2024-2025 Orchestra Series Schedule
March Orchestra Series (Featuring Annunziata Tomaro and Roman Rabinovich)
Concert Program
Caroline Shaw Entr'acte
Felix Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1
Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished”
About the Featured Musicians
Praised as a “rising light in the musical firmament” and a “brilliant young Maestra” Annunziata Tomaro is equally at home in symphonic, operatic and contemporary repertoire.
As founder and music director of The Phoenix Ensemble in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tomaro worked with distinguished artists such as William Bolcom and Peter Sparling. During her tenure as conductor and music director of the Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy, Ms. Tomaro led new productions of operas by Wolf-Ferrari and Puccini as well as notable concert and choral performances. In collaboration with renowned pianist James Tocco and opera director Robin Guarino, Tomaro conducted celebrated concert and opera performances at the Spoleto Festival in Italy.
Tomaro was music director and principal conductor of the CCM (College-Conservatory of Music) Concert Orchestra and the contemporary ensemble, Café MoMus in Cincinnati. Among her many podium appearances at CCM were acclaimed performances of Mahler and Shostakovich, as well as world and regional premieres of works by Kaija Saariaho, Cynthia Wong and Conrad Susa. During this time, she was appointed associate conductor of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and was invited to cover conduct for Paavo Jarvi with the Cincinnati Symphony. Having served as music director of the Central Kentucky Youth Symphony, Ms. Tomaro is a strong advocate of music education and an inspiring leader of younger musicians. She is highly sought after as a guest conductor of university and youth orchestras. Her award-winning live recording with The Phoenix Ensemble, “The Orchestra is Here to Play!” has become an instant classic with young audiences.
In addition to conducting a wide range of symphonic works and championing new and emerging composers, Tomaro's opera performances include La bohème, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Rape of Lucretia, Werther, Carmen, Il signor Bruschino, The Telephone by Menotti, Stravinsky's Mavra, Wolf-Ferrari's Il segreto di Susanna, Mahagonny Songspiel (Weill/Brecht), Conrad Susa's Dangerous Liaisons, and the world premieres of Enid Sutherland's Daphne and Apollo Remade and City Opera Buenos Aires by Peter Ablinger.
As assistant conductor of the Orquesta Estable of the Teatro Colón and Head of Stage Music of the illustrious theater in Buenos Aires, Tomaro conducted staging rehearsals for many important titles during two artistic seasons. Throughout Argentina, Tomaro regularly guest conducts almost all the major orchestras.
Prize winner of the International “Antonio Pedrotti” Conducting Competition, Tomaro's honors include the Robinson Award, presented by the Conductor's Guild, the esteemed Presser Award which brought her to Lucerne, Switzerland to work with Claudio Abbado, and the "outstanding woman conductor" grant by the League of American Orchestras. Tomaro was chosen as a Fulbright scholar to Berlin, where she had the honor of being a guest in the rehearsals of Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, as well as Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper unter den Linden.
Since beginning her musical studies at The Juilliard School Pre-College Division and culminating in a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music of Cincinnati, Ms. Tomaro has worked with some of the world’s most recognized conducting pedagogues and has become a sought-after teacher.
Praised by The New York Times for his ‘uncommon sensitivity and feeling’, the eloquent pianist Roman Rabinovich is renowned for his multifaceted musical artistry, earning acclaim as a soloist, curator, and collaborator.
Winner of the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in 2008, Rabinovich made his Carnegie Hall Concerto Debut, on a 24-hour notice with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and has collaborated with esteemed orchestras like the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Meininger Hofkapelle, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, KBS Symphony, Prague Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Seattle Symphony, under the batons of conductors including Sir Roger Norrington, Zubin Mehta, JoAnn Falletta, Kristjan Järvi, and Gerard Schwarz. As a recitalist, he has performed at Washington Performing Arts Society, Vancouver Recital Society, Piano Series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Liszt Academy in Budapest and participated in festivals including Marlboro, Lucerne and Prague Spring.
Dubbed ‘a true polymath, in the Renaissance sense of the word’ (Seen & Heard International, 2016), Rabinovich's artistic reach extends beyond the piano. He is a composer and visual artist with a diverse repertoire spanning six centuries. He has won critical acclaim for interpretations of the music of Joseph Haydn, encompassing Haydn’s complete keyboard sonatas at the Lammermuir and Bath Festivals in UK, and curated a three-concert Haydn Day at Wigmore Hall. The first two volumes of his complete Haydn Cycle on First Hand Records have been released to critical acclaim.
Having made his Israel Philharmonic debut under Zubin Mehta at the age of 10, Rabinovich was among the first pianists championed by Sir András Schiff in his series 'Building Bridges'.
Alongside his wife, violinist Diana Cohen, Rabinovich co-directs ChamberFest Cleveland and the newly inaugurated ChamberFest West festival in Calgary.
March Orchestra Series (Featuring Annunziata Tomaro and & Roman Rabinovich)
Concert Program
Caroline Shaw Entr'acte
Felix Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1
Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished”
About the Featured Musicians
Praised as a “rising light in the musical firmament” and a “brilliant young Maestra” Annunziata Tomaro is equally at home in symphonic, operatic and contemporary repertoire.
As founder and music director of The Phoenix Ensemble in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tomaro worked with distinguished artists such as William Bolcom and Peter Sparling. During her tenure as conductor and music director of the Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy, Ms. Tomaro led new productions of operas by Wolf-Ferrari and Puccini as well as notable concert and choral performances. In collaboration with renowned pianist James Tocco and opera director Robin Guarino, Tomaro conducted celebrated concert and opera performances at the Spoleto Festival in Italy.
Tomaro was music director and principal conductor of the CCM (College-Conservatory of Music) Concert Orchestra and the contemporary ensemble, Café MoMus in Cincinnati. Among her many podium appearances at CCM were acclaimed performances of Mahler and Shostakovich, as well as world and regional premieres of works by Kaija Saariaho, Cynthia Wong and Conrad Susa. During this time, she was appointed associate conductor of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and was invited to cover conduct for Paavo Jarvi with the Cincinnati Symphony. Having served as music director of the Central Kentucky Youth Symphony, Ms. Tomaro is a strong advocate of music education and an inspiring leader of younger musicians. She is highly sought after as a guest conductor of university and youth orchestras. Her award-winning live recording with The Phoenix Ensemble, “The Orchestra is Here to Play!” has become an instant classic with young audiences.
In addition to conducting a wide range of symphonic works and championing new and emerging composers, Tomaro's opera performances include La bohème, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Rape of Lucretia, Werther, Carmen, Il signor Bruschino, The Telephone by Menotti, Stravinsky's Mavra, Wolf-Ferrari's Il segreto di Susanna, Mahagonny Songspiel (Weill/Brecht), Conrad Susa's Dangerous Liaisons, and the world premieres of Enid Sutherland's Daphne and Apollo Remade and City Opera Buenos Aires by Peter Ablinger.
As assistant conductor of the Orquesta Estable of the Teatro Colón and Head of Stage Music of the illustrious theater in Buenos Aires, Tomaro conducted staging rehearsals for many important titles during two artistic seasons. Throughout Argentina, Tomaro regularly guest conducts almost all the major orchestras.
Prize winner of the International “Antonio Pedrotti” Conducting Competition, Tomaro's honors include the Robinson Award, presented by the Conductor's Guild, the esteemed Presser Award which brought her to Lucerne, Switzerland to work with Claudio Abbado, and the "outstanding woman conductor" grant by the League of American Orchestras. Tomaro was chosen as a Fulbright scholar to Berlin, where she had the honor of being a guest in the rehearsals of Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, as well as Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper unter den Linden.
Since beginning her musical studies at The Juilliard School Pre-College Division and culminating in a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music of Cincinnati, Ms. Tomaro has worked with some of the world’s most recognized conducting pedagogues and has become a sought-after teacher.
Praised by The New York Times for his ‘uncommon sensitivity and feeling’, the eloquent pianist Roman Rabinovich is renowned for his multifaceted musical artistry, earning acclaim as a soloist, curator, and collaborator.
Winner of the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in 2008, Rabinovich made his Carnegie Hall Concerto Debut, on a 24-hour notice with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and has collaborated with esteemed orchestras like the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Meininger Hofkapelle, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, KBS Symphony, Prague Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Seattle Symphony, under the batons of conductors including Sir Roger Norrington, Zubin Mehta, JoAnn Falletta, Kristjan Järvi, and Gerard Schwarz. As a recitalist, he has performed at Washington Performing Arts Society, Vancouver Recital Society, Piano Series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Liszt Academy in Budapest and participated in festivals including Marlboro, Lucerne and Prague Spring.
Dubbed ‘a true polymath, in the Renaissance sense of the word’ (Seen & Heard International, 2016), Rabinovich's artistic reach extends beyond the piano. He is a composer and visual artist with a diverse repertoire spanning six centuries. He has won critical acclaim for interpretations of the music of Joseph Haydn, encompassing Haydn’s complete keyboard sonatas at the Lammermuir and Bath Festivals in UK, and curated a three-concert Haydn Day at Wigmore Hall. The first two volumes of his complete Haydn Cycle on First Hand Records have been released to critical acclaim.
Having made his Israel Philharmonic debut under Zubin Mehta at the age of 10, Rabinovich was among the first pianists championed by Sir András Schiff in his series 'Building Bridges'.
Alongside his wife, violinist Diana Cohen, Rabinovich co-directs ChamberFest Cleveland and the newly inaugurated ChamberFest West festival in Calgary.
March Orchestra Series (Featuring Annunziata Tomaro and & Rabinovich)
Concert Program
Caroline Shaw Entr'acte
Felix Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1
Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished”
About the Featured Musicians
Praised as a “rising light in the musical firmament” and a “brilliant young Maestra” Annunziata Tomaro is equally at home in symphonic, operatic and contemporary repertoire.
As founder and music director of The Phoenix Ensemble in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tomaro worked with distinguished artists such as William Bolcom and Peter Sparling. During her tenure as conductor and music director of the Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy, Ms. Tomaro led new productions of operas by Wolf-Ferrari and Puccini as well as notable concert and choral performances. In collaboration with renowned pianist James Tocco and opera director Robin Guarino, Tomaro conducted celebrated concert and opera performances at the Spoleto Festival in Italy.
Tomaro was music director and principal conductor of the CCM (College-Conservatory of Music) Concert Orchestra and the contemporary ensemble, Café MoMus in Cincinnati. Among her many podium appearances at CCM were acclaimed performances of Mahler and Shostakovich, as well as world and regional premieres of works by Kaija Saariaho, Cynthia Wong and Conrad Susa. During this time, she was appointed associate conductor of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and was invited to cover conduct for Paavo Jarvi with the Cincinnati Symphony. Having served as music director of the Central Kentucky Youth Symphony, Ms. Tomaro is a strong advocate of music education and an inspiring leader of younger musicians. She is highly sought after as a guest conductor of university and youth orchestras. Her award-winning live recording with The Phoenix Ensemble, “The Orchestra is Here to Play!” has become an instant classic with young audiences.
In addition to conducting a wide range of symphonic works and championing new and emerging composers, Tomaro's opera performances include La bohème, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Rape of Lucretia, Werther, Carmen, Il signor Bruschino, The Telephone by Menotti, Stravinsky's Mavra, Wolf-Ferrari's Il segreto di Susanna, Mahagonny Songspiel (Weill/Brecht), Conrad Susa's Dangerous Liaisons, and the world premieres of Enid Sutherland's Daphne and Apollo Remade and City Opera Buenos Aires by Peter Ablinger.
As assistant conductor of the Orquesta Estable of the Teatro Colón and Head of Stage Music of the illustrious theater in Buenos Aires, Tomaro conducted staging rehearsals for many important titles during two artistic seasons. Throughout Argentina, Tomaro regularly guest conducts almost all the major orchestras.
Prize winner of the International “Antonio Pedrotti” Conducting Competition, Tomaro's honors include the Robinson Award, presented by the Conductor's Guild, the esteemed Presser Award which brought her to Lucerne, Switzerland to work with Claudio Abbado, and the "outstanding woman conductor" grant by the League of American Orchestras. Tomaro was chosen as a Fulbright scholar to Berlin, where she had the honor of being a guest in the rehearsals of Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, as well as Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper unter den Linden.
Since beginning her musical studies at The Juilliard School Pre-College Division and culminating in a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music of Cincinnati, Ms. Tomaro has worked with some of the world’s most recognized conducting pedagogues and has become a sought-after teacher.
Praised by The New York Times for his ‘uncommon sensitivity and feeling’, the eloquent pianist Roman Rabinovich is renowned for his multifaceted musical artistry, earning acclaim as a soloist, curator, and collaborator.
Winner of the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in 2008, Rabinovich made his Carnegie Hall Concerto Debut, on a 24-hour notice with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and has collaborated with esteemed orchestras like the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Meininger Hofkapelle, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, KBS Symphony, Prague Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Seattle Symphony, under the batons of conductors including Sir Roger Norrington, Zubin Mehta, JoAnn Falletta, Kristjan Järvi, and Gerard Schwarz. As a recitalist, he has performed at Washington Performing Arts Society, Vancouver Recital Society, Piano Series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Liszt Academy in Budapest and participated in festivals including Marlboro, Lucerne and Prague Spring.
Dubbed ‘a true polymath, in the Renaissance sense of the word’ (Seen & Heard International, 2016), Rabinovich's artistic reach extends beyond the piano. He is a composer and visual artist with a diverse repertoire spanning six centuries. He has won critical acclaim for interpretations of the music of Joseph Haydn, encompassing Haydn’s complete keyboard sonatas at the Lammermuir and Bath Festivals in UK, and curated a three-concert Haydn Day at Wigmore Hall. The first two volumes of his complete Haydn Cycle on First Hand Records have been released to critical acclaim.
Having made his Israel Philharmonic debut under Zubin Mehta at the age of 10, Rabinovich was among the first pianists championed by Sir András Schiff in his series 'Building Bridges'.
Alongside his wife, violinist Diana Cohen, Rabinovich co-directs ChamberFest Cleveland and the newly inaugurated ChamberFest West festival in Calgary.
March Orchestra Series (Featuring Annunziata Tomaro and Roman Rabinovich)
Concert Program
Caroline Shaw Entr'acte
Felix Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1
Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished”
About the Featured Musicians
Praised as a “rising light in the musical firmament” and a “brilliant young Maestra” Annunziata Tomaro is equally at home in symphonic, operatic and contemporary repertoire.
As founder and music director of The Phoenix Ensemble in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tomaro worked with distinguished artists such as William Bolcom and Peter Sparling. During her tenure as conductor and music director of the Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy, Ms. Tomaro led new productions of operas by Wolf-Ferrari and Puccini as well as notable concert and choral performances. In collaboration with renowned pianist James Tocco and opera director Robin Guarino, Tomaro conducted celebrated concert and opera performances at the Spoleto Festival in Italy.
Tomaro was music director and principal conductor of the CCM (College-Conservatory of Music) Concert Orchestra and the contemporary ensemble, Café MoMus in Cincinnati. Among her many podium appearances at CCM were acclaimed performances of Mahler and Shostakovich, as well as world and regional premieres of works by Kaija Saariaho, Cynthia Wong and Conrad Susa. During this time, she was appointed associate conductor of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and was invited to cover conduct for Paavo Jarvi with the Cincinnati Symphony. Having served as music director of the Central Kentucky Youth Symphony, Ms. Tomaro is a strong advocate of music education and an inspiring leader of younger musicians. She is highly sought after as a guest conductor of university and youth orchestras. Her award-winning live recording with The Phoenix Ensemble, “The Orchestra is Here to Play!” has become an instant classic with young audiences.
In addition to conducting a wide range of symphonic works and championing new and emerging composers, Tomaro's opera performances include La bohème, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Rape of Lucretia, Werther, Carmen, Il signor Bruschino, The Telephone by Menotti, Stravinsky's Mavra, Wolf-Ferrari's Il segreto di Susanna, Mahagonny Songspiel (Weill/Brecht), Conrad Susa's Dangerous Liaisons, and the world premieres of Enid Sutherland's Daphne and Apollo Remade and City Opera Buenos Aires by Peter Ablinger.
As assistant conductor of the Orquesta Estable of the Teatro Colón and Head of Stage Music of the illustrious theater in Buenos Aires, Tomaro conducted staging rehearsals for many important titles during two artistic seasons. Throughout Argentina, Tomaro regularly guest conducts almost all the major orchestras.
Prize winner of the International “Antonio Pedrotti” Conducting Competition, Tomaro's honors include the Robinson Award, presented by the Conductor's Guild, the esteemed Presser Award which brought her to Lucerne, Switzerland to work with Claudio Abbado, and the "outstanding woman conductor" grant by the League of American Orchestras. Tomaro was chosen as a Fulbright scholar to Berlin, where she had the honor of being a guest in the rehearsals of Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, as well as Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper unter den Linden.
Since beginning her musical studies at The Juilliard School Pre-College Division and culminating in a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music of Cincinnati, Ms. Tomaro has worked with some of the world’s most recognized conducting pedagogues and has become a sought-after teacher.
Praised by The New York Times for his ‘uncommon sensitivity and feeling’, the eloquent pianist Roman Rabinovich is renowned for his multifaceted musical artistry, earning acclaim as a soloist, curator, and collaborator.
Winner of the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in 2008, Rabinovich made his Carnegie Hall Concerto Debut, on a 24-hour notice with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and has collaborated with esteemed orchestras like the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Meininger Hofkapelle, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, KBS Symphony, Prague Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Seattle Symphony, under the batons of conductors including Sir Roger Norrington, Zubin Mehta, JoAnn Falletta, Kristjan Järvi, and Gerard Schwarz. As a recitalist, he has performed at Washington Performing Arts Society, Vancouver Recital Society, Piano Series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Liszt Academy in Budapest and participated in festivals including Marlboro, Lucerne and Prague Spring.
Dubbed ‘a true polymath, in the Renaissance sense of the word’ (Seen & Heard International, 2016), Rabinovich's artistic reach extends beyond the piano. He is a composer and visual artist with a diverse repertoire spanning six centuries. He has won critical acclaim for interpretations of the music of Joseph Haydn, encompassing Haydn’s complete keyboard sonatas at the Lammermuir and Bath Festivals in UK, and curated a three-concert Haydn Day at Wigmore Hall. The first two volumes of his complete Haydn Cycle on First Hand Records have been released to critical acclaim.
Having made his Israel Philharmonic debut under Zubin Mehta at the age of 10, Rabinovich was among the first pianists championed by Sir András Schiff in his series 'Building Bridges'.
Alongside his wife, violinist Diana Cohen, Rabinovich co-directs ChamberFest Cleveland and the newly inaugurated ChamberFest West festival in Calgary.
May Orchestra Series (Featuring Lorenzo Lopez, CityMusic Community Choir, & Chabrelle Williams)
Concert Program
William Grant Still Danzas de Panama
Gabriela Lena Frank Leyendas: An Andean Walk-Around
Gabriel Faure Requiem
About the Featured Musicians
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Lorenzo Lopez is an accomplished musician and conductor known for his dynamic leadership and passionate musicianship. He has served as a lecturer for Purdue University’s Symphonic and String Orchestras and as a Conducting Fellow for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Lopez has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Cristian Macelaru, Marin Alsop, and James Ross.
Lopez is a winner of The Respighi Prize with The Chamber Orchestra of New York, marking his Carnegie Hall debut, and was a National Finalist in the American Prize in Conducting. In addition to conducting, he is a pianist and tenor vocalist. Lopez strives to inspire his students and colleagues to discover the purity of sound and to connect deeply with music and the community. He is also dedicated to encouraging Latin and other historically marginalized communities to pursue classical music as a means to promote a more unified community.
Three-time district winner of the New York Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Soprano Chabrelle Williams is a dynamic presence on the stage and an accomplished teaching artist. Most recently, Chabrelle performed the role of Claudette Colvin in a new opera by Jasmine Barnes and Deborah Mouton with the American Lyric Theater. Currently, she is teaching opera to Philly’s finest 4th Graders for Opera Philadelphia. Looking to the Fall, Chabrelle is excited to make several debuts one of which includes the New Orleans Opera and their production of Jeanine Tesori’s Blue.
Chabrelle’s journey in the world of opera has brought her to several stages both in America and abroad. This season, she made several debuts: her Boston Lyric Opera debut as Milica in their film Svadba by Ana Sokolovic and directed by Shura Baryshnikov, her Opera in the Heights debut as Leonora in their production of Il Trovatore and most recently she made her Lincoln Center Theater Debut co-creating the leading role of Esther in the world premiere of the opera Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage and Ricky Ian Gordon directed by Bartlett Sher.
Throughout her journey, Chabrelle has not only premiered several works, but also been the pioneer for a couple training programs. She started the Artist Diploma program at Rice University and was the first to graduate of its program. Chabrelle also co-created the Holland Community Opera Fellowship at Opera Omaha where she used her experience as an artist and entrepreneur to creatively engage with various youth and adult organizations from diverse backgrounds.
In addition to opera, Chabrelle also enjoys the more intimate experience of performing oratorio and art song. Recently, she world premiered an orchestrated version of Songs of the Seasons by Margaret Bonds arr. Edward Hart with the Charleston Symphony. Before that, she made her Carnegie Hall debut singing Nathaniel Dett’s oratorio The Ordering of Moses with her alma mater Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She looks forward to making another debut this season with the Louisiana Philharmonic singing these very same songs! Some other highlights in her concert repertoire include: Might Call You Art by Jasmine Barnes, Welcome to the Broken Hearts Club by Jessica Meyer, and the soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem.
May Orchestra Series (Featuring Lorenzo Lopez, CityMusic Community Choir, & Chabrelle Williams)
Concert Program
William Grant Still Danzas de Panama
Gabriela Lena Frank Leyendas: An Andean Walk-Around
Gabriel Faure Requiem
About the Featured Musicians
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Lorenzo Lopez is an accomplished musician and conductor known for his dynamic leadership and passionate musicianship. He has served as a lecturer for Purdue University’s Symphonic and String Orchestras and as a Conducting Fellow for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Lopez has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Cristian Macelaru, Marin Alsop, and James Ross.
Lopez is a winner of The Respighi Prize with The Chamber Orchestra of New York, marking his Carnegie Hall debut, and was a National Finalist in the American Prize in Conducting. In addition to conducting, he is a pianist and tenor vocalist. Lopez strives to inspire his students and colleagues to discover the purity of sound and to connect deeply with music and the community. He is also dedicated to encouraging Latin and other historically marginalized communities to pursue classical music as a means to promote a more unified community.
Three-time district winner of the New York Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Soprano Chabrelle Williams is a dynamic presence on the stage and an accomplished teaching artist. Most recently, Chabrelle performed the role of Claudette Colvin in a new opera by Jasmine Barnes and Deborah Mouton with the American Lyric Theater. Currently, she is teaching opera to Philly’s finest 4th Graders for Opera Philadelphia. Looking to the Fall, Chabrelle is excited to make several debuts one of which includes the New Orleans Opera and their production of Jeanine Tesori’s Blue.
Chabrelle’s journey in the world of opera has brought her to several stages both in America and abroad. This season, she made several debuts: her Boston Lyric Opera debut as Milica in their film Svadba by Ana Sokolovic and directed by Shura Baryshnikov, her Opera in the Heights debut as Leonora in their production of Il Trovatore and most recently she made her Lincoln Center Theater Debut co-creating the leading role of Esther in the world premiere of the opera Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage and Ricky Ian Gordon directed by Bartlett Sher.
Throughout her journey, Chabrelle has not only premiered several works, but also been the pioneer for a couple training programs. She started the Artist Diploma program at Rice University and was the first to graduate of its program. Chabrelle also co-created the Holland Community Opera Fellowship at Opera Omaha where she used her experience as an artist and entrepreneur to creatively engage with various youth and adult organizations from diverse backgrounds.
In addition to opera, Chabrelle also enjoys the more intimate experience of performing oratorio and art song. Recently, she world premiered an orchestrated version of Songs of the Seasons by Margaret Bonds arr. Edward Hart with the Charleston Symphony. Before that, she made her Carnegie Hall debut singing Nathaniel Dett’s oratorio The Ordering of Moses with her alma mater Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She looks forward to making another debut this season with the Louisiana Philharmonic singing these very same songs! Some other highlights in her concert repertoire include: Might Call You Art by Jasmine Barnes, Welcome to the Broken Hearts Club by Jessica Meyer, and the soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem.
May Orchestra Series (Featuring Lorenzo Lopez, CityMusic Community Choir, & Chabrelle Williams)
Concert Program
William Grant Still Danzas de Panama
Gabriela Lena Frank Leyendas: An Andean Walk-Around
Gabriel Faure Requiem
About the Featured Musicians
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Lorenzo Lopez is an accomplished musician and conductor known for his dynamic leadership and passionate musicianship. He has served as a lecturer for Purdue University’s Symphonic and String Orchestras and as a Conducting Fellow for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Lopez has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Cristian Macelaru, Marin Alsop, and James Ross.
Lopez is a winner of The Respighi Prize with The Chamber Orchestra of New York, marking his Carnegie Hall debut, and was a National Finalist in the American Prize in Conducting. In addition to conducting, he is a pianist and tenor vocalist. Lopez strives to inspire his students and colleagues to discover the purity of sound and to connect deeply with music and the community. He is also dedicated to encouraging Latin and other historically marginalized communities to pursue classical music as a means to promote a more unified community.
Three-time district winner of the New York Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Soprano Chabrelle Williams is a dynamic presence on the stage and an accomplished teaching artist. Most recently, Chabrelle performed the role of Claudette Colvin in a new opera by Jasmine Barnes and Deborah Mouton with the American Lyric Theater. Currently, she is teaching opera to Philly’s finest 4th Graders for Opera Philadelphia. Looking to the Fall, Chabrelle is excited to make several debuts one of which includes the New Orleans Opera and their production of Jeanine Tesori’s Blue.
Chabrelle’s journey in the world of opera has brought her to several stages both in America and abroad. This season, she made several debuts: her Boston Lyric Opera debut as Milica in their film Svadba by Ana Sokolovic and directed by Shura Baryshnikov, her Opera in the Heights debut as Leonora in their production of Il Trovatore and most recently she made her Lincoln Center Theater Debut co-creating the leading role of Esther in the world premiere of the opera Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage and Ricky Ian Gordon directed by Bartlett Sher.
Throughout her journey, Chabrelle has not only premiered several works, but also been the pioneer for a couple training programs. She started the Artist Diploma program at Rice University and was the first to graduate of its program. Chabrelle also co-created the Holland Community Opera Fellowship at Opera Omaha where she used her experience as an artist and entrepreneur to creatively engage with various youth and adult organizations from diverse backgrounds.
In addition to opera, Chabrelle also enjoys the more intimate experience of performing oratorio and art song. Recently, she world premiered an orchestrated version of Songs of the Seasons by Margaret Bonds arr. Edward Hart with the Charleston Symphony. Before that, she made her Carnegie Hall debut singing Nathaniel Dett’s oratorio The Ordering of Moses with her alma mater Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She looks forward to making another debut this season with the Louisiana Philharmonic singing these very same songs! Some other highlights in her concert repertoire include: Might Call You Art by Jasmine Barnes, Welcome to the Broken Hearts Club by Jessica Meyer, and the soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem.
May Orchestra Series (Featuring Lorenzo Lopez, CityMusic Community Choir, & Chabrelle Williams)
Concert Program
William Grant Still Danzas de Panama
Gabriela Lena Frank Leyendas: An Andean Walk-Around
Gabriel Faure Requiem
About the Featured Musicians
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Lorenzo Lopez is an accomplished musician and conductor known for his dynamic leadership and passionate musicianship. He has served as a lecturer for Purdue University’s Symphonic and String Orchestras and as a Conducting Fellow for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Lopez has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Cristian Macelaru, Marin Alsop, and James Ross.
Lopez is a winner of The Respighi Prize with The Chamber Orchestra of New York, marking his Carnegie Hall debut, and was a National Finalist in the American Prize in Conducting. In addition to conducting, he is a pianist and tenor vocalist. Lopez strives to inspire his students and colleagues to discover the purity of sound and to connect deeply with music and the community. He is also dedicated to encouraging Latin and other historically marginalized communities to pursue classical music as a means to promote a more unified community.
Three-time district winner of the New York Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Soprano Chabrelle Williams is a dynamic presence on the stage and an accomplished teaching artist. Most recently, Chabrelle performed the role of Claudette Colvin in a new opera by Jasmine Barnes and Deborah Mouton with the American Lyric Theater. Currently, she is teaching opera to Philly’s finest 4th Graders for Opera Philadelphia. Looking to the Fall, Chabrelle is excited to make several debuts one of which includes the New Orleans Opera and their production of Jeanine Tesori’s Blue.
Chabrelle’s journey in the world of opera has brought her to several stages both in America and abroad. This season, she made several debuts: her Boston Lyric Opera debut as Milica in their film Svadba by Ana Sokolovic and directed by Shura Baryshnikov, her Opera in the Heights debut as Leonora in their production of Il Trovatore and most recently she made her Lincoln Center Theater Debut co-creating the leading role of Esther in the world premiere of the opera Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage and Ricky Ian Gordon directed by Bartlett Sher.
Throughout her journey, Chabrelle has not only premiered several works, but also been the pioneer for a couple training programs. She started the Artist Diploma program at Rice University and was the first to graduate of its program. Chabrelle also co-created the Holland Community Opera Fellowship at Opera Omaha where she used her experience as an artist and entrepreneur to creatively engage with various youth and adult organizations from diverse backgrounds.
In addition to opera, Chabrelle also enjoys the more intimate experience of performing oratorio and art song. Recently, she world premiered an orchestrated version of Songs of the Seasons by Margaret Bonds arr. Edward Hart with the Charleston Symphony. Before that, she made her Carnegie Hall debut singing Nathaniel Dett’s oratorio The Ordering of Moses with her alma mater Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She looks forward to making another debut this season with the Louisiana Philharmonic singing these very same songs! Some other highlights in her concert repertoire include: Might Call You Art by Jasmine Barnes, Welcome to the Broken Hearts Club by Jessica Meyer, and the soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem.
December Orchestra Series (Featuring John McLaughlin Williams and Sibbi Bernhardsson)
Concert Program
Leó Weiner Serenade for Small Orchestra, Op. 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 (feat. Sibbi Bernhardsson)
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
About the Featured Musicians
Grammy Award-winning conductor John McLaughlin Williams has been critically acclaimed for his outstanding interpretive abilities and engaging podium presence. Equally at home in the standard literature and the masterworks of American composers, it was with the release of his acclaimed recordings on the Naxos label that his conducting first attracted international attention. With the National Symphony and Radio Orchestras of Ukraine, Williams has made world-premiere recordings of orchestral works by composers both well-known and neglected for the Naxos label’s celebrated “American Classics” series. He has been critically hailed in international publications, among them Fanfare, Gramophone, Classic FM, International Record Review, American Record Guide, and the French recording journal Diapason. His recordings appear on the Naxos, TNC, Artek, Cambria, and Afka labels. His next recording is Karl Weigl: The Complete Violin Works, recorded with pianist Glen Inanga, to be released on the Sono Luminus label.
In 2007 Williams was awarded a Grammy for the TNC recording of Messiaen’s L’Oiseau Exotiques with Angelin Chang and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Additional recognition came in 2009 and 2011 when he was awarded further Grammy nominations for his conducting in recordings of concerti by Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Lees with violinist Elmar Oliveira, and for Quincy Porter: Complete Viola Works. Mr. Williams is a recipient of the Geraldine C. & Emory M. Ford Award for American Conductors. Williams arranged the National Song of the Cayman Islands, which will be the country’s official version for use at the Olympics and public events.
Williams has appeared around the country and internationally with such orchestras as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Classic FM Orchestra (Bulgaria), Chicago Sinfonietta, The Cayman Arts Festival, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the Britt Festival, The Dream Unfinished and many others. He has conducted for Platypus Theatre, the celebrated Celtic band Colcannon, and the Max Roach Double Quartet. He has conducted for R&B superstars Al Jarreau, Brian McKnight, and The Winans for “Christmas Glory”, a gospel Christmas concert for the FOX and UPN television networks. His composition credits include work with Michael Kamen (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard) for the soundtrack to Mr. Dreyfuss Goes to Washington, a documentary for the History Channel.
Williams is also a violin soloist, pianist, and chamber musician. He began violin studies at age 10 in a Washington, D.C. public school. At age 14 he appeared as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, South Carolina Philharmonic, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and others. Williams served as Concertmaster of the Virginia Symphony and was a member of the Houston Symphony. As guest concertmaster, he has appeared with the Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, the Opera Company of North Carolina, and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra and was Assistant Concertmaster of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.
Icelandic violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson joined the Oberlin Conservatory faculty in 2017 after performing for the previous 17 years with the Pacifica Quartet, with which he won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance, Musical America Ensemble of the Year honors, and the Avery Fisher Career Grant.
As a member of the Pacifica Quartet, Bernhardsson appeared in more than 90 concerts worldwide each year, including engagements in Wigmore Hall (London), the Vienna Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall (New York), and other major venues. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival, Ravinia, Music@Menlo, and the Reykjavík Arts Festival, and has collaborated with Menahem Pressler, Yo-Yo Ma, Jörg Widmann, Lynn Harrell, Leon Fleisher, the Emerson String Quartet, Johannes Moser, and members of the Guarneri and Cleveland quartets. His television appearances include The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and the MTV Europe Music Awards with Icelandic artist Björk. He appears on 16 recordings with the Pacifica Quartet and has recorded the violin music of Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson and the sonatas for violin and piano by Franz Schubert.
Bernhardsson serves as director of the Cooper International Violin Competition at Oberlin and as artistic director of Iceland’s Harpa International Music Academy. He gives regular concerts and master classes in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has appeared as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland, and other ensembles.
Bernhardsson is a 1995 graduate of Oberlin Conservatory. His teachers include Guðný Guðmundsdóttir, Almita and Roland Vamos, Mathias Tacke, and Shmuel Ashkenasi. He previously served on the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
December Orchestra Series (Featuring John McLaughlin Williams and Sibbi Bernhardsson)
Concert Program
Leó Weiner Serenade for Small Orchestra, Op. 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 (feat. Sibbi Bernhardsson)
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
About the Featured Musicians
Grammy Award-winning conductor John McLaughlin Williams has been critically acclaimed for his outstanding interpretive abilities and engaging podium presence. Equally at home in the standard literature and the masterworks of American composers, it was with the release of his acclaimed recordings on the Naxos label that his conducting first attracted international attention. With the National Symphony and Radio Orchestras of Ukraine, Williams has made world-premiere recordings of orchestral works by composers both well-known and neglected for the Naxos label’s celebrated “American Classics” series. He has been critically hailed in international publications, among them Fanfare, Gramophone, Classic FM, International Record Review, American Record Guide, and the French recording journal Diapason. His recordings appear on the Naxos, TNC, Artek, Cambria, and Afka labels. His next recording is Karl Weigl: The Complete Violin Works, recorded with pianist Glen Inanga, to be released on the Sono Luminus label.
In 2007 Williams was awarded a Grammy for the TNC recording of Messiaen’s L’Oiseau Exotiques with Angelin Chang and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Additional recognition came in 2009 and 2011 when he was awarded further Grammy nominations for his conducting in recordings of concerti by Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Lees with violinist Elmar Oliveira, and for Quincy Porter: Complete Viola Works. Mr. Williams is a recipient of the Geraldine C. & Emory M. Ford Award for American Conductors. Williams arranged the National Song of the Cayman Islands, which will be the country’s official version for use at the Olympics and public events.
Williams has appeared around the country and internationally with such orchestras as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Classic FM Orchestra (Bulgaria), Chicago Sinfonietta, The Cayman Arts Festival, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the Britt Festival, The Dream Unfinished and many others. He has conducted for Platypus Theatre, the celebrated Celtic band Colcannon, and the Max Roach Double Quartet. He has conducted for R&B superstars Al Jarreau, Brian McKnight, and The Winans for “Christmas Glory”, a gospel Christmas concert for the FOX and UPN television networks. His composition credits include work with Michael Kamen (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard) for the soundtrack to Mr. Dreyfuss Goes to Washington, a documentary for the History Channel.
Williams is also a violin soloist, pianist, and chamber musician. He began violin studies at age 10 in a Washington, D.C. public school. At age 14 he appeared as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, South Carolina Philharmonic, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and others. Williams served as Concertmaster of the Virginia Symphony and was a member of the Houston Symphony. As guest concertmaster, he has appeared with the Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, the Opera Company of North Carolina, and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra and was Assistant Concertmaster of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.
Icelandic violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson joined the Oberlin Conservatory faculty in 2017 after performing for the previous 17 years with the Pacifica Quartet, with which he won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance, Musical America Ensemble of the Year honors, and the Avery Fisher Career Grant.
As a member of the Pacifica Quartet, Bernhardsson appeared in more than 90 concerts worldwide each year, including engagements in Wigmore Hall (London), the Vienna Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall (New York), and other major venues. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival, Ravinia, Music@Menlo, and the Reykjavík Arts Festival, and has collaborated with Menahem Pressler, Yo-Yo Ma, Jörg Widmann, Lynn Harrell, Leon Fleisher, the Emerson String Quartet, Johannes Moser, and members of the Guarneri and Cleveland quartets. His television appearances include The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and the MTV Europe Music Awards with Icelandic artist Björk. He appears on 16 recordings with the Pacifica Quartet and has recorded the violin music of Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson and the sonatas for violin and piano by Franz Schubert.
Bernhardsson serves as director of the Cooper International Violin Competition at Oberlin and as artistic director of Iceland’s Harpa International Music Academy. He gives regular concerts and master classes in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has appeared as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland, and other ensembles.
Bernhardsson is a 1995 graduate of Oberlin Conservatory. His teachers include Guðný Guðmundsdóttir, Almita and Roland Vamos, Mathias Tacke, and Shmuel Ashkenasi. He previously served on the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
December Orchestra Series (Featuring John McLaughlin Williams and Sibbi Bernhardsson)
Concert Program
Leó Weiner Serenade for Small Orchestra, Op. 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 (feat. Sibbi Bernhardsson)
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
About the Featured Musicians
Grammy Award-winning conductor John McLaughlin Williams has been critically acclaimed for his outstanding interpretive abilities and engaging podium presence. Equally at home in the standard literature and the masterworks of American composers, it was with the release of his acclaimed recordings on the Naxos label that his conducting first attracted international attention. With the National Symphony and Radio Orchestras of Ukraine, Williams has made world-premiere recordings of orchestral works by composers both well-known and neglected for the Naxos label’s celebrated “American Classics” series. He has been critically hailed in international publications, among them Fanfare, Gramophone, Classic FM, International Record Review, American Record Guide, and the French recording journal Diapason. His recordings appear on the Naxos, TNC, Artek, Cambria, and Afka labels. His next recording is Karl Weigl: The Complete Violin Works, recorded with pianist Glen Inanga, to be released on the Sono Luminus label.
In 2007 Williams was awarded a Grammy for the TNC recording of Messiaen’s L’Oiseau Exotiques with Angelin Chang and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Additional recognition came in 2009 and 2011 when he was awarded further Grammy nominations for his conducting in recordings of concerti by Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Lees with violinist Elmar Oliveira, and for Quincy Porter: Complete Viola Works. Mr. Williams is a recipient of the Geraldine C. & Emory M. Ford Award for American Conductors. Williams arranged the National Song of the Cayman Islands, which will be the country’s official version for use at the Olympics and public events.
Williams has appeared around the country and internationally with such orchestras as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Classic FM Orchestra (Bulgaria), Chicago Sinfonietta, The Cayman Arts Festival, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the Britt Festival, The Dream Unfinished and many others. He has conducted for Platypus Theatre, the celebrated Celtic band Colcannon, and the Max Roach Double Quartet. He has conducted for R&B superstars Al Jarreau, Brian McKnight, and The Winans for “Christmas Glory”, a gospel Christmas concert for the FOX and UPN television networks. His composition credits include work with Michael Kamen (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard) for the soundtrack to Mr. Dreyfuss Goes to Washington, a documentary for the History Channel.
Williams is also a violin soloist, pianist, and chamber musician. He began violin studies at age 10 in a Washington, D.C. public school. At age 14 he appeared as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, South Carolina Philharmonic, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and others. Williams served as Concertmaster of the Virginia Symphony and was a member of the Houston Symphony. As guest concertmaster, he has appeared with the Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, the Opera Company of North Carolina, and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra and was Assistant Concertmaster of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.
Icelandic violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson joined the Oberlin Conservatory faculty in 2017 after performing for the previous 17 years with the Pacifica Quartet, with which he won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance, Musical America Ensemble of the Year honors, and the Avery Fisher Career Grant.
As a member of the Pacifica Quartet, Bernhardsson appeared in more than 90 concerts worldwide each year, including engagements in Wigmore Hall (London), the Vienna Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall (New York), and other major venues. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival, Ravinia, Music@Menlo, and the Reykjavík Arts Festival, and has collaborated with Menahem Pressler, Yo-Yo Ma, Jörg Widmann, Lynn Harrell, Leon Fleisher, the Emerson String Quartet, Johannes Moser, and members of the Guarneri and Cleveland quartets. His television appearances include The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and the MTV Europe Music Awards with Icelandic artist Björk. He appears on 16 recordings with the Pacifica Quartet and has recorded the violin music of Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson and the sonatas for violin and piano by Franz Schubert.
Bernhardsson serves as director of the Cooper International Violin Competition at Oberlin and as artistic director of Iceland’s Harpa International Music Academy. He gives regular concerts and master classes in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has appeared as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland, and other ensembles.
Bernhardsson is a 1995 graduate of Oberlin Conservatory. His teachers include Guðný Guðmundsdóttir, Almita and Roland Vamos, Mathias Tacke, and Shmuel Ashkenasi. He previously served on the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
December Orchestra Series (Featuring John McLaughlin Williams and Sibbi Bernhardsson)
Concert Program
Leó Weiner Serenade for Small Orchestra, Op. 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 (feat. Sibbi Bernhardsson)
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
About the Featured Musicians
Grammy Award-winning conductor John McLaughlin Williams has been critically acclaimed for his outstanding interpretive abilities and engaging podium presence. Equally at home in the standard literature and the masterworks of American composers, it was with the release of his acclaimed recordings on the Naxos label that his conducting first attracted international attention. With the National Symphony and Radio Orchestras of Ukraine, Williams has made world-premiere recordings of orchestral works by composers both well-known and neglected for the Naxos label’s celebrated “American Classics” series. He has been critically hailed in international publications, among them Fanfare, Gramophone, Classic FM, International Record Review, American Record Guide, and the French recording journal Diapason. His recordings appear on the Naxos, TNC, Artek, Cambria, and Afka labels. His next recording is Karl Weigl: The Complete Violin Works, recorded with pianist Glen Inanga, to be released on the Sono Luminus label.
In 2007 Williams was awarded a Grammy for the TNC recording of Messiaen’s L’Oiseau Exotiques with Angelin Chang and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Additional recognition came in 2009 and 2011 when he was awarded further Grammy nominations for his conducting in recordings of concerti by Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Lees with violinist Elmar Oliveira, and for Quincy Porter: Complete Viola Works. Mr. Williams is a recipient of the Geraldine C. & Emory M. Ford Award for American Conductors. Williams arranged the National Song of the Cayman Islands, which will be the country’s official version for use at the Olympics and public events.
Williams has appeared around the country and internationally with such orchestras as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Classic FM Orchestra (Bulgaria), Chicago Sinfonietta, The Cayman Arts Festival, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the Britt Festival, The Dream Unfinished and many others. He has conducted for Platypus Theatre, the celebrated Celtic band Colcannon, and the Max Roach Double Quartet. He has conducted for R&B superstars Al Jarreau, Brian McKnight, and The Winans for “Christmas Glory”, a gospel Christmas concert for the FOX and UPN television networks. His composition credits include work with Michael Kamen (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard) for the soundtrack to Mr. Dreyfuss Goes to Washington, a documentary for the History Channel.
Williams is also a violin soloist, pianist, and chamber musician. He began violin studies at age 10 in a Washington, D.C. public school. At age 14 he appeared as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, South Carolina Philharmonic, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and others. Williams served as Concertmaster of the Virginia Symphony and was a member of the Houston Symphony. As guest concertmaster, he has appeared with the Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, the Opera Company of North Carolina, and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra and was Assistant Concertmaster of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.
Icelandic violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson joined the Oberlin Conservatory faculty in 2017 after performing for the previous 17 years with the Pacifica Quartet, with which he won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance, Musical America Ensemble of the Year honors, and the Avery Fisher Career Grant.
As a member of the Pacifica Quartet, Bernhardsson appeared in more than 90 concerts worldwide each year, including engagements in Wigmore Hall (London), the Vienna Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall (New York), and other major venues. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival, Ravinia, Music@Menlo, and the Reykjavík Arts Festival, and has collaborated with Menahem Pressler, Yo-Yo Ma, Jörg Widmann, Lynn Harrell, Leon Fleisher, the Emerson String Quartet, Johannes Moser, and members of the Guarneri and Cleveland quartets. His television appearances include The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and the MTV Europe Music Awards with Icelandic artist Björk. He appears on 16 recordings with the Pacifica Quartet and has recorded the violin music of Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson and the sonatas for violin and piano by Franz Schubert.
Bernhardsson serves as director of the Cooper International Violin Competition at Oberlin and as artistic director of Iceland’s Harpa International Music Academy. He gives regular concerts and master classes in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has appeared as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland, and other ensembles.
Bernhardsson is a 1995 graduate of Oberlin Conservatory. His teachers include Guðný Guðmundsdóttir, Almita and Roland Vamos, Mathias Tacke, and Shmuel Ashkenasi. He previously served on the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
October Orchestra Series (Featuring Lorenzo Lopez & Eliesha Nelson)
Concert Program
Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 6
Margaret Brouwer Viola Concerto
Johannes Brahms Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16
About the Featured Musicians
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Lorenzo Lopez is an accomplished musician and conductor known for his dynamic leadership and passionate musicianship. He has served as a lecturer for Purdue University’s Symphonic and String Orchestras and as a Conducting Fellow for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Lopez has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Cristian Macelaru, Marin Alsop, and James Ross.
Lopez is a winner of The Respighi Prize with The Chamber Orchestra of New York, marking his Carnegie Hall debut, and was a National Finalist in the American Prize in Conducting. In addition to conducting, he is a pianist and tenor vocalist. Lopez strives to inspire his students and colleagues to discover the purity of sound and to connect deeply with music and the community. He is also dedicated to encouraging Latin and other historically marginalized communities to pursue classical music as a means to promote a more unified community.
Eliesha Nelson joined the viola section of The Cleveland Orchestra at the beginning of the 2000-2001 season. She is the first former member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra to be appointed a member of The Cleveland Orchestra, having played violin in the Youth Orchestra for three seasons, from 1989 to 1992, and serving as concertmaster of the ensemble for the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. Raised in North Pole, Alaska, Eliesha Nelson joined the Young Artists Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and began attending Hathaway Brown School at age 15. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CIM and an artist diploma from the Royal Academy of Music in London. After switching to viola, Ms. Nelson studied with Robert Vernon (principal viola of The Cleveland Orchestra) while pursuing her master’s degree at CIM. Her violin teachers included David Russell, György Pauk, and Linda Cerone.
Prior to her appointment with The Cleveland Orchestra, Ms. Nelson served as acting principal viola of both the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra. She has appeared as a soloist with the Florida Philharmonic and the San Antonio Symphony and in Northern Ohio with the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra, Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, and Ohio Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Nelson’s honors include the Dr. Jerome Gross Prize in Violin (CIM) and the Marjorie Haywood Violin Recital Prize from the Royal Academy of Music. In September 2009, Ms. Nelson released a recording of the complete viola music of Quincy Porter.
Margaret Brouwer is celebrated as a leading figure in contemporary American composition, praised for her richly lyrical and emotionally resonant music. “Brouwer’s gift for melody, and her ability to weave together contemporary idioms with lines that allow the instruments to sing, make her a composer for whom chamber musicians (and listeners) should be grateful.” (EarRelevant)
Brouwer's dedication to musical innovation has garnered her numerous awards and accolades, including the Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Meet The Composer Commissioning/USA award, Guggenheim Fellowship, Ohio Council for the Arts Individual Fellowship, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Ford Foundation and John S. Knight Foundation. Reviewing Brouwer’s 2014 Naxos CD called “Shattered”, Jordan Borg from NewMusicBox wrote, "From the relentless, primal energy of 'Shattered Glass' to the naked beauty of 'Whom do you call angel now,” Brouwer’s music represents just how uniquely diverse the output and voice of a single composer can be."
The Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center established a Margaret Brouwer Collection, which houses invaluable resources for scholars and performers. Throughout her career, she has held esteemed positions, including Head of the Composition Department at the Cleveland Institute of Music and residencies at the MacDowell Colony where she has been a Norton Stevens Fellow and at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center.
Brouwer's compositions have been performed worldwide, including by the symphonies of Detroit, Dallas, Seattle, Liverpool, Rochester, Anchorage, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Birmingham UK, Halle UK, Cabrillo, Canton, Columbus, American Composers Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Kennedy Center, the Corcoran Gallery, Philips Gallery, as well as venues throughout Asia and Europe.
Recordings of Brouwer’s music can be found on the Naxos, New World, CRI, Crystal, Centaur, and Opus One labels. In 2024, Marin Alsop and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra recorded an album featuring five of Brouwer’s orchestral works for release by Naxos.
October Orchestra Series (Featuring Lorenzo Lopez & Eliesha Nelson)
Concert Program
Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 6
Margaret Brouwer Viola Concerto
Johannes Brahms Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16
About the Featured Musicians
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Lorenzo Lopez is an accomplished musician and conductor known for his dynamic leadership and passionate musicianship. He has served as a lecturer for Purdue University’s Symphonic and String Orchestras and as a Conducting Fellow for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Lopez has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Cristian Macelaru, Marin Alsop, and James Ross.
Lopez is a winner of The Respighi Prize with The Chamber Orchestra of New York, marking his Carnegie Hall debut, and was a National Finalist in the American Prize in Conducting. In addition to conducting, he is a pianist and tenor vocalist. Lopez strives to inspire his students and colleagues to discover the purity of sound and to connect deeply with music and the community. He is also dedicated to encouraging Latin and other historically marginalized communities to pursue classical music as a means to promote a more unified community.
Eliesha Nelson joined the viola section of The Cleveland Orchestra at the beginning of the 2000-2001 season. She is the first former member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra to be appointed a member of The Cleveland Orchestra, having played violin in the Youth Orchestra for three seasons, from 1989 to 1992, and serving as concertmaster of the ensemble for the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. Raised in North Pole, Alaska, Eliesha Nelson joined the Young Artists Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and began attending Hathaway Brown School at age 15. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CIM and an artist diploma from the Royal Academy of Music in London. After switching to viola, Ms. Nelson studied with Robert Vernon (principal viola of The Cleveland Orchestra) while pursuing her master’s degree at CIM. Her violin teachers included David Russell, György Pauk, and Linda Cerone.
Prior to her appointment with The Cleveland Orchestra, Ms. Nelson served as acting principal viola of both the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra. She has appeared as a soloist with the Florida Philharmonic and the San Antonio Symphony and in Northern Ohio with the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra, Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, and Ohio Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Nelson’s honors include the Dr. Jerome Gross Prize in Violin (CIM) and the Marjorie Haywood Violin Recital Prize from the Royal Academy of Music. In September 2009, Ms. Nelson released a recording of the complete viola music of Quincy Porter.
Margaret Brouwer is celebrated as a leading figure in contemporary American composition, praised for her richly lyrical and emotionally resonant music. “Brouwer’s gift for melody, and her ability to weave together contemporary idioms with lines that allow the instruments to sing, make her a composer for whom chamber musicians (and listeners) should be grateful.” (EarRelevant)
Brouwer's dedication to musical innovation has garnered her numerous awards and accolades, including the Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Meet The Composer Commissioning/USA award, Guggenheim Fellowship, Ohio Council for the Arts Individual Fellowship, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Ford Foundation and John S. Knight Foundation. Reviewing Brouwer’s 2014 Naxos CD called “Shattered”, Jordan Borg from NewMusicBox wrote, "From the relentless, primal energy of 'Shattered Glass' to the naked beauty of 'Whom do you call angel now,” Brouwer’s music represents just how uniquely diverse the output and voice of a single composer can be."
The Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center established a Margaret Brouwer Collection, which houses invaluable resources for scholars and performers. Throughout her career, she has held esteemed positions, including Head of the Composition Department at the Cleveland Institute of Music and residencies at the MacDowell Colony where she has been a Norton Stevens Fellow and at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center.
Brouwer's compositions have been performed worldwide, including by the symphonies of Detroit, Dallas, Seattle, Liverpool, Rochester, Anchorage, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Birmingham UK, Halle UK, Cabrillo, Canton, Columbus, American Composers Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Kennedy Center, the Corcoran Gallery, Philips Gallery, as well as venues throughout Asia and Europe.
Recordings of Brouwer’s music can be found on the Naxos, New World, CRI, Crystal, Centaur, and Opus One labels. In 2024, Marin Alsop and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra recorded an album featuring five of Brouwer’s orchestral works for release by Naxos.
October Orchestra Series (Featuring Lorenzo Lopez & Eliesha Nelson)
Concert Program
Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 6
Margaret Brouwer Viola Concerto
Johannes Brahms Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16
About the Featured Musicians
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Lorenzo Lopez is an accomplished musician and conductor known for his dynamic leadership and passionate musicianship. He has served as a lecturer for Purdue University’s Symphonic and String Orchestras and as a Conducting Fellow for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Lopez has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Cristian Macelaru, Marin Alsop, and James Ross.
Lopez is a winner of The Respighi Prize with The Chamber Orchestra of New York, marking his Carnegie Hall debut, and was a National Finalist in the American Prize in Conducting. In addition to conducting, he is a pianist and tenor vocalist. Lopez strives to inspire his students and colleagues to discover the purity of sound and to connect deeply with music and the community. He is also dedicated to encouraging Latin and other historically marginalized communities to pursue classical music as a means to promote a more unified community.
Eliesha Nelson joined the viola section of The Cleveland Orchestra at the beginning of the 2000-2001 season. She is the first former member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra to be appointed a member of The Cleveland Orchestra, having played violin in the Youth Orchestra for three seasons, from 1989 to 1992, and serving as concertmaster of the ensemble for the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. Raised in North Pole, Alaska, Eliesha Nelson joined the Young Artists Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and began attending Hathaway Brown School at age 15. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CIM and an artist diploma from the Royal Academy of Music in London. After switching to viola, Ms. Nelson studied with Robert Vernon (principal viola of The Cleveland Orchestra) while pursuing her master’s degree at CIM. Her violin teachers included David Russell, György Pauk, and Linda Cerone.
Prior to her appointment with The Cleveland Orchestra, Ms. Nelson served as acting principal viola of both the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra. She has appeared as a soloist with the Florida Philharmonic and the San Antonio Symphony and in Northern Ohio with the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra, Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, and Ohio Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Nelson’s honors include the Dr. Jerome Gross Prize in Violin (CIM) and the Marjorie Haywood Violin Recital Prize from the Royal Academy of Music. In September 2009, Ms. Nelson released a recording of the complete viola music of Quincy Porter.
Margaret Brouwer is celebrated as a leading figure in contemporary American composition, praised for her richly lyrical and emotionally resonant music. “Brouwer’s gift for melody, and her ability to weave together contemporary idioms with lines that allow the instruments to sing, make her a composer for whom chamber musicians (and listeners) should be grateful.” (EarRelevant)
Brouwer's dedication to musical innovation has garnered her numerous awards and accolades, including the Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Meet The Composer Commissioning/USA award, Guggenheim Fellowship, Ohio Council for the Arts Individual Fellowship, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Ford Foundation and John S. Knight Foundation. Reviewing Brouwer’s 2014 Naxos CD called “Shattered”, Jordan Borg from NewMusicBox wrote, "From the relentless, primal energy of 'Shattered Glass' to the naked beauty of 'Whom do you call angel now,” Brouwer’s music represents just how uniquely diverse the output and voice of a single composer can be."
The Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center established a Margaret Brouwer Collection, which houses invaluable resources for scholars and performers. Throughout her career, she has held esteemed positions, including Head of the Composition Department at the Cleveland Institute of Music and residencies at the MacDowell Colony where she has been a Norton Stevens Fellow and at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center.
Brouwer's compositions have been performed worldwide, including by the symphonies of Detroit, Dallas, Seattle, Liverpool, Rochester, Anchorage, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Birmingham UK, Halle UK, Cabrillo, Canton, Columbus, American Composers Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Kennedy Center, the Corcoran Gallery, Philips Gallery, as well as venues throughout Asia and Europe.
Recordings of Brouwer’s music can be found on the Naxos, New World, CRI, Crystal, Centaur, and Opus One labels. In 2024, Marin Alsop and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra recorded an album featuring five of Brouwer’s orchestral works for release by Naxos.
October Orchestra Series (Featuring Lorenzo Lopez & Eliesha Nelson)
Concert Program
Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 6
Margaret Brouwer Viola Concerto
Johannes Brahms Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16
About the Featured Musicians
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Lorenzo Lopez is an accomplished musician and conductor known for his dynamic leadership and passionate musicianship. He has served as a lecturer for Purdue University’s Symphonic and String Orchestras and as a Conducting Fellow for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Lopez has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Cristian Macelaru, Marin Alsop, and James Ross.
Lopez is a winner of The Respighi Prize with The Chamber Orchestra of New York, marking his Carnegie Hall debut, and was a National Finalist in the American Prize in Conducting. In addition to conducting, he is a pianist and tenor vocalist. Lopez strives to inspire his students and colleagues to discover the purity of sound and to connect deeply with music and the community. He is also dedicated to encouraging Latin and other historically marginalized communities to pursue classical music as a means to promote a more unified community.
Eliesha Nelson joined the viola section of The Cleveland Orchestra at the beginning of the 2000-2001 season. She is the first former member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra to be appointed a member of The Cleveland Orchestra, having played violin in the Youth Orchestra for three seasons, from 1989 to 1992, and serving as concertmaster of the ensemble for the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. Raised in North Pole, Alaska, Eliesha Nelson joined the Young Artists Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and began attending Hathaway Brown School at age 15. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CIM and an artist diploma from the Royal Academy of Music in London. After switching to viola, Ms. Nelson studied with Robert Vernon (principal viola of The Cleveland Orchestra) while pursuing her master’s degree at CIM. Her violin teachers included David Russell, György Pauk, and Linda Cerone.
Prior to her appointment with The Cleveland Orchestra, Ms. Nelson served as acting principal viola of both the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra. She has appeared as a soloist with the Florida Philharmonic and the San Antonio Symphony and in Northern Ohio with the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra, Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, and Ohio Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Nelson’s honors include the Dr. Jerome Gross Prize in Violin (CIM) and the Marjorie Haywood Violin Recital Prize from the Royal Academy of Music. In September 2009, Ms. Nelson released a recording of the complete viola music of Quincy Porter.
Margaret Brouwer is celebrated as a leading figure in contemporary American composition, praised for her richly lyrical and emotionally resonant music. “Brouwer’s gift for melody, and her ability to weave together contemporary idioms with lines that allow the instruments to sing, make her a composer for whom chamber musicians (and listeners) should be grateful.” (EarRelevant)
Brouwer's dedication to musical innovation has garnered her numerous awards and accolades, including the Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Meet The Composer Commissioning/USA award, Guggenheim Fellowship, Ohio Council for the Arts Individual Fellowship, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Ford Foundation and John S. Knight Foundation. Reviewing Brouwer’s 2014 Naxos CD called “Shattered”, Jordan Borg from NewMusicBox wrote, "From the relentless, primal energy of 'Shattered Glass' to the naked beauty of 'Whom do you call angel now,” Brouwer’s music represents just how uniquely diverse the output and voice of a single composer can be."
The Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center established a Margaret Brouwer Collection, which houses invaluable resources for scholars and performers. Throughout her career, she has held esteemed positions, including Head of the Composition Department at the Cleveland Institute of Music and residencies at the MacDowell Colony where she has been a Norton Stevens Fellow and at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center.
Brouwer's compositions have been performed worldwide, including by the symphonies of Detroit, Dallas, Seattle, Liverpool, Rochester, Anchorage, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Birmingham UK, Halle UK, Cabrillo, Canton, Columbus, American Composers Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Kennedy Center, the Corcoran Gallery, Philips Gallery, as well as venues throughout Asia and Europe.
Recordings of Brouwer’s music can be found on the Naxos, New World, CRI, Crystal, Centaur, and Opus One labels. In 2024, Marin Alsop and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra recorded an album featuring five of Brouwer’s orchestral works for release by Naxos.