Concerto Competition Concert
Concerto Competition Concert
Concerto Competition Concert
Program
Under his baton, the TCU Symphony and the FWYO have achieved exceptional levels of recognition in Fort
Worth and abroad. Both groups have traveled on numerous international tours, obtaining enthusiastic reviews,
including repeat invitations as the featured orchestra to engagements such as the Iberoamerican Music Festival
in Puerto Rico, and the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in San Antonio. With the TCU
Symphony, Maestro Gutiérrez has also conducted the world premiere of more than fifty contemporary works.
In 2017, Maestro Gutiérrez led the FWYO on a tour of Europe that included performances at Salzburg’s
Mozarteum, Eisenstadt’s Esterházy Palace in Austria, and a concert in Prague.
Maestro Gutiérrez holds Músico Bachiller and Maestro en Música degrees from the Tolima Conservatory in
Colombia. He also received a master’s degree from Illinois State University and a doctoral degree from the
University of Northern Colorado. In recognition of his achievements, Dr. Gutierrez was included in the Hall of
Fame of Illinois State University and was invited to give the Commencement speech in May 2018. For his
involvement and dedication to TCU, Maestro Gutiérrez received the Dean’s Teaching Award (1999), the
Dean’s Award for Research and Creative Activity (2002), and the 2003 Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished
Research and Creative Activity, the highest award that the university bestows.
Mitchell Manlapig
During his undergraduate at Oklahoma Baptist University, Mr. Manlapig served as assistant conductor for the
OBU/Shawnee Community Orchestra. He additionally garnered conducting appearances with wind ensembles,
chamber groups, and choirs, and was selected as conductor for a full-length production of Mozart’s Die
Zauberflöte. As an acclaimed pianist, Mr. Manlapig is a two-time winner of OBU’s annual Concerto-Aria
competition. Upon earning a Bachelor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance in 2020, Mr. Manlapig also
received both the Outstanding Senior in the Division of Music and the W.P. Blake Award, the highest award
given to a senior at OBU. He also held several choir directorships throughout his time in Oklahoma.
In addition to his studies at TCU, Mr. Manlapig holds a job shadow with the assistant conductor of the Fort
Worth Symphony Orchestra, Taichi Fukumura. Mr. Manlapig has studied conducting with Dr. Germán
Gutiérrez at TCU, Dr. Jun Kim and Dr. John Climer at UWM, and with Dr. Teresa Purcell and Dr. Christopher
Mathews at OBU. He was also selected as a participant in the 2021 Chicago Conducting Masterclass with
Donald Schleicher.
Angela María Lara Cabrera
The Colombian percussionist Angela María Lara Cabrera
has been considered an outstanding musician because of her
versatility, creating a musical career that joins the symphonic
and popular percussion in different contexts. At an early age,
she began her musical studies at the Public System of Musical
Studies in her hometown, where she was trained as a
percussionist and was a member of different ensembles. Later,
she was admitted to the Conservatory of Music of the National
University of Colombia in Bogotá, where she got her Bachelor
of Music Performance in percussion with maestro Mario Sarmiento. In addition, she has received masterclasses
from internationally renowned percussionists such as Fernando Meza, Slavik Stakhov, Katarzyna Mycka,
Conrado Moya, Alejandro Ruiz, Martín Piechota, Eriko Minami, and others.
During her career, she has been a member of symphonic orchestras and bands, including the Colombian
Youth Symphonic Band in 2013 and 2015, the Youth Philharmonic Band of the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra,
and the Colombian Youth Philharmonic in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons, making her debut in
some of the most emblematic theaters in Colombia, Germany, Austria, and Netherlands, such as the
Konzerthaus Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie, the Musikverein in Vienna and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
Finally, she has attended several festivals and competitions such as the Festival of Youth Orchestras in
Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2008, the Laboramusic Festival in Alicante, Spain in 2011, the Young Euro Classic
in its XVII and XXIII versions, the Percussion Festival of Ibague, the XIII Cartagena Music Festival, and the
Percussion Arts Society International Convention, performing at the showcase concert. Her recognitions include
the award for Best Musician in the Paipa National Band Contest, second place in the 2018 RaZam International
Percussion Competition, and being selected as a soloist in the Serie of Young Performers of Banco de la República
de Colombia in 2022. Currently, she is studying for an Artist Diploma in percussion at Texas Christian University
in the United States, after winning a full scholarship from the Bogota’s Interpretation Award.
Wonjin Choi
Wonjin Choi, Korean Tenor, is in Vocal Performance MM of Texas
Christian University with a full scholarship award. He graduated from the
Korea National University of Arts, with a Bachelor of Music, at the top of
the Department of Music. He had a successful opera debut, singing
Rodolfo in Puccini's opera La Boheme at KimSun international opera
company, in Seoul, South Korea in 2020. He had performed Ernesto in
Don Pasquale, Fadinard in Il Cappello di Paglia di Firenze, Hermosa in
The Island of Tulipatan, etc. He placed first prize in singer of the year at
the TEXOMA NATS competition in 2022 and received an
encouragement award from The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Minnesota
District Competition in 2022. Also, he received a diploma from Riccardo
Muti Academy [La Traviata] in 2016.
Noah has a passion for performing living and under-represented composers’ works. In his solo recitals at
TCU, he has performed works by multiple women, including Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata, and two
movements of Jennifer Higdon’s Grammy-winning Viola Concerto. He hopes to be able to perform modern
classical music by under-represented composers as a staple of his repertoire in the future while helping to find
ways to support new composers entering the work field.
In addition to the viola, he has expanded his studies to include jazz singing due to his involvement in TCU’s
Purple, White and Blues Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dr. Amy Stewart. He received an Outstanding
Soloist award from the Kansas City Jazz Summit, as the jazz ensemble performed for the online conference and
was judged by the world-renowned New York Voices last Spring. He has the desire to incorporate as much of
his musical spheres into his career as possible and looks forward to collaborating with all kinds of musicians
and artists. He recently graduated from Texas Christian University in 2021 with his Bachelor’s of Music in
Viola Performance, graduating with honors, and will be graduating in May 2023 with his Master’s in Music in
Viola Performance. He currently serves as Co-Principal Viola of the McKinney Philharmonic and violist in the
Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra.
Violin I Double Bass Horn
Samuel Rolim* Brazil Tommy Pusateri San Antonio, TX James Brandt League City, TX
Karah Cruse Roanoke, TX Peidong Li Tianjin, China Megan Kraus Arlington, TX
Lucas Raulino Brazil Iván Yael Talancón Flores Mexico Emily Martin Cortez, CO
Allie Siegwald Kansas City, KS Blaine Bryan Fort Worth, TX Joshua Wheeler Edmond, OK
Henry Haas Dallas, TX Kaleb Comstock San Antonio, TX
Joao Pérez Puerto Rico Jack Montesinos Austin, TX
Alexia Wixom Fort Worth, TX Chengjin Tian Shanghai, China Trumpet
Joey Tullis Fort Worth, TX Hannah Baer New Braunfels, TX
Preston Robertson Fort Worth, TX Michael Strobel. Colleyville, TX
Crystal Hernandez Newport Beach, CA Piccolo
Chase Morrison Argyle, TX Alexandra Langley Lindsay, TX
Paige Jackson Plano, TX Trombone
Xander Byrd Prosper, TX
Violin II David Clary Pflugerville, TX
Lev Ryadchenko Russia Flute
Elijah Vn-Hao Ong Arlington, TX Ethan Dempsey Porter, TX
Daniel Compton Frisco, TX Nikkie Galindo Midland, TX Bass Trombone
Rima Abram Coppell, TX Alexandra Langley Lindsay, TX Brendan Roth Thibodaux, LA
Andres Bravo Canedo La Par, Bolivia Paige Jackson Plano, TX
Juan Pablo de León Mexico
Eden Agabs Summit, NJ Tuba
Mia Vu Rockwall, TX Oboe Collin Elmore Irving, TX
Alexis Lizama Katy, TX Samantha Ely Crowley, TX
Amanda Ochranek Southlake, TX Lauren Hanifan The Colony, TX
Gloria Viera Irving, TX Katie Lilley Fort Worth, TX Timpani/Percussion
Isaac Chiang Flower Mound, TX
Josh Foust Muscle Shoals, AL
Viola Clarinet Eric Goodheer Abilene, TX
Hope Ward Tallahassee, FL Tania Betancourt Colombia Luke Hammond Austin, TX
Lyndsey Walker Arlington, TX Demitri Halasa Arlington, TX Andréa Phillips Watauga, TX
Jacob Burk Hurst, TX Lucas Lynn Houston, TX Austin Probst Frisco, TX
Elissa Hengst Boone, NC Diego A. Torres Reyes Bogota, Colombia Gabe Sanchez McAllen, TX
Christian Ruelas San Antonio, TX
Holly LeMoine Fort Worth, TX
Bassoon Harp
Matt Assis Garland, TX Augusta Walsh. Frisco, TX
Cello Dorian Holley Hurst, TX
Giuliano Bucheli San Antonio, TX
Max Healy San Antonio, TX
Emily Torkelson. Dousman, WI Contrabassoon
Grady O’Gara San Roman, CA Robert Rudolph North Richland Hills, TX
Alejandra Ramirez Carrollton, TX
Natalie Benefield Fort Worth, TX
Edna Rincón Colombia
Alexander J. Jaime Frisco, TX
Riley Kee Tomball, TX
*Concertmaster
Program Notes
In 1984, Séjourné joined the Conservatoire percussion faculty and began composing. An early work
achieving wide recognition was the incidental music for the play La Légende Des Siècles based on Victor
Hugo’s epic poem, for which Séjourné received the Best Music for Drama award at the 1985 Avignon
Festival. His compositions are influenced by a combination of musical styles: the European classical
tradition, jazz, rock, and elements from non-western music. Although an active performer, he states, “I
admit that I prefer composing to playing, it gives me more satisfaction. I feel more pride for achievements
that come out of my imagination than those that come out of know-how.”
Concerto for Vibraphone and String Orchestra, composed in 1999, was commissioned by the Vibraphone
International Competition and premiered by the Orchestra of the Auvergne with the composer on
vibraphone. Three versions of this concerto exist one for vibraphone and piano, a second arranged and
premiered in 2002 for vibraphone and five percussionists, and the original version with string orchestra
performed tonight. Characteristics in this piece commonly heard in Séjourné’s music are the accented
rhythms of the second movement and the first movement’s hypnotic ostinato in the strings—reminiscent
of non-western cultures—which supports an opening vibraphone melody played with two double bass
bows.
Che gelida manina is heard in Act I. The opera opens with Rodolfo and two of his three artisan
roommates, shivering in their garret. When the fourth enters with wood, food, and money, three
roommates leave to celebrate, leaving Rodolfo. Opening the door to a timid knock, he meets Mimi seeking
a light for her candle. Mimi has a coughing fit, drops her key, and Rodolfo’s candle also goes out, leaving
the room pitch-dark. Rodolfo silently finds her key but continues crawling about the floor pretending to
search. He finds Mimi’s ice-cold hand and as he warms it introduces himself, singing che gelida manina
(“Your tiny hand is frozen”). This aria introduces two motives that Puccini associates with Rodolfo, its
opening motive, and the motive at the climax of the aria, Talor dal mio forziere…“Two beautiful eyes have
robbed the jewels from my strongbox.” The Talor dal mio motive represents their love. It reoccurs in the
following love duet and returns in Act III in the violins.