SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2010 AT 4:00PM
Thomas Schultz
Thomas Schultz, piano
Dream, Music for Marcel Duchamp, One, Prelude for Meditation and Etudes Australes XXIII, XXX and XXXII by John Cage; Walking, Walking by Hyo-shin Na; Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues and Piano Piece No. 4 by Frederic Rzewski
Praised by San Francisco Chronicle music critic Joshua Kosman for his "strong, fearless execution," "depth of feeling," and "fiery elegance and formal command", Thomas Schultz has established an international reputation both as an interpreter of music from the classical tradition—particularly Bach, Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt—and as one of the leading exponents of the music of our time. He has worked closely with such eminent composers as John Cage, Morton Feldman, Christian Wolff, Frederic Rzewski, Earle Brown, Jonathan Harvey and Elliott Carter (in performances of the Double Concerto at the Colorado Music Festival and at Alice Tully Hall in New York). For this concert he focuses solely on music of the 20th century, with works by Cage, Rzewski and Hyo-shin Na.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Thomas Schultz
Thomas Schultz, piano
Dream, Music for Marcel Duchamp, One, Prelude for Meditation and Etudes Australes XXIII, XXX and XXXII by John Cage; Walking, Walking by Hyo-shin Na; Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues and Piano Piece No. 4 by Frederic Rzewski
Praised by San Francisco Chronicle music critic Joshua Kosman for his "strong, fearless execution," "depth of feeling," and "fiery elegance and formal command", Thomas Schultz has established an international reputation both as an interpreter of music from the classical tradition—particularly Bach, Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt—and as one of the leading exponents of the music of our time. He has worked closely with such eminent composers as John Cage, Morton Feldman, Christian Wolff, Frederic Rzewski, Earle Brown, Jonathan Harvey and Elliott Carter (in performances of the Double Concerto at the Colorado Music Festival and at Alice Tully Hall in New York). For this concert he focuses solely on music of the 20th century, with works by Cage, Rzewski and Hyo-shin Na.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2010 AT 4:00PM
ZOFO
Mosh Pit — American Dances for Piano Duet
Keisuke Nakagoshi; Eva-Maria Zimmermann, piano
Cuban Overture by George Gershwin; Three Dance Portraits by Allen Shawn; Souvenirs, Op. 28 by Samuel Barber; Four for Shiva by David Garner; Gazebo Dances by John Corigliano
As one of only a few ensembles worldwide focusing on piano duets, ZOFO is reviving hidden gems of the one-piano-four-hands repertoire along with a strong emphasis on performing 20th and 21st Century music. By also playing arrangements of famous orchestral pieces, ZOFO explores the realm that many composers first experienced their symphonic works. ZOFO believes that the piano duet is the most intimate form of chamber music, with the two performers playing synchronized interwoven lines on one instrument. The choreography of the four hands is as beautiful to watch as the rich tapestry of sounds dancing out of the piano. ZOFO is deeply committed to enrich the piano duet repertoire by commissioning new works each year. Mosh Pit is a program of piano duet pieces written by all American composers of the 20th and 21st century – a total mix of different styles ranging from George Gershwin’s own crystal-clear piano four-hand arrangement of his exuberant Cuban Overture to Samuel Barber’s nostalgic ballet suite Souvenirs. Other pieces in the program include John Corigliano’s circussy Gazebo Dances, Allen Shawn’s rhythmically tricky Dance Portraits influenced by rock music, and Bay-Area composer David Garner’s jazzy Four for Shiva.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
ZOFO
Mosh Pit — American Dances for Piano Duet
Keisuke Nakagoshi; Eva-Maria Zimmermann, piano
Cuban Overture by George Gershwin; Three Dance Portraits by Allen Shawn; Souvenirs, Op. 28 by Samuel Barber; Four for Shiva by David Garner; Gazebo Dances by John Corigliano
As one of only a few ensembles worldwide focusing on piano duets, ZOFO is reviving hidden gems of the one-piano-four-hands repertoire along with a strong emphasis on performing 20th and 21st Century music. By also playing arrangements of famous orchestral pieces, ZOFO explores the realm that many composers first experienced their symphonic works. ZOFO believes that the piano duet is the most intimate form of chamber music, with the two performers playing synchronized interwoven lines on one instrument. The choreography of the four hands is as beautiful to watch as the rich tapestry of sounds dancing out of the piano. ZOFO is deeply committed to enrich the piano duet repertoire by commissioning new works each year. Mosh Pit is a program of piano duet pieces written by all American composers of the 20th and 21st century – a total mix of different styles ranging from George Gershwin’s own crystal-clear piano four-hand arrangement of his exuberant Cuban Overture to Samuel Barber’s nostalgic ballet suite Souvenirs. Other pieces in the program include John Corigliano’s circussy Gazebo Dances, Allen Shawn’s rhythmically tricky Dance Portraits influenced by rock music, and Bay-Area composer David Garner’s jazzy Four for Shiva.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2010 AT 8:00PM
Kitka
“KITKA’s songs are hauntingly beautiful, simple, yet otherworldly. The rich sound these women produce resonates as if energized by the universe itself, as if it were calling all live beings and still matter into togetherness and unity.”
— Ching Chang, San Francisco Chronicle
KITKA is a women’s vocal ensemble unlike any other. These sophisticated singers blend a contemporary sensibility with specialized vocal techniques from Eastern Europe that have been distilled over centuries. Using only the pure unaccompanied voice, they create a constantly shifting landscape of sound, pulsing with angular rhythms, where dramatic dynamics leap from delicate stillness to shattering resonance, and seamless unisons explode into lush incomprehensible chords.
KITKA's material ranges from ancient village duets to complex choral works, from early music to contemporary theater. The sound of their voices is exotic, both elegant and eerie. The melodies are hauntingly beautiful. The many languages in which they sing are largely unfamiliar to American ears — Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, Georgian, Hungarian, Ladino, Latvian, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Yiddish, with the occasional Latin, medieval Gallician, or ancient Greek. It is exactly this unfamiliarity that is so riveting, as KITKA’s sensitive precision lifts their work out of the merely musical into a universe beyond words, an experience that is primal, elemental.
More than just a concert, an evening with KITKA unites vibrant music, enhanced by a subtly changing stage picture, compelling song introductions, and each singer’s warm rapport with the audience.
This is powerful music by accomplished musicians who offer more than just exquisite execution—these women clearly share a passion for what they do. KITKA: joyful voices uniquely blended in exquisite dissonance and harmony.
Visit Kitka's website for more information.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Kitka
“KITKA’s songs are hauntingly beautiful, simple, yet otherworldly. The rich sound these women produce resonates as if energized by the universe itself, as if it were calling all live beings and still matter into togetherness and unity.”
— Ching Chang, San Francisco Chronicle
KITKA is a women’s vocal ensemble unlike any other. These sophisticated singers blend a contemporary sensibility with specialized vocal techniques from Eastern Europe that have been distilled over centuries. Using only the pure unaccompanied voice, they create a constantly shifting landscape of sound, pulsing with angular rhythms, where dramatic dynamics leap from delicate stillness to shattering resonance, and seamless unisons explode into lush incomprehensible chords.
KITKA's material ranges from ancient village duets to complex choral works, from early music to contemporary theater. The sound of their voices is exotic, both elegant and eerie. The melodies are hauntingly beautiful. The many languages in which they sing are largely unfamiliar to American ears — Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, Georgian, Hungarian, Ladino, Latvian, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Yiddish, with the occasional Latin, medieval Gallician, or ancient Greek. It is exactly this unfamiliarity that is so riveting, as KITKA’s sensitive precision lifts their work out of the merely musical into a universe beyond words, an experience that is primal, elemental.
More than just a concert, an evening with KITKA unites vibrant music, enhanced by a subtly changing stage picture, compelling song introductions, and each singer’s warm rapport with the audience.
This is powerful music by accomplished musicians who offer more than just exquisite execution—these women clearly share a passion for what they do. KITKA: joyful voices uniquely blended in exquisite dissonance and harmony.
Visit Kitka's website for more information.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2010 AT 4:00PM
Oliver-Oh Duo
Sarn Oliver, violin; June Choi Oh, piano
Sonatino No. 1 in D major, Op. 137 by Schubert; Sunlun Sonata by Sarn Oliver; Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 121 by Schumann
Join the Oliver-Oh Duo for a recital celebrating lyricism throughout the ages! San Francisco Classical Voice says: “Oliver’s polished playing conveyed an aristocratic reserve, eloquently lyrical in the quiet passages and passionately forceful at the climaxes”. Works by Schubert and Schumann are accompanied by Oliver’s Sunlun Sonata, “hauntingly reflective with a melodic sense that is clearly modern yet immediately captivating … the highlight of the evening” (Honolulu Music Examiner).
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Oliver-Oh Duo
Sarn Oliver, violin; June Choi Oh, piano
Sonatino No. 1 in D major, Op. 137 by Schubert; Sunlun Sonata by Sarn Oliver; Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 121 by Schumann
Join the Oliver-Oh Duo for a recital celebrating lyricism throughout the ages! San Francisco Classical Voice says: “Oliver’s polished playing conveyed an aristocratic reserve, eloquently lyrical in the quiet passages and passionately forceful at the climaxes”. Works by Schubert and Schumann are accompanied by Oliver’s Sunlun Sonata, “hauntingly reflective with a melodic sense that is clearly modern yet immediately captivating … the highlight of the evening” (Honolulu Music Examiner).
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010 AT 8:00PM
Natalya Feygina, Olga Rakitchenkov & Sergey Rakitchenkov
Natalya Feygina, piano; Olga Ortenberg-Rakitchenkov, harp; Sergey Rakitchenkov, viola
Olga Rakitchenkov and Segey Rakitchenkov both share a career arc that began in Moscow as celebrated child prodigies and led them through prizes at numerous international music competitions to principal musicians at the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra. Natalya Feygina’s career likewise began as a student in St. Petersburg and a position as company pianist with the Kirov Ballet (now Mariinsky Ballet). Today, as members of the internationally renowned San Francisco Opera and Ballet Orchestras, these three musicians come together to present a program that includes works by W. F. Bach, J. S. Bach, Franz Benda, M. Glinka and M. Bruch.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Natalya Feygina, Olga Rakitchenkov & Sergey Rakitchenkov
Natalya Feygina, piano; Olga Ortenberg-Rakitchenkov, harp; Sergey Rakitchenkov, viola
Olga Rakitchenkov and Segey Rakitchenkov both share a career arc that began in Moscow as celebrated child prodigies and led them through prizes at numerous international music competitions to principal musicians at the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra. Natalya Feygina’s career likewise began as a student in St. Petersburg and a position as company pianist with the Kirov Ballet (now Mariinsky Ballet). Today, as members of the internationally renowned San Francisco Opera and Ballet Orchestras, these three musicians come together to present a program that includes works by W. F. Bach, J. S. Bach, Franz Benda, M. Glinka and M. Bruch.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010 AT 4:00PM
Sarah Cahill
Sarah Cahill, piano
Sarah Cahill, recently called "fiercely gifted" in The New York Times, presents a program of music written in the last two years, including the West Coast premiere of Annie Gosfield's Five Characters Walk Into a Bar and new works by Ingram Marshall, Larry Polansky, and Eve Beglarian.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Sarah Cahill
Sarah Cahill, piano
Sarah Cahill, recently called "fiercely gifted" in The New York Times, presents a program of music written in the last two years, including the West Coast premiere of Annie Gosfield's Five Characters Walk Into a Bar and new works by Ingram Marshall, Larry Polansky, and Eve Beglarian.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010 AT 4:00PM
Esther Landau
Esther Landau, flute; Candace Guirao, violin; Solon Gordon, piano; Poppea Dorsam, 'cello
Sonatas by J. S. Bach, Bohuslav Martinu, and the chamber ensemble premiere of local composer June Bonacich's Rumpelstiltskin. Program will conclude with some traditional Bulgarian melodies played on the kaval (Bulgarian flute).
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Esther Landau
Esther Landau, flute; Candace Guirao, violin; Solon Gordon, piano; Poppea Dorsam, 'cello
Sonatas by J. S. Bach, Bohuslav Martinu, and the chamber ensemble premiere of local composer June Bonacich's Rumpelstiltskin. Program will conclude with some traditional Bulgarian melodies played on the kaval (Bulgarian flute).
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2010 AT 8:00PM
Picasso Quartet
Alisa Rose, violin; Natasha Makhijani, violin; Alexa Beattie, viola; Michelle Kwon, 'cello; Special Guest Ann Moss, soprano
Join the young and dynamic Picasso Quartet as they move from dark to light with a program of Shostakovich's cornerstone Quartet No. 8 and conclude with Mozart's great and uplifting Quartet in C major 'Disssonance'. Between these two major works, Picasso will be joined by exceptional soprano Ann Moss in Liam Wade's 4 Songs on Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Picasso Quartet
Alisa Rose, violin; Natasha Makhijani, violin; Alexa Beattie, viola; Michelle Kwon, 'cello; Special Guest Ann Moss, soprano
Join the young and dynamic Picasso Quartet as they move from dark to light with a program of Shostakovich's cornerstone Quartet No. 8 and conclude with Mozart's great and uplifting Quartet in C major 'Disssonance'. Between these two major works, Picasso will be joined by exceptional soprano Ann Moss in Liam Wade's 4 Songs on Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2010 AT 4:00PM
Amos Yang
Amos Yang, 'cello
‘Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat major by Bach, ‘Cello Suite No. 1, Op. 72 by Britten; Seven Tunes Heard in China by Bright Sheng; Julie-O and Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming by Mark Summer.
San Francisco Symphony Assistant Principal ‘Cellist Amos Yang will present a concert of solo ‘cello repertoire ranging from J. S. Bach to contemporary works of the 21st Century.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Amos Yang
Amos Yang, 'cello
‘Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat major by Bach, ‘Cello Suite No. 1, Op. 72 by Britten; Seven Tunes Heard in China by Bright Sheng; Julie-O and Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming by Mark Summer.
San Francisco Symphony Assistant Principal ‘Cellist Amos Yang will present a concert of solo ‘cello repertoire ranging from J. S. Bach to contemporary works of the 21st Century.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 AT 8:00PM
Robert Schwartz
Celebrating the 150th birthday of Isaac Albéniz
Robert Schwartz, piano
“I cannot write about my stay in this dream world if it is not by composing. Nothing interests me as much as the sun that heats to whiteness the narrow streets of Granada. If one could make music out of it, how beautiful it would be.” –Isaac Albéniz
Pianist Robert Schwartz performs Isaac Albeniz’s masterpiece, Iberia, in honor of the composer’s 150th birthday. Infused with the evocative melodies and rhythms of flamenco, the twelve pieces of Iberia have thrilled and fascinated pianists and audiences with their eloquence and complexity. More than a century after its composition, the suite still stands as the most important piano work to come out of Spain.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Robert Schwartz
Celebrating the 150th birthday of Isaac Albéniz
Robert Schwartz, piano
“I cannot write about my stay in this dream world if it is not by composing. Nothing interests me as much as the sun that heats to whiteness the narrow streets of Granada. If one could make music out of it, how beautiful it would be.” –Isaac Albéniz
Pianist Robert Schwartz performs Isaac Albeniz’s masterpiece, Iberia, in honor of the composer’s 150th birthday. Infused with the evocative melodies and rhythms of flamenco, the twelve pieces of Iberia have thrilled and fascinated pianists and audiences with their eloquence and complexity. More than a century after its composition, the suite still stands as the most important piano work to come out of Spain.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2010 AT 4:00PM
ChamberBridge
Frontiers 2010
Lara Bruckmann, soprano; Eva-Maria Zimmermann, piano
Frontiers 2010 is a concert and composer workshop project involving ChamberBridge seven emerging composers from Switzerland and the Bay Area (Evelyn Ficarra, Robert Yamasoto, Jason Levis and Sue-Hie Ki from the Bay Area, Marcel Saegesser, Alice Baumgartner and Wael Sami Elkholy from Switzerland) and one established composer from each country—Gabriela Lena Frank from the Bay Area and Christian Henking from Switzerland. Each composer is writing a new work for ChamberBridge, and the pieces will be premiered in a series of concerts in the Bay Area (May 2010) and Switzerland (August 2010). For more information visit ChamberBridge's website
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
ChamberBridge
Frontiers 2010
Lara Bruckmann, soprano; Eva-Maria Zimmermann, piano
Frontiers 2010 is a concert and composer workshop project involving ChamberBridge seven emerging composers from Switzerland and the Bay Area (Evelyn Ficarra, Robert Yamasoto, Jason Levis and Sue-Hie Ki from the Bay Area, Marcel Saegesser, Alice Baumgartner and Wael Sami Elkholy from Switzerland) and one established composer from each country—Gabriela Lena Frank from the Bay Area and Christian Henking from Switzerland. Each composer is writing a new work for ChamberBridge, and the pieces will be premiered in a series of concerts in the Bay Area (May 2010) and Switzerland (August 2010). For more information visit ChamberBridge's website
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2010 AT 8:00PM
Composers Inc
Magen Solomon directs the San Francisco Choral Artists in an evening of choral music, including Frank La Rocca’s Miserere and Trevor Gomes’ Sunscape.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Composers Inc
Magen Solomon directs the San Francisco Choral Artists in an evening of choral music, including Frank La Rocca’s Miserere and Trevor Gomes’ Sunscape.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 AT 8:00PM
Andrew McKenna Lee
Andrew McKenna Lee, guitar
The guitarist and composer Andrew McKenna Lee makes his San Francisco debut, performing original compositions for guitar in addition to works by Leo Brouwer, Lennox Berkeley, and others. Praised in TimeOut New York for his “awe-inspiring displays of agility” and The New York Times for his “energetic playing,” Mr. Lee has been described by eMusic critic Jayson Greene as “… an astoundingly virtuosic guitar player… and far more importantly, an original and thoughtful composer, one who is continually finding new ways to work the guitar’s, rougher, more sensual textures into classical frameworks.” Among the many venues in which he has performed are Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and the Annenberg Center for the Arts in Philadelphia. In May of 2009, he will perform the west coast premiere of his Five Refractions of a Prelude by Bach at Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella Series.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Andrew McKenna Lee
Andrew McKenna Lee, guitar
The guitarist and composer Andrew McKenna Lee makes his San Francisco debut, performing original compositions for guitar in addition to works by Leo Brouwer, Lennox Berkeley, and others. Praised in TimeOut New York for his “awe-inspiring displays of agility” and The New York Times for his “energetic playing,” Mr. Lee has been described by eMusic critic Jayson Greene as “… an astoundingly virtuosic guitar player… and far more importantly, an original and thoughtful composer, one who is continually finding new ways to work the guitar’s, rougher, more sensual textures into classical frameworks.” Among the many venues in which he has performed are Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and the Annenberg Center for the Arts in Philadelphia. In May of 2009, he will perform the west coast premiere of his Five Refractions of a Prelude by Bach at Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella Series.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2010 AT 8:00PM
The Paul Dresher Ensemble Double Duo
Karen Bentley Pollick, violin; Lisa Moore, piano, electric keyboard; Joel Davel, percussion, marimba lumina; Paul Dresher, quadrachord & electric guitar
The Bay Area debut of the Dresher Ensemble's newest chamber music grouping—the Double Duo—features a program of challenging and exciting contemporary acoustic, electro-acoustic and invented instrument compositions by Paul Dresher, Sam Adams, and Martin Bresnick. The Double Duo features Dresher performing on electric guitar and his remarkable 15 foot-long invented stringed instrument, the Quadrachord, long-time Ensemble percussionist Joel Davel on the miraculous Marimba Lumina, virtuoso violinist Karen Bentley Pollick and pianist Lisa Moore, the noted contemporary music soloist and founding and long-time member of the Bang on A Can All Stars. Performing in various combinations of duo, trio and quartet, the Double Duo's repertory highlights very recent works by Martin Bresnick (Bird As Prophet) and Sam Adams (John Adams' very talented young son) composed specifically for Bentley Pollick and Moore, Dresher and Davel, performing their invented instrument duo Glimpsed From Afar (recently performed twice with the Los Angeles Philharmonic) as well long-time favorite Dresher compositions such as the trio Double Ikat, the duo Elapsed Time and a new quartet version of Chorale Times Two.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
The Paul Dresher Ensemble Double Duo
Karen Bentley Pollick, violin; Lisa Moore, piano, electric keyboard; Joel Davel, percussion, marimba lumina; Paul Dresher, quadrachord & electric guitar
The Bay Area debut of the Dresher Ensemble's newest chamber music grouping—the Double Duo—features a program of challenging and exciting contemporary acoustic, electro-acoustic and invented instrument compositions by Paul Dresher, Sam Adams, and Martin Bresnick. The Double Duo features Dresher performing on electric guitar and his remarkable 15 foot-long invented stringed instrument, the Quadrachord, long-time Ensemble percussionist Joel Davel on the miraculous Marimba Lumina, virtuoso violinist Karen Bentley Pollick and pianist Lisa Moore, the noted contemporary music soloist and founding and long-time member of the Bang on A Can All Stars. Performing in various combinations of duo, trio and quartet, the Double Duo's repertory highlights very recent works by Martin Bresnick (Bird As Prophet) and Sam Adams (John Adams' very talented young son) composed specifically for Bentley Pollick and Moore, Dresher and Davel, performing their invented instrument duo Glimpsed From Afar (recently performed twice with the Los Angeles Philharmonic) as well long-time favorite Dresher compositions such as the trio Double Ikat, the duo Elapsed Time and a new quartet version of Chorale Times Two.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2010 AT 4:00PM
The Paul Dresher Ensemble Double Duo
Karen Bentley Pollick, violin; Lisa Moore, piano, electric keyboard; Joel Davel, percussion, marimba lumina; Paul Dresher, quadrachord & electric guitar
For program description, please see June 4th entry.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
The Paul Dresher Ensemble Double Duo
Karen Bentley Pollick, violin; Lisa Moore, piano, electric keyboard; Joel Davel, percussion, marimba lumina; Paul Dresher, quadrachord & electric guitar
For program description, please see June 4th entry.
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2010 AT 8:00PM
San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra
Mark Alburger, Music Director
New works by Bay Area composers performed by the composers themselves, featuring a surprising diversity of styles influenced as much by pop and world as post-modernist and minimalist music. www.sfcco.org
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra
Mark Alburger, Music Director
New works by Bay Area composers performed by the composers themselves, featuring a surprising diversity of styles influenced as much by pop and world as post-modernist and minimalist music. www.sfcco.org
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2010 AT 4:00PM
Miriam Abramowitsch & Kumaran Arul
Miriam Abramowitsch, mezzo-soprano; Kumaran Arul, piano; Special Guest Larry London, clarinet
Miriam Abramowitsch is a frequent performer at Old First Concerts. Heuwell Tircuit of San Francisco Classical Voice praised her 2007 recital for her “courageous artistry”, and went on to say “she was superb, and, indeed, maturity has enriched her timbre into velvet warmth and broadened her concept of fine phrasing.” She is celebrated for her imaginative programs of wide-ranging repertoire from the 19th and 20th centuries. Kumaran Arul has been described as a “formidable”, “superbly intelligent and sensitive musician” with a “gripping” presence (SF Classical Voice, Classical Sonoma). He has received praise for performances that include original arrangements and improvisation. For this program they present a compelling selection of vocal and solo piano works exploring expressions of transcendence and retreat from worldly love, the program will incorporate related readings from historical sources and narration. Works are drawn from the songs of Gustav Mahler, including selections from the Rückert-Lieder (with piano transcriptions arranged by Mr. Arul), Franz Liszt’s Sonetti di Petrarca (vocal and solo piano versions), Liszt’s Ballade No. 2 in B Minor (solo piano), and Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (with clarinet).
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Miriam Abramowitsch & Kumaran Arul
Miriam Abramowitsch, mezzo-soprano; Kumaran Arul, piano; Special Guest Larry London, clarinet
Miriam Abramowitsch is a frequent performer at Old First Concerts. Heuwell Tircuit of San Francisco Classical Voice praised her 2007 recital for her “courageous artistry”, and went on to say “she was superb, and, indeed, maturity has enriched her timbre into velvet warmth and broadened her concept of fine phrasing.” She is celebrated for her imaginative programs of wide-ranging repertoire from the 19th and 20th centuries. Kumaran Arul has been described as a “formidable”, “superbly intelligent and sensitive musician” with a “gripping” presence (SF Classical Voice, Classical Sonoma). He has received praise for performances that include original arrangements and improvisation. For this program they present a compelling selection of vocal and solo piano works exploring expressions of transcendence and retreat from worldly love, the program will incorporate related readings from historical sources and narration. Works are drawn from the songs of Gustav Mahler, including selections from the Rückert-Lieder (with piano transcriptions arranged by Mr. Arul), Franz Liszt’s Sonetti di Petrarca (vocal and solo piano versions), Liszt’s Ballade No. 2 in B Minor (solo piano), and Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (with clarinet).
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010 AT 4:00PM
Jupiter Chamber Players
Victor Romasevich, violin; Michael Jones, violin; Stephen Levintow, viola; Paul Rhodes, 'cello
String Quartet in F-sharp minor, Op. 23 by Georgy Catoire; Piece for String Quartet, Op. 7 by Arshak Andriasov; ‘Spring’ for String Quartet, Op. 32 and String Quartet in D major, Op. 1 by Iosif Andriasov; String Quartet in F major, Op. 22 by Tchaikovsky.
In 1997, two veteran freelancers, violinist Michael Jones and Juilliard-trained violist Steve Levintow, recruited BBC Orchestra violinist Andrew Davies and 'cellist Paul Hale of the Oakland Symphony to found the Jupiter Quartet which later became the Jupiter Chamber Players. The quartet had the good fortune to connect with Marvin Sanders, director of Live Oak Concerts at the Berkeley Art Center, just as the Center's previous ensemble-in-residence, the Cypress Quartet, left to launch their international career. The Art Center remained the Quartet's "home" venue for 10 years. Paul Rhodes replaced
Hale in 2000, bringing his years of experience in numerous orchestras and as soloist with the Carmel Bach Festival. Two years later, Davies left to pursue other projects, and San Francisco Symphony member Victor Romasevich took over as first violinist. Romasevich brought deep fascination with Russian chamber music, including masterworks by such composers as Sergei Taneyev, Georgy Catoire, and Iosif Andriasov (with whom Romasevich studied violin and viola)—all links in a tradition going back to Tchaikovsky through Moscow Conservatory. The Jupiter Chamber Players take pleasure in introducing wider audiences to the work of these composers, while continuing to present more familiar Russian and European repertoire.
For more information on Arshak Andriasov, please visit www.arshakandriasov.webs.com
For more information on Iosif Andriasov, please visit www.iosifandriasov.net © Marta Andriasova-Kudryashova
TICKETS
Performance Permalink
Jupiter Chamber Players
Victor Romasevich, violin; Michael Jones, violin; Stephen Levintow, viola; Paul Rhodes, 'cello
String Quartet in F-sharp minor, Op. 23 by Georgy Catoire; Piece for String Quartet, Op. 7 by Arshak Andriasov; ‘Spring’ for String Quartet, Op. 32 and String Quartet in D major, Op. 1 by Iosif Andriasov; String Quartet in F major, Op. 22 by Tchaikovsky.
In 1997, two veteran freelancers, violinist Michael Jones and Juilliard-trained violist Steve Levintow, recruited BBC Orchestra violinist Andrew Davies and 'cellist Paul Hale of the Oakland Symphony to found the Jupiter Quartet which later became the Jupiter Chamber Players. The quartet had the good fortune to connect with Marvin Sanders, director of Live Oak Concerts at the Berkeley Art Center, just as the Center's previous ensemble-in-residence, the Cypress Quartet, left to launch their international career. The Art Center remained the Quartet's "home" venue for 10 years. Paul Rhodes replaced
Hale in 2000, bringing his years of experience in numerous orchestras and as soloist with the Carmel Bach Festival. Two years later, Davies left to pursue other projects, and San Francisco Symphony member Victor Romasevich took over as first violinist. Romasevich brought deep fascination with Russian chamber music, including masterworks by such composers as Sergei Taneyev, Georgy Catoire, and Iosif Andriasov (with whom Romasevich studied violin and viola)—all links in a tradition going back to Tchaikovsky through Moscow Conservatory. The Jupiter Chamber Players take pleasure in introducing wider audiences to the work of these composers, while continuing to present more familiar Russian and European repertoire.
For more information on Arshak Andriasov, please visit www.arshakandriasov.webs.com
For more information on Iosif Andriasov, please visit www.iosifandriasov.net © Marta Andriasova-Kudryashova
TICKETS
Performance Permalink