Concert Program for December 29 and 30, 2011

Live at Powell Hall

David Robertson, conductor The St. Louis Childrens Choirs Barbara Berner, artistic director St. Louis Symphony Chorus Amy Kaiser, director

Movie Music of John Williams All works composed by John Williams

Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark Star of Bethlehem from Home Alone The St. Louis Childrens Choirs Barbara Berner, artistic director Theme from Jurassic Park Selections from Harry Potter Hedwigs Flight from Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone Double Trouble from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harrys Wondrous World from Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone The St. Louis Childrens Choirs Barbara Berner, artistic director Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind Intermission

Duel of the Fates from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace St. Louis Symphony Chorus Amy Kaiser, director Exsultate justi from Empire of the Sun St. Louis Symphony Chorus Amy Kaiser, director Hymn to the Fallen from Saving Private Ryan St. Louis Symphony Chorus Amy Kaiser, director Dry Your Tears, Afrika from Amistad St. Louis Symphony Chorus Amy Kaiser, director The St. Louis Childrens Choirs Barbara Berner, artistic director Selections from Star Wars Main Title The Imperial March (Darth Vaders Theme) Throne Room & End Title

David Robertson is the Beofor Music Director and Conductor. Amy Kaiser is the AT&T Foundation Chair. Media support provided by KMOX. The St. Louis Symphony Chorus is supported in part by a grant from the Edward Chase Garvey Memorial Foundation.

David Robertson Beofor Music Director and Conductor A consummate musician, masterful programmer, and dynamic presence, David Robertson has established himself as one of todays most sought-after American conductors. A passionate and compelling communicator with an extensive knowledge of orchestral and operatic repertoire, he has forged close relationships with major orchestras around the world through his exhilarating music-making and stimulating ideas. In fall 2011, Robertson began his seventh season as Music Director of the 132-year-old St. Louis Symphony, while continuing as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a post he has held since 2005. Robertsons guest engagements in the U.S. include performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Orchestra of St. Lukes, Ensemble ACJW, and the New York Philharmonic, where Robertson is a regular guest conductor. In May 2012, Robertson returns to the Metropolitan Opera to conduct Brittens Billy Budd with Nathan Gunn and James Morris in the leading roles. Internationally, guest engagements include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, where Robertson appears regularly, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, as part of Music Viva, and several concerts with the BBC Symphony. In addition to his fresh interpretations of traditional repertoire, this season Robertson conducts world premieres of Graham Fitkins Cello Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and cellist YoYo Ma; John Cages Eighty with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Providence, a newly commissioned work by Dutch composer Klaas de Vries, with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; and new works by Yann Robin and Michael Jarrell with the New York Philharmonic. A champion of young musicians, Robertson has devoted time to working with students and young artists throughout his career. On February 5, 2012, he conducts the Orchestra of St. Lukes and a chorus of New York City students in the Carmina Burana Choral Project at Carnegie Halls Stern Auditorium. The program will include Orffs cantata, as well as new works written by three high school-aged composers based on musical themes of Carmina burana.

Michael TaMMaro

Barbara Berner Barbara Berner conducts the advanced touring ensemble, Concert Choir, and oversees all aspects of the childrens choirs program as Artistic Director. Under Berners direction Concert Choir has performed at Carnegie Hall, the national American Choral Directors Association convention in Los Angeles, and at the White House. Berner has prepared Concert Choir for numerous performances with the St. Louis Symphony under conductors David Robertson, Ludwig Wicki, Peter Oundjian, Hans Vonk, Eri Klas, David Amado, David Zinman, Ward Stare, Scott Parkman, Robert Kapilow, Edwin Outwater, Erik Ochsner, and John McDaniel. Berner has conducted the young singers in performances with the Bach Society of Saint Louis, the St. Louis Holiday Brass Ensemble, and the St. Louis Chamber Chorus, and on international tours to Australia, England and Wales, Austria and the Czech Republic, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In June 2010, the young artists of The St. Louis Childrens Choirs Concert Choir appeared at Carnegie Hall and performed as one of two featured choirs in the Ensemble Debut Series of the National Childrens Festival Chorus. The ensemble performs regularly with the St. Louis Symphony and performed Shores The Lord of the Rings Symphony and Orffs Carmina burana in the 2010-11 season. Berner joined the artistic staff of The St. Louis Childrens Choirs in 1996 and was appointed Artistic Director in 1999. She serves as a clinician for Kodly workshops and has conducted state honor choirs in Kentucky and New Mexico. As an accompanist, music teacher, and choral conductor, Berner has had the opportunity to work with young singers from kindergarten through high school in the inner-city schools of Detroit and Boston; on military bases in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Germany and West Point, New York; and in the culturally diverse schools of the Washington, D.C. area. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Principia College and a Master of Music degree from Ithaca College. Barbara Berner was awarded an Artist/Teacher and Master Teacher Diploma from the Institute for Choral Teacher Education, where she studied conducting with Dr. Doreen Rao, and holds an Advanced Certificate from the Kodly Pedagogical Institute in Kecskmet, Hungary.

Amy Kaiser AT&T Foundation Chair One of the countrys leading choral directors, Amy Kaiser has conducted the St. Louis Symphony in Handels Messiah, Schuberts Mass in E flat, Vivaldis Gloria, and sacred works by Haydn and Mozart as well as Young Peoples Concerts. She has made eight appearances as guest conductor for the Berkshire Choral Festival in Sheffield, Massachusetts, Santa Fe, and at Canterbury Cathedral. As Music Director of the Dessoff Choirs in New York for 12 seasons, she conducted many performances of major works at Lincoln Center. Other conducting engagements include concerts at Chicagos Grant Park Music Festival and more than fifty performances with the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Principal Conductor of the New York Chamber Symphonys School Concert Series for seven seasons, Kaiser also led many programs for the 92nd Street Ys acclaimed Schubertiade. She has conducted over twentyfive operas, including eight contemporary premieres. A frequent collaborator with Professor Peter Schickele on his annual PDQ Bach concerts at Carnegie Hall, Kaiser made her Carnegie Hall debut conducting PDQs Consort of Choral Christmas Carols. She also led the Professor in PDQ Bachs Canine Cantata Wachet Arf with the New Jersey Symphony. Kaiser recently led master classes in choral conducting at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, served as faculty for a conducting workshop with Chorus America and as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. An active guest speaker, Kaiser teaches monthly classes for adults in symphonic and operatic repertoire and presents PreConcert Conversations at Powell Hall. In April she presents a series of talks, Illuminating Opera, at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Amy Kaiser has prepared choruses for the New York Philharmonic, the Ravinia Festival, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and Opera Orchestra of New York. She also served as faculty conductor and vocal coach at the Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes College of Music. An alumna of Smith College, she was awarded the Smith College Medal for outstanding professional achievement.

St. Louis Symphony Chorus 2011-2012

Amy Kaiser Director Leon Burke, III Assistant Director Gail Hintz Accompanist Susan Patterson Manager Rudi J. Bertrand Annemarie Bethel-Pelton Paula N. Bittle Jerry Bolain Michael Bouman Richard F. Boyd Pamela A. Branson Marella Briones Daniel Brodsky Buron F. Buffkin, Jr. Leon Burke, III Leslie Caplan Victoria Carmichael Christopher Catlin Jay Lucas Chacon Derek Dahlke Deborah Dawson Mary C. Donald Ladd Faszold Jasmine Fazzari Heather Fehl Robin Fish, Jr. Mark Freiman Amy Telford Garcs Susan Goris Susan H. Hagen Jeffrey E. Heyl Matthew S. Holt Heather Humphrey Paul V. Kunnath Kendra Lee Debby Lennon Gregory C. Lundberg Gina Malone Jan Marra Lee Martin Matthew D. Mayfield Dan Mayo Rachael McCreery Andrew McDermott Elizabeth Casey McKinney Scott Meidroth Michael B. Oelkers Duane L. Olson Heather McKenzie Patterson Susan Patterson Matt Pentecost Shelly Ragan Pickard Sarah Price Valerie Christy Reichert Kate Reimann Greg J. Riddle Patti Ruff Riggle Terree Rowbottom Jennifer Ryrie Susan Sampson Patricia A. Scanlon Mark V. Scharff Samantha Schmid Paula K. Schweitzer Lisa Sienkiewicz John William Simon Steven S. Slusher Rachel L. Smith Shirley Bynum Smith Joshua J. Stanton Maureen Taylor Pamela Triplett David R. Truman Greg Upchurch Caetlyn Van Buren Keith Wehmeier Nicole C. Weiss Donna R. Westervelt Paul A. Williams Christopher Wise Mary Wissinger Lucy Wortham Elena Zaring

The St. Louis Childrens Choirs

Concert Choir Barbara Berner Artistic Director Billie Derham Accompanist Mariana Blessing Danielle Boulanger Adrienne Brown Jo Jo Buckley Blaine Clark Jacquelyn Cooper Julia Curtis Tadhg Duhigg Stacey Egger Brooke Fortner Melissa Frank Annika Fredrikson Katherine Galvin Aaron Garner Bridget Gordinier Hannah Hart Kathryn Hodge Shirley Hwang Diana Jacobsmeyer Mackenzie Jones Cassandra Keller Minerva Keller Maggie Kerr Zoe Krause Andrea Lair Olivia Leek Magda Lijowska Allyson Lotz Elizabeth Lund Molly Magrath Katherine Mann Graham Markowitz Katherine McDonald Stephanie McManus Lisa Millar Abby Miller Sarah Noonan Luis Ocampo Morissa Pepose Katelyn Riley Samantha Robbins Jocelyn Sanders Lauren Schenck Emma Severson Emily Tan Eve Thomas Emily Tonner Hannah Tonner Ashley Unland Sarah Vlodek Andrew White Evelyn Whitehead Gabrielle Wibbenmeyer Mekenna Wieda Rachel Yang