Recital

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Review

Brains in His Fingers

Heuwell Tircuit - February 17, 2009

For those of an eclectic bent, pianist Ivan Ilić’s Friday recital at San Francisco’s Old First Church proved a delight. The program was an adventure in learning as well as a brilliant display of technical prowess, all free of clichés.

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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.

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Review

Treading a Thin Line

Jason Victor Serinus - February 10, 2009
Danielle de Niese

There comes a time in every alluring young female singer’s life when it is time to grow up.

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Review

Names to Remember

Michelle Dulak Thomson - February 10, 2009

The Bay Area is blessed with enough music-lovers and enough enterprising concert presenters that few musicians spend long at the top rank without swinging through here on some tour or other. Still, I suppose I’m not alone among SFCV readers in anticipating the appearance of musicians I’ve read about (or heard on record), but who’ve not yet performed here.

Christopher Taylor Plays Messiaen

Janos Gereben - January 30, 2009
Stanford Lively Arts has been at the forefront of local Messiaen centenary year celebrations. In their last presentation, Christopher Taylor returns to the Bay Area with Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant Jésus for solo piano, a lyrical, mystical, and profoundly virtuosic meditation on the nature of the Christ child.

The Artists Formerly Known As

January 30, 2009
The TAGI ensemble, previously known to fans as the New York Lyric Chamber Players, is celebrated for their innovative programming that jumps around different genres. TAGI takes its name from the three Russian musicians: Tatiana Goncharova, piano; Grigory Kalinovsky, violin; and Igor Begelman, clarinet … with no word (or letter) on the Italian-born cellist Francesco Mastromatteo.

Schwabacher Recitals

Janos Gereben - January 29, 2009
The late James Schwabacher established a debut recital series 26 years ago, providing performance opportunities for young singers many of whom have gone on to great fame.