Dear Friends,

What a thrill it is to welcome you to the 53rd season of concerts with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra.  We open a new chapter in ASO history this season as Michael Repper begins his tenure as Music Director and Conductor.   With an enthusiastic new Music Director, a cadre of outstanding musicians, and a discriminating and appreciative audience, we are poised to enjoy a great year of music together.  ASO will present both familiar and new musical offerings that we expect will delight, challenge, inspire, console, stimulate, or refresh you (or perhaps do a combination of those things).

The ASO Board of Directors thanks you for your continuing support of our outstanding orchestra.  We welcome your comments about the ASO and its programs, so please do not hesitate to share your thoughts with any of the Board members.  We look forward to finding ways to make each concert even more rewarding for you.

Enjoy the music.

Michael Hupfer
President, ASO Board of Directors

Dear Ashland Symphony Orchestra Patrons,

It is my great privilege to welcome you to our concerts at the marvelous Robert M. & Janet L. Archer Auditorium. I am incredibly proud to be taking the helm as Ashland’s new Music Director, and to continue to grow this jewel of Ashland County. We are going to make tremendous music together and enjoy a wonderful communal spirit. Our concerts are a place for everyone – come and enjoy, and be sure to introduce yourself! Our musicians and I are incredibly proud to share our work with you, and we hope you enjoy every minute!

Michael Repper
Music Director and Conductor
Ashland Symphony Orchestra

Here’s to NEW beginnings! For this momentous concert season, we welcome Michael Repper as the ASO’s new Music Director and Conductor, a new Fan Club for students in grades 9-12 and college students, pieces that are new to both patrons and musicians, new collaborations, new fundraisers, the ASO’s new Volunteers Coordinator Mark Gorsuch and new House Manager Ivey Buffenmyer, new complimentary children’s tickets, and much more.

We are back together again in the concert hall and I look forward to welcoming returning patrons as well as new audience members.
Come listen to what people are talking about!

Martha Buckner
Executive Director
Ashland Symphony Orchestra

SCHUMANN, Clara Wieck: Piano Concerto, op.7, A minor

Born: 13 September 1819 in Leipzig, Germany
Died: 20 May 1896 in Frankfurt, Germany

Instrumentation: 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets, 1 Trombone, Timpani, Strings, Solo Piano

Duration: Approximately 20 Minutes

Clara Wieck (later Schumann, after marrying Robert Schumann), is regarded as one of the most accomplished pianists of the Romantic Era, and indeed in the history of Western music performance. Her father, who trained her diligently from a very young age, recognized her talent immediately. Clara was taken by her father to the musical centers of Europe, most notably Paris, and Clara became extremely popular as a young performer. Her skill was prodigious, and she was also known to perform from memory, which was not a standard tradition at the time.

She began composing this concerto at the age of 13. She completed one movement, which as a standalone unit is referred to as the Konzertsatz (Concert Piece), and after orchestrating it herself, performed it in many locations. She later added two movements to complete the concerto, a thrilling opening movement, and a second movement that features an extended duet between the cellist and the pianist. The work was completed in early September, 1835, just before she turned 16.

Clara premiered the work herself alongside the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (which is still in existence!), with her close friend Felix Mendelssohn conducting.

The concerto is exceptionally difficult for the pianist, particularly in the third movement. Reserved only for the most skilled pianists, one imagines an awe-struck audience in Germany watching Clara play this piece, which she wrote herself!

SCHUMANN, Robert: Symphony No.3, op.37, E-flat major (Rhenish)

Born: 8 June 1810, Zwickau
Died: 29 July 1856, Bonn

Composed in 1850 and Premiered in 1851 in Düsseldorf

Instrumentation: 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 4 Horns, 2 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Timpani, Strings

Duration: 35 Minutes

The Schumann family is regarded as one of the most important and influential musical families in Europe in the 19th centuries. Robert and his wife Clara were both extremely accomplished composers, and Clara was one of the most celebrated concert pianists of the time. It thus made sense that, when an opening for Municipal Music Director in Düsseldorf became available in 1850, Robert Schumann was invited to take the position.

To this point, most of Robert Schumann’s pieces were for piano solo. For many years, however, his wife Clara noted that Robert’s musicianship would shine through orchestral writing. The early part of this decade, surrounding their move to Düsseldorf, is a showcase of Robert’s prodigious talent (and testament to Clara’s intuition), as some of Robert’s most celebrated orchestral works were written fairly quickly (including his cello concerto and Spring Symphony).

The Rhine River was relatively new to Robert, as he was originally from Saxony in Southeast Germany. The Rhine rises from the Alps and flows Northwest and empties in The Netherlands. The third symphony, as the name would suggest, was heavily influenced by the Schumanns’ impression of the river, particularly the second movement, which has a lilting, waltz feeling, conveying a “morning on the Rhine,” as Schumann originally wrote. The fourth movement was written after Robert and Clara visited the extremely impressive and imposing cathedral in Cologne (which sits directly on the Rhine) for the ascension of Cardinal Archbishop von Geissel to his role as Cardinal. Schumann waits until this movement to introduce the trombones, and the trombones cast an organ-like ambiance which might itself be a reference to the cathedral.

The outer movements feature telltale signs of Robert Schumann’s work during this period. Both of these movements feature sunny themes and, particularly in the first movement, presents new material at the end. A very fun piece, it is a great way to continue our season at the Ashland Symphony Orchestra!

Praised by the Baltimore Sun for his “confidence and expressive nuance,” Michael Repper is one of the most sought-after young conductors in the world. With work spanning four continents, Mr. Repper has an international reputation for engaging and exciting audiences of all spectrums, and for promoting new and diverse musical talents. Mr. Repper is a recipient of both the 2020 and 2021 Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Awards, which were given in recognition of his work with the New York Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall, Northern Neck Orchestra of Virginia, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, and other ensembles worldwide. An ardent supporter, advocate, and educator of young people, Mr. Repper’s mission is to use music as a vehicle for positive change within our communities. Michael is the Chief Conductor of the Central Ensembles of Sinfonía por el Perú in Lima, one of the world’s most versatile social impact music organizations, as well as the Music Director of the New York Youth Symphony, which performs at Carnegie Hall. He has also been the Music Director of the Northern Neck Orchestra of Virginia since 2015.

Mr. Repper has collaborated on large-scale productions of symphonic and theatrical works with the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ravinia Festival, Peabody Institute of Music, and the New School of Music, among others. An avid pianist, he regularly performs as a soloist alongside his orchestras and choruses, and as an orchestral player as well. Most recently, he played in the Chicago Symphony for their performances of Bernstein’s Mass, which was broadcast on PBS Great Performances.

Alongside the standard repertoire, Mr. Repper is especially invested in programming new music and showcasing fresh talent. His ensembles have performed dozens of world premieres and pursued innovative commissions, as well as a variety of Carnegie Hall premieres from established and emerging composers. Mr. Repper was the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Conducting Fellow for two seasons, and served as New Music Consultant to the Baltimore Symphony. A trusted ear, Mr. Repper is asked to assist and cover at orchestras nationwide, including the St. Louis Symphony, and for Naxos recordings with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra. His experience with choruses has been recognized with significant positions, including his tenure as the Music Director at the Baltimore Basilica, the first Catholic Cathedral in the United States. Internationally, Mr. Repper has performed with some of the most highly regarded ensembles and in the world’s greatest venues, including a debut with the São Paulo Symphony in 2016, and at the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona in 2019.

Mr. Repper’s recent album with the New York Youth Symphony, on AVIE Records, features world premiere recordings of works by Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, and Valerie Coleman. The album has peaked at #1 on the Billboard Charts and plays on the radio all over the world.

As an educator, Mr. Repper has traveled to Europe and South America to work with young ensembles. As Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of Maryland, he ushered in a slate of innovative educational programming, such as the Reinecke Youth Chamber Music Scholarship and Fellowship Program, providing $1000 scholarships and performance opportunities for students in the Mid-Atlantic. He conducts several masterclasses each year for orchestras from all over the United States on behalf of the New York Philharmonic.

Catch news of his full season of upcoming concerts at Carnegie Hall and worldwide at www.mikerepper.com.

(photo credit Mark Harry Westling)

Hailed by the Herald-Tribune for his “dazzling pianism verging on the impossible, effortless technical command and authority with a sense of poetry and refinement that belies his years,” Indian-American pianist Vijay Venkatesh has been recognized on three continents as a pianist with profound musicianship, sparkling pianism and an innate sense of partnership. Vijay has rapidly established a major international reputation as top prizewinner in the San Jose, Seattle, Zimmerli, World Piano, and Waring International Piano Competitions. He has also been named a Davidson Fellow Laureate at the Library of Congress, USC Thornton’s Discovery Scholar, Grand Prize Winner of the Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Awards and featured on NPR’s “From the Top” with host Christopher O’Riley.

Highlights of Mr. Venkatesh’s recent and upcoming season include debuts with the Pasadena Symphony and Joseph Young in Mozart’s D Minor Concerto, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra with Eckart Preu, Bangor Symphony with Lucas Richman, and Ashland Symphony with Michael Repper in Clara Schumann’s Concerto, the LaGrange Symphony with Richard Prior in Grieg’s Piano Concerto, and at Le Salon Musiques in Chopin’s Concerto in F Minor. Additionally, Venkatesh has solo recitals and chamber music with Vieness Piano Duo at the Crystal Theatre, Camerata Musica, DaCamera Society, Irvine Performing Arts Center, L’ermitage Foundation, Muzewest, Ridgecrest Chamber Music Society, a debut in Mexico in ProMusica San Miguel de Allende, and a concert tour of India through the South Asian Symphony Foundation.

An immersive and versatile soloist, Mr. Venkatesh has performed extensively across the United States and Europe as soloist with the symphony orchestras of Seattle, Vienna, Sarasota, Columbus, and the Brevard Music Center, to name a few. He has collaborated with preeminent conductors such as Carlos Miguel Prieto, Jeffrey Kahane, Ludovic Morlot, David Lockington, David Stewart Wiley, Roger Kalia, Carolyn Kuan, Toshiyuki Shimada, Ken Lam, Martin Majkut, Michael Repper, and more. Mr. Venkatesh has debuted at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess series, and at the Aspen, Brevard, Banff, Newport, Redlands Bowl, Sarasota, and Vienna Music Festivals. As recipient of the inaugural Parnassus Society Prize, he performed in recital at the Soka Performing Arts Center.

An active chamber musician, Venkatesh has appeared ten times on Le Salon de Musiques at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles and tours as the Vieness Piano Duo with his wife and pianist, Eva Schaumkell. Together, they’ve appeared for the Westcliffe InConcert Series, Trinity Concert Series, Lancaster Performing Arts Center, Le Salon de Musiques, L’ermitage Foundation, Masters in the Chapel, Opera Steamboat, Second City Chamber Series, Sarasota Artist Series, and the Kultur unter’m Dach series in Germany. As pianist in the Aristeia Trio, Gold Medalists of the Frances Walton International Chamber Music Competition, they embarked on a 30-concert tour of Washington, appeared twice on KING-FM 89.1 FM, and have been featured on the Camerata Musica recital series and at the Irvine Performing Arts Center.

Originally from California, Mr. Venkatesh is an Artist Diploma candidate at the Colburn School in Los Angeles with Fabio Bidini. He holds degrees from USC Thornton and IU Jacobs School of Music, where he was a recipient of the Barbara and David Jacobs Fellowship under the tutelage of Norman Krieger and André Watts. Venkatesh previously studied with Jeffrey Kahane, Sarkis Baltaian, Menahem Pressler and Murray Perahia.

He is represented worldwide by Colburn Artists and is a featured artist on Tonebase. He has recorded albums for release on the Naxos label in late 2022.

The Ashland Symphony Orchestra thanks

Our ushers and volunteers
Philip McNaull, Technical Director
Ashland City Schools for its continued support of the arts
Roger Price, Professional Voice Actor & Announcer, www.RogerzVoice.com

Please silence all electronic devices.
No flash photography or audio/visual recording permitted.
No food or drink permitted in the Robert M. & Janet L. Archer Auditorium.

Thank you for your cooperation.

In 1997, Bob and Jan Archer established the first donor fund through the Ashland County Community Foundation to benefit the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. The ASO then partnered with the ACCF in 1999 and created the “Ashland Symphony Orchestra Fund in Memorium of James E. Thomas”. Since then, three new agency funds and fourteen additional donor advised or designated funds have been established! The Ashland County Community Foundation can assist you in creating a fund to benefit the Ashland Symphony Orchestra now or as part of your estate plan. For more information, call the Foundation at 419-281-4733.

Donations may be made to existing endowments at any time. Contact the Foundation for more information www.ashlandforgood.org.

*To contribute to these funds, please send donation to Ashland Symphony Orchestra, 401 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805.

The Ashland Symphony Orchestra is thankful for the following funds:

Robert M. & Janet L. Archer Fund est. 1997

Ashland Symphony Orchestra Fund in Memorium of James E. Thomas est. 1999*

ASO Podium Endowment Fund in Honor of Masetro Arie Lipsky est. 2018*

ASO Harold Weller Music Education Endowment Fund est. 2019*

gift from Nick & Edna Weller Charities: Harold & Betsy Weller and Thomas Weller

ASO Rev. John H. Landrum Memorial Endowed Chair for Flute 2 est. 2020*

gift from Marybelle H. Landrum

Ashland Symphony Orchestra est. 2000

Mary M. Case Memorial Fund est. 2005

Ann K. Guthrie Fund est. 2009

Arie Lipsky Honorary Endowment Fund est. 2010

Kopp Family Fund est. 2011

Dr. Alvin W. Garrett Fund est. 2017

William and Marlene Rose Fund est. 2017

J. Robert and Ruth L. Tipton Fund est. 2017

Dr. JoAnn Ford Watson Fund est. 2017

Dr. Beverly Bixler Fund est. 2018

Billy Harris Charitable Fund est. 2018

Lawrence and Catherine Hiner Endowed Chair for Percussion of the ASO Fund est. 2020

John R. Donelson for the benefit of the ASO est. 2021

Elizabeth Pastor Fund for the benefit of the ASO est. 2021

WE ARE NOW TAKING NAMES FOR THE WAITING LIST – CALL 419-289-5115. If enough people indicate interest in the trip, we may be able to reserve a larger bus to accommodate additional passengers.

Saturday, October 15, 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Cost $65 per person. Buy two tickets and pay $125.

Depart promptly at 8:30 a.m. from
First United Methodist Church
220 Sandusky St
Ashland OH 44805

Please arrive between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m. We will return to Ashland at 6:30 p.m.

Join Rev. Tom Snyder and Mark Gorsuch on a trip to our state capital. Tour includes stops at Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus Museum or Art, an organ demonstration at Broad Street United Methodist Church, and German Village – Restaurants & Shopping. Price includes coach transportation and entrance fees to Franklin Park and Columbus Museum of Art. Lunch and shopping are on your own. This fundraiser benefits the ASO’s Change for Music Education Fund.

Sponsors: Mr. and Mrs. Bob and Jan Archer and Dr. JoAnn Ford Watson

Mug created by Ashland area artist Amanda Kencsan exclusively for the Ashland Symphony Orchestra is packaged with a 3 oz. bag of Goldberry’s Blend medium roast coffee by Goldberry Roasting Company of Ashland, Ohio.

Choose from three colors (red, blue, or green) and three songs (Für Elise, Moonlight Sonata, or Ode to Joy) and from whole bean or ground coffee. $30 each set. Please note that a mug without coffee is not an option.

To order a mug with a custom song, please select the Customized gift option for $50.

This is a pre-order and the deadline is Monday, October 17, 2022. Gift will be available for pick up Sunday, November 27, 2022 at the ASO’s Holiday Pops concert or Monday – Friday, November 28 – December 2 at the ASO office, 331 College Ave, Ashland OH 44805. There is no shipping available for this product. Please indicate at time of order when you plan to pick up.

The Ashland Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, EIN 34-1238989. The value of goods or services provided in return for your donation is $18.29 (whole bean option) or $18.44 (ground coffee option) or for the customized mug $23.29 (whole bean option) or $23.44 (ground coffee option).

Each mug is hand thrown, decorated, and glazed, so each item is unique. Capacity is approximately 8 ounces. Mug is microwave safe and hand-washing is recommended.

Artist Statement:

Amanda Kencsan (b. 1987, Ashland, Ohio, USA) is a ceramicist, painter, stained glass and mixed media artist who lives and works in Ashland, Ohio. She uses different media depending on the subject, her mood and her audience. Having a variety of media affords her the chance to let the art be what it will become. She is inspired by those who use bright colors and intricate designs, especially street artists who tell a story through colorful expression. Being immersed in street art inspires creativity and happiness. Central to her art-making process is the idea of giving herself the freedom not to be confined by rules. She is not classically trained and this allows her to break rules she doesn’t even know exist.  Most of her work is done at the Tin Can Chandelier in Ashland, Ohio.

Goldberry Roasting Company

Mission: We exist to enhance the lives of those who drink, serve and grow coffee.

Story: At Goldberry Roasting Company, we have the unique opportunity to be a part of coffee’s journey from the seed to the cup. Through our relationship with farmers in the Sierra Norte region of Mexico, we have had our hand in helping improve existing coffee crop and cultivate new, improved ways of processing coffee beans. Due to our close relationship with the coffee farms and farmers, we care about getting the roast profile of our coffee exactly right. We work hard to highlight the flavors that farmers around the world have spent generations creating and preserving. That’s why it is so important for us to roast our coffee in small batches. By keeping our roasts small, we can ensure that we are bringing out the unique flavor profiles of each individual bean and the farm and region it came from. When someone serves or drinks our coffee, they play an important role in passing on the story and history of the people who nurtured and cared for the coffee long before it ever made it to our roastery.