Anchorage Symphony Announces Opening Night Set For This Month

While the last 18 months found the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra losing its popular and long-standing Music Director Randy Fleischer and performing in two very unconventional seasons - one entirely virtually with more than 115 produced films and the next with half-filled halls due to COVID surges, the nimble and resilient Anchorage Symphony open their 77th season with some well-deserved bright spots!

Last April the Orchestra announced they suspended their search for a new Music Director because over the course of last season, the musicians, board, staff, and patrons had grown fond of acting Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Elizabeth Schulze, had recognized the impact she had made on the Orchestra and believed she was a good fit for the organization. At their Season Finale, the ASO announced that Elizabeth accepted the position as the ASO's new Music Director.

On September 24th, Elizabeth takes the podium for her first Classic Concert with the orchestra in her new role and has programmed it as her musical introduction to the community. She opens this celebratory concert beginning with a work from her mentor, Leonard Bernstein; introduces Anchorage audiences to Mary D. Watkins' remarkable composition Five Movements in Color; presents violin powerhouse Bella Hristova performing Korngold's Violin Concerto in D Major; and closes with Dvořák's inspirational Symphony No. 9, "From the New World."

While attending the Tanglewood Music Center Fellowship Program and studying under Leonard Bernstein, Elizabeth met fellow conducting student Randy Fleischer. This meeting turned into a long-lasting, deep friendship. With this dual connection in mind, Elizabeth programmed Bernstein's Overture to Candide.

Leonard Bernstein was a composer, conductor, educator, and humanitarian who became an iconic figure in American cultural history. Regarded as the first great American conductor, he was a key figure in making symphonic orchestras relevant. He also sparked the interest of new generations through his televised and popular "Young People's Concerts."

Bernstein served as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from 1958 to 1969 and conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 30 seasons. As conducting professor at Tanglewood, he also helped mold a generation of conductors, including two ASO Music Directors - Randy and Elizabeth.

Anchorage audiences may remember the April 2018 joint ASO and Anchorage Opera production of Bernstein's Candide. Based on the novella by Voltaire, this fast-paced, funny, and satirical operetta finds its main character setting off with friends to find the true meaning of life. Their escapades along the way include getting lost, war, mistaken identity, kidnapping, murder, and a shipwreck, yet they never give up. The overture to this wacky operetta highlights Bernstein's splendid score and audience favorites like "Glitter and Be Gay."

Elizabeth commented on the upcoming season, "You will find a female composer programmed on every concert, which was unintentional. Still, I am thrilled to introduce you to some of these brilliant voices who deserve to be heard." The first of those new voices is the ASO premiere of two movements from Mary D. Watkins' Five Movements in Color. The ASO is performing movements Once Upon a Time and Soul of Remembrance. A prolific composer, Watkins has written three operas, pieces for full symphony, chamber ensembles, jazz ensembles, and film scores. Her resume also lists her accomplishments as an arranger, record producer, performer (pianist since the age of 4), and teacher.

Watkins' Five Movements in Color was commissioned by the Camellia Orchestra (Sacramento, CA) as part of Black History Month. She describes the piece as "a statement about the African-American experience." Watkins describes the movement Once Upon a Time as opening with "African drums, then the strings begin to tell a story that moves from peaceful to active to violent." When discussing the movement Soul of Remembrance, she says, "A melody floats over a march. I saw my own people in their long march to fully express themselves as fully human. It's bittersweet and nostalgic, a song of sorrow and a song of hope."

Another new presence on the Atwood Stage is award-winning violinist Bella Hristova. Described by the Washington Post as "a player of impressive power and control," Hristova has graced stages around the globe. Recently she performed throughout the US, Canada, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and New Zealand. Hristova is also a passionate proponent of new music and composers. She commissioned iconic American composer Joan Tower to write Second String Force for Unaccompanied Violin, which she premiered and performed throughout the US. Her husband, acclaimed composer, David Serkin Ludwig, was commissioned to write a violin concerto for her, which she continues to perform.

Hristova lives in Philadelphia with her husband and their beloved cats (one of which has his own Instagram page). She performs on a 1655 Nicolò Amati violin. On September 24th, she will join the ASO for Korngold's Violin Concerto in D Major, the piece that made him "more than just a film composer."

Erich Korngold was an accomplished film composer who wanted to break out of Hollywood and write symphonic works. When World War II began, Korngold knew he needed the steady income film composing provided, so he committed to writing film scores until Hitler was defeated. After WW II, he returned to his dream and retired from films to concentrate on music for the concert hall. His Violin Concerto was the first such work. At that time, many believed that a successful film composer wasn't a "real" composer but rather one who "sold his soul" to Hollywood. This ding to his professional reputation made Korngold determined to prove himself with a work that combined vitality and superb craftsmanship.
Korngold dedicated his Violin Concerto to Alma Mahler, the widow of his childhood mentor Gustav Mahler. The St Louis Symphony conducted by Vladimir Golschmann premiered the concerto in 1947 performing with Jascha Heifetz. The audience ovation was reported as the most enthusiastic in St. Louis concert history. Heifetz's performance quickly made it Korngold's most famous piece. However, Korngold's association with Hollywood film music has obscured his other work and his legacy as a composer.

Elizabeth comments, "This evening of introduction ends with Dvořák's Symphony No.9 "From the New World," one of my favorites of his. Dvořák is a special figure for me and my family. My Great Uncle played the cello and performed under Maestro Dvořák's baton several times." Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic while he was the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America, Dvořák's ninth symphony has been popular since its first performance over 125 years ago. At the premiere, the audience broke out in thunderous applause - between each movement. Today it is considered one of the greatest triumphs of his career and is listed among the most popular symphonies of all time. Neil Armstrong even took a recording of it to the Moon with him on his Apollo 11 mission. It doesn't get more epic than that!

Tickets for the ASO's Opening Night are available to attend in-person or experience the multi-camera, high-definition livestream.

Anchorage Symphony's Opening Night, Saturday, September 24, 2022, (7:30pm) in the Atwood Concert Hall, Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Infrared headphones for the hearing impaired are available concert night from the House Manager on the Orchestra Level. Tickets: Adult, $52-$27; Youth, $24.75-$12.50; Senior, $46.50-$24.50; Streaming Only $39 (prices include all surcharges and fees). Military, student and group discounts available. To purchase tickets, go to www.centertix.com or call 263-ARTS (2787), toll free at 1-877-ARTS- TIX.

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