Music Features
Every week, our writers take an in‐depth look at an artist, program or topic of interest to us. Spend some time with this week's classical music feature, or scroll through the extensive SFCV archive for insights in many music topics.
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August 31, 2010
My criteria for selecting these events for recommendation are that they fall, more or less, in the narrow band between mainstream and the self-consciously “out there,” they are at the low end of the price spectrum, and they have some kind of personal connection or appeal to me.
More "A Few of My Favorite Things" »article
August 31, 2010
Lovers of early music have it made in the shade in the Bay Area. There are more offerings every year than you can possibly get to. And all the great musicians who specialize in this music play in several groups, so that keeping them straight can make your head spin. To make things easier, here are five concerts to put on your calendar.
More "Baroque and Beyond: Five Fantastic Early Music Concerts" »article
August 31, 2010
A sample of genre-bending, new-music concerts that will expand your horizons — innovative works at the S.F. Electronic Music Festival, a hot new commission at the Berkeley Symphony, and John Adams double-your-pleasure at the S.F. Symphony.
More "Six Eye and Ear Opening New-Music Concerts" »article
August 30, 2010
As San Francisco Opera prepares to open its star-studded fall season on Sept. 10, several smaller companies are trumpeting that this is far from a one-house region. Indeed, the risks that regional companies are taking at a time of economic contraction — I’m being euphemistic here — are cause for rejoicing.
More "The Voice Rules: Six Fall Opera Picks" »article
August 30, 2010
A preview of must-see artists and special events for the upcoming season, by Georgia Rowe.
More "Starstruck: 10 Big Events and Recitals For the Fall" »article
August 24, 2010
Musical genres are concepts that may be crawling toward extinction in the new millennium, or so pianist Billy Childs believes. Looking to a more integrated era, he’s positioning his jazz quartet alongside the classically trained Kronos Quartet for the premiere of his commissioned composition, on Sept. 18 at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
More "Childs Leads Kronos to Monterey Jazz" »article
August 23, 2010
Symphony concerts are good places to bring friends. There’s excitement, variety, time to talk at intermission, a focal point to the evening, and a chance to do something together afterward. The fall season in the Bay Area is crammed with goodies everyone can love.
More "Six Orchestra Concerts for Casual Listeners and Experienced Fans" »article
August 23, 2010
Choosing a concert geared for the entire family can be tricky, yet local ensembles and presenters are going out of their way this fall to design the tastiest classical kid’s-menu possible. Here are a few that are sure to be of interest to both the younger and older sets, introducing music, soft serve.
More "Best Fall Family-Friendly Concerts" »article
August 23, 2010
Known for presenting the classics and nurturing emerging singers, Opera San José generally steers clear of contemporary works. Undaunted by audience reaction to modern pieces, General Director Irene Dalis decided to roll the dice and mount a $1 million production of Anna Karenina.
More "Opera San José Set to Soar With a Lush Anna Karenina" »article
August 17, 2010
For years now it’s been obvious that the classical orchestral concert is in need of some rethinking for modern audiences. And no one has been more out in front of this issue than the S.F. Chamber Orchestra, which began its popularizing mission by giving all its concerts away for free. Its current music director, Ben Simon, has gone the full monty, trying out a variety of new ideas. Simon’s new venture, “You Gotta Hear This” at the Rrazz Room in S.F. is an expansion on his original ideas.
More "S.F. Chamber Orchestra: Teaching an Audience How to Listen" »
