UPDATES:
The Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann Memorial fund is complete and we can not thank you enough for the generosity you all have shown! The Legacy Wall is in the works and we will be providing updates on its completion as they come along.
Donations of $2,500 or more may still be added to the Legacy Wall following its conclusion.
We are also thrilled to announce that the GZ Fund will be sponsoring MasterWorks IV: All Things Majestic for the 2024-2025 season.
Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann Memorial Fund
Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann, who led the Canton Symphony Orchestra (CSO) for over four decades, passed away on June 10, 2023, at the age of 77. In honor of his enduring legacy, the CSO established the Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann Memorial Fund, which successfully reached its goal through the generous support of the community. The fund will sponsor a MasterWorks concert each season in perpetuity under Gerhardt’s name. Additionally, a “Legacy Wall” is being created within the Zimmermann Symphony Center to commemorate his contributions. The CSO’s 2024-2025 season includes MasterWorks IV: All Things Majestic, sponsored by the GZ Fund, reflecting the organization’s ongoing commitment to celebrating Maestro Zimmermann’s impact on the musical community.
In a generous act of support, the estate of William P. Blair, III, who passed away on February 2, 2023, has donated $100,000 to the Canton Symphony Orchestra. This contribution is designated as a matching gift for the Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann Memorial Fund, effectively doubling the impact of individual donations. The matching campaign commenced on September 19, 2023, and concluded on June 30, 2024. Thanks to the community’s generosity, the campaign successfully met its goal, ensuring the endowment of a MasterWorks concert each season in perpetuity under Maestro Zimmermann’s name.
The GZ Memorial Concert
Presenting Sponsors:
Bill and Pearl Lemmon
Robert Leibensperger
This concert was entirely dedicated to Gerhardt’s legacy. We performed his favorite pieces and have them conducted by friends and colleagues who are able to join us. It featured the full orchestra and images from his life were projected on stage. Part of this celebration included testimonials from all who shared with us during this difficult time.
Program
FIRST HALF
Rienzi Overture…………………………………………………………..Richard Wagner
Stefan Sanders, conducting
Piano Concerto No. 1, Mvmt 2…………………………..Johannes Brahms
Norman Krieger, piano
JoAnn Falletta, conducting
Dancing Wheels: Symphony No. 5, Mvmt 4………………Gustav Mahler
Video of 2015 performance and speech from Mary Fletcher, President/Founding Artistic Director of The Dancing Wheels.
Vergnügungszug, Op.281……………………………………..Johann Strauss Jr.
John Vincent Russo, conducting
Theme to ‘Schindler’s List‘………………………………………John Williams
Nathan Olson, violin
Stefan Sanders, conducting
SECOND HALF
Die Fledermaus Overture…………………………………..Johann Strauss Jr.
John Vincent Russo, conducting
Symphony No. 4, Mvmt 4……………………………………………..Gustav Mahler
Jacqueline Culpepper, soprano
JoAnn Falletta, conducting
RONDO IN A MAJOR…………………………………….Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sara Davis Buechner, piano
Peter Stafford Wilson, conducting
Symphony No. 5, Mvmt 2…………………………….Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Wesley Schulz, conducting
Symphony No. 7, Mvmt 4………………………………..Ludwig van Beethoven
Matthew Jenkins Jaroszewicz, conducting
THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU……………………………..Arr. Peter Lutkin
Douglas Beery, conducting
Nimrod from Enigma Variations……………………………………………………………………………..Edward Elgar
Wesley Schulz, conducting