SF Symphony: Verdi’s Requiem, Gordon Getty, Lang Lang
Salonen conducts Verdi’s Requiem, a powerful work for these turbulent times. Soloists include soprano Leah Hawkins, mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill, tenor Mario Chang, and bass Peixin Chen. The program also features several works by renowned local composer Gordon Getty: the Intermezzo from Goodbye, Mr. Chips; Saint Christopher; and The Old Man in the Snow. September 19–21. Tickets and information here.
On September 25, Lang Lang stops by for the Opening Gala, performing selections from Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2, and Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals. Tickets and information here.
Benicia Chamber Players: Cultural Spheres: Gabriela Lena Frank and Beethoven String Quartets
The Benicia Chamber Players open their 2024–2025 season with a pair of concerts celebrating cultural diversity. Berkeley native Gabriela Lena Frank’s Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout melds Western classical and Andean folk music traditions, guided by Peruvian writer José Maria Arguedas’ concept of mestizaje, where “cultures can coexist without the subjugation of one by the other.” Frank’s quartet appears alongside Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 2, Op. 59, written while Beethoven was still under Haydn’s tutelage. Tickets are FREE for students with valid ID. General Admission: $25. September 14–15 in Pleasanton and Benicia. Tickets and information here.
FREE: California Symphony: Beethoven’s Ninth Pop Up
California Symphony joins forces with the Amateur Music Network to present a free, open workshop and play-through of the finale of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Stop by to check it out, or bring your own instrument to play along! The event is free, but musicians who wish to participate must pre-register. Saturday, September 21, at the Water Light Public Plaza in Walnut Creek. More information here.
