Veronika Eberle, guest violinist with the San Francisco Symphony © Jan Northoff
Roberto Abbado & Veronika Eberle guest with San Francisco Symphony
This week’s San Francisco Symphony performances feature two guest artists – Italian conductor Roberto Abbado – Music Director at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, and recently named Musical Director of the Verdi Festival of Parma – and German violinist Veronika Eberle – whose 2016-17 highlights include debuts with the Philadelphia and Philharmonia orchestras, return engagements with the Montreal Symphony, Munich Chamber Orchestra and Bavarian Radio Orchestra, and a season-long residency with the Kamerakademie Potsdam. The program features Busoni’s Music from Turandot Suite, the Schumann Violin Concerto in D minor and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 3, Scottish .
The performances take place at Davies Symphony Hall on May 17, 19, 20 and 21. For more information and tickets, visit the San Francisco Symphony website.
Poster courtesy San Francisco Symphony
Musical Journey into Animation with San Francisco Symphony
On Thursday, May 18, the San Francisco Symphony invites you to join them on a Musical Journey into Animation, featuring some of the greatest animated films of all time. In a performance which includes much-loved films from Bambi through Toy Story, you can watch clips on the big screen with the Symphony – led by conductor Randall Craig Fleischer – playing the scores live, and get the behind-the-scenes story on how the animation and music come together in films such as these. The two special guests are Don Hahn, producer of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, and Pete Docter, Director and Vice President, Creative, at Pixar Animation Studios.
More information is available on the San Francisco Symphony website.
Poster courtesy Save the Bay
Concert for Ecojustice
At Grace Cathedral on Thursday evening, there’s a Concert for Ecojustice – which precedes the opening of the EcoJustice Weekend: Safeguarding Climate, Food, and Water, being held in San Francisco on May 19 and 20. The program, which includes works by J S Bach, Aaron Copland, Arvo Pärt and Robert Schumann, will be presented by members of the St Lawrence and Telegraph Quartets, The Lee Trio and Philharmonia Baroque, and David Lewis – Executive Director of Save the Bay – will give a short address and be available to answer questions about the work of the organization, to protect, restore and celebrate our beautiful Bay.
The concert takes place at 8.00 pm at Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, on Thursday, May 18. Entry is free, but a portion of the suggested $20 donation will benefit Save the Bay.
Smuin dancers Nicole Haskins, Michael Wells, Erica Chipp, and Terez Dean in Trey McIntyre’s ‘Be Here Now’ © Keith Sutter
Smuin closes season with World Premiere by Trey McIntyre
Smuin brings its Dance Series 02 program to San Francisco this week. The final production in the Company’s 2016-17 season, it includes a new ballet by Trey McIntyre – described by by The New York Times as “one of the most important choreographers working today”. Entitled Be Here Now, McIntyre’s work celebrates the 50th anniversary of the ‘Summer of Love’ in San Francisco. There’s another new work as well, The Poetry of Being, by Smuin dancer Nicole Haskins – set to the allegro and adagio of Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous Sextet in D minor, known as Souvenir de Florence – and Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert’s critically acclaimed Broken Open.
Smuin performs at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts from May 19 to 28. Further information on the program and tickets can be found on the Smuin website.
The final performances of Smuin’s Bay Area tour take place in Carmel on June 2 and 3.
The Oakland Symphony – Courtesy Oakland Symphony
A tribute to Broadway from Oakland Symphony
The Oakland Symphony ends its season with a touch of Broadway this week – a concert presentation of of Frank Loesser’s 1950 Tony Award-winning show, Guys and Dolls – which Music Director Michael Morgan describes as “just plain fun”.
As part of its ongoing American Masterworks series, the Symphony – under the direction of Morgan – will be joined by members of the Oakland Symphony Chorus (Director – Lynne Morrow) and vocalists Ben Jones, Annie Sherman, Tami Dahbura, J Raymond Meyers, Adam Flowers and Blake Cline. Also on the program are Richard Rodgers’ Overture to Oklahoma, and the Waltz from Carousel, as well as Jule Styne’s Overture to Gypsy – all conducted by Brian Nies.
Guys and Dolls in Concert is at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland on Friday, May 19. Tickets and further information available on the Symphony’s website www.oaklandsymphony.org.