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2022-2023 Concert Season

It is with great enthusiasm that PTSO will once again be a full and complete orchestra. It’s been a long time — more than two years — and we look forward to being back together again playing full orchestral music for our friends and community.

Please reserve these dates on your calendar. There will be open dress rehearsals the Friday evening before each concert at 7:00PM.

PTSO Concerts
Chimacum School Auditorium
Sunday afternoons at 2 PM

High quality masks are encouraged. Please stay home if you have illness symptoms.

Sunday, October 30, 2022

“Tuba Concerto” by Ralph Vaughn Williams
Gaelic Symphony” in E minor by Amy Beach.

Dec. 3, 2022

Mozart Bassoon Concerto in B-Flat major with bassoonist Ian Schneiderman
Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8

Programs are subject to change.

man playing grand piano
Photo by Hreinn Gudlaugsson – Own

Sunday, February 26, 2023
Petite Suite for Orchestra, Karl Bach (b. 1934)
Mysterious Mountain, Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000)
Milonga de Emilia, Jovino Santos Neto (b. 1954)
    performed by Jovino Santos Neto, piano

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Sunday, April 30, 2023
Symphony no. 8, Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904)
Bassoon Concerto, W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)
featuring Ian Schneiderman, bassoon

Community Reading Sessions in August. Details TBA

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Young Artist Competition 2023

WINNERS OF THE 2023 YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION

Junior division
First: Violin, Veracini Gigue
Second: Cora Brinton, violin, for her Rieding Concertino in Hungarian Style
Third: Joshua Yearian, piano, for his Beethoven piano Sonata movement
Honorable mention: Kai Andersen, violin, for his Schumann Two Grenadiers

Senior division
First: Zia Magill, violin, for her Mozart A major concerto movement
Second: Anabel Moore, violin, for her Bach A minor concerto movement
Third: Nola Bertucci, violin, for her Schumann Sonata movement

Conductor’s prize, chosen by Nan Toby Tyrrell, goes to Aiden Murney, piano, for his Satie “Gnossienne #1”

4th Annual Port Townsend Young Artist Competition
April 15, 2023
Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker St, Port Townsend
Application Deadline is April 1, 2023

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SOLOIST: Aliyah Yearian, violin

Sunday, December 4, 2022

Aliyah Yearian was named first-place winner in the most recent Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition.

Overture to Die Fledermaus, Johann Strauss
Symphonie Espagnole in D minor. 1st mvt, Edouard Lalo,
featuring 2022 Young Artist Competition winner Aliyah Yearian, violin soloist
Overture to Hansel and Gretel, Engelbert Humperdinck
Les Patineurs “The Skaters”, Émile Waldteufel
A Christmas Festival, Leroy Anderson
(Photo of Aliyah c/o PTLeader.com)

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SOLOIST: John DiCesare, tuba

Sunday, October 30, 2022
Chimacum School Auditorium
Sunday afternoon at 2 PM

Gaelic Symphony, Amy Beach (1867-1944)
Tuba Concerto by Ralph Vaughn Williams
featuring John DiCesare, principal tuba for the Seattle Symphony

John DiCesare was the Principal Tuba of the Louisville Orchestra before coming to the Seattle Symphony. DiCesare has performed with orchestras nationwide, notably The Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra Pittsburgh Symphony and St. Louis Symphony. During the summer months DiCesare plays with the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder.

An active educator, DiCesare previously held positions at Campbellsville University, Indiana University Southeast and Kent State University. DiCesare’s teachers include Craig Knox, Tom Lukowicz, John Bottomley and he holds degrees from Duquesne University, Kent State University and is pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts at West Virginia University as a prestigious Swiger Fellow. DiCesare resides in Seattle with his wife, Amanda, and dog, Bentley.

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2021-2022 Concert Season

With optimism, PTSO is planning performances for its 2021-2022 concert season. Dates and Musical Highlights are listed below. This season PTSO will be highlighting Jefferson County musicians.

Please reserve these dates on your calendar. There will be open dress rehearsals the Friday evening before each concert at 7:00PM.

Sunday, October 24, 2021 || Concertino for Oboe and Strings by Brenno Blauth with Anne Krabill, oboe.

Saturday, December 4, 2021 || Fantasia by Heitor Villa-Lobos with PTSO 2021 Young Artist Competition winner, Maria Powell, tenor saxophone.

Sunday, February 27, 2022 || Grand Tango by Piazzolla with Pamela Roberts, cello.

Sunday, April 24, 2022 || Artik Concerto for Horn and Strings with Bruce Kelley, French horn.

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PTSO CHAMBER CONCERT: Friday, June 3 at Finnriver Farm & Cidery at 6PM.

Open Dress Rehersal is June 2 at Finnriver Farm & Cidery at 6 pm.

Featuring Michael Nicolella on guitar. With a repertoire spanning from J.S. Bach and Domenico Scarlatti to Jimi Hendrix and Elliott Carter, Michael Nicolella is recognized as one of America’s most innovative guitarists. He has received wide critical acclaim for his performances, recordings and compositions. As a concert artist, Michael has performed throughout North America, Europe and Japan as solo recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with orchestra.

When not enjoying the Finnriver fare, we ask that audience members please wear masks.

Open seating. No reservations needed.

PTSO concerts are free to attend (but not free to produce). We gratefully accept donations.

Please send questions to: contact@PTSymphony.org

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PT Leader: Upcoming Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra concert to feature Marrowstone Island horn player

https://www.ptleader.com/stories/upcoming-port-townsend-symphony-orchestra-concert-to-feature-marrowstone-island-horn-player,82196

Posted Thursday, April 21, 2022 10:07 am

Leader News Staff
news@ptleader.com

Marrowstone Island-based horn player Bruce Kelley will take the spotlight during the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra’s next concert.

The Symphony Orchestra’s next performance is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24 in the Chimacum High auditorium.

Kelley is the principal horn player in the Port Townsend and 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.

The symphony orchestra’s featured piece for the concert is “Artik Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra” by Armenian-American composer Alan Hovhaness.

Also on the program are string orchestra pieces: “Impromptu” by Jean Sibelius, “Nocturn” by Anton Dovorak, “Drosera” by Sonya Leonore Stahl, “The Old Boatman” by Forence Price, and “Fantasia on Greensleeves” by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

The concert will also feature harpist Barbara McColgan, brass, and percussion, who will perform “Sacrae Symphony 1597” by Giovanni Gabrieli and “Celebration Fanfare” by Jeff Manookian.

Admission to the concert is free, and there will be an open dress rehearsal at
7 p.m. Friday, April 22. Currently, reservations are not required for either event.

Vaccination is required to attend and vaccination cards will be checked at the door. Depending on the status at the time, there may be a limit to the number of attendees, organizers of the event said.

COVID-19 protocols and more information about the concert and the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra can be found at ptsymphony.org.

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CONCERT: Featuring Bruce Kelley, French Horn soloist

Picture of man holding French horn
photo by Diane Urbani de la Paz

Symphony Concert
Sunday, April 24, 2PM
Chimacum School Auditorium (91 W Valley Rd, Chimacum)
Doors will open to the public at 1:15.

The program opens with the Northwest premiere of Celebration Fanfare by Jeff Manookian. The concert will feature a rarely performed horn concerto by Alan Hovhaness performed by Bruce Kelley. Hovhaness was an Armenian-American composer who spent the last few decades of his life in the Northwest. Our program includes another Northwest premiere, a piece by Sonya Leonore Stahl who is not only a composer but a research scientist. Lastly, we will play a piece by Florence Price who is the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra. Our program also includes works by: Giovanni Gabrieli, Ralph Vaughn Williams, Antonín Dvořák, Ermanno Wolf Ferrari and Jean Sibelius. 

Read the article from the Peninsula Daily News.

Open seating. No reservations needed. Vax cards will be checked. The wearing of high quality masks will be required.

On the Program

  • Brass ensemble pieces by Manookian and Gabrieli
  • Fantasia on Greensleeves by R. Vaughan Williams
  • Artik, Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra by Alan Hovhaness with Bruce Kelley, soloist
  • Drosera by Sonya Leonore Stahl
  • Impromptu by Jean Sibelius
  • Notturno by Antonín Dvořák
  • Serenade by Ermanno Wolf Ferrari
  • The Old Boatman by Florence Smith Price

PTSO concerts are free to attend. Donations are gratefully accepted.

While PTSO concerts are free to attend, they are not free to produce. Your support is needed and would be appreciated. You can donate with PayPal, using your credit or debit card. Or you can drop a donation in the basket at the concert. Or (we do strive to make donating easy!) you can drop a check in the mail: PTSO, PO Box 1703, Port Townsend, 98368-0159. Visit our website to learn more about donating to PTSO. Thank you.

Open Dress Rehearsal Friday, April 22 at 7:00PM
Public is welcome.

Symphony Concert Sunday, April 24 at 2:00PM

Covid protocols will be set as circumstances dictate.

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SOLOIST: Pamela Roberts, cellist

Pamela Roberts was recognized as a national cello talent by the age of 11.

She served as principal cellist in Washington’s All State Orchestra and the National Congress of Strings in Los Angeles. She was awarded the top music scholarship at the University of Washington, the Brechemin Award, for five years in a row. She received a 3-year fellowship to the Aspen Music Festival and was chosen to participate in the exclusive Cleveland Chamber Music Seminar.

Pamela Roberts became faculty cellist at the University of Puget Sound at the age of 25.  She performed as a soloist with the Seattle Symphony and Aspen Music Festival. As a chamber musician she worked with the Philadelphia String Quartet, Northwest Chamber Orchestra and Seattle Early Music Guild.

Roberts was principal cellist of the Tacoma Symphony and 5th Avenue Theater Orchestra, and is currently principal cellist of the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra. She studied cello with Eva Heinitz, Toby Saks, Vivian King, Daniel Lynch and Alan Harris among others. She participated in master classes with Janos Starker, Gabor Reijto, David Soyer and Yo Yo Ma.

Pamela lives in Quilcene with her husband, Howard Gilbert, a well-known orchestral and jazz drummer.

PTLeader article: https://www.ptleader.com/stories/upcoming-orchestra-concert-to-feature-quilcene-cello-soloist,80588

PDN article: https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/entertainment/port-townsend-cellist-ready-to-speak-jazz/