Irvine Barclay Theatre

BACH: Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 846
Miles DAVIS: Deception
BACH: Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847
John Birks “Dizzy” GILLESPIE: Bebop
Aaron Diehl: Detour to Zanesville
BACH: Prelude and Fugue in G major, BWV 860

-Intermission-

Aaron DIEHL: The Vagabond
BACH: Prelude and Fugue in G minor, BWV 861
BACH: Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 850
Armando “Chick” COREA: Tones for Joan’s Bones
BACH: Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BWV 851
Earl “Bud” POWELL: Tempus Fugue-It

Program Notes: Mirrors: From Bach to Bebop

At first glance, Bach and bebop seem like strange bedfellows. What could a German composer born over three centuries ago possibly have in common with a style of jazz that sprung up in the U.S. during the 1940s? Quite a lot, actually. Johann Sebastian Bach and his music have long inspired those in the jazz community. Early practitioners such as Fats Waller and James P. Johnson honed their pianism through Bach’s keyboard works. Hazel Scott was celebrated for her swung rendition of the Two-Part Invention in A minor. John Lewis “jazzed-up” Bach for the Modern Jazz Quartet’s 1974 album Blues on Bach. Bill Evans’s “Valse” is based on the “Siciliano” from a Bach flute sonata. The list goes on and on. When asked in 2007 if he saw an influence of Bach in his own music, Dave Brubeck gleefully responded, “He’s lurking in the background, in a nice way!”

But Bach’s influence on jazz musicians goes well beyond swinging “straight” rhythms or adding drums and string bass. Brubeck goes on: “The figured bass that Bach used . . . and the chord progressions that a jazz musician uses are [similar] in that you improvise on these progressions.” Improvisation—or the act of creating music in the moment, without prior preparation—is the backbone of jazz and a fundamental skill within the art form. It can take years to learn how to improvise well, and the most heralded jazzers are the ones who can take a melody, harmony, or rhythm and turn it into a jaw-dropping display of spontaneous, off-the-cuff musicianship. Though today, improvisation is most often found in jazz and other “popular” genres, it was once a staple of the Western art music tradition. Composer-performers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Liszt dazzled audiences with complex elaborations on pre-existing tunes or by creating entirely new compositions on the spot. Bach, too, was renowned for his virtuosic improvisations as a church organist. In fact, he was once scolded by the Arnstadt church council for adding “many curious variations in the chorale and [mingling] many strange tones in it,” which confused and enraptured the congregation. Conductor John Eliot Gardiner recounts that Bach later showed his displeasure one Sunday by going to the pub during the sermon and then adding improvisatory, “cadenza-like flourishes” to the hymn upon his return.

Bach’s antics aside, this begs the question: how does a musician develop the skills necessary to improvise? Hours of practice (and trial-and-error) are a must, of course, but what exactly does one practice? Good improvisation stems from a solid knowledge of musical fundamentals. Scales, scale patterns, harmonies, chords, chord progressions, rhythms, and stylistic conventions are but a few elements that performers must master to improvise successfully. This is where—for keyboardists, at least—works like Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier come in. Published in two books (the first in 1722 and the second in 1742), each contains a set of preludes and fugues in all twenty-four major and minor keys. Though now a cornerstone of the recital repertoire, its original purpose was to show off the twelve-note, “well-tempered” tuning system that was not yet common in Bach’s day. More importantly for our purposes, it was also meant to be a teaching tool for young keyboardists. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that many jazz pianists cite the “WTC” as a work they encountered early on in their musical training.

Despite its pedagogical intentions, the preludes and fugues found in the Well-Tempered Clavier still make excellent showpieces for performance. The famous C-major Prelude (BWV 846) provides a radiant opening to Book I, with its broken chords that gracefully cascade upwards. A simple scale kicks off the adjoining fugue, making several harmonic detours before a sunny return to C major. Throughout the work, Bach showcases two different writing styles. The preludes are composed in a freer, almost stream-of-consciousness manner. (One could use “improvisatory” as an appropriate adjective here, even though the music is fully written out.) The fugues, in contrast, are more formal; an opening subject (or theme) is heard in a single voice before being passed to other voices, creating an increasingly-complex web of counterpoint in the process.

These characteristics aren’t always set in stone, though. The Prelude in C minor (BWV 847), for instance, opens with a strict, motoric figure that winds its way through various key centers; only near the end does it break free from its confines. The fugue also stays rooted around a few notes at first before broadening in its expressiveness. A sudden reminder of the Well-Tempered Clavier’s teaching potential jumpstarts the Prelude in D major (BWV 850), displaying a difficult flurry of sixteenth notes in the right hand. Following this is a fugue whose theme is marked by two strong gestures: a flamboyant run and a stately dotted ending rhythm.

Contrasting musical gestures are also apparent in the D-minor Prelude (BWV 851). A wily right-hand part is set against a simple, often one-note bassline before a corresponding fugue takes the “tip-toeing” quality of the left hand and spins it into a noble showcase of Baroque counterpoint. Norwegian harpsichordist Ketil Haugsand teasingly referred to the Prelude in G major (BWV 860) as “a fresh salad; nothing too heavy.” But it’s still a great challenge for keyboardists, as is the fugue that comes after, which, though upbeat in character, contains a lengthy opening subject and large intervallic leaps. The tone is more melancholic in the G-minor Prelude (BWV 861). The winding piece highlights graceful trills high above in the right hand that are occasionally passed down to the wandering bass below. After a peaceful conclusion in G major, the similarly-somber fugue introduces an enigmatic subject that jumps down before stepping back up to the tonic pitch (G). With such remarkable musical and technical potential contained in the Well-Tempered Clavier’s preludes and fugues, it’s little wonder that two of these fugues from Book I (the C-minor and D-major) appeared in swung vocal arrangements on Jazz Sébastien Bach, the Swingle Singers’ 1964 debut album.

Several musical characteristics of the Well-Tempered Clavier are mirrored in bebop. Bebop (or “modern jazz” as it was called in its early days) appeared in the 1940s as a response to the swing-band style that took America by storm throughout the 20s and 30s. Once the nation entered World War II, the style’s popularity waned as many big band musicians were drafted into the army, and curfews were imposed on dance halls to curb large gatherings after dark. Several Black musicians of the younger generation—Charlie Parker, “Dizzy” Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk among them—leaped at this opportunity to try something new. Some had viewed the swing craze with disdain, seeing it as the white appropriation and capitalization of a predominantly African American art form. Early experiments in this new “bebop” style sought to reclaim jazz for the Black community. In sharp contrast to the large big bands of ten-plus players, bebop musicians aimed for a smaller, more intimate sound; a quintet made up of alto saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums quickly became a standard ensemble. The music itself was often more complex than swing. Swift tempos, intricate melodies, expanded harmonies, and complicated rhythms ensured that this was jazz of a different type, one that was more challenging for audiences’ ears—harder to follow and all but impossible to dance to—but more gratifying for performers. Bebop also highlighted longer, more elaborate improvisations than its predecessor, giving musicians ample opportunities to show off their “chops,” jazz vocalists included. (The name “bebop” supposedly derives from scat singing, a wordless, vocal improvisation style made famous by artists such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.)

Union restrictions on recording throughout the 1940s meant that bebop was slow to reach a wider listening public, finding its initial sound and audience primarily in clubs and other small venues throughout New York City. Despite this, several groups were still captured on record and provide an early aural document of this new style. One of these was a quintet comprising saxophonist Charlie Parker, drummer Max Roach, and trumpeter “Dizzy” Gillespie, who was replaced by Miles Davis in 1945. Davis was initially a champion of the bebop style, but he later distanced himself from Parker’s approach and sought a different sound. His 1949–50 Capitol Records sessions with the Miles Davis Nonet—a standard bebop quintet plus baritone saxophone, horn, trombone, and tuba—were released on the 1957 album Birth of the Cool, heralded by many as one of the most important recordings in jazz history. “Deception,” a key track from the record, embodies several characteristics of bebop (complex melodies, fluid harmonies, etc.) while also displaying a mellower sound that would later gain popularity with the “cool jazz” movement of the 50s and 60s. In contrast to this are the wild, in-your-face stylings of “Dizzy” Gillespie. Like Parker, Roach, and Davis, Gillespie is considered one of the “fathers” of bebop and became celebrated for his stunning playing technique and unique trumpet (with its upwards-bent bell). His tune “Bebop” is pure energy and plays off the improvisations of the other players in a thrilling fashion that’s true to the trumpeter’s nick-namesake.

As time went on, other jazz musicians took the essential features of bebop and made them their own. Pianist “Chick” Corea did so to striking effect in his 1968 debut album, Tones for Joan’s Bones. The title track, named after his then-wife, demonstrates this by mixing a softer, cool jazz sound with a “hard bop” character (a later outgrowth of bebop that incorporates elements from a wider array of styles such as R&B and gospel). A similar, all-inclusive approach might be said of Aaron Diehl’s music, who has performed Gershwin with major orchestras and toured with both Philip Glass and Wynton Marsalis. In an interview with DownBeat magazine, the pianist-composer remarked, “I try not to think of my music in terms of style. . . . Through the influence of many different pianists, I’m starting to think less about compartmentalizing and more about using the knowledge I’ve acquired up to this point—to be expressive of that and be able to have a conversation with my band members not about style but about what we’re all doing together.” His new work “Detour to Zanesville”—inspired by a pit stop Diehl and bassist David Wong made in the Ohio town after a summer performance with the Cleveland Orchestra—reflects this in its panoply of musical influences, as does “The Vagabond” (a track from his acclaimed 2020 album of the same name), which opens with a pensive Bachian meditation before expanding into a smooth dialogue with drums and bass.

This brings us back—or “Bach,” if you will—full circle to one of the earliest proponents of the bebop movement: “Bud” Powell. Powell learned piano from an early age and retained a deep love for the classical repertoire even as he gravitated toward the jazz realm. His 1957 track “Bud on Bach” captures a straightforward rendition of C.P.E. Bach’s Solfeggietto in C minor before launching into a jazzy riff on the same work. Similarly, “Tempus Fugue-It” uses Bach as a jumping-off point. Though not a formal fugue, the dizzying overlap of voices and witty title—a play on the Latin phrase Tempus fugit (“time flies”)—would surely be more than enough to make the stoic Johann Sebastian crack a smile. —© Dr. Kevin McBrien

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Philharmonic Society of Orange County Donor Listing

The Philharmonic Society of Orange County gratefully acknowledges the following donors for their generous support of the Fund for Music during the past twelve months. These contributions make up the difference between the income generated from ticket sales and the actual cost of bringing the world’s finest orchestras, soloists and chamber ensembles to Orange County and inspiring 160,000 K-12 students each year with quality music programs. Gifts range from $60 to more than $100,000, and each member of the Philharmonic Society plays a valuable role in furthering the mission of this organization.

Youth Music Education Program Sponsors

The Crean Foundation
Chapman University
The Davisson Family Fund for Youth Music Education
The William Gillespie Foundation
Hearst Foundation
Thomas J. Madracki Memorial Endowment
Orange County Community Foundation
Pacific Life Foundation
U.S. Bank
Wells Fargo
Anonymous

Season Sponsors
Donna L. Kendall and the Donna L. Kendall Foundation
Judith and Howard Jelinek/Jelinek Family Trust
Anonymous

Series Sponsors
Donna L. Kendall Foundation
Dr. and Mrs. Howard Jelinek/Jelinek Family Trust, Eclectic Orange Series
Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation

Philharmonic Circle ($100,000+)
The Committees of the Philharmonic Society
The William Gillespie Foundation
Donna L. Kendall and the Donna L. Kendall Foundation
Dr. Howard Jelinek/Jelinek Family Trust
Philharmonic Foundation
Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation
The Segerstrom Foundation
Mr. James J. Brophy
Barbara Roberts

Maestro Circle ($50,000+)
Colburn Foundation
Sam B. and Lyndie Ersan
Hearst Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Kohl
Mr. and Mrs. William F. Podlich
Gail and Robert Sebring
Dr. Bob and Mao Shillman
Ms. Dea Stanuszek

Chairman's Circle ($25,000+)
Bluebird Legacy, Inc.
The Crean Foundation
Moti and Idit Ferder, Lugano Diamonds
Mr. John D. Flemming and Mr. Mark Powell
Valerie and Hans Imhof
The Isidore and Penny Myers Foundation
Carolyn and Bill Klein
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Smith
Steven M. Sorenson MD and the IBEX Foundation
Anonymous

President's Circle ($10,000+)
Sabra and Peter Bordas
Mr. Gary Capata
City of Laguna Beach
Richard Cullen and Robert Finnerty
Marjorie and Roger Davisson
The Dirk Family
Karen and Don Evarts
Hung Fan and Michael Feldman
Mrs. Joanne C. Fernbach
Margaret M. Gates- in memory of family
Ms. Joan Halvajian
Maralou and Jerry M. Harrington
Carole Innes-Owens
Helen and Fritz Lin
National Endowment for the Arts
Elaine and Carl Neuss
Pacific Life Foundation
Lauren and Richard Packard
Mr. Patrick Paddon
Richard and Deborah Polonsky
U.S. Bank
Mr. Stephen Amendt
Gayle Widyolar

Platinum Baton ($6,000+)
Dr. Richard D. and France Campbell
Suzanne and David Chonette
Frome Family Foundation
Gary and Betsy Jenkins
Mrs. Michael McNalley
Cheryl Hill Oakes
Diane and Michael Stephens

Golden Baton ($3,000+)
Mr. and Mrs. James Alexiou
Diane and John Chimo Arnold
John W. Benecke and Lee Marino
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Burra
Mr. Warren G. Coy
Marjorie Davis
Deborah and Cody Engle
Gluck Bradley Foundation
Carl and Kathy Greenwood
Dr. Daniel E. Haspert and Mr. Gerard Curtin
Sigrid Hecht
Milli Hill
Ms. Elizabeth Jones
Vicki and Richard Lee
Richard and Dot Nelson
David and Frances Nitta Barnes
Angela and David Pak
Christopher Quilter
Marcia Kay and Ron Radelet
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Reynolds
Mr. and Mrs. Philip E. Ridout
Ms. Harriet Roop
Deborah and Robert Schlesinger
Mr. and Mrs. David Seigle
Dr. Emmanuel Sharef
Dr. and Mrs. Henry Sobel
Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence S. Spitz
Richard and Elizabeth Steele Endowment Fund
Dr. and Mrs. David Stephenson
Ms. Barbara Tanner
Dr. and Mrs. Fritz C. Westerhout

Silver Baton ($1,200+)
Dr. and Mrs. Daniel L. Abbott
Robert and Barbara Boies
Ms. Michelle Brenner
Dr. and Mrs. David Casey
Dr. and Mrs. Shigeru Chino
Mr. and Mrs. Stewart A. Clark
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clemmer
Crevier Family Foundation
Susan and Kevin Daly
Mrs. John Felder
Dr. and Mrs. Sidney A. Field
Mr. and Mrs. Donald French
Petrina Friede
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Fuerbringer
David Gartley
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Gold
Dr. Anna Gonosova
Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Gordon
Ms. Barbara Hamkalo
The Bryant Henry Family
Barbara and Don Howland
Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Ivey
LaDonna Kienitz
Dr. and Mrs. Tae S. Kim
Cathy and David Krinsky
Mr. and Mrs. William F. Kroener III
Hank and Bonnie Landsberg
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Malcolm
Mrs. Linda Lipman Mandelbaum
Peggy and Alex Maradudin
Vahe and Armine Meghrouni
Daniel and Kristy Melita
Pat Morgan
Mr. Carl Neisser
Marlene and Chris Nielsen
Tommy and Julie Phillips
Ellen Pickler Harris and Ron Harris
PIMCO Foundation
Michael and Meili Pinto
Lucinda Prewitt
Sandra Price
Susan Qaqundah
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Rados
Michael Ray
Eva and Fred Schneider
Dr. Ellis Schwied
Vina Spiehler
Walter and Masami Stahr
Edith Tonkon
Edward and Anna Yeung

Concerto ($600+)
Janet Lee Aengst
Anaheim Methodist Church
Beard Family Foundation
Richard Bigelow
Sandi Campbell-McClain and Fran McClain
Helen Dell-Imagine
Robert and Susan Ehrlich
Walter C. Fidler
Dr. Alan L. Goldin
Dr. and Mrs. Mark W. Gow
Marlene Hewitt
Ms. Sumie Jossi
Dr. Nancy L. Kidder
Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Kriz
Mr. Greg Kwan
Dr. and Mrs. Gary C. Lawrence
Ms. Barbara Macgillivray
Katsuhiko and Meiko Maeshige
Dr. Lani and Mr. David Martin
Goran Matijasevic
Kelly and Susan McClellan
Karen McCulley
Elizabeth Morse
Mrs. Gordon Niedringhaus
Leslie and Gus Ordonez
Linda Owen
Mr. Craig Poindexter
David and Helen Porter
Deborah and Tom Rapport
Karyn Rashoff
Les Redpath
Chris Reed and Pat O'Brien
Christa Schar
James and Karen Schultz
Carol Schwab
Ms. Barbara Sentell
Igal and Diane Silber
Dr. Agnes Szekeres
Dr. and Mrs. Harvey S. Triebwasser
Janice Wallace
Ms. Sally Westrom
Dag Wilkinson and Caroline Beeson
Kathryn and David Wopschall
Ivy Yan

Sonata ($300+)
Dr. and Mrs. Ralph H. Bauer
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Boice
Howard and Denise Brink
Mr. Scott Brinkerhoff
Evelyn Brownstone
Mr. and Mrs. Tyke Camaras
Luisa Cano
Beverly and Dave Carmichael
Mary E. Chelius
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Compton
Peter Conlon and Deborah Shaw
Judith W. Creely
Mr. and Mrs. David Erikson
Mrs. Lynda Folsom
Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Fowler
Dr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Francis
Mrs. Sloan Gallipeo
Mrs. Frank Gibson
Marvin Goecks, Jr.
Bonnie and William S. Hall
Terry Hanna
Howard and Carol Hay
Ms. Grace Holdaway
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Horgan
Mr. Paul A. Schmidhauser and Ms. Cindy R. Hughes
Anne Johnson
Mary and Stanley Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Eric M. Kadison
Kari Kerr
Mr. and Mrs. Venelin Khristov
Dr. and Mrs. William P. Klein
Professor and Mrs. John Koshak
Dr. William Langstaff
Bruce Larson and Dinny Beringer
Dr. and Mrs. Craig Leonard
Sijie Ling
Elsie M. Little
Jasmine Moini
Dr. Kevin O'Grady and Mrs. Nella Webster O'Grady
Sidney and Nancy Petersen
Mr. Keith Polakoff
Mr. and Mrs. John Prange
Coralie Prince
Barbara and Bud Quist
Mrs. V. de Reynal
Mrs. Margaret Richley
Dr. and Mrs. Stephen G. Romansky
Suzanne Sandmeyer and Wes Hatfield
Mrs. Kathleen Sangster
Pamela Sefton
Phyllis and Roger Shafer
Dr. James Shelburne
Ms. Dorothy J. Solinger
Ann D. Stephens
Diane Stovall
Marva Thomas
Ms. Carole Uhlaner and Mr. D Brownstone
Annabel Wang
Cory Winter
Bob and Ellie Yates
Mrs. Alice Zamboni
Evelyn Zohlen and Mark Prendergast
Ms. Daren Zumberge

ESTERHAZY PATRONS
The Philharmonic Society is proud to recognize our dedicated patrons who have made a multi-year Esterhazy Patron pledge. We are grateful for their support, which has been largely responsible for enabling us to present the world’s most acclaimed symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists.

Esterhazy Patrons

Mr. and Mrs. James Alexiou

Mr. and Mrs. Darrel Anderson

A. Gary Anderson Family Foundation

Mr. Gary N. Babick

Ms. Tricia Babick

Mrs. Alan Beimfohr

Mr. and Mrs. John Carson

Cheng Family Foundation

Mrs. William P. Conlin

Mr. Warren G. Coy

Marjorie and Roger Davisson

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Delman

The Dirk Family

Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Duma

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Emery

Catherine Emmi

Sam and Lyndie Ersan

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Freedland

Margaret M. Gates—In memory of family

Mr. and Mrs. Milton S. Grier, Jr.

Maralou and Jerry M. Harrington

Dr. Howard J. Jelinek

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Chapin Johnson

Dr. Siret Jurison

Donna L. Kendall Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Venelin Khristov

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Kirwan

Capt. Steve Lutz and Shala Shashani Lutz

Professor Robert and Dr. Adeline Yen Mah

Mrs. Michael McNalley

Drs. Vahe and Armine Meghrouni

Mrs. Michael D. Nadler

Elaine and Carl Neuss

Mr. Thomas Nielsen

Milena and Milan Panic

Helen Reinsch

Barbara Roberts

Mrs. Michelle Rohé

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Salyer

Elizabeth Segerstrom

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Smith

Mrs. Elaine Weinberg

Mr. and Mrs. George Wentworth

Bobbitt and Bill Williams

Anonymous

LEGACY CIRCLE MEMBERS

Mr. and Mrs. James Alexiou

Dr. and Mrs. Julio Aljure

Diane and John Chimo Arnold

Estate of Edra E. Brophy*

Mr. James J. Brophy

Mr. Douglas T. Burch, Jr.*

Mr. William P. Conlin* and

Mrs. Laila Conlin

Pamela Courtial*

Mr. Warren G. Coy

Richard Cullen and Robert Finnerty

Mr. Ben Dolson*

Camille and Eric Durand Trust*

Karen and Don Evarts

Erika E. Faust*

James and Judy Freimuth

Ms. Carol Frobish*

The William Gillespie Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Milton S. Grier, Jr.

Mr. Edward Halvajian*

Ms. Joan Halvajian

Ms. Marie Hiebsch*

Mildred and James* Hill

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hull

Mr. Leonard Jaffe

Judith* and Howard Jelinek

Dr. Burton L. Karson

Donna L. Kendall

Hank and Bonnie Landsberg

Mrs. Carla Liggett

Dr. William Lycette

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Michel

Mr. and Mrs. Bart Morrow

Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Nadler

Eva Cebulski Olivier

Mrs. Frank M. Posch*

Marcia Kay Radelet

Marjorie Rawlins*

Mrs. Ladislaw Reday*

Elaine M. Redfield*

Mr. Richard M. Reinsch*

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Salyer

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sebring

Mr. H. Russell Smith*

Ms. Dea Stanuszek

Diane and Michael Stephens

Vas Nunes Family Trust*

Betty M. Williams*

Anonymous

*Deceased

Bold type indicates gifts of $50,000 or more.

Please call the Philharmonic Society Development Department if you have included either the Philharmonic Society or the separate Philharmonic Foundation in your will or trust so that we may honor you as a member of the Legacy Circle. For more information, call (949) 553-2422, ext. 202 or visit: www.PhilharmonicSociety.org/SupportUs and click on Planned Giving.

THE FUND FOR MUSIC:

PHILHARMONIC FORWARD CAMPAIGN

The Philharmonic Forward Campaign was introduced prior to the 2015-2016 season with a goal of raising $10 million to bolster the Philharmonic Society’s endowment. Thanks to several transformational gifts and commitments, we surpassed $16 million.

As a reminder, the campaign has three components:

An endowment for artistic excellence and innovation will support the presentation of the world’s leading orchestras, classical soloists, and chamber ensembles while also allowing the Society to expand its eclectic programming, interdisciplinary projects, and new work offerings.

An endowment for education and community programs will strengthen youth music education and family programs, community engagement, and the Society’s on-campus presence at schools.

A current needs capital funds program for organizational sustainability will provide working capital to secure the finest artists well in advance of upcoming seasons.

These funds will bolster the Society’s broad mission of supporting the tradition of Western classical music while allowing us to present diverse music from emerging artists. It will also allow us to expand music education programs for K-12 and college students, creating a new generation of people who value great music.

Campaign leadership has been provided by Co-Chairs Donna Kendall and Douglas Smith, joined by a deeply committed Executive Committee. With their energetic guidance, we are well-positioned to engage the entire Philharmonic family in support of this transformational initiative. For more information, contact Ron Dufault, VP of Development, at (949) 553-2422, ext. 202, or email Ron@PhilharmonicSociety.org.

SECURING THE FUTURE
The Philharmonic Society’s campaign is the first of its kind in the organization’s history. It will grow the Society’s endowment—providing greater opportunities for the presentation of the world’s leading orchestras and other musical performances while expanding our educational and community outreach—and also establish a current needs fund for organizational sustainability and flexibility. We are proud to recognize those who are helping secure the Society’s future with a gift to the Philharmonic Forward Campaign. We are grateful for their support, which will help fuel the Society’s growth and provide a legacy of incomparable music and superb music education programs in perpetuity.

Donna L. Kendall and Douglas H. Smith

Co-Chairs

DONORS TO THE PHILHARMONIC FORWARD CAMPAIGN

$1,000,000+

Mr. James J. Brophy

Donna L. Kendall and the Donna L. Kendall Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sebring

Anonymous

$500,000+

Richard Cullen and Robert Finnerty

James and Judy Freimuth

$250,000+

The Davisson Family Fund for

Youth Music Education

Margaret M. Gates—In memory

of family

Mr. and Mrs. Milton S. Grier, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Smith

$100,000+

Pete and Sabra Bordas

David and Suzanne Chonette

Karen and Don Evarts

Milli and Jim Hill

Marlene and Chris Nielsen

Richard and Deborah Polonsky

Diane and Michael Stephens

Anonymous

$50,000+

Mr. Douglas T. Burch, Jr.*

Dr. Richard D. and France Campbell

Erika E. Faust*

Mrs. Joanne C. Fernbach

Joan Halvajian

Elaine and Carl Neuss

Marcia Kay Radelet

Mr. and Mrs. Philip E. Ridout

Ms. Dea Stanuszek

Dr. Daniel and Jeule Stein

$25,000+

Douglas Burch Classical Programs Fund

Mr. William P. Conlin* and Mrs. Laila Conlin

Mr. and Mrs. Donald French

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Fuerbringer

Mr. and Mrs. Noel Hamilton

Dr. and Mrs. Chase Roh

Up to $24,999

Eleanor and Jim Anderson

John W. Benecke

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Burra

Ana and Ron Dufault

Hung Fan and Michael Feldman

First American Trust

Kimberly Dwan Bernatz

Mr. John D. Flemming and Mr. Mark Powell

Duke Funderburke

Carolyn and John Garrett

Karin Easter Gurwell

Maralou and Jerry M. Harrington

Mrs. Alice E. Hood

Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee - Marina Windjammer Group

Judith and Kevin Ivey

Ms. Lula Belle Jenkins

Doris and Jim Kollias

Mrs. Elizabeth C. Kramer

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Madracki

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Mastrangelo

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Michel

Charles Mosmann

Carl Neisser

Joan Rehnborg

Dr. and Mrs. Henry Sobel

Dr. and Mrs. Julio Taleisnik

Marti and Walter Unger

Gayle Widyolar, M.D.

Sandi Wright-Cordes

U.S. Bank

Anonymous

*Deceased

About Philharmonic Society of Orange County

Founded in 1954 as Orange County’s first music organization, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents national and international performances of the highest quality and provides dynamic and innovative music education programs for individuals of all ages to enhance the lives of Orange County audiences through music.

For more than 65 years the Philharmonic Society has evolved and grown with the county’s changing landscape, presenting artists and orchestras who set the standard for artistic achievement from Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma, and Renée Fleming to the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and many others. In addition, the Philharmonic Society celebrates multi-disciplinary performances under its Eclectic Orange brand and embraces music from a wide range of countries with its World Music performances. Its celebrated family concerts introduce children to classical music with creative and inspiring performances, instilling music appreciation for future generations.

The Philharmonic Society’s nationally recognized Youth Music Education Programs, offered free of charge, engage more than 100,000 students annually through curriculum-based music education programs that aim to inspire, expand imaginations, and encourage learning at all levels. These programs are made possible by the Committees of the Philharmonic Society comprised of 700 volunteer members who provide more than 90,000 hours of in-kind service each year.

As a key youth program, the exceptional Orange County Youth Symphony and String Ensemble provide top-tier training to the area’s most talented young musicians through multi-level ensemble instruction, leadership training, touring opportunities, challenging professional repertoire, and performances in world-class venues. The Philharmonic Society also promotes life-long learning by connecting with colleges and universities to conduct masterclasses and workshops and providing pre-concert lectures to introduce audiences to program selections.

949.553.2422 | PHILHARMONICSOCIETY.ORG

Philharmonic Society Board of Directors

OFFICERS
John Flemming, Chair/CEO
Sabra Bordas, Vice Chair
Donna L. Kendall, Deputy Board Chair
Stephen Amendt, Secretary / Treasurer

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
John W. Benecke, Development
Sabra Bordas, Nominating and Governance
Hung Fan, Laguna Beach Music Festival
Douglas H. Smith, Member at Large
Kathryn Wopschall, President, The Committees
Sandi Wright-Cordes, Orange County Youth Symphony

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim Brophy
Gary Capata
Jean Felder
Margaret M. Gates
Kari Kerr
Barbara Roberts
Steven M. Sorenson, MD

PRESIDENT AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Tommy Phillips

IN MEMORIAM
Douglas T. Burch, Jr.
Wesley Kruse

LIFETIME BOARD MEMBER
Jane Grier

Philharmonic Society Administrative Staff

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Drew Cady, Production Coordinator
Emily Persinko, Artistic Operations Manager
Kathy Smith, Piano Technician

DEVELOPMENT
Mark Saville, Vice President of Development
Halim Kim, Senior Director of Development
Fatima Rizvi-Flores, Patron Stewardship Manager / Board Liaison
Paige Frank, Development Associate

EDUCATION
Courtney McKinnon, Manager of Volunteer and Education Services
Chloe Hopper, Education Associate

FINANCE
Roan Alombro, Vice President of Finance
Jessica Cho, Finance Associate / HR Administrator

MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Jean Hsu, COO / Vice President of Communications
Marie Songco-Torres, Senior Marketing and Public Relations Manager

PATRON SERVICES
Jonathan Mariott, Director of Patron Services
Angelica Nicolas, Marketing and Patron Services Associate
Randy Polevoi, Musical Concierge

Irvine Baclay Theatre Sponsors

Season Sponsor

Venue Sponsor

Corporate Sponsors