Program Notes - Pacific Symphony

MAY 5
pacific symphony youth wind ensemble
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Concert begins at 3 p.m.
presents
2012–2013 Pacific Symphony
Youth Wind Ensemble SERIES
Joshua Roach • conductor
Ron Nelson
(b. 1929)
Frank Ticheli
(b. 1958)
Percy Grainger
(1882-1961)
Arr. Rogers
Rocky Point Holiday
An American Elegy
Children’s March, “Over the Hills and Far Away”
Hector Berlioz
March to the Scaffold,
(1803-1869) Movement IV from Symphony Fantastique
Arr. Rogers
This concert is generously sponsored by The Boeing Company.
Pacific Symphony • 15

NOTES
Ron Nelson
(b. 1929)
A
native of Joliet, Ill., Ron Nelson (b. 1929) attended the
prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y.,
where he received his bachelor’s degree in composition. After
graduating from Eastman, Nelson received a Fulbright Grant, which
enabled him to study at the Paris Conservatoire. Among the most
prestigious of his numerous awards and achievements has been
receiving the Acuff Chair of Excellence in the Performing Arts in
1991. Esteemed American conductor Leonard Slatkin has described
Nelson as “the quintessential American composer. He has the ability
to move between conservative and newer styles with ease. The fact
that he’s a little hard to categorize is what makes him interesting.
This quality has helped Nelson gain wide recognition as a composer.”
Composed in 1966 and published in 1969, Rocky Point Holiday was
one of Nelson’s first compositions to earn him a prestigious place at
the forefront of American wind band music. The work was composed
while Nelson was on summer vacation at Rocky Point, an amusement
park and seaside resort on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island
(halfway between Newport and Providence). The piece was written
for a band tour of the Soviet Union by the University of Minnesota
Band. Specifically written to be a technically demanding show piece,
it is extremely difficult and features a wide variety of instrumental
techniques and challenges. Firmly established in the repertoire, the
piece helped cement Nelson’s reputation as a composer of virtuoso
band music. His music is often featured on concert programs and in
competitions.
Beginning with a brass fanfare, the piece features lively rhythms and
ostinato-like textures. Overall, the mood is jubilant and fun, capturing
the carefree excitement of seaside resort, ocean breezes, roller
coasters and summer crowds. It has a particularly thick texture, which
is occasionally punctuated by lyrical interludes. The lively carnival
atmosphere builds slowly and steadily to a rousing climax.
by joshua grayson
A
professor of composition at the USC Thornton School of
Music since 1991, Frank Ticheli (b.1958) has composed
music in a wide variety of forms and genres. Much of his music
for wind band has become part of the standard repertoire. Having
spent the earliest part of his childhood in Louisiana, Ticheli now
lists Cajun, Creole, New Orleans jazz and Southern Folk music as
some of his most important influences. A native of Monroe, La., his
initial exposure to music was New Orleans jazz. After relocating to
suburban Dallas at the age of 13, he became exposed to band music
at his high school’s award-winning music program. These two early
influences can be heard in many of his award-winning compositions.
Through the public school system, Ticheli gained an appreciation for
the inherent potentials of wind band music. Ever since then, he has
been fascinated by instrumental colors. He often utilizes transparent,
pure colors, carefully avoiding the overuse of tutti. In nearly all of
his music, Ticheli aims for transparency of texture and pureness
of tone color, saving full tutti for rare occasions. Explaining his
philosophy of orchestration, he has remarked:
To be certain, carefully written color combinations can
produce unique and beautiful results, and well-mixed colors
are usually a necessity during a strong climax. But constant
doubling weighs down a piece and reduces its expressive
potential. Unfortunately, this sound is so prevalent in band
music that many listeners accept it as “the band sound.”
I certainly understand one reason for the practice. Music
educators, seeking ways to encourage greater confidence
in their students, have been drawn to thick doublings as a
kind of musical insurance policy. But ironically, this leads
to a dependency-based relationship that ultimately keeps
students down. I try to provide an alternative for young
musicians by writing somewhat leaner, more transparent
textures. When students are expected to carry the ball from
time to time, they ultimately become more confident, more
self-aware, and more sensitive.
Frank Ticheli
(b. 1958)
16 • Pacific Symphony

NOTES
Composed in 2000, the piece “American Elegy” was commissioned
by the Alpha Iota Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at the University
of Colorado. It was written as a memorial for the tragedy which
occurred at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. on April 20,
1999. In one of the worst acts of homegrown violence in America’s
history, two students at Columbine High School committed a
shooting rampage on their fellow students, resulting in 13 deaths and
24 injuries. The attack sparked a national debate on issues such as
gun control, the role of violence in the entertainment industry, the
causes of mental illness and the value of mediation.
Ticheli conceived of this piece an expression of hope and strength in
the face of adversity. In spite of the terrible situation, victims, family
and bystanders were able to come together and show tremendous
heroism and bravery. In his own words, the piece “is offered as a
tribute to their great strength and courage in the face of a terrible
tragedy. I hope the work can also serve as one reminder of how
fragile and precious life is and how intimately connected we all are
as human beings.”
The work expresses three distinct moods: hope, serenity and sadness.
Beginning with a shimmering glow from the depths of the band, it
soon emerges and grows into hope. The piece is smooth and lyrical
throughout, and offers a poignant commentary on national trauma
and healing.
PERCY GRAINGER
(1882-1961)
Born in Australia, Percy Grainger (1882-1961) was perhaps
one of the 20th century’s most idiosyncratic composers. After
spending his youth in the city of Melbourne, he moved to
Germany in 1895 to study at the conservatory in Frankfurt. After
several years of study he settled in London in 1901, where he lived
until the outbreak of World War 1. Upon the onset of violence,
Grainger left Europe and settled in the United States, where he lived
for the remainder of his life.
Grainger maintained a lifelong interest in folk music, particularly
English and Scandinavian. During his decade in England, he
maintained friendships with composers such as Delius and Grieg
whose interest in folk music mirrored his own. He spent a good deal
of time collecting, recording and transcribing folk songs. While living
in England, he participated in the English folk music revival of the
early decades of the 20th century, which also influenced composers
such as Ralph Vaughan Williams. Although he is best known today
for his arrangement of the traditional English folk song “Country
Gardens,” he also composed a good deal of original music, most of
which was experimental and highly unusual. The great majority of
his works are of relatively short duration, and unlike many other
classical composers, he sought to achieve continuity and sameness in
his works rather than contrast and form.
Children’s March: Over the Hills and Far Away was completed in
1918 while Grainger was an oboist in the U.S. Coast Guard Artillery
Band. The piece is imbued with a jolly folk character and has a
charmingly playful sing-song character. Its rhythmic patterns are
decidedly influenced by the English folk melodies Grainger loved.
Melodically based, the piece features a great deal of repetition and
little variation or development. While the melodies sound strikingly
folk oriented, Grainger crafted them himself rather than quoting
actual folk music.
Born in a small town in southeastern France, Hector Berlioz
(1803-1869) represents a unique and highly polarized time
in the history of music. During the 19th century, composers
began writing two distinct types of music. The first, “absolute
music,” was merely about the music itself. Although it could convey
very strong and powerful emotions, the music was ultimately about
its melodies, harmonies, rhythms and instrumentation. By contrast,
“program music” was meant to convey a story, landscape or other
idea from outside the music. For his part, Berlioz was perhaps the
greatest proponent of program music.
Composed in 1830, Symphonie Fantastique consists of five
movements, each telling part of a story. Berlioz made it abundantly
clear that the audience needed to be informed of the storyline in
order to fully understand his symphony, so he supplied his own
descriptions for the work. At the beginning, represented by the first
movement, the main character, an artist, sees a beautiful woman
from afar and immediately falls in love with her at first sight. The
woman is represented musically by a particular melody (called an
idée fixe), which is repeated throughout all five movements of the
piece. Upon discovering that the object of his love does not return
his feelings, the artist despairs, and poisons himself with a powerful
dose of narcotics (movement three). Berlioz’s own description of the
fourth movement follows (translated by Michael Austin):
Part Four: March to the Scaffold
Convinced that his love is spurned, the artist poisons himself
with opium. The dose of narcotic, while too weak to cause
his death, plunges him into a heavy sleep accompanied by
the strangest of visions. He dreams that he has killed his
beloved, that he is condemned, led to the scaffold and is
witnessing his own execution. The procession advances to
the sound of a march that is sometimes sombre and wild,
and sometimes brilliant and solemn, in which a dull sound
of heavy footsteps follows without transition the loudest
outbursts. At the end of the march, the first four bars of the
idée fixe [a musical representation of the woman the artist
loves] reappear like a final thought of love interrupted by
the fatal blow.
Pacific Symphony • 17

NOTES
Hector Berlioz
(1803-1869)
What Berlioz does not mention in his annotation is the autobiographical
element. Berlioz does not state that the “young artist” to which he
refers is in fact himself. Several years before, the composer attended
a performance of Hamlet, where he first encountered the young Irish
actress Harriet Smithson, who played Ophelia. Enamored with her
beauty, he began writing love letters to her, in spite of never having
actually met. She chose not to respond; the hapless composer used
the circumstance as inspiration to create this symphonic masterpiece.
Once Ms. Smithson realized that she was the muse behind the
composition, she agreed to meet Berlioz. The two were quickly engaged,
and lived unhappily ever after until they divorced nine years later.
While some of the plot elements may seem strange and quite bizarre,
the dark, brooding, macabre elements of both program and music
are well in keeping with literary and artistic movements of the time.
For example, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), John William
Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819) and Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of
the House of Usher (1839) all appeared within just over a decade of
Symphonie Fantastique. To this day, the brooding, stormy qualities
of the piece are beloved by audiences and musicians alike.
Joshua Grayson is a Ph.D. candidate in historical musicology at the USC
Thornton School of Music.
Auditions
Auditions for the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles 2013-14
season are currently open!
For eligibility and audition dates and requirements, please visit us
online at www.PacificSymphony.org/psye.
“Overall, as a parent, I can’t say enough about what the Pacific Symphony Youth
Ensembles have meant to Matthew. The commitment by the staff and the board
are amazing and the benefit to students is priceless.” — Patsy Jaimes, parent
PSYO Season Finale
Sunday, May 12, 3 p.m.
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Help us welcome our new music director, Alejandro Gutiérrez,
to the podium in his debut performance, as he leads PSYO in a
rousing performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4!
This performance also features our 2013 concerto competition
winner, Justin Koga, performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E
Minor.
Tickets $12, general admission
For tickets, visit www.PacificSymphony.org
or call our box office at 714-755-5799.
18 • Pacific Symphony

JOSHUA
meet the music director
T
his year, Joshua Roach marks his third season as music director of Pacific Symphony
Youth Wind Ensemble (PSYWE). In addition to his conducting responsibilities with the
PSYWE, he has served as the assistant/cover conductor for Pacific Symphony as well
as Downey Symphony, Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra and the University of
Southern California (USC) Thornton Symphony. In 2011-12, he served as co-conductor of the
USC Thornton Concert Orchestra and guest conducted the Thornton Chamber Orchestra.
In 2011, Roach served as the assistant music director for Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra in
its debut tour to Bulgaria and later that year returned to conduct the Youth Orchestra’s widely
publicized Rock Symphony performances with the Steve Miller Band in Corona and Temecula,
Calif.
In recent years, Roach has been very active, working as a music educator in a myriad of
endeavors. For the past three years, Roach has taught for the Idyllwild Summer Arts music
festivals and worked as an assistant conductor, large ensemble coach and trumpet teacher
for the Idyllwild Festival High School Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Chamberfest Chamber
Orchestra. Roach also toured with the Irvine Young Concert Artists and participated as assistant
conductor for the Landesjugendorchester of Baden-Württemberg, a highly selective youth
orchestra in Southern Germany. Throughout the academic year, Roach performs clinics with
visiting orchestras and wind ensembles from institutions throughout the United States and
Canada.
Roach also enjoys a rich and diverse life as a freelance musician and composer. He has been
hired by companies such as Turner Classic Films, DreamWorks Pictures, Fox, PBS, the
University of Arkansas Fort Smith, USA Network and various recording studio orchestras in
Los Angeles. Over the years at USC, he has composed numerous short films. Most recently, his
new composition, Overture Dodeca, was performed by the USC Thornton Concert Orchestra,
Downey Symphony and PSYWE.
An alumnus of the USC Thornton School of Music, Roach holds a bachelor’s degree in
performance, a graduate certificate in scoring for motion picture and television and a master’s
degree in instrumental conducting.
Joshua Roach
PSYWE Music Director
Pacific Symphony • 19

ABOUT
pacific symphony youth wind ensemble
“My entrance into Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble was one of the most impactful occurrences in
my career to date.” - Kevin Homma, alto and soprano saxophone
Established in 2007, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble (PSYWE) started under the
direction of well-known music educator and recipient of the “Band Educator of the Year”
award from the California Music Educators Association, Michael J. Corrigan, with support
from Larry Woody and the Woody Youth Fund. In 2009, Joshua Roach, of the Thornton School
of Music at USC, was appointed music director. Under Roach’s direction and unique enthusiasm,
and with the artistic direction of Pacific Symphony’s renowned Music Director Carl St.Clair,
PSYWE is quickly becoming the premier Youth Wind Ensemble in Orange County.
Representing 23 schools in and beyond Orange County, PSYWE offers performance opportunities
to instrumentalists in grades 8 through 12 and is one of three Youth Ensembles programs offered
by Pacific Symphony. PSYWE provides members with a high quality and innovative artistic
experience and strives to encourage musical and personal growth through the art of performance.
Each season students enjoy an interaction with Maestro St.Clair, as well as regular interactions
with guest artists and professional musicians of Pacific Symphony. Students also engage in
an annual weekend retreat and are offered free and discounted tickets to Pacific Symphony
performances throughout the season. Members also enjoy an annual trip to the University of
Southern California where the ensemble attends a concert presented by the USC Thornton Wind
Ensemble.
Pacific Symphony Youth
Wind Ensemble
Each season PSYWE presents a three-concert series. Performances commence at the Renée and
Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts as well as other high-quality
community venues in Orange County.
Rehearsals take place every Sunday afternoon from 2 – 5 p.m. in the music department at the
University of California, Irvine, starting in September and ending in May each season. Members
are selected through annual auditions which take place in June every year.
Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles (PSYE) is proud to partner with the Junior Chamber
Music (JCM) as a resource for excellent chamber music training. Through JCM, PSYE
has enjoyed nurturing two high-quality chamber ensembles who have delivered excellent
performances for various events as representatives of PSYE!
Junior Chamber Music
Junior Chamber Music is a non-profit organization that brings together hundreds of talented
young musicians from Southern California in a dynamic and diverse chamber music program. JCM
is steadily expanding as one of the nation’s most vibrant youth chamber music programs providing
music students the valuable opportunity to study the art of musical collaboration.
Upcoming highlights for the 2013-14 Season include a tour to St. Petersburg, Russia, and the
JCM-USC Chamber Music Competition at LACMA, as well as the JCM-AVSOMC Concerto
Competition, master classes and informal chamber music workshops.
Students audition in early October throughout Southern California. JCM matches students into
small ensemble teams (2-5 players) according to level, age and location.
20 • Pacific Symphony

MEET
pacific symphony youth wind ensemble
FLUTE
Ronald Esteban, Principal
Bridget Pei*, Assistant Principal
Shreshta Aiyar*
Jennifer Lee
Shihang Li
OBOE
Rebecca Chung, Principal
Amy Dong
Jennifer (JiYeon) Lou
Sophia Lou
Clarinet
Natasha Cuenco, Principal
Rhonnel Agatep
Melissa Chang
Jae Choi
Eliott Chung
Harry Hwang
Michael Hwang
Nelson Liu
BASS Clarinet
Kristy Lai, Principal
BASSOON
Sydney Burke
Amanda Chu
Erika Lee
Katie Miller
Alto Saxophone
Chris Bryant, Principal
Jasmine Jan, Assistant Principal
Timothy Huang
Vincent Tao
JOSHUA ROACH • MUSIC DIRECTOR
2012–2013 Season
Sections listed alphabetically under principals
Tenor Saxophone
Joshua Pan
Ryan Swen
Baritone Saxophone
Shrey Chawla
Horn
Lily Homma, Principal
Jonathan Selstad
Jeremy Sogo
Benjamin Stephan
Noah Tingen
trumpet
Michael Choi, Principal
Madison Chen
Keita Dan
Marc Jabara
Minwoo (Tim) Park
David Stephan
Christopher Traynor
Nathan Wilkes
trombone
Deanna Okajima, Principal
John Park
Cezar Tabrizy
Cory Ye
bass trombone
Austin Major III
euphonium
Kathryn Donovan
tuba
James Elder, Principal
Will Nazareno
Brian Yu
percussion
Andrew Lee, Co-Principal
Leela Safavi, Co-Principal
Jessica Chu
Janelle Hou
Blake Stavros
Sydney Gang
double bass
Sanjay Reddy
harp
Sydney Gang
piano
Alex Pham
STAFF
Patricia Walton
Youth Wind Ensemble & Santiago Strings Manager
* Piccolo
Participating Schools
Aliso Niguel High School
Alvarado Intermediate School
Arnold O. Beckman High School
Capistrano Valley High School
Cypress High School
Diamond Bar High School
Esperanza High School
Fountain Valley High School
Fred Newhart Middle School
Irvine High School
Laguna Hills High School
Lakeside Middle School
Newport Harbor High School
Northwood High School
Orange County High School of the Arts
Oxford Academy
Pioneer Middle School
Rancho San Joaquin Middle School
San Juan Hills High School
Sierra Vista Middle School
Tesoro High School
Troy High School
University High School
Woodbridge High School
Pacific Symphony • 21