S an d l e r C e n t e r f o r t h e P e r f o r m i n g A r t s p r e s e n t s SY M P H O N I C I T Y ’ S

OCTOBER 15, 2023 | 3PM

Daniel W. Boothe, Conductor
Thomas Pandolfi | piano

Concert 1: POWER 1
2 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season
 SPONSORED BY

Virginia Beach Arts and

Humanities Commission,
Virginia Commission for the Arts,
Arts Alliance and PRA Group

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Jon Ahern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Legal Services
Staff of the Sandler Center . . . . . . . . Production and
Box Office

Concert 1: POWER 3
 Daniel W. Boothe is an internationally award-winning music professional
currently serving as Music Director & Conductor for Symphonicity of Vir-
ginia Beach, Virginia and as Commander & Conductor for the Air National
Guard Band of the Southwest in Ft. Worth, Texas. As a recording producer
for numerous CD albums, and conductor or performer around the world, his
live and recorded concerts for television, radio, and internet broadcasts have
reached over 50 million people in 175 countries. Raymond Jones, legendary
music host for WHRO Classical FM, says of Boothe, “He has ‘the gift’.”

In 2007, Boothe was the sole recipient of the prestigious David Effron
Conducting Fellowship for the Chautauqua Institution in New York where he
led symphonic, ballet, and opera performances to critical acclaim. In 2016,
Boothe was hand-picked to conduct the National Christmas Tree Lighting
Concert broadcast for The Hallmark Channel featuring former U.S. President
and First Lady Obama and a line-up of celebrity artists. Throughout his distin-
guished career he has performed for three U.S. presidents and worked with
numerous GRAMMY-winning artists.In 2019, he was awarded the National
Medal of the Arts, the highest award given to artists by the U.S. government.

As a composer, Boothe has been recognized by the National Band Asso-

ciation and featured by USA Today News where he was designated as one
of America’s top 20 collegiate scholars. His commissioned music for winds,

4 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

MEET THE MAESTRO…
DANIEL W. BOOTHE
“He uses music to make
connections in the soul.”
USA TODAY NEWS

orchestra and chorus are exclusively published by Birchwood Music Services and
distributed by Cane River Music.

Committed to education, he has served on three university faculties​and has

provided leadership to nearly a dozen public school music programs​. ​H​e essays
have been published with industry-leading journal​s and newspapers​, including
multiple arts columns for The Virginian-Pilot. Boothe is also nationally sought-af-
ter as a preeminent expert on music adjudication through a wide spectrum of
genres including international music competitions.

In addition to his music career, Boothe is a skilled communicator, media creator,

and public relations professional. He earned top recognition in media manage-
ment and strategic communication as a Distinguished Graduate of the Defense
Information School. He later earned a Public Affairs Communication Excellence
Award from the U.S. Air Force which recognized him as the top communication
professional out of 179 peers worldwide. He is a decorated officer and combat
veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, having earned numerous
medals and awards, including the highest international award for military music.

Boothe resides in Chesapeake with his wife Andrea and their five children. In his
spare time, he remains engaged as a guest conductor, composer, clinician, and
professional speaker. For more information, visit his website: danielwboothe.com

Concert 1: POWER 5
 A LETTER FROM MAESTRO DANIEL W. BOOTHE

Dear Symphonicity Patrons,

“The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your
mind.”

That beautiful idea was conveyed by Maria Cristina Mena, Mexican-born author
best known for her stories published in the early 20th century for The Century
Magazine and American Magazine. Her words encapsulate the power and
persuasion of one of history’s oldest and most beloved instruments.

I have always said that the piano is one of my best friends. It is an instrument
with unifying powers, bringing people together in homes, churches, airports,
restaurants and more. Now it brings us together at the Sandler Center for the
Performing Arts for an exciting Symphonicity season that is unique to any other.

We will introduce you to some of today’s most astonishing piano talents

including guest artists from The Curtis Institute and the Young Concert Artists
of New York. We will also feature local virtuosity with the Governor’s School for
the Arts faculty and dancers from Ballet Virginia. Favorites such as Dvořák’s New
World Symphony and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony will stand as giants, dotting
our musical journey that ends with movie music and piano man, David Stewart
Wiley.

Between the keys of the piano will emerge new partnerships with the Tidewater
Ukrainian Cultural Association and the Virginia African-American Cultural Center.
We will explore the millions of colors inherent to those cultural histories while
also learning more about our own community in Hampton Roads.

With the piano, every key has its importance. Thank you for being here as a key
to our success. As you look around, imagine others who might return with you
to experience what we have to offer. Together we can fill this hall with colorful
minds and happy hearts for the love of music.

Daniel W. Boothe
Music Director & Conductor

6 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

 PROUDLY PRESENTS

CONCERT 1:
POWER
OCTOBER 15, 2023 | 3PM

Daniel W. Boothe, Music Director & Conductor

Thomas Pandolfi, Piano

AKIMENKO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nocturne

PROKOFIEV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Classical Symphony

Intermission

RACHMANINOFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Piano Concerto No. 2

in C minor, Op 18
Thomas Pandolfi, piano

SKORYK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melody

SILENCE YOUR DEVICES and NO PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEO

Please disconnect audible electronic signals on watches, pagers, and cell phones before
the start of the performance. Videotaping and flash photography during the concert are not
permitted, except through the permission of Symphonicity.

Concert 1: POWER 7
 PIANORAMA
POWER
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18
Rachmaninoff wrote four piano concertos; the first was a student composition
(later revised) from 1896 and the last was composed in 1926 (revised in 1941).
The second is by far the most popular, and was finished in 1901, when the
composer was twenty-eight years old, and had just undergone a devastating
series of professional setbacks that cast him into deep depression. It contains all
of the essential characteristics of Rachmaninoff’s style that have established his
lasting place in audiences’ esteem everywhere. An unparalleled melodic sweep,
the lyricism of which seems to unfold in growing cascades of sound, is coupled
with masterful orchestration of rich, lush textures. The composer was a virtuoso
pianist and his writing for the solo piano emanates from a mastery of the almost
limitless figurations possible for the instrument. Although Rachmaninoff left
Russian after the Revolution, never to return, and lived in a variety of places—at
his death in 1943, he was living in Beverly Hills—he lived as a Russian all of his
life. That is, he and his wife maintained a home with Russian servants, spoke
Russian there, and lived with Russian customs.

That ethnicity speaks eloquently in almost every bar of his music, and anyone
can sense that from the first ominous chords that build the tension before the
entrance of the main theme in the second concerto. The darkness of the mood
is enhanced by the simple choice of register for that theme, for it is scored for
unison low strings and clarinet, right at the bottom of the violins’ range. The
winsome second theme, in a happier mode, is pure Rachmaninoff. The middle
of the movement is suitably restless, in a varied tapestry of themes, keys, and
textures, leading to a climax, where we expect the usual review of the opening.
But, the composer, ever creative, turns things upside down, and we hear quite
a different closing section than is usual. New ideas and relationships add
considerably to the charm of the movement, as it builds to the inevitable climax
at the end.

The slow movement finds the piano ruminating with figurations that leads
one to ask: “Where is the theme?” The flute provides the answer, in a delicate
solo that leads to a series of exchanges between the solo piano and other
instruments in a languorous atmosphere that is now thought of as a trademark
of the composer. Even if you don’t have perfect pitch, there is an indefinable
satisfaction gotten from the unexpected choice of key for this movement, a
rather unusual relationship between E major and C minor.

The last movement, of course, is the one with the melody made so famous
during the 1940s in a maudlin pop arrangement. For all of that, this concerto
to the present continues to be the source of musical elements ripped from it
and used in unexpected contexts. In any case, after a few gestures in the lower
instruments, the soloist kicks the movement off with a grand cadenza which
teases us as to where the movement could possibly go. The answer is a dynamic
march of a theme, snapping along. The “big, lyrical theme” is the contrast,

8 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

 PROGRAM NOTES
introduced by the warm, rich viola section. Exciting give and take between the
two ideas propels the movement along, until the “big, lyrical theme” wins the
day, and soars rhapsodically to the majestic ending that only a grouch would
denigrate. The years in Rachmaninoff’s life immediately before the composition
of this work may have been low ones for the young man, but this concerto is
apt testimony to the palliative effects of a good therapist and marrying your
sweetheart.

–Wm. E. Runyan

Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 “the Classical”

Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich are the two composers who stood above the
rest of those who labored during the years of the Soviet Union. Unlike Shosta-
kovich, however, Prokofiev enjoyed part of his career living and composing in the
West, returning to the USSR in 1936 voluntarily. Like his compatriot, he must be
counted as one of the great composers of the twentieth century, although unlike
Shostakovich, his direct influence on composers outside of the Soviet sphere was
minimal. He was a virtuoso pianist, but who also composed from the beginning,
graduating from the St. Petersburg Conservatory shortly before World War I.
His musical style was based in the Russian romantic tradition, but he established
early on a personal idiom that was characterized by pungent dissonance, soaring
lyrical melodies, a facile manipulation of motoric rhythms, and kaleidoscopic
harmonic changes. Part and parcel of his musical personality was an acerbic
appreciation of satire, parody, and even the grotesque.

Although he travelled widely early on, he returned to the Soviet Union from time
to time for extensive concertizing; his works were performed frequently there,
and he always kept his Soviet passport. He was never a political naïf regarding
the life of artists under that political system, and it must be surmised that his
eventual removal to the USSR was made with open eyes. His musical language
had been gradually moving to a simpler, more accessible style—a necessary
condition for artists who wished to serve a collectivist state and appeal to the
masses. So, when he and his family arrived in Russia in 1936, he adapted readily
to political requirements by composing works that addressed the necessary con-
tent of “socialist realism.” This primarily meant patriotic subjects, in a traditional
musical style, that served political ends.

Never really playing his political cards, he managed to survive the incredibly
difficult times during the 1940s by adroit artistic gamesmanship with the harshly
repressive Stalinist state. He never joined the Communist Party, and made few
public statements. He struggled to survive, maintain his artistic integrity and
continue composing in an authentically personal style. But, alas, the difficulties
of the extreme, repressive measures beginning in 1948 ultimately got the best of
him. His death on 5 March 1953 ironically garnered little recognition—Joseph
Stalin’s demise on the same date preëmpted the stage.

Concert 1: POWER 9
 PROGRAM NOTES
His “Classical” symphony is a charming example of “what if.” That is to say,
what if one of the great twentieth-century modernists had decided to compose
a symphony using many of the essential characteristics of Haydn and Mozart,
while also employing his own ideas of melody and harmony? Prokofiev’s unique
answer has long been part of the standard orchestral repertoire, owing to its
adroit, successful combination of what would seem to be antithetical elements.
Written in the summer of 1917, while the composer was a student at the St. Pe-
tersburg Conservatory, it is cast in the traditional four movements of the classic
model: fast movement in sonata form, slower movement, dance movement, and
fast concluding movement.

By the time of World War I there had arisen in musical composition a counter
approach to the dense complexities of late romantic music, and the equally
dense dissonance of the works of those who pushed past the limits of tonality.
It sought solutions in an opposite approach that featured simplicity of harmony,
melody, and rhythm, along with an adaptive reuse of the forms of times past.
Dubbed “neoclassicism” by music scholars, it became an important way of com-
posing during the period between the world wars. The preëminent composer of
the century, Stravinsky, adopted these principles around 1919, and stayed with
them for three decades. Other luminaries dabbled in the techniques, but went
on in other directions.

Prokofiev’s Symphony is considered perhaps the earliest foray into neoclassicism,

or at least a harbinger, but Prokofiev later dismissed the stylistic significance of
it in terms of his own development as simply “an experiment.” Indeed, he never
again wrote anything quite like it, and quickly moved forward into his familiar
modern, but personal, style. It’s important to keep in mind throughout this
work that the key word is “experiment,” for in its simplicity, it’s far more “classi-
cal” than “neo.” Most works of other composers more committed to so-called
neo-classicism used the older elements somewhat more sparingly, and em-
ployed newer approaches with commitment.

The first movement is about as simple as one can get: almost all of the notes are
either eighth notes or quarter notes, the rhythms are straightforward and clearly
right out of the middle of the eighteenth century. Even the melodic lines are
definitely “in a clear key,” but with one decided exception: A lifelong proclivity of
Prokofiev was to write an apparently simple diatonic melody, but jumping around
from distant chord to distant chord in a most refreshing manner, only to land
right back on the tonic chord just in time! And thus it is here. The first theme, a
busy, dynamic one, is heard right at the beginning. The clear, mincing second
theme, is a delicate affair, composed of soft, short notes that drop a whole two
octaves, accompanied by the bassoon. Some busy closing material takes us to
the end of the exposition—all in a “textbook” sonata form. Lots of surprising
changes of harmony clearly tell us that we’re in the development, and the recap
is as straightforward and as easy to follow was one could wish.

The second movement contains another “life-long” signature of the composer:

a delicate melody in the violins, scored very high above the prevailing texture,

10 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

 PROGRAM NOTES
sounding ghost-like, wan, and thin. It’s basically the main theme here, and after
some contrast in the middle, the gentle interlude ends as it began.

During the classical period the third movement was almost always a minuet, only
later did the likes of Beethoven speed it up to become a scherzo—but almost
always in triple meter. But here, our stalwart—and always sly—Prokofiev reaches
back one more historical period (to the baroque) and selects a common dance
from that time that is in two—not three—beats to the bar. The gavotte tradition-
ally has the accent on beat two, rather than the conventional downbeat of one,
so listen for trills, accents, and other ways of emphasizing beat two. Prokofiev
knew his historical dances.

Rondos are common ways of shaping the last movement during the classical
period, but here, the composer eschews that in favor of a quick, little sonata
form that sparkles and scintillates—to the point that the material zips along so
much that it’s rather hard to follow the form. The first theme is hardly more than
figuration—at least to the ear, until finally a clear tune emerges as the second
theme. The development jumps around harmonically, as you may expect, except
observe: there are no traditional dark clouds harmonically speaking in this de-
velopment. It’s overwhelmingly major chord after major chord. The recap whips
in before you know it, and the race to the end of this sparkling little movement is
over. This effervescent, diminutive symphony may have been an “experiment,”
but the positive results have been clear for a century now.

–Wm. E. Runyan

Nocturne
Feodor Akimenko (also Theodor and Yakimenko) was a pianist, musicologist
and composer born in the village of Pisky near the city of Kharkov, Ukraine. He
was educated at the St. Petersburg Conservatory where he studied with Rimsky-
Korsakov, Balakirev, and Liadov. After graduating, he held teaching positions in
Tbilisi, Nice, Kharkov, and Prague. From 1903 to 1906 Akimenko lived in France
before returning to Ukraine. From 1903 to 1914 he taught at the Conservatory
of St. Petersburg where he was the first composition teacher of Stravinsky. In
1924 Akimenko emigrated to Prague where he published his “Practical Harmony
Music Course.” He directed the music faculty at the Ukrainian Pedagogical
Institute of Mykhillo Drahomanov until 1926. His music shows the influence of
the French impressionists.

“Nocturne” is scored for strings only and musically paints a depiction of night’s mysteries.
Harmonies slip through sequences of modulation, always coming to rest in simple
cadential resolutions. Together they journey toward an intensity of unresolved tension until
answered by an echo of night’s peaceful promise. The conclusion is a mystical-like hush of
harmonic moon beams penetrating the night’s eye.

–Daniel W. Boothe

Concert 1: POWER 11
 PROGRAM NOTES
Melody
Melody (romanized: Melodiya), also known as Melody in A minor, is a musical
composition by the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. It has a simple
structure comprising an opening theme, short development section, and
modified reprise of the original theme. It was originally scored for flute and
piano but has since been arranged for many other instrumentations.

Skoryk composed Melody for the 1982 Soviet war film Vysokyy pereval [uk].
Set in Galicia in the aftermath of World War II, the film was subjected to
Soviet censorship and negatively depicted Ukrainian nationalism. Skoryk, who
composed the work at the request of the film’s director, Volodymyr Denysenko,
later said that although other composers had turned down the offer to compose
the film’s score, he wanted to create music to subvertively convey the film’s
tragic and emotional themes. It was originally scored for flute and piano; Skoryk
later arranged the work for other instruments, including violin with piano or
orchestral accompaniment.

Melody is in small ternary form, with an opening theme, short development,

and modified reprise of the original theme. It begins mostly in common time
with occasional single measures in which Skoryk described as creating a “unified
statement.” In the first eight measures, the key is modulated from A minor to C
major and then to E major, a recurring pattern in Ukrainian folk music. According
to Skoryk, he chose this sequence after studying many Ukrainian folk songs.
The opening theme is then repeated, this time with a more complex counter-
melody in the accompaniment. The eight-measure development is a series of
rapid changes in minor keys: from C-sharp minor to G-sharp minor, B minor, and
F-sharp minor. The accompaniment in this section similarly increases in intensity,
culminating in the reprise of the original theme. The reprise includes additional
voices and emphasis on the first four notes of the melody.

As Skoryk’s most well known composition, Melody is frequently performed

in concerts and on Ukrainian radio and television. It is frequently described
as a spiritual hymn of Ukraine, and has been used in commemorations of the
Holodomor and the Revolution of Dignity.

–Wikipedia

12 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

 THOMAS
PANDOLFI
PIANO

THOMAS PANDOLFI is one of the leading pianists of our time, hailed a

“phenomenon.” He began his career early on while at The Juilliard School (BM
& MM) where the young prodigy caught the influential ear of Vladimir Horowitz,
who would become his mentor, and legendary composer, Morton Gould. Since
then he has been an audience favorite, selling out the world’s most prestigious
stages, including Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Strathmore, The Kennedy
Center, Kiev Opera House, Bucharest’s Romanian Athenaeum, London’s
Cadogan Hall, and many others.

DC Metro Arts calls him, “exhilarating… a rare mix of technical accuracy

and cool confidence.” “His artistry and technique were simply astonishing,”
said the Metropolitan Arts Reviews. The Washington Post boasted he is a
“master of both the grand gesture and the sensual line… Pandolfi’s large-
scale pianism seemed under tight control yet in no way muted the passion of
his performance… projected with an exquisite sense of lyrical gesture.” “A
standout among today’s young pianists... His virtuosity and strength… might
have had some believing that Liszt himself had taken over the keyboard,” said
the Asheville Citizen-Times. “The mastery of the scores, the precision of the
playing, and the finesse of the expression were all simply spectacular. It was a
truly bravura performance, both in the virtuosic and in the reflective pieces, yet
one completely without gratuitous exaggerated display,” acclaimed The Boston
Musical Intelligencer.

In addition to being recognized as one of the greatest interpreters of the Polish

masters such as Chopin, Paderewski, and Godowsky, this versatile pianist has
received accolades from everything from Bach to Gershwin, with Morton Gould
saying, “It’s the finest performance of Gershwin I have heard since the composer
himself.” His original and virtuosic transcriptions of popular works, such as
West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera, are one-of-kind, jaw-dropping, and
dramatic encores that keep audiences of all ages returning to his performances
again and again.

Mr. Pandolfi is a Steinway Artist and will begin recording for Steinway Spirio
later this year. Mr. Pandolfi’s performances have been broadcast by PBS,
WETA (Washington, DC), WQXR (NYC), WRCJ (Detroit), DCN TV (China), The
Sound (DC), and many others worldwide. During his 2019-2020 season, he will
complete a 20-state tour of the USA, his fourth tour in China, third tour of the
UK, and seventh tour of Romania and Moldova.

Concert 1: POWER 13
 CONCERT 1 ORCHESTRA ROSTER

FIRST VIOLINS CELLO FRENCH HORN

Megan Van Gomple Marguerite C. Alley Ellen Polachek
Concertmaster Principal Co-Principal
Cindy Bryan David Wing Christine Foust
Assistant Concertmaster Frederick M. Kovner Co-Principal
Satoko Fukasawa Charles Cook Jonathan Twitero
Anjoli M. Ferrara-Clayton Déz Ramos-Smiley Jordan DiCaprio
Stephen I. Fisher Kirsten Rowe
Edo Mor Kevin Fields TRUMPET
Danielle J. Fagan Brian Cortes-Bofill Dr. Robyn Card
Nikki Nieves Avery Suhay Principal
Kelvin C. James Jiayi “Grace” Li Chad McGill
Justin Stanley Marc Powell
Larry Sunderland TROMBONE
Jay Larkin
BASS
SECOND VIOLINS Principal
Alex Vogler
Lynette Andrews Paul Weathers
Rebecca Brown
Principal
Andrew Dack
Alexandra Loubeau
BASS TROMBONE
Alexandra Marlins
FLUTE Jeff Beckett
June Richardson
Amber Kidd
Martin Glasco
Principal TUBA
Holly C. Martin
Frank Jones Phil Sloan
Summer Cozzens
Erika Frydenlund
Kylen Griffith
TIMPANI
Emmet Morris
OBOE Brian Tuttle
Howard Horwitz
Harvey Stokes
Nick Raykhman
Principal PERCUSSION
Sandra Richards Glenn Smith
VIOLA
Principal
Shirley Luu Smith
Aaron Cook
Principal CLARINET
Wesley Coombs
Margaret A. Brown Jo Marie T. Larkin
Honorary Viola Chair Principal
Daniel Austin Alan J. Brown
Keara Smith
Emily Souza
BASSOON
Dawn B. Wing
Suzanne Daniel
Leslie Meher Savvas
Chris Simmons
Alaina Shaw
Ryan E. Featherer
Linda G. Dyer

14 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

 BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS & STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Marguerite Alley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .President
Treena Lauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President
Leigh J. Cason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer
Martha McCrory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Secretary
Alan Brown Stephen Fisher Otilio Ramos, Jr.
Janet Dingman Joe Mayes Christopher Sacra
Ryan Featherer Edo Mor Tom Sherrill
Juanita Felton Rhan Pittman Lisa Sowell

EX-OFFICIO Lynette Andrews, Executive Director; Daniel W. Boothe, Music Director & Conductor
MUSIC DIRECTOR EMERITUS David S. Kunkel

SYMPHONICITY STAFF AND KEY PERSONNEL

Daniel W. Boothe. . . . . . . . . Music Director & Conductor
Lynette Andrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Director
Megan Van Gomple. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concertmaster
Danielle Fagan. . . . . . . . . . . Strings Personnel Manager
Alan Brown. . . . . . . . . Winds/Brass/Percussion Personnel Manager
Paula Peebles-Bonds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Librarian
Charlotte Fisher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bookkeeper
Jan Melton . . . . . . . . . . Office Administration & Ticketing
Adam Robles . . . . . . . . . . . . Production Stage Manager
Dr. Nancy K. Klein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus Master
Mark Haswell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus Manager
Dylan Reyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audio & Video Producer

FERMATA CLUB MEMBERS

Andrea Boothe, Michelle Dickey Erica Mitchell
Fermata Club Lead Anjoli Ferrara-Clayton Joseph Umstead
Brenda Bigelow Linda Ferro Andre' Williams
Kristina Clonts Linda Griffin In Special memory of
Kayhlynn Dickey Ray Grover Nicholas Ilchyshyn

Symphonicity gratefully acknowledges the members of

VIRGINIA BEACH ARTS & HUMANITIES COMMISSION
for their generous support!

2023-24 MEMBERS & STAFF

Cynthia C. Romero, MD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chair
Olga L. Torres-Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice Chair
The Hon. Winship C. Tower (Ret.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Secretary
Alicia “Sunny” Phillips Peoples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer
Emily S. Labows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
Beth Hundley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deputy Director
Emily Brookover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Art & Placemaking Manager
Jessica Champlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accounting Specialist
Mari R. Coronado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Assistant II
C. Alex Dye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Media & Communications Coordinator II
Hillary Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Programs & Partnerships Manager

2023-24 CHAIRPERSONS
Emma “Em” Davis Raeesah Islam
Michael Cloud-Butler Mark A. Johnson
Susan C. Grube Ashley K. McLeod
Mia K. Guile
Concert 1: POWER 15
 24
3-20
202
SY M P H O N I C I TY’S CO N C E RT S EASO N

NON-PROFIT SUPPORT

Chesapeake Rotary Club

BECOME A SPONSOR FOR SYMPHONICITY

16 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

W E G R AT E F U L LY A C K N O W L E D G E
O U R S U P PO RT E RS

CORPORATE SUPPORT

Visit www.symphonicity.org/Become-A-Sponsor to learn more.

Concert 1: POWER 17
 FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS

Symphonicity gratefully acknowledges the financial support

of the following individuals and organizations.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
The City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities The National Endowment for the Arts
Commission The Virginia Commission for the Arts

FOUNDATION SUPPORT
A. H. Grandy Memorial Trust The Hampton Roads Community
Baker Ames Charitable Foundation Foundation
The Capital Group Companies Charitable The Helen G. Gifford Foundation
Foundation Sandler Center Foundation

ARTS ALLIANCE
Pacesetter
Dollar Tree Stores, Inc.
Advocate
Hampton Roads Community Foundation
Richard & Carolyn Barry
Champion Cerity Partners LLC
Atlantic Dominion Distributors/ Davenport & Company LLC
Hoffman Beverage The Dragas Companies
The Perry Family Foundation Even Keel Wealth Advisors of Raymond James
Virginia Natural Gas, Inc. FORVIS
Southern Bank
Leader
Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, P.C.
Bank of America
Williams Mullen
Birdsong Corporation
Kaufman & Canoles Arts Ally
Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset The Pruden Foundation
Management, LLC RBA Architects
Willcox & Savage, P. C. Within Interior Design, Inc.

CORPORATE CONTRIBUTORS
AMG National Trust Bank Corbin & Company
Geico Philanthropic Foundation Artist Sponsor PRA Group Gold Sponsor
BIG Investment Group Bronze Sponsor Sykes, Bourdon, Ahern, and Levy, PC
The Capital Group Companies

MATCHING GIFTS
Bank of America
Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation

Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

 FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS

CONTRIBUTIONS IN KIND
Legal Services Brenda Johnson
Jon Ahern Irene Kohut-Ilchyshyn
Frederick Kovner
Performances Jo Marie Larkin
Marguerite C. Alley Heath Losick
Lynette Andrews Alexandra Marlins
Verleyne Andrews-Rodgers Chad McGill
Jeffrey Beckett Déz Ramos-Smiley
Daniel W. Boothe Kirsten Rowe
Alan Brown Leslie Meher Savvas
Rebecca Brown Phil Sloan
Dr. Robyn Card Lee Cooper Shirley Luu Smith
Danielle Fagan Justin Stanley
Stephen I. Fisher
Christine Foust Photography
Susan Grube Lyle Eesley
KC James

We thank the named and unnamed who have made

THE LOVE OF MUSIC A LEGACY
by joining the Symphonicity Encore Society
Lyle Eesley & Rebecca Brown
Craig Grube
Susan Grube

In remembrance, we are grateful for Maurice Ralph Phillippi and his devotion to Symphonicity!

Launched in 2021, the Symphonicity Young Musician Scholarship Program

offers Hampton Roads students and their families an opportunity
to receive extra funding for private music lessons.

Marguerite Alley
Lynette Andrews
Paula Peebles-Bonds
Daniel W. Boothe
Christopher Brydge
Anjoli Ferrara-Clayton
Nancy Curtis, in memory of Sky Curtis
Juanita Felton, in honor of Dr. K. Edwin Brown
Hazel Jessee, & Margaret Ann Sadler
John S. Husser III

MAESTRO’S CIRCLE ($2500+)

Anonymous Mrs. Juanita G. Felton (Tom)
Dr. Leo & Isabel Brown Craig and Susan Grube
Rebecca Brown and Lyle Eesley, Cols, USAF (ret) Frederick M. and Elizabeth N. Kovner

Concert 1: POWER 19
 FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS

ANGEL ($1000-$2499)
Anonymous Alexandra Loubeau and Brian Tuttle
Dr. Leo & Isabel Brown Andrew and Holly Martin
Rebecca Brown and Lyle Eesley, Cols, USAF (ret) Martha McCrory
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dedman Matthew McKeon
Ronald Dederick Donald and Mary Ohnemus
Janet Dingman Henry Rankin and Shari Barbour
Linda Ferro and Mark Sorin Tom and B. F. Sherrill
Dr. Nicholas and Irene Kohut-Ilchyshyn Henry and Eleanor Watts
Treena and Chris Lauer Bruce and Holly Weber

SUSTAINING MEMBER ($500-$999)

Anonymous Cheryl Pearson
Jaime Bertramsen Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Perlin
Dr. and Mrs. Earl Chappell III Otilio Ramos, Jr.
Dr. Stephen and Charlotte Fisher Mark and Patricia Seelenbinder
Mr. & Mrs. Hideo Fukasawa Robert J. Shanks
Marcellus and Teresa Kirchner Stephen Snyder
Celeste Luhring

BENEFACTOR ($250-$499)
Anonymous Rebecca S. Hubiak
Lisa Baehre Mark and Julia Johnston
Jay Black Dr. Raymond Jones
Joel Brown and Jean Powlesland Col (Ret. USA) Samuel Malave-Garcia
Dr. K. Edwin Brown Elizabeth Miklos
Paula Peebles-Bonds Vincent and Patricia Olivieri
Lisa Boothe Louise Pesnicak
Gael R. Daugherty The Pointe at Salt Ponds Neighborhood,
Mr. and Mrs. Alan Fagan Hampton
Mr. and Mrs. Steven and Mara Fredrickson Cdr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Ries
James Fuqua, Jr. Shirley Luu Smith
Regina Guazzo Deborah Quam

SPONSOR ($100-$249)
Marguerite C. Alley Eric Graf
Aron Boney Roger Gray
Howard Brantly Adelaide Hamilton
Jill Broome William and Patricia Hunter
John Campbell and Steve Brockman Frank and Anne Jones
Joel Floyd Clingenpeel Joseph and Bonnie Kuhn
James and Paula Cook Milton and Susan Martin
Marilyn Doline Thomas Meals
Tom & Kate Dillon Mrs. Alice Meinicke
Richard and Carol Engel Deb Moore
Rawl and Paula Gelinas Dr. and Mrs. Richard Moriarty
Chuck and Dottie Goldman Ana Nieves

20 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

 FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS

Ruby Ann Pritchett Joseph Umstead

Dr. George and Lynne Puia Lisa Walker
Otilio Ramos, Jr. Charles M. Warthen
Christopher Sacra Christine Webb
Scherzo Music Club Barbara Wing
David and Garnett Shores John and Mary Zimmerman
Glenn and Gloria Smith
Emily Souza
Scott Strickland

PATRON ($50-$99)
Jon and Sheryl Ahern Nancy L. Lowe
Heather Bacon-Shone Judith Miskimmin
Vickie L. Cunningham Betty Moritz
Mary Delaney George and Susan Okaty
Patricia Doss Mark and Kim Parr
Linda Dyer Laurie Porter
Kyle Grube Jack & Barbra Stehlik

FRIENDS ($25-$49)
Marguerite R. Alley John Markham
Twiman Craddock Caroline Muller
Terry Hill Emily Souza
Arlene Losick

Do you have a Facebook Account?

Consider organizing a Fundraiser on behalf of Symphonicity. Once your campaign has concluded,
email the office (Office@Symphonicity.org) with the names, addresses, emails, and donation
amounts, so Symphonicity can acknowledge the gifts with a thank you letter and tax receipt.

Concert 1: POWER 21
 FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
In honor of Daniel W. Boothe: Betty Moritz
In honor of O. Richard Bundy, Jr.: Vickie
Cunningham
In memory of Donald N. Daugherty:
Gael R. Daugherty
In memory of Jim & Georgia Fletcher:
Christine Webb
In honor of Sue Grube: Tom & Kate Dillon,
Kyle Grube, Mark and Kim Parr, Mr. and Mrs.
Steven and Mara Frederickson
In honor of the Grube Family: Erich Graf
In memory of Dr. Nicholas Ilchyshyn: Rebecca
Brown, Janet Dingman, and Susan Grube
In memory of William P. Kennedy: Dr. Richard
and Katherine Moriarty
In memory of Olivia Kirchner: Marcellus and
Theresa Kirchner Preserving Legacies for Generations
In memory of Cynthia D. Lee: Shirley Luu Smith
AMG National Trust helps you and your clients protect and
In memory of Dr. Jean-Michel Loubeau: preserve the legacy they have spent a lifetime creating through
Alexandra Loubeau our integrated approach to trust administration and investment
management. Our advisors customize solutions that help
In memory of Claire McDermott:
safeguard assets, avoid unnecessary taxation, and help provide
Deborah Quam
long-term financial support for your clients and their heirs.
In memory of RADM Thomas Meinicke: Mrs.
Thomas Meinicke 780 Lynnhaven Parkway, Suite 140
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
In memory of Jane O’Dea: Rebecca Brown,
757.368.4466
Heather Bacon-Shone, and Alexandra Loubeau
www.amgnational.com
In memory of Dr. Len Porter: Laurie Porter
Member FDIC • Non-deposit investment products: Not FDIC insured,
In honor of Déz Ramos-Smiley: Otillio Ramos, Jr. No bank guarantee, May lose value

In honor of Glenn Smith: Rebecca Hubiak

In memory of Claire and Evangeline Umstead:
Joseph Umstead
In memory of John F. Wing: Barbara Wing

This list reflects donations made between

October 2022 and 2023. Please contact the office
at office@symphonicity.org with any questions.
Thank you!

22 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season

Symphonicity is an all-volunteer orchestra comprised of members from
communities throughout the Hampton Roads area. The orchestra provides an
opportunity for professional, amateur and student musicians to work together
and perform music ranging from classics to popular selections. In return, the
live performances enrich our community and enhance the cultural education of
our young people.
If you are interested in playing with the Orchestra, please call the Symphonicity
office at 757-671-8611 or check out the Auditions page at www.Symphonicity.
org for more information.

HERE IS MY TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION FOR:

Maestro’s Circle ($2500 and Above) Friend ($25–$49)
Sustaining Member ($500–$999) Angel ($1000–$2499)
Sponsor ($100–$249) Benefactor ($250–$499)

Billing Information:
Name(s) _______________________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________________
City_______________________________ State___________ Zip ________________
Daytime Phone ________________________Evening Phone ___________________
Email Address _________________________________________________________

My/Our check payable to “Symphonicity” is enclosed.

My/Our credit card information is provided.
VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover accepted

Card Number _______________________________________________3 or 4 Digit CSC __________

Signature Expiration Date ______________________________________________________________

COMPLETE THIS FORM AND 291 Independence Blvd,

MAIL IT TO OUR OFFICE Suite #421, Pembroke Four
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462

Concert 1: POWER 23
 24
3-20
202
SY M P H O N I C I TY’S CO N C E RT S EASO N

757.671.8611
www.symphonicity.org
SUBSCRIBE FOR SEASON TICKETS & BENEFITS ALL SEASON LONG!

Subscription tickets for the Masterworks concerts are on sale all year long. Single
tickets will be available for purchase beginning September 1.

Symphonicity offers three options for purchasing subscription tickets: the popular
Five-Concert Subscription with added benefits, the Four-Concert Subscription and
the Two-Concert Subscription. Lollipop Concert crickets are sold separately.

Five-Concert Subscribers may purchase their specific seat for the entire season,
whereas Four-Concert and Two-Concert Subscribers purchase their favorite section.

WHY SHOULD I SUBSCRIBE TO SYMPHONICITY?

The Best Prices: Save up to 40% off single ticket prices and avoid single ticket fees.
The Best Seats or Section: Subscribers are given a chance each season
to renew their seats or section before single ticket purchasers.
Complimentary Seats: Earn one complimentary ticket (for every five-concert
subscription ticket purchase). Availability is limited and seat placement is random.
Early Seating at the Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along: Five-concert subscribers can
use their subscription card for early seating for the annual sing-along.
Lollipop Concert: Subscribers have an opportunity to pick and purchase Lollipop
Concert seats before it opens to the general public.
Free Ticket Replacement: Lost or misplaced tickets are replaced for free!
The Best Support: Subscription purchases provide the best way to support
Symphonicity’s volunteer musicians who play for the love of music.
News and Invitations: Be one of the first to receive Symphonicity news
and invitations to special events.

757.671.8611 | www.symphonicity.org
24 Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season
Subscribe at artsongupdate@whro.net
and have two weeks of the calendar
delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Concert 1: POWER 25
Frank Jones
Instruction & Performance
3707 Virginia Beach Blvd
Suite 205
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Phone: 757-288-8228
Text: 757-288-8228
Facebook: theflutetooter
Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season
 secondsight-creative.com

Proud supporters of Symphonicity.

intuition , and research, we see the people behind the audience,

form messages and pour them into stories and experiences.

Concert 1: POWER
 Watch. Listen. Support.

Much has changed since we began airing in 1961 as

Home Room One—like our expansion into four TV stations
WHRO TV-15, WHRO Create, WHRO World, WHRO Kids
and our expansion to six radio channels, including WHRO
90.3 FM and WHRV 89.5 FM—but one thing remains the
same. Our commitment to education has never wavered.

Learn more at whro.org

 growing together
Our arts partners are uniting to provide more overall arts leadership,
increased regional advocacy and unique services to our artist community.
You can be a part of this growth in the arts in South Hampton Roads.

Visit us at artsallianceva.org to find out how.

Dollar Tree & Bank of America Richard & Carolyn Southern Bank
Family Dollar Barry
Birdsong Wall, Einhorn &
Hampton Roads Corporation Cerity Partners LLC Chernitzer, P.C.
Community
Foundation Kaufman & Davenport & Williams Mullen
Canoles Company LLC
Atlantic Dominion The Pruden
Distributors/ Wilbanks, Smith The Dragas Foundation
Hoffman & Thomas Asset Companies
Beverage Management, LLC RBA Architects
Even Keel Wealth
The Perry Family Willcox & Savage, Advisors of Within Interior
Foundation P. C. Raymond James Design, Inc.

Virginia Natural FORVIS

Gas, Inc.

View all of our Partners at artsallianceva.org

 Coastal Virginia’s
Ballet Company Season 23/24

Moving Forward The Nutcracker

Zeiders American The Sandler Center
Dream Theater for the Performing Arts
October 13-14, 2023 December 15-17, 2023

Diversity in Dance Cinderella

Zeiders American The Sandler Center for
Dream Theater the Performing Arts
February 9-10, 2024 March 16, 2024

FOR DETAILS: balletvirginia.org OR call 757-446-1401

Sponsors
 A season of tantalizing concertos and well-known orchestral works.

P RI NT EM PS
P URSUI T

P I A NO POPS!

LO L L I P O P
PA RA D OX
POWER

Sandler Center for the Performing Arts presents SYMPHONIC ITY’S

tickets at symphonicity.org

Concert 1: POWER 31
S an d l e r C e n t e r f o r t h e P e r f o r m i n g
A r t s p r e s e n t s SY M P H O N I C I T Y ’ S

NOVEMBER 19, 2023 | 3PM

Daniel W. Boothe, Conductor
Keara Smith: guest conductor
Zhu Wang | piano
Zhu Wang’s appearance is made possible through the Annaliese
Soros Educational Residency Fund of Young Concert Artists.

PROGRAM
HUGHES: Visions of a Renaissance
PRICE: Piano Concerto in One Movement
OKOYE: Voices Shouting Out
DVORAK: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World”

tickets at symphonicity.org
Concert 1: POWER 35
Corbin & Company, P.C.
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

A proud supporter of
SYMPHONICITY

Locally owned and operated since 1980

Patrick E. Corbin, CPA

Andrew T. Martin, CPA
Holly C. Martin, CPA/ABV
Kevin M. Allison, CPA
Julie L. Sokolowski, CPA

(757) 436-4577
501 Independence Parkway, Suite 275
Chesapeake, VA 23320
www.corbinandcompany.net
Symphonicity’s 2023-24 Concert Season