Walla Walla Symphony
Encyclopedia
The Walla Walla Symphony is an orchestra
based in Walla Walla
, Washington, USA. Founded in 1907, the Walla Walla Symphony is the "oldest continuously operating symphony west of the Mississippi". The current Music Director and Conductor is Yaacov Bergman
, who has held the position since 1987. The Walla Walla Symphony performs most of its concerts at Cordiner Hall located on Whitman College
Campus and provides a Symphonic, Chamber and Discovery Series, along with special concerts throughout the year.
, Peter Soave, Michael Lewin, Tai Murray, Richard Markson, Mayumi Fujikawa, Gerald Robbins, Lucille Beer, Marie Birve, Sharin Apostolou, Karen Zizzi, Brendan Tuohy, Christopher Clayton, Matthew James, Hamilton Cheifetz, Kraig Scott, Charles Robert Stephens, Ross Hauck, Angela Niederloh, Janice Johnson, David Krakauer, Adam Lau, Matt Dolphin, Sarah Parnicky, Dick Hyman, Julia Gish Salerno, Debra Richter, Jay Zhong, Jon Klein, Dean Kravig, Victor Benedetti, Juliana Rambaldi, Jeffrey Springer, Dana Peterson, Alexander Bernstein, Evangelia Kingsley, Jodie Langel, Ron Spivak, Camille Peterson, Jenny Hayden, Waldemar Malicki, Anthony Taylor, Thomas Hampson, Eugene Ballet
.
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
based in Walla Walla
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
, Washington, USA. Founded in 1907, the Walla Walla Symphony is the "oldest continuously operating symphony west of the Mississippi". The current Music Director and Conductor is Yaacov Bergman
Yaacov Bergman
Yaacov Bergman is an Israeli born conductor. He is currently the Musical Director and Conductor of the Walla Walla Symphony, the Portland Chamber Orchestra, the Siletz Bay Music Festival in Lincoln City, Oregon and previously the Musical Director of the Colorado Springs Symphony, the New York...
, who has held the position since 1987. The Walla Walla Symphony performs most of its concerts at Cordiner Hall located on Whitman College
Whitman College
Whitman College is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian, residential undergraduate liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington. Initially founded as a seminary by a territorial legislative charter in 1859, the school became a four year degree granting institution in 1883...
Campus and provides a Symphonic, Chamber and Discovery Series, along with special concerts throughout the year.
Concert series
- Symphonic Series concerts are performed at Cordiner Hall, Whitman College Campus and provide music to over 1,000 patrons each concert.
- Chamber Series feature musicians from the Walla Walla Symphony who perform in a smaller, more intimate setting. The concerts include complementary wine and hors d'oeuvres.
- Discovery Series are concerts featuring non-traditional symphonic music guest artists, or concerts in a unique setting. One example, Mares 'n' Music, is held at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds and local horse groups perform drills and patterns to live symphonic music in the arena.
- Special Concerts provide the area's youth the opportunity to listen to live, age-appropriate symphonic music. The Walla Walla Symphony performs a Family "Foodraiser" concert followed by two free Kids' Concerts the next morning for 2,600 fourth and fifth graders. The Family Concert attire is come as you are, and the admission is a can of food as donation to the local food banks.
Youth programs
The Walla Walla Symphony sponsors and supports free youth programs that allow children of all ages and backgrounds to participate in music.- Encore! Musical Instrument Lending Program is a nationally recognized program that allows interested students to borrow musical instruments from the lending library for free. The instruments are returned to the symphony office once a year to make repairs if necessary.
- Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra is a tuition-free youth orchestra directed by Benjamin Gish. The audition-based ensemble varies in age from 12-18 and students travel over 2 hours to play with the ensemble. Founded in August 2008 with the help of Sherwood Trust, the orchestra performs concerts twice a year.
- Rock & Roll Camp is a week-long, free camp designed for teenagers to participate and learn the genres of music that they are interested in. The teens take workshop classes all week, form ensembles and perform a final free concert to the public at the end of the week. Classes include: bass guitar, guitar, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, percussion, advanced percussion, brass, keyboard, vocal, video and 'zine, bass and guitar sound dynamics, beginning and advanced guitar theory, studio work, T-shirt production, rock and blues harmonica, blogs & Twitter, songwriting and Afro-Cuban drumming.
- Taking it to the Kids Program is a comprehensive youth music education project. The program involves two free Kids' Concerts for 2,600 fourth and fifth graders, a free "foodraiser" concert the night before the Kids' Concerts, school visits by Walla Walla Symphony musicians and youth scholarships to talented young players who are eligible to play with the orchestra.
Musical Directors and Conductors
- 1907-1922 Edgar Fischer
- 1922-1923 Gottfried Herbst
- 1923-1924 Karel Havlicek
- 1924-1934 Alice Reynolds Fischer
- 1934-1936 Victor Johnson
- 1936-1940 Walter Wren
- 1940-1941, 1942-45 Frank Beezhold
- 1941-1942 Nelson O. Schreiber
- 1945-1969 William H. Bailey
- 1969-1976 Jose Rambaldi
- 1977-1986 R. Lee Friese
- 1986-1987 Cindy Egolf Sham-Rao
- 1987–Present Yaacov Bergman
Recent guest artists
Stephen BeusStephen Beus
Stephen Beus is an American pianist.-Biography:Stephen Beus began taking piano lessons at age 5, and made his symphonic debut at age 9. He won the MTNA National Competition at the high school level at age 17, and later won the same competition again at age 21 at the collegiate level...
, Peter Soave, Michael Lewin, Tai Murray, Richard Markson, Mayumi Fujikawa, Gerald Robbins, Lucille Beer, Marie Birve, Sharin Apostolou, Karen Zizzi, Brendan Tuohy, Christopher Clayton, Matthew James, Hamilton Cheifetz, Kraig Scott, Charles Robert Stephens, Ross Hauck, Angela Niederloh, Janice Johnson, David Krakauer, Adam Lau, Matt Dolphin, Sarah Parnicky, Dick Hyman, Julia Gish Salerno, Debra Richter, Jay Zhong, Jon Klein, Dean Kravig, Victor Benedetti, Juliana Rambaldi, Jeffrey Springer, Dana Peterson, Alexander Bernstein, Evangelia Kingsley, Jodie Langel, Ron Spivak, Camille Peterson, Jenny Hayden, Waldemar Malicki, Anthony Taylor, Thomas Hampson, Eugene Ballet
Eugene Ballet
The Eugene Ballet Company is a ballet company based in Eugene, Oregon. It is a resident company of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts....
.
World premiere compositions
- Hamchilla Holiday by Parker Davis
- Lyric Symphony and The Legend of Chief Joseph by John VerrallJohn VerrallJohn Weedon Verrall was an American composer of contemporary classical music.-Life:Prior to his University studies, Verrall studied composition with Donald Ferguson, followed by studies with R. O. Morris in London and Zoltán Kodály in Budapest. He obtained a B.M. degree from the Minneapolis School...
- Escapade, The Manhattan Jazz Suite, and Jazz Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra by Marvin Schluger
- Premiere Ouverture, Op. 23 (Modern World Premiere) by Louise FarrencLouise FarrencLouise Farrenc was a French composer, virtuosa pianist and teacher. Born Jeanne-Louise Dumont in Paris, she was the daughter of Jacques-Edme Dumont, a successful sculptor, and sister to Auguste Dumont.-Biography:...
- Symphony No. 2 by John David Earnest
- Chasing the Light by William Berry
- Christmas Fantasy for Jazz Quintet and Orchestra, Artist Portraits, A Valley Of Streams, Quintet & Orchestra by David Glenn
- Chant and Improvisation, Variations on a Gregorian Chant for Jazz Trio and Orchestra by Tom Simon
- Piano Concerto by Tania Cronin
- Great River Percussion Concerto by Forrest Pierce
- An American Concerto by Gwyneth WalkerGwyneth Walker-Personal:Walker grew up in New Canaan, Connecticut and is a graduate of Pembroke College in Brown University and the Hartt School of Music and holds B.A., M.M., and D.M.A. degrees in music composition...
- Symphony No. 47, "Walla Walla, Land of Many Waters" by Alan HovhanessAlan HovhanessAlan Hovhaness was an Armenian-American composer.His music is accessible to the lay listener and often evokes a mood of mystery or contemplation...
- Svanen (Modern World Premiere) by Elfrida AndreeElfrida AndréeElfrida Andrée , was a Swedish organist, composer, and conductor.Andrée was born in Visby. She was the pupil of Ludvig Norman and Niels Wilhelm Gade. Her sister was the singer Fredrika Stenhammar. An activist in the Swedish women's movement, she was one of the first female organists to be...
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