Feb
1
8:00 PM20:00
Feb
4
8:00 PM20:00
Feb
3
3:00 PM15:00
Empyrean Ensemble
Program:
Johannes Kreidler: The Impossibility of Consciously Experiencing the Moment of Falling Asleep
Oscar Bianchi: Semplice for Solo Violin
Isang Yun: Espace I for Cello and Piano
Clara Iannotta: Il colore dell’ombra for Violin, Cello, and Piano
Johannes Kreidler: Fremdarbeit for Flute, Piano, Percussion, Cello, and Narrator
Feb
2
to Feb 9
SFCO Very First Concerts
Rhythms All Around
Designed with toddlers in mind, these delightful 20-minute presentations introduce musical concepts, offer hands-on activities and encourage lots of movement and dance -- free of charge.
San Francisco Public Library
Fisher Children's Center
Saturday, February 2, 2019
10:15AM & 11AM
Oakland Public Library
Dimond Branch
Saturday, February 2, 2019
1:30PM & 2:15PM
San Mateo Public Library
Oak Room, Main Branch
Saturday, February 9, 2019
10:30AM & 11:15AM & Noon
Dec
7
7:00 PM19:00
UC Davis University Chorus
UC Davis University Chorus Concert
December 7, 2018 - 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center
Program:
Conrad Susa: Carols and Lullabies
Oct
20
7:30 PM19:30
SFCMP Performances on STAGE Series
Carter and Beyond: Invention and Inspiration
SCHEDULE
4:00pm-5:15pm How Music is Made Program: Open dress rehearsal of Big Show by Chodos followed by a composer talk hosted by Eric Dudley
6:45pm Pre-concert discussion with SFCMP Players
7:30pm Concert with intermission
9:00pm Reception
PROGRAM
Elliott Carter, A6 Letter Letter (1996)
for english horn
Elliott Carter, Changes (1983)
for guitar
Sabrina Schroeder, Bone Games/Shy Garden (2016) (12’) (USP)
flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn, percussion, piano, two violins, viola, cello + electronics
Tobin Chodos, Big Show / Elliott Carter-inspired (2018) (SFCMP Commission, world premiere)
flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn
Elliott Carter, Penthode (1985)
for five groups of four instrumentalists
1.1.2.1-1.2.1.1-3 perc-hp-pno-2.1.1.1
Jun
3
7:00 PM19:00
UC Davis University Chorus
Program:
Vivaldi: Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major
Will Ebeler and Aaron Shuler, trumpet
Jonathan Spatola-Knoll, student conductor
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was a composer from the early Baroque era who revolutionized the concerto genre. Known for the now ubiquitous “Four Seasons” suite, Vivaldi spent a considerable amount of his life at the Conservatorio dell’Ospedale Della Pieta, in which he fostered the musical talents of orphaned girls. This piece features lively interplay between the two solo trumpets in dextrous, somersaulting joviality.
Weber: Missa Sancta No. 1 E-Flat Major
Shawnette Sulker, soprano
Celeste Winant, alto
Jonathan Nadel, tenor
Malcolm MacKenzie, baritone
Jonathan Spatola-Knoll, student conductor
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) is best known for his landmark Romantic Opera Der Freischütz. Though a key component in the Romantic repertoire, much less is known among the general public about his church music works. Much is said in the history books regarding his failing health, but not so much about his spirituality. Missa Sancta No. 1 E-Flat Major offers a firsthand look into his contributions to the Catholic repertoire.
Orff: Carmina Burana
Shawnette Sulker, soprano
Jonathan Nadel, tenor
Malcolm MacKenzie, baritone
Jeffrey Thomas, conductor
Carl Orff’s (1895-1982) legendary work for large orchestra, chorus, and boys’ chorus sets various medieval poems that portray fantastical scenes. The tone of the texts range from exultant to erotic; the sheer variety of the source texts mixed with the tense social atmosphere of the Nazi Regime (under which this piece débuted) generated some anxiety. After the war, Carmina Burana rose in popularity throughout the classical music world. The piece has stood the test of history and held fast against the weathering currents of humanity as a crucial testament to the many facets of mankind.
Mar
16
to Mar 18
SF Contemporary Music Players: Starscape
Starscape
March 16 and 18, 2016, 7:30 pm (pre-concert talk at 6:30)
One of the greatest statements in the percussion repertoire, Gérard Grisey’s Le Noir de l’Étoile takes both its inspiration and sound sources from recordings made of pulsars. These rhythmic phenomena, arriving from enormous distances, make our world come alive with pulsations. Looking inward rather than outward, Marianthi Papalexandri-alexandri’s kein thema looks at the smallest of sounds and inspirations – the small brushing sounds of skin on a temple block, the rhythmic swoop of a marble rolling – and makes chamber music from them.
Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri, kein thema
Three Percussionists
Gérard Grisey, Le noir de l’Étoile
Six Percussionists
Feb
26
to Feb 28
San Francisco Chamber Orchestra: Mahler Lite
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 4 (arr. Stein)
Renowned Bay Area soprano Christine Brandes (“Earthy and affecting… magnificent” —NY Times) makes her SFCO debut in three very special performances of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. Edwin Stein’s beautiful 1921 chamber arrangement for 13 players brings out the intimacy of this heavenly piece without sacrificing any of its power. This program will begin with a guided tour of this complex score, wherein Maestro Simon and the orchestra reveal its secrets and bring listeners into Mahler’s imaginative “sound world,” followed by a complete performance of this 55-minute work.
Fri, Feb 26, 2016 7:30pm
Herbst Theatre
401 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco
Sat, Feb 27, 2016 7:30pm
First United Methodist Church
625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto
Sun, Feb 28, 2016 3pm
First Congregational Church
2345 Channing Way, Berkeley
Feb
21
7:00 PM19:00
Empyrean Ensemble: Young and Restless [Part 1]
Note: There is a pre-concert talk at 6:15 pm with the composers and Empyrean director Mika Pelo.
Works by Yu-Hsin Chang, Ryan Suleiman, Jonathan Favero, Hyungbin Lim, in addition to a world premiere by former UC Davis undergraduate music major Paul Watkins.
Link: http://arts.ucdavis.edu/event/empyrean-ensemble-young-and-restless-part-1
Oct
23
to Oct 25
San Francisco Chamber Orchestra: In Praise of Love
Claude Debussy Danses Sacrée et Profane
Thierry de Mey Table Music
David Lang Percussion Quartet
Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic Trio per Uno
Leonard Bernstein Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium)
SFCO concertmaster Robin Sharp takes center stage for a rare performance of Leonard Bernstein’s masterpiece for violin, percussion, harp, and strings: his 1954 Serenade, inspired by Plato’s “Symposium” about the nature of love. This is Bernstein at his symphonic best: a richly colored and dramatic score, with six percussionists powering the stern and our nimble soloist at the bow. An earlier 20th century experiment in sound and color is Claude Debussy’s 1904 Danses Sacrée et Profane; composed for harp and strings, its two movements are colorful musical portraits, intimate in scale and dazzling to the ears. Three short, exciting works for multiple percussionists round out this wide-ranging program.
Fri, Oct 23 7:30pm
Herbst Theatre
401 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco
Sat, Oct 24 7:30pm
First United Methodist Church
625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto
Sun, Oct 25 3pm
First Congregational Church
2345 Channing Way, Berkeley
Jun
1
7:00 PM19:00
Empyrean Ensemble: Young and Restless II
Four new works by UC Davis graduate composers, plus a new work by former UC Davis undergraduate composer Ramteen Sazegari.
Matilda Hofman, conductor
Mika Pelo and Kurt Rohde, directors
Note: There is a pre-concert talk at 6:00 pm with the composers and Empyrean co-director Mika Pelo.
Link: http://arts.ucdavis.edu/event/empyrean-ensembleyoung-and-restless-ii
May
2
7:00 PM19:00
UCD Symphony Orchestra
UC DAVIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:
”ARIADNE’S THREAD, ECSTASY, AND CLASSICISM”
May 2, 2015 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center
Scriabin: Le Poème de l’extase
Varèse: Amériques
Beethoven: Violin Concerto
with Alina Kobialka, violin
Apr
26
7:00 PM19:00
Empyrean Ensemble: Young and Restless I
Four new works by UC Davis graduate composers, plus a new work by former UC Davis undergraduate composer Richard Chowenhill.
Matilda Hofman, conductor
Mika Pelo and Kurt Rohde, directors
Note: There is a pre-concert talk at 6:00 pm with the composers and Empyrean co-director Mika Pelo.
Link: http://arts.ucdavis.edu/event/empyrean-ensembleyoung-and-restless-i
Apr
25
7:30 PM19:30
Camellia Symphony
Camellia Symphony: "America, France & Russia -- Memorable Anniversaries"
April 25, 2015, 7:30pm
Sacramento City College Performing Arts Center
Scriabin, Rêverie
Varèse, Amériques
Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 - with Valentina Igoshina
Mar
29
7:00 PM19:00
SFCMP: Project TenFourteen: Concert #4
The final Project Ten Fourteen concert presents the World Premiere of Koji Nakano’s, Time Song V: Mandala; Lei Liang’s Luminous, with featured guest bassist Mark Dresser; a work by legendary Chinese composer Chou Wen-chung; the third World Premiere commissioned work by George Crumb, Xylophony, and a special performance of Edgard Varèse’s Ionisation by an all-star percussion ensemble!
Cal Performances Hertz Hall, Berkeley – 7:00 pm (pre-concert talk 6-6:30)
Feb
20
to Mar 8
Opera Parallèle
OVERVIEW
Composed by Jake Heggie with libretto by Terrence McNally, Dead Man Walking was commissioned by San Francisco Opera and premiered on the War Memorial Opera House stage in 2000. Since then, it has been rendered in more than 40 productions worldwide, but the Opera Parallèle production will be the first time it has been seen in San Francisco since its premiere 15 years ago. Dead Man Walking is based on Sister Helen Prejean’s 1993 memoir, which tells of her time working with death row inmates at Louisiana State Penitentiary, and of a particular relationship she developed with one of the inmates. Sister Helen’s memoir was also the subject of a celebrated 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. The popularity of the opera can be credited not only to the timeless relevance of its subject and the humanity of its story, but on how successfully the composer and librettist captured the essence and impact of the story in an intense musical and dramatic setting.
Opera Parallèle presents a new production in “OP style” featuring dynamic, flexible sets, digital projections and a high-impact performance style overseen by Creative Director Brian Staufenbiel. The work has been newly re-orchestrated under the supervision of Jake Heggie and Nicole Paiement.
PERFORMANCES
WHERE: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater
WHEN: 8 p.m. February 20, 21, 2015, 2 p.m. February 22, 2015
WHERE: Broad Stage, Santa Monica
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., March 7, 2015, 2 p.m., March 8, 2015
Jan
31
10:00 PM22:00
SO Percussion: Program II
Sō Percussion—which last performed a John Cage-inspired program at the Mondavi Center in 2011—will perform this unique late-night concert. Among the works featured will be Steve Reich’s Drumming, with students of Chris Froh.
Of Cage’s Mallet Quartet, the BBC noted that Sō Percussion nailed the performance of the piece, “never letting the tapestry lapse into the flat or routine.” Presented by the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.
Link: http://www.mondaviarts.org/events/event.cfm?event_id=1463&season=2014
Jan
29
7:00 PM19:00
Empyrean Ensemble: Music and Words
Program:
Melinda Wagner: Four Settings for Soprano and Ensemble
with Nikki Einfeld, soprano
based on texts by Emily Dickinson, Denise Levertov,
and Robert Desnos.
Melinda Wagner: Noggin for Solo Piano
with Michael Seth Orland, piano
Tomás Gueglio: Knowledgeable Viuda
Seunghee Lee: Bon III, for Flute, Viola, Cello, and Percussion
Dan VanHassel: fzzl for Solo Snare Drum and Electronics
Link: http://arts.ucdavis.edu/event/empyrean-ensemblemusic-and-words
Jan
17
to Jan 19
SFCO presents Bang on a Pan
Fun with Percussion
Sat, Jan 17 10am, 10:45am & 11:30am
Congregational Church of San Mateo
225 Tilton Ave, San Mateo
Sat, Jan 17 2pm, 2:45pm & 3:30pm
Calvary Presbyterian Church
2515 Fillmore St, San Francisco
Mon, Jan 19 11am & 12pm
The Crowden School
1475 Rose St, Berkeley
The oldest musical instrument is the rock. Not even cavemen could resist the urge to tap stones together and start getting their groove on! Meet three percussionists, handling everything from a bass drum and cymbals to a thundersheet and crotales. This presentation is guaranteed to astound you—and likely to make things a bit noisier around the house for a while.
Oct
4
8:00 PM20:00
San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra
Since their first concert in March 2002, the SFCCO has premiered more new and vital works than any other orchestra in the Bay Area. The orchestra is a diverse group of composer-performers who seek to embody the sound of new music in San Francisco through the performance of their own music. The result is an incredibly diverse offering of new music. In any one concert, the audience may hear styles ranging from the Neo-Romantic, Serial, Neo-Classical, Guided Improvisation, and Minimalist … just to name a few. So come for an evening of orchestral music that is full of surprises, including excerpts from the opera The Lariat by Lisa Scola Prosek, Front Line by Michael Kimbell, Railway Suite by Stardust, Raven and Panther by Loren Jones, plus others. For more information please visit sfcco.org.
Aug
1
7:00 PM19:00
Jul
25
7:00 PM19:00
"Best New Musical"
The Music School in Sunnyvale presents "Best New Musical". Join us for an evening of Broadway show tunes and talented kids in this drama-filled salute to the Tony Awards!
Shows on:
Friday, July 25, 2014 at 7pm
Saturday, July 26, 2014 at 7pm
Jun
28
7:00 PM19:00
Silicon Valley Music Festival
Folk Songs of the World
The 2014 Season Finale will be unprecedentedly dynamic and exciting! Prepare to go "Around the World in 90 minutes" while hearing folk songs from all over the world!
Program:
Alberto Ginastera, Impressiones de la Puna for Flute and Strings
Toshio Hosokawa, Two Japanese Folk Songs for Flute and Accordion
Luciano Berio, Folk Songs
Osvaldo Golijov, Ayre
Jun
22
12:00 PM12:00
Il Ponte
The San Francisco premiere of Davide Verotta's Il Ponte (The Bridge), an exciting composition for piano, multi-percussion, and strings, conceived as a full-program concert piece.
Jun
21
8:00 PM20:00
Festival of Contemporary Music
The 12th season of the Festival of Contemporary Music (FCM) brings together more than 25 composers and holds its opening concert at Trinity Chapel with a display of chamber music from up-and-coming as well as established composers from the United States and around the World. Each year the FCM highlights the various styles and techniques found in contemporary music, ranging from the neo-romantic to the serial, to the experimental and improvisational. This concert is the 21st offering in the series and the first of three concerts in the summer of 2014. The FCM is under the direction of composers Brian Bice, John Bilotta and Davide Verotta. Please visit http://newmusicforum.com for more information.
May
25
9:30 AM09:30
The 36th Annual Carnaval San Francisco
Grand Parade: 24th & Bryant Street travel to 24th & Mission, then north on Mission Street to 17th Street to South Van Ness