2014-15 Seasonwww.lacrossesymphony.org

Dear Friends,As I write to you, the clouds of war rage over Africa, Ukraine, and the Middle East. We had planned our 2014-15 LSO Season, “War and Peace,” in remembrance of the centenary of the start of the First World War; but we now offer it to you even more fervently as an emblem of hope for peace in our world.

Music, like war, is universal; but for time immemorial it has also served as the great pathway to human self-awareness, mutual understanding, and the realization of our noblest aspirations. As Abraham Lincoln would have said, music surely represents

“the better angels of our nature,” and those angels will be in abundance in our rich, new season of music for you.

Whether we’ll be commemorating the start of World War I, the terrible anxieties of the Cold War or World War II, or the service and sacrifice of our veterans in “America’s Forgotten War,” the conflict in Korea, I hope you’ll join us

as we enjoy the power of great music to serve as both a vessel of reflection and a celebration of the human spirit, always reminding us of what matters most.

I thank you also for your continued support of the La Crosse Symphony, one of the cultural treasures of this great community which I feel so privileged to serve. Welcome to what promises to be another shining season of the LSO! We couldn’t make it happen without you.

With gratitude,

AlexanderPlatt Music Director

Alexander Platt is Music Director of the Wisconsin Philharmonic, the Marion Indiana Philharmonic, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra and the Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra, and spends his summers in Woodstock, New York as Music Director of the Maverick Concerts, the oldest summer chamber-music festival in America. He also recently concluded twelve seasons as Resident Conductor and Music Advisor of Chicago Opera Theater (2001-12). At COT he led the Chicago premieres of Britten’s DEATH IN VENICE, John

Adams’ NIXON IN CHINA, Dmitri Shostakovich’s MOSCOW PARADISE and Britten’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM; the world premiere of the Tony Kushner/Maurice Sendak version of Hans Krasa’s BRUNDIBAR; the double-bill of Schoenberg’s ERWARTUNG and Bartok’s BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE with Samuel Ramey and Nancy Gustafson, and the world-premiere recording of Kurka’s THE GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK — all to consistently high acclaim in the major papers of Chicago and New York. Prior to this he spent twelve years as Music Director of the Racine Symphony Orchestra, three seasons as Principal Conductor of the Boca Raton Symphonia, and two years as Apprentice Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera, conducting Colin Graham’s production of MADAMA BUTTERFLY.

A graduate of Yale College, King’s College Cambridge (where he was a British Marshall Scholar) and conducting fellowships at both Aspen and Tanglewood, he has guest-conducted the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Illinois Philharmonic, the Freiburg Philharmonic in

Germany, the Aalborg Symphony in Denmark, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, Camerata Chicago, the Banff Festival, the Aldeburgh Festival, and the Houston, Charlotte, Columbus and Indianapolis

Symphonies. In 2013 he made his debut at the Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, to high praise in the Chicago Tribune. He has recorded for Minnesota Public Radio, National Public Radio, the South-West

German Radio and the BBC, and his Cedille Records disc with Rachel Barton of Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy is still often heard on radio stations across America.

Alexander Platt

October 18, 2014 The Guns of August:Music and the First World War

The cataclysm of World War I -- “the war that ended peace” -- inspired some extraordinary music which will anchor an unforgettable season opener at theLa Crosse Symphony Orchestra. We’ll begin with two works written in direct response to the invasion of Belgium: Elgar’s bristling CARILLON, followed by Debussy’s haunting nocturne of the trenches. Maurice Ravel’s monumental CONCERTO FOR PIANO LEFT HAND, written in 1929 for a great Austrian pianist who lost his right arm in the War, will be revived for us by the brilliant Russian artist ILYA YAKUSHEV. We’ll finish up with the greatest of all Belgian symphonies, the glorious SYMPHONY IN D MINOR of Cesar Franck.

George & Connie Smith

Two Pieces from “King Albert’s Book”:

ELGAR Carillon (1914)

DEBUSSY Berceuse Heroique (1914)

RAVEL Piano Concerto for the Left HandGuestArtist Ilya Yakushev, pianist------------------------------------------------------------------------FRANCK Symphony in D Minor

Thank you to our concert sponsor

Don & Roxanne Weber

November 15, 2014 Salute to Our Veterans: Korea and the Cold War

The Cold War, and “The Forgotten War” with North Korea, inspires us to offer you a tribute, in words and music, to that extraordinary time of sacrifice, with our own DON WEBER serving once again as narrator. From signal works of Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber, to favorite popular tunes of the day like FLOWER DRUM SONG, THE KING AND I, the soundtrack to THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI -- even the greatest hits of Frank Sinatra and the theme from M*A*S*H -- it will be a musical evening to cherish.

Thank you to our concert sponsor and military personnel veteran ticket underwriter:

The Star-Spangled Banner HINDEMITH Prelude from the Requiem “For Those We Love” COPLAND Preamble to a Solemn Occasion (Words: Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations1949)BARBER Adagio for Strings TRAD “Ari-Rang” by UW-L Korean Percussion EnsembleBARBER Night Flight Prelude on “Silent Night” LYN MURRAY Prelude and Task Force from THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------arr. Lowden Armed Forces SaluteRODGERS arr. Bennett Suite from FLOWER DRUM SONG Theme music from M*A*S*H RODGERSarr. Bennett Suite from THE KING AND Iarr. Custer Salute to Ol’ Blue Eyesarr. Custer Themes from 007arr. Custer Salute to the Big Bands

Narratedby Don Weber

December 19 & 20, 2014 A Russian ChristmasInternational Russian soprano phenomenon MLADA KHUDOLEY comes back to La Crosse, performing favorite operatic Christmas selections as a gift to our community -- from the AVE MARIA to PANIS ANGELICUS and O HOLY NIGHT, she’ll sing the sacred music of the season made immortal by the likes of Dame Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti. And in two separate evenings, Nikki Balsamo and Misty Lown will bring their own individual interpretations of Alexander Glazunov’s gorgeous imperial ballet, THE SEASONS, in complete performances on the Viterbo stage! Favorite carols both sacred and secular round out the evenings in our LSO tradition.

Thank you to our concert sponsor

NIGEL HESS A Christmas Overture

GuestArtistMlada Khudoley, soprano

BIzET Agnus DeiPUCCINI “Vissi d’arte” from TOSCABACH/GOUNOD Ave Maria

LEONTOVICH/WILHOUSKYarr. Belich Carol of the Bells

FRANCK Panis AngelicusADAM O Holy NightTCHAIKOVSKY Waltz of the Flowers from THE NUTCRACKER ----------------------------------------------------------------------------GLAzUNOV THE SEASONS, Op. 67

SpecialGuestsFRI: Misty’s Dance Unlimited | SAT: La Crosse Dance Centre

arr. Finnegan Christmas Sing-Along

GuestArtistsMlada KhudoleyMisty’s Dance UnlimitedLa Crosse Dance Centre

Announcing...The 16th AnnualRising stARs ConCeRto C o m p e t i t i o n

Don’t miss this FREE ANNUAL LSO EvENt

Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 3:30pm in the Recital Hall at viterbo University

PLEASE JOIN US! AttENDANCE IS FREE!!

Be part of the thrilling finals competition as 6 area high school instrumental and piano finalists compete for the opportunity to perform with the LSO at the February concert. Instrumental winner takes home the $2000 Jane Saline Memorial Award while the piano winner leaves with the $2000 Anna Beth Culver Award. Mark your calendar for an afternoon of sensational young talent and be the first to meet our guest artists for February. Application, repertoire list, competition rules & entry deadline are available at:

www.lacrossesymphony.orgFor more information, contact: Rita Schuman at tschoo@centurytel.net or Janet Roth at theroths07@msn.com

MAJOR SPONSOR:

Dick Record

1st Place Prize Sponsors:

Anna Beth Culver &

Jane Saline Memorial

venue Sponsor:

Viterbo University

The rising tide of Nationalism in 19th-century Europe ultimately spawned not only war and revolution, but also some of the most thrilling music ever written. We’ll begin with Dvorak’s musical love-letter to his Bohemian homeland; then, our annual tribute to two of our region’s brightest young shining stars in concerto performances! Following intermission, we’ll cap off the evening with two of the monuments of the Nationalist style -- Tchaikovsky’s SECOND SYMPHONY NO. 2, the so-called “LIttLE RUSSIAN” with its Ukrainian folk themes, and Sibelius’ bracing FINLANDIA, OP. 26.

February 7, 2015Rising Stars and Voices of the People: Dvorak, Tchaikovsky & Sibelius

Thank you to our concert sponsors

DVORAK Overture “My Home”, Op.62

RisingStarsConcertoCompetitionWinnersPianoandInstrumentalCategories----------------------------------------------------------------------TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 2, “Little Russian”

SIBELIUS Finlandia, Op. 26

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25 years of elegance & romanceSaturday, February 14th, 2015

The Cargill room aT riverside CenTer souTh332 FronT sTreeT s., la Crosse

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25t

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will beneFit From the

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Thank you!Because of the following donors... $250,000 LEADERSHIP CIRCLEANONyMOUSCHARLES & SUE GELAttWEBER FAMILy FOUNDAtION $100,000 CONDUCtOR’S CIRCLEHANSEN FAMILy FOUNDAtIONDAvID & BARBARA SkOGEN

$25,000 Principal’s CircleAnonymous (2)In Memory of Vicki BigleyJoe & Pat HeimRichard Record $10,000 Artist’s CircleEllyn AshBarry Blomquist & Eva DahlIn Memory of Randolph BaierRuth M. Dalton, M.D.Dr. Sigurd Gundersen, Jr.Ken Riley & Jay LokkenThe Marie Lokken Family MemorialJohn & Linda LycheRichard & Joan MarchiandoErnie & Sally MicekTom & Amy Strom

$5,000 Patron’s CircleAnonymousJerry & Marilyn ArndtAnna Beth CulverAndrew & Jamie DahlTerry Rindfleisch & Linda HirshDrs. John & Kerrie MooreJames MunnDavid ReedyBob & Janet RothMarti SchwemGeorge & Connie SmithDr. Michael & Carolyn White $4,999 or under-Friends CircleJesus ArellanoElizabeth BeckerKathy BoarmanNancy BorgenLori CarlsonMichael & Laura ChesherMark & Jeanne ConnellyTimothy CoxIn Memory of Lucy Davidson

Nancy & Don EllingsonTracy FellTammy FisherDavid & Susan ForanMike ForbesFranciscan Sisters of Perpetual AdorationMary FunkDavid & Abigail GerzemaMark GlaselBethany GonellaDavid & Nancy GoodeSteve GrothMary Ann GschwindSigurd Gundersen III & Jean Ann GundersenCharles & Shirley HaasNori HadleyJean HammonsNatalie HartiganCharlie & Jan HenryMary Beth HenselCarol Hester

Harry HindsonArthur & Kathryn IngallsJay & Dawn JaehnkeDr. Julia Johnson & Jackson JantzenKris JenkinsCindy JohnsonOrnelle JorgensenAnne JudischTimothy KampsGary & Melissa KleinBrian KohGreg & Susan KnorrLewis & Charlene LebakkenBill & Kay LeonardAngelica LundbergRich Mac DonaldConrad MadsonRandy MastinKay MazzaLorraine Mc IlraithDavid MorrisonRoy Munderloh

Doug NelsonElinor NiemistoTom & Lori NigonLance & Sue PaulsonSue RadloffMelissa RobyAmy ScarboroughSteve SchaniTom Schauer & Maureen SullivanColleen ShawWilliam & Louise TemteDr. James & Nancy TermanKristin ThelanderRobert & Lynne TrineBarbara TristanoRandy Van Rooyen & Kelly Nowicki-Van RooyenAlex & Jackie VaverDonald VingerMark WammaRoger & Carol ziff

$4,999 or under-Friends Circle ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Audience support is an especially important tradition that has sustained the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra since 1898.

You can invest in our future and take the LSO to the next level. Contributions support every concert and education program we offer. Include one of the following gifts with your season ticket order: $ To provide a student with individualized lessons by an LSO musician: give $300 to Sponsor a String Scholarship.

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$ To support the LSO Fund: use my gift where most needed.

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Wes Luke violin

Luke Hubbard, viola

BEETHOVEN Egmont OvertureCOPLAND Letter from Home MOzART Sinfonia ConcertanteGuestArtist,Wes Luke, violinGuestArtist,Luke Hubbard, viola-----------------------------------------------------SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 9 in E-flat (1945)

March 14, 2015War & Remembrance

The tragedy and triumph of the Second World War inspired a broad variety of unforgettable music from some of the great composers of its era. Following Beethoven’s epic call to freedom, you’ll be moved by Aaron Copland’s heartfelt little tone-poem as a Prairie family reaches out to their son in a far-off land. In total contrast, Dmitri Shostakovich daringly thumbs his nose at Joseph Stalin, spoiling the dictator’s demand for a grand, triumphal work at the end of the “Great Patriotic War.” In between it all, the LSO’s dashing new Concertmaster and Principal Viola perform Mozart’s timeless masterpiece, itself a monument to the power of life over death.

May 2, 2015Springtime in Paris

Paris, in the years between the two World Wars, was a truly magical place full of creativity, excitement and romance. We’ll celebrate the joys of springtime and peace with a galaxy of French favorites by composers Parisian by birth or by inclination. By popular demand, the elegant Italian pianist ALESSIO BAX returns to La Crosse to perform Maurice Ravel’s other piano concerto, the delightfully jazzy CONCERTO IN G MAJOR. From Milhaud’s lusty SUITE PROVENCALE to Gershwin’s timeless portrait of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, to our always irreverent Conductor Wannabe winners, it will be a truly festive finale!

OFFENBACH Can-Can from “Orpheus in the Underworld”MILHAUD SUITE PROVENCALERAVEL Piano Concerto in G MajorGuestArtist Alessio Bax, pianist ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ConductorWannabesI&IIBIzET Favorite music from CARMENGEORGE GERSHWIN AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

Thank you to our concert sponsor

photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

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Oct. 18, 2014

Nov. 15, 2014

Dec. 19 & 20, 2014

Feb. 7, 2015

Mar. 14, 2015

May 2, 2015

Mr. Richard Record

ThANk yOu TO Our vAlueD lA CrOSSe SyMPhONy OrCheSTrA SeASON SPONSOrS!

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ra lurgeryl in ic

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