ASU Chamber Orchestra Joel Smirnoff, guest conductor Catalin Rotaru, double bass School of Music Herberger College of Fine Arts Arizona State University Tuesday, February 20, 2007 7:30 p.m. ASU Gammage MUSIC -4-terbergerCollege of Fine Arts ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Program String Symphony No. 12 in G minor Fuga: Grave – Allegro Andante Allegro molto Felix Mendelssohn Concerto No. 2 in B minor for Double Bass Allegro moderato Andante Allegro Giovanni Bottesini Catalin Rotaru, double bass Intermission Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K.543 Adagio – Allegro Andante con moto Menuetto: Trio Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Out of respect for the performers and those audience members around you, please turn all pagers, cell phones, and watches to silent mode. Thank you. Biographies Encouraged by Seiji Ozawa to "take up the baton," eminent violinist Joel Smirnoff has developed into a highly acclaimed conductor with an impressive and wide-ranging repertoire. He is consistently cited for his high energy and special attention to the stylistic demands of each work. In 2000, Mr. Smirnoff made his official American conducting debut with the San Francisco Symphony, conducting an all-Tchaikovsky program. His guest conducting engagements include the Amarillo Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, and a European tour with the Basel Sinfonietta and Charles Rosen as soloist in the Elliott Carter Piano Concerto. In addition to his activities as a conductor, Joel Smirnoff is first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet and Chairman of the Violin Department at The Juilliard School. In 1997, he was featured violin soloist at Tanglewood in a concert dedicated to the memory of violinist Louis Krasner, performing the Berg Violin Concerto under the direction of Bernard Haitink. In 1983, as second-prize winner of the International American Music Competition for Violin, he was awarded debuts at Carnegie Hall on it Emerging Artists series and at Town Hall on its Midtown Masters series. Mr. Smirnoff also plays jazz, performing frequently as improvising soloist with Tony Bennett. His solos were featured on the Grammy awardwinning CD Tony Bennett Sings Ellington Hot and Cool. He has also been guest soloist with Gunther Schuller and the American Jazz Orchestra, and the Billy Taylor Trio. Catalin Rotaru, double bass, joined the School of Music at Arizona State University, in 2005. Mr. Rotaru is in demand as a performer and clinician throughout the world. He is a licentiate of the National University of Music from Bucharest, Romania and holds a Master's degree in music performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Previously he was Associate Professor of Double Bass and Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, taught at Millikin University, and at the University of Illinois. He has performed both solo classical and jazz bass throughout Europe, the United States, South America and Japan. He served as associate principal bass in the Romanian National Radio Orchestra, principal bass in the Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra, Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra of Bucharest, Danville Symphony Orchestra, Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, associate principal and principal bass in Sinfonia Da Camera, and principal bass of the Orchestra Sinfonica Europea. Mr. Rotaru collaborates frequently with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Arizona Opera and performs extensively as soloist in recitals or with symphony orchestras throughout the United States and abroad, giving numerous clinics and master classes. He received the second prize at the 1997 International Society of Bassists Solo Division Competition and the Jury's Special Award for the best performance of the required piece at that competition. He was the winner of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Debut Recital Award in 1997, and received the Central Illinois Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters Award in 1996. Mr. Rotaru recently completed recording his debut solo CD, entitled Bass*ic Cello Notes released by Summit Records. For the last several years, Professor Rotaru has been a frequent solo performer at the International Chamber Music Festival of Pernambuco in Brazil. Mr. Rotaru performs on a double bass made in Italy by Luciano Golia and a bow made by Marco Pasquino. Chamber Orchestra Timothy Russell, Director of Orchestras Violin I Angela Cassette** Christian Sirnrnelink Tamara Freida Ricardo Elias-Rodriquez Heide Hille Bassoon John Veloz* Kristilyn Woods Horn Rose Marie French* Felipe Vera Violin II Eliza Hesse* Molly McCarthy Gina Dyches Bonnie Teplik Kate Bivona Trumpet J. David Hunsicker* Ryan Lehr Timpani Matthew Holm Viola Matthew W. Gordon* Jenwei Yu Eva Lundell Allison Kellis Mary Harrah Nancy Buck Cello Nelly Rocha* Adele Stein Vanessa Belknap Derek Stein ** Concertmaster * Principal Orchestra Assistants Jacob Harrison Brandon S. Matthews Jana Minov Orchestra Librarians Jacob Harrison Jan Matthews rip Orchestra Manager Bass Rossine Parucci Lucian Manolache* T. J. Maliszewski Orchestra Office Specialist Linda Bennett Flute Angela Rich Clarinet Josh Gardner* Natalie Lehr Events Information Call 480-965-TUNE (480-965-8863) ©2006 ASU Herberger College of Fine Arts 0706