season 32, concert 5 may 8, 2015 the annual generations ...flute concerto no. 2 in d – wolfgang...

Season 32, Concert 5 - May 8, 2015

The Annual Generations Concert

BENEFACTOR ($3,000 and above) Lindsay B. Gallagher

Thomas & Victoria Price Merrill Lynch Wealth Management/

Bank of America Corp.

PATRON ($2,000 to $2,999) Carolyn & Howard Crumb

SPONSOR ($1,000 to $1,999)

Emilio & Maria Uriarte In Memory of John Rodland In Memory of Warren Grim

Judith Widicus Daichii Sankyo, Inc.

SUPPORTER ($500 to $999)

Barbara Abney Bolger Darel & Michael DePompeo

Lawrence & Donna Friedman, in support of the Ridgewood Concert Band Society

Joel Kolk Keith Mogerley

Randy F. Reveley John & Marilyn Wagner

Patricia & Frederick Yosca PVH Corporation

ASSOCIATE ($250 to $499)

Paul & Mary Bergquist John G. Bolger

Naomi Freshwater Paul Goldberg

Paul & Carolyn Kirby Dorothy S. Neff

Kathleen & John J. Palatucci Carol & Neil Sheehan

BNY Mellon Community Partnership Costco of Hackensack

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC. Plymouth Rock Foundation Whole Foods of Ridgewood

AFFILIATE ($100 to $249)

John & Louise Butler David & Jacalyn Bychek

James Demes Sally Fillmore

Capt. Kenneth Force Frank & Loretta Healey

Marie Kane Jill Keller

Cheryl & James Mallen Joseph & Deborah Marsicovete Jerrold, Mary A. & Leah Meyer

Irene Montella Mary & Michael Nussear

Marcella Phelan Deloss Schertz & Rose Kraybill

Francis & Barbara Schott Ted & Evelyn Slockbower Richard & Karen Summers

Kathleen & Harold Sylvester Janice Willett

Nancy E. Zweil Blue Moon Cafe

FRIEND ($1 to $99)

Virginia Baird Eileen Beaumel

Richard & Janet Boziwick Vincent & Marianne DeDea

Michelle Dugan Sue & Ira Emanuel Vicki Fiore, M.D. Katherine Grasso Richard F. Hahn

Carol & Richard Holodak Richard & Katherine Innis

Janet Johnston Judith & David Maron

Betsy Murphy Walter & Diana Perog

Samantha Price-Koontz Albert W. Schagen Edward J. Schlamp

Beth Seavers Ann Sirinides

Virginia Sirinides David Sternberg

Alexander & Deborah Taylor Jon Thurlow

William D. & Helen L. Thurlow Richard & Jessie VerHage

Janet Vidovich Mark & Andrea Zettler

Amazon Smile Foundation Tito’s Burritos of Ridgewood

If you are a recent subscriber or donor, we

may have received your name too late to include in this program and we apologize for that, but you will be in subsequent programs.

Thank you.

2014-15 CONTRIBUTORS The Ridgewood Concert Band gratefully acknowledges the support of our donors

and subscribers whose generous support makes these programs possible.

Printing of this program generously underwritten by Konica Minolta Business Solutions.

________________________________________________________________________

Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, through grant

funds administered by the Bergen County Department of Parks, Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs. ________________________________________________________________________

The Ridgewood Concert Band would like to thank all of the many volunteers who have made this concert possible.

________________________________________________________________________

The Ridgewood Concert Band would like to give a special “thank you” to the Pascack Valley Regional

High School District. The Pascack Hills High School Band room is our weekly rehearsal site.

________________________________________________________________________

For additional RCB information, please visit our website or scan our QR code:

WWW.RIDGEWOODBAND.ORG

Dr. Christian Wilhjelm, Music Director


FEATURED GUEST SOLOIST Stephanie Pizza, Flute

2014-2015 RCB Youth Soloist Competition Winner

FEATURED GUEST ARTISTS The Orpheus Club Men's Chorus

PRELUDE CONCERT - 7:30 PM Westfield Concert Band

Thomas Connors, Director

Friday, May 8, 2015 - 8:00 PM West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, NJ

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. is a Proud Sponsor of

the Ridgewood Concert Band

THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS

FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF LOYAL SUPPORT!

BOX OFFICE: Sylvia DeVries, Kathy Smith & Keiji Takamoto PROGRAM NOTES: Marcie Phelan

PUBLICITY: Beth Seavers RECEPTION: Kathleen Peters, Phil Biello

RECORDING: Noreen Baer REFRESHMENTS: Mike DePompeo

STAGING: Tony Spinuzzi, Mike DePompeo & Bob Sacchi USHERS: Ginny Baird, John Butler, Darel DePompeo

& Nancy Zweil

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RIDGEWOOD CONCERT BAND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

PRESIDENT: Mark Zettler

VICE PRESIDENT:

John Wagner

RECORDING SECRETARY: Annette Lieb

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY:

Mary Nussear

TREASURER: Neil Sheehan

MEMBERS AT LARGE: Noreen Baer

Annette Baron John Butler

Mike DePompeo Lawrence Friedman

Carolyn Kirby Kathleen Peters

Philip Peters Thomas P. Price Deloss Schertz Beth Seavers

Flutist Stephanie Pizza is a junior at Ridgewood High School. Stephanie studies flute in the honors program at Mannes College - Preparatory Division with Judith Mendenhall, where she performs with the Philharmonic Orchestra on both piccolo and flute. Stephanie has won a number of awards and honors including: Gold Winner in the International Virtuoso Competition (2014), winner of the New York Flute Club Young Musician’s Contest (2010, 2013) and first prize winner in the Alexander and Buono International Flute Competition (2011). As a first prize winner of the Alexander and Buono International Flute Competition, Stephanie performed in recital at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Stephanie was a national finalist in the Music Teacher’s National Association Young Musician’s Competition (2012). She also

was the grand prize winner of the Wagner College Young Musician’s Competition (2011). Stephanie has been awarded a seat in Bergen County and New Jersey Region I Honors Bands every year since seventh grade. This year Stephanie was selected to perform in the New Jersey All State Symphonic Band on both piccolo and flute. Upon entering high school Stephanie was awarded a position in the Connor Donohue Fellowship, where she enjoys participating in many musical activities. Stephanie is a member of the Ridgewood High School Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Mr. Jeffrey Haas and flute ensemble coached by Alison Crossley. Stephanie was the flutist in her high school productions of Aida, Footloose, The Wiz and Shrek, conducted by Mr. Gary Fink. Stephanie is also a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Stephanie would like to thank all of her teachers for their instruction and guidance, and her family and friends for their never ending support. The Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus On October 11, 1909, eight men met at the Ridgewood home of Frank R. Pawley to discuss a men’s singing club. A week later, ten men gathered to sing in the Village Library, a room in the First National Bank building. The group paid 75 cents per night to use the room and began singing together, with Dewitt Clinton, Jr. as director. The Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus was born. Others joined the club and by December of 1909 it was agreed a concert would be presented. Their first performance was in May of 1910. The opening number in that concert was the rousing “Winter Song.” Club membership quickly rose from the 18 who sang the first concert to 35. The members met weekly on Wednesdays from October to May, and in 1913 the club gave it’s first performance of “Pilgrim's Chorus” from Wagner’s Tannhäuser. Variety in repertoire was common in Orpheus Club concerts. A program might include “The Boog-a-Boo,” a ragtime number, “Old Black Joe,” the Stephen Foster parlor song, comedy numbers like “But They Didn’t,” and classics, sometimes sung in French or German. Ten years after its founding, the Orpheus Club was making guest appearances around New Jersey and New York. As the years continued, the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus remained a significant part of New Jersey’s cultural life. When the Kasschau Memorial Band Shell was dedicated in Ridgewood, the club sang at the inauguration. Presently, the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus includes about 50 singers from New York and New Jersey, and generally makes eight to 10 appearances annually including four formal concerts. The Club has performed with the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea. The men of Orpheus have joined with the Ridgewood Choral to sing and have previously appeared with the Ridgewood Concert Band to sing the music of Aaron Copland and Richard Wagner.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Medley – Transcribed/ Arranged by David Avshalomov (b.1946). The impact of the Beatles has often been noted but cannot be overstated. The “Fab Four” from Liverpool, England startled the ears and energized the lives of virtually all who heard them. Landing on American shores in February of 1964, they literally stood the world of pop culture on its head. The Beatles’ success can be attributed to a combination of factors, including John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s songwriting genius, George Harrison’s guitar playing prowess, Ringo Starr’s artful simplicity as a drummer, and the solid group harmonies that were a hallmark of their recordings. It was after they retired from touring and became a group performing only in the studio that they created the artistic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album that many would cite as the ultimate creative standard for Rock and Roll. David Avshalomov has transcribed this medley for male chorus and band allowing us to go back in time and enjoy melodies and harmonies that have become timeless. Listening to this medley lets us understand why the Beatles remain the most enduring phenomenon in the history of popular music. Bonnie Annie Laurie March – John Philip Sousa (1854-1932). According to the Sousa scholar, Paul Bierley, Sousa often remarked that the old Scottish ballad “Annie Laurie” was the most beautiful of all folk songs. In 1883 he wrote the march Bonnie Annie Laurie, based on this favored melody. It begins with two strains of original Sousa materials. At the trio of this da capo march he introduces a delightful original tune that later turns out to be a counterpoint to Annie Laurie. Sousa was to use this charming compositional device again whenever his later marches were about to introduce well-known melodies. Shenandoah – Frank Ticheli (b.1958) is an American composer of orchestral, choral, chamber, and concert band works. He lives in Los Angeles, California, where he is Professor of Composition at the University of Southern California. He is the recipient of numerous awards and has an extensive library of publications. A number of his works are particularly notable, as they have become standards in the concert band repertoire. The composer describes this piece in his own words: “In my setting of Shenandoah I was inspired by the freedom and beauty of the folk melody and by the natural images evoked by the words, especially the image of a river. I was less concerned with the sound of a rolling river than with its life-affirming energy – its timelessness. Sometimes the accompaniment flows quietly under the melody; other times it breathes alongside it. The work’s mood ranges from quiet reflection, through growing optimism, to profound exultation.” Program Notes compiled by Marcie Phelan

PROGRAM NOTES Italian in Algiers Overture – Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) was born into a musical Italian family and composed more than thirty operas. Curiously, though he lived to be 76, he ceased writing opera at age 37. Although Rossini composed his first comic opera at age 18, it is this one, written three years later, that is considered his first mature work in the genre. Rumored to have been written in only two and a half weeks, it was his first work to gain him international recognition. The bubbly music of the overture hints of the fun to come when the curtain would rise on the comic opera. Although the composer’s William Tell Overture is more widely known, this is also a favorite, for it holds the distinct Rossini style that is so exciting to the listener. Flute Concerto No. 2 in D – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). History records that the flute was not Mozart’s favorite instrument, yet his flute concerti are ranked exceptionally high in the music world. Due to a time constraint, Mozart actually borrowed from his own Oboe Concerto in C and composed this Flute Concerto No. 2 in D. To the benefit of the flute repertoire, the translation of the oboe concerto is not an exact copy and is able to show off both the virtuosic technicality of the soloist along with the beautiful finesse the flute can bring to the piece. Mozart recreated a concerto that is exposing and challenging, yet lying perfectly within the range of the instrument. It has proven to be an excellent showpiece for the most virtuosic soloists. The Invincible Eagle – John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) composed this march for his band's performance at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, in 1901. He considered naming it “The Spirit of Niagara” in recognition of the exposition, but decided not to localize it because he thought his new march might eventually rival The Stars and Stripes Forever. Soon after its premiere, Sousa described the conviction and spirit, which compelled him to compose this march in his own words, "It is what I call one of my sunshine marches. Some of my heavy marches are intended to convey the impression of the stir and strife of warfare, but The Invincible Eagle shows the military spirit at its lightest and brightest – the parade spirit . . . with the bravery of uniform, the sheen of silken stands, and the gleam of polished steel.”

In 1962, Richard Lane signed on as pianist for the club, beginning a distinguished career that would continue for 42 years until his death in 2004. A brilliant composer and teacher, Lane wrote 20 numbers for the Club and today’s concerts always feature at least one of Richard’s compositions. In the Spring of 2005, the Chorus made its Lincoln Center debut, performing at the Lincoln Center Library with the Palisades Virtuosi Chamber Ensemble. Additional performances in recent years have included concerts at the Kasschau Memorial Band Shell in Ridgewood, singing in Ridgewood’s Independence Day parade, area churches, and in November 2009, a presentation of Beethoven’s Fantasia for Piano, Chorus, and Orhcestra, Op. 80 (the Choral Fantasy) with the Ridgewood Choral, the Ridgewood High School Chamber Choir, and the Eastern Christian High School Chorus. Most recently the Club, in partnership with the New Jersey Choral Consortium, hosted a state-wide men’s chorus festival at Rutgers University. Richard Lane’s composition declares: “We are men who like to sing. We are the men of Orpheus” and for more than 100 years this has been their mission and their goal. Dr. Thomas Connors is Director of Instrumental Music and Conducting Studies at Kean University where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds as well as teaching conducting and instrumental music method courses. Prior to his arrival at Kean, he was the assistant Director of Bands and The Director of Athletic Bands at Kent State University. Before moving to the college ranks he taught for 10 years in the public schools in New Hampshire and New York. Dr. Connors holds a Ph.D. in music education from Florida State University, a M.M. in conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music and double degrees from Berklee College of Music in composition and music education. In addition to being an active guest conductor and clinician in several states he is also an active member of several professional organizations including: CBDNA, WASBE, NAFME and The New Jersey Music Educators where he served for seven years on the board. He is also a founding member and current board member of the New Jersey Band Association. For the past 10 years Dr. Connors has also served as the Music Director of the Westfield Concert Band, one of the nations oldest community based bands, currently celebrating 103 years of performance. The ensemble is composed of over 60 music educators and other talented amateur musicians from central New Jersey.

SIDE-BY-SIDE STUDENT MUSICIANS One of the most important missions of the Ridgewood Concert Band is to reach out to the youth in our area and expose them to fine wind ensemble literature and performance. With this in mind, Dr. Chris Wilhjelm suggested that we set up a concert in which deserving high school students would have the opportunity to play side-by-side with the musicians in the RCB and prepare several works that would challenge them musically and involve them in a professional level performance situation. Music teachers from the RCB and area high schools made their recommendations, and we are delighted this evening to host the 7th Annual “Side-by-Side Concert.” The music you will hear during the second half of tonight’s concert is the result of hours of personal practice as well as joint rehearsals with the students and the RCB. It is our hope that the students and you, our audience, will find this annual event both educational and enjoyable. Below are the names of the student participants. We are grateful to them, their teachers, their parents, Dr. Chris Wilhjelm and the Side-by-Side Committee (Heidi Kolb, Alecia DeJoseph, and Dave Bychek) for making this performance possible. We would also like to give a special "thanks" to Music & Arts in Paramus for donating the student folders.

First Name Last Name Grade Instrument SchoolNaseeb Ally 12 Oboe Pascack Hills High SchoolMadison Asch 9 Oboe Midland Park High SchoolAngie Bellanich 11 Clarinet New Milford High SchoolMargy Benavides 11 Alto Saxophone North Bergen High SchoolMichelle Cascione 9 Bass Clarinet Paramus High SchoolShannon Christensen 9 Tenor Saxophone New Milford High SchoolCody Cline 10 Trombone Butler High SchoolDan Collins 11 Tuba Midland Park High SchoolDaniel D'Amico 12 Trumpet Ramapo High SchoolJacob Davis 10 Tenor Saxophone Mahwah High SchoolKristen DiLorenzo 11 Flute Westwood High SchoolCarolyn Douthat 9 Trumpet Wayne Valley High SchoolPeter Drum 12 Trumpet Pascack Hills High SchoolMatthew Fiengo 12 Euphonium West Milford High SchoolAmanda Flanagan 11 Clarinet West Morris High SchoolFiona Fujita 11 Clarinet Paramus High SchoolAmanda Garcia 9 Flute Midland Park High SchoolChristina George 12 Flute/Piccolo Kittatinny Regional High SchoolAnne Glerum 11 Clarinet Ramsey High SchoolRyan Griffin 9 Clarinet Waldwick High SchoolBenjamin Harris 9 Alto Saxophone Paramus High SchoolJulia Haviland 11 Flute North Bergen High SchoolPaula Heredia 11 Trumpet North Bergen High SchoolUlala Hoshino 9 Baritone Midland Park High SchoolKelly James 12 Percussion Ramapo High SchoolCatherine Janson 12 French Horn Ridgewood High SchoolNatalie Kowalski 10 Clarinet Butler High SchoolRebecca Kronyak 11 Alto Saxophone West Milford High SchoolNicholas Lauerwald 10 Clarinet Mahwah High SchoolHeather Lazoff 11 Clarinet Lakeland Regional High SchoolAlan Lazoff 12 Trumpet Lakeland Regional High SchoolTara Levine 11 Flute New Milford High SchoolBrian Lim 10 Clarinet Ramapo High SchoolChristine Malapit 11 Flute New Milford High SchoolRose Martus 12 Flute West Milford High SchoolZach McIntyre 11 French Horn West Milford High SchoolScarleth Mejia 11 Flute North Bergen High SchoolCara Montella 12 Trombone Waldwick High SchoolVictor Nazzaro 10 Clarinet Morristown High SchoolZoe Orlino 11 Flute/Piccolo New Milford High SchoolMax Piasevoli 11 Alto Saxophone New Milford High SchoolJon Pinon 12 Euphonium Livingston Hgh SchoolStephanie Pizza 11 Flute Ridgewood High SchoolMatthew Rizzo 12 Trombone Ramapo High SchoolDaniella Roitman 12 Double Bass Pascack Hills High SchoolAdam Romano 10 Percussion Paramus High SchoolAlexis Silverman 11 Bass Clarinet West Milford High SchoolKelly Sondermeyer 10 Clarinet Butler High SchoolDavid Stein 9 Tuba Morristown High SchoolCharlie Sternberg 12 Trombone New Milford High SchoolSean Stouffer 10 Trombone Don Bosco PrepNick Wekselblatt 9 Bari Saxophone New Milford High SchoolSam Wekselblatt 11 Tuba New Milford High SchoolCarla Whittaker 11 Clarinet Ridgewood High SchoolChris Winiarski 10 Tuba Ramapo High SchoolJack Wyman 10 Trumpet Pascack Hills High SchoolSarah Yae 10 Flute Northern Valley Reg OTDaniel Zapata 12 Percussion North Bergen High SchoolJoshua Zonenashvili 10 Bassoon Paramus High School

Dr. Christian Wilhjelm, conductor, professional musician and educator, has been the Ridgewood Concert Band’s Musical Director since it was founded in 1983. He was also Music Director of the renowned Goldman Memorial Band in New York City. As a guest conductor, Dr. Wilhjelm has conducted the West Point Band, the United States Army Field Band, the Virginia Wind Symphony, the Allentown Band, the Hanover Winds, the Raritan Wind Symphony, and the Norwalk Symphony. Dr. Wilhjelm has been the conductor of the annual New York City Tuba Christmas since 2000. He was recently appointed the conductor of the Ramapo College Concert Band. As a French horn player, he has performed under the world’s great conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Sir Colin Davis and Arthur Fiedler. Dr. Wilhjelm has played the French horn with the Boston Symphony, the Boston Pops and, as a principal, with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, the Boston Opera Orchestra and the Richmond Symphony. An honors graduate of the New England Conservatory, he received his doctorate from Columbia University in 1998. He has been the band director at Pascack Hills High School since 1984. Dr. Wilhjelm was recently honored by his election to American Bandmasters Association. He is the 2012 recipient of the Outstanding Conductor Award presented by the Association of Concert Bands. Dr Wilhjelm is the state chair for the National Band Association. In 2013, he was elected to the Board of Directors for the Association of Concert Bands.

The Ridgewood Concert Band (RCB), in its 32nd season, is one of the leading wind ensembles in the United States. Founded by community leaders, dedicated musicians and Music Director Chris Wilhjelm in 1983, the RCB is committed to engaging and inspiring our audiences with the finest in traditional and contemporary wind literature. Led by Dr. Wilhjelm, the band is composed of professional,

amateur and student players drawn from across the tri-state area. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FLUTES Jill Bloom

Carolyn Crumb Marissa Fleming

Lisandra Hernandez Heidi Kolb

Jennifer Kasyan Annette Lieb Diana Rettie *

Tomomi Takamoto Max Taylor-Piccolo

Jennifer Wise

OBOES Mary Lou Irvine* Andrea Nowalk

BASSOONS Bob Gray*

Andy Stachow

CLARINETS Jeffrey Bittner

Suzanne Coletta Naomi Freshwater

Ashley Grutta Joe Mariany

Michelle McGuire (&Eb) Leigh Myers

Marcie Phelan Jean Roughgarden Rachel Schulman

Beth Seavers Neil Sheehan

Karen Summers Richard Summers *

Janet Vidovich

BASS CLARINETS Glenn Chernicky

Bianca D’Agostaro Joel Kolk *

SAXOPHONES

Lois Hicks-Wozniak* - Alto Deanna Loertscher - Alto Jacqueline Sarracco - Alto

Andre Baruch - Tenor Erik Sloezen - Tenor

Michael De Pompeo-Baritone

CORNETS/TRUMPETS Dave Bychek Mike Connor

Alecia DeJoseph Brian Fleming David Hurd

Amanda Innis David Luquette Danny Osorio Michael Russo Ann Sirinides Tony Spinuzzi Joseph Stella

Roger Widicus *

FRENCH HORNS Mark Holodak

Carolyn Kirby * Brian McLaughlin

Bryan Meyer Deloss Schertz

TROMBONES Tom Abbate

Noreen Baer * Lloyd DeVries

Stephanie Dutcher Paul Kirby

Keith Marson Federico Perez

EUPHONIUMS Robyn Keyes

John Palatucci * Donald Van Teyens

TUBAS

Michael Gould Robert Sacchi *

CELLO

Hannah Reasoner Olivia Rutler

GUITAR

Kyosuke Nonoyama

STRING BASS David Marks

HARP

Irene Bressler

PIANO Ron Levy

PERCUSSION Nick Dekens

Andrew Haderthauer James Mallen

Adrienne Ostrander Chris Tarantino

Mark Zettler

* PRINCIPAL

___________________________

ASSOCIATE CONDUCTORS John Palatucci

Richard Summers

LIBRARIAN Dave Bychek

PERSONNEL MANAGER

Richard Summers

STAGE MANAGER Tony Spinuzzi

BOX OFFICE

Marilyn Wagner

PARKING DIRECTOR John Hahn

WEB ADMINISTRATOR

Deloss Schertz

PROGRAM DESIGN Joseph Stella

Prelude by the Westfield Concert Band Thomas Connors, Director

Prelude from Richard III - William Walton Valse Triste - Jean Sibelius, transcribed by Mayhew Lake

Handel In the Strand - Percy Grainger, transcribed by Richard Franko Goldman

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overture to Italian in Algiers Gioacchino Rossini Arranged by Lucien Cailliet

Concerto for Flute No. 2 in D Major Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Movement 1 - Allegro aperto Arranged by Ervin Monroe

Stephanie Pizza, Flute 2014-15 RCB Youth Soloist Award Winner

The Invincible Eagle March John Philip Sousa Edited by James F. Keene

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Medley The Beatles Transcribed/Arranged by David Avshalomov

INTERMISSION

The Ridgewood Concert Band Side-by-Side Symphonic Band:

Bonnie Annie Laurie March John Philip Sousa Arranged by Robert E. Foster

Heidi Kolb, conductor

Presentation of the 2014-2015 Ridgewood Concert Band Youth Soloist Awards

Shenandoah Frank Ticheli Alecia DeJoseph, conductor

Joyful Theme from Ludwig Van Beethoven's 9th Symphony Arranged by Michael Treni

*Flash photography and audio or video recording of this concert is strictly prohibited.*

DR. CHRISTIAN WILHJELM, MUSIC DIRECTOR

PROGRAM

Dr. Christian Wilhjelm, conductor, professional musician and educator, has been the Ridgewood Concert Band’s Musical Director since it was founded in 1983. He was also Music Director of the renowned Goldman Memorial Band in New York City. As a guest conductor, Dr. Wilhjelm has conducted the West Point Band, the United States Army Field Band, the Virginia Wind Symphony, the Allentown Band, the Hanover Winds, the Raritan Wind Symphony, and the Norwalk Symphony. Dr. Wilhjelm has been the conductor of the annual New York City Tuba Christmas since 2000. He was recently appointed the conductor of the Ramapo College Concert Band. As a French horn player, he has performed under the world’s great conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Sir Colin Davis and Arthur Fiedler. Dr. Wilhjelm has played the French horn with the Boston Symphony, the Boston Pops and, as a principal, with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, the Boston Opera Orchestra and the Richmond Symphony. An honors graduate of the New England Conservatory, he received his doctorate from Columbia University in 1998. He has been the band director at Pascack Hills High School since 1984. Dr. Wilhjelm was recently honored by his election to American Bandmasters Association. He is the 2012 recipient of the Outstanding Conductor Award presented by the Association of Concert Bands. Dr Wilhjelm is the state chair for the National Band Association. In 2013, he was elected to the Board of Directors for the Association of Concert Bands.

The Ridgewood Concert Band (RCB), in its 32nd season, is one of the leading wind ensembles in the United States. Founded by community leaders, dedicated musicians and Music Director Chris Wilhjelm in 1983, the RCB is committed to engaging and inspiring our audiences with the finest in traditional and contemporary wind literature. Led by Dr. Wilhjelm, the band is composed of professional,

amateur and student players drawn from across the tri-state area. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SIDE-BY-SIDE STUDENT MUSICIANS One of the most important missions of the Ridgewood Concert Band is to reach out to the youth in our area and expose them to fine wind ensemble literature and performance. With this in mind, Dr. Chris Wilhjelm suggested that we set up a concert in which deserving high school students would have the opportunity to play side-by-side with the musicians in the RCB and prepare several works that would challenge them musically and involve them in a professional level performance situation. Music teachers from the RCB and area high schools made their recommendations, and we are delighted this evening to host the 7th Annual “Side-by-Side Concert.” The music you will hear during the second half of tonight’s concert is the result of hours of personal practice as well as joint rehearsals with the students and the RCB. It is our hope that the students and you, our audience, will find this annual event both educational and enjoyable. Below are the names of the student participants. We are grateful to them, their teachers, their parents, Dr. Chris Wilhjelm and the Side-by-Side Committee (Heidi Kolb, Alecia DeJoseph, and Dave Bychek) for making this performance possible. We would also like to give a special "thanks" to Music & Arts in Paramus for donating the student folders.

First Name Last Name Grade Instrument SchoolNaseeb Ally 12 Oboe Pascack Hills High SchoolMadison Asch 9 Oboe Midland Park High SchoolAngie Bellanich 11 Clarinet New Milford High SchoolMargy Benavides 11 Alto Saxophone North Bergen High SchoolMichelle Cascione 9 Bass Clarinet Paramus High SchoolShannon Christensen 9 Tenor Saxophone New Milford High SchoolCody Cline 10 Trombone Butler High SchoolDan Collins 11 Tuba Midland Park High SchoolDaniel D'Amico 12 Trumpet Ramapo High SchoolJacob Davis 10 Tenor Saxophone Mahwah High SchoolKristen DiLorenzo 11 Flute Westwood High SchoolCarolyn Douthat 9 Trumpet Wayne Valley High SchoolPeter Drum 12 Trumpet Pascack Hills High SchoolMatthew Fiengo 12 Euphonium West Milford High SchoolAmanda Flanagan 11 Clarinet West Morris High SchoolFiona Fujita 11 Clarinet Paramus High SchoolAmanda Garcia 9 Flute Midland Park High SchoolChristina George 12 Flute/Piccolo Kittatinny Regional High SchoolAnne Glerum 11 Clarinet Ramsey High SchoolRyan Griffin 9 Clarinet Waldwick High SchoolBenjamin Harris 9 Alto Saxophone Paramus High SchoolJulia Haviland 11 Flute North Bergen High SchoolPaula Heredia 11 Trumpet North Bergen High SchoolUlala Hoshino 9 Baritone Midland Park High SchoolKelly James 12 Percussion Ramapo High SchoolCatherine Janson 12 French Horn Ridgewood High SchoolNatalie Kowalski 10 Clarinet Butler High SchoolRebecca Kronyak 11 Alto Saxophone West Milford High SchoolNicholas Lauerwald 10 Clarinet Mahwah High SchoolHeather Lazoff 11 Clarinet Lakeland Regional High SchoolAlan Lazoff 12 Trumpet Lakeland Regional High SchoolTara Levine 11 Flute New Milford High SchoolBrian Lim 10 Clarinet Ramapo High SchoolChristine Malapit 11 Flute New Milford High SchoolRose Martus 12 Flute West Milford High SchoolZach McIntyre 11 French Horn West Milford High SchoolScarleth Mejia 11 Flute North Bergen High SchoolCara Montella 12 Trombone Waldwick High SchoolVictor Nazzaro 10 Clarinet Morristown High SchoolZoe Orlino 11 Flute/Piccolo New Milford High SchoolMax Piasevoli 11 Alto Saxophone New Milford High SchoolJon Pinon 12 Euphonium Livingston Hgh SchoolStephanie Pizza 11 Flute Ridgewood High SchoolMatthew Rizzo 12 Trombone Ramapo High SchoolDaniella Roitman 12 Double Bass Pascack Hills High SchoolAdam Romano 10 Percussion Paramus High SchoolAlexis Silverman 11 Bass Clarinet West Milford High SchoolKelly Sondermeyer 10 Clarinet Butler High SchoolDavid Stein 9 Tuba Morristown High SchoolCharlie Sternberg 12 Trombone New Milford High SchoolSean Stouffer 10 Trombone Don Bosco PrepNick Wekselblatt 9 Bari Saxophone New Milford High SchoolSam Wekselblatt 11 Tuba New Milford High SchoolCarla Whittaker 11 Clarinet Ridgewood High SchoolChris Winiarski 10 Tuba Ramapo High SchoolJack Wyman 10 Trumpet Pascack Hills High SchoolSarah Yae 10 Flute Northern Valley Reg OTDaniel Zapata 12 Percussion North Bergen High SchoolJoshua Zonenashvili 10 Bassoon Paramus High School

PROGRAM NOTES Italian in Algiers Overture – Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) was born into a musical Italian family and composed more than thirty operas. Curiously, though he lived to be 76, he ceased writing opera at age 37. Although Rossini composed his first comic opera at age 18, it is this one, written three years later, that is considered his first mature work in the genre. Rumored to have been written in only two and a half weeks, it was his first work to gain him international recognition. The bubbly music of the overture hints of the fun to come when the curtain would rise on the comic opera. Although the composer’s William Tell Overture is more widely known, this is also a favorite, for it holds the distinct Rossini style that is so exciting to the listener. Flute Concerto No. 2 in D – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). History records that the flute was not Mozart’s favorite instrument, yet his flute concerti are ranked exceptionally high in the music world. Due to a time constraint, Mozart actually borrowed from his own Oboe Concerto in C and composed this Flute Concerto No. 2 in D. To the benefit of the flute repertoire, the translation of the oboe concerto is not an exact copy and is able to show off both the virtuosic technicality of the soloist along with the beautiful finesse the flute can bring to the piece. Mozart recreated a concerto that is exposing and challenging, yet lying perfectly within the range of the instrument. It has proven to be an excellent showpiece for the most virtuosic soloists. The Invincible Eagle – John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) composed this march for his band's performance at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, in 1901. He considered naming it “The Spirit of Niagara” in recognition of the exposition, but decided not to localize it because he thought his new march might eventually rival The Stars and Stripes Forever. Soon after its premiere, Sousa described the conviction and spirit, which compelled him to compose this march in his own words, "It is what I call one of my sunshine marches. Some of my heavy marches are intended to convey the impression of the stir and strife of warfare, but The Invincible Eagle shows the military spirit at its lightest and brightest – the parade spirit . . . with the bravery of uniform, the sheen of silken stands, and the gleam of polished steel.”

In 1962, Richard Lane signed on as pianist for the club, beginning a distinguished career that would continue for 42 years until his death in 2004. A brilliant composer and teacher, Lane wrote 20 numbers for the Club and today’s concerts always feature at least one of Richard’s compositions. In the Spring of 2005, the Chorus made its Lincoln Center debut, performing at the Lincoln Center Library with the Palisades Virtuosi Chamber Ensemble. Additional performances in recent years have included concerts at the Kasschau Memorial Band Shell in Ridgewood, singing in Ridgewood’s Independence Day parade, area churches, and in November 2009, a presentation of Beethoven’s Fantasia for Piano, Chorus, and Orhcestra, Op. 80 (the Choral Fantasy) with the Ridgewood Choral, the Ridgewood High School Chamber Choir, and the Eastern Christian High School Chorus. Most recently the Club, in partnership with the New Jersey Choral Consortium, hosted a state-wide men’s chorus festival at Rutgers University. Richard Lane’s composition declares: “We are men who like to sing. We are the men of Orpheus” and for more than 100 years this has been their mission and their goal. Dr. Thomas Connors is Director of Instrumental Music and Conducting Studies at Kean University where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds as well as teaching conducting and instrumental music method courses. Prior to his arrival at Kean, he was the assistant Director of Bands and The Director of Athletic Bands at Kent State University. Before moving to the college ranks he taught for 10 years in the public schools in New Hampshire and New York. Dr. Connors holds a Ph.D. in music education from Florida State University, a M.M. in conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music and double degrees from Berklee College of Music in composition and music education. In addition to being an active guest conductor and clinician in several states he is also an active member of several professional organizations including: CBDNA, WASBE, NAFME and The New Jersey Music Educators where he served for seven years on the board. He is also a founding member and current board member of the New Jersey Band Association. For the past 10 years Dr. Connors has also served as the Music Director of the Westfield Concert Band, one of the nations oldest community based bands, currently celebrating 103 years of performance. The ensemble is composed of over 60 music educators and other talented amateur musicians from central New Jersey.

Flutist Stephanie Pizza is a junior at Ridgewood High School. Stephanie studies flute in the honors program at Mannes College - Preparatory Division with Judith Mendenhall, where she performs with the Philharmonic Orchestra on both piccolo and flute. Stephanie has won a number of awards and honors including: Gold Winner in the International Virtuoso Competition (2014), winner of the New York Flute Club Young Musician’s Contest (2010, 2013) and first prize winner in the Alexander and Buono International Flute Competition (2011). As a first prize winner of the Alexander and Buono International Flute Competition, Stephanie performed in recital at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Stephanie was a national finalist in the Music Teacher’s National Association Young Musician’s Competition (2012). She also

was the grand prize winner of the Wagner College Young Musician’s Competition (2011). Stephanie has been awarded a seat in Bergen County and New Jersey Region I Honors Bands every year since seventh grade. This year Stephanie was selected to perform in the New Jersey All State Symphonic Band on both piccolo and flute. Upon entering high school Stephanie was awarded a position in the Connor Donohue Fellowship, where she enjoys participating in many musical activities. Stephanie is a member of the Ridgewood High School Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Mr. Jeffrey Haas and flute ensemble coached by Alison Crossley. Stephanie was the flutist in her high school productions of Aida, Footloose, The Wiz and Shrek, conducted by Mr. Gary Fink. Stephanie is also a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Stephanie would like to thank all of her teachers for their instruction and guidance, and her family and friends for their never ending support. The Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus On October 11, 1909, eight men met at the Ridgewood home of Frank R. Pawley to discuss a men’s singing club. A week later, ten men gathered to sing in the Village Library, a room in the First National Bank building. The group paid 75 cents per night to use the room and began singing together, with Dewitt Clinton, Jr. as director. The Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus was born. Others joined the club and by December of 1909 it was agreed a concert would be presented. Their first performance was in May of 1910. The opening number in that concert was the rousing “Winter Song.” Club membership quickly rose from the 18 who sang the first concert to 35. The members met weekly on Wednesdays from October to May, and in 1913 the club gave it’s first performance of “Pilgrim's Chorus” from Wagner’s Tannhäuser. Variety in repertoire was common in Orpheus Club concerts. A program might include “The Boog-a-Boo,” a ragtime number, “Old Black Joe,” the Stephen Foster parlor song, comedy numbers like “But They Didn’t,” and classics, sometimes sung in French or German. Ten years after its founding, the Orpheus Club was making guest appearances around New Jersey and New York. As the years continued, the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus remained a significant part of New Jersey’s cultural life. When the Kasschau Memorial Band Shell was dedicated in Ridgewood, the club sang at the inauguration. Presently, the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus includes about 50 singers from New York and New Jersey, and generally makes eight to 10 appearances annually including four formal concerts. The Club has performed with the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea. The men of Orpheus have joined with the Ridgewood Choral to sing and have previously appeared with the Ridgewood Concert Band to sing the music of Aaron Copland and Richard Wagner.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Medley – Transcribed/ Arranged by David Avshalomov (b.1946). The impact of the Beatles has often been noted but cannot be overstated. The “Fab Four” from Liverpool, England startled the ears and energized the lives of virtually all who heard them. Landing on American shores in February of 1964, they literally stood the world of pop culture on its head. The Beatles’ success can be attributed to a combination of factors, including John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s songwriting genius, George Harrison’s guitar playing prowess, Ringo Starr’s artful simplicity as a drummer, and the solid group harmonies that were a hallmark of their recordings. It was after they retired from touring and became a group performing only in the studio that they created the artistic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album that many would cite as the ultimate creative standard for Rock and Roll. David Avshalomov has transcribed this medley for male chorus and band allowing us to go back in time and enjoy melodies and harmonies that have become timeless. Listening to this medley lets us understand why the Beatles remain the most enduring phenomenon in the history of popular music. Bonnie Annie Laurie March – John Philip Sousa (1854-1932). According to the Sousa scholar, Paul Bierley, Sousa often remarked that the old Scottish ballad “Annie Laurie” was the most beautiful of all folk songs. In 1883 he wrote the march Bonnie Annie Laurie, based on this favored melody. It begins with two strains of original Sousa materials. At the trio of this da capo march he introduces a delightful original tune that later turns out to be a counterpoint to Annie Laurie. Sousa was to use this charming compositional device again whenever his later marches were about to introduce well-known melodies. Shenandoah – Frank Ticheli (b.1958) is an American composer of orchestral, choral, chamber, and concert band works. He lives in Los Angeles, California, where he is Professor of Composition at the University of Southern California. He is the recipient of numerous awards and has an extensive library of publications. A number of his works are particularly notable, as they have become standards in the concert band repertoire. The composer describes this piece in his own words: “In my setting of Shenandoah I was inspired by the freedom and beauty of the folk melody and by the natural images evoked by the words, especially the image of a river. I was less concerned with the sound of a rolling river than with its life-affirming energy – its timelessness. Sometimes the accompaniment flows quietly under the melody; other times it breathes alongside it. The work’s mood ranges from quiet reflection, through growing optimism, to profound exultation.” Program Notes compiled by Marcie Phelan

RIDGEWOOD CONCERT BAND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

PRESIDENT: Mark Zettler

VICE PRESIDENT:

John Wagner

RECORDING SECRETARY: Annette Lieb

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY:

Mary Nussear

TREASURER: Neil Sheehan

MEMBERS AT LARGE: Noreen Baer

Annette Baron John Butler

Mike DePompeo Lawrence Friedman

Carolyn Kirby Kathleen Peters

Philip Peters Thomas P. Price Deloss Schertz Beth Seavers

THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS

FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF LOYAL SUPPORT!

BOX OFFICE: Sylvia DeVries, Kathy Smith & Keiji Takamoto PROGRAM NOTES: Marcie Phelan

PUBLICITY: Beth Seavers RECEPTION: Kathleen Peters, Phil Biello

RECORDING: Noreen Baer REFRESHMENTS: Mike DePompeo

STAGING: Tony Spinuzzi, Mike DePompeo & Bob Sacchi USHERS: Ginny Baird, John Butler, Darel DePompeo

& Nancy Zweil

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Printing of this program generously underwritten by Konica Minolta Business Solutions.

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Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, through grant

funds administered by the Bergen County Department of Parks, Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs. ________________________________________________________________________

The Ridgewood Concert Band would like to thank all of the many volunteers who have made this concert possible.

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The Ridgewood Concert Band would like to give a special “thank you” to the Pascack Valley Regional

High School District. The Pascack Hills High School Band room is our weekly rehearsal site.

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Dr. Christian Wilhjelm, Music Director


FEATURED GUEST SOLOIST Stephanie Pizza, Flute

2014-2015 RCB Youth Soloist Competition Winner

FEATURED GUEST ARTISTS The Orpheus Club Men's Chorus

PRELUDE CONCERT - 7:30 PM Westfield Concert Band

Thomas Connors, Director

Friday, May 8, 2015 - 8:00 PM West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, NJ

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. is a Proud Sponsor of

the Ridgewood Concert Band

BENEFACTOR ($3,000 and above) Lindsay B. Gallagher

Thomas & Victoria Price Merrill Lynch Wealth Management/

Bank of America Corp.

PATRON ($2,000 to $2,999) Carolyn & Howard Crumb

SPONSOR ($1,000 to $1,999)

Emilio & Maria Uriarte In Memory of John Rodland In Memory of Warren Grim

Judith Widicus Daichii Sankyo, Inc.

SUPPORTER ($500 to $999)

Barbara Abney Bolger Darel & Michael DePompeo

Lawrence & Donna Friedman, in support of the Ridgewood Concert Band Society

Joel Kolk Keith Mogerley

Randy F. Reveley John & Marilyn Wagner

Patricia & Frederick Yosca PVH Corporation

ASSOCIATE ($250 to $499)

Paul & Mary Bergquist John G. Bolger

Naomi Freshwater Paul Goldberg

Paul & Carolyn Kirby Dorothy S. Neff

Kathleen & John J. Palatucci Carol & Neil Sheehan

BNY Mellon Community Partnership Costco of Hackensack

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC. Plymouth Rock Foundation Whole Foods of Ridgewood

AFFILIATE ($100 to $249)

John & Louise Butler David & Jacalyn Bychek

James Demes Sally Fillmore

Capt. Kenneth Force Frank & Loretta Healey

Marie Kane Jill Keller

Cheryl & James Mallen Joseph & Deborah Marsicovete Jerrold, Mary A. & Leah Meyer

Irene Montella Mary & Michael Nussear

Marcella Phelan Deloss Schertz & Rose Kraybill

Francis & Barbara Schott Ted & Evelyn Slockbower Richard & Karen Summers

Kathleen & Harold Sylvester Janice Willett

Nancy E. Zweil Blue Moon Cafe

FRIEND ($1 to $99)

Virginia Baird Eileen Beaumel

Richard & Janet Boziwick Vincent & Marianne DeDea

Michelle Dugan Sue & Ira Emanuel Vicki Fiore, M.D. Katherine Grasso Richard F. Hahn

Carol & Richard Holodak Richard & Katherine Innis

Janet Johnston Judith & David Maron

Betsy Murphy Walter & Diana Perog

Samantha Price-Koontz Albert W. Schagen Edward J. Schlamp

Beth Seavers Ann Sirinides

Virginia Sirinides David Sternberg

Alexander & Deborah Taylor Jon Thurlow

William D. & Helen L. Thurlow Richard & Jessie VerHage

Janet Vidovich Mark & Andrea Zettler

Amazon Smile Foundation Tito’s Burritos of Ridgewood

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may have received your name too late to include in this program and we apologize for that, but you will be in subsequent programs.

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2014-15 CONTRIBUTORS The Ridgewood Concert Band gratefully acknowledges the support of our donors

and subscribers whose generous support makes these programs possible.

Season 32, Concert 5 - May 8, 2015


season 32, concert 5 may 8, 2015 the annual generations ...flute concerto no. 2 in d – wolfgang...

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