Heuwell Tircuit

Heuwell Tircuit is a composer, performer, and writer who was chief writer for Gramophone Japan and for 21 years a music reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle. He wrote previously for Chicago American and the Asahi Evening News.

Articles By This Author

requiem2_0.jpg
Review

Fare Thee Well, Maestro

Heuwell Tircuit - June 1, 2009

After 17 years as music director of the San Francisco Opera, Conductor Donald Runnicles was given a rousing farewell tribute Friday evening in the Opera House.

youthorchestra_wide.jpg
Review

Fiery Performances

Heuwell Tircuit - May 18, 2009

The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra featured two first symphonies in excellent performances in their concert at Davies Symphony Hall on Sunday. Conductor Benjamin Shwartz had clearly prepared his charges well as the orchestra outdid even their usual high standards. And there was a minor scare thrown in for good measure.

tortelier_yanpascal_0.jpg
Review

Music From Two Great Cities

Heuwell Tircuit - April 26, 2009
Guest conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier split his San Francisco Symphony program right down the middle last week to form a gratifying string of four evenings at Davies Symphony Hall. His first half offered two contrasting works from Paris, his second half two wildly contrasting works from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ London.

Mozart's Turn

Heuwell Tircuit - April 20, 2009
This year’s season of the Avedis chamber music concerts has been devoted to small surveys of a given composer and his associates, per program.
bohlin_wide.jpg
Review

An Evening of Discoveries

Heuwell Tircuit - March 29, 2009
The March 25-28 concerts of the San Francisco Symphony, under guest conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, offered a masterpiece, a super masterpiece, and one outright dud. Along the way, we heard a new wunderkind pianist and an up-and-coming bass-baritone as soloist, plus astounding mastery from the Symphony Chorus.
jamason_corey2_0.jpg
Review

Honoring Bach

Heuwell Tircuit - March 24, 2009
The San Francisco Bach Choir celebrated the 324th anniversary of Bach's birth on Sunday afternoon in Calvary Presbyterian Church by presenting three of his cantatas and three of his even finer motets. Actually, the concert was a repeat of their Saturday performance, his actual birthday.
roge_pascal2_0.jpg
Preview

A Century’s Worth of Piano

Heuwell Tircuit - March 24, 2009
One of the best-planned and at the same time oddest-looking piano recitals I’ve ever encountered is coming up two Sundays hence, in San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre. There, the distinguished French pianist Pascal Rogé will play a survey of basic French piano music from 1830 (Chopin’s Op. 10 Étude No. 1) to 1929 (Poulenc’s First Nocturne).
parr_john_wide_0.jpg
Review

A Marvelous Curio

Heuwell Tircuit - March 9, 2009
Although the music of Olivier Messiaen is extremely popular these days, his songs are rarely encountered in live performance. Little wonder, for they're so overly demanding. Dramatic soprano Heidi Melton and pianist John Parr took on the major beast of the field, his largest cycle, Harawi, Sunday afternoon in Old First Church, and pulled off a triumph.
geary_wide.jpg
Review

Pride and Courage

Heuwell Tircuit - March 3, 2009

Holding aloft its dedication and musicianship like a banner, Artistic Director Robert Geary led the Volti chamber choir through eight contemporary works Saturday evening, four of which were premieres. The program, at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, also included the services of the amazing Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir.

roberts_paul_wide.jpg
Review

The Good, the Bad, and the Scholarly

Heuwell Tircuit - February 24, 2009

British pianist Paul Roberts’ Friday night recital-lecture at Old First Church turned out to be a rather iffy affair. On the whole, he left the impression that he’s more scholar than polished pianist. His objective was to untangle the roots of what would evolve into French Impressionism from Liszt’s piano style.