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.
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.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Created by Cara Butler and Jon and Nathan Pilatzke (longtime touring members of The Chieftains), The StepCrew combines Irish, Tap and Ottawa Valley Step dancing, music, and song. The virtuosic ...
Debussy’s symphonic poem, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, will take us into Debussy’s charming orchestral music. The mood will change with Mozart’s first orchestral masterpiece, Symphony No. 29. Jennifer Cho and Jonah Kim will be featured in Brahms’ last work for orchestra, the Concerto for Violin and Cello.
Back for a tenth year of sensitive and eloquent playing, the Calder Quartet will perform the Beethoven Quartet Op.18, No. 3, and the Debussy G-minor Quartet for Strings. In addition ...
A Chicano band from East Los Angeles, Las Cafeteras are known for their infectious live performances and music that fuses word and folk music with traditional Son Jarocho, Afro-Mexican music, ...
Jackie Gage is a jazz singer whose velvety voice, relaxed piano playing, and uplifting songwriting straddle the worlds of jazz, folk, and R&B. Born in San Jose, she relocated to ...
Debussy was interested in writing music that evoked feelings in listeners and in himself, and these pieces showcase his ability to conjure the mysterious atmosphere of night, moonlight, and erotic ...
Featured wines at this event When there is nothing left to do besides have good food and wine with friends, L’apéro is the part of the day when the French ...
Summit is a group of accomplished musicians playing together for the first time to make music that includes original compositions and classic standards from the Great American Songbook. Legendary drummer ...
The Washington Post called Gloria Cheng “one of the most adventurous interpreters of contemporary music around." Among the pieces she will play this year are “32 Garlands for Steven Stucky,” ...
The first part of this concert, “All Creatures Great and Small” will feature the Festival Chamber Chorale, directed by Jenny Matteucci, singing a menagerie of music from Renaissance to Contemporary, ...
The annual concert by the wonderfully talented young string players from the Festival’s Emerging Artists Program is anticipated by all who love hearing accomplished musicians interpret chamber music classics. CHOOSE ...
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "Kim Nalley is a vocal powerhouse with pipes to burn and works the stage like she means it." Put her in front of the seasoned Festival Big Band musicians and you have an evening of red-hot jazz, steamy blues, and sexy swing.
Classical composers have always been inspired by animals. Think of orchestral works like Carnival of the Animals by St. Saens or Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev. In the field ...
The Masterclass returns with a once-a-month “open mic” concept. Class participants can bring in music to sing in front of class with a live pianist. Jenny and Daniel will provide ...
The Mendocino Music Festival Chorale will perform a concert celebrating American composers, including music by Aaron Copland, Norman Dello Joio, Gwyneth Walker, and the lovely Frostiana by Randall Thompson. This ...
In-person film premier with Susan Waterfall. You’ve heard music by Ravel and probably loved it. You’ve heard random gossip about this secretive composer. Now’s your chance to experience Ravel’s life and music in its historic context. With contemporary art and photographs, and 26 musical excerpts...
Celebration! Toast to the Tent We hope you can join us as we return to our Tent Concert Hall. It’s time to joyfully celebrate our amazing Festival community and the ...
CJ Chenier, “The Crown Prince of Zydeco,” was born into an indigenous American culture with a distinctive language and music. The Creole son of Clifton Chenier, he started playing in ...
