Ron Predl, Executive Director, and Linda S. Frazier, President of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, have announced the receipt of a $50,000 grant from the Founders of Doctors' Hospital, Inc. This challenge grant will be combined with $54,000 in contributions from TSO supporters to purchase and maintain the music library and instruments of the Tulsa Philharmonic Society, Inc. "This acquisition is an epic moment for the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra," said Frazier. "We have not only made our first significant capital purchase, but we have demonstrated that the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra is here to stay as Tulsa’s professional symphony orchestra. We are most grateful to Founders of Doctors' Hospital and all our other generous contributors who have made this day possible." Executive Director Ronald E. Predl emphasized the importance of this acquisition for the arts in Tulsa: "The Tulsa Philharmonic music library represents much more than the accumulation of some 50 years of symphonic music in our city. The scores include markings from performances conducted by such eminent conductors as Lukas Foss and Joseph Silverstein, and of course, the Philharmonic's distinguished music directors. The music library also includes numerous scores that are out of print, as well as works by Ted Hansen, William Heinrichs, Franco Autori and Matt Ridgeway composed for the Tulsa Philharmonic. In a word, this collection is priceless, and we are honored to be entrusted to its care and keeping."

The challenge grant will also be used to purchase musical instruments, primarily percussion instruments, owned by the Tulsa Philharmonic. Contributors to the challenge grant include Vincent LoVoi and Joel Kantor of Mimosa Tree Capital Partners, Marjorie Mayo Bird, Hilti Western Hemisphere, Nancy and Martin Vaughn, Jackie and Bob Poe, Patricia Wheeler, Peter Walter, The Don and Florence Sharp Charitable Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. John Williams, The Williams Companies, Inc., and Patsy Lyon. “A Little May Music,” a fundraising event chaired by Michael Nicholson, TSO’s principal 2nd violin, also made a significant contribution towards the challenge grant.

Starting its fifth season in September 2010, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra has consistently received critical acclaim for its performances, and is recognized as the keystone of the arts in Tulsa. The orchestra has become noted for its eclectic approach to programming, combining an array of classical, light classical and popular works throughout the season. In addition to TSO’s six concert subscription series, the orchestra also accompanies Tulsa Ballet and Tulsa Oratorio Chorus. Many TSO musicians also perform in the orchestra for Tulsa Opera and Light Opera Oklahoma productions.

Cello Master Class with Mike Block at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

Cellist - Mike Block and Violinist – Christian Howes were instructors at the Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp in NYC. They shared their fabulous musical skills with our Tulsa Symphony Musicians who teach in the Tulsa Symphony Education Outreach Programs and promote the new Mark O’Connor Fiddle Method that is sweeping the nation.

Cellist Mike Block

Hailed by Yo-Yo Ma as the “ideal musician of the 21st Century”, Mike Block is a pioneering multi-genre cellist living in New York City. Mike is the singer, cellist and composer for the Mike Block Band, which features a unique mixture of original songs and instrumentals drawing upon multiple genres. In addition to the MBB, Mike performs with the Triboro Trio featuring contemporary arrangements of traditional and new folk music from around the world. While studying at the Juilliard School, Mike joined Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble as its youngest member, and upon graduation in 2006, joined Grammy Award winner Mark O’Connor in his Appalachia Waltz Trio. Mike also now plays in Darol Anger's Republic of Strings, and a duo with Chinese Pipa virtuoso Yang Wei. www.BlockBlockBlockBlock.com

String Master Class with Christian Howes at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

As an educator, performer and composer, Christian Howes has gained great notoriety and respect from critics and players alike. Christian was a favorite of the late Les Paul, with whom he worked for 11 years. Says Christian of his mentor, "Les defied categorization in terms of age or genre. His character, approach to life, and musicianship taught me many valuable lessons which I hope never to forget". In recent years, Howes has become an in-demand violinist on the New York scene, performing and recording with a bevy of jazz artists, including alto saxophonist Greg Osby, pianist D.D. Jackson, guitarists Les Paul , Frank Vignola, and Joel Harrison, drummer Dafnis Prieto, vibraphonist Dave Samuels's Caribbean Jazz Project, crossover pioneers Spyro Gyra, and a 4-yr chair in Bill Evans Soulgrass. On his recent cd, Heartfelt, the violinist collaborates with pianist-arranger Roger Kellaway, a legendary figure in his own right.

Christian Howes

In August, 2009, Christian was ranked (for the third time) as the #2 violinist in the Downbeat Critics Poll "Rising Stars". Says All About Jazz ,"as a jazz violinist he has no peer". The Minneapolis Tribune called Christian "arguably the most intriguing young violinist in jazz". According to the Chicago Reader, “Not since Jean Luc Ponty has a violinist ranged from pure classical to fuzz-tone rock to convincing jazz with such authority”.

An Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music, he is also the founder of the Creative Strings Workshop and Festival, which convenes during the first week of July every year at Otterbein College.

Friday, August 20, 2010
at the Oklahoma Aquarium

Honorary Chairs: Howard and Billie Barnett

6:30 – Cocktail Hour
7:30 – Dinner
8:30 – Live Auction & Friend Raiser

Followed by Concert in the Aquarium Great Hall
Conductor: Ron Spigelman

Cruise Attire
All proceeds will benefit both 501 (c) 3 organizations
Contact: Janis Davis, jdavis@okaquarium.org or (918) 528-1501

Sea Side Reservations

$10,000 Sharks and Strings
Reserved dinner seating for 8 (1 table) in the Cox Shark View Room
Premium wine service during dinner and concert
Reserved seating for concert in Great Hall
Recognition during program and in printed materials

$5,000 Reeds and Reef
Reserved dinner seating for 8 (1 table) in the Coral Reef
Reserved seating for concert in Great Hall
Recognition during program and in printed materials

$2,500 Brass and Bass
Reserved dinner seating for 8 (1 table) in Aquarium Galleries
Reserved seating for concert in Great Hall
Recognition in printed materials

$1,500 Paddlefish and Percussion
Reserved dinner seating for 8 (1 table) in Aquarium Galleries
Reserved seating for concert in Great Hall
Recognition in printed materials

$250 Mermaids and Musicians
Dinner seating for 2 in Aquarium
Reserved seating for concert in Great Hall

About the Partnership

Earlier this year, more than 1,100 Tulsa area students were treated to a remarkable blend of arts and science when the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and Oklahoma Aquarium partnered to present Symphony by the Sea for Students. The children rotated between three stations, each featuring a lesson on a particular environment or animal presented by an Aquarium biologist, followed by a musical selection performed by Tulsa Symphony Orchestra quartets and quintets.

An Aquarium Volunteer Educator discusses shark behavior while Tulsa
Symphony musicians prepare to play.

The first time program was so well received, the Orchestra and Aquarium vowed to expand Symphony by the Sea, making it available for more students. To do that, the organizations are presenting Symphony by the Sea as a fundraiser for an adult audience.

Both the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and Oklahoma Aquarium are non-profit 501 (c) 3 organizations, all donations are tax deductible and will be shared equally by the Orchestra and Aquarium to continue their educational efforts.

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra woodwind players perform for students in front of the Oklahoma Aquarium Coral Reef.

At least, that was the claim made twice from the Chapman Music Hall stage — first by Ron Predl, the orchestra's executive director, then by guest conductor Jose-Luis Novo.

A foggy night in Tulsa town is a nice touch for a concert such as this, but the Tulsa Symphony's performance would likely have been as enjoyable regardless of the weather outside.

Putting together a program of "English" concert music means by necessity music of the 20th century. Much is made of the fact that between the death of Henry Purcell in 1695 and the premiere of Edward Elgar's Variations on an Original Theme in 1899, no English composer made an indelible mark in classical music.

England's place in the musical history of the 18th and 19th centuries was that of consumer of, and inspiration for, music — such as the music of Haydn, whose final symphony, the No. 104 in D Major, the "London," opened Saturday's concert.

There is a sense of this work being a kind of "summing up," as if Haydn knew this would his final statement in this form he more or less created, and Novo led the orchestra in a performance that was compact and focused, stately in it pace so that the various elements of the work seemed to move like dancers in some royal court. It was an approach that made the minor-key outburst in the middle of the second movement sound almost shocking — a sudden breach of both English and classical decorum — and made the spirited gallop of the Finale even more exuberant.

This was followed by a piece about as far removed from Haydn's structured classical style as might be imagined: the theatrical atmospherics of the "Four Sea Interludes from 'Peter Grimes'" by Benjamin Britten.

These four short pieces — interspersed throughout Britten's tragic opera to cover scene changes or to set a mood — conjure up everything from the rising of the sun (that crescendo of brass and percussion in "Dawn") to shafts of "Moonlight" piercing through clouds, the way the bright notes from the flutes and harp cut through the slow pulse from the low strings, to the violence of a "Storm."

Elgar's "Enigma" Variations closed out the evening, striking a balance between the purely evocative and the formally structured, in Elgar's 14 musical portraits of himself, his wife and his friends.

It is a piece designed primarily to charm, and the Tulsa Symphony's performance certainly met that goal. Its playing was nicely boisterous and rambunctious in Variations Nos. 5 and 7; capturing the mystery of the ocean depths in the untitled 13th Variation (featuring some lovely work by principal clarinet Brad Behn); comical in the 11th Variation, with its culminating splash depicting a dog diving into water.

Prior to the concert, Novo said the 9th Variation, "Nimrod," was dedicated to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and this variation — which was quite movingly played — was slightly set apart from the rest, with a little longer pause between its conclusion and the beginning of No. 10, an almost frivolous tune that sobers up considerably once the viola (played by Jeffery Cowen, who also excelled in the Variation No. 6) spoke up.

Read more from this Tulsa World article

Well, Germany and Austria, since many of the composers people assume to be German were actually from Austria. Saturday's program was neatly divided between representatives from both regions, with music by Vienna residents W.A. Mozart and Anton Webern and by German nationals J.S. Bach and Johannes Brahms.

The program wasn't one to demonstrate what was uniquely "German" about these composers or their music, but rather to show a few ways as to how music has developed from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.

That development was the whole idea of the first piece performed — Webern's 1935 orchestration of the Ricercarta or Fugue from Bach's "A Musical Offering." Bach wrote the original piece as a unique challenge, to compose a fugue that would incorporate six different melody lines. As guest conductor Andrew Massey stated prior to the performance, what Webern did was "dig into the guts" of this dense and complicated piece of music, and "bring out the jewels....to find the sentimentality hidden in the music."

And the result — spacious, angular, deliberate and compelling — played out like a deconstruction of Baroque music. I don't know about "sentimentality," but Webern's orchestration, and the Tulsa Symphony's performance, was full of emotional tension, beautiful and sad, and underscored by the sound of a muted trumpet — a usually triumphant sound held in tight check.

Bach's music also had an influence on the final work on the program, the Symphony No. 4 in E Minor by Brahms. Although Brahms lived and worked during what is commonly called the Romantic era, his ideas about music were oriented more toward what was for him the immediate past — the classical styles of Haydn, Mozart and especially Beethoven. Brahms used a theme from Bach's Cantata No. 150 as the basis for the finale of this symphony.

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Brahms did not go in for the emotional excesses and story-telling tendencies that flourished in music of the time. Brahms' music could be considered pure music — it has no "meaning" beyond being a beautifully constructed work of sonic art. Massey, who conducted this piece without a score, did a superb job with this piece. The orchestra's sound was rich and burnished, although from our seat at the back of the balcony, the brasses and French horns at times sounded too loud, drowning out every other instrument — not a good thing, especially when the horns had moments of wobbly intonation.

But in every other respect, this performance was a triumph, marked by some resonant solos by principal clarinet Brad Behn and principal flute John Rush.

In the middle came Mozart's Symphony No. 29 in A Major, a sunny and vivacious work from its light and effervescent opening through the loping gallop of its Minuet to its vigorous finale. And Saturday's performance was thoroughly enjoyed by its audience — my fellow residents of the upper reaches of the Chapman Music Hall were most enthusiastic in their applause at the end of each movement, something that Mozart (if we believe his letters) would appreciate.

Saturday's concert was dedicated to the memory of John Burch Mayo, who died earlier this year. Mayo was one of the champions of orchestral music in Tulsa. He helped found the Tulsa Philharmonic and, along with the late Herbert Gussman, was one of that orchestra's major supporters. He also became one of the first supporters of the Tulsa Symphony soon after its creation in 2005.

Mayo was a man dedicated to the idea that music and the arts were a vital force in any great city, and he worked much of his life to achieve that ideal for Tulsa.

The first half of the program featured works by two composers who are synonymous with opera Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner. The second half was devoted to what was billed as the first Tulsa performance of Richard Strauss' tone poem "Ein Heldenleben" — a work that in its narrative framework and musical expressiveness could well be described as "operatic."

This work, composed in 1899, also marked a shift in Strauss' work, from the tone poems that had made him famous to the operas — "Salome," "Elektra," "Der Rosenkavalier" — that would help goad that art form into the 20th century.

Dual audiences: How one views the subject matter of "Ein Heldenleben" depends, it would seem, on how one translates the title. The literal translation is "A Heroic Life," but most of the time it bears the slightly looser variation "A Hero's Life."

If one holds to the former translation, then this piece is an allegory about the heroism of the everyday man, standing up against petty obstacles that confront him daily and ultimately finding some kind of peace.

Call it "A Hero's Life," recognize the quotations from previous Strauss compositions in the penultimate section that enumerates the hero's great works, and remember that Strauss was enamored of the philosophy of Nietzsche and was quite the monster of ego in his own right, and this work becomes a musical auto-hagiography.

The reality is, it's both. Every creative person writes for two audiences the writer and the public. Supposedly Strauss did not want the titles of the sections of "Ein Heldenleben" published, which meant that he could have his in-jokes (that the adversaries of the second section were music critics, that the third section is a musical portrait of his wife) and not have them distract from the more universal quality of the music and the story it portrays.

One doesn't need a script to bask in the sonic richness of Strauss' music, which the Tulsa Symphony, under Daniel Hege's direction, served up in all its glory.

The vagaries of life Saturday meant that we ended up in the balcony of the Chapman Music Hall, and once we got over the vertigo-inducing angle, we were pleasantly surprised at how well the orchestra sounded to these Olympian heights.

You don't miss a thing up here: the robust strings, the sharply precise woodwinds, the wallop and whisper of the percussion, the bright and sparkly brass. (Of course, you could also hear more clearly the struggles the French horns seemed to have with much of the evening's music.)

Concertmaster Rossitza Goza's solo, giving voice to the hero's wife, was masterful in bringing out all the contradictory facets of this complex and capricious character. And Hege did a superb job at keeping the cohesion and energy of this nearly hour-long piece of music tight, so it never seemed to meander.

Hege and the orchestra were equally accomplished in the Overture to "La Forza del Destino" by Verdi, which is almost a piece of program music, in the way the various themes are overtaken and crushed by the dramatic "Fate" motif. Hege built these sections well, as each section came to a crashing stop, as if the music were cut off by a guillotine's blade.

Good choices: Four excerpts from Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelungen" cycle rounded out the evening. Hege wisely rearranged the sequence to conclude it with the most famous excerpt, "The Ride of the Valkyries."

Less wisely, he spent a good deal of time trying to explain what was going on in each excerpt, which usually serves only to make the stories these operas try to tell sound even more ridiculous than they are. Wagner created his operas as total works of art — everything needs to be in place for them to have the proper impact.

Again, maybe the thing to do is leave such comments to the program notes and just play the music. The "Valkyries" may be the best-known section, but the "Entrance of the Gods to Valhalla" and "Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey" were the most effectively performed.

Pianist Zuo Zhang showed why she won the 2007 Crescendo Award during her performance Friday at the Tulsa Symphony's "Stay Up Late and Catch Some Z's."

The "Z's" of the title were the guests of the evening: conductor Gerhardt Zimmermann and pianst Zuo Zhang. This was Zimmermann's second time to lead the Tulsa Symphony, and we are quickly coming to admire his assured, precise way of drawing the best out of this orchestra.

There is a transparency to Zimmerman's conducting. He is one of those conductors, it seems, who believes the real work of making music is in the preparation, in knowing what one wants to achieve with a certain piece and then making sure one has all the tools necessary to do that. So there is no need for any pyrotechnics on the podium — just let the music and the musicians speak for themselves.

This understated approach only added to the power of the orchestra's performance of the Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93, by Shostakovich. At once sprawling and pointedly precise, filled with moments of pure ugliness and surprising beauty, Shostakovich's 10th Symphony is a masterpiece — or, as Zimmermann described it in a lengthy introduction to the piece, "arguably the greatest symphony of the 20th century by arguably the greatest composer of the 20th century."

No argument here: This was at times an overwhelming performance, one that exploited the orchestra's strengths to the fullest. The somber, doom-laden opening for the first movement gives way to increasingly shrill and desperate solos from the principal woodwinds before coming to an ambiguous end with the piercing sound of two piccolos engaged in a kind of slow-motion aural joust.

The furious, machine-gone-wild second movement — what Zimmermann called "the total insanity of war and the people who make it" — was a frightening blast; Lisa Wagner's English horn cut plaintively through the wonky waltz of the third movement; and the finale veered between the raucous and mournful. If this symphony was composed, as Zimmermann would have it, as a reaction to the death of Stalin and the possibility of Russian artists suddenly having the freedom to do what they want, it would seem that Shostakovich wasn't terribly certain if this was a cause for celebration or worry. Freedom can be a terrifying thing.

Pianist Zuo won the 2007 Crescendo Award from the Rotary Club of Tulsa — just one of many such prizes this native of China has earned since she began playing at age 5. In March, she was selected as one of 30 contestants for the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, earning her place with a performance that some observers thought made her the one to beat.

Her performance Friday of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15, by Beethoven was the work of an already mature artist. Everything was kept perfectly in balance — her playing was expressive without being showy, even in the inventive, densely packed cadenza she performed to close out the first movement. Her touch on the keyword is light enough almost to be called a caress, and she crafted each phrase with such fluidity that most seemed to flow like sparkling water from the piano.

Zuo also showed a chamber music side to her musical personality in the second movement, in which the long duet between the piano and Brad Behn's clarinet unfolded like a deeply serious conversation between two close friends.

As for the opening piece, Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man," it is fiendishly tough, because the brass players and percussionists are so exposed that the least wobble in tone, the slightest hesitation in attack, is magnified.

Friday night's performance had a burble or two, but even so, it was a stirring performance — in part, for reasons that went beyond Friday night's performance. Copland's "Fanfare" was the first piece of music ever performed in the PAC's Chapman Music Hall in 1977, and every subsequent performance of this piece in the PAC seems to resonate through time as well as space.

Friday's concert was also a tribute to Herbert and Roseline Gussman, whose love for and patronage of the arts in Tulsa is legendary. That the concert featured a pianist was also apt, as one of Herbert Gussman's many talents was as a pianist.

I’ve been saying this practically from the moment the chorus began performing, but I have never come away from a Tulsa Oratorio Chorus concert feeling dissatisfied. First under founder Ed Byrom, and now led by Donald Studebaker, the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus has maintained a standard of excellence that is never less than impressive. A good deal of this success is due to the dedication of the 100-plus singers, who volunteer their time to rehearse and perform.

Saturday, the chorus presented “Christmas with the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus,” an intermission-less evening of familiar works of the season, featuring as soloist Sarah Coburn.

This was Coburn’s second performance this year in her home state – in February, she made her debut with Tulsa Opera, singing the title role in “Lakme” – and it’s likely that her presence did a lot of draw one of the larger crowds we’ve seen of late at a TOC performance.

And Coburn did not disappoint, opening the evening with a bright and brilliant performance of the aria “Rejoice greatly” from Handel’s “Messiah,” to the “Balulalow” section of Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols,” through an English version of “Gesu Bambino,” and concluding with a stirring “O Holy Night.” If there was one moment that did not register as well, it was her performance of Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” where she sounded oddly muted. It was not a bad performance, but it paled in comparison to the other pieces she sang.

For our money, the Handel was the best thing Coburn did. Her performance was not only full of life and sparkle and real joy, but it also showed a fine attention to detail – each note distinct and crisply enunciated, in much the same way that the chorus itself performed “And the Glory of the Lord.” These were to very properly Baroque performances, and they were wonderful to hear.

Equally enjoyable were the performances of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Bach, followed by the orchestral piece, “Fantasia on Greensleeves” by Vaughan Williams. The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra was in two places at once on Saturday – some of the orchestra’s players were in Midwest City accompanying Tulsa Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” – and many of the names in the orchestra’s roster for the TOC concert were new to me. But there was nothing “second string” about the ensemble’s performances, whether providing sensitive accompaniment to Coburn’s lone voice or cutting loose in Leroy Anderson’s “Christmas Festival.”

Harpist Ineta Bebb did exemplary work in the “Ceremony of Carols,” and the TOC audience acquitted itself well in its brief performances during the carols “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “The First Noel” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

Listening to award-winning scores from some of Disney’s greatest animated features was truly fun for all – from the classic Mary Poppins, to Beauty and the Beast; from the jungles of Africa to the City of Paris – this concert took us on a voyage around the world. And every stop brought back memories for every child and grandchild; for every parent and grandparent.

The TSO was able to demonstrate both the breadth and depth of its abilities, right down to the kazoos! The strings really got a workout, but sounded rich and full, the brass and winds shone brightly and powerfully. And thanks to the percussion, we were able to hear some instruments and sounds not generally associated with a classical concert. Conductor James Bagwell led the orchestra confidently, and with a lot of bounce. I can’t think of a better conductor for this style of presentation. He had as much fun as the orchestra members and the audience.

There are three remaining concerts for the 2008-2009 season – in March, April, and May. You won’t want to miss any of them!
-Ken Busby

I attended Saturday's performance of the music from Disney. I brought a group of middle school band students from Locust Grove. What a wonderful time we had. The students enjoyed the performance and the chance to meet the musicians. For our students this was the first time to come a performance of this type. Thank you so much for giving us a wonderful evening of music. They were asking their director when they could come back!
- Tina Potter

I wanted to send an email expressing the immense enjoyment that my students and I experienced while attending the "Music of Disney" concert. Not only was the experience enjoyable, it was educational as well.

It is difficult to find a venue in which the audience understands and demonstrates the proper concert etiquette. Fortunately we have the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra to provide not only a wonderful musical experience but an environment that young musicians can learn concert etiquette.

I want to mention that I have attained a music degree from one of the finest music schools in the world. I mention this only because it will give merit to my comments concerning the musicians and the performance. With that in mind, I must say the concert was absolutely superb! I extend my congratulations to whomever assembled such wonderful players in Tulsa. One would expect to find musicians of this caliber in a much larger city such as Dallas.

One of the outstanding moments of the night occurred at the conclusion of the concert, when the performers visited with the audience in the lobby. My students were simply enamored! This is one of the most brilliant and beautiful actions musicians can take in order to perpetuate such a wonderful art form for future generations.

-Justin Bell

The best part, though, was and should be the music. The Tulsa Youth Symphony was amazing. These talented young people were, without doubt, the best Tulsa has to offer.

Let's not, however, forget the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. With guest conductor Ron Spigelman from the Springfield, Mo., Symphony leading the way, the program was perfect for an outdoor performance. John Williams, the "1812 Overture" and, of course, "Stars and Stripes" were wonderful. LeRoy Anderson's "Bugler's Holiday," performed by Tim McFaddin and Steve Haefner of the TSO and the guest conductor, was a crowd favorite.

I hope that everyone who was there enjoyed it as much as I did and will make it a point to attend the remaining performances at the Performing Arts Center.

Carole Warren, Tulsa

But that characterization also fit the other works the orchestra presented in its second concert of the season. And in the case of the Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major by Prokofiev, as performed by guest artist Alexandre Ghindin, we're talking a whole lot of real, honest notes played extraordinarily well.

Ghindin has won several of the world's top piano competitions, the 2007 Cleveland International competition the most recent, and it wasn't difficult to see why after his performance Saturday at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

He is one of those rare pianists who combines great expressiveness with finely honed technique, so that every note he plays is struck with laser-like precision, yet each passage is so perfectly phrased that the music sounds as if he is improvising on the spot — that the soloist is not so much playing along with the orchestra as challenging it, dueling with it.

Ghindin made Prokofiev's concerto sound not like music that had been memorized, but music that had been internalized, producing not a "performance" but a natural expression. When Prokofiev's music turned comic and playfulness, Ghindin would toss off phrases and fillips with a jaunty insouciance; when things became dark and somber, Ghindin's attack gave the sense of great sadness just barely held in check.

And the speed and stamina he showed throughout the piece — and the Prokofiev third is a bit like the piano concerto as extreme sports in what it requires of the player — had the crowd gasping in shock and admiration.

Ghindin responded to the very heartfelt standing ovation he received with an encore that was completely surprising and completely wonderful — John Philip Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever," performed in a way that can only be described as orchestral.

That piece guest conductor Lockington was talking about was Philip Sawyers' "Symphonic Music for Strings and Brass." It was written in 1972, a time when atonal noise was all the academic rage in music, so that a piece that actually contained melodies was viewed as "reactionary."

Melodies Sawyers' music certainly has, most of them from the strings, and many of them nicely offset by dissonant passages from the brass that alternated between the subtle and the sharp. The music at times had a kind of cinematic, light-classical feel to it — some passages brought to mind the orchestral passages from "Days of Future Passed," the old Moody Blues album — before evolving in some interesting, but still pleasing ways. And the slow middle section of the piece was highlighted by a pair of lovely, languid French horn solos that principal hornist Bruce Schultz performed with grace and perfect control.

When it comes to melodies, few composers produced them in such welcoming abundance as Dvorak — his innate sense of song makes his music always sound familiar, as if it were made up of tunes you weren't aware you already knew.

His Eighth Symphony in G Major, which closed out the Tulsa Symphony's concert, is one of his more rustically festive creations; there is a kind of carnival atmosphere to the piece, with its fanfares and dances, that not even the bucolic reverie of the second movement, with its mournful see-saw motif from the flutes, can dispel. And under Lockington's direction, the Tulsa Symphony gave this music all the dash and sparkle you could want.

Saturday's concert was dedicated to the memory of Patti Johnson Wilson, whose generosity toward the arts in general, and symphonic music in particular, knew no bounds. No doubt she would been especially pleased by Ghindin's performance, as she was a most accomplished pianist herself.

The opening Philip Sawyers piece and the closing Dvořák Symphony No. 8 were excellent. Truly transporting, however, was the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 in C. It is a wonderful piece of music, but under the baton of Maestro David Lockington and guest pianist Alexander Ghindin, it was taken to an entirely new level. The crowning glory of the evening, however, was the encore performed by Alexander Ghindin. Mr. Ghindin returned to the stage and performed a rousing arrangement of John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Truly, this performance rivaled one of the greatest pianists of all time, Vladimir Horowitz, for whom the “Stars and Stripes Forever” was one of his signature pieces. Amid cheers of “Bravo” and thunderous applause, audience goers had witnessed an unparalleled performance. And at just 31 years of age, Mr. Ghindin’s career is just getting started!"

-Ken Busby
Director and CEO
Tulsa Arts & Humanities Council

"One of the principal characteristics of Russian music is the use of folk melodies," Lande said. "It was something everyone did at the time -- and continue to do, to some extent."

Just as important, Lande said, was the influence of composers known as "The Mighty Handful."

"Of that group, Rimsky-Korsakov was the most important orchestrator, and he had a hand in just about all the pieces we'll perform in Tulsa," Lande said.

The concert features Rimsky-Korsakov's Russian Easter Overture, as well as two works he orchestrated -- the Polovtsian Dances for Borodin's opera "Prince Igor," and Mussorgsky's Prelude to "Khovanshchina."

"Rimsky-Korsakov even did an orchestration of (Mussorgsky's) 'Pictures at an Exhibition,' " Lande said. "But everyone prefers the one done by Ravel -- myself included. So we'll do that one."

As for the bells, Lande said, "In Moscow during this time there were about 1,400 churches, and all of them would coordinate the ringing of their church bells.

"It was said that people could feel the vibrations from all these thousands of bells as far as 25 miles away," he said. "People called them 'raspberry bells,' because the vibrations created a feeling on a person's tongue that they said mimicked the taste of raspberries."

Also, Lande said, the elongated harmonies created by these bells had a strong influence on many composers.

"You hear it most certainly in Rimsky-Korsakov, and subsequent composers -- Glazunov and Prokofiev -- followed that example," he said.

Lande performed in Tulsa in 2006 as part of the Poulenc Trio. He is also principal oboe of the Baltimore Symphony and directs the Johns Hopkins University chamber music program.

He also is principal guest conductor of the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra in Russia.

"I think of myself simply as a musician," he said. "Sometimes, the best way to express my musical ideas is through the oboe. Other times, those ideas require a full orchestra. It is similar to a writer -- sometimes a short story is the perfect vehicle for his thoughts, other times, he needs to write a novel."

Howard Barnett (left), Margery Bird, Pattie Bowman, Marilyn Conner and Richmond Brownson take a moment to gather at the Vivaldi Society’s dinner at Southern Hills Country Club.

The event, held at Southern Hills Country Club, honored members of the society, which is made up of the symphony's most generous supporters.

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra co-concert master Ron Neal played his Stradivarius and Amati violins to a standing ovation. Also entertaining were pianist Don Ryan and 10 additional musicians, many of whom are principal players of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra.

Guests also enjoyed a cocktail reception, and gourmet dinner and wines.

Vivaldi Society members include: Howard and Billie Barnett, Mary Athens, Dr. Charles and Barbara McEntee, Dr. Bruce and Linda Stoesser, Toby Fell, Ana Marie Lloyd Jones, Franklin and Kay Miller, Frank and Ludmila Robson, Jane Sneed, Tom and Josie Winter, Debra Zinke, Ella May Avery, Rolf and Adele Blom, David and Pattie Bowman, Larry Boyer, John and Donnie Brock, John and Cheryl Clerico, David O. Cordell, Don den Daas, Fred and Nanu Dorwart, Robert and Patsy Lyon, Jim and Jean McGill, Robert and Millie Millspaugh, Michel and Barbara Nelson, and Anna Norberg and Joe Kestner.

Also, Edward and Frances Patterson, Elizabeth Peterson, Bob and Susan Rorschach, Harry and Joan Seay, A.R. and Marylouise Tandy, Kathleen Williams, Dr. Marc and Linda Frazier, Jim and Marilyn Conner, Burl and Nina Watson, Patsy Savage, John and Ann Wieczorek, Bob and Joan Hunt, Lindsay and Diane Perkins, Randy Sullivan, Deena Clements, William Shambaugh, Dr. David and Vicki Hurewitz, Theresa Collins, John and Shirley Carle, Richmond and Lynda Brownson, Tom and Debbie Grillot, and Dr. Erv and Maurine Janssen.

To become a member of the Vivaldi Society, call Pattie Bowman at the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra office at 584-3645.

Andrew Massey, a composer and conductor for the Racine (Wisc.) Symphony Orchestra, will conduct the Tulsa Symphony in this all-orchestral concert featuring music by Brahms, Britten and Prokofiev.

The “firsts” in question are the first symphonies of Brahms and Prokofiev. Of course, both composers had created a number of other works in advance of writing their first symphonies.

Prokofiev had already written two piano concerti and a few other orchestral works such as his well-known “Scythian Suite” before embarking on his Symphony No. 1. Brahms had completed his Serenade, a large amount of chamber music and his symphonic-like Piano Concerto No. 1 before he felt comfortable enough to write a full-scale symphony.

And both the Prokofiev and Brahms symphonies look back to earlier music. Prokofiev’s symphony has gained the nickname “Classical,” as he envisioned the piece to be a symphonic work that Haydn or Mozart might have written had they lived in early 20th century Russia.

Brahms was also a composer who had profound respect for the classical style of Haydn and Mozart, but was perhaps even more awed by the romantic power and emotional scope of Beethoven’s music. Brahms’ first symphony contains some obvious echoes of Beethoven’s Fifth and Ninth symphonies that prompted some to describe the work as “Beethoven’s 10th Symphony.”

Brahms wasn’t pleased with such reductions, famously comparing those who pointed out such similarities to the north end of a southward walking donkey.

Benjamin Britten’s “Suite on English Folk Tunes,” which will also be performed, was one of the English composer’s final works, completed just a year before his death in 1976.

It is a work for chamber orchestra, as was the Sinfonetta No. 1 that established Britten as a composer while still in his teens. Britten also followed the example of fellow British composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst, who found a uniquely English inspiration in the ancient melodies of the British Isles.

Conductor Massey, who led this program with his Wisconsin orchestra a few weeks ago, has held posts with the Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, New Orleans Symphony and the Toledo Symphony, among others.

His compositions include “Early Mourning,” which premiered in 2003, and a violin piece titled “Another Winter,” inspired by the “Winter” section of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.”

Guest conductor Daniel Hege directs the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra during “A Magical Evening” performance Saturday at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

When guest conductor Daniel Hege returned to the podium as the crowd that nearly filled the Chapman Music Hall remained on its feet, he signaled the question, "One more?" Then he turned to the orchestra, which launched into Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries."

Of course, like any good magic trick these days, it was a moment carefully planned -- one doesn't just call out a tune to an orchestra and expect all 70 or so musicians to know exactly what parts they are to play. Still, it had the illusion of spontaneity, so that one could take it not as a trick but as the treat it was intended to be.

As for the rest of the evening, there were more than a few magical moments in this program, although it took a while for them to appear. In fact, it wasn't until the final piece of the evening's first half, Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," that the Tulsa Symphony seemed to come to life and play with the energy and passion we've heard in the past.

Few people today can hear Dukas' piece without visions of Mickey Mouse and animated brooms, thanks to the film "Fantasia." But under Hege's direction, the Tulsa Symphony gave this work the right sort of wild playfulness it needs.

The 1919 "Firebird Suite" by Stravinsky was maybe the best thing of the evening -- the quieter first portion of the suite a nice mix of gentleness and tension; the "Danse infernale" a lusty, Satanic roar; the "Berceuse" sweetened by a series of plaintive bassoon solos; and the finale building into an epic thunder.

The last two movements of Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" concluded the evening. Hege laid out the story of this music -- even drawing a dramatic finger across his throat at the point in the fourth movement when the main character dreams of a guillotine blade coming down on his neck, in case anyone missed the moment.

But the orchestra ably brought out all the theatrics in the music itself: the inexorability of the "March to the Scaffold," the swirling raucousness of the "Witches' Sabbath."

The performance of Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre," on the other hand, was remarkably tame for something that's supposed to be the devil fiddling the dead out of their graves on Halloween. Concertmaster Rossitza Goza played the violin solo well, but the piece as a whole never quite caught fire.

That was also true of the two "fire-theme" pieces on the program, de Falla's "Ritual Fire Dance" and the "Magic Fire Music," another excerpt from Wagner's "Die Walkure." Nicely groomed, with all the notes in place -- just not exciting.

Hege and the orchestra began the evening with John Williams' "Harry's Wondrous World," from his score to the first "Harry Potter" movie. It reminded how Williams' film music has become the sound of American fantasy, since this piece echoed previous work for such spectacles of the imagination as "Star Wars," "E.T." and "Superman."

The orchestra’s management has developed a network of guest conductors that bring and add a different dimension of interest to each concert. Most of them speak to the audience about the music to be performed, and some play instruments that highlight their critique. The enthusiasm expressed by both the audience and players on stage is quite obvious, and we feel sure this addition is a plus to future seasons.

TSO management consists primarily of the orchestra members, and their program committee gets exceedingly high marks in selecting the music to be played. Many concerts have special themes in which to build upon and the rest serve up repertoire that is highly accessible to our area audiences.

Competent guest conductors, music programs of the highest quality, and TSO’s corporate performance ability to achieve in two seasons that which many orchestras only reach after decades of playing together is remarkable. This is truly a trio of trust.

This is Tulsa’s Symphony Orchestra, and we need to support it in every method possible. The ways are innumerable.

William H. Shambaugh
Chair – Evenings at the Bernsen