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Message from the President
The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra heads into our 26th season grateful to be part of the vibrant Seacoast community that supports the arts and culture organizations that bring us together.
The PSO’s mission is to entertain, educate, and encourage the audiences of today and tomorrow. Each year, we have the opportunity to build on past successes and to explore new ways to connect people to great classical music. This year, we are particularly excited to perform the jointly commissioned commemorative work, At This Point, written by Gregory Brown in honor of Portsmouth’s 400th anniversary. This reflective piece delves into the full range of Portsmouth’s history. Like the city from which we draw our name, the PSO has evolved and grown over the years. As we embark on our next 25 years and beyond, it feels appropriate to begin on a retrospective note.
Each season, the PSO relies on the contributions and investment of generous corporate sponsors, committed individual donors, community partners, and of course you, the audiences who purchase tickets and attend our performances. We are thankful for your collective support.
The PSO is fortunate to have a dedicated board of directors, an inspirational Music Director in John Page, and an array of talented musicians that bring our programs to life.
If this is your first PSO concert, welcome! If you are an annual subscriber, thank you for your continued support. We’re happy to see you again.
On behalf of everyone at the PSO, we hope you enjoy the season that we have prepared for you.
David Young
President of the Board of Directors
Message from the Music Director
Anchored by the commissioned work, At This Point by Gregory Brown, which celebrates Portsmouth’s 400th anniversary, the PSO’s 2023-2024 season is about reflection, exploration, and evolution.
In November, we pair Brown’s new work with two pieces by composers from traditionally underrepresented groups. The March concert provides an international counterpoint by exploring different facets of French musical creativity. In June, we’ll perform Tchaikovsky’s beloved Symphony No. 5, a masterpiece the PSO has not performed in more than a decade. And of course, in between we’ll celebrate the holidays together at our just-for-fun Pops! performances.
In addition to our mainstage concerts, we hope you’ll join us at our Family Matinees chamber music series. These are a wonderful way to connect music lovers of all ages with the wide repertoire that chamber music offers.
From a new work to an old favorite, this season promises to embody what all anniversaries are meant to do—allow for acknowledgment and appreciation of all that has come before and to renew our commitment to all that lies ahead.
We’re looking forward to making music together and are so happy you are here to share it with us.
John Page
Music Director
Program Listing
| Christmas Festival Overture | Leroy Anderson |
| Hanukkah Festival Overture | arr. Lucas Richmond |
| Christmas at the Movies | arr. Bob Krogstad |
| Bugler’s Holiday | Leroy Anderson |
| Unter Donner und Blitz, Op. 33 | Johann Strauss, arr. MSM Press |
—Intermission— | |
| Sunday, December 17 York High School Combined Honors Choirs Rob Westerberg, Director Deborah Clough, accompanist | |
| Silent Night | Franz Gruber, arr. Malcolm Sargent |
| The Three Drovers | William James |
| Sweet and Low | Andy Brooke |
| Hallelujah Christ Is Born | Rosaphayne Powell |
| Wednesday, December 20 Portsmouth High School Choir Nathan Wotton, Director Nicholas Pothier, accompanist | |
| TāReKiTa | Reena Esmail |
| Under Winter Moon with Gary Hodges, cello | Andy Beck |
| Aurora Borealis | Amy Bernon |
| York High School Combined Honors Choirs, Rob Westerberg, Director Portsmouth High School Choir, Nathan Wotton, Director | |
| See, amid the winter’s snow | John Goss, arr. Dan Forrest |
| Star Carol | John Rutter |
| A Holly and A Jolly Sing-Along! | James M. Stephenson |
Musicians
Violin I
- Nicole Wendl
Concertmaster - Bennett Astrove
Assoc. Concertmaster - Sargis Karapetyan
- Aniko Geladze
- Rachel Swanson
- Lorna Ellis
- Abigail Sykes
- Paul Pinard
- Diana Bourns
- Caroline Drozdiak
- Susan Holcomb
- Megan Fedor
Violin II
- Ashley Offret*
- Susan Streiff**
- Nicholas So
- Kim Plummer
- Jeffrey Sullivan
- Kristin Sullivan
- Jiuri Yu
- May-Win Thein
- Evelyn Laux
- Ashley Freeman
Viola
- Theresa Jaques*
- Karen McConomy**
- Wendy Keyes
- Jan Heirtzler
- Eric Salas
- Mary Barba
- Maggie Chutter
- Thalia Dain
- Craig Peverly
- Michele Boulanger
Cello
- Gary Hodges*
- Larry Veal**
- John Acosta
- Melissa Ambrose
- Fay Rubin
- Lauren Wool
- Zachary Larson
- Chloe Jaarsma
- Molly Goldstein
- Jacob Copp
Double Bass
- Robert Hoffman*
- David Hirsch
- Nate Therrien
- Jason Noah Summerfield
- Joe Annicchiarico
Flute
- Aubrie Dionne*
- Laurel Crawford
- Erin Dubois
Piccolo
- Erin Dubois
Oboe
- Sarah Krebs*
- Amanda Doiron
Clarinet
- John Ferraro*
- Santiago Baena Flórez
Bassoon
- Melissa Grady*
- Rick Shepard
Horn
- Orlando Pandolfi*
- Susan Williams*
- Kathleen Keen
- Abigail Levy
Trumpet
- Adam Gallant*
- Mark Zielinski
- David Shepherd
Trombone
- Brandon Newbould*
- Ben Sink
- Drew Coraccio
Tuba
- Crystal Metric*
Timpani
- Steve Cirillo*
Percussion
- Timur Rubinshteyn*
- Alyssa Ostrowski
- Jeff Sagurton
- Frances Shannon
Harp
- Sorana Scarlat
Keyboard
- Seth Hurd
Perform with the PSO
The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra seeks classical musicians in the community to audition for a place in the orchestra.
We invite all musicians, from professionals and educators to devoted amateurs and highly accomplished students to audition for a place in the orchestra.
York High School Combined Honors Choirs
The York High School Chamber Singers and Treble Choir are the two honors choir offerings at YHS. Both have performed as invited guests throughout Maine, including for the Maine Principals Association and the Maine Music Educators state Conference. Rob Westerberg is in his 37th year teaching music, the last 24 at York High School. He is past President of several state Music Associations, has guest conducted nearly 70 Honors Choirs throughout New England, and was the York County Teacher of the Year in 2020.
Soprano
- Cailey Brillant
- Layla Dean
- Lily Donovan
- Audrey Drennan
- Eva Gallucci
- Molly Hodgin
- Shayla Howell
- Audrey Johnston
- Briegan Moulton
- Gwendolyn Parisi
- Tiffanie Pelletier
- Ashley Pellett
- Ava Peltz
- Adison Regis
- Gianna Richards
- Carol-Jane Rubin
- Annika Sovetsky
- Tessa Spaulding
- Olivia Sutton
- Darla Waters
Alto
- Lucia Belliveau-Azzarito
- Paulina Bruskotter
- Aspen Davis
- Jacqueline Fulmer
- Gabriella Galbadis
- Camdyn Lambert
- Emma Liria-Gsottschneider
- Kiara Melo
- Ella Moores
- Lucy Patterson
- Anabelle Sama
- Yamilah Saravong
- Grace Scapicchio
- Clover Schramm-Downs
- Blake Wilson
- Lollie Young
Tenor
- Gabriel Caraballo
- Cooper Dodge
- Callan Eves
- Charles Nichols
- Thomas Reagan
- Benjamin Ring
- Carter Short
- James Stack
- Cameron Swett
Bass
- Jakob Bergeron
- Trey Fogg
- John Hopkins
- Alexander Lizanecz
- Stefan MacGovern
- Landon Morrison
- Kai Nelsen
- James Nichols
Portsmouth High School Choir
The Portsmouth High School choir is a collaborative group of singers in grades 9-12. The group has performed in collaboration with a number of schools and participated in various festivals throughout the state including the Seacoast Choral Festival, NH Voices Project, UNH Choral Gala, and the Great East Music Festival. In the past, the PHS choir has received gold medals for their performances in adjudicated festivals and performances. As a group, we strive to make connections to music-making and to work hard through the rehearsal process. The PHS Choir will also be traveling to Italy in June 2025 to sing and perform as part of the American Celebration of Music Festival in Rome, Venice, and Florence.
Nathan Wotton directs the PHS Choir, as well as the Portsmouth Middle School Choirs and the Sandpipers Children’s Choir at PMAC. He received his Bachelors in Music Ed from the University of New Hampshire. Wotton works hard to create meaningful music-making opportunities for his students through collaboration and creativity.
Soprano
- Maggie Alip
- Gemma Bellio
- Charlie Beam
- Norah Blakey
- Ellie Blanchard
- Blythe Bland
- Leah Bombard
- Drea Brisco
- Reagan Colby
- Ella DeMark
- Isabela Fothergill Price
- Tessa Hawley
- Jaylah Knapp
- Charlotte McClain
- Vee Miller
- Margo Panek
- Lauren Ramirez
- Julia Syphers
- Ginger Vinciguerra
Alto
- Kiki Bennett
- Sabina Bower
- Tessa Bresnahan
- Tee Call
- Katie Carroll
- Maia Collins
- Immy Crichton-Ingalls
- Jayden Elliot
- Noelle Gagnon
- Hugh Gatchell
- Lydia Gawron
- Pearl Hoekstra-Toste
- Marley Lake
- Addie Lane
- Eva Lyng
- Mai McLaughlin
- Keerthi Subramanian
- Alex Zapata
Tenor
- James Archambault
- Ian Frampton-Smith
- Kay Rapaport
- Charlie Thomas
- Skye Turrietta
- Nik Uhlir
- Antonnio Velez
- Lex Wu
Bass
- Rocky Capone
- Ryan Charland
- Jabari Davis
- Chesney McManus
- Jacob Ringuette
- Caleb Van Epps
- Geno Vinciguerra
- Soren Westerberg
Donors
- Martha Fuller Clark
- Josephine Lamprey
(posthumously) - Clinton F. Miller
- Donna Saunders & Michael Chubrich
- Jessica Hulseman
- Fay Rubin
- David & Sarah Young
- Katherine Wells Wheeler
- Lawrence & Linda Connell
- Lodowick Crofoot
- Lorraine T. Keazer
- Michael Schwartz
& Sharyn Potter - Mrs. Roger M. Doering
- Robert & Cyndi Bear
- The Allayne & Douglas Wick Foundation
- Albert Lantinen
- Andrew Park
- Craig & Shirley Peverly
- Ellen G Saas
- Kate & David Murray
- Lucinda Spaney
- M. Chris Dwyer & Mike Hustable
- Margot Doering
- QHT Inc.
- Renaissance Charitable Foundation
- Sherrill Nixon
- Steve Cirillo
- Anonymous
- Barbara & Robert Schultz
- Barbara Sweet
- Bruce Valley
- Catherine Anderson
- Charles Doleac
- David Tong
- Diana Bourns
- Fred & Barbara Engelbach
- Jameson & Priscilla French
- Jeff & Barbara Diefendorf
- Judith Howard & David Meikle
- Kathleen Tutone
- Rachel & Nate Swanson
- Thomas Harford
- Andrew & Pamela Kulesza
- Ann H. Tarlton
- Anonymous
- Anthony Codding
- Aubrie Dionne
- Bess4sahara
- Black Birch
- Brian Fitzgerald
- Bruce & Lori Myers
- Carol Miller
- Caroline & Nathaneal Piper
- Carolyn Vinica
- Chris & Mimi Brett
- Cynthia & Michael Harvell
- David & Eleonore Sanderson
- David & Marion Ellis
- David A. Taylor
- Don & Mary Jo Briselden
- Edward & Janet Caylor
- Elaine & Steven Molleur
- Elissa Margolin
- Emma Rous
- Evelyn Laux
- Frances Bechtold
- Frank Manter
- Fred Siegfried
- Gail Drobnyk
- Gilbert Loughlin Family
- Glenda & Ed Fischer
- Gregory E. Griffith
- Helen Gettelman
- Ingrid Susan Ahlberg
- Jacqueline Palmatier
- James Rosenfield
- Jan & David Heirtzler
- Janet Bilodeau
- Jeanne & Derek Stern
- Jo Ann B. Price
- Jo Ellen Thomas
- John & Eimer Page
- Kathryn Ellis
- Keith Lauder
- Kenneth Clark
- Kenneth Fuld
- La Belle Chocolat
- Lynn & John Pincomb
- Lynn DiElsi
- Mara Witzling & Peter Cass
- Mark & Mary Ann Janos
- Marvin Fry
- Mary Lou McElwain
- Melissa Ambrose
- Michael Thiel
- Nancy Zadravec
- Paul & Linda Hamlen
- Peter Bowman
- Philip Coco
- Philip R. Hepburn
- Richard Mechaber
- Roy William Helsel
- Seth A. Hurd
- Stuart & Gisela Wemple
- Susan Moniz
- The Family of Lauren Wool
- Virginia Macdonald
- Wayne Shirley
Board of Directors
- David Young, President
- Kate Murray, Vice President
- Jeffrey Gilbert, Treasurer
- Fay Rubin, Secretary
- Lawrence Connell
- Beverly Giblin
- Melissa Grady
- Jan Heirtzler
- Paul Lanzoni
- James Mulhern
- David Murray
- Craig Peverly
- Eric Salas
- Donna Saunders
- Rachel Swanson
Staff & Volunteers
- Caroline Amport Piper, Director of Communications
- Aubrie Dionne, Director of Outreach
- Erin Dubois, Operations Manager
- Jan Heirtzler, Librarian
- Craig Peverly, Equipment Manager
- Adam Gallant, Musician Coordinator
- Rachel Swanson, Graphic Design
