...and a word from one of our sponsors, The Cordial Cricket!

What a pleasure it is to write a guest blog post for the Richmond Symphony blog. My name is Elizabeth Howard and I am the owner of retail boutique, The Cordial Cricket, located in Chester, Virginia. Our boutique specializes in custom invitations, stationery and unique gifts for children and adults. We are proud to partner with the Richmond Symphony to sponsor their upcoming LolliPops Concert Green Eggs & Ham on Saturday, February 19th.

In addition to operating a retail store, I also work as a trained etiquette consultant with people and groups of all ages. It works very much in tandem with what we offer at the store since etiquette plays an important role in the proper use of invitations and stationery. We are delighted to share an important etiquette skill with the children and families who attend the upcoming Green Eggs & Ham concert during the pre-concert festival activities. Making sure that children know the idea and concepts behind writing a proper thank you note is something that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Please be sure to stop by our booth during the pre-concert festival for a fun thank you note primer for your kids, a thank you note activity they can complete and of course a treat! Kids and adults alike can even write a short thank you to the Richmond Symphony musicians to share their appreciation of the concert and festival fun!

As a local independent business owner, it is very important to us to partner with other local organizations that have a positive impact on our community. We are pleased to be a part of this great event for families, and look forward to partnering with the Richmond Symphony during future events. If you would like to know more about our store or etiquette consulting for your organization, school or group please visit our pre-concert festival booth for more information. See you at Green Eggs & Ham!

Elizabeth Howard
The Cordial Cricket
http://www.thecordialcricket.com/

Musician Profile: Ann Choomack, Piccolo

Ann Choomack, Piccolo Soloist for this weekend's Metro Collection concert

Describe yourself in five words.
Silly, shy, competitive, animal lover

What’s the first song you ever remember hearing?
Take Me Home Country Roads written by John Denver, sung by my Dad

If you could only play one composition for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oh how awful! There is so much great music out there to pick just one! But I suppose if I had to pick one it would the Partita in A minor by J.S. Bach.

What do you enjoy most when not performing music?
I enjoy eating (and occasionally cooking) good food with good friends.

Which composer (dead or alive) would you like to have dinner with?
I would like to have dinner with my old friend and wonderful composer Matt Fuerst. It’s so inspiring to be around people actively creating new music.

Currently, what musical periods or styles do you find yourself most drawn to as a musician?
At the moment, I seem to be most drawn to music that has lush harmonies.

Which composer (dead or alive) do you believe deserves more recognition for their achievements?
I think that the music of Erwin Schulhoff deserves more recognition. He wrote such interesting collections of instruments, including the piccolo, which do not get nearly enough attention!

As a faculty member at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro and maintain a private teaching studio, what inspires you to help foster music talents?
What inspires me about teaching is that moment of realization when a student “gets it”. After a period of really hard work, everything comes together and they can really feel the difference. That feeling of accomplishment is so exciting and I feel lucky to be a part of that experience. 

Musician Profile: Mary Bowden, Trumpet

Mary Bowden, Trumpet

Describe yourself in four words.
Motivated, goofy, quirky, tall

When did you first become interested in music?
My two older brothers played horn and trombone, so when I was 10, I decided to join band and picked the cornet so we could have a brass trio. We had a wonderful first teacher, Tim Jones. He would spend hours at our house every Saturday and took us to many Chicago Symphony concerts, brass concerts, and master classes. We were very lucky. I left school in the middle of 8th grade to attend community college and I had a lot of time to practice since I made my own schedule. During this time, I studied with Kari Lee-it was very inspirational to study with a driven talented woman trumpeter. She encouraged me to work on pieces that I at first thought were too challenging and really pushed me to improve. I played in Chicago Youth Symphony before attending the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Describe your favorite concert with the RSO:
During my first season when I was acting second, we performed one of my favorite pieces of all time, Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. It was a very exciting performance, and also special because Sarah Hatsuko Hicks conducted (I’ve know her since 2000 when she was conducting the Curtis Orchestra!)

What artists influence your work?
To me, sound quality is the most important aspect of a trumpeter. My teacher, David Bilger, at the Curtis Institute of Music and principal trumpeter of Philadelphia Orchestra, has a very beautiful refined tone. Not only does he sound amazing in orchestra, but his solo work is inspiring too. I also played for Swedish trumpeter Hakan Hardenberger, one of my favorite trumpeters this past summer. I’ve grown up listening to his recordings, and playing for him was very stressful because of this, but I learned so much from him. Other favorite trumpeters are Allan Dean (my teacher at Yale University), Chet Baker, and Giuliano Sommerhalder. Ok, enough about trumpet! I don’t JUST listen to trumpeters-I’m also a huge opera fan. I feel that I am always trying to imitate the voice through the trumpet (strange to try to do this through a piece of metal!) I love Birgit Nilsson, Maria Callas, and Karita Mattila. Regina Spektor, Radiohead, Wilhelm Kempff, and David Bowie are also favorites on my ipod.

Playing for Hakan Hardenberger in a masterclass at Chosen Vale Trumpet Seminar, Summer 2010

What piece of music do you find most inspiring?

I love Mahler Symphony No. 9 - really any Mahler Symphony. While performing in Switzerland with the Lucerne Festival Academy this past summer, I was fortunate to hear a live performance of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado. It is amazing when 100% of the orchestra are giving their all for a concert. At the end, Abbado was silent, and the audience was silent for a good 15 seconds. Such a beautiful moment.

Describe something interesting that happened to you recently.

I recently won a position with the “Youtube Symphony” and will be going to Sydney, Australia in March for performances with Michael Tilson Thomas. The audition process what much different than a real audition-most auditions are done blind-our auditions were posted on the internet for the whole world to see! Then the public was given a chance to vote on their favorites, and the conductor picked the final winners. Here you can see my introduction video:



This is a wonderful tool to promote classical music. The members of the orchestra will be making films along the way before our trip to Sydney, so please feel free to visit my youtube site.

What do you enjoy doing besides playing music?

I am officially a travel addict. Since June, I’ve been all along the east coast, Santa Fe, Banff, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Chicago, Florida, and this coming spring I have big trips planned to Belgium, Amsterdam, and Australia. Of course, the trumpet brings me to those places! I’ve started Bikram yoga, which has really helped with my focus. I also enjoy running, reading, spending time with my family in Chicago, writing, hiking, and spending time with my cat and boyfriend in Naples, Florida.

What inspires you to keep yourself motivated?
I have a lot of goals as a musician, and there are still many pieces I want to perform. I like having projects so I never get bored with music. Since I am third trumpet here in Richmond, I have the flexibility to pursue and solo and chamber career as well. I like that I will never reach a point of satisfaction with the trumpet. There will always be aspects to improve, new music to learn, new ideas…

Performing chamber music at the Marlboro Music Festival

What do you have coming up in the future?
At the end of this month I am traveling to Belgium for a trumpet competition in Antwerp. When I return, I am performing the Haydn Concerto with Richmond Youth Symphony w/Erin Freeman on February 19th at the Carpenter Theater! Please come!

Also visit my website at http://www.marybowden.com/ for more upcoming events!



Mary Bowden with Pierre Boulez at the Lucerne Festival Academy in Switzerland, performing principal trumpet on Mahler 6 and Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy



Erin Freeman's Preview of "An Evening at the Opera"

Voice and the Orchestra

Sneak preview of "An Evening at the Opera"

By Erin R. Freeman



It's me again, Erin Freeman!  I am Associate Conductor and Director of the Richmond Symphony Chorus!


What a unique treat we have with this weekend’s masterworks program – all music inspired by the original instrument – the human voice (again, I’m biased). On the first half, we have Benjamin Britten’s, “Four Sea Interludes” (orchestra only) from the opera Peter Grimes and Maurice Ravel’s Sheherazade* for soprano and orchestra; and after intermission, we’ll perform selections from great operas by Bizet, Beethoven, Verdi, and more!

You will probably recognize much of the second half, with music such as the Triumphal March from Aida (sorry…no elephants), the languid Cigarette Girls Chorus from Carmen, and “Va Pensiero” from Nabucco. Plus, you’ll get to hear one of my favorite all time opera choruses – the Prisoner’s Chorus from Fidelio. Those of you who think Beethoven’s vocal writing is all about shouting as loudly as possible will come away from this stunningly internal portrayal of freedom thinking that maybe Beethoven did know how to write for singers after all! Check out this YouTube of a Metropolitan Opera production from 2000.



As for the first half, you may not be familiar with this music. These are two underplayed but strikingly beautiful and powerful representatives of the orchestral repertoire. In these pieces, there is a lot to which you, your soul, and your intellect can connect. For example….

You will love the Britten “Four Sea Interludes” if you like…

Lush harmonies: Like those in Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams.
Clean lines: Like those found in Britten’s other operas (my favorites are the chamber operas: Albert Herring and Rape of Lucretia)
Big, romantic, fiery, full orchestral sound: As in Strauss’ Don Juan or Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet (boy…the last movement of the Britten will knock your orchestral socks off!)
Storm Scenes: Beethoven Symphony 6 “Pastoral”, Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony, Debussy La Mer
Peaceful moments of inner beauty: The third movement (“Moonlight”) is truly one of the more beautiful pieces for orchestra I’ve heard. It reminds me of the most serene moments of a Mahler symphony – perhaps the choral entrance in his “Resurrection” symphony (no. 2) or moments of simplicity in Kindertotenlieder.
Creative Orchestration: If you love the gratifying orchestral colors in works by Ravel (Daphnis et Chloe, perhaps), you will be enchanted by Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes”.

Guest Artist Kelley Nassief, Soprano

Speaking of Ravel, you may love Scheherazade, if you love:

French Flute Solos: The second movement is basically a duet for Flute and Soprano. Think Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faune with a bit more action.
Pieces for Soprano and Orchestra: Although from different countries, pieces such as Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs and the final movement of Mahler’s 4th symphony have a kinship to this work by Ravel. The soprano is more than just a soloist - she becomes a part of the orchestra.
Impressionist music: Like the Ravel orchestration of the Debussy Sarabande (performed earlier this year on Masterworks 2).
Exotic orchestral colors: During Ravel’s time, there was a fascination with “The East,” a fairly unknown region of the world. This fascination was often misguided and filled with stereotypes, but it led to the inclusion of some harmonies and orchestral colors that were new to “Western” ears at the time. Another example of what is called “Orientalism” is Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, written 5 years before the Ravel. You’ll definitely hear some similarities. (Want to know more about “Orientalism”? Check out the scholar Edward Said.)
Stories related to Sheherazade: Okay – so Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherazade is an entirely different musical bird, as is Nielsen’s Aladdin, but if you are a folk tale buff and have an affinity for anything related to the stories that kept the King Shahryar from killing his new bride Scheherazade night after night for, well, 1001 Nights, then this piece may be for you! Poetry is by Tristan Klingsor, who lived around the same time as Ravel.
* By the way, Ravel spelled it Sheherazade, while we usually spell the Rimsky-Korsakov version with a C: Scheherazade.

The Nutcracker Suite From The Pit

The Richmond Ballet's Nutcracker is opening this Friday and the Richmond Symphony provides live orchestral music for the production.  For any symphony musician, it seems playing the Nutcracker Suite is par for the course.  Here is one perspective about playing the Nutcracker Suite every year during the holiday season from clarinetist Jared Davis:

Playing The Nutcracker every year is bittersweet because it is very rewarding, yet challenging to play at the same time.  Tchaikovsky was a master orchestrator, meaning he knew how to use the instruments of the orchestra in various combinations to achieve a sound that is rich, colorful, and unmistakable.  Another way to explain it, is that it just feels good to play.  Also, he could write a melody that sticks in one's mind forever.  Everyone I know can whistle or sing a tune from The Nutcracker!  It is rewarding, yet challenging in the sense that there are moments in the music that are very demanding of the musicians.  No matter how times I've played it, I always have to practice certain parts leading up to the performances.

As rewarding as it is to play, the phrase "too much of a good thing" applies here just a bit, as we perform the piece at least 12 times every December.  During my tenure in the RSO, I've performed it about 72-80 times!  Every year after about the 5th show, I find myself looking for ways to make the next seven shows more exciting.  I suppose it would help if I could actually see what happens on stage.  My position in the orchestra pit is underneath the lip of the stage where seeing any part of the production is impossible.  I've yet to see the actual production in all my time here in Richmond!  But, I hear it is fabulous!

All in all, it is a wonderful experience.  The music is satisfying, the dancers and ballet staff are very easy to work with, and there is great support from the Richmond community.  Large audiences fill the Carpenter Theater year after year.  This collaboration with the Ballet is great exposure for the Symphony, and I'm happy to be a part of it.

6 Reasons to See Let It Snow!

6 - It'll get you into the holiday spirit!

5 - There's a chance it might actually snow a little for the concert.

4 - Two awesome groups will be singing and performing outside prior to the concert: the VCU Notochords on Saturday night and TubaChristmas on Sunday afternoon. The VCU Notochords is Virginia Commonwealth University's premiere co-ed a cappella group. TubaChristmas is an all-volunteer ensemble featuring tuba, euphonium, baritone, and other similar low press that performs popular holiday songs - definitely Christmas like you've never heard it before!

3 - You get your own jingle bell to ring during the songs and take home after the concert!

Over 1600 bells were made this week for all of the children coming to Let It Snow!

Here are just a few of the bells that have been made!

2 - You'll get to sing Christmas carols with the Richmond Symphony Chorus and 1500 of your closest friends!

1 - Santa's coming...(why would you want to miss Santa?!)

Top Ten Reasons to Perform Handel’s Messiah Every Year

Every year, the members of the Richmond Symphony Chorus pull out their score to Messiah. These scores are orange, 257 pages long, well worn, and covered with hundreds, if not thousands, of pencil marks. You would think that after so many years of performing Handel’s masterpiece that we would tire of singing the same old notes over and over again. But, alas, we don’t. In fact, it is one of our favorite times of the year. Because we know the piece so well, we get to discover things we’ve never heard before, we get to try new ways of interpreting the work, and we get to revel in the fact that we are an important part of musical history. Below is something I put together for the chorus a few years ago – something to remind them why we do continue this beloved tradition.

-- Erin

Top Ten Reasons to Perform Handel’s Messiah Every Year

10) We have an historic responsibility to do so – to continue the annual performance tradition that began in 1742. That’s 268 consecutive years! That’s even better than Cats!

9) To fulfill the musical and dramatic expectations set-up in the first four movements (The Overture, “Comfort Ye”, “Ev’ry Valley Shall be Exalted”, and “And the Glory of the Lord”). (Come listen to the performance and you’ll see what I mean…These four movements set the stage for the drama that is to come!)

8) This work contains a great variety of musical colors – from melismas (super fast runs) to majestic chords, from renaissance timbres to dramatic, opera-inspired moments. Really – what more could you want?

7) For the message – whatever you interpret that to be.

6) We can. ‘Nuff said.

5) It brings to mind treasured (and often hilarious) memories of previous performances and rehearsals. (Mine? The way the chorus learns those wicked runs in “All We Like Sheep.” Think “Baroque Samba.”)

4) You can do it differently every year – so it’s always new.

3) While it’s as familiar as a favorite sweater, it’s always a challenge, and there’s always something new to find.

2) It’s a physical workout. No need to go to the gym that day. Seriously! If you’re not sweating by the time you get to the Hallelujah Chorus, there’s something wrong!

1) Your favorite place – that moment or movement you can’t wait to sing, and you mourn a bit when it has passed. (Mine? The first measure, because the rest is still to come!)