Jeff Kaliss

If this album garners the Grammy it’s been nominated for, it will not only properly reward Matt Haimovitz and his self-described big band of cellos, it will also help legitimize the concept of the award category “Classical Crossover.” Either way, it leaves us cheering for that Grammy — and for more quality crossover.

Matt Haimovitz, the Montreal-based cellist, celebrated for his spirited approach to genre-bending and performance, is a mere 40. A week after a Grammy nod, Haimovitz spoke with SFCV about his visit, the Grammy-worthy album, and his wide-ranging musical mission.

Terrance Kelly and his Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir showcase their infectious spirit at the Oakland East Bay Symphony's holiday celebration, “Let Us Break Bread Together.”

A new CD from the Turtle Island Quartet featuring eight songs by the late rock legend Jimi Hendrix may have some applauding the cross-over effort. Others are likely to come away less than satisfied, if not outright irritated.

A preview of the season opener at the Oakland East Bay symphony and a one-of-a-kind chat with Carlos Santana, who is bringing people together across musical lines, and is right in tune with the orchestra.

Celebrated pop singer and songsmith Rufus Wainwright tells SFCV why he's turned towards composing arias and settings of Shakespeare, and why writers of opera and snarky critics are uneasy bedfellows.

Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir looks forward to a gig with the Marin Symphony and the opening of his new music recording studio — just a hint of the new projects he’s lining up involving classical orchestras.

Over three decades, he’s refashioned tasty morsels of jazz, country, world, pop, and classical music, but Bill Frisell and his guitars have always flown far above pigeonholes. Frisell spoke to SFCV from the autumnal splendor of the Vermont Studio Center, where he and his wife, painter Carole d’Inverno, were pursuing their crafts for several weeks in the inspiring company of four dozen other artists.

Early music has considerable postmodern appeal for recorder virtuoso Piers Adams and his group, Red Priest. The group's long-awaited local stop is set as a Halloween-flavored concert on Oct. 28. Arrayed in colorful outfits that evoke olden days and issuing albums with tongue-in-cheek titles, like Red Priest, has effectively marketed itself as an unlikely team of English early-music all-stars.

Whether it's girdling the globe or picking up an Avery Fisher Career Grant at Lincoln Center, both of which she's accomplished this year, 24-year-old Joyce Yang is particular about choosing both her piano repertoire and her wardrobe. She discusses her choices with SFCV, and reveals how she applies all six of her senses to the keyboard.