Conducting graduate students Fengjin Cui and Ryan Urato perform a master’s degree recital with an orchestra of SMTD and local musicians. PROGRAM Symphony No. 4, Brahms *Firebird Suite* (1919), Stravinsky

The Symphony Band Chamber Winds presents an eclectic collection of 20th and 21st century music for a diverse array of wind, brass and percussion instruments. From new music by Rubén Gómez, Stephen Elsinger, and Kevin Day to mid-century classics by Francis Poulenc and Robert Washburn, this program explores the wide variety of musical colors offered by the instruments of the Symphony Band. Conducted by members of the graduate band conducting studio. PROGRAM *Concertino*, Robert Washburn *Portraits of Whimsy*, Stephen Elsinger *Siempre Hay Primera Vez*, Rubén Darío Gómez *Suite française*, Francis Poulenc *Symphony Basquiat*, Kevin Day

This lecture begins at 7:15 pm before the 8:00 pm USO performance. ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

Are our life-journeys predetermined by the unstoppable forces of fate or can we shape our own destiny? Two of the most beloved pieces in all of orchestra music seem to provide two contrasting answers. The striking overture to Verdi’s *La Forza del Destino* (The Force of Destiny), portrays a dark account of human struggle against circumstances and fate. Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony tells a different story during a dramatic journey that overcomes its fate motive, culminating in a magnificent and uplifting anthem of human triumph. Hailed by the *New York Times* as “a brilliant soloist,” U-M faculty member Fabiola Kim, is featured in the world premiere of the Violin Concerto by Quinn Mason, the 7th commission of the Michigan Orchestra Repertoire for Equity (MORE) initiative, founded in 2020 by USO Music Director Kenneth Kiesler. Kenneth Kiesler, conductor Fabiola Kim, violin (Mason) PROGRAM Overture to *La forza del destino* Giuseppe Verdi Violin Concerto (world premiere) Quinn Mason Symphony No. 5 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Concert Duration: 1 hour and 40 minutes ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

The Department of Winds & Percussion hosts a guest recital by James Box, trombone, joined by Liz Ames, piano. Mr. Box is Principal Trombonist of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

A symphonic journey from the Shire to Mordor. Journey to Middle-earth as the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra brings Howard Shore’s unforgettable *Lord of the Rings* soundtrack to life at Hill Auditorium along with mezzo-soprano Kaitlyn Lusk and the U-M Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs. The score for *The Lord of the Rings* film trilogy has been hailed as some of the greatest film music ever written. Sweeping in scope, it is a musical interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth — an operatic tapestry of cultures, histories, languages and people. *Please note this performance does not include film projections.* Kaitlyn Lusk, soprano U-M Men’s Glee Club, chorus U-M Women’s Glee Club, chorus Robert Boardman, guest conductor

The Department of Piano presents a recital by guest artist Kotaro Fukuma. PROGRAM Bach – Kempff : Sicilienne BWV 1031 Bach – Hess : Choral « Jésus, que ma joie demeure » BWV 147 Mozart – Fukuma : Eine kleine Nachtmusik K.525 Schubert – Liszt : Ständchen, Auf dem Wasser zu singen Paganini – Liszt : La Campanella - *Intermission* - Wagner – Fukuma : Overture from “Tristan und Isolde” Wagner – Liszt : Isoldes Liebestod from “Tristan und Isolde” Debussy – Borowick : Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Ponchielli – Vleminckx - Ore : Danza delle Ore ABOUT THE GUEST ARTIST Born in Tokyo, KOTARO FUKUMA began learning piano at the age of five and has received many high awards in international competitions. At the age of 20, Kotaro won both First Prize and the Chopin Prize at the 15th Cleveland International Piano Competition. Since then his concert career has developed in over 35 countries on five continents. Kotaro has performed in major concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Konzerthaus, Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, Salle Gaveau, Victoria Hall, Auditorio Nacional de Madrid, Beijing Forbidden City Concert Hall and Tokyo Suntory Hall. His performances with orchestras include the Cleveland Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic, Tonkünstler Orchestra, Lille National Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic and NHK Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of such conductors as Yuri Simonov, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, François-Xavier Roth, Dmitry Liss, Juanjo Mena, Asher Fisch, Hannu Lintu, Mihhail Gerts and Kazuki Yamada. In 2016, with 24h-notice he stepped in for Nelson Freire to perform Brahms‘ Piano concerto No.2 with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse under Tugan Sokhiev. Kotaro Fukuma has released 21 commercial CDs and has received critical acclaim in Gramophone, Diapason, American Music Records, Monde de la Musique, Classica, Piano News, BR Klassik, Classic Today, etc. His album *Fantasy – Scriabin & Rachmaninoff* (Naxos) was nominated for the International Classical Music Award 2024. He studied music at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris with B. Rigutto and M. F. Bucquet, then at the Universität der Künste Berlin with K. Hellwig and at the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy. He also studied with several great masters of the piano, including L. Fleisher, M. Uchida, R. Goode, A. de Larrocha, M. J. Pires and A. Ciccolini. Since July 2020 he has also been producing a concert series “Rare Piano Music”, in which he presents colleague pianists and rare piano repertoire. Kotaro Fukuma currently lives between Berlin, Leiden and Tokyo. www.kotarofukuma.com

Come join the Michigan Bands for their annual extravaganza, Band-O-Rama! Featuring the Concert Band, Symphony Band, and the Michigan Marching Band, this lively and entertaining show celebrates the history and legendary musicianship of Michigan's storied band programs. This year's concert also pays tribute to the 250th anniversary of the United States with a wide spectrum of music by some of America's greatest composers. Conducted by Jason Fettig, Courtney Snyder, John Pasquale, and Richard Frey Student tickets are not available for this performance. Recommended Ages: 3+ PROGRAM Concert Band: *Liberty Fanfare*, John Williams, arr. James Curnow *American Salute*, Morton Gould *M Rhapsody*, traditional, Floyd Werle Symphony Band: *Fanfare, Hymn and Finale*, Peter Boyer *Dona Nobis Pacem for Wind Ensemble*, Michael Daugherty *Sesquicentennial Exposition March*, John Philip Sousa *Mambo* from *West Side Story*, Leonard Bernstein, arr. Paul Lavender *Victors Valiant*, Jerry Bilik U-M Marching Band: *Classic Repertoire - TBA* ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

This lecture begins at 7:15 pm before the 8:00 pm Symphony Band performance. ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

Multiple Grammy-winning American composer Michael Daugherty has served on the faculty of the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance for over 30 years. As his tenure here comes to a close, the Symphony Band celebrates his remarkable musical legacy with a concert of original music for band composed by Daugherty over the past quarter century. Highlights include his concerti for timpani and trombones, the world-famous \"Bells for Stokowski\" and a new setting of his \"Cadillac Ranch\" co-commissioned by the Symphony Band with the support of the H. Robert Reynolds Commissioning Fund. Jason Fettig, conductor Xin Yi Chong, timpani soloist David Jackson and 2 students TBA, trombone soloists Michael Haithcock, guest conductor John Pasquale, guest conductor Michael Daugherty, composer PROGRAM *Raise the Roof* *Cadillac Ranch* *Rosa Parks Boulevard* *Dona Nobis Pacem* *Bells for Stokowski* Michael Daugherty Faculty Bio: ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

This popular and family-friendly tradition brings together the University Symphony and University Philharmonia Orchestras for a musical celebration of the spooky season. Kenneth Kiesler, artistic director Student tickets are not available for this performance. Recommended Ages: 3+ PROGRAM *March of the Little Goblins*, Adam Glaser *Danse Macabre*, Op. 40, Camille Saint-Saëns *Symphonie Fantastique, Marche au supplice*, Hector Berlioz *Polonaise* from *Eugene Onegin* (Act III), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky *Intermezzo* from *Cavalleria Rusticana*, Pietro Mascagni *Dance of the Clowns* from *The Snow Maiden Suite*, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov *William Tell Overture* (excerpts), Gioachino Rossini *Waltz* from *Masquerade Suite*, Aram Khachaturian *Walking the Dog Promenade*, George Gershwin *Short Ride in a Fast Machine*, John Adams *Ghostbusters*, Holcombe, arr. Parker ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

This popular and family-friendly tradition brings together the University Symphony and University Philharmonia Orchestras for a musical celebration of the spooky season. Kenneth Kiesler, artistic director +Complimentary tickets are limited to U-M staff members.+ +Quantities are limited.+ +Register for yourself only.+ +Can't make it? Let us know so your ticket may be released.+ +Tickets may be picked up at Will Call on performance day.+ +To purchase additional tickets, visit the SMTD ticketing link.+ •••••• *This program is part of the Michigan Arts Festival Staff Explorer Pass. In partnership with Voices of the Staff, the U-M Arts Initiative is offering limited complimentary tickets for select campus events and extra special experiences for U-M staff members all throughout October!*

This lecture begins at 7:15 pm before the 8:00 pm USO performance. ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

Step beyond the footlights into a musical world that traverses from magic to masquerades, comedy to romance, and elegance to spectacle. The University Symphony Orchestra presents an evening of music inspired by the stage, featuring 2026 SMTD Concerto Competition winner Grace Ryan (MM ’26, voice), mezzo-soprano, in two very different portrayals of Cinderella: the tender and lyrical *Cendrillon* by Massenet, and the dazzling and playful *La Cenerentola* by Rossini. Mozart’s sparkling *Magic Flute* Overture sets the stage for the evening, which culminates in Richard Strauss’s exuberant *Le Bourgeois gentilhomme*, featuring virtuosic violin, cello, and piano soloists. Witty, energetic, and full of theatrical flair, Strauss’s music brings this journey to a rollicking conclusion. Kenneth Kiesler, conductor Grace Ryan, mezzo-soprano (Massenet and Rossini) PROGRAM Overture to *The Magic Flute*, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart \"Enfin je suis ici\" from *Cendrillon*, Jules Massenet \"Nacqui all'affanno... Non più mesta\" from *La Cenerentola*, Gioachino Rossini *Le bourgeois gentilhomme, op. 60*, Richard Strauss Concert Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

These ensembles are part of the Michigan Youth Ensembles (MYE) program, which brings together exceptional high school students for weekly rehearsals at SMTD. MYE Students, who are selected by audition, have the opportunity to engage in a stimulating environment, while learning from U-M conductors, applied faculty, and graduate students. PROGRAM Michigan Youth Symphonic Band Courtney Snyder, conductor *From Breath to Breath*, Elena Specht Symphony No. 2, James Barnes *Ad Astra*, Stephen Elsinger Michigan Youth Philharmonia Orchestra Michael Hopkins, conductor *Brandenburg Concerto No. 3*, J.S. Bach, arr. Merle J. Isaac *October*, Eric Whitacre *Capriol Suite*, Peter Warlock *The Horizon*, Yukiko Nishimura *St. Paul's Suite movement IV - The Darason*, Gustav Holst Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra Jayce Ogren, conductor *Strum*, Jessie Montgomery *Two Elegiac Melodies, op. 34 - no. 2, The Spring*, Edvard Grieg Slavonic Dances, op. 46 (8), op. 72 (2, 7 and 8), Antonín Dvořák *Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo*, I. \"Buckaroo Holiday\" and IV. \"Hoe-down\", Aaron Copland ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

This lecture begins at 7:15 pm before the 8:00 pm Symphony Band performance. ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

In recognition of the end of our 250th year as a free nation, the University of Michigan Symphony Band presents an All-American program from the diverse voices that permeate our country. From the overtly patriotic to the fiercely democratic, the collection of works on this program tell the story of a resilient and undaunted nation that embraces both a turbulent past and a hopeful future. Jason Fettig, conductor Celina Kintscher, guest composer John Mange, graduate student conductor PROGRAM *Fanfare for the Common Man*, Aaron Copland *Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 2*, Joan Tower \"Decoration Day\" from *A Symphony: New England Holidays*, Charles Ives, trans. Jonathan Elkus *Amen!*, Carlos Simon *250 Voices*, Celina Kintscher (U-M Commission and Premiere) *American Symphony*, Adam Schoenberg, trans. Donald Patterson ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

The University of Michigan Campus Orchestras are made up of two main orchestras: Campus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Campus Philharmonia Orchestra (CPO). Both groups are comprised of non-music major students, faculty members, staff, and alumni of the University of Michigan. The Campus Orchestras are conducted by Graduate Student Conductors at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Some of the past Campus Orchestras conductors are now assistant conductors or music directors in professional orchestras around the country. PROGRAM Campus Symphony Orchestra: *Overture to an Unwritten Tragedy*, Hubert Parry *Preludio sinfonico*, Giacomo Puccini Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Campus Philharmonia Orchestra: *Coriolan Overture*, Op. 62, Ludwig van Beethoven *Carmen Suite* No. 1, Georges Bizet *Intermezzo* from *Goyescas*, Enrique Granados *Polovtsian Dances*, Alexander Borodin ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

For its final concert of the fall semester, Concert Band performs \"For All.\" In conjunction with the USA's 250th anniversary, this concert features works that celebrate the liberation of all people: women, LGBTQIA, Latino, African American, and those Americans that dared to think differently and seek a \"more perfect union.\" Courtney Snyder, conductor Jennifer Hepp, graduate student conductor (Cuong) PROGRAM *The New Spirit of '76*, Katheryn McCall Noblitt, arr. Paul Noble *John and Jim*, Viet Cuong *Delores, AmeriCan Symphony for Band*, Giovanni Santos *Motherless Child*, Ben Horne *Symphony No. 2 \"The Road is Life\"*, James David ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

Jayce Ogren, conductor PROGRAM *Chamber Symphony*, Franz Schreker *Music for 18 Musicians*, Steve Reich

This UPO concert includes a world premiere composed by Kristin Kuster, professor of composition, and featuring violin soloist Matt Albert, professor of chamber music. Jayce Ogren, conductor Matt Albert, violin (Kuster) PROGRAM \"Dreaming by the Fireside\" from *Intermezzo*, Richard Strauss Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, op. 60, Ludwig van Beethoven *Upland Green* (world premiere), Kristin Kuster \"Mars\" and \"Jupiter\" from *The Planets*, op. 32, Gustav Holst

This lecture begins at 7:15 pm before the 8:00 pm USO performance.

Celebrate the life, music, and legacy of six-time GRAMMY-winner Michael Daugherty on his retirement from the University of Michigan after serving on the faculty for more than 35 years. Join the University Symphony Orchestra and music director Kenneth Kiesler for this special program of colorful, unique, and unmistakably American music by one of America’s most original and celebrated composers. Harpist Courtney Hershey Bress is the featured guest soloist in *Harp of Ages*. As the piece was written for her, she played its world premiere and made its acclaimed first recording. *Route 66* captures the spirit, freedom, and restless energy of America’s legendary highway which, in 2026, is marking its 100th anniversary. The evening culminates with Daugherty’s *Metropolis Symphony*, his exhilarating musical portrait inspired by Superman and the city of Metropolis, an orchestral showpiece with innovative sonorities, vivid imagery, and irresistible energy. Please join with us to recognize and honor Michael Daugherty: composer and mentor, colleague and friend, superman of American music. Kenneth Kiesler, conductor Michael Daugherty, composer Courtney Hershey Bress, harp (*Harp of Ages*) PROGRAM *Route 66*, Michael Daugherty *Harp of Ages*, Michael Daugherty *Metropolis Symphony*, Michael Daugherty Concert Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes Michael Daugherty Faculty Bio:

Steven Whiting, Kathryn Votapek, and Christopher Harding will present a lecture concert concerning Beethoven, to include the violin sonata in C Minor, Op. 30 #2. This sonata was written at the same time as Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament, in which he explains his deafness and inability to relate normally with the world. Presented in the 200th anniversary year of Beethoven’s death. PRESENTER BIOS Professor STEVEN WHITING taught at the University of Illinois, where he took his MM and PhD, before joining the University of Michigan faculty. Following his undergraduate education, he studied at Christian-Albrechts-Universität in Kiel, Germany, on a Fulbright study grant. Whiting has published twenty articles and book chapters about Beethoven, Satie, French cabaret music, and E.T.A. Hoffmann, and has co-edited A. L. Ringer’s *Musik als Geschichte*. His book *Satie the Bohemian: From Cabaret to Concert Hall* (Oxford University Press, 1999) was recognized as an outstanding academic book by *Choice*. A former director of the University’s Center for European Studies and associate director of its International Institute, Whiting served SMTD as associate dean for graduate studies from 2003 to 2014. --- A member of the Chester String Quartet for 15 years, violinist KATHRYN VOTAPEK now maintains an active career as a soloist and guest artist at chamber music festivals throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. She has participated in numerous commissioning projects and premieres and can be heard with the Chester Quartet on the Koch International Classics and New Albion labels. Along with pianist Ralph Votapek and clarinetist Paul Votapek, she performs as violinist and violist with the Votapek Trio. She has also given numerous duo performances with her husband, violinist Aaron Berofsky. Votapek has been on the faculty of the Chautauqua Institution, the Meadowmount School of Music, the Interlochen Arts Camp, the Madeline Island Music Musi Camp, the Quartet Program, the Banff International Festival, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Italy), the Peter de Grote Summer Academy (Holland), and the Music & More Summerfest (Bosnia and Herzegovina), as well as performing at the Klosterkammerfest (Germany), Speedside Festival (Canada), the International Deia Festival (Spain), the Garth Newel Festival, the Fontana Festival, and with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, and the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings. Votapek is currently on the faculty at the University of Michigan and is the associate concertmaster of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. In prior years she was an associate professor of violin and artist-in-residence at Indiana University – South Bend. Votapek received her bachelor of music degree at Indiana University and master’s degree from The Juilliard School. Her teachers were Robert Mann, Franco Gulli, and Angel Reyes. --- Pianist CHRISTOPHER HARDING maintains an international presence as a noted teacher and performer. He has given solo, concerto, and chamber music performances in venues as far flung as the Kennedy Center and Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the IBK and Recital Halls of the Seoul Art Center, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the National Theater Concert Hall in Taipei, the Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary, and halls and festival appearances in Newfoundland, Israel, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Romania, Russia, and China. His concerto performances have included concerts with the National Symphony and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestras, the San Angelo and Santa Barbara Symphonies, and the Tokyo City Philharmonic, working with such conductors as Andrew Sewell, Eric Zhou, Taijiro Iimori, Gisele Ben-Dor, Fabio Machetti, Randall Craig Fleisher, John DeMain, Ron Spiegelman, Daniel Alcott, and Darryl One, among others. Mr. Harding’s chamber music and duo collaborations have included internationally renowned artists such as clarinetist Karl Leister, flautist Andras Adorjan, and members of the St. Lawrence and Ying String Quartets, in addition to frequent projects with his distinguished faculty colleagues at the University of Michigan. He has recorded solo and chamber music CDs for the Equilibrium and Brevard Classics labels. He has additionally edited and published critical editions and recordings of works by Claude Debussy (Children's Corner, Suite Bergamasque, the Arabesques and shorter works) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Viennese Sonatinas) for the Schirmer Performance Editions published by Hal Leonard. Professor Harding has presented master classes and lecture recitals in universities across the United States and Asia, as well as in Europe, Israel, and Canada. He is a Permanent Guest Professor at the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China; he has additionally served as a Fulbright Senior Specialist at the Sichuan Conservatory (2008) and Seoul National University (2011) and Ewha Womans’ University (2023). He has taught masterclasses and performed lecture recitals at all the major universities and schools of music in South Korea, and throughout China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. In addition to serving as Chair of Piano and teaching undergraduate and graduate piano performance and chamber music at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Mr. Harding also serves on the faculty of the Sicily International Piano Festival and is a regular guest artist and teacher at the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival in Tampa, Florida. Harding was born of American parents in Munich, Germany and raised in Northern Virginia. His collegiate studies were with Menahem Pressler and Nelita True. Prior to college, he worked for 10 years with Milton Kidd at the American University Department of Performing Arts Preparatory Division, where he was trained in the traditions of Tobias Matthay. He has taken 25 first prizes in national and international competitions and in 1999 was awarded the special \"Mozart Prize\" at the Cleveland International Piano Competition, given for the best performance of a composition by Mozart.

The USO strives for and attains the highest level of excellence as a symphony orchestra. Led by the Director of Orchestras, the USO has performed on GRAMMY Award-winning and GRAMMY-nominated albums and is committed to performing the greatest works in the symphonic repertoire from the Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras, with concerts in historic Hill Auditorium. The USO frequently commissions new works, performs with celebrated guest soloists, and is one of the ensembles that accompanies the SMTD Concerto Competition winners. Kenneth Kiesler, conductor

As we begin the new year, the University of Michigan Symphony Band presents a concert of conflict and resolution, hardship and resilience. Anchored by cornerstones of the wind repertoire including Gustav Mahler's gorgeous song \"Un Mitternacht\" and Karel Husa's monumental tribute to his homeland in *Music for Prague 1968*, this concert places these masterworks side by side with dramatic new works for symphonic band by Jennifer Jolley and U-M graduate student Matthew Osterholzer. New faculty member and world-renowned soprano Christine Goerke is featured in this performance. Jason Fettig, conductor Christine Goerke, soprano John Mange, graduate student conductor PROGRAM *Sokol Fanfare from Sinfonietta*, Leos Janacek *Symphonies of Wind Instruments* (1947 Version), Igor Stravinsky *Monuments- The Pedestal* (U-M commission/ premiere), Matthew Osterholzer *March!*, Jennifer Jolley *Um Mitternacht from Ruckert-lieder*, Gustav Mahler *Music for Prague 1968*, Karel Husa

A wind ensemble taken from the University of Michigan Symphony Band presents a concert of classic band repertoire led by the current graduate students of the Wind Conducting Program at SMTD. Featuring the music of Copland, Persichetti, Hindemith, Wagner, and Shostakovich. Detrich Morrison-Jones, Sean Hogan, John Mange & Jennifer Hepp, graduate student conductors. PROGRAM *An Outdoor Overture*, Aaron Copland *Pageant*, Vincent Persichetti *Konzertmusik, Op. 41*, Paul Hindemith *Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral*, Richard Wagner/ trans. Lucien Cailliet *Festive Overture*, Dmitri Shostakovich/ trans. Donald Hunsberger

Professor Aaron Berofsky, new Professor of Cello Yeonjin Kim, and Professor Christopher Harding will present a concert of Beethoven’s first published works: three very great piano trios in E-flat Major, G Major, and C Minor, which announced an immensely talented and ambitious young composer to the world. Presented in the 200th anniversary year of Beethoven’s death. ABOUT THE ARTISTS Violinist AARON BEROFSKY has toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad, gaining wide recognition as a soloist and chamber musician. As soloist, he has performed with orchestras in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain and Canada. He has performed the complete cycle of Mozart violin sonatas at the International Festival Deia in Spain and all of the Beethoven sonatas at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall. His 2011 recording of the complete Beethoven sonatas with Phillip Bush has been met with great acclaim. France’s *Le Figaro* calls his playing “Beautiful, the kind of music-making that gives one true pleasure”. He has appeared in such renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the 92nd Street Y, the Corcoran Gallery, Het Doelen, L'Octogone, Seoul National University, the Teatro San Jose and the Museo de Bellas Artes. Mr. Berofsky has been featured on NPR's *Performance Today* and on the Canadian Broadcasting Company. His acclaimed recordings can be found on the Sony, Naxos, New Albion, ECM, Audio Ideas, Blue Griffin and Chesky labels. Recent recital tours have taken him to Germany, Italy and Korea, and he was featured soloist on the 2009 NAXOS recording of music by Paul Fetler, performed by the Ann Arbor Symphony, including the debut recording of his Concerto No. 2. His recording of the complete chamber music of Franz Xavier Mozart was released in 2013 on Equilibrium. Mr. Berofsky was the first violinist of the Chester String Quartet for fifteen years. The quartet has been acclaimed as \"one of the country's best young string quartets\" by the *Boston Globe*. Tours have taken them throughout the Americas and Europe and the quartet members have collaborated with such artists as Robert Mann, Arnold Steinhardt, Franco Gulli, members of the Alban Berg quartet, Andres Diaz, Eugene Istomin and Ruth Laredo. Some notable projects over the years have included the complete cycles of the quartets by Beethoven and Dvorak, and numerous recordings by such composers as Mozart, Haydn, Barber, Porter, Piston, Kernis and Tenenbom. The Chester Quartet has served as resident quartet at the University of Michigan and at Indiana University South Bend. An alumnus of the Juilliard School, Mr. Berofsky was a scholarship student of Dorothy DeLay. Other important teachers have included Robert Mann, Felix Galimir, Glenn Dicterow, Lorand Fenyves and Elaine Richey. Mr. Berofsky is known for his commitment to teaching and is Professor of Violin at the University of Michigan and served as visiting Professor at the Hochschule fur Musik in Detmold, Germany. He taught at the Meadowmount School of Music for many summers and is currently on the violin faculty of the Chautauqua Institution. He has also given masterclasses throughout the world, including a 2013 tour of Korea which included classes at Seoul National University, Ewha Women’s University, Seoul Arts High School and many others. He has also given class at the Cleveland Institute, Oberlin, Eastman, the Peter de Grote festival in the Netherlands, Domaine Forget in Quebec, Interlochen, the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival and the Conservatorio Palma Mallorca. Mr. Berofsky's interest in early music led him to perform with the acclaimed chamber orchestra Tafelmusik on period instruments, also makingseveral recordings with them for the Sony label. He co-runs University of Michigan’s Baroque Chamber Orchestra with harpsichordist Joseph Gascho. With a strong dedication to new music as well, he has worked extensively with many leading composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, performing, commissioning and recording music by John Cage, William Bolcom, Zhou Long, Michael Daugherty, Aaron Jay Kernis, Susan Botti, Morton Subotnick, Paul Fetler and Bright Sheng. Aaron Berofsky has been concertmaster of the Ann Arbor Symphony since 2003. He has also served as guest concertmaster for many orchestras throughout the US and Europe. --- Cellist YEONJIN KIM has received international acclaim as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. Kim has performed at major venues including the Kennedy Center, Konzerthaus Berlin, Berlin Philharmonie, Seoul Arts Center, and Suntory Hall, and as a soloist with orchestras in Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Colorado, Seoul, Tianjin, and Manila. Her concerts have been broadcast on television and radio across the United States, Korea, China, and Japan. She has been a top prizewinner in several international competitions, including the Sorantin International Competition, Dichler-Sato International Competition, Viva Hall Competition, and the Korea Philharmonic Orchestra Competition. Her solo recording of Max Reger’s Three Suites for Cello Solo has been praised for its depth and expressive power. An avid chamber musician, Kim has also collaborated with numerous world-renowned artists and performs regularly with her sisters as part of Trio K. Kim has taught and mentored students from around the world, drawing on her extensive experience across Korea, the United States, China, and Japan. She has served on the faculty of the Tianjin Juilliard School and has held teaching appointments at the University of Michigan, Oberlin Conservatory, and Furman University. She has presented master classes at leading institutions such as the Juilliard School, Korean National University of Arts, Liszt Academy, YST Conservatory, Taipei National University of the Arts, and the Shanghai Conservatory. Many of her students have gone on to win international competitions and secure positions in leading orchestras and institutions. A graduate of Seoul National University, Kim earned her orchestra certificate from Toho Gakuen in Japan, her MM from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and her DMA from the University of Michigan. --- Pianist CHRISTOPHER HARDING maintains an international presence as a noted teacher and performer. He has given solo, concerto, and chamber music performances in venues as far flung as the Kennedy Center and Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the IBK and Recital Halls of the Seoul Art Center, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the National Theater Concert Hall in Taipei, the Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary, and halls and festival appearances in Newfoundland, Israel, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Romania, Russia, and China. His concerto performances have included concerts with the National Symphony and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestras, the San Angelo and Santa Barbara Symphonies, and the Tokyo City Philharmonic, working with such conductors as Andrew Sewell, Eric Zhou, Taijiro Iimori, Gisele Ben-Dor, Fabio Machetti, Randall Craig Fleisher, John DeMain, Ron Spiegelman, Daniel Alcott, and Darryl One, among others. Mr. Harding’s chamber music and duo collaborations have included internationally renowned artists such as clarinetist Karl Leister, flautist Andras Adorjan, and members of the St. Lawrence and Ying String Quartets, in addition to frequent projects with his distinguished faculty colleagues at the University of Michigan. He has recorded solo and chamber music CDs for the Equilibrium and Brevard Classics labels. He has additionally edited and published critical editions and recordings of works by Claude Debussy (Children's Corner, Suite Bergamasque, the Arabesques and shorter works) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Viennese Sonatinas) for the Schirmer Performance Editions published by Hal Leonard. Professor Harding has presented master classes and lecture recitals in universities across the United States and Asia, as well as in Europe, Israel, and Canada. He is a Permanent Guest Professor at the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China; he has additionally served as a Fulbright Senior Specialist at the Sichuan Conservatory (2008) and Seoul National University (2011) and Ewha Womans’ University (2023). He has taught masterclasses and performed lecture recitals at all the major universities and schools of music in South Korea, and throughout China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. In addition to serving as Chair of Piano and teaching undergraduate and graduate piano performance and chamber music at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Mr. Harding also serves on the faculty of the Sicily International Piano Festival and is a regular guest artist and teacher at the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival in Tampa, Florida. Harding was born of American parents in Munich, Germany and raised in Northern Virginia. His collegiate studies were with Menahem Pressler and Nelita True. Prior to college, he worked for 10 years with Milton Kidd at the American University Department of Performing Arts Preparatory Division, where he was trained in the traditions of Tobias Matthay. He has taken 25 first prizes in national and international competitions and in 1999 was awarded the special \"Mozart Prize\" at the Cleveland International Piano Competition, given for the best performance of a composition by Mozart.

The University of Michigan's Chamber Choir, University Choir, and Orpheus Singers join with the University Symphony Orchestra for a collaborative concert.

Students pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Piano Performance / Pedagogy will perform piano concertos in collaboration with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. This partnership is sponsored by the School of Music, Theatre & Dance with generous support from the Dr. Naomi J. Oliphant Endowed Music Fund established by alumna Naomi Oliphant (DMA ’82, piano).

Students pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Piano Performance / Pedagogy will perform piano concertos in collaboration with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. This partnership is sponsored by the School of Music, Theatre & Dance with generous support from the Dr. Naomi J. Oliphant Endowed Music Fund established by alumna Naomi Oliphant (DMA ’82, piano).

These ensembles are part of the Michigan Youth Ensembles (MYE) program, which brings together exceptional high school students for weekly rehearsals at SMTD. MYE Students, who are selected by audition, have the opportunity to engage in a stimulating environment, while learning from U-M conductors, applied faculty, and graduate students. Michigan Youth Symphonic Band Courtney Snyder, conductor Michigan Youth Philharmonia Orchestra Michael Hopkins, conductor Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra Jayce Ogren, conductor

There are few American composers, living or past, whose music is more widely recognized and loved than John Williams. With countless pieces written for stage and screen, American icons and legendary events, Williams' music is the soundtrack of the American spirit. His music for film has taken on a life of its own well beyond the movies for which his melodies were composed, and he has conducted the greatest orchestras the world over. Now in his 92nd year, the Symphony Band celebrates the inimitable legacy of John Williams and his music, and this all-Williams program will also pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the release of the very first *Star Wars* movie. Jason Fettig, conductor PROGRAM *The Star Spangled Banner*, John Williams March from \"Superman\", John Williams / trans. Paul Lavender *Prologue* from \"JFK\", John Williams / trans. John Moss *Harry's Wonderous World* from \"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone\", John Williams / Paul Lavender March from \"1941\", John Williams / Paul Lavender *Viktor's Tale* from \"The Terminal\", John Williams Music from \"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial\", John Williams / Paul Lavender Theme from \"Jurrasic Park\", John Williams / Paul Lavender Theme from \"Schindler's List\", John Williams / John Moss Suite from \"Star Wars\", John Williams / Various - *Imperial March*, *Rey's Theme*, *Schezo for X-Wings*, *Cantina Band*, *Leia's Theme*, *Main Title*