April 28, 2021
On Saturday, May 8, Next Week’s Trees, the first commission for the resident composer Viet Cuong, receives a world premiere like no other in the 30 year history of the California Symphony’s Young American Composer-in-Residence program. Viet’s piece was inspired by a Mary Oliver poem, and so we commissioned a poem celebrating him and all
April 28, 2021
We’re feeling inspired by the upcoming Poetry in Motion season finale video series, and fittingly, the first custom poem we commissioned for in our poetry-themed Symphony Gives Week fundraising sprint, is dedicated to YOU. Give $100 or more through May 8 and in addition to supporting the future of the orchestra, our acclaimed resident composer
April 21, 2021
Nicholas Phan, tenor, and Meredith Brown, horn, are featured in Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, in the May 22 episode of Poetry in Motion. They talked with us about their careers as musicians, and the experience of being part of this special recording project for California Symphony. Nicholas, you made your 2009 Carnegie
April 21, 2021
Benjamin Britten (1913—1976)Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings Benjamin Britten’s prodigious compositional output was not matched by an equally robust physical constitution. He suffered through any number of ailments, thus many of his finest works were conceived and composed during hospitalizations or retreats, while others were shaped by illnesses ranging from measles
April 21, 2021
Arnold Schoenberg (1874—1951)Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)—Version for String Orchestra It opens with a cliché: your basic dark and stormy night. A couple is walking through the forest. The woman has a secret to impart to her new lover: she is pregnant, and not by him. He is, not surprisingly, taken aback by this
April 21, 2021
Viet Cuong (b.1990)Next Week’s Trees—World Premiere “Light is an invitation to happiness,” wrote beloved poet Mary Oliver in “Poppies”. We could all use such an invitation about now. We’ve been through a period of darkness, of present dread and future fear, a time of foreboding and separation. But such things don’t last.
March 9, 2021
Principal Bassist Andy Butler loves to cook traditional dishes from his wife’s Peruvian heritage. Andy was kind enough to share one of he and his wife’s favorite recipes to prepare together—chupe de habas or fava bean chowder. What You’ll Need… 2 tbsp. of olive oil 2 red onions, very finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, very finely
March 9, 2021
Andy Butler is showing us another side of the double bass in a new California Symphony exclusive series, Double Bass Dimensions. Read below to learn more about Andy’s bass beginnings, the series, and a special recipe. Tell us a little about yourself and your history with the California Symphony. I currently live in Oakland, CA.
December 3, 2020
After what has surely felt like the longest year ever, we’re closing 2020 with some much-needed holiday cheer. Read below to learn more about our featured Season in Song vocalists and their favorite family traditions. What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you? (eg Hidden talent or passion, or someone you’ve performed with / cool
December 3, 2020
This holiday season, Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor is looking forward having one of her mother’s deliciously rich sticky buns on Christmas morning. Here, Kelley shares the recipe for her mother Diane’s family favorite treat. Pro tip: prepare these the night before and you’re just 30 minutes away from delicious smells in the morning. What You’ll Need…