SEASON FINALE

GREAT BIG CHORUSES: FROM BROADWAY TO BEETHOVEN

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GREAT BIG CHORUSES:

FROM BROADWAY TO BEETHOVEN SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2015, 4:00 PM Dell Hall, Long Center for the Performing Arts Pre-concert talk one hour before the performance: Margaret Perry, Director, Armstrong Community Music School

CONSPIRARE SYMPHONIC CHOIR CONSPIRARE COMPANY OF VOICES VICTORIA BACH FESTIVAL CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA MELA DAILEY, SOPRANO LAURA MERCADO-WRIGHT, MEZZO-SOPRANO ERIC NEUVILLE, TENOR CHARLES WESLEY EVANS, BARITONE CRAIG HELLA JOHNSON

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR

SEASON SUSTAINING UNDERWRITER

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GREAT BIG CHORUSES PROGRAM D e d i c at e d

to

Bob Karli

PROGRAM NOTES By default, everything the combined Conspirare/Victoria chorus sings is big. Among these are big choruses—mostly excerpted from larger works—that rise to the level of greatness. Some you may have sung yourself at a Conspirare “Big Sing,” others are familiar favorites, and one on this program is a world premiere.

Sanctus (Messa de Requiem) ...................................................................Giuseppi Verdi (1813-1901) Zadok the Priest .................................................................................George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Agnus Dei (Requiem, Op. 48)   ................................................................Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

The joyful and dancelike “Sanctus” from Verdi’s Requiem is a contrast and a brief relief from the somber character of most of the work. The double chorus’s surges of enthusiasm are mirrored in the virtuoso orchestral accompaniment, culminating in upward and downward sweeps near the end and closing in a blaze of choral-orchestral glory.

Sanctus (Requiem, Op. 9) .......................................................................Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) Dies irae (Requiem in D minor, K. 626)......................Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

ed. Süssmayer

Lacrimosa (Requiem in D minor, K. 626) ....................................... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Handel’s four Coronation Anthems were commissioned for the crowning of George II in 1727. The longest and most familiar, Zadok the Priest, has been used at every British coronation since. As site-specific artworks, Handel composed the anthems in broad, emphatic strokes to suit the vast space and reverberation of Westminster Abbey.

ed. Süssmayer

Let Us Join in Celebration .................................................................... Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884) (The Bartered Bride) choral arr. Greg Pliska O Fortuna (Carmina Burana).............................................................................. Carl Orff (1895-1982)

Choruses are not great only from being loud and dramatic. The Requiem Mass movements by French Romantic composers Fauré (“Agnus Dei”) and Duruflé (“Sanctus”) offer a complete contrast to the theatrical “Sanctus” of Verdi. Their overall restraint and transparency evoke a divine image that is more personal and familiar while still mysteriously complex and awe-inspiring.

Geistliches Lied  ...........................................Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), arr. Sir John Eliot Gardiner The Heavens Are Telling (The Creation) .................................. Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809) — INTERMISSION — So Long As Days Shall Be ........................................................................ Donald Grantham (b. 1947)                 World premiere It’s a Grand Night for Singing (State Fair) .....................................Richard Rogers (1902-1979)

orchestral arr. Bruce Pomahac

Till There Was You (The Music Man) ........................................... Meredith Willson (1902-1984)

orchestral arr. Don Walker

Finale “Ode to Joy” (Symphony No. 9 in D minor)............ Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) 4

A movement from Mozart’s Requiem Mass returns to a Classic view of the texts, with the “Dies irae” (Day of Wrath) depicting God as the Eternal Judge in fiery trumpets, timpani, flaming strings, and chorus phrases like glowing embers. The later “Lacrimosa” (“Tearful”) section of the Dies irae text extends the image of fire transformed to the ashes and tears of the guilty sinner. Smetana’s comic opera The Bartered Bride has always been popular in his Czech homeland but rarely produced in the United States, with only its overture and dance numbers regularly excerpted for concert use. Now that there is a renewed enthusiasm for the institution of marriage, a revival of at least this (mostly) joyful chorus of villagers extolling the virtues of marriage seems appropriate. Orff’s Carmina Burana is a setting of sometimes-bawdy love and drinking songs from the Middle Ages, an innovative pouring of old wine into a new wineskin. The opening “O Fortuna” is a perennial audience 5

4. The orchestra seems to agree and develops the theme extensively, but then doubts itself and abruptly returns to the furious opening music. 5. Now only the entrance of the human voice—the baritone solo recitative—can calm the chaos. He begs for peace and reintroduces the “Ode to Joy” melody, this time with words. 6. The human chorus agrees immediately and continues with variations on the theme that develop into the extended movement.

favorite and one of the most massive of big choruses. It drives home its depiction of fickle fate with overwhelming choral thrusts backed up by immense orchestra with intense percussion. With its hopeful and consoling text, Brahms’s Geistliches Lied, in this string orchestra arrangement of the original organ-accompanied version, could almost be a bonus movement to the composer’s later A German Requiem. The broad, expansive gestures and profound calm of the music express the acceptance of God’s grace and the renunciation of all worry. By age 65, Haydn knew what worked in musical composition, and he put it to fullest use in his masterpiece The Creation. Part One of the oratorio ends with this famous chorus winding up the fourth day of creation. The three angel soloists lead the heavenly host (the rapid beating of their wings painted in the strings) in this increasingly ecstatic number, cunningly designed to close Act I with a bang. Rodgers and Hammerstein originally wrote “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” for the movie State Fair. Hayseed siblings have run into new big-city romances at the Iowa State Fair, and all looks rosy for the time being. The sweeping waltz melody is reminiscent of traditional American hits like “After the Ball” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” More from Iowa: native son Meredith Willson spent almost a decade perfecting The Music Man before its Broadway premiere. Its loving portrayal of the American heartland features Marian the Librarian, whose romantic passion had never been awakened “Till There Was You,” that is, “Professor” Harold Hill, the charlatan band director. The couple is improbably but unavoidably united in the last moments of this finale. A blow-by-blow description of music is for once appropriate in understanding the finale of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, the first symphony ever to include a chorus and perhaps the greatest of the great big choruses, often quoted in spinoff versions. The entire opening section of the movement may be seen as a rhetorical/dramatic justification of the inclusion of voices in what had traditionally been an instrumental form: 1. The “chorus” of instruments enters with a chaotic expression of dissonant fury. 2. The low strings’ “solo” counters with an instrumental recitative that seems to plead for something more peaceful. 3. A dialogue ensues in which the orchestra suggests snippets of themes from the symphony’s earlier movements; the lower strings reject these and finally introduce their own new melody, the “Ode to Joy” theme. 6



–Eric Leibrock

COMPOSER NOTE: SO LONG AS DAYS SHALL BE So Long as Days Shall Be takes its text from The Bay Psalm Book, which was first printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This translation of the psalms was the first book in English to be produced in America, appearing just twenty years after the Pilgrims’ arrival.  “Thirty pious and learned ministers” including John Eliot and Richard Mather (grandfather of Cotton Mather of Salem witch trial fame) authored the work. Their translation is metrical, roughly-rhymed, and—in their view—closer to the Hebrew originals than the ones found in other psalters of the period. They sound rather eccentric to modern ears; none are now in common use and all have disappeared from contemporary hymnals.  It was precisely this unfamiliar aspect that appealed to me as a composer, and I chose two of the most familiar psalms—23 and 100—to set to music. I heard these texts in a new and fresh way when I first read them because of the striking contrast with the traditional versions that I knew. Psalms 23 and 100 are very different in tone and character:  the first is serene and pastoral, while the second, the Jubilate Deo, is celebratory and boisterous. The music proceeds from the first to the second without pause, and the settings share some of the same material. So Long as Days Shall Be was commissioned by the Victoria Bach Festival.

–Donald Grantham

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TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS

Sanctus (Messa de Requiem)

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Holy, Holy, Holy Deus Dominus Sabaoth! Lord God of Sabaoth! Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in excelsis! Hosanna in the highest! Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domine. Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in excelsis! Hosanna in the highest! -ORDINARY OF THE MASS

Zadok the Priest

Zadok the priest / And Nathan the prophet Anointed Solomon king; And all the people / Rejoiced and said: God save the king / Long live the king May the king live forever / Amen, alleluia. -1 KINGS I, 39, 40

Agnus Dei (Requiem, Op. 48)  

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, dona eis requiem. grant them rest. Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine May light eternal shine upon them, Lord, Cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, with your saints forever, 8

quia pius es for you are merciful. Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine, Grant them eternal rest, Lord, et lux perpetua luceat eis. and may light always shine upon them. -ORDINARY OF THE MASS

Sanctus (Requiem, Op. 9)

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Holy, Holy, Holy Deus Dominus Sabaoth! Lord God of Sabaoth! Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in excelsis! Hosanna in the highest! Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domine. Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in excelsis! Hosanna in the highest! -ORDINARY OF THE MASS

Dies irae (Requiem in D minor, K. 626) Dies irae, dies illa Day of wrath, day of mourning, Solvet saeclum in favilla, The world dissolved in ashes, teste David cum Sibylla. As foretold by David and the Sibyl. Quantus tremor est futurus, What fear will be, quando judex est venturus, When the Judge has come cuncta stricte discussurus! To examine all things strictly. -REQUIEM MASS

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Lacrimosa (Requiem D minor, K. 626)

Lacrimosa dies illa, Day of tears and mourning, qua resurget ex favilla When all humanity rises judicandus homo reus. From the ashes for judgment. Huic ergo parce, Deus, By your mercy spare them, Lord. pie Jesu Domine, Gentle Lord Jesus, dona eis requiem. Amen.  grant them eternal rest. Amen. -REQUIEM MASS

Let us Join in Celebration (Opening Chorus from The Bartered Bride) Let us join in celebration. Thanks to God for health and joy, happiness. Who can tell what next year brings us? Will we see a time of joy, healthiness? Married men or married women: Who will most enjoy the revel? Wives at home are never sleeping, Husbands out are pleasure seeking. Ouvej! Ouvej! Joy of youth will fade, Soon we’ll drown in worries! Troubles! Tribulations! Ouvej! Let us join in celebration. Thanks to God for health and joy, happiness. We are only truly happy when we make the best of life! -KAREL SABINA; TRANSL. MILENA LEWIS, GREG PLISKA

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O Fortuna (Carmina Burana) AUDIENCE PLEASE SING ALONG AS DIRECTED FROM THE STAGE

O Fortuna, / velut Luna / statu variabilis, O Fortune! / Like the moon / ever-changing, semper crescis / aut decrescis; rising first / then declining; vita detestabilis / nunc obdurat hateful life / treats us badly et tunc curat / ludo mentis aciem, then with kindness / making sport with our desires egestatem, / potestatem causing power / and poverty alike dissolvit ut glaciem. to melt like ice. Sors immanis / et inanis, Dread destiny / and empty fate, rota tu volubilis, an ever-turning wheel, status malus, / vana salus who make adversity / and fickle health semper dissolubilis, alike turn to nothing, obumbrata / et velata in the dark / and secretly michi quoque niteris; you work against me; nunc per ludum / dorsum nudum how through your trickery / my naked back fero tui sceleris. is turned to you unarmed. Sors salutis / et virtutis Good fortune / and strength michi nunc contraria. now are turned from me. est affectus / et defectus Affection / and defeat semper in angaria. are always on duty. Hac in hora / sine mora Come now, / without delay 11

corde pulsum tangite; pluck the strings; quod per sortem / sternit fortem, and since by fate / the strong are overthrown mecum omnes plangite. weep ye all with me.

Chorus: The heavens are telling… Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael: In all the land is known the Word, Every ear will harken, never tongue be dumb.

-LATIN GOLIARDIC POEM, C. 13TH CENTURY

Geistliches Lied 

Laß dich nur nichts nicht dauren mit Trauren, Do not be sorrowful or regretful; sei stille, wie Gott es fügt, Be calm, as God has ordained,  so sei vergnügt mein Wille! and thus my will shall be content.  Was willst du heute sorgen auf morgen? What do you want to worry about from day to day? Der Eine steht allem für,  There is One who stands above all  der gibt auch dir das Deine. who gives you, too, what is yours.  Sei nur in allem Handel ohn Wandel,  Only be steadfast in all you do,  steh feste, was Gott beschleußt,  stand firm; what God has decided,  das ist und heißt das Beste. Amen. that is and must be the best. Amen. -PAUL FLEMMING

The Heavens Are Telling (The Creation)

Chorus: The heavens are telling the glory of God. With wonder of his works resounds the firmament. Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael: Revealed are his ways by day unto day By night that is gone to following night.

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Chorus: The heavens are telling… -PSALM 19, 1-3

•••••• INTERMISSION •••••• So Long As Days Shall Be

The Lord to me a shepherd is; want therefore shall not I: He in the folds of tender grass doth cause me down to lie. To waters calm me gently leads; restores my soul doth he: He doth in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake lead me. Yea, though in valley of death’s shade I walk, none ill I’ll fear; Because Thou art with me, thy rod and staff me comfort still. For me a table thou hast spread in presence of my foes: Thou dost anoint my head with oil, my cup it overflows. Goodness and mercy all my days shall surely follow me, And in the Lord’s house I shall dwell so long as days shall be. Make ye a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all the earth: Serve ye Jehovah with gladness: before Him come with mirth. Know, that Jehovah He is God; Not we ourselves, but He hath made us, His people and sheep of his pasture are we. O enter ye into His gates with praise, O enter ye his courts with thankfulness, O enter ye with praise and thankfulness. 13

Confess to Him, and His name do ye bless. Because Jehovah he is good, His bounteous mercy is everlasting: And his truth is to eternity. Amen. -THE BAY PSALM BOOK, PSALMS 23 AND 100

It’s a Grand Night for Singing AUDIENCE PLEASE SING ALONG AS DIRECTED FROM THE STAGE

Chorus It’s a grand night for singing, / The moon is flying high,  And somewhere a bird / Who is bound he’ll be heard  Is throwing his heart at the sky!  It’s a grand night for singing, / The stars are bright above. The earth is a-glow / And to add to the show, I think I am falling in love!  / Falling, falling in love.  Maybe it’s more than the moon, / Maybe it’s more than the birds, Maybe it’s more than sight of the night, / In a light too lovely for words.  Maybe it’s more than the earth / Shiny and silvery blue. Maybe the reason I’m feeling this way / Has something to do with you!  Chorus It’s a grand night for singing...  -OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II

Till There Was You (The Music Man)

There were bells on the hill, but I never heard them ringing, No, I never heard them at all, till there was you. There were birds in the sky, but I never saw them winging; No, I never saw them at all, till there was you. And there was music, and there were wonderful roses, They tell me, in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn, and dew. There was love all around, but I never heard it singing; No, I never heard it at all, till there was you! -MEREDITH WILLSON

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Finale (Ode to Joy), Symphony No. 9 in D minor O Freunde, nicht diese Töne! Oh friends, not these sounds! Sondern lasst uns angenehmere anstimmen, Let us instead strike up more pleasing und freudenvollere. and more joyful ones! Freude! Freude! Joy! Joy! Freude, schöner Götterfunken Joy, beautiful spark of divinity, Tochter aus Elysium, Daughter from Elysium, Wir betreten feuertrunken, We enter, burning with fervor, Himmlische, dein Heiligtum! heavenly being, your sanctuary! Deine Zauber binden wieder Your magic brings together Was die Mode streng geteilt; what fashion has sternly divided. Alle Menschen werden Brüder, All men shall become brothers, Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt. wherever your gentle wings hover. Wem der große Wurf gelungen, Whoever has been lucky enough Eines Freundes Freund zu sein; to become a friend to a friend, Wer ein holdes Weib errungen, Whoever has found a beloved wife, Mische seinen Jubel ein! let him join our songs of praise! Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele Yes, and anyone who can call one soul Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund! his own on this earth!

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Und wer’s nie gekonnt, der stehle Any who cannot, let them slink away Weinend sich aus diesem Bund! from this gathering in tears! Freude trinken alle Wesen Every creature drinks in joy An den Brüsten der Natur; at nature’s breast; Alle Guten, alle Bösen Good and Bad alike Folgen ihrer Rosenspur. follow her trail of roses. Küsse gab sie uns und Reben, She gives us kisses and wine, Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod; a true friend, even in death; Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben, Even the worm was given desire, Und der Cherub steht vor Gott. and the cherub stands before God

Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen? Do you bow down before Him, you millions? Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt? Do you sense your Creator, o world? Such’ ihn über’m Sternenzelt! Seek Him above the canopy of stars! Über Sternen muss er wohnen. He must dwell beyond the stars. -FRIEDRICH VON SCHILLER

“It’s A Grand Night for Singing” Copyright © 1945 by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II. Copyright Renewed Williamson Music (ASCAP), an Imagem Company, owner of publication and allied rights throughout the world International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. “Till There Was You” Lyrics reprinted with permission of MTI Enterprises Inc. Special thanks to Ben R. King for translation assistance

Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen Gladly, just as His suns hurtle Durch des Himmels prächt’gen Plan, through the glorious universe, Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn, So you, brothers, should run your course, Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen. joyfully, like a conquering hero. Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Be embraced, you millions! Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt! This kiss is for the whole world! Brüder, über’m Sternenzelt Brothers, above the canopy of stars Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen. must dwell a loving father. 16

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THANK YOU PROCESSIONAL LIFE IN THE CITY UMC Colin Bay Ellie Byrom Jon Durham Lisa Goeller Ansel Harlan Aubrey Harlan Ellis Harlan Lauren Horst Hilan Keagy John Keagy Rachel Keagy Debra Lawson Kevin Lawson Susan Lubin Kathryn Jane Murray Crystal Paull Jaden Paull JP Paull Laura Pavlas Lisa Radebaugh Daniel Rosenblad Valerie Sansing

PRODUCTION TEAM Viera Buzgova, Stage Manager Stephen Pruitt, Production Designer Samuel Parrott, Supertitle Operator Jim Volkema, Procession Rachel Atkinson Zac Crofford Jason Gallardo Michael Kriese Nomad Sound Dallas Tate With special thanks to Jim Larkin and The Long Center production staff. All stage employees of the Long Center for the Performing Arts are represented by IATSE Local #205.

FRIENDS & SUPPORTERS Austin American-Statesman Austin Chronicle Chez Zee First Austin Church Louise Avant & Marshall Smith Gusto Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar James Halliday Robert Harlan 18

Helen Hays Hornaday Design Caroline Kane KMFA-FM KUT/KUTX FM Henry Leighton Christopher Novosad, Tiki2.com Philip Overbaugh St. Cecilia Music Series Sessi, Chamberlain & Stewart, LLP South Texas Money Management – Jeanie Wyatt, Josie Dorris Texas Performing Arts University Federal Credit Union Victoria Bach Festival Ray Votolato Piano courtesy of Scott & White Healthcare  

CONSPIRARE AMBASSADORS & ARTIST HOSTS Darrell Blandford Linda Buehlmann Sam & Anne Byars Bob Claggett Catherine Clark Lucinda Coakwell Fran & Larry Collmann Rick & Jeanne Farleigh Susanna Finnell Glenda Goehrs Tim & Sarah Hill Bill & Donna Hulsey Bobbie Huffmann Eric Leibrock & Ellen Justice Ed & Eileen Lundy Ray & Kathy Moore Jack & Susan Robertson Robert & Janice Ryan Tenaya Sunbury Bernadette Tasher Teresa Tice-Boggs Patrick & Julie Willis   Ryan & Sheila Youngblood

Conspirare Ambassadors volunteer as ushers, CD sales associates, artist hosts, and for other concert functions. We invite new volunteers who enjoy meeting the public and contributing to Conspirare’s operations to contact House Manager Kathy Leighton at kleighton@ conspirare.org to learn more.

SOLOISTS MELA DAILEY, SOPRANO As a winner of competitions sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs, Metropolitan Opera, New York University, Gerda Lissner Foundation, Downbeat magazine, and Connecticut Opera Guild, Mela (mee-la) Dailey has command of both her instrument and the stage. In the 2015-2016 season, she will make her debuts with the Florida and Grand Rapids orchestras and return as a soloist with the Chattanooga and Austin Symphony orchestras for performances of Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and Poulenc’s Gloria. Ms. Dailey is Artistic Director of Life in the City, (lifeinthecityaustin.org), a United Methodist congregation in Austin, and the Special Gifts Officer for Conspirare. meladailey . com

LAURA MERCADO-WRIGHT, MEZZO-SOPRANO At home in a variety of musical genres, Laura Mercado-Wright’s performances have been praised as “stunningly agile” and “dramatically astute” by the New York Times. She has been a featured soloist with the Met Chamber Orchestra, Boston Pops, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Gotham Chamber Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Ensemble Signal, Tanglewood Music Festival, Guggenheim Works and Process, and Mark Morris Dance Group. She has sung with Conspirare Company of Voices since 2011, and was nominated in 2014 for an Austin Critics Table Award for best Classical Singer. lauramercadowright . com

ERIC NEUVILLE, TENOR A regular on both operatic and concert stages throughout the country, Eric Neuville has been praised for his “golden, Mozartean tenor and perfect command of both nuance and melodrama” (Tacoma News Tribune). He has performed with Seattle Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Tacoma Opera, and Opera Fairbanks; as well as the Austin Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Victoria Bach Festival. Upcoming performances include Adamo’s Little Women with Madison Opera, Gabriel Fauré’s Pénélope with Vespertine Opera, and Carmina Burana with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Neuville is a graduate of St. Olaf College, The University of Texas at Austin, and The University of Washington. ericneuvilletenor . com

CHARLES WESLEY EVANS, BARITONE Applauded by the New York Times for his “elegant, mellifluous and expressive baritone,” Charles Wesley Evans is establishing a fine career as an early music artist and recitalist, performing throughout the United States and abroad. He has recently appeared with the Princeton Pro Musica chorus and orchestra, Delaware Valley Philharmonic Orchestra and chorus, Dryden Ensemble, TENET, Berkshire Baroque, Master Chorale of South Florida, and in “Baroque Masterpieces” with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Evans is proud to be on the Conspirare Company of Voices roster as well as those of Grammy®-nominated ensembles Seraphic Fire and Trinity Choir of Trinity Church Wall Street. 19

ARTISTS CONSPIRARE SYMPHONIC CHOIR

ARTISTS

CONSPIRARE COMPANY OF VOICES

Craig Hella Johnson, artistic director and conductor Rick Gabrillo, assistant conductor Cina Crisara, rehearsal conductor

SOPRANO Erika Bacon Amy Crouch Coleman Cina Crisara* Amber Deem-Mullikin Virginia Elizondo Rebecca Ellis Susan Fernandez* Lori Fisher Gwen Flory Caroline Frommhold Estelí Gomez Margaret Henderson Jen Hitt Melissa Huebsch-Stroud Millicent Jardine Charlotte Shivers Johnson Monica L Johnson Julie Keim Katie Kuhn Eva Laskaris Zoe Littleton Cynthia Lux Kari McDonald Suzanne Mitchell Elizabeth Moyle Rebecca Muñiz* Angela Padilla Sara Pavliscak Brittany Roach Lena Salha Senaida San Miguel Brittany Spong Jen Tiller Allison Tucker Kirsten Watson*

ALTO Anna Morman Welch Louise Avant Brooke Beasley Wendy Bloom Janet Carlsen Campbell Fran Collmann Mary Anne Connolly Katie De La Vega Alicia Denney Melissa J. Eddy Karen Fincher Cheryl Fuller Glenda Goehrs 20

Kristen Graeter Helen Hays Helen Karloski Lou Ann Lasher Kathy Leighton Nancy Lesch Katie Lessley Kendra Lipman* Beverly McCune Julia McDonald Rebecca Miller Morgan Mingle Lindsay Nelson Courtney Neva Barbara A. O’Brien Susan Ohlrich* Andrea L. Pobanz Linda Blair Ramsey* Flo Ann Randle Heather Rosen Deborah Rupp Christy Salinas Gabrielle Sanchez Diana Sanchez-Bushong Steven Serpa Mary Simon Agatha Torku Lauren Vick Chandi Wagner

TENOR Anne Bertholf Chris Boveroux Howard Burkett J.D. Burnett Bob Clagett Daniel Cooper Paul D’Arcy Bodie Gilbert Adam Gonzalez Loel Graber Timothy Hissam Carr Hornbuckle William N. Hulsey III Jon Kelly Robbie LaBanca Bill Lasher Jon-Michael Lees David Lindquist Jim Maxwell Ker Medero

Jos Milton Wilson Nichols Paula Priour Louis Renaud Dick Rew Jonathan Riemer* Miguel Roberts Eli Salazar Asher Streets Chris Tuggey Raymond Votolato

BASS Roland Barrera Cameron Beauchamp Caleb Bennetch* Paul Byars Larry Collmann Marshal Crenshaw Rick Gabrillo* Bradford Gleim Gary Godfrey Shawn Hampton Robert Harlan* Bruce Haufler Doug Haunsperger Robert Hayden Robert Hays Jackson Holtkamp Harris Ipock Jake Jacobsen Robert Karli Ben R. King* Michael Kriese* Jack Leifer Joseph Loukotka Gabriel Lucio-Martin John Proft Gary W. Pyle Duane Roth Eric Schell Thann Scoggin Steven Sifner Christian Taylor Faith DeBow, rehearsal pianist *section leader

VICTORIA BACH FESTIVAL CHORUS

VICTORIA BACH FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Duane Roth, conductor

Craig Hella Johnson, conductor

Adah Toland Jones, principal Adrienne Ingles Rita Linard, piccolo

SOPRANO

VIOLIN I

Jennifer Allison Janet Born Persephanie Cano Rebecca DiGangi  Eugenie Furman   Jo Ann Hoffman Ashley Hunter JoBeth Kee-Rees Sara Sawey Connie Sistrunk Beth Spiller

Stephen Redfield, concertmaster Corinne Stillwell, principal Paula Bird Beth Blackerby Karen Clarke Bruce Colson Alejandro Ferriera     Jackson Guillen      Juan Jaramillo Kerri Lay Elise Winters

OBOE

ALTO

VIOLIN II

Sallye Allen-Denison Elisa Coffey Kelley Moody Billie Southern Shirley Williamson 

Katie Wolfe, principal James Anderson Helen Bravanec         Joan Carlson Jennifer Dalmas         Susan Doering Korine Fujiwara Boel Gidholm Gesa Kordes Anna Luce Nina Mavrinac

TENOR Don Eastham Carmelita Kessler Jonathan Drozd Bradley Luna Kenneth Beal

BASS Keith Cox Emil E. Matula Willord Simmons Richard Kessler Dr. Marylynn Fletcher, rehearsal pianist

VIOLA Bruce Williams, Principal Ames Asbell Melissa Brewer Martha Carapetyan Jann Cosart Suzanna Giordano-Gignac Greg Luce Jill Van Gee

CELLO Douglas Harvey, principal Chris Haritatos Frank Jenkins Shawn Sanders Greg Sauer Dieter Wulfhorst

DOUBLE BASS Melanie Punter, principal Joseph Farris Andrew Potter Ricardo Zuniga

FLUTE

Ian Davidson, principal Michael Johnson Jennifer Bernard, english horn

CLARINET Vanguel Tangarov, principal Alan Olson Mary Schani, bass clarinet

BASSOON Nathan Koch, principal Laura Miller Daniel Chrisman, contrabassoon

William Hilbert

HORN Tom Hale, principal Jill Rodriguez Margaret Ayer AnneMarie Cherry

TRUMPET Shelby Lewis, principal Louie Eckardt Keith Winking Ron Ledbetter

TROMBONE Nathaniel Brickens, principal Owen Homayoun, assistant principal

Phil Arno

TUBA Raul Rodriguez

PIANO Faith DeBow

HARP Elaine Barber

TIMPANI Matt Teodori

PERCUSSION Graeme Francis, principal Adam Bedell Sean Harvey

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CONSPIRARE

rehearsals and performances from as far away as the Hill Country, Victoria, and San Antonio. All are highly skilled singers with significant choral experience, and they sing choral masterworks with orchestra as well as new works for voices and instruments. The Symphonic Choir performs as part of the Conspirare season, collaborates with other major arts organizations such as the Austin Symphony, Ballet Austin, and Victoria Bach Festival, and hosts Conspirare’s popular Big Sings. Company of Voices’ 2014 album The Sacred Spirit of Russia, released on the distinguished Harmonia Mundi label, won the 2015 Grammy® for Best Choral Performance. The ensemble’s complete discography to date includes eleven commercial albums and eleven self-produced live recordings of its popular holiday concerts. Conspirare made its first commercial recording through the green fuse in 2004. Its second album Requiem was released in 2006 and received two Grammy® nominations, followed in 2008 by Threshold of Night (Conspirare’s first recording for Harmonia Mundi), which also received two nominations. Harmonia Mundi’s international re-release of Requiem in 2009 won the Netherlands’ prestigious 2010 Edison Award for choral music, the Dutch equivalent of the Grammy. Conspirare’s 2009 PBS television special “A Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert,” available on both DVD and CD, received one Grammy nomination.

Latin con + spirare = to breathe together Inspired by the power of music to change lives, Conspirare engages audiences in extraordinary musical experiences through world-class choral performances and recordings. Conspirare is an internationally recognized, professional choral organization now in its twenty-second season. Led by founder and artistic director Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare includes two adult performing ensembles and an educational program. Our flagship ensemble Conspirare (also known as Company of Voices) is a fully professional, Grammy® award-winning chamber choir of extraordinarily talented singers from around the country. Company of Voices performs an annual concert series in Austin and other Texas communities, and also tours in the U.S. and abroad. Three other ensembles complete the Conspirare family. Conspirare Symphonic Choir, a large ensemble of both professional and volunteer singers, performs choral/instrumental works, and Conspirare Youth Choirs is an educational program for singers ages 9-18, who learn and perform in two separate ensembles, Kantorei and Allegro.

The Conspirare organization and ensembles have received numerous honors and awards. All four ensembles have received local awards from Austin Critics Table. In 2005 Conspirare received the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence from national service organization Chorus America. In 2007, as one of the select choral organizations to receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts under its American Masterpieces initiative, Conspirare presented a four-day festival with a distinguished gathering of composers and conductors, three world premieres, and a gala closing concert with a 600-voice choir. In July 2008 Company of Voices represented the U.S. at the Eighth World Symposium on Choral Music in Copenhagen, joining invited choirs from nearly forty countries. The choir has performed at the American Choral Directors Association annual convention and for several regional ACDA conventions. Conspirare received the 2010 Dale Warland Singers Commission Award from Chorus America to support the commission of a new work by Seattle composer Eric Banks, premiered in May 2015. In February 2011 Company of Voices gave three invited performances in New York City under auspices of the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall, and in fall 2012 traveled to France for six invited performances at the Polyfollia Festival and a public concert in Paris. Conspirare became a Resident Company of the Long Center for the Performing Arts in 2013.

The Conspirare Symphonic Choir, featured in today’s performance, is now in its sixteenth season as an auditioned chorus of both professional and volunteer artists. Most reside in the greater Austin area, though several commute to 22

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CRAIG HELLA JOHNSON DANNY BROD

Beloved by audiences, lauded by critics and composers, and revered by vocal and instrumental musicians, Johnson is known for crafting musical journeys that create deep connections between performers and listeners. A unique aspect of Johnson’s programming is his signature “collage” style: programs that marry music of many styles from classical to popular to create profoundly moving experiences. The Wall Street Journal has praised Johnson’s ability to “find the emotional essence other performers often miss.” Distinguished composer John Corigliano wrote, “I believe that [Johnson] has understood my music in a way that I have never experienced before. He is a great musician.” Composer and collaborator Robert Kyr observed, “Craig’s attitude toward creating a community of artists … goes beyond technical mastery into that emotional depth and spiritual life of the music.” Johnson was Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas at Austin (1990-2001) and remains an active educator, teaching and giving clinics statewide, nationally, and internationally at conferences and universities. In fall 2012 he became the first Artist in Residence at the Texas State University School of Music. As composer, arranger, and music editor, Johnson works with G. Schirmer Publishing and Alliance Music Publications; his works have sold thousands of copies. Johnson’s accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. Notably among them, he and Conspirare won a 2015 Grammy® for Best Choral Performance and the Texas State Legislature named him the Texas State Musician for 2013. Other honors have included 2008 induction into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame, Chorus America’s 2009 Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal, and the 2011 Citation of Merit from international professional music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon. Johnson studied at St. Olaf College, the Juilliard School, and the University of Illinois, and earned his doctorate at Yale University. He has been a Texas resident since 1990.

Grammy®-winning conductor Craig Hella Johnson brings unparalleled depth of knowledge, artistic sensitivity, and rich imagination to his programs. As Conspirare’s founder and artistic director, Johnson assembles some of the finest singers in the country to form a world-class ensemble. In addition to his work with Conspirare, Johnson is artistic director of the Victoria Bach Festival, a major regional summer festival that attracts audiences from all over the state, and music director of the Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble. He has also served as guest conductor with the Austin Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, and many others in Texas, the U.S., and abroad. Through these activities as well as Conspirare’s recordings on the internationally distributed Harmonia Mundi label and performances in multiple Texas communities and beyond, Johnson brings national and international recognition to the Texas musical community. 24

PERFORMING NOTE Conspirare has the privilege of performing in a variety of beautiful venues that best enhance choral performances. While our performing venues and the texts of some of our repertoire may be representative of specific traditions, it is in no way intended to be exclusive of any individual whose experience or set of beliefs is not represented. Conspirare respects and celebrates the great diversity of religious, artistic, and human experiences represented among our singers and audience members. The audience creates the space in which the music is held. 25

CONSPIRARE BOARD & STAFF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ARTISTIC & ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Robert J. Karli, CHAIR Toya Cirica Bell, VICE CHAIR Craig Hella Johnson Mary Anne Connolly, SECRETARY Artistic Director Larry Collmann, TREASURER Fran Collmann, CHAIR-ELECT Paul Melroy Ken Beck Managing Director William C. Bednar Camille Atkins Michael Blair Financial Manager Susanna Finnell Tamara Blanken Robert Harlan Online Services Manager Dan Seriff Kelly Brownlee David C. Smith Director of Foundation Relations Marion Lear Swaybill & Annual Fund Manager Patrick Willis Christy Butler Sheila Youngblood

ADVISORY BOARD Stephen Aechternacht John Aielli Sue Barnes Mark Bierner Ray Brimble David Burger David Claflin Tom Driskoll Virginia Dupuy Maydelle Fason JoLynn Free Billy Gammon Vance George Helen Hays Dan Herd William B. Hilgers Wayne Holtzman Judith Jellison Bob Murphy Lynn Murphy Gayle Glass Roche Nancy Scanlan Angela Smith Bernadette Tasher Louann Temple Eva Womack

SUPPORTERS SEASON SUSTAINING UNDERWRITER

BUSINESS & FOUNDATION SUPPORTERS Butler School of Music, University of Texas

The Aaron Copland Fund for Music

Marketing Manager

Mela Sarajane Dailey Special Gifts Officer

The Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation

Melissa J. Eddy Publications Manager

Rick Gabrillo Associate Conductor Manager, Conspirare Youth Choirs

The Keating Family Foundation

Wravan Godsoe

The Kodosky Foundation

The Mattsson McHale Foundation

Office Manager

Robert Harlan Production Consultant

Ben R. King

Sessi, Chamberlain & Stewart, LLP

Production Assistant

Meri Krueger Artist Relations

Kathy Leighton House Manager

The Shield-Ayres Foundation

The Still Water Foundation

Ann McNair

The Rachael & Ben F. Vaughan Foundation

Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director Director of Program Fulfillment & Artistic Operations

Nina Revering Director, Conspirare Youth Choirs

Christina Tannert Administrator, Conspirare Youth Choirs

Meredith Thomas Director of Development

PUBLIC FUNDING AGENCIES This project is funded and supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division, believing an investment in the arts is an investment in Austin’s future. Visit NowPlayingAustin.com.

MEDIA SPONSORS

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DONOR SPOTLIGHT Bob Karli: An Intentional Life

which he still maintains a serious interest. However, he remembers a summer evening at camp when he was struck by an intense realization that working with people is what he should be doing, and that pastoral work would help him reach people in in a way that scientific study could not. So after college, he enrolled in the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, stepping out in a different direction. Though achieving ordination required hard work, let it be noted – lest Bob seem too nose-to-the-grindstone – that he was then driving a cherry red 1967 Mustang. The passion for small, sporty cars, top down, has not left him to this day. After ordination, Bob held pastoral positions in Kentucky and Indiana, then moved to Austin where he served First English Lutheran Church for twentythree years. Now retired, he serves occasionally as a visiting pastor, enjoying the beauty and satisfaction of the liturgy and ritual he loves. Although in his early career Bob worked diligently and had little time to be outdoors, he and Trish took their two sons camping, hiking and touring the country whenever possible. Bob also began running, which became a lifetime habit, and he now has run eleven marathons – the first when he was fifty years old – including the Boston, Chicago, and Disney (aka Goofy) marathons. Until recently, Bob often ran with a companion who has very limited sight and even guided her through a marathon. He is also a hiker, often leading friends and family up the trail. Anything that nature has to offer – plants, animals, mountains and sea – Bob accepts gratefully.

Being with Conspirare’s board chair Bob Karli, one looks into intense blue eyes and feels completely at ease with a welcoming, remarkable human being. Most people who contemplate being human see us as being made of three essential elements – body, mind, and spirit – each of which is influenced by one’s experiences and responses. Bob is a fully integrated man, aware of the demands each element makes and how our experiences shape us. He also is a man who relishes life, and his pleasure in it is infectious. His curiosity is boundless, his willingness to test himself admirable, and his scope of interests wide and eclectic.

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Then there is music. Bob met Craig Hella Johnson in 1992 and began singing in the Symphonic Choir a few years later; he continues to sing with them to this day. He relishes learning and singing music under Craig’s baton. In 1999 Bob joined the Conspirare board of directors where he has served diligently and enthusiastically. Several years ago he became the board chairman, a natural progression for someone so dedicated and capable. He has been an equitable and intelligent leader, always working to build consensus. He and Trish are also consistent financial supporters of Conspirare. The presence of music in his life feeds Bob, as does his love of the natural world. He finds self-expression in all he does, his spiritual life is full and active, and his family gives him comfort and joy. He lives his beliefs and unifying principles.

Bob grew up on a South Dakota farm where hard work was a reality and he developed a comfortable relationship with the natural world. He worked at a summer camp when he was in college, enjoying the outdoors and the youngsters. He met his future wife Trish there, and they married after Bob finished school.

If the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes the Cynic were still wandering about the world with his lamp held high, looking for an honest man, he would set it down when he met Bob Karli. –Mary Stephenson, former member of Conspirare Board of Directors

Bob studied science and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. Initially he had hoped to earn a PhD in brain science, a field in

Today’s concert is dedicated with deepest gratitude and love to Bob Karli for his joyous and loyal service to Conspirare as a singer, supporter, and board member. 29

DONORS We thank each individual, foundation, business, government and city agency for your investment in Conspirare and in our mission to change lives through the power of music. This list represents gifts made in this fiscal year between July 1, 2014 and May 21, 2015. When we make music, we make it together.

MAESTRO CIRCLE

($25,000+) Anonymous City of Austin Cultural Arts Division Fran & Larry Collmann Lynne Dobson & Greg Wooldridge Estate of Lewis Hoffacker The Kodosky Foundation, Gail & Jeffrey Kodosky The Mattsson-McHale Foundation The Shield-Ayres Foundation South Texas Money Management

IMPRESARIO CIRCLE ($15,000-$24,999) Anonymous Estate of Jerry Craft Danna & Crutch Crutchfield Lara & Robert Harlan Mike & Gayle Glass Roche Sheila & Ryan Youngblood

BENEFACTOR CIRCLE

($10,000-$14,999) Anonymous (2) Dixie Camp Eric Leibrock & Ellen Justice Texas Commission on the Arts The Rachael & Ben Vaughan Foundation

PLATINUM BATON CIRCLE

($5,000-$9,999) Joyce & Ken Beck William Bednar Catherine Clark Susanna & Richard Finnell The Getty Foundation Trish & Robert Karli Carolyn & Marc Seriff Kerry Tate & Dawn Moore Julia & Patrick Willis The Rachael & Ben Vaughan Foundation

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GOLDEN BATON CIRCLE

($2,500-$4,999) Toya Cirica Bell & Stephen Bell Ginger & Michael Blair Pat & Robert Brueck Mary Anne Connolly Paula D’Arcy Joanne & John Earls Jim Ferguson Mary Nell Frucella Jeanne & Donald Grantham Helen & Bob Hays The Keating Family Foundation Lee Manford & Casey Blass Stefanie Moore & Todd Keister Hope Morgan & Mike Taborn William Nemir Cyndee & David Rust Daniel Seriff David C. Smith Marion Lear Swaybill Sandi Aitken & Bob Tomlinson Joni Wallace Eva & Marvin Womack

SILVER BATON CIRCLE

($1,000-$2,499) Austin Community Foundation Nancy & Randy Baden Suzanne & Eric Batchelder Margaret & Robert Berdahl Mark Bierner Ann & Jeff Bomer Judy & John Bush Sarah & Ernest Butler Alice & Gary Childress Janis & David Claflin John Cullen Rena & Richard D’Souza Jeanne & Rick Farleigh Ann Fields Susan & R. John Fox Jolynn & Gregory Free Frost Bank Glenda Goehrs Chris Harte Jeanne & Van Hoisington IBM Matching Grants Program Mary M. Kevorkian & Tom Holzbach Karen Kibler & Tom Grimes Angie & Steve Larned Emily Little Susan & Craig Lubin Sheila Lummis Marcia Manhart Virginia McDermott & William Schleuse

Debe & Kevin McKeand Bonnie Mills Suzanne Mitchell & Richard Zansitis Melissa & Dan Morman Elizabeth & Jerele Neeld Genie & Randy Norris Cynthia & Lip Norvell E. Stuart Phillips Rebecca & Phil Powers Linda & Robert Ramsey Kimberly & Dan Renner Lynn & Dick Rew Judy & Douglas Rhodes Susan & Jack Robertson Elizabeth & Duff Stewart James Stolpa Bernadette Tasher Tescom, Inc. Anne & William Wagner Kathleen & Jim Wicoff

SPONSORS

($500-$999) Shannon Armstrong Margaret & Robert Ayres Phyllis Bourque & Madge Taylor Patricia & Richard Black Kay & Harold Brumley James Bryant & Greg Easley Shawna Butler Richard Campbell Carl Caricari Chris & J. Dennis Cavner Robin & Malcolm Cooper Christopher Cross Nancy & Jimmy Davis Tracy & Michael DiLeo Maydelle & Sam Fason Gwen & Bruce Flory Cheryl Fuller Evelyn & Rick Gabrillo Giant Noise Mary Gifford Tom Hatch Megan Helmbrecht Susan & John Hinton Megan Johntz & Heath Schlesser Bridgette Kershner Janie Keys & Ivan Milman Karen & Donald Kirmis Claire Korioth Dina Kuntz Roberta & Richard Lang Bonnie & Sidney Lanier Kathy & Henry Leighton Kathrin Lewis Nancy & John Lovgren Robert Martin Jennene & K. Ray Mashburn Leigh Mcalister Vance McMahan James Monk Chandra Muller Beverly Newsom

Emily O’Connell Ron & Isabel Ross Ogden Stanya & Jim Owen Michael Pederson Ann Phipps & Michael Cannatti Joel Quade Flo Ann Randle Louise N. Reeser Karin Richmond Beverly Ross Duane Roth Karen Saadeh & David Matthis Nancy Scanlan Marilyn Sharratt Brigid Shea & John Umphress Bea Ann Smith Holly Smyth Anna & Don Sorenson Flint Sparks Alyson & Paul Stone Roy Truitt Linda & Nick Van Bavel Lois Vanlaningham

PATRONS

($250-$499) Cynthia & Robert Abrams Anna & Robert Bertholf Klaus Bichteler & Mary Parse Kyle & Amy Bryson Jim Copeland Lisa & Eric Craven Suzanne & Louie Danuser Dell Giving Program Nina & Jeffrey DiLeo Melissa J. Eddy & Tracy Schiemenz Marnie & Brian Glaser Glenn Haluska Carolyn Harris Hynson Meta Hunt & Trent Miller Karen & Peter Jakes Judith Jellison & Robert Duke Craig Hella Johnson & Philip Overbaugh James Kettlewell Ann & Bill Kleinebecker Charles Landgraf Lou Ann & Bill Lasher Eva & Chris Laskaris Jack Leifer & Carr Hornbuckle Marge & Moe Johnson Marion Lewin Alaire & Thomas Lowry Marsha McCary Robert Mckee Ann McNair Phyllis Miller Fran & Steven Moss Susan Nash Fekety Joyce & Jim Parrish Stephen Pruitt Joanne & Jerome Ravel Kevin Reynolds Joanne & Hamilton Richards Michal Rosenberger 31

Augustin Rubio Valerie Sansing Jackie & Bob Shapiro Carole & Charles Sikes Tiki2 Michael Twomey Carol Walker Doreen Wheeler Catherine & David Wildermuth Lynda Young & Harris Kaffie Meg Youngblood Susan Zolla-Pazner

SUSTAINERS

($100-$249) Anonymous (2) Karen & Mark Aamot Jonnet & Peter Abeles Cynthia & Robert Abrams Eva King Andries Doug & Stacy Bain Sally Beaudette Taja Beekley Nancy & Leonard Bejtlich Mary Jo Bertani Pat Black Janet Bogue Caroline Boudreaux & Ed Goble Sarah Braham Jack Brannon & Brian Miller Kelly & John Brownlee Neil Bubke Betsy Busby Viera Buzgova Marsha & Tom Caven Elizabeth & Nathaniel Chapin Janie Cook Bonnie Coplin Maria Corbett Lisa Cowan Nancy Crichlow Patricia Culver Paul Cummings Karel Dahman Mela Dailey & Peter Bay Angela Davis & Scott Dickerson Richard Davis Pamela Elrod Huffman Robert Emery Jill Fatzer Melinda & Robert Floyd Jill & Terry Frisbie Caroline Frommhold Kelly Fulton Roberto Garcia Nelsa Gidney Cynthia Gonzales Ray Greenburg Gary Greenblum Nicole Griffin Mary Louise & James Gwynn Michelle Harrosh Deborah Hay Wayne & Joan Holtzman

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Liz & Kenny Howard Amy Huber Melissa Huebsch-Stroud Pam Huffman David Hunt Todd Jermstad Beth & Greg Judd Julie Keim Frana Keith Charles Kiley Kathleen Kinney KLRU-TV Richard Knox Barbara Krauter Wendy Kuo Nancy Levack Diana Linder Mary Lockwood Crouch Joseph J. Loukotka Ann & Tim Lowry Dorothy & Edward McInerney Dana MacLaren Jane-Elizabeth Madison Sue Mahan Janet McCullar Karen McLaughlin Robin & Paul Melroy Nancy Noret Moore Toni & Joseph Murgo Christopher Novosad Karen Olson One Skye Foundation, Ray & Karen Brimble Margaret Overbaugh Thomas Overbaugh Anne Palmer DeeAnne & Steven Paulson Joan & Gary Pope Cheryl & Gary Pyle Robert Radebaugh Edwin Ramos Bev & Milbrey Raney Daniel Ray Teresa Recar Michael Reeves John Reynolds Leilani Rose Linda Rowold & George Brown Deborah Rupp Daniel Rusthoi Donna & Arthur Rutherford Safeway, Inc. Deborah Sarosdy Peter Schram & Harry Ullmann Claudia & Tom Schurr Joy & Dan Selak Barbara Fiorito & Michael Shimkin Jeffrey Smith Softerware, Inc. Jim Sotiros J’Lane & John Spence Virginia Stotts Robert Sudela Peg Syverson Meredith Thomas & Walter Stroup

Teresa Tice-Boggs Andrea Tole Patricia Tollison MJ Vanderwalle Shirley & Fred Viehweg Valerie Wenger Cathy White John White Virginia & Geoff Willig Patricia Wilson Lucia Woodruff Fred Woody Carey Youngblood Conspirare also thanks all donors of gifts under $100 and regrets that space does not permit listing of each name. Your support is equally appreciated. We strive to publish an accurate donor list. If an error or omission is noted, please let us know.

LEGACY OF SOUND DONORS

Anonymous (2) William Bednar Stephen & Toya Cirica Bell Ginger & Michael Blair Pat & Robert Brueck Catherine Clark Fran & Larry Collmann Mary Anne Connolly Danna & Crutch Crutchfield Susanna & Richard Finnell Lara & Robert Harlan Richard Hartgrove & Gary Cooper Helen & Bob Hays The Kodosky Foundation, Gail and Jeffrey Kodosky Ellen Justice & Eric Leibrock Trish & Robert Karli Robert Kyr Wendi & Brian Kushner Lou Ann & William Lasher Craig & Susan Lubin The Mattsson-McHale Foundation Louise Morse Elizabeth and Jerele Neeld E. Stuart Phillips Nancy Quinn & Thomas Driscoll Susan & Jack Robertson Nancy Scanlan Dan Seriff Bea Ann Smith David C. Smith The Still Water Foundation Marion Lear Swaybill Anne & William Wagner Julia & Patrick Willis Sheila Jo Wojcik Sheila & Ryan Youngblood

HONORS AND MEMORIALS

Special thanks to these donors who made their gifts in honor or memory of someone special.

Peter & Jonnet Abeles in honor of Marion Swaybill Andrea Black in honor of Marion Swaybill Janet Bogue in honor of Paula Newberg Sarah Braham in honor of Suzanne Mitchell Dashon Burton in honor of Lisa Shorter Betsy Busby in memory of Mary & Barbara Judy Bush in honor of Beverly Ross Judy Bush in memory of Jo Brown Catherine Chereches in honor of Bob and Trish Karli The Clamons Family in honor of Jessie Lucas Ele Clay in honor of Fran & Larry Collmann Malcolm & Robin Cooper in honor of Nancy Scanlan Kim Copley in honor of Leighton Copley Nancy Crichlow & Mark Ball in honor of Kathlene Ritch Mary Lockwood Crouch in honor of Bryce Johnson Mela Sarajane Dailey in honor of Craig Hella Johnson Dick Davis in honor of Donna Herschleb Faith DeBow in memory of George William DeBow Ray Greenberg in memory of Suzanne’s Grandmother Amy Huber in honor of Nina Revering Pam & Rick Huffman in honor of Craig Hella Johnson Arie and Arza Funk in honor of Suzanne Mitchell The Gabrillo Family in honor of Craig Hella Johnson Celeste & Martin Hubert in honor of Philip Overbaugh and Craig Hella Johnson Craig Hella Johnson in honor of Amazing Conspirare Staff Charley Landgraf in honor of Suzanne Mitchell Katherine Marion in memory of Helen Dean James Monk in honor of Linda Monk Dr. & Mrs. Joseph P. Murgo in honor of Joanie Davis Beverly Beil Newsom in memory of Jack Krings Catherine Nottebart in honor of Suzanne Mitchell Angela Padilla in memory of Ofelia A. Regalado Anne Marie Palmer in honor of Mary Wallace Karen Pope in honor of Craig Hella Johnson Joel Quade in memory of Jerry and Mary Ruth Quade Cory Reeves in memory of Martha Luigi Dan & Kimberly Renner in honor of Patrick and Julie Willis Donna Rutherford in honor of Craig Hella Johnson Donna Rutherford in memory of Art Rutherford Shelley Scott in honor of Bob Ramsey Gabrielle Sigel in honor of Richard Zansitis Patricia Tollison in memory of Michael Larvey Cheryl & Chris Travis in memory of Elaine Patterson Debra Winegarten in memory of Ruthe Winegarten

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it’s on us 34

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Introducing the

Texas Performing Arts 2015/2016 Season f e at u r i n g p e r f o r m a n c e s b y:

Patty Griffin, Sara Watkins and Anaïs Mitchell / Los Lobos with Ballet Folklorico Mexicano Twyla Tharp / Jake Shimabukuro / Fifth House Ensemble’s Black Violet III

Save 20%

Full calendar at texasperformingarts.org #seeitlivehere Featured 2015/2016 Season Artist: Regarded as one of the finest vocal chamber ensembles in the world, New York Polyphony applies a modern touch to repertoire ranging from medieval melodies to contemporary compositions.

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Photo: chris owyoung

on subscriptions of five or more performances!

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The Poet Sings: Emily Dickinson

SEPTEMBER 13

CONSPIRARE 2015-16 SEASON

SANITY SANITY

Join Conspirare for some magical, musical story-telling. Be moved by the words of a beloved American poet, the famous diary of a young German girl, and the imagined last thoughts of a Wyoming youth – all set to transcendent vocal music. Fill your heart with beautiful sounds from composers around the world, and be the first to experience a compelling new Passion by our own Craig Hella Johnson. Hear the virtuoso singers of Company of Voices perform as soloists and as the impeccable ensemble that brought home a Grammy®, and admire the artistry of our Symphonic Choir and Youth Choirs. Our musical stories can be complete only with your presence. Come and create your own Conspirare story! TICKETS GO ON SALE MID -SUMMER! NEW SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES AVAILABLE.

conspirare . org

HEAR THE BEST IN CLASSICAL MUSIC FROM A TRUSTED AUSTIN SOURCE HEAR THE BEST IN CLASSICAL MUSIC FROM A TRUSTED AUSTIN SOURCE

LISTEN TO LISTEN TO

Jessen Auditorium, University of Texas

A recital of settings from the revered poet’s work, featuring soprano Sonja DuToit Tengblad, tenor Eric Neuville, and pianist Michelle Schumann. Two world premieres! Conspirare Christmas

DECEMBER 5 (donor exclusive) The Carillon on Exposition DECEMBER 6 (two shows) The Carillon on Exposition DECEMBER 7 Long Center

Signature holiday concert with special guest Matt Alber. Annelies

JANUARY 8-9

University Presbyterian Church

Choral story-telling by James Whitbourn, based on The Diary of Anne Frank. Featuring Conspirare Symphonic Choir, soprano Stefanie Moore, and chamber ensemble. Considering Matthew Shepard

FEBRUARY 20-21

AISD Performing Arts Center

World premiere of the long-awaited contemporary Passion by Craig Hella Johnson. Stephen Paulus Tribute

MAY 12-13

St. Martin’s Lutheran Church

Rarely performed works by the late beloved composer, including a Conspirare commission. PLUS Conspirare Symphonic Choir with Austin Symphony Orchestra

NOVEMBER 20 & 21

Long Center

Gloria by Francis Poulenc & Daphnes et Chloé by Maurice Ravel. tickets at austinsymphony . org

Conspirare Youth Choirs

DECEMBER 11-12 and APRIL 29-30

St. Martin’s Lutheran Church

AVAILABLE ONLINE

AVAILABLE ONLINE 38

Hidden Music Spring Gala

APRIL 9 – save the date

Big Sings – Dates to be announced 39

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