Reviews

Shaham and his Strad and J.S. Bach: a canny combination of brilliance and satisfying music-making.

A fine choral ensemble invites its audience to think about loved ones who have died, and sings about deliverance and rest.

With fine direction and good conducting, this Carmen has the basic pieces in place, though it’s not studded with singing stars.

A Marin audience hails a fine Mahler performance and Kenji Bunch’s pleasurable new piano concerto.

A Chicago string band, despite its credible playing, comes up a bit short on forces and programming choices.

Playing a dual role once common in classical recitals, Marc-André Hamelin scored a double triumph.

Wonderful playing by a youth orchestra, highlighted by an assured performance from a young teen soloist, induces happy thoughts about their future careers.

A young conductor bears all the markings of a major career, evident in her outing with the Napa Valley Symphony and the Cypress Quartet.

Comfortable on the podium, commanding yet avuncular, Semyon Bychkov led substantial performances of two Richard Strauss works and Robert Schumann’s Second symphony Wednesday night at Davies Symphony Hall.

Jon Mendle has already made a name for himself in guitarist circles. His first solo recording makes an exhilarating sweep through the music of J.S. Bach’s friends and sons.