The Peninsula Symphony is an American symphony orchestra , based in the San Francisco Peninsula , California . The orchestra consists of over 90 community musicians. In 1995, the Peninsula Symphony was featured in a PBS broadcast.
56-482: Since its beginning, the symphony has performed four pairs of concerts in October, January, March, and May. It also performs two free concerts each year, an outdoor summer concert, and a spring family concert. The symphony also hosts competitions, presents awards for young artists, and organizes outreach programs in local schools, known as Bridges to Music . A special Bridges to Music program for children with disabilities
112-493: A $ 1 million endowment for the Kansas City Ballet. In 1994, KCB's Nutcracker sets were redesigned by Robert Fletcher (artist/designer). Una Kai retired as Ballet Mistress in 1994. In fall 1995, Bolender choreographed a "Tribute to Muriel" in memory of long-time Kansas City philanthropist and KCB-supporter Muriel Kauffman . In 1995, Bolender retired at age 81. He was named Artistic Director Emeritus in 1996. In
168-472: A few hours each per week, and most stations have a diverse and extensive library of several different music genres . In the British Armed Forces , a director of music is a commissioned officer , always a musician commissioned from the ranks, who leads a military band. A non-commissioned officer or warrant officer who leads a band is called a bandmaster . In pop music, a musical director or "MD"
224-471: A final interim move to a former ladies apparel wholesale warehouse at 1616 Broadway. In May 2007, Whitener added Carmen to the KCB repertory. In 2008, as part of KCB's 50th Anniversary Celebration season, Whitener added Tharp 's Brahms Paganini to the repertory as well as two world premieres, Whitener's First Position and Donald McKayle Hey-Hay, Goin' to Kansas City . That same year, KCB made its debuts at
280-912: A guest conductor in California include the San José Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, the Inland Empire/Riverside Philharmonic, Ballet San Jose , the California Riverside Ballet and the Livermore-Amador Philharmonic. Concerts elsewhere have included his return to Europe to guest conduct the New Polish Philharmonic and the Suddettic Philharmonic, concert tours of England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium,
336-403: A live setting (which may or may not include playback of prerecorded tracks). The music director generally leads rehearsals as well as each performance, allowing the lead artist to focus on performing. Generalmusikdirektor (GMD, general music director) is a German title for the artistic director of an orchestra , an institution or a town. A music director (Latin: director musices )
392-546: A paid Executive Director. Coincidentally, this was also the last year of founding conductor Aaron Sten’s leadership. With the arrival of current conductor Mitchell Sardou Klein, the Peninsula Symphony grew from a grassroots ensemble to a polished 90-plus member orchestra of well-trained community musicians. Following Sten’s tradition of nurturing young musicians, the Peninsula Youth Orchestra was established in
448-501: A professional hired to supervise and direct the music selected for a film or music documentary , but today the more common designation is music supervisor . In India, where many films are produced as musicals , the term "music director" is commonly used for the composer and music producer of the songs and score used in the film. Their roles also entail arranging, mastering, mixing and supervising recording of film music with conducting and orchestration. Usually, another artist will receive
504-512: A symphony orchestra and the opera. The first person with this title was Gaspare Spontini in Berlin in 1819. Daniel Barenboim has been Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin from 1992 to 2023. Brass bands , wind bands , choirs , opera companies and other ensembles may also have musical directors. Kansas City Ballet The Kansas City Ballet ( KCB )
560-545: A theater ballet based on Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns . The program also included performances by New York City Ballet guest artists Edward Villella and Patricia McBride . For the opening of the 1969–70 season, Solov returned to Kansas City to create and present three world premiere ballets with the KCB: The World I Knew (set to Massenet 's Scenes Alsaciennes ), Zygosis , and Divertissement . Lead roles in
616-590: A tradition of bringing guest soloists for concerts. Some notable examples are: Centered in the San Francisco Peninsula , the Peninsula Symphony has performed at several local performance halls. These include the Flint Center , San Mateo Performing Arts Center, Fox Theatre (Redwood City, California) , Bing Concert Hall , Spangenberg Theatre, and Stanford Memorial Church . Music Director A music director , musical director or director of music
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#1732852405648672-475: A university, college, or institution (but not usually the head of the academic music department), the head bandmaster of a military band, the head organist and choirmaster of a church, or an organist and master of the choristers (the title given to a director of music at a cathedral, particularly in England). The title of "music director" or "musical director" is used by many symphony orchestras to designate
728-752: Is a professional ballet company based in Kansas City, Missouri . The company was founded in 1957 by Russian expatriate Tatiana Dokoudovska . The KCB presents five major performances each season to include an annual production of The Nutcracker . The KCB, its school, and its staff are all housed in, operate from, and rehearse at the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity , a renovated, seven-studio, office, and rehearsal facility in Kansas City, Missouri, that opened in August 2011. The company performs at and
784-403: Is responsible for supervising the musical arrangements and personnel for a touring artist. This can include festivals and televised performances as well as those at traditional on-stage venues. In the modern era, the sound of a studio recording is often impossible or impractical to reproduce on stage, and it is the music director's job to assemble musicians and arrangements to adapt that material to
840-418: Is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band , the director of music of a film, the director of music at a radio station, the person in charge of musical activities or the head of the music department in a school, the coordinator of the musical ensembles in
896-920: Is the resident ballet company at the nearby Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , a performance venue in downtown Kansas City that opened in September 2011. In 1957, Tatiana Dokoudovska founded the Kansas City Ballet (KCB) at the Carriage House in what is now Overland Park, Kansas . On April 30, 1957, the company gave its premiere performance at the Victoria Theater (renamed the Lyric Theatre ) with Dokoudovska serving as its first artistic director. The program included two ballets: Michel Fokine 's original Les Sylphides , and Ruse d’Amour , an adaptation by Dokoudovska of Fokine's The Toys . In December 1957,
952-666: The Balanchine Centennial Celebration and for the first time since 1987, KCB dancers were invited to New York City to perform Bolender's recreation of Balanchine's Renard in the "Wall-to-Wall Balanchine" event at the Sharpe Theatre in Manhattan . In 2005, KCB performed Twyla Tharp 's Nine Sinatra Songs as part of the “Evening Stars” dance series at Battery Park in New York City . Midwest Youth Ballet (now
1008-705: The Boulevard Big Band with Grammy-nominated guest vocalist Karrin Allyson . In May 2000, Artistic Director Emeritus Todd Bolender traveled to New York City with four company dancers at the invitation of the George Balanchine Foundation to videotape Bolender's recreation of the “lost” Balanchine ballet Renard . In 2001, the company participated in Kansas City's Stravinsky Festival . KCB presented two ballets by Balanchine , his masterpiece Agon and Bolender's recreation of Balanchine's Renard . In
1064-708: The Joyce Theatre in New York City as well as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The company also performed an extended run of Ib Andersen 's Romeo & Juliet at the Music Hall . In 2009, Whitener continued to add to the KCB repertory with Yuri Possokhov 's Firebird , the world premiere of Artic Song by Karole Armitage , and Jessica Lang 's Splendid Isolation III . In August 2011, after operating out of nine different locations over
1120-673: The Kansas City Ballet , Lone Star Ballet, Oakland Ballet , and Westport Ballet, as well as the Theater Ballet of San Francisco and les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo . Klein directed over a hundred concerts as Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Philharmonic (where he was also Principal Pops Conductor and Principal Conductor of Starlight Theater , the Philharmonic’s summer home), and also served as Music Director of
1176-567: The Kansas City Chorale and local Kansas City actor Dale O’Brien at the Midland Theatre . In 1999, the company moved to 1601 Broadway in the old NCR Building (prophetically perhaps, in 2011 this became the address of the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts ). KCB presented Giselle , staged by KCB Ballet Mistress /School Director Karen P. Brown , and two world premiers emphasizing live music: Lila York 's Gloria which showcased
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#17328524056481232-674: The Kansas City Symphony Chorus with the Kansas City Ballet Orchestra and Ann Reinking 's Suite Kander which included a six-musician band on stage. In January 2000, after nearly 15 years as the State Ballet of Missouri, the Kansas City Ballet reclaimed its original name. In October 2000, Whitener co-choreographed On the Boulevard with Twyla Tharp Dance colleague Shelley Freydont . The dancers perform alongside
1288-522: The Kansas City Youth Ballet ) began its residency at Kansas City Ballet School in September 2005. In 2006, KCB announced plans to renovate the old Power House Building at Union Station in downtown Kansas City, Missouri as its new permanent home. Whitener added the story ballet La Fille mal Gardee to the repertory and presented a second series of solo dances by master choreographers, Six Solos of Consequence II. In January 2007, KCB made
1344-470: The Lyric Theatre was designated as the season performance home for the company. That same year, the company added a third fall production to its existing The Nutcracker and spring productions. The company also implemented its first sale of subscription series season tickets. In 1976, Dokoudovska stepped down as artistic director of the Ballet to devote her time to teaching as head of the ballet department at
1400-1083: The Santa Cruz County Symphony . Klein was born in New York City, into a musical family that included members of the Claremont String Quartet and Budapest String Quartet . He began cello studies at age four with his father, Irving Klein, founder of the Claremont String Quartet. His mother, Elaine Hartong Klein, danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Since 1984, he has been Director of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition . Aaron Sten (1949–1985) The Peninsula Symphony maintains an ongoing Assistant Conductor position for up and coming conductors. These conductors are usually responsible for leading one piece per subscription concert, organizing and conducting
1456-470: The "conductor." In the 1920s and 1930s, the term musical director began to be used, in order to delineate the fact that the person in this position was doing much more than just conducting, and to differentiate them from guest conductors who simply led one particular program or concert. George Szell , for instance, was appointed as "musical director" of the Cleveland Orchestra in 1946, and his position
1512-664: The 1983–1984 season, the company increased its performance season with 25 tour dates in five states: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wyoming. In 1985, Michael Kaiser joined the KCB as general manager. In 1986, the KCB was renamed the State Ballet of Missouri . The company continued to operate under this name for the next 14+ years. In 1987, KCB debuted in New York City with four Bolender ballets – Souvenirs , The Still Point , Classical Symphony and Concerto in F . In 1988, Alvin Ailey came to KCB with his ballet The River –
1568-803: The Conservatory of Music on the University of Missouri–Kansas City campus. That same year, KCB qualified as a member of the National Endowment for the Arts Dance Touring Program. From 1976 to 1978, Eric Hyrst served as artistic director. In 1977, the company office moved to the Prescott Firehouse in Kansas City, Kansas , an upstairs room with a fire pole in the corner. In April 1977 New York City Ballet dancer Patricia McBride performed her first full-length production of Giselle with
1624-489: The KCB. In 1977–1978, the company moved to a four-production season with the addition of a second spring show. Ronald M. Sequoio served as artistic director from 1978 to 1980. In 1979, the company moved to a warehouse under the Broadway Bridge at 3rd and Broadway in Kansas City, Missouri. In January 1981, Todd Bolender , a renowned and long-time New York City Ballet (NYCB) dancer, teacher, and choreographer, accepted
1680-460: The KCB. Solov choreographed/set two additional works for the KCB: Rhapsody and Celebration. The program also included two pieces danced by New York City Ballet guest artists Jacques d'Amboise and Melissa Hayden . During the 1973–74 season, the KCB moved again, this time to a former appliance store building. In December 1973, KCB performed its first full-length The Nutcracker . In 1975,
1736-745: The Kansas City Ballet Company became a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a board of directors, business manager, and musical director. In the 1958–1959 season, the company name changed to the Kansas City Civic Ballet . In 1963, the company moved from the Carriage Club to a location in Kansas City proper on 45th street near the Nelson Atkins Museum . In 1966, guest artist Nathalie Krassovska came to Kansas City to set Anton Dolin 's restaging of Pas de Quatre on
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1792-761: The Netherlands, Japan, Australia and New Zealand with PYO, numerous return engagements to the San Jose Symphony (the predecessor of Symphony Silicon Valley ), and his return to the podium of the Santa Cruz County Symphony . Prior guest conducting appearances have included the Seattle Symphony , New Polish Philharmonic, Suddetic Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony , Eastern Philharmonic, Flagstaff Festival Symphony, Amarillo Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic, South Bend Symphony, and many others. Maestro Klein also has extensive experience in conducting ballet orchestras, including
1848-693: The Peninsula Symphony commissioned notable composer Melissa Hui to create Always , a work for taiko , chorus, and orchestra. The symphony has also commissioned Leaving Bai-Di by the Chinese-American composer Gang Situ in March 2008, and Lee Actor's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in May 2013. In May 2018 the symphony performed the West Coast premiere of Garages of the Valley by Mason Bates . The Peninsula Symphony has
1904-523: The Resident Conductor for the 74th season. History : The Peninsula Symphony was founded by Russian-born violinist/conductor Aaron Sten. In 1949, Aaron Sten became conductor of a small Redwood City group of musicians that he met while buying a house. Shortly after, a group of about 32 San Mateo musicians under the name The Peninsula Symphony disbanded and joined Aaron Sten's group. The resulting group of about 60 musicians formed an orchestra under
1960-518: The annual family concert, and serving as personnel manager for the orchestra. The symphony also has a tradition of incorporating outstanding young musicians, such as the winners of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition , Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition, and Young Musicians' Competition into its performances. Some notable examples are Cathy Basrak , Frank Huang , Jennifer Koh , and Robert deMaine . The symphony seeks out premieres and commissioned works. For its 50th season (May 1999),
2016-635: The artistic directorship of the Kansas City Ballet. His first year proved to be pivotal for the company with the introduction of major new works and the implementation of several major initiatives to include the creation/formation of the Kansas City Ballet School . In May 1982, Bolender saluted his mentor, George Balanchine , by presenting a four-day Balanchine Festival at the Lyric Theatre . Kevin Amey joined KCB as company manager in February 1983. During
2072-469: The community. In 1951, under Vincent Guida, symphony clarinetist and business manager, the organization was incorporated as a non-profit association, and a formal board was chosen. In 1952, Aaron Sten also founded the California Youth Symphony , and began the tradition of incorporating outstanding young musicians into Peninsula Symphony performances. In 1956, Board President Robert L. Clark was
2128-547: The company performed a program at the Kansas City Music Hall featuring three guest choreographers. In 1968, the company moved to Treadway Hall on the University of Missouri–Kansas City Campus. In April 1968, choreographer Zachary Solov began a multi-year collaboration with the KCB, coming to Kansas City to choreograph and stage two world premiere ballets with the KCB: an abstract piece set to Mozart 's Symphony No. 40 and
2184-489: The company's first Ailey work. Also in 1988, American Ballet Theatre 's Clark Tippett stages his work Enough Said . In 1989, KCB premiered Bolender's work Celebration , created and performed to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the University of Missouri . In 1991, KCB premiered its first work by Antony Tudor , Lilac Garden . In 1994, Muriel Kauffman , long-time Kansas City civic leader, philanthropist, and KCB Board Chairman from 1990 to 1992, established
2240-535: The company. In 1967, Dokoudovska brought Shirley Weaver, a Kansas City native and former dancer with the Metropolitan Opera and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, to the KCB. Weaver danced major roles with KCB, choreographed, served as (honorary) ballet mistress, and taught alongside Dokoudovska at the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music for many years. To commemorate its 10th anniversary,
2296-402: The credit for the lyrics of the songs. The "music director" for a theatrical production or Broadway or West End musical often serves as rehearsal pianist and conductor. This music director is often also the vocal coach, may also be involved in arranging material for new works, or collaborate on underscoring. There was a Tony Award category for Best Musical Director beginning in 1948, but it
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2352-542: The driving force behind the creation of the Peninsula Symphony Auxiliary, a women's volunteer group, which was instrumental to the development of an audience base. With no office or Executive Director yet, volunteers played a crucial role in symphony operations. In 1985, the symphony opened an office with executive director to manage its growth . By 1985, the time had come to open an office in San Mateo and hire
2408-608: The fall of 1996, Bolender premiered his last new work for the company, Arena , commissioned by a “Meet the Composer” grant with James Mobberley , composition professor at the UMKC Conservatory and composer-in-residence with the Kansas City Symphony . William Whitener , a veteran Joffrey Ballet and Twyla Tharp dancer , prolific choreographer, and experienced artistic director, was selected as KCB Artistic Director in
2464-467: The fall of 1996. In the spring of 1997, Whitener premiered The Scarlatti Dances , the first of his many creations for the KCB. In the fall of 1997, KCB established a full-time community outreach director position. In 1998, Jeffrey Bentley was appointed executive director of the KCB. In the spring of 1998, Whitener premiered two new works: Songs in the Open Air and A Midsummer Night's Dream featuring
2520-433: The first piece were danced by New York City Ballet guest artists Jacques d'Amboise and Melissa Hayden . In 1970, the mayor of Kansas City, Ilus Winfield Davis , proclaimed a special “Civic Ballet Week" to recognize the company. During the 1970–1971 season, the company name changed back to Kansas City Ballet . In spring 1971, Solov returned yet again to Kansas City to present a program titled "Ages of Innocence" with
2576-596: The name Sequoia Symphony Orchestra and performed their first season. By the end of the second season, the name had changed to the Peninsula Symphony and in 1951, the non-profit Peninsula Symphony Association was incorporated. In that very first year, many features were established which were to become trademarks of the Peninsula Symphony: four concerts in October, January, March, and May; a balanced musical program featuring first-class guest artists; an attractive concert program with informative notes; and strong support from
2632-586: The orchestra musicians themselves, the administrative staff, and volunteer board of directors). The music director in American lingo also assists with fund-raising, and also is the primary focus of publicity for the orchestra, as what is often called its "public face". The term "music director" or "musical director" became common in the United States in the middle of the 20th century, following an evolution of titles. Early leaders of orchestras were simply designated as
2688-421: The orchestra will perform or record, and has much authority regarding hiring, firing, and other personnel decisions over an orchestra's musicians. Such authoritarian rule, once expected and even thought necessary for a symphonic ensemble to function properly, has loosened somewhat in the closing decades of the 20th century with the advent and encouragement of more power sharing and cooperative management styles (with
2744-442: The overall musical performance, including ensuring that the cast knows the music thoroughly, supervising the musical interpretation of the performers and pit orchestra, and conducting the orchestra. In the 20th century, the title and position typically brought with it an almost unlimited influence over the particular orchestra's affairs. As implied by the name, the music director not only conducts concerts, but also controls what music
2800-408: The primary conductor and artistic leader of the orchestra. The term "music director" is most common for orchestras in the United States. With European orchestras, the titles of "principal conductor" or "chief conductor" are more common, which designate the conductor who directs the majority of a given orchestra's concerts in a season. In musical theatre and opera , the music director is in charge of
2856-589: The spring of 1997, with Mitchell Sardou Klein serving as the Music Director. The business office moved to Los Altos in 2001. Mitchell Sardou Klein (1985–present) , is the Music Director and Conductor of the Peninsula Symphony and founding Music Director of the Peninsula Youth Orchestra (PYO). He regularly guest conducts orchestras in California, throughout the United States, and in Europe. He made his debut with Symphony Silicon Valley in 2012. His other appearances as
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#17328524056482912-511: The spring of 2002, Whitener garnered national attention and a Dance Magazine cover article with his work Six Solos, a program presenting six solo works created by the legendary choreographers Lotte Goslar , Anna Sokolow , Merce Cunningham , Agnes de Mille , Daniel Nagrin , and Michel Fokine . In February 2003, in a collaboration with Johnson County Community College , KCB performed Merce Cunningham 's Duets , as staged by Catherine Kerr, with Cunningham in attendance. In 2004, as part of
2968-467: Was discontinued in 1964 in part due to the fluid responsibilities of musical directors. A music director of a radio station is responsible for interacting with record company representatives, auditioning new music, offering commentary, and making decisions (sometimes in conjunction with the program director ) as to which songs get airplay, how much and when. In college radio , there may be more than one music director, as students usually volunteer only
3024-400: Was originally the title of the person responsible for music in a town in Germany and Austria. Johann Sebastian Bach was music director in Leipzig , Georg Philipp Telemann and later Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach were music directors in Hamburg , Robert Schumann was music director in Düsseldorf . Generalmusikdirektor is a title given by larger towns to a person typically responsible for
3080-404: Was so named until his death in 1970. His successor, Lorin Maazel , was given the title "music director." Other major American orchestras kept more current with the times and began using the simpler term in the 1950s and 1960s. The term can also refer to the person who directs a school band or heads the music program. Alternatively, the term "music director" used to appear in the film credits for
3136-421: Was started in 2016 by Board member and principal second violinist Deborah Passanisi. Each school year, the program culminates in a concert for teachers and parents, with the young performers singing and accompanied by a guitarist. Mitchell Sardou Klein has been Music Director and Conductor of the Peninsula Symphony since 1985, and also directs the Peninsula Youth Orchestra. Nathaniel Berman currently serves as
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