Santa Cruz Symphony Presents Adaptations on November 2/3, 2024

PROGRAM:

Josef Sekon – Spin

Erich Wolfgang Korngold – Violin Concerto, feat. Nancy Zhou

Antonín Dvořák – Symphony no. 8

Classical music is always evolving, always being transformed by its many interpretations. Our Adaptations concert on November 2/3 will take us to a higher level of insight. Join Santa Cruz Symphony and Music Director Daniel Stewart as we explore the interplay of culture and art with works by Antonín Dvořák, Erich Korngold, and Josef Sekon.

Our dazzling soloist Nancy Zhou, Santa Cruz Symphony's own Artist in Residence and Concertmaster, will perform Erich Korngold's Violin Concerto—a piece originally premiered by famed violinist Jascha Heifetz. We'll also present the world premiere of Spin by Santa Cruz composer Josef Sekon. Finally, Antonín Dvořák's vibrant and lyrical Symphony no. 8 will blend Bohemian folk influences with lush Romantic orchestration, showcasing the composer's mastery of melody and orchestration.

This will be an unforgettable program to enchant your senses and elevate your spirit!

Free open rehearsal of Adaptations:

Friday, November 1 at 7:30 PM at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz
No reservations required

Evening performance of Adaptations:

Saturday, November 2 at 7:30 PM at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz
Pre-concert talk at 6:30 PM 

Matinee performance of Adaptations:

Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 PM at the Henry J. Mello Center in Watsonville
Pre-concert talk at 1:00 PM 


ABOUT OUR FEATURED SOLOIST

Santa Cruz Symphony’s Artist in Residence and Concertmaster Nancy Zhou has been described as “a probing musical voice infused with searing virtuosity.” Her musicianship resonates with a global audience and brings her on stage with leading orchestras worldwide.

Born in Texas to Chinese immigrants, Nancy learned the violin from her father. At 13 years old, Nancy made her orchestral debut with her hometown San Antonio Symphony. Later, she studied with Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory while pursuing literature at Harvard University. She is an Associated Artist of the Queen Elisabeth Chapel, where she studied with Augustin Dumay.

Nancy has collaborated with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Munich Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and many more. She has performed with stellar conductors such as Jaap van Zweden, Sakari Oramo, Peter Oundjian, Eun Sun Kim, Christoph Poppen, and others of equal stature. She has performed at many international music festivals. In 2017, she was guest artist and faculty at Encore Chamber Music Festival. In 2018, she won the Shanghai Isaac Stern Violin Competition.

Nancy loves chamber music and guiding young musicians. She holds master classes and private classes and serves as a guest educator at summer festivals. She teaches students all over the world from her online studio.

An explorer of nontraditional works, Nancy presented Zhao Jiping's first violin concerto and gave the US premiere of Unsuk Chin's "Gran Cadenza" for two solo violins with Anne-Sophie Mutter. She will soon perform Chen Qigang's "La joie de la souffrance" and has commissioned composer Vivian Fung to write a work for solo violin and electronics. The goal is to explore the intersection of Nancy's personal family oral history, folk minority culture, and music.


ABOUT OUR FEATURED GUEST COMPOSER

Aptos resident Josef Sekon received his Bachelor of Music from Kent State University, and his Master of Music in Composition and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois. He has taught at UC Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College, and the Federal University of Bahia in Salvador, Brasil. He has had seminars with Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez. Since 2015, he has been Artistic Director of the Aptos Keyboard Series, featuring performances by more than 20 international pianists.

Sekon was Guest Composer in Residence in "The Music from Almost Yesterday" at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and was Guest Composer at the "East Meets West Festival" at University of Florida, Tampa. He served on a panel of judges with the Costa Rica Symphony Orchestra, choosing the Costa Rican Composition Contest winner.

His compositions include chamber works, a set of 12 solo piano works, a string quartet with a world premiere in 2021 by the Del Sol Quartet, and The Aptos Sound Project, which had its world premiere in 2022 under the baton of Maestro Danny Stewart and Santa Cruz Symphony.


ABOUT ERICH KORNGOLD

An Austrian composer who led the way in expanding the Romantic style, Erich Korngold’s innate talent was often compared with Mozart’s. Both Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss proclaimed him a musical genius at an early age. After earning accolades for composing operas and instrumental music in his youth, Korngold had a change in direction when he traveled to the US and quickly became a highly respected film composer in Hollywood. He completed 16 film scores and won Oscars for Anthony Adverse (1936) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). His lush, operatic scores changed film music for many years; one of his scores even influenced John Williams’ work on the Star Wars (1977) project.

As World War II ended, Korngold retired from cinema music and began once again to compose for the concert and opera stage. His first completed piece was the Violin Concerto, and it became his most popular work. Famed violinist Jascha Heifetz played the premiere with the St. Louis Symphony in February 1947 to tremendous acclaim. One critic thought that the concerto would rival the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in concert halls.

By the later 1940s, Korngold’s lush, post-Romantic style had fallen out of favor except in the movies, but the 1980s his music experienced a revival. He is now considered the last great Romantic composer.


ABOUT ANTONIN DVORAK

A discussion of Antonín Dvořák's music often includes comparisons with other composers: the Classical sensibilities of Beethoven and Schubert, the Romantic instrumental mastery of Brahms, and the early fascination with Wagner and Liszt. True as these observations may be, they tend to veil the unique and truly original talent Dvořák possessed.

Dvořák's compositional output reveals several strengths. He was a master at orchestration, deserving to be placed on the same level as Berlioz, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Ravel. He developed concepts of melody, harmony, and rhythm that, while maintaining their Czech roots, spoke clearly in a more international language than many other "nationalistic" composers. Light-hearted spontaneity always reigned, as opposed to the more somber, intellectual use of Austrian folk materials by Brahms.

Symphony No. 8 is a good example of Dvořák at his most spontaneous. He developed the general structure of the entire symphony in about ten days. It took only 17 days to sketch out all the music, and one more month to finish all the orchestration details. This short compositional time does not mean that the symphony is not full of interesting ideas. The last movement is a complex exploration of form involving several variations interspersed with melodic twists and turns. Themes are often presented, then not developed as would be expected in a Germanic symphony.

Dvořák made an interesting statement about this work: he wanted to create "a symphony different from my other symphonies with individual thought worked out in a new way." Although the new ideas are abundant, they are still contained within the Classical framework that was always part of the composer's music. His Symphony no. 8 was premiered in Prague on February 2, 1890, with Dvořák himself at the head of the orchestra.

adaptations on november 2/3: Explore the interplay of arts and culture

Classical music is always evolving, always being transformed by its many interpretations. Our Adaptations concert on November 2/3 will take us to a higher level of insight. Join Santa Cruz Symphony and Music Director Daniel Stewart as we explore the interplay of culture and art with works by Antonín Dvořák, Erich Korngold, and Josef Sekon.

Our dazzling soloist Nancy Zhou, Santa Cruz Symphony's own Artist in Residence and Concertmaster, will perform Erich Korngold's Violin Concerto—a piece originally premiered by famed violinist Jascha Heifetz. We'll also present the world premiere of Spin by Santa Cruz composer Josef Sekon. Finally, Antonín Dvořák's vibrant and lyrical Symphony no. 8 will blend Bohemian folk influences with lush Romantic orchestration, showcasing the composer's mastery of melody and orchestration.

This will be an unforgettable program to enchant your senses and elevate your spirit!

Free open rehearsal of Adaptations:

Friday, November 1 at 7:30 PM at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz
No reservations required

Evening performance of Adaptations:

Saturday, November 2 at 7:30 PM at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz
Pre-concert talk at 6:30 PM 

Matinee performance of Adaptations:

Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 PM at the Henry J. Mello Center in Watsonville
Pre-concert talk at 1:00 PM 


Wish you could still get Symphony season tickets? Mini-subs are available now! 

If you missed the chance to get season tickets, we invite you to check out our mini-subscription option for the remaining three classical series concerts in the season. You'll be entitled to all the same benefits of a full season subscription. Mini-subs are available to buy through Wednesday, October 30. Learn more here.

 

Our 2024-25 Musician Series Begins on Sunday, October 13 with Saul & Miles!

Join us on October 13 at 2 PM for the first performance in our 2024-25 Musician Series! We’re thrilled to feature Santa Cruz Symphony’s own stellar cellist Saul Richmond-Rakerd along with pianist Miles Graber. The program will offer a blend of folk-inspired and classical romantic music with works by Chopin, Cassadó, Schumann, Tsintsadze, and Fauré.

If you’ve had the pleasure of seeing Saul perform, you know what a delightful musical experience he creates, especially in the intimate setting of Cabrillo College’s Samper Recital Hall. We’ll see you there!

WHEN: Sunday, October 13 at 2 PM
WHERE: Samper Recital Hall at Cabrillo College
TICKETS: Call Cabrillo Box Office at 831-479-6154 or click the button below to purchase tickets online


ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Saul Richmond-Rakerd is a San Francisco-based cellist, and a member of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra since 2023. At the age of nine, Saul began his cello studies in his hometown of Okemos, Michigan, and continued to study it alongside piano until he concluded high school. He went on to Brown University, where he received degrees in both Physics and Anthropology. While there, he also completed the Applied Music Program, served as principal of the Brown University Orchestra, performed as a soloist, and played regularly with several chamber music groups. After graduating, Saul decided to immerse himself in music full-time, and so, after attending the Castleton Music Festival in 2013, he moved to Florence, Italy to pursue a Biennio di Violoncello, and to play professionally as principal cellist of the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana. After completion of his diploma, he moved to San Francisco in 2015 in order to begin a Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory under the tutelage of Jennifer Culp – a degree that he completed in December 2016.

Throughout his career, Saul has enjoyed playing in a wide range of settings. He has played as a concerto soloist with the Civic Symphony of San Francisco, Okemos Symphony Orchestra, and the Brown University Orchestra, as well as in numerous recitals both in the US and abroad. He has been awarded First Prize at the Barbara Fritz Chamber Music Award (2016), First Prize at the Luigi Boccherini Chamber Music Competition in Lucca, Italy (2016), Second Prize at the Dorothy Van Waynen Competition for Strings (2016), Primo Arco Premio (2014), Weston Prize for the Arts (2013), and the Buxtehude Premium Prize in Music (2012). 

Saul has been a member of many ensembles, both traditional and non. He is an active performer of chamber music throughout the Bay Area, and he is also currently a member of Luminance, a cello-harp-trumpet trio drawing on Latin, classical, and jazz roots. He was a founding member of both the Capitoline Trio and Quattro alla Volta, a cello quartet with whom he performed during his time in Italy. Saul greatly enjoys playing in symphonic settings as well, and has played with many different orchestras throughout his career in music. Alongside his work with San Francisco Ballet, he is an extra cellist with the San Francisco Opera, and currently serves as assistant principal cellist in the Santa Cruz Symphony, section cellist with the Monterey Symphony, and as co-principal cellist of One Found Sound. 

Miles Graber received his musical training at the Juilliard School. He has performed with numerous artists, including Sarah Chang, Cho-Liang Lin, Camilla Wicks, Axel Strauss, Mimi Stillman, Paula Robison, Zuill Bailey, Judith LeClair, Frederica von Stade, Christina Mok, Martha Aarons, and Lev Polyakin. Mr. Graber has been associated with such organizations as New Century Chamber Orchestra, Midsummer Mozart, Oakland Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, Oakland Lyric Opera, Berkeley Opera, Opera San Jose, and California Symphony. His accompanying posts have included the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the San Domenico Conservatory, the Irving  M. Klein International String Competition, the Mondavi Young  Artist Competition, and Northern California Flute Camp. He is a member of the Alcyone Ensemble, Mira Trio, MusicAEterna, the Graham-Graber-Rose Trio, the Sor Ensemble, and Trio Foss.


ABOUT THE COMPOSERS                                                

Gaspar Cassadó (1897–1966)
Suite for Solo Cello

Cassadó was an extremely accomplished cellist in his own right, and indeed was a close friend and colleague of legend Pablo Casals, until their views and levels of activism during World War II drove a rift between them. Cassadó remained in Italy postwar until his death, and was a well-respected cellist, composer, and educator. This Suite, written in the 1920s when he was a young man, draws on many folk tropes from his Spanish and Catalan heritage, and is proof of the virtuoso abilities of Cassadó himself.

Sulkhan Tsintsadze (1925–1991)
Five Pieces on Georgian Folk Themes

Tsintsadze was a cellist and prolific composer from Tbilisi, Georgia. He was a founding member of the Georgian State Quartet, and composed and educated throughout his life. To name just a small portion of his works, he wrote 3 cello concertos, 5 ballets, 4 symphonies, scores for at least 20 films, and much more. His work, however, was largely stuck behind the Iron Curtain, and is very rarely performed in the west. He wrote this set of Five Georgian Folk Pieces for Cello to exhibit the richness of the folk music traditions of Georgia, and you will see the cello imitating various traditional instruments of his region in this piece, as well as some incredibly beautiful and soulful Georgian melodies. Much like the Cassadó suite, you can see the talent level he must have had as a cellist himself when you hear this piece.

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102

A master of early German Romantic music, Schumann published later in his career several sets of small pieces, like these Five Pieces in Folk Style. While influenced by folk music traditions in his region, these melodies are all originally Schumann's and so create an interesting, romantic, and charming combination of styles.

Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)
Romance, Op. 69

Fauré was a pillar of the French Romantic movement, and in addition to his many large-scale works, he published many smaller pieces for cello and piano. The Romance is a beautiful morsel that showcases just how ahead of his time Fauré was. The harmonies and modulations he uses so frequently in such a short piece are positively jazzy, and a treat to listen to in combination with his French style. 

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65

Despite dying at a young age, Chopin was an incredibly influential composer in the Romantic movement. He famously composed a huge number of works for the piano. This Cello Sonata is one of only two pieces he ever composed that didn't feature the piano as the primary solo instrument! Despite that, he writes so beautifully and naturally for the cello that you will find yourself wishing that he wrote more for the instrument. It is one of the great Romantic cello sonatas, and one that showcases both instruments equally.