2024 marks the centennial of the premiere of George Gershwin’s iconic jazz concerto “Rhapsody in Blue.” In honor of this milestone and TILT’s 5th anniversary, we are proud to present A Blue Solstice: Rhapsody in Blue Celebrates 100 Years.
And as the sunlight fades from the glittering stained glass windows, revel in a gorgeous rendition of “Rhapsody in Blue,” performed by virtuosic pianist and producer Ronny Michael Greenberg, with the Telegraph Quartet. And continuing this breathtaking tribute to Gershwin, the mesmerizing and fiery mezzo and aerialist Nikola Printz will sing a “blue”-themed program including classic Gershwin hits, while performing on a trapeze in mid-air above the cathedral labyrinth.
And we’ll be bringing the sunset indoors courtesy of Mad Alchemy, a company that has been mesmerizing audiences with its Analog Liquid Light Show since 1971.
Event Details
What is TILT? The name TILT refers to the angle of the sun at the summer solstice, the point where the sun appears to reach its highest point in the sky for the year (the word “solstice” combines the Latin words sol for “sun” and sistere for “to stand still”). TILT is also a different angle on music, an intimate concert in celebration of light, taking place in the marvelous ambiance of Grace Cathedral on the longest day of the year.
We begin the evening with The Warm Up, a reception with a signature TILT cocktail, local craft ales, and bistro bites.
TILT is in memory of Paul Crane Dorfman (1939-2018), a good friend of the cathedral who loved music, culture, houses of worship, fresh ideas, and mentoring young people.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Michelle Harrison at 415‑749‑6391 or email [email protected].
About the Artists
Nikola Printz, praised as “an Opulent and versatile artist making waves in opera” recently sang the Alto solo in Das Lied von der Erde with San Francisco Ballet to great Acclaim. They also recently starred as Carmen (Festival Opera), Rosina (Opera San José) while covering lead roles such as Frida in the San Francisco premier of El Ultimo Sueño de Frida y Diego and Laurene Powell Jobs in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs as well as singing Musetta in Bohème out of the Box. In the 24-25 season Nikola will be seen premiering the role of Billie Jean King in Laura Karpmans “Birds and Balls” with Opera Parallèle, singing Lieberson’s Neruda Songs with Edwin Outwater and the SFCM orchestra this spring before covering and performing small roles on the main stage at SFO for the spring and fall season. Other recent performance highlights include titular roles of Carmen and Dido with Opera San José, L’italiana in Algeri with Opera Memphis, The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein with Pocket Opera, Freschi’s Ermelinda with Ars Minerva, Orfeo in Orfeo ed Eurydice with West Edge Opera, and Lucretia in The Rape of Lucretia with Green Mountain Opera Festival. They have also appeared as Elle in La voix humaine, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, The Fox in Cunning Little Vixen, Olga in Eugene Onegin, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, and Aldonza in Man of La Mancha. Printz’s first musical homes were in jazz and cabaret clubs, and they are well-versed in crossover styles of singing. In addition to engagements at Yoshi’s Jazz Lounge and Club 1923, Nikola also created the role of Velma Louise Cole in Boxcar Theater’s immersive Speakeasy SF and joined San Francisco Symphony for their annual queer variety show Holiday Gaiety. An accomplished aerialist, Printz has also developed and performed on spinning trapeze in both grand concert halls and smoky cabaret clubs. Offstage, Printz plays several small stringed instruments, rides their bicycle around San Francisco, and pens charmingly bad poetry. They are an advocate for accessibility in the arts and are currently learning ASL.
Ronny Michael Greenberg is a Pianist and Producer whose virtuosic talents have graced the stages of esteemed venues across the globe. As founder and CEO of Taste of Talent, a non-profit that showcases the transformative power of Music and Art through innovative cultural programs and promotes entrepreneurial empowerment of Artists, he has established himself as a leading figure in the world of performing arts. Among his producer credits are the Merola Opera Program’s 2021 Gala, Grace Cathedral’s annual summer solstice concert “TILT”, and “OperAloha”, a showcase of Opera, the diverse musical traditions of Hawai’i, and the personal stories of world class Opera Talent. Hailing from Montreal, Mr. Greenberg has graced the stages of some of the most prestigious venues in the world, including the Vienna Konzerthaus, Carnegie Hall, and Montreal’s Place des Arts Theater. He has worked closely and proudly with the San Francisco Opera since 2015 and many esteemed organizations such as the Merola Opera Program, San Francisco Ballet, Hawai’i Opera Theater, Filoli Historic House & Gardens, Music at Kohl Mansion, Cincinnati Opera, American Bach Soloists, Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago, the Hawai’i Performing Arts Festival, and Festival Napa Valley. Through his artistry, Mr. Greenberg is passionate about challenging the boundaries of genre and culture, always searching for new ways to bring people together through collaboration and artistic freedom.
Now celebrating its 10th season together, the Telegraph Quartet (Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violins; Pei-Ling Lin, viola; Jeremiah Shaw, cello) formed in 2013 with an equal passion for the standard chamber music repertoire and contemporary, non-standard works alike. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “…an incredibly valuable addition to the cultural landscape” and “powerfully adept… with a combination of brilliance and subtlety,” the Telegraph Quartet was awarded the prestigious 2016 Walter W. Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Grand Prize at the 2014 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. The Quartet has performed in concert halls, music festivals, and academic institutions across the United States and abroad, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Masters Series, and at festivals including the Chautauqua Institute, Interlochen Arts Festival, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, and the Emilia Romagna Festival. The Quartet is currently on the chamber music faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as the Quartet-in-Residence.
Mad Alchemy is an Analog Liquid Light Show in the great San Francisco tradition of Bill Ham, Brotherhood of Light and Glen McKay. Headlights from the heyday of the Bay Area’s 60’s Psychedelic Ballrooms. Principal Lance Gordon has been involved and performing this art form since 1971. In June of 2017 Mad Alchemy evolved into a “21st Century” Liquid Light Show forged by our first Red Rocks opportunity. Now the projections can live in a modern stage environment at venues like Red Rocks, Fox Theater Oakland, Block Stage: Desert Daze, Wiltern Theater, Orpheum Theater, Fillmore San Francisco and Denver, Irving Plaza, London Forum and many more. They utilize custom video presenters, video cameras and mixers projected through an array of Epson Lazer 6K and 8K equipment but while still maintaining the analog art aspect. Based in the Bay Area Mad Alchemy has traveled wide and far performing over 1,200 shows in every imaginable venue, Festival and Museum across the US, Canada, Europe and Mexico for the likes of King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard, Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead, Temples, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Roky Erickson, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Dead Meadow, High on Fire, Om, Earthless, to mention a few! When Lance first began in the East Bay in 1971 at 17 he shared the stage with Boz Skaggs, Tower of Power, Big Brother and the Holding Company, It’s a beautiful day, John Cipollina and Elvin Bishop. Visit the tour section of the website to find where you can see Mad Alchemy perform!