MAHLER ’ S FOURTH WITH HEYWARD
of the Hallé Youth Orchestra . In 2023 , he became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music .
Jonathon is committed to education and community outreach work , as well as to including new music within his imaginative concert programs .
Julia Bullock
One of Musical America ’ s 2021 “ Artists of the Year ,” Julia Bullock is an American classical singer who “ communicates intense , authentic feeling , as if she were singing right from her soul ” ( Opera News ). Combining versatile artistry with a probing intellect and commanding stage presence , she has headlined productions and concerts at preeminent arts institutions around the world . An innovative curator in high demand from a diverse group of organizations , she has held positions including collaborative partner of Esa-Pekka Salonen and 2019 – 20 Artist in Residence at the San Francisco Symphony , 2020 – 22 Artist in
Julia Bullock
Residence of London ’ s Guildhall School , and 2018-19 Artist in Residence at New York ’ s Metropolitan Museum of Art . Bullock ’ s opera debuts include San Francisco Opera in the world premiere of Girls of the Golden West ; Santa Fe Opera in Doctor Atomic ; Festival d ’ Aix-en- Provence and Dutch National Opera in The Rake ’ s Progress ; the English National Opera , Teatro Real and Bolshoi Theatre in the title role of The Indian Queen ; and Dutch National Opera , Bregenzer Festspiele , and Park Avenue Armory in the premiere of Michel van der Aa ’ s Upload . In concert , she has collaborated
Allison Michael Orenstein with the New York Philharmonic , Boston Symphony , Los Angeles Philharmonic , NHK Symphony , Deutsches Symphonie- Orchester , and London ’ s Philharmonia and London Symphony Orchestras , while her recital highlights include appearances at New York ’ s Carnegie Hall , Boston ’ s Celebrity Series , Washington ’ s Kennedy Center , London ’ s Wigmore Hall , and the Mostly Mozart and Ojai Music festivals . Released by Nonesuch , Bullock ’ s solo album debut , Walking in the Dark , was featured in The New York Times ’ s “ Best Classical Music Tracks of 2022 ” and named one of the “ Ten Best Classical Albums of 2022 ” by NPR . Her growing discography also includes GRAMMY-nominated accounts of West Side Story and Doctor Atomic , as well as the soundtrack of Amazon Prime Video ’ s 2021 The Underground Railroad , composed by Nicholas Britell . Committed to integrating community activism with her musical life , Bullock is also a prominent voice for social consciousness and change .
NOTES ON THE PROGRAM
James M . Keller
Antonín Dvořák
Born September 8 , 1841 , in Mühlhausen ( Nelahozeves ), Bohemia ( now Czechia ) Died May 1 , 1904 , in Prague , Bohemia
CARNIVAL OVERTURE [ 1891 ]
Antonín Dvořák ’ s composing career was slow to bloom , his first real breakthroughs coming when he was pushing 40 , but by the time he turned 50 he had become celebrated as the leading composer of the Czech Lands . In 1891 , the year he reached that landmark birthday , he became professor of composition and instrumentation at Prague Conservatory , received an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University , and was approached about signing on as director of the National Conservatory in New York City , a position he would commence the following year .
His Carnival also dates from 1891 . It was the second in a triptych of concert overtures meant to portray impressions of what a human soul might experience , in both positive and negative aspects . Nature , Life , and Love was his original name for the set , which was to be published under the single opus number 91 , and it is in that form that the works were presented at their joint premiere . But Dvořák soon decided to publish them with more distinct identities , and when they appeared in print it was as three separate pieces : In Nature ' s Realm , Op . 91 ; Carnival , Op . 92 ; and Othello , Op . 93 .
He used the title Life ( Carnival ) in his sketches for the second of these pieces , and then gave it the provisional name A Czech Carnival , but later he opted for the more general Carnival . It does indeed depict the high-spirited tumult of a festive carnival setting — barkers and vendors , boisterous crowds , and even , in a gentle passage , what Dvořák said was
“ a pair of straying lovers .” In a letter to the publisher Fritz Simrock , Dvořák ’ s champion Johannes Brahms judged this work to be “ merry ” and remarked that “ music directors will be thankful to you ” for publishing the overtures , which they are . Dvořák conducted the joint premiere of the three pieces in Prague in April 1892 , and six months later , on October 21 , he included them in a program he led at Carnegie Hall . That event was billed as a celebration ( nine days late ) of the 400 th anniversary of Columbus ’ “ discovery ” of America , but it was surely of more compelling interest for officially introducing New York ’ s music community to its distinguished new member .
Instrumentation : Two flutes and piccolo , two oboes and English horn , two clarinets , two bassoons , four horns , two trumpets , three trombones , tuba , timpani , cymbals , tambourine , triangle , harp , and strings .
34 | OVERTURE | BSOmusic . org