Loudoun Symphony Notes |
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| Summer 2008 | Issue 4 |
Music Appreciation Edition
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From The Editor... I'm very excited to be bringing you this special summer edition of our newsletter. It contains a preview of our upcoming season, which has a number of firsts for the Symphony--collaborations with the Loudoun Lyric Opera and Levine School of Music; appearances by soloists Stephen Framil and Loudoun native Courtney Ross; and chamber music concerts at the new Franklin Park Center. We have an outstanding article by regular contributor Don O'Brien on a musical moment that brought him to tears. Three young violinists of the Loudoun String Workshop share their enthusiasm for making music together with fellow string players. So find a cool spot, relax, and read. Then set your internet browser to go to http://www.loudounsymphony.org/ and plan to order your season tickets as soon as they go on sale! See you in the fall! (Vicki Rundquist) Breaking News!!! Bank of America Presents Grant to LSO 
Loudoun Symphony Board members Darrell Ackmann, far left, and Don O'Brien, far right, accept a grant of $5,000 from the Bank of America's newest office in Leesburg, at 554 Fort Evans Road, on Saturday, July 12. Presenting the check are, from left to right, Laura Saponar, a Senior Vice President of the Bank of America, Jeff Austinson, Manager of the branch office and Rebecca Patton, Assistant Manager. The Bank of America has been a supporter of the Loudoun Symphony for a number of years, and this generous gift will be used to fund various activities as the Symphony's outreach efforts for the community continue to grow. We are very grateful for their support. (Don O'Brien) Organic Chemistry When I was a kid, music in my house centered on Irish tenors (Dad was a good one, and had sung in vaudeville), pop tunes from the '20s and '30s (my parents' 20s and 30s!), and a few show tunes. Rachmaninoff was clearly a typo; I heard no classical music until I was 15. It was then that I accidentally discovered Brahms, Chopin and Liszt because the ads for the new thing called HiFi (a quasi-technical term back then meaning: Music Will Now Sound SO Good) mentioned those names as the true test for quality sound reproduction. Sinatra, too. So I bought a compilation album of 33-1/3rpm records (still on my shelf), and fell in love. Liszt's "Les Preludes" knocked me over, as it does today, and Beethoven was not Irish! But then someone gave me an album of theatre organ music, and my world shifted again. This was incredible stuff, and as I learned what skills it took to play one of those gigantic instruments, I was mightily impressed. Forward to the summer of 1962: after four years in the U. S. Coast Guard, I landed a summer job as a stage-hand at Radio City Music Hall. Wow!: classical music from a full orchestra four times a day (5 times on weekends), and a 4-manual Wurlitzer theatre organ played when the movie was over. Of course the classical piece I heard four times a day (5 times on weekends), was Ravel's "Bolero". One can tolerate "Bolero" (and I discovered this after three weeks) only 91 times in a row before uncontrollable twitching becomes evident to others. But then my Uncle Marty, who managed one section of the scenery department, learned of my love of theatre organ, and introduced me to the organist (name, sadly, long forgotten). He, in turn, invited me to stay after the Hall closed for the day to listen to him rehearse new pieces, some for Radio City, and some for the church where he also played. During long moments of those never-forgotten four hours, I wept. In all my life, to this day, no musical experience has matched the thrill of sitting alone in the center row of Radio City Music Hall-- best seat in the house that night--listening to one monumental selection after another. Full volume, all stops out! My hope here is this: you can create a "Radio City" moment for someone, as Uncle Marty did for me. Have friends or relatives who do not share your musical tilt? Invite them to a Loudoun Symphony concert as your guest. Sit back, stay calm, don't say too much. And while the Symphony has no Wurlitzer, the expressive and fulfilling joy of music will be found here in beautiful, life-altering measure. Every time. You and I know that there is no right way to discover what one loves. So introduce that possibility to someone else...a cleverly arranged and sneaky onslaught that can change them in an instant. Best seat in the house? Every one of them. And your guests might find it forever difficult to thank you properly. (Don O'Brien) Did you know?
View Previous issues of "Notes" Issue 1, March 2008 Issue 2, April 2008 Issue 3, May 2008 |
"Zing Went the Strings of My Heart" "Playing with a group is very different from playing by yourself." "The music is fun." "You can make mistakes and no one gets upset." "The music gets harder as we get better." "I've recommended it to people at school and church." "It's great for a college resume." These are the sentiments of several members of last season's Loudoun String Workshop, when asked why they dedicated time every week to come to practice. Violinists Megan, Patrick, and Hannah all joined for different reasons, but all agree that participating in the String Workshop is an important part of their busy lives. String Workshop is an educational performing ensemble open to all string players regardless of age or ability level. There is no audition or fee. The Workshop meets on Wednesdays from 7 - 7:30 pm and gives a short concert 4 times per year, just prior to each Loudoun Symphony Saturday night concert. Hannah joined when a friend in the group, a cellist, asked her to come join. The first night was pretty intimidating, and she "air bowed" some of the time. But she stuck with it and found herself getting better every time. Hannah notes that it's not nearly as scary as it first seems, and adds that it helps if you join with a friend, so you know someone. Hannah started violin in kindergarten, but notes that playing in a group forces you to learn dynamics more than playing solo. Hannah's mother adds that playing in the Workshop builds confidence because it isn't as risky as playing a solo. The beginners also encourage each other to play better. Patrick joined the Workshop when he was 10 because his violin teacher played in the Symphony. He moved away from the area for a few years, but when he returned, he rejoined in order to brush up his skills. He plays for fun and notes that the Workshop is perfect as a hobby because it only requires 30 minutes a week, plus the concerts. Patrick started violin after seeing it played on deck in the movie Titanic. Patrick believes that String Workshop is a great way to learn basics and then grow into tougher music; it also teaches fundamentals of music theory. Megan joined the Workshop after finding that her school's orchestra didn't have enough players to be fun or challenging. She enjoys playing with people with differing levels of experience; she finds it particularly helpful that several LSO members play with the Workshop and mentor the less experienced players. Despite this, "there's no pressure to be perfect," only to do the best you can. 2007-2008 String Workshop conductor Dana Eckensburg led the group to new heights while introducing both players and audience to a wide variety of music. Unfortunately, Dana is leaving us for other adventures, so LSO is currently looking to hire a new conductor for String Workshop; this individual would also take over responsibility for the Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra from LSO Maestro Mark McCoy. It is always sad to say goodbye to a friend. At the same time, it is also exciting to play for a new conductor, as everyone has something new and different to teach the musicians. While Megan, Patrick, and Hannah are all younger, there are no age restrictions on belonging to the String Workshop; whether you are 8 or 80, players are welcome to come and join in. All that's required is the desire to make beautiful music together! So please join us, either as a player or for the free String Workshop concerts prior to select LSO concerts, and let the Workshop tug on the strings of your heart! (Vicki Rundquist) Mark Your Calendar!! LSO's 2008-2009 Season October 25/26, 2008 Stephen Framil, cello Dvorak: Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104 Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98 November 23, 2008 Loudoun Symphony Chamber Players, Franklin Park Program TBA December 13/14, 2008 Courtney Ross, soprano Richman: Hanukah Festival Overture Mozart: German Dances, K. 605 No. 3 “Sleigh Ride” Tyzik: The Twelve Gifts of Christmas Waldteufel: Les Patineurs, Op. 183 Strommen: There’s Christmas in the Air Adam: O Holy Night Corelli: Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 8 “Christmas Concerto” Tchaikovsky: Selections from “Nutcracker” Berlin: White Christmas Anderson: Sleigh Ride Jessel: Parade of the Wooden Soldiers arr: Christmas Singalong February 21, 2009 (Snow date Feb 28) Free Family Concert "Pirates and Princesses” Rimsky-Korsakov: "The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship" from Scheherazade Massenet: March of the Princesses Williams: Selections from “Hook” Sullivan: Pirates of Penzance Overture Stravinsky: Ronde des Princesses Ravel: Beauty and the Beast Ricketts: Pirates of the Caribbean March 14/15, 2009 Loudoun Lyric Opera Donizetti: L’Elisir d’Amore (The Elixir of Love) (Concert Version of the full opera, with soloists and chorus) April 19, 2009 Loudoun Symphony Chamber Players, Franklin Park Program TBA May 16/17, 2009 Cogen Competition Winners (Senior Piano and Instrumental Division Winners from the Levine School of Music) Theofanidis: Rainbow Body Soloists TBA: Cogen Concerto Competition Winners Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60 ---------- Please note that the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra has no connection, financial or otherwise, with any of the Web sites or other outside resources mentioned in this Newsletter. They are suggested only to help you discover additional information. Comments? Want to suggest or write an article? Contact us! newsletter@loudounsymphony.org. Loudoun Symphony Notes, copyright 2008. All rights reserved. |