By Lina Broydo
With Beethoven, Wagner, Wolfe and Berg: SF Symphony Starts the New Year on a Happy Note!
January 16, 17 and 18 at 8 p.m.
Happy Birthday Ludwig van Beethoven! 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven, the most famous composer who casts a long shadow over music—challenging, inspiring, haunting, and setting the bar for generations to come.
The renowned Beethoven virtuoso pianist Emanuel Ax, will present the Piano Concerto No. 2, some of the earliest-known music by the composer. Fronting a heightened sense of drama, Beethoven would become a beacon to Richard Wagner, who then pushed music’s harmonic language into a new realm—one which paved the way for Alban Berg.
A signature piece for Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT), Berg’s spellbinding Three Pieces for Orchestra is a revival of recent performances issued on the Orchestra’s in-house label, the eight-time Grammy Award winner.
The concert’s repertoire will also feature the West Cast Premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Fountain of Youth and Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll.
A truly sensational program to inaugurate the SF Symphony’s extraordinarily exciting 2020 season.
Tickets and Information
Prices range from $20 to $185
415-864-6000
sfsymphony.org
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco
Pre-order food and beverages by calling 415-252-1937
Photos courtesy of SF Symphony
“The Pianist of Willesden Lane” Performs in Mountain View
January 15 through February16
Hershey Felder, the Bay Area favorite actor, pianist, writer, director and producer, brings “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” on its Triumphant Tour de Force performances created by Felder for TheatreWorks of Palo Alto.
Adapted and directed by Hershey Felder and based on the book “The Children of Willesden Lane” by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen it celebrates the power of music to transcend even the darkest of times. Holding fast to dreams of concert success, a young Jewish pianist escapes Vienna via the Kindertransport, arriving in England at the outset of World War II.
In a stunning, nationally-acclaimed performance, concert pianist Mona Golabek recounts her mother’s poignant saga of hope and resilience, underscored with extraordinary music from Bach, Beethoven, and many more.
How truly amazing for the brilliant Hershey Felder and the incredible TheatreWorks of Palo Alto to present “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” at the time as the world celebrates Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th Birthday. “Astonishing” and “Stunningly good!” – SF Chronicle. “Deeply affecting” – NY Times. Definitely not to be missed and possible see it twice.
Tickets and Information
Prices range from $25 to $55
650-463-7132
theatreworks.org
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro Street in Mountain View
Photo courtesy of TheatreWorks
Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment
January 17 through May 3, 2020
To gently guide you on your path, Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment brings together Buddhist artworks from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Asian Art Museum, home to two of the country’s most significant collections of Himalayan art. Sculptures, paintings, textiles and book arts made between 800 and 2016 chart a transformative journey from the ordinary world to awakening.
Awaken begins with works that speak to the unbalanced nature of our contemporary existence.
After meeting some of Himalayan Buddhism’s most interesting masters, you then meet your guide, or guru, in the form of an early 17th-century painting of Gorampa Sonam Sengge, the sixth abbot of Ngor monastery, who will lead you on a path out of this chaos.
A fascinating journey – enjoy, but time to wake up…
Tickets and Information
415-581-3500
asianart.org
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street in San Francisco
Photo courtesy of Asian Art Museum
Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico de Silvia Lozano Performs in Silicon Valley
January 24 and 25, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Traditional Mexican dance, music and costumes come together in this spectacular production. Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico de Silvia Lozano has spent the past 56 years entertaining and performing for kings, presidents and prime ministers around the globe.
Featuring dances and authentic music, these captivating performances are carefully choreographed and designed to preserve and share the heritage of the Mexican people.
Now its time for you to enjoy and be awestruck by their artistry in San Jose.
Tickets and Information
408-924-8501
hammertheatre.com
Hammer Theatre Center
101 Paseo de San Antonio in San Jose
Photo courtesy of Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico de Silvia Lozano
