The Long Island Philharmonic has had four Music Directors since its founding in 1979, but none of them has been as effective at communicating intimate, nuanced music with the audience as David Stewart Wiley. Its Music Director for almost ten years, Mr. Wiley enjoys speaking to the audience before many of the pieces the orchestra performs, and those in attendance clearly enjoy it, benefitting from musical examples that accompany that talk because they get a preview—much like a movie trailer—and know what details to listen for. And the Long Island audience needs this added familiarity more than in a major city, where a Mozart symphony isn’t exactly a foreign affair.

Before the performance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 39, Wiley interestingly noted that the first movement may be the first time the waltz (opposed to the Minuet) was incorporated into a symphony. He also rightly mentions the countryside, folk aspect to the symphony as a whole. And that inspires an analogy: Mozart brings the countryside to the symphony, and the Long Island Philharmonic brings the symphony to the countryside, enriching the musical experiences of thousands of Long Islanders, who do not have to leave the suburbs in order to hear great music—or great music-making. Perhaps—quite fittingly—the suburbs of Long Island are the perfect place to hear intimate music.

The performance of the 39th Symphony was indeed given a polished, sparkling and elegant account. The sound of the orchestra is in terrific shape, with special mention going to the solo clarinet and the French Horns for handling difficult moments with effortlessness and beauty. In Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto, excellent pianist Joseph Kalichstein, who often modestly collaborated like he was one of many solo instruments within the orchestra rather than the main soloist, nonetheless gave the kind of briskly-paced performances—in the outer movements—that didn’t always mesh with the ensemble behind him. Still, it was impressively played on both technical and musical fronts, with the slow movement the undeniable highlight, as its darkly solemn and sublime moments were performed with tremendous conviction.

In Bartok’s Romanian Dances, which opened the program, the clarinet solos were playfully and endearingly shaped. The Piccolo solo was played with great sensitivity, creating the character of a wandering, lost soul. Wiley set the mood before each dance and achieved deeply committed performances from the players. The first violin section played with unity of movement—often using their bows fully, from the lower part of the bow (the ‘frog’) to the very tip, which can be a rarity for orchestras.

The intimate musical repertory the Long Island Philharmonic explores is sorely needed, as many orchestras concentrate on the more ostentatiously grand symphonic music and stay away from the more delicate gems. Yet Long Island audiences appreciate the nuances of this delightful music because David Stewart Wiley allows his audiences to savor it all—during the performance, but also before it.

-Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Available online at: http://www.nyconcertreview.com/blog/?p=556

By Seth Williamson

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra held up a mirror to America on Monday night, and it was beautiful. From the gritty streets of New York City to lonely Western prairies to the small town we all wish we were from, it was there in the RSO’s final Masterworks concert of the season. Reviewers should be on guard when a program pushes all their personal buttons. So — full disclosure — I’ll say that almost everything Maestro David Stewart Wiley chose for this concert was a particular favorite of mine. Keep that in mind as you read this review.  Nevertheless, it was great.

OK, so I’ve never been thrilled by Joan Tower’s “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman.” Mildly dissonant and brass-intensive, it isn’t negligible. But — ironically for a self-consciously feminist work — most of its notoriety is derived from the title’s deliberate reference to Aaron Copland’s indisputably great “Fanfare for the Common Man.” Next was “The Millcreek at Waxman’s Crossing” by Boones Mill composer Jerome Margolis. In a manner reminiscent of Copland’s so-called “prairie period,” there were tender lyrical passages, open fifths and fourths, and lovely wind sonorities.

After 32 years’ service on the back row, RSO bass trombonist Jim Sochinski retired from the orchestra after this performance. The RSO celebrated his tenure with his “RSO Fanfare No. 6,” which premiered in 1990. Featuring brash horn calls, horn rips, declamatory trumpet passages and a rhythmic figure lifted from Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture,” the piece sounds as fresh as it did two decades ago. Unfortunately, here and later on there were a few egregious horn clams. The seafood was all the more noticeable from a section that normally nails tough passages flawlessly.

George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris,” complete with acoustic taxi horns and with rather deliberate tempi, got enthusiastic applause. As for the suite from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” you didn’t have a pulse if this performance left you unmoved. This flowering of New World genius is the equal of anything produced by Europe. The RSO’s reading was joyful, heartfelt, exuberant. Ditto the suite from Richard Rodgers’ “Victory at Sea,” crammed with great tunes. It was followed by a standing ovation and shouts of bravo.

After a singalong encore of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” Wiley surprised Sochinski by asking him to conduct John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” with brilliant solo work from the redoubtable Julee Hickox.

What a finale!

Seth Williamson produces “Morning Classics” and “Back Roads & Blue Highways” for public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with David Stewart Wiley as Music Director and Conductor for the RSO. David’s great energy and commitment have contributed immeasurably to the RSO’s success” says Board President Richard Maxwell.

Wiley’s ongoing popularity has been demonstrated not only through consistent acclaim by critics and audiences alike but through significant multi-year growth in attendance, ticket income and financial support. The RSO has seen the number of subscribers more than triple during the last five years for it’s Picnic at the Pops Series, presenting renowned pops artists and symphony orchestra in concert together, and a 35% increase in the number of Symphony-to-the-Max subscribers (all subscription concerts, including classical programs) during the same period. The RSO has further broadened its programming to provide more “entry points” for diverse audiences to find and enjoy quality performances of live music – at the heart of its mission. This includes new and unique programs in collaboration with rock musicians and visual performers, new commissions, as well as corporate leadership training events created and led by David Stewart Wiley.

“The RSO and I continue to have a great collaborative partnership,” says Wiley. “I am grateful to our dedicated professional musicians, hard working board and staff, wonderful chorus and chorus master, and the many individuals and businesses throughout the region who continue to sustain us and support our vital mission. Our future looks really bright. We continue to experience responsible artistic growth and continue to operate in the black.  I am privileged to serve as Music Director of the RSO.”

Wallace Easter, chair of the RSO Musician Committee stated, “This is a great time for the orchestra and the musicians really appreciate the positive environment in which to make music.”

The RSO is also announcing its 2010-11 season, with top violinists Natasha Korsakova & Akemi Takayama, renowned pianist Norman Krieger, wind virtuoso Elizabeth Roberts, and repertoire ranging from Rachmaninoff’s third symphony to Beethoven’s Ninth “Choral” symphony.   The Picnic at the Pops series features headliner stars Blake Shelton, Boz Scaggs, and Jane Powell with the RSO, and a new “Symphony Spooktacular” program in October will be added.   The RSO will celebrate Maestro Wiley’s 15th anniversary as RSO music director with October’s opening concert of the season.  Wiley also continues as Music Director & Conductor of the Long Island Philharmonic in New York.

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra celebrates its mission to enrich lives, to educate, and to entertain diverse audiences in western Virginia with the highest quality instrumental and choral music.

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For Immediate Release

Date:  10 May, 2010

Contact:  Rodney Overstreet, Marketing Director

540.343.6221 ext.227 or rodney.overstreet@rso.com

March 13, 2010

By Seth Williamson | Special to The Roanoke Times March 22, 2010

Musicians know that, as important as a good entrance is, it’s not as dramatic as the unanimous release of a phrase, when everybody slams the door at the same time.

I was reminded of this dictum Sunday afternoon in Shaftman Performance Hall. The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Chorus repeatedly crafted stupendous climaxes in the Mozart Requiem, when each of the hundred-plus musicians released their note within a microsecond of one another. The effect was thrilling.

About 725 concertgoers heard Mozart’s final (and unfinished) work, along with two pieces for strings.

The concert began with the “Dance of the Americas” by RSO double bassist Mark Bergman, a principal with the Mato Grosso Chamber Orchestra in Brazil. It is built on a four-note cell that undergoes many permutations. A percussion interlude featured the bassists tapping on their instruments.

Following this was Gustav Holst’s familiar “St. Paul’s Suite.”

Sunday’s reading of “Requiem, K. 626,” by Mozart was one of the best combinations of chorus and instrumentalists that Maestro David Stewart Wiley has conducted. The choral blend was sumptuous, diction clear, entrances and releases precise.

Hometown tenor Nick Leitch sang again with big-name soloists. Leitch held his own with the pros in the dramatic “Day of Wrath” section. His co-soloists were soprano Angela Maria Blasi, mezzo-soprano Jan Wilson and bass Charles Temkey. The Shaftman audience gave the performance a standing ovation. Wiley gave special recognition to trombonist Jay Crone, who had abundant solo passages.

Seth Williamson produces “Morning Classics” and “Back Roads & Blue Highways” on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.

There was plenty to like in Monday night’s Roanoke Symphony Orchestra concert at the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre.

But the Virginia premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s magnificent new clarinet concerto outshone everything else.

When it came to superlatives, soloist Jon Manasse’s splendid performance pretty much sucked all the oxygen out of the room, leaving little to say about the Gershwin, Dvorak and Mozart works, any of which on another night might have been the centerpiece of a program.

Yes, Maestro David Stewart Wiley presided over finely calibrated crescendi in the overture to Mozart’s opera “The Marriage of Figaro.” The Dvorak Symphony No. 8 in G Major was artfully shaped and soulfully played. And George Gershwin’s little “Lullaby for Strings” was as likeable as ever.

But when the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 110, by American composer Liebermann cruised to a breathless finish and the standing ovation and shouts of bravo were echoing through the hall, it seemed clear that we had heard a piece that will remain in the repertoire for decades to come.

But it will always take a player of Manasse’s caliber to do justice to Liebermann’s work. The occasional gifted amateur may strike out into the deep waters of the Mozart clarinet concerto. But no amateur can handle the Liebermann piece. This bravura work requires not merely a professional player, but a virtuoso.

It is lyrically gorgeous, full of ravishing tunes from the opening whole-tone scales to the perpetual motion finale. The orchestra is called upon to provide a wash of ethereal textures with high bells and delicate woodwind effects.

It’s difficult to pick out peak moments. But the entire middle slow movement, with its sinuous, long-breathed melodies that take unexpected chromatic turns, was breathtaking. Manasse’s technical mastery was obvious enough in the rapid passage work. But the pianissimo passages in the instrument’s very highest tessitura, with intonation that was dead-on perfect, were extraordinarily lovely. Manasse deserved every bit of adulation he got at the end of this piece.

As a final gift to the audience, the RSO performed the Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5 to yet more shouts of approval.

by Seth Williamson

 Roanoke, Virginia — The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, David Stewart Wiley, music director, is enjoying increases in sales and attendance recently despite reports of dwindling audience sizes nationally. The new information, released in full today by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), combined with an earlier report conducted by the League of American Orchestras (LAO), outlines declines in participation rates for orchestras, other performing arts, cinema, as well as live sporting events and other activities during the period of 2002 to 2008. According to previous national studies, classical music audience sizes grew over 20 years, from 21.8 million in 1982, up to 24.6 million in 2002. In the past 6 years, the size dropped down to 21.3 million. For the RSO, the past few years have yielded an upturn in sales, with its sights already set on study recommendations – thinking creatively about its role in a culture of changing expectations.

 During the past few years, the RSO has anticipated and focused on practices that show promise in countering these trends. Exploring ticket pricing, venues, programming, touring, education, new media and social networking services, are all part of the RSO’s strategic plan. The RSO’s progress indicators now include an astounding 316% increase in subscribers between 2004 and 2008 for it’s Picnic at the Pops Series, presenting renowned pops artists and symphony orchestra in concert together, and a 37% increase in the number of Symphony-to-the-Max subscribers [all subscription concerts] during the same period. The RSO has further broadened its programming to provide more “entry points” for diverse audiences to find and enjoy quality performances of classical music – at the heart of its mission. This includes new and unique programs in collaboration with rock musicians and visual performers, as well as corporate leadership training events created and led by music director David Stewart Wiley.

Today’s NEA study, Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, along with the LAO’s Audience Demographic Research Review also reveal some encouraging news to the RSO and orchestras across the country. There is a high level of interest in classical music online and through electronic media, pointing to the enduring strength and vitality of symphony orchestras. The RSO recently launched the web page it calls “RSO 2.0″ – a reference to “Web 2.0″ interactive and networking technology – to promote its use of such services. A link to the page can be found at the RSO’s web site at www.rso.com. Last fall, the RSO introduced an online audio podcast series called Inside the Music in which maestro Wiley explores the classical repertoire from the RSO’s Masterworks Series of concerts. With these online services and features, the RSO feels it is on the right track with a hot trail to follow, especially in continuing to develop new relationships with younger listeners. The reports also indicate a significant increase in the percentage of people playing classical music, supporting an increasing sense of the importance in the art and education of classical music. For more information about the NEA study, visit www.nea.gov.

Final program of 2009

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with David Stewart Wiley conductor present their final concert of 2009 on Friday, December 11th at 7 p.m. at the Salem Civic Center. Part of the Picnic at the Pops Series, Friday evening’s Holiday Pops Spectacular is a collaboration of over 250 musicians from the RSO and Chorus, Salem Choral Society, Mill Mountain (handbell) Ringers, Roanoke College Children’s Choir, and tenor soloist George Dyer. A great event for the whole family, tickets for the concert start at $20 each with discount tickets available for groups and children 12 and under. Information is available from the RSO box office at (540) 343-9127 and online at www.rso.com, as well as the Salem Civic Center box office.

Touring performances

Special versions of the Holiday Pops program will be presented in 3 neighboring communities. The New River Valley Friends of the RSO will present Holiday Pops on December 12th at the Covington Center at Radford University – information at rso.com/nrv. The Piedmont Arts Association will present Holiday Pops on December 13th at Martinsville High School – information at piedmontarts.org. The Alleghany Arts Council will present Holiday Pops at Covington High School on December 14th – information at alleghanyarts4all.com. These touring performances involve the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra with David Stewart Wiley, conductor, and tenor soloist George Dyer.

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra celebrates its mission to enrich lives, to educate, and to entertain diverse audiences in western Virginia with the highest quality instrumental and choral music.

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Date: 10 December, 2009

Contact: Rodney Overstreet,

Marketing Director, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra

540.343.6221 ext.227 or rodney.overstreet@rso.com

The following review appears in the December 7, 2009 edition of The Roanoke Times

When they arrived for Sunday’s performance of “Messiah” by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Shaftman Performance Hall concertgoers may have wondered why most of the orchestra was late.

As the downbeat neared, it became obvious that music director and conductor David Stewart Wiley had decided to go with a much smaller complement of players than is heard in most professional performances of Handel’s great oratorio. Onstage before a nearly sold-out house was a string quintet, plus two flutes, two trumpets, a bassoon, a harpsichord and a timpani.  Could such a small chamber ensemble match the voices of the 70-odd symphony chorus members, which included members of the Liberty University Chamber   Singers?

They did better than I thought they could. In fact, even though this performance of Parts I and III was not authentically scaled to pass muster from early-performance experts, it rose at moments to unmistakable grandeur.  It didn’t hurt to have a full set of good vocal soloists. Soprano Adelaide Muir Trombetta, alto Tara Bouknight, tenor John Hugo (who is the RSO’s chorus master) and bass Wayne Kompelien (who directs the Liberty University Chamber Singers) were evenly matched and sang beautifully together.

   Trombetta and Bouknight were better than good. Trombetta, who was stunning in a red gown, had a sweet purity of tone and a cleanness and accuracy to her vocal ornamentation that was a delight to hear. Bouknight, who lives in Franklin County, did a richly detailed and gorgeous job every time she opened her mouth, especially with the lovely “He Shall Feed His Flock.”   Hugo and Kompelien were not as distinctive but turned in satisfactory performances.  

The big star in any performance of “Messiah” is and should be the chorus. The RSO’s chorus and Kompelien’s Liberty University singers did not disappoint.  They displayed a light touch with contrapuntal sections such as “For Unto Us a Child is Born.” Even better, their choral diction was close to perfect and easily understandable to the back of the hall. Hugo and Kompelien deserve congratulations for training such a fine group of singers.

Wiley’s tempos for the choruses were mostly lively. His light touch with the choruses made it easier to believe there was a full orchestra out front.  In fact, the final “Amen” of the final chorus “Worthy is the Lamb” was among the most noble and gravely beautiful performances in recent memory from these players and singers.

After that dramatic fi nale, the Shaftman Hall crowd responded with shouts of bravo and a standing ovation.

Seth Williamson produces “Morning Classics” and “Back Roads & Blue Highways” on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.

by Bruce Von Bryan, special to The LI Press

There was anticipation and electricity in the air for several thousand concertgoers at the Tilles Center on Saturday evening, as the Long Island Philharmonic & Chorus performed a program by Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven exactly thirty years to the day of the first concert in 1979.  The chorus filled the back of the stage and joined the orchestra as Music Director & Conductor David Stewart Wiley energetically led the musicians in Wiley’s own full orchestration of the Star Spangled Banner.  Mozart’s piano concerto in A Major K. 488 comprised the rest of the first half, featuring pianist Seymour Lipkin.  Lipkin, no stranger to Tilles audiences, has been a visible figure in orchestral music on Long Island, having been conductor of the Huntington Symphony until 1979.  Lipkin brought an elegant pianistic touch to the Mozart, although a few memory slips were in evidence.  Wiley and his players provided a sympathetic and stylistic accompaniment, with beautiful woodwind solos in abundance.  The final allegro brought the audience to grateful applause.

After intermission and a recognition of the orchestra’s founding members, Wiley and the musicians presented the so-called “Unfinished” Symphony in B Minor by Franz Schubert.  The performance demonstrated beautiful phrasing, dramatic and compelling silences, and wide dynamic contrasts.  Particularly notable were principal oboe Diane Lesser’s oboe solos and Pascal Archer’s clarinet playing.  Wiley, conducting without a score, chose a moderate allegro tempo for the first movement which allowed the second theme to shine, and the flow of the second movement andante seemed to unify the two movements convincingly as one.  This performance demonstrated that the LI Philharmonic has grown artistically into an impressive regional orchestra under Wiley’s leadership, and deserves continued support and attendance. The full Tilles Center audience expressed its appreciation with sustained applause.

The final work on the concert was Beethoven’s early experiment with the “Ode to Joy” theme — the Fantasy for chorus, orchestra, and piano.  Lipkin provided the opening cadenza and launched into the variations with orchestra with great energy.  The 120-member LI Philharmonic Chorus, expertly prepared by Frances Roberts, demonstrated clear diction and powerful choral sonority, led by a well-blended sextet of soloists positioned in the center.  Wiley and his ensemble seemed to be relishing every moment, communicating the raw power of Beethoven’s music.  It was an exciting way to conclude this birthday celebration event, and the audience responded with an immediate and sustained standing ovation.  The satisfied crowd was rewarded by Maestro Wiley and his musicians with an encore performance of the finale of the Beethoven. 

The LI Philharmonic and Broadway star Franc D’Ambrosia will perform with the LIP this coming Friday at the patchogue Theater.  www.liphilharmonic.org

By David Stewart Wiley

As we move closer to Thanksgiving, I want to express my sincere thanks to our region for supporting the Roanoke Symphony (and all of the arts) during these challenging economic times. It is important for all of us to celebrate good news where it exists, and the symphony is a true success story.

The good news is the Roanoke Symphony continues to experience record ticket sales in both our classical and pops series, with 1,625 tickets sold for our opening masterworks concert and a few thousand for our upcoming pops concert with superstar Natalie Cole. While ticket sales are so important to the vitality of the RSO, even in record years they do not cover the cost of these programs. So please know that every contribution and sponsorship is needed and truly appreciated — especially now.

Every citizen in our region should take great pride in the remarkable success of their professional orchestra and chorus — particularly that we are operating with a balanced budget year after year.

Did you know the RSO alone invests close to a quarter-million dollars in taxes and fees annually for the Roanoke Valley region and Virginia? The RSO is the region’s very own artistic stimulus package.

In a time of budget strain for local schools where our dedicated teachers have to do more with less, the symphony — and all arts education programs — are more needed now than ever before.

We all recognize that support comes in many ways, from volunteer time to monetary contributions, and it is the spirit of community that drives us all to success. With that in mind, special thanks are due to The Roanoke Times for reviewing important regional musical events and artists. Stories about our recent U.S. debut of a young, rising star violinist gives us all a glimpse into a bright future for the arts. It’s inspiring and exciting. And, did you hear about the RSO’s recent encore involving electric guitar? What a wonderful illustration of how the arts transcend age and genre.

Remember the first time you heard an orchestra or a particular song or pianist? What was it that spoke to you, made you connect?

The arts have incredible power to touch us. This is the journey that we share together, for through the arts we are invited to live our lives more fully, more sensitively and with vigor.

I am grateful to serve with an amazing team of professional musicians, supported by a great executive staff, board, donors and volunteers who share in our vision and commitment. We remain a stable, strong and vital pillar in our region particularly when we take the long view, the generational view.

The marketplace puts a short-term price on everything, but the arts place not simply a price but a long-term value on those things that matter. Education, community, connections, partnerships with schools, businesses and other civic organizations: These things matter now more than ever. With your attendance and support, your orchestra will remain vital, an artistic business model of excellence that generates not only excitement but is a vital part of the region’s economic engine.

Consider this a personal invitation from me, and your entire RSO team, to share in our successful 56th symphony season. Please support all the arts — we need you and we welcome you all.

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