Prescott POPS Symphony Plans Romantic February Concert
The Prescott POPS Symphony will celebrate Valentine’s Day with its “A Fine Romance” concert on Sunday, February 14, 3 p.m. at the Yavapai College Performance Hall, 1100 E. Sheldon St. in Prescott. The Prescott POPS Symphony will perform with internationally acclaimed piano soloist Masha Pisarenko under the direction of guest conductor Harold Weller.
Tickets for this sentimental season finale are $20 for adults and $5 for those under 18. Information about discounts of up to 20 percent is available online at the Prescott POPS Web site, www.prescottsymphony.com. Tickets may be purchased online at tickets.com, by phone at 928-776-2000 or 877-928-4253 or in person at the Yavapai College Community Events Office in the Yavapai College Performance Hall, open Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and an hour and a half before each show.
POPS Symphony Music Director Paul Manz has put together a romantic program that will include music from “West Side Story,” Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto featuring Masha Pisarenko, “American Salute” by Morton Gould, and music from “Titanic” and “Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire.”
Born in the small Siberian town of Angarsk, Pisarenko (see photo and bio below) began to study piano at the age of five. She eventually earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from The Central Music School of Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory. Pisarenko performed solos, concertos and competitions throughout Russia, France, Italy, England and Ukraine before deciding to pursue new musical opportunities in the United States. In addition to her solo performances, she is a member of Mechta Trio, a Las Vegas chamber ensemble.
Guest Conductor Harold Weller (see photo and bio below) is the Founding Music Director & Conductor Laureate of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Weller retired in 2007 completing a distinguished 45-year career as music director of orchestras in Ohio, Virginia, New Mexico and Arizona. Weller is also the Founding Music Director of the Ashland (Ohio) Symphony and the Old Dominion (Virginia) Symphony as well as Conductor Laureate of the Flagstaff Symphony. The Las Vegas Review-Journal has described Weller as a man “who imbues orchestral music with more than passion, more than life, sharing a bit of his soul with each piece he conducts.” On October 9, 2005 and again on June 30, 2009, Las Vegas proclaimed “Harold Weller Day” in recognition of his many contributions and accomplishments for the arts in Las Vegas.
Music from "West Side Story"
Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto featuring Ms. Pisarenko
Music from "Titanic" and "Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire"
American Salute by M. Gould
Harold Weller, Guest Conductor
Harold Weller is the Founding Music Director & Conductor Laureate of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Weller retired on June 30, 2007 completing a distinguished forty-five year career as music director of orchestras in Ohio, Virginia, New Mexico and Arizona.
Weller is also the Founding Music Director of the Ashland (Oh) Symphony and the Old Dominion (Va) Symphony as well as Conductor Laureate of the Flagstaff (Az) Symphony.
Born in Dayton Ohio on July 6, 1941, Weller holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Miami (OH) University and an MA from The Ohio State University. He also studied at the Oberlin and Cincinnati Conservatories of Music. He began his professional conducting career at age 20, when he was engaged to conduct opera at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. His conducting teachers include Orion Dalley, A. Clyde Roller, Richard Lert, Haig Yaghjian and mentors Paul Katz, Max Rudolf, and George Szell. As an accomplished and successful orchestra builder, Weller founded the Ashland (OH) Symphony in 1970 and the Old Dominion Symphony in Virginia in 1977. Both of these orchestras, now entering their 38th and 31st seasons respectively, continue to enrich the cultural climate of their cities.
Weller came to Las Vegas after a 15-year tenure with the Flagstaff Symphony (1982-1997). Under his direction both as Artistic Director and General Manager, the Flagstaff Symphony sextupled its concert offerings and operating budget and became noted for having the highest per capita support of any symphony orchestra in the United States. In recognition for his artistic and civic achievements, Weller was honored with the title Conductor Laureate for Life. Introduced to the Las Vegas performing arts scene while still in Flagstaff, Weller served as Music Director of the Nevada Dance Theater (1994-1998) and Visiting Professor of Music for the University of Nevada Las Vegas (1997-1998).
Having just completed his ninth year as Founding Music Director of the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Weller looks with pride on the explosive growth of his new orchestra. The Philharmonic plays for capacity audiences, has a balanced operating budget of $1.7 million dollars, and has become the preeminently respected musical arts organization in the state. During his tenure, the Philharmonic has worked with such well-known artists as John Williams, Placido Domingo, Sylvia McNair, Sara Brightman, Robert Goulet, and on tour with tenor Andrea Bocelli. Over time Weller has worked with a host of classical and popular artists including Isaac Stern, Janos Starker, William Warfield, Igor Kipnis, Gary Karr, Sidney Harth, Steve Allen, Doc Severinsen, Dudley Moore, Jerry Goldsmith, & Henry Mancini.
The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Weller was presented the 2003 Achievement Award in Arts & Entertainment from the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Other honors include the Governor's Award (New Mexico) and Flagstaff's Citizen of the Year Award in 1991. In 1995 Flagstaff's Lowell Observatory named an asteroid in his honor. In April 2004, Weller made an acclaimed European debut with an all-American concert in Sophia, Bulgaria. The Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar B. Goodman, proclaimed October 9, 2005 as "Harold Weller Day" in Las Vegas and again on June 30, 2009 in recognition of Hal's many contributions and accomplishments for the arts in Las Vegas.
Hal and his wife Betsy maintain homes in Nevada and Arizona and take great pleasure in the accomplishments of their grown sons Kurt Eugene (a business executive in Las Vegas) and Christopher Howard (a Naval aviator in Jacksonville, Fla). The Las Vegas Review-Journal has described Weller as a man "who imbues orchestral music with more than passion, more than life, sharing a bit of his soul with each piece he conducts."
Now at age 66, Hal will continue to guest conduct on a limited basis and has turned his attention to creating a foundation that will assist with the education and career development of talented and needy young musicians world wide.
Masha Pisarenko, Pianist
Age: 29
Education: The Central Music School of Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory; Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music, Russian Academy of Music (Gnesin).
Born in the small Siberian town of Angarsk, Pisarenko began to study piano when she was 5. She was inspired by her grandmother, a history teacher, who bought Pisarenko her first piano and took her to music school. Her mother, an economist, taught her discipline. Her father, an architect, introduced her to arts and culture.At 12 she entered a Tchaikovsky Youth Competition in Moscow and met musicians from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where she eventually studied. She graduated at age 18, before heading to the Russian Academy of Music. Pisarenko performed solos, concertos and competitions throughout Russia, France, Italy, England and Ukraine before leaving Russia for the United States in search of something new.
Currently a resident of Las Vegas, she is a member of Mechta Trio, a chamber ensemble that has been playing recital halls, community centers, churches, living room gigs, the Liberace Museum -- just about anywhere it can find an audience. In addition to Pisarenko, Mechta Trio includes Laraine Kaizer-Viazovtsev, a violinist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and Elena Kapustina, a cellist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Its diverse repertoire includes piano trios by Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, Dvorak and Mozart.
Prescott POPS Symphony
The POPS Symphony was created in 1992 by local musicians to provide an opportunity for them to participate in performances of light-hearted orchestral music during the summer when other musical groups were not active. It was first incorporated as a non-profit organization in May of 1996 as the "Prescott Summer POPS Symphony."
During its tenure, the POPS has performed close to 40 concerts for appreciative Yavapai area audiences. The symphony performers, all volunteers, range from 60 to 80 local instrumentalists and 40 to 60 vocalists at various concerts, plus local guest soloists and conductors. Membership always includes from 12-25% youth participants from area intermediate and high schools. In addition, over the years, the POPS has partnered with other performing and support groups such as the Yavapai Symphony Association, the Yavapai Symphony Guild, and the Yavapai College Master Chorale.
Over the years, attendance and ticket sales for POPS concerts tripled. In response to popular demand, in 2006-7, the POPS dropped "Summer" from its name and became the "Prescott POPS Symphony," moving from primarily two summer performances per year to four larger productions performed throughout the year, including in each season a major musical production with a chorus and renowned soloists. The POPS continues to provide quality performances at low ticket prices for the community, to support youth musical growth and involvement, and to provide ample opportunity for participation by the areas' talented musicians.
Paul Manz
Paul Manz is a native of Phoenix, moving to Prescott in 1965. In 1982 he earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Northern Arizona University and in 1985 he returned to NAU to complete his Masters in Orchestral Conducting. He is currently a music teacher for the Prescott schools and has taught music at Yavapai College and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Paul has served as the principal horn in the Flagstaff Symphony and as assistant principal horn in the Flagstaff Festival of the Arts Orchestra. He has been the All State Horn adjudicator on more than one occasion (twice!). He has had the honor of sharing the stage with William Warfield, Roberta Peters, Jerry Goldsmith, Gary Groffman, Isola Jones, Mike Vax, Tina Rose, Ed Carter and Phillip Swanson. Paul has performed in numerous Prescott Fine Arts productions, including conducting the pit orchestras for "Mame" and "Man of La Mancha".
Mr. Manz is the founding conductor of the Prescott POPS Symphony. Along with the tireless board and talented musicians, he feels the POPS is the jewel of the Prescott area and a very special source of pride for our community.
Paul resides with his beautiful wife Sheryl in Prescott Valley, Arizona. She plays violin in the symphony.