Download your images from Ari, Awadagin, and Tchaikovsky, presented on November 23, 2024.

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Reasonable Fees For Special Holiday Cheer!

The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera Carolers can entertain your guests with a wide variety of beautiful a cappella music – traditional and secular.

Trained, experienced, and performing all over the region from the Foothills to the Delta at public festivities, private gatherings, and professional events, the SP&O Carolers can design a festive program especially for you.

As members of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera Chorus, the Carolers enjoy performing for audiences in operas and symphonic concerts. During the Holiday season the SP&O Carolers dedicate their time and talents to raise funds for the SP&O. All proceeds help fund Sacramento classical music, opera, and education.

Download your images from The Marriage of Figaro, presented on 10/26/2024.

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Three New Musicians Join the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera

SACRAMENTO, CA – September 5, 2024 – The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) received a fresh injection of artistic talent with the appointment of three new musicians to the orchestra: Section Violin Annamarie Arai, Section Bass John DeMartino, and Section Viola Mitso Floor. The new SP&O musicians will begin playing with the organization starting in the upcoming 2024-25 season.

“I continue to be impressed with the quality of musicianship in this orchestra, and I know that the addition of Annamarie, Mitso, and John in their new positions will make the orchestra even stronger artistically and more consistent,” SP&O Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Ari Pelto reflected. “I congratulate each of them and look forward to working with them to bring the best in orchestral music and opera to this community.”

The new musicians join the orchestra at a time when the SP&O is on a trajectory of artistic growth and overall achievement. The 2023-24 Season ended with multiple sold-out concerts, a subscription base that has fully returned to pre-COVID levels, and a record number of donors. The 2024-25 season will begin in October and continue through May 2025, with 8 performances at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center.

About the new musicians

Annamarie Arai, Violin

Currently based in San Francisco, Annamarie Arai is a member of One Found Sound, a democratically-run, conductor-less chamber orchestra in San Francisco for the past 11 seasons. She is also a violinist with the Santa Cruz Symphony and often performs with the Reno Philharmonic, as well as other regional northern California symphonic organizations. In addition to her performances in traditional classical settings, she has shared the stage with Kygo, Michael Bublé, Geographer, and Portugal the Man in their respective California tour stops. Annamarie is a passionate educator and, in addition to cultivating her private violin studio, is a Teaching Artist at Enriching Lives through Music (ELM), a non-profit music program in San Rafael. She holds degrees from UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory

John DeMartino, Bass

John DeMartino is a native of South Windsor, Connecticut. He completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Boston University where he studied with Todd Seeber and Edwin Barker of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He also briefly studied at the Royal College of Music in London under Anthony Hougham, principal double bass of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. In Massachusetts, John served as principal of the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra and played section bass in the Cape Symphony. He has performed with groups throughout the New England area such as the New Bedford Symphony, the Hartford Symphony, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and A Far Cry. John will also be a fellow of the San Francisco Academy Orchestra 24-25 season.

Mitso Floor, Viola

Mitso Floor is an avid chamber and orchestral musician from Seattle, WA. Outside of his positions in Sacramento Philharmonic and several other regional orchestras, he is the violist of Friction Quartet, an ensemble that primarily champions the eclectic sounds of new music. Equally at home with music new and old, he also plays with historical performance ensembles such as Voices of Music and Cantata Collective, and is a regular substitute with the San Francisco Symphony.
When not playing the viola, Mitso can be found riding bikes and trains to far-off locations, knitting, 3D printing, or creating videos of himself simultaneously playing many different instruments (and non-instruments) for his YouTube channel “Beanzo”.

Photos left to right: Annamarie Arai, John De Martino, Mitso Floor

Record audiences and contributions: 500,000 greater Sacramentans reached;
$13 million in gifts and sponsorships made

The key to SP&O’s artistic growth and fiscal stability has been a reliable and growing subscription base coupled with Sacramento’s philanthropic generosity. On the heels of the previous year’s substantial subscription revenue growth, subscription revenue grew again by 50% compared to a year ago, with the number of total subscribers crossing 1,500. This represents a full return to pre-pandemic levels.

Since 2015, over $13 million in gifts and sponsorships have been made in support of the SP&O and the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera Foundation, steward of the SP&O’s Endowment. The 2023-24 season ended with a record number of donors to the Annual Fund, with $1.71 million contributed by 700 donors. Leading the way was a transformational gift from the Nancy and Hank Fisher Family Fund, which helps the SP&O continually grow its artistic quality as well as grow its relationship with Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Ari Pelto.

A key tenant of the organization’s mission, the SP&O has presented nine operas for a combined audience exceeding 18,000 since its comeback, featuring nationally celebrated artists and directors who have earned critical and audience acclaim. The organization will again feature two operas in the 2024-25 season, opening with The Marriage of Figaro in October 2024.

“It is a tremendous privilege to be able to serve Sacramento with exceptional music,” exclaims Giuliano Kornberg, the SP&O’s CEO. “Selling hundreds of thousands of tickets to orchestral, operatic, and pops performances in ten years was once viewed as a pipe dream. Now, it’s the new baseline for our ambitions and a foundation from which we will continue to serve our community and partner with audiences across the Region. We are looking forward to our next decade of artistic, programmatic, and fiscal excellence.”

In addition to those attending orchestral and opera presentations, SP&O has reached 30,000 3^rd-5^th grade students in Title 1 schools through music education offerings including full orchestra “Link Up” concerts in partnership with Carnegie Hall. As one of the largest and most frequent Sacramento-based tenants of SAFE PAC, in ten years the SP&O has held more than 300 concert events and rehearsals at the SAFE PAC, engaging more than 650 greater Sacramento classical musicians and bringing to Sacramento some 175 internationally celebrated guest artists and conductors. The SP&O continues to provide live music for all performances of The Nutcracker with the Sacramento Ballet, and will perform Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Live in Concert in October 2024.

“While our home is the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, our commitment to the greater Sacramento Region extends into every corner of our region,” observes Sheree Meyer, SP&O Board President. “In recent years, we have offered 175 pop-up concerts, and our remarkable musicians have performed for some 300,000 individuals outside the SAFE PAC at events including Run to Feed the Hungry, a 4^th of July performance at Sutter Health Park, and Andrea Bocelli at the Golden 1 Center. It’s an incredible story of service to our Region.” SP&O’s 2024-25 season is on sale, with subscription sales already outpacing last year’s strong results. Among the highlights of the new season are concerts featuring renowned pianist Awadagin Pratt, Grammy-award winning violinist Augustin Hadelich, and local Sacramento virtuoso pianist Parker Van Ostrand, as well as four engagements with Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Ari Pelto. Musical highlights include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, Copland’s Suite from Billy the Kid, and Brahms’s Violin Concerto. Opera will be an integral part of the season, with performances of Mozart’s wildly popular and beloved The Marriage of Figaro and Mascagni’s gripping Cavalleria Rusticana. The season will end with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Titan,” sponsored by Congresswoman Doris Matsui and Roger Sant, to commemorate the SP&O’s return in 2015.

# # #

Artistic and Financial Achievements and Momentum Leads to Contract Extension

SACRAMENTO, CA – June 4, 2024 – Sending a strong signal that his leadership has dramatically propelled the institution forward in service to the greater Sacramento region, the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) Board of Directors has extended Executive Director Giuliano Kornberg’s contract with the organization. This four-year extension goes through June 30, 2028.

In addition to the contract extension, Kornberg will also be the organization’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), in recognition of his leadership and vision for the organization.

“The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera is earning unprecedented success and, under Giuliano’s leadership, has taken advantage of fresh and exciting opportunities to grow our artistic excellence and service to Sacramento while maintaining a solid financial foundation. There is a palpable sense of forward momentum – something Giuliano’s tireless leadership will sustain and advance,” said Board Chair Sheree Meyer. “In extending Giuliano’s contract, the Board has taken an important step to position the organization for the future.”

Kornberg began his tenure as Executive Director in 2022 and has since led the SP&O through enviable artistic success and financial growth. Last year, SP&O announced that it had performed for a record 400,000 greater Sacramentans; subscription revenue had increased 45%; and the organization had raised over $10 million in gifts and sponsorships to both the SP&O and the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera Foundation (its Endowment) since 2015. Additionally, conductor Ari Pelto was named Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor in Spring 2023, and SP&O’s management and musicians are currently in a three-year collective bargaining agreement, securing a robust slate of performances through the 2024-25 Season.

Prior to being named Executive Director, Kornberg began leading SP&O’s fundraising efforts in 2016 and later added responsibility for ticket sales. Under his leadership, the SP&O’s annual giving has increased from $630,000 to $1.7 million, the SP&O Foundation’s assets have grown from $400,000 to $3.2 million, more than 1,250 season subscriptions have been sold, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-relief funding were previously secured.

“The SP&O’s mission to deliver inspiring musical experiences and foster a vibrant cultural community remains at the heart of everything we do. Moving forward, and in collaboration with the board, staff, musicians, and the community, I look forward to building upon our work of the last several years, helping grow our artistic excellence and expand our impact in the community. Together, we can achieve new milestones, reach wider audiences, and deepen our engagement with the region’s cultural landscape,” said Kornberg.

Looking to the future, the momentum continues. Subscriptions for the SP&O’s next season are on sale, with subscription sales outpacing this year’s strong results. For the first time, a Sunday performance was added to the schedule, with Beethoven, Brahms and Hadelich to be performed on Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26, 2025. In addition to orchestra programs, two operas are planned – The Marriage of Figaro in October and Cavalleria Rusticana in March. Subscriptions are available at www.sacphilopera.org; single tickets go on sale in August

# # #

SACRAMENTO, CA – December 12, 2023 – The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) received a fresh injection of artistic talent with the appointment of four new musicians to the orchestra. The four new members, who include Principal Viola Jacob Joseph, Principal Bassoon Jordan Farber, Section Viola Evan Buttemer, and 2nd Bassoon Nicolasa Kuster, begin their tenure immediately.

“I have been extremely impressed with the quality of musicianship in this orchestra, and I know that the addition of Jacob, Jordan, Evan, and Nicolasa in their key new positions will make it even better. Stronger, deeper and more consistent,” SP&O Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Ari Pelto reflected. “I congratulate each of them and look forward to working with them to bring the best in orchestral music and opera to this community.”

The new musicians join the orchestra at a time when the SP&O is on a trajectory of artistic growth and achievement. The SP&O named Pelto to the new post of Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor in April 2023 while producing regularly sold-out concerts and setting fundraising records. The 2023-24 season began in October and will continue through May 2024, with 7 performances at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center.

About the new musicians

Violist Jacob Joseph has a varied career as a freelance musician in his native bay area. Aside from appearing with many of the regional symphony orchestras and with touring Broadway productions, he is a founding member of the Oakland based Town Quartet who perform in weekly and monthly residencies throughout northern California. He has been a member of the Schleswig-Holstein, Glimmerglass, and Spoletto festival orchestras as well as the orchestra of the New York City Ballet, and has performed in chamber music recitals with members of the Juilliard String Quartet, The Claremont Trio, and with pianist Alon Goldstein and violist Toby Appel. He has also shared the stage with the likes of Johnny Mathis, The Eagles, The Moody Blues, and Nick Cave among others. When he’s not practicing the viola He can be found smoking meat on the BBQ, making pickles, or at the Oakland Coliseum for an A’s game.

Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, Jordan Farber has appeared on stages across the world. He began his studies at The Colburn School in Los Angeles, where he is currently in the fourth year of his undergraduate studies. As well as being the newly appointed principal bassoonist in Sacramento, Jordan had performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony, and the Fort Worth Symphony, among others. As well, he was a fellow in both the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, and the Music Academy of the West. Jordan is a passionate teacher of both bassoon and reed making, with students accepted to numerous conservatories and colleges, as well as participating in the National Youth Orchestra USA.

Bassoonist Nicolasa Kuster is Associate Professor of Bassoon and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music in Stockton, California. She balances her full-time position in higher education with a rich orchestral, chamber, and solo performing life around northern California and beyond. She founded and continues to lead the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition and Bassoon Symposium, a biennial competition for young women bassoonists from the Americas and a three day event surrounding it. Kuster is Principal Bassoon of the Stockton Symphony and New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestras, Second Bassoon of the Monterey Symphony, and performs on occasion with the San Francisco and San Diego Symphonies. Previous positions include the Wichita Symphony, the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the Virginia Symphony. She is a Double Degree graduate from Oberlin College and Conservatory with a B.M. in Bassoon Performance and a B.A. in Religion. Her solo CD, Metamorphosis, can be found online.

Photos left to right: Jacob Joseph, Jordan Farber, Nicolasa Kuster. Photo unavailable for Evan Buttemer.

The 2023-24 Season is Generously Underwritten by The Nancy and Hank Fisher Family Fund

The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera welcome inductees Lora Painter, Lars Gjerde, Jennifer Harris, and Adam Marszal

SACRAMENTO, CA – August 22, 2023 – The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) received
a fresh injection of board leadership last week with the election of four new members to the
Board of Directors. The four new members, who include journalist Lora Painter of ABC10, arts
advocate Lars Gjerde, Sacramento State administrator Jennifer Harris, and corporate leader
Adam Marszal, begin their tenure immediately.

“SP&O is honored to have these four experienced business and community volunteers join our
Board of Directors,” said SP&O President Sheree Meyer. “Our board has a track record of
tremendous success, as our recent accomplishments demonstrate, but with these new
members sharing their passion and knowledge, SP&O is poised to reach even greater heights.”

The new board members join the board at a time when the SP&O is on a trajectory of growth
and success. The SP&O’s recently completed 2022-23 season ended with a chorus of
unprecedented achievements, including a reliable and growing subscription base, sold out
performances and, since 2015, over $10 million in gifts and sponsorships made to the
Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera and the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera Foundation.

About the new directors

Lora Painter anchors weeknights at 5, 6, & 11 p.m. for ABC10. The California native has a
master’s degree from New York University in Broadcast News & Documentary, and a bachelor’s
degree in Communication from California State University San Marcos. She has two Emmy
nominations for anchoring and writing, and has twice received a “Best Anchor” award from the
Michigan Association of Broadcasters. Lora has been a board member of the Kalamazoo
Institute of Arts and continues to be a member of its Asian Art Advisory Council. She is a former
professor at Anyang University in South Korea. She is also an accomplished singer and plays
several instruments including piano and clarinet.

Norwegian native Lars Gjerde earned his doctorate in organ from the Eastman School of Music.
During his church music career, Lars taught, led choirs and orchestral musicians, and created
events to support charities. He engaged in regional leadership through the American Guild of
Organists. Lars later earned his Nurse Practitioner degree from Yale University and is now a
Nurse Practitioner Supervisor at UC Davis Medical Center. A recent Chapter President of the
California Association for Nurse Practitioners and Chapter Dean for the American Guild of
Organists, Lars is thrilled to serve the visionary board of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera.

Jennifer Harris is the Associate Vice President of Budget Planning and Administration at
Sacramento State University. A Sacramento native and Sac State Alumna, Jennifer has worked
in a variety of fiscal management and oversight roles with the State of California, including the
California State Auditor’s Office, the Department of Finance, and CalPERS. Jennifer credits her
love of classical music to her elementary school violin teacher who took her to hear the
Camellia Symphony Orchestra perform. She is excited to help support classical music and opera
in our community, and in particular increasing youth access to and appreciation of music.

Adam Marszal was born and raised in Carmichael, CA and currently serves as the CEO of his
family’s petroleum company and commercial real estate business. He takes pleasure in being
involved in organizations and different causes in Sacramento. In his free time, Adam enjoys
golfing and being with his wife, Maggie, and their two daughters, Lucy and Blair. Adam’s
interest in music stems from his time in Jesuit High School’s choir as a teenager

# # #

Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera
With its mission to build community, inspire a love of the performing arts, and enrich lives
through music, the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera is the collaborative leader in the cultural
growth of the Greater Sacramento Region having reclaimed its place as one of the region’s
leading performing arts organizations. Since its triumphant return in 2015, the SP&O has made
tremendous artistic, community, and fiscal strides through a business model that has solidly
moved from one of instability to one of stability.
Today, the SP&O serves as a vibrant cultural community asset – one that is shaped by
Sacramento, whose offerings are uniquely of Sacramento, and whose vision for the future is
designed for Sacramento. The SP&O continues its stellar concerts, operas, and community
engagement programs that bring the passion of classical music to schools, hospitals, shelters,
and more. We look forward to continually benefiting this region through our work and
expanding our impact and how we’re able to serve this growing, thriving community.

Celebrated Education Executive Sheree Meyer to become next president

SACRAMENTO, CA – July 25, 2023 – The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) announces the transfer of the baton of leadership with the election of Sheree Meyer as the next President of its Board of Directors.

Meyer, who succeeds John Shirey, is Dean of the College of Arts & Letters at Sacramento State University. She has studied music throughout her life and has committed herself to providing others with opportunities to appreciate and participate in music. She joined the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in 2016 and served most recently as its Vice President from 2021-2023.

“Music has long been important in my life, and as I step into the role of president, I look forward to working with our dedicated musicians, staff, and volunteers to build upon the SP&O’s recent successes,” said Sheree Meyer, incoming SP&O president. “Together, we are poised to make an even greater influence in the Sacramento community, and I am honored to lead this important work.”

A member of the Sacramento State community since 1991, Meyer’s interest in fields such as history, literature, music, and performance began at a young age, and she has continued to perform in plays and musicals, sing in choirs, and study music throughout her life. Since becoming Dean of the College of Arts & Letters, she has dedicated herself to bringing the students, faculty, and staff of the college into creative collaborations with other arts and cultural organizations in Sacramento. In 2019, she led the College of Arts & Letters in receiving and implementing a City of Sacramento Creative Economy Pilot Project Grant.

Meyer served as a member of Sacramento’s Creative Edge Steering Committee and currently serves on the boards of Blue Line Arts and the Sacramento Alliance of Regional Arts. She is a proud recipient of California Lawyers for the Arts “Artistic License Award” for her contributions to art and education.

“SP&O couldn’t ask for a more broadly experienced or more highly principled advocate than Sheree Meyer,” said SP&O Executive Director Giuliano Kornberg. “As a remarkably successful community leader, she is determined to use arts and culture to make the world a better place. We’re honored to have her as our esteemed president of the Board of Directors and look forward to benefiting from her wisdom and passion.”  

During her tenure as president of the SP&O, Meyer plans to prioritize strengthening and expanding SP&O’s musical and educational impact on the region, growing, diversifying, and developing its board, and enhancing its collaborations with other Sacramento arts, educational, and cultural organizations.

Meyer succeeds John Shirey, who led the SP&O as its Board President from 2021-2023. Under Shirey’s leadership, the SP&O returned to live performances after COVID, reached a three-year agreement with the Local Musician’s Union, and appointed Ari Pelto as its first Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor. The SP&O’s recently completed 2022-23 season ended with a chorus of unprecedented achievements, including a reliable and growing subscription base, sold out performances and, since 2015, over $10 million in gifts and sponsorships made to the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera and the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera Foundation.

# # #

Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera

With its mission to build community, inspire a love of the performing arts, and enrich lives through music, the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera is the collaborative leader in the cultural growth of the Greater Sacramento Region having reclaimed its place as one of the region’s leading performing arts organizations. Since its triumphant return in 2015, the SP&O has made tremendous artistic, community, and fiscal strides through a business model that has solidly moved from one of instability to one of stability.

Today, the SP&O serves as a vibrant cultural community asset – one that is shaped by Sacramento, whose offerings are uniquely of Sacramento, and whose vision for the future is designed for Sacramento. The SP&O continues its stellar concerts, operas, and community engagement programs that bring the passion of classical music to schools, hospitals, shelters, and more. We look forward to continually benefiting this region through our work and expanding our impact and how we’re able to serve this growing, thriving community.