Photos by donnio
David Ramadanoff's downbeat for the Vallejo Symphony's season-opening concert "Ludwig in Paradise" on Oct. 8 will mark two remarkable, contrasting events: the 80th season for the orchestra of a small city (pop. 117,000), and a comeback from last year's seemingly terminal money problems.
Preparations for the Feb. 26, 1931, inaugural concert began four years before by Julius Weyand — who was to become the first music director — organizing and rehearsing local musicians. It's important to note the date that came exactly halfway between the first rehearsal in 1927 in a living room and the debut concert in the Veterans War Memorial Auditorium. That was Oct. 29, 1929, or Black Tuesday, the official beginning of the Great Depression. Speaking of which, it was during the Great Recession of 2008-2010 (assuming it's over) that Vallejo Symphony — and many orchestras everywhere — felt a crescendo of economic stress from declining revenue and donations.
Things got bad enough in Vallejo that the orchestra's last season was cut short when the board president said that "there's no money to pay for the remaining concerts."
But here it is, the resurgent orchestra observing its past and making its way to the future. How? Part of rebuilding, says orchestra publicist Tim Zumwalt, is to change venues:
We are in two new places this season, Empress Theater and Touro University (Mare Island). We held several community forum/retreat style meetings and did a listening tour. People consistently complained about our venue (Hogan High), so we moved. These venues are smaller, but much nicer. Otherwise, we've worked very, very hard on fundraising and convincing our public that we were going to have a comeback for season 80. They have extended much support, money, and good will toward their symphony.
The Oct. 8 concert in the Empress Theater will have Beethoven's Prometheus Overture and Symphony No. 8, Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, with guitarist Paul Psarras as soloist.
On March 25, in the Mare Island venue, Ramadanoff conducts Rossini's Semiramide Overture and Brahms' Symphony No. 4; Pamela Martin (Mrs. Ramadanoff) conducts Faure's Pavane.
To quote David Ramadanoff:
Among changes that have taken place during my 28-year portion of the Vallejo Symphony’s 80-year history, the most remarkable has been the gradual evolution of a fine community orchestra into a wonderful professional orchestra. We have given memorable performances of music ranging from Mozart, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky, to "African Portraits" and Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Among the smaller professional orchestras in the Bay Area, the Vallejo Symphony has had to learn to produce vibrant and exciting concerts of many kinds of music with very limited rehearsal.
Ramadanoff is VSO's sixth music director. He won the conductor search season of "Five Batons" in 1982-1983. The orchestra consists of 54 players, but — thanks to the resources of the Freeway Philharmonic of "mobile musicians" — it can be expanded, as it was for Mahler as few years back.
VSO is a professional orchestra: All players receive service pay and travel allowances. It's not a union orchestra, but the administration, says Zumwalt, "observes best industry practices, and there is a demand for playing with the orchestra. Auditions are competitive, usually five players for one chair."
Concertmaster Kathleen Comalli Dillon speaks of the music director with high praise and provides an insight into the backstage atmosphere:
David went to Cleveland Orchestra concerts from his youth and absorbed the energy between Joseph Gingold and George Szell. Because David had the impeccable musical upbringing he did, including his years with the San Francisco Symphony, he has always brought me bowings from incredibly accomplished concertmasters of orchestras such as St Louis Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony, among others. These solve our Vallejo Symphony bowing problems in the most intelligent way possible.David is solid, trustworthy, giving, and driven to deliver his best at all times. He’s a reasonable person who checks his ego at the door. He’s known around the Bay Area for his integrity.
One of our favorite traditions at the Vallejo Symphony is string principals’ bowing rehearsals, where we decide tempi, articulation, strokes, and other details with David. There is just a string quintet and David in an informal setting, resolving technical and artistic issues together. This has created a camaraderie and unity of ensemble unique among Bay Area orchestras. Everyone is treated as an equal and has a wonderful time creating a blueprint for the tutti orchestra rehearsals that follow.