Purchase Symphony Orchestra - Concert Program I

Academic Festival Overture

by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Echoes Made

by Drew Sennett (b.1998)

• World Premiere

Ah! Perfido, Op. 65

by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

• featuring Rachel Schlesinger. Winner of the 2023 Concerto Competition

-  Intermission  -

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97, “Rhenish”

by Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

1. Lebhaft
2. Scherzo: Sehr mäßig
3. Nicht schnell
4. Feierlich
5. Lebhaft

The Purchase Symphony Orchestra:

** Denotes Concert Master

* Denotes Principal Players

Violin

• Mekhi Noble**
• Jade Hattori-Hamilton**
• Christina Shari
• Nicholas Trevits
• Sarah-Anne Fried
• Everett Borman
• Daniel Karpf
• Nadim Selesnick
• Jada Miller
• Louis Barker
• Sunjay Jayaram
• Safieh Moshir

Viola

• Emma Musial*
• Everett Borman
• Silo Onikura
• Martin Rojas
• Cassity Warnecke
• Andrew Knebel

Cello

• Frida Rahmani*
• Claire Stancarone*
• Hanna Walker
• Scarlette Hashimoto
• Allison Smith
• Laura Mead
• Aidan Saltini

Bass

• Christopher Wygonik*
• Alexander Kapopoulos*
• Colin Waldron
• Kevin Wulf
• Fabien DuChateau
• Samuel Fletcher

Piccolo

• Taylor Daniels
• Bella Bausano

Flute

• Eni Karahoda*
• Julius Lagoa-Iacono*
• Taylor Daniels*
• Sophie Jung*
• Stella Kahnis
• Gabriel Rosado-Bauza
• Honoko Saeki
• Denilson Bowen
• Bella Bausano

Oboe

• Hank McPhillips*
• Angelina D’Souza*
• Joseph Sdao
• Daniel Millevoi
• Saige Valentino

Clarinet

• Alba Morales-Millan*
• Zexuan Liu*
• Jasper Biski

Bass Clarinet

• Gordon Connor
• Jasper Biski

Bassoon

• DeAnna Santiago*
• Maria Palacios-Sandoval

Horn

• Tressa Cortright*
• Luis Montesdeoca
• Benjamin Hommowun
• Alejandro Salaverry

Trumpet

• Stefan Dinkel*
• Joe Sabia
• Ayumi Kurokawa

Trombone

• Justin Schoeneck*
• Cara Rozas

Bass Trombone

• Anthony Santiago

Tuba

• Lucia Vysohlid

Timpani

• Daniel Knipscher
• Nicholas Esposito

Percussion

• Christian McCarthy
• Christopher Atkins
• John Porcelli
• Mani Jones

Orchestra Personnel

• Drew Sennett, PSO Manager
• DeAnna Santiago, PSO Librarian

About the Purchase Symphony Orchestra

The Purchase Symphony Orchestra is composed of the dedicated and talented students of the Conservatory of Music. Students rehearse six hours a week as a large group and spend additional time in studio classes and sectionals. The Orchestra is proud to present the works of classical composers from the Age of Enlightenment to the present day.

Academic Festival Overture

by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture was composed in 1880 as a thank-you gift to the University of Breslau after they awarded him an honorary doctorate. Known for his humility and reluctance to embrace public honors, Brahms humorously responded with what he called “a very boisterous potpourri of student drinking songs.” Far from the serious, scholarly work the title might suggest, this overture is an exuberant and playful composition, brimming with the composer’s wit and charm.

Brahms, one of the towering figures of 19th-century music, spent much of his career negotiating between the traditions of Beethoven and the innovations of Romanticism. Often labeled as a “classicist,” Brahms revered the past, but his music pulses with a unique emotional intensity and depth. In the Academic Festival Overture, he showcases his mastery of orchestration by blending four German student songs into a vibrant and celebratory tapestry, culminating in a grand and triumphant rendition of Gaudeamus Igitur, a traditional graduation hymn. This piece is both a tribute to Brahms’ deep understanding of classical forms and a playful nod to youthful exuberance.

Echoes Made

by Drew Sennett (b.1998)

Echoes Made is a single-movement work for orchestra. Echoes are mirrors of sound. Echoes reflect their original sound and, given a large enough space, also reflect themselves. Our reflection in glass, or mirrors, or windows, changes over time. We age, we get a haircut, we start wearing glasses, and our reflection changes. We feel regret, or pride, or shame and our reflection also changes.

Ah! Perfido, Op. 65

by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Composed in 1795-96, Beethoven’s Ah! Perfido stands as one of his most powerful concert arias, written during his early years in Vienna. The text, drawn from the Italian poet Pietro Metastasio, tells the story of a woman abandoned by her lover, expressing first outrage and bitterness, and then turning to an impassioned plea for mercy from the gods.

Beethoven, still in his twenties at the time, was on the cusp of becoming the revolutionary figure we now remember. While primarily known for his symphonies and piano works, Beethoven was also deeply drawn to vocal music throughout his career. Ah! Perfido is a bridge between the classical operatic traditions of Mozart and the more dramatic, emotional terrain that would define Beethoven’s later works. In this aria, we see the seeds of Beethoven’s dramatic genius, as he masterfully marries the soprano’s virtuosic lines with an orchestral accompaniment that is at once sensitive and forceful, heightening the emotional stakes of the narrative.

The work’s dramatic pacing and soaring vocal demands offer a glimpse into the future of operatic writing. As the soprano shifts from scorn to supplication, Beethoven’s orchestration echoes her changing emotions, creating an emotionally charged atmosphere that captivates the listener from beginning to end.

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97, “Rhenish”

by Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Schumann composed his third symphony, nicknamed the Rhenish, in 1850, shortly after moving to Düsseldorf to take up a position as the city’s music director. The Rhine River, which dominates the landscape of the region, provided the central inspiration for this symphony. Schumann, like many Romantic composers, was deeply connected to nature and landscape, and the Rhenish symphony captures both the majesty and the tranquility of the river and its surrounding regions.

Schumann’s personal life during this time was a mixture of professional success and inner turmoil. Though his position in Düsseldorf was prestigious, he struggled with mental health issues that would eventually lead to his tragic decline. Despite these struggles, Schumann’s music from this period remains imbued with the emotional depth and structural innovation that marked him as one of the foremost symphonic composers of his generation.

The Rhenish is structured in five movements, an unusual departure from the traditional four-movement symphonic form, and it reflects the composer’s growing interest in programmatic music. The first movement (Lebhaft) bursts with energy, capturing the vitality of the Rhine, while the second movement (Scherzo: Sehr mäßig) suggests the lilt of a rustic folk dance. The third movement (Nicht schnell) offers a lyrical, pastoral interlude, evoking the serene beauty of the river’s quieter stretches.

The fourth movement (Feierlich), which is often considered the emotional heart of the symphony, was reportedly inspired by Schumann’s experience attending a solemn ceremony at the Cologne Cathedral. The music here is grand and stately, echoing the architectural majesty of the cathedral itself. The symphony concludes with the fifth movement (Lebhaft), a jubilant and spirited finale that brings the work to a rousing close.

Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony is often seen as a reflection of the composer’s own inner world—filled with contrasts between joy and melancholy, order and spontaneity. It is a tribute to both the external beauty of the Rhine and the inner emotional landscape that Schumann navigated throughout his life.

Mina Kim Mina Kim, Director of the Purchase Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra Director

Mina Kim is the Director of the Purchase Symphony Orchestra (PSO) and Music Director of the Woodstock Symphony Orchestra (WSO).  Mina is acclaimed for her innovative programming and her ability to craft compelling musical experiences.  Known for her emotionally charged interpretations, Ms. Kim has led the WSO since 2023 and is now entering her second season with enthusiasm and a continued commitment to engaging the local community through music.
In addition to her work with WSO, Ms. Kim has been a guest conductor for numerous ensembles across the United States. This season, she will guest conduct the Mannes Orchestra in a performance of Adolphus Hailstork’s Ndemara. She has also developed a unique collaboration between the PSO and the Westchester Chamber Soloists (WCS), bringing together local musicians for a memorable performance of Mahler’s First Symphony. Ms. Kim’s repertoire spans symphonic, operatic, and contemporary works, reflecting her versatility and visionary approach to conducting.

Throughout her career, Ms. Kim has worked with many celebrated artists, including virtuoso Joshua Bell, Daniel Phillips, Katya Grineva, and GRAMMY-nominated Black Violin. Her performances have been featured at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, and her artistry has been showcased at major music festivals in the U.S. and Europe.

A dedicated educator, Ms. Kim has been a faculty member at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College since 2006, where she currently serves as Chair of Classical Studies. She holds degrees in Piano Performance, Vocal Collaborative Piano, and Orchestral Conducting from Busan National University, Purchase College, and Mannes School of Music. While at Mannes, she was Assistant Conductor of the Mannes American Contemporary Ensemble (MACE) and Chorus Master of The Mannes Opera.

Since 2006, Ms. Kim has been a faculty member at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, where she currently serves as Chair of Classical Studies. Amidst her many roles on campus, she enjoys teaching and is a beloved coach and mentor to countless students.

Rachel Schlesinger Rachel Schlesinger, Soprano

Soprano.  Rachel Schlesinger is a Slovak-American Soprano born and raised in New York.  Rachel is in her first year of masters at San Francisco Conservatory of Music studying with César Ulloa. Rachel has participated in young artists programs such as CLA Italy, International Summer Festival of
Morelia, and this past summer she was a young artist at CLA France and Sewanee Music Festival. Rachel has received numerous awards in national competitions such as a National Encouragement Award from Shirley Rabb Winston Voice Scholarship, First place in NATS Central Region Lower Classical Division, and honorable mention in the Hal Leonard Art Song Vocal Competition College Division. Rachel’s roles at Purchase included Gertrude in Thomas’ Hamlet, Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Noémie in Massenet’s Cendrillon, and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro. This spring, Rachel will be performing the role of Dorinda in Handel’s Orlando.

Drew Sennett

Composer.  Drew Sennett is a graduate student of Classical Composition at the Conservatory of Music where he studies with Gregory Spears.

The Conservatory of Music

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