Santa Rosa Symphony announces in-person 2021-2022 season
“Classical Reunion” 2021-2022 season
Here is an overview of the Santa Rosa Symphony’s 2021-2022 season.
Classical Series Concerts
Oct. 2, 3 and 4: “Elgar and Mozart” features Libby Larsen’s “Deep Summer Music,” Gabriella Smith’s “Rust,” Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” and violinist Julian Rhee performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, “Turkish.”
Nov. 6, 7 and 8: “Klezmer and Krakauer” features Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” and clarinetist David Krakauer in his arrangement of Traditional Klezmer Selections and a world premiere of “The Fretless Clarinet” Concerto for Klezmer Clarinet and Orchestra.
Dec. 4, 5 and 6: “Showcasing Our Own” features Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme for Thomas Tallis; Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5; and Paul Hindemith’s Concerto for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Harp and Orchestra, featuring five orchestra musicians: flutist Kathleen Lane Reynolds, oboist Laura Reynolds, clarinetist Roy Zajac, bassoonist Carla Wilson and harpist Dan Levitan.
Jan. 8, 9 and 10, 2022: “Beethoven a la Kern” features Wagner’s “Lohengirn”: Prelude to Act 1, a world premiere of Gabriella Smith’s Symphony No. 1 as part of the First Symphony Project Commission and pianist Olga Kern returning to play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor.”
Feb. 12, 13 and 14, 2022: “American Rhapsody” with guest conductor Aram Demirjian features William Grant Still’s “Darker America,” Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and pianist Michelle Cann performing Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Florence Price’s “Piano Concerto in One Movement.”
March 19, 20 and 21, 2022: “Rach and the Hollywood Sound” includes Hildur Guonadottir’s “From the Other Place,” Nino Rota’s Ballet Suite from “La Strada” (“The Road”) and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 1.
May 7, 8 and 9, 2022: “Valley of the Moon” showcases violinist Elina Välhälä in Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto, Johann Strauss II’s Overture to “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat”), Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun” and a world premiere of Michael Daugherty’s “Valley of the Moon.”
June 11, 12 and 13, 2022: “Visions of Hope” features a world premiere of Enrico Chapela Barba’s “Los Braceros” (“The Laborers”) Cantata for Mariachi and Orchestra, Artur Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 for Orchestra and Respighi’s “The Fountains of Rome” and “The Pines of Rome.”
Family Concert Series
Oct. 24: “Classical Rocks!” introduces live orchestral music and the “families” of instruments that make it happen, with excerpts of works by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvorak and Mozart, including many tunes that have made their way into pop culture.
Jan. 23, 2022: “Gershwin’s Magic Key” brings to life the childhood of American composer George Gershwin, weaving together 20 of Gershwin’s greatest hits.
April 3, 2022: “Francesco at the Bat” features Music Director Francesco Lecce-Chong on the podium in an interactive concert that includes a singalong of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and explores how musicians train just like athletes, with practice and teamwork.
The Santa Rosa Symphony will return to the Green Music Center’s Weill Hall at Sonoma State University — with a full orchestra onstage and a live audience in the seats — for a complete 2021-2022 season of seven concert sets, plus an extra concert in June 2022 and two new subscription packages.
“I’m thrilled to welcome audiences back to the Green Music Center for the unparalleled experience of live orchestra music,” said Music Director Francesco Lecce-Chong. “After a seasonal of virtual performances with a smaller orchestra, an ambitious lineup of grand orchestral classics by Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, Elgar and Respighi will bring our full orchestra back to the stage.”
The “Classical Reunion” season runs from early October to early May and celebrates the orchestra’s 10th season as the resident orchestra of Weill Hall and its 94th season overall. It will feature four world premieres, including a continuation of the four-season First Symphony Project, which will mark its second season with composer-in-residence Gabrielle Smith.
The 2021-2022 season will also be the start of a new, four-season project: Rachmaninoff and the Hollywood Sound, which brings together some of the Russian composer’s larger works with smaller works by influential Hollywood composers of the past and present, illustrating their shared lush and lyrical sound.
Reschedulings
For some audience members, the season is the realization of a dream deferred, as several soloists, originally set to perform during the 2020-2021 season, have been rescheduled for the upcoming season.
These guest artists include rising young violinist Julian Rhee, Finnish violinist Elina Välhälä, pianist Michelle Cann and internationally acclaimed clarinetist David Krakauer, known for his mastery of many musical styles, including klezmer, a traditional Jewish music genre.
During the second concert set in November, Krakauer will perform his arranged version of Traditional Klezmer Selections as well as a world premiere of “The Fretless Clarinet” Concerto for Klezmer Clarinet and Orchestra, which he cowrote with Kathleen Tagg.
Mariachi premier
In May, the orchestra will give the world premiere of Grammy-award winning composer Michael Daugherty’s “Valley of the Moon,” which celebrates the Sonoma County community.
In June 2022, the orchestra will present a special concert, rescheduled from May 2020, of the first-ever commission and world premiere of a major work for mariachi and orchestra.
Composer Enrico Chapela Barba’s “Los Braceros” (“The Laborers”) Cantata for Mariachi and Orchestra, conducted by Lecce-Chong, will feature Mariachi Champaña Nevin of San Diego and vocalists Rafael Jorge Negrete and Mónica Ábrego.
Single tickets will be available for the special concert, which also includes Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 and Ottorino Respighi’s “The Fountains of Rome” and “The Pines of Rome.” If you were a subscriber in 2019-2020, you will already have a ticket.
Season subscriptions
Leveraging skills learned during the pandemic, the symphony will offer two new subscription packages in addition to the four packages offered in the past. The new Classical Plus Series includes seats for all seven concerts plus access to the concerts on YouTube for up to 30 days. The Classical Hybrid Series includes access to the first three concerts on YouTube for up to 30 days and ticketed seats to the last four concerts starting in January.
Other subscriptions packages include the 7-Concert Classical Series, for live concerts; the Mini Series, a customized selection of four of the seven concerts; Come as You Can Series, with eight vouchers for any combination of performance days and seats; and the Discovery Rehearsal Series, a low-cost subscription ideal for families on a budget.
The Classical Series concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and Mondays and 3 p.m. Sundays at Weill Hall in the Green Music Center. Discovery rehearsals are held at 2 p.m. Saturdays at Weill Hall.
The 2021-2022 Family Series will be held at 3 p.m. on three Sundays at Weill Hall. The interactive concerts provide an opportunity for young people to share in the passion for classical music. The concerts feature fun themes and an instrument “petting zoo” in the lobby one hour before the performances. The concerts will be conducted by Bobby Rogers in October and January and by Lecce-Chong in April 2022.
The symphony’s four-concert pops series, performed at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, has already been announced (lutherburbankcenter.org for more information). The orchestra also will offer a few multimedia classical music concerts this summer at the Green Music Center (gmc.sonoma.edu).
A gala fundraiser, Celebration 2021, will be held on Nov. 5 at the Green Music Center and honor Alan Silow, Santa Rosa Symphony president and CEO. The gala includes a reception in the Prelude Restaurant and a recital by clarinetist and composer David Krakauer, followed by a dinner in the lobby and an auction for the symphony’s music education programs.
“Alan’s remarkable resourcefulness and perseverance during the past symphony season will long benefit our patrons, youth, musicians, staff and community,” said Corinne Byrd, chairman of the symphony board. “He is ... a seasoned professional whose acumen for strategy and program building have propelled our symphony association, for 20 years, to greater success.
In 2021-2022, the symphony will continue its program of offering one free ticket to youth 7 to 17 years old with each paid adult ticket.
For more information or to subscribe, go to srsymphony.org or call 707-546-8742. The Patron Services Office at 50 Santa Rosa Ave., Suite 410 is currently closed to walk-ins. Single tickets will go on sale on Aug. 30.
Staff Writer Diane Peterson can be reached at 707-521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @dianepete56
“Classical Reunion” 2021-2022 season
Here is an overview of the Santa Rosa Symphony’s 2021-2022 season.
Classical Series Concerts
Oct. 2, 3 and 4: “Elgar and Mozart” features Libby Larsen’s “Deep Summer Music,” Gabriella Smith’s “Rust,” Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” and violinist Julian Rhee performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, “Turkish.”
Nov. 6, 7 and 8: “Klezmer and Krakauer” features Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” and clarinetist David Krakauer in his arrangement of Traditional Klezmer Selections and a world premiere of “The Fretless Clarinet” Concerto for Klezmer Clarinet and Orchestra.
Dec. 4, 5 and 6: “Showcasing Our Own” features Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme for Thomas Tallis; Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5; and Paul Hindemith’s Concerto for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Harp and Orchestra, featuring five orchestra musicians: flutist Kathleen Lane Reynolds, oboist Laura Reynolds, clarinetist Roy Zajac, bassoonist Carla Wilson and harpist Dan Levitan.
Jan. 8, 9 and 10, 2022: “Beethoven a la Kern” features Wagner’s “Lohengirn”: Prelude to Act 1, a world premiere of Gabriella Smith’s Symphony No. 1 as part of the First Symphony Project Commission and pianist Olga Kern returning to play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor.”
Feb. 12, 13 and 14, 2022: “American Rhapsody” with guest conductor Aram Demirjian features William Grant Still’s “Darker America,” Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and pianist Michelle Cann performing Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Florence Price’s “Piano Concerto in One Movement.”
March 19, 20 and 21, 2022: “Rach and the Hollywood Sound” includes Hildur Guonadottir’s “From the Other Place,” Nino Rota’s Ballet Suite from “La Strada” (“The Road”) and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 1.
May 7, 8 and 9, 2022: “Valley of the Moon” showcases violinist Elina Välhälä in Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto, Johann Strauss II’s Overture to “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat”), Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun” and a world premiere of Michael Daugherty’s “Valley of the Moon.”
June 11, 12 and 13, 2022: “Visions of Hope” features a world premiere of Enrico Chapela Barba’s “Los Braceros” (“The Laborers”) Cantata for Mariachi and Orchestra, Artur Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 for Orchestra and Respighi’s “The Fountains of Rome” and “The Pines of Rome.”
Family Concert Series
Oct. 24: “Classical Rocks!” introduces live orchestral music and the “families” of instruments that make it happen, with excerpts of works by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvorak and Mozart, including many tunes that have made their way into pop culture.
Jan. 23, 2022: “Gershwin’s Magic Key” brings to life the childhood of American composer George Gershwin, weaving together 20 of Gershwin’s greatest hits.
April 3, 2022: “Francesco at the Bat” features Music Director Francesco Lecce-Chong on the podium in an interactive concert that includes a singalong of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and explores how musicians train just like athletes, with practice and teamwork.
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