Voices of Schumann, Schubert & Brahms
On this program of four master composers of song, Metropolitan Opera star soprano Susanna Phillips performs works by Franz Schubert and William Bolcom that feature instrumental virtuosity as well. Bolcom’s moving song cycle, Let Evening Come, is set to poems by Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson, and Jane Kenyon. Schubert’s The Shepherd on the Rock and Johannes Brahms’s dramatic trio, two of the greatest clarinet chamber masterpieces, are given voice by legendary CMNW Artistic Director Emeritus David Shifrin.
OREGON POET PRELUDE:
Featuring Dr. S. Renee Mitchell
PSU, College of the Arts, Lincoln Performance Hall
Sunday, 7/2 • 4:00 pm
Reed College, Kaul Auditorium
Monday, 7/3 • 8:00 pm PT
Program
Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.
- R. SCHUMANN Märchenbilder (Fairy Tale Pictures) for Viola and Piano, Op. 113
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Märchenbilder (Fairy Tale Pictures), Op.113 (16’)I. Nicht schnell
II. Lebhaft
III. Rasch
IV. Langsam, mit melancholischen AusdruckOver the course of his life, Robert Schumann experienced several periods of heightened creative productivity, during which he wrote music with amazing speed. Schumann’s final creative burst began in 1850 and spilled over into 1851, coinciding with his move to Düsseldorf to conduct the Düsseldorf Music Society. In a matter of months Schumann wrote his Rhenish Symphony, the Cello Concerto, and several chamber works, including the Märchenbilder (Fairy Tale Pictures) for Viola and Piano, Op. 113.
Op. 113 is a series of miniatures for viola and piano played without pause; each features different tonalities and moods. The restless melancholy of the opening Nicht schnell (not fast) features a dialogue between the two instruments. Lebhaft (Lively) offers a cheerful contrast to the first movement, which Rasch (Quickly) amplifies with its galloping triplets in the viola. A brief calm interlude offers breathing space before both viola and piano resume their race. The final Langsam, mit melancholischem Ausdruck (slow, with melancholy expression) features the viola’s resonant tone singing a calm, serene lullaby.
—© Elizabeth Schwartz
- WILLIAM BOLCOM “Let Evening Come” (1994)
WILLIAM BOLCOM (b. 1938)
Let Evening Come (1994) (15’)I. Ailey, Baldwin, Floyd, Killens, & Mayfield
II. ‘Tis not that Dying hurts us so
III. Interlude
IV. Let Evening ComeIn 1993, William Bolcom was asked to write a duet for mezzo-soprano Tatiana Troyanos and soprano Benita Valente; at the time, both singers were major stars with the Metropolitan Opera. “We discussed possible texts, and then very unexpectedly Tatiana died, a blow to all of us,” Bolcom recalled. “I was then approached by the sponsors of the commission: Would I write a duo anyway, with … [soprano, piano, and viola], the violist in some way representing the departed Tatiana? The present cantata is the result.”
Let Evening Come features three contrasting poems by Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson, and Jane Kenyon; each text grapples with the impact of death on the living.
—© Elizabeth Schwartz
- SCHUBERT “The Shepherd on the Rock,” D. 965
SCHUBERT Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, D. 965 (The Shepherd on the Rock)
One month before his death, Franz Schubert completed Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, one of his last two songs, to fulfil a request from Berlin opera diva Anna Milder-Hauptman for a concert aria. Today, Der Hirt auf dem Felsen is a popular showpiece for sopranos and clarinetists alike; it requires the utmost virtuosity from both musicians, along with a well-supported tone to properly execute Schubert’s lyrical phrases.
For the text, Schubert turned to a familiar poet, Wilhelm Müller, whose poems he had used in the song cycle Die schöne Müllerin. Schubert combined Müller’s words with a poem by Wilhelmine von Chézy; in 1823, Schubert provided incidental music for her play Rosamunde.
The themes of Der Hirt auf dem Felsen—ecstatic paeans to nature, beautiful landscapes, absent lovers longing for one another—were familiar territory for Schubert. Rather than write a typical lied for voice and piano, Schubert added a solo clarinet to the mix. The inclusion of the clarinet created a dialog between singer and instrumentalist, and allowed Schubert to more fully explore the deeper emotions of the middle section.
The songs begins with a shepherd perched high on a mountain singing to his lover below; the clarinet echoes back up the slope. The second section, in a melancholy minor tonality, expresses sorrow and uncertainty about the future, but joyful enthusiasm abounds in the final section, a celebration of spring’s awakening.
—© Elizabeth Schwartz
- BRAHMS Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114
BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op.114 (25’)I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Andantino grazioso
IV. AllegroIn December 1890, in failing health and grappling with writer’s block, Johannes Brahms sent his publisher a quintet for viola, which he intended as his final opus. Brahms wrote, “With this letter you can bid farewell to my music because it is certainly time to leave off…” A few months later, Brahms visited the court of Meiningen, where he met the court orchestra’s Principal Clarinet, Richard Mühlfeld. Intrigued by both the clarinet and Mühlfeld’s virtuosity, Brahms was newly inspired, abandoning his “retirement” to write a trio, quintet, and two sonatas for clarinet.
The overall mood of the Trio for Piano, Clarinet, and Cello in A Minor, Op. 114 is deeply autumnal. Brahms’s enthusiasm for the clarinet notwithstanding, he was still aging and physically unwell. The opening Allegro deftly employs the dusky, covered quality of the clarinet’s chalumeau register, and the overall mood is one of deep weariness. The Adagio suggests retrospection, even a kind of resignation. Here the clarinet is Brahms’s own voice, which carries into the Andantino grazioso. The clarinet introduces the graceful primary theme, which the other instruments explore and elaborate; Brahms also inserts fragments of Viennese waltzes in the trio section. The closing Allegro returns us unequivocally to A minor and the tempestuous Romantic passion typical of Brahms’s earlier music.
—© Elizabeth Schwartz
Artists
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Zlatomir Fung
Cello
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Cellist Zlatomir Fung burst onto the scene as the first American in four decades (and youngest musician ever) to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division. Subsequent accolades, critical acclaim, and standing ovations at performances around the world have established him as one of the preeminent cellists of our time. Astounding audiences with his boundless virtuosity and exquisite sensitivity, the 25-year-old has already proven himself a star among the next generation of world-class musicians.
In the 2024–2025 season, Fung gives recitals in New York City, Boston, and St. Louis, and performs the complete Bach Cello Suites at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts and in Arcata, California, following summer appearances at the Aspen and Ravinia Festivals. He joins orchestras in Rochester, San Antonio, and Billings, among others. Internationally, he performs in Europe and Asia with the London Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony, and others, and offers a recital tour of Italy. In January 2025, Signum Records released Fung’s debut album, a collection of opera fantasies and transcriptions for cello and piano.
Fung served as Artist-in-Residence with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2023–2024 season; recent debut appearances include the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lille, and BBC Philharmonic, as well as Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Seattle, and Kansas City Symphonies.
Fung made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2021 and was described by Bachtrack as “one of those rare musicians with a Midas touch: he quickly envelopes every score he plays in an almost palpable golden aura.” Fung was a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Winner in 2022.
Upcoming Concerts & Events
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Paul Neubauer
Viola
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Violist Paul Neubauer’s exceptional musicality and effortless playing led The New York Times to call him “a master musician.” In 2025 he will release two albums for First Hand Records that feature the final works of two great composers: an all-Bartók album including the revised version of the viola concerto, and a Shostakovich recording including the monumental viola sonata.
At age 21, Mr. Neubauer was appointed principal violist of the New York Philharmonic, and he held that position for six years. He has appeared as soloist with over 100 orchestras including the New York, Los Angeles, and Helsinki philharmonics; Chicago, National, St. Louis, Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco, and Bournemouth symphonies; and Mariinsky, Santa Cecilia, English Chamber, and Beethovenhalle orchestras.
He has also premiered viola concertos by Béla Bartók (revised version of the Viola Concerto), Reinhold Glière, Gordon Jacob, Henri Lazarof, Robert Suter, Joel Phillip Friedman, Aaron Jay Kernis, Detlev Müller-Siemens, David Ott, Krzysztof Penderecki, Tobias Picker, and Joan Tower. He performs with SPA, a trio with soprano Susanna Phillips and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, with a wide range of repertoire including salon style songs.
He has been featured on CBS’s Sunday Morning, A Prairie Home Companion, and in Strad, Strings, and People magazines. A two-time Grammy nominee, he has recorded on numerous labels including Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, RCA Red Seal, and Sony Classical.
Mr. Neubauer appears with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and is the artistic director of the Mostly Music series in New Jersey. He is on the faculty of The Juilliard School and Mannes College
Upcoming Concerts & Events
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Jeewon Park
Piano
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Praised for her “deeply reflective playing” (Indianapolis Star) and “infectious exuberance” (The New York Times), pianist Jeewon Park has garnered the attention of audiences for her dazzling technique and poetic lyricism. Since making her debut at the age of 12, performing Chopin’s First Concerto with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, Jeewon Park has performed as a recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician in prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, 92nd Street Y, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Seoul Arts Center. Ms. Park is a frequent performer at Bargemusic and Caramoor International Music Festival where she was named a Rising Star in 2007. A passionate chamber musician, she has appeared at prominent festivals throughout the world, including Seattle Chamber Music Society, Spoleto USA, Bridgehampton, Lake Champlain, Manchester, Seoul Spring, Great Mountains (Korea), Tucson, Appalachian Summer, Taos, Eastern Music Festival, Emilia-Romagna (Italy), Music Alp in Courchevel (France), and Kusatsu Summer Music (Japan). The 2022-2023 season marks the 10th season for her as the co-artistic director, along with her husband, Edward Arron, of the Performing Artists in Residence series at the Clark Art Institute. In 2021, Ms. Park’s recording of Beethoven’s Complete Works for Cello and Piano with cellist Edward Arron was released on the Aeolian Classics Record Label. Subsequently, they received the Samuel Sanders Collaborative Artists Award from the Classical Recording Foundation. She came to the US in 2002 after winning all major competitions in Korea. Park is a graduate of Yonsei University, The Juilliard School, Yale University, and SUNY Stony Brook where she earned her DMA.
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Susanna Phillips
Soprano
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Alabama native soprano Susanna Phillips continues to establish herself as one of today’s most sought-after singing actors and recitalists. Ms. Phillips is a recipient of the prestigious Met Opera 2010 Beverly Sills Artist Award. She has sung at the Metropolitan Opera for 12 consecutive seasons in roles including Musetta and Countess Almaviva. Role highlights include Fiordigili, which The New York Times called a “breakthrough night,” and Clémence in the company’s premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s L’amour de Loin.
Last season saw Ms. Phillips’s return to her native Huntsville, engagements with OSNY and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Celebrity Boston Series, Bravo! Vail, and a world premiere of Picker’s Awakenings at OTSL. Desired by the world’s most renowned orchestras, Ms. Phillips opened the Oregon Symphony’s 125th Anniversary season performing Mahler’s Second Symphony. She has appeared with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Philadelphia Orchestra. She is dedicated to oratorio works with credits including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and the Fauré and Mozart Requiems. Other career highlights include Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare and the title role of Agrippina with Boston Baroque, Stella in Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire opposite Renée Fleming, and Birdie in Blitzstein’s Regina.
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David Shifrin
Clarinet & Artistic Director Emeritus 1981–2020
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Clarinetist David Shifrin graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in 1967 and the Curtis Institute in 1971. He made his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra having won the Orchestra’s Student Competition in 1969. He went on to receive numerous prizes and awards worldwide, including the Geneva and Munich International Competitions, the Concert Artists Guild auditions, and both the Avery Fisher Career Grant (1987) and the Avery Fisher Prize (2000).
Shifrin received Yale University’s Cultural Leadership Citation in 2014 and is currently the Samuel S. Sanford Professor in the Practice of Clarinet at the Yale School of Music where he teaches a studio of graduate-level clarinetists and coaches chamber music ensembles. He is also the artistic director of Yale’s Oneppo Chamber Music Society and the Yale in New York concert series. Shifrin previously served on the faculties of the Juilliard School, the University of Southern California, the University of Michigan, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Hawaii.
Shifrin served as artistic director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center from 1992 to 2004 and Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon from 1981 to 2020. He has appeared as soloist with major orchestras in the United States and abroad and has served as Principal Clarinet with the Cleveland Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra (under Stokowski), the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestras of New Haven, Honolulu, and Dallas. Shifrin also continues to broaden the clarinet repertoire by commissioning and championing more than 100 works of 20th and 21st century American composers. Shifrin’s recordings have consistently garnered praise and awards including three Grammy nominations and “Record of the Year” from Stereo Review.
Shifrin is represented by CM Artists in New York and performs on Backun clarinets and Légère reeds.
Upcoming Concerts & Events
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Zitong Wang
Piano, Protégé
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23-year-old Chinese pianist Zitong Wang made her solo recital debut at age 13 in Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. She has performed at such venues as the Steinway Hall in New York, Verizon Hall in Philadelphia, Severance Hall in Cleveland, etc. She has appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Galicia Symphony Orchestra, Hangzhou Philharmonic, etc. She has worked with conductors Jahja Ling, Xian Zhang, Lina Gonzalez-Granados, José Trigueros, and Yang Yang.
Among others, she is a first prize winner of the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition and Virginia Waring International Concerto Competition, second prize in the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition, and first prize in Princeton Festival Competition and France Music Competition. She most recently won first prize and “Nelson Freire Prize” in the XXXIII Ferrol International Piano Competition in 2022. A devoted chamber musician, Zitong has played alongside with Meng-Chieh Liu, Don Liuzzi, Vera Quartet, Zora Quartet, etc. She has toured with Roberto Díaz and musicians from Curtis. As an active member of Curtis 20/21 ensemble, she has worked with composers Unsuk Chin, Bright Sheng, David Ludwig, and Alvin Singleton. In 2019 she participated in the Intimacy of Creativity conference for composers in Hong Kong as a guest pianist.
Born in Inner Mongolia, China, Zitong began piano lessons at age three and previously studied with Hua Chang and Yuan Sheng at the Central Conservatory of Music Affiliated Middle School in Beijing. At age thirteen, she entered the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Meng-Chieh Liu and Eleanor Sokoloff. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at New England Conservatory with Dang Thai Son.
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Dr. S. Renee Mitchell
Poetry
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Dr. S. Renee Mitchell is best described as a Creative Revolutionist™ because she is difficult to define and too multifaceted to compartmentalize. She is an experienced educator and facilitator, storyteller, poet and performer, and an award-winning community activist and multimedia artist who creates beauty with her words, her mind, and her hands. During her 25 years as an award-winning, former newspaper journalist, she was nominated twice for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. Dr. Renee is now the visionary founder of a nationally award-winning, youth-development program I Am MORE (Making Ourselves Resilient Everyday), which helps traumatized youth discover and embrace resiliency and their unique sense of purpose. Motivated by intentions for healing, joy and heART, Renee’s deepest desire is to help others use their creativity to let go, gather up and move on in order to find themselves, their voice, and their unique place in the world.