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© 2024 Georgia Symphony Orchestra
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Beethoven's Universe
May 18 & 19, 2024
This program is made possible in part through a generous donation from Mary Kay Howard.
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Program Guide Contents
- Georgia Symphony Upcoming Events
- Sponsors and Supporters
- Administration, Artistic Staff, and Board
- About the Organization
- Timothy Verville, Music Director and Conductor
- Nathaniel F. Parker, Associate Conductor and Dr. Bobbie Bailey GYSO Artistic Director
- Bryan Black, JG Morgan Chorus Director
- Guest Artists
- Orchestra Personnel
- Georgia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
- Program & Program Notes
The Georgia Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The GCA also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts.
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Georgia Symphony Orchestra Upcoming Events
GYSO Symposium, Percussion, Jazz, Symphony
GYSO Concertina, Harmonia, Camerata
GYSO Flute Choir, HSQ, Clarinet, Philharmonic
Sponsors and Supporters
It is through the sustained generosity of our supporters that the Georgia Symphony Orchestra is able to continue delivering quality enrichment, entertainment and education throughout our community and greater region, encompassing music and arts lovers of all ages.
Our growing list of programs supports a wide range of needs in the community. Just a small sampling of the diverse options includes young musician education, inclusiveness in the concert hall, veterans’ support, free and affordable concert tickets, community presentations, and collaborative promotion of other outstanding nonprofit organizations.
Combining your giving with a musically infused GSO program doubles your impact in the community. Donating to the GSO is easy. Visit us at georgiasymphony.org/donate. Or call 770-615-2908.
Special Thanks to the Bobbie Bailey Foundation
for their gift of a $1 Million Dollar Endowment Fund
The GSO is sincerely grateful for the substantial support of our youth education program given by:
Gold Baton Circle $15,000-$24,999
Aegon Transamerica Foundation
Bobbie Bailey Foundation
Cobb Travel and Tourism
Georgia Council for the Arts
Marietta Tourism Grant
National Endowment for the Arts
The Imlay Foundation
Silver Baton Circle $10,000-$14,999
Bob and Linda Bonstein
John and Linda Cooke
GreyStone Power Foundation
Audrey Morgan
John and Shirley Morgan
Publix Super Markets Charities
Bronze Baton Circle $5,000-$9,999
Kimberly Gresh
Mary Kay Howard
Pamela Hubby
Marietta Kiwanis Foundation, Inc
Tutt and Debra McCracken
Jeffrey and Louise Tharp
Sydney Trew
Conductor’s Circle $2,500-$4,999
Anonymous
Anonymous
Cobb EMC Community Foundation
Michael and Pauline Knowles
Valencia McCrimmon
Gregory and Christine Mishkin
Randall & Judith Ribarsky
Nora Roberts Foundation
Pam and Bruce Rhyne
See Beautiful
Susan Traendly
Jeff and Rose Whittingham
Principal Circle $1,000-$2,499
Janet Adams
Anonymous
Anonymous
David Abee
Sarah Arrington
Daniel Barker
Barbara Barr-Howell
Cindy and Henry Bohn
Doug & Chandra Brown
Matthew & Joanne Flournoy
Gift of Music Foundation
Frank Harris & Abby Avery
Ann Hixson
Marianne Holdzkom
Mike and Shelia Manely
Joanne Mazula
Gil Moor
Ann Teeter
Kelly & Lynn Thomas
Pat and Gilberto Torres
Jeffrey & Suzanne Tucker
Musicians Circle $500-$999
Anonymous
Anonymous
Carlyn and Ron Krieger
David and Leta Barry
Bernard Brown
Regina Brown
Dan & Ilde Buyers
Bruce Gillett
Robert Herring
Home Depot
Kimberly-Clark Foundation
Regina Malloy
Clifford McCune
Oral Moses
Kate Pfirman
Georgia Rambo
Ronna Ruppelt
Alberto Sapoznik
Sandra Schell
Patti Schoettler
Dwight Shoemaker Family
Alan and Susan Stensland
Concertmaster Circle $250-$499
Anonymous
Melissa Cantrell
Kimberly Caras
Allan Cheshire
Linda Moore Connor
Costco SE Regional Donations
George Darden
Shelley Elder
David Hembree
Greg Moor
Paula and Grainger Morrison
Joseph Goldstein
Ira Pittman
Vianne Satterfield
Marge and Robert Schulhof
Peter and Marian Sebel
Gerry Stephens Jr
Burt and Sharon Stills
Belisa Urbina
Jeannie Wade
James Wetrich
Wallace Ziprik
Prelude Circle $100-$249
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Alenia Baxter
Marie Boatright
Kim Bonstein
Kristen Bonstein
Marilyn Brooks
Stacey Carlsen
Katherine and James Chester
Katherine Dater
DK Gallery
Stephen Drabant
Fidelity Charitable
Priscilla Granese
Barbara Hammond
Judy Harvey
Adrian Heenan
Sandra Herndon
Nancy Hodges
Linda Hughes
Dayeon Kang
Les Koltvedt
Brendan Knoblauch
Carlyn and Ron Krieger
Thomas LaForge
Emily Lembeck
Berna and Noah Levine
Dennis Loubiere and Edward Eanes
John Love
Brenda Lyle
Beverly Martin
James Martin
Karen Milchus
The Money Family
Emory Morsberger
George Mortensen
Bill and Sara Needs
Michael Nifong
Mary Nimsgern
Yvonne and Michael Perrino
Trevor Phillips
Rae Pridgen
Jane Redwine
Brenda Rhodes
Al and Laura Searcy
Joan Shorr
Beth Simpson
Amy Smith
CB Smithwick
Pat Snider
Robert Snider
Rodrick Stewart
Josephine Stills
Sandra Timmons
Jo Tucker
Maria Branch Turner
John L. and Ann B. Vandevate Charitable Trust
James and Karen Warren
Pauline Webster
Joseph Yorio
Todd Youngblood
Ovation Circle $50-$99
Anonymous
Anonymous
Jacqueline and Robert Downing
James Dubsky
Natalya Fainberg
Camille Fairbanks
Jonathan Gallant
Elise Goldstein
Tera Gordon
Sandy Hsieh
Cindy Johnson
Grace Johnson
Nick Johnson
Kil Soo Jung
Darron Kendrick
Wiley Kendrick
Kristi Ledford
Wendy Lerner
Lauren Abraham Mahoney
Russell Marshall
Karen Milchus
Nancy and Gordon O’Neill
Jason Ontjes
Eddie Rogers
Marnell Saunders
Ken Sabo
Marshall Smitherman
Gary Thomas
Paul Tompkins
Laurie Washington
In-Kind Supporters
ARTS of Cobb
Atlanta Marriott Northwest at the Galleria Hotel
Carriage House Catering
Chris Savas Photography
Cobb Travel and Tourism
Frank Harris Law
Gift of Music Foundation
Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors
Sercante
Timothy Verville
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Daniel Barker
Doug & Chandra Brown
Barbara Hammond
Marianne Holdzkom
Mary Kay Howard
Michael and Pauline Knowles
Dennis Loubiere
Tutt and Debra McCracken
Pat Torres
Jeffrey & Suzanne Tucker
Jeannie Ward
Jeff and Rose Whittingham
In Memoriam
Eileen Paulin in memory of Jeff Kotzan
Linda Acevedo in memory of Jeff Kotzan
Sharon Stills in memory of Helen Mackey, Theresa Ireland, Betty Knautz, Sylvia Peters
Allan Cheshire in memory of Susan Cheshire
Frank Harris in memory of Polly Anna Harris
Joseph Yorio in memory of JoAnn Mary Yorio
Mary Kay Howard in memory of the Grandfather of Sydney Trew
Ron & Staci Martinez in memory of Frances M. Keith
Brenda Rhodes in memory of Joanna Cox
Debra McCracken in memory of Joanna Cox
Susan Stensland in memory of Joanna Cox
Debra McCracken in memory of Frances M. Keith
Grace Johnson in memory of Frances M. Keith
Tish Fricks in memory of Jennifer Whitley
Jeff and Rose Whittingham in memory of their parents
In Honorarium
Noah Levine in honor of the GSO Chorus
Phillip O’Brien and Allison Fichter in honor of John and Linda Cooke
Nancy O’Neill in honor of Bob and Linda Bonstein
Kristen Bonstein in honor of Bob and Linda Bonstein
Dane Bamburry in honor of Valencia McCrimmon
Marie Boatright in honor of Mary Kay Howard
Alenia Baxter in honor of Mary Kay Howard and Susan Traendly
Brendan Knoblauch in honor of Mary Kay Howard
Susan Traendly in honor of Mary Kay Howard
Sydney Trew in honor of Susan Stensland and Mary Kay Howard
Marian Sebel in honor of Bryan Black
Paula Morrison in honor of Frank Harris
Barbara Hammond in honor of Susan Stensland
Sharon Stills in honor of Susan Stensland
Brenda Rhodes in honor of Susan Stensland
Joan Harrell in honor of Susan Stensland
Martha and Dennis Moore in honor of Susan Stensland
Susan Traendly in honor of Pat Torres
Annonymous in honor of Kate Pfirman
Emily Lembeck in honor of Debbie McCracken
Belisa Urbina in honor of Stephen Hall
Brendan Knoblauch in honor of Mary Kay Howard
Rhea Pridgen in honor of Linda Cooke
Kim Bonstein in honor of Linda and Bob Bonstein
Dane Bamburry in honor of Valencia McCrimmon
Paula & Grainger Morrison in honor of Frank Harris & Abby Avery
John Morgan in support of Bryan Black, JG Morgan Choral Director
Ira Pittman in honor of Suzanne Tucker
Linda Moore Connor in honor of Timothy Verville
Marian Sebel in honor of Bryan Black
Katherine Dater in honor of Mary Kay Howard
George Darden in honor of Amy and Bryan Black
Administration
Madison Willits
Artistic Operations Manager
Ann Stoskopf
Business & Patron Manager
Artistic Staff
![Nathaniel F. Parker](https://www.georgiasymphony.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/NPstaff.jpg)
Board of Directors
For information about joining our Board of Directors or Advisory Board, please click here.
Michael Knowles, Chair
Fifth Third Bank
Greg Mishkin, Vice Chair
Escalent
Marianne Holdzkom, PH.d, Secretary
Associate Professor of History, Kennesaw State University
Sydney Trew, Treasurer
Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors
Bob Bonstein
Ret.
Amy Drabant
Atlanta Design Solutions
Frank Harris
Frank Harris Law
Pam Hubby
Ret. ArtsBridge Foundation
Debbie McCracken
Ret. Educator/ Administrator
Kate Pfirman
Georgia Department of Labor
R.J. Starnes
CDH Partners
Rebecca Strojan Weaver
Collective Insights
Amanda Williams
Cobb County School System
Todd Youngblood
Ret. Business Executive
Suzanne Tucker, Ex officio
Georgia Symphony Orchestra
Timothy Verville, Ex officio
Georgia Symphony Orchestra
Advisory Board
Chad Hagan
Hagan Capital
Dr. Jeffrey Tharp
Wellstar Medical Group
Jim Glover
Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty
Mary Kay Howard
Past-Interim Co-Executive Director GSO
Cheryl Richardson
Marietta Councilwoman, Ward 1
Patricia Torres
Ret. Development Director GSO
Susan Stensland
Past Executive Director GSO
The John and Linda Cooke GSO/KSU Bailey School of Music Collegiate Scholars GYSO Internship Program
Orchestra Library Intern
Alyssa McBride
GYSO Jazz! Site Coordinator
Evan Skrip
MPAC Site Coordinator
Kamaya Locke
MPAC Winds Specialist
Elise Hayen
KSU Site Coordinator
Natalie Letalien
KSU Brass Specialist
Simone Van Pletzan
KSU String Specialist
Gustavo de la Torre Martinez
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About Us
Founded in 1951, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra has engaged audiences through imaginative programming, visionary leadership, and critically acclaimed performances.
Our Mission
The mission of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra is to enrich our community through accessible, high quality musical and educational experiences that instill a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
Our Vision
Our vision is to continue growing a thriving and innovative cultural organization that enriches, educates, and inspires audiences, students, and musicians in the community.
Our Values
We value high quality musical performances and we prioritize quality musicianship in our productions.
We value the accessibility of our programs to the community, we prioritize making venues, times, and cost fit the needs of the community, and we make sure no one will be left behind.
We embrace diversity and innovation in our programming to inspire the widest possible audience with our musical experiences.
We value the importance of volunteers across our organization.
We value the support of our donors and audience members and continually manage our resources effectively and efficiently.
We recognize the vital contributions of our musicians and educators and we strive to maintain relationships that create a positive environment for all.
We strive to provide a variety of high-quality musical education opportunities for youth and for life-long learning.
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Timothy Verville
Music Director & Conductor
Born in western Oklahoma, Timothy Verville, an award-winning conductor and composer, spent his early years far from concert halls, growing up on a farm where his family raised and trained show horses. Eventually moving to “the city,” he was first exposed to music education in public schools. This ignited his journey of musical discovery and excellence, propelling him to stages and acclaim worldwide.
Verville is a uniquely multifaceted conductor in the modern orchestral sphere. His creativity, innovation, and dedication to sharing the power of the arts result in performances that captivate audiences. His work is described as “awe-inspiring” and credited for “bringing down the house” by the Atlanta Arts Scene. He is praised for his “finely focused conducting (in which) the pace of the music never sagged” by The Tulsa World.
Internationally, Verville conducted the inaugural Kyushu International Festival in Japan and has appeared with the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, the Far Eastern Symphony in Russia, Opera Panama and the National Symphony Orchestra of Panama. In the U.S., his appearances include the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and many others.
Since 2016, as Music Director and Conductor of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, Verville has fostered significant growth in the organization. His focus on audience engagement and outreach has been recognized in the community. In 2023, the Georgia Secretary of State proclaimed him an Outstanding Georgia Citizen for his service.
Under his visionary leadership, the Georgia Symphony has expanded its reach and built bridges to underrepresented populations. Collaborating with Girls Who Conduct, he created a fellowship for women conductors. He also partnered with Make a Wish Georgia to fulfill a young person’s dream of conducting an orchestra, and designed sensory-friendly concerts supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
From 2010 to 2017, Verville served as the founding Artistic Director and Conductor of Arizona Pro Arte, leading to exponential growth in the organization. He established a full classics season, a summer series, educational performances, a chamber music program, and a dance ensemble.
Verville’s long-standing relationship with the Boston Chamber Orchestra included roles as Associate Conductor and Principal Guest Conductor. Additional previous engagements include Music Director and Conductor of the North Valley Chamber Orchestra (AZ), Scottsdale Baroque Orchestra (AZ), and Conductor of the Pollard Theatre (OK).
An award winner in the American Prize for Orchestral Performance as well as in Composition, his writing style encompasses a wide range of output. Recent premieres include the genre-blending “Liminal: an Atlanta Concerto for Amplified Looping Cello and Orchestra” with Okorie “OkCello” Johnson, and his upcoming “Requiem Americano.”
Verville was mentored by esteemed conductors Bruce Hangen, Timothy Russell, and James DePreist. He studied in masterclasses with David Effron, Markand Thakar, and Neil Varon. At the renowned Monteux School and Music Festival, he was selected as an orchestral assistant while studying with Michael Jinbo. Verville earned degrees in music from the Boston Conservatory, the University of Oklahoma, and Arizona State University.
He resides in Georgia with his wife and children.
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Nathaniel F. Parker
Associate Conductor, Dr. Bobbie Bailey GYSO Artistic Director & GYSO Symphony Director
A talented and versatile musician, Nathaniel F. Parker has conducted orchestras in the United States, Peru, Russia, Poland, England, and the Czech Republic. Equally at home working with professionals and training future generations of musicians, Dr. Parker is Director of Orchestral Studies at the Kennesaw State University School of Music—serving as Music Director and Conductor of the Kennesaw State University Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Kennesaw State University Opera Program—and Associate Conductor of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra. His recent guest conducting engagements include appearances with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra (Michigan), the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) All-State Orchestra, the Fulton County High School Honor Orchestra (Georgia), and the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) District 9 High School Honor Orchestra.
Dr. Parker is the recipient of numerous honors, awards, and scholarships. He was named a finalist for a Conducting Fellowship with the New World Symphony, a semi-finalist for a Conducting Fellowship at Tanglewood, and a Candidate for the Respighi Prize in Conducting; he also received a Citation of Excellence in Teaching from the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. An active scholar, Dr. Parker’s writings have been published by the Conductors Guild and the College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA). He has presented research at the College Orchestra Directors Association’s national and international conferences and is Editor of the Journal of the Conductors Guild.
Dr. Parker has served as Music Director and Conductor of the Concert Orchestra and faculty at New England Music Camp (Maine), and Interim Music Director and Conductor of the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra’s (GYSO) Symphony and Camerata orchestras. Before relocating to Georgia, he was Director of Orchestral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Marywood University (Pennsylvania) where he was Music Director and Conductor of the Marywood University Orchestra and taught courses in conducting, instrumental methods, musicology, and analytical techniques. Other previous positions include Associate Conductor and Production Manager of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra (Michigan), Music Director and Conductor of the Jackson Youth Symphony Orchestra, Director of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra Community Music School, Graduate Conducting Intern at Michigan State University, Music Director and Conductor of the Mason Orchestral Society’s Community Orchestra and Youth Symphony (Michigan), Assistant Director of Music at Xaverian High School (New York), Conductor of the New Music Festival of Sandusky Orchestra (Ohio), and Graduate Assistant Conductor and Teaching Assistant at Bowling Green State University (Ohio).
Parker earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from Michigan State University, where his primary instructors were Leon Gregorian and Raphael Jiménez. During his time at MSU he regularly appeared with all the university orchestras and focused his doctoral research on Leonard Bernstein, specifically the composer’s Symphony No. 2, “The Age of Anxiety.” He earned a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Bowling Green State University, where he studied with Emily Freeman Brown. His other conducting mentors include Stephen Osmond, Gary W. Hill, and Timothy Russell. In addition to his training in academia, Dr. Parker participated in numerous conducting master classes and workshops, conducting orchestras under the tutelage of nationally and internationally renowned conductors and conducting pedagogues including Christoph Eschenbach, George Hurst, Arthur Fagen, Markand Thakar, Mark Gibson, David Itkin, and Paul Vermel. Parker began his collegiate education at Arizona State University, where he studied bassoon with Jeffrey G. Lyman and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance.
Nat resides in Kennesaw with his wife, Melody, their son, Jacob, and their dog, Sammy.
For more information, please visit www.nathanielfparker.com
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Bryan Black
JG Morgan GSO Chorus Director
Bryan Black is the founding conductor of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra Chorus which he established in 2007. Over sixteen seasons the ninety-voice Chorus has performed masterworks such as Orff’s Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Poulenc’s Gloria, Bach’s Magnificat, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Vaughan-William’s Sea Symphony, and the Georgia premier of William Grant Still’s And They Lynched Him On A Tree. Other concerts have featured notable choral repertoire including Corigliano’s Fern Hill, Handel’s Let God Arise, and Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass. The chorus made its first international tour to Spain in 2012 under his direction and anticipates a tour of the United Kingdom in 2025.
Black has been active in the broader music community for three decades and was recognized as a “Lexus Leader in the Arts” by Atlanta Public Broadcasting in 2003. After a collaborative performance of Hugo Distler’s Totentanz in 2004, Bryan was awarded a cultural ambassadorship from the Atlanta Goethe-Institut and attended an advanced language symposium in Weimar, Germany. He sang for several years with the ASO Chorus and Chamber Chorus, including Robert Shaw’s final performance of Bach’s B-minor Mass in Carnegie Hall. He also taught on the adjunct faculty of Georgia State University and was visiting conductor for the Candler School of Theology Choraliers at Emory University. Choirs led by Black have performed at the Vatican, Christ Church Cathedral (Oxford), the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, and on tours to Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Norway.
Bryan is past-president of Georgia ACDA (American Choral Director’s Association) and served six terms at the divisional and national levels as Resource and Repertoire coordinator for reading sessions and conference performances. While serving ACDA, he assisted John Rutter as organizer for a conductor’s honor chorus in 2013 and planned the national 2019 “Music in Worship” event featuring Jason Max Ferdinand and the Aeolians. He has contributed articles to the Choral Journal, the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology, and Tim Sharp’s Sacred Choral Music Repertoire (pub. GIA) reflecting his work as a practicing church musician since the age of seventeen. Black currently serves as organist / choirmaster at St. James Episcopal Church on the historic square in Marietta, Georgia.
Bryan holds a certificate in German as a foreign language (Goethe-Institut Berlin), a BM degree in organ (Samford University), and an MM degree in choral conducting from The Florida State University where he studied with Rodney Eichenberger and André Thomas. His doctoral thesis (DPM, Southern Methodist University) considered the impact of choral music in a maximum-security women’s prison and how the inmates’ lived experience of musicking models resilient community in an age of technological acceleration and relational isolation.
Guest Artists
Emma Robertson
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Described as “a soprano with an outstanding range,” “a gifted [stage] performer,” (OperaWire), and “elegant” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), Emma Robertson is a soprano from Marietta, GA, living in Boston, MA. She holds a masters degree in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and a bachelors degree in Music Performance from the University of Georgia.
Emma performs in and around the Boston area. She is the soprano section leader/soloist at St. Cecilia’s Parish in Back Bay. She also is a resident musician at Grace Note Farm in Rhode Island, where she gives frequent and personally curated recitals. She has performed locally with Boston Opera Collaborative, the Tanglewood Festival Choir, the Actors Company of Natick, and is on the chorus roster for the Boston Lyric Opera for the second year in a row. Emma was recently named the first place winner of the Wilkinson Young Singers Fund Scholarship, given to singers who “demonstrate strong musicianship, versatility of repertoire, a commitment to engage the community with their music, and the determination to make a career in music.”
While juggling school and part-time work, Ms. Robertson was enrolled in the Vinceró Online Vocal Academy. She had the privilege of studying three roles: Adina, Susanna, and Musetta, the latter for which she was offered partial scholarship. She has been working with such notable instructors as Abdiel Vàzquez, Stefano de Peppo, and Irina Meachem. She also took part in masterclasses and seminars with Angel Blue, Pretty Yende, Craig Rutenburg, Ana de Archuleta, and Gerardo Kleinburg. Emma made her Carnegie Hall Debut with the program in January 2023. In addition, she made her Mexico and role debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with the program in November.
In the summer of 2022, Ms. Robertson was offered the great opportunity to perform Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the Upper Valley Baroque Ensemble in New Hampshire. She then made a quick 180 to perform the role of the Baker’s Wife from Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods with the North End Music and Performing Arts Center and the Boston Festival Orchestra. In 2021, Ms. Robertson was a studio artist with Opera Maine, where she performed in the ensemble of L’Élisir d’amore and covered the role of Gianetta. In 2019, she won the Kay and Jimmy Garrison Student Grand Prize at the Orpheus Vocal Competition, which gave her necessary scholarship and funding to attend the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria later that summer. Over the course of six-weeks, Ms. Robertson studied with renowned soprano legend Evangelina Colón (it was also through this experience where she met her current voice teacher, Michael Meraw). A few months later, she was an Encouragement Award recipient at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Atlanta, GA. Through this experience, she was invited to coach with Nate Raskin, an opera coach on faculty at the Met, and was granted a semi-finalist spot in for the Lindemann Young Artist Development program.
Ms. Robertson graduated the University of Georgia in 2020 with a bachelors degree in Music Performance. There, she studied with mezzo-soprano Dr. Elizabeth Johnson-Knight. Throughout her undergraduate experience, Ms. Robertson gained solo and choral experience that shaped her perception of performing and what eventually encouraged her to pursue a career as a musician. Not only was this the first time in her life that she had decidedly studied and dedicated herself to voice, but it was the first time she put those skills to the test in different competitions throughout the country. Emma had the immense privilege of taking home the first place undergraduate student scholarship in the 2018 Atlanta Opera Guild Scholarship Competition. That same year, she made her way to the NATS National Competition, where she won second place overall. Just a year earlier, in her first ever vocal competition venture, Ms. Robertson was one of ten vocalist recognized within the entire country to compete at the annual Glenn Miller Scholarship Competition in Clarinda, IA where she placed 3rd at 18 years old.
In 2018, she was cast as Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro) with the Aquilon Music Festival and Young Artist Program in McMinnville, OR, her first exposure to young artist programs. The program is still run today by bass-baritone Anton Belov.
Tetyana Vakhnovska
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Tetyana Vakhnovska is a renowned, state-awarded Ukrainian mezzo-soprano who immigrated to the US in 2022. She graduated from National Academy of Music in Lviv and was a leading opera singer at the National Opera in Lviv, Ukraine for over 15 years. Tetyana toured internationally with concerts and opera productions in Poland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, China, and the USA.
Vakhnovska credits her high achievements to working with well-recognized European directors and conductors while performing leading parts for mezzo-soprano including Carmen ( Bizet’s “Carmen”), Azucena ( Verdi’s “Il Trovatore”), Ulrika ( Verdi’s ” UN Ballo in Mascera”), Amneris ( Verdi’s “Aida”), Suzuki ( Puccini’s ” Madame Butterfly”), Fenena ( Verdi’s ” Nabucco”), Maddalena ( Verdi’s ” Rigoletto”). She has also performed as a soloist in Mozart’s “Requiem”, Verdi “Requiem”, Rossini’s “Little Solemn Mass”, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Bach’s “St. Matthew passion”, Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater”, Haydn’s ” Seven last words “, and Dvorak’s ” Stabat Mater.” She was a soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra and in Bruckner’s “Te Deum” with Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra.
In cooperation with “Revived Soldiers Ukraine”, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America gave concerts in New York and Chicago. In support of Ukraine, she held concerts at the Holy Name Cathedral, Alice Millar Chapel, and the Ukrainian National Museum (Chicago IL). Vakhnovska is also a piano and voice teacher at Bel Canto Music Academy (Burr Ridge, IL) and KnightMusic Academy (North Barrington, IL). Her students range from children through adults.
William Green
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William Green, tenor, made his debut with The Atlanta Opera in 2013 as Giuseppe in La traviata; he has sung with The Atlanta Opera in comprimario roles as well as a core member of the chorus for over ten seasons. Mr. Green was featured in a new short opera, The Cost of Healing, for The Atlanta Opera’s 96 Hour Opera Project and sang the role of the Crooner in Moravec’s the Shining, also with The Atlanta Opera. In February 2024, William made a role debut in the title character of Wagner’s Tannhäuser with Atlanta Concert Opera. William has also sung with Atlanta’s Capitol City Opera Company in roles ranging from Pedrillo in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail to Tybalt in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.
Recent role highlights with the company include Canio (Pagliacci), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), Sir Joseph Porter (H.M.S. Pinafore), and Beadle/Pirelli (Sweeney Todd). Mr. Green’s scheduled 2020 debut as Loge in Wagner’s Das Rheingold with Ontario’s Opera By Request was unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic. In 2022, he was the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah and the premiere of David Briggs’ new organ transcription of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, both at Peachtree Road UMC in Atlanta. Other notable concert engagements include: the title role in the Third Act of Wagner’s Parsifal with the Georgetown University Orchestra and recital programs with the Wagner Society of Washington, D.C. Mr. Green is an alumnus of the American Wagner Project and Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices.
Jacob Lay
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Jacob Lay, Baritone, is an Atlanta native who has studied and performed in various venues across the US. He holds degrees in Vocal Performance from Simpson College in Indianola, IA and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has performed regularly with several opera companies including Cedar Rapids Opera, Marble City Opera, Knoxville Opera, and The Atlanta Opera. He has premiered several roles recently including The Thug in ‘I Can’t Breathe’ by Leslie Burrs and Brandon Gibson, and Charlie in ‘Charlie and the Wolf’ by Dave Ragland Jr. and Mary McCallum. He is passionate about the performance and appreciation of under-represented composers of all types, but has dedicated much of his study and repertoire to the music of African-American composers like William Grant Still, Florence Price, and Dorothy Rudd Moore.
Georgia Symphony Orchestra Personnel
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Violin 1
Edward Eanes,*
Concertmaster
Robert Givens
Associate Principal
The Marnie R. Gresh Chair
Jennifer Bull
James Cobb
Amber Dobbs
Heather Hart
Kevin Young
Tina Yu
Violin 2
Angele Lawless *
Angela Baddock
Evelyn Champion
Beth Collier
Amber Dobbs
Amanda Esposito
Adolfo Huerta Torres
Grace Kawamura-Stubbart
Ryan Lavender
Monika Ramnarayan
Patrick Ryan
Jennifer Sersaw
Liz Smith
Jill Stokes
Rachel Vigil
Viola
Meghan Yost*
Christina Esposito
Erin Johnson
Paula Krupiczewicz
Erin Lehman
Erin Martin
Kyle Mayes
Mary Koves
Dave Miller
Greg Selig
Heather Vincenty
Amanda Zhang
Blake Wright
Cello
David Lloyd*
Megan Deason
Rachel Halverson
Wesley Holmes
Natallia Isabel
John Howell
Natalia Isbel
Julienne Park
Nirav Patel
Stephanie Peterson
Macarena Sanchez
Dwayne Wasson
Double Bass
Robert Goin *
The Mary Kay Howard Chair
Christopher P Bussert
Rob Lysse
Maximilian Simmons
Moe Winograd
Christopher P Bussert
* denotes section principal
Flute/Piccolo
Jeanne Carere *
Frankie Cavanah
Dana Meyer
Oboe
Christina Gavin
Alexander Zhang
Clarinet
Justin Stanley *
Theresa Boling
Bass Clarinet
Daniel Barker
Bassoon
Debby Grove *
Dan Worley
Contrabassoon
John Grove
French Horn
Jason Eklund *
Cole McDonald
Eric Hawkins
Scott Sappington
Trumpet
Yvonne Toll*
Vacant
Vacant
Trombone
Tavish Daly*
Jen Mitchell
Vacant
Tuba
Don Strand*
* denotes section principal
Harp
Julie Koenig*
Percussion
Jeffrey Kershner*
Greg Roman
Dakota Reeves
Timpani
John Lawless *
The John and Linda Cooke Chair
* denotes section principal
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Musicians performing in orchestral productions are represented by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
Georgia Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Encompassing a wide range of vocal versatility, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra Chorus performs choral/orchestral works, pops, and produces independent choral concerts. Highlights from recent seasons include choral masterworks with the Georgia Symphony, being featured on a GSO Jazz! performance at the Strand Theatre, singing in a sold-out concert of music from the video game “Zelda,” and presenting a historic regional premiere of American music.
Comprised of accomplished vocalists from the greater metropolitan area, performances have included Mahler’s Second Symphony, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Haydn’s Creation, and Verdi’s Te Deum. The ensemble has also presented state, regional, and world premieres.
Founded in 2007, and directed by Bryan Black, the chorus recently performed with the Morehouse College Glee Club, the Spelman College Glee Club, the Uzee Brown Society of Choraliers, and the Georgia Spiritual Ensemble.
Shana Adams
Wisdom Anderson
Sarah Arrington
Lanie Baxter
Cathryne Belangee
Julia Bellezza
Heather Blalock
Cindy Bohn
Linda Bonstein
Crae Borsom
Atheleen Burley
Molly Chow
Beth Collier
Amber Connor
Leah Crumley
Camille Fairbanks
Elaine Federico
Michaelyn Findley
Tiara Gomer-DeGomez
Karen Gonzalez
Rachael Gorbutt
Nancy Hodges
Marianne Holdzkom
Marian Hull
Judy Jones
Kathleen Laurendeau
Stephanie Loomis
Tera Marsh
Katie Mattice
Margaret Menz
Mary Nimsgern
Virginia Osborne
Karen Partyka
Bliss Peterson
Bwashena Qadhafi
Brenda Rhodes
Julia Roberts
Luci Roberts
Patty Smitherman
Pat Snider
Tammy Teal
Leslie D. Thompson
Shari Twine
Elmine Van Den Berg
Maria Velasquez
Ann Vines
Carole Whitlow
Amanda Williams
Janet Adams
Morgan Baker
Laura Blakeslee
Sara Branch
Glendol Browder
Heather Buehner
Ramona Burkett
Karen Chin
Kecia Coar-Overall
Andrea Davis
Tiffany Fannin
Kelly Francis
Cate Godley
Lisa Greenwood
Judy Harvey
Rebecca Higgins
Debbie Holyfield
Peggy Hurst
Mary Hyde
Beth Johnson
Jenn Kunz
Cindy Landis
Erin Layton
Kelli LaVelle
Berna Levine
Beverly Martin
Debra McCracken
Sharon Menear
Suzanne Milligan
Allison Nance
Linda Nordahl
Jacquelyn OBryan
Dana Pinnow
Sharona Sandberg
Riny Schartman
Laura Searcy
Marian Sebel
Christine Shoemaker
Joan Shorr
Rebecca Thach
Susan Traendly
Laurie Washington
Meredith Weber
Rose Whittingham
Mary Williams
Martha Willis
Timothy Adetunji
James Clarence Banks
Stephen Bennett
Logan Burley
Sean Condon
William Dyer
Tom Federico
Johnny Gravley
Chris Greenwood
Stephen Hall
Dean Hawkinson
Kevin Jennings
Scott Lamphere
John Love
Jimmie Nettles
Aderayo Oyegbade
Val Pyram
Robert Shull
Joshua Teal
David Abee
Robert Argent
Bob Bonstein
Kenneth Colson
Alan Davitte
Dave Erstfeld
Garret Federico
Joe Ferst
Ben Glosson
Frank Harris
Ken Johnson
Wates Keller
Brian Loomis
Dave Lozada
Robert Mayfield
John Morgan
Oral Moses
Michael Nolan
Michael Reeves
Alberto Sapoznik
Al Searcy
Vinny Varsalona
Wally Ziprik
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Beethoven's Universe
May 18, 2024 | 8:00 PM
May 19, 2024 | 3:00 PM
Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center
This program is made possible in part through a generous donation from Mary Kay Howard.
Eric Whitacre
Deep Field (~24 minutes)
Intermission (~15 minutes)
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 “Choral” (~70 minutes)
I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
II. Molto vivace
III. Adagio molto e cantabile
IV. Presto – Allegro assai – Andante maestoso – Allegro,sempre ben marcato