Chattanooga Symphony and Opera
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The Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, also known as CSO, is a combined
symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...
and
opera company Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
in
Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
. At the time of the merger in 1985, it was the only such combined organization in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The CSO also offers several youth programs; the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Youth Orchestra (CSOYO). The CSOYO has four groups; Prelude, Etude, Philharmonic, and Symphony. The Prelude and Etude groups are strings only, and are targeted towards beginners Elementary and Middle School aged. Prelude and Etude are conducted by Cellist, Amy Shannon. The upper two Orchestras, Philharmonic and Symphony, are full orchestras, with strings, winds, and percussion. Both orchestras are directed towards upper middle school aged students, and high school students. The Philharmonic orchestra is conducted by flautist Dr. Sandy Morris. The highest orchestra the CSOYO offers, Symphony, is conducted by the decorated former tubist, Ismael Sandoval. Sandoval studied at the University of Florida for his undergraduate degree, and at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. After graduating from Boston Conservatory, Sandoval worked as the understudy conductor for the Boston Philharmonic, under Benjamin Zander.


History


Mission Statement

"The mission of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera is to inspire, engage, and enrich the greater Chattanooga community through music and music education."


Chattanooga Symphony

In 1896, a small group of musicians formed a group called the
Chattanooga Music Club Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
, dedicating themselves to the creation of interest in the "beauties of art" in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The first president of the CMC, was Frank L. Case, who was replaced by Howard Smith in 1899. The Chattanooga Music Club organized many different musical groups including The Mutual Benefits Club formed in 1909. The St. Cecelia Chorus created by a CMC member by the name of Stella Weitzel. The MacDowell Club was founded by Mrs. Elizabeth Bettis, who was a bright pupil of Edward MacDowell. Another club founded was the Chattanooga Male Chorus which would later be called the Chattanooga Civic Chorus who was established by Dr. J Oscar Miller. In 1930, Stella Weitzel asked for monetary founding in sustaining a small group of talented musicians at the University of Chattanooga. A small monetary donation was given to the group by the CMC which was eventually used in the founding of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra. The Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was established because of an "enterprising group of young people", who were all looking for opportunities to play music with one another. The Chattanooga Symphony was established when Melvin Margolin, the director, commissioned both recent graduates and students from the local
Chattanooga High School Chattanooga High School was founded in the fall of 1874 in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee. The school, sometimes called City High School, has evolved into two high schools: the Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts and the Cha ...
, were join by a few adult musicians in town. Once these players were introduced and well-rehearsed, they gave the first concert of the Chattanooga Symphony, on November 5, 1933. Because the Chattanooga Symphony featured the young players of the local High School, the music lovers and important community members fell in love with the talent and tenacity of the group. For the first four years of the group's existence, Melvin Margolin, and a friend by the name of Borden Jones, were the leaders of the group. Due to the success of the symphony orchestra, Dr. Arthur Plettner, was hired to provide professional leadership in 1937. In the same year, Dr. Arthur Plettner was recognized and appointed the Juilliard Professor of Music at the University of Chattanooga. In 1938, Dr. Plettner was elected to become the conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, and continued to fulfill his title for the next 11 years, resigning from the position of conductor in 1949. After the resignation of Dr. Plettner, there is little know about who was in charge of conducting between the years 1949 and 1955. In 1956, Julius Hegyi, who was also a graduate of Juilliard, was elected as conductor of the orchestra. Julius Hegyi remained the conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra until 1956, when he resigned and relocated to
Williamstown, Massachusetts Williamstown is a town in the northern part of Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts, United States. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolit ...
. Hegyi was replaced temporarily by a conductor known as Charles Gabor, until he was replaced by Richard Cornier who was the conductor until 1984. In 1985, Vakntang Jordania, a native of the former Soviet Union, was elected as the Conductor and Artistic Director. As a conductor and leader, Jordania led the group during times of growth. The group, now referred to as the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra Artist (CSOA), established a core orchestra who were capable of comprehensively blending multiple genres of work, including classical, romantic, and contemporary works. The CSOA, were the host of many famous guest artist including Itzhak Perlman,
Gidon Kremer Gidon Kremer ( lv, Gidons Krēmers; born 27 February 1947) is a Latvian classical violinist, artistic director, and founder of Kremerata Baltica. Life and career Gidon Kremer was born in Riga. His father was Jewish and had survived the Holoc ...
,
Jean-Pierre Rampal Jean-Pierre Louis Rampal (7 January 1922 – 20 May 2000) was a French flautist. He has been personally "credited with returning to the flute the popularity as a solo classical instrument it had not held since the 18th century." Biography Ea ...
, and
Gary Karr Gary Michael Karr (born November 20, 1941 in Los Angeles) is an American classical double bass virtuoso and teacher; he is considered one of the best bassists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Biography Although he comes from several generations ...
. Vakntang Jordania remained the conductor os the CSOA until resignation and replacement by Maestro
Robert Bernhardt Robert "Bob" Bernhardt is an American conductor. He is currently in his 24th season as Principal Pops Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra (and in his 40th consecutive season there), and in his 10th season as Music Director Emeritus and Principa ...
, who was welcomed as Music Director and Conductor where he served for 19 seasons. During his time at the CSOA, Maestro Bernhardt pioneered community involvement, increased musical quality, and in return the attendance rates began to increase. To meet the public demand, the maestro organized nineteen performances per season including three operas including,
Madame Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lut ...
,
Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
and
La Traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...
and four pop concerts. Under the guidance of Maestro Bernhardt, the CSOA also hosted famous guest including Nagja Saleno-Sonnenberg,
Ricky Scaggs Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ...
and
Kentucky Thunder Kentucky Thunder, or Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, is the band that plays with American country and bluegrass singer Ricky Skaggs. Many members of the band have won numerous awards. Bandleader Ricky Skaggs plays mandolin and is the lea ...
,
Stella Zambalis Stella Zambalis is an American spinto soprano born in Cleveland, Ohio. She has been called one of the best sopranos in the world today.Stephanie Blythe, Arizona Star, Nov. 2007 Education and early career Zambalis began her studies with Greek m ...
, and
Edgar Meyer Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times. Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegras ...
. In the years 2008–2009, the CSO celebrated its 75th anniversary. In attendance to the celebration were current and form members of the orchestra, friends and supporters of the CSO, and many important members of city and state government. In 2009, Maestro Bernhardt became the very first Music Director
Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
and began on a two-year journey to interview and assign the next Music Director and Conductor. Concurrently, Bob is in his 21st year as Principal Pops Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra, in his 36th consecutive season with the company, and is in his 3rd season as Principal Pops Conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony in Michigan. He is also an Artist-in-Residence at Lee University and conductor of the Lee Symphony. Nine candidates were interviewed during two year, but ultimately Kayoko Dan stood out to Maestro Bernhardt.
Kayoko Dan Kayoko is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *Kayoko Kawahigashi (born 1958), Japanese world champion table tennis player *Kayoko Fukushi (born 1982), Japanese long-distance runner *Kayoko Kishimoto (born 1960), ...
made history when she became the first female conductor at the Chattanooga Symphony, along with the title of youngest. Ms. Dan began musical training at the age of three in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
After moving to the United States of America, Kayoko Dan continued her education and received a Bachelor in Music Education at the University of Texas. She continued to process in education to receive a Master in Music Education and soon after pursued a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from Arizona State University. After receiving her bachelor, master and doctorate, she worked as the Assistant Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony and Music Director of Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras. Ms. Dan also works as a strong advocate for music education and as a clinician at universities, high schools, youth orchestra and regional orchestras throughout the United States of America


Chattanooga Opera Company

Around the same time as the Chattanooga Symphony became established, a remarkable pair of musicians was escaping from Nazi Germany and bringing their expertise to the state of Tennessee. The Chattanooga Opera Company was established in 1942 when Dr. Werner Wolff and his wife Emmy Land Wolff came to Chattanooga Symphony and created the first opera company in Tennessee. Both Dr. Werner Wolff and his wife were considered prominent members of the German Opera House. Along with Dr. Werner Wolff and his wife, Mrs. Wolff, Dorothy Hackett Ward was also involved in organizing the founding of the Chattanooga Opera company by becoming the makeup artist for the company. Dorothy Hackett Ward was a graduate of the
Yale School of Drama The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in e ...
.Madame Wollf was the stage director and taught the company singers how to walk, minuet, bow, use the actors appendages, and how to properly deal with props. Kent Boyd was elected the first president of the Chattanooga Opera. While there was the occasional performance by the Metropolitan Opera Co, the
Chicago Opera Company The Chicago Opera Company was a grand opera company in Chicago, organized from the remaining assets of the bankrupt Chicago City Opera Company, that produced six seasons of opera at the Civic Opera House from 1940 to 1946 (excluding 1943). Art ...
and other companies that were lesser known during the time, had made appearances in the Chattanooga area, there was no real support of the opera until the CSO was founded. The company gave its first performance in February 1943, a production of ''
Il Trovatore ''Il trovatore'' ('The Troubadour') is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play ''El trovador'' (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. It was García Gutiérrez's mos ...
''. The cast consisted primarily of local singers, but the Wolffs were well-connected in the opera world and attracted a number of renowned performers to Chattanooga as guest artists. Guest artists included
Beverly Sills Beverly Sills (May 25, 1929July 2, 2007) was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. Although she sang a repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Puccini, Massenet and Verdi, she was especially renowned for ...
,
Jon Vickers Jonathan Stewart Vickers, (October 29, 1926 – July 10, 2015), known professionally as Jon Vickers, was a Canadian heldentenor. Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, he was the sixth in a family of eight children. In 1950, he was awarded a ...
,
Norman Treigle Norman Treigle (né Adanelle Wilfred Treigle (March 6, 1927February 16, 1975) was an American operatic bass-baritone, who was acclaimed for his great abilities as a singing-actor, and specialized in roles that evoked villainy and terror. Biograp ...
,
Phyllis Curtin Phyllis Curtin (née Smith; December 3, 1921 – June 5, 2016) was an American soprano and academic teacher who had an active career in operas and concerts from the early 1950s through the 1980s. She is known for her creation of roles in ope ...
, and Norman Scott.History
Chattanooga Symphony and Opera website, accessed June 28, 2011
Madame Wolff died in 1955, which was a devastating blow to the music community, but Dr. Werner Wolff tried to carry on. He resigned and moved to Ruschlikon, Switzerland, in 1959. Dr. Wolff lived with friends in Switzerland until he died in 1960.


Merged organization

The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera was the first combined professional resident symphony and opera company in the nation, merging in 1985. World-class Soviet director
Vakhtang Jordania Vakhtang Jordania ( ka, ვახტანგ ჟორდანია; born 9 December 1943, Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union – 4 October 2005, Broadway, Virginia, United States) was a Georgian conductor. Biography Born in the Soviet repu ...
was recruited to become the conductor and artistic director. He was succeeded in 1992 by
Robert Bernhardt Robert "Bob" Bernhardt is an American conductor. He is currently in his 24th season as Principal Pops Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra (and in his 40th consecutive season there), and in his 10th season as Music Director Emeritus and Principa ...
.Roy C. Brewer
Symphony Orchestras
''
Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture ''Tennessee Encyclopedia'' is a reference book on the U.S. state of Tennessee that was published in book form in 1998 and has also been available online since 2002. Contents include history, geography, culture, and biography. The original print e ...
'', December 25, 2009; last updated February 28, 2011; accessed June 28, 2011
Bernhardt left the CSO directorship in April 2011. His successor is Kayoko Dan, who made her debut with the CSO in September 2011. Bernhardt has remained at the CSO as music director ''emeritus'' and continues to reside in Chattanooga.


References


External links


Chattanooga Symphony and Opera
{{Authority Control Symphony orchestras American opera companies Culture of Chattanooga, Tennessee Tourist attractions in Chattanooga, Tennessee American orchestras Musical groups established in 1985 Performing arts in Tennessee 1985 establishments in Tennessee