Program
Suite for String Orchestra, H. 93
iv. Finale
Frank Bridge
A Story
Roy Lazorwitz
Plan & Elevation: The Grounds of Dumbarton Oaks
i. The Ellipse
ii. The Cutting Garden
Caroline Shaw
A Story
Hank Opal Jove
Hide and Seek
Imogen Heap
arr. Camille Schiess & Nick Montopoli
Plan & Elevation: The Grounds of Dumbarton Oaks
iii. The Herbaceous Border
iv. The Orangery
v. The Beech Tree
Caroline Shaw
A Story
Isaac Fuentes
Adagio for Strings
Samuel Barber
Suite for string orchestra
Frank Bridge
1909 - 1910
Frank Bridge (1879–1941) was an English composer, conductor, and violist. He built an early career as a performer, playing viola with ensembles such as the English String Quartet, and in tandem with his conducting, developing a deep understanding of the possibilities of string playing and shaping his subsequent compositions. Among his most enduring works is the Suite for String Orchestra, whose last movement - the only movement we will perform today - remains a showcase of his ability to blend traditional style with a distinctively modern voice. As one of Benjamin Britten's composition teachers, he contributed directly to the subsequent development of the more contemporary chamber string styles we will be showcasing on today’s program, and continued a long tradition of composer/performer string players that continues to this day through composers such as Caroline Shaw, Paul Wiancko, and Jessie Montgomery.
Program Note by Nick Montopoli
Plan & Elevation: The Grounds of Dumbarton Oaks
Caroline Shaw
2015
I have always loved drawing the architecture around me when traveling, and some of my favorite lessons in musical composition have occurred by chance in my drawing practice over the years. While writing a string quartet to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Dumbarton Oaks, I returned to these essential ideas of space and proportion — to the challenges of trying to represent them on paper. The title, Plan & Elevation, refers to two standard ways of representing architecture — essentially an orthographic, or “bird’s eye,” perspective (“plan”), and a side view which features more ornamental detail (“elevation”). This binary is also a gentle metaphor for one’s path in any endeavor — often the actual journey and results are quite different (and perhaps more elevated) than the original plan.
Program Note by Caroline Shaw
Hide and seek
Imogen Heap
2005
Imogen Heap is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur, considered a pioneer in pop music and music technology. She has built a career out of making the human voice feel limitless, blending acoustic intimacy with digital innovation to create music that is both futuristic and deeply personal.
Hide and Seek, written in 2005 for Heap’s fully self-produced album Speak for Yourself, is one of the most recognizable a cappella songs of the 21st century. Made only with voice and harmonizer, it creates an otherworldly texture that feels fragile and expansive. Centered on the pain of losing someone in a breakup or divorce, it evokes the moment when life cracks open and you’re left trying to process what just happened.
The power of Hide and Seek lies in the vulnerability of a single voice, joined with harmonies that rise against “the insensitivity of this still life,” creating strength and resilience out of fragility. Its iconic stature has inspired countless samples, remixes, and reinterpretations across genres, a testament to its haunting simplicity and emotional power.
Program Note by Camille Schiess
adagio for strings
Samuel Barber
1936
Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is one of the most famous pieces in the string orchestra repertoire as well as one of the most famous pieces written by an American composer. This piece is played a lot - it’s been played for many important funerals and memorial services, from Franklin D Roosevelt and Albert Einstein’s funerals to the 2001 BBC Last Night of the Proms performance to commemorate the victims of the September 11th attacks. It plays during famous moments in movies like Platoon and The Elephant Man, and has been satirized by The Simpsons, American Dad!, and South Park.
Despite its association with grief and funerals, I think this piece offers so much more than just sadness. There is a sadness to it that’s undeniable, but I find myself coming back to it after hearing it so many times for the moments of joy, hope, and relentless yearning. This piece came to mind as soon as I had the idea to tell my story at this concert. There’s a deep and terrifying hopefulness that I experienced during the course of my story which I associate closely with this piece. I’m so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share this piece and my story, and I hope both can bring awareness about mental health and honor some of the incredible people I’ve met on my journey.
Program Note by Isaac Fuentes
Special thanks
to our supporters!
This project is supported in part by the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
