Joshua Kosman May 14, 2021Updated: May 14, 2021, 11:57 am
Pianist Jeremy Denk leads the San Francisco Symphony from the keyboard at Davies Symphony Hall. Photo: Kristen Loken
One outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic that some of us dared to hope for was a re-examination of artistic priorities in concert life in particular, a deadening reliance on the same small set of certified “masterpieces.” What if the emergence from the shutdown offered an opportunity to allow more diverse voices into the conversation?
Well, it’s still early days, but there are signs that might be coming to pass.
The San Francisco Symphony gave its first live concert before a ticket-buying public on Thursday, May 13, an intimate affair led from the keyboard by pianist Jeremy Denk. And the first music to be heard was by William Grant Still, one of the leading figures in African American classical music and a woefully underrepresented name in concert life.
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Aspen Music Festival and School President and CEO Alan Fletcher interviews and converses with the leading musicians and composers during the Aspen Music Festival summer season.
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SF Symphony Kicks Off Season, Begins Selling Tickets For May and June Performances
The San Francisco Symphony performed for a live audience on Thursday night for the first time in 14 months a group of invited guests comprised of medical professionals and representatives of cultural districts and organizations around the region. And they now have a performance schedule up for the next couple months with tickets on sale.
The Examiner brings a report from Thursday s low-key season opening, which did not include the entire orchestra just strings and percussion. The Symphony performed Sibelius’ Rakastava (The Lover) Op. 14, Lyric for Strings by George Walker, “Little Suite for Strings” Op. 1 by Carl Nielsen, Entr’acte by Caroline Shaw, and Holberg Suite by Edvard Greig. Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen led the pared down ensemble.
ARTS
42nd Street Moon
The musical theater company presents Jason Graae in Perfect Hermany: A Musical Tribute to Jerry Herman, Also Featuring: Jacqueline De Muro, Kelley Dorney, Lauren Louise, and Lauren McGraw; thru May 2. https://42ndstmoon.org/moonbeams/
A.C.T. Out Loud
The Matchmaker on-demand thru May 2). $5-$50. https://www.act-sf.org/
The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison s audio drama is performed by Aurora Theatre company; adaptation by playwright Lydia R. Diamond. Thru May 21. https://auroratheatre.org/
Broadway on AirBnB
Promotional-sponsored performances by a variety of talents: Tittus Burgess, cast members from
Moulin Rouge, Mrs. Doubtfire, and more, plus dance, yoga, tarot and circus classes. $10-$50. www.airbnb.com
Capital Region Classical’s 50th season to feature 19 concerts | The Daily Gazette
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The London-based Doric Quartet opens the series on Oct. 10 along with pianist Jonathan Biss at Union College s Memorial Chapel. (provided/Benjamin Ealovega)
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SCHENECTADY The 50th anniversary season of Capital Region Classical will feature eminent artists as well as several on the cusp of major careers in repertoire spanning over 300 years and a celebration of Bach and Chopin, artistic director Derek Delaney has announced.
Concerts are held at the Union College Memorial Chapel, except where noted in the schedule.
To celebrate the milestone, pianist Emanuel Ax will perform a program of the late masterworks of Chopin at the 50th Anniversary Gala on Dec. 12. The works were composed at the end of Chopin’s brief life and represent some of the most profound pieces he wrote.