Next Program Coming Soon

— DIGITAL PROGRAM —
Stacks Image 46419
Shostakovich 5
Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra
Gwinnett Symphony Youth Orchestra
Sunday, November 2, 2025, 7:00pm
Discovery Theater

—DIGITAL PROGRAM —
About this Performance
CONCERT PROGRAM
CONCERT PROGRAM
Approximately 100 Minutes Including a 15-minute Intermission


Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Moderato
Allegretto
Largo
Allegro non troppo


INTERMISSION


Song of the Sea Mariner
Soon Hee Newbold (born 1975)

Ase’s Death from Peer Gynt Suite
Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)

Excerpts from The Rite of Spring
Igor Stravinsky / arr. Gruselle (1882-1971)
Meet the Artists
GREGORY PRITCHARD, conductor

GREGORY PRITCHARD, conductor
Wes Sarginson from NBC News Atlanta noted that Gregory Pritchard “brings a sense of humor with his baton” and K.S. Morrison from the Macon Telegraph called Pritchard “well-grounded in the art of orchestral conducting” with an interpretive sense that is “tasteful and innovative.”

Gregory Pritchard currently serves as Music Director and Co-Conductor of the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of the conducting staff since 2010, performing with Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Gwinnett Symphony Chamber Orchestra and Gwinnett Symphony Youth Orchestra. He has also served as Music Director of the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre since 2023. Prior to his current posts, he served as the Music Director of the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra (GA) for five seasons. With a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Orchestral Conducting from Michigan State University, Dr. Pritchard was a student of Leon Gregorian, Catherine Comet, and Elizabeth Green. He has had additional training with Gustav Meier, David Lobel, Neeme Jarvi, and Adrian Gnam as an active participant in American Symphony Orchestra League and Conductors Guild and other conducting workshops. He credits his musical sensitivity to his training in the Musin tradition with Leonid Korchmar and Peter Gribanov in St. Petersburg, Russia.
​
Dr. Pritchard's technical ability and natural rapport with the audience and orchestra alike have afforded him many opportunities over the past twenty-five years. He previously served as Music Director of Opera Company of Mid-Michigan, conducting acclaimed performances that include La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni, Don Pasquale, The Bartered Bride, The Old Maid and the Thief, and Faust. He has also held faculty positions at Georgia State University, University of Evansville (IN), Indiana Wesleyan University, Taylor University (IN), Konservatori Seni Halus (Fine Arts Conservatory, Penang, Malaysia), and Hope College (MI). Additional conducting positions include Associate Conductor of the Kokomo Symphony Orchestra (IN), Music Director of the Holland Area Youth Orchestra (MI), Music Director of the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony (GA) and Assistant Conductor at the Music Festival of Arkansas and Southeastern Music Center (GA).

Dr. Pritchard’s passion for music began as a young child and he has pursued it at every opportunity. He has studied every instrument in the orchestra at one point or another in his career. He holds a Woodwind Specialist Performance Degree from Michigan State University and has taught all five of the woodwinds at the college level—bassoon, saxophone, oboe, clarinet, and flute. Violin and viola are his primary string instruments and he taught exemplary string programs in the public schools for seventeen years. His extensive engagements around the globe as a bassoonist and saxophonist include the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (GA), Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Fort Wayne Philharmonic (IN), Charleston Symphony Orchestra (SC), Penang State Symphony (Malaysia), Evansville Philharmonic (IN), Owensboro Symphony (KY), Lansing Symphony (MI), and Grand Rapids Symphony (MI). Some fun highlights include performing with Josh Groban on The Oprah Show and playing saxophone in concert with The Temptations. As a ballet orchestra performer, he currently serves as Principal Bassoonist with the Georgia Ballet and Gwinnett Ballet. He has guest conducted several ensembles throughout the United States, including the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra (MO), Macon Symphony (GA), Lake Charles Symphony (LA), Gwinnett Ballet (GA), West Virginia State Philharmonic, Southeastern Ohio Symphony, Grande Ronde Symphony (OR), Atlanta Wind Symphony, Miami University Orchestra (OH), and Alma Symphony (MI).

Dr. Pritchard has amassed an impressive array of awards and accolades. In 1990, as Assistant Conductor of the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony Orchestra, he conducted performances in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and France, and was selected to perform a private concert for the Chancellor of Vienna. In 1997 the Lansing State Journal named him "Exceptional Music Director" for his work at the Riverwalk Theater (MI). Also in 1997, he was appointed the first ever Fellowship Conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony, conducting Family and Special Event performances and cover conducting educational and pops programs. In 2004 he won first prize at the International Conductors Workshop and Competition in Macon, Georgia and the Advanced Conducting Workshop in St. Petersburg, Russia. Also in 2004, he was named a Semifinalist for the National Conducting Institute in Washington D.C. In October 2005, he guest conducted the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Congress Orchestra (the orchestra of the Russian Ballet) as a result of his competition win the previous year. In 2010 he made his conducting debut in Italy with the Orchestra da Camera del Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Dr. Pritchard is also deeply committed to education and shares his infectious love of music with his students as a veteran music teacher with Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia. He made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut in 2002 with the Brookwood Philharmonic. Currently, he serves as the Fine Arts Department Chair at Gwinnett Online Campus where he developed an entire online music curriculum.

After winning first place in conducting competitions in both the United States and Russia, Dr. Pritchard was appointed as a faculty member of the International Conductors Workshop and Competition in 2005. He now serves as Co-Director of the workshop, tutoring dozens of talented conductors each year, many of which have gone on to conduct top orchestras around the United States and abroad including San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Dallas Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Toronto Symphony, and many others.
JOSEPH EUNKWAN CHOI, guest conductor

JOSEPH EUNKWAN CHOI, guest conductor

JOSEPH EUNKWAN CHOI currently serves as the Music Director & Conductor of Belleville Philharmonic Orchestra (IL), Sunnydale Adventist Academy (MO), Maryland Chamber Orchestra (MD) and also as Assistant Conductor with Missouri Academy of Music Virtuosi Orchestra in Columbia, MO. In the past, he served as Assistant Conductor of Evansville Philharmonic (IN), Asheville Symphony (NC) and Associate Conductor of Owensboro Symphony (KY) where he also served as Music Director and Conductor of Owensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra (KY), Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (IN), Pocono Youth Symphony Orchestra (PA) and Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra (VA) where his orchestra programs have flourished under his leadership. Since COVID-19, Maestro Choi served as Music Director of Sunnydale Adventist Academy, and served as assistant conductor of Missouri Academy of Music “Virtuoso” Orchestra and chamber music coach working alongside Maestro Kirk Trevor. Maestro Choi received his undergraduate music studies in Trumpet and conducting (BA) from Southern Adventist University in TN, where he served as Assistant Conductor of SAU Symphony and was selected as 2009 SAU Alumnus of the Year. Upon graduating from college, Mr. Choi served as Assistant Conductor of Asheville Symphony (NC) under Dr. Robert Hart Baker and served as Music Director of Fletcher Academy in Fletcher, NC. During this time, he founded Fletcher Chamber Orchestra.

Maestro Choi received his (MM) in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Hartford (Hartt School of Music) with Maestro Harold Faberman and served as Graduate Assistant to Dr. Thomas Duffy. Also, in the past, Maestro Choi studied at the Shenandoah University (VA) where he was (DMA) Doctor of Musical Arts Orchestra Conducting major under Maestro Jan Wagner where the orchestra made international tours to Argentina and Spain during his time with the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony and conducted Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade, Schuman Symphony No. 2 and more. In the past, he conducted Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra (Korea), Astoria Symphony, Knoxville Chamber Orchestra, East Texas Symphony, Jeju Symphony, Gangneung Symphony (S. Korea), Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic (Czech Republic), Beethoven Chamber Orchestra (Czech Republic), Lisboa Metropolitan Orchestra (Portugal), St. Petersburg "Congress" Orchestra (Russia), the University of Maryland Symphony, Hartt Symphony Orchestra, Southern Adventist University Symphony Orchestra, and his conducting debut at the Carnegie Hall conducting Oakwood University Aeolian Choir along with 70 piece professional orchestra. Maestro Choi was a winner of ICWC in Macon, Georgia and is very excited to make his Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra Conducting Debut today.

In 2003, Maestro Choi made his Kennedy Center Concert Hall Debut conducting Prince-George’s All-County Orchestra (MD) to a sold-out event and this same year, he was chosen as one of two finalists with US Army Band, one of seven finalists with US Air Force Band and was also chosen as one of three finalists with New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra and Delaware Youth Orchestra programs. Maestro Choi studied conducting privately with Maestro Kirk Trevor since 1993 and has participated in his International conducting workshops in Knoxville, Czech Republic, NYC and Maestro Trevor has since been a mentor to Maestro Choi. Currently, Maestro Choi resides in Centralia, Missouri with his wife Angela (Former Music teacher and now MU Health RN-Nurse) and his son Nathaniel (Violinist and percussionist).
MEET THE ORCHESTRA
GSO MUSICIANS PERFORMING TONIGHT

Violin I
Nancy Schechter, Concertmaster
Yohei Nakamiya, Associate Concertmaster
Diane Lee
Dan Amano
Craig Frankel
Martha Woodruff
Patricia Baser
Jordan Freeman

Violin II
Pamela Davis, Principal
Monica Corliss, Associate Principal
David Bang
Chelsea Shankles
Catherine Blankenship
Jenny Liu
Hannah Burneka
Susmitha Cinthala

Viola
Sherry Ellis, Principal
Mariya Tzvetkova, Associate Principal
Laura Kuechenmeister
Jasmin Imsir
Samhitha Cinthala
Whitney Duncan

Cello
Valentina Ignjic, Principal
Rachel Bender, Associate Principal
Sydney Passmore
Abby Nichols
Miri Kim
James Blalock
Kathryn Encisco

Bass
Ryan Robertson, Principal
Peter Hildebrandt, Associate Principal
Terry Klemensen
Christina Gilkes
Scott Anderson

Flute
Teodora Stoyanova, Principal
Peggy Chatfield

Piccolo
Emily Gabbitas, Principal

Oboe / English Horn
Eutimio Pacheco Blanco, Principal
Alexander Zhang

Clarinet / Bass Clarinet
Robert Gabbitas, Principal
Tim Zehr
Bethany Petri

Bassoon / Contrabassoon
Jason Lee, Principal
Jacob Davis
John Lenahan

Horn
Russell Williamson, Principal
John Pirtle
Charles Brown
Jason Dunn
Ben Vickrey
Leslie Ann Dunn
Trumpet
Scott Jones, Principal
Robert Snelson
Brandon Hall

Trombone
Nick Simmons-Smith, Principal
Jennifer Mitchell
Dwight Davis

Tuba
Brent Vokes, Principal

Percussion / Timpani
Henri Bulterman
Harrison Cho
John M. Greenwald
Seth Page
Aiden Duncan

Harp
Tyler Hartley, Principal

Keyboard
Jose Garcia, Principal

MEET THE YOUTH ORCHESTRA
GSYO MUSICIANS PERFORMING TONIGHT

Violin I
Samantha R White
Caitlyn Khalil
Amanda Bartley
Veniamin Duarte
Serena Shi
Camille Smith
Amaya Collins
DaMarcus Thompkins
Kaden Paulk
Corrie Tarcau
Ella Girardo
Katherine Serrano
Divinity Seymour
Jordon Taylor
Derin Bilsel
Isabel Espino-Aguilar
Angela Kiume
Lexi Newman

Violin II
Martin Alsayar
Le’Ayana Church
Allen Cruz Hernandez
Jashith Charvik Dadibattina
Angel Gutierrez
Miranda Lewis
Ava Luttjohann
Liam Maharaj
Brooklynn Marsh
Gerson Márquez
Dominic Medina
Jasmine Miles
Saida Mohamed
Adair McNeal
Nathan Nam
Isabella Osuji
Sonia Sheen

Viola
Gabriel Amponsah
Ruby Babadostov
Heaven Boulton
Anaia N Drake
Ahlyn Kim
Jenna Lee
Amanda Lloyd
Lucas Marsh
Kaleigh McNease
Michelle Pandi
Isabella Reyes
Isabella Sagrero Rodriguez
Ruben Sandoval
Erin Tzou
Ivan Zheng

Cello
Harper Caslin
Aiden Choi
Jordyn Edwards
Leo Huang
Sarah Marquez
Jaylen Smith
Olivia Smink
Ian Tzou
Victoria Wheeler

Bass
Sophie Bailon-Perez
Le’asia Church
Jacob Johnson
Quincy Montgomery
Camielle Amya Moultrie
Ellis Nastasi
Uriel Ventura

Program Notes
Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

ABOUT THE MUSIC

This evening’s performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, Op. 62 by the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra opens with one of the composer’s most gripping and dramatic creations. Written in 1807 as incidental music for Heinrich Joseph von Collin’s tragedy Coriolan, the overture distills the moral and emotional conflict of the story into a powerful symphonic argument.

Collin’s play, drawn from the ancient Roman legend also retold by Shakespeare, follows the proud warrior Coriolanus, who, exiled from Rome, leads an army against his own city. When confronted by his mother, who pleads for peace, he finds himself torn between vengeance and compassion. Beethoven translates this inner turmoil into music of striking contrast and tension.

The overture begins with fierce, defiant chords that embody Coriolanus’s pride and resolve. A restless, storm-like first theme drives forward with martial energy, while a contrasting lyrical idea—often interpreted as the voice of his mother—introduces warmth and emotional appeal. The conflict between these themes unfolds with relentless momentum until the music subsides into a quiet, tragic close, symbolizing Coriolanus’s surrender and death.

In its concise yet monumental form, Coriolan Overture exemplifies Beethoven’s mastery of drama without words—a work that bridges Classical structure and Romantic intensity, perfectly suited to begin an evening of orchestral power and passion.
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Moderato
Allegretto
Largo
Allegro non troppo

ABOUT THE MUSIC

This evening’s performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47 by the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra presents one of the most powerful and emotionally charged works of the 20th century. Composed in 1937 during one of the darkest periods of Stalin’s Soviet regime, the symphony stands as both a personal statement of survival and a profound artistic response to political oppression.

After Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was condemned by the Soviet press as “chaos instead of music,” the composer faced potential exile—or worse. Under immense pressure to redeem himself, he produced the Fifth Symphony, subtitled “A Soviet artist’s creative response to just criticism.” Outwardly, it appears to conform to the ideals of socialist realism, with heroic themes and triumphant conclusions. Yet beneath the surface lies deep irony, anguish, and resistance.

The opening movement unfolds with grim determination, its driving rhythms and stark contrasts suggesting struggle and defiance. The second movement, a biting scherzo, offers sardonic humor that masks its underlying bitterness. The slow third movement is the emotional heart of the symphony—an elegy of haunting beauty and sorrow, often interpreted as a requiem for those lost under Stalin’s terror. The finale seems to offer victory, but its forced jubilation, hammered home by relentless repetition, leaves the listener uneasy, as if triumph has been demanded rather than earned.

Premiered in Leningrad under Yevgeny Mravinsky in 1937, the symphony was met with thunderous applause and tears from an audience who recognized its hidden truth. Today, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony endures not only as a masterpiece of orchestral writing but also as a timeless testament to the resilience of the human spirit under oppression.