HARMONIZE. Orchestral Masterworks : simplebooklet.com

The Atlanta Community SymphonyOrchestra (ACSO) was conceived in thesummer of 1957 under the auspices ofthe Atlanta Music Club (AMC). At thattime, there were very limited orchestralopportunities for seriousinstrumentalists in Atlanta. Mrs. CharlesChalmers, AMC President (1956-1960),worked with AMC members Mrs. RuthDabney Allen and Ms. Ruth Kern, a localmusic educator and violist, to establish acommunity orchestra to further theprogress of talented amateur musiciansin the Atlanta area.Ms. Kern emphasized that it was theresponsibility of the teachers of the cityto see that serious music students andadult musicians had an opportunity torehearse and perform symphonic music.In the fall of 1957, at the invitation ofthe AMC, an ensemble of seventeenplayers convened at the home ofMrs. Andrew Fairlie to explore thepossibilities for a new community-based orchestra to performsymphonic literature. The AtlantaCommunity Orchestra (now theACSO) was officially founded in 1958.The ACSO’s first free public concertwas performed on May 12, 1958,under the baton of Maestro HarryKruger. More than half a century later, theACSO continues to providesymphonic orchestral training andperformance opportunities forserious Atlanta-area musicians andquality, free symphonicperformances for audiences aroundmetro-Atlanta and the State ofGeorgia. For more than forty years,the ACSO has held an annual YoungArtists’ Concerto Competition(YACC), giving dedicated musicstudents the opportunity to performsolo works with the orchestra. TheRuth Kern YACC is named in honor ofMs. Kern, founding ACSO member,for her dedication to both musiceducation and the orchestra.Today, the ACSO provides thecitizens of metro Atlanta and otherGeorgia cities with multiple concertseach year at no admission charge.H I S T O R Y |3 A t l a n t a C o m m u n i t y S y m p h o n y O r c h e s t r a | 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 S e a s o nJuan R. Ramírez, Conductor Emeritus,with Mrs.Ruth Dabney Allen (1907-2009), at the ACSO’s50th Anniversary Gala Concert at SymphonyHall on November 15, 2008.The Atlanta Community Symphony Orchestraperforming at Symphony Hall for Its 50th AnniversaryGala Concert on November 15, 2008.

Page 4

JOHN THOMAS DODSON,PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTORJohn Thomas Dodson has served as MusicDirector or Principal Conductor of elevenAmerican orchestras, led concerts in theDominican Republic, Greece, Hungary,Mexico, Poland and Russia, and conductedopera productions with Cleveland Opera andYale Opera. He has conducted in majorvenues around the world including CarnegieHall, Lincoln Center, Severance Hall, EastmanTheatre Athens Megaron Concert Hall andBudapest’s Hungarian State Opera House.Dodson’s concerts have been featured onnationally syndicated broadcasts throughPublic Radio International.As founding Artistic Director of Conciertos dela Villa de Santo Domingo, led a decade of 4 A t l a n t a C o m m u n i t y S y m p h o n y O r c h e s t r a | 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 S e a s o n| B I O G R A P H I E Sconcerts in the Dominican Republic’s Colonial City, a UNESCO World HeritageSite. He partnered with Fundácion de la Villa, the Ministry of Culture and theNational Conservatory of Music to create an Early Music program, partneringwith Artist Teachers from the United States and South America to teachDominican students voice, cello, harpsichord, Renaissance lute, Baroque guitarand theorbo. He also serves as Music Director of the Lexington Bach Festival inMichigan and as Principal Guest Conductor of the Atlanta CommunitySymphony Orchestra.An enthusiastic proponent of contemporary music, Dodson commissioned andpremiered over twenty-five works in Europe, North America and Russia, and hemade premiere recordings of five works for Naxos Records. Dodson’s music andorchestrations are available from Subito Music Distributors.Dodson studied composition at Tennessee Technological University with RobertJager. He was mentored in strings by Francis Elliott, a student of ArturoToscanini’s concertmaster Mischa Mischakoff, and by Ed Meyer, father of theGrammy Award-winning composer and virtuoso bassist, Edgar Meyer. Agraduate of Johns Hopkins University, Dodson holds a Master of Music inOrchestral Conducting from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, studyingunder renowned conducting pedagogue Frederik Prausnitz. Dodson was aConducting Fellow at the Aspen Music School where he worked under Frenchconductor, Paul Vermel. himself a student of eminent Belgian conductor, AndréCluytens and illustrious Polish conductor, Paul Kletzki. Dodson leads Mindfulness for Performers seminars in colleges and musicconservatories in the United States and abroad. He was selected to participatein a National Endowment for the Humanities program studying Buddhistpractices in the Himalayas and continued his studies through Jon Kabat-Zinn’sMindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs at UMass Memorial Center andUCLA Mindfulness Awareness Research Center.

Page 5

DAVID PHILIP REESMAN,CONCERTMASTERDavid Philip Reesman joins the AtlantaCommunity Symphony Orchestra asconcertmaster for its 67th season! He hasperformed with numerous symphonyorchestras and chamber ensembles,including the Athens, Lansing, Midland, andTraverse Symphony Orchestras. He has alsoserved as concertmaster for the Ad LibitumChamber Orchestra at Michigan StateUniversity and performed the GlazunovViolin Concerto with the University ofGeorgia Symphony Orchestra. Expandingbeyond his classical training and orchestralexperience, Reesman explores a range ofmusical genres, incorporates electronics,and writes and records original music toshare with modern listeners.Reesman is as committed to musiceducation as he is to his own pursuit ofmusical expression. For ten years, he servedas Director of Orchestras at BrookwoodHigh School, impacting thousands ofstudents across five superior-ratedorchestras, with the most advancedensemble earning an invitation to performat Carnegie Hall. He currently teachesorchestra at Druid Hills Middle School (andenjoys it, despite years of emphaticallydeclaring he would “never teach middleschool!”). Reesman also contributes tostring pedagogy on a national level throughthe American String Teachers Association(ASTA) Eclectic Styles Committee and hiswork as a presenter, clinician, andadjudicator.5 A t l a n t a C o m m u n i t y S y m p h o n y O r c h e s t r a | 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 S e a s o nWith a diverse background spanningclassical and contemporary styles, Reesmanhas established himself as a versatile artistand teacher with a unique voice. By pairingimpeccable instrumental proficiency and apassion for teaching, David Philip Reesmancontinues to inspire and empower the nextgeneration of musicians to make their markin music and upon the world. B I O G R A P H I E S |

Page 6

Stephen Frketic is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. Heobtained his Bachelors degree in OrganPerformance from Indiana University’s prestigiousJacobs School of Music, and completed his Mastersdegree in Choral Conducting at the University ofToronto in 2013.During his musical tenure in Toronto, Stephenworked with multiple community and church choirs,and led choir tours to Montréal, Québec City, Dublin,Ireland, and Oxford, England. He is also a recentPast-President of the Toronto Centre of the RoyalCanadian College of Organists. In Atlanta, he is theMusic Director and Organist at St. Bartholomew'sEpiscopal Church, a position which he started inJanuary of 2020. He is also the accompanist forNorth Atlanta Voices, a Sandy Springs based Hcommunity choir, and is on the teaching faculty of the School of Fine Arts atFirst Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.Before pursuing his graduate studies, Stephen worked as a high school choirdirector in Houston, Texas, and also as an English Language Instructor in Tokyo.His husband Anson is a research scientist at Emory University in the departmentof human genetics.| B I O G R A P H I E SSTEPHEN FRKETIC,ORGAN

Page 7

Page 8

ATLANTA COMMUNITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAJohn Thomas Dodson, Principal Guest ConductorHARMONIZE. Sunday, April 13th, 2025 at 4:00pmFirst Presbyterian Church of AtlantaSAINT-SAËNS (1865-1957) - Marche Héroïque, Op. 34EDWARD ELGAR (1857-1934) - Sursum Corda, Op. 11 featuring Stephen Frketic – organJOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897) - Academic FestivalOverture, Op. 80— IntermissionEDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907) - Symphonic Dances, Op. 64 I. Allegro moderato e marcato II. Allegretto grazioso III. Allegro giocoso IV. Lento; Allegro molto e risolutoThe Atlanta Community Symphony Orchestra wants toextend a special thanks to the following supporters:Funding for this program is provided by theFulton County Board of Commissioners 8 A t l a n t a C o m m u n i t y S y m p h o n y O r c h e s t r a | 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 S e a s o nRuth Kern YACC SponsorsD r . M a r v i n an d A n n G ol d st e in| P R O G R A M

Page 9

MARCHE HÉROÏQUE, OP. 34SAINT-SAËNS (1865-1957)Camille Saint-Saëns was a remarkable figure, not only in music but in many otherfields. He was a true polymath with remarkably broad interests and a far-reaching influence in music. He also taught two of the most esteemed Frenchcomposers of his time, Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Ravel. In addition to hisaccomplishments as a composer, pianist, organist, and conductor, he wasdeeply engaged in French literature, Latin and Greek, divinity, mathematics,philosophy, archaeology, and astronomy. From Carnival of the Animals andDanse Macabre to his Third Violin Concerto and Organ Symphony, hiscompositions have become staples of the repertoire.Marche Héroïque was composed in 1870 during the Prussian army’s siege ofParis. Originally written for two pianos, the piece was performed at the funeral ofhis friend Henri Regnault, who died in battle. Later orchestrated for symphonyorchestra, it remains one of Saint-Saëns’s most frequently performed works.9 A t l a n t a Co mm un it y Sy mp ho ny O r c h e s t r a | 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 S e a s o nSURSUM CORDA, OP. 11EDWARD ELGAR (1857-1934)Edward Elgar was the first truly international composer from England since thedeath of Purcell over two centuries earlier. His compositions includemasterworks such as the Enigma Variations and Cello Concerto in E Minor, aswell as works of great popularity, including the Pomp and Circumstance Marchesand Salut d'Amour.Sursum Corda was composed in 1894 and dedicated to his friend and golfingcompanion Henry Dyke Acland. Written for organ, brass, timpani, and strings, thework reflects the meaning of its title, which translates from Latin as "Lift up yourhearts." These words form the opening dialogue leading into the EucharisticPrayer in Christian liturgies, a tradition dating back to the third century. Elgaremploys melodic shapes as musical metaphors for the text: an ascendingmelody represents the "hearts up" idea, while a contrasting downward passagepulls the music back to the earthly realm. The organ does not function as asoloistic showpiece but as an integral part of the overall texture, replacing thetraditional orchestral woodwinds with the richness and grandeur of itsmagnificent pipes.ACADEMIC FESTIVAL OVERTURE, OP. 80JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist whose works bridged thetraditions of Classical form and Romantic expression. Influenced by composerssuch as Beethoven and Schumann, he developed a style characterized bystructural rigor, thematic development, and rich harmonic language. His majorworks include four symphonies, the German Requiem, concertos for piano andviolin, chamber music, and numerous piano and vocal pieces. Brahms was highlyregarded for his craftsmanship and his ability to integrate counterpoint andvariation into large-scale forms. Though often seen as a traditionalist, his musicalso reflects innovative approaches to rhythm and harmony. His contributions toorchestral, choral, and chamber music remain central to the concert repertoire.When Brahms received a handwritten note informing him that he was going tobe awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Breslau, it must havefelt like a long-awaited recognition. His own youth had not included studies at auniversity, and now a well-known institution of higher learning was granting him P R O G R A M N O T E S |

Page 10

1 0 A t l a n t a C o m m u n i t y S y m p h o n y O r c h e s t r a | 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 S e a s o n| P R O G R A M N O T E SSYMPHONIC DANCES, OP. 64EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)Edvard Grieg occupies a central place in the musical landscape of the Romanticera, distinguished by his synthesis of Norwegian folk traditions with European artmusic. A composer and pianist, he played a pivotal role in shaping a distinctlynational style, drawing on the modal harmonies, rhythms, and melodic contoursof Norwegian folk music. His most renowned works include the Piano Concerto inA minor, the Lyric Pieces for solo piano, and the Peer Gynt suites, originallywritten as incidental music for Henrik Ibsen’s play. During his lifetime, Grieg waswidely recognized for his contributions to both Norwegian musical identity andthe broader Romantic tradition, and his works remain central to the concertrepertoire today.Grieg composed a symphony at the age of twenty. He tested several of itsmovements with orchestras over the next few years but ultimately feltdissatisfied with the result. On the manuscript, in the composer’s own hand, hewrote, "Must never be performed." That restriction held until the 1980s, when thework was indeed performed and even recorded. Suffice it to say, it has not sinceentered the repertoire as a great, previously unknown masterpiece.So, when the same composer later chose to name a piece Symphonic Dances, itis worth noting that he returned to symphonic thinking—but not to symphonicforms. Grieg's development as a composer relied on his deep exploration of a degree in honor of the musical works he had composed. For Brahms, whoalways felt the tread of Beethoven’s feet behind him, this kind of worldlyrecognition helped cement his position as the keeper of the Classical tradition—especially at a time when some of the very pillars of music were beingquestioned and redefined by composers such as Liszt and Wagner.However, whatever happiness Brahms may have felt was apparently somewhatshort-lived, as he was informed that, in order to receive the degree, protocolrequired him to compose a work for orchestra as a gesture of gratitude. Theresult was the Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80, written in 1880 and describedby the composer as a “very boisterous potpourri of student drinking songs à laSuppé.” The composer he referenced was Franz von Suppé, whose lightoperettas enchanted the public without aspiring to more Olympian heights. Yet,despite Brahms’s modest description, the Academic Festival Overture is far froma mere potpourri. While it does incorporate the drinking songs, the work iscarefully constructed and masterfully orchestrated.The Academic Festival Overture features the largest instrumentation ofBrahms’s entire output, blending his characteristic seriousness with the humorand lively energy of youth. The composer includes a series of songs traditionallysung by boisterous students, culminating in a grand rendition of GaudeamusIgitur, the melody famously sung at graduation ceremonies. Far from being asolemn hymn, its lyrics reflect the perspective of university students throughoutthe ages who enjoyed in a bacchanalian lifestyle before assuming theresponsibilities of adulthood.Still, despite the overture’s playful nature, Brahms took his assignment seriously,even as he winked at the audience present at the ceremony. A symphonic workthat has stood the test of time, the Academic Festival Overture showcases thecomposer’s mastery of counterpoint, innovations in form, and remarkableorchestration. With these stylistic hallmarks, Brahms created an unmistakablework by one of the greatest masters of the Romantic Era.

Page 11

Norwegian folk songs and dances. These elements appear throughout this work,and the very qualities that made his symphony a failure serve this masterworkexceptionally well.Edvard Grieg’s Symphonic Dances, Op. 64, showcases his mastery oforchestration and his profound connection to Norwegian folk music. Composedin 1898, the four-movement suite is based on traditional melodies from LudvigMathias Lindeman’s collection of Norwegian folk tunes. However, Grieg often hadto extend and modify these folk songs to create melodies that could withstandthe kind of symphonic treatment he envisioned. Thus, rather than a literalpresentation of each folk song, the work remains true in spirit to the traditionupon which it relies. A blend of folk-inspired rhythms, modal harmonies, andlyrical themes, Symphonic Dances demonstrates Grieg’s mature ability to mergefolk traditions with sophisticated symphonic writing. He employs manysymphonic techniques while adhering to forms that support the dances and folksongs form the backbone of the music.Symphonic Dances contrasts the rhythmic vitality of Norwegian dance forms—particularly marriage dances such as the halling and springar—with a rich lyricismthat captures the beauty of folk song. The halling is an athletic dance performedby men in a mock competition, each striving to demonstrate greater strengthand dexterity. The springar is a couple’s dance in which the male showcases hissteps while the female spins faster and faster until her dress begins to rise, atwhich point she quickly pushes it back down in a modest gesture.It is one of history’s great ironies that a "German only" decree by an emperor inVienna set off a chain of revolutionary movements in places as diverse asBohemia and Scandinavia, empowering the people of many nations to assert theirown cultural identities. Grieg’s music exists within this larger movement,alongside the works of Chopin, Smetana, Dvořák, and Sibelius. Only after muchstruggle did boundaries of many European countries begin to align with thelanguages and cultural traditions of their inhabitants—an enduring lesson in thepower of art and the unintended consequences of political decisions.P R O G R A M N O T E S |f o r t h e l a t e s t o n t h e2 0 2 5 - 2 0 2 6 s e a s o n a n d f o ra r e c a p o f t o d a y ’ s c o n c e r t !

Page 12

Margaret Shaw**Peter StraussFriends $1 - $99M. Elizabeth AtkinsonPedro AyesteranCharuki BalasuriyaHannah BassettGreg BluesteinDonna CleggDeborah CookChristina CorcorranKathleen CrawfordTimothy David & Susan Safley DavisCamille ElhasanniEmily EllingwoodPatricia EmersonMark GarnerStephen GoodwinMarcy GraiserLinda HarrisArlynn Harris**Beth HathawayDonya HoeferZachary HoffmanRhys HutchisonDara JonkoskiCaitlin KellyLiz LemonsJames MasseyMarcus MayaRoni & Alan MintzAnu MoorthyGreg OwensHannah PageSeth PageRobert PerezElizabeth RothschildJodie SampBonnie SidwellChip SolomonAvalon Kota & Claire Sosnow**Norman Strauss**Emily VazquezSUSTAINERS CIRCLE Ongoing Monthly DonationsJoel EmersonRobert TrocinaTHE ACSO WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND ASPECIAL ‘THANK YOU!’ TO:Tom Bara*Podium Sponsorship**Donation made sponsoring a musician***The ACSO Honors in name pastindividuals who have made a significantimpact through their ongoing funds:Judy Latz Memorial FundPlaton P. Constantinides MemorialChair Abe Gerson Memorial FundDon Hough Music Library FundSupporting our Ruth Kern YACC winners1 2 A t l a n t a C o m m u n i t y S y m p h o n y O r c h e s t r a | 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 S e a s o n| 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 L I S T O F D O N O R SCORPORATE PARTNERS$1,000 - $2,499Gaslowitz Frankel LLC**$500 - $999MerchLogix, LLC$100 - $499Shafritz and Dean LLC**Lazega & Johanson LLC**The Four SeasonsHuthmaker ViolinsDr. Marvin WinterFOUNDATION SUPPORT$999 - $1000Community Foundation for Greater AtlantaFulton County Arts & CulturePRIVATE SUPPORTContributor $1,000 - $2,499Ann Ballard**Ron BradleyIrene Constantinides**, ***Joel Emerson Patron $500 - $999The Atlanta Music ClubDr. Marvin & Ann GoldsteinGloria & Ed JacobsonMargo KinseyJean & Mike RussNorman & Harriet ZollerSupporter $249 - $499Paul & Barbara BonapfelCourtney EmersonRobert & Margaret Kelly**Drs. Marian & James Patterson**Irma RodriguezAmy & Jason RossAngela Tillison** Donor $100 - $249Tammra & Jeffrey Baker**Patricia Bauer**William & Rhea Berger**Peter Birnbaum** Matthew Brown**Janet & Raymond CaputoRoger Cline**Camille ElhasanniCraig FrankelNauti Girls**Liesl HaganLinda HarrisJanet HastyCharles JaretMoshe JacobsonJon KamenearResa KinseyMarty LavineMatt Baker MagicJennifer NickellDr. Courtney Sinclair **(In memory of C.L. Birnbaum)(In memory of Helen Emerson)(In honor of Jennifer Nickell)

Page 13

Page 14

Violin 1David Philip Reesman, ConcertmasterDavid AndersenCraig FrankelMorgan JonesAndrea JonssonAlan KoPeter StraussSponsored by Patricia BauerViolin 2Cale Brandon, PrincipalRyan BakerSponsored by Tammra & Jeffrey BakerTyler ClementDeborah CookCharlotte CouchMargo KinseyJennifer NickellSponsored by Ann BallardNicole Bonilla OwensViolaCaitlin Kelly, PrincipalSponsored by Robert & Margaret KellyDonna CleggSponsored by Nauti GirlsSamantha GedeonSponsored by Peter BirnbaumKelsey HammondAngelique D.C. HowseSponsored by Dr. Courtney Sinclair Sara WinkleCelloAbby Nichols, PrincipalKathleen CrawfordSponsored by Irene ConstantinidesCourtney EmersonAnna KaehrMargaret LeithIris Reddick ManburgGrace YenDouble Bass Mark Luber, PrincipalCameron LeopoldHarpLiesl HaganSponsored by Margaret ShawFlute/PiccoloTisa Schuurman, PrincipalSponsored by Shafritz and Dean LLCGabe JordanJoel Emerson, Principal PiccoloOboeAmy Ross, PrincipalSponsored by Drs. Marian & James PattersonIvy FrancisClarinetRobert Gabbitas, PrincipalWinneshia StansburyBassoonJason Lee, PrincipalHolly MisirlyFrench HornChristopher Nichols, PrincipalAnne BenoitJaime JamisonMichael McFarlandTrumpetMina Phan, PrincipalPeter BerryTrombone/Bass TromboneDoug Geiman, PrincipalPaul BonapfelGil Estes, Bass tromboneTubaSean DeLaneyTimpani/PercussionJohn Greenwald, Principal TimpaniSeth PageChristina VossSponsored by Roger Cline1 4 A t l a n t a C o m m u n i t y S y m p h o n y O r c h e s t r a | 2 0 2 4 - 2 0 2 5 S e a s o n| A C S O M U S I C I A N S

HARMONIZE. Orchestral Masterworks

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3