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APR. 22
16 • pacific symphony
SegerStrom center for the artS
Renée and Henry segerstrom concert Hall
concert begins at 3 p.m.
present
2011–2012 Pacific SymPhony
Santiago StringS concert SerieS
iRene KRoesen • music diRectoR
Strings at the Opera
WolFGAnG AmAdeus moZARt Papageno Suite
(1756-1791) Arr. Hoffman
GiusePPe VeRdi La Traviata, Prelude to Act i
(1813-1901) Arr. stroud
GioAcHino Rossini overture to Semiramide
(1792-1868) Arr. lipton
GiAcomo Puccini nessum dorma from Turandot
(1858-1924) Arr. Rickets
GeoRGes BiZet Carmen suite
(1838-1875) Arr. Kennedy
Featuring members of Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble
enjoy a collection of opera pieces performed by vocalists susan miller, soprano,
Allison Hieger, mezzo soprano and nathan Hieger, baritone,
in the lobby prior to the performance as a pre-concert opera experience!
santiago strings

n o t e s
Papageno Suite
Arr. Jamin Hoffman
With an evil Queen of the night, a bird catcher, a prince
and a Priest of the sun, The Magic Flute is an exciting
and mystical story that has become one of mozart’s most
popular operas. The Magic Flute is unlike any of mozart’s previous
operas. mozart composed in a variety of operatic styles, and this
opera is a Singspiel, which is an operatic work that also contains
dialogue. instead of being sung in italian, which was the norm in
Vienna during this period of time, The Magic Flute was sung and
spoken in the common vernacular, German.
out of all the characters in the opera, Papageno is the best source of
comic relief. He is a bird catcher who loves his food and drink but also
longs for a wife. His fate becomes aligned with a prince name tamino.
Papageno and tamino are charged with the task to rescue the Queen
of the night’s daughter, Pamina, from the Priest of the sun, sarastro.
Papageno’s most famous number is “Pa-Pa-Pa,” which is a duet that
he sings in the last act with his love, Papagena. the music outlines his
comical character and expresses the perfect match between him and
his love.
Prelude to act i from La Traviata
By Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Arr. Douglas Stroud
W.a. mozart
(1756-1791)
Giuseppe Verdi was an extremely influential 19th-century
operatic composer who was adored by his audiences. during
the movement for italian unification in the mid-19th century,
Verdi became a symbol for the revolutionary cause. in addition to
his role in the political arena, Verdi’s operas influenced the operatic
genre. La Traviata marked a dramatic shift in the subjects of Verdi’s
operas. Before La Traviata, Verdi mainly focused his operas on
historical subjects (Nabucco, Lombardi, Ernani) or period dramas
(Macbeth, Rigoletto). La Traviata was the first of his operas to focus
by keith kroesen
on a plot of romantic realism. this subject was very influential on
later opera composers, such as Puccini.
the opera begins at a party where a young nobleman, Alfredo, comes to
confess his undying love for Violetta, a beautiful courtesan. At first, the
couple decides to retire to a country house together, but their plans are
disrupted by Alfredo’s father, who wishes for Violetta to leave Alfredo
because of the damage she has done to his social standing. Violetta
leaves and moves to Paris. By the end of the opera, she is dying of
tuberculosis and Alfredo rushes to her to ask for her forgiveness. Alfredo
arrives just in time to see Violetta before she passes.
overture from Semiramide
Arr. Bob Lipton
gioachino roSSini
(1792-1868)
Although Gioachino Rossini wrote many fantastic operas,
the overtures of his operas have become most familiar to
audiences. television has also made Rossini’s overtures well
known in the common household. Warner Brothers popularized
the overture from Barber of Seville with the familiar Bugs Bunny
cartoon, Rabbit of Seville. the average concertgoer can probably
sing the famous melody from Rossini’s overture from Guillaume Tell
(William tell), but very few people could sing any other melody from
the rest of the opera. the overture from Semiramide is no exception.
it has become a mainstay for classical symphony concert halls.
in a period where overtures to operas were free-standing and recycled
to be used in other works, Rossini specifically wrote the overture for
Semiramide by using several of the themes from the opera to create
the overture. Semiramide was Rossini’s final italian opera and was a
more serious subject than his very common opera buffa style. the plot
is based on Voltaire’s tragedy, Semiramis, which tells the story of the
Queen of Babylon, semiramide, and the struggle for power.
pacific symphony • 17

n o t e s
“nessum dorma” from Turandot
Arr. Ted Rickets
Nessum “
dorma,” from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot,
is one of the most famous tenor arias in the entire opera
repertoire. Turandot was one of the last works written by
Puccini and was unfinished when the composer died in 1924. the
work was eventually completed by Franco Alfano and premiered
in 1926. the origin of the opera’s plot is Persian and the name,
turandot means “daughter of turan.” turan is a region from
central Asia and at one time was part of the Persian empire.
in the opera, the cold but beautiful princess turandot agrees to marry
any royal prince who can prove himself by solving three riddles. if he
fails to answer the riddles correctly, the prince in question is beheaded.
At a great gathering of people who have come to witness the beheading
of a failed suitor, the tartar Prince calaf becomes enthralled by
turandot and decides to risk his life in order to win the princess as
his bride. concealing his identity, calaf accepts turandot’s challenge
and the mysterious prince answers the three riddles. to turandot’s
surprise, calaf answers all three riddles correctly. turandot protests
the turn of events and calaf offers to release her of her oath if she is
able to find out his true name. the aria “nessum dorma” opens Act
three. While turandot is having her guards question the entire city in
order to discover the name of the mysterious prince, calaf sings about
the long night and how he awaits the morning. After a failed attempt
to secure a name, turandot gives into the persistent pursuits of calaf
and confesses that she has learned the stranger’s name and “it is…
love.”
18 • pacific symphony
giacomo Puccini
(1858-1924)
Carmen Suite
Arr. Tom Kennedy
Carmen is one of Georges Bizet’s most famous operas and has
become a standard for opera companies around the world.
the original story of the opera is by Prosper merimée and
first appeared in La Revue des deux mondes in 1845. the themes
of the story outlined the cultural fashions and obsessions of the
day. French society was obsessed with exoticism. Foreign places
like spain were considered mysterious and exciting. unfortunately
for Bizet, the first performance of Carmen in Paris in 1875 was a
disaster. the story was a little too brutal for the normal audiences
of the opera comique, but the opera soon found its place and the
audience began to realize its splendor.
soldiers, smugglers, gypsies and bullfighters take part in making
the plot of Carmen an exciting tale of deceit, murder and lust. the
plot centers on don Jose, a corporal in the army and his dangerous
fascination with a gypsy named carmen. through several turns of
events, carmen and don Jose develop a conflicted relationship where
each side uses each other. the opera ends with don Jose being pushed
to the edge of his reason and he stabs carmen in the heart.
the original story was meant to warn men from getting into
relationships with dangerous and exotic women like carmen. the
music of Carmen portrays the immense exoticism that the French
culture was fascinated with during the 19th century. catchy and
attractive melodies lure the audience into the story. carmen’s arias
defy harmonic norms and heroic marches herald the flashy entrances
of bullfighters.
georgeS Bizet
(1838-1875)

i R e n e
irene KroeSen
music diRectoR,
PAciFic symPHony
sAntiAGo stRinGs
meet the music director
Irene Kroesen received her bachelor’s degree in music education and teaching credential
from chapman university. currently she is a string specialist for the irvine unified school
district. Kroesen is also an adjunct instructor at chapman university, where she teaches
string methods for music education majors. Kroesen has also served as a mentor teacher for
irvine usd and as a designated master teacher for chapman university, california state
university, long Beach and california state university, Fullerton. in addition, she has given
curriculum workshops for county and state workshops.
Kroesen has appeared as conductor of the irvine elementary and middle school Honor
orchestras. she has been the guest conductor of the middle school Honor orchestras for the
southern california school Band and orchestra Association (scsBoA), las Vegas, Fresnomadeira
county, capistrano unified school district and Placentia-yorba linda school district.
she has also served as manager and assistant conductor of the orange county youth symphony
orchestra. she is listed in Who’s Who Among American Teachers and is a past recipient of
the alumni of the year award from the school of music at chapman university. in 2003, she
received the orange county outstanding Arts educator Award for elementary instrumental
music. in 2006, Kroesen was selected as the irvine unified school district elementary teacher
of the year.
As a string clinician, Kroesen has given numerous workshops at both county and state music
conferences as well as working with individual school orchestras from nevada, Arizona and the
country of norway. she has also served as an adjudicator for the disney creative challenge. she
is a member of AstA, scsBoA and cmeA. she is also a member of the l.A. musicians union
and is active as a professional violist.
pacific symphony • 19

A B o u t
Pacific SymPhony
Santiago StringS
20 • pacific symphony
aBout Pacific SymPhony Santiago StringS
“My three years in Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings were a period of huge growth in leadership,
musicianship and professionalism, all of which have been and will be crucially important to success in all
aspects of my life.” — Philip Sheegog, cello
The 2010-11 season marked the 20th anniversary of Pacific symphony santiago strings
(Psss). Psss is composed of string musicians in grades 6 through 9 who live and study
in orange county. the ensemble is conducted by irene Kroesen, a respected veteran
teacher of the irvine unified school district. in 2007, santiago strings came under the Pacific
symphony umbrella to become one of three Pacific symphony youth ensembles.
Psss performs each year at the annual orange county suzuki Festival in november and in a joint
concert with Prelude chamber strings in late november at concordia university. in addition, the
ensemble appears annually at disneyland and presents their final concert at the Renée and Henry
segerstrom concert Hall located at segerstrom center for the Arts. in the spring, the group
benefits from a three-day retreat consisting of challenging and intensive rehearsals and clinics.
Psss provides an experience that nurtures the confidence, poise and musical sensitivity of young
musicians through the study and performance of outstanding string orchestra literature.
Psss rehearses every tuesday evening from 7–8:45 p.m. at Bernardo yorba middle school in
yorba linda. Weekly rehearsals start in september and end in may each season. members are
selected through auditions that take place annually in late June.
sponsored by the orange county chapter of the suzuki music Association of california/los
Angeles Branch, Psss was founded by lonnie Bosserman and margie chan in 1991 and was
known as the santiago strings youth orchestra before joining the Pacific symphony family in
2007. Bosserman and chan started the ensemble to provide a supportive and challenging musical
opportunity for young string musicians in orange county.
members enjoy the following benefits:
• in-depth study of challenging string orchestra repertoire
• conducting clinics with maxim eshkenazy and carl st.clair
• coaching by professional musicians of Pacific symphony
• Annual performance in the world-renowned Renée and Henry segerstrom concert Hall
• Annual weekend retreat
• Access to Pacific symphony rehearsals to observe how a professional orchestra rehearses
• exposure to nationally recognized soloists
• Free admission to classical connections concerts with Pacific symphony
aBout PSye
pacific symphony youth ensembles
Focusing on music education, the Pacific symphony youth ensembles (Psye) program
serves the community by providing the highest level of performance opportunities available
to young instrumentalists between the ages of 11 and 18 from throughout orange
county. it is one of the flagship education programs of Pacific symphony.
Pacific symphony youth ensembles are made up of three groups: Pacific symphony youth
orchestra, Pacific symphony youth Wind ensemble and Pacific symphony santiago strings.
All three ensembles benefit from the artistic vision of Pacific symphony music director carl
st.clair, who acts as the artistic advisor for all activities. the ensembles perform in the worldclass
Renée and Henry segerstrom concert Hall at segerstrom center for the Arts, as well
as at other venues around southern california. students enjoy a variety of interactions with
symphony musicians including sectionals, master classes and side-by-side performances.
Pacific symphony youth orchestra is led by music director maxim eshkenazy who also serves
as the assistant conductor of Pacific symphony. Joshua Roach is music director of Pacific
symphony youth Wind ensemble and irene Kroesen leads Pacific symphony santiago strings.
the Psye management team is led by melissa craig, director.

m e e t
Violin
david Baek
William Baek
samar Bhat
Annie chang
Andrew chung
dominique chung
Ashley does
Grace Gee
elaine Huang
evan Jastermsky
Zoe Jastermsky
Kaylee Kang
timothy Kim
skylar lee
danielle liu
colleen louie
chelsea mariano
Julian mo
Jessica navar
erin osman
Jennifer Park
Josie thompson
Jeffrey yang
Jennifer yang
sarah yang
thompson Wang
irene KroeSen • muSic director
2011–2012 Season
Section members are listed alphabetically
Viola
Hanlin chen
samantha Good
minsoo Kim
noah Pacis
eugene Rhee
mina Rhee
sarah shim
sarah H. yang
tiffany yu
cello
michelle chung
tiffany Hsieh
isaac Hsu
erica Huang
Justin Koga
irene Koo
tracy lang
emma lee
Hope lee
Jonathan lien
sofia salcedo
Joseph yin
BaSS
edmund Fung
pacific symphony santiago strings
Staff
melissa craig
Director of Youth Ensembles
Patricia Walton
Youth Wind Ensemble & Santiago Strings Manager
Bridget Bow
String Coach
ParticiPating SchoolS
the youth ensembles would like the thank the
following schools for their support and dedication to
orange county’s young musicians
Arroya Vista middle school
Beechwood
carden school
corona del mar High school
Fairmont Private school
Fulton middle school
Kolbe Academy
lakeside middle school
las Flores middle school
newcomb Academy
newhart middle school
northwood High school
orange county High school of the Arts
orchard Hills middle school
Pioneer middle school
Plaza Bista school
Rancho san Joaquin middle school
Rogers middle school
sierra Vista middle school
tesoro High school
turtle Rock elementary
university High school
Whitney High school
pacific symphony • 21