Chris Jankowski, 2nd trumpet Retired during the 2022/2023 season Years involved: 1994-2022 Retired after: 28 years
In his own words…
“I love that Southeastern Minnesota is able to sustain an orchestra of this caliber. For me, there are so many musical moments. One that stands out was during a performance many years ago of Lizst’s “Les Preludes.” Near the beginning is a maestoso statement of the main theme of “Les Asters.” The trumpets, horns, and woodwinds play a chorale over a low brass countermelody and string arpeggios. Everyone was “on their game” that night and the orchestra sounded fabulous. I was enjoying it so much that I almost stopped playing just to listen!
More broadly, I’m grateful to have been a part of groups that commissioned new works for Rochester Symphony. I will miss making music with my friends and performing for the community.
Thanks to everyone involved with Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale. And a special thanks to Bruce and Vikki Wolff for supporting my chair all these years–and more importantly, your friendship. Your two are the best!”
Our Retired Musician Series pays tribute to the talented musicians retiring from the Rochester Symphony. View our current musician roster.
Would you like to place your business or product in front of 5,000 Rochester-area residents?
We are excited to announce a change from digital programs last season to one printed program used for the entire season in 2023/2024.
After surveying our audience members, it became clear that reading a program at the concert was an important aspect of the symphony experience. In the coming season, we will offer both print and digital version of our program notes, musicians, donors and more.
Additionally, by including a printed program, we are able to offer advertisers more benefits, such as:
Estimated distribution of more than 5,000 copies to Rochester Symphony community.
Visibility for an 8-month time period (September 2023 – April 2024).
Option for premium placement for increased exposure.
A pair of complimentary tickets to use yourself or share with employees or clients.
If you would like to apply for an ad in the 2023/2024 Rochester Symphony Season Program, download and complete the application form before ads are due on Friday, August 11, 2023.
Elizabeth Williams Gomoll, flute & piccolo Retired at the end of the 2022/2023 season Years involved: 1988-2023 Retired after: 35 years
In her own words…
“I started playing flute in the 5th grade, which means I’ve been playing for 60 years.
Being part of Rochester Symphony for so long—I loved being part of a team doing something extraordinary together, each musician playing their part. Imagine the combined millions of hours invested by the orchestra members to master their instruments, then to interpret the complex symbols on a page of music and synchronize with each other to produce music that transport us to another dimension. Simply amazing.
I was deeply involved in three years of negotiations with the City of Rochester concerning the future of the Rochester Symphony. In 1996, the orchestra musicians voted to become independent from the city and we started planning the 1996-1997 season with no resources other than our musicians and Music Director, Jere Lantz—no staff, no music library, no rehearsal or concert space, not even music stands. I was the first president of the RSOC Board of Directors. It was a huge challenge, but we produced a full season of concerts and ended that first independent year financially in the black. I later became the first Executive Director for the organization.
I will most miss my many friends in the orchestra. (I will also miss the magical moments of being part of a perfectly tuned chord.)
It is my great hope that Rochester will one day have a true concert hall. The Rochester Symphony and the many other fine music organizations deserve a venue that enhances the music and their patrons’ concert-going experience.”
Our Retired Musician Series pays tribute to the talented musicians retiring from the Rochester Symphony. View our current musician roster.
Kristina Lantz, violin Retired in December of the 2022/2023 season Years involved: 1977-2022 Retired after: Nearly 45 years
In her own words…
“I joined the Rochester Symphony in 1977 under the baton of Ron Stoffel and have played most of the seasons since, though I took a few seasons off in the early 90s when our children were young.
I started playing violin at the age of ten and have been performing, teaching and conducting youth orchestras ever since.
I think my favorite thing about being in the Symphony has been the experience of making music together with a wonderful community of people who care passionately about bringing music alive. And that is what I will miss the most—all these lifelong friends.
It’s hard to think of a single or a few favorite memories because my years with the Symphony have been filled with too many to count. But I do remember one special concert that was magic for me and all the players on stage. And the magic happened during the Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in February of 2019. It was the last half of the concert, and, for once, we had plenty of room onstage for the chamber orchestra and plenty of lighting, and it was neither too cold nor too hot. Everything was perfect. And when we played, it was like we were one instrument. There was not even an inkling of a shiver of fear, and we all knew we had each other’s backs at every moment. It was only pure musicmaking. As we left the stage, we all looked into each other’s eyes, speechless from the moment and feeling the same thing—that we had never experienced such perfection. For me, it was true ecstasy, and I will never forget it.
It has been a wonderful ride with the symphony and a joy also to be able to experience it from the inside out, both as a player and as the wife of Jere Lantz. The Symphony brought to me a musical home and a life partner, for which I am so grateful. It has truly been a magical journey we’ve had together.
I have come to know the staff and board of the Symphony as people of matchless integrity and dedication to our art. I’ll always be so grateful for what they did and continue to do.
What a gift Rochester Symphony is to the people who make the music as well as the people who listen.”
Our Retired Musician Series pays tribute to the talented musicians retiring from the Rochester Symphony. View our current musician roster.
With interviews completed, we have selected four conductor candidate finalists for the 2023/2024 concert season to be announced soon. Each will conduct one concert in the upcoming season.
During our off season, we will be busy scheduling concert venues and planning activities for each candidate who will be visiting in the hopes of being selected as our new Rochester Symphony Director/Conductor. Look for our season schedule announcement in the coming months.
When the season opens in October, be prepared to complete post-concert surveys to share your feedback on how each candidate performed. Audience opinions will be an invaluable part of the search committee’s discussions before our final candidate selection occurs in spring 2024.
For now, we welcome spring, long for summer and look forward to an exciting new season at Rochester Symphony! Thank you for your continued support.
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Early last spring, the Rochester Symphony Board of Directors developed a search committee tasked with finding a panel of candidates to replace our Maestro of more than 40 years, Jere Lantz. The committee has been searching for the most qualified candidates to serve the Rochester community and take the Rochester Symphony into the future. Read more about their process to date.
We are devastated to announce that our dear friend and colleague, Anne Judisch, passed away in March. A wonderful person and musician, we are simply heartbroken. As Jere Lantz said, Anne has been like “the mother of the orchestra” for so many years. Anne played violin with our organization for more than sixty years, yet we thought we’d have many more years with her. She will be deeply missed.
Anne Judisch was part of the Rochester Symphony for longer and held a greater variety of roles than anyone else in the organization’s history. She began playing in the orchestra in 1959 as a young teenager and continued playing until her death on March 15, 2023. Although she started her Rochester Symphony career in the back of the 2nd violin section, at various times she performed as concertmaster, assistant principal 1st violin, and section 1st violin. In addition, she even soloed as a classically-trained vocalist and made her Rochester Symphony conducting debut as our Aspiring Conductor winner in 2011!
Beyond her many years of contributions musically and in fundraising support, Anne was involved in countless education programs. For many years she was a key member of the Friends of the Rochester Symphony, planning events and helping raise funds in support of the symphony. She also acted as an unofficial social coordinator of the orchestra and–for many years–she and her husband, Jim, hosted annual post-concert gatherings for musicians at their home. Anne was the first in line to get to know any new member of the orchestra, and her care for other people was legendary. Everyone considered her a friend.
Anne loved combining socializing with music. Anyone who attended events with her string quartet providing background music can attest to the number of times people would interrupt the music to say hi… She seemed to know everyone in Rochester. In that vein, we look forward to celebrating Anne’s memory on Saturday with conversation, stories about Anne, and informal music. We would love to see you there!
A recipient of the prestigious McKnight Artist Fellowship for Musicians, Ms. Engleman has performed operatic roles with the Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Concert Opera, Skylark Opera, Arbeit Opera, Music by the Lake, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. A particularly gifted performer of 20th century and contemporary music, Ms. Engleman has performed chamber music with Zeitgeist, the Chicago Chamber Musicians, the Tanglewood Music Center and the Boston Symphony and frequently premieres works by living composers. Her CD Lift me into Heaven Slowly featuring song cycles by Libby Larsen was released by Innova Records in 2017. Concert engagements include solo performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Bel Canto Chorus, the Valley Chamber Chorale and the Rochester Symphony Orchestra, and as a frequent recitalist, she has performed at Orchestra Hall, Hope College, at the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Convention, Source Song Festival, and as part of the Schubert Club Courtroom Concert Series.
An alumni of the Tanglewood Music Center and the Art Song Festival of Cleveland, Ms. Engleman’s awards include Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Competition, 1st Place winner in the Austin Lyric Opera Young Artist Competition, Finalist in the Sun Valley Opera Competition, recipient of the Minnesota NATS Artist Award, and winner of the Milwaukee Bel Canto Chorus Regional Artist Competition. Equally passionate about teaching voice, Ms. Engleman is an Associate Professor of Music at St. Olaf College where she teaches voice and vocal pedagogy. View Tracey Engleman’s online portfolio.
Michelle Monroe Mezzo Soprano
American Mezzo Soprano Michelle Monroe is praised for her “command of dramatic shape and musical details.” Michelle is sought after as a performer for concerts and oratorio, chamber music, and recitals. Having an affinity for contemporary American vocal music, Ms. Monroe recently gave the world premiere of Four Songs by award winning composer Jeremy Beck. Her recent concert work includes soloist for Magnificat by Imant Raminsh, Elijah by Mendelssohn, Dialogue of Self and Soul by James Stephenson, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Michelle spent two summers as a member of Central City Opera’s Bonfils-Stanton Young Artist Training Program, winning the Opera Guild Sponsored Artist in 2021. A few of her favorite opera credits include Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto with Central City Opera, Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan Tutte with Music on Site, and Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance with Cedar Rapids Opera.
Michelle is looking forward to performing The Noise by Kimberly Osberg with the Northern Iowa Symphonic Band in April and a solo recital in May featuring Four Dickinson Songs by Lori Laitman and Les Nuits d’été by Berlioz. When she’s not singing, Michelle enjoys teaching voice, gardening, and being outside with her dogs. View Michelle Monroe’s online portfolio.
David Walton Tenor
Praised for his “clean, clear voice,” David Walton dazzles stages across the country to critical acclaim as a versatile lyric tenor to watch. He recently sang Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with “charismatic presence and a sweet pleasing tenor” (Cincinnati Business Courier) and Dorvil in Rossini’s La scala di seta with a “ringing high register” (concerto.net).
As a favorite tenor of bel canto, Mr. Walton has frequented such roles as Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Tonio in La fille du réigment, Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola and Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. He has been described as “this production’s breakthrough performance” (PIONEER PRESS) and “the sweetest singing of the evening…a lyric tenor with strong Italianate stylings” (Star Tribune), “a 21st century Rossini tenor” (OPERA WAR HORSES), and “smooth, lyrical, and capable of scaling the heights” (VIRGINIA PILOT). Company appearances include Cincinnati Opera, Virginia Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Delaware, Syracuse Opera, Annapolis Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival in a new production by Francesca Zambello where OPERA NEWS labeled him “genuinely funny.” Other operas include Rossini’s L’occasione fa il ladro and La scala di seta, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and Handel’s Acis and Galatea. View David Walton’s online portfolio.
Alan Dunbar Baritone
Bass-baritone Alan Dunbar is a versatile performer, lauded for his beautiful tone and his nuanced musical and textual interpretation. Spanning repertoire from the 17th to 21st centuries, his performances include premieres of solo works by Libby Larsen, Justin Merritt, and Elliot Carter; as bass soloist in Bach’s passions and cantatas with Voices of Ascension, Bach Society of Minnesota, Bach Roots Festival, and Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra; numerous principal roles with Madison Opera (Magic Flute, Salome, Fellow Travelers, La Bohème, Barber of Seville, Dead Man Walking, She Loves Me); the title role of Britten’s Noye’s Fludde at Santa Fe Opera; and countless solo recitals across the US. Alan holds a BA in music theory/composition from St. Olaf College, and an MM and DM in vocal performance from Indiana University. Alan was a founding member of the Minnesota-based internationally acclaimed chamber vocal ensemble Cantus. He serves as Associate Professor of Voice at Winona State University. View Alan Dunbar’s online portfolio.
For this special performance combining Rochester Symphony Orchestra, our invited soloists and the Rochester Symphony Chorale, THE REQUIEM is set to be a grand finale for our 2022/2023 season.
We are seeking volunteer concert ushers for the rest of our 2022/23 season. If you are courteous, helpful, and able to be on your feet for 90-minutes at a time, you might enjoy volunteering as an usher at Rochester Symphony concerts! Enjoy the entire concert at no cost as a thank you.
Considerations
Ushers usually work from 6:30pm to 9:30pm depending on the concert time and type.
We ask that ushers wear all black in an effort to look cohesive and professional.
Usher wear badges and receive an orientation upon arrival. Staff will be available at the box office for additional questions.
In case of an emergency, staff and ushers are responsible for evacuation through fire exits.
During the concert, ushers mostly sit and enjoy the concert.
FRANCESCA ANDEREGG, violinist Biography 2022-2023 Season
Hailed by The New York Times for her “rich tone” and “virtuosic panache,” violinist FRANCESCA ANDEREGG consistently delivers insightful performances of both classical and contemporary scores. Through her inventive programming, active composer collaborations and precise, yet impassioned interpretations, she has earned renown as a musical explorer of the first order.
As a soloist, Francesa Anderegg has performed a wide variety of traditional and contemporary violin concerti with orchestras throughout the United States and South America.Following her 2008 Carnegie Hall debut, she has been presented in recital in distinguished national and international venues, among them The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Brooklyn’s National Sawdust, The Arts Club of Washington, Chicago Symphony Center and Bógata’s Museo Nacional de Colombia. Ms. Anderegg’s festival appearances include the Tanglewood Music Center, National Music Festival, California’s Music in the Vineyards and Yellow Barn in Vermont.
Francesca Anderegg is also active in the recording studio, and her albums have been featured on radio programs throughout the United States and noted for “stunning virtuosity” (Fanfare Magazine), “lustrous tone” (The Strad Magazine) and “riveting listening experience” (Second Inversion). “Wild Cities” was selected as a favorite of 216 by New Music Box, and her most recent release, “Images of Brazil,” won praise as “the most delightful disc of Brazilian chamber music to come along in years” (Fanfare Magazine).
The continual search for unusual repertoire has made Francesca Anderegg a fierce advocate for new music. Since her 2007 New York City concerto debut in Ligeti’s Violin Concerto with The Juilliard Orchestra, she has championed the works of 20th Century and living composers. She performed Daniel Schnyder’s jazz-influenced Violin Concerto with Orchestra for the Next Century and played Pierre Boulez’s orchestral and solo compositions, under the direction of the composer, at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. With her husband, the Venezuelan-American composer Reinaldo Moya, she has presented a series of his original works exploring magical realism and other fascinating elements of Latin American literature and imagination. In collaboration with the celebrated conductor Gemma New, Ms. Anderegg gave the August 2019 world premiere of Moya’s violin concerto, commissioned for her by Greenwood Music Camp and the Lakes Area Music Festival.
Francesca Anderegg holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and earned both master’s and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School, where her teachers included Robert Mann, Ronald copes and Naoko Tanaka. She is a laureate of the Corpus Christi International String Competition and recipient of fellowships from both the McKnight Foundation and the Leonore Annenberg Fund. An enthusiastic educator and mentor of young musicians, Ms. Anderegg has been a guest teacher at universities throughout the United States and abroad and has taught at Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts. Currently, she is Associate Professor of Violin at St. Olaf College in Minnesota.
We’re thrilled to welcome Maestro Steven Amundson, St. Olaf College Professor and Orchestra conductor emeritus, to Rochester Symphony to conduct concerts in February and March.
After Maestro Lantz’s farewell concert in December, we wanted to ensure our last concerts of the season were led by another Minnesota orchestral legend. You can experience the phenomenal program he’s planned at The Americas concert in February and The Requiem in March. During the February concert, Maestro Amundson will also welcome guest musician Francesca Anderegg on violin.
GUEST CONDUCTOR Steven Amundson
Renowned conductor and composer Steven Amundson recently retired after serving 41 years on the faculty of St. Olaf College where he was conductor of the St. Olaf Orchestra. Under Amundson’s direction, the Orchestra has frequently appeared on NPR and PBS and twice won the American Prize among colleges and universities. The founding conductor of the Metropolitan Symphony, Amundson also served as music director of the Bloomington (MN) Symphony for 13 years and has appeared as conductor and clinician in 37 states and 15 countries.
In honor of 36 years of service to St. Olaf College as a Senior Development Officer and in gratitude for her commitment and service in philanthropy, Steve Amundson wrote an orchestral work for colleague Grace Schroeder Scott, which will be performed in February. The theme of the piece embraces the notion of living in gratitude as a means of enriching one’s life experience, something that resonates deeply with Amundson. As a title, he chose the Latin Gratia Viva—loosely translated Living in Gratitude. Join us at The Americas to hear this piece of Minnesota history. Read more about Maestro Amundson’s career in the St. Olaf Magazine.
Rochester Symphony welcomed Maestro Amundson to conduct for the remainder of the 2022/23 season because after 42 years at the helm of Rochester Symphony, Maestro Jere Lantz retired in December 2022.
