Carl St.Clair, conductor • Ronald Banks, emcee • Dennis Kim, violin • Shunxiang Zhang, jinghu • Emma He, bamboo flute • Ding Ping, soprano Nicholas Preston, tenor • Guan Bo, vocalist • Jack Zhang, vocalist • Yaya Zhang, choreographer • Rongna Su, lead dancer and choreographer Radhanath Thialan, choreographer • Yaya Dance Academy • Chinese Dance Company of Southern California by the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center

American Feel Young Chorus – Sam Wei-Chi Sun, Conductor • Pacific Chorale - Robert Istad, Artistic Director • Kathy Pryzgoda, lighting designer

2020 JAN

l U N A r N e W Y e A r

SPRING FESTIVAL OVERTUREYaya ZhangYaya Dance AcademyChinese Dance Company of Southern California by the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center

1St MOveMeNt FrOM THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS vIOlIN CONCertODennis Kim

LOOK AT ME!!, tHeMe AND vArIAtIONS ON A KOreAN FOlK tUNe (WOrlD PreMIere)Dennis Kim

4tH MOveMeNt FrOM SYMPHONY NO. 7 IN A MAJOr

FLOURISH THE WHIP TO URGE ON THE HORSEEmma He

DO LA JIRongna SuYaya Zhang Jingli Lu, original choreography adapted by Yaya Zhang and Rongna SuYaya Dance AcademyAmerican Feel Young ChorusPacific Chorale

LIBERTY FANFARE

PeKING OPerA MeDleYShunxiang ZhangGuan BoJack ZhangYaya ZhangRadhanath ThialanYaya Dance Academy

“vOI lO SAPete” FrOM CAVALLERIA RUSTICANADing Ping

“reGINA COelI” FrOM CAVALLERIA RUSTICANADing PingAmerican Feel Young ChorusPacific Chorale

“BrINDISI” FrOM LA TRAVIATADing PingNicholas PrestonAmerican Feel Young ChorusPacific Chorale

“GlOrIA All’eGIttO” FrOM AIDAAmerican Feel Young ChorusPacific Chorale

“MY HOMelAND”

“AMerICA tHe BeAUtIFUl” American Feel Young ChorusPacific Chorale

Li

He and Chen

Kim

Beethoven

Wei

YaoArr: Tang

Intermission

Williams

Zhang

Mascagni

Mascagni

Verdi

Verdi

LiuArr. Wang

WardArr. Prechel

This concert is generously sponsored byCharles and ling Zhang.

Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 8 p.m.Segerstrom Center for the ArtsRenée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall

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l U N A r N e W Y e A r

ronalD banKSEmcee

Bass-baritone Ronald M. Banks is pleased to return to Pacific Symphony, having performed as the Percussionator in the Superheroes Family concert and as Grandpa in the Class

Act tribute concert to Leonard Bernstein. Banks has been seen on stages around the world across a 30-year career. A versatile performer, his talents have included work in musical theatre, opera, oratorio, voice-over and in recital. Operatic roles include Rigoletto, Sharpless in Madame Butterfly, Don Pasquale and many others. He has worked with Los Angeles Chamber Singers, La Jolla Symphony, San Diego Symphony and many other chorales and orchestras around the world. Among his solo credits: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Messiah, Ein deutsches Requiem and The Creation. In musical theater, Banks is best known for his portrayal of the King of Siam in The King and I, a role which he has performed more than 500 times, garnering awards and critical acclaim in productions across the nation. Other award-winning roles include King Arthur in Camelot and the title role in Sweeney Todd, for which he received a ReviewPlays.com nomination for Best Performance and a Garland Award Honorable Mention. Banks has been seen in Pacific Overtures, as Peron in Evita, Chao in the Broadway-bound revival of Flower Drum Song, Emile Debecque in South Pacificand recently finished an eight-year run as Jafar in Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular at the Disneyland Resort. Bank’s distinctive speaking voice can be heard as multiple characters in the World of Warcraft and Mortal Kombat video games. He has a passion for music and arts education, having worked in outreach for Los Angeles Opera and San Diego Opera.

Emma hEBamboo fluteEmma is a 7th grade flute player from OCSA. She has been studying flute with Mr. Jim Walker at the Colburn school since she was 8 years old. She started her Chinese bamboo flute lessons at age 4 with her father Mr. Bin He, the conductor of South Coast Chinese Orchestra. She is musically gifted, and was able to master the special “circular breathing” technique in merely five minutes! When she was 9, her YouTube performance video Flight of the Bumblebee received 1.3 million views. Since then she became the example for the band teachers around the world to demonstrate to their students. In 2018, along with her younger sister, the harpist Ella He, she was invited to China for the popular TV show “Prodigy Kids.” Her other performance invitations including “America’s Got Talent” and “Wonderama TV.” Competitively, she placed first to win the Junior group in South Carolina Flute Competition in 2018.ShUnXianG zhanG

JinghuShunxiang Zhang is a well-known jinghu artist, Peking opera composer, a National Class-A Performer in the China National Peking Opera Company and a professor, among other things. Jinghu

is the lead instrument in a Peking opera ensemble. Zhang not only carries forward traditional performance techniques of jinghu, but combines them with elements of other musical instruments into ancient Peking opera music.

Zhang has composed numerous pieces for large-scale galas for CCTV, BTV and other provincial and municipal events. His works include The Imperial Concubine’s Infatuation in Floral Pavilion, Impression of Jinghu, Pu Tian Le and Celebration. He was awarded first prize in the Mass Media Music Competition by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Zhang has cooperated and performed his work with the China National Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra and China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. Zhang was commissioned by the China National Peking Opera Company to compose for the opera Hua Mulan, which was staged in the U.S. in 1998. He has also performed in the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Italy and South Africa.

DEnniS KimViolin

Dennis Kim is the concertmaster of Pacific Symphony. A citizen of the world, Kim was born in Korea, raised in Canada and educated in the United States. He has spent more than a

decade leading orchestras in the United States, Europe and Asia. Most recently,

he was concertmaster of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in New York. He was first appointed concertmaster of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra at the age of 22. He then served as the youngest concertmaster in the history of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, before going on to lead the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra in Finland.

As guest concertmaster, Kim has performed on four continents, leading the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lille, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Montpelier Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Western Australia Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra of Navarra.

DinG PinGSoprano

Ding Ping is a famous mezzo-soprano singer on the international stage, as well as a Wuhan music college vocal music department professor. She studied at Central Music College under

professors Xiang Shen and Jinwei Li. After she graduated, she went to Pittsburgh opera center in the United States and Munich opera training center in Germany for continued education, and obtained the certificate of “Artistic Singer.” Recent awards include the Great Britain’s Grimsby International Singer Competition Grand Prize, Pacific Voice International Vocal Competition Award and the French Turouse International Vocal Music Competition award (second place). Past opera roles include Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Santuza in The Country Knight, Robino in The Marriage Of Figaro, Darilla in Samson Darilla,and mezzo-soprano soloist in the Ratorio Judas Magaby, Messiah and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Orchestras she has performed with include China’s National Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Symphony orchestra, Toulouse Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. She was invited to hold many vocal concerts in many famous theaters, such as Carnegie

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GUan boVocalist

Guan Bo is considered one of the four leaders of the Xun School in Heritage of China on Beijing TV. Awards won include a Special Performance Award, the highest international honor, in

the Japan International Drama Festival in 1992; the Five One Project Award and Flying Goddess Award, the Opera Award-Outstanding Drama Award in the China Opera Festival, First Prize of Outstanding Drama in China’s Peking Opera Art Festival, and more. In 1990, she was invited to participate in the Asian Pacific Festival in the US, giving performances in New York, Washington, San Francisco and Jacksonville, and giving lectures in a private university of Florida. She successfully held the “Love in Chrysanthemum Garden” concert in Beijing’s Poly Theater in 2006. She held concerts in Beijing, Dalian, Yingkou, Weihai, Chishan, Rongcheng and Liaocheng from 2006 to 2016. She planned and directed the large Peking opera symphonic epic musical play Love of Water and Fire and became general director in 2016. She has participated in cultural and artistic exchanges and performances in the U.S., U.K., Vienna, Japan, Greece, Russia, South Africa, Singapore, South Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and other countries and regions. For many years, she has actively joined the Spring Festival galas and large-scale parties held by CCTV, Beijing TV and provincial and municipal TV stations. She has been the judge for various musical events and competitions, and took the lead role of the film “Peach Flower Village.” Her work “Disk of Contemporary Peking Opera Artist” was published by China Record Company.

JaCK zhanG Vocalist

Jack is 10 years old and grew up in a family of artists. In 2015, he participated in the World Wushu Competition held in Hong Kong. He won two gold medals in the world martial arts

competition with his personal elephant punch and collective tiger boxing performance. When he was 5 years old,

amEriCan fEEl yoUnG ChorUSSam Wei-Chih Sun, director

American Feel Young Chorus (AFYC) is a nonprofit organization formed by a group of friends who love music in Southern California. Conducted by Sam Wei-Chih Sun, the group is dedicated to expanding the Chinese and Western choral music experience through performances and community. Their mission is to become the leader in amateur chorus in the U.S. by building a passionate team with artistic excellence and reputable image. AFYC has performed on various occasions including Orange County Chinese New Year celebrations, the Yellow River Cantata in Walt Disney Hall as part of the Memorial of World War II Victory Concert, in addition to local concerts led by renowned conductors from China, including Jiao Miao and Li Xi Lin. AFYC has been growing rapidly and evolving into a well-known chorus in the Chinese-American community in Southern California. With the generous support from Charles Zhang (founder of Pick Up Stix and Zion Enterprise, Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and recipient of the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor), the chairman of the Board of Directors, AFYC is committed to becoming the best amateur chorus in the U.S. by nurturing excellence in its members, while offering the finest repertoire and choral artistry.

niCholaS PrEStonTenor

Praised by The Orange County Register as being “resonant and warm” and by the classical music site Bachtrack as “a ringing stentorian tenor,” Hawaii native Nicholas Preston

is in demand as a soloist in Southern California and beyond, having performed throughout California and touring as a soloist in France, Italy and Spain. He has been a member of Pacific Chorale since 2002 and has frequently appeared as a soloist with the ensemble. Preston has also performed as a soloist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Claremont Chorale, Santa Maria Philharmonic Society, Cypress Masterworks Chorale and The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. He has worked under the batons of John Alexander, Carl St. Clair, Keith Lockhart, John Williams, Nicholas McGegan, Kent Nagano, John Mauceri, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Grant Gershon and Gustavo Dudamel. Preston’s solo appearances include Mendelssohn’sElijah, Horatio Parker’s Hora Novissima, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9, Bach’s B Minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Judas Maccabeus and Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. In December 2014 he appeared as a soloist with Pacific Symphony in their production of Handel’s Messiah, and in May 2015, he performed as the soloist in Herbert Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi with Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony. Preston was featured in the world premiere Philip Glass’ The Passion of Ramakrishna, which was commissioned for the grand opening of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and premiered by Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony under the direction of Carl St.Clair in 2006. In April 2018, he reprised the same role at his debut in Carnegie Hall.

Hall, Davis Hall, Kodak Theatre and Disney Concert Hall. Her voice has been praised by BBC international media as the “velvet tone, unforgettable charm mezzo-soprano!”

he participated in the Spring Festival Gala show of CCTV and showed the playing skills of the piano and Jinghu. In 2016, he participated in the recording of the CCTV drama section “Family with Little Fans.” The songs he performed included “Chinese Kung Fu” and “The White Haired Girl.” In 2018, his father created the Peking Opera version of Jasmine Flower (Mo Li Hua) and Charm of Peking Opera. In this performance, he played the Ching-hu and sang, with great success. That same year, he participated in the program Special Group on CCTV. CCTV recorded the original Peking Opera Jasmine Flower. In 2019, he participated in the Pacific Symphony’s Lunar New Year.

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Sam WEi-Chih SUnDirector of American Feel Young Chorus

Sam Wei-Chih Sun is a pianist, accompanist and music educator. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother at age 6, when he started playing the piano. He attended the Taipei Municipal

Teachers College and majored in piano performance and minored in cello and vocal performance. After graduation, Sun became an elementary school music teacher in Taipei and held many musical activities to inspire students’ interests in music. In 2005, Sun received a master’s degree in conducting from Azusa Pacific University. He is an adjunct professor of piano at Azusa Pacific University, Citrus Community College and Calvin Chao Theological Seminary. He is also the music director at Good Shepherd Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Monterey Park, and conducts the Southern California Taiwanese Hakka Chorus, the Arcadia Chinese Chorus and the Irvine Chinese Chorus.

yaya zhanGArtistic Director of Yaya Dance Academy

Yaya Zhang is an accomplished multidisciplinary artist with 20 years of experience in stage performance, choreography, musical theatre and the creation of

contemporary art. In 2014, she established Yaya Dance Academy, which is focused on bringing Chinese dance arts to the United States. During these years, her students have participated and won many awards in several national and international dance competitions. In 2014, New Drum Rhythms, the dance produced in her academy won the “All-Star” honor at China Central Television Dance World. In 2015, as an independent artist, she created and performed her contemporary work Gravidat the LATC Dance Festival. In 2018, Yaya Zhang became a founding member of International Music and Dance Festival, and worked together with Claire Trevor School of the Arts of UCI on an east-west cultural exchange project called East Meets West. In 2016, she debuts as a director for “Love Feast,” a spring festival gala for the Lunar New Year. She directed “Love Feast” in cooperation with Pacific Symphony

raDhanath thialanChoreographer

Originally from Malaysia, Radhanath Thialan (Rad) has been dancing all around the world since he was 10. He studied dance at Dua Space Dance Theatre Academy and studied with Anthony

Meh, Aman Yap, Gan Yee Fen and Yap Pui Mun. Rad graduated with honors and outstanding choreographer award at the University of California, Irvine, earning a bachelor’s degree in choreography, he also earned the highest honors award at Scottsdale Community College with three associates degrees in two years where he danced and toured with Instinct Dance Corps. Currently, he is pursuing his master’s degree in dance at University of California, Irvine. Rad is currently doing his internship at Yaya Dance Academy and works closely with Yaya Zhang where he not only teaches and does production projects, but has the opportunity to perform and choreograph for “Love Feast.” He is also the founder/artistic director for Rad-icalDance Company, which not only holds stage performances but also dance films. His works was awarded and premiered in Arizona, Malaysia and Canada, while some stage performances were premiered in California, Malaysia and even Shanghai.

ronGna SU Dancer

Rongna Su is a master of dance education and a teacher of dance at the School of China and Central Nationalities University. She is a member of Chinese Ethnic Dancers Association, a

member of China Education Association and secretary general of the Beijing Daur National Education Promotion Association. She was the main character and/or lead dancer in works such as the large-scale ethnic song and dance drama Yushu Will Not Forget, the dance poem “Tianbian” and the second section of the opening ceremony of the Xinjiang International Folk Dance Arts Festival,

Orchestra at Segerstrom Center for the Arts since, and was hailed by critics from media including The Los Angeles Times.

which included the Kazakh dance “Black Walking Horse” and the Mongolian group dance “Donggui Heroes.” She received the Five-One Project Excellence award for the Ninth Spiritual Civilization Construction in Qinghai Province; the executive award for the Korea International Dance Competition in Seoul; the Silver award at the Golden Swallow Cup at the International Mongolian Dance Competition in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; first prize at the performance of the seventh Dance Competition Professional Group in the five provinces of North China; the Performance Gold award at the eighth Tao Li Cup Dancing Competition; third prize at fourth CCTV Dance Competition in Group Dance Performance; “The Newcomer of the Mainland” in the fourth International Short Dance Competition; the first prize of composing and the first prize of Acting in the fifth Dance Competition of 5 Provinces of North China; and second prize at the eighth Dance in Beijing in Professional Group Performance. She has published three textbooks and was invited to give a lecture on Mongolian dance culture on CCTV’s Dance World program and at the China National Grand Theater. She has traveled to Denmark, France, South Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan and Hong Kong on numerous occasions to participate in cultural exchange performances.

robErt iStaDArtistic Director of Pacific Chorale

Robert Istad is the artistic director of Pacific Chorale and director of choral studies at California State University, Fullerton, where he conducts the University Singers and Concert

Choir, in addition to teaching courses in conducting, advanced interpretation and literature. He has prepared choruses for Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carl St.Clair and Pacific Symphony, Sir Andrew Davis and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Nicholas McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, as well as conductors Bramwell Tovey, Eric Whitacre, Giancarlo Guerrero, Marin Alsop, George Fenton, John Alexander, William Dehning, David Lockington and Mark Mandarano. Istad received his doctor of musical arts degree in choral music at the University of Southern California.

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tHANK YOU tO OUr SPONSOrS: CHArleS AND lING ZHANG

Pacific Symphony is grateful to Charles and Ling Zhang for their generous sponsorship of the Lunar New Year Gala dinner and concert. Charles is a true example of someone who has achieved the American Dream: coming to the U.S. in 1980, diligently working hard to become a highly successful entrepreneur and business owner, and bountifully giving back to his community. Charles is an esteemed Pacific Symphony

Board member, and both he and Ling are subscribers and high-level donors. Recently the Zhangs were honored as Philanthropists of the Year on National Philanthropy Day of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in Orange County. Charles was honored as an Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipient and was integral in presenting the Symphony’sconcert “Ellis Island: The Dream of America” by Peter Boyer, which was later broadcast on PBS’ Great

Performances. Last season the Zhangs generously sponsored the PacificSymphony Tour to China. Charles and Ling have sponsored the Zhang Challenge, an annual matching gift program, which has successfully inspired many others to support the orchestra. We are tremendously indebted to Charles and Ling and extend our sincerest gratitude for all their many contributions to Pacific Symphony.

HAPPY YEAR OF THE RAT!

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Founded in 1968, the Pacific Chorale is internationally recognized for its exceptional artistic expression; stimulating, American-focused programming; and influential education programs. The chorale presents a season at Segerstrom Center for the Arts and performs regularly with the nation’s leading symphonies. It has infused an Old-World art form with California’s innovation and cultural independence, developing innovative new concepts in programming, and expanding the traditional concepts of choral repertoire and performance. The Pacific Chorale comprises 140 professional and volunteer singers.

In addition to its longstanding partnership with Pacific Symphony, the Chorale has performed with such renowned American ensembles as

the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. Other collaborations within the Southern California community include performances with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Long Beach, Pasadena and Riverside symphonies. The Chorale has toured extensively in Europe, South America and Asia, and has collaborated with the London Symphony Orchestra, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Lamoureux, Orchestre de Saint-Louis-en-l’Île, National Orchestra of Belgium, China National Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Argentine National Symphony Orchestra. The Pacific Chorale can be

heard on numerous recordings, including American Voices, a collection of American choral works; Songs of Eternity by James Hopkins and Voices by Stephen Paulus, featuring Pacific Symphony; Christmas Time Is Here; a live recording of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers; the world premiere recording of Frank Ticheli’s The Shore for chorus and orchestra; and the world premiere recording of Jake Heggie’s choral opera The Radio Hour. The chorale also appears on six recordings released by Pacific Symphony: Elliot Goldenthal’s Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio, Richard Danielpour’s An American Requiem andToward a Season of Peace, Philip Glass’ The Passion of Ramakrishna, Michael Daugherty’s Mount Rushmore and William Bolcom’s Prometheus with pianist Jeffrey Biegel—all conducted by Carl St.Clair.

PaCifiC ChoralE

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P A C I F I C C H O r A l e

SOPR ANO Rebecca Hasquet

Section Leader

Erika Jackson Rita Major Memorial Chair

Lauren AdaskaL. Natalie BuickiansChelsea ChavesAnastasia GlasheenHannah KimKathryn LillichSarah LonsertKatie MartiniAnne McClinticShannon A. MillerMelanie PedroKathryn PittsJacqueline Taylor

ALTO

Jane Hyunjung Shim Section Leader

Mindy Ella ChuDenean R. DysonI-Chin FeinblattAnne HenleyJeanette MoonPat NewtonKathleen PrestonKaleigh SchiroGrace Khang-Minhae ShenAlison D. StickleyEmily WeinbergSarah Widder

T ENOR Nicholas Preston Section Leader & Roger W. Johnson Memorial Chair

Craig S. Kistler Singers Memorial Chair

Daniel AlvarezDaniel Coy BabcockNate BrownChristopher BrushDavid BunkerSaunder ChoiDavid EveredAlan GarciaJohnny G. GonzalesSteven M. HoffmanJeff MorrisSammy SalvadorW. Faulkner White

BASS

Jason Pano Acting Section Leader

Tom Henley Singers Memorial Chair

Mac BrightLouis FerlandMark HamiltonJared Daniel JonesJackson McDonaldEmmanuel MirandaRaphael Meng Kian PoonGeorge ReissJoshua StevensTanner Wilson

Robert Istad ArtIStIC DIreCtOr & CONDUCtOr

John Alexander ArtIStIC DIreCtOr eMerItUS

Nate Widelitz ASSIStANt CONDUCtOr & CHOrUSMASter

Andrew Brown PreSIDeNt & CeO

Thomas A. PridonoffBOArD CHAIr

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Megan ChuKately HuSkyla Jin

Alina ZhangAmanda ChengAmber ZhengAnna JiangAnnabella ChouApple ZhouBella ChenBianca DongCatherine Yin

Charlotte HuangCheryl KuXinlei ZengClaire ChengDemi YanHailey ChanXinTong HanJoann LeeDanae Gao

Kathy LiMeggie HuangMichelle ChangNina BaiNorah ChengRachel JiangSiqi WangFan GaoYilin Wang

A M e r I C A N F e e l Y O U N G C H O r U S

F IR ST SOPR ANO

Bing Betty SunJenny DuKaren XieNan DingSharon ShaoShiu Ling LiaoWei WangWen Yu ConklinXiaoqing XieYedda ZhangMo Cheng

F I R ST ALTOS

Amy GuoAnnie Tan ShanHeather HuKrystal YanLihua HaoLin PuLinda DuShirong WangTheresa LiuWei Jing

SECOND ALTOS

Aidong JiangJun WangSharon YangSherry LundstedtShirley Chen HungXiaowen Dai

F I R ST T ENOR S

Adam LinGuoxian SunXueyuan Yang OwenWei Xia

SECOND T ENOR S

Xianhong Yang

BARI TONES

David LoDaxing Li

Sam Wei-Chih SunDIreCtOr

SE C ON D SOPR AN O

Amy WengHanne XianHao YuJessics HuangKatherine ChenLi PengLishia WangLisa HuangSarah LiuShiping JiangWendy WenXuhong LiYanhua Li

C H I N e S e D A N C e C O M P A N Y O F S O U t H e r N C A l I F O r N I A B Y t H e S O U t H C O A S t C H I N e S e C U l t U r A l C e N t e r

Y A Y A D A N C e A C A D e M Y

Phoebe LinAbby MaAngel Shen

Katherine Tran Julie WeiChristy Yip

Annie Yu Jingyue Zhang

Jenny wangZoe ChenStacy LiuGillian JiangIris E. LiuLexie HsiehKaitlyn ZhangKhloe ZhangShengyu Mei

Yaya ZhangDIreCtOr

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The 2019-20 season marks Music Director Carl St.Clair’s 30th year leading Pacific Symphony. He is one of the longest-tenured conductors of the major American orchestras. St.Clair’s lengthy history solidifies the strong relationship he has forged with the musicians and the community. His continuing role also lends stability to the organization and continuity to his vision for the Symphony’s future. Few orchestras can claim such rapid artistic development as Pacific Symphony—the largest-budgeted orchestra formed in the United States in the last 50 years, which was recently elevated to the status of a Tier 1 orchestra by the League of American Orchestras—due in large part to St.Clair’s leadership. During his tenure, St.Clair has become widely recognized for his musically distinguished performances, his commitment to building outstanding educational programs and his innovative approaches to programming. In April 2018, St.Clair led Pacific Symphony in its sold-out Carnegie Hall debut, as the finale to the Carnegie’s yearlong celebration of pre-eminent composer Philip Glass’ 80th birthday, ending in a standing ovation, with The New York Times calling the Symphony “a major ensemble!” He led Pacific Symphony on its first tour to China in May 2018, the orchestra’s first international tour since touring Europe in 2006. The orchestra made its national PBS debut in June 2018 on Great Performances with Peter Boyer’s “Ellis Island: The Dream of America,” conducted by St.Clair. Among St.Clair’s many creative endeavors are the highly acclaimed American Composers Festival, which began in 2000; and the

opera initiative, “Symphonic Voices,” which continues for the ninth season in 2019-20 with Verdi’s Othello, following the concert-opera productions of Madame Butterfly, The Magic Flute, Aida, Turandot, Carmen, La Traviata, Tosca and La Bohème in previous seasons. St.Clair’s commitment to the development and performance of new works by composers is evident in the wealth of commissions and recordings by the Symphony. The 2016-17 season featured commissions by pianist/composer Conrad Tao and composer-in-residence Narong Prangcharoen, a follow-up to the recent slate of recordings of works commissioned and performed by the Symphony in recent years. These include William Bolcom’s Songs of Lorca and Prometheus (2015-16), Elliot Goldenthal’s Symphony in G-sharp Minor (2014-15), Richard Danielpour’s Toward a Season of Peace (2013-14), Philip Glass’ The Passion of Ramakrishna (2012-13), and Michael Daugherty’s Mount Rushmore and The Gospel According to Sister Aimee (2012-13). St.Clair has led the orchestra in other critically acclaimed albums including two piano concertos of Lukas Foss; Danielpour’s An American Requiem and Goldenthal’s Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Other commissioned composers include James Newton Howard, Zhou Long, Tobias Picker, Frank Ticheli, Chen Yi, Curt Cacioppo, Stephen Scott, Jim Self (Pacific Symphony’s principal tubist) and Christopher Theofanidis. In 2006-07, St.Clair led the orchestra’s historic move into its home in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The move came on the heels of the landmark 2005-06 season that included St.Clair leading the Symphony on its first European tour—nine

cities in three countries playing before capacity houses and receiving extraordinary responses and reviews. From 2008-10, St.Clair was general music director for the Komische Oper in Berlin. He also served as general music director and chief conductor of the German National Theater and Staatskapelle (GNTS) in Weimar, Germany, where he led Wagner’s Ring Cycle to critical acclaim. He was the first non-European to hold his position at the GNTS; the role also gave him the distinction of simultaneously leading one of the newest orchestras in America and one of the oldest in Europe. In 2014, St.Clair became the music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Costa Rica. His international career also has him conducting abroad several months a year, and he has appeared with orchestras throughout the world. He was the principal guest conductor of the Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart from 1998-2004, where he completed a three-year recording project of the Villa–Lobos symphonies. He has also appeared with orchestras in Israel, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South America, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and summer festivals worldwide. In North America, St.Clair has led the Boston Symphony Orchestra (where he served as assistant conductor for several years), New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver symphonies, among many. Carl St.Clair is a strong advocate of music education for all ages, and is internationally recognized for his distinguished career as a master teacher. He has been essential to the creation and implementation of the Symphony’s education and community engagement programs including Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles, Heartstrings, Sunday Matinées, OC Can You Play With Us?, arts-X-press and Class Act. In addition to his professional conducting career, St.Clair has worked with most major music schools across the country. In 2018, Chapman University President Danielle Struppa appointed St.Clair as a presidential fellow, working closely with the students of the College of the Performing Arts. St.Clair has been named “Distinguished Alumni in Residence” at the University of Texas Butler School of Music beginning 2019. And, for over over 25 years, he has had a continuing relationship with the USC Thornton School where he is artistic leader and principal conductor of the orchestral program.

Carl St.Clair

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Pacific Symphony, led by Music Director Carl St.Clair for the last 30 years, has been the resident orchestra of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for over a decade. Currently in its 41st season, the Symphony is the largest orchestra formed in the U.S. in the last 50 years and is recognized as an outstanding ensemble making strides on both the national and international scene, as well as in its own community of Orange County. In April 2018, Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall as one of two orchestras invited to perform during a yearlong celebration of composer Philip Glass’ 80th birthday, and the following month the orchestra toured China. The orchestra made its national PBS debut in June 2018 on Great Performances with Peter Boyer’s “Ellis Island: The Dream of America,” conducted by St.Clair. Presenting more than 100 concerts and events a year and a rich array of education and community engagement programs, the Symphony reaches more than 300,000 residents—from school children to senior citizens.

The Symphony offers repertoire ranging from the great orchestral masterworks to music from today’s most prominent composers. Nine seasons ago, the Symphony launched the highly successful opera initiative, “Symphonic Voices,” which continues in April 2020 with Verdi’s Otello. It also offers a popular Pops season, enhanced by state-of-the-art video and sound, led by Principal Pops Conductor Richard Kaufman. Each Symphony season also includes Café Ludwig, a chamber music series; an educational Family Musical Mornings series; and Sunday Matinées, an orchestral matinée series offering rich explorations of selected works led by St.Clair.

Founded in 1978 as a collaboration between California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and North Orange County community leaders led by Marcy Mulville, the Symphony performed its first concerts at Fullerton’s Plummer Auditorium as the Pacific Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of then-CSUF orchestra conductor Keith Clark. Two seasons later, the Symphony expanded its size and changed its name to Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Then in 1981-82, the orchestra moved to Knott’s Berry Farm for one year. The subsequent four seasons, led by Clark, took place at Santa Ana High School auditorium where the Symphony also made its first six acclaimed recordings. In September 1986, the Symphony moved to the new Orange County Performing Arts Center, and from 1987-2016, the orchestra additionally presented a Summer Festival at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. In 2006, the Symphony moved into the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, with striking architecture by Cesar Pelli and acoustics by Russell Johnson—and in 2008, inaugurated the Hall’s critically acclaimed 4,322-pipe William J. Gillespie Concert Organ. The orchestra embarked on its first European tour in 2006, performing in nine cities in three countries.

The 2016-17 season continued St.Clair’s commitment to new music with commissions by pianist/composer Conrad Tao and former composer-in-residence Narong Prangcharoen. Recordings commissioned and performed by the Symphony include the release of William Bolcom’s Songs of Lorca and Prometheusin 2015-16, Richard Danielpour’s Toward a Season of Peace and Philip Glass’ The Passion of Ramakrishna in 2013-14; and Michael Daugherty’s Mount Rushmore

and The Gospel According to Sister Aimee in 2012-13. In 2014-15, Elliot Goldenthal released a recording of his Symphony in G-sharp Minor, written for and performed by the Symphony. The Symphony has also commissioned and recorded An American Requiem by Danielpour and Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio by Goldenthal featuring Yo-Yo Ma. Other recordings have included collaborations with such composers as Lukas Foss and Toru Takemitsu. Other leading composers commissioned by the Symphony include Paul Chihara, Daniel Catán, James Newton Howard, William Kraft, Ana Lara, Tobias Picker, Christopher Theofanidis, Frank Ticheli and Chen Yi.

In both 2005 and 2010, the Symphony received the prestigious ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Also in 2010, a study by the League of American Orchestras, “Fearless Journeys,” included the Symphony as one of the country’s five most innovative orchestras. The Symphony’s award-winning education and community engagement programs benefit from the vision of St.Clair and are designed to integrate the orchestra and its music into the community in ways that stimulate all ages. The Symphony’s Class Act program has been honored as one of nine exemplary orchestra education programs by the National Endowment for the Arts and the League of American Orchestras. The list of instrumental training initiatives includes Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble and Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings. The Symphony also spreads the joy of music through arts-X-press, Class Act, Heartstrings, OC Can You Play With Us?, Santa Ana Strings, Strings for Generations and Symphony in the Cities.

PaCifiC SymPhony

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Carl St.Clair • Music DirectorWilliam J. Gillespie Music Director Chair

Richard Kaufman • Principal Pops ConductorHal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation Principal Pops Conductor Chair

Roger Kalia • Associate ConductorMary E. Moore Family Assistant Conductor Chair

F IR ST V IOL IN

Dennis KimConcertmaster; Eleanor and Michael Gordon Chair

Paul Manaster Associate Concertmaster

Jeanne Skrocki Assistant Concertmaster; Arlene and Seymour Grubman Chair

Nancy Coade EldridgeChristine Frank Kimiyo TakeyaAyako SugayaAnn Shiau TenneyJoanna LeeRobert SchumitzkyAgnes GottschewskiDana FreemanAngel LiuJulie Ahn

SECOND V IOL IN

Bridget Dolkas*Elizabeth and John Stahr Chair

Jennise Hwang**Yen Ping LaiYu-Tong SharpAko KojianLinda OwenSooah KimMarlaJoy WeisshaarAlice Miller-WrateShelly ShiHanbyul Jang

VIOL A

Meredith Crawford*Catherine and James Emmi Chair

Joshua Newburger**Carolyn RileyJohn AcevedoAdam NeeleyJulia StaudhammerJoseph Wen-Xiang ZhangCheryl GatesMargaret Henken

C E LLO

Warren Hagerty* Catherine and James Emmi Chair

Kevin Plunkett**John AcostaRobert VosLázló MezöIan McKinnellM. Andrew HoneaJennifer GossRudolph Stein

BASS

Michael Franz* Douglas Basye**Christian KollgaardDavid Parmeter+Paul ZibitsDavid BlackAndrew BumatayConstance Deeter

FLUTE

Benjamin Smolen*Valerie and Hans Imhof Chair

Sharon O’ConnorCynthia Ellis

PI CCOLO

Cynthia Ellis

OBOE

Jessica Pearlman Fields*Suzanne R. Chonette Chair

Ted Sugata

ENGLI SH HORN

Lelie Resnick

CL ARI NET

Joseph Morris*The Hanson Family Foundation Chair

David Chang

BASS CL ARI NET

Joshua Ranz

BASSOON

Rose Corrigan*Elliott MoreauAndrew KleinAllen Savedoff

CONT R ABASSOON

Allen Savedoff

F RENCH HORN

Keith Popejoy*Adedeji OgunfoluKaylet Torrez**Elyse Lauzon

T RUMPET

Barry Perkins*Susie and Steve Perry Chair

Tony EllisDavid Wailes

T ROMBONE

Michael Hoffman*David Stetson

BASS T ROMBONE

Kyle Mendiguchia

TUBA

James Self*

T I MPANI

Todd Miller*

PERCUSSI ON

Robert A. Slack*

HARP

Mindy Ball*Michelle Temple

DI RECTOR OF ORCHESTR A PER SONNEL

Craig Hahn

LI BR ARI AN

Brent Anderson

DI RECTOR OF PRODUCTION

Will Hunter

DI RECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA OPER AT I ONS

William Pruett

P A C I F I C S Y M P H O N Y

* Principal** Assistant Principal† On Leave

The musicians of Pacific Symphony are members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 7.

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