Georgia Rowe

Georgia Rowe has been a Bay Area arts writer since 1986. She is Opera News’ chief San Francisco correspondent, and a frequent contributor to San Francisco Classical Voice, Musical America, San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, and San Francisco Examiner. Her work has also appeared in Gramophone, San Francisco Magazine, and Songlines.

Articles By This Author

Preview

Paul Dresher's Shick Machine

Georgia Rowe - February 25, 2009

Walking into Paul Dresher’s studio, a casual observer might think it was a rehearsal space, an experimental sound lab, or an inventor’s workshop. It’s actually all those things, and Dresher, the award-winning composer, musician, instrument maker, and founder of the acclaimed Paul Dresher Ensemble, presides over each aspect with the eyes and ears of a Renaissance master.

Review

Aiming for the Stars

Georgia Rowe - February 24, 2009

Even in these tough economic times, the Bay Area’s regional opera companies continue to spread their wings. Midway through its 53rd season, West Bay Opera presented its first Orfeo ed Euridice last weekend in a well-conceived production that caught much of the radiant splendor of Gluck’s 1762 masterpiece.

Feature

Written in Blood: Sofia Gubaidulina’s Artistic Testament

Georgia Rowe - February 17, 2009

Who is Sofia Gubaidulina? Audiences unfamiliar with the name (pronounced goo-bye-DOO-lee-nah) may be surprised to learn that she is one of the most distinctive, highly regarded composers in the world today.

Review

Operatic Mood Swings

Georgia Rowe - February 10, 2009

Così fan tutte is often described as an effervescent comedy, but beneath the froth is a deliciously dark and poignant vision of the human heart. There’s a happy ending in the 1790 Mozart–da Ponte dramma giocoso about a pair of besotted naval officers who enter into a wager to test the fidelity of their girlfriends.

Feature

Truth and Daring: The Lure of Live Performance

Georgia Rowe - December 16, 2008

What makes live music so moving? Audiences might have wondered last month, as three Bay Area organizations presented extraordinary performances within the space of little more than a week. First came Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, performed by the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall; also that weekend, the San Francisco Opera revived Puccini’s La Bohème.

Lieder and Standards

Georgia Rowe - December 9, 2008

At his brief but beguiling vocal recital Wednesday evening at the Hotel Rex in San Francisco, Thomas Glenn remarked that he had considered calling the program “An Intimate Evening With Thomas Glenn.” He’d decided against it, he said. But the title wouldn’t have been far off.

Proving the Pleasure Principle

Georgia Rowe - November 18, 2008

The San Francisco Symphony gave its audience an evening of pastoral pleasures Thursday at Davies Symphony Hall. The splendor wasn't limited to Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major, "Pastoral," though Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas revived the beloved score in a reading that was remarkably rich in sensuous allure.

Review

Twists in the Road

Georgia Rowe - November 11, 2008

One of the charges frequently leveled against regional orchestras is that they program only the tried and true. While this may be on point in some instances — particularly in these tough economic times — the Santa Rosa Symphony's November program was both adventurous and free of filler.

Review

Saintly Inspiration

Georgia Rowe - October 14, 2008

Choral concerts organized around a single figure can make for a bland evening if not programmed with restraint and consummate care. But the Artists’ Vocal Ensemble (AVE) made Saint Francis of Assisi the focus of a thoughtful, artfully structured, and surprisingly varied concert in two performances over the weekend.