Saturday, March 15, 2025 Jubilate Concert First United Methodist Church - Palo Alto, CA view map
Sunday, March 16, 2025 Jubilate Concert Campbell United Methodist Church - Campbell, CA view map
Past Performances
Wednesday, January 01, 2025 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Palo Alto, CA Grażyna Bacewicz - Concerto for String Orchestra
Camille Saint-Saëns - Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28
Camille Saint-Saëns - Havanaise in E major, Op. 83
featuring Hiro Yoshimura, violin - Debut Artist
Haydn Symphony No. 103 "Drumroll" more info...
Tuesday, December 31, 2024 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Berkeley, CA Grażyna Bacewicz - Concerto for String Orchestra
Camille Saint-Saëns - Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28
Camille Saint-Saëns - Havanaise in E major, Op. 83
featuring Hiro Yoshimura, violin - Debut Artist
Haydn Symphony No. 103 "Drumroll" more info...
Monday, December 30, 2024 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra San Francisco, CA Grażyna Bacewicz - Concerto for String Orchestra
Camille Saint-Saëns - Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28
Camille Saint-Saëns - Havanaise in E major, Op. 83
featuring Hiro Yoshimura, violin - Debut Artist
Haydn Symphony No. 103 "Drumroll" more info...
Saturday, December 14, 2024 Sacramento Nutcracker Sacramento, CA Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker
Sunday, December 01, 2024 Merced Symphony Merced, CA Holiday Pops music more info...
Sunday, June 23, 2024 Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra Berkeley, CA Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service)
Requiem Ernest Bloch
Maurice Duruflé more info...
Friday, June 07, 2024 Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra Berkeley, CA Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service)
Requiem Ernest Bloch
Maurice Duruflé more info...
Sunday, April 21, 2024 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Berkeley, CA Trevor Weston
”Aqua” - World Premiere with Emerging Black Composer Project and the NEA
Ottorino Respighi
Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 more info...
Saturday, April 20, 2024 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Palo Alto, CA Trevor Weston
”Aqua” - World Premiere with Emerging Black Composer Project and the NEA
Ottorino Respighi
Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 more info...
Friday, April 19, 2024 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra San Francisco, CA Trevor Weston
”Aqua” - World Premiere with Emerging Black Composer Project and the NEA
Ottorino Respighi
Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 more info...
Sunday, March 17, 2024 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA The Santa Lucia Preserve stretches from Carmel south to San Luis Obispo County. Lucia is Latin for "light," and Santa Lucia was famous for lighting her way to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs by wearing a candlelit wreath. With works such as Mozart's Overture to Don Giovanni and the west coast premiere of David Robertson's Light Forming, Music Director Jayce Ogren compares the works on this program to the artistic technique of chiaroscuro—light and shadow. Listeners can feel connections between finding hope amid the darkness like in George Walker's Lyric for Strings, honoring important relationships that are full of light, as well as those that are full of darkness. The concert features pianist Orli Shaham for the Robertson as well as Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 by Mozart. MOZART Overture to Don Giovanni, K. 527 [Running Time 7']
David ROBERTSON Light Forming (West Coast premiere) [21']
Orli Shaham, piano
—intermission—
George WALKER Lyric for Strings [6']
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 [30']
Orli Shaham, piano more info...
Saturday, March 16, 2024 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA The Santa Lucia Preserve stretches from Carmel south to San Luis Obispo County. Lucia is Latin for "light," and Santa Lucia was famous for lighting her way to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs by wearing a candlelit wreath. With works such as Mozart's Overture to Don Giovanni and the west coast premiere of David Robertson's Light Forming, Music Director Jayce Ogren compares the works on this program to the artistic technique of chiaroscuro—light and shadow. Listeners can feel connections between finding hope amid the darkness like in George Walker's Lyric for Strings, honoring important relationships that are full of light, as well as those that are full of darkness. The concert features pianist Orli Shaham for the Robertson as well as Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 by Mozart. MOZART Overture to Don Giovanni, K. 527 [Running Time 7']
David ROBERTSON Light Forming (West Coast premiere) [21']
Orli Shaham, piano
—intermission—
George WALKER Lyric for Strings [6']
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 [30']
Orli Shaham, piano more info...
Sunday, March 03, 2024 Opera San Jose San Jose, CA Verdi’s classic tale of honor, revenge, fathers and daughters is never out of the repertory for long. An instant success from the night of its premiere, it has been moving audiences around the world for generations. Armed with a gripping story, a shocking twist and one of the most blockbuster reputation making scores, Rigoletto is an indestructible, eternal testament to the sacrifices we make for our job, our family and our honor. more info...
Saturday, March 02, 2024 Vallejo Festival Orchestra - The Glory & Grandeur of Beethoven Vallejo, CA The music of Ludwig van Beethoven is known everywhere for its emotional depth and intensity, as it dramatically expresses both exuberant joy and profound sorrow. His compositions are filled with intense emotions that immediately resonate with listeners.
The Glory & Grandeur of Beethoven features the magnificent Vallejo Festival Orchestra, conducted by Grammy award-winner Thomas Conlin, in a program of trailblazing masterpieces. Three great dramatic overtures, Egmont, Coriolan, and Prometheus, set the stage for Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No.3, Eroica (“heroic”).
For nearly two centuries, Beethoven’s music has continued to speak to the universal human experience, captivating audiences around the world and making him an enduring figure in the world of classical music. Hear for yourself why so many lovers of classical music consider Beethoven the greatest composer ever.
Beethoven’s compositions typically explore universal themes such as love, heroism, despair, and exultation. His music is particularly relevant for the solace it offers in these very turbulent times. Beethoven’s life and music have great historical significance, as he lived during a time of political and social upheaval in Europe, much like what we are experiencing today. His personal struggles, including his battle with deafness, add depth to his story, making his music even more powerful and inspiring. more info...
Sunday, February 25, 2024 Opera San Jose - Rigoletto San Jose, CA Verdi’s classic tale of honor, revenge, fathers and daughters is never out of the repertory for long. An instant success from the night of its premiere, it has been moving audiences around the world for generations. Armed with a gripping story, a shocking twist and one of the most blockbuster reputation making scores, Rigoletto is an indestructible, eternal testament to the sacrifices we make for our job, our family and our honor. more info...
Friday, February 23, 2024 Opera San Jose - Rigoletto San Jose, CA Verdi’s classic tale of honor, revenge, fathers and daughters is never out of the repertory for long. An instant success from the night of its premiere, it has been moving audiences around the world for generations. Armed with a gripping story, a shocking twist and one of the most blockbuster reputation making scores, Rigoletto is an indestructible, eternal testament to the sacrifices we make for our job, our family and our honor. more info...
Sunday, February 18, 2024 Opera San Jose - Rigoletto San Jose, CA Verdi’s classic tale of honor, revenge, fathers and daughters is never out of the repertory for long. An instant success from the night of its premiere, it has been moving audiences around the world for generations. Armed with a gripping story, a shocking twist and one of the most blockbuster reputation making scores, Rigoletto is an indestructible, eternal testament to the sacrifices we make for our job, our family and our honor. more info...
Monday, January 01, 2024 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Palo Alto, CA Sumi Tonooka
”Sketch at Seven” - World Premiere with Emerging Black Composer Project and the NEA
Robert Schumann
Cello Concerto in a minor, Op 129
Sara Flexer, soloist and Debut Artist
Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944, ”The Great” more info...
Sunday, December 31, 2023 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Berkeley, CA Sumi Tonooka
”Sketch at Seven” - World Premiere with Emerging Black Composer Project and the NEA
Robert Schumann
Cello Concerto in a minor, Op 129
Sara Flexer, soloist and Debut Artist
Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944, ”The Great” more info...
Friday, December 29, 2023 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra San Francisco, CA Sumi Tonooka
”Sketch at Seven” - World Premiere with Emerging Black Composer Project and the NEA
Robert Schumann
Cello Concerto in a minor, Op 129
Sara Flexer, soloist and Debut Artist
Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944, ”The Great” more info...
Sunday, December 17, 2023 Holiday Concert Piedmont, CA This year, we will gather together again to share this joyous season with a magical evening of music and reception. more info...
Saturday, December 16, 2023 Holiday Concert Piedmont, CA This year, we will gather together again to share this joyous season with a magical evening of music and reception. more info...
Saturday, October 28, 2023 Vallejo Festival Orchestra Vallejo, CA Expect a night of vocal splendor as the Vallejo Center for the Arts brings together three extraordinary young tenors who are set to captivate audiences with their remarkable talent, soaring voices, and electrifying performances!
Three Tenors! – The Next Generation is a tribute to the iconic “3 Tenors” concerts that have captivated the world for decades. Building upon the legendary legacy of Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, and José Carreras, this concert celebrates the new generation of talented tenors who are poised to carry the torch forward.
Grammy award-winning conductor Thomas Conlin will direct the magnificent Vallejo Festival Orchestra in a program of popular songs and arias by Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti and other well-known Italian opera composers, along with overtures and choice orchestral excerpts from Tosca, La traviata, La bohème and other audience favorites.
Featuring a wide-ranging repertoire that spans the Golden Age of Italian Opera, this concert will delight opera lovers as well as music lovers from all walks of life. Our three tenors, selected for their exceptional vocal prowess, stage presence, and their ability to seamlessly blend traditional operatic technique with contemporary styles, will create a mesmerizing and unforgettable musical experience. more info...
Sunday, October 08, 2023 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA The season opens with Ventana. The Ventana Wilderness, part of the Santa Lucia Range in the Los Padres National Forest, was established as part of the Endangered American Wilderness Act in 1978. It is named for the Ventana Double Cone peak which is said to have once had an arch that looked like a ventana (Spanish for "window").
Like that geological ventana, this program provides not only a window into our season but also into composers' use of folk melodies endemic to their country of origin, like in Copland's Variations on a Shaker Melody and Glinka's Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla. As well as the imagined folk music of their homeland, in Grainger's Colonial Song. A 21st-century folk vocabulary is found in the music of Mason Bates, who incorporates elements of American vernacular music, such as blues, jazz and techno in his lively Cello Concerto featuring Joshua Roman who was the soloist for this piece when it premiered in 2014. The concert concludes with Bartók's lively Concerto for Orchestra.
GLINKA Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla [Running Time 5']
Percy GRAINGER Colonial Song [6']
Mason BATES Cello Concerto [25']
Joshua Roman, cello
—intermission [20']—
COPLAND Variations on a Shaker Melody [5']
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra [30'] more info...
Saturday, October 07, 2023 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA The season opens with Ventana. The Ventana Wilderness, part of the Santa Lucia Range in the Los Padres National Forest, was established as part of the Endangered American Wilderness Act in 1978. It is named for the Ventana Double Cone peak which is said to have once had an arch that looked like a ventana (Spanish for "window").
Like that geological ventana, this program provides not only a window into our season but also into composers' use of folk melodies endemic to their country of origin, like in Copland's Variations on a Shaker Melody and Glinka's Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla. As well as the imagined folk music of their homeland, in Grainger's Colonial Song. A 21st-century folk vocabulary is found in the music of Mason Bates, who incorporates elements of American vernacular music, such as blues, jazz and techno in his lively Cello Concerto featuring Joshua Roman who was the soloist for this piece when it premiered in 2014. The concert concludes with Bartók's lively Concerto for Orchestra.
GLINKA Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla [Running Time 5']
Percy GRAINGER Colonial Song [6']
Mason BATES Cello Concerto [25']
Joshua Roman, cello
—intermission [20']—
COPLAND Variations on a Shaker Melody [5']
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra [30'] more info...
Sunday, August 20, 2023 Lamplighters Music Theatre San Francisco, CA Il Ducato - the new Mikado more info...
Saturday, August 19, 2023 Lamplighters Music Theater San Francisco, CA Il Ducato - the new Mikado more info...
Saturday, August 19, 2023 Lamplighters Music Theatre San Francisco, CA Il Ducato - the new Mikado more info...
Sunday, August 13, 2023 Lamplighters Music Theatre Mountain View, CA Il Ducato - the new Mikado more info...
Saturday, August 12, 2023 Lamplighters Music Theatre Mountain View, CA Il Ducato - the new Mikado more info...
Saturday, August 12, 2023 Lamplighters Music Theatre Mountain View, CA Il Ducato - The New Mikado more info...
Saturday, June 17, 2023 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Family Concert Berkeley, CA San Francisco Chamber Orchestra encourages audiences to get up and dance in Very First Concerts, a classical series designed with the youngest listeners in mind. Each concert features a central theme, short selections, and hands-on musical activities geared toward families with young children (infants to 7 year-olds). Two show times: 11:30 at Berkeley Public Library, Main Branch and 1:00 at the West Branch more info...
Friday, May 19, 2023 Oakland Symphony Oakland, CA Songs of Protest - The Oakland Symphony presents the world premiere of a new work by Martin Rokeach this Friday (May 19) at The Paramount.
Rokeach’s new work, Bodies on the Line, was inspired by the great Flint Sit-Down strike of 1936, when, for 44 days, workers occupied the General Motors Flint plant, but refused to work, effectively forcing GM to recognize the UAW.
This strike was a flashpoint in U.S. labor relations. The work was commissioned by the Oakland Symphony. The libretto is by Rebecca Engle.
Bodies on the Line commemorates the collective action of the laborers, draws us into the standoff, and celebrates a heroic, pivotal victory. Composer Rokeach was, for 33 years, Artistic Co-Director of San Francisco’s contemporary music concert series, Composers, Inc. Currently, he is Professor Emeritus at Saint Mary’s College of California.
Also on the program, Beethoven’s defiant Third Leonore Overture, and Samuel Barber’s bracing Second Essay for Orchestra. The program is titled SONGS OF PROTEST. more info...
Sunday, April 02, 2023 San Jose Chamber Orchestra San Jose, CA Contemporary music and a trumpet concerto! more info...
Sunday, March 19, 2023 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Side by Side Concert Mill Valley, CA ELM Cats and SFCO All Stars will perform Side-by-Side, featuring “Mix of the Culturas” composed by Giancarlo Castro D'Adonna. more info...
Saturday, March 18, 2023 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Family Concert San Francisco, CA The Wonderful World of Woodwinds! Join for a fun and educational concert for the whole family. Free admission! more info...
Sunday, March 12, 2023 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA Tosca by Giacomo Puccini - An opera diva, her patriotic lover and a corrupt police chief all clash as Puccini’s gripping tale of love, jealousy and deceit drives toward its tragic end. more info...
Saturday, March 11, 2023 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA Tosca by Giacomo Puccini - An opera diva, her patriotic lover and a corrupt police chief all clash as Puccini’s gripping tale of love, jealousy and deceit drives toward its tragic end. more info...
Sunday, March 05, 2023 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA Tosca by Giacomo Puccini - An opera diva, her patriotic lover and a corrupt police chief all clash as Puccini’s gripping tale of love, jealousy and deceit drives toward its tragic end. more info...
Saturday, March 04, 2023 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA Tosca by Giacomo Puccini - An opera diva, her patriotic lover and a corrupt police chief all clash as Puccini’s gripping tale of love, jealousy and deceit drives toward its tragic end. more info...
Sunday, January 29, 2023 Santa Cruz Symphony Watsonville, CA Kicking off the New Year, our next concert features the world premiere commission by Turkish composer/pianist Hakan Ali Toker. Also, a sonic translation of our California coastal wildlife by local Gabriella Smith, and Ravel’s homage to the Parisian Baroque a la Francois Couperin. more info...
Saturday, January 28, 2023 Santa Cruz Symphony Santa Cruz, CA Kicking off the New Year, our next concert features the world premiere commission by Turkish composer/pianist Hakan Ali Toker. Also, a sonic translation of our California coastal wildlife by local Gabriella Smith, and Ravel’s homage to the Parisian Baroque a la Francois Couperin. more info...
Sunday, January 01, 2023 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Palo Alto, CA Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8
”Unfinished Symphony”
PDQ Bach Unbegun Symphony
Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in e minor
Amaryn Olmeda, violin
Franz Josef Haydn
Symphony No. 45 in f# minor
“The Farewell Symphony” more info...
Saturday, December 31, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Berkeley, CA Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8
”Unfinished Symphony”
PDQ Bach Unbegun Symphony
Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in e minor
Amaryn Olmeda, violin
Franz Josef Haydn
Symphony No. 45 in f# minor
“The Farewell Symphony” more info...
Friday, December 30, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra San Francisco, CA Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8
”Unfinished Symphony”
PDQ Bach Unbegun Symphony
Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in e minor
Amaryn Olmeda, violin
Franz Josef Haydn
Symphony No. 45 in f# minor
“The Farewell Symphony” more info...
Sunday, November 13, 2022 Opera San Jose, Cinderella San Jose, CA The 2017 American premiere of teenage prodigy Alma’s Deutscher’s Cinderella sold out months before its December run. We are remounting this instant classic with a new twist: Alma returns to make her American operatic conducting debut! Come and bring your family to this classic tale seen through the eyes of one of opera’s brightest stars. It is a story of love and patience, handsome princes and evil step mothers but also about staying true to yourself and standing your ground. With children‘s choruses, instrumental solos and comic verve, this sparkling English language work is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. more info...
Sunday, October 09, 2022 Livermore Valley Opera - The Elixir of Love Livermore, CA Love potion or snake oil? When poor Nemorino fails in his attempt to woo the lovely and wealthy Adina, he turns to quack Dr. Dulcamara, purveyor of phony potions, who assures him that his brew will to the trick. But when it comes to love, the couple learn that the real thing – love that is – beats any elixir the doctor can concoct. Donizetti’s beloved comic opera will charm you with laughs and memorable music, featuring one of opera’s greatest tenor arias.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Pre-opera talk, one hour before each performance. more info...
Saturday, October 08, 2022 Livermore Valley Opera - The Elixir of Love Livermore, CA Love potion or snake oil? When poor Nemorino fails in his attempt to woo the lovely and wealthy Adina, he turns to quack Dr. Dulcamara, purveyor of phony potions, who assures him that his brew will to the trick. But when it comes to love, the couple learn that the real thing – love that is – beats any elixir the doctor can concoct. Donizetti’s beloved comic opera will charm you with laughs and memorable music, featuring one of opera’s greatest tenor arias.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Pre-opera talk, one hour before each performance. more info...
Sunday, October 02, 2022 Livermore Valley Opera - The Elixir of Love Livermore, CA Love potion or snake oil? When poor Nemorino fails in his attempt to woo the lovely and wealthy Adina, he turns to quack Dr. Dulcamara, purveyor of phony potions, who assures him that his brew will to the trick. But when it comes to love, the couple learn that the real thing – love that is – beats any elixir the doctor can concoct. Donizetti’s beloved comic opera will charm you with laughs and memorable music, featuring one of opera’s greatest tenor arias.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Pre-opera talk, one hour before each performance. more info...
Saturday, October 01, 2022 Livermore Valley Opera - The Elixir of Love Livermore, CA Love potion or snake oil? When poor Nemorino fails in his attempt to woo the lovely and wealthy Adina, he turns to quack Dr. Dulcamara, purveyor of phony potions, who assures him that his brew will to the trick. But when it comes to love, the couple learn that the real thing – love that is – beats any elixir the doctor can concoct. Donizetti’s beloved comic opera will charm you with laughs and memorable music, featuring one of opera’s greatest tenor arias.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Pre-opera talk, one hour before each performance. more info...
Saturday, August 13, 2022 Lamplighters Music Theatre - Iolanthe San Francisco, CA more info...
Sunday, August 07, 2022 Lamplighters Music Theatre - Iolanthe Mountain View, CA more info...
Saturday, August 06, 2022 San Francisco Opera - The Magic Flute San Francisco, CA Armed with a magic flute, a prince and his bird-catcher friend set off on a quest to rescue a beautiful princess. But when they encounter a fearsome dragon, the imposing Queen of the Night, and a mysterious council, they quickly realize things are not always what they seem. Mozart’s enchanting Die Zauberflöte is a delight for all ages. Performed in German with dialogue in English, and English supertitles. more info...
Thursday, August 04, 2022 San Francisco Opera - The Magic Flute San Francisco, CA Armed with a magic flute, a prince and his bird-catcher friend set off on a quest to rescue a beautiful princess. But when they encounter a fearsome dragon, the imposing Queen of the Night, and a mysterious council, they quickly realize things are not always what they seem. Mozart’s enchanting Die Zauberflöte is a delight for all ages. Performed in German with dialogue in English, and English supertitles. more info...
Saturday, July 09, 2022 Vallejo Festival Orchestra Vallejo, CA
Sunday, June 26, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Berkeley, CA The program kicks off with Fanny Mendehlssohn-Hensel’s Overture in C Major. Composed in the 1820’s it was rediscovered and finally published in 1994.
Following this charming gem, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra tackles his least-performed symphony, Beethoven’s Fourth. Robert Schumann called it “a slender Grecian maiden between two Nordic giants,” but it is still a masterpiece by any measure.
And then we celebrate the return of outstanding young pianist Hilda Huang with her performances of Beethoven’s outstanding Fourth Piano Concerto. more info...
Saturday, June 25, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Palo Alto, CA The program kicks off with Fanny Mendehlssohn-Hensel’s Overture in C Major. Composed in the 1820’s it was rediscovered and finally published in 1994.
Following this charming gem, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra tackles his least-performed symphony, Beethoven’s Fourth. Robert Schumann called it “a slender Grecian maiden between two Nordic giants,” but it is still a masterpiece by any measure.
And then we celebrate the return of outstanding young pianist Hilda Huang with her performances of Beethoven’s outstanding Fourth Piano Concerto. more info...
Friday, June 24, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra San Francisco, CA The program kicks off with Fanny Mendehlssohn-Hensel’s Overture in C Major. Composed in the 1820’s it was rediscovered and finally published in 1994.
Following this charming gem, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra tackles his least-performed symphony, Beethoven’s Fourth. Robert Schumann called it “a slender Grecian maiden between two Nordic giants,” but it is still a masterpiece by any measure.
And then we celebrate the return of outstanding young pianist Hilda Huang with her performances of Beethoven’s outstanding Fourth Piano Concerto. more info...
Sunday, April 24, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Berkeley, CA Join the SFCO and two acclaimed choirs, San Francisco’s stellar Volti and the amazing young singers of the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir for the world premiere of Michael Gilbertson’s final commission as our BMI Composer-in-Residence. Denial, set to both ancient and contemporary texts, is a powerful meditation on climate change and our current political deadlock. Opening our program is Vaughan-Williams rapturous and beautiful The Lark Ascending, featuring our illustrious concertmaster Robin Sharp. And closing the program, and our season, is Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, one of his most popular and exciting works. more info...
Saturday, April 23, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Palo Alto, CA Join the SFCO and two acclaimed choirs, San Francisco’s stellar Volti and the amazing young singers of the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir for the world premiere of Michael Gilbertson’s final commission as our BMI Composer-in-Residence. Denial, set to both ancient and contemporary texts, is a powerful meditation on climate change and our current political deadlock. Opening our program is Vaughan-Williams rapturous and beautiful The Lark Ascending, featuring our illustrious concertmaster Robin Sharp. And closing the program, and our season, is Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, one of his most popular and exciting works. more info...
Friday, April 22, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra San Francisco, CA Join the SFCO and two acclaimed choirs, San Francisco’s stellar Volti and the amazing young singers of the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir for the world premiere of Michael Gilbertson’s final commission as our BMI Composer-in-Residence. Denial, set to both ancient and contemporary texts, is a powerful meditation on climate change and our current political deadlock. Opening our program is Vaughan-Williams rapturous and beautiful The Lark Ascending, featuring our illustrious concertmaster Robin Sharp. And closing the program, and our season, is Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, one of his most popular and exciting works. more info...
Sunday, April 17, 2022 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel, California LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Egmont Overture, Op. 84 [Running Time 9']
FELIX MENDELSSOHN
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 [28']
Rachel Barton Pine, violin
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 [40'] more info...
Saturday, April 16, 2022 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel, California LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Egmont Overture, Op. 84 [Running Time 9']
FELIX MENDELSSOHN
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 [28']
Rachel Barton Pine, violin
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 [40'] more info...
Sunday, April 03, 2022 Symphony San Jose San Jose, CA
Saturday, April 02, 2022 Symphony San Jose San Jose, CA
Friday, March 25, 2022 Oakland Symphony Oakland, CA ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK: An American Port of Call
ANDRÉS MARTÍN: Bass Concerto No. 1
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7 more info...
Sunday, March 13, 2022 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA In March, we will present Verdi’s OTELLO in an ambitious production worthy of our return to the Bankhead stage. The crowning work of a master composer at the peak of his creative powers, OTELLO is arguably Verdi’s greatest operatic achievement. Verdi’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragic story of jealousy and rage is an opera that ranks among his most demanding, both vocally and dramatically. This production will do justice to Verdi’s tour de force and will be an experience not to be missed. Join us March 5th & 6th, 12th & 13th.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles. more info...
Saturday, March 12, 2022 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA In March, we will present Verdi’s OTELLO in an ambitious production worthy of our return to the Bankhead stage. The crowning work of a master composer at the peak of his creative powers, OTELLO is arguably Verdi’s greatest operatic achievement. Verdi’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragic story of jealousy and rage is an opera that ranks among his most demanding, both vocally and dramatically. This production will do justice to Verdi’s tour de force and will be an experience not to be missed. Join us March 5th & 6th, 12th & 13th.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles. more info...
Sunday, March 06, 2022 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA In March, we will present Verdi’s OTELLO in an ambitious production worthy of our return to the Bankhead stage. The crowning work of a master composer at the peak of his creative powers, OTELLO is arguably Verdi’s greatest operatic achievement. Verdi’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragic story of jealousy and rage is an opera that ranks among his most demanding, both vocally and dramatically. This production will do justice to Verdi’s tour de force and will be an experience not to be missed. Join us March 5th & 6th, 12th & 13th.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles. more info...
Saturday, March 05, 2022 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA In March, we will present Verdi’s OTELLO in an ambitious production worthy of our return to the Bankhead stage. The crowning work of a master composer at the peak of his creative powers, OTELLO is arguably Verdi’s greatest operatic achievement. Verdi’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragic story of jealousy and rage is an opera that ranks among his most demanding, both vocally and dramatically. This production will do justice to Verdi’s tour de force and will be an experience not to be missed. Join us March 5th & 6th, 12th & 13th.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles. more info...
Sunday, February 27, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Berkeley, CA more info...
Saturday, February 26, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Palo Alto, CA more info...
Friday, February 25, 2022 San Francisco Chamber Orchestra San Francisco, CA more info...
Monday, January 31, 2022 The Ballet Orchestra Clarinetist Vol 1 & 2 Book Launch Party!!! Berkeley, CA Please wear a mask as this is an indoor event and follow all Covid protocol recommended by the CDC at the time of the event. I'm thrilled to announce the book launch party for the publication of The Ballet Orchestra Clarinetist Volumes 1 & 2!!!
The book launch will take place on Monday, January 31st 5:30-7:30pm at Forrests Music 1849 University Ave, Berkeley California. There will be a $5 raffle with excellent prizes such as a copy of Volume 2, tickets to Festival Napa Valley, gift certificates to local brick and mortar companies, champagne, and much more! Half of all proceeds will go to our local independent music store in Berkeley: Forrests Music.
Co-authored by Steve Hartman, Principal Clarinet of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and published by Northeastern Music Publications Inc.
You can order these books on the Theodore Presser and Carl Fischer websites. Pass the word onto colleagues, friends, and students! we would love to share the knowledge! Copies are being distributed to many university libraries and music stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. If you are on faculty at a university or a student and want to request copies at your institution, you may be eligible for an education discount. more info...
Sunday, January 23, 2022 Symphony San Jose San Jose, CA Each ticket holder must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. To enter the theatre you will need to show a photo ID and proof of vaccination (a QR code or completed card — original or copy — are all acceptable). While in the theatre, every patron must wear a mask. Children under 12 are exempt from the vaccination requirement, but not the mask mandate. Four composers whose works defined America in the ‘30s and ‘40s come together on one grand program. Copland’s expansive, optimistic Appalachian Spring became known as “the quintessential American sound.” In fact all four could stake that claim. Gershwin and Bernstein each give us a brilliant mix of symphonic music, jazz and Broadway. We close with Duke Ellington’s stunning long-form jazz reflection on Black history from slavery to the Harlem Renaissance. Drawing on the blues, soaring gospel music, work songs, swing, and much more, Ellington created an all-American orchestral masterpiece. more info...
Saturday, January 22, 2022 Symphony San Jose San Jose, CA Each ticket holder must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. To enter the theatre you will need to show a photo ID and proof of vaccination (a QR code or completed card — original or copy — are all acceptable). While in the theatre, every patron must wear a mask. Children under 12 are exempt from the vaccination requirement, but not the mask mandate. Four composers whose works defined America in the ‘30s and ‘40s come together on one grand program. Copland’s expansive, optimistic Appalachian Spring became known as “the quintessential American sound.” In fact all four could stake that claim. Gershwin and Bernstein each give us a brilliant mix of symphonic music, jazz and Broadway. We close with Duke Ellington’s stunning long-form jazz reflection on Black history from slavery to the Harlem Renaissance. Drawing on the blues, soaring gospel music, work songs, swing, and much more, Ellington created an all-American orchestral masterpiece. more info...
Sunday, October 24, 2021 San Francisco Chamber Ensemble Berkeley, CA Ludwig van Beethoven Coriolan Overture
Jonathan Russell Double Concerto (2014)
Hannah Addario-Berry, cello
Jeff Anderle, clarinet
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”) more info...
Saturday, October 23, 2021 San Francisco Chamber Ensemble Palo Alto, CA Ludwig van Beethoven Coriolan Overture
Jonathan Russell Double Concerto (2014)
Hannah Addario-Berry, cello
Jeff Anderle, clarinet
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”) more info...
Friday, October 22, 2021 San Francisco Chamber Ensemble San Francisco, CA Two great middle-period Beethoven works including his groundbreaking Third Symphony, plus a charming double concerto for clarinet and cello by Jonathan Russell. Ludwig van Beethoven Coriolan Overture
Jonathan Russell Double Concerto (2014)
Hannah Addario-Berry, cello
Jeff Anderle, clarinet
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”) more info...
Sunday, October 10, 2021 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA The program will include ensembles from Carmen, The Magic Flute, The Barber of Seville, Madame Butterfly, La Boheme, Lakme, The Merry Widow, Der Rosenkavalier, and La Traviata. more info...
Saturday, October 09, 2021 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, CA The program will include ensembles from Carmen, The Magic Flute, The Barber of Seville, Madame Butterfly, La Boheme, Lakme, The Merry Widow, Der Rosenkavalier, and La Traviata. more info...
Tuesday, March 09, 2021 Movement for Musicians at Sonoma State University On Tuesday, March 9th at 1pm, Mara will facilitate a workshop for music students , guiding them through pilates inspired movement and stretches that can be used as a long term strategy to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent injuries.
Sunday, March 8, 2020 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, California Two one-act operas – one a tragedy, one a comedy, both set in Florence. Based on fragmentary tales by two literary giants: Oscar Wilde in the first case, Dante Alighieri in the second. One tells a tale of jealousy and commerce, the other of greed and commerce. In A Florentine Tragedy, we have music and drama of Wagnerian intensity, in Gianni Schicchi brilliant comedy and one of the most memorable arias in all of opera. Both operas are guaranteed to captivate in utterly different ways. Sung in German and Italian with English supertitles. A Florentine Tragedy by Alexander Zemlinsky
& Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini more info...
Saturday, March 7, 2020 Livermore Valley Opera Livermore, California Two one-act operas – one a tragedy, one a comedy, both set in Florence. Based on fragmentary tales by two literary giants: Oscar Wilde in the first case, Dante Alighieri in the second. One tells a tale of jealousy and commerce, the other of greed and commerce. In A Florentine Tragedy, we have music and drama of Wagnerian intensity, in Gianni Schicchi brilliant comedy and one of the most memorable arias in all of opera. Both operas are guaranteed to captivate in utterly different ways. Sung in German and Italian with English supertitles. A Florentine Tragedy by Alexander Zemlinsky
& Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini more info...
Sunday, February 16, 2020 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Edward Elgar's "Enigma Variations" are comprised of 14 separate movements sketching a different friend or close acquaintance. Rather than depicting the person as a whole, a single element of their personality or relationship with Elgar is illustrated musically. The movement titles contain cryptograms or keys to the identity of the subject! Elgar started the work casually at the piano as an exercise to capture someone musically, and evolved it into a large and beloved symphonic work.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade is based on the Arabian Nights. Replete with Russian folk melodies, many excerpts of this piece are used for Olympic figure skating – making it a well-known and recognized work. Rimsky-Korsakov worked tirelessly on this composition, along with his ornate Russian Easter Overture and the completion of Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor. The work features stunning and virtuosic violin solos–not to be missed! Edward Elgar
"Enigma Variations," Op. 36
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Scheherazade, Op. 35 more info...
Saturday, February 15, 2020 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Edward Elgar's "Enigma Variations" are comprised of 14 separate movements sketching a different friend or close acquaintance. Rather than depicting the person as a whole, a single element of their personality or relationship with Elgar is illustrated musically. The movement titles contain cryptograms or keys to the identity of the subject! Elgar started the work casually at the piano as an exercise to capture someone musically, and evolved it into a large and beloved symphonic work.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade is based on the Arabian Nights. Replete with Russian folk melodies, many excerpts of this piece are used for Olympic figure skating – making it a well-known and recognized work. Rimsky-Korsakov worked tirelessly on this composition, along with his ornate Russian Easter Overture and the completion of Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor. The work features stunning and virtuosic violin solos–not to be missed! Edward Elgar
"Enigma Variations," Op. 36
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Scheherazade, Op. 35 more info...
Sunday, November 24, 2019 Opera San Jose San Jose, CA A mysterious forest. A tempting gingerbread house. Two imaginative siblings embark on a precarious adventure to find something to eat when their fortunes turn for the worse. This enduring fairy tale of lost children, candy sweets and an evil witch comes to life in an enchanting holiday production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel – a 19th-century opera admired for its fun and folk-music-inspired themes, including the famous “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.”
If you attend the opening Sunday performance (Nov. 17), don’t miss the reception immediately following when we kick off the holiday season! Come mingle with Hansel and Gretel artists and production crew and enjoy hot chocolate, coffee, light appetizers, sparkling wine for adults and delicious gingerbread cookies! A cash bar will also be available. Tickets are $40 per person and kids come free! Order ONLINE or contact the OSJ Box Office @ 408.437.4450. Hansel and Gretel - Engelbert Humperdinck more info...
Thursday, November 21, 2019 Opera San Jose San Jose, CA A mysterious forest. A tempting gingerbread house. Two imaginative siblings embark on a precarious adventure to find something to eat when their fortunes turn for the worse. This enduring fairy tale of lost children, candy sweets and an evil witch comes to life in an enchanting holiday production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel – a 19th-century opera admired for its fun and folk-music-inspired themes, including the famous “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.”
If you attend the opening Sunday performance (Nov. 17), don’t miss the reception immediately following when we kick off the holiday season! Come mingle with Hansel and Gretel artists and production crew and enjoy hot chocolate, coffee, light appetizers, sparkling wine for adults and delicious gingerbread cookies! A cash bar will also be available. Tickets are $40 per person and kids come free! Order ONLINE or contact the OSJ Box Office @ 408.437.4450. Hansel and Gretel - Engelbert Humperdinck more info...
Sunday, November 17, 2019 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA W.A. Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 27, KV 595
Kun Woo Paik, piano
Johannes Brahms
Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15
Kun Woo Paik, piano more info...
Saturday, November 16, 2019 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA W.A. Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 27, KV 595
Kun Woo Paik, piano
Johannes Brahms
Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15
Kun Woo Paik, piano more info...
Sunday, November 10, 2019 Symphony Silicon Valley San Jose, CA Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in concert more info...
Saturday, November 9, 2019 Symphony Silicon Valley San Jose, CA Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Concert more info...
Saturday, November 9, 2019 Symphony Silicon Valley San Jose, CA Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in concert more info...
Saturday, November 2, 2019 Berkeley Symphony Berkeley, CA Beethoven – Symphony No. 5
Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5
Mozart – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Mozart – Overture to Marriage of Figaro
Carlos Gardel – “Por una Cabeza”
Holst – St. Paul Suite for Strings – Gigue
Gabriela Lena Frank – Coqueteos from Leyendas, An Andean Walkabout
George Walker – Lyric for Strings (Based on second movement of String Quartet no. 1) more info...
Sunday, August 11, 2019 HMS Pinafore - Lamplighters Music Theatre Mountain View, CA W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Known as one of the “Big Three” of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first international sensation. Full of wonderful songs, drama and comedy, social conflict, and some of the male chorus music in the canon! With new men’s costumes to complete a historically accurate vision of the show, this production of Pinafore is sure to be a delight! more info...
Saturday, August 10, 2019 HMS Pinafore - Lamplighters Music Theatre Mountain View, CA W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Known as one of the “Big Three” of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first international sensation. Full of wonderful songs, drama and comedy, social conflict, and some of the male chorus music in the canon! With new men’s costumes to complete a historically accurate vision of the show, this production of Pinafore is sure to be a delight! more info...
Saturday, August 10, 2019 HMS PInafore - Lamplighters Music Theatre Mountain View, CA W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Known as one of the “Big Three” of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first international sensation. Full of wonderful songs, drama and comedy, social conflict, and some of the male chorus music in the canon! With new men’s costumes to complete a historically accurate vision of the show, this production of Pinafore is sure to be a delight! more info...
Sunday, August 4, 2019 HMS Pinafore - Lamplighters Music Theatre Walnut Creek, CA W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Known as one of the “Big Three” of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first international sensation. Full of wonderful songs, drama and comedy, social conflict, and some of the male chorus music in the canon! With new men’s costumes to complete a historically accurate vision of the show, this production of Pinafore is sure to be a delight! more info...
Saturday, August 3, 2019 HMS Pinafore - Lamplighters Music Theatre Walnut Creek, CA W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Known as one of the “Big Three” of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first international sensation. Full of wonderful songs, drama and comedy, social conflict, and some of the male chorus music in the canon! With new men’s costumes to complete a historically accurate vision of the show, this production of Pinafore is sure to be a delight! more info...
Saturday, August 3, 2019 HMS Pinafore - Lamplighters Music Theatre Walnut Creek, CA W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Known as one of the “Big Three” of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first international sensation. Full of wonderful songs, drama and comedy, social conflict, and some of the male chorus music in the canon! With new men’s costumes to complete a historically accurate vision of the show, this production of Pinafore is sure to be a delight! more info...
Sunday, June 23, 2019 Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra Berkeley, CA FREE ADMISSION! Brahms gave his 1868 Requiem the title “A German Requiem” because the texts that he chose are in German, from the Lutheran Bible, not from the traditional Latin Requiem Mass. Brahms himself said that he would happily call his Requiem the “Human Requiem.” It is a stunning work that focuses on comforting the living — “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Combining Brahms’s beautiful writing and well-crafted structure, it’s become one of the most popular symphonic choral works in the literature. more info...
Saturday, June 23, 2019 Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra Berkeley, California FREE ADMISSION! Brahms gave his 1868 Requiem the title “A German Requiem” because the texts that he chose are in German, from the Lutheran Bible, not from the traditional Latin Requiem Mass. Brahms himself said that he would happily call his Requiem the “Human Requiem.” It is a stunning work that focuses on comforting the living — “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Combining Brahms’s beautiful writing and well-crafted structure, it’s become one of the most popular symphonic choral works in the literature. more info...
Friday, June 21, 2019 Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra Berkeley, California FREE ADMISSION! Brahms gave his 1868 Requiem the title “A German Requiem” because the texts that he chose are in German, from the Lutheran Bible, not from the traditional Latin Requiem Mass. Brahms himself said that he would happily call his Requiem the “Human Requiem.” It is a stunning work that focuses on comforting the living — “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Combining Brahms’s beautiful writing and well-crafted structure, it’s become one of the most popular symphonic choral works in the literature. more info...
Sunday, June 16, 2019 Pocket Opera - Tales of Hoffmann Palo Alto, California A fantastical journey through the doomed romances of the poet, Hoffmann. Hounded by his nemesis and accompanied by Nicklausse, his ever faithful friend, Hoffmann seems forever unlucky in love.
As ever, Offenbach is a Pocket Opera specialty! more info...
Monday, June 10, 2019 Movement for Musicians San Francisco, CA This workshop will consist of a 15 minute talk about my background as a professional clarinetist and an introduction to what pilates is. The remainder of the hour will consist of a guided workshop through pilates inspired movement and stretches that can be used as a long term strategy to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent injuries. Since this will be interactive and involve everyone's participation, it is highly recommended that those who attend wear comfortable clothes. Mara presents a workshop on movement, prototyped specifically for musicians! more info...
Sunday, June 9, 2019 Pocket Opera - Tales of Hoffmann San Francisco, CA A fantastical journey through the doomed romances of the poet, Hoffmann. Hounded by his nemesis and accompanied by Nicklausse, his ever faithful friend, Hoffmann seems forever unlucky in love.
As ever, Offenbach is a Pocket Opera specialty! more info...
Sunday, June 2, 2019 Pocket Opera - Tales of Hoffmann Berkeley, California A fantastical journey through the doomed romances of the poet, Hoffmann. Hounded by his nemesis and accompanied by Nicklausse, his ever faithful friend, Hoffmann seems forever unlucky in love.
As ever, Offenbach is a Pocket Opera specialty! more info...
Sunday, May 19, 2019 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel, California CONCERT 6
May 18 & 19, 2019
Marcos Madrigal
Location: Sunset Center
San Carlos Ave & 9th Ave, Carmel
Map
Dates: May 18, 2019 8:00 PM
TICKETS >
May 19, 2019 3:00 PM
TICKETS >
MARCOS MADRIGAL
The sixth and final concert of the season, Sound Waves, will conclude in grand fashion with music by Wagner, Chopin, and Beethoven! Richard Wagner composed many brilliant overtures throughout his many German operas, including the overture from The Flying Dutchman, featured as the opening work in the season finale. Chopin's stunning Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 21, follows, with magnificent Cuban pianist Marcos Madrigal performing the popular work, composed before Chopin completed his formal education at age 20.
The season ends with one of the greatest compositions for the concert hall of all time: Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Op, 67. A favorite among experienced and new audiences, musicians and conductors, the fifth endeavor in the symphony genre struck a chord for Beethoven, as he discovered his true forte – it is the "Stairway to Heaven" of Classical Music! Richard Wagner
Overture from The Flying Dutchman
Frédéric Chopin
Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 21
Marcos Madrigal, piano
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5, Op. 6 more info...
Saturday, May 18, 2019 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel, California The sixth and final concert of the season, Sound Waves, will conclude in grand fashion with music by Wagner, Chopin, and Beethoven! Richard Wagner composed many brilliant overtures throughout his many German operas, including the overture from The Flying Dutchman, featured as the opening work in the season finale. Chopin's stunning Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 21, follows, with magnificent Cuban pianist Marcos Madrigal performing the popular work, composed before Chopin completed his formal education at age 20.
The season ends with one of the greatest compositions for the concert hall of all time: Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Op, 67. A favorite among experienced and new audiences, musicians and conductors, the fifth endeavor in the symphony genre struck a chord for Beethoven, as he discovered his true forte – it is the "Stairway to Heaven" of Classical Music! Richard Wagner
Overture from The Flying Dutchman
Frédéric Chopin
Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 21
Marcos Madrigal, piano
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5, Op. 6 more info...
Sunday, March 31, 2019 Symphony Silicon Valley plays Star Wars: A New Hope soundtrack San Jose, California Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy as he leaves his home planet, battles the evil Empire, and learns the ways of the Force. Don’t miss A New Hope in concert, with Symphony Silicon Valley performing John Williams’s Oscar-winning score live to the complete film. more info...
Saturday, March 30, 2019 Symphony Silicon Valley plays Star Wars: A New Hope soundtrack San Jose, California Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy as he leaves his home planet, battles the evil Empire, and learns the ways of the Force. Don’t miss A New Hope in concert, with Symphony Silicon Valley performing John Williams’s Oscar-winning score live to the complete film. more info...
Saturday, March 30, 2019 Symphony Silicon Valley plays Star Wars: A New Hope soundtrack San Jose, California Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy as he leaves his home planet, battles the evil Empire, and learns the ways of the Force. Don’t miss A New Hope in concert, with Symphony Silicon Valley performing John Williams’s Oscar-winning score live to the complete film. more info...
Friday, March 29, 2019 Symphony Silicon Valley plays Star Wars: A New Hope soundtrack San Jose, California Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy as he leaves his home planet, battles the evil Empire, and learns the ways of the Force. Don’t miss A New Hope in concert, with Symphony Silicon Valley performing John Williams’s Oscar-winning score live to the complete film. more info...
Friday, March 22, 2019 Oakland Symphony Oakland, California Composed more than a century and a half ago in 1847, Louise Farrenc’s romantic Third Symphony presented her musical voice at a time when women were more seen than heard. Jessie Montgomery’s Banner comments on the Star Spangled Banner with an inspiration from traditional symphonic works, African-American spirituals, and the anthems of the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico. SF Opera Adler Fellows perform Bernstein’s Songfest, a musical journey from America’s bicentennial year exploring America’s past through the words of 13 poets. Program:
Jessie Montgomery
Banner
Louise Farrenc
Symphony No. 3
INTERMISSION
Leonard Bernstein
Songfest
with Adler Fellows
Mary Evelyn Hangley, soprano
Natalie Image, soprano
Ashley Dixon, mezzo-soprano
Chris Oglesby, tenor
SeokJong Baek, baritone
Christian Pursell, bass-baritone more info...
Sunday, March 17, 2019 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel, California Jung-Ho Pak guest conducts the fourth concert of the season with works by Tan Dun, Shostakovich, and Alan Hovhaness. Revolutionary experimental composer Tan Dun transposes the sounds of water – at play and at work – into the textures of his music, most literally in Water Concerto for water percussion and orchestra.
The symphonic poem And God Created Great Whales by Alan Hovhaness – commissioned in 1970 by the New York Philharmonic – features prerecorded humpback whale vocalizations, and was credited with early efforts to save whales from extinction. To celebrate the Soviet victory over Germany, Dmitri Shostakovich was commissioned to write Symphony No. 9, which, Leonard Bernstein described as a series of musical jokes (including purposeful mistakes)…completing a boisterous, 99.99% organic, and exciting concert program. more info...
Saturday, March 16, 2019 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel, California Jung-Ho Pak guest conducts the fourth concert of the season with works by Tan Dun, Shostakovich, and Alan Hovhaness. Revolutionary experimental composer Tan Dun transposes the sounds of water – at play and at work – into the textures of his music, most literally in Water Concerto for water percussion and orchestra.
The symphonic poem And God Created Great Whales by Alan Hovhaness – commissioned in 1970 by the New York Philharmonic – features prerecorded humpback whale vocalizations, and was credited with early efforts to save whales from extinction. To celebrate the Soviet victory over Germany, Dmitri Shostakovich was commissioned to write Symphony No. 9, which, Leonard Bernstein described as a series of musical jokes (including purposeful mistakes)…completing a boisterous, 99.99% organic, and exciting concert program. more info...
Sunday, February 24, 2019 Opera San Jose - Moby Dick San Jose, California Moby-Dick is an opera based on the classic novel by Herman Melville. Set in 1820, it tells the story of Captain Ahab of the whaleship Pequod, who after losing one of his legs to a frightening white whale, becomes obsessed with finding and destroying the creature at any cost. Only one crew member, first mate Starbuck, realizes the deadly implications of Ahab’s obsession and the risks to the ship’s crew. Since its 2010 debut at the Dallas Opera, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s opera adaption of Melville’s classic novel has captivated audiences with its inventive storytelling, spectacular music, sets and visual effects. Run-time approximately three hours. Company premiere! more info...
Friday, February 22, 2019 Opera San Jose - Moby Dick San Jose, California Moby-Dick is an opera based on the classic novel by Herman Melville. Set in 1820, it tells the story of Captain Ahab of the whaleship Pequod, who after losing one of his legs to a frightening white whale, becomes obsessed with finding and destroying the creature at any cost. Only one crew member, first mate Starbuck, realizes the deadly implications of Ahab’s obsession and the risks to the ship’s crew. Since its 2010 debut at the Dallas Opera, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s opera adaption of Melville’s classic novel has captivated audiences with its inventive storytelling, spectacular music, sets and visual effects. Run-time approximately three hours. Company premiere! more info...
Sunday, February 17, 2019 Opera San Jose - Moby Dick San Jose, California Moby-Dick is an opera based on the classic novel by Herman Melville. Set in 1820, it tells the story of Captain Ahab of the whaleship Pequod, who after losing one of his legs to a frightening white whale, becomes obsessed with finding and destroying the creature at any cost. Only one crew member, first mate Starbuck, realizes the deadly implications of Ahab’s obsession and the risks to the ship’s crew. Since its 2010 debut at the Dallas Opera, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s opera adaption of Melville’s classic novel has captivated audiences with its inventive storytelling, spectacular music, sets and visual effects. Run-time approximately three hours. Company premiere! more info...
Thursday, February 14, 2019 Opera San Jose - Moby Dick San Jose, California Moby-Dick is an opera based on the classic novel by Herman Melville. Set in 1820, it tells the story of Captain Ahab of the whaleship Pequod, who after losing one of his legs to a frightening white whale, becomes obsessed with finding and destroying the creature at any cost. Only one crew member, first mate Starbuck, realizes the deadly implications of Ahab’s obsession and the risks to the ship’s crew. Since its 2010 debut at the Dallas Opera, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s opera adaption of Melville’s classic novel has captivated audiences with its inventive storytelling, spectacular music, sets and visual effects. Run-time approximately three hours. Company premiere! more info...
Sunday, February 10, 2019 Opera San Jose - Moby Dick San Jose, California Moby-Dick is an opera based on the classic novel by Herman Melville. Set in 1820, it tells the story of Captain Ahab of the whaleship Pequod, who after losing one of his legs to a frightening white whale, becomes obsessed with finding and destroying the creature at any cost. Only one crew member, first mate Starbuck, realizes the deadly implications of Ahab’s obsession and the risks to the ship’s crew. Since its 2010 debut at the Dallas Opera, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s opera adaption of Melville’s classic novel has captivated audiences with its inventive storytelling, spectacular music, sets and visual effects. Run-time approximately three hours. Company premiere! more info...
Saturday, February 9, 2019 Opera San Jose - Moby Dick San Jose, California Moby-Dick is an opera based on the classic novel by Herman Melville. Set in 1820, it tells the story of Captain Ahab of the whaleship Pequod, who after losing one of his legs to a frightening white whale, becomes obsessed with finding and destroying the creature at any cost. Only one crew member, first mate Starbuck, realizes the deadly implications of Ahab’s obsession and the risks to the ship’s crew. Since its 2010 debut at the Dallas Opera, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s opera adaption of Melville’s classic novel has captivated audiences with its inventive storytelling, spectacular music, sets and visual effects. Run-time approximately three hours. Company premiere! more info...
Friday, January 25, 2019 Oakland Symphony - Notes From the African Diaspora Oakland, California Program:
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Symphony No. 1 in G major, Op. 11
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro assai
Antonio Carlos Gomes
C’era una volta un principe from Il Guarany
Shawnettte Sulker, soprano
William Grant Still
Songs of Separation
I. Idolatry
II. Poéme
III. Parted
Shawnette Sulker, Soprano
Florence Price
Symphony No. 3 in C minor
I. Andante
II. Andante ma non troppo
III. Juba: Allegro
IV. Scherzo: Finale
Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington
Harlem more info...
Sunday, December 23, 2018 Oakland Nutcracker Oakland, CA more info...
Saturday, December 22, 2018 Oakland Nutcracker Oakand, California more info...
Saturday, December 22, 2018 Oakland Nutcracker Oakland, California more info...
Friday, November 9, 2018 Symphony Caritas Benefit for the Gubbio Project San Francisco, California Mahler Adagietto for Strings, lieder, and other beautiful pieces more info...
Saturday, November 3, 2018 Berkeley Symphony Family Concert Berkeley, California Strike Up The Band, Syncopated Clock, Beethove Symphony #5, Rhapsody In Blue, American In Paris more info...
Sunday, October 21, 2018 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carme-by-the-Sea The Monterey Symphony will open the 73rd season – Sound Waves – with Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 9, "The Great;" and a new work from composer Alex Berko, commissioned in collaboration with the Big Sur Land Trust, entitled Among Waves.
Berko, an exceptional student at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, spent a week in residence at the Glen Deven Ranch in Big Sur, drawing inspiration from the deep beauty of the landscape for inclusion in his new orchestral work. Glen Deven Ranch played a role in the first commission with the Big Sur Land Trust, resulting in Big Sur, the Night Sun by esteemed composer John Wineglass. Do not miss this opportunity to hear the premier of the Alex Berko's Among Waves, the second work in this series, with Max Bragado-Darman and the Monterey Symphony! more info...
Saturday, October 20, 2018 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA The Monterey Symphony will open the 73rd season – Sound Waves – with Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 9, "The Great;" and a new work from composer Alex Berko, commissioned in collaboration with the Big Sur Land Trust, entitled Among Waves.
Berko, an exceptional student at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, spent a week in residence at the Glen Deven Ranch in Big Sur, drawing inspiration from the deep beauty of the landscape for inclusion in his new orchestral work. Glen Deven Ranch played a role in the first commission with the Big Sur Land Trust, resulting in Big Sur, the Night Sun by esteemed composer John Wineglass. Do not miss this opportunity to hear the premier of the Alex Berko's Among Waves, the second work in this series, with Max Bragado-Darman and the Monterey Symphony! more info...
Sunday, September 30, 2018 Opera San Jose, The Abduction from the Seraglio - Mozart San Jose, CA Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio tells the story of a Konstanze and her maid Blonde, who find themselves in the Harem of Pasha Salim! Thrust into action, Belmonte, the gallant nobleman, assisted by his servant Pedrillo, attempt to rescue the women from the confines of their Turkish harem and sinister overseer, Osmin, who is determined to keep Konstanze for his master and have Blonde for himself. more info...
Friday, September 28, 2018 Opera San Jose, The Abduction from the Seraglio - Mozart San Jose, CA Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio tells the story of a Konstanze and her maid Blonde, who find themselves in the Harem of Pasha Salim! Thrust into action, Belmonte, the gallant nobleman, assisted by his servant Pedrillo, attempt to rescue the women from the confines of their Turkish harem and sinister overseer, Osmin, who is determined to keep Konstanze for his master and have Blonde for himself. more info...
Saturday, September 15, 2018 Opera San Jose, The Abduction from the Seraglio - Mozart San Jose California Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio tells the story of a Konstanze and her maid Blonde, who find themselves in the Harem of Pasha Salim! Thrust into action, Belmonte, the gallant nobleman, assisted by his servant Pedrillo, attempt to rescue the women from the confines of their Turkish harem and sinister overseer, Osmin, who is determined to keep Konstanze for his master and have Blonde for himself. more info...
Thursday, August 30, 2018 ArtHaus on Playa Orchestra - Pictures at an Exhibition Black Rock City more info...
Sunday, July 15, 2018 Berkeley Chamber Opera - Verdi's Joan of Arc Berkeley, California more info...
Friday, July 13, 2018 Berkeley Chamber Opera - Verdi's Joan of Arc Berkeley, California more info...
Sunday, April 22, 2018 Pocket Opera - The Bartered Bride San Francisco, CA It’s holiday time in Bohemia—time to celebrate, time for song and dance. Yet the very two young people we would expect to be leading the revels are not even joining in. There must be a mystery…
One of the great romantic comedies of Smetana, the celebrated Czech composer. more info...
Sunday, April 15, 2018 Pocket Opera - The Bartered Bride Palo Alto, CA It’s holiday time in Bohemia—time to celebrate, time for song and dance. Yet the very two young people we would expect to be leading the revels are not even joining in. There must be a mystery…
One of the great romantic comedies of Smetana, the celebrated Czech composer. more info...
Sunday, April 8, 2018 Pocket Opera - The Bartered Bride Berkeley, CA It’s holiday time in Bohemia—time to celebrate, time for song and dance. Yet the very two young people we would expect to be leading the revels are not even joining in. There must be a mystery…
One of the great romantic comedies of Smetana, the celebrated Czech composer. more info...
Friday, January 19, 2018 Oakland Symphony Orchestra Oakland, California Socio-political comedian, activist, and Emmy-nominated CNN host W. Kamau Bell kicks off our groundbreaking new series inviting the major thinkers of our time to host and curate a concert and give us unique insights into their passions. Expect the sounds of Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bob Marley, and Tears for Fears. This series will be a musical journey to uncharted territory with your Oakland Symphony! more info...
Sunday, January 7, 2018 Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra Berkeley, California Sergei Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky, Romeo and Juliet Suite, and Rachmaninoff's Vespers. more info...
Saturday, January 6, 2018 Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra Berkeley, California Sergei Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky, Romeo and Juliet Suite, and Rachmaninoff's Vespers. more info...
Friday, January 5, 2018 Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra Berkeley, California Sergei Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky, Romeo and Juliet Suite, and Rachmaninoff's Vespers. more info...
Sunday, December 24, 2017 Nutcracker - Oakland Ballet Oakland, CA Nutcracker full production more info...
Saturday, December 23, 2017 Nutcracker - Oakland Ballet Oakland, CA Nutcracker full production more info...
Saturday, December 23, 2017 Nutcracker - Oakland Ballet Oakland, CA Nutcracker full production more info...
Sunday, December 17, 2017 Nutcracker Santa Cruz, California Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker - full production more info...
Sunday, December 17, 2017 Nutcracker Santa Cruz, Califoria Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker - full production more info...
Saturday, December 16, 2017 Nutcracker Santa Cruz, California Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker - full production more info...
Saturday, December 16, 2017 Nutcracker Santa Cruz, California Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker - full production more info...
Friday, December 15, 2017 Nutcracker Santa Cruz, California Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker full production more info...
Sunday, December 3, 2017 Orchestra Concert Piedmont, California
Friday, December 1, 2017 Orchestra Concert Piedmont, CA Music of Stephen Main
Sunday, November 5, 2017 Mozart Requiem Redwood City, CA more info...
Saturday, November 4, 2017 Mozart Requiem Redwood City, CA more info...
Sunday, September 24, 2017 Opera San Jose - Cosi fan tutte San Jose, CA Contact me for comp tickets more info...
Friday, September 22, 2017 Opera San Jose - Cosi fan tutte San Jose, CA Contact me for comp tickets more info...
Sunday, September 17, 2017 Opera San Jose - Cosi fan tutte San Jose, CA Contact me for comp tickets more info...
Thursday, September 14, 2017 Opera San Jose - Cosi fan tutte San Jose, CA Contact me for comp tickets more info...
Sunday, September 10, 2017 Opera San Jose - Cosi fan tutte San Jose, CA Contact me for comp tickets more info...
Saturday, September 9, 2017 Opera San Jose - Cosi fan tutte San Jose, CA Contact me for comps more info...
Friday, August 25, 2017 Chamber Trio Concert Kensington, CA Mara Plotkin, clarinet
Hrabba Atladottir, violin
Anne Rainwater, piano
Jesse Barrett, narrator
Repertoire: Aram Khachaturian's Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano
Darius Milhaud's Suite for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano
Igor Stravinsky's L'histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale) for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano Mara Plotkin, clarinet
Hrabba Atladottir, violin
Anne Rainwater, piano
Jesse Barrett, narrator
Repertoire: Aram Khachaturian's Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano
Darius Milhaud's Suite for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano
Igor Stravinsky's L'histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale) for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano more info...
Saturday, July 29, 2017 Best of the Fest Carmle-by-the-Sea, California Favorite selections from the entire Festival are performed in this closing night concert that celebrates music, Carmel, the musicians of the Bach Festival, and the Festival’s loyal patrons. The program is a sampler of critical and audience favorites from throughout the two-week Festival, including chamber concerts, the Family Concert, Tower Brass and the Carmel Mission programs.
The concert is sponsored by the former presidents of the Carmel Bach Festival, and is followed by a champagne reception on the Sunset Center Terrace toasting the conclusion of the 80th Festival.
Best of the Fest is a special, not-be-missed party commemorates and honors music, the legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach, and the special and mystical setting of Carmel-by-the Sea. more info...
Friday, July 28, 2017 Joyful Ode Carmel-by-the-Sea Beethoven’s music for the ballet The Creatures Of Prometheus dates to 1801, and marked his introduction to the Viennese stage. The short overture, the most-often performed part of the ballet, begins with dissonance and drama. The frenetic section that follows is quintessential early Beethoven: virtuosic and charming.
Brahms first composed his Variations on a Theme by Haydn for two pianos (performed brilliantly last year at the Festival by the piano duo Anderson and Roe). The work debuted in 1873 and is notable for Brahms’ skillful use of a seemingly simple melody in nine variations. The last variation transforms the theme into a glorious Passacaglia—a form used by Bach and others consisting of variations built on a repeating bass line.
The Friday concert concludes with perhaps the greatest symphony in the repertoire—Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It is Beethoven’s last creative statement in a form that no other composer has so thoroughly explored to the heights of artistry. It is the first symphony to use voices and features soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists.
The final movement, centered on “Ode to Joy,” is Beethoven’s expression of universal brotherhood, and ecstatic joy. Ludwig van Beethoven, Overture to the Ballet, The Creatures Of Prometheus, op. 43
Johannes Brahms, Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op. 56a
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, op. 125
Mhairi Lawson, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Tom Cooley, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone more info...
Tuesday, July 25, 2017 From Bach to Bernstein Carmel-by-the-Sea J.S. Bach, Cantata BWV 21, Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, (I had much grief)
Mhairi Lawson, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings
Aaron Copland, Old American Songs, Set 1
The Boatman's Dance
The Dodger
Long Time Ago
Simple Gifts
I Bought Me a Cat
Mhairi Lawson, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Leonard Bernstein, Chichester Psalms
Esteli Gomez, Soprano; Alyson Harvey, mezzo-soprano; David Vanderwal, tenor; Charles Wesley Evans, bass
Associate conductor Andrew Megill steps to the podium at the Sunset Center for special Tuesday concerts.
J.S. Bach’s Cantata No. 21, Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, translates as “I had much grief, ”and represents the composer’s transition between a simpler style using biblical and hymn text to a more operatic recitative and aria style using contemporary poetry. Noted Bach conductor and scholar John Eliot Gardiner called the cantata “one of the most extraordinary and inspired of Bach's vocal works.” Between the penultimate and final movements, Maestro Megill has chosen to insert Samuel Barber’s iconic Adagio for Strings. The contemplative and cathartic piece has been used in countless broadcasts and movies. It is a beautiful and stunning work.
The second half of the program features the music of two towering figures in American music—Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein.
Copland’s Old American Songs date to 1950 and are a simple and sensitive setting of American folk tunes. The best-known of the songs—“Simple Gifts”—has been used in countless movies, commercials and other soundtracks, and served as the memorable anchor to Copland’s 1944 ballet, Appalachian Spring.
Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms was created during the composer’s 15-month sabbatical from his position as music director of the New York Philharmonic. The three-movement work takes its text from six psalms and is in Hebrew. Moods range from joyful and dance-like in the opening movement to simple and peaceful in the second movement, and concluding with a finale evoking a humble sensibility suggesting resignation and acceptance of God’s will. The piece is filled with the composer’s hallmarks of jazz, Jewish and theatre music. It is a wholly dramatic and deeply fulfilling work. Perhaps Andrew Megill took his inspiration for selecting the work to close this special concert from having served as the rehearsal accompanist for Bernstein’s last performance of the work, in 1989.
Andrew Megill is the artistic director of Fuma Sacra and serves as chorusmaster for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He is also music director of Masterwork Chorus and professor and director of choral activities at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). J.S. Bach, Cantata BWV 21, Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, (I had much grief)
Mhairi Lawson, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings
Aaron Copland, Old American Songs, Set 1
The Boatman's Dance
The Dodger
Long Time Ago
Simple Gifts
I Bought Me a Cat
Mhairi Lawson, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Leonard Bernstein, Chichester Psalms
Esteli Gomez, Soprano; Alyson Harvey, mezzo-soprano; David Vanderwal, tenor; Charles Wesley Evans, bass more info...
Monday, July 24, 2017 A Night in Vienna Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Mozart’s Serenade in D Major is a compact piece for an unusual ensemble consisting of a solo quartet of two violins, violas, and string bass on one side, and a larger group of violins, violas, cellos, and timpani on the other. The work’s nickname refers to a composition performed in the evening. Mozart composed numerous serenades and divertimentos meant as instrumental works with multiple movements used for entertainment at special events or receptions..
Mozart's Symphony No. 29 was created when he was 18, in 1874. It is one of the best–known of his earlier symphonies. A wildly energetic finale distinguishes the short symphony, along with its mature use of counterpoint.
The second half of the program features the music of the “king of Vienna,” Johann Strauss, Jr. He composed more than 500 waltzes, polkas and other dances, and was mainly responsible for the popularity of the waltz in 19th century Vienna. The Monday program includes his most popular waltz, the iconic Blue Danube. Other Viennese favorites from Fritz Kreisler and Franz Lehár are also included.
Concertmaster Peter Hanson’s programs have become known for their humor and the unexpected, including a surprising and fitting encore that encapsulates the program’s theme! Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Serenade in D Major (Serenata notturna), K.239
Johann Strauss, Acceleration Waltz
Johann Strauss, Eglen a Magyar
Johann Strauss, Emperor's Waltz
Fritz Kreisler, Liebeslied (violin solo)
Franz Lehár, Gold and Silver
Johann Strauss, Tic Tac Polka
Johann Strauss, Roses from the South
Johann Strauss, Blue Danube Waltz more info...
Friday, July 21, 2017 Joyful Ode Carmel-by-the-Sea Beethoven’s music for the ballet The Creatures Of Prometheus dates to 1801, and marked his introduction to the Viennese stage. The short overture, the most-often performed part of the ballet, begins with dissonance and drama. The frenetic section that follows is quintessential early Beethoven: virtuosic and charming.
Brahms first composed his Variations on a Theme by Haydn for two pianos (performed brilliantly last year at the Festival by the piano duo Anderson and Roe). The work debuted in 1873 and is notable for Brahms’ skillful use of a seemingly simple melody in nine variations. The last variation transforms the theme into a glorious Passacaglia—a form used by Bach and others consisting of variations built on a repeating bass line.
The Friday concert concludes with perhaps the greatest symphony in the repertoire—Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It is Beethoven’s last creative statement in a form that no other composer has so thoroughly explored to the heights of artistry. It is the first symphony to use voices and features soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists.
The final movement, centered on “Ode to Joy,” is Beethoven’s expression of universal brotherhood, and ecstatic joy. Ludwig van Beethoven, Overture to the Ballet, The Creatures Of Prometheus, op. 43
Johannes Brahms, Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op. 56a
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, op. 125
Mhairi Lawson, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Tom Cooley, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone more info...
Tuesday, July 18, 2017 From Bach to Bernstein Carmel-by-the-Sea Associate conductor Andrew Megill steps to the podium at the Sunset Center for special Tuesday concerts.
J.S. Bach’s Cantata No. 21, Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, translates as “I had much grief, ”and represents the composer’s transition between a simpler style using biblical and hymn text to a more operatic recitative and aria style using contemporary poetry. Noted Bach conductor and scholar John Eliot Gardiner called the cantata “one of the most extraordinary and inspired of Bach's vocal works.” Between the penultimate and final movements, Maestro Megill has chosen to insert Samuel Barber’s iconic Adagio for Strings. The contemplative and cathartic piece has been used in countless broadcasts and movies. It is a beautiful and stunning work.
The second half of the program features the music of two towering figures in American music—Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein.
Copland’s Old American Songs date to 1950 and are a simple and sensitive setting of American folk tunes. The best-known of the songs—“Simple Gifts”—has been used in countless movies, commercials and other soundtracks, and served as the memorable anchor to Copland’s 1944 ballet, Appalachian Spring.
Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms was created during the composer’s 15-month sabbatical from his position as music director of the New York Philharmonic. The three-movement work takes its text from six psalms and is in Hebrew. Moods range from joyful and dance-like in the opening movement to simple and peaceful in the second movement, and concluding with a finale evoking a humble sensibility suggesting resignation and acceptance of God’s will. The piece is filled with the composer’s hallmarks of jazz, Jewish and theatre music. It is a wholly dramatic and deeply fulfilling work. Perhaps Andrew Megill took his inspiration for selecting the work to close this special concert from having served as the rehearsal accompanist for Bernstein’s last performance of the work, in 1989.
Andrew Megill is the artistic director of Fuma Sacra and serves as chorusmaster for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He is also music director of Masterwork Chorus and professor and director of choral activities at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). J.S. Bach, Cantata BWV 21, Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, (I had much grief)
Mhairi Lawson, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings
Aaron Copland, Old American Songs, Set 1
The Boatman's Dance
The Dodger
Long Time Ago
Simple Gifts
I Bought Me a Cat
Mhairi Lawson, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Leonard Bernstein, Chichester Psalms
Esteli Gomez, Soprano; Alyson Harvey, mezzo-soprano; David Vanderwal, tenor; Charles Wesley Evans, bass more info...
Monday, July 17, 2017 A Night in Vienna Carmel-By-The-Sea, California Mozart’s Serenade in D Major is a compact piece for an unusual ensemble consisting of a solo quartet of two violins, violas, and string bass on one side, and a larger group of violins, violas, cellos, and timpani on the other. The work’s nickname refers to a composition performed in the evening. Mozart composed numerous serenades and divertimentos meant as instrumental works with multiple movements used for entertainment at special events or receptions..
Mozart's Symphony No. 29 was created when he was 18, in 1874. It is one of the best–known of his earlier symphonies. A wildly energetic finale distinguishes the short symphony, along with its mature use of counterpoint.
The second half of the program features the music of the “king of Vienna,” Johann Strauss, Jr. He composed more than 500 waltzes, polkas and other dances, and was mainly responsible for the popularity of the waltz in 19th century Vienna. The Monday program includes his most popular waltz, the iconic Blue Danube. Other Viennese favorites from Fritz Kreisler and Franz Lehár are also included.
Concertmaster Peter Hanson’s programs have become known for their humor and the unexpected, including a surprising and fitting encore that encapsulates the program’s theme! Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Serenade in D Major (Serenata notturna), K.239
Johann Strauss, Acceleration Waltz
Johann Strauss, Eglen a Magyar
Johann Strauss, Emperor's Waltz
Fritz Kreisler, Liebeslied (violin solo)
Franz Lehár, Gold and Silver
Johann Strauss, Tic Tac Polka
Johann Strauss, Roses from the South
Johann Strauss, Blue Danube Waltz more info...
Monday, July 3, 2017 Oakland Symphony Independence Eve Celebration Richmond, CA The Oakland Symphony joins forces with the City of Richmond to present a free Independence Eve Celebration at the Craneway Pavilion, located inside the historic Ford Point Building on the waterfront in Richmond. This free event is fun for the whole family, with live music, food, an instrument petting zoo and spectacular fireworks over the bay! The centerpiece of the evening is a free concert by the Oakland Symphony conducted by Michael Morgan, featuring Sousa marches, music from the movies, singalongs and more. The Craneway Pavilion, located on 25 waterfront acres, delivers spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the entire event space as well as a large outside patio, perfect for viewing the City of Richmond’s fireworks display. Ample secure event parking available for $20. In the seven years since its inception, this event has become one of the Bay Area’s most popular and talked-about Independence Day celebrations. Sousa marches, music from the movies, sing-alongs & more! more info...
Wednesday, June 21, 2017 Symphonia Caritas San Francisco, CA Benefit Concert for Swords to Plowshares Beethoven Symphony #8
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Ian Swensen, Violin more info...
Saturday, May 13, 2017 Fresno Philharmonic - What a Wonderful World Fresno, CA A Tribute to Louis Armstrong more info...
Sunday, May 7, 2017 Santa Cruz Symphony - Verdi's Requiem Watsonville, CA Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem more info...
Saturday, May 6, 2017 Santa Cruz Symphony - Verdi's Requiem Santa Cruz, CA Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem more info...
Sunday, April 30, 2017 Opera San Jose - Boheme San Jose, California This is the magic of the Parisian Latin Quarter and Giacomo Puccini’s unmatched ability to capture love’s passion and hope. This is the story of Mimì who spends her days embroidering and her nights longing for springtime. Literally in search of light, a match for her only candle, she instead finds happiness and friendship with a band of young bohemians – a handsome poet, a philosopher, a painter, a musician, and a good-time girl. Briefly, Mimì and Rodolfo make a place of love for themselves, until poverty prevails. Based on the lives of bohemians, including Puccini himself, La bohème rings true. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Run-time is approximately three hours. more info...
Friday, April 28, 2017 Opera San Jose - La Boheme San Jose, CA This is the magic of the Parisian Latin Quarter and Giacomo Puccini’s unmatched ability to capture love’s passion and hope. This is the story of Mimì who spends her days embroidering and her nights longing for springtime. Literally in search of light, a match for her only candle, she instead finds happiness and friendship with a band of young bohemians – a handsome poet, a philosopher, a painter, a musician, and a good-time girl. Briefly, Mimì and Rodolfo make a place of love for themselves, until poverty prevails. Based on the lives of bohemians, including Puccini himself, La bohème rings true. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Run-time is approximately three hours. more info...
Sunday, April 23, 2017 Opera San Jose - La Boheme San Jose, California This is the magic of the Parisian Latin Quarter and Giacomo Puccini’s unmatched ability to capture love’s passion and hope. This is the story of Mimì who spends her days embroidering and her nights longing for springtime. Literally in search of light, a match for her only candle, she instead finds happiness and friendship with a band of young bohemians – a handsome poet, a philosopher, a painter, a musician, and a good-time girl. Briefly, Mimì and Rodolfo make a place of love for themselves, until poverty prevails. Based on the lives of bohemians, including Puccini himself, La bohème rings true. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Run-time is approximately three hours. more info...
Thursday, April 20, 2017 Opera San Jose - La Boheme San Jose, California This is the magic of the Parisian Latin Quarter and Giacomo Puccini’s unmatched ability to capture love’s passion and hope. This is the story of Mimì who spends her days embroidering and her nights longing for springtime. Literally in search of light, a match for her only candle, she instead finds happiness and friendship with a band of young bohemians – a handsome poet, a philosopher, a painter, a musician, and a good-time girl. Briefly, Mimì and Rodolfo make a place of love for themselves, until poverty prevails. Based on the lives of bohemians, including Puccini himself, La bohème rings true. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Run-time is approximately three hours. more info...
Sunday, April 16, 2017 Opera San Jose - La Boheme San Jose, California This is the magic of the Parisian Latin Quarter and Giacomo Puccini’s unmatched ability to capture love’s passion and hope. This is the story of Mimì who spends her days embroidering and her nights longing for springtime. Literally in search of light, a match for her only candle, she instead finds happiness and friendship with a band of young bohemians – a handsome poet, a philosopher, a painter, a musician, and a good-time girl. Briefly, Mimì and Rodolfo make a place of love for themselves, until poverty prevails. Based on the lives of bohemians, including Puccini himself, La bohème rings true. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Run-time is approximately three hours. more info...
Saturday, April 15, 2017 Opera San Jose - La Boheme San Jose, California This is the magic of the Parisian Latin Quarter and Giacomo Puccini’s unmatched ability to capture love’s passion and hope. This is the story of Mimì who spends her days embroidering and her nights longing for springtime. Literally in search of light, a match for her only candle, she instead finds happiness and friendship with a band of young bohemians – a handsome poet, a philosopher, a painter, a musician, and a good-time girl. Briefly, Mimì and Rodolfo make a place of love for themselves, until poverty prevails. Based on the lives of bohemians, including Puccini himself, La bohème rings true. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Run-time is approximately three hours. more info...
Saturday, April 8, 2017 Sacramento Philharmonic - A Beach Boys Celebration Sacramento, CA more info...
Sunday, March 26, 2017 Masterworks Chorale - Verdi Requiem Redwood City, California House open for seating at 2:15pm
Reception in lobby afterwards Chorale Masterworks presents:
Raw power. Grand drama. Sublime beauty.
From the exquisite delicacy of the opening notes, to the clarion call of the trumpets, pounding bass drum and descending chromatic scales of the legendary Dies Irae, this is one of the most electrifying works of classical music ever written.
Join us for an exhilarating, uplifting musical experience - and prepare to be stirred! more info...
Saturday, March 25, 2017 Masterworks Chorale - Verdi Requiem Redwood City, California House open for seating at 7:15pm
Champagne reception after performance in the lobby at the theater. Chorale Masterworks presents:
Raw power. Grand drama. Sublime beauty.
From the exquisite delicacy of the opening notes, to the clarion call of the trumpets, pounding bass drum and descending chromatic scales of the legendary Dies Irae, this is one of the most electrifying works of classical music ever written. more info...
Sunday, March 19, 2017 California Symphony Walnut Creek, CA Delibes—Cortége de Bacchus from Sylvia Suite
Pierre Jalbert—Les espaces infinis
Composer-in-Residence 1999-2002
Ravel—Tzigane
Jennifer Cho, violin
Saint-Saëns—Danse Macabre
Bizet—L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2 more info...
Friday, March 10, 2017 Modesto Symphony Orchestra - A Tribute to David Bowie Modesto, CA Celebrate the music and influence of David Bowie during
this one-night-only salute to the “Thin White Duke.” Enjoy
hits from throughout Bowie’s storied career performed in
a whole new way, and alongside the Modesto Symphony
Orchestra. While Bowie may have left the earth, his spirit
and artistry live on in this stunning tribute. more info...
Sunday, February 26, 2017 San Jose Opera - Silent Night San Jose, CA Inspired by the Oscar-nominated 2005 French film Joyeux Noel, Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night recounts the true story of a spontaneous cease-fire among Scottish, French and German troops during World War I. Set in the trenches of a Belgian battlefield on Christmas Eve, music comes from the French and Scottish bunkers as the soldiers celebrate the holiday. An opera-singing German soldier responds with a Christmas song, and before long white flags wave and a temporary truce is brokered. Photos of loved ones are exchanged, chocolates and whiskey are shared, and the Scottish chaplain conducts a mass. The truce is extended on Christmas Day, while each regiment buries their dead. The second act depicts the simple miracle of human beings at peace, inevitably deteriorating as the troops are disciplined and demoted for fraternizing with the enemy, and renewed violence. more info...
Friday, February 24, 2017 San Jose Opera - Silent Night San Jose, CA Inspired by the Oscar-nominated 2005 French film Joyeux Noel, Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night recounts the true story of a spontaneous cease-fire among Scottish, French and German troops during World War I. Set in the trenches of a Belgian battlefield on Christmas Eve, music comes from the French and Scottish bunkers as the soldiers celebrate the holiday. An opera-singing German soldier responds with a Christmas song, and before long white flags wave and a temporary truce is brokered. Photos of loved ones are exchanged, chocolates and whiskey are shared, and the Scottish chaplain conducts a mass. The truce is extended on Christmas Day, while each regiment buries their dead. The second act depicts the simple miracle of human beings at peace, inevitably deteriorating as the troops are disciplined and demoted for fraternizing with the enemy, and renewed violence. more info...
Sunday, February 19, 2017 San Jose Opera - Silent Night San Jose, CA Inspired by the Oscar-nominated 2005 French film Joyeux Noel, Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night recounts the true story of a spontaneous cease-fire among Scottish, French and German troops during World War I. Set in the trenches of a Belgian battlefield on Christmas Eve, music comes from the French and Scottish bunkers as the soldiers celebrate the holiday. An opera-singing German soldier responds with a Christmas song, and before long white flags wave and a temporary truce is brokered. Photos of loved ones are exchanged, chocolates and whiskey are shared, and the Scottish chaplain conducts a mass. The truce is extended on Christmas Day, while each regiment buries their dead. The second act depicts the simple miracle of human beings at peace, inevitably deteriorating as the troops are disciplined and demoted for fraternizing with the enemy, and renewed violence. more info...
Thursday, February 16, 2017 San Jose Opera - Silent Night San Jose, CA Inspired by the Oscar-nominated 2005 French film Joyeux Noel, Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night recounts the true story of a spontaneous cease-fire among Scottish, French and German troops during World War I. Set in the trenches of a Belgian battlefield on Christmas Eve, music comes from the French and Scottish bunkers as the soldiers celebrate the holiday. An opera-singing German soldier responds with a Christmas song, and before long white flags wave and a temporary truce is brokered. Photos of loved ones are exchanged, chocolates and whiskey are shared, and the Scottish chaplain conducts a mass. The truce is extended on Christmas Day, while each regiment buries their dead. The second act depicts the simple miracle of human beings at peace, inevitably deteriorating as the troops are disciplined and demoted for fraternizing with the enemy, and renewed violence. more info...
Sunday, February 12, 2017 San Jose Opera - Silent Night San Jose, CA Inspired by the Oscar-nominated 2005 French film Joyeux Noel, Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night recounts the true story of a spontaneous cease-fire among Scottish, French and German troops during World War I. Set in the trenches of a Belgian battlefield on Christmas Eve, music comes from the French and Scottish bunkers as the soldiers celebrate the holiday. An opera-singing German soldier responds with a Christmas song, and before long white flags wave and a temporary truce is brokered. Photos of loved ones are exchanged, chocolates and whiskey are shared, and the Scottish chaplain conducts a mass. The truce is extended on Christmas Day, while each regiment buries their dead. The second act depicts the simple miracle of human beings at peace, inevitably deteriorating as the troops are disciplined and demoted for fraternizing with the enemy, and renewed violence. more info...
Saturday, February 11, 2017 San Jose Opera - Silent Night San Jose, CA Inspired by the Oscar-nominated 2005 French film Joyeux Noel, Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night recounts the true story of a spontaneous cease-fire among Scottish, French and German troops during World War I. Set in the trenches of a Belgian battlefield on Christmas Eve, music comes from the French and Scottish bunkers as the soldiers celebrate the holiday. An opera-singing German soldier responds with a Christmas song, and before long white flags wave and a temporary truce is brokered. Photos of loved ones are exchanged, chocolates and whiskey are shared, and the Scottish chaplain conducts a mass. The truce is extended on Christmas Day, while each regiment buries their dead. The second act depicts the simple miracle of human beings at peace, inevitably deteriorating as the troops are disciplined and demoted for fraternizing with the enemy, and renewed violence. more info...
Sunday, January 22, 2017 Townsend Opera Modesto, CA Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by American playwright Thornton Wilder, the opera is an intimate and touching look into everyday life in a small town. Written in 2006 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ned Rorem, the opera utilizes pleasant melodies and tonal harmonies to honor a time when our lives were simpler, and reminds us of the universality of being human and the necessity of companionship.
A more intimate opera, this piece will be performed in the Gallo Center for the Arts as part of a daylong exhibition celebrating the history of Modesto. Our Town by Ned Rorem more info...
Saturday, January 21, 2017 Townsend Opera Modesto, CA Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by American playwright Thornton Wilder, the opera is an intimate and touching look into everyday life in a small town. Written in 2006 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ned Rorem, the opera utilizes pleasant melodies and tonal harmonies to honor a time when our lives were simpler, and reminds us of the universality of being human and the necessity of companionship.
A more intimate opera, this piece will be performed in the Gallo Center for the Arts as part of a daylong exhibition celebrating the history of Modesto. Our Town by Ned Rorem more info...
Saturday, January 14, 2017 The Music of David Bowie Sacramento, CA more info...
Friday, December 23, 2016 Sacramento Ballet's Nutcracker Sacramento, CA Be captivated by Sacramento’s crown jewel of family entertainment with Clara’s magic journey through the sparkling Snowflake Forest to the delicious Land of the Sweets. Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker more info...
Friday, December 23, 2016 Sacramento Ballet's Nutcracker Sacramento, CA Be captivated by Sacramento’s crown jewel of family entertainment with Clara’s magic journey through the sparkling Snowflake Forest to the delicious Land of the Sweets. Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker more info...
Sunday, December 18, 2016 Chamber Music Society of Sacramento Sacramento, California Danzi, Wind Quintet in g minor, op.56 No. 2
Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
Strauss, Till Eulenspiegel Einmal Anders for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Violin & Bass
Beethoven, Septet for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Bass more info...
Sunday, December 18, 2016 Sacramento Ballet's Nutcracker Sacramento, CA Be captivated by Sacramento’s crown jewel of family entertainment with Clara’s magic journey through the sparkling Snowflake Forest to the delicious Land of the Sweets. more info...
Saturday, December 17, 2016 Chamber Music Society of Sacramento Davis, California Danzi, Wind Quintet in g minor, op.56 No. 2
Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
Strauss, Till Eulenspiegel Einmal Anders for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Violin & Bass
Beethoven, Septet for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Bass more info...
Saturday, December 17, 2016 Sacramento Ballet's Nutcracker Sacrament, CA Be captivated by Sacramento’s crown jewel of family entertainment with Clara’s magic journey through the sparkling Snowflake Forest to the delicious Land of the Sweets. Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker more info...
Sunday, December 11, 2016 Sacramento Ballet's Nutcracker Sacramento, California Be captivated by Sacramento’s crown jewel of family entertainment with Clara’s magic journey through the sparkling Snowflake Forest to the delicious Land of the Sweets. Pyotr Tchiakovsky's Nutcracker more info...
Thursday, September 22, 2016 University of Wyoming Faculty Recital Laramie, Wyoming Admission Free Performing in a piece entitled Haddayr Blogs by Anne Guzzo in an art song concert that will be featuring works by Libby Larsen. more info...
Monday, July 18, 2016 Faculty Recital at Pacific Music Camp Stockton, California Mara will be playing a fun solo piece along side other incredible facutly members of Pacific Music Camp. more info...
Thursday, July 14, 2016 Listening Meditation Brooklyn, NY $10 suggested donation This one hour guided listening meditation will use natural and improvised sounds from live instrumentation to explore the arising and ceasing of all phenomena in each present moment. Clarinet, flute and saxophone will be played by orchestral and chamber musician, Mara Plotkin. Meditation will be guided by Elaine Su-Hui. Participants will be invited to contribute to the soundscape by playing other resonant instruments and humming. This is not a music performance, this is an exploration of sound and the action of listening as an expression of unity, openness, connection, spaciousness, knowledge, and being. Beginners to meditation encouraged to attend. more info...
Tuesday, June 28, 2016 Toronto Concert Orchestra Toronto, Ontario Highlights from Die Fliedermaus, The Blue Danube, The Merry Widow, The Radetsky March, and many other waltzes. more info...
Saturday, June 4, 2016 Modesto Symphony Orchestra Modesto, California Disney Pops Concert more info...
Friday, June 3, 2016 Modesto Symphony Orchestra Modesto, California Disney Pops Concert more info...
Saturday, May 28, 2016 Annual Multicultural Family Festival Sacramento, California Peter and the Wolf - Sergei Prokofiev
and other selections arranged for woodwind quintet more info...
Sunday, May 22, 2016 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Antonín Dvořák
Scherzo Capriccioso, Op. 66
Camille Saint-Saëns
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Maurice Ravel
Tzigane
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34 more info...
Saturday, May 21, 2016 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Antonín Dvořák
Scherzo Capriccioso, Op. 66
Camille Saint-Saëns
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Maurice Ravel
Tzigane
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34 more info...
Friday, May 20, 2016 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Salinas, California Celebrated violinist Anne Akiko Meyers will illuminate the stage with the Monterey Symphony in the final concert of the 70th Anniversary Season in brilliant fashion. Known for her artistry and ability to connect with audiences, Meyers is a best-selling recording artist with over thirty albums in her discography. She will dazzle our audiences with Ravel’s Tzigane, a fantastical and rhapsodic masterwork that is thrilling from the first note to the last!
Rounding out the program are four works from the genre of the capriccio, humorous pieces of music that joyfully celebrate the completion of seventy years of “Great Music Live” in Monterey. Dvořák, Saint-Saëns, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Tchaikovsky are all featured, each displaying the delightful moods and colors of orchestral music. Come experience one of the most joyful and engaging programs a “capricious” final concert of this magical 70th Anniversary Season! Antonín Dvořák
Scherzo Capriccioso, Op. 66
Camille Saint-Saëns
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Maurice Ravel
Tzigane
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34 more info...
Saturday, May 7, 2016 Fresno Grand Opera Fresno, CA Based on the bestselling 1993 memoir by Sister Helen Prejean, the opera tells the powerful story of her difficult journey providing spiritual guidance to a death row inmate at Louisiana State Penitentiary facing imminent execution, the troubling impact on the families of the victims, and the issue of the death penalty in our society. With a brilliant libretto by Terrance McNally and a dramatic and incredibly lyric musical setting by Jake Heggie, this opera is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The memoir was the basis for the award-winning 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Jake Heggie is widely considered one of the great living opera composers. Dead Man Walking more info...
Friday, May 6, 2016 Fresno Grand Opera Fresno, CA Based on the bestselling 1993 memoir by Sister Helen Prejean, the opera tells the powerful story of her difficult journey providing spiritual guidance to a death row inmate at Louisiana State Penitentiary facing imminent execution, the troubling impact on the families of the victims, and the issue of the death penalty in our society. With a brilliant libretto by Terrance McNally and a dramatic and incredibly lyric musical setting by Jake Heggie, this opera is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The memoir was the basis for the award-winning 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Jake Heggie is widely considered one of the great living opera composers. Dead Man Walking more info...
Sunday, May 1, 2016 Modesto Townsend Opera Modesto, CA Based on the bestselling 1993 memoir by Sister Helen Prejean, the opera tells the powerful story of her difficult journey providing spiritual guidance to a death row inmate at Louisiana State Penitentiary facing imminent execution, the troubling impact on the families of the victims, and the issue of the death penalty in our society. With a brilliant libretto by Terrance McNally and a dramatic and incredibly lyric musical setting by Jake Heggie, this opera is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The memoir was the basis for the award-winning 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Jake Heggie is widely considered one of the great living opera composers. Dead Man Walking more info...
Friday, April 29, 2016 Modesto Townsend Opera Modesto, CA Based on the bestselling 1993 memoir by Sister Helen Prejean, the opera tells the powerful story of her difficult journey providing spiritual guidance to a death row inmate at Louisiana State Penitentiary facing imminent execution, the troubling impact on the families of the victims, and the issue of the death penalty in our society. With a brilliant libretto by Terrance McNally and a dramatic and incredibly lyric musical setting by Jake Heggie, this opera is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The memoir was the basis for the award-winning 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Jake Heggie is widely considered one of the great living opera composers. Dead Man Walking more info...
Tuesday, April 26, 2016 Pacific Arts Woodwind Quintet Stockton, California The Pacific Arts Woodwind Quintet (PAWQ), artists-in-residence at the Conservatory of Music, carries on a long tradition of outstanding woodwind quintet performance at the Conservatory beginning in 1970. The ensemble has performed for school groups, community concert organizations, professional musician associations, teacher conventions, and music festivals including two recent tours to Panama. more info...
Monday, April 25, 2016 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA Winner of the coveted gold medal at the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2013, Vadym Kholodenko takes the stage with the Monterey Symphony for the fifth concert program of the 70th Anniversary Season. Kholodenko will amaze the students with his virtuosic performance of Beethoven’s masterwork the “Emperor Concerto.” more info...
Sunday, April 24, 2016 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA Paul Hindemith, Symphony in E-flat, Op. 50
Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 “Emperor”
Saturday, April 23, 2016 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA Paul Hindemith, Symphony in E-flat, Op. 50
Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 “Emperor”
Friday, April 22, 2016 Monterey Symphony Orchestra Salinas, CA Paul Hindemith, Symphony in E-flat, Op. 50
Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 “Emperor”
Sunday, April 17, 2016 Chamber Music Society of Sacramento Sacramento, California Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Divertimento in B flat Major for Strings and Two Horns and Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4 in G Major, arr. Schoenberg more info...
Saturday, April 16, 2016 Chamber Music Society of Sacramento Davis, California Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4 in G Major, arr. Schoenberg and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Divertimento in B flat Major for Strings and Two Horns more info...
Sunday, March 20, 2016 Monterey Symphony Carmel, California Enrique Granados - Dante
Johannes Brahms - Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53
Maurice Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé, Suite Nos. 1 and 2 more info...
Saturday, March 19, 2016 Monterey Symphony Carmel, California Enrique Granados - Dante
Johannes Brahms - Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53
Maurice Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé, Suite Nos. 1 and 2 more info...
Friday, March 18, 2016 Monterey Symphony Salinas, California Enrique Granados - Dante
Johannes Brahms - Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53
Maurice Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé, Suite Nos. 1 and 2 more info...
Saturday, February 20, 2016 Fresno Grand Opera - Sweeney Todd Fresno, California Based on countless serial novels that gripped Londoners during the Victorian era – the more gruesome the better – a barber wrongfully jailed by a corrupt judge returns to nineteenth century London to seek vengeance in Stephen Sondheim’s macabre musical comedy. A mix of intense ballads and music-hall comedy that turns this sordid and bloody tale into riveting entertainment, Sweeney Todd is widely recognized as one of the greatest scores written for the modern American lyric stage.
Experience this legendary musical comedy like never before: in the full operatic setting many believe this piece deserves – high quality singing and no amplified sound!
Music by Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930)
Book by Hugh Wheeler (1912-87)
Based on the play by Christopher Bond (b. 1945)
Sung in English with English surtitles
John de los Santos, Director
Ryan Murray, Conductor more info...
Sunday, February 14, 2016 Towonsend Opera - Sweeney Todd Modesto, California Based on countless serial novels that gripped Londoners during the Victorian era – the more gruesome the better – a barber wrongfully jailed by a corrupt judge returns to nineteenth century London to seek vengeance in Stephen Sondheim’s macabre musical comedy. A mix of intense ballads and music-hall comedy that turns this sordid and bloody tale into riveting entertainment, Sweeney Todd is widely recognized as one of the greatest scores written for the modern American lyric stage.
Experience this legendary musical comedy like never before: in the full operatic setting many believe this piece deserves – high quality singing and no amplified sound!
Music by Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930)
Book by Hugh Wheeler (1912-87)
Based on the play by Christopher Bond (b. 1945)
Sung in English with English surtitles
John de los Santos, Director
Ryan Murray, Conductor more info...
Saturday, February 13, 2016 Winter's Leaving: A Concert of Iranian and Israeli Music Piedmont, California Music pursues peace by its humanizing effect. When we listen to great music from a great civilization, we can hear the expressive soul of its culture. Put two musical cultures together, and we immediately recognize their shared humanity.
In "Winter's Leaving," clarinetist Mara Plotkin teams up with the Circadian String Quartet, composers Noam Lemish and Sahba Aminikia, along with guest performers Anne Rainwater (piano) and Christa Durand (soprano), to explore the musical soul of two cultures: Iranian and Israeli.
Revel in the music’s expressive power, which takes us past political boundaries and straight to its inherent humanity.
The program includes two richly evocative pieces by Iranian-born composer Sahba Aminikia, "Winter's Leaving" and String Quartet No. 2; One Day; Tehran, which puts us in the middle of the street protests after the 2009 Iranian Presidential election. We will also hear Noam Lemish's sumptuous quintet for clarinet and strings, Bakesh Shalom Ve’rodfeyou (Pursue Peace), along with art songs set to the poetry of Rumi and Rilke, and Iranian & Israeli folk songs. Prokofiev's beloved "Overture on Hebrew Themes" rounds out the program. more info...
Friday, February 12, 2016 Towonsend Opera - Sweeney Todd Modesto, California Based on countless serial novels that gripped Londoners during the Victorian era – the more gruesome the better – a barber wrongfully jailed by a corrupt judge returns to nineteenth century London to seek vengeance in Stephen Sondheim’s macabre musical comedy. A mix of intense ballads and music-hall comedy that turns this sordid and bloody tale into riveting entertainment, Sweeney Todd is widely recognized as one of the greatest scores written for the modern American lyric stage.
Experience this legendary musical comedy like never before: in the full operatic setting many believe this piece deserves – high quality singing and no amplified sound!
Music by Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930)
Book by Hugh Wheeler (1912-87)
Based on the play by Christopher Bond (b. 1945)
Sung in English with English surtitles
John de los Santos, Director
Ryan Murray, Conductor more info...
Saturday, December 19, 2015 The Heart of Christmas London, ON Backing up three female vocalists of Jeans N Classics sing Christmas songs combining rock / pop / R&B with some traditional favourites with the Jeans N Classics Rock Symphony. more info...
Saturday, December 12, 2015 Shahkar Toronto, ON more info...
Saturday, December 5, 2015 Peace, Joy, and All That Jazz Toronto Mendelssohn, Mozart Mazz, and Christmas Carol Sing Aong! more info...
Saturday, November 28, 2015 Toronto Concert Orchestra plays Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony #3 Toronto, ON Schubert's Mass #2 & Saint-Saens' Symphony #3 "organ" more info...
Wednesday, November 18, 2015 The Underground Railroad Hamilton, ON With a special guest performer & BR Junior Xpression Choir conducted by Mary Tabone.
Follow runaway slaves as they escape from their slave masters in the South and run to freedom in Hamilton. Based on historical facts and mirroring present day events, this is a timeless tale of prejudice. The harrowing story is illuminated through the power of gospel, jazz,
folk and classical music. Traditional Folk: Follow the Drinking Gourd Copeland: Fanfare for the Common Man Dvorak: New World Sym
Gershwin: Summertime
Spiritual: Goin’ Home more info...
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 Enter the Imaginarium Hamilton, ON Using the families of the orchestra and with the students’ inspiration, the composer (best known for his work composing music for The Phantom of the Opera) and innovator Thibaudeau, constructs a piece of music to create a story. Each piece becomes a musical illustration of your students’ imagination; each concert creates different stories. We show how music changes what we see, think and feel. Students will hear pop, film and classical music. Excerpts from:
S. Kozinski: Creaky Door Overture
Fucik: Entry of the Gladiators
Williams: Star Wars
Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf
Sharples: Felix the Cat
Tchaikovsky: Overture Romeo and Juliet Dvorak: Symphony No. 7, 4th movement
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 more info...
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 Blythwood Winds Toronto, ON Mara will be subbing in with this wonderful woodwind quintet!
Friday, October 30, 2015 Sneak Peak Orchestra Toronto. ON ROSSINI: Overture to William Tell
WILLIAM ROWSON: New Work TBD [strings only]
BARBER: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
[Conrad Chow, violin]
~ Intermission ~
DVORAK: Symphony No. 8
Saturday, October 24, 2015 Breaking Bad: Colourful Characters in Music Toronto, ON Mara will be playing bass clarinet in Petroushka. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Overture To Don Giovanni
Alexander Rapoport * – If Elvira Hadn’t Arrived In Time, Variations On Mozart’s “la Ci Darem La Mano”, From Don Giovanni, For Narrator And Orchestra (premiere)
Georges Bizet/Pablo De Sarasate – Carmen Fantasy, For Violin And Orchestra
Debussy Syrinx – For Solo Flute
Igor Stravinsky – Petroushka
John Williams – The Imperial March (Darth Vader Theme) From Star Wars V more info...
Thursday, October 22, 2015 Thunder Bay Symphony Masterworks Thunder Bay, ON Sibelius: Finlandia, Lalo: Symphony Espagnol, Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 more info...
Sunday, October 18, 2015 Toronto Concerto Orchestra Orillia, ON An Evening With Beethoven: Symphony #8, Piano Concerto #3, Gratulations Minuet
Saturday, October 17, 2015 Toronto Concert Orchestra Toronto, ON An Evening With Beethoven: Symphony No. 8, Piano Concerto #3, Gratulations Minuet more info...
Friday, October 16, 2015 Music Gallery 40th Anniversary Concert Toronto, ON Commissions by Canadian and Toronto composers including Retablo by Allison Cameron , Miniature Pieces by Nic Gotham, and Arnold Martin. more info...
Friday, October 16, 2015 Clarinet & Piano Duo Recital Toronto, ON Free Admission! Brahms' E-flat Sonata, Schumann's Fantasy Pieces, and Cahuzac's Cantilene. more info...
Thursday, October 8, 2015 Clarinet & Piano Duo Recital Toronto, ON Free Admission! Brahms Eb Sonata for Clarinet and Piano and Cantilene by Louis Cahuzac more info...
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 Euphonia presents: Reflections on Love & Sex Toronto, ON Featuring songs from Beck’s Song Reader
Readings from Rouge, an erotic novel by Em Demaison
and the music of Debussy’s Trois Chansons de Bilitis more info...
Tuesday, September 22, 2015 Lunchtime Chamber Concert Toronto, ON Brahms Sonata in E-flat major, Cantilene by Louis Cahuzac, and Fantasy Pieces by Schumann for Clarinet and Piano and more! Emily Chiang, piano more info...
Saturday, September 19, 2015 Beatles - Abbey Road London, ON Jeans n Classics band with orchestra. This concert is in Support of Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario more info...
Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Toronto Concerto Orchestra Toronto, ON Admission $24 for adults, or email me for a 50% discount on admission to the castle and concert! Opera Arias and duets more info...
Sunday, August 30, 2015 Euphonia @ Buskerfest! Toronto, ON From classical to pop music, Euphonia is an unconducted Toronto based ensemble ! Audience members are invited to conduct our ensemble! more info...
Saturday, August 29, 2015 Taiwan Festival Toronto, ON
Friday, August 28, 2015 Euphonia @ Buskerfest! Toronto, ON From classical to pop music, Euphonia is an unconducted Toronto based ensemble ! Audience members are invited to conduct our ensemble! more info...
Tuesday, August 25, 2015 Stage and Screen Toronto, ON Toronto Concert Orchestra The programme will include some of the greatest Hollywood blockbuster and Broadway musical scores. There will be selections from Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and more...! more info...
Saturday, July 25, 2015 Metro Big Band @ Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest Toronto, ON Big Band Swing favourites including Mara featured on some tunes made famous by clarinetist, Artie Shaw! more info...
Thursday, July 23, 2015 Metro Big Band @ Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest Toronto, ON Big Band Swing favourites including Mara featured on some tunes made famous by clarinetist, Artie Shaw! more info...
Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Enchanted Garden Toronto, ON Toronto Concert Orchestra Saint-Saens, Faure, and Ravel's Ma Mere L' Oye. more info...
Wednesday, July 15, 2015 Clarinet Clinic at Pacific Music Camp Stockton, CA Mara will give three clinics to Pacific Music Camp participants about clarinet tone, technique, and sight reading. more info...
Tuesday, July 14, 2015 Clarinet Clinic at Pacific Music Camp Stockton, CA Mara will give three clinics to Pacific Music Camp participants about clarinet tone, technique, and sight reading. more info...
Monday, July 13, 2015 Clarinet Clinic at Pacific Music Camp Stockton, CA Mara will give three clinics to Pacific Music Camp participants about clarinet tone, technique, and sight reading. more info...
Thursday, July 2, 2015 Euphonia presents A Family Affair Toronto, ON more info...
Tuesday, June 16, 2015 Belle Voci Toronto, ON Toronto Concert Orchestra An evening of opera excerpts from Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, and Puccini with great Canadian voices. more info...
Thursday, May 14, 2015 Disco Inferno - A Disco Ball Kitchener, ON Jeans n' Classics Rock Symphony
Saturday, April 11, 2015 Canadian Sinfonietta Toronto, ON Camille Saint-Saens
Rondo Capriccioso
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor", Mvt 1
Antonin Dvorak
Rondo for Cello and Orchestra in G minor, Op. 94
Andre Prevost
Scherzo for Strings
P.I. Tchaikovsky
Serenade for Strings more info...
Thursday, April 9, 2015 The Song Remains the Same - The Music of Led Zeppelin Kitchener, ON Jeans 'n Classics Rock Symphony
Tuesday, March 31, 2015 Convergung Paths: The Israeli-Iranian Musical Initiative Toronto, ON The project presents the fruitful possibilities of cross-cultural musical collaboration. In a statement from co-artistic director Dan Deutsch: "this project reaches out to the Jewish, Israeli, and Iranian communities as well as the broader Canadian society, promoting a cultural and artistic dialogue for audience members as well as for the performing participants." The concert will present both the exciting world premiere of three new compositions, conducted by guest conductor Shalom Bard (Toronto Symphony Orchestra Resident Conductor 2012-2014) and a collaborative performance with renowned guest artist from Montreal, Saeed Kamjoo, Iranian Kamanche virtuoso. Supporting the evening's debut are the Toronto Arts Council, co-sponsors the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto and partners the North York Arts and Koffler Center of the Arts.
The evening will reflect the encounter of Israeli-Jewish and Iranian cultures through original compositions by collective members Parisa Sabet, Dan Deutsch and Noam Lemish. These pieces incorporate Jewish and Persian traditional music, the poetry of renowned Iranian poet Omar Khayyám and Israeli popular songs. Highlighting the event will be composer-performers Lemish and Deutsch, on piano and tenor saxophone, teaming up with guest Saeed Kamjoo, Kamanche, for a powerful improvisatory exploration of traditional music from Israel and Iran. more info...
Saturday, March 28, 2015 Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra Thunder Bay, ON Beethoven to John Williams more info...
Thursday, March 26, 2015 Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra - Carmina Burana Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6C7 Canada Berlioz: Le carnival romain, Overture (The Roman Carnival) / Messiaen: Les offrandes oubliées (The Forgotten Offerings) / Orff: Carmina Burana more info...
Sunday, March 15, 2015 Orchestra for the Arkells @ the 44th Annual Juno Awards Hamilton, ON