Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra Peter Wilson, Music Director

G“A Concert Celebrating Black Lives”

Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 3:00 PMWaynesboro, VA

Via LIVESTREAM

Contributions Gratefully Acceptedat

www.wsomusic.org

G

A Note from the Music DirectorIt is my great pleasure to welcome you to this second chamber concert of 2021 brought to you by the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra, celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season. This is my 14th season as WSO Music Director, and since stepping on the podium in 2007, I have had the pleasure of witnessing a remarkable evolution in this wonderful organization, artistically,

administratively, and in its audience. I am so very proud of all we have accomplished together as an ensemble and equally motivated about our future. It is such a privilege to be part of this community that has such giving musicians as well as patrons who are so dedicated and appreciative of the arts. Since 1996, the WSO has had a rich history of serving the Waynesboro, Staunton, and greater Shenandoah Valley communities and providing opportunities for local musicians to collaborate while adding cultural vitality to the region.

In this surreal time of a pandemic, we all have had our lifestyles turned upside down. As musicians, we long to perform together again as a full symphony orchestra, but we must act responsibly to protect each other as well as our patrons. We mourn the loss of life and empathize with the hardships so many have faced during this challenging time. Still, in the spirit of music being a powerful tool for comforting and healing, we felt it important to try and provide a musical offering of some kind. First, we

came together for a virtual performance of the Allegretto from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, which is available to experience on the WSO YouTube Channel. In lieu of our orchestral season opener for 2020-21, we presented our very first concert as “A Chamber Music Offering,” featuring several of the leaders from within your Waynesboro Symphony. Little did we know that our concert on March 1, 2020 would be our final orchestral performance of last season combined with an unknown future. It was a fantastic “Beethoven’s 250th Birthday Bash” featuring the symphonic master’s “Triple” Concerto performed by violinist Ertan Torgul, cellist Jennifer Kloetzel, and pianist Robert Koenig. It was thrilling to be able to reunite with those soloists over a livestreaming zoom chat during the week of Beethoven’s birthday in December, complete with a replay of the “Triple” performance and Q&A with the artists and viewers. Now that we are in a new calendar year, we will continue to bring you chamber music until we are all able to join together as an orchestra. In January, we presented “The American Spirit” featuring music composed by Americans or inspired by the American experience. This concert, taking place during Black History Month is entitled “A Concert Celebrating Black Lives” and features music exclusively written by Black composers.

We are uncertain as to how this 25th season will conclude or what lies ahead for next season; however, we appreciate your patience and ask that you continue to visit our website at wsomusic.org for updates. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our program today, offered via Livestreaming on our YouTube Channel. As always, I would like to extend a hearty thank you to the WSO musicians, staff, board of directors, and all of you for your continued support and the opportunity to join with you in another great season of music making – albeit presented a bit differently! Best wishes to each of you, and we look forward to seeing you in person, hopefully very soon! – PW

Program“A Concert Celebrating Black Lives”

Selections from FIVE FOLKSONGS IN COUNTERPOINT for String Quartet Florence Price

(1887-1953)

Clementine (Tempo moderato) Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes (Andante cantabile) Shortnin’ Bread (Allegro)

Jacob Roege & Lianne Campbell, violinsStanley Beckwith, viola

Beth Cantrell, cello

QUINTET in F-sharp minor for Clarinet and Strings, Op. 10 Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

(1875-1912)

I. Allegro energicoII. Larghetto affetuosoIII. Scherzo: Allegro leggieroIV. Finale: Allegro agitato

James Tobin, clarinetJacob Roege & Lianne Campbell, violins

Stanley Beckwith, violaBeth Cantrell, cello

Molto Adagio from STRING QUARTET No. 1 George Walker (1922-2018)

Peter Wilson & Jacob Roege, violinsLianne Campbell, viola

Beth Cantrell, cello

SUITE for Violin and Piano William Grant Still (1895-1978)

I. African DancerII. Mother and ChildIII. Gamin

“DEEP RIVER” – Negro Spiritual Traditional arr. Jascha Heifetz

(1901-1987)

Peter Wilson, violinRussell Wilson, piano

MILLENNIUM: Suite for Violin and Double Bass Aaron Clay (b. 1967)

I. AwakeningII. Forgotten AngelsIII. Escape from History

“WONDER TUNES” Stevie Wonder (b. 1950)

arr. Peter Wilson (b. 1968)

Peter Wilson, violinAaron Clay, double bass

Program Notes

PRICE: Five Folksongs in Counterpoint for String Quartet

Florence Beatrice Price (1887-1953) is considered the first black woman in the United States to be recognized as a symphonic composer. Even though her training was steeped in European tradition, Price’s music consists of mostly the American idiom while revealing her Southern roots. Her mother, a soprano and pianist, carefully guided her early musical training, and at age fourteen, she enrolled in the New England Conservatory of Music with a major in piano and organ. She studied composition and counterpoint with George Chadwick and Frederick Converse, writing her first string trio and symphony in college, and graduating in 1907 with honors and both an artist diploma in organ and a teaching certificate. She taught in her native Arkansas from 1907–1927 and married Thomas J. Price, an attorney, in 1912.

After a series of racial incidents in Little Rock, particularly a lynching that took place in 1927, the family moved to Chicago where Price began a new and fulfilling period in her compositional career. She studied composition, orchestration, and organ with the leading teachers in the city including Arthur Olaf Anderson, Carl Busch, Wesley La Violette and Leo Sowerby and published four pieces for piano in 1928. While in Chicago, Price was at various times enrolled at the Chicago Musical College, Chicago Teacher’s College, Chicago University and American Conservatory of Music, studying languages and liberal arts subjects as well as music. Price’s friendship with the young composer Margaret Bonds resulted in a teacher-student relationship and the two women began to achieve national recognition for their compositions and performances. In 1932, both Price and Bonds submitted compositions for the Wanamaker Foundation Awards. Price won first and second place with her Symphony in E minor and for her Piano Sonata. Bonds came in first place in the song category, with a song entitled Sea Ghost. The Chicago Symphony, conducted by Frederick Stock, premiered the winning composition, Symphony In E Minor on June 15, 1933. A number of Price’s other orchestral works were also played by the WPA Symphony Orchestra of Detroit and the Chicago Women’s Symphony.

Price wrote other extended works for orchestra, chamber works, art songs, works for violin, organ anthems, piano pieces, spiritual arrangements, four symphonies, three piano concertos, and a violin concerto. Some of her more popular works are: Three Little Negro Dances, Songs to a Dark Virgin, My Soul’s Been Anchored in de Lord for piano or orchestra and voice, and Moon Bridge. Price made considerable use of characteristic black melodies and rhythms in many of her works. Her “Concert Overture on Negro Spirituals,” “Symphony in E minor,” and “Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint” (aka Five Folksongs in Counterpoint) for string quartet, all serve as excellent examples of her idiomatic work. Deeply religious, Price frequently used the music of the black church as material for her arrangements. In 1949, Price published two of her spiritual arrangements, “I Am Bound for the Kingdom,” and “I’m Workin’ on My Buildin’,” and dedicated them to the black contralto Marian Anderson, who performed them on a regular basis.

COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: Clarinet Quintet

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) was an English composer and conductor born in London of mixed race. His father was from Sierra Leone and his mother from England. Coleridge-Taylor, like Mozart, was quite prolific as a composer but would also suffer the similar fate of dying young – in his mid-30s (37 years old of pneumonia). He was admitted to the Royal College of Music in 1890 as a violinist and would compose his impressive Te Deum setting in the same year. His early works were for chamber ensembles and reflected the influence of Brahms, later turning to larger works for orchestra and chorus. Coleridge-Taylor found himself particularly drawn to the music of Dvořák much like the audiences of his native land, and like his idol, he found himself drawn to the music of America and that of the Black culture there. By 1896, Coleridge-Taylor was already earning a reputation as a composer and was later helped by Edward Elgar, who recommended him to the Three Choirs Festival where his “Ballade in A minor” was premiered. His early work was also guided by the influential music editor and critic August Jaeger of music publisher Novello. Jaeger told Elgar that Coleridge-Taylor was “a genius.” In 1898, he composed the cantata Scenes from “The Song of Hiawatha,” which became one of his most popular works. He made three visits

to the United States early in the 20th century, and the White orchestral musicians of New York were so impressed by his conducting skills, they dubbed him the “African Mahler.”

During the 1890s while still a student, Coleridge-Taylor composed in rapid fashion several works of chamber music including a Piano Quintet (c. 1893), a Nonet (c. 1893), a Piano Trio (1893), Fantasiestücke for String Quartet (1895), the Quintet in F-sharp for Clarinet and Strings, Op. 10 (1895), and a lost String Quartet (1896). He presented the Clarinet Quintet to his teacher Charles Villiers Stanford, who later shared it with Brahms’ friend and violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim during a trip to Berlin in 1897. Joachim apparently played it privately with colleagues, all of whom were quite impressed. While Brahms’ influence is apparent in most Coleridge-Taylor works, Dvořák and the use of folk songs is most prominent in the Clarinet Quintet.

WALKER: Molto Adagio from String Quartet No. 1

George Walker (1922-2018) was a remarkable Black American composer, pianist, and organist who was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music, awarded in 1996 for his composition Lilacs. Walker was born in Washington, D.C. His father emigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica and became a physician. Walker’s mother supervised his first piano lessons at 5 years old. He attended Oberlin Conservatory as a piano and organ student and in 1939 became the organist for the Graduate School of Theology of Oberlin College. He graduated at 18 from Oberlin with highest honors in his Conservatory class and was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music to study piano with Rudolf Serkin, chamber music with William Primrose and Gregor Piatigorsky, and composition with Rosario Scalero (a student of Samuel Barber). Walker graduated from the Curtis Institute with Artist Diplomas in piano and composition in 1945, becoming one of the first black graduates of the music school.

As a composer, Walker’s music has been influenced by a wide variety of musical styles due to his exposure to the music of Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven, jazz, folk songs, and church hymns. Unwilling to conform to a specific style, Walker drew from his diverse knowledge of previous music to create something which he could call his own.

While a work such as Spatials for Piano uses twelve-tone serial techniques, Walker would also write in the style of pop music such as in his song Leaving. According to Mickey Terry, traces of old black spirituals can also be found in his second Sonata for Violin and Piano. D. Maxine Sims has stated that Walker’s piano technique is also reflected in his works, such as his Piano Sonata No. 2. This sonata contains changing meters, syncopation, and bitonal writing which all present great challenges for a performer.

Walker offered the following note at the front of the published score to his first String Quartet:

“String Quartet No. 1 was composed in 1946 after my graduation from the Curtis Institute of Music and my debut recital as a pianist in Town Hall, New York and as a soloist with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra in the 3rd Piano Concerto of Rachmaninoff at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. . . . The second movement (Molto Adagio of Walker’s String Quartet), after an introduction that recurs at the very end, alternates linear melodic phrases, imitated in all parts, with measures of repose. This movement was excised from its original context, arranged for string orchestra and titled, LYRIC FOR STRINGS. It has been performed in this setting by many of the major orchestras and chamber ensembles in this country.”

STILL: Suite for Violin and Piano

William Grant Still (1895-1978) was an American composer of nearly 200 works, including five symphonies, four ballets, eight operas, over thirty choral works, plus art songs, chamber music and works for solo instruments. Often referred to as the “Dean of Afro-American Composers,” Still was the first American composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera. Still is known primarily for

his first symphony, Afro-American Symphony (1930), which was, until 1950, the most widely performed symphony composed by an American. Born in Mississippi, he grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, attended Wilberforce University and Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and was a student of George Whitefield Chadwick and Edgard Varèse.

Of note, Still was the first African-American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony (his 1st Symphony) performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major opera company, and the first to have an opera performed on national television. Due to his close association and collaboration with prominent African-American literary and cultural figures, Still is considered to be part of the Harlem Renaissance movement.

In 1943, Still wrote his Suite for Violin and Piano, which took as its inspiration from three sculptures: Richmond Barthé’s African Dancer, Sargent Johnson’s Mother and Child, and Augusta Savage’s Gamin. Each of these works was created in the 1930s and each artist was associated with the Harlem Renaissance.

The first movement of the Suite is “Suggested by Richmond Barthé, African Dancer.” Barthé (1901-1989) came to New York from school at the Art Institute of Chicago where it was his anatomy class that shifted Barthé’s attention away from painting and towards sculpture. Bought in 1933 by the Whitney Museum of American Art, the same year he created it, the statue captures a figure in the extasy of dance. Formally, it’s considered a conservative piece for the 20th century – there’s little in the way of abstract or avant-garde in it. At the same time, presenting a black figure in a non-racist manner was radical for the time. The music conveys the urgency in the image that, in a way, the sculpture is unable to express. The music presents a number of different tempos, as of a dance, all with a blues twist to the melody.

The second movement, “Suggested by Sargent Johnson, Mother and Child,” gives us a number of works that might have been the inspiration. Mother and Child can refer to any number of sculptures and paintings that Johnson (1887-1967) created with that title. Writers believe that the large number of works with that title might stem from the fact that

he was orphaned at age 15 and spent some time in foster homes, some time with his aunt and uncle, and later with his grandparents. He and his five siblings were separated by the grandparents, who sent the girls to schools in Pennsylvania and the boys to schools in Massachusetts. Although associated with the Harlem Renaissance, Johnson was based in San Francisco. Born in Boston, his family changes took him to Chicago and then, in 1915, to San Francisco. His sculpture is noted for its clean lines, and on conveying the natural dignity of the figure. A similar minimal line is found in his drawing. Still’s Mother and Child, the slow middle movement, takes us to a work that seems more like a lullaby – gentle movements and a slow rocking rhythm. The movement was later made into a separate piece for string orchestra.

The final movement, “Suggested by Augusta Savage, Gamin,” takes a bust by a young sculptor and puts in solidly in the world of the blues. The insouciance of the figure is taken up by the violin in a way that conveys all the mischievousness inherent in the bust. Gamin dates from early in Savage’s career and it won her a scholarship to travel to Europe. The figure may have been inspired by a homeless boy on the street or perhaps the artist’s nephew. One writer saw in the figure “child’s expression appears much wiser than his years, suggesting he has seen much hardship.” The wrinkled shirt and cap do much to convey his difficulties in life.

Throughout the Suite, William Grant Still brings elements of popular music, blues figures, and syncopated rhythms to the salon. Each movement, based on three different artists with three very different styles, brings us the classical three-movement Fast-Slow-Fast tempo changes, but in a very modern manner.

TRADITIONAL (arr. HEIFETZ): Deep River

Deep River is an anonymous African-American spiritual, popularized by Henry Burleigh in his 1916 collection Jubilee Songs of the USA. The song was first mentioned in print in 1876, when it was published in the first edition of The Story of the Jubilee Singers: With Their Songs, by J. B. T. Marsh. By 1917, when Burleigh completed the last of his several influential arrangements, the song had become very popular in recitals. It has been called “perhaps the best known and best-loved spiritual.”

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The melody was adopted in 1921 for the song Dear Old Southland by Henry Creamer and Turner Layton, which enjoyed popular success the next year in versions by Paul Whiteman and by Vernon Dalhart. Deep River has been sung in several films. The 1929 Show Boat featured it mouthed by Laura La Plante to the singing of Eva Olivetti. Paul Robeson famously sang it accompanied by male chorus in the 1940 movie The Proud Valley. Deep River is also one of five spirituals written into the 1941 oratorio A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett. An operatic adaptation was sung by Denyce Graves at the memorial service for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she was taken to lie in state on September 25, 2020.

For violinists, there is no better-known adaptation than the one arranged by violin virtuoso Jascha Heifetz. Heifetz wrote his version for violin and piano in 1938, and it has become a popular encore for countless concert violinists in recital.

CLAY: Millennium Suite

Aaron Clay (b. 1967) began composing for violin and double bass within a year of the formation of the string duo “Bridging the Gap,” which Clay cofounded with his friend and colleague of the Marine Band, violinist Peter Wilson. When Wilson and Clay committed to performing together as a duo, the existing repertoire conceived for the violin and double bass as a duo was scarce. Early in their collaboration, they transcribed or arranged several pieces, but it was simply a matter of time before they would begin composing original works for the duo. Following their first appearance on the “Millennium Stage” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1998, Clay was inspired by the fast-approaching Y2K and composed a larger concert work entitled MILLENNIUM: Suite for Violin and Double Bass. In this rich and powerful three-movement work, Clay does not shy away from the extremes in range and color presented by these instruments. In fact, he embraces their differences and proves that together their sound is compatible, vivid, and fresh. From the tag-team cadenzas that open and close “The Awakening” to the deeply passionate “Forgotten Angels,” this tour de force concludes with “Escape from History,” a presto movement that can stand alone as an exciting encore.

WONDER (arr. WILSON): Wonder Tunes

Stevie Wonder (b. 1950), is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music during the second half of the 20th century, Wonder is one of the most successful songwriters and musicians. A virtual one-man band, his use of synthesizers and further electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B. Wonder is often hailed as a “genius,” and has been credited as a pioneer and influence to musicians of various genres including rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz.

A recipient of over 20 Grammy Awards, Wonder also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and was awarded The Gershwin Prize for songwriting by The Library of Congress in 2009.

WSO music director Peter Wilson, who has written dozens of arrangements for his string duo with Aaron Clay, composed his “Wonder Tunes” arrangement in 2009 for the Kennedy Center Honors reception at The White House, during which the duo performed for Stevie Wonder, one of the honorees that year.

The MusiciansStanley Beckwith (WSO Principal Viola) is a full-time violist and teacher in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has worked with numerous orchestras and chamber ensembles including the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Greater Washington, the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Chamber Orchestra, and the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra. He is also the violist of the Triforce Quartet, a string quartet that performs video game music for audiences both nationally and internationally. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Stanley studied with George Taylor and Helen Fall.

Linda Blondel (WSO Pianist) grew up in Baltimore and graduated from Peabody Preparatory in piano and music theory. She graduated from Bennington College, having majored in music and dance. Linda and her husband have lived for 40 years in Charlottesville, Virginia, where they raised two sons. She performs chamber music regularly, teaches piano privately, and is the pianist at Cove Presbyterian Church. Linda has worked with many university student and faculty musicians since 1982, including violinist Svend Ronning and cellist Paige Riggs.

Lianne Campbell (WSO Principal 2nd Violin) studied with Estella Frankel, Sylvia Ahramjian, Barbara Westphal and Dr. Benson Headley at Wichita State University. A native of Delaware, she was on the faculty of the Wilmington Music School for ten years along with having her own studio. She moved to the Charlottesville area in 1997, and in addition to soloing with a number of orchestras, Ms. Campbell possesses extensive orchestral and chamber music experience and performs with the Virginia Consort, the Oratorio Society and other local orchestras. A strings teacher at the Field School of Charlottesville, she is also a certified Suzuki teacher, having taught for over 33 years through a violin studio within her home in Crozet, Virginia.

Elizabeth Cantrell (WSO Principal Cello) teaches children and adults at Suzuki Institutes and workshops in the United States and the United Kingdom. A registered teacher trainer, she currently serves as Chair-Elect of the Board of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and is a

member of its Cello Committee. She maintains an active private studio at Crozet Arts in Crozet, Virginia. In addition to teaching, Dr. Beth has performed with many groups in Central Virginia including the Afton String Quartet, the Richmond Symphony, and Wintergreen Festival. Prior to moving to Virginia with her family in 2001, she was principal cellist for the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, on the faculty of Kennesaw State University, and active in the Atlanta area as a teacher, chamber and orchestral performer, adjudicator, and recording studio musician. She can be heard as soloist on the best-selling album Orinoco Flow by The Taliesin Orchestra. Dr. Beth earned degrees in cello performance and music history from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Florida State University, and the University of Georgia.

Aaron Clay distinguishes himself regularly as a uniquely versatile double bassist. He commands great respect as a performer in both the classical and jazz worlds of bass playing, but it was The Washington Post that observed, “What sets [Clay] apart is elegant bowing… His melodic lines have a cello-like glow and flexibility….” Aaron grew up in Fairmont, West Virginia and began studying music at age 10 when he taught himself to play the electric bass. He later pursued classical training on the upright double bass in high school and went on to graduate from West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he studied with Richard Manspeaker. In 1989, he was selected to join the U.S. Navy Band in Washington, DC, where he served one enlistment. He went on to audition successfully for the Marine Band where he currently serves as Section Leader and Principal Bassist, making regular appearances at The White House performing in virtually every type of musical ensemble that is tasked. Aaron also serves as Principal Bassist of the Alexandria Symphony and Fairfax Symphony Orchestras and has performed in such jazz and pop groups as The Kenny Rittenhouse Quartet, The Peter Fraize Quartet, and First Light. He has appeared with such legendary performers as Aretha Franklin and Joe Williams and is also an active composer, arranger, and soloist. Following a performance with the Lawton Philharmonic, the Lawton Constitution raved “Clay’s graceful performance was thrilling to watch; his execution of the difficult piece resembled the elegant technique of a seasoned cellist.” Aaron has frequently appeared with the Waynesboro Symphony including a solo performance in 2014 of Nino Rota’s Divertimento Concertante for Contrabass and Orchestra.

Jacob Roege (WSO Associate Concertmaster) has built a versatile career as a performer, teacher, and administrator in the arts. He has worked in a wide variety of genres from Baroque and Classical to contemporary video game music, as well as musicals, opera, and rock shows. In addition to his work with the WSO, Jake has performed with the Roanoke, Lansing, Jackson, Fairfax, and UNISA Orchestras. As a violinist with the Triforce Quartet, he has performed internationally to sold out crowds, recorded three albums, and collaborated with Japanese composer, Saori Kobayashi. Jake teaches violin at James Madison University as well as Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He was honored to join the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival in 2018, continuing this year as Principal 2nd Violin. Jake received a Bachelor of Music in Music Industry from James Madison University, where he studied violin with Dr. Wanchi Huang and a Master of Music in Violin Performance from Michigan State University, studying with violinist I-Fu Wang. Additionally, he has worked with violinists Elisabeth Adkins and Ilya Kaler, as well as the Cypress and Shanghai String Quartets.

James Tobin (WSO Principal Clarinet) has performed with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Quad Cities Symphony, Ash Lawn Opera, Opera on the James, The Oratorio Society of Virginia, and the Virginia Consort. He has performed as guest with the Albemarle Ensemble and performs frequently with the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia. As a soloist James has been featured several times in the Concerts at Cove summer chamber series. He maintains a large clarinet studio and appears as clinician throughout Central Virginia. James frequently appears in schools on behalf of the Charlottesville Symphony Preludes program, and he has given masterclasses at Virginia Tech, UVA-Wise, and in Charlottesville. He is the founding director of the Youth Orchestra of Charlottesville—Albemarle Clarinet Ensemble and the Charlottesville Clarinet Workshop.

Peter Wilson (WSO Music Director) is an engaging and multifaceted violinist, conductor, arranger, composer, and ambassador of music whose artistry has been noted as “first-class” by The Washington Post. He serves as Music Director of the Waynesboro Symphony and Richmond Philharmonic Orchestras in Virginia and Concertmaster of the American Festival Pops Orchestra in the National Capital Region.

Peter is the former senior enlisted musical advisor to The White House, where he performed for three decades as a violinist in support of countless dignitaries and celebrities during five Presidential administrations. He served as String Section Commander for “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band and upon retiring was awarded the Legion of Merit. Peter has conducted the National Symphony and National Gallery of Art Orchestras, is a faculty member at George Mason University, and holds music degrees from Northwestern University and The Catholic University of America, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts.

Peter began his career as Concertmaster of the Walt Disney World Orchestra and has soloed in many unique venues including the American Embassy in Paris, the Presidential Retreat at Camp David, and the Vatican before Pope John Paul II. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015 and has appeared as soloist with such legends as Rosemary Clooney, Renée Fleming, Bernadette Peters, Randy Travis, and Trisha Yearwood. He performed Theme from “Schindler’s List” at The Kennedy Center under the baton of Academy Award-winning film composer John Williams, who wrote of the occasion, “[Peter’s] poignant, tender and highly personal reading of the music made clear to all that we were in the presence of a brilliant musical artist.” The Washington Post additionally praised his “impassioned violin solo.” He also performed at the Library of Congress with Gershwin Prize recipient Stevie Wonder in the world premiere of Wonder’s “Sketches of a Life.” Peter is frequently invited to perform his moving violin solo arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner for high-profile events including Major League Baseball games. In addition, Peter is cofounder of the acclaimed string duo “Bridging the Gap” (with bassist Aaron Clay), which has been hailed by The Washington Post for “superior arrangements and uncommon musicianship.”

A Cleveland native, Peter began studying violin at age two, later moving to Morgantown, West Virginia, where he became the first musician ever to receive the Governor’s Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Arts. He studied conducting with Victor Yampolsky, trained with Marin Alsop and Gustav Meier, and worked with Leonard Slatkin at the National Conducting Institute, an intensive leadership training program for rising music directors. ClevelandClassical.com reviewed a live concert recording at the National Gallery of Art, stating it was

“…beautifully performed by the National Gallery Chamber Players under the direction of conductor Peter Wilson.” Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia national music fraternity honored Peter with the prestigious “Signature Sinfonian” award for his “outstanding commitment and dedication to the performing arts while serving as a successful role model.” The Strad magazine encapsulated his performances best when it stated, “[Wilson] made music that had the stamp of quality.”

Russell Wilson of Clinton, MD began piano lessons at age 7 and began playing hymns for his church at age 12. He earned a bachelor’s degree in classical piano performance and a master’s degree in jazz, both from the University of Maryland in College Park. In 2002, while a junior in college, he joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band where he plays a wide variety of music styles on the piano, harpsichord, accordion, and electric keyboards in public concerts and private events at The White House and throughout the National Capital Region. In 2010, Russell won the Carolina Ragtime Competition, and in 2013 he won the World Championship Old Time Piano Playing contest in Peoria, Illinois. Russell and his wife Elizabeth live in College Park, Maryland with their four home-schooled children, Barnabas (7), Naomi (4), and Mary & Lydia (2-year-old twins). Russell has frequently collaborated with the Waynesboro Symphony including a performance at The Paramount Theatre in Charlottesville in 2016 of Addinsell’s “WARSAW CONCERTO” for Piano and Orchestra.

R. David Anderson in memory of Joan Elizabeth Balla Kiser Anderson

Dr Gil Ayres

Ms. Cherry Bourque in Memory of Daniel Bourque

Monica and Richard Bronski

Judith Erickson

Dick and Donna Goodling

Jim Hall in Memory of Alma Hall

Sam and Melissa Hostetter

Karen and John Hudson

Carol and Bill Jennings

Dr. And Mrs. Robert E Keeton

Jake and Deborah Kleinschuster in memory of Gene Wood

John Lanham in honor of Lisa McDermott and Mark Riggle

Jean Morgan in Memory of Robert Morgan

Linda Parker and Michael Hartford

David and Rosalyn Preston

Frank and Beverly Purstell

Charles and Mary Queen

Lainie and Joe Rainwater in Honor of Mark and Karen Catron

Marylin M. Riggan

Marv and Annette Schaff

Fred and Alison Schultz in Honor of Drs Laura Jean and Asher Brand

Carolyn Sellers

Robert and Pamela Simpson

Jennifer Sulzberger and Bob Ducharme

Joyce Tipton

Ann Weiland

Mr. Benjamin Wells

Don Whiteman

Dave and Lynn Wirth

Emma Jean Wise

Nina and Alexander Yagupsky in memory of Jamie N. Yagupsky

Rudolph Yobs

Anonymous donor

Music in this concert is sponsored by:

Waynesboro Symphony Donors 2020-2021

Legacy Society WSO patrons who have remembered the Symphony in their Estate Planning

Mary Louise LeakeMollie McCurdy

Mrs. Virginia H. Ross

Star >5,000 Atlantic Union BankLaura Jean and Asher BrandJeane CustinGib and Lynn StevensonMary and C. B. Wilson Maestro > 2,500 Brig. General and Mrs. William AlexanderMrs. Beverly Brown Community Foundation Central Blue RidgeBetty & Ed Dinwiddie Dominion Energy Charitable FoundationDavid and Rosalyn PrestonMr. Rudolph Yobs

Director > 1,000+ Bobbie and Mark BonarThe Carr Family Foundation Joe and Susan DavisPete and Beverly Frank John Frazee Jr Linnea Grim Jake and Deborah Kleinschuster In memory of Gene WoodAnne and Charles Salembier Dick and Judy SchillingFred and Alison Schultz To honor Drs Laura Jean and Asher BrandDrs. Mary J Wahlstrom & John Casey Ms. Ann Weiland

Concertmaster > 500+ AnonymousGregory and Jacquelyn Bednarz Dr. and Mrs. Michael CunninghamTimothy Cunningham The Event Center at Turk Mountain Patricia Hunt Peggy and Steve King Frank and Betty Lucente Thomas McKenzieAnn McPherson Curtis Mischler Frank and Beverly PurstellDr. Mitch and Marion SamsGary and Linda ScroghamSheetz Inc Bob and Bonnie WeberHarvey and Leslie Wilcox

Artist > 250+ Byrd and Jim Abbott Joyce Allen AnonymousJon and Bonnie BarlowStu and Nina CrowShirley and Paul Dana Jennifer Sulzberger and Bob DuCharmeMrs. Suzanne Ferguson In memory of RADM James B Ferguson IIIWalter Flora In memory Alice Von Seldneck FloraDrs. Melissa and Samuel HostetterKaren and John HudsonAnnie Laurie and Mason Hulen

Mrs. Claire Ober COL Melissa Patrick USA (Ret)Lynda Sawyer Robert Jochen and Christopher SmithGail MannLainie and Joe Rainwater Jim and Mary Ellen WeaverDon Whiteman

Benefactor >125 +Albert and Vivian Attermeyer Ms. Cherry Bourque In memory of Daniel BourqueMonica and Richard BronskiChad BrownStu and Nina Crow Sarah and Virginia Francisco Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Howlett Marilee Jones Ann Mische Merrie Ott Fred and Bonnie PowellNancy and Wes Ross Velma and Kevin Ryan Ellen Schorsch Robert and Pamela SimpsonGary and Marcia Tyeryar Susan WalkerMr. Benjamin WellsStephen and Lynanne Wilson Anne Wood Patron > 50+ Peter and Linda AagaardR. David Anderson Dr. Gil AyersVirginia Barber Wendy and John Beiler Frederick Blanton Linda Blondel Ruth Cameron Karen ChambleeRoxanne ChandlerDale and Janice Coffey Barbara Colson Nancy and Dan Cook Charles Culbertson & Janet Hamilton

Jim Condon and Sherry Westfall Mrs. Frances CraigBarbara Creasy Lynn Davis & Rich Evans In honor of Laura Jean Brand for her talent and hard workSara and Steve Doherty Mary Alice and Charlie DownsPatricia DruryJulie and Joel DwyerSusan Elder Judith Erickson Jean Flaherty Connie Friend Donald and Lynda Futtrell Sandy Greene Susan GreeneMichael Hartford and Linda ParkerSarah Hauschka Kyle HausrathMark and Sandra Henderson Lucy Ivey Paula and Philip Klann Douglas and Cecelia Kramer Carol and Bill JenningsAlice Justice Dr. and Mrs. Robert KeetonDale and Chantal Kennedy Laura Kirkpatrick Dr. John Lanham In Honor of Lisa McDermott and Mark Riggle Susan and Patrick Long Sue and Doug MacTavish Rosemary Maddocks Charles and Jill Martorana Barbara Matysek and David Snyder Jean Morgan In memory of Robert MorganAnn Musselman Betty NatoliSharon and Bill Posey Charles and Mary QueenJune and Howard RatcliffeMarylin RigganKaren Rosasco Stanley Rose

Lucille Salatin Annette Schaff Darrell Schwalm Carolyn Sellers Ed Shepherd Jr. Andy and Andi Shifflett Jane and Denny Sigloh In honor of Bob Michael Sams and his contributions to the orchestraMichael and Anne Skrutskie Lillian C Sloan Judy SmithHouston and Laura Sorenson Mildred Steele Thursday Morning Music ClubJoyce TiptonBob and Judy von BernuthEmma Jean WiseDrs Douglas and Victoria WeissTrinaLisa Welsheimer Ruth Williams Nina and Alexander Yagupsky

DonorNancy Boyer-Rechlin Terri Danneels Janice Gentry

R. E. HarrisC M Hausrath Faye and Worley King Judith A Kloetzel Emilie Myers Ruth Ann Noblette Ann and Robert Oakes Karen PoosJan Reid Kevin and Marylin Ryan Ann Salamini Cliff and Lynn Scott Charlotte Shnaider Dave and Lynn WirthDan and Sue Woodworth

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22222222WSO Principal Chair SponsorsMusic Director, Peter WilsonConcertmaster, Wanchi

Jeane CustinAssoc. Concertmaster, Jacob Roege

Mrs. Beverly BrownSecond Violin, Lianne Campbell

Bill and Anne AlexanderViola, Stanley Beckwith

Rudy YobsCello, Beth Cantrell

Anna M. Day FoundationAsst. Principal Cello, Brian Helmke

AnonymousDouble Bass, J. Michael Priester

Dr. and Mrs. Michael CunninghamAsst. Principal Bass, Lindsay Lam

Mitch Sams and Kelly GodseyFlute, Debbi Stephenson

Gib and Lynn StephensonClarinet, James Tobin

Drs. Asher and Laura Jean BrandOboe, Gabriela Dech

Joe and Susan DavisBassoon, Suzanne Pattison

Mary and C.B. WilsonHorn, Catherine Creasy

Drs. Mary Whalstrom and John CaseyTrumpet, Nick Harvery

Mary McDermott and Bill JongewardTrombone, Andrew Lankford

Jeane CustinTuba, Barry Slayton

AnonymousPercussion, Charlie Nesmith

Anne and Charles Salembier

22222222WSO Board of Directors

Charles Salembier, PresidentRichard Schilling, Vice President

Danny Leech, TreasurerPeter Wilson, Music Director

Carrie Blake, SecretaryLaura Jean Brand, Stage Manager

Gabriela Dech, Orchestra & Personnel ManagerLisa McDermott, LibrarianAnne Seaton, DevelopmentMark Catron, Development

Mary Louise Leake, DevelopmentDr. Lise Keiter, MBU Representative

David Preston, FinanceMary Wahlstrom, Finance

Elizabeth Gatewood, AdvisorRobert Harris, Advisor

Dr. Richard Guy Wilson, Advisor

We fully support all kindsof wind power.

Dominion Energy is dedicated to supporting a wide range of cultural activities that enrich the spirit and

strengthen our communities.

Power has many sources, but perhaps none energizes our lives and communities quite like the arts. At Dominion Energy, we applaud them all by providing our support. Whether it’s a rousing symphony, delicate ballet, engaging theater performance, or inspiring museum or art opening, we’re proud to play our part. To learn more about how we’re putting our energy to work for the arts, visit DominionEnergy.com/Foundation.

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General InformationMembership in the WSO is open to student, amateur and professional

musicians, at the discretion of the Music Director. The orchestra rehearses on Tuesdays from 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. in Waynesboro.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Waynesboro Symphony should visit the WSO web page: www.wsomusic.org or contact

Charles Salembier, Board President, email: wcs@ntelos.net, phone: (540) 942-3828.

Waynesboro Symphony OrchestraP.O. Box 671 • Waynesboro, VA 22980

The Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) organization.This allows the orchestra to accept tax-deductible contributions.

Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra

Upcoming EvEnts

“Spring into Spring”Sunday, April 25, 2021

at 3:00 PMVIA LIVESTREAM ONLY

Featuring music by Beethoven, Mozart and Vivaldi

We’re proud to support the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra

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Thank you for bringing beautiful music to our community.