Saturday, July 18 is Big Band night! Allan Pollack, Kim Nalley, and the Festival Big Band rhythm section will all get together to talk about Jazz, pop, and the lives that all the players have led. They have played with some famous musicians, and stories of their experiences will be something you won’t want to ...
Saturday, July 25, is Closing Night. This night has traditionally featured a large choral work, so we have asked Jenny Matteucci and Daniel Lockert to join us to talk about a singer’s life as well as what is entailed in preparing the chorus for performance. Conductor Mary Chun and Stage Director Elly Lichtenstein will also ...
Mondays, 4:00-5:30 PM, June 8-July 27. This class is designed for the beginning singer who is ready to spread their wings. Music will be assigned based on voice type. New genres and styles will be introduced. Singers will be scheduled to sing for the class and work on songs in a nurturing, encouraging environment. Focus will be on vocal technique and presentation, to bring the shyest of singers out of their shell. Register as full Participant, or choose "View-only" at a reduced fee.
Eight Wednesdays at noon, June 10-July 29. An eight-week series of weekly Wednesday noontime talks curated by Jenny Matteucci and Daniel Lockert. Topics range from the art of accompaniment to talks with composers, recitalists and more. Buy individually or as an eight-week series. Virtual; attend from anywhere. Missed the first one or two? For a limited time, buy the remaining (7 or 6) lectures at the series price ($80), still a savings.
A one-time, free introduction to Lieder. What is German Lieder? Lieder is literally the German word for songs, though the term is usually used in reference to German songs of the Romantic Period (19th Century) written for voice and piano. What makes Lieder unique is that the piano does more than merely accompany; it has ...
Pianist Spencer Myer has wowed, inspired and touched Festival audiences many times, and is a warm-hearted and engaging conversationalist. Live from his living room in New York, he’ll give you a glimpse into his insights and process, including the nitty-gritty of practice, and he’ll be glad to answer any questions you might have. You’ll see ...
How do composers choose their texts? What draws them to a particular poem, poet, or poetic theme? Most composers of art songs have a strong love of literature and keen knowledge about what sort of texts attract them as a composer. When composers set poems to music, the words take on a level of their ...
Mondays, 10: AM-11:30 AM Pacific, September 14-November 2. Come join a small group of seasoned singers who want to hone their skills and become better at their craft. If you have sung in a local chorus, at church, at events, or even privately, this class will help you find better vocal technique and artistry, and will help you refine your voice and performance skills. (Choose AM or PM, not both.)
Mondays, 4:00 PM-5:30 PM Pacific, September 14-November 2. Come join a small group of seasoned singers who want to hone their skills and become better at their craft. If you have sung in a local chorus, at church, at events, or even privately, this class will help you find better vocal technique and artistry, and will help you refine your voice and performance skills. (Choose AM or PM, not both.)
Wednesdays, 10:00 AM-11:30 AM Pacific, September 16-November 4. A new option for Masterclass students; a course in German Lieder. Students will be assigned music by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Franz, Brahms, Wolf, Mahler and R. Strauss. The class will also cover German diction. Learn to love this beautiful art form and appreciate the marriage of poetry and masterfully composed music. Best for more advanced singers, or singers who have taken the Masterclass, and/or have had experience with the German language.
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:00 PM Pacific, September 16-November 4 (eight weeks). Unravel the mysteries of vocal technique with this course on the basics of singing. Cover everything from breathing, to resonance, to vocal health and more. Keep your voice in shape while sheltering in place, and learn some new skills to further your singing and build your voice. Good for beginners and seasoned veterans who want to brush up their skills.
Wednesdays, 4:00 PM-5:00 PM Pacific, September 16-November 4. For those who attended Beginning Sight-Singing or have some sight-singing experience. Daniel will enhance the class with tricks and hacks to make sight-singing easier. Sharpen your skills as sight readers and musicians. Class is progressive, so attendance is crucial. Don’t miss this chance to become more proficient at this basic skill. Prerequisite: Beginning Sight Singing (or permission of the teacher).
Wednesdays, 5:15 PM-6:15 PM Pacific, September 16-November 4. Can’t tell the difference between a B♭ and a flat tire? Have you sung in a choir for years and still don’t know what all the “hashtags” (#) mean? Let us unravel the not-so-secret code of good musicianship and sight-reading. We’ll help make your singing experience more enriching and fun by giving you the tools you need to not only help your whole choral experience but enlighten your musicianship skills as well. Each class will progressively cover different aspects of musicianship and sight-singing.
Treat your ears and eyes to an in-depth exploration of Debussy’s colorful and captivating Préludes for Piano, Book One, written in 1909-10. Susan Waterfall has assembled memorable historic and current performances. She’ll guide you through the visual and literary images that inspired Debussy to create sound worlds that had never before been imagined. You can ...
Hip. Imaginative. Fun. Fresh. Funky. Side Note is a group of seven twentysomethings, from wildly different musical backgrounds, who draw on their diversity to create an all-new sound. It's contemporary a cappella—pushed to the limits of pop, R&B, funk, rock, musical theater and jazz. Side Note will be giving a breakdown of how the group ...
This is the second part of Susan Waterfall’s opportunity to treat your ears and eyes to an in-depth exploration of Debussy’s colorful and captivating Préludes for Piano, Book One, written in 1909-10. She has assembled memorable historic and current performances, and will guide you through the visual and literary images that inspired Debussy to create ...
Kim Nalley’s interesting view of American music and her relationship to it will be supplemented by her insights into what made some of the singers from the past so great. There will be musical examples and, hopefully, fun will abound! GET FREE TICKET (required)
Two-day workshop, Sat-Sun December 12-13, 1:00-2:30 PM PST. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a set of symbols that linguists, singers and actors use to describe the sounds of spoken and sung languages. It will enable truer foreign language diction, as well as help with English diction. Understanding the IPA will help you learn how to pronounce with ease and understanding. Join Jenny and Daniel in a two-day workshop to enhance your singing, your foreign language accent or learn a new skill!
Two-day workshop, Sat-Sun January 16-17, 1:00-2:30 PM PST. Do you struggle with what to do with the words, your face, or your hands when you sing? Do you want to understand how to communicate better to an audience, to convey the meaning and depth or humor of your song? This two-day workshop will give you tools and help you work through your songs with deeper understanding. Bring a memorized musical theater song, aria (in any language), pop or art song to this class in acting styles for singers.
Rescheduled to January 22; originally scheduled for October 30. A discussion with baritone Christòpheren Nomura about his journey from the San Francisco Boys Choir to appearing on Broadway, and the various fascinating stops along the way. You might remember Christòpheren from his extraordinary and powerful performances at the 2018 Mendocino Music Festival, of the Brahms ...
Fridays, February 26 and March 5, 12:00-1:15 PM PST. Are you longing for world travel? Do you need a bit of Belle Époque Paris? Maybe you’re curious about musical modernism? Susan Waterfall is back, with Book Two of Debussy’s Préludes for Piano, which will provide you with all of the above. Armchair travel is a necessity during the pandemic. Historic and current performances along with fascinating art and photographs will bring to life Debussy’s final twelve preludes, written before the outbreak of World War One. Here’s another opportunity for lifelong learners to find out more about Debussy and deepen their appreciation of these gems of the piano repertoire.
Mondays, 4:00 PM-5:30 PM Pacific, January 25-March 15. Join us as we explore the great legacy of American songs spanning the 1920s through the 1960s. Singers will be assigned music that will enhance their sense of style while working on vocal and performance technique; and perform their selections in front of the class in collaboration with Daniel, creating their own unique performance.
Wednesdays, 4:00 PM-5:00 PM Pacific, January 27-March 17. Sight-Singing continues from the fall session and is designed to help you sharpen your skills as sight readers and musicians. Daniel will also enhance the class with the tricks and hacks to make sight singing easier. Two equal sessions (same level) are offered to keep the classes intimate.
Jenny Matteucci and Daniel Lockert never fail to delight viewers with their lively, informative and fun interview style; drawing out the personality of the guest artist while creating an engaging musical conversation. Hope Briggs, a native of New Jersey, drew a rave review from Opera News for her San Francisco Opera debut as the Duchess of ...
Mondays, 10:00 AM-11:30 AM Pacific, April 19-June 7. Learn to love this beautiful art form and appreciate the marriage of poetry and masterfully composed music. This session will delve deeper into the concept of the song cycle, as well as specific poets and themes.
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30 PM Pacific, April 21-June 9. A class for those who want to learn to sight sing, or brush up their skills from previous classes. Learn the basics of sight singing and good musicianship and be ready when all our choirs and singing groups meet again. Class is progressive, so attendance is crucial.
Another of Susan Waterfall’s fascinating virtual presentations, this time about Kurt Weill. This gives you an opportunity to learn more before you attend the July 18 Weill concert in Cotton Auditorium. What happens when an impeccably trained young German composer decides he wants a new audience? When a nice Jewish boy starts hanging out with ...
A smash hit at past Festivals, four-time Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys began as a group of friends getting kicked off the college campus for busking in Lafayette and have made a name for presenting their own inimitable brand of music. Hailing from southwest Louisiana, they are known for their wild shows, thoughtful arrangements and for ...
In the first classical concert, Maestro Allan Pollack will lead the string orchestra in Bach’s richly textured Brandenburg Concerto No. 3; Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major, his clever and elegant homage to Mozart; and Samuel Barber’s poignant Adagio for Strings, “one of the most universally recognizable pieces of American concert music,” which Barber ...
One of America's most eclectic immigrant composers is the incomparable Kurt Weill, with an array of music ranging from classical to Broadway. Join the Mattlock Duo (Jenny Matteucci and Daniel Lockert) and the Festival Chorale as they explore the breadth of Weill’s works, tracing his journey from the Weimar Republic, through his Paris years, and ...
Grammy-nominated guitarist Diego Figueiredo is a virtuoso with an infectious, joyful feeling that will leave you amazed. A brilliant musician who keeps the tradition of the true essence of Brazilian music, and at the same time can be extremely modern and innovative, he is an extraordinary star among the world's greatest jazz guitarists. Figueiredo’s superb ...
An enthusiast of the "Progressive" or "Art Rock" genre, and a performer in a couple of "Prog Rock" bands in the late 70s, Stephen Prutsman has been drawn to create solo piano (and fiendishly difficult) transcriptions of several Prog classics. For this short recital he's chosen "Sound Chaser" by YES and GENESIS' "Supper’s Ready." These ...
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the San Francisco-based Alexander String Quartet is widely admired for its interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, and Shostakovich. The group will play the innovative Haydn String Quartet in C Major, Ravel’s lyrical and virtuosic String Quartet in F, and Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor. The seventh of ...
The Hattie & Joe Craven Show is a duo project celebrating the value of music making and artful living within, and shared by, families. The presentation features a show curated by a father and his daughter, awakening each other to new possibilities as they each bring their influences to a multi-generational table. The result, is ...
The lively “Hoe-down” from Aaron Copland’s Rodeo will get this show on the road. Maestro Pollack will then lead the Festival String Orchestra in his own composition, Suite for My Sweets, written as a piece celebrating the Festival’s return to live music. Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings in E Major will round out the evening. One ...
Once a Leonard Cohen back-up singer, singer-songwriter Batalla launched her solo career with Cohen’s encouragement. The Grammy-nominated Batalla has recorded seven albums, written for both film and television, and toured worldwide. In this concert, expect "a mixed program of originals, Leo Cohen, Mexican ballads, maybe some Pete Seeger." Batalla’s gorgeous, rich, contralto voice adds another ...
This year’s Big Band Night will feature the great Kim Nalley, singing the most popular tunes and arrangements that she has performed over the past number of years. There will be great music, great soloing, and that good old feeling the band has been bringing to its audiences for decades. Whether playing Count Basie, Aretha ...
Eight Mondays, 10 AM-11:30 AM Pacific, October 4-November 22. Come join a small group of seasoned singers who want to hone their skills and become better at their craft. If you sing in a local chorus, at church, at events, or even privately, this class will help you find better vocal technique and artistry, and will help you refine your voice and performance skills.
Eight Mondays, 4:00-5:30 PM Pacific, October 4-November 22. Love musical theatre? Sing everything from songs of the early Golden Age to present-day musicals. Learn “monologuing,” a technique essential to creating a character and putting a song across.
Eight Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30 AM Pacific, October 5-November 23. Love to sing in French, or need to brush up your French? Explore songs for voice and piano from composers such as Berlioz, Fauré, Duparc, Hahn, Debussy and Poulenc, and perfect your singing pronunciation.
Join us for the virtual world premier of Susan Waterfall's Understanding Schubert—an 85-minute video biography, with art and portraits from Schubert’s era as well as 16 recorded musical excerpts, including nine lieder—wherein Waterfall explores the cultural context of Schubert’s life and music, his relationship with Romantic lyric poetry, and his position in the middle-class homes ...
Eight Mondays, 4:00 PM-5:00 PM PST (except April 18; May 16 session is at 12:00 PM Pacific). Due to the popularity of the German lieder and French melodie classes, we have decided to expand the class to art songs of many languages. Singing beautiful songs in German, French, Italian, Spanish, and English (British and American), we’ll delve into the poetry and the composers, addressing diction, style and presentation, and collaboration between voice and piano.
Join us for the exciting premiere of Susan Waterfall’s new film The Life and Art of Claude Debussy. Immerse yourself in the composer’s world, and enhance your experience of the many Debussy offerings in this summer’s Festival: the Festival Orchestra’s Afternoon of a Faun, the Calder’s performance of the String Quartet, Spencer Myer’s Pour le Piano, and the two narrated chamber music concerts Breakfast with Chou-Chou and Sounds and Perfumes of Evening.
Maestro Allan Pollack will open the Festival with The Phoenix, his new composition that celebrates the victory of life over death and hope over despair. Yevgeny Kutik will solo in Prokofiev’s ethereal Violin Concerto No. 1. The concert will conclude with Beethoven’s rhythmic and lively Symphony No. 7.
Super-group Hills to Hollers (Barbara Higbie, Vicki Randle, Laurie Lewis) explores the rich history and intertwined roots of the African-American and white musical traditions of the American south. Vicki Randle, of Mavis Staples, “Tonight Show” and Skip the Needle fame joins Laurie Lewis, two-time bluegrass female vocalist of the year and Barbara Higbie, a Grammy-nominated, ...
Join Debussy at the breakfast table with his wife and beloved daughter, Chou-Chou, as his imagination is stirred by the toys in the nursery, the paintings on the wall, and fantasies of sunlit ancient Greece. Susan Waterfall will play the “Children’s Corner” suite, Eric Kritz will join her on the Rhapsody for Clarinet and Piano, and Daniel Lockert will team up with her on Six Épigraphes Antiques. Two sonatas will round out the petit-déjeuner: the darkly humorous Sonata for Cello and Piano, and the magical Sonata for Flute, Harp and Viola.
Bay Area vocal band Business Casual explores a wide range of genres including pop, jazz, soul, folk and swing to produce fresh a cappella versions of vintage chart toppers, today's top 40 hits, and award-winning original songs. In 2020, their album, Voices Only Volume 2, hit the airwaves and in 2021, Business Casual won a ...
Audience favorite Spencer Myer returns to play Beethoven Sonata No. 27, Op. 90; Debussy’s Pour le Piano; and Chopin’s “The Four Impromptus.” Two pieces from Enrique Granados’ Goyescas suite—inspired by Goya’s paintings—will complete the program: Los requeibros and El amor y la muerte. CHOOSE SEATS AND BUY
Audience favorite Spencer Myer returns to play Beethoven Sonata No. 27, Op. 90; Debussy’s Pour le Piano; and Chopin’s “The Four Impromptus.” Two pieces from Enrique Granados’ Goyescas suite—inspired by Goya’s paintings—will complete the program: Los requeibros and El amor y la muerte. CHOOSE SEATS AND BUY
The vernacular Venezuelan term, bululú, means “a gathering of people with excitement.” The San Francisco Bay Area band launched by Venezuelan-born percussionist Lali Mejia and Mexican string expert and vocalist Jose Roberto Hernandez manifests kindred cultural streams flowing together harmoniously. The nine-piece combo of veteran performers draws on folkloric styles from Venezuelan, Colombian, Chilean, Cuban ...
