La Oferta Newspaper

01/31/2025

Events Around the Bay
By Lina Broydo

The world renowned San Francisco Symphony continues to enriches our 2025 cultural life with a lavish number of spectacular concerts featuring the world famous soloists, brilliant orchestra conductors and a number of visiting Symphony Orchestras from near and far. I will continue throughout the year to keep you informed about the fabulous music performances at the architecturally stunning Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. This is where virtuosos come to play. So mark your calendars for some of my and hopefully your favorite selections.

Yuja Wang, Esa-Pekka Salonen and the SF Symphony Orchestra
February 13-16, 2025
Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to conduct the SF Symphony Orchestra for a program featuring the effervescent and sensational Yuja Wang in two piano concertos: Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand and Einojuhani Rautavaara's Piano Concerto #1. The endlessly inventive, superbly creative and a showcase for the spectacular fashions Yuja Wang brings her dramatic flair and unique interpretive finesse to both piano concertos.

Daniil Trifonov, Esa-Pekka Salonen and the SF Symphony Orchestra
February 21-23, 2025
Salonen leads the SF Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of a new work by Emerging Black Composers Project winner Xavier Muzik; Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto #2 featuring the amazing pianist Daniil Trifonov; in addition to the playful interpretation of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" under the masterful baton of Maestro Salonen.

Joshua Bell
February 26, 2025
One day only - so don't miss this performance by the virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell in partnership with the renowned Academy of St. Martin in the Fields performing works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Joseph Haydn and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. This concert is a part of SF Symphony Great Performers Series!

Robin Ticciati Conducts Beethoven's Piano Concerto #4
February 28 - March 2, 2025
A fabulous concert by the visiting conductor featuring Francesco Piemontesi in his Orchestral Series debut, playing Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony #2 with the SF Symphony. Ticciati's rise to the top tier of conductors was meteoric. In 2005, at the age of 22, he conducted the Filarmonica della Scala in Milan - as the youngest conductor in the venerable history of the house. A year later he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival, causing a domino effect which led to several long-term positions: with the Gävle Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and, in parallel, as principal guest conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. By 2014 he was music director of the Glyndebourne Festival.
A must see!

Information
For tickets visit sfsymphony.org

Photos courtesy of the San Francisco Symphony

01/20/2025

https://fb.watch/xecPGkvmpY/

01/19/2025

01/16/2025

Events Around the Bay
By Lina Broydo

Joshua Roman with Stanford Medicine Orchestra in Palo Alto
February 12 at 7:30 pm

Immunity & Saint Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor is part of the Stanford Live repertoire of the exciting evening at the architecturally stunning Bing Concert Hall at Stanford University. Immunity is an intimate musical exploration of cellist Joshua Roman's life-altering, inspiring experience of ongoing long COVID, with music ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to George Crumb to Caroline Shaw, as well as Roman's own compositions. The second half of the concert features Saint Saëns' breathtaking Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor to be performed with the Stanford Medicine Orchestra. Who knew you could have a double major at the world renowned Stanford University's Medical School? Be a doctor and play a musical instrument. This is magical and don't miss this concert.

Information
650-724-2464

live.stanford.edu - check out on the amazing line-up of the world famous performers at
Bing Concert Hall

Photos courtesy of Stanford Live
@

01/16/2025

Events Around the Bay

By Lina Broydo
SF Symphony Celebrates Lunar New Year: The Year of the Serpent
February 8, 2025 at 4pm

Enjoy the annual Lunar New Year concert with a program conducted by Francesco Lecce-Chong. The program includes An-Lun Huang's Saibei Dance, from Saibei Suite No. 2; Tian Zhou's Indigo from Concerto for Orchestra; and the world premiere of a new work by Shuying Li. P**a player Wu Man joins the Orchestra to perform Zhao Jiping's P**a Concerto No. 2, and Assistant Principal Cello Amos Yang plays selections from Chen Gang and He Zhanhao's The Butterfly Lovers Concerto.

The concert closes with Huan-Zhi Li's Spring Festival Overture. The celebration begins at 4:00pm with pre-concert lobby festivities open to all ticket holders, featuring an array of entertainment and activities, such as lion dancers, dragon's beard candy making, fortune readers, calligraphy artists, and cultural performances. The post-concert Lunar New Year Banquet begins at 6:30pm in Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall, located at 300 Franklin Street at the rear of Davies Symphony Hall, and features a lucky draw and live music, including a special performance. VIP dinner packages include access to the pre-concert Ruby Reception, premium concert seating, and seating at the banquet.

Information
415-864-6000; sfsymphony.org
Photos courtesy of SF Symphony

01/16/2025

Events Around the Bay

By Lina Broydo
Symphony San Jose presents: "The Firebird"
January 25 at 7:30pm and January 26 at 2:30pm

With music as enchanting and lavishly colorful as the title character, The Firebird is the perfect way to welcome the New Year. This suite comes from the 1910 ballet that launched Stravinsky's international career. Opening the program is Sibelius' most-famous composition, Finlandia, evoking the struggles of his native homeland with equal parts ominousness, pride, and festivity. Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Haydn is one of the famed Romantic composer's most popular works. Argentinian conductor Carlos Vieu brings Sonia Possetti's spirited Bullanguera from his homeland to complete this program. See you there!

Information
For tickets call 408.286.2600 or visit symphonysanjose.org
ArtWork: Courtesy of Symphony San Jose.

01/16/2025

Events Around the Bay

By Lina Broydo

San Francisco Ballet Presents Sir Kenneth MacMillan's "Manon"
January 24 through February 1, 2025

SF Ballet premiere of Sir Kenneth MacMillan's "Manon." Set to open SF Ballet's highly anticipated 24/25 Repertory Season, this sumptuous production is considered one of MacMillan's most notable and widely celebrated works. Showcasing his expertise of narrative choreography and acute insight into human psychology with a full cast of dancers, this ballet feast will dazzle audiences at the War Memorial Opera House. Definitely not to be missed! MacMillan's Manon is a masterpiece of storytelling, weaving passion, ambition, and tragedy into a narrative that resonates across generations. Inspired by a 1731 novel, this ballet captures the meteoric rise and heart-wrenching fall of its titular heroine, immersing viewers in the opulent and morally complex world of 18th-century France.

This production promises a vivid experience of European decadence, brought to life through lush sets and intricate costumes from The Royal Ballet that rarely leave the UK, and a breathtaking score by Jules Massenet, performed live by San Francisco Ballet Orchestra under Music Director & Principal Conductor Martin West. "MacMillan was an artist who infused novelty and depth into his choreography," said Artistic Director Tamara Rojo.

"Manon exemplifies how he brought new life to a classic story, transforming it into a timeless narrative." The bars within the Opera House will also serve a specialty cocktail inspired by the themes of Manon, bringing a taste of luxury to the audience experience. Principal Dancers Dores André, Jasmine Jimison, Sasha De Sola, and Nikisha Fogo as Manon. San Francisco Ballet, led by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, is a world-leading ballet company and a trailblazing commissioner, collaborator, and presenter in dance.

Information: Tickets may be purchased online at sfballet.org. or by calling Ticket Services at 415-865-2000.
Photos courtesy of San Francisco Ballet

01/16/2025

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01/10/2025

01/09/2025

01/09/2025

Events Around the Bay

By Liba Broydo

A Firechat with Bill Gates at the History Museum in Mountain View
February 11 at 1pm

Join an extraordinary Computer History Museum (CHM) Live event as they welcome Bill Gates to discuss his deeply personal new memoir, Source Code, in conversation with Patrick Collison, co-founder and CEO of Stripe. If you would like to watch the event online, you can join the livestream on CHM's YouTube channel. About the book: The origin story of one of the most influential and transformative business leaders and philanthropists of the modern age. The business triumphs of Bill Gates are widely known: the twenty-year-old who dropped out of Harvard to start a software company that became an industry giant and changed the way the world works and lives; the billionaire many times over who turned his attention to philanthropic pursuits to address climate change, global health, and U.S. education.

It's the human, personal story of how Bill Gates became who he is today: his childhood, his early passions and pursuits. It's the story of his principled grandmother and ambitious parents, his first deep friendships and the sudden death of his best friend; of his struggles to fit in and his discovery of a world of coding and computers in the dawn of a new era; of embarking in his early teens on a path that took him from midnight escapades at a nearby computer center to his college dorm room, where he sparked a revolution that would change the world. Bill Gates tells this, his own story, for the first time: wise, warm, revealing, it's a fascinating portrait of an American life.

Information
650-810-1010
Event Fee: $35 per ticket. Tickets for the in-person event include a copy of the book and admission for one person. This event will be available to watch on the Museum's YouTube channel
Computer History Museum
1401 N. Shoreline Blvd, in Mountain View

Photo courtesy of CHM

01/09/2025

Events Around the Bay

By Liba Broydo

Comedian/Actor Sebastian Maniscalco is on His Way to San Jose
February 1 at 7pm at SAP Center

If you wish to laugh for 2 hours straight - get your tickets ASAP! The hottest and my absolutely favorite comedian who sold out 4 consecutive nights of his performances at the renowned Madison Square Garden in New York, is on his way to San Jose! Born in 1973 to Italian-immigrant parents, Sebastian Maniscalco grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and started his career in comedy in Los Angeles in 1998 while he was waiting tables at the Four Seasons Hotel. Maniscalco paved his way to fame one joke at a time, often running over to the famous Comedy Store for impromptu performances.

Building a good fan base prior to playing arenas, Maniscalco obtained his popularity through word-of-mouth. Humble about his vision for his career, he never envisioned selling out huge arenas, but now with his fame on the rise, he was deemed one of the highest-paid comedians in 2017 and 2018 by Forbes magazine. After his Netflix comedy specials put him on the map, Maniscalco made his acting debut in the film "Green Book" with bit parts in several other films and recently hosted the MTV music video awards in 2019. See you at SAP in San Jose!

Information
tickets-center.com
SAP Center at 525 West Santa Clara Street in San Jose
Photo courtesy of SAP Center

01/09/2025

Events Around the Bay

By Liba Broydo
New Century Chamber Orchestra Presents:
"MUSICAL DIVERSIONS: C.P.E. Bach, Shostakovich, and Bartók
With internationally-acclaimed guest pianist Inon Barnatan
January 17-18 at 7:30pm in Berkeley; January 18 at 3PM at Sonoma State University,
January 19, at 2PM at Presidio in San Francisco

Praised by The New York Times as "one of the most admired pianists of his generation," virtuoso pianist Inon Barnatan joins New Century Chamber Orchestra with British Violinist Daniel Hope and its brilliant Music Director and Concertmaster and Brandon Ridenour, Trumpet musician supreme for an electrifying collaboration on two of the great works for piano and string orchestra: Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor and C.P.E. Bach's Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in D minor. The program also includes Bela Bartók's Divertimento for String Orchestra. "It is one of the great works for strings," says Hope. "It gives everyone in the ensemble something to say and a chance to really show what they do. It's a bit like a meeting on the town square with a raucous finale that comes to an absolutely tremendous conclusion."

ABOUT NEW CENTURY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: One of only a handful of conductorless chamber ensembles in the world, New Century Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1992 and includes 19 string players from the San Francisco Bay Area as well throughout the United States. Musical decisions are made collaboratively, resulting in an enhanced level of commitment from the musicians and concerts of remarkable precision, passion, and power. The internationally acclaimed British violinist and Deutsche Grammophon recording artist Daniel Hope has been the ensemble's Music Director since 2018. Beyond regular season concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area, New Century has toured nationally and internationally. In June 2023, the ensemble released its debut album with Daniel Hope on the Deutsche Grammophon label, Music for a New Century.
ncco.org

Infirmation
Tickets: $35-$80; Info and purchase: www.ncco.org
Free open rehearsal: Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 10:30am-1:00pm at Forest Hill Christian Church, 250 Laguna Honda Boulevard, San Francisco
To confirm your attendance at the open rehearsal, RSVP to [email protected] Program

Photo courtesy of Marco Borggreve

01/09/2025

Events Around the Bay
By Lina Broydo
Joan Baez: The Legendary Artist at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco
January 27 at 6–7 p.m. program; 7 p.m. book signing

We all saw Baez on the big screen this week at the premiere of the award winning movie “A Complete Unknown” portrayed to the perfection by a movie star Monica Barbaro, but now you can see her in person at her appearance at the prestigious Commonwealth Club, where the star will talk about her personal thoughts and life experiences.

Meet the person behind the stardom as she shares the stories in her book of poems When You See My Mother: Ask Her to Dance Baez shares poems about her contemporaries (such as Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, and Jimi Hendrix), reflections from her childhood, personal thoughts, and cherished memories of her family, including pieces about her younger sister, singer-songwriter Mimi Fariña. Learn about the people, places, and moments that have had the greatest impact on Baez art.

I know you will find this collection as Baez inspiring personal diary in the form of poetry. Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum. In Conversation with Ben Fong-Torres, Music Journalist; Former Editor and Writer, Rolling Stone; Hosted by Robert Melton, Co-chair, Arts Member-led Forum.
You can become a monthly sustaining member for just $13 a month.

Information
Commonwealth Club.org;
Photo courtesy of the Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California