2016/17 SEASON
CLASSICAL SERIES
STERN CONDUCTS
MOZART’S REQUIEM
Thursday, October 20, 2016 at 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, October 21 - 22, 2016 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 2 p.m.
MICHAEL STERN, conductor
GUILMANT
Symphony No. 1 for Organ and Orchestra, op. 42
I. Introduction and allegro
II. Pastorale
III. Final
PAUL JACOBS, organ
INTERMISSION
W. A. MOZART Requiem, K. 626 (completed by Robert D. Levin)
I. Introitus: Requiem aeternam
II. Kyrie
III. Sequenz
1. Dies irae
3. Rex tremendae 5. Confutatis
2. Tuba mirum 4. Recordare
6. Lacrymosa
IV. Offertorium:
1. Domine Jesu 2. Hostias
V. Sanctus
VI. Benedictus
VII. Agnus Dei
VIII. Communio: Lux aeterna
JOÉLLE HARVEY, soprano | ALEKSANDRA ROMANO, mezzo-soprano
ANDREW STENSON, tenor | WEI WU, bass
KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY CHORUS | CHARLES BRUFFY, chorus director
The 2016/17 season is generously sponsored by
SHIRLEY and BARNETT C. HELZBERG, JR.
The Classical Series is sponsored by
The concert weekend is sponsored by
VIRGINIA MERRILL
Additional support provided by
Podcast available at kcsymphony.org
K ANSAS CIT Y SYMPHONY
31
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
FÉLIX ALEXANDRE GUILMANT
(1837-1911)
Symphony No. 1 for Organ
and Orchestra, op. 42 (1879)
23 minutes
Solo organ, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons,
4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani,
bass drum, cymbals (pair) and strings.
Guilmant was
one of the great
organ virtuosos
of his day, and
the Symphony (in
three movements),
is a brilliant
showcase for
both soloist and
orchestra.
Félix Alexandre Guilmant, one of
the great French organ virtuosi of the
19th and early 20th centuries, was born
in Boulogne-sur-Mer on March 12, 1837.
Guilmant studied with his father, who
was also an accomplished organist. Later,
Guilmant studied in Brussels with the
Belgian organ virtuoso and teacher, Jaak
Nikolaas Lemmens. Upon returning to
Boulogne, Guilmant established himself as a
prominent organist, teacher and composer.
In 1871, Guilmant moved to Paris, where
he became the organist at the Church of Saint-Trinité, a position
he would hold until 1901. While in Paris, he co-founded the Schola
Cantorum, and taught at the Conservatoire. Guilmant also enjoyed
a highly successful career as a recitalist, touring throughout
Europe, and, on three separate occasions, the United States.
Symphony No. 1 for Organ and Orchestra is Guilmant’s
arrangement of a solo work, his First Sonata for Organ in D
Recommended Recording
GUILMANT: Symphony No. 1 for Organ and Orchestra
Ian Tracey, organ
Philharmonia Orchestra / Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor
Label: Chandos Catalog #92711
32 2016/17 Season
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
Minor (1874). Guilmant dedicated the work to Leopold II, King of
Belgium. The Symphony is in three movements. The first opens
with a stately slow-tempo Introduction, featuring dotted rhythms.
The organist inaugurates the principal Allegro, based upon
contrasting themes. The second movement is a lovely Pastorale,
again initiated by the solo organ. The Finale opens in agitated
fashion, but finally resolves to a majestic D-major apotheosis.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
(1756-1791)
Requiem, K. 626 (1791)
(completed by Robert D. Levin)
48 minutes
Solo soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, mixed chorus,
2 basset horns, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones,
timpani, organ, and strings.
Mozart worked
on his final
composition,
the Requiem,
almost to the
very moment
of his death.
In the early summer of 1791, Mozart
received a visit at his Vienna home from
“an unknown messenger.” This individual,
acting on behalf of another who wished
to remain anonymous, requested Mozart
to compose a Requiem Mass. According
to Mozart’s early biographer, Franz Xaver
Niemetschek, the messenger cautioned the
composer not to try “to find out who had
given the order, as it would assuredly be in vain.” A few months later,
Mozart received another visit from the messenger, who “appeared
like ghost,” and inquired about the status of the commission.
As Mozart’s physical condition deteriorated, he desperately
attempted to complete the Requiem. In fact, Mozart continued
to work on the Requiem until almost the very moment of his
death. The horrible irony of the situation was not lost upon the
K ANSAS CIT Y SYMPHONY
33
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Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
composer. On more than one occasion, Mozart remarked that
he was writing his own Requiem. When Mozart died, just a few
minutes before 1 a.m. on December 5, 1791, the Requiem was
unfinished. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was 35 years old.
Over time, much of the Requiem’s mystery has been replaced
by fact. For example, we now know that the “unknown messenger”
was representing Count Franz Walsegg, a nobleman who resided
in Lower Austria. Count Walsegg was an amateur musician
who played both the flute and cello. One of the Count’s hobbies
was to commission, anonymously, works by various prominent
composers, and then try to pass the music off as his own. The
Count’s wife died on February 14, 1791. It is quite possible that
Walsegg commissioned the Requiem from Mozart with the
intention of presenting it on the first anniversary of her passing.
The image of Mozart — deathly ill, and racing against time
to complete the Requiem — certainly makes for a compelling
story. In the case of Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus” (1979), it even
makes for compelling theater. But in truth, during a considerable
portion of the time Mozart was involved in the creation of the
Requiem, he was in reasonably good health and spirits.
However, by the middle or end of October, Mozart began
to feel ill. Mozart was convinced that he had been poisoned. He
told Constanze: “I know I must die…someone has given me acqua
toffana and has calculated the precise time of my death — for
which they have ordered a Requiem, it is for myself I am writing
this.” Constanze, fearful that the Requiem was the cause of her
husband’s morbid thoughts, convinced him to put the work aside.
A few weeks later, Mozart told Constanze: “Yes I see I was
ill to have had such an absurd idea of having taken poison,
give me back the Requiem and I will go on with it.” But on
November 20, Mozart became stricken with the illness (perhaps,
rheumatic fever) that would kill him in a few weeks’ time.
Nevertheless, Mozart continued his work on the Requiem.
Shortly before his passing, Mozart spoke with his student,
36 2016/17 Season
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
Franz Xaver Süssmayr, concerning the completion of the
Requiem. Constanze’s younger sister, Sophie, recalled that when
she rushed back to the house, she found Mozart speaking to
Süssmayr, “explaining to him how he thought he should finish
it after his death…The last thing he did was to try to mouth the
sound of the timpani in his Requiem; I can still hear it now.”
Constanze’s final conversation with her husband occurred
when she tried to reassure Mozart that his physician had offered
an optimistic diagnosis. Mozart responded: “It isn’t true. I shall die,
now when I am unable to take care of you and the children. Ah, now
I will leave you unprovided for.” And with those words, Mozart died.
After Mozart’s death, Constanze ultimately entrusted Süssmayr
with the task of completing the Requiem. Debate continues as to
the precise contributions of Mozart and Süssmayr to the finished
Requiem. But in any event, Süssmayr’s efforts allowed Constanze
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
to receive the remainder of Count Walsegg’s commission fee.
On December 14, 1793, Count Walsegg presented the Requiem
in Wiener-Neustadt. The subsequent revelation of Mozart’s
authorship of the work caused him no small embarrassment.
By the very nature of its creation, Mozart’s Requiem has inspired
considerable debate — not to mention several performing editions.
(These concerts feature a 1993 completion by the American pianist
and musicologist Robert D. Levin). While it is fascinating to speculate
on what Mozart might have accomplished with the Requiem had he
been given more time, what remains is a work of haunting eloquence,
beauty and power. Perhaps it is only fitting that a sublime genius,
taken far too soon, would bequeath as his valedictory statement a
glorious work that, nonetheless, leaves us yearning for more. Recommended Recording
MOZART: Requiem
Vienna Philharmonic / Herbert von Karajan, conductor
Label: Deutsche Grammophon Catalog #439023
KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY FUN FACT
NUMBER OF HOURS KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY
AUXILIARIES VOLUNTEERED (IN ADDITION TO THEIR CASH
CONTRIBUTIONS) IN THE 2015/16 SEASON, WORTH $165,797.
7,651
Want to get involved? Contact Karen Hardcastle, Manager of Events and
Volunteer Engagement at (816) 218-2616 or [email protected].
38 2016/17 Season
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
TEXTS and TRANSLATIONS
I. Introitus: Requiem aeternam
Requiem aeternam
dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion,
et tibi reddetur votum
in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam;
ad te omnis caro veniet.
Requiem aeternum
dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis!
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord,
and may perpetual light
shine upon them.
Thou shalt have praise
in Zion, oh God,
and homage shall be paid
to Thee in Jerusalem.
Hear my prayer;
to Thee all flesh shall come.
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord,
and may perpetual light
shine upon them!
II. Kyrie
Kyrie eleison!
Christe eleison!
Kyrie eleison!
Lord have mercy upon us!
Christ have mercy upon us!
Lord have mercy upon us!
III. Sequenz
No. 1. Dies irae
Dies irae, dies illa
solvet saeclum in favilla,
teste David cum Sibylla.
Quantus tremor est futurus,
quando judex est venturus
cuncta stricte discussurus.
This day, this day of wrath
shall consume the world in ashes,
as prophesied by David
and the Sibyl.
What trembling there shall be,
when the Judge shall come
to weigh everything strictly.
K ANSAS CIT Y SYMPHONY
39
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
No. 2. Tuba mirum
Tuba mirum spargens sonum
per sepulchra regionum
coget omnes ante thronum.
Mors stupebit et natura,
cum resurget creatura
judicanti responsura.
Liber scriptus proferetur
in quo totum continetur,
unde mundus judicetur.
Judex ergo cum sedebit,
quidquid latet apparebit,
nil inultum remanebit.
Quid sum, miser tunc dicturus,
quem patronem rogaturus
cum vix justus sit securus?
The trumpet, scattering
its awful sound
across the graves of all lands,
summons all before the throne.
Death and nature shall
stand amazed,
when creation arises
to answer to the Judge.
A written book shall be
brought forth
that contains everything,
whereby the world shall be judged.
When the Judge takes his seat
all that is hidden shall appear,
nothing shall remain unavenged.
What shall I, a wretch, say?
To which protector shall I appeal
when even the righteous
is barely safe?
G. Kenneth and Ann Baum
CONCERT COMMENTS
Join us for Concert Comments, a lively conversation about our Classical
Series programs, frequently featuring the conductor and guest artist,
beginning one hour prior to most classical concerts. Concert Comments
will not be presented in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the
Performing Arts prior to concerts featuring the Kansas City Symphony
Chorus — October 20-23, Mozart's Requiem; May 5-7, 2017 — War and
Remembrance with Britten.
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
No. 3. Rex tremendae
Rex tremendae majestatis,
qui salvandos salvas gratis,
salve me, fons pietatis!
No. 4. Recordare
Recordare, Jesu pie,
quod sum causa tuae viae,
ne me perdas illa die.
Quaerens me sedisti lassus,
redemisti crucem passus,
tantus labor non sit cassus.
Juste judex ultionis,
donum fac remissionis
ante diem rationis!
Ingemisco tanquam reus,
culpa rubet vultus meus,
supplicanti parce, Deus!
Qui Mariam absolvisti
et latronem exaudisti,
mihi quoque spem dedisti.
Preces meae non sunt dignae,
sed tu bonus fac benigne,
ne perenni cremer igne!
Inter oves locum praesta
et ab hoedis me sequestra,
statuens in parte dextra.
King of awful majesty,
who freely saves the redeemed,
save me, fount of pity!
Remember, gentle Jesus,
that I am the reason for
Thy time on earth,
do not cast me out on that day.
Seeking me, Thou didst
sink down wearily,
Thou didst redeem me by
enduring the cross,
such travail must not be in vain.
Just judge of vengeance,
give me the gift of redemption
before the day of reckoning!
I groan, like the sinner that I am,
and my face reddens with guilt,
spare the supplicant, O God!
Thou, who pardoned Mary
and heard the prayer of the thief,
hast given me hope as well.
My prayers are not worthy,
but Thou, Good One, in pity
let me not burn in the
everlasting fire!
Give me a place among the sheep
and separate me from the goats,
placing me on Thy right hand.
K ANSAS CIT Y SYMPHONY
41
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
No. 5. Confutatis
Confutatis maledictis,
flammis acribus addictis,
Gere curam mei finis!
When the damned are cast away
and consigned to the
searing flames,
call me with the blessed!
Bowed down in supplication
I beg Thee,
my heart as contrite as ashes,
take Thou my ending
into Thy care!
No. 6. Lacrymosa
Lacrymosa dies illa,
qua resurget ex favilla
judicandus homo reus.
Huic ergo parce, Deus,
pie Jesu, Domine!
Dona eis requiem!
Amen.
Oh this day full of weeping,
when from the ashes arises
the guilty man, to be judged.
Have mercy upon him, O Lord,
merciful Lord Jesus!
Grant them rest!
Amen.
Voca me cum benedictis!
Oro supplex et acclinis,
cor contritum quasi cinis.
42 2016/17 Season
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
IV. Offertorium
No. 1. Domine Jesu
Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae!
Libera animas omnium
fidelium defunctorum
de poenis inferni
et de profundo lacu!
Libera eas de ore leonis!
Ne absorbeat eas tartarus,
ne cadant in obscurum.
Sed signifier sanctus Michael
repraesentet eas in
lucem sanctum,
quam olim Abrahae pomisisti
et semini ejus.
No. 2. Hostias
Hostias et preces tibi, Domine,
laudis offerimus;
tu suscipe pro animabus illis,
quarum hodie,
memoriam facimus:
fac eas, Domine, de morte
transire ad vitam;
quam olim Abrahae promisisti
et semini ejus.
Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory!
Deliver the souls of the
faithful departed
from the pains of hell
and the deep pit!
Deliver them from the
mouth of the lion!
That hell may not engulf them,
and that they not be
plunged into darkness.
But may the holy standardbearer Michael
lead them into the holy light,
as Thou didst promise
of old to Abraham
and his seed.
In praise we offer to Thee, O Lord,
sacrifices and prayers;
do Thou receive them on
behalf of souls of those,
whom we remember this day:
allow them, O Lord, to pass
from death to life,
as Thou didst promise
of old to Abraham
and his seed.
K ANSAS CIT Y SYMPHONY
43
Kansas City Symphony
PROGRAM NOTES by Ken Meltzer
V. Sanctus
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus,
Holy, holy, holy,
Dominus, Deus Sabaoth!
Lord God of hosts!
Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are
full of Thy glory.
Osanna in excelsis!
Glory to God in the highest!
VI. Benedictus
Benedictus, qui venit
in nomine Domini.
Osanna in excelsis!
Blessed is he who cometh
in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest!
VII. Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, qui tollis
peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis
peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem sempiternam!
Lamb of God, that taketh
away the sins of the world,
grant them rest.
Lamb of God, that taketh
away the sins of the world,
grant them eternal rest!
VIII. Communio: Lux aeterna
Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine,
cum sanctis tuis in aeternum,
quia pius es.
Requiem aeternam
dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis!
Cum sanctis tuis in aeternum,
quia pius es.
44 2016/17 Season
May everlasting light shine
upon them, O Lord,
with Thy saints forever,
for Thou art merciful.
Lord, grant them eternal rest
and let perpetual light
shine upon them!
With Thy saints forever,
for Thou art merciful.
the kansas city
symphony guild
presents
Friday, November 11
Saturday, November 12
10 am - 4 pm
Two
days to tour
three
fabulous Shoal Creek Valley homes
decorated by area florists & designers
plus shop at unique boutiques!
$15 in advance $20 at the door
For complete details, visit:
www.kcsymphonyguild.org
All Proceeds Benefit
Kansas City Symphony
About PAUL JACOBS, organ
THE ONLY ORGANIST EVER TO
have won a Grammy® Award (in 2011 for
Messiaen’s towering Livre du SaintSacrement), Paul Jacobs combines a
probing intellect and extraordinary
technical skills with an unusually
large repertoire, both old and new.
“Paul Jacobs is one of the great living
virtuosos,” praised The Washington
Post. The Economist called Jacobs
“America’s leading organ performer.”
Jacobs made musical history
at age 23 when he played Bach’s
complete organ works in an 18-hour
marathon performance on the
250th anniversary of the composer’s
death. A fierce advocate of new
music, Jacobs has premiered works by Samuel Adler, Mason Bates,
Michael Daugherty, Wayne Oquin, Stephen Paulus and Christopher
Theofanidis, among others. As a teacher he also has been a vocal
proponent of the redeeming nature of traditional and contemporary
classical music, which he fears is being diluted in popular culture.
Jacobs begins the 2016-17 season with a recital at Lincoln
Center’s Paul Recital Hall, followed by orchestral engagements
with the Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National
Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Kansas City Symphony,
Edmonton Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, where he
will give the world premiere of Christopher Rouse’s Organ Concerto
and perform Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” Symphony. He also joins the
Toledo Symphony for a performance of Michael Daugherty’s Once
Upon a Castle, a work he recorded with the Nashville Symphony
Orchestra, slated for release on the Naxos label in September 2016.
Solo recitals include the Oregon Bach Festival, El Paso Pro Musica
and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at Alice Tully Hall.
Jacobs studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, double-majoring
in organ and harpsichord, where his teachers were John Weaver
and Lionel Party, respectively. He also studied at Yale University
with Thomas Murray. He joined the faculty of the Juilliard School in
2003 and was named chair of the organ department in 2004, one of
the youngest faculty appointees in the school’s history. He received
Juilliard’s prestigious William Schuman Scholar’s Chair in 2007. 46 2016/17 Season
Kansas City Symphony
About JOÉLLE HARVEY, soprano
A NATIVE OF BOLIVAR, NEW
York, soprano Joélle Harvey is
quickly becoming recognized as
one of the most promising young
talents of her generation. A winner
of multiple awards, she received the
first prize award from the Gerda
Lissner Foundation, a Sara Tucker
Study Grant from the Richard Tucker
Foundation, and an encouragement
award in honor of Norma Newton
from the George London Foundation.
Harvey’s recent engagements
have included repeat appearances
as Sicle in Ormindo with the Royal
Opera at Covent Garden, Galatea
in Acis and Galatea with the Killkenny
Festival, and role debuts as Marzelline in Fidelio with the San
Francisco Symphony and Anne Trulove in Stravinsky’s The
Rake’s Progress with the Utah Opera. On the concert stage, she
has appeared with many orchestras across the United States.
Previous seasons have included performances with
the Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Serpetta in La finta
giardiniera, Adina in L’elisir d’amore with the Glyndebourne
Festival Touring Company and as Miranda in Death and
the Powers at the Dallas Opera. Appearances on the concert
stage include The Handel & Haydn Society (Dalila in
Handel’s Samson), New York Philharmonic (Handel’s Messiah), San
Francisco Symphony (Beethoven’s Mass in C),
Milwaukee Symphony (Schubert’s Mass No. 6) and
the Kansas City Symphony (Handel’s Messiah).
Harvey earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in vocal
performance from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music,
where she performed the roles of Amor in Cavalli’s L’Egisto,
Emmie and Flora in, respectively, Britten’s Albert Herring and The
Turn of the Screw, Poppea in L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Sophie
in Massenet’s Werther, and Nannetta in Falstaff. Read program notes or listen to podcasts at kcsymphony.org.
K ANSAS CIT Y SYMPHONY
47
Kansas City Symphony
About ALEKSANDRA ROMANO, mezzo-soprano
MEZZO-SOPRANO ALEKSANDRA ROMANO HAS BEEN
hailed as representing “the best of the new operatic training and
integrated performance.” Consistently praised for her integrity of
character and lush vocal presence, Romano was awarded first prize
in the 2016 Gerda Lissner Foundation
Competition. She was a 2015 Sullivan
Foundation Career Development
Award winner and second place winner
in the Southeast Region of the 201516 Metropolitan National Council
Auditions. Her future engagements
include Washington National
Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Austin
Opera and Opera Parallèle.
In the 2015-16 season, Romano
returned to Washington National
Opera as Mercedes in Carmen, Hansel
in Hansel und Gretel and as Wellgunde
in Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung.
Additionally, she premiered the first
act of Sheila Silver’s A Thousand
Splendid Suns as part of Opera
America’s New Works Showcase and in workshop performances
in Key West, Fla. In summer 2016, she made her Portland
Opera debut, singing Isabella in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri.
A Mid-Atlantic Regional Finalist and Encouragement
Award Winner in the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council
Auditions, Romano also was awarded the prestigious Phyllis
Curtin Career Entry Prize from Yale School of Music. In summer
2014, she covered Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and
Sondra Finchley in An American Tragedy at the Glimmerglass
Festival. Romano also is an alumna of the Wolf Trap Studio.
A huge proponent of art song and concert repertoire,
Romano has performed solo recitals at Yale University and Bard
College, and she has presented a joint recital at the National
Opera Center with other Domingo-Cafritz young artists in spring
of 2015. She has received additional prizes from Opera Theater
of Connecticut (First Place, Amici Vocal Competition), Yale
University (Lotte Lenya Scholarship), Bard College Concerto
Competition, Classical Singer University Competition (national
semi-finalist) and the Presser Foundation. 48 2016/17 Season
Kansas City Symphony
About ANDREW STENSON, tenor
ANDREW STENSON IS QUICKLY BUILDING A REPUTATION
as one of America’s most exciting young tenors, with a brilliant
tone, artistic intellect and superb portrayals of a variety of roles.
During the 2015-16 season, Stenson made his Lyric Opera of
Chicago debut, singing Gen in the world premiere of Bel Canto. He
also debuted with Arizona Opera as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni and
with Fort Worth Opera as Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia. In
concert, he sang Handel’s Messiah with the Cincinnati Symphony and
Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with the Rochester
Philharmonic. Upcoming engagements include appearances with
the Glyndebourne Festival, Toulouse’s Théâtre du Capitole, Opéra
National de Bordeaux, Arizona Opera and the Montreal Symphony. In previous seasons, he appeared as Martin in The
Tender Land with Glimmerglass Opera and as the First Jew
in Salome with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. Stenson was a
Young Artist with the Santa Fe Opera in 2009, where he covered
Head Man in The Letter and received the D. Gramm Memorial
Award. He was a regional finalist in the 2010 Metropolitan Opera
National Council auditions.
Stenson is the 2015 recipient of
the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from
the Shoshana Foundation (Lindemann
Program), a major award winner
from Opera Index, second prize winner
in the Queen Sonja International
Vocal Competition, and second prize
winner from the Licia Albanese-Puccini
Foundation. He also is the recipient of
a 2011 Sara Tucker Study Grant from
the Richard Tucker Foundation.
Stenson completed his master’s
degree in music at Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music, where his
roles included the male chorus
in The Rape of Lucretia and Curley
in Of Mice and Men. He earned his
bachelor’s degree in music from Luther College, where he performed
Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore. Read program notes or listen to podcasts at kcsymphony.org.
K ANSAS CIT Y SYMPHONY
49
Kansas City Symphony
About WEI WU, bass
BASS WEI WU RECENTLY MADE HIS COMPANY DEBUT
with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, covering Osmin in Die
Entführung aus dem Serail. Wu began his 2015-16 season singing
the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila at Beijing’s National Centre
for the Performing Arts, made his company debut with North
Carolina Opera as Bonze in Madama
Butterfly and sang the Ghost
of Nino in Washington Concert
Opera’s production of Semiramide.
Now in his third year with Washington
National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz
Young Artist Program, his role
assignments have included covering
the role of Zuniga in Carmen and Wilcox
in the world premiere of Better Gods.
In his first season with Washington
National Opera, Wu made his debut in
the world premiere production of The
Lion, the Unicorn and Me as the Inn
Keeper, Lizard, Ox and The Shepherd.
He also appeared in Breaking, part
of the American Opera Initiative,
as well as in The Magic Flute as the
Second Armored Man. Additionally, he has appeared as Colline
in La bohème, The King in The Little Prince, Javelinot in Dialogues
of the Carmelites, covered the Captain in Florencia en el Amazonas,
and sang the role of Mr. Shaw in the world premiere of Penny.
He made his Washington Concert Opera debut in Guntram, and
made his Alice Tully Hall debut singing with performers from
China’s I Sing Festival. He also debuted at the National Centre
for the Performing Arts in Beijing singing the Four Villains
in Les contes d’Hoffman under director Francesca Zambello.
A native of China, Wu first came to the United States as a
young artist covering the title role in the world premiere of Poet
Li Bai at Central City Opera in 2007. He also served as the lead
cover of Li Bai throughout the production’s subsequent tour in
Rome, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Denver and Los Angeles.
Wu received his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance
from the People’s University of China, Beijing, and he earned
his performance certificate and master’s degree in voice
performance at the University of Colorado at Boulder. 50 2016/17 Season
2016/17 SEASON
THANKSGIVING
WEEEKEND
MOZART,
BEETHOVEN
AND HAYDN
Friday and Saturday,
November 25-26 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 27 at 2 p.m.
Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
BERNARD LABADIE, guest conductor >
ROBERT LEVIN, piano
W.A. MOZART Overture to Don Giovanni
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3
W.A. MOZART Overture to La clemenza di Tito
F.J. HAYDN Symphony No. 98
Two great Classical-era repertoire champions, conductor Bernard Labadie
and pianist Robert Levin, join forces for a truly impressive concert. The
program features two rousing overtures from Mozart operas — Don Giovanni
and La clemenza di Tito. Set in C minor, Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto
foreshadows his great Fifth Symphony and showcases the soloist’s virtuosity and
expressiveness. Haydn’s Symphony No. 98 is part of a series of 12 that he wrote for
his two London visits. One Londoner deemed it “one of the grandest compositions
we ever heard.” Tickets start at $25.
THERE'S STILL TIME. SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
(816) 471-0400 / kcsymphony.org
Kansas City Symphony
About KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY CHORUS
CHARLES BRUFFY, chorus director
PATRICE SOLLENBERGER, assistant chorus director
DAN VELICER, accompanist
BILL FEATHERSTON, president
JAN WIBERG, librarian
THE KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY CHORUS, LED BY GRAMMY ® AWARD-WINNING
Chorus Director Charles Bruffy, is a 160-voice ensemble that continues its long
tradition of excellence serving as “the choral voice of the Kansas City Symphony.”
The Symphony Chorus has been offering quality choral music to the
greater Kansas City metropolitan area since the early 1960s, first as the
Mendelssohn Choir and then as the Civic Chorus. After the creation of the
Kansas City Symphony, the Symphony Chorus assumed its current name
and role as the Symphony’s “choral voice” in 1988. Before the appointment
of Chorus Director Charles Bruffy in 2008, the Symphony Chorus worked
under the direction of choral conductors Eph Ehly and Arnold Epley.
The Symphony Chorus has represented Kansas City in five concert
tours, including performances in New York City, Boston, the Berkshires,
Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Mexico where it performed with the
Mexico City Symphony. The Symphony Chorus women recorded Holst’s
The Planets with the Kansas City Symphony in January 2015.
The Kansas City Symphony Chorus musicians are all volunteers from the
region’s extensive musical community selected through rigorous auditions. Members
have rich backgrounds in both music education and performance, and are engaged as
soloists and conductors in schools, churches and venues throughout the region. 52 2016/17 Season
Kansas City Symphony
About CHARLES BRUFFY, chorus director
ONE OF THE MOST ADMIRED CHORAL CONDUCTORS IN THE UNITED
States, Grammy® Award-winner Charles Bruffy began his career as a tenor soloist,
performing with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers in recordings as well as
concerts in France and at Carnegie Hall. Shaw encouraged his development as a
conductor, and in 1996 he was invited by American Public Media’s “Performance
Today” to help celebrate Shaw’s 80th birthday with an on-air tribute. In 1999,
The New York Times named him as the
late, great conductor’s potential heir. Bruffy has been chorus director for the
Kansas City Symphony Chorus since 2008, artistic
director of the Kansas City Chorale since 1988
and the Phoenix Chorale since 1999, as well as the
director of music at Rolling Hills Church since
1994. He conducts workshops and clinics across
the U.S., including teaching at the Westminster
Choir College Summer Conducting Institute since
2006. In the summer of 2013, Bruffy was involved
with The Anúna International Choral Summer
School in Dublin, Ireland, and in 2014 conducted
the Kansas City Chorale in a performance at the
Association of Canadian Choral Communities
convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Bruffy is a member of the advisory boards of
the Atlanta Young Singers of Callenwolde and WomenSing in the San Francisco
Bay area, and he has served on the board of Chorus America for seven years. Bruffy is renowned for his fresh and passionate interpretations of standards
of the choral repertoire and for championing new music. He has commissioned
and premiered works by composers such as Ola Gjeilo, Matthew Harris, Anne
Kilstofte, Libby Larsen, Zhou Long, Michael McGlynn, Cecilia McDowall, Stephen
Paulus, Stephen Sametz, Philip Stopford, Steven Stucky, Joan Szymko, Eric
Whitacre and Chen Yi. Under his supervision, the Roger Dean Company, a division
of the Lorenz Corporation, publishes a choral series specializing in music for
professional ensembles and sophisticated high school and college choirs. Bruffy’s eclectic discography includes six recordings with Nimbus Records
and seven recordings with Chandos Records. His latest Grammy®-winning album,
Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil,” was released in January 2015. The National Academy
of Recording Arts and Sciences has recognized five of these recordings with a total
of 12 Grammy® nominations and five Grammy® wins, most recently in 2015 for Best
Choral Performance for “All-Night Vigil” featuring the Kansas City and Phoenix
Chorales. K ANSAS CIT Y SYMPHONY
53
Kansas City Symphony
CHORUS ROSTER
CHARLES BRUFFY, chorus director
PATRICE SOLLENBERGER, assistant chorus director
DAN VELICER, accompanist
BILL FEATHERSTON, president
JAN WIBERG, librarian
SOPRANO
Christine Baehr
Angela Broaddus
Elizabeth Brockhoff
Kelsey Brown
Amy Burback
Kimberly Chain
Holly Chase
Skye Clements
Christie Cody
Brenda Dunham
Hannah Dykstra
Judith Evnen
Kimberly Gear
Catherine Gilbert
Bethany Glendenning
Holly Hacking
Katherine Hale
Karen Hall
Erica Hazelton
Rita Hrenchir
Nancy Lacy
Kristy Lambert
Marsha Lawrence
Zenia Lee
Kathy Leeper
Marie Lerner-Sexton
Mari Levi
Lindsey Marts
Sarah Meuer
Kat Nicolaus
Keri Olson
Meghan Pesely
Deborah Roach
Gretchen Rohrs
Donna Schnorf Willems
Kathy Stayton
Sheree Stoppel
Amy Toebben
Rebecca Tuttle
Connie Van Engen
Sharlynn Verner
Annie Walsh
Laura Wittmer
54 2016/17 Season
ALTO
Lori Allen
Beth Allin
Lynne Beebe
Joyce Bibens
Bobbi Caggianelli
Jan Cohick
Sonja Coombes
June Farson
Michelle Gibbs
Athena Gillespie
Page Gravely
Staci Harvey
Julia Heriford
Bettye Hubbard
Christina Kesler
Karen Kesler
Lori LeVine
Leona Martin
Karla Massia
Heidi Meadows
Svetlana Mitchell
Jan Petrowski
Melissa Rausch
Lee Anne Rogers
Tarah Shields
Karen Spalding
Cindy Sullivan
Paulette Thompson
Sara Treffer
Tatyana Voronin
Julie Watson
Marsha A. Wells
Jan Wiberg
TENOR
Matt Aberle
Leon Barnes
Tim Braselton
Loren Bridge
Paul Buechter
Wayne Crawford
Kit Doyle
Phil Dunham
Emerson Hartzler
JP Helder
Brandon Hottman
Clifford Hubbard
Kyle Leeser
Lyle Linder
Aaron Lukken
Joseph Neal
Tyler Pierce
Jonathan Plummer
Brandon Preece
Jeff Preuss
Austin Reed
Robert Ritter
Ward Russell
Aaron Sansgaard
David Sutherland
Alan Taliercio
Travis Toebben
Ryan Townsend
Sheldon Vogt
Jeff Williams
Timm Yamnitz
Craig Zernickow
BASS
Doug Allen
Brett Anderson
Jason Bridges
Tom Burchett
James Duncan
David Fast
Bill Featherston
Lee Finch
Richard Gill
Kevin Hershberger
Daniel Hockman
Bill Lacy
Art Lafex
Hale Lentz
David Lockett
Donald Milligan
Patrick Orlich
John Pinkston
Joe Potter
Jerry Radek
Roger Randall
David Reid
Ed Roberts
John Ross
Larry Sneegas
Robert Stepanich
James Stephens
Rick Stephenson
John Thiessen
Gregory Toplikar
Keith Tucker
Ken VanEngen
Andre Weibel