January 10, 2020
By California Symphony Whether it’s Frank Sinatra crooning it, Carlos Santana picking it, or Robert Mitchum playing it at the piano, the melody in the slow third movement of Brahms’s Symphony No. 3 has inspired many tributes. (Or rip offs, if you prefer, since Brahms is rarely credited as a writer.) Chances are that even
January 10, 2020
Brahms and the Orchestra It has been said that Brahms was an indifferent or unimaginative orchestrator. However, it has also been said that the bathtub was invented in Philadelphia in 1842, so let’s not believe everything we hear. Bathtubs date back thousands of years; Johannes Brahms was a wonderful orchestrator, imaginative, creative, and insightful. That
January 9, 2020
Bay Area natives Alina Kobialka and Oliver Herbert joined us to talk about growing up with parents who were professional musicians, their pre-concert rituals, and to reminisce about their shared history with Donato Cabrera and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. You’ll be joining forces to perform Brahms’ Concerto for Violin and Cello. How does
January 7, 2020
By California Symphony Music Director Donato Cabrera. For those of you who are new to classical music, the music of Johannes Brahms is similar to the music of the Beatles — there are few pieces in his entire output that aren’t adored by every musician and appreciated by every audience member. Every time one performs or hears
November 5, 2019
Relocating from Chicago to California, incoming Executive Director Lisa Dell is an arts champion with a wealth of music experience and a passion to grow the reputation of the California Symphony as a leader in its space. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I grew up in a creative household, largely due to
October 28, 2019
Haydn was the vastly accomplished composer of the era. 24 years younger, Mozart’s reputation was on the rise. Both were prolific, both admired each other’s work, and a close friendship soon ensued in 1780s Vienna. If only I could impress Mozart’s inimitable works on the soul of every friend of music, and the souls of
September 30, 2019
You’re the reason we play | learn | celebrate | connect Dear Friend, At the California Symphony, we believe in the power of music to unite and uplift—to make us feel like we’re a part of something bigger, and to connect to our wider community—and we’re so honored to partner with you in this endeavor.
May 2, 2019
It’s been called “a model for residency programs across the country” (Mercury News). Not all orchestras around the country have resident composer programs, and among those that exist, the California Symphony’s Young American Composer-in-Residence program is different in three key ways, says California Symphony Director of Operations & Education Sunshine Deffner. By Sunshine Deffner, Director
April 23, 2019
California Symphony Composer-in-Residence Katherine Balch composed Artifacts for New England Conservatory friend and colleague Robyn Bollinger, based on four pieces that are core to solo violin repertoire. Each movement in Artifacts takes its inspiration from diverse works composed between the early 1800s and 1976. By Donato Cabrera, California Symphony Music Director “Robyn and I have