John Adams, The Chairman Dances Listen to sound clip Gabriela Lena Frank,Peregrinos (West Coast premiere) Béla Bartók, Concerto for Orchestra
Two Berkeley composers open Joana’s tenure: John Adams with a scene out of his opera Nixon in China, depicting a foxtrot between Chairman Mao and his bride, a former Shanghai movie actress; and Gabriela Lena Frank’s Peregrinos (Pilgrims), inspired by stories gathered from Latino immigrants. Watch a video clip about Gabriela's work:
Steven Stucky,Radical Light Jean Sibelius, Symphony No. 7 Steven Stucky, “Elegy” from August 4, 1964 (West Coast premiere) Igor Stravinsky, The Firebird Suite
(1919 version)
Explore the music of Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Stucky with his Radical Light—paired here with a Sibelius symphony as it was intended to be—and a work based on events of a single day which altered both the Presidency of LBJ and American history. Watch a video about Steven's work:
Paul Dresher, Cornucopia Listen to sound clip Esa-Pekka Salonen, Five Images After Sappho Jessica Rivera, soprano Beethoven, Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”
Paul Dresher is an inventive Berkeley composer whose Cornucopia was premiered with John Adams conducting. Esa-Pekka Salonen was Carneiro’s mentor at the LA Phil, where he steps down this year as Music Director. Resident artist Jessica Rivera sings his chamber setting of texts by an ancient Greek poet. Watch Esa-Pekka Salonen as he conducts his own work:
Jörg Widmann, Con brio (West Coast premiere) Samuel Barber, Knoxville, Summer of 1915 Jessica Rivera, soprano Johannes Brahms, Symphony No. 1
A concert overture by the young German composer Jörg Widmann is followed by resident artist Jessica Rivera, singing Barber’s setting of James Agee’s poem of a summer evening as a young boy. The season concludes with the German master, Brahms. Watch the Berlin Philharmonic perform the grand finale of the Brahms:
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