Previews

Nathan Gunn is a refined, elegant singer of art song, and his Cal Performances recital promises to be a highlight, in a Bay Area season that’s just crammed with great singers.

This is a decorous early-music concert featuring the marvelous soprano Laura Heimes, trumpeter-extraordinaire John Thiessen, and the crew from Voices of Music, faves of SFCV and famed already for their widely-viewed YouTube and Vimeo channels.

Khatia Buniatishvili is the real deal, a pianist who is fleet of fingers, yet with a relaxed, musical touch. 

Gold Coast Chamber Players, a group which consistently brings superb professionals from all over to Lafayette and Orinda, is at it again. 

Now you can hear Clarice Assad’s chamber orchestration of Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition again, played by the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, along with the premiere of the composer’s Pandemonium for String Quartet and String Orchestra.

Tanya Tomkins, who’s as fine a cellist in the early-music repertory as you will find, completes her two-part traversal of the Bach Cello Suites at Live at Mission Blue on Sunday.

Over at the S.F. Conservatory, they’ve got the home-grown, student-run Hot Air Festival Marathon. 

Polish guitarist Marcin Dylla gave a brilliant and deeply poetic recital in April 2011 and his return to San Francisco is highly anticipated. 

Lara Downes plays with the Brooklyn-based band Build at the Mondavi Center March 23. Watch a brand new video for Tango of her new CD Exiles' Cafe.

San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Artistic Director Ben Simon always concocts a hook that appeals to me and puts me in the mood to hear a concert.