The Saskatoon Symphony – Page 3 – Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composer

Born on May 7, 1840 during the Romantic Period, Tchaikovsky was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally.

Growing up with education for a civil servant career, Tchaikovsky was able to find an opportunity for music education and entered the nascent Saint Petersburg Conservatory.

Despite his popular successes in composing Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, First Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto, Romeo and Juliet and many more, Tchaikovsky’s life was punctuated by personal crises and depression. Contributory factors included his early separation from his mother for boarding school followed by his mother’s early death, the death of his close friend and colleague Nikolai Rubinstein, his failed marriage with Antonina Miliukova, and the collapse of his 13-year association with the wealthy patroness Nadezhda von Meck. Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality, which he kept private, has traditionally also been considered a major factor though some scholars have played down its importance.

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1

The Piano Concerto No.1 in Bb minor, Op. 23 was composed between 1874-1875 and revised three times until 1888. The premiere of this concerto would mark ten years after Tchaikovsky’s first public performance, so he was determined to make this work a big hit. However, after he showed the work to his desired pianist, Nikolai Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky received much criticism from his friend that he turnt his head away and reached out to Hans von Bülow, who adored Tchaikovsky and this work very much.

The premiere took place in 1875 in Boston, and it was so successful with the audience that Bülow was obliged to repeat the Finale. Although it was not initially welcomed, Rubinstein later had a change of heart and became a fan of the work. Now, this piano concerto is one of the most popular of Tchaikovsky’s works.

Fans of Monty Python’s Flying Circus will recognize the piano concerto’s iconic opening from a sketch featuring Terry Jones as world-famous soloist Sviatoslav Richter. It is announced that “during the performance, he will escape from a sack, three padlocks, and a pair of handcuffs.”

Here’s a breakdown of all of the movements.

The concerto follows the traditional form of three movements:

Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito (B♭ minor – B♭ major)
Andantino semplice – Prestissimo – Tempo I (D♭ major)
Allegro con fuoco – Molto meno mosso – Allegro vivo (B♭ minor – B♭major)

The first movement introduction starts with a short theme in french horn’s and the following accompaniment suggests a “wrong” key of Db major. The exposition begins in the tonic minor, with a Ukrainian folk theme, followed by a call and response section between tutti and the piano. The second subject consists of two alternating themes, one has a melodic contour from the introduction, the other is more gentle and sets the subtonic key. The woodwind and piano arpeggios together builds a stormy climax in C minor, and closes the exposition in Ab major with a variation on the second subject. The upper register twinkling in the piano seems to foreshadow Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet which will come in later in his career.

The development contains snapshots of the first subject material: first in Eb major after a flurry of piano octaves, followed by a second repeat in G minor. Then the piano and strings play it in E major for the third repetition. The recapitulation builds excitement with reapperance of a powerful orchestral build from the exposition in Bb major, but was quickly cut short. The piano cadenza soon appears, followed with snatches of the first theme and led to a triumphant coda with the full orchestra.

The second movement begins with the flute singing over strings’ pizzacato, which becomes the main motif for the rest of the movement. The melody is past onto the piano with a modulation to F major, echoed by instruments from different spot in the orchestra, then later cello and oboe return with it in Db. The second section becomes more active and contrasting with light and bouncy piano passages demonstrating the soloist’s virtuosity. Following glides in the piano, the music return to the opening melody again, and this time it resolved in Db in a conversation between the piano and oboe. The final movement is in rondo form with a brief introduction, followed by two themes with one being uplifting and the other being more lyrical. A third theme later appears with modulation through different keys with dotted rhythm. Finally, the orchestra and pianist respond and challenge each other, and build towards a heroic ending.

Michael Oesterle, composer

Michael Oesterle was born in Ulm, Germany, in 1968. He immigrated to Canada in 1982, and since 1996 has been living in Montréal. He has received several awards, such as the Gaudeamus Prize, the Grand Prize at the 12th CBC Radio National Competition for Young Composers, and the Canada Council Jules Léger Prize. Oesterle’s works have been performed and commissioned by ensembles and soloists in Canada and throughout the world including Ensemble Modern (Frankfurt), the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (NEM), cellist Yegor Dyachkov, the Ives Ensemble (Amsterdam), sopranos Karina Gauvin and Suzie Leblanc. He has produced projects in collaboration with composer Gerhard Staebler, violinist Clemens Merkel, painter Christine Unger, video/installation artist Wanda Koop and Bonnie Baxter and choreographer Isabelle Van Grimde. He composed the music for cNOTE, a film by animator Christopher Hinton, produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). cNOTE won the 2005 GENIE award for best animated-short. In 1997 he founded the Montréal based Ensemble Kore with pianist Marc Couroux, and between 2001 and 2004 he was composer-in-residence with l’Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montréal.

Richard Carnegie, conductor

A double bassist by training, Richard Carnegie is passionate about teaching young musicians and has served as music director of the Saskatoon Youth Orchestra (SYO) since 2009.

Under his leadership, the SYO program has seen the addition of a chamber orchestra, conducting classes, a composition contest for young Saskatchewan composers, an annual concerto competition, expanded enrolment and a unique partnership with the University of Saskatchewan Department of Music.

A dedicated teacher, he has been an instructor of double bass at the University of Saskatchewan, and from 2014-2018 Richard taught with Sistema Saskatoon, an after-school program for students in grades 3-8 which focuses on the the ideal that every child should have the opportunity to enrich their lives through music and teamwork.

His birth certificate says he’s from Ontario, but Richard has called Saskatchewan home since 2006 after studies at the Manhattan School of Music (New York) and the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School (Toronto) with Timothy Cobb and Joel Quarrington. He became the principal Double bassist for the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, and served in that position until 2022.

As a double bassist, Richard has performed solo recitals and had appearances with Prairie Virtuosi, Elixir Ensemble, Ritornello Festival and the YouTube Symphony in Sydney, Australia.

Richard has been invited to guest conduct the Saskatoon Symphony on five separate occasions for Pops and Family series concerts in repertoire ranging from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Suite to the music of Frank Sinatra and Astor Piazzolla. He has also served as guest conductor at summer music programs including the International Music Camp and the Regina Summer Strings.

In 2013 he was named one of CBC Saskatchewan’s Future 40, a list of 40 leaders and change makers in the province.

Mitchell Tyler, bass

Conductor, arranger, bassist and educator Mitchell Tyler is an Honours Bachelor of Music (Theory & Composition) and Bachelor of Education graduate of Western University, and has been a member of the Jeans ‘n Classics Band since 1992.

As a performer he has shared the stage with many artists including Rik Emmett (Triumph), Alan Frew (Glass Tiger), Roger Hodgson (Supertramp) and Lawrence Gowan (Styx), and played in the touring productions of Chicago (2015) and Mamma Mia (2012).

Mitchell is a part time contract teacher of string music and classical guitar with the Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ontario and has been a professional educator since 1993. He served as Orchestra London Canada’s Education Director from 2010 to 2013. He has extensive experience writing, developing, programming and conducting curriculum-linked educational content for symphony orchestras, currently offered through his company, Symphonic Kids. He has been the musical director for beloved children’s entertainment troupe, Dufflebag Theatre since 2008.

As a conductor, Mitchell has had the privilege of working with a wide variety of orchestras across North America. Recent guest conductor appearances include the Springfield Symphony, the Erie Philharmonic, the Duluth Superior Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. He continues to immensely enjoy his work as Conductor with the Jeans ‘n Classics Rock Symphony, a local symphony add-on to the JNC rock band, formed in 2012 for select performances closer to home.

In his spare time, Mitchell enjoys coaching high school and club travel baseball, touring the ballparks of Major League Baseball and supporting his beloved Boston Red Sox.

Johnny Rutledge, vocalist

Based in Chicago, but born and raised in Toronto Canada, this talented guitar player and gifted singer’s career has been quite the journey.

Before becoming a pre-eminent studio session singer in constant demand, Johnny played in numerous bands performing in clubs and venues across Canada. Once he began singing radio and television commercials, he quickly became a recognized voice in households everywhere.

A recording artist in his own right, Johnny has recorded and performed with greats such as Kenny Loggins, R Kelly, Celine Dion, Diana Ross (Oprah Show), The Temptations, Peter Cetera, Gordon Lightfoot, Mavis Staples, and Anne Murray, to name a few.

Johnny moved to Chicago IL in 1989, where his gifts and talents as a singer continued to be in high demand. There he also co-partnered his own music composition/production company, writing and recording music for major brands and clients. In 2005 he co-wrote and produced the music for “The Doodlebops” which became a SOCAN award winning, number one childrens show across Canada and the U.S.

Drawing upon his Canadian roots and his love of hockey, Johnny also took on the challenge of becoming his son Jared’s goaltending coach. Studying under top NHL goaltending coaches at camps in the U.S. and Canada, he coached Jared all the way to a spot on the gold medal winning U.S. National Development Team. Johnny has since become a well known and sought after goaltending coach in the Midwest.

Johnny embraces his multifaceted lifestyle with passion and commitment. Juggling between his two loves keeps him happy, healthy and ready to sing.

Dave Dunlop, guitar

Dave has been a pro guitarist, songwriter, singer, and educator for the past 30 years. Currently, Dave balances his studio work with his touring life as a member of the award-winning duo of Rik Emmett/Dave Dunlop, and Jeans ’n Classics. Emmett and Dunlop won Smooth Jazz Album of the Year and Duo/Group Of The Year in 2007 on the strength of their debut album, Strung-Out Troubadours.

Dave has been an integral member of the Jeans ’n Classics band since 2005, winning rave reviews for his handiwork in many shows, including the music of Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton, among others.

Dave was lead guitarist and writer in rock band The Full Nine, signed to Disney’s Mammoth Records in 2001. They had chart success with the single, Not Over. He’s also been a faculty member at the National Summer Guitar Workshop, and has had sideman stints with Bo Diddley, Mike Reno (Loverboy), Ron Sexsmith, and many others. In 2008 Dave joined the re-formed Hall Of Fame act Triumph, supporting the original line-up of Rik Emmett, Gil Moore and Mike Levine.

In 2005 he established Room 9 studio in his Toronto home, where he has been busy recording and producing projects non-stop ever since. His 2016 debut album, Monarch Girl spent 5 weeks at number one on the Maple Music charts. Of late he has up-and-comers Lyric Dubee, and The Launch finalist Trevor LaRose in his studio.

Dave endorses D’Addario strings and picks, Dean guitars, and Godin guitars.

Kevin Adamson, keyboards

Kevin Adamson is a Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, arranger and producer who joined the Jeans ‘n Classics band in 2013.

Classically trained on piano as a child at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Kevin earned a Bachelor of Music from McGill University’s prestigious jazz program in Montreal. He soon became one of the most in-demand musicians in Toronto, playing with such artists as Kim Mitchell, Ian Thomas, Michelle Wright, Ron Sexsmith, Justin Hines, and Rik Emmett, and more.

On the international stage, Kevin toured the world with Roger Hodgson (of Supertramp), throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and across North America, from festivals, to arenas, to London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall.

Equally at home in a recording studio, Kevin co-produced Dominic Mancuso’s 2010 album “Comfortably Mine”, which went on to win a Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year. In 2016, Kevin’s orchestral arrangement of Ian Thomas’ song “The Runner” was featured on Ian’s album “A Life in Song”.

Kevin endorses Nord and Roland keyboards, as well as Radial Engineering DIs and mixers.

Rique Franks, vocalist

Best known for her four duets with Dan Hill (In Your Eyes, Hold Me Now, Sometimes When We Touch and Can’t We Try), Rique Franks has sung, toured, recorded and/or written with many Canadian and international recording artists, including Roger Hodgson (Supertramp), Alannah Myles, Alexander O’Neal, Martin Fry (ABC), Alan Frew/Glass Tiger, Bruce Guthro, Glen Lewis, Eddie Schwartz (Writer for Pat Benatar), Lisa Dalbello, Ronnie Greenfield-formerly Spector (The Ronettes), Lorraine Segato (Parachute Club), Alfie Zappacosta, Stephan Moccio, Marc Jordan – the list goes on and on.

This core artist and featured soloist with Jeans ‘n Classics is also a busy session singer and voice actor in Toronto. Rique has lent her voice to many original projects, and has sung and/or read thousands of memorable commercials for countless products.

Unlike most singers Rique started late, after being discovered in her mid twenties by Marvin Dolgay (Tambre Productions) and Doug Paulson (TV’s Thrill of a Lifetime). She joined the union (ACTRA), and sang her for her first jingle the very next day. That jingle (for Thrifty’s Jeans) won an award, and work suddenly snowballed. Rique still considers many of the people she first worked with in those early days (Lisa Dalbello, Neil Donell, David Blamires, Johnny Rutledge, and others) as major influences.

Rique recently ended a 20-year run as the on-air speaking voice of Showcase Television/Showcase Diva, saying, among other things, “Viewer discretion is advised”…a lot.

Rique’s own songs are available at iTunes, and other online music retailers.

Celebrating Margaret Wilson

Our beloved principal clarinet Margaret Wilson is retiring after 47 seasons with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.

We are fairly certain that Margaret is the longest-serving principal clarinet of any organization in Canada. She’s also close to having been the longest-serving principal clarinet in North America beaten out only by Stanley Drucker of the New York Philharmonic whose 49 years made the Guinness Book of World Records. Needless to say, Margaret has given an incredible amount of her time and talents to the SSO and her retirement is well-earned.

In September 1977, Margaret Bluhm arrived from British Columbia and began her career as an artist in residence and the principal clarinet of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. Lucky for us, Margaret met her husband within the first month of moving to Saskatoon and her prairie roots only continued to grow.

She began playing the clarinet in grade 7 as a part of her school’s band program. (We love our band teachers!) In a 2020 chat with Music Director Emeritus Eric Paetkau Margaret mentioned that she didn’t know anything about the instrument when she picked it out but “it wasn’t too big” and that she “loved it from the very beginning”.

It’s incredibly special to have talent like Margaret be a part of an organization for so long. She has played well over a thousand concerts with the SSO, in Saskatoon and the surrounding area, including shows at TCU place, chamber shows at venues like the Bessborough and now Grosvenor Park United, elementary schools around the city, assisted living facilities, toddler shows, tours, and so much more.

We aren’t the only ones that have benefited from Margaret’s talents. She has collaborated with musicians and groups around the city as a performer, and she has taught many young clarinettists over the years. Between her private studio and her work at the University of Saskatchewan, Margaret has an incredible legacy of students who have benefited from her wisdom.

Margaret is always a joy to play with. Not only is she talented and incredibly well-prepared, but she has a calm and joyful presence. This presence seems to radiate out and elevate every ensemble she performs with. Ask any of our musicians and they can tell you how Margaret has influenced them over the years both as artists and in their everyday lives.

At our concert on May 4, 2024, CEO Mark Turner will gift Margaret with the title Clarinet Emeritus. While she will no longer be our principal clarinet as of next fall, she will always have a place with the SSO. We hope you join us in giving Margaret a very well-deserved standing ovation. We owe her that, and so much more.

While we are very selfishly sad to see her go, we look forward to seeing photos of Margaret’s incredible garden (with 18+ varieties of tomato plants) and hope that she has a well-earned rest before she tackles her next adventure. (Perhaps she’s learning other new instruments? At one time she was learning the bassoon!)

In 2020 we did a series of “Meet the Musician” interviews hosted by Eric Paetkau while everyone was isolating at home. So you can hear Margaret chat a little bit about herself, and answer questions that came up in the chat from friends, fans, and colleagues.

(We’ve learned a lot about live streams since the spring of 2020!)

We have so many fond memories of working and making music with Margaret, and we’re grateful to have captured the last few years of our time together on video. You can revisit many wonderful Margaret moments over on ConcertStream.tv

As a special treat, we will finish with some lovely photos and a link to Margaret’s holiday treat Pfeffernüsse!

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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composer

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1

Here’s a breakdown of all of the movements.

Michael Oesterle, composer

Richard Carnegie, conductor

Mitchell Tyler, bass

Johnny Rutledge, vocalist

Dave Dunlop, guitar

Kevin Adamson, keyboards

Rique Franks, vocalist

Celebrating Margaret Wilson

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