Author: Pamela Roberts

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UPCOMING CONCERT! Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 2 pm!

Our symphony concerts are held Sunday afternoons at Chimacum School Auditorium (91 W Valley Rd, Chimacum). There are OPEN DRESS REHEARSALS at 7 pm the Friday evening before each Sunday concert – also at Chimacum School Auditorium.

PTSO concerts are free to attend (but not free to produce). Donations are always gratefully accepted at the door. Tigran Arakelyan, Conductor and Artistic Director.

THIS CONCERT FEATURES Seattle-based percussionist/bandoneonist/composer BEN THOMAS. Ben started playing bandoneon in 2006, traveling to Argentina and working with tango musicians from across the world. He tours regularly with the Atlas Tango Project and can be heard on their most recent album, “Estaciones y Sueños”. He was a guest artist with the Eugene Opera in 2018 as the bandoneon soloist for Piazzolla’s “Maria de Buenos Aires”. Thomas has released five albums of original music on Origin Records, spanning jazz, chamber music, and tango. His music explores both traditional tango and how it continues to grow as it encounters new times and new influences. Following the lead of some of the pioneers of the current scene in Buenos Aires, such as Diego Schissi and Exequiel Mantega, Thomas builds pieces combining rhythmic intensity with lush harmonies, whimsy, and an emphasis on storytelling. He studied mathematics and music at Swarthmore College before going to the University of Michigan for a Master of Music in Contemporary Improvisation and the University of Washington for a DMA in Percussion Performance. Thomas has taught music theory, composition, and performance at Highline College since 2001.

PROGRAM

Antonín Dvorak, Carnival Overture

Florence Price, Dance in the Canebrakes

New piece for bandoneon and orchestra* Premiere with Ben Thomas (soloist and composer)

Jennifer Higdon, Blue Cathedral

Alexander Borodin, In the Steppes of Central Asia

JOIN US!

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PTSO Chamber Music Series – Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 3 pm – Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Chimacum

Pictured above are l. to r.: Lisa Lanza, piano; Jeannie Bennett Oneppo, soprano; Sung-Ling Hsu, piano; Marina Rosenquist, violin; Vincent Oneppo, clarinet; Michael Carroll, piano; Joel Wallgren, clarinet; and Pamela Roberts, cello. (Not pictured is Marcy Stewart, viola.)

This FREE concert series features local award-winning soloists, recitalists, chamber musicians and PTSO members. Donations are always gratefully accepted at the door. Seating is limitedand no tickets or reservations are required. We hope you can join us for a short reception after the concert.

Artistic directors for the series are pianist Michael Carroll and cellist Pamela Roberts.

Featured artists for this program are Joel Wallgren, clarinet * Michael Carroll, piano * Marina Rosenquist, violin * Marcy Stewart, viola * Pamela Roberts, cello * Sung-Ling Hsu, piano * Jeanie Oneppo, soprano * Vincent Oneppo, clarinet * Lisa Lanza, piano.

PROGRAM

~ Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 128, Mov. 3 & 4 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
~ Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 13 – Andante by Richard Strauss
~ Sonata for Violin and Piano in E minor, K. 304 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
~ Élégie Op. 24 for Cello and Piano by Gabriel Fauré
~ Zwei Gesänge, Op. 91 for Soprano, Clarinet and Piano by Johannes Brahms
~ “By Strauss” for Soprano and Piano by George Gershwin

Questions? Contact Pamela Roberts at ChamberMusic@PTSymphony.org.

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PTSO Chamber Music Series – Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 2 pm – Wheeler Theater, Fort Worden State Park

Admission is FREE. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED HERE (due to limited seating): https://myevent.com/PTSOChamberSeries

Featuring conductor/soloist Matthew Daline, violin/viola and soloist Kristin Smith, violin

PROGRAM

Bach Concerto in C minor for Two Violins in in C minor, BWV 1060R – Kristin Smith and Matthew Daline, solo violins

Florence Price – “Adoration” for string orchestra

Hindemith “Trauermusik”, viola and string orchestra with Matthew Daline, solo viola

Béla Bartók – Romanian Folk Dances for String Orchestra Sz.56 BB 68

ABOUT OUR SOLOISTS

Conductor/Violinist Matthew Daline was Viola Professor and String Area Coordinator at Bowling Green State University and Louisiana State University (2006 to 2022). He returned to his home town, Port Townsend, in 2022. Professor Daline enjoys an international career as a chamber musician, violin and viola soloist, and educator. Since making his New York solo recital debut in Carnegie Hall as the winner of the Artists International Competition, Matthew Daline has performed worldwide as a chamber musician and viola soloist.

Violinist Kristin Smith was born and educated in Montana where she earned a degree in music performance with an emphasis on chamber music. Her career took her to Edmonton Alberta as a member of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. After retiring from that position she came to Port Townsend to build a boat. She continues to play in regional orchestras and chamber ensembles and also enjoys teaching privately and in the public schools.

JOIN US! REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED HERE (due to limited seating: https://myevent.com/PTSOChamberSeries

(Photos by Jay Bakst and Karl Perry)

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2023-2024 Concert Dates

2023-2024 Concert Dates

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Unfinished Symphony by Franz Schubert 
Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Márquez
Romance for Cello and Orchestra by Karl Bach
. . . . with Pamela Roberts, principal cello, Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra
(world premiere)

Sunday, December 3, 2023

COURAGE by Adrienne Albert
Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein
Winter Night (Sleigh Ride) by Frederick Delius
Winterlust Polka by Josef Strauss
Christmas Waltz by P.I. Tchaikovsky
Flute Concerto by Carl Reinecke
. . . . with Arin Sarkissian, principal flute, Victoria Symphony

February 25, 2024

Festive Overture by William Grant Still
Symphony No. 2 by Alexander Borodin
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for four winds
. . . . with PTSO’s own Anne Krabill, oboe; Kevin Fay, clarinet;
Dave Krabill, bassoon; Bruce Kelley, French horn

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt
Music from the Gladiator by Hans Zimmer
La Forza del Destino by Giuseppe Verdi
Suite from Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda
007: Through the Years by Stephen Bulla
Violin Concerto in A Major, by W.A. Mozart, 1st mvt.
. . . . with Zia Magill, violin, 2023 PTSO Young Artist Competition winner

AND FOR THE SUMMER…

Sunday, June 23 at 2 pm

Port Townsend Symphony Chamber Orchestra
Wheeler Theater at Fort Worden
200 Battery Way E, Port Townsend, WA
Conducted by Matthew McBride-Daline

Bach Concerto in C minor for Two Violins in in C minor, BWV 1060R – Kristin Smith and Matthew Daline, solo violins
Florence Price – “Adoration” for string orchestra
Hindemith “Trauermusik”, viola and string orchestra (with solo viola)
Béla Bartók – Romanian Folk Dances for String Orchestra Sz.56 BB 68

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Zia MaGill featured in April 28, 2024 PTSO concert

PORT TOWNSEND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. Violinist Zia McGill was featured soloist for the April 28 concert at 2 pm at Chimacum School Auditorium (91 W Valley Rd, Chimacum). The program also featured popular music from films. Our concerts are free with donations accepted at the door.

Zia Magill was the first-place winner of the 2023 Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra competition. Zia began playing violin at age seven and has studied with several musicians in the region, including Pat Yearian, Kristin Smith, Gwen Franz and most recently, Matthew Daline. She also plays multiple other instruments, including piano, guitar and cello, and enjoys playing fiddle tunes. Zia is currently a senior at West Sound Academy completing an International Baccalaureate diploma, while considering various college possibilities. Beyond her musical life, Zia loves the outdoors and is an avid sailor, hiker, and photographer.

PROGRAM

Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt

Violin Concerto in A Major, by W.A. Mozart, 1st mvt.

. . . . with Zia Magill, violin

Music from the Gladiator by Hans Zimmer

La Forza del Destino by Giuseppe Verdi

Suite from Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda

007: Through the Years by Stephen Bulla

Photo by Jessica Plumb.

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PTSO Chamber Music Series draws a full house

PTSO CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES CONCERT!
Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 3 pm
First Presbyterian Church
1111 Franklin Street, Port Townsend, WA

We played to a full house for this concert today in a church that holds 300 audience members. The standing ovation at the end said it all. Admission was FREE. No tickets or registration required. Donations for the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra were accepted at the door. THANK YOU to our wonderful musicians.

FEATURED ARTISTS: Marie Meyers – flute; Anne Krabill – oboe; Vinnie Oneppo, clarinet; Sarah Moran, soprano; Otto Smith and Rolf Vegdahl, concertina; Marina Rosenquist – violin; Kristin Smith – violin; Sung-Ling Hsu – viola; Pamela Roberts – cello; Michael Carroll – piano; Lisa Lanza, piano.

PROGRAM

~ Grand Trio in G major, Op. 119 – 1st mov. for flute, cello and piano by Friedrich Kuhlau

~ Gabriel’s Oboe by Ennio Morricone for oboe and strings

~ Concertino for Oboe and Strings mov. 2 & 3 by Brenno Blauth

~“London” Trio No. 1 in C Major Hb. IV/1 – for oboe, flute and cello by Joseph Haydn

~Two Jazz Duets (for two concertinas) by Stephen Jackman

~The Shepherd on the Rock for soprano, clarinet and piano by Franz Schubert

~Trio in B-Flat Major, Opus 11, mov. 1 – for clarinet, cello and piano by Ludwig Beethoven

Photo by Carl Hanson. Thank you, Carl!

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PTSO featured in Business Insider

The Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra (PTSO) recently joined the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. The PTSO and its Artistic Director Tigran Arakelyan were featured in the December 2023 Business Insider newspaper insert. An image of the article is shown here. The article was written by PTSO members Jay Bakst and Pamela Roberts.

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Upcoming PTSO concert – Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024

Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra presents:

Sunday, February 25, 2024 PTSO concert at Chimacum School Auditorium at 2 pm (open dress rehearsal is Friday, Feb. 23 at 7 pm.) No tickets required.

Festive Overture by William Grant Still
Symphony No. 2 by Alexander Borodin
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for four winds
. . . . with PTSO’s own Anne Krabill, oboe; Kevin Fay, clarinet; Dave Krabill, bassoon; Bruce Kelley, French horn

Tigran Arakelyan, Conductor and Artistic Director

ABOUT OUR SOLOISTS

Oboist Anne Krabill is principal oboe of the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra, Port Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra. She is a native Canadian and received a Bachelor of Music from Mount Allison University. She studied with Gustav Steinert in Germany and Leon Goossens in London. Anne was principal oboist with the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She taught oboe and chamber music at Dalhousie University, and performed frequently as a soloist and chamber musician. Anne and her husband, David, a bassoonist, recently retired from their reed manufacturing business.

Clarinetist Kevin Fay is the principal clarinet of the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra. He has been the principal clarinet of the Cascade Symphony, the Northwest Mahler Festival, and the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with the Lake Union Civic Orchestra, the Rainier Symphony, the Octava Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Northwest, the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra and the Thalia Symphony Orchestra. Kevin’s playing is not limited to symphony orchestras. He has been the principal clarinet, piccolo clarinet, and principal saxophone for the the Washington Wind Symphony since 1990, played in the pit orchestra of the Village Theater, and currently plays baritone saxophone in the MachOne Big Band. Kevin studied clarinet with William McColl at the University of Washington, where he performed in master classes with David Schfrin and Richard Stolzman, Eugene Zoro at Western Washington University, Allen Siegel at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and Bill Wicker. Aside from musical endeavors, Kevin retired as a corporate lawyer serving public companies in the Seattle area, and represents the Ninth Congressional District on the Board of Governors of the Washington State Bar Association.

Bassoonist David Krabill is principal bassoonist with the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra. He studied at Kent State University and had further studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He spent several summers at the Blossom Festival of Music studying with members of the Cleveland Orchestra. Dave moved to Canada in the early 1970s to play principal bassoon with the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also performed frequently for CBC Radio and Television. Along with his wife, Anne, he was a member of the East Coast Woodwind Trio and the Scotia Winds quintet, and taught bassoon and chamber music at Dalhousie University. Dave and Anne raised their four children in Port Townsend and said they are delighted that three of their children and all of their grandchildren also call the area home. Krabill stepped away from orchestral gigs for many years to focus on his family business, the Emerald Reed Company of Port Townsend.

Hornist Bruce Kelley is a resident of Marrowstone Island and is the principal horn player in the Port Townsend and co-principal at Port Angeles Symphony Orchestras. Prior to that, he was the principal horn at Eastside Symphony in Redmond for 30 years. In addition, Kelley was a founder of the Northwest Mahler Festival in Seattle. Bruce was a featured soloist with the PTSO in 2022, playing “Artik Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra” by Armenian-American composer Alan Hovhaness. Bruce’s other interests include mineralogy, astronomy, photography, and computer software. He studied with Barney Blough.

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SOLOIST: Arin Sarkissian, flute

Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra presents Arin Sarkissian, principal flute of the Victoria Symphony, performing Carl Reinecke’s Flute Concerto, op. 283.

Sunday, December 3 at 2 pm at Chimacum School Auditorium.

The public is welcome to attend our dress rehearsal also, Friday, December 1 at 7PM.

Also on the program:

Overture to Candide, Leonard Bernstein

Winter Night (Sleigh Ride), Frederick Delius

Winterlust Polka, Josef Strauss

Christmas Waltz, P. I. Tchaikovsky

COURAGE, Adrienne Albert

The concert is free to attend. No tickets required. Donations are gratefully accepted at the door.

Arin Sarkissian graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance with Distinction in Research and Creative Works, studying under the professorship of Leone Buyse. Arin was named the 2022 Michael Measures 2nd Prize recipient by the Canada Council for the Arts. In the summer of 2022, he made guest artist appearances at Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal’s La Virée Classique, appeared in orchestral and chamber performances at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, and performed alongside the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Also, Arin was named a Yamaha Young Artist Performance Competition Winner and won 1st Place at the Nancy Clew Eller, Music Teachers National Association, San Diego Flute Guild, and Naftzger Young Artist

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Cellist Pamela Roberts premieres Romance for Cello and Orchestra by local composer Karl Bach

Composer Karl Bach and cellist Pamela Roberts explore parts of Karl’s Romance for Cello and Orchestra. (Photo by Karl Perry)

Maestro Tigran Arakelyan will lead a free concert on October 29, 2023 at 2 p.m. at 91 West Valley Road. An open dress rehearsal will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the Chimacum High School auditorium.

In the summer of 2022, Pamela Roberts attended a rehearsal of the Port Townsend Summer Band during which Karl Bach was conducting three of his compositions for a performance later in the month. Pamela was impressed with Karl’s music.

At that concert later in the month Pamela suggested to Karl that he write a piece for cello and band or cello and orchestra. In February Karl conducted his “Petite Suite for Orchestra” with the Port Townsend Symphony and that afternoon Pamela and Karl talked more about a piece featuring the cello. The result was “Romance for Violoncello and Orchestra.”

Quilcene cellist Pamela Roberts has been a faculty cellist at the University of Puget Sound. She was awarded a 3-year fellowship to the Aspen Music Festival and became principal cellist of the Tacoma Symphony and 5th Avenue Theatre Orchestra. In addition, she has performed as soloist with the Seattle Symphony.

She is principal cellist of the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra and a Founder/Artistic Director of the PTSO Chamber Music Series.

Karl Bach had a long musical career, starting in the Navy and continuing with a degree in music from George Mason University. After teaching music until his retirement in 2001, he moved to Port Townsend and served as the director of the Summer Band from 2001 until 2017. He was a member of the Port Townsend Orchestra and served as its president for two years.

Over the years, Karl has written music for both the Summer Band and the Port Townsend orchestra. He was intrigued by Pam’s request for a concerto and took some musical ideas that he has had for several years and incorporated them into this romance.

While creating this music, Karl and Pamela talked frequently, with Pamela giving insights into how certain phrases work on a cello. Both agree that the final version is improved with these insights.

Also on the program is Danzón #2 by Arturo Márquez. Márquez was born in the Sonoran Desert in the colonial town of Alamos, Mexico, to a musical family. In junior high school, he began to play musical instruments and compose.

“My adolescence was spent listening to Javier Solis, sounds of mariachi, the Beatles, Doors, Carlos Santana and Chopin,” he said, according to a press release.

After completing studies at the Mexican Music Conservatory, he received a scholarship to study in Paris. A subsequent Fullbright scholarship enabled him to complete studies at the California Institute of the Arts. In the 1990s, he was introduced to the world of Latin Ballroom Dancing, which led him to compose a series of Danzones.

Danzón #2 has become so popular that it is considered the second national anthem of Mexico.

Rounding out the program will be Franz Schubert’s Symphony #8, “Unfinished.” Written in 1822-23, the two-movement work was not premiered until 1865. There are several theories as to why the symphony was never completed, but it was sent as a thank you gift to the Graz Music Society for giving Schubert an honorary diploma. It has always been well received with some identifying it was Schubert’s most beautiful work, organizers said.

For more information, visit ptsymphony.org.

(Text by Jay Bakst)