One of the greatest assets of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music is its chamber music degree program; and the 2010–2011 season marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of this program (which was unique when it originated). This academic program has led to many opportunities to hear excellent chamber music performances, including both the Chamber Music Masters series and an abundance of student recitals. However, to highlight this anniversary, there will be several additional offerings, which will be free of charge.
The first of these will take place on Sunday, September 12, when the Conservatory joins with the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music for Chamber Music Day Live + Free 2010, an all-day festival of performances ranging from baroque and classical to contemporary and jazz. This casual, free-flowing event gathers 30 ensembles to perform in half-hour segments on the Conservatory’s three concert stages (Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall, Sol Joseph Recital Hall, Osher Salon), allowing audiences to sample varied repertory and interact with musicians and presenters. For those interested in enumerating, the featured ensembles are as follows:
Alexander String Quartet | Berkeley Choro Ensemble | The Bernal Hill Players | Earplay | Emergency String (X)tet | Essence | Ives Quartet | The Lee Trio | Left Coast Ensemble | Les Grâces | Lisa Mezzacappa & Nightshade | Luscinia String Quartet | Marcus Shelby Quartet | martha & monica |Melody of China | Dave Mihaly Shimmering Leaves Ensemble | Musica Pacifica | Navitas Ensemble |The Nice Guy Trio | Kate Stenberg and Eva-Maria Zimmermann | Potaje | Quinteto Latino |San Francisco Piano Trio | San Francisco Guitar Quartet | sfSound | TrumpetSuperGroup | The Vnote Ensemble | Ultra World X-tet | Voices of Music | Zofo duet
This marathon concert will begin at noon and continue through 6:30 PM.
The next event will take place on Friday, November 5; at 8 PM that evening the Conservatory presents a special Celebration Concert, bringing together students, faculty and alumni for a singular performance that touches upon all aspects of the chamber music program. Several distinguished chamber music alumni perform with their ensembles, including the Peabody Trio, the Cypress String Quartet, the Delphi Trio and the Nexus String Quartet, along with ensembles of Conservatory faculty and students from both the collegiate and preparatory divisions. The concert also honors cellist and longtime Conservatory faculty member Bonnie Hampton, a driving force behind the chamber music program, with a special student/alumni cello tribute to both her achievements and her 75th birthday.
Finally in the spring there will be a Chamber Music Marathon on Sunday, April 17. This student-centered event, celebrating the end of the chamber music season, comprises four concerts in one day at 11 AM, 2 PM, 5 PM, and 8 PM. Ensembles will be assembled from the roster of currently enrolled chamber music students, with some 15 to 18 groups scheduled to perform.
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