The Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra

K u a n F e n L i u, A r t i s t ic D i r e c t o r

7 May 201712 May 2017

www.chicovc.org

© 2015 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.SUP021 CRC 978742 08/14 CS 7903060 08/14

Proud Supporter Morgan Stanley is proud to support Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra. The Soter Group David Soter Senior Investment Management Consultant Senior Vice President Wealth Advisor 300 Esplanade Dr Oxnard, CA 93036 (805) 278-3617 david.soter@morganstanley.com www.morganstanleyfa.com/sotergroup

Channel Islands Choral Association Thank you for your support! Clifford and Beverly Aggen Dianna Burdick Glenda and Stephen Clift Chris and Pat Ehret Diane Fisher and Ivar Tombach Betty Harris Suzanna Harris KuanFen Liu and Jim Huang Barbara and Sudipta Ghosh Michael and Karen Mayer Elizabeth and Ignacio Mendiguren Quint and Kelly Morris William and Sharon Hillbrant Mayse Lai and Mark Smith Lawrence and Margery Lewis Hillary and Stella Ling Peggy and Alan Ludington Susan Van Abel and Eric Oltman Oberdon and Vanessa Otto Karen Romney Joan and Bob Rust Gil and Edith Pableo Edward and Molly Pei Fred and Barbara Tomblin Patti Sherwood Zane and Ann Smith Les Vielbig Jen Min and Shu Huan Wang

Channel Islands Chamber OrchestraChannel Islands Choral Association

CSU Channel Islands University Choir

andKuanFen Liu,

Artistic Director and Conductor

present:

Choral Spectacular!Season Sponsors

Mark and Janet GoldensonJohn Hammer

Vielbig Family Foundationand the players of the

Concert SponsorsFred & Barbara Tomblin Charitable Fund

Laby Family Foundation

Sunday, May 7th at 3:00 pmFriday, May 12th at 7:00 pm

P r o g r a m

Singet dem Herr nein neues Lied, BWV 22 Johann Sebastian Bach For double chorus (1685-1750)

Ave verum corpus, K.618 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (May 12th performance only) (1756-1791) Rancho Campana High School Choir

Corey Branchflower, director

B r i e f I n t e r m i s s i o on

Requiem in D minor, K. 626 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) (Completed by Franz Süssmayr)

Amanda Benjamin, sopranoMolly Kohler Pei, mezzo soprano

Zachary Mendez, tenorDean Butler, bass-baritone

This event is partially sponsored by the CSU Channel Islands Instructionally Related Activities Fund

P r o g r a m N o t e sJohann Sebastian Bach’s motet, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (Sing Unto the Lord a New Song), was first performed in Leipzig around 1727. It is one of the six authenticated motets (short pieces of polyphonic choral music) attributed to Bach. It’s a very ambitious work, which Bach seems to have thought of it as a sort of three-movement choral concerto, a concerto moreover that demands considerable virtuosity of its singers.

The text of the three-movement motet is in German: from Psalm 149:1–3 for its first movement, from the third stanza of a 1530 hymn after Psalm 103 by Johann Gramann for the second movement, and from Psalm 150:2 and 6 for its third move-ment.

The motet is designed for double-choir (eight voices divided into two four-part choirs). It may have been composed to provide choral exercises for Bach´s students at the Thomasschule -- the school at the Thomaskirche [St. Thomas Church] in Leipzig, where he was musical director for the last 27 years of his life.

Its first movement is on a very grand scale with innumerable repetitions of the word ‘Singet’ (sing!) from one choir, which the other choir follows and embellishes in close order. Bach’s idea here was to create the effect of shouts of joy echoing and re-echoing without end.

The second movement’s relative simplicity contrasts with the intricate counter-point that preceded it.

The two-part final movement starts with the choir vigorously singing ‘Lobet den Herrn’ (Praise the Lord). This movement is far less complex than the first move-ment and concludes with the choirs singing in unison in a wonderful fugue.

The influence of this motet has extended well beyond Bach’s lifetime. When Mozart heard the motet he declared joyfully: ‘Now, there is something one can learn from’! Mozart undoubtedly did learn from Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied; indeed, its influence shows in his Requiem.

Mozart composed the Requiem Mass in D minor in Vienna in 1791. It was left unfinished at his death on 5 December the same year. A completion by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered in 1792 to the eccentric Count Franz von Walsegg, who had commissioned the Requiem from Mozart anonymously through intermediaries.

P r o g r a m N o t e s (c o n t.)Mozart’s own last manuscript of the Requiem contains the finished and orchestrated Introit, as well as detailed drafts of the Kyrie and the sequence Dies irae as far as the first eight bars of the Lacrymosa movement, and the Offertory. Occasionally, some of the prominent orchestral parts were briefly indicated, and the vocal parts and the continuo were fully notated. To complete the composition, Süssmayr added his own orchestration to the move-ments from the Kyrie onward, completed the Lacrymosa, and added several new movements that a Requiem would normally contain: the Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. He then added a final section, Lux aeterna, by adapting the opening two movements, which Mozart had written, to the different words that finish the Requiem mass.

Stylistically, for his Requiem, Mozart merged features of earlier repertoire with the advances he had made in his own music. Unusually for the time, toward the end of his life Mozart devoured all he could of the music of Handel and Bach and earlier com-posers. He knew Handel’s Messiah inside out, having made a new orchestration of the oratorio. As a result, at times there are noticeable similarities between rhythms and motifs in the Requiem and in Messiah.

Maybe the reality and myths around Mozart’s death play a part, but the music of the Requiem is uniquely heartbreaking. For example, coming in between the choral pil-lars of the Rex Tremendae and the Confutatis, the four-singer intimacy and tender-ness of the Recordare is powerful in its beauty as the Requiem’s only vision of a world not wracked by pain or lament -- a fleeting glimpse of serenity. Then, the weeping nature of the melody of the Lacrymosa fosters a completely different mood. There’s an endless fascination in the astonishing music Mozart did manage to compose.

M e e t T h e A r t i s t s Amanda Benjamin is delighted to collaborate once more with the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra and Dr. KuanFen Liu after a wonderful “Night at the Opera” concert. Originally from Northern California, Amanda studied vocal performance at the University of California at Davis and then moved to Southern California to estab-lish a career. Amanda has recently appeared in both musicals and operas throughout Southern California. In opera Amanda has performed in roles such as Gretel in Black Tie Opera’s production of “Hansel and Gretel”, Barbarina in Independent Opera’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” where she simultaneously covered the role of Susanna, and por-trayed First Spirit in Center Stage Opera’s “Die Zaüberflöte”. Notable characters Amanda has portrayed In musical theater include Little Red in Center Stage Opera’s “Into the Woods”, Madame de la Grand Bouche in Whittier Community Theater’s “Beauty and the Beast”, and Christine Daae in a Phantom of the Opera revue through-out Los Angeles. She has also portrayed characters such as Elphaba, Diana Morales, and Annie Oakley in concert. Dean Butler, has enjoyed singing baritone in oratorio, opera and musical theater since the age of 19. Previously, Mr. Butler has been a featured oratorio and opera soloist with several regional programs and orchestras in multiple cities throughout the country with repertoire consisting of Bach’s St. John Passion, Handel’s Messi-ah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Dubois’ Seven Last Words of Christ. Additionally, Mr. Butler’s operatic repertoire consists of Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Papag-eno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Figaro in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Don Pizarro in Beethoven’s Fidelio. Mr. Butler equally shares a great love for musical the-ater having honed his craft performing principal roles in summer stock productions of Little Shop of Horrors, Annie Get Your Gun, Godspell, and Gilbert and Sullivan’s, The Pirates of Penzance. Mr. Butler has enjoyed his participation with several out-standing opera and choral repertory companies throughout the U.S., including the Knoxville Choral Society, Kentucky Opera, the Stephen Foster Drama Association, Louisville Master Chorale, Cincinnati May Festival Chorus, and Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. He is privileged to have performed many premier choral works under the batons of Robert Shaw, Michael Tilson Thomas, John Rutter and Jester Hairston along with the symphony orchestras of Knoxville, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Tampa. Holding a bachelor’s degree in conducting and vocal performance from Carson-New-man University in Tennessee, as well as, a master’s degree in vocal pedagogy from Southern Theological Seminary in Kentucky, Mr. Butler toured the world for over 15 years conducting choirs throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Chile, and New Zealand for the nonprofit music organization, Continental Singers. In 1996, he conducted the commissioned musical, David, based on the life of the biblical king, at the Citadel of David in Jerusalem, in honor of that city’s 3000th anniversary, and returned to Is-

rael in 2000 for an encore performance in honor of Bethlehem’s 2000th anniversary.Currently living in Camarillo with his wife, a biology teacher at Rancho Campana High School, and young son, Mr. Butler is a recent graduate of California State University, Channel Islands, receiving his teaching credential as an Education Specialist. He cur-rently teaches Special Education at Rancho Rosal Elementary, and serves on Pleasant Valley School District’s Special Education Leadership Team.

Tenor Zachary Mendez is thrilled to be making his second appearance as a soloist with CHICO. As an MM/DMA candidate for voice and opera at UC Santa Barbara, he performs throughout Southern California. Recently, Mr. Mendez was featured as a Young Artist at SongFest in Los Angeles where he had the opportunity to work with leading musicians such as Jake Heggie, John Musto, John Harbison, Roger Vignoles, Margo Garrett, Anthony Dean Griffey, and Susanne Mentzer. Recent engagements have included roles with the California Opera Association and Opera Santa Barbara.Past roles include Captain Macheath in Benjamin Britten’s The Beggar’s Opera and Tapioca in Chabrier’s L’Étoile. In April, 2015 he appeared at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters singing the role of Narcissus in the original cast of Echo, a new chamber opera by Davis Good. As a soloist Mr. Mendez has been featured with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic and Choirs in CMU’s annual Holiday Concert, broadcast live on WQED Radio. He has also participated in several young artist programs, including the Accademia Vocale Lorenzo Malfatti in Lucca, Italy (2015), the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria (2014), and the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Maiori, Italy (2013).Mr. Mendez is a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.

Molly Kohler Pei enjoys a well-rounded performing arts career as a singer, actor, and voice actor and is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. As a principal soloist, she has performed on numerous occasions with the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra and is a member of Areté Vocal Ensemble based in Thousand Oaks. Combining her talents as a musician and actor, she has enjoyed additional collaboration with CHICO as the narrator for Carnival of the Animals and Peter and the Wolf. She serves on the board of directors for Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA), a non-profit with a mission to bring vocal music education and performance opportunities to residents of Ventura County. CICA sponsors the CSU Channel Islands Choir and the Pleasant Valley School District Chorus.

Since her 1999 arrival in Southern California, Dr. KuanFen Liu has been focused on building community in the performing arts in Ventura County. In 2004, this com-munity building led Dr. Liu to found both the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO) and the Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA). These organizations are expressions of Dr. Liu’s vision of bringing classical music to a broad range of au-diences and educating communities on its value and versatility.

The Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra features professional musicians who live and perform in Ventura County. Under Dr. Liu’s leadership, CHICO provides ten concerts annually for audiences throughout the Ventura County. CICA is affiliated with California State University Channel Islands and has singers from all over Ventu-ra County. Performers also include faculty, staff members, students, and alumni from CSU Channel Islands. As part of Dr. Liu’s artistic direction, both CHICO and CICA engage in extensive outreach, including performances at schools, nursing homes, and correctional facilities.Since 2004, Dr. Liu has been on the faculty of the Performing Arts Program at CSU Channel Islands, where she teaches Music Theory, Music Appreciation, Music in History, and other performing arts courses. She was also the Chancel Music Direc-tor at First United Methodist Church in Ventura, a post she held between 1999 and 2016. As Chancel Music Director, she oversaw music planning for traditional wor-ship, prepared and directed the Chancel Choir for Sunday worship, annual concerts and musical outreach.Originally from Taiwan, Dr. Liu began her study of piano and music theory at the age of five, and not long after added violin and voice training. She holds a Bache-lor of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance from Tunghai University in Taiwan, a Master of Music degree in Conducting from the Eastman School, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral and Sacred Music from Thornton School of Music at USC. As a student, Dr. Liu received numerous scholarships and honors, including the USC Scholarship of Merit and Teaching Assistantship and the Choral and Sacred Music Department Honor Award.Dr. Liu has participated in some of the finest music ensembles and workshops throughout the country, including the Robert Shaw Carnegie Hall Workshop Cho-rus, and has toured internationally. While at USC, she toured with the USC Cham-ber Choir and competed in European Grand Prix Choral Competitions in Spain and France and in a European Regional Choral Competition in France. The chamber choir was awarded the Grand Prix in 2001. In the summer of 2006, Dr. Liu was one of the twelve people chosen to work with the world-renowned German conduc-tor Maestro Helmuth Rilling in the prestigious Oregon Bach Festival, where she re-hearsed and conducted the festival chorus and orchestra.Dr. Liu has studied choral conducting with William Dehning and William Weiner and orchestral conducting with Mark Gibson and David Effron. She has also partic-ipated in masterclasses and workshops with Robert Shaw, Charles Dutoit, Helmuth Rilling, Joseph Flummerfelt, James Jordan and Dale Warland. Dr. Liu currently lives in Camarillo, California with her husband, the Rev. Jimmy Huang, and their daugh-ter, Terilyn Huang.

SopranoJennifer Baker Noemi Castañeda Melissa E. Cohen Beth Cook Sandy Danielson Sharon Hillbrant Julie Lewis* Merilee McHenry Molly Kohler Pei Joan Luoto Rust Teagan Walsh Lissa White

AltoJeehan Abdullah Lauren Alvarado Maureen Archer Wendi Butler Valerie Caulk Glenda Clift Loni Kate English Ria Fidler Denise Garcia Kaitlin Gerds Barbara Ghosh Sidra Ginzburg Renata Hundley Stephanie Llamas Stephanie Mamonova Cee Cee Mills Editha Pableo* Elizabeth RossbacherKathy Walker

TenorAuddy Anilao II Dean Butler Steve Harbison Tyler Kimball Michael Mayer* Bill Milton Jr. James Newton Jackson Sauthoff Josiah Shelton

BassDavid Benjamin Skylar Covich Kenneth Day Bruce Englar Robert Johnstone Bruce Markovich Quint Morris Christopher Ringor Ken Saum Ivar Tombach James Voirol

* Section leaders

CSU C h a n n e l I s l a n d s U n i v e r s i t y C h o r u s Dr. KuanFen Liu, ConductorLinda Fern Fay, AccompanistIvar Tombach, Choir Manager

Violin ISteven Chang, Co-concertmaster Sharon Cooper Co-concertmasterIrving WeinsteinBarbara PoehlsVera DragicevichGary Chandler

Violin IILiz WattsKaren NelsonRuth KayCyndi HallLydia YunKathie Kottler

ViolaNatalie SpevakBill HamiltonDelores WalkerKaren Darnall

CelloJohn FareLaura MihalkaChris Dimond Ervin Klinkon

Double BassHal OnserudPaul Sharp

OboeBruce WalkerRobin Nicholls

English HornPaula Dublinski

ClarinetDavid SingerJim Moore

BassoonCavit Celayir-MonezisJohn Marston

TrumpetRandy JonesLinda Rhymes

TrombonePaul Gaddis (alto)John Robinson (tenor)Cathy Sanders (bass)

TimpaniLaVonne Theriault

KeyboardLinda Fern Fay

Library: Liz Watts and Cyndi Hall

Stage Manager: Tom Hundley

Sound Engineer:David Atkins

Video Engineer:Mark Smith

Postcard and Program Design:Laura Mihalka

C h a n n e l I s l a n d s C h a m b e r O r c h e s t r aKuanFen Liu, Artistic Director and Conductor

Board of Directors - Channel Islands Chamber OrchestraDavid Singer - president, Bruce Walker - treasurer, Nancy Sieh - secretary

Miriam Arichea, Geri Freeland, Laura Mihalka, Henning OttsenSteve Perren, Siegfried Storz, Les Vielbig

TenorAuddy Anilao II Dean Butler Steve Harbison Tyler Kimball Michael Mayer* Bill Milton Jr. James Newton Jackson Sauthoff Josiah Shelton

BassDavid Benjamin Skylar Covich Kenneth Day Bruce Englar Robert Johnstone Bruce Markovich Quint Morris Christopher Ringor Ken Saum Ivar Tombach James Voirol

* Section leaders

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The Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra is grateful to

The MUSIC TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIAPleasant Valley - Ventura County Branch

President: Nicole A. Burns

for the use of their marvelous Bösendorfer concert grand piano

C h i c o 2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 7 S e a s o n

Sunday, October 9th, 2016Musical Landscape: Travel with the Orchestra -

The Ultimate Driving Machine!Serenade to Music R. Vaughan WilliamsAppalachian Spring: Suite Aaron CoplandThe Hebrides, Op. 26 (Fingal’s Cave) Felix MendelssohnSymphony No. 4, Op. 90 in A Major (Italian) Felix Mendelssohn

Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, 2016A Jazzy Jolly Holiday with Miriam Arichea and the Harmonix

Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 14 Nikolai KapustinMiriam Arichea, piano

Holiday Selections by John Rudder, Georgia Stitt, David Willcocks

Saturday, January 21 and Sunday, January 22, 2017Knock Your Socks Off: The Young Artists Concert

Symphony No. 38, K. 504, “Prague” W. A. MozartSelected Concertos

Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19, 2017Another Night at the Opera

Favorite Overtures, Arias and Ensembles

Sunday, May 7th, 2017 in Ventura** Friday, May 12th, 2017 in Camarillo (** New Date!)

Choral Spectacular Singet dem Herr nein neues Lied, BWV 225 J. S. Bach Orchestra and Double chorusRequiem, K. 626 W. A. Mozart

All Saturday (and Friday May 12th) concerts presented at 7pm at

Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center, 4235 Mar Vista Dr, Camarillo

All Sunday concerts presented at 3pm atVentura First United Methodist Church, 1338 E. Santa Clara, Ventura

$20 suggested donation; kids & students free

CSU Channel Islands ChoirChannel Islands Choral Association

Dedicated to providing quality vocal music education and performance.

“Happiness is...singing in the choir!”

Fall semester auditions will be held during theweek of August 14th, by appointment only.

Contact Dr. Liu to sign up foryour audition today.

Dr. KuanFen Liudownbeatplus@gmail.com, 805-278-0375, www.cicachoir.org

A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s We are grateful to these supporters of the orchestra without whom

our performances would not be possible.

Season Sponsors ($10,000 +)Mark and Janet Goldenson

John HammerThe Players of the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra

Vielbig Family Foundation

Concert Sponsors ($5,000 +)Fred & Barbara Tomblin Charitable Fund

Laby Family Foundation

Co-Sponsors ($2,500 +)The Channel Islands Choral Association

Ron Harrington, Legal ServicesBruce and Delores Walker

First Chair Sponsors ($1,000+)

Robert and Hana Chelberg; Bob and Carol Cole; Jim Moore; Connie Morris; Scot & Carol Roberg; Jon & Jane Schrock; Frank and Nancy Sieh; Mayse Lai & Mark B Smith;

Susan Van Abel and Eric Oltmann; Miriam Wille; Ken & Jane Winter

Player Sponsors ($500 +)Miriam Arichea and Jeff Brackett; Bryan D Fisch D.D.S.; Elizabeth Blanchard Chess;

Sylvia Mack; Gary Kravetz; Merewether Community Fund; Laura and Shayne Mihalka;Steven and Diane Perren; Phil White and Suzanne Pidduck; Paul Sharp;

Barbara and David Singer; Robin Wallace and Tim Snowber; Helen Yunker

Friends ($100+)Lila Atkisson; Justin and Mollie Benton; Norrene DiBenedetto; Patricia and Pod Gregory

Bullough; Diana Burdick; Todd and Cheryl Collart; Karen Darnall; Peter and Diane Dowler; Pat and Chris Ehret; Gregg and Sue Gilmar; Bill Hamilton and Karen Nelson;

Patti Handfinger; Betty M. Harris; Stephan Honda; Fritz and Nancy Huntsinger; Gösta and Mary Iwasiuk; Ruth Johnson; Brian Kleppe; Norma & James Locher;

Philip Jones and Helen Quiocho; Randy Kaplan-James; Eunice Koch; Echo Kukucheck; Dennis & Jeanette Longwill; Barbara Meister; Barbara Michaels; Shirley Milligan; Steve

Newkirk and Virginia Kron; Linda and Henning Ottsen; Warren R and Gail L Paap; Polly S. Pride; Joan Rust; Louis Samonsky, Jr.; Cathy Sanders;

Mildred Seidman; Kathy Seifert; Susan Scott; Siegfried Stortz; LaVonne Theriault; Bill & Marcia Wakelee

Please thank these donors for their support and consider donating. Talk to one of us or go to www.chicovc.org/support

Thanks to Ventura United Methodist Church for the use of their beautiful sanctuary.