Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

Not long ago, many music lovers feared that San Antonio would be left without a symphonic orchestra after the dissolution of the former San Antonio Symphony. But that did not happen. The musicians of the defunct Symphony didn’t let it happen. They marshaled their talents as both musicians and organizers, and re-created a symphonic orchestra, which they named San Antonio Philharmonic, or SA Phil, for short.

This past weekend, the orchestra played a great program that included Beethoven’s “Eroica” (Heroic) Symphony, perhaps wanting to celebrate their own heroic success in recreating a symphonic orchestra in our city.

And now, we are looking forward to SA Phil’s second season.

“I am thrilled that we had a great first season,” said Stephanie Westney, a violinist, and head of the concert committee, who has greatly contributed to the choice of programming for both the closing season and the new 2023-24 upcoming season. “It has been such a privilege to craft these first two seasons for SA Phil,” she noted. “We have put together a season full of diverse conductors, soloists, composers and repertoire that we believe the audience will love!”

Though she consulted with a committee, she was the one who coordinated contacts and contracts with conductors and soloists who will appear with SA Phil during the 2023-24 season. In fact, she is acting like an artistic director at present. One goal was also to offer compositions by contemporary composers “who are still alive, she said.

Though pleasing audiences is essential, she and her committee also strived to choose music that their fellow players would enjoy performing. Two of the concerts will be with the San Antonio Mastersingers chorus. As in season one, all conductors will be guest conductors. And some of the soloists featured during the inaugural season will be brought back. Such is the case with violinist Randall Goosby, who was “so phenomenal.” Altogether, there will be nine soloists. One of them, violinist Vadim Gluzman, will play and conduct the concert in April 2024. The first pair of concerts will be conducted by Jeffrey Kahane, former conductor of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and music director of the Sarasota Music Festival.

All concert will take place at the orchestra’s current home, First Baptist Church of San Antonio.

So, here’s what’s coming up”

Sept. 22-23: Conductor Jeffrey Kahane; soloist violinist Chee-Yun; program: Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, Stravinsky’s Suite from the “Firebird,” and Juan Pablo Contreras’ “Mariachitlan.”

Oct. 13-14: Conductor Vinay Parameswaran; trumpet soloist Tine Thing Helseth; program: Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5, Trumpet concerto by Artuinian, “Field Guide” by Gabriella Smith and “Avartan” by Reena Esmail.

Nov. 3-4: Conductor Stephen Mulligan; program:  Overture to “The Magic Flute” by Mozart, Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella” Suite and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.”

Dec. 1-2: Conductor Sarah Ioannides; pianist Gabriela Martinez; program: “Caught by the Wind” by Jesse Montgomery, Piano Concerto No.2 by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5

Jan. 19 and 20, 2024: Conductor Marcelo Lehniger; soprano Laura Strickling; program:  Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and Villa-Lobos’ “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5

Feb. 23-24, 2024: Conductor Ludwig Carrasco; mezzo-soprano Crystal Jarrell Johnson; Mastersingers; program “Nocturne” by Michael Ippolito, “Fern Hill” by John Corigliano and “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Mussorgsky.

March 22-23, 2024: Conductor Anthony Parnther; pianist David Kaplan; program: Mozart’s Piano Concerto # 20, Schumann’ Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish,” and Ballade in A Minor by Coleridge-Taylor.

April 19-20, 2024: Director & Violinist Vadim Gluzman; program: “Suite in the Old Style for Strings” by Schnittke, arr. Jolan Berta, Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.

May 10-11, 2024: Conductor Jean Marie Zeitouni; cellist Sterling Elliott; Mastersingers; program Brahms: “Tragic Overture,” “Nanie” and “Song of Destiny,” plus Dvorak’s Cello Concerto..

May 31-June 1: Conductor Lina Gonzalez-Granados; violinist Randall Goosby; program: “Jeder Baum spricht” by Iman Habibi; Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

Season subscriptions are available at www.SAphil.org

The final concert of the current season will take place May 26-27.

“With each concert, we always strive to lift listeners to a place that moves and inspires them, not merely entertains,” said San Antonio Philharmonic’s president, Brian Petkovich, a bassoonist.