra, and her music has been programmed by such
artists as Björk. Other recent collaborators include such notable
musicians as Jess Gillam, Jeremy Denk, Martin Fröst, Pekka
Kuusisto, and Yo-Yo Ma.
Clyne’s works are frequently choreographed for dance, with recent
projects including the world premiere of choreographer Pam
Tanowitz’s dance set to Breathing Statues for the Royal Ballet
in London and performances of DANCE by the San Francisco
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Ballet with choreography by Nicolas Blanc. Her fascination with
visual art has inspired several projects including ATLAS, inspired
by a portfolio of work by Gerhard Richter; Color Field, inspired
by the artwork of Mark Rothko; and Abstractions, inspired by
ve contemporary paintings. In addition, Clyne seeks innovation
through new technology, developing the Augmented Orchestra
with sound designer Jody Elff; the technology expands the sound-
world of the orchestra through computer-controlled processes,
and was premiered in Wild Geese at the 2023 Cabrillo Festival.
In 2023-2024, Clyne serves as Composer-in-Residence with the
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their Artistic Team; as
Composer-in-Residence at the BBC Philharmonic, and as Artist-
in-Residence with Symphony Orchestra of Castilla y León. Past
residencies include the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chicago
Symphony Orchestra, L’Orchestre national d’Île-de-France,
Philharmonia Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the
Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. Clyne’s music is represented
on several labels and her works Prince of Clouds and Night Ferry
were nominated for 2015 GRAMMY Awards. Her cello concerto
DANCE, recorded by soloist Inbal Segev, the London Philharmonic
Orchestra, and Marin Alsop, has garnered 10 million plays on
Spotify.
Masquerade draws inspiration from the original mid-18th century
promenade concerts held in London’s pleasure gardens. As is
true today, these concerts were a place where people from all
walks of life mingled to enjoy a wide array of music. Other forms
of entertainment ranged from the sedate to the salacious with
acrobatics, exotic street entertainers, dancers, reworks and
masquerades. I am fascinated by the historic and sociological
courtship between music and dance. Combined with costumes,
masked guises and elaborate settings, masquerades created an
exciting, yet controlled, sense of occasion and celebration. It is
this that I wish to evoke in Masquerade.
The work derives its material from two melodies. For the main
theme, I imagined a chorus welcoming the audience and inviting
them into their imaginary world. The second theme, Juice of
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Barley, is an old English country dance melody and drinking song,
which rst appeared in John Playford’s 1695 edition of The English
Dancing Master.
It is an honor to compose music for the Last Night of the Proms
and I dedicate Masquerade to the Prommers.
Program note by the composer
Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Rachmaninoff summed up his life as a composer shortly before his
death (in Beverly Hills, his nal home): “In my own compositions,
no conscious effort has been made to be original, or Romantic, or
Nationalistic, or anything else. I write down on paper the music I hear
within me, as naturally as possible. I am a Russian composer, and
the land of my birth has inuenced my temperament and outlook.
My music is the product of my temperament, and so it is Russian
music.... I have been strongly inuenced by Tchaikovsky and
Rimsky-Korsakov; but I have never, to the best of my knowledge,
imitated anyone. What I try to do when writing down my music, is
to make it say simply and directly that which is in my heart when I
am composing. If there is love there, or bitterness, or sadness, or
religion, these moods become part of my music, and it becomes
either beautiful or bitter or sad or religious.”
Withal, the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is one of his least
sentimental pieces – with the exception of that swooning 18th
variation, which is really a tour de force of variation style, in which
the minor-key Paganini theme is inverted to become a major-key,
inescapably Russian theme.
The score was written in 1934, by which time Rachmaninoff could
look back on three decades of fame as, above all, a virtuoso pianist:
a celebrated performer not only of his own works but of the solo
piano music of Beethoven and Chopin, and as the keyboard half
of recital partnerships with distinguished violinists, chief among
them Fritz Kreisler.
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His own music had by the early 1930s taken a turn toward a
leaner and meaner style from that of the sprawling, yearning pre-
World War I scores on which his reputation, for good or ill, as a
composer rested. In the later works, beginning with the Fourth
Piano Concerto, continuing with the choral Three Russian Songs,
Op. 41, the Corelli Variations for solo piano, Op. 42, and culminating
with the present Rhapsody, the level of dissonance is higher, while
rhythms are more angular than in the past.
The Rhapsody - actually, there is nothing rhapsodic about its
tightly focused structure - comprises an introduction followed by
24 variations on the last of Niccolò Paganini’s 24 caprices for solo
violin (a set of variations in itself). The theme was a favorite subject
of 19th-century composers for large-scale variations works, among
them Schumann, Liszt, and Brahms. But Rachmaninoff had his
own, highly original thoughts on the subject, his grandest inspiration
being the combining of the theme by the “devilish” violinist with the
hellish medieval liturgical Dies irae theme, which is heard in the
7th, 10th, and 24th variations.
Program note by Herbert Glass
Elgar - Variations on an Original theme, Enigma Op. 36
On an October evening in 1898, Edward Elgar, tired from a day’s
teaching, lit a cigar and began to improvise at the piano. One
theme in particular struck his wife’s fancy, and she asked what
it was. “Nothing,” he replied, “but something might be made of it.
Powell [the future Variation II] would have done this, or Nevinson
[Variation XII] would have looked at it like this.” He played some
more and asked, “Who is that like?” “I cannot say,” Alice Elgar
replied, “but it is exactly the way Billy Baker [Variation IV] goes out
of the room. Surely,” she added, “you are doing something that
has never been done before.”
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“Commenced in a spirit of humor & continued in deep seriousness,”
is how Elgar later described the genesis of the work that would
make all the difference in his life. He was in his forties and still
had to scrape together a living with long hours of teaching and
hackwork for his publisher. When he nished the Variations, he
sent the score to the great German conductor Hans Richter, who
agreed to introduce the work in London. Richter’s advocacy meant
a lot. A famed interpreter of both Wagner and Brahms, he had been
active and adored in England since the late 1870s. The Variations
proved a landmark, not just for Elgar, but for English music.
Elgar presented two mysteries, the identity of the “friends pictured
within” and something darker at which he hinted in his program note.
The rst of these was easy, each friend save one being identied
by initials or a nickname. As for the other, Elgar wrote, “The enigma
I will not explain—its ‘dark saying’ must be left unguessed, and
I warn you that the apparent connection between the Variations
and the Theme is often of the slightest texture; further, through
and over the whole set another and larger theme ‘goes,’ but is not
played—so the principal Theme never appears. . . .”
Probably only Alice Elgar and the composer’s friend August Jaeger
knew the secret of the unplayed larger theme—if, indeed, there
was a secret. Elgar wrote descriptive notes for the variations;
unattributed quotations in what follows come from those notes.
Theme—This is a simple three-part design, something you could
represent as A-B-A, and, in the words of Elgar’s biographer Diana
McVeagh, “as productive as a goldmine.”
Variation I (C.A.E.)—This is Alice Elgar, whose death in 1920
brought the composer’s creative life to a halt for twelve years until
he began work on his Third Symphony toward the end of 1932. “The
variation is really a prolongation of the theme with what I wished
to be romantic and delicate additions; those who knew C.A.E. will
understand this reference to one whose life was a romantic and
delicate inspiration.”
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Variation II (H.D.S-P.)—Hew David Steuart-Powell was a pianist
with whom Elgar, a violinist, played chamber music. Their usual
cellist was Basil Nevinson (Variation XII).
Variation III (R.B.T.)—“Has reference to [Richard Baxter
Townshend’s] presentation of an old man in some amateur
theatricals—the low voice ying off occasionally into ‘soprano’
timbre.” Townshend was a classicist at Oxford and rode through
that town on his bicycle, the bell constantly ringing. The violins’
plucked strings and their woodwind doublings represent the bicycle
bell.
Variation IV (W.M.B.)—William Meath Baker, “a country squire,
gentleman and scholar. In the days of horses and carriages it was
more difcult than in these days of petrol to arrange the carriages
for the day to suit a large number of guests. This Variation was
written after the host had, with a slip of paper in his hand, forcibly
read out the arrangements for the day and hurriedly left the music-
room with an inadvertent bang of the door.”
Variation V (R.P.A.)—Richard Penrose Arnold, son of the literary
critic and poet Matthew Arnold, was “a great lover of music which
he played (on the pianoforte) in a self-taught manner, evading
difculties but suggesting in a mysterious way the real feeling.
His serious conversation was continually broken up by whimsical
and witty remarks.” Strings, in one of Elgar’s most expansive and
inspired melodies, represent Arnold’s nobility of mind and his
deeply truthful way of playing music.
Variation VI (Ysobel)—This is Isabel Fitton, a woman, in critic
Michael Kennedy’s words, of “grave, statuesque beauty.” She was
an amateur violinist who, to make up for a shortage of violists
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in the neighborhood and to be obliging, switched to the deeper
instrument. The music conjoins formality and gravity with discreet
romantic allure.
Variation VII (Troyte)—Arthur Troyte Grifth, an architect, was
one of Elgar’s most intimate friends. “The uncouth rhythm of the
drums and lower strings was really suggested by some maladroit
essays to play the pianoforte; later the strong rhythm suggests
the attempts of the instructor (E.E.) to make something like order
out of chaos, and the nal despairing ‘slam’ records that the effort
proved to be in vain.”
Variation VIII (W.N.)—This variation, named for Winifred Norbury,
is less a portrait of Miss Norbury than of Sherridge, the eighteenth-
century house where she lived with her sister Florence. “The
gracious personalities of the ladies are sedately shown.” As the
variation draws to a close, Elgar offers the most beautiful harmonic
stroke in the Enigma Variations. As the nal G major chord dies
away, only the rst violins hold their note—G—until the other
strings, re-entering, with magical effect slip a chord of E-at major
under it. And there, in a new world, begins. . .
Variation IX (Nimrod), the most loved of the variations—“Jaeger”
is the German for “hunter,” and Nimrod is the “mighty hunter”
mentioned in Genesis 10. August Jaeger was a German-born
musician of frail health and great soul who worked for the London
music publishing house of Novello and who, more than anyone
except Alice Elgar, sustained the composer through his frequent
and severe periods of depression. “The Variation . . . is the record of
a long summer evening talk, when my friend discoursed eloquently
on the slow movements of Beethoven, and said that no one could
approach Beethoven at his best in this eld, a view with which I
cordially concurred.” Jaeger, still young, died in 1909, and nearly
twenty years later Elgar wrote: “His place has been occupied but
never lled.”
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Variation X (Dorabella—Intermezzo)—Dora Penny, step niece
of Variation IV (Billy Baker), cheerful and music-loving, was a
woman to whom Elgar was very close. We hear a suggestion of
the stammer with which she spoke in her youth. We also sense an
extraordinarily potent though repressed sexuality, to say nothing
of Elgar’s powerful and repressed response to it.
Variation XI (G.R.S.)—The initials belong to George Robertson
Sinclair, organist of Hereford Cathedral, but the music belongs
to Dr. Sinclair’s dog. In Elgar’s words, “The rst few bars were
suggested by [the] great bulldog Dan (a well-known character)
falling down the steep bank into the River Wye (bar 1); his paddling
up stream to nd a landing place (bars 2 and 3); and his rejoicing
bark on landing (second half of bar 5). G.R.S. said ‘set that to
music.’ I did; here it is.”
Variation XII (B.G.N.)—“The Variation is a tribute to a very dear
friend [Basil Nevinson] whose scientic and artistic attainments,
and the wholehearted way they were put at the disposal of his
friends, particularly endeared him to the writer.”
Variation XIII (***Romanza)—The asterisks in place of initials
suggest further mystery, and the additional title of “Romanza”
heightens the effect, as does part of the music itself. The variation
starts harmlessly enough, and sweetly, but after only a few bars
its course is interrupted by a strange rocking gure in the violas,
which, with a soft drumroll, forms the background for a clarinet
playing a phrase from Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous
Voyage Overture. Elgar explains that the asterisks take the place
of the name of a lady who was, at the time of composition, on a
sea voyage. The lady was Lady Mary Lygon of the Worcestershire
nobility, in the spring of 1899 on her way to Australia with her
brother, who was to be installed as Governor of New South Wales.
The music conveys a poignant sense of longing for someone far
away.
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Variation XIV (Finale: E.D.U.)—These are no one’s initials, but run
them together and they give you Alice’s nickname for Edward. This
variation/nale shows the composer’s boldly assertive, condent
side—less than half of him, in other words. Alice returns, as does
Nimrod, and the music ends in a blaze.
Program note by Michael Steinberg
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Moyi Liu
Born in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China.
He has learned to play the piano with
Ms. Xin Hu since 4 years old. When
he was 7, Liu was taught by Russian
Professor Vladimir Zanin in Xi’an
Conservatory of Music. 2 years later,
Liu was taught by Ms. Bo Pang, and
got the rst prize in “Golden Sunower
Cup” national youth piano competition
(Northwest China) in 2008. In 2009,
Liu was accepted by Xi’an Conservatory of Music accessorial
middle school, studied with Prof. Minxia Tao, and won the Second
prize at the Concerto Competition.
In 2015, Liu was accepted by Shanghai Conservatory of Music,
taught by Prof. Yun Sun. Since then Liu has won the 2016 Asian
Yamaha Scholarship, Niu Ende Scholarship and the third prize
of Shanghai Conservatory of Music people scholarship. Liu was
praised in many master classes in school by professors such as
Boris Slutzky, Dogras Humpherys and William Naboré, etc. In 2019,
Liu was accepted by Manhattan School of Music, and studied with
Prof. Phillip Kawin. In 2021, Liu received Master of Music degree
and graduated from MSM. In the same year, Liu was enrolled
in School of Music of Arizona State University. Now he studies
with Prof. Robert Hamilton. He won the 2nd Prize of VI Future
Stars International Piano Competition in 2021. He participated
in the PianoSummer Music Festival in 2022 and received a full
scholarship. In January, 2023, Liu won the Concerto Competition
of Arizona State University.
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Jamal Duncan
Jamal Duncan joined the faculty of Arizona State University in the
Fall of 2020 as associate director of bands and assistant professor
of instrumental conducting. His primary
responsibilities are conducting the
Wind Symphony and teaching classes
in conducting. Duncan also serves as
assistant director of undergraduate music
studies. Prior to his appointment at ASU,
Duncan served as the assistant director
of bands at the University of Arkansas in
Fayetteville.
Duncan’s research interests include
conducting pedagogy, wind literature, and re-dening the traditional
concert experience. He has presented on these topics at various
state and international conferences including the Midwest Clinic.
An ardent supporter of growing the repertoire of wind bands
and chamber ensembles, Duncan is actively involved in the
commissioning of new works from established and emerging
composers, including Steven Bryant, Andrea Cleareld, Viet Cuong,
Kevin Day, Giovanni Santos, Alex Shapiro, Jim Territo, and Dana
Wilson.
Duncan is also committed to programming music that tells the
stories of different cultures with an intentional focus on the diverse
composers who tell these stories.
A winner of the 2022 American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble
conducting, Duncan has conducted and adjudicated middle school,
high school, and collegiate ensembles in Arizona, Arkansas,
California, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and
internationally in Canada, England and France. In 2021, he was a
fellow at the Reynolds Conducting Institute held in conjunction with
the Midwest Clinic.
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Duncan taught in the public schools of Lansing, Michigan for seven
years where he was director of bands at C.W. Otto Middle School,
then director of bands at Dwight Rich Middle School. For eleven
seasons, Duncan was the music director and conductor of the
Flint Youth Wind Ensemble, one of several youth ensembles in the
Flint School of Performing Arts.
A native of Flint, Michigan, Duncan received the doctor of musical
arts in wind conducting and a master of music in wind conducting
degrees from Michigan State University where he studied with Dr.
Kevin L. Sedatole. Duncan received a bachelor of music degree
from the University of Michigan with a dual emphasis in clarinet
performance and music education.
He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, the National
Association for Music Education, and the College Band Directors
National Association. He holds honorary memberships in Kappa
Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.
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Sergio Freeman
Conductor, instrumentalist and vocal
coach, Sergio Freeman was born in
Mazatlán, México. He was Artistic
director and currently principal guest
conductor of the Camerata Mazatlán,
a resident chamber orchestra for the
Angela Peralta Theater, where he
has led numerous performances of
symphonic music, ballets, opera galas
and productions. Equally at home in
the symphonic repertoire and opera, he
has led full productions of operas such as L’elisir d’amore and La
Boheme and he is engaged in upcoming productions of Le villi,
Rigoletto, Messe Mariano, La cambiale di matrimonio and MozArt,
an original pastiche opera based on Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro,
Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte and Die Zauberöte.
He holds a master’s degree from the Universidad Veracruzana
from which he graduated with honors from the class of Lanfranco
Marcelletti and Gaetan Kuchta. He is currently pursuing his
doctorate degree at Arizona State University where he also serves
as assistant conductor for the ASU Symphony Orchestra.
As an accomplished instrumentalist, pianist and vocal coach he was
part of the Young Artists Program at the National Opera Studio at the
Bellas Artes Theater in Mexico city where he worked as repetiteur
and vocal coach for operas such as Don Giovanni, L’elisir d’amore,
Il Barbiere di Seviglia as well as many opera and zarzuela galas. He
also collaborated with the Mazatlan Opera Studio in operas such
as Traviata, Buttery, The Medium, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi
among others.
As an instrumentalist he performed as principal clarinet with the
Mazatlan Chamber Orchestra for six seasons and collaborated as
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guest musician with other ensembles such as the Orquesta del
Teatro Bicentenario and Orquesta Sinaloa de las Artes.
He is passionate about languages and the power of drama in
music, he is uent in several languages such as Spanish, English,
French and Italian and is working on improving his German. He
believes that music has the power to engage people and convey
emotions and feelings that are beyond the spoken language. When
conducting he is able to communicate his passion to musicians
and audiences alike. When not working you can nd him swimming
and doing outdoor activities.
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Kara Piatt
In the realm of classical music, where
tradition meets innovation, Kara stands
as a true luminary, wielding her baton
to orchestrate not just symphonies but
also profound change. With a journey
that spans continents and resonates
with the harmonious blend of musical
genius and advocacy, Kara is a
conductor and pianist like no other.
Kara began her extraordinary voyage into the world of music at a
young age, guided by an unyielding passion for the art form. Their
journey has been punctuated by remarkable achievements, most
notably as a semi-nalist in the prestigious Orchestras Conductor
Competition in Romania. This milestone served as a launchpad
for Kara’s career, catapulting her into the global spotlight. Her
dedication has led her to masterclasses that spanned the globe,
from the hallowed halls of the Monteux School in Maine to the
enchanting landscapes of the Nordic Masterclass in Denmark.
These experiences broadened her musical horizons, infusing her
interpretations with a depth and nuance that captivates audiences
worldwide.
A scholar of music at heart, Kara has honed her craft through
rigorous education. She holds a Masters in Orchestral Conducting
from the Cincinnati Conservatory and a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano
Performance from Northern Arizona University. As Kara nears the
completion of her Doctorate in Orchestral/Opera Conducting at
Arizona State University, she stands on the cusp of an exciting
chapter in her musical career. Her journey through academia has
been marked by dedication and an unswerving commitment to
pushing the boundaries of classical music. Now, in her current
role as the Assistant Conductor of the Phoenix Youth Symphony
Orchestra, Kara continues to shape the future of classical music with
her unwavering dedication to the education of the next generation
of musicians. Her passion for nurturing young talents and
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fostering a love for classical music among budding artists
is palpable in every rehearsal and performance.
Beyond her musical prowess, Kara is a visionary determined
to make classical music accessible to contemporary
audiences. She believes in the transformative power of music
to bridge generational and cultural gaps, reshaping classical
compositions into modern experiences that resonate with
today’s listeners. She has undertaken personal projects
aimed at raising awareness about mental and physical health,
using her musical platform to destigmatize these vital topics.
In her unwavering commitment to fostering equality, she has
fearlessly addressed sexism in the classical music industry.
Recently, Kara delivered a powerful presentation on these
issues at the renowned National Sawdust stage in New York
City, New York, leaving an indelible mark on the discourse
surrounding these critical matters.
Kara’s journey is a symphony of talent, education, and
advocacy. As she continues to weave her unique melodies,
both in music and in life, she is not just shaping the future
of classical music but also the world, one note at a time.
With boundless passion and innovation, Kara is the Maestra
of transformation, bringing harmony to both the stage and
society.
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ASU Orchestras
One of the top orchestral programs in the United States, the
ASU Orchestras explore the vast creative range of today’s
contemporary orchestra and bring its audiences an engaging
variety of masterworks, new music, groundbreaking guest artists,
multi-media and multi-disciplinary collaborations, and award-
winning programming. The ASU Orchestras are creating a new
model for professional and pre-professional arts organizations
that value the diverse potential of human creativity. The program
is thus committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
through music and the arts. In addition to numerous recordings
and videos available online, the ASU Orchestras can be heard
on Cedille Records with renowned pianist Ursula Oppens in the
world premiere recording of Laura Kaminsky’s Piano Concerto as
well as on Spotify and other online platforms in the world premiere
recording of Carter Pann’s Soprano Saxophone Concerto featuring
ASU’s Christopher Creviston.
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Woodwinds
Elizabeth Buck, ute
Martin Schuring, oboe
Robert Spring, clarinet
Joshua Gardner, clarinet
Albie Micklich, bassoon
Christopher Creviston, saxophone
Brass
John Ericson, horn
Josef Burgstaller, trumpet
Bradley Edwards, tormbone
Deanna Swoboda, tuba
Strings
Danwen Jiang, violin
Katherine McLin, violin
Jonathan Swartz, violin
Nancy Buck, viola
Thomas Landschoot, cello
Catalin Rotaru, bass
Charles Lynch, harp
Ji Yeon Kim, guitar
Percussion
Michael Compitello
Simone Mancuso
Robert Carillo
Matt Prendergast
Voice
Amanda DeMaris
Carole FitzPatrick
Gordon Hawkins
Nathan Myers
Stephanie Weiss
Andrea Will
ASU Instrumental and Voice Faculty
We acknowledge the 22 tribes who are native to Arizona, and more
specically the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Piipaash or Pee Posh
(Maricopa) tribes on whose ancestral homelands ASU’s Tempe
campus resides.
Land Acknowledgement
Symphony Circle
Become a supporter of the ASU Orchestras and our world-
class orchestra program!
If you are looking for ways to be involved and help support
students now and in the future, please consider donating to the
ASU orchestras. Your support directly benets students through
scholarships, interaction with world-class guest artists, building
community bridges throughout the valley, touring and recording,
and awardwinning, innovative programming.
Any donation amount makes a difference!
You may contribute any sum. Join our Symphony Circle with
any donation over $250 and receive recognition in our concert
programs for having made an important contribution to the
orchestral program. Please email [email protected] and
let us know how you would like your recognition listed in our
programs.
Donate
Donate online by scanning the QR code below or visit visit
asufoundation.org and enter “orchestra” in the top right search
box.
Checks should be made payable to the ASU Foundation and
mailed to: ASU Orchestras, PO Box 870405, Tempe, AZ
85287-0405.
For any questions or to join our mailing list, please contact us at
[email protected] or 480-965-3430. Thank you for your
support!
All funds will be deposited with the ASU Foundation, a separate non-prot
organization. Please consult with your tax advisor regarding the deductibility of
charitable contributions.
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