Join us on Sunday afternoon, May 24th, for our season finale, Countryside to Cosmos — a program steeped in the natural world, from Beethoven's joyful Pastoral Symphony to the impressionistic scenes of Honegger and Delius. You'll be transported into the countryside, without leaving your comfortable seat at the Hammer Theatre!
We're thrilled to welcome Rufus Olivier, Jr. as soloist in Vivaldi's Bassoon Concerto in E minor — a vibrant Baroque contrast that reveals all the qualities of the bassoon, from warm and lyrical in the slow movement to nimble and witty in the fast ones. Olivier began his career with the San Francisco Symphony at the age of 21. Since then, he's served as Principal Bassoonist with both the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet orchestras, toured internationally as a soloist, earned a Grammy Award (for the Elmo in Grouchland soundtrack), and been awarded the Seal of the City and County of San Francisco.
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony — composed as he was struggling with hearing loss — fills the hall with rolling countryside, gathering storms, and birdsong, and ends with some of his most joyful and serene music. Honegger and Delius add shimmering reflections of spring and summer, and Carlos Simon's Breathe offers a moment of quiet, necessary reflection. Simon has been described as "a young composer on the rise, with an ear for social justice" (NPR). He is a Grammy-nominated artist and the Composer-in-Residence for the Kennedy Center, who incorporates Black cultural history, gospel music, and social justice themes into his compositions.
There's still time to get your tickets for this afternoon escape into music and nature. Our tickets are always affordable, and the "pay what you can afford" option makes it even easier to attend. We look forward to seeing you there.