Central West Ballet
About the Central West Ballet
A resident company of the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, California, this exciting company of versatile dancers produces yearound performances and reaches a large population in California's Central Valley. Established in 1987 by founding Artistic Director Gretchen L. Vogelzang and by Juline Schmitz, founding Director of Juline School of Dance, the company was subsequently guided under the tenures the Artistic Directors of Karen Burns, Bill Lark and Coleen Patterson. Since 2004, Artistic Director René Daveluy and Ballet Mistress Leslie Ann Larson have led the way. Under René Daveluy's directorship, Central West Ballet has produced and furthered a growing number of full-length classics, such as Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Coppelia, The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Giselle, popular story ballets such as Peter Pan, Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Dracula. The Company has also performed ballets by George Balanchine, Val Caniparoli and Ronn Guidi. In 2010, under the leadership of former Executive Director Cynthia Coughlin, the company branched off and moved into its own dedicated studios on Pentecost Drive, North Modesto. Additionally, the Central West Ballet Academy (established in 2014), and CWB II (a trainee company established in 2015), offers serious minded students opportunities to train with an eye toward performance. Central West Ballet believes in the importance of educational outreach to expose all factions of our community to the arts. Since 2018, Executive Director Karin Reenstierna has developped Central West Ballet's outreach programs and Academy operations to include Sensory dance classes for children on the autism spectrum, as well as performances for the deaf and hard of hearing community and special Nutcracker Sensory access performances.
Central West Ballet History
Modesto’s cultural history changed in 1987, when Mrs. Juline Schmitz, Founder of Juline • School of Dance, Mrs. Gretchen L. Vogelzang and Mrs. Debbie Bertucci took on the pioneering job of establishing a ballet company for Modesto and the greater Central Valley. Already an instant hit in the community, Juline • School of Dance was in its twelfth year of existence at the inception of Bravo! Repertory Dance Theatre, geared toward giving local dance talent opportunities for advanced training and performance experience. In a short time, this exciting dance troupe quickly established itself as a distinctive youth ballet company. From its full scale Nutcracker to other full-length ballets such as The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Coppélia, the company became an integral part of other community performing arts groups in Modesto. Its founding Artistic Director, Mrs. Gretchen Vogelzang, became the driving force behind many new works created or staged on the company. On this road to excellence, the Company acquired an Honor Status within the Regional Dance America Association (RDA), paving the way for Modesto to have its own recognized dance institution. On its Tenth Anniversary, the name of the company was changed to Central West Ballet to reflect the growing reach of the company in the Central Valley. In the early 2000s, following the passing of Mrs. Juline Schmitz, Mrs. Debbie Bertucci became the Director of Juline • School of Dance. In 2001, after fifteen years of fulfilling creativity and strong leadership, Gretchen Vogelzang moved to Virginia to become President of the RDA. From 2001 to 2004, Central West Ballet’s artistic directorships included tenures by Karen Burns and Coleen Patterson.
Julian Schwarz, Cello
Julian Schwarz was born to a multigenerational musical family in 1991. Heralded from a young age as a cellist destined to rank among the greatest of the 21st century, Julian’s powerful tone, effortless virtuosity, and extraordinarily large color palate are hallmarks of his style.
After making his concerto debut at the age of 11 with the Seattle Symphony and his father Gerard Schwarz on the podium, he made his US touring debut with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2010. Since being awarded first prize at the inaugural Schoenfeld International String Competition in 2013, he has led an active career as soloist, performing with the symphony orchestras of Annapolis, Boise, Buffalo, Charlotte, Columbus, Des Moines, Hartford, Jacksonville, Louisville, Memphis, Modesto, Omaha, Puerto Rico, Richmond, Rochester, San Antonio, Sarasota, Seattle, Syracuse, Toledo, Tucson, Virginia, West Virginia, Wichita, and Winston-Salem, among others. Internationally, he made his Australian debut with the Queensland Symphony, his Mexican debuts with the Boca del Rio Philharmonic in Veracruz and the Mexico City Philharmonic with frequent collaborator Jorge Mester, and his Hong Kong debut at the Intimacy of Creativity Festival. He has also appeared at the Salzburg Mozarteum, and the Verbier festival in Switzerland.
As a chamber musician, Mr. Schwarz performs extensively in recital with pianist Marika Bournaki. In 2016 the Schwarz-Bournaki duo was awarded first prize at the inaugural Boulder International String Competition’s “The Art of Duo”, and subsequently embarked on an extensive 10-recital tour of China in March 2017. Mr. Schwarz is a founding member of the New York based Frisson Ensemble (a mixed nonet of winds and strings), and the Mile-End Trio with violinist Jeff Multer and Ms. Bournaki. He performs frequently at Bargemusic in Brooklyn with violinist Mark Peskanov, on the Frankly Music Series in Milwaukee with violinist Frank Almond, as a member of the Palladium Chamber Players in St Petersburg FL, and has appeared at the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, and the Seattle Chamber Music Festival. In addition, he is the co-coordinator of chamber music at Eastern Music Festival, running programming for the Tuesday evening chamber music series.
Julian Schwarz is an ardent supporter of new music, and has premiered concertos by Richard Danielpour and Samuel Jones (recorded with the All Star Orchestra for public television in 2012, subsequently released as a DVD on Naxos). In the 17-18 season, he gave the world premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s first Cello Concerto with a consortium of six orchestras. Other premieres include recital works by Paul Frucht, Scott Ordway, Jonathan Cziner, Gavin Fraser, Alex Weiser, Ofer Ben-Amots, and the US Premiere of Dobrinka Tabakova’s Cello Concerto. On record, he has recorded Bright Sheng’s “Northern Lights” for Naxos, the complete cello/piano works by Ernest Bloch for the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music, and an album of concertos with the Seattle Symphony.
A devoted teacher, Mr. Schwarz serves as Asst. Professor of Cello at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University (Winchester, VA) and on the artist faculty of New York University (NYU Steinhardt). He spends his summers teaching and performing at the Eastern Music Festival (Greensboro, NC). Past faculty appointments include artist-in-residence at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance (Nova Scotia, Canada), faculty teaching assistant to Joel Krosnick at The Juilliard School, and artist-In-residence at the pianoSonoma Festival.
Born in Seattle, WA, Mr. Schwarz studied at the Academy of Music Northwest and the Lakeside School. He continued to the Colburn School in Los Angeles under Ronald Leonard, and then moved to New York City to study with mentor Joel Krosnick at The Juilliard School (BM 14, MM 16). Other influential teachers include the late David Tonkonogui, the late Toby Saks, Lynn Harrell, Neal Cary, and chamber music mentors Andre Roy, Arnold Steinhardt, Jonathan Feldman, Toby Appel and Paul Coletti. Julian plays a Neapolitan cello made by Gennaro Gagliano in 1743 and an American bow made by Paul Martin Siefried. He is an active contributor to Strings Magazine’s Artist Blog, and sits on the music committee of the National Arts Club. A Pirastro artist, he endorses and plays the "Perpetual" medium and edition sets of cello strings. Julian also proudly endorses Melos Rosin.
For more information, go to www.julianschwarz.com.
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Upcoming Performances
John Hillebrandt, piano
John Hillebrandt keeps an active schedule as a pianist, composer and educator. His numerous and highly acclaimed performances each season include solo recitals, chamber music, concertos, and original compositions. He retired in 2011 from California State University, Stanislaus, where his remarkable career as staff accompanist and lecturer for 15 years included more than 500 performances. He has been the Principal Pianist and Keyboardist for the Modesto Symphony Orchestra since 1996, and plays with other regional orchestras including the Sacramento Philharmonic and the “Music in the Mountains” festival orchestra. He has taught many award-winning students, and is a regular adjudicator for the United States Open Music Competition, the Music Teachers’ Association of California, and others. He is also currently teaching online courses through Modesto Junior College, and performs regularly on faculty artist concerts.
Dr. Hillebrandt is the choir director and organist/pianist at First United Methodist Church of Sacramento, where many of his original compositions are heard regularly. Hillebrandt’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra was featured by the Modesto Symphony Orchestra in 2013, and his orchestral composition, “Valley Fever,” was commissioned by the MSO in 2018 as part of Modesto’s Graffiti celebration. He has recently been performing his Twelve Transcendental Hymn-Fantasies to great acclaim, including as the opening concert of the Sacramento State Piano Series’ 2017-2018 season.
Hillebrandt is also an avid skier and mountaineer. His climbs include the Grand Teton, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Whitney; and he has hiked to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite more than 50 times. He has completed one ultramarathon (50 km) and skied the Vallée Blanche in the French Alps, a 20 km glacier ski descent of Mont Blanc.
Upcoming Performances
Stephanie Rawls, MSYO Concert Orchestra Conductor
Stephanie Rawls is the Modesto Youth Symphony Concert Orchestra conductor in Modesto, CA.
Mrs. Rawls attended Modesto Junior College, receiving an A.A. degree in music, before transferring to the University of the Pacific in Stockton. She received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education with an emphasis in violin from the Conservatory of Music in 2000. While attending Pacific she performed with numerous ensembles including a quartet that opened for the Women’s Symphony in San Francisco.
Before coming to back to Modesto, Mrs. Rawls spent several years teaching in San Jose, Stockton, and Manteca where she taught award winning orchestras, Mariachi, band, and general music. In Modesto, she teaches orchestra at James C. Enochs high school. Mrs. Rawls has only been teaching in the MCS district for a few years but grew up involved in the music community. Mrs. Rawls attended Modesto High School (Go Panthers!!) where she was concertmaster. She taught summer lessons to underprivileged students at Mark Twain junior high, and volunteered, yearly, to play at Memorial Hospital. She was also a member of the Modesto Youth Symphony in junior high and high school!
Outside of school, Mrs. Rawls is a high school band mom, a football wife, a mom of a college daughter, a teacher for the Modesto Suzuki Association, and on the board for the (SCMEA) Stanislaus County Music Educators Association. She is excited to join the Modesto Youth Symphony faculty as the new Concert Orchestra conductor! Mrs. Rawls looks forward to providing a fun, safe, and musically challenging place for students to continue to develop as wonderful young adults, expand their knowledge, and express their love and joy for music.
Ella Webb, MSYO Brass Coach
Ms. Webb graduated from the University of the Pacific where she received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with a minor in French horn performance.
She recently retired from the Hughson Unified School District where she worked for forty years. Her duties there included instrumental (concert and jazz bands) at Fox Road Elementary, Emilie Ross Middle School, and Hughson High School. She was named Hughson’s Teacher of the Year Award in 2003-2004 and received the School Bell Award in 2010. In 2015 Mrs. Webb was named one of 23 California Music Educator’s Association State Music Mentors.
In 1994 she began Summer Music at Stanislaus, the music camp at CSU Stanislaus for band, choral, orchestra, and piano students in the 6th through 12th grades. She was camp director until 2002.
She has worked for YES (Youth Entertainment Stage) Company as the orchestra conductor for the past fourteen years.
Ms. Webb has also conducted many honor bands including Madera, Novato, Tuolumne County, San Rafael, Merced, Santa Rosa, Sacramento, and California Music Educator’s Association Bay Section. She has served on the boards of California Band Director’s Association, California Music Educator’s Association, and the Stanislaus County Music Educator’s Association.
In 2016 she received the Stanislaus County Music Educator’s Association Distinguished Service Award and the California Music Educator’s Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
Her professional organizations include California Teacher’s Association, California Music Educator’s Association, National Association for Music Education, Stanislaus County Music Educator’s Association, and California Alliance for Jazz.
Joel Maki, MSYO Percussion Coach
Joel Maki is a skilled percussion coach who is passionate about helping young musicians develop their talents. With years of experience teaching and performing, Joel brings a wealth of knowledge to his work with MSYO. In addition to his role as percussion coach for MSYO, Joel also teaches music for Modesto City Schools. He holds a BM with an emphasis in Jazz Studies from CSU Stanislaus, where he specialized in percussion. As a performer, Joel has played in various settings, including as a pit musician for YES Company. He is also an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy novels and has a keen interest in history and natural sciences. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, hockey, and baseball. Joel's expertise in both music performance and education, combined with his passion for teaching and performing, make him an excellent mentor for young musicians in the MSYO program.
Elizabeth Schwartz, Program Notes Author
Elizabeth Schwartz is a writer and music historian based in Portland, OR. She has been a program annotator for more than 20 years, and her clients include the Oregon Symphony, the Spokane Symphony, and Chamber Music Northwest, among others. Ms. Schwartz has also contributed to NPR’s “Performance Today,” (now heard on American Public Media). www.classicalmusicprogramnotes.com
Elizabeth Schwartz is a writer and music historian based in Portland, OR. She has been a program annotator for more than 20 years, and her clients include the Oregon Symphony, the Spokane Symphony, and Chamber Music Northwest, among others. Ms. Schwartz has also contributed to NPR’s “Performance Today,” (now heard on American Public Media).
Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra
About the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra
Founded in 1976, the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra (MSYO) serves young musicians and their families from more than 40 public and private schools in the Central Valley. Led by a deeply engaged leadership team, the youth orchestra attracts a diverse group of outstanding musicians. Members are presented with the opportunity to share their gift of music in an inspiring and challenging orchestral setting alongside their peers from all social, economic, cultural, and geographical backgrounds. As a program within the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Association (MSO), members also have the invaluable experience of interacting with MSO professional musicians, conductors, and visiting guest artists through workshops, side-by-side performances, and clinics.
The MSYO serves students of varying skill levels and is made up of two full-orchestra (strings, winds, and percussion) groups: Concert Orchestra for grades 5-9 and Symphony Orchestra for grades 9-12. The MSYO Concert Orchestra has toured San Francisco, Sacramento, and the Central Valley. Each spring the Concert Orchestra tours through local elementary schools, providing free performances and advocating for the importance of music education. The MSYO Symphony Orchestra has also performed throughout the United States and abroad, including performances in England, France, Japan, Eastern Europe, Canada, and China. The Symphony Orchestra has previously partnered with the Napa Valley Youth Symphony to perform in the 2012 Mahler Festival in Vienna and for the 2014 New York Phil Young Composers workshop, where they performed at Carnegie Hall and in Central Park.