Remembering Tokitae A Musical Odyssey

Description

The odyssey begins with “Circuits”, a churning, propulsive exercise of orchestral momentum written by Cindy McTee. A native of Tacoma and former professor at Pacific Lutheran University, McTee is said to "have a compositional style that celebrates the musical and cultural energy of modern-day America."
 
A highlight of this concert is Nicholas Sassé 2023 composition, “80x35x20.” The title is derived by the “whale bowl” tank size that resident orca Tokitae spent the majority of her life until her death in 2023.  Tokitae was an estimated three to six years old in 1970 when she was captured from her ancestral waters in Penn Cove. Written while Sassé was a music composition student at Central Washington University, these performances will mark the professional premiere of this emotionally-charged work. 
 
The “Pastoral” Sixth Symphony is one of Beethoven’s most overtly programmatic works. Yet, the music does not attempt to tell a literal story. Instead, it evokes the aura of nature. Nonetheless, there is tone-painting in the Pastoral Symphony– bird calls, babbling brooks, peasant dances, and even a thunderstorm. First performed in 1808, Beethoven was a lover of nature who spent a great deal of his time on walks in the country.  Over time the work has become one of the most popular of Beethoven’s symphonies and was animated in the 1940 Disney classic film Fantasia.