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Laura Jackson, Tchaikovsky 6, mvt. i
Conductor Laura Jackson leads the musicians of the Reno Philharmonic in this excerpt from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, Op. 74, movement 1. Music in public domain; video recording by Dave Schall; used by permission of the Reno Philharmonic.
Michael Daugherty: Letter to Mrs. Bixby from LETTERS FROM LINCOLN—Thomas Hampson, baritone—Reno Phil
Letter to Mrs. Bixby Movement V. from Letters from Lincoln (2009) for baritone and orchestra Music by Michael Daugherty Words by Abraham Lincoln Reno Phil Laura Jackson, conductor Thomas Hampson, baritone Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts Reno, Nevada March 10, 2019 Letter to Mrs. Bixby (November 21, 1864, Washington D.C.) I have been shown in the files of the War Department that you are the mother of five sons who have died in the field of battle. I feel how weak must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. Yours, very sincerely and respectfully, A. Lincoln Letters from Lincoln (2009) for baritone and orchestra was commissioned by the Spokane Symphony, Eckart Preu, Music Director, in consortium with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth (February 12,1809). The world premiere was given by the Spokane Symphony under the direction of Eckart Preu, with Thomas Hampson, baritone, at the Martin Woldson Theatre at the Fox, Spokane, Washington on February 28, 2009. The work is 25 minutes in length and scored for baritone solo, piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, two percussion, harp and strings. Historians and the public generally regard Lincoln as America’s greatest president who successfully led the United States through the Civil War and initiated the end of slavery. His life, which was full of spectacular opposites, ironies, contradictions and pathos, provided me with abundance of musical dramatic possibilities. While composing this musical work inspired by Lincoln, I discovered ways to bring his historic greatness into the present. I read Lincoln’s speeches, poems and letters and studied his life; I visited the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., and I traveled to the battlefields of Gettysburg. Lincoln’s impassioned writings, from his youth as poor boy in the backwoods of Kentucky to his tragic death as President of the United States, have moved me to take his own words, both public and private, and set them to song. In Letters from Lincoln, I create a musical portrait of a man who expressed his vision with eloquence, and with hope that the human spirit could overcome prejudice and differences of opinion in order to create a better world. —Michael Daugherty Letters from Lincoln is published by Hendon Music, Inc. a Boosey & Hawkes company Performance materials are available from Boosey and Hawkes Rental Library To purchase a Letters from Lincoln full score, or reduction for baritone and piano, go to https://www.musicdispatch.com/ For information on Michael Daugherty’s music see https://michaeldaughertycomposer.com/ and his publisher’s websites. For more information on Thomas Hampson see: https://thomashampson.com
Symphony No. 3 "Altered Landscape" - Jimmy López Bellido
Performed & commissioned by the Reno Philharmonic and conducted by Music Director Laura Jackson, the world premiere performance of Symphony No. 3 "Altered Landscape" by Jimmy López Bellido took place at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in Reno, NV on May 7 & 8, 2022. Informed and inspired by the Nevada Museum of Art’s “Altered Landscape, Carol Franc Buck Collection” of photography, his Symphony No. 3 "Altered Landscape” engages themes of humanity’s accelerated consumption of the Earth’s resources, the pandemic-imposed pause we have withstood, and the quest for a future of harmony and sustainable balance on Earth. Composed entirely in 2020, the Reno Phil seeks orchestral partners around the globe to perform the piece during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons. Performances of “Altered Landscape” are intended to inspire audiences, build awareness, and act as a catalyst for important conversations between diverse groups and industries about how we humans utilize and deploy our planet’s finite resources. In addition, this project offers orchestras the opportunity to take tangible action against climate change through a partnership with the Nature Conservancy. Thanks to tremendously generous donors, the commission is completely funded. Because of this and the importance of the work, the Reno Phil is not charging orchestras to be a member of this consortium— “Altered Landscape” is a gift to orchestras of the world. In order to cover hard costs and “pay-it-forward,” participating orchestras will contribute a minimum of $1,000 to the The Nature Conservancy The commissioning of this symphony was funded by the generosity of: The Carol Franc Buck Foundation Chris & Parky May Charlotte & Dick McConnell Sandy Raffealli The Jane C. Raley Endowment Fund Published by Filarmonika https://www.jimmylopez.com/ https://www.renophil.com/
The Making of Symphony No 3 Altered Landscape by Jimmy López Bellido | Commissioned by the Reno Phil
Jimmy López Bellido, a world-renowned, Finnish-trained, Peruvian-American composer, was invited by Laura Jackson, Music Director of the Reno Philharmonic, to work with curators at the Nevada Museum of Art to select photographs from the Museum's Carol Franc Buck Altered Landscape Photography Collection to inspire his brand-new, Symphony No. 3 "Altered Landscape." The symphony explores the dynamic interconnectedness of humans and the Earth and envisions a hypothetical future where people exist in harmony with the natural environment. Ultimately, it explores two landscapes. One landscape has endured alterations to the environment related to the rapid acceleration of human innovation, technology, and travel since World War II; and a second reveals an abrupt halt in global activity caused by COVID-19 that juxtaposes the tragedy and opportunity we face as we make our way in a new reality. "Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we live in an altered world now, but the future has not yet been written, and which direction we take from now on, is entirely up to us," López Bellido has written. "May this symphony be a testament to the vision of a world everyone wants to see themselves live in, and may it plant a seed of hope and beauty in all of us, especially in our children... and the children of our children," he continues. "For it is important to understand that we are all part of a grand and majestically inteconnected organism, and that our actions never occur in a vacuum, as they have inescapable consequences for us and future generations." Symphony No. 3 "Altered Landscape" was funded by the generous support of The Carol Franc Buck Foundation Chris & Parky May Charlotte & Dick McConnell Sandy Raffealli The Jane C. Raley Endowment Fund Learn more about Jimmy López Bellido: https://bit.ly/39p5QIK The Symphony No. 3 "Altered Landscape" A Collaboration between the Reno Philharmonic and the Nevada Museum of Art: https://bit.ly/3rXrj1Y The project & world premiere performances: https://bit.ly/39ktar5 Hear excerpts of the work Movement 1 The Great Acceleration: https://youtu.be/TzIkEC5nZ-Y Movement 2 Stillness: https://youtu.be/KKZOk7Xap9I Movement 3 Reckoning: https://youtu.be/7xGAS3oHzBE Movement 4 Alignment: https://youtu.be/nYbhBx5Lin8
Laura Jackson Leadership Clinic Highlights
Excerpts from orchestral conductor Laura Jackson's "Leadership of Note" clinic for the International Women's Entrepreneurship Symposium.
Zhou Tian "Transcend" performed by the Reno Phil 2019
The Reno Phil and Music Director Laura Jackson perform the world premiere of Transcend on April 27, 2019 in Reno, Nevada - written by Grammy-nominated composer Zhou Tian in celebration of the Reno Phil's 50th anniversary season. Zhou provided the following program note on the piece: "About 18 months ago, I was extremely delighted to have been invited to compose a new work commemorating the 150th anniversary of the First Transcontinental Railroad’s completion in May 2019. When I learned that 13 American orchestras — located along the route of the Railroad — would join forces together to commission and premiere this new work across the country, I was truly honored, as I knew the significant cultural impact this project would entail."