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Instructor: Wendy Cilman and Santa Rosa Symphony musicians
Wednesdays, October 2 – October 23, 3:00 – 5:00 PM, Berger Center
3-week session plus bonus fourth class. Cost: $50
Course Description:
This class in Music appreciation is designed to work in coordination with the opening concert of the 2024-25 season of the Santa Rosa Symphony on October 19 – 21. During the first three classes, students will learn the basics of the orchestra and will hear from different musicians who will discuss the role of their instrument in symphonic music and, in particular, the opening concert. The course is intended to prepare students for what they can expect to hear in the upcoming program, describing the music, the composers, and what to listen for. The optional fourth week follows the concert so that students can discuss what they learned and heard.
Course Detail:
This course describes the basics of the orchestra, including instruments and instrument families, seating arrangements, terminology (orchestra/symphony/philharmonic) and the history of the modern orchestra. Each week will feature lectures from different Santa Rosa Symphony musicians who will discuss the role of their instrument in symphonic music and, in particular, in the concert being held October 19 – 21. The course will prepare students for what they can expect to hear in the upcoming program, describing the music, the composers, and what to listen for.
Week four (optional) will discuss the Symphony concert on October 19, 20, and 21, Beethoven’s Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra; Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for The Common Man; West Coast Premiere of composer Katherine Balch; and, Lincoln Portrait (Aaron Copeland) read by public radio’s Marketplace, Kai Ryssdal. Attendance is optional.
Santa Rosa Symphony is the third oldest professional orchestra in California, and the largest regional symphony north of Los Angeles. Present music director, Francesco Lecce-Chong is the Symphony’s fifth music direction in its 95 years. His proud parents are Oakmont residents.
This Symphony is also recognized for having one of the most comprehensive music education programs in California, serving nearly 20,000 youths annually, and now, coming to Oakmont to share the thrill of orchestral music.
Week 1 – October 2
John Edelberg, First Violin
Concertmaster of the Santa Rosa Symphony since 1997, Joe Edelberg has had the distinct honor of leading this outstanding orchestra under the batons of four inspiring SRS Music Directors. For many years, when not onstage at Weill Hall, he has played with the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony, as well as in the Bay Area early music scene, with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, and Magnificat Baroque.
Stacey Pelinka, Flute
Stacey Pelinka is a member of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble and the Eco Ensemble. She plays principal flute with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program productions and second flute with the Berkeley Symphony, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and the Midsummer Mozart Festival.
Week 2 – October 9
Alex Volonts, viola
Alex Volonts is a musician and educator in Sonoma County. He has been a member of the Santa Rosa Symphony since 2007 and is also contracted with the Monterey Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Volonts studied viola performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as well as the Juilliard School’s pre-college division. He began his musical studies at 5 years old as a violin student at the North Shore Suzuki Institute of Long Island, New York. Mr. Volonts has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player throughout the Bay Area. He resides in Santa Rosa with his wife and fellow accomplished musician (Tingting), and their 2 young children (Nathan and Tiana). Mr. Volonts is currently the specialty strings teacher at SunRidge Elementary in Sebastopol.
Week 3 – October 16
Mark Wardlaw, Clarinet
While working on his Bachelor of Music degree at California State University, Sacramento, Wardlaw was hired to play in the show band at the California State Fair. Playing with Steve Allen, Florence Henderson and several other acts at the Fair changed his life. In 1982, after studying in New York City and then earning his Masters at the University of Washington, he and his wife and son moved to Santa Rosa, where he has held the position of second clarinet chair since 1984.
Week 4 – October 23
Francesco Lecce-Chong, SR Symphony Music Director and Conductor
Described by the press as a “fast-rising talent in the music world” with “the real gift.”
Instructor Biography:
Wendy Cilman is the Director of Education for the Santa Rosa Symphony. She lectures/demonstrates, music as an art form for everyone. She holds a Masters degree in music from San Francisco State University.
