2014 Program Notes, Book 9 33
FAREWELL TO RETIRING MUSICIANS
Long-time Grant Park Orchestra members Michael Geller, principal bass, and Michael Green,
principal timpani, will both retire at the end of the 2014 season. After over 45 years of service
each, they are among the handful of members who have performed in all three Grant Park
band shells.
MICHAEL GELLER
graduated from Indiana University
School of Music in 1969, and performed with the Santa Fe
Opera Orchestra and New Orleans Symphony before joining
the Grant Park Orchestra in 1970; he became principal
bassist in 1974. He is also principal bass for the Lyric Opera
Orchestra, and has performed with Music of the Baroque
and Contemporary Chamber Players of the University of
Chicago, as well as most major ballet companies when they
have toured through Chicago.
What are your favorite memories from the Festival?
Playing operas in the early 1970’s with the Italian maestro
Giuseppe Patane • Playing Turandot in the Auditorium
Theater under Leonard Slatkin. It was the first time I’d
actually heard the orchestra indoors and it was a fabulous
sound. • The very first July 3rd concert at the Petrillo Music Shell. Nobody expected the
size crowd that turned out. • Playing a concert at Petrillo with the french horn virtuoso
Hermann Baumann on a rainy Sunday to just a handful of french horn students. Instead of
canceling the concert, the conductor David Zinman invited the students to sit on the stage.
• My final performance: the Verdi Requiem at the end of the 2011 Season. What a piece to
go out with!
What will you miss most about playing with the Grant Park Orchestra?
Not playing the great orchestra literature in the world class venue with all my colleagues.
The city really did build a great home for the Grant Park Orchestra and Grant Park Music
Festival.
MICHAEL GREEN
joined the Grant Park Orchestra as
a percussionist in 1969, his junior year at Northwestern
University, and was appointed timpanist in 1973. He is now
in his 46th Season, making his tenure the longest of any past
or present orchestra member. As chairman of the orchestra
committee for over 10 years, he was active in securing the
construction of the Petrillo Band Shell. In addition to the
Grant Park Orchestra, Mike has performed with the Lyric
Opera of Chicago (as principal percussionist), Chicago
Symphony, and numerous ballet companies. He has been
the coordinator of percussionist studies at DePaul University
since 1975.
What are your favorite memories from the Festival?
There are really way too many to list, but, certainly Robert
Shaw’s performances of Brahms’ Requiem and the tenures of Leonard Slatkin and David
Zinman, which started the rise and development of the orchestra that continues to today.
Finally, the opportunity to work with very talented and supportive percussion colleagues
including and especially our current section: Eric Millstein, Doug Waddell and Joel Cohen.
What will you miss most about playing with the Grant Park Orchestra?
For over 40 years, I have been able to have my cake and eat it too. Not too many percussionists
have had the opportunity to play a principal position of timpani (Grant Park) and percussion
(Lyric Opera). I have been blessed by being able to play the masters of both the orchestral as
well as opera repertoire. Finally, the Grant Park Orchestra has developed into a fine world class
ensemble and I will miss that collaboration with my colleagues.
