A NOTE FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

I hope you’ll join the Albany Symphony and me not only for our orchestra concerts this weekend, but also for the two extraordinary recitals of Clara’s music, performed by students from the Bard College Conservatory, Saturday at 3:00 and Sunday at 11:00, also at the legendary Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

Other than her early Piano Concerto, Clara didn’t write any significant orchestral works. But from the 1830s until Robert’s death in 1856, she wrote a great number of stunningly beautiful, intimate chamber and solo instrumental works, as well as many gorgeous art songs. We’ll be presenting the best of these over two programs, including her magnificent Piano Trio, and the last works she wrote, her Romances for Violin and Piano, as well as her most beautiful songs and solo piano works.

To get the full measure of this remarkable creative artist and have the “complete” Clara experience, I encourage you to join us for these inspiring performances as well as our orchestra concerts. I look forward to seeing you this weekend as we celebrate the creative genius of Clara Schumann.

David Alan Miller

Music Director

FESTIVAL EVENTS & HAPPENINGS!

"ORCHESTRATING FOR THE 21st CENTURY" COMPOSER WORKSHOP - NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

The Albany Symphony is now accepting applications for “Orchestrating for the 21st Century,” an intensive five-day workshop held during the Albany Symphony's 2020 American Music Festival in Troy, NY. Curated and led by composer Christopher Theofanidis, “Orchestrating for the 21st Century” is focused on how to write for the modern orchestra.  The workshop will take place in the context of over 10 concerts of new American works during the Festival week from May 26-31, 2020, and will focus on helping emerging composers move beyond instrumentation to refine techniques of distinctive orchestration. Participants will become fully immersed in the Festival’s new music activities and events, interacting closely with more than 20 resident composers, as well as with Albany Symphony musicians, visiting performers, and Albany Symphony Music Director, David Alan Miller. 

The program is open to graduate composition students, advanced undergraduate students, and recent graduates.

All accepted composers will have the opportunity to write a new work for a conducted ensemble of Albany Symphony musicians, to be read in a public workshop during the 2020 American Music Festival.

Deadline Extension* - Applications will be accepted between December 15, 2019 and February 10, 2020. For more details on the workshop, the American Music Festival, and the application, please click on the announcement and application below.

Give the Gift of Music! 2019 Holiday Gift Guide

With only 12 shopping days left until the holiday's, now is the best time to cross a few more names of your shopping list. Gifts are fun to unwrap, but experiences can create memories that last a lifetime. So, for the music-lover on your list, give the gift of music.

From fun and engaging family concerts to adventurous performances, there is something for everyone on your shopping list. Save up to 50% on single tickets with the new Holiday Flex Pass or get a FREE $20 Bonus certificate with a purchase of a $100 Holiday Gift Certificate.

HOLIDAY DEALS | Promotions expire 12/31/2019

HOLIDAY FLEX PASS PICK FIVE | 5 Concerts for the Price of 3! Get premium orchestra-level seats to any subscription concert from January to June, 2020 for $40 per concert.

Benefits include FREE ticket exchanges, no-fee ticketing, and pre-sale access to the 2020.21 season. Offer available through Tue. 12/31/19.

GET $10 BONUS CARD FREE | Purchase a $75 Albany Symphony gift certificate online, by phone or at the Box Office and get a $10 bonus certificate FREE! ON SALE NOW. Offer available through Tue. 12/31/19. Bonus Certificate expires 6/15/20.

Get 4 matinee tickets to Gershwin in the Roaring 20’s on Sunday, May 10, 2020 for $145. Save over $100 on premium seats in the orchestra.

Offer available through Tue. 12/31/19.

HOLIDAY FLEX PASS PICK THREE | 3 Concerts for the Price of 2! Get premium orchestra-level seats to any subscription concert from January to June, 2020 for $40 per concert.

Benefits include FREE ticket exchanges, no-fee ticketing, and pre-sale access to the 2020.21 season. Offer available through Tue. 12/31/19.

GET $20 BONUS CARD FREE | Purchase a $100 Albany Symphony gift certificate online, by phone or at the Box Office and get a $20 bonus certificate FREE! ON SALE NOW. Offer available through Tue. 12/31/19. Bonus Certificate expires 6/15/20.

Purchase an all-access pass to the Albany Symphony’s American Music Festival for $75. Save up to 50% on tickets and get access to all-festival 2020 festival concerts and events. Offer available through March 15, 2020.

CALL 518-694-3300 OR VISIT THE BOX OFFICE AT 19 CLINTON AVE, ALBANY, NY 12207

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GREAT GIFT IDEAS | ORDER TODAY FOR HOLIDAY DELIVERY

SMALL GIFTS & STOCKING STUFFERS

MUSIC FOR THE EYES: ALBANY SYMPHONY MUSICIANS AT WORK BY ERIC BERLIN

PHOTOBOOK | $40

Music for the Eyes: Albany Symphony Musicians at Work. Eric Berlin’s captivating insider images show what happens behind the scenes- especially the extensive collaboration among, composers, conductors, soloists, the musicians of the Albany Symphony and management; and the pure joy that accompanies music-making.

Music for the Eyes is a great companion book for music enthusiasts and casual listeners alike.

AUTOGRAPHED RECORDINGS | $20

2019 GRAMMY-NOMINATED RECORDING | “SKY”- BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO- Michael Torke’s bluegrass inspired Violin Concerto with violinist Tessa Lark.

2019 GRAMMY-NOMINATED RECORDING | “MIGRATION SERIES” BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION- Derek Bermel’s jazz-tinged concerto with the Julliard Jazz Ensemble.

CALL 518-694-3300 OR VISIT THE BOX OFFICE AT 19 CLINTON AVE, ALBANY, NY 12207

Buying Online This Holiday Season!

Buying gifts online from the comfort of your own home is a convenient way to shop for the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your shopping list.

Shop online this holiday season and purchase a gift certificate or holiday flex pass to the Albany Symphony for the music-lover on your list. You can even make a donation to the Albany Symphony in honor of a friend or loved one who cherishes the Albany Symphony.

GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS!

HOLIDAY FLEX PASS | 5 Concerts for the Price of 3! Get premium orchestra-level seats to any subscription concert from January to June, 2020 for $40 per concert.

Benefits include FREE ticket exchanges, no-fee ticketing, and pre-sale access to the 2020.21 season.

GET $20 BONUS CARD FREE | Purchase a $100 Albany Symphony gift certificate online, by phone or at the Box Office and get a $20 bonus certificate FREE! ON SALE NOW. Offer available through Tue. 12/31/19. Bonus Certificate expires 6/15/20.

Buying (or donating) online is easy!

1. Visit tickets.albanysymphony.com

2. Log in to your secure online account using your email and password. If you are new to the Albany Symphony, simply create an account using your email address.

3. Choose your gift! Select Tickets or Gift Certificates, Festival Passes or Season Passes.

4. Donate- Click donate, choose the amount, and let us know how you want to be recognized in the program book. Ex. Ludwig Beethoven in honor of Wolfgang and Constanze Mozart.

For some reason, I can't log in or create a new account?

The Albany Symphony recently made changes to our secure ticket/donation website.

Even if this is your first time purchasing tickets to the Albany Symphony, you may already have an account. As of December 10, 2019, we share a common login with Proctors, Capital Repertory Theatre, and Universal Preservation Hall as well as other arts organizations including, Schenectady Civic Players, Schenectady Light Opera, The Egg, and Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. If you have purchased tickets online for an event at any of these other venues, your email and user information will already be on file. If you are unsure of the password associated with your login, you may request that it be reset or call (518) 320-7907‬.

WEATHER ALERT! The Albany Symphony Box Office is Closed!

Across the region, trees are dressed in white and communities are blanketed with a beautiful coat of snow.

Due to the inclement weather, hazardous road conditions, and increasing snow accumulation, the Albany Symphony Box Office will be closed today, Monday, December 2, 2019. The Box Office will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at 10am.

If you are looking to purchase tickets to an upcoming performance you can purchase online at albanysymphony.com/upcomingconcerts. For assistance with purchasing tickets online, please contact Justin Cook, Marketing & Patron Services Manager at ‪(518) 320-7907‬.

We wish all our patrons a safe and cozy winter day.

STAY WARM AND COZY WITH THIS CURATED SPOTIFY PLAYLIST- WINTER CLASSICAL

Go ahead! Add your favorite winter classic.

Black Friday Deals at the Albany Symphony

Give the Perfect Gift This Holiday- Give the Gift of Music!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s time to start making your holiday shopping list.

From fun and engaging family concerts to adventurous performances, there is something for everyone on your shopping list. Stop by the Albany Symphony Box Office on Black Friday or shop online at AlbanySymphony.com and save up to 50% on tickets to the Albany Symphony.

SAVE WITH THESE GREAT BLACK FRIDAY DEALS

HOLIDAY FLEX PASS | 6 Concerts for the Price of 3! Get premium orchestra-level seats to any subscription concert from January to June, 2020 for $40 per concert. +Gershwin matinee for FREE.

Benefits include FREE ticket exchanges, no-fee ticketing, and pre-sale access to the 2020.21 season.

GET $20 BONUS CARD FREE | Purchase a $100 Albany Symphony gift certificate online, by phone or at the Box Office and get a $20 bonus certificate FREE! ON SALE NOW. Offer available through Tue. 12/31/19. Bonus Certificate expires 6/15/20.

$30 TICKETS | Save up to 50% on single tickets! Get orchestra-level seats to Mozart’s Linz Symphony on Sun., Dec. 8, 2019 and Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet on Fri., Feb 14, 2020 for $30.

COUPON CODE: BLACKFRIDAY | Restrictions apply. Tickets cannot be resold. No refunds or exchanges.

THANKSGIVING BOX OFFICE HOURS

Mon. November 25 - Wed. November 27, 2019 10:00AM to 5:00PM

Thanksgiving Day | Thur. November 28, 2019 CLOSED

Black Friday | Fri. November 29, 2019 10:00AM to 2:00PM

Sat. November 30 - Sun. December 1, 2019 CLOSED

Cyber Monday | Mon. December 2, 2019 10:00AM to 5:00PM

GIFTS FOR MUSIC-LOVERS & CASUAL LISTENERS

2019 GRAMMY-NOMINATED RECORDING | “SKY”- BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO- Michael Torke’s bluegrass inspired Violin Concerto with violinist Tessa Lark.

2019 GRAMMY-NOMINATED RECORDING | “MIGRATION SERIES” BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION- Derek Bermel’s jazz-tinged concerto with the Julliard Jazz Ensemble.

GIFTS FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES

GIFTS FOR THE CULTURALLY CURIOUS & NEW MUSIC FANS

GIVE THE GIFT OF MUSIC THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! ORDER NOW!

ONLINE: WWW.ALBANYSYMPHONY.COM | BY PHONE: 518.694.3300 | IN-PERSON: 19 CLINTON AVENUE, ALBANY, NY 12207

Two Recordings by the Albany Symphony Nominated for GRAMMY Awards

David Alan Miller conducting Derek Bermel’s “Migration Series” with Albany Symphony and Julliard Jazz Ensemble at the 2015 American Music Festival.

Violinist Tessa Lark premiered and recorded Michael Torke’s “Sky” Violin Concerto at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

 Best Contemporary Classical Composition

BERMEL: MIGRATION SERIES FOR JAZZ ENSEMBLE & ORCHESTRA

Derek Bermel, composer (Derek Bermel, Ted Nash, David Alan Miller, Juilliard Jazz Orchestra & Albany Symphony Orchestra) 

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

TORKE: SKY, CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN

Tessa Lark; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

Albany, NY- Albany, NY- The Recording Academy™ today announced the 2020 class of GRAMMY® award nominees, including the nominees for Best Classical Instrumental Solo and Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Among the list of notable nominees are five-time GRAMMY® nominee, David Alan Miller, and the Albany Symphony. Miller shares the nomination for Best Classical Instrumental Solo with violinist Tessa Lark for their recent recording of Michael Torke’s "Sky," his bluegrass-inspired violin concerto. The Orchestra’s recording of Derek Bermel’s “Migration Series” for Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra was nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Both recordings were released in August of 2019 and further expand the Albany Symphony's catalog of over 35 commercially released recordings that includes new and previously unrecorded works by living American composers.

"I am so excited and proud that not one, but two, remarkable new discs by the Albany Symphony have been nominated for Grammys this year," said David Alan Miller. "We've never before received two nominations in a single year. It is particularly noteworthy that these projects feature never-before-recorded works by two great American composers who have been members of our "Albany Symphony Family" for years, Michael Torke and Derek Bermel. It is also a great tribute to the brilliant musicians of the Albany Symphony to have been recognized in this way."

"Sky," the title track of the Albany Symphony’s third full-length album with composer Michael Torke and its first recording with Tessa Lark, was co-commissioned by the Albany Symphony and was premiered and recorded at the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, NY. "Sky" was released on the Albany Records label. Bermel’s “Migration Series” for Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra was recorded in Troy, NY during the Albany Symphony’s annual American Music Festival. "Migration Series" was released on the NAXOS label.

In 2014, David Alan Miller won a GRAMMY® Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo with Dame Evelyn Glennie and the Albany Symphony. Miller received his second nomination in 2016 for Best Solo Vocal Album with Talise Trevigne for the Albany Symphony's recording of Christopher Rouses’ "Kabir Padavali." Miller was also nominated for Best Orchestral Performance in 2019 for a recording of music by Harbison, Stucky, and Ruggles with the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic.

TAKE A LISTEN!

NOW STREAMING on Spotify and Apple Music or anywhere you purchase your digital music. CD’s are available for purchase through the Albany Symphony Box Office at 518.694.3300. Members of the media are encouraged to contact Justin Cook at JustinC@AlbanySymphony.com.

REWIND: A Look Back at November's Concert at the Palace Theatre

Photo Credit: Eric Berlin

Rachmaninoff once said that “music comes straight from the heart and talks only to the heart: it is Love!” When you attend an Albany Symphony rehearsal you can see that our musicians truly love what they do. Photo Credit: Eric Berlin

Last weekend, the Albany Symphony performed an epic all-Russian concert at the Palace Theatre. Centered between Borodin’s Prince Igor Overture and Rachmaninoff’s beloved Symphony No. 2, was Dalit Warshaw’s Sirens, a captivating concerto for Theremin and Orchestra.

David Alan Miller, thereminist Carolina Eyck, and the Albany Symphony had 14 hours to prepare for the orchestra’s first performance with the theremin. Did you know that the theremin uses electromagnetic waves to create sound? Our operations team spent a considerable amount of time outside of rehearsal setting the stage and testing equipment (and lights) to limit and prevent interference.

Photo Credit: Eric Berlin

The theremin was invented in 1919 by Soviet Electrical Engineer, Leon Theremin. The original theremin was produced by RCA, but manufactured in Schenectady, NY by GE and in Springfield, MA by Westinghouse. It consisted of a wooden electrical box and two metal antennas. Since its invention, the unique sound and unusual appearance of the instrument has captured the imaginations of composers like Bohuslav Martinu, Olivier Messiaen, and Rachmaninoff, as well as David Del Tredici and Andrew Norman. Carolina’s theremin has been updated for the 21st century.

“Eyck has developed an eight-finger-position technique for coaxing notes out of space. A virtuoso of the invisible, it looks likes she is playing keys.”

— Lucas Willard | WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Photo Credit: Eric Berlin

One of the thrills of performing new music is being able to work through the creative process alongside the composer. Dalit Warshaw traveled from NYC to work with the Albany Symphony and this wasn’t her first trip: Dalit’s first orchestral work, In the beginning… was premiered by the Albany Symphony when she was 10 years old.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON OPEN REHEARSAL

Photo Credit: Gary Gold

Did you know that your ticket purchase only pays for one-third of a concert? The Albany Symphony relies on the generosity of our patrons and corporate sponsors. Members of the Albany Symphony’s Patron Circle got an insider’s view of the creative process. Anyone can join the Patron Circle by making a $100 donation.

Photo Credit: Gary Gold

“[ The Albany Symphony’s concert] was a mix of the rare and unusual with sublime romanticism for a memorable performance.”

— Geraldine Freedman- Daily Gazette

At the top of the concert, David Alan Miller and cellist Cathy Hackert paid tribute to retired bassist, Jeffrey Herchenroder. Jeffrey, a teacher at Guilderland High School joined the Albany Symphony in 1986 and has been a member of the orchestra for over 33 years. Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

“Dalit Warshaw’s concerto “Sirens” was a subtle and sophisticated showcase for the instrument and soloist Carolina Eyck played with beautiful expression.”

— Joseph Dalton- Albany Times Union

The first movement of Dalit Warshaw’s concerto, Clara’s Violin, tells the musical story of Clara Rockmore, the muse behind the instrument and the first thereminist.

Photo Credit: Gary Gold

Dalit Warshaw learned to play the theremin from Clara Rockmore. When Clara died in 1998, Dalit resolved to compose art music that celebrated the beauty and mystery of the theremin.

Photo Credit: Gary Gold

“ In its upper range, the theremin resembles a soprano voice, as it did near the close of the opening movement. The instrument displayed a warm humanity and brought to mind the cello during the second movement. ”

— Joseph Dalton- Albany Times Union

Photo Credit Gary Gold Photography

“[Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2] is gorgeous on all levels: soaring melodies of great beauty and longing; interesting part writing and secondary undercurrents; mood shifts that beckon and sustain; and most of all, a marvelous understanding and use of instrumental color”

— Geraldine Freedman- Daily Gazette

Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

Following a superb performance of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 the crowd responded with thundering applause and a standing ovation. Did you have a favorite piece on the program?

Get social and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using #ListenAdventurously.

Thank you to the following concert sponsors.

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DID YOU MISS THE CONCERT? DO YOU WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN?

Hear the performance on Sunday, December 1, 2019 on WMHT LIVE. Tune in at 6PM on-air at 89.1FM Albany, 88.7FM Poughkeepsie or listen online anywhere at WMHT.org/classical.

Empire State Youth Orchestra Celebrates 40 years! | Guest Post by Rebecca Calos, Executive Director of ESYO

Last weekend, during the raucous standing ovation that concluded Albany Symphony Orchestra’s magnificent season opener, I allowed my eyes to drift from the stage, to range across the audience.  Interspersed among our community’s elder patrons were youthful faces, excited smiles that I recognized: members of Empire State Youth Orchestra’s Symphony Orchestra.  Like me, these young musicians had come to enjoy the iconic Pictures at an Exhibition as well as to be introduced to Valerie Coleman’s Phenomenal Women, featuring Imani Winds. Like me, they came to admire the talented artists on stage.  But for the young musicians of ESYO, it was more than admiration: they came to project themselves onto that stage, to sit among professionals and envision themselves playing for appreciative audiences in packed concert halls.

Empire State Youth Orchestra’s membership is more than 600 youth from across a two- hour radius of our region. These young players enjoy outstanding instruction from school music teachers and private instructors and the fabulous ESYO conductors; they play in one of our twelve performing ensembles as well as their school orchestras, and often small combos too. They aspire to be great. They love to share their passion for music-making with others. Albany Symphony Orchestra serves as inspiration not only through the exceptional concerts they offer throughout the year.  Albany Symphony musicians serve as coaches for our young players and adjudicators for our auditions. Albany Symphony musicians are ESYO alums. They are ESYO Board members, mentors, and advisors.

This year, Empire State Youth Orchestra turns 40. Albany Symphony Orchestra is more than double our age, leading the way in our community since 1930.  ESYO looks to Albany Symphony for guidance, and collaboration, knowing that some of the best teachers for our students are in the Albany Symphony, and that some of the best opportunities are provided by orchestra’s adventurous programming.  Our percussionists have performed alongside Albany Symphony at the Contemporary Music Festival; our Jazz musicians joined in making “water music” along the canal.  As we celebrate our 40th Birthday, we also thank those who have helped us grow.

In honor of our 40th, we are planning to go “BIG!”  ESYO Symphony will open their season on Saturday, November 2nd at the Troy Music Hall with a concert featuring ESYO Alumnus Kenneth Olsen—a proud Colonie High School graduate, and current Assistant Principal cellist of the Chicago Symphony—playing Elgar’s Cello Concerto.  To celebrate our 40th, our musicians will offer a jubilant program: Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Strauss Jr.’s Overture to Die Fledermaus and Respighi’s Pines of Rome. Last weekend we all delighted in the performance of the Albany Symphony Orchestra; now I invite you to come and hear where it all begins, with our youth.

 Close your eyes, and you will believe you are hearing professional musicians; open your eyes, and you will be thrilled by their youthful exuberance. Members of Empire State Youth Orchestra’s flagship ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra, are some of the most exceptional young musicians in our region. I guarantee that when you hear them, you will be amazed. I encourage you to join us on November 2nd at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.  Our young players are eager to share their passion for music-making with you.

As with all our concerts, tickets are “Pay What You Wish.” ACCESS ESYO is made possible by a generous grant from the League of American Orchestras. Suggested donation is $20.  You can reserve your seats at esyo.org.

Join us for an outstanding evening of music, and be inspired by the next generation of symphony performers!

#REWIND: Albany Symphony Opening Night Concert

Photo Credit: Eric Berlin

The musicians of the Albany Symphony spend a lot of time preparing for a performance. Their passion and love for what they do can be heard in their music and seen on their face. Photo Credit: Eric Berlin

Last weekend, the Albany Symphony returned to the stage to open the 2019.20 season at the majestic Palace Theatre in downtown Albany. The program featured a gallery of musical works, including Mussorgsky’s great Pictures at an Exhibition and Valerie Coleman’s Phenomenal Women.

David Alan Miller and the musicians arrived at the Palace Theatre on Thursday afternoon for 2 days of rehearsals and on each day they worked late into the night to prepare for the opening night concert. Did you know that Saturday’s performance featured 77 orchestral musicians? David Alan Miller, and the orchestra’s operations team were responsible for organizing and arranging the entire production. Bravo!

On Saturday night, before the performance, the Albany Symphony celebrated the hardworking and dedicated musicians of the orchestra with a final show of Music for the Eyes: Albany Symphony Musicians at Work.

The exhibit featured photographs by Principal Trumpet, Eric Berlin and was curated by Yva Momatiuk, John Eastcott, and Nicholas Argyros. The exhibit gave the listener a rare glimpse into the life and passion of a working Albany Symphony musician and the extensive collaboration between musicians, soloists, composers, and conductor that precedes each performance. Eric’s work also captured the Capital Region’s most majestic stages and performance spaces.

Remaining single edition prints and limited edition photo books are available for sale at the Box Office.

Kaweeda Adams, Albany School District Superintendent and Assemblywomen, Patricia Fahy perused the gallery and met with students and aspiring musicians from the Albany High School, My Brother’s Keeper Program.

Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

The GRAMMY-nominated wind quintet, the Imani Winds, thrilled party-goers with an intimate performance of Valerie Coleman’s Tzigane and Startin Sumthin by Jeff Scott.

Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

“The Albany Symphony Orchestra launched its season with a typically ambitious and energetic program...”

— Joseph Dalton- Albany Times Union

Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

“Bernstein’s Symphonic Suite from “On the Waterfront” was the evocative opener. Raw and refined, tender and muscular, this is the kind of multihued Americana that the [Albany Symphony] does so well.”

— Joseph Dalton- Albany Times Union

Bernstein wrote the film score for “On the Waterfront” in 1954. The picturesque work began with a haunting horn solo by Nicole Caluori.

Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

The centerpiece of the evening was Imani Winds and Valerie Coleman’s musical portrait titled Phenomenal Women. Each movement payed tribute to a notable African-American woman.

Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

After intermission, former Vanguard Albany Symphony Co-President, Susan Jacobson presented Jerry Golub- Board Chair, Anna Kuwabara-Executive Director, and David Alan Miller- Music Director with a check for $73,000 from their signature fundraiser, the Vanguard Showhouse. Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

““Pictures” arrived with Technicolor force.”

— Joseph Dalton-Albany Times Union

Photo Credit: Gary Gold Photography

Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s beloved Pictures at an Exhibition proved to be a fitting finale to an incredible opening night. Did you have a favorite piece on the program? Get social and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using #ListenAdventurously.

Thank you to the following concert sponsors.

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DID YOU MISS THE CONCERT? DO YOU WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN?

Hear the performance on Sunday, November 3, 2019 on WMHT LIVE. Tune in at 6PM on-air at 89.1FM Albany, 88.7FM Poughkeepsie or listen online anywhere at WMHT.org/classical.

A musical tribute to the American worker

Labor Day is much more than a long weekend of family BBQ’s, back to school sales, and bonfires. It is a national tribute to the American worker who works day in and day out to provide for their family and their community. It is a day set aside to honor American ingenuity and the spirit of progress. It is a holiday when the nation stops to recognize the important contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our nation. So, this weekend, be sure to tip your hat and raise your glass to you, the American worker.

From Paul Robeson to Haydn and Joan Tower, enjoy our collection of works that embody the spirit of Labor Day.

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PAUL ROBESON  |  “JOE HILL”

Paul Robeson, an American baritone and stage and film actor, was widely known for both his artistic accomplishments and political activism. Robeson was the son of an escaped slave who fled to New Jersey to become a Presbyterian minister and was outspoken about racial injustice. Throughout his performance career, Robeson actively supported the Civil Rights Movement and performed benefit concerts for labor organizations. In 1943 he starred in Othello on Broadway at the Schubert Theatre and later “blacklisted” during the paranoia of McCarthyism.

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HAYDN  |  FAREWELL SYMPHONY

Turns out Haydn’s beloved Symphony No. 45 has a history of being a “protest song.”

The story began in 1772, while Hayden was royal conductor to Hungry’s Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. After a long season, the Prince ordered the exhausted musicians to stay at his castle to perform a new symphony. Haydn was sympathetic to the musician’s plight and composed a special ending in honor of the musicians.

At the end of the final movement, just before the climax of the finale, Haydn paused the music and replaced the robust ending with a much slower adagio. As each musician completed their part, they snuffled the candle and quietly left the stage. By the end of the piece, only Hayden and two violinists were left.

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JULIA WOLFE  |  ANTHRACITE FIELDS

The Gilded Age of America and most of the 20th century was powered by coal and the miners who harvested it from the mines. Anthracite Fields digs deep into American labor history and the stories of the workers who persevered and endured the dangers of coal mines.

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JOAN TOWER  |  FANFARE FOR THE UNCOMMON WOMEN &   AARON COPLAND  |  FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN

Without a doubt, Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man is one of America’s most recognizable musical works. Some say its due in part to its name, which Copland took from a speech by Vice President Henry Wallace who proclaimed the 20th century “the century of the common man.” But, for many the title alone is incomplete and does not create a complete musical portrait of American progress. Composer, Joan Tower, completes this musical portrait with a series of 6 inspired fanfares dedicated to uncommon women. Composed between 1987 and 2014, Tower’s Fanfare’s for the Uncommon Woman pays tribute to bold and pioneering “women who take risks and are adventurous.” Tower’s first fanfare quotes Copland’s Fanfare and uses the exact same instrumentation.

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LEROY ANDERSON  |  THE TYPEWRITER

Approximately 160 million American’s head to work each day and approximately 68% of workers use a computer on the job. This light and fun composition by Leroy Anderson turns the mundane sound of a clicking keyboard into an entertaining and comical concerto for typewriter and orchestra. Next time you sit down at your desk to write an email, type it like you’re making your debut at Symphony Hall.

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DAME ETHEL SMYTH  |  CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN, HORN, AND ORCHESTRA

Dame Ethel Smyth pursued her musical studies and career against her family’s wishes and despite her incredible talent she faced considerable discrimination throughout her entire career. In 1910, Smyth joined the Women’s Social and Political Union and stopped composing in order to support the Suffrage movement. That same year she composed the movements anthem, The March of the Women before she was arrested and imprisoned. Smyth began composing again in 1912 and in 1926 Smyth composed her Concerto for Violin, Horn, and Orchestra, a virtuosic work with a heroic first movement. 

How Sing Out! New York advanced inclusion, strengthened community

By Beth Beshaw, M&T Bank Market President for Albany

On a beautiful June day, with a gorgeous blue sky above, I had the opportunity to join well over a thousand of our neighbors for the Sing Out! New York concert at Jennings Landing in Albany.

 Together, we enjoyed a tremendous performance of the Albany Symphony that featured a composition inspired by Frederick Douglass. It was part of the annual American Music Festival, which M&T Bank was proud to support.

 This year’s American Music Festival packed two weekends full of innovative, collaborative music that delivered stirring tributes to equality, inclusion and diversity. The Sing Out! New York Tour, which brings the festival to communities across the Capital Region, carried an important theme this year – From Seneca Falls to Stonewall. It celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and the 100th anniversary of the legislative actions that led to the 19th amendment, securing women’s right to vote.

 As is so often true with artistic expression, the music shared during the tour was about more than entertainment; it was about empowerment. It was art created to deepen our understanding and inspire us to remain vigilant in the advancement of equality for all people.

 At each of the stops during the Sing Out! New York Tour, our community experienced brand-new compositions that were representative of pivotal moments in the fight for equal rights. In total, about 12,000 people attended the concert series.

• In Schuylerville, Loren Loiacono teamed up with Capital Repertory Theatre to create Petticoats of Steel, a work that brought the suffrage movement to life.

•  In Albany, Andre Myers joined the Albany High School Chamber Choir to create Studies in Hope: Frederick Douglass, a hip hop-influenced composition driven by Douglass’s words and relentless pursuit of equality.

• In Schenectady, Clarice Assad worked alongside Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region to develop Ain’t I A Woman, a composition inspired by Sojourner Truth’s 1851 speech of the same name.

• In Hudson, Viet Cuong partnered with choreographer Adam Weinert and the Hudson Dance Collective to craft Transfigured, a work inspired by the Stonewall uprising and the LGBT movement.

 Our team at M&T was eager to support the Albany Symphony and sponsor this important series of events. Beyond fulfilling our commitment to expanding access to the arts, Sing Out! New York invited a wide range of voices and artists to be heard by our community, promoting diversity and inclusion. 

 The event’s economic impact is significant, too. The festival generated an estimated $445,000 in audience spending in the community, and the total impact, when the full scope of the series is factored in, is far greater. Investing in our creative economy contributes to our community’s vibrancy, enhances our quality of life and helps attract visitors and new residents.

 Congratulations to the Albany Symphony, its team and all of the artists who worked so hard on the American Music Festival and the Sing Out! New York Tour.

 It was a memorable, unique experience that brought people together to celebrate music and created connections that will strengthen our community.

If you’re interested in being a part of next year’s American Music Festival, contact the Albany Symphony to learn how you can get involved.

Ms. Beth Beshaw is the Market President for Albany, NY at M&T Bank. She is active in the community as past chair of Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region and a valued member of the Albany Symphony’s Board of Directors.

From Bluegrass to Bebop, Albany Symphony Releases Two Uniquely American Recordings

GRAMMY Award-winning conductor, David Alan Miller and the “intrepid” musicians of the Albany Symphony (The New York Times) are no strangers to delivering cutting-edge performances that bend and blend genres into thrilling concert experiences. Many of these cutting edge performances are given a voice beyond the concert and are recorded and released for the world to discover.

CHECK OUT THE NEWEST RELEASES FROM THE ALBANY SYMPHONY!

MICHAEL TORKE | SKY

TAKE A LISTEN!

TITLE: SKY | COMPOSER: MICHAEL TORKE | RELEASE THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020

RECORDED AT THE TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL, TROY, NY

On August 1, the Albany Symphony released SKY, its third full-length album with composer Michael Torke and its first recording with violinist, Tessa Lark. The album includes four new concertos, for violin, bassoon, clarinet, and oboe. SKY, the title piece on the album, was co-commissioned and premiered by the Albany Symphony on January 5, 2019 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The work imposes a bluegrass vernacular onto classical forms, like the sounds of a slow Irish reel, banjo picking, and fiddle licks in triple time. Its a perfect piece for acclaimed concert violinist and fiddle virtuoso, Tessa Lark. The album also includes three concertinos (miniature concertos) for bassoon (West) featuring bassoonist, Peter Kolkay, oboe (South) with Ryan Roberts, and East, a concertino composed for Albany Symphony Principal Clarinetist, Weixiong Wang.

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TITLE: MIGRATIONS | DEREK BERMEL | RELEASED FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020

RECORDED AT EMPAC DURING THE 2015 AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL AT EMPAC AND THE TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL, TROY, NY.

TAKE A LISTEN!

“Migrations is a Naxos world premiere recording inspired by three “artistic journeys - painter Jacob Lawrence’s vivid depiction of African-American migration from South to North; Portuguese poet Eugenio de Andrade’s journeys across the ocean and the soul; and Hungarian composer Bela Bartok’s emigration to my home of New York City.”

— Derek Bermel

Migrations is a stunning example of what Naxos desribes as Derek Bermel’s, “superb craftsmanship and eclectic style. At the center of the album is Migration Series (2006), a work commissioned by Wynton Marsalis for his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the American Composers Orchestra.

The jazz-tinged concerto for orchestra and Jazz band is composed in five movements and weaves through classical and jazz forms with touches of American folk music and hip hop to create a unique soundscape.  The work captures the shapes, colors, moods and atmospheres of the paintings by Jacob Lawrence, while touching on the complexities of the migrant experience, including larger themes of determination, mystery, joy, despair, prejudice, rejection, violence, and poverty.

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TAKE A LISTEN AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK USING #LISTENADVENTUROUSLY

Digital albums are available on Amazon, iTunes or wherever you purchase your music. If you prefer CDs, visit the Albany Symphony Box Office or call 518-694.3300 to purchase your personal copy signed by David Alan Miller.

Follow the This Is Albany Symphony SPOTIFY playlist. Enjoy your favorite Albany Symphony recordings and the essential tracks, all in one playlist.

Visit the Albany Symphony’s SPOTIFY page and listen to the growing catalog of over 30 commercially release albums with over 253,000 streams.

#REWIND | American Music Festival, SING OUT! NEW YORK: ALBANY

The Albany Symphony continued its American Music Festival, Sing Out! New York Concert Tour last Friday, June 7 at Jennings Landing in Albany’s Corning Preserve. David Alan Miller and guest composer, Andre Meyers were welcomed by over 1500 eager listeners looking forward to hearing Meyer’s hip-hop tinged commission that was inspired by the words and wisdom of Frederick Douglass.

Drawing of the Albany Basin, 1857, unknown.

Located along the Hudson River, in the shadows of the State Capitol, Jennings Landing and the Corning Preserve has a history all to itself as the gateway to the Erie Canal and a “grand junction of eastern and western travel” (Frederick Douglass). In 1823, Jennings Landing was a 32-acre harbor that held 1,000 canal boats and connected the Hudson River to the Erie Canal. These canal boats carried more than goods, they carried people and ideas. The canal system would become a “network of freedom” that helped to fuel the suffrage and abolitionist movements.

New friends and old friends alike got out of work early, grabbed their blankets and lawn chairs, and made their way to Jennings Landing for yet another performance with near perfect weather. By 7:30PM, the entire amphitheater was full and patrons found comfortable seats on the nearby hillsides.

David Alan Miller, students from Albany High School, musicians of the Albany Symphony and composer Andre Meyers spent a couple hours rehearsing, while audio engineers from LIVE Sound! and Classical Recording Service worked hard to make sure that the sound was balanced and performance ready. Rehearsal ended just in time for everyone to enjoy the Sing Out! New York Craft Beer & Food Trail. Albany Symphony musicians seemed to love Wagon Train BBQ’s famous pulled pork sliders and some classic Kettle corn from Adirondack Kettle Korn. Did you try the Sing Out! New York signature beer from Back Barn Brewing Company? If not, the 19th Amendment brew is still available at their taproom on Route 20 in Duanesburg, NY.

Nothing says summer in upstate New York like ice cream and face painting. Credit: N. Miller

It’s always great to see young people at the Albany Symphony. #SymphonyKids

Before the the Albany Symphony took the stage to perform Beethoven’s revolutionary Fifth Symphony, members of the Empire State Youth Orchestra’s Brass Quintet took to the stage to perform a variety of “classical hits.”

Assembly member Patricia Fahy (109) took time out of her busy legislative schedule to attend the performance. Sing Out! New York would not be possible without New York State funding through Market NY/Empire State Development, New York State Council on the Arts and the Regional Economic Development Councils.

Before the concert, GRAMMY Award-winning conductor, David Alan Miller stood backstage looking out at the growing audience, while members of the Albany High School Chamber Choir sat in the audience welcoming their friends, family, and classmates to the concert.

Frederick Douglass: Studies in Hope by Andre Meyers bridged together two divergent music styles and traditions that aren’t always seen as compatible. On one hand you have an orchestra playing brilliantly translated 70’s funk rhythm’s and harmonies and on the other you have an accomplished composer and two young emcee’s rhythmically speaking Douglass’s prose with a flow and style reminiscent of The Last Poet’s and similar to the Broadway Musical sensation, Hamilton.

Thank you to our sponsors:

#REWIND | American Music Festival, Sing Out! New York: Schuylerville

Last night, audiences came from all over Saratoga, Washington Counties, and beyond to experience the first night of the Sing Out! New York Concert Tour at Hudson Crossing Park in Schuylerville, NY. David Alan Miller and the musicians of the Albany Symphony were warmly welcomed by park volunteers and the entire community.

Located between the Hudson River and Champlain Canal, the park has a storied past and a natural beauty that can only be found in Upstate New York.

After a rainy and overcast morning, the skies opened up, clouds parted, and the sun came out just in time for rehearsals. Sunny and 75 is perfect weather for an outdoor concert.

Did you know? Heat and direct sunlight can damage most orchestral instruments. Violins and even some woodwind instruments are made from delicate woods that can expand and contract in extreme temperatures. Our backstage staff set up some pop-up tents on stage to keep our musicians and their instruments cool and safe from the noontime sun. While the orchestra rehearsed, volunteers from AYCO, Goldman Sachs helped the “front-of-house” team set up and welcome guests and vendors as they arrived at the park.

Local folk singer, Bob Warren stopped by and performed some old time folk favorites.

World music artist Taina Asili entertained the audience with her Afro-Latin rhythms and soulful melodies.

Sing Out! New York was fun for the entire family! Everybody — children from nine to ninety — enjoyed some family-fun. Rural Soul Music Studio led the community in an interactive drum circle. Rebel Wood Soap Works brought the most adorable (and cuddly) goats, while Back Barn Brewing Company served up 19th Amendment, our signature Sing Out! New York Festival beer. Hudson Crossing Park also features over two miles of walking trails along both the Champlain Canal and Hudson River. A group of hikers from the New York State Canalway Trail and Empire State Trail stumbled upon our concert and fell in love with Beethoven’s Fifth.

BUCKET LIST ALERT: Do you walk, bike, or Kayak? Start at Schuylerville’s Canalway Trail or at Lock 5 and take the I Love NY Canalway Challenge.

Just as the sun was beginning to set over the treetops, WAMC’s Joe Donahue (a hometown hero) took to the stage and welcomed over 1,500 people to the Albany Symphony’s debut performance and the first-ever concert in Hudson Crossing Park. Once David Alan Miller took the stage, the audience was greeted with a lively performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony followed by Petticoats of Steel, a brand new Sing Out! New York commission by Loren Loiacono and Capital Repertory Theater Director, Maggie Cahill. The work was inspired by the foremothers of the 19th Amendment and was a reimagining of three suffragist songs.

Did you know? Suffragist leader Susan B. Anthony grew up 4 miles from Hudson Crossing Park in Battenkill, NY.

A FITTING FINALE

Thank you to our Generous sponsors for this concert!

National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, I LOVE NEW YORK, M&T Bank, Price Chopper Supermarkets & Market 32

FREE Concert TODAY | Sing Out! Music in the Square

The first weekend of the American Music Festival culminates today at 11am with Music in the Square featuring composer/performer Molly Joyce, Angelica Negron, IAM IAM IAM, and the gypsy Jazz band, Hot Tuesday.  

 History comes alive at 11am with a special welcome from iconic Suffragist, Susan B. Anthony. Then, visit the Arts Center of the Capital Region for family-friendly art-making.   Make-your-own suffragist sash or campaign button and learn about how art inspired women to speak out for the vote. 

Lastly, enjoy brunch in historic Downtown Troy at the first annual Veg Out! Food Festival or at your favorite Downtown restaurant.  

 Complete Schedule of Events:

 11:00am- Suffragette welcome by Susan B. Anthony

12:00pm – 12:30pm – Molly Joyce performance

1pm-1:30pm - Angelica Negron performance

2:00 – 2:30 pm – IAM IAM IAM performance

2:45 – 3:15pm – Hot Tuesday performance

Sing Out! NY is a FREE signature event of the Albany Symphony’s American Music Festival and presented in collaboration with the Capital Region Vegan Food Festival, Downtown Troy Business Improvement District, and the City of Troy. Funding provided by I Love NY, the New York State Council of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Celine and Daniel Kredentser, M&T Bank, Price Chopper/Market32, Fairgame for the Theatre Arts, and the Howard & Bush Foundation.

 Sing Out! Music in the Square is a rain or shine event. Rain location: The Arts Center of the Capital Region. 

Exclusive Dinner and Preview Screening with John Corigliano

Experience an Exclusive Dinner and
Meet-and-Greet with John Corigliano! 

Friday, May 31, 2019 | EMPAC Mezzanine

Enjoy a delicious dinner with John Corigliano before the special screening of Gerry Herman's
new, powerful documentary: "Of Rage and Remembrance: A Portrait of John Corigliano."

This documentary by filmmaker and Capital Region native, Gerry Herman, provides an intimate portrait of Pulitzer, Oscar, and four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning composer John Corigliano, as he tells the story of the creation of his Symphony No. 1. Through this film, Corigliano shares his story of love and loss and the creation of his Symphony No. 1 to commemorate “my friends – those I had lost and the one I was losing” to the AIDS epidemic. This film juxtaposes Corigliano’s deeply moving narrative with dramatic performance-footage of the symphony, featuring the Albany Symphony and conductor David Alan Miller.

Tickets to the dinner are $100,
with complimentary access to the screening.

For more information, please call the Albany Symphony at 518.465.4755, ext. 145.

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JOHN CORIGLIANO BIO

John Corigliano continues to add to one of the richest, most unusual, and most widely celebrated bodies of work any composer has created over the last forty years. Corigliano's scores, now numbering over one hundred, have won him the Pulitzer Prize, the Grawemeyer Award, four Grammy Awards, and an Academy Award (“Oscar”) and have been performed and recorded by many of the most prominent orchestras, soloists, and chamber musicians in the world.

Recent scores include Conjurer (2008), for percussion and string orchestra, commissioned for and introduced by Dame Evelyn Glennie; Concerto for Violin and Orchestra: The Red Violin (2005), developed from the themes of the score to the François Girard’s film of the same name, which won Corigliano the Oscar in 1999; Mr. Tambourine

Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (2000) for orchestra and amplified soprano, the recording which won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Composition in 2008; Symphony No. 3: Circus Maximus (2004), scored simultaneously for wind orchestra and a multitude of wind ensembles; and Symphony No. 2 (2001: Pulitzer Prize in Music.)

Other important scores include String Quartet (1995: Grammy Award, Best Contemporary Composition); Symphony No. 1 (1991: Grawemeyer and Grammy Awards); the opera The Ghosts of Versailles (Metropolitan Opera commission, 1991, International Classical Music Award 1992); and the Clarinet Concerto (1977.)

One of the few living composers to have a string quartet named for him, Corigliano serves on the composition faculty at the Juilliard School of Music and holds the position of Distinguished Professor of Music at Lehman College, City University of New York, which has established a scholarship in his name; for the past fourteen years he and his partner, the composer-librettist Mark Adamo, have divided their time between Manhattan and Kent Cliffs, New York.