APRIL

***

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 – 12pm

Noon Concert: Cindy Cox, Composer

Faculty Recital: featuring new pieces by Berkeley composer and pianist CINDY COX, with violinist HRABBA ATLADOTTIR, pianist KAREN ROSENAK, and the ALEXANDER STRING QUARTET

Cindy Cox: Back to Square One for violin and piano with Hrabba Atladottir

Patagon (2011), preview performance with the Alexander String Quartet

UC Berkeley Music Department

Hertz Hall, Berkeley

FREE

Information: (510) 642-4864

http://livelyarts.stanford.edu

***

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 – 8pm

Etienne Charles Quintet

A much-talked-about newcomer on the international jazz scene, trumpeter Etienne Charles represents the fourth generation of a musical family from the island of Trinidad—a cultural heritage that shines through in the buoyant rhythms of Folklore, his 2009 CD of all-original compositions. Combining these island accents with an up-to-the-minute post-bop sensibility, and fronting his acoustic group with a clear and sumptuous horn tone, Charles is, in JazzTimes’ words, “a daring improviser [who] also delivers with heart-wrenching lyricism.”

Generously supported by Fred and Stephanie Harman and by Abraham and Marian Sofaer. Presented in partnership with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and Stanford Jazz Workshop. Part of the Koret Jazz Project.

Stanford Lively Arts

Campbell Recital Hall, Stanford

$24

Information: (650) 725-ARTS (2787)

***

Thursday, April 5, 2012 – 7pm

SF State Wind Ensemble

featuring the Analy High School Honor Band

SFSU School of Music and Dance

Knuth Hall, SF State University Creative Arts Building

San Francisco

FREE

Information: (415) 338-2467

http://musicdance.sfsu.edu

***

Friday, April 6, 2012 – 8pm

Tangents 2012: Black Cedar

Black Cedar is a flute and guitar duo made of Kris Palmer and Steve Lin. Join them for a journey across 20th century music for this versatile and evocative combination of instruments.

Tangents Guitar Series

California Conservatory of Guitar, Santa Clara

$12-15

Information: (415) 205-9278

***

Saturday, April 7, 2012 – 7:30pm

Tangents 2012: Black Cedar

Black Cedar is a flute and guitar duo made of Kris Palmer and Steve Lin. Join them for a journey across 20th century music for this versatile and evocative combination of instruments.

Tangents Guitar Series

First Unitarian Universalist Church, San Francisco

$12-15

Information: (415) 205-9278

http://www.performances.org

***

Saturday, April 7, 2012 – 8pm

Vijay Iyer Trio

San Francisco Performances

Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

$52/$40/$30

Information: (415) 398-6449

***

Saturday, April 7, 2012 – 8pm

Philip Glass: Piano Master Series

Philip Glass is widely considered to be one of the most — if not the most — influential composers of the late 20th century. Through his operas, symphonies and compositions for his own ensemble, and his wide-ranging collaborations with artists ranging from Twyla Tharp to Allen Ginsberg, Woody Allen to David Bowie, Philip Glass has had an extraordinary and unprecedented impact upon the musical and intellectual life of his times.

Montalvo Arts Center (Previously Villa Montalvo)

Saratoga

$55-$60

Information: (408) 961-5858

http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts

***

Sunday, April 8, 2012 – 4pm

SSU Faculty Recital: Trio Navarro

Faculty Recital - Trio Navarro

Resident Artists in Chamber Music; violinist Roy Malan, cellist Jill Rachuy Brindel, and pianist Marilyn Thompson

Fanny Mendelssohn was considered by Goethe and others to be just as gifted as her genius brother, Felix, and her musical popularity is on the rise. SSU's resident artists will play her enthralling Trio in D Minor along with Robert Schumann's Trio in the same key and Kirke Mechem's four-movement Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello.

Sonoma State University, Green Music Center

Music Education Hall Room 1028

Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park

$8-$12

Information: (707) 664-2353

***

Monday, April 9, 2012 – 7pm

Strange Bedfellows: Expressionism, Folk, and Dada in Erwin Schulhoff's "Concertino" for Flute, Viola, and Doublebass

Sponsored by the nonprofit organization Useful Music Productions, this free lecture recital discusses Carmen Lemoine's research and findings on the fascinating "Concertino for Flute, Viola, and Doubleblass," written by Erwin Schulhoff in 1925.

Often categorized as a Holocaust composer, Schulhoff lived in a tremendously exciting time and place for art music - 1920's Germany and Czechoslovakia - where several artistic trends interacted across genres. His "Concertino" deftly blends these trends while using an unusual, yet effective instrumentation.

The lecture recital will feature Carmen Lemoine on flute and piccolo, Jodi Levitz on viola and Scott Pingel on bass, playing musical examples interspersed throughout the lecture, and a complete performance of the piece at the end.

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

San Francisco

FREE

http://www.sfcm.edu

***

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 – 12:30pm

Mary Artmann, cello / Miles Graber, piano

J. S. Bach: Sonata No. 1 in G major, BWV 1027

Felix Mendelssohn: Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 58

Old Saint Mary's Cathedral

660 California Street

San Francisco

Donation: $5

http://www.performances.org

***

Thursday, April 12, 2012 – 8pm

Arditti Quartet

San Francisco Performances

Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

$60/$50/$38

Information: (415) 398-6449

***

Friday, April 13, 2012 – 12pm

Noon Concert: Chamber Music

Department of Music students perform chamber music

UC Berkeley Music Department

Hertz Hall, Berkeley

FREE

Information: (510) 642-4864

***

Friday, April 13, 2012 – 6:30pm

Taj Mahal and the Trio

Montalvo Arts Center (Previously Villa Montalvo)

Saratoga

$50/$45

Information: (408) 961-5858

http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts

***

Friday, April 13, 2012 – 7:30pm

Sonoma State University Faculty Composers Concert

Faculty Composers Concert

Brian S. Wilson, director

Widen your musical horizons with a program of new music, featuring the Sonoma County premiere of Brian Wilson's trio for violin, horn and piano entitled "And Ezra The Scribe Stood Upon A Pulpit" and his newly completed Byron Songs. Guest musicians include Randy Weiss, violin, Meredith Brown, horn, Marilyn Thompson, piano and Carol Menke, soprano. Plus a work for two trombones by George Marsh, a song cycle by Richard Riccardi and more!

Sonoma State University, Green Music Center

Music Education Hall Room 1028

Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park

$8-$12

Information: (707) 664-2353

***

Friday, April 13, 2012 – 8pm

The Lost Mode

That Which Colors the Mind: Musical Modes Through Time and Space

Spanning centuries of history and great geographic regions, this hauntingly beautiful concert explores the modes that are the foundation of Western music. It will delve into the soul of different modes as expressed in medieval plainsong

and early polyphony, traditional Balkan, Celtic and other European melodies, and the music of neighboring Mediterranean lands, including Turkish maquam as well as Sephardic and North African song, all surviving clues pointing to the lost sound world from which our own great traditions developed.

San Francisco Early Music Society

First Lutheran Church, Palo Alto

$35 General; $30 Seniors; $28 Members

Information: (510 528-1725

http://www.sfems.org

***

Friday, April 13, 2012 – 8pm

Harmony and Ivory

Bay Area men's vocal ensemble Clerestory is joined by Kymry Esainko, principal pianist for the Santa Rosa Symphony, for Harmony & Ivory, a lively musical conversation between a piano and nine men's voices. This seamless, 75 minute performance includes 19th century German songs by Brahms and Wolf, as well as the nostalgic tunes of the World War II era vocal group, the Comedian Harmonists.

Lush harmonies of newly resurgent Dutch composer Henk Badings, as well as a song of hope by David Goodman dedicated to the people of Nicaragua represent the sounds and ideals of the latter 20th century.

Concluding with American spirituals and jazz standards–an infrequent but refreshing foray for Clerestory–this program is sure to please long-time fans and new friends alike.

Clerestory

St. Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco

$10 - $20

http://www.clerestory.org

***

Friday, April 13, 2012 – 8pm

Shostakovich & Poetry

An evening of music by Dmitri Shostakovich and poetry with readings in Russian and English of poems by Anna Akhmatova, Joseph Brodsky and others.

Old First Church

1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco

Information: (415) 474-1608

$17; $14 students & seniors

***

Friday, April 13, 2012 – 9pm

Taj Mahal and the Trio

Montalvo Arts Center (Previously Villa Montalvo)

Saratoga

$50/$45

Information: (408) 961-5858

http://www.scchamberplayers.org

***

Saturday, April 14, 2012 – 8pm

The Democratic Muse

"The Democratic Muse" explores the influences of pop, Broadway, folk and jazz idioms on American classical music of the era, while celebrating ideas of independence, freedom and individualism, as well as the richly collaborative New York artistic environment of the early to mid-20th century. The composers represented on this program belonged to a generation of artists (including Ansel Adams, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, and Georgia O’Keeffe) deeply influenced by the conviction of photographer Alfred Stieglitz that the American artist should reflect the principles of American democracy. These composers and artists not only exhibited independence and commitment to a uniquely American aesthetic in their artistic endeavors, but were influential in promoting the work of one another.

Selections by Leonard Bernstein include "Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano" (1937) and "Anniversaries" (1942-1970). Other works will be George Gershwin's "Three Preludes" (1930); Aaron Copland's "Sonata for Violin and Piano" (1942-1943); and two works by Lukas Foss: "For Lenny" (1988) and "Three American Pieces, for Violin and Piano" (1944-45).

Santa Cruz Chamber Players

Christ Lutheran Church, Aptos

$10 - $25

Information: (831) 425-3149

***

Saturday, April 14, 2012 – 7:30pm

The Lost Mode

That Which Colors the Mind: Musical Modes Through Time and Space

San Francisco Early Music Society

St. John's Presbyterian Church, Berkeley

$35 General; $30 Seniors; $28 Members

Information: (510) 528-1725

http://www.sfems.org

***

Saturday, April 14, 2012 – 7:30pm

Bach's Voices

Driftwood Consort presents its inaugural concert! "Bach's Voices" with Sheila Willey (soprano) features works by Johann Sebastian Bach for small ensemble, played on period instruments. Our program highlights arias from Bach's passions and oratorio written for Easter, interspersed with instrumentals, and finishing off with a visit to Zimmermann's coffee house. Performing are Sheila Willey, soprano soloist, with cellist Amy Brodo, Lars Johannesson and Alissa Roedig on baroque flutes, and harpsichordist Jonathan Rhodes Lee.

Driftwood Consort

Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Soquel

$20

http://www.driftwoodconsort.org

***

Saturday, April 14, 2012 – 8pm

Quatuor Mosaïques

A rare opportunity for connoisseurs and newcomers alike to hear this premier Viennese quartet, which emerged from the pioneering early instrument group Concentus Musicus Wien. Quatuor Mosaïques is renowned for its performances of 18th-century repertoire on historic musical instruments— notable not just for their age, but also for their design and use in authentic performance practice: gut, not wire, strings; the shape of the bow and bridge. The quartet’s Gramophone Award–winning Haydn interpretation will whet the appetite for this intimate evening.

PROGRAM

Haydn: String Quartet in G minor, Hob. III:33, Op. 20, No. 3 (1772); Mozart: String Quartet No. 17 in Bb Major, K458 “The Hunt” (1784); Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 “Serioso” (1811)

Stanford Lively Arts

Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University

Palo Alto

$44/50

Information: (650) 725-ARTS (2787)

http://livelyarts.stanford.edu

***

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 2pm

Chamber Music at the Legion of Honor

Enjoy chamber music as it was meant to be heard: in the intimate setting of the Florence Gould Theater in one of the city's most beautiful museums.

San Francisco Symphony

Legion of Honor, San Francisco

$49, $45 for members

Information: (415) 864-6000

http://www.sfsymphony.org

***

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 3pm

The Democratic Muse

Santa Cruz Chamber Players

Christ Lutheran Church, Aptos

$10 - $25

Information: (831) 425-3149

http://www.scchamberplayers.org

***

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 3pm

University Wind Ensemble

Robert Calonico, director

Higdon: Road Stories

Holsinger: Scootin’ on Hardrock

Ticheli: Loch Lomond

Karrick: Bayou Breakdown

UC Berkeley Music Department

Hertz Hall, Berkeley

$5 - $15

Information: (510) 642-4864

http://www.chambermusicsundaes.org

***

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 3pm

Chamber music played by strings,piano and trumpet performed by members of the San Francisco Symphony and their friends in an intimate setting.

Chamber Music Sundaes

St. John's Presbyterian Church, Berkeley

$18—28

Information: (415) 601-3580

***

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 4pm

The Lost Mode

That Which Colors the Mind: Musical Modes Through Time and Space

San Francisco Early Music Society

St. Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco

$35 General; $30 Seniors; $28 Members

Information: (510) 528-1725

http://www.sfems.org

***

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 4pm

Carey Bell and Katie Kadarauch

Noe Valley Chamber Music

Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, San Francisco

$15 - $20

Information: (415) 648-5236

http://www.nvcm.org

***

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 4pm

Harmony and Ivory

Concluding with American spirituals and jazz standards–an infrequent but refreshing foray for Clerestory–this program is sure to please long-time fans and new friends alike.

Clerestory

Chapel of the Chimes, Oakland

$10 - $20

http://www.clerestory.org

***

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 5pm

Daedalus Quartet

Mill Valley Chamber Music Society presents Daedalus Quartet

Award-winning string ensemble premieres new work by Joan Tower

Praised by The New York Times as "insightful and vibrant" and "imaginative and energetic," the Daedalus Quartet has established itself as a leader among the new generation of string ensembles.

The award-winning members of the Daedalus Quartet - Min-Young Kim (first violin), Matilda Kaul (second violin), Jessica Thompson (viola) and Thomas Kraines (cello) - perform for the Mill Valley Chamber Music Society with a program featuring a new quartet by Joan Tower written for the Daedalus Quartet.

Tower's new work (commissioned by Chamber Music Monterey Bay as the first piece in the "Arc for Life project") will be premiered at the Mill Valley Chamber Music Society concert on April 15, 2012. The program will also include Haydn's "Joke" Quartet and Dvorak's charismatic String Quartet in A Flat Major.

PROGRAM: The April 15 concert program will feature Haydn's "Joke" Quartet; a new quartet by Joan Tower written for the Daedalus Quartet; and Dvorak's charismatic String Quartet in A Flat Major.

1. Haydn: String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 33 No. 2 "The Joke" (1781)

2. Joan Tower: New Work (2011) - Joan Tower's new quartet has been commissioned by Chamber Music Monterey Bay as the first piece in the Arc for Life project, and will be premiered in the S.F. Bay Area for the Mill Valley Chamber Music Society on April 15, 2012.

3. Dvorak: String Quartet No. 14 in A Flat Major, Op. 105 (1895)

Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church

410 Sycamore Avenue, Mill Valley

$15 Youth - 18 years and under. $30 General.

Information: (415) 381-4453

http://www.chambermusicmillvalley.org

***

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 4:30pm

The Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society presents

Roger Glenn Latin Jazz Ensemble

master flute and vibraphonist plays feel good music

Roger Glenn– sax, flute, vibes, Ray Obiedo– guitar, Greg Rahn– piano, David Belove– bass, Phil Thompson– drums, Derek Rolando– congas

Recognized as a master flute and vibraphone player, who also plays sax, clarinet, oboe, and many Latin hand percussion instruments. Roger Glenn was born into jazz royalty — son of the late Tyree Glenn, who was one of 57 notable jazz musicians photographed in the 1958 portrait A Great Day in Harlem by Art Kane and who played trombone and vibraphone with Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. Still playing on his father's vibes which recorded What a Wonderful World with Louis Armstrong, Roger has performed and recorded all over the world with such icons as Mary Lou Williams, Mongo Santamaria, Donald Byrd, Dizzy Gillespie, Cal Tjader (Roger's flute playing is featured on the Grammy Award-winning album La Onda Va Bien), Rosemary Clooney, Herbie Mann, Peaches and Herb, Bobby Hutcherson.

Today, he works with many different musicians, including Steve Miller, John Handy, Ray Obiedo, Jamie Davis, James Carter, Poncho Sanchez, Lavay Smith and Pete Escovedo. In addition, Roger is one-fourth of The San Francisco Jazz Quartet with a release of their first CD Ode to Swing.

Roger will be featuring all original compositions from his soon to be released Latin Jazz CD titled In The Moment. This multi-instrumentalist can enthusiastically entertain and inspire an audience with every note he plays.

Douglas Beach House

Half Moon Bay

$35

http://www.bachddsoc.org

***

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 – 8pm

Alexander String Quartet

Berkeley Chamber Performances (BCP) concludes its 19th season of intimate chamber concerts with the internationally renowned ALEXANDER STRING QUARTET (ASQ) on Tuesday, April 17, at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club. The program features gems of the classical repertoire by Shostakovich, Beethoven, and Janacek. 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.

Berkeley Chamber Performances

Berkeley City Club, Berkeley

$12.50 - $25. Students via high school, FREE

Information: (510) 525-5211

http://www.berkeleychamberperform.org

***

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 – 12:30pm

Wenyi Shih, violin / Joy Fellows, viola

Eric Sung, cello

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello in E-flat major, K. 563

Old Saint Mary's Cathedral

660 California Street

San Francisco

Donation: $5

http://www.sjsu.edu/beethoven/events

***

Thursday, April 19, 2012 – 8pm

Chamber Music Masters, Menahem Pressler, piano

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall, San Francisco

$20/$15

Information: (415) 503-6275

http://www.sfcm.edu

***

Friday, April 20, 2012 – 7:30pm

All Beethoven Recital

Ronald Brautigam will perform the Pathétique Sonata, Opus 13: the “Eroica” Variations, Opus 35; the “Moonlight” Sonata quasi una fantasia, Opus 27, no. 2; and the “Appassionata” Sonata, Opus 57, on the Beethoven Center’s original Broadwood fortepiano from 1827.

Mr. Brautigam’s recital is a fund-raiser for the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies. Tickets are $100 (including a post recital reception with the artist), $55, $35 and $25. A portion of the $100 ($80) and $55 ($35) tickets are a tax-deductible donation.

The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies and the American Beethoven Society

Le Petit Trianon Theater

72 North Fifth Street, San José

$100 - $25

Information: (408) 808-2058

***

Friday, April 20, 2012 – 8pm

Salon Series 3

15th Anniversary Celebration Salon Series

Join us as we celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Cypress String Quartet with a Salon Series that showcases their artistry and inspired music-making. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy performances by the quartet in intimate venues - chamber music in its purest form.

This is as close, intense and breathtaking as music gets and you do not want to miss it!

Cypress String Quartet

Pearson Theatre, Berkeley

$50 (20% discount when purchasing 4+)

Information: (415) 392-4400

http://cypressquartet.com

***

Friday, April 20, 2012 – 8pm

Finisterra Piano Trio

New Lens Concert Series: Rediscovering the Masterworks Through Contemporary Music

Founded by composers Garrett Shatzer and Juhi Bansal and ‘cellist Kevin Krentz, the New Lens Concert Series seeks to repair the rift between composers and audiences that occurred in the 20th century. With a radical redefinition of how a concert should be experienced, New Lens uses works by living and lesser-known composers of the past to recontextualize proven masterworks, all while concealing the identity of said works and composers from the audience. How might you hear works differently if you do not know whether they were written 100 years ago or last year? New Lens's selection of contemporary pieces represents living composers whose aesthetics and goals align with those of their pre-rift counterparts, so the results may surprise you. The New Lens Concert Series is made possible in part due to the support of the Subito Grant Program of the American Composers Forum—San Francisco Bay Chapter.

Old First Church

1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco

Information: (415) 474-1608

$17; $14 students & seniors

http://stlukeslg.org/docs/sunset_concerts_summary.html

***

Friday, April 20, 2012 – 8pm

Sunset Concerts at Saint Luke's:

Rossetti String Quartet

Co-founded in 1996 by violinist Henry Gronnier and violist Thomas Diener, the Rossetti String Quartet is named after 19th century Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, whose artistic ideals about the use of color, poetry, and naturalism are embodied in the Quartet’s musicianship. Each member of the Quartet is an accomplished individual musical artist, and the aesthetic depth and insight each brings to the group helps create the intimate, provocative atmosphere that has become the Rossetti trademark.

The Rossetti String Quartet is renowned for its highly sophisticated, sensual sound and extensive range of colors. The Quartet’s compelling stage presence and fresh, innovative style has won its members a devoted following throughout the United States. National appearances are numerous and include the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the 92nd St. Y, Carnegie Hall, and the Library of Congress. Internationally, the Rossetti String Quartet has performed for audiences in England, France, Germany, Mexico, and the Netherlands. Popular guests on the music festival circuit, the Quartet’s festival appearances include Berevard, Caramoor, Mainly Mozart (Mexico), Saint Riquier (France), Vail Valley, and Ventura Chamber Music.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

Los Gatos

$25; seniors $20; students $10

Information: (408) 354-4560

***

Saturday, April 21, 2012 – 7pm

Sierra Ensemble

Sierra Ensemble returns to Berkeley with Brahms, Beethoven, and Barboteu.

Sierra Ensemble will perform one of the glories of chamber music--the op. 40 Horn Trio by Brahms. Also on the program are works by Strauss, Beethoven, Mozart, and Piazzolla.

“Creating Community through the Power of Music...”

Sierra Ensemble blends violin, horn and piano to create a most exciting mixed trio. With repertoire from the standard canon as well as music of the 20th and 21st centuries, Sierra brings a unique combination of chamber expertise and solo artistry to the concert stage.

Berkeley Piano Club

Berkeley

Suggested Donation: $20

Information: (510) 260-4284

http://www.sierraensemble.com

***

Saturday, April 21, 2012 – 8pm

Salon Series 3

15th Anniversary Celebration Salon Series

This is as close, intense and breathtaking as music gets and you do not want to miss it!

Cypress String Quartet

12 Gallagher Lane Gallery, San Francisco

$50 (20% discount when purchasing 4+)

Information: (415) 392-4400

http://cypressquartet.com

***

Saturday, April 21, 2012 – 8pm

California Baroque Ensemble

The California Baroque Ensemble is known for its extensive repertoire, including manuscripted cantatas and motets, copied from microfisch with instrumental parts researched and found in libraries in Europe. The CBE is open to creating singular programs in French, German, Italian and early English, concerts of varied repertoire or sacred works. Our repertoire also includes larger works with additional strings, recorder, and other instruments as needed. We have performed set pieces during sacred services, gallery events, wine receptions, client dinners, as well as weddings.

Trinity Chamber Concerts

Trinity Chapel, Berkeley

$15/$10

Information: (510) 549-3864

http://www.trinitychamberconcerts.com

***

Sunday, April 22, 2012 – 2pm

French and American Music

Alexandra Hawley, flute

Emily Laurance, harp

Roy Malan, violin

Susan Freier, violin

Paul Hersh, viola

Stephen Harrison, cello

Robert Baksa – Quintet

Jean-Michel Damase – Trio for flute, viola, harp

John Corigliano – Voyage

Joseph Jongen – Concert à Cinq

Avedis Chamber Music Series

Florence Gould Hall at the Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco

$16 - $22

Information: (415) 452-8777

http://www.avedisconcerts.org

***

Sunday, April 22, 2012 – 2pm

Schubert Master Works

The Temescal String Quartet, formed in 2004 by musicians of the San Francisco Opera Ballet Orchestras, presents two of Schubert's masterpieces at the historic Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Berkeley. This program will consist of:

String quartet in A minor, op 29, subtitled "Rosamunde"

String quartet in D minor, op posthumous, subtitled "Death and the Maiden"

The Church of the Good Shepherd provides an especially intimate setting for the enjoyment of chamber music. Please join us in our musical journey.

Temescal String Quartet

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Berkeley

$10 - $15

Information: (510) 769-2968

http://www.temescalquartet.com

***

Sunday, April 22, 2012 – 3pm

Musicians from Marlboro

Discerning music lovers know that for "the most exciting chamber music in the United States" (Time magazine), there is no better ensemble than the Musicians from Marlboro. Now celebrating its 47th season, the acclaimed touring program offers not only joyous performances featuring unusual repertoire, but also invaluable experience to emerging artists. The group's Berkeley concert spotlights an array of distinguished musicians, including Peter Wiley, cellist of the Guarneri String Quartet, and the brilliant young Russian pianist Anna Polonsky—a personal favorite of Marlboro artistic directors Richard Goode and Mitsuko Uchida—who plays "with sweep, color and authority...the entire performance was vibrant and exciting" (New York Times).

Program: Haydn: Piano Trio • Mendelssohn: String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13 • Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57

Cal Performances

Hertz Hall, Berkeley

$40

Information: (510) 642-9988

http://www.calperfs.berkeley.edu

***

Sunday, April 22, 2012 – 3pm

Trio Valtorna

Bringing together the gifts of three internationally recognized artists, Trio Valtorna embarks upon its first concert season in 2011–12. After performing together at the “Music from Angel Fire” Chamber Music Festival, renowned violinist Ida Kavafian and French horn player extraordinaire David Jolley continue in collaboration, adding young pianist Gilles Vonsattel.

Fred Kirshnit, writing in the New York Sun, called Kavafian’s artistry “meaningful and affecting,” while the New Yorker has praised Jolley’s “richly melancholy horn solos” and David Weininger of the Boston Globe observed the “clarity and light touch” of Vonsattel. Trio Valtorna promises to offer chamber music par excellence to audiences across the United States.

Bringing Bay Area audiences the world’s finest chamber music since 1955, the Morrison Artists Series at San Francisco State University is “indispensable,” the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Led by Artistic Director Richard Festinger, the series presents free performances each year by acclaimed ensembles.

Festinger will lead a pre-concert talk at 2pm.

Morrison Artists Series

McKenna Theatre at SFSU, San Francisco

FREE

Information: (415) 338-2467

http://morrison.sfsu.edu

***

Sunday, April 22, 2012 – 3pm

Amstel Quartet

“The men of the Amstel have no fear,” exclaimed the Dutch press about The Amstel Quartet, winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild International Competition. Its performances are riveting, filled with high energy, emotion and infectious dynamism.

Recent featured engagements in the US include: NYC appearances at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and at the Downtown River to River Festival; concerts in Southern California for Pepperdine University and the Da Camera Society’s Chamber Music in Historic Sites series; as well presentations by Music at Deer Valley (presented by the Utah Symphony), Chamber Music Yellow Springs (OH) and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

In December 2009, the quartet was featured prominently on New York’s WQXR radio on the long-running “McGraw-Hill Young Artists Showcase,” featuring an in-studio performance. The Amstel Quartet’s latest CD, Amstel Peijl, was released on the CAG Records label in late 2008, featuring landmark saxophone quartets by Glass and Glazunov and an arrangement of a Fauré quintet with pianist Wijnand van Klaveren

From the mystery of Bach’s Second Cello Suite in D to Michael Nyman’s music for the film The Piano, the four saxophonists unleash a palpable collective energy and win fans with each performance. Composers, too, such as György Ligeti, Tan Dun, Philip Glass, Michael Nyman and Arvo Pärt, have nothing but praise for the ingenious adaptations written by members of the Quartet. They have also recently commissioned Michael Torke to write two new pieces, May and June, to join with his now standard sax quartet July.

Montalvo Arts Center (Previously Villa Montalvo)

Saratoga

$30

Information: (408) 961-5858

http://www.musicatkohl.org

***

Sunday, April 22, 2012 – 3pm

NACUSAsf Presents "Tomorrow on Yesterday"

On Sunday, April 22nd at 3:00 PM, NACUSAsf (National Association of Composers, USA, SF) will present a concert of new music, “Tomorrow on Yesterday” at Foothill Presbyterian Church, 5301 McKee Rd, San Jose, CA. This concert of chamber music will include works for piano, harp, and tenor. Featured composers will be John Bilotta, Nancy Bloomer Deussen, Carolyn Hawley, Greg Steinke, Ken Malucelli and Dale Victorine. Come and sample some exciting music written by local contemporary composers. Suggested donation: $10. There will be a reception to follow.

NACUSA San Francisco

Foothill Presbyterian Church, San Jose

$10 Donation

Information: (408) 768-1941

http://www.nacusasf.org

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 – 7pm

Rossetti String Quartet

Praised as a “vital force among chamber music ensembles,” the Rossetti String Quartet is renowned for its highly sophisticated, sensual sound and extensive range of colors. The Quartet’s compelling stage presence and fresh, innovative style has won its members a devoted following throughout the United States. Co-founded in 1996, the Rossetti String Quartet is named after 19th century Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, whose artistic ideals about the use of color, poetry, and naturalism are embodied in the Quartet’s musicianship. Always a favorite of Kohl audiences, Rossetti closes the 29th season with elegance.

Music at Kohl

Kohl Mansion, Burlingame

Adult: $45; Senior: $42; Gen Y&Z (30 & under): $15

Information: (650) 762-1130

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 – 7pm

Noertker's Moxie

2 sets

Noertker's Moxie Quintet

Annelise Zamula - tenor saxophone, flute

Amber Lamprecht - oboe, flute

John Vaughn - baritone sax, flute

Bill Noertker - contrabass

Dax Compise - drums

Cafe Royale

800 Post @ Leavenworth, San Francisco

Information: (415) 441-4099

FREE

http://www.caferoyale-sf.com

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 – 4:30pm

The Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society presents

Stan Kenton Alumni Band

big band orchestra led by Mike Vax

Featuring alumni from the 1952 - 1978 Stan Kenton Orchestra, the Stan Kenton Alumni Band performs some of Kenton’s well known orchestra music, plus keeping with Stan’s insistence on not just performing nostalgia type music, it also performs fresh new material written in the Kenton style, as well as original material written by members of the Band. The Alumni Band is not trying to be the “Stan Kenton Orchestra,” but is carrying on his tradition of dedication to creative music, and to jazz education. Band leader Mike Vax has been leading bands for more than 45 years and his credits include being first trumpet, soloist, and road manager of the Stan Kenton Orchestra

Douglas Beach House

Half Moon Bay

$35

http://www.bigbandjazz.net

http://www.bachddsoc.org

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Tuesday, April 24, 2012 – 8pm

Composers, Inc. – Riffs & Refuge

Composers, Inc. was formed in 1984 to present the music of living American composers, and seeks to increase public awareness of contemporary American music. Directed by five San Francisco Bay Area composers, they present three concerts each year in San Francisco.

Old First Church

1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco

Information: (415) 474-1608

$17; $14 students & seniors

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Tuesday, April 24, 2012 – 12:30pm

AMSTEL QUARTET

Remco Jak, soprano saxophone / Olivier Sliepen, alto saxophone / Bas Apswoude, tenor saxophone / Ties Mellema, baritone saxophone

The music of Mozart, Samuel Barber and Alexander Glazunov transcribed for saxophone quartet! And more!

Old Saint Mary's Cathedral

660 California Street

San Francisco

Donation: $5

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Friday, April 27, 2012 – 7:30pm

Tangents 2012: The Living Earth Show

Running the gamut from delicate minimalist textures to full sonic onslaught, the Living Earth Show's Andy Meyerson and Travis Andrews will surprise, beguile, and entertain with a dynamic program of new commissioned works for guitar and percussion.

Tangents Guitar Series

SJSU Spartan Memorial Chapel

San Jose

Donations

Information: (415) 205-9278

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Friday, April 27, 2012 – 8pm

Trio 180 – Tenth Anniversary Concert

Trio 180, formerly New Pacific Trio, has a new name to go with our 10th anniversary. The name Trio 180 is inspired by the 180 degrees of a triangle, the geometric reflection of our ensemble. The trio, in residence at the University of the Pacific, Conservatory of Music, will be playing an exciting mix of new and old, including that audience favorite, Dvorák's "Dumky" Trio. Gothic Sea is a World Premiere, dedicated to Trio 180, by the young, up and coming composer Reinaldo Moya. Come listen to the group that critics have hailed for its "passion and dexterity" and its "infectious musical vivacity", saying "the audience ... roared its approval".

Old First Church

1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco

Information: (415) 474-1608

$17; $14 students & seniors

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Saturday, April 28, 2012 – 7:30pm

Tangents 2012: The Living Earth Show

Tangents Guitar Series

First Unitarian Universalist Church

San Francisco

$12 - $15

Information: (415) 205-9278

http://www.chambermusicsf.org

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Saturday, April 28, 2012 – 8pm

Richard Stoltzman and Eliot Fisk

The world's foremost clarinetist (a two-time Grammy winner) partners with a remarkable guitar virtuoso in an innovative program of Bach, Bartok, Berio and more.

Chamber Music San Francisco

Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

$39 - $48

Information: (415) 392-4400

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Saturday, April 28, 2012 – 8pm

CABARET NIGHT with THE PAULA DULA TRIO

Paula Dula, vocal

Ken Meyers, piano

Alan Ginter, bass

Those of you who have attended our jam sessions don't need me to tell you who this marvelous singer is. We're going to make this a cabaret night with small tables which implies that you'll probably have to sip wine and munch on cheese while Paula and her trio perform. As an added attraction, Haraszthy Family Cellars* will be pouring some of their luscious California Zinfandels for you to enjoy.

This table arrangement will somewhat decrease the available seating in our living room, so make your reservation early by sending your check to:

Mark M. Rubenstein, M.D,

147 Los Altos Avenue, Walnut Creek

$25

Information: (925) 932-6650

http://haraszthyfamilycellars.com

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Sunday, April 29, 2012 – 12pm

Stravinsky: L'Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier's Tale)

Stravinsky's Histoire du Soldat is performed in a free noon concert by a chamber orchestra conducted by Hoh Chen, with members of the University Symphony Orchestra and guest dancers, featuring original choreography by artistic director Claire Calalo.

UC Berkeley Music Department

Hertz Hall, Berkeley

FREE

Information: (510) 642-4864

http://www.musiconthehill.org

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Sunday, April 29, 2012 – 7pm

Music on the Hill presents:

Solstice

This charismatic a cappella vocal ensemble has enthralled audiences with their performances of music for women’s voices since 1996. They are Bay Area Regional Champions and national third-place winners of the 2007 Harmony Sweepstakes a cappella competition, performing a lively and eclectic program featuring songs from their classical and world music repertoire. Works include music by Debussy, Palestrina and Kodaly, as well as songs from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Solstice members are Emily Bender, Becca Burrington, Lark Coryell, Krista Enos, Mari Marjamaa, Kim Warsaw, & Sara Webb-Schmitz.

Music on the Hill

St. Aidan's Church

101 Gold Mine Drive, San Francisco

$15/$9 students & seniors

Information: (415) 820-1429

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Sunday, April 29, 2012 – 2pm

Chamber Music with members of the San Francisco Symphony

What happens when you take the majesty and power of a full symphony orchestra, and distill it down to its most intimate, achingly beautiful elements? You have chamber music. This is music musicians love to play, where every interaction and every audience reaction is magnified in intensity.

San Francisco Symphony

Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco

$36

Information: (415) 864-6000

http://www.sfsymphony.org

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Sunday, April 29, 2012 – 2:30pm

Richard Stoltzman and Eliot Fisk

The world's foremost clarinetist (a two-time Grammy winner) partners with a remarkable guitar virtuoso in an innovative program of Bach, Bartok, Berio and more.

Chamber Music San Francisco

Lesher Center for the Arts

Margaret Lesher Theater, Walnut Creek

$56

Information: (925) 943-7469

http://www.chambermusicsf.org

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Sunday, April 29, 2012 – 3pm

Spring Concert Series

Mozart String Quartet in D Major, K. 575

Hoping for the same favor Haydn had in dedicating Op. 50 to the King of Prussia, Mozart set out to compose a set for him, and this is the first of three he completed. The cello part is particularly prominent since the King was a fine amateur cellist.

Lurie String Quartet commission

Many times IQ has speculated, “Wouldn’t it be great if that wonderful composer of musicals, popular music or film scores had written a string quartet?” Now award-winning

Hollywood composer, arranger, and Palo Alto native, Deborah Lurie, has been asked to do just that with support from the Argosy Foundation.

Debussy String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10

Debussy was becoming Debussy in 1893 when he composed his first and only string quartet. While still adhering to fairly traditional forms, he was developing new, scintillating sonorities that became known as “Impressionism.”

Ives Quartet

First Congregational Church of Palo Alto

Palo Alto

$15-$25

Information: (650) 224-7849

http://www.ivesquartet.org

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Sunday, April 29, 2012 – 4pm

Jupiter String Quartet

The venerated English conductor Jeffrey Tate once said, "The most perfect expression of human behavior is the string quartet." The Jupiter String Quartet, one of America's most exciting young chamber ensembles, returns to Music@Menlo for this special afternoon of masterworks from the string quartet repertoire. In addition to Haydn's delightful F Major String Quartet, op. 77, no. 2, and Prokofiev's Second String Quartet, the program features the colossal and expressive String Quartet in G Major, D. 887, by Franz Schubert---- the final quartet that he wrote.

Music@Menlo

Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center

Atherton

$50/$45 adult; $25/$20 student

Information: (650) 331-0202

http://www.musicatmenlo.org

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Sunday, April 29, 2012 – 4pm

Hyo-shin Na & New Music Works – A Portrait Concert

Hyo-shin Na Song of One Lost in the Fog; Sea Wind; Li Po's Music; Transcription; Song of the Firewood and the World Premieres of Fellini Dreaming, Listen While You Speak!, and Pleasures

An extraordinary afternoon of chamber and choral music by Korean-San Franciscan, Hyo-shin Na. The New Music Wworks Ensemble, conducted by Phil Collins, with guest artists the Ariose Singers and members of the Wooden Fish Ensemble perform a wide angle portrait of Ms. Na's compelling, and ever-evolving oeuvre. Twice awarded Korea's National Composers Prize, Ms. Na's far-reaching artistry make her music uniquely suited for a portrait concert. Each of her compositions inhabits sonic worlds unto themselves. Her works draw from nature—its sounds and rhythms—to create unique musical dialects of innate directness and beauty. This celebration of Ms. Na's music will be performed by a cadre of devotees of her work. Highlights include the world premiere of Fellini Dreaming, an instrumental octet composed for New Music Works Ensemble. One Lost in the Fog combines Japanese koto with a sextet of Western instruments, and Li Po's Music honors China's great wandering poet with oboe, string quartet and piano. Two solo works from 2010 are also in store, Sea Wind for solo piano, performed by Thomas Schultz, and Song of the Firewood, for 25-string kayageum solo. Two songs, Listen While You Speak! and Pleasures, originally composed for children’s chorus, will be performed by the Ariose Singers. This concert is made possible in part by grants from the Zellerbach Family Foundation and Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation for the Wooden Fish Ensemble.

Old First Church

1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco

Information: (415) 474-1608

$17; $14 students & seniors