From Super Bowl Sunday through Chinese New Year's celebrations on Saturday, this week in Classical music has something for everyone. A chamber orchestra comprised of the stellar members of the San Francisco Symphony plays Sunday afternoon and conductor Herbert Blomstedt brings out Bruckner's Fifth Symphony on Wednesday night. This past Friday night, Blomstedt pulled out the stops for Tchaikovsky's Fifth and brought the entire crowd to a riotous standing ovation. Come the week-end, another bit of vintage, The Great Gatsby, gets a new twist at the Yerba Buena Center for the Performing Arts. F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel from 1925 was transformed into an opera in 1999 by composer John Harbison. The amazing Ensemble Parallèle revitalizes the work with a newly-arranged score for chamber orchestra. And for the Year of the Dragon – a divine creature that is beautiful, colorful and flamboyant – the festivities start Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm at Davies Symphony Hall. Find all ticket information below.
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, February 5th, 2:00 pm – Davies Symphony Hall
Chamber Music with members of the San Francisco Symphony
If you are looking for the best in alternative atmospheres on this particular day, then a chamber concert with musicians from the SF Symphony is absolutely IT. The program includes: String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Opus 108 (Shostakovich); Wind Quintet (John Harbison); and String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Opus 35 (Arensky). Click here for ticket information: Chamber
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, February 5th, 4:00 pm – Herbst Theatre
Four Seasons Arts presents baritone Thomas Buckner in concert
Mr. Buckner has toured world wide for the past three decades, presenting a wide variety of repertoire ranging from classical to contemporary and improvised music. In collaboration with a host of prominent composers and improvisers, Buckner continues to commission and perform numerous chamber works, orchestral pieces and song cycles, as well as improvisations, computer-enhanced electronic constructions, and multi-media theater pieces. Click here for ticket information: Buckner
WEDNESDAY, February 8th, at 10:00 am – Davies Symphony Hall
Katharine Hanrahan Open Rehearsal: Herbert Blomstedt and Bruckner's Symphony No. 5
Experience a San Francisco Symphony concert in the making! Open Rehearsals offer audience members a unique perspective on the creative dynamic between orchestra and conductor. Each Open Rehearsal begins with 8:30 am coffee and complimentary donuts followed by a half-hour informative talk at 9:00 am.
FRIDAY, February 10th, at 8:00 pm – Davies Symphony Hall
Herbert Blomstedt conducts Bruckner's Symphony No. 5
Herbert Blomstedt leads the Symphony in what many believe is his signature piece, Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony. Written at a low time in the composer’s life, it actually displays no sorrow, but instead is sweeping and resplendent, with even a suggestion of triumph. Among the work’s trio of monikers is Church of Faith – fitting the cathedral of sound that is the essence of Bruckner’s music. Click here for ticket information: Bruckner
FRIDAY, February 10th, at 1:00 pm – Jewish Community Center of San Francisco
Music Lectures at the JCCSF: 100 Years with the San Francisco Symphony
Larry Rothe, San Francisco Symphony Publications Director, will read from his 2011 book, Music for a City, Music for the World: 100 Years with the San Francisco Symphony, and share some of his surprising discoveries about the Symphony and the city it has called home since its founding in the wake of the 1906 earthquake. Event held at the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco (JCCSF), 3200 California Street. Free, but advance registration requested. Click here to RSVP: JCC of San Francisco
FRIDAY, February 10th, 8:00 pm
SATURDAY, February 11th, 8:00 pm
SUNDAY, February 12, 2:00 pm
John Harbison's The Great Gatsby – Novellus Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
F. Scott Fitzgerald's magnificent portrait of the Jazz Age in all its idealism, hopes, excesses, and decadence, comes to the stage in the opera by Pulitzer Prize winning composer John Harbison. Ensemble Parallèle, under the direction of Nicole Paiement, presents the World Premiere of the new chamber version by San Francisco composer Jacques Desjardins. The cast includes Marco Panuccio in the title role, Adler Fellow Susannah Biller, Dan Snyder, Julienne Walker, Jason Detwiler, Erin Neff, and Bojan Knezevic. Click here for ticket information: Gatsby
SATURDAY, February 11th, at 4:00 pm – Davies Symphony Hall
Chinese New Year Community Concert and Celebration 2012
Carolyn Kuan conducts the San Francisco Symphony in this New Year celebration concert. Guest artists include sheng artist Hu Jianbing and pianist Jie Chen. This family event features a mix of music and instruments in a fusion of East and West. Arrive early at 3 pm for a festival reception in the Davies Symphony Hall lobbies. Performers will include Dan the Magic Man with Kat the Acrobat and The Magic of Safire, plus caricature artists, fortune tellers, face painters, balloon artists, Chinese calligraphers, airbrush artists, stilt-walkers, contortionists, Chinese plate spinners, and an arts and crafts station. The concert will include the world premiere of a work commissioned by the SF Symphony. Click here for ticket information: Chinese New Year's
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