March 11, 2020 :: Updated: March 11, 2020 Why are you cancelling the March 14 & 15 FATE AND FUTURE concerts? The health and safety of our patrons and our musicians is paramount. Following updated guidelines released by Contra Costa Health Services regarding COVID-19, the Lesher Center has cancelled performances through March 25, and therefore we must cancel the FATE...
March 10, 2020 :: MESSAGE TO PATRONS, 3/11/2020 One composer and three excited soloists flying in for a world premiere. 75 talented, hard-working musicians, primed and ready to rehearse. 1500 fortune cookies delivered, each containing customized messages celebrating our loyal patrons this Subscriber Appreciation weekend… Even a week ago, none of us could have anticipated the circumstances in which...
October 28, 2019 :: Haydn was the vastly accomplished composer of the era. 24 years younger, Mozart’s reputation was on the rise. Both were prolific, both admired each other’s work, and a close friendship soon ensued in 1780s Vienna. If only I could impress Mozart’s inimitable works on the soul of every friend of music, and the souls of...
September 30, 2019 :: You’re the reason we play | learn | celebrate | connect Dear Friend, At the California Symphony, we believe in the power of music to unite and uplift—to make us feel like we’re a part of something bigger, and to connect to our wider community—and we’re so honored to partner with you in this endeavor....
May 2, 2019 :: It’s been called “a model for residency programs across the country” (Mercury News). Not all orchestras around the country have resident composer programs, and among those that exist, the California Symphony’s Young American Composer-in-Residence program is different in three key ways, says California Symphony Executive Director Lisa Dell. 1. Real relationships take time Several...
April 23, 2019 :: The fifth and final concert set of the 2018/19 season takes place on 5/5, Cinco de Mayo. Here’s our countdown of the top five things that make season finale concert EPIC BRUCKNER an epically wonderful way to celebrate the day. 5. Finale Fiesta For Cinco de Mayo, we’re bringing some Latin flavor to the Lesher...
:: California Symphony Composer-in-Residence Katherine Balch composed Artifacts for New England Conservatory friend and colleague Robyn Bollinger, based on four pieces that are core to solo violin repertoire. Each movement in Artifacts takes its inspiration from diverse works composed between the early 1800s and 1976. By Donato Cabrera, California Symphony Music Director “Robyn and I have...
April 14, 2019 :: California Symphony percussionist Victor Avdienko has one thing to do in Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 and that is to play a lone, epic cymbal crash. For him though, it’s much more than just a single note. By Victor Avdienko, California Symphony percussionist. I played this piece before with Herbert Blomstedt [San Francisco Symphony Music Director...
:: Q: What instrument is named after a tuba, looks like a French horn, and sounds like a trombone? No, that’s not the beginning of a super nerdy orchestra joke but it’s a pretty good description of the hybrid horn that is the Wagner tuba. A quartet of the rare instruments features in Bruckner’s Symphony No....
April 13, 2019 :: Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 is an impressive, expansive, melodic work that requires a supersized orchestra, and for many members of the orchestra it’s a real work out. If you’re a percussionist however, your entire part for this epic masterwork fits neatly onto a single page of music. The percussionists’ sheet music (pictured) indicates that...
