Meet the MSO: Rob Patterson, clarinet

Meet the MSO: Rob Patterson, clarinet

We’re bringing the stage to you! We asked Rob Patterson, clarinet for the MSO, a few questions about his experience with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra thus far, what he’s looking forward to and more about himself: from his favorite school subject, and his answer to the question: dogs or cats? Read on and learn more about your Modesto Symphony Orchestra!

MSO: Tell us about yourself, and how you came to play with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra?

I came to Modesto in a very round about way. I met Matthew Oshida, the orchestra’s personnel manager, while we were both playing with the Huntsville (AL) Symphony. We both were from out of town and needed rides so we bonded quickly. After that Matthew started asking me to come out to Modesto. It seemed crazy (I was living in Washington DC at the time) but I figured it would be a fun adventure and I’d get to also visit my older brother in San Francisco. I had so much fun that I’ve been coming back ever since!

Rob Patterson (back left), clarinet. circa 2018

MSO: What is your favorite memory playing with the MSO so far?

My favorite memory so far was playing basset horn on the Mozart Requiem last season. I had never played a basset horn before and it was a great adventure. The guy playing second basset horn with me is now in the New York Philharmonic, so it really was a great experience!

MSO: What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the 2023/2024 season?

The Copland Concerto will be a season highlight for me, what a treat to play such a beautiful piece of music with my friends.

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Get to know ROB!

Besides music, what was your favorite subject in school?
I love languages, I finished the Spanish program in my high school early so I started up French as well! I have several of Chinese speaking students and am currently working on my Chinese with DuoLingo, boy is that hard…

What sport would you play in the Olympics? I would compete in Squash, which will officially become an Olympic sport in 2028!

Olive, calico cat and Dewey, beagle

Dogs or cats?
Both. I have a beagle named Dewey and a calico named Olive.

Go to the beach, or go to the mountains?
Sorry to dodge the question again, but both! I have a lot of family in Colorado and I love hiking there. When I go to the beach though I love just completely letting go and basking in the sun. If I’m in a good spot for it, I do love to go snorkeling.

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Come see Rob play on stage, and meet him along with the rest of the orchestra at Symphonic Soundtrack this March 15th and 16th at the Gallo Center for the Arts!

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Meet the MSO: Don Grishaw, violin

Meet the MSO: Don Grishaw, violin

We’re bringing the stage to you! We asked Don Grishaw, violinist for the MSO and MSYO Concert Orchestra conductor, a few questions about his experience with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra thus far, what he’s looking forward to and more about himself: from his secret talent to his own ‘theme music’. Read on and learn more about your Modesto Symphony Orchestra!

MSO: Tell us about yourself, and how you came to play with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra?

Don Grishaw (circled), violinist, circa 1990s.

I auditioned for the Modesto Symphony when I arrived in Turlock in 1982. The conductor at that time was Sandor Salgo. I have been a member of the violin section ever since. I also conduct the Concert Orchestra division of the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra. I am a retired public-school educator. I taught Music and Spanish at the secondary level and bilingual education classes at the elementary level. I am married to my beautiful wife, Angelica, and I have two grown children, Elizabeth and Andrew. We are all musicians.

Don (center), pictured with (left-to-right) daughter-in-law Paige & son, Andrew; wife, Angelica; and daughter, Elizabeth

MSO: What is your favorite memory playing with the MSO so far?

I have many favorite memories of playing with the Modesto Symphony, but I think my favorite memory is when my son Andrew Grishaw performed as a viola soloist with the symphony in 2019. He played the Violet Viola Concerto composed and conducted by David Lockington. It was heartwarming to hear my son play so passionately and to be on stage with him.

MSO: What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the 2023/2024 season?

I enjoy every concert. I enjoy performing new pieces and I enjoy performing pieces that I have played many times before. This season I am most looking forward to performing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in May. This work amazes me more and more every time I perform it! Beethoven truly speaks to us through music in this great masterpiece.

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Get to know don!

If you weren’t a conductor/musician, what would you want to be?
I have been an educator all my life, so I would choose teaching.

What instrument(s) do you play? Violin, viola, and piano

What would be the theme music to your life? “Gema” sung by Los Dandys.  It is a beautiful love song in Spanish that my wife and I call “our song”.

What are you binge-watching right now? I like crime dramas. S.W.A.T. is my favorite.

Do you have a secret talent? Horses. In my younger days, I worked at a horse pack station in the Sierras guiding summer pack trips.

If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or into the future?
I would go back in time so I could relive the days of the Old West.

Go to the beach, or go to the mountains?
Hard choice, but I would pick the mountains. I love the smell of the mountains and the scenery is always gorgeous.

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Come see Don play on stage, and meet him along with the rest of the orchestra at Symphonic Soundtrack this March 15th and 16th at the Gallo Center for the Arts!

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Get to Know MSO's New Music Director Nicholas Hersh!

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Get to know Nicholas Hersh!

We are so excited for Nicholas Hersh’s to join our Modesto community, and we can’t wait for you to meet him. We asked him to share a bit about himself from what instrument he plays to his favorite pizza topping. Keep reading to learn more about Nicholas!

If you weren’t a conductor/musician, what would you want to be?

Probably an astronomer—I’m fascinated by space and celestial bodies!

Star Wars or Star Trek? Lifelong Star Wars nerd, reporting in

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What instrument do you play?

Cello.

What was the first concert you went to? The first I really remember is The Magic Flute at the Chicago Lyric Opera when I was about 6 or 7.

Besides music, what was your favorite subject in school?
My high school had a fantastic curriculum called Chem-Phys, where you took Chemistry and Physics jointly. I wasn’t great with the Chem, but absolutely loved the Phys!

Dogs or cats?
Love them all, but seeing as I have two cats at home...

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Describe yourself in three words. Curious. Creative. Committed.

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A post shared by Nicholas Hersh (@nicholashersh)

Do you have a secret talent?
Not too secret (see Instagram), but I make sourdough bread.

What is your favorite pizza topping?
Cheese, cheese and more cheese!

What would be the theme music to your life?
John Williams’ “Adventures on Earth” from E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial

Go to the beach, or go to the mountains?
First one, then the other! But I just went skiing for the first time, and I LOVED it.

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Nicholas on joining the MSOA:

“I am beyond thrilled that my first music directorship will be in such a vibrant, music-loving city as Modesto. There was a certain electricity in the Gallo Center when the MSO musicians and I collaborated last year, shared not only onstage but with the audience as well; together we’ll grow that energy, creating bespoke artistic experiences for the entire Modesto community and cementing the role of music education for all ages as a driver of social good.

Orchestral music has endured, and I believe symphonies will continue to serve as a vehicle for great music. You have gathered onstage a group of virtuoso musicians working together toward a unified musical vision, and an audience gathered in the house to take it in. It’s a bit of an odd ritual—this mysterious congregation! But it’s the sense of community the orchestra creates, with every musician and concertgoer participating, that gives an orchestra concert its staying power: when the lights go down and the sound of some eighty acoustic instruments envelops you and those around you...well, there are few words to describe that sensation.”

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Meet Denis Harper!

Meet the MSO

Denis Harper, principal oboe

Meet MSO’s principal oboe,
Denis Harper!

As our principal oboe, Denis Harper has been consistently praised for his performances as a musician. His interpretation of Telemann’s Fantasia in A is proof of his superb talent.

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Program

Georg Philipp Telemann
Fantasia No. 2 in A Minor

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This series is free to all and supported in part by Jeff & Margaret Reed, The Reed Companies and the Reed Foundation. Dates, program, and artists subject to change. E&OE.

If you are experiencing any issues viewing our videos, please visit our FAQ page here or download our FAQ PDF.

Meet Adam Wolf!

Meet the MSO

Adam Wolf, horn

Meet MSO horn,
Adam Wolf!

One of our newest members of the MSO, Adam Wolf brings a brand new spin to a classic Piazzolla piece.

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Program

Astor Piazzolla
Tango Etude No. 3

TANGO-ETUDES (6) by Astor Piazzolla © 1987 Copyright Editions Henry Lemoine, Paris.

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This series is free to all and supported in part by Jeff & Margaret Reed, The Reed Companies and the Reed Foundation. Dates, program, and artists subject to change. E&OE.

If you are experiencing any issues viewing our videos, please visit our FAQ page here or download our FAQ PDF.

Meet the MSO: A Brand New Series

Meet the MSO!

The Modesto Symphony is switching things up for February by introducing a brand-new YouTube series called “Meet the MSO!” This will be a series of short videos highlighting various members of our orchestra as they perform a solo at home just for you! This month, we’re kicking off this series with Katy Juneau, viola; Denis Harper, principal oboe; and Adam Wolf, horn. Stay tuned and make sure to follow us on YouTube & social media to receive notifications of when we post our videos!

Katy Juneau, viola 

Katy Juneau is a long-time member of the MSO and is also the principal viola of the Fremont Symphony, Lamplighter’s Theater Orchestra, and West Edge Opera Festival. In addition to performing regularly with orchestras and chamber ensembles across Northern California, Katy has been in backup groups accompanying all sorts from Wynton Marsalis, Peidmont Community Church, KISS, Bonnie Raitt, Synchronicity Strings, Storm Large, and Josh Groban to playing in the World Classic Baseball Orchestra on the field at AT&T Park. 

This month, she will be sharing two pieces honoring women composers, Ave generosa by Hildegard von Bingen and Deserted Garden by Florence Price where she will be accompanied by her son, Andrew Green on piano. 

Adam Wolf, horn 

Adam Wolf is one of the MSO’s newer members, having won his seat in 2019. He’s an accomplished horn player and composer and has performed with the LA Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, as well as being the Principal Horn for the Redlands Symphony. Adam has also recorded and performed with many music artists and composers including Miley Cyrus, Will.I.Am, Pete Townsend, Billy Idol, John Debney, Arturo Sandoval, Mark Isham, Jeff Russo, Pinar Toprak, and many more. 

This month, he will be performing Tango Etude No. 3 by Astor Piazzolla. 

Denis Harper,
principal oboe 

As our principal oboe, Denis Harper has been consistently praised for his performances a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. In 2014, we featured Denis as a Soloist in the Boccherini & Bach concert where he performed Concerto for Oboe in E minor by Georg Philipp Telemann. 

This month, he will be performing Telemann’s Fantasia No. 2 in A Minor. 

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This series is free to all and supported in part by Jeff & Margaret Reed, The Reed Companies and the Reed Foundation. Dates, program, and artists subject to change. E&OE.

If you are experiencing any issues viewing our videos, please visit our FAQ page here or download our FAQ PDF.