August 15, 2019
Ludwig van Beethoven – Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus (1801) We tend not to think of Beethoven as a theatrical composer. We think symphonies, we think sonatas, we think string quartets and piano trios and concertos. After all, he wrote only one opera (Fidelio) plus a smattering of incidental music. And there’s a
April 3, 2019
Katherine Balch – Artifacts, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (world premiere) One particularly pleasant corner of the repertory is occupied by works that composers have written for good friends, often with that friend’s input and contributions. The Brahms Violin Concerto comes first to mind: Brahms wrote it for Joseph Joachim, one of Brahms’s earliest boosters
April 2, 2019
Music Director Donato Cabrera conducts Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 at the California Symphony’s season finale—a piece he feels he’s been “waiting more than one lifetime” to conduct. We talked with Maestro about Bruckner, what he finds so appealing about the Seventh Symphony, and how his perspective has been shaped by playing the French horn. 1. Your first instrument
October 6, 2019
Silicon Valley tech whizz by day and California Symphony’s Julliard-trained virtuoso on weekends, clarinetist Stephen Zielinski answers our burning questions about his life and music career—including how he and Maestro Donato Cabrera share a connection that dates back almost two decades. 1. Can you tell us a little about your life in music? I’ve always
October 20, 2019
At just 23 years old, she’s a national award-winner, Harvard and New England Conservatory graduate, and a YouTube star. Pleasanton-born flute powerhouse Annie Wu joined us to talk about her California connections, Lizzo, and her wardrobe choice regrets for the flute-beatboxing video she made when she was in high school and which ended up going
August 20, 2019
Internationally recognized mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway has been praised by the New York Times for her “penetrating clarity” and “considerable depth of expression” as well as by Opera News for her “adept musicianship and dramatic flair.” She talks with us about growing up in a musical family, her jet-setting career, and the Bay Area connections that
April 2, 2019
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,
March 26, 2019
“Invaluable” is how former intern, Jonathan Spangler, summed up his time with the California Symphony as the Arts Administration Intern. A year on, we caught up with him to see what he thought about his experience. 1. What was your favorite part of the internship? My favorite part of the internship involved the
February 27, 2019
Harry Potter? Han Solo? Elliot from E.T? Or even E.T. himself..? With music from beloved movies like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Superman and E.T. on the program, the costume possibilities are endless for those who really want to get into the spirit of things at the upcoming ALL JOHN WILLIAMS concerts—Mar. 16 & 17 at
February 5, 2019
The Blackhawk Chorus is a premier community chorus that has built a loyal fan base throughout the East Bay since it was founded 28 years ago. The group joins the orchestra for ALL JOHN WILLIAMS—March 16 & 17 at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek—to add drama for Saving Private Ryan and Star Wars battle scene selections on the program. We