Concerts & Events

This concert celebrates French inspiration in music. The west coast premiere of Giovanna d’Arco (Joan of Arc) celebrates not only the patron saint of France but also Maestro Golan’s daughter Giovanna, to whom the work is dedicated. Hector Berlioz’s landmark masterpiece Symphonie fantastique tells the story of the fantasies of an artist who has fallen in love with an unreachable woman who is a star opera singer. The program opens with our John Williams contribution to the program, a suite of music from the movie Catch Me if You Can, a story that takes place primarily in France, which shows off his early experience as a jazz pianist.

John Towner Williams (b. February 8, 1932)
Escapades, from Catch Me If You Can(2002)

Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, the twentieth collaboration between John Williams and director Steven Spielberg. It tells the story Frank Abagnale, a con man who baffled FBI agents with incredible exploits. The film is set in the 1960s, primarily in France, and the music is jazz influenced. As a result, it is not surprising that two instruments that are frequently used in jazz, the alto saxophone and vibraphone, are featured soloists. The soundtrack album was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score and the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. The success of the film soundtrack led Williams to adapt the music into a three-movement suite.

The first movement, “Closing In,” has musical figures that chase each other around, related to the often humorous cat-and-mouse games which take place in the story. The melancholy second movement, “Reflections,” refers to the fragile family relationships created by Abagnale’s lifestyle. Finally, the third movement, entitled “Joy Ride,” is lively and exciting, representing Frank’s exploits that took him all around the world before he was eventually caught and brought to justice.

The overall musical effect is reminiscent of the film scores of Henry Mancini, for some of whose films Williams was the studio pianist, including The Pink Panther and Charade. Williams himself performed Escapades in concert several times and, in 2016, recorded it in Los Angeles. The recording won a Grammy Award in 2018 for Best Instrumental Arrangement.

Lawrence Golan (b. November 28, 1966)
Giovanna d’Arco (Joan of Arc) (2024) West Coast Premiere

Giovanna d’Arco (Joan of Arc) is a symphonic poem inspired by the patron saint of France and dedicated to Maestro Golan’s daughter Giovanna. The composer’s synopsis says:

Joan of Arc, or Jeanne d’Arc in French, Giovanna d’Arco in Italian, was born around 1412 in the village of Domrémy, in northeastern France. A peasant girl who was not taught to read or write, Joan claimed to have acted under divine guidance. Specifically, she said that she had recurring visions of Saint Michael (the Archangel), Saint Margaret (of Antioch) and Saint Catherine (of Alexandria). Joan determined that these visions were sent by God to give her the monumental mission of saving France by expelling the English and installing crown prince Charles of Valois as its rightful king.

Joan went on to become a military hero who led the French to victory in several battles, most notably the Siege of Orléans and her march on Reims, enabling the coronation of Charles as King Charles VII. Joan was eventually captured. She was charged and tried on multiple counts, including witchcraft. After being found guilty, she was burned at the stake in Rouen at the age of 19. However, a new trial ordered by Charles 20 years later cleared Joan’s name. Her fame and reputation continued to grow over the centuries and in 1920 she was canonized by Pope Benedict XV. Joan of Arc is considered one of history’s greatest martyrs and the patron saint of France.

The following aspects of Joan’s story are depicted in this symphonic poem: Rural characteristics of Joan’s birthplace: grazing sheep, indigenous birdcalls, grazing cattle, crickets, mist; The Visions; Divine Inspiration; Joan’s transformation from peasant girl to military hero; The Battles; Joan’s capture; Joan burned at the stake; Joan’s ascension to Heaven and sainthood. The entire piece is based on the melodic cell G-D-A, for Giovanna d’Arco.

Giovanna d’Arco has already received critical recognition, winning First Place for Original Composition at the 2024 St. Cecilia International Music Competition in the U.K.

Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803-March 8, 1869)
Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 (1830)

Hector Berlioz was one of the most influential and progressive French composers of the first half of the 19th century. In fact, when compared with the unfolding symphonic style of his German contemporaries, Berlioz seems downright radical. Perhaps his most important work is Symphonie fantastique. This piece is pivotal for its orchestration—it is one of the first large-scale works to use valved brass instruments, and other instrument sections are also expanded to create a wide color palette, one of the most ambitious non-opera scores to this point. It also is a significant step forward in program music—the written storyline that accompanies the piece gives listeners a common image but leaves them to their own imaginations for details and inspirations as the piece unfolds.

Berlioz was quite enamored of Irish singer Harriet Smithson at the time, and the plot of this symphony is really the self-centered fantasies of the composer’s unrequited love. It tells a dramatic story of a lover who has found his Beloved, who unfortunately will not return his love. In despair, he tries to poison himself with opium but does not take enough to finish the job. The resulting five hallucinations (i.e., movements) include a recurring melody (idée fixe) that represents his love and a series of scenes that describe his feelings for her. In “Dreams, Passions,” he reflects on what life was like before he met her and recalls the awakening of feelings, the elation, the ardent love, and the rabid jealousy he felt after they met. In “A Ball,” he meets her again at a dance, and the same emotions are felt again in a different context. In “Scene in the Meadows,” he hears herdsmen playing a plaintive melody on their pipes and is calmed, but then she re-appears, reminding him of the pain he feels. The plaintive song returns and fades into the sunset as thunder rolls in the distance. In “March to the Scaffold,” the lover is marched to his own execution, condemned to death for having killed his Beloved. A final thought of his love is cut short with his beheading. Finally, in the “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath,” he dreams that a collection of ghoulish characters have gathered for his own funeral. To his surprise and horror, his Beloved arrives and joins the dance; the idée fixe becomes a grotesque dance melody. Eventually, the bell tolls for him and the Dies Irae death chant signals that eternal end is near. A final dance combines the Beloved melody and the Dies Irae as the work comes to a diabolical close.

Berlioz eventually married and then divorced Smithson, the latter of which is somewhat surprising considering the depth of his infatuation and the lengths to which he went to win her favor. It is perhaps more surprising, however, that Symphonie fantastique appeared only three years after Beethoven’s death.  What makes Berlioz’s work significant is not the individual parts, but the whole; the combination of elements was new, and symphonic music was never the same—Strauss, Wagner, Liszt, among others, pay tribute to Berlioz and this piece as an influence on their music.

Dr. Kendra Wheeler, a trailblazer in the field of saxophone performance, has distinguished herself through her innovative and passionate approach. Composer Ziv Slama has lauded her unique style, which combines technical prowess with unparalleled expression and interpretation. She strongly advocates for new repertoire, evidenced by her diverse and modern programming and commissioning.

Dr. Wheeler’s influence extends far beyond national borders. Her performances have graced major venues and festivals across North America, South America and Europe, including the Chicago Symphony Center, the Ordway Center for Performing Arts and the Muzička akademija u Zagrebu. Her work has been recognized by esteemed organizations and competitions such as the Concert Artist Guild, Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition, DOWNBEAT Magazine and Pan-American International Saxophone Competition. She also contributes to the saxophone community as an active competition adjudicator.

As an advocate for innovation through performance, Dr. Wheeler embraces new mediums for the saxophone through interdisciplinary collaborations and chamber music. She is in a contemporary saxophone duo that explores multimedia and modern works with Dr. Kyle Hutchins and is the alto saxophonist in the Medusa Saxophone Quartet, whose mission is to support young, historically excluded saxophonists and composers using performance, educational outreach and advocacy through the saxophone quartet.

Dr. Wheeler’s pedagogy is rooted in the belief that music education should be inclusive and empowering. She incorporates theories of identity, agency and intersectionality into her teaching, providing students with a critical perspective that informs their musical practice and instruction. She has shared her insights on the importance of understanding the intersection of music and identity for inclusive musicianship and pedagogy at major venues and conferences across North America and Europe.

In addition to a performance and conference itinerary that has covered North America, Latin America and Europe, Dr. Wheeler has established a thriving teaching career. Starting in Fall 2024, Dr. Wheeler has joined the LSU School of Music faculty as the Assistant Professor of Saxophone. She previously served as the Assistant Professor of Saxophone at Central Washington University, where she taught applied classical saxophone, music theory and aural skills, and courses within the music education curriculum. Prior appointments include serving on the faculty of SUNY Potsdam, in Potsdam, New York, as an adjunct saxophone instructor.

Hailing from Chicago, where she attended the Merit School of Music, studying with Shawn Tracy and Bryan Polacek, Dr. Wheeler earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota under Eugene Rousseau. She subsequently received a Master of Music from the University of Minnesota, studying with Preston Duncan. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts in saxophone performance at Michigan State University under Joseph Lulloff.

Kendra is an Eastman Artist, playing the EAS 850 Rue Saint Georges, and a Légère Reeds, Silverstein Works, and Key Leaves performing artist.

Josh Gianola is a percussionist and educator in Washington State. He is a percussion and theory professor at Central Washington University, and principal percussionist of the Yakima and Walla Walla Symphony Orchestras. An active freelancer, Josh regularly plays as an extra percussionist with the Oregon Symphony, Spokane Symphony, and has been a guest principal percussionist for the Mid-Columbia and Newport Symphony Orchestras.

Josh helped to launch Yakima Music en Acción (YAMA) in January of 2013. A nonprofit committed to developing youth leadership through music, YAMA’s student body grew from 11 to over 120 in the years that followed. In addition to teaching orchestral and traditional repertoire, Josh served as Yakima Symphony Liaison and was the primary contact with the Yakima School District. Through fostering these community connections, Josh and the team at YAMA worked to disrupt barriers to access in the orchestral landscape, and further enriched the lives of hundreds of students in the Yakima Valley.

Josh holds a Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Portland State University, and a Bachelor of Music Performance from Central Washington University. He resides in Ellensburg, Washington with his wife, violinist Vanessa Moss, their black lab Gilly, and their cat, Cat. His principal teachers are Jon Greeney, Joel Bluestone and Mark Goodenberger.