Nathalie Doucet, Director of the Resident Artist Program at Detroit Opera, will lead a master class for students of Voice & Opera and Collaborative Piano, followed by a discussion about the Detroit Opera training program and auditioning for professional young artist programs. Free and open to the public with generous support from the Jessye Norman Master Class Series. GUEST ARTIST BIO NATHALIE DOUCET is an internationally recognized pianist and vocal coach, currently serving as Head of Music and Director of the Resident Artist Program at Detroit Opera. With an illustrious career spanning Europe and North America, she is known for her exceptional artistry, deep musical insight, and dedication to mentoring the next generation of opera talent. Her collaborations include work with leading opera houses and orchestras such as Washington National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, l’Opéra de Montréal, Vancouver Opera, the Dutch National Opera, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. She has also been engaged by renowned institutions including the Bard SummerScape Festival, the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, and the NTR ZaterdagMatinee series. In Europe, Doucet held prominent positions as Head Coach of the Opera Studio Nederland and Principal Coach at the Dutch National Opera Academy. For over a decade, she was a faculty member at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she played a pivotal role in shaping young artists. She has also contributed her expertise to the Internationale Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, Neue Stimmen, and the International Vocal Competition in 's-Hertogenbosch. At Detroit Opera, Doucet brings unmatched experience and vision to the Resident Artist Program, fostering a culture of excellence, growth, and artistic rigor. She is also in demand as a juror, including for the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, where her discerning ear and artistic integrity continue to make a significant impact on the future of opera.

The Golden Age of American Bands captured the imagination of the public in the latter part of the 1800s and through the first decades of the 20th century. Bands became a primary source of entertainment in cities and towns all across the nation and legendary band leaders like Patrick Gilmore and John Philip Sousa were celebrities in their day. Virtuoso soloists like Jules Levy, Arthur Pryor, and Herbert L. Clarke dazzled the thousands who flocked to the concerts by these famous bands. As part of the formal launch of the Center for American Band History Research at the University of Michigan, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance along with the Clements Library are proud to present a concert of traditional music from this era, played with the authentic instrumentation of these early bands. From marches written for newspapers of the day, to novelties, brass solos, songs, and orchestral transcriptions, this concert is a tribute to the birth of the great American band tradition. PROGRAM March, The Billboard - John Klohr Overture, Light Cavalry - von Suppe March, The Detroit Free Press - W.P. Chambers Cornet solo, \"The Debutante\" - Herbert L. Clarke (Robert Sullivan, soloist) March, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Bruno Novelty, The Whistler and his Dog - Arthur Pryor March, The St. Louis Post Dispatch - Arthur Pryor Aria, \"Habanera\" from *Carmen* - Georges Bizet (Amoura Bethea, soprano) March, The Washington Post - J.P. Sousa Galop, Blue Streak (The Indianapolis News) - R.B. Eisenberg

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 Orpheus Singers, joined by the University of Michigan Baroque Chamber Orchestra, present *Mortal Flesh, Eternal Light*, an evening exploring mortality, devotion, and transcendence through two compelling works of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Conducted by members of the graduate choral conducting studio, the program features excerpts from Dieterich Buxtehude’s deeply expressive *Membra Jesu Nostri, BuxWV 75*, alongside Joseph Martin Kraus’s dramatic *Requiem in D minor*. PROGRAM Excerpts from *Membra Jesu Nostri, BuxWV 75* Dieterich Buxtehude *Requiem in D minor* Joseph Martin Kraus

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:*

Designed to rehearse, perform, and examine the repertoire of the jazz big band, the Jazz Lab Ensemble explores classic, historically significant repertoire as well as new arrangements and/or compositions. This is also a class that is intended to develop the necessary skills of section lead playing, rehearsal techniques, jazz phrasing and styles. A wide selection of materials is used to attain these goals including the music of classic big bands such as the Thad Jones Orchestra, Count Basie Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie Band, Oliver Nelson, Duke Pearson and Duke Ellington Orchestra. Dennis Wilson, conductor

The University of Michigan’s Baroque Chamber Orchestra studies and performs repertoire from the late Renaissance, Baroque, and the early Classical periods. While directed by faculty members Aaron Berofsky, baroque violin, and Joseph Gascho, harpsichord/organ, many performances are led by the students themselves. Using period instruments and replicas from the university’s growing Stearns Collection, the musicians gain vital hands-on experience and learn about the history and context of early music and performance practice.

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.

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

With a string section comprising all freshmen, the Philharmonia Orchestra provides student musicians an immersive opportunity to improve their large ensemble skills and play some of the greatest works in the symphonic repertoire. Jayce Ogren, conductor PROGRAM *Anemology* Steven Mackey *La mer* Claude Debussy ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

SMTD's Baroque Chamber Orchestra, led by Professor Joseph Gascho, performs Cantata BWV 169 \"Gott soll allein mein Herze haben” featuring University Organist and Professor Nicole Keller, organ. Division Street Pipes concerts features talented students and faculty of the U-M Organ Department on Thursdays at 12:15pm on the Richards-Fowkes organ at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. These 30-minute performances are free and open to the public, and audience members are invited to enjoy their lunch while listening. The series is co-sponsored by the University of Michigan Organ Department and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in an effort to bring organ music to local audiences while connecting U-M organ students with the wider community. Concerts offer attendees the opportunity to hear the versatility of the pipe organ beyond a worship setting. *There is no recital on November 26.*

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

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:*

Duo Dolce presents an all-American program celebrating 250 years of American music, featuring works by composers including George Gershwin, Amy Beach, and Aaron Copland, alongside music shaped by immigrant and multicultural experiences. Together, these works create an American mosaic that reflects the country’s diverse cultural heritage, voices, and musical traditions. PROGRAM Antonín Dvorák: *Silent Woods op. 68 no. 5* (1891) Aaron Copland: *Old American Songs* (1952) - *Simple Gifts*, *I Bought Me a Cat*, *At the River* Harry Bulow: *Taegeuk* for solo cello (2024) Allen McCullough: Trilogette for solo cello (2025) - *Homage - J.S.B.*, *Night Song*, *Perpetuum Mobile* Erich Korngold: Romance Impromptu in E-flat major op. posth. (1946) Chen-Yi: Romance of Hsiao and Ch’in (1995) George Gershwin (arr. Ka-Wai Yu): Three Preludes (1926) - *Allegro ben ritmato e deciso*, *Andante con moto e poco rubato*, *Allegro ben ritmato e deciso* William Grant Still: *Summerland* (1935) Elliott Bark: *An-Nyoung: Goodbye/Hello* for cello and piano (2026) Amy Beach: Romance, Op.23 (1893) ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS KRISTEN YEON-JI YUN is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Music in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance at Purdue University. She is an active soloist, chamber musician, scholar, and clinician. She has toured internationally, performing and giving master classes in countries including Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, France, Germany, and Taiwan. Her CD *Summerland* has received excellent reviews from *New Classics UK* and *American Record Guide* and was broadcast nationwide by major radio stations such as WQXR, WCNY, WBAA, and NPR’s *Sonatas and Soundscapes*. She earned her Doctor of Music degree in cello performance in 2012 from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with the world-renowned cellist János Starker. Yun plays a 1766 Guersan cello. PHOENIX PARK-KIM, Professor of Piano at Indiana Wesleyan University, has performed throughout the United States and internationally across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. A prizewinner in numerous competitions, she has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Korean Philharmonic and Atlantida Orchestra (Spain), performing concertos by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Hummel, and Florence Price. A passionate advocate for African-American composers, she has received a Lilly Research Grant and special congressional recognition. Dr. Park-Kim is a sought-after clinician and adjudicator whose students have earned regional and national honors, including MTNA National Competition finalist placements.

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:*

WORLD PREMIERE Composer Theodore Wiprud and librettist Richard Wesley have created an oratorio examining a widespread expression of racism in America, documented in the landmark book *Sundown Towns* by the late sociologist and historian James Loewen. Conducted by Director of University Choirs Eugene Rogers, *Don’t Let the Sun*, for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra, will run approximately 90 minutes (plus intermission). It tells the story of “sundown towns” where residents drove out or actively excluded specific groups from residing there (from being in a town after sunset) through ordinances, signs, and acts of violence. Sundown towns excluded Black people, and in some cases, Chinese Americans, Jewish people, Native Americans, Latinas/os and other racialized groups. Since the 19th century these towns have been prevalent throughout the U.S. and especially in the Midwest, West, and East. These policies did not completely disappear over time. The attitudes that drove them morphed into housing “covenants,” redlining, discrimination within the post-war FHA and discrimination in the granting of bank loans. The results of these decisions and policies haunt our country to this very day. *Don’t Let the Sun* will shine a light on this difficult chapter in America’s ever-expanding history, and help audiences engage productively with “hard” histories. Mr. Loewen’s *Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism* is the definitive history of these phenomena. Another source is the “History and Social Justice” website launched by Dr. Loewen, which has had nearly one million visitors over the last three years, and continues to amass cases and first-hand accounts. Librettist Richard Wesley’s text is inspired by the voices of individuals impacted by sundown towns and more recent policies, examining the harm experienced by both the excluded and the excluders; and recent efforts by many sundown towns to reckon with their past and shape a better future. ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:* ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS THEODORE WIPRUD is a composer, an educator, and a researcher on the musical community’s work toward equity and inclusion. Many of his works address social issues, including vocal works like *American Journal* (Robert Hayden) and *A Georgia Song* (Maya Angelou); and orchestral works like his Violin Concerto *“Katrina”; Wind of Many Voices*, responding to the troubled history of South Dakota; and a second Violin Concerto *“on the brink”* exploring climate grief and climate action. RICHARD WESLEY is a playwright and screenwriter whose many plays deal with social-historical moments. He wrote the libretto for Anthony Davis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning opera *Central Park Five*. Mr. Wesley has received numerous awards including the NAACP Image Award for Best Picture (for *Uptown Saturday Night*) and the National Black Theater Festival’s August Wilson Playwright Award. He teaches at New York University.

The University of Michigan’s Baroque Chamber Orchestra studies and performs repertoire from the late Renaissance, Baroque, and the early Classical periods. While directed by faculty members Aaron Berofsky, baroque violin, and Joseph Gascho, harpsichord/organ, many performances are led by the students themselves. Using period instruments and replicas from the university’s growing Stearns Collection, the musicians gain vital hands-on experience and learn about the history and context of early music and performance practice.

This is a unique, largely improvisation-based group that invites interaction with other performance fields such as dance, theatre, and music technology. Marcus Elliot, director

The Michigan Youth Jazz Orchestra (MYJO) provides advanced experience performing a variety of big band repertoire in venues throughout Southeast Michigan. The Michigan Youth Jazz Orchestra is open by audition to all high-school aged instrumentalists interested in jazz and/or improvisation. Conductor/ Faculty Director Dennis Wilson

This lecture begins at 6:15 pm before the 7:00 pm Campus Orchestras performance. ––– *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:*

The Orpheus Singers performs a program of choral works conducted by members of the graduate choral conducting studio. The concert concludes with *The Promise of America*, presented in collaboration with the Department of Musical Theatre. *The Promise of America* is a song cycle written for choir, soloists, and chamber orchestra by Kim D. Sherman (music/ vocal arrangements) and Christine Toy Johnson (words) that illuminates the impact of various constitutional amendments on the American people. Aiming to inspire the upholding of the U.S. Constitution as the cornerstone of American democracy, included are reflections on the freedom of speech, marriage equality, public school funding, prohibition, voting rights, Presidential term limits, due process, ramifications of the Second Amendment, and more. PROGRAM *I Can Tell the World*, arr. Moses Hogan *Plain-Chant for America*, William Grant Still *Frostiana*, Randall Thompson *The Promise of America*, Christine Toy Johnson, Kim D. Sherman

The Campus String Ensemble is 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.

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

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:

Winners of the SMTD Concerto Competition will perform their competition piece with one of the School’s orchestras in an upcoming performance at Hill Auditorium.

Winners of the SMTD Concerto Competition will perform their competition piece with one of the School’s orchestras in an upcoming performance at Hill Auditorium.

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

With a string section comprising all freshmen, the Philharmonia Orchestra provides student musicians an immersive opportunity to improve their large ensemble skills and play some of the greatest works in the symphonic repertoire. Jayce Ogren, conductor

The University of Michigan’s Baroque Chamber Orchestra studies and performs repertoire from the late Renaissance, Baroque, and the early Classical periods. While directed by faculty members Aaron Berofsky, baroque violin, and Joseph Gascho, harpsichord/organ, many performances are led by the students themselves. Using period instruments and replicas from the university’s growing Stearns Collection, the musicians gain vital hands-on experience and learn about the history and context of early music and performance practice.

With a string section comprising all freshmen, the Philharmonia Orchestra provides student musicians an immersive opportunity to improve their large ensemble skills and play some of the greatest works in the symphonic repertoire. Jayce Ogren, conductor

This ensemble, for graduate music students only, performs contemporary classical music in a variety of instrumentations, from solo works to chamber orchestra. The CDE frequently commissions and performs new works and hosts renowned guest artists and composer residencies. The CDE artistic advisor is SMTD composition professor Roshanne Etezady. Jayce Ogren, conductor

Designed to rehearse, perform, and examine the repertoire of the jazz big band, the Jazz Lab Ensemble explores classic, historically significant repertoire as well as new arrangements and/or compositions. This is also a class that is intended to develop the necessary skills of section lead playing, rehearsal techniques, jazz phrasing and styles. A wide selection of materials is used to attain these goals including the music of classic big bands such as the Thad Jones Orchestra, Count Basie Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie Band, Oliver Nelson, Duke Pearson and Duke Ellington Orchestra. Dennis Wilson, conductor

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*

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 have the opportunity to engage in a stimulating environment, while learning from U-M conductors, applied faculty, and graduate students. The Michigan Youth Trombone Ensemble provides students advanced experience in performing a variety of trombone ensemble repertoire. The Michigan Youth Jazz Orchestra provides advanced experience performing a variety of big band repertoire in venues throughout Southeast Michigan. Michigan Youth Trombone Ensemble Faculty Director David Jackson Michigan Youth Jazz Orchestra Conductor/ Faculty Director Dennis Wilson

The University of Michigan’s Baroque Chamber Orchestra studies and performs repertoire from the late Renaissance, Baroque, and the early Classical periods. While directed by faculty members Aaron Berofsky, baroque violin, and Joseph Gascho, harpsichord/organ, many performances are led by the students themselves. Using period instruments and replicas from the university’s growing Stearns Collection, the musicians gain vital hands-on experience and learn about the history and context of early music and performance practice.