Boston Conservatory Orchestra—Crossing the Threshold
Event Dates
(EST)
Acclaimed pianist, composer, and From the Top radio host Peter Dugan joins the Boston Conservatory Orchestra to present the educational premiere of a new piano concerto written by Peter and his brother Leonardo Dugan and commissioned by Boston Conservatory and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Alongside this important premiere, the performance will feature three graduating conductors as they progress from Boston Conservatory’s conducting studio to Boston’s Symphony Hall. Students Julian Dürr, Christine Le, and Simon Sadikovič will conduct works by American composers George Gershwin and Howard Hanson and Russian composers Alexander Borodin and Igor Stravinsky.
This performance has been selected as part of Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s 2025–2026 Center Stage collection.
Berklee students, faculty, and staff can claim two comp tickets in person at the Symphony Hall Box Office by presenting their Berklee ID.
Program Information
Repertoire
GEORGE GERSHWIN (arr. DON ROSE): Overture to Strike Up the Band
HOWARD HANSON: Symphony No. 2, “Romantic"
I. Adagio; Allegro moderato
Julian Dürr (MM '26), conductor
GEORGE GERSHWIN (arr. DON ROSE): Overture to Girl Crazy
ALEXANDER BORODIN: Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor
1. Dance of the Young Polovtsian Maidens
2. Introduction; Dance of the Young Slave Maidens; Dance of the Wild Men
3. General Dance; Dance of the Polovtsian Slaves
4. Dance of the Little Boys; Dance of the Men; Dance of the Young Maidens
5. Dance of the Little Boys; Dance of the Men; General Dance
Christine Le (MM '26), conductor
—INTERMISSION—
IGOR STRAVINSKY: Suite from Firebird (1919)
1. Introduction, L’oiseau de feu et sa danse, Variation de l’oiseau de feu
2. Ronde des princesses
3. Danse infernale du roi Kastcheï
4. Berceuse
5. Finale
Simon Sadiković (MM '26), conductor
LEONARDO and PETER DUGAN: Brothers Concerto
Phoenix
Red Car’s Last Ride
Prelude & Fugue
Night Beasts
Peter Dugan, piano soloist
Nicholas Hersh, guest conductor
HOWARD HANSON: Symphony No. 2, “Romantic"
I. Adagio; Allegro moderato
Julian Dürr (MM '26), conductor
GEORGE GERSHWIN (arr. DON ROSE): Overture to Girl Crazy
ALEXANDER BORODIN: Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor
1. Dance of the Young Polovtsian Maidens
2. Introduction; Dance of the Young Slave Maidens; Dance of the Wild Men
3. General Dance; Dance of the Polovtsian Slaves
4. Dance of the Little Boys; Dance of the Men; Dance of the Young Maidens
5. Dance of the Little Boys; Dance of the Men; General Dance
Christine Le (MM '26), conductor
—INTERMISSION—
IGOR STRAVINSKY: Suite from Firebird (1919)
1. Introduction, L’oiseau de feu et sa danse, Variation de l’oiseau de feu
2. Ronde des princesses
3. Danse infernale du roi Kastcheï
4. Berceuse
5. Finale
Simon Sadiković (MM '26), conductor
LEONARDO and PETER DUGAN: Brothers Concerto
Phoenix
Red Car’s Last Ride
Prelude & Fugue
Night Beasts
Peter Dugan, piano soloist
Nicholas Hersh, guest conductor
Program Notes
Howard Hanson (1896–1981): Symphony No. 2, “Romantic”
Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 opens with a sweeping, lyrical movement emblematic of mid-twentieth-century American Neo-romanticism. Scored for full orchestra—woodwinds, brass, percussion, harp, and strings—it blends lush textures with brilliant sonorities. While firmly tonal, the harmonic language draws more from American jazz and big-band idioms than from the European modernist tradition, employing modal inflections, chromaticism, and extended harmony to evoke an emotionally charged atmosphere.
Though formally loose, the movement echoes sonata principles in its thematic development and organic pacing. The primary theme—a descending triplet figure—serves as an emotional throughline, constantly reimagined: fast and frantic in the woodwinds, broad and noble in the brass, sweeping and timeless in the strings. Hanson’s writing emphasizes melodic contour, often contrasting rising gestures against the falling theme, to propel the music forward, even in its slowest moments.
An effective performance of this piece demands restraint and finesse. Hanson’s tempos—like in the Lento strings chorale after the horn solo—are often very slow, and the orchestration dense with complex harmony and rhythms; clarity of phrasing and line is essential in order to not lose the listener. The opening horn solo must be lyrical and warm—not bombastic. String players must navigate seemingly simple lines with expressive nuance, particularly through consistent vibrato characteristic of the mid-century American sound. Unlike the rubato- and vibrato-shaped lines of Brahms, this style relies on constant vibrato, with shape emerging from dynamics and harmony. Brass must balance richness with precision, particularly in the climactic chorales. Hanson builds drama through orchestral color. Serene string passages often give way to sharp brass entries or percussive outbursts.
Ultimately, this movement calls for a balance between Romantic expressivity and the polished, often transparent textures emblematic of the mid-century American orchestral style. Eschewing Germanic weight, it rewards restraint, luminous tone, and long-arc phrasing. The result is a sound world both complex and optimistic—resonant, radiant, and unmistakably American.
—Julian Dürr, MM '26
George Gershwin (1898–1937): Overture to Strike Up the Band (arr. Don Rose, 1986)
This vibrant overture, drawn from Gershwin’s Strike Up the Band musicals (1927 and 1930), is a lively medley of tunes reorchestrated by Don Rose for full orchestra. It bursts with Broadway flair, jazz inflection, and wind-band bravado.
The overture’s collage-like form leaps between swing, march, and ballad with dazzling speed. Syncopation, brisk tempi, and sharp accents dominate. It opens with bombastic brass and military-style snare drums, then pivots quickly to more playful textures—clarinet and trombone solos unfold with jazzy freedom, while lush strings sing out in soulful, romantic melodies. Woodwind flourishes add sparkle throughout, and percussion alternates between crisp snare lines and smoky drum-set grooves.
Tight rhythmic ensemble is critical, but so is stylistic flexibility. Classical players in particular will “loosen up” to match the overture’s jazzier tone—especially in the winds and brass, where solo lines will be heard not just with expressive phrasing but with lyric-aware articulation that evokes Ira Gershwin’s words. Brass players will employ idiomatic techniques like hand vibrato and Harmon mutes to bring out the distinctly jazz color.
Listeners will hear familiar tunes reimagined through sly reharmonizations and vivid orchestral touches. Rather than smoothing transitions, Rose leans into contrast—placing torch song next to big-band riff with theatrical flair. His orchestration mimics Gershwin’s original style with care and verve, offering a rich palette that fuses classical form with popular idioms. The result is a joyous synthesis of jazz, musical theater, and symphonic tradition—an overture that radiates golden-era American optimism with style and wit.
—Julian Dürr, MM '26
George Gershwin: Overture to Girl Crazy (arr. Don Rose, 1977)
Written in 1930 for the Broadway stage, this overture from Girl Crazy has various tunes from the Great American Songbook, notably “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” “But Not For Me,” “Bronco Busters,” and “Land of the Gay Caballero.”
The overture begins with the horns and winds playing the syncopated tune of “I Got Rhythm” against the strictly on-the-beat yet energetic string line. Gershwin early on introduces the audience to his playfulness when it comes to rhythm, shifting gears between the feeling of on versus off the beat. He then shifts the mood completely into a lush, melodic section calling for a “full-bow” moment in the strings. With the use of harp glissandi, drum set, and wind/brass interruption of melody, Gershwin creates a swanky mood, calling on the musical language found in a New York City nightclub. The music is littered with a variety of quick juxtapositions in articulation: a series of accented notes, notes under slurs with tenutos, and marcato notes, allowing the music to buzz with excitement.
The percussion section is full of color and truly drives every distinct musical turn Gershwin takes us through. He treats the percussionists more as a rhythm section: There is a constant motor, ever-shifting, calling for each musician to respond, like one would in a jazz combo. The rhythm section is the backbone of the piece, in charge of creating the mood for each distinct classic. The tunes, colorful orchestration, and fluidity of rhythm result in an exciting synthesis of jazz and romantic styles. George Gershwin, in his obituary, was described as “a Colossus with one foot in Carnegie Hall and the other in Tin-Pan Alley,” which perfectly describes the battle he faced as a composer trying to penetrate classical “serious music” with his influenced jazz and showtune musical language
—Christine Le, MM '26
Alexander Borodin: Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor
Borodin interestingly spent most of his time in his self-proclaimed more “serious” career of chemistry, leaving weekends as his time to compose. Due to his never-ending responsibilities as a chemist and his wife’s chronic illness, this resulted in his opera Prince Igor being unfinished by the time of his death. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov finished the rest of the music in his place in 1887–1888, relying on memories of him playing fragments and his leftover sketches. According to Borodin’s friends’ accounts, Rimsky-Korsakov “touched up the dance” with chromaticism. An example of this can be seen in the opening flute melody, underscored with harmony using borrowed chords, tingling the seemingly major theme with a bit of minor melancholy.
Prince Igor, at this point in the opera, is being entertained by Polovtsian dancers and chanters, and the music relies on a Russian nationalist sound drawn from folk music, but also a sense of “orientalism.” The dance begins with an enchanting andantino melody in the flute, one that is deceivingly simple, as the dances that follow become increasingly frenetic. During the “Gliding Dance of the Maidens,” the solo is expertly handed from the oboe into the darker, more somber sound of the English horn, all accompanied by sparkling harp chords. The melody is addictive and hypnotic, destined to be stuck with the listener as a Russian earworm. Borodin has an extraordinary way of opening up the sound of the orchestra, expanding the next theme with the warmth of the strings. The piece continues to build with excitement, with an obsessive rhythm played by the tambourine and the brass to accompany the “Wild Dance of the Men.” Borodin captures the energy of the expansive support of the Khan’s people with his charming use of melody and orchestration.
—Christine Le, MM '26
IGOR STRAVINSKY: Suite from The Firebird (1919 version)
The Firebird was Stravinsky’s first major work in his so-called “Russian” period, and although all of his future works contain the essential elements of this period that would define Stravinsky as a composer, this period in particular demonstrates his fascination and exultation of the Russian folk genre. First performed in 1910, with the help of Sergei Diaghilev, who founded the Ballet Russes and took a chance on the relatively unknown Stravinsky, The Firebird was his first composition to hit the world stage. The two would later collaborate on works such as Petrushka and The Rite of Spring, also monuments of this compositional period for Stravinsky.
The story of the ballet draws inspiration from Russian folklore and tells the story of the young Prince Ivan, who must free the captives of the evil ogre King Kastchei. He is aided by the elusive Firebird, who gives the prince golden feathers and aids him with her magical abilities. The Firebird forces King Kastchei and his henchmen to dance themselves to exhaustion with the Infernal Dance, then lulls them to sleep with the hypnotizing Berceuse, thus allowing Prince Ivan to destroy the egg that contains King Kastchei’s soul, freeing his prisoners once and for all. Stravinsky’s music is capable of telling this story without the dancers on stage, allowing each instrument within the orchestra to act as a character on its own.
We mustn’t forget that Stravinsky was also a businessman. It was finances above everything else that drove Stravinsky to rework The Firebird as much as he did. His first publication of the piece became null after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917, and there was no clarity as to who owned the copyright. To settle this, Stravinsky republished the work as the 1919 suite, once again claiming ownership of the work in Russia and Europe. This version of the suite would become the most popular and well-known, as it included both the Infernal Dance, the Berceuse, and the Finale, three of the most popular movements of the original ballet. The work was subject to republication once more just before Stravinsky was naturalized as a United States citizen. Since relations between the United States and the Soviet Union had soured, Stravinsky, now an American, had to regain his copyright privileges in the United States in order to receive royalties.
The versions differ from each other in both massive ways and minute details, but each version of this work is threaded with compositional brilliance. The 1919 suite remains a favorite in the orchestral repertoire for both subscription concerts and family concerts. It is often selected for youth concerts to showcase the immense range and possibilities of the orchestra, a credit to the genius and wit of Stravinsky, who, with this masterpiece, spread his compositional wings and took flight.
—Simon Sadiković, MM '26
LEONARDO and PETER DUGAN: Brothers Concerto
The “Brothers Concerto” is a musical journey through the shared history of the Dugan brothers, pianist Peter and composer Leonardo. Its musical language reflects the Dugan brothers’ upbringing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in an environment steeped in both jazz and classical traditions. Soaring, lyrical melodies, propulsive rhythms, and Leonardo’s characteristic lush orchestration frame the athletic virtuosity of Peter’s pianism. The “Brothers Concerto” is unique in its combination of classical structure and counterpoint with improvised solos using the vocabulary of jazz. Each movement portrays a shared memory of the Dugan brothers.
I. Phoenix
Leonardo: In 2023, my family and I lost our home to a fire. In 2024, we rebuilt the house, and on the day we moved in, a tune just flowed through me—that melody became the primary theme of this movement.
Peter: As a family, we all felt the loss of that house, but more importantly, we were reminded that the love and memories a family creates are too strong to be destroyed.
II. Red Car’s Last Ride
Leonardo: I had an old red Toyota that I drove to our first gig together. The car just barely made it and never drove again.
Peter: The off-kilter polyrhythms of this scherzo movement convey the excitement and nervousness of my first professional gig and that wild ride.
III. Prelude & Fugue
Leonardo: I have always been enamored by the idea of writing Renaissance-style counterpoint that uses the harmonic vocabulary of contemporary jazz. In this movement, the solo cello introduces a motive in the prelude which becomes the subject of the double fugue that follows.
Peter: Leonardo originally composed this fugue for solo voices and saxophone; when I heard it, I began to imagine an orchestrated version, and asked if he would be open to transforming this very intimate study in counterpoint into the start of a large-scale piano concerto.
IV. Night Beasts
Leonardo: Growing up, we loved going camping, and our middle brother, Michael, and I enjoyed imagining fantastical creatures that inhabited the woods at night and entertaining our younger brother with tales of these beasts.
Peter: In this movement, you hear the playful storytelling of my older brothers alongside the very real terror that I felt as the youngest, never truly knowing if the creatures were real. In the middle section of the movement, a contrasting theme represents the beauty of the starry woodland sky.
Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 opens with a sweeping, lyrical movement emblematic of mid-twentieth-century American Neo-romanticism. Scored for full orchestra—woodwinds, brass, percussion, harp, and strings—it blends lush textures with brilliant sonorities. While firmly tonal, the harmonic language draws more from American jazz and big-band idioms than from the European modernist tradition, employing modal inflections, chromaticism, and extended harmony to evoke an emotionally charged atmosphere.
Though formally loose, the movement echoes sonata principles in its thematic development and organic pacing. The primary theme—a descending triplet figure—serves as an emotional throughline, constantly reimagined: fast and frantic in the woodwinds, broad and noble in the brass, sweeping and timeless in the strings. Hanson’s writing emphasizes melodic contour, often contrasting rising gestures against the falling theme, to propel the music forward, even in its slowest moments.
An effective performance of this piece demands restraint and finesse. Hanson’s tempos—like in the Lento strings chorale after the horn solo—are often very slow, and the orchestration dense with complex harmony and rhythms; clarity of phrasing and line is essential in order to not lose the listener. The opening horn solo must be lyrical and warm—not bombastic. String players must navigate seemingly simple lines with expressive nuance, particularly through consistent vibrato characteristic of the mid-century American sound. Unlike the rubato- and vibrato-shaped lines of Brahms, this style relies on constant vibrato, with shape emerging from dynamics and harmony. Brass must balance richness with precision, particularly in the climactic chorales. Hanson builds drama through orchestral color. Serene string passages often give way to sharp brass entries or percussive outbursts.
Ultimately, this movement calls for a balance between Romantic expressivity and the polished, often transparent textures emblematic of the mid-century American orchestral style. Eschewing Germanic weight, it rewards restraint, luminous tone, and long-arc phrasing. The result is a sound world both complex and optimistic—resonant, radiant, and unmistakably American.
—Julian Dürr, MM '26
George Gershwin (1898–1937): Overture to Strike Up the Band (arr. Don Rose, 1986)
This vibrant overture, drawn from Gershwin’s Strike Up the Band musicals (1927 and 1930), is a lively medley of tunes reorchestrated by Don Rose for full orchestra. It bursts with Broadway flair, jazz inflection, and wind-band bravado.
The overture’s collage-like form leaps between swing, march, and ballad with dazzling speed. Syncopation, brisk tempi, and sharp accents dominate. It opens with bombastic brass and military-style snare drums, then pivots quickly to more playful textures—clarinet and trombone solos unfold with jazzy freedom, while lush strings sing out in soulful, romantic melodies. Woodwind flourishes add sparkle throughout, and percussion alternates between crisp snare lines and smoky drum-set grooves.
Tight rhythmic ensemble is critical, but so is stylistic flexibility. Classical players in particular will “loosen up” to match the overture’s jazzier tone—especially in the winds and brass, where solo lines will be heard not just with expressive phrasing but with lyric-aware articulation that evokes Ira Gershwin’s words. Brass players will employ idiomatic techniques like hand vibrato and Harmon mutes to bring out the distinctly jazz color.
Listeners will hear familiar tunes reimagined through sly reharmonizations and vivid orchestral touches. Rather than smoothing transitions, Rose leans into contrast—placing torch song next to big-band riff with theatrical flair. His orchestration mimics Gershwin’s original style with care and verve, offering a rich palette that fuses classical form with popular idioms. The result is a joyous synthesis of jazz, musical theater, and symphonic tradition—an overture that radiates golden-era American optimism with style and wit.
—Julian Dürr, MM '26
George Gershwin: Overture to Girl Crazy (arr. Don Rose, 1977)
Written in 1930 for the Broadway stage, this overture from Girl Crazy has various tunes from the Great American Songbook, notably “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” “But Not For Me,” “Bronco Busters,” and “Land of the Gay Caballero.”
The overture begins with the horns and winds playing the syncopated tune of “I Got Rhythm” against the strictly on-the-beat yet energetic string line. Gershwin early on introduces the audience to his playfulness when it comes to rhythm, shifting gears between the feeling of on versus off the beat. He then shifts the mood completely into a lush, melodic section calling for a “full-bow” moment in the strings. With the use of harp glissandi, drum set, and wind/brass interruption of melody, Gershwin creates a swanky mood, calling on the musical language found in a New York City nightclub. The music is littered with a variety of quick juxtapositions in articulation: a series of accented notes, notes under slurs with tenutos, and marcato notes, allowing the music to buzz with excitement.
The percussion section is full of color and truly drives every distinct musical turn Gershwin takes us through. He treats the percussionists more as a rhythm section: There is a constant motor, ever-shifting, calling for each musician to respond, like one would in a jazz combo. The rhythm section is the backbone of the piece, in charge of creating the mood for each distinct classic. The tunes, colorful orchestration, and fluidity of rhythm result in an exciting synthesis of jazz and romantic styles. George Gershwin, in his obituary, was described as “a Colossus with one foot in Carnegie Hall and the other in Tin-Pan Alley,” which perfectly describes the battle he faced as a composer trying to penetrate classical “serious music” with his influenced jazz and showtune musical language
—Christine Le, MM '26
Alexander Borodin: Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor
Borodin interestingly spent most of his time in his self-proclaimed more “serious” career of chemistry, leaving weekends as his time to compose. Due to his never-ending responsibilities as a chemist and his wife’s chronic illness, this resulted in his opera Prince Igor being unfinished by the time of his death. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov finished the rest of the music in his place in 1887–1888, relying on memories of him playing fragments and his leftover sketches. According to Borodin’s friends’ accounts, Rimsky-Korsakov “touched up the dance” with chromaticism. An example of this can be seen in the opening flute melody, underscored with harmony using borrowed chords, tingling the seemingly major theme with a bit of minor melancholy.
Prince Igor, at this point in the opera, is being entertained by Polovtsian dancers and chanters, and the music relies on a Russian nationalist sound drawn from folk music, but also a sense of “orientalism.” The dance begins with an enchanting andantino melody in the flute, one that is deceivingly simple, as the dances that follow become increasingly frenetic. During the “Gliding Dance of the Maidens,” the solo is expertly handed from the oboe into the darker, more somber sound of the English horn, all accompanied by sparkling harp chords. The melody is addictive and hypnotic, destined to be stuck with the listener as a Russian earworm. Borodin has an extraordinary way of opening up the sound of the orchestra, expanding the next theme with the warmth of the strings. The piece continues to build with excitement, with an obsessive rhythm played by the tambourine and the brass to accompany the “Wild Dance of the Men.” Borodin captures the energy of the expansive support of the Khan’s people with his charming use of melody and orchestration.
—Christine Le, MM '26
IGOR STRAVINSKY: Suite from The Firebird (1919 version)
The Firebird was Stravinsky’s first major work in his so-called “Russian” period, and although all of his future works contain the essential elements of this period that would define Stravinsky as a composer, this period in particular demonstrates his fascination and exultation of the Russian folk genre. First performed in 1910, with the help of Sergei Diaghilev, who founded the Ballet Russes and took a chance on the relatively unknown Stravinsky, The Firebird was his first composition to hit the world stage. The two would later collaborate on works such as Petrushka and The Rite of Spring, also monuments of this compositional period for Stravinsky.
The story of the ballet draws inspiration from Russian folklore and tells the story of the young Prince Ivan, who must free the captives of the evil ogre King Kastchei. He is aided by the elusive Firebird, who gives the prince golden feathers and aids him with her magical abilities. The Firebird forces King Kastchei and his henchmen to dance themselves to exhaustion with the Infernal Dance, then lulls them to sleep with the hypnotizing Berceuse, thus allowing Prince Ivan to destroy the egg that contains King Kastchei’s soul, freeing his prisoners once and for all. Stravinsky’s music is capable of telling this story without the dancers on stage, allowing each instrument within the orchestra to act as a character on its own.
We mustn’t forget that Stravinsky was also a businessman. It was finances above everything else that drove Stravinsky to rework The Firebird as much as he did. His first publication of the piece became null after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917, and there was no clarity as to who owned the copyright. To settle this, Stravinsky republished the work as the 1919 suite, once again claiming ownership of the work in Russia and Europe. This version of the suite would become the most popular and well-known, as it included both the Infernal Dance, the Berceuse, and the Finale, three of the most popular movements of the original ballet. The work was subject to republication once more just before Stravinsky was naturalized as a United States citizen. Since relations between the United States and the Soviet Union had soured, Stravinsky, now an American, had to regain his copyright privileges in the United States in order to receive royalties.
The versions differ from each other in both massive ways and minute details, but each version of this work is threaded with compositional brilliance. The 1919 suite remains a favorite in the orchestral repertoire for both subscription concerts and family concerts. It is often selected for youth concerts to showcase the immense range and possibilities of the orchestra, a credit to the genius and wit of Stravinsky, who, with this masterpiece, spread his compositional wings and took flight.
—Simon Sadiković, MM '26
LEONARDO and PETER DUGAN: Brothers Concerto
The “Brothers Concerto” is a musical journey through the shared history of the Dugan brothers, pianist Peter and composer Leonardo. Its musical language reflects the Dugan brothers’ upbringing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in an environment steeped in both jazz and classical traditions. Soaring, lyrical melodies, propulsive rhythms, and Leonardo’s characteristic lush orchestration frame the athletic virtuosity of Peter’s pianism. The “Brothers Concerto” is unique in its combination of classical structure and counterpoint with improvised solos using the vocabulary of jazz. Each movement portrays a shared memory of the Dugan brothers.
I. Phoenix
Leonardo: In 2023, my family and I lost our home to a fire. In 2024, we rebuilt the house, and on the day we moved in, a tune just flowed through me—that melody became the primary theme of this movement.
Peter: As a family, we all felt the loss of that house, but more importantly, we were reminded that the love and memories a family creates are too strong to be destroyed.
II. Red Car’s Last Ride
Leonardo: I had an old red Toyota that I drove to our first gig together. The car just barely made it and never drove again.
Peter: The off-kilter polyrhythms of this scherzo movement convey the excitement and nervousness of my first professional gig and that wild ride.
III. Prelude & Fugue
Leonardo: I have always been enamored by the idea of writing Renaissance-style counterpoint that uses the harmonic vocabulary of contemporary jazz. In this movement, the solo cello introduces a motive in the prelude which becomes the subject of the double fugue that follows.
Peter: Leonardo originally composed this fugue for solo voices and saxophone; when I heard it, I began to imagine an orchestrated version, and asked if he would be open to transforming this very intimate study in counterpoint into the start of a large-scale piano concerto.
IV. Night Beasts
Leonardo: Growing up, we loved going camping, and our middle brother, Michael, and I enjoyed imagining fantastical creatures that inhabited the woods at night and entertaining our younger brother with tales of these beasts.
Peter: In this movement, you hear the playful storytelling of my older brothers alongside the very real terror that I felt as the youngest, never truly knowing if the creatures were real. In the middle section of the movement, a contrasting theme represents the beauty of the starry woodland sky.
About the Artists
Peter Dugan, piano, is a musician equally at home in classical, jazz, and pop idioms, who has appeared as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across North America and around the world. His performance of the Ives Fourth Symphony with the San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas was described by the Los Angeles Times as “stunning” and by the San Francisco Chronicle as “fearlessly athletic” and was recorded for release; he repeated the Ives project in a series of four concerts for the Houston Symphony with Andrés Orozco-Estrada. He had previously collaborated with Tilson Thomas at the New World Symphony, and has made other orchestra appearances with the Kansas City Symphony, New Albany Symphony, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Johnstown Symphony, and Annapolis Chamber Orchestra.
Dugan is heard on radios nationwide weekly as host of NPR’s From the Top. His approach stems from his commitment to sharing classical music through his warmhearted openness to young voices; and in addition to hosting the show, he leads inspiring collaborations, conversations, and performances with the young artists. Classical Sonoma observed: “Mr. Dugan’s seemingly inexhaustible energy, combined with a dedicated teacher’s heart and musical artistry, is inspiring to observe … That geniality and dynamism translates directly into his music making. One gets the feeling that he is reaching out for that magic, elusive connection. And he succeeds.”
He’s an active and passionate collaborator who has toured extensively with violinists Joshua Bell and Charles Yang, and vocalists John Brancy and Kara Dugan (his wife)—partnerships which have resulted in recording projects, documentaries, music videos, and a first-prize win at the Montreal Competition. He also regularly performs with other friends and artists who share a passion for expanding the world of classical music, from Jesse Colin Young to Renee Fleming to Paquito D’Rivera to Itzhak Perlman.
As a composer, Dugan has performed his own works everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Joe’s Pub, and his arrangements have been released by Disney Plus. He cowrote with his brother Leonardo Dugan the “Brothers Concerto,” making its collegiate premiere tonight at Symphony Hall, and he also collaborates with his colleagues to create electrifying arrangements of pop music. Supportive of new music, he has worked with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble and presented several world premieres. Dugan is also comfortable jamming and improvising on piano and melodica with the likes of bassist Victor Wooten, violinists Tessa Lark and Charles Yang, and actress Glenn Close.
In 2020, he joined acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell for At Home With Music, a national PBS broadcast and live album release on Sony Classical. Since then, he has continued his collaboration with Bell, touring internationally with recitals at London’s Wigmore Hall, Taipei’s National Theater and Concert Hall, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. In Fall 2024, the duo performed across the United States, South America, and Australia. The Wall Street Journal described Dugan’s collaboration with violinist and vocalist Charles Yang as a “classical-meets-rockstar duo.” Their creativity has resulted in a musical comedy show with violist and Tonight Show veteran Isabel Hagen.
Dugan’s latest album with baritone John Brancy, The Journey Home: Live from the Kennedy Center, was released on Avie Records in 2021, along with an accompanying documentary film from WNET’s AllArts. They have given recitals together at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and together won first prize at the 2018 Montreal International Music Competition. Dugan’s latest project with violinist Sean Lee was PaganiniXSchumann, a digital EP release that accompanied a live performance at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center of all 24 Paganini caprices with piano parts written by Robert Schumann.
In Dugan’s performances with his wife, mezzo-soprano Kara Dugan, repertoire ranges from art song to American Songbook to original songs and world premieres. The Dugans have appeared at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, WQXR’s Greene Space, and on PBS Great Performances’ Now Hear This.
As a founding creator of Operation Superpower, a superhero opera for children, Dugan has traveled to dozens of schools in the greater New York area, performing for students and encouraging them to use their talents—their superpowers—for good. He is head of the artist in residence program at pianoSonoma and a founding faculty member of the Resonance and Soundboard Institutes at Honeywell Arts Academy. Dugan holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School, where he studied under Matti Raekallio. He resides in New York City and is a Yamaha Artist.
Leonardo Dugan, composer, writes music that is pioneering in its fusion of contemporary style and classical form. His work has been hailed by critics as “jazz-inflected” as well as “melodic and accessible,” and for making the listener “more inclined to give contemporary composers a chance.” A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s doctoral program in composition, he has been commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Julliard School, Orchestra 2001, Piano4, and others. Recent works include a set of two songs for baritone and piano commemorating World War I, In Flanders Fields, commissioned by the General Delegation of the Government of Flanders to the US, and I Have a Rendezvous with Death, commissioned by the Juilliard School. The set was premiered by Grammy Award–winning baritone John Brancy and pianist and host of NPR’s From the Top Peter Dugan at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and has recently been released on their album The Journey Home.
As an arranger, Dugan has collaborated with legendary singer-songwriter Jesse Colin Young of the Youngbloods, baritone John Brancy and the Kansas City Symphony, violinist Charles Yang, and tenor Ben Gulley, among others. Dugan is a visiting assistant professor of music at Haverford College, and has appeared several times as a guest lecturer for the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Pre-Concert Conversations series. He resides in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Lauren, and their two sets of twins, and teaches private lessons in piano, saxophone, guitar, and composition at the Malvern School of Music and Holy Child Academy.
Nicholas Hersh, conductor, is music director of the Modesto Symphony, having been appointed in August 2023. Across the country, Hersh has earned critical acclaim for his innovative programming and natural ability to connect with musicians and audiences alike, and he was the unanimous choice of the search committee in Modesto. In addition to his work in Modesto, Hersh was named principal conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Academy, the BSO’s celebrated program for adult amateur musicians.
Hersh’s 2025–26 season includes his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic and returns to the Houston and Colorado Symphonies, plus engagements with the Florida Orchestra, Reno Philharmonic, and Tucson Symphony. His 2024–25 season included engagements with the Nashville, Madison, Omaha, and Tucson Symphony Orchestras; and the Florida and Apollo Orchestras. He continues to enjoy a regular relationship with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Recent engagements include the Detroit, Grand Rapids, National, New World, North Carolina, Phoenix, Portland (Maine), Richmond, Utah, and Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestras; Louisiana and Rochester Philharmonics; and the Sarasota Orchestra.
Over a remarkable tenure as associate conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Hersh created the BSO Pulse series, through which he brought together indie bands and orchestral musicians in unique collaborations; he led the BSO in several subscription weeks, and concerts in and around Baltimore; and he directed the BSO’s educational and family programming. Hersh also maintains a close relationship with the National Symphony Orchestra, leading concerts throughout Washington, DC. He stepped in to replace an indisposed Yan Pascal Tortelier, on subscription, togreat acclaim.
Hersh is frequently in demand as an arranger and orchestrator, with commissions from orchestras around the globe for adaptations of everything from classical solo and chamber music to popular songs. His orchestration of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata, op. 69, was premiered by the Philharmonie Zuidnederland in January 2022, while his symphonic arrangement of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” continues to see worldwide success as a viral YouTube hit. He also serves as arranger and editor for the James P. Johnson Orchestra Edition.
Hersh grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and started his musical training as a cellist. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Stanford University and a master’s degree in conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Hersh is also a two-time recipient of the Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, son, and two cats, and in his free time enjoys cooking and baking for family and friends.
Julian Dürr, MM '26, conductor, is a composer, pianist, and conductor whose artistry is underpinned by a collaborative spirit, disciplined work ethic, and an unwavering commitment to building community through music. A native of Redding, California, he began piano lessons early on with Steinway artist Duane Hampton, and began performing in competitions and recitals across the state. His formative years were shaped by the opportunities of the North State; at Shasta College, Dürr studied conducting with Dr. Jeff Specht, piano/choral studies with Dr. Elizabeth Waterbury, and began composing under the mentorship of Jeffrey Hayman.
Dürr earned his Bachelor of Music in Composition from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he studied composition with Dr. Stephen Halloran, classical piano with Dr. Jonathan Bass, and conducting with Larry Issacson. He is currently completing a Master of Music in Conducting under Bruce Hangen, with additional studies in choral conducting under Dr. Steve Spinelli and jazz piano with Pierre Hurel. In Boston, Dürr performs actively with Boston Conservatory’s orchestras and wind ensembles, and with the Boston Philharmonic and Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He has also appeared with the Harvard New Music Ensemble and a wide variety of other Boston-based ensembles, spanning jazz, contemporary, and other genres. As a singer, he has performed with the Boston Lyric Opera Chorus, Back Bay Chorale, and the Boston Conservatory Graduate Choirs.
As conductor, he has served as assistant music director and conductor for Shasta College productions, including The Sound of Music (2023), Guys and Dolls (2025), and The Nutcracker (2025). He has directed community ensembles including the Redding Patriotic Community Band, the Redding Performing Arts Center Orchestra and Choir (The Pirates of Penzance, 2025), the Red Bluff Community Band, and the Lincoln-Sudbury Civic Orchestra.Beyond the concert stage, Dürr is dedicated to education and community engagement. Since 2019, he has taught piano, strings, brass, music theory, and composition at Redding Music School. In sharing his work with others, teaching, and directing ensembles, he strives to create solidarity and companionship—especially for underrepresented folks who may feel isolated or alone in their struggles. Dürr aspires to provide validation, support, and a sense of refuge through music and the arts.
This performance with the Boston Conservatory Orchestra at Symphony Hall marks the culmination of his Master of Music in Conducting.
Christine Le, MM '26, conductor, is a Vietnamese American conductor and music educator driven by her passion for bringing music to all communities. She began conducting during an independent study mentorship program in high school under Maestro Guzman of the Plano Symphony Orchestra. Little did she know the journey she embarked on when she was just a senior would sail her away to Boston’s biggest stage. While studying at the University of Texas at Austin, Maestro Farkhad Khudyev and Maestro Douglas Kinney-Frost served as her conducting teachers. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Conducting at Boston Conservatory with Maestro Bruce Hangen. Recently, Le was honored to work as Maestro Andrew Bisantz’s assistant conductor in Boston Conservatory’s production of Così Fan Tutte.
Playing viola from a young age and participating in various ensembles, such as the Frisco Youth Symphony Orchestra and Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, she established a love for the inner workings of the orchestra. Le graduated with a bachelor’s in music education, receiving the Kopra Endowed Presidential Scholarship. During her undergraduate program, she studied viola with Roger Myers, who influenced her thirst for exploration and commitment to the arts. While working for the UT String Project, she led the early childhood education classes, cultivating the first musical experiences for those under the age of two. She also taught as a string educator for Austin Soundwaves, a non-profit organization committed to making music learning accessible.
In the summer of 2025, Le founded the Act Ensemble, bringing together young musicians to perform in support of local charities. As a woman and Asian American conductor, Le feels privileged to be in a position where her music-making uplifts marginalized voices and speaks to all levels of musicians. She is honored and excited to present her final graduate recital at Boston Symphony Hall, showcasing all she has learned and her achievements yet to come.
Simon Sadiković, MM '26, conductor, is an award-winning conductor and composer from Boston, Massachusetts. He received his Bachelor of Music in Composition from Berklee College of Music and will receive his Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Boston Conservatory in May 2026. He also minored in psychology, with a specialization in child and adolescent development. Throughout his time at Berklee, Sadiković had the privilege of working as the assistant conductor of the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra as well as assistant music director of the Berklee Motion Picture Orchestra. His work with the Berklee Motion Picture Orchestra enabled the ensemble to grow from 30 musicians to 90, and the ensemble garnered attention from prominent faculty throughout the Berklee community. He was the two-time recipient of Berklee’s conducting award, both of which were the result of a unanimous decision from the entire conducting faculty at the college.
Sadiković has received numerous accolades, including being selected as a finalist for the Respighi Prize in Conducting through the Chamber Orchestra of New York. His conducting career thus far has allowed him to work with numerous orchestras in places such as Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Anchorage, and the United Kingdom. He has been the grateful student of prominent conductors such as Bruce Hangen, John Farrer, Julius Williams, and Francisco Noya. When Sadiković isn’t conducting, he can be found on the airfield, pursuing his other passion of recreational flying.
Dugan is heard on radios nationwide weekly as host of NPR’s From the Top. His approach stems from his commitment to sharing classical music through his warmhearted openness to young voices; and in addition to hosting the show, he leads inspiring collaborations, conversations, and performances with the young artists. Classical Sonoma observed: “Mr. Dugan’s seemingly inexhaustible energy, combined with a dedicated teacher’s heart and musical artistry, is inspiring to observe … That geniality and dynamism translates directly into his music making. One gets the feeling that he is reaching out for that magic, elusive connection. And he succeeds.”
He’s an active and passionate collaborator who has toured extensively with violinists Joshua Bell and Charles Yang, and vocalists John Brancy and Kara Dugan (his wife)—partnerships which have resulted in recording projects, documentaries, music videos, and a first-prize win at the Montreal Competition. He also regularly performs with other friends and artists who share a passion for expanding the world of classical music, from Jesse Colin Young to Renee Fleming to Paquito D’Rivera to Itzhak Perlman.
As a composer, Dugan has performed his own works everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Joe’s Pub, and his arrangements have been released by Disney Plus. He cowrote with his brother Leonardo Dugan the “Brothers Concerto,” making its collegiate premiere tonight at Symphony Hall, and he also collaborates with his colleagues to create electrifying arrangements of pop music. Supportive of new music, he has worked with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble and presented several world premieres. Dugan is also comfortable jamming and improvising on piano and melodica with the likes of bassist Victor Wooten, violinists Tessa Lark and Charles Yang, and actress Glenn Close.
In 2020, he joined acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell for At Home With Music, a national PBS broadcast and live album release on Sony Classical. Since then, he has continued his collaboration with Bell, touring internationally with recitals at London’s Wigmore Hall, Taipei’s National Theater and Concert Hall, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. In Fall 2024, the duo performed across the United States, South America, and Australia. The Wall Street Journal described Dugan’s collaboration with violinist and vocalist Charles Yang as a “classical-meets-rockstar duo.” Their creativity has resulted in a musical comedy show with violist and Tonight Show veteran Isabel Hagen.
Dugan’s latest album with baritone John Brancy, The Journey Home: Live from the Kennedy Center, was released on Avie Records in 2021, along with an accompanying documentary film from WNET’s AllArts. They have given recitals together at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and together won first prize at the 2018 Montreal International Music Competition. Dugan’s latest project with violinist Sean Lee was PaganiniXSchumann, a digital EP release that accompanied a live performance at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center of all 24 Paganini caprices with piano parts written by Robert Schumann.
In Dugan’s performances with his wife, mezzo-soprano Kara Dugan, repertoire ranges from art song to American Songbook to original songs and world premieres. The Dugans have appeared at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, WQXR’s Greene Space, and on PBS Great Performances’ Now Hear This.
As a founding creator of Operation Superpower, a superhero opera for children, Dugan has traveled to dozens of schools in the greater New York area, performing for students and encouraging them to use their talents—their superpowers—for good. He is head of the artist in residence program at pianoSonoma and a founding faculty member of the Resonance and Soundboard Institutes at Honeywell Arts Academy. Dugan holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School, where he studied under Matti Raekallio. He resides in New York City and is a Yamaha Artist.
Leonardo Dugan, composer, writes music that is pioneering in its fusion of contemporary style and classical form. His work has been hailed by critics as “jazz-inflected” as well as “melodic and accessible,” and for making the listener “more inclined to give contemporary composers a chance.” A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s doctoral program in composition, he has been commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Julliard School, Orchestra 2001, Piano4, and others. Recent works include a set of two songs for baritone and piano commemorating World War I, In Flanders Fields, commissioned by the General Delegation of the Government of Flanders to the US, and I Have a Rendezvous with Death, commissioned by the Juilliard School. The set was premiered by Grammy Award–winning baritone John Brancy and pianist and host of NPR’s From the Top Peter Dugan at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and has recently been released on their album The Journey Home.
As an arranger, Dugan has collaborated with legendary singer-songwriter Jesse Colin Young of the Youngbloods, baritone John Brancy and the Kansas City Symphony, violinist Charles Yang, and tenor Ben Gulley, among others. Dugan is a visiting assistant professor of music at Haverford College, and has appeared several times as a guest lecturer for the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Pre-Concert Conversations series. He resides in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Lauren, and their two sets of twins, and teaches private lessons in piano, saxophone, guitar, and composition at the Malvern School of Music and Holy Child Academy.
Nicholas Hersh, conductor, is music director of the Modesto Symphony, having been appointed in August 2023. Across the country, Hersh has earned critical acclaim for his innovative programming and natural ability to connect with musicians and audiences alike, and he was the unanimous choice of the search committee in Modesto. In addition to his work in Modesto, Hersh was named principal conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Academy, the BSO’s celebrated program for adult amateur musicians.
Hersh’s 2025–26 season includes his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic and returns to the Houston and Colorado Symphonies, plus engagements with the Florida Orchestra, Reno Philharmonic, and Tucson Symphony. His 2024–25 season included engagements with the Nashville, Madison, Omaha, and Tucson Symphony Orchestras; and the Florida and Apollo Orchestras. He continues to enjoy a regular relationship with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Recent engagements include the Detroit, Grand Rapids, National, New World, North Carolina, Phoenix, Portland (Maine), Richmond, Utah, and Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestras; Louisiana and Rochester Philharmonics; and the Sarasota Orchestra.
Over a remarkable tenure as associate conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Hersh created the BSO Pulse series, through which he brought together indie bands and orchestral musicians in unique collaborations; he led the BSO in several subscription weeks, and concerts in and around Baltimore; and he directed the BSO’s educational and family programming. Hersh also maintains a close relationship with the National Symphony Orchestra, leading concerts throughout Washington, DC. He stepped in to replace an indisposed Yan Pascal Tortelier, on subscription, togreat acclaim.
Hersh is frequently in demand as an arranger and orchestrator, with commissions from orchestras around the globe for adaptations of everything from classical solo and chamber music to popular songs. His orchestration of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata, op. 69, was premiered by the Philharmonie Zuidnederland in January 2022, while his symphonic arrangement of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” continues to see worldwide success as a viral YouTube hit. He also serves as arranger and editor for the James P. Johnson Orchestra Edition.
Hersh grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and started his musical training as a cellist. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Stanford University and a master’s degree in conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Hersh is also a two-time recipient of the Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, son, and two cats, and in his free time enjoys cooking and baking for family and friends.
Julian Dürr, MM '26, conductor, is a composer, pianist, and conductor whose artistry is underpinned by a collaborative spirit, disciplined work ethic, and an unwavering commitment to building community through music. A native of Redding, California, he began piano lessons early on with Steinway artist Duane Hampton, and began performing in competitions and recitals across the state. His formative years were shaped by the opportunities of the North State; at Shasta College, Dürr studied conducting with Dr. Jeff Specht, piano/choral studies with Dr. Elizabeth Waterbury, and began composing under the mentorship of Jeffrey Hayman.
Dürr earned his Bachelor of Music in Composition from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he studied composition with Dr. Stephen Halloran, classical piano with Dr. Jonathan Bass, and conducting with Larry Issacson. He is currently completing a Master of Music in Conducting under Bruce Hangen, with additional studies in choral conducting under Dr. Steve Spinelli and jazz piano with Pierre Hurel. In Boston, Dürr performs actively with Boston Conservatory’s orchestras and wind ensembles, and with the Boston Philharmonic and Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He has also appeared with the Harvard New Music Ensemble and a wide variety of other Boston-based ensembles, spanning jazz, contemporary, and other genres. As a singer, he has performed with the Boston Lyric Opera Chorus, Back Bay Chorale, and the Boston Conservatory Graduate Choirs.
As conductor, he has served as assistant music director and conductor for Shasta College productions, including The Sound of Music (2023), Guys and Dolls (2025), and The Nutcracker (2025). He has directed community ensembles including the Redding Patriotic Community Band, the Redding Performing Arts Center Orchestra and Choir (The Pirates of Penzance, 2025), the Red Bluff Community Band, and the Lincoln-Sudbury Civic Orchestra.Beyond the concert stage, Dürr is dedicated to education and community engagement. Since 2019, he has taught piano, strings, brass, music theory, and composition at Redding Music School. In sharing his work with others, teaching, and directing ensembles, he strives to create solidarity and companionship—especially for underrepresented folks who may feel isolated or alone in their struggles. Dürr aspires to provide validation, support, and a sense of refuge through music and the arts.
This performance with the Boston Conservatory Orchestra at Symphony Hall marks the culmination of his Master of Music in Conducting.
Christine Le, MM '26, conductor, is a Vietnamese American conductor and music educator driven by her passion for bringing music to all communities. She began conducting during an independent study mentorship program in high school under Maestro Guzman of the Plano Symphony Orchestra. Little did she know the journey she embarked on when she was just a senior would sail her away to Boston’s biggest stage. While studying at the University of Texas at Austin, Maestro Farkhad Khudyev and Maestro Douglas Kinney-Frost served as her conducting teachers. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Conducting at Boston Conservatory with Maestro Bruce Hangen. Recently, Le was honored to work as Maestro Andrew Bisantz’s assistant conductor in Boston Conservatory’s production of Così Fan Tutte.
Playing viola from a young age and participating in various ensembles, such as the Frisco Youth Symphony Orchestra and Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, she established a love for the inner workings of the orchestra. Le graduated with a bachelor’s in music education, receiving the Kopra Endowed Presidential Scholarship. During her undergraduate program, she studied viola with Roger Myers, who influenced her thirst for exploration and commitment to the arts. While working for the UT String Project, she led the early childhood education classes, cultivating the first musical experiences for those under the age of two. She also taught as a string educator for Austin Soundwaves, a non-profit organization committed to making music learning accessible.
In the summer of 2025, Le founded the Act Ensemble, bringing together young musicians to perform in support of local charities. As a woman and Asian American conductor, Le feels privileged to be in a position where her music-making uplifts marginalized voices and speaks to all levels of musicians. She is honored and excited to present her final graduate recital at Boston Symphony Hall, showcasing all she has learned and her achievements yet to come.
Simon Sadiković, MM '26, conductor, is an award-winning conductor and composer from Boston, Massachusetts. He received his Bachelor of Music in Composition from Berklee College of Music and will receive his Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Boston Conservatory in May 2026. He also minored in psychology, with a specialization in child and adolescent development. Throughout his time at Berklee, Sadiković had the privilege of working as the assistant conductor of the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra as well as assistant music director of the Berklee Motion Picture Orchestra. His work with the Berklee Motion Picture Orchestra enabled the ensemble to grow from 30 musicians to 90, and the ensemble garnered attention from prominent faculty throughout the Berklee community. He was the two-time recipient of Berklee’s conducting award, both of which were the result of a unanimous decision from the entire conducting faculty at the college.
Sadiković has received numerous accolades, including being selected as a finalist for the Respighi Prize in Conducting through the Chamber Orchestra of New York. His conducting career thus far has allowed him to work with numerous orchestras in places such as Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Anchorage, and the United Kingdom. He has been the grateful student of prominent conductors such as Bruce Hangen, John Farrer, Julius Williams, and Francisco Noya. When Sadiković isn’t conducting, he can be found on the airfield, pursuing his other passion of recreational flying.
Ensemble
CONDUCTORS
Julian Dürr, MM '26
Christine Le, MM '26
Simon Sadiković, MM '26
Nicholas Hersh, guest artist
PICCOLO
Rhea Karnic, BM '27
Talley Powell, MM '27
Maggie Stuteville, BM '27
FLUTE
Claressa Castro, BM '28
Rhea Karnick, BM '27
Mia Mravle, BM '27
Talley Powell, MM '27
OBOE
Isabella Guevarra, BM '28
Christopher Mavrogian MM '26
Jesse Myers, BM '26
J.D. Uchal, MM '26
ENGLISH HORN
Jesse Myers, BM '26
CLARINET
Jessie Cho, BM '29
Kristina Nie, MM '27
Kevin Song, BM '28
Julia Spretty, BM '27
Nathan Soric, MM '26
BASS CLARINET
Jessie Cho, BM '29
Kristina Nie, MM '27
BASSOON
Matthew Gaudio, BM '28
Carson Saponaro, BM '26
Kyle Sodman, GPD '26
Alexander Weber, BM '27
CONTRABASSOON
Alexander Weber, BM '27
HORN
Holly Fullerton, BM '26
Drew Lingenfelter, BM '28
Cameron McCarty, GPD '27
Ricardo Verde, BM '26
Zach Watson, BM '27
Felicity Zhao, BM '29
TRUMPET/CORNET
Emilly Dillon, DM '27
Charlotte Berube-Gray, BM '25
Teddy Mason, MM '27
Freddie Poor, BM '27
Elliot Wlasiuk, BM '27
TROMBONE
Takumi Crary, BM '29
Collin Good, BM '26
Collin Hawkinson, BM '28
Cole MacEwen, BM '28
Kevin Smith, MM '26
Sum Ho Tsui, BM '27
BASS TROMBONE
Collin Good, BM '26
TUBA
Clayton Frank, BM '27
Lowrider James, BM '27
PERCUSSION
Dustyn Carter, BM '27
Yuth Cañizalez, BM '28
Tianyu Guo, BM '29
John Hanchey, BM '27
Tripp Haynes, MM '27
Henry Hutchison, BM '29
Penghe Liu, BM '28
Slaton Meador, BM '28
Camdyn Miles, BM '29
Ashton Pender, BM '29
Dennis Smith, BM '27
Jack Tarpley, BM '28
HARP
Claudia Moreno Fraile, MM '26
Yinong Zhang, BM '28
PIANO
Mac Muehlberger, MM '27
VIOLIN I
Anna Vittoria Furlanetto, GPD '26
Jocelyn A. Wang, MM '26
Lauren Oeser, MM '27
Spencer Lee, MM '26
Annabelle Lee, BM '27
Jules Rabinalek, BM '29
Ha-Min Lee, BM '29
Emily Tang, MM '26
Stella Feliberti, BM '27
Raylene DeBenedictis, BM '29
Zhuoma Jianyong, MM '26
Mia Widner, BM '29
Tony Hsu, MM '27
Davis Albayeros, BM '29
VIOLIN II
Joshua Rosenthal, BM '26
Tess Reed, BM '27
Youngmi Hwang, GPD '26
Isabelle Parker, BM '28
Acadia Kunkel, BM '28
Yuang Zhang, BM '29
Brianna Ingber, MM '27
Fang-yu Lin, MM '26
Pippin Forrest, BM '27
Serene Sung, BM '28
Lazaro Manzano, GPD '27
Tony Li, MM '26
Shuyi Huang, MM '26
VIOLA
Emily Tardiff-Rodriguez, MM '26
Jocelyn Scully, BM '28
Dylan Cohen, BM '28
Lydia Tan, MM '26
Katy Rose Bennett, MM '26
Julian Bernal, BM '27
Webb Hiaasen, BM '27
Maya Hartglass, BM '27
CELLO
Ethan Lee, BM '27
An-Chi Tsou, MM '29
Danielle Hall, MM '26
Davis Mann, BM '27
Will Rawlinson, BM '27
Shuo-I Hsiao, BM '29
Ningrui Bu, MM '27
Gretchen Grossert, BM '29
Tyler Hsu, BM '29
Juan Suarez Carmona, BM '29
Abigail Clifford, BM '29
Mac Muehlberger, MM '27
BASS
Gabriel de los Reyes, BM '27
Zakar Basan, BM '27
Josiah Baiza, BM '29
Joe Holt^
SOLOIST
Peter Dugan
^Faculty artist
Julian Dürr, MM '26
Christine Le, MM '26
Simon Sadiković, MM '26
Nicholas Hersh, guest artist
PICCOLO
Rhea Karnic, BM '27
Talley Powell, MM '27
Maggie Stuteville, BM '27
FLUTE
Claressa Castro, BM '28
Rhea Karnick, BM '27
Mia Mravle, BM '27
Talley Powell, MM '27
OBOE
Isabella Guevarra, BM '28
Christopher Mavrogian MM '26
Jesse Myers, BM '26
J.D. Uchal, MM '26
ENGLISH HORN
Jesse Myers, BM '26
CLARINET
Jessie Cho, BM '29
Kristina Nie, MM '27
Kevin Song, BM '28
Julia Spretty, BM '27
Nathan Soric, MM '26
BASS CLARINET
Jessie Cho, BM '29
Kristina Nie, MM '27
BASSOON
Matthew Gaudio, BM '28
Carson Saponaro, BM '26
Kyle Sodman, GPD '26
Alexander Weber, BM '27
CONTRABASSOON
Alexander Weber, BM '27
HORN
Holly Fullerton, BM '26
Drew Lingenfelter, BM '28
Cameron McCarty, GPD '27
Ricardo Verde, BM '26
Zach Watson, BM '27
Felicity Zhao, BM '29
TRUMPET/CORNET
Emilly Dillon, DM '27
Charlotte Berube-Gray, BM '25
Teddy Mason, MM '27
Freddie Poor, BM '27
Elliot Wlasiuk, BM '27
TROMBONE
Takumi Crary, BM '29
Collin Good, BM '26
Collin Hawkinson, BM '28
Cole MacEwen, BM '28
Kevin Smith, MM '26
Sum Ho Tsui, BM '27
BASS TROMBONE
Collin Good, BM '26
TUBA
Clayton Frank, BM '27
Lowrider James, BM '27
PERCUSSION
Dustyn Carter, BM '27
Yuth Cañizalez, BM '28
Tianyu Guo, BM '29
John Hanchey, BM '27
Tripp Haynes, MM '27
Henry Hutchison, BM '29
Penghe Liu, BM '28
Slaton Meador, BM '28
Camdyn Miles, BM '29
Ashton Pender, BM '29
Dennis Smith, BM '27
Jack Tarpley, BM '28
HARP
Claudia Moreno Fraile, MM '26
Yinong Zhang, BM '28
PIANO
Mac Muehlberger, MM '27
VIOLIN I
Anna Vittoria Furlanetto, GPD '26
Jocelyn A. Wang, MM '26
Lauren Oeser, MM '27
Spencer Lee, MM '26
Annabelle Lee, BM '27
Jules Rabinalek, BM '29
Ha-Min Lee, BM '29
Emily Tang, MM '26
Stella Feliberti, BM '27
Raylene DeBenedictis, BM '29
Zhuoma Jianyong, MM '26
Mia Widner, BM '29
Tony Hsu, MM '27
Davis Albayeros, BM '29
VIOLIN II
Joshua Rosenthal, BM '26
Tess Reed, BM '27
Youngmi Hwang, GPD '26
Isabelle Parker, BM '28
Acadia Kunkel, BM '28
Yuang Zhang, BM '29
Brianna Ingber, MM '27
Fang-yu Lin, MM '26
Pippin Forrest, BM '27
Serene Sung, BM '28
Lazaro Manzano, GPD '27
Tony Li, MM '26
Shuyi Huang, MM '26
VIOLA
Emily Tardiff-Rodriguez, MM '26
Jocelyn Scully, BM '28
Dylan Cohen, BM '28
Lydia Tan, MM '26
Katy Rose Bennett, MM '26
Julian Bernal, BM '27
Webb Hiaasen, BM '27
Maya Hartglass, BM '27
CELLO
Ethan Lee, BM '27
An-Chi Tsou, MM '29
Danielle Hall, MM '26
Davis Mann, BM '27
Will Rawlinson, BM '27
Shuo-I Hsiao, BM '29
Ningrui Bu, MM '27
Gretchen Grossert, BM '29
Tyler Hsu, BM '29
Juan Suarez Carmona, BM '29
Abigail Clifford, BM '29
Mac Muehlberger, MM '27
BASS
Gabriel de los Reyes, BM '27
Zakar Basan, BM '27
Josiah Baiza, BM '29
Joe Holt^
SOLOIST
Peter Dugan
^Faculty artist
Concert Services Staff
Assistant Director, Concert Services – Luis Herrera
Coordinator, Concert Services – Matthew Carey
Concert Production Manager – Kendall Floyd
Performance Technology Technicians – Sara Pagiaro, Goran Daskalov
Coordinator, Concert Services – Matthew Carey
Concert Production Manager – Kendall Floyd
Performance Technology Technicians – Sara Pagiaro, Goran Daskalov
Boston Conservatory thanks audience members for viewing this program information online. This paperless program saved 300 sheets of paper, 31 gallons of water, and 27 pounds of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.
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