Dr. Robert Ritsema led the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra from 1978 to 2001. When news came of his passing last year, current director Andrew Koehler acknowledged the loss in remarks during the spring program, but the upcoming concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb 15 at Chenery Auditorium will be a more complete tribute, Koehler tells Cara Lieurance.
The carefully programmed concert opens with the Allegretto from Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. There’s a Philadelphia Orchestra tradition from the Eugene Ormandy era, where this movement served as an internal memorial when orchestra members passed away. Koehler learned of the tradition during his formative years as a young violinist in the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra.
The program goes on to feature several works connected to Ritsema's tenure. Dmitri Kabalevsky's Colas Breugnon Overture opens the second half—the same piece that launched Ritsema's first concert as music director. Anne Francis, a professional cellist who played under Ritsema, suggested including Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze," which Ritsema frequently programmed to “settle” the players.
Two KJSO prep string orchestras, programs Ritsema established, join the main ensemble for the Bach and Benjamin Britten's “Sentimental Saraband” from Simple Symphony. "That too is part of his legacy," Kohler explains of the preparatory orchestras, now led by Audrey Lipsey.
The concert concludes with Wagner's Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, chosen for its theme of inspiring younger musicians—paralleling Ritsema's impact on thousands of students during his 23-year tenure.
The program also features 14-year-old cellist Oliver Mar, 2025 Stulberg Bronze Medalist from New Zealand, performing Elgar's Cello Concerto. Kohler notes the work's contemplative nature fits the memorial theme, as Ritsema was himself a cellist.
Tickets and information are available at kjso.org.
The interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.
