As a Symphony concert goer, you have witnessed the exceptional orchestra Music Director Troy Quinn continues to build. Our reputation as a force in music performance and education has grown beyond our expectations. Securing and retaining the top artists in the field is costly, but we are committed to giving you a Symphony experience that rivals any in the Country.

Our vision of uniting through music and our mission to trans-form lives through exceptional musical experiences has never been more relevant. Our commitment to investing in our youth has never been stronger. As we look toward our milestone 50th season,with your investment the future could not be brighter.

You can help us reach more people through world class symphonic music.  If you haven't donated yet, please consider giving to The Venice Symphony this season. Donation envelopes are available in the lobby and downstairs at the information table.

Every gift, large or small, is important, because YOU are important. 

TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH MUSIC

Night at

THE MUSEUM

Troy Quinn, Music Director

INTERMISSION

FIRST VIOLIN

Marcus Ratzenboeck
     Concertmaster
Hannah Cho
     Associate Concertmaster
     Stephen and Redenta Picazio Chair
Katherine Gilger
     Assistant Concertmaster
     Schultz-Hill Foundation Chair     
Christina Adams
     Edward and Patricia Crary Chair
Samuel Arakelyan
Erik Berg
     Sidney and Suzanne Durham Chair
Liana Branscome
     Rev. Chris and Paula Gray Chair
Francisco Diaz
Hannah Maclean
Karissa Ratzenboeck
     Joseph and Maureen Bentley Chair
Eliot Roske
Yuhao Zhou

SECOND VIOLIN

Amy Rawstron Watson, Principal
     Beatrice Holt Chair
Wallace DePue, Assistant Principal
     Barbara Freeman Chair
Elaine Cook
Isabella Diaz 
Kara Griffith
Sungho Jung
Natalia Maiden
Alvaro Pereiro
Nicole Rawley
Mario Zelaya

VIOLA 

Rafael Ramirez, Principal
     Elliott and Dana Corn Chair
Abigail Cross, Assistant Principal
     Fred and Cindy Gossman Chair
Yaniv Cohen
     Michael and Ginger O’Keefe Chair
Jim Griffith
Roberto Henriquez
Monica MacMichael 
Tyler Pacheco
     Ralph Andrew and Linda Self Chair 
Anabel Tejeda
Teal Vickery

CELLO 

Shea Kole, Principal
     Thomas and Martha Galek Chair
Julia Tretyakova, Assistant Principal
     Michael and Patricia Dunlap Chair
Susan Debronsky
Paul Fleury 
Sarah Huesman
Antonio Innaimo
     Peter and Jean Huber Chair
Tadao Hermida Ito
Helen Lewis
Chris Pegis

BASS

Christopher Riley, Principal
    John Myers Chair
Trent Harper, Assistant Principal
     Kenneth and Selma Bitz Chair
Kevin Gallagher
Jonathan Ingram
Laura Miranda
Jordan Nashman

FLUTE

Nicolás Real, Principal
     David and Angela Kennedy Chair
Angela Massey
     John and Julia Osborne Chair 
Taylor Irelan

PICCOLO

Taylor Irelan

OBOE

Amy Collins, Principal
     George De Luisi Chair 
Chanmi Kim
     John Fischer and James Weisenborne Chair 
Josh Hall

CLARINET

Asher Carlson, Principal
     Wesley John Schumacher Chair 
Kelsey Castellanos
     Dennis and Ruthanne Neeser Chair
Michael Drapkin
     Vinod and Gail Sahney Chair

BASSOON

Patrick Broder, Principal
     Stephen and Nancy Eibling Chair
Kevin Fuller
     Frederick and Claudette Varricchio Chair
Javi Rodriguez

HORN

Joseph Lovinsky, Principal
     Bill and Sara Gill Chair
Chase DeCarlo
     Frank Codella Chair 
Caiti Beth McKinney
     Floyd and Mary Juday Chair 
William Bard
Christopher Rapier
     Gerhard and Edith Mueller Chair 

TRUMPET

Kris Marshall, Principal
     Henry and Barbara Price Chair 
Dan Kassteen
     Bert and Janetta Nicholson Chair 
Ken Brown
Jeff Wooldridge

TROMBONE

Joe Offner, Principal
     Bill and Sara Gill Chair
Tom McNair 

BASS TROMBONE

Nathan Petersen

TUBA

Joseph Alvarez, Principal
     Brian and Ruth Smith Chair

TIMPANI

Gavin Dougherty, Principal
     David Chivas and Ron Rice Chair 

PERCUSSION

Dana Kimble, Principal
     Robert Gilbert Storyk Chair
Al Lyman
     James and Lynn Crandall Chair
Mike Woods
Nick Bruno 
Bob McCormick

HARP

Anya Garipoli, Principal
     Sean and Esther Kelly Chair 
Melody Rapier

KEYBOARD

Judi Glover, Principal
     Joanne Corcoran Chair 

SAXOPHONE
Pete Carney 

2022-23 Season Music Sponsors
Stephen and Redenta Picazio

The Venice Symphony
is a proud member of

      French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 -1921) based his tone poem Danse Macabre, (dance of death) on the French legend that at midnight on Halloween, Death plays his fiddle as skeletons in the cemetery rise and dance. While It was not well-received, today Danse Macabre is synonymous with Halloween. The Atlantic called it “the purest Halloween music ever written” and  “a classical masterpiece.”
     Danse Macabre opens quietly with harp and subdued strings, leading to the solo violin’s eerie tritone or “Devil’s Chord” used to build tension. Towards the finale,  another violin solo leads to the full orchestra and pianissimo as the skeletons return to their graves.
      Danse Macabre is a staple in popular culture, from a 1929 Disney cartoon to the classic 1939 French film Rules of the Game. It inspired a ballet, a commercial for Jameson Whiskey and is heard in the movie Tombstone and the dialogue-free “Hush” episode of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

      Modest Mussorgsky (1839 – 1881) was one of a group of Russian composers known as “The Five,” who created music inspired by their Country’s folklore and history. The composer was enjoying the success of his opera Boris Godunov when he was inspired by a memorial retrospective of his friend Victor Hartmann’s artwork to write Pictures at an Exhibition.
      The piece is comprised of 10 piano suites, each dedicated to one of Hartmann’s paintings, meant to convey the experience of touring the late artist’s exhibit. The 1922 adaptation for orchestra by Maurice Ravel  that you will hear today is the most performed and recorded of many adaptations of Mussorgsky’s original work. When Mussorgsky’s fellow composers expressed their dismay over how much “Pictures” strayed from the school of “The Five,” he abandoned the piece. It was not published until years after Mussorgsky’s own untimely death at the age of 42.

BONUS DIGITAL PROGRAM CONCERT NOTES