Chamber Music in an Intimate Setting
We seek to foster an interest in chamber music. Proper concerts in larger venues often feel impersonal. Newcomers aren’t sure about etiquette or protocol. Program notes tend to be dry and pedantic. And audience members usually know little or nothing about the person next to them.
Our musicians regularly perform in famous halls such as Davies or Lincoln Center. We strip away the barriers and pretense by presenting high quality concerts in a more intimate, digestible form. Each show explores a different theme, ranging from the Italian baroque to the Silk Road. Short lecture presentations precede each piece. And audience participation is encouraged! Food and wine are inclusive. Our shows are designed for the seasoned concert goer and newcomer alike. See our current season’s offerings below, see highlights from previous events at our Facebook page, or check out our reviews in the San Francisco Classical Voice, the Concert Company Blog and in A Beast In A Jungle Review.
Seating is very limited — please RSVP. Seats must be reserved in advance of performance date.
5:30pm
Juilliard and Harvard faculty baroque cellist Phoebe Carrai joins her Philharmonia Baroque colleague, Robert Howard, in duo sonatas by Cervetto, Scarlatti, and Boccherini. We will discuss these composers, along with a musical show & tell, tracing the evolution of the cello from the baroque to present day.
Reserve5:30pm
“… a pianist and musician of striking spontaneity, perception, and depth.” -Robert McDonald, Curtis Institute
Join us in a discussion of Russian Romantic traditions- from Pushkin and Tchaikovsky until Lenin. Emigrating to the US just months after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Rachmaninov was the last pillar of this rich tradition. Delphi Trio pianist Jeff Ladeur joins Robert Howard in a program featuring his monumental cello sonata.
Reserve5:30pm
“dazzling” – The New York Times
“expert and versatile” –The New Yorker
St. Lawrence Quartet violinist Owen Dalby and Decoda Ensemble violist Meena Bhasin join Robert Howard for a program of French music from the 1920s and 30s. We’ll explore the interwar Paris of Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, and Jean Cocteau — the social epicenter of this remarkable time. Works by Ravel and Françaix.
Reserve5:30pm
Pipa virtuoso Shenshen Zhang joins Robert Howard in a program of traditional Chinese and contemporary music. We’ll explore the epic Chinese musical tradition, highlighting its distinctive aesthetic and its differences with the Western tradition. Works by Bright Sheng and Lou Harrison.
Reserve
