Presents

UCI Symphony
Orchestra
Winter 2025

Dr. Geoffrey Pope, conductor

Thank you to our Sponsors
Generous support is provided by
Charlie and Ling Zhang,
UCI Friends of the Symphony, and
the Marjorie and Robert Rawlins
Endowment Fund.

Thursday, March 6, 2025
8 p.m.
Irvine Barclay Theatre
University of California, Irvine
Dr. Tiffany López, Claire Trevor Dean of the Arts
UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts

CONDUCTOR’S WELCOME

Tonight’s concert brings us across Europe for the probing music of Tonia Ko, Claude Debussy, Jean Sibelius, Sergei Prokofiev, and Edward Elgar. An eclectic program, the first half draws heavily upon nature and naturalistic inspirations. Debussy’s Nocturnes depict first clouds, and then country pageantry. Both movements are led by my assistant conductors. These are preceded by Tonia Ko’s evocative Kāmau (“perpetuation” in Hawaiian), a work we brought to the West Coast in February at a UCI Symphony Express concert, and whose aesthetics have some antecedents in Debussy. These three movements are presented as a tryptic of works written more than a century apart. This tryptic is followed by the first movement of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, which itself has a brooding, Nordic desolation punctuated by virtuosic declamations. After intermission, we hear the second movement of Prokofiev’s alternately terse and tender Sinfonia Concertante, featuring a cello soloist whose interplay with the orchestra is characterized by the bravura found in Romantic concertos with a modernist, Soviet edge. The concert concludes with Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, a set of character variations in commemoration of the composer’s friends, based upon, in large part, a “hidden” melody. The famous “Nimrod” Variation has earned its place in the hearts of listeners the world over. Though driven by personas, rather than environments, the Enigma Variations nonetheless conveys a world of alternating bemusement, loneliness, and triumph.

– Geoffrey Pope, conductor

UCI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Dr. Geoffrey Pope, conductor

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Geoffrey Pope, Music Director & Conductor

Geoffrey Pope’s dynamic career spans continents, genres, and musical disciplines. Recognized through numerous appointments, commissions, and awards as a conductor and composer, Pope seeks to present provocative, inclusive, and engaging performances that have a strong cultural impact.

Much of his conducting work builds upon the standard repertoire, exploring contemporary music, opera, and multimedia spheres, including art installations and film scores. Upcoming performances include the Los Angeles premiere of John Williams’ Prelude and Scherzo, a piano concerto written for Gloria Cheng and Lang Lang, with Ms. Cheng performing with the Santa Monica Symphony. This fall heralds releases of Pope’s recordings of several new works, including Noah Meites’ Counting, as well as Corey Field’s The Trial of Benjamin Britten, a monodrama in nine scenes, featuring tenor Todd Strange and hornist Dylan Hart. Recent performances include UC Irvine’s acclaimed production of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, stage directed by Andreas Mitisek, as well as the masterworks concerts with the Beach Cities Symphony. This season he is a featured lecturer with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, giving numerous pre-concert Upbeat Live presentations.

Other recent performances include Puccini’s La bohème for Valley Opera and Performing Arts, and a live-to-film performance Kathryn Bostic’s new score to The Flying Ace (1927) at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences Museum in a celebration of early Black cinema, the premiere of David Reyes’ Aztec opera El Circo Anahuac, the premiere of Jason Barabba’s Lettere da Triggiano oratorio with Synchromy and members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, a multimedia concert performance of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ayre at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, and Son of Chamber Symphony for the composer at the Inside the (G)Earbox: John Adams @ 70 symposium held at UCLA. Prior to this he conducted Benjamin Britten’s opera The Rape of Lucretia as part of the worldwide Benjamin Britten Centenary celebrations, with “energy and flair” (Boston Classical Review), leading a “warm and expressive rendering of Britten’s complicated score” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), and performances of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire throughout the Denver Metropolitan Area. Other concert music recordings appear on the Open Space, Orenda Records, and Perspectives on New Music labels.

Pope is also dedicated to musical performance on a global scale, and is a regular conductor of concert and media music in the recording studios of Hollywood and Budapest. Recent projects include Music in Light, an immersive classical music multimedia installation that opened in April 2024 in Macau. In August 2023, he was hired to conduct and record the orchestra and choir for the St. Stephen’s Day fireworks display along the Danube, a yearly televised event akin to America’s Independence Day celebrations. His conducting and/or orchestration work can also be heard on numerous motion pictures, television series, and videogames, including Riot Games’ League of Legends, The Woman King, and the Emmy-winning score to Kung Fu Panda on Netflix. As a forensic musicologist, industry consultant, and researcher, Pope has worked nearly a decade on behalf of composers, studios, and attorneys.

Dr. Pope’s degrees in composition and conducting were completed at USC, UCLA, and the Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded the prestigious Walter Hagen Conducting Prize. While a doctoral conducting student at UCLA, Pope presented symphonic programs including an exploration of connections between music of Richard Wagner and Bernard Herrmann. His scholarly interests include Viennese music of the early twentieth century, and the role of diegetic music in the evolution of sonic spatialization. His dissertation addressed the evolving role of instrumental music written to be performed onstage (Bühnenmusik, or banda) in German language opera, and the coordination issues involved in its execution and synchronization with the orchestra pit. Pope’s dissertation was used as a primary support document in the Vienna State Opera musicians’ petition to declare Bühnenmusik as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Pope is a lecturer at UC Irvine, where he conducts the orchestra and opera and teaches orchestration and conducting. He joins the faculty of Chapman University for the Fall 2024 term teaching private conducting students and a score analysis seminar. He is currently Vice President of the Western Region of the College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA).

www.geoffreypopemusic.com

Selina Hsieh, violin 
Winner of the 2025 UCI Symphony Concerto Competition

Taiwanese American violinist, Selina Hsieh, is a second-year violin major pursuing a Bachelor of Music at the University of California, Irvine and studying under Professor Dennis Kim. She currently serves as the concertmaster of the UCI Symphony Orchestra and was the concertmaster of the UCI Opera Orchestra last year. Recognized for her artistry, she has been awarded the Phyllis Kovach Scholarship for the past 2 years.  

Raised in Cupertino, California, she began playing the violin at the age of seven. Her passion for orchestra began soon after joining the California Youth Symphony program which she participated for 7 years. In the past, she was also assistant concertmaster of Lynbrook High School Chamber Orchestra and assistant concertmaster of California Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Selina has also participated in numerous prestigious summer programs, including the National Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Music Institute, the Online Solo Strings Intensive, the Vivace International Music Festival, and the Montecito International Music Festival. In 2024, she was also accepted into Aspen Music Festival and Brevard Music Center. She has also performed in masterclasses for famous violinists like Midori, Esther Yoo, Tessa Lark, Stefan Jackiw, and Richard Lin. She was also a prizewinner for the Talented Young Musician Olympia Competition and has received the Panel Masterclass Reward from the Music Teachers’ Association of California. She was also a finalist for the Shehrer competition.  

She is currently pursuing a career as an orchestral musician and is interested in pursuing graduate studies in violin. In her free time, she practices kendo with the Kendo Club at UCI where she also serves on the board as Public Events Coordinator. She also has an interest in coding and technology, having learned Python, C++, and HTML.   

MUSIC FACULTY

Michael Dessen, Chair
Irene Messoloras, Associate Chair

MUSIC STAFF

Peter Chang, Management Services Officer
Esther Chae, Department Analyst
Alex Golden, Associate Production Manager
Yuliya Minina, Principal Musician
Junko Nojima, Principal Musician

THANK YOU!

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts would like to recognize those donors who gave $1,000 or more during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Visionaries $1 million+
Mr. J.S. Kim

Ambassadors $100,000–$250,000
Beall Family Foundation
Matthew and Janet Proudfoot

Partners $50,000–$99,999
Susan Hori *+

Investors $25,000–$49,999
Matt Bailey *+
Joseph Huszti ‡
Leo Freedman Foundation
James and Sheila Peterson *+
Richard B. Siegel Foundation
Steven M. Sorenson Foundation *+

Patrons $10,000–$24,999
Anonymous Donors
Dennis and Diane Baker
The Estate of Ann and William Cullen
Farmers & Merchants Bank Foundation
Mary Gilly and John Graham +
Tyler Holcomb
Cloud Hsueh ‡ and Fang Hsu
The Estate of Bobi Keenan
James and Katie Loss
Robert Peirson +
Cheryll and Richard Ruszat *+
The Segerstrom Foundation
The Shubert Foundation

Benefactors $5,000–$9,999
Kimberly Burge
Anthony Chen, M.D. and Yali Chen
Robert Farnsworth and Lori Grayson +
Valerie Glass
Pamela and Carl Lagoni
Helen and Fritz Lin
Goran Matijasevic +
Julia Reinhard Lupton and Kenneth Reinhard +
Kenneth and Helene Rohl
Diane Silber +
Susan and Eugene Spiritus
Socorro and Ernesto Vasquez +
Mary Watson-Bruce *+

Fellows $2,500–$4,999
Edward and Janis Carpenter +
Gerald and Veronica DeVries
Albert and Anne Encinias +
Tamara Fabian
Alvin and Rosalie Glasky +
James and Gail Lopes
Tiffany López *+
Chris Mesel
Howard and Ellen Mirowitz +
The Robert and Doreen Marshall Fund for Dramatic Arts and Classical Music
Orange County Community Foundation
Pacific Art Foundation
Hemantha Wickramasinghe +

Advocates $1,000–$2,499
Elaine and Daniel Aldrich +
Brien Amspoker and Ellen Breitman +
Nancy Arnold
Joyce Averna +
Stephen and Michelle Barker +
Haroutune and Lorna Bedelian
Sonja Berggren and Patrick Seaver
Kevin Bossenmeyer and Terilea Wielenga
Gwendolyn and Ian Black
Donald and Toni Bradley
Clinton and Allison Chao
Ralph and Carol Clayman
Joseph Connor
Jaime DeJong +
Thomas and Ainin Edman +
Barbara Finlayson-Pitts
John and Michele Forsyte +
Douglas and Lynn Freeman +
Diana Ghoukassian +
Donald and Pamela Gilmour
Michael and Karol Gottfredson +
Carol Greenwald +
Loreen and Andrew Guilford
Edwin and Norma Henderson
Jamison Judd +
Mary Karyl and John Thorne
Timothy and Pamela Kashani +
Yang-Uk Kim +
Jennifer Klein +
Michael and Elaine Kleinman
Susan and Lynn Lasswell +
Jeff Lefkoff and Mary Gholson
Nancy Locke +
Heather MacDonald and Erich Eichman
Margaret and Mark Marshall
Jared and Kathryn Mathis +
Gary and Maya Matkin +
Anthony and Rachel Maus
Kathleen Mellon
William and Lane Minton
James Nelson
Michael Oppenheim
Karine Rivet +
Carolyn Scheer
Paula and Steve Schwartz
Nina Scolnik
Ronald and Sandi Simon +
Gary and Melanie Singer +
Mitchell and Maureen Spann +
Vina Spiehler
Richard and Alison Stein *+
Thomas and Marilyn Sutton +
The Tigger Fund
Jason and Desiree Valdry
Joel Veenstra and Family +
Irwin and Michele Walot
James White
Lorri and Mike Whitney
S. Ama Wray
Katy Young and Christopher Lee
Shirley Zanton and Michael Whalen

Legacy and Endowment Donors
We are grateful for the trust and foresight of those who have ensured the Claire Trevor School of the Arts’ brilliant future by establishing an endowed fund or have included us in their estate plans.
Anonymous Donors
Diane and Dennis Baker
Edna Beach ‡
The Donald Bren Foundation
Ann Cullen ‡
Robert ‡ and Lorna Cohen
Frank D’Accone ‡
William Daughaday
Kris and Linda Elftmann
Leo Freedman Foundation
William J. Gillespie ‡
Henry W. Bull Foundation
Gunther Holland ‡
Bobi Keenan ‡
Victor Klein ‡
Beth Koehler ‡
Walter Koehler ‡
Michael and Stacy Koehn
Elaine Koshimizu ‡
Lucille Kuehn ‡
Betty C. Leidal ‡
Alice S. Lowell ‡
Fariborz and Azam Maseeh
Meyer Sound
Thomas Nielsen
Virginia and Norman Nixon ‡
Ronald C. Offen ‡
Michael R. Oppenheim
Lois J. Osborne ‡
Matthew and Janet Proudfoot
Marjorie and Robert Rawlins ‡
Sylvia and Frederick Reines ‡
Ryna H. Rothberg
Nancy Ruyter
Helene Santley ‡
Audrey M. Schneiderman ‡
H. Colin Slim ‡
Winifred Smith ‡
Thomas and Elizabeth Tierney
Claire Trevor ‡
Andrew Vacca
Bette Warner ‡
Hal B. Yolen ‡

* Dean’s Arts Board Members
+ Claire Trevor Society Members
‡ In Memoriam

This list represents generous gifts, pledges and pledge payments made between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Multi-year pledges are recognized for their full amount in the fiscal year they are made, and subsequent payments are recognized for their cash value. Please accept our apologies for any errors or omissions in this list. For questions, please contact ctsadevelopment@uci.edu.