Tompkins Orchestra Friends Executive Board

Tompkins Orchestra Friends Executive BoardPresident | Dr. Anna Chen

Vice President | Suzanne ShermanSecretary | Amisha Chudasama

Treasurer | Yean ChewAssistant Treasurer | Daisy FujiwaraParliamentarian | Florencia Indrati

Uniforms | Sanober MirzaHistorian | Stephanie Herrmann

Orchestra Director | Matthew PorterAssistant Director | Sarah Marts

TOF Committee ChairsHospitality | Claudia Hernandez

Duck Race Chair | Suzanne ShermanDonor Circle | Cristy Liang

Spirit Night | Stephanie Hermann

2020-2021 Orchestra OfficersPresidents | Michelle Lee & William Suh

Vice-President | Elleen KimSecretary | Julia Hecht

Representatives | Timothy Kang, Jenny Xun, Rachael SuhHistorians | EJ Kim & Steven Zeng

Social Officer | Gabriella CarlosHead Librarian | Vishi Sant

Librarians | Jojo Fujiwara, Elisabeth Mathis, Tess Chan, Eugene ChungCrew Chief | Hashim Amir

Crew Assistants | Doan-Nhi Nguyen & Derrick KimStage Managers | Michael Chung & Nicole Xu

Freshmen Rep | Lydia Kang & Peter Song

Program

Philharmonia OrchestraMele Kalikimaka ......................................... Words & Music by R. Alex Anderson. Arr by Jan Farrar-Royce

Cambiata OrchestraGreensleeves ............................................................................................................................................Traditional

Serena Liu, piano

We Wish You a Klezmer Christmas .........................................................................................Lauren Bernofsky

Sinfonietta OrchestraCarol of the Bells .......................................................................... Mykola Leontovych, arr. Matthew Naughtin

Sinfonietta Ensemble Presentation

Sinfonia Ensemble Presentation

Lyrica OrchestraA Glimpse of Winter .........................................................................................................................Tyler S. Grant

Camerata OrchestraGod Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen .............................................................................................................Traditional

The First Noel ..........................................................................................................................................Traditional

Sinfonia OrchestraHeaven & Nature Sing ................................................................Traditional Melodies, arr. Matthew Naughtin

Sleigh Ride ............................................................................................Leroy Anderson, arr. Matthew Naughtin

PersonnelOrchestra Directors

Matthew Porter Sarah Marts, Assistant Director

Cambiata OrchestraViolin: Jonathan Bennikutty, Vaishnavi Bhat, Emma Bolling, Neelanjana Chakrabarty, Daniel Chen, Mia Gigliotti,

Justin Glines, Euijin Kim, Jaden Kim, Rahul Kishore, Brandon Lee, Rebecca Liu, Tara Moorthy, Monisha Muruganandam, Kamsie Obilo, Alexander Orot, Harshini Srinivasan, Alex Thompson, Nathan Turen, Samhita Vemuri, Rachel Vincent,

An (Ian) Vo, Kristine Vy, Sipei (Peter) Wang, Steven YangViola: Anish Attarde, Gayathri Ballingam, Nicole Calderon, Leah Howard, Jiwoo Kim, Aditya Namjoshi,

Eliana Ombude, Sanjaya Singh, Iris TsoiCello: Mila Atwell, Kristen Bryant, Ray Cheng, Andreanna Cisneros, Mikaela Ilagan, Matthew Kim,

Naga Srinidhi Kuruvada, Samuel Wang, Sourish WawdhaneDouble Bass: Tomisin Boyejo

Harp: Elisabeth Mathis

Sinfonia OrchestraViolin: Tess Chan, Julia Hecht, Joshua Karim, Elleen Kim, Reenu Kutty, Chris Li, Henry Liu,

Eric Song, Rachael Suh, Ama Udugamasooriya, Andrew Xia, Nicole XuViola: Yujin (Eugene) Chung, Timothy Kang, Derrick Kim, Michelle Lee, Adrian Ng, Pedro Prudencio, Kenneth YaoCello: Bella Chan, Michael Chung, Masayo (Jojo) Fujiwara, Abhinav Ganesh, William Suh, Jenny Xun, Hannah Yi

Double Bass: Effaima (Effa) Longe, Joao (John) Moro DutraPiano: Ryan Chen

Sinfonietta OrchestraViolin: Gabriella Carlos, Varun Chapa, Sneha Gudala, Matthew Karim, Gabin Kim, Rebecca Lee, Shieun (Shirley) Lee,

Francis Li, Emily Liu, Tiffany Luong, Atharva Panse, Gautham Rajesh, Peter Song, Samuel Suh, Allyson Tang,Christine Tran, Zhi-Wei (Steven) Zeng

Viola: Kaushal Chamarthy, Allison Kim, Russell Lao, Max Liu, Chloe Meyer, Vashishta (Vishi) Sant, Erin Shen, Haelan YiCello: David Calderon, Lydia Kang, Laura Le, Justin Liang, Daniel Liu, Thien (Bo) Nguyen, Joey See, Alex Shi

Double Bass: Hashim Amir, Greydan VillanoPiano: Serena Liu

Camerata OrchestraViolin: Okezika Anyanwu, Nyla Asante-Ansong, Sonika Boddu, Sydney Burden, Derek Chai, Alejandro Cortes Hernandez,Jaskarman (Karman) Kaur, Claudia King, Krithiya Krishnamoorthy, Addison Lau, Kathy Le, Jian Feng Liang, Omkar Nair,

Nathan Nguyen, Akanksha Pampangowdgari, Trisha Patel, Rakshaa Ramalingam Subbulakshmi, Ryan Rothstein,Natalie Salazar, Rahul Saravanakumar, Arya Sivakumar, Mihir Srivastava, Jenna ZhaoViola: Luana Antezana, Franco Durana, Christine Ikeocha, Zahrah Jilani, Kaili ZhangCello: Nouma Ali, Daniela Cabrera, Aryan Nair, Andrew Pickard, Tristan Josh Tavas

Double Bass: Zane Kissell, Michael Okeowo

Lyrica OrchestraViolin: Bhavika Chandak, Tony Chen, Sarauswathy (Sarus) Chockalingam, Kavya Chowti, Alwin Clase,

Valentina Gianinetto, Rohan Kancherla, Min Kyo (Jessie) Kim, Kalyan Konduru, Jia Luthra, Chetna Mandurai,Seela (Cici) Martinez, Isabella Munoz, Doan Nhi Nguyen, Sakethva Pasumarti, Rushil Patel, David Payare,

Sihi Rao, Aarush Sarkar, Naga Veeramallu, Sweda Vijay, David WangViola: Shinjini Chakrabarti, Lakshya Gupta, Michelle Ikeocha, Aniket Iyer, Sydney Jackson, Kaushik Jayaprakash,

Adithi Kundhavaram, Dhanvin Lakshmisha, Venkata (Serwani) Mannava, Mahita Marri, Joffre Savino,Jiya Shah, Virgilio Soto Romero

Cello: Ian Beamer, Whitney Boykin, Nathan Charles-Zekeri, Ana Cordova Palafox, Aliyah Delgado, Natalia Diaz,Seungkyu (Jayden) Lee, Yifan Li, Andrew McKee, Nnennaya Okorafor, Haihua (Harry) Pei, Annabella Quesada,

Sandeep Senthil, Shifa Shaik, Jongyun (Drake) Shin, Miles (Aidan) ThompsonDouble Bass: Kevin Ding, Juan Perez Salas

Philharmonia OrchestraViolin: Maira Athar, Asmitha Balamurugan, Brianna Barnett, Sahaj Biyani, Vinh Bui, Valeria Cabrera, Michelle Carreno Garcia,

Alicia Carrillo, Javier Cavazos Ingram, Maahin Chudasama, Victoria (Vicky) Clemente, Giselle De La Rosa, Preesha Desai,Poorvi Govindaraju, McKenna Hayden, Disha Joshi, Elsa Joy, Tarun Kolliyil, Siri Krothapalli, ZuQi Li,

Lakshmi (Advaita) Modali, Tarana Nagarajan, Nihara Nambiar, Belle Nguyen, Tharshaa Ramalingam Subbulakshmi,Sydney Ramsamooj, Abhinav Someswar, Zoe Vo, Isabella Wolfe

Viola: Ayden-Ramone Aquino, Ermina Azmi, Rishika Bhupathi Raju, Mia Delgado, Omar Khan,Raymond Ma, Bonnie Man, Vishnu Nayak, Chioma Okonkwo, Lucas Sangiorgio Colina, Srihitha Valluri

Cello: Luis Baeza, James Burden, Rylan D’Souza, Luna Delgado, Samantha Evaristo Velez, Benjamin Herrmann,Matthew King, Sara Listi, Ohireime (Reime) Longe, Vihaan Mehta, Grayson Pickard, Christian (Griff) Sadler,

Natalie Salmeron, Roberto Signorelli, Prateek Stephen, Diego Veruzco Acosta, Connor Wood

Program Notes

Camerata OrchestraGod Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - traditional God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is an ageless Christmas carol originating around the 15th century. While the composer is unknown, the piece survived centuries and eventually gained widespread fame after being referenced in Charles Dickens’ infamous novella, A Christmas Carol. The piece itself is written in a minor key, possessing a darker, heavier tone when compared to the traditional Christmas carol. The piece begins march-like, characterised by martele bows played in unison, carrying into a brief legato section before returning to the original theme.

The First Noel - traditional While the composer of The First Noel is yet another mystery, the Cornish piece is clear in its purpose and feeling. Originating in either the 16th or 17th century, the piece is meant to capture the emotion of the first Christmas, otherwise known as Noel in French. The piece evokes feelings of reminiscence and anticipation, perfect to reflect on with its legato bowings and unison between all sections. The First Noel captures the excitement of an upcoming festive occasion, timeless in nature. - Notes by Vishi Sant

Philharmonia OrchestraMele Kalikimaka - Words & Music by R. Alex Anderson. Arr by Jan Farrar-Royce Mele Kalikimaka, or “Merry Christmas” in Hawaiian, is originally a pop song from the 1950s, composed and written by R. Alex Anderson and first recorded by Bing Crosby and The Andrew Sisters. The song communicates to the listener about the Christmas scenery in Hawaii, while presenting the audience an eccentric and iconic melody that has been able to drastically gain in popularity over the years. This particular arrangement of this tune for the String Orchestra by Jan Farrar Royce stays faithful to stylistic elements of the original recording, denoting each note in detail with markings such as legato bowing, staccato bowing, tenutoes, pizzicato, and even an indication to play the instrument like a ukelele at one point in the arrangement. During the piece, the melodic line is passed around the entire orchestra, starting with the first violins. Each time the melody is present, all of the other voices collaborate to create the complex harmonies present in the original song as well as recording. Eventually, the piece resolves into a tranquil ending section before concluding with a simple reiteration of the main melody.

- Notes by Vishi Sant

Lyrica OrchestraA Glimpse of Winter - Tyler S. Grant Tyler S. Grant is an Atlanta-based composer and conductor that composes for bands and chamber groups of all levels. Many of his works have been published internationally and performed in honor orchestras across the nation. This work, A Glimpse of Winter, was commissioned by Mount View Middle School Chamber Orchestra, who then performed the piece in the 2019 Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. The premise of this piece lies within Grant’s childhood. Spending most of his days in the Southeastern state of Alabama, Grant writes, “In the southeastern United States, one never feels that the winter season officially “arrives” … it felt as though winter would reveal itself in short periods of cold weather- sometimes for just a few days and other times for a few long weeks.” The piece explores such sentiment by pairing a motif featuring a major key with deliberately placed spaces between notes, coming together to create a very light and delicate melodic line. The piece then progresses into a flowing middle section, accompanied by some dissonance, then resolves into a flourishing recapitulation of the initial theme.

- Notes by Eugune Chung

Program Notes

Cambiata OrchestraWe Wish You a Klezmer Christmas - Lauren Bernofsky This piece is a fast and energetic twist to your favorite Christmas and Hanakka songs, presenting a unique clash between holiday cheer and its D minor melodic line. The piece opens with a dramatic rendition of Jingle Bells known as Doina, a Romanian musical style customary to Romanian peasant music that was also later adopted into Klezmer music. The piece suddenly shifts into a Bulgar, Yiddish music originating from Moldova that has distinct rhythm patterns, for an animated version of We Wish You a Merry Christmas until Hark! The Herald Angels takes the stage with a slow and heavy Khosidl, Klezmer music associated with slow dancing. The piece erupts with a sharp Sher, a Yiddish musical style associated with dance in scissor like formations, that is shortly interrupted by a cameo appearance from the Dreidel Song before reaching its finale at a tumultuous forte.

- Notes by Elisabeth Mathis

Sinfonietta OrchestraCarol of the Bells - Mykola Leontovych, arr. Matthew Naughtin As a Ukranian composer, Mykola Leontovych is notable for his distinct acappella choral music, church music, and folk music. In fact, his fantastic reputation in Europe and North America has earned him the nickname, “the Ukrainian Bach,” in France. This particular piece, “Carol of the Bells,” was composed on the basis of “Shchedryk,” a popular Ukrainian folk chant. Due to this piece’s immense popularity, multiple variations have been played, accompanied by a variety of genres, such as classical or jazz. Furthermore, the piece has been featured in films and albums, among other forms of popular culture. “Carol of the Bells” utilizes a four-note ostinato, and the all-too-familiar phrase is repeated throughout the piece. One by one, every string instrument enters with passion and excitement as layers upon layers of melody gradually sink in. Such an entrance only lays the groundwork for the familiar phrases of “Carol of the Bells.” Despite the repetitious rhythms and pitches, however, gradual changes in volume are heard, hinting at a touch of distinction and color between these phrases. At times, while every instrument has their turn at the melody, the orchestra occasionally reunites, as if arriving at the highest peak, before gradually returning to softer volumes. Perhaps the most unique detail coupled by common beats and rhythms would be the chromatic notes scattered throughout the piece, as they contribute to not only a slow, anticipative build-up, but also a magnificent and harmonious finish.

- Notes by Tess Chan

Sinfonia OrchestraHeaven & Nature Sing - Traditional Melodies, arr. Matthew Naughtin Matthew Naughtin is most well known for his various arrangements of musical compositions, including his Christmas musical arrangements such as Heaven & Nature Sing. This particular piece includes three traditional Christmas tunes: “Joy to the World”, “Angels We Have Heard on High”, and “Away in a Manger”. The piece starts off strong with the cellos, carrying an exciting start to “Joy to the World” as the orchestra uses a descending scale pattern to edge into the main melody. This vibrant energy carries throughout the rest of the theme until it eventually settles into a slower tempo to transition into “Angels We Have Heard on High”. In this part of the piece, there are beautiful harmonies that can be heard within all sections, accompanied by wonderful dynamic swells. This smoothly transitions into “Away in a Manger”, with a bright melody carried on by the violins. The piece further creates a serene and peaceful scene through chords that eventually brings an end to the various Christmas melodies played throughout the piece.

Sleigh Ride - Leroy Anderson, arr. Matthew Naughtin Leroy Anderson, the original composer of this tune, was an American composer who wrote various light concert pieces. Sleigh Ride was not originally made to be a Christmas tune; in fact, this orchestral piece was only supposed to illustrate the ambiance of the winter season. However, this song eventually became popular in the context of Christmas music and later was transformed into a tune that can be heard with lyrics as well. This arrangement of Sleigh Ride first starts off with the melody in the cello section, which is later carried on by the violins. Wonderful harmonies can be heard within each section, especially in the lower strings that often accompany the violins through pizzicato harmonies. Similarly, there is an occasional swing within the cello and viola sections. The same swinging sound can be heard later in the piece as the original melody transforms its rhythm to match this motif. Near the end, a version of the Jingle Bells theme makes an appearance to tie the entirety of this Christmas tune together.

- Notes by Jojo Fujiwara

Katy ISD Board of TrusteesAshley Vann, President

Lance Redmon, Vice PresidentSusan Gesoff, Secretary

Dawn Champagne, MemberDuke Keller, MemberGreg Schulte, MemberLeah Wilson, Member

Katy ISD Central AdministrationDr. Ken Gregorski, Superintendent

Leslie Haack, Deputy SuperintendentDr. Christine Caskey, Chief Academic Officer

Rhonda Ward, Assistant Superintendent, Student Support ServicesJeff Stocks, Assistant Superintendent for Leadership and Support, Secondary

G. Damon Archer, Assistant Director of Fine ArtsMitzi Jones, Assistant Director of Fine Arts

Tompkins High School AdministrationMark Grisdale, Principal

Ryan Labay, Associate PrincipalKristine Copeland, Students Support Assistant Principal

Andrew Rizzo, 9th Grade Assistant PrincipalJay Matthew, 10th Grade Assistant PrincipalScott Shanks, 11th Grade Assistant Principal

Heather Campbell, 12th Grade Assistant Principal