Start your musical New Year with a special concert from MCOSJ. Taking place on Sunday afternoon, February 2, at San Jose's Italian American Heritage Foundation building, it's our third annual celebration of classical music by composers from Italy, or with an Italian connection. Our new music director, Juan Cristóbal Palacios, has selected a program of uplifting orchestral music representing the best of Italy and Italian heritage in North America.
The program features music by Italian composers from the Baroque era to the 20th century, with Italian American composer Jeremy Cavaterra bringing us all the way to present day California with his musical representation of the foggy and mysterious Lost Coast – a work commissioned and premiered by MCOSJ. Oboist Robert Scott is soloist in one of the most beautiful and recognizable oboe concertos of the Baroque era, composed by Alessandro Marcello.
Sparkling and melodic overtures by Rossini and Cimarosa show off full orchestral textures from the world of Italian opera. The orchestral wind instruments are featured in Donizetti's Sinfonia for Winds, while the strings star in Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances, and the percussion section has its opportunity to shine in A Charlie Brown Christmas by Italian American composer and San Francisco native, Vince Guaraldi.
The concert is an opportunity to shake off the winter blues and to enjoy beautiful music while celebrating the important Italian American heritage of San Jose. With convenient free parking in the IAHC parking lot and along the street, it's an event you won't want to miss.