[The Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter is dark this week. This column appeared in the 8/11/11 issue, and is updated here.]
Southern California Vocal Events LAURI D GOLDENHERSH's Weekly Highlights Last call! This newsletter takes us right into Labor Day weekend, a startling reminder of just how quickly the season has flown by. Before you get back to your 'usual' schedule, make some time for a few summery jaunts into the cultural beyond: The hills will be alive with you-know-what through this weekend, as the BEVERLY HILLS INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL continues. I'm particularly intrigued by the 'Voices of Hollywood' concert scheduled for Friday 8/12, as it includes music by four of my favorite local composers. (Nope -- not telling which!) For more information on the festival, see the listing elsewhere in this issue of CCMN, or click here. Saturday 8/13, 'Voices of Generosity' aims to prove that music can heal more than the soul. This fundraiser for clean water in poverty-stricken areas puts two talented and visionary artists to work, tackling a very old problem that still lingers in the modern age. Advance tickets can be purchased at a discount, so you can spend the money you save at the silent auction. Have a little food and a drink, enjoy the voices of sopranos LORI ANN FULLER PISCIONERI and RACHEL ROBISON (accompanied by pianist TOM GERHOLD), and learn more about the power of water to break the worldwide cycle of poverty. For more information , click here. Soprano SUZANNE ANDERSON joins the enigmatic and fascinating ensemble TESSERAE to perform a program of sacred music from Venice on Sunday 8/14. This concert takes place in the unusual and celebrated Contrapuntal Performances Recital Hall, which actually exists within a private home in Brentwood. But it sounds like just the intimate space for this bold group of musicmakers, featuring works by Gabriel, Cavalli and Monteverdi. RSVPs are an absolute must. Get details and instructions by clicking here. Don't forget iCadenza's first FUTURE OF MUSIC FESTIVAL at Zipper Hall next week, Aug 17 to 20. Future stars of classical music and opera will show their stuff at three festival concert performances, and you can't miss: all three showcase extraordinary talent. We shone the spotlight on this new tradition in last week's 'Next 7', the List's weekly vocal update (which I'm sure you all read diligently). To learn more and get links to their website and other information, start with that feature by clicking here. Starting Friday 8/19, SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE launches their run of Gilbert & Sullivan's irrepressible 'Yeomen of the Guard', which plays through 9/24. This company is usually theater-focused, but takes this foray into operetta wholeheartedly and with finesse. After all, who deserves love more than an alchemist who's been unjustly condemned? For more information, click here. Craving opera? Mr. Tchaikovsky comes to Pomona with 'Eugene Onegin' in concert performance, helmed by music director Brian Farrell. One night only -- Saturday 8/20 in Pomona. For details, click here. Or, delve into the work of opera composer GAMMA SKUPINSKY, with 'An Evening at the WHOPERA'. A mixed ensemble of vocal and dance performers will augment screened video clips with live portrayals from six of Skupinsky's latest works. Performers include sopranos ARIEL PISTURINO and CORIL PROCHNOW, tenor JOHN BURKE, baritone SCOTT LEVIN and dancer/actress KANA MIYAMOTO, and The Osaka ballet group.
For details, click here. Don't overlook CALPHIL's last seasonal offering 8/20 & 21; or the unusual but surprisingly logical combination of zarzuela and American musical on the 30th. But please give special consideration to an evocative garden performance by the NATUR ENSEMBLE in Rolling Hills Estates on the 28th. For details on these events and more, check the Calendar. Raise a glass this week to a fairly busy summer of glorious and horizon-broadening music. Kudos to all of the organizations and individuals who have brought us a broad array of meaty fare this season. Enjoy your last few weeks, and thank you for supporting live singing! Lauri D. Goldenhersh lauri@laurislist.com Visit the Calendar at LaurisList.com, now the largest centralized resource for SoCal vocal events. Send us a message to learn how to submit your upcoming events!
Also, make sure you're subscribed to the Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter, the indispensable email periodical serving more than 5000 readers in Southern California. View the latest issue here.
To subscribe, send email to editor Jim Eninger. CORRECTION: In the note about 'Eugene Onegin' above, the production was originally identified as been an event from Repertory Opera Company. Although some of their folks are involved, it is an independent benefit for the First Baptist Church of Pomona. As publishers always do, we regret the error. | 
