Monday, February 1, 2010 – 8pm
Left Coast Chamber Ensemble:
Harpsichord Redux
A marvelous instrument, the harpsichord provided both structure and ornament to music in the Baroque era. It was supplanted almost entirely by the more powerful fortepiano for a time, but advocates like Wanda Landowska, a harpsichord virtuoso, helped establish the instrument's place in modern musical life. Left Coast showcases the harpsichord's many possibilities, beginning with Bach's G major Trio Sonata -a piece unsurpassed in beauty in the centuries since it was written- and Ligeti's brief solo works, which are maddening, hilarious and ecstatic all at once. Left Coast also presents works by two Bay Area composers: Tamper Resistant Dan Becker and a world premiere by Eric Zivian, as well as the harpsichord concerto written by Manuel de Falla for Landowska. Eric Zivian and guest artist Katherine Heater are the featured harpsichordists.
Green Room of the War Memorial Building
San Francisco
$15 to $20
Information: (415) 642-8054
leftcoastensemble.org
***
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 – 8pm
Afiara String Quartet
BERKELEY CHAMBER PERFORMANCES PRESENTS THE AFIARA STRING QUARTET
THE AFIARA STRING QUARTET. Mozart K. 465; Berg, Lyric Suite; and Mendelssohn, Op. 13.
Berkeley Chamber Performances (BCP) continues its 17th season of intimate chamber concerts with the AFIARA STRING QUARTET on Tuesday, February 2, at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club. In residence at San Francisco State University from 2007-2009, the AFIARA ensemble currently holds the Juilliard School’s Graduate Resident Arnhold Fellowship. The program for February 2, thrilling and diverse in its range and depth, features works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Berg. Audience members are invited to attend a complementary wine and cheese reception following the concert with an opportunity to meet and talk with the musicians. The concert begins with Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19 in C major, K. 465, surely one of his most popular works for string quartet. Also known by the name “Dissonance” because it lacks a fixed key in an unusually slow introduction as the instruments entering one by one, the quartet settles in the key of C major later in the first movement. Published in 1785, “Dissonance” was one of six quartets that Mozart dedicated to Haydn.
Next on the program is Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite, a major 20th century work that showcases Schoenberg’s 12-tone technique. Written between 1925 and 1926, this six-movement piece is dedicated to Hanna Fuchs-Robettin, with whom Berg had an affair. One of its motifs, music critics have determined, contains a “hidden message” to his lover.
Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13, concludes this rich, evocative program. Inspired by Beethoven’s late quartets, notably Op. 132, Mendelssohn wrote his quartet in 1827, just months after his mentor’s death. He was only 18 years old when he composed this distinctly romantic work.
Praised by San Francisco Classical Voice for its “startling intensity” and “powerful, keen-edged collective sound,” the AFIARA STRING QUARTET is the winner of the 2008 Concert Artists Guild international Competition. Upcoming performances include appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Library of Congress. Rising stars, the members of AFIARA—an all-Canadian group-- are Valerie Li and Yuri Cho, violins, David Samuel, viola, and Adrian Fung, cello.
Berkeley Chamber Performances
Berkeley City Club
2315 Durant Ave, Berkeley
$12.50 to $25.00 (high school students free)
Information: (510) 525-5211
www.berkeleychamberperform.org
***
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 – 12:30pm
Jannie Lo, piano / Burke Schuchmann, cello
Yael Ronen, flute
Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata in D Major, No. 2 for cello & piano
Carl Maria von Weber: Trio for flute, cello & piano
Old Saint Mary's Cathedral
660 California Street
San Francisco
Donation: $5
www.NoontimeConcerts.org
***
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 – 12pm
Noon Concerts: Jazz Quintet
The Musical Legacy of Jazz Saxophone Players: Songs by Coltrane, Metheny, Shorter, and Joshua Redman Tamar Sella, vocals; Erika Oba, piano; Peter Hargreaves, alto saxophone; Joe Constantini, bass; Benny Amon, drums
UC Berkeley Music Department
Hertz Hall, Berkeley
FREE
Informaiton: (510) 642-4864
music.berkeley.edu
***
Thursday, February 4, 2010 – 7:30pm
Quarteto Vivace Brasil
Quarteto Vivace Brasil is one of the most exciting new groups on the Brazilian musical scene. Four master players on two guitars, percussion and flute bring their dazzling talents to music from Bach to Bizet's "Carmen" to Brazilian sambas, Argentinian tangos, and much more.
Tri-County Concert Association
First Methodist Church, Yuba City
$20-$35
Information: (530)-695-3159
www.tricountyconcert.com
***
Friday, February 5, 2010 – 11am
First Friday Concert
The free First Friday Concerts at St David's begin at 11:15 AM before the noontime benediction. February's program features two local composers as well as Bach's cantata Der Fried sei mit dir, originally composed for Candlemas.
St. David of Wales concerts
St. David of Wales Church, Richmond
FREE
***
Friday, February 5, 2010 – 8pm
Ives Quartet:
Playing Well With Others
Musicians love to make music with others and there is nothing more thrilling than an evening of glorious chamber music played by friends who clearly revel in the joy of playing. The Ives Quartet welcomes guest artists and sisters Tanya Tompkins, cello, and Leslie Tompkins, viola, for a close-knit and ebullient evening of music.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Palo Alto
$15-$25
Information: (650) 224-7849
www.ivesquartet.org
***
Friday, February 5, 2010 – 8pm
Quarteto Vivace Brasil
Works by Armand, Handel, Scheidler, Barrios, Piazzolla, Joplin, Albeniz, de Falla, Saint-Saëns, Bizet, Gnattali, Azevedo, Pixinguinha, Villa-Lobos and de Abreu.
Quarteto Vivace Brasil is one of the most exciting new groups on the Latin American musical scene. Four master players on two guitars, percussion and flute bring sizzling energy to Brazilian sambas and chôros, Argentinian tangos, American ragtime, and classical pieces from Handel to Bizet’s Carmen to Saint-Säens’ Carnival of the Animals. The quartet was quickly booked up for a nearly month-long premiere US tour, including appearances in New York City, Boston, Milwaukee, New Orleans, San Francisco and many other cities. Randy Morse, the producer and host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Best of Brazil, calls them “four of Brazil's best musicians, who present their well-chosen repertoire with verve, panache and a sensitivity that radiates the exquisite beauty of this music.”
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco
Information: (415) 474-1608
$17 to $14
www.oldfirstconcerts.org
***
Saturday, February 6, 2010 – 4pm
New Esterházy Quartet:
Extras and Encores
A selection from the many pieces for quartet not in Haydn's canonical 68, plus a suite of Minuets by students of Haydn and a Prelude and Fugue by Gregor Werner (Haydn's predecessor at Esterhazy).
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
San Francisco
$10 - $25
Information: (415) 520-0611
www.newesterhazy.org
***
Saturday, February 6, 2010 – 6pm
New American Chamber Music for Voice, Piano and Strings
CMASH is thrilled to announce the third installment of our "New American Chamber Music" program. This annual event is an opportunity for CMASH composers to premiere new works alongside established repertoire.
Each concert features a specific performing ensemble, enabling CMASH performers to work closely with CMASH composers to create each new work. This year we welcome Picasso String Quartet and One Art Ensemble.
We're also mixing things up a bit this year, with two new composers on our roster and some fantastic arrangements of works performed on previous CMASH concerts.
Join us at 5pm for a "pre-ception" in the parish hall, with food, drink, and a chance to mingle and chat with the composers of CMASH
cmash
Christ Church Lutheran
San Francisco
$10 to $25 Donation
www.cmashmusic.org
***
Saturday, February 6, 2010 – 7:30pm
Seventh Avenue Performances:
The Music of Benjamin Britten with tenor Colby Roberts
Seventh Avenue Performances presents "The Music of Benjamin Britten" featuring San Francisco Opera Chorus tenor Colby Roberts who will be joined by Kevin Rivard, horn (San Francisco Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra); Dawn Harms (San Francisco Opera Orchestra) concertmaster and Maestro Matthias Kuntzsch, conductor and piano, to perform Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. The program will also include Britten's Les Illuminations, Sonnets of Michelangelo and Winter Words.
Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church
San Francisco
$15-$20
Information: (415) 664-2543 x3
www.sevenperforms.org
***
Saturday, February 6, 2010 – 8pm
The Euphora Consort
Ávila: Musicians and Mystics from Sixteenth Century Spain
Ávila springs forth from the confluence of two great mystics, Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross. Featuring music from sixteenth century Spanish sources, bilingual meditations from mystical writings and newly composed works, Ávila illuminates the vibrant time surrounding these spiritual mystics. The Euphora Consort presents historically-informed concerts performed on period instruments played by master musicians. Join us for music from the Golden Age of Spain!
Trinity Chamber Concerts
Trinity Chapel, Berkeley
$8-$12
Information: (510) 549-3864
www.trinitychamberconcerts.com
***
Saturday, February 6, 2010 – 8pm
Quarteto Vivace Brasil
Quarteto Vivace Brasil is one of the most exciting new groups on the Brazilian musical scene. Four master players on two guitars, percussion and flute bring their dazzling talents to music from Bach to Bizet's "Carmen" to Brazilian sambas, Argentinian tangos, and much more.
They will be playing Handel: Suite in G minor (excerpts), De Falla: La Vida Breve, Scott Joplin: Ragtime Dance, Piazzolla: Historia del Tango, Saint-Säens: Carnival of the Animals (excerpts), Bizet: Carmen (Prelude), Albéniz: Sevilla, and various selections from Brazilian popular music.
Sunset Concerts at Saint Luke's
St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Los Gatos
$10-$20
Information: (408) 354-4560
***
Saturday, February 6, 2010 – 8pm
Asian Masters and Stanford New Ensemble
The Stanford New Ensemble featuring a diverse array of accomplished Asian instrumental soloists to present an exciting program of solo, ensemble, and improvised works. Featuring performances by Mohammed Nejad (Iran), Yongping Tian (China), Shoko Hikage (Japan), and Shriram Brahmanandam (India), among others.
Stanford Pan-Asian Music Festival
Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University
Palo Alto
Informaiton: (650) 725-ARTS (2787)
panasianmusicfestival.stanford.edu
***
Sunday, February 7, 2010 – 4pm
New Esterházy Quartet:
Extras and Encores
A selection from the many pieces for quartet not in Haydn's canonical 68, plus a suite of Minuets by students of Haydn and a Prelude and Fugue by Gregor Werner (Haydn's predecessor at Esterhazy).
All Saint's Episcopal Church
Palo Alto
$10 - $25
Information: (415) 520-0611
www.newesterhazy.org
***
Sunday, February 7, 2010 – 4pm
Del Sol String Quartet
Kate Stenberg, Rick Shinozaki, violins
Charlton Lee, viola
Hannah Addario-Berry, cello
Noe Valley Chamber Music welcomes back this stellar quartet with a program that includes Haydn's String Quartet Op.20 No.5, Pawel Szymanski's Five Pieces, Tania León's Esencia para cuarteto de cuerdas, and Philip Glass's Quartet No. 5.
Noe Valley Chamber Music
Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco
$15 or $18
www.nvcm.org
***
Sunday, February 7, 2010 – 4pm
Zodiac Trio
Works by Philip Glass, Ned Rorem, Paul Schoenfield, Peter Schickele and Andrew List.
Featured in the international London-based Muso magazine as one of the most promising ensembles of its generation, the Zodiac Trio brings together clarinet, violin and piano in an intriguing combination, bringing to light unique repertoire and standing as a strong advocate for contemporary music. Praised for their “musicality of rare intensity” (La Tribune, France), the young ensemble formed in New York and worked closely with the renowned Ysaye Quartet at the Paris Conservatory. Their artistry has been recognized at numerous international competitions, and welcomed on stages throughout the US, Europe and Japan. For this concert, the Zodiac Trio turns its attention to American chamber music, celebrating its many roots and inspirations that can be found in jazz, blues, klezmer music, etc. The program will feature music by legendary living composers such as Phillip Glass and Ned Rorem, as well as klezmer-orineted Freylach by Paul Schoenfield, a light-hearted work by the notorious Peter Schickele (aka P.D.Q Bach), in addition to a special performance of a work by Andrew List (faculty at Berklee College of Music in Boston), with whom the trio has been working in an intensive collaboration.
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco
Information: (415) 474-1608
$17; $14 students & seniors
www.oldfirstconcerts.org
***
Sunday, February 7, 2010 – 7pm
Ying Quartet in Concert
Returning for the third time to the Kohl series, now with new first violinist, Naumburg-winner Frank Huang, the Ying Quartet has reached unique prominence in the classical music world, combining brilliantly communicative performances with a fearlessly imaginative view of chamber music in today's context. Now in its second decade, the Quartet has toured across the US and abroad, including many of the world's most important venues from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. Committed to sharing music in everyday life the Ying Quartet also performs in settings as diverse as the workplace, schools and juvenile prisons.
There will be a pre-concert talk at 6pm with Kai Christiansen.
Music at Kohl
Kohl Mansion, Burlingame
$15-$42
Informaiton: (650) 762-1130
www.musicatkohl.org
***
Monday, February 8, 2010 – 7:30pm
Earplay 25: Ear and There
To open Earplay's 25th season in February, works written between 2003 and 2009, are referenced against 20th century modernist Seymour Shifrin’s short The Modern Temper scored for piano 4-hands and composed in 1959 during Shifrin’s long tenure as professor of composition at UC Berkeley. Bruce Bennett’s explosive septet From the Ashes (commissioned by Earplay in 2005) showcases the full Earplay ensemble with percussion. Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez’s colorful and humorous and of course Henry the Horse (2006) unusually scored for piano 4-hands (Karen Rosenak and Michael Seth Orland), clarinet (Peter Josheff) and violin (Terrie Baune) contrasts with Kaija Saariaho’s sensual yet rhythmic Je sens un deuxième coeur for viola (Ellen Ruth Rose), cello (Thalia Moore) and piano. Sam Nichols Commissioned New Work, Unnamed, Jr. for clarinet (Peter Josheff), viola (Ellen Ruth Rose) and piano (Karen Rosenak) will continue the thread of three works for three instruments in this concert. www.earplay.org
Pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. with Sam Nichols and Bruce Bennett
Herbst Theatre
San Francisco
$10 to $20
Information: (415) 392-4400
www.earplay.org
***
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 – 12:30pm
AFIARA STRING QUARTET
Valerie Li / Yuri Cho, violins
David Samuel, viola / Adrian Fung, cello
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 59 “Rasumovsky”
Old Saint Mary's Cathedral
660 California Street
San Francisco
Donation: $5
www.NoontimeConcerts.org
***
Thursday, February 11, 2010 – 8pm
Real Vocal String Quartet CD Release Party
Freight and Salvage Coffee House
Berkeley
$18.50 to 19.50
Informaiton: (510) 644-2020
www.rvsq.com
***
Thursday, February 11, 2010 – 8pm
New Music Series
8pm Sebastian Krawczuk bass, Andre Custodio drums & Rent Romus saxophones
9pm Aurora Josephson: voice, Damon Smith: double bass, Jacob Felix Heule: drums
Luggage Store New Music Series
1007 Market Street, San Francisco
$6-10
www.outsound.org
***
Friday, February 12, 2010 – 8pm
Music in the Now
Compositions and improvisations by Annie Lewandowski, Anagamin Ensemble, Zeina Nasr, Grex, Gretchen Jude, Lona Kozik and Julia MacDonald
From the sublime to the challenging, current and former graduate students from Mills College present a mix of primarily acoustic solo and group improvisations and compositions and everything in between. From prepared piano to extended vocal techniques to stories and songs created in the moment, these sonic explorations will create unique experiences. Highly skilled, multi-talented, and wonderfully creative, these improvisers and composers will take you on a journey unlike any other.
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco
Information: (415) 474-1608
$17; $14 students & seniors
www.oldfirstconcerts.org
***
Friday, February 12, 2010 – 8pm
Stanford Philharmonia Orchestra and Saint Lawrence String Quartet
The St. Lawrence String Quartet will join forces with the Stanford Philharmonia Orchestra presenting the West Coast premiere of young Japanese-American composer Takuma Itoh's Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra. The concert also will feature Hawaii-based Canadian composer Neil McKay's koto concerto Voice of the Phoenix performed by Koto Soloist Shoko Hikage, Introduction and Allegro for String Orchestra and String Quartet by Edward Elgar, and Menlo Park native Henry Cowell's Ongaku (1957).
Stanford Pan-Asian Music Festival
Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University
Palo Alto
$10/5
Information: (650) 725-ARTS (2787)
panasianmusicfestival.stanford.edu
***
Saturday, February 13, 2010 – 7:30pm
Cypress String Quartet
Four Seasons Arts
Regents Theatre at Holy Names University, Oakland
$35 - $40
Information: (510) 845-4444
fsarts.org
***
Saturday, February 13, 2010 – 7:30pm
Miriam Abramowitsch and Friends
Miraim Abramowitsch, mezzo-soprano
Larry London, clarinet
Ursula Wang, piano
Martha Rubin flute
Betsy London, viola
Wanda Warkentin, cello
Schubert: Shepherd on the Rock
Brahms: Two Songs; Clarinet Trio
Ravel: Chansons Madecasses
Crowden Music Center
1475 Rose Street, Berkeley
$15/$10 students and seniors
Information: (510) 409-2416
www.crowden.org
***
Saturday, February 13, 2010 – 8pm
Masters of Persian Music
Featuring Hossein Alizadeh (tar), Kayhan Kalhor (kamancheh) and Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh (vocals).
Tickets available through the Cal Performances Ticket Office at Zellerbach Hall; at (510) 642-9988 to charge by phone; online at www.calperformances.org; and at the door.
Cal Performances
Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
$26/$38/$48/$60
Information: (510) 642-9988
www.calperfs.berkeley.edu
***
Saturday, February 13, 2010 – 8pm
Sekala-Niskala: Seen and Unseen
The Bay Area premiere gamelan ensemble Gamelan Sekar Jaya—acclaimed internationally for its innovative work with the music and dance of Bali—performs the world premiere of Sekala-Niskala: Seen and Unseen, a new music-dance suite exploring the Balinese concept of the visible and invisible worlds. Spanning works both centuries old and newly created, the concert will focus on creative exploration and collaboration across cultures—themes that have helped define the fifty-member "Bay Area treasure" (Dancetera).
Stanford Pan-Asian Music Festival
Memorial Auditorium, Stanford University
$20/10
Information: (650) 725-ARTS (2787)
panasianmusicfestival.stanford.edu
***
Sunday, February 14, 2010 – 5pm
Music at St. John's:
Golden Gate Brass Quintet
The ever-popular, highly entertaining GOLDEN GATE BRASS appears in a special Valentine's Day Concert at St. John's Church, Ross, on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 5:00 pm. This concert will mix great classical masterpieces with a delightful vaudevillian show-within-a-show, all in a creative Valentine's Day theme providing entertainment for the entire family. The GOLDEN GATE BRASS is a quintet of two trumpets, French horn, trombone and tuba, played by five of the finest brass musicians in the Bay Area. Their concerts delight audiences of all ages year-round. Tickets are $15 General, $10 Seniors, and $5 Children under twelve. Information is available on the web at www.stjohnsross.org and by phone at 415-456-1102.
St. John's Episcopal Church
Ross
$5-$15
Information: (415) 456-1102
www.stjohnsross.org
***
Sunday, February 14, 2010 – 4:30pm
The Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society presents
TERRY DISLEY’S LOVE EXPERIENCE
UK jazz pianist and composer Disley brings a special dose of Red Hot & Romantic jazz for Valentine’s Day -- A heady mix of exciting original be-bop, jazz, salsa, latin, reggae and world-music for Valentine’s Day at the Douglas Beach House.
Terry Disley piano, Lorn Leber - guitar, Erik Jekabson trumpet, Sheldon Brown sax & clarinet, Dan Feiszli bass, Jason Lewis drums, Marquinho Brasil percussion
Disley who played with Acoustic Alchemy (2 Grammy Nominations), Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Madness, Mick Jagger, Bryan Ferry, Dave Stewart, Van Morrison, Bon Jovi, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Eddie Henderson, Tom Jones, and Lou Reed also opened shows for jazz giants McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Chick Corea and Monty Alexander
Douglas Beach House on Miramar Beach
307 Mirada Road, Half Moon Bay
$30
Information: (650) 726-4143
www.bachddsoc.org
***
Sunday, February 14, 2010 – 2pm
cafe royale presents a valentine's day treat
Phillip Greenlief - tenor saxophone; lisa mezzacappa - bass; tom hassett – drums
Cafe Royale
800 Post Street, San Francisco
FREE
www.caferoyale-sf.com
***
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 – 12:30pm
William Wellborn, piano
Ignacy Paderewski: Selected works
Schumann/Liszt: Song Transcriptions
Old Saint Mary's Cathedral
660 California Street
San Francisco
Donation: $5
www.NoontimeConcerts.org
***
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 – 8pm
Composers, Inc.
Formed in 1984 to present the music of living American composers, Composers Inc. seeks to increase public awareness of contemporary American music. This concert features the 2009 Lee Ettelson Award winning composition Seven Faces of the World for string quartet by Joseph Kolkovich. Also on the program are new works by Jeffrey Miller for solo piano performed by Eliane Lust, Zibuokle Martinaityte for chamber ensemble, and a collection of songs by Robert Greenberg performed by baritone Allen Shearer and pianist Lino Rivera.
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco
Information: (415) 474-1608
$15; $12 students & seniors
www.oldfirstconcerts.org
***
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 – 8pm
GROSSE ABFAHRT, the Bay Area's acclaimed international large improvising ensemble, celebrates the release of its third CD – VANITY, on Emanem – featuring Birgit Ulher, trumpeter from Germany, and Kyle Bruckmann, oboist from Mars; these in addition to regulars John Shiurba, Matt Ingalls, Gino Robair, Tim Perkis, and leader Tom Djll.
21 Grand
416 25th Street. Oakland
$20/15
www.21grand.org
***
Thursday, February 18, 2010 – 8pm
Jorja Fleezanis, violin
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall, San Francisco
$20, $15 students, seniors, Friends of the Conservatory
Information: (415) 503-6275
www.sfcm.edu
***
Thursday, February 18, 2010 – 8pm
Luggage Store New Music Series
8pm Doctor Bob (Bob Marsh: Voice/electronics/cello & David Michalak: lap steel guitar)playing songs for a dark and bitter world...
9pm Michael Straus (Amsterdam-based saxophonist/improviser)w/ Ken Ueno, Matt Ingalls and Ted Coffey
Luggage Store New Music Series
1007 Market Street, San Francisco
$6-10
www.outsound.org
***
Friday, February 19, 2010 – 12pm
Noon Concert: Chamber Music
Chamber Music from student musicians in the Music Department
Shostakovich, Piano trio No.2 in E Minor Op.67
Borodin, String Quartet No.2 in D Major
UC Berkeley Music Department
Hertz Hall, Berkeley
FREE
Information: (510) 642-4864
music.berkeley.edu
***
Friday, February 19, 2010 – 8pm
An evening of composed and improvised acoustic music exploring unique combinations of instruments and explorations on those instruments.Duo:Tony Dyer, Acoustic Bass, Jacob Felix Heule,Percussion. Trio:RTD3, Ron Heglin, Trombone and Voice, Tom Nunn,invented instruments, Douglas Carroll,Cello. Quintet: A combination of the two groups.
Meridian Gallery
535 Powell Street, San Francisco
$10/5
www.meridiangallery.org
***
Saturday, February 20, 2010 – 8pm
Bach Violin Sonatas
Please join us for Bach's finest chamber music.
Carla Moore, baroque violin
Hanneke van Proosdij, harpsichord
William Skeen, baroque cello
David Tayler, archlute
Voices of Music
St. Mark's Lutheran Church
San Francisco
$25/20 subscription $70/$50
www.voicesofmusic.org
***
Saturday, February 20, 2010 – 8pm
Festival of Remembrance--Cause and Consequence: Music in Remembrance of the Japanese-American Internment
An extraordinary 3-concert chamber music series that commemorates: Mexico’s Day of the Dead; the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II; and Jewish composers who perished in the Holocaust.The Festival of Remembrance includes lectures, discussions and exhibits that encourage the audience (as well as the performers) to examine their understanding of these significant historical events in light of the evocative music presented on stage.
Concert Two: Music in Remembrance of the Japanese-American Internment During World War II
Hear chamber music by Toru Takemitsu who is considered the greatest Japanese 20th century classical music composer, and the work of a distinguished living composer, Joji Yuasa—now age 80 and living in Japan—whose Solitude was written in memory of Takemitsu. Fluidity and power mark the energetic performance of percussion ensemble Sonoma County Taiko who will share the primal rhythms of this Japanese cultural art form.
This evening includes speakers Gaye LeBaron and Marie Sugiyama. LeBaron is a well-known journalist and local historian; Sugiyama is a board member and former vice president of Sonoma County Japanese American Citizens League and chair of the Oral History project.
Santa Rosa Symphony
Jackson Theater, Sonoma Country Day School
Santa Rosa
$25 and $32
Information: (707) 546-8742 54-MUSIC
www.santarosasymphony.com
***
Saturday, February 20, 2010 – 8pm
San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra
Music for the people, by the people! SFCCO brings new music by living composers to the public like no one else! Since it's inception in 2002, The Composers Orchestra has premiered more new music than any other ensemble in the Bay Area with a surprising diversity of styles influenced by as much by pop and world as post-modernist and minimalist music. An eclectic catch-as-catch-can program of all new works by Bay Area composers featuring wildly different styles and instrumentation.
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco
Information: (415) 474-1608
$17; $14 students & seniors
www.oldfirstconcerts.org
***
Sunday, February 21, 2010 – 5pm
ATOS Trio
The Mill Valley Chamber Music Society features the ATOS Trio at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010 with a program featuring Beethoven, Cassado and Brahms. Praised for their warmth of sound, commitment to a wide-ranging repertoire and their uncomplicated approach to fine interpretations and engaging performances, the ATOS Trio has rapidly developed a strong reputation as one of the finest young chamber ensembles performing today.
Formed in 2003 by violinist Annette von Hehn, cellist Stefan Heinemeyer and pianist Thomas Hoppe, the ATOS Trio has received high acclaim by critics and audiences alike. Not long after its first rehearsals, the ATOS Trio became a prizewinner at the 2003 Brahms International Competition in Austria and was awarded the prize of audience favorite as well.
In 2007, the ATOS Trio won First Prize, Grand Prize, the Musica Viva Tour Prize and the Audience Prize at the 5th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, marking the first time in the history of the competition that a single ensemble garnered this many honors.
The Trio was also named First Prize Winner at the International Competition Schubert and the Music of Modern Times 2007 in Graz, Austria, where they
were also awarded the prize for the best interpretation of a work by Schubert.
Program: Ludwig van Beethoven: Trio G major, op.1 No.2; Gaspar Cassadó: Trio C major; Johannes Brahms: Trio No.1 B major, op.8
Mill Valley Chamber Music Society
Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, Mill Valley
$10-$25
Information: (415) 381-4453
www.chambermusicmillvalley.org
***
Sunday, February 21, 2010 – 7:30pm
Bach Violin Sonatas
Please join us for Bach's finest chamber music.
Carla Moore, baroque violin
Hanneke van Proosdij, harpsichord
William Skeen, baroque cello
David Tayler, archlute
Voices of Music
St. Alban's Episcopal Church
Albany
$25/20 subscription $70/$50
www.voicesofmusic.org
***
Monday, February 22, 2010 – 7:30pm
The multi-instrumental duo of Agnes Szelag and Marielle Jakobsons uses graphic scores, improvisation, and live electronics to perform an evening of songs often inspired by their common Baltic heritage.
Ensemble Room
Mills College
5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
FREE
www.mills.edu
***
Monday, February 22, 2010 – 12pm
Classical at the Freight: San Francisco Brass Quintet
Produced jointly with Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse, which has recently moved into a spectacular new home in the downtown Berkeley Arts District. The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra presents monthly chamber music programs from September through May; an hour of great music and musicians in an informal and intimate setting. These under-$10 concerts are designed to be enjoyed by experienced listeners as well interested newbies. February 22: San Francisco Brass Quintet The fourth annual return of this fantastic ensemble, the five sterling members of the SFBQ in a stirring program of brass music.
San Francisco Chamber Orchestra
Freight and Salvage Coffee House, Berkeley
$8.50 adv/$9.50 door. SFCO Members get 2-for-1.
Informaiton: (510) 644-2020
www.sfchamberorchestra.org
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Tuesday, February 23, 2010 – 12:30pm
Eliane Lust, piano
Frédéric Chopin: 24 Preludes
Chopin 200 – International festival celebrating his 200th birthday year.
Old Saint Mary's Cathedral
660 California Street
San Francisco
Donation: $5
www.NoontimeConcerts.org
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010 – 12pm
Noon Concert: Voice and Flute
Jessica Wan, soprano & Dmitriy Cogan, piano
French songs by Hahn, Fauré, Satie, and Delibes
&
Sarah Cargill, flute & Miles Graber, piano
Debussy, Syrinx & Ibert, Concerto
UC Berkeley Music Department
Hertz Hall, Berkeley
FREE
Information: (510) 642-4864
music.berkeley.edu
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Friday, February 26, 2010 – 8pm
Call & Response Concert 2010
The Cypress String Quartet presents its 11th Annual Call & Response concert on Friday, February 26 at Herbst Theatre (401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco). The concert includes the world premiere of a string quartet based on Ann Patchett’s novel Bel Canto, commissioned by the Cypress Quartet from Boston-based composer Elena Ruehr, as well as Mozart’s String Quartet in D Major, K.575 and Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, “Death and the Maiden.” A pre-concert talk with Ms. Ruehr will begin at 7:15pm.
The Call & Response program was born out of the Cypress’s commitment to present music as a dynamic and ongoing process of inspiration. Each year, the ensemble selects two works from the standard string quartet repertoire (the call) and commissions a third work (the response) based on inspiration derived from the two older works, exploring how contemporary music is a natural evolution of older works. For Call & Response 2010, instead of drawing inspiration solely from music, the Cypress examines how literature has influenced and inspired music through Elena Ruehr’s new work based on the novel Bel Canto.
For the 2010 Call & Response concert, Ms. Ruehr’s Bel Canto will be paired with older masterpieces also inspired by literature: Mozart's String Quartet in D Major K. 575 which drew inspiration from Goethe's poem “The Violet,” and Schubert's “Death and the Maiden” string quartet, which was inspired by a poem by German poet, Matthias Claudius.
Over just a decade, the Cypress String Quartet has commissioned and premiered more than 30 new works, four of which are now included on Chamber Music America’s list of 101 Great American Ensemble Works.
Known for their elegant performances, the Cypress’s sound has been called “beautifully proportioned and powerful” by The Washington Post, and the ensemble has been singled out by Chamber Music Magazine as “a Generation X ensemble to watch.”
Cypress String Quartet
Herbst Theatre, San Francisco
$20-$40 Adults / $10-$20 Students & Seniors
Information: (415) 392-4400
www.cypressquartet.com
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Sunday, February 28, 2010 – 2pm
San Francisco Symphony Chamber Music
Members of the San Francisco Play Chamber Music
San Francisco Symphony
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
$35
Information: (415) 864-6000
www.sfsymphony.org
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Sunday, February 28, 2010 – 3pm
Cypress String Quartet: Elena Ruehr Quartet based on the novel "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett
The Cypress String Quartet returns to Montalvo for its popular Salon Series. As part of the overall Villa Chamber Music Series, the Cypress present one of the most unique concert formats. Rather than a traditional classical chamber music concert of three works with an intermission, the Cypress features one work that the group discusses in depth and performs. The quartet contextualizes the featured piece through musical examples, discussion and performances of additional single movements or short works. They then follow this explanation with a performance of the featured piece in its entirety. During the performance, the audience has the opportunity to develop an intimate relationship with the featured music as well as with the performers through their explanations. Past audience members have commented that it’s a unique concert experience that demystifies classical music and offers insight into the creative process.
Montalvo Arts Center (Previously Villa Montalvo)
Saratoga
$30; $25 members; $20 if purchasing three or more of the Villa Chamber Music Series (Available through Montalvo Box Office only).
Information: (408) 961-5858
montalvoarts.org
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Sunday, February 28, 2010 – 4pm
Trio Navarro plays Catoire, Bruch and Cassado
On February 28, 2010 the Trio Navarro will perform works by three composers with very different backgrounds. Catoire was Russian, but of French heritage, Bruch was German and Cassado was Spahish.
Trio Navarro is currently enjoying its fifteenth season as Trio in Residence at Sonoma State University, where it presents a series of concerts each year at Ives Concert Hall. Founding members Jill Rachuy Brindel,cello and Marilyn Thompson, piano have been with the trio for fifteen years and welcomed violinist Roy Malan to the group in 2006. Trio Navarro is named after the lovely Navaro River which runs through Mendocino County. The group has performed at Old First Church, Chamber Music Sundaes, the UCSF Chancellor Series, the Ralston Concert Series, the San Francisco Symphony Chamber Music Series at Davies Symphony Hall, the Arizona State Music Teachers Association in Tucson, the City of Sonoma Chamber Series and the Mendocino Music Festival for which Ms. Brindel is Principal Cellist and Mr. Malan is Concertmaster. In addition to the standard chamber music repertoire, the trio has performed works by Foote, Teneyev, Rebecca Clarke, Mechem, Turina, Chick Corea, and premiered works of Scott Wheeler and James Matheson for Composers Inc. in San Francisco. Their work has been hailed as…”masterful, marvelous, memorable….amazing artistry” and they have been deemed by critics as the “premier trio in Northern California.”
Trio Navarro
Sonoma State University, Ives Hall 119
Rohnert Park
Information: (707) 664-2353
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