Schubert and R. Strauss Reimagined (Nov 22-24)
The program offers a fresh take on masterpieces, beginning with Teddy Niedermaier’s Concert Fantasy on Der Rosenkavalier, where violinist Miho Saegusa delivers a compelling solo performance that captures the rich emotional depth of Richard Strauss's opera. This is followed by a unique chamber orchestra rendition of Schubert’s Octet, expanding the intimate work into a larger, more dynamic setting. The concert provides a reimagined experience of these beloved compositions, blending tradition with innovation to highlight their enduring appeal.
Dongmin Kim conductor | Miho Saegusa violin
Program
Teddy NIEDERMAIER (23 minutes)
Concert Fantasy on Der Rosenkavalier (world premiere)
intermission (15 minutes)
SCHUBERT (60 minutes)
Octet in F major, D. 803
I. Adagio – Allegro – Più allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro vivace – Trio – Allegro vivace
IV. Andante – variations. Un poco più mosso – Più lento
V. Menuetto. Allegretto – Trio – Menuetto – Coda
VI. Andante molto – Allegro – Andante molto – Allegro molto
New York Classical Players
Violin 1 | Sammy Andonian, Yoon Be Kim, Emma Richman, Edson Scheid de Andrade, David Bernat
Violin 2 | Miho Saegusa, Rita Wang, Suliman Tekalli, Stephanie Liu, Helenmarie Vassiliou
Viola | Brian Hong, Hannah Burnett, Halam Kim
Cello | Madeline Fayette, Allen Liang, Stephen Perkyns
Bass | Samuel Zagnit
Clarinet | Alec Manasse
Bassoon | Yen Chen
Horn | Wil Dannenberg
Miho Saegusa
Violinist Miho Saegusa, a versatile chamber musician and orchestral leader, has built a multifaceted career that allows her to cherish the spirit of collaboration. Her passion for chamber music was ignited and nurtured through memorable summers at the Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia Steans Institute, and Music@Menlo as well as on tours with Musicians from Marlboro. During these summers she had the opportunity to collaborate with venerated musicians such as Mitsuko Uchida, Richard Goode, Arnold Steinhardt, David Soyer, and Miriam Fried.
In addition to chamber music, Miho loves the energy and intimacy of chamber orchestras. She is a member of the celebrated Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and currently is serving as one of its three Artistic Directors. For five seasons she was Concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and since 2001, she has been a member of the IRIS Orchestra, where she has held the Isaac Stern Concertmaster Chair on numerous occasions. In addition, Miho has been a guest with A Far Cry, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, and NOVUS.
Miho has been featured as soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, IRIS Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Aspen Concert Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, and the Yale Symphony Orchestra. As the first recipient of the Aspen Music Festival and School’s Dorothy DeLay Fellowship, Miho performed in the Festival’s memorial tribute to Miss DeLay with the Aspen Chamber Symphony and conductor David Zinman. Additional honors include prizes at the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Auditions, Wieniawski-Lipinski International Competition, Yehudi Menuhin International Competition, Juilliard Concerto Competition, and Yale University’s William Waite Competition. Miho is a Music Scholarship Award recipient from the Japanese American Association of New York.
Born in Kitakyushu, Japan, Miho has played the violin since the age of five. She is very grateful to her principal teachers Masao Kawasaki and Dorothy DeLay for their generosity and for encouraging curiosity. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, and completed graduate work at The Juilliard School, earning her Master of Music and Artist Diploma. When not playing the violin, Miho can be found wandering around farmers’ markets or exploring restaurants recommended by friends.
Teddy Niedermaier
Teddy Niedermaier (born 1983) is a versatile composer, pianist, and educator whose compositions focus on dramatic continuity and narrative intensity. He has received commissions from the New York Classical Players, New Juilliard Ensemble, Indiana University New Music Ensemble, Sejong Cultural Society of Chicago, and Hidden Valley Music Seminars, as well as from several other organizations and individual musicians.
A graduate of The Juilliard School and Indiana University, Teddy’s principal composition teachers include John Corigliano, Samuel Adler, Claude Baker, David Dzubay, and Alex Lubet. He also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and currently works in the higher education finance sector.
As a former faculty member at Roosevelt University and Oberlin Conservatory, Teddy provided instruction in music theory and music composition. His collaboration with flute icon Jeanne Baxtresser, Orchestral Excerpts for Flute Volume 2, was published by Theodore Presser Co. in 2019. Teddy currently resides in Colorado with his wife, Susan, and his orange tabby, Crema.
PROGRAM NOTE
Teddy NIEDERMAIER | Concert Fantasy on Der Rosenkavalier
Premiered in 1911, Der Rosenkavalier remains one of Richard Strauss’s most beloved creations. Set in mid-19th-century Vienna, the opera pulses with charm, wit, and buffoonery. Beneath the humorous façade is a serious exploration of nostalgia and the inability to retrieve what is lost in the passing of time. There is perhaps no better musical vehicle for all of these emotions than the waltz-Strauss imbued Der Rosenkavalier with dozens of enchanting waltz tunes.
In late December 2019, my wife and I attended a performance of Der Rosenkavalier at the Metropolitan Opera conducted by the great Simon Rattle. Weeks later, we were all suddenly subjected to the pandemic lockdown. In my relative isolation, I realized that I wanted to bring the music of Der Rosenkavalier into a recital format. In 2023, I created a Concert Fantasy on Der Rosenkavalier for violin and piano, recasting Strauss’s opera into a 23-minute chamber work. This year, I reimagined that Concert Fantasy again for violin and small orchestra, for premiere by the New York Classical Players.
I didn’t just want to cycle through the opera’s “big tunes” (like a medley) or chop the music into discrete sections (like a suite). Rather, I wanted to create a continuous musical experience that captured the opera’s main characters, themes, and events. The Concert Fantasy begins with the overture and quickly settles into other highlights from Act I. After the first waltz sequence, we move into a darker section from Act I in which two of the main characters (the Marschallin and Octavian--who are having an affair) discuss the irreversible march of time. The solo violin’s 12 consecutive harmonic tones mimic the striking of a distant clock.
After a second waltz section, we enter into the opera’s famous Trio, in which we are left alone on stage with the Marschallin, Octavian, and Sophie (with whom Octavian has unexpectedly fallen in love). The Marschallin, who is notably older than the other two, expresses her love for Octavian by “giving” him to Sophie so that they can live a long, happy life together. We hear Strauss’s Trio in full, and then close the Concert Fantasy-as the opera does-with a spirited flourish.
Teddy NIEDERMAIER
