October 5, 2020
Paquito D’Rivera (b. 1948) Aires Tropicales (1994) After Paquito D’River performed a dazzling jazz-inflected rendition of the Fantaisie-Impromptu on clarinet with combo backup, he pointed out to his Kennedy Center audience that the Fantaisie is the work of that esteemed Puerto Rican composer, Frédéric Chopin—who hails from the Caribbean side of Poland. It was charming,
October 5, 2020
Former Composer-in-Residence Katherine Balch and returning artist Robyn Bollinger are joining creative forces again, this time for the all new virtual Second Saturdays @ California Symphony concert series. Read on to learn how Balch’s newest composition, Two Songs for Robyn, creatively incorporates sounds from a concrete jungle and the great outdoors. What’s the story
October 2, 2020
American violinist Robyn Bollinger made her Philadelphia Orchestra debut at age twelve. She came to national attention on the radio through her 2014 residency on PRI’s “Performance Today” and several appearances on NPR’s “From the Top.” In 2016, she was a recipient of a prestigious Fellowship from the Annenberg Arts Fellowship Fund. We talked with Bollinger,
September 11, 2020
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) The Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nobody ever gets accused of bad taste for programming Beethoven piano sonatas. They are bedrock works after all, foundational to every pianist’s upbringing and subsequent career. The subject of books upon articles upon treatises upon essays upon program notes, they have been sliced, diced, dissected, disassembled, and
August 28, 2020
If he’d been allowed to sit down while practicing the violin as a child, Adam Golka may never have pursued his career as a pianist. Adam Golka tells us about his Texan-Polish roots, meditation, and that time he helped to avert disaster at a friend’s concert. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are
August 10, 2020
August 10, 2020 The past season may have been unlike any other in the California Symphony’s 34-year history, yet together we have so many things to be proud of, and signs that point to a bright future. Thank you for so much for your support! Questions about the new season and/or subscriptions? Read FAQs About the
July 22, 2020
July 22, 2020 California Symphony is known for doing things differently, and if ever there was a moment to lean into this side of who we are and what we do, it’s now. We are excited to share news about our updated plans for the 20/21 season. We continue to create and to innovate in
July 22, 2020
July 22, 2020 I renewed my subscription for the 20/21 season. What happens now? Roll Over Beethoven… The 20/21 season of concerts has been moved forward one year and will now take place in 21/22, and your subscription will automatically roll over to 21/22 with it. Your renewal instructions and seating preferences will be applied in 21/22
June 19, 2020
** THIS COURSE TOOK PLACE IN SUMMER 2020. ** Stay tuned for more music education opportunities… Instructor Scott Foglesong answers your classical music and symphony questions and more in Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed, a four-class course that has sold out in both its previous years. For your comfort and convenience, this year the course is offered
June 12, 2020
George Gershwin (1898–1937) Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin’s Broadway career was just getting underway when Paul Whiteman tapped him to contribute a work for an ambitious concert in New York’s Aeolian Hall that aimed to clothe jazz in symphonic garb. The concert, on February 12, 1924 was a near-disaster. It was boring. It was pretentious.