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September 28, 2025 at 2pm, MassBay Community College, Wellesley - - - - - - - - - - - Margaret Brouwer (1940 - )  Path at Sunrise, Masses of Flowers In celebration of their 75th anniversary, the Cleveland Women’s Symphony, with funding from the 2009 Commissioning Music/USA Award from Meet the Composer, commissioned Margaret Brouwer to mark the occasion. The Michigan-born composer is recognized as one of the important voices in contemporary classical music. The New York Times  has described her music as “inhabiting its own peculiarly bewitching harmonic world,” a quality clearly heard in the commissioned work and today’s concert opener, Path at Sunrise, Masses of Flowers . The piece is an eight-minute, one-movement work that, as Daniel Hathaway of ClevelandClassical observed, “leaves colorful sounds ringing in the ears.” Brouwer has offered her own guidance to listeners: "Visualize walking down a path in the quiet of early morning at sunrise. The sun gradually rises on masses of flowers planted closely - jumbled together in a profusion of vibrant and delicate colors and myriad textures. Picture walking through this beauty with a mix of personal emotions - sadness - acceptance - gratitude - and appreciation for the beauty of the flowers and the sun." Brower's resume boasts numerous awards (American Academy of Arts and Letters, Guggenheim Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts, and Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center), performances across the world by symphonies (Detroit, Dallas, Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and Poznan Philharmonic), and educational positions in composition at prestigious institutions (Head of the Composition Department at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center, and Charles Ives Center for American Music). Alan Hovhaness (1911 - 2000)  Symphony No. 1 , Exile Among the many cultures that have contributed to Boston’s multicultural landscape is the Armenian community. Alan Hovhaness, the second composer on this afternoon’s program, embodies both that heritage and the long tradition of Western classical music in Boston. Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, his father, Alan Vaness Chakmakjian, was a chemistry professor at Tufts University, and his mother, Madeline Scott, graduated from Wellesley College. Obsessed with music at a very young age, Hovhaness began composing as early as the age of four; his first composition was said to have been inspired by a Franz Schubert song. Despite his parents' concerns over the precarity of music as a vocation, his interests persisted, and he began studying composition seriously, first at Tufts University and then at the New England Conservatory. While immersing himself in the study of Western classical music, he never forgot his Armenian roots. Across his prolific output of hundreds of works, one hears the influence of Armenian folk melodies (Armenian Rhapsody No. 1), distinctive Armenian modes and rhythms (Concerto No. 7 “Ughlu”), and depictions of Armenian culture, dance, and figures (Lady of Light). This influence is especially evident in his First Symphony, the Exile Symphony . The piece is dedicated to the memory of the thousands of Armenians who perished during the Ottoman Turkish occupation in World War I, including his own grandparents. On December 6, 1942, at the age of 31, Hovhaness’s symphony, a sonic memorial to his Armenian ancestry, premiered in the United States by the NBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leopold Stokowski. Dimitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) - Symphony No. 5 On November 21, 1937, the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra performed Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 in D minor. What ensued at the conclusion of the performance was an eruption of applause that was said to have lasted around 30 minutes. This was no ordinary performance, not only due to the overwhelmingly positive response from the crowd, but it also marked Shostakovich's return to the good graces of the oppressive Soviet government. Less than a year earlier, he had withdrawn his Fourth Symphony, widely believed to be the result of political pressure in a repressive climate. Despite the symphony's appeal to both the public and the authorities, it was still met with suspicion. Two officials doubted the sincerity of the ovation, even suggesting that the audience had been filled with planted supporters of Shostakovich. Yet, despite such suspicions, Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony has endured as one of his most celebrated and frequently performed works. It was only years later, free from the dogmatic scrutiny of the Soviet regime, that its deeper statement came to light. Musical quotation is the vital clue to Shostakovich's musical puzzle. In the last movement, Shostakovich quotes his earlier work "Vozrozhdeniye ," a setting of "Rebirth"  by the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, conveying a message about artistic autonomy in the face of political repression. At the time of writing that poem, Pushkin himself was grappling with exile and censorship at the hands of the authorities. Audiences familiar with the musical connotation could read Shostakovich’s hidden message. Throughout the four-movement work, various motifs appear and repeat in various forms. Of note is the opening melody played by the first violins. Shostakovich offers fifteen variations in both the first and third movements. One of the most climactic moments of the symphony occurs in the fourth and final movement. Evolving out of a slow funeral dirge in D minor is a modulation to a bright and uplifting D major. Given the symphony's hidden meaning, perhaps this is Shostakovich's declaration that, in spite of oppressive regimes, art will triumphantly prevail. Yet the true significance of this ending continues to spark fierce debate among music historians and analysts. James Heazlewood-Dale

Our first concert of this season is on September 28 @2pm at MassBay Community College in Wellesley. We're presenting 3 great works: Margaret Brouwer (1940 - ) Path at Sunrise, Masses of Flowers Alan Hovhaness (1911 - 2000) Symphony No. 1, Exile Dimitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) - Symphony No. 5 In this video, Music Director Mark Latham introduces the music and what inspired the composers to create them.

Our 2025-2026 season is full of musical treasures old and new, including Shostakovich's epic 5th symphony, Tchaikovsky's iconic Piano Concerto No. 1 featuring Young Steinway Artist Taige Wang, Beethoven's Eroica , women composers for Women's History Month, music of Pierné and Debussy, featuring our own Emily Richardson, Copland's Lincoln Portrait, and a commissioned piece in memory of our clarinetist and board member, Dianne Mahany. All that along with our holiday concert and winner of the Michael H. Welles Young Soloist Competition. Join us! Join our mailing list to receive the latest concert information by clicking the link on our home page or email us at info@wellesleysymphony.org September 28, 2025 - "Dissent and Beauty" Margaret Brouwer - Path at Sunrise, Masses of Flowers Alan Hovhaness - Symphony No. 1, Exile Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5 Sunday, November 2, 2025 - "Remembrance" Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Capriccio Italien William Grant Still - Symphony No. 3 - The Sunday Symphony Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1, Taige Wang, piano Saturday, December 6, 2025 - HOLIDAY CONCERT! Featuring the Fireside Barbershop Quartet and holiday favorites Sunday, February 8, 2026 - "We the People" Carlos Chavez - Sinfonia India Aaron Copland - Lincoln Portrait Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 3 - Eroica Sunday, March 22, 2026 - "Women Compose! - A Symphonic Celebration of Women's History Month Featuring the winner of the Michael H. Welles Young Soloist Competition Mark Latham - Elegy in Memoriam of Dianne Mahany Compositions by: • Margaret Bonds • Vitaslava Kapralova • Lili Boulanger • Katherine Hoover • Lera Auerbach Sunday, May 10, 2026 - "DANCE!" Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Four Waltzes Gabriel Pierné - Concert Piece, Harp, Op. 39 Claude Debussy - Dances Sacres et Profanes, Emily Richardson, Harp Alberto Ginastera - Estancia: Four Dances Igor Stravinsky - Petruchka

Carl August Nielsen (1865 – 3 October 1931 is widely recognized as Denmark's most prominent composer. Throughout his life Nielsen remained a fascinating mixture of earthy simplicity and intellectual sophistication, reading widely and keeping up to date with musical innovations. Initially he reacted against Wagner’s modernism, but in later years he was fascinated by what progressive-minded composers like Bartók, Schoenberg and Hindemith were doing. His very last works show him as keen as ever to extend his musical horizons, though without sacrificing the rootedness in nature that he’d inherited and nurtured as a child. (1) Jennifer Wright with Mark Latham conducting About his flute concerto, Carl Nielsen said that the composer has had to follow the mild character of the instrument if he did not want to run the risk of being called a barbarian. (2) But this concerto is not at all what one would think of as pastoral musings. As our soloist and principal flute, Jennifer Wright, notes: "You’ll hear a trio for flute, viola and French horn, and duets for flute with clarinet, bassoon and even bass trombone! The music is at times triumphant, tragic, playful and passionate." We hope you'll join us to hear this lovely concerto along with Nielsen's Saga Dream and Mahler's Symphony No. 1 'Titan' Notes: https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/c.asp?c=C438 https://www.carlnielsen.dk/gb/bio/#biography/art-and-consciousness.php

I've been a member of the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra since 2007 and it has been a great experience. A wonderful part of it has been the orchestra's warm and productive partnership with MassBay Community College. MassBay (which serves about 6,000 students) has been the home of the Wellesley Symphony since 1984. As part of our responsibilities as the Orchestra-in-Residence, we are part of MassBay's commencement ceremonies. We play a short concert prior to the start of the ceremonies, then the well-known processional, Elgar's Pomp & Circumstance, March #1, and recessional music at the close of the ceremony. The first commencement I played in, in 2008, was quite an eye opener. The enthusiasm of the MassBay grads, families, and friends is simply incredible. When one gets a sense of how hard these students work - many of the graduates have one job and most have two -- the journeys of many just to get to MassBay, much less to graduate, are quite inspirational. One extra treat is to accompany singers of the national anthem for commencement (standing in front of a good orchestra is one of the coolest experiences!) This past May we were pleased to play behind Tahlia Butler , who did a terrific job. It was wonderful to watch Tahlia working with Mark Latham, our music director, at rehearsal and the performance went off without a hitch. For commencement the orchestra is seated with just enough space that's shaped something like a shallow, wide crescent. Instead of being in the middle (behind the woodwinds, in front of the percussion for a typical concert,) we (trumpets) found ourselves against the tent in the far left just behind the lower strings. I suspect that the woodwinds were relieved to be out of the typical trumpet-induced mayhem, and we did have a rare thrill hanging out with the violas. Another big difference between commencements and anything else is the musical downtime. Once we're done with our 'pre' concert and procession music, we've got a lot of time to ourselves until we resume for the recessional. Some of the players read or talk -- for example, this year I learned a few things about double reeds while eavesdropping on a conversation between our principal oboist and principal bassoonist. For me it's mostly wandering outside the tent and chatting up MassBay staff and security and other WSO players. It's nice to get a chance to just talk with other players, some of whom (like those mysterious string players) I've never really met. Throughout all this we follow the progress of names in the program. Then, all-of-a-sudden, we need to find our way back into the tent for the recessional. This year we closed with the entire Pomp & Circumstance Marches #1 and #4; Elgar wrote five of them -- the performance of the first one in 1901 was a 'frantic success.' We hear that 'land of hope and glory' theme a lot, of course, but the piece overall is quite something. In any case, I say a quick trumpeter's prayer to not crack my first notes, and we're off to celebrate another great class of MassBay graduates. Chris Ten Eyck Principal Trumpet

In 1949, the American mythologist Joseph Campbell published his influential book The Hero with a Thousand Faces . Drawing on Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung’s theories of narrative archetypes, Campbell proposed that across thousands of years and throughout the globe, the human species has repeatedly told variations of the same fundamental story, a structure he called the “monomyth” or “The Hero’s Journey.” This concept identifies recurring narrative patterns across myths, legends, and folktales, revealing archetypal story arcs. Musicians have been aware of such a narrative structure far longer than Campbell’s research. For Western classical composers interested in writing programmatic music—that is, music intended to depict narrative—the thousands of stories that fit the mold of the archetypal hero’s journey have provided rich source material for composition. Today’s selection of music takes inspiration from stories that exemplify the hero's journey. Saga Dream  ( Saga-Drøm ) Op. 39 - Carl Nielsen Carl Nielsen’s Saga-Drøm (Danish for “Saga Dream”) draws inspiration from the Icelandic epic Njáls . This thirteenth-century story draws from real events and figures. It tells the story of various feuds between families that occurred in the Icelandic Commonwealth and explores themes of fatalism and masculinity. Nielsen’s eight-minute symphonic poem depicts only part of this epic. Nielsen’s composition focuses on Gunnar Hámundarson (a friend of the saga’s protagonists) and his two brothers, Kolskeg and Hjort, all of whom have been exiled. Exhausted, Gunnar collapses and falls into a deep sleep, where he begins to dream. Gunnar’s dream is not a restful one; he envisions a fatal wolf attack on the party, leaving Hjort dead. Gunnar’s dream state is reflected in the music. In an article published in the Danish periodical, Politiken , Nielsen wrote, “I have tried, in muted tones, to give voice to the strange ideas engendered in the dream. There are among other things four cadenzas for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and flute which run quite freely alongside one another, with no harmonic connection, and without my marking time. They are just like four streams of thought, each going its own way — differently and randomly for each performance — until they meet in a point of rest as if flowing into a lock where they are united.” The work was composed between 1907 and 1908, premiering on April 6, 1908, at the Odd Fellows Mansion in Copenhagen, Denmark.   “Flute Concerto” - Carl Nielsen Anyone who has gone through their music studies may recall the sense of achievement when their teacher placed a concerto on their music stand, indicating they had reached a certain level of technical and musical proficiency. They may also remember just how difficult learning concertos can be. (It should be noted that Nielsen’s concerto does not take inspiration from the hero's journey. However, perfecting a concerto may, at times, feel like a Herculean effort!) Concertos are more than just challenging pieces that test the player's abilities; they encapsulate the personalities of celebrated musicians from the past. Nielsen's concerto for flute serves as an apt example. In 1921, Nielsen attended a rehearsal of the Copenhagen Wind Quintet. Impressed by the ensemble's musicality, he decided to compose a concerto for each member of the quintet. He began with the flautist Holger Gilbert-Jespersen. The premiere of the concerto, which took place on October 21, 1926, in Paris at the Maison Gaveau, was a monumental success. Nielsen even remarked that the performance was among his "greatest experiences" as a composer. In attendance were renowned composers Maurice Ravel and Arthur Honegger, the latter of whom documented his account of the concert: "The famous Conservatory Orchestra played great [sic]  and the flute concerto was performed in a masterly manner and with a delicate tone - there was a standing ovation and soloist Gilbert Jespersen 'flûtiste de grande classe' - was called in several times." The concerto is considered to be in a neoclassical style but differs from the standard structure of concertos by having two movements instead of three.    Symphony No. 1  (“Titan”) - Gustav Mahler Closing this afternoon’s performance is a piece that ranks among the most adventurous of the notable Western classical composers’ first attempts at a symphony: Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major . Mahler originally titled the symphony Titan  after the nine-hundred-and-something-page novel by German author Jean Paul. Mahler frequently stated that the symphony is not about the book; rather, the symphony takes inspiration from the general themes of the novel, namely, the hero's departure, transformation, and return. Paul’s book follows a young nobleman, Albano de Cesara, who, after leaving his somewhat sheltered upbringing, confronts various philosophical and emotional challenges through his interactions with different characters along his journey, which eventually lead him to question his worldview. Music historians have regarded Mahler’s symphony as being innovative in certain respects. Most notably, the larger tonal structure of the symphony has some noteworthy peculiarities. The piece moves through D major, A major, D minor, F minor, and concludes in D major. Mahler also indicated that the piece was conceived as a symphonic poem in two parts. This reframing of the structure is most evident in the second and third movements. A typical symphony will have the adagio in the second movement and the scherzo or trio in the third movement. Mahler inverts these in this symphony. Mahler had also originally conceived the work as having a different second movement; in the original version, the piece had five movements, which is highly unorthodox for a symphony. However, this movement was removed during the various revisions between the symphony’s premiere in 1889 at the Vigadó Concert Hall in Budapest and the performance with the Berlin Philharmonic seven years later in 1896. The symphony was among the most performed pieces by Mahler during the course of the composer’s lifetime. James Heazlewood-Dale

Saga-Drøm (Dreams of Saga) by Carl Nielsen Nielsen describes his composition in a 1927 interview in the newspaper Politiken . “I am so fond of the work. It is kept almost piano all the time and musically it is very radical. It depicts the dream of Gunnar of Hlidarende, the marvelous figure from Njal’s Saga who plundered and slaughtered, yet was still made of finer stuff and was ahead of his time. He dreams of a brighter, better future for mankind, and I have tried, in muted tones, to give voice to the strange ideas engendered in the dream.” A cadenza is a common feature in classical music, where the orchestra pauses for a solo instrument. These moments are often a linchpin of the piece, where a single player channels the music from one place to another. In Saga-Drøm, Nielsen introduces “four cadenzas for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and flute which run quite freely alongside one another, with no harmonic connection, and without my marking time. They are just like four streams of thought, each going its own way – differently and randomly for each performance – until they meet in a point of rest, as if flowing into a lock where they are united.” This wonderful moment flows into a fabulous chorale in the lower brass and winds, taking the piece to a noble ending. Join us to hear this, along with Nielsen's terrific flute concerto and Mahler's "Titan", Symphony No. 1. Sunday, May 11 at 2pm at MassBay in Wellesley. Tickets are 'pay what you can' - click here. sources: wikipedia repertoire-explorer.musikmph.de https://repertoire-explorer.musikmph.de/wp-content/uploads/vorworte_prefaces/1297.pdf

Our season finale features The extraordinary music of Carl Nielsen and Gustav Mahler—two great composers celebrated for their symphonies that transcend the boundaries of classical music, delving into themes of human struggle, nature, and life itself. The program opens with two compelling works by Carl Nielsen: Saga Dream, inspired by the Icelandic saga Njála, and his enchanting Flute Concerto, featuring our principal flutist, Jennifer Wright. The concert concludes with Gustav Mahler's monumental Symphony No. 1, Titan—a masterpiece widely regarded as one of the most remarkable and ambitious first symphonies ever composed. We look forward to welcoming you on Sunday, May 11, at 2 PM, at MassBay in Wellesley.  We're easy to get to, with free and convenient parking, and a reception after the concert.

Sherborn Library, March 15 We are passionate about bringing live classical music to as many communities as possible. This season we have hosted outreach events at libraries in Wellesley, Needham, Dover, Framingham, and Sherborn. These events offer a fun, informal opportunity to showcase our instruments and music.  We are thrilled to connect with families who want to experience music up close—both for themselves and to introduce their children to classical, live music. Dover Public Library, March 1 Needham Public Library, March 1 Dover Public Library, March 1

Our family concert features music with strong melodies and drama. Music that evokes rivers and animals and the struggles of building community. Central to the program is Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" - a story of a 19th century settlement, incorporating Shaker themes in Copland's signature style. Get tickets And we are very happy to present Maggie Bai, winner of the 2024 Michael H. Welles Young Soloist Competition, playing from Schumann's Piano Concerto No. 1 Rossini - Overture to  The Thievin g Magpie Smetana - The Moldau Handel - Largo , from Xerxes Grainger - Molly on the Shore Schumann - Piano Concerto, I. Allegro affettuoso, featuring Maggie Bai, piano Copland - Appalachian Spring We will also be joined by students from the Wellesley Public Schools Elementary School String Program.

Our February 9 concert features two great symphonies. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony No. 40, also known as the "Great G minor symphony" Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's epic Symphony No. 5. Please join us, Sunday February 9, at 2pm at MassBay Community College in Wellesley.

Music Director Mark Latham introduces the program for our Nov 3 concert : "Breathe" by Carlos Simon Samuel Barber's Concerto for Violincello and Orchestra, featuring Brent Selby . Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" The concert is at 2 pm at MassBay Community College in Wellesley, on Rt 9, just west of Rt 95. Parking is plentiful and free, ticket prices are pay-what-you-can, with a reception after the concert.