Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (KSO) was founded in 1921 and is now the third largest professional orchestra
in Michigan
. During the 2005–2006 concert season, the orchestra played for more than 100,000 people in more than 30 concerts. The orchestra's main venue is Western Michigan University
's Miller Auditorium
in Kalamazoo, MI.
ist-volunteer Chester Z. Bronson on December 28, 1921 with only 25 musicians.. Due to the efforts of Kalamazoo Symphony Society secretary and KSO Manager Leta G. Snow, by 1928, the orchestra had grown to 75 musicians and its fourth conductor, David Mattern. In 1934, the orchestra named Dr. Herman Felber, Jr. conductor, a post he would continue to fill for 25 years. Dr. Felber oversaw the first auditions for youth soloists. During the 1940s, several outstanding soloists were featured with the orchestra, including Artur Rubinstein, Isaac Stern
, and Georges Enesco.
The 1959 season was the last under Dr. Felber's direction. During the 1960 season the KSO performed under 6 different guest conductors. Ultimately, Gregory Millar became the full-time resident conductor
and music director
. His tenure saw the introduction of many long-standing programs, including children's concerts, concerts in other locales in southwest Michigan, and the Art Center recitals by KSO musicians. The first of the popular "Starlight" summer concert series came in 1962; the concerts featured popular musicians like Louis Armstrong
and were held on the roof of the Gilmore parking garage in downtown Kalamazoo. Millar's tenure was succeeded by Pierre Hetu in 1968 and Yoshimi Takeda in 1974. Maestro Takeda's 25-year tenure as Music Director and Conductor saw the KSO establish its high level of musicality.
The current Music Director, Raymond Harvey, was appointed in 1999.
First Violins
Second Violins
Viola
Celli
Basses
Oboe
Clarinet
Bassoon
Trombone
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. During the 2005–2006 concert season, the orchestra played for more than 100,000 people in more than 30 concerts. The orchestra's main venue is Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
's Miller Auditorium
Miller Auditorium
James W. Miller Auditorium is a performance venue at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. It opened on January 12, 1968, with a ceremony that included WMU's third president, James W...
in Kalamazoo, MI.
History
The orchestra played its first concert under the direction of clarinetClarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
ist-volunteer Chester Z. Bronson on December 28, 1921 with only 25 musicians.. Due to the efforts of Kalamazoo Symphony Society secretary and KSO Manager Leta G. Snow, by 1928, the orchestra had grown to 75 musicians and its fourth conductor, David Mattern. In 1934, the orchestra named Dr. Herman Felber, Jr. conductor, a post he would continue to fill for 25 years. Dr. Felber oversaw the first auditions for youth soloists. During the 1940s, several outstanding soloists were featured with the orchestra, including Artur Rubinstein, Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern was a Ukrainian-born violinist. He was renowned for his recordings and for discovering new musical talent.-Biography:Isaac Stern was born into a Jewish family in Kremenets, Ukraine. He was fourteen months old when his family moved to San Francisco...
, and Georges Enesco.
The 1959 season was the last under Dr. Felber's direction. During the 1960 season the KSO performed under 6 different guest conductors. Ultimately, Gregory Millar became the full-time resident conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and music director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
. His tenure saw the introduction of many long-standing programs, including children's concerts, concerts in other locales in southwest Michigan, and the Art Center recitals by KSO musicians. The first of the popular "Starlight" summer concert series came in 1962; the concerts featured popular musicians like Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
and were held on the roof of the Gilmore parking garage in downtown Kalamazoo. Millar's tenure was succeeded by Pierre Hetu in 1968 and Yoshimi Takeda in 1974. Maestro Takeda's 25-year tenure as Music Director and Conductor saw the KSO establish its high level of musicality.
The current Music Director, Raymond Harvey, was appointed in 1999.
First ViolinsViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Barry Ross, ConcertmasterConcertmasterThe concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
and Assistant Conductor - Julia Neckermann, Associate ConcertmasterConcertmasterThe concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
- Audrey Lipsey, Assistant ConcertmasterConcertmasterThe concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
- Kristin Van Ausdal
- Eleanor Pifer
- Andrew McCann
- Tigran Shiganyan
- Krishna Baraily
- Ida Findiku
Second ViolinsViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Lisa Williams, Principal
- Julie Evans, Assistant Principal
- Nelly Shmukler-Tishko
- Sarah Hedlund
- Yuri Grankin
- Terry Lynn Vantine
- Benita Barber
- Norma-Jean Forshey
- Pedro Ramirez
ViolaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
s
- Igor Fedotov, Principal
- Grace Byrd
- Nora Frisk
- Patricia Goodman
- Diane Taylor
- Tomio Anderson
- Kathy Connor
- Catalina Ruelas
CelliCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- David Peshlakai, Principal
- Katherine Shook, Assistant Principal
- Carol Bullock Russell
- Calin Muresan
- Elizabeth Start
- Lisa Bressler
- Nola Matthews Thole
- David Machavariani
BassesDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
- Charles Ingrassia, Principal
- Anders Dahlberg, Assistant Principal
- Michael Hovnanian
- Frank R. Tramp
- Ramsey Harvard
- Jonathan Reed
- Paul Quast
- Noah Krzan
OboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s
- Gabriel Renteria, Principal
- Brad Smith (and English Horn)
- Maria Schneider (and English Horn)
ClarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s
- Benjamin Seltzer, Principal
- Frank X. Silva (and BassBass clarinetThe bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
) - Jonathan Holden (and E-flatE-flat clarinetThe E-flat clarinet is a member of the clarinet family. It is usually classed as a soprano clarinet, although some authors describe it as a "sopranino" or even "piccolo" clarinet. Smaller in size and higher in pitch than the more common B clarinet, it is a transposing instrument in E, sounding a...
)
BassoonBassoonThe bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
s
- William Wheeler, Principal
- Alan Palider
- Lauren Murphy (contraContrabassoonThe contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon or double-bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower...
)
Horns
- Michael Wood, Principal
- Margaret Hamilton
- Tamara Kosinski
- Elizabeth Fairlie Judge
- Jack Karsten
TromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s
- Edward “Kip” Hickman, Principal
- Richard Uren
- David Becker (bass)