Classical music fans have reason to rejoice this season. After a spring and summer of little more than cancellation notices and hastily assembled archive presentations, a great many organizations have made the successful pivot to virtual seasons of brand-new, exclusive content featuring custom-tailored films of great artists performing in venues ranging from homey living rooms to classic concert halls. Chamber Music San Francisco recently announced its 2021 online season, and based on the lineup and the tantalized descriptions of the concerts, they’ve leapt into the virtual format with gusto.
CMSF Director Dan Levenstein describes the series and the artists involved:
The pandemic is a massive challenge for all of us in the performing arts, of course, but we see it as an opportunity to give something back in a difficult period to our fabulous audiences, who inspire us so much in the good times. Three of the artists in the video series — Olga Kern, Calefax, and Mischa Maisky — are longtime audience favorites. I’ve heard the Quatuor Arod in Paris and Brussels, and they have a remarkable intensity; violinist Mayuko Kamio is a Tchaikovsky Gold Medalist with the most voluptuous tone imaginable. And then the cherry on top of these five enormous scoops of talent is the fact that we are filming the artists in all these wonderful locales with a professional crew. These are not your living-room performances shot with an iPhone. I can’t wait to see them myself!”
Here’s the lineup. All events are on Saturday evenings. Click on the artists’ names for detailed information.
Feb. 13, 2021 at 7 p.m.
Calefax, Wind ensemble | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
March 6, 2021 at 7 p.m.
Mayuko Kamio, Violin | Yamagata, Japan
March 20, 2021 at 7 p.m.
Olga Kern, Piano | Moscow, Russia
April 10, 2021 at 7 p.m.
Quatuor Arod, String Quartet | Paris, France
April 24, 2021 at 7 p.m.
Mischa Maisky, Cello | Brussels, Belgium
Access to the CMSF 2021 Online Series is available via subscription for $100 for a single-person household and $150 for a multiple-person household. Subscribers will have access to the videos for unlimited viewings, from their release dates through June 2021. Patrons may subscribe via the Chamber Music San Francisco website.
