2015/16 season - Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra

2015/16 SEASON
Sat, 28 Nov 2015 at 3.00 pm
Sun, 29 Nov 2015
at 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Ciarán McAuley, conductor
Platypus Theatre, presenter
PROGRAMME
GUTIÉRREZAlma Llanera Pajarillo
DE ABREUTico Tico no fubá
SOUSAThe Liberty Bell March
BÉLANGERPotpourri Lavalois
PIAZZOLLAOblivion
TRUDELDrum Magic
TRADITIONAL (arr. WAGLER)
La Mariposa
REVUELTASHommaje a Federico Garcia Lorca: Duelo
TRADITIONAL (arr. WAGLER)
La Bruja
SHELDONDanzas Cubanas
MORRICONEThe Mission: Gabriel's Oboe
DE FALLA (arr. CHAPELIER)
La Vida Breve: Spanish Dance No. 1
BERNSTEIN (arr. PERESS)
West Side Story: Mambo
The concert will last approximately 60 minutes without an interval
BIOGRAPHIES
Ciarán McAuley is the Resident Conductor of the Malaysian Philharmonic
Orchestra. He is a former assistant conductor to Kiel Opera and BBC Scottish
Symphony Orchestra and has held conducting fellowships at the Royal Conservatoire
of Scotland and at Tanglewood Music Festival.
He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Clark Rundell, at the Zürcher
Hochschule der Künste with Johannes Schlaefli and he continued his education
thereafter through Deutsche Dirigentenforum.
He has served as assistant conductor to Michael Francis and Donald Runnicles and
has participated in masterclasses with Bernard Haitink, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and
David Zinman, conducting ensembles the likes of WDR Orchestra, Tonhalle Orchestra
Zurich and the RSNO.
He has premiered works by Detlef Glanert and Marco Stroppa, and has workshopped
new commissions for BBC Scottish and Norrköping Symphony Orchestras. He is a
former recipient of the Ricordi Conducting Prize and Bryden Thomson Trust Award and
was a finalist and prize winner in the 2015 German Conductor Prize.
Recent concert engagements have led him to the RTÉ National Symphony
Orchestra, Jenaer Philharmonic and Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin. Highlights of the
current season include performances celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of
Sibelius and Nielsen and the 175th anniversary of Adam´s ballet Giselle. CIARÁN
MCAULEY
Conductor
BIOGRAPHIES
PLATYPUS THEATRE
Since 1989, almost 1 million young audience members were introduced to classical
music through Platypus Theatre. After more than 500 performances with more than
60 orchestras worldwide, Platypus established itself as one of North America’s
premiere music education theatre companies. Original and engaging storylines
are presented in an intelligent and interactive way with music taking the lead role.
Children laugh, sing and empathize with the characters while learning musical
concepts, styles, and more. In 2006, one of Platypus’ most cherished productions,
How the Gimquat Found Her Song, was produced for television and won awards
including Best Children’s Program at the Banff World Television Festival. In 1991,
Platypus was the subject of a nationally broadcast documentary on CTV, followed
by a PBS full-performance broadcast in 2000. In its 25th anniversary year, Platypus
will premiere its eighth original production, Latin Beats, Heroic Feats, in partnership
with four orchestras in Canada. Other Platypus productions include Emily Saves the
Orchestra, Rhythm in Your Rubbish, Bach to the Future, Charlotte and the Music
Maker, Flicker of Light on a Winter’s Night and Peter and the Wolf.
Written and directed by Peter Duschenes
Musical direction by Alain Trudel
Artistic advisors: Lisa Griffiths and Hélène Ducharme
Puppets and masks by Claude Rodrigue, Sandra Turgeon and Colin St-Cyr Duhamel
Costumes by Sarah Waghorn
Performers:
Danielle Desormeaux and Peter Duschenes
Stage Manager:
Wendy Rockburn
This production was co-commissioned by The National Arts Centre Orchestra,
The Vancouver Symphony, the Edmonton Symphony and the Toronto Symphony.
BIOGRAPHIES
PETER DUSCHENES
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/WRITER
Thousands of young classical music fans have Peter
Duschenes to thank for introducing symphonic music to
them. He co-founded Platypus Theatre in 1989 to make
orchestral music accessible for youth. More than half a
million concertgoers have benefitted from his creativity. As an
award-winning playwright, Duschenes’ credits include all eight
Platypus productions and a television adaptation of How the
Gimquat Found Her Song which won Best Children’s Program
at the Banff World Television Festival in 2008. He has also
acted and directed with companies across Canada and the
USA. When he is not busy helping the Gimquat find her song,
he and wife Sarah help their children, Magda and Theo, find
their socks.
DANIELLE DESORMEAUX
ACTOR
Born and raised in Northern Ontario, Danielle Desormeaux
studied music at Queen's University and graduated in 1984.
She began her acting career in 1991 in Ottawa. Film and
television credits include How the Gimquat Found Her Song
(2007 Award of Excellence, Accolade Television Awards and
2008 Best Children's Program, Banff World Television Festival),
the Oscar-winning Affliction, Stardom, The War of 1812 and Big
Sugar. Some of her favourite stage projects include The Seagull,
The Comedy of Errors, Umloüt, MöcShplat, National Capital/e
Nationale and her bilingual adaptation of The Anger In Ernest and
Ernestine. She has been a member of Platypus Theatre since
1997, performing in Canada, the USA and South East Asia.
WENDY ROCKBURN
STAGE MANAGER
As Platypus Theatre’s stage manager since 2005,
Wendy Rockburn has expertly juggled all of the details for
Platypus Theatre productions, from monster’s heads to
lighting cues. Not only does she manage the company’s
stage but also works with theatres throughout Canada. As
often as possible, she jets off to far places to photograph
the world and has been known to skydive over the desert
in Namibia or outrace a gaucho in Argentina. Her favourite
part about Platypus’ shows is watching the kids follow every
turn in the story in rapt attention.
PROGRAMME NOTES
Introduction
Discover the magic of Latin American music with Max and his dog, Mambo,
as they dance through a musical landscape that is influenced by European,
African and native American sounds and rhythms. This musical adventure, full of
colourful rhythms and pulsating percussion, demonstrates how Latin music fuses
different musical cultures to create new forms as well as how exciting it can be.
Pedro Elías Gutiérrez – Alma Llanera Pajarillo
The Venezuelan composer Pedro Elías Gutiérrez (1870-1954) is mainly
remembered for Alma Llanera, which is regarded as Venezuela’s unofficial
national anthem. Alma Llanera is a joropo, a musical style similar to the waltz
but originating in Venezuela and Columbia. The song title refers to the Llaneras,
traditional cattle herders of these two countries, whose cultures are are at the
root of the joropo. Such is the song’s popularity that it has become a tradition in
Venezuela to end any social event or party with a rendition of Alma Llanera.
Zequinha de Abreu – Tico-Tico no fubá
Although you probably might not know its title, you are quite likely to have
heard Tico-Tico no fubá before. Its quirky and bouncy beat and infectious
melody have charmed listeners since it was written by Brazilian composer
Zequinha de Abreu (1880-1935) in 1917. Hundreds of recordings has been
made and it has even appeared in movies. The song is a Brazilian choro
(which means ‘lament’ in Portuguese), a Brazilian musical genre that originated
in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. The title means ‘sparrow in the cornmeal’ and,
if you listen closely, you can just about make out the little bird hopping and
pecking at the corn.
John Philip Sousa – The Liberty Bell March
During his lifetime, John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) was one of the world’s
most well-known musicians.The Washington DC born composer turned the
US Marine Band into one of the finest in the world, before forming his own
band in 1892 that performed all over the globe. As a composer, he is best
known as a writer of marches, so much so he is nicknamed ‘The March King’.
Among others, he composed The Stars and Stripes Forever (the National
March of the United States) and Semper Fidelis (the Official March of the US
Marine Corps). The Liberty Bell March was originally composed for Sousa’s
unfinished operetta, The Devil's Deputy, but the show was, unfortunately,
cancelled. Shortly after that, Sousa and a friend attended a spectacle,
America, where they saw a backdrop of the famous Liberty Bell. Around the
same time, Sousa learned that his son had marched in a parade in honour of
the bell. Inspired, he retitled the march and it became an immediate success.
PROGRAMME NOTES
Marc Bélanger – Potpourri Lavalois
Marc Bélanger (b.1940) is a Canadian musician, composer and music educator.
He received his early musical training from his father before studying the violin
and singing at 8 at the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec. He also studied
conducting under the great conductor Hermann Scherchen at the Accademia
Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. He has since gone on to perform with some of
Canada’s leading orchestras and taught in various universities. He is the founder of
Groupe Marc Bélanger, a 10-musician ensemble that uses electrified instruments.
Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion
Probably the most famous tango music composer, the Argentine Astor Piazzolla
(1921-1992) revolutionised the traditional tango, a style of music that originated
among the European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay, by
incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. While Piazzolla wrote a large
amount of tango music, many of which are classics of the tango genre, Oblivion
is definitely one of his best. It is the theme song of the movie Enrico IV, where the
bandoneon, a type of concertina, takes the lead in a haunting, unforgettable gem.
Alain Trudel – Drum Magic
Alain Trudel (b.1966) is a Canadian conductor, trombonist and composer. Currently
the Music Director of l’Orchestre Symphonique de Laval and Principal Youth and
Family Conductor of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Trudel is one of the most
sought-after conductors in Canada and has led orchestras all over the world,
including with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. He started his career as
a trombone soloist, making his début at 18. He is also the first Canadian to be a
Yamaha International Artist.
Traditional (arranged by Wagler) – La Mariposa
La Mariposa (The Butterfly) is a morenada, a traditional rhythm and dance from
the Bolivian Andes that incorporates both indigenous and African elements. This
folksong uses the zampona, a panpipe made of two rows of dried bamboo that you
blow over the ends of.
Silvestre Revueltas – Homenaje a Federico Garcia Lorca: Duelo
Part of a famous Mexican family of artists, Silvestre Revueltas’
(1899-1940) short life was marked by poverty, alcoholism and sickness.
His musical output was limited to mainly film scores as well as orchestral and
chamber music. Among them is the chamber work, Homenaje a Federico Garcia
Lorca, written as a tribute to the Spanish poet who was murdered in 1936 during
the Spanish Civil War. The Duelo is the middle of the work’s three movement and
features a rhythmic piano and xylophone, and a mournful trumpet.
PROGRAMME NOTES
Traditional (arranged by Wagler) – La Bruja
La Bruja (The Witch) is a traditional folksong and dance from the Mexican state of
Veracruz. It tells the story of a witch and is often performed by dancers dressed in white,
who glide across a darkened stage carrying candles.
Robert Sheldon – Danzas Cubanas
American composer Robert Sheldon (born 1954) studied music in the University of
Miami before pursuing a Masters in instrumental conducting at the University of Florida.
He has since gone on to teach at public schools and the Florida State University, where
he held conducting and instrumental music education classes, as well as directing the
university’s bands. Today, he is the Concert Band Editor for the music publisher Alfred
Music. He is also one of the most performed composers of wind band music today.
Danzas Cubanas explores the different rhythms of Afro-Cuban music through the
conga, son-salsa and mambo.
Ennio Morricone – The Mission: Gabriel's Oboe
Italian Ennio Morricone (born 1928) is one of the best known composers of film scores.
Among the movies he has written for are Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few
Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West,
My Name is Nobody, Exorcist II, Days of Heaven and The Untouchables. One of his
most successful scores, however, is the award-winning The Mission, which tells the
story of Father Gabriel, a Jesuit missionary in 18th century South America. One of the
scenes sees Gabriel playing the oboe while sitting beside the Iguazu Falls on the border
of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. The tune from
that scene, Gabriel’s Oboe, has since developed a life of its own and been performed all
over the world.
Manuel de Falla (arranged by Chapelier) – La Vida Breve: Spanish Dance No.1
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) is one of Spain’s leading composers. His first major score,
written when he was 29, is the opera La Vida Breve (Spanish for ‘life is short’), which
tells the perennial story of love and class inequality. The music de Falla wrote was
heavily influenced by Andalusian folksong and Spanish dance rhythms. Although the
opera is seldom performed in its entirety, the orchestral sections, including the Spanish
Dance No.1, is often included in concerts for Spanish music.
Leonard Bernstein (arranged by Peress) – West Side Story: Mambo
While he is still considered one of the greatest conductors, Leonard Bernstein
(1918-1990) is also one of America’s leading composers. Although he wrote a number
of symphonies and chamber music, Bernstein is perhaps better known for his so-called
‘popular’ works, especially ballets, film scores and Broadway musicals. One of his best
works is West Side Story, a retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet but transported
to modern day New York, with rivalling gangs replacing the warring families. One of
the scenes has the gangs competing by dancing to the energetic Mambo, full of spiky
rhythms that will have you bouncing in your seats.
Concert notes by Christy Yoong
MALAYSIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
PRINCIPAL
CONDUCTOR
vacant
RESIDENT
CONDUCTOR
Ciarán McAuley
first violin
Co-Concertmaster
Peter Daniš
Principal
Ming Goh
Co-Principal
Zhenzhen Liang
Sub-Principal
Vira Nyezhentseva
Runa Baagöe
Maho Daniš
Miroslav Daniš
Evgeny Kaplan
Ergys Koni
Martijn Noomen
Sherwin Thia
Marcel Andriesii
Tan Ka Ming
Robert Kopelman
SECOND VIOLIN
Co-Principal
Timothy Peters
Assistant Principal
Luisa Hyams
Catalina Alvarez
Chia-Nan Hung
Anastasia Kiseleva
Stefan Kocsis
Ling Yunzhi
Ionut Mazareanu
Tan Poh Kim
Yanbo Zhao
Ai Jin
VIOLA
Co-Principal
Gábor Mokány
Assistant Principal
Ayako Oya
Fumiko Dobrinov
Ong Lin Kern
Carol Pendlebury
Sun Yuan
Thian Aiwen
Fan Ran
Eliza Fluder
Julia Park
Mahmoud Hussein
CELLO
Co-Principal
Csaba Kőrös
Assistant Principal
Steven Retallick
Sub-Principal
Attila Pasztor
PICCOLO
Principal
Sonia Croucher
OBOE
Section Principal
Simon Emes
Sub-Principal
Niels Dittmann
COR ANGLAIS
Principal
Denis Simonnet
CLARINET
Section Principal
Gonzalo Esteban
Sub-Principal
Matthew Larsen
TRUMPET
Section Principal
*Steven Cannon
Co-Principal
William Theis
Sub-Principal
William Day
Assistant Principal
John Bourque
TROMBONE
Co-Principal
Marques Young
Sub-Principal
Anthony Wise
Bass Trombone
Principal
Zachary Bond
BASS CLARINET
Principal
Chris Bosco
TUBA
Section Principal
Brett Stemple
Gerald Davis
Julie Dessureault
Laurentiu Gherman
Tan Poh Joo
Elizabeth Tan Suyin
Sejla Simon
Mátyás Major
BASSOON
Section Principal
Alexandar Lenkov
Co-Principal
*Denise Sun
Sub-Principal
Orsolya Juhasz
TIMPANI
Matthew Thomas
DOUBLE BASS
Section Principal
Wolfgang Steike
Co-Principal
Joseph Pruessner
CONTRABASSOON
Principal
Vladimir Stoyanov
Raffael Bietenhader
Jun-Hee Chae
Naohisa Furusawa
John Kennedy
Foo Yin Hong
Andreas Dehner
FLUTE
Section Principal
Hristo Dobrinov
Co-Principal
Yukako Yamamoto
Sub-Principal
Rachel Jenkyns
HORN
Section Principal
Grzegorz Curyla
PERCUSSION
Section Principal
Matthew
Prendergast
Sub-Principals
Darryl Littman
Matthew Kantorski
HARP
Principal
Tan Keng Hong
Co-Principal
James Schumacher
Sub-Principals
Laurence Davies
Todor Popstoyanov
Assistant Principal
Sim Chee Ghee
Note: Sectional string players are listed alphabetically and rotate within their sections. *Extra musician.
Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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CEO’S OFFICE
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business & marketing
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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
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Music TALENT DEVELOPMENT &
MANAGEMENT
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PLANNING, FINANCE & IT
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PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT
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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT &
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TECHNICAL OPERATIONS
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Yasheera Ishak
Shahrul Rizal M Ali
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Zolkarnain Sarman
Malaysian Philharmonic
Orchestra
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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general manager
Timothy Tsukamoto
general manager’S OFFICE
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ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT
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EDUCATION & OUTREACH
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MALAYSIAN PHILHARMONIC YOUTH
ORCHESTRA
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