UNLV CONCERT SINGERS UNLV CHAMBER CHORALE LAS VEGAS MASTER SINGERS UNLV SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

College of Fine Arts presents
UNLV CONCERT SINGERS
UNLV CHAMBER CHORALE
LAS VEGAS MASTER SINGERS
UNLV SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
PROGRAM
Chichester Psalms
Leonard Bernstein
Maestoso ma energico
Andante con moto
Sostenuto
(1918–1990)
David B. Weiller, conductor
Sarah Vidal, soprano
Breanna Lesure, alto
Alex Price, tenor
Christophe Kennedy, bass
Noah Pastor, boy soprano
Intermission
Te Deum
Anton Bruckner
Te Deum laudamus
Te ergo quaesumus
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis
Salvum fac populum tuum
In te, Domine, speravi
(1824–1896)
Taras Krysa, conductor
Lillian Roberts, soprano
Karin Hochman, mezzo-soprano
William McCullough, tenor
Richard Hodges, bass
Saturday, April 30, 2016
7:30 p.m.
Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
PROGRAM NOTES
Leonard Bernstein - Chichester Psalms (1965)
American born composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein exhibited strong musical talent from
his first piano lessons at age 10. His parents, who valued hard work and commerce over passion,
eventually saw the promise of a career in music and encouraged him to study. Bernstein attended
Harvard University and the Curtis Institute as a composition and conducting student. His first big
achievement came in 1943 when he was asked to fill in at the last minute for the conductor of the New
York Philharmonic during an afternoon concert. His conducting debut was met with enormous applause
from both the audience and the orchestra members, and resulted in a front page New York Times piece.
From that point on he became a highly sought after conductor and eventually would take the position of
Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. On the compositional front Bernstein is best known for his
theatrical works, including Candide, On the Town, and West Side Story. He was a versatile composer
capable of a wide-range of styles, often incorporating jazz influences with lyrical melodies. In addition to
his contributions as a conductor and composer, he was a passionate music educator and engaged the
public with many different forums for learning.
Chichester Psalms was one of only two pieces composed during Bernstein’s eleven-year tenure
as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. He received a letter from the Dean of the Cathedral of
Chichester in Sussex, England, commissioning a new piece for the church’s 1965 music festival. The
Dean made an additional request that a hint of West Side Story be included in the music. Bernstein
responded with Chichester Psalms, a three movement piece for choir and orchestra, written in Hebrew,
with a complete Psalm in each movement. Alongside the religious theme we hear jazz and Broadway
musical styles and lyrical melodies. The triumphal first movement opens with a celebration of God in
Psalm 100 (“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”). The second movement features solo voice with harp
accompaniment in an angelic setting of Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd”). The final and longest
movement sets Psalms 131 (“Lord, Lord, my heart is not haughty”) and 133 (“Behold how good”) in a
jubilant conclusion. Bernstein’s remarkable blend of Hebrew and Christian traditions with contemporary
musical styles was an instant success and remains a concert hall staple.
Anton Bruckner - Te Deum (1883)
Anton Bruckner descended from a long line of farmers and school teachers in the Austrian
countryside. At age 13, after the death of his father, he was admitted as a choirboy to the nearby St.
Florian monastery where he found spiritual and musical fulfillment. He would go on to study education
and eventually return to St. Florian as an elementary school teacher. Bruckner was a gifted organist; his
face was said to beam when he played, and at age 31 he left St. Florian for a post as organist at the Linz
Cathedral, near his home town. He began composing religious works, influenced by Schubert and
Mendelssohn in Classical Viennese style, but his true inspiration came when he was nearly 40 and first
heard an opera by Richard Wagner. Bruckner then threw himself into developing and maturing his
compositional style which resulted in his Symphony #1, two Masses, and a series of motets. An influential
Viennese conductor recognized Bruckner’s talent and helped him obtain a teaching position at the Vienna
Conservatory where he was noted for his engaging and enthusiastic teaching style. However, his humble
origins instilled many characteristics that were at odds with the cosmopolitan nature of Vienna—great and
genuine humility, unshakable devotion to religion, provincial simplicity with rural dress and thick dialect.
His music wasn’t immediately embraced by the Viennese public or critics, but by the mid-1880s his works
had gained appreciation from conductors and were being performed throughout Germany and Austria.
Bruckner began working on Te Deum in 1881 but put the draft aside until Wagner’s death
provided the motivation to finish it. The medieval qualities heard in the music stem from Te Deum’s origin
as a chant performed at the end of Matins on Sundays. The earliest known instrumental setting of Te
Deum is from Musica enchiriadis, a 9th-century account of music history and theory. Te Deum has been
set by many composers, using either the original Latin text, or the translated English versions which
became very popular as part of Anglican services. Bruckner is said to have considered this his greatest
work, and the ultimate portrayal of faith. Gustav Mahler, a great admirer of this piece, crossed out the
instrumentation in his personal score and wrote: ‘For the tongues of angels, heaven-blest, chastened
hearts and souls purified by fire’.
UNLV SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a student orchestra
comprised of music majors in the UNLV College of Fine Arts and non-music majors on both the graduate
and undergraduate levels. The mission of this performing ensemble is threefold: to train music majors to
become professional performers and teachers; to introduce non-music majors to higher quality
musicianship; and to enrich the cultural life of UNLV and the Las Vegas community. The UNLV
Symphony Orchestra presents a number of programs each season that include a variety of the orchestral
standard repertoire, ranging from early Baroque through modern contemporary. The UNLV Symphony
Orchestra performs at least one major work with a chorus every year as well as one complete opera.
Student soloists are featured throughout the year on either the Student Soloists Concert or else as guest
artists for winning the annual Solo Concerto Competition. The extensive list of guest conductors and
soloists with UNLV Symphony Orchestra includes Itzhak Perlman, Sarah Chang, Rachel Lee, Edgar
Meyer and Hillary Hahn.
TARAS KRYSA serves as the director of orchestras at UNLV and music director of the
Henderson Symphony Orchestra. Krysa was born in Kiev, Ukraine to a musical family and began his
formal studies as a violinist at the Moscow Conservatory. After moving to United States, Krysa continued
his studies at Indiana University and Northwestern University both in violin and conducting. His
conducting teachers have included Victor Yampolsky, Jorma Panula and David Zinman. As a violinist,
Krysa has won positions with the New World Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras.
In recent seasons his conducting appearances have included National Ukrainian Symphony
Orchestra, Orchestra van het Osten, New World Symphony, St. Petersburg Symphony, Moscow Soloists,
Slovak Sinfonietta, Spoleto Festival Chamber Orchestra, Kiev Chamber Orchestra and the Lublin
Philharmonic Orchestra. He has made three critically acclaimed recordings for the Brilliant Classics label.
Krysa has also served as Principal Conductor of the Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra, which he led
on the several European tours with the appearance at the Concertgebouw Hall.
Violin I
Yestyn David Griffith
Waverly Tingle
Katherine de Garcia
Vicente Gomez
Violin II
+Allie Pritcherd
Ashley Riedy
Oscar Fernandez
Aiea Shahid
Jake Stegman
Viola
+Dalton Davis
Micaela Nielson
Christopher Vivas
Andrew Vasquez
Cello
+Bradley Taylor
Lindsay Johnson
Katharine Smith
Mathew Lazeroff
Hannah Hafen
Jovonie Tejero
Bass
+Jimmy Cisneros
Sergio Monroy
Flute
Melanie Shumway
Jessica Patchett
Oboe
Sharon Nakama
Erica Hill
Clarinet
^Ivan Ivanov
Jay Savoy
Bassoon
Bronson Foster
Nick Guevara
Horn
Linnie Hostetter
Alina Eckersley
Mathew Layher
Jacobs Christian
Trumpet
Bronson Pascual
Julio Vargas
Rudolf Jovero
Trombone
Dylan Musso
Chandler Sison
Alan Quan
Timpani
Luigi Ng
Percussion
Paul De La Torre
Eddie Yervinian
Samuel Friend
Harp
Emily Montoya Barnes
Alexi Panter
+ Principal
^ Graduate Student
UNLV CONCERT SINGERS & CHAMBER CHORALE
LAS VEGAS MASTER SINGERS
Jae Ahn-Benton, pianist
SOPRANO
3
Linda M. Ames
3
Jessie Bame
3
Ashley Barnum
1
Alixandra Marie Beauchamp
3
Maryann Boghdadi
1
Tiffaney-Anne Calabro
2
Ysabelle Catu
1
Athalie Cho
3
Georgia Conatser
1
Kerri Dahl
1
Heather Elise
2
Amanda Geisler
3
Elizabeth Honest
2
Nichole Jarlson
3
Michelle Johnson
3
Debora Loeb
1
Taylor Madrid
1
Dawn McCollum
3
Anita Meyer
1
Christina Obra
3
Heather R. Pickett, DO
3
Jill Popp
3
Jody Porter
3
Judy Salz
3
Christian D. Smith
3
Jolyn Smith
3
Katherine Rogers
1
Princess Rosano
3
Cheryl Terry
3
Shannon Thompson
1,2
Bridget Torres
2
Melody Totten
3
Shannon Thompson
3
Isadora Trinkle
1
Faith Trujillo
3
Sarah Vidal
3
Denise Wunderlich
ALTO
2
Eliysheba Anderson
2
Rabuel Aviles
3
Mitzi J. Bender
3
Lisa H. Benedict
1
Lacy Burchfield
3
Carol Cherry
3
Jody Cotton
3
Charlotte Cunningham
1
Casey Dakus
3
Leslie Dillon
1
Christine Herbano
3
Sheryn Honest
3
Stephanie Honest
2
Breanna Lesure
1
Jennifer Menchaca
3
Lorelle Nelson
3
Pamela Parzych
3
Carol Ann Premonics
1
Kiloni Ramo
1
Ashlee Ruder
3
Sharon Saca
3
Amy Salz
3
Deborah Selof
3
Olivia Sirota
3
Kathy Steinbrenner
1
Megan Stewart-Cole
1
Maia Julianne Thielen
2
Nicole Thomas
3
Cinda Towne
1
Hunter Rose Turner
3
Christine Velotta
TENOR
3
Travis Bame
2
Gianni Matteo Becker
2
Daveon Bolden
2
Joemar Buyao
3
Edwin Cerna II
1
Daniel Cihigoyenetche
1
Andrew Cogley
1
Dominic Graber
2
Brian Guido II
3
Bradley Hendricks
3
Jeff Kriske
3
Brian Neau
3
Elison D. Patio
1
Matthew Pedersen
2
Alex Price
Raymond G. Roberts
3
Trevor Roberts
2,3
Faustino Solis
1
Michael Thomas
1,3
Jeremy Valdez
1
Chris Vanegas
3
Rick Velotta
3
Pj Young
3
BASS
2
Alexander Baskin
3
K.C. Black
3
Armando S. Campos
3
Kaymen Carter
2
Austin Champion
3
Ken Conatser
3
C. Edward Cotton
3
James Galvez
3
David Hed
3
Johnny Hochgraefe
3
Steve Hodgson
1
Robert Holland
1
Austin Jung
2
Christophe Kennedy
1
Jesse Law
2
Jordan Madagame
3
James M. Magnuson
3
William C. Marchant
2
Mark Patrick McCreery
1, 2
Julian Olarte
1
Ranon Alexander Pador
3
Francis Cancio-Palispis
3
Jeremy Paulucci
3
Benjamin Rockoff
1
Shawn Schwerdtfeger
1
Kurt Ludwig Sedlmeir
3
Peter Steinbrenner
1
Andrew Williams
1
Blake Wisner
3
Steve Wright
1 Concert Singers
2 Chamber Chorale
3 Las Vegas Master Singers
The UNLV CHORAL ENSEMBLES enjoy a reputation for excellent performances throughout the
southwest and beyond. Under the direction of conductors David B. Weiller and Jocelyn K. Jensen, the
choirs (Concert Singers, Chamber Chorale, Varsity Men’s Glee Club, Women’s Chorus, and Las Vegas
Master Singers) present several concerts annually on the university campus and in the greater Las Vegas
community. University choirs have presented major works with the Mexico National Symphony in Mexico
City, the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the University Symphony Orchestra, and the Nevada Symphony
Orchestra. The choirs have appeared in numerous fully staged productions in collaboration with UNLV
Opera Theater, and, on a lighter note, they have presented concerts of classic musical theatre repertoire.
Tours have encompassed Nevada, California, Arizona, Utah and Colorado, as well as itineraries
in Hawaii, New York, Mexico and Canada. Notable highlights include appearances with the world
renowned Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and a massed choir performance in New York City’s
Carnegie Hall. The UNLV Chamber Chorale has been honored with invited performances for western
division conferences of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and western region and state
conferences of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).
The Las Vegas Master Singers is recognized as one of the premiere community choral
organizations in southern Nevada. Sponsored by the UNLV School of Music, the choir presents several
performances each year and also serves as the chorus-in-residence for the Las Vegas Philharmonic.
Founded in 1993 by Susan L. Johnson, and led to further levels of excellence by Jocelyn K. Jensen from
2002-2015, Las Vegas Master Singers is now directed by David Weiller.
The UNLV Choral Ensembles maintain an active student chapter of the American Choral
Directors Association (ACDA) that supports choral music and special student projects.\
DAVID B. WEILLER celebrates 32 years as Director of Choral Studies in the School of Music at
the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Under his leadership the UNLV Choral Ensembles enjoy a
reputation for vibrant performances throughout the southwest and beyond. He has conducted major
choral-orchestral works ranging from Bach to Bernstein, and he has appeared as a guest conductor of the
Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Nevada Symphony Orchestra. He is the newly appointed artistic director
and conductor of the Las Vegas Master Singers which that serves as the chorus-in-residence for the Las
Vegas Philharmonic. During his career, Professor Weiller has conducted over sixty stage productions at
the university and as a principal conductor for the College Light Opera Company on Cape Cod, one of the
most respected summer-stock theater companies in the country, where he conducts the Gilbert & Sullivan
canon, Viennese and early American operettas, and Broadway classics.
Professor Weiller is a past recipient of the UNLV William Morris Award for Excellence in Teaching
and the UNLV Alumni Association’s Distinguished Faculty Award. In 2014 he was named “Teacher of the
Year” in the College of Fine Arts. Many of his former students are highly successful music educators in
the Clark County School District and across the country. Mr. Weiller maintains a full schedule as a
clinician and adjudicator, and he plays an active role in furthering quality choral performances throughout
the school district and community. He currently serves as a board member for the ACDA Western
Division.
SOLOISTS
NOAH PASTOR, boy soprano
Noah Pastor is an 8th grader at Cashman Middle School. His love for music began at an early
age, playing the piano at the age of four. Noah has been a soprano in choirs for five years, three of which
have included the Clark County School District Middle School Honor Choir. As a member of the National
Junior Honor Society, Noah has a career goal of becoming an engineer, but will always coninue to have a
passion for the musical arts.
LILLIAN ROBERTS, soprano
Lirico-spinto soprano Lillian Roberts has performed throughout the United States and Europe.
During this time, she worked with world-renowned conductors such as Eduardo Müller of La Scala,
Warren Jones of the Metropolitan Opera, and James Conlon of the Paris National Opera. Some
noteworthy performances include roles with Chautauqua Opera and Hudson Opera in New York, and
Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis. In addition to performing title roles in Aida and Madama Butterfly,
significant guest solo performances include Carson City Symphony, Ocean City Pops Orchestra and a
national television broadcast with KET/PBS at the Singletary Center for the Arts in Kentucky.
During her third Spain tour with the American Spiritual Ensemble, she appeared in a broadcast on
the Spanish National Radio at the Santander Festival Internacional before the King and Queen of Spain.
Some notable competitions include numerous wins at the district and regional levels of the Metropolitan
st
Opera National Council Auditions, 1 place in the Meistersinger Competition in Graz, Austria, and as a
finalist in the George London Foundation Competition in New York.
While at the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Ms. Roberts won first place in the
Oreste A.Giargiari Bel Canto Competition and performed at the Oprah Winfrey Humanitarian Awards as a
winner of the Marian Anderson Competition in Verizon Hall. Other significant training includes the Aspen
Opera Theater Center Music Festival in Colorado, and the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Chiari,
Italy. This summer, Ms. Roberts will participate in the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme/Slavic Song
at the Aldeburgh Festival in England and plans to complete her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal
performance at the University of Nevada,Las Vegas next fall.
KARIN HOCHMAN, mezzo-soprano
An Israeli native, Karin Hochman, is currently pursuing her DMA in applied voice from the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas under the direction of Dr. Alfonse Anderson. Karin holds a Bachelor of
Music from The Juilliard School and a Master’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. She has been a
member of the Pittsburgh Opera Young artist training program, singing the roles of Sesto (La Clamenza
di Tito), Jenny (Threepenny Opera) Ottavia (L’Incoronazione di Poppea) and Carmen (La Tragedie de
Carmen). She has also appeared with the Pittsburgh Opera as the Page (Salome), Alisa (Lucia di
Lammermoor) and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly).
Ms. Hochman has sung the role of Zerlina (Don Giovanni) at the Kiev Opera, Miss Jessel (The
Turn of the Screw) at the Chautauqua Institute and Hansel in the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
production of Hansel und Gretel. With the Israeli Opera she sang the roles of Kuchtík (Rusalka),
Madelena (Il Viaggio a Reims), Curra (La Forza del Destino), Innkeeper’s Wife (The cunning Little Vixen,)
the Third Lady in The Magic Flute, and in the world premiere of Gil Shohat’s The Child Dreams.
Karin is a member of the Avant Gard opera group “Opera Camera” with which she sang the roles
of Mr. Smith (The Bald Soprano) and Etroga (The Crook) all directed by Daniel Ehrlich. Karin participated
in the performance piece “Cabaret Macbeh” as part of the “Nisuy Kelim #8” festival in Tel Aviv. Recently
she took part in Yoav Gal’s 3WEEK OPERA staged reading in New York City.
Karin Hochman is a recipient of the Baroch Grabov prize for exceptional emerging talent,
scholarships from IVAI, as well as other numerous prizes and scholarships.
WILLIAM McCULLOUGH, tenor
William "Bill" McCullough is an emerging artist with an expressive, clarion sound. A native of
DuBois, PA, Bill has been singing since before he could talk. His parents' singing of lullabies as a baby
and the strong congregational atmosphere of his local church in his early years created an ideal and
encouraging atmosphere for Bill to express himself as a performer. By the fourth grade, Bill was already
performing in the high school musicals and performing regularly as a church soloist.
While attending Westminster College as a Jerb Miller Scholar, Bill won Westminster's first
Concerto and Aria competition his freshman year. His stage performances during his three years in
Opera Westminster included the roles of Zuniga in Carmen, Gabriel von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus,
and Barinkay in Der Zigeunerbaron.
During his studies at the Peabody Conservatory, Bill was heard as Sigmund Freud in Melissa
Schiflett's Dora at the Theatre Project in Baltimore and in the dual role of Anton and Pluto in Gluck's
L'ivrogne Corrigé. He also collaborated as the tenor soloist in the first complete performance of Erik
Spangler’s multi-ensemble work Mandela of the Four Directions.
A frequently sought after soloist and collaborator, he has been heard in the role of Bacchus in
Ariadne auf Naxos and Rodolfo in La Bohème. He has also collaborated as the tenor soloist in
performances of Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, and DuBois’ Seven Last Words of Christ.
Recently, Bill completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where
he currently resides with his beautiful and loving wife, Monica.
RICHARD HODGES, baritone
Richard Hodges, is a native of Greensboro and is currently in the D.M.A. program at the
University of Nevada Las Vegas. He was a 2015 Finalist of the American Institute of Musical Studies
renowned Meistersinger Competition in Graz, Austria. He holds a B.M. from North Carolina Central
University and a M.M. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. A former high school choral
director and 2014 MET Council Audition Encouragement Award winner, Richard sang the role of
Superintendent Budd in Britten’s Albert Herring with UNCG Opera 2013. His other roles have included
Peter the Father in the 2007 production of Hansel and Gretel with Greensboro Opera, the title role in
Porgy and Bess, and Bob in Highway 1 USA by William Grant Still with the N.C. Central Operatorio
Performance Program.
As a featured soloist and recitalist Richard has performed in the 2014 and 2013 Greensboro
Opera Gala performances as well as soloist for various vocal ensembles and orchestras at UNCG. His
orchestral performances have included masterworks such as Handel’s Messiah along with other operatic
arias. Mr. Hodges has also given recitals for the Greensboro Opera Companions and a special
performance for the Carolina Men’s Chorus.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
UNLV SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Susan Mueller, Director; Bill Bernatis, Assistant Director
Kaci Kerfield, Office Manager; Parwin Bakhtary, Administrative Assistant
Karen Kita, Administrative Assistant; Shylo Endris, Scheduler; Haik Goomroyan, Facility Manager
Robert Goodale, Piano Technician; Chuck Foley, Gil Kaupp & Ron George, Recording Studio
Stephanie Alvizo, Akaisha Cook, Emmanuel Garibay, Student Staff
UNLV V-O-C-E (VOICE, OPERA, CHORAL ENSEMBLES) FACULTY
Dr. Alfonse Anderson, Dr. Tod Fitzpatrick, Dr. Linda Lister, Dr. Stephanie Weiss,
Dr. Christina Wright-Ivanova, Dr. Jocelyn K. Jensen, Prof. David Weiller
UNLV PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Larry Henley, Director of Artistic Progamming and Production; Lori James, Director of Finance and Guest
Relations; Shaun Franklin-Sewell, Director of Marketing and Patron Services; Trent Downing, Technical
Director; David Gruzin, Stage Manager/Theatre Technician; Paulo Martins, Stage Manager/Theatre
Technician; Keith Widmann, Theatre Technician.
UNLV COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
Helga Watkins, Interim Dean; Michael Tylo, Assistant Dean; Delia Martin, Business Manager;
Jennifer Vaughan, Director of Public Relations Director; Anne Hodge, Director of Development;
Lori Slinn, Event Coodinator; Robert Mader, Information Technology Specialist;
Beatriz Garcia, Executive Assistant; Simonne Purdy, Administrative Assistant.
CONCERT SINGERS
Board of Officers: Julian Olarte, Hunter Rose Turner, Athalie Cho, Bridget Torres
Section Leaders: Tiffaney-Anne Calabro, Taylor Madrid, Casey Dakus, Ashlee Ruder, Matthew Pedersen,
Jeremy Valdez, Julian Olarte, Ranon Pador
CHAMBER CHORALE
Officers: Joemar Buyao, Julian Olarte
Section Leaders: Melody Totten, Eliysheba Anderson, Faustino Solis, Alexander Baskin
ACDA STUDENT CHAPTER OFFICERS: Jordan Madagame, Gianni Becker, Ysabelle Catu, Faustino Solis, Olivia Sirota
LAS VEGAS MASTER SINGERS BOARD
Pamela Parzych, Rick Velotta
OF
DIRECTORS: Brian Neau, Carol Cherry, Kathy Steinbrenner, David Hed,
CHORAL STUDIES GRADUATE ASSISTANT & LIBRARIAN: Christopher Withrow
The UNLV Choral Ensembles express their heartfelt appreciation to
the Las Vegas Master Singers and Dr. Jocelyn K. Jensen
for their vision and commitment in establishing
THE SUSAN L. JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP FOR CHORAL STUDIES,
an endowed fund providing ongoing support of talented choral musicians at UNLV.