Music allows musicians to tell a story both unique and universal. When listening to music, one doesn’t have to be a musical scholar to understand the message the music is trying to convey.
Through big, bold blasts of horns and the pounding of percussion to the soft willowy notes from strings and woodwinds, people of all languages, backgrounds, customs and cultures can understand the story it is trying to tell.
With that in mind, the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra is partnering with the University of Northern Colorado Symphony Orchestra to bring the stories of two amazing women — Terri Sternberg and Florence Price— to the community through A Musical Odyssey of Life concert.
Terri Sternberg was a world-class violinist who performed with some of the music world’s most iconic composers, conductors and orchestras. While Sternberg seemed to be living her dreams as a professional musician, a tragic event that took place when she was in college continued to haunt the violinist. So much so, that Sternberg found herself homeless.
The other woman whose story the concert will focus on is that of Florence Price. As an African-American female composer, pianist, organist and music teacher, Price faced different obstacles — racism and sexism. Despite receiving recognition and accolades for her work, being a Black woman in the music industry in the 1930s was an uphill battle Price faced throughout her entire life.
While their ages, cultural differences and career paths are vast, the thing Sternberg and Price have in common is that they were two women who overcame challenges, obstacles, racism, sexism and shame to become an inspiration for generations of women after them. Sternberg and Price are proof that if you keep fighting and following your passion, you will succeed and can overcome anything, proving that there is no such thing as a “weaker sex.”
“This is going to be one of these wonderful concerts that will set the tone for who we are as a cultural artistic organization reaching out for diversity and inclusion,” GPO Musical Director and Principal Conductor Lowell Graham said.
The concert is set to take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25 at the UNC Campus Commons Performance Hall, 1051 22nd St.
The concert will begin with “Zampa Overture” by Louis-Joseph Herold, followed by the world premiere of a violin concerto written by GPO Composer in Residence Dylan Fixmer.
“We have this opportunity to give birth to a new piece of music that has never ever been performed,” Graham said. “That provides us an awful lot of responsibility. It provides us the weight of the responsibility of achieving that which Dylan felt in his soul. And for me, it provides the absolute joy of being able to collaborate with him and our wonderful philharmonic to make this come alive.”
The story behind Fixmer’s violin concerto is as unique as the music he penned for the orchestra.
Fixmer came across Sternberg’s violin when he was working at a music store in Boulder. For months the violin sat in its case, waiting for a caring and passionate pair of hands to adopt the instrument and give it back its purpose.
“It was in pretty poor condition. It didn’t seem to be getting the attention of anybody. I tried to sell it several times to people who would bring in a kid who was ready for their full-sized violin,” he said. “I’d show it to people, and I’d bring it out in this old ratty case, and people would were like, ‘No, absolutely not.’
“So I was like, ‘If this instrument isn’t going to have a home, I am going to give it a home.’”
When the instrument was brought into the shop, the owner at the time had no idea of the history of the violin, where it came from nor who had owned it. After pawing around in the case, Fixmer discovered a hidden compartment that held a few clues as to the identity of the violin’s previous owner.
“There were hundreds of strings. Just years and years of strings that had been used on the violin,” Fixmer said. “Also in the case were a business card, a receipt and a flyer, which helped me track down this woman named Terri Sternberg.”
Fixmer began researching Sternberg in hopes of connecting her back with her instrument. However, the only thing he found was her obituary and some brief snippets about her musical career.
“What struck me about Terri’s story was that how a very accomplished violinist playing under some very prestigious people, including Leonard Bernstein and playing for the San Francisco Ballet, would find herself homeless,” Fixmer said.
Sternberg told her story as part of the book, “Until They Have Faces: Stories of Recovery, Resilience, and Redemption.”
In the book, Sternberg talks about how she dealt with being homeless, “hidden in a sleeping bag under the bushes by Boulder Creek, beneath a tree near the library.”
When Sternberg was 20, she was kidnapped, blindfolded, tied up and raped for 4 ½ hours. The perpetrator was caught, but the event caused Sternberg to experience severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
The PTSD, coupled with depression and a knee injury, caused Sternberg to lose her job. With bills piling up, Sternberg lost her house and was forced to seek refuge at the Boulder Shelter. Sadly, when her 90-days at the shelter were up, the once successful musician began living on the streets.
Fortunately for Sternberg, she was able to get off of the streets and began advocating for the homeless. Sternberg died on June 12, 2013. Her online obituary is filled with comments from friends, family and colleagues sharing memories of the beloved and talented musician.
“Her actions as a person experiencing homelessness really inspired me as a hero,” Fixmer said. “In my eyes, she’s very much a hero for people to solve this problem in our society.”
Fixmer’s violin concerto tells Sternberg’s story through three movements: Andante con moto, Largo and Allegro.
“It’s a collection of three movements outlining her experience in homelessness and her trying to get this to the forefront of people’s minds that this is a societal thing that can be solved,” Fixmer said.
UNC professor Sarah Off will be performing the violin concerto using Sternberg’s beloved violin.
The orchestra will wrap up its performance with a piece written by African-American classical composer, pianist, organist and music teacher Florence Price.
Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E Minor earned the female composer first prize in the Wanamaker Competition in 1932. Price’s win also cemented her place in history as the first female composer of African descent to have a symphonic work performed by a major national symphony orchestra.
Though the piece brought recognition and fame to Price, her career as an African-American female composer was fraught with segregation, racism and sexism, according to her biography on the website FlorencePrice.com. However, Price continued to compose music and teach at several colleges and universities throughout her musical career.
Price died on June 3, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois.
“Think about the 1930s and the problem of inclusion — there wasn’t inclusion,” Graham said. “We are now having the opportunity to take a look at a woman who was obviously facing the social stigmas at the time, not only being a woman, but a Black woman.”
In addition to the performance, local nonprofits and resources will be in attendance, helping to educate the community about homelessness in Greeley and Weld County.
“Dylan did something of significance — he made a statement. And the Greeley Philharmonic is going to make a statement about this kind of inclusion that we are all in this together. We are all in this life together,” Graham said. “And that’s what’s really important I think. This concert is the amalgamation of bringing these distinct pieces together in a celebration.”