Janie Cowan, Ph.D.

Janie Cowan clearly remembers the time she first heard the ASO: she was 9 years old and her school class came by bus to a youth concert early in the Robert Shaw era. “I felt I’d arrived! I was home.” She was unable to return for years, but “the experience remained in my heart. I had started my journey.”

That journey led her to The University of Georgia, where she majored in Music Education and studied clarinet with Judy Moore (who played in the ASO), and then to a career as a band and choral director. She later became a Media Specialist because “as a single mother of four, I needed regular hours.” She got her Ph.D. and now works at Duluth High School, and maintains a close relationship to the music program there, often giving ASO tickets to promising students. Two Duluth High School Orchestra students are currently in the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as some Talent Development musicians.

Janie was ultimately able to become an ASO regular. “I became a subscriber, starting on the first row of the balcony, then downstairs,” she said, “and then I noticed the ushers and realized this was a way to attend all the performances.” She became an usher about 12 years ago, and was soon offered a job as part-time Front-of-House Supervisor on the ASO staff, a job she clearly loves “It’s an absolute pinch-me dream come true that I work here now, and that I’m at all the performances.” Beloved by ushers and staff, she is always there to greet patrons as they walk into the hall.

Janie was an inaugural member of the Symphony Sustainers, who make monthly recurring gifts to the ASO. “The ASO means so much, and being a Sustainer makes it easy to give,” she explained. “The orchestra has been integral to my growth; it was formative in my choosing a major and a career, and in becoming a lifelong music advocate. I can’t imagine the day I can’t be here at the symphony.”

In addition to supporting the Annual Fund as a Sustainer, Janie is in the process of setting up a planned gift, making her a member of the Henry Sopkin Circle.

Arietha Lockhart

Arietha Lockhart joined the ASO Chorus soon after moving here from Alabama in 1983 to start her career as a music teacher. 30 years later, she retired from teaching but she remains in the Chorus, where she is an icon and inspiration.

Meanwhile, her career as a soloist blossomed under the tutelage of Florence Kopleff and Elizabeth Colson, two of Atlanta’s legendary singing teachers. A soprano, she has sung opera, including the Queen of the Night from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, but she is best known as a concert soloist. She sang at the 1996 Olympics Opening Ceremony and created the role of Mama King at the premiere of the opera I Dream by Douglas Tappan. Her recital work has championed contemporary Atlanta composers. With the ASO Chorus, she has soloed in the Mozart Requiem and Bach’s B-minor Mass, among other works.

The arrival of Nathalie Stutzmann has been especially pivotal for the Chorus. Lockhart, who has sung under every music director except Henry Sopkin, compared Stutzmann to Robert Shaw. “Their temperament was quite different” she observed. But, like Shaw, “She wants us to get to the text, the emotions, and the drama.” She added that Stutzmann is “a force of nature with charisma that washes over you — you look at them and you’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want.”

Lockhart has been a donor to the Annual Fund every year for 30 years. “I probably gave when I didn’t have anything to give, but that’s part of my upbringing. If something is nourishing to you, you try to help.” She has donated her soloist fees to the Talent Development Program, and she’s made memorial contributions to the ASO. “Of course, being in the Chorus is also a donation,” she added. She is passionate about singing in the Chorus and said, “I hope to sing on as long as I can make a positive contribution to the sound, and if my knees will allow me to get down the steps to the rehearsal hall and up the stage to perform.”

Gina Riffey

Gina Riffey and her husband Doug attend almost every ASO Delta Classical Series concert. “I can’t imagine my life without the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,” Gina said.

Gina is a nurse who spent most of her career at Grady Medical Center and as an Air Force Reserve Flight Nurse. The latter role is how she met her husband, Doug, who became a pilot with Delta Airlines. Both retired nearly 20 years ago.

Soon after retiring, Gina was elected to the McDonough City Council, where she served from 2006–2010. She was then appointed to the McDonough Housing Authority, where she continues to serve. She’s also active in the McDonough American Legion. She and Doug have two children: Their daughter is a drone pilot with the Air Force, and their son is a railroad engineer.

When Gina was 8 or 9, her father was stationed at Hunter Air Force Base, which had a program for taking children to classical music concerts. Those experiences along with piano lessons, were her introduction to classical music. When the family moved to Marietta, she became a fan of classical programming on WABE radio.

Years later, after she married Doug, they began coming to ASO concerts. “We would get a FlexPass, where you could select 10 concerts, but then we got serious about it and bought the full season. I knew if Doug was away, I could get a friend to go with me.” That was 20 years ago, and they continue to buy full season packages.

“It’s such a wonderful orchestra, and there is nothing like hearing that orchestra play the National Anthem at the beginning of every season. This season is wonderful. Watching Nathalie is breathtaking, how she uses her whole body to communicate.”

“I support the symphony because I know it’s expensive, and the price of tickets doesn’t cover everything. The survival of the ASO is important to me.”

Join these donors. Your Annual Fund support makes it possible for the ASO to transform lives through the power of our music. For more information or to make a gift: visit aso.org/give or call the Development Team at 404.733.5079.

This month, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra bids Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles a fond farewell, as the esteemed maestro conducts his last Delta Classical Season concert weekend with the show-stopping Mahler Symphony №5.

It is fitting that Runnicles ends his tenure with the ASO with the Mahler 5. As a world-renowned conductor of Mahler, it is a piece with which he is deeply familiar. When he conducted it at the ASO in 2015, critics said it was “easily the best performance of the year…The immediate standing ovation at its conclusion was well deserved.” (ArtsATL)

A fan of Mahler’s symphonies since he was a student in Edinburgh, Runnicles has said, “Each of his works is a quest for truth. I believe that Mahler was seeking to convey through his music the beauty that surrounds us, the joys and tragedies of life and the big questions that face us all.”

“They are like tapestries full of beautiful detail — and at the same time, like fathomless wells, where no matter how deep you dig, you never really get to their essence. That is why I enjoy returning to conduct these symphonies. One always notices passages or phrases that one has missed, or discovers where a particular motif develops from.”

Runnicles has served as Principal Guest Conductor since 2001, and has developed a rapport with orchestra, chorus and audiences alike. He has become known for conducting beautiful choral works like the recent performance of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem just this past January, the same piece he conducted in Berlin with the ASO Chorus in December of 2009 to rave reviews. He also conducted the Orchestra and Chorus in the 2006 Telarc release of Beethoven’s Symphony №9, as well as Mozart’s Requiem in 2005 and Orff’s Carmina Burana in 2006.

Of the ASO, Runnicles has said, “The ASO is populated by remarkable soloists who could be having a soloist’s career and it really speaks to the depth, the virtuosity, the talent in this group of players. The most exciting thing for me is my love for this orchestra. It’s just one of the most remarkable relationships I have in my life. I’ve been here decades, and yet I still feel because of this orchestra and what they give, it makes me a better musician and it takes my conducting, my artistry to another level.”

It’s no secret where his love of and dedication to choral music originated. Runnicles grew up the son of a church choirmaster and an amateur pianist in Edinburgh, and started his career as a vocal coach. “Witnessing my father at the helm of the choir and his ability to make out of this heterogeny — making something homogenous, bringing unanimity, a unanimous tone — it was experiencing my father and the art of conducting, the art of leadership, the authority needed but the art of persuasion, the respect shown. Over those years I began to think wow, that’s something I’d love to be able to do.”

In addition to his position with the ASO, Runnicles has been Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Festival since 2005, and is General Music Director of Deutsche Oper Berlin, a position he’s held since 2009. He was recently named Conductor Emeritus of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, having held the position of Chief Conductor from 2009–2016. A well-known opera conductor, he was also Music Director of the San Francisco Opera from 1992–2008.

by Holly Hanchey

In December of 2009, a distinctly American chorus, under the baton of their Scottish Principal Guest Conductor, took on an incredible challenge, performing one of the most revered German compositions — Brahms’ A German Requiem — in front of a German audience, singing in German.

They were nervous and excited, but also somewhat at home. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus collaborated with the Berlin Philharmonic in 2003 and 2008 at the musicians’ invitation. In 2009, the chorus was invited to close out a year-long Brahms celebration.

Jeffrey Baxter, ASO Choral Administrator and long-time member of the chorus said, “The pressure was on, yes. We knew we had to be well prepared. We had done it (the Requiem) so many times, with Robert Shaw, with Robert Spano. We had done it with Donald, but this was another layer of pressure.”

“We already had standards we had to live up to, and now we were singing for them in their own language in a piece that they own, really. That’s their standard repertoire.”

It is also a part of the ASO Chorus’ standard repertoire and familiar to each singer. Director of Choruses Norman Mackenzie said that while it has been performed many times, Brahms’ German Requiem is never the same.

“Robert Shaw loved this work and made it a staple of this chorus’ repertoire in the years that he was conducting in Atlanta,” Mackenzie said. “We have been fortunate to continue that special heritage in recent years with Donald Runnicles and Robert Spano. That kind of history with a masterpiece creates the ability to probe its depths in constantly new and exciting ways that make an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus performance a uniquely rich emotional and intellectual experience.”

Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem is a favorite of choruses everywhere for good reason. His masterful composition both repeats themes and reinvents them, from the opening “selig sind, die da Leid tragen (blessed are they that mourn)” to the closing “selig sind die Toten (blessed are the dead).”

Mackenzie said, “Firstly, it’s a true work of genius. It is perfectly and elegantly crafted by a master of symphonic-choral literature. The writing for both orchestra and chorus is highly idiomatic, effective and communicative to the listener. But in the final analysis, it is the superb dramatic arc of the work and its unique personal and emotional content that have made it so meaningful to audiences all over the world.”

After the ASO Chorus sang the very last note of Brahms’ Requiem, there was silence. Then there was thunderous applause.

“We sort of were ready for that moment. German audiences are so well behaved and respectful,” said Baxter. “When it’s something that ends softly like that, there was this silence which seemed like an eternity. It
was both overwhelmingly moving but also kind of nerve-wracking, thinking ‘Oh, did they like us?’ Then of course the applause came, and it would not stop.”

“Firstly, it’s a true work of genius.”

The German audience had embraced them fully, because in
the words of a reviewer in the Berliner Morgenpost, the chorus “proved itself as a dependable, dynamic, gigantic instrument that lived up to the powerful proclamation continuously demanded by Runnicles.”

— Norman Mackenzie

Mackenzie recalls “When the first performance ended in the hush of soft strings and harp, the audience was utterly silent for an unusually long time before the applause finally began. They were clearly deeply moved. That touching validation of our efforts meant so much more to Donald, to me and to the chorus than any ovation could have!”

Chorus member Marcia Chandler said, “I suspect I was holding my breath…this American chorus delivering Brahms’ German Requiem to a German audience. But the audience’s applause let me know we had done our job.”

But how was their German? Flawless, of course.

Long-time chorus member Jon Gunnemann spoke some German, and said, “I grabbed up every German newspaper I could find in the hotel lobby and looked for reviews, and there were several of them. I read them to my colleagues at breakfast, and one of them said, ‘The Chorus articulated the German text with extraordinary care and sensitive power. The excellent Berliner Rundfunk Chorus could learn something in this regard from their American colleagues.’”

“Which is a fairly stunning reviewer’s analysis of our German, so we were very, very happy. We all gave sort of a ‘Whoopee!’ as we were eating breakfast.”

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will present Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem January 26 and 28, 2023, at 8:00pm, again under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles, with choral preparation by Director of Choruses Norman Mackenzie.

From Norman Mackenzie, Director of Choruses, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra:

Simply put, Nola was an irrepressible force of nature. She would have to be to have kept up with Robert Shaw for over 26 years. She literally made his incredible artistic life possible in so many ways, and as a result, changed all of our lives forever. This was Nola’s unique gift to us and to the rest of the world. She expected and helped us all to rise to the standards of the unique magic that was being created on stage. Like our founder, she believed that if you worked hard enough, and cared enough — really cared — something better was always possible. We owe her a debt that we can never adequately repay. But, most importantly, she was truly the “mother” of this Chorus and its many dedicated volunteers in a thousand different and supportive ways.

From Jeff Baxter, Choral Administrator, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra:

I will be forever grateful for the time and knowledge she shared with me in the nine years we spent together in the small choral office that I still occupy today. Her light never shone more brightly as there. Working with a missionary-like zeal, it was this preacher’s kid who (with a sometimes-salty humor) could in equal turn quote the “King James” and a Southern Baptist hymn for any situation. But mainly it was her fierce attention to detail, care for, and “good shepherd”-ing of this volunteer Chorus that enabled Shaw to take it to unparalleled professional heights. Nola often said that working for Shaw meant “preparing the water for him to walk on.” No truer statement could be said… about them both.

“daß sie ruhen von ihrer Arbeit;
denn ihre Werke folgen ihnen nach.”

Link: Read two interviews with Nola Frink about her time working with Robert Shaw and the ASOC.

The beginning of the 2022/23 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra season arrives with plenty of fresh faces: six young musicians are joining our ranks this fall — quite a large number. Some of them might already seem familiar, having joined us before as substitute players. In fact, some have come up through the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra or Talent Development Program and studied with ASO musicians. Now, former students have become peers, and proud teachers sit on stage with talented professionals they once mentored. Let’s meet this year’s new musicians.

Eun Young Jung, Second Violin

Her journey here: Born in Korea, Eun Young began playing violin at age 9. “I still have my diary from when I was 10, and in it I said that I want to become a concert violinist and a music teacher.” She moved to the states to get her master’s at Yale, and she has previously played with orchestras in Nashville and Miami.
Atlanta connection: Her husband was born in Atlanta, and their new home in Decatur is minutes away from the hospital where he was born!
If it’s not classical: She loves 1950s jazz and bossa nova. Her favorite artists include Chet Baker, Judy Garland, João Gilberto and Korean jazz artist Lee Jin-ah.
Childhood dream job: “A zookeeper! I would love to be an animal whisperer.” In fact, if she could possess one superpower, “I would say Dr. Doolittle’s ability to communicate with animals. I have two cats, Basil and Bori, who always fight with each other. I want to talk them through getting along with each other.”
Fear factor: “I had a near-death experience when I was four. I had an accident where a car drove over me. Luckily there was a tree right next to me and the broken branches made space between the bottom of the car and the ground, so it did not hurt a hair on my head.”
Frivolous purchase: If she won the lottery, she’d splurge on “a brick oven, an e-bike, a walk-in fridge and unlimited Chick-fil-A sauce.”

Yaxin Tan, Second Violin

Her journey here: Born in China, she received her bachelor’s degree at Shanghai Conservatory, then her master’s at USC.
Atlanta connection: In 2017, she played under Robert Spano at the Aspen Music Festival.
Favorite restaurant: Bestia, an Italian spot in L.A.
Childhood dream job: Lawyer
Fear factor: The scariest thing she’s ever done? “Holding a giant crab!” Frivolous purchase: “A device that dries hair instantly.”
If she could have one superpower: “The ability to make objects larger
or smaller.”

Peter Garrett, Cello

His journey here: A native of Bloomington, Illinois, he is the son of a cellist and clarinetist and started cello lessons with his mother at age 6. He has degrees from the University of Michigan and Rice University. He just finished his seventh season with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and has also played with the Houston and Nashville Symphony Orchestras.
Atlanta connection: “I’ve played with the ASO on a few occasions, and I get most of my cello repair work done here.”
If it’s not classical: “The Beatles, Queen, the Punch Brothers, Snarky Puppy, Anna Meredith and Anderson .Paak.”
In his time off: “Playing chamber music, arranging and composing, cycling and homebrewing craft beer.”
Favorite restaurant: “I recently discovered ‘HopStix’ in Chamblee, and I’m always happy to have a poke bowl from Dua in midtown Atlanta.” Childhood dream job: “When I was 6 years old, I was obsessed with the Beatles and wanted to be a rock guitarist.”

Denielle Wilson, Cello

Her journey here: Bachelor’s degree at Northwestern, then master’s at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a diversity fellowship with the Cincinnati Orchestra. She just finished her first season as an acting section cellist in the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
Atlanta connection: Denielle was born and raised in Lithonia, Georgia. She is an alum of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program, where she studied with ASO cellist Joel Dallow for five years.
If it’s not classical: “I’ve been getting into the music of Omar Khorshid. He is an Egyptian guitarist that a friend introduced me to recently.”
In her time off: She plays in a piano trio with her siblings, Dana and Cliff Jr.
Favorite cuisine: “Trinidadian food — my father is from Tobago.”
Childhood dream job: “I remember wanting to be a nurse like my mom. I think a couple years later I wanted to be a scientist. Then I started playing the cello…”
Fear factor: “I don’t think I can think of anything scarier than auditioning, but whitewater rafting was slightly terrifying.”
Frivolous purchase: “A luxury RV. I like road trips, so why not make them fancy?”

Nicholas Scholefield, Bass

His journey here: Nick joins the mighty ASO bass section after a couple of seasons with the Alabama Symphony. His studies were at Indiana University and Kennesaw State.
Atlanta connection: “I was born and raised in Kennesaw, graduated from Allatoona High School in Acworth and attended Kennesaw State University for two years. As a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, I studied with two ASO musicians, Doug Sommer and Joe McFadden.”
The ASO should play: Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony №1
If it’s not classical: “I really enjoy listening to jazz. I particularly like more avant-garde and free jazz.”
Favorite cuisine: “I enjoy a lot of different kinds of food but I particularly enjoy Indian cuisine.”
Alternative dream job: “Probably a travel writer, not that I’m great at writing, but I’d do it for the traveling.”
Frivolous purchase: “If I won the lottery, I’d probably spend it on some nice international vacations or on a house somewhere tropical.”
Superpower: “Certainly possessing some kind of infinite wisdom would be nice.”

William Cooper, Trumpet

His journey here: William got his undergrad and graduate degrees from Northwestern, and previously played with the Orlando Philharmonic and the Malaysian Philharmonic. He’s also toured with a Broadway show and played at Walt Disney World!
Atlanta connection: A Georgia native, William was a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and studied with the ASO’s Mike Tiscione.
The ASO should play: Wynton Marsalis’ Swing Symphony
If it’s not classical: “I really enjoy listening to progressive bluegrass — Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers — and anything with a funk groove — Tower of Power, Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall, Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.” Favorite cuisine: “Nashville hot chicken.”
Fear factor: “Nashville hot chicken.”
Childhood dream job: “I wanted to be an astronomer because outer space is super cool.”
Frivolous purchase: “Designing, building and owning my own golf course.” Superpower: “The ability to understand and speak any language instantly.”

Fresh Faces was originally published in Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

These concerts, with Robert Spano leading the ASO in Gustav Mahler’s Symphony №3 in D-minor, comprise the Season Finale for the Orchestra. Much more significantly, they mark the end of the “Spano Era” at the Orchestra, a whirlwind period of more than two decades under his inspired leadership as Music Director.

Fiercely intelligent, with an intense understanding of the orchestral idiom and the complex art of conducting, Spano has been uniquely responsible for “the ASO sound,” and a singular force in charting the Orchestra’s survival through times of financial uncertainty, work stoppages and the Covid pandemic. More than half of the ASO musicians have been hired since Spano’s arrival, and he has focused intently on refining the Orchestra’s virtuosity, deeply committed to getting the best from the ensemble at every single concert.

After two work stoppages in 2012 and 2014, Spano joined long-time ASO Board member John White as co-chair of the Musicians’ Endowment Campaign, lending credibility to this important initiative which ultimately raised more than $27 million to restore 11 musicians to the Orchestra in perpetuity. This was an important milestone in the ASO’s history, which led to a new era of financial stability for the ASO that has extended to this day.

Spano has focused on every corner of the repertoire, from Baroque to Late Romantic to the 20th Century, but his special passion is for new works, and his creation of the Atlanta School of Composers has focused Atlanta and the world on a group of composers he curated, commissioned, and mentored, including Jennifer Higdon, Michael Gandolfi and Christopher Theofanidis. He is a beloved collaborator, making it possible for the ASO to enjoy countless marquee artists. He is renowned as a mentor to young conductors, musicians, and especially singers whom, as a virtuoso pianist, he has often accompanied.

Typically referred to by musicians, staff and patrons as “Robert,” rather than “Maestro,” Spano is personally modest, but a bundle of infectious energy. He is passionate, funny and warm. His commitment and good will are contagious.

Upon learning that Nathalie Stutzmann was under consideration as his successor, Spano, who had heard her conduct elsewhere, was characteristically enthusiastic, instantly responding: “Oh, she’s wonderful!” and setting the stage for a seamless transition.

It is fitting that Spano has chosen Mahler’s epic, profound Third Symphony for his Finale. It utilizes a chorus, and Spano cherishes the ASO Chorus. There’s a mezzo-soprano, another favored element, and in this case the soloist is Kelley O’Connor, one of Spano’s all-time favorites. And the Third is perhaps Mahler’s most philosophical work, mirroring Spano’s approach to life itself.

Spano’s legacy, his gift to Atlanta, is an Orchestra that ranks among the world’s finest. This week he assumes a new title: Music Director Laureate of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He promises to return regularly. He will be most welcome.

Celebrating Robert Spano’s 20-Year Tenure as Music Director was originally published in Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As I approach the final concerts of my tenure with the ASO, I find myself flooded with memories. With the bookend years as Music Director Designate and as Co-Artistic Advisor, it has been my great honor to have made music with the incomparable musicians of the ASO for twenty-two years.

We’ve suffered through tumultuous times, celebrated joyous occasions, and persisted in our pursuit of musical excellence, but the memories foremost in my mind as we approach our final performances are of the beauty we were able to create together.

I remember countless performances of the composers at the heart of our symphonic tradition, as well as all the living composers who have been such an important part of our culture, including our own Michael Kurth. The Atlanta School of Composers is a stellar array of leading voices in the arena of today’s music.

With the ASO Chorus, whose great legacy lives on with the brilliant leadership of Norman Mackenzie, we have re-engaged great masterpieces and explored new vistas: the Bach Passions with exquisite scenic installations from Anne Patterson, operatic adventures from La Bohème to Doctor Atomic with the creative dynamism of director James Alexander, recordings ranging from Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony to Christopher Theofanidis’ The Here and Now with our beloved Telarc-ian Elaine Martone, and the extraordinary beauty brought by Laurie Stallings and her moving artists to Orfeo.

When I joined the ASO, I was looking forward to the depth of mutual understanding that can evolve only with time, and that gift has been one of my life’s great joys — but I was also intent on promoting the orchestra’s role in the cultural life of our city. We have had amazing experiences of connection: the healing concerts in the wake of 9/11 in 2001; performing the National Anthem at the opening game of the Atlanta Falcons; having the honor of playing for the homegoing service of Coretta Scott King.

The inestimable power of great music on stage could not happen without the investment of so many others: our passionate audiences, our devoted leaders and staff, our committed volunteers, our generous donors. I am filled with gratitude!

I have had the great gift over these decades of having as friend and colleague Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles, and as we turn over the keys to new musical leadership, I am thrilled to be handing them to Nathalie Stutzmann. She is a musician of great intensity and integrity; I know the ASO is in good hands. I look forward to returning in the future to hear the ongoing evolution of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Mahler’s Third Symphony is an uncannily apt vehicle for me to express my gratitude to everyone for one of my life’s great experiences — my time with the ASO! Its movements form a “great chain of being” in celebration of life. The first portrays inchoate nature as well as the awakening of life, and the succeeding ones bring messages from the flowers, the animals, mankind, and the angels, culminating in the glorious last movement “What love tells me”.

It is with deep and abiding love to ALL of my ASO family, that I say:

Auf wiedersehen!

Robert Spano

A Letter from Maestro Robert Spano was originally published in Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

by Michael Kurth

The end of the 2021/22 ASO season gives us the opportunity to thank six long-time musicians for their combined 281 years of bringing joy to Atlanta, and indeed the world, through their music. We celebrate the careers of Laura Ardan, Sharon Berenson, Ronda Respess, Dona Vellek, Paul Warner and Bill Wilder as they leave our stage, but not our family, for their retirements.

Read more about 2020/2021 retirees Ronda Respess and Paul Warner here.

As Principal Clarinet, LAURA ARDAN has long been one of the most visible members of the ASO. Her solos can be heard on dozens of recordings, and her leadership has helped make the ASO woodwind section the envy of many other orchestras. Laura joined the ASO in 1982. She was simultaneously finishing her studies at Juilliard and playing as a substitute with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra when she was offered the job of leading the ASO clarinet section. She remembers (as do all of her colleagues, myself included) encountering one of the less glamorous aspects of working at Symphony Hall while auditioning — the tedious trudge up two long flights of stairs from the chilly cement “warm-up” rooms in the basement up to the stage level. She also recalls with terror her first rehearsal, a last-minute program change: Robert Shaw would lead Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which she had never played before.

Laura continues, “I never wanted to do anything but play Principal Clarinet in a major orchestra. My goal was to be in the middle of a masterpiece every day, to feel it around me and add my voice and send it out to anyone who could hear it.”

Having shared her voice for 39 years, she now looks forward to spending more time with family, playing chamber music, teaching clarinet at Emory, and enjoying great music from the other side of the proscenium.

SHARON BERENSON has played violin in the ASO since 1975, and has been an essential part of the symphony’s youth programs; she is also a collaborative pianist, and regularly accompanies members of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and Talent Development Program for recitals, competitions, and recordings.

Known affectionately to her fellow musicians as “Share Bear” because of her willingness to serve as the unofficial email hub for the musicians, she can also be relied on to synchronize every clock backstage at least twice a year, or whenever they’re off by a second or two.

Sharon says, “I was so thrilled to be offered a position in the orchestra. It was excellent back in the 1970s, but now the caliber of the new musicians throughout the decades seems to be getting better and better. It’s exciting to be around these new talented musicians.”

Her fondest ASO memories? “We used to go on multiple tours each year — the Southeast, the Midwest, and a Florida tour in the winter. That was so nice, to get out of the cold weather and put on shorts! Of course, having the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall was such a great experience. And I’ll never forget the two European trips we took in 1988 and 1991. We played in some of the most glorious halls in the world.”

And how does she plan on filling the next chapter? “Now that I’ll have more time, I want to continue my work as a professional pianist, accompanying young musicians (without having to juggle my ASO schedule!)”

DONA VELLEK joined the ASO cello section in 1981. About her audition, she recalls, “I had passed up the opportunity to audition for Assistant Principal Cello (second chair) twice before I was invited to the third round for a playoff between myself and another cellist. It was a grueling three-hour process, and it was only when I was finally preparing to leave the hall that I found out I won the audition! When I joined, there weren’t as many women in the orchestra, and very few in titled positions like mine. But I was truly amazed at how so many people from different age groups could work together so well!”

Her fondest ASO memories? “I think one of my most memorable moments was when we were on tour in Europe, playing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Robert Shaw in the former East Germany before the Berlin Wall was taken down. Our three tour buses were thoroughly searched before being allowed to cross into East Berlin, where we were scheduled to perform. We were given some lunch money in East German currency, but as it turned out, we were all ushered into a room and served lunch together (I guess in order to keep an eye on us.) After the performance, the entire audience applauded over and over, and tears were flowing. As our buses were preparing to pull out, we threw our lunch money onto the street, and as we drove away, people scurried from hidden places to pick it up. Unbelievable!”

And her plans for retirement? “I plan to continue teaching and coaching in the Raleigh/Durham area, perhaps at the college level at Duke or UNC. After many years of working with the Talent Development Program here in Atlanta, I plan to find a way to continue supporting diversity programs there as well.”

BILL WILDER joined the ASO Percussion section in 1968, “the first year that Mr. Shaw required musicians to commit to the ASO full-time.” Bill continues, “Before that, musicians had other jobs, like high school band directors. The job vacancy I filled was from a player who decided to stick to his day-job.”

Among Bill’s most memorable ASO concerts are the dozens (hundreds, more likely) of Pops performers who relied on him, as our resident drum set player, to provide the rock-solid beat to their songs. As the bass player often tasked to be the resident pops-style bassist, I had the pleasure of sitting next to Bill on many occasions, helping to provide that rhythmic foundation. Every time Bill sat behind that drum set, his rhythm was flawless; I even joked with him that he could beat a metronome in a who’s-more-in-the-pocket competition.

Bill waxes philosophical when talking about his career: “I’ve had the honor, the luxury, of sitting inside the greatest sound system in the world. The people in the audience, they’re hearing our music from a distance. But I’m right in the middle of it. And what an honor it’s been to make music in the company of great artists like my colleagues. Music has been my passion my whole life, and I was able to make it my career. How many people can say that? And the Atlanta Symphony has been very good to me. I got in on the ground floor, I grew with the orchestra.”

Bill’s plans for the next chapter of life? “A lot more free time to play tennis and travel. And not having to get up early.”

The entire ASO family wishes each of our beloved retirees every possible joy in the future and offers our sincere gratitude for all they’ve contributed to the city’s culture.

Curtain Call was originally published in Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We caught up with current Fellow, trombonist and rising 10th grader Gabriel Silva.

What was it like going through the TDP audition process?

It’s a very simple and tranquil process. Although I had to audition online due to the pandemic, the TDP staff presents the students with tons of reassurance to keep them confident. In between both rounds of the audition, the trial lessons with the TDP teachers introduce you to several new things in a short amount of time, which improve your final audition in the best ways possible.

What made you choose the trombone as your main instrument?

I remember having no idea which instrument I wanted to choose to start a band. I walked into the instrument fittings and there were five to choose from: the flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, and trombone. When I headed over to the brass fittings, the teacher was such an enjoyable person to be around and provided the perfect instructions for a beginner on how to buzz on the mouthpiece. His teaching, especially since the trombone was his main instrument, and his personality stuck with me and made learning a lot easier.

Do you have any trombone players that you look up to?

As a trombonist, you just have to look up to Joseph Alessi. But, I would also choose Jeremy Buckler, my teacher, Nathan Zgonc, and Brian Hecht. These are only a few of many. Each of them has such distinct characteristics that make them so different from each other, yet allow them to blend perfectly.

What do you enjoy most about TDP?

I enjoy the opportunities to meet new musicians around your age, as well as the professional musicians of the ASO. It truly shows you how diverse people can be yet still come together as one because of music. The invitations to come watch the ASO concerts allow you to analyze and learn several things that could help you realize what you can do better, both as an individual musician and as an ensemble player.

TDP Faculty Spotlight: Justin Bruns

Get to know the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Associate Concertmaster, Justin Bruns.

Thanks for catching up with us, Justin. How long have you been an instructor for TDP?

With a few short breaks, I have taught TDP students, coached groups, and served on committees since 2007.

What is your favorite chamber piece to teach, and why?

I try to avoid selecting favorites because it is important to identify what’s special or unique about any piece you perform. It’s always satisfying to find pieces that address the specific needs of students’ chamber music groups in their technical and musical development.

If you could collaborate with any artist today, who would it be?

I can’t pick just one. It’s always a pleasure to interact with anyone who I draw inspiration from or look up to, whether it’s another violinist, performer, composer, or conductor. Julia Bullock comes to mind.

Alongside the ASO, can you tell us some projects or something upcoming that you’re looking forward to?

This summer, I will perform as a soloist with a few orchestras: Beethoven Triple Concerto at the Bellingham Festival, Carmen Fantasy and The Lark Ascending with an orchestra in London, and a new piece by Jake Heggie inspired by the Violins of Hope at Cabrillo Music Festival. During a large part of the pandemic, I spent a lot of time getting back to the fundamentals of violin playing and the experience was satisfying. I learned one new piece of repertoire for solo violin each month — from composers such as Telemann, Ysaye, Rodrigo, and Piazzolla, as well as young living composers like Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Simon and Luke Cisell. When this season ends, I’m excited to get back to these pieces and others to prepare for performance opportunities as they arise.

How do you define success as a musician? What is the greatest challenge for a young musician to overcome?

I don’t think it’s really possible to say one career path or achievement translates as something more successful than any other. The best way to look for fulfillment as a student of music is to strive to be authentic, honest and true to yourself and to continue to reevaluate and refine what that means. When you stay focused on this throughout your musical journey, you have the potential to share something extremely human and vulnerable during every performance. At the end of the day, this is why we do what we do.

ASO Talent Development Program Spring Spotlights was originally published in Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By James Paulk

In March 2022, Josephine F. Sanders was inducted into the Georgia Women’s Hall of Fame. Learn more about her on the Georgia Women of Achievement’s website.

On February 4th, 1945, the Atlanta Music Club sponsored a concert with Henry Sopkin conducting the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra before a sold-out audience at the cavernous Atlanta Municipal Auditorium. In the 76 years that followed, that ensemble — soon to be renamed the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra — has morphed into one of the world’s finest orchestras: the soundtrack of a great city, a cultural beacon, a recording powerhouse, and a source of considerable pride.

The small group of dedicated women who brought that concert together was led by Mrs. Josephine Sanders, who had assumed the music club’s presidency only two years earlier and quickly transformed it into the most important music force in the city. She had organized the AYSO from an existing orchestra after hearing them perform and realizing, as an accomplished violinist and educator, the quality of their playing. Distressed that Atlanta was the largest city in the country without a professional orchestra, she was determined to find a way to create one.

After hearing the young musicians of the “In and About Atlanta Orchestra,” Josephine had the idea to begin with this group, then add professional adult musicians as funding solidified and the organization prospered. At least four efforts to form an orchestra had failed in the decades since the turn of the century, and much of the city’s arts and civic leadership was pessimistic about the chances for creating an orchestra, especially with WWII still raging. “Atlanta will grow an orchestra, not buy one” became her motto. Josephine was, by all accounts, uniquely charismatic, and she sold both her music club members and the city’s corporate leadership on the potential for success of her plan.

Josephine worked with music educators to transform the “In and About” ensemble, which was created from the best students in the music programs of Atlanta Public Schools, into a larger ensemble, adding college students and others with talent. The ages in the AYSO ranged from 11 to 25.

Josephine had been introduced to Henry Sopkin, a dynamic young conductor and educator then located in Chicago, who had guest conducted the “In and About” ensemble on several occasions, and she was impressed with his musical ability and his organizational skills. She ultimately persuaded him to move to Atlanta, taking a 25% pay cut in the process, to lead the fledgling ensemble. Years later, Sopkin explained that it was his faith in Josephine and her colleagues that brought him to Atlanta.

Funds were needed to pay Sopkin and to cover the cost of renting the auditorium, which was also used for rehearsals, and Josephine led a committee which raised funds from 42 Atlanta corporations to finance the new venture, making tickets free for the initial concerts.

When the AYSO rebranded as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Josephine led in creating a new structure for the organization, making it independent of the music club. But for the rest of her life she remained devoted to the Orchestra, helping with fundraising and chairing various events and committees.

Josephine Sanders and the Founding of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra was originally published in Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.