Category Archives: Music

Cabrillo 2010 Wrapup

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Michael

The 2010 edition of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music is wrapping up tonight. Led by the brilliant music director Marin Alsop, this is always a highlight of the Northern Californian summer. This year proved no exception. Continue reading →

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The Amazing Sasha Cooke

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Michael

I was thinking the Barber and Bolcom were pretty sure to be outstanding, but I was skeptical about the spirituals. Those were what opened her part of the program, and they were incredible. Continue reading →

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Coming Up: Ravel and Bernstein at San Francisco Symphony

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Michael

Next week will be my last set of concerts with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus for this season. We will be singing Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. Michael Tilson Thomas will conduct. Continue reading →

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Coming Up: Swedish Choral Music at San Francisco Symphony

Posted on April 11, 2010 by Michael

This year’s concert features a lot of music that is new to most people in both the chorus and the audience. The first half is a selection of Swedish music by Fredrik Sixten, Ludvig Norman, Ingvar Lidholm, Sven-Eric Johanson, and Lars Edlund. Continue reading →

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New Was (Not Was) Compilation: Pick of the Litter 1980-2010

Posted on March 7, 2010 by Michael

The amazing, beyond-category band Was (Not Was) has a terrific new compilation out that covers their entire 30-year recording career: from the first single “Wheel Me Out” to their latest album Boo! How can one CD cover a 30 year … Continue reading →

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From Freischütz to Resurrection

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Michael

Our run of Der Freischütz at West Bay Opera concluded on Sunday. The innovative direction by Yuval Sharon had its fans and its detractors, but the singing was pretty well universally praised. As a member of the chorus, I was … Continue reading →

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Three Grammys for the SFS Mahler 8

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Michael

Back in September, I blogged that the San Francisco Symphony’s recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 was “one for the ages”, just as the concert performances were the preceding year. Tonight, that recording won three Grammy Awards: Best Classical Album … Continue reading →

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Coming Up: An American "Der Freischütz"

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Michael

Yesterday was our first staging rehearsal for West Bay Opera‘s upcoming production of Der Freischütz. I was already excited about getting the opportunity to perform this German masterwork that is rarely done in the USA. The cast is fabulous, full … Continue reading →

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