Berkeley-born Gabriela Lena Frank is on a roll, with her compositions being performed widely, even as she serves the Berkeley Symphony as its creative advisor. Her upcoming first violin concerto, Hailli Lírico, is drawn from poem-prayers uttered by Inca kings.
Alan Rich, America’s most outspoken classical music critic, died in his sleep Friday in his home in West Los Angeles at the age of 85. For his entire career, he was as full-out in his enthusiasms and advocacies as he was unsparing and sharp in his assessments, always making a deep impression.
Melanie DeMore was conducting a dozen young choristers in a downtown Oakland church the other day, getting them to move and groove and fire up the music.
San Francisco Performances' much anticipated, soldout recital by Yuja Wang on Thursday was canceled because of the pianist's painful arm condition. Her doctor ordered at least a week's rest.
In the world of maestros with titanic egos, Pocket Opera’s Donald Pippin is a heartwarming exception. He is self-effacing, even humble. To a fault. Considering his accomplishments, all that modesty seems downright excessive.
In recent years the prospect of music education in public schools has
dimmed considerably, but the present and future look even worse. Most
states are facing huge budget deficits, none worse than California, and
all aspects of education are endangered.
If you grew up in the 1990s you probably know Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter who arrives this week to perform songs from his musical Whisper House with the San Francisco Symphony. His 1996 debut hit, Barely Breathing, about a stalled relationship, marries its catchy groove to an emotional honesty.
