EPIC MAHLER

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2023 @ 7:30 PM

POTTER CENTER

Section A: $35
Section B: $30
Section C $20
Student Tickets: $5

Mahler believed that “A symphony must be like the world, it must embrace everything.” His 3rd symphony is an epic display of this concept. A huge, majestic orchestra accompanied by both children’s and women’s choruses and a mezzo soprano soloist to boot. This is a once-in-a- lifetime experience to hear this monumental work live.

PRE-CONCERT CONVERSATION
Join us for a free, interactive lecture before the concert at 6:30pm.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.3, D minor <1893–1896; rev 1906>
Donata Cucinotta, soprano

The Symphony No. 3 in D minor by Gustav Mahler was written in 1895. It is choral, his longest piece, and is the longest symphony in the standard repertoire, with a typical performance lasting around 95 to 110 minutes. It was voted one of the ten greatest symphonies of all time in a survey of conductors carried out by the BBC Music Magazine.

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RUNTIME: 2H

MUSIC PREVIEW

AFTERPARTY

The JSO is debuting its new Afterparties this season with tickets available to all who want to continue the celebration after the concert has ended. Tickets coming soon.

Learn more

GUEST ARTISTS

Donata Cucinotta
Soprano

Donata Cucinotta is best known for her versatile and powerful performances on opera, musical, and concert stages. Recent career highlights include performances with Michael Tilson Thomas and the Louisville Orchestra, a Lincoln Center debut with the Queens Symphony Orchestra, and multiple performances with Jack Everly and the Indianapolis Pops.

Notable operatic appearances include Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Indianapolis Opera, Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Musetta in La Bohème, Nedda in Pagliacci, Aldonza in The Man of La Mancha, Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte and more.

Ms. Cucinotta solos regularly the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Denver Choral Fest, and others. She has been the featured soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C, Bach’s Magnificat, and Dvorak’s Requiem. She has also sung the soprano solos Bach’s in Die Elenden Sollen Essen, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Dave Brubeck’s To Hope and Handel’s Messiah.

Donata is an Indiana local and enjoys being a part in the area’s arts community.

CHOIR / CHORALE DIRECTORS

James Cumings
Choir Director, Jackson Northwest Middle School

Mr. James Cumings has been teaching choral music since 1999 at Jackson Northwest Kidder Middle School. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education at the Wheaton Conservatory of Music in Wheaton, IL, and earned his Masters in Music Education at Central Michigan University.

In service to MSVMA, James has worked as a clinician, adjudicator, JH/MS repertoire liaison, district manager, and has hosted many Solo & Ensemble events. He has been a State Honors Choir director for MSVMA and MMEA, and his Honors Choir at Northwest has performed at the Michigan Music State Conference six times. In 2019, he was honored as MSVMA’s “Teacher of the Year”.

Beyond MSVMA, James has been hired as a guest clinician at Texas State University, Naperville, IL (YNS Boys Power Sing), Western Michigan Unversity, and various schools around the state of Michigan. He has also served as a faculty member at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp for eight summers directing the SSA Choir for grades 7-9.

During his tenure at Northwest Middle School he has taken great pleasure in working with middle school singers–watching them grow both as musicians and young people who care about each other and their art. There are days when he tells his students, “Can you believe that people pay me to hear you sing? I’ve got the best job in the world!”

Dr. Richard Hintze
Chorale Director, Jackson College

Dr. Richard Hintze is Director of Choral Activities and Lead Faculty of Vocal/Choral Music at Jackson College, in Jackson, Michigan. Hintze is the Choir and Orchestra Director at the Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church, and the founder of Jackson College’s choir, Vocal Point.

Dr. Hintze’s career spans four decades of choral conduction experiences in academic, professional, church, and community settings, with adults and students of all ages. Before coming to Jackson College., Dr. Hintze had previously taught at Spring Arbor University (Michigan) as Director of Choral Activities, at Texas State University at San Marcos, where he served as Associate Director of Choral Activities, and at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He recently made his international conducting debut with the Wonju Civic Choral in South Korea.

Dr. Hintze is a Life Member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and has served in various leadership positions, including as President of the Arizona chapter of AACDA, and President of the Choral Directors of Arizona (NAfME). His choirs have performed at state ACDA and NAfME conferences, and have toured the Southwest and Midwest extensively.

Dr. Hintze is well-known as a guest conductor, choral clinician, and adjudicator in Michigan, Arizona, Texas, and Washington; and has presented workshops for, and been published with, state and regional organizations.

Matthew Snell
Choir Director, Jackson Northwest High School

Mr. Matthew T. Snell has been teaching at Northwest High School since 2008. He received a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Western Michigan University in 2008 and a Masters of Music Education from the University of Michigan in 2017. Under his direction the choirs at Northwest High School have consistently received top ratings at both district and state festivals.

He has served on the American Choral Directors Association of Michigan’s full board and MSVMA’s full board as District 8 Manager and Supervisor of State Choral Festival South. He is currently serving on the MSVMA Adjudication board. His choirs have been featured at the ACDA-MI State Conference in 2015, 2018, & 2019 and in 2015 they were featured at the Michigan Music Conference. He thoroughly enjoys teaching at Northwest and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their wonderful support! He resides in East Lansing with his amazing wife, Jessica Nieuwkoop and their two incredible children!

Wendy Treacher
Chorale Director, Jackson Chorale

Wendy L. Teacher taught choral music at the secondary level for 33 years with the last 28 at Northwest high School in Jackson. An active adjudicator, clinician, and master teacher and conductor, Wendy has served in numerous positions with Michigan School Vocal Music Association, including President and District 8 Manager (25 years).

Her colleagues in MSVMA elected her Vocal Music Teacher of the Year for Michigan in 1993. Wendy has also served numerous terms on the state and division board of the American Choral Director’s Association. She is an adjunct faculty member at Jackson College and has been directing the Jackson Michigan Chorale for over a decade.

ACCOMPANISTS

Jennifer Youngman
Accompanist, Jackson Northwest High School

Jen Youngman has been a professional accompanist since earning her Bachelor of Arts in Music at Spring Arbor University, in Michigan, in 2003. She has accompanied choirs at Jackson College, Mason High School, Jackson Public Schools, and several other local area schools. She has closely collaborated with conductors and composers to premier several new works and has also worked with groups who were selected to perform at the Michigan Music Conference.

She was the choir accompanist and traditional service pianist at Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church for ten years and now serves in a volunteer capacity in her home church.

Youngman is currently the full-time accompanist for the choir program at Northwest High School in Jackson. She is in high demand as an accompanist for MSVMA events, and has a part time piano studio in her home.

She resides in the countryside of Parma on their hobby farm with her husband, Mike, and their four children.

Ashley Cumings
Accompanist, Northwest Middle School Choir

Ashley Cumings is a graduate of the Wheaton Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music Education Degree (vocal emphasis). She has taught K-12 music in both the general music and choral classroom. Ashley has been the accompanist and assistant to the NWMS choral program since 1999 and also teaches private voice lessons. She enjoys partnering with her husband, James, in various choir settings, teaching/mentoring young singers, serving her church family in the areas of music and youth ministry, and keeping up with their four wonderful children.

Epic Mahler