f a l l t o u r 2 0 0 8 1

The St. Olaf OrchestraSteven Amundson • Conductor

ƒall Tour 2009

BerliozSymphonie Fantastique

2 s t . o l a f o r c h e s t r a

PerformingS t . O l a f O r c h e S t r a

c O n d u c t O r S t e v e n

a m u n d S O n l e a d S h i S

S t u d e n t m u S i c i a n S

w i t h h u m O r a n d g r a c e ,

i n S p i r i n g t h e m t O f i n d t h e j O y i n m a k i n g m u S i c .

f a l l t o u r 2 0 0 9 1

Steven Amundson was just 25 when he became

conductor of the St. Olaf Orchestra in the

fall of 1981. Nearly three decades later, he

continues his dedication to students, his passion

for music, and his devotion to maintaining the

high professional standards of his beloved

St. Olaf Orchestra.

Amundson has helped shine an

international light on St. Olaf College

and its accomplished music ensembles. In

addition to completing a highly successful

tour of Norway with the St. Olaf Band

and St. Olaf Choir in 2005 and a tour of Spain

in 2008, he has led the St. Olaf Orchestra in

performances across the United States and Europe.

He has received numerous awards for outstanding

music instruction.

“Steve has been called the ‘gold standard’ of

orchestra conductors at the college level,” says

former St. Olaf Orchestra Manager Richard

Erickson ’66. “His musicality and genuine interest

in the well-being of his orchestra members

make him among the best college and university

conductors in the country.”

[ c O n t i n u e d ]

A P a s s i o n f o r

M u s i c a l h i s t o r yThe St. Olaf Orchestra achieved a strong reputation for excellence long before Amundson took up the baton. In the 40 years before Amundson’s arrival, conductor Donald Berglund and string instructor Beatrix Lien labored to build the ensemble into a fine symphony. Their dedication, along with that of many of Amundson’s current colleagues who have helped to shape and nurture the orchestral program, enabled the ensemble to excel.

“It would be difficult to measure the extraordinary depth of talent, dedication, and inspiration exhibited by my colleagues,” Amundson says. “Without their tremendous sup- port, the orchestra program never could have achieved the success it enjoys today.”

Amundson also credits his students for their unwavering dedication and great attitude about making music. “They have high aspirations, but they also demonstrate a passion for sharing these musical experiences with each other — often their best friends — as well as those who come to listen,” he says. “This collective attitude to make music with passion while generously sharing our gifts is both contagious and penetrating.”

The St. Olaf Orchestra has enjoyed increased exposure through its expanding domestic and international tours, its involvement in the St. Olaf Christmas Festival, and appearances at regional, national, and internation-al music festivals. Still, Amundson grew to realize that teaching — instilling or encouraging a passion for the music — was the most important aspect of his job.

“Over time, it became less about achieving recognition and more about the joy of making music together,” he explains. “The orchestra has become more appreciated for the quality of our performances over the years, but I believe this is a byproduct of a musical mission rather than a quest for the renown.”

The depth of the string program at St. Olaf is rare among liberal arts colleges. In addition to the renowned

St. Olaf Orchestra, which “has pro-gressed to a level I thought was not possible for an undergraduate orches-tra,” Amundson declares, the college has another full symphony orchestra, the St. Olaf Philharmonia.

The Philharmonia began as a small chamber orchestra in 1975 and, over the past 30 years, has developed into a fine symphony chiefly through the leadership of Amundson’s colleagues Andrea Een and JoAnn Polley. This fall, Assistant Professor of Music Martin Hodel took the reins as conductor of the Philharmonia.

y o u t h f u l t a l e n tDespite his relative youth when he joined St. Olaf, Amundson had a lifetime of experience to prepare him for leading a top college ensemble. The fifth child in a musical family with its own performing quartet, he started piano lessons at age four. He went on to learn trumpet, euphonium, and trombone, and after deciding to pursue orchestral conducting, studied viola for several years.

Amundson knew he had found his calling when he entered the music department at Luther College as an undergraduate. “I just soaked it up,” he says. During Amundson’s junior year, Luther Professor Bob Getchell noted and encouraged his student’s conducting skill. “That was a turning point,” Amundson says. As a senior, he became the college’s jazz ensemble conductor, which helped him develop leadership skills.

Amundson went on to earn his master’s degree in orchestral conduct-ing from Northwestern University. He also studied at the University of Virginia and the Aspen Music School, as well as at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, where he won the coveted Hans Häring conduct-ing prize in the international com-petition sponsored by Austrian National Radio. He held conducting positions at the University of Virginia and Tacoma Community College and was music director of the Tacoma Youth Symphony.

Amundson values the experience of working with young musicians and appreciates the excitement of working with students who are discovering an orchestral piece for the first time, students who haven’t been jaded by a “relentless routine” that can tire even the most devoted professional musicians.

“It is a joy to watch these students learn, grow, and develop over four years and to see music through their eyes,” he says. “We are blessed with students who possess remarkable musical talents, curious minds, and generous spirits. They are a great gift to me personally and, ultimately, to their audiences.”

B e y o n d s t . o l a fAmundson has amassed an impressive career outside of St. Olaf as well.

He is founding conductor of the Twin Cities-based Metropolitan Symphony, which he led for five

f a l l t o u r 2 0 0 9 32 s t . o l a f o r c h e s t r a

years. He served as music director and conductor of the Bloomington (Minnesota) Symphony from 1984 to 1997. He also has held posts on the conducting faculty for the Interlochen Arts Camp and the Lutheran Summer Music Program, and has served as guest conductor for many all-state orchestra festivals throughout the United States, most recently in Utah, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, and Tennessee. Amundson remains active as a guest conductor of professional ensembles in Minnesota and has appeared with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

An active composer and arranger, Amundson’s works are published by MMB Music and the Neil A. Kjos Music Co. His other compositions are distributed by Tempo Music Resource.

His orchestral works have been featured in more than 400 perfor-mances by university, civic, and professional orchestras, including the Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Long Beach, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, San Diego,

Virginia, and, in Canada, the Toronto and Edmonton Symphonies. His works have also been performed in the U.K. by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the BBC Orchestra, and with the Halle Concerts Society.

In 1995 Amundson composed his first orchestral work, Angels’ Dance, for the St. Olaf Christmas Festival, in honor of his father who had recently died. The piece was recorded on the Houston Symphony Christmas Holiday CD produced in the fall of 2003.

The Evergreen Symphony in Taipei, Taiwan, commissioned Amundson to compose two works, including Longing for Your Return, which is featured on their Symphonic Serendipity at Esplanade DVD.

Amundson’s Glories Ring for orchestra and handbell choir was premiered at the 2007 St. Olaf Christmas Festival. The Gift, a commission honoring the memory of former student Eric Drotning, was premiered on the St. Olaf Orchestra’s 2008 winter tour. His newest work, Rejoice, will be premiered by the St. Olaf Orchestra this December at the St. Olaf Christmas Festival.

f a M i l y f i r s tAlthough conducting, teaching, and St. Olaf are extremely important to Amundson, his family remains his greatest passion. His wife, Jane Amundson, is a math teacher and cellist. They have two children: Beret, 17, is a three-sport athlete and plays violin; Karl, 14, plays piano, guitar, and soccer, and has a passion for musical theater.

“I would experience only a frac-tion of the happiness I get from my job if it wasn’t for the chance to share it with those I love most,” he says. “My wife and children are a springboard for everything good in life, and my faith in God is the foundation that supports me in all endeavors of work and play.”

In addition to maintaining the highest standards of excellence, Amundson aims to keep his students focused on the joy of making music and the essential purpose that it serves.

“I will make sure that we stay committed to making music for the right reasons,” he explains, adding with a smile, “I suspect the best is yet to come.”

Steven amundson conducts the St. Olaf Orchestra during the ensemble’s summer 2008 tour through Spain.

“We are blessed with students who possess remarkable musical

talents, curious minds, and generous spirits.

They are a great gift to me personally

and, ultimately, to their audiences.”

— Steven AmundSon

viOlin i taryn arbeiter, Rapid City, S.D.

french/political science

‡ anna Bakk, Medina, Minn. music performance

Olivia Bailey, Port Angeles, Wash.nursing

greta Bauer, Minneapolis, Minn.chemistry/music

allison Bengfort, Davenport, Iowa religion

lars Berggren, Lindsborg, Kan.undecided

madeline Brumback, Blacksburg, Va. music performance

†– michaela gansen, Cedar Falls, Iowa music/french

kiersten hoiland, Park Ridge, Ill. music/interior architecture and design/studio art

‡ katherine jones, Woodland Park, Colo. music/theatre

Olivia krueger, Omaha, Neb. music education

laurel lynch, Ester, Alaska biology/biomedical studies/neuroscience

emily mullaney, Gilbert, Iowamusic performance

†† hannah reitz, Northfield, Minn. music performance

katarina Schmitt, Naperville, Ill. music education

ean ulrich, Owatonna, Minn. music performance

viOlin i i Sarah aune, Middleton, Wis.

biology

** isaac chaput, Mansfield Center, Conn. music history/literature

janelle east, Spicer, Minn. music/environmental studies

ellen hartford, Stow, Mass.music

jonathan henn, Golden Valley, Minn. biology/spanish

lauren kurtz, Mankato, Minn.biology/chemistry

joseph mitchell, Minneapolis, Minn. music/spanish

catherine monson, Austin, Minn. english

megan peterson, Grand Forks, N.D.music

katelyn reid, Northfield, Minn.economics/international economics and management

* Sarah rinehart, Northfield, Minn.english/music

colleen Schaefle, Anoka, Minn.music education

amanda Secor, Fort Dodge, Iowamusic performance

arthur Sletten, Osceola, Wis.biology/chemistry

viOla** geoff carlisle, Happy Valley, Ore.

music/environmental studies

kara erstad, Minnetonka, Minn. music education

* katherine fitzgerald, Monument, Colo. music/spanish/linguistics

claire folts, Hershey, Pa.music education

Brita johnson, Anchorage, Alaskasociology/anthropology: africa and the americas

dayna jondal, Austin, Minn. mathematics/philosophy

laura menard, Lexington, Ky. music

anna nelson, Waukesha, Wis. music

julia Ortner, Bloomington, Minn. english/biology

crystal Spontak, Fairbanks, Alaskaundecided

kyle Svingen, Omaha, Neb.physics/religion

Zachary teska, Loveland, Colo.dance/psychology/mathematics

cellO Ben arbeiter, Rapid City, S.D.

chemistry/biology

Sara cattanach, Lake Elmo, Minn.undecided

amy chatelaine, Owatonna, Minn. biology

Sarah gingerich, Conway, Ark. music performance

Beau gray, Fargo, N.D. environmental studies

** Briana griffin, Newton, Kan. mathematics/management studies

** hilary james, Golden, Colo. music performance

elizabeth knapp, Anchorage, Alaska music education

paul Sauey, Reedsburg, Wis. music performance

Stephen Sokolouski, Maplewood, Minn. music

rachel wiers, Cincinnati, Ohio history/american racial and multicultural studies

laura Zimmermann, Racine, Wis. nursing

BaSS evan anderson, Golden, Colo.

music performance

** Bayard carlson, Sioux Falls, S.D. biology

peder garnaas-halvorson, St. Paul, Minn. undecided

jonah hacker, Madison, Wis. french/mathematics

andrew nail, Bloomington, Minn.undecided

kara Sajeske, Elmhurst, Ill.undecided

flute/piccOlO** megan makeever, Bozeman, Mont.

music performance

vanamali medina, Clarkdale, Ariz.music performance

u corrine mona, Severna Park, Md.french/music

OBOe/ e n g l i S h h O r no megan dvorak, Hayward, Wis.

music performance

ashley enke, Omaha, Neb. psychology

** lauren Seidel, Minneapolis, Minn. music performance

clarinet** aaron harcus, Minneapolis, Minn.

music performance

joe Sferra, Toledo, Ohiomusic theory/composition

BaSS clarinet alicia reuter, Seattle, Wash.

german

BaSSOOn/cOntraBaSSOOn** josh john, Beaverton, Ore.

undecided

ellie kale, Wrenshall, Minn.music theory/composition

v gwendolyn Ohlemacher, Canton, Ohiomusic education

hOrn jordan kling, Ashland, Ore.

english education

emily morris, Kennett Square, Pa. nursing

melanie paulsen, Center Junction, Iowamusic education

matthew perry, Des Moines, Wash.undecided

** clayton Smith, Norcross, Ga. music performance

trumpet neil hulbert, Tacoma, Wash.

undecided

** garrett klein, Port Orchard, Wash. music performance

jaclyn melander, Mounds View, Minn. music performance

kevin huseth, Plymouth, Minn.music education

trOmBOne Zachary gingerich, Conway, Ark.

music performance

** michael murchison, Laurel, Md. american racial and multicultural studies/music

Benjamin Sink, Manchester, N.H. undecided

tuBa** dan larson, Minnetonka, Minn.

music/chemistry

wes Olson, Minnetonka, Minn. mathematics/economics

percuSSiOn andrew Belsaas, Rapid City, S.D.

music

eric heimsoth, Grinnell, Iowa theatre

** eri isomura, Lauderdale, Minn. music

alex van rysselberghe, Lake Oswego, Ore.music performance

harp erin Bonawitz, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

music

** anna hagens, Middleton, Wis. biology/religion

pianO eri isomura, Lauderdale, Minn.

music

OfficerS President: dan larson Vice President: geoff carlisle Secretary/Treasurer: anna Bakk Sophomore Representative: peder garnaas-halvorson Manager: isaac chaput

u piccoloo english hornv contrabassoon

†† concertmaster† associate concertmaster‡ assistant concertmaster** principal* assistant principal– librarian

Office Of muSic OrganiZatiOnSB.j. johnson, managerterra widdifield, assistant managerkevin Stocks, marketing specialistmary davis, performance librarian/ mechanical rights administratormiranda Bryan, assistant to Music Organizationstim wells, administrative assistant

The St. Olaf Orchestra 2009–10S t e v e n A m u n d S o n , C o n d u C t o r · t e r r A W I d d I F I e L d ’ 9 5 , m A n A g e r

f a l l t o u r 2 0 0 9 5

S t . O l a f O r c h e s t r a

Fall Tour 2009• p r o g r a m •

overture to LA gAzzA LAdrA (“the thieving mAgpie”)gioachino rossini (1792–1868)

• • •

*SchottiSche FAntASie, op. 46max Bruch (1838–1920)

IV. Allegro guerriero

Michaela Gansen ’10 • Violin

• • •

*concerto For vioLA And orcheStrA

Sir William Walton (1902–83)

III. Allegro moderato

Geoff Carlisle ’10 • Viola

• • •

L’Apprenti Sorcier (“the Sorcerer’S Apprentice”)Paul dukas (1865–1935)

• • • Intermission • • •

Symphonie FAntAStique, op. 14Hector Berlioz (1803–69)

Rêveries — Passions

Un bal (“A Ball”)

Scène aux champs (“Scene in the Country”)

Marche au supplice (“March to the Scaffold”)

Songe d’une nuit de sabbat (“Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath”)

* Student soloists will alternate throughout the tour.

4 s t . o l a f o r c h e s t r a

f a l l t o u r 2 0 0 9 76 s t . o l a f o r c h e s t r a

Fall Tour 2009• p r o g r a m •

Fall Tour 2009• p r o g r a m •

overture to LA gAzzA LAdrA (“the thieving mAgpie”) gioAchino roSSini (1792–1868)

Widely acknowledged as one of the finest composers of Italian opera, Gioachino Rossini was a precociously talented young musician. By the age of nine he was already performing as an opera pit musician on viola.

Between 1804 and 1811 he served as a maestro al cembalo (the keyboardist/director) in Bolognese theaters, a notable achievement for a boy of twelve. His first opera was commissioned in 1810, and he wrote his last in 1829.

La gazza ladra was written in 1817 to a libretto based off of a contemporary play. It is set at a country manor where Ninetta, one of the young maids, is accused of stealing a silver spoon. She is tried and sentenced to death, but released at the last moment when the true culprit — a magpie — is discovered. Although the opera is rarely performed in full, the overture is part of the standard orchestral literature. It begins with a military theme in E major — Ninetta is waiting for her lover to return from abroad so they can marry. We then hear a waltz-like theme that forms the basis of the rest of the overture, first in E minor, later in G major, and finally in E major. Of course, no piece by Rossini would be complete without at least one “Rossini crescendo,” and this overture does not disappoint. It is rumored that Rossini wrote this overture on the day of the performance, throwing pages of his manuscript out the window as he finished them so the copyist could create the orchestral parts.

SchottiSche FAntASie, op. 46 mAx Bruch (1838–1920)

IV. Allegro guerriero

M i c h a e l a G a n s e n ’ 1 0 · V i o l i n

Highly regarded as not only a composer but also a teacher and conductor, Max Bruch was born in Cologne, Germany. Although he did not meet great success during his lifetime, a number of his nine pieces for violin and

orchestra are now part of the standard repertoire. He did not play violin, but he was enamored by its sound and once said, “[the violin] can sing a melody better than a piano, and melody is the soul of music.”

Schottische Fantasie was composed for violin virtuoso Pablo Sarasate in 1880. For Bruch, a great lover of Scottish music, the violin and harp were two of the most important instruments in Scottish music, hence their prominence in this work. The last movement, Allegro guerriero (fast and warlike) is most likely a setting of the song “Scots, Wha Hae.” The melody is traditional, and the poem of this song — by Robert Burns — has become a sort of unofficial anthem for the Scots, as it celebrates a Scottish victory against the British. The movement is a rollicking finale to the work, and ends triumphantly after a brief quotation of “Through the Wood Laddie,” a song featured earlier in the composition.

concerto For vioLA And orcheStrA Sir WiLLiAm WALton (1902–83)

III. Allegro moderato

G e o f f c a r l i s l e ’ 1 0 · V i o l a

British Composer William Walton’s viola concerto was written in 1928–29 for the virtuoso violist Lionel Tertis. Upon delivery of the score, Tertis dismissed it as “too modern.” Well-known German composer and violist

Paul Hindemith took interest in and eventually premiered the work, and it is now considered part of the standard repertoire. The third movement of Walton’s concerto is at times energetic and elsewhere melancholy and lyrical. Throughout the work he explores the tonal and expressive character of the viola. A challenging work, it requires technical and musical sophistication from both soloist and orchestra.

L’Apprenti Sorcier (“the Sorcerer’S Apprentice”) pAuL dukAS (1865–1935)

Paul Dukas was born in Paris to a musical family in 1865. He displayed little talent as a performer in his childhood, but became an avid composer at age fourteen. Soon after he started composing, his father enrolled him in the

Conservatoire. After receiving poor marks in the Prix de Rome competition he decided to pursue music criticism. Although he later resumed composing, he continued his work as a critic throughout his career.

Dukas composed L’apprenti sorcier — made famous to modern audiences by Walt Disney’s Fantasia — early in his career. The tone poem is based on a ballad by Goethe, in which the apprentice is given the task of hauling water to a basin. Looking for an easy way out of all that work, he casts a spell on a broom to do the job for him. Soon the water basin is overflowing with water, but the apprentice realizes that he doesn’t know the spell that makes the broom stop! Seizing an axe, he chops it in half. This appears to have worked, but suddenly both halves begin carrying water, filling the basin at twice the speed. Just as the apprentice is about to drown, the sorcerer returns, stops the spell, and scolds the apprentice for his foolishness.

While one clearly can hear multiple influences in this work, that of Richard Wagner is most evident. Although he was trained at the Paris Conservatoire, Dukas was a great admirer of the German composer. In L’apprenti sorcier he employs leitmotifs — musical figures associated with people, objects, events, or emotions — a technique generally associated with Wagner’s work. Listen especially for the “broom” motive, first heard in the clarinets; and the descending augmented and diminished arpeggios, connected with the use of magic, which are frequently heard in the violins.

— Intermission —“I’ve heard these compositions played by dozens of

professional orchestras and know the difficulties of them,

and you guys brought that music to a brilliant level.

You sounded like the Chicago Symphony and yet you’re

not crabby and grumpy, like they — amazing!”

— w r i t e r a n d h u m O r i S t g a r r i S O n k e i l l O r

a f t e r t h e O r c h e S t r a w a S f e at u r e d O n

“a p r a i r i e h O m e c O m pa n i O n ” i n 2 0 0 1 .

{ { “It is obviously unfair to compare this orchestra with

the established and professional. But it is fully possible.”

— f r O m a r e v i e w i n t h e n O r w e g i a n n e w S pa p e r V å R T L A N D

d u r i n g t h e O r c h e S t r a ’ S t O u r O f n O r w ay i n 2 0 0 5 .

{ {

Fall Tour 2009• p r o g r a m •

Fall Tour 2009• p r o g r a m •

Symphonie FAntAStique, op. 14 hector BerLioz (1803–69) Rêveries — Passions

Un bal (“A Ball”)

Scène aux champs (“Scene in the Country”)

Marche au supplice (“March to the Scaffold”)

Songe d’une nuit de sabbat (“Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath”)

Hector Berlioz was born in 1803 into the family of a wealthy country doctor in La Côte-Saint-André, France. His early musical instruction was on flute and guitar, and his earliest compositional studies were entirely self-

directed. Inspired by his admiration for a young woman six years his senior, he wrote a number of Italian romances, one of which survives as the opening melody (heard in the first violins) to his Symphonie Fantastique. Although his passion for music was strong, it was his father’s wish that he pursue a career in medicine, and so he moved to Paris to attend medical school. The ready access to performances, teachers, and musical scores served only to increase Berlioz’s musical drive and led him eventually to leave medical school and enroll in the Conservatoire.

In Paris Berlioz was exposed to three of his greatest influences: the plays of William Shakespeare, the British actress Harriet Smithson — whom he later married — and the symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven. Up to this point his compositional output had focused on vocal genres; it was only after hearing the power conveyed in Beethoven’s third and fifth symphonies that Berlioz knew he would need to explore the vast potential of orchestral composition.

Symphonie Fantastique was composed early in 1830. The program depicts “five scenes in the life of an artist,” ostensibly Berlioz. The idée fixe mentioned in his program is none other than Harriet Smithson, with whom he had been in love since observing her in the role of Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet three years earlier. Although they had never met, Berlioz was consumed by his love for her. She was the constant object of his thoughts and desires, transformed into music in the idée fixe. The theme is initially heard in first violins and flute in the allegro of the first movement, and it is developed in each of the subsequent movements.

In Symphonie Fantastique, Berlioz made a significant contribution to the development of the symphony, especially through his departure from the traditional four-movement form, incorporation of a program, the size of the orchestra, and innovations in orchestration. Given the similarity of these features to works from much later in the nineteenth century, it is astounding that it was written only four years after the premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and three years before the birth of Johannes Brahms. Berlioz’s own program notes, taken from the first publication of the score and translated by Edward T. Cone, are reproduced on the following page.

PART I“REVERIES — PASSIONS”

The author imagines that a young musician, afflicted with that moral disease that a well-known writer calls the vague

des passions, sees for the first time a woman who embodies all the charms of the ideal being he has imagined in his dreams, and he falls desperately in love with her. Through an odd whim, whenever the beloved image appears before the mind’s eye of the artist it is linked with a musical thought whose character, passionate but at the same time noble and shy, he finds similar to the one he attributes to his beloved.

This melodic image and the model it reflects pursue him incessantly like a double idée fixe. That is the reason for the constant appearance, in every movement of the symphony, of the melody that begins the first allegro. The passage from this state of melancholy reverie, interrupted by a few fits of groundless joy, to one of frenzied passion, with its movements of fury, of jealousy, its return of tenderness, its tears, its religious consolations — this is the subject of the first movement.

PART II“A BALL”

The artist finds himself in the most varied situations — in the midst of the tumult of a party, in the peaceful contemplation of the beauties of nature; but everywhere, in town, in the country, the beloved image appears before him and disturbs his peace of mind.

PART III“SCENE IN THE COUNTRY”

Finding himself one evening in the country, he hears in the distance two shepherds piping a ranz des vaches [Swiss cowherd’s song] in dialogue. This pastoral duet, the scenery, the quiet rustling of the trees gently brushed by the wind, the hopes he has recently found some reason to entertain — all concur in affording his heart an unaccustomed calm and in giving a more cheerful color to his ideas. He reflects upon his isolation, he hopes that his loneliness will soon be over. But what if she were deceiving him? This mingling of hope and fear, these ideas of happiness disturbed by black presentiments, form the subject of the adagio. At the end, one of the shepherds again takes up the ranz des vaches; the other no longer replies. Distant sound of thunder — loneliness — silence.

PART IV“MARCH TO THE SCAFFOLD”

Convinced that his love is unappreciated, the artist poisons himself with opium. The dose of the narcotic, too weak to kill him, plunges him into a sleep accompanied by the most horrible visions. He dreams that he has killed his beloved, that he is condemned and led to the scaffold, and that he is witnessing his own execution. The procession moves forward to the sounds of a march that is now somber and fierce, now brilliant and solemn, in which the muffled noise of heavy steps gives way without transition to the noisiest clamor. At the end of the march, the first four measures of the idée fixe reappear, like a last thought of love interrupted by the fatal blow.

PART V“DREAM OF A WITCHES’ SABBATH”

He sees himself at the sabbath, in the midst of a frightful troop of ghosts, sorcerers, monsters of every kind, come together for his funeral. Strange noises, groans, bursts of laughter, distant cries which other cries seem to answer. The beloved melody appears again, but it has lost its character of nobility and shyness; it is no more than a dance tune, mean, trivial, and grotesque: it is she, coming to join the sabbath. A roar of joy at her arrival. She takes part in the devilish orgy. Funeral knell, burlesque parody of the Dies irae [chant from the Requiem mass], sabbath round dance. The sabbath round and the Dies irae combined.

Program notes by Isaac Chaput ’10. (Bruch notes by Michaela Gansen ’10.)

f a l l t o u r 2 0 0 9 98 s t . o l a f o r c h e s t r a

“These young United States performers presented

perfectly balanced sounds, an impeccable rhythm,

and a musical discipline that could be envied

by any symphonic orchestra of our country.”

— f r O m a S pa n i S h r e v i e w i n M ú S I C A E N A L C A L á

a f t e r t h e O r c h e S t r a p e r f O r m e d at t h e

u n i v e r S i d a d d e a l c a l á d e h e n a r e S n e a r m a d r i d .

{ {

f a l l t o u r 2 0 0 9 1 11 0 s t . o l a f o r c h e s t r a

G e o f f c a r l i s l e ’ 1 0 · V i o l a

Geoff Carlisle hails from the aptly named city of Happy Valley, Oregon. Majoring in music and

environmental studies, he hopes to one day become a high school educator while maintaining an

active life in music. Entering his eleventh year of playing the viola, Carlisle started on the instrument

believing it was called the cello. Things have changed since then. After he graduates this spring from

St. Olaf, he hopes to work for a service and education-based organization like Teach For America.

Recognizing that being a good liberal arts student requires diverse interests, he enjoys swimming,

biking, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Carl Sagan, and playing Super Smash Brothers with his roommates.

M i c h a e l a G a n s e n ’ 1 0 · V i o l i n

Michaela Gansen is a French and music major hailing from the budding metropolis of Cedar Falls,

Iowa. Her musical journey began at the University of Northern Iowa Suzuki School of Music

when she was three years old. She later became an active member of the Cedar Falls music community

by participating in the Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, teaching violin lessons, and being a

member of Fiddlesticks and other youth orchestras. When she’s not locked in a practice room, Gansen

enjoys an unhealthy addiction to coffee, spending time with little kids, attempting to cook for her

family, and playing Rat-a-tat-Cat with friends. In the future, Gansen plans on going to graduate school,

but first she must decide what field she’ll pursue. In any case, she is excited for what lies ahead.

Fall Tour 2009• t o u r s o l o i s t s •

s t . o l a f c o l l e g e

Music Department FacultySteven amundson, professor, orchestra, conducting,

theory; B.A., Luther; M.M., Northwestern

kathryn ananda-Owens, associate professor, piano, piano literature, chamber music; B.A., Oberlin; B.M., Oberlin; M.M., D.M.A., Peabody

anton armstrong, Harry R. and Thora H. Tosdal Professor of Music, choir, conducting, voice, pedagogy for young voices; B.M., St. Olaf; M.M., Illinois; D.M.A., Michigan State

christopher aspaas, assistant professor, choir, choral literature, conducting, voice; B.M., St. Olaf; M.M., Michigan State; Ph.D., Florida State

christopher atzinger, assistant professor, piano, piano literature; B.M., Texas-Austin; M.M., Michigan; D.M.A., Peabody

linda Berger, professor, music education; B.A., St. Olaf; M.A., Ph.D., Minnesota

david carter, professor, cello, string methods, string literature and pedagogy, music appreciation, chamber music; B.F.A., Minnesota; M.M., Indiana; D.M.A., Illinois

david castro, assistant professor, theory, counterpoint, advanced analysis; B.M.E., Pacific Union; M.M., Arizona; Ph.D., Oregon

laura caviani, instructor*, jazz piano; B.M., Lawrence; M.M., Michigan

Beth christensen, professor, music librarian; B.M., M.S., Illinois; M.A., Minnesota

kurt claussen, instructor*, saxophone, chamber music; B.A., St. Olaf; M.M., Minnesota

anna clift, instructor*, cello; B.M., Indiana; M.M., SUNY-Stony Brook

dan dressen, associate dean for fine arts, professor, voice, lyric diction; B.S., Bemidji State; M.F.A., D.M.A., Minnesota

margaret eaves-Smith, associate professor, voice; B.M., M.M., Cleveland Institute of Music

andrea een, associate professor, violin, viola, Hardanger fiddle, chamber music; B.M., M.M., D.M.A., Illinois

julia elkina, visiting instructor*, piano; B.A., M.A., Leningrad Conservatory, Russia; D.M.A., Minnesota

alison feldt, department chair, associate professor, voice; B.A., Luther; M.A., Iowa; D.M.A., Minnesota

john ferguson, Elliot M. and Klara Stockdal Johnson Professor of Organ and Church Music, choir, organ, church music, chapel cantor; B.M., Oberlin; M.A., Kent State; D.M.A., Eastman

charles forsberg, (Sem.I) professor*, theory; B.A., M.A., Ph.D., Minnesota

tracey gorman, instructor, voice, vocal pedagogy, vocal literature; B.M., St. Olaf; M.M., Minnesota

charles gray, professor, violin, viola, string literature and pedagogy, chamber music; B.M., Wheaton; M.M., Michigan

david hagedorn, artist in residence, jazz band, percussion, percussion methods, world music, aural skills; B.S., Minnesota; M.M., New England Conservatory; D.M.A., Eastman

alice hanson, (Sem. II) professor, music history; B.A., Wells; M.M., Ph.D., Illinois

j. robert hanson, visiting professor*, trumpet; B.M., Concordia; M.A., M.F.A., Ph.D., Iowa

janis hardy, associate professor, voice, lyric theatre

philip hey, instructor*, drum set; B.A., Minnesota

andrew hisey, department vice chair, visiting associate professor, piano, piano pedagogy; B.M., Waterloo; M.M., D.M.A., Michigan

martin hodel, associate professor, orchestra, trumpet, chamber music; B.A., Goshen; M.M., North Carolina-Chapel Hill; D.M.A., Eastman

gerald hoekstra, professor, music history, early music ensembles; B.A., Calvin; M.A., Ph.D., Ohio State

anthony holt, instructor*, voice; B.A., M.A., Christ Church, Oxford, England

john jensen, staff pianist*, B.A., Occidental; M.M., Southern California

dennis johnson, piano technician; B. A., Luther

Sigrid johnson, artist in residence*, choir, voice; B.M., St. Cloud State; M.M., Michigan

mark kelley, instructor*, bassoon; B.M.E., Nebraska-Lincoln

kathy kienzle, instructor*, harp; B.M., Juilliard; M.M., Arizona

nancy lee, (sem I) instructor*, music education; B.A., Luther

dana maeda, instructor*, oboe, woodwind methods, chamber music; B.M., St. Olaf; M.A., St. Mary’s

jill mahr, instructor*, handbell ensembles, flute; B.M.E., B.M., Minnesota-Duluth; M.M., Northwestern

timothy mahr, professor, band, conducting, composition, music education; B.M., B.A., St. Olaf; M.A., D.M.A., Iowa

mary martz, instructor*, voice; B.S., Minnesota State University-Moorhead

harriet mccleary, instructor*, voice; B.M., B.M.E., Texas Christian; M.M., Westminster; D.M.A., Minnesota

james mckeel, professor, voice, lyric theatre; B.M.E., Westminster; M.M., Minnesota

kent mcwilliams, associate professor, piano, piano pedagogy, chamber music; B.M., M.M., Toronto; Artist Diploma, Stuttgart Musikhochschule; D.M.A., Montreal

justin merritt, assistant professor, composition, theory, instrumentation; B.M., Trinity; M.M., D.M.A., Indiana

elinor niemisto, instructor*, harp; B.M., M.M., Michigan

paul niemisto, associate professor, band, low brass, brass methods, chamber music; B.M., M.M., Michigan; Ph.D., Minnesota

paul Ousley, instructor*, string bass; B.M., Wisconsin-Eau Claire; M.M., Eastman

nancy paddleford, professor, piano; B.M., M.M., Indiana; D.M.A., Minnesota

michael petruconis, instructor*, french horn; B.S., Nebraska-Lincoln; M.M., Minnesota

jun Qian, assistant professor, clarinet, chamber music; B.M., Baylor; B.M., Shanghai Conservatory; M.M., D.M.A., Eastman

matthew rahaim, visiting assistant professor, world music (ethnomusicology); B.A., Wesleyan; M.A., Ph.D., California-Berkeley

catherine rodland, artist-in-residence, organ, theory; B.M., St. Olaf; M.M., D.M.A., Eastman

lori ronning folland, staff pianist*; B.M., Oberlin; M.M., Michigan

margaret rowland, visiting professor*, theory; B.M., British Columbia; M.A., Ottawa; M.M., Indiana; D.M.A., Minnesota

marie rule, (Sem. I) instructor*, music history; B.A., Gustavus Adolphus; M.M., Ph.D., (ABD) Illinois

kay Sahlin, instructor*, flute, chamber music; B.A., St. Olaf

miriam Scholz-carlson, instructor*, string methods, Alexander technique; B.M., St. Olaf

ray Shows, instructor*, violin, viola, chamber music; B.M., Florida State; M.M., Boston

robert c. Smith, associate professor, voice, vocal literature; B.M., St. Olaf; M.M., Yale; D.M.A., Texas-Austin

darrin thomas, gospel choir*

paul westermeyer, visiting professor*, church music; B.A., Elmhurst; B.D., Lancaster Theological Seminary; S.M.M., Union Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Chicago

karen wilkerson, instructor*, voice; B.A., California State University-Northridge; M.M., Westminster

herbert winslow, instructor*, French horn; B.M., Curtis Institute of Music

larry Zimmerman, instructor*, low brass; B.A., St. Olaf; M.M., Boston University

* part-time

PrinciPal instruMental enseMBles and conductors

St. Olaf Band, Timothy Mahr ’78St. Olaf Orchestra, Steven AmundsonNorseman Band, Paul NiemistoSt. Olaf Philharmonia, Martin HodelCollegium Musicum, Gerald HoekstraJazz Ensembles, David Hagedorn

PrinciPal choral enseMBles and conductors

St. Olaf Choir, Anton Armstrong ’78Chapel Choir, Christopher Aspaas ’95St. Olaf Cantorei, John FergusonManitou Singers, Sigrid JohnsonViking Chorus, Christopher Aspaas ’95Early Music Singers, Gerald HoekstraCollegiate Chorale, Anton Armstrong ’78Gospel Choir, Darrin Thomas

other Music enseMBles and conductors

Clarinet Choir, Jun QianHandbell Ensembles, Jill MahrPep Band, student-directedPercussion Ensembles, David HagedornSt. Olaf Brass, Martin HodelTrombone Choir, Paul NiemistoTuba-Euphonium Ensemble, Paul Niemisto

f a l l t o u r 2 0 0 9 1 31 2 s t . o l a f o r c h e s t r a

Early each day, you can find Anna Hagens ’11 in St. Olaf College’s new science complex, listening to a lecture on ecological principles or examining the lab results for a class on vertebrate anatomy. By late afternoon, the biology major sheds her lab coat and sits down at the harp that she plays as a member of the St. Olaf Orchestra.

“I love biology because it’s so concrete and hands-on, but music satisfies my creative side and lets me express myself in a way that science would never allow,” says Hagens, who plans to pursue a career in physical therapy. “One of my favorite things about St. Olaf is that I’m able to pursue both science and music at the same time. In some ways they’re complete opposites and I enjoy them for different reasons, but each is still a large part of my life.”

This year 22 of the 92 “Orchies” in the St. Olaf Orchestra — one-fourth of the ensemble — are majoring in mathematics and the natural sciences, including biology, biomedical studies, biomolecular science, chemistry, computer science, environ-mental studies, neuroscience, physics, psychology, and statistics. Four of those 22 Orchies are also music majors.

It’s an impressive number that is indicative of the strength of both the music and science programs on campus. St. Olaf is known not only for its out-standing music programs estab-lished more than a century ago, but also for its top ranking among the country’s baccalaureate liberal arts colleges in the number of students who go on to earn Ph.D.s in mathematics and statistics. The college also ranks sixth in chemistry, eighth in physics, and tenth in biological sciences as a feeder for Ph.D.s.

Looking to carry its nation-ally recognized programs well into the 21st century, last fall St. Olaf opened the doors of the new Regents Hall of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. The 200,000-square-foot facility features innovative learning spaces explicitly designed to promote the student-faculty interactions for which St. Olaf is known.

“It has been carefully designed by our math and science faculty around our curriculum and the way we teach at St. Olaf today,” says St. Olaf President David R. Anderson ’74. “It is promoting the kind of active, interdisciplinary learning — among science and non-science majors alike — that will keep St. Olaf a national leader in science education.”

Music + [science + Math] =

Balanced livesst. olaf student-musicians find the combination of music and science strikes just the right chord.

St. Olaf college’s regents hall of natural and mathematical Sciences opened in September 2008.

A well-rounded champion in addition to playing violin with the orchestra and taking a full load of classes for his physics major, Bern youngblood ’10 found time last year to help lead a team of St. Olaf students to victory at the national rube goldberg machine contest.

the annual competition, which draws teams from colleges and universities across the nation, aims to bring to life pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist rube goldberg’s drawings of complicated ma-chines and gadgets that accomplish simple tasks. using as many whimsical, entertaining, counterintuitive steps as possible, teams must build a machine that completes a task determined each year by contest organizers. last year’s task was to replace an incandes-cent light bulb with a more energy-efficient light-emitting design.

St. Olaf was the only liberal arts college in the contest and the only school without an engineering program. with a “mad scientist”-themed machine that took 239 steps to break a light bulb and replace it with 150 light-emitting diodes (leds) that spell out “St. Olaf,” the Oles took the title at a competition domi-nated by teams from large public universities with top-notch engineering programs. Popular Mechanics magazine called St. Olaf “the competition’s cinderella story.”

“the team put a lot of work into the machine, and we all learned a lot from the experience,” says youngblood, co-captain of the team.

youngblood could not be in the orchestra this fall because he is studying at irkutsk State technological university in irkutsk, Siberia, where he’s combining study of the russian language with cultural studies.

vocation + avocationMusic and science have gone hand in hand since the days

of the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras of Samos in the 6th century B.C.E. He believed that through mathematics everything could be predicted and measured in rhythmic patterns.

“I’m constantly taken aback by the inevitable connections between all of my interests,” says violist Dayna Jondal ’12, a math and philosophy major who plans to pursue a career in medicine. Just this fall her “Ancient Western Philosophy” class began discussing the role of the Pythagoreans in recognizing the number theory behind harmonics. “As string players we all experience music theory, but to revisit its origins in terms of mathematics is a humbling, awe- inspiring experience.”

Student-musicians who want to combine their love of music with careers in math, science, or medicine have found St. Olaf to be a perfect fit. The demands placed on a student-musician’s time and talent are extraordinary because perfor-mance standards are very high. Nonetheless, there is room

in the Music Department both for serious musicians who intend to make music their careers and for those who want to make beautiful music while also pursuing careers in science, mathematics, and other fields.

Although senior Geoff Carlisle is passionate about environmental studies and plans to pursue a career in the growing field, he also wanted to continue to hone his musical skills. So he’s majoring in both environmental studies and music while he plays viola in the St. Olaf Orchestra. “Having majors in different fields fosters personal growth in multiple

directions, which I believe ultimately helps you become more adept at what you do,” he says.

Along with its excellence in music, St. Olaf has a well-established track record of distinguished programs in science and mathematics. More than 40 percent of St. Olaf students graduate with a major or concentration in these academic disciplines. Undergraduate research at St. Olaf is among the best in the nation, and the college is consistently included within elite groups of grant recipients rewarded for excellence in scientific research.

this year 22 of the 92 “Orchies” in the St. Olaf Orchestra — one-fourth of the ensemble — are majoring in mathematics and the natural sciences. four of those 22 Orchies are also music majors.

St. Olaf graduates are leaders in science education and research, medicine and public health administration, marine biology and natural habit restoration, biostatistics and geophysics. They are nationally known AIDS researchers, genetic counselors, advocates for protecting our nation’s groundwater. They are Peace Corps volunteers, Fulbright Scholars, university professors, climatologists, actuaries, neurosurgeons, and robotics engineers.

Hagens plans to combine her passion for music with her love of science by providing physical therapy to injured musicians. She would like to help musicians overcome a wide variety of common injuries — including tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome — that result from overusing wrists and fingers while playing or from having tight muscles or poor position while performing.

Her career aspirations are just one example of how a St. Olaf education that combines music with science and math can open the doors to an interesting array of career options. Hagens’ involvement in the orchestra is also an example of how valuable math and science majors are to the college’s music ensembles.

“The science and math programs seem present in Christiansen Hall of Music almost as much as in the science building,” says St. Olaf Orchestra Conductor Steven Amundson. “I am always amazed at the numbers and quality of science and math students who play in my orchestra. These and other non-music majors, many of whom chose St. Olaf because of the high-quality music program and their ability to access our ensembles, are no small part of the reason for our success.”

f a l l t o u r 2 0 0 9 1 51 4 s t . o l a f o r c h e s t r a

“You cannot make a symphony orchestra on a college campus,” declared F. Melius Christiansen in 1906. The renowned founder of the St. Olaf Orchestra and St. Olaf Choir was referring to the reality, back

then, that few string players came to college with formal training.A little more than 100 years later, expectations for college and university orches-

tras have soared. And the St. Olaf Orchestra has exceeded them, becoming what Conductor Steven Amundson calls “a professional-level orchestra with a big heart.”

The 92-member ensemble has been featured at national and regional conventions, and Time magazine’s Richard Ostling has called it “one of the best college orches-tras in the nation.” Author Garrison Keillor, host of the radio program A Prairie Home Companion, has compared the ensemble to the Chicago Symphony.

g uided in its early days by Christiansen, a European-trained violinist who emigrated from

Norway, the St. Olaf Orchestra has long been an ensemble that is rich in international artistry and tradition. In the mid-1940s Conductor Donald Berglund and string teacher Beatrix Lien joined forces to lift the orchestra to heightened levels of proficiency. Lien, who also served as the orchestra’s concertmistress, was a skilled pedagogue, and Berglund supplemented the training she and others at the college provided by hiring members of the Minnesota Orchestra to support their efforts.

The St. Olaf Orchestra went on its first tour in 1949, traveling through Minnesota and Iowa to encourage the development of high school string programs. Over the next few decades, the orchestra program grew and flourished until the establishment of a second orchestral group in 1975. This group, now called the Philharmonia, has developed into a fine symphony chiefly through the steadfast leadership of music faculty members Andrea Een, JoAnn Polley, and, more recently, Martin Hodel.

The St. Olaf Orchestra has been under the direction of Steven Amundson since 1981. The ensemble has become known for its enthusiasm and youthful passion while

striving for the highest professional standards. Under Amundson’s direction, the orchestra has pursued a more demanding repertoire featuring works rarely performed by undergraduate orchestras, such as Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Strauss’ Don Juan and Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra. Although most members of the orchestra are pursuing careers in music, many of the students are majoring in other disciplines such as mathematics, chem-istry, biology, religion, political science, art, and a variety of foreign languages.

The ensemble has toured throughout the United States, Scandinavia, and Europe. It has appeared in some of Europe’s finest concert halls and performed with some of the world’s most noted conductors and artists. Annual tours of the United States have taken the orchestra to prestigious concert halls, including Alice Tully Hall in New York City and Chicago’s Orchestra Hall.

The orchestra has received acclaim for its perfor-mances at regional and national music conventions and, in November of 2001, the orchestra was featured on A Prairie Home Companion. The ensemble also partici-pates in the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival, which is broadcast on PBS and public radio stations nationwide.

“This imposing orchestra impressed us with its discipline and enthusiasm. The

musicians provided fabulous solo performances, a balanced sound, and extraordinary

rhythmic brilliance ... and mastered everything with compelling elegance and precision.” — from a review following a performance at the international music festival in kosice, slovakia

steven amundson and the st. olaf orchestra in norway’s 13th-century hamar cathedral ruins, 2005

A brief history of

the St. Olaf

Orchestra

performing for king olav at the university of oslo, 1971

the orchestra in concert, 1969

f. melius christiansen and the 1917 st. olaf orchestrahumble beginnings of an orchestra, 1902

1 6 s t . o l a f o r c h e s t r a

ith a century-Old hiStOry,

the St. Olaf Orchestra has

developed traditions that give it

a deeply ingrained identity. Some

traditions, like the ending of many concerts with

The Turtle Dove, written in the early 1960s for

the orchestra by g. winston cassler, are beautiful

and moving. Others are memorable for less

dignified reasons.

touring for ten days at a time each year has

led orchestra members to develop traditions that,

until now, only Ole insiders have been privy to.

Some build a sense of community among the

orchestra members. Others are pure distractions

for the ride across thousands of country miles.

we can’t divulge all of the St. Olaf Orchestra

traditions. (Some are so secret that only St. Olaf

Orchestra members will ever know them.) But

here’s a glimpse at some of the “fun facts” and

inside jokes that create strong bonds among

the 92-member ensemble.

&FUN GAMESp u t 9 2 S t u d e n t S O n a t O u r B u S f O r 1 0 d a y S , a n d S O m e

i n S i d e j O k e S a n d w a c k y t r a d i t i O n S a r e B O u n d t O d e v e l O p .

dance MotifsDie Fledermaus Overture, Strauss · Norwe-gian Dances, Grieg · Dance Suite, Bartok · Dance Bacchanal from Samson & Delila ·

Casa di ritmos, Forsberg · Romp, Kallman · West Side Story Overture, Bernstein

tO Order theSe recOrdingS Or tO receive a BrOchure Of all St. Olaf recOrdingS, cOntact

St. Olaf BOOkStOre · 1520 St. Olaf avenue · nOrthfield, mn 55057

stolafrecords.com · 507-786-3048 · 888-232-6523 · stocks@stolaf.edu

showcase aMericaSymphonic Dances from West Side Story, Bernstein · Piano Concerto in F, Gershwin · Cuban Overture, Gershwin · The Thief

of Time, Hamlin · Second Essay for Orch-estra, Barber · Star Wars Suite: Main Title, Williams · The Turtle Dove, arr. Cassler

christMas festiVal 2007 where Peace and love and hope abide

Two CDs feature the five St. Olaf choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra. DVD includes a one-hour PBS special, a two-hour live simul-

cast, and a 30-minute historical preview.

a russian sPectacularRomeo and Juliet, Tchaikovsky · Vocalise,

Rachmaninoff · Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Tchaikovsky · Pictures at an

Exhibition, Mussorgsky, arr. Ravel

c d s f e a t u r i n g t h e S t . O l a f O r c h e S t r a f r O m

S t . O l a f Re c o r d sa v a i l a B l e i n t h e l O B B y a t m O S t c O n c e r t S

classical faVoritesAn American in Paris, Gershwin · Peter and

the Wolf, Prokofiev · Overture to The Barber of Seville, Rossini · Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mendelssohn ·

Intermezzo Sinfonico from Cavalleria Rusticana, Mascagni · Roman Carnival Overture, Berlioz

the orGan syMPhonyVariations on a Theme by Haydn, Brahms · The Gift, Amundson · Symphony No. 3 (the Organ),

Saint-Saëns

W the St. Olaf christmas festival, a service of hymns, carols, choral works, and orchestral selections that celebrates the birth of christ, is one of the oldest musical celebrations of christmas in the united States.

the 2009 St. Olaf christmas festival can be heard on radio stations nationwide. check your local listings for airtimes in your area. in addition, on Sunday, dec. 6 at 3:30 p.m. you can listen online to minnesota public radio’s live regional broadcast of the festival at mpr.org. Broadcasts of the 2009 St. Olaf christmas festival are productions of american public media in association with St. Olaf college. pre-order copies of the 2009 St. Olaf christmas festival cd at stolafrecords.com

pBS will air Christmas at St. Olaf: Where Peace and Love and Hope Abide, a one-hour presentation of the 2007 St. Olaf christmas festival, as part of its national holiday programming. produced by twin cities public television (tpt), the program will run several times throughout the holiday season. check your local pBS listings for telecast dates and times.

h e a r t h e M u s i c o f t h e

S t . O l a fChristmasFestival

The St. Olaf Orchestra won the 2009 “Broken Bat” softball game against the St. Olaf Band, earning Orchies the right to carve their organization’s name into the bat and brag about the victory for a year.

n nickname for orchestra members: Orchies.n name for veteran orchies who give anonymous

gifts to new orchestra members so they’ll feel

welcome: Secret orchies.n percentage of music majors: 54.n most popular non-music majors: biology,

mathematics, chemistry, english, and french n Only place orchies have a chance to be pictured next

to russell crowe or cameron diaz: “the Orchestra

tour Book,” a book of games, collages, and jokes put

together each year by orchestra members.n average age string players started playing: 7. n annual spring competition between the St. Olaf

Band and the St. Olaf Orchestra: the Broken Bat

softball game. (the bat was broken in a game during

the 1970s, and each year the winning ensemble is

inscribed on the wooden bat.)n what an orchie must do if he or she receives at

least three letters or a package while on tour:

Sing for the mail.n popular 1970s movie that spawned an award given

out each night on tour: Jaws! (when a senior flaps

his or her elbows at you during dinner, you’ve won

the jaws award for doing something embarrassing.

you’ll have to stand and tell the whole orchestra

about it.)

n twenty minutes before a concert the orchestra

gathers for this inspirational time to get focused:

devotions.n what conductor Steven amundson really means

when he says he’s getting “animated”: we can

say it even if he won’t — he’s mad!n what members of the orchestra do if their sole

talent is playing a musical instrument: Sign up

for the “no-talent Show.” n conductor’s nonmusical talent: mime who

gets stuck in a box.n most nonsensical contest on the bus: pillow

races. riders on each side of the aisle race to pass

pillows from the front to the back.n what the truck crew does after loading all the

instruments and equipment each night: the

truck-crew cheer, a kick-line dance and a rousing

version of the school song, “um! yah! yah!”

S t . O l A f O r c h e S t r A f u n f A c t S

Saturday, October 24, 7:30 p.m. Allatoona High School • Cobb County, Georgia

Acworth, Georgia

Sunday, October 25, 3 p.m. Performing Arts Center

Armstrong Atlantic State University Savannah, Georgia

Monday, October 26, 7:30 p.m. Performing Arts Center

University of South Carolina Beaufort Beaufort, South Carolina

Thursday, October 29, 11:30 a.m. Winter Park High School

Winter Park, Florida (students only)

Thursday, October 29, 7:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, Orlando

Orlando, Florida

Friday, October 30, 7 p.m. First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs

Bonita Springs, Florida

Saturday, October 31, 3 p.m. First Presbyterian Church

St. Petersburg, Florida

Thursday, November 5, 7:30 p.m. St. Olaf College • Skoglund Center Auditorium

Northfield, Minnesota

ƒall Tour 2009

The S t. Ol a f O r c h e s t r a

ABout St. oLAF coLLege

A liberal arts education at St. Olaf provides students with the skills to succeed in valuable careers. But our main purpose — rooted in the depth of a major course of study and the breadth of a general education — is to help students become effective citizens in an increasingly fast-moving and complicated world.

Founded in 1874 by a small group of Norwegian Lutheran immigrants, St. Olaf is a nationally ranked liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in historic Northfield, Minnesota. Its 3,000 students are drawn to St. Olaf from 50 states and 30 other countries. The student-faculty ratio of 12.8:1 encourages individual learning and teaching, while the residential nature of the 300-acre campus helps students become part of an enduring community that takes pride in its traditions and innovations.

St. Olaf students work closely with dedicated professors who challenge them to grow in mind, body, and spirit. They have the opportunity to conduct graduate-level research, study abroad in nearly every corner of the world, perform in some of the world’s great concert halls, and contribute to athletic championships.

In addition to world-class programs in music and mathematics, St. Olaf is recognized for its innovative approaches to undergraduate science education, long-standing engagement in global education, and commitment to environmental sustainability. The college also takes pride in its record of academic excellence, which includes the following highlights:

• St. Olaf ranks eighth overall among baccalaureate colleges in the number of graduates who go on to earn doctoral degrees.

• St. Olaf has had nine Rhodes Scholars. Since 1996 the college has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other liberal arts college in the nation. Two St. Olaf seniors were selected in the 2008 awards competition. Over the past two decades, only two other liberal arts colleges have had the honor of having two selections in a single year.

• Two St. Olaf students were named Fulbright Scholars for 2009–10. Since 1993, 72 St. Olaf students have received prestigious Fulbright scholarships.

• More than two-thirds of St. Olaf students study abroad before graduating.

• St. Olaf consistently ranks as one of the top 25 small colleges and universities in the nation in the number of graduates who serve in the Peace Corps. For 2009, St. Olaf placed second among its peers in current Peace Corps volunteers.

• St. Olaf had 53 National Merit Scholars in the first-year class that arrived on campus in the fall of 2008.

• St. Olaf has earned six Academic All-American selections: three in baseball and one each in football, volleyball, and women’s track and field.