Del Sol Shines in Alumni Recital
 Called "masters of all musical things they survey" by Gramophone magazine, Del Sol String Quartet covers the map in a concert of contemporary music at the Conservatory on February 1. With the finesse of a classical string quartet and the tightness of a rhythm section, Del Sol explores soundscapes using electronica, whistling and even throat singing in pieces commissioned from Cambodian-American composer Chinary Ung, Estonian-American composer Lembit Beecher, University of California, Berkeley's Ken Ueno and Conservatory faculty member Mason Bates. Del Sol's players are violinists Kate Stenberg '84 and Rick Shinozaki '86, violist Charlton Lee '93 and cellist Kathryn Bates Williams '07.
Saturday, February 1, 8 p.m.................  Concert Hall, $20/$15
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McGegan Waxes Exotic Even from behind his back, audiences can't mistake the effervescence and authority with which Nicholas McGegan conducts early music. The longtime music director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra does an about-face on the podium when he delivers a free lecture titled "Baroque Opera: An Exotic and Irrational Entertainment." No doubt McGegan's talk will be just as entertaining as the topic itself - and far more sensible. Tuesday, January 28, 8 p.m., Concert Hall, Free More information
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Fitzpatrick Becomes New Dean
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President David H. Stull has appointed Robert Fitzpatrick as Provost and Dean of the Conservatory, to serve in an interim capacity following the departure of Mary Ellen Poole. Poole has stepped down following ten years of distinguished service, during which she ushered the school through its transition from Ortega Street to its new campus at 50 Oak and was regarded as a staunch advocate for faculty and students. Fitzpatrick comes to the Conservatory having served for more than twenty years as Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Curtis Institute of Music. He has also worked as an orchestral conductor and professional clarinetist. Fitzpatrick assumed his new role on January 13 and will meet students as they return this week for spring semester. The Conservatory offers him a warm welcome!
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 Magik*Magik's Perfect Fifth
Magik*Magik Orchestra celebrates its fifth birthday with a concert at the Fox Theater in Oakland on January 31. As the ecclectic list of guest artists attests, the ensemble has staked out a suprisingly fertile niche where indie meets classical. Founder and Director Minna Choi '09 speaks with Take Note about how Magik*Magik has grown. Read more |
 A Rave for BatesFaculty member Mason Bates electrified audiences and critics alike this month with two works performed at the San Francisco Symphony's Beethoven and Bates Festival. San Francisco Chronicle critic Joshua Kosman wrote a rave for Bates' The B-Sides, saying, "This is new music as you always hoped it would be - exciting, beautiful, surprising and full of a vivid sense of discovery." Bates joined the symphony on stage during the two-week festival, adding his DJ setup - a laptop and mixing board - to the percussion section. Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas paired Bates' music with less-frequently performed works by his trend-setting forbear, who, of course, rocked eighteenth and nineteenth-century concert houses in his own distinctive way. |
Siegel Wins Poetry Prize
Literature and creative writing faculty member Matthew Siegel has won the 2014 Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry for his book-length manuscript Blood Work. Siegel's volume, chosen from more than 700 entries, will be published by University of Wisconsin Press in 2015. The prize is administered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Upcoming Concerts
Thursday, January 23, 8 PM FREE
Faculty Artist Series
Jeff Anderle '06, clarinet, and Kate Campbell '04, piano
Thursday, January 23, 8 PM CANCELLED
Violin Studio Recital | Students of Ian Swensen Monday, January 27, 8 PM $20/$15
Faculty Artist Series
Don Ehrlich, viola, with Jodi Levitz, viola,
Miles Graber, piano, and others
Tuesday, January 28, 2:30 PM FREE
Master Class | David Requiro, cello
Tuesday, January 28, 8 PM FREE
Lecture | Nicholas McGegan, conductor
"Baroque Opera: An Exotic and Irrational Entertainment"
Wednesday, January 29, 7:30 PM FREE
Voice Concerto Competition Finals Saturday, February 1, 8 PM $20/$15.......... Alumni Recital Series | Del Sol String Quartet Tuesday, February 4, 8 PM FREE Violin Studio Recital | Students of Wei He Thursday, February 6, 8 PM FREE Guitar Department Recital Thursday, February 6, 8 PM FREE Voice Department Recital Friday, February 7, 7:30 PM FREE Opera Workshop Saturday, February 8, 8 PM FREE Faculty Artist Series David Conte, composer, with Brian Thorsett '04, tenor; Steven Bailey, piano; and Friction Quartet Monday, February 10, 8 PM $20/$15 Faculty Artist Series | Alden Jenks, composer Tuesday, February 11, 7:30 PM FREE Master Class | Kim Kashkashian, viola Thursday, February 13, 8 PM $20/$15 Chamber Music Masters | Kim Kashkashian, viola Thursday, February 13, 8 PM FREE, RR* Musical Theatre Workshop Friday, February 14, 8 PM FREE, RR* Musical Theatre Workshop Saturday, February 15, 5 PM FREE, RR* Musical Theatre Workshop Saturday, February 15, 8 PM FREE Staff Recital | Steve Bailey, piano Saturday, February 22, 8 PM $20/$15.......... Scott Sandmeier, conductor with 2014 San Francisco Opera Center Adler Fellow Efraín Solís '13, baritone (Rescheduled from February 15)
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View our performance calendar for complete information including concert changes and updates. RR* = Reservations required. Call the Box Office for tickets and reservations at 415.503.6275. Conservatory SupportersTo reserve tickets, please contact June Hom at 415.503.6201 or jhom@sfcm.edu. To become a Conservatory supporter visit our website.
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Noble Trumpets Performing the National Anthem at a Golden State Warriors Game in December
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Conrad Susa (1935- 2013) was a beloved member of the Conservatory faculty for twenty-five years. This past summer, Susa participated in the Conservatory's Oral History Project. In a series of recorded interviews, Conrad described his early life, musical inspirations, teachers, career and memories of the Conservatory. We are pleased to share his stories in transcripts and recordings our Oral History page.
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The Canadian Brass and its newest member, trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos '06, perform on January 28 as guests of The Choral Project in San Jose. In addition to playing with the legendary quintet, Liarmakopoulos is also touring with the multiculti mini-orchestra Pink Martini and appeared recently with salsa icon Rubén Blades.
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A new work by composer Ian Dicke '04, commissioned by the alumni ensemble Friction Quartet, examines the moral quandary of using technology to wage war. Unmanned for strings and live electronics depicts how modern weaponry shields warriors and the public alike from the brutality of conflict. Friction Quartet performs the piece at Old First Concerts in San Francisco on January 26 after premiering it earlier this month in New York City.
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The current issue of Chamber Music magazine hails pre-college faculty member Daniel Wood for achieving a remarkable milestone: ushering his horn quartet Quadre through 15 years, some lean, some fat. The profile paints Wood as a dynamic artist, educator and entrepreneur, motivated specifically by the thrill he gets from performing chamber music. Quadre celebrates its sweet sixteenth this year with concerts around the Bay Area, including a February 2 performance with the San Jose Wind Symphony.
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