This Year's
Festival Program
The 2021 Sunflower Music Festival will honor women in music. This expanded project pays homage to females in music and the arts through showcasing both past and contemporary female composers, current female performers and soloists, important female figures in music and women’s rights, and art of the Suffrage Movement. Our project has won multiple endorsements and grants from the National Endowment of the Arts.
Browse our programming below to see all Sunflower will offer celebrating women in music:
- Performance of FANFARE FOR THE UNCOMMON WOMAN by Joan Tower (written in 1987 and revised in 1997)
- The one-woman Music/Theatre production, WOMAN ON A LEDGE, with internationally acclaimed harpist, Rita Costanzi
- A Jazz Night performance featuring vocalist Deborah Brown
- An exhibition at the Mulvane Art Museum of works by women during the Suffrage era
- A panel discussion on Women’s Rights with several notable female leaders, composer Libby Larsen, conductor JoAnn Falletta and Washburn University President Jerry Farley
- A premiere of Libby Larsen’s chamber orchestra composition, THE SUPREME FOUR, using the words of the four women Supreme Court Justices and narrated by Kansas Governor, Laura Kelly
Friday, June 18
Chamber Orchestra
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman
Joan Tower
(1938 – )
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante con moto
III. Rondo (Vivace)
Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)
Cynthia Raim, Piano
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67
I. Allegro con brio
II. Andante con moto
III. Scherzo. Allegro
IV. Allegro
Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)
Saturday, June 19
Chamber Ensembles
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
6 Morceaux
I. Barcarolle
II. Scherzo
III. Thème russe
IV. Valse
V. Romance
VI. Glory
Sergei Rachmaninoff
(1873-1943)
Cynthia Raim, Piano
David Allen Wehr, Piano
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 8
I. Allegro con grazia
II. Intermezzo. Allegro con spirito e capriccioso
III. Andante espressivo
IV. Finale. Allegro vivace
Valborg Aulin
(1860-1928)
Zhan Shu, Violin I
TBA, Violin II
TBA, Viola
Jonathan Tortalano, Cello
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Scherzo – Allegro non troppo – Presto giocoso
III. Poco adagio
IV. Poco allegro
Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897)
Charles Stegeman, Violin I
Rachel Stegeman, Violin II
Basil Vendryes, Viola I
TBA, Viola II
John Walz, Cello I
Claudio Jaffe, Cello II
Following Concert: Musician ‘Talk-Back’ Session
Sunday, June 20
Theater Piece
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | Neese Gray Theater
Rita Costanzi
Following Concert: Musician ‘Talk-Back’ Session
Monday, June 21
Mary Elizabeth 'Liz' Stratton Jazz Night
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Sponsored by: Liz Stratton
Hosted by: Topeka Jazz Workshop
Liz Stratton Jazz Night, with Joe Cartwright on piano; Topeka’s own Ben Leifer on bass; Rod Fleeman on guitar; and Michael Warren on drums. And featuring special guest star, jazz chanteuse Deborah Brown.
Tuesday, June 22
Chamber Ensembles
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Woodwind Nonet in Eb Major
I. Adagio – Allegro
II. Andante con variazione
III. Scherzo vivace
Louise Farrenc
(1804-1875)
Jennifer Gunn, Flute
Alex Klein, Oboe
Jonathan Gunn, Clarinet
Mark Romatz, Bassoon
James Thatcher, French Horn
Eric Tanner, Violin
Jonathan Moerschel, Viola
Claudio Jaffe, Cello
Nicolas Tsolainos, Double Bass
Pastorale for Woodwind Quintet Op. 151
I. Un poco andante
II. Romanze: Andantino
III. Intermezzo: Allegro molto marcato
IV. Finale: Lento – Presto al saltarello
Amy Beach
(1867-1944)
Sarah Frisof, Flute
Margeret Marco, Oboe
Mark Kleine, Clarinet
Greg Miller, French Horn
Mark Romatz, Bassoon
String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 1
I. Un poco andante – Allegro molto ed agitato
II. Romanze: Andantino
III. Intermezzo: Allegro molto marcato – Più vivo e scherzando
IV. Finale: Lento – Presto al saltarello
Edvard Grieg
1843-1907
Zhan Shi Shu, Violin I
Meredith Riley Violin II
Jonathan Moerschel, Viola
Claudio Jaffe, Cello
Following Concert: Musician ‘Talk-Back’ Session
Wednesday, June 23
Chamber Orchestra
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Overture in C Major
Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel
(1805-1847)
The Passion of Angels
Marjan Mozetich
(1948 – )
Rita Costanzi, Harp
Erin Wood, Harp
I. Adagio – Allegro
II. Adagio cantabile
III. Scherzo. Vivace
IV. Finale. Allegro
Louise Farrenc
(1804-1875)
Thursday, June 24
CONcertmaster and Friends
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Lullaby
Jean Coultard
(1908-2000)
Charles Stegeman, Violin
Rita Costanzi, Harp
Sonata for Violin and Piano
César Franck
(1822-1890)
David Allen Wehr, Piano
Charles Stegeman, Violin
Suite for 2 Violins and Piano
Moritz Moszkowski
(1854-1925)
David Allen Wehr, Piano
Charles Stegeman, Violin
Rachel Stegeman, Violin
Friday, June 25
Chamber Ensembles
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Quartet for Strings (in One Movement), Op. 89
Amy Beach
(1867-1924)
Jeanyi Kim, Violin I
Sascha Mandl, Violin II
Roger Myers, Viola
Claudio Jaffe, Cello
Entr’acte for String Quartet
Caroline Shaw
(1982 – )
TBA, Violin I
Meredith Riley, Violin II
Jonathan Moerschal, Viola
Claudio Jaffe, Cello
Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 44
I. Molto moderato quasi lento
II. Lento con molto sentimento
III. Scherzo molto vivace
IV. Allegro non troppo ma con fuoco
Robert Schumann
(1810-1856)
David Allen Wehr, Piano
Charles Stegeman, Violin I
Rachel Stegeman, Violin II
Basil Vendryes, Viola
John Walz, Cello
Following Concert: Musician ‘Talk-Back’ Session
Saturday, June 26
PAnel Discussion
6:45 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Panel Discussion on Women’s Rights
Featuring several notable female leaders, including but not limited to:
Composer Libby Larsen
Conductor JoAnn Falletta, and
Washburn University President Jerry Farley
Saturday, June 26
Chamber Orchestra
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
The Supreme Four
Libby Larsen
(1950 – )
Narrated by Laura Kelly, Governor of Kansas
II. Largo (attacca)
III. Rondo alla polacca
Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)
Charles Stegeman, Violin
John Walz, Cello
David Allen Wehr, Piano
II. Adagio non troppo (B major)
III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi andantino) (G major)
IV. Allegro con spirito (D major)
Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897)
