THANK YOU SPONSORS!

Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society, Inc. P.O. Box 4264 Salisbury, NC 28145-4264 704-637-4314 www.salisburysymphony.org David Hagy, Music Director/Conductor Linda Jones, Executive Director Lynn Bowes, Education Director This project received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, and the Na-tional Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Non-Profit Organization US Postage

PAID Salisbury, NC Permit #27

Spring 2017

“Verdi’s Requiem…”Monumental!” The theme of this concert — Monumental — was not chosen at random. With a full orchestra and a choir of 200 voices, this performance of Verdi’s famous Req-uiem should “knock your socks off!” (we’ll have extra pairs in the lobby, just in case!). On our website, in the Listening Room, you can hear a bit of it; you might even recognize it… Our four soloists are some of the best in the country (“introductions inside this newsletter; full biographies on the website), and you know our orchestra musicians are the best in the area. Singers will travel from throughout the region to take part in this rare event: Catawba College Choirs, Concert Choir, Livingstone College Concert Choir, Pfeiffer University Concert Choir, Piedmont Choral Society, Stanly County Chorale, and Wake Forest University Concert Choir! Program Notes by Dr. Renee McCachren are available on our website, and in the Concert Program will be the words in both English and Latin. What a great way to spend a Palm Sunday afternoon! The concert is on Sunday, April 9th, 3:00 PM, in Keppel Auditorium. Tickets are available on the Symphony’s website (salisburysymphony.org) and at ticket outlets: Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sidewalk Deli in Salisbury, Pinocchio’s in Spencer, and the Crescent Pharmacy in Rockwell. Dr. Jerry Cochran is the man to thank for this special treat: he offered to sponsor it over three years ago when David Hagy said, “well, maybe…” Well, here it is!

Gershwin! Pops Concert Who does NOT like Gershwin? Isn’t his music fabulous?! We are thrilled to theme our entire pops concert with his music! From his Piano Concerto in F to his Cuban Overture — with a sprinkle of his Songs interspersed — this is a “feel good” concert, to be sure! And, our soloist, Nate Beversluis, is the perfect pianist to share this with us. You can sense a bit of his playfulness in our col-unn inside this newsletter, but for the full effect, we invite you to visit his website! You’re sure to chuckle! He graduated from Indi-ana University...same as our David Hagy; something there is about hoosiers!! The concert is scheduled for Saturday, May 13th, 7:30 PM, at Varick Auditorium at Living-stone College (wait until you see their new seats and carpeting!). The Warrens — Jeffery, Melissa, and Jordan — are the ones to thank for this delight-full pops concert; they are our Spon-sors. Come, join the Warrens and the rest of the Symphony Family for a pops concert that is a perfect ending to a VERY special Anniversary season!

50TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON FRED & ALICE STANBACK SEASON SPONSOR WDAV 89.9 FM MEDIA SPONSOR VERDI’S REQUIEM JERRY COCHRAN CONCERT TERESA MOORE-MITCHELL JASMINA HALIMIC, SOPRANO PHILLIP BURGESS CRISTY BROWN, MEZZO-SOPRANO BUD & BETTY MICKLE JAMES ALLBRITTEN, TENOR ANONYMOUS RICHARD OLLARSABA, BASS-BARITONE DIANA POTTS CHORUS PAT FEATHERSTON STRINGS SECTION TREVOR WILLIAMS & GAIL HOUNSHELL WOODWINDS SECTION JESSE & KAY McCARTNEY BRASS SECTION THOMAS & JOYCE CADDELL PERCUSSION SECTION CAROLYN ALEXANDER MUSIC GERSHWIN...POPS CONCERT JEFFERY, MELISSA & JORDAN WARREN CONCERT RAYMOND & KAY COLTRAIN PIANO SOLOIST JANE SMITH-STEINBERG SINGER SOLOIST BAYS & ASHLEY SHOAF STRINGS SECTION BONNIE FINNEY WOODWINDS SECTION, especially Susan Trivette PATSY RENDLEMAN BRASS SECTION BRYANT & KAY NORMAN PERCUSSION SECTION JORDAN WARREN MUSIC MARTY RICHARDS, MARY MESSINGER RECORDING LINDA JONES PRODUCTION, in honor of Randy Overcash LARRY & LAWANA FORD THIS NEWSLETTER Drawing by

Mark Stephenson

Drawing by Mark Stephenson

Lynn Bowes, Education Director It has been a busy couple of months! After kicking the year off with a

spectacular performance by the North Carolina Symphony for over 1,000 fifth

graders, we had a fantastic Family Concert with special guest Kyle Petty.

Also joining the Symphony was 140 members from the fifth grade honor

chorus, 12 students from the Rowan All-County Band, and members of the

Rowan Youth Orchestra. The band students and Rowan Youth Orchestra

musicians sat side by side the Symphony musicians throughout the concert playing with our SSO musicians. And, as a

special treat to area band students before the concert, the Symphony hosted master classes for winds and percussion.

In late January/late February, all of our Afterschool String Program locations (Landis Elementary, Isenberg

Elementary, and Granite Quarry Elementary) gave wonderful concerts to end the fall semester of classes. Our teachers,

Molly Trexler and Karen Franks, have been nothing short of spectacular with these students and to see the growth from

the beginning of the year is amazing. The spring semester of

Afterschool Strings is going strong and everyone is excited to hear the

concerts in May (look for dates and locations on the Salisbury

Symphony’s Facebook page). As we mentioned earlier, musicians from Rowan Youth

Orchestra joined the SSO on the Family Concert enjoying a wonderful

opportunity to learn and perform with professional musicians.

This year, the SSO has partnered with Center of the Faith and the

Arts, and one

of the exciting results of this great partnership was the

opportunity for the RYO to perform during the CFA’s annual fundraising event at the Lee Street Theater. They performed

selections from the concerts last spring and fall and are adding

some pop selections and a preview for the spring concert.

The Spring Concert for the Rowan Youth Orchestra is April 7,

7:00 PM, at First United Church of Christ in the Fellowship

Hall. The theme for this concert is Rivers and includes an

arrangement of Smetana's "Moldau", Balmages' "Tame the Raging Rapids", Yiruma's "A River Flows in You", and an

arrangement of Handel's "Water Music Suite". RYOSH also has a surprise that has nothing to do with rivers.

This has been an active winter/spring for RYO, with a performance of some sort every month! The season ends in

April with a pizza party funded by a donation from SOVA for last October's performance.

We are in the planning stages of 2017 Summer Strings Camp! The dates have been set for June 19-23. We are

happy to announce that Margaret Rehder, Carter Bradley, and David Miller will be joining us as teachers again this year.

Look for more information on our website soon.

For more information on any of our Music Education Programs, visit our website: SalisburySymphony.org.

COME, TICKLE OUR IVORIES! The unveiling of the third round of decorated pianos destined for shops along Main Street in Salisbury is

just a tad more than a month away! As you read this, students from seven more academic entities are busy

brainstorming and breathing new life into old donated pianos for this third year of the “Come Tickle Our Ivories!” piano project. Catawba College, Livingstone College, Hood Theological Seminary, Rowan-Cabarrus

Community College, North Hills Christian School, Rockwell Christian School, and the Rowan County Home

School Association are this year’s participants. Also, everyone’ favorite street artist, Joe Heilig, is putting his artistic talents to work on a new “display only” piano that will sit beneath the clock on the Square. Once again, these uniquely themed pianos will hit the street on the First Friday Out of May 5th and remain for play

and display through September.

SPOTLIGHT ON SOLOISTS… VERDI’S REQUIEM:

Jasmina Halimic, soprano Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “virtuoso...of technical prowess and expressive transparency…,” Ms. Halimic has performed all over the world. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she moved to Pittsburgh, PA as a teenager with her family due to political tensions

and war. Ms. Halimic completed her graduate studies at Indiana University and since then has

been an award winner in many competitions. She last performed Verdi’s Requiem with the Charleston Symphony.

Cristy Lynn Brown, mezzo-soprano Ms. Brown has had an extensive singing career on both the opera and concert stages; her

diverse operatic repertoire spans from the dramatic to the comic. She received her BM at

the UNCSC as well as an Artist Diploma; she received her MM in Vocal Performance

from UNC-G and is currently pursuing her DMA in Vocal Performance. Opera (London)

applauded her voice and acting as “rotund of voice [and] fiercely loyal of demeanour.”

James Allbritten, tenor Mr. Allbritten is beginning his third season as General Director for Piedmont Opera after

serving 10 years as its Artistic Director. He is the founding Artistic Director of the A.J.

Fletcher Opera Institute which established a $500,000 Endowment in his honor.

Richard Ollarsaba, bass-baritone Praised for his “expressive, resonant voice” (Sun-Times) and his “powerful, beautiful and well controlled sound,” (Opera Lively), Mr. Ollarsaba is well-known in the United States.

He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and holds

a post-graduate certificate and Master of Music degree from UNCSC. He recently

finished his residency with the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric

Opera of Chicago and Master of Music degree from UNCSA A.J. Fletcher Opera

Institute. He was an ensemble member with the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera

Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

GERSHWIN: Nate Beversluis, piano Nate is a New York based conductor, pianist, and composer active in multiple genres. His

interests as a composer include combining improvising musicians with chamber and symphonic

ensembles. In addition to writing music, Nate enjoys creating unique contemporary

arrangements of American Songbook classics for jazz artists and transcribing existing classical

music for other instrumentations and ensembles. A native of Indianapolis, Nate was drawn to

music of all kinds from a young age. He began his conducting career with Greensboro

Symphony Orchestra as assistant, concerto and cover conductor to Dmitry Sitkovetsky, where he

developed his own brand of riotously entertaining education and pops concerts for children and

families. He holds a degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University and a graduate degree in

Orchestral Conducting from CCM. He’s sure to entertain us!

Lynn Bowes, Education Director It has been a busy couple of months! After kicking the year off with a

spectacular performance by the North Carolina Symphony for over 1,000 fifth

graders, we had a fantastic Family Concert with special guest Kyle Petty.

Also joining the Symphony was 140 members from the fifth grade honor

chorus, 12 students from the Rowan All-County Band, and members of the

Rowan Youth Orchestra. The band students and Rowan Youth Orchestra

musicians sat side by side the Symphony musicians throughout the concert playing with our SSO musicians. And, as a

special treat to area band students before the concert, the Symphony hosted master classes for winds and percussion.

In late January/late February, all of our Afterschool String Program locations (Landis Elementary, Isenberg

Elementary, and Granite Quarry Elementary) gave wonderful concerts to end the fall semester of classes. Our teachers,

Molly Trexler and Karen Franks, have been nothing short of spectacular with these students and to see the growth from

the beginning of the year is amazing. The spring semester of

Afterschool Strings is going strong and everyone is excited to hear the

concerts in May (look for dates and locations on the Salisbury

Symphony’s Facebook page). As we mentioned earlier, musicians from Rowan Youth

Orchestra joined the SSO on the Family Concert enjoying a wonderful

opportunity to learn and perform with professional musicians.

This year, the SSO has partnered with Center of the Faith and the

Arts, and one

of the exciting results of this great partnership was the

opportunity for the RYO to perform during the CFA’s annual fundraising event at the Lee Street Theater. They performed

selections from the concerts last spring and fall and are adding

some pop selections and a preview for the spring concert.

The Spring Concert for the Rowan Youth Orchestra is April 7,

7:00 PM, at First United Church of Christ in the Fellowship

Hall. The theme for this concert is Rivers and includes an

arrangement of Smetana's "Moldau", Balmages' "Tame the Raging Rapids", Yiruma's "A River Flows in You", and an

arrangement of Handel's "Water Music Suite". RYOSH also has a surprise that has nothing to do with rivers.

This has been an active winter/spring for RYO, with a performance of some sort every month! The season ends in

April with a pizza party funded by a donation from SOVA for last October's performance.

We are in the planning stages of 2017 Summer Strings Camp! The dates have been set for June 19-23. We are

happy to announce that Margaret Rehder, Carter Bradley, and David Miller will be joining us as teachers again this year.

Look for more information on our website soon.

For more information on any of our Music Education Programs, visit our website: SalisburySymphony.org.

COME, TICKLE OUR IVORIES! The unveiling of the third round of decorated pianos destined for shops along Main Street in Salisbury is

just a tad more than a month away! As you read this, students from seven more academic entities are busy

brainstorming and breathing new life into old donated pianos for this third year of the “Come Tickle Our Ivories!” piano project. Catawba College, Livingstone College, Hood Theological Seminary, Rowan-Cabarrus

Community College, North Hills Christian School, Rockwell Christian School, and the Rowan County Home

School Association are this year’s participants. Also, everyone’ favorite street artist, Joe Heilig, is putting his artistic talents to work on a new “display only” piano that will sit beneath the clock on the Square. Once again, these uniquely themed pianos will hit the street on the First Friday Out of May 5th and remain for play

and display through September.

SPOTLIGHT ON SOLOISTS… VERDI’S REQUIEM:

Jasmina Halimic, soprano Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “virtuoso...of technical prowess and expressive transparency…,” Ms. Halimic has performed all over the world. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she moved to Pittsburgh, PA as a teenager with her family due to political tensions

and war. Ms. Halimic completed her graduate studies at Indiana University and since then has

been an award winner in many competitions. She last performed Verdi’s Requiem with the Charleston Symphony.

Cristy Lynn Brown, mezzo-soprano Ms. Brown has had an extensive singing career on both the opera and concert stages; her

diverse operatic repertoire spans from the dramatic to the comic. She received her BM at

the UNCSC as well as an Artist Diploma; she received her MM in Vocal Performance

from UNC-G and is currently pursuing her DMA in Vocal Performance. Opera (London)

applauded her voice and acting as “rotund of voice [and] fiercely loyal of demeanour.”

James Allbritten, tenor Mr. Allbritten is beginning his third season as General Director for Piedmont Opera after

serving 10 years as its Artistic Director. He is the founding Artistic Director of the A.J.

Fletcher Opera Institute which established a $500,000 Endowment in his honor.

Richard Ollarsaba, bass-baritone Praised for his “expressive, resonant voice” (Sun-Times) and his “powerful, beautiful and well controlled sound,” (Opera Lively), Mr. Ollarsaba is well-known in the United States.

He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and holds

a post-graduate certificate and Master of Music degree from UNCSC. He recently

finished his residency with the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric

Opera of Chicago and Master of Music degree from UNCSA A.J. Fletcher Opera

Institute. He was an ensemble member with the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera

Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

GERSHWIN: Nate Beversluis, piano Nate is a New York based conductor, pianist, and composer active in multiple genres. His

interests as a composer include combining improvising musicians with chamber and symphonic

ensembles. In addition to writing music, Nate enjoys creating unique contemporary

arrangements of American Songbook classics for jazz artists and transcribing existing classical

music for other instrumentations and ensembles. A native of Indianapolis, Nate was drawn to

music of all kinds from a young age. He began his conducting career with Greensboro

Symphony Orchestra as assistant, concerto and cover conductor to Dmitry Sitkovetsky, where he

developed his own brand of riotously entertaining education and pops concerts for children and

families. He holds a degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University and a graduate degree in

Orchestral Conducting from CCM. He’s sure to entertain us!

LOOKING BEHIND While looking in our rear-view mirror, we see cherished friends we have left behind lately this season: Ms. Xzantippa “Tippie” Miller supported not only the arts in our community but many organizations,

and we believe she was instrumental in the realization of the Hospice House. Ms. Patricia Safrit Harris performed with the Salisbury Symphony—Patricia Safrit, violinist—when

we first became an orchestra. Later she supported our efforts by sponsoring our Associate Concertmaster. Michael Austin was our wonderful Principal Percussionist. You last enjoyed his talents in our 2016

Nutcracker. And, when you attended any musicals by the Catawba College Theatre Department or Piedmont Players or Lee Street Theatre, you probably saw/heard him there, too. He gave the music verve!

We appreciate ALL the donations to the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society in memory — and appreciation — of these generous people. Thank you!

LOOKING AHEAD How can David Hagy surpass a 50th Anniversary season as extraordinary as this one? Here’s how! Next season, we offer an extra concert: Lutherans are celebrating the quincentennial of Martin Luther’s

famous posting on the church door. Begin the season with us at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Saturday, September 23rd when, together, we celebrate with Bach’s Cantata No. 80, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 Reformation, and more! Piedmont Dance Theatre will once again collaborate with us to gift you the classic holiday treat, “The Nutcracker” on Saturday and Sunday, December 16 & 17. Our concert season officially opens on Saturday, October 21st—as close as we could get to the very first concert we gave on November 12, 1967 — with “The 3 B’s 3s”! Bach’s Brandenburg No. 3, Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 will show off how far the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra has grown these past 50 years! For our Family Concert on Sunday afternoon, February 18th, we pay special tribute to Maestro Leonard Bernstein who, through his Young People’s Concerts, introduced so many of us to the joys of classical music. On March 24th, we share a concert of all Dvorak, featuring our own Mara Barker on bass and Ryan Graebert on cello. Our pops concert will end the season with special guest Darrell Harwood on guitar; mark Saturday, May 5th, for that treat! The North Carolina Symphony will present the fifth concert of our season, but at this printing, we do not yet know the date or the program. As they say in the music world, “Stay tuned!” Two fun fundraisers are also on the calendar: for those of you who enjoyed the “Ed Sullivan Show Tribute,” know that our committee is feverishly creating a take-off on the NPR program, “A Prairie Home Companion.” Ours will be called “A ‘Bury Home Companion,” and will feature delicious local talents with host, Kent Bernhardt (I wonder if he will wear red socks!). This is scheduled for Saturday, August 26th at the Meroney Theatre. And, the Big Band Bash, set for Saturday, January 6th, will be an elegant salute to jazz artists Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey! Oh, and of course, there’s next year’s Pops at the Post! And, did we mention that Fred & Alice Stanback have already offered to be our Season Sponsors?! Wow! It keeps getting better and better! You should receive your Season Brochures in the mail before our pops concert this season, and we’ll have extra copies there. WE COULDN’T DO THIS WITHOUT THEM! When we considered the challenges of creating a season worthy of a 50th anniversary, we knew we would need to raise additional funds. Enter our Honorary Guest Conductors! They began by donating their funds, their resources, and their time. As a result, we have been able to share with you the very best musicians possible. I hope you have reveled in the artistry on our stages; and we encourage you to seek out and thank Charles & Rachel Oestreicher Bernheim, Mary Messinger, Bill & Shari Graham, Gerry Hurley, Bill & Nancy Stanback, Fred & Alice Stanback, Lee & Mona Wallace, F&M Bank, Cloninger Ford/Toyota/Scion, Catawba College, and Livingstone College. Through their efforts and your generosity, we raised the additional funds needed to realize our goals of financing our special season and increasing our Endowment Fund Special thanks go out, too, to our hard-working and care-giving Board of Directors, headed by John Brincefield.

WE COULDN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!

SHORT SUBJECTS!

I’ve been lucky enough to work with and for the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society and its Guild for over 13 years. It has been an honor...an education...a pleasure! I look forward to the new heights this orchestra and you, its supporters, will reach with a new Executive Director beginning next season. I look forward to purchasing my ticket at the box office and being shown my seat by Guild Volunteers, to enjoying the concerts amongst my friends, to cheering on the young musicians in their concerts, and to receiving invitations to fundraisers so I can continue to do my part to support you. The warmth of your welcome back in the fall of 2003 still fills my heart. Thank you all for your help, your patience, your generous natures! Here’s one of my favorite quotes...overheard back in October of 2007: the husband asked, “How much have we given to the Symphony?” The wife answered, “Not enough!” We received a hand-written “thank you” from the family of one of our Rowan Youth Orchestra members after they performed along-side Salisbury Symphony musicians in the Family Concert last February. In part, they wrote: “Dr. Hagy—Thank you for taking the time to work with our children. We appreciate the extra work you all do to grow the next generation of symphony members!...We are so lucky to have such a wealth of music and arts programs in Salisbury and we appreciate the work you do to nurture the talent in our students. Megan was so excited when she got in the car after the Friday night rehearsal! Thank you to Sarah and everyone seated near her for making Megan feel welcome! Thank you to Mrs. Keller for taking the time to help Megan grow as a musician…”

From THE WEEK (July 26, 2013): “When singing is truly heartfelt...As choir singers harmonize, their breathing and heartbeats synchronize in time with the music—creating a rewarding feeling of one-ness...Researchers found that the pulses of the singers increased and decreased together as the music’s tempo changed. When the songs required the singers to breathe in unison, their heartbeats were especially aligned…’ When you’re singing together, you are synchronizing with other people, and harmonizing your hearts.’” (Maybe that’s where “Bless their hearts” came from!)

HAPPY BELATED ST. PADDY’S DAY TO YOU!! Hope you enjoyed your corned beef! The Friends of the Sym-phony decorated for the Luck of the Irish party and prepared corned beef with all the trimmings. It is always such a lovely evening with old and new friends. Will and Mary James opened their home again, and Mary Ann McCubbin led the entertainment for the evening. For their generosity — and everyone’s time and talents — we send a hearty THANK YOU!!

A big THANK YOU also goes to John and Pam Schaffer for opening their lovely home on April 6th for our San-gria Pre-concert Social. David Hagy will talk about the upcoming Requiem by Verdi; as always, he’ll bring the music to life with his descriptions of the upcoming event. The ladies of the guild deserve a thank you for the delicious food and great fellowship we’ve come to expect. Thank you again to the Schaffers for supporting our Friends event.

As you know, our major fundraiser of the season will be a Golf Tournament held on May 19th at the Revival at the Crescent Golf Club. I hope you read the article in the paper explaining all the wonderful changes that are being made to this course. We expect it to be in terrific shape for the tournament. This year we are charging $75 per player or $300 per team. Holes are selling for $300; and $150 will get you signage on either a tee or green. A $1,000 Sponsorship will in-clude a team of four, signage on the course, and inclusion in any advertisement for the event. We will keep your name anonymous, if you prefer. The day includes a box lunch, drinks on the course, and light refreshments during the an-nouncement of winners. Winners will include first and second place teams, closest to the hole, longest drive, and more. To sign up for play or donate, please contact Angie Smith—704-431-4447. On May 19th, registration will begin at 12:00 with a 1:00 pm starting tee time. Come, join us for a fun afternoon!!

The Friends of the Symphony’s Thank You Luncheon will be held on June 15th at Waterworks at 12:00 noon. Featured entertainment by Rowan Youth Orchestra will round out a perfect luncheon. If you do not receive an invitation and would like to attend or become a member of Friends, please contact Angie Smith—704-431-4447. We would love to have you join us!!

Thank you for your support of the Friends of the Symphony!

FRIENDS OF THE SYMPHONY

LOOKING BEHIND While looking in our rear-view mirror, we see cherished friends we have left behind lately this season: Ms. Xzantippa “Tippie” Miller supported not only the arts in our community but many organizations,

and we believe she was instrumental in the realization of the Hospice House. Ms. Patricia Safrit Harris performed with the Salisbury Symphony—Patricia Safrit, violinist—when

we first became an orchestra. Later she supported our efforts by sponsoring our Associate Concertmaster. Michael Austin was our wonderful Principal Percussionist. You last enjoyed his talents in our 2016

Nutcracker. And, when you attended any musicals by the Catawba College Theatre Department or Piedmont Players or Lee Street Theatre, you probably saw/heard him there, too. He gave the music verve!

We appreciate ALL the donations to the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society in memory — and appreciation — of these generous people. Thank you!

LOOKING AHEAD How can David Hagy surpass a 50th Anniversary season as extraordinary as this one? Here’s how! Next season, we offer an extra concert: Lutherans are celebrating the quincentennial of Martin Luther’s

famous posting on the church door. Begin the season with us at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Saturday, September 23rd when, together, we celebrate with Bach’s Cantata No. 80, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 Reformation, and more! Piedmont Dance Theatre will once again collaborate with us to gift you the classic holiday treat, “The Nutcracker” on Saturday and Sunday, December 16 & 17. Our concert season officially opens on Saturday, October 21st—as close as we could get to the very first concert we gave on November 12, 1967 — with “The 3 B’s 3s”! Bach’s Brandenburg No. 3, Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 will show off how far the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra has grown these past 50 years! For our Family Concert on Sunday afternoon, February 18th, we pay special tribute to Maestro Leonard Bernstein who, through his Young People’s Concerts, introduced so many of us to the joys of classical music. On March 24th, we share a concert of all Dvorak, featuring our own Mara Barker on bass and Ryan Graebert on cello. Our pops concert will end the season with special guest Darrell Harwood on guitar; mark Saturday, May 5th, for that treat! The North Carolina Symphony will present the fifth concert of our season, but at this printing, we do not yet know the date or the program. As they say in the music world, “Stay tuned!” Two fun fundraisers are also on the calendar: for those of you who enjoyed the “Ed Sullivan Show Tribute,” know that our committee is feverishly creating a take-off on the NPR program, “A Prairie Home Companion.” Ours will be called “A ‘Bury Home Companion,” and will feature delicious local talents with host, Kent Bernhardt (I wonder if he will wear red socks!). This is scheduled for Saturday, August 26th at the Meroney Theatre. And, the Big Band Bash, set for Saturday, January 6th, will be an elegant salute to jazz artists Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey! Oh, and of course, there’s next year’s Pops at the Post! And, did we mention that Fred & Alice Stanback have already offered to be our Season Sponsors?! Wow! It keeps getting better and better! You should receive your Season Brochures in the mail before our pops concert this season, and we’ll have extra copies there. WE COULDN’T DO THIS WITHOUT THEM! When we considered the challenges of creating a season worthy of a 50th anniversary, we knew we would need to raise additional funds. Enter our Honorary Guest Conductors! They began by donating their funds, their resources, and their time. As a result, we have been able to share with you the very best musicians possible. I hope you have reveled in the artistry on our stages; and we encourage you to seek out and thank Charles & Rachel Oestreicher Bernheim, Mary Messinger, Bill & Shari Graham, Gerry Hurley, Bill & Nancy Stanback, Fred & Alice Stanback, Lee & Mona Wallace, F&M Bank, Cloninger Ford/Toyota/Scion, Catawba College, and Livingstone College. Through their efforts and your generosity, we raised the additional funds needed to realize our goals of financing our special season and increasing our Endowment Fund Special thanks go out, too, to our hard-working and care-giving Board of Directors, headed by John Brincefield.

WE COULDN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!

SHORT SUBJECTS!

I’ve been lucky enough to work with and for the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society and its Guild for over 13 years. It has been an honor...an education...a pleasure! I look forward to the new heights this orchestra and you, its supporters, will reach with a new Executive Director beginning next season. I look forward to purchasing my ticket at the box office and being shown my seat by Guild Volunteers, to enjoying the concerts amongst my friends, to cheering on the young musicians in their concerts, and to receiving invitations to fundraisers so I can continue to do my part to support you. The warmth of your welcome back in the fall of 2003 still fills my heart. Thank you all for your help, your patience, your generous natures! Here’s one of my favorite quotes...overheard back in October of 2007: the husband asked, “How much have we given to the Symphony?” The wife answered, “Not enough!” We received a hand-written “thank you” from the family of one of our Rowan Youth Orchestra members after they performed along-side Salisbury Symphony musicians in the Family Concert last February. In part, they wrote: “Dr. Hagy—Thank you for taking the time to work with our children. We appreciate the extra work you all do to grow the next generation of symphony members!...We are so lucky to have such a wealth of music and arts programs in Salisbury and we appreciate the work you do to nurture the talent in our students. Megan was so excited when she got in the car after the Friday night rehearsal! Thank you to Sarah and everyone seated near her for making Megan feel welcome! Thank you to Mrs. Keller for taking the time to help Megan grow as a musician…”

From THE WEEK (July 26, 2013): “When singing is truly heartfelt...As choir singers harmonize, their breathing and heartbeats synchronize in time with the music—creating a rewarding feeling of one-ness...Researchers found that the pulses of the singers increased and decreased together as the music’s tempo changed. When the songs required the singers to breathe in unison, their heartbeats were especially aligned…’ When you’re singing together, you are synchronizing with other people, and harmonizing your hearts.’” (Maybe that’s where “Bless their hearts” came from!)

HAPPY BELATED ST. PADDY’S DAY TO YOU!! Hope you enjoyed your corned beef! The Friends of the Sym-phony decorated for the Luck of the Irish party and prepared corned beef with all the trimmings. It is always such a lovely evening with old and new friends. Will and Mary James opened their home again, and Mary Ann McCubbin led the entertainment for the evening. For their generosity — and everyone’s time and talents — we send a hearty THANK YOU!!

A big THANK YOU also goes to John and Pam Schaffer for opening their lovely home on April 6th for our San-gria Pre-concert Social. David Hagy will talk about the upcoming Requiem by Verdi; as always, he’ll bring the music to life with his descriptions of the upcoming event. The ladies of the guild deserve a thank you for the delicious food and great fellowship we’ve come to expect. Thank you again to the Schaffers for supporting our Friends event.

As you know, our major fundraiser of the season will be a Golf Tournament held on May 19th at the Revival at the Crescent Golf Club. I hope you read the article in the paper explaining all the wonderful changes that are being made to this course. We expect it to be in terrific shape for the tournament. This year we are charging $75 per player or $300 per team. Holes are selling for $300; and $150 will get you signage on either a tee or green. A $1,000 Sponsorship will in-clude a team of four, signage on the course, and inclusion in any advertisement for the event. We will keep your name anonymous, if you prefer. The day includes a box lunch, drinks on the course, and light refreshments during the an-nouncement of winners. Winners will include first and second place teams, closest to the hole, longest drive, and more. To sign up for play or donate, please contact Angie Smith—704-431-4447. On May 19th, registration will begin at 12:00 with a 1:00 pm starting tee time. Come, join us for a fun afternoon!!

The Friends of the Symphony’s Thank You Luncheon will be held on June 15th at Waterworks at 12:00 noon. Featured entertainment by Rowan Youth Orchestra will round out a perfect luncheon. If you do not receive an invitation and would like to attend or become a member of Friends, please contact Angie Smith—704-431-4447. We would love to have you join us!!

Thank you for your support of the Friends of the Symphony!

FRIENDS OF THE SYMPHONY

THANK YOU SPONSORS!

Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society, Inc. P.O. Box 4264 Salisbury, NC 28145-4264 704-637-4314 www.salisburysymphony.org David Hagy, Music Director/Conductor Linda Jones, Executive Director Lynn Bowes, Education Director This project received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, and the Na-tional Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Non-Profit Organization US Postage

PAID Salisbury, NC Permit #27

Spring 2017

“Verdi’s Requiem…”Monumental!” The theme of this concert — Monumental — was not chosen at random. With a full orchestra and a choir of 200 voices, this performance of Verdi’s famous Req-uiem should “knock your socks off!” (we’ll have extra pairs in the lobby, just in case!). On our website, in the Listening Room, you can hear a bit of it; you might even recognize it… Our four soloists are some of the best in the country (“introductions inside this newsletter; full biographies on the website), and you know our orchestra musicians are the best in the area. Singers will travel from throughout the region to take part in this rare event: Catawba College Choirs, Concert Choir, Livingstone College Concert Choir, Pfeiffer University Concert Choir, Piedmont Choral Society, Stanly County Chorale, and Wake Forest University Concert Choir! Program Notes by Dr. Renee McCachren are available on our website, and in the Concert Program will be the words in both English and Latin. What a great way to spend a Palm Sunday afternoon! The concert is on Sunday, April 9th, 3:00 PM, in Keppel Auditorium. Tickets are available on the Symphony’s website (salisburysymphony.org) and at ticket outlets: Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sidewalk Deli in Salisbury, Pinocchio’s in Spencer, and the Crescent Pharmacy in Rockwell. Dr. Jerry Cochran is the man to thank for this special treat: he offered to sponsor it over three years ago when David Hagy said, “well, maybe…” Well, here it is!

Gershwin! Pops Concert Who does NOT like Gershwin? Isn’t his music fabulous?! We are thrilled to theme our entire pops concert with his music! From his Piano Concerto in F to his Cuban Overture — with a sprinkle of his Songs interspersed — this is a “feel good” concert, to be sure! And, our soloist, Nate Beversluis, is the perfect pianist to share this with us. You can sense a bit of his playfulness in our col-unn inside this newsletter, but for the full effect, we invite you to visit his website! You’re sure to chuckle! He graduated from Indi-ana University...same as our David Hagy; something there is about hoosiers!! The concert is scheduled for Saturday, May 13th, 7:30 PM, at Varick Auditorium at Living-stone College (wait until you see their new seats and carpeting!). The Warrens — Jeffery, Melissa, and Jordan — are the ones to thank for this delight-full pops concert; they are our Spon-sors. Come, join the Warrens and the rest of the Symphony Family for a pops concert that is a perfect ending to a VERY special Anniversary season!

50TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON FRED & ALICE STANBACK SEASON SPONSOR WDAV 89.9 FM MEDIA SPONSOR VERDI’S REQUIEM JERRY COCHRAN CONCERT TERESA MOORE-MITCHELL JASMINA HALIMIC, SOPRANO PHILLIP BURGESS CRISTY BROWN, MEZZO-SOPRANO BUD & BETTY MICKLE JAMES ALLBRITTEN, TENOR ANONYMOUS RICHARD OLLARSABA, BASS-BARITONE DIANA POTTS CHORUS PAT FEATHERSTON STRINGS SECTION TREVOR WILLIAMS & GAIL HOUNSHELL WOODWINDS SECTION JESSE & KAY McCARTNEY BRASS SECTION THOMAS & JOYCE CADDELL PERCUSSION SECTION CAROLYN ALEXANDER MUSIC GERSHWIN...POPS CONCERT JEFFERY, MELISSA & JORDAN WARREN CONCERT RAYMOND & KAY COLTRAIN PIANO SOLOIST JANE SMITH-STEINBERG SINGER SOLOIST BAYS & ASHLEY SHOAF STRINGS SECTION BONNIE FINNEY WOODWINDS SECTION, especially Susan Trivette PATSY RENDLEMAN BRASS SECTION BRYANT & KAY NORMAN PERCUSSION SECTION JORDAN WARREN MUSIC MARTY RICHARDS, MARY MESSINGER RECORDING LINDA JONES PRODUCTION, in honor of Randy Overcash LARRY & LAWANA FORD THIS NEWSLETTER Drawing by

Mark Stephenson

Drawing by Mark Stephenson