Category: Concerts

Posted on

About the Violin Concerto “Nightfall” by Luke Fitzpatrick

Notes by Luke Fitzpatrick

My violin concerto Nightfall was written with a lot of reflection of some of my past work to forge something new and fresh. I wanted to create a distinct sound world to explore and I found the perfect combination of instruments to do so. The piece is in five movements and is scored for solo violin, string orchestra, harp, piano, percussion and zither. 

The first movement entitled Shades of Timebegins with a very cinematic opening. We are then introduced to the various instrument groups with the harp, piano, zither and percussion uniting as a single ‘super’ instrument. This movement at its core explores how duality can be a very expressive force in music.

The second and fourth movements were inspired by my time playing in the Harry Partch Ensemble. I was fortunate to be able to get to play and tour with those incredible instruments for five amazing years. In 2018, I composed a piece entitled Tulpa that the group performed. I arranged two of those movements of Tulpa for Nightfall: The Tomb and End Game. The Tomb is a dramatic warning of sorts and very catchy. End Game embraces and explores the inevitability of the passing of time. 

The third movement of Nightfallis Distention. This movement is an orchestration of a solo violin piece I wrote during Covid entitled A Seismic Plane; Interconnected (2021). I did not intend to write a piece that explores the loneliness and loss of human connection that we all experienced during that time but every time I return to that piece it’s what I immediately think of. 

The last movement is entitled As One and features the Zither very prominently. This is an instrument that I feel has mystical qualities to it. I used it in a previous piece of mine entitled Nesting Dolls and Dreamscapes (2025)with great enthusiasm. This movement unites the instruments together in an extraordinary way. 

I want to thank Tigran Arakelyan and the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra for commissioning this piece. It’s been a real joy putting it together and I appreciate the opportunity they’ve provided. Tigran is an amazing musician and a good friend. I had no idea when I began working on this piece that he would be leaving the orchestra and that this would be his last concert with the group. In many respects, the way Nightfall ends is a fitting tribute to him as it really supports the idea of all the musicians coming together as one; an idea that he has used to help build Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra into such a great and successful group.

Posted on

PTSO Feb. 22, 2026 concert

Featuring Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra’s 2025 Young Artists’ Competition 2nd Prize winner in the Senior Division, percussionist Hayden Montgomery.

Hayden is a Chimacum High School and Peninsula College graduate. His parents are Jamie and Caleb Montgomery. He studied drums and percussion with Forrest Brennan and Terry Marsh. Hayden composed for and performed with the award-winning Chimacum Drumline and also performed for the All-Star Drumline. He placed 2nd in Multi Percussion at Washington State Solo Ensemble, first place in the Senior Division at Stars of Tomorrow, “Top Tenor” and “Most Improved” by All-Star Drumline’s staff, and graduated with Honors from Peninsula College. Hayden’s goal is to become a world-renowned composer.

PROGRAM

Tenors Without Borders by Forrest Brennan with percussionist Hayden Montgomery

Lincoln Portrait by Aaron Copland with guest narrator, Stanford Thompson

Dvorak, Symphony No. 6

Stanford Thompson is Executive Director of Equity Arc and a principal of Goldsmith Strategies where he is a leading national voice in arts education and leadership, specializing in promoting cultural equity and driving transformative change within underrepresented cultural communities. As the founder and former leader of Play On Philly, Stanford guided the organization for thirteen years, gaining international recognition for its use of music as a tool for social change. He also served as the Founding Board Chairman of El Sistema USA and Equity Arc, where he led complex strategic planning and organizational design initiatives that impact the lives of over 35,000 students across the country.

Stanford’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping the national conversation around equity in the arts, advocating for systemic change that creates more inclusive and accessible opportunities for cultural communities of all types. His expertise is sought by organizations ranging from small grassroots initiatives to major cultural institutions, where he helps leaders navigate the complexities of program development, audience engagement, and financial sustainability. A frequent keynote speaker and panelist, Stanford shares his insights on topics such as nonprofit leadership, arts education, and the role of the arts in personal development.

Stanford teaches on the faculty of the Global Leaders Institute, guiding leaders in not only developing their craft but also understanding the broader societal impact of their work. His extensive experience working with arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, funders, and national service organizations aligns with his personal commitment to fostering sustainable growth and equity in the arts.

A proud graduate of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program, Stanford holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and New England Conservatory.

Posted on

Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra concert on Dec. 7, 2025, featuring music by Florence Price

Florence Beatrice Price (née Smith; April 9, 1887 – June 3, 1953) was an American classical composer, pianist, organist and music teacher.

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Price was educated at the New England Conservatory of Music, and was active in Chicago from 1927 until her death in 1953. Price is noted as the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra. Price composed over 300 works: four symphonies, four concertos, as well as choral works, art songs, chamber music and music for solo instruments. In 2009, a substantial collection of her works and papers was found in her abandoned summer home.

She gave her first piano performance at the age of four and had her first composition published at the age of 11. According to her daughter, Florence really wanted to be a doctor but felt the difficulties of becoming a woman doctor at the time were too formidable. Instead, she became that even greater rarity—a woman composer of symphonies. (Text from Wikipedia)

PROGRAM

Jacques Offenbach: Overture to La Belle Hélène

Bizet, Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2 with Dana Odell, guest conductor (PT Ballet auction winner)

Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty Suite

intermission

Florence Price, Concert Overture No. 2

Bizet, Carmen Suite No. 2

Posted on

PTSO Oct. 26, 2025 concert featuring Sous Chef on piano, modular synthesizer, and sampler

Sous Chef is a French Canadian/American musician/composer raised in Seattle with a music composition degree (with honors) from McGill University. He spent the last decade touring around the US, Canada, Japan & Europe with rum.gold, High Pulp, sunking, dentaru no tsuba, and occasionally solo as sous chef; producing records, composing, and making indie films scores while living between Seattle and BC. His bands have played on KEXP many times, been featured in the New York Times, and two of them are signed to Anti-Records.

Sous Chef has been a long time collaborator of artist Tsubasa Kato and has worked on pieces exhibited all over Japan including the Tokyo City Opera Art Gallery as well as abroad in Hong Kong, Finland, and the US & Canada. Now local (based in his Renton studio he built in 2024), he is exploring a more multimedia-based approach branching out from the purely musical, with aspirations of reaching ever greater means of expression. Based on his use of ancient and highly modern instruments, in conjunction with his deep love of film, his inspiration spans centuries and attempts to blend these seemingly distant and disparate elements together to create something wholly unique.

PROGRAM

William Grant Still, Threnody In Memory of Jan Sibelius
Sous Chef, Pas un Monde Mais un Miroir for keyboard, piano, electronics and orchestra *Premiere

intermission
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2

Posted on

Port Townsend Chamber Music Series – Oct. 18, 2025

Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 2 pm

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
45 Redeemer Way, Chimacum

This highly successful, FREE concert series featured local award-winning soloists, recitalists, chamber musicians and PTSO members. We payed to another packed house and featured 15 performers – musicians, poet and narrator. Donations are always gratefully accepted at the door. No tickets or reservations are required. A short reception was held after the concert.

Artistic directors for the series are pianists Michael Carroll and Sung-Ling Hsu, and cellist Pamela Roberts.

FEATURED ARTISTS WERE: Tamara Rotz, flute; Kristina Holm, bassoon; Karl Perry, violin; Pat Gunning, Philip Hirschi and Pamela Roberts, cello; Jessica Larson, Michael Carroll and Sung-Ling Hsu, piano; Vincent Oneppo, Al Thompson, Stephanie M. Neumann and Jonathan Doyle, saxophone; Merion Wright, narrator; Kathryn Hunt, poet and Philip Hirschi, composer.

For bios go to: https://ptsymphony.org/chamber-music-series-musicians/

PROGRAM

Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Pavane, Op. 50 for Saxophone Quartet by Gabriel Fauré (arr. Eddie Jennings) 
Classics for Saxophone Quartet by George Gershwin
Duet for Two Cellos Op. 22, No. 1 by Friedrich August Kummer
Sonata for Flute and Piano, FP 164 by Francis Poulenc 
“Recuerdo/On the Ferry” for Bassoon, Cello and Narrator (world premiere) by Philip Hirschi
“Do You Consider Yourself a Nature Poet?” for Bassoon, Cello and Narrator (world premiere)  by Philip Hirschi
Hungarian Dance #1 and #5 for Piano Duo by Johannes Brahms

Questions? Contact Pamela Roberts at pamelaroberts1@gmail.com.

The chamber concerts are attracting a devoted audience and word is getting out among musicians that it provides a fulfilling performance avenue for them. We keep our concerts to about one hour in length and feel positive about providing valuable and accessible musical experiences for the community. Join us!

Posted on

Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra concert – Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 2 pm

Poster by Pamela Roberts.

Mark Hilliard Wilson has an engaging approach to teaching and programing concerts that draws from the deep well of history and a desire to relate contemporary interests to universal themes. He founded the Seattle Guitar Orchestra in 2000 and became the cathedral guitarist at St. James Cathedral in Seattle 2006. He has taught at Whatcom Community College, Bellevue College, the Rosewood Guitar and is currently at the Holy Names Academy, his compositions are published by Seconda Prattica and performed widely. Recently Wilson premiered a concerto written for him by the Ukrainian composer Oleg Boyko.  Recently Wilson will be directed Guitar ensembles in the premier of a work he commissioned from Boyko at the 2023 Northwest Guitar Festival in Bellingham, Wa.  2023, released on Bandcamp The Music of Taiwo Adegoke, Changing the canon of the classical guitar with music from Nigeria. Music for Seattle Guitar Orchestra and cello and classical guitar featuring cellist Abbie Eads.  

In 2024 Wilson has worked with Scribe Studios to release a 6 set of music videos based on Wilson’s collaboration with Ukrainian composer in exile Oleg Boyko. Wilson worked with the Seattle Classic Guitar Society to commission a work called Secret Life of Trees for the Seattle Guitar Orchestra.  Further performances were o KING FM Northwest Focus Live and then the work was recorded at St James Cathedral with additional footage at Chuckanut mountain in Bellingham. 

Wilson is an in demand concerto soloist performing Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the Westsound Bremton Symphony the Octava orchestra in 2023 and in 2024 Wilson performed the other famous concerto by Rodrigo, the Fantasia para Gentilehombre with the Orquestra Northwest and the Octava orchestra. In April 2025 Wilson will perform the Heitor Villa Lobos concerto with the Port Townsend Symphony under the direction of Tigran Arakelyan.

PROGRAM

Heitor Villa-Lobos, Guitar Concerto with Mark Hilliard Wilson
John Williams arr. Jerry Brubaker, Harry Potter and the Goblin of Fire
John Willaims arr. Sean O’Loughlin, Star Wars, The Force Awakens
John Williams and John Ottman arr. Victor Lopez, Superman Returns
John Williams arr. Custer, Jurassic Park

Posted on

PTSO Chamber Music Series – Sat., April 26, 2025 at 2 pm; Grace Lutheran Church in Port Townsend

Poster and photo by Pamela Roberts.

PTSO Chamber Music Series features international mix of composers

The Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra (PTSO) Chamber Music Series will be hosted at Grace Lutheran Church in Port Townsend (1120 Walker St.) on Saturday, April 26 at 2 pm.

This free concert series features local soloists, chamber musicians and PTSO members. Donations are gratefully accepted at the door. No tickets or reservations are required. There will be a short reception after the concert.

Sung-Ling Hsu, recently appointed co-artistic director, shared, “This concert features an exciting international mix of composers from France, the United States, Switzerland, Russia, Argentina, and Austria. As an artistic director it’s been fun scouting around for new works. Of course, once we identify the pieces we must recruit musicians. We are fortunate to have eight experienced musicians performing in this concert, including a full quartet of strings, in addition to piano, flute and clarinet.”

Featured artists for this program are Marina Rosenquist, violin; Sara Mary Hall, violin; Tamara Rotz, violin and flute; Sung-Ling Hsu, viola and piano; Pamela Roberts, cello; Joel Wallgren, clarinet; Michael Carroll, piano;  and Helen Lauritzen, piano.

“These programs last about one hour with no intermission, a concert model that has proven to be quite popular with our local audience members,” stated Michael Carroll, co-artistic director.

PROGRAM

~  Sonata for Cello and Piano in A major, FWV 8 – Allegretto poco mosso by Cesar Franck.

~  Quartet No. 2 in D major for Strings,  Allegro moderato by Alexander Borodin.

~  La Calle 92 Duet for Viola and Cello by Astor Piazzolla.

~  Trio in D Major, Hob. XV:16 for Flute, Cello and Piano by Joseph Haydn.

~  String Trio In D minor – Allegretto by Volkmar Andreae.

~  Première Rhapsodie for Clarinet and Piano by Claude Debussy.

~ Piano Trio in B flat Major Op. 65 – Tranquillo by Arthur Foote.

ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

Michael Carroll, piano, studied with Robert Van Meter at Clarion State College in Pennsylvania. An experienced soloist, as well as choral and vocal accompanist, he was the staff pianist and program annotator for Seattle’s Thalia Symphony Orchestra for ten years. Michael lives in Port Ludlow and is pianist with the PTSO.

Sung-Ling Hsu, piano and viola, immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan. At university she majored in composition and after graduating worked in scoring and sound effects design. She lives in Quilcene and is highly devoted to chamber music. She is pianist at Port Ludlow Community Church and PTSO’s principal violist. 

Pamela Roberts, cello, graduated from the UW, studying with Eva Heinitz and Toby Saks. She was faculty cellist at the University of Puget Sound and a fellowship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival. A retired educational administrator, she lives in Quilcene and is the PTSO’s principal cellist.

MUSICIANS

Marina Rosenquist, violin, has primarily called the Olympic Peninsula home. A graduate of Lawrence University, she puts her education to use in her private studio, rehearsals, and occasional performances. Marina enjoys the gifts of her simple life in being a mum and wife.

Sara Mary Hall, violin, is a scientist by training with over 25 years of gene therapy experience as co-founder/CEO of biotech companies. She specializes in disorders of the eye. She has led multiple initiatives for women and girls in STEAM (STEM plus the Arts) and is PTSO’s principal of the second violin section.

Helen Lauritzen, piano, founded the Seattle Peace Chorus, which she directed for 14 years. In Port Townsend Helen accompanies singers and instrumentalists, sings in RainShadow Chorale and directs the local Threshold Choir.

Dr. Tamara Rotz, violin and flute, has a Master of Music Performance degree specializing in historical performance on flute, violin and viola. With a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies, she works at Peninsula College as the eLearning Administrator. She is a coach for the Kitsap Philharmonic Youth Symphony and a PTSO member.

Joel Wallgren, clarinet, is a graduate of Northwestern University where he studied with Russell Dagon, Steven Cohen, and J. Lawrie Bloom. He is Executive Director of the Poulsbo Community Orchestra where he works to keep classical music alive in our community.

For more information go to https://ptsymphony.org/chamber-music-series/.