At a time of general retrenchment in the performing arts — including locally for such major organizations as the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera — Stanford Live is holding the line by and large post-COVID.
The multibillion-dollar Stanford University’s multimillion-dollar arts organization is planning a 2024–2025 season of some 60 performances in Bing Concert Hall, the Studio, Memorial Auditorium, and Memorial Church on the Stanford campus.
The season is well balanced between genres, and it includes five new commissioned productions and one U.S. and one world premiere (the latter is David Lang’s before and after nature for the Bang on a Can All-Stars), but there are fewer large, expensive attractions than in previous years.
Even so, there is the promise of the London Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 23, 2025, conducted by Antonio Pappano in a program of George Walker’s Sinfonia No. 5 (“Visions”), Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto (Janine Jansen, soloist), and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1.
Also of interest: performances by the former members of the St. Lawrence String Quartet (on Oct. 6 and with the Stanford Cello Choir on Jan. 26, 2025), The Rite of Spring with Yang Liping and Peacock Contemporary Dance (Dec. 6–7), the Inner Mongolian ensemble Anda Union (March 19, 2025), and three thematic frameworks — “Mahler and the Second Viennese School,” “Sonic Worlds: The Harp,” and “The Evolution of Movement.”
The season announcement shows no sign of an additional challenge the organization faced drawing up plans. Administrators set their organizations’ schedules years in advance, and a change in leadership often complicates matters, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
After Stanford Live Executive Director Chris Lorway left in 2022, having planned the 2023–2024 season, his successor wasn’t named until November 2023, with April 2024 her official start date.
She is Iris Nemani, bearing the title of McMurtry Family Director of Stanford Live.
In the interim, Deborah Cullinan, Stanford’s vice president for the arts, to whom Nemani reports, was acting director of Stanford Live. Joining in planning has been Albert Montañez-Sanchez, producer of artistic programs, and a larger “programming team.” Again, in spite of complications, there have been no delays or apparent weaknesses in the complex task of putting the season together.
Nemani said of the new season:
“The breadth of experiences offered across disciplines and genres, presenting both local and international, established and emerging artists, is the signature of Stanford Live, and the 2024–2025 season lineup is no exception.
“Stanford Live will present artists from 25 different countries, from five continents. More than 20 artists that we are presenting will have their Stanford Live debuts. There will be classical music, opera, chamber music, jazz, world music, contemporary dance, comedy, and so much more.
“Like the diversity of our audiences — students, university alumni, the Bay Area communities — the diversity of the season means that many of our audiences are sure to find something they are interested in — some familiar and some new to discover.”
Asked of her special interest in the season, Nemani said:
“While I am excited to hear globally renowned artists like Renée Fleming and Branford Marsalis, I am really excited about the new discoveries. I look forward to experiencing all the various harp concerts — Bing Concert Hall is an acoustically excellent hall to hear the ethereal sounds of the harp strings. I am also looking forward to Grammy Award-winning Pakistani artist Arooj Aftab — she is someone you want to be sure to catch — and finally, I love tap, so Conrad Tao and Caleb Teicher will be a favorite, I’m sure.”
Montañez-Sanchez spoke of the curation process at Stanford:
“For the 2024–2025 season, we wanted to reflect on the themes of time and continuity. The past, present, and future of artistic ideas, compositional styles, and instruments serve as the foundation for our creative process.
“We have developed three frameworks that embody these themes across different genres, enabling our audiences to experience a sense of artistic interconnectivity and discovery. These frameworks are designed to guide and inspire anyone who wishes to explore the artistic journey of Stanford Live.
“The first framework delves into Mahler’s artistic influence on Arnold Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School composers. The second framework explores the evolution of movement from 1913 to modern times, highlighting how robots are redefining artistic expressions. The third framework, titled ‘Sonic Worlds: The Harp,’ showcases the beauty of the harp in our stunning Bing Concert Hall.”
Montañez-Sanchez is especially looking forward to “artists such as Xavier de Maistre, one of the foremost figures in the classical harp world, for his Bay Area debut. We are also delighted to present the Stanford Live debut of Antonio Pappano, music director of the Royal Opera House and newly appointed chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
“Additionally, after months of planning, we are honored to host the Verbier Festival’s first U.S. residency, and I am thrilled we are showcasing the talents of French superstar Natalie Dessay in an intimate recital of French repertoire and [a] rising opera star, German baritone Johannes Kammler, singing Mahler. These artists are truly not to be missed.”
Presale tickets for Stanford Live members run from now through June 24; general sales begin on June 25.
