Jason Victor Serinus

Jason Victor Serinus regularly reviews music and audio for Stereophile, SFCV, Classical Voice North America, AudioStream, American Record Guide, and other publications. The whistling voice of Woodstock in She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown, the longtime Oakland resident now resides in Port Townsend, Washington.

Articles By This Author

Preview

Murray Perahia

Jason Victor Serinus - March 11, 2009

The last two decades have not been easy for Murray Perahia. Complications from the much-publicized cut to his right thumb, followed by surgery for a bone spur, have continued to haunt him, causing at least rounds of cancellations. But Perahia has reacted to his misfortune by embracing his challenges as opportunities for growth. He initially devoted his hiatus to deep study of the works of J.S.

Review

Charming Communicator

Jason Victor Serinus - March 9, 2009

How many tenors who hail from New Zealand can put across the Neapolitan songs of Francesco Paolo Tosti as if born and raised in southern Italy? James Benjamin Rodgers can.

Preview

Chanticleer's Composers for Our Age

Jason Victor Serinus - March 9, 2009

Our very own internationally renowned male a cappella ensemble Chanticleer celebrates the close of its 30th anniversary season with three commissions by composers of the same age. The program, titled "Composers/Our Age," showcases new works by Tarik O'Regan, Shawn Crouch, and Mason Bates.

Review

Our Youth Have It All

Jason Victor Serinus - March 3, 2009

For an orchestra that devotes a full third of its budget to youth outreach and music education, the Oakland East Bay Symphony’s “Celebrating Youth” concert was a major event. The culmination of decades of outreach to youth in the most challenged neighborhoods of Oakland and Livermore, the concert displayed the extraordinary level of musical excellence that youth can achieve when given opportunities for musical expression.

Feature

Oakland East Bay Symphony: Gold at 20

Jason Victor Serinus - March 3, 2009

Oakland, long recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States, is a microcosm of the new face of America. For Oakland's arts organizations to remain relevant to the city's multicultural population, they must pioneer new forms of outreach and expression.

Review

Poetic Anniversary

Jason Victor Serinus - February 25, 2009

Mendelssohn’s great violin concerto, premiered in 1845 with the same Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig heard on this CD, has been subject to any number of interpretations.

Review

Cecilia the Magnificent

Jason Victor Serinus - February 24, 2009

How can a critic fully convey the scope of Cecilia Bartoli’s magnificent artistry without running out of superlatives?

Review

It Don’t Mean a Thing if You Ain’t …

Jason Victor Serinus - February 17, 2009

Baritone Quinn Kelsey has a gorgeous voice. It’s large and sonorous, with a distinctive, slightly throaty (aka husky) quality, and a top so beautiful at forte that it could melt the hardest heart. Such a fine instrument, allied to an energetic stage presence, recently made for a most endearing Marcello in San Francisco Opera’s first-cast La Bohème, and an unusually warm, beautiful contribution to Michael Tilson Thomas’ recent San Francisco Symphony performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.