The 14th Season of the Basilica Second Sunday Recital Series opens with a program of Spanish Song by soprano, Esther Rayo, and pianist, Peter Grünberg.
Soprano Esther Rayo is most recognized for her passionate expression of Classical Spanish Repertoire, though her artistry spans Opera, Baroque, Oratorio, Sacred Music, and Art Song. A dedicated and versatile performer, she has been featured in performances with Circa1600, Sonoma Bach, and as a soloist with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Rayo made her Herbst Theatre debut representing Lieder Alive! at InterMusic SF’s Music Day and is celebrated for her collaborations with LaMusArt, supporting underserved Latino youth in East Los Angeles. Ms. Rayo earned her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Sonoma State University, studying under David Burnakus and Ruth Ann Swenson, and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from DePaul University, where she debuted the title role in Suor Angelica to critical acclaim. She made her European debut at Teatro della Fortuna in Fano, Italy, singing Puccini’s Tosca and Mimi in La Bohème. Esther has received numerous awards and scholarships, including honors from the Jarvis Conservatory, NATS Vocal Competitions (Redwood Empire, San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay Opera League, DePaul University Kleinman Competition, San Miguel Institute of Bel Canto, and Musica nelle Marche in Italy. Following the critical success of her debut album Estrellita — also with the masterful pianist Peter Grünberg, Ms. Rayo’s recent and upcoming engagements include the San Francisco International Piano Festival, a return to San Francisco Music Day representing Lieder Alive! at Herbst Theatre, her recital debut at Rossmoor, Walnut Creek, an appearance as featured soloist in Fanny Mendelssohn’s Hero und Leander with Sonoma County Philharmonic and a Christmas recital in Southern California. Upcoming in 2027 Esther will be performing Schubert, Granados, Turina and Puccini with Peter Grünberg for Lieder Alive!
Sydney-born musician Peter Grünberg has led a multifaceted career that spans several countries. For fifteen seasons, he was Musical Assistant to Michael Tilson Thomas at the San Francisco Symphony. During that time he worked on several Grammy-winning recordings, honed the perfomances of the SFS Chorus and many visiting soloists, and gave hundreds of preconcert lectures. His performances as a piano soloist with the Symphony have often featured American music, from Gershwin and Copland to Ives and Adams. He was appointed head coach at the Grand Théâtre de Genève at age 21. A few years later, as a result of preparing the first Australian performances of Berg’s Lulu, he was appointed Resident Conductor with the Sydney Symphony. In the 1990’s, he held the position of head of music staff at San Francisco Opera. During that period he conducted at Moscow Conservatory and at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, and led the San Francisco Symphony in a concert of opera excerpts. He performed at the festivals of Aix-enProvence, Salzburg, and also at Tanglewood with Frederica von Stade and the flutist Matthieu Dufour. He has a long history of presenting and performing song recitals, having collaborated with such artists as Tatiana Troyanos, Deborah Voigt, Laura Claycomb and Quinn Kelsey. Instrumental chamber music is also close to Mr. Grunberg’s heart: He has performed Beethoven and Mozart in Japan with members of the Vienna Philharmonic; with Peter Henderson at Sun Valley Summer Symphony he performed John Adams’s two-piano extravaganza Hallelujah Junction. With the New Century Chamber Orchestra he recently arranged music from Berlin in the 1930’s for a performance with Thomas Hampson and Daniel Hope. Peter retains a connection with both the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the San Francisco Opera, and is currently developing future collaborations with other young artist programs around the world. Grünberg continues to maintain an active life as a recitalist and chamber musician.