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THE GIVENS COMMUNITIES MASTERWORKS SERIES

Masterworks 5: Dedication

SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2027
2:00 P.M. AND 8:00 P.M.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ASHEVILLE

Darko Butorac, conductor

Jeffery Whaley, horn
Tade Addis,
organ 

 

“What I have here accomplished, I will never achieve again.” Saint-Saëns knew his Organ Symphony was his pinnacle: a monumental work that gathers everything he had to give and the perfect centerpiece for a centennial milestone. As First Baptist Church of Asheville marks its 100th anniversary, we celebrate with a program worthy of the occasion: Respighi’s Gli Uccelli (written the year the church was dedicated), Glière’s soaring horn concerto, and Saint-Saëns’s masterpiece on the sanctuary organ. With guest artists from our own community, we are proud to celebrate a century of artistry, faith, and connection.

Respighi: Gli Uccelli (The Birds)
Glière: Concerto for Horn
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, “Organ”

Buy Tickets Online

Click the button above to purchase tickets online, or give our box office a call at (828) 254-7046. Box office hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday.

The Givens Communities Masterworks Series is generously sponsored by: 

 

EVENT SPONSORS

 

 

CONCERT SPONSOR

Diane and Rich Byers in memory of Katherine Armitage and Jack Jones

GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR

Mountaine Jonas

Tate Addis, Organ
Click here to read Tate's bio
Tate Addis, Organ
Click here to read Tate's bio

Organist Tate Addis’ performances have been described as ‘spectacular’ and acclaimed for their ‘deeply communicative musicality,’ leading the Kansas City Star to write, ‘this organist has the right stuff.’ His recent solo performances have taken him to Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Princeton, Washington, D.C., the Bloomfield Organ Series at Wichita State University, and to Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria for a series of concerts commemorating the one-hundredth anniversary of organist and composer Anton Heiller’s birth. His performances have been broadcast in North America on American Public Media’s Pipedreams and in Europe on Radio Klassik Stephansdom.

A church musician since his childhood, Tate has held positions at New York City’s Brick Presbyterian Church, Second Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, and the Yale Berkeley Divinity School in New Haven. Currently, he serves as Associate Director of Music and Organist at First Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina, where he collaborates with the Pastor for Music and Worship in a comprehensive music program, directs the youth and adult handbell ensembles, and teaches organ and piano in the church’s Academy for the Arts. He is also the Artist-in-Residence at St. James Episcopal Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina, where he performs annual organ recitals and accompanies the St. James Choir in their Evensong services. He is the collaborative artist for the Blue Ridge Consort, a professional vocal ensemble serving Western North Carolina, and serves as Assistant Director and Accompanist for the Asheville Symphony Chorus. As a collaborative pianist, he has performed with violinists Daniel Hope and Benny Kim, tenor Vinson Cole, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Tate Addis holds degrees from Wichita State University, the University of Missouri – Kansas City, Yale University, and Oberlin Conservatory. His principal teachers were James David Christie, Lynne Davis, Thomas Murray, Andrew Trechak, and Robert Weirich. Additional studies were with Marie-Louise Langlais and Roman Summereder, and in masterclasses with Leon Fleisher and Jerome Lowenthal. Tate makes his home in Asheville with his wife, Rev. Laura Addis, and their daughter, Maggie.

Jeffery Whaley, Horn
Click here to read Jeffery's bio.
Jeffery Whaley, Horn
Click here to read Jeffery's bio.

Since 2012, Jeffery Whaley has held the Principal Horn chair of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, along with his full time position as Principal Horn of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. He also serves as Principal Horn of the Symphony of the Mountains. In high demand as an orchestral musician, he has recently made guest principal appearances with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Dominicana, among others. Jeffery began his studies at Tennessee Tech University with Prof. Arthur LaBar and later studied at Wichita State University with Dr. Nicholas Smith. While in the Great Plains, Jeffery held positions in the Wichita Symphony, Wichita Grand Opera, Omaha Symphony, and the Wichita Brass Quintet.

In a collaboration with pianist Dr. Chih-Long Hu and oboist Dr. Aryn Sweeney, Jeffery recorded the album “Trifecta Trio Plays Koetsier, Niederberger, Danner, and Bowen” with Blue Griffin Records (2014). He can also be heard on recordings of the Dallas Wind Symphony and on many studio recordings including TV series, motion picture, amusement park, and video game soundtracks.

Originally from Sevierville, TN, Jeffery now resides in Knoxville with Bernice, his highly-personable ragdoll cat. When not playing horn, you’ll likely find him teaching horn students, lounging on the closest beach, exploring a new hobby such as rollerskating, or wandering in the lush East Tennessee forests foraging for wild mushrooms.

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