July 10-31: California Symphony Presents Fresh Look – The Symphony Exposed

July 10-31: California Symphony Presents Fresh Look – The Symphony Exposed

Four Wednesday Evening Classes from July 10-31, 2024, 6:30-8pm
Hosted by Award-Winning Instructor Scott Foglesong

Don Tatzin Community Hall at Lafayette Library 
3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | Lafayette, CA
Registration $30 for 4 Classes: www.californiasymphony.org/fresh-look 

“the most forward-looking organization around” –Mercury News

www.californiasymphony.org 

WALNUT CREEK, CA –  California Symphony presents Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed this July, expanding access to music education and offering a fun and informative introduction to classical music for “classically curious” adults in the Bay Area. Hosted by award-winning instructor Scott Foglesong, the four-part summer lecture series will be held on Wednesdays, July 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2024 from 6:30-8pm at Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation (3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA). Fresh Look provides an introduction to classical music and the rich offerings of California Symphony, making classical music and the orchestra accessible to a broader audience.

Previous participants of the program have described the course as “most enjoyable, very accessible to all, and PACKED with good info and good listening!” and called Scott Foglesong “knowledgeable and enthusiastic” with a “sense of humor and breadth of knowledge.” Scott Foglesong has been lecturing about music since 2011, first as a Professor of Music for the University of San Francisco’s Fromm Institute, followed by posts at the University of California, Berkeley, and, most recently, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has also served as pre-concert lecturer for the San Francisco Symphony, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and California Symphony.

The Fresh Look curriculum – which was developed by Scott Foglesong, California Symphony Music and Artistic Director Donato Cabrera, and General Manager Sunshine Deffner – explores the instruments of the orchestra, different musical periods and styles — including one class that focuses almost exclusively on Beethoven — and the state of classical music today. As a special end-of-course treat, the final class includes a live performance and Q&A with California Symphony musicians.

Since its initial launch in partnership with the Walnut Creek Library in 2018, the course has developed steady participation and interest among the Walnut Creek community. With a target of 25 participants, the 2018 pilot series attracted 63 individuals. In 2019, the course attracted 105 attendees – a 67% increase over the pilot year. The third course, offered in July 2020, was presented entirely online due to COVID, and it attracted 300 participants. The most recent in-person class in summer 2023 reached venue capacity with 160 people enjoying the course.

Fresh Look is a prime example of California Symphony’s dedication to strengthening music education and access within their local community. Of the Symphony’s many nationally recognized education and community programs – including their acclaimed Young American Composer-in-Residence program, the nationally recognized Sound Minds program for underserved local students, and new Education Concerts initiative – California Symphony is committed to providing diverse programming that provides an accessible entry point to top-tier classical music for all age groups and education levels.

The fee for Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed is $30 for the entire course, which can be redeemed toward the purchase of any adult-price California Symphony ticket for a 2024-25 season concert. California Symphony also offers an online version of the series for year-round on-demand viewing.

About Scott Foglesong: Scott Foglesong is a pianist, musician, teacher, writer, cat-lover, music history devotée, occasional computer geek and sometime programmer. He has been on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music since 1978; nowadays he serves as a department chair in addition to enjoying the honor of educating some of today's most promising young musicians. In 2008 he was named recipient of the Sarlo Family Foundation Award for excellence in teaching. He has taught Music 27 (Introduction to Music) for the Fall Freshman program at UC Berkeley since 1991, is associated with the San Francisco Symphony, both as a Contributing Writer and as an "Inside Music" lecturer for the Symphony's weekly subscription concerts, and is Program Annotator for the California Symphony, after formerly serving in the same capacity for the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, New Hampshire Music Festival, and Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra. Professor Foglesong was formally educated at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and the San Francisco Conservatory, but his informal education continues everywhere, without cease.

About California Symphony: Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Donato Cabrera since 2013. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that span the breadth of orchestral repertoire, including works by American composers and by living composers. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area. California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere. 

May 4 & 5: California Symphony's BRAHMS OBSESSIONS Explores the Relationship between Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann + World Premiere of Saad Haddad's Mishwar

Robert Thies, Donato Cabrera, California Symphony, and Saad Haddad. Hi res photos available here.

California Symphony's BRAHMS OBSESSIONS

Explores the Relationship between Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann
and Presents the World Premiere of Saad Haddad's Mishwar

 Led by Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director
Featuring Piano Soloist Robert Thies in Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto

In Concert May 4 and 5, 2024
At Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts

Continuing a season of performances honoring trailblazing composers and unique artists 

Tickets & Information: www.californiasymphony.org

WALNUT CREEK, CA – California Symphony and Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera conclude the 2023-24 season, featuring concerts that honor trailblazing composers and unique artists, with Brahms Obsessions on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 7:30pm and Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 4pm, at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek). The concerts reunite the music of two composers who shared an intense friendship – Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann – pairing his brilliant Symphony No. 1 with her only surviving Piano Concerto performed by featured soloist Robert Thies. The concerts also feature the world premiere performances of the first of three works to be commissioned by California Symphony from its 2023-2026 Young American Composer-in-Residence Saad Haddad. Haddad’s new work is Mishwar (in Arabic: مشوار), which translates as A Trip.

“We close our season with the performance of two works that allow us to ponder one of the most profound friendships of the 19th century. Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms shared a deep love and understanding of music and in her Piano Concerto and his Symphony No. 1, we can clearly hear their respective sensibilities and personalities,” says Donato Cabrera. “For Clara Schumann’s concerto, I am very excited to be introducing the extraordinary pianist, Robert Thies, to our audience. He brings an unparalleled musicianship and an intellectual understanding to his performances that I greatly admire. One of the defining characteristics of the California Symphony is its nationally recognized composer-in-residence program, and we will be introducing our new composer-in-residence, Saad Haddad, with the world premiere of his overture, Mishwar. Saad’s music is full of unique sounds and energy and Mishwar will surely intrigue and excite those that will hear these premiere performances.”

California Symphony’s concerts begin with Saad Haddad’s music, which explores the relationship between the West and the East by translating traditional Arab instruments to a Western symphonic context. Haddad has drawn Mishwar from his memories of family trips during his childhood, driving up the coast of California and playing what he calls “the Arabic game” during the car ride with his siblings. He says, “My dad liked to see who retained the most out of the Arabic language among the three of us, who were all born in the U.S.: ‘What color is that car?’; ‘Who can count to 20?’; ‘How do you say ‘sky’?’; and so on. None of us were quite good at this game, though the moments when one of us would remember a word or phrase would always bring joy for my dad.” Haddad describes the piece as, “a conversation, albeit quite a loud one, between both my identities: a coastal American trained in Western classical music, and the son of Jordanian and Lebanese immigrants attempting to retain the culture they themselves grew up in.” 

The concerts continue with Clara Schumann’s only surviving Piano Concerto, completed by the virtuosic pianist/prodigy two weeks before her sixteenth birthday and premiered with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by famed composer Felix Mendessohn in 1835. Described by The New York Times as “music’s unsung renaissance woman,” Schumann was an acclaimed composer and pianist in the 1800s. A passionate champion of new music, she was a child prodigy who became one of the 19th century’s foremost piano virtuosos, remaining active for over six decades. At age 21, she married composer Robert Schumann (then virtually unknown, while she commanded an international reputation), and went on to have eight children while maintaining a career as a performer and teacher, and encouraging her husband’s career. Her revolutionary Piano Concerto, which showcases Schumann’s trademark improvisatory style, will be performed by guest soloist Robert Thies, known for his “unerring, warm-toned refinement, revealing judicious glimmers of power” (Los Angeles Times), who captured international attention in 1995 when he became the first American since Van Cliburn to win the Gold Medal at a Russian piano competition.

Composers Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms shared an intense friendship, documented by personal diaries and letters between the two over decades. Brahms wrote in a letter to a friend, “I believe that I do not have more concern for and admiration for her than I love her and find love in her. I often have to restrain myself forcibly from just quietly putting my arms around her and even—: I don’t know, it seems to me so natural that she could not misunderstand.” Clara wrote in her diary, “There is the most complete accord between us… It is not his youth that attracts me: not, perhaps, my flattered vanity. No, it is the fresh mind, the gloriously gifted nature, the noble heart, that I love in him.”

The program concludes with Brahms’s powerful Symphony No. 1. Tortured by comparisons to Beethoven, it took Brahms 21 years to finish writing his first symphony. Some critics hailed the piece as “Beethoven’s tenth” in recognition of Brahms’s ultimate triumph. “Seldom, if ever, has the entire musical world awaited a composer’s first symphony with such tense anticipation,” said 19th century music critic Eduard Hanslick. “The new symphony is so earnest and complex, so utterly unconcerned with common effects, that it hardly lends itself to quick understanding… [but] even the layman will immediately recognize it as one of the most distinctive and magnificent works of the symphonic literature.”

Up next, California Symphony hosts its annual gala, Symphony Supper Club, on April 13, 2024 at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley. The honorary gala chair is Sharon Simpson, and the event co-chairs are Julie Basque and Abby Dye. The evening will transport guests back to the golden era of supper clubs, renowned for their elegance and timeless music. The event features a three-course dinner and auction; a performance by international jazz sensation, multi-instrumentalist, and star of Postmodern Jukebox Gunhild Carling; and dancing to the seductive, swinging stylings of the Gunhild Carling Band. More information. 

Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Donato Cabrera since 2013. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that span the breadth of orchestral repertoire, including works by American composers and by living composers. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area. California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere.

California Symphony’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by the Lesher Foundation. Single tickets are $45-90, and $20 for students 25 and under. A 30-minute pre-concert talk and Q&A led by lecturer Scott Fogelsong will begin one hour before each performance. More information is available at CaliforniaSymphony.org.

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS: 

WHAT: California Symphony presents Brahms Obsessions

In the California Symphony’s season finale, Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera reunites the music of Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann. Described by The New York Times as “music’s unsung renaissance woman,” Clara Schumann was an acclaimed composer and pianist in the 1800s. In this concert, her only surviving piano concerto is performed by featured soloist Robert Thies, alongside Brahms’ brilliant first symphony. Both the object of Brahms’ affections, Clara Schumann, and his mountainous task of succeeding Beethoven’s symphonic legacy is explored in the California Symphony’s program titled Brahms Obsessions. The music of Brahms and Clara Schumann are paired with the world premiere of California Symphony Resident Composer Saad Haddad’s newest work, Mishwar. Haddad’s music explores the relationship between the West and the East by translating traditional Arab instruments to a Western symphonic context.

California Symphony takes the stuffiness out of the concert experience: Take selfies at the photo booth, order a signature cocktail, and sip at your seat. Tickets include a free 30-minute pre-concert talk by award-winning instructor Scott Foglesong, starting one hour before the show.

WHEN: Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 7:30pm   
Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 4:00pm

WHERE: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek 

CONCERT:

BRAHMS OBSESSIONS
7:30pm, Saturday, May 4
4:00pm, Sunday, May 5
Donato Cabrera, conductor
California Symphony
Robert Thies, piano

PROGRAM:
Saad Haddad: Mishwar (مشوار) (World Premiere)
Clara Schumann: Piano Concerto
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1

TICKETS: Single tickets are $45-90 and $20 (for students 25 and under with valid Student ID).
INFO: For more information or to purchase tickets, the public may visit CaliforniaSymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Ticket Office at (925) 943-7469 (open Wed – Sun, noon to 6pm).
PHOTOS: Available here.

California Symphony Announces 2024-25 Season - Showcasing the Crowning Achievements of Composers at the Peak of their Powers

Photo by Kristen Loken. Hi res photos available here.

CALIFORNIA SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES 2024-2025 SEASON

Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director

Showcasing the Crowning Achievements of Composers at the Peak of their Powers

Featuring the Final Symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Bruckner

and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony

Plus a World Premiere by 2023-2026 Composer-in-Residence Saad Haddad
New Works by Carlos Simon and Mason Bates
Joaquin Rodrigo’s Famous Guitar Concerto
and Rarely Performed Music by Louise Farrenc and Grażyna Bacewicz

“a performance of vividness and grace” – San Francisco Chronicle 

“the past decade has seen [Donato Cabrera] accomplishing great things — revitalizing the organization with smart programs and offstage innovations, making the California Symphony one of the region’s most vibrant musical attractions.” – Mercury News 

Subscriptions available now. Single tickets go on sale in July.

CaliforniaSymphony.org

WALNUT CREEK, CA (February 22, 2024) – California Symphony, led by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera and Executive Director Lisa Dell, announces its 2024-2025 season, showcasing the crowning achievements of composers at the peak of their powers in five imaginative programs over ten concerts at Hoffman Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Performing Arts from September 2024 to May 2025.

Illustrating California Symphony’s signature approach to creating vibrant concert programs that span the breadth of orchestral repertoire, this season features the iconic final symphonies of titans of classical music Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; the unfinished masterpieces of Anton Bruckner and Franz Schubert; a Grammy-winning Disney Fantasia-esque concerto for film and orchestra by Bay Area composer Mason Bates paired with Benjamin Britten’s lively introduction to the ensemble; a world premiere by the orchestra’s 2023-2026 Young American Composer-in-Residence Saad Haddad; a recent work by Grammy-nominated composer and Kennedy Center composer-in-residence Carlos Simon; Joaquin Rodrigo’s famous tour-de-force guitar concerto Concierto de Aranjuez; and rarely performed music by 19th-century French composer Louise Farrenc and 20th-century Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz.

“In celebrating the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, it became clear to me that an interesting journey for our audience would be to hear the final symphony of a great composer at each concert of the 2024-2025 season,” Donato Cabrera says. “I’ve paired these five final symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Bruckner, with contrasting orchestral works, some of which are completely new, while others are very well known. We continue our deep commitment to living and overlooked composers by performing a diverse list of works from our current and former composers-in-residence and others throughout the season. We are re-establishing a partnership we began pre-pandemic with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music [SFCM] Chorus, as well as welcoming guitar soloist and SFCM faculty member, Meng Su. It has been a dream of mine to pair Schubert’s unfinished symphony with Bruckner's, but performing these two extraordinary symphonies together requires a very special bond between conductor and orchestra. Indeed, very few orchestras could successfully summit both of these masterpieces, but this concert will confirm why my colleagues in the California Symphony have rightfully gained such a well-deserved national reputation.” 

California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through its commitment to community, imaginative programming, and support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere, serving a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area. During the 2023-2024 season, the orchestra enjoyed a 27% increase in subscribers, meeting or exceeding pre-pandemic attendance at its concerts.

In the 2024-2025 season, California Symphony will continue to serve its community beyond the stage through its nationally recognized educational initiative Sound Minds and its innovative lifelong learning program Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed. It will also expand its programs for vulnerable populations at Trinity Center Walnut Creek and initiate new community partnerships to reach more underserved youth throughout Contra Costa County.

BEETHOVEN’S NINTH
Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 7:30pm
Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 4pm 

Louise Farrenc: Overture No. 2 in E-flat
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Laquita Mitchell, soprano; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Phan, tenor;
Allen Michael Jones, bass; San Francisco Conservatory of Music Chorus, Eric Choate, Director

California Symphony launches its season with two thrilling concerts marking the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, a monumental masterpiece that celebrates our shared humanity. The concerts open with a vivacious and powerful overture by pioneering 19th-century French composer Louise Farrenc, who was well known during her lifetime but whose work is only now being performed widely. Instantly recognizable, Beethoven's final symphony is widely regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces in classical music. Four internationally acclaimed singers with Bay Area connections –  Laquita Mitchell, soprano; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Phan, tenor; and Allen Michael Jones, bass – join the California Symphony and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) Chorus. Powerful and uplifting, the work’s final movement Ode to Joy has become an enduring anthem for unity.

BRAHMS ODYSSEY
Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 7:30pm
Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 4pm

Benjamin Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Mason Bates: Philharmonia Fantastique – The Making of the Orchestra
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No.4, Op. 98, E minor                                                      

California Symphony’s November concerts take audience members on an odyssey through the orchestra. Benjamin Britten’s lively Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra uses a catchy theme to introduce different instruments in the orchestra, making it a great way to learn about the symphony. Former California Symphony Resident Composer Mason Bates invokes the spirit of Disney’s classic Fantasia in his Grammy-winning concerto for orchestra and animated film, Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra, guided by a mischievous sprite. Brahms' Symphony No. 4 – his final symphony – is a deeply emotional, poignant masterpiece. Even though Brahms lived for more than a decade after its premiere, it was the last symphony he wrote, with many considering it to be the pinnacle of his career.

MOZART SERENITY
Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 7:30pm
Sunday, February 2, 2025 at 4pm

Carlos Simon: Breathe
Joaquin Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez
Meng Su, guitar
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No.41, K.551, C Major (“Jupiter”) 

California Symphony’s first concerts of 2025 combine a calming meditation by composer Carlos Simon, a world-famous Spanish guitar concerto by Joaquin Rodrigo, and Mozart’s classical grandeur. Inspired by the words of theologian and former San Francisco resident Howard Thurman, Simons’ Breathe is a serene appeal to “stay put for a while.” For music lovers and guitar enthusiasts alike, Rodrigo's iconic Concierto de Aranjuez, performed with the stunningly virtuosic San Francisco-based guitarist Meng Su, features evocative melodies and distinctive Spanish guitar solos, designed to transport listeners to another time and place. A majestic, intricate, exuberant masterpiece, Mozart's final symphony, his Symphony No. 41, is one of his most celebrated and frequently performed works, showcasing a genius at the height of his powers. The work is commonly known as the “Jupiter” Symphony for the Roman god because of its grand scale.

TCHAIKOVSKY PASSION
Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 7:30pm
Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 4pm 

Saad Haddad: World Premiere (Commissioned by California Symphony)
Grażyna Bacewicz: Piano Concerto
David Fung, piano
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (“Pathétique”)

California Symphony’s March concerts feature music that is full of emotion and high drama, concluding with Tchaikovsky’s powerful final symphony, Symphony No. 6. The concerts begin with the world premiere of Composer-in-Residence Saad Haddad’s second commission for the orchestra. Haddad’s music frequently delves into the relationship between the West and the East by transferring the performance techniques of traditional Arab instruments to Western symphonic instruments. Pianist David Fung, praised by The Washington Post for his “poetic and exquisitely sculpted interpretations,” makes his California Symphony debut as soloist in 20th century Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz’s Piano Concerto. Bacewicz incorporates Polish folk themes in this work which features intense moments of drama and a demanding and virtuosic solo piano part. Tchaikovsky’s sixth and final symphony is also known as the “Pathétique,” but the composer originally called it the “Passionate.” Grand, sweeping, and with themes recognizable from movies and pop culture, it is one of the Russian melody master’s most popular and frequently performed works. 

UNFINISHED BRUCKNER
Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 7:30pm
Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 4pm

Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8, D.759, B minor (Unfinished)
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 (Unfinished)

California Symphony concludes its 2024-2025 season with a striking pair of unfinished masterpieces, each marking the pinnacle of achievement for the composer. The orchestra will perform the two surviving movements of Franz Schubert’s haunting and beautiful Symphony No. 8. Declining health, hesitation over how to continue the piece, work overload, or even that the pages were completed but ultimately lost . . . theories abound, but no one really knows why Schubert never finished it. The three completed movements of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 conclude the program, showcasing his signature big symphonic sound, iconic themes, and brass fanfares. Featuring one of the largest ensembles to take the stage during the season, Bruckner’s unfinished Symphony No. 9 makes a fittingly epic grand finale to California Symphony’s 2024-2025 season. 

Concert Details:

Location for All Performances: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts; 1601 Civic Drive; Walnut Creek, CA

Ticket Information: Subscriptions for three, four, or five concerts start at $99 and are available now, with single tickets ($45-90) and student tickets ($20 for students 25 and under with valid Student ID) going on sale in July. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit CaliforniaSymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Ticket Office at (925) 943-7469 (open Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6pm).

About the California Symphony:

Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera since 2013. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that span the breadth of orchestral repertoire, including works by American composers and by living composers. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area.

California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere.

Since 1991, California Symphony's three-year Young American Composer-in-Residence program has provided a composer with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with the orchestra over three consecutive years to create, rehearse, premiere, and record three major orchestra compositions, one each season. Every Composer-in-Residence has gone on to win top honors and accolades in the field, including the Rome Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Awards, and more.

The orchestra's nationally recognized educational initiative Sound Minds impacts students' trajectories by providing instruction for violin or cello and musicianship skills. Sound Minds has proven to contribute directly to improved reading and math proficiencies and character development, as students set and achieve goals, learn communication and problem-solving skills, and gain self-confidence. Inspired by the El Sistema program of Venezuela, the program is offered completely free of charge to the students and families of Downer Elementary School in San Pablo, California.

Through its innovative adult education program Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed, California Symphony provides lifelong learners a fun-filled introduction to the orchestra and classical music. Led by celebrated educator and California Symphony program annotator Scott Foglesong, these live classes are held over four weeks in the summer annually and are available to stream online year-round.

In 2017, California Symphony became the first orchestra with a public statement of a commitment to diversity. Its website is available in both Spanish and English.

Reaching far beyond the performance hall, since 2020 the orchestra's concerts have been broadcast nationally on multiple radio series through Classical California (KUSC/KDFC) and the WFMT Radio Network, reaching over 1.5 million listeners across the country. 

For more information, visit CaliforniaSymphony.org.

California Symphony’s 2024-25 season is sponsored by the Lesher Foundation.

California Symphony Concerts Broadcast on Radio Stations Across the Country Starting March 2024

Photo by Kristen Loken. Hi res photos available here.

CALIFORNIA SYMPHONY CONCERTS TO BE BROADCAST ON RADIO STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY STARTING IN MARCH 2024

AS PART OF WFMT ORCHESTRA SERIES

Led by Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director

“These days in the Bay Area, the California Symphony may be the most forward-looking music organization around.”
– Mercury News 

CaliforniaSymphony.org

WALNUT CREEK, CA – California Symphony, led by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera, will be heard on 68 radio stations covering 338 markets across the country starting in March 2024, as part of the WFMT Radio Network’s Orchestra Series. The orchestra’s live concert recordings are featured as part of the Winter 2024 installment of WFMT’s Orchestra Series, which also includes the Dresden Staatskapelle, The Hallé, Royal Liverpool Orchestra, German Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, and China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts. The series also includes performances from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony.

Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Donato Cabrera since 2013. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that span the breadth of orchestral repertoire, including works by American composers and by living composers. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area. California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere. 

The California Symphony programs to be broadcast nationwide feature riveting new orchestral pieces by composers Viet Cuong, Anna Clyne, and Gabriela Lena Frank and stunning performances by soloists Sarah Cahill, piano; Inbal Segev, cello; Charlie Albright, piano; and Nathan Chan, cello. Stations broadcasting the California Symphony’s programs include WQXR in New York, NY; WFMT in Chicago, IL; WRTI in Philadelphia, PA; WCLV in Cleveland, OH; WBJC in Baltimore, MD; KCNV in Las Vegas, NV; KMFA in Austin, TX; KBCS in Seattle, WA; and many more. Check local listings for schedules.

“I’m very excited and proud to be sharing these live performances by my incredible California Symphony colleagues and extraordinary soloists, with a radio audience that spans the entire country,” says Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera. “The repertoire we perform is diverse and eclectic, truly showcasing and celebrating the music that only an orchestra can offer.”

“Bringing a new piece of music into the world is an exhilarating and rewarding experience, and I am grateful to the WFMT Radio Network for providing California Symphony with a platform to showcase the richness of the orchestral repertoire alongside the music we commission and perform,” says California Symphony Executive Director Lisa Dell. “California Symphony’s commitment to highlighting the vibrancy of classical music makes our performances a thrilling and accessible experience for all.”

California Symphony’s four programs as part of this WFMT Orchestra Series are:

PROGRAM 1
California Symphony’s first broadcast program features the premiere performance of Stargazer by recent Composer-in-Residence Viet Cuong, with Sarah Cahill at the piano. Walton’s Symphony No. 1 continues Donato Cabrera’s exploration of works written around the time of the Second World War, and Ravel’s audience favorite Mother Goose Suite ends the program.

PROGRAM 2
Donato Cabrera leads the California Symphony in a program of dances and melodies in the second broadcast program. Kodály’s Dances of Galánta begins the concert, contrasted with Anna Clyne’s DANCE for Cello and Orchestra, featuring cellist Inbal Segev as soloist. Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk’s emotional and tragic Melody begins the second half. The program concludes with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, which uses Ukrainian folk songs to great effect. 

PROGRAM 3
The third broadcast from California Symphony brings a rousing set of works from Bernstein, Debussy, and Gabriela Lena Frank all focused on the theme of dance. Nestled in between, hear pianist Charlie Albright perform Beethoven’s virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 3.

PROGRAM 4
In this final program, California Symphony celebrates the music of Viet Cuong with his emotional and intricate work Next Week’s Trees, commissioned by the California Symphony early in Cuong’s tenure as Composer-in-Residence with the orchestra. Captivating cellist Nathan Chan performs Elgar’s Cello Concerto, and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony concludes the concert.

ABOUT THE WFMT RADIO NETWORK
The WFMT Radio Network, the international syndication division of award-winning Chicago classical music station WFMT, distributes radio series and specials worldwide with a mission to enrich lives, engage communities, and inspire exploration. In addition to these broadcasts, the Network’s portfolio includes concerts by the Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, topic-based series such as Collectors’ Corner, Fiesta!, Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin, and more.

California Symphony Presents Mozart Serenades Conducted by Donato Cabrera and Featuring Violinist Jennifer Cho

CALIFORNIA SYMPHONY PRESENTS MOZART SERENADES

Led by Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director

In Concert March 16 & 17, 2024
At Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts

Featuring Richard Strauss’s Serenade and Mozart’s Serenade No. 10 (Gran Partita)
Plus Jennifer Cho in Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Violin with Five Percussionists 

Continuing a season of performances honoring trailblazing composers and unique artists 

Tickets & Information: www.californiasymphony.org

WALNUT CREEK, CA – California Symphony and Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera continue the 2023-24 season, featuring concerts that honor trailblazing composers and unique artists, with Mozart Serenades on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 4pm, at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek). These performances explore the unique, individual sounds of the orchestra in a program which beautifully showcases woodwinds, brass, and percussion – from Richard Strauss’s popular Serenade to Lou Harrison’s compelling Concerto for Violin with Five Percussionists and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Serenade No. 10 (Gran Partita).

“As we have shown with our very popular concerts for string orchestra, there is a treasure trove of music worth exploring that showcases the various sections of the orchestra,” says Donato Cabrera. “For this concert, I’ve chosen two serenades for woodwinds and brass, one by Richard Strauss and another by Wolfgang Mozart. These two serenades, which are multi-movement works, showcase the variety of beautiful sounds that can only come from these incredible collections of wind instruments. The California Symphony has a long and deep connection to the music of the legendary Bay Area composer Lou Harrison, and his Concerto for Violin and Five Percussionists, with our incredible concertmaster, Jennifer Cho, will showcase the uniquely inclusive sounds of this very special composer.”

Written when he was 17-years-old, Richard Strauss’s lively Serenade opens these performances. Strauss drew inspiration from his famous horn-playing father in this work. While its classical style shows some influence of Mozart and Mendelssohn, Strauss was able to turn Serenade into something remarkably original. Full of achingly beautiful lyricism and rich wind scoring, Serenade enjoys a special position among Strauss’ works. 

The California Symphony returns to the music of American maverick composer and longtime Bay Area resident Lou Harrison in these concerts. Concertmaster Jennifer Cho is featured in his rhythmic Concerto for Violin with Five Percussionists. Both fabulously virtuosic and fervently expressive, Concerto for Violin with Five Percussionists includes a variety of unorthodox percussion instruments – from wash tubs to coffee cans, flowerpots, and other “junk percussion” that Harrison discovered while rummaging with his colleague John Cage. A California native, Jennifer Cho has been California Symphony’s Concertmaster since 2017 and has been a guest Concertmaster of the Reno Philharmonic, Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Mendocino Music Festival, Sarasota Opera, Merola Opera, the New Hampshire Music Festival, and the Skywalker Sundance Orchestra. 

Finishing the program is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s effervescent Gran Partita wind serenade, a seven-movement tour de force. One of the most notable works for wind ensemble, Gran Partita is famous for its clever harmonies, sparkling textures, and beautiful melodies. In the 1984 movie Amadeus, Mozart’s rival Salieri hears the Gran Partita and famously proclaims, “It seemed to me that I was hearing the voice of God.”

Up next, the California Symphony hosts its annual gala, Symphony Supper Club, on April 13, 2024 at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley. The honorary gala chair is Sharon Simpson, and the event co-chairs are Julie Basque and Abby Dye. The evening will transport guests back to the golden era of supper clubs, renowned for their elegance and timeless music. The event features a three-course dinner and auction; a performance by international jazz sensation, multi-instrumentalist, and star of Postmodern Jukebox Gunhild Carling; and dancing to the seductive, swinging stylings of the Gunhild Carling Band.

On May 4 and  5, 2024 at the Lesher Center for the Arts, the California Symphony reunites the music of Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann in Brahms Obsessions. Described by The New York Times as “music’s unsung renaissance woman,” Clara Schumann was an acclaimed composer and pianist in the 1800s. In these concerts, her only surviving piano concerto is performed by featured soloist Robert Thies, alongside Brahms’ brilliant first symphony. Both the object of Brahms’ affections, Clara Schumann, and his mountainous task of succeeding Beethoven’s symphonic legacy, are showcased in this program. The music of Brahms and Clara Schumann is accompanied by a world premiere of California Symphony Resident Composer Saad Haddad’s newest work. Haddad’s music explores the relationship between the West and the East by translating traditional Arab instruments to a Western symphonic context.

Founded in 1986, California Symphony is in its eleventh season under the leadership of Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that combine classics alongside American repertoire and works by living composers and for making the symphony welcoming and accessible. The orchestra includes musicians who perform with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, and others. Committed to developing new talent, California Symphony has launched the careers of some of today’s most well-known artists, including violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, cellists Alisa Weilerstein and Joshua Roman, pianist Kirill Gerstein, and composers Mason Bates, Christopher Theofanidis, and Kevin Puts.

California Symphony’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by the Lesher Foundation. Single tickets are $45-90, and $20 for students 25 and under. A 30-minute pre-concert talk and Q&A led by lecturer Scott Fogelsong will begin one hour before each performance. More information is available at CaliforniaSymphony.org. 

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS: 

WHAT: California Symphony presents Mozart Serenades 

The California Symphony conducted by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera showcases the unique and individual sounds of woodwinds, brass, and percussion in Mozart Serenades. Written when he was 17-years-old, Richard Strauss’ lively Serenade opens the night of wind music. Finishing the program is Mozart’s sparkling “Gran Partita” wind serenade. In the 1984 movie Amadeus, Mozart’s rival Salieri hears the Gran Partita and famously proclaims, “It seemed to me that I was hearing the voice of God.” Between these two giants of the wind repertoire, the California Symphony performs the music of American maverick composer Lou Harrison. Concertmaster Jennifer Cho is featured in his rhythmic Concerto for Violin with Five Percussionists. A California native, Jennifer Cho has been invited in recent seasons to be guest Concertmaster of the Reno Philharmonic, Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Mendocino Music Festival, Sarasota Opera, Merola Opera, the New Hampshire Music Festival, and the Skywalker Sundance Orchestra.

California Symphony takes the stuffiness out of the concert experience: Take selfies at the photo booth, order a signature cocktail, and sip at your seat. Tickets include a free 30-minute pre-concert talk by award-winning instructor Scott Foglesong, starting one hour before the show.

WHEN: Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 7:30pm   
Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 4:00pm

WHERE: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

CONCERT:
MOZART SERENADES
7:30pm, Saturday, March 16
4:00pm, Sunday, March 17

Donato Cabrera, conductor
California Symphony

Jennifer Cho, violin

PROGRAM:
Richard Strauss: Serenade
Lou Harrison: Concerto for Violin with Five Percussionists
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No. 10 (Gran Partita)

TICKETS: Single tickets are $45-90 and $20 (for students 25 and under with valid Student ID).

INFO: For more information or to purchase tickets, the public may visit CaliforniaSymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Ticket Office at (925) 943-7469 (open Wed – Sun, noon to 6pm).

PHOTOS: Available here.

California Symphony presents Gershwin in New York featuring the Marcus Roberts Trio

CALIFORNIA SYMPHONY PRESENTS GERSHWIN IN NEW YORK

Led by Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director

In Concert January 27 & 28, 2024
At Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts

Featuring the Marcus Roberts Trio celebrating the 100th Birthday of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

Plus William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony & Samuel Barber’s Symphony No. 1

Continuing a season of performances honoring trailblazing composers and unique artists

Tickets & Information: www.californiasymphony.org

Meet the Trailblazers of Gershwin in New York

WALNUT CREEK, CA – California Symphony and Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera continue the 2023-24 season, featuring concerts that honor trailblazing composers and unique artists, with Gershwin in New York, a program that spotlights the promise of the American Dream, on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 7:30pm and Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 4pm, at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek).

Gershwin in New York features famed jazz combo the Marcus Roberts Trio – jazz pianist Marcus Roberts, NEA Jazz Master drummer Jason Marsalis, and bassist Marty Jaffe – in a modern interpretation to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which celebrates its 100th birthday in 2024. The trio comes to the California Symphony directly after their Carnegie Hall performance of this work with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The program opens with Symphony No. 1 by Samuel Barber, most famously known for his Adagio for Strings. Barber’s symphony takes the major elements of a traditional four-movement symphony and condenses them into one. William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony takes its themes from traditional spirituals. The piece enjoyed a rapturous reception at its Carnegie Hall debut in 1934. A New York Times critic called it “the most distinctive and promising American symphonic proclamation which has so far been achieved," while the New York World-Telegram praised the work for its “imagination, warmth, drama – (and) sumptuous orchestration.” Despite its early success, it soon disappeared into obscurity and is only now being rediscovered and celebrated almost a century later. 

“In celebrating the centennial of Gershwin’s extraordinary Rhapsody in Blue, I wanted to showcase other pieces that had also received momentous performances in New York City, performances that not only changed the trajectory of the composition itself, but also the career of the composer who wrote it,” says Cabrera. “Alongside his Adagio for Strings, the initial performances of Samuel Barber’s Symphony No. 1, especially the March 24, 1937 Carnegie Hall performance with Artur Rodzinski and the New York Philharmonic, firmly established Barber’s presence as a new voice for American music. I can’t think of another composition with such a lauded premiere as William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony to then fall into such absolute obscurity. After its November 1934 Carnegie Hall premiere by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra, a performance that was enthusiastically received by the audience and lauded by the critics, the Negro Folk Symphony became an unfortunate tragedy of racism. Dawson couldn’t entice a single publisher to publish it, or a single conductor to program it. With a new edition finally available just this year, I am very excited to offer this masterpiece to the California Symphony audience!” 

Marcus Roberts and his trio first performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with orchestra in Chicago in 1995. Jazz critic Howard Reich wrote, “To say that Roberts ‘improvised’ this Rhapsody actually may be an understatement, for it implies that he simply embellished Gershwin’s score. In fact, Roberts radically reconceived the piano part, using Gershwin’s basic melodic material to create new themes, unexpected harmonies and bracing, utterly modern dissonances. ... By offering sections of stride piano, steeped-in-blue chord progressions and plaintive countermelodies of his own, Roberts made this his Rhapsody as much as Gershwin’s.”

William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony is only now widely being recognized as an American masterpiece, 90 years after its premiere, with orchestras across the country performing it over the last three years. In a feature about the piece, NPR reported, “The three-movement piece is emotionally charged and rigorously constructed. Dawson said he wasn't out to imitate Beethoven or Brahms, but wanted those who heard it to know that it was ‘unmistakably not the work of a white man.’ He found inspiration for the piece in traditional spirituals, which he preferred to call ‘Negro folk-music.’”

Composed when he was 25 years old, Samuel Barber wrote his Symphony No. 1 (In One Movement) in 1934 while studying at the American Academy in Rome, later revising it in 1942. In it, he combines the elements of a four-movement symphony, capturing the lyricism, drama, and intensity of a full symphony, all within one movement. “Probably no other American composer has ever enjoyed such early, such persistent and such long-lasting acclaim,” wrote The New York Times about Barber.

Founded in 1986, California Symphony is in its eleventh season under the leadership of Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that combine classics alongside American repertoire and works by living composers and for making the symphony welcoming and accessible. The orchestra includes musicians who perform with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, and others. Committed to developing new talent, California Symphony has launched the careers of some of today’s most well-known artists, including violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, cellists Alisa Weilerstein and Joshua Roman, pianist Kirill Gerstein, and composers Mason Bates, Christopher Theofanidis, and Kevin Puts.

California Symphony’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by the Lesher Foundation. The November concerts are sponsored by the Heller Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Three-concert subscriptions start at $99 and are available now, along with single tickets ($45-90, and $20 for students 25 and under). More information is available at CaliforniaSymphony.org. A 30-minute pre-concert talk and Q&A led by lecturer Scott Fogelsong will begin one hour before each performance.

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS:

WHAT: California Symphony presents Gershwin in New York

The California Symphony conducted by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera presents Gershwin in New York, a program that spotlights the promise of the American Dream. Famed jazz combo the Marcus Roberts Trio – jazz pianist Marcus Roberts, NEA Jazz Master drummer Jason Marsalis, and bassist Marty Jaffe – brings a modern interpretation to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which celebrates its 100th birthday in 2024. The concert opens with Symphony No. 1 by Samuel Barber, most famously known for his Adagio for Strings. Barber’s symphony takes the major elements of a traditional four-movement symphony and condenses them into one. William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony takes its themes from traditional spirituals. The piece enjoyed a rapturous reception at its Carnegie Hall debut in 1934, and a New York Times critic called it “the most distinctive and promising American symphonic proclamation which has so far been achieved." Despite its early success, it soon disappeared into obscurity and is only now being rediscovered and celebrated almost a century later.

California Symphony takes the stuffiness out of the concert experience: Take selfies at the photo booth, order a signature cocktail, and sip at your seat. Tickets include a free 30-minute pre-concert talk by award-winning instructor Scott Foglesong, starting one hour before the show.

WHEN: Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 7:30pm
Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 4:00pm

WHERE: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

TICKETS: Capacity is limited and free tickets, which are available at californiasymphony.org/festival, are required for entry.

WHAT: California Symphony presents Handel–Rivers of Inspiration

California Symphony presents Rivers of Inspiration, a concert featuring the music of George Frideric Handel, Viet Cuong, and Robert Schumann. Opening the program is the highly anticipated world premiere of California Symphony’s 2020-2023 composer-in-residence Viet Cuong’s Chance of Rain. Robert Schumann’s exuberant Symphony No. 3 and Handel’s spectacular Water Music, Suites No. 1 and No. 2 accompany Viet Cuong’s world premiere. These concerts are part of the statewide California Festival, showcasing the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in the past five years.

WHEN: Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 7:30 pm   
Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 4:00 pm

WHERE: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

CONCERT:
GERSHWIN IN NEW YORK
7:30pm, Saturday, Jan. 27
4:00pm, Sunday, Jan. 28
Donato Cabrera, conductor
California Symphony
The Marcus Roberts Trio
PROGRAM:
Samuel Barber: Symphony No. 1, in One Movement
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
William Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony

TICKETS: Three-concert subscriptions start at $99 and are available now. Single tickets are $45-90 and $20 (for students 25 and under with valid Student ID).

INFO: For more information or to purchase tickets, the public may visit CaliforniaSymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Ticket Office at (925) 943-7469 (open Wed – Sun, noon to 6pm).

PHOTOS: Available here.

California Symphony presents Handel-Rivers of Inspiration

CALIFORNIA SYMPHONY PRESENTS HANDEL–RIVERS OF INSPIRATION

Led by Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director
Featuring the World Premiere of Viet Cuong’s Chance of Rain
Part of the California Festival

In Concert November 11 and 12, 2023
At Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts

California Symphony also presents Composing the Future: A Panel Discussion hosted by KDFC’s Dianne Nicolini on November 7 as part of the Statewide California Festival

Continuing a season of performances honoring trailblazing composers and unique artists

Tickets & Information: californiasymphony.org/festival

WALNUT CREEK, CA – California Symphony and Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera continue the 2023-24 season, featuring concerts that honor trailblazing composers and unique artists, with Handel–Rivers of Inspiration, on Saturday, November 11 at 7:30pm and Sunday, November 12 at 4pm at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek). These concerts are part of the statewide California Festival, showcasing the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in the past five years.

California Symphony presents a line-up of water-inspired works for Handel—Rivers of Inspiration, including the highly-anticipated world premiere of Chance of Rain by the Symphony’s 2020-2023 Young American Composer-in-Residence Viet Cuong. Composed shortly after his father’s death, Cuong’s inspiration for this work came from early mornings spent as a child, watching the weather report over breakfast before practicing the piano while his father listened. Says Cuong, “The process of writing it has also reminded me that—while rain may fall—our fondest memories can keep us dry.” The program continues with George Frideric Handel’s Water Music, Suites No. 1 and No. 2. Jolly, jaunty, and packed with catchy tunes, the work was met with acclaim during its premiere at an outdoor concert on London’s River Thames in 1717 – so much so that King George I commanded the musicians to play it through three times over. An ingenious blend of popular styles of the day, Water Music is still among the most popular of Handel’s pieces. The program concludes with Robert Schumann’s euphoric Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish). Composed in a little over a month, Symphony No. 3 was inspired by a happy, peaceful trip that Schumann took with his wife Clara in the German countryside. Full of joyful rhythms and inventive melodies, the work beautifully captures the sights and sounds as the Rhine River rolls through the scenic landscape. 

"While the most well-known piece on these concerts may be Handel's Water Music, I created this program as a tribute to our outgoing composer in residence, Viet Cuong,” says Cabrera. “When I found out that Viet's piece was titled Chance of Rain and inspired by the metaphorical significance of water, I wanted to pair his piece with other compositions from the past that used water as a signifier of time, place, and meaning. Spanning over three hundred years, the music on this program will also reveal the incredible breadth of style that an orchestra like the California Symphony can perform."

California Symphony additionally offers as part of the California Festival, Composing the Future: A Panel Discussion on Tuesday, November 7 at 7:30pm in the Lesher Center for the Arts. Moderated by San Francisco’s Classical KDFC host Dianne Nicolini and featuring panelists San Francisco Symphony CEO Matthew Spivey, composer Viet Cuong, and pianist Sarah Cahill, the panel discussion will explore how collaborations shape classical music. Guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary drink alongside a conversation into the future and evolution of contemporary classical music as well as the challenges and opportunities that composers, performers, presenters, and audiences face. Capacity is limited and free tickets, which are available at californiasymphony.org/festival, are required for entry.

The California Symphony’s November 11 and 12 concerts open with the premiere performances of Viet Cuong’s Chance of Rain. Inspired by the everyday, Cuong’s Chance of Rain reminisces on moments from childhood, finding comfort and shelter in memories. Chance of Rain uses the large ensemble to its fullest extent, acoustically creating an echoed delay, which embodies the task of remembering. Cuong develops a “thrilling experience” (San Francisco Classical Voice) of musical memory through Chance of Rain, reflecting his inventiveness and boundless imagination.

During his time as the 2020-23 Young American Composer-in-Residence at California Symphony, Viet Cuong has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with the orchestra, composing three works commissioned and premiered by the California Symphony. In 2021, California Symphony premiered Cuong’s Next Week’s Trees in their “Poetry in Motion” video series. The work, which takes its name from American poet Mary Oliver’s Walking to Oak-Head Pond, And Thinking Of The Ponds I Will Visit In The Next Days And Weeks, served as a reminder of the “confident hope of the present.” Viet Cuong’s Stargazer Piano Concerto, inspired by the refractions of starlight on its journey to Earth, was premiered by pianist Sarah Cahill in the California Symphony’s 2022-23 season finale. Chance of Rain is Cuong’s final contribution as Resident Composer for the California Symphony.

Called “alluring” and “wildly inventive” by The New York Times, the “irresistible” (San Francisco Chronicle) music of Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong (b. 1990) has been commissioned and performed on six continents by musicians and ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Sō Percussion, Atlanta Symphony, Sandbox Percussion, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s, among many others, and has been played at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art, and more. In his music, Cuong enjoys exploring the unexpected and whimsical, and he is often drawn to projects where he can make peculiar combinations and sounds feel enchanting or oddly satisfying. He was recently featured in The Washington Post’s “21 for ’21: Composers and performers who sound like tomorrow.”

Founded in 1986, California Symphony is in its eleventh season under the leadership of Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that combine classics alongside American repertoire and works by living composers and for making the symphony welcoming and accessible. The orchestra includes musicians who perform with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, and others. Committed to developing new talent, California Symphony has launched the careers of some of today’s most well-known artists, including violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, cellists Alisa Weilerstein and Joshua Roman, pianist Kirill Gerstein, and composers Mason Bates, Christopher Theofanidis, and Kevin Puts.

California Symphony’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by the Lesher Foundation. The November concerts are sponsored by the Heller Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Three-concert subscriptions start at $99 and are available now, along with single tickets ($45-90, and $20 for students 25 and under). More information is available at CaliforniaSymphony.org. A 30-minute pre-concert talk and Q&A led by lecturer Scott Fogelsong will begin one hour before each performance.

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS:

WHAT: California Symphony presents Composing the Future: A Panel Discussion

California Symphony offers as part of the California Festival a panel discussion moderated by San Francisco’s Classical KDFC host Dianne Nicolini and featuring panelists San Francisco Symphony CEO Matthew Spivey, composer Viet Cuong, and pianist Sarah Cahill. The panel discussion will explore how collaborations shape classical music. Guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary drink alongside a conversation into the future and evolution of contemporary classical music as well as the challenges and opportunities that composers, performers, presenters, and audiences face.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 7:30pm

WHERE: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

TICKETS: Capacity is limited and free tickets, which are available at californiasymphony.org/festival, are required for entry.

WHAT: California Symphony presents Handel–Rivers of Inspiration

California Symphony presents Rivers of Inspiration, a concert featuring the music of George Frideric Handel, Viet Cuong, and Robert Schumann. Opening the program is the highly anticipated world premiere of California Symphony’s 2020-2023 composer-in-residence Viet Cuong’s Chance of Rain. Robert Schumann’s exuberant Symphony No. 3 and Handel’s spectacular Water Music, Suites No. 1 and No. 2 accompany Viet Cuong’s world premiere. These concerts are part of the statewide California Festival, showcasing the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in the past five years.

WHEN: Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 7:30 pm   
Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 4:00 pm

WHERE: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

CONCERT:
HANDEL–RIVERS OF INSPIRATION
7:30pm, Saturday, Nov. 11
4:00pm, Sunday, Nov. 12
Donato Cabrera, conductor
California Symphony
PROGRAM:
Viet Cuong—Chance of Rain (world premiere)
George Frideric Handel—Water Music, Suites No. 1 and No. 2
Robert Schumann—Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish)

TICKETS: Three-concert subscriptions start at $99 and are available now. Single tickets are $45-90 and $20 (for students 25 and under with valid Student ID).

INFO: For more information or to purchase tickets, the public may visit CaliforniaSymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Ticket Office at (925) 943-7469 (open Wed – Sun, noon to 6pm).

PHOTOS: Available here.