The very existence of San Francisco Opera's 2011 Der Ring des Nibelungen, confirmed in a company announcement today, is a hard-won, delightful surprise.
With autumn upon us, the Bay Area's classical music groups are tuning up for hundreds of intriguing events. San Francisco Classical Voice asked several of our critics and editors to comb through the performance announcements available to date and pick their favorite choices for September through December.
The Luisotti era is about to begin. Four years after the maestro made his debut in the War Memorial Opera House conducting La forza del destino, to rave reviews, he assumes his new post as music director of San Francisco Opera.
The Berkeley Symphony Orchestra was confident it had hit the jackpot when it appointed rising-star conductor Joana Carneiro as its third musical director, after Kent Nagano’s masterful work during 30 years at the helm. Now it appears it’s doubled its winnings with the announcement that native Berkeleyan Gabriela Lena Frank has been appointed Creative Advisor to the orchestra.
Putting kids in tune with music can be a tricky adjustment. When my piano-teacher mother was raising us, there were fewer distractions vying with the sounds of her practicing Schumann and Chopin and the classical programming of WQXR radio.
What a great lineup it was Sunday, at the San Francisco Opera in the Park. Read and weep (if you missed it ...
